Monday, July 30, 2007

6, 7, 8, 9

Q: Why 6 is afraid of 7?

A: Because 7 8 9. (clue: homophones)



(Note: The homopnones of eight is ate. So 7, 8, 9 can also read as 7 ate 9. Now, do you agree that 6 should afraid of 7?)

WHY ENGLISH IS SO HARD

We’ll begin with box, and the plural is boxes;
But the plural of ox should be oxen, not oxes.
Then one fowl is goose, but two are called geese,
Yet the plural of moose should never be meese.
You may find a lone mouse or a whole lot of mice,
But the plural of house is houses, not hice.
If the plural of man is always called men,
Why shouldn’t the plural of pan be called pen?
The cow in the plural may be cows or kine,
But the plural of vow is vows, not vine.
And I speak of a foot, and you show me your feet,
But I give a boot -- would a pair be called beet?
If one is a tooth and a whole set are teeth,
Why shouldn’t the plural of booth be called beeth?
Then one may be that, and three may be those,
Yet the plural of hat would never be hose.
We speak of a brother, and also of brethren,
But though we say mother, we never say methren.
The masculine pronouns are he, his and him,
But imagine the feminine she, shis, and shim!
So our English, I think you will all agree,
Is the trickiest language you ever did see.

When the English tongue we speak
Why is break not rhymed with freak?
We say sew but likewise few;
And the maker of a verse
Cannot cap his horse with worse?
Beard sounds not the same as heard;
Cord is different from word.
Cow is cow, but low is low;
Shoe is never rhymed with foe.
Think of hose and dose and lose;
And of goose and yet of choose.
Think of tomb and comb and bomb,
Doll and roll and home and some,
And since pay is rhymed with say,
Why not paid with said, I pray?
We have blood and food and good,
Mould is not rhymed with could,
Wherefore done but gone and lone.
Is there any reason known?
So in short it seems to me
Sounds and letters disagree.

Saturday, July 28, 2007

LESSON 7: ENVIRONMENT – OIL SPILL AT SEA

TRANSPORT, vb. [trāns-pōrt']
(The ship, which was built to transport oil, left the port of Valdez, Alaska on the evening of March 23.)

Meanings:

· to carry from one place to another

· e.g. the goods were transported by air; A bus transported us from the airport to the city.

Synonyms: carry, convey
Antonyms: idle, remain, stay

REEF, n. [rēf]
(The ship hit rocks on a reef.)

Meanings:

· rocks or coral near the surface of the sea

· e.g. coral reef

MARINE, adj. [mə-rēn']
(Floating oil blocks sunlight and oxygen from reaching the marine life below.)

Meaning:

· something to do with the sea

· e.g. marine plants and animals such as seaweed and whales

Synonyms: maritime, oceanic

INSULATE, vb. [ĭn'sə-lāt']
(Their feathers no longer insulate them from the cold.)

Meanings:

· to cover or protect from heat, cold, or noise

· e.g. Rubber and plastic are used for insulating electric wires and cables.

Synonyms: block, disconnect, halt, intervene
Antonym:
allow, encourage, permit

REMOTE, adj. [rĭ-mōt']
(The Exxon Valdez oil spill occurred in a remote area that is home to many sea animals.)

Meaning:

· (1) far away (2) secluded

· e.g. the remote jungles of Brazil; a remote village; a remote mountaintop

Synonyms: (1) far, distant (2) sequestered, isolated
Antonym:
(1) close, near

REDUCE, vb. [rĭ-dōōs', -dyōōs']
(Until we reduce the amount of oil we use, oil spills will continue to pollute the ocean.)

Meaning:

· To make smaller or less

Synonyms: abate, decrease, diminish, dwindle
Antonyms: enlarge, increase

Monday, July 23, 2007

Mini-Thesaurus for Adjectives

Adult

grown-up ~ mature ~ full-grown ~ ripe ~ fully developed

Alert

attentive ~ wide-awake ~ watchful ~ vigilant ~ aware ~ observant

Alive

living ~ animate ~ animated ~ vital ~ active ~ existing

Angry

cross ~ upset ~ fussy ~ grouchy ~ irritable ~ cranky ~ mad ~ furious ~ annoyed ~ irritated ~ aggravated ~ exasperated ~ incensed ~ enraged

Awful

terrible ~ horrible ~ dreadful ~ appalling ~ frightful ~ repulsive ~ offensive ~ disgusting

Bad

wicked ~ evil ~ sinful ~ vile ~ mischievous ~ sinister ~ harmful ~ destructive ~ pernicious ~ malevolent ~ malicious

Big

large ~ huge ~ enormous ~ vast ~ immerse ~ gigantic ~ colossal ~ tremendous ~ massive ~ titanic ~ mammoth ~ monumental

Boring

dull ~ uninteresting ~ tedious ~ monotonous ~ tiresome ~ blah ~ humdrum ~ wearisome ~ fatiguing

Brave

fearless ~ daring ~ defiant ~ bold ~ courageous ~ heroic ~ stalwart ~ intrepid ~ audacious ~ dauntless

Careful

painstaking ~ thorough ~ exact ~ cautions ~ prudent ~ watchful ~ vary ~ vigilant

Clumsy

awkward ~ ungainly ~ gawky ~ lumbering

Curious

inquisitive ~ interested ~ nosy ~ prying ~ spying ~ peeping ~ meddlesome

Dark

gloomy ~ dusky ~ dim ~ unlit

Deadly

fatal ~ mortal ~ lethal ~ malignant ~ virulent ~ killing

Delicious

tasty ~ appetizing ~ luscious ~ savory ~ palatable ~ delectable ~ scrumptious ~ yummy

Different

unlike ~ diverse ~ distinct ~ various

Dirty

filthy ~ grimy ~ soiled ~ dingy ~ unsanitary ~ polluted ~ grubby

Dishonest

lying ~ untruthful ~ untrustworthy ~ deceitful ~ crooked ~ devious ~ mendacious

Eager

enthusiastic ~ keen ~ avid ~ fervent ~ ardent ~ zealous

Easy

effortless ~ simple ~ uncomplicated

Enough

ample ~ sufficient ~ adequate ~ abundant ~ plenty

Fake

phony ~ false ~ artificial ~ imitation ~ bogus ~ counterfeit ~ pretended ~ feigned

Famous

noted ~ prominent ~ eminent ~ celebrated ~ illustrious ~ notorious

Fast

rapid ~ quick ~ swift ~ speedy ~ fleet ~ expeditious

Foolish

ridiculous ~ silly ~ absurd ~ senseless ~ inane ~ asinine ~ witless ~ fatuous

Funny

amusing ~ humorous ~ witty ~ hilarious ~ comical ~ ridiculous ~ jocular ~ whimsical

Good

fine ~ excellent ~ great ~ worthy ~ outstanding ~ admirable ~ respectable ~ splendid ~ superb ~ superior

Grand

magnificent ~ stately ~ majestic ~ splendid ~ impressive ~ dignified ~ palatial

Grateful

thankful ~ pleased ~ appreciative ~ indebted ~ obliged ~ beholden

Great

wonderful ~ amazing ~ terrific ~ superb ~ remarkable ~ splendid ~ marvelous ~ sensational ~ fabulous ~ spectacular ~ phenomenal

Heavy

weighty ~ ponderous ~ massive ~ hefty

Hot

sweltering ~ sultry ~ torrid ~ warm ~ lukewarm ~ tepid

Important

significant ~ substantial ~ consequential ~ crucial ~ critical ~ momentous ~ eventful ~ principal ~ chief ~ major ~ main

Jealous

envious ~ resentful ~ grudging ~ covetous ~ green-eyed

Lively

active ~ energetic ~ vigorous ~ animated ~ inexhaustible

Loud

noisy ~ deafening ~ clamorous ~ blatant ~ clangorous ~ riotous ~ earsplitting

Many

numerous ~ various ~ countless ~ innumerable ~ diverse ~ multitudinous

Mean

cruel ~ malicious ~ disagreeable ~ contemptible ~ despicable ~ ignominious ~ shameful

Nervous

restless ~ fidgety ~ edgy ~ uptight ~ apprehensive ~ tense ~ excitable ~ high-strung

Perfect

flawless ~ faultless ~ ideal ~ impeccable ~ matchless

Polite

courteous ~ well-mannered ~ gracious ~ civil ~ mannerly ~ considerate ~ respectful

Pretty

beautiful ~ lovely ~ handsome ~ gorgeous ~ attractive ~ exquisite ~ comely ~ fair ~ pleasing ~ stunning

Rich

wealthy ~ affluent ~ prosperous ~ well-to-do ~ loaded ~ moneyed ~ well-off

Rough

coarse ~ uneven ~ rugged ~ bumpy ~ craggy ~ jagged

Sad

unhappy ~ miserable ~ gloomy ~ depressed ~ melancholy ~ blue ~ downhearted ~ morose ~ dejected ~ dispirited ~ despondent

Shy

bashful ~ timid ~ meek ~ reserved ~ diffident ~ demure ~ reticent ~ retiring ~ humble ~ modest ~ sheepish

Smart

intelligent ~ clever ~ bright ~ wise ~ learned ~ adroit ~ brilliant ~ sharp ~ ingenious

Strange

odd ~ peculiar ~ unusual ~ funny weird ~ abnormal ~ bizarre ~ atypical

Strong

powerful ~ hardy ~ muscular ~ vigorous ~ mighty ~ herculean ~ hearty ~ brawny

Stubborn

obstinate ~ willful ~ headstrong ~ rigid ~ inflexible ~ intractable ~ bull-headed ~ contumacious

Thin

slender ~ slim ~ lean ~ slight ~ skinny ~ gaunt ~ lank ~ scrawny ~ emaciated

Tired

exhausted ~ weary ~ worn ~ worn out ~ sleepy ~ fatigued ~ haggard ~ enervated ~ drained ~ bushed ~ overworked ~ spent ~ wearied

Violent

vehement ~ intense ~ vicious ~ destructive ~ wild ~ brutal ~ barbarous ~ savage ~ fierce

Wet

moist ~ humid ~ clammy ~ dank ~ moistened ~ soaked ~ drenched ~ saturated ~ sodden ~ waterlogged ~ dripping

Wild

untamed ~ fierce ~ ferocious ~ savage ~ agitated ~ stormy ~ frenzied ~ turbulent ~ riotous ~ boisterous

Sunday, July 22, 2007

LESSON 6: WILDLIFE – TIGERS IN TROUBLE

PRE+DICT, vb. [prĭ-dĭkt']
(People predicted that tigers would be extinct by 2000.)

Meanings:

· figure out and make a statement about the future

· e.g. the astronomers can predict an eclipse; she read the sky and predicted rain

Synonyms: (1) anticipate, call, forecast, foresight, foretell, forebode, prognosticate, prophesy, project (2) [indicate by signs] augur auspicate, bode, foreshadow, omen, portend, presage, prefigure
Antonyms: be amazed, be surprised, doubt, suppose

EX+TINCT, adj. [ĭk-stĭngkt']
(People predicted that tigers would be extinct by 2000.)

Meanings:

· no longer existing

· e.g. mammoths became extinct in prehistoric times; an extinct species of fish

Synonyms: deceased, defunct, gone, vanished, nonextant, nonexistent
Antonyms: alive, existing, living, thriving, extant

HABITAT, n. [hāb'ĭ-tāt']
(Hunting and loss of habitat threaten their survival.)

Meaning:

· the place where an animal or plant lives or grows in nature

· e.g. a marine habitat, a tropical habitat; the Antarctic is the penguin's natural habitat

Synonyms: haunt, home, stamping ground, territory

BAN, n. [bān]
(The worldwide ban on tiger skins stopped much of the fur trade.)

Meanings:

· an official order that forbids something

· e.g. to ban nuclear weapons; the dictator banned all newspapers and books that criticized his regime; the government banned publication of his book

Synonyms: (1) debar, disallow, enjoin, forbid, inhibit, prohibit, proscribe, taboo, interdict (2) [to keep from being published] censor, stifle, suppress, back out, hush (up)
Antonym:
allow, approve, legalize, permit, sanction, endorse
Idiom: keep (or put) a lid on

CONSERVATION n. [kŏn'sûr-vā'shən]
(Many countries have set up conservation areas.)

Meaning:

· to preserve and protect

· e.g. conservation of wildlife; conservation of human rights

Synonyms: care, husbandry, protection, preservation
Antonym:
destruction, spending, squandering, waste

PLIGHT, n. [plīt]
(Publicity about their plight improves their chances for survival.)

Meaning:

· a bad condition

· e.g. she was in a terrible plight, as she had lost all her money; Dorothy shedding a few tears by the way at the sad plight of her old friend

Synonyms: predicament, quandary

Saturday, July 21, 2007

Procedural Vocabulary Chart (adapted from Marco & Luzon, 1999)

Similarities
be similar to ~ be like ~ look like ~ resemble ~ approximate ~ approach ~ be identical with/to ~ be counterpart of ~ corresponding ~ match ~ be proportional to ~ a kind of ~ correspond to ~ be analogous to ~ be equivalent to ~ be equal to ~ be an equivalent of ~ be indistinguishable from ~ be synonymous with ~ be the same as ~ be considered ~ be interpreted as ~ be regarded as ~ be thought of as ~ share ~ be akin to ~ be comparable to

Difference
be different from ~ as opposed to ~ be dissimilar ~ be distinct from ~ be distinguished from ~ be opposite ~ be unlike ~ differ from

Inclusion
be a member of ~ be a kind of ~ be a type of ~ belong to ~ fall into ~ be divided/subdivided into ~ be equipped with ~ contain ~ encompass ~ be a case of ~ be a class of ~ be a form of ~ be a variant of ~ be composed of ~ be comprised of ~ be filled with ~ be formed by ~ be a piece of ~ be a fragment of ~ be exemplified by ~ as illustrated by ~ be represented by ~ be a component of ~ be an element of ~ be part of ~ be made from ~ be made up of ~ be a portion of ~ be characteristic of ~ be an example of ~ be a prototype of ~ be representative of ~ range from…to… ~ vary from…to… ~ be provided with ~ comprise ~ consist of ~ appear in

Exclusion
be absent from ~ be excluded from ~ to the exclusion of ~ be devoid of ~ be free of ~ lack ~ missing

Process relationship
arise from ~ be a derivative of ~ be a product of ~ be due to ~ become ~ transform into ~ come from ~ derive from ~ develop from ~ be produced by/from ~ originate from ~ give rise to ~ be the result of ~ result from ~ branch into ~ give way to ~ yield ~ are the result of ~ be converted to ~ evolve into

Function
act as ~ act to ~ behave like ~ function as ~ have a role in ~ play the role of ~ play a part in ~ provide ~ serve as ~ be useful for ~ be used for ~ be chosen as ~ employ as ~ is used to

Spatial relationships
be adjacent to ~ be arranged ~ be contained in ~ be coated with ~ be covered with ~ be distributed ~ be embedded in ~ be equidistant ~ be parallel to ~ be inserted into ~ be located ~ be placed ~ be positioned at ~ be separated ~ be surrounded by ~ extend ~ face ~ opposite ~ reside ~ surround

Physical characteristics
be…in length ~ in the form of ~ shape like ~ in shades of ~ measuring more than ~ (noun)-shaped

Quantity
a variety of ~ amounts of ~ number of ~ (cardinal number) parts of ~ a class of ~ a family of ~ a series of ~ a set of

Source: Marco, M., & Luzon, M. (1999). Procedural vocabulary: Lexical signaling of conceptual relations in discourse. Applied Linguistics, 20(1), 1-21.

Monday, July 16, 2007

LESSON 5: HEALTH - SHIFT WORK

ESSENTIAL, adj., n. [ĭ-sěn'shəl]
(Society depends on the essential services they provide.)

Meanings:

· absolutely necessary

· e.g. food and shelter are essential of life; discipline is essential in an army; oxygen and hydrogen are essential in water

Synonyms: basic, vital, indispensable, necessary
Antonyms: inessential, secondary, peripheral, unimportant

ALTER, vb. [ôl'tər]
(Because shift workers alter their sleep times, their sleep-wake cycle is disturbed.)

Meanings:

· to change partly but no completely

· e.g. will you alter this dress (to fit me)?; he town has altered a lot in the last two years; the discussion has altered my thinking about the issue

Synonyms: change, adjust, modify, amend
Antonyms: continue, keep, maintain, preserve, retain

RESTORE, vb. [rĭ-stōr']
(Sleep rests and restores our bodies so that we can function properly.)

Meaning:

· to put or bring back to an earlier or original stage

· e.g. the week at the spa restored me; the government restores the forest to its original pristine condition; restore the stolen painting to its rightful owner

Synonyms: regenerate, rejuvenate, reconstruct, restitute, reestablish, reinstate
Antonyms:
exhaust, neglect, damage

FUNCTION, vb. [fəngk'shən]
(Sleep rests and restores our bodies so that we can function properly.)

Meanings:

· work; to serve a certain purpose

· e.g. the computer isn't functioning no; he rarely functions before noon; the table functions as a desk

Synonyms: operate, perform, serve
Antonyms:
malfunction

ALERT, adj. [ə-lərt']
(Shift workers often struggle to stay alert on the job.)

Meaning:

· watchful and ready to take action

· e.g. you must be alert to danger; the patient is now awake and alert; she's very old but still very alert; an alert and responsive baby is a joy

Synonyms: awake, wary, observant, wakeful, vigilant
Antonym:
unalert, unaware, asleep, drowsy, sluggish, inattentive

ACTIVATE, vb. [āk'tə-vāt]
(For instance, sunlight activates the daytime clock.)

Meaning:

· to make active or bring into action

· e.g. the smoke activated the fire alarms

Synonyms: trigger, motivate, cause
Antonyms: extinguish, stop, deter, impede

Saturday, July 14, 2007

Commute vs. Pardon

Commute

DEFINITION /kəˈmyut/ Pronunciation Key [kuh-myoot] v. To reduce a criminal penalty

CONTEXT Instead of going for a full-fledged pardon, President Bush commuted Scooter Libby’s sentence, leaving the fines and criminal record intact but keeping him out of prison.

USAGE Commutations often have qualifiers. Nixon reduced Jimmy Hoffa’s jail term in 1971, provided the Teamster didn’t run the union for 10 years.


Pardon

DEFINITION [pahr-dn] v: To completely forgive a crime

CONTEXT Clinton notoriously issued 140 pardons on his last day in office, including one to tax evader Marc Rich – whose lawyer at the time just happened to be Scooter Libby.

USAGE Bush’s father has given the fewest pardons since Franklin Pierce, but W. isn’t far behind, with 113 in two terms.

Sunday, July 8, 2007

Compound It

back

cook

note

sail

bone

boat

drop

play

sand

brain

board

mail

rail

stone

pad

book

man

rain

rack

fall

box

mate

road

hat

block

coat

milk

room

wish

storm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Answer:

backdrop

backbone

boardroom

bookrack

brainstorm

cookbook

hatbox

mailbox

mailman

milkman

notebook

notepad

playmate

railroad

raincoat

rainfall

rainstorm

roadblock

roommate

sailboat

sandstorm

sandstone

wishbone