the Superlative (Pre-Intermediate Level)

Lesson Introduction

Dubai is a changing city. Read about how this city is changing, how people feel about the change and what they think about Dubai today.

Vocabulary to Note (as used in the article):

1. crane - a machine for picking up heavy things, used at construction sites
   
2. villa - (in the UAE) a house with garden; not an apartment
   
3. closely - very carefully
   
4. foreigner - a person from a different country
   
5. ruler - the leader of a country
   
6. port - a place that ships come to, pick up or drop off things, and then go
   
7. trade - buying and selling between countries
   
8. tower - a tall building or other structure
   
9. symbol - a thing which gives special meaning to something
   
10. freezone - a place in a country to do business freely
    
11. tourist - a person who visits a different city, country or place
    
12. century - 100 years
    
13. decide - to choose something
    
14. emirate - a state in the UAE

Article with Sentence Completion Exercise (Read and choose the correct words to complete each sentence.):

To preview article, open (in new window) a printable copy, without sentence completion exerecise.
Dubai: the Biggest and the Best

The tallest building, the most expensive hotel, the most cranes...  1. These These are This is the things we can find in Dubai today.  2. Dubai is Dubai has Dubai a city in the United Arab Emirates. It is  3. build builds building new towers, hotels, villas, highways and bridges. Many new people are going there  4. for work to work are work and live. It is changing so much, and other cities and countries  5. watching are watch are watching closely.


Some people do not like the change. They were born in  6. UAE a UAE the UAE , but their country is not the same. They  7. say are say saying , “There are too  8. more many much foreigners,” and they feel it is not their home now. But these changes come from the  9. country's countries country rulers. The rulers want to make it  10. better a better the better place.


Sheikh Zayed was the most important ruler and the first president  11. of on for the country. He built up  12. Abu Dubai Abu Dhabi Abudhabi . Sheikh Rashid was the ruler of  13. Dubai he Dubai, he Dubai. He built two new ports there. After he  14. dead died is died in 1990, his sons became rulers.  15. The younger Younger A youngest son, Sheikh Mohammed, is the ruler now. He is changing Dubai into a rich, modern city.


In 1979, Sheikh Rashid  16. is build build built the World Trade Center. This tower became a symbol for Dubai.  17. At In On the 1980’s Jebel Ali port and Jebel Ali freezone  18. opening opens opened . These made Dubai  19. a is a the very important port and trading city.


 20. At In On the end of the 1990’s, Dubai built  21. the tall the tallest tallest building in the Middle East, the Emirates Towers.  22. It Its It's also built the most expensive hotel in the  23. world the world, the world. The Burj Al Arab. Soon, Dubai became an important city for tourists and for  24. shop to shop shopping .


The  25. most big bigger biggest and fastest changes began after the year 2000. This was the  26. start end last of the 21st century. Sheikh Mohammed decided that anyone could buy a home. So more people started coming  27. in to for Dubai for working and living. Dubai is now  28. a famous the famous famous city. It has the biggest and the best of many things. Other cities, other emirates and other  29. countries country's country is now want to be  30. same like same like Dubai.

321 words
Story composed by BD, adapted from the Superlative at A Word A Day (in the UAE).

Warning:  This will replace all answers above.

True or False:

1. We can find many changes in Dubai, like new towers, hotels, villas, etc.
   True False
   
2. Some people don't want Dubai to change so much.
   True False
   
3. Sheikh Zayed changed Dubai into a modern city.
   True False
   
4. The World Trade Center was built in 1980.
   True False
   
5. Anyone from any country can buy a home in Dubai today.
   True False
   
     

Vocabulary Review
(Write the meaning of each word listed):

1. A villa is...
   
   
2. Foreigners are...
   
   
3. A port is...
   
   
4. A tower is...
   
   
5. A century is...
   
   
     

Answers to All Questions in a pop-up box.
Feel free to challenge or disagree with any answers posted and offer suggestions.
Expansion Activities

The following activities may be assigned in a classroom setting in order to enable sutdents to understand the aritcle better and improve their grammar:

1. After talking about the article, have students write a 25 word summary of it.
   
2. Have students write 10 sentences using superlatives.
   
3. Prepare a vocabulary test from the words listed.
   
4. Prepare a spelling test on all proper nouns in the article.
   
5. Have students write a paragraph about their favorite building in Dubai.
   
6. Have students write a paragraph about one of the UAE's leaders.
   
7. Have students tell whether they think change in the UAE is good or bad and why.