Make Your Point > Archived Issues > LANDSCAPE

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"LANDSCAPE" Meaning: Obviously, a landscape is a view of the land (or a picture or painting of land,) and to landscape is to make the land look nice with shrubs and flowers, etc. We're interested in the word's figurative use. A landscape is a particular area of activity. In other words, it's a mental viewpoint: a landscape is everything you can "see" (notice or understand) when you're thinking about a certain topic. Pronunciation: LAND skape Part of speech: Usually a countable noun. (Countable nouns, like “bottle,” “piece,” and “decision,” are words for things that can be broken into exact units. You talk about “a bottle,” “three pieces,” and “many decisions.” Likewise, talk about one landscape or multiple landscapes.) Other forms: landscapes How to use it: Just like a literal landscape, a figurative landscape is focused on a defined area, one with certain characteristics. So, you usually talk about "the (adjective) landscape" or "the landscape of (noun.)" Examples: the political landscape, the consumer spending landscape, the media landscape, the expanding neuroscience landscape, the changing landscape of healthcare in our country, the complex landscape of education reform, and so on. As you can tell from these examples, whatever you call a "landscape" is often some specific issue or activity that affects society. But you could narrow your focus and talk about the landscape of your imagination, the landscape of your own personal future, the emotional landscape in the math classroom, etc. If your meaning is clear, you can leave out those descriptive words ("political," "consumer spending," "media," etc.) and simply say that the landscape is changing, the landscape is expanding, the landscape is bleak, the landscape is promising, something is scorching the landscape or throwing a shadow over the landscape, etc. It wasn't until after college that I could properly discern the political landscape of public education. Not too much stands out right now along the pop music landscape--or maybe I'm just getting old and crotchety. Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "landscape" means when you can explain it without saying “mental perspective" or "field of perception." Think of a major issue that you used to be completely unaware of, and fill in the blanks: "The entire landscape of _____ was invisible to me until _____." Example: "The entire landscape of education jobs outside of traditional classrooms was invisible to me until I started browsing job listings right after college graduation." Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game and quote below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. Playing With Words: This month, with the gracious permission of author Dr. Barbara Ann Kipfer, we’re sampling some English language trivia from Word Nerd: More Than 17,000 Fascinating Facts about Words. Dr. Kipfer’s book is a hearty 570-page feast that I’ve been gleefully devouring for the past few months. We’re starting off with easy questions, then working our way toward some whoppers at the end of the month, all the while focusing on funny, unusual words; surprising word histories; and cool tidbits about the language.  Yesterday's question: The English word “cam_ _ _ _ _ _ _” derives from a French term meaning “a puff of smoke.” What English word is it? Answer: Camouflage. Try this one today. It should still feel pretty easy:   What do these words have in common? Braille, Celsius, diesel, guillotine, ohm, pasteurize, Richter, silhouette, zeppelin.  A Point Well Made: Edward T. Oakes: "...Reason [is insufficient] to grant us what we really long for: light itself in a dark world." 1. The closest opposite of LANDSCAPE is A. HYPOTHETICAL/THEORETICAL SITUATION B. DEVASTATING/DEVOLVING SITUATION C. PROMISING/SUCCESSFUL SITUATION 2. New developments have _____ the literary landscape but not _____  as some critics have claimed. A. altered .. rendered it barren B. impressed .. revolutionized it C. confused .. spiced it up Answers are below. To be a sponsor and send your own message to readers of this list, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each day for free by Mrs. Liesl Johnson, M.Ed., a word lover, learning enthusiast, and private tutor of reading and writing in the verdant little town of Hilo, Hawaii. For writing tips, online learning, essay guidance, and more, please visit www.HiloTutor.com. Disclaimer: Word meanings presented here are expressed in plain language and are limited to common, useful applications only. Readers interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words are encouraged to check a dictionary. Likewise, word meanings, usage, and pronunciations are limited to American English; these elements may vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. A 2. A