CHENG YU DICTIONARY

Jabez

Blue Zone

 Lessons

SAMPLE THEMES

1. Making me uncomfortable

2. Going - keep going

GO TO VOCAB VITAMINS

新 字 学习

A.  口 渴 的 乌 鸦

B。 贪 心 的 狗

C. 风 和 太 阳

D。 龟兔赛跑

E。 城 市 老 鼠 和 乡 村 老 鼠

F。下金 蛋 的 鹅

G。 两 个 好 朋 友 和 大 熊

Ｈ。狼 和 小 绵 羊

成 语

Cheng yu

 俗 语

su yu

Double / Twins

Triplets

Lesson 1  VOCAB VITAMINS

Theme: Making me uncomfortable.

beset - privation -discomfiture-vexation-gadfly

beset

(transitive verb)
[bi-SET]

1. to assail or attack from all sides: "The zebra was beset by leopards."

2. to annoy continually or chronically

3. to surround or hem in; 'the mountains which beset it round' (Nathaniel Hawthorne)

4. to decorate something with jewels or other ornaments

noun form: besetment 

Origin

from Old English, 'besettan': to surround; of Germanic origin.

privation

(noun) [prie-VAY-shahn]

1. lack of the basic necessities of life: "Jeff has chosen a life of privation over steady employment."

2. the act of depriving someone of something

Origin

Approximately 1340; from Latin, 'privationem': a taking away, from 'privatus,' past participle of 'privare': to deprive.

discomfiture

(noun) [dis-KUM-fi-choor', dis-KUM-fi-chahr]

1. anxious embarrassment: "Everyone shifted in their seats as the discomfiture in the dining room grew."

Origin

Approximately 1325; from Middle English, 'desconfiture' ('discomfit,' from Old French 'desconfire': to defeat, to destroy, from 'des-': not + 'confire': to make, to accomplish + '-ure.')

vexation

(noun) [vek-SAY-shahn]

1. the act of troubling or annoying someone: "The tight living arrangement was a great source of vexation for the whole family."

2. the psychological state of being irritated or annoyed

3. something or someone that causes anxiety

Origin

Approximately 1375; from Latin, 'vexation-,' from 'vexare': to shake, to harass + '-ion.'

gadfly

(noun) [GAD-flie']

1. a persistently annoying person: "I think I have finally figured out how to shake this gadfly off, once and for all."

2. any of various large flies that annoy livestock

Origin

Approximately 1626; from English, 'gad': goad, metal rod; from Old Norse, 'gaddr': spike, nail; of Germanic origin.

This week's theme: Going and going and going.

interminable

(adjective) [in-TUR-mah-nah-bahl]

1. seemingly without end: "The interminable delays at the airport were cutting into our vacation time."

2. tiresomely long; 'an interminable sermon'

noun form: interminability
adverb form: interminably

Origin

Approximately 1374; from Late Latin, 'interminabilis': unending ('in-': not + 'terminabilis,' from 'terminare,' from 'terminus': end, boundary).

relentless

(adjective) [ri-LENT-lis]

1. unrelenting or unyielding in severity; 'relentless persecution'

2. unremitting, steady and persistent; never-ceasing; "The relentless beat of the drums drew me in from across the park."

adverb form: relentlessly
noun form: relentlessness

Origin

Approximately 1592; from English, 'relent,' from Latin, 'lentus': slow, viscous, supple + '-less': without.

immutable

(adjective) [i-MYOO-tah-bahl]

1. not subject or susceptible to change or variation in form, quality, or nature; unable to be changed; "The view of that time was that all species were immutable, created by God."

noun forms: immutability, immutableness
adverb form: immutably

Origin

Approximately 1412; from Latin, 'immutabilis': unchangeable ('in-': not + 'mutabilis': changeable, from 'mutare': to change).

unabated

(adjective) [un'-ah-BAY-tid]

1. continuing at full strength or intensity; 'the winds are unabated'; 'unabated violence'; "The popularity of his books among young people continued unabated."

adverb form: unabatedly

Origin

Approximately 1611; from 'un-': not + 'abate,' from Latin 'ad': to + 'battuere': to beat.

indefatigable

(adjective) [in'-di-FAT-i-gah-bahl]

1. extremely persistent and untiring; "She was an indefatigable advocate of equal rights."

noun forms: indefatigability, indefatigableness
adverb form: indefatigably

Origin

Approximately 1586; from Latin, 'indefatigabilis': that cannot be wearied ('in-': not + 'defatigare': to tire out, from 'de-': utterly, away + 'fatigare': to weary).  

Lesson 2 Collective Nouns

An army of ants

An army of frogs

A bed of clams

A brigade of soldiers

A bale of turtles

A class of students

A fleet of ships

A team of horses

A pride of lions

A litter of pigs

A network of computers

A colony of ants

A galaxy of stars

A pack of wolves

Definition

An article goes in front of a noun.

There are two types of article in English:

• the definite article [the]
• the indefinite article [a or an].

Examples

Use

When using the indefinite article

a is used before nouns which begin with a consonant
an is used when the noun begins with a vowel.

This convention is based on ease of speaking. It is easier to say an apple than a apple, and a new book than an new book.

The definite article the remains the same in all cases, although speakers do vary the pronunciation according to whether a vowel or a consonant follows. For example:

Articles in English are fairly simple compared with some other European languages. English articles vary only according to ease of speaking, whereas in French they have to agree with the gender of the noun. For example

Students of English as a foreign language are relieved to find that the articles stay fairly constant with the exception of the variation between a and an.

However, English wasn't always like this. Old English or Anglo-Saxon had as many variations as Latin or modern German. These have very gradually disappeared as word-order has become more crucial.

Even today, some people say an historic occasion or an hotel. This is a remnant of Middle English when, because of the French influence, the aitch was not articulated, making the initial syllables of these words effectively vowels. [End of history lesson.]

Lesson 4    Conjunctions

Conjunctions

Robert Harris
Version Date: December 10, 1997

As their name implies, conjunctions join together elements of thought: words, phrases, sentences, and paragraphs.

Coordinating conjunctions are the simplest kind, and they denote equality of relationship between the ideas they join. Their relatives, correlative conjunctions, not only denote equality, but they also make the joining tighter and more emphatic.
 

Examples:

• John and Sally built a fish pond.
• The train was late, and Tom was tired.
• Just as the smell of baking brought back memories, so too did the taste of the cider.

Coordinating and correlative conjunctions are great when two ideas are of the same importance, but many times one idea is more important than another. Subordinating conjunctions allow a writer to show which idea is more and which is less important. The idea in the main clause is the more important, while the idea in the subordinate clause (made subordinate by the subordinating conjunction) is less important. The subordinate clause supplies a time, reason, condition, and so on for the main clause.
 

Examples:

• Sally steamed the corn while Fred fried the steaks.
• After the rain stopped, the dog ran into the mud to play.
• The snowman melted because the sun came out.
• Even though John fell asleep, the telephone salesman kept talking.

Conjunctive adverbs make up an even stronger category of conjunctions. They show logical relationships between two independent sentences, between sections of paragraphs, or between entire paragraphs. Conjunctive adverbs are so emphatic that they should be used sparingly; however, when used appropriately, they can be quite effective.
 

Examples:

• If the salmon is grilled, I will have that; otherwise, I might have the chicken.
• James has a garage full of wood working tools. He might, however, have some metric wrenches, too.
• I do not recommend that you play with a stick of dynamite lit at both ends. Rather, a ham sandwich would be better for you.

Relative pronouns and relative adjectives are also used to join ideas together by creating adjective or noun clauses, which allow a writer to create smoother, more flowing and effective sentences by combining ideas.
 

Examples:

• This is the man who sells peanuts.
• Tell me what you want.
• Hers is an idea that I would like to think through.
• The shirts, which are in the laundry, will need ironing.

Adverbs of time, place, and sequence are actually transitions of logic, but as such they also have conjunctive force, because they connect ideas by showing a time relationship.
 

Examples:

• The twilight glides away. Soon night will awake.
• First, get a pad and pencil. Next, find a quiet place to think.

Expletives are closely related to conjunctive adverbs. The "official" line on expletives is that they convey no meaning of their own but instead serve only to emphasize the statement to which they are attached. As such, then, they technically do not show a logical relationship like time or cause between ideas, and that fact prevents them from being true-blue conjunctive adverbs. But it could be argued that expletives create a relationship of emphasis between ideas: this new idea is important in light of what preceded it. Indeed, that is why they are included here.
 

Lesson 5 Chinese Stories

   Click the book to open the story that you like to read 

新 字 学习

Please collect these new words in your Mandarin Book using Han Yu Ping Yin.

You can check the han yu ping yin for the chinese characters in your story book.

Please write them down. By writing the strokes of the chinese characters- you can familiarize yourself.

A.  口 渴 的 乌 鸦

1。  炎  热- hot weather

2。 口  渴 - thirsty

3。 发  现- discover/ found out

4。 水  瓶- vase

5。  尝  试 – experience/ to try

6。 伸  进 – insert inside

7。  推  倒- push down

8。  里  面- inside

9 。 太  重- too heavy

10。  四  周-surrounding area

11。  终  于- finally

12。  最  后- at the end

13。  流  出 – flow out

14 。  寻  找 – to look for

15。  很  久 – for a long time

B。 贪 心 的 狗

1。美 味- sweet taste

2。 骨 头- bone

3。 享 用- to enjoy

4。 愉 快- being happy

5。 心 情- mood

6。看 着- to look at

7。 而 且- but

8。 对 方- the opposition

9。掉 进- to fall into/ inside

10。没 有- not having

11。 自 己- by myself

12。 结 果- finally

13。 打 算- to think and decide

14 。 抢 走- to take away

15。 踪 影－shadow

C. 风 和 太 阳

1。 争 论- quarrel

2。到 底 -the final comparison

3。比 较 - compare with

4。 可 以- can do

5。 说 道- to say

6 。外 套- jacket

7。 男 孩- boy

8 。 忽 然- suddenly

9。 使 劲- to use the full energy

10。 抓得- to hold tight

11。 暖 和- warmth

12。 放 弃- to give up

13 同 意- to agreed

14 脱 掉- to take off

15 胜 利- to win

16 接 着- after that

D。 龟兔赛跑

1。     讥 笑 －  Laugh or joke at

2。     决 定 － decided

3。     比 较－ compare /better than

4。     竟 然 － still

5。     困 倦－tired

6。     于 是－ then

7。     虽 然－ although

8。     睡 觉－sleep

9。     取 得－achieve

10。   拼 命－pursue / use full strength

11。   始 终－ at the end of it

12。   稳 步－ steady steps

13。   所 以－ to become

14。  不 久 － not long afterwards

15 。 但 是－ but

16。 最 后 －finally

E。 城 市 老 鼠 和 乡 村 老 鼠

1。拜 访－ to visit someone

2。不 喜 欢 – dislike or do not like

3。 间 单 - simple

4。 食 物- food
5。体 验- experience

6。 生 活 环 境- living environment

7。 差 点- almost

8。 一 阵脚 步 声- sound of steps

9。 一 张桌 子- a table

10。 很 抱 歉- to be sorry

11。 安 宁- peaceful

12。 平 淡 – simple living lifestyle

13。 乡 村- village

14。城 市- city

F。下金 蛋 的 鹅

1。从 前- in the past

2。每 天-  everyday

3。 拿 去 卖- bring to sell

4。福 裕-prosperous and rich

5。快 乐- being happy or to be happy

6。夫 妇- husband and wife, a couple

7 。 农 夫- farmer

8。一 粒 金 蛋- 1 egg

9。 很 快 地- quick in action, quickly

10。 变 得- to change

11。 不 满 足- not satisfied

12。 肚 子- stomach

13。 觉 得- to feel

14。 震 惊- to be shocked

15。 从 此- thereafter

16。 普 通- common and ordinary

G。 两 个 好 朋 友 和 大 熊

1。探险- to take risky adventure

2。答 应- agreed

3。面 对- to face our problems

4。困 难- difficulties

5。任 何- any choice/ any selection

6。深 处- deep areas

7。朝 着- directed at

8。靠 近- to come closer

9。逃 跑- to escape

10。 躺 在- to lie down

11。尸 体- dead body, corpse

12。绝 对- to be affirmative, of course

13。危 险- danger

14。信任- to trust

15。 好 朋 友- good friend

Ｈ。狼 和 小 绵 羊

1。同 伴- partner

2。 越 远- farther away

3。 愉 快- happy

4。丝 毫- not noticeable

5。 察觉- to see / feel

6。跳 舞- dance

7。恳求- to beg

8。消 化- digest the food

9。更 快- faster

10。 同 意- agreed

11。 起 劲- using energy- energised

12。 牧 羊 人- shepherd

13。 吠 声- dog barking sound

14 。 保 住- to preserve

15。 性 命- life

16。 弱 小-small and weak

17 。 仍 然- still

Lesson 6  Chinese Manners

1. 向 生 病 的 朋 友 问 候

2. 安 静 地 玩 ,不 要 干 扰 到 别 人

3. 准 时 上 床 睡 觉

4. 合 作

5. 分 享 玩 具

6. 说 ： “谢 谢 你”

7.  有 礼 貌

8 . 用 自 己 的 东 西

9 . 轮 流

10. 把 东 西 收 拾 好

11. 请 别 人 原 谅自 己

12. 帮 助 别 人

13. 我 们 轻 声 讲 话

14. 做 个 好 邻 居

15.我 们 一 起 商 量

16. 送 别 人 礼 物 ，不 要 吝 啬

17. 我 们要有 耐 心

18. 良 好 的 卫 生 习 惯

19. 我 们 慢慢 地 走

20.我 们 友 爱 相 处

21. 我 们 一 起 商 量

Lesson 8    俗 语

 放 长 线， 钓 大 鱼-think long term

苦 海 无 边， 回 头 是 岸if you are willing to repent - it can be done

来 者 不 善， 善 者 不 来be careful of strangers approaching you

虎 父 无 犬子like father like son - same character

好 花 不 常 开， 好 景 不 常 在good things do not last forever

家家有 本难 念 的 经every family have their own problems

江 山 易 改, 本 性 难 移easier to move mountain than to change character

留 得 青 山 在 ,不 怕 没 柴 烧think long - save and prepare for tomorrow

明 知 山 有 虎, 偏 向 虎 山 行face danger headon

牛 头 不 对 马 嘴not in order or the same - what you say and what you do

Lesson 10   TBA

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