My Worst Day

My leaving from home was the most upset moment I kept in my mind since I was child.It was pretty November morning with adunny sky and open air.At first,when I woke up,everything was OK.Even I was so joyful because I would go to Eskişehir .I would be free and have no my family and relations.I thought that was a wonderful thing.I still recall it well.Even as a young ,the memory is so uncovered in my mind.When I prepared everything,my family and relations were so anxiety for my leaving .I was so joyful for my going because I was fed up with my hometown.

As long as I went out , my family began to cry.That moment I noticed something changed.Deep sensations surrounded me.I felt so exhausted but in my heart left so little happiness.Then we arrived at the station where is full large,luxurious and comfortable buses.When my bus came, all joy in my heart ended.I was completely worried.The instant I got on my bus , all ropes broke out.my family were crying out.The moment ı saw them while crying ,I burst into tears.Then I perceived what happened.I didn't want to go to Eskişehir.Anymore,I left alone.

I finally dozed off to sleep.When I awoke, my bus came to Eskişehir.I was aware of everything and there would be the only Betül.Then I understood my family are valuable and the most priceless existence in the world for me.

Written by: Betül Atalay

DREADFUL FIRE 28/01/2009

The Fire was the most horrifying event I kept in my mind since my childhood.It was a pretty March night, with dark sky but there was unendurable heavy rain.My sister and I were at home.My parents visited my uncle.While we were playing cards ,we were drinking something.It was very enjoyable.My sister and I wanted to drink tea, so my sister put some water on the cooker.Our curtain was near the cooker.My sister opened the window because the kitchen was stifling.There was a harsh storm outside.Curtain blowed about towards the cooker.We go to sit in the livingroom.We were watching tv.We had been slepless the day before yesterday.We had watched a lot of films, so we dozed on the sofa.We forgot tea. We woke up with disgusting scent.We couldn’t breath clearly,we were coughing constantly.We ran the kitchenThe fire was expanding as if it would cover everwhere.It was becoming bigger and bigger.First, we shocked and we couldn’t anything.Then, we tried to put out it by carrying water with small buckets.Everywhere was covered with stifling smoke.My neighbour came , and she said that she phoned the fire-fighter.After that, we phoned my parents, and they came.Fire fighter put out the terrible fire.Our some furnitures were burned.There was ashes everywhere ,and a disgusting,incredible scent. After the dreadful fiıre, we sat and talked about the event.We realized that curtain catched fire from the cooker.I and my sister deposed the police.We were exhausted.We felt as if we would guilty.I never forget this dreadful event.This fire taught me:”People always must be attentive.”

Written by: Duygu YILMAZ

THE 1999 EARTHQUAKE

It was the only terrifiying Sunday that I never want to remember for all my life.It was a roasting August Sunday,with the sun glowing over us like a fire and the boundless sky with its sapphire blue like the colassal,bottomless oceans.We were living our typical Sunday without the conscious of the fortcoming catastrophe.The atmosphere was like a hell with its burning hot.When it became dark,instead of its vivacious nights,İstanbul was as still as a sleeping baby.This made me scared and I felt coldness of a melting ıce in my heart and shaked.My mother and my father were looking helpless and upset as if they were informed beforehand about the disaster.They were pale like a death rose.With the anxiety of the night,we went to our beds at 12 o’clock being unaware of the fact that the earthquake was waiting for 3 o’clock to take lifes’ of millions like the angel of the death.

When I put my head on my pillow,I wanted to sleep as fast as possible to escape from the dissatisfaction of that night.However,it didnt take a long time and after three hours, I got up with the trembling of my bed.As I was sleepy,I didnt take into consideration it,but when the speed of vibrations increased,my life went through in front of my eyes like a film band, and I felt the scent of death going through my nasal passages.I got up immediately and tried to find my parents.However,the door had been locked and the electricity had gone.So, I screamed and began to weep bitter tears.All of the furnitures fell down with an incredible roar that I almost never want to hear again.I curled beside my bed putting my hands over my head.After a couple of minute,my father broke the door and took me out of the room.We found a lantern and got out of the house in the speed of light.It was keeping on shaking with an increasing velocity.We gathered with our neighbours in the empty field across our buildings.Everybody was crying like a child and seeing their deadly pale faces made me faint.

When I opened my eyes,the new day dawned as if nothing had happened.My mother and father were beside me,but they had some wounds on their bodies.My father had injured his left leg,and my mother’s soft skin turned into a tough iron because of the stressful and painful night..I tought that ıt was our luck that make us rescue with small wounds from an earthquake with 7.4 strength after I heard the balance sheet.17.840 people had died during the earthquake and 43.953 people had injured due to the uninvited guest..Morever,thousands of corpes and living bodies had waited under wreckages to be found for many days.So,it was the worst weekend I have ever had during my life.

Written by: BURCU CENDEK

AN ECCENTRİC DAY

It was a sweltering July evening with a restful air and hundreds of stars were shining overhead like a brilliant.It was stifling at home.I opened the windows and suddenly ı felt the fresh air coming from outside.I took a deep breath.There was nothing to do at home.I was so bored.It was the most stressful day of my life that the result of the university exam would be explained the other day.

In the morning ı woke up so early.I could sleep no more than 3 hours.My hands were trembling continuously and ı was so frantic that ı was talking sharply with everyone.I couldn't have breakfast because there was nothing about it that was attractive.I felt as if ı couldn't pass and in fact ı had no expectation.The time was 09.30.It wasn't passing.Each 5 minutes felt me like 5 years.At home nobody was talking with each other that it was a painful silence.Then ı noticed that my phone was ringing.My brother was calling me.He said that ı couldn't pass and ''you must study harder this year more than last year!!!''I was about to cry then he began to laughed and said ''ı'm kidding:)''This time ı began to cry because of happiness..

After ı learned the result,that day became the cornerstone of my life.I was so happy.I shared this news with my family.They were happy,too.I will never forget that day because it is a tedious and wondrous day day for me!!!

Written by: NURAY GÜRLEROL

VOCABULARY EXERCISE UNITS 3 & 4

NORTHSTAR 2e Reading and Writing, High Intermediate
Vocabulary Exercises
Unit 3 and 4

Choose the correct answer.
1. Another word for “lawyer” is _____________.
a. accuser b. attorney c. physician

2. Another word for “medical doctor” is _____________.
a. prosecutor b. attorney c. physician

3. The state ___________________ said the Hermanson family broke the law. He took them to court.
a. physician b. practitioner c. prosecutor

4. The Hermansons had to ________________ for the murder of their daughter even though they never meant for her to die.
a. shed weight b. stand trial c. return

5. It was very hard for the Hermansons to lose their daughter. The criminal trial made them ____________ even more.
a. heal b. suffer c. feel

6. A(n) _____________ is done on a dead body when the cause of the death is not certain.
a. trail b. check-up c. autopsy

7. The Christian Scientists believe that medical _____________ can be treated with prayer.
a. ailments b. practices c. exercise

8. Alex cannot find a pair of pants big enough for him. He needs to _____________________.
a. suffer b. shed weight c. grow

9. After a long trial, the court _____________ Pamela Smart of murder. She will be in prison for many years.
a. convicted b. concentrated c. convinced

10. If you _______________, the police will probably catch you and take you to court.
a. commit a crime b. lie c. stand trial

Complete the sentences. Choose the correct answer from the words in the box.

bleakly boiling boughs dread stifling strayed
sweltering swiftly trigger utterly still

One hot evening a storm approached my house as I was in the garden. The air was _________ (1). I could hardly breathe. The heat was intense. It had been a _______ (2) day. There was no movement in the air. It was _________ (3). The _________ (4) of the trees did not move. I felt ___________ (5) grow in my heart. I knew there was nothing I could do to escape the approaching storm.
The sunlight was strangely dark. Its yellow-green light shined _________(6) on the land. The clouds began to bubble up and move like water that is ___________ (7). The storm __________ (8) moved in. I had no time to get back to the house. The wind blew sand and dirt into my mouth and eyes.
I wanted return to the shelter of the house, but I couldn’t see. I ran for several minutes,
but realized that I had run in the wrong direction. I had __________ (9) too far from the house. I survived that storm. But now the sound of a strong wind will ________ (10) my memory of that storm and I feel a sudden rush of fear come over me.