Lesson 4: Popular Culture – Bread

STAPLE, adj. [stā'pəl]
(Bread is a staple food.)

Meanings:

· necessary foods or commodities; principal; main

· e.g. wheat is a staple crop; a staple topic of conversation

Synonyms: essential, basic, chief, fundamental, important, in demand, key, popular, predominant, primary, standard
Antonyms: unstaple

ANCIENT, adj. [ān'shənt]
(People began making bread in ancient times.)

Meanings:

· a time long ago

· e.g. an ancient history; an ancient custom; an ancient folk tale

Synonyms: antiquated, antique, old-fashioned; antediluvian, archaic
Antonyms: current, cutting edge, fresh, modern, new, recent, up-to-date

OVERTHROW, vb. [ōvər-thrō']
(He believed that if you kept people well fed and happy, they would not overthrow the government.)

Meaning:

· to cause the fall or end of

· e.g. a plot to overthrow the government; the Czar was overthrown

Synonyms: overturn, subvert, topple, tumble

HOSPITALITY, n [hŏspĭ-tāl'ĭ-tē]
(In Russia, the word for “hospitality” translates into “bread and salt.”)

Meanings:

· friendly and generous treatment of guests

Synonyms: warm, cordiality, geniality, friendliness
Antonym: inhospitality, unfriendliness

PRAIRIES, n [preər'ē]
(For example, the Prairies are called the “bread basket of the world.”)

Meaning:

· a large area of flat or rolling grassland that is treeless

SIGNIFICANT, adj. [sĭg-nĭf'ĭ-kənt]
(Bread also plays a significant role in many religious ceremonies.)

Meaning:

· important and having a special meaning

· e.g. a significant event/development

Synonyms: consequential, considerable, important, substantial, momentous, pregnant
Antonyms: insignificant, minor, unimportant

Lesson 3: Environment - Mount St. Helen

ERUPTION, n [ĭ-rŭp'shən]
(It is an active volcano that is famous for a huge eruption in 1980.)

Meanings:

1. A sudden, often violent outburst.

2. (of volcanoes) pouring out fumes or lava (or a deposit so formed)

Synonym: eructation, extravasations, explosion, outbreak, outburst

PRESSURE, n, vb. [prěsh'ər]
(Pressure built up inside the mountain, and its north side bulged out.)

Meanings:

· a steady force applied to an area

· he used pressure to stop the bleeding; blood pressure; he doesn't work well under pressure;

Synonyms: compression, strain, tension

BULGED, vb., n [bŭlj]
(Pressure built up inside the mountain, and its north side bulged out.)

Meaning:

· v. to swell or curve outward

· e.g. pockets bulging with coins; his eyes bulged with surprise;

Synonyms: extrude, jut, protrude, swell, protuberate

Antonyms: cave in, contract, deflate, flatten, shrink

TRIGGER, vb [trĭg'ər]
(Then, on May 18, a large earthquake triggered the volcanic eruption.)

Meanings:

· vb. an event that caused a reaction; to set off; initiate

· e.g. remarks that triggered bitter debates; trigger a reaction; trigger a gun

Synonyms: activate, actuate, cause, generate, induce, set off, provoke,

Antonym: block, check, halt, stop, extinguish

LAVA, n [lä'və]
(Ash and lava poured out for nine hours.)

Meaning:

· n. (1) melted rock coming from a volcano (2) lava that has cooled and hardened into rock

SWEPT, vb. [swěpt] -- Past tense and past participle of sweep
(It swept across the landscape.)

Meaning:

· vb. moved over or across quickly with force or destruction

· e.g. the wind swept over the plain; the flood waters swept away everything

Idiom: SWEPT HER OFF HER FEET

Rosanne really likes the new boy who came to school this year. She thinks he is so handsome, smart, and kind. He is always with her and is very thoughtful. Rosanne thinks about him all of the time and she likes him so much. He just SWEPT HER OFF HER FEET.

1. SWEPT HER OFF HER FEET means:

_/_ 1. Make someone like you

___ 2. Use a broom

___ 3. Push someone away

2. Could you be SWEPT OFF YOUR FEET by:

1. a very nice person? YES

2. a very mean person? NO

3. a broom? NO

3. Vocabulary: What does HANDSOME mean: -- Very nice looking, said about a boy or a man.
4. Example: Joan follows Tom everywhere because he SWEPT HER OFF HER FEET.

Idiom: PUT YOUR BEST FOOT FORWARD

Al Black was going to look for a new job. He knew there were many other people who would be looking for a job at the same time. If he wanted someone to hire him, he would have to PUT HIS BEST FOOT FORWARD so that an interviewer would know that he could do a very good job.

1. PUT YOUR BEST FOOT FORWARD means:

___ 1. Show your nicest foot

___ 2. Do not worry about anything

_/_ 3. Do your best, or look your best

2. Would you PUT YOUR BEST FOOT FORWARD if:

1. you did not care what your work looked like? NO

2. you always looked neat and clean? NO

3. you did the best work you could? YES

3. Vocabulary: What is an INTERVIEWER? -- Someone who talks to you when you are trying to get a job.
4. Example: If you want people to like you when you first meet them, you have to PUT YOUR BEST FOOT FORWARD.

Idiom: DRAG YOUR FEET

Penny always watches TV until 10:00. Then it is time for her to go to bed. On some nights she does not want to go to bed and she is very slow to turn off the TV.

On Tuesday, Penny’s father became very irritated with her. “It is 10:20 now, and you should be in bed. I want you to stop DRAGGING YOUR FEET and do what you are supposed to do.”

A. DRAG YOUR FEET means:

_/_ 1. Do something very slowly

___ 2. Crawl around

___ 3. Act quickly

B. Would you be DRAGGING YOUR FEET if:

1. you were on time for your class? NO

2. you were always late? YES

3. you had a broken leg? NO

C. Vocabulary: What does IRRITATED mean? -- To be upset or angry with someone.

D. Example: I do not like to see you DRAG YOUR FEET when I know you can work faster.

Idiom: COLD FEET

Bill learned how to dive at summer camp. He was very proud of himself. But, Bill had only gone off the low diving board. He decided to climb the high dive and practice what he had learned.

The line was long and Bill waited patiently to climb up. Finally, he was at the ladder. Up he went. When he got to the top, he got ready to dive. He looked down. It was very high! Suddenly, he did not want to dive anymore. He got COLD FEET.

1. COLD FEET mean:

___ 1. Not wearing any shoes

_/_ 2. Be scared to do something

___ 3. Feel good about something

2. Would you get COLD FEET if:

1. you had to give a speech to many people?

2. you had to dive off of a high dive?

3. you planned to go swimming?

3. Vocabulary: What is a HIGH DIVE? -- A diving board at a swimming pool that is not at ground level.
4. Example: I was going to learn to sky dive, but at the last minute I got COLD FEET.

Idiom: STAND ON ONE’S OWN TWO FEET

John has a lot of trouble in school. He is smart but he does not like to do his work. John’s mother goes to talk to the teacher all the time. She makes many excuses for john because she does not want the teacher to be angry with him.

John’s older brother said, “Mother, you can not always make excuses for John. He is getting too old for you to be doing everything for him. John must learn to STAND ON HIS OWN TWO FEET.

1. STAND ON HIS OWN TWO FEET means:

___ 1. Do not sit down

_/_ 2. Do things for himself; be independent

___ 3. Have other people do things for you

2. Would you STAND ON HIS OWN TWO FEET if:

1. you took care of your own problem? YES

2. you got everything you needed by yourself ? YES

3. you had your sister do everything for you? NO

3. Vocabulary: What is an EXCUSE? – Reason for doing something the way you did.
4. Example: I am so glad that my parents make me STAND ON MY OWN TWO FEET.