Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Word of the Week #6

CONSORTIUM

In an article honoring the Sutro Tower found in the New York Times, Bay Citizen column.

“Owned by a consortium of four media companies, the 3.5-million-pound tower has been plagued with controversy: accusations of skulduggery, media blackouts and lawsuits.”

con·sor·ti·um noun any association, partnership, or union (of companies)

The event was being hosting by a consortium of charities hoping to build a homeless shelter in San Jose.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Blog #5 Mystery Character

I am short, round and my skin is a lovely shade of burnt orange, I am commonly compared to an Oompa-Loompa.

I wear a lot of make up because it is always party time with short dresses and high heels, a must for a night looking for a tan, Italian man.

My hair is teased to be larger that it is and is dyed black and it adds about 4 inches to my height.

When you hear my voice, you a hear a slight raspiness that can be hard to listen to after a while.

Word of the Week #5

Word of the Week #5

VIRTUOSO

In an article posted online by the Associated Press titled “Folk legend Bert Jansch dies at 67”.

“Jansch, who died of lung cancer Wednesday at the age of 67, was a virtuoso, hailed by the likes of Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page, Canadian rocker Neil Young and Johnny Marr of the Smiths as a force to be reckoned with, and learned from.”

vir·tu·o·so adjective a person who excels in musical technique or execution

The virtuoso performance by the pianist moved many members of the audience to tears.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Word of the Week #4

EMBLEMATIC

In the San Francisco Chronicle article, “Solyndra’s Multimillion-Dollar White Elephant”, by Alison Vekshin and Mark Chediak.

“Amid the still-unfolding postmortems, the factory stands as emblematic of money misspent and the ‘Field of Dreams’ ethos that seemed to drive the venture, said Ramesh Misra, a solar-industry analyst in Los Angeles for Brigantine Advisors.”

em·blem·at·ic adjective pertaining to, of the nature of, or serving as an emblem; symbolic

For many, the dove is emblematic of innocence.

Monday, September 19, 2011

Word of the Week #3

DILAPIDATED

The article, “Behind the Poverty Numbers: Real Lives, Real Pain”, by David Crary from Associated Press used this word to describe those living in poverty today

There's Bill Ricker, a 74-year-old former repairman and pastor whose home is a dilapidated trailer in rural Maine.”

di·lap·i·dat·ed adjective In a state of disrepair or ruin as a result of age or neglect.

The photographs of Hurricane Irene showed the dilapidated homes and towns left behind.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Word of the Week #2

MORATORIUM

I read an article on Yahoo! News titled, ”U.S., Europe in Mideast peace push before U.N. showdown” where the word moratorium was used.

“Abbas broke off those U.S. .-sponsored negotiations soon after they began last September, after Netanyahu refused to extend a 10-month partial moratorium on Jewish settlement construction in the West Bank, land Israel occupied in a 1967 war and which Palestinians seek as part of a future state.”

mor·a·to·ri·um noun a suspension of activity

The director decided to call for a moratorium of the production because of the lead actor’s illness.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

In Class Word Assignment

1 The forest fires affected more than 500 families living in the area.

2 The death of their teammate had a great effect on their game.

3 Among the survivors, there was approximately 10 men, 6 women, and 4 children.

4 There was little animosity left between the two rivals after they settled their differences.

5 The two paired together for the project were learning more about each other by discussing their interests and goals.

6 The group discussed with one another who would research the who, what, where and why.

7 The class was anxious to find out how well they had scored on the midterm exam because it was 35 percent of their grade.

8 The group was eager to present their ideas to their professor because they had worked overnight to finish their project.

9 The parents were forced to censor the art work because of its indecency.

10 The students held a united front in their censure of tuition fees increasing.

11 The fires in California have done little damage to properties compared with the fires occurring in Texas.

12 The group was lucky to receive an A on the project compared to the few groups who received C's.

13 The dancers used bright costumes and accessories to complement the energy from the music and choreography.

14 The reporter gave several compliments to the hero about his courage and strength.

15 The film, Valentine's Day, was composed of A-list stars of all ages.

16 The novel's review comprised praises and compliments for the author's first literary work.

17 The driver was berated for his continual braking in the parking lot.

18 All Jane could think about was the continuous music playing the elevator.

19 The students were able to convince the professor to postpone their exam.

20 Though Natalie had good arguments for her case, she was unable to persuade her father to let her have an iPhone.