Today is the last class in our current four-class set. We will begin with our editing exercise. 

Today's reading is about the science of overcoming your fears. Our listening material is the first part of the second episode of Serial. Today's vocabulary words will come from the reading. I will explain them to you in class and we can have a mini-discussion around each word. As for the listening, try your best and answer the listening questions. 

Vocabulary

• molecule  - (noun) a group of atoms bonded together, representing the smallest fundamental unit of a chemical compound that can take part in a chemical reaction.
• distress- (noun) extreme anxiety, sorrow, or pain. ALSO the state of a ship or aircraft when in danger or difficulty and needing help. ALSO suffering caused by lack of money or the basic necessities of life.  
• exposure - (noun)  the state of being exposed to contact with something. ALSO a physical condition resulting from being outside in severe weather conditions without adequate protection. ALSO experience of something. ALSO the quantity of light or other radiation reaching a photographic film, as determined by shutter speed and lens aperture. ALSO the revelation of an identity or fact, especially one that is concealed or likely to arouse disapproval. the publicizing of information or an event. ALSO the direction in which a building faces; an outlook.
• blot - (noun) a dark mark or stain, typically one made by ink, paint, or dirt. ALSO a shameful act or quality that tarnishes an otherwise good character or reputation. (verb) dry (a wet surface or substance) using an absorbent material. OR mark or stain (something).

Click HERE for the reading

Key Words and Phrases

• Tearing me away from my religion- Adnan thinks that Hye Min is making him give up his religion. 
• Gravity and the magnitude- this phrase describes the size and scope of a situation- usually a serious situation. 
• A pantheon of ways a teenager can be disrespectful- pantheon represents a lot of something or great. So this line is saying that there are many ways for a teenager to be disrespectful. 
• Middleground- or common ground describes finding a solution where both parties can agree. 
• Fraught relationship- is usually a troubled relationship full of drama. 
• Chastised him- to tell him what he did was wrong. Similar to scold him. 
• And a pack of lies in which he cloaked himself- this line says that he used lies to hide his true nature. 
• He wanted the phone so he could call girls unfettered- this means he wanted to call girls without any problems, and in his situation without his parents knowing. So he bought a cell phone. 
• It really did seem like run of the mill teenage angst- run of the mill means common and angst is another word for anxiety. 
• Adnan definitely wasn’t mooning over Hye- mooning over is a phrase that means think about a lover. 
• So, yeah a player- a player is a guy that dates multiple women at the same time. 

Listening quesitons

What kind of woman is Adnan’s mom, Shamim Syed?

What happened at the homecoming dance?

What did the English teacher have to say about Adnan?

Who is Don?