Membaca Kolom

Menepi dari pusaran thesis, saya sejenak menyisihkan waktu untuk membaca buku di luar topik akademis. Hal ini saya lakukan untuk charging energi, mengibur jiwa, dan merefleksikan kejadian-kejadian yang telah saya lalui. 

Buku bagi saya bukan hanya sekedar kumpulan pengetahuan ataupun runtutan informasi, tapi lebih kepada teman. Teman tidak selalu berwujud manusia, ia dapat berarti apa saja yang membuat saya tidak merasa sendiri. Hal ini tentu di luar konteks ke-Tuhan-an. Karena sudah barang tentu kalau sejatinnya kita tak pernah sendiri. Kita selalu bersama Dzat yang maha hidup, Allah SWT.

Menepi sejenak dari thesis

Kebanyakan buku yang saya baca bergenre cerita (novel, cerpen, ataupun kisah-kisah) namun kadangkala saya juga membaca buku yang berisi kolom-kolom yang membahas tentang fenomena-fenomena yang terjadi dewasa ini.  Setiap kolom berisi tema yang berbeda-beda bahkan terkadang tema-tema tersebut saling tidak nyambung.  Sebenarnya tidak semua tema dapat saya pahami maksud/atau pesannya, tapi terkadang saya berusaha untuk menyelami gaya penulisan yang di alirkan penulis dalam menyampaikan gagasannya, barangkali berangkat dari hal tersebut, pada akhirnya saya dapat memahami apa yang tersirat didalamanya. 

Pesan yang disampaikan penulis memang tidak selalu lugas. Penulis sering kali memakai bahasa retorik yang mbulet, bahasa yang penuh intrik. Inilah yang membuat saya acapkali kesulitan memahami maknanya,  saya butuh waktu untuk membacanya berulang-ulang 2-3 kali. Ini pula yang menyentil pikiran saya bahwa membaca bukan lah hal mudah. Padahal membaca sudah saya pelajari sejak taman kanak-kanak, dan tetap saya pelajari dan lakukan hingga kini. 

Menurut saya penggunaan bahasa retorik itu dimaksudkan untuk memberikan sense yang lebih mendalam terhadap pesan yang disampaikan. Hal itu dapat menggugah pikiran dan hati pembaca akan adanya fenomena tersebut. Bukan hal yang tidak mungkin, kalau penulis sebenarnya ingin menanamkan gagasannya pada si pembaca. Entah gagasan itu akhirnya tertanam dengan baik atau tidak.  

Hal tersebut juga dapat mengindikasikan bahwa  antara penulis dan pembaca biasanya memiliki ritme pikiran yang relatif sama, meski kita tidak bisa mengeneralisasikan hal tersebut. Mengapa saya beranggapan seperti itu, karena pembaca biasanya cenderung memilih bacaan yang sesuai dengan kebribadiannya dan/atau kepercayaannya. Dari hal tersebut kita dapat mengambil garis lurus “kepribadian/ kepercayaan sesorang dapat di lihat dari buku yang ia baca”.  Namun sekali lagi, jangan menggeneralisasikan hal tersebut pada semua pembaca. Lalu muncullah pertanyaan, “Bagaimana dengan orang yang tidak suka membaca? Apakah itu berarti kita tidak bisa melihat kepribadian/kepercayaannya?”  Terkhusus untuk hal tersebut, saya perlu membaca lebih banyak lagi.


                                                                                         Annisa
                                                                                         Surakarta, 28 Desember 2017

TOEFL PREPARATION PART 4

COMPARATIVE AND SUPERLATIVE 
QUESTION AND EXPLANATION

STRUCTURE AND WRITTEN EXPRESSION

Direction: Choose the letter of the word or group of words that best completes the sentence.

1.      The speed of the light is ________ the speed of sound.

A.    faster

B.     much faster than

C.     the fastest

D.    as fast

The sentence is comparing two equal things the speed of the light and the speed of sound. The possible answer is A (faster) and B (much faster than). But the correct answer is B because comparative is formed with either -er/more and than. So we need to add than to complete the comparative form.

2.      The use of detail is ________ method of developing a controlling idea, and almost all students employ this method.

A.    more common

B.     common

C.     most common

D.    the most common

The sentence is used to compare the use of detail method with all other methods of developing a controlling idea. It means that the sentence use superlative to show which one of many things that is most outstanding in some way. The possible answer is C and D, but the correct answer is D (the most common) because superlative is formed with the preceding either -est of most.  

Choose the lletter of the underlined word or group of words that is nor correct.

3.      Certain types of snakes have been known to survive fasts more as a year.

        A                                       B                                  C            D

The sentence is comparing certain types of snake with other types of snake. It has problem with comparative form. The incorrect word is as because comparative is formed with either -er/ more and than. So, we should use than instead of as in that sentence.

4.      The widely  used natural  fiber of all is cottoon.

       A           B                   C             D

The sentence is using superlative form. It is comparing the used of cotton with all the others used of natural fiber. The incorrect words is A (the widely) because superlative is formed by adding the, either -est or most preceding adverb (widely). So correct words are the most widely.

5.      Climate, soil type, and availability of water are the most critical factor than selectin

                                                   A                        B                                         C

the best type of grass for a lawn.

     D

The sentence is used the incorrect form of superlative. The incorrect word is than because superlative is formed with the, either -est or most, and in/of/ that.  The appropriate word to change than is in.

6.      The leek, a member of the lily family, has a mildest taste than the onion. 

                       A                                                        B       C      D

The sentence is comparing two equal things (the leek and the onion), it means that the sentence is using comparative. The incorrect word is B (mildest). Because comparative is formed with either -er/more and than. So the appropriate word to change mildest is milder.

7.      The Monarch butterfly migrates from Canada and the northen U.S. to warmest areas

                                         
                                           A         B                                                             C         D

in California, Florida, and Mexico.

The sentence is using incorrect form of superlative because the word warmest (C) is not preceding by the. Superlative is formed with the, either -est/most, and in/of/that (clause). Thus the correct form is the warmest.

8.      Protein molecules are the most complex than the molecules of carbohydrates and lipids.

                                       A       B                        C                                                D

The sentence is using incorrect form of comparative.. The word the most is used in superlative form, but this sentence should be used comparative form since it is comparing protein molecules with the molecules of carbohydrates Thus, the answer should be ”... more complex than...”.

9.      The grizzly bear, which can grow up to eight feet all, has been called   a more

                                       A                                  B                             C              D

dangerous animal of North America.

The sentence is using incorrect form of superlative. The word “a more” is used in comparative form, but this sentence must be used superlative form because it is comparing the grizzly bear with each of all bear in North America. Thus, the answer should be “... has been called the most dangerous animal of...”.

MENTALISTIC VS MECHANISTIC APPROACH IN PSYCHOLINGUISTICS

The psycholinguistic approach is a problem-solving area in the language learning and teaching process. It has fundamental contributions to language and teaching pedagogy.

The psycholinguistic approach has provided the theoretical ground for the flourishing of many second language learning theories and methods. Mentalist and Rationalist, Mechanistic, Cognitive- code theories of learning are the side- product of psycholinguistic viewpoints in science and research. The two proponent approaches are mechanistic and mentalistic.

            Mentalistic approach is proposed by Chomsky (1965). His approach considered the existence of a natural and internal capacity for language. Chomsky's idea of deep and surface structure revealed his philosophical view of meaning in language, but he more concentrated on the deep structure which is abstract knowledge of language and meaning. This approach is based on the theory that knowledge of grammar is programmed in human mind, for example: children can form sentences they have never heard before. He holds that each language is composed of a limited group of sounds and writing symbols that produces or generates infinite sentences.

           Mechanistic approach is proposed by Bloomfield (1933). He focuses on the surface structure of language (what was actually being said and how sounds are classified). Mechanistic views that language is a system that works to relate sound (structural approach). Mimicry is the primary method of learning language. Bloomfield (1933, p.31) said, “The human body (and) the mechanism which governs speech (are so) complex (that) we usually cannot predict whether a speaker will speak or what he will say”. It has also shown that the study of meaning is not a clearly defined level of linguistics. Rather it is a set of studies of the use of language in relation to many different aspects of experience, to linguistic and non-linguistic context, to participants in discourse, to their knowledge and experience, to the conditions under which a particular bit of language is appropriate.