Introduction

first of all

to begin with

in order to decide whether.... or not

to outline the main points

firstly, secondly, thirdly, finally / eventually

Enumerating arguments

in addition to

additionally

besides

moreover

furthermore

above all

Weighing arguments

on one hand..... on the other hand

to consider the advantages and disadvantages

arguments for and against

to discuss the pros and cons

in theory ... in reality

both... and....

not only ... but also

anyway / at any rate / in any case

in fact / actually / as a matter of fact

up to a point

so to speak

by no means / not at all

Making comparisons

compared to / in comparison with

to draw / make a comparison between ...and

similarly

as well as

Restrictions

however / though

nevertheless

whereas

although / though / even though

in spite of / despite

unlike

in contrast to / with something

on the contrary

something is contrary to something

Refering to

with reference to

regarding

as regards

as far as ... is concerned

according to (according to is used to introduce someone else's opinion. Don't

say "according to me")

Emphasizing

Id like to point out that

Id like to emphasize

Generalizing
 on the whole

in general / generally speaking

as a rule

to some extent

to a large extent / to what extent ?

in many ways

in all respects

in most / many cases

basically

Giving examples

for example / for instance

such as / including

in particular / particularly

to give you an example of what I mean

to illustrate this point

what I mean is

et cetera / and so on / and so forth

that is to say / i.e

Making exceptions

apart from

except

with the exception of

Giving reasons

because

as / since

because of
 the reason for this is

the reason why

for some reasons or another

I have every reason to believe that

Consequences

therefore

consequently / as a result

for this reason / all these reasons

Personal point of view

I think that

in my opinion/ in my view / to my mind

this is a matter of opinion

in my experience

as far as I know

as far as I am concerned

to be aware / unaware of a problem

to tell the truth

the fact is that

I am convinced that

I firmly believe that

I feel something should be done about that

Agreeing

I entirely / absolutely agree with

thats exactly my own view

Im of exactly the same opinion

thats perfectly true

 Id like to support this view

Disagreeing

I partly disagree with

I dont entirely agree with

I agree in principle, but

Thats not the way I see it

I see things rather differently myself

Im not at all convinced that

Im not absolutely sure

Interest, Plans, Intentions

to be interested in something / in doing something

It interests me a lot

My main / particular interest is

I have the intention of doing

I am prepared to do something

I am determined to do something

Im planning to do something

Im very keen on doing something

Lack of interest

I find ... rather uninteresting / boring

I dont take any interest in

Its all the same to me whether

It means nothing to me

Summarizing and drawing conclusions

finally

last of all
 last but not least

in conclusion / to conclude

we can draw the conclusion

to sum up / to summarize we can say

all in all

in short / in brief / briefly

all things considered

the subject under discussion

I find it difficult to reach a conclusion but Im tempted to say

Modifying adverbs

totally / entirely / completely

mostly / mainly / chiefly

partly

comparatively / relatively

extremely / incredibly

Who/Whom/Whose

"Who" is a Subject Pronoun

"Who" is a subject pronoun like "he," "she" and "we" in the examples above. We use
"who" to ask which person does an action or which person is a certain way.

Examples:
 Who made the birthday cake?

Who is in the kitchen?

Who is going to do the dishes?

"Whom" is an Object Pronoun

"Whom" is an object pronoun like "him," "her" and "us." We use "whom" to ask
which person receives an action.

Examples:

Whom are you going to invite?

Whom did he blame for the accident?

Whom did he hire to do the job?

"Whose" is a Possessive Pronoun

"Whose" is a possessive pronoun like "his," "her" and "our." We use "whose" to find
out which person something belongs to.

Examples:

Whose camera is this?

Whose dog is barking outside?

Whose cell phone keeps ringing?

"Who," "Whom" and "Whose" in Indirect Questions

The sentence below contains an example of an indirect question:

I don't know whom he invited.

Such sentences usually start with a phrase such as: "I am not sure" or "He doesn't
know" or "We don't care." Just ignore the first part of the sentence and look at the
indirect question when deciding whether to use "who," "whom" or "whose." Ask
yourself if the indirect question requires a subject, object, or possessive form.

Examples:

He doesn't know who the boss of the company is. subject of the indirect
question

I don't care whom you invite. object of the indirect question

 She isn't sure whose car that is. "Whose" shows possession of car.

"Who," "Whom" and "Whose" in Adjective Clauses

The sentence below contains an example of an adjective clause:

I know the man who won the contest.

Adjective clauses are used to describe a noun in the main sentence. In the example
above, the adjective clause tells us about "the man." Just ignore the main sentence
and look at the adjective clause when deciding whether to use "who," "whom" or
"whose." Ask yourself if the adjective clause requires a subject, object, or
possessive form.

Examples:

We knew the actress who starred in the movie. subject of adjective clause

They hired the man whom we interviewed last week. object of adjective
clause

She knew the family whose house we bought. "Whose" shows possession of
house.

"Whom" Less Common

The form "whom" is becoming less and less common in English. Many native English
speakers think "whom" sounds outdated or strange. This trend is particularly
common in the United States. Especially when combined with prepositions, most
people prefer to use "who" as the object pronoun. To most native English speakers,
the examples below sound quite natural.

Examples:

Who did you come to the party with?

I don't know who he gave the book to.

That is the woman who I was talking to.

Who did you get that from?

Do you have any idea who he sold his car to?

That is the person who I got the information from.

More about Who, Whom, Whose

Subjects, Objects and Possessive Forms

To understand how to use "who," "whom," and "whose," you first have to
understand the difference between subjects, objects, and possessive forms.

Subjects do an action:
He loves movies.
She goes to school.
We enjoy Chinese food.

Objects receive an action:

The teachers like him.
Thomas knows her.
The actor smiled at us.

Possessive forms tell us the person something belongs to:

His bike is broken.
I like her new book.
The teacher graded our homework.

"Who" is a Subject Pronoun

"Who" is a subject pronoun like "he," "she" and "we" in the examples above. We use
"who" to ask which person does an action or which person is a certain way.

Examples:
Who made the birthday cake?
Who is in the kitchen?
Who is going to do the dishes?
"Whom" is an Object Pronoun

"Whom" is an object pronoun like "him," "her" and "us." We use "whom" to ask
which person receives an action.

Examples:
Whom are you going to invite?
Whom did he blame for the accident?
Whom did he hire to do the job?
"Whose" is a Possessive Pronoun

"Whose" is a possessive pronoun like "his," "her" and "our." We use "whose" to find
out which person something belongs to.

Examples:
Whose camera is this?
Whose dog is barking outside?
Whose cell phone keeps ringing?
"Who," "Whom" and "Whose" in Indirect Questions

The sentence below contains an example of an indirect question:

I don't know whom he invited.

Such sentences usually start with a phrase such as: "I am not sure" or "He doesn't
know" or "We don't care." Just ignore the first part of the sentence and look at the
indirect question when deciding whether to use "who," "whom" or "whose." Ask
yourself if the indirect question requires a subject, object, or possessive form.

Examples:
He doesn't know who the boss of the company is. subject of the indirect question
I don't care whom you invite. object of the indirect question
She isn't sure whose car that is. "Whose" shows possession of car.
"Who," "Whom" and "Whose" in Adjective Clauses

The sentence below contains an example of an adjective clause:

I know the man who won the contest.

Adjective clauses are used to describe a noun in the main sentence. In the example
above, the adjective clause tells us about "the man." Just ignore the main sentence
and look at the adjective clause when deciding whether to use "who," "whom" or
"whose." Ask yourself if the adjective clause requires a subject, object, or
possessive form.

Examples:
We knew the actress who starred in the movie. subject of adjective clause
They hired the man whom we interviewed last week. object of adjective clause
She knew the family whose house we bought. "Whose" shows possession of house.
"Whom" Less Common

The form "whom" is becoming less and less common in English. Many native English
speakers think "whom" sounds outdated or strange. This trend is particularly
common in the United States. Especially when combined with prepositions, most
people prefer to use "who" as the object pronoun. To most native English speakers,
the examples below sound quite natural.

Examples:
Who did you come to the party with?
I don't know who he gave the book to.
That is the woman who I was talking to.
Who did you get that from?
Do you have any idea who he sold his car to?
That is the person who I got the information from.

N Word Meaning Sentence

o
.

rapprochemen an establishment or reestablishment of a rapprochement

1 t harmonious relations reached between
warring factions.

panache a grand or flamboyant manner which the latter

2 practised with such
panache

lampooned to mock or ridicule to lampoon important

3 leaders in the
government

bouffant puffed out bouffant hairdo

4

visceral characterized by or proceeding from a visceral reaction

5 instinct rather than intellect harboured a visceral
enmity towards it

cock a snook A derisive gesture cocked a snook at the

6 world's sole
superpower

reprehensible deserving of reproof, rebuke, or censure; His methods were

7 blameworthy reprehensible

torrid ardent; passionate a torrid love story

8 oppressively hot, parching, or burning, as
climate, weather, or air

fester to become or cause to become bitter, resentment festered

9 irritated, etc, esp over a long period of his imagination
time
 hue and cry any public clamor, protest, or alarm a general hue and cry
1 against the war
0

deplorable causing or being a subject for censure, This room is in

1 reproach, or disapproval deplorable order.
1 You have deplorable
manners!

obviate to anticipate and prevent or eliminate to obviate the risk of

1 (difficulties, disadvantages, etc.) by serious injury
2 effective measures; render unnecessary:

downbeat gloomy or depressing; pessimistic Hollywood movies

1 seldom have downbeat
3 endings.

buffeted to strike against or push repeatedly The wind buffeted the

1 to contend against; battle. house
4

ballast anything that gives mental, moral, or the ballast of a steady

1 political stability or steadiness income
5

bequeathed to hand down; pass on. She bequeathed her

1 half of the company to
6 her niece.

languish to lose vigor and vitality to languish in prison

1 to undergo neglect or experience for ten years
7 prolonged inactivity a petition that
to be subjected to delay or disregard languished on the
warden's desk for a
year

panoply a wide-ranging and impressive array or the dazzling panoply of

1 display the maharaja's
8 procession
the panoply of
European history
 stymie a situation or problem presenting such failure to do so has
1 difficulties as to discourage or defeat any stymied this venture
9 attempt to deal with or resolve it from the start

abatement suppression or termination abatement of a

2 nuisance
0 noise abatement

mantra an often repeated word, formula, or If I hear the less is

2 phrase, often a truism more mantra one
1 more time, I'll scream

pertinent pertaining or relating directly andsignific pertinent details.

2 antly to the matter at hand;relevant
2

gripe to complain naggingly or constantly;

2 grumble
3

volatile changeable; mercurial; flighty a volatile disposition

2
4

unsettling to vex or agitate the mind or emotions The quarrel unsettled

2 of; upset; render unstable her.
5 Violence unsettled the
government.

bracing strengthening; invigorating This mountain air is

2 bracing.
6

protracted to draw out or lengthen, especially in

2 time; extend the duration of; prolong
7

controversial a prolonged public dispute,debate, or con

2 tention; disputationconcerning a matter o
8 f opinion.

culminate (in) to reach the highest point,summit, or hig

2 hest development
9
 frontiers the limit of knowledge or the mostadvanc the frontiers of physics
3 ed achievement in aparticular field
0

enviable worthy of envy, very desirable an enviable position

3
1

explicit fully and clearly expressed ordemonstrat explicit instructions; an

3 ed; leaving nothingmerely implied explicit act ofviolence;
2 explicit language

paradigm epitome, image, prototype, substitution

3 class
3

deceit the act or practice of deceiving; conceal Once she exposed thei
3 ment or distortion of thetruth for the pur r deceit, no one evertr
4 pose ofmisleading; duplicity; fraud;cheati usted them again.
ng

generic of, applicable to, or referring to allthe me a generic term

3 mbers of a genus, class,group, or kind; g
5 eneral.

elude to avoid or escape by speed,cleverness, t to elude capture.

3 rickery, etc.; evade;to escape the underst The answer eludes me.
6 anding,perception, or appreciation of

threshold a level or point at whichsomething would

3 happen, wouldcease to happen, or would
7 takeeffect, become true

polarise to divide into sharply opposingfactions, p The controversy has po

3 olitical groups, etc larized voters intoproa
8 bortion and antiabortio
n groups.

populist appealing
3 to the interests orprejudices of ordinary p
9 eople
 meagre deficient in quantity or quality;lacking full a meager salary
4 ness or richness;scanty; inadequate
0

allegations an assertion made with little or noproof

4
1

mire to involve; entangle

4
2

staple a basic or necessary item of food She bought flour, suga

4 r, salt, and otherstaple
3 s.

manifestation to make clear or evident to theeye or the He manifested his appr

4 understanding; showplainly oval with a heartylaug
4 h

waning to decrease in strength, intensity,etc. Her enthusiasm for the

4 cause is waning.
5

stave off to prevent in time; forestall He wasn't able to stav

4 e off bankruptcy.
6

overhaul to investigate or examinethoroughly for r Next year we're going t

4 epair or revision o overhaul thecurriculu
7 m.

supplant to replace (one thing) bysomething else. the underlying cause o

4 f their discontent
8

underlying fundamental; basic

4
9

understate to state or represent lessstrongly or strik The

5 ingly than thefacts would bear out; set fo casualty lists understat
0 rth inrestrained, moderate, or weakterms e the extent ofthe disa
ster.
 stagnate to stop developing, growing,progressing, My mind is stagnating f
5 or advancing rom too much TV.
1

reboot (of a computer) to be restarted.

5
2

consensus majority of opinion; The consensus of the g

5 roup was that theysho
3 general agreement or concord;harmony uld meet twice
a month.

quandary a state
5 of perplexity oruncertainty, especially as
4 to whatto do; dilemma.

mediocre not satisfactory; poor; inferior Mediocre construction

5 makes that buildingda
5 ngerous.

obsolete no longer in general use; falleninto disus an obsolete battleship.

5 e; of a discarded oroutmoded type; out of
6 date

apartheid any system or practice thatseparates peo

5 ple according torace, caste, etc.
7

quagmire a a quagmire of financial

5 situation from which extricationis very di indebtedness.
8 fficult

foster to promote the growth ordevelopment of; to foster new ideas

5 further;encourage
9

hinder to cause delay, interruption, ordifficulty i The storm hindered ou

6 n; hamper; impede r progress.
0

rigid inflexible, strict, or severe a rigid disciplinarian; ri

6 gid rules of socialbeha
1 vior.
 intransigent a person who refuses to agree orcompro
6 mise, as in politics.
2

outright complete or total; withoutrestraint, reser an outright loss

6 ve, orconcealment; openly an outright refusal.
3 Tell me outright what's
bothering you.

apparent readily seen; exposed to sight;open to vi The crack in the wall w

6 ew; visible; capable ofbeing easily percei as readily apparent.
4 ved orunderstood The solution to the pro
blem was apparent toa
ll.

mitigate to become milder; lessen inseverity. to mitigate a punishme

6 nt
5

contentious tending to argument or strife;quarrelsom a contentious crew

6 e; causing, involving,or characterized by contentious issues
6 argument orcontroversy

fundamental serving as, or being an essentialpart of, a fundamental principles

6 foundation or basis;basic; underlying ; the fundamentalstruc
7 ture

align to bring into cooperation oragreement wi He aligned himself wit

6 th a particular group,party, cause, etc h the liberals.
8

compromise a settlement of differences bymutual con The conflicting parties

6 cessions; anagreement reached by adjust agreed tocompromise.
9 mentof conflicting or opposing claims,pri
nciples, etc., by reciprocalmodification of
demands.

backlash a strong or violent reaction, as tosome so a backlash of angry fee

7 cial or political change ling among Southernco
0 nservatives within the
party.

accustomed habituated; acclimated (usuallyfollowed accustomed to staying

7 by to) up late; accustomedto
1 the noise of the subwa
y

whittle (away) to reduce the amount of, as if bywhittling to whittle away one's i
7 ; pare down; take awayby degrees nheritance.
2

unleash to abandon control of to unleash his fury

7
3

confined (to) to enclose within bounds; limit orrestrict Confine your efforts to
7 finishing the book.
4

derive (from) to receive or obtain from a sourceor origi

7 n
5

infighting fighting between rivals, peopleclosely as

7 sociated, members of agroup, etc
6

prospects an apparent probability ofadvancement, good business prospec

7 success, profit,etc.; the outlook for the fu ts.
7 ture

akin (to) allied by nature; having the sameproperti Something akin to vert
7 es igo was troubling her.
8

buff devotee, fan, lover a movie buff

7
9

unveil to remove a veil or other coveringfrom; The woman unveiled h

8 display; reveal erself.
0

paradox a statement or proposition thatseems self

8 -contradictory orabsurd but in reality exp
1 resses apossible truth.

blistering very fast or rapid; very severe orintense. a blistering pace.

8
2

rebound to recover, as from ill health ordiscourag

8 ement
3

perceive to become aware of, know, oridentify by I perceived an object lo

8 means of the senses;to recognize, discer oming through themist
4 n, envision, orunderstand .
This is a nice idea but I
perceive difficultiesin p
utting it into practice.

slighted to treat (someone) withindifference; igno to be slighted by societ

8 re, especiallypointedly or contemptuousl y
5 y;snub

adequate as much or as good as necessaryfor som This car is adequate to

8 e requirement or purpose;fully sufficient, our needs. adequatefo
6 suitable, or fit od for fifty people.

wry devious in course or purpose;misdirected

8 ; contrary; perverse.
7

subsist to exist; continue in existence

8
8

nepotism favouritism shown to relatives orclose fri

8 ends by those with poweror influence
9

bugbear any source, real or imaginary, ofneedless

9 fright or fear; apersistent problem or sour
0 ce ofannoyance.

detrimental damaging, prejudicial, prejudicious smoking can be detrim

9 ental to health
1

egress the act or an instance of going,especially The flight crew is respo

9 from an enclosedplace. nsible for the safeegre
2 ss of the passengers.
 flawed characterized by flaws; havingimperfecti a flawed gem; a seriou
9 ons: sly flawed piece ofwork
3 .

supple characterized by ease in bending;limber; supple movements

9 lithe
4

enshrine to cherish as sacred The memory of our frie

9 ndship will beenshrine
5 d in my heart.

nebulous hazy, vague, indistinct, orconfused: a ne a nebulous distinction

9 bulous recollectionof the meeting between pride andcon
6 ceit

nuts and bolts the essential or basic aspects to learn the nuts and b
9 olts of a new job.
7

turmoil a state of great commotion,confusion, or mental turmoil caused

9 disturbance; tumult;agitation; disquiet: by difficult decisions
8

buttress to support by a buttress; prop up.;

9
9
to give encouragement or supportto (a p
erson, plan, etc.)

inevitable unable to be avoided, evaded, orescaped an inevitable conclusio

1 ; certain; necessary;sureto occur, happen n
0 , or unalterable The inevitable end of h
0 uman life is death.

predicament an unpleasantly difficult,perplexing, or da It was hard to make his

1 ngerous situation friend understandhis pr
0 edicament.
1

astonishment overpowering wonder or surprise;amaze He looked with astonis

1 ment hment at his friends.
0
2
 discredited to injure the credit or reputationof; defa an effort to discredit h
1 me onest politicians.
0
3

dominate to tower above; overlook;overshadow; to A tall pine dominated t

1 rule over; govern;contro he landscape.
0
4

landmark a significant or historic event,juncture, ac The court decision stan

1 hievement, etc ds as a landmark incon
0 stitutional law.
5

flourish to be in a vigorous state; thrive a period in which

1 art flourished.
0
6

rapid occurring within a short time;happening s rapid growth

1 peedily a rapid worker
0
7

indefinitely not clearly defined or determined;not pre an indefinite boundary

1 cise or exact an indefinite date in th
0 e future.
8

sluggish indisposed to action or exertion;lacking i a sluggish disposition

1 n energy; lazy; indolent;slow to act or res a sluggish car engine
0 pond:
9

fragile easily broken, shattered, ordamaged; deli a fragile ceramic conta

1 cate; brittle; frail iner
1 a very fragile alliance.
0

rational agreeable to reason; reasonable;sensible a rational plan for econ

1 ; having or exercisingreason, sound judg omic development.
1 ment, or goodsense a calm and rational ne
1 gotiator.
 vast of very great area or extent;immense; of the vast reaches of out
1 very great size orproportions; huge; enor er space
1 mous vast piles of rubble left
2 in the wake of thewar

at loggerheads engaged in a disagreement ordispute; qu They were at loggerhe

1 arreling ads over thedistributio
1 n of funds.
3

resent to feel or show displeasure orindignation

1 at (a person, act,remark, etc.) from a sen
1 se ofinjury or insult.
4

austerity austere quality; severity ofmanner, life, austerities of monaster

1 etc.; sternness y life.
1
5

prudence caution with regard to practicalmatters; d

1 iscretion;
1
6
provident care in the managementof reso
urces; economy; frugality.

contingency a contingent event; a chance,accident, o Nothing was left to con

1 r possibility conditionalon something unc tingency.
1 ertain He was prepared for ev
7 ery contingency.

dampen to dull or deaden; depress to dampen one's spirit

1 s
1
8

dawdling to waste time; idle; trifle; loiter Stop dawdling and hel
1 p me with thesepackag
1 es!
9

errant deviating from the regular orproper cours

0 e; erring; straying
Title: Write about an occasion when an attempt to help led to unexpected
consequences for the helper.

I never knew that helping someone could cause so much trouble. Since young, my parents
had been stressing the need to help others so much that I sometimes wonder if I was born
to help. Of course, they had been setting good examples for me as well. Whenever there
was a charity that requires large amount of money to help the disabled, or simply our
neighbour who needed someone to look after his pet while he was overseas, my parents
would be the first on the list offering to help. Their influences on me impacted me so much
that I was sometimes called 'the nosy one' in school, for I had offered my help to every
single event. This time round, as usual, I offered my help. Never did I knew that that would
mean a big trouble for myself.

It was the first day of my summer vacation. I was feeling rather excited as I was on my way
to meet my friends, planning to chill out at the beach. While walking to the nearest bus stop
from my home, I noticed a boy, probably five years my junior, looking lost on the streets.

"Could he have lost his way?" I thought to myself, wondering if I could help.

After glancing at my watch, I realised I was quite early. I should be able to arrive on time
even if I helped the little boy. With that, I walked towards him, approaching him with the
confidence that I could help.

"Excuse me, I noticed that you look kind of lost. Can I be of help in any ways?" I
approached him with a smile on my face.

"Oh, I... I need to deliver this to my friend. However, I have something else to see to," there
was a tinge of uncertainty and fear in his speech. Nevertheless, I offered to help him to
deliver the large parcel he was holding since the trip would not take long.

I took a bus to the place stated in the address he had given me. Within a few stops, I
arrived. I went around asking for directions to the "Dark Alley House". After a few attempts, I
reached my destination.

It was a large warehouse. As I walked further into the gloomy place, three men, smelling of
cigarettes and beer, approached me.

"Are you here to deliver something?" one of them asked, in an intimidating tone.

"Yes, if I am not wrong, your friend was supposed to deliver this parcel package to you.
However, he had something else to attend to," I answered him, stating the only truth that
was known to me.

"My friend, huh?" he replied, leading to an outburst of laughter among the trio. "Alright,
come on in. Follow us closely."

They led me deeper into the warehouse. I realised that the 'warehouse' was actually a
gambling den. The whole area was crowded with people. Some were smoking, while the
others were taking drugs. that observation led to to wonder what could the parcel package
contain. As soon as I figured it out, it was too late to flee.

The police alarm sounded off. I could see everyone panicking, trying to escape through the
back door. however, those were futile attempts. The police had cordoned that whole area.
Policemen stationed at both the front door and the back door. No one could escape. Soon,
everyone, including myself, was caught and taken to the police station for further
interrogation.

I told the police everything that I knew. At that point of time, the only wish I wanted to come
true was that the police could believe me. They seemed to be convinced by my plight.
Similar to what I had expected, that parcel package was indeed drugs. I knew I was in hot
soup. The boy whom I helped was nowhere to be found. There was no witness to help me.
This was a hopeless situation. I was later arrested and put into the boys' home for 6
months.

Now, I was finally released from the boys' home. I could sense that my future is bleak.
Surely not many would accept an ex-convict into the society. I regretted my actions. I had
only myself to blame for landing myself in such a situation. I always thought that being
helpful was good. However, this time round, it was just nosiness on my part.

Write a story about a person who entered a competition and surprised everyone by winning.

MitchMonroeisarash,gruffelventhgraderwhoonlyappear'sinateacher'sworstnightmare.Uponarriving
toschoolperpetuallylate,hewoulddisruptclasswithhisgrostequelyloudsnoresandpodsofdrooloozing
fromhismouth.Whenaskedabouthisassignments,Mitchisthefirstonetoshoothishandtowardsthesky
andbrazenlyadmit,"Ididn'tdoit,Miss."Notoriousforhisrowdybehaviourtowardhisfellowstudents,he's
evenmoreinfamouswiththePrincipal.Constantlybeingtoldtoshowsomerespect,heseemstobe
incorrigiblebeyondrecognition.Thatis,untilhesignedupforthestatechesschampionship

Racous,wastheleasttosaytheatmosphereoftheassemblyhallwhenMitchMonroewascalleduponthestage
asthePrincipalintroducedthisyear'sprospectivechampions.AmongabandofelitestraightAplus
academics.Mitchlookedoddlyoutofplace.Nosurprisesthereforajesterwithhisshirtuntucked,shoelaces
undone,messyandovergrownfacialhair.AndIwonderedwhyIhadpitiedhim.Apparently,rumoursbroke
outthatMitchparticipatedtoredeemhimselftohisteachersandfamily.Iwassurethatthiswasjustanother
practicaljokeofhistogainunrivalled,yetpointlessattention.Mitchsucceededalright.Butonlybecausehe
wasaloser.

JustasIhadforecasted:hewashopelesslytrashedbyaminorchessplayer.Imaginewhatwouldhave
happenedifhefacedaprofessionalplayer.Enoughsaid.Afterlunch,Mitchreturnedtoclasswheresuddenly
hewascircledbyagroupofgleefulstudentswhoguffawedathimandjested."loser"',"attentionhog"and"
wannabe".Infuriated,Mitchshoutedineveryone'sfaceandsaidthis"Markmywordseveryone.Markmy
words.Iamgoingtodowhateverittakestowinthiscompetitionandyouallwillbesorryyoueverlooked
downatme!"Famouslastwords,Ipresumed.

Secondroundbeckonedthefollowingweekandoddly,Iwaslookingforwardtohisarrivalattheschool
librarywherethecompetitiontookplace.Itcameasaheartwarmingsurprisethatotherslookedeagerforhis
presence.Andtherhegoes!stompinghiswornoutshoestowardsthecentreofthestagewherehisfellow
competitorshadbeenyawningforthepasttenminutes.Waitasecond.Mitchisgoingtobeblownto
smithereens,ashisopponentisachampionforthesecondtime.

Whatalegendarybattle.YoushouldhaveseenhowMitchskilfullydedicatedthegame.Everymovehemade
brilliantlyearnedatwomoveadvantagebecausehischallengesweremanipulatedintoeverydesired
square.DareIsayitMitchlookedlikeachampion.Helookedlikeawinner.MitchMitchellMonroe,the
mostshabbyandmostillbehavedwalkingdisasterdefeatedourschool.Itwasutterlyincredulous.

Thefollowingweekarrivedincorrespondencetothethirdandfinalround.Thewinnerwouldbecrownedstate
championandwouldproceedtotheNationalchampionship.Iwasliterallyshiveringtotheboneandchewing
offmynailsinanticipationforthefinaliststoarrive.Finally,theycame;Onebeingamathematicalwhizkid,
thekingofmanipulation.Theother,fightingtoredeemhimselfasatopstudent.withabrightfuture.Letthe
gamebegin.

Aseverytensecondofthegamepasses,theupperhandseemstobeshiftingallegiancesaseverymovewas
filledwithprowess,yetdeceivinglysimpletothenakedeye.Itwasmagnificent.Eachplayerseemedtohave
completecontrolovertheotherinasinglemove.Itwasmagic.However,withlessexperience,Mitchlooked
palpablytense.Sweatdrippedfromhisbrowtothechessboardashebenthisheadbetweenhiskneesin
dejection,tothesorrowfulsighofthecrowdfrombehind.Everyonewasquiet.Theatmospherewassostill
andmanifestlyburdenedwithflabbergast.

Icouldn'thandleitanymore.IcheeredMitch'snameandthatinevitablytriggeredachainofcheersasevery
singlestudentbackedMitchintheroom.Itgotmorethunderousandelectrifyingwitheverymove.Thesaga
resumedwitheachoftheplayersattackingeachother'spiecesdevilishly.Whenbothplayersweredownto
threepieceseach,aheavysilencefilledtheroom.Checkmate!Mitchmadetemostradicalmove.Thecrowd
roaredwithnewfoundenergy.Wepattedhisbackandcarriedhimoffhisseat.Thatwasournewchamp!
Mitchhadredeemedhimself.

HereceivedastandingovationfromtheproudteachersandthePrincipalgavehimathumbsupthatmusthave
reallyboostedhiszestasthenewchampion.UponreminiscinghowIperceivedMitchbeforehewonthe
competition,Ipersonallyfeltashamedandinspiredatthesametime.AshamedofhowIlookeddownupon
himasa"loser".Inspiredbyhowgritt,determinationandselfbeliefcangetyoutoachieveyourgoals.I
understandifMitchrefusestospeaktome,butdeepdowninsideIknewhewasbetterthanthat.

Vocab
Abstemious self denying; refraining from indulging

Blithe free-spirited; carefree

Crepuscular active at dawn and dusk

Enunciation clear pronunciation; accent; articulation

Headstrong stubborn; willful

Lackluster dull; monotonous; bland

Objective unbiased; not subjective

Pliable flexible; not stubborn

Rescind retract; repeal

Temper to moderate; soften

Abstain desist; go without; withdraw

Blighted damaged; destroyed; ruined

Credulous gullible; ready to believe anything

Enshroud cover

Haughtiness arrogance; pride

Lachrymose tearful; sad

Obfuscate deliberately make something difficult to understand

Plethora an excess

Repudiate shun; eschew

Tedium boredom

Absolution forgiveness; pardon; release

Blatant obvious

Creditable praiseworthy
 Ensconce establish firmly in a position

Hasten hurry; accelerate; rush

Laceration a cut

Obdurate stubborn

Plausible can be believed; reasonable

Reprieve a respite; postponement of a sentence

Tawdry of little value; gaudy

Abrogate cancel; deny; repeal

Blasphemy speech which offends religious sentiments

Credible believable

Enigma puzzle; mystery

Harbingers indicators; bringers of warnings

Labyrinthine complicated; highly convoluted

Nuzzle cuddle; snuggle

Plaudit statement giving strong praise

Reprehensible shameful; very bad

Tardy slow; late; overdue; delayed

Abasement humiliation; degradation

Billowing swelling; fluttering; waving

Cower recoil in fear or servility; shrink away from

Enhance improve; make better or clearer

Harangue noisy, attacking speech

Labyrinth a maze

Nullify to counter; make unimportant

Plaintiff petitioner (in court of law)

Replete full
Tangible can be touched