Hi guys, here you can read some texts about comparisons, please read them and learn the new words.

TEXT 1:

          Alice Jones works in St. Louis, Missouri, as a sales representative for a big publishing company. She has a job offer from a smaller publishing company in New York City to become the marketing director for college textbooks. She can't decide if she should take the job or not.

      In a smaller company, there may be more chances for advancement and promotion because more people get to know you. Her company now is so big that she doesn't know anyone outside her department. But the company in New York doesn't pay as well as the company in St. Louis. They are offering her $2,000 less than her present salary. But the new job title, marketing director, is more impressive than her current job title, sales representative. A marketing job is probably more challenging than her sales job. It also involves a lot more responsibility.

       The move from St. Louis to New York is also a big change. New York is an exciting place to live in, but it is expensive and dangerous, especially for a single woman. However, it really is the centre of the publishing industry, so it seems like a better city to work in than St. Louis.

      Alice needs to make a decision soon.

TEXT 2:

Dialogue: What is better, the City or the Country?

The City and the Country

David: How do you like living in the big city?
Maria: There are many things that are better than living in the country!

David: Can you give me some examples?
Maria: Well, it certainly is more interesting than the country. There is so much more to do and see!

David: Yes, but the city is more dangerous than the country.
Maria: That's true. People in the city aren't as open and friendly as those in the countryside.

David: I'm sure that the country is more relaxed, too!
Maria: Yes, the city is busier than the country. However, the country is much slower than the city.

David: I think that's a good thing!
Maria: Oh, I don't. The country is so slow and boring! It's much more boring than the city.

David: How about the cost of living? Is the country cheaper than the city?
Maria: Oh, yes. The city is more expensive than the country.

David: Life in the country is also much healthier than in the city.
Maria: Yes, it's cleaner and less dangerous in the country. But, the city is so much more exciting. It's faster, crazier and more fun than the country.

David: I think YOU are crazy for moving to the city.
Maria: Well, I'm young now. Maybe when I'm married and have children I'll move back to the country.

TEXT 3:

Differences Between African and Asian Elephants

There are many differences between Asian and African elephants. Both types of elephant are members of the same taxonomical family, elephantidae, but are of a different genus; elephas maximus (Asian elephants, Loxodonta africana (African savanna elephants) and Loxodonta cyclotis (African Forest Elephant).

The African elephant is significantly larger, with bulls growing up to 4m tall. The biggest Asian males reach no more than 3.5m

Weight

Adult African elephants weigh between 4,000-7,500kg. Asian males weigh between 3000-6,000kg.

Head Shape

African elephants have fuller, more rounded heads. The top of the head is a single dome whereas Asian elephants have a twin-domed head with an indent in the middle.

The lower lips of the two species also differ, being long and tapered in Asian elephants and short and round in Africans.

Size of the Ears

It is said that you can tell where an elephant comes from by looking at the size of his ears. African ears are like a map of Africa and Asian ears smaller like the shape of India. African ears are much bigger and reach up and over the neck, which does not occur in Asian elephants.

Skin

African elephants’ skin is more wrinkled

Ribs

In general, African elephants have more ribs than the Asian species, though the number of ribs varies in individual animals. African elephants have up to 21 pairs, Asians up to 20.

Tusks

All African elephants, male and female, have tusks – whereas only some male Asian elephants have tusks. African tusks are generally bigger. About 50% of female Asian elephants and a small percentage of males have small tusk like teeth known as tushes.

Teeth

The lamella profile along the top of the molar teeth of the two species is different with ridges on Asian elephants’ teeth being more tightly compressed.

The Trunk

The African elephant’s trunk is visibly more heavily ringed and is not as hard as the Asian trunk.

The trunk tip is a major difference between the species. The African trunk has two distinct fingers which it uses to pick up and manipulate objects. The Asian elephant has only one ‘finger’. The Asian compensates for this by holding objects against the underside of the trunk and appears not to suffer from any lack of maneuverability.

Toenails

Toenails in the two different species of African elephants vary. As they do between the African and Asian elephants.

African forest elephant	5 nails on front feet	4 on the back
African savanna elephant	4 nails on front feet	3 on the back
Asian elephant	5 nails on front feet	4 on the back (rarely 5)

Diet

Although both species of elephant eat a wide variety of plant matter, in general, the Asian elephant’s diet is made up of a greater proportion of grass and the African’s leaves.