Vocabulary: Fall List #2

intercede- to plead on behalf of someone else, to serve as a third party or go-to between a disagreement
She will intercede in the dispute between the two children as soon as they will be playing happily again. 

 hackneyed- used so often as to lack in freshness or originality
The Great Gatsby tells a universal story about being marred by hackneyed prose.

 approbation- the expression of approval or favorable opinion, praise; official approval
My broad hint that I had paid for the lessons myself brought smiles of approbation from all the judges at the piano recital.

 innuendo- a hint, indirect suggestion, or reference (often in a derogatory sense)
Those lacking the facts or afraid of reprisals often tarnish an enemy's reputation by use of innuendo.

 coalition- a combination, union, or merger for some specific purpose
The various community organizations formed a coalition to lobby against parking laws.

 elicit-to draw forth, bring out from some source (such as another person)
My attempt to elicit information over the phone was met with a barrage of irrelevant recordings.

 hiatus- a gap, opening, break (in the sense of having an element missing)
I was awakened not by a sudden sound but by a hiatus in the din f traffic

 assuage- to make easier or milder, relieve; to quiet, calm; to put an end to, appease, satisfy, quench
Her eyes told me that more than a few well-chosen words would be needed to assuage her hurt feelings.

 decadence- decline, decay, or deterioration; a condition or period of decline or decay; excessive self indulgence
Some characterized her love of chocolate as decadence because she ate at least two candy bars a day.

 expostulate- to attempt to dissuade someone from some course or decision by earnest reasoning
Shakespeare's Hamlet finds it useless to expostulate with his mother for siding with his stepfather.

 simulate- to make a pretense o, imitate, to show the outer signs of
Some skilled actors can simulate emotions the might never have felt in life.

 jaded- wearied, worn-out, dulled (in the sense of being satiated by excessive indulgence)
The wilted handclasp and the fast-melting smile mark the jaded refugee from too many parties.

 umbrage-shade cast by trees, foliage giving shade; an overshadowing influence or power; offense; resentment; a vague suspicion
She hesitated to offer her opinion, fearing that they would take umbrage at her criticism.

 prerogative- a special right or privilege; a special quality, showing excellence
She seemed to feel that a snooze at her desk was not an annoying habit but the prerogative of a veteran employee.

 lurid- causing shock, horror, or revulsion; sensation; pale or sallow in color; terrible or passionate in intensity or lack of restraint
Bright, sensational, and often lurid some old-time movie posters make today's newspaper ads look lame.

 transcend- to rise above or beyond, exceed
A great wok of art may be said to transcend time, and it is remembered for decades, or even centuries.

 provincial-pertaining to an outlying area; local; narrow in mind or outlook, countrified in the sense of being limited and backward. of a simple, plan design that originated in the countryside, a person with a narrow point of view; a person from an outlying area, a soldier from a provence or colony
The banjo, once thought to be a provincial product of the Southern hills, actually came her from Africa.

 petulant- peevish, annoyed by trifles, easily irritated and upset
An overworked parent may be unlikely to indulge in the complaints of a petulant child.

 unctuous- excessively smooth or smug; trying too hard to give an impression of earnestness, sincerity, or piety; fatty, oily, pliable
Her constant inquiring about the health of my family at first seemed friendly, later merely unctuous.

 meritorious- worthy, deserving recognition and praise
Many years of meritorious service could not dissuade him from feeling that he had not chosen work that he liked.

Young Goodman Brown Answers

1. I think Hawthorne's purpose for writing this story was to show how realistic our dreams can be and that even when we sleep our imagination is still going.
2. I agree that Faith was "aptly named' Faith because throughout the story she stayed faithful even though Brown wasn't faithful to her.
3. I believe the pink ribbons signify purity, youthfulness, and happiness. The color pink is associated with innocence  ribbons are associated with youthfulness, and I thought Faith was happy.
4. Everything brown witnessed was a dream. "it was a dream of evil omen for young Goodman Brown. A stern, a sad, a darkly meditative, a distrustful, if not a desperate man did he become from the night of that fearful dream."
5. I think the old man is really the devil or he represents the dark side of Brown. Clues that I picked up from the story was he said that the old man was like a serpent and that the old man could be Brown's father which creates a connection between them. They also live in Salem which has witchcraft.
6. I think the staff represent the voice inside his conscience telling him right from wrong. Like the good and bad figures in movies that show up on the shoulders of a character when they are faced with making a decision.
7. If Brown had not ventured into the forest he wouldn't be scarred by the event of going into the forest. If Brown would have stayed home he would still have Faith. He would definitely still trust his wife and townspeople because he wouldn't have reason to not trust them unless another traumatic event occurred.

Earth on Turtle's Back

Tone and Mood for Earth on Turtle's Back

The tone of this is hope that the wife will live when she falls through the clouds and the muskrat was determined enough to bring up the earth.

Mood is happy that the wife didn't die and the tiny muskrat saved the day.

Socratic Seminar Notes

Thread One:
•be opinion minded about other opinions
•you have the right to your opinion but shouldn't always state your opinion
•you can change your opinion
•respect other opinions
•everyone has a right to their opinion and still need to respect elders, teachers, government, etc.

Thread Two:
•the muskrat changed the other animals opinions
•you don't have to be the fastest or strongest to accomplish a goal

Thread Four:
•technology is dumbing us down
•world can end up like Wall-E
•technology can lead us to a world like the Hunger Games because lack of resources for large populations
•can see places with Google Earth
•people are bolder on the Internet
•saying anything you want online because they aren't physically threatened
•people are more opinionated online because they don't see direct reactions

Reflections on Week 1

1. There are no factors that should get in the way of my participation and experience in class.

2. I believe where I had the best learning experience was eighth grade history. My teacher really connected with me and she was the avid teacher so she was extremely organized. The way she taught the material made a lot of sense to me. I saw myself changing and improving in a subject that I am not the best in. I noticed because my grades were good and I payed attention in class. Ms. Wiberg (she is recently married) shared stories, relevant and irrelevant, to class that grasped my attention. Being in that class taught me that I am a oral learning and occasionally need a visual.

3. For this class I am most excited about using all the technology tools. I am concerned about socratic seminars and giving my two cents in class because I feel more comfortable listening and hearing  other opinions and comparing the way I approached a thought to someone else. I look forward to learning more about using the internet as a tool to improve my learning. This will make a practical difference in my life because this tool can help in college and a future career too.

Extra Credit

The one thing I want to improve with this course is my public speaking. I want to improve speaking in front of groups of people so I am more comfortable when it is necessary. I always get really nervous, my face gets hot and turns red and my hands shake. I think this class will help my public speaking and stage fright by the students having to recite poems, like "Richard Cory", in front of our peers.

Vocabulary Quiz #1 Redux

The end of the first week of school has come. A relaxing weekend is a complement to a rough week. My hopes for this course is to be an ascetic with my studying and keep my integrity. An expectation I have is for the contumacious and curmudgeon students to burgeon in class. No one should feel stupid in class and everyone should help each other. I hope Dr. Preston is not a didactic teacher, but I am looking forward to his class regardless. Outside of class a hope I have is not be beguiled by the internet while being on the course blog, the apotheosis is procrastinating and being on YouTube. I know in class we won't be making baubles but I hope class is still fun. The first week in this course was adumbrating the rest of the year.

Assignment #1

  I am taking this course because I took Honors English last year and didn't want to take AP Enlgish as a junior. I still wanted the advanced class atmoshpere and I know Dr. Preston is going to be a great teacher. I am excited and nervous for the class at the same time. I am excited because I like the way Dr. Preston approaches teaching. I am nervous because he treats it like an AP class, but I'm also excited about that.

  My goals for this course is to improve my writing skills on essays and understand how to write a good introduction paragraph. Another goal I have is be a better public speaker and be comfortable while speaking infront of the class.

   I expect my knowledge and thinking to improve by taking this course. I expect my ability to memorize, write and speak to improve.