LOVE

Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love is eternal. True love is everlasting, perpetual and timeless.

There are two types of people in the world, someone once said: those who come into a room and say, Here I am and those who come in and say Ah there you are. How different are those two approaches. One says Look at me or I need attention and the other says, Tell me about yourself. One says I am important but the other says You are important. One says the world revolves around me but the other says I am here to serve you.

Even after all this time

The sun never says to the earth, “You owe me”.

Look what happens with a Love like that!

-It lights the whole sky.

Love is often associated with light and hate is associated with dark. So, it is rightly said that there are two paths-The path of Love and The path of hate.

Love is mutually feeding each other not one living on another like a ghoul. Love is not a single feeling but an emotion built from two or more feelings. Anything vital to us creates more than one feeling, and we also have feelings about our feelings (and thoughts about our feelings). A person can be said to love a country, principle, or goal if they value it greatly and are deeply committed to it. Interpersonal love refers to love between human beings. It is a more potent sentiment than a simple liking for another. Be it between two lovers, husband and wife, between two or more friends, between mother and a child, between a teacher and a student, between a patriotic and his nation, between an extremist and his region, and between a follower and religion, love has to be two-sided.

The simplest interpretation of love is that it’s an emotion, a feeling, a highly favorable disposition towards a person, a living being, a thing or an idea. But it is much more than that. It is a powerful positive force. Love is to spirituality what gravity is to physics. Gravity lends weight and stability to the physical bodies, love does the same top our spiritual being. Gravity is not dependent on anything outside. But though it arises from the body itself, it exists and has a meaning only in relation to other bodies. The same is true of love. Last but not the least both negate non-duality and work towards unity.

“Heaven will take you back and look at you and say:

only one thing can make a soul complete and that thing is Love”

This quote illustrates the connection between love and spirituality.

Love is the extremely difficult realization that something other than oneself is real. It is the discovery of that reality. Love binds, unites and brings people together. It does not teach us to fight, insult or humiliate one another but teaches us to tolerate, respect and endure one another. Love does not just sit there like a stone, it has to be made like bread; remade all the time anew. Love is one of the answers humankind invented to stare death in the face: time ceases to be a measure and we can briefly experience paradise.

But do we ever get love and respect by demanding it from our dear ones or do we need to earn it by way of giving them the freedom to live their lives peacefully without attaching strings? Love is for giving and not for taking. The paradox is that when we give love to others unconditionally and without any expectations we get it back in plenty without even asking for it.

Small Things

Courtesy means being kind and polite to others. It costs nothing to be considerate and gentle to our fellow men. A kind, courteous person is likely to make friends more easily than a rude person. He can easily charm people with his easy manners, gentleness and kindness. People often make enemies for the simple reason that they are callous and uncouth. They do not think twice before speaking rudely and are totally oblivious of the effect their behavior has on others. It certainly is not a sign of good upbringing. Where kind words can cheer the heart of a desolate soul, unkind words can plunge him into a deeper depression. One does not realize how much harm one can do by being unpleasant and impolite. One should never forget one’s manners at any time in life. You never know when your kind words may fill a heart with cheer and happiness and earn you the blessing of that person. It feels good to make others happy, especially when it costs nothing.

The greatest antidote and the most effective medicine for all ills is nothing but compassion. It is the balm to cure all pains and the therapy for healing all wounds. The feeling of compassion should be all-emulsive, all-pervading and universal. It should include everything. Because if something or someone is left out, then it is not real compassion. And to be exact, it has got nothing to do with something or someone in particular; it is all about one’s inner state. Prayer and meditation are steps that can help one attain compassion. Since compassion is the most purified form of love, it has got its therapeutic values. It corrects, purifies and heals. In the present world, where selfishness is the most prominent feature, compassion will go a long way in ensuring the reformation of the world. If all of us decide to be a little more caring, concerned and responsible towards our fellow beings, the world will definitely turn out to be a better place to live.

The ultimate aim of human life is happiness. We are all seeking happiness. But it is a most elusive thing. The reason lies in people’s wrong values, interests and pursuits. They equate happiness with acquisition of worldly goods. But happiness does not come from outside. It is a state of mind. It comes when a person learns to live in harmony with himself, accepts his weaknesses and strengths, adapts to his environment and remains calm in the face of difficulties. Thus, comes a state of inner calm and acceptance of the reality of life. This state of inner satisfaction cannot be achieved by winning a lottery or getting a windfall. This is why, sometimes even the wealthiest people are unhappy, whereas a poor worker, who gets his wages in the evening after the daylong hard work, may be able to snatch moments of happiness out of temporary relief from day to day anxieties. He may remain cheerful and enjoy the small things he can buy with his wages.

Life is not a bed of roses. We have to face hardships and obstacles at every step in life. Therefore, in order to live, man must have a sense of humor to lighten his burden. The ability to laugh at our self is a rare gift. Most people are so stuck up that they cannot take a joke at their expense. They are always serious and bear life as if it is a cross to be carried out of compulsion. They make life doubly hard for themselves because of their inability to see humor in anything. A fully great person is able to laugh at the most absurd things. He does not allow life to rob him of his capacity to laugh. He has the wisdom to turn away from the realities of life occasionally and look for small things that can cheer him and lift his spirits. Undoubtedly, a man with a sense of humor is likely to sail through life with less difficulty than a man who is too serious minded for his own good. Humor is the salt of life, as it enables a man to swallow the bitterest realities with a smile.

Leadership

Leadership is not a quality. It is an experience that an individual who has undergone personal growth and transformation radiates. This is the simple truth. There are so many books these days about leadership and how it is an important part of making an organization successful. There are so many leadership gurus who teach and train people in organizations to ‘develop’ leadership. Yet when we look at all organizations, be it business, government services, or in the area of social services, true leaders are rare. A true leader is a person who is ready to take responsibility consciously and is able to respond spontaneously to situations. He is fresh in his ideas and continuously keeps himself alive.

Which is a better way to prepare young people for leadership: developing in them a spirit of competitiveness or one of cooperation? The chief reason why we should stress cooperation in nurturing young people today is that as tomorrow’s leaders they will face pressing societal problems that simply cannot be solved apart from cooperative international efforts. For example, all nations will need to cooperate in an effort to disarm themselves of weapons of mass destruction; to reduce consumption of the Earth’s finite natural resources; and to cure and prevent diseases before they become global epidemics. Otherwise, we all risk self-destruction. In short, global peace, economic stability, and survival of the species provide powerful reasons for stressing cooperation over competition.

A second compelling reason for instilling in young people a sense of cooperation over competition is that effective leadership depends less on the latter than the former. A leader should show that he or she values the input of subordinates-for example, by involving them in decisions about matters in which they have a direct stake, otherwise, subordinates might grow to resent their leader and this can completely destroy the spirit of effective leadership. In extreme cases they might even sabotage that mission, or might even take their useful ideas to competitors. And after all, without other people worth leading a person cannot be a leader-let alone an effective one.

A third reason why instilling a sense of cooperation is to be preferred over instilling a sense of competition is that the latter serves to narrow a leader’s focus on thwarting the efforts of competitors. With such tunnel vision it is difficult to develop other, more creative means of attaining organizational objectives. While competitive spirit is necessary especially in a business environment, it should not undermine cooperation.

Most of us achieve the status of a leader, but not the state. State is totally different from status. Status comes from society and ‘state’ means our inner space. Our inner space should be mature enough to handle the responsibility, which we assume.

Each of us is a potential leader. The quality of leadership arises from one’s ability to take responsibility for a particular organization, a situation or a particular group with tremendous awareness and maturity. Leadership is simply a conscious choice made by an individual to act out of deep sensitivity and awareness to one’s situation and surrounding. Then automatically, the inner space will start transforming and send out the right the right words and actions.

Beauty

Beauty is the most charming and enchanting gifts of God. Beauty is a characteristic not limited to a particular object, person, place, or idea but perhaps is exhibited in most multitudes. Beauty is described as being in balance and harmony with nature. Something beautiful is a pleasure to look at so beauty provides meaning and satisfaction and its harmonious character leads to feelings of attraction towards that particular object or person. Beauty is inherent in almost every creation of nature. Human creativity and imagination can also create beauty. Beauty is perceived differently by different people. The sunset, a sculpture, a painting, a valley, a waterfall, snow capped mountains, a woman and a butterfly are all beautiful in different contexts. One may appreciate and enjoy watching the sun set but may not be able to envision the beauty of life. Two people may not appreciate the beauty of the same painting and two men may not find the same woman attractive. Some try to perceive things in black and white while others tend to enjoy a colorful life.

Symmetry can increase beauty. There is a strong connection between mathematics and beauty although it may seem odd. Objects proportioned according to the golden ratio are often more attractive as it lends a factor of symmetry. People whose facial features are symmetric and proportioned according to the golden ratio are considered more attractive than those whose faces are not.

“Beauty is the summation of the parts working together in such a way

that nothing has to be added, taken away, or altered.”

Inner beauty is a concept used to describe the positive effects of something that is not physically observable. Personality, intelligence, grace, charm and elegance constitute inner beauty. Health, youthfulness, sexiness, symmetry and complexion constitute outer beauty.

“It’s beauty that captures your attention; personality which captures your heart.”

“Beauty is indeed a gift of God; but that the good may not think it is a

great good, God dispenses it even to the wicked.” – St. Augustine

Beauty of a sword

Can beauty be associated with symbols of power? Yes. Emperors always paid special emphasis on how their swords were forged, how they were bejeweled, purity of the metals used and other ornate carvings and writings. Similarly in the modern world expensive cars which are style icons and symbols of power have beautiful bends in their design and leather bound books with gold lettering are used to attract collectors.

Beauty of life

“Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the                                           smiling faces. Smell the rain and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams.”

Life is beautiful in all its forms and manifestations. The colorful butterflies, the striped zebra, the spotted leopard and the dancing peacock all demonstrate beauty in life. Life unravels in the most unexpected ways; destiny shapes life and carves out a distinct pattern of events for every living being. Future can never be predicted but there is one thing about future, it changes every time you look at it and the change is because you looked at it. At many times you may find yourself at crossroads with many possible outcomes. They say life is simple if lived truthfully but it is a fact that simple things are the most difficult to master, masters are those who perfect the art of simplicity. Life is a mystery and that is what makes it interesting and beautiful to live.

Transition

Communications and social interactions have graduated from human messengers, letters, and cinemas to online messengers, e-mail services, websites, social networking sites, mobile phones, clubs and organizations, pubs and discotheques. Public recreation encompasses one of the largest business empires in the world. Multiplexes, restaurants, pubs and discos have promoted recreation and social integration on a gigantic scale.  The online services have lead to massive information sharing, mail messages can be sent to opposite ends of the planet in a matter of seconds. Internet provides such a vast amount of information and knowledge base that specialists in various fields can hardly claim to be the only sources of information. Online groups have lead to new forms of protest. Even politics and law are adopting these new mediums of communication. Net banking provides the service of buying any product or subscribing to any service from opposite ends of the world.

Mobile phones have brought in a revolution in connecting people. One can always see youngsters chatting and talking endlessly on their latest gizmos, exchanging loving messages for just ten paisa. Teens just can’t live without a cell phone as music, videos, pictures, and friends are their life. As compared to two decades ago, we can often hear youngsters say, “I want to enjoy, everything else is so boring. For this tech-savvy generation letters have been replaced by SMS and e-mails and for may even books have been replaced by accessing information on net, gaming, partying and just having fun. Children have become net addicts and gaming zealots. While internet and cell phones have revolutionized communications, the negative effects have to be countered.

This fun-loving generation with bulging pockets wishes to party all night. Discos and pubs are doing robust business. The fundamentalists are furious over this social and cultural change and are trying to dictate their own moral codes. Attacks on pubs by right wing groups are becoming frequent. The annual hullabaloo over Valentine’s Day is only getting fiercer by the year. Incidents of intimacy among boys and girls in public places and attempts by police and senior citizens to prevent them are also commonplace. These plus the trend toward live-in relationship that is catching up in metropolitan cities are all indicative of the changing social mores with which the Indian society is yet to come to terms.

The friction that one hears and reads about in India is the result of the pangs of transformation that the society is going through. There is a lot that has indeed changed. Globalization and faster means of communication and travel is definitely speeding up the process. While it is necessary to ensure that youngsters don’t indulge in bad habits such as drug abuse in the guise of having fun but one fails to understand why the police is unable to curb moral policing. The onus for ensuring a smooth social transition lies with the government, which must not only bring about laws that are in tune with the changing times but ensure that these are enforced fiercely. Under the circumstances, it is imperative that the laws are updated. Equipped with antiquated laws, police are often at a loss to take action against self-righteous groups who assume the right of moral policing.

Disillusioned

Life has many elevations and depressions of varying altitudes and depths. An elevation may occur in stature, in fortune, in influence, and in knowledge. A depression may occur in stature, in fortune, in influence but not in knowledge. Knowledge is an ever expanding investment. There are phases in life when we say everything is normal and according to plan, there are phases when these plans storm ahead and we say, “Oh God! Was I so deserving” and then there are phases when every good plan turns into a bed of thorns, we stare into an abyss and say, “All is lost.”

Emotions also sketch their own graph in life. There are states when we are contended with whatever we have, there are states when we are overwhelmed and there are states when we completely devoid of all energy. The two extremities of emotions are ‘extreme joy’ or ‘ecstasy’ and ‘grief’. Like emotions, status also has many names. There are prosperous times when we don’t have to look back and then there are times of downfall when we start perceiving everything in black and white and lose all hope. During happy times, one makes several friends who hope to profit from our sudden turn of fortune and during grief such friends change color like a chameleon. So who is our support during a tempest?

A wise man never forgets the existence of the supernatural who he believes to dispense justice at all times. “God observes everything but waits to test our patience and virtues.” Remember God for having bestowed happiness upon you during good times and don’t wail about how God allowed this to happen during grief. But do we really remember God in prosperous times? Don’t we pride ourselves on what we have accomplished and are audacious enough to say, “Without anybody’s help.” Don’t we overlook the misfortune of others and say, “They got what they deserved.” How we declare unjustified and undeserving the sudden turn of luck and fortune for someone, “How on Earth did he pull this off.”

So how do we forget God in good times and then repent and pray during bad times. How come we celebrate our success and abhor somebody else’s good fortune. How come we neglect to say our prayers and remember them when at the brink of a disaster? To the happy and prosperous man prayer is but a meaningless jumble of words until grief comes to explain to the unfortunate wretch the sublime language which is our means of communication with God. “How boring”, we say when we try to read the Holy Scriptures and “Bravo”, we say when are watching an action packed movie. We learn about how ‘truth’ is important but after numerous lies we are quick to say, “I am not Harish Chandra.” We learn about how ‘love’ is important but loathe and hate our neighbor who has loads of money. We even try to seek a place in heaven without practicing the virtues of truthful living and try to weigh the material aspects of our life. Measure your deeds not your wealth. Money and material things never accompany you at your deathbed but the deeds of your lifetime are stamped on your forehead. To seek ‘God’ and ‘heaven’ we must seek truth and impart the message of ‘love’.

“Be Like” Advertisements

Advertisements are used to introduce a product into the market and call attention towards it to target the consumers. They portray people we want to “be like” using that product so that we are inspired into buying the product and feeling better that we are using a product which is endorsed by our superhero. Businesses rope in the glitterati to endorse their products and thus hitch a ride on the euphoria created among consumers by such ads. But do many ads actually use this technique to sell products in the first place. Many ads also use emotions, costumes, celebrations, and animations for delivering messages in an effective way. There is no particular success model for advertisements.

The majority of ads provide some sort of model that most consumers in the target market would want to emulate or “be like.” While some ads actually portray people who are the opposite of what the viewer would want to “be like,” these ads invariably convey the explicit message that to avoid being like the person in the ad the consumer must buy the advertised product. The technique of portraying models is certainly effective in selling products otherwise advertisers would not use it so persistently.

The claim that the “be like” ads are effective because they help people who buy the advertised products feel better about themselves is specious. Consumers lured by the hope of “being like” the person in an ad might experience some initial measure of satisfaction in the form of an ego boost. However, this sense of optimism is ephemeral, invariably giving way to disappointment that the purchase did not live up to its implicit promise.

One informative example of this false hope involves the dizzying array of diet aids, skin and fairness creams, and fitness machines available today. The people in ads for these products are youthful, fit and attractive-what we all want to “be like.” And the ads are effective in selling these products; today’s health-and-beauty market feeds a multi-billion dollar industry. But the end result for the consumer is an unhealthy preoccupation with physical appearance and youth, which often leads to low self-esteem, eating disorders, injuries from over-exercise and so forth. And these problems are sure signs of consumers who feel worse, not better, about themselves as a result of having relied on the false hope that they will “be like” the model in the ad.

Another informative example involves products that pander to our desire for socioeconomic status. Ads for luxury cars and upscale clothing typically portray people with lucrative careers living in exclusive neighborhoods. A certain line of products would hardly have contributed even one iota to the socioeconomic success of the person being portrayed in these ads. The end result for the consumer is envy of others that can afford even more expensive possessions, and ultimately low self-esteem based on feelings of socioeconomic inadequacy.

So, it can be concluded that while ads portraying people we want to “be like” are undoubtedly effective in selling products, they are equally ineffective in helping consumers feel better about themselves. In fact, the result is a sense of false hope, leading ultimately to disappointment and a sense of failure and inadequacy-in other words, feeling worse about ourselves.

Decoding Terror

History reveals that spies, strategists, hired assassins and fanatics have always been used by empires to further their goals, weaken their enemies and conquer new territories. Wars have been launched to conquer holy lands and propagate their own religions. The terrorist of modern times has progressed. A suicide bomber can take the lives of thousands of people in jam packed buildings and markets. The aim is to induce an element of fear and lately also to gain publicity. If we seriously believe the cliché ‘Terrorists have no religion’, we are only fooling ourselves. It definitely is religion as understood and followed by them that terrorists get their inspiration from. As children, they are taught to hate their perceived enemies and they grow up blindly slaughter innocents. It is religion that divides and separates people who have the same ethnicity and language and eventually leads them to commit barbaric acts against their neighbors.

How are acts of terrorism justified by the perpetrators of such crimes? The irony of history is that what is seen as an act of terrorism by one section of society is hailed as liberalization movement or assertion of human rights by some other section of society. This concept is exploited by fundamentalists and organizations that create terrorists. Thus, a Muslim may incite his followers to violence, or indulge in it himself, but he still remains a pillar of the community as long as he performs ritual namaz, goes on Hajj and abstains from pork. A Hindu may do likewise, but as long as he donates to temples, goes on pilgrimage, does not eat beef and holds bovine life more sacred than human, he will pass muster. Without misinterpretation of religion, you’d have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, it takes religion. So after ‘Islamic terrorism’ there is now ‘Hindu terrorism’, just as we once had ‘Sikh terrorism’ and Christian terrorism in Ireland. Terror is a by-product of misinterpreted religion. This is the evil we must fight. Denial will not get us anywhere.

Strangely this same element of relativity has also been amply exploited by most of the countries that matter, to serve their imperialist and expansionist needs. Intelligence agencies of most of these countries have indulged in covert operations and clandestine warfare to destabilize their adversaries, by supporting armed rebellion and unrest in these countries. The phenomenal rise of global terrorism has been largely reactive, driven by one brutal ploy after another by the western powers, and mostly the US. The Islamic fundamentalism sponsored by the US to promote its strategic interests against the Soviet forces in Afghanistan lead to the creation of al-Qaida and Taliban which quickly turned into a Frankenstein’s monster and turned their fangs towards their creator.

Global terrorism is now a global threat and no country can fight it in isolation. Terrorism has assumed the features of a globalized criminal activity which is able to reach and hit any state and any population. Two issues which arise in the context of terrorism are the problem of definition and that of providing jurisdiction to an international tribunal to deal with such a crime. The definition of terrorism has eluded the academia in the world till date. This has been a hindrance to the formulation of specific legislation on the subject of terrorism. Nations that commonly share the threats of global terrorism should come together and eliminate terrorism through diplomatic efforts and overt military strikes, avoiding covert attacks. And this has to start with a Global Intelligence Task Force to Eliminate Terrorism.

Megapolis

Cities have always been centers of excellence, knowledge, research, economics, power, culture and intellect. What does a magnificent city offer its country? From finance to trade to architecture to artistic grandeur, a city becomes a brand ambassador for marketing the image of the country across the world. A city drives its ambitious citizens to excel and leave their mark on the world stage. A city encapsulates all walks of life and attracts people from distant lands. Some of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world are Athens, Beirut, Jerusalem, Varanasi and Damascus. Banaras (Varanasi) was a polestar of knowledge and education in ancient India.

So what should a megapolis consist of? Should India start planning new cities? Global cities…..

The concept of a global city means a city that has a direct and tangible effect on global affairs through socioeconomic means. The Chinese have always believed that bigger is better, contrast this: Delhi is 1,480 sq km and Beijing is 16,807 sq km. It is characteristic of any economy that sustains fast pace of growth over a longish period that the share of population living off agriculture comes down and the share of population living off services and industry goes up. An increasing proportion of those engaged in services and industry would live in towns rather than in villages.

If India’s population grows at 1.3 % over the next one and a half decades, its size would be 136 crore. India was 28% urban, according to the 2001 census. It’s probably 32% urban by now. It is more than likely that more than half the population would be urban by mid-2020s. That would mean an additional 32 crore people living in towns rather than in the countryside. If we don’t want this multitude crowding the existing towns, we need to build a whole lot of new towns and improve infrastructure in the existing ones. If we assume a population density of 12,000 people per sq km, we would need to construct about 20,000 sq km-that would be a dozen new cities each the size of Delhi over the next 15 yrs.

Two key components of a well planned city are infrastructure and mass transit systems. Infrastructure is the services and facilities necessary for an economy to function. Infrastructure constitutes roads, railways, water supply, sewers, power grids, airports, canals, seaports, bridges, telecommunications and so forth. It facilitates the production of goods and services. A large city requires a mass transit system to ease burden on various resources. Public transportation can consist of buses, subways, trolleys, trams, light rails, commuter trains, and monorails. The environmental impact of public transport is lower than private due to less use of land area and energy. A Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) should be formed for any urbanized area with a population greater than 500,000.

Global recession has lead to build-up of overcapacity or a demand slowdown. Addressing this perception is the key to counter a cyclical slowdown in economy. The government should announce plans to construct brand new cities, each spread out over at least 1,000 sq km, and work on at least one should begin to provide necessary fiscal stimulus. The government would have to spend only on the initial phase and private players would be only too happy to participate vigorously. Expenditure in the first phase would provide immediate stimulus, assured demand would sustain investment and the created output would add to India’s productivity.

The Wonder of Words

Words are the carriers of communication and emotions. The one and only common characteristic of outstandingly successful people is “an extensive knowledge of the exact meaning of English words”. Vocabulary is one indication of intelligence. Learning power measurably sharpens when vocabulary increases. Why is a good working vocabulary such a definite asset to have? Words are the tools of thinking. It naturally follows, then, that the more words you have at your command, the clearer and more accurate your thinking will be. We read, we study, we understand, we write with them. You may have a “feeling” or an amorphous idea or a vague sense about something. But it will not become a clearly defined image until we become a kind of sculptor. A sculptor shapes his feeling or idea by molding clay until the image he has in mind emerges. We, as sculptors of ideas, mold a possible thought into what is clear and understandable by using the right words.

Though you may not be aware of it consciously, the fact is you have always had an interest in language. The day you were born you attempted to express your feelings and you’ve been trying to do so ever since. You were taught to read and you found out writers could use words as weapons, as humor, to instruct or to create emotions. Words are your medium of exchange, the coin with which you do business with all those around you. With words you relate to people, communicate your feelings and thoughts to them, influence them, persuade them, and control them. In short, through words you shape your own destiny. In vocabulary building, the problem is not so much finding new words or even finding out what they mean. The problem is to remember them, to fix them permanently in your mind. If all you know about a word is its meaning, you do not know the word. If you meet someone unusual, you want to know more than her name; you want to know where she comes from, what she does. It’s the same with words. If you know where they come from (their derivation) and what they do in a sentence, then you know the words. A dictionary sometimes gives you this information. Avail yourself of it every time you can.

Let’s test your word power and spelling power.

Word Power

1)   aficionado

A: expert             B: good friend              C: guide           D: ardent fan

2)   impresario

A: magician         B: mountebank              C: organizer     D: impersonator

3)   inveigle

A:  to complicate             B: entice                C: denounce       D: break into

4)   Herculean

A: immensely difficult      B: violent             C: reckless            D: creative

5)   torpid

A: hot and heavy              B: rapid                  C: sluggish          D: dangerous

6)   crescendo

A: wavy motion               B: gradual increase    C: shrillness    D: decreasing pace

7)   quintessence

A: embodiment            B: allowance               C: mannerism       D: curiosity

8)   nadir

A: difficult obstacle           B: large number         C: anniversary     D: lowest point

9)   nemesis

A: accident            B: trusted advisor              C: punisher            D: idol

10)   mendacious

A: tattered         B: outrageous          C: not truthful                   D: poor

11)   impasse

A: impractical condition      B: confrontation    C: bewilderment   D: stalemate

12)   mesmerize

A: to polish        B: bewilder         C: day-dream           D: hypnotize

13)   Machiavellian

A: crafty              B: weird             C: straightforward        D: practical

14)   cartel

A: credit        B: two-wheeled wagon          C: small map         D: group of businesses

15)   collage

A: art collection    B: educational institute         C: picture made from fragments                                  D: one-color painting

16)   magnanimity

A: hearty enjoyment             B: great enthusiasm            C: nobility of spirit                                 D: soundness of judgment

17)   wannabe

A: career woman       B: homeless teenager      C: dedicated follower  D: lazy person

18)   fastidious

A: sentimental            B: intolerant         C: difficult to please         D: crucial

19)   esoteric

A: ancient               B: hard to understand        C: wondrous       D: light and frothy

20)   onerous

A: possessive       B: independent           C: selfish           D: burdensome

21)   troika

A: soviet bureaucrat      B: type of pastry    C: hang-gliding maneuver  D: group of three

22)   inveterate

A: irresistible             B: shameless         C: habitual             D: in retirement

23)   conjecture

A: explanation        B: pledge                 C: joint                D: guess

24)   acquiescence

A: collective opinion    B: passive consent           C: lacking interest       D: control

25)   intrepid

A: timid                    B: honest                 C: tasteless                 D: very brave

26)   smithereens

A: list                    B: broken pieces         C: hotchpotch            D: garments

27)   semblance

A: agreement          B: optical illusion             C: likeness       D: clarity

28)   panache

A: cure-all        B: good-natured banter       C: disorder     D: verve, spirited

29)   hyperbole

A: soft ball    B: high tension   C: enlargement of an organ   D: exaggerated statement

30)   aeon

A: interval        B: period in history        C: eternity           D: long journey

Answer Key: 1) D  2) C  3) B  4) A  5) C  6) B  7) A  D  9) C  10) C  11) D  12) D

13) A  14) D  15) C  16) C  17) C  18) C  19) B  20) D  21) D  22) C  23) D  24) B  25) D

26) B  27) C  28) D  29) D  30) C

Vocabulary ratings:

21 or more correct………………………..excellent

14-20 correct……………………………..good

7-13 correct……………………………..fair

Below 7…………………………………poor

Spelling Power

Choose the correct one:

1. a. supprise                   b. surprise
2. a. definitely                  b. definately
3. a. priviledge                  b. privilege
4. a. incidently                  b. incidentally
5. a. predictible                b. predictable
6. a. occurance                  b. occurrence
7. a. reccomend                b. recommend
8. a. irresistible                 b. irresistable
9. a. occassional                   b. occasional
10. 10. a. repetition                   b. repitition
11. a. dissipate                    b. disippate
12. 12. a. descriminate               b. discriminate
13. a. description                  b. discription
14. a. truely                          b. truly
15. 15. a. assistant                      b. asisstant
16. 16. a. grammer                     b. grammar
17. 17. a. drunkeness                  b. drunkenness
18. 18. a. embarassment            b. embarrassment
19. 19. a. noticeable                  b. noticable
20. 20. a. developement              b. development

Answer Key: 1) b  2) a  3) b  4) b  5) b  6) b  7) b  a  9) b  10) a  11) a  12) b  13) a

14) b   15) a  16) b  17) b  18) b  19) a  20) b