Literary Analysis, Vocabulary Mastery, and Climate Science

Literary Profiles

Song of Myself: Walt Whitman (1819–1892)

There are two Walt Whitmans: the real person and the self he invented. The real Whitman grew up in Brooklyn and held many jobs. During the Civil War, he traveled to Washington D.C. to nurse his brother. The invented Whitman is larger than life.

What fact is enough for Whitman?

I'm Nobody: Emily Dickinson (1830–1886)

From Amherst, Massachusetts, she wrote 1,775 poems and became famous after her death. Are you nobody, too?

Me: Walter de la Mare (1873–1956)

By night, he wrote poems for adults. In Me, Walter compares his uniqueness to that of various trees and flowers.

Vocabulary Practice

• Accessory: She was wearing a beautiful leather accessory.
• Already: They have already finished the test.
• Barbaric: His reaction was barbaric.
• Budget: I have to plan my budget very carefully this month.
• Cashier: Working as a cashier requires attention.
• Compensation: They need compensation for their great work.
• Daybreak: I am always awake at daybreak.
• Deficit: There is a deficit in the company budget.
• Disapproval: Nobody likes to face social disapproval.
• Distress: Most Japanese were distressed even a year after the 2011 earthquake.
• Eligible: She is eligible for the new position.
• Frostbitten: Bushes were frostbitten by the weather.
• Gorgeous: My wife was really gorgeous at the wedding.
• Idiosyncrasy: Idiosyncrasy is part of the culture.
• Indelible: The documents were signed with indelible ink.
• Insoluble: Fat is insoluble in water.
• Integrity: Never lose your integrity!
• Mesmerize: The audience was mesmerized by the acting.
• Nonentity: Aliens are considered a nonentity.
• Pageant: She played an angel at the school Christmas pageant.

Climate Science and Atmospheric Studies

Temperature varies unevenly depending on the atmospheric layer.

Physical Elements of Climate

These include temperature, humidity, precipitation, atmospheric pressure, and winds.

• Temperature: The degree of heat or cold in the air.
• Humidity: The amount of water vapor in the atmosphere.
• Clouds: The product of water vapor condensation.
• Atmospheric Pressure: The weight exerted by air on the Earth's surface.
• Wind: Movement of air masses due to pressure differences.

Seas and oceans regulate temperature (they take longer to heat/cool), and ocean currents also influence climate. Other factors include latitude and altitude.

Climate Classifications

• Tropical: Rainy, Monsoon, Summer rain
• Dry: Desert (low rain), Steppe (irregular rain)
• Temperate: Rain all year, Summer rain, Winter rain
• Cold: Rain all year, Summer rain
• Polar: Tundra, Perpetual ice

Human Impact on the Environment

Causes of human pollution: Combustion, waste incineration, forest burning, and aerosols.

Human pollution can exacerbate temperature changes, especially considering global warming caused by the acceleration of the greenhouse effect and the depletion of the ozone layer.