Reading material for English learners

Excerpt from NG Traveler, p. 96, Oct 2006. 

For educational purposes only. This is intended to be read out loud during calls so I can take notes of your mistakes, and make a list of rhymes or something to help strengthen your English skills. 

Eid Mubarak

quote with "plutôt" and my rambling notes

Plutôt. 
Plus; more. 
Tôt; early. 
Plutôt; sooner, rather, instead.

Took some creative liberties musing over my own translations and what they stir for me/inspire in me.

Listen to the forest which grows instead of the tree that falls.
Sooner note the living forest than the dead part. 
Hear the woods which grow rather than the fallen wood.

Acknowledge the whole thriving forest 
and not only the singular slain tree when it hits the ground. 

Develop a smaller sensitivity to noise, to sounds. Notice smaller signs of distress. Notice that magnified tragedy is not the whole story.

French nature vocabulary; fox is un renard

The "ard" ending is masculine. Pronunciation here. 

illustrated quote; Pearl S. Buck

Don't wait for moods...check note to self.

to make up, phrasal verb with example sentences 

To deceive, to invent a story:

He is always making up wild stories. Real life is better than something someone just made up like that.

You had a good reason to be late for the meeting. No one needs to know the details, just make something up for privacy's sake. 

To reconcile:

Just please don't forget that you are brothers. At some point, family has to kiss and make up. It does not have to be complete, these things to take time to heal, but at least leave a small opening to the possibility. 

How can you expect us to simply make up? Too much has gone wrong between us. 

To compensate for a lack:

I neglected to start the chickpeas boiling on time, but luckily I already had enough treats to make up for it.

I was not able to finish my essay by the deadline, so I'm having to do extra projects to make up for it.

To put together, assemble:

I wanted to get the chickpeas made up so I could make up some chickpea cookies.

We really should have some book shelves made up to hold our growing collection of books.

To put on facial cosmetics:

How does my makeup look? I was trying to get all made up on time, so I'm afraid it was a rush job.

Let me get my face on before we go, I would like to be all made up before the carnival. 

A friendly little reminder for ESL learners getting used to the Latin alphabet.