How To Use The Longman Dictionary Of Contemporary English Effectively?

Parents like to say every child is a part of them. In our house, I was but a splinter under the skin. Mom and Dad were a blended couple. They could not bring themselves to truly punish my stepbrother and stepsister, so they had me and turned me into their cautionary example. When my brother came last in his class, Dad locked me in a dog crate under the blazing sun to teach him what happened to people who refused to study. When my sister started dating too young, Mom drugged me and dumped me in a homeless encampment to show her what could happen if she was not careful. Then one day, Dad found a takeout receipt in the trash. He forced poisoned food into my mouth and made me swallow. "Today, I am going to teach you all a real lesson. This is what happens when you eat whatever you want behind our backs." Even as I coughed blood and writhed on the floor, Dad threw me into the punishment room. My brother and sister rushed to confess and begged Mom to let me out. But Mom only said coldly, "You two will learn this lesson properly today. When you have learned it, I will let him out." I sat on the floor as blood soaked through my shirt. As my consciousness faded, I finally understood. Dad, your last cautionary lesson had to be taught with my life.

The novel is mainly about the forgotten British poet/writer named C. J Richards who lived in Burma/Myanmar in colonial times and he believed himself as a Burmophile. He served as I.C.S (Indian Civil Servant) and when he retired from I.C.S service, he was a D.C (District Commissioner) and he left for England a year before Burma gained its independence in 1948. He came to Burma in 1920 to work in civil service after passing the hardest I.C.S examination. He wrote several books on Burma and contributed many monthly articles to Guardian Magazine published in Burma from 1953 to 1974 or 1975. Though he wrote several books which had much literary merit to both communities, Britain and Burma (Myanmar), people failed to recognize him. The story has two parts: one part is set in the contemporary Yangon (then called Rangoon) in 2016 context and a young literary enthusiast named “Lin” found out unexpectedly the forgotten writer’s poetry book and there is surely a good deal of time gap that led him into a quest to know more about the author’s life. The setting is quite different comparing to colonial Burma and independence Myanmar (Burma), early twentieth century and 2016 which is a transitional period in Myanmar. The writer’s life is fictionalized in the novel and most of the facts are taken from his personal stories and other reference books. It is a kind of historical novel with a twist and it has comparatively constructed the two different periods in Myanmar history to convince readers, locally and abroad more about history, authorship, humanity, colonialism, and transitional development in Myanmar today.

Constance felt suffocated by the monotony of her everyday life. She had never quite fit into the world around her, always longing for something deeper, something extraordinary. Driven by an insatiable curiosity, she was ready to brave the forbidden forest that every adult had warned her to stay away from. Step after step into the dense shadow of the trees, the fear of the unknown was completely eclipsed by her desire for adventure. After falling through a doorway she now found herself in a world unlike anything she had ever imagined.

~A romance full of drama, twists, and passion~ After a romantic disappointment, Paulina Perez, a shy governess, decides it's time to change and accepts the help of the biggest womanizer she knows, Simon Salvatore, her employer. Against all of his rules, Simon teaches Paulina the art of seduction. However, between lessons, it becomes difficult not to fall victim to his own tricks. ~ She had a problem. Even though his attitude went against all of his rules, Simon crouched in front of the governess. Amidst the tears, Paulina's surprise was visible as she looked at him. "What happened?" "Nathaniel said that I'm too good for him, that he doesn't want to deceive me and won't continue with me," she replied between sobs. "Translation: He gave you the brush off," he summarized without thinking, regretting it when she gave in to compulsive crying. ~*~ He was the solution. "Being too puritanical only drives men away," Simon argued. "I don't condemn your dream of finding Prince Charming, who will give you a 'happily ever after.' But even if he existed, he wouldn't stay with someone who runs away at the slightest touch." "I don't know how to be or act differently." "I can teach you. Just ask." Paulina looked at him astonished, and Simon thought about saying it was a joke. However, before he withdrew the offer, Paulina gathered her courage and asked, "Simon, teach me to be a different woman, more...sensual." Teach me Learning has never been so pleasurable

"Our heart beats only with their permission." For as long as she can remember, the bookworm Synecdoche Rochet, 23, has lived a simple life in Maharlika Nation—hiding in the grasses and grains of District G to avoid the terrifying power of the Embassy and its ruthless Ambassador. In a dystopian world that is controlled with surveillance, Synecdoche Rochet embarks on a mission to get back their rights on their district's valuable resources—the grains. When she discovered her intellectual ability, she found herself drawn to the charismatic Giovanni, the long-lost Ambassador's privileged son together with other intelligent students, Ulap, Token, and Keithwarth. They found themselves being the tributes on the 2nd Maharlika Spelling TwistBee—trapped in the Word Arena. An annually commemorated game where each district will represent one letter in the Alphabet, spell the given English words not verbally, but by beating other competitors who have letter tattoos on their arms. The rules are to Spell and beat them. Within the competitor's reach, the team-up of Synecdoche, Giovanni, Ulap, Token, and Keithwarth isn't a coincidence, it's a conspiracy. What if Synecdoche's age will be reversed? Will they use their intelligence for vengeance? Will they compel love and trust to survive the competition? Is their life the price or the prize? "Even the shortest word has the longest meaning."

Betsy Miller is not your typical twenty-two years old ‘half-Asian girl’. After all, apart from being a customer service representative and the various side jobs she has, she is also a great actress. One day, one of her clients at a salon, a Japanese woman, asked for a favor. In exchange for a large sum, Betsy goes to New York City to pretend to be Yuri Haruko. Even with no knowledge of the business world, she dares to go there. There she meets Jack Wills, an American rugged looking guy who’s pretty convinced that Betsy is not the person who she says she is.