gk 2009 11 Götzinger

Julian Barnes: Parenthesis - Vocab

224:

• a grizzle (neologism) – as verb: to cry or complain continuously in a way that is annoying
• hushed – silent, low
• sewery (neologism) – as noun “sewer”: an underground pipe that is used to carry sewage away from houses, factories, etc
• to tug – to pull
• grudgingly – given or done unwillingly
• to thrash – to move or make something move in a violent or uncontrolled way
• reluctant – unwilling
• sluice – a sliding gate or other device for controlling the flow of water out of or into a canal, etc
• stark – here: complete and total
• toad – Kröte
• muck – dirt
• purged – as verb: to make yourself/somebody/something pure, healthy or clean by getting rid of bad thoughts or feelings
• to clutch – to hold somebody/something tightly

225:

• sodden – extremely wet
• detritus – natural waste material that is left after something has been used or broken up
• ceaselessly – without ever stopping
• stratagems – a trick or plan that you use to gain an advantage or to trick an opponent
• induce – to cause sth
• nape – the back of the neck
• courtesy – a polite thing that you say or do when you meet people in formal situations
• fulcrum - the most important part of an activity or a situation
• gum – either of the firm areas of flesh in the mouth to which the teeth are attached
• indulgent – tending to allow somebody to have or do whatever they want
• vanity – too much pride in your own appearance, abilities or achievements

226:

• Calabrian – Calabria is the region on the toe of Italy
• indirection (neologism)
• spruce (obs.) – glamourous
• bustling - to move around in a busy way or to hurry somebody in a particular direction
• Catherine wheel – type of firecracker which spins around an axle and sprays coloured fire
• braid – Borte
• crisp – here: in speaking: quick and confident in a way that suggests that the person is busy or is not being friendly
• sullen – bad-tempered and not speaking, either on a particular occasion or because it is part of your character (mürrisch, trotzig)
• fret – to be worried or unhappy and not able to relax
• angular – thin and without much flesh so that the bones are noticeable
• ruffed – with a ruff: a wide stiff white collar with many folds in it, worn especially in the 16th and 17th centuries
• stagey/stagy - not natural, as if it is being acted by somebody in a play
• gloomy - nearly dark, or badly lit in a way that makes you feel sad
• unflattered – flattery: - praise that is not sincere, especially in order to obtain something from somebody
• shimmy - to dance or move in a way that involves shaking your hips and shoulders

227:

• plodder – a person who works slowly and steadily but without imagination
• flannel – a small piece of cloth used for washing yourself
• disenchantment – no longer feeling enthusiasm for somebody/something; not believing something is good or worth doing
• prosey (neologism) – made out of prose
• scowl – starrer Blick
• to flourish (here used as noun) - to grow well; to be healthy and happy
• florin - an old British coin worth two shillings (= now 10p)
• speck - a very small spot; a small piece of dirt, etc
• pinpoint - the exact position of somebody/something or the exact time that something happened
• inexorably - (of a process) that cannot be stopped or changed

228:

• cameo - a small part in a film/movie or play for a famous actor
• grubby - unpleasant because it involves activities that are dishonest or immoral
• unadorned - without any decoration
• impregnable - strong and impossible to defeat or change
• ambiguous - that can be understood in more than one way; having different meanings
• palate – der Gaumen
• strive – strove – striven – to try very hard to achieve something

229:

• adoration - a feeling of great love or worship
• savour - to enjoy the full taste or flavour of something, especially by eating or drinking it slowly
• console - to give comfort or sympathy to somebody who is unhappy or disappointed
• hold/keep somebody/something at bay - to prevent an enemy from coming close or a problem from having a bad effect
• biddable - willing to obey and to do what they are told to

230:

• lurid - too bright in colour, in a way that is not attractive
• pudgy – slightly fat
• unfrock – undress
• loll - to lie, sit or stand in a lazy, relaxed way / to move or hang in a relaxed way
• giggle - to laugh in a silly way because you are amused, embarrassed or nervous
• to muddle - to put things in the wrong order or mix them up
• to pitch - to throw somebody/something with force
• trusting - tending to believe that other people are good, honest, etc
• to draft - to choose people and send them somewhere for a special task
• ark – a large boat which Noah built to save his family and two of every type of animal from the flood
• anthropophagy - cannibalism
• skipper - the captain of a small ship or fishing boat
• gopher - Erdhörnchen
• stave - a strong stick or pole

231:

• to deduce - to form an opinion about something based on the information or evidence that is available (ableiten)
• analgesia - die Schmerzunempfindlichkeit
• to dispute - to question whether something is true and valid
• brazen - open and without shame, usually about something that people find shocking
• solipsism - the theory that only the self exists or can be known
• to nag - to keep complaining to somebody about their behaviour or keep asking them to do something
• to fret - to be worried or unhappy and not able to relax
• stubborn - determined not to change your opinion or attitude
• wand - a straight thin stick that is held by somebody when performing magic or magic tricks
• ravelled - ravel something out: to open something which has become twisted or which contains knots

232:

• to alter – to change
• emendation - a letter or word that has been changed or corrected in a text; the act of making changes to a text
• rigour - the fact of being careful and paying great attention to detail
• bracing - making you feel full of energy because it is cold
• infatuation - very strong feelings of love or attraction for somebody/something, especially when these are unreasonable and do not last long
• suspicious - feeling that somebody has done something wrong, illegal or dishonest, without having any proof

233:

• narrow - (of a person's attitude or beliefs) limited in range and unwilling or unable to accept alternative views
• persuasive - verb: to persuade so. (to do sth.)
• liable to - likely to experience (something undesirable=unerwünscht)
• posturing - to pretend to be something that you are not by saying and doing things in order to impress or trick people
• to swagger - walk or behave in a very confident and arrogant or self-important way
• seabed - the ground under the sea; the ocean floor
• shell- the hard protective outer case of a mollusc ( Weichtier) or crustacean (Krebstier)
• wily - skilled at gaining a benefit, especially in a dishonest way
• vagueness-adj.: vague; unclear
• eager - strongly wanting to do or have something
• anaemic - weak and not having much effect ("blutleer")
• spine-stretching - spine here: the central feature or main source of strength of something
• distinction - a difference or contrast between similar things or people
• to enhance - intensify, increase, or further improve the quality, value, or extent of sth.
• windscreen wiper - Outside the car to clear the front if it rains
• occasional - occurring, appearing, or done infrequently and irregularly synonym: casual
• convenience - adj.: convenient = comfortable

234:

• to incubate : to sit on one’s eggs in order to keep them warm until they hatch
• belly: the part of the body below the chest
• to reply: to say or write something as an answer to somebody/something
• chauvinist: a person who has an aggressive and unreasonable belief that their own country is better than all others
• seal: a sea animal that eats fish and lives around coasts. There are many types of seal, some of which are hunted for their fur
• regrettable: that you are sorry about and wish had not happened
• inclined: tending to do something; likely to do something
• latter: being the second of two things, people or groups that have just been mentioned, or the last in a list
• ostrich: a very large African bird with a long neck and long legs, that cannot fly but can run very fast
• dodo: a large bird that could not fly and that is now extinct (= no longer exists)
• arrowhead: the sharp pointed end of an arrow
• canny: intelligent, careful and showing good judgement, especially in business or politics
• drool: to show in a silly or exaggerated way that you want or admire somebody/something very much / dogs drool when they smell food, then saliva * runs out of their mouth
• quilt: a decorative cover for a bed, made of two layers with soft material between them
• reinforce: to make a feeling, an idea, etc. stronger

235:

• fertile (ground) - ground that plants grow well in
• wizened - looking smaller and having many folds and lines in the skin, because of being old
• to spurt - to burst or pour out suddenly; to produce sudden, powerful streams of liquid or flames
• internecine - happening between members of the same group, country or organization
• stupefying - making you unable to think clearly
• to stagger - to walk with weak unsteady steps, as if you are about to fall
• smooching - to kiss and hold somebody closely, especially when you are dancing slowly
• to sniff - to breathe air in through the nose in order to discover or enjoy the smell of something (syn.: smell)
• to pilfer - to steal things of little value or in small quantities, especially from the place where you work
• larceny - the crime of stealing something from somebody; an occasion when this takes place (syn. : theft)
• rogue - behaving in a different way from other similar people or things, often causing damage
• inimical - harmful to something; not helping something

236:

• Excrescence - an ugly lump that has grown on a part of an animal's body or on a plant
• Monstrosity - something that is very large and very ugly, especially a building
• Tardy - slow to act, move or happen; late in happening or arriving
• Plot – here: small piece of land that is used or intended for a special purpose
• Acknowledge - to accept that something is true
• Essential - completely necessary; extremely important in a particular situation or for a particular activity
• Mocking - showing that you think somebody/something is ridiculous
• Wrist - the joint between the hand and the arm
• Palm - the inner surface of the hand between the wrist and the fingers
• Tender - kind, gentle and loving
• Subtlety - the small but important details or aspects of something
• Knuckle - any of the joints in the fingers, especially those connecting the fingers to the rest of the hand
• Whorl - a pattern made by a curved line that forms a rough circle, with smaller circles inside bigger ones
• Mislead - to give somebody the wrong idea or impression and make them believe something that is not true
• Shaped - the form of the outer edges or surfaces of something; an example of something that has a particular form
• Neat - small, with a pleasing shape or appearance
• Bivalve - any shellfish with a shell in two parts, for example a mussel
• Crisp - pleasantly clear and sharp
• Scarlet - bright red in colour
• Blush - he red colour that spreads over your face when you are embarrassed or ashamed
• Tumescent (adj) - larger than normal, especially as a result of sexual excitement
• tumescence (noun)
• To be disenchanted - no longer feeling enthusiasm for somebody/something; not believing something is good or worth doing
• Pulmonary - connected with the lungs

238:

• to poke - to quickly push your fingers or another object into somebody/something
• clot - an almost solid piece of something
• slug - a small, usually black or brown, creature with a long soft body and no arms or legs, like a snail but with no shell
• ventricle - either of two small hollow spaces, one in each side of the heart, which force blood into the tubes leading from the heart to the other parts of the body
• to cling - to stick onto or hold something or someone tightly, or to refuse to stop holding them
• valve - a device which opens and closes to control the flow of liquids or gases, or a similar structure in the heart and the veins, which controls the flow of blood
• harness - a set of strips of leather, etc. for fastening something to a person's body or to keep them from moving off or falling
• deployment - to deploy: to use something effectively
• canopy - the large circular piece of cloth that is the main part of a parachute (canopy of trees - Blätterdach)
• apprehension - worry about the future, or a fear that something unpleasant is going to happen
• scuffle - here: to move quickly making a quiet rubbing noise
• langour - the pleasant state of feeling lazy and without energy

239:

• envelope: a flat paper container used for sending letters in
• to plunge: to move or make somebody/something move suddenly forwards and/or downwards
• amorous: showing sexual desire and love towards somebody
• tremendous: extremely good
• to scow: to look at somebody/something in an angry or annoyed way
• conviction: the act of finding somebody guilty of a crime in court; the fact of having been found guilty
• to mock: to show no respect for something (lächerlich machen)
• to smirk: to smile in a silly or unpleasant way that shows that you are pleased with yourself, know something that other people do not know, etc
• thumping: very big

240:

• pretension - a claim or assertion of a claim to something
• spittle - saliva, especially as ejected from the mouth
• frump - an unattractive woman who wears dowdy old-fashioned clothes
• attached - full of affection or fondness
• dandy - a man unduly concerned with looking stylish and fashionable
• profoundly - to a profound extent; extremely
• indulgent - having or indicating a readiness or over-readiness to be generous to or lenient with someone
• rowdily - noisy and disorderly
• reckless - heedless of danger or the consequences of one's actions; rash or impetuous
• monied - having much money; affluent
• penniless - having no money; very poor
• didacticism: didactic (adjective) - intended to teach, particularly in having moral instruction as an ulterior motive
• rubble - waste or rough fragments of stone , brick, concrete, etc., especially as the debris from the demolition of buildings
• random - made , done , or happening without method or conscious decision
• strut - a stiff, erect, and apparently arrogant or conceited gait

241:

• undertow (of something) - a feeling or quality that influences people in a particular situation even though they may not really be aware of it
• to holler - to shout loudly
• to boast (about s.th.) - to talk with too much pride about something that you have or can do
• to cuddle: to hold somebody/something close in your arms to show love
• to bully – to frighten or hurt a weaker person; to use your strength or power to make somebody do something
• farce – a funny play for the theatre based on ridiculous and unlikely situations and events; this type of writing or performance
• to burp: to let out air from the stomach through the mouth, making a noise
• to swallow – to make food, drink, etc. go down your throat into your stomach
• to bawl (at somebody) - to shout loudly, especially in an unpleasant or angry way
• undertow (of something): a feeling or quality that influences people in a particular situation even though they may not really be aware of it
• to groan: sound one makes usually when/while having sex
• flattering: making somebody look more attractive/making somebody feel pleased and special
• melodramatic: full of exciting and extreme emotions

243:

• to fabulate - to invent stories
• to ease - to become or to make something less unpleasant, painful, severe, etc.
• to soothe - to make somebody who is anxious, upset, etc. feel calmer
• ferocious - very aggressive or violent; very strong
• to ink - to write/sign
• princeling - a prince who rules a small or unimportant country
• to irradiate - to treat food with gamma radiation in order to preserve it
• squid - octopus
• to salvage - to save a badly damaged ship, etc. from being lost completely; to save parts or property from a damaged ship or from a fire, etc
• copper - Kupfer
• frigate`s hull - Rumpf der Fregatte
• assembly - production

244:

• l.1 rogue - a person who behaves badly, but in a harmless way
• l.1 prim - someone who always is behaving in a careful and formal way
• l.2 spouse - husband or wife
• l.4 blackguard - a man who is dishonest and has no sense of what is right and what is wrong
• l.4 bribe - a sum of money or something valuable that you give or offer to somebody to persuade them to help you, especially by doing something dishonest
• l.3 graft - hard work
• l.7 fan - to make air blow onto somebody/something by waving a fan, your hand
• l.8 to harness - to control and use the force or strength of something to produce power or to achieve something
• l.14 vetted - to find out about a person's past life and career in order to decide if they are suitable for a particular job
• l.15 steady - sensible; who can be relied on
• l.16 tart - a prostitute
• l.17 to canvass - to ask somebody to support a particular person, political party, etc, especially by going around an area and talking to people * l.18 vie - to compete strongly with somebody in order to obtain or achieve something
• l.19 dullness – something not interesting or exciting l.24 – enquiry - an official process to find out the cause of something or to find out information about something
• l.35 neat - liking to keep things tidy and in order; looking tidy or doing things in a tidy way

245:

• receptive: willing to listen to or to accept new ideas or suggestions
• wrinkle: a line in your skin, especially on your face, that forms as you get older
• frown: to make a serious, angry or worried expression by bringing your eyebrows closer together so that lines appear on your forehead
• gulley: does not exist in OALD ;)
• resemble: to look like or be similar to another person or thing
• surreptitious: done secretly or quickly, in the hope that other people will not notice
• maze: a large number of complicated rules or details that are difficult to understand
• surgeon: a doctor who is trained to perform surgery (= medical operations that involve cutting open a person's body)
• wimpishly: schwächlich
• merely - only
• announcement: a spoken or written statement that informs people about something
• to yield: to allow somebody to win, have or take control of something that has been yours until now
• pheromone: a substance produced by an animal as a chemical signal, often to attract another animal of the same species
• exaltation: a feeling of very great joy or happiness
• civic – connected
• virtue: a particular good quality or habit
• to emit - to send out something
• subconsciously - unterbewusst
• beetle: an insect, often large and black, with a hard case on its back, covering its wings
• intestine: a long tube in the body between the stomach and the anus
• demean: to make people have less respect for somebody/something

246:

• to impale - if you impale yourself on something, or are impaled on it, you have a sharp pointed object pushed into you and you may be caught somewhere by it
• incompatibility - two actions, ideas, etc. that are incompatible are not acceptable or possible together
• to gnaw - to keep biting something
• precision - the quality of being exact, accurate and careful
• obtainable - sth that can be obtained
• to obtain - to get something, especially by making an effort
• to occur - to happen / to exist
• to assess - to make a judgement about quality of somebody/something
• simultaneous - happening or done at the same time as something else
• beguiling - attractive and interesting but sometimes mysterious that tries to trick you
• to value - beliefs about what is right and wrong and what is important in life
• spoil - the change of something good into something bad
• pride - a feeling of pleasure or satisfaction that you get when you or people who are connected with you have done something well or own something that other people admire
• compassion - a strong feeling of sympathy for people who are suffering and a desire to help them
• distorter - sb. who to change the shape of something so that it is strange or not clear
• to render - to cause somebody/something to be in a particular state or condition
• merely – only, simply
• to contort - to become twisted
• lump - a piece of something hard
• devious - behaving in a dishonest or indirect way

247

• Entropy = (physics) (symb. S) a measurement of the energy that is present in a system or process but is not available to do work
• to defy = to successfully resist something to a very unusual degree
• shifts = to move, or move something, from one position or place to another
• aqueous = containing water; like water
• sigh = to take and then let out a long deep breath that can be heard, to show that you are disappointed, sad, tired, etc

Vokabeltests

next: 22.11.2010

pp. 96-99, "Literature"

Thematischer Oberstufenwortschatz

Wie besprochen bitte diesen Oberstufenwortschatz besorgen (bei Onlinebuchhändlern oder Auktionshäusern oder im ZVAB oder sonstwo...) Schöne Ferien noch!

Presentations

• The NEW list with the presentation topics and dates
• Handout presentations: the dos and don'ts...

If you...

• have give a presentaion about a king or queen
  • only give essential information about his biography
  • "embed" his/her reign in history (what was before/after?)
  • explain the main aims of his/her reign
  • say how he/she changed England, explain important decisions, problems they ad to face etc
  • include important influences (historical events like wars, treaties, inventions; influential people etc)

• have to give a presentation about an age/epoch
  • explain its main ideas/values
  • describe the living conditions of the different classes
  • portray important people living at that time
  • outline influences and how they were integrated

• have to give a presentation about a literary period
  • "embed" it in literary history (what was before/after?)
  • explain its main ideas/values
  • describe the living conditions of the different classes
  • portray important authors and their works
  • outline literary influences and how they were integrated

Useful links

• Lingoes: Übersetzungsprogramm für den PC, das fast jedes Wort auf dem Bildschirm in jedem Programm sofort übersetzen kann (Freewarealternative zu Babylon Translator)

Homework

17 Sept 2009

While I'm away, please prepare (read and understand, look up words) the following text and answer the questions on the text until Monday, September 28 (written and in full sentences!):

Text - "True believers in the American dream wake up to a nightmare"

1. What was the original purpose of the “poem”?
2. What is the “nightmare“ O`Toole refers to?
3. Explain in detail why “The dream, to an increasing extent, has fueled the nightmare” (l. 35)!
4. When and why did the American dream come alive again? In which way has it changed?

13 January 2010

Marina Walla/Thomas Kraus

II.2.
Introduction: example for boring holidays/doesn't exist as often as for 10 years/ the high-risk holidays are booming/ how can this trend be explained?

Arguments:

1. people need adventure because their life is too montonous/every day the same boring life/ e.g. people sitting in an office
2. more information about such high-risk activities by the media/ because people see this they want to do this/ e.g. you can see free climbers on TV

Conclusion: the booming can be exlained by the montonous life of many people or the information the media gives us/ the whole community is more prepared to take a risk

Extras

• Grammar Test for you to check on your knowledge... Solution