They walk sideways on their ten, bony legs. They are hard, and seem unfriendly. They run away from humans. Some people have them as pets, but I wouldn't! Their world is water, rivers, oceans, where they live with other cold-blooded animals. They are experts at hiding. And if you catch one, watch out! Your fingers will be pinched if you're not careful. You've probably guessed that I'm talking about the crab. It's a wild, sea creature, though some of them live in rivers. And it is unusual, compared with(1) most animals. It doesn't have any fur or feathers, and it doesn't seem to show emotion. It even wears its skeleton on the outside! One thing that it really does have is a good taste. It was that delicious flavor that prompted (2) my family and some friends to go to Birch Bay. The place is 100 miles north of Seattle, and about 35 miles south of Canada. It is a beautiful, wide bay, that is surrounded by forest. Our friends had a boat, crabbing pots, and all the equipment needed to trap our dinner. The sea must be healthy in that area, because after waiting for just a few hours, we had 30 crabs, far too much for us! We cleaned and boiled them right next to the beach, and then had a feast! The sun went down as we ate, and the most amazing colors developed on the horizon and through the sky. It was really a magical time. Those hard, but delicious creatures had lead us to a beautiful part of the country. We took so many photos of the sunset and its changing colors, and we sat after our meal, and enjoyed the gentle lap(3) of the waves on the shore.
1. 'Compared with..' is an essential tool to use in English conversation and writing. It allows you to create interesting, intermediate sentences. It points to differences, whereas saying 'compared to' points to similarities.
a. Life can be compared to a journey.
b. Ludovico Enaudi, as a composer, can be compared to Vivaldi in many ways.
c. My life in London was very different compared with my life in Wenatchee.
d. Compared with our school funds from last year, this year's funds are really low.
2. 'To prompt' is to encourage or remind. It can be used in many ways.
a. The wonderful weather prompted us to go for a hike.
b. The taste of crab prompted us to go fishing in Birch Bay.
c. During the play, the drama teacher prompted Deborah when she forgot her lines.
d. The rise in the price of milk prompted demonstrations in the capital city today.
3. 'Lap' is a noun and a verb. Your lap is the top of both thighs when you are sitting down, where someone or perhaps a pet can sit. 'To lap' is a gentle forward and backward motion, like a wave on the edge of the shore, or the tongue of an animal when it drinks.
a. We sat at the edge of the river and watched the water lap on the shore.
b. I gave my cat some milk and she lapped it up!
c. Her granddaughter sat on her lap and told her about her day at school.
d. My dog jumped up onto my lap and got me covered in mud!
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Marie Tussaud was a French woman who became famous for her wax models. She was born in Strasbourg in 1761, and developed her hobby by watching the doctor who her mother worked for. He taught her the difficult art of wax modeling. When she was older, she travelled around Great Britain, showing many of her creations, and eventually settled in London, opening up her famous wax museum. There are actually many Madame Tussauds. One that I went to this summer was in San Francisco. It was the first time that we had been to that city, and as (1)we were there for only a couple of days, we wanted to see all the main tourist attractions. We had a great time in the museum, and really laughed a lot. I was surprised when I learned that you are allowed to touch the wax models. When we learned that, there was no stopping us(2). We hugged them, kissed them, pulled faces near them, and copied their poses. When I spotted Leonardo di Caprio, I had to pose with him. He is one of my favorite actors. I pretended that he and I were walking on the red carpet to see the premier of his latest film. When I looked at the photos we had taken, the wax models looked more real than we did (3)! The figures are so perfectly made. I couldn't decide which one of us looked more real, me or di Caprio!
1. '..as we were there for only a couple of days, we wanted...' as here is used the same way as 'because' or 'seeing as though'. It is good to practice producing such long sentences with as.
a. We got off the bus, and as we already had the tickets, we went straight into the theatre.
b. Maybe you can explain our car problem to the mechanic, as you know more about cars than I do.
2. 'There was no stopping us/ there's no stopping us' is obvious in meaning, and is used to express enthusiasm or determination.
a. We wanted to hike, but it had rained for two weeks. When the sun finally came out, we put our boots on and headed out. There was no stopping us!
b. The business owner was so angry about the rise in taxes, that he went to the local government building to complain. There was no stopping him!
3. 'The wax models looked more real than we did!' I chose this sentence in order to practice the end auxiliary 'did'. This type of sentence sounds very natural. Remember, that we don't use 'did' with the verb 'to be'.
a. He ate more cake than everyone else did!
b. He is definitely taller than you are.
c. She is more generous than you are, but she has less money than you do.
d. She studies less than you do but still gets good grades.
e. They saw the movie before we did.
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