Passive voice

We are [blank_start]used[blank_end] to having a range of different forms of communication at out fingertips 24 hours a day: mobile phones, email, instant messaging… But imagine a situation in which you are alone in the wilderness, hoping to be [blank_start]rescued[blank_end], with no way of calling for help. Would you know how to communicate with your potential rescuers? Take a few minutes to learn the codes – they might just save your life! A SMOKE SIGNALS During the hours of darkness, fires are the most effective method of signalling. Three fires in a triangle are an international distress signal which pilots and rescue workers everywhere will understand. If you are in a jungle or forest, try to find a clearing, otherwise the fires will not be visible from the air. A burning tree is another way of attracting attention. Always select an isolated tree so that you do not start a forest fire! During the day, fires are also a good way of signalling, provided that they are producing a lot of smoke. The international distress signal is three columns of smoke. Think about what colour the smoke should be in order to stand out against the background. Adding green vegetation to the fire produces white smoke; adding rubber (for example, an old trye) or clothing soaked in oil produces black smoke. B MIRROR SIGNALS On a bright, sunny day m the most effective method if signalling is a mirror, In fact, pilots have reported seeing mirror flashes up at 160 kilometres away, If you do not have a mirror , any shiny metal surface may work. Aim the mirror by holding up one finger of your other hand in line with the aircraft. If you can hear an aircraft but can’t see it because of cloud, shine the mirror in the direction of the noise. Two words of caution, however. Firstly, do no shine the mirror at the aircraft’s cockpit for more than a few seconds, as it might temporarily blind the pilot, which is not what you want. If you are hoping to be spotted. And secondly, if you are in a war zone, do nor flash the mirror rapidly towards the aircraft or the pilot may mistake the signal for gunfire and avoid the area – or worse, return fire! C LONG RAGE GROUND TO-AIR SIGNALS Once you have been seen by an aircraft, it may be necessary to exchange vital information without the use of a radio. For this reason, internationally understood signals exist for ground-to-air and air-to-ground. The person on the ground can create the symbols by any means possible – leaves, branches, gaps in the snow, patterns on the sand – provided they are large enough to be seen from the air. This usually means at least three metres long and a metre wide. A single line means “serious injury, doctor required” while two capital Ls mean “all is well”. If you have a ´piece of cloth big enough, such as a sail or life-raft cover, you can fold it into various patterns to give information. Folding one corner means “we need fuel, but our plane is flyable. Folding two corners means “we need warm clothing” D BODY SIGNALS AND PILOT’S REPLIES When the aircraft is sufficiently low for the pilot to see you clearly, use body movements to convey a message. Raising both hands above your head means “pick us up” if you keep them still, or “do not attempt to land here” if you move your hands to the side in an arc. If the pilot has seen and understood your signal, he or she will make the aircraft rock from side to side so the wings go up and down. If, however, the message has been seen but not understood, he aircraft will fly in clockwise circle overhead. For obvious reasons, there is not signal which means “message not seen”!

We are used to having a range of different forms of communication at out fingertips 24 hours a day: mobile phones, email, instant messaging… But imagine a situation in which you are alone in the wilderness, hoping to be rescued, with no way of calling for help. Would you know how to communicate with your potential rescuers? Take a few minutes to learn the codes – they might just save your life! A SMOKE SIGNALS During the hours of darkness, fires are the most effective method of signalling. Three fires in a triangle are an international distress signal which pilots and rescue workers everywhere will understand. If you are in a jungle or forest, try to find a clearing, otherwise the fires [blank_start]will[blank_end] not be visible from the air. A burning tree is another [blank_start]way[blank_end] of attracting attention. Always select an isolated tree so that you do not start a forest fire! During the day, fires are also a good way of signalling, provided that they are producing a lot of smoke. The international distress signal is three columns of smoke. Think about what colour the smoke should be in order to stand out against the background. Adding green vegetation to the fire produces white smoke; adding rubber (for example, an old trye) or clothing soaked in oil produces black smoke. B MIRROR SIGNALS On a bright, sunny day m the most effective method if signalling is a mirror, In fact, pilots have reported seeing mirror flashes up at 160 kilometres away, If you do not have a mirror , any shiny metal surface may work. Aim the mirror by holding up one finger of your other hand in line with the aircraft. If you can hear an aircraft but can’t see it because of cloud, shine the mirror in the direction of the noise. Two words of caution, however. Firstly, do no shine the mirror at the aircraft’s cockpit for more than a few seconds, as it might temporarily blind the pilot, which is not what you want. If you are hoping to be spotted. And secondly, if you are in a war zone, do nor flash the mirror rapidly towards the aircraft or the pilot may mistake the signal for gunfire and avoid the area – or worse, return fire! C LONG RAGE GROUND TO-AIR SIGNALS Once you have been seen by an aircraft, it may be necessary to exchange vital information without the use of a radio. For this reason, internationally understood signals exist for ground-to-air and air-to-ground. The person on the ground can create the symbols by any means possible – leaves, branches, gaps in the snow, patterns on the sand – provided they are large enough to be seen from the air. This usually means at least three metres long and a metre wide. A single line means “serious injury, doctor required” while two capital Ls mean “all is well”. If you have a ´piece of cloth big enough, such as a sail or life-raft cover, you can fold it into various patterns to give information. Folding one corner means “we need fuel, but our plane is flyable. Folding two corners means “we need warm clothing” D BODY SIGNALS AND PILOT’S REPLIES When the aircraft is sufficiently low for the pilot to see you clearly, use body movements to convey a message. Raising both hands above your head means “pick us up” if you keep them still, or “do not attempt to land here” if you move your hands to the side in an arc. If the pilot has seen and understood your signal, he or she will make the aircraft rock from side to side so the wings go up and down. If, however, the message has been seen but not understood, he aircraft will fly in clockwise circle overhead. For obvious reasons, there is not signal which means “message not seen”!

We are used to having a range of different forms of communication at out fingertips 24 hours a day: mobile phones, email, instant messaging… But imagine a situation in which you are alone in the wilderness, hoping to be rescued, with no way of calling for help. Would you know how to communicate with your potential rescuers? Take a few minutes to learn the codes – they might just save your life! A SMOKE SIGNALS During the hours of darkness, fires are the most effective method of signalling. Three fires in a triangle are an international distress signal which pilots and rescue workers everywhere will understand. If you are in a jungle or forest, try to find a clearing, otherwise the fires will not be visible from the air. A burning tree is another way of attracting attention. Always select an isolated tree so that you do not start a forest fire! During the day, fires are also a good way of signalling, provided that they are producing a lot of smoke. The international distress signal is three columns of smoke. Think about what colour the smoke should be in order to stand out against the background. Adding green vegetation to the fire produces white smoke; adding rubber (for example, an old trye) or clothing soaked in oil produces black smoke. B MIRROR SIGNALS On a bright, sunny day m the most effective method if signalling is a mirror, In fact, pilots [blank_start]have reported[blank_end] seeing mirror flashes up at 160 kilometres away, If you do not have a mirror , any shiny metal surface may work. Aim the mirror by holding up one finger of your other hand in line with the aircraft. If you can hear an aircraft but can’t see it because of cloud, shine the mirror in the direction of the noise. Two words of caution, however. [blank_start]Firstly[blank_end], do no shine the mirror at the aircraft’s cockpit for more than a few seconds, as it might temporarily blind the pilot, which is not what you want. If you are hoping to be spotted. And secondly, if you are in a war zone, do nor flash the mirror rapidly towards the aircraft or the pilot may mistake the signal for gunfire and avoid the area – or worse, return fire! C LONG RAGE GROUND TO-AIR SIGNALS Once you have been seen by an aircraft, it may be necessary to exchange vital information without the use of a radio. For this reason, internationally understood signals exist for ground-to-air and air-to-ground. The person on the ground can create the symbols by any means possible – leaves, branches, gaps in the snow, patterns on the sand – provided they are large enough to be seen from the air. This usually means at least three metres long and a metre wide. A single line means “serious injury, doctor required” while two capital Ls mean “all is well”. If you have a ´piece of cloth big enough, such as a sail or life-raft cover, you can fold it into various patterns to give information. Folding one corner means “we need fuel, but our plane is flyable. Folding two corners means “we need warm clothing” D BODY SIGNALS AND PILOT’S REPLIES When the aircraft is sufficiently low for the pilot to see you clearly, use body movements to convey a message. Raising both hands above your head means “pick us up” if you keep them still, or “do not attempt to land here” if you move your hands to the side in an arc. If the pilot has seen and understood your signal, he or she will make the aircraft rock from side to side so the wings go up and down. If, however, the message has been seen but not understood, he aircraft will fly in clockwise circle overhead. For obvious reasons, there is not signal which means “message not seen”!

We are used to having a range of different forms of communication at out fingertips 24 hours a day: mobile phones, email, instant messaging… But imagine a situation in which you are alone in the wilderness, hoping to be rescued, with no way of calling for help. Would you know how to communicate with your potential rescuers? Take a few minutes to learn the codes – they might just save your life! A SMOKE SIGNALS During the hours of darkness, fires are the most effective method of signalling. Three fires in a triangle are an international distress signal which pilots and rescue workers everywhere will understand. If you are in a jungle or forest, try to find a clearing, otherwise the fires will not be visible from the air. A burning tree is another way of attracting attention. Always select an isolated tree so that you do not start a forest fire! During the day, fires are also a good way of signalling, provided that they are producing a lot of smoke. The international distress signal is three columns of smoke. Think about what colour the smoke should be in order to stand out against the background. Adding green vegetation to the fire produces white smoke; adding rubber (for example, an old trye) or clothing soaked in oil produces black smoke. B MIRROR SIGNALS On a bright, sunny day m the most effective method if signalling is a mirror, In fact, pilots have reported seeing mirror flashes up at 160 kilometres away, If you do not have a mirror , any shiny metal surface may work. Aim the mirror by holding up one finger of your other hand in line with the aircraft. If you can hear an aircraft but can’t see it because of cloud, shine the mirror in the direction of the noise. Two words of caution, however. Firstly, do no shine the mirror at the aircraft’s cockpit for more than a few seconds, as it might temporarily blind the pilot, which is not what you want. If you are hoping to be spotted. And secondly, if you are in a war zone, do nor flash the mirror rapidly towards the aircraft or the pilot may mistake the signal for gunfire and avoid the area – or worse, return fire! C LONG RAGE GROUND TO-AIR SIGNALS Once you [blank_start]have been seen[blank_end] by an aircraft, it may be necessary to exchange vital information without the use of a radio. For this reason, internationally understood signals exist for ground-to-air and air-to-ground. The person on the ground can create the symbols by any means possible – leaves, branches, gaps in the snow, patterns on the sand – provided they are large enough to be seen from the air. This usually means at least three metres long and a metre wide. A single line means “serious injury, doctor required” while two capital Ls mean “all is well”. If you have a ´piece of [blank_start]cloth big enough,[blank_end] such as a sail or life-raft cover, you can fold it into various patterns to give information. Folding one corner means “we need fuel, but our plane is flyable. Folding two corners means “we need warm clothing” D BODY SIGNALS AND PILOT’S REPLIES When the aircraft is sufficiently low for the pilot to see you clearly, use body movements to convey a message. Raising both hands above your head means “pick us up” if you keep them still, or “do not attempt to land here” if you move your hands to the side in an arc. If the pilot has seen and understood your signal, he or she will make the aircraft rock from side to side so the wings go up and down. If, however, the message has been seen but not understood, he aircraft will fly in clockwise circle overhead. For obvious reasons, there is not signal which means “message not seen”!

We are used to having a range of different forms of communication at out fingertips 24 hours a day: mobile phones, email, instant messaging… But imagine a situation in which you are alone in the wilderness, hoping to be rescued, with no way of calling for help. Would you know how to communicate with your potential rescuers? Take a few minutes to learn the codes – they might just save your life! A SMOKE SIGNALS During the hours of darkness, fires are the most effective method of signalling. Three fires in a triangle are an international distress signal which pilots and rescue workers everywhere will understand. If you are in a jungle or forest, try to find a clearing, otherwise the fires will not be visible from the air. A burning tree is another way of attracting attention. Always select an isolated tree so that you do not start a forest fire! During the day, fires are also a good way of signalling, provided that they are producing a lot of smoke. The international distress signal is three columns of smoke. Think about what colour the smoke should be in order to stand out against the background. Adding green vegetation to the fire produces white smoke; adding rubber (for example, an old trye) or clothing soaked in oil produces black smoke. B MIRROR SIGNALS On a bright, sunny day m the most effective method if signalling is a mirror, In fact, pilots have reported seeing mirror flashes up at 160 kilometres away, If you do not have a mirror , any shiny metal surface may work. Aim the mirror by holding up one finger of your other hand in line with the aircraft. If you can hear an aircraft but can’t see it because of cloud, shine the mirror in the direction of the noise. Two words of caution, however. Firstly, do no shine the mirror at the aircraft’s cockpit for more than a few seconds, as it might temporarily blind the pilot, which is not what you want. If you are hoping to be spotted. And secondly, if you are in a war zone, do nor flash the mirror rapidly towards the aircraft or the pilot may mistake the signal for gunfire and avoid the area – or worse, return fire! C LONG RAGE GROUND TO-AIR SIGNALS Once you have been seen by an aircraft, it may be necessary to exchange vital information without the use of a radio. For this reason, internationally understood signals exist for ground-to-air and air-to-ground. The person on the ground can create the symbols by any means possible – leaves, branches, gaps in the snow, patterns on the sand – provided they are large enough to be seen from the air. This usually means at least three metres long and a metre wide. A single line means “serious injury, doctor required” while two capital Ls mean “all is well”. If you have a ´piece of cloth big enough, such as a sail or life-raft cover, you can fold it into various patterns to give information. Folding one corner means “we need fuel, but our plane is flyable. Folding two corners means “we need warm clothing” D BODY SIGNALS AND PILOT’S REPLIES When the aircraft is sufficiently [blank_start]low[blank_end] for the pilot to see you clearly, use body movements to convey a message. Raising both hands above your head means “pick us up” if you keep them still, or “do not attempt to land here” if you move your hands to the side in an arc. If the pilot has seen and [blank_start]understood[blank_end] your signal, he or she will make the aircraft rock from side to side so the wings go up and down. If, however, the message has been seen but not understood, he aircraft will fly in clockwise circle overhead. For obvious reasons, there is not signal which means “message not seen”!

Should be made only briefly?

Is the best one to use at night?

should be in a different colour according to the situation?

can only be used when an aircraft is very close?

does not requiere any equipment or materials?

could cause widespread damage if you chose the wrong place?

could be made with a large piece of material?

can potentially be seen from very great distances?

might use parts of a tree to make shapes and letters?

can be used to ask for a message to be repeated?

can be used to request specific items?

could be mistaken for an attack?

may work even if the sky is not clear?

involves an aircraft moving in a particular direction?

Fires are the best way to be seen in the darkness.

The passive is formed with the auxiliary verb [blank_start]to be[blank_end] and the [blank_start]past particle[blank_end]. We use the passive when we are mainly interested in the [blank_start]action[blank_end] and not in who or what performed it.

"A man [blank_start]was arrested[blank_end] by the police last night after he [blank_start]was caught[blank_end] shoplifting in a local store.. Several thousand pound's worth of jewellery [blank_start]were discovered[blank_end] in his pockets. He [blank_start]was held[blank_end] in police custody until he appears in court tomorrow"

Chopsticks are small, thin sticks that [blank_start]are used[blank_end] for eating in countries such as China, Japan and Vietnam. They are usually made [blank_start]of[blank_end] wood or plastic. The food in these countries [blank_start]is[blank_end] usually chopped up into small pieces, then [blank_start]it[blank_end] is brought to the table in small bowls. This makes using chopsticks easier.

Chopsticks were first used [blank_start]by[blank_end] people in China about 5,000 years ago. It [blank_start]is thought[blank_end] that the use of chopsticks was encouraged by the great Chinese philosopher Confucius. He was a very peaceful man who [blank_start]believed[blank_end] that knives are like weapons and that chopsticks suggest gentleness.

If you visit China, you [blank_start]don't have to[blank_end] eat with chopsticks, but it is a good idea. You should only ask for a fork if you really can't manage [blank_start]to use[blank_end] chopsticks. But remember, it's much more fun if you can use [blank_start]them[blank_end] and practices makes perfect!