A
Tasty-Tonic
English Reader
Volume I
(For Students of
the
Intermediate Level)
Alexander C. H. Tung
(董崇選)
Unit
1 Seeking
Swallows’ Nests
Unit
8 The Weight of the
Make-up
Unit
12 A Cycle-Path Psychopath
Unit
15 Brainstorm or Brainwave
As an English reader, this book is intended to help English learners master the English language and increase their knowledge through the use of English. This volume is designed especially for those college students who are non-native speakers of English but who have reached the intermediate level of English.
As the title of this book suggests, this reader is like a tasty tonic. It is not only “delicious” but also “nutritious” as a spiritual food. It claims to be tasty because, as you can easily see, the part called “The Text” in each unit of this book is rich in literary zest, as it is a composition with delightful humor and wit in its artful selection and arrangement of words.
This reader claims to be tonic as well because, as you can also see from “The Content” of each unit, the book provides a vast variety of “general knowledge” essential to the “health” of learning. Moreover, through the part called “The Expression” in each unit, the book provides an abundance of particular knowledge about the English language regarding its words, idioms, grammar, syntax, etc.
Practice makes perfect. The saying is especially true for a language learner. In each unit of this reader, therefore, there is a part called “Exercises.” It contains test-questions meant for repeated practice in class or after class.
This English reader can be best used as a textbook for an English reading course. With its 16 units, it may be good for a weekly two or three-hour class extending over a semester of 18 weeks or a weekly two-hour class extending over two semesters totaling 36 weeks. The 16 texts in the 16 units are taken either from a program called “Today’s Tonic” (今日補品), which is part of [每日一字句] or from a program called “Learning English from Jokes” (由笑話學英文). Both programs are in {懂更懂學習英文網站} (DGD English-Learning Website. http://dgdel.nchu.edu.tw). You can find Chinese translations of the texts and some notes for them there. There you can also hear the texts read by some native speakers of English.
回目錄
Unit 1
The Text (from Tn-29, Today’s Tonic)
Seeking Swallows’ Nests
The cliff is high.
The climb is hard.
Safe is not the feel.
Sure is not the find.
But the gains may be great,
And the pains may be past,
Though well may not be the win,
And just may not be the joy.
The Content
1. The text is a poem or verse. Do you have the feel of rhythm when you read the lines? You cannot find any rhyme in the poem, as no two lines of it end with a similar sound. But do some important words begin with the same letter or sound (i.e., is there any instance of using alliteration)? Are there parallels or contrasts in the constructions of the lines?
2.
Do swallows make nests? Are all swallows’ nests edible (i.e.,
can be eaten as food)? In fact,
only some species of swallows have edible nests. The swiftlets as seen in some Southeast
Asian countries (the
3. What the Chinese call “swallow nest” or “swallow’s nest” is commonly called “edible bird’s nest” in English. It is often used by Chinese to make a soup. Is the “swallow nest soup” or “bird’s nest soup” an expensive delicacy in Chinese cuisine? In fact, “swallow nest” or “swallow’s nest” as food is considered a superb tonic, and it has been very dear as a product. Do people, therefore, think it worthwhile to risk life and limb to seek swallows’ nests?
4. Does the poem suggest the difficulty and pains of climbing high cliffs for swallows’ nests (or swallow nests) by saying “The cliff is high” and “The climb is hard”? Does it further suggest the danger of seeking the nests by saying “Safe is not the feel” (meaning, “The feel it gives you is not safe”: for instance, the feel may bring dizziness to the nest-seekers and result in an accident)? Does it also suggest the uncertainty of the gains by saying “Sure is not the find” (meaning “the place they can find swallows’ nests” or “what they can find in the place” is not sure)?
5. Do the nest-seekers know the danger and the uncertainty but believe that “the gains may be great”? Are they willing to take pains because they know “the pains may be past”? Do they continue to seek swallows’ nests though they know that “well may not be the win (they have)” and “just may not be the joy (they feel)”?
6. Is there an overtone of wildlife conservation/ protection in saying that winning swallows’ nests may not be well and the joy of winning them may not be just? Is there an overtone of warning against seeking swallows’ nests in saying that “safe is not the feel” and “sure is not the find”?
The Expression
1. What do people often seek? Do they often seek opportunities/ jobs/ advice/ help/ refuge/ approval/ compensation? Do they seek for employment? Do they seek after the truth? If John sought to harm his enemy, did he try to do something harmful to his enemy? If you have sought out your problem, have you found it out? Will you seek your fortune abroad if graduates like you are not sought after here?
2. Is the swallow a small kind of bird? Does a swallow’s tail have two points like a fork? Where do swallows often fly to, a cold area or a warm area? What is meant by the proverb “One swallow does not make a summer”? What is meant by “to swallow food”? If some swallows’ nests are edible, is it possible for a person to swallow “swallows’ nests” before they are made into food for mankind? What do you eat, “swallow nest/ swallow’s nest” (with “nest” as an uncountable, material noun) or “swallow nests/ swallows’ nests” (with “nests” as the plural form of a countable, common noun)?
3. Do most birds make nests? Do ducks build nests on the ground? Do some insects, fishes, or small animals have nests, too? Are nests usually for keeping eggs and babies in? Do you know how birds nest (make/ build their nests)? Do fishes nest in the same way as birds do? Is it good to disturb nesting birds or other wildlife? Is it good to tuck away a little “nest egg” (i.e., amount of money) for the future?
4.
A cliff is a high, steep side of rock or land, especially one on a
coast (next to the sea). Is it, in
that sense, similar to a precipice? A cliff has a face, a top, and its
edge. A cliff face (or cliff-face)
is the vertical face of a cliff. It
is also a precipice if viewed from the top of the cliff. Cliff-driving
(or driving along cliffs) is dangerous.
Do cars sometimes run over cliff-edges
(or the edges of cliffs)? Usually,
people do not build houses on cliff-tops.
But do you know “The Swallow’s Nest”
is the name of a castle built on a cliff-top (or the top of a cliff) facing the
Black Sea in southern
5. You can climb a tree, a wall, a hill, a ladder, or a flight of stairs even if temperatures have climbed to the 90s. You can climb over a fence, through a window, and onto a roof after they have climbed into bed, if unemployment climbs steadily. A steep, though short, climb up a cliff is rather hard, and so is a singer’s climb from obscurity straight to stardom. You can often go mountain climbing or rock climbing if you are an experienced climber. But you must bear it in mind that you are not a climber plant or climbing plant that can be attached securely to the walls.
6. You may feel hungry and cold. You may feel ill or well. You may feel the heat or the warmth. You may feel guilt and remorse. You may feel my pulse or her scarf. You may feel a storm coming and the earth quaking. You may feel like a stranger and feel like eating your hometown food. You may feel as if/ as though you were in hell, when you feel true sadness and great pain. Mary did not feel something creep to her neck; she only felt that she was being watched by everybody. John felt strongly about the issue, but he could not feel for the common people and did not feel it necessary to do something for them. Do you like the feel of velvet and want to have a feel of it? Is it soft to the feel? If a room feels warm, does it have a cozy feel? What is your feel of the place? Have you got the feel of a palace? After eating so much, do you have a feeling of satisfaction? What are your feelings about being a man/ woman? You have no lack of feeling since your voice trembles with feeling. There has been some bad feeling between the two friends although they do not want any hard feelings between them. “Thank you, I’m feeling well,” she said feelingly.
7. You can find a problem or a solution. We found them leaving, but we did not find that they left nothing behind. It was then difficult to find work/ a job. She found job-offers limited and rare and she wanted to find out why the situation was so bad. Before she found out the truth, however, she was found guilty and sentenced to two years in prison. Last week they went to search her house and thought it would be “a sure find,” but their only find there was a piece of email. Nevertheless, they regarded it as “a real find.” Actually, the sentence they gave her was not based on enough findings. Later findings might acquit her.
8. One may have a pain in the leg or have pains in one’s chest. An injury may cause pain; a drug may ease/ relieve intense pain. Divorce has inflicted pain on her; she cannot even endure the pain of separation. He was at pains to explain the situation, and she had taken great pains to understand him. He was told on pain/ under pain of death not to plead for divorce. She was painfully aware, however, that the threat was useless. You may say, “No pains, no gains.” But can you say “Pains will have gains”? They say she stands to gain. Yet, she has not gained any profit, nor has she gained any weight. Suffering is her only personal gain.
9. It is great to win his support or win her heart. It is glorious to win a battle or win a prize. He won the match last week. It was an easy win and his fifth win within six years. This win made him famous. A certain team wanted to win him back, but he was won over by a third team. He was promised a great reward for each winning point. So far his winnings have/ his win has reached 5 million dollars. What a rich winner he is! But, as they say, “win some, lose some.” He has lost his respect for the losers.
10. The word “well” can be an adverb (as in “You did it very well”), an adjective (as in “I am well”), a noun (as in “We dug a well”), and an interjection (as in “Well, that’s what I feel”). Used as an adjective, it means “in good health,” “suitable, proper, advisable, reasonable” or “in a good or satisfactory condition.” In “Well may not be the win,” it means “reasonable/ advisable” (the nest-seekers’ act of winning or what they have won may not be right; their winnings may not be proper).
11. The word “just” can be an adverb (as in “They have just arrived”) or an adjective. Used as an adjective, it means “right, fair, lawful, proper, etc.” In “Just may not be the joy,” it means “right” (the joy felt by the nest-seekers may not be right/ proper).
12. In English, the normal order of words in a sentence can be inverted (i.e., reversed) for a special effect. The text of this unit provides four examples of inversion. “Safe is not the feel.” = “The feel is not safe.” “Sure is not the find.” = “The find is not sure.” “Well may not be the win.” = “The win may not be well.” “Just may not be the joy.” = “The joy may not be just.” Similarly, English speakers can say “Calm was not the catch” instead of “The catch was not calm” (meaning “The act of catching or what had been caught was not calm”), and “Kind was not the kill” instead of “The kill was not kind” (meaning “The act of killing or what had been killed was not kind”).
Exercises
A. Fill each blank with a proper word.
The c____ is high. The c____ is hard. Safe is not the f____. Sure is not the f____. But the g____ may be great, and the p____ may be past, though w____ may not be the w____, and j____ may not be the j____.
B. Choose the correct answer to each question.
1. The cliff is (a. high b. tall).
2. The climb is (a. hard b. difficulty).
3. (a. Safety b. Safe) is not the (a. feel b. feelings).
4. (a. Surety b. Sure) is not the (a. find b. findings).
5. But the (a. gained b. gains) may be great.
6. And the pains may be (a. pass b. past).
7. Well may not be the (a. win b. won).
8. (a. Justice b. Just) may not be the joy.
Homework
Search for information and write a report on one of the topics given below.
1. The Edible-Nest Swiftlets
2. The Bird’s Nest Soup as a Chinese Delicacy
3. The Nesting of Birds
4. The Harvesting of Swallow Nests
5. Swallows and Wildlife Conservation
The Text (from Tn-4, Today’s Tonic)
An Animal Symphony
An ape nicknamed “Beast of Van” was in the van of conducting an animal symphony orchestra. Once he made horses neigh and donkeys bray, and that in turn made sheep bleat and dogs bark and bay. Meanwhile, cows began to moo and low, and cats began to purr and mew or meow. In their turn, then, pigs and hogs began to oink and grunt and squeal while wolves growled and howled a good deal. Finally birds also joined in: we heard robins chirp and ravens crow, doves coo and owls hoot, geese honk and ducks quack, finches warble and hens cackle, swallows twitter and nightingales jug, and, at last, with a cock-a-doodle-doo a cock cut in, too. But this symphony was too phony. So the ape was put in a van and sent to a vet.
The Content
1. The text is a comic story about an animal symphony conducted by an ape nicknamed “Beast of Van,” which comically alludes to Beethoven, the famous German composer of nine great symphonies. The ape as a conductor, however, did not seem to have a success. Joined by a good number of beasts and birds, the orchestra seemed to have a poor presentation only. The symphony sounded too phony. The Beast of Van was finally “put in a van and sent to a vet.”
2. In ancient Greek theaters, the semicircular space in front of the stage (used by the chorus) was called “orchestra.” In modern theaters, “the orchestra” or “the orchestra pit” is the space in front of and below the stage, where the musicians sit. By extension, a group of musicians playing together is now also called an “orchestra.” Besides, an orchestra can refer to a large group of instruments (usually including string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments) and/or voices for performance on the stage. A small orchestra (a “chamber orchestra”) may have around 50 musicians; a full-size orchestra (a “symphony orchestra”) may have around 100 musicians. Many big cities of the world have a good orchestra. The Vienna Philharmonic and the London Symphony Orchestra, for example, are both world-famous orchestras.
3.
A symphony is an extended
composition for full orchestra. It
has several (usually 4) movements related in subject, but the movements may
vary in form and execution. See, for
example, “The Symphony No.
4.
In Western cultures, a person’s
full name includes his/her personal name and family name. A personal
name is a given name or birth name, that is, a name given at or
near one’s birth. A given/ birth
name is often a Christian name, that
is, a name given at an infant baptism (in “christening”). It is often the first name or forename as
well because it is usually put in the first place before the family name. One’s family name, also called one’s surname, is an inherited name, that is, a name inherited from one’s family. It is also called one’s last name because it is usually put in
the last place of one’s full name.
One’s full name may also include one or more middle names, which are put between one’s first name and one’s last
name. A middle name can be a birth
name or an adopted name. Before marriage, a woman’s name is her maiden name. After marriage, she may have a married name, which is
often her birth/ maiden name plus her husband’s family name. Note that contrary to the Western
convention, one’s family name is one’s first name in
One may have a pseudonym (i.e., a fictitious name or an assumed name such as a pen name or stage name) in addition to one’s real name. One may also have a nickname, which is an additional or substitute name, usually descriptive and given in fun, affection, or derision. Now, in our story the ape is said to be nicknamed “Beast of Van.” Is the nickname given merely in fun? Is it given in derision as well? Is it to laugh at the fact that the “Beast of (the) Van (guard)” ended in being the “beast in a van” sent to a vet?
5. The part of an army that goes ahead of the main body in an advance is called the “vanguard” or the “van.” Those who hold the leading position in a movement, field of endeavor, etc., are also called the “vanguard.” In the West, after the 19th century during the Period of Modernism, there appeared a number of avant-garde (French, meaning “vanguard”) writers and artists who, preferring experimental and innovative works, were connected to revolutionary radicals in politics. Since they were in the van, they would not “follow” (i.e., ape) others. Now, in our story, the ape followed mankind in acting as a conductor. It was nicknamed “Beast of Van” and considered “in the van” of conducting orchestras. Don’t you think there is a touch of irony (i.e., disharmony in the phrasing or situation) in the story?
6. Apes are animals like chimpanzees and gorillas. It is believed that man is descended from the apes. No matter whether it is true or not, apes are certainly fond of imitation or mimicry (i.e., copying others’ actions, words, behavior, etc.). Therefore, to ape is to imitate/ mimic or to copy. This unit tells us a story about an ape that aped a conductor in conducting an animal symphony orchestra. Don’t you think that the story can be a satire (i.e., a work using humor for criticism) on aping? What do you think of parodying (i.e., making a poor or weak imitation of someone or something just for fun), which seems to be in vogue nowadays?
The Expression
1. The word “van” can be the clipped form of “vanguard” (as in “to be in the van of …” or “to lead the van of …”). It can also be part of a Dutch family name, meaning “of/ from” and indicating one’s place of origin (e.g., Rip van Winkle and Anthony van Dyck). Most often, however, the word ‘van” is used to refer to a four-wheel road vehicle with only one row of seats, with its back part enclosed, and without windows at the sides, usually larger than a car and smaller than a truck, used for carrying goods. Hence, the term “a delivery van” or “a luggage van.”
Note that unlike a van, a “station wagon” is an estate car, i.e., an automobile with folding or removable rear seats and a tailgate that can be opened for loading or unloading. A “sedan” is a saloon car or parlor car, i.e., an enclosed automobile with two or four doors, and wide front and rear rows of seats. A “limousine” is a large, luxurious sedan, especially one driven by a chauffeur. And a “jeep” is a small car without a roof that can travel over rough ground, usually used as a military vehicle.
2. You can conduct a business, a campaign, or a survey. You can conduct an experiment, an interview, or an investigation. People can be conducted into a place. They are expected to conduct themselves well, and we like their good conduct. Glass conducts heat. Metals conduct electricity. A conductor is someone who directs the musicians of an orchestra or other musical group, or someone who checks passengers’ tickets and collects money on a bus or train, or something that allows heat or electricity to pass through it. A semiconductor is a substance that conducts some electricity and is good for making electronic equipment such as computers. A conducted tour is a guided tour in which someone shows you around and tells you information about things of interest. Now, did the ape in our story assume a tour conductor or an orchestra conductor? By the way, note that the stress is on its first syllable if the word “conduct” is used as a noun while on its second syllable if used as a verb.
3. Read the sentences below and see the contrasts between those omitting “to” and those having “to”:
The ape made horses neigh. He caused horses to neigh.
He will have the donkey bray. He will get the donkey to bray.
He let the dogs bark and bay. He ordered the dogs to bark and bay.
We heard the robins chirp. The robins were heard to chirp.
We saw the wolves growl. The wolves were seen to growl.
4. English speakers use different words to describe different beasts’ and birds’ acts of making sounds. As mentioned in our story, horses neigh and donkeys bray; sheep bleat and dogs bark and bay. Cows moo and low; cats purr and mew or meow. Pigs and hogs oink and grunt and squeal; wolves growl and howl. Robins chirp, ravens crow, doves coo, owls hoot, geese honk, ducks quack, finches warble, hens cackle, swallows twitter, and nightingales jug. A cock or rooster crows with a cock-a-doodle-doo and a dog barks with a bowwow. Now, does a snake hiss? Do bees buzz? Do some insects chirp, too?
5. The word “bay” can refer to many things. It can be a part of a sea or lake, a tree like the laurel, an area of a room, a long loud sound made by a dog, and a horse red-brown in color. Someone once said: “I ran out to see sails in the bay and cut some leaves off a bay there. When I was back resting in the bay, I heard a dog bay and the bay neigh.” What did he mean?
6. In British English, a “hog” is a male pig whose sex organs have been removed. In American English, a “hog” can be no different from a “pig.” The word “hogs,” however, certainly often refers to grown-up, castrated boars raised for their meat. By the way, “swine” is the old word for “pig” or “pigs.” Do Muslims eat pork (the meat of pigs/ hogs/ swine)? Is a sow an adult female pig while a boar is a male pig or a wild boar/ pig?
7. Onomatopoeia is the formation of a word by imitating the natural sound associated with the object or action involved, or the use of such a word. In English, “tinkle” and “buzz” are examples. In our story, all the words describing the animals’ acts of making sounds are more or less onomatopoeic words. Isn’t the word “cock-a-doodle-doo” most obviously onomatopoeic (just like the word “chickadee”)?
8. “Rainy” means “having (much) rain.” “Sunny” means “having (much) sunshine/ sunlight.” The “-phone” in “telephone” or “megaphone” means “sound.” However, the word “phony” does not mean “having (much) sound.” It means, instead, “not genuine.” It is synonymous with “false, counterfeit, spurious, pretentious, etc.” It can be used as a noun to refer to something not genuine (a sham; a fake) or a person who pretends, deceives, or dissembles. Now, is the ape in our story a phony if its symphony is too phony? Is our story a satire on phoniness? By the way, is phonics a science of making phonies? Is it a method of teaching phonies?
9. In English, certain words are clipped forms of long words. Just as “van” can be the short for “vanguard,” so can “vet” be the short for a “veterinarian” (a veterinary surgeon; an animal doctor) or for a “veteran” (a person of long experience in something or a person who served in the armed forces, especially in time of war). Now, in our story is the “vet” a veterinarian or a veteran? By the way, is a gym a gymnasium? Is a dorm a dormitory? Are rhinos rhinoceroses, hippos hippopotamuses, and memos memorandums (memoranda)? Are “bus” and “ad” from “omnibus” and “advertisement” respectively?
10. You join a group or an organization, but you join in an activity. So, in our story, what did the birds join in, the orchestra (as a group) or the (making of a) symphony?
Exercises
A. Fill each blank with a proper word.
An ape n____ “Beast of Van” was in the v___ of con____ an animal symphony or____. Once he made horses n___ and donkeys b___, and that in turn made sheep b___ and dogs b___ and b___. Meanwhile, cows began to m___ and l__, and cats began to p___ and m___ or m___. In their turn, then, pigs and hogs began to o___ and g___ and s___ while wolves g___ and h___ a good deal. Finally birds also joined in: we heard robins ch___ and ravens c___, doves c___ and owls h___, geese h___ and ducks q___, finches w___ and hens c___, swallows t___ and nightingales j___, and, at last, with a cock-a-doodle-doo a c___ cut in, too. But this symphony was too ph___. So the ape was put in a v___ and sent to a v___.
B. Choose the correct answer to each question.
1. An ape (a. nickname b. nicknamed) “Beast of Van” was in the (a. van b. vet) of (a. constructing b. conducting) an animal symphony orchestra.
2. Once he made horses (a. neigh b. to neigh) and donkeys bray.
3. That in (a. turn b. turns) made sheep bleat and dogs bark and bay.
4. (a. Meantime b. Meanwhile), cows began to moo and (a. low b. law), and cats began to (a. purr b. per) and mew or meow.
5. In (a. its b. their turn), then, pigs and hogs began to oink and grunt and (a. squeam b. squeal) while wolves growled and howled a good (a. peal b. deal).
6. Finally birds also (a. joined in b. joined) the activity.
7. We heard robins chirp and ravens (a. craw b. crow), doves coo and owls (a. hoot b. to hoot).
8. Not only geese but also cars (a. honk b. warble).
9. This symphony was too (a. phonic b. phony).
10. The ape was put in a (a. ban b. van) and sent to a (a. pet b. vet).
Homework
Search for information and write a report on one of the topics given below.
1. Beethoven and His Symphonies
2. The World’s Famous Orchestras
3. The Names of Westerners
4. Avant-garde Artists in the West
5. Aping or Parodying as an Instinct
The Text (from Tn-35, Today’s Tonic)
Snacks and Snakes
We often eat snacks, but we don’t eat snakes. When we have enough snacks to share, we often go snacks. But when we don’t have enough, someone is sure to cry out, “Snacks!” And then he is sure to call the others “Snakes!”
We buy snacks from snack bars, but our snacks are not just chocolate bars. They include sandwiches and beverages. We do not eat at any snack counter or snack stand. We bring our snacks home and try to go snacks. But sometimes some snakes will eat them up before someone cries out, “Snacks!” And our home will become a snake-pit, where snakes pit tongues against teeth, just for the sake of all those snacks.
The Content
1. The text is someone’s humorous account about their family members’ habit of buying and eating snacks and, above all, about the situation they fall into when they do not have enough snacks to share among them or when some “snakes” have stealthily eaten up the snacks for everybody. Is this account a mere joke? Is it true to life?
2.
Snacks are eaten all over the
world. A snack can be made at home
or prepared at a store. Today, most
snacks are processed and packaged foods.
Snack foods generally do not include beverages (such as tea, coffee,
beer, and soda), but some drinks can be considered snacks if they contain food
ingredients (such as those made from fruits). A snack can be any small portion of food
if it is eaten between regular meals.
In the West, potato chips, baby carrots, chocolate bars, sandwiches,
cakes, etc., are common snack items.
In
3. We buy things or services at fixed locations or through online retailing (electronic commerce). The fixed locations for commerce include the traditional marketplaces and the modern supermarkets, outlets, or shopping malls. They include, above all, various types of stores or shops which are on the streets of cities and villages. We have department stores, warehouse stores, specialty stores, discount stores, concept stores (boutiques), convenience stores, etc., in addition to variety stores and general stores. We have grocery stores, drugstores, bakeshops, barbershops, beauty parlors/ salons, steakhouses, pizza-huts, beer pubs, etc. Don’t forget that we also have newsstands, snack bars, and all sorts of stalls or booths as well as vending machines. Now, where do you often buy snacks, in department stores or at food stalls?
4. Name-calling (the use of disparaging or abusive names in attacking another) is a common practice among people. Certain animals are associated with bad qualities; their names, therefore, are often used to call others. For example, one may be called “Pig” as an insult meaning “one is as dirty and greedy as a pig.” Similarly, one may be called an ill-smelling skunk, a fierce tiger, an angry bull, a lecherous goat, a greedy wolf, a social butterfly, etc. Now, in the text of this unit, the snack-eaters are called “snakes.” What are snakes associated with? Are they associated with treachery and deception? Does this association originate from the treacherous snake that deceived Adam and Eve?
5.
People like to watch such
fights as seen in “blood sports.” Chinese
have been fond of cricket fighting while Spaniards are accustomed to bullfights. The whole world, from the old-time
The Expression
1. The word “snack” originally meant “a bite.” It then came to have the meaning of “a share, a part, or a portion.” Now, it is most often used to mean “a small quantity of food, a light meal, or an item of refreshments.” The colloquial idiom “to go snacks” means “to go shares,” that is, to share equally. For instance, you may take a fishing trip with your friends and go snacks with them in expenses and fish. When people want to go snacks with you, they may cry out simply, “Snacks!” So, in the text of this unit, what does the cry of “Snacks!” indicate? Does it indicate someone wanting to share the snacks or someone excited over seeing the delicious snacks?
2. The word “bar” has a good number of meanings. As a noun, it may mean “a long, narrow piece of wood, metal, etc. (e.g., iron bars on the windows)”; “an oblong piece or mass of something solid (e.g., a bar of soap)”; “any of the small metal strips worn to show military or other rank”; “any of the sections in a line of music”; “the long thin part of an electric fire that becomes red and produces heat”; “the long narrow shape along one side of a window on a computer screen (e.g., the scroll bar or the quick-access menu bar)”; “something that blocks the way or prevents entrance (e.g., a sand bar); “anything that hinders or prevents (e.g., one’s bar to success)”; “a counter where alcoholic drinks and sometimes food are served”; and “a place/ room where a particular type of food is served (e.g., a sushi bar or a sandwich bar). Now, is a chocolate bar a place to sell chocolate? Is a snack bar a long narrow piece of food to be eaten between regular meals?
Since (iron)
bars are used to hinder, “to bar” is to “hinder” and to be “behind bars” is to
be caged/ to be in prison. Since a
railing (made of narrow posts supporting an upper bar) is used to enclose the
part of a law court where the judges or lawyers sit, either the railing or this
part of the law court is called “the bar” and, following that, the law court,
the system of courts, the legal profession, and the lawyers collectively are
all called “the bar.” It is from
this connection that a lawyer allowed to speak in the higher courts is called “a
barrister” in
3. The word “counter” also has a number of meanings. It may mean “a person or thing that counts”; “an indicator on a machine, for keeping count of turns, strokes, etc.”; “a small piece of wood, metal, etc., used for keeping score in playing some games”; “a token or imitation coin”; “a long flat surface where customers are served (e.g., in a shop or a bank)”; and “a long table, board, cabinet top, etc., for the display and sale of goods or for preparing or serving food.” Now, is a snack counter a table for selling or serving snacks? Note that things can be bought over the counter (i.e., in direct trading between buyers and sellers). Things can also be done under the counter (i.e., secretly, illegally, or unethically).
In a board game (e.g., of chess, go, or checkers/ draughts), the pieces moved or placed on a pre-marked surface (the “board”) according to a set of rules are sometimes called “counters.” Since the counters on both sides of the game are opponents to each other, “to run counter” is to be opposite or to have an opposite purpose. Hence, “to counter” is to act, do, move, etc., in opposition to somebody or something. In boxing, a counter is a blow given while receiving an opponent’s blow. From a sense like this, we then have words like counterattack, counterbalance, counterpart, and counter-revolution. Now, as implied in the text of this unit, do those who have not got their shares of the snacks become a counter force to those who have eaten up the snacks?
4. A “pit” can be a cockpit or an orchestra pit, as mentioned above in this unit and in Unit 2. It can also be a coal pit (i.e., a coal mine under the ground), a gravel pit (i.e., a large hole dug in the ground to obtain gravel), an inspection pit (i.e., a hole in the ground for lying to look beneath cars), a corn pit (i.e., the part of an exchange where the business of corn is transacted), a bear pit (i.e., an enclosed area for keeping bears), or a casino pit (i.e., the place where people gamble). Generally speaking, a “pit” is a hole or cavity in the ground. It may refer particularly to a pitfall for trapping wild animals. When we say “the pit,” it may refer to hell. Now, what is a “snake-pit”? How many armpits does a person have? Note that in American English, a “pit” can refer to a stone in a piece of fruit (e.g., the pit/ stone of a peach) while in British English a “pip” is a small seed in a piece of fruit (e.g., the pips/ seeds of an orange).
5.
In English, “beverage” is the
formal word for a drink. It is any
liquid for drinking, especially other than water. There are alcoholic beverages (wines and
liquors) and non-alcoholic beverages (e.g., fruit juice and soft/ fizzy drinks
like cola or soda). Many beverages
are artificially sweetened. Now, is
cider (a drink made from apples) an alcoholic beverage? (The fact is: it is alcoholic in
Exercises
A. Fill each blank with a proper word.
We often eat s___, but we don’t eat s___. When we have enough snacks to sh___, we often go s___. But when we don’t have enough, someone is s___ to cry out, “S___!” And then he is s___ to call the others “S___!”
We buy snacks from snack b___, but our snacks are not just chocolate b___. They include s___ and b___. We do not eat at any snack c___ or snack s___. We bring our snacks home and try to g___ snacks. But sometimes some snakes will eat them ___ before someone cries ___, “Snacks!” And our home will become a snake-p___, where snakes pit tongues a___ teeth, just for the s___ of all those snacks.
B. Choose the correct answer to each question.
1. When we have enough (a. snack b. snacks) to share, we often (a. go b. go to) snacks.
2. When we don’t have enough, someone is (a. sure b. surely) to cry out, “Snacks!”
3. We buy snacks (a. from b. for) snack bars, but our snacks are (a. not just b. just not) chocolate bars.
4. They include (a. sandwich and beverage b. sandwiches and beverages).
5. We do not eat at (a. any b. some) snack counter (a. or b. and) snack stand.
6. We bring our snacks (a. home b. to home) and try to go snacks.
7. Sometimes some snakes will eat them up (a. before b. behind) someone cries out, “Snacks!”
8. Our home will become a snake-pit, (a. which b. where) snakes pit tongues against (a. tooth b. teeth), just for the sake of (a. all those b. those all) snacks.
Homework
Search for information and write a report on one of the topics given below.
1.
Snacks in
2. The Types of Stores in the West
3. The Practice of Name-calling
4.
Cockfighting in
5. The Act of Going Snacks
The Text (from Tn-39, Today’s Tonic)
In a Kid’s Ken
In a kid’s ken, Benjy is Ben; Benjy is not a hen. In a kid’s ken, a den is a den; a den is not a fen. That is why we have these lines less than ten:
My pa loves a puppy.
My ma loves a kitty.
And they love their baby.
Your dad likes a bunny.
Your mom likes a piggy.
And they like their Johnny.
Her mommy loves a teddy.
Her daddy loves a pussy.
And they love their Cathy.
The Content
1. The
text contains a note plus a verse.
The note is like an epigraph, as it is put at the beginning of the work,
that is, before the verse, which is the main text. Again like an epigraph, the note
contains sentences expressing the character of the work. The sentences are not, as usual,
quotations from some sources. They
are invented mottos and they are like epigrams or maxims in being terse, witty,
and pointed statements. The whole
note rhymes like a verse. However,
isn’t it just a very simple, introductory note written to tell us why we have
the nine (“less than ten”) lines of verse as printed in this unit?
2. The
verse comes plainly from “an innocent eye.” It is spoken in the voice of an innocent
child. Just like those naïve people
who “call a spade a spade,” the naïve kid knows only the plain truth that Benjy
is Ben, not a hen; a den is a den, not a fen. And the kid can say nothing more than
the plain fact that some parents love a puppy, a kitty, and their baby; some
like a bunny, a piggy, and their Johnny; and some love a teddy, a pussy, and
their Cathy. But can plain words be
understood only plainly?
3. Despite
its simplicity, the verse is not a “nonsense verse” in which sense is replaced
by sound for its importance. Nor is
it “doggerel,” that is, very bad verse, written crudely though humorous in a
way. In fact, the verse has the
subtlety of “dramatic irony,” that is, it has the situation in which someone
(like a character in drama) says something, but the speech is understood quite
differently: it is understood in one sense by the speaker but in quite another
sense by the audience. For
instance, when Johnny’s kid friend says “Your dad likes a bunny,” he may just
mean that Johnny’s dad likes a bunny rabbit, but to an adult audience the same
words may suggest that Johnny’s dad likes a bunny girl. Now, what may be suggested in saying
that a woman loves a bear and a man loves a pussy cat?
4. The
adult world is indeed much more complicated than the world as understood by
kids. While a bunny is connected in
thought to a bunny girl wearing a bunny suit and serving as waitress at a
Playboy Club, a kitty is connected to a fictional character (the female white
bobtail cat with a red bow called “Hello Kitty”) and to all its byproducts that
have made a big industry. In this
connection, as we know, the teddy bear, as a soft toy in the form of a real
bear cub, has also made a big industry. A teddy, in fact, can be further
connected to a Ted or Teddy Boy that wears clothes in
a dandy’s style, sometimes joins a gang, and is often associated with American
rock and roll. Don’t you think that
dogs and pigs can also have cultural meanings which are beyond the ken of
children?
5. Sexuality
as well as pornography (things designed to cause sexual excitement) is beyond
the ken of kids and idiots. The
idiot boy Benjy in Faulkner’s The Sound
and the Fury can understand neither his sister Caddy’s loss of chastity nor
any other characters’ conduct of sexuality. The kid speaker in the verse of this
unit does not know that a pussy is not just a cat, a pussy cat; it is also a
wanton woman, as the word “pussy” is very rudely used to refer to a woman’s
genitals (as in a phrase like “the hungry pussy”). By the way, do you know that the Pussy
Cat Dolls is the name of an American pop girl group and dance ensemble?
The Expression
1. The
word “ken” means “scope or range of knowledge.” It is a formal word usually occurring in
phrases like “in one’s ken,” “into one’s ken,” “outside one’s ken,” “out of
one’s ken,” and, above all, “beyond one’s ken.” To say “in a kid’s ken” is to say (formally) “as far as a kid knows”; to
say “beyond a kid’s ken” is to say (formally)
“not what a kid can know.” Now,
what is meant by Keats when he says that “on first looking into Chapman’s
[translation of] of Homer,” he felt “like some watcher of the skies when a new
planet swims into his ken”?
2. The
word “fen” refers to a low, flat, soft and wet land; a fen is, therefore, a
bog, a marsh, or a swamp. In his
poem “
3. In
all languages, there are terms of endearment. A term of endearment is a word or phrase
used to address and/or describe a person, an animal, or an object for whom or
for which the speaker feels love or affection. When a lover calls his sweetheart
“Honey” or “Honey Bunny,” for instance, he is using a term of endearment. In English, a nickname (e.g.,” Johnny”
for “John”) or a short name (e.g., “Cathy” for “Catherine”) may be an endearing
term used among family members or bosom friends. Now, is “Benjy” or “Ben” a term of
endearment, too? Is it the short
for “Benjamin”? By the way, is
“Teddy” for “Theodore”? Do you know
that the “teddy bear” has a story connected to Theodore Roosevelt, who was
American President during World War II?
4. In
many languages, there are also diminutives. A diminutive is a word formed with a
part meaning “small.” The “-en” in
“kitten” and “maiden,” the “-erel” in “cockerel” and “doggerel,” the “-ette” in
“cigarette” and “kitchenette,” the “-ish” in “reddish” and “tallish,” the “-le”
in “puddle” and “sparkle,” the “-let” in “booklet” and “eyelet,” the “-ling” in
“darling” and “duckling,” the “mini-“ in “minibus” and “miniskirt,” and the
“-ock” in “bullock” and “hillock” all mean “small” in the diminutives. To convey the sense of smallness is
often (though not always) to convey the feeling of affection. Hence, a diminutive is often a term of
endearment. This is especially true
in the West when the diminutive is a person’s first name like “Maggie” for
“little Margaret” and “Sally” for “little Sarah.” Now, is “Johnny” a diminutive and a term
of endearment meaning “little John”?
How about “Benjy” and “Cathy”?
5. In
a language like English, there are “children’s words” (i.e., words used by young
children or when talking to young children) as well. Very often, for instance, kids would
call a dog a “doggie/ doggy.” Both
adults and children, however, may call a young dog or seal a “pup” or “puppy”
and call the young of a dog or of a flesh-eating animal (a lion, tiger,
leopard, bear, wolf, etc.) a “whelp.”
Thus, the words “pup,” “puppy,” and “whelp” are not children’s
words. Now, while “kitten” is not a
children’s word for a young cat, is “kitty” just a pet name, not a children’s
word for a cat of any age? While
“bunny” is definitely a children’s word for a rabbit, is “piggy” also a children’s
word for a pig or piglet? Finally,
while “pussy” is a children’s word for a cat, for what is “teddy” a children’s
word? Is it for a real bear or for a
teddy bear? By the way, which two
among the words “pa,” “ma,” “dad,” “mom,” “daddy,” and “mommy” sound most like
children’s words?
6. A
“den” originally means the home (a lair, a cave, a hiding place, etc.) of
certain types of wild animals (such as lions, tigers, and foxes). By extension, it means on one hand a
quiet place where one can study, work, and carry on a hobby without being
disturbed, or on the other hand a secret place which thieves or vagrants haunt
or a person uses for bad, illegal behavior, or where people meet for a
dishonest purpose. So, while an
animal may have a den in the forest or in a zoo, a person may have a cozy den
in a summer house or an opium den for smoking opium, a drinking den for
drinking alcohols, or a savage den for debauchery. Now, what sort of den is in a kid’s ken,
an animal’s den or a person’s den?
Exercises
A. Fill each blank with a proper word.
In a kid’s k___, Benjy is B___; Benjy is not a h___. In a kid’s k___, a den is a d___; a den is not a f___. That is ___ we have these lines less than t___:
My pa loves a p___. My ma loves a k___. And they love their b___. Your dad likes a b___. Your mom likes a p___. And they like their J___. Her mommy loves a t___. Her daddy loves a p___. And they love their C___.
B. Choose the correct answer to each question.
1. In a (a. kid’s b. kids’) ken, Benjy is Ben; Benjy is not a hen.
2. In a kid’s ken, a den is a den; (a. a b. and a) den is not a fen.
3. That is why we have these lines (a. fewer b. less) than ten.
4. My (a. pa b. paa) loves a puppy. My (a. ma b. maa) loves a kitty. And they love their baby.
5. Your (a. da b. dad) likes a bunny. Your (a. mo b. mom) likes a piggy. And they like their (a. Johny b. Johnny).
6. Her (a. momy b. mommy) loves a teddy. Her (a. dady b. daddy) loves a pussy. And they love their (a. Cathy b. Cathi).
Homework
Search for information and write a report on one of the topics given below.
1. The Innocent Eye in Literature
2. The Characteristics of Children’s Literature
3. Bunny Girls and the Playboy Club
4. The Industry Related to Hello Kitty
5. Diminutives and Terms of Endearment
The Text (from Tn-37, Today’s Tonic)
A Taciturn Tad
We do not call him Theodore. We call him Tad instead. He is really a taciturn tad. He does not say very much and can seem unfriendly to you. Once I asked him, jokingly, “Tad, are you a tadpole that cannot croak until you grow into a frog or a toad?” I expected him to answer simply, “Nope,” as he often did. But, after a long silence, he made an unexpected breakthrough. He replied, in a volley: “Maybe I am a tad taciturn. But I am not just a tadpole. I am a Maypole as well. You keep making merry around me. I keep silent all the time. That makes you go further to make merry of me.” Upon hearing this reply, I thought: “Goodness! Tad actually has great tact. He uses taciturnity as a pleasing tactic. He is tactful, not tactless.” Since then, there has been a tacit understanding between us two that taciturn tads are not without tactics.
The Content
1. The text is an anecdote (i.e., a short, entertaining account of some happening) about a tad (i.e., a little child) who is called Tad instead of Theodore. The boy is taciturn (i.e., he does not speak often and does not say very much). However, once in reply to the story-teller’s question of whether or not he is a silent tadpole, he surprisingly said in a volley of words that he is not only a silent tadpole but also a silent Maypole for others to make merry around and of. The reply made the story-teller believe that Tad is tactful and taciturn tads are not without tactics. Is this anecdote interesting?
2. Metamorphosis (i.e., transformation) is a biological process by which the physical form of an insect (e.g., a butterfly or a moth) or an amphibian (e.g., a frog or a salamander) undergoes a (radical) change as it develops. Maggots (as found in old meat and dead bodies), for instance, will turn into flies in their process of metamorphosis. And, through metamorphosis, caterpillars will become butterflies; silkworms will become silk moths. Now, in the anecdote, what is said about the metamorphosis of frogs or toads? Do tadpoles undergo metamorphosis when they grow into frogs or toads?
3. An amphibian is an animal which can live both on land and in water. Frogs and toads are both amphibians. A toad, however, has a drier skin and spends less time in water than a frog. A tadpole, which grows into a frog or a toad, lives in water. It has gills (like a fish) for breathing, but it has no legs. A hopping frog or toad has legs and it breathes with lungs. Now, what is another difference told in the anecdote between a tadpole and its adult form (a frog or toad)? Does a tadpole croak?
4. In Western culture, a Maypole is a tall/ high (wooden) pole (often wreathed with flowers, streamers, etc.) erected for a folk festival, particularly on May Day (i.e., May 1st, which is also International Workers’ Day). In celebrating the festival, merrymakers often dance around the Maypole. As a pole, the Maypole certainly does not “speak,” though it may have symbolic meanings. Occasionally, some merrymakers may not just make merry around it; they may also make merry of it. Now, in the anecdote, does Tad compare himself to a silent Maypole because his friends both make merry around him and make merry of him?
5. To win victory in chess or sports as well as to succeed in military operation or business transaction, both strategy and tactics are needed. Strategy is the overall plan while tactics are the means or methods employed for the strategy. A strategy is therefore like a policy for a long period and a tactic is like a way for a short-term advantage. Hence, it is said that strategy wins wars while tactics win battles. Now, in the anecdote, Tad’s strategy may be to keep on good terms with the friends around him. To accomplish the goal, then, he adopts the tactic of taciturnity. In seldom speaking and in saying little, he is tactful enough not to offend others. Is this taciturnity a pleasing tactic?
The Expression
1. A “tacit” admission/ agreement/ approval is an admission/ agreement/ approval that is not expressed or declared openly but implied or understood; that is, it is an unspoken or silent admission/ agreement/ approval. A “taciturn” person may turn over a tacit agreement without speaking about it so that it remains a tacit agreement. “Tact” is the ability to avoid hurting others’ feelings or offending/ upsetting others. In keeping a tacit agreement unspoken of, a taciturn person may show his great tact or prove very “tactful.” Now, is Tad tactful or tactless in using his “tactic” of taciturnity? Does he have great tact in dealing with his friends?
2. If to be taciturn is to speak not often and say very little, to be reticent is to tell nothing about something. A reticent woman may be reticent (i.e., silent) about her private affair, but she is not necessarily a taciturn woman or a silent woman who seldom speaks. Now, is Tad taciturn or reticent in character?
3. Along with “Ted,” “Tad” is a term of endearment and the short for “Theodore.” The fact that the story-teller and some other friends call Theodore “Tad” shows that they are close friends. The word “tad” can be the clipped form of “tadpole.” It can be a noun meaning “a small child” as well. Furthermore, the phrase “a tad” can be an adverbial phrase meaning “a little/ a bit.” So, what is meant by the statement “Just like a tad that does not croak, Tad is a taciturn tad that is not just a tad more taciturn than a tad of his age”?
4. A Maypole or maypole is a pole; a tadpole is not a pole. Can we find tadpoles in the North Pole? Can we erect Maypoles in the South Pole? Are Poles Polish citizens or polar bears?
5. Is “croak” a word of onomatopoeia? Frogs and toads croak. Do birds (e.g., ravens) croak, too? In fact, even people may croak if they have a sore throat or if they want to make a low, harsh voice. For instance, a person may croak his apology. Have you ever heard such an apology?
6. Colloquial speech is informal language used in conversation. Slang is very informal language used by people who know each other very well or who have the same interests. While “yea” or “yeah” is the colloquial word for “yes,” “nope” is a slang word for “no.” In the anecdote, why did the story-teller expect Tad to reply “Nope” to his question? Does Tad probably have the habit of saying “Nope” instead of “No” to his friends?
7. If you break through, you achieve success in spite of difficulties or obstacles. If you break through a barrier, you succeed in forcing your way through it. If you make a breakthrough, you come to have an important success or achievement. Now, in the anecdote, Tad is said to have made an unexpected breakthrough. What was the breakthrough? Did he break through the difficulty of speaking eloquently for himself?
8. The word “volley” can be a verb or a noun. If, in a sport, you volley the ball, you hit or kick it before it touches the ground. A volley is thus a hit or kick in such a way. A good tennis-player may hit or smash several winning volleys during a game or a set of games. Volleyball is a game in which two teams volley a large ball with their hands backwards and forwards over a high net. A volley of questions/ insults/ abuse/ laughter is a lot of questions/ insults/ abuse/ laughter coming at the same time. A volley of bullets is a lot of bullets made to move through the air. A volley of gunfire is a lot of gunshots made at the same time. Now, what is meant by “Tad replied in a volley”? Does it mean that “Tad replied with a lot of words spoken at the same time”?
9. You can keep a letter, a record, a dog, a shop, a birthday, or a diary, and you must keep your word or promise. You’d better keep still/ quiet/ hopeful/ hidden in a certain case. You are to keep her warm/ keep him waiting/ keep the door locked/ keep it under control/ the news to yourself. You must know that to keep doing something or keep on doing something is to continue doing something or go on doing something. Now, what do Tad’s friends keep doing while he keeps silent all the time?
10. To “make merry” is the old-fashioned phrase for “have fun” or “enjoy oneself.” To make merry of someone is to make fun of someone. Nowadays, the word “merry” is most often used in “Merry Christmas.” It also appears in a phrase like “the merry month of May.” Now, what did Tad mean when he said that his friends kept making merry around him?
11. “Upon or on doing something” is “Soon after/ Immediately after doing something.” “In doing something” is “During/ In the course of doing something.” “By doing something” is “By way of/ By means of doing something.” Now, when did the story-teller think that Tad was tactful? Was it upon hearing his reply or was it in hearing his reply? Did he, in believing that taciturnity is a pleasing tactic, think that Tad has great tact? Did he keep his close relationship with Tad by reaching a tacit understanding between them?
12. Note that “tact” is an uncountable noun while “tactic” is countable. Note also that “strategy” is both U and C. Therefore, it is not quite correct to say “He did it with a great tact,” or “They accomplished it with great tactic.” But it is certainly correct to say “They need good strategy and tactics,” or “They have a good strategy and an effective tactic in hand.” Now, which sentence is correct, “he has tactics” or “he has tactic”?
13. To use a negative statement to mean something positive (e.g., “not bad” for “good”) is to use the rhetorical device of litotes. In English, it is common to hear people say “it is not impossible/ unreasonable to ….” In the anecdote, there is an example of litotes. What is it? Does “he is not without friends” mean “he has friends”?
Exercises
A. Fill each blank with a proper word.
We do not call him Th___. We call him Tad in___. He is really a t___ tad. He does not say very much and c___ seem unfriendly to you. Once I asked him, j___, “Tad, are you a tadpole that cannot c___ until you grow into a frog or a t___?” I expected him to answer simply, “N___,” as he often did. But, after a long silence, he made an unexpected b____. He replied, in a v___: “Maybe I am a t___ taciturn. But I am not j___ a tadpole. I am a Maypole as ____. You keep making m___ around me. I keep silent all ___ time. That makes you go f___ to make merry of me.” Up__ hearing this reply, I thought: “Goodness! Tad actually has great t___. He uses taciturnity as a pleasing t___. He is tactful, not t___.” Since then, there has been a t___ understanding between us two ___ taciturn tads are not w___ tactics.
B. Choose the correct answer to each question.
1. He does not say very (a. many b. much) and can seem unfriendly to you.
2. Are you a tadpole that cannot croak (a. until b. unless) you grow into a frog?
3. I expected him to answer simply, “Nope,” as he often (a. do b. did).
4. After a long silence, he made an unexpected (a. break through b. breakthrough).
5. He replied, (a. in b. on) a volley: “(a. May be b. Maybe) I am a tad taciturn. But I am not just (a. tadpole b. a tadpole). I am a Maypole as well.”
6. You keep (a. making b. make) merry around me. I keep (a. silent b. silence) all the time. That makes you (a. go b. to go) further to make merry (a. in b. of) me.
7. Upon (a. hear b. hearing) this reply, I thought: “Goodness! Tad actually has (a. great tact b. a great tact.”
8. He uses taciturnity as (a. pleasing tactic b. a pleasing tactic).
9. He is (a. tactful, not tactless b. tactful; not tactless).
10. Since then, there has been a tacit understanding between (a. we b. us) two that taciturn tads are not without (a. tactic b. tactics).
Homework
Search for information and write a report on one of the topics given below.
1. Taciturnity vs. Talkativeness
2. The Metamorphosis of Butterflies
3. The Frog as an Amphibian
4. The Maypole and the May Day Festival
5. Strategy and Tactics in Military Operation
The Text (from J-211, Learning English from Jokes)
The LED
An electronics engineer was talking to a dotard, who was hard of hearing. Part of the conversation went as follows:
E: We are now really led into a new era. We are lighted by a new thing. It’s the LED. Do you know what LED is?
D: No, isn’t it the past tense of L-E-A-D?
E: No, it’s a noun. But it’s not made from lead. Nor is it pronounced “led.” It’s an acronym. It’s a light-emitting diode.
D: A what? A light diet?
E: A di-ode that sends out light, a vacuum tube with a cold anode and a heated cathode.
D: A new diet, indeed, since it has both cold and heated oats.
The Content
1. The text is a joke about a hard-of-hearing old man, who could not catch every word an electronics engineer was saying to him. The engineer tried to make him understand the LED as a new epoch-making invention. The old man, however, interestingly mistook the utterance of “light-emitting diode” for that of “light diet” and mistook the utterance of “a cold anode and a heated cathode” for that of “cold oats and heated oats.” Do you think the joke is plausible (that is, do you think the joke seems likely to be true)?
2. Electronics is the science or, rather, technology of using transistors and silicon chips, especially in devices such as radios, televisions, and computers. In fact, electronic engineering is an important part of electrical engineering. Electrical engineering generally deals with electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. Thus, it includes electronics as well as those fields related to control systems, power engineering, signal processing, telecommunications, etc. A rough, but simple, way of differentiating electronic engineering from electrical engineering is the idea that electrical engineers are concerned with using electricity to transmit electric power while electronics engineers are concerned with using electricity to process information. Now, is a specialist in the LED better called an electronics engineer or an electrical engineer?
3. As mentioned in the text, the LED is an acronym from “light-emitting diode,” and it is a vacuum tube with a cold anode and a heated cathode. As we know, it is a semiconductor or electronic component. LEDs are used to make such devices as for automotive lighting, aviation lighting, traffic signals, and general lighting. They have many advantages over other traditional sources of light (e.g., lower consumption of energy, longer lifetime, smaller size, and faster switching) though they may be more expensive. Did the dotard have any idea of the LED in mind when talking with the electronics engineer?
4. An “anode” and a “cathode” are two electrodes (i.e., two terminal, electrical conductors used to make contact with a non-metallic part of a circuit). By convention, the direction of electric current is opposite to the direction of electron flow. Thus, an anode is the positively charged electrode in an electrolytic cell, or the negative electrode in a battery. Conversely, a cathode is the negative electrode in an electrolytic cell, or the positive terminal of a battery. Now, in the LED, why is the anode cold while the cathode is heated? Is it because electricity flows from the anode to the cathode?
5. Senility (i.e., growing old with such symptoms as losing strength, losing memory, and losing the power of seeing, hearing, etc.) is a common human phenomenon. A dotard (i.e., a foolish and doddering or tottering old person) is indeed likely to be “hard of hearing” or “dull of hearing” besides having poor/bad eyesight/vision. Deafness (i.e., partial or total inability to hear) may be caused by noise, illness, drugs, physical injuries, genetic reasons, etc., as well as old age. Hearing loss or hearing impairment occurs most often to old people. Many old people, therefore, need hearing aids. Deafness, like noise, is measured in decibels, and it may be ranked as mild, moderate, or severe/ profound deafness. Now, what degree of deafness do you think the dotard in the text has come to?
6. A diet is a sum of the food consumed by a person or a group. Dieting (or going on a diet/ being on a diet) is the deliberate selection of food to control body weight or nutrient intake. Different individuals and different cultures have different dietary habits. Dietary habits and choices of food may significantly affect one’s health and quality of life. Choices of food are based on considerations of vitamins, minerals, and food energy which carbohydrates, proteins, and fats contain. To lose weight, an overweight or obese person may choose low-carbohydrate, low-calorie, and low-fat foods. For health an old person may also prefer “a light diet.” A diet containing products made from oats (e.g., oatmeal, oatcakes, oatmeal cookies, and oat bread) is often considered good to health because oats are said to have cholesterol-lowering properties. Now, do you think the dotard in the text might have the idea that a diet with oats is good to health?
The Expression
1. An “acronym” is a word formed from the first (or first few) letters of several words. “UFO” (from unidentified flying object), “radar” (from radio detecting and ranging), “loran” (from long-range navigation) and “shoran” (from short-range navigation), in addition to “LED” (from light-emitting diode), are examples.
An acronym is often an “abbreviation,” but an abbreviation is not necessarily an acronym. An acronym is a shortened form of a phrase; an abbreviation is a shortened form of either a word or a phrase. “TV” for television, “Jan.” for January, “Mr.” for Mister, “chap.” for chapter, “bus” for omnibus, and “e-mail” or “email” for electronic mail are abbreviations; they are not acronyms. From these examples we can see that some abbreviations do not use initial letters (only) to shorten the words.
Note that a “contraction” is also a shortened form of a word or a group of words. But a contraction often refers to a word using the apostrophe (’) to indicate the omission of letters or sounds such as “e’er” (ever), “ne’er” (never), “don’t” (do not), “can’t” (cannot), and “dep’t” (department).
Now, is “LED” an abbreviation besides being an acronym? Is it a contraction? By the way, note that an acrostic is a verse or arrangement of words in which certain letters in each line, such as the first or last, when taken in order, spell out a word or a message.
2. Besides referring to the science or technology of electronic engineering, the term “electronics” can refer to electronic devices (as part of certain equipment). For instance, when we tell people that all the electronics are housed in a waterproof box, we are telling them that all the electronic devices are housed there. Similarly, in British English, “electrics” can refer to the system of electrical wiring in a building.
When the electronics go wrong, we ask an electronics repairman to come and repair them; when the electrics go wrong, we ask an electrician to come. Normally, both electronics engineers and electrical engineers are responsible for designing, rather than for installing and repairing, the electronics/ electrics. Now, did the dotard talk to an electronics repairman or an electronics engineer?
3. A dotard is a person in his dotage. Dotage is the feeble and childish state of old age. During one’s dotage one may dote on a person or a thing. If someone dotes on/ upon a person or a thing, they love or care about them so much that they may be foolishly fond of them. A grandpa, for instance, may dote on his grandson. Now, can we say the dotard in this text dote on oats?
4. The phrase “as follows” might come from “as what follows.” As a set phrase, it is used when you want to give more details about something. Sometimes it can be replaced by “as the following.” For instance, you can say “The winners are as follows” or “The winners are as the following” and then you give names of the winners one by one. Now, what “went as follows” in the text?
5. The word “lead” can be a noun or a verb. As a noun pronounced like “led,” it is a soft heavy grey metal used especially in the past for making pipes, for covering roofs, and in paint. We used lead pipes, lead pencils, etc., but we prefer plastic pipes, ballpoint pens, etc. Today, we replace leaded gasoline/petrol with the unleaded sort for the sake of environmental protection. To be “leaded” is to contain lead; to be “leaden” is to be made from lead or to be heavy or dull like lead. Thus, there may be a leaden weight on a balance or scale, and one’s eyes are often said to be leaden with sleep.
As a noun pronounced like “leed,” the word “lead” means, among other things, “the first position at a particular time during a race or competition” (e.g., to be in the lead, to take the lead, to hold the lead, to regain one’s lead) or “the main part for an actor in a play, film, or television program” (e.g., to play the lead, to be the male lead).
As a verb conjugated lead, led, led, leading, the word “lead” means “to go in front of, to win and be first or best, to control others and make others follow, to live life in a particular way, to begin a part of a card game, etc.” Thus, we can lead somebody towards something or into a place. We can lead the world in an industry. We can lead somebody to do something. We can lead a calm life. And we can lead a card game with an ace. Now, according to the electronics engineer, what are we really led into?
6. The word “light” can be a noun, an adjective, or a verb. As a noun, it means, among other things, “brightness” (e.g., light in August, a beam of light), or “something that provides brightness” (e.g., a light by the door, to turn on or switch off the light). As an adjective, it means, among other things, “bright” (e.g., a light and airy room, getting light at five o’clock here), or “not weighing much” (e.g., as light as a feather, a light sweater), or “not much in quantity, strength, etc.” (e.g., a light wind, light punishment). As a verb, it is conjugated light, lighted/lit, lighted/lit, lighting, and it means “to cause to burn” (e.g., to light a cigarette), “to make bright” (e.g., to light up a room, to be dimly lit).
Now, in “a light-emitting diode,” is the word “light” a noun? Does it mean “brightness”? In “a light diet,” is the word “light” an adjective? Does it mean “not much in quantity”? Can we say “We are lit by a new thing” instead of “We are lighted by a new thing”?
7. To “emit” is to send out. To “transmit” is to send over/ across from one person or place to another. Now, is heat emitted or transmitted by a stove? Is news emitted or transmitted via satellite? If the noun form of “emit” is emission, what is the noun form of “transmit”?
8. We use “era,” “epoch,” and “age” to describe a long period of time in history. We have now entered a new era/epoch/age. It is a nuclear era, an epoch of social revolution, and an age of materialism. Now, will the electronics engineer call our age an era of LEDs?
9. We have the word “oat,” but it is used as a modifier, as in “oatmeal,” “oat bran,” or “oat bread.” To refer to the crop or its grains, we usually use its plural form, oats, as in “growing oats for horses.” Now, do we grow corn or corns (meaning such crops as wheat and barley)? Do we grow maize or maizes (called “corn” in American English)?
Exercises
A. Fill each blank with a proper word.
An electronics engineer was talking to a d___, who was h___ of hearing. Part of the conversation w___ as follows:
E: We are now really led into a new e___. We are l___ by a new thing. It’s ___ LED. Do you know w___ LED is?
D: No, isn’t it the past t___ of L-E-A-D?
E: No, it’s a noun. But it’s not made f___ lead. N___ is it pronounced “led.” It’s an a____. It’s a light-emitting d____.
D: A what? A l___ diet?
E: A di-ode that sends ___ light, a vacuum t___ with a cold a___ and a heated c___.
D: A new diet, in___, since it has both cold and heated o___.
B. Choose the correct answer to each question.
1. An (a. electronic b. electronics) engineer was talking to a dotard.
2. The dotard was hard (a. in b. of) hearing.
3. Part of the conversation went as (a. follow b. follows).
4. We are now really (a. lead b. led) into a new era.
5. Do you know (a. what is LED b. what LED is)?
6. It is not made from (a. lead b. a lead).
7. It is a (a. light-emitting b. light-emitted) diode.
8. It is a diode that sends out (a. light b. a light).
9. It is a vacuum tube with a cold anode and a (a. heat b. heated) cathode.
10. It is a new diet, indeed, since it has both cold and heated (a. oat b. oats).
Homework
Search for information and write a report on one of the topics given below.
1. The LED as a New Light Source
2. Senility and Illness
3.
The Department of Electrical
Engineering in
4. Going on a Diet
5. The Era of Electronics
The Text (from J-210, Learning English from Jokes)
Shin and Chin
One day, a professor came to his first morning class. “This morning we’ll talk about migration,” he announced to the entire class. After the announcement, he noticed Tom resting his head sideways on his desk seemingly in a sound sleep. “Tom!” the professor called loudly. “Wake up! We’ll talk about mi-gra-TION!” To emphasize the topic, he intentionally separated the word into three distinct syllables and gave the last syllable an unusual stress. Tom woke up annoyed, only to mumble, “But your great shin is no greater than my chin!” With this mumble Tom then rested his chin on the desk, leaving the class in a din of laughter.
The Content
1. The text is a joke about a student called Tom. When he was wakened up from sleep in a morning class, he mistook the utterance of his professor’s lecture topic “migration” for that of “my great shin” and rested his chin on the desk after mumbling “your great shin is no greater than my chin.” This joke is surely interesting. Do you think the story is plausible?
2. To migrate is to move from one place to another. People as emigrants move out of a country and as immigrants move into another country. Not all journeys are true migrations, however. To be truly migratory in the strict sense, the move or movement needs to be a patterned activity, that is, it needs to have regularity and the travel needs to be a two-way travel. It is not a true migration if a cat chances to move its young away from their natal area, or if a school of fish happens to be dispersed from their habitat, since the change of places involved is not regular and it is only one-directional.
3.
Many birds, fish, beasts, and
insects are migrants in the strict sense.
They migrate on a regular basis, and they migrate back and forth between
two places, over distances ranging from a few meters to thousands of
kilometers, and with time scales ranging from daily to annually or longer. The most notable and spectacular beast
migration is the Great Migration of gnus (wildebeests), along with other
grazers such as zebras and gazelles, made annually between
4.
Animals migrate for various
purposes. It is found that the
wildebeest migration in
5. Besides feeding and breeding, there may be other motivations for living things to migrate. To escape from severe weather or from threatening predators is surely another practical purpose. Anyway, to migrate is to choose a way of life or a strategy to guarantee survival. When humans migrated from Eurasia via the Bering Strait to the Americas around 12,000 years ago, the ultimate reason for the migration was no other than today’s reason for emigrating from other countries and immigrating into the Americas: for a better life.
The Expression
1. To “announce” something is to say something or tell people about something publicly or officially. It is therefore synonymous with “declare” and “proclaim.” A lady may announce her engagement with her Mr. Right. A government official may announce that he is going to resign from office. A nation may announce that it has agreed to a cease-fire. The arrival/ delay/ departure of a plane or a train is often announced by means of a loudspeaker system. At a formal party, a guest is announced upon his or her arrival, and the meal (dinner for the party) is also announced and served when it is ready. At radio and TV stations, there are announcers to announce things (such as introducing programs, identifying the station, and reading news). Things may “announce” as well as people. A letter may announce the birth of a child. Footsteps may announce somebody’s return and the buzzer may announce his entrance to the door. “Announcement” is the act of announcing or being announced. “An announcement” is something announced. It can be a notice placed somewhere. A wedding announcement is often a printed card or even engraved notice. Now, as told in the joke, what did the professor announce? Was it a written or printed announcement?
2. Read the sentences below:
a. I saw him come near. I saw him coming near.
b. I heard her sing a song. I heard her singing a song.
c. I felt the house shake. I felt the house shaking.
Note that like “see,” “hear,” and “feel,” the verbs “notice,” “observe,” and “watch” and the phrasal verbs “listen to” and “look at” can be used in either sentence pattern: subject + vt + noun/pronoun + v/ v-ing. Now, what is the difference between “He noticed Tom rest his head on the desk” and “He noticed Tom resting his head on the desk”? Does the former sentence simply mean that “He noticed Tom’s act of resting his head on the desk” while the latter emphasizes that “He noticed that Tom was (still) resting his head on the desk”?
3. As a noun, “sound” is what we can hear. As a verb, to “sound” may mean “seem, from the sound or the manner of utterance,” as in “It sounds perfect to have a cup of coffee” or “She sounds like a rich widow.” As an adjective, “sound” may mean “healthy” (as in “a person of sound mind”), “safe or in good condition” (as in “the plane is structurally sound”), “reliable and sensible” (as in “a sound decision” and “a sound business”), and “thorough” (as in “a sound understanding”). “A sound punishment,” however, means “a severe punishment.” What, then, is “a sound sleep”? Does it mean “a sleep with snoring sounds” or “a deep sleep from which the sleeper is hard to wake”? In fact, to be in a sound sleep is to be fast asleep.
4. The verb “wake” is both transitive and intransitive. Its past tense form is “woke” or (in American English) “waked”; its past participle is “woken.” To wake is to stop sleeping. I usually wake at six when my wife has woken, but I woke/waked up at five this morning before she woke/waked. A tourist guide may say: “You will wake to a morning call, not to a quiet knocking on the door. If you wake up feeling hungry, you may have breakfast first at the dining room. But please make no noise lest you should wake the others.”
The word “waken” is a formal, literary word for “wake.” The noise of a door slamming will waken/wake many sleepers. They say women waken/wake (up) more easily than men. But why was Martha not wakened/woken up by the noise?
To be “awake” is to be in a state of not sleeping. A trifle may keep me awake and I often lie awake all night. He often drinks coffee to stay awake. He is wide awake to the present situation. “Awake” is also a verb, conjugated awoke, awoken, awaking. It is a literary word for “wake up.” They awoke to find several inches of snow before the door.
“Awaken” is also a formal word for “wake up.” However, it is often used to mean primarily “to make someone experience a feeling or emotion” as in “awaken one’s curiosity/sense of morality/ patriotism” or “to begin to be aware of or be made aware of” as in “He never awakens to danger/peril until it is too late” or “The disaster awakened him to man’s mortality.”
5. To be “distinct” is to be separate and different in a way that is clear. Things may be classified into several distinct groups. A country may be culturally distinct from another country. A distinct smell of something burning may come to you at times. To be “distinctive” is to be easy to recognize because of being different from others of the same type. A special coffee may have a distinctive flavor. Things with distinctive features are easier to recognize.
A “distinction” is a difference between two things. When the primary distinctions are blurred, the two companies seem to have no distinction at all. You may draw/make a distinction between the two. I can see the clear/sharp distinction. Note that a man of great distinction is a man with a great quality, skill, or feature.
You can distinctly hear/see/smell something. You can distinctly remember somebody or something. But can you speak slowly and distinctly?
6. As a noun, “stress” may mean “physical pressure” as in “the stress on your knee joints.” It may mean “spiritual pressure” as in “suffering from stress and anxiety.” If you work under stress for a long time, you may have stress-related illnesses. Sometimes, “stress” means “special importance given for attention,” as in “She lays/places/puts stress on good looks.” In linguistics, “stress” means “emphasis put on a word or syllable.” Now, on which syllable of the word “migration” did the professor give an unusual stress? Note that “stress” can also be used as a verb. You may stress the importance or value of something. You may stress that you are only an amateur. You may also stress a word or a syllable.
7. The construction “only to v.” may mean “with the only purpose of …,” as in “He said so only to please you” (He said so with the only purpose of pleasing you). In many cases, however, it may mean “with the only result of …,” as in “Byron left his own country, only to die abroad” (Byron left his own country with the only result of dying abroad). Now, what is meant by “Tom awoke annoyed, only to mumble …”?
8. “Shin” is the lower front part of the leg between the knee and the ankle. The fleshy back part of the leg between the knee and the ankle is called “calf.” “Chin” is the part of the face below the lower lip, or the projecting part of the lower jaw. Now, does a man’s beard grow on the chin and cheek while his mustache grows on the upper lip?
9. The phrase “no different from” is an emphatic way of saying “not different from,” equal in effect to “not at all different from.” Likewise, “no greater than” is an emphatic way of saying “not greater than,” equal in effect to “not at all greater than.” So, what is meant by “your shin is no greater than my chin”? Is it equal in effect to “your shin is not greater than my chin at all”?
10. To “rest” or to “take a rest” is to cease from work and get sleep, ease, repose, etc. To rest A on/in B is to let A lie or stay on/in B. While “a rest” is a period of time when one rests, “the rest” often means “the part that remains.” So, what is meant by “Tom rested his chin on the desk, leaving the rest of the class in a din of laughter”?
11. If you look or glance “sideways,” you look or glance towards one side by moving your eyes only without moving your head much. When you rest your head “sideways” on a desk, do you let one side of your head lie on the desk?
12. To “mumble” is to speak or say indistinctly and in a low voice, as with the mouth partly closed. The word is synonymous with “mutter” and “murmur.” A mumble is a mumbled sound or utterance. “Din” (U & C) is a loud, continuous noise. The audience often makes so much din that you can hear nothing. But the din may suddenly stop when the curtain is raised. During the performance, then, will a din of laughter rise up at times?
Exercises
A. Fill each blank with a proper word.
O___ day, a professor came to his first morning class. “This morning we’ll talk about migration,” he an___ to the entire class. After the announcement, he noticed Tom r___ his head side___ on his desk seemingly in a s___ sleep. “Tom!” the professor called l___. “Wake ___! We’ll talk about mi-gra-TION!” To emphasize the topic, he in___ly separated the word ___ three dis___ syllables and gave the last syllable an unusual s___. Tom w___ up annoyed, o___ to mumble, “But your great shin is no greater ___ my chin!” With this m___ Tom then rested his chin on the desk, leaving the class in a d___ of laughter.
B. Choose the correct answer to each question.
1. (a. Some b. One day), a professor came to his first morning class.
2. “This morning we’ll talk about migration,” he announced (a. to b. in) the entire class.
3. After the announcement, he noticed Tom (a. resting b. rested) his head (a. sideway b. sideways) on his desk seemingly in a sound (a. sleep b. asleep).
4. To emphasize the topic, he intentionally separated the word into three (a. distinct b. distinctive) syllables and (a. gave b. give) the last syllable an unusual stress.
5. Tom woke up (a. annoying b. annoyed), only to mumble, “But your great shin is (a. no more great b. no greater) than my chin!”
6. With this mumble Tom then rested his (a. shin b. chin) on the desk, leaving the class in a (a. tin b. din) of laughter.
Homework
Search for information and write a report on one of the topics given below.
1.
The Immigration Bureau of
2.
The Great Migration of Gnus in
3.
The Migration of the
Black-faced Spoonbill to
4. The Annual Migration of the Purple Butterfly
5. The Migration of the Pacific Salmon
The Text (from J-206, Learning English from Jokes)
The Weight of the
Make-up
Rachel rushed off their bathroom scales,
overjoyed. She almost bumped into
her husband and lost her balance.
Still, she managed to shout out clearly, “
The Content
1.
The text is a joke about a
woman called Rachel. She was
overjoyed to find she had lost almost two pounds, but her husband
2. Obesity or overfatness has become a modern problem. Like Rachel in the story, many women, and many men as well, will be pleased to “lose weight” so that they may enjoy “fitness,” rather than “fatness,” of stature and think they have got a better shape for beauty and health. Nowadays, therefore, fitness magazines are abundant and everywhere there are “fitness factories” for all “fitness fanatics.” In fact, physical fitness can be achieved only by constant attention to correct nutrition, exercise, hygiene and rest. Dieting and exercise are above all the mainstays of treatment for obesity. You may need particular food and recipes to reduce your weight. You may also need particular workout playlists for weight loss. Now, do you think Rachel was seeking fitness for beauty? Do you know what she had done for that purpose?
3. People use a balance to weigh things. A balance is an instrument with two matched shallow dishes or pans hanging from either end of a lever or bar supported exactly in the middle. Since either of the two shallow dishes or pans is called a scale, “the scales” are actually but another name for the balance. Today, any weighing machine is called either “a balance” or “the scales” (meaning “a pair/set of scales”). In American English, however, people may speak of “a weighing scale” instead of “the weighing scales.” Anyway, people use specialized medical scales or bathroom scales to measure the body weight of humans. If you tip the scales at 60 kilograms, the balance tells you that you weigh 60 kilograms. Now, where does a family usually put their “balance” or “scales” for knowing their body weights? Is it because they usually put the weighing device in the bathroom that the term “the bathroom scales” simply refers to a weighing instrument for that purpose?
4.
Besides being a pan or dish of
a balance, a “scale” is originally a ladder or a flight of stairs (cf., “escalator”). From this other meaning a “scale” comes
to mean a series of marks along a line, at regular or graduated intervals, used
in measuring or registering something.
A ruler may have a scale in
both centimeters and inches. A
thermometer may have a scale
indicating both Celsius and Fahrenheit degrees. In a map, the scale is the line marked off to indicate the proportion the map
bears to the thing it represents. Figuratively, we also have a social scale and a wage scale to indicate different ranks of people and different amounts
of wages. Now, do you think Rachel
and Arnold in the story were at the top of the
social scale? What is meant by “
5. Balance is a physical and mental state. If you keep your balance, you are able to remain steady and upright. If you lose your balance, you may tip or tilt to one side and fall down. It is said that an ear infection can affect one’s balance. In gymnastics, a balance beam is a long, horizontal wooden beam (i.e., bar) raised about four feet above the floor, on which women gymnasts perform balancing exercises such as jumps, turns, and running steps. People need a balanced diet. The society asks for balanced reporting. Among nations balance of power is expected. If your merits tip the balance/ the scales in your favor, your merits give you enough of an advantage to win something. If you are knocked off balance, you are very likely to fall down.
“Balance” can
refer to the amount of money you have in your bank account (as in “Your current balance is $
Now, does the story tell us anything about the balance of Rachel’s or Arnold’s bank account? Does it have anything to do with the international balance of trade or payments?
6. To “make up something” is to compose/ construct something. The “makeup” or “make-up” of something is the way in which something is put together, or the nature or constitution of something. The “makeup” or “make-up” may refer particularly to the way in which an actor is made up with a costume, cosmetics, etc., for a role, or to the costumes, cosmetics, wigs, etc., used. It may also refer particularly to all cosmetics (rouge, powder, lipstick, mascara, etc.) used to make up (the face of) a person, or to the way in which cosmetics are applied. Today, the makeup/cosmetic industry covers everything that enhances the appearance and odor of the human body, including skin-care creams, powders, lotions, perfumes, lipsticks, mascaras, nail polish, hair sprays, eyebrow gels, etc. Now, does the word “make-up” in the text refer to cosmetics as such?
The Expression
1. Read the sentences below:
a. Tom woke up annoyed.
b. Sam came in puzzled.
c. Susan left the office, dissatisfied with the answer.
d. Rachel rushed off their bathroom scales, overjoyed.
From these sentences we can see that the past participle form of a verb indicating a certain emotion is often used as a complement to describe the human subject.
2. Read the sentences below:
a. I was disappointed to see the lack of everything here.
b. She was surprised to find Tom lying there.
c. They will be grieved to hear of the suicide.
d. Rachel was overjoyed to hear the question.
From these sentences we can see the pattern of “human subject + be + p.p. of v. of emotion + to v. …” In a sentence like these, the infinitive phrase does not indicate “purpose”; it indicates “result.” In sentence d, for instance, Rachel was overjoyed not “for the purpose of hearing the question” but “as a result of hearing the question.” Note that one can be disappointed in a person or at not getting a job, surprised at a certain reaction, grieved for someone, and overjoyed at someone’s success.
3. Read the sentences below:
a. The story is interesting, isn’t it?
b. You had your hair cut last night, didn’t you?
c. That is not the way to do it, is it?
d. There was nothing wrong about it, was there?
e. You haven’t started making yourself up for today yet, have you?
f. You’ll patiently wait for me this time, won’t you?
g. Those would be discarded, wouldn’t they?
h. Let’s not agree to the plan, shall we?
Sentences like these contain the so-called “tag questions,” which are very common in English conversation. You have learned the rules of forming English tag questions, haven’t you? Now, use the above sentences as examples to help yourself review the rules.
4. Read the sentences below:
a. You haven’t started making/to make yourself up yet.
b. They began talking/to talk about their future.
c. I like cooking/to cook for a few friends.
d. You wouldn’t prefer staying/to stay outdoors, would you?
e. He’ll continue advising/to advise me.
These sentences show that certain verbs can take both a gerund and an infinitive as their direct objects. Some other verbs, however, can only take a gerund. For example, we do not say “She dislikes to wear red clothes”; we only say “She dislikes wearing red clothes” although both “She hates to wear red clothes” and “She hates wearing red clothes” are acceptable. Likewise, we do not say “He discontinued to come by bus”; we only say “He discontinued coming by bus.” Conversely, we only say “I expect to have their support”; we do not say “I expect having their support.” And we only say “She managed to shout out clearly”; we do not say “She managed shouting out clearly.”
5. The phrase “now that” or “seeing that” is used as a conjunction, equivalent to “since.” So, “Now that you are here, you’d better stay” says as much as “Since you are here, you’d better stay”; “You may well refuse him, seeing that he has refused you before” says as much as “You may well refuse him since he has refused you before.” Now, what is meant by “I will wait for you patiently this time, now that I know the weight of the make-up you put on every day”?
Exercises
A. Fill each blank with a proper word.
Rachel rushed ___ their bathroom scales,
o____. She almost bumped ___ her
husband and lost her balance.
Still, she managed to shout ___ clearly, “
B. Choose the correct answer to each question.
1. Rachel (a. rashed b. rushed) off their bathroom scales, overjoyed.
2. She almost (a. banged b. bumped) into her husband and lost her balance.
3. Still, she managed (a. shouting b. to shout) out clearly.
4.
“
5.
Upon hearing the news,
6. He finally said, “You haven’t started (a. making up b. making yourself up) for today (a. already b. yet), have you?”
7. Rachel was again overjoyed (a. to hear b. at hear) the question.
8. She answered promptly, “Not yet, dear, (a. but b. and) you’ll patiently wait for me this time, (a. will b. won’t) you?”
9. “Yes, of course, now (a. which b. that) I know the weight of the make-up you put on every day.”
10. Rachel was knocked (a. complete b. completely) off balance (a. by b. in) this weighty remark.
Homework
Search for information and write a report on one of the topics given below.
1. Obesity and Physical Exercise
2. Fitness and Balanced Diets
3. The Types of Weighing Machines
4.
The Social Scale in
5. The World’s Makeup Industry Today
The Text (from J-204, Learning English from Jokes)
Far Prettier?
A multitude of ants were attending a beauty pageant. Among the fifty that took part in the beauty contest, only five ants were selected as the year’s beauty queens and given the titles of Miss International, Miss Earth, Miss World, Miss Universe, and Miss Cosmos, respectively. While an aunt of Miss Cosmos was praising her as “indeed far prettier than the others,” a grasshopper happened to have hopped near by and heard the praise. After looking from one beauty queen to another and then from the queens to the other ants present, he commented: “Much prettier? Who is? Ants are all the same, ain’t they?”
The Content
1. The text is a fable, as it is a story using animals to teach a moral lesson. In the fable, a multitude of ants were holding a beauty pageant and fifty of them participated in the beauty contest. Among the five selected as the beauty queens of the year, the top one, titled Miss Cosmos, was praised by her aunt as “far prettier than the others.” As a chance onlooker of the pageant and an overhearer of the praise, a grasshopper could not see the point. His comment was: “Much prettier? Who is? Ants are all the same, ain’t they?” The moral lesson of this fable may be: Humans, like the ants, actually look all the same to other species of animals, though many people often vainly claim that they are “far prettier than others.”
2. In Aesop’s Fables, there is a fable called “The Grasshopper and the Ant (or Ants)” or “The Ant/Ants and the Grasshopper.” In that fable, a grasshopper spent the warm months singing while the ant (ants) worked hard to store up food for winter. When winter came, the grasshopper suffered from lack of food and asked for the ants’ help. The ants flatly refused to help and rebuked it by saying, “You sang very well. Now dance!” The moral lesson of this fable is: “Idleness brings want.” Comparing this Aesop’s fable with the fable in this unit, do you think the grasshopper has had a sort of revenge upon the ants?
3. In English, one’s “aunt” is a sister of one’s father (called 姑姑/姑媽/姑母 in Chinese), or a sister of one’s mother (阿姨/姨媽/姨母 in Chinese), or the wife of one’s paternal uncle (嬸嬸/伯母/叔母), or the wife of one’s maternal uncle (嬸嬸/舅媽/舅母). “Auntie” or “aunty” is a familiar or affectionate form (often used by children) for “aunt.” In practical conversation, however, “aunt” or “auntie/ aunty” may be used as an honorific to call any woman. In British English, the word “aunt” is pronounced like “aren’t.” In American English, the same word is often pronounced like “ant.” In the fable of this text, therefore, the ants attending the beauty pageant may imply the aunts (i.e. women) attending the pageant, and Miss Cosmos’s aunt may be truly her aunt or just a woman she chooses to call “aunt” in ants’ society. Anyway, it is a common practice for an aunt or woman to praise a beauty queen as “far prettier than others,” isn’t it?
4. A “pageant” is a colorful ceremony, parade, or show usually held out of doors. A “beauty pageant,” however, is actually a “beauty contest” in which there may be a series of events (including stage presentation with the swimsuit walk portion and the evening gown walk segments, personal interviews, individual performances, etc.) to judge on the contestants’ (women’s or girls’) beauty, physical fitness, wardrobe, poise, public speaking ability, community service, individual talent, etc. The winners of the contest are called “beauty queens,” and they may be awarded titles, tiaras or crowns and staffs, sashes, savings bonds, cash prizes, etc. Now, in the fable, how many of the ants are said to have been selected as the year’s “beauty queens”? Do you know what they were awarded besides titles?
5. Considered the world’s Big Four international beauty pageants, Miss International, Miss Earth, Miss World, and Miss Universe are true events with true titles. The Miss International Beauty Pageant is an annual international beauty pageant held since 1960. The Miss Earth Beauty Pageant has the ideal of promoting environmental awareness. The Miss World Beauty Pageant is also an annual event; it has been held since 1951. The Miss Universe Pageant held its 61st pageant on December 19, 2012. Now, is there an international beauty pageant called Miss Cosmos? If not, is it satirical to call another fictive beauty pageant “Miss Cosmos” since it sounds “bigger” or “greater” by name?
The Expression
1. The word “multitude” refers to a large crowd of people. “The multitude” or “the multitudes” are the ordinary people, synonymous with “the masses.” The phrase “a multitude of,” however, can be used to refer to a very large number of either people or things. A multitude of people may have walked on a carpet which hides/covers a multitude of sins (i.e., faults or problems). Note that “a host of” can also be used to refer to a lot of people or things. Note, too, that “a mass of” can be used to refer to either a large number or a large quantity. Thus, we may see a mass of protesters run away from a mass of smoke. Now, do we say “A multitude/ crowd/ number/ host/ mass of people or things is or are there”? Usually we prefer using “are” in such a case.
2. We may attend an event or activity, or we may participate in or take part in an event or activity. That is, we may go to an event or activity and join in it. But we still have to attend to a host of other matters and she needs to attend on her mistress. So, do you think we or she can join the multitude and take part in the pageant?
3. To “select” is to choose from a number of things of the same kind. The word can be used as an adjective. A select group is a group made up of the best of its kind. Select meat is the most desirable meat. Note that a select committee is a committee whose members are selected (from congressmen, assemblymen, etc.) to investigate and report back on a particular matter, while a selection committee is a group of people whose task it is to select someone or something for a particular purpose. Now, which is responsible for selecting the beauty queens in a beauty contest, a select committee or a selection committee?
4. “The universe” is the whole of space and all the stars, planets, and other forms of matter and energy in it. “The cosmos” is the literary term for “the universe.” “The world” is the planet of Earth including the people living on it. So, which sounds “greater,” Miss International/ Earth/ World or Miss Universe/ Cosmos?
5. The word “respectively” comes from “respective,” which in turn comes from “respect.” The word “respect” can be a verb or a noun. As a verb, it means “to feel admiration for someone” (e.g., to respect elders) or “to show appreciation of something” (e.g., to respect his opinion). As a noun, “respect” means not only a feeling of admiration or a show of appreciation but also “an aspect of something” (as in “The two fables differ in several respects”). Now, a person may be “respectable” (worthy of respect). Others may be “respectful” (showing respect) to him/her. They may have “respective” (separate) ways of showing respect. The person may like to be admired “respectively” (separately) and “respectfully” (with respect). Now, how were the five beauty queens given five titles, respectively or respectfully?
6. The word “far,” as well as the word “much,” is used as an adverb (meaning “to a great extent” or “a great deal”) to modify an adjective or adverb of the comparative degree. So, we can say “Miss Cosmos is far prettier (far more beautiful) or much prettier (much more beautiful) and runs much/far faster than the others, but she has far less or much less time and far fewer or much fewer friends.” However, when we want to use the same “far” to modify an adjective or adverb of the superlative degree, we say either “by far” or “far and away.” For example, we may say “She is by far the cleverest of the class” and “She has become far and away the most popular girl on the campus.” Now, is the grasshopper by far the wisest insect in the world?
7. To happen to do something is to chance to do something or to do something by chance. We often happen/chance to meet friends on the street. The word “nearby” (meaning “not far away”) is used as both an adjective and an adverb: e.g., “I bought it at a nearby shop”; “I asked some people living nearby.” As an adverb, “nearby” is the equivalent of “near by.” Now, is “nearby” or “near by” used in the fable?
8. The ants present are the ants which are present (not absent). The present ants are the now-existing (present-day) ants. Note also that the proper ants are the suitable ants while the ants proper are the ants themselves (disregarding other things related to them). Now, did the grasshopper present know that the grasshoppers proper are likewise all the same, though it knows that ants are all the same?
9. The word “comment” is a noun and a verb. As a noun, it is both countable and uncountable. As a verb, it is intransitive. Thus, it appears in contexts like these: to make sarcastic comments on his paper, to pass comment on her hairstyle, to decline to comment, to comment on the issue, to comment that the plan is unthinkable. Now, can we say “He commented my character wrongly” (without using “on” or “about”)?
10. The word “ain’t” was an early assimilation, with lengthened and raised vowel, of “amn’t,” which was the contracted form of “am not.” Later, the word was confused with “a’nt” (are not), “i’nt” (is not), and “ha’nt” (has not, have not). Today, the word, together with “an’t,” is accepted as the short for “am not” and also as a dialectal or substandard contraction for “am not,” “are not,” “has not” and “have not.” There are still authorities who defend “ain’t” as a proper colloquial contraction for “am not” in interrogative constructions such as “I’m going too, ain’t I?” Now, the grasshopper said, “Ants are all the same, ain’t they?” Is the “ain’t” here meant to equal “aren’t”? Did the grasshopper make a substandard use of the word (like an uneducated person)?
Exercises
A. Fill each blank with a proper word.
A m___ of ants were attending a beauty p___. Among the fifty that took p___ in the beauty contest, only five ants were selected ___ the year’s beauty queens and given the t___ of Miss International, Miss Earth, Miss World, Miss U___, and Miss C___, respectively. While an aunt of Miss Cosmos was praising her as “indeed f___ prettier than the others,” a grasshopper happened to h___ hopped near by and heard the praise. After looking from one beauty queen to a___ and then from the queens ___ the other ants present, he commented: “M___ prettier? Who is? Ants are ___ the same, ain’t they?”
B. Choose the correct answer to each question.
1. A multitude of ants (a. was b. were) attending a beauty pageant.
2. (a. Between b. Among) the fifty that (a. took b. made) part in the beauty contest, only five ants were selected as the (a. year b. year’s) beauty queens.
3. They were given the titles of Miss International, Miss Earth, Miss World, Miss Universe, and Miss Cosmos, (a. respectfully b. respectively).
4. An aunt of Miss Cosmos praised her (a. for b. as) “indeed far prettier than the others.
5. A grasshopper happened to have (a. hoped b. hopped) near by and heard the praise.
6. He looked from one beauty queen to another and (a. then b. than) from the queens to the other (a. present ants b. ants present).
7. He commented: “Who is much (a. more pretty b. prettier)?”
8. Ants are all the same, (a. ant b. ain’t) they?
Homework
Search for information and write a report on one of the topics given below.
1. The Fable I Like Best
2. The World’s Beauty Pageants
3. The Chinese Equivalents of “Uncle, Aunt, and Cousin”
4. The Miss International/ Miss Earth of 2013
5. The Miss World/ Miss Universe of 2013
The Text (from Tn-49, Today’s Tonic)
A Couple of Worriers
Allan and Jane are a couple, and they are a couple of worriers. Allan worries that as a cover the sky may collapse. Jane worries that as a patient she may relapse. Allan worries about the depression the whole world is undergoing. Jane worries about the impression she has left on her coterie. Allan will worry if a land is polluted. Jane will worry if her wine is diluted. Allan is worried by the report that the globe is growing warmer. Jane is worried by the evidence that her gloves are getting worn-out. Alan is worrying over the problem of how to decrease the poverty of some races. Jane is worrying over the question of how to increase the properties of her face. In short, Allan and Jane are really a perfect couple. Together they worry about both public and private matters.
The Content
1. The text is a portrayal of two “characters” (i.e., persons with particular characteristics), Allan and Jane, who are a couple (i.e., man and wife). They are portrayed as two (“a couple of”) worriers and described as “a perfect couple” in the sense that they are complementary (not complimentary) to each other, since “together they worry about both public and private matters.” Some typical examples of their worries are given in the portrayal. What do you think of the couple?
2. It is a stereotyped idea that men mind public matters while women want private welfare. This idea has been subject to the attack of feminists. Yet, we do find men like Allan and women like Jane, whose eyes and minds are respectively on public matters and private welfare. Now, have you found any “characters” to the contrary?
3. In Chinese legend, it is said that there was “a man of Chi (or Qi)” (杞人), who worried needlessly that the sky, as a cover, might fall down (“collapse”). Now, is Allan like the man?
4. The patient of an illness, like an addict to smoking, alcohol, drugs, etc., may “relapse” (i.e., return to a prior condition; fall or slide back into a former state). It is said that like most mental illnesses, some skin diseases such as acne (with pimples), dermatitis (including skin inflammation due to nervous stimulation), dry skin, hives (with red itchy spots on the skin, related to food allergy), and rashes (with areas of small, red spots on the skin) are quite easy to have relapses. Now, we are told in the text that Jane worries that she may relapse as a patient. But do we know what illness or disease she has had that may have a relapse?
5.
A forlorn lover may suffer from
“depression” (i.e., unhappiness in mood or “low
spirits”), and so may an individual who suddenly loses his/her parent or
child. A nation or even the whole
world may suffer from “a depression” (i.e., a period of time when there is “low hope” or very little economic
activity). In the
6. “Pollution” (i.e., contamination of the natural environment) is a serious, global problem. There are air pollution, water pollution, and soil pollution. The pollutants or contaminants may be chemical substances or energetic forms (heat, light, noise, etc.). Nuclear radiation is now most feared. Movements for environmental protection are therefore undertaken everywhere. It is said in the text that Allan will worry if a land is polluted. Now, do you think Allan knows what will pollute a land?
7. “Global warming” (i.e., rise of our globe’s average temperature) is a big environmental problem. Its effects include a rise in sea levels, a change in the pattern and quantity of precipitation (rainfall, snowfall, etc.), and an expansion of deserts. The frequent occurrence of extreme weather events such as heat waves and heavy rainfalls is attributed to global warming. We begin to worry that the ice in the Polar areas will melt too soon and disappear on a large scale. We also worry that ocean acidification will result in species extinction. Now, do you think Allan has such worries in mind?
8. Women (and men as well) often use cosmetics and/or other (physical) means to increase the good “properties” (i.e., nice qualities or features) of their faces. Do you know what cosmetics or means Jane has been using to increase her facial properties?
The Expression
1. The word “worry” is both a verb and a noun. As a verb, it is transitive and intransitive. A dog may worry sheep. A person may worry himself/ herself about something. Someone may also worry about/ at/ over something or worry that something will happen, although we often tell them not to worry. As a noun, “worry” is countable when it means “a problem or possibility that makes one feel worried.” Many people have financial worries, and many have worries about pollution levels. In big cities, a major worry for women is walking home at night. When “worry” means “the state or feeling of being worried,” it is an uncountable noun. Many people fall ill with worry, and bankruptcy is a source of worry. Now, as worriers, do Allan and Jane worry (actively) or are they worried (passively) most of the times?
2. To “undergo” (conjugated underwent, undergone, undergoing) is to go through. It is to experience something, especially something that is necessary but unpleasant. Some patients need to undergo surgery or an operation while others may just need to undergo ordinary treatment. Sometimes, to “undergo” is to experience a process of change. A city, like a man, may undergo some stages of development. Now, what is the world undergoing that makes Allan worry?
3. A “coterie” is a small, select group of people who do things together or a close circle of friends who share a common interest or background. The word is synonymous with “circle” and “clique.” Does Jane have a coterie of her own? Does she worry that she may leave some bad impressions on her coterie?
4. To “dilute” is to make a liquid less strong by adding water or another liquid to it. Wine is often diluted with water. Bleach often has to be diluted in water before it is used. Does Jane worry that her wine is diluted?
5. To be “worn-out” or “worn out” is to be too old or too damaged to use any longer. Every day there are worn-out clothes or shoes sent to garbage cans. Metaphorically, people may look worn-out (i.e., exhausted or extremely tired) if they overwork themselves or lack sleep. Now, what are getting worn-out that worry Jane?
6. The word “evidence” is usually an uncountable noun, meaning “facts or signs collectively that help to prove something.” So, do we say “evidences show” or “evidence shows” that global warming is definitely occurring? Sometimes, “evidence” can be used as a transitive verb, as in “It is evidenced that we are now undergoing an economic depression.”
7. While “properties” (as a countable, plural noun) means “qualities or features,” “property” (as an uncountable noun) means “valuable things collectively that are owned by someone.” Everyone has his/ her personal property. Receiving stolen property is a crime. A property developer needs to pay a high property tax. Today, intellectual property is sometimes valued above real estate. Occasionally, “properties” refer to the land and the buildings on it. Now, do we know Allan and Jane have any properties anywhere? Are they wealthy property owners? Do they have the sign of “Private Property, Keep Out!” erected anywhere?
8. In some contexts as in “In short, Allan and Jane are a perfect couple,” we can replace “in short” with “in brief” or “in a word.”
Exercises
A. Fill each blank with a proper word.
Allan and Jane are a c___, and they are a c___ of worriers. Allan worries that as a cover the sky may c___. Jane worries that as a patient she may re___. Allan worries about the de___ the whole world is under___. Jane worries about the im___ she has left on her c___. Allan will worry if a land is p___. Jane will worry if her wine is d___. Allan is worried by the report ___ the globe is growing warmer. Jane is worried by the e___ that her gloves are getting w___. Alan is worrying ___ the problem of how to decrease the poverty of some r___. Jane is worrying ___ the question of how to increase the p___ of her face. In short, Allan and Jane are really a p___ couple. Together they worry about ___ public and private matters.
B. Choose the correct answer to each question.
1. Allan and Jane (a. is b. are) a couple, and they are a couple of worriers.
2. Allan worries (a. that b. which) as a cover the sky may collapse.
3. Jane worries that as (a. patient b. a patient) she may relapse.
4. Allan worries (a. of b. about) the depression the whole world is undergoing.
5. Jane worries about the impression she has left (a. on b. in) her coterie.
6. Allan will worry if a land is (a. poluted b. polluted).
7. Jane will worry if her wine is (a. diluted b. dilluted).
8. Allan is worried (a. in b. by) the report that the globe is growing warmer.
9. Jane is worried by the (a. evidence b. evidences) that her gloves are getting worn-out.
10. Alan is worrying (a. with b. over) the problem of how to decrease the poverty of some races.
11. Jane is worrying over the question of how to increase the (a. property b. properties) of her face.
12. In (a. short b. shortage), Allan and Jane are really a perfect couple. (a. Together b. Altogether) they worry about both public and private matters.
Homework
Search for information and write a report on one of the topics given below.
1. Recovery and Relapses of Diseases
2. The World’s Economic Depression in 1930s
3. Pollution as a Global Problem
4. Global Warming as an Environmental Problem
5. Cosmetics and Facial Features
The Text (from Tn-3, Today’s Tonic)
A Dwarf at the Wharf
A dwarf dwelled in
The Content
1.
The text is an anecdote about a
dwarf dwelling in
2. In former times, people who were much smaller than normal were called dwarfs. In children’s fancy (or imagination), a dwarf is a small man and dwarfs often have magical powers. In the famous fairy tale Snow White, there are seven dwarfs who allow Snow White to stay with them and twice saved her from murder attempted by the wicked Queen. Now, does the dwarf in our anecdote have any magical power?
3.
4. A warship is a vessel built and intended for combat (in wartime). It is usually designed to withstand damage, and it usually moves faster and is easier to maneuver than a merchant ship. It carries weapons, ammunition, supplies for the crew instead of cargo. Sometimes it becomes a troop carrier or a supply ship. Since the days of galleys and sails, warships have had continuous development. During World War II, the world saw the appearance of many strong and powerful battleships, cruisers, destroyers, torpedo boats, submarines, and aircraft carriers. Today, new models of warships belonging to the above-mentioned categories as well as to frigates, corvettes, amphibious assault ships, etc., keep coming to strengthen the world’s navies. Did the dwarf ever see a real warship of any type?
5. Unlike warships, commercial vessels or merchant ships (sometimes called merchantmen) are designed to transport cargo or passengers. They vary largely in size and shape. They include ordinary cargo ships (freighters), bulk ships, container ships, oil tankers, coasters, passenger ships, cruise ships, ferries, and pleasure boats or racing yachts. Many merchant ships are certainly smaller than warships. Some modern merchant ships (e.g., ocean liners and oil tankers), however, have a far greater tonnage or “displacement” than ordinary warships. Now, was the tall (merchant) ship the dwarf saw far bigger than a warship?
6. Both warships and merchant ships need harbors to tie up in. A harbor is an area of the sea at the coast which is partly enclosed by land or strong walls, so that ships or boats can be left there safely. It is no other than a port (i.e., a seaport, not an airport) where ships may take refuge from storms or are provided with accommodation for seagoing. Harbors or ports have wharfs/ wharves, docks, or piers. A wharf is a structure (sometimes roofed over) built (with wood or stone) at the shore of a harbor, river, or lake for ships to lie alongside, as during loading or unloading. A dock is an enclosed (and excavated) area in a harbor, equipped with floodgates, where ships go (between voyages) to be loaded, unloaded, and repaired. A pier is a structure built out over the water and supported by pillars or piles, used as a landing place, pleasure pavilion, etc. Now, where did the dwarf see a tall ship, at a wharf or at a pier?
The Expression
1. If you dwell in a place, you live there. If you dwell on something, you keep thinking, speaking, or writing about it for a long time. Now, where did the dwarf dwell? On what did he dwell? Note that a dwelling or a dwelling place is a place where someone lives, and a dweller is someone living somewhere. Now, was the dwarf a city dweller?
To “reside” is to dwell or stay in a place. College students often reside in university residence halls. A “residence” is a house where people live. A person’s place of residence is the place where the person lives. One may take up residence in a place. One may want to apply for permanent residence in a country. Many people apply for American residency. Foreigners found without residency cards may be fined or imprisoned. If you have a residency card, you can live there as a qualified resident of the country. Now, we can say a resident is a dweller, but can we say a resident/ dweller is a “liver”?
2. “Wares” (usually plural) are goods. They are articles of manufacture or merchandise. They may refer particularly to the things sold in the street or in a market, including chinaware, glassware, and such hardware or metalware as copperware, ironware, silverware, and tinware. Now, do we know what “wares” the dwarf saw the tall ship was loading or unloading with?
3. In English-speaking countries, the person called “warden” may be one charged with the care or custody of persons, animals, or things (= a keeper), or the chief administrative officer in charge of a prison, or a public official charged with superintendence, as over a port, wildlife, etc., or the chief executive officer of a borough, or the principal official in a region, town, etc., or the president or governor of a school or college, or the head of a county or a local council. A fire warden has authority in the prevention or extinguishing of fires, as in towns or camps. An air-raid warden is a civilian having police duties during an air-raid alert. Now, what is the “warden” mentioned in the anecdote?
4.
A “precinct” is a district, as
of a city, marked out for a certain purpose (e.g., a police precinct, a shopping precinct, a pedestrian precinct). The “precincts” are the parts or regions
immediately surrounding a place; they refer, in fact, to the buildings and land
of an institution (e.g., the precincts
of a temple, a harbor, a presidential house, etc.). Now, in the precincts of what did the warden have his wardship? Was it in the precincts of
5. Read the sentences below;
a. Long, long ago, a lady dwelled in a cottage far, far away from town.
b. She planted many, many flowers and buried her mind deep, deep in her flora.
c. Once, she said, “My heart is like a red, red rose that has turned into a black, black tulip.”
In sentences like these, we see that some English adjectives or adverbs can be repeated for the effect of emphasizing a very high degree of something. We feel that “long, long,” “far, far,” “many, many,” “deep, deep,” “red, red,” “black, black,” etc., are more emphatic than “very long,” “very far,” “very many,” “very deep,” “very red,” “very black,” etc. Now, does the phrase “a warship is much, much bigger” also sound more emphatic than “a warship is very much bigger”?
6. Read the sentences below:
a. I found her working at her desk.
b. We left him waiting outside.
c. I caught a boy stealing her purse.
d. You’d better start the engine running.
e. We’ll soon get things going.
f. This set me thinking of my mother.
g. The kick sent him flying to the wall.
In sentences like these, we have the pattern of “subject + verb + object + v-ing.” To “set” somebody doing something is to make somebody (begin to) do something. So, what is meant by “This reply set the dwarf dwelling on the possible size of a real warship”?
7. To “whirl” round/ around is to move or turn round/ around very quickly. “A whirl of something” is a rapid round of something. A “whim” is an odd or capricious idea, notion, or desire. So, what is “a whirl of whims”? Is it a rapid round of strange ideas, notions, or desires?
8. A “wart” is a small, usually hard, abnormal elevation/ protuberance on the skin. To put it simply, a wart is a small lump which grows on one’s skin. Warts are often considered to be physical defects, although some warts in certain parts of the body are believed to be marks of bliss or weal. When you say “I love her warts and all,” you mean “I love her as she is, including all her faults.” Now, do we know whether or not the wart in the warden’s face was a mark of bliss or weal?
9. The word “ward” can be a noun or a verb. A “ward” can be a large room in a hospital with beds for people to stay in. There are nurses working in a geriatric/ maternity/ psychiatric/ surgical ward. A “ward” can also be a person, especially a child, who is officially being looked after by a court of law or by a guardian. A child without parents may become a ward of court. To “ward off something” is to prevent the harm of something. In the States, people can carry guns to ward off attacks. Now, did the warden work in a ward? Was the dwarf a ward? What did the dwarf fail to ward off?
10.
The sentence “The tall ship was but a dwarf, compared with a warship” means as much as “The tall ship was only a dwarf, if it is compared with a warship.” Today, “compared with …” can be
substituted by “compared to ….” So,
the same sentence can become “The tall ship was but a dwarf, compared to a
warship.” Now, is
11. To “dwindle” is to become gradually less or smaller over a period of time until almost nothing remains. Allan is aware that our natural resources are dwindling. Jane is aware that her dream for a better life has dwindled away into a nightmare. Now, in the dwarf’s fancy, what had the wharf dwindled to? Had it dwindled to a wart in the face of the port?
12.
Note that we say “a high mountain”
but “a tall boy.” In
Exercises
A. Fill each blank with a proper word.
A dwarf d___ in
B. Choose the correct answer to each question.
1.
A dwarf dwelled (a. in b. on)
2. He saw wars, indeed, but he never saw a real (a. warship b. wardship).
3. (a. Some b. One) day, the dwarf was brought to a wharf.
4. There he saw a (a. high b. tall) ship loading and unloading with wares.
5. “Is it a warship?” the dwarf asked a warden who had the (a. warship b. wardship) of the (a. precinct b. precincts).
6. “No, a warship is much, much (a. big b. bigger),” replied the warden.
7. This reply set the dwarf dwelling (a. in b. on) the possible size of a real warship.
8. While a whirl of whims kept (a. to come b. coming) to him, suddenly he found a wart in the warden’s face.
9. Then he found he could not ward off the fancy (a. which b. that) the tall ship was but a dwarf, (a. compared b. comparing) with a warship.
10. The wharf had dwindled (a. to b. at) a wart in the face of the port.
Homework
Search for information and write a report on one of the topics given below.
1.
The Wars
2. Dwarfs and Giants in Fairy Tales
3. Today’s Warships
4. The World’s Big Harbors
5.
The Text (from Tn-6, Today’s Tonic)
A Cycle-Path Psychopath
“Are you insane?”
“Why, yes, I’ve plowed the sand.”
“What a lunatic you are!”
“Why, yes, I’m a loon at it.”
“I say you’re a bedlamite.”
“Why, yes, I’m abed, but not a lame mite.”
After this exchange, the cyclist up and got on his bicycle and raced frantically fast again down the cycle path. The other man could only add: “What a psychopath!”
The Content
1.
The text is a funny story about
a monomaniac (i.e., a wildly insane person who has an excessive interest in or
enthusiasm for one particular thing) called
2. People can be abnormal in either body or mind. A giant or a dwarf is abnormal in body. A person abnormal in mind is a mentally disordered person. There are many categories of mental disorder. People may suffer from anxiety disorder (such as a phobia or post-traumatic stress), mood disorder (such as melancholia or depression), thought disorder (such as delusion or schizophrenia), personality disorder (such as paranoia or narcissus complex), or other disorders related to eating, sleep, sexual behavior, gender identity, impulse control, memory, child development, etc. (such as anorexia nervosa, insomnia, dyspareunia, transvestitism, kleptomania, amnesia, and autism).
Now, as a type of mental disorder, monomania occurs to a person who is preoccupied or obsessed with a
particular idea, object, or emotion.
A miser, for instance, is preoccupied or obsessed with money; an
ambitious man has the monomania for power.
As described in the text of this unit, then, with what is
3.
Bicycling or biking is a kind of cycling
(which includes riding a unicycle, tricycle, or motorcycle as well as a bicycle). It has been a good mode of
transportation (especially in underdeveloped countries). Today, however, it has become one of the
most-often-seen outdoor sports.
Many cyclists (also called bikers or bicyclists) will cycle together
along cycle paths which are created for their sport. International cycling activities or
contests are even held frequently in some
countries. But the cyclists are not
maniacs if they do not pursue their interest to excess and do not disregard
their health, safety, or business for the sake of cycling. Now,
4.
Cycling has the benefits of
reducing the consumption of fossil fuels, lessening air and noise pollution,
mitigating traffic congestion, providing physical exercise, being easier for
parking, and having better access to roads or paths. It is thus becoming increasingly popular
as a means of transportation or as a sport. Its increasing popularity has made a
booming industry of manufacturing bicycles for sale. Bikes of various sizes, weights,
structures, and styles for various road conditions and purposes have been
designed and brought forth.
5.
Within towns or cities, roads or
streets may have bike/cycle lanes for bikers/ cyclists to ride
in. Sometimes they even have bike/cycle
tracks, which are separated bicycle facilities running alongside
roadways. Such tracks are separated
from automobile traffic, sometimes by a physical barrier such as a buffer or a
curb. Outside of towns or cities,
the bike lanes or cycle tracks may become cycle
paths which may lead through hills or vales, plains or plateaus, fields or
forests. In many countries, there
are cycle routes and maps of the
routes made available to cyclists.
There may even be stops at a route, where special facilities are
provided for the convenience of the bikers. Now, does
The Expression
1.
“Mad” is synonymous with crazy, frantic, frenzied, insane, lunatic, and maniacal. “Madness” is synonymous with craze or craziness, delirium, frenzy, hysteria, insanity, lunacy, and mania. “Madman” is
synonymous with bedlamite, crazy, lunatic, maniac, and psychopath. Now, can we say
2. A “cycle” is a series of events that happen again and again in the same order or at the same times. Mankind lives in cycles of war and peace. A “cycle” is also a set of things done as part of a process, as by a machine. A washing machine has a rinse cycle. A “cycle” sometimes refers to a set of literary or musical works. An Arthurian cycle is a set of stories about King Arthur. Finally, a “cycle” can be a bicycle or (in American English) a motorcycle. To “cycle” is to pass through a cycle or to recur/occur in cycles. In some parts of the world, only two seasons cycle year after year. To “cycle” is also to use a bicycle or motorcycle. Many college students cycle to school. Note that to “recycle” things is to process and use them again after they have already been used. Today, domestic waste such as bottles and sheets of paper is collected for recycling. Normally, cyclists only cycle; they do not recycle things although they may help collect recyclable materials.
3.
We use the idiom “rain or shine”
to mean “unaffected by the weather or other circumstances.” What does
4. The colloquial idiom “up and” means “suddenly” or “abruptly.” In the idiom, “up” is a verb, but you can use either “upped” or “up” to refer to a past action. So, “the cyclist up and got on his bicycle” can be changed to “the cyclist upped and got on his bicycle.” This idiom is very special, isn’t it?
5.
To “sway” is to move or swing
or cause something to move or swing from side to side. Branches often sway in the wind. If
you carry a pail while walking, it may sway
in your hand. When people dance,
they often sway their hips. To “sway” is also to influence or change
someone’s opinion.
6.
To “sprawl” is to sit or lie
with one’s arms and legs stretched out in different directions. To “send somebody sprawling” is to hit
someone with so much force that they fall down lying with arms and legs spread
out in different directions. When
7.
People with mental illnesses
used to be confined in a “madhouse.”
Now, they are kept in a “mental hospital.” The old-fashioned word for a mental
hospital is “asylum.” Sometimes a
lunatic/ insane asylum is called a “snake pit” or a “cuckoo’s nest.” Originally, “Bedlam” (in full, St. Mary of Bethlehem) was an old insane
asylum. Later, Bedlam was a
hospital in
8. To “rebuke” is to blame or scold in a sharp way. A “rebuke” is a sharp reprimand, or a sharp act of blaming or scolding. Have you ever been rebuked by your parents?
9.
The word “why” is often used as
a question adverb or a relative adverb.
In spoken English, it is also often used as an interjection, at the
beginning of a comment or reply, for showing surprise. When
10.
“Plow” is the American English
spelling for “plough.” A
plough/plow is a piece of farm equipment used for turning over the soil before
putting seeds into it. To “plow/plough”
is to turn over the soil with such a piece of farm equipment. To “plow the sand/ sands” (instead of
plowing the soil or mud) is to work in vain or to do something useless. Now, did the rebuker “plow the sand/
sands” in rebuking
11.
As mentioned above, a “loon”
may refer to a crazy or foolish person.
12.
When he was rebuked as a bedlamite,
13.
The suffix “-ite” (as in “Israelite”)
means “descendant, inhabitant, or citizen.” So, a bedlamite is a person from a
bedlam. The prefix “a-” in “abed”
(or in aboard, afoot, ashore, etc.)
means “on.” But “a-” can also mean “up”
(as in awake), or “in the act of or
in the state of” (as in asleep, a-crying, a-wandering, etc.), or “of” (as in akin), or even “not” (as in amoral,
apathy, etc.). As a combining form, “patho-” or “-pathy”
means “suffering, disease, or feeling.”
Thus, pathology is a study of
the causes of diseases and how they affect people. A pathogen
is a microorganism or virus that can cause disease. If you have sympathy, you have “the same feeling”; if you cannot hide your antipathy, you cannot hide “the feeling
of not liking.” Now, if “psycho-”
means “of the mind,” what then is meant by a “psychopath”? Is
Exercises
a. Fill each blank with a proper word.
“Are you in___?”
“Why, yes, I’ve p___ the sand.”
“What a l___ you are!”
“Why, yes, I’m a l___ at it.”
“I say you’re a b___.”
“Why, yes, I’m a___, but not a lame m___.”
After this exchange, the cyclist up ___ got on his bicycle and r___ frantically fast again d___ the cycle path. The other man could only a___: “What a p___!”
B. Choose the correct answer to each question.
1.
2. He is a maniac (a. or b. and) a madman.
3. His madness is seen (a. in b. on) his monomania.
4. He has a mania or craze (a. in b. for) cycling.
5. He cycles every day, rain (a. and b. or) shine.
6. One rainy day he was seen (a. ride b. riding) frantically fast along a cycle path.
7. As the path (a. is b. was) wet and slippery, his bike suddenly swayed to one side and sent him (a. sprawled b. sprawling) in a sand pit near by.
8. Someone came to (a. rebuke on b. rebuke) him.
9. But this exchange of words (a. was b. were) heard.
10. “Are you (a. insane b. in sand)?” “Why, yes, I’ve plowed the (a. sane b. sand.”
11. “What (a. lunatic b. a lunatic) you are!” “Why, yes, I’m a loon (a. at b. of) it.”
12. “I say you’re a bedlamite.” “Why, yes, I’m abed, but not a (a. lamb b. lame) mite.”
13. After this exchange, the cyclist up and got (a. on b. in) his bicycle and raced (a. frantic b. frantically) fast again down the cycle path.
14. The other man could only add: “What (a. psychopath b. a psychopath)!”
Homework
Search for information and write a report on one of the topics given below.
1. Monomania as a Mental Illness
2. The Classification of Mental Illnesses
3. The Advantages of Biking
4.
5.
The Available Cycle Routes in
The Text (from Tn-46, Today’s Tonic)
A Mangled Man?
There was a manufacturer of manacles. He was a manly man with manifold gifts. He could manipulate his customers and maneuver things well. He could manage his firm and manifest his humor. One winter, he wore a mantle and sat by a fireplace in his mansion. He gave a mandate. Then a lady manicurist came in, put her kit on the mantelpiece, and began to give him a manicure. While manicuring, the lady asked the man, “What’s your favorite manner?” “Manor?” rejoined the man, “the bigger, the better.” The lady then said, “But my manual skill can only curtail your nails.” Manifestly, there was misunderstanding between the manufacturer and the manicurist. Finally, after it was cleared up, the lady laughed in such a manner that her scissors cut deep into the man’s nail. Then, “Man alive!” cried the man, adding, “I’m mangled!”
The Content
1. The text is about a laughable misunderstanding between a manly man who was a manufacturer of manacles and a lady manicurist who was called to give him a manicure in his mansion. While manicuring, the lady asked to know his favorite manner of manicuring. The man thought that she had asked to know his favorite manor. So he answered, “The bigger, the better.” After the misunderstanding was cleared up, the lady laughed in such a manner that her scissors cut deep into the man’s nail. In response to the cut, the man said humorously with exaggeration, “Man alive! I’m mangled!” Is this an interesting joke?
2. A manufacturer is a person or a company that manufactures a product. The world has as many manufacturers as it has products. One manufacturer may make bottles, another may make paste, a third may make labels, and a fourth may make machines for putting things in bottles or making machines for pasting labels on bottles. On a label, information about the product is given, including its manufacturer (with name, address, etc.). Now, does a manufacturer of manacles make such man’s articles as shackles (handcuffs or fetters) to be locked onto the wrists or ankles of a prisoner?
3.
A mandate is not a man’s
date. It is an authoritative order
or command, especially a written one.
A mandate is often issued from
a higher court or official to a lower one.
Formerly, the
4. A manicurist is a person whose work it is to give manicures (i.e., do the services of trimming and polishing the fingernails). A manicurist is often a woman. Those who need manicuring are mostly ladies, though a man like the manufacturer in our story may also want to be manicured. Today, manicuring is a cosmetic beauty treatment not only for the fingernails but also for the hands. Some manicures are even extended to services for the toenails and the feet. Manicuring is done either at home or in a salon. A manicure may consist of filing and brushing the nails (with nail files and nail brushes), shaping their free edges (with scissors), applying nail polish to the nails, painting pictures or designs on the nails, applying decals, jewels, nail gels, or fake nails, doing massage, and treating the hands or feet with lotion or softening substances. Now, did the manufacturer have his manicure at home or in a salon? Was his manicurist a male or a female? Do we know what his manicure consisted of?
5.
In
Note that a “mansion”
was formerly a manor house (the main residence in a manor estate), but it now
refers generally to a large, imposing house or a stately residence. In
6. Normally, a man is expected to be manly (i.e., having the qualities generally regarded as those that a man should have) and a woman is expected to be womanly (i.e., having characteristics of a woman). However, do you know what the manly qualities or womanly characteristics are? Traditionally, for instance, we think that to be manly is to be brave, honorable, resolute, strong, or virile, and to be womanly is to be considerate, domestic, passionate rather than rational, or tender-hearted. Now, is a manly man clever, skillful, and humorous? Is a womanly woman careful, economical, and merciful? Note that bad qualities such as cruelty do not make manliness; bad characteristics such as capriciousness only make a woman “womanish,” rather than “womanly.”
The Expression
1. In the text of this unit, there are many words beginning with “man-,” “mani-,” or “manu-.” The prefix means “hand.” So, to “manage” is to handle or, originally, to do with the hand. A “mandate” is something (a written order or command) put into one’s hand. To “maneuver” was, originally, to work or operate by hand, meaning now “to engage in a tactical or strategic movement or procedure as a skillful or shrewd step toward some objective.” To “manicure” is to take care of the hand (cf., “pedicure,” treating of the feet). To be “manifest” is to be evident or palpable as “struck by the hand.” Originally, “manner” was the way or method of using the hand. To “manipulate” is to handle or operate as with the hand or hands. To be “manual” is to be “of or having to do with a hand or the hands.” To “manufacture” is to “make with hands (in a factory).” Now, what is a “manuscript”?
2. In some words, “man-“ means “remain, dwell, stay, etc.” instead of “hand.” So, a “manor” or a “mansion” is a place (residence) for people to remain or stay in. Combined with other words, “man-“ or “mani-” may have meanings other than “hand” or “remain.” In manifold, for instance, “mani-“ means “many or plenty.” We know “mania” is an illness of the mind. Yet, we do not know why to “mangle” means to “mutilate or disfigure by repeatedly and roughly cutting, tearing, hacking, or crushing.” Do you know why a “mantle” is a loose, sleeveless cloak or cape while a “mantel” or “mantelpiece” is a shelf above the opening of a fireplace?
3. While words with the same meaning are synonyms, words with the same sound are homonyms. In the text of this unit, “manner” and “manor” are homonyms; “mantel” and “mantle” are also homonyms. Is “ware” homonymic with “wear”? Homonyms often bring about jokes. What are the two words as homonyms that bring about the joke in this unit? Will it be a joke if a wife asks her husband to buy some “wear” (evening wear, sports wear, children’s wear, etc.), but what he brings home is some “ware” (pottery such as dishes, cups, and teapots made of clay)?
4. If there is a “twofold/ threefold/ fourfold (or, two-fold/ three-fold, four-fold)” increase in something, there is twice/ thrice/ four times as much increase in it. If traffic has or cars have increased “twofold/ threefold/ fourfold (or, two-fold/ three-fold, four-fold),” it has increased twice/ thrice/ four times as much or they have increased twice/ thrice/ four times as many. Now, what is a man with manifold gifts? Is he a man with many (sorts of) talents? Does a policeman have manifold duties?
5. To “manipulate” is to operate artfully in order to influence someone or control something (usually in a clever but dishonest way). A public speaker knows how to manipulate the audience. Some politicians try to manipulate the figures known to them. In a good sense, to “manipulate” is to handle or use something skillfully. A pilot knows how to manipulate the controls (i.e., instrument or apparatus) in front of him. There is a manifold increase of genetically manipulated plants. As a medical term, to “manipulate” is to use hands to move or press part of the body as part of the medical treatment. As computer language, to “manipulate” is to correct, change, or move information stored on a computer. Now, is a manufacturer usually good at manipulating his customers? Has any manipulation ever practiced on you for treatment of your illness?
6. The word “maneuver” (American spelling) or “manoeuvre” (British spelling) is both a noun and a verb. As a noun, it means an action or movement involving care or skill to do. Like manipulation, it can be clever but dishonest. To overtake a speeding vehicle is a difficult maneuver. To win an election is a complicated maneuver. As a military term, a “maneuver” is a planned movement involving soldiers, vehicles, ships, or planes in a particular place. The word in its plural form often means “a military training operation” (as in “Many units will take part in the yearly, American-Korean, joint maneuvers”). As a verb and a synonym of “manipulate,” to “maneuver/ manoeuvre” is to handle or to perform/operate skillfully or shrewdly (and maybe dishonestly with strategy or tactics). You may need to maneuver your car through heavy traffic. A clever guy may easily maneuver himself into an important position. Now, do you know what the things are that the manufacturer can maneuver well?
7. A “firm” is a business company or a partnership of two or more persons. It can refer to any business company, whether or not unincorporated. Yet, it is often distinguished from a corporation. While a corporation is a large company or business organization legally regarded as a person apart from the members forming it, a firm is a smaller company and it is not legally recognized as a person apart from the members forming it. A firm refers especially to one providing professional or financial services. We have a building firm, an engineering firm, a law firm, etc. We also have a firm of accountants, a firm of architects, a firm of solicitors, etc. If a company is owned and run by all the people who work for it, it is called a “cooperative.” In a community, there may be an “organic food cooperative.” Most businessmen, however, do not own a firm or a cooperative. They own a “business,” which is a company selling goods or providing a service, especially one owned and run by one person or a small group of people. A cook may start a catering business. Now, what can two manicurists most probably have? Can they have a manicuring business or a manicuring firm? Is it very likely that they form a manicure cooperative or a manicure corporation?
8. A “fireplace” is a place for a fire, especially an open place built in a wall, at the base of a chimney. The stone or brick floor extending out from the fireplace into the room is called the “hearth.” The wood or stone shelf which is the top part of a border around the fireplace is called the “mantel” or “mantelpiece.” In Western cultures, the hearth or the fireside is often the center of family life, and such things as photographs, pictures, and vases are often placed on the mantel(piece) . Now, when the manufacturer wore a mantle and sat by a fireplace in his mansion, was he enjoying the warmth of family life with his family members?
9. A “kit” may be a kitten, but it most probably refers to a group of items kept together in the same container for similar purposes, or a small container keeping a set of related items, tools, implements, parts, etc., for a particular activity, sport, or purpose. A woman’s kit may contain cosmetics and probably a lady’s shaver. When we are out, we may need a “first aid kit.” Some shops sell “do-it-yourself kits.” A model airplane kit contains the parts to make up a model airplane. A gym kit contains the clothing and equipment for gym. Now, what may the manicurist’s kit contain? If it contains all the items of things needed to do the manicuring, can we say she is kitted out (cf. fitted out) for the job?
10. To “rejoin” is to join again. To “rejoin” is also to say in answer. In law, to “rejoin” is to answer the plaintiff’s replication (which is the answer to the plea of the defendant). The “rejoinder” is the answer to the reply. Now, what did the manufacturer rejoin (what was his rejoinder) when the manicurist asked, “What’s your favorite manner?”
11. Note the usage of “the comparative degree adj. or adv. …, the comparative degree adj. or adv. …” in sentences like these:
a. The wealthier you are, the greedier you may become.
b. The more beautiful a girl looks, the more chances she has to get a job.
c. The faster he rode, the less attention he paid to his safety.
d. The less cleverly she behaves, the easier she is to be loved.
Now, what is meant by “the bigger, the better”? Is it the shortened form of “the bigger it is, the better it is”?
12. To “curtail” is to cut short or reduce. It is synonymous with “shorten,” but it implies a making shorter than was originally intended, as because of necessity or expediency. For example, one’s expenditures may be curtailed because of a reduced income. A government may attempt to curtail debate on a problem that embarrasses it. Now, do people usually curtail curtains or curtail the budget for curtains? Why did the manicurist say “curtail nails” instead of “cut nails short”? Was it merely for the sake of rhyme? Did it imply that for the necessity of hygiene or as an expedient of enhancing beauty, long or ugly nails are curtailed?
13. The word “manifest” is both a verb and an adjective. To “manifest” is to show something so that it is easily noticed. One can manifest one’s willingness or unwillingness to do something. One can also manifest one’s talent, feeling, or character. A talent, feeling, or character can also manifest itself on a certain occasion. To be “manifest” is to be obvious and easy to see. A program may have manifest weaknesses. A face may have manifest features. Manifestly, the word “misunderstanding” is used as an uncountable noun in “there is misunderstanding between the manicurist and the manufacturer,” isn’t it?
14. In fact, the word “understanding” or “misunderstanding” is both countable and uncountable as a noun. In “there has been a tacit understanding/ a long misunderstanding between us two” the word is countable. In “there is understanding/ misunderstanding between them two,” the word is uncountable. Anyway, tacit understanding or a good understanding had better be kept; unnecessary misunderstanding or a sad misunderstanding had better be cleared up. Now, was the misunderstanding between the manicurist and the manufacturer cleared up at last?
15. The word “man” can be used (primarily in informal American English) as an interjection to express surprise, admiration, anger, etc. It can be replaced by “god” in such usage. For example, “Man!/ God! That’s impossible!” In the context of shock, puzzlement, or awe, the idiom “man alive” can be used to replace “oh my God.” For example, “Man alive!/ Oh my God! Do I have to shit here?” Now, in what mood did the manufacturer shout “Man alive! I’m mangled!”? Was it in fun following shock? What may be lost if the exclamation is changed to “Oh my God! I’m mangled!”? Will it lose the funny and exaggerated suggestion that he is no longer a man alive because he is already mangled?
Exercises
A. Fill each blank with a proper word.
There was a manufacturer of m___. He was a manly man with manifold g___. He could m___ his customers and m___ things well. He could manage his f___ and m___ his humor. One winter, he wore a m___ and sat by a fireplace in his m___. He gave a m___. Then a lady manicurist came in, put her k___ on the m___, and began to give him a manicure. While m___, the lady asked the man, “What’s your favorite m___?” “Manor?” re___ the man, “the bigger, the better.” The lady then said, “But my m___ skill can only c___ your nails.” M___ly, there was misunderstanding b___ the manufacturer and the manicurist. Finally, after it was cleared ___, the lady laughed in such a manner ___ her scissors cut deep into the man’s nail. Then, “Man a___!” cried the man, adding, “I’m m___!”
B. Choose the correct answer to each question.
1. He was a manly man with (a. manifolds of b. manifold) gifts.
2. One winter, he wore a (a. mantel b. mantle) and sat (a. by b. in) a fireplace in his mansion.
3. Then a ( a. lady manicurist b. manicurist lady) came in, put her kit on the mantelpiece, and began to give him (a. manicure b. a manicure).
4. While (a. manicure b. manicuring), the lady asked the man, “What’s your favorite manner?”
5. “Manor?” rejoined the man, “(a. a b. the) bigger, (a. a b. the) better.”
6. The lady then said, “But my manual skill can only (a. retail b. curtail) your nails.”
7. (a. Manifestly b. Manifestingly), there was misunderstanding between the manufacturer and the manicurist.
8. Finally, after the misunderstanding was (a. cleared b. cleaned) up, the lady laughed.
9. She laughed in such (a. manner b. a manner) that her scissors cut (a. deep b. deeply) into the man’s nail.
10. Then, “Man alive!” cried the man, (a. adding b. added), “I’m mangled!”
Homework
Search for information and write a report on one of the topics given below.
1. The Use of Manacles
2. A City’s Manufacturers and Factories
3. Mansions and a Building Firm
4. A Manor in the Medieval Times
5.
The Manicure Business in
The Text (from Tn-19, Today’s Tonic)
Mortar and Pestle
A mortar is not a motor, nor is it a mortal. It is a hard bowl in which softer substances are ground or pounded to a powder with a pestle. A pestle is neither a pest nor a petal. It is a club-shaped tool used to pound or grind substances in a mortar. Now, a donkey is a mortal, and so is a man. A donkey can bray with a loud, harsh cry to pester you while a man can bray with a pestle to cure you. To pestle a prescription is to make a powdered drug. A man uses a mortar and pestle to bray a drug while a mason uses mortar and bricks to build a wall and soldiers use mortars to destroy walls. A mortar needs a pestle just as a ma needs a pa, but neither masons nor walls need any mortars. The logic is not hard to wrestle with.
The Content
1. The text is a description of “mortar and pestle,” which is a set of tools used for braying a drug (i.e., making a powdered drug by using a pestle to ground and pound substances in a mortar). In the description, words with ambiguity in meaning and with similarity in spelling are used with humor. Have you ever seen any druggist/ chemist/ pharmacist bray a drug with a set of mortar and pestle?
2. A traditional Chinese chemist’s (British English) or drugstore (American English) is purely a pharmacy where only medicines (especially herbal medicines) are prepared and sold. In Western cultures, however, a chemist’s or drugstore sells beauty products and toiletries (soap, lotion, cologne, toothpaste, etc.) in addition to medicines. In a traditional Chinese chemist’s/ drugstore, the chemist or druggist often uses a set of mortar and pestle there to pestle a prescription or bray a drug for a customer. In a modern Chinese pharmacy, however, a set of mortar and pestle is seldom seen now, as the pharmacist seldom prepares powdered drugs there at the request of customers. Have you ever seen a set of mortar and pestle at any modern Chinese pharmacy?
3.
A prescription is the piece of
paper on which a doctor/ physician (or a dentist, psychologist, nurse
practitioner, pharmacist, etc., that provides health-care) writes an order for
medicine or medication which a patient gives to a druggist/ chemist/ pharmacist
in exchange for the medicine. A
prescription may also be a health-care program that governs the plan of care
for a patient, including orders to be performed by a patient, a pharmacist, a
therapist, a caretaker or nurse, or even some automated equipment (e.g., an
intravenous infusion pump). There
are, to be sure, some over-the-counter drugs/ medicines/ medications, which are
available without requiring a medical prescription. A prescription drug/ medicine/
medication, however, requires a medical prescription
before it can be obtained. The mark
of “Rx” is often used to designate a prescription drug. Now, in
4. As a weapon, the mortar fires projectiles at low velocities and short ranges. The projectiles may be smoke shells (used to create smoke screens), illuminating shells (used for target-marking purposes), or high-explosive bombs (used to destroy people and barriers). There are light, medium, and heavy mortars. A light mortar can be carried by a soldier or by some soldiers. A heavy mortar is usually carried by a vehicle and can be fired from the carrier. Mortars are used by infantry units, rather than by artillery units. Artillery batteries use cannons (including howitzers and field guns) instead. Can you distinguish mortars from cannons?
5. A “mason” is a person whose work is building with stone, brick, concrete blocks, etc. “Masonry” is a mason’s art or trade. The thing built by a mason (e.g., a brickwork or stonework) is also “masonry.” As a workable paste, “mortar” is used to bind masonry blocks of stone, brick, etc. In ancient times, mortar might be just mud and clay. Modern mortars are often made from a mixture of sand, water, and a binder such as cement or lime. The so-called “concrete” is a hard substance made by mixing cement with sand, small stones, and water. Modern architectural structures (foundations, walls, pavements, bridges/overpasses, highways/runways, dams, pipes, fences, poles, etc.) are mostly concrete structures. Have you ever seen any mason laying bricks or building anything with mortar or concrete?
6. In Freudian psychology, sexuality is initially symbolized by shape. Objects concave in shape (e.g., cups, tunnels, and lakes) are often regarded as female (yonic) symbols, while objects convex or long in shape (e.g., swords, spires, and towers) are often assumed to be male (phallic) symbols. Now, when you read the sentence “a mortar needs a pestle just as a ma needs a pa,” do you feel that in the statement a mortar is regarded as a female symbol and a pestle is assumed to be a male symbol?
The Expression
1. A “motor” is the part (in a machine, a vehicle, etc.) that uses electricity or fuel to produce movement. A “mortal” is a mortal being, that is, a being that must eventually die. A “pest” is a person or thing that causes harm, trouble, annoyance, discomfort, etc., especially an insect, small animal, or weed that is destructive or troublesome. A “petal” is one of the colored parts around the center of a flower. So, a mortar is not a motor, nor is it a mortal. A pestle is neither a pest nor a petal. Note that the following sentences are all grammatically/ syntactically correct:
a. A mortar is not a motor, nor is it a mortal. A pestle is not a pest, nor is it a petal.
b. A mortar is not a motor, and neither is it a mortal. A pestle is not a pest, and neither is it a petal.
c. A mortar is neither a motor nor a mortal. A pestle is neither a pest nor a petal.
d. A mortar is not a motor, and it is not a mortal, either. A pestle is not a pest, and it is not a petal, either.
Note also that none of the following sentences are grammatically/ syntactically correct:
a. *A mortar is both not a motor and not a mortal. *A pestle is both not a pest and not a petal.
b. *A mortar is not a motor, and not a mortal, too. *A pestle is not a pest, and not a petal, too.
2. A “substance” is a particular type of solid, powder, liquid, or gas that has special properties. It is said that long exposure to radioactive substances can cause cancer. In certain contexts, a “substance” refers particularly to an illegal drug that people may become addicted to. Heroin, for instance, is both an addictive substance and a controlled substance, and we want our campuses to be substance-free. A “drug” is a substance that doctors put into a patient’s body to treat a disease or a substance that doctors prescribe for a medical condition. A cancer patient may be given a new anti-cancer drug. In many contexts, a “drug” also refers particularly to an illegal drug that harms one physically or mentally if one is addicted to it. Although most of us have never taken/ used drugs, some people are secretly on drugs. Every day there is drug trafficking/ smuggling that involves drug dealers and drug addicts/ users. Now, is an intravenous drug a substance to be ground and pounded in a mortar and pestle?
3.
The verb “grind” has “ground”
for its pt. and pp. form. As a
noun, the word “ground” means the top part of the Earth’s surface that we walk
on. As a verb, it means either “broke
something into very small pieces or powder” (past form of “grind”) or “stop a
plane from leaving the ground, cause a ship to hit the ground under the water,
punish someone by disallowing them to go to places they enjoy, or base
something on something else” (e.g.: “The storm has grounded all the planes.”
“The ship was grounded near
4. A “pound” is a unit of money or a unit of weight (e.g., pay two pounds and ten pence for a pound of mince). A “pound” is also a place where stray dogs or cats are kept until they are claimed by their owners, or a place where cars parked illegally are towed to and kept until they are claimed by their owners. A pound is surely not a pond. To “pound” is to hit several/ many times with a lot of force. You can pound a door with your fist or with a club (i.e., a thick, heavy stick), and you can pound a substance with a pestle in a mortar. When you are very nervous or excited, your heart may pound quickly. Your head may pound continuously when you have a pain in it. When someone pounded down the hall, you could hear his/her heavy steps. Now, what is the hash key (British English, with the sign #) on a keyboard or keypad called in American English, the punch key or the pound key?
5. To “bray” is to make the loud, harsh cry as of a donkey. To “bray” is also to crush or pound into a powder, as in a mortar. Now, what is meant by “a man can bray with a pestle to cure you”? Does it mean “a man can make loud, harsh sounds with a pestle to cure your deafness” or “a man can make a powdered drug with a pestle to cure your disease”?
6. To “pester” is to annoy constantly or repeatedly with petty irritations. When someone keeps bothering you by asking you to do something, you may cry out, “Stop pestering me!” Many children use their “pester power” to make their parents buy certain things for them. Now, which is more likely to pester you for an outing, a pet (a dog) or a pest (a rat)?
7. Just as “description” and “descriptive” are derived from “describe,” so are “prescription” and “prescriptive” derived from “prescribe.” Now, does “inscribe” have such derivatives as “inscription” and “inscriptive”? While “subscribe” has “subscription” as its noun form, does it have “subscriptive” as its adjective form?
8. Note that “a cup and saucer” is a set of things composed of a cup that goes with a saucer, while “a cup and a saucer” are two separate things (a separate cup and a separate saucer). Each of us uses a cup and saucer to drink coffee or tea. I bought a cup and a saucer for 5 dollars and 6 dollars respectively. Similarly, you may bring a knife and fork with you for eating, while you may see a knife and a fork, one on the table and the other under it. Now, do you see the cargo sent by a cart and horse or by a cart and a horse? Do you see a druggist use a mortar and pestle or a mortar and a pestle to bray a drug?
9. As a rule, a common noun is countable and a material noun is uncountable. For instance, as a common noun meaning “a bowl” or “a large short gun,” the noun “mortar” is countable. But as a material noun meaning “the substance used for joining bricks or stones,” the noun “mortar” is uncountable. That is why we say “a mortar needs a pestle” and “soldiers use mortars to destroy walls,” but “a mason uses mortar and bricks to build a wall.” Note, however, that when referring to a (different) sort of material, a material noun can become countable. That is why we can also say “modern mortars are often made from a mixture of sand, water, and a binder such as cement or lime.” Now, both “brick” and “stone” can be used as common/ countable nouns or as material/ uncountable nouns. So, it is grammatically correct to say either “the wall is made of brick/ stone” or “it is made of bricks/ stones,” isn’t it? In “neither masons nor walls need any mortars,” what is meant by “mortars”? Does it mean “large short guns” or “bowls for braying drugs”?
10. To “wrestle with” a problem, a difficulty, etc., means the same as to “grapple with” or “cope with” a problem, a difficulty, etc. The phrase denotes the sense of “trying very hard to understand or overcome something.” Now, in the text of this unit, what logic is said to be “not hard to wrestle with”? By the way, the “w-” and the “-t-” in the word “wrestle” are not pronounced, just as those in “write” and “wrong” and in “bristle,” “bustle,” “castle,” “hustle,” “rustle,” and “thistle.” Now, is the “t” in “pestle” also silent?
Exercises
A. Fill each blank with a proper word.
A mortar is not a m___, nor is it a ___al. It is a hard bowl ___ which softer sub___ are ground or pounded to a p___ with a pestle. A pestle is n___ a pest nor a petal. It is a club-shaped t___ used to pound or g___ substances in a mortar. Now, a donkey is a mortal, and ___ is a man. A donkey can b___ with a loud, harsh cry to p___ you while a man can bray with a p___ to cure you. To pestle a pre___ is to make a powdered drug. A man uses a mortar and pestle to bray a drug while a m___ uses mortar and bricks to build a wall and soldiers use m___ to destroy walls. A mortar needs a pestle just as a m___ needs a p___, but neither masons ___ walls need any mortars. The logic is not hard to w___ with.
B. Choose the correct answer to each question.
1. A mortar is not a motor, (a. nor b. and nor) is it a mortal.
2. It is a hard bowl in which softer substances are (a. ground b. grounded) or pounded to a powder with a pestle.
3. A pestle is neither a pest (a. or b. nor) a petal.
4. It is a (a. club-shape b. club-shaped) tool used to pound or grind substances in a mortar.
5. Now, a donkey is a mortal, and so (a. is a man b. a man is).
6. A donkey can bray with a loud, harsh cry to pester you while a man can bray with a pestle to (a. lure b. cure) you.
7. To pestle a prescription is to make a (a. powder b. powdered) drug.
8. A man uses (a. a mortar and pestle b. a mortar and a pestle) to bray a drug while a mason uses (a. mortar b. a mortar) and bricks to build a wall and soldiers use (a. mortar b. mortars) to destroy walls.
9. A mortar needs (a. pestle b. a pestle) just as a ma needs (a. pa b. a pa), but neither (a. mason b. masons) nor walls need any mortars.
10. The logic is not hard to (a. wrestle b. wrestle with).
Homework
Search for information and write a report on one of the topics given below.
1. The Traditional Chinese Drugstore
2. A Chemist’s in the West
3. Over-the-Counter Drugs vs. Prescription Drugs
4. The Mortar as a Weapon
5. Modern Masonry
The Text (from Tn-32, Today’s Tonic)
Brainstorm or Brainwave
A brainy Briton has just immigrated to the States. He met a brawny American at a brainstorming party. They struck up a conversation and came to this interesting part:
B: Have you ever had a brainstorm?
A: Yes, I had one last night, and I came up with a good new idea to brainwash my wife with.
B: Really? You must have got a brainwave instead of a brainstorm.
A: Oh, it was a real brainstorm. At least it was at first. Then it led to a brainwave. And then I brainwashed my wife with the brainwave.
B: Impossible! A brainstorm will suddenly make you unable to think clearly. It will not give you any brainwave.
A: Why not? A brainstorm will suddenly give you a clever idea.
B: In
A: I am all at sea
now. But I suddenly realize the
cause of your brain drain in
B: What is it? Is it really your brainchild?
A: Yes. My brains tell me that a destructive
brainstorm in
The Content
1.
The text is an interesting
conversation, which is preceded by a brief introduction. The introduction tells us that the
conversation was between a brainy Briton and a brawny American. The Briton has just immigrated to the
States and he met the American at a brainstorming party, where they talked
about “brainstorm” and “brainwave.”
In British English a “brainstorm” means “a situation in which you cannot
think clearly and a “brainwave” means “a very good idea that comes suddenly to
your mind”; in American English, however, a “brainstorm” is no other than a “brainwave.” This language difference confused the
two talkers and led to a confusing dialogue. Yet, the American finally “realized”
that the brain drain in
2. In the West, a party is an often-seen social event. It is often held in someone’s home or elsewhere. At a party people may enjoy themselves doing things such as eating, drinking, dancing, talking, or playing games. There are various kinds of parties: a birthday party, a Christmas party, a wedding party, a dinner party, a dancing party, a garden party, a hen party, a stag party, etc. They are held on different occasions and for different purposes. A brainstorming party, as the name suggests, is a party for brainstorming, that is, a party at which a group of people gather together and then “brainstorm” (that is, they all put forward as many creative ideas and suggestions as possible in order to solve a specific problem, which may be their common target). Have you ever attended a party of this kind?
3. The word “brainstorm” contains a metaphor. It implies that the brain is like the earth and a series of sudden, violent disturbances in it is like a storm. To have a brainstorm is therefore to get into a mental condition in which no clear ideas can emerge just as no clear sky can be seen in a stormy condition. It is truly ironic, however, that in American English, as “brainstorming” is accepted as a way of getting a sudden inspiration, a “brainstorm” has come to mean “a sudden inspiration, idea, or plan” (in colloquial speech). In such usage, a brainstorm is certainly no other than a brainwave. Have you ever had a brainstorm or brainwave?
4. The word “brainwave” is also metaphoric. According to cerebral science, the brain is made up of billions of brain cells called neurons, which use electricity to communicate with one another. As the neurons send out signals, an enormous amount of electrical activity is produced in the brain. The cerebral activity can be detected and the electricity levels over areas of the scalp can be measured by a sensitive medical instrument such as an EEG (electroencephalograph). Anyway, the cerebral activity with the electricity levels has its patterns. A pattern of this is called a brainwave because it is of cyclical, “wave-like” nature. The brainwaves we generate are of four general types (called alpha, beta, delta, and theta, respectively). Aside from this medical sense, however, a “brainwave” (in colloquial speech) has come to mean a sudden inspiration, just like a “brainstorm.” Have you ever had your brainwaves traced by an EEG?
5. To “brainwash” is not just to “wash” the brain but to indoctrinate (to give people doctrines) so intensively and thoroughly as to effect a radical change of beliefs and mental attitudes. Brainwashing is in fact a way of mind control or thought control. It often systematically uses an unethical, psychological, manipulative method to persuade others to conform to the manipulator’s wishes. In totalitarian regimes, brainwashing often involves propaganda, torture, and the use of drugs. Now, are you aware that you are every minute being brainwashed by TV and other e-products?
6. To “drain” is to “draw off (liquid, etc.) gradually.” A drought may drain a swamp. A river
may drain a lake. When you drain a cup/ glass, you drink all the liquid from it. Under certain conditions, your strength/
emotions/ resources may be drained. Your stamina or courage may also drain away in some cases. A “drain” is a channel or pipe for
carrying off water, sewage, etc. In
surgery, a “drain” is a tube or other device for drawing off discharge, as from
an abscess. In cities, drainage includes sewerage, which is a
system of sewers to carry away waste matter. Many countries have good drainage systems and irrigation systems. An irrigation system may have a number of
drains (channels or pipes) to carry water
to certain lands for crops. Now,
does
7. As the world keeps globalizing, “brain drain” and “brawn drain” are
more and more frequently seen. A
brain drain is the movement of the brainy elite (i.e., the talented, creative,
and learned individuals such as scientists, academics, and skillful
technicians) away from their own countries/ organizations to other countries/
organizations or from “the public sector” to “the private sector.” A brawn drain, then, is the movement of
the brawny (i.e., those with strong muscles or physical strength such as
athletes and labor workers) away from a region to another region. The movement in either case is made for
better pay, better living conditions, or other reasons. It is a “human capital flight,” in
addition to a financial capital flight, we see in some countries. Now, is
The
Expression
1. Your “brain” is the organ inside your head that controls your body’s activities and enables you to think and feel. If you have something on the brain, you keep thinking about it. If you are “brainy,” you are clever or intelligent. If you are a brain, you are a very intelligent person. The plural form “brains” is often used to mean “intelligence” or “mental ability.” If someone has brains, they are smart. Some people seem to have no brains. We often ask them to use their brains. An intelligent guy may become the brains behind an idea or behind an organization. One may beat/ rack one’s brains out (i.e., think very hard) for something or to think of something. If you pick others’ brains, you learn and use their ideas. Now, if you are brainy, will you pick others’ brains?
2. The word “brawn” means “strong, well-developed muscles” or “muscular strength.” In British English, “brawn” is also a kind of food made from pieces of pork and jelly pressed together. The food is therefore solid and often sliced before it is eaten. To be “brawny” is to be strong and muscular. Now, are you brainy or brawny? Have you ever eaten any brawn?
3. People migrate from one place to another. To migrate out of a country is to emigrate from the country. To migrate into a country is to immigrate to the country. A country usually has an immigration bureau/ agency/ office to
deal with immigration affairs
including immigration control. Now, does
4. To “strike up” something is to begin it casually and quickly. A band may strike up a tune. Some people are easy to strike up an acquaintance/ a friendship with others. What did the Briton strike up with the American, according to the text of this unit? Have you ever struck up a conversation with any stranger?
5. To “come up with somebody” is to overtake him/ her. To “come up with a plan or idea” is to think of it and suggest it. A brainy man may often come up with suggestions of their own. A talented scientist may even come up with a good theory for certain facts or data. A lucky person may come up with a sum of money and solve a financial problem. Now, what did the American come up with (in the story of this unit)?
6. In British English, people use “got” for the p.p. of “get.” In American English, people use “gotten” instead of “got.” However, both Britons and Americans say “ill-gotten wealth,” not “ill-got wealth.” And they both say “I’ve got to do it,” not “I’ve gotten to do it.” Also, note that they both accept “forgot” or “forgotten” for the p.p. of “forget.” Now, have you got/ gotten the idea that there are many, many differences between British English and American English? Have you forgot/ forgotten that “brainstorm” is different from “brainwave” for Britons?
7. When a typhoon comes, you may be swept off your feet. When you find someone very good-looking or exciting, they may likewise “sweep you off your feet,” because you may fall in love with them almost as soon as you see them. Now, have you ever been swept off your feet by a handsome boy/ pretty girl?
8. To be “at sea” is to be on the sea or under the sea (far away from land). To be “all at sea” is to be in a state of confusion or uncertainty (as if lost on the sea). You may not have been at sea. But have you ever been all at sea when facing a certain situation?
Exercises
A. Fill each blank with a proper word.
A brainy Briton has just immigrated ___ the States. He met a brawny American ___ a brainstorming party. They struck ___ a conversation and came ___ this interesting part:
B: Have you ___ had a brainstorm?
A: Yes, I had ___ last night, and I came ___ with a good new idea to brainwash my wife ___.
B: Really? You must ___ got a brainwave instead ___ a brainstorm.
A: Oh, it was a real brainstorm. At l___ it was at f___. Then it led ___ a brainwave. And ___ I brainwashed my wife with the brainwave.
B: Impossible! A brainstorm will suddenly make you unable to think c___. It will not give you any b___.
A: Why not? A brainstorm will suddenly give you a c___ idea.
B: In
A: I am all ___ sea
now. But I suddenly realize the
cause of your brain d___ in
B: What is it? Is it really your brain___?
A:
Yes. My brains tell me that
a de___ brainstorm in
B. Choose the correct answer to each question.
1. A brainy Briton has (a. just b. only) immigrated to the States.
2. He met a brawny American at a (a. brainstorm b. brainstorming) party.
3. They (a. stroke b. struck) up a conversation and came to this interesting part.
4. I came up (a. with b. had) a good new idea to brainwash my wife with.
5. A brainstorm will suddenly make you (a. unable to b. cannot) think clearly.
6. A brainstorm may only (a. sweep b. sweat) you off your feet and make you all (a. at sea b. on the sea).
7. I suddenly realize the (a. cause b.
because) of your brain drain in
8. My (a. brain tells b. brains tell) me the truth.
9. A destructive brainstorm in (a. Briton b.
10. And you do not have to be (a. brains b. a brain) to know where any brainy Briton (a. shall b. would) go.
Homework
Search for information and write a report on one of the topics given below.
1. Brainstorming as a Way of Creativity
2. Brainwaves in the Brain
3. Brainwashing in Today’s World
4. Drainage Systems in
5. Brain Drain and Brawn Drain in
The Text (from Tn-17, Today’s Tonic)
A Deer and a Dear
I am a doe or a female deer. I don’t mind if you cannot tell a hart from a hind. I don’t mind, either, if you offer me lemon rind, orange rind, or bacon rind. But why should you bind my hind leg and keep me confined? I find, now, I can only grind my teeth when I see the river wind and the grass grow behind. Are you blind or are you so unkind?
You may call me a dear. If you have a cut, I can give you lint. If you have a broken leg, I can bring you a splint. If you just cannot guess, I may give you a hint. Yes, when you are glad, my eyes will glint. You know my heart is never as hard as a flint. Yet, you must also know that although I like mints, I am not making a mint. I’ve got no license to print money, though I have the right to put on my hair a certain tint. By dint of hard work, in a word, I certainly can get on, but a poor buck like me can only occasionally drink a pint of beer and look at you, my poor deer.
The Content
1. The text is a mental dialogue between a female deer
and a poor young man who keeps the deer.
The deer cannot understand why she should be kept confined and kept from
eating freely the grass growing behind the river. The poor young man tells her that he is
in fact not unkind to her and suggests that he can only keep her and look at
her since he cannot afford to keep a wife.
The use of many words ending with “-
2. In zoology, the deer can refer to any of the cervine (i.e., of or like the deer) family of hoofed ruminants (i.e., cud-chewing animals with hoofs), including the mule deer, reindeer, elk, moose, caribou, etc., although a deer often refers to a smaller species of this family. A typical feature of this family is: its males usually bear antlers (branch-like horns) that are shed annually. The deer as a species of animals has been very important to a hunting culture. People eat venison (the flesh or meat of deer) and use other parts of the deer for other purposes. In English culture, an adult male deer is called a stag, a hart, or a buck; an adult female deer is called a doe or a hind; a young deer is called a fawn.
3. In botany, what we call “fruit” is the mature/ ripened ovary or ovaries from one or more flowers. In botanic anatomy, a fruit usually has a pericarp (i.e., the “wall” surrounding the seed or seeds), which is often the outer and edible part of the fruit. A pericarp sometimes consists of three layers: the epicarp or exocarp (the outer layer), the mesocarp (the middle layer), and the endocarp (the inner layer). What we call “the rind” or “the peel” or “the skin” is the outer protective layer of a fruit. What we call “the pit” or “the stone” (as of a plum or a peach) is the hard inner layer. The peel/ rind of some fruits can be eaten raw (e.g. that of an apple). The peel/ rind of citrus fruits, however, is usually bitter and not eaten raw. Their exocarp/ epicarp and mesocarp are usually peeled off, and people eat only their endocarp and spit out the pips (seeds) inside this layer. The outermost, colored part of their peel/ rind, also called the zest, can be scraped off and used for its special flavor. The fleshy, white part of their peel/ rind is often prepared with sugar to make succades or marmalade. Now, do you eat the rind of an apple? How about the skin of a banana or the peel of a grapefruit?
4. A nation usually has a currency (i.e., money in actual use or circulation). As a medium of exchange, a nation’s
currency usually consists of coins and bills or banknotes. Coins
are made of metals (e.g., silver, copper, or nickel). Bills
or banknotes are paper money. A nation usually has its own mint, which is the place for making
coins and paper money. Mintage is the act or process of minting
money. In coinage or the process of making coins, a metal of certain
thickness and weight is made into a certain shape (usually round), stamped with
images or figures, given a fixed value, and issued by the government. In making paper money, the mint usually
uses special cotton paper of a certain weight and size that is much more
resilient than ordinary paper, given extra strength to resist wear and tear,
and so designed as to be able to prevent people from counterfeiting the bills. Paper
money is likewise printed with images or figures, given a fixed value, and
issued by the government (usually the central bank). Now, in the currency of the
5. Hair dyeing or hair coloring is immensely popular today. Many old people dye their hair to cover their gray hair. However, most people, young and old, male and female, put on their hair a certain tint/color just because it is fashionable or desirable. Four types of hair coloring (permanent, demi-permanent, semi-permanent, and temporary) are discriminated, and they use different dyes to achieve the effects. Both dyes and pigments appear to be colored. A dye, however, is soluble while a pigment is generally insoluble. A dye is a substance used to give color to fabric, hair, etc., while a pigment is a natural substance that gives natural color to something. Owing to the black pigment, for instance, one’s hair is black. In order to have a golden tint or color, one may apply a dye to the hair and make it golden. Now, do you like the pigment of your hair? Do you like hair coloring/dyeing? If you do, what type of hair coloring do you prefer? Do you like to dye your hair golden?
The Expression
1. A hart is a
full-grown male of the European
2. As an adjective, “hind” means “back; rear; posterior.” As a noun, “hind” refers to the female
of the
3. Besides referring to the outer skin of a fruit, the word “rind” can also refer to the hard outer edge of bacon or some types of cheese. Do you usually eat the rind of a watermelon? Do you eat the rind of bacon or cheese? Do you feed animals with fruit rind or bacon rind?
4. As a verb pronounced /waind/, the word “wind” (pt. and p.p. wound, pronounced /waund/) is both vt. and vi., meaning “to wrap or twist something around itself or something else” or “to follow a course or path that curves or twists a lot.” We may wind wool into a small ball. A scarf can be wound around one’s neck. A path may wind along a riverside. We often see trains winding their ways up or down mountains. Some watches or clocks need winding from time to time. When you wind a cassette tape or video, you move it forwards or backwards in a machine. To rewind a video or a tape is to make it go backwards to the beginning or to an earlier place. To unwind is to become looser and straighter or to relax. Now, have you ever seen a winding path that goes with a winding river? Have you ever wound a watch or a video? Have you ever pressed rewind (i.e., the “rewind button” of a machine)? Do you often unwind for a while after working for some time?
5. “Lint” is scraped and softened linen (yarn, thread, or cloth made of flax or cotton) used as a dressing for wounds (to protect a cut or a burn on your skin). A “splint” is a thin strip of metal, plastic, or wood that is put next to and along a broken bone to hold it in place while it gets better. We may find lint in a “first aid kit.” Can we also find splints in a common first aid kit?
6. The word “hint” is both a verb and a noun. To “hint” is to say indirectly what you are thinking or feeling. A “hint” is something you say indirectly to show what you are thinking or feeling. Your friend may hint at the possibility of giving you a loan. You may hint that you need no loan from your friend. One may keep dropping hints about what one wants. Another may not take the hints and never give what one wants. Have you ever been given a hint that you should leave immediately? Would you like to have a hint if you cannot make a right guess?
7. A “glint” is a quick flash of light. To “glint” is to produce or reflect a quick flash of light. A silver coin may have a glint of silver. A driver does not welcome glints of sunlight. Have you ever seen the sea glinting in the sun? Have you ever seen sunlight glint on someone’s spectacles? How do you like the glinting ripples of water? Occasionally we may see a glint in someone’s eyes or see someone’s eyes glint when they have a particular strong emotion (as of anger, joy, surprise, triumph, etc.) to express. Will your eyes glint with joy?
Note that to “glisten” is to shine or sparkle (usually) because something is wet or oily. One’s forehead may glisten with sweat. Sometimes one’s eyes may glisten with tears. Note also that to “glitter” is to shine or sparkle with a lot of small quick flashes of light every moment, while to “glimmer” is to shine with a soft weak light that is not steady. A rich lady may glitter with jewels. A big city glitters at night with all sorts of neon lights and signs. Camp fires can be seen glimmering in the distance.
8. As an uncountable, material noun, “flint” is a very hard grayish-black stone. In prehistoric times, people used flint to make tools such as a flint arrowhead. As a countable noun, a “flint” is a small piece of flint or metal. A flint can be struck with a piece of steel to produce sparks. A flint is used in a cigarette lighter for lighting the flame. When we say someone’s eyes have the color of flint, we mean the eyes are grayish-black. When we say someone’s heart is as hard as a flint or someone has a heart of flint, we mean someone is very hard-hearted. Now, does the young man have a heart of flint in keeping the doe confined?
9. As an uncountable noun, the word “mint” can refer to an aromatic herb (i.e., a small plant smelling sweet or spicy). The leaves of mint are often used for flavoring food. As a countable noun, the word “mint” can refer to a sweet that tastes like peppermint, while it also means “a place where a country makes its coins and paper money.” Do you like mints?
Note that the “peppermint” is a herb belonging to the family of mint. Peppermint tea has the strong fresh flavor obtained from a mint plant. Note also that the phrase “to make a mint” is ambiguous in meaning. In most contexts, it may mean “to make a lot of money (quickly).” Still, it can mean “to make a mint sweet/ candy.” Now, what is meant when the young man says that he is not making a mint?
10. The word “dint” means “dent in a surface.” The idiom “by dint of” means the same as “by means of.” According to the young man’s self-revelation, by dint of what can he certainly get on?
11. The word “pint” does not rhyme with “mint,” as it is
pronounced /paint/. A “pint” is a
unit for measuring liquid: in the
12. A “license” is an official document that gives someone permission to do or use something. The British English spelling for the word is “licence.” To be “licensed/ licenced” to do something is to be given a license/ licence to do something.
Exercises
A. Fill each blank with a proper word.
I am a doe ___ a female deer. I don’t mind if you cannot tell a hart ___ a hind. I don’t mind, either, if you offer me lemon rind, orange rind, or b___ rind. But why ___ you bind my h___ leg and keep me confined? I find, now, I can only g___ my teeth when I see the river w___ and the grass grow behind. Are you blind or are you so un___?
You may call me a d___. If you have a cut, I can give you l___. If you have a broken leg, I can bring you a s___. If you just cannot guess, I may give you a h___. Yes, when you are glad, my eyes will g___. You know my heart is never as hard as a f___. Yet, you must also know that although I like m___, I am not making a m___. I’ve got no license to p___ money, though I have the right to put on my hair a certain t___. By d___ of hard work, in a word, I certainly can get ___, but a poor buck like me can only occasionally drink a p___of beer and look at you, my poor deer.
B. Choose the correct answer to each question.
1. I am a (a. doe b. toe) or a female deer.
2. I don’t mind (a. if b. whether) you cannot tell a (a. heart b. hart) from a hind.
3. I don’t mind, (a. too b. either), if you offer me lemon rind, orange rind, or bacon rind.
4. But why should you bind my hind leg and keep me (a. confining b. confined)?
5. I find, now, I can only grind my teeth when I see the river wind and the grass (a. grows b. grow) behind.
6. Are you blind or are you (a. such b. so) unkind?
7. If you have (a. cut b. a cut), I can give you (a. a lint b. lint).
8. If you have a broken leg, I can bring you (a. splint b. a splint).
9. If you just cannot (a. guest b. guess), I may give you a hint.
10. Yes, when you are glad, my (a. eye b. eyes) will glint.
11. You know my heart is never (a. such b. as) hard as a flint.
12. Yet, you must also know that although I like (a. mint b. mints), I am not making (a. mint b. a mint).
13. I’ve got no (a. license b. lisence) to print money, (a. though b. thought) I have the right to put (a. in b. on) my hair a certain tint.
14. By (a. dent b. dint) of hard work, in a word, I certainly can get on.
15. But a poor (a. back b. buck) like me can only occasionally drink a pint of beer and look at you, my poor deer.
Homework
Search for information and write a report on one of the topics given below.
1. The Deer as an Animal
2. Mint as a Herb
3. Currency of the
4. Hair Dyeing in
5. The Use of Fruit Rind