Education

Below is an article about music but the paragraphs are in the wrong order. Read the paragraphs as quickly as you can and try and put them into the correct order.

Paragraph A.
Flyering. With the emergence of these subcultures has come the growth in advertisements. These are known as "flyers" which promote events at nightclubs, or records etc. The flyers are posted up on abandoned buildings and public spaces around the country.

Paragraph B.
Music is everywhere these days; on our MP3 players or personal stereos, or via Internet radio at work. More and more of us even have our favourite tracks saved in our mobile phones as ringtones. The revolution of how and where we listen to music has been matched by a revolution in what we listen to.

Paragraph C.
Not everyone likes them; some people see them as eyesores. But for others, they are a way to keep in touch with what new records are coming out, or what DJ is appearing at their favourite nightclub. Flyers are also handed out outside nightclubs. Many people collect them as the artwork can be excellent. Many students, for example, stick them up in their bedrooms as a cheap way to decorate their walls.

Paragraph D.
Ten years ago popular genres such as Drum 'n' Bass, Indie and Alternative Country either didn't exist or were seen as underground music, only known by a few select people. Not any more. Pop music still has its place in the UK music industry as the success of the contestants on TV programs like "Pop Idol" shows, but we also have a thriving, creative music scene which is making great, innovative music.

Some of the words from the text are listed below. Can you match them with their definitions?

1. If you say that someone or something is ........................... , you mean that they are present in a place in very large numbers.
2. ........................... is a kind of technology which enables you to record and play music from the Internet.
3. A ........................... is a small cassette or CD player with very light headphones, which people carry round so that they can listen to music while doing something else.
4. If you do something ........................... a particular means or person, you do it by making use of that means or person.
5. You can use ........................... to indicate that something is becoming greater in amount, extent, or degree all the time.
6. A ........................... in a particular area of human activity is an important change in that area.
7. A ........................... is a particular type of literature, painting, music, film, or other art form which people consider as a class because it has special characteristics.
8. ........................... music refers to rock or pop music produced by new bands working with small, independent record companies.
9. A ........................... in a competition or quiz is a person who takes part in it.
10. Something that is ........................... is new and original.
11. A ........................... is the ideas, art, and way of life of a group of people within a society, which are different from the ideas, art, and way of life of the rest of the society.
12. A ........................... is a small printed notice which is used to advertise a particular company, service, or event.
13. You describe a building or place as an ........................... when it is extremely ugly and you dislike it or disapprove of it.

Answers:
Paragraphs:
1st - B, 2nd - D, 3rd - A, 4th - C
1-c, 2-a, 3-j, 4-m, 5-i, 6-k, 7-f, 8-g, 9-b, 10-h, 11-l, 12-e, 13-d.

It's always very difficult to decide whether to use its or it's.
The simplest way is to remember it's = it is, or it has. Its is for possession, in the same way as his/her/my/its box.

Have a look at the following sentences and decide whether you should use it's or its

E.g. The company had its/it's annual picnic last week, even though its/it's losing a lot of money.

1. Its/It's a hot and sunny day today.
2. Its/It's a nice hotel, but I've forgotten its/it's name!
3. Its/It's been raining for so long my dog is mouldy! Its/It's tail has fungus on it!
4. Its/It's always good to check your punctuation.
5. The apostrophe…its/it's an essential part of language but its/it's also confusing.
6. Its/It's an important feature in English and you need to understand its/it's use clearly.
7. Now its/it's time for the answers.

Its or It's? It's all quite straight forward, but here are the answers...
1. It's 2. It's & Its 3. It's & Its 4. It's 5. It's & It's 6. It's & Its 7. It's

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