Monday, November 8

BONUS: For 50 points, identify the above image; put your response on the desk before class on Tuesday 9 November.

Hi everyone!

I wanted to remind you that I will be teaching the class for the next four weeks, which I am really looking forward to. We will be reading Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, which we picked up from the library today. Chapters 1-4 will be DUE ON FRIDAY.

VOCABULARY 5 DUE FRIDAY 12 November

Vocabulary 5

1. acuity –noun- sharpness, particularly in the mind or senses; keenness, acuteness

2. delineate – verb- to portray, sketch, or describe in accurate and vivid detail, to represent pictorially; depict, picture, render

3. depraved- adjective- marked by evil and corruption, devoid of moral principles; perverted, degenerate, vicious, corrupt.

4. enervate – verb – to weaken or lessen the mental, moral or physical vigor, to enfeeble; impair, cripple, paralyze

5. esoteric – adjective- intended for or understood by only a select few, private, secret; occult, cryptic, arcane, recondite.

6. fecund – adjective- fruitful in offspring or vegetation; intellectually productive; fertile, teeming, prolific

7. fiat – noun- an arbitrary order or decree, a command or act of will or consciousness; edict, dictum, ukase

8. figment –noun- a fabrication of the mind; an arbitrary notion; creation, invention, fancy

9. garner –verb- to acquire as the result of effort; to gather and store away; collect, accumulate, accrue

10. hallow- verb- to set apart as sacred or holy, sanctify, consecrate, to honor greatly, revere; venerate, bless

11. idiosyncrasy –noun- peculiarity that serves to distinguish or identify; eccentricity, quirk, mannerism

12. ignominy- noun- shame or disgrace; dishonor, humiliation, disrepute, odium

13. mundane – adjective- earthly, worldly, relating to practical; prosaic, humdrum, routine, sublunary

14. nuance –noun- a subtle or slight variation as in color, meaning or quality, delicate gradation or shade of difference; shade, nicety, refinement

15. overweening- adjective- conceited, presumptuous, excessive, immoderate; arrogant, unbridled, inflated

16. penchant –noun- a strong attraction or inclination; proclivity, propensity, predilection

17. reputed- adjective- according to reputation or general belief, having widespread acceptance or good reputation; putative, reputable, supposed

18. sophistry- noun- reasoning that seems plausible but is actually unsound, a fallacy; specious reasoning

19. sumptuous –adjective- costly, rich, magnificent; lavish, munificent, opulent, splendid

20. ubiquitous – adjective- present or existing everywhere; omnipresent, pervasive, universal

Vocabulary 5, exercise 1 Use the correct form

1. Although he is the _____________________________ head of a crime syndicate, he has never served time in jail.

2. In his writing, the poet paid close attention to every _________________ of meaning in the words he chose.

3. The fraternity developed a set of _____________________ rites that had to be performed by anyone seeking membership.

4. Oscar Wilde’s novel The Picture of Dorian Gray is about a __________________ man whose portrait reveals his wickedness.

5. The fact that the plurals of some nouns are formed irregularly is a(n) ________________________of English grammar.

6. The ruler instituted several new __________________________.

7. The couple was beguiled into buying a bigger house than they needed by the clever ______________________ of the broker.

8. The _________________________ eye of the TV camera threatens to rob citizens of any sense of privacy.

9. It was the __________________________________ confidence of the candidate that prevented her from acknowledging her weaknesses.

10. The ____________________ of most people’s hearing diminishes as they grow older.

11. In the Gettysburg Address, Lincoln ____________________ the battlefield on which the Union soldiers fought and died.

12. Unfortunately, the great musician’s mind was ____________________ by disease in the last decade of her life.

13. The painter left all _______________________ concerns to her sister while she single-mindedly pursued her artistic goals.

14. The ______________________ feast honoring the king’s birthday was followed by musical entertainment.

15. The architects will ______________________ the main features of their plan at the next client meeting.

16. The silhouette of a man on the porch was a mere _______________________ of your overheated imagination.

17. An instructor with a _________________________ for belaboring the obvious is bound to be boring.

18. The remarkably _________________________ mind of Albert Einstein produced theories on the science of physics.

19. He went from glory to __________________________, when his deception was exposed.

20. Over the years, the writer was able to ___________________ some wisdom that she passed on to others in her books.

Vocabulary 5. exercise 2

1. The man is __________________________ to have mob connections, but so far no one has been able to substantiate the allegation.
2. During the eleven years of his “personal rule,” King Charles I bypassed Parliament and ruled England by royal ________________________.
3. The phonograph is but one of the wonderful new devices that sprang from the _____________________ mind of Thomas Edison, our most prolific inventor.
4. American-style fast-food shops have gained such popularity all over the world that they are now truly _____________________________.
5. His constant use of the world fabulous, even for quite ordinary subjects, is a(n) ____________________________ that I could do without.
6. The passing years lessened her physical vigor but in no was diminished the _______________________ of her judgment.
7. I was so ________________________ by the oppressive heat and humidity of that awful afternoon that I could barely move.
8. Music can often express a(n) _____________________ of mood or feeling that would be difficult to put into words.
9. The ground in which those soldiers are buried was ______________________ by the blood they shed on it.
10. Analysis will show that his “brilliant exposition” of how we can handle the pollution problem without cost to anyone is merest __________________________.
11. His _______________________ sense of superiority dominates his personality in much the same way as his beetling brow dominates his face.
12. The marathon not only brought in huge sums of money for Africa’s starving masses but also _________________________ much sympathy for their plight.
13. May I interrupt this abstruse discussion and turn your attention to more ____________________ matters—like what’s for dinner?
14. You may have many good traits, but I do not admire your ____________________ for borrowing things and failing to return them.
15. The artist’s sketch not only _________________________ the model’s appearance accurately, but also captured something of her personality.
16. “Your suspicion that I am constantly making fun of you behind you back is a mere _____________________ of your overheated brain,” I replied.
17. There is a quite a difference between the austere furnishings of my little apartment and the ___________________________ accommodations of a luxury hotel.
18. He was a changed young man after he suffered the __________________________ of expulsion from West Point for conduct unbecoming a gentleman.
19. Most people I know are so busy dealing with ordinary problems of life that they have no time for _____________________ philosophical speculation.
20. Beneath the man’s cultivated manner and impeccable grooming there lurked the _______________________mind of a brutal sadist.

Vocabulary 5, exercise 3
Synonyms

1. known for his propensity for exaggeration __________________________________

2. a distinct shade of meaning ___________________________________

3. as a result of the general edict ___________________________________

4. a supposed heir to a huge fortune ___________________________________

5. an eccentricity of speech ____________________________________

6. depicted the view from the balcony ____________________________________

7. sought occult knowledge in ancient books ____________________________________

8. the latest fabrication of his imagination ___________________________________

9. their omnipresent sense of dread ___________________________________

10. known for the keenness of her wit __________________________________

11. a truly vicious attack on an innocent person __________________________________

12. the fertile products of a lively imagination ___________________________________

13. weakened by the relentless repetition ____________________________________

14. collects data from many sources _____________________________________

15. deceived by the specious reasoning of a lawyer _____________________________________


Antonyms

16. desecrated the tombs of their ancestors ___________________________________

17. a man of modest means ____________________________________

18. the unworldly side of life _____________________________________

19. made a meager meal ____________________________________

20. the glory of her situation _____________________________________

Vocabulary 5, exercise 4
1. It is only in superior mental powers, not in physical strength or (ignominy / acuity) of senses, that human beings surpass other living things.
2. Cleopatra took her own life rather than suffer the (figment / ignominy) of being led through the streets of Rome in chains.
3. Like a true fanatic, he considers anyone who disagrees with him on any issue to be feebleminded or (depraved / mundane).
4. Your language is indeed clever and amusing, but your argument is nothing but a piece of outright (sophistry / idiosyncrasy).
5. In a democracy, the government must rule by persuasion and consent—not by mere (fiat / sophistry).
6. The conversation between the computer programmers was so (esoteric / ubiquitous) that I wasn’t sure whether they were speaking English.
7. Her imagination is like a (fecund / depraved) field in which new ideas spring u like so many ripe ears of corn.
8. In that rarefied atmosphere, I was afraid to ask anything quite so (sumptuous / mundane) as the location of the john.
9. We will never abandon a cause that has been (garnered / hallowed) by the achievements and sacrifices of so many noble people.
10. Someone with a pronounced (penchant / figment) for saying the wrong thing might justly be described as a victim of “foot-in-the mouth” disease.
11. I appreciate all those kind expressions of gratitude for my services, but I had hoped also to (garner / nuance) some greenbacks.
12. Probably no complaint of young people is more (ubiquitous / depraved) than “My parents don’t understand me.”
13. Scandal and corruption many so (enervate / delineate) an administration that it can longer function effectively.
14. He means well, but we cannot tolerate his (idiosyncratic / fecund) behavior in an organization that depends on discipline and teamwork.
15. How I’d love to knock the wind out of that lout’s (fecund / overweening) conceit!
16. Two synonyms are rarely exactly the same because (fiats / nuances) of tone or applicability make each of the words unique.
17. The alert defense put up by our team completely neutralized our opponents’ (reputedly / sumptuously) unstoppable passing attack.
18. A true sign of intellectual maturity is the ability to distinguish the (figments / penchants) of wishful thinking from reality.
19. The (sumptuous / ubiquitous) banquet was a pleasant change of pace from the spartan fare to which I had become accustomed.
20. Few writers have J.D. Salinger’s remarkable ability to (delineate / garner) the emotions and aspirations of the average teenager.

Today in class we discussed adultery - how it was addressed in the Puritan community, how it is addressed in today's society, as well as how it is addressed in different areas around the world. I have copied the article we read in class about the woman in Somalia who was stoned to death for adultery. Even though The Scarlet Letter was written two hundred years ago, we will find themes, such as adultery, that are still present today.

Somali woman stoned for adultery BBC 18 November 2009

A 20-year-old woman divorcee accused of committing adultery in Somalia has been stoned to death by Islamists in front of a crowd of about 200 people.

A judge working for the militant group al-Shabab said she had had an affair with an unmarried 29-year-old man.
He said she gave birth to a still-born baby and was found guilty of adultery. Her boyfriend was given 100 lashes.
It is thought to be the second time a woman has been stoned to death for adultery by al-Shabab.
The group controls large swathes of southern Somalia where they have imposed a strict interpretation of Islamic law which has been unpopular with many Somalis.
According to reports from a small village near the town of Wajid, 250 miles (400km) north-west of the capital, Mogadishu, the woman was taken to the public grounds where she was buried up to her waist.
She was then stoned to death in front of the crowds on Tuesday afternoon.
The judge, Sheikh Ibrahim Abdirahman, said her unmarried boyfriend was given 100 lashes at the same venue.
Under al-Shabab's interpretation of Sharia law, anyone who has ever been married - even a divorcee - who has an affair is liable to be found guilty of adultery, punishable by stoning to death.
An unmarried person who has sex before marriage is liable to be given 100 lashes.
BBC East Africa correspondent Will Ross says the stoning is at least the fourth for adultery in Somalia over the last year.
Earlier this month, a man was stoned to death for adultery in the port town of Merka, south of Mogadishu.
His pregnant girlfriend was spared, until she gives birth.



Tomorrow, we will learn more about Nathaniel Hawthorne and start exploring his writing by reading the short story, "Dr. Heidegger's Experiment."


If you have any questions about anything throughout these next four weeks, please do not hesitiate to e-mail me! My e-mail address is: meghan.kazer@gmail.com.