Time to play the puzzle from NPR! Are you good at phonetics puzzle?

This is a phonetic puzzle. If I asked you to say the cry of a ghost plus a letter of the alphabet to get a bunch of flowers, you'd say BOO plus K to get BOUQUET. Now try these.

 

Say ... plus a letter of the alphabet ... to get ...

 

    1.   The sound of a horse ... military force at sea

    2.   The sound of a cow ... given to sudden changes in temperament

    3.   Grind with the teeth ... difficult to satisfy

    4.   French city with an annual film frestival ... sweets

    5.   Dull shade ...  meat sauce

    6.   Huffed and puffed ... a colorful bird

    7.   Went across, as a river ... a stretchable fabric

    8.   One who violates the Ten Commandments ... result of two things working together advantageously

 

Answer Keys

1.  navy

2.  moody

3.  choosy

4.  candy

5.  gravy

6.  bluejay

7.  spandex

8.  synergy

Halloween Tradition

Halloween is fast approaching. It is characterized by fun trick-or-treaters, charmingly spooky decorations, jack-o-lanterns, and obnoxiously sweet candies. Are you ready for a fun night-out or turning off all the lights in your house with your ears plugged, drowning out the noise from the outside? Let us fill in the blanks to learn about Halloween.

Before we move on, I would like to have a silent moment with you all in memory of all those victimized and affected by the 2022 Halloween crush tragedy that occurred in Seoul, Korea. Not only the bereaved families but most Korean people as well have been demanding a comprehensive investigation into the disaster to no avail. People wish to bring justice and gravitas back to Korean society. 

What is the history of Halloween?

The modern holiday of Halloween traces its origins back to Samhain, an ancient Pegan festival that marked the end of summer and the harvest season and the beginning of the long winter, according to History. 1. Ancient C__________ across what is now the UK, Ireland and northern France marked the day with bonfires and donned costumes to ward off ghosts of the dead, which they believed returned to Earth on that day. By the 11th century, as Christianity spread over Celtic territory, the Roman Empire had established November 1 as 2. All _____________’s Day, likely in an attempt to replace the older Celtic holiday with a Christian one, according to History. The night before this day came to be known as All-Hallowmas, then All Hallows Eve, and eventually Halloween.

 

How did the Halloween pumpkin start?

The tradition of carving jack-o’-lanterns for Halloween began in 3. Ir______ hundreds of years ago thanks to an old folktale about a man called Stingy Jack. According to legend, Jack played a trick on the Devil by convincing him to transform into a coin that he could use to pay for his drink, according to History.

But then Jack decided to keep the coin instead, storing it in his pocket next to a silver cross that the Devil could not change back into his true form. Jack played more tricks on the Devil throughout his life and when Jack died, both God and the Devil were upset with him and he was not allowed into Heaven or Hell. Instead, the Devil gave him a burning coal and sent him away.

As the folktale goes, Jack placed the burning coal inside a carved-out turnip and has been roaming the world with it ever since, according to History. He became known as “Jack of the Lantern” and eventually “Jack-o’-lantern.”

People in 4._____________ used to place 5. ____________ inside turnips or potatoes as a reference to this legend. When Irish immigrants came to America, they began using pumpkins instead— and pumpkins have been associated with 6._________ and Halloween ever since.

 

*source from parade.com

 

Answer Keys

   1.  Celts

   2.  Saint’s

   3.  Ireland

   4.  Ireland

   5.  lights

   6.  ghosts

A new batch of Sunday Word Puzzle from NPR! Add the same 2 consonants to each of the given words to make NEW WORDS!

I'm going to give you two five-letter words. Put the same pair of letters in front of each of them to complete two common seven-letter words.

 

Ex. Dress    Verse    -->   ADDRESS, ADVERSE

 

    1.   Voice    Stall

    2.   Eight    Agile

    3.   Scene    Serve

    4.   Grate    Stake

    5.   Spice    Stile

    6.   Brace    Irate

    7.   amber    alice

    8.   Tempt    Heist

 

Answer Keys

    1.  invoice, install

    2.  freight, fragile

    3.  obscene, observe

    4.  migrate, mistake

    5.  hospice, hostile

    6.  embrace, Emirate

    7.  chamber, chalice

    8.  attempt, atheist

PHRASAL VERBS with GET

How good are you at using phrasal verbs? The verb “to get” has myriads of different meanings with different prepositions added to the verb.

Try to fill in the following blanks with proper prepositions to make sense of each sentence. Let’s get down to it!

 

    1.   I don’t think Puff Diddy will get ____________ with his malicious behavior. He has been deeply involved with a lot of wrongdoing.

*meaning “to avoid punishment to escape blame or punishment when you do something wrong, or to avoid harm or criticism for something you did”

 

    2.    Miranda seems to get back ______ his abusive ex-boyfriend by spreading   rumors about him.

*meaning “to revenge/ retaliate”

 

    3.   Her grandfather is finding it difficult to get _____________ without a walker due to his sprained ankle.

*meaning “to move from place to place/ travel”

 

4.   I wasn’t even able to get around _______ that project because I’d already had a ton of things on my plate.

*meaning “to do something that has been delayed or difficult to do”

 

    5.   Ted wishes to get back _________ his ex-girlfriend Jenn, but I don’t think they’re on the same page anymore.

*meaning “to start a relationship with someone again, especially a romantic relationship, after ending a previous relationship with the same person”

 

    6.   Procrastination would make you feel more exhausted later on. Just get it _________ with and feel free!

*meaning “to do or finish an unpleasant but necessary piece of work or duty so that you do not have to worry about it in the future”

 

7.   You’ll never get _______________ to Howard about this matter. He doesn’t ever listen at all.

*meaning “to be clearly expressed to and understood by (someone)”

 

    8.   I know your coworker Jared is painfully straightforward all the time, but don’t let him get ______ you. He said he’d quit in a couple of months.

*meaning “to annoy/ affect someone”

 

    9.   How are you getting _______ in the Algebra class?

*meaning “to perform or make progress in a specified way”  

 

   10. Like Karen Carpenter sang, “rainy days and Mondays always get me ___________”.

*meaning “to make someone sad or depressed or discouraged”

 

Answer Keys

    1.  away

    2.  at

    3.  around

    4.  to

    5.  with

    6.  over

    7.  through

    8.  to

    9.  on

   10. down

HEALTH SERIES #25. APPLES 🍎🍏

It is natural to become physically weaker as one ages. However, it is possible to stay younger and healthier than your physical age by what you eat at your table every day. More and more medical research and studies have shown the medicinal properties and benefits of herbs and healthy diet.

As of this new year of 2024, let us stay healthy by looking into a variety of herbs one by one, their nutrition facts, and healthy diet so that we are able to lead a life with more confidence and constantly get ourselves back on track with aplomb even if we happen to deviate from the optimal state of health.

 

# 25. APPLES 🍎🍏

You know what they say – “An apple a day keeps the doctor away! Here are some of the numerous health benefits of apples, as well as some of their other interesting uses.

 

A study published in 2013 in the British Medical Journal comparing cardiovascular mortality rates between people taking statin drugs and those eating an apple a day concludes, “We find that the 150-year-old proverb (i.e., “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.”) is able to match modern medicine and is likely to have fewer side effects.”

 

The Health Benefits of Apples

A growing body of research suggests that eating apples and apple products may help prevent 1. car__________ diseases, 2. as______________,

3. oste_______________, allergies, Alzheimer’s, 4. dia_____________, as well as help with weight management.

Apples contain unique combinations of 5. p__________compounds, which apple trees produce to help combat environmental stresses such as diseases and ultraviolet radiation. When we eat apples, some of these 6. anti-in ________________ and antioxidant compounds may help protect our own organ tissues.

 

What Else Can Apples Do?

Fresh apples give off 7. et_______________ gas, which will speed up the ripening of other fruits. Just set unripe pears, tomatoes, or bananas in a bowl or paper bag with a couple apples, and the unripe fruit will ripen more quickly than it would otherwise.

 

Cakes, muffins, and homemade breads will stay 8.____________  longer if you store them in a bag or container with a cut apple. Additionally, using apple cider in place of water can give your baked goods a richer apple taste.

 

Put a piece of cut apple in a sealed bag with a lump of hardened 9. brown ___________ for a few hours, and it will soften enough to bake apart.

 

Just drop a few pieces of peeled apple into the soup, stew a few minutes, and remove the apples, the excess 10. ___________ from a soup will be removed with the apple pieces that soaked it up.

 

Answer Keys

    1.  cardiovascular

    2.  asthma

    3.  osteoporosis

    4.  diabetes

    5.  phytocompounds

    6.  anti-inflammatory

    7.  ethylene

    8.  moist

    9.  sugar

    10.  salt

*source from “The Book of Home Remedies” (in The Old Farmer’s Almanac, 2024)

 

Acrostic poem using APPLE by Jean J. Lee

 

Anxious about your health?

Pantry needs to get juiced up!

Palatable fruits such as fresh apples

Laudable food item in your daily meal plans

Ebullient vibe and spirits will fill your life!

 

 

If you’re interested in consulting your health with awesome professional pharmacists, check this out!

Santa Ana Tustin Compounding Pharmacy

The latest NPR Word Puzzle Game: PHONETIC SOUNDS of WORDS!

This is a phonetic puzzle. If I asked you to say a letter of the alphabet before one of the gifts of the Three Wise Men to get a boy's name, you'd put L before MYRRH to get ELMER. Now try these. ** Make sure to find the proper “PHONETIC SOUNDS”, NOT “SPELLING”! ^^

Say a letter of the alphabet before ... to get ...

1. ...a decoration on a gift ... a thin musical instrument

    2.   ... a carpenter's tool ... a biblical patriarch

    3.   ... a boundary of a field ... a word meaning "prevention of a team from scoring"

    4.   ... the sound a cat makes ... part of a car that clears a windshield

    5.   ... the opposite of war ... a monocle, for example

    6.   ... where a judge presides ... a person who accompanies someone on a date

    7.   ... a son of Adam and Eve ... a word meaning "difficult to understand"

    8.   ... a mean, mixed-breed dog ... a card game

    9.   ... a word meaning "having a raspy voice" ... a fish that swims upright

    10.               ... a seabird with a harsh call ... a dog with floppy ears

 

Answer Keys

    1.  Oboe

    2.  Esau

    3.  Defense

    4.  wiper

    5.  eye piece

    6.  escort

    7.  arcane

    8.  euchre

    9.  sea horse

    10. beagle

ARE YOU GRAMMAR POLICE? Can you spot a mistake from the given sentences?

It is true that English grammar has been evolving, and some descriptive grammar has outlived its prescriptive version. However, there are basic grammar rules that should be followed. 

Here are common grammar mistakes that even advanced level of ESL/ EFL students frequently make, especially when they are speaking. Spot a mistake in each of the following sentences and correct them.

 

    1.   I suggested him to find a clue by himself.

 

    2.   I suggest you to do it.

 

    3.   I suggest you are there on time.

 

    4.   I suggest you don’t make the same mistake again.

 

    5.   I am looking for a two bedrooms apartment.

 

    6.   I have a 27 years old daughter.

 

    7.   I would appreciate getting some good advices from you.

 

    8.   I am really looking forward to see you at the party.

 

    9.   In her country, people are used to eat heavy breakfast.

 

    10.  I will tell you the secret when we will have a chance to see each other again.

 

    11.  If he’ll go to the wedding reception, I’ll go, too.

 

    12.  If Joe would have told you the truth, you would not have been disappointed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Answer Keys

    1.   I suggested he find a clue by himself. or I suggested that he (should) find a clue by himself.

    2.   I suggest you do it. Or I suggest that you do it.

    3.   I suggest you be there on time. Or I suggest that you be there on time.

    4.   I suggest you not make the same mistake again. Or I suggest not making the same mistake again.

    5.   I am looking for a two-bedroom apartment.

    6.   I have a 27-year-old daughter.

    7.   I would appreciate getting some good advice from you.

    8.   I am really looking forward to seeing you at the party.

    9.   In her country, people are used to eating heavy breakfast.

    10.  I will tell you the secret when we have a chance to see each other again.

    11.  If he goes to the wedding reception, I’ll go, too.

    12. If Joe had told you the truth, you would not have been disappointed.