Unit 3: There's No Comparison

The World's Most Popular Sport

What makes football different from all other sports?

How many teams are there around the world?

How many clubs are there?

How many teams play in the World cup?

How many people watch the World cup around the globe?

The World's Most Expensive Hotel

What makes the hotel special?

Where is it located?

How tall is it?

How much does it cost to stay there for a night?

The Great White: The World's Most Dangerous Fish

What do you think makes the great white shark so special?

How long do you think great white sharks are?

How much do you think they weigh?

How many teeth do you think they have?

Do you think they have a good or bad sense of smell?

A. Vocabulary. Underline the adjectives used to compare in the readings.

Most popular, most spectacular, more popular, most expensive, tallest, most luxurious, cheapest, latest, oldest, largest, most feared, most dangerous, biggest, most crowded, bigger, hardest, most endangered, fastest.

B. Comprehension. Answer Yes or No.

1. No, The tallest hotel in the world is Tokyo.
2. No, Baseball is the most popular team sport in the world.
3. Yes, Bananas are more popular than mangoes.
4. No, Diamonds are cheaper than most precious stones.
5. No, Mexico City is the most crowded city in the world.

Ask and answer questions about the information on these pages.

What is the most popular fruit in the world?

The banana is the most popular fruit in the world.

Is gold more expensive than diamond?

No, it isn't. It is cheaper.

Which is the No suggestions fastest moving creature on the Earth?

The Peregrine Falcon is the fastest moving creature on the Earth.

A. Complete the sentences with the comparative or superlative forms of the adjectives in parentheses.

Use the before superlatives.

1. Jeddah is the most interesting place I know.
2. Gold is heavier and more expensive than mercury.
3. I think that blue jacket looks better on you than the red one.
4. Summer is the warmest and the driest time of the year.
5. The clock tower of the Abraj Al-Bait Towers in Makkah is one of the tallest buildings in the world.
6. My room is the quietest room in the house. I can't hear any noise.
7. The Taj Mahal in India is one of the most beautiful buildings in the world.
8. The Sahara Desert in Africa is much bigger than the Arabian Desert.

B. Work with a partner. Disagree with the following statements.

1. The Amazon is longer than the Nile.

No, it isn't. It is shorter.

2. Bananas are cheaper than apples.

No, they aren't. They're more expensive.

3. Steel is much harder than diamond.

No, it isn't. It is softer.

4. China is larger than Canada.

No, it isn't. It's smaller.

5. Plane is more dangerous than car.

No, it isn't. It's safer.

6. Horses are stronger than elephants.

No, they aren't. They're weaker.

C. Work with a partner. Ask and answer. Give your opinion.

1. Which is faster?

I think a cheetah is faster than a horse.

2. Which is more difficult?

I think surfing is more difficult than rollerblading.

3. Which is more dangerous?

I think driving is more dangerous than flying.

4. Which is more exciting?

I think sky diving is more exciting than sailing.

5. Which is more popular?

I think football is more popular than rugby.

6. Which is easier?

I think English is easier than Math.

D. Work with a partner. Give your ideas or opinions on the topics in exercise C. Use superlatives.

1. I think surfing is the most difficult.
2. I think sky diving is the most exciting.
3. I think English is the easiest subject.
4. I think football is the most popular.
5. I think driving is the most dangerous.

Listen to the guide giving interesting facts about diamonds on a tour of a diamond mine. Answer yes or no.

1. Yes, Diamonds are formed deep down in the earth.
2. No, you can't break a diamond with a hammer.
3. No, The World's largest diamond was found in Britain.
4. Yes, The Great Star of Africa weighs over 530 karats.

About the Conversation

1. What does Badr say about laptops?

Badr says that laptops are friendlier to use and cheaper than other computers.

2. Why does Ali prefer desktops?

Ali prefers desktops because they are easier to use if you have to write and print a lot.

3. Why doesn't Ali like laptops?

Ali doesn't like laptops because you have to recharege them all the time, and their screen is smaller.

4. Why does Badr think laptops are the best?

Badr thinks laptops are the best because you can surf the Net, send emails, and study anywhere.

Your Turn

Work in a group. Choose a high-tech device or a sport. Argue for and against it with another group.

Computer is the most important device. I can take it everywhere. I use it a lot. I can't do anything without it.

1. What kind of computer do you prefer? Why?

I prefer laptop because it's small and I can take it everywhere.

2. Who is the youngest/ oldest student in your class?

Asma is the youngest student. Samer is the oldest student in my class.

3. Who do you think is the smartest/ Best student?

Alia is the smartest student in my class.

4. Which is the hottest/ coldest city in your country?

Jeddah is the hottest city. Riyadh is the coldest city.

5. Which is the most famous city in your country?

Mekkah is the most famous city.

6. Who is the best football player in your country?

Majid is the best football player.

7. Where can you eat the best food in your town?

In the traditional restaurant.

8. What things are better or worse in your neighbourhood?

The noise is the worst thing.

Before Reading

Imagine the kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2030. Read the text and find out about changes in the cities and towns, people, housing, jobs, schools, universities and more.

How old will you be then?

Where do you think you will be?

After Reading

1. Name some of the natural resources of Saudi Arabia.

Valuable minerals, for example, oil, gold, phosphate, uranium.

2. What kind of society does the Kingdom have?

The kingdom has a strong, family oriented, Islamic society.

3. What type of social services, e.g. healthcare, education, and events will be available?

3 social services will include health care and high-quality education for all the citizens as well as libraries, galleries, and museums. There will also be cultural events and entertainment activities.

4. Describe the renewed business environment in 2030.

There will be opportunities for large and small businesses, new investors from other countries and professional opportunities for all citizens.

5. How people benefit from technological development?

technological development will improve communication and make it possible for people to access information through the internet.

6. What will attract investors from other countries?

Quality services and facilities will attract investors from different countries.

A. Read the information in the writing corner with your teacher. Then, write the correct passive from present or past of the verbs in parentheses to complete the text.

Diamonds are the hardest natural substance on Earth. They are made entirely of carbon. Graphite, which is used to make pencils, is another material that is made entirely of carbon, but it is one of the softest substances. The difference is the molecular structure that is formed by the bonds between the carbon atoms.

Diamonds are formed under high temperature and pressure deep within Earth's crust. The process can take from one to three billion years. Then the diamonds are pushed gradually to the surface by volcanic activity.

The Cullinan is the world's largest diamond. It was found in South Africa in 1905. It weighed 3,106.75 karats. It was cut into 9 large gemstones. The largest of the cut diamonds is called the Great Star of Africa and weighs 530.2 karats. The Lesser Star of Africa is 317.4 karats. These diamonds belong to the British Crown, and they are part of the World's biggest collections of jewels.

Today, there's a man-made substance that is even harder than diamonds-- the nanodiamond or diamond nanorods. The nanodiamond is produced by the compression of graphite. It is the hardest substance known to man.

B. Write about a place, a person, a thing, or an animal from a book of records. Say Why it is the biggest. the best, the most wonderful, etc. Use the passive where possible.

White shark

It's the most dangerous fish. It can grow up to 20 feet (six meters) long and weigh up to 4400 pounds (2000 kilograms). They have about 3000 teeth arranged in several rows. Sharks' hearing is very sensitive, and they can hear their prey many miles away. They can also detect one part per million of blood in seawater.

Do research on an ancient monument in your country. Present your research to the class.

Masjid Al- Haram is the largest mosque in the world which surrounds one of Islamic holiest places, the Kaaba. It is in the city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

Muslims face in the direction of the Kaaba while performing Salat.

One of the five Pillars of Islam requires every Muslims to perform the Hajj pilgrimage at least once in his or her lifetime if able to do so, including circumambulating of Kaaba.

It covers an area of 356,800 square meters including outdoor and indoor praying spaces and can accommodate up to 2 millions worshipers during the Hajj period, one of the largest annual gatherings of people in the world.

Unlike many other mosques which are segregated, men and women can worship at Al- Masjid Al-Haram together.

A. Complete the sentences with so or such.

1. Diamonds are so hard that you can't break them with a hammer.
2. Sharks have such sensitive hearing that they can hear rheir prey miles away.
3. It's such a luxurious hotel that the cheapest suite is 1000 $ per night.
4. He came into the room so quietly that no one heard him.
5. The leather shoes were such a bargain that she bought three pairs.
6. Ahmed was so hungry that he ate three burgers and two sides of fries.

B. Complete the sentences with so many or so much.

1. Our neighbours made so much noise that I couldn't sleep last night.
2. There was so much traffic on the road that we arrived late.
3. I have so many books that they don't all fit in my bookcase.
4. He spends so much time working that he rarely sees his friends.
5. There are so many species of animals that it's impossible to count them all.

C. Combine the sentences with so..that or such...that.

1. The children were tired after their school trip. They fell asleep on the bus.

The children were so tired after their school trip that they fell asleep on the bus.

2. It was a beautiful day. We decided to go for a drive in the countryside.

It was such a beautiful day that we decided to go for a drive in the countryside.

3. There were many people in the supermarket. We had to wait in line for half an hour.

There were so many people in the supermarket that we had to wait in line for half an hour.

4. The world cup is popular sporting event. Over a billion viewers watch it on TV.

The World Cup is such a popular sporting event that over a billion viewers watch it on TV.

5. The Arabian Oryx was an endangered species. It was extinct in the wild.

The Arabian Oryx was such an endangered species that it was extinct in the wild.