Vocabulary #6

Hubris- 1: Exaggerated pride or self-confidence.

Karl Lagerfeld, the creative director of Chanel, has exhibited his very hubris persona throughout the years by making statements on fashion and the world that surronds it.

Dearth- 1: Scarcity that makes dear; Famine. 2: An inadequate supply.

Southern California is experiencing a dearth of water because of the droughts that are plauging all of its major water sources. Without these water supplies providing the naturally desert climate of Southern California, with water, there will have to be major changes in the way they get water.

Emulate- 1a: to strive to equal or excel. 1b: to imitate by means of an emulator. 2: To equal or approach equality with.
In the film Kissin' Cousins, starring Elvis Presely, Elvis plays two characters. He emulates himself when he plays Elvis' evil blonde cousin who lives in the mountains.


Inchoate- 1: Being only partly in existence or operation. Imperfectly formed or formulated.
Cookie dough is inchoate because it is in the process of being formed into a solid cookie. The cookie is only partly in existance because only the cookie dough exists, not its shape or its complete flavor.


Precursor- 1a: One that precedes and indicates the approach of another. 1b: Predecessor. 2: A substance, cell, or cellular component form which another substance, cell, or cellular component is formed.
The 2007 Golf GTI was the precursor to this 2009 Golf GTI. The 2007 Golf was much less sporty and resembled the rabbit. Now this car has a drag racing look which is much different.

Letter to an elected official

To Norman D. Dicks (WA), Chairman of Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies.

Delia Scott, Subcommittee Clerk

Room B-308 Rayburn House Office Building

Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-3081

Dear Mister Chairman,

I am writing to bring attention to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a plastic waste dump that is rapidly filling the oceans of the world. When I learned about this plastic wasteland floating in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, I was shocked at the level of pollution the world really has. Plastic is a material that doesn’t decompose, it photodegrades, which means that when it is exposed to large amounts of sunlight, it just keeps getting smaller and smaller. The tiny particles of plastic floating in the North Pacific Ocean are being mistaken for food by sea life and in turn it is fatal to those consuming it. The North Pacific Garbage Patch is continuously growing and is now approximately twice the size of Texas.

This patch of plastic floating around the ocean not only demonstrates the problem with our countries’ dependency on plastic and the detrimental effects it is having on the Earth, but it also shows what poor recycling systems we have in place. San Francisco is the only city that has actually passed legislation concerning the use of plastic bags, the biggest contributor to the garbage patch. They made it so that grocery stores are not allowed to use plastic bags anymore and thus encourage people to start using recyclable bags. If there is to be any difference made in the garbage patch, it must start at legislation. The only way to calm it and keep it from growing is to reduce the amount of plastic waste people put out by making it not available to them.

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a beacon of pollution worldwide. To know what it is, and to understand how it was created should be enough of a wake up call to people around the world. Pollution isn’t something we just forget about, and this garbage patch is a perfect reminder of the effects human industry is having on the Earth. If moves are not made soon by those who can make a difference, like you Chairman, the garbage patch will continue to grow and pollute the ocean and all life that is in it. Soon our beaches will be garbage dumps if action is not taken soon.

Sincerely a concerned citizen,

Eve W.

The Great Garbage Patch PSA

You can read about this topic more in depth on my website : http://sites.google.com/a/hightechhigh.org/pacific-garbage/

Vocabulary #5

Euphoria- feeling of well-being or elation.

In the novel Dracula by Bram Stroker, Lucy Westenra was in a state of euphoria before Count Dracula preyed on her. She had just been engaged to Lord Arthur Holmwood, the love of her life, and her best friend Mina was staying with her on the shore. Dracula bit her while she was sleepwalking and she became a vampire after he continually fed off of her.
Erode- 1: to diminish or destroy by degrees a: to eat into or away by slow destruction of substance. b: to wear away by the action of water, wind, or glacial ice. c: to cause to deteriorate or disappear as if by eating or wearing away. 2: to produce of form by eroding.

The Yosemite Valley is surrounded by gigantic granite rocks that were all formed by erosion when they came up to Earth's surface. Over time many glaciers have filled the valley creating further erosion and forming of the valley floor and rocks.
Esoteric- 1a: designed for or understood by the specially initiated alone. b: requiring or exhibiting knowledge that is restricted to a small group. 2: limited to a small circle. 3: of special, rare, or unusual nature.

Skull and Bones is a secret society at Yale University that many influential people in our country have been a part of. Since it is a secret society they have esoteric rules and networks that are unknown to any outsiders.
Espouse- 1: marry. 2: to take up and support as a cause: become attached to.

This November, Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty and industrialist Raj Kundra were espoused. The ceremony took place over several days and was a lavish affair.

Equivocate- 1: to use equivocal language especially with intent to deceive. 2: to avoid committing oneself in what one says.

In the film Charade, the man, working at the American Embassy in Paris, Bartholomew, equivocates about his position in the CIA, and fools Audrey Hepburn throughout the film. He tells Hepburn to immediately give the money that has disappeared to him once she finds it, and tells her to keep their meetings secret. Bartholomew turns out to be Dyal, one of the men who is trying to kill Hepburn for the money.

Vocabulary #4

Fallacy-1a: obsolete b: deceptive appearance 2a: a false or mistaken idea b: erroneous character 3: an often plausible argument using false or invalid inference.
This advertisement for Camel cigarettes from the 1950's is full of fallacies because it is falsly showing people that it is healthy to smoke. By having a doctor be the model in the ad, its providing the public a false sense of security surrounding a cigarette.
Vacillate- 1: to sway through lack of equilibrium 2: to waver in mind, will, or feeling: hesitate in choice of opinions or courses.
In the Hindi film, Jab We Met, the main character, Geet, vacillates in her feelings towards Aditya, her good friend. He tells her that he loves her, but makes sure that she doesn't feel obligated to love hime back. Aditya is the sweetest person who is so caring and loves Geet so much, but he knows she loves her ex boyfriend more. When Aditiya rescues Geet from a deep depression after her boyfriend broke up with her, she started to fall for Aditya, but her boyfriend came back for her and she was unsure who to choose.

Desultory-1: marked by lack of definite plan, regularity, or purpose. 2: not connected with the main subject. 3: disappointing in progress, performance, or qualitiy.
The new Porsche Panamera is a very desultory automobile. Its a four door Porsche which makes the car immediatly ugly and obviously slows the car down because of its weight. Its a car made for boring people who want a Porsche but really don't care about the looks or the performance. The Panamera is the ugliest Porsche to date, and its really a step back for the company.

Despondent- 1: feeling or showing extreme discouragement, dejection, or depression.
In the book, The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway, the main character Jake is a very despondent person. It focuses on the "Lost Generation" and how everyone really has no hope after the first world war. None of the characters really feel happiness, and it focuses in on how their relationships suffer and how nothing really is meaning full to this generation anymore.

Heritage- 1: Property that descends to an heir. 2: Something transmitted by or aquired from a predecessor. 3: Something possessed as a result of one's natural situation or birth.
The Queen of England's heritage is has been royal throughout time. Due to her blood lines, she became England's monarch, and not through proper election. Her royal blood has allowed her to be a very wealthy, respected, and powerful woman of the world.
Intrepid- Characterized by resolute fearlessness, fortitude, and endurance.
Asoka the Great Emperor of India was an intrepid leader. He fought in all the battles and demanded respect from his followers. He was ruthless and never stood for disobediance. In the mist of his career he suddenly saw what he had become and decided to become a buddist monk that spread the word of peace all around India.

Abstract

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch
Resources are in question right now due to the over use of them throughout the centuries, and right now, this abuse is catching up to itself and is quickly destroying the Earth. Pollution is a major factor in the destruction of nature and global warming, plastic is the highest physical form of pollution that is plaguing the oceans of the world. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a prime example of this plastic waste and all of its effects on nature. Plastic is a material that does not decompose and thus never goes back into the Earth, and instead, it is poisoning marine life, and eventually poisoning humans. If the amount of waste that’s being put into the oceans is not reduced soon, there will be major consequences. There is an island of trash, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, that’s floating around the North Pacific Ocean and its growing rapidly each day, and soon will consume the rest of the world's oceans. If plastic production is not regulated soon, there will be a worldwide catastrophe at hand.
Not very many laws concerning plastic production have been passed due to the power of plastic lobbyists. Congress has failed to make plastic regulation a priority, and it’s mostly due to the influence of the plastic companies and their lobbyists. People are not aware of the consequences that happen when they litter, and need to be shown what happens in the oceans, and how much marine life is killed when they do. Congress has not set an example for the American people to follow by making it a primary concern of theirs, and if it is not taken up soon as one, pollution will be shoved in their face like a very forceful wake-up call. San Francisco put a ban on plastic grocery bags, and it has really encouraged people to start using many more forms of recyclable materials. Since the local government in San Francisco encouraged their citizens to take control of the plastic situation, people are willingly accepting of helping the environment. The bottom line is that people need to be educated in order to act. If people’s government isn't educated on plastic pollution, then how can the citizens are expected to do anything about it if they aren't educated too? Laws concerning stricter recycling systems need to be in placed around the world.

These laws and potential laws should be in place because it’s concerning the health of the planet. If the global community doesn’t step up and reduce their output of pollution, the Earth will be permanently damaged. The effects of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch are already showing through the decrease in marine life, more and more incidences of poisoning in people, and the overall look of the oceans. Plastic does not belong in the ocean, especially in a great patch, swirling around. If the production of plastic is not reduced and recycling programs are not enforced, the oceans will not be oceans, and without those major resources the ocean provides, the world will be at a loss. Without nature, nothing can function and the world is going to slowly self destruct. Education is key in halting this process and with this education comes the demand for legislation and eventually the decrease in world pollution.

Vocabulary #3

Vehement- 1: Marked by forceful energy (powerful) a: intensely emotional b: deeply felt/forcibly expressed c: bitterly antagonistic.

In Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff was a vehement lover, who became obsessed with the idea of winning his true love back. This picture shows Heathcliff deep in thought on the rough moors. His expression is so full of passion and yet it is terribly bitter at the same time. Cathy broke his heart by discarding his love for status and wealth and that choice changed molded his entire life and to reach a status worthy of Cathy's love became his obsession. Heathcliff is the ultimate image of a vehement lover, with his truly victorian nature.

Blatant- 1: Noisy especially in a vulgar or offensive manner 2: completely obvious, conspicuous, or obtrusive especially in a crass or offensive manner.

Lindsay Lohan's tweets at Samantha Ronson were blatantly a plea for attention. Twitter is a new phenomenon of updating the world with every single move you make. This is a favorite form of communication for celebrities, and especially Lindsay Lohan. Here she is tweeting to her girlfriend Samantha Ronson about how their love for each other is forbidden by Sam's family, but that they will continue to love each other. To tell the world these personal issues of yours, you are very blatant with your individual problems.

Alleged- 1: Asserted to be true or to exist 2: questionably true or o a specified kind 3: accused but not proven or convicted.

In the famous British television series, Footballers' Wives, Joan Collins guest stars as Eva De Wolffe, a wealthy woman who is very much senior to her alleged footballer boyfriend, Paulo. Paulo is the newest member of the team and everyone is perplexed by his relationship with this old woman who he claims to be in love with. Tanya Turner, another footballers' wife starts wooing Paulo and the whole story of him and Eva unravels. It turns out that she adopted many boys when they where young and brainwashed them into thinking that they loved her.

Factoid- 1: an invented fact believed to be true because of its appearance in print 2: a briefly started and usually trivial fact.

In during the trial on Mrs. Leighton's murder, the defense lawyer started spewing many factoids about his client's past to hopefully buy some time. A good defense for someone is to show the jury and the judge that their client is in fact a human still, and it will force them to relate to the person charged.

Flout- 1: to treat with contemptuous disregard (scorn) 2: to indulge in scornful behavior

Governments all over the world have started to look upon smoking with flout and ban it in most public places. The idea of dancing in a smoky disco has become unappealing to people of late, and as more and more medical studies come out showing the side effects of smoking, it becomes less and less glamourous.