Theme Park

Language in Use

continued from No. 19

Reading

Wonderword

Spelling!!!

Read the rhyme and say what spelling rules are mentioned in it.

Why is spelling often a headache?
Why do I often blunder?
(What with rules and their exceptions,
It really is no wonder!)

When should I double a consonant?
When should I let it be?
When should I change а у to an i?
When does i come before e?

When should I follow the rules,
And when don’t I need to obey?
If play turns to played, why, I wonder,
Can’t payed come correctly from pay?
When there’s one, I have little trouble;
But plurals make me weep:
When to add s, and when es?
And what about words like sheep?

When can I spell by sound?
When are there silent letters?
Why have a k in a word like knee,
Or a b in debt and debtors?

Spelling is a tricky game,
But one with real fun in it;
And I’m going to keep on playing
Until I finally win it!

Speaking

Some American Names (A, B)

Below is a list of some of the more common surnames in America and their meanings. First try to determine the “root word” in the name. Many names contain recognizable root words like water, man, field, wood, etc. Then read through some of the listed names and their meanings to see if you find clues to the rest of these surname. For example, in many names ley means meadow, show is forest, ville is town, stein means stone or rock, and burn is brook or stream. Although you may not be certain that you are absolutely correct, it is interesting to find out the meaning of some surnames: you might also learn something about famous names.

Alexander defender of men
Allen fierce one
Altman wise old man
Alvarado wall made of small stones
Alvarez noble and brilliant
Ames beloved one
Andrews strong and manly
Anthony the priceless one
Arman; Armand army man
Armstrong strong-armed warrior
Arnett young eagle
Ash home by an ash tree
Ashburn ash tree brook
Ashley ash tree meadow
Atwood home by the forest
Auerbach marshy brook
Augustus majestic and exalted
Avery elf-ruler
Ayer inheritor

Babcock youthful and proud
Banks river bank dweller
Barclay; Berkley birch tree meadow
Barker stripper of bark
Barlow bare hill
Barnes owner of barley
Baron nobleman
Barret strong as a bear
Bartholomew farmer
Bass; Basset short of stature
Baum tree
Baxter village bread baker
Beal the handsome one
Beatty food merchant
Beaumont beautiful mountain
Becker bread baker
Beckett little stream
Bellamy good friend
Bells; Bellt handsome one
Beltz fur clothier
Bemis place of trees

Speaking

Reconstruct the Passage

The passage below appears to be little more than a string of letters, but if you look at it carefully you will notice that it contains units of meaning as well as letters that stand for sounds. The absence of spaces to indicate terminals and juncture makes these units of meaning difficult to recognize. Punctuation marks would help to clarify the meaning of the passage even further. Reconstruct the passage in its original form on the lines below. Reading it aloud may help you punctuate the text, as well.

manhasbeenwritingforaboutseventhousandyearsbuthehasbeen
speakingforamuchlongerperiodoftimeoncemanhadinventedthealphabet
hehadinonesenseconqueredtheworldtoreachthispointhowevertookhim
averylongtimeprehistoricmanprobablycommunicatedwithhisfellowmen
byaseriesofgruntslaterhemadespecificsoundsforcertainthingsstilllater
manbegantodrawpicturestorepresentcertainobjectsoreventspictures
howeverarenotwritinginthefullestsenseofthewordjustasgruntsarenot
speechinthefullestsenseofthewordbothlackoneveryimportantingredientstructure

Key:
ELIJAH AND DEPRESSION
Man has been writing for about seven thousand years, but he has been speaking for a much longer period of time. Once man had invented the alphabet, the had, in one sense conquered the world. To reach this, however, took him a very longtime. Prehistoric man probably communicated with his fellowmen by a series of grunts. Later he made specific sounds for certain things. Still later, man began to draw pictures to represent certain objects or events. Pictures, however, are not writing in the fullest sense of the word, as well as grunts are not speech in the fullest sense of the word. Both lack one very important ingredient, structure.

Total Package

Can you come up with the number that answers each question below? Then total your answers to see if you’ve matched the mystery answer.

A. How many items in a “baker’s dozen”?
B. How many degrees in a complete circle?
C. How many quarts in a gallon?
D. How many sides to a triangle?
E. How much is XVII?
F. How much do all the numbers on a non-digital watch total?
G. How many notes on a musical scale?
H. How many keys on a standard piano keyboard?
I.  How many zeroes in the number: one thousand?
J.  How many leaves on an ordinary clover stem?
K. How many ounces in a half pound?
L.  How many pennies in a dollar?
M. How many hours have elapsed with one half of the day gone?
N. How many stripes on the United States flag?

Total Package
A = 13       H = 88
B = 360      I = 3
C = 4         J = 3
D = 3         K = 8
E = 17       L = 100
F = 78       M = 12
G = 8         N = 13

Total = 710

Speaking

Super Quiz

Take Isaac Asimov’s Super Quiz to a Ph. D. Score 1 point for each correct answer on the freshman level, 2 points on the graduate level and 3 points on the Ph. D. Level.

I. ANIMAL EXPRESSIONS:
Each answer is a word or expression containing the name of an animal (e.g., A child’s game of jumping over a person: Leapfrog).

Freshman Level
1. Hypocritical show of grief.
Answer: ________________
2. A high collar rolled or turned over on a sweater.
Answer: ________________
3. A soldier’s identification.
Answer: ________________

Graduate Level
4. A last or final work of an artist.
Answer: ________________
5. A whistle expressing derision.
Answer: ________________
6. Golf score.
Answer: ________________

Ph. D. Level
7. Any nonsense or insincere talk.
Answer: ________________
8. Viewed from above.
Answer: ________________
9. An extravagant narrative.
Answer: ________________

Scoring
18 points – Congratulations doctor
15 to 17 points – Honors graduate
10 to 14 points – You’re plenty smart, but no grind
4 to 9 points – You really should hit the books harder
1 to 3 points – Enroll in remedial courses immediately!
0 points – Who read the questions to you?

Answers:
1. Crocodile tears; 2. Turtleneck; 3. Dog tag; 4. Swan song; 5. Catcall; 6. Birdie;
7. Hogwash; 8. Eagle-eyed (also “bird’s eye view”); 9. Fish story

II. ALPHABET SOUP:
Identify the letter of the alphabet (e.g., It could sting you: B).

Freshman Level
1. A body of water.
Answer: __________________
2. A vegetable.
Answer: __________________
3. A beverage.
Answer: __________________

Graduate Level
4. A sense organ.
Answer: __________________
5. A female sheep.
Answer: __________________
6. What is the reason?
Answer: __________________

Ph. D. Level
7. Instruction to a horse.
Answer: __________________
8. Toronto ballplayer.
Answer: __________________
9. Actor’s aid.
Answer: __________________

Scoring
18 points – Congratulations doctor
15 to 17 points – Honors graduate
10 to 14 points – You’re plenty smart, but no grind
4 to 9 points – You really should hit the books harder
1 to 3 points – Enroll in remedial courses immediately!
0 points – Who read the questions to you?

Answers:
1. C (sea); 2. P (pea); 3. T (tea); 4. I (eye); 5. U (ewe); 6. Y (why); 7. G (gee); 8. J (Jay); 9. Q (cue)

Compiled by Galina Goumovskaya