Until death do us part

Qu Yuan (Qu1 Yuan3) (Ancient state of Chu)

He was the number one advisor of the Kingdom of Chu.

He dedicated his whole life to assisting the king to build the State of Chu stronger.

dedicate (verb) – devote time or effort to a particular task or purpose.
dedication (noun) – the quality of being dedicated or committed to a task or purpose.

(one of the seven warring states: Qi, Chu, Yan, Han, Zhao, Wei, and Qin)

He advised the King to ally with the State of Qi to fight against the most powerful State of Qin. However, he was slandered by jealous officials and accused of treason, and the King dismissed and exiled him.

slander [诋毁 di2 hui3] (v) – make false and damaging statements about (someone)

The king decided to ally with the increasingly powerful state of Qin, Qu was banished for opposing the alliance and even accused of treason

During his exile, Qu Yuan wrote a great deal of enduring poems showing his love and passion for his country, some of which are still very famous in China.

In 278 BC, the Qin State conquered the capital of Chu. On hearing of the defeat, on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month, Qu Yuan in great despair committed suicide by drowning himself in the Miluo River (a branch of Yangtze River) as a gesture of dying along with his motherland.

The rest is legend… When they heard of Qu Yuan’s death, the local people were very sad, and rowed out on the river to search for his body, but were unable to find him. To preserve his body, the locals paddled their boats up and down the river, hitting the water with their paddles and beating drums to scare evil spirits away. They threw lumps of rice into the river to feed the fish, so that they would not eat Qu Yuan’s body.

The sentence itself is a subordinate clauses (also known as dependent clause).

Until – subordinate conjunction
+
death (subject) do (transitive verb) us (direct object) part (noun, object complement)

The phrase itself means lifelong commitment or dedication.

It is used usually between romantic partners in the Middle Ages. Christians believe that marriage is considered the ideal purpose of God, and that at the heart of God’s design for marriage is companionship and intimacy.

commit (verb) – pledge or bind (a person or an organization) to a certain course/situation.
commitment (noun) – to commit

Difference between commit and dedicate?

Being dedicated to something implies a certain level of passion and enthusiasm (热情 re qing), while being committed implies a sense of duty (责任感） and responsibility.

stoic (adj) 坚忍的 jian ren de – not showing or not feeling any emotion

But why? Fruit of our loins; Offspring

matrimony (婚姻 hun ying) – the state or ceremony of being married; marriage
holy – divine 神圣的 (shen sheng de)

Holy Matrimony (神圣的婚姻) – marriage blessed by divine being.

In the old Christian times when “until death do us part” is used, divorce isn’t approved or recognized.

Death is the only option for getting out of the marital contract.

But not everyone takes it literally.

Most people like the passionate, romantic feeling it promotes because it shows their undying love for their partner.

Marriage was binding women to men, and guaranteeing that his children were his biological heirs.

If wives fail to produce offsprings, the husband would give the wife back and marry someone else.

Business – produce heirs to pass down property and money

People create stronger families and ties by marriage. It has never been about love.

Stronger families protect resources, money, and create power.

Normally, a lot of people want to pass down their hard work and accomplishments. They do this by passing their money, property, and land onto their offspring.

As role models for successful child-raising

The couple is the pillar of a family.

pillar (n) – a tall vertical structure of stone, wood, or metal, used as a support for a building, or as an ornament or monument.

They split tasks – wife keeps home, husband works to own home.

They are the temple in which their offspring can safely grow and flourish.

For most inmates and criminals, there is a direct correlation between child neglect/abuse and crime.

“Get better grades” do not work

When a couple stays together, work through their problems, and positively interact with their kids, it has been shown that the kids become exponentially better. They learn from role models much much better than said parent telling them over and over to “get better grades”.

Hold death close, for it tells us what’s important and what’s not

Let’s say you die in three days? What will you do in those three days?

If you were to die, who would you say goodbye to? Who would you thank? Who would you see?

Waking up tomorrow – The million dollar question

1) If I gave you a million dollars how would you feel? How would you feel this week? this month? this year?

2) If i gave the million dollars but you can’t wake up tomorrow?

People will say no way!! –> We value our life more than the million dollars

3) Therefore, if we value our life more than the money, and we’re so hyped up about the money, then why aren’t we hyped up when we wake up everyday?

Families are the basic building blocks of a country

ref – https://www.grammar-monster.com/glossary/misplaced_modifier.htm

A misplaced modifier is a word (or group of words) that does not link clearly to what it is intended to modify. A misplaced modifier makes the meaning of a sentence ambiguous or wrong.

Misplaced Modifier (default)

Coax the monkey with a banana.

Are we trying to coax the money holding the banana?
Or are we trying to coax the money by using a banana?

Correction: Let’s use a banana to coax the monkey.

We will not sell paraffin to anyone in glass bottles. (X)

(Often, common sense tells us what the writer meant. Clearly, this is about paraffin in glass bottles not people in glass bottles. However, placing your modifier too far away from the thing being modified will do little to showcase your writing skills.)

Correction: We will not sell paraffin in glass bottles to anyone.

Andrew said after the holiday he intends to stop drinking. (X)

(Here, it is unclear whether Andrew made this statement after the holiday or whether he intends to stop drinking after the holiday.)

Correction: After the holiday, Andrew said that he intends to stop drinking. √
Or
Andrew claims that he will stop smoking after the holidays.

Meticulous and punctual, her work ethic is admirable. (X)
(Here, the modifier does not apply to anything in the sentence.)

Talking quickly annoys people. (X)

Does talking annoy people?
Or fast talking annoy people?

Let’s go with fast talking annoys people:

Talking quickly is a sure way to annoy people. √

Squinting Modifiers

Dangling Modifiers

How to write a simile

Her eyes are like stars.
When I look at her, they glisten and shine.
I could see my reflection in them, and read her mind.

You wrote the simile, then described it with two adjectives.
In order to satisfy the rthym scheme of the poem, just substitute for another word.

Her eyes are like stars. (A)
They glisten and shine. (B)
I am so glad she is mine. (B)

这个就是用了 simile 去满足 ABB 韵律 的 诗 √

Sample poem with 2 similes

If your teacher wants you to:

Write 3 stanzas of 3 lines poem with two similes:

ABB CDD EFF

Her eyes are like stars. (A) simile
They glisten and shine. (B)
I am so glad she is mine. (B)

Our love is sweet as sugar. (C) simile
My parents think its funny. (D)
She will always be my honey. (D)

Say what you will. (E)
But I’m forced to say she completes my life. (F)
For she’s standing besides me holding a knife. (F)

Sample poem with 2 metaphors and 1 simile

How to write a metaphor

Example:

Write a poem with ABAB CDCD with 2 metaphors and simile

simile
metaphor

The sun is a toddler that refuses to sleep. A
It likes to crawl from east to west. B
And floats in the sky like a lost sheep. A
To life on earth, it is the best. B

It is an oven that generates heat. C
That keeps everyone fed and warm. D
It grows food for animals to eat. C
And generates life during its biggest form. D

How to write a alliteration

Alliteration is the repetition of the same initial consonant sound in successive words.

Alliteration is used for emphasis or to make a sentence more pleasing to the ear. It is used in everyday language, poetry, literature, and business writing.

The plate was filled with beautiful buns bursting with berries.

He’s going to gut the golden goose.

It can also be just two words:

Nothing says home like the smell of the sea.
Finishing first requires just three things: practice, practice, and practice.

Let’s add it back to our original poem example:

Her eyes are like stars. (A) simile
They glisten and shine. (B)
I am so glad she is mine. (B)

Our love is sweet as sugar. (C) simile

My [f]unky [f]riends [f]eel it’s [f]erociously [f]unny. (D) <-- + alliteration

That she will always be my honey. (D)

Say what you will. (E)

But I’m forced to [s]ay [s]he [s]aved my [s]landering life. (F) <-- + alliteration

For she’s standing besides me holding a big sharp knife. (F)

Personification

Inanimate objects are given human characteristics.

The leaves danced their way through the lawn.

The sun smiled over the meadow.

The table stood firmly against the wind.

The moon watched over the pack of wolves.

personification

The wind carried her whispers into my ears. A
The words landed softly and calmed my fears. A
A smile spread across my face. B
As I sat in front of the fireplace. B

Hyperbole

An exaggerated statement. It overstates a situation for emotional effect.

• She wept an ocean of tears.
• I died laughing.
• I tried a million times.
• Her smile was a mile wide.
• I’m so hungry I could eat a cow.

Let’s make a 4 line stanza with ABBA rhyme scheme:

Her eyes are the prize. (A)
They glisten and shine. (B)
I danced to a thousand tunes because she is mine. (B)
Our love fills the empty vast skies. (A)

Main Event:

The challenge of using newer technology has led to a loss in human interaction, and this has made future learning dull, insipid, and unsuccessful.

Indirect Characterization 1:

The mechanical teacher had been giving her test after test in geography, and she had been doing worse and worse until her mother had shaken her head sorrowfully and sent for the county inspector.

The author indirectly describes how bad Margie is doing in her geography.
Margie’s frustration in learning was quite pronounced, but the robotic teacher could not visually judge Margie’s predicament, thus produces test after test like a printer. A human teacher, on the other hand, can easily identify troubled students based on their demeanor, and act accordingly.

Student behavior can often give cues on how they handle the course material. Those who cannot finish exercises and struggle with the concepts will reveal more frustrated facial expressions. These hallmark human feedback can be easily picked up by human teachers. However, that is simply not the case with robotic teachers that Margie has to deal with.

Indirect Characterization 2:

I think the geography sector was geared a little too quick. Those things happen sometimes. I’ve slowed it up to an average ten-year level.

This indirect characterization describes how the mechanical teacher fails to teach Margie what she really needs for her age. But in order to make Margie happy and dumb down her education, the inspector has to gear the difficulty level back for ten year olds. This strongly shows how robots are not as intuitive and effective as human teachers.

Indirect Characterization 3:

Margie did so with a sigh. She was thinking about the old schools they had when her grandfather’s grandfather was a little boy. They learned the same things so they could help one another on the homework and talk about it.

The author indirectly characterizes Margie’s feelings about her grandfather’s past. How the children worked together in teams and had human interactions. Since the class material was all the same, they collaborate to finish their school tasks. But most improtantly, there are human elements of social interaction. Not only did they solve their homework, but they learned, and had fun doing it.

What is the theme for “The fun they had” (RACE method)

Read, Answer, Cite, and Explain

In a traditional classroom, the teacher can easily identify troubled students. Their behavior often shows that they cannot finishe exercises, and their struggle with explaining back to the teacher. The students’ frustrated facial expressions reveal their lack of progress. These hallmark visual response are often flags that only human teachers can identify.

On the other hand, a mechanical robot simply cannot read a student’s body language. This is indirectly described when Margie’s mechanical teacher keeps printing tests even though she hates the subject and has not been doing well. “The mechanical teacher had been giving her test after test in geography, and she had been doing worse and worse”. In addition, there is no way for the robot to detect and judge emotional speech. There is no flexibility when it comes to using technology to evaluate the student. At most, the robot can communicate using text, and this form of communication is often counterproductive. Therefore, as far as identifying and helping students, the traditional human teadcher led classroom holds the advantage.

ref – https://www.englishclub.com/efl/articles/vocabulary/8-ways-to-use-the-preposition-by/

“by” + place

The meaning is: beside, at the side of, next to, close to

examples:

• The house (s) is (v) by a river.
• David (s) lives (v) by a train station.
• I(s) want (v) to live (infinitive-obj) [in a house by the sea] (adjective phrase).

“by” + method of transport

This structure describes how you travel somewhere.

by + train/car/boat/plane/taxi/bus/coach

examples:

• David(s) went(v) [to] Manchester by train (adverbial).
• I (s) go(v) [to] work (by car) (adverbial).
• My parents (s) go (v) [to] France (by boat) (adverbial).
• Our children (s) travelled (v) by plane.

“by” + method of communication

This structure describes how you communicate with someone.

by + telephone/post/email/fax

examples:

• I (s) spoke (v) [to] her (obj) (by telephone) (adverbial).
• I (s) will send(v) you (obj) the invoice (obj compl) (by post)(adverbial).
• They (s) confirm (v) the order (obj) (by email) (adverbial).

“by” + reflexive pronoun

by + myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves

This structure means to do something alone.

examples:

• I(s) enjoy(v) reading(obj) (by myself) (adverbial).
• Sarah (s) is (v) studying (obj) (by herself) (adverbial).
• Let’s (s) do (v) something (obj) (by ourselves) (adverbial).
• My parents (s) go (v) on holiday (obj) (by themselves) adverbial.

及物动词

I feed the animals.

The woman cuddles the child.

The child embraces the toy.

The doctor obliterates the bacteria.

Our team dominates the competition.

The student buries the pet.

The butcher slaughters the pig.

The government reduces the budget.

The tester eliminates bug.

The child tricks his mother.

The officer holds a different view.

The kid wraps the plastic toy.

The worker molds the part.

A husband praises his wife.

A person wrestles the robber.

不及物动词

A boy dances with a girl.

The plane flies in the sky.

The crocodile crawls on the riverside.

The worker escapes from the fire.

The bomb explodes in the room.

The dog gallops across the square.

The criminal kneels on the ground.

The man leans on the wall.

The girl listens to music.

A cat pounces at the rate.

She relaxes at the beach.

A boy rolls on the grassland.

The man runs across the playground.

The cat screams at me.

A boy rushes to toilet.

A turtle lives in a forest.
He swims in the lagoons.
He devours apples.

The birds chirp.
They land on a tree branch.
The turtle listens to their songs.
He rolls around in the mud.

The sun sets behind the hills.
They go home.

fitfully (adj) – irregular intervals
• The wind howled fitfully.
• The sporadic raindrops fell fitfully.
• The drunk driver swerved along the road fitfully.

guesswork (noun) – process of guessing
• The way we learn english in China is pure guesswork.
• We use guesswork to find our candidates.
• America has been using guesswork to find its spies.

distaste (noun) – mild dislike
• I regard my mother with distaste.
• They eye me up and down with distaste.
• There is a certain amount of distaste in her voice

succumb (verb) – failed to resist pressure; to accept defeat.
• The soldiers succumbed to their injuries.
• After so many deaths, we succumbed.
• The Titanic succumbed to the freezing ocean.

procure (verb) – obtain something carefully and with much effort.
• I managed to procure the secret from her.
• We managed to procure some edible food from the dumpster.
• Have you procured the documents?

actuate (verb) – cause to take action; motivate; put into motion.
• My dislike for America was actuated by political zealots.
• A high performing athlete is actuated by good warmups.
• The sudden heavy rain actuates the crowd to disperse.

shirk (verb) – neglect a duty.
• The massage therapist shirked when she saw her client.
• I shirked the cleanup because the environment was too dangerous.
• She shirks her agreement because he was just too creepy.

incongruous (adj) – out of harmony with its surrounding; out of place
• I felt incongruous on my first day in an American school.
• The bottles of soda looked incongruous sitting there on the gym floor.
• My black girlfriend and I were incongruous in American’s dating scene.

convolute (verb) – make something difficult to follow.
• The US government convolutes her people’s wishes.
• The remnants of the crash convolutes the investigation.
• Their selfish ways convolute our team work.

innumerable (adj) – too many to count
• They are indifferent to the innumerable sufferings of children.
• The amount of problems that Andy has is innumerable.
• The innumerable army surges forward.

pugnacious (adj) – eager to argue/fight
• Those brats are pugancious.
• The most pugnacious countries in the world has the most insecure citizens.
• When I’m hungry, I become pugancious.

sordid (adj) – involving immoral actions and motives
• I ignore their sordid explanations.
• The overcrowded slums are sordid.
• The sordid affairs of Israel’s president should be investigated.

eccentric (adj) – odd; unconventional
• You have very eccentric behavior.
• The girl behind the tree is eccentric.
• The eccentric teacher takes a nap.

sanguine (adj) – optimistic in the face of a bad situation.
• I am sanguine about my test scores.
• I have a sanguine view on the Palestine-Israel conflict.
• Young people always have sanguine opinions on love.

ref – https://www.grammar-monster.com/glossary/adjective_phrases.htm

An adjective phrase is a group of words headed by an adjective that describes a noun or a pronoun.

She had extremely menacing eyes.

She – subject
had – linking verb
extremely menacing – adjective phrase (group of words)
eyes – noun

The dog covered in mud is mine.

The dog – subject
covered in mud – adjective phrase
is – linking verb

This is called Attributive Adjective.

An attributive adjective typically sits before the noun it is modifying.

The beautifully carved frames are priceless.
(The adjective phrase is before the noun it modifies (“frames”). This is an attributive adjective phrase.)

She had blue eyes. (adjective)
She had extremely blue eyes.

She wore expensive shoes. (adjective)
She wore very expensive shoes. (adjective phrase)

An overly sensitive heart is not healthy.

I’m a fairly intelligent person.

The frames beautifully carved by monks are priceless.
(The adjective phrase is after the noun it modifies (“The frames”), but this time it’s an attributive adjective.)

Sarah was hostile towards me.

People are so sick of them.

The dog covered in mud looks pleased with himself.

(In this example, the first adjective phrase – even though it’s positioned after its noun (“The dog”) – is attributive because it appears inside the noun phrase “The dog covered in mud.” The second is predicative because it appears outside the noun phrase of the noun it modifies. Note how it is linked to its noun with a linking verb (“looks”).)

separate(v)分离

They separate.
We are separate.
Ok! {Separate} can be used as a verb or an adjective.

mavelled (v) 感到惊奇

Watch your spelling.
marvelled (v) 感到惊奇

They marvelled.
Ok!

outage (n) 停电期间
It is outage.

There is a power outage!
We have an outage! I can’t see!