It's all Greek (and Latin) to me!

At the very end of the conversation class on Tuesday, we talked about word roots.  I've tracked down a few resources you can use to get comfortable with them.

The first is a series of worksheets about just a few roots.  There are many useful words involved.

The second is a game for kids, but it's interactive and that is very good for memorization!

The third is just a list of many roots.

This page has some flashcards and matching games to practice the roots from the third link.

The final link is to the BBC's English-learning page.  There are a few different sections that you might find useful, but I recommend the root words page to start.

Have fun!

November's topic

The first option is to write a post related to the article I gave you in class.  You can take it in any direction you choose, and you may want to draw on Unit 4 in the textbook.

The second option is to write something about a person in ancient history, modern history, or the present.  This option focuses on the new vocabulary on page 72 of the textbook.

The third option is to write whatever you like!  What is writing if not expression of the writer's feelings and ideas?  Express what you want; we're all waiting to read it.

Dora

Dora is the most happiest girl around me. She has a good mood and always has a smiling face, nothing could bother her for long.
Dora is very curious. She loves to test any kind of new snackes. She likes to explore new things - play new toys, meet new friends and take new fun classes. She has her sense of beauty, she knows what dress to put on with what hair band, socks and shoes. The more praises give to her, she behaves even better.

She is adorable and always make us laugh. Dora is my little daughter, she is 6 years old. I hope I could be her, always happy, no worries.

My favorite activity

I joined rock ‘n’ roll music clubs when I was in high school and college. I love to play in a band for several reasons.

First, there were many bands in the clubs I belonged to with only a few opportunities to perform, so competition was fierce as not every band could have the chance to be on stage. Still, I enjoyed the competitive atmosphere because it pushed us to reach our potential, and made us reach musical heights that we couldn’t have imagined we’re capable of. Because my band mates and I all had a strong ambition to be on top, we all made substantial progress under the stress of competition.

Second, I feel a great sense of satisfaction when achieving goals as a team. When I was in the senior high, my band had to continuously practice in order to take advantage of performance opportunities. I thoroughly enjoyed the process of working as a team, especially with best friends. I think the reason teamwork is so attractive to me is that we can coordinate our talents together to create something that I couldn’t have done alone. It is also satisfying for me to see my band mates’ progress as a result of my help and contributions. When someone in our band felt frustrated, the others would cheer him up. We supported each other in order to grow together. That’s a wonderful experience.

Moreover, it’s a rare opportunity for performers to be able to convey their own message on stage to an audience. Our group wished to share our passion for music and show how doing what you love can have a positive effect on others. I felt very satisfied to know that by doing what we love to do, we could inspire people to try their best to achieve their own goals. Playing in a band has truly been a favorite activity of mine.

The Godfather

The opening salvo: a review of a classic American movie that pertains to our most recent conversation topic.

The Godfather is the quintessential American gangster movie, but I'm not ashamed to say I didn't watch it until I was forced to in a film class, and I didn't really like it all that much.  As I recall, the characters were all unlikable, and the subject material  was not to my taste.  However, I can't deny the movie has staying power.  Why is that, though?  I think there are three main reasons: the technical excellence of the movie, the detailed world and plot, and the love we Americans have for a great bad guy.

Francis Ford Coppola directs the complicated story well and gets great performances out of his actors.  Even though I'm not a fan of Al Pacino or Marlon Brando, I admire their skills in this movie.  The movie looks great and perfectly creates New York in the 1940s and '50s.  But I think the real draw of this film is the concept of the good-boy-gone-bad combined with the idea of loyalty to one's family, even if that means crime--perhaps especially if that means crime.  The US has a history of memorializing and glamorizing crooks: Billy the Kid, Bonnie and Clyde, and Al Capone, just to name a few!

With all of this talk, I've almost made myself want to see this film again!  Have you seen it?  What did you think?