HOMONYMS

HOMONYMS

Quite a lot of my EFL students had trouble distinguishing sounds and spellings of English words that are pronounced the same. Even native speakers of English often get confused among the words that sound the same but are spelled differently and have different meanings.

Will you try to choose the correct word among the given two homonyms (in parentheses) to make sense of each sentence?

E.g., That (bare, bear) animal in the picture is a grizzly (bare, bear) without fur. => answer: bare, bear

 

     1.   The fields of the (barren, baron) were always (barren, baron), so he built houses on the land.

 

     2.   Even though this pet canary is (cheap, cheep), its (cheap, cheep) is loud.

 

     3.   In the (capitol, capital) city, we must visit the (capital, capitol).

 

     4.   The athlete was (bold, bowled) when he (bold, bowled) against the world champion.

 

5.   She will (ail, ale) if she drinks all that (ail, ale).

 

     6.   Walk down the (isle, aisle, I’ll) on the small (aisle, isle, I’ll) with me, and (isle, aisle, I’ll) marry you.

 

     7.   My sister’s (beau, bow) gave her a beautiful (beau, bow) for her hair.

 

     8.   That large (Cyprus, cypress) comes from (Cyprus, cypress) in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.

 

     9.   A (course, coarse) person doesn’t make many friends in the (course, coarse) of life.

 

     10. Even in sleet and (hale, hail), my grandfather is a (hale, hail) and hearty soul.

 

 

Answer Keys

    1.  baron, barren

    2.  cheap, cheep

    3.  capital, capitol

    4.  bold, bowled

    5.  ail, ale

    6.  aisle, isle, I’ll

    7.  beau, bow

    8.  cypress, Cyprus

    9.  coarse, course

    10. hail, hale   

*   *** Source from Scholastic Guides: Building Your Vocabulary

*

My small thoughts about the current tumultous phase in South Korea

Witnessing the tempestuous days since the president of South Korea declared the unlawful martial law on December 3, 2024, I have thought about what’s behind his insanity. Still trying to figure it out to no avail. Just as we all had expected, his final defense at the Constitutional Court was composed of the same old excuses, gibberish, and baloney. It all came down to “I said what I said and that’s that”.  He was unapologetically sticking to his statement even though it had caused such huge chaos in Korea, turning the country into a painfully divided nation. His words showed that he does not regret or feel ashamed about his stance with no intention to change his mind. Now that all the legal process for his impeachment trial has been wrapped up, it is time for the righteous verdict to come out in the light.

 

In the name of justice and integrity

Move on to the next shiny chapter together

Peaceful days are in store for you

Every voice of yours will be heard

As long as you keep your heads up in your right mind

Celebrate the upcoming blessing

Hail to justice in Korea!

 

February 27, 2025

Time to play the latest NPR WORD PUZZLE!

You'll get three words starting with the letters C, P, and R (as in the life-saving technique). For each set, give a fourth word that can follow to complete compound words or familiar two-word phrases.

Example: Chain, Priority, Registered --> MAIL (chain mail, priority mail, registered mail)

 

1. Cable     Patrol     Race

 

2. Cash     Piano     Roll

 

3. Cannon     Paint     Racquet

 

4. Changing     Powder     Rest

 

5. Card     Periodic     Round

 

6. Coast     Prison     Rear

 

7. Cashier's     Pay     Reality

 

 

Answer Keys

    1.  Car: Cable Car, Patrol Car, Race Car

    2.  Bar: Piano Bar, Cash Bar, Roll Bar

    3.  Ball: Cannon Ball, Paint Ball, Racquet Ball

    4.  Room: Changing Room, Powder Room, Rest Room

    5.  Table: Card Table, Periodic Table, Round Table

    6.  Guard: Coast Guard, Prison Guard, Rear Guard

    7.  Check: Cashier Check, Pay Check, Reality Check

Play and practice with Vocab!

Today, let me give you some sentences with blanks. Try to fill in the blanks with proper words (using the hints given) so that each one makes sense.

 

1.   I was stunned and devastated at the news about the insane rioters’ breaking into the court building in South Korea. Are they painfully gullible type of people who are so easily ___________winked (*meaning deceived) by the ruling party?

 

    2.   Jack is a whistleblower who decided to do the right thing by telling the world the truth about his corrupted company, but some of his colleagues accused him as a betrayer that r__________ on (*meaning to not be loyal to someone, especially by giving away secret information about them) his own co-workers.

 

    3.   Romeo and Juliet were such star-________________ (*meaning unlucky/ unfortunate) lovers.

 

    4.   Adrien Brody is her favorite actor whose aqui___________ nose (*meaning a nose curved like an eagle's beak) is the most attractive feature in his face.

 

    5.   We’ve seen so many reproductions of Claude Monet paintings, but when we were in Paris, we saw the real Mc__________.

 

    6.   Entrepreneurs, such as Steve Jobs or Craig Newmark, who boot___________ (* to promote or develop by initiative and effort with little or no assistance) their companies started with very little money and no outside investments to build their business.

 

    7.   My friend Choi prefers sta______________ (*dignified; sedate; unadventurous) elegance of the opera to the rambunctious or rowdy pop concert.

 

    8.   Most middle-of-the-pack recreational runners today feel that buying a new pair of running shoes and gear have become a high invol______________ purchase (*meaning buying the items that are not purchased often because of their steep price but are relevant and important to the buyer) because of its skyrocketing price.

 

    9.   When my boss told me to send the chunk of report by the end of the day, I said “____________co" (*confirming they understood and would comply), but inside I was like ‘Are you out of your mind?!!! I told you I’d have to leave office earlier today to pick up my daughter!’

 

    10. We see a lot of homicides left as ___________ cases (*accidents, or crimes that have yet to be solved and have no active leads) as in the case of Jack the Ripper, unsolved because of lack of evidence or eyewitnesses coming forward.

 

 

Answer Keys

1.  hoodwinked

2.  ratted on

3.  star-crossed

4.  aquiline

5.  the real McCoy

6.  bootstrapped

7.  staid

8.  high-involvement

9.  Wilco

10.      cold cases

Let's play yesterday's word puzzle from NPR! Find the 2-word names/ phrases with the initials "P" & "E"!!!

Today's puzzle is called "P.E. Class." Every answer is a familiar two-word phrase or name in which the initials are P.E.

 

Ex. Breakfast item sometimes served on toast —> POACHED EGG

 

1. Medical checkup that's often done annually

 

2. Our place in the solar system

 

3. Person whom the voters have picked to be chief executive but who hasn't yet taken office

 

4. Result in a sudden boom in the number of births

 

5. Detective

 

6. Colorful animals that drunkards are said to see

 

7. Astronomical event in which the moon obscures a portion of the sun

 

8. Mail delivery service in the Old West

 

9. Places to insert studs

 

10. English royal after whom a Canadian province was named

 

11. Team that won the 2025 Super Bowl

 

 

Answer Keys

    1.  Physical Exam

    2.  Planet Earth

    3.  President Elect

    4.  Population Explosion

    5.  Private Eye

    6.  Pink Elephants

    7.  Partial Eclipse

    8.  Pony Express

    9.  Pierced Ears

    10. Prince Edward

    11. Philadelphia Eagles

Stay in love.

Love is in the air. Although Valentine’s Day has been commercially abused so that candy makers would sell more of their sweet treats to lovers or lovers-to-be in the world, let us stop a moment and think about what people say about love and how you feel about it.

Here I am sharing quotes of some well-known figures’ about love.

 

"Every heart sings a song, incomplete, until another heart whispers back." ……..by Plato

 

"You can't blame gravity for falling in love."…..by Albert Einstein

 

“Love recognizes no barriers, it jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination, full of hope.”

……. by Maya Angelou

 

"If you remember me, then I don't care if everyone else forgets."

……by  Haruki Murakami

 

"I look at every day with you as a gift."

…..by Rip Wheeler, Yellowstone

 

“Some people are worth melting for.”…..by Olaf, Frozen

 

"There's no bad consequence to loving fully, with all your heart. You always gain by giving love."

…by Reese Witherspoon

 

“I don’t go by the rule book. I lead from the heart, not the head.” ……… by Princess Diana

 

"Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind." ……. by William Shakespeare

 

"Love doesn't just sit there, like a stone, it has to be made, like bread; remade all the time, made new."...by Ursula K. Le Guin

 

"To love at all is to be vulnerable."……by C. S. Lewis

Health Series #29: QUINOA

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 the year of 2024, we have been 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 aplomb even if we happen to deviate from the optimal state of health.

 

# 29. QUINOA

 

Today, let’s focus on one of the world’s most popular “superfood” or a “super grain” called QUINOA. First of all, can you pronounce it the right way? It should be pronounced as /KEEN-wah/ or /ke-NO-ah/

 

Quinoa is a flowering plant that belongs to the amaranth family. It is an annual plant that is grown for its edible 1. s___________. So, when we refer to the benefits of quinoa, the 2. s____________ are what we refer to and generally use, which are 3. ________________-free. The composition of quinoa is similar to wheat or rice when cooked.

It is an excellent source of 4. pro___________________ (a complete source, as it contains all the nine essential amino acids). It also contains a good amount of fiber and minerals.

When it comes to its benefits, quinoa aids in 5. dig_______________, promotes weight loss, and slows down signs of a_______ 6. Skin.

Anyone can consume quinoa except people with IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), 7. grain all_______, and 8. kidney________________.

Wanna know how Often we can consume quinoa? You can eat 1 to 2 cups of cooked quinoa daily.

 

However, there’s one thing you need to be cautious of when consuming quinoa. Overconsumption may cause 9. bl________________, gas, and intestinal damage.

 

Answer Keys

    1.  seeds

    2.  seeds

    3.  gluten

    4.  protein

    5.  digestion

    6.  aging

    7.  allergy

    8.  stone 

    9. bloating

      (*source from stylecraze)

 

 

Acrostic poem using QUINOA by Jean J. Lee

Queen in your grain pantry

Unbeatably exotic taste

Ideal bowl of nutrition-packed breakfast

Nerdy but natty athletes’ loving source of energy

Opulent feasts should have a place for this grain

Accomplish your healthy goal by adding quinoa to your meal prep!

 

 

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

 

Santa Ana Tustin Compounding Pharmacy

Can you name the BRAND NAMES of supermarket items?

I'm going to give you some words. For each one, change one letter to get the brand name of something you might buy at a supermarket.

 

Ex: BOUNCY (paper towels) —> BOUNTY

 

1. SMACKERS

2. FOLDERS

3. COLLATE

4. DRANK

5. CANNON

6. STARKEST

7. KNICKERS

8. PONDER

9. COOKS

10. BASELINE

12. HELLO

13. DOMING

14. HOSTELS

15. CANADA DAY

 

Answer Keys

    1.  A => U: SMUCKERS (jam)

    2.  D => G: FOLGERS (coffee)

    3.  L => G: COLGATE (toothpaste)

    4.  K => O: DRANO (drain cleaner)

    5.  C => D: DANNON (yogurt)

    6.  E => I: STARKIST (canned tuna)

    7.  K => S: SNICKERS (candy bars)

    8.  P => W: WONDER (bread)

    9.  K => R: COORS (beer)

    10. B => V: VASELINE (multipurpose ointment)

    11. H => J: JELLO (jelly snack)

    12. G => O: DOMINO (sugar)

    13. L => E: HOSTEES (snack cupcakes)

    14.  A => R: CANADA DRY (ginger ale)

Acrostic Poem by Jean Lee ^^

  The world is going through a painful phase in which politically divisive countries are struggling. Voice of alt-right extremists’ keeps trying to take control of the innocent public, marginalizing and silencing more and more underprivileged people in our society. In times of crisis, this phenomenon takes place natch. However, as long as citizens in their right mind quit despairing but would rather uphold and champion the great cause of justice, we have future.

 

Forcible Arbitrary Satanic Crony capitalism Ignominious Shameful Moral hazard

Driven by justice Equal Magnanimous Obliging Charitable Rational Affirmative Compassionate Young-at-heart