Chinese horoscopes

82 ADDITIONAL READING

CHINESE HOROSCOPES

Chinese astrology is different from Western astrology. There are twelve signs, but each sign is for a year, not a month. Here are the Chinese signs and their meanings. What sign are you? Find the year when you were born. (Remember that the Chinese year begins at the end of January or in early February.) Are you really like your animal?

The Rat: 1960 1972 1984 1996 2008 Rats are good at talking. They love to hear bad news about people and are aggressive! The Ox: 1961 1973 1985 1997 2009 People who are born under this sign are slow, patient and quiet. They are good workers. The Tiger: 1962 1974 1986 1998 2010 Tigers are leaders. They have very attractive personalities and are very lucky. The Rabbit: 1963 1975 1987 1999 2011 People who are born in rabbit years are the happiest. They enjoy being with people and can be good actors. The Dragon: 1964 1976 1988 2000 Dragons have strong personalities. They are brave and always say what is wrong and what is right. The Snake: 1965 1977 1989 2001 People who were born in the year of the snake are wise and have a good sense of humour. The Horse: 1966 1978 1990 2002 Horse people are independent, but have no confidence. Love is very important to them. The Sheep: 1967 1979 1991 2003 Sheep people are artistic and love nature, but they worry a lot. They are terrible at making decisions. The Monkey: 1968 1980 1992 2004 Monkeys enjoy life and are very original. However, they are neither patient nor very honest. The Rooster: 1957 1969 1981 1993 2005 Roosters always think they are right. They are proud and they are dreamers, but they are also brave. The Dog: 1958 1970 1982 1994 2006 Dogs don’t talk a lot, but they worry. They are honest and can be very good friends. The Pig: 1959 1971 1983 1995 2007 Pigs are very rarely angry. They like helping people and are honest. They also like asking questions.

VOCABULARY

a cb

1 Complete the sentences using the correct forms of verbs/ phrasal verbs from the Key word list. 1. She tried to ________________ the stairs, but fell. 2. How many times did the clock _______________? 3. Susan had a lot of old clothes so she decided to _______ them ______. 4. They ______________ the bad news all over the town. 5. I argued with Jim about which film to watch, but finally I ___________. 6. This box is heavy. What does it __________________? 7. There were a lot of books __________________ on the shelves.

2 Complete the table with the correct forms of the given words. VERB NOUN ADJECTIVE ------ occasion reflect ----- ------ origin announce ----- ------- frightening descend -------

GRAMMAR

3 Add an article where necessary. 1. I’d love to spend _____ week cruising on _______Nile. 2. I’ve been to _____top of _____ Eiffel Tower. 3. I’d really like to have _____ holiday in _____Caribbean. 4. How did you like _____ film? 5. Put ______ butter on ______ shopping list.

4 Each sentence below has an error in the use of articles. Find it and correct it. 1. My brother is studying to be doctor. 2. She was wearing a blue trousers. 3. The bananas are my favourite fruit. 4. I’ve got the headache. 5. The life is hard these days. 6. I think there’s the letter for you.

5 Combine the following pairs of sentences by using a relative pronoun and making any changes necessary. 1. Marcia is a friend of mine. She lives in Spain. 2. John has a cat. It likes lying on the roof. 3. An airport is a place. Planes take off and land there. 4. Do you know Jane? Her mother is a famous pianist. 5. He made an offer. We couldn’t accept it.

KEY WORD LIST

Nouns origin renewal resolution occasion custom

Adjectives

approximate frightening mainly evil ancient bright tiny

Verbs

announce reflect design display contain descend celebrate spread strike

Phrasal verbs

give in give away give off

Expressions first-footing bring luck

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