In the Beginnings — From Cavemen to Cities
Thuở sơ khai — Từ người tiền sử đến thành phố đầu tiên
This is British 'deadpan' humour: saying silly things with a serious face.
Từ Vựng & Cụm Từ Trọng Tâm
Thành ngữ & Cụm động từ cửa miệng (7 cụm chính)
Ngữ Pháp Thực Chiến Trong Phim
Past passive: was/were + past participle Past passive: was/were + past participle
We use the passive when the ACTION is more important than WHO did it. Past passive = was/were + past participle (V3). Documentaries use it a lot, because they talk about things done long ago — often nobody knows who did them.
receiver of the action + was/were + past participle (+ by ...)
- Some believe these violent images were painted as religious acts. (Who painted them? We don't know — and it doesn't matter.)
- Civilisation wasn't something that was invented. (Nobody 'invented' it.)
- Why do they say it's a mystery how the pyramids were built? (The pyramids = the object, so we use passive.)
Kiểm tra nhanh ngữ pháp: Three lines from the clip: “these violent images WERE PAINTED as religious acts” — “how the pyramids WERE BUILT” — “civilisation WASN'T INVENTED”. What do they have in common?
Xem đáp án & giải thích
✓ Đáp án B: The action matters, but WHO did it is unknown or unimportant — was/were + past participle.
Bài Tập & Nghe Kiểm Tra Phản Xạ
A. Nghe & Nắm Ý Từng Đoạn Ngắn
1. Ý chính toàn clip: What contrast drives the clip?
Xem đáp án & giải thích
✓ Đáp án B: Serious history versus Cunk's absurd explanations
2. What does 'nothing short of breathtaking' mean here?
Xem đáp án & giải thích
✓ Đáp án C: Extremely impressive
3. Why does the narrator say 'were painted'?
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✓ Đáp án A: The painter is unknown or unimportant
4. How does the expert correct Cunk's version of civilisation?
Xem đáp án & giải thích
✓ Đáp án A: It developed gradually in several places
Vocabulary in context
1. Which collocation sounds natural?
Xem đáp án & giải thích
✓ Đáp án C: a tedious process — Tedious commonly describes work or a process that is boring and long.
2. The villages changed ______ over many centuries.
Xem đáp án & giải thích
✓ Đáp án gradually: An adverb modifies changed; gradually means little by little.
Phrases in use
3. 'Nothing short of remarkable' means:
Xem đáp án & giải thích
✓ Đáp án B: truly remarkable — Nothing short of intensifies the adjective after it.
4. Nối cụm từ bên trái với nghĩa tương ứng bên phải:
Xem đáp án ghép cặp
come up with = think of an idea
branch out into = start a new activity
go along with = accept or agree with
a leap forward = a major improvement
Grammar in use
5. Choose the correct passive version: 'People painted these images.'
Xem đáp án & giải thích
✓ Đáp án B: These images were painted. — Past passive uses was/were plus the past participle.
6. Which sentence has a correct negative passive?
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✓ Đáp án C: Civilisation wasn't invented suddenly. — Wasn't plus invented is the correct negative past passive.
7. Why is passive useful in 'the pyramids were built'?
Xem đáp án & giải thích
✓ Đáp án A: It keeps attention on the pyramids — The object and result matter more than an unknown agent.
Listening detail
8. Which exact form do you hear?
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✓ Đáp án C: Civilisation wasn't something that was invented — Listen for wasn't and was invented: two passive forms.
Meaning and tone
9. What is the expert correcting?
Xem đáp án & giải thích
✓ Đáp án B: The idea that one person suddenly invented civilisation — He rejects a single inventor and describes gradual development.
B. Nghe Nhại Lại Các Câu Đinh (Shadowing & Catch)
Bấm vào từng câu để nghe nhân vật nói, sau đó đọc to nhại lại theo đúng nhịp điệu:
- chances are you are, too ▶ Nghe
- were painted as religious acts ▶ Nghe
- ...a huge leap forwards ▶ Nghe
- nothing short of breathtaking ▶ Nghe
- happened gradually ▶ Nghe
1. Which exact phrase intensifies 'breathtaking'?
Xem đáp án & giải thích
✓ Đáp án B: nothing short of — The phrase is 'nothing short of breathtaking'.
2. Which passive form do you hear?
Xem đáp án & giải thích
✓ Đáp án A: wasn't something that was invented — The expert uses wasn't and was invented.
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