Interactive Vocabulary - Amy E. Olsen 2017

Chapter 21. The Arts
Part V. Careers

Creative Places

NEWS

The Art Scene

Creativity takes courage. —Henri Matisse

As summer begins, let your imaginative side embrace the creativity of artists in various fields. Open your eyes, ears, and fingers to the delights of the artistic world.

Music

If your week has been hectic, unwind with a music-filled weekend. For the lover of classical music, the symphony is featuring a program of Beethoven's later works. Beethoven started losing his hearing in his late 20s and by the time he was in his 40s he was almost completely deaf. Despite his malady, his love of music never wavered. In his final years, he continued to compose powerful works, such as his Ninth Symphony. Enjoy the opportunity to share Beethoven's love of music through the interpreta­tions of our marvelous orchestra.

If you want to create your own music, bring an instrument from home—old bongo drums, a harmonica, maracas—and join in the parade of jubilant music makers who will launch Tune­fest as they march from Central Plaza to Rosewood Park. You don't need to be a proficient musician to join in—just play loudly and have a great time. At the park, relax and take in the sounds of the skilled musicians who will be playing rhythm and blues, reggae, rock, and a whole lot more. Tunefest also features food, games, and surprises throughout the weekend.

Art

Saturday sees the unveiling of numerous sculptures in the downtown area. These works by visionary artists—including Henry Moore, Louise Nevelson, and local innovators—will be on display throughout the summer. The artist's mind imagines combinations of colors and shapes that ask viewers to make their own meanings of these fluid designs. Grab a congenial friend, and find your bliss as you agreeably wander downtown to discover favorite sculptures. Ask yourself whether it's the colors, the shapes, the motion, or a shiny exterior that attracts you to a work. There will surely be several pieces that will bring joy to your hearts.

Booke

It would be impossible for me to lavish too much praise on the fantastic work the organizers have done for this year's Nimble Pen Conference. More than a hundred writers from around the world will share their experiences, read from their works, and happily inscribe personal messages as they sign books. The different perspectives a gathering of such diverse writers brings will challenge your brain and allow for great discussions in the halls of the convention center. Last year, I enjoyed a stimulating two-hour talk with a stranger on the symbolism of lilacs in a passage an author had just shared with us. Get your tickets now! The conference begins next Thursday.

Predicting

For each set, write the definition on the line next to the word to which it belongs. If you are unsure, return to the reading on page 138, and underline any context clues you find. After you've made your predictions, check your answers against the Word List on page 143. Place a checkmark in the box next to each word whose definition you missed. These are the words you'll want to study closely.

Set One

skilled

joyful

an illness

busy and confused

imaginative

□ 1. hectic (line 9) ...

□ 2. malady(line 15) ...

□ 3. jubilant (line 24) ...

□ 4. proficient (line 27) ...

□ 5. visionary (line 37) ...

Set Two

absolute joy

outlooks

to give in large amounts

to write on

pleasant

□ 6. congenial (line 42) ...

□ 7. bliss (line 43) ...

□ 8. lavish (line 50) ...

□ 9. inscribe (line 55) ...

□ 10. perspectives (line 56) ...

Self-Tests

1 In Set One, match each term with its synonym. In Set Two, match each term with its antonym.

Synonyms       Antonyms

Set One      Set Two

1.malady    a. attitude  6. jubilant   f. mean

2. perspective   b. disease  7. proficient   g. small

3. inscribe    c. happiness 8. hectic    h. dejected

4. bliss     d. dreamer 9. Congenial   i. relaxed

5. visionary    e. carve  10. lavish    j. unskilled

2 Complete the sentences by using the vocabulary list below. Use each word once.

Vocabulary list

inscribed visionary hectic  jubilant  congenial

malady lavished proficient  bliss  perspective

1. My ... was destroyed when a water pipe broke, and I had to spend the day fixing it instead of relaxing on the porch with a good book.

2. For my birthday, my husband ... gifts on me from concert tickets to a pearl necklace.

3. With two children under five, my sister finds most of her days to be ... .

4. Laurene is such a ... person that when we spend an afternoon together talking and laughing it seems like minutes.

5. From my ..., the painting doesn't have enough color, but I can see why you like the subject matter.

6. Thi is ... in several arts. She has written a collection of poems, and she sings, dances, and plays the violin extremely well.

7. I ... a note in the book I gave my mother.

8. Malaria is a serious ... that is often found in jungle areas.

9. I consider Willa a(n) ...; things always turn out as she predicts.

10. The return of sunny days after a long winter always makes me ... .

3 Put a T for true or F for false next to each statement.

1. Having to write one e-mail and read a short story would make for a hectic Sunday.

2. A person who can speak Turkish, Spanish, and English is proficient in languages.

3. Insulting one's guests would be the actions of a congenial host.

4. Getting a sports car as a present would be a lavish gift.

5. A person's perspective can change when he or she is given more information.

6. The closing of a popular comedy club would bring its regular customers bliss.

7. One might inscribe a message on an engagement ring.

8. Cancer is a malady that attacks thousands of people.

9. Knowing what happened yesterday would show that you are a visionary.

10. Fans would be jubilant about a season if their team lost all its games.

4 Finish the reading using the vocabulary words. Use each word once.

Vocabulary list

proficient bliss  hectic  maladies  perspective

congenial lavish inscribe  visionary  jubilant

I enjoy delving into various arts though I am not especially (1)... in most of them. I like to paint, sculpt, sing, dance, and write. When my life gets (2)..., I relax by writing in my journal. It helps to put my life in (3)... by chronicling what I have been doing and exploring what is im­portant to me. I also find (4)... by making pots and other objects. For gifts, I like to (5)... a few words to the recipient on the bottom or back of my creations. People seem to like my personal touch.

I want people to feel something when they see what I have made or when they see me perform. My goal is similar to Vincent van Gogh's when he said, "I want to touch people with my art." I am certainly not the (6)... van Gogh was, but I'd say I have a good imagination. I am lucky I don't suffer from any illnesses, such as the one that drove van Gogh into madness. It seems like several artists suffer from (7)..., both physical and mental. On the other hand, a lot of artistic people I have met are quite healthy and very (8)... .They are fun to be around, and we have entertaining times together. I occasionally reflect on the possibility of some day having a career in the arts. I would love to play lively music, write a funny movie, or create a color­ful painting that would make people (9)... . This fall I have the chance to bring joy to others when I will be dancing in a (10)... musical. The show has a full orchestra, more than one hundred dancers, and flashy costumes. Our community theater has never before done such an extravagant performance. It is going to be great!

Interactive Version: Imagine you are writing The Art Scene page for your local paper. Write a review about a new art exhibit that contains the works below. Use at least six of the vocabulary words in your write-up. Feel free to add word endings (i.e., -s, -ing, or -ly) as needed.

Word Part Reminder

Below are a few exercises, to help you review the word parts you have been learning. Fill in the missing word part from the list, and circle the meaning of the word part found in each sentence. This reminder focuses on roots from all three Word Parts chapters. Refer to the Word Parts list on the inside back cover to find the page number if you need to look back at any of the chapters.

spect

path

lab

chron

1. To make sure we meet at the same time, let's syn...ize our watches.

2. I knew Diana wasn't feeling well after breaking up with her boyfriend, so I invited her over for ice cream and sym...y.

3. My neighbor is a scientist, and he gets to work in a ...oratory, which sounds exciting to me.

4. Timmy didn't look out the window and catch us with the pinata or gifts; he doesn't su...a thing about his surprise party.

Words to Watch

Which words would you like to practice with a bit more? Pick 3-5 words to study, and list them below. Write the word and its definition, and compose your own sentence using the word correctly. This extra practice could be the final touch to learning a word.