i was asked to be a contributor for the lds-themed blog, various stages of mormondom. basically, each week a topic is given and several writers who are each at different stages in their relationship to mormonism chime in with their thoughts on the subject. you can read my inaugural post here.
well it's all set to go. i'm taking the gre on thursday december 6th at 1pm. even after all of the hours i have spent studying these last couple months, i still feel so unprepared. i've been putting in 3-5 hours almost every day and i'm starting to believe that i'm getting stupider as i go.
for those of you who have no idea what the gre is, it's the graduate record examination - the equivalent of the lsat or gmat for graduate schools. it is a timed exam composed of three sections: a verbal, quantitative, and writing.
there are four types of questions in the verbal section.
1. antonym - a word is given and you are required to pick it's antonym
ex.
*pathogenic
-diaphanous
-trenchant
-venerable
-salubrious
-sanguine
2. analogy - a pair of word is given and you are required to pick which pair of words shares the same relationship
ex.
*intransigent : flexibility
-transient : mobility
-disinterested : partisanship
-dissimilar : variation
-progressive : transition
-ineluctable :modality
3. sentence completion - the basic fill in the blank
4. reading comprehension - you read a few paragraphs and answer the questions
the quantitative section is composed of math and graph analysis questions that take on two forms.
1. multiple choice
ex.
*if the average of two numbers is 3y and one of the numbers is y - z, what is the other number, in terms of y and z?
-y + z
-3y + z
-4y + z
-5y - z
-5y + z
2. comparison - two choices are given. you must decide which is a higher value, if they are equal, or if it cannot be determined with the information given.
ex.
*q, r, and s are positive integers; qrs > 12
-qr/5
-3/s
finally, the writing section is composed of two sections - analysis and argumentation
1. analysis - a short reading with an argument is given. you must write a few paragraphs showing what is wrong with the argument and how it could have been better made.
2 argumentation - a short topic is presented and you must free-write an argument concerning it.
in the last few weeks several friends have asked if i have named my mountain bike or car yet. apparently it's a bigger deal than i had realized. i really haven't thought to do so because, for me, they were not mere objects which i owned, but were rather physiological extensions of my body. my bike has recently become such part of me that it was no different than my arms, feet, or uvula. as it had not concerned me to name those, i have likewise not given a name to my bike or car.
after some considerable thought, i have decided that it is best and most appropriate that i christian both my bike and car with names. however, i have not been able to come up with anything that seems suitable. for that reason i am seeking your help for suggestions.
most importantly is a proper name for my mountain bike. while he (yes, he is a boy) is not the most expensive or premiere of cycling machinery, he is my precious. my one and only precious. this red and black specialized rockhopper joined my life in the first week of july, and (as already mentioned) has since become an extension of my very being. when i click into his crankbrothers eggbeater pedals a union is made that is comparable to only utmost of physical intimacies.
next is my new car. several weeks ago my silver '91 honda accord was maliciously assailed by a red ford escort. the injuries were so severe that we had to put it to sleep. while my bike did a sufficient job of transporting me, i knew that i would need a new automobile to replace the deceased. as i searched, i came across a black '95 honda accord that called out to me. from the moment i set my eyes on her (yes, she's a lady), i just knew that i needed to bring her home with me. admittedly, part of her appeal was that she went well with my mountain biking motif (red, black, white - which incidentally were my highschool football colors), which was important because she was going to be transportation to get my bike and i to various mountain trails.
so now i ask you to offer me suggestions as to what i should name these appendages of mine - preferably names that go well with eachother.
