SAT Vocab - Fun and Easy Method to Memorize

A Mystery - SAT Vocab Set #2

My dad left the shop a little earlier today claiming that he had work to do. My father did this often so I was used to running the shop alone. It was, I suppose, my responsibility when I was not busy with school. There wasn't much to do in a diminutive town; this was merely a daily routine in my lonely typical life.

Today, however, my dad gave me permission to abridge the hours the shop was open so I can go home early. Intermittently, I would check the continuously ticking clock while reading a book or something similar to that. I always feel alacrity to go home and spend time with my affable father. It was the always the best part of my day.

As I waited, the door opened and someone walked in through it. This always made me ebullient because everyone from this negligible town was always gregarious. But this man was not someone I had recognized. I watched him as he made his actions. He circumspectly looked through the store as if it was his first time there. When he found what he seemed to be looking for, he accosted me.

I rarely had to deal with strangers because I was already familiar with almost everyone who would find it necessary to come here. I grew uneasy as I saw a new face.

"Hello," the stranger said, smiling.

I stared at him cynically, "Hi."

"You work here?" he asked.

"Yes," I then realized that I was being wary for no reason and formed a fake smile on my face and tried to be amiable, "It's my dad's shop. I just help."

He pushed over the least exorbitant and most extraneous item in our shop. "I see," he said, "He's not around?"

I became prudent again. That was a strange question, but I answered while ringing the item into the cash-register, "No, not today." Then I told him the price.

He pulled out his wallet and handed me cash, "Oh," he smiled, "I wonder how he found it fit to leave a pretty girl alone."

I felt very uncomfortable again and said vigilantly, "He doesn't do this often." That was a lie. I gave him his purchase back and he left.

"Bye, Beautiful." And he walked out of the door.

That was very strange. No one has ever talked to me like that before. It made me feel uneasy. Either way, he was just a man who just needed to purchase something. There was no reason to be so callous towards him.
I glanced at the clock. Finally!!

I turned off the lights and locked the doors.

(to be continued)..

Diminutive - adj. tiny, small, little
abridge - v. Shorten, condense
Intermittently - adj. Sporadically, fragmentary
alacrity - n. eagerness, enthusiasm
affable - adj. friendly, genial, sociable
ebullient - adj. enthusiastic, excited, cheerful
negligible - adj. Insignificant, small, trivial
gregarious - adj. friendly, outgoing, sociable
circumspect - adj. Careful, cautious, prudent
accost - v. approach aggressively, confront
cynical - adj. pessimistic, distrustful
wary - adj. careful, cautious, suspicious
amiable - adj. friendly, amicable, sociable
exorbitant - adj. excessive, very expensive
extraneous - adj. unnecessary, irrelevant
prudent - adj. Careful, cautious, sensible
vigilant - adj. watchful, alert, attentive
callous- adj. insensitive, heartless

Interviewing Tips - Get That Job!!

We all need to learn how to be on our own. Having a job gives an opportunity to show good responsibility. (Either way, you don't want to live under your parents roof forever!!) However, giving answers in pressure while being stared down at by people is, in fact, difficult if you're doing it for the first time. For this reason, I have collected some helpful tips for you to get that job!!

Before anything, I would like to give a brief introduction to what an interview is. Of course, you would think it to be meeting a person and answering their question. This sounds simple. Now think of it this way: an interview is a highly focused professional conversation. You have a limited amount of time to show the employer that you have the skills, background, and ability to do the job. Your goal is to impress the employer by showing your personality, confidence, enthusiasm, positive outlook, and excellent interpersonal and communication skills. After all, first impressions last the longest, right? But don't worry, interviewing is a skill that improves and becomes easier with practice.

Research - 

First of all, make sure you know about the job you are striving for. Let's your mother told you to go to the grocery store and told you to buy it for $5. How can you by 'it' without knowing what is?! In the same way, you cannot give an interview without knowing what 'skills' your employer is looking for. Knowing about the job will help you prepare a list of your qualifications you need to show. One way you can do this is request printed materials from the employer, such as annual reports and job descriptions. Don't hesitate to do this, it's totally okay!!

Practice Makes Perfect!! -

Yes, you may be thinking, practice an interview? It sounds lame, I believe you. But now believe me: while sitting in a room alone with one, two, or maybe even three to five employers waiting for your answer, you will feel much better if you have prepared for the interview. 

These are some common questions you will be asked:

1) Tell me about yourself.

2) What made you want this job?

3) Give a past experience....

4) What are your strengths?

You can research more questions. This was just to give you an idea of what the basis of the questions are like. 

Now that you have an idea about the questions, practice answering with a friend, or in front of a mirror. Avoid colloquialisms, such as "like" and "you know."

Be Prompt and Professional - 

Like I stated before: First impressions last the longest. 

Make sure you arrive 5 - 10 minutes early. Wear a professional business suit. Women should avoid wearing too much jewelry or make up; men should avoid flashy suits or wearing too much cologne. And most importantly avoid wearing a frown. Always smile: People enjoy working with other happy people!!

Know Yourself -

The best way to make the interview easy is to know yourself. You will be asked to tell about yourself more than anything. Make sure you are honest, but don't make yourself look negative. If you have to say anything negative about yourself, cover it back up with a hopeful phrase reassuring the employer that the situation can be improved. However, NEVER say anything negative about past experiences, employers, or courses and professors. Try to be enthusiastic.

Show Your Interest - 

This is where the research comes in hand!! Demonstrate that you have an idea about what the job is about. You want to prepare a few questions about the job, the organization, and its services and products. Asking questions is the best way to impress the interviewer. 

Write a Thank You Note -

You should write a thank you note within 48 hours after the interview. It is important to say thank you for the time the interviewer spent with you whether or not you are interested in the position. Always do this even if you thought that the interviewer was not productive.

 

SAT Vocab - Fun and Easy to Method to Memorize

While studying for this exam, I noticed that memorizing the vocabulary was the most difficult task for me. Although memorizing itself isn't hard, it definitely is time consuming and boring. However, I discovered a fun study way to help me memorize these words from a SAT prep book. As I put these words into my own context, I realized it was easier to pick up on the vocab. So, I decided to type my idea out, and hopefully, I can keep you entertained with this!!

A Mystery - SAT Vocab Set #1

A breeze swept across Nicole's front porch. Her house was small and she could hear the windows rattle in the deleterious wind. Nicole loved bucolic areas; she had always wanted to live in a quite place, alone, away from the city disturbance. She was pleased find that the owner of this small house was magnanimous enough to sell her this home for a price she favored. She loved the house, but contemporary, she felt apprehensive toward it.

Nicole was always dogmatic about finding it alright to live in the rustic grasslands alone, then why had she started meticulously thinking over her actions?

She wrapped herself tighter in her blanket and scrupulously listened. Her heart stopped beating as she thought she heard the door creek. Capriciously, it became arduous to breath. She felt the ominous air around her.

Nicole painstakingly thought again. In a moment, she became an advocate believing that nothing was there. However, she was still fastidious not to synthesize any noise... She knew someone was there. Although she was in the rural, she wasn't alone at all.

Suddenly, Nicole heard the kitchen window shatter and a moment later, she saw a figure dashing to the forest. She shivered.

She was not alone....

(To be continued)..

deleterious - adj. Harmful
bucolic - adj. Rural; Nonurban
magnanimous - adj. Nobel; Generous; Giving
contemporary - adj. Current; Modern
apprehensive  - adj. Anxiety; Fear
dogmatic - adj. Firm/Rigid in beliefs
meticulously - adj. carefully; detailed
scrupulously -adj. Carefully
arduous - adj. difficult
ominous - adj. Threatening; forboding
fastidious -adj. Carefully; fussy
synthesize - v. Create; produce
rural - adj. nonurban; out in the country

Over the Endless Ocean

How big is the ocean exactly? I expect to take you on a breathless adventure with my experiences that left me bewildered up to this day. I still cannot believe something that could take place in less than a second could change one's life forever. How is it that the my only beloved friend could betray me? Can greed truly drive a person to insanity? Drive him to where he loses humanity? Just remember, it only takes one impulsive action to cause the most fatal results.

Where should I start with my story? You might be thinking the beginning. I must tell you, I am uncertain where the beginning starts, because to me, it seems like the ocean has no beginning or end; it goes on forever. Nevertheless, the story both starts and ends in the ocean, so I must began somewhere in the ocean. I will start the day my father, Captain Bixford, left me and my brother, Carl, on an early morning — or was it late at night?  – in 1601.

Although I didn’t know many men, I knew my father was one of the greatest alive. Everyone loved him. He was happy; he was always happy. Even though my father had much to mourn for, he never showed anyone. Similarly, I cannot recall a day when he was ever unfair to anyone. I did not have a big family — only Carl and my father. I knew my mother for only a short period of time because as soon as I was old enough to join Father and the crew, I left home just like Carl had a few years before me. My new home was the ocean. But although I did not have a big family, my father made one for me. Every man on the ship, Gnome, was bound together by heart, trust, and selflessness. I could not ask for anything more. My father was good to every man. Too good.

The memory of my father laying in his hammock that early morning is so clear. Everyone was shaken. Everyone loved my father. As a few prayers were spoken, his body was thrown overboard into the ocean where he belonged. Carl was 15 at the time and I was 12. All of us were heartbroken, but we had to move on. Normally, without a leader, it is difficult to carry on a task. But in the ocean, we MUST go on. It is impossible to stop. We all new this. So shortly, the question was finally asked, “Who would be the next captain?”

No one had the intention of wanting to become a captain; it was a far more difficult job than ever could be thought. It is obvious that the men in the crew were strong, but no one was a true leader like my father. These men were strong, but they were helpless. They needed my father more than he needed them. Or else, who would agree to live most of their life on the ocean?

No one said anything. I remember the look Carl gave me as he told me that we would do it together. We would take tare of the ship Gnome for the crew and for our father. Everyone loved him, and he loved the ocean. Together, we agreed to do this. Together, we trusted each other… and for a while, we stood in silence….

no promises were made….

(to be continued)

Hey everyone, this is the beginning of my blog. I didn’t know exactly where to start or what to write about, so I decided to just create stories. I really would appreciate feedback or maybe suggestions. I am really inexperienced so I apologize. But thank you for reading and I hope that it was enjoyable!!