dennislv

@dennislv (134)

Shanghai, China

Joined myLot 11 years ago

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Mentions (31)

dennislv's Mentions

"This fine-looking, commanding man had become a shadow of his former self.", I don't know how to underatand this sentence. Help me please...

dennislv @dennislv (134) • Shanghai, China 16 Oct 13

"a shadow of his former self" means he was not like what he had been,right? Then, I am wondering if "this fine-looking, commanding man" was fine-looking and commanding and his former self had been much worse before, or he had been...

1 response

Shasta @dennislv There's no telling because the sentence doesn't give that information, but it can be either a physical or mental weakness.

18 Oct 13

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1 person

Anybody knows something about astrology? Why "the Jupiter–Saturn cycle is now in sextile to its most difficult period"?

dennislv @dennislv (134) • Shanghai, China 14 Oct 13

Why is being in sextile the cycle's most difficult period?

2 responses

Just an Ordinary Owl? @dennislv I suppose that might be a reasonable assumption.

16 Oct 13

"she could sew the veil on properly in the morning", according to this sentence,"in the morning" doesn't mean "this morning", then, when was she expected to finish her sewing?

dennislv @dennislv (134) • Shanghai, China 11 Oct 13

I know "in the morning" is not the same as "this morning". "She could" here suggests an uncertain tense. However, I prefer it a subjunctive use. If so,then "in the morning" can be "tomorrow morning"? What is it talking about?

2 responses

Just an Ordinary Owl? @dennislv Actually, now I think about it, I was wrong: it's not really a 'syntactical unit that cannot be broken', even though the English mind tends to think of 'could sew on' as a verb unit. "She could easily sew the veil on properly in the morning." would...

15 Oct 13

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1 person

"she could sew the veil on properly in the morning", according to this sentence,"in the morning" doesn't mean "this morning", then, when was she expected to finish her sewing?

dennislv @dennislv (134) • Shanghai, China 11 Oct 13

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Just an Ordinary Owl? @dennislv It modifies the action of 'sewing on the veil', not the 'being able to ... '. As you see, there are a number of correct positions an adverb can have. In the original sentence, it is placed after the complex verb structure (the object of the verb 'the...

14 Oct 13

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1 person

Some questions on the national anthem of the USA ——

dennislv @dennislv (134) • Shanghai, China 10 Oct 13

Here are part of the lyrics: Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light, What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming? Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight, O'er the ramparts we watched were...

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Edward @dennislv Served as in the past tense. I retired in 2002. The best part of my career was the travel and being able to visit and live in other countries and learning their culture.

12 Oct 13

"she works on the feeling of being deprived of her mother", What is she exactly doing?How shall I understand "work on" here?

dennislv @dennislv (134) • Shanghai, China 11 Oct 13

Which understanding is correct: 1. She does her work with a feeling of being orphaned or isolated. 2. She trys to deal with her lonely feeling.

1 response

Uncle Jay, Finding More Value in Your Machine @dennislv No, more like 'she is learning to add the feeling of bereavement into her regular life' or 'she's trying to get used to the way life is without her mother (who--I presume--was an integral part of her life up to now)'

11 Oct 13

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1 person

Generally, does "Native Americans" consist of all the Indian people in both North and South America?

dennislv @dennislv (134) • Shanghai, China 8 Oct 13

In my view, "native Americans" mainly refers to the native people whose ancesters originally lived in the place where is now the United States of America. Am I right? Then, what about the Indians live in South America? Are they...

1 response

Uncle Jay, Finding More Value in Your Machine @dennislv What curse-word CAN'T you add "and a half" to?

11 Oct 13

Is a “charge card” exactly the same thing as a "credit card"?

dennislv @dennislv (134) • Shanghai, China 9 Oct 13

“the bill was paid by charge card", Is the "charge card" a "credit card" like a Master Card or a Visa Card? Is there any difference between them?

1 response

Uncle Jay, Finding More Value in Your Machine @dennislv yeah, if that is to say 'a credit card is always a charge card, but a charge card isn't always a credit card' (like 'a Roman Catholic church is always Christian, but a Christian church isn't always Roman Catholic' )

11 Oct 13

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1 person

Some questions on the national anthem of the USA ——

dennislv @dennislv (134) • Shanghai, China 10 Oct 13

3 responses

Edward @owlwings considering you're not American, I am very impressed with your knowledge of the Star Spangled Banner! @dennislv I can't remember exactly but I would say I was probably 9 11 or 12 years before I could sing the anthem. I fully understood the meaning...

11 Oct 13

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1 person

Some questions on the national anthem of the USA ——

dennislv @dennislv (134) • Shanghai, China 10 Oct 13

3 responses

TheRealDawn @dennislv true

11 Oct 13

Generally, does "Native Americans" consist of all the Indian people in both North and South America?

dennislv @dennislv (134) • Shanghai, China 8 Oct 13

1 response

Shasta @dennislv He means "cracker". It's supposed to be a derogatory term for Caucasians.

11 Oct 13

Generally, does "Native Americans" consist of all the Indian people in both North and South America?

dennislv @dennislv (134) • Shanghai, China 8 Oct 13

1 response

Just an Ordinary Owl? @dennislv I am not sure which word he is talking of. The only one I can think of is 'c0ck' (which MyLot doesn't allow me to type as it is!) but I thought that that was mainly British usage (and mostly confined to people from a particular area of London, who...

11 Oct 13

What is “an electric fondue set”?

dennislv @dennislv (134) • Shanghai, China 8 Oct 13

I have no idea about it.

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Just an Ordinary Owl? @dennislv Yes, "hot pot" or "Mongolian hot pot" is the same thing that I described as being Szchechuan (both cultures, I believe, are from the north of China or from its northern neighbours). Whereas the Mongolian/Szchechuan hot pot involves a broth (which is...

9 Oct 13

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1 person

"A fair tide can be carried well past Lands End before the stream sets to the north.“ I know every word of the sentence but can't understand it at all!

dennislv @dennislv (134) • Shanghai, China 29 Sep 13

Help! "fair tide" "be carried well past Lands End" "before" OH, my!

1 response

Just an Ordinary Owl? @dennislv "It was all Greek to me before you gave such a detailed interpretation." The giving of the information had already happened (completed action) when you wrote this, so "gave" should be in the past tense. I'm afraid I can't explain why...

30 Sep 13

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1 person

"a perfect lady—just set in her seat and stared",what does "stared" refer to?

dennislv @dennislv (134) • Shanghai, China 29 Sep 13

Is that lady staring? How could "staring" be an evidence of "perfect lady"? What is the sentence talking about? ——I feel a little guity and self-condemned for having asking so many maybe silly questions. I just want to...

2 responses

Shasta @dennislv It must be a southern dialect. I often hear people use the word "set" to mean the same thing as "sit" or "sat".

29 Sep 13

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1 person

How do British people call "football" in North America which is quite different from "soccer" ?

dennislv @dennislv (134) • Shanghai, China 28 Sep 13

I know Americans call Association Football "soccer", which in England is simply called "football". Then, how do English people call "football in North America"? American Rugby? American Football?

1 response

Just an Ordinary Owl? @dennislv No. Rugby football is just "rugby" (there are actually two different varieties with different rules. If one needs to make a distinction one refers to either Rugby Union or Rugby League but both may be referred to as simply "rugby"). American...

29 Sep 13

Is religion a topic which should be avoided as a taboo on public forum?

dennislv @dennislv (134) • Shanghai, China 26 Sep 13

I posted a question about religious practices among the young and kids in western countries today. But there's no response from any western friends. It's quite understandable when I conjecture that there may be something too...

5 responses

Bluedoll @dennislv Your welcome. Why are you interested in this subject? Please say.

27 Sep 13

Is religious tradition still being put into practice among young people and kids in Britain and in the US?

dennislv @dennislv (134) • Shanghai, China 24 Sep 13

This topic has nothing to do with offence or sensitivity, just for discussion and gaining in knowledge. Religious tradition in our country has been declining since 1950s. Buddism and Taoism, the two mainstream religions on...

4 responses

sam jewcial @dennislv Alright let's wait the turth , i'm also wondering that ~

25 Sep 13