the latest competition the who's who of world history

Flocabulary List: with Definitions

Vivid (adj)

Clear / colourful / bright


elocutionist (N)

speechmaker

(someone who has charisma when he speaks in public)



Lyricist (N)

The writer of song lyrics



fortitude (N)

Strength



Linear (adj)

In the shape of a straight line



obstacle (N)

Blockade / barrier / obstruction / impediment



visage (N)

Facial features



semblance (N)

Similarity in appearance



trepidation (N)

Nervousness / anxiety / unease



Initiate (V)

start



dismay (N)

Disappointment / trepidation



illumination (N)

Light



alienate (V)

To treat someone as a stranger / push away / estrange / isolate



Rebirth (N)

Renaissance



eccentric (adj)

Weird / odd / unusual / peculiar



adjacent (adj)

neighbouring



embellish (V)

Decorate / beautify



Fan (N)

admirer

(an ardent follower of…)



manual (N) & (Adj)

Book of instructions

Something done by hand



Digress (V)

To stray from the main topic / go off point



tacit (adj)

Implicit / not said aloud / implied / inferred



Oscillate (V)

Swing (move like a pendulum) / hesitate



protagonist (N)

Hero or heroine



universal (adj)

worldwide



neglect (V)

Ignore / Treat with carelessness



quiescence (N)

The state of being quiet



famished (adj)

Starving: very very hungry



parched (adj)

Burnt and dry / dehydrated



critic (N)

People who mention merits and drawbacks of a work of art



analyze (V)

Examine/scrutinize/dissect



Enmity (N)

(The state of being an enemy)

Hatred / antagonism / hostility



Abate (V)

Decrease



antagonize (V)

Make an enemy of someone; treat with hostility



consensus (N)

To reach an agreement



concave (adj)

The antonym of convex



stoic (adj)

Calm under stress



serene (adj)

Calm and peaceful



pinnacle (N)

Top / peak



apex (N)

Summit / climax



zenith (N)

Highest point of

Vocabulary list: Flocabulary: Rap Song

vividly
elocutionist
lyricist
fortitude
Linear
obstacles
visages
semblance
trepidation
dismay
initiating
illumination
rebirth
alienate
eccentric
adjacent
embellish
oscillating fan
manual
protagonist
digressing
universal
Never neglect
quiescence
never tacit
I’m famished
parched
critics
analyze
antagonize
Enmity
Abated
consensus
concave and convex
stoic and serene
the apex, the pinnacle, also the zenith

BOOK LIST

P.S. All books can be found at The Egyptian American Book Center; unless you find a note stating otherwise.

Non Fiction: Self Help Books

Who Moved My Cheese? : Dr. Spencer
(There are two versions of the book. You can either choose the one especially written for teens or the original one for adults.)

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens: Sean Covey
(If you don’t find it, you can read his father’s book: The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey)


Novels that are available as a photocopy which you can get from me (unfortunately they cannot be found in Egypt)

* The Day They Came to Arrest the Book
* White Oleander

Plays:

Arms and the Man : Bernard Shaw: (ILB or ACML) (comedy)
Pygmalion : Bernard Shaw (ILB or ACML) (comedy)
She Stoops to Conquer: William Goldsmith (ILB or ACML) (comedy)
The Importance of Being Ernest: Oscar Wilde (ILB or ACML)

Book Series
Any of the seven Harry Potter novels: J.K. Rowling (If you have never read any of them, you must choose Part One: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's/Sorcerer's Stone)

The Twilight Saga: Stephanie Meyers (If you have never read any of them, you can either choose Part One,Twilight, or Part Three, Eclipse.)

The Chronicles of Narnia : C.S Lewis (you can choose anyone of the seven)

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Adventures of Jack Sparrow Comic Books (if you like the movies then you will surely enjoy these; you can choose any of the five books)

More Novels:

10 Things I Hate About Me: Randa Rezkallah (it's an awesome modern novel; recommended for girls)
My Sister's Keeper: Jodi Piccoult (it's a modern melodrama; recommended for girls)
The BFG : Roald Dahl
Mathilda: Roald Dahl
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory : Roald Dahl
Charlie and the Glass Elevator : Roald Dahl

Short Story Collections: (you can choose any short story in the book; you don’t have to read the whole collection)

Tales of Mystery and Imagination: Edgar Allan Poe

The Picture of Dorian Gray and other stories: Oscar Wilde (might not be available; you can borrow my book)

Classics:

You may choose any book you please by any of the following authors

Charles Dickens – Jane Austen – Charlotte Bronte – Emily Bronte

Writing Topics

P.S. Please remember that you need to divide your essay into paragraphs and that the essay should be a minimum of 150 words

1. Before one thinks of changing the world, one must start by changing oneself.

2. Change is the rhythm of living.

3. Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts.

4. Change in all things is sweet.

5. Success is simply a matter of luck.

6. There is no such thing as freedom of choice. We are all controlled by the rules of society.

7. In your opinion what must we do in order to truly understand ourselves?

8. Virtue untested is not virtue.

9. The end justifies the means.

10. White lies are a crucial necessity in society.

11. Sometimes, honesty is NOT the best policy.

12. What in your opinion is the purpose of education?

13. Money is the root of all evil.

14. Without adequate knowledge of the past, we can't truly understand the present.

15. Disagreement leads to progress.

16. The benefits of new technology always outweigh the costs.

17. I learn more from trial and mistake than from reading books.

MIscellaneous Revolution Related Reading Selections

Take a look at these, highlight the parts u agreed or disagreed with and we will discuss them in class

http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/politics/the-people-of-egypt-did-it-by-themselves-20110213-1arx4.html


http://www.newsweek.com/2011/01/28/egypt-revolution-the-purity-protests.html



http://www.newsweek.com/2011/01/28/egypt-revolution-inside-a-cairo-street-protest.html

http://www.newsweek.com/2011/01/26/revolution-by-internet.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egyptian_Revolution_of_2011

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703786804576137543866154926.html


my favorite: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/08/opinion/08friedman.html?_r=2&src=twitter
P.S If u find them too long, you can choose only one that attracts your attention and read it

General Knowledge Competition

Make sure that you answer at least 18 of the following questions and that each answer is not less than 50 words and not more than 100:

1) When did each of WWI & WWII take place? Who were the countries involved and what was the outcome?
2) Who is “The Lost Generation”?
3) What is the “Reign of Terror”?
4) When did the American War of Independence happen? Who was its leader?
5) Homer is the author of two of the most famous epics: “The Illiad” and “The Odyssey”. In which age did Homer live? What was the theme of each of the two epics?
6) Who was Achilles and why was his heel his point of weakness?
7) Dante wrote one of the most famous Renaissance epics: “The Divine Comedy”. What was the name of the hero? Where did he go on the two journeys in that book?
8) What was Alexander the Great’s “great vision”?
9) Who is Karl Marx? What is his main philosophy?
10) “Peter Pan” is a famous children’s story. Who wrote it? What is it about?
11) “Who Moved My Cheese” is a parable by Spencer Johnson from which readers can learn a lesson. What is the lesson? Who are the four main characters in the parable?
12) “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen Covey is a guide to personal development. According to the book, what are the seven habits that people should develop in order to become socially effective?
13) Who was the first to speculate on the concept of “Democracy”?
14) Who was Gandhi? What was his “Passive Resistance” theory about?
15) What do the five Olympic rings on the flag of the Olympic Games represent?
16) Religions: Most people have some kind of belief or faith that helps to explain life and death. Many worship either one or several gods. The four major world religions are …
17) Not long after its literary success, A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway was made into a movie by Paramount pictures in 1932. What major historical event did the novel and the movie discuss? Who starred in the movie?
18) The apartheid was a social regime against which thousands of South Africans stood. What was meant by it? Who was the first elected South African President to stand against it?
19) Who said the following quotes and what did they mean by them?
• “The law of the jungle…Survival for the fittest.”
• “The end justifies the means”.

20) Name three scientists who have stumbled upon great discoveries that have benefited humanity by mere coincidence. Justify your choice using facts.

P.S. Just for fun: Bonus Question: Who is the guy in the picture above
Ow BTW, these sites can help you find the competition questions
ask.com
wikipedia.org
britannica.com
kids.britannica.com