Thursday, March 29, 2012
Vocabulary
Pick at least three difficult words in this section. For each one, quote the sentence from the book where it is used; give a definition of the word; write a sentence of your own using the word in a way that demonstrates its meaning; and then explain what the sentence from the book means once you understand the word.
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William (Chapters 2 & 3):
ReplyDeleteWilliam, chapters 2-3.
"Jem's free dispensation of my pledge irked me, but precious noontime minutes were ticking away."
Dispensation -Noun
An act or instance of dispensing: distribution. The dispensation of advertisements ensures that big companies' products have been seen by everyone.
Scout is annoyed because Jem is giving her word without asking her about it.
"Jem and Walter returned to school ahead of me: staying behind to advise Atticus of Calpurnia's iniquities was worth a solitary sprint past the Radley Place." (Page 25)
Iniquity -Noun
Gross injustice or wickedness. Hitler had many iniquities, but what made his evil tendencies dangerous was the power he had.
Scout does not like Calpurnia, and can not feel enough empathy to see why she get's mad at Scout, even when it's her fault.
“'Been comin‘ to the first day o' the first grade fer three year now,' he said expansively." (Page 27)
Expansive -Adjective
(Of a person's character or speech) effusive, unrestrained, free, or open. The expansive Mrs. Higgins always makes sure her guests feel welcome. Burris said this not only openly and frankly, but proudly.
Jordy (Chapters 2-3):
ReplyDeleteThe first word I had trouble with was "hymns" on pg. 18 Jean, the narrator, says, "I could not remember not being able to read hymns." Hymns means, religious songs or poems, usually praising a god. This means that Jean couldn't remember a time where she couldn't read the prayers out of the bible. For example, I could say, I went to church and read the hymns with the pastor.
The second word was "contentious" on pg. 27. The class answers Mrs. Caroline's question about the Ewells. "'Ain't got no mother,' was the answer, 'and their paw's right contentious.'” they answered. Contentious is an adjective that means controversial and likely to start an argument. In the sentence, they are telling Mrs. Caroline how the dad is a sore subject and a stain on the Ewell's family name. Another sentence could be, the drunk, contentious man at the bar was given a wide berth by the others.
The last word was "disapprobation" on pg. 32. Atticus says to Jean, “I'm afraid our activities would be received with considerable disapprobation by the more learned authorities," when Jean asks about not going to school. This means that Atticus thinks that the smart policemen in the area would strongly disprove of Jean not going to school. Another sentence using this word could be, the man got much disapprobation from his family for staying out all night with his friends.
Ryan(Chapters 4&5)
ReplyDeleteArbitrated
"Jem arbitrated, awarded me first push with an extra time for Dill, and I folded myself inside the tire." Page 38
Arbitrated- To determine
The judge arbitrated many thing, all oft Hess decisions being important.
Jem determined that she would go first but Dill would get extra time.
Quelling
"Through all the head-shaking, quelling of nausea and Jem-yelling, I had heard another sound, so low I could not have heard it from the sidewalk." Page 42
Quelling-to suppress
The fireman quelled the flames and saved the building.
She heard something amidst all of the noise and suppression of the nausea.
Pestilence
"Miss Maudie's face likened such an occurrence unto an Old Testament pestilence." Page 43
Pestilence-a deadly epidemic disease
A mistaken pestilence swept through Atlanta, except instead of being a deadly disease, it was only the flu.
The idea of this certain weed makes her face look like a plague has swept through.
Carly chapters 4-5
ReplyDelete"The remainder of my schooldays were no more auspicious than the first."
It means that the rest of her schooldays were no more promising than the dreadful first one.
Auspicious: promising success/opportunity.
The I felt good about the auspicious test.
"Through all the head-shaking, quelling of nausea and Jem yelling, I had heard another sound, so low I could not have heard it from the sidewalk." That part means after the head shaking and the ending/suppressing nausea, and Jem yelling, she heard laughter.
Quelling: suppressing, putting an end to; vanquishing.
The audience started quelling their applause when the other team scored.
"Miss Maudie's benevolence extended to Jem and Dill..."
This means miss Maude's goodness was transferred to Jem and Dill.
Benevolence: Desire to do good to others; goodwill
Her benevolence shined through the gallons of makeup.
Camille Ch 4&5
ReplyDeleteTyranny
(Page 34) "Calpurnia's tyranny, unfairness, and meddling in my business had faded to gentle grumblings of general disapproval."
Cruel or oppressive government rule.
The Jew were under harsh tyranny when Hitler was ruler.
When Calpurnia tells Scout and Jem what to do, Scout thinks that it isn't fair and that she should get a say, so this quote is saying that Calpurnia's judgement and are not as strong and important as they used to be. Now, they are just suggestions rather than commands.
Parceled
(Page 39) "Jem parceled out our roles..."
Gave out or distributed
The teacher parceled out our math maths.
It is saying that Jem divided up the roles of the Radley family and gave Scout, Dill and himself all people to play.
Benign
(page 42) "... she was only another lady in the neighborhood, but a relatively benign presence."
Gentle or kind
The sweet old woman saw me from across the street and smiled.
Scout is saying how they don't really know Miss. Maudie very well. All they know is that she is very sweet because she lets them in her years as long as they don't mess up the flowers.
Nick Chapters 4-5
ReplyDelete"Through all the head-shaking, quelling of nausea and Jem-yelling, I had heard another sound, so low I could not have heard it from the sidewalk." pg. 42
Quelling: to put out; to suppress
The teacher started quelling the noise of the students as she was about to start her class
That even though this horrible headache she started to suppress the nausea and yelling to hear what she heard coming from the house.
"She called us by all our names, and when she grinned she revealed two minute gold prongs clipped to her eyeteeth." pg. 43
Eyeteeth: a canine from the upper jaw of the mouth
Every time jimmy smiled you could see his sharp eyeteeth at the corner of his mouth.
That her grin showed her 2 canine teeth (the sharp ones we use to tear meat up) that had gold prongs around them.
"Lastly, we were to stay away from that house until we were invited there, we were not to play an asinine game he had seen us playing or make fun of anybody on this street or in this town." pg. 50
Asinine: foolish, unintelligent
The silly student made an asinine comment on a serious question.
That the dad thought the game was rude and stupid and foolish and didn't want them to,be playing it anymore.
Griffin - Blog Post #3 - Chapters 6 and 7
ReplyDeleteMalignant -
Quote - "...; the chinaberry trees were malignant, hovering, alive."
Definition - "evil in nature, influence, or effect : injurious"
Sentence - The town drunk is malignant and beats his wife every night after a few drinks.
Explanation - Scout is saying that she is so scared that she thinks that even the chinaberry trees are evil and want to cause her harm.
Embalming -
Quote - "'..., they invented toilet paper and perpetual embalming, ...'"
Definition - "treating (a dead body) so as to protect from decay"
Sentence - I am embalming my deceased mother so that I can keep her in my house without her decaying and stinking up the place.
Explanation - Jem is saying that the Egyptians were important because they invented toilet paper and a way to keep dead bodies from decaying.
Cleaved -
Quote - "'...—chewing gum cleaved to her palate and rendered her speechless,' ..."
Definition - "adhered firmly and closely"
Sentence - When I was little, my siblings cleaved to me and clung to every word I said.
Explanation - Jem is saying that whenever Miss Maudie ate chewing gum, it would stick to the roof of her mouth and make it so that she couldn't talk.
- Griffin
Daywe "Chapters 6&7"
ReplyDeleteOrbit
"Jem and I were trotting in our orbit one mild October afternoon when our knot-hole stopped us again." (Pg. 61)
Orbit: The usual course of one's life or range of one's activities.
He has always used the path through the forest, so it was strange to see him out of his orbit.
Jem and Scout were walking on their usual path home and they stopped by the knot-hole.
Honed
"Mr. Avery averaged a stick of stovewood per week; he honed it down to a toothpick and chewed it. " (pg. 61)
Honed:to make more acute or effective; improve
If I started whittling now, than maybe my I'll hone my whittling skills and be amazing when I'm older.
He whittled it so it was as small as a toothpick.
Cleaved
"'One time I asked her to have a chew and she said no thanks, that—chewing gum cleaved to her palate and rendered her speechless,'”(pg.63)
Cleaved: to adhere closely; stick; cling
I cleaved her weave to her head to prevent it from falling out.
She doesn't like chewing gum, because it sticks to her palate so that she can't speak.
Nailah Chapter 8
ReplyDeleteAbberation- to change from a typical or usual course.
"Mr. Avery said it was written on the Rosetta Stone that when children disobeyed their parents, smoked cigarettes and made war on each other, the seasons would change: Jem and I were burdened with the guilt of contributing to the aberrations of nature..." (Pg.65)
This means that Jem and Scout are guilty for possibly changing the usual weather in Maycomb.
The aberrations from her usual schedule through us off, for we were unprepared for the lesson due to forgetting we had classes on Mondays instead of Thursdays.
Accosted- confronted bravely or with confidence.
"When we were on the sidewalk in front of Miss Maudie's, Mr. Avery accosted us... 'See what you've done?' he said. 'Hasn't snowed in Maycomb since Appomattox. It's bad children like you makes the seasons change.'" (Pg.67)
This means that Mr.Avery confronted Scout and Jem without fear.
In defense of himself, he accosted the teacher, knowing she could very well suspend him for what he was going to say to her.
Direst- causing fear or suffering
"The snow stopped in the afternoon, the temperature dropped, and by nightfall Mr. Avery's direst predictions came true: Calpurnia kept every fireplace in the house blazing, but we were cold."
This means that Mr.Avery's predictions about the change in weather made the kids afraid they were true, which they were.
The woman's direst warnings about the vicious dogs in her backyard made every kid on the block stay at least five yards away from her property.
(Chapters 13 and 14)
ReplyDeleteAmanuensis (n.)- One employed to write from dictation or to copy manuscript.
I hired an amanuensis to write my will after I realized my hand writing was too hard to read.
"Her Missionary Society refreshments added to her reputation as a hostess (she did not permit Calpurnia to make the delicacies required to sustain the Society through long reports on Rice Christians); she joined and became Secretary of the Maycomb Amanuensis Club."
I hired an amanuensis to write my will after I realized my hand writing was too hard to read.
I think this now shows how well bred Aunt Alexandra is. She writes well and also has a position of power in a kind of posh club. She's just a member of everything.
Myopic(n.)- Inability to see distant objects clearly because the images are focused in front of the retina; short-sightedness
"Sinkfield reduced his guests to myopic drunkenness one evening, induced them to bring forward their maps and charts, lop off a little here, add a bit there, and adjust the center of the county to meet his requirements."
Her myopic view of the board told us she needed glasses..
Now that I know the meaning I think it shows that Sinkfield would do whatever it took to get what he wanted. Even it meant getting a bunch of people drunk just to get them confused and basically blind to the map.
Changeling(n.)- A child believed to have been exchanged by fairies for the parents' true child.
"I so often wondered how she could be Atticus's and Uncle Jack's sister that I revived half-remembered tales of changelings and mandrake roots that Jem had spun long ago."
I was convinced my baby brother was changeling by his large pointed ears.
Now that I know what it means I think it shows how kind Jem can be. He made up these stories of wonder for her and she stills remembers.
Alice
ReplyDeletechapters 13 and 14
infallible (adj.) Absolutely trustworthy or sure.
"He traveled with the show all over Mississippi until his infallible sense of direction told him he was in Abbott County, Alabama, just across the river from Maycomb."
I think this is supposed to over exaggerate Dill's ability the way only a child like Scout might believe.
Her infallible instincts told her someone was watching her even before she saw his shadow.
Rice Christian
A term used, usually pejoratively, to describe someone who has formally declared himself/herself a Christian for material benefits rather than for religious reasons.
"Her Missionary society refreshments added to her reputation as a hostess (shes did not permit Calpurnia to make the delicacies required to sustain the Society through long reports on Rice Christians)."
I'm still a little foggy over whether Aunt Alexandra is a Rice Christian, or if she's just discussing them. Lets say she's just discussing them. Aunt Alexandra and her friends were probably just talking about how selfish those people are who believe in the God for the physical gifts he brings them.
No rice Christians ever admit to their own selfish desires, but they've always expected more out of God then their breakfast.
Formidable (adj.) causing fear, apprehension, or dread.
"She was not fat, but solid, and she chose protective garments that drew up her bosom to giddy heights, pinched in her waist, flared out her rear, and managed to suggest that Aunt Alexandra's was once an hour-glass figure. From any angle, it was formidable."
I think this means that Aunt Alexandra has clearly lost her hour-glass figure, and, to a child like Scout who hasn't learned the virtues of a squishy shape (not that i have either), she could look mighty intimidating.
The formidable way the teacher walked in the room made everyone question their test scores.
Hope (Chapter 17)
ReplyDeleteAcrimonious (adjective) caustic, stinging, or bitter in nature, speech, behavior, etc
"We could tell, however, when debate became more acrimonious than professional, but this was from watching lawyers other than our father."
I think this is a description of Atticus. Scout is saying how she can tell when the debates are more about hurting the people in it than proving if someone is guilty or not, but then she says she knows that from watching other people not Atticus. She is saying that Atticus would never turn a case into a spite filled event.
The acrimonious child was throwing a fit by yelling insults at her mother.
Dictum (noun) an authoritative pronouncement; judicial assertion.
"You gotta make me first," I said, remembering Atticus's blessed dictum.
Well, I guess this means that Atticus once told her something about not letting people tell you what to do or make decisions for you. I'm not exactly sure, but I think Atticus probably said that to someone at some time and she is now using it against someone else.
The police officer's dictum was that anyone to step foot in the crime scene would be sent to prison.
Genially (adverb) warmly and pleasantly cheerful; cordial
"Just a minute, sir," said Atticus genially.
This is when Mr. Ewell bumped into Atticus, and then Atticus said he wanted to ask him questions. Basically, Scout is saying that he asked Mr. Ewell if he could ask him questions in a kind way, which is strange seeing how disrespectful he is, and how he is almost Atticus's enemy.
After she fell, her friend told her genially that it would be okay.