Neil deGrasse Tyson Biography Writer, Scientist, Television Personality (1958-)

Astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson ___________ (bom/was

bom'bomed) and________ (raises/was raisccVraised) in New York

City, and he _______ (has discovered/discovered) his love for the
stars at an early age. After studying at Harvard University,

he (had carned/eamed) his doctorate from Columbia University in 1991. Tyson________ (goes/went/has gone) to work for the Hayden

Planetarium in 1996 and still ________ (serves/served/has served) as its

director. Ile (has hosted/ in hosting/hosted)the NOVA ScienceNow series from 2006 to 2011. Tyson remains a popular TV science expert today.

Currently one of America's best-known scientists, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson (had spent/has spent/spent) much of his career sharing his knowledge with others for many years now. He  (had/is having/has) a great talent for presenting complex concepts in a clear and accessible manner.

Tyson ____  (was grown up/is growing up/grew up) in New York

City. When he was nine, he________ (is taking/took) a trip to the Hayden

Planetarium at the Museum of Natural History where he ________ (gets/got/was getting) his first taste of star-gazing.

Tyson eventually _____________ (is becoming/became) the director of

the Planetarium and (is working/has been working/worked) on an extensive renovation of the facility, from assisting with its design ko helping raise the necessary funds. This S2I 0 million project

ESL 103 Grammar Final Exam Study Guide (is completed/was completed/completed) in 2000, and the revamped site offered visitors a cutting-edge look at astronomy. One of Tyson's most controversial decisions at the time (has been/was) the removal of Pluto from the display of planets. He classified Pluto as a dwarf planet, which invoked a strong response from some visitors.

In addition to his work at the planetarium, Tyson (has found/has founded) other ways of improving the nation's scientific literacy. "One of my goals is to bring the universe down to Earth in a way that further excites the audience to want more," he once  (said/says/was saying). To this end, Tyson (has  wrote/has written/had written) several books for the general public, including Death by Black Hole and Other Cosmic Quandaries and The Pluto Files: The Rise and Fall of America's Favorite Planet. He (has been taking/ has taken/took) his message to the airwaves as well, serving as the host of PBS'sNOVA Science Now documentary series from 2006 to 2011. In addition to breaking down barriers between scientists and the general public, Tyson has brought diversity to astrophysics. He (is being/was being/is) one of the few African Americans in his field.

These days, Tyson is one of the most in-demand science experts. He (gave/gives/was given) talks across the country and is a media favorite whenever there is an important science issue making news. Tyson (is known/knows/was known) for his ability to make difficult concepts accessible to every audience, his oratory skills and his sense of humor, which (was leading/leads/has led) to  appearances on such shows as Real Time with Bill Maher, The Colbert Report and The Daily Show. Adapted from: Neil deGrasse Tyson. (2014). The Biography.com website. Retrieved 06:49, Nov 09, 2014, fromiltp:rwww.biography.comipeople/neil-deusasse tyson-20766239.Modal Review: Present and Past Tenses Modals of ability: can (present), could (past), be able to Modals of advice: should, ought to, be supposed to Modals of necessity: must, have to, had better, have got to Past tense modals: might have/may have/ could have (past possibility--uncertain) should have, ought to have (past regrets), must have/have to have (past possibility--very certain), can't have/couldn't have (past impossibility)

Fill in the blanks with the correct modal from above. More than one choice is usually correct.

1. When Neil deGrasse Tyson was nine, he wanted to become an astronaut. Now he understands that he form) become an astronaut at that age because he was too young. (negative

2. When I was a child, I swim, but I learned when I grew up. (negative  form)

3. If you are sick you go to a doctor.

4. Adrian caught the flu. I guess he gotten a flu vaccination this year.

5. Adrian did not catch the flu, even though everyone in his class got sick. I saw him at the pharmacy last month. I'm sure he gotten a flu vaccination.

6. Most people like that teacher because she doesn't require a textbook. You buy a textbook for her class.

7. If you have any questions about the cosmos, you should listen to a lecture by Neil deGrasse Tyson. He explain astrophysics very clearly.

8. A: What happened to your keys? B: left them on the table. I'm not sure.Grammar Final Exam Study Guide
ESL 103

Article Review: Reporting the News

Read this fictional news report and fill in the blanks with the articles 'a', 'an' or 'the'.

1. Scientists have discovered new planet orbiting sun. planet is slightly larger than moon.
2. car crashed into tree this morning. driver was killed and passenger was seriously injured when tree fell onto car.

3. president of Zimbarba announced that large bomb exploded in capital city. bomb was planted on bus. driver was killed along
with passenger sitting near him.

4. cargo ship ran aground last night. According to crew member, captain had been drinking when he steered ship into shallow reef.

5. airplane has crashed after taking off at 12:42 this afternoon. pilot sent distress signal shortly before crash. survivor said he saw smoke coming from engine on right side of plane.

6. New York Writers Association has announced competition for best story of the year. winner of competition will receive Europe and $1,000 in spending money. second place contestant will receive prize of $500.00. trip to

7. Three cars collided on Oak Street. driver in one car was hurt along with passenger in another car. driver was taken to the hospital but is in stable condition. passenger was treated at the scene of accident.Grammar Final Exam Study Guide

ESL 103

Read this fictional news report and fill in the blanks with the articles 'a', 'an' or 'the'.

1. Scientists have discovered new planet orbiting sun. planet is slightly larger than moon.

2. car crashed into tree this morning. driver was killed and passenger was seriously injured when tree fell onto car.

3. president of Zimbarba announced that large bomb exploded in  capital city. bomb was planted on bus. driver was killed along
with passenger sitting near him.

4. cargo ship ran aground last night. According to crew member, captain had been drinking when he steered ship into shallow reef.

5. airplane has crashed after taking off at 12:42 this afternoon. pilot sent distress signal shortly before crash. survivor said he saw smoke coming from engine on right side of plane.

6. New York Writers Association has announced competition for best story of the year. winner of competition will receive Europe and $1,000 in spending money. second place contestant will receive prize of $500.00.

trip to

7. Three cars collided on Oak Street. driver in one car was hurt along with passenger in another car. driver was taken to the hospital but is in stable condition. passenger was treated at the scene of accident.

t 'sing Articles: Specific Versus General Nouns

When speaking about specific items we use an article. When speaking about items in general, we leave the article out. Decide whether or not to use an article. Fill in the blank with the article 'the' or just leave it blank.

1.    firefighters were the first to arrive at the scene of the accident.

2. _________ firefighters are often the first to arrive at the scene of an accident.

3. _________ firefighters inhale many dangerous fumes on the job.

4.               cigarettes are on the table.

5. _________ cigarettes kill many people every year.

6.  ________ athletes were tired after the game.

7. ________ athletes should drink plenty of liquids.

8. _________ sea turtles are endangered.

10. _______ cars are responsible for much of the pollution found in cities.

11. cars parked in the alley were towed away last night.

12. doctors make a lot of money.

13. doctors who examined the patient couldn't find anything wrong.

14.  doctor said I should exercise more.

15.  doctors recommend eating more fish.

16. movies are an important part of modern culture.

17. Of all___________ movies I saw last year, it is the only one I remember.

santence Structure, structions.. read the sentences below and put S for simple, CP for compound, or CX for complex in the blank.

4 Although Sonja finds living in the United States interesting, she wants to return to Spain after she gets her degree.

4 The girls practiced every day, but they did not win the tennis tournament.

4 Saudi Arabia and Kuwait import equipment, cars, food, and medicine.

4 With the recent increase in crime in that area of the city, the local residents there are worried about their safety.

4 While the store was still open, Harriet bought some snacks.

Istructions: create compound sentences with the simple sentences below. Use the coordinating conjunctions (fanboys) or, but, yet, nor, so, for, and only once. Pay attention to correct punctuation and capitalization (and word order for the sentence with nor).
4 That blouse is the perfect color for you. / It matches your pants and your handbag.

John bought a sports car. / His wife wanted a mini-van.

} I was thirsty. / I drank three glasses of water.

) We can go to the movies. / We can stay home and rent a DVD.

)) Karl worked hard at his full time job and went to school full time. / He never gave up on his goal of graduating within two years.

I) Deena did not speak much in class. / She was very shy.

as more showing questions.