ALL OF THE ABOVE

1987 AP Exam  Reflection:

Going into the test i did not have a positive expectation for myself. To no surprise i did not do well. The questions that i found to be more difficult than others were the ones that had similar choices, but only had one answer of course. Those really got me frustrated because i had a fifty/fifty chance of getting them right. The other difficult ones were the ones that asked about literary techniques and vocabulary.

VOC. #4

1.Accolade: award, honor, laudatory notice

Marco’s final goal received accolades not only from his fans, but also from the newspaper and television the next day.

2.Acerbity: sourness, with roughness or astringency of taste

I had a really hard time swallowing the food on my plate, its acerbity made my throat itch.

3.Attrition: a reduction or decrease in numbers, size or strength

The boss decided to make an attrition on all of the employees monthly wage.

4.Bromide: flat, dull remark

I felt pity for the girl for she only came up with bromides in her argument.

5.Chauvinist: person aggressively and blindly patriotic

I find chauvinist people quite ignorant sometimes, because they are so focused on their own country.

6.Chronic: constant, habitual

Kelly does not like change she much rather enjoys her chronic life as it is.

7.Expound: state in detail, explain, and interpret

Mr. Leal really knew how to take a subject and expound it in a way that was so simple.

8.Factionalism: practice of a faction (group, clique within larger group)

Factionalism is a daily thing on a high school campus.

9.Immaculate: free from spot, pure, perfect

To many Catholics the Virgin Mary is seen as immaculate, because she is said to be born without sin.

10.Imprecation: curse, malediction

Sarah had never believed in imprecations, but after the scary movie she could not take her mind off them.

11.Ineluctable: incapable of being escaped, ignored or avoided

His bright yellow shoes flashed under the sun’s gleam that he was just ineluctable.

12.Mercurial: changeable

What I love about my house rules is that they are mercurial.

13.Palliate: to relieve, alleviate

The Advil was able to palliate the pain for a couple of hours before it came again.

14.Protocol: regulations and customs pertaining to diplomatic formality, etiquette

Sonny thought she knew about protocol until she met Josh.

15.Resplendent: shining, gleaming

She was completely in awe when he went down on one knee and presented her with the resplendent ring.

16.Stigmatize: to set a mark of disgrace, brand, and stigma upon something/someone

Many people have a tendency of quickly stigmatizing something they know very little of.

17.sub rosa: confidentially, secretly, and privately

There are many issues that are kept sub rosa by my parents.

18.Vainglory: vain, excessive pride over one’s achievements

Jake has so much vainglory and I t is really getting on my nerves.

19.Vestige: surviving evidence or remainder that is no longer present

The tablets of unknown language served as vestiges to the people of that town.

20.Volition: exercise of willing, choosing, resolving, etc.

People practice volition everyday.

BEOWULF ESSAY

“Different Nonetheless Heroes ”

            The hero should not be give a time period, so long as they were heroes once, they will be heroes forever. The man who leaves his life behind to protect the life of another is a hero. Beowulf earned his title as a hero because he fought for his people. Soldiers help maintain our freedom and peace. They are our modern heroes.

            The soldier symbolizes the ongoing peace and freedom that many countries are able to practice each day. The soldier is able to voluntarily enlist. He/She does not seek to alter their ego, but simply to keep our everyday practices alive. Like Beowulf and his “…mightiest…bravest and best…” men, Soldiers fight in troops. They are not afraid of protecting the people for they are highly trained to do what they do. On the other hand Beowulf symbolizes the Danish communities and how they lived. He was all they had to capture their time.

            Beowulf and the soldier are similar characters in that they willingly fight for what is right while protecting others. The irony that ties these heroes together is the fact that both may be accused of having a sense of bravado to them. In Beowulf it is the characters and the readers that are debating whether or not he is cocky or simply confident. That debating specially came up when Beowulf decided to fight the monster without armor. As for a soldier there are often times where people address that some soldiers are cocky. Is it confidence? Did all their victories go too deep into their heads? It is safe to assume that Beowulf was willing to fight not only because he wanted to protect the people, but also because he had a name to live up to. His father was the great and respected King so we (the readers) know that some influence came from that alone. Many times it occurs that if someone in the family has served or is serving in the military there is a desire or expectation to do the same, to follow the tradition.

Despite the time and era difference between Beowulf and a soldier they are both heroes. They are heroes of different times, Beowulf orally told in the years of 500 to 1100. On the other hand the soldier is well known and traced many battles and wars back. Many traits unite these familiar characters, but one unites them and that is the will to fight and protect their people. 

WILL STUDY FOR FOOD

I will apply for scholarships because I need money for:

applications
tuition
food
books
room & board
lap top
paper
school supplies
personal belongings
going out
school games

I have no idea how much money I intend to earn, but I do know that I will be applying to about 3 scholarships a month so as much as I can get.

VOC. #3

*Apostate: a person who forsakes his religion, cause, party, etc.

When students go off to college they tend to apostate many things in order to try to find themselves.

*Effusive: pouring out; overflowing

I was overwhelmed by her effusive attitude when telling us about her past.

*Impasse: a position or situation from which there is no escape; deadlock.

He found himself in complete impasse when put between his wife and mom.

*Euphoria: a state of intense happiness and self-confidence

I never thought Sarah would be in a state of Euphoria after her many rehab treatments.

*Lugubrious: mournful, dismal, or gloomy, especially in an affected, exaggerated, or unrelieved manner

Mike narrated the story in such a lugubrious way that I everyone in the audience cried.

*Bravado: a pretentious, swaggering display of courage.

Men usually have this sense of bravado to them.

*Consensus: majority of opinion

My mother and I came to a consensus that instead of arguing with each other we would talk things out.

*Dichotomy: division into two parts, kinds, etc.; subdivision into halves or pairs.

The Holy Bible can be considered a dichotomy because there is an old and new testament.

*Constrict: to draw or press in; cause to contract or shrink; compress.

When I got my first tattoo I felt like the needle constricted my skin.

*Gothic: pertaining to the Middle Ages; medieval.

The gothic architecture was very popular during the middle ages.

*Punctilio: a fine point, particular, or detail, as of conduct, ceremony, or procedure.

All of the pens I own are punctilio.

*Metamorphosis: a complete change of form, structure, or substance, as transformation by magic or witchcraft.

I believe one of the most beautiful metamorphic cycles is the butterfly one.

*Raconteur: a person who is skilled in relating stories and anecdotes interestingly.

After hearing the priest tell the kids stories I came to a conclusion that he is quite the raconteur.

*sine qua non: an indispensable condition, element, or factor; something essential

Tweasers are sine qua non when it comes to perfection your eyebrows.

*quixotic: extravagantly chivalrous or romantic; visionary, impractical, or impracticable.

I find Nicholas Sparks books to be quite quixotic.

*Vendetta: bitter feud, rivalry, contention

The vendetta between the Montagues and Capulets spoiled Romeo and Juliet’s love.

*non sequitur: Logic. an inference or a conclusion that does not follow from the premises.

I always get a bit disturbed when someone tells me a math problem is non sequitur because it just makes me over think the problem.

*Mystique: an aura of mystery or mystical power surrounding a particular occupation or pursuit

Throughout the novel there was a mystique kind of feeling.

*Quagmire: soft boggy area of land

Because I did not realize that the lake had quagmire near it I fell and hurt myself.

*Parlous: perilous; dangerous.

Erick rode his parlous motorcycle to the dunes at 60mph. 

WHY THIS BOOK?

I was looking through the stack of books at my house and I could not choose a book. I was afraid I would choose something boring and then have to finish it even if i did not want to. I picked up "The Invisible Man" by H.G. Wells and I remember thinking "hey Ana had to read this as summer homework in high school." I still remember asking her what the book was about as a child. She then went on to explain to little Erica what "The Invisible Man" was about and why his head was missing on the  front cover.  After reminiscing on those good times I decided I too would read it.

Vocabulary #2 Definitions + Sentences

1. accoutrements: personal clothing, accessories

I told Ana that Kim wanted cute and colorful accoutrements for her birthday.

2. apogee: the highest or most distant point, climax

The apogee of “Pride and Prejudice” is when Mr. Darcy proposes to Elizabeth.

3. apropos: fitting, at the right time

Everything was going just smoothly and apropos until Tim had to ruin it and come late.

4. bicker: to engage in a querulous argument

My parents really get angry when my siblings and I bicker about lame things.

5. coalesce: to grow together or into one body

When people get married I like to think that they become coalesce.

6. contretemps: inopportune occurrence, embarrassing moment

I have a list of contretemps, but the worst was when I accidently wore my brother’s pants.

7. convolution: coiled condition, twist

When designing the ring the jeweler had to convolute the steel.

8. cull: to choose, select, pick

Kim culled Ana to be on her soccer team.

9. disparate: distinct in kind, essentially different

Although they have disparate minds they found a way to come up with only one conclusion.

10. dogmatic: pertaining to, inflexible

Tim thought his idea was so great and dogmatic that he stared down anyone with any oppositions of any kind.

11. licentious: libertine, unrestrained

I always tend to question if licentious people have strict morals.

12. mete: to distribute, apportion

I’d rather have a teacher that metes his attention to each student than to have a teacher with favorites.

13. noxious: harmful to physical/well being

Drugs and alcohol are noxious.

14. polemic: a controversial argument, as one against some opinion

The topic of abortion has become pretty polemic throughout the years.

15. populous: heavily populated

China is a populous place.

16. probity: honesty, uprightness

In my opinion Probity is the best policy.

17. repartee: quick witty reply

Erin answered his mom with a repartee after she threatened to take his electronics if he didn’t clean his room.

18. supervene: implied event or action, to take place as something additional

The Mariachi was a big surprise and supervene at the party.

19. truncate: to shorten, cut short

Students are often looking to truncate any assignment or process.

20. unimpeachable: impeccable, impossible to discredit, entirely trustworthy

I refuse to consider the dictionary as an unimpeachable source because there is so many of them.