Arson: Act of setting fire on something intentionally.
Manslaughter: The brutal or violent killing of a great number of people or animals.
Ransom: The freeing of a captive on payment.
Forgery: The alteration or false making of a writing
Burglary: to break into a house to steal.
Robbery: the taking of the property of another in his presence.
Homicide: the killing of a person by another person.
Murder: the killing of a person by another person.
Kidnapping: to steal a person in order to obtain a ransom.
Pickpocketing: Stealing money, wallet, etc, from someone's pocket.
Massacre: Cruel killing of a large number of people or occasionally of animals.
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Friday, August 25, 2006
the difference between "adverse" and "averse"
Both words may be used as adjectives. "Adverse" means unfavorable, acting against, or hostile to. "Averse" means disinclined, unwilling, reluctant, or opposed to. "Averse" does not carry the notion of threat or harm that "adverse" does.
"Adverse" comes from the Latin, "to turn (against)". "Averse" has the same etymology.
"Adverse" comes from the Latin, "to turn (against)". "Averse" has the same etymology.
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Saturday, August 19, 2006
For when you feel lonely
It is my life.
We are all alone.
There are no words for emptiness.
At least I do not have to count with someone else
Everyone might hate me, but still I am alive.
With visions of redemption, I walk against the crowd.
If you can't enjoy your company, how could anyone else?
We are all alone.
There are no words for emptiness.
At least I do not have to count with someone else
Everyone might hate me, but still I am alive.
With visions of redemption, I walk against the crowd.
If you can't enjoy your company, how could anyone else?
Friday, August 18, 2006
conversation starters
Here are some sentences and questions, which help you to start a conversation more quickly and easily with your friend in order to improve your speaking skill.
Please tell me about your family.
Where do you live? Do you like it there?
What do you do in your spare time?
Please tell me about your favorite restaurant.
Please tell me about your best pal.
What kind of books do you like?
What kind of movies do you like?
Why are you learning English?
How important is religion in your life? Why?
What is the biggest mistake that you have ever made?
Please tell me about the happiest day in your life.
What was your childhood like?
What did you do yesterday?
In your opinion, what makes life worth living?
Do you like English? Why?
Please tell me about your family.
Where do you live? Do you like it there?
What do you do in your spare time?
Please tell me about your favorite restaurant.
Please tell me about your best pal.
What kind of books do you like?
What kind of movies do you like?
Why are you learning English?
How important is religion in your life? Why?
What is the biggest mistake that you have ever made?
Please tell me about the happiest day in your life.
What was your childhood like?
What did you do yesterday?
In your opinion, what makes life worth living?
Do you like English? Why?
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Friday, August 11, 2006
Hobson's Choice
In every minute of our life we have to make choices. Some of them are easy to make, while the rest seem very difficult and important. Our big choices are very, very vital for us. They may have great impacts on our future life and success. As a result, we must study every alternative before making our decision and do not rush to do it, too. In my book, after contemplating our options and making a wise or wrong choice, we must feel responsible for it. In any way, we should not allow ourselves to escape from the bad results, if it had any. By beating the brains out every one has the ability to turn the atrocious results into desired ones.
Have you ever noticed that there come occasions in your life when you feel devastated only because it is impossible to do something by choice or all the alternatives you have are unpleasant?
English, this sophisticated yet strange language has several expressions, which delineate these possible baffling situations.
The first one is “Hobson’s choice”. Mr. Hobson owned a stable of horses in Cambridge. He rented his horses to the students. But he did not really trust them to take care of his horses. So, he had a rule that prevented the students from riding his best horses. They could take the horse that was nearest the stable door or they could not take any horse at all. Thus, “Hobson’s choice” is a free choice that is in reality no choice at all. Today, people may use it to talk about two unwanted choices as well.
“No-win situation” is another commonly used phrase. You can use it when you have two choices and no one is good and desirable. Try to imagine that you took an exam on the humanities. Since you want to be a famous lawyer just for the prestige and money this job may bring to you. But unluckily due to stress on the exam day your score is not very high to major in law, but it is good enough to major in only two subjects: geology and geography. The problem is you hate both of them. This situation might be considered a no-win situation, pure and simple.
I do like politics so let me tell you another expression, which is nearly related to our topic. “Lesser of two evils principle” is the idea of two bad political options. In this case one of the options is less bad than the other and should be chosen over the one that is the greater evil. To make it more tangible for yourself, try to remember the electoral politics in the US. By the way,” lesser evil” is another form of it.
The fourth expression is “horns of a dilemma”. Dilemma means a problem offering two solutions, neither of which is acceptable. The alternatives are described as horns of a dilemma. When you are on the horns of a particular dilemma, no matter which option or horn you choose, something awful and hateful will happen.
Eventually, I like to say that there are a few other expressions like these ones. I wanted to make my note short and sweet. Consequently, I talked about the most interesting expressions related to this subject. Have a whale of a time.
Have you ever noticed that there come occasions in your life when you feel devastated only because it is impossible to do something by choice or all the alternatives you have are unpleasant?
English, this sophisticated yet strange language has several expressions, which delineate these possible baffling situations.
The first one is “Hobson’s choice”. Mr. Hobson owned a stable of horses in Cambridge. He rented his horses to the students. But he did not really trust them to take care of his horses. So, he had a rule that prevented the students from riding his best horses. They could take the horse that was nearest the stable door or they could not take any horse at all. Thus, “Hobson’s choice” is a free choice that is in reality no choice at all. Today, people may use it to talk about two unwanted choices as well.
“No-win situation” is another commonly used phrase. You can use it when you have two choices and no one is good and desirable. Try to imagine that you took an exam on the humanities. Since you want to be a famous lawyer just for the prestige and money this job may bring to you. But unluckily due to stress on the exam day your score is not very high to major in law, but it is good enough to major in only two subjects: geology and geography. The problem is you hate both of them. This situation might be considered a no-win situation, pure and simple.
I do like politics so let me tell you another expression, which is nearly related to our topic. “Lesser of two evils principle” is the idea of two bad political options. In this case one of the options is less bad than the other and should be chosen over the one that is the greater evil. To make it more tangible for yourself, try to remember the electoral politics in the US. By the way,” lesser evil” is another form of it.
The fourth expression is “horns of a dilemma”. Dilemma means a problem offering two solutions, neither of which is acceptable. The alternatives are described as horns of a dilemma. When you are on the horns of a particular dilemma, no matter which option or horn you choose, something awful and hateful will happen.
Eventually, I like to say that there are a few other expressions like these ones. I wanted to make my note short and sweet. Consequently, I talked about the most interesting expressions related to this subject. Have a whale of a time.
Sunday, August 06, 2006
Vocabulary Training Exercises Online
http://www.vokabel.com
This is a good address to test your vocabulary via internet. English, German, French and Spanish is provided in each combination.
This is a good address to test your vocabulary via internet. English, German, French and Spanish is provided in each combination.
Friday, August 04, 2006
eye expressions
there wasn't a dry eye in the house.
Something that you say which means that all the people in a particular place were very sad about what they had seen or heard and many of them were crying.
the eye of the storm
the center of a disagreement.
Etymology: based on the literal meaning of the eye of the storm (= the middle of a mass of severe weather)
a bird's eye view
a view from a very high place which allows you to see a large area.
a worm's eye view (British & Australian)
if you have a worm's eye view of something, you only know or understand a part of it, usually the worst or least important part.
give someone the evil eye
to look at someone in an angry or unpleasant way.
keep your eye on the ball
to give your attention to what you are doing all the time.
keep your eyes peeled/skinned (informal)
to watch very carefully for something. (often + for)
have eyes in the back of your head (informal)
to know everything that is happening around you.
dollar signs in someone's eyes
if someone has dollar signs in their eyes, they are thinking about the money they could get.
in your mind's eye
in your imagination or memory
cry your eyes out (informal)
to cry a lot and for a long time.
keep your eye in or get your eye in
to become very good at a sport or other activity by practising it.
not bat an eye
to not show any reaction.
turn a blind eye
to choose to ignore behaviour that you know is wrong (often + to)
Something that you say which means that all the people in a particular place were very sad about what they had seen or heard and many of them were crying.
the eye of the storm
the center of a disagreement.
Etymology: based on the literal meaning of the eye of the storm (= the middle of a mass of severe weather)
a bird's eye view
a view from a very high place which allows you to see a large area.
a worm's eye view (British & Australian)
if you have a worm's eye view of something, you only know or understand a part of it, usually the worst or least important part.
give someone the evil eye
to look at someone in an angry or unpleasant way.
keep your eye on the ball
to give your attention to what you are doing all the time.
keep your eyes peeled/skinned (informal)
to watch very carefully for something. (often + for)
have eyes in the back of your head (informal)
to know everything that is happening around you.
dollar signs in someone's eyes
if someone has dollar signs in their eyes, they are thinking about the money they could get.
in your mind's eye
in your imagination or memory
cry your eyes out (informal)
to cry a lot and for a long time.
keep your eye in or get your eye in
to become very good at a sport or other activity by practising it.
not bat an eye
to not show any reaction.
turn a blind eye
to choose to ignore behaviour that you know is wrong (often + to)
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
English Spelling --- -IE or -EI
Rule: Write I before E Except after C Or when it sounds like an A As in "neighbor" and "weigh"
Examples: -i before -e:
diesel
relief
believe
niece
chief
sieve
frieze
field
yield
Examples: -e before -i:
receive
deceive
ceiling
conceit
vein
sleigh
freight
eight
Exceptions:
seize
either
weird
height
foreign
leisure
conscience
counterfeit
forfeit
neither
science
species
sufficient
Examples: -i before -e:
diesel
relief
believe
niece
chief
sieve
frieze
field
yield
Examples: -e before -i:
receive
deceive
ceiling
conceit
vein
sleigh
freight
eight
Exceptions:
seize
either
weird
height
foreign
leisure
conscience
counterfeit
forfeit
neither
science
species
sufficient
For when you are trying very hard and not having any success
One step at a time.
You can't have it all.
When at first you don't succeed, try again.
When the going gets tough, the tough gets going.
Rome was not built in one day.
When you are not strong, you must be smart.
If at first you don't succeed, destroy all evidence that suggests you are tried.
The road to success is always under construction.
If all else fails, manipulate the data.
If at first you don't succeed, redefine success.
You can't have it all.
When at first you don't succeed, try again.
When the going gets tough, the tough gets going.
Rome was not built in one day.
When you are not strong, you must be smart.
If at first you don't succeed, destroy all evidence that suggests you are tried.
The road to success is always under construction.
If all else fails, manipulate the data.
If at first you don't succeed, redefine success.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)