TIME to PLAY the Sunday Puzzle from NPR!

Today's puzzle is called "All In." I'm going to give you clues for two words. Insert the letters A-L-L inside the answer to the first clue to get the answer to the second.

 

Ex. Opposite of good / Romantic song  -->  B(ALL)AD

 

1. Exam / Having the greatest height

2. Bathe standing up / Not as deep

3. Something that's unexpected and beneficial / Air-filled rubber sac attached to a string

4. What bees do / Playing for time

5. Descendant / Green onion

6. Attempt in basketball / Onion used in cooking

7. Sweeper's tool / Locale in the game Clue

8. Overhead structure supporting a crane / Courage displayed in battle

9. Vast wooded areas / Prevents from happening

 

Answer Keys

1.  TEST => T(ALL)EST

2.  SHOWER => SH(ALL)OWER

3.  BOON => B(ALL)OON

4.  STING => ST(ALL)ING

5.  SCION => SC(ALL)ION

6.  SHOT => SH(ALL)OT

7.  BROOM => B(ALL)ROOM

8.  GANTRY => G(ALL)ANTRY

9.  FOREST => FOREST(ALL)

CHAPTER IV: WORKSHEET #91 of Dr. Jedidiah's Diary

WORKSHEET #91

Let’s practice some expressions from the episode #91 of Dr. Jedidiah’s Diary!

 

    1.   The film critic has an international reputation among film cog_________ti. (*meaning “persons who have superior knowledge and understanding of a particular field, especially in the fine arts, literature, and world of fashion”)

 

    2.   The director has been in search of a young actor who will play the role of an innocent sw_________ in the Shakespearean period. (*meaning “Often used in literature (e.g., Shakespeare) to describe a country lad or shepherd, a young man or boy who worked as a knight's servant;  Modern Usage: Occasionally used as an old-fashioned or poetic synonym for a boyfriend, beau, or suitor”)

 

    3.   Jenn was taking a stroll in the quiet trail str__________ with fallen leaves and twigs, thinking about her ex-boyfriend. (*meaning “spread or scattered here and there”)

 

    4.   __________ it not been for your help, I couldn’t have survived the deep wound inside my heart. (*meaning “without or in the absence of something/ someone”)

 

    5.   Reading this book, I was imagining a scene where the wind-__________ sand is gradually dislimning the silhouette of an explorer on camel’s back in the middle of the desert. (*meaning “sand moved and blown by the wind”)

 

    6.   Mr. Heston’s ins_____________ passion for learning makes him sleep-deprived at night, because he doesn’t put a book down until he finishes it. (*meaning “impossible to satisfy”)

 

    7.   R_____ rebels were notorious for terrorizing the civilian population through forced amputations, burning houses, and widespread sexual violence. (meaning “Revolutionary United Front that is a rebel group that fought a failed eleven-year awar in Sierra Leone, beginning in 1991 and ending in 2002”)

LIVE, LEARN, & LOVE SERIES #6: The Craving Mind - authored by Psychiatrist Judson Brewer

LIVE, LEARN, & LOVE

Do you take delight in watching films or listening to pop music? For English learners, movies, songs, and books are one of the most wonderful sources to explore the language! You can indulge in your favorite pastime and still learn some expressions, words of wisdom, and oftentimes good lessons while you’re at it.

 

# 9. “The Craving Mind” (authored by psychiatrist Judson Brewer, M.D. Ph.D.)

“When my patients told me their stories of getting addicted, there was a common theme. It was as if they had been one of the lab rats in Skinner’s experiments and were describing the reward-based learning process that they had gone though:

 

I would have a flashback (to some traumatic event) (TRIGGER) => get drunk (BEHAVIOR) =>  this was better than reliving the experience (REWARD)”

 

-        Dr. Judson Brewer found out that most of his patients (who are suffering from all different kinds of addiction) described their reward-based leaning as a way to avoid situations, help numb their pain, and even mask unpleasant emotions. However, in the end, they hit the bottom of using illegal substances and drugs, which would outweigh the rewards of using.

 

“We found that when we tested patients’ reactions to stress after treatment, those who received mindfulness training seemed to help them cope with their cues both in the lab and in real life.”

-        Mindfulness training is based on the state of awareness when things – mostly negative – arise in one’s mind. Patients who are practicing ‘mindfulness’ can reach the point of stepping back from the triggers of their addiction and gradually wean themselves from their cravings.

 

“There is nothing wrong with romantic love. In modern times, just like thinking and planning, it helps humans survive. It is when we get completely caught up in it, when things get out of control, that we crash and burn. It is perhaps another example of not knowing how to read our stress compass – dopamine leading us into danger instead of away from it.”

-        Romantic love is one of the most addictive substances on Earth. However, Dr. Brewer points out that it can become destructive when it turns into an addictive, compulsive, or uncontrolled state.

·      Jean’s Small Thoughts:

Do you have any chronic addiction in life? Do you have constant crave for sweets, cigarettes, or a caffeine fix? Are you constantly planning or thinking about the future? Have you ever been addicted to love? I think we all might have developed big or small addictions or obsessions at some point in life.

 

As for me, I have been running for almost 30 years, which has become a huge part of my own identity. It seems like a healthy addiction that doesn’t need a therapy, but I am currently in the process of changing my perspectives towards my favorite thing to do: Running. As I age, I get more twinges or jolts here and there in my decreasing muscles, while my passion for running is becoming a painful obsession that makes me too harsh on myself as a heartless judge.

 

Reading this book, I am about to practice “mindfulness” through which I know craving is arising and driving my behavior. I won’t get caught up in my own illusions, even it they are the things that sound beautiful, such as love or running.

CHAPTER IV: WORKSHEET #90 of Dr. Jedidiah's Diary

WORKSHEET #90

Let’s practice some expressions from the episode #90 of Dr. Jedidiah’s Diary! 

   

    1.  Her wi_______d face was telling me about her harsh past. (*meaning “(transitive/ intransitive verb) to become wrinkled, shrunken, or dry often as a result of aging or of failing vitality”)

 

    2.  I think her hypochondria was one of the iatro__________ symptoms or disorder. (*meaning “relating to illness caused by medical examination or treatment”)

 

    3.  The sniper confessed that the botched murder of the presidential candidate had been thoroughly planned with the opposite party candidate’s m__________ aforethought. (*meaning “the evil intention to kill/ harm, which is held to distinguish unlawful killing from murder”)

 

    4.  Somebody must have t________ off the intruder that houses in this gated community would be empty during the holiday season. (*meaning “to give someone information in a discreet or confidential way”)

 

    5.  Jake’s grandpa was always holding _________ (*meaning “creating a non-judgmental, supportive presence where another person feels safe to express emotions, be heard, and process their experience without fixing or advising, often seen in contexts like therapy, coaching, or deep friendship”) for him so that he won’t need to white________ (*meaning “to deliberately attempt to conceal unpleasant or incriminating facts about something”) his own mistakes or secrets. He never lam________ “to criticize someone harshly”) Jake for anything. That is why Jake can be vera____________ (*meaning “speaking or representing the truth”) with his grandpa all the time.

 

    6.  Beware of Mrs. Jankins. She is nobody to sn____________ at (*meaning “to make light of/ to ignore…”) among the gens du ___________. (*meaning “leaders in society/ fashionable socialites”)

 

    7.  The local gym that I belong to is holding the annual ice cream so________ (*meaning “a planned social gathering – serving ice cream - used for community building, fundraisers, or simple summer fun, often featuring a nostalgic, informal atmosphere with neighbors, church groups, or families connecting over sweet treats and shared toppings”) this Saturday. They will serve keto ice cram at the event for their members.

 

    8.  Janine’s per____ blue dress looked elegant and classic. (*meaning “dark-greyish blue resembling indigo”)

 

    9.  My boyfriend loves vacations at a small lodge built with  cottage_______ (*meaning “living a simple, rural lifestyle”) aesthetic, whereas I love to stay at a posh hotel in the middle of the city.

 

   10. Tom has been into mountain climbing lately. He showed me a lot of pictures taken while he was abs__________ down steep slopes. (*meaning “to descend a rock face or other near-vertical surface by using a doubled rope coiled round the body and fixed at a higher point; rappel”)

 

   11.  The Smith couple, who are dedicated ailu_____s (*meaning “cat lover”), decided to adot two rescue cats.

 

   12. In the past, ba__________ates were common sleeping pills, but they've largely been replaced by safer alternatives like benzodiazepines. (*meaning “any of a class of sedative and sleep-inducing drugs derived from barbituric acid”)

 

    13. When she heard the great news of her friend’s resounding success as an actor, she was be_________ herself with joy and pride. (*meaning “to be with a particular feeling or emotion that is so strong it makes one almost out of control”)

CHAPTER IV: WORKSHEET #89 of Dr. Jedidiah's Diary

WORKSHEET #89

Let’s practice some expressions from the episode #89 of Dr. Jedidiah’s Diary! 

 

1.   I still remember the sharp tw_________ on my hamstring when it first kicked in during the 10K trail race. (*meaning “a sting or pang of pain that happens suddenly”)

 

2.   Mr. Nguyen begr______ly accepted his customer’s condescending attitude at his nail salon. However, he looked down on her stuck-up style deep down inside. (*meaning “reluctantly”)

 

3.   I was totally enamored by Ray’s convi_________ smile. It was so warm and welcoming. (*meaning “friendly; lively; enjoyable”)

 

4.   His penetrating eyes were as dark as an obs______________ crystal, which seemed to be seeing through what was on my mind. (*meaning “a dark natural glass formed by the cooling of molten lava”)

 

5.   Hey, don’t try to put ____________ in his mouth. I know he never said or meant that! (*meaning “to suggest that someone said or meant something that he or she did not actually say or mean”)

 

6.   I wasn’t able to hold back my laughter at a sé___________ (*meaning “a meeting at which people attempt to make contact with the dead, especially through the agency or a medium”) when the me__________ (*meaning “a person reputedly able to make contact with the world of spirits, especially while in a state of trance”) turned on his gadget called a ___________ box (*meaning “a brand-new tool for ghost hunting and paranormal investigations; it is also called spirit voice box”) to s______on (*meaning “to call one somebody to be present”) the ghost of Elvis Presley. He said it would function more precisely than the dow_____ rods (*meaning “tools used historically to locate water, minerals, buried objects, spirits, or lost items. Bodies of evidence from physics, psychology, and controlled testing explain their apparent effectiveness without invoking paranormal force”). I could tell he was terribly offended by my laughter and skeptical smirk.

 

7.   Sunflowers, daisies, and poppies are one of those popular examples of h_____tropic plants. (*meaning “turning or growing toward the light”)

 

8.   I’m tired of politicians’ empty talk and meaningless speeches that po______te about their economic policy without offering a hint of solutions. (*meaning “to express one’s opinions in a way considered annoyingly pompous and dogmatic”)

 

9.   The tarot reader picked an or_________ card (*meaning “a collection of cards that provide guidance and perspective on our lived experience”) and combined it with the "power of if". This way, she transformed the cards from a passive fortune-telling tool into an active, empowering tool for decision-making process.

 

10.             She hired a private eye to s_____ on her suspicious and unfaithful husband while he is away on frequent business trips. (*meaning “to watch something/ someone secretly”)

TIME TO PLAY THE LATEST SUNDAY PUZZLE FROM NPR ON-AIR CHALLENGE!

I'm going to give you some eight-letter words. For each one insert two letters in a row to make a familiar 10-letter word.

 

Ex. INTIMATE:  Add ID =>  INTIMIDATE

 

    1.   ALLIANCE

    2.   DEMOTION

    3.   TRAMLINE

    4.   INHERENT

    5.   PARTICLE

    6.   LIBATION

    7.   COALESCE

    8.   INFINITE

    9.   COMPRISE

 

 

ANSWER KEYS

1.  Add EG => ALLEGIANCE

2.  Add LI => DEMOLITION

3.  Add PO => TRAMPOLINE

4.  Add CO => INCOHERENT

5.  Add IP => PARTICIPLE

6.  Add ER => LIBERATION

7.  Add NV => CONVALESCE

8.  Add DE => INDEFINITE, or Add IV => INFINITIVE

9.  Add OM => COMPROMISE

LIVE, LEARN, & LOVE Series #5 On the Shelf (sung by Donny & Marie Osmond)

 LIVE, LEARN, & LOVE

Do you take delight in watching films or listening to pop music? For English learners, movies, songs, and books are one of the most wonderful sources to explore the language! You can indulge in your favorite pastime and still learn some expressions, words of wisdom, and oftentimes good lessons while you’re at it.

 

#5. “On the Shelf” sung by Donny & Marie Osmond

This song conveys the deep sense of loss, frustration, heartbreak, and loneliness experienced after a breakup, using a lot of metaphors like a dog without a bone and a house that's not a home to illustrate the emptiness and abandonment felt by the artist.

 

I'm like a lock without a key

Nobody wants to lean on me

I′m so lonely, lonely without you

Back on the shelf am I, baby

Back on the shelf am I

 

The expression/ the title of the song “on the shelf” refers to somebody or something that is unwanted, not in use, abandoned ,inactive, or postponed (like an idea or project put aside) it can also describe a person, typically an older woman, who is considered past the usual age for marriage and is thus "unwanted" or "left behind," though this usage is considered outdated and offensive.

 

·       Jean’s small thoughts on the song:

Heartbroken after leaving or being left out on the shelf? I hear you all. How about coloring the shared time with your loved one (who left you) in light pink in the back of your mind? You could revisit the shared love in your heart forever. Even the lost love could still be cherished as love.