2016-07-13 Core: origami and probability

Greg Malivuk
[email protected]
http://www.pastebin.com/u/gmalivuk - notes from all classes
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Homework: p. 48 parts 2 and 3 (about the origami reading)
part 2
1 F (“a single”)
2 F (“square or rectangular sheet”)
3 T (“no cutting”)
4 F (“no pasting”)
part 3
1 solar panels and telescope lenses
2 airbags in cars and stents in arteries
3 robots
4 motors and capacitors
hypochondria (condition) / hypochondriac (person) - the belief or believer that one has a disease or medical condition (even when there is no evidence for it)
cavalry = military division on horses
Calvary = the hill where Jesus was crucified
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p. 49 part 4 - Answer these questions with a partner.
1 You need more skills to fold the crane, which is more complex.
2 The plan to create a folded space telescope.
3 The scale of size. “At the other end of the scale” means very small things, in contrast to the very big things already discussed.
4 The possibility of making foldable robots.
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“Between the Folds” - documentary about origami (used to be on Netflix, but not any more)
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Participial adjectives: adjectives made from the participles of a verb (present or past)
boring / bored, exciting / excited, interesting / interested, tiring / tired, confusing / confused

Sometimes, the form is different in verb tenses and adjectives:
I have proved the theorem. / It is a proven theorem.
I have burned the toast. / It is burnt toast.
Other times, the spelling is the same but the pronunciation is different:
Police have alleged that he committed the crime. / He is the alleged criminal.
(in the adjective, we can pronounce the ‘e’ in ‘ed’)
(If we make it an adverb, we definitely pronounce it: allegedly)
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Partitives = words about part or piece of an object (we often use these with noncount nouns)
a sheet of paper = one complete piece (A4 for example) of paper
a scrap of paper = one small (torn) part of a sheet of paper
p. 49 part 6 - Which of these partitives mean “some” (an indefinite amount), and which mean “a small piece or amount”?
1 a small amount
2 some
3 a small amount
4 a small amount
5 some
6 a small amount
other partitives: bolt of lightning, bolt of cloth

listen, fasten, thistle, whistle - the ‘t’ is always silent
often, twenty - the ‘t’ is often silent in fast speech, but sometimes pronounced in careful speech
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Expressions of probability
may, might, could = something is possible
must = something is probable or very likely
couldn’t = something is impossible

part 7 - What other expressions from the reading tell us about probability?
possible: maybe, might be, could be, could lead, might imagine, + there’s a chance
probable: probably, chances are, may well be
more or less certain: there’s no doubt, should be able to, certainly, can (the ability is certain)

What parts of speech are included above in words that give information about probability?
modals: might, could, may, should, + must
adverbs: certainly, probably, well, maybe, + perhaps, undoubtedly, definitely, surely, possibly
noun phrases: chances are, there’s no doubt, + the likelihood is, there’s a chance
+ verb phrases: you can bet, I wouldn’t bet against
+ adjective: likely, unlikely (“likely” can also be used as an adverb: He likely asked for help.)
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BREAK
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part 8 - Is there a difference in register (formal vs. informal) among the expressions in the box?
- verb phrases with “bet” are pretty informal
- “maybe” is slightly informal
- “the likelihood is” is formal
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part 9 - Rewrite the italicized phrases using the words in parentheses.
1 could be made of steel
2 is likely to inspire other packaging solutions too
3 it is possible to make boxes with a fixed base
4 This should save the industry a lot of time and money.
5 the chances are that it will work for a range of other materials
6 one day it might be possible to build houses from flat-pack materials
7 we may well be folding away our kitchen counters or table
8 It’s unlikely that we will have foldable TVs or cars.

The chances are that it will work.
Chances are, it will work.
it is very possible that we will be -> we may well be

Optional comma that doesn’t change the meaning:
The colors of the American flag are red, white, and blue.
We need a comma between “red” and “white” but the one between “white” and “and” is optional.
	(It is called the serial comma or Oxford comma.)

Optional comma that subtly changes the meaning:
You’ll definitely pass the test if you study.
You’ll definitely pass the test, if you study. (“if you study” is an afterthought; I expect you to pass it but then I add the conditional)

Necessary comma that dramatically changes the meaning:
We’re eating, Grandpa. = I’m telling my grandfather that we are eating. (vocative comma)
We’re eating Grandpa. = We are cannibals and we are eating our grandfather.
We’re eating Grandpa, Grandpa. = We are cannibals and we are eating one of our grandfathers, and telling our other grandfather that we are eating.
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Ambiguous syntax:
I saw the boy with the binoculars from the park.

“with the binoculars” could mean how I saw the boy or what the boy had
“from the park” could mean where I saw him from, where the boy was from, or where the binoculars were from
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Vocabulary differences in the US and the UK

AmEng: pants = trousers (but “pants” is more common)
BrEng: pants = underwear

AmEng: a rubber = condom / rubbers = condoms
BrEng: a rubber = eraser / rubbers = rubber boots for the rain
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http://corpus.byu.edu/coca/ - A website with lots of information about how English is used.
To see examples of a word or expression, click “KWIC” and search for something

https://books.google.com/ngrams/ - You can search and compare the frequency of different words and expressions in English books. (Separate words and expressions with commas.)
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p. 49 part 10 - Try to think of three more ways origami methods could be used to save space in your home.
sturdy = strong + steady/stable
(opposite of “flimsy”)
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Homework: p. 50 parts 1, 2, 3 (about the reading on p. 51)