Hello, folks -
How are you? Did it snow? Was there a snow day? I'm so out of the loop. . . I didn't even leave the hospital today. Maybe it snowed here. Did it? Do you know?
So, I've been reading! Duh . . . Okay, I finished The Memory Keeper's Daughter. Did I already tell you that? It was good; parts were great - so descriptive and vivid and REAL. But it was morbidly depressing (in my opinion). Is reality that depressing? I don't believe it. Just call me a glass-half-full-kind-of-girl. (And no remarks about how I'm too old to be considered a girl . . .)
Then I read Bringing Down the House . . . Shoot. I can't remember who wrote it. I'll get back to you on that one. But they have it at the MVRHS library. It's about these kids from MIT who make millions playing blackjack in Vegas and elsewhere. The writing isn't fabulous but the story is full of intrigue - violence, sleaziness, money, backstabbing, etc. I don't enjoy gambling AT ALL (why throw your money away on gambling when you could be buying BOOKS!?!?!?!?!) and I've never even played blackjack, but I was fascinated. There was a little too much info. about how to card count and how to improve your blackjack odds - I don't need to know. But there was so much human interest and action that I was hooked. Read it in one day. Some of you might like it.
Next I read Secret Confessions of the Applewood PTA by Ellen Meister. It was terrible but in a really fun and scandalous and ridiculous kind of way. I haven't read a book this trashy in a little while. I don't recommend it exactly, but I read it and I enjoyed it and I am embarrassed to admit it. Don't read it if you're looking for a LITERARY experience. . . Catcher in the Rye it ain't. (OOPS! I'm an English teacher and I said "ain't." I was using it as a quaint colloquialism.)
It was all about these ridiculous women who were on the PTA and trying to get a George Clooney movie filmed at their town elementary school. The women are idiots, the plot predictable, the dialogue forced, the characters one-dimensional, and the ending way too easy. If you wrote it, I'd give you a C. Maybe. But it was entertaining.
I'm not sure what my next foray will be. I have lots of choices. I'll keep you posted. I'm thinking it's going to be A Sudden Country by Karen Fisher. Anyone read it?
Hannah has taken a turn for the better this past week. She's not feeling or looking nearly as sick. We may be able to leave the hospital and head for the Ronald McDonald House in the next few weeks. We'll still be in Boston for a while, but we won't have to sleep in the hospital. We're all a little nervous about this; Hannah hasn't been away from the hospital since November 7. It's scary, but I'm sure it will be a good thing.
Hope all of you are doing well!
Ms. Wallace
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Midsummer Night's Dream ACT II Scene ii HANDOUT
Miss Simison
31 January 2007
Handout III
The way these Fairyland characters speak is very light and graceful, which Shakespeare did to express their spirit-like nature. The fairies use bat wings for elf coats:
“Some war with rere-mice (bats) for their leathern wings,
To make my small elves coats; and some keep back….” (lines4-5)
This reminds us that……..what?
We read both a lullaby by the fairies and an incantation by Oberon:
The lullaby tries to ward off spells and charms The incantation puts a charm on Titania.
The lullaby names eight small animals and The incantation adds six large animals to the list.
insects plus a nightengale.
The lullaby asks that nothing come near the queen. The incantation asks for something to come near, and that the viler it is, the better.
What is not covered by either song?
So what’s up with Hermia and Lysander? We haven’t seen very much of either of them but they’re supposed to be meeting in the woods and Helena and Demetrius are out there looking for them!
Does Lysander seem confident to you? Why?
What is his response to Hermia hoping he’ll love her till he dies?
This is a scene when things really pick up! When Oberon told Puck to go find the two mortals wearing Athenian clothes, what did he not take into account?
Convenient coincidence:
Hermia made a big issue over not sleeping too near Lysander:
“Nay good Lysander. For my sake, my dear
Lie further off yet; do not lie so near.” (lines 43-44)
So, to wrap things up:
Titania’s eyes have been enchanted! She awaits being awakened by her destined “beloved.”
Puck has mistaken Lysander for Demetrius, OOPS! Now Lysander will love Helena!
We have an even worse situation than we had at the beginning: neither man loves the woman who loves him.
Hermia‡ Lysander ‡ Helena ‡ Demetrius ‡ Hermia
Got it? Good! Everyone dance!
Miss Simison
31 January 2007
Handout III
The way these Fairyland characters speak is very light and graceful, which Shakespeare did to express their spirit-like nature. The fairies use bat wings for elf coats:
“Some war with rere-mice (bats) for their leathern wings,
To make my small elves coats; and some keep back….” (lines4-5)
This reminds us that……..what?
We read both a lullaby by the fairies and an incantation by Oberon:
The lullaby tries to ward off spells and charms The incantation puts a charm on Titania.
The lullaby names eight small animals and The incantation adds six large animals to the list.
insects plus a nightengale.
The lullaby asks that nothing come near the queen. The incantation asks for something to come near, and that the viler it is, the better.
What is not covered by either song?
So what’s up with Hermia and Lysander? We haven’t seen very much of either of them but they’re supposed to be meeting in the woods and Helena and Demetrius are out there looking for them!
Does Lysander seem confident to you? Why?
What is his response to Hermia hoping he’ll love her till he dies?
This is a scene when things really pick up! When Oberon told Puck to go find the two mortals wearing Athenian clothes, what did he not take into account?
Convenient coincidence:
Hermia made a big issue over not sleeping too near Lysander:
“Nay good Lysander. For my sake, my dear
Lie further off yet; do not lie so near.” (lines 43-44)
So, to wrap things up:
Titania’s eyes have been enchanted! She awaits being awakened by her destined “beloved.”
Puck has mistaken Lysander for Demetrius, OOPS! Now Lysander will love Helena!
We have an even worse situation than we had at the beginning: neither man loves the woman who loves him.
Hermia‡ Lysander ‡ Helena ‡ Demetrius ‡ Hermia
Got it? Good! Everyone dance!
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Permission Slip For Field Trip! B and C Periods ONLY!
"The lunatic, the lover, and the poet are of imagination all compact."
(Act V, Scene I).
WHO: Miss Simison’s B and C period Honors English Classes
WHEN: Wednesday, 21 February, 2007
Leave on the 9:30am boat, return on the 6:15pm boat. Parents can pick students up at the Steamship Authority terminal at 7:00pm.
WHERE: Boston Theatre Works
COST: $30 includes boat/bus/theatre ticket
William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream:
Shakespeare’s classic romantic comedy where passionate lovers, ham-handed actors, and discordant spirits of the world cross paths in a moon-drenched wood and discover the transformative power of love.
We are currently reading this play in class and I am hoping to get all 47 students on the trip!
If you are writing a check, please make it payable to Elizabeth Simison as I am the one coordinating the trip and MVRHS is not providing any funding.
Upon arrival in Boston, we will have time for a quick lunch. Students are invited to bring their own, or bring a couple extra dollars for a sandwich.
Parent Signature ____________________________________ Date:___________
A final head count is needed by Monday, 5 February, so PLEASE SIGN AND RETURN THIS SLIP WITH PAYMENT TO MISS SIMISON BY FRIDAY, 2 FEBRUARY, 2007.
THANK YOU!
If you have any questions, please contact me via firstclass: Elizabeth_Simison@fc.mv.k12.ma.us
"The lunatic, the lover, and the poet are of imagination all compact."
(Act V, Scene I).
WHO: Miss Simison’s B and C period Honors English Classes
WHEN: Wednesday, 21 February, 2007
Leave on the 9:30am boat, return on the 6:15pm boat. Parents can pick students up at the Steamship Authority terminal at 7:00pm.
WHERE: Boston Theatre Works
COST: $30 includes boat/bus/theatre ticket
William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream:
Shakespeare’s classic romantic comedy where passionate lovers, ham-handed actors, and discordant spirits of the world cross paths in a moon-drenched wood and discover the transformative power of love.
We are currently reading this play in class and I am hoping to get all 47 students on the trip!
If you are writing a check, please make it payable to Elizabeth Simison as I am the one coordinating the trip and MVRHS is not providing any funding.
Upon arrival in Boston, we will have time for a quick lunch. Students are invited to bring their own, or bring a couple extra dollars for a sandwich.
Parent Signature ____________________________________ Date:___________
A final head count is needed by Monday, 5 February, so PLEASE SIGN AND RETURN THIS SLIP WITH PAYMENT TO MISS SIMISON BY FRIDAY, 2 FEBRUARY, 2007.
THANK YOU!
If you have any questions, please contact me via firstclass: Elizabeth_Simison@fc.mv.k12.ma.us
Monday, January 29, 2007
VOCABULARY 17
NONCHALANCE ~n~ carelessness, lack of interest or concern
PARSIMONIOUS ~adj~ too thrifty, stingy, cheap
PIQUE ~v~ to hurt feelings; to excite or arouse interest
TACIT ~adj~ unspoken, silent but implied
PUGNACIOUS ~adj~ eager to fight
REDUNDANT ~adj~ repetitive
LIMPID ~adj~ clear (like water), clear (easy to understand)
MARTINET ~n~ a strict disciplinarian
SOPOROFIC ~adj~ producing sleep
SAGACIOUS ~adj~ very wise
ADDITIONAL 5 FOR HONORS
TITANIC ~adj~ gigantic
GADFLY ~n~ an animal biting fly, an irritating person
PURLOIN ~v~ steal
ARDOR ~n~ passion, heat, zeal
WAX ~v~ increase, grow
OH YIPPEE! THE EXTRA CREDIT WORDS ARE BACK IN ACTION!
SPARGE ~v~ to spray or sprinkly
BUBBLE AND SQUEAK ~n~ cabbage and potatoes fried together
BONTON ~n~ sophisticated manner or style, the proper thing, high society
ALGOPHOBIA ~n~ abnormal fear of pain
GRACILE ~adj~ gracefully slender, graceful
NONCHALANCE ~n~ carelessness, lack of interest or concern
PARSIMONIOUS ~adj~ too thrifty, stingy, cheap
PIQUE ~v~ to hurt feelings; to excite or arouse interest
TACIT ~adj~ unspoken, silent but implied
PUGNACIOUS ~adj~ eager to fight
REDUNDANT ~adj~ repetitive
LIMPID ~adj~ clear (like water), clear (easy to understand)
MARTINET ~n~ a strict disciplinarian
SOPOROFIC ~adj~ producing sleep
SAGACIOUS ~adj~ very wise
ADDITIONAL 5 FOR HONORS
TITANIC ~adj~ gigantic
GADFLY ~n~ an animal biting fly, an irritating person
PURLOIN ~v~ steal
ARDOR ~n~ passion, heat, zeal
WAX ~v~ increase, grow
OH YIPPEE! THE EXTRA CREDIT WORDS ARE BACK IN ACTION!
SPARGE ~v~ to spray or sprinkly
BUBBLE AND SQUEAK ~n~ cabbage and potatoes fried together
BONTON ~n~ sophisticated manner or style, the proper thing, high society
ALGOPHOBIA ~n~ abnormal fear of pain
GRACILE ~adj~ gracefully slender, graceful
Midsummer Night's Dream ACT II Scene i HANDOUT
Miss Simison
29 January 2007
Handout II
The clandestine meeting in the woods……..
As you all probably recall, the Duke’s wood is the designated meeting spot for the characters from the two preceding scenes. We finally meet Puck (Robin Goodfellow), when he and a fairy enter the scene. We learn from Puck that Oberon (King of Fairies) is angry at Titania (his queen). Why? She has stolen an Indian boy and Oberon wants the child for his own. Because Titania won’t give the boy up, she and the King get in the biggest fights every time they see each other and scare the elves into hiding in acorn cups:
“But they do square (quarrel), that all their elves for fear
Creep into acorn cups and hid them there.” (lines 30-31)
The King and Queen end up meeting by accident and greet each other as “proud Titania” and “jealous Oberon.” This is important because in just a few lines we learn their identities and how they feel about each other:
∑ Titania accuses Oberon of coming to for the wedding only because Hilppolyta is a former girlfriend.
∑ Oberon responds with saying Titania is in love with Theseus.
∑ Important: Titania has foresworn Oberon’s bed and company:
“What, jealous Oberon! Fairies skip hence,
I have foresworn his bed and company.” (lines 61-62)
Once again, the course of love is running less than smoothly, a theme we are already familiar with. This relates back to the first scene of the play:
* Hermia might have to foreswear forever what Titania chooses to give up
* Helena has already had to do so against her will
Ah, Cupid: Of course he has to play a part in this! HE tried to shoot and arrow and it missed its target, hitting a flower instead:
“Yet mark’d I where the bolt of Cupid fell:
It fell upon a little western flower,
Before milk-white, now purple with love’s wound,
And maidens call it love-in-idleness.” (lines 165-168)
Oberon sends Puck out to get the flower because the juice from it, when put on the sleeping eyelids of a man or woman, will cause the person to fall madly in love with the very first live creature that is seen when they wake up.
We then learn in a soliloquy that Oberon intends to put the juice on Titania’s eyelids in hopes that she will be distracted by whatever it is she sees when she wakes up. He will take that opportunity to steal the Indian boy from her.
Oberon then hears two people coming and makes himself invisible……….it’s Demetrius and Helena!
Helena is being really annoying and Demetrius just wants to be left alone! He’s looking for Hermia and Lysander….remember they are eloping! After they leave, Oberon sends Puck off with the flower to Titiania, but tells him to look for Lysander and Helena as well, and to use some juice on Demetrius.
Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch CHANGE: Such a focus on change!
1. Quarrel between Oberon and Titania is over a changeling
2. The cause and result of the quarrel concerns change
3. The solution to the quarrel is possible because of a change in a flower
4. The power of the changed flower is to transform (change) love-sight
Puck: He is the jester to the king and is one of, if not the most, memorable character of MND. From the fairy, we learn that Puck is responsible for all of the following and more:
1. Frightening village maidens
2. Skimming milk so it wont churn
3. Taking the kick out of liquor
4. Misleading people who travel at night
5. For those who treat him well, doing work and bringing luck
WHAT A RASCAL!
For years, Puck was featured at the top of many Sunday comics, with the banner "What fools these mortals be."
Fairies!!! The fairies in A Midsummer Night’s Dream are Shakespeare’s invention. There had been fairies in English folklore before, but Shakespeare’s differ in several important respects:
1. They are tiny! Miniscule, tiny, itsy bitsy!
2. They are associated with flowers
3. They are caring, compassionate, and generous
It is these fairies that have remained in the public’s imagination ever since the first production of MND.
MND inspired four hundred years of stories and pictures of tiny, butterfly-winged people living in the woods. Walt Disney's fairies are their descendants.
Miss Simison
29 January 2007
Handout II
The clandestine meeting in the woods……..
As you all probably recall, the Duke’s wood is the designated meeting spot for the characters from the two preceding scenes. We finally meet Puck (Robin Goodfellow), when he and a fairy enter the scene. We learn from Puck that Oberon (King of Fairies) is angry at Titania (his queen). Why? She has stolen an Indian boy and Oberon wants the child for his own. Because Titania won’t give the boy up, she and the King get in the biggest fights every time they see each other and scare the elves into hiding in acorn cups:
“But they do square (quarrel), that all their elves for fear
Creep into acorn cups and hid them there.” (lines 30-31)
The King and Queen end up meeting by accident and greet each other as “proud Titania” and “jealous Oberon.” This is important because in just a few lines we learn their identities and how they feel about each other:
∑ Titania accuses Oberon of coming to for the wedding only because Hilppolyta is a former girlfriend.
∑ Oberon responds with saying Titania is in love with Theseus.
∑ Important: Titania has foresworn Oberon’s bed and company:
“What, jealous Oberon! Fairies skip hence,
I have foresworn his bed and company.” (lines 61-62)
Once again, the course of love is running less than smoothly, a theme we are already familiar with. This relates back to the first scene of the play:
* Hermia might have to foreswear forever what Titania chooses to give up
* Helena has already had to do so against her will
Ah, Cupid: Of course he has to play a part in this! HE tried to shoot and arrow and it missed its target, hitting a flower instead:
“Yet mark’d I where the bolt of Cupid fell:
It fell upon a little western flower,
Before milk-white, now purple with love’s wound,
And maidens call it love-in-idleness.” (lines 165-168)
Oberon sends Puck out to get the flower because the juice from it, when put on the sleeping eyelids of a man or woman, will cause the person to fall madly in love with the very first live creature that is seen when they wake up.
We then learn in a soliloquy that Oberon intends to put the juice on Titania’s eyelids in hopes that she will be distracted by whatever it is she sees when she wakes up. He will take that opportunity to steal the Indian boy from her.
Oberon then hears two people coming and makes himself invisible……….it’s Demetrius and Helena!
Helena is being really annoying and Demetrius just wants to be left alone! He’s looking for Hermia and Lysander….remember they are eloping! After they leave, Oberon sends Puck off with the flower to Titiania, but tells him to look for Lysander and Helena as well, and to use some juice on Demetrius.
Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch CHANGE: Such a focus on change!
1. Quarrel between Oberon and Titania is over a changeling
2. The cause and result of the quarrel concerns change
3. The solution to the quarrel is possible because of a change in a flower
4. The power of the changed flower is to transform (change) love-sight
Puck: He is the jester to the king and is one of, if not the most, memorable character of MND. From the fairy, we learn that Puck is responsible for all of the following and more:
1. Frightening village maidens
2. Skimming milk so it wont churn
3. Taking the kick out of liquor
4. Misleading people who travel at night
5. For those who treat him well, doing work and bringing luck
WHAT A RASCAL!
For years, Puck was featured at the top of many Sunday comics, with the banner "What fools these mortals be."
Fairies!!! The fairies in A Midsummer Night’s Dream are Shakespeare’s invention. There had been fairies in English folklore before, but Shakespeare’s differ in several important respects:
1. They are tiny! Miniscule, tiny, itsy bitsy!
2. They are associated with flowers
3. They are caring, compassionate, and generous
It is these fairies that have remained in the public’s imagination ever since the first production of MND.
MND inspired four hundred years of stories and pictures of tiny, butterfly-winged people living in the woods. Walt Disney's fairies are their descendants.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
EXTRA CREDIT WORDS ARE AT THE END OF THIS POST..... above you can see Gold and Gross experiencing the joys of English.........and fairy wings?F period, 24 January.
And now for something less fun...... don't forget to read to page 16 in Catcher in the Rye for Friday. Also, there is a Vocabulary quiz (if you're missing the vocab scroll down on this page) and if you didn't have sentences today, I need them!
A-B-C
Vocabulary quiz is tomorrow (Thursday), make sure to have your sentences. A period should come prepared with ideas about Catcher in the Rye, and Honors classes should read the first act in A Midsummer Night's Dream.
EXTRA CREDT WORDS:
defenestrate~ to throw something out of a window
otiose ~ Means, roughly, "too complex/arrogant/whatever to be dealt with right now." But, the word is rare and obscure enough that just using it automatically means that you're being otiose yourself...
bugaboo - a chipper word for something that means "an imaginary object of fear." It certainly sounds imaginary!!
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
SHAKESPEARE, YAY!
Here's a snapshot of what we talked about in class today..........
Did you know the word 'housekeeping' was a Shakespeare invention?
Believe it or not, Shakespeare literally invented 1,700 words in the English language. He was the first person to use words like - aerial, critic, submerge, majestic, hurry, lonely, road, assassination, laughable, reliance, exposure...... 'Break the ice', 'All that glitters is not gold', 'Hot-blooded', 'In the mind’s eye', 'Housekeeping', 'It’s all Greek to me', 'The naked truth', 'One fell swoop', 'Method in his madness'..... There you go. Shakespeare is probably in all our lives in some way every day. Even those of us who’ve never seen one of his plays or read one of his sonnets.
Box Office!
Ever hear of a box office? Of course you have! Know where the name comes from? Well...... In Elizabethan times many of Shakespeare’s plays were performed at The Globe Theatre in London. To get in, you put one penny in a box by the door. Then you could stand on the ground in front of the stage. To sit on the first balcony, you put another penny in the box held by a man in front of the stairs. To sit on the second balcony, you put another penny in the box held by the man by the second flight of stairs. Then when the show started, the men went and put the boxes in a room backstage - the box office.
'The Globe' The Globe Theatre didn’t just show plays. It ‘acted’ as a bear pit, brothel, and a gambling house.
No Copyright In Shakespeare’s time copyright didn’t exist, so the actors only got their lines as the play was in progress. They only got to know who else was playing what the day of the performance. Many times they didn't even get their own lines. They did "cue acting", which meant that there was a person backstage that whispered the lines to the person right before he was going to say them. Actors were not considered trustworthy people, and the market for good plays was large.
No women allowed, ewwww girls have cooties! The actors were all men in Shakespeare's day. The parts of women were played by boys who still had light voices.
Birthday Nobody knows Shakespeare’s true birthday. By tradition and guesswork, William is assumed to have been born on April the 23rd, a date now commonly used to celebrate the famous Bard's birthday. He also died on 23 April
Images of him There are only two authentic portraits of William Shakespeare. An engraving of him by Martin Droeshout first published on the title page of the 1623 First Folio, yes you're looking at it right there!
And the monument of the great playwright in Stratford's Holy Trinity Church in Stratford. I've seen the engraving.....it's at the National Portrait Gallery in London. However, it is often traveling and can be found in places like Connecticut!An older woman! William married a much older woman. Anne Hathaway was 26 years old when William married her at age 18. They married at Temple Grafton, a village approximately five miles (8 km) from Stratford. Anne Hathaway was said to be from Shottery.
No BA Shakespeare, one of literature’s greatest figures, never went to university. This doesn't mean you shouldn't go to college though!
His first play? Most academics agree that William wrote his first play, Henry VI, Part One around 1589 to 1590 when he would have been roughly 25 years old. I'm almost 25 and i can't begin to imagine ever writing a play......ever.
Survivor William lived through the Black Death. This epidemic killed over 33,000 in London alone in 1603 when Will was 39.
Shakespeare lost a play The play Cardenio that has been credited to him and which was performed in his life, has been completely lost to time. Today we have no written record of its story whatsoever.
Death
Shakespeare died in 1616 at the age of 52. He wrote on average 1.5 plays a year since he first started in 1589. His last play The Two Noble Kinsmen is thought to have been written in 1613 when he was 49 years old.
Nearly missed out William never published any of his plays. We read his plays today only because his fellow actors, posthumously recorded his work as a dedication to their fellow actor in 1623, publishing 36 of William’s plays.
This collection known as The First Folio is the source from which all published Shakespeare books are derived and is an important proof that he authored his plays.
His Booty Shakespeare left most of his property to Susannah, his first child and not to his wife Anne Hathaway. Instead his loyal wife infamously received his "second-best bed". The Bard's second best bed wasn’t so bad, it was his marriage bed; his best bed was for guests.
Doom and gloom
Suicide occurs an unlucky thirteen times in Shakespeare’s plays.
It occurs in Romeo and Juliet where both Romeo and Juliet commit suicide.In Julius Caesar where both Cassius and Brutus die by consensual stabbing, as well as Brutus’ wife Portia.
In Othello, where Othello stabs himself, in Hamlet where Ophelia is said to have "drowned" in suspicious circumstances, in Macbeth when Lady Macbeth dies, and finally in Antony and Cleopatra where suicide occurs an astounding five times (Mark Antony, Cleopatra, Charmian, Iras and Eros.
Saturday, January 20, 2007
So here we are, all having survived midterms. Congrats! Now it's time to move on to bigger and better things!
Honors: Get ready for some Shakespeare! We will be reading A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Don't worry, it's one of the easier of Shakespeare's plays and it's no tragedy like Romeo and Juliet, it's a comedy.....hahaha! Get ready to laugh be be enchanted by fairies! I'm doing my best to get some plants and lights in the room to create a sort of fairy land, but i'm not sure how successful my efforts will be......anyone have extra lights? Or plants? Or anything to spice up the room? Bring it in! There may be some extra credit in it for ya!
C1 classes: We will begin reading Catcher in the Rye. I know, it's hard to contain your
excitement!
You can see the cover of the first edition <--over there to your left and a photo of our main man, Mr. J.D. Salinger over there on the right -->
Isn't he handsome?
Can you believe this book was on the top of the list of banned books in the 1990s? That wasn't too long ago!
We are SO LUCKY that we are allowed to read it now, aren't we?
C2; I'm working on finding a book for you guys.........I'm thinking that the curious incident of the dog in the night-time would be super duper, but only if you haven't read it. Let me know if you have!
Honors: Get ready for some Shakespeare! We will be reading A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Don't worry, it's one of the easier of Shakespeare's plays and it's no tragedy like Romeo and Juliet, it's a comedy.....hahaha! Get ready to laugh be be enchanted by fairies! I'm doing my best to get some plants and lights in the room to create a sort of fairy land, but i'm not sure how successful my efforts will be......anyone have extra lights? Or plants? Or anything to spice up the room? Bring it in! There may be some extra credit in it for ya!
C1 classes: We will begin reading Catcher in the Rye. I know, it's hard to contain your
excitement!You can see the cover of the first edition <--over there to your left and a photo of our main man, Mr. J.D. Salinger over there on the right -->
Isn't he handsome?
Can you believe this book was on the top of the list of banned books in the 1990s? That wasn't too long ago!
We are SO LUCKY that we are allowed to read it now, aren't we?
C2; I'm working on finding a book for you guys.........I'm thinking that the curious incident of the dog in the night-time would be super duper, but only if you haven't read it. Let me know if you have!
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
VOCABULARY 16
INSIDIOUS~adj~ sneaky, sly, meant to deceive or entrap, treacherous
ENGENDER~v~ to cause or exist or to develop; produce
EXACERBATE~v~ to make worse, to make more violent
GIBE~v~ to mock or ridicule
~n~ an expression of scorn or derision
GARRULOUS~adj~ tiresomely talkative, wordy and rambling
ALACRITY~n~ cheerful willlingness, eagerness
IMPLAUSIBLE~adj~ difficult to believe, provoking disbelief, not plausible
PHLEGMATIC~adj~ having or showing a slow and stolid temperament, having a sluggish temperament, unemotional
CONSECRATE~v~ to decleare or set apart as sacred, dedicated to a sacred purpose
LISTLESS~adj~ lack of interest, energy, or spirit, lethargic
ADDITIONAL 5 FOR HONORS...............
PREVARICATE~v~ to lie, to stray from or evade the truth
EXTOL~v~ to praise highly, exalt, glorify or honor
BEFUDDLE~v~ to confuse, perplex
YEN~n~ strong desire or inclination, a yearning or craving
MUTINOUS~adj~ rebellious, unruly, turbulent, uncontrollable
INSIDIOUS~adj~ sneaky, sly, meant to deceive or entrap, treacherous
ENGENDER~v~ to cause or exist or to develop; produce
EXACERBATE~v~ to make worse, to make more violent
GIBE~v~ to mock or ridicule
~n~ an expression of scorn or derision
GARRULOUS~adj~ tiresomely talkative, wordy and rambling
ALACRITY~n~ cheerful willlingness, eagerness
IMPLAUSIBLE~adj~ difficult to believe, provoking disbelief, not plausible
PHLEGMATIC~adj~ having or showing a slow and stolid temperament, having a sluggish temperament, unemotional
CONSECRATE~v~ to decleare or set apart as sacred, dedicated to a sacred purpose
LISTLESS~adj~ lack of interest, energy, or spirit, lethargic
ADDITIONAL 5 FOR HONORS...............
PREVARICATE~v~ to lie, to stray from or evade the truth
EXTOL~v~ to praise highly, exalt, glorify or honor
BEFUDDLE~v~ to confuse, perplex
YEN~n~ strong desire or inclination, a yearning or craving
MUTINOUS~adj~ rebellious, unruly, turbulent, uncontrollable
Monday, January 15, 2007
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Hey, long time no blog! But here I am. Did you miss me? Probably you're too worked up about mid-terms to be checking for possible Ms. Wallace blogs. Good luck on mid-terms! At least it's a four-day week and half-days every day. . .
Things here have been a little crazy. Hannah had her bone marrow transplant last Friday. Olivia had her surgery to collect the bone marrow - she was REALLY sore for a few days, but she is back to her same old full of beans self now and feeling like QUITE the celebrity. Big sister Emma was SOOOOOOOOO nice to her while she wasn't feeling well. I believe that novelty has worn off and it's back to sibling rivalry like usual. Hannah is really feeling awful. If you've been checking her care page, you know she hasn't been updating (although her dad has been acting as her mouthpiece). She hasn't done ANYTHING since before Friday. All the chemo and drugs and transplant have taken everything out of her. Hopefully, she'll start to feel a bit better in the next week or two.
I've been reading (big surprise). Some good stuff, too. I read one book that was VERY inappropriate - so much so that I can't even tell you its name. . . For some reason, I didn't realize its "content" until I got it home . . . Then I became hugely embarrassed that the checkout girl saw me buy it. Oh, well. I'm far from home. She doesn't know me. And this is a big city. And THEY'RE the ones selling this . . . um. . . dirty stuff.
Then I read a book called Stick Figures by Lori Gottlieb which is a memoir of this 11-year old girl. Well, she's not 11 now. She was 11 in 1977 or 1978. (Me, too.) It was based on her 11-year-old self's diary of anorexia. Pretty intense but good. I am a big sucker for anorexia books - always have been. If I had read that book when I was 11 or 12 or 13, I probably would have tried all of her dieting strategies. Luckily, now I know how dangerous and horrible that is. It's really disturbing how a person's mind can trick them into doing crazy things like eating NOTHING and still feeling fat. Minds are so interesting. . .
Next was Marley and Me by John Grogan. It's the one about the family with a CRAZY yellow lab and their lives together. Even though I'm not really a dog person, I enjoyed this book. The author is not only telling a story of a dog but of the growing up of a family. He has sort of a journalistic style - like someone who writes editorials or magazine articles. (He should; that's his profession.) But the style makes you feel like it's a friend talking to you - very comfortable to read. And I think everyone knows a dog like his (crazy) - We used to have a crazy dog like this. Her name was Dixie. She ate linoleum, a doorjamb (sp?), every expensive pair of shoes I owned, a winter coat (mine), cd cases (and cds), dictionaries, hard-cover books, soft-cover books, board games . . . you get the idea. I could relate. Other people I know apparently sobbed their way through the end of this book. Um . . . not me. Maybe I'm hard-hearted. Maybe they're lily-livered. Maybe it's just not sad. (Magic 3!!!) It was good, though.
Finally, I read Love is a Mix Tape by Rob Sheffield. So good. Every chapter starts off with a cassette tape cover listing all of the songs on a mix tape he or his wife or a friend made. That's cool enough. Then the author (who is a dj, writes for Rolling Stone, etc.) tells his life and the meaning he makes from it with the help of the songs. His wife died after they were only married five years - she was only 30. He's devastated and is telling the story of him, of her, of them through the music they loved or hated. The beginning and the end are sort of sappy, Hallmark love story - a little too much for hard-hearted me. But the middle is compelling and beautiful and makes you think. To me, it's interesting to learn about the life of someone for whom music is so important - it defines his life and different times in his life. I like music, but it's not like that for me. I guess books are like that for me. There was my Sweet Valley High period and my memoir era and my goofy romance epoch and . . .
And I've been watching the series House on DVD. So good. Gory and sarcastic and shocking and I love that Hugh Laurie! I recommend.
Well, perhaps I've rambled enough. And I need to go get the laundry. So see ya later, alligators.
Things here have been a little crazy. Hannah had her bone marrow transplant last Friday. Olivia had her surgery to collect the bone marrow - she was REALLY sore for a few days, but she is back to her same old full of beans self now and feeling like QUITE the celebrity. Big sister Emma was SOOOOOOOOO nice to her while she wasn't feeling well. I believe that novelty has worn off and it's back to sibling rivalry like usual. Hannah is really feeling awful. If you've been checking her care page, you know she hasn't been updating (although her dad has been acting as her mouthpiece). She hasn't done ANYTHING since before Friday. All the chemo and drugs and transplant have taken everything out of her. Hopefully, she'll start to feel a bit better in the next week or two.
I've been reading (big surprise). Some good stuff, too. I read one book that was VERY inappropriate - so much so that I can't even tell you its name. . . For some reason, I didn't realize its "content" until I got it home . . . Then I became hugely embarrassed that the checkout girl saw me buy it. Oh, well. I'm far from home. She doesn't know me. And this is a big city. And THEY'RE the ones selling this . . . um. . . dirty stuff.
Then I read a book called Stick Figures by Lori Gottlieb which is a memoir of this 11-year old girl. Well, she's not 11 now. She was 11 in 1977 or 1978. (Me, too.) It was based on her 11-year-old self's diary of anorexia. Pretty intense but good. I am a big sucker for anorexia books - always have been. If I had read that book when I was 11 or 12 or 13, I probably would have tried all of her dieting strategies. Luckily, now I know how dangerous and horrible that is. It's really disturbing how a person's mind can trick them into doing crazy things like eating NOTHING and still feeling fat. Minds are so interesting. . .
Next was Marley and Me by John Grogan. It's the one about the family with a CRAZY yellow lab and their lives together. Even though I'm not really a dog person, I enjoyed this book. The author is not only telling a story of a dog but of the growing up of a family. He has sort of a journalistic style - like someone who writes editorials or magazine articles. (He should; that's his profession.) But the style makes you feel like it's a friend talking to you - very comfortable to read. And I think everyone knows a dog like his (crazy) - We used to have a crazy dog like this. Her name was Dixie. She ate linoleum, a doorjamb (sp?), every expensive pair of shoes I owned, a winter coat (mine), cd cases (and cds), dictionaries, hard-cover books, soft-cover books, board games . . . you get the idea. I could relate. Other people I know apparently sobbed their way through the end of this book. Um . . . not me. Maybe I'm hard-hearted. Maybe they're lily-livered. Maybe it's just not sad. (Magic 3!!!) It was good, though.
Finally, I read Love is a Mix Tape by Rob Sheffield. So good. Every chapter starts off with a cassette tape cover listing all of the songs on a mix tape he or his wife or a friend made. That's cool enough. Then the author (who is a dj, writes for Rolling Stone, etc.) tells his life and the meaning he makes from it with the help of the songs. His wife died after they were only married five years - she was only 30. He's devastated and is telling the story of him, of her, of them through the music they loved or hated. The beginning and the end are sort of sappy, Hallmark love story - a little too much for hard-hearted me. But the middle is compelling and beautiful and makes you think. To me, it's interesting to learn about the life of someone for whom music is so important - it defines his life and different times in his life. I like music, but it's not like that for me. I guess books are like that for me. There was my Sweet Valley High period and my memoir era and my goofy romance epoch and . . .
And I've been watching the series House on DVD. So good. Gory and sarcastic and shocking and I love that Hugh Laurie! I recommend.
Well, perhaps I've rambled enough. And I need to go get the laundry. So see ya later, alligators.
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
EXAM REVIEW GUIDE- THIS INCLUDES ALL VOCABULARY!!!!
Miss Simison
Midterm Exam Guide
5 January 2007
It’s that time of year again…….MIDTERMS!
Here’s what will be included on yours:
Vocabulary!
Study all of the words, 150 words for C1 and 225 words for honors. I know it sounds like a lot, but there will only be 50 on the exam. This part of the exam shouldn’t take you longer than 45 minutes.
MCAS Practice Prompt!
This might quite possible be the most exciting part of the exam. You will be given 30 minutes to write the prompt. It will ask you to draw knowledge from something you have read. Usually you have to talk about how a character develops, events that happened in the book, or relationships of the main character. Keeping the methods of characterization in the back of your mind is an excellent idea. It may also be a good idea to make a list of books you have read with their authors and who the main character is:
BOOK AUTHOR MAIN CHARACTER
1. The Catcher in the Rye J.D. Salinger Holden Caulfield
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
The best way to format your prompt would be to….
1st Paragraph: Give an opening sentence related to the question you are being asked.
State your thesis (main idea)
State three points to support your thesis
2nd Paragraph: First point
Examples to support point
3rd Paragraph Second point
Examples to support point
4th Paragraph: Third Point
Examples to support point
5th Paragraph: Last one! Restate the question
Restate your thesis
Restate your three supporting ideas
Wrap it up with a killer last sentence!
Smiley Face Tricks!
Be familiar with all eight Smiley Face Tricks…especially figurative language! I may have you write them down for me, or give you a piece of writing and have you identify as many as you can find.
1~ MAGIC 3—Lists, examples, adjectives......three examples in a series can create a rhythm, or add support for a point, they add emphasis and a poetic, musical quality for listeners/readers
2~REPETITION FOR EFFECT—Writers often repeat specially chosen words or phrases to make a point, to stress certain ideas for the reader........repeat a symbol, sentence starter, important word for importance. This is not because you can't think of another work, repetition for effect is always conscious!
3~ SPECIFIC DETAILS FOR EFFECT—Instead of general, vague descriptions, specific sensory details help the reader visualize the person, place, thing, or idea—uh, you know, a SHOW as opposed to tell! Add vivid and specific information to your writing to clarify and create word pictures. thundered instead of noise, Cadillac instead of car.....you get the point.
4~ FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE—Non-literal comparisons such as similes, metaphors, personification, hyperbole, onomatopoeia, symbolism, irony, alliteration, assonance etc —add “spice” to writing and can help paint a more vivid picture for the reader:
~SIMILIES~ compare using like or as...stiff AS a board
~METAPHORS~ compares without using like or as... her face is an open book
~HYERBOLE~ an extreme exaggeration... so hungry i could eat a horse
~ONOMATOPOEIA~ a word that sounds like what it means... BAM! BOOM! ZAP! CRUNCH!
~ALLITERATION~ repetition of beginning consonant sound...peter piper picked a peck of pickled peppers...gives noise and music to the piece of writing
~ASSONANCE~ related to alliteration, the dark side of it, repetition of vowel sound in neighboring words...rain in Spain....but it doesn't have to rhyme...hEat of the mEan girls' argument is a near rhyme
5~ FULL-CIRCLE ENDING - When you include an image at the beginning of a piece of writing and then mentioning it again at the end, it gives your piece a sense of closure.
6~ HYPHENATED MODIFIERS— When you connect two adjectives or adverbs together with a hyphen to describe a noun, it lends an air of originality and sophistication to your writing. Sometimes a new way of saying something can make all the difference; hyphenated modifiers, or single-thought adjectives, often cause the reader to “sit up and take notice.” They add originality and more flavor to writing and allow you to invent words:
7~ EXPANDED MOMENT—Instead of “speeding” past a moment, writers often emphasize it by “expanding” the actions, developing it fully to make your reader take notice. Taking a moment you would ordinarily speed past and stretch it out intentionally. This makes writing BETTER, not longer!
8~ HUMOR—Professional writers know the value of laughter; even subtle humor can help turn a “boring” paper into one that can raise someone’s spirits. Whenever possible and appropriate, inject a little humor to keep your reader awake. Remind the reader that reading is fun!
Methods of Characterization!
~ How a writer develops his or her character
STARRD!
1. Speech
What a character says and how they say it...very important.
2. Thoughts
What's going on inside a character's head? A lot probably!
3. Actions
What a character does can teach a reader, and other characters, a lot about them.
4. Reactions
How other characters respond to events.
5. Relationships The saying goes.........you can tell a lot about a person by who their friends are! Relationships reveal LOADS about a character!
6. Direct Description This is where the writer comes right out and tells you about the character!
GRAMMAR!
There will be a paragraph edit on the exam.
HONORS CLASSES:
THERE WILL BE A PORTION OF THE EXAM RELATED TO CATCHER IN THE RYE COMPRISED OF BOTH QUESTIONS TEXT-RELATED AND QUESTIONS OPINION-RELATED. BRING YOUR BOOKS!
C1 CLASSES:
THERE WILL BE A PORTION OF THE EXAM RELATED TO PATTERNS OF ORGANIZATION
PATTERNS OF ORGANIZATION!
There are several ways to organize your writing. Not every pattern will work for every writer or for every piece of writing. It is important to organize the writing in an order that is interesting, but more importantly it must be logical. In other words, it has to make sense to the reader. Everything must fit together, much like the pieces of a puzzle.
Chronological Order
Chronological order is the order in which the events occurred, from first to last. This is the easiest pattern to write and to follow.
Cause and Effect Order
In this type of order, the cause (or reason) is usually discussed first. This then leads to a discussion of the effect (or result.)
Problem to Solution Order
In this type of order, the problem is presented first. Details about the problem, including its cause, follows. Next, a suggested solution will be discussed, including details that support the solution.
Spatial Order
Takes the reader from one spot the next, as if the reader were looking at something. It is very descriptive.
Climactic Order
Takes the reader from the least important idea to the most important idea. The ideas build in importance, holding the reader's attention. The best is saved for the last.
Reverse Climactic Order
The most important idea is stated first and the least important idea is stated last. This method is used most often in newspaper articles. This way if the reader does not finish the article he/she will still know the most important details. This method grabs the reader's attention in the beginning, but it does not work very will in holding the reader's attention clear to the end.
Process Order
A sequence of actions is described. It instructs the reader on how to do something. It is basically a set of directions. Owner's manuals and cookbooks are organized in this pattern.
Classification Order
The main idea is broken down into smaller areas or classifications. Each classification is then discussed.
Comparison/Contrast Order point by point/ block
This type of order is again based on comparison (the similarities) and contrast (the differences.) Instead of being divided into parts, however, both sides of each point are discussed together.
EXAM SHEDULE IS AS FOLLOWS:
16 January: A and B Periods
17 January: C and D Periods
18 January: E and F Periods
19 January: G and H Periods
GOOD LUCK!
VOCABULARY 15
INVETERATE-ADJ- long standing; habitual
MULTIFARIOUS-ADJ- having great variety; numerous and diverse
RENEGADE-N- an outlaw, a traitor, a deserter
RUMINATE-V- to meditate, to think at length
CARPING-ADJ- complaining
CLAIRVOYANT-N, ADJ- having exceptional insight; a person with exceptional insight (a psychic)
PANOPLY-N- 1. A splendid array 2. warrior's armor
LOLL-V- to lounge, to act in a lazy manner
COMPUNCTION-N- remorse, regret
DISPARAGE-V- to discredit, to belittle
ADIITIONAL 5 FOR HONORS CLASSES:
COMELY-ADJ- attractive and agreeable
ASKEW-ADJ- crooked, slanted
PRESAGE-V- foretell
UNCOUTH-ADJ- outlandish and rude
GOSSAMER-ADJ- sheer, like cobwebs
VOCABULARY 14
RECLUSE-n- a person who lives alone and away from others
FARRAGO -n- a careless or confused mixture, a hodge-podge
VERNACULAR -n- standard, everyday language; common, idiomatic
UNGUENT -n- ointment; salve for wounds
SUCCINT -adj- concise, clearly said in a few words
TACITURN-adj- habitually untalkative, uncommunicative
TOUT-v- to promote or praise energetically
UNIMPEACHABLE-adj- beyond doubt, beyond reproach
VIABLE-adj- able to live or exist
WANTON-adj- immoral; deliberately cruel and malicious
additional 5 for honors classes:
PRATTLE -v- babble, chatter
METTLE -n- courage, spirit
GREGARIOUS -adj- sociable
ENMITY -n- ill-will, hatred
VEXATIOUS -adj- full of annoyance or distress; harassed, intended to vex or annoy
THE EXTRA CREDIT WORDS!!!!
VERMICULATE-V- TO DECORATE WITH WAVY OR WINDING LINES or ADJ- WORM-LIKE, TWISTING, INFECTED WITH WORMS (EWWW!)
MISPRIZE-V- TO DESPISE; TO UNDERVALUE
HEMIALGIA-N- PAIN AFFECTING ONE HALF OF THE BODY
HELMINTHOLOGY-N- THE STUDY OF WORMS (EWWW AGAIN!)
VOCABULARY 13
BELLICOSE-adj- war-like, quarrelsome
ABJURE-v- to renounce; to avoid or shun
INGRATIATE-v- to get on someone's good side, to make oneself acceptable
JUDICIOUS-adj- wise, careful, showing good judgement
LEVITY-n- lightness, lack of seriousness
CORROSIVE-adj- acidlike, eating away gradually; bitterly sarcastic
PARIAH-n- an outcast
STENTORIAN-adj- extremely loud
OBVIATE-v- to anticipate and prevent
RETROGRESS-v- to move backward, to return to an earlier condition
additional words for honors.........
BROWBEAT-v- to bully, to intimidate
BRAZEN-adj- insolent, rude
JUBILATION-n- rejoicing, celebration
REPREHENSIBLE-adj- deserving blame
WAGGISH-adj- mischievous
EXTRA CREDIT:
RACONTEUR
SPASMODIC
PRATFALL
VOCABULARY 12
CIRCUMSPECT-ADJ- careful, cautious
HISTRIONIC-ADJ- over-acting, melodramatic, theatrical
DEBILITATE-V- to weaken, to sap the strength of
GESTICULATE-V- to make gestures, especially when speaking
DISMANTLE-V- to take apart
BUCOLIC-ADJ- pastoral, rural, rustic
ENERVATE-V- to weaken or destroy the strength of
EVANESCENT-ADJ- fleeting, gradually disappearing
DIDACTIC-ADJ- instructive, meant to teach
GARNER-V- to collect
and all you honors students can add on the following:
SQUANDER-V- to waster, to use extravagantly
PANDEMIC-ADJ- epidemic over a large region
GRUELING-ADJ- exhausting, difficult
BELLIGERENT-ADJ- war-like, ready to fight
LURID-ADJ- shocking and sensational; glowing through flames
x-tra credit: this differs from class to class depending on which words we assigned
PYE-DOG (MAY ALSO BE SPELLED PI-DOG)
PURULENCE
LIGER
DOGGO
BELLESLETTRES
VOCABULARY 11
ingenuous-adj- innocent; sincere
altruistic-adj- selfless
arduous-adj- difficult, hard
venal-adj- open to bribery or corruption
capricious-adj- changeable, whimsical
sycophant-n- flatterer, suck-up
vacuous-adj- stupid or inane, devoid of meaning
ungainly-adj- awkward, clumsy
quell-v- to suppress or quiet by force
strident-adj- loud, harsh, doscordant, grating
additional words for honors:
cherubic-adj- angelic, innocent
meddlesome-adj- interfering
reprisal-n- retaliation
ebullient-adj- enthusiastic
dogged-adj- stubborn and perservering
VOCABULARY 10~ this is the week where honors and c1 had separate lists
HONORS:
QUISLING-n-a traitor, someone who betrays his/her country to help an invading enemy
PAINSTAKING-adj-very carefule, attentive
NEFARIOUS-adj-wicked, evil
PRECLUDE-v-to prevent
PROVINCIAL-adj-unsophisticated, countrified
RECCALCITRANT-adj-unmanageable, refusing to follow rules
SYBARITE-n-a person devoted to luxury and pleasure, a hedonist
JUXTAPOSE-v-to place side by side to compare or contrast
FECUND-adj-fertile, productive
GAMESOME-adj-merry, frolicsome
DOLT-n-idiot, stupid person
AGAPE-adj-open-mouthed
IMPECCABLE-adj-perfect, flawless
RESPLENDENT-adj- brilliant, lustrous
PERORATE-v- to lecture or give a sermon
C1:
MOROSE-adj-gloomy and bad tempered
PAINSTAKING-adj-very careful, attentive
NEFARIOUS-adj-wicked, evil
PRECLUDE-v-to prevent
PROVINCIAL-adj-unsophisticated, countrified
RECALCITRANT-adj-unmanageable, refusing to follow rules
RESCIND-v-to take back, cancel, appeal
JUXTAPOSE-v-to place side by side to compare or contrast
FECUND-adj-fertile, productive
SUBSTANTIATE-v-to support with proof or verify
VOCABULARY 9
duplicity-n- deceitfulness
emulate-v- to try to equal or surpass
euphemism-n- a nice way of saying something that is harsh
fastidious-adj- hard to please, particular
garbled-adj- confused mixture
hierarchy-n- organization by rank or class
impassive-adj- without feeling or emotion
indigent-adj- poverty stricken
jargon-n- specialized vocabulary of members of a group
lethargic-adj- drowsy, dull sluggish
ADDITIONAL FIVE FOR HONORS:
panache-n- flair, flamboyance
inept-adj- incompetent
disconsolate-adj- sad
somnolent-adj- half-asleep
nepotism-n- favoritism to a relative
EXTRA CREDIT-
scofflaw-n- one who flouts laws....traffic, liquor, etc
perspicuous-adj- easily understood
perspicacious-adj- having good judgement, discerning
operculum-n- body process or part that suggests a lid, the covering of the gills of a fish
interstice-n- crack, crevice
VOCABULARY 8
adulterate - v - to corrupt, contaminate, or pollute
aloof - adj. - standoffish, indifferent, not interested
apochryphal - adj. - false, counterfeit
belittle - v - to make something seem unimportant, to trivialize
capitulate - v - to surrender, to give in
If we don't capitulate to the criminal's demands, she may kill the hostages.
crestfallen - adj. - discouraged, disappointed
conciliatory - adj. - meant to soothe or reconcile
dearth - n - shortage
desecrate - v - to treat with disrespect
diffident - adj. - shy; modest, unassertive
HONORS ONLY:
spectral - adj. - ghostly
mendacious - adj. - lying, false
guffaw - n - boisterous laughter
bilk - v - to swindle or cheat
pusillanimous - adj. - cowardly, faint-hearted
VOCABULARY 7
quintessence - n - the purest form, the most typical example
tentative - adj. - not definite; hesitant
repugnant - adj. - disgusting, loathsome (um . . . MAYONNAISE!)
venerate - v - to honor, to treat with great respect (what you should do to your
English teacher)
sophomoric - adj. - immature; over-confident
stultifying - adj. - causing to appear stupid, rendering useless
stark - adj. - harsh, desolate, grim, bleak
rebuff - v - to reject, to snub
voracious - adj. - ravenous, greedy
quiescent - adj. - dormant, inactive, at rest
Honors only:
xenophobia - n - fear of foreigners, fear of strangers
besmirch - v - to tarnish or soil
imprudent - adj. - not careful
penurious - adj. - stingy, parsimonious
perfunctory - adj. - superficial, not thorough, half-hearted
Extra credit:
nictitate - v
emotophobia - n
scuttlebutt - n
coulrophobia - n
oenophile – n
VOCABULARY 6
heretic - n - someone who goes against a church
laudable - adj. - praiseworthy
propensity - n - tendency, inclination
indefatigable - adj. - tireless
impartial - adj - unbiased, fair
pragmatic - adj - practical
peruse - v - to study, to look over carefully
overt - adj. - obvious
mitigate - v - to make less intense, to relieve
irrelevant - adj - not related, not important
Honors only:
dawdle - v - to linger, to go slowly
doddering - adj - shaky
glutinous - adj. - sticky
malediction - n - a curse
pundit - n - a learned person
Extra Credit:
joypop - v
poshlust - n
upsilamba – n
VOCABULARY 5
chimerical - adj. - absurd, wildly fanciful, imaginative
cogent - adj. - strong and convincing
cursory - adj. - quickly and without attention to detail
derogatory - adj. - negative and degrading
discerning - adj. - perceptive, shrewd, observant
dormant - adj. - asleep, at rest
embroil - v - to involve or engage (in a quarrel)
deft - adj. - skillful, adept, nimble
fallacy - n - false idea, mistaken belief
galvanize - v - to stimulate, stir up, or get started
Honors only:
extirpate - v - to destroy completely; to tear up by the roots
craven - adj. - cowardly
impecunious - adj. - without money
restive - adj. - unmanageable
turbid - adj. - muddy
Extra credit:
solidus - n
crepuscular - adj.
cysticercoid - n
counterpane - n
popple - n, v
VOCABULARY 4
aversion - n - strong dislike
unequivocal - adj. - very clear, obvious
alleviate - v - to relieve, to make easier
voluminous - adj. - large; enough to fill volumes
callous - adj. - unfeeling, insensitive
tenets - n - principles, beliefs, or truths held by a group
abstinence - n - the giving up of certain pleasures like food, drink, sex, etc.
antithesis - n - direct opposite
validate - v - to verify or substantiate
surreptitiously - adv. - sneakily, slyly
Five more for Honors:
fracas - n - brawl, melee
munificent - adj. - very generous
complacent - adj. - self-satisfied
veracious - adj. - truthful
mendicant - n - beggar
Extra Credit:
hemidemisemiquaver - n
plug-ugly - n
fustigate - v
terpsichorean - adj.
bowyer – n
VOCABULARY 3
meticulous-adj- careful about details, fussy
opulent-adj- wealthy; luxuriant
peripheral-adj- external; tangential (not central)
ponderous-adj- heavy; dull or tiresome
prolific-adj- producing a lot; having many children
raze-v- to destroy or tear down
repudiate-v- to reject, to refuse or acknowledge
salutary-adj- healthful, useful
serene-adj- peaceful
stringent-adj- strict or severe
ADDITIONAL 5 FOR HONORS:
coddle-v- to treat indulgently
spendthrift-n- one who wastes money
hoodwinked-v- deceived or cheated
tatterdemalion-n- a raggedy person
gingerly-adv- carefully
EXTRA CREDIT:
elephant folio-n-
anaphora-n-
sphygmomanometer-n-
unciform-adj-
VOCABULARY 2
dogmatic - adj. - certain that opinions and beliefs are true; arrogant
embellish - v - to decorate; to add to
esoteric - adj. - understood by only a select few
facilitate - v - to make easier
furtive - adj. - sneaky, secretive
hedonist - n - one who lives for pleasure
immutable - adj. - never changing
incorrigible - adj. - unable to be reformed
irrefutable - adj. - cannot be disproved
latent - adj. - present but invisible
Additional words for honors:
amorphous - adj. - shapeless
benison - n - blessing
celerity - n - speed
doldrums - n - blues, sadness
extemporaneous - adj. - unplanned, impromptu
Miss Simison
Midterm Exam Guide
5 January 2007
It’s that time of year again…….MIDTERMS!
Here’s what will be included on yours:
Vocabulary!
Study all of the words, 150 words for C1 and 225 words for honors. I know it sounds like a lot, but there will only be 50 on the exam. This part of the exam shouldn’t take you longer than 45 minutes.
MCAS Practice Prompt!
This might quite possible be the most exciting part of the exam. You will be given 30 minutes to write the prompt. It will ask you to draw knowledge from something you have read. Usually you have to talk about how a character develops, events that happened in the book, or relationships of the main character. Keeping the methods of characterization in the back of your mind is an excellent idea. It may also be a good idea to make a list of books you have read with their authors and who the main character is:
BOOK AUTHOR MAIN CHARACTER
1. The Catcher in the Rye J.D. Salinger Holden Caulfield
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
The best way to format your prompt would be to….
1st Paragraph: Give an opening sentence related to the question you are being asked.
State your thesis (main idea)
State three points to support your thesis
2nd Paragraph: First point
Examples to support point
3rd Paragraph Second point
Examples to support point
4th Paragraph: Third Point
Examples to support point
5th Paragraph: Last one! Restate the question
Restate your thesis
Restate your three supporting ideas
Wrap it up with a killer last sentence!
Smiley Face Tricks!
Be familiar with all eight Smiley Face Tricks…especially figurative language! I may have you write them down for me, or give you a piece of writing and have you identify as many as you can find.
1~ MAGIC 3—Lists, examples, adjectives......three examples in a series can create a rhythm, or add support for a point, they add emphasis and a poetic, musical quality for listeners/readers
2~REPETITION FOR EFFECT—Writers often repeat specially chosen words or phrases to make a point, to stress certain ideas for the reader........repeat a symbol, sentence starter, important word for importance. This is not because you can't think of another work, repetition for effect is always conscious!
3~ SPECIFIC DETAILS FOR EFFECT—Instead of general, vague descriptions, specific sensory details help the reader visualize the person, place, thing, or idea—uh, you know, a SHOW as opposed to tell! Add vivid and specific information to your writing to clarify and create word pictures. thundered instead of noise, Cadillac instead of car.....you get the point.
4~ FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE—Non-literal comparisons such as similes, metaphors, personification, hyperbole, onomatopoeia, symbolism, irony, alliteration, assonance etc —add “spice” to writing and can help paint a more vivid picture for the reader:
~SIMILIES~ compare using like or as...stiff AS a board
~METAPHORS~ compares without using like or as... her face is an open book
~HYERBOLE~ an extreme exaggeration... so hungry i could eat a horse
~ONOMATOPOEIA~ a word that sounds like what it means... BAM! BOOM! ZAP! CRUNCH!
~ALLITERATION~ repetition of beginning consonant sound...peter piper picked a peck of pickled peppers...gives noise and music to the piece of writing
~ASSONANCE~ related to alliteration, the dark side of it, repetition of vowel sound in neighboring words...rain in Spain....but it doesn't have to rhyme...hEat of the mEan girls' argument is a near rhyme
5~ FULL-CIRCLE ENDING - When you include an image at the beginning of a piece of writing and then mentioning it again at the end, it gives your piece a sense of closure.
6~ HYPHENATED MODIFIERS— When you connect two adjectives or adverbs together with a hyphen to describe a noun, it lends an air of originality and sophistication to your writing. Sometimes a new way of saying something can make all the difference; hyphenated modifiers, or single-thought adjectives, often cause the reader to “sit up and take notice.” They add originality and more flavor to writing and allow you to invent words:
7~ EXPANDED MOMENT—Instead of “speeding” past a moment, writers often emphasize it by “expanding” the actions, developing it fully to make your reader take notice. Taking a moment you would ordinarily speed past and stretch it out intentionally. This makes writing BETTER, not longer!
8~ HUMOR—Professional writers know the value of laughter; even subtle humor can help turn a “boring” paper into one that can raise someone’s spirits. Whenever possible and appropriate, inject a little humor to keep your reader awake. Remind the reader that reading is fun!
Methods of Characterization!
~ How a writer develops his or her character
STARRD!
1. Speech
What a character says and how they say it...very important.
2. Thoughts
What's going on inside a character's head? A lot probably!
3. Actions
What a character does can teach a reader, and other characters, a lot about them.
4. Reactions
How other characters respond to events.
5. Relationships The saying goes.........you can tell a lot about a person by who their friends are! Relationships reveal LOADS about a character!
6. Direct Description This is where the writer comes right out and tells you about the character!
GRAMMAR!
There will be a paragraph edit on the exam.
HONORS CLASSES:
THERE WILL BE A PORTION OF THE EXAM RELATED TO CATCHER IN THE RYE COMPRISED OF BOTH QUESTIONS TEXT-RELATED AND QUESTIONS OPINION-RELATED. BRING YOUR BOOKS!
C1 CLASSES:
THERE WILL BE A PORTION OF THE EXAM RELATED TO PATTERNS OF ORGANIZATION
PATTERNS OF ORGANIZATION!
There are several ways to organize your writing. Not every pattern will work for every writer or for every piece of writing. It is important to organize the writing in an order that is interesting, but more importantly it must be logical. In other words, it has to make sense to the reader. Everything must fit together, much like the pieces of a puzzle.
Chronological Order
Chronological order is the order in which the events occurred, from first to last. This is the easiest pattern to write and to follow.
Cause and Effect Order
In this type of order, the cause (or reason) is usually discussed first. This then leads to a discussion of the effect (or result.)
Problem to Solution Order
In this type of order, the problem is presented first. Details about the problem, including its cause, follows. Next, a suggested solution will be discussed, including details that support the solution.
Spatial Order
Takes the reader from one spot the next, as if the reader were looking at something. It is very descriptive.
Climactic Order
Takes the reader from the least important idea to the most important idea. The ideas build in importance, holding the reader's attention. The best is saved for the last.
Reverse Climactic Order
The most important idea is stated first and the least important idea is stated last. This method is used most often in newspaper articles. This way if the reader does not finish the article he/she will still know the most important details. This method grabs the reader's attention in the beginning, but it does not work very will in holding the reader's attention clear to the end.
Process Order
A sequence of actions is described. It instructs the reader on how to do something. It is basically a set of directions. Owner's manuals and cookbooks are organized in this pattern.
Classification Order
The main idea is broken down into smaller areas or classifications. Each classification is then discussed.
Comparison/Contrast Order point by point/ block
This type of order is again based on comparison (the similarities) and contrast (the differences.) Instead of being divided into parts, however, both sides of each point are discussed together.
EXAM SHEDULE IS AS FOLLOWS:
16 January: A and B Periods
17 January: C and D Periods
18 January: E and F Periods
19 January: G and H Periods
GOOD LUCK!
VOCABULARY 15
INVETERATE-ADJ- long standing; habitual
MULTIFARIOUS-ADJ- having great variety; numerous and diverse
RENEGADE-N- an outlaw, a traitor, a deserter
RUMINATE-V- to meditate, to think at length
CARPING-ADJ- complaining
CLAIRVOYANT-N, ADJ- having exceptional insight; a person with exceptional insight (a psychic)
PANOPLY-N- 1. A splendid array 2. warrior's armor
LOLL-V- to lounge, to act in a lazy manner
COMPUNCTION-N- remorse, regret
DISPARAGE-V- to discredit, to belittle
ADIITIONAL 5 FOR HONORS CLASSES:
COMELY-ADJ- attractive and agreeable
ASKEW-ADJ- crooked, slanted
PRESAGE-V- foretell
UNCOUTH-ADJ- outlandish and rude
GOSSAMER-ADJ- sheer, like cobwebs
VOCABULARY 14
RECLUSE-n- a person who lives alone and away from others
FARRAGO -n- a careless or confused mixture, a hodge-podge
VERNACULAR -n- standard, everyday language; common, idiomatic
UNGUENT -n- ointment; salve for wounds
SUCCINT -adj- concise, clearly said in a few words
TACITURN-adj- habitually untalkative, uncommunicative
TOUT-v- to promote or praise energetically
UNIMPEACHABLE-adj- beyond doubt, beyond reproach
VIABLE-adj- able to live or exist
WANTON-adj- immoral; deliberately cruel and malicious
additional 5 for honors classes:
PRATTLE -v- babble, chatter
METTLE -n- courage, spirit
GREGARIOUS -adj- sociable
ENMITY -n- ill-will, hatred
VEXATIOUS -adj- full of annoyance or distress; harassed, intended to vex or annoy
THE EXTRA CREDIT WORDS!!!!
VERMICULATE-V- TO DECORATE WITH WAVY OR WINDING LINES or ADJ- WORM-LIKE, TWISTING, INFECTED WITH WORMS (EWWW!)
MISPRIZE-V- TO DESPISE; TO UNDERVALUE
HEMIALGIA-N- PAIN AFFECTING ONE HALF OF THE BODY
HELMINTHOLOGY-N- THE STUDY OF WORMS (EWWW AGAIN!)
VOCABULARY 13
BELLICOSE-adj- war-like, quarrelsome
ABJURE-v- to renounce; to avoid or shun
INGRATIATE-v- to get on someone's good side, to make oneself acceptable
JUDICIOUS-adj- wise, careful, showing good judgement
LEVITY-n- lightness, lack of seriousness
CORROSIVE-adj- acidlike, eating away gradually; bitterly sarcastic
PARIAH-n- an outcast
STENTORIAN-adj- extremely loud
OBVIATE-v- to anticipate and prevent
RETROGRESS-v- to move backward, to return to an earlier condition
additional words for honors.........
BROWBEAT-v- to bully, to intimidate
BRAZEN-adj- insolent, rude
JUBILATION-n- rejoicing, celebration
REPREHENSIBLE-adj- deserving blame
WAGGISH-adj- mischievous
EXTRA CREDIT:
RACONTEUR
SPASMODIC
PRATFALL
VOCABULARY 12
CIRCUMSPECT-ADJ- careful, cautious
HISTRIONIC-ADJ- over-acting, melodramatic, theatrical
DEBILITATE-V- to weaken, to sap the strength of
GESTICULATE-V- to make gestures, especially when speaking
DISMANTLE-V- to take apart
BUCOLIC-ADJ- pastoral, rural, rustic
ENERVATE-V- to weaken or destroy the strength of
EVANESCENT-ADJ- fleeting, gradually disappearing
DIDACTIC-ADJ- instructive, meant to teach
GARNER-V- to collect
and all you honors students can add on the following:
SQUANDER-V- to waster, to use extravagantly
PANDEMIC-ADJ- epidemic over a large region
GRUELING-ADJ- exhausting, difficult
BELLIGERENT-ADJ- war-like, ready to fight
LURID-ADJ- shocking and sensational; glowing through flames
x-tra credit: this differs from class to class depending on which words we assigned
PYE-DOG (MAY ALSO BE SPELLED PI-DOG)
PURULENCE
LIGER
DOGGO
BELLESLETTRES
VOCABULARY 11
ingenuous-adj- innocent; sincere
altruistic-adj- selfless
arduous-adj- difficult, hard
venal-adj- open to bribery or corruption
capricious-adj- changeable, whimsical
sycophant-n- flatterer, suck-up
vacuous-adj- stupid or inane, devoid of meaning
ungainly-adj- awkward, clumsy
quell-v- to suppress or quiet by force
strident-adj- loud, harsh, doscordant, grating
additional words for honors:
cherubic-adj- angelic, innocent
meddlesome-adj- interfering
reprisal-n- retaliation
ebullient-adj- enthusiastic
dogged-adj- stubborn and perservering
VOCABULARY 10~ this is the week where honors and c1 had separate lists
HONORS:
QUISLING-n-a traitor, someone who betrays his/her country to help an invading enemy
PAINSTAKING-adj-very carefule, attentive
NEFARIOUS-adj-wicked, evil
PRECLUDE-v-to prevent
PROVINCIAL-adj-unsophisticated, countrified
RECCALCITRANT-adj-unmanageable, refusing to follow rules
SYBARITE-n-a person devoted to luxury and pleasure, a hedonist
JUXTAPOSE-v-to place side by side to compare or contrast
FECUND-adj-fertile, productive
GAMESOME-adj-merry, frolicsome
DOLT-n-idiot, stupid person
AGAPE-adj-open-mouthed
IMPECCABLE-adj-perfect, flawless
RESPLENDENT-adj- brilliant, lustrous
PERORATE-v- to lecture or give a sermon
C1:
MOROSE-adj-gloomy and bad tempered
PAINSTAKING-adj-very careful, attentive
NEFARIOUS-adj-wicked, evil
PRECLUDE-v-to prevent
PROVINCIAL-adj-unsophisticated, countrified
RECALCITRANT-adj-unmanageable, refusing to follow rules
RESCIND-v-to take back, cancel, appeal
JUXTAPOSE-v-to place side by side to compare or contrast
FECUND-adj-fertile, productive
SUBSTANTIATE-v-to support with proof or verify
VOCABULARY 9
duplicity-n- deceitfulness
emulate-v- to try to equal or surpass
euphemism-n- a nice way of saying something that is harsh
fastidious-adj- hard to please, particular
garbled-adj- confused mixture
hierarchy-n- organization by rank or class
impassive-adj- without feeling or emotion
indigent-adj- poverty stricken
jargon-n- specialized vocabulary of members of a group
lethargic-adj- drowsy, dull sluggish
ADDITIONAL FIVE FOR HONORS:
panache-n- flair, flamboyance
inept-adj- incompetent
disconsolate-adj- sad
somnolent-adj- half-asleep
nepotism-n- favoritism to a relative
EXTRA CREDIT-
scofflaw-n- one who flouts laws....traffic, liquor, etc
perspicuous-adj- easily understood
perspicacious-adj- having good judgement, discerning
operculum-n- body process or part that suggests a lid, the covering of the gills of a fish
interstice-n- crack, crevice
VOCABULARY 8
adulterate - v - to corrupt, contaminate, or pollute
aloof - adj. - standoffish, indifferent, not interested
apochryphal - adj. - false, counterfeit
belittle - v - to make something seem unimportant, to trivialize
capitulate - v - to surrender, to give in
If we don't capitulate to the criminal's demands, she may kill the hostages.
crestfallen - adj. - discouraged, disappointed
conciliatory - adj. - meant to soothe or reconcile
dearth - n - shortage
desecrate - v - to treat with disrespect
diffident - adj. - shy; modest, unassertive
HONORS ONLY:
spectral - adj. - ghostly
mendacious - adj. - lying, false
guffaw - n - boisterous laughter
bilk - v - to swindle or cheat
pusillanimous - adj. - cowardly, faint-hearted
VOCABULARY 7
quintessence - n - the purest form, the most typical example
tentative - adj. - not definite; hesitant
repugnant - adj. - disgusting, loathsome (um . . . MAYONNAISE!)
venerate - v - to honor, to treat with great respect (what you should do to your
English teacher)
sophomoric - adj. - immature; over-confident
stultifying - adj. - causing to appear stupid, rendering useless
stark - adj. - harsh, desolate, grim, bleak
rebuff - v - to reject, to snub
voracious - adj. - ravenous, greedy
quiescent - adj. - dormant, inactive, at rest
Honors only:
xenophobia - n - fear of foreigners, fear of strangers
besmirch - v - to tarnish or soil
imprudent - adj. - not careful
penurious - adj. - stingy, parsimonious
perfunctory - adj. - superficial, not thorough, half-hearted
Extra credit:
nictitate - v
emotophobia - n
scuttlebutt - n
coulrophobia - n
oenophile – n
VOCABULARY 6
heretic - n - someone who goes against a church
laudable - adj. - praiseworthy
propensity - n - tendency, inclination
indefatigable - adj. - tireless
impartial - adj - unbiased, fair
pragmatic - adj - practical
peruse - v - to study, to look over carefully
overt - adj. - obvious
mitigate - v - to make less intense, to relieve
irrelevant - adj - not related, not important
Honors only:
dawdle - v - to linger, to go slowly
doddering - adj - shaky
glutinous - adj. - sticky
malediction - n - a curse
pundit - n - a learned person
Extra Credit:
joypop - v
poshlust - n
upsilamba – n
VOCABULARY 5
chimerical - adj. - absurd, wildly fanciful, imaginative
cogent - adj. - strong and convincing
cursory - adj. - quickly and without attention to detail
derogatory - adj. - negative and degrading
discerning - adj. - perceptive, shrewd, observant
dormant - adj. - asleep, at rest
embroil - v - to involve or engage (in a quarrel)
deft - adj. - skillful, adept, nimble
fallacy - n - false idea, mistaken belief
galvanize - v - to stimulate, stir up, or get started
Honors only:
extirpate - v - to destroy completely; to tear up by the roots
craven - adj. - cowardly
impecunious - adj. - without money
restive - adj. - unmanageable
turbid - adj. - muddy
Extra credit:
solidus - n
crepuscular - adj.
cysticercoid - n
counterpane - n
popple - n, v
VOCABULARY 4
aversion - n - strong dislike
unequivocal - adj. - very clear, obvious
alleviate - v - to relieve, to make easier
voluminous - adj. - large; enough to fill volumes
callous - adj. - unfeeling, insensitive
tenets - n - principles, beliefs, or truths held by a group
abstinence - n - the giving up of certain pleasures like food, drink, sex, etc.
antithesis - n - direct opposite
validate - v - to verify or substantiate
surreptitiously - adv. - sneakily, slyly
Five more for Honors:
fracas - n - brawl, melee
munificent - adj. - very generous
complacent - adj. - self-satisfied
veracious - adj. - truthful
mendicant - n - beggar
Extra Credit:
hemidemisemiquaver - n
plug-ugly - n
fustigate - v
terpsichorean - adj.
bowyer – n
VOCABULARY 3
meticulous-adj- careful about details, fussy
opulent-adj- wealthy; luxuriant
peripheral-adj- external; tangential (not central)
ponderous-adj- heavy; dull or tiresome
prolific-adj- producing a lot; having many children
raze-v- to destroy or tear down
repudiate-v- to reject, to refuse or acknowledge
salutary-adj- healthful, useful
serene-adj- peaceful
stringent-adj- strict or severe
ADDITIONAL 5 FOR HONORS:
coddle-v- to treat indulgently
spendthrift-n- one who wastes money
hoodwinked-v- deceived or cheated
tatterdemalion-n- a raggedy person
gingerly-adv- carefully
EXTRA CREDIT:
elephant folio-n-
anaphora-n-
sphygmomanometer-n-
unciform-adj-
VOCABULARY 2
dogmatic - adj. - certain that opinions and beliefs are true; arrogant
embellish - v - to decorate; to add to
esoteric - adj. - understood by only a select few
facilitate - v - to make easier
furtive - adj. - sneaky, secretive
hedonist - n - one who lives for pleasure
immutable - adj. - never changing
incorrigible - adj. - unable to be reformed
irrefutable - adj. - cannot be disproved
latent - adj. - present but invisible
Additional words for honors:
amorphous - adj. - shapeless
benison - n - blessing
celerity - n - speed
doldrums - n - blues, sadness
extemporaneous - adj. - unplanned, impromptu
VOCABULARY 15
INVETERATE-ADJ- long standing; habitual
MULTIFARIOUS-ADJ- having great variety; numerous and diverse
RENEGADE-N- an outlaw, a traitor, a deserter
RUMINATE-V- to meditate, to think at length
CARPING-ADJ- complaining
CLAIRVOYANT-N, ADJ- having exceptional insight; a person with exceptional insight (a psychic)
PANOPLY-N- 1. A splendid array 2. warrior's armor
LOLL-V- to lounge, to act in a lazy manner
COMPUNCTION-N- remorse, regret
DISPARAGE-V- to discredit, to belittle
ADIITIONAL 5 FOR HONORS CLASSES:
COMELY-ADJ- attractive and agreeable
ASKEW-ADJ- crooked, slanted
PRESAGE-V- foretell
UNCOUTH-ADJ- outlandish and rude
GOSSAMER-ADJ- sheer, like cobwebs
Extra Credit:
quadrumanous-adj
ufology-n- the study of yep, you guessed it, UFOs!
pantoffle-n-
comstockery-n-
INVETERATE-ADJ- long standing; habitual
MULTIFARIOUS-ADJ- having great variety; numerous and diverse
RENEGADE-N- an outlaw, a traitor, a deserter
RUMINATE-V- to meditate, to think at length
CARPING-ADJ- complaining
CLAIRVOYANT-N, ADJ- having exceptional insight; a person with exceptional insight (a psychic)
PANOPLY-N- 1. A splendid array 2. warrior's armor
LOLL-V- to lounge, to act in a lazy manner
COMPUNCTION-N- remorse, regret
DISPARAGE-V- to discredit, to belittle
ADIITIONAL 5 FOR HONORS CLASSES:
COMELY-ADJ- attractive and agreeable
ASKEW-ADJ- crooked, slanted
PRESAGE-V- foretell
UNCOUTH-ADJ- outlandish and rude
GOSSAMER-ADJ- sheer, like cobwebs
Extra Credit:
quadrumanous-adj
ufology-n- the study of yep, you guessed it, UFOs!
pantoffle-n-
comstockery-n-
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
Hi, folks!
Hope everyone had a wonderful vacation. I ran into a few of you in my travels - some of you LITERALLY in my travels (bus, bus station) and others of you just in my Stop & Shop and Bunch of Grapes and Cronig's type travels. As always, lovely to see you!
I've jumped back into whole-hearted reading this week! Hannah has been transferred to the bone marrow transplant ward. She has a (small!) private room and she's not allowed to even leave her room. She feels pretty miserable from all of the chemo, so she sleeps A LOT. And she likes to have me at her side. So . . . she sleeps and I read. I finished Kite Runner, of course. It was, seriously, the best book I've ever read. SOOOO good. It was darker than I usually like, but I think I'm starting to appreciate dark, realistic stories a little more - they make me appreciate what I have. Anyway, there's a really disturbing incident early in the book, and you think, "Is that it? How can there be more? What's the author going to do for the next 300 pages?" But the author doesn't let you down. There's more and more and more again. I talked to Ms. Ferrone about it - she thought the ending was too neatly tied, too full-circle, too melodramatic. I guess I agree with all parts of that EXCEPT the "TOO." I thought it was perfect.
Next I read a book called More, Now, Again by Elizabeth Wurtzel. Elizabeth Wurtzel wrote a pretty famous memoir of her adolescent/young adult struggle with depression; I read it long ago. This book is a memoir of her drug addiction in her late 20's and early 30's; it is EXCELLENT! It is pretty graphic in terms of her drug use, but it is realistic and highlights her highs (no pun intended) and lows and self-discovery. Another dark book.
Yesterday, I read one called Things to Bring, S#!t to Do by Karen Rizzo. It's a book of lists from 10 years of her life. The beginning is kind of lame, but I really appreciate the concept of the book - a book in lists. It reminds me of the magazine Found or of the book Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life by Amy Krouse-Rosenthal. As the book goes on, it gets much better. Or maybe I just got better at reading it - it takes a while to get used to garnering a story from the lists.
I did read a trashy but fascinating book called Fools Rush In by Kristan Higgans. I think it's a Harlequin Romance but now they're calling them HQN because they know that people like me are WAY too snobby to read something that says Harlequin Romance on it even if we'd LOVE the romantic storyline and happy ending. Anyway, one of my best friends gave me the book because one of her friends and neighbors in Connecticut WROTE it! I practically know the author! Very cool. And it's set on Cape Cod in Orleans and Eastham, an area I know pretty well. Usually I don't like that because I spend too much time trying to figure out place landmarks, but the love story of this was so compelling, I actually enjoyed it. It's not perfectly written - some of the dialogue feels a little bit fake and some of the story feels a little bit forced, but I got very sucked in to it and read it in a morning. It was like watching addictive tv.
Whew! That was a lot of book information - told you I'm reading a lot. Probably I should take a break and talk to Hannah or fetch her some ginger ale or do her laundry or something. I'm thinking about all of you and hope your last weeks of first semester are going well. Almost halfway through the school year!
Ms. Wallace
Hope everyone had a wonderful vacation. I ran into a few of you in my travels - some of you LITERALLY in my travels (bus, bus station) and others of you just in my Stop & Shop and Bunch of Grapes and Cronig's type travels. As always, lovely to see you!
I've jumped back into whole-hearted reading this week! Hannah has been transferred to the bone marrow transplant ward. She has a (small!) private room and she's not allowed to even leave her room. She feels pretty miserable from all of the chemo, so she sleeps A LOT. And she likes to have me at her side. So . . . she sleeps and I read. I finished Kite Runner, of course. It was, seriously, the best book I've ever read. SOOOO good. It was darker than I usually like, but I think I'm starting to appreciate dark, realistic stories a little more - they make me appreciate what I have. Anyway, there's a really disturbing incident early in the book, and you think, "Is that it? How can there be more? What's the author going to do for the next 300 pages?" But the author doesn't let you down. There's more and more and more again. I talked to Ms. Ferrone about it - she thought the ending was too neatly tied, too full-circle, too melodramatic. I guess I agree with all parts of that EXCEPT the "TOO." I thought it was perfect.
Next I read a book called More, Now, Again by Elizabeth Wurtzel. Elizabeth Wurtzel wrote a pretty famous memoir of her adolescent/young adult struggle with depression; I read it long ago. This book is a memoir of her drug addiction in her late 20's and early 30's; it is EXCELLENT! It is pretty graphic in terms of her drug use, but it is realistic and highlights her highs (no pun intended) and lows and self-discovery. Another dark book.
Yesterday, I read one called Things to Bring, S#!t to Do by Karen Rizzo. It's a book of lists from 10 years of her life. The beginning is kind of lame, but I really appreciate the concept of the book - a book in lists. It reminds me of the magazine Found or of the book Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life by Amy Krouse-Rosenthal. As the book goes on, it gets much better. Or maybe I just got better at reading it - it takes a while to get used to garnering a story from the lists.
I did read a trashy but fascinating book called Fools Rush In by Kristan Higgans. I think it's a Harlequin Romance but now they're calling them HQN because they know that people like me are WAY too snobby to read something that says Harlequin Romance on it even if we'd LOVE the romantic storyline and happy ending. Anyway, one of my best friends gave me the book because one of her friends and neighbors in Connecticut WROTE it! I practically know the author! Very cool. And it's set on Cape Cod in Orleans and Eastham, an area I know pretty well. Usually I don't like that because I spend too much time trying to figure out place landmarks, but the love story of this was so compelling, I actually enjoyed it. It's not perfectly written - some of the dialogue feels a little bit fake and some of the story feels a little bit forced, but I got very sucked in to it and read it in a morning. It was like watching addictive tv.
Whew! That was a lot of book information - told you I'm reading a lot. Probably I should take a break and talk to Hannah or fetch her some ginger ale or do her laundry or something. I'm thinking about all of you and hope your last weeks of first semester are going well. Almost halfway through the school year!
Ms. Wallace
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
HONORS:
STOP STRESSING ABOUT THE CATCHER IN THE RYE PAPER!
It's not that bad, really!
I'm here to help, stop in anytime, or contact me via firstclass.
Ok, now for the technicalities:
Papers must be 1,200-1,300 words....double-spaced, preferably in a font I can read.
Topics must be approved by me! So don't start writing until you get the A-OK!
Papers are due on 12 January. NO EXCEPTIONS.
A and F Periods:
YOUR SECOND AND FINAL WRITING PIECE OF THE QUARTER IS DUE ON THURSDAY 4 JANUARY OR FRIDAY 5 JANUARY.
NO DIALOGUE JOURNALS DUE THIS WEEK...........
"Thanks Miss S, you're the best!"
"You're welcome class!"
Everyone:
Vocabulary 14 as usual, quiz and sentences due Thursday or Friday depending on when you have class.
Selfless Act MUST be completed by Thursday so we can reflect on them in class and get on with our next three week project!!
STOP STRESSING ABOUT THE CATCHER IN THE RYE PAPER!
It's not that bad, really!
I'm here to help, stop in anytime, or contact me via firstclass.
Ok, now for the technicalities:
Papers must be 1,200-1,300 words....double-spaced, preferably in a font I can read.
Topics must be approved by me! So don't start writing until you get the A-OK!
Papers are due on 12 January. NO EXCEPTIONS.
A and F Periods:
YOUR SECOND AND FINAL WRITING PIECE OF THE QUARTER IS DUE ON THURSDAY 4 JANUARY OR FRIDAY 5 JANUARY.
NO DIALOGUE JOURNALS DUE THIS WEEK...........
"Thanks Miss S, you're the best!"
"You're welcome class!"
Everyone:
Vocabulary 14 as usual, quiz and sentences due Thursday or Friday depending on when you have class.
Selfless Act MUST be completed by Thursday so we can reflect on them in class and get on with our next three week project!!
VOCABULARY 14
And now that you've thoroughly enjoyed my cartoon (HA HA HA!), here are the words:
RECLUSE-n- a person who lives alone and away from others
FARRAGO -n- a careless or confused mixture, a hodge-podge
VERNACULAR -n- standard, everyday language; common, idiomatic
UNGUENT -n- ointment; salve for wounds
SUCCINT -adj- concise, clearly said in a few words
TACITURN-adj- habitually untalkative, uncommunicative
TOUT-v- to promote or praise energetically
UNIMPEACHABLE-adj- beyond doubt, beyond reproach
VIABLE-adj- able to live or exist
WANTON-adj- immoral; deliberately cruel and malicious
additional 5 for honors classes:
PRATTLE -v- babble, chatter
METTLE -n- courage, spirit
GREGARIOUS -adj- sociable
ENMITY -n- ill-will, hatred
VEXATIOUS -adj- full of annoyance or distress; harassed, intended to vex or annoy
AND NOW...........THE EXTRA CREDIT WORDS!!!!
VERMICULATE-V- TO DECORATE WITH WAVY OR WINDING LINES or ADJ- WORM-LIKE, TWISTING, INFECTED WITH WORMS (EWWW!)
MISPRIZE-V- TO DESPISE; TO UNDERVALUE
HEMIALGIA-N- PAIN AFFECTING ONE HALF OF THE BODY
HELMINTHOLOGY-N- THE STUDY OF WORMS (EWWW AGAIN!)
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