G SKILL BUILDING: VOCABULARY A synonym is a word that means the same.or most nearly the same as another word. Example: In the new school year, our school requires a teacher of social studies because enrolment has increased. (The word ‘needs’ is a synonym for ‘requires’.) Application: From the alternatives given, choose the word which is nearest in meaning to the word in bold. 1) Today, the equivalent value of the United States dollar to the Trinidad and Tobago dollar is $6.30. a) specific ) financial 0) total 4) comresponding 2) Coo ~ coo and flying fish, a traditional dish in Barbados, is popular with tourists. a) regular b) favourite ©) customary 4) special 3) We nominated her for a national award because of her outstanding contribution to public life. a) selected b) proposed ©) accepted 4) considered 4) After careful deliberation, the judge’s decision was unbiased because it was based on sufficient evidence. a) final b) lenient ) impartial 4) appropriate 5) The supporters were jubilant when the match ended with a victory for their team. a) keen b) overjoyed 6) pleased 4) cheerful 6) We determined what our response will be after we considered everything thoroughly. a) stated b) decided c) discussed 4) announced 7) Crime is usually prevalent in countries with extreme poverty and unemployment. a) current b) accepted ©) widespread predicted 19TEACHERS They say: ‘Teachers! Always plan your writing. I don’t understand them. Take your time. Think it through And doa rough draft. They sy: 20\ Then they sit you in an examination hall ‘When you hand in your work, ‘i 5 Make sure it’s neat and tidy. AEG GAN CHEERS Then they mess it up On one of six topics — By scribbling illegible comments None of which interests you — All over it in red ink. In an hour and a quarter. Exe 7 25 ‘They say: LY, All work and no play ° SA Makes Jill a dull girl. walhee Make sure you allow yourself ‘Time off from your studies Cer Ie/ so 7 Ge nd 30 Torelax and enjoy yourself. say: Bs Then, when you don’t hand 10 Don’tinterrupt when I’m talking. Put your hand up Your homework in on time, And wait until I’ve finished. Because you took their advice, But if they’ve got something to say, They keep you in after school. sis They clap their hands pa 15 And stop your discussions in mid-sentence. i I don’t understand them1. (a) What is the main point of this poem? (b) What technique does the poet use to present his point? (c) Can you discern (see) a particular structure in the poem? 2. What is the intention of the poet in this poem? 3. (a) Whet view of teachers is presented in the poem? (b) What view of students is presented in the poem? 4, Which word best describes the tone in the poem? (a) Appreciative (6) Mocking (©)Harsh (4) Sympathetic 5. Which literary device is used throughout the poem? Give examples. What is the effect of the device? 6. According to the poem, (lines 25-34), what advice do teachers give? 7. What criticisms of teachers does the poem present? 8. What do the words ‘mess’ (line 6), ‘scribbling’ (line 7), and ‘red ink’ (line 8) suggest? Es ON ROK AUN ONS 1. Do you like this poem? Why, or why not? 2. Do the experiences in the poem remind you of teachers you know? Share your views with the class. 3. Do you think that the comments made about teachers are fair? Why, or why not? E ELEMENTS OF POETRY You will recall that poets use similes, metaphors and personification in presenting their message or experience. These are literary devices which help to make the experience more vivid, memorable and interesting. These elements make us see, hear, touch, taste and smell. Here are some important questions you may ask about the imagery of a poem: a) What kinds of images does the poet use? b) Why does the poet use imagery? c) How do the images work on the reader's mind? d) What do the images contribute to the overall effect of the poem? 31Ams The simile isa literary device in which one thing is compared to something else with which it has something in common. The comparison is made direct and clear with the use of ‘as or‘ Read the lines of poetry below, and note the comments on the use of the simile. Example: “Like as the waves make towards the pebbled shore, ‘So do our minutes hasten to their end.” (Shakespeare) Comment: In the simile, the ‘waves? are compared to ‘minutes’. As waves in the ocean move repidly to the shore, so do the minutes (time) pass swiftly in our lives. The movement of the waves is compared with the passing of time, They are both swift. The simile is appropriate. It highlights the quick pace of time. 1.2 APPLICATION: CREATING SIMILES 1. Complete the similes by adding an appropriate item of comparison with each example. a)... like the moon b)... as the stars )... like the wind d)... like a bird e)... like a cloud Example: ...like golden Lamps ‘He (God) hangs in shades the Orange bright like golden Lamps in a green Night’. (Andrew Marvel) In this simile, the ‘orange’ is compared to ‘lamps’. Both objects ‘orange’ and ‘lamps? bear similar features - shape and colour. They are orange in colour and round in shape. They both shine brightly against a background of shadows (shades) and green foliage at night (green Night). 2. In groups of five, write a poem in which you describe the features of (a) an object, (b) an animal, (0) a place, or (d)a person. Use similes in your poem. Example: Here is an example of a poem on a creature. It is written by a student. Study the use of similes in the poem to help you in your task. The snake ; As it slithers through the grass ‘The snake was approaching, Make its freckled pattern and glistening skin Its long slimy body uncoiling, Look like silk. Its tongue sticking out Like an arrow ready to strike. 10 Its beady eyes are never shut, Just staring like newborn sheep; 5 Its simuous movements like hungry eels ‘And like a river flowing. Writhing, writhing, Sharon. Jamaica3. Create interesting similes to illustrate each of the following situations. a) A fire spreading across the land b) A house on fire ©) Aczuise ship in the harbour ) A batter bits a ball to the boundary e) Tall trees ina row f) Anairplane in the sky Example: White clouds drift across the sky. White flufly clouds like sacks of silk drift across the evening sky. (simile) PA aes The metaphor creates a comparison, but it is less direct than the simile because it does not use the words ‘as’ or ‘like’, The metaphor says that one thing is another. It helps to show that the two things have the same qualities or features. Example: Read the poem closely and note the comments on the use of metaphor. The sea is a hungry dog, Giant and grey. He rolls on the beach all day. With his clashing teeth and shaggy jaws. 5 Hourupon hour he gnaws. The rumbling, tumbling stones, And ‘Bones, bones, bones, bones!” The giant sea-dog moans, Licking his greasy paws. (from The Sea by James Reeves) Comment The sea is compared with a hungry dog. Just as the dog rolls on the beach, the waves roll on the shore. The sound of the waves striking the shore is similar to a dog’s clashing teeth, and a dog’s gnawing sound. This metaphor is effective in helping the reader to see the movements and hear the sounds. ‘Sound and movement are the two features of the comparison between the hungry dog and the sea. 1 APPLICATION : CREATING METAPHOR 1. Create metaphors using the following words in sentences: + flood * stream + book + mountain + root + ray + wave + iron + sunshine * road Example: Word ~ Sun Uneer that fiery furnace, The sun, we trudged for miles and miles In the lines, the ‘sun? is compared with a ‘furnace’ without the use of ‘as’or ‘Tike’. The heat of the sun is similar to the high temperature of the furnace. 33eee Personification is a literary device which re: other words, the object or idea is given human Example: Read the poem closely, and note the commen:s on “ee E> Full of beauty and wonder, vigour and zest. ov 2. How lovely she dances in the heights of the sky! , | I Raising the heads of all passers-by. Z Not like them rest o” kites, timid and shy, 5 Shivering and quivering if a sparrow goes by: My kite is different- different from the rest; Z. She’s the queen of the sky and nothing less; f ‘See how she climbs with such graceful ease Over the houses, the poles and trees. 10 _ Listen to her music as she sings in the air; . What melodious strains ringing far and near! a @ My kite is different- scatter- brained adj ‘scatter cushion noun a small cusnton that can be placed on furniture, on the floor, etc. for decoration ‘scatter diagram (also scatter-gram /‘skatogren; NAME -targ-/) noun (statsts) a diagram that shows the relationship between two VARIABLES by creating a pat- tern of dots scattered NAME -tard/ adj. spread far apart over a wide area or over a long period of time: a few sca tered settlements © sunshine with scattered showers © Her family are scattered around the world. scattergun /'skatogan; NAmE torg-/ (6/6) (NAmE scatter'shot /‘sketafot; NAmE -torJat)) adj, [only befor noun} referring toa way of doing or dealing with sth by considering many different possibilities, people, etc. ina way thats not well organized: The scattérgun approach to marketing means that the campaign is not targeted at par ticular individuals. scatty /‘skoeti/ adj. (seatttier, scattiest) (Oré, informal ‘ending to forget things and behave in a slightiy silly way Example of how the word is used Synonym for the word Pronunciation of the word Meaning of the word scavenged through the trash cans for something to eat. 2 (of animals or birds) to eat dead animals that have been killed by another animal, by a car, etc.: [VN] Crows scavenge carrion left on the roads. © [v| Some fish scavenge ‘on dead fish in the wild. scav-en-ger /‘skevindsa(r)/iolif an animal, a bird ora person that scavenges ‘scavenger hunt noun a game in which players have to find various objects Part of speech of the word 41Application: 1) a. Based on the dictionary entry, find out the meaning of each of the following words. Then use each word in a sentence of your own to bring out its meaning. + scatty + scathing + scavenge + scatter-brain , From the entry, choose two words that are used informally. Make sentences to make clear their meanings in context. c. Whatis the synonym for “scathing”? d. Practise the pronunciation of “scatiergun”, “scattered” and “scathing”. 2. Arrange these words in alphabetical order. If words begin with the same letter, look at the second letter to put them in alphabetical order. If the first two letters are the same, look at the third letter and so on. + location + ecstatic + movement + zone + traverse + echoes + borrowed + limber + burrowed + nippy + grumpy + elicit 3. In alphabetical order, write a list of : a) ten pharmacy items ) ten food items ©) ten musical instruments ¢) ten Caribbean festivals e) ten electronic items 4, Use your dictionary to find the meaning of each word in the box. Then place the related words in separate columns using the following headings: music, art, sport, literature. at Pence e erent ea aati cartoon nec