Improve Your English: 292 [Archives:2006/950/Education]

I. What to Say

Situations and Expressions (90):

Ads have an educative function. Their objective is to change behavior patterns, thinking process and to motivate, sensitize and energize potential customers. The national integration function of the ads include creating common tastes and social manners. As a tool of mass marketing they bridge the gap of regional tastes and needs. Thus ads fulfill a nationalist function by creating a 'homogeneous state'.

Social Ads

– Help. And your heart will feel a lot lighter than your wallet.

– You can send your hanky to wash, where can you send your lungs (cancer check up campaign).

Aesthetic appeal of ads

– God created sleep. We made it a dream (mattress).

Fear appeal

– Millions of people across the country are saying 'Good Knight' to mosquitoes (mosquito coil).

II. How to Say it Correctly

Correct errors, if any, in the following sentences

1. The equipments were faulty.

2. The company is now doing a lot of businesses abroad.

3. The contrast between Yemen and other countries in the Arab world are striking.

4. The staff of the company is holding a meeting to discuss the pay offer.

5. 120 miles are too far to travel.

Suggested answers to the previous lesson's questions

1. Your mother tells me you are still hoping to become a teacher.

2. The student confessed that he hadn't done his homework.

3. Fatima talked about her holiday to the rest of the class. Or Fatima told the rest of the class about her holiday.

4. The doctor advised me to cut down on fatty food.

5. I asked my brother if I could borrow his bike.

III. Increase Your Word Power

(A) How to express it in one word

1. Going out or away to many people

2. Because of one's office or position

3. Free somebody from blame or responsibility

4. Too high or great a price, charge or demand

5. Foreign or unusual in style, fashions, words, ideas

Suggested answers to the previous lesson's questions

1. Collection of things shown publicly: exhibition (n)

2. Fill with high spirits: exhilarate (vt)

3. Advise earnestly: exhort (vt)

4. Take out a dead body from the earth for examination: exhume (vt)

5. Condition of great need: exigency (n)

(B) Words often confused

Bring out the difference in meaning of the following pairs of words:

1. collapse, lapse

2. woolen, wooly

3. search, research

4. road, street, lane, avenue

Suggested answers to the previous lesson's questions

1. wooden (adj) (made of, or like wood): He got a wooden chair made by the carpenter.

woody (adj) (like wood): The village is situated in woody surroundings.

2. straight (adj) (without a bend or curve): There is a straight road from the university to my house.

strait (adj) (narrow): Strait is the gate to heaven.

straits (n) (trouble): I am in financial straits.

3. consequent (adj) (following as a consequence. It emphasizes the causal connection): There will be heavy rains consequent upon a deep depression.

subsequent (adj) (later; following in time sequence): Subsequent to my leaving the place, my friend arrived there.

4. repeal (vt) (revoke, annul a law): Following massive protests by people, the government was forced to repeal the law.

repel (vt) (drive back or away): His uncouth manners repelled her from him.

5. ingenious (adj) (clever and skillful at making or inventing): Dr. Mahmoud has an ingenious mind.

ingenuous (adj) (frank; open; innocent; natural): Everyone is charmed by her ingenuous smile.

(C ) Synonyms and Antonyms

(i) Synonyms

Choose the word that is closest in meaning to the one given at the top

1. enunciate

a. to censure publicly b. to state formally

c. to emphasize d. to promote

2. propitiate

a. to yield b. to encourage

c. to fawn on d. to appease

3. invidious

a. deceptive b. malicious

c. hypercritical d. stealthy

4. edifice

a. pride b. imposing

c. building d. strength

5. siesta

a. farm b. carnival

c. east Indian market d. a short nap

Suggested answers to the previous lesson's questions

Word Synonym

1. abstinence self-denial

2. contour outline

3. labyrinth bewildering maze

4. annulment abolition

5. pontificate to constitute

(ii) Antonyms

Choose the word that is most opposite in meaning to the one given at the top

1. erudite

a. eradicate b. ignorant

c. pendant d. pauper

2. alienate

a. enliven b. endear

c. leaning d. uprising

3. accomplice

a. opponent b. escort

c. accessory d. desertion

4. apocalyptic

a. high sounding b. appealing

c. concealed d. poetic

5. ardent

a. eager b. casual

c. fierce d. none of these

Suggested answers to the previous lesson's questions

Word Antonym

1. insipid interesting

2. abridge dilate

3. predilection aversion

4. nebulous crystal clear

5. reminisce forget

(D) Spelling

Choose the correctly spelt word

1. a. etiquate b. etiquette

c. ettiquete d. ettiquette

2. a. epiloge b. epilogue

c. epilougue d. eppilogue

3. a. euphimism b. euphemesm

c. euphemizm d. euphemism

4. a. eclips b. eclipse

c. eklipse d. eclypse

5. a. faranheat b. foreignheat

c. fahrenheit d. fahrenhiat

(E) Phrases and Idioms

Use the following phrases in sentences

1. not to be able to make head nor tail of (something)

2. come clean

3. have a face like a fiddle

4. ruffle someone's feathers

5. put heads together

Suggested answers to the previous lesson's questions

1. go to the wall (to fail, to be financially bankrupt): The company's new product couldn't do good business; so the company went to the wall.

2. pop the question (to propose to someone): He popped the question to his beloved.

3. make waves (to cause trouble): After the new worker joined the company, he has been making waves.

4. scare/frighten (someone) out of (his/her) wits (to frighten someone very much): I was scared/frightened out of my wits when I heard a strange sound at midnight.

5. be itching to (do something) (to be very eager to do something): I am itching to tell the story to my friend, but I am warned to keep it a secret.

IV. Grammar and Composition

(A) Grammar

Requests, intention and probability

Match the phrases on the left with the meanings they express on the right

Are you going to (do?) A request

Is it going to (do)? Intention

Will you (do)? Probability

Will you be (doing)? Something that will be in progress in the future

Write sentences using the expressions above and following the instruction in sentences 1-8

1. Ask someone to open a window.

2. Ask if someone has made arrangement for attending the next committee meeting.

3. Ask if there is any probability of it raining this afternoon.

4. Ask if someone intends to visit the theatre tonight.

5. Ask if someone intends to tell the truth.

6. Ask if there is any likelihood of interest rates rising again.

7. Ask someone to post a letter for you.

8. Ask if someone has arranged to go abroad for their holiday this year.

Suggested answers to the previous lesson's questions

Phrasal verbs

1. A. Where on earth did you find that beautiful, old table?

B. I came across it in an antique shop.

2. A. I thought you were going to work abroad for a year.

B. I was – but it didn't come off, unfortunately.

3. A. I hear there were a few difficulties in settling that big sales contract.

B. That's right! We came up against a lot of problems.

4. A. Weren't you planning to move house?

B. Yes, but it didn't come off, so we decided to stay where we were.

5. A. When did the injured man regain consciousness?

B. He came round just as we reached the hospital.

6. A. So the party was a success?

B. Yes, it came up all right in the end.

7. A. I gather the holiday wasn't relaxing as you had hoped!

B. No, I'm afraid we came up against a lot of unexpected problems.

8. A. After all that worry, I'm glad you found your wallet.

B. Luckily everything came off all right eventually.

9. A. I hear the patient died in hospital.

B. Sadly, she never came round after the accident.

10. A. Are you still looking for a copy of that old book?

B. Yes. If you come across one, buy it and I'll pay for it.

Note: come across = to meet or discover by chance

come off = to succeed, to take place

come up against = to meet difficulty or opposition

come round = to regain consciousness

come out = to end in a stated way

(B) Composition

Expand the central idea contained in the maxim

110: THERE IS A DIVINITY

THAT SHAPES OUR ENDS

Suggested answers to previous lesson's question

109:IF YOU THINK YOU'RE

BEATEN, YOU ARE

One's self-concept, self-esteem, self-image and self-confidence play an important role for the success of one's endeavor. So one's mindset and thought process to a large extent determine the outcome of one's action. A person who harbors a positive attitude and is undaunted in the face of troubles achieves success in the short or long run. Dame Fortune smiles on the bold and brave and crowns him with success. Coupled with positive thinking, a strong willpower and auto-suggestion go a long way in turning his dream into reality. So it is the mind which is privy to success. John Milton rightly says:”Mind is in its own place and can make heaven of hell or hell of haven.” So it is very important to cultivate a winner's attitude. A winner says:'It is difficult, but possible' as contrasted to a loser who says: 'It is possible, but difficult.' A winner is never a quitter and a quitter is never a winner. So in the ultimate analysis it is the attitude which plays a decisive role in deciding a winner or a loser. A defeatist is unable to think positively or creatively. He always apprehends failure and unconsciously falls a prey to his misapprehensions. Failure breeds more weakness of mind and he is hardly able to come out of the ditch of despair and disillusionment.

V. Pearls from the Holy Quran

“Thy Lord is Self-sufficient, full of mercy”

S6: A133

VI. Food for Thought

“The only way to have a friend is to be one.”

)Emerson
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