Vocabulary Notes (Week Seventeen)

1. wrap (v.) 
    /ræp/
     If you wrap your fingers or arms around something, you hold it tightly
    She sat back in her chair and wrapped her arms around her knees.

2. brat (n.) [C]
    /bræt/
   a child who behaves badly or one you do not like
   My nephew is a little spoiled brat.

3. antagonist (n.) [C]
    /ænˈtæg·ə·nɪst/
    a person who opposes or disagrees with another

4. moor (n.) [C]
     /mʊr/  
    to attach a boat or ship to something on land or to the surface under the water to keep it in place
    We moored (the boat) further up the river.

5. fret (v.) 
    /fret/
    to worry or be unhappy about something 
    She fell into a fretful sleep.

Children's Literature (Week Seventeen)- The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Wrap-up Lesson

1. To Kill the Mockingbird (Analysis in my blog) 
(1) This book is about growing up.
(2) "We have nothing to fear but fear itself."－From Franklin D. Roosevelt
(3) Important Quotation from Sparknotes website.

2. Danaë and golden shower (Analysis in my blog)

(1) This picture is from a famous artist, Klimt. He also has some great paintings such as The Kiss.

(2) Because Zeus like her, he changed himself to gold shower and got into Danae's tower.

     Therefore, she got pregnant.

3. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Analysis in my blog)

(1) L. Frank Baum made this story break away the traditional way to start the beginning. Before this, everyone prefers to use something ambiguous such as "Once upon a time....". But L. Frank Baum showed the specific place and time.

(2) Someone learned something. This thing need to compare what the person is in the beginning.

4. "Hansel and Gretel" (Analysis in my blog)

(1) On the beginning, the only they have is each other. (the crucial move) So, Gretel protected the only thing she has, Hansel, in the end of the story.

(2) Gretel learn something from experience such as brain, heart, and courage. She grew up (compared what she is in the beginning). 

(3) Resolution - rich and the death of the stepmother

5. The Secret Garden 

(1) It's about a little girl who has a disagreeable-looking face and she always put a sour expression on her face.

(2) Sickly, fretful, ugly 

6. The Adventure of Tom Sawyer 

(1) Mark Twain used lots of oral language (Southern American accent) in this novel such as "Spare the rod and spile the child."

(2) The Article from Ms. T. Sara Sun

7. Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ear (Analysis in my blog)

(1) Theme : Fault, Denial, Greeting, and story-telling

(2) The only moral lesson is you need to say hi and greet to your friend in the morning.

8. Vocabularies and Phrases

(1) wrap-up 壓縮包 (懶人包類的)

(2) brats 死小孩

(3) pebble 小石頭

(4) antagonist 反角

(5) gay people-- 50年前還是使人愉悅的意思

(6) moor 荒原

Vocabulary Notes (Week Sixteen)

1. baptism (n.) [C]
     /ˈbæpˌtɪz·əm/
     a Christian ceremony in which water is poured over someone’s head or the person is briefly 
     covered completely by water, and is named as a Christian
     We’re hoping to be able to get to Pasadena for the baptism of our grandson.

2. commencement (n.) [C/U]
     /kəˈmens·mənt/
     A commencement is also a ceremony at which students formally receive their diplomas

3. rust (n./v.) [U]
     /rʌst/
    a red-brown substance that forms on the surface of iron and steel as a result of decay caused     
    by reacting with air and water
    Stainless steel won’t rust.

4. chimney (n.) [C]
     /ˈtʃɪm·ni/ 
    a hollow structure that allows the smoke from a fire inside a building, esp. from a fireplace, to
    escape to the air outside

5. initiation (n.) [U]
    /ɪˌnɪʃ·iˈeɪ·ʃən/ 
     the act of beginning something
    The initiation and carrying out of such a measure, he wrote, is absolutely necessary.

Children's Literature (Week Sixteen)- The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

1. Before the lesson
(1) The usage of writing down a name of a book or a story
     a. The name of a short story-->  using the quotation  eg. "The Little Mermaid"
     b. The name of a whole book--> using the underline  eg. Charlotte's Web

(2) Bildungsroman: It is a german word. Bild means like cultivate and roman means novel. It is 

     novel of education. However, it is not going to educate the readers.

(3) Initiation: Ini- is a prefix which means start or begin. In an extended sense it can also signify a 

      transformation in which the initiate is 'reborn' into a new role. 
(4) Creativity is not something that can be imitated or reproduced.

(5) The Everlasting Childhood in a Picaresque Bildungsroman: Understanding Mark Twain’s The 

      Adventures of Tom Sawyer  Author: T. Sara Sun 

      Quotation: 「《湯姆歷險記》的確擁有許多兒童文學經典的共通特質：諸如
    爭取小讀者認同的孩童主角(child protagonist)、弱勢族群的集結以挑戰權
    威、領導統禦(leader)與兄弟情誼(brotherhood)、追求夢想與冒險等暢銷
    元素。」

(6) Literature form Western are not that care about moral lessons. Most of the time, they 
      just reflected or told the truth.

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2. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz 

(1) The author of this book is L. Frank Baum and the illustrator is W. W. Denslow.

(2) This name is actual an ironic name because there is no wonderful thing happened in Oz and the 

      Wizard is not a wizard, either. He is just a magician who was took here from Tornado. 

(3) The main conflict in this book is to find the wizard Oz. As for the wonderful and wizard, then we 

      don't have to discuss them again.

(4) Through this book and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, we can find out that the main roles 

      in adventure fantasy have something in common－Their parents would never be mentioned 

      in the books. 
(5) Describe a character with three objects.
      eg. Tin Man- oil can (because of rust), axe, no heart

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3. Somewhere Over the Rainbow (Academy Awards 2011 video)

Somewhere over the rainbow
Way up high
There's a land that I heard of
Once in a lullaby

Somewhere over the rainbow
Skies are blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true

Some day I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me
Where troubles melt like lemondrops
Away above the chimney tops
That's where you'll find me

Somewhere over the rainbow
Bluebirds fly
Birds fly over the rainbow
Why then, oh why can't I?
Some day I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me
Where troubles melt like lemondrops
Away above the chimney tops
That's where you'll find me

Somewhere over the rainbow
Bluebirds fly
Birds fly over the rainbow
Why then, oh why can't I?

If happy little bluebirds fly
Beyond the rainbow
Why, oh why can't I?

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4. Vocabularies and Phrases

(1) baptism 受洗禮

(2) confirmation 堅信儀式

(3) commencement 畢業典禮

(4) cowardly (adj.) 形容詞的-ly結尾: friendly, elderly, deadly (eg. seven deadly sins) 

(5) emerald 綠寶石

Vocabulary Notes (Week Fifteen)

1. abolition (n.) [U]
    /ˌæb·əˈlɪʃ·ən/

    the official ending of an activity or custom 

2. abort (v.)

    /əˈbɔrt/

    to stop something before it has begun or to cause something to fail before it is complete 

    Engineers aborted the test flight at the last minute.

3. peculiar (adj.)

    /pɪˈkjul·jər/ 

    unusual and strange 

    The copy editor will check type size and technical details to see if anything looks peculiar.

4. cannibalistic (adj.)

    /ˈkæn.ɪ.bəl/

    a person who eats human flesh, or an animal that eats the flesh of animals of its own type 

5. reconcile (v.)

    / ˈrek·ənˌsɑɪl/

    to adjust the way you think about a fact or situation that is opposed to another fact or situation 

    so that you can accept both 

    How do we reconcile the seemingly contradictory notions of cutting taxes and balancing the   

    budget?

Children's Literature (Week Fifteen)- The Brothers Grimm 2 and Hans Christian Andersen

1. Before the formal lesson
(1) Foreigners usually use "What's in your mind?" not "What are you thinking?". (你在想甚麼?) 
(2) God can test humans but humans don't test God. ---> faith (hard to explain and make it clear)

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2. The Brothers Grimm

(1) They recorded these stories during their travel. (在采風狀況下紀錄故事)
(2) The first version of Lutheran Bible was written in German. Due to the idea of localization, the second version was written in local language in every country. The current version was translated to English by King James the first which is called KJV (King James version).
(3) The origins of some stories.
      a. Cinderella in China called Ye Xian (葉限姑娘). This fairy tale is from Miscellaneous 
          Morsels from Youyang (<<酉陽雜俎>>).
      b. In The Little Red Riding Hood, there is a plot that a hunter cuts open the wolf's belly with 
          his axe. This plot is from the legends of Greece－cuts open Zeus' belly.                                                        

   c. Rapunzel was locked in a tower. This is originated from the legends of Greece that Zeus 

       changed himself to golden shower and went into the tower for the reason of his love     

       to Danaë.

     * The image of Tower is a kind of phallus. --> Phallic symbol 陽物崇拜: 對柱狀物的崇拜

     * Semiotics 記號學: Sign, colour, and design have some features in common. It is a sign 

        system or a study of sign indication.

        d. The witch in Hansel and Gretel lost the myth of reproduce. eg. something 
             like Menopause or maybe the old women can't give birth a baby. 
         * The climax in this story appears when Gretel pretended that she couldn't set on fire and 
            then push the witch into the stove. In the end of the story, she can offer Hansel 
            some help. She turned to be smart abruptly because before that, she swept the floor 
            all the time.
        e. When Sleeping Beauty was born, only one witch didn't be invited to the celebration party 
            so she was cursed. This plot is originated form the legends of Greece. When
            Achilles' parents got married, only Eris didn't get the invitation to the wedding 
            so Achilles' parents got cursed.

       

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3. Hans Christian Andersen

(1) He was born in a poor family.
(2) His good friend was Mendelssohn. They met each other when Andersen was traveling.

(3) Recommend: The Snow Queen from Akira Kurosawa.

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4. Christmas songs－Hark the Herald Angel Sing (Lyrics)

(1) hark: 歡欣鼓舞 (唱歌)
(2) my brother's keeper: 守護者
(3) reconciled: 和解
(4) all ye: you的古語
(5) angelic: 天使般的

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5. Vocabularies and phrases
(1) hero / heroin 男女主角 
(2) against 丟 (彈回)
(3) Deutschland 德國
(4) abolition *ab is a negative prefix. --> eg. aboriginal, abnormal, abortion, and 
      abort(abort the mission)  
(5) protest 抗議(者)
(6) peculiar: It means something strange, something odd, or something unusual.
(7) Cumulate means collect.
(8) cannibalistic 吃人的

Vocabulary Notes (Week Fourteen)

1. conscience (n.) [C]
     /ˈkɑn·ʃəns/

    the feeling that you know and should do what is right and should avoid doing what is wrong, 
    and that makes you feel guilty when you have done something you know is wrong 

    I have a guilty conscience for spending so little time with my kids.

2. cumulative (adj.)

     /ˈkju·mjə·lə·t̬ɪv/

    increasing as each new amount is added or as each new fact or condition is considered 

    No single development is causing the company’s financial trouble – it’s the cumulative effect of 

    years of weak leadership.

3. mortify (v.)

     /ˈmɔr·t̬əˌfɑɪ/

    to cause someone to feel extremely ashamed or embarrassed 

    He’s mortified by the fact that at 38 he still lives at home with his mother.

4. agenda (n.) [C]

     /əˈdʒen·də/

     a list of matters to be discussed at a meeting 

     Among the items on the agenda were next year’s budget and raising the membership dues.

5. plague (v.)

    /pleɪg/

   to cause someone or something difficulty or suffering, esp. repeatedly or continually 

   Financial problems have been plaguing the company.

Children's Literature (Week Fourteen)- The Brothers Grimm and Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears 2

1. Before the formal lesson
(1) Usages of drug, pill, and medication
     a. I am doing drug.  b. take the pill(s) / tablet   c. I am under the medication.
(2) Oedipus: The major conflict is the plague.
      a. He killed his father and married with his step-mother.
      b. The plague showed in his kingdom.
      c. He finally found out the cause and the resolution of the plague－Who killed the old king?
      d. He banished himself.

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2. The video of Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears

(1) Myth: Something you don't know. More specifically, you studied of something you can't 

                 figure out.

(2) Mythology: Most of time we feel so confused about knowledge so we would make some

                          stories to explain and convince ourselves that it was normal.

(3) The major conflict is the mother owl won't wake the sun. And the lion used his wisdom to figure 

      out the answer layer by layer.

(4) The only moral lesson is you need to say hi and greet to your friend in the morning. (?)

(5) Here comes the story. --> The major of the agenda today is to find out who killed the owlet.

     a. Exposition: It's the mother owl who woke the sun each day so the dawn can come.

     b. Mosquito: I just saw a farmer who digging a yam almost as big as I am.

     c. Iguana: Try me. It's such a big lie (tall tale). I would rather be deaf. 

                       -> So he put two sticks on his ears.

     d. Python: Why the Iguana wouldn't speak to me? He would plot something to against me.

                       (some mystery)

     e. Rabbit: Run in his life.    f. Crow   g. Monkey.

(6) Verbs in the story (中文都是驚嚇)

     a. Mosquito annoyed the Iguana.

     b. Iguana frightened the Python. -> to make someone feel fear

     c. Python scared the rabbit. -> to feel frightened

     d. Rabbit startled the crow. -> to do something unexpected that surprises and                  
                                                        sometimes worries a personor animal (倒彈的驚嚇-最大)

     e. Crow alarmed the monkey. -> a warning of danger, usually a loud noise or flashing light

     f. The monkey killed the owlet.
(7) 背脊發涼
      a. I was thrilled. -> extremely pleased.
      b. I was mortified. -> very embarrassed.
(8) Term Explanation
      a. big lie: No one would believe that someone "could have the impudence to 
                      distort the truth so infamously."
      b. tall tale: A tall tale is a story with unbelievable elements, related as if it were true
                         and factual. Some such stories are exaggerations of actual events.
      c. cumulative tale (story): In a cumulative tale, sometimes also called a chain tale, 
                                                 action or dialogue repeats and builds up in some way as 
                                                 the tale progresses.
(8) This is a Frame Story (story within story)/ cumulative story.
      

It is the shape like this.

(9) The purpose of a cumulative story is a kind of training which can improve children's 

      impermanent memory.

      Take the song, 12 Days of Christmas, for example.

   

 

      * Three Wise Man(東方三賢人) brought gold, frankincense(乳香) and myrrh(默藥).

      * Greensleeves songs

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3. Vocabularies and Phrases

(1) tell a tale / being told  流傳至今

(2) guilty conscience  良心不安

(3) won't buy that kind of credo  不會採信....

(4) partridge  鷓鴣 

(5) folklore 民間故事                                

Vocabulary Notes (Week Thirteen)

1. condemn (v.)
     /kənˈdem/
    to criticize something or someone strongly, usually for moral reasons 
    The movie was condemned for glorifying violence.

2. raid (n.) [c]
    /reɪd/

    a planned attack by a military group that is done suddenly and unexpectedly and is intended to 

    destroy or damage something

    an air raid ; a bombing raid

3. moral (adj.)

    /ˈmɔr·əl/

    relating to standards of good behavior, honesty, and fair dealing, or showing high standards 
    of this type

   It’s her moral obligation to tell the police what she knows.

4. persevere (v.)

     /ˌpɜr·səˈvɪər/

     to try to do or continue doing something in a determined way, despite difficulties 

     If I had persevered, I probably would have gotten the job.

5. ashamed (adj.)

    /əˈʃeɪmd/

    feeling bad because you are aware that others know that you or someone connected with you     

    has done something wrong or embarrassing

    Pedro was never ashamed to admit his mistakes.