Madrigals Magic Key to Spanish (34 page)

ow that you have completed eleven lessons this is a good place to pause and see what you have learned. The following test is chosen from the categories of words that you should know at this point. Let’s see how well you have learned them.

Fill in the blanks with the Spanish equivalents of the following English words. You should be able to complete this test in fifteen minutes.

1. the actor ________________________
   
2. natural ________________________
   
3. the president ________________________
   
4. the favor ________________________
   
5. elastic ________________________
   
6. probable ________________________
   
7. the restaurant ________________________
   
8. artistic ________________________
   
9. the cable ________________________
   
10. superior ________________________
    
11. the doctor ________________________
    
12. important ________________________
    
13. urgent ________________________
    
14. the client ________________________
    
15. personal ________________________
    
16. the license ________________________
    
17. the aspirin ________________________
    
18. descriptive ________________________
    
19. curiosity ________________________
    
20. the situation ________________________
    
21. delicious ________________________
    
22. flexible ________________________
    
23. the agency ________________________
    
24. attractive ________________________
    
25. the sardine ________________________
    
26. terrible ________________________
    
27. the dentist ________________________
    
28. generous ________________________
    
29. the invitation ________________________
    
30. insignificant ________________________
    
31. the optimist ________________________
    
32. famous ________________________
    
33. the action ________________________
    
34. the pianist ________________________
    
35. meticulous ________________________
    
36. the university ________________________
    
37. the tractor ________________________
    
38. prosperity ________________________
    
39. the telegram ________________________
    
40. the production ________________________
    
41. the distance ________________________
    
42. the medicine ________________________
    
43. television ________________________
    
44. the coincidence ________________________
    
45. active ________________________
    
46. electricity ________________________
    
47. the recommendation ________________________
    
48. excellent ________________________
    
49. the responsibility ________________________
    
50. the tendency ________________________
    

That was a fair test. Each word illustrated something you have learned by now if you have read the lessons seriously.

Now check your words with the correct answers below. If you have made no more than six errors you are doing superior work. Continue to read the lessons as carefully as you have before.

If you have not written more than twenty-five words correctly, you are only hitting the high spots. I suggest that you review the categories before you go on to the next lesson.

1. el actor
   
2. natural
   
3. el presidente
   
4. el favor
   
5. elástico
   
6. probable
   
7. el restaurante
   
8. artístico
   
9. el cable
   
10. superior
    
11. el doctor
    
12. importante
    
13. urgente
    
14. el cliente
    
15. personal
    
16. la licencia
    
17. la aspirina
    
18. descriptivo
    
19. curiosidad
    
20. la situación
    
21. delicioso
    
22. flexible
    
23. la agencia
    
24. atractivo
    
25. la sardina
    
26. terrible
    
27. el dentista
    
28. generoso
    
29. la invitación
    
30. insignificante
    
31. el optimista
    
32. famoso
    
33. la acción
    
34. el pianista
    
35. meticuloso
    
36. la universidad
    
37. el tractor
    
38. prosperidad
    
39. el telegrama
    
40. la producción
    
41. la distancia
    
42. la medicina
    
43. televisión
    
44. la coincidencia
    
45. activo
    
46. electricidad
    
47. la recomendación
    
48. excelente
    
49. la responsabilidad
    
50. la tendencia
    

This test will show you how well you have learned the verbs. Fill in the blanks with the Spanish equivalents of the following English words. You should be able to complete this test in ten minutes.

1. I prepared. ________________________
   
2. Did you take? ________________________
   
3. I didn’t invite. ________________________
   
4. I visited. ________________________
   
5. I talked. ________________________
   
6. Did you talk? ________________________
   
7. Robert talked. ________________________
   
8. I bought. ________________________
   
9. Did you buy? ________________________
   
10. I’m going to invite. ________________________
    
11. Are you going to visit? ________________________
    
12. I’m going to Cuba. ________________________
    
13. I didn’t prepare. ________________________
    
14. I invited. ________________________
    
15. Robert visited. ________________________
    
16. Are you going to buy? ________________________
    
17. I’m going to take. ________________________
    
18. I’m going to talk. ________________________
    
19. Are you going to talk? ________________________
    
20. I’m going to study. ________________________
    

This test is not easy. If you have 15 or more correct answers your work is superior. If you have less than 10 correct answers you should review the verbs before you go on to the next lesson.

Check your verbs with the correct answers below.

1. Preparé.
   
2. ¿ Tomó usted?
   
3. No invité.
   
4. Visité.
   
5. Hablé.
   
6. ¿ Habló usted?
   
7. Roberto habló.
   
8. Compré.
   
9. ¿ Compró usted?
   
10. Voy a invitar.
    
11. ¿ Va a visitar?
    
12. Voy a Cuba.
    
13. No preparé.
    
14. Invité.
    
15. Roberto visitó.
    
16. ¿ Va a comprar?
    
17. Voy a tomar.
    
18. Voy a hablar.
    
19. ¿ Va a hablar?
    
20. Voy a estudiar.
    

The following test will show you how well you can understand Spanish sentences written on the subjects you have learned. Write the English equivalents of the following Spanish sentences. You should be able to complete this test in ten minutes.

1. Es importante.
   
2. El programa es muy interesante.
   
3. Preparé la lección esta mañana.
   
4. Tomé la cena con Roberto anoche.
   
5. María habló por teléfono.
   
6. Hablé de México en la clase.
   
7. ¿ Copió usted la composición?
   
8. Mi papá estacionó el auto.
   
9. ¿ Quién habló por teléfono esta mañana?
   
10. ¿ Quién entró?
    
11. El paciente preocupó al doctor.
    
12. ¿ Cómo está usted?
    
13. Compré una blusa esta mañana.
    
14. ¿ Qué compró Alicia esta tarde?
    
15. ¿ Cuándo compró usted la casa?
    
16. ¿ Dónde está mi sombrero?
    
17. ¿ Va a estar en Cuba mañana?
    
18. Voy al cine esta noche.
    
19. Voy a tomar la cena en el tren.
    
20. ¿ Quién va a comprar los boletos?
    

This was an easy test. If you have eighteen or more correct answers you are doing superior work. If you have less than twelve correct answers you are not reading the lessons carefully enough. Try to do better on the next lessons.

Check your sentences with the correct translations below.

1. It’s important.
   
2. The program is very interesting.
   
3. I prepared the lesson this morning.
   
4. I had dinner with Robert last night.
   
5. Mary called up.
   
6. I talked about Mexico in the class.
   
7. Did you copy the composition?
   
8. My father parked the car (auto).
   
9. Who called up this morning?
   
10. Who came in? (Who went in?)
    
11. The patient worried the doctor.
    
12. How are you?
    
13. I bought a blouse this morning.
    
14. What did Alice buy this afternoon?
    
15. When did you buy the house?
    
16. Where is my hat?
    
17. Are you going to be in Cuba tomorrow? (Is he, she going to be in Cuba tomorrow?)
    
18. I’m going to the movies tonight.
    
19. I’m going to have dinner on the train.
    
20. Who is going to buy the tickets?
    

la fábrica

a a comprar” is a third man form and means:

In fact, it refers to anybody (singular) in the world except yourself.

When pupils reach this point they often ask, “How do you know who’s going to buy, if it can mean so many different persons?” The answer is that people always know the subject of their conversation. If they are talking about Charles, it obviously means that Charles is going to buy. If they are talking about Mary, it means that Mary is going to buy, and so on.

In Spanish you always establish the subject of conversation and continue to talk in the third man form indefinitely. Everyone knows that if you are talking about Charles, everything you say is about Charles, although you don’t mention him again. Then,
when you want to change the subject, you mention somebody else. For example, “Is Mary going to San Francisco too?” This starts a whole conversation about Mary.

One day, one of my pupils asked a Mexican visitor, “How do you know what you’re talking about?” The Mexican smiled and answered, “Señorita, Mexicans always know what they’re talking about, don’t Americans?”

1. ¿ Va a comprar la casa?
   Are you going to buy the house?
   
2. ¿ Va a comprar la casa su papá?
   Is your father going to buy the house?