Saturday, January 22, 2005

Music word

Match the verb in the column on the left with the correct noun from the column on the right
VERB NOUN
compose tune
conduct drum
write horn
play instrument
blow piece of music
tap orchestra
improvise lyrics
sing song
hum solo
beat foot



The words below are some of the most important used when talking about entertainment.
Entertainment - People
actor
actress
artist
audience
backing group
ballerina
choreographer
cast
composer
conductor
dancer
director
drummer
guitarist (lead / bass)
magician
musician
orchestra
painter
pianist
playwright
producer
saxophonist
sculptor
singer
vocalist
violinist
Entertainment - Arts and Crafts
carving
drawing
knitting
painting
pottery
sculpture
sewing
Entertainment - Artistic Events
ballet
concert
exhibition
film
play
opera
Entertainment - Inside the Theater
aisle
box
circle
curtain
footlight
gallery
lighting
microphone
orchestra pit
row
screen
scenery
set
speaker
stage
stalls
wings
workshop
Entertainment - Places
art gallery
cinema
concert hall
exhibition center
museum
opera house
stadium
theater
Entertainment - Verbs
applaud
boo
conduct
exhibit
perform
play (a part)



A cappella Singing without accompaniment
Accent Emphasis on a note, word, or phrase
Articulation The way a sound is started and ended
Attack The beginning of a sound
Breath One cycle of inspiration/expiration
Chord Two or more pitches sounding together
Chromatic Moving in half-steps
Compound meter Meter that is made up of simple meters 2/4+3/4
Counting Mentally breaking down a rhythm into divisions
Diatonic Moving within a key without changes
Diction Correct and clear pronunciation of consonants
Dipthong Two or more vowel sounds blended together
Dynamics Relative loudness or softness
Embouchure Mouth position in brass and woodwinds
Harmony The system of moving from chord to chord
Homophonic A style where all parts have the same rhythm
Intonation Being in tune with accompaniment or others
Key--major Based on a scale of w/w/h/w/w/w/h steps
Key--minor Based on a scale of w/h/w/w/h/w/w steps
Melody Pitches in sequence that form a pattern
Meter The division of time into units
Phrase Notes played or sung in one breath
Pitch The highness or lowness of sound measured in Hz.
Placement Vocal term--where the sound is placed in the head
Polyphonic Where each part has an independent rhythm
Posture Sitting/standing correctly and efficiently
Pulse Feeling where the beat is
Release How a sound is ended
Rhythm How a sound is placed in time
Sacred Music that is written for spiritual or religious use
Secular Music that is written for entertainment
Slur Playing a series of pitches without tonguing
Solfege Italian system of pitch and interval ear training
Tempo The speed at which a regular pulse is repeated
Tone color/Timbre The relative brightness or darkness of a sound
Tongue To start a sound with the tongue on reed or mthpce
Unison Everyone on the same pitch






MUSICAL STYLES:

Jazz Music

Rock Music

Art music demands a high level of training on the part of the performer and a relatively high level of sophistication on the part of the audience.

Popular and folk styles of music can become equally sophisticated, but they tend to start out being easier to perform and more easily understood by a wider audience.

styles of Western art music:Baroque,Classical,Romantic , modern, and postmodern

religious music
folk music
military music
popular music
film music
show music


A Percussion




Instruments of the percussion family are undoubtedly found in the greatest number of musical cultures. Percussion instruments are referred to as membranophones if they produce sound through the vibrations of a stretched skin or other membrane. They are called idiophones if they produce sound through their natural resonance when struck, rubbed, plucked, or shaken. Drums are membranophones; hollowed logs, bells, gongs, xylophones, and pianos are examples of idiophones.

B Wind




Popular Brass Band Music of Serbia Southern Serbia is the home of Muslim Roma (Gypsies) who often perform in local restaurants, at weddings, and in street celebrations. Many Serbian soldiers learned to play the trumpet as part of military training, and the instrument has become a symbol for southern Serbs. Brass bands play an eclectic mix of military marches and traditional folk dance tunes featuring asymmetric rhythms."Sampionski Cocek" from Jova Stojiljkovic "Besir": Blow, Besir, Blow


Wind instruments, or aerophones, produce sound in several ways. The performer’s lips may produce the vibration, as with brass instruments. The vibration may be produced by a column of air split across a sharp edge (flutes, pipes, whistles). Or the vibration may be produced by one or two reeds, as with instruments such as the clarinet, saxophone, oboe, bassoon, or the Korean oboe called a piri.

C String




The string, or chordophone, family has several branches. In one branch, which includes the zither, dulcimer, and Japanese koto, strings are stretched across a flat body. In a second branch, each instrument has a neck, for example the lute, guitar, Indian sitar, Arabic ‘ud, or violin. A third branch includes plucked instruments with multiple strings, such as the lyre or the harp, where each string produces only one pitch.

D Electronic

Electronic instrument, or electrophone, refers broadly to any means of generating, modifying, or amplifying musical sounds electronically. Thus any instrument played through an amplifier becomes an electronic instrument. The term most often refers to instruments that generate sound electronically.




Although there were experimental electronic instruments in the early 20th century, sound synthesizers and computer-based music composition, arrangement, recording, and distribution have only in recent years become accessible to a broad segment of the population. See Musical Instruments.

Musical Form


The overall shape or architecture of music is referred to as its musical form. We will begin with a brief discussion of form in Western art music, and then compare this with an example of form in non-Western music.

THE ELEMENTS OF MUSIC

At its simplest, music consists of a short, unaccompanied melody, known as monophony. But even the simplest melody consists of many important components. Some of the most obvious of these are the varying heights or pitches of the tones, their durations, their loudnesses, their tone colors or timbres, and their articulations.

A Pitch

Notes of the Musical Scale The piano keyboard shows the notes of the musical scale, which are written on staffs of five lines. Each line and each space between lines represents a different note, or pitch, that corresponds to a white key on the piano. Some notes can be written above or below the staff, by adding short lines (shown from c1 to e1 on the bass staff and from g to c1 on the treble staff).

An octave is a span of eight notes, as measured by the piano's white keys. Two complete octaves in the key of C (that is, starting with the note c) are shown here. The first octave runs from the note called low c (c on the bass staff) to middle c (c1 on the bass and treble staffs). The second octave runs from middle c to high c (c2 on the treble staff).© Microsoft Corporation.

Musical Scales Arranging notes into a series by order of pitch results in a musical scale. The modern system of scale building is based on the chromatic scale, which is composed of twelve equally divided semitones. The interval between any two successive tones in the chromatic scale is known as a half step. Most western music relies on the diatonic scale, formed from seven notes of the chromatic scale and utilizing two half tones (chromatic intervals) and five whole tones. Whole tone scales are made up of only whole steps. A pentatonic scale is a five-toned scale and typically combines whole tones with step-and-a-half intervals. As is the convention, the octave is included in the scales pictured.© Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

Each musical culture has one or more sets of tunings that define the gaps or intervals between pitches in that group’s music. By the 18th century, most Western music was based on 12 equivalent intervals per octave. This system is represented by the chromatic scale. Its 12 equally spaced tones per octave, called half-steps or semitones, can be heard by playing the tones that correspond to 12 adjacent frets on a guitar fretboard, or to 12 adjacent keys on any modern Western keyboard instrument. The semitone is the smallest gap in traditional Western music, but smaller intervals (collectively referred to as microtones) are used in some modern Western music, as well as in some other musical cultures.

B Scale


Classical Gamelan of Java In Central Java, two general categories of tuning exist, sléndro and pélog. Javanese gamelan music uses a seven-tone pélog scale, while Balinese prefers a five-tone sléndro scale.

There are many scale systems in the world, and not all are based on dividing the octave into 12 equal parts. For example, the Javanese Sléndro scale contains five tones, but tunings of these five tones do not correspond to twelve steps in an octave scale as with other pentatonic scales. Scholars have measured several different tuning versions of the Sléndro scale, including some that approximate dividing the octave into five equal intervals. When comparing the sounds of Javanese and Balinese gamelan performances, listen carefully to the tunings of the gongs (see Indonesian music).

C Time


Pulse and Meter The pulse, or pattern of regular accents, of a musical piece can be broken into individual pulses, or beats. In rhythmic notation, notes are assigned time values by their relation to these beats. The grouping of beats in a piece of music establishes the music’s meter. Meter is identified by the time signature, a fractional symbol in which the numerator specifies the number of beats per bar, and the denominator specifies the relative note value assigned to one beat. A time signature of 6/8 indicates six beats per measure and the “eighth note” is given a value of one beat.© Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

D Harmony




Chords A chord is identified by its root, the lowest tone in the chord. Generally, chords are formed by stacking notes on top of the root in intervals of thirds. To illustrate, the chord A-C-E-G-B can be represented numerically as 1-3-5-7-9. A triad is a three-note chord (1-3-5), and it is the most common type of chord. A seventh chord is a triad with the seventh added (1-3-5-7). A ninth chord is a seventh chord with the ninth added (1-3-5-7-9). Other chords result from stacking additional notes.


In most music, and especially in Western music, important and style-defining patterns are formed by pitches that overlap with one another in time, producing a chord, or harmony. Two or more tones that occur at the same time form a harmonic relationship called a block chord. These tones are called broken chords or arpeggios when heard separately but in sufficiently rapid succession that the listener perceives them as part of the same harmony.


Sunday, January 16, 2005

Art vocabulary

abstract In painting and sculpture, emphasizing a derived, essential character that has only a stylized or symbolic visual reference to objects in nature.

armature In sculpture, a skeleton-like framework to support material being modeled.

calligraphy Handwriting or penmanship, especially elegant or "beautiful" writing as a decorative art.

ceramics The art of making objects such as pottery out of clay; also, the objects themselves.

chiaroscuro In drawing or painting, the treatment and use of light and dark, especially the gradations of light that produce the effect of modeling.

color The element of art that is derived from reflected light.

color wheel The spectrum of colors bent into a circle.

complementary colors Those pairs of colors, such as red and green, that together embrace the entire spectrum. Colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel.

contour A visible border of a mass in space; a line that creates the illusion of mass and volume in space.

cool colors On one half of the color wheel are the cool colors, from yellow-green to violet. Psychologically, cool colors are calming, unemphatic, depressive; optically, they

earth colors Pigments, such as yellow ochre and umber, that are obtained by mining; usually compounds of metals.

flamboyant Flamelike, flaming; applied to aspects of Late Gothic style, especially architectural tracery.

form an object represented in three dimensions. A sphere as opposed to a circle.

fresco painting on plaster, either dry or wet. In the latter, the pigments are mixed with water and become chemically bound to the plaster. Also, a painting executed in either method.

genre A style or category of art; also, a kind of painting realistically depicting scenes from everyday life.

hue the name of a spectral color.

icon A portrait or image; especially in the Greek church, a panel with a painting of sacred personages that are objects of veneration. In the visual arts, a painting, a piece of sculpture; or even a building regarded as an object of veneration.

iconography The analytic study of the symbolic, often religious, meaning of objects, persons, or events depicted in works of art.

idealization The representation of things according to a preconception of ideal form or type; a kind of esthetic distortion to produce idealized forms.

kore (KOR-ay) Greek for girl, used to refer to tall columnar female figures.

kouros (COOR-aus) Greek for young man, used to refer to statues of young men.

line a mark made by a moving point.

mass The effect and degree of bulk, density, and weight of matter in space.

medium a material used to make art.

modeling The shaping or fashioning of three-dimensional forms in a soft material, such as clay; also, the gradations of light and shade reflected from the surfaces of matter in space, or the illusion of such gradations produced by alterations of value in a drawing, painting or print.

monochrome a color scheme that involves one hue and the values, tints and shades of that one hue.

mosaic Patterns or pictures made by embedding small pieces of stone or glass (tesserae) in cement on surfaces such as walls and floors; also, the technique of making such works.

oil color/paint pigment ground with oil.

picture plane the surface of a picture.

pigment Finely powdered coloring matter mixed or ground with various vehicles to form paint, crayon, etc.

polychrome Done in several colors.

primary colors Red, Yellow and Blue. Colors that are used to mix all other colors. No colors can be mixed to obtain primary colors.

realism The representation of things according to their appearance in visible nature (without idealization). In the nineteenth century, an approach that supported the representation of the subject matter of everyday life in a realistic mode. Iconographically, nineteenth-century realism is the subject matter of everyday life as seen by the artist.

relief In sculpture, figures projecting from a background of which they are part. The degree of relief is designated high, low (bas), sunken (hollow), or intaglio. In the last, the backgrounds are not cut back and the points in highest relief are level with the original surface of the material being carved.

sfumato A smokelike haziness that subtly softens outlines in painting; the term is particularly applied to the painting of Leonard and Correggio.

shape an object represented in two dimensions.

still life A painting representing inanimate objects, such as flowers, fruit, or household articles.

style A manner of treatment or execution of works of art that is characteristic of a civilization, a people, or an individual; also, a special and superior quality in a work of art.

symmetry Esthetic balance that is usually achieved by disposing forms about a real or an imaginary axis so that those on one side more-or-less correspond with those on the other. The correspondence may be in terms of shape, color, texture, etc.

tempera A technique of painting using pigment mixed with egg yolk, glue, or casein; also, the medium itself.

tenebrism painting in the "dark manner"

value the relative degree of light and dark in a work of art.

warm colors half of the color wheel from yellow to red-violet. Psychologically, warm colors tend to be exciting, emphatic, and affirmative; optically, they generally seem to advance or to project.

watercolor A painting technique using pigment (usually prepared with gum) mixed with water and applied to an absorbent surface; also, the medium itself.

Life in the USA

Crime in America
Crime is a real problem in America. America is a violent country with an immense prison population. People accused of crimes have numerous rights and protections in America, and while this protects citizens from being persecuted by the state and by the police, it also makes the life of a criminal a little easier.
Avoid becoming a crime victim. Follow simple rules to protect yourself. Your local police will probably have a published set of guidelines about protecting yourself and your property. (Protection against property crimes such as burglary is covered in the section Living in an American Community.)
Bad Neighborhoods. The first thing you will need to do if you move to a large city is to find out which areas are "bad" neighborhoods. You'll avoid walking in some of these neighborhoods at night. Others you'll avoid completely, day or night.


Pickpockets

Men are particularly vulnerable to pickpockets. They should avoid carrying a wallet in their rear trouser pocket. The inside jacket pocket or side trouser pocket is better, especially if the wallet is turned sideways. Wrapping a rubber band around a wallet makes it harder to lift. Watch out for crowds and sudden commotions, which are meant to distract you, or if someone drops something in front of you and bends down to pick it up, or if someone bumps into you.


Street Crime
Both men and women should follow certain basic rules to avoid street thefts and muggings. Don't carry too much money. When making a purchase, or even in a bank, don't flash the money around. If someone with a weapon demands your money, give it to him. Try to remember details about the criminal's appearance. Call the police immediately.

Self Defense
It can be dangerous to even think about self defense when faced with violent crime. An attempt at self defense can turn a robbery into a murder--your own. If it's only a matter of the money in your wallet or purse, give the criminal the money. Don't antagonize or make fun of the criminal.
Self-defense schools are widely found throughout the United States. They teach oriental "martial arts" such as karate, kung fu, tae kwan do, judo and aikido, which are widely practiced as regular sports. Actually using these techniques, however, can be dangerous. It takes many years of practice to become effective at these disciplines to protect yourself against someone who threatens you with a knife or a gun or is twice your size. Any local adult education program or community college will have a self defense and protection against crime program. Once again, your public library is the best source for information.

Confidence Games

Confidence games often victimize foreigners or people who cannot speak English. A confidence artist may even be a person from your own ethnic group or country, who specializes in building trust based on your common national heritage.
Be extremely wary about any situation in which you and another person "find" money. One sign of a confidence game is that the other person trusts you too easily, then wants you to come up with some money to prove your honesty. Another common swindle involves fortune tellers or "reader-advisors" who tell you that your money is "cursed". Rest assured that they would be happy to take the "cursed" money off your hands--and spend it.
If some thing or situation seems "too good to be true", it probably is. Hundreds of confidence games and swindles exist. Sophisticated companies advertise goods by mail that are never delivered. Other companies operate legally--but very deceptively--by telling you that you have "won a prize", and that they are ready to send it to you once you pay them a "handling charge" of $20.00 or so. (If you ever do receive the prize, be sure you will be cruelly disappointed at its quality; it will never be worth more than the "handling charge.") You might have someone come up to you on the street and try to sell you a watch or television which has supposedly been stolen. Cheap and worthless imitations of expensive goods are often sold on the streets. Supposed appliances are sold on the street in sealed, shrink-wrapped boxes filled actually with newspapers (anyone can buy a plastic shrink-wrapping machine).
Another confidence game to watch out for is "Three-Card Monte" or the "Shell Game", played out on the street. You cannot win this game. Skilled gangs use "shills" who look like normal people and who actually win money at these games. The spectators then get excited and lose their own money very quickly.
Many confidence games exist. Your local police department will probably have a publication that can help you avoid them. Your local public library might also have some information.

Professional Beggars Professional beggars, also known as "panhandlers" are common in most American cities. Most will have some kind of "hard luck story." A common story is that they are stuck and need just a few dollars for train-fare to get somewhere. The story might be long and elaborate. Some will just look as miserable as possible and hold out a paper cup, or attempt to wash your automobile windshield (even if it is already clean). No matter how convincing the story may seem--and a professional panhandler can be very convincing--it will be untrue ninety-nine out of a hundred times. You would do much more good contributing directly to one of the many charities that help homeless people.

Illegal Drugs Many drugs are illegal in America. Other legal and prescription dugs are misused and abused. The two most controversial illegal drugs are heroin and cocaine, along with the cocaine derivative "crack." Marijuana is widely smoked in the United States but has been largely decriminalized. The "War Against Drugs" is a nationwide movement, created by politicians and embraced by the schools, media and other institutions, to fight drug abuse and the illegal drug business. The slogan of this movement is "Just Say No." Many responsible people in America believe that some or all drugs should be legalized, since the fact that they are now illegal doesn't seem to help cut down on drugs use, and creates drug gangs and violence in the cities.

Prostitution Prostitution is illegal everywhere in the United States except for parts of Nevada. It takes many forms, from common streetwalkers to expensive "call girls" and "escort services" in urban areas. With the recent AIDS problem, prostitution has become a very dangerous profession. A person patronizing a prostitute runs a high risk of disease. Prostitutes can also commit robberies and other violent crimes, or involve their customers in scandals and other unpleasant arrangements. Most Americans are not open-minded or understanding about prostitution.

If You Are Accused If you are accused of a crime be aware that you have the same rights as an American and that the arresting officer must inform you of them. You have the right to remain silent--and you should until you are represented by a lawyer. If you cannot afford a lawyer, the government must appoint one for you. If you are abused or beaten by law enforcement officers or if you think you have been mistreated in any way, there are many people in the government, public service organizations, and the media who will want to know about it so they can help you. The United States has its problems, but in no other country on earth are the rights of accused persons as extensive.


Gambling
Gambling exists in both legal and illegal forms in America. Many states have lotteries with "jackpots" running into millions of dollars. Some lotteries ask you to choose a series of numbers, with winning numbers advertised on television or posted in the "Lotto" stores. Other lotteries have "instant winners" where you rub off a metallic film from the ticket to see if you have won something. These lotteries don't give particularly good returns on your money when compared with casinos and horse racing, but the profit from them supposedly goes to a worthwhile cause, such as education.
Casino gambling used to be available only in the state of Nevada and the city of Atlantic City, New Jersey, which combined the gambling with elaborate hotels and top-name entertainment. In recent years laws have changed to allow casinos on cruise-boats, Indian reservations, and elsewhere. Games, odds and procedures will differ according to the location.
Race Tracks. Horse and dog (greyhound) race tracks are common in many states. This is known as "pari-mutuel" betting, where the total amount bet for each particular race is split among the winners, with the track and the government taking their share of course. The Spanish/Basque sport of J'ai alai is also offered on this basis in some states, particularly Florida and Connecticut. In some states also, off-track betting is a legal, state-run enterprise.
Illegal gambling takes all forms. Illegal off-track betting or "bookmaking" is common. So are illegal lotteries, the "numbers" game. Illegal casinos, cock fights, dog fights, and an elaborate system of illegal sports betting can be found everywhere. Illegal gambling is usually connected to "organized crime." While some highly religious Americans and social reformers still campaign against gambling, it is not a major social issue.
Gambling can be pathological for some people. An organization called Gambler's Anonymous helps people with gambling problems.


Friday, January 14, 2005

Word & Verb for The Body

The Body - Arms and Hands
elbow
finger
index finger / middle / little / ring
finger nail
fist
forearm
hand / left and right
palm
thumb
wrist



The Body - Heads and Shoulders


chin
cheek
ear
eye
eyebrow
eyelash
forehead
hair
head
lip
mouth
neck
nose
nostril
jaw
shoulder
tooth (teeth)
tongue
throat




The Body - Legs and Feet


ankle
calf
foot (feet)
heel
hips
knee
leg
shin
thigh
toe
big toe little toe
toenail




The Body - The Trunk or Torso


bottom
chest
back
stomach
waist




Words Related to All Parts of the Body

blood
bone
hair
muscle
skin



The Body - Verbs Used with Different Parts of the Body

blink eyes
glance eyes
stare eyes
wink eye
point finger
scratch finger
kick foot
clap hands
punch hands
shake hands
slap hands
smack hands
nod head
shake head
kiss lips
whistle lips / mouth
eat mouth
mutter mouth
talk mouth
taste mouth
whisper mouth
breathe mouth / nose
smell nose
sniff nose
shrug shoulders
bite mouth
chew mouth
stub toe
lick tongue
swallow throat

word& verb for Health

Feeling ill


I feel really rough.
I'm shattered.
I'm on my last legs.
You look poorly.
You look like death warmed up.
You're looking peaky.
All these are informal expressions that indicate you are feeling ill or unwell, tired and exhausted.



Feeling great



I feel great! / I'm on top of the world / I feel like a million dollars! - I couldn't feel any better!
He's glowing with health. - He looks very well.
I'm a picture of health. - There's nothing at all wrong with me.



Common complaints


She's sprained / twisted her ankle / wrist. - She's damaged her ankle or wrist in a fall.
She's broken her arm. She'll be in plaster for weeks. - Her broken limb is in a hard plaster cast.
My back aches / I've got backache - I have a sore back.
I've got toothache. / a headache. / a stomachache. - These are phrases using -ache to describe what hurts.
I feel sick. - I'm feeling nauseous.
I think I've got food poisoning. - I've eaten something bad and I feel unwell.
I've got a really bad cold. - I've got a temperature, a sore throat and a runny nose. [A typical English winter infection!]


Getting treatment


Make an appointment at the doctor's / the GP. - Go and see the general practitioner.
I've been referred to a consultant at the hospital. - My doctor has arranged for me to see an expert at a hospital to help me recover.
I need a check-up at the hospital. / I need an X-Ray. / an examination. / a scan. - These are treatments you might need at a hospital.
I need to see the specialist- someone who knows about one health issue in particular.


On the medicine bottle


Consult your doctor if symptoms persist. - If you still feel ill after taking the medicine, see your doctor.
Do not take more than the stated dose. - Don't take more [pills or medicine] than you're told to.
Always read the label. - Make sure you take the advice given on the medicine container.
Keep out of the reach of children. - Do not let children play with the medicine or its container.
You will also hear:

'She's a pain in the neck!' and 'she's a pain in the arse!' (this is very impolite!) - This doesn't mean she's ill - it means she's very annoying!



Word in news:

Parts of south eastern Australia are among the most fire prone in the world. The ferocity of these outbreaks across the Eyre peninsula has taken the most hardened fire fighters by surprise. An area almost the size of Greater London has been destroyed.
Most of those who died are thought to have been incinerated in their cars as they tried to escape the flames. They've been fuelled by a cocktail of high summer temperatures, gusting winds and tinder dry conditions.

More fires have been reported across South Australia, including in hills near Adelaide. Others are burning in the neighbouring state of Victoria; further north in New South Wales emergency crews have also been placed on alert.

Phil Mercer, BBC News, Sydney

Listen to the words
prone
more likely to suffer

ferocity
great intensity

outbreaks
sudden occurrence

peninsula
a piece of land almost completely surrounded by water but joined to a larger mass of land

most hardenedtoughest, strongest

incinerated
destroyed by burning

a cocktail
a mixture

gusting windssudden strong rushes of wind

tinder dry conditions
a 'tinder box' was used, instead of matches, to start fires many years ago; so this expression means that the countryside is so dry it will very easily catch on fire

placed on alert
ready to deal with danger

Big Brother, Big Brothers/larger brother:

big brother, Big Brother:
any person, organization, or system that seems to want to control people's lives and restrict their freedom:
• We don't permit smoking in the office, but we're not Big Brother. If people go outside to smoke, that's fine.


Big Brothers :
an organization that helps boys, especially boys who have family problems, by giving each boy someone who meets him regularly to give advice, listen to his problems, etc

larger brother:
a large person is tall and often fat:
• Aunt Betsy was a very large woman

Injuring and Care of word and verb:

Math word:

ADD
SUBTRACT
MULTIPLY
DIVIDE
PLUS
MINUS
SUM
EQUAL
REMAINDER
EVEN
ODD
MATH
Geometry:
SQUARE
RECTANGLE
TRIANGLE
OBTUSE
TANGENT
LINE
POINT
SEGMENT
RHOMBUS
ACUTE
DIAMETER
ANGLE
General Number Terms:
EVEN
ODD
PRIME
PERCENT
RATIO
DECIMAL
FRACTION
POSITIVE
NEGATIVE
INFINITY
PI

Money:

DOLLAR
CENT
QUARTER
NICKEL
PENNY
DIME
COST
PRICE
MINT
COIN
CASH
CURRENCY




ADDITION CLUE WORDS


ADD

SUM

TOTAL

PLUS

IN ALL

BOTH

TOGETHER

INCREASED BY

ALL TOGETHER

COMBINED
MULTIPLICATION CLUE WORDS

TIMES

PRODUCT OF

MULTIPLIED BY

BY (dimension)
SUBTRACTION CLUE WORDS

SUBTRACT

DIFFERENCE

TAKE AWAY

LESS THAN

ARE NOT

REMAIN

DECREASED BY

HAVE OR ARE LEFT

CHANGE (money problems)

MORE

FEWER
DIVISION CLUE WORDS

QUOTIENT OF

DIVIDED BY

HALF [or a fraction]

SPLIT

SEPARATED

CUT UP

PARTS

SHARED EQUALLY

ADDITION
In addition, an augend and an addend are added to find a sum: 7 + 3 = 10
NOTE: Sometimes both the augend and the addend are called the addends. Sometimes the sum is called the total.
SUBTRACTION
In subtraction, a subtrahend is subtracted from a minuend to find a difference. In the following equation the 8 is the minuend, 2 is the subtrahend, and 6 is the difference. 8 - 2 = 6
MULTIPLICATION
In multiplication, a multiplicand and a multiplier are multiplied to find a product. In the following equation, 9 is the multiplier and 3 is the multiplicand, and 27 is the product. 9 x 3 = 27
NOTE: Sometimes the multiplicand and the multiplier are both called factors.0
DIVISION
In division, a dividend is divided by a divisor to find a quotient.
In the following equation, 12 is the dividend, 3 is the divisor and 4 is the quotient. 12/3 = 4




Attribute – feature that describes an object
Ex: Is it small? Large? Thick? Thin?

Balance - tool used to compare the mass or weight of objects

Collection – group of items

Combinations – ways to put things together
Ex: 3 + 4 is a combination that makes 7. 2 + 1 + 4 is another combination that makes 7.

Data - set of information

Dot cube – dice

Estimate – find an approximate solution

Extensions – activities connected to current lesson to extend thinking

Geoblock – 3-D blocks in the shape of rectangular prisms, triangular prisms, cubes, and pyramids



Graph – visual representation (display) of data

Group – put together or separate by a similar feature (shape, size, or number of objects)
Ex: all the circles are put together or each set is a group of the same number

Groupings – more than 1 group of items

Hexagon - a six-sided figure

Manipulatives – concrete objects used to solve problems
Ex: pattern blocks – blocks in the shape of hexagons, squares, trapezoids, triangles, rhombus(diamond)
Ex: snap cubes – plastic cubes that snap together on all sides
Ex: counters – plastic chips used for counting and representing numbers

Number cube – cube with numbers

Number sentence – writing a sentence using numbers
Ex: 2 + 2 = 4 and 1 + 2 = 3 are number sentences.


Pattern - number or design that repeats
Ex: red, blue, red, blue or 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3

Prediction – tell what you think will happen

Quantity - number of items

Quick image – visual images presented for a short period of time to develop visual memory skills

Representations – form of communication; it shows the data
Ex: tally marks, charts, or graphs

Rhombus – a parallelogram with all four sides equal in length

Sequence
- a set of numbers or objects arranged in a special order or pattern

Set – group of similar objects

Show a different way – show another way to solve the problem
Ex: $0.27 = 1 quarter, 2 pennies
$0.27 = 5 nickels, 2 pennies

Square
– a parallelogram with four equal sides and four right angles

Story problems – problem in word or sentence form

Strategies – plan or system of how to solve a problem

Ten Turns - game played for ten rounds. A number cube is rolled and that number of counters taken. In each round the new number of counters is added to the total.

Tower – cubes snapped together in a single vertical line

Trapezoid – a quadrilateral with one pair of parallel sides and one pair of sides that are not parallel


Triangle
– a polygon with three sides and three angles

Using pictures – draw pictures to show how you solved the problem

Using words – describe you answer or solution by writing the answer in sentences

Elvis Presley

That song, "Hound Dog," was one of Elvis Presley's most popular records. It sold five-million copies in Nineteen-Fifty-Six. Music industry experts say more than one-thousand-million of Elvis's recordings have sold throughout the world. He was a success in many different kinds of music -- popular, country, religious, and rhythm and blues.

Elvis Presley won many awards from nations all over the world, yet he did not record in any language other than English. He never performed outside the United States, except for three shows in Canada. Yet, his recordings and films have been, and are still, enjoyed by people all over the world.


Elvis Aaron Presley was born in the southern town of Tupelo, Mississippi, on January eighth, Nineteen-Thirty-Five. His family was extremely poor.



During his childhood, he sang in church with his parents. He also listened to music that influenced his later singing, including country, rhythm and blues, and religious music. Elvis and his family moved to Memphis, Tennessee when he was thirteen.

After high school, he had several jobs, including driving a truck. In Nineteen-Fifty-Three, he made his first recording, of this song, "My Happiness":


Elvis Presley recorded the song at the Memphis Recording Service. The story is that he paid four dollars to make a recording for his mother.

A woman who worked at the public recording studio had another job with a local independent record company called Sun Records. She made a second recording of Elvis's songs because she thought the owner of Sun Records should hear him sing.

The owner of Sun Records, Sam Phillips, had been looking for a white performer who could sing black rhythm and blues. He suggested Elvis work with a guitar player and a bass player. Several months later Mister Phillips agreed to have the group make a record. It was released on July nineteenth, Nineteen-Fifty-Four. One of the songs was "That's All Right":


The record sold well in Memphis, and was a played a lot on local radio stations. To let others hear Elvis, Sam Phillips organized a series of performances at country fairs in the area. One of the people who heard Elvis perform at these shows was Colonel Tom Parker. Elvis signed an agreement that Colonel Parker would organize his appearances.

One of Elvis' first new recordings became a huge hit, and led to his many appearances on television. It was "Heartbreak Hotel":


By the middle of the Nineteen-Fifties, Elvis Presley was known around the world as the young man who moved his hips in a sexual way as he sang rock and roll music. Many adults said he and his music were bad influences on young people. Young women loved him. Huge crowds attended his performances.

He made his first movie in Nineteen-Fifty-Six. It was "Love Me Tender." The title song was a big hit.

Elvis Presley was one of the highest paid actors in Hollywood for a number of years in the Nineteen-Fifties. He acted in thirty-one movies. In Nineteen-Fifty-Eight, just as he finished making the movie "King Creole," Elvis received notice that he had to serve in the United States Army. He was stationed in Germany where he lived in a large house and dated a lot of beautiful women. One young girl he met in Germany was Priscilla Beaulieu, the daughter of an Army officer. She was fourteen years old.

Later, after Elvis had finished his army service, she came to live with him in Memphis. They married in Nineteen-Sixty-Seven, when she was twenty-one years old. He was thirty-two. They became parents nine months later of a baby girl, Lisa Marie.

Colonel Parker made sure that songs Elvis had recorded earlier were released during the years he was in the army. So Elvis was just as popular after his military service as he was before it.

Elvis Presley won the three of the music industry's highest award, the Grammy. He received the first one in Nineteen-Sixty-Seven. It was for "How Great Thou Art," an album of religious music.


Elvis returned to performing live shows in Nineteen-Sixty-Nine, in Las Vegas, Nevada. He then traveled around the country performing before huge crowds. He began to take drugs to help him sleep. He gained a lot of weight so he took drugs to help control his weight. And he took extremely strong drugs to reduce pain

Not the real Elvis, but one of many copies

Elvis also suffered from the emotional sickness, depression. It became worse after his marriage ended. Elvis never permitted Priscilla to stay with him in Las Vegas or travel with him around the country. He also did not want Priscilla to see other people when he was away from home. And he spent time with other women. Priscilla finally left him in Nineteen-Seventy-Two for another man.

Elvis Presley released many recordings of his performances during the Nineteen-Seventies. He also enjoyed great success on television. His Nineteen-Seventy-Three television show from Hawaii was seen in forty countries by more than one-thousand-million people. His last record album was called "Moody Blue." He recorded it in Nineteen-Seventy-Six. One of its hit songs was called "Way Down":


Elvis Presley died on August sixteenth, Nineteen-Seventy-Seven. First reports said he had a heart attack, but later tests showed many drugs in his body. Experts agree that these drugs probably caused his death. Hundreds of thousands of people still visit his home, Graceland, in Memphis every year. Fans continue to buy his music, making him the most popular recording artist ever. Elvis Presley remains the undisputed King of Rock and Roll.

The Accident

As the sun was coming up that morning it illuminated the Sky, you could hear in the distance the bird singing their joyful song, the smell in the air was that of a new day, a new beginning. The trees were blooming with their leaves and fruits. Spring was here and she sure was beautiful. The tree outside my window showed the joy of the day as the wind rocked it back and forth. What would this day hold for me?

I was lying in my bed thinking of how my life would change as I would graduate from high school and go to college. What would the future hold For me? I stared at all my sports posters and thought, will I be one of the stars on the poster someday. I got out of bed and went to the bathroom for my morning shower, my day was about to start.

The last day of school was always a hard one for me, but this year it would be different since it was my last. I walked past the yellow hall and saw my life past by me, four years of my life have rushed by and were about to end. I traveled through the hallway until I reached my homeroom class. There at his desk in his big brown suit sat Mr. Freely, he was one of the biggest person that I knew, he had to weigh about 400 lbs. and had to be about 6 7". Everyone in the class room was afraid of his enormous body. Mr. Freely was also a very gentle human being, he was known in town for his rescue of two children during a house fire. When none of the firefighters moved in to save the children, he did. The children's parents died in that fire, but Mr. Freely was there for those children especially when he found out that they had no family. Mr. Freely, a single 35 year old man with so much love in his heart, he Decided to adopt the two children ages 5 and 6. Mr. Freely also has one of the biggest heart that I know, I was proud to call him my teacher and coach.

As I walked into the classroom, I notice Frank was sitting in the back of the room. Frank was 19 and he was still in high school, he was hoping to graduate this year and if he didn't this would be his last day anyway. Frank looked like a boxer, with all kinds of scars on his face. He was known as the trouble maker in the school and most people did not even talk to him. His face showed all lines of a bad life. Frank had been kicked out of his house when he was 16 after he was accused of setting the fire that made Mr. Freely a hero. He swore he did not do it but most people did not believe him and are still accusing him and waiting for him to fall. Finally when the police finished their investigation, they had no choice but to clear him, but still his parents did not want him in the house. His face showed fear more than anger. He was hurt and nobody wanted to understand him. For a while he dropped out of school but by my persuasion he came back.



He waved me over and I walked toward him and sat next to him. We had been friends since we were kids. Everyone knew him as the tough guy, but I knew him as my best friend. He started to tell me that he was not going to graduate, but I assured him that he would.

The bell rang for lunch, and as I entered the cafeteria the smell of macaroni and cheese filled the air. I knew this was the day that I should eat out. Frank came over and I shared my idea with him and he was set, anyway, it was the last day of school and I had never done this before. We headed to the parking lot and got into Frank's car and we drove out to the country corner store to gas up. Frank pulled up and went into the store as I pumped the gas. The fume of the gas penetrated my nostrils with a burning fire. The day was dry and hot therefore making it worse. I turned around and frank was getting in the car, I finished and got into the car when I noticed that frank had blood on his pants. I will never forget the look on his face; it was the look of death. His face was pale and his eyes were shot with pain, he even had tears coming into his eyes before I could even ask what had happened he took off making the car shoot dirt in all directions. I kept asking what was wrong and were did the blood come from, I noticed that he also had blood on his hand and this made me more nervous, But he was silent. I started to think back and remembered the same look the night that he was arrested for the arson of the home, as he faced the judge he had the same look. I knew something was wrong but I could not get it out of him.

We had been driving for 25 minutes without a place to go when the sound of the car rolling down the road was interrupted by the sound of sirens. I looked behind me and three police cars were behind us, I noticed that frank started to speed up. I tried to calm him down. I kept telling him that there was nothing wrong. He turned and faced me and spoke the last words that I heard from him. He made a hard left turn and the car flipped over several times, I was not wearing a seat belt and was thrown from the car several feet. I hit the ground with such impact I heard my leg snap and it broke like a twig. I was able to remain conscious and see the car explode into a ball of fire. Frank was still trying to get out! I could see his burnt body reaching for life as the fire consumed the car. I could smell his burning flesh and hear the roar of his screams as he was dying in the fire. I could not do anything! Just then about five police officers jumped on top of me and started to handcuff me. I could not understand what was happening and I am still not sure of what happened that day. The police tried to extinguish the fire but it was too late for frank, he was dead. The police picked me up with no concern for my broken leg. I tried to tell them but they were not interested in what I had to say. One of the officers who was a friend of my father made his way toward me and read me my rights. I asked what was going on and he told me that I was being arrested for murder. At that moment my life flashed before my eyes. The police officer continued to say that the store clerk at the country store was murdered. He said that Frank and I were the last two individuals who had been in the store and evidence at the scene indicated to us. Just at that moment it hit me, the blood on his pants and the look on his face, could it be that he killed someone and had now brought me in into this mess. He was dead and so was the truth. I could not believe it, frank was dead and I was being arrested for murder.

The next couple of months went by real slow as I sat in the county jail awaiting trial. Then the day arrived and it came to pass, I was guilty by association. I was Frank's friend; therefore, I was guilty.

As I sit here on death row thinking about my future there is always the thought of where would I be if it were not for the "accident."

CULTURE NOTE:

in the US and the UK , churches have regular servisec=( religious ceremonies) on Sundays, and have special services on religious holidays such as Easter and Chrismas . Christians also go to church for spesial ceremonies such as wedding, CHIRSTENINGS, and funderals, and people who are not Christian are invited to these ceremonies too.

Thursday, January 13, 2005

The Body - Arms and Hands Word & Verb for The Body

The Body - Arms and Hands

elbow
finger
index finger / middle / little / ring
finger nail
fist
forearm
hand / left and right
palm
thumb
wrist


Pronunciation Examples of these Words File

Example Sentences and Definitions

The Body - Heads and Shoulders

chin
cheek
ear
eye
eyebrow
eyelash
forehead
hair
head
lip
mouth
neck
nose
nostril
jaw
shoulder
tooth (teeth)
tongue
throat


Pronunciation Examples of these Words File

bounding up to us, fully dressed and blatantly drunk, screaming "It's my birthday - I know who did it but I can't tell because they'll kill me!" So mature for a 19 year old undergraduate.

I had to defrost my legs before I could finally get some sleep, and about five hours later I had to get up and start the day. It wasn't too bad. My talk with my creative writing tutor went well, my English Literature lecture was cancelled and the seminar in the afternoon wasn't too bad.

I wasn't very hungry this evening so I had soup and toast. I'm quite lucky that I haven't become addicted to it again - that's what usually happens when I'm working but also in a home environment.

All in all a decidedly better situation than Wednesday.

g but also in a home environment.

All in all a decidedly better situation than Wednesday.

Wednesday, January 12, 2005

Big Brother, Big Brothers/larger brother:

big brother, Big Brother:
any person, organization, or system that seems to want to control people's lives and restrict their freedom:
• We don't permit smoking in the office, but we're not Big Brother. If people go outside to smoke, that's fine.


Big Brothers :
an organization that helps boys, especially boys who have family problems, by giving each boy someone who meets him regularly to give advice, listen to his problems, etc

larger brother:
a large person is tall and often fat:
• Aunt Betsy was a very large woman

Saturday, January 08, 2005

Word & verb for disease

spread disease:
cause other people to become infected
catching disease:
to get a disease or illness:
• Kristen has the flu, so I guess we'll all catch it.
• Dion caught a cold on vacation. [catch sth from sb]:
• The vet says you can't catch the disease from the cat.
connected disease:
she became infected with the disease
She contracted the fatal disease (= she became infected with the disease)through a blood transfusion
infection /contagious /communicable disease :
disease that is passed from one person to another
illness /disease /sickness :
can be used about the general state of being sick: Janey missed a lot of school because of illness. Diseases have medical names and must usually be cured before you are well again: a kidney disease
a sexually transmitted disease
Alzheimer's disease. However you would usually talk about mental illness or a terminal/critical illness. A sickness is often a less serious type of illness and may go away by itself: motion sickness
runny nose:
a runny nose, runny eyes etc. have liquid coming out of them, usually because you have a cold
• Robin has a sore throat and a runny nose
sb's nose is running if someone's nose is running, liquid is slowly coming out of it
call nose:??

stuffy nose:

unable to breath easily through your nose because you have a cold
smell /sniff :
smell= the quality that people and animals recognize by using their nose:
• Each wine has its own unique flavor and smell.
• Perfectly pure water has no smell. [+ of]:
• The smell of baking bread filled the whole house. --compare AROMA, FRAGRANCE, SCENT1
sniff= to breathe air in through your nose in order to smell something:
• He opened the milk and sniffed it.
• Customs officers used drug-sniffing dogs to find 26 pounds of marijuana hidden in suitcases. [+ at]:
• Rex, the dog, was sniffing at the carpet.
sniffle:
to sniff repeatedly to stop liquid from running out of your nose, especially when you are crying or when you are sick
have the sniffles= to have a slight cold
catch cold:
sniff at sth:
to refuse something in a proud way, or to think that something is not good enough for you:
• Veteran audio fans may sniff at such ready-made stereo packages.
sneeze: to have a sudden uncontrolled burst of air come out of your nose and mouth, for example when you have a cold
symptom:
1 a physical condition which shows that you have a particular illness:
• The tablets help relieve cold symptoms. [+ of]:
• Common symptoms of diabetes are weight loss and fatigue.
2 a sign that a serious problem exists [+ of]:
• The disappearance of jobs is a symptom of a deeper socioeconomic change.
fever:
an illness or a medical condition in which you have a very high temperature:
• She's running a fever (= has a fever).
• a high/low/slight fever: The illness begins with a high fever, followed by a rash. --see also HAY FEVER, SCARLET FEVER, YELLOW FEVER
to have /burning a temperature: to have a body temperature that is higher than normal, especially because you are sick
dizzy
: having a feeling of not being able to balance, especially after spinning around or because you feel sick:
• The thin mountain air made Trautmann feel dizzy.
• She suffers from high blood pressure
dizzy spells: short periods when you feel dizzy
vertigo : a sick DIZZY feeling, often caused by looking down from a very high place or by too much movement around you
I feel sick = bring off= to feel as if you are going to VOMIT:
• I felt sick after I ate all that candy
Vomit: to bring food or drink up from your stomach out through your mouth, because you are sick Barf=vomit= puke
Puke= food brought back up from your stomach through your mouth; VOMIT2
Barfly : someone who spends a lot of time in bars
Puke up :
INFORMAL to bring food back up from your stomach through your mouth; VOMIT:
• I feel like I'm going to puke again.
Zit =pimple
Pimple: a small raised red spot on your skin, especially on your face
Goose-bumbs: GOOSE PIMPLES
Goose pimple: a condition in which your skin is raised up in small points because you are cold, afraid or excited
Ulcer : a sore area on your skin or inside your body that may BLEED or produce poisonous substances:
• a stomach ulcer
ulcerous adjective
Stomach ulcer:
Ulcerate : to form an ulcer, or become covered with ulcers
Sore: a part of your body that is sore is painful and often red because of a wound or infection, or because you have used a muscle too much:
• My legs are still sore today.
• Val woke up with a sore throat and a temperature of 102°.
Acute disease: very serious or severe:
Acute care: medical care for people with severe injuries or illnesses that need help urgently
The mumps: an infectious illness in which your throat swells and becomes painful
Rash : a lot of red spots on someone's skin, caused by an illness or an ALLERGY:
Symptoms include high fever and a rash.
My mother break out in rash if she eats seafood.
Outbreak: the sudden appearance or start of war, fighting, or serious disease:
• a cholera outbreak [+ of]:
• the outbreak of World War II --see also break out (BREAK1)

Outbreak of the flu / disease / chickenspot
Flu: a common infectious disease that makes your throat sore, makes it difficult for you to breathe, gives you a fever, and makes you feel very tired; INFLUENZA:
• Flu shots are recommended for people 55 and older.
• Arlene has the flu.
• Glen is home sick with the flu.
Pass on:
a) to infect someone with an illness that you have:
• I don't want to pass on my cold to the baby, so I'd better not get too close.
• The virus can be passed on during unprotected sex.
b) to give something, especially a disease, to your children through your GENEs
Mizel:red spot on children
Rubella= german measles= an infectious disease that causes red spots on your body, and can damage an unborn child; GERMAN MEASLES
Pocked: covered with small holes or marks:
• the meteor-pocked surface of the moon
Extinct:
1 an extinct animal, plant, language etc. does not exist anymore:
• Dinosaurs have been extinct for millions of years.
2 an extinct VOLCANO does not ERUPT anymore

Shot: an amount of a medicine that is put into your body with a needle, or the act of doing this:
• You should have a tetanus shot every ten years or so.
A doctor give me a shot:

Sunday, January 02, 2005

Personality

what does personality mean ?

does personality determine the way our brain develops ?

does personality direct the way we act and how we think ?

is it personality or habits that determine the course our lives will take ?

while communicating with others is it one's personality that influences the choice of word in his speech and the way he talks ?

is it possible to reform the personality time to time ?

how is it possible to detect some one's personality ?

what color is your personality ?

is there any standard personality in the world ?

A WALK IN THE WOODS

I was puzzled! Why was this old woman making such a fuss about an old copse which was of no use to anybody? She had written letters to the local paper, even to a national, protesting about a projected by pass to her village, and, looking at a map, the route was nowhere near where she lived and it wasn't as if the area was attractive. I was more than puzzled, I was intrigued.

The enquiry into the route of the new by-pass to the village was due to take place shortly, and I wanted to know what it was that motivated her. So it was that I found myself knocking on a cottage door, being received by Mary Smith and then being taken for a walk to the woods.

"I've always loved this place", she said, "it has a lot of memories for me, and for others. We all used it. They called it 'Lovers lane'. Its not much of a lane, and it doesn't go anywhere important, but that's why we all came here. To be away from people, to be by ourselves " she added.

It was indeed pleasant that day and the songs of many birds could be heard. Squirrels gazed from the branches, quite bold in their movements, obviously few people passed this way and they had nothing to fear. I could imagine the noise of vehicles passing through these peaceful woods when the by-pass was built, so I felt that she probably had something there but as I hold strong opinions about the needs of the community over-riding the opinions of private individuals, I said nothing. The village was quite a dangerous place because of the traffic especially for old people and children, their safety was more important to me than an old woman's whims.

"Take this tree", she said pausing after a short while. "To you it is just that, a tree. Not unlike many others here". She gently touched the bark. "Look here, under this branch, what can you see?"

"It looks as if someone has done a bit of carving with a knife" I said after a cursory inspection.

"Yes, that's what it is!" she said softly. "There are letters and a lover's heart".

I looked again, this time more carefully. The heart was still there and there was a suggestion of an arrow through it. The letters on one side were indistinct, but on the other an 'R' was clearly visible with what looked like an 'I' after it. "Some budding romance?" I asked, "did you know who they were?"

"Oh yes, I knew them", said Mary Smith, "it says RH loves MS".

I realised that I could be getting out of my depth, and longed to be in my office, away from here and this old lady, snug, and with a mug of tea in my hand.

She went on ..."He had a penknife with a spike for getting stones from a horse's hoof, and I helped him to carve my initials. We were very much in love, but he was going away, and could not tell me what he was involved in in the army. I had guessed of course. It was the last evening we ever spent together. "

"After cutting the tree, he put his knife away, then turned and held me fiercely. I could sense his desperation, his urgency, his need. It matched mine but I did not say so. His grip hurt me, but I did not flinch. He didn't need to hold me so tightly, I wasn't going to run away! Then he kissed me. It was like honey, so sweet and lingering. He didn't try anything on, not that he would have had to try very hard, I would not have resisted, not that night. We kissed again, I remember it so clearly. I wanted the night never to end. I wanted ... I wanted ... my Robin. I would have done anything for him, indeed I wish I had, because he went away the next day, back to his Unit".

Mary Smith was quiet for a while, then she sobbed. "His mother showed me the telegram. 'Sergeant R Holmes ..... killed in action in the invasion of France'.

"I had hoped that you and Robin would one day get married" she said, "He was my only child, and I would have loved to be a Granny, they would have been such lovely babies" - she was like that! "

"Two years later she too was dead. 'Pneumonia, following a chill on the chest' was what the doctor said, but I think it was an old fashioned broken heart. A child would have helped both of us."

There was a further pause. Mary Smith gently caressed the wounded tree, just as she would have caressed him. "And now they want to take our tree away from me." Another quiet sob, then she turned to me. "I was young and pretty then, I could have had anybody, I wasn't always the old woman you see here now. I had everything I wanted in life, a lovely man, health and a future to look forwards to".

She paused again and looked around. The breeze gently moved through the leaves with a sighing sound. "There were others, of course, but not a patch on my Robin!" she said strongly. "And now I have nothing - except the memories this tree holds. If only I could only get my hands on that awful man who writes in the paper about the value of the road they are going to build where we are standing now, I would tell him.

Has he never loved, has he never lived, does he not know anything about memories? We were not the only ones, you know, I still meet some who came here as Robin and I did. Yes, I would tell him!"

I turned away, sick at heart.




The End
By Tony Gathercole