Describing Places and Situations

1. Describing Places and Situations Dominic Kenneth Wee

3. Caught in a Raging Storm • The crashing sounds went on, as the huge waves rose high and then came smashing down – hard – against each other. A deep, booming burst of thunder rumbled fiercely, followed quickly by bright, blue bolts flashing across the sky. For a brief moment, the sky was illuminated and I was struck at how strange the clouds looked – both bronze and black at the same time, both magnificent and fearsome. • As I continued to stare, it seemed as if the clouds began to move, slowly, gradually, imperceptible at first and then more and more discernible, shaping themselves until they had finally formed a ghastly, ghostly image that haunts my sleep till today.

4. VOCABULARY EXPANSION • illuminated: lit up by lights • magnificent: very good or beautiful, and very impressive • imperceptible: almost impossible to see or notice • discernible: able to see something by looking carefully • ghastly: scary

5. Multi-sensory Approach • Visual imagery • huge waves rose high • bright blue bolts flashing across the sky • sky was illuminated • strange clouds … bronze and black at the same time, both magnificent and fearsome • clouds began to move • shaping themselves … ghastly, ghostly image

6. Multi-sensory Approach • Auditory imagery • Simulation of the sounds of the crashing of the waves • Use of end-rhyme /~ing/ • crashing, smashing, booming, flashing • Repetition of consonant sounds • /s/ • /sh/ • /f/ • /g/ • /b/

8. Sunrise • It happened very suddenly. First the sky began to glow. Then as the flaming orb rose from the horizon, it ignited the sky, causing it to burst into a bright, passionate mix of scarlet and yellow. • I smiled and it seemed as if the genial old sun smiled back. Perhaps it was simply my imagination but in the bright glare I felt sure I even saw an arm waving to me.

9. VOCABULARY EXPANSION • glow: soft steady light • orb: ball-shaped object • ignited: made something startburning • scarlet: bright red • genial: friendly and happy

10. Visual Imagery • glow • flaming orb rose from the horizon • ignited the sky • burst into a bright, passionate mix of scarlet and yellow • bright glare

12. Ominous Skies • Somehow, the towering mountains were engulfed in shadows – shadows that had the profound effect of casting a forbidding and sinister gloom. • It was extremely dark, yet the sky was not overcast; there was not even a single cloud in sight. But at certain moments, it seemed as if the sky was on fire – ablaze with streaks of luminous purple. I could not help feeling it must have been portentous.

13. VOCABULARY EXPANSION • engulfed: completely surrounded or covered • profound: having a strong influence • overcast: dark with clouds • ablaze: burning strongly with a lot of flames • luminous: with quality of shining in the dark • portentous: showing something bad is going to happen

14. Visual imagery • towering mountains … engulfed in shadows • forbidding and sinister gloom • extremely dark, yet … not overcast • not a single cloud in sight • sky was on fire – ablaze with streaks of luminous purple

16. Inside a Hovel • A dank, musty odor permeated the room. It was the nauseating smell of wet and rotting wood. Everything here had been constructed by the owners themselves and although it was poorly, crudely and amateurishly done, they seemed to display a certain blissful pride in it. • Closer inspection revealed the dilapidated state the house was in. The plaster was cracking and peeling, exposing crumbling brick beneath. What was left of the stale, brown wall was stained in large, dark patches – the accumulated grime of numerous years. A small rodent hole near the bottom confirmed my suspicions that the place was now home to more than one set of occupants.

17. VOCABULARY EXPANSION • dank: unpleasantly wet and cold • musty: smelling unpleasant for lack of fresh air • odor: an unpleasant smell • permeated: spread • nauseating: making one feel like vomiting OR sickening • crudely: not developed to a high standard OR made with little skill

18. VOCABULARY EXPANSION • amateurishly: not skillfully done • blissful: extremely happy OR enjoyable • dilapidated: old and in very bad condition • plaster: substance used to make walls smooth • grime: a lot of dirt OR filth • rodent: small animal with long sharp front teeth

19. Multi-sensory Approach • Olfactory imagery (smell) • dank • musty • nauseating smell

20. Multi-sensory Approach • Visual imagery • wet and rotting wood • dilapidated state • plaster was cracking and peeling, exposing crumbling brick • stale brown wall was stained in large, dark patches • accumulated grime of numerous years • small rodent hole

22. An Idyllic Picturesque Setting • Nearby, a small stream meandered gracefully past. The soothing, repetitive sounds of the lapping waves came together in a gentle, hypnotic melody, casting a spell of serene tranquility over the mesmerizing scene. I looked up at the large tree I was sitting under. • Thick, heavy branches and lush, dense foliage provided a cool shelter for my languid afternoons. Only a light patch in the middle showed where the sun had fought – and lost – to break through the impenetrable cover. Quite suddenly, a slight breeze began to pick up, rustling the leaves noisily and rousing me from my reverie.

23. VOCABULARY EXPANSION • meandered: having lots of bends, not going straight • hypnotic: state of one’s mind being controlled • tranquility: pleasantly calm, quiet, and peaceful • mesmerizing: captivating • lush: growing many leaves, looking healthy and strong • dense: thick

24. VOCABULARY EXPANSION • foliage: leaves of a plant • languid: slow or lazy, involving very little energy • rustling: sound made by leaves rubbing together • rousing: awakening • reverie: daydreaming

25. Multi-sensory Approach • Visual imagery • small stream meandered gracefully past • waves • large tree I was sitting under • thick heavy branches • lush, dense foliage • only a light patch in the middle … impenetrable cover • leaves

26. Multi-sensory Approach • Auditory imagery • soothing, repetitive sounds • lapping waves • gentle hypnotic melody • serene tranquility • rustling the leaves • noisily

27. Multi-sensory Approach • Tactile imagery • cool • a slight breeze

29. Lost in a Jungle • I frowned, despondent and angry at the same time, as I looked at the grass and weeds. I would never find it. Overhead, the clouds collected into long, thin rows – like the furrows on a worried forehead. • The undergrowth was at least a meter high. Blade after blade rose up as if in defiance, mocking me, challenging me. I gave in to despair, knowing I would never be able to overcome this miniature jungle of towering trees and tangled undergrowth.

30. VOCABULARY EXPANSION • frowned: making angry (OR unhappy) expression by moving eyebrows together • despondent: extremely unhappy and without hope • mocking: making fun of • despair: feeling of hopelessness • miniature: much smaller than normal • tangled: twisted together in an untidy mass

31. Visual Imagery • grass • weeds • clouds collected into long, thin rows • undergrowth … at least a meter high • blade after blade rose • miniature jungle • towering trees • tangled undergrowth

32. Fluctuations of Thoughts and Feelings • despondent • angry • defiance • mocking • challenging • despair

34. Memories of a Farm • It was all brown. My memories of my childhood days on the farm are dominated by one thing, a color – brown. I can still smell the freshly ploughed earth; to me it is like the fragrant aroma of freshly ground coffee. That, too, is always a dark brown. Sitting in front of the windmill is a barn, a brown barn. • Now it is empty, except for the lonely rake in the corner and an old stack of hay. Once, a long time ago, the farm animals – the chickens, the donkey and even our brown dog – would snuggle in its warmth at the end of the day.

35. VOCABULARY EXPANSION • dominated: having more importance than other things • fragrant: having a pleasant smell • aroma: strong pleasant smell • snuggle: settle into a warm comfortable position

36. Multi-sensory Approach • Visual imagery • all brown • farm • a color – brown • freshly ploughed earth • dark brown • windmill • brown barn

37. Multi-sensory Approach • Visual imagery • empty • lonely rake in the corner • old stack of hay • farm animals • chickens • donkey • brown dog

38. Multi-sensory Approach • Tactile imagery • Warmth

39. Multi-sensory Approach • Olfactory imagery • smell the freshly ploughed earth • fragrant aroma of freshly ground coffee

41. Lost in a Cave • Hanging just above our heads were rows of stalactites, sharp and menacing, that all too distinctly resembled the teeth of a shark. As our cries of help bounced uselessly off the rocky walls, I could not help imagining we were trapped within the jaws of some ferocious beast. We realized we were lost and decided there was no alternative but to hazard a guess – so we went for the tunnel in the middle.

42. Lost in a Cave • It was a terrifying sight. Streams of hot, boiling lava bubbled down the walls, pulsating like throbbing veins. The ground in front of us disintegrated into a pool of moltenmagma, which once in a while let loose a scalding spray of vapor and mist. One false step and it could be the last. It soon dawned on me the reason they called places like this a ‘dead end’.

43. VOCABULARY EXPANSION • stalactites: sharp pointed object hanging from cave roof • menacing: threatening • resembled: looked like • ferocious: violent, dangerous, and frightening OR fierce • hazard: risk • pulsating: making sounds or movements like heart-beats

44. VOCABULARY EXPANSION • throbbing: making low sounds with strong regular beat • disintegrated: broke up into very small pieces • molten: in liquid state because of high temperatures • magma: hot melted rock below surface of Earth • scalding: burning skin with hot liquid or steam • dawned: realized something for the first time

45. Multi-sensory Approach • Visual imagery • rows of stalactites, sharp and menacing • resembled the teeth of a shark • rocky walls • jaws of some ferocious beast • tunnel in the middle • terrifying sight • streams of hot, boiling lava … pulsating like throbbing veins • pool of molten magma • spray of vapor and mist

46. Multi-sensory Approach • Auditory imagery • cries of help bounced uselessly off the rocky walls • bubbled

47. Multi-sensory Approach • Tactile imagery • hot • boiling • scalding