Rhythm

 

TEST ENGLISH B1

https://test-english.com/use-of-english/b1/ 

https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/exams-and-tests/preliminary/preparation/

PRONUNCIATION

https://www.englishclub.com/pronunciation/ 

Homophones

homophones 

https://www.examenglish.com/PET/PET_writing.html 

https://www.flo-joe.co.uk/preliminaryenglish/pet-writing-practice-tests.htm

https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/skills/writing/b1-writing

https://test-english.com/writing/b1/how-to-write-an-article/

TO MAKE A PRAIRIE BY DICKINSON compared to Pascoli

 

To make a prairie it takes a clover and one bee—
One clover, and a bee,
And revery.
The revery alone will do,
If bees are few.

In this brief, five-line poem we can find several themes central to Dickinson’s work: imagination, nature, and the inner life of the mind.

Imagination as Creative Force-At first glance, the poem appears to be a literal recipe for a prairie—requiring clover and a bee. But Dickinson quickly shifts the focus with the word “revery” (a dreamlike or meditative state). -FANTASTICHERIA

She’s not talking about physical creation, but imaginative creation. A single bee and clover can be enough to evoke the vastness of a prairie in the mind. And if even those aren’t available, revery alone will do.

This means that imagination is not just powerful, but sufficient. It suggests the mind’s ability to conjure entire worlds from almost nothing—one of Dickinson’s most recurring beliefs.

Minimalism and Essence Minimal language to express complex ideas

Solitude and Self-Sufficiency There’s also a subtle celebration of solitude here

Meaning

“To make a prairie” is a celebration of the imagination. Dickinson reminds us that the external world is not the only source of beauty and meaning—our inner world, through reverie, can be just as vast and sustaining. It’s a testament to the power of thought, memory, and poetic vision.

Comparison: Dickinson and Pascoli

1. Use of Nature as Symbol

• Dickinson uses nature—here, a clover and a bee—as minimal symbols to represent vast imaginative possibilities. The prairie becomes a metaphor for what the mind can create.
• Pascoli, especially in poems like "L’assiuolo" or "Il gelsomino notturno", also draws from small natural images (an owl’s cry, the scent of jasmine) to evoke profound emotional or existential states.

Both poets see nature not as scenery, but as a key to inner experience.

2. Power of Imagination and Inner World

• In “To make a prairie”, Dickinson ultimately claims that the dream alone is enough—imagination is self-sufficient.
• Similarly, Pascoli develops the concept of the “fanciullino” (the child within), whose pure gaze can transform ordinary reality into mystery and meaning through poetic imagination.

They both celebrate a kind of mental autonomy, where external reality is less important than how it is perceived or imagined.

3. Simplicity and Symbolism

• Dickinson's poem is incredibly short, almost aphoristic, yet symbolic and layered.
• Pascoli’s style, though more lyrical and rich in sound patterns, often hinges on simple, concrete images that open up to symbolic or metaphysical interpretations.

Example from Pascoli’s “Il gelsomino notturno”:

E s’aprono i fiori notturni,
nell’ora che penso ai miei cari.
[...]
È l’alba: si chiudono i petali
un poco gualciti...                                                                                                                                                                                             Here, the flowers' nocturnal blooming reflects the mystery of love, memory, and perhaps even death—just as Dickinson's bee and clover reflect a mind creating vastness from the minimal.

EMILY DICKINSON

 

What's offbeat vocabulary?

 Offbeat vocabulary refers to unusual, quirky, unexpected, or unconventional word choices — words that stand out because they are not commonly used in typical speech or writing, or because they are used in an unexpected context.

Characteristics of Offbeat Vocabulary:

• Rare or archaic words 

• Invented  words 

• Playful or whimsical language

• Surprising metaphors or combinations (e.g., calling hope “the thing with feathers”)

Example from Emily Dickinson:

In “Hope is the thing with feathers,” Dickinson uses offbeat vocabulary in a few ways:

• Metaphorical phrasing: “Hope is the thing with feathers” – calling hope a bird is imaginative and unconventional.

• Verb choices: “Perches,” “abash,” “crumb” – not unusual words on their own, but used in unexpected ways or settings.

• Syntax and punctuation: Her use of dashes and capitalization creates a distinctive, offbeat rhythm and feel.

Why use offbeat vocabulary?

• To create a memorable image or tone

• To surprise the reader or subvert expectations

• To convey complex or abstract ideas in fresh ways

• To express a unique voice

ABASH

The word "abash" means to make someone feel embarrassed, disconcerted, or ashamed.

Definition:

• Verb (used with an object)

• To destroy the self-confidence, poise, or self-possession of; to embarrass or humiliate.

Example from Emily Dickinson’s poem "Hope is the thing with feathers":

"That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm –"

In this context, "abash" means to discourage, unsettle, or silence the bird (which symbolizes hope). Dickinson is saying that it would take a very strong storm (a metaphor for hardship) to shake or embarrass hope.

Synonyms:

• Embarrass

• Humble

• Fluster

• Disconcert

What's a slant rhyme?

 Slant rhymes are rhyming structures with words that share similar sounds but aren't exactly perfect rhymes. They can be words that have the same consonant sounds with different vowel sounds, or the same vowel sounds with different consonant sounds.

Emily Dickinson is known for using slant rhyme in her poetry. In “Not any higher stands the Grave,” she uses a perfect rhyme with “Men” and “Ten” in the first stanza, then breaks expectations by using a slant rhyme with “Queen” and “Afternoon” in the second.

“Not any higher stands the Grave
For Heroes than for Men –
Not any nearer for the Child
Than numb Three Score and Ten –

This latest Leisure equal lulls
The Beggar and his Queen
Propitiate this Democrat
A Summer’s Afternoon –

 

The children’s nursery rhyme “This Little Piggy” features slant rhyme with the words “home” and “none.”

“This little piggy went to market,
This little piggy stayed home,
This little piggy had roast beef,
This little piggy had none,
And this little piggy cried ‘wee wee wee’ all the way home.”

Examples of Slant Rhyme in the Poem:

Here’s the full first stanza for reference:

“Hope” is the thing with feathers –
That perches in the soul –
And sings the tune without the words –
And never stops – at all –

1. “soul” / “all” (Lines 2 and 4)

• These words do not rhyme exactly but have similar vowel sounds, making them a slant rhyme.

• "soul" ends in an "ol" sound and "all" in an "all" sound — not identical, but close enough to create an echo.

Here’s another stanza with potential slant rhymes:

And sweetest – in the Gale – is heard –
And sore must be the storm –
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm –

2. “heard” / “Bird” (Lines 1 and 3)

• This is closer to an imperfect rhyme than a perfect one. While both end in a "rd" sound, the vowels differ slightly.

• Depending on pronunciation, this could be interpreted as either a slant rhyme or a perfect rhyme. Dickinson often played with sound in this way.

Overall, Dickinson’s use of slant rhyme in this poem contributes to its lyrical quality without being overly predictable, mirroring the elusive and persistent nature of hope itself. 

 

ULYSSES 10 notes

 

THE UK SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT VS THE ITALIAN ONE

 INSTITUTIONS- The British political system vs The Italian political system

INSTITUTIONS- The British political system vs The Italian political system

 

The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy.

Up until the Second World War, Italy was ruled by kings. But in June 1946, Italians voted to abolish the monarchy in a referendum, and the country became a democratic republic.

Thus, Italy is today a parliamentary, democratic Republic.

The UK has no written constitution: the Constitution is made up of common law (laws established through court judgments) and legislation (laws passed by the legislature, parliamentary conventions: there is no single document that can be classed as the British Constitution.

The Italian Republic, on the contrary, has a written Constitution which is composed of 139 articles and came into force on 1 January 1948. 

In the UK the King is the head of the state: he is a hereditary member of the Royal family but he has very few formal powers.

The President of the Italian Republic represents the unity of the nation and has ceremonial duties. He is elected by the two chambers of Parliament in joint session for a period of seven years at the end of which he can be re-elected. He appoints the Prime Minister. He must be a native-born Italian citizen at least 50 years old.

Both, the King and our President, are the commander-in-chief of the armed forces.

Both English and Italian Parliaments have a Bicameral system.

The English Parliament is divided into the House of Commons with 650 members and the House of Lords with about 800 members.

The Italian Parliament is divided into the Chamber of Deputies with 400 members and the Senate of the Republic with 200  members. 

The Italian Chamber of Deputies currently consists of 400 members.
This composition came into effect with the beginning of the 19th Legislature, on October 13, 2022, following the approval of Constitutional Law No. 1/2020 in the 2020 constitutional referendum.

This law reduced the number of deputies from 630 to 400, and the number of senators from 315 to 200.

The reduction in the number of parliamentarians was intended to streamline and improve the efficiency of the legislative assembly. However, it’s important to note that the number of deputies elected abroad remained unchanged at 8, as established by Article 56 of the Italian Constitution.

The main functions of English Parliament are: to pass law, to vote taxation, to discuss important political issues, to control the government.

The House of Lords has a limited power, because its members are not elected by people but they are either hereditary or appointed for life by the sovereign on the advice of the Prime Minister (Life Peers). The members are divided into Lords Temporal (Hereditary Peers and Life Peers) and Lords Spiritual (Archbishops and Senior Bishops). They examine and revise bills from the House of Commons. The majority are life peers.There is no upper limit on the total number of members.

As of May 2025, the House of Lords in the United Kingdom comprises approximately 804  members. 

• 691 life peers: appointed for their lifetime by the monarch on the advice of the Prime Minister or the House of Lords Appointments Commission.

• 88 hereditary peers: remaining from the 1999 reform, who retain their seats through elections within the House.

• 25 bishops: senior members of the Church of England, known as the Lords Spiritual.

The House of Lords does not have a fixed upper limit on membership, and its size can fluctuate due to new appointments, retirements, or deaths. Recent discussions have focused on reforming the House, including proposals to eliminate all hereditary peers and introduce a mandatory retirement age for members .

Any British, Irish or Commonwealth citizen who is a UK resident and taxpayer over 21 is eligible to be nominated or can apply to become a member.

The members of the House of Commons are elected by universal adult suffrage. General elections are held every five years. The UK is divided into 650 areas called constituencies. The candidate who gets the most votes in each constituency becomes the MP for that area until the next election.The leader of the party that wins most seats at a general election is invited by the Queen to form the Government.

Most MPs are members of one of the three main political parties in the UK - Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrats. Other MPs represent smaller parties or are independent of a political party.

The Government is the center of the executive. The head of the Government is the Prime Minister who is appointed by the King in England.

Keir Starmer is a British politician who has been serving as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom since July 5, 2024, following a significant Labour Party victory in the general election.

The Cabinet is a coalition government  and they meet at 10 Downing Street. Government departments are the main instruments for giving effect to government policy. The principal departments are the Treasury, the Foreign Office and the Home Office.

The Judicial power is exercised by the Law Courts, which are divided into Criminal Courts and Civil Courts.

In Italy, there are three branches of power in Italy: executive, legislative, and juridical.

The legislative is vested in the two houses- the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, which can introduce bills and holds the majority in the Parliament.

The executive power is in the hands of the Council of the Ministers, presided over by the President of the Council - more commonly known as the Prime Minister (officially referred to as President of the Council).

Giorgia Meloni is the  Italian politician who has been serving as the Prime Minister of Italy since October 22, 2022, becoming the first woman to hold the office. She is the leader of the Brothers of Italy (Fratelli d’Italia, FdI) party, a right-wing nationalist party she co-founded in 2012 and has led since 2014.

The ministers are responsible for executing laws and other political decisions. This is usually done by presenting bills to parliament, but can also be done by passing decrees - this happens in cases of urgency, or if parliament gives the council the authority to do so.

The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislative branches.It is headed by the High Council of Judiciary.

The Chamber of Deputies is elected by direct and universal suffrage by voters who are 18. All voters who are 25 are eligible to be deputies.

The Senate is elected by direct and universal suffrage by voters who are 18.

All voters who are 40 on the election day are eligible to be senators.

There is a small number of senators for life, appointed  "for outstanding merits in the social, scientific, artistic or literary field" - and there are also the  former Presidents of the Republic, who are ex officio life senators.

https://www.slideshare.net/amocarska/italia-costituzione-inglese-comenius-ecc-2

https://www.slideshare.net/maestrolawrencecarandang/italian-political-system

https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/sites/teacheng/files/political.pdf

Greetings

Greetings 

TESTS

TESTS 

HOW DOES THE POLITICAL SYSTEM WORKS IN THE UK.

 

 

1. Theme

• Dickinson:
  → Grief hidden in spring’s renewal
  → Joy and sorrow coexist in memory

• Pascoli:
  → Melancholy rooted in the night
  → Nature as a mirror of existential unease

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2. Imagery & Symbolism

• Dickinson:
  → Birdsong as emotional trigger
  → Symbol of both hope and pain

• Pascoli:
  → The owl’s cry ("chiù") as haunting refrain
  → Garden, moon, and shadows suggest fear and mystery

---

3. Form & Structure

• Dickinson:
  → Short, lyric stanzas (quatrains)
  → Irregular rhythm, slant rhyme
  → Compressed and paradoxical

• Pascoli:
  → Longer, flowing lines (hendecasyllables)
  → Repetition of "chiù" creates musical tension
  → Loose, symbolic progression

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4. Emotional and Psychological Depth

• Dickinson:
  → Introspective; feelings shaped by personal memory
  → Paradox: the sweetest sounds hurt most

• Pascoli:
  → Vague, dreamlike sadness
  → Emotions emerge through external, symbolic setting

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5. Cultural & Literary Context

• Dickinson:
  → 19th-century American Romanticism / Proto-Modernism
  → Influenced by Puritan heritage, inner spiritual life

• Pascoli:
  → Late 19th-century Italian Symbolism
  → Rooted in personal trauma and childhood loss

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This scheme visually unfolds the core contrasts and parallels in a logical flow, moving from themes to form and finally to cultural context. Would you like this turned into a visual mind map or diagram?

Summary

While both poems deal with melancholy and the emotional power of sound in nature, Dickinson focuses on the interior experience of grief and memory, evoked subtly by bird song, while Pascoli creates a more atmospheric and sensory-rich world filled with nocturnal mystery and quiet dread. Dickinson is introspective and paradoxical; Pascoli is symbolic and immersive.

Would you like a bilingual side-by-side excerpt analysis of the original texts as well?

3. Form and Structure

Aspect	Dickinson	Pascoli
Structure	Lyric poem in quatrains, tight and concise.	Traditional Italian structure; loose hendecasyllables.
Rhyme & Rhythm	Irregular meter and slant rhyme typical of Dickinson.	Musical cadence with internal rhymes and repetitions.
Use of Repetition	Rare, but uses contrast and paradox for emphasis.	Frequent repetition (“chiù”) to create atmosphere and rhythm.

LORD RANDAL E GEORDIE open questions

 

"Lord Randal" is a traditional Scottish ballad that tells the story of a young man named Lord Randal who returns home after being poisoned.

Throughout the ballad, Lord Randal answers questions from his mother about his condition, revealing that he has been betrayed by his lover, who poisoned him. The ballad’s structure is a dialogue between Lord Randal and his mother, where he describes how he ate a meal with his lover and subsequently fell ill.

Ultimately, Lord Randal expresses his sorrow, especially over the loss of his wealth and the treachery of his lover. The ballad explores themes of betrayal, death, and the consequences of deceit.

1.    Who are the main characters in the ballad? 

2.    Where has Lord Randal been? 

3.    What does Lord Randal repeatedly ask his mother to do? 

4.    What did his "true-love" give him to eat? 

5.    What happened to his hawks and hounds? 

6.    What is wrong with Lord Randal? 

7.    Who do we suspect poisoned him? 

8.    What does Lord Randal leave to his true love? 

9.    What are some of the items that Lord Randal leaves to his family? 

 

 

GEORDIE

1.    What crime did Geordie commit in the ballad?

2.    What happens to Geordie because of the crime he committed?

3.    Who tries to help Geordie in the ballad?

4.    How does Geordie’s mother or partner feel about his situation?

5.    Does Geordie get saved in the end?

6.    Why is Geordie’s story a sad one?

Geordie is a traditional English folk ballad that tells the tragic story of a man named Geordie who is sentenced to death. The ballad is centered around his crime, which involves stealing the king's deer. Geordie is captured and brought to trial, where despite his pleas for mercy, he is condemned to hang. His mother and wife both try to plead for his life, but they are unsuccessful. In the end, Geordie faces his execution, and the ballad ends with a sense of inevitable tragedy, as Geordie is taken away to be hanged for his actions.

The ballad touches on themes of justice, punishment, and the helplessness of individuals when facing the authority of the law, with a focus on the personal loss and grief experienced by Geordie's family.

 

 

LEARN ENGLISH

 

Phrasal verbs with take and break

 

Phrasal Verb Cards

Take

1. Take off – To rise into the air (like a plane).

2. Take up – To begin something new.

3. Take in – To understand or absorb something.

4. Take on – To accept responsibility or challenge.

5. Take after – To resemble someone (usually family).

Break

1. Break up – To end a relationship.

2. Break down – To stop working or malfunction.

3. Break into – To enter without permission (e.g., break into a house).

4. Break out – To escape or suddenly start (e.g., breakout of a disease).

5. Break through – To overcome an obstacle or difficulty.

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✍️ Short Story Example Using Phrasal Verbs:

Title: The Big Project Day

It was the day of the school science fair, and everyone was excited. Julia was nervous because she had just taken up a new science project—building a model rocket. She hoped it would take off without a hitch, but things didn’t go as planned.

Right before the presentation, the rocket's launch system broke down due to a small error. Julia was frustrated, but she decided to stay calm. “I can break through this,” she told herself.

While trying to fix the rocket, her friend Lila came over. "Don’t worry! You’re not in this alone," she said. "You take after your mom’s engineering skills. I’m sure you’ll get it working!"

Together, they figured out the problem just in time. The rocket finally launched, and everyone cheered. Julia had taken on a huge challenge, but it worked out in the end.

Phrasal Verbs with "Take":

1. Take off – To ascend (e.g., a plane), or to become successful.
   Example: "The plane will take off in 10 minutes."

2. Take up – To start doing something as a hobby or activity.
   Example: "I decided to take up painting in my free time."

3. Take in – To fully understand or absorb information.
   Example: "I couldn’t take in all the details during the lecture."

4. Take on – To accept responsibility or challenge.
   Example: "She decided to take on the leadership role in the project."

5. Take after – To resemble or look like someone, especially a family member.
   Example: "You really take after your mother with your artistic skills."

6. Take over – To gain control or responsibility for something.
   Example: "The new manager will take over next week."

7. Take down – To write or record something.
   Example: "Please take down the notes during the meeting."

8. Take off (clothing) – To remove clothes or accessories.
   Example: "She took off her coat as she entered the room."

9. Take apart – To disassemble something.
   Example: "I had to take apart the machine to fix it."

10. Take back – To retract something said or to return something.
    Example: "I’m sorry, I take back what I said earlier."

11. Take to – To begin to like or develop a habit.
    Example: "He’s really taken to playing the guitar lately."

12. Take in (someone) – To offer shelter or provide accommodation.
    Example: "The family took in a stray cat."

13. Take it out on – To express frustration or anger towards someone.
    Example: "Don’t take it out on me, I’m not the one who caused the issue."

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Phrasal Verbs with "Break":

1. Break up – To end a relationship, or to disperse a group.
   Example: "They decided to break up after three years together."

2. Break down – To stop working, or to explain something in detail.
   Example: "My car broke down on the way to work."

3. Break into – To enter a place or system illegally, or to start doing something suddenly.
   Example: "Someone broke into the house last night."

4. Break out – To escape or to start suddenly (like an outbreak or crisis).
   Example: "A fire broke out in the building."

5. Break through – To overcome an obstacle or barrier.
   Example: "She broke through the challenges and finished the project."

6. Break off – To stop suddenly, or to separate part of something.
   Example: "He broke off the conversation when he saw the time."

7. Break in – To enter a place (like breaking into), or to train someone.
   Example: "She had to break in the new shoes before the marathon."

8. Break down into – To separate or divide into parts.
   Example: "We’ll break down the process into three main steps."

9. Break away – To escape or to detach from a group.
   Example: "She decided to break away from the group and do her own thing."

10. Break even – To neither gain nor lose money.
    Example: "After selling the tickets, we just broke even."

11. Break the news – To inform someone of something important or surprising.
    Example: "I had to break the news to her that the event was canceled."

12. Break in on – To interrupt a conversation or activity.
    Example: "Sorry to break in on your meeting, but I have something urgent to share."

13. Break with – To end or change a tradition or relationship.
    Example: "He broke with tradition and chose a different career path."

🧑‍🎓 Dialogue 1: Using "take off" and "take up"

Ava: Hey, Liam, your project really took off! Everyone’s talking about it.
Liam: Thanks! I was surprised too. I just took up digital design a few months ago.
Ava: Seriously? You're a natural at it.

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🧑‍🏫 Dialogue 2: Using "take in" and "take on"

Sarah: I had to read the article three times to take it all in.
Ben: Same here. I think we took on too many readings this week.
Sarah: Next time, we should split them up.

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📚 Dialogue 3: Using "break down" and "break into"

Carlos: Did you get the chemistry topic?
Maya: Not at first, but Ms. Patel broke it down step by step. It finally made sense.
Carlos: Yeah, once you break into the basics, it gets easier.

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🧘 Dialogue 4: Using "break up" and "take a break"

Nina: We’ve been studying for hours. Let’s take a break.
James: Good idea. My brain’s about to break up from all this math.
Nina: 😂 Okay, five-minute snack break?
James: Deal.

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✈️ Dialogue 5: Using "take off" and "break out"

Emma: Are you joining the class trip next week?
Tom: Yeah, can’t wait to take off from school for a bit.
Emma: Same. I hope no flu breaks out before then like last year!