The ML Editor

The Arabic language is an ancient tongue that dates back to earlier than the 6th century. It is a language steeped in history, and shrouded in mystery. Today, the Arabic language is the 5th most spoken language on the planet, and it is the official language in many Middle Eastern countries, such as Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Israel, Morocco, and Saudi Arabia. If you are interested in the study of ancient Near Eastern history, modern Middle Eastern history, religion, or foreign language, learning the Arabic language will help you in your academic pursuits. There are several ways you can go about learning how to read, write, and speak Arabic.

If you feel that you should learn the Arabic language for academic reasons, you have options. You can attend a college or University, and earn your degree in Arabic. You could also choose to minor in the language, which will supplement your education if you earn a degree in religion, history, archaeology, or even art history. A degree or a minor in Arabic will help you to translate ancient documents and literature, which will give you wonderful research capabilities. If you do receive your degree in Arabic, you will be highly knowledgeable in a very formal dialect of the language, both written and conversationally. Also, if you have military aspirations, knowing how to communicate in Arabic would be useful, given today’s military climate.

If you have plans to travel extensively to an Arabic speaking country such as Egypt or Morocco, consider taking accelerated foreign language courses online before you go. By learning the basics of a foreign language, you show that you are culturally sensitive and genuinely interested in the country by learning to communicate with locals in their native tongue. You won’t look “touristy” by carrying a book or stumbling through questions to local residents, and you will have a greater appreciation for the culture you are experiencing on your travels. Your travels will be more enjoyable, exciting, and educational.

There are several advantages to learning how to read and speak the Arabic language through an online accelerated course. You will find that doing so via the Internet is very convenient. And your studies won’t interfere with your work and personal commitments. Often, courses are completed at your own pace, with no set class times. You can study Arabic from the comforts of home. All of your work is submitted online, and you will find many opportunities to interact with qualified instructors if you have questions. You will find that the fees for enrolling in an online Arabic language course are reasonable as well.

Whether you are a student of ancient history, religion, or archaeology and you feel that learning the Arabic language will give you a leg up in carrying out your research, or you are making plans to travel to an Arabic speaking country like Egypt or Morocco in the near future and want to be able to ask where the bathroom is or order dinner from the menu in their language, you have options as to how to learn the language. By studying Arabic at a college or University, you will gain a complete knowledge of reading formal Arabic, which will undoubtedly assist you in your academic research. By taking an online course in Arabic, you will be able to quickly and conveniently learn the basics of the language, which will make your travels abroad less stressful, and more enjoyable. Taking the time to learn the Arabic language will allow you to immerse yourself into an interesting new culture, perhaps help to change a few stereotypes, enhance your travels, and supplement your academic pursuits.

English language is loaded with non-standard phrases, which rooted so deeply in its vocabulary that at times cannot be distinguished from the accepted Standard English terms. On the one hand, they jazz up the language of native speakers, making it very lively, natural, and authentic.

However, on the other hand, non-standard phrases make a pile of understanding hassles to English learners, who helplessly try to gain an understanding of all intricate words and phrases, invented by the language speakers impromptu.

This really stands for some reason, because the most difficult aspect of learning another language is not a great bulk of its vocabulary, but an extensive number of non-standard phrases.

Non-standard phrases, used here to denote idiomatic expressions, which make up a considerable part of the lexicon of language users.

The best advice to the English learners is not to make many efforts, trying to remember tons of idioms at one sitting, but to learn the most common ones gradually and naturally through the learning material or lively communication with native speakers. Remember that it is much better to be accurate in the non-idiomatic English than inappropriate when using idioms.

It is a well-known fact that English is heavily idiomatic. The phenomenon of vast idiomatic basis of the English language is rather explanatory. First, English is a multicultural language, that’s why it comes under the influence of different languages and borrows new phraseological units extensively. Second, as new concepts are developed, new terms are needed for their indication, so instead of creating new words, we simply put together already existent words, which acquire new sense in combination.

Idiomatic expressions come across all over the place. Even a cursory scanning of the newspaper headlines and perfunctory watching of television shows or news broadcast clearly reveal the extent to which idiomatic language is a part of day-to-day life and communication. Being stripped of the non-standard phrases everyday language will lose its flavor and become pedestrian and dull.

What is especially interesting about idioms is that they can be defined in different ways, depending on the functions they fulfill. Idiom can be a figure of speech, which means that the words in idiomatic expressions are used figuratively, rather than with their literal meaning.

When we say that someone is in the soup, instinctively we feel that there is no real soup involved. We know that here the meaning of the word soup is figurative, and we guess from the context that someone who says it implies that a person is in trouble and has some serious problems.

Native speakers got so used to figurative language they speak that they don’t realize of how large a proportion of what they say and write is metaphorical. A great number of idioms which is used in everyday language are colloquial metaphor. Wikipedia offers very clear and to the point example to illustrate this statement: get lost! - which means go away or stop bothering me.

Idiomatic expressions are extremely common and are found in all kinds of English, both formal and particularly informal. After all, frequent occurrence of the idiomatic expressions in speech does not make them understandable for everybody. As the origin and history, standing behind them, remains enigmatic and obscure both for native speakers of the language and English learners.

The origin or also called etymology of idioms, which can be literally interpreted as tracing back to the roots of emergence of words and phrases in the language, is a vast field of unceasing debates of scholars and a fruitful ground for equivocal opinions and views of linguists.

Indeed, language users do not pay attention to the stylistic peculiarities of the phrases they use, and do not reflect much on the origin of the words they utilize on a daily basis. Indeed, usage of idiomatic expressions is par for the course for us, and we do not notice the beauty of the language we speak. English idiomatic language is a real diamond in the rough, which has enormous topical variety of forms and fascinating and surprising origins.

So be natural in your communication, keep your language simple and be sure to polish this rough diamond perfectly well.

You might sometimes wonder whether your dedication and sacrifice will pay off as your intended goals. There isn’t a person on earth who wants to invest their time, effort, and money into something that eventually will result in a disappointment.

It’s vital to become aware of the extent to which you follow this trend of thinking.
Often times you may not have had sufficient exposure and development of your goals for positive results to be born. Thus a lack of experience has equated into a lack of results. During such times you might be afraid to face disappointment to the degree of avoiding taking even the initial action required towards achieving your goals.

Courage is acting despite of fear.

It’s important to act and follow through with your planned actions despite fears and desires to avoid pain and disappointments.

Pain is temporary, quitting lasts forever. - Lance Armstrong

At the end its how much victory you have achieved, rather than how much pain you have avoided.

The only way to know is to do.

You might seek assurance that your goals will be achieved fully as planned, and desire to predict exactly the way things will turnout. You must realize that the only way to know an outcome is to act. That’s how life works. Action produces results.
It’s similar to wanting to know what’s behind a closed door, yet avoiding putting in the key and turning the lock open. The only way to find out an outcome is to put in the effort, and follow through with the planned course of actions. Only then will the doors open, and the outcomes unfold.

Self-belief is the first step to achieving your goals.

People have achieved tremendous things, despite experiencing fears and doubts.

Why? Simple. They believed in their abilities to achieve their goals, and held strong to their desires to make their goals and dreams come true.

Acting despite of your fears towards achieving your goals will develop a great and vital characteristic, which is courage.

It’s your desire to achieve your goals, and the belief in your abilities that determines the outcomes of your actions.

You live in a world where everything is possible if you choose and desire so.

Ultimately, you are the master of your life, and the dictator of your chosen destiny.
It is in your hands to decide your abilities and potentials in regards to your goals and endeavors.

Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goals.

Believing in your abilities, desiring to achieve your goals, and giving your full focus and
effort, will ultimately ensure your success.

You can also contact Mike at Mike@RepsOfPain.com
And Visit his website at www.repsofpain.com

Mike Vainshtein, a bodybuilder and motivational speaker, shares his power mental and motivational strategies to take your bodybuilding and life goals to a higher level of performance, quality, and results.

The very old Chinese motto has a very strong gist; the proverb depicted the truth that each & every person recognises an event noticeably more when it is watched. Utilising video production or videography it’s possible to record a succession of occasions. Visit the Vidify website for cost-effective video production and distribution solutions.

Nowadays in lots of commercial presentations, video is frequently employed. By employing video production it is feasible to provide the necessary message to quite a lot of potential clientele to help allure them. Video production is these days employed for several different reasons; however, more than a few online promotional videos & brand associated productions are usually created in order to accomplish particular business objectives.

Audio video presentations are very much in vogue & are therefore used in almost any form of corporate activity. Digital media businesses at the outset generally work with a certain brand of client or a firm that looks to produce a short format video, a presentation or an assortment of video clips. The full occupation of video production is normally carried out by a couple of freelancers; although there are a few good creative agencies around at the moment.

The involvement of music composers, cameraman and script writers can also be very common when creating audio video productions. Furthermore, advertising firms & public relations companies have lately become involved with online video distribution.

Just follow these secrets and you will be saving yourself from spending too much money from retail stores.. Get Wholesale Jersey Knit Fabric at Salehoo wholesale directories, see how Salehoo can help your business. You will charge them more than you were charged which is what gives you the profit. Read on to find out more about Wholesale Jersey Knit Fabric and Salehoo Wholesalers. There are advertising expenses sales staff building insurance and utility expenses that all have to be added to the prices. More on Wholesale Jersey Knit Fabric at Salehoo wholesaler directory.

If a majority of the wholesale companies being advertised are not true wholesale companies, then what are they and where are they getting their products? They are likely just middleman operating within a chain of middleman. Read on about Wholesale Jersey Knit Fabric and how Salehoo wholesale directory can help you. In other words you can run an entirely virtual business outsourcing everything to the fulfillment house if you like. More on Wholesale Jersey Knit Fabric below.

Trick #2: Make big margins. You need those margins. You can’t buy something for $10 and sell it at $12, not even at $15. The listing fees alone will eat you. Remember, you have to pay a listing fee, you have to pay a fee if you sell the product and on top of that you pay PayPal when you collect the money. You could easily pay up to 10% or more of your selling price. This could be your entire profit. If you use any special listings to showcase your product you could be looking at $20 extra per listing category. So again, don’t try to make it on volume, try to make it on big margins. The best things to sell are either unique items or collectibles, name brand items that people are looking for like iPods, or hard to find items or imports. Find out more about Wholesale Jersey Knit Fabric and how Salehoo wholesale directory can help you start your own business from home. Instead of traveling to trade shows or liquidators’ warehouses in search of inventory these retailers simply go online. Wholesale Jersey Knit Fabric: Find out how Salehoo wholesale directory can serve YOU!

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One of the many things that several college bound students seem to worry over, is declaring a major. Many people may tell that you should have one chosen by the time you start your first year. Unless you’re absolutely 100% sure of your career path, you don’t need to worry about making that decision just yet. Keep your options open. The actual deadline for choosing a major is the end of your sophomore year. That gives you two years, which is plenty of time. In those first two years of your scholastic journey, you should be exploring possibilities and considering your options. Take general education courses, like History, Literature, Psychology 101, Sociology 101, intro classes, etc., and figure out which one grabs you. It might not be right away. You might pick a major at the last minute.

Take me for example. I didn’t declare my major until the end of my sophomore year. I thought I would never figure out what I wanted to do or what I was good at. I had originally come to school wanting to be a political science major. Then halfway through, I decided that politics was something that I didn’t want to be a part of (for various reasons). Next, I wanted to be a psychology major. I loved the class so much that I decided to declare. Eventually I got bored with psychology and switched to history. I love history and I’m completely fascinated with it. I soon lost interest with being a history major and became an English major. I figured since I love to read and write that this would be perfect. That ended up being a little too much reading and writing for my taste. Plus, I had to take classes like ‘Eighteenth Century British Literature’, which I ended up sleeping in. So I remained undeclared until the Spring Semester of my sophomore year. That semester, I signed up for a video production class. I excelled in the class. I finally found something I loved and something I was good at. I declared Broadcast Journalism as my major and am currently working towards my degree in that field.

It takes time. Don’t get overwhelmed. Don’t get discouraged. Test the waters, try everything, and eventually, you’ll find your niche.

Let’s face it!!! Our children are judged based on their grade point average and their performance on standardized test such as ACT/ SAT. Our children’s high school and college admissions are based on those credentials. As parents, we invest money in sophisticated desktop/ laptop computers to give them access to the worldwide web. We establish home offices, libraries and structured areas to encourage daily homework and studying. We believe constant studying and attention to homework will groom our children to brilliant status and give them impeccable credentials. To a certain extent, we are correct. Homework and study skills lay the basic foundation for school success as high grade point averages flow from high test scores.

Memory skills and repetition is the key to high grade point averages; however, they are not the key to brilliance on standardized test. Standardized test, such as California Achievement Test (CAT), Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), American College Test (ACT), assumes students are exposed to different cultures, climates, countries and experiences at least 10 times before reaching 10th grade. Students who perform the best on standardized test have exposure to diverse experiences. What better way to gain this exposure than a vacation to another city, state, country or continent!!!!!

Wealthy families have always known that trips, getaways and vacations are the secret to grooming brilliant students. Family vacations are an opportunity for students to apply all their classroom knowledge quickly. The average vacation is three to seven days. Some wealthy families are known to vacation up to 45 days on multiple continents. Nevertheless, most families are on a limited timeframe requiring them to make quick decisions regarding currency exchange, climate differences, navigation of city, etc.

These decisions while extremely practical require the use of mathematics, science, geography, social studies and reading. Unconsciously, students are immersed into lessons fueled by sheer excitement and curiosity.

Imagine how productive the lesson would become if a family vacation evolves around a classroom lesson. Children learn lessons at a faster pace. For example, a train trip to an Indian Reservation in Arizona/ New Mexico really solidifies a lesson on Native American History.

I know you are thinking “I don’t have the money for vacation as travel is too expensive.” Under normal circumstances and full prices, travel can be extremely expensive. However, prices drop substantially September 7 through November 20 as this time period is considered the travel slow season. Other lesser known slow seasons are December 1 through December 20, January 3 through February 1 and 2 weeks after Passover/Easter through May 20.

Combine slow season discounts with internet discounts, a family can experience the world at the fraction of cost of your holiday (Christmas, Hanukah, and Ramadan) gift fund. “I spent $1500 dollars for a 3 day vacation in Nassau, Bahamas. That cost included air travel to Miami for 3 people and a cruise to Bahamas. Since food was include, the trip was relatively inexpensive,” states Ida Byrd-Hill, a parent of 7th grade twins, Kevin and Karen Hill who attend Duke Ellington Conservatory of Music and Art (a Detroit Public School). “My children learned about world colonization, but better yet they learned about opportunities as they met the Bahamian Governess, a woman of African descent. I am glad I was able to find that trip on the web. as Karen scored 96 percentile on the Social Studies portion of the California Achievement Test and Kevin scored 87 percentile on the Science portion of the California Achievement Test ” states Byrd-Hill.

Great deals can be found on the internet by booking at least 14 days or even 21 days in advance. There are also websites that specialize in last minute travel. Often these trips (air/ hotel combos) are for a weekend departing the same week you book the vacation or the next weekend. Since there are so many travel websites on the internet it pays to spend some time price comparing. There are websites, that allow individuals to surf many of the top websites and not so well known sites to compare vacation pricing.

If you want to groom your children into brilliant students, improve their grades and performance on standardized test, implement the secret wealthy families have known for generations - Take a Family Vacation.

Good Trip!!! Bon Voyage!!! Viaje Bueno!!! Arrivaderci!!! Viaggio Buono!!! Gut Tschus!!!

Ida B. Byrd-Hill is the President of Uplift Inc.and www.livinginstyleonline.com. She was the President of The Harvard Group Wealth Management L.L.C. for 10 years. She has served as guest columnist for the Michigan Front Page for 2 years and a speaker for the Better Investing television show hosted by David Chilton, author of The Wealthy Barber.

Plastics are synthetically produced non-metallic compounds. It can be molded into various forms and hardened for commercial use. Plastic molding products can be seen everywhere. Examples are jars, protective caps, plastic tubes, grips, toys, bottles, cases, accessories, kitchen utensils and a lot more.

Even the keyboard and the mouse that you use are made through plastic molding. Even the plastic parts of the chair that you are sitting on are created this way.

The basic idea in plastic molding is inserting molten liquid plastic into a ready shaped mold, for example the mold of a bottle. It will then be allowed to cool, then the mold will be removed to reveal the plastic bottle.

Plastic molding can also custom-mold a wide variety of plastic products including: garden pots, cabinets, office trays and boxes, barriers, barricades and traffic signage and displays for product and marketing promotions.

If you are planning to go into a plastic molding business, you should first know the different processes. Choose from a plastic molding process that fits your budget, your expertise, and your resources. Here are basic definitions of various methods of plastic molding.

The Plastic Molding Processes:

1. Injection Molding

In Injection Molding, melted plastic is forced into a mold cavity. Once cooled, the mold can be removed. This plastic molding process is commonly used in mass-production or prototyping of a product. Injection molding machines were made in the 1930’s. This can be used to mass produce toys, kitchen utensils, bottle caps, and cell phone stands to name a few.

2. Blow Molding

Blow molding is like injection molding except that hot liquid plastic pours out of a barrel vertically in a molten tube. The mold closes on it and forces it outward to conform to the inside shape of the mold. When it is cooled, the hollow part is formed. Examples of blow molding products are bottles, tubes and containers.

Equipments needed in setting-up a blow molding business are relatively higher than injection molding.

3. Compression Molding

In this type of plastic molding, a slug of hard plastic is pressed between two heated mold halves. Compression molding usually uses vertical presses instead of the horizontal presses used for injection and blow molding. The parts formed are then air-cooled. Prices of equipments used for compression molding are moderate.

4. Film Insert Molding

This plastic molding technique imbeds an image beneath the surface of a molded part. A material like film or fabric is inserted into a mold. Plastic is then injected.

5. Gas Assist Molding

Also called gas injection molding is used to create plastic parts with hollow interiors. Partial shot of plastic is then followed by high-pressure gas to fill the mold cavity with plastic.

6. Rotational Molding

Hollow molds packed with powdered plastic are secured to pipe-like spokes that extend from a central hub. The molds rotate on separate axes at once. The hub swings the whole mold to a closed furnace room causing the powder to melt and stick to the insides of the tools. As the molds turn slowly, the tools move into a cooling room. Here, sprayed water causes the plastic to harden into a hollow part. In this type of plastic molding, tooling costs are low and piece prices are high. Cycle time takes about 40-45 minutes.

7. Structural Foam Molding

Structural foam molding is a process of plastic molding usually used for parts that require thicker walls than standard injection molding. Inserting a small amount of nitrogen or chemical blow agent into the plastic material makes the walls thicker. Foaming happens as the melted plastic material enters the mold cavity. A thin plastic skin forms and solidifies in the mold wall. This type of plastic molding can be used with any thermoplastic that can be injection molded.

8. Thermoforming

In this plastic molding process, sheets of pre-extruded rigid plastics are horizontally heated and sucked down into hollow one-piece tools. When the hot plastic solidifies, its shape conforms to that of the mold.

Tooling costs are usually low and piece prices vary on the machinery.

Plastic molding is a very technical process. It needs experts in this type of manufacturing business for it to be competitive in the market. Therefore, a very scientific and systematic study should be first made before going into this endeavor.

For more great plastic molding info and advice check out: www.plastics-hq.com

Vocabulary Building and Reading Comprehension

The meaning of unknown words which you come across in your reading sometimes can be known by their surroundings, that is, their contexts. The context of the sentence can tell us the part of speech of the unknown word. Using the context of the paragraph to define unknown words can also helpful.

Although it takes practice, it is the easiest and most efficient way to identify words. Often, using the context is the only way to figure out the meaning of the word as it is used in the sentence, passage, or chapter.

Consider the word “bar”. Bar is a common word. But without surrounding words, you don’t know if it describes soap, a place that serves beer, a sand formation at the beach, a way to lock the door, or…

Readers often have trouble because they identify the literal but incorrect meaning of a word when they should identify the way it was used in the passage. The following sections will give you more explanation and some exercises on how to get help on the meaning of unknown words by checking their part of speech and their place in context.

A. Using The Part of Speech of the unknown word as a help in reading.

One consideration in using the context is to determine the unknown word’s part of speech. The words around the unknown word give you clues. Once you know if the word is a noun or if it is an adjective, it often is enough for you to continue reading intelligently without having to stop to look up the meaning of the word. After coming across the word a few more times, you will know its meaning more firmly than if you had just looked it up.

In the following sentences, identify the part of speech of the italicized words by writing N if the word is a noun, V if the italicized word is a verb, Adj if the italicized word is an adjective, or Adv if the italicized word is an adverb.

Example: She liked to wear red and always wore jewelry made of carnelian. Ans. N

1. The dirty old man gave the young woman a salacious look.

2. The president prayed for the sagacity to make the right decision in the face of many alternatives.

3. The man looked at the rusty old gadget and wondered how its mechanism worked.

4. The dying man designated his son to receive his property.

5. The brindled dog barked loudly.

6. The father caressed his crying child with great tenderness.

7. “Don’t patronize us; we are not children!” said the angry indigenous leaders to the politicians.

8. John was a good emanuensis, always taking dictation correctly and typing up all of his employer’s correspondence.

9. The boy was disappointed by the paltry amount he received as an inheritance when his grandfather died.

10. The young boy ran clumsily down the hill with his arms and legs flapping all over.

B. USING OTHER CLUES GOTTEN FROM THE TEXT ITSELF

Knowing the part of speech of the unknown word is not the only way to figure out its meaning. There are other clues to the meanings of unknown words. They are found directly within a sentence, paragraph, passage, or chapter. Being able to recognize these clues helps you define new words in context. These clues are found right in the text and can be words or punctuation marks or specific words or phrases.

You use them to compare words or to identify unknown words that mean the same or the opposite of words you already know. The clues can also be used to define unknown words that are examples of a group.

There are five other clues that will help you: 1. Punctuation clues, 2. Definition clues, 3. Contrast clues, 4.Comparison clues, and 5. Example clues.

Of these types, the most important are the Contrast clues and the Comparison Clues. The other clues are very obvious and are given here just for the sake of completeness. The reader should concentrate on the Contrast and the Comparison clues.

The five text based clues are useful but the most powerful tool is the Framework based clue. This is the use of information from your own experience, common sense, and the context in which you find the difficult word. There will be examples of this tool at the end of the paper.

1. Punctuation Clues

Punctuation clues are given when the unknown word is set off by commas, parentheses, brackets, or dashes. The information contained within the punctuation marks sometimes means the same or nearly the same as the unknown words. Or, the unknown word might be set off from its meaning by punctuation marks. Information set off by punctuation marks may clarify rather than define the word. Finding these clues is not foolproof.

Example of Punctuation Clue: Nicotine, a colorless and oily drug in tobacco, stains the teeth of chain smokers. Explanation: The words between the commas-a colorless and oily drug in tobacco-define nicotine .

Punctuation Exercise: Underline the punctuation clue that tells you the meaning of the italicized word.

1. The soldiers advanced down the small deep-sided gulch (a narrow valley) into an ambush.

2. The philosopher Descartes helped to establish dualism (the separation of mind and body).

3. Metamemory -knowledge about one’s memory processes-is helpful in helping us store and recall information.

4. Adjunct aids-techniques used to assist students’ comprehension of reading materials-have been found to be quite useful.

5. The deluge, a flood of rain, threatened to drown the little town.

2. Definition Clues

Definition clues join the unknown word with the word(s) that rename it or tell its meaning. The clues precede or follow words that are or act like linking verbs. A linking verb shows no action but indicates being.

Examples of these verbs are: is, was, are, means, i.e. (that is), involves, is called, that is, or resembles.

For example: The mansion’s piazza resembled a large uncovered patio. Explanation: The word resembled joins piazza with its meaning so it is a clue that lets us know that a piazza is a large uncovered patio.

Definition Exercise: Use definition text-based clues to find the meaning of the italicized word. Underline the word (or words) that tells you the meaning of the italicized word.

1. The art, science, or profession of teaching is called pedagogy.

2. Divergent thinking is generating many different ideas in order to solve a problem.

3. Conservative behavior involves cautious or conventional actions.

4. The seasonal wind of the Indian Ocean and southern Asia is a monsoon.

5. Criterion means a standard or rule by which a judgment is formed.

6. A souk is an open-air marketplace in North Africa.

3. Contrast Clues

With contrast clues, you use the opposite of known information to determine the unknown word. Connecting words like however, yet, on the other hand, instead of, but, while, and although join the unknown word with another word that is its opposite.

Example of Contrast Clue:

My sister is extremely neat in appearance while she is slovenly in her housekeeping.

Explanation: The word “while” indicates that slovenly means the opposite of neat. Thus, slovenly means sloppy or messy.

Contrast Exercise: Determine the meaning of the italicized word by using contrast text-based clues. Exercise Example: Although the patron asked for a solemn poem, the poet wrote doggerel.

1.The tumor was benign; nevertheless, the doctor decided to treat it as if it could injure the patient.

2.Some business disputes can be settled out of court; on the other hand; others require litigation.

3. At first the labor union leaders and the factory owners argued about pay schedules and benefits; however, they finally came to a compromise.

4. Gina’s leg muscles continued to atrophy because of her injury, but she exercised to build up their strength.

5. Carlos acquiesced to Jane’s demands instead of standing his ground and defending his viewpoint.

4. Comparison Clues

Comparison clues indicate that two or more things are alike. A comparison is possible because the known and unknown words have similarities. Words like similarly, as well as, both, and likewise show you that comparisons can be made.

Examples of Comparison Clue:

Miss Johnson is a prim, modest woman; likewise, many of her friends are very proper.

Explanation: Likewise is used to compare prim to proper. Proper means respectable. Thus, prim has a similar meaning.

1. The Greek vase was made of alabaster; similarly, the Roman lamp was also of a translucent, white stone.

2. Taking out the garbage was an onerous task; likewise, washing dishes can be a hard job.

3. Repartee, as well as other kinds of humorous conversation, kept the talk show from becoming boring.

4. Birds are oviparous; similarly, fish and reptiles lay eggs that hatch outside of the body.

5. Both accountants and CPA’s are necessary for a large company’s financial office.

6. The old chair was protected by both handmade antimacassars and other coverings.

5. Example Clues

Example clues tell you an example of an unknown word follows. You derive the meaning of the unknown word by determining what the examples have in common. Example clues are usually introduced by the following words and phrases: such as, such, other, for example, and like.

Example of “Example” Clue: Potentates-such as kings, queens, and emperors-are very powerful and wealthy people. Explanation: Since kings, queens, and emperors are the rulers of countries, potentates are rulers.

“Example” Clue EXERCISE: Underline the words that explain the italicized words.

Canines, such as collies, pugs, and poodles, are good pets.

Edifices, such as skyscrapers and condominiums, are found in cities.

Various means of conveyance-for example, cars, subways, and ships are used worldwide.

Nickels, dimes, dollars, and other kinds of legal tender are used to purchase goods.

Many people enjoy eating mollusks, like clams and snails.

Fiduciaries, like lawyers and bankers, were chosen to manage the young heir’s money.

Framework Based Clues

To find meanings from text-based clues (like contrast clues, comparison clues, definition clues, example clues), you looked for clues in the sentence itself. A second kind of clue does not rely on specific words or punctuation marks to indicate meaning. This kind of context clue is called framework-based

Your knowledge of the meanings of surrounding words helps you discover the meaning of a word or of a sentence. The background information you find in these frameworks helps you get the meanings of new words. Common sense and your knowledge of the parts of speech also help in defining unknown words. You combine your experience with what the text contains to determine meaning.

Framework Based Clue Example: The angry driver shouted vehemently during his fight with the other driver. What does vehemently mean? You know what angry means, and you know how people feel when they argue. From this, you can figure out that vehemently has something to do with strong emotion or intense feeling. This is an example of using framework-based context to find the meanings of new words. The meaning you find comes from your personal experience.

Sometimes it takes a bit more detective work to puzzle out the meaning of an unfamiliar word. In such cases, you must draw conclusions based on the information given with the word. Asking yourself questions about the passages may help you make a fairly accurate guess about the meaning of the unfamiliar word. Each of the sentences below is followed by a question. Think about each question; using your common sense and asking yourself a question about the sentence you should be able to know the correct meaning of the italicized word.

1. A former employee, irate over having been fired, broke into the plant and deliberately wrecked several machines. (What would be the employee’s state of mind?)

2. John always praised his bosses; he always agreed with what they said. He said he was just a good employee but his friends said he was a sycophant. (What behaviors were his friends describing with the word they put on John?)

3. The car wash we organized to raise funds was a fiasco -it rained all day.

(How successful would a car wash be on a rainy day?)

The first sentence provides enough evidence for you to guess that irate means very angry. Sycophant in the second sentence means sweet-talker. And a fiasco is a complete disaster. (These are not exact dictionary definitions of the words. But by using context clues, but you will often be accurate enough to make good sense of what you are reading. And the good thing is that you save time in your reading because you don’t have to look up every word!)

Try to answer the question that follows each item of the list on the other side of this page. Then use the logic of each answer to help you circle the letter of the meaning you think is correct. Note that some of these sentences have been taken from college textbooks. This should prove to you that your new skills in reading will help you in your college studies. In the future you will be able to make up your own questions to help you.

1. Jamal didn’t want to tell Tina the entire plot of the movie, so he just gave her the gist of the story. (What would Jamal say to Tina?)

Answer the question: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……

Meaning of the word: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

2. The lizard was so lethargic that I wasn’t sure if it was alive or dead. It didn’t even blink. (How active is this lizard?)

Answer the question: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……

Meaning of the word: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

3. After the accident, I was angered when the other driver told the police officer a complete fabrication about what happened. He made it seem that I was the only person at fault. (How truthful was the other driver’s information?)

Answer the question: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……

Meaning of the word: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

4. The public knows very little about the covert activities of CIA spies. (What kind of activities would the CIA spies be involved in that the public wouldn’t know much about?)

Answer the question: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……

Meaning of the word: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

5. Whether or not there is life in outer space is an enigma. We may never know for sure until we are capable of space travel or aliens actually land on our planet. (What would we call something to which we have no answer?)

Answer the question: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……

Meaning of the word: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

6. Suicide rates tend to fluctuate with the seasons, with much higher rates in the winter than in the summer. (What happens to the suicide rate from season to season?)

Answer the question: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……

Meaning of the word: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

7. Human beings are resilient creatures-they can often bounce back from negative experiences and adjust well to life. (What point is the author making about the nature of human beings ? Answer the question:……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Meaning of the word: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

8. A major accomplishment of the field of sociology is dispelling the myths and prejudices that groups of people have about each other. (What would teachers of sociology do to “myths and prejudices” that could be considered a “major accomplishment”?)

Answer the question: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……

Meaning of the word: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

9. When he first heard the news that he had lost the job, Peter showed a pugnacious attitude. But later when other alternatives were explained to him, he became less hostile. (What attitude would you feel when you lose your job?

Answer the question: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……

Meaning of the word: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Frank Gerace Ph.D has lived and worked in Latin America on Educational and Communication Projects. He currently teaches English in New York City at La Guardia College/CUNY. He provides help to parents wanting to have their children speak Spanish at: www.bookslibros.com/SpanishForNinos.htm

Mountains may be the waving of the earth’s crust to the rest of the heavens as if to say hello. Just like the waves, mountains can fold, fault, and become residual, and like Tsunamis, for miles and miles around, volcanoes blow up and drown everything in sight inside their ashes.

The majesty of the mountains has inspired myths to be created around them; Mount Meru in the center of the Himalayas was thought to be the axis of the universe as Mount Olympus was where Zeus resided. Hindus and Buddhists believed in the divinity of the mountains and assigned each one to be a home to a god.

As well as serving as residences to gods and being the sites of sacred revelations, mountains are also regarded as portals to the underworld. In Icelandic folklore, the Christian priests who took on the role of mythic heroes were able to open these portals. Mountains are also thought of being inhabited by supernatural beings, some of them demons, who send climbers to their deaths. Even today, some consider Mount Hood as the operating center of an alien race and Mount Shasta to be the home of an old race that dwelled in Atlantis. This may be because a mountain seems to have a personality.

A mountain can be fickle; a mountain has moods. One never knows when a temper tantrum will strike. A seemingly safe rock with holds, nicks and crannies for the mountaineering gear suddenly will turn slippery with ice; the overhangs on ridges will abruptly break apart sending down stones over once passable routes; a gray mysterious fog will stick to breathing passages; hail and lightning will batter the eyes, faces of everyone and anything else in sight; the word avalanche will make the climber tremble with fear, for it will maroon people and villages for days at an end.

“What has roots as nobody sees, is taller than trees, and up, up it goes; yet, never grows?”

The answer to this riddle is a mountain. Yet, mountains do grow and move around with the help of earthquakes as plate tectonics dictate.

My farthest memories of mountains are of the Alps, though at first–not of snow and solitude–but of patchwork of fields surrounding quiet villages, small churches, simple doll houses shouldering steep roofs, freshly mowed hay draped in piles over cylindrical racks to dry and me, as a child, feeling like Heidi among the goats; then, also, the earth rising to the sun with a dynamic authority; steep, craggy, brown, black, and purple heights breaking the ground with touches of green toward the peaks; and pine forests at the skirts of the mountains.

Only later on, I finally witnessed the white caps, snowy shoulders, and white wondrous splendor of solitude during our early spring and late winter visits. Alps do not span a large area. They could fit inside two East Coast US states such as Virginia and Maryland, but as far as mountains go, Alps are rebellious, frozen, wild youngsters who haven’t lost their sharp edges. They are also the spoiled brats of history with riches of legend, romance, and majesty.

In a strange way, to live and work among the mountains offers a linkage to nature. If one has debts to be paid and a mortgage to be settled, mountains are around for comfort, encouraging the occupants on them to enjoy a hearth and home decorated with Alpine rose, edelweiss, gentian, and anything else that may grow at the foothills or inside the snow. A mountain dweller wakes up in the morning and lifts his eyes and soul to the primeval majesty of high peaks, to watch the plethora of green fir and to go after the timber to be gathered.

Wood is put to good use among the mountain people. Tools and utensils, carriages, carts, blades and axle for waterwheels, homes, sheds, weaving gear, cuckoo clocks, are usually made of wood.

The seasons on mountains do not depend on the time of the year as much as they do on the altitude. The higher one climbs the colder and the lonelier it gets. Soon, the tree line vanishes and rock, ice, and snow are left for the majestic mountains to hold their windy heads inside the clouds.

While most any place is losing its battle to an uncivilized civilization, inside and around Alpine forests, there are nature preserves where the flora and fauna remain undisturbed.

Each spring, people hike on or around the mountain valleys. They observe the treasury of insect and plant life and the roots of birch trees grab a boulder, listen to the warblers’ and finches’ songs mix in with the hoarse croak of the vultures, and once in a while, step aside to make way for a red deer and its fawn on a green meadow.

These delicate discoveries and the mountain’s dignity in solitude can provide a deep sense of content for anyone who sets his eyes on any mountain.

Joy Cagil is an author on http://www.Writing.Com/ which is a site for Writers. Her education is in foreign languages and linguistics. Her portfolio can be found at http://www.Writing.Com/authors/joycag