Phobic Scenarios

Phobic Scenarios

(BY: DENNIS V. SALAMANES)

Lately, various countries around the world have been bombarded with various catastrophes that brought casualties to the people and to the society. Nowadays, it is usual for our ears to hear some news about earthquakes, global warming, flood, fires, volcanic eruption, terrorist attacks, killings and many other tragic events that are happening in every corner of the world. In international setting, we have a lot of tragic events such as the earthquake that happened in Haiti and in Chili that caused several citizens of the mentioned countries to suffer and die in a very unfortunate way.  Moreover, in the local setting specifically in the Philippines, we Filipinos cannot really forget the super-typhoon Ondoy that created several damages to human and to the society and the so called “Maguindanao massacre” that brought the life of more than fifty media men into the historical massacre that took away the life of innocent media-men in a single blink of an eye.

Some of the abovementioned tragic events are products of God’s will but the other remaining tragic events are actually manmade in which an intervention of unrighteous human became apparent in one way or another. The earthquakes in Haiti and in Chili are without a doubt considered as forms of natural calamities in which believable to have the absence of human intervention. However, the calamities that happened in the Philippines such as the super-typhoon “Ondoy” and the “Maguindanao Massacre” can never have a colossal destruction to both lives and properties if not because of human lapses, human wickedness, and human unrighteous intervention towards destroying the nature, the society and the righteously living citizens in the Phippines. It is an undeniable truth that people sometimes made actions that put their life and the life of others into risks. God’s will is out of the issue in all of the catastrophes we are facing nowadays since according to the scriptures written in the bible, there would be no tragic events if there were no sin in this world. Romans 8:20-22 says that tragic events like earthquakes and floods are also the result of sin. There is no doubt that God can use tragic events to judge the wicked and discipline his people. On the other side of the coin, we cannot discount the fact that even if we experienced a lot of catastrophes, a lot problems, a lot of struggles of life and survival and struggles out of choosing whether to do good or to do evil, still it is natural to the people that in times of struggles, the value of sacrifice and extension of help toward others have always been the primary concern of the majority of people.

Basic Communicative Competence Test

Grammatical Competence Test

Direction:  A. In questions 1-10 each sentence has a word or phrase underlined. Below each sentence there are four other words or phrase marked (A), (B), (C), and (D). You are to choose the one word or phrase that best keeps the meaning of the original sentence if it is substituted for the underlined word or phrase. On this test, circle the letter of the answer you have chosen.

1. It is futile to go shopping when you don’t have any money.

a.       useless                            c. idiotic

b.      brilliant                           d. challenging

2. The assignment was to write a synopsis of our favorite novel.

a.       evaluation                      c. critique        

b.      summary                        d. dramatization

3. No one can survive for very long without water.

     a. reproduce                        c. transcend

     b. prosper                           d. exist

4. At every faculty meeting, Ms. Huera always manages to put her foot in her mouth.

   

a.       trip over her big feet

b.      say the wrong thing

c.       move rapidly

d.      fall asleep

5. A television ad shows a busy baker with a new computer that the advertiser claims will help him “make dough.”

     a. a baking mixture

     b. more customers

     c. money

     d. bread

6. The main road will be closed until the blizzard ends.

      a. snow storm                     c. tornado

      b. hurricane                        d. thunderstorm

7. If you don’t get that furnace   repaired before winter, we will freeze to death.

      a. fire escape                      c. water container

      b. heater                             d. housing benefits

8. His students think he is odd.

      a. dangerous                       c. strange

      b. friendly                           d. humorous

9. Since his wound was superficial, only a Band-aid was required.

      a. frivolous              c. deep

      b. on the surface                 d. supercilious

10. Tennis wear has become a very lucrative   business for both manufacturers and tennis stars.

      a. illegal                              c. expansive

      b. circumstantial                  d. profitable

B. Circle the best answer, (A), (B), (C), (D), to complete the sentence.

11. It ______ 17 muscles to smile.

1. takes
2. has been taking
3. is taking
4. has taken

12. Potato chip ______ popular since 1865.

a.       have been

b.      are

c.       are being

d.      been

13. What _______ these days?

a.       are girls wearing

b.      girls wear

c.       girls are wearing

d.      are girls wear

14. The earth’s climate ____ warmer.

a.       gets

b.      is getting

c.       have gotten

d.      have been getting

15. We _________ Las Vegas Nevada many time.

a.       have been visiting

b.      visiting visit

c.       have visited

C. Find the underlined word or phrase, (A), (B), (C), (D), that is incorrect. Encircle the correct answer.

16. Some scientists     thinks  the earth is   getting colder .

                    A               B                       C     D

         A        B       C        D

17. Some roses are     not    smell. They   have   no scent at all.

                          A        B       C                   D

        A        B        C        D

18. It is warm usually  in  June,    but this year it is  still cool.

                           A              B                                C    D

        A         B        C       D

19. Some people relax never. They   worry all the time.

                                       A        B         C            D

        A         B        C       D

20. Many people are buy  DVDS instead of CDS these days.

                   A              B                                            C      D

         A        B         C       D

Sociolinguistic Competence

22. You heard a discussion that the company is sending you to attend a seminar sponsored by the company you are employed and you want to inform your boss that you would attend the training. How would you properly start your letter?   

a.       I am informing you.

b.      Please be informed

c.       This is to inform you

d.      This is informing you that

23. You read your grade in your report card and your not satisfied, how would you approach you teacher appropriately?

          a. I should talk to you about my grade on my report card

          b. I would like to talk to you about my grade on my report card

          c. May I talk to you about my grade in the test?

          d. I want to talk to you about my grade on my report card

24. You read the announcement" We have transferred to a new location" outside the bookstore in one of the mall but there was no direction given. Which of these questions is the most appropriate when you ask the guard for the direction?

           a. Where is your bookstore?

           b. How could I get to the bookstore?

           c. Can you show me your bookstore?

           d. Do you know where the bookstore is?

25. Now you are already at the bookstore but the book you want to buy has no tag price. Which of these sentences is the most appropriate when you ask for the price?

            a. How much is the price?

            b. How much it is?

            c. How much is the book?

            d. How much does it cost?

26. You read "No Stocks Available" above the display you want to be informed in the event stocks arrive. Which of these sentences is the most courteous way?

             a. Please inform me if the stocks arrive.

             b. Tell me if the items have arrive.

             c. Give me a call when the stocks arrive.

             d. Please write me if the stock will arrive.

Discourse Competence

For question 27-29 Transform the two lines from the article into a reported speech.

 27. "Everyone can join the contest, "added the teacher.

             a. The teacher added that everyone can join the contest.

             b. The teacher added that everyone could join the contest.

             c. The teacher added that everyone joins the program.

             d. The teacher added that everyone is joining the program.

28. Vicky said, "I want to join."

              a.Vicky said that she wanted to join. 

              b. Vicky said that he wanted to you.

              c. Vicky said that she wants to join.

              d. Vicky said that she would join the contest.

29. My mother always says, "Time is gold."

              a. My mother always says that time was gold.

              b. My mother always said that time is gold.

              c. My mother always says that time is gold.

              d. My mother always said that time was gold.

For questions 30, 31 read the poem below written by William Blake.

                1. The moon like a flower

                2. In heavens high bower

                3. With silent delight

                4. Sits and smiles in the night

                                  by: WIlliam Blake

30.  Which subject did the fourth line describe?

                a. flower

                b. night

                c. heaven

                d. moon

31. Which one is the best title of the poem?

               a. night

               b. flower

               c. moon

               d. heaven

For questions 32-34 read the article below.

           When a man was interviewed, the pastor asked, "What was it you think God didn't like?

          The man had the grace to reply, "I don't suppose there was anything he didn't like me. I was talking about my own reaction. But it isn’t really about me, is it?

What do the following pronouns stand for?

32. me

        a. pastor

        b. the man

        c. the God

        d. none of the above

33. it

        a. reaction

        b. worship

        c. reply

        d. grace

33. Where do you think is the setting?

        a. in a church

        b. in a hotel

        c. in a park

        d. in a seminar house

Strategic Competence

34. You forget the term corkscrew during your reporting in the class. What phrase you can use to replace corkscrew in order to continue the discussion.

        a. the thing

        b. the thing that you use to open a bottle

        c. the bottle opener

        d. the medium

35. You are told by a native English speaker, “Your barking at the wrong tree." How do you react ?

        a. You will react by saying, I am not barking.

        b. You will react by saying, "OK."

        c. You will react by saying, "how dare you?

        d. You will react by saying, I am not a tree.