Blithe (blith): gay and joyous

Synonyms — happy, merry.

Antonyms — morose, low-spirited.

— The blithe optimism of our students is quite worrying.

Inexorable (in-egz’ or-a-bl): impossible to change or prevent.

Synonyms — unalterable, unchangeable, inescapable.

Antonyms — alterable, adjustable, flexible.

— His work involves inexorable pressures.

Digress (dai-gres): to leave the main subject temporarily in writing or speech

Synonyms — deviate, wander, stray.

Antonyms — continue, persist.

— I had to digress from my speech in order to clarify one of the audience’s doubts.

Perceptible (per-septibl): that can be noticed.

Synonyms — apparent, discernible, detectable.

Antonyms — unobtrusive, unnoticeable, imperceptible.

— There’s been a perceptible improvement in your performance.

Woe (wo): grief

Synonyms — sorrow, anguish, despair.

Antonyms — pleasure, happiness, bliss.

— Her tale of woe has upset me.

Inebriated (in- ebri- ated): drunk

Synonym — intoxicated

Antonyms — sober, clearheaded, abstemious.

— I dislike the way he becomes inebriated at every party.

Match the column A with B to discover words related to nature:

A

1. Absence of rain for a long time

2. Animals which carry their young in a pouch

3. A cud-chewing animal

4. Living in flocks and herds

5. The dead skin cast off by a snake

6. The track of a wild animal

B

a. Marsupials

b. Gregarious

c. Drought

d. Spoor

e. Ruminant

f. Slough

To cut the Gordian knot means to solve a difficult problem by taking a bold measure. Phrygian delegates consulting the oracle at Delphi on the choice of the King were told to elect the first man they met riding on an ox chariot towards the temple of Zeus. According to the legend, the choice fell on a peasant called Gordius, who afterwards dedicated his chariot to Zeus. He is said to have fastened the pole of the chariot to the yoke with such an intricate knot that at one time it was said that the man who could untie it would conquer Asia. Alexander of Macedon made short work of the difficult task by cutting through the knot with his sword. To cut the Gordian knot now denotes a rough and ready manner of solving a difficulty.

Every human being is intended to have a character of his own; to be what no other is, and to do what no other can do. — Channing

1c, 2a, 3e, 4b, 5f, 6d.

— Illa Vij