On-line Quiz 4: Idioms

Choose the meaning of the italicized idioms. Write the letter only.

1. Those shoes do look good, however, they cost a pretty penny.
a. beautifully
b. not much
c. expensively

2. You've heard how badly the news affected her. Don't add fuel to the fire.
a. to make a bad situation worse
b. to encourage someone
c. to criticize another

3. What I like about Jenny is that she's always as cool as a cucumber.
a. has a naturally low temperature
b. is often generous
c. is never worried by anything.

4. We got 4, 500 new recruits. But that's only a ballpark figure.
a. lowest figure
b. rough estimate
c. received data

5. After the bell rang, Adrian made a beeline for the canteen.
a. stayed in a long queue
b. run directly
c. stopped over

6. The action has been done. Now, you must face the music.
a. accept the consequences
b. listen to what is being said
c. think about what has been done

7. I said that? You have a memory like an elephant.
a. a bad memory
b. a good memory
c. an imaginative memory

8. He likes spinning a yarn, be careful.
a. to deceive by lying
b. to gossip
c. to steal

9. They invited us to join the contest but we were just left in the dark.
a. left all alone
b. not given information
c. uninvited at the last minute.

10. Oh, she'll be chosen to go to Japan this year, her parents have deep pockets.
a. are wealthy
b. have connections
c. are Japanese

Send in your answers as comments and have a go at winning Quiz #4.
Correct entries will be raffled on Thursday, July 3.

The Creation of the World According to the Bikolanos

from Filipinos Writing: Philippine Literature from the Regions

Thousands and thousands of years ago, there was a time when the space occupied by the universe was vacant. The moon, the sun, the stars, and the earth were conspicuous by their absence. Only the vast expanse of water and the sky above it could be seen. The kingdom of the sky was under the rule of the great god Languit, while the water was under the sovereignty of the god Tubigan.

Languit had a daughter called Dagat, the sea, who became the wife of Paros, the wind , who was the son of Tubigan.

Four children were born to Dagat and Paros, three of whom were boys called Daga, Aldao, and Bulan, and one girl called Bitoon.

Daga, a strong man, possessed a body of rock; Aldao, a jolly fellow, had a body of gold; Bulan, a copper-made man, was a weakling; while the beautiful Bitoon was made of pure silver.

After the death of their father Paros, Daga, being the eldest son, succeeded in control of the winds. Soon after, Dagat, the mother died, leaving her children under the care of the grandparents Languit and Tubigan.

After assuming control of the winds, Daga became arrogant and ambitious, desiring to gain more power, so he induced his younger brothers to attack the kingdom of Languit. At first they refused; at Daga's anger, Bulan and Aldao were constrained to join him in his plot... Read more here.

The Legend of Daragang Magayon

by Merito B. Espinas

Long ago, there lived in Ibalong the tribal Chief Makusog of Rawis who had an only daughter, Daragang Magayon. Her mother Dawani died shortly after giving birth to the girl. Magayon grew up to be so beautiful and sweet that love-struck swains from faraway tribes, including those outside the region, vied for her affection. But not one of the young men captivated the heart of the lovely maiden, not even the handsome but haughty Pagtuga, the great hunter and powerful Chief of Iraga, who showered Magayon's father with fabulous gifts of gold, pearls, and wild trophies of the hunt.

Not until Ulap showed up in Rawis. He was soft-spoken but brave son of Chief Karilaya of the Tagalog Region. He had come all the long way on foot to see for himself the celebrated beauty of Daragang Magayon. Unlike other suitors, Ulap bided his time. For many days he simply stole admiring glances from a distance at Daragang Magayon as she bathed at the Yawa River.

It did not take long for an opportunity to present himself. After an unusually rainy night, Magayon went to bathe as her wont to Yawa, but a swift current, dislodging her foot from a slippery rock, abruptly plunged her into the chilly water. In a flash, Ulap was at her side and brought the trembling maiden safely to dry land. The frightened women-in-waiting could only gape at them stupified.

As the stars would have it, this sparked the glowing love between Daragang Magayon and Ulap.

A few more meetings with the lovely daraga after this fateful incident emboldened the youth to follow her home one bright morning. Signifying his intention to marry Magayon, he thrust his spear at the stairs of Chief Makusog's house. Magayon could only blush and cast her eyes down. sensing that at last Magayon was in love and wishing only happiness for her daughter, the father offered no objection. Magayon and Ulap were overjoyed. But the wedding was to be in a month's time, for Ulap had yet to inform his people to gather provisions for the feast.

This happy news spread fast and, in no time, reached Pagtuga. He was furious. He laid in wait for Chief Makusog to hunt, took him captive, and sent word to Magayon that unless she agreed to marry him, her father must die, and that a war would be waged against Magayon's people.

An early date was set for the nuptials. Informed of this unhappy turn of events, Ulap abandoned the wedding preparations of his tribe and along with his bravest warriors, hastily returned to rawis just in time for the ceremonies.

In a skirmish that followed, Pagtuga was slain by Ulap. The joyous Magayon, rushing to embrace Ulap, was hit by a stray arrow. While Ulap held the dying Magayon in his arms, Linog, a burly henchman of Pagtuga hurled his spear at Ulap's back killing him instantly. At that precise moment, Makusog swung his mighty arm and struck down Linog with his minasbad.

This awful spectacle left the combatants speechless and remorseful. Instead of rejoicing over a wedding, there was wailing over the dead and the dying. Chief Makusog, himself in tears, dug the grave for Ulap and Magayon and tenderly laid them together each in the other's arms as they had died.

The days that followed saw the grave rising higher and higher attended by muffled rumblings and earthquakes, and red-hot boulders bursting from the crater. When this occurs, old folk believe that Pagtuga, aided by Linog, agitates the volcano to get back the gifts which, following the ancient custom, was buried with Magayon.

On certain days, when the tip is covered with clouds, the old folk say that Ulap is kissing Magayon. When afterwards rain trickles caressingly down the gentle slopes of the mountain, they insist that it is the tears of Ulap.

Magayon has since been shortened to Mayong or Mayon whose tragic story casts a foreboding shadow even on the brightest day, over this lovely countryside of Daragang Magayon.

On-Line Quiz 3: Prefixes

Match the prefixes with the base words to form the words defined.

*omni *poly *retro *ante *il
*in *mis *im *hyper *auto

1. to breathe abnormally fast and deep - _____ventilate
2. containing several languages - _____glot
3. having very great or unlimited power - ______potent
4. having the capability to operate independently - ______matic
5. wrong conduct - _____conduct
6. to look back to the past in thought - _____spect
7. not able to read and write - _____literate
8. not perfect - _____perfect
9. not efficient - _____efficient
10. to assign to an earlier date - ______date

Write the complete word. Send in your answers as a comment. Don't forget to include your name and section. The first to get a perfect score will receive a surprise.

Prefixes

What is a prefix?

from BBC Skillwise

A prefix is a group of letters which you can add to the beginning of a root word* to change the meaning of the word. e.g. mis + fortune = misfortune

*A root word stands on its own as a word but you can make new words from it by adding beginnings (prefixes) and endings (suffixes).
For example, 'comfort' is a root word. By adding the prefix 'dis' and the suffix 'able' you can make new words such as 'discomfort' and 'comfortable'.

Prefix meanings:
Every prefix has a meaning, for example:
The prefix 'un' means 'not'
The root word 'clear' means 'bright', 'free from difficulty'

un + clear = unclear which means 'not clear' or 'dim', 'difficult to see or understand'

There are no rules to help you remember which prefix you should use, although knowing the meaning of the prefix can help.
Here are some examples of prefixes and their meanings...

Prefix	Meaning
mis	means 'wrong' or 'badly' e.g. 'misspelled' or misspelt means 'wrongly spelled'
sub	means under e.g. 'subway' means 'a way under the ground'
pre	means 'before in time', 'in front of' or 'superior' e.g. 'prepacked' means 'packed before'
un	means not (there are also several other prefixes which mean not) e.g. 'unhurt' means 'not hurt'

If you are uncertain whether the prefix you have used is correct, check the word in a dictionary when you proof-read your writing.

Other prefixes

Here are some other examples of common prefixes for you to learn.

Prefix	Meaning
dis	means away, apart, between, utterly (when used with a negative word) and not. e.g. 'disarm' means to remove or take weapons away
mis	means 'wrong' or 'badly' e.g. 'misfortune' is when your are not lucky and things go wrong or badly
under	means 'below' or 'beneath' e.g. 'underground' means below or beneath the ground
over	means upper, outer, over, superior or excessive e.g. 'overweight' means too heavy or fat
re	means again e.g. 'replay' means to play something again
trans	means across or through e.g. 'transatlantic' means across the Atlantic ocean
inter	means among, between or together e.g. 'intermission' is the short period of time between the parts in a performance or a film
super	means in excess, beyond e.g. 'supersonic' means faster or beyond the speed of sound
anti	means against, in opposition to e.g. 'anticlockwise' is opposite to the direction that the hands of a clock move in
ante	means before e.g. 'antenatal' means before giving birth
post	means after e.g. 'postpone' means to put something off until later, or after it was originally planned

BBC Copyright

On-Line Quiz 2: Context Clues

from the Longman Vocabulary Website

Use the context to help you define the term in bold.

1 . I hope we can reach an amicable agreement. I don’t like to fight.
shrewd
frank
enthusiastic
peaceful

2 . The governor is astute. He usually makes good decisions.
untrustworthy
having good judgment
careless
loving

3 . Please give me your candid opinion. Don’t hold back.
frank
loving
untrustworthy
arrogant

4 . Cheerleaders must be exuberant if they want to get the crowd excited.
enthusiastic
tired
boring
loving

5 . My parents were always careful how they spent their money. Sometimes I felt they were too frugal.
thrifty
boring
loving
tired

6 . Her remark was uncalled for and embarrassed the partiers. The remark was downright gauche.
appropriate
trusting
loving
awkward

7 . If you are a computer novice, it might be best to take a class to learn how a computer operates.
old hand
beginner
reader
veteran

8 . I remained brave and didn’t cry when the dentist drilled my tooth. After it was over, he said I was quite stoic.
a catastrophe
not affected by pain
untrusting
a baby

9 . The new accord assured the people there would be peace.
agreement
veteran
disagreement
fight

10 . The typhoon was a catastrophe. Many people lost their homes.
business owner
agreement
disaster
none of the above

Context Clues

Whether you go on to college or to a job, you are going to meet an increasing number of new and unfamiliar words. Sometimes the context of an unfamiliar word will give you a definite clue to the meaning of the word. Here are four common types of context clues.

1. Definition. The most obvious and straightforward method of revealing meaning is by outright definition. A form of the verb “to be” signals a definition.

The sycophant can be found wherever there is power; he is the individual who works his way into favor with flattery.

2. Restatement. Sometimes a writer will explain a term by restating it in other words. Certain words act as signals that a restatement will follow. These signals are: in other words, that is, to put it another way, or, this means.

Sara was ambivalent about Jack. She couldn’t decide whether she admired him for leaving medical school to be a painter, or whether she considered him reckless and immature.

3. Example. One pr more examples are given to show the meaning of a word. Words that signal are these: such, such as, like, other, especially, particularly, for example, for instance.

There must be international agreement on punishments for hijacking and kidnapping. Such guerilla tactics cannot be tolerated by one nation without all nations being threatened.

4. Contrast. Occasionally a writer will make contrast that enables you to grasp the meaning of an unfamiliar word.

Unlike the other members of the band who resurfaced in other groups in later years, James was lost to the public after his meteoric fame as the lead singer.

How to Use There, Their and They're

from WikiHow.com

The English language is full of problems like the one presented by there, their and they're. Most native English speakers pronounce these words the same way; therefore, it is difficult for some to judge in which situation to use which spelling. Each spelling means a very different thing; if you'd like to learn the difference, read on!

1. Use there when referring to a place, whether concrete ("over there by the building") or more abstract ("it must be difficult to live there").

There is an antique store on Camden Avenue.

The calculus books are over there on the floor.

2. Use their to indicate possession. It is a possessive adjective and indicates that a particular noun belongs to them.

My friends have lost their tickets.

Their things were strewn about the office haphazardly.

3. Remember that they're is a contraction of the words they and are. It can never be used as a modifier, only as a subject (who or what does the action) and verb (the action itself).

Hurry up! They're closing the mall at 6 tonight!

I'm glad that they're so nice to new students here.

4. Test your usage. When you use any of these three words, get in the habit of asking yourself these questions:

If you wrote there, will the sentence still make sense if you replace it with here? If so, you're using it correctly.

If you chose their, will the sentence still make sense if you replace it with our? If so, you've chosen the correct word.

If you used they're, will the sentence still make sense if you replace it with they are? If so, you're on the right track!

5. Recognize incorrect examples and learn from the mistakes. By looking over others' work with a critical eye, especially by offering proofreading or copyediting help, you can become more sensitized to correct usage and practice it yourself.

Wrong: Their is no one here.

Wrong: Shelley wants to know if there busy.

Wrong: The dogs are happily chewing on they're bones.

RIGHT: I can't believe they're leaving their children there alone!

6. Practice, practice, practice! Get your English teacher or friend to say several sentences aloud that include one of these three words and write down which version they are using. Hire a private English tutor if you're still having trouble.

On-line Quiz 1: There, Their, They're

Complete these sentences. Write the letter of your answers as a comment. Don't forget to include your name and section. The first to get a perfect score will receive a surprise.

1. ___ dog is a husky called Snowy.
a. Their
b. There
c. They're

2. ___ once was a bird called a Dodo.
a. Their
b. There
c. They're

3. My aunt and uncle are arriving today. ___ coming from New York.
a. Their
b. There
c. They're

4. Many years ago ___ weren't any cars so people used to travel by horse and carriage.
a. their
b. there
c. they're

5. Our neighbors have bought a second car. ___ new one is red.
a. Their
b. There
c. They're

6. Both of the cars are made by Ford. ___ both 4WD.
a. Their
b. There
c. They're

7. If you look over ___ you can see the sea.
a. their
b. there
c. they're

8. Can you see where ___ building the new road.
a. their
b. there
c. they're

9. Do you know what _____ phone number is?
a. their
b. there
c, they're

10. ___ address is 65 Ilang-ilang St., Legazpi City.
a. Their
b. There
c. They're


Congratulations to Sushmita De Leon of II-Acacia!

How to Improve your Vocabulary

from DailyWritingTips.com

Make it a priority to learn new words. If you want to improve your vocabulary more quickly, you have to make at least a small commitment. Decide to learn one new word every day or two.

Make your vocabulary practical. Start by learning the words that can express what’s most important to you. For example, learn more of your trade language - the words that are commonly used in your business or hobby or vocation. Go beyond the jargon and cliches. Find better, fresher, clearer words to express what your peers are talking about.

Find the right word for you and use it. When you’re writing something, use a thesaurus frequently. That will help you express yourself better. And every time you do that, you’ll learn a new word and you’ll use that new word. Start learning where you are. As you read, if you come across an interesting word that you don’t understand, don’t just bleep over it. See item number 1. Take the time to look it up in a dictionary. Write it down and use it later.

Learn roots. Most English words are built from common roots, prefixes and suffixes, often with Greek or Latin origins. They’re highly reusable. When you learn one root, you’ll start to understand the many other words that use that root.

When you learn a word, use it immediately and frequently. Make it a game. Slip your new word into conversation with as many different people as you can. Repeat it to yourself. Use it in sentences. Write it on a flashcard and practice it while waiting for red lights.

The key to a better vocabulary is regular practice and progress. Maybe you can’t learn a hundred new words a day, but you can learn one or two a day, totaling thousands of new words over the years.

How's your vocabulary?

Your Vocabulary Score: A+

Congratulations on your multifarious vocabulary! You must be quite an erudite person.

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