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SECTION 1: Language Development - UNIT 6: HEALTH AND EXERCISE - "You May Scoff ..."

  Ways with words  Ten words in the bold face in the text correspond to the definitions below. Match the definitions with the corresponding words.  in spite of what has just been said or referred to Nevertheless a strong desire or impulse Urge the ability to continue trying to do something, although it is very difficult Determination to attract attention to or emphasise something important Highlight arguing about things that are not important Bickering not having things or conditions that are usually considered necessary Deprivation  continue to exist Persist soft loose flesh on a person's body Flab to improve or increase something Boost a limiting condition on something Restriction Now, make sentences of your own using the same words in bold type.   Nevertheles s: He was tired; nevertheless he went on walking. Urge : He urged me to give up smoking. Determination : Determination was her motivation to stand up to the bully.  Highlight : The teacher hi

SECTION 1: Language Development - UNIT 5: LIFE AND LOVE - The Looking Glass: Anton Chekhov

Summary: The story  The Looking Glass  by  Anton Chekhov  is about a young woman who dreams day and night about getting married and settling down happily with the perfect man. One night, while sitting in front of her looking glass, she has a vision of what her future might be like. She sees the reality of living and raising a family in rural Russia in the late 1800s. The couple battle disease, financial difficulties and the challenges of raising errant (uncontrolled) children. She then sees her husband’s death and asks herself:  Why is it, what is it for?  Her dreams have turned into a nightmare. In this story, Anton Chekhov explores the theme of love through the essence of a dream. Through an omniscient (all-knowing) perspective, the reader is able to grasp the importance of the dream through the mind of the main character,  Nellie , who has always fantasised about marriage ever since she was a little girl and believes that only by depending on a man will she find true happiness and s

The Gift in Wartime - Tran Mong Tu (Translated by Vann Phan) - Summary & Analysis

  The Gift in Wartime            Tran Mong Tu (Translated by Vann Phan) Tran Mong Tu  was born and grown up in Hai Dong, North Vietnam in 1943. She frequently contributes poems and short stories to Vietnamese literary publications in the US and other countries.  “War is a terrible thing,”  says Tran, who has first-hand experience of the Vietnam War (1954-1975). According to Tran, “The Vietnam War is a shameful experience, for both Vietnamese and Americans.” Many people in both countries felt the terrible tragedy of the war. Losses in the war were heavy; more than two million Vietnamese and 57,000 Americans died. In the poem  'The Gift in Wartime' , Tran addresses an absent person (a loveable person). For example, as she says, “I offer you roses,” the person to whom she is speaking is not present and can neither hear nor understand what she is saying (because he is no more). The theme of the poem is the consequences of the war amongst the humans. War never brings peace, happines

WHO ARE YOU, LITTLE i ? - E E Cummings - Summary and Analysis

  WHO ARE YOU, LITTLE i? E E Cummings  BACKGROUND : E(dward) E(stlin) Cummings  (1894-1962), often styled as e e cummings, was an American poet, painter, essayist, novelist, and playwright. He wrote approximately 2,900 poems, two autobiographical novels, four plays, and several essays, as well as numerous drawings and paintings. He was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. As one of the most innovative poets of his time, Cummings experimented with poetic form and language to create a distinct personal style.    Cummings’ poem “ who are you, little i ”   describes a child looking out a window at the end of the day. It is about nature and the effect it has on the speaker. The speaker of the poem is the person “voicing” the words, recalling a childhood moment closely connected with nature. Perhaps the speaker is Cummings.    SUMMARY : This poem is related to nature and its effect on the speaker. This poem is quite short which contains only eight lines. The main theme of this poem is freshnes