Wednesday, December 5, 2007

The Importance of Kindergarten

Gloria

Composition Class 4C

December 05, 2007

The Importance of Kindergarten

Education is the foundation of a country. Some people focus on elementary, high school, and university education, but they ignore early childhood education. A kindergarten exists for early childhood education. In fact, there are three reasons to say that kindergarten is also important to all social systems. These reasons are benefits for country, benefits for parents and benefits for children.

First of all, kindergarten affects the development of the country. Because of kindergarten, people can continue to go to work; the competition of the country doesn’t decrease. Also, the economic development of the country will increase. The country will be prosperous. Another reason is about crime rate. When our children go to kindergarten, they accept education. Their teachers will let them know what they can do and what they can’t do. And a kindergarten will help decrease criminal action. So kindergarten has a great effect on the development of the country.

Besides, kindergarten is also important for parents. When they want to go to visit their friends, go shopping, go to see a movie, or go to other places like supermarket, post office, bank, etc., taking children is inconvenient. At the same time, parents don’t worry about their children. They can go everywhere they want, even go to work, because their children are in kindergarten. Furthermore, kindergarten provides education for parents. Some parents don’t know how to educate their children, because it’s the first time for them to be parents. Moreover, they don’t know how to get along with their children well. In the kindergarten, there are professional teachers who have known how to educate children and get along with children well, and they can also tell parents how to do that. They know how to teach children in good ways. Therefore, for parents kindergarten is a place that not only takes care of their children, but also provides education to parents.

Another importance of kindergarten is for children. When children go to kindergarten, their teachers teach them a lot of things. There are many differences between home and kindergarten. They have to learn to share things with other children. In the kindergarten, some things like toys, books, playground, art materials, etc. are for everyone; a child can’t own these things by himself. For example, if a girl is reading a book, and a boy also wants to read that book, the boy has to think a solution to this problem. The boy needs to express himself to the girl. Maybe they can share with each other, or maybe the boy has to wait until the girl finished reading the book. Learning to wait is also important to children, because we are living in groups not alone. We have to learn to respect other people. Thus, in the kindergarten children not only learn to share and wait, but also express themselves. Moreover, they make a lot of friends.

To summarize, these examples show why kindergarten is so important. It plays an important role to all social systems. It makes social systems operate normally, even better. Every part of social systems is well taken care for. Therefore, we can’t ignore the importance of kindergarten.

Monday, November 26, 2007

Journal Entry #34 The Importance of Kindergarten

The Importance of Kindergarten


Education is the foundation of a country. Some people focus on elementary, high school, and university education, but they ignore early childhood education. A kindergarten exists for early childhood education. In fact, there are three reasons to say that kindergarten is also important to all social systems. These reasons are benefits for country, benefits for parents and benefits for children.

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Journal Entry #33 What are you going to do over the 3 day weekend?

What are you going to do over the 3 day weekend?


The Three Days Weekend


I don’t have any special plan over 3 day weekend. It is just like usual. On the Saturday, my boyfriend and I went to see a movie. This movie theater plays the old movies rather than the latest movies. Therefore, it is cheap. Everyone just have to pay 1.5 dollars. We saw a movie called “Ratatouille” It is a comedy of cartoon. It is full of funny plots. In the afternoon, we washed my boyfriend’s car. Then on the Sunday, we went to a Chinese supermarket to buy some food and some groceries. When we came back home, I was busy preparing lunch and dinner. In the evening, I studied Toefl test. Then on the Monday, I will do my homework and continue studying. In the evening, my boyfriend and I will go to a musicale. It is his friend’s piano concert. Though it looks a little boring, it doesn’t cost a lot of money.


Journal Entry #32 Thanksgiving is coming up soon

Thanksgiving is coming up soon. What three things are you most thankful for?

What Three Things Are You Most Thankful For?


There are three things that I am most thankful for. First, I thank my parents for all things they give me. I was raised by my parents. Even now I am 23 years old, they still support me all pocketbook. I can study abroad to accomplish my dream because of their complete support. They give me not only money but also love. When I was sad here, I called my mom and told to her. Sometimes she couldn’t give me a real favor, but her voice comforted me. Second, I want to thank my teachers who have ever taught me. They give me knowledge and teach me how to judge what is right and what is wrong. Some of them are models that I want to be. Since I also want to be a great teacher who can really help students and give them what they really need in a good way. Furthermore, some of my teachers encouraged me to fulfill my dream when I almost wanted to give up. Because of them, I am still here and continue studying. Finally, I want to thank my boyfriend. From him, I learn more how to get along well with other people. Furthermore, when I make decisions, I think other people first rather than me, and keep other peoples’ feelings in mind. The love affair matures me. Also, when I first came here, he took care of me. At the beginning of here, I often cried. Since he comforted me and gave me support, I felt better. To sum up, I thank my parents, teachers, and my boyfriend. I can be myself and do what I want because of them.


Journal Entry #31Is it ever okay to lie?

Is it ever okay to lie? In which circumstances?

Tell a Lie in One Circumstance Is Okay

In my opinion, tell a lie is really a bad thing. I don’t like to tell a lie, and I don’t like people who lie to me. Even sometimes I told a lie, I don’t think it was right. Sometimes I tell a lie to avoid getting troubles, I still feel a little guilty. However, I think tell a lie just in one circumstance is okay. It is all right that you don’t want to hurt other people. For example, when someone let you taste his/her cooking, you have to say it’s delicious or so so, even it is not good. You can tell the truth unless he/she is your very close friend or family. I think in this situation tell a white lie is more polite and more appropriate.


Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Journal Entry #30 Does it matter what strangers think of you ?

Does it matter what strangers think of you? Do you care if everyone likes you or are you content just being yourself? Write a paragraph explaining your answer.


I don’t really care if everyone likes me or not. I think being myself is most important. If I have to do something that makes everyone happy, I will not be happy. It doesn’t matter what strangers think of me. However, I care what my family and my friends think of me. Sometimes their advices are useful for me. Also, I know their opinions are good for me, they don’t harm me. If I am sure what I do is correct and not hurt people, I’ll do it. Happiness is essential in my life. It is my motto. I think if I’m happy, people around me feel my emotion, and they are happy, too.



Journal Entry #29 Halloween !!! Scary Story

Hsiao, Fang Nung (Gloria)
Tsou,Jia-Hua (Maggie)
Waraporn Mongkolchareoen (Ann)
Sarapond Asavakulpanus (Paula)
Oct. 29, 2007
Composition 4C

The Ring


A student, Mary, wanted to rent an apartment, so she walked all day long and finally found an old apartment. She decided to rent it because it was cheaper than the others. She moved into the apartment and settled everything as usual. One week later, she had a worker install a telephone line. However, she found that the phone didn’t work well. She couldn’t call for anyone and the phone never rang. So she decided to all a repairman to fix the phone line, but at the same time she got a phone call from an old lady who asked to speak to someone named Lucy. Mary told her that she had the wrong number. After that day, the old lady kept calling every night at the same time and always asked for Lucy. One day at midnight, the phone was ringing again. Mary finally couldn’t stand it, so she decided to pull the wire from the wall. She immediately moved the sofa away and looked for the plug. However, after she found it, she noticed that the wire was not plugged in. Mary wondered how this was possible. Then the phone rang again. She nervously answered the phone. The old woman asked for Lucy. Mary asked who Lucy was. The old woman said, “Look behind you.”


Journal Entry #28 ALP Halloween party

Please post your pictures from the ALP Halloween party. Summarize the night and tell me what I missed!

ALP Halloween Party


Last Saturday, I went to ALP Halloween party with my boyfriend. We didn’t wear any costume, we just wore normal clothes. When we arrived at TSU Pub, we saw people dance, talk and eat. Then, I saw lots of people wear costume like the cat, patient, devil, Marilyn Monroe, captain, etc. Furthermore, some people not only wore special costume, but also make-up. I thought that make-up is most important than others. It made people look vivid. For instance, Carol’s make-up was really scary. When I saw her, I almost couldn’t identify her until she called my name. I’m so startled at her face. You must look at her picture. In my opinion, you couldn’t miss Carol’s face which was one of the most surprising things.



Saturday, October 27, 2007

Journal Entry #27 If you were going to Las Vegas

I am going to Las Vegas this weekend. If you were going to Las Vegas, where would you go and what would you do? Lastly, do you have any suggestions on how I can win a lot of money? Which games do you like to play?


I have never been Las Vegas. So I don’t know what I can do there. However, I heard some people said there are some huge outlets you can shop. Even you don’t want to pay money there, you can window shop. It is also interesting. In addition, there are lots of fantastic shows there. You can’t miss shows, or you’ll regret. Also, most people going Las Vegas won’t miss to gamble. I don’t know what kinds of games there, and I don’t know how to play. Nevertheless, I hardly heard that people gambling there won money. Therefore, if you want to save your money, the best advice I give you is don’t gamble in the casino. If you gamble just for fun, you can do it, but don’t spend a lot of money there.


Journal Entry #26 Compare and contrast two sports

Compare and contrast two sports

Baseball and Football


There are so many sports in the world. And what I like most are baseball and football. There are some similarities and differences between these two sports. I would like to discuss the similarities first. Both of them are ball games. Although the size and the shape of the ball are different, players always throw the ball and run. Moreover, both of these two sports are needed teamwork to win a game. Teammates should cooperate with each other and follow their strategy made by coaches to go through the game and win eventually. In addition, no matter which you want to play, you need to have a strong body and power. However, these two sports differ in some ways. The first difference is the body contact. For example, football players often tackle the opposite players to stop them approaching forward. But it is rarely seen in a baseball game. Another major difference is the rule. For instance, it changes defense side and offense side when every three players are out in a baseball game. But it’s totally different from football. You are changed to offense side when you intercept the ball. The last difference is that football players have to carry the ball to touch down but baseball players don’t need to do that. In conclusion, though there are some similarities and differences between these two sports, you can play what you want.


Journal Entry #25 Compare and contrast two major fast food restaurants

Compare and contrast two major fast food restaurants.

The Relationship of McDonald’s and IN-N-OUT


There are two major fast food restaurants that people choose. One is McDonald’s; the other one is IN-N-OUT. Between McDonald’s and IN-N-OUT, there are some similarities and differences. The first similarity is price. You can buy a combo meal including a hamburger, a pack of french fries, and a soda. Both their price are no more than 10 dollars. Another major similarity is management. Not only McDonald’s but also IN-N-OUT, there are lots of chain stores everywhere in America. Despite these similarities, the two fast food restaurants differ in some ways. First, it is the freshness of the food. At McDonald’s they cook food before the customer comes. On the other hand, at IN-N-OUT they cook food after the customer comes to order. So the food at IN-N-OUT is fresher than At McDonald’s. A final difference is secret menu. At McDonald’s all foods you can order are on the menu. However, at IN-N-OUT not all foods are on the menu. On their menu, they are just cheeseburger, double cheeseburger, hamburger, french fries, and soda. It seems that too less kinds of food are provided. Yet it’s not truth. In fact, there are other foods like wish burger, Animal Style Fries, Flying Dutchman, Protein Style, etc you can eat. All in all, there are some similarities and differences I have noticed between McDonald’s and IN-N-OUT. Some people like McDonald’s; some people like IN-N-OUT. That’s all right. You can choose what you want.


Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Bonus Entry

Parrot Story

A bird saved a family's live. When a fire happened, the family's parrot, Peanut, imitated a fire alarm. At the time, Shannon Conwell and his 9-year-old son slept on the couch. Their parrot likes to imitate sounds. Because of the reason, when a fire happened, the parrot made noise and then they waked up. This helped save the man and his son from their house fire.

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Journal Entry #24 A Person Who Has Made a Difference: Confucius

A Person Who Has Made a Difference: Confucius


A person who has made a difference is Confucius. He is Chinese. He was born in 551 B.C. Confucius was an educator and was named the first model of teachers. He helped his students in two ways. First, he taught a variety of students no matter whether the student is rich or poor. Second, how he taught students depended on the students' abilities and personalities. For example, student A and student B asked him the same question, but he gave them different answers. In that way, it was easier for students to understand. Moreover, Confucius's answer depended on the students' personalities. He helped students to reach their own limits. For example, he had about 3000 students and divided some of them into four groups: morality, language, politics and literature. Then he gave them different goals to accomplish. Even today, Confucius deeply influences the way of the teaching. Many teachers follow his thoughts. He was named the greatest teacher in the world. To sum up, Confucius’s teaching styles has had an important effect on education.

Monday, October 15, 2007

Journal Entry #23 How to Make Ma Po Tofu

How to make your favorite dish. Give the recipe and instructions for making your favorite dish. See the example on page 105 (Eggs).


How to Make Ma Po Tofu


Ma po tofu, the spicy and hot tofu, is one kind of Chinese cuisine. It is also one of my favorite dish. If you are interested in that, you can follow these instructions. The first instruction is to prepare stuff for ma po tofu. They are one piece of tofu, some ground pork, few chopped green onions, little ginger and garlic, and some flavors including rice wine, soy sauce, sugar, chili bean sauce and photo powder. Second, cube the tofu and cut ginger and garlic into pieces. Third, pour some oil into the pan over high heat. Next, put about a tablespoon of ginger and garlic, and ground pork into the pan. Then when you sniff the aroma of food in the pan, add tofu, a tablespoon of rice wine, two tablespoons of chili bean sauce, and 125c.c. water into the pan. Wait until the sauce in the pan is boiling. After that, pour half tablespoon of soy sauce and a teaspoon of sugar into the pan and then turn down the heat. At the same time, mix half tablespoon of photo powder with water. Finally, add this into the pan and boil the food, then turn off the stove. Now, put a sprinkle of few chopped green onions on the top of the food. and enjoy the delicious cuisine.


Journal Entry #22 How to Lose 10 Pounds in Two Days

How to Lose 10 Pounds in Two Days

Losing 10 pounds in two days is a very difficult job. However, there are still some suggestions including both meals and exercise you can follow. The first suggestion is to drink a cup of 500c.c. water when you get up in the morning. Meanwhile, you will go to restroom. Then eat a piece of whole meal toast, poach an egg, and drink a cup of fresh fruit juice for breakfast. The juice consists of half carrot, 1/3 pineapple, an apple, two teaspoons of honey, and a piece of lemon. Adding how much of water depends on your flavor. It really tastes good. After one hour, go to jog one hour. At noon, before you eat your lunch, drink a cup of 500c.c. water. Next, poach spaghetti and mix little olive oil, salt and rosemary for your lunch. At 5:30, poach some vegetables and cook tomato soup for dinner. After one hour, go to swim about two hours. After that, maybe you feel hungry. However, don’t eat anything. On the other hand, you can drink a cup of 500c.c. water. Finally, go to bed early.

On the second day, it is almost the same way. If you don’t want to eat the same lunch, you can make a vegetable sandwich. But don’t add mayonnaise. It is an enemy of losing weight. Also, you can change the soup of dinner, like egg soup, vegetable soup and other light soups. Furthermore, before you go to bed, if you have more energy, you can do some exercise on the bed like sit-ups. Tomorrow you’ll be surprised at your weight.


Journal Entry #21

How to find/choose a marriage partner.

How To Find a Marriage Partner

Finding a marriage partner is not too easy. However, it still has some rules you can follow. The following are the rules. The first step is to go to parties. Since there are many kinds of people you can meet there. In addition, people there are relax, happy, and easy-going. You can talk a lot to them. Second, wearing a pretty dress and being friendly, polite and active are necessary. When you make yourself look charming, people are interested in you. Then you can make lots of friends. Or you can be aggressive to talk to them. Next, keep in touch and hang out with some of them. When you hang out with them, you can choose someone you really like him/her. Forth, go ahead to have a relationship with him/her. Finally, if you are match, you would have a steady relationship for a long time. By that time, you will be willing to live with him/her the rest of your life.


Saturday, October 13, 2007

Journal Entry #20 There Are Three Types of People In This World

Topic: There are three types of people in this world. (Don't give easy answers like "tall, short, fat, skinny, etc.")

There Are Three Types of People In This World

There are three types of people in this world. The first type is that people are always honest. They don't like to tell a lie. It sounds good. You can always hear the truth from them. However, they sometimes still hurt someone's feeling. Since they even don't tell a white lie. The second type is that people like to tell lies. Whenever you talk to them, you often don't know what is true, or what is false. They often confused you. Maybe you can hear lots of words that you like and make you feel happy, but they're possibly full of lies. You don't know which words you can believe, or which words you can't believe. You can't distinguish their sayings. The third type is that people don't like tell a lie, but sometimes they tell a white lie. This kind of people are most suit to society. They have better relationship in this world. Because they know say what words in what occasions. They usually easier to succeed than the others. To summarize, in this world there are three types of people. No matter in which group you are , you just enjoy your life.

Journal Entry #19 Being Single Has Many Advantages

Topic: Being single has many advantages.

Being Single Has Many Advantages

There are three advantages being single. The first advantage is that being single is more free than being couple. For example, when you have a boyfriend/girlfriend, you have to tell him/her what you are doing. Moreover, you have to tell him/her your daily schedule before you go to do that. Even you might ask him/her to get his/her agreement. It sounds annoying. So if you are a single person, you can do everything you want without him/her permission. The second advantage is your emotions don't be affected by him/her. For instance , if your boyfriend/girlfriend is in a bad mood, you have to comfort him/her. Furthermore, you'll get angry because of his/her unhappiness. The final advantage is you can date with any other person. Since some people care about their boyfriend/girlfriend who go out with opposite sex. If you go out with opposite sex, you might get into trouble. Thus, if you are single, you can date anyone you want. To sun up, being single has many advantages that you can make decisions by yourself, and do everything without your boyfriend/girlfriend's influence.

Journal Entry #18 Playing sports has many advantages

Topic: Playing sports has many advantages.

Playing Sports Has Many Advantages

There are three advantages to play sports. First of all, playing sports is good for human body. Regular exercises are healthful. Moreover, lots of evidence and studies support the idea that people with the habit of playing sports are healthier than people who don't. The former is less sick than the latter. Second, playing sports are also beneficial for human mind. It help people relax. For example, when people play sports, they forget their troubles and worries such as exam, business, job, friendship, etc. They play sports in a relaxed mood, not a nervous mood. They relax their mind by playing sports. The final advantage is for an attractive figure. Everyone wants to be a good-looking person. Some people keep or lose their weights by dieting. However, they usually quickly get fat. Experts said playing sports is a most effective way to accomplish this purpose. After that, people can keep their weight in a longer time. In addition, it is healthy for our body. In conclusion, playing sports are good for our body, mind, and attractive figure.

Wednesday, October 3, 2007

Journal Entry #17 My Big Fat Greek Wedding

Summarize the movie we are going to watch. :)

The movie: My Big Fat Greek Wedding

The actress, named Toula Portokalos, is a 30 years old woman. She worked at his parents' restaurant and dressed with negligence. Her parents and whole family are Greek and also wanted her to marry a Greek man. But she didn't think so. One day, she met a handsome man at his parents' restaurant and was attracted to the man, named Ian Miller. But the man didn't notice her. Then she wanted to make something change her boring and invariable life. She told his father that she wanted to take computer classes in the college. At first, his father didn't agree that. However, her mother played a trick and persuaded his father. Next, she went to college and started to dress up. She wore contact lenses, made up,and wore new pretty clothes. Now she looks beautiful and elegant. Later, she works at her aunt's travel agency. Then she met Ian Miller again. This time they fell in love and wanted to get marry. Now lots of problems are coming. Since he is not a Greek and they have totally different culture. Her father didn't like him. However, the man loves the woman very much. He is willing to make something let her family accept him. Finally, her whole family accept him and bless the couple.

Journal Entry #16 My Most Embarrassing Moment

Describe your most embarrassing moment. One paragraph. Use descriptive language.

My Most Embarrassing Moment
When I was in elementary school, I participated in school's band. I was not only a member of the band, but also a conductor. It is a real feather in my cap. In our band, there were 50 members, but only 4 or 5 students were chosen as the conductors. Our band played the national anthem and the anthem of the national flag every morning in front of the president, teachers and students. Also, the conductor led all people to sing the national anthem and pay honor to the national flag. One day, it's my turn to conduct. I clearly remembered it's Wednesday. Because every Wednesday the students could wear leisure clothes, not changeless and monotonous uniforms. When our teacher told me that I was the conduct this Wednesday, the news excited me. Before the coming Wednesday, I was thinking what I could wear. I wanted to show my pretty and elegance in front of everybody. Finally, I word my smartest dress. When I arrived at school, my friends told me I was more different than usual. I looks like a princess. I was so happy to hear that. Then it's time to show myself. When I elegantly conducted our band and everyone, I thought I was the most beautiful girl on that day. Suddenly, from somewhere behind me, a strong wind blew my dress and hair. At that moment, my face turned red. I wanted to hide myself. Moreover, I saw lots of people laugh at me. However, I still had to finish my duty. I can't just run away. After that, I walked downstair in a hurry. Though my friends said it's all right, I still strongly felt that I was a joke. How foolish I was. It is so stupid to do such a thing. Now I thought I was an idiot.

Journal Entry #15 Introduct Halloween

Research Halloween online and write a paragraph summarizing the holiday. No plagiarism! I'm watching you!

Halloween

Halloween is a western holiday. It is celebrated on the night of October 31. On the day, people do some special activities like playing trick or treating, participating costume parties, watching horror movies, and visiting houses of horrors. A Jack-o'-lantern is a symbol of Halloween. It is a pumpkin which is often carved into a scary face and put a candle inside. Also, people put it on their home's doorstep after dark for scaring away the ghosts.




Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Journal Entry #14 My experience at Universal Studios

Write about your experience at Universal Studios! (please post pictures too)

My experience at Universal Studios

It was a good weather . Besides, when we took bus to Universal Studios, there was no traffic jam. What a wonderful day! And my boyfriend and his classmate, Stanford, were also there. Before we entered Universal Studios, my Taiwan's classmates and I took some pictures at entrance where there was a huge hollow ball which was a famous sight. In front of the sight, there is a long red carpet. When I walked on the red carpet, I felt like a superstar. Then we entered Universal Studios. At first, we chose universal's house of horrors as our first station. I was so scared, so I grabbed my boyfriend's clothes and walked behind him. Indeed, I heard some people scream, and I did, too. Moreover, I saw a girl fall down when a monster wanted to seized her. Also, I saw a girl keep crying when I walked outside. According to these, I thought maybe I was a brave girl. Then, we went to see the animal show, and it was really funny. Also, we went to see "Terminator 2" which was a 3D cyber adventure. It was amazing. At noon, we ate lunch at a fast food restaurant. After that, we went downstairs. At the beginning of lower lot, we went to "Jurassic Park". The ride, a treacherous plunge straight down an 84-foot vertical drop waterfall, is so exciting. And I found my facial expression of the picture on th computer is very ugly. Later, we arrived "Revenge of the Mummy". We took the ride and screamed through the darkness. To my surprise, it moved not only forwards, but also backwards. It marvelled us all. The two rides took us two hours. Despite the livelong time, we thought they were worth riding. Between these activities, we also saw some shows. Finally, we went to "Water World", a tidal wave of explosive action. Before the show started, all the audience and three actors had an interesting interaction. We played a game together and the actors made all the audience excite and laugh. Also, it was a thrilling adventure show. We enjoyed it. After the show, my friends and I were soaked, because we sat on the third roll of middle seat. Thus, we really had a fun at Universal Studios! But I regretted that we didn't take "The Legendary Studio Tour". Maybe next time I'll come here and I'll not miss the tour again.


Journal Entry #13 There are several reasons to eat fruits and vegetables

Write an academic paragraph. Try your best to give three reasons supporting the topic sentence. Don't forget to give examples and write a concluding sentence.

There are several reasons to eat fruits and vegetables.

Health is more important than anything else in the world. Most people know how to stay healthy. They keep healthy by food. But they often ignore the importance of fruits and vegetables. There are three reasons to eat fruits and vegetables. In fact, fruits and vegetables are essential to people. They play an important role for resistance, for nutrition and for excreta.
First of all, eating fruits and vegetables can strengthen our resistance. There is a adage "An apple a day keeps the doctor away". It is not really tell us to eat an apple a day. It means people should eat fruits and vegetables everyday. So we can protect ourselves from sickness. Second, eating fruits and vegetables is also important for nutrition. We know that the food is classified into five kinds of nutrition which are carbohydrate, lipid, protein, mineral and vitamin. They are necessary for life. And fruits and vegetables are the main source of vitamin. That is the reason why we must eat fruits and vegetables. Finally, another importance of eating fruits and vegetables is for excreta. Experts said that eating fruits and vegetables can prevent constipation. Now it is clear that eating fruits and vegetables is so important. It is good for our health. In other words, a healthy diet should include fruits and vegetables. We can't ignore the importance of them.

Journal Entry #12 My Bedroom

Describe your bedroom using spatial order signals. Look at page 62.

My Bedroom

When you come to my bedroom at first sight, you'll see a white door with a silver knob. Then open the door. On the right side of the doorway, you'll see a floor lamp. It is 8" taller than me. At the top of the lamp, it is a white lampshade, and its lamplight is light yellow. Therefore every evening I switched the light on, I feel warm. Also, next to the floor lamp, there is a television on a bookshelf. The television is 20", and the bookshelf is made of wood with one adjustable shelve. Indeed, I put some books and notebooks on the shelve. Then you keep walking straight, you'll see a black desk on your right side. It is big enough for me to lie on the desk. Also, there are writing materials, textbooks, desk lamp, laptop, headphone, webcam, and cup on my desk. It looks a little messy. Because I put these things in haphazard order. Besides, there is an office chair and an electric fan next to the desk. In back of my chair, there is a bookshelf with four shelves. It is also made of wooden. It is just a little taller than me. And in front of the bookshelf, you'll see my full-size bed. My sheet's color is green, and my comforter's color is pink. They are very soft and smooth. So every time I lie down, I feel comfortable and sleepy. On the bed, there are a pillow, a teddybear, and a green cushion. The pillow which shape is a monkey face. It looks really funny and makes me feel happy. And every night I hold the teddybear in the arms to sleep. Between the bed and the floor lamp, there is a white table. At the top of the table, my cosmetics, mirror,and clock was put in disorder. Also, there is a window in my bathroom. The length of the window is twice long as my arm. When I see outside, I can see some of my neighbors' windows and their backyards. Sometimes I saw my neighbor water the grass and play with his cat. These are all you can see in my bedroom.

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Journal Entry #11 Weddings in My Country

Practice freewriting. Freewriting is when you write quickly without stopping to think or organize your thoughts. Don't worry about grammar or spelling. Just write as much as you can in 10-15 minutes. Check your textbook if you don't remember what freewriting is.

Weddings in My Country
The weddings in my country are many steps. Most people have betrothals. There is a women matchmaker. She almost stay with the bride all day and tell her what and how to do in the wedding day. Also there is a wedding party. All the guests coming to the party bring red envelopes. Red envelope is our custom. It is a cash gift to bless bride and groom. In the party, there are some people like bride's and groom's parents, their boss, their classmates, etc. who say something to the couple. During the party the bride wear total three wedding dresses. At the beginning of the party, the bride wear white wedding dress. Then when she start to drink a toast to guests, she wear the other dress. At last, she wear the final one to see the guests out.
The guests all drank a toast to the bride and groom during the party.

Journal Entry #10 How does the legal system work in your country?



Today, I was selected as a possible juror (someone who performs jury duty). However, the court decided that they already had enough jurors. Part of me wishes that I could have participated in the case to see what it is like in the courtroom. However, part of me is glad that I don't have to miss class (because of my wonderful students and also the money).

In America, the legal system includes lawyers, judges, and jurors. How does the legal system work in your country? Who decides whether a person is innocent or guilty?

In our country, there are judge, secretary, lawyer, prosecutor, and bailiff in the court. The judge is open. It meas the court's door is open, so you can go in anytime and be a hearer. But in some special cases like privacy, indecent assault, etc., the judge think it can't be heard for protecting someone, so the door is closed. Also, the judge decides whether a person is innocent or guilty. If the result is not accetpable to the defendant, it can be appealed to a higher court. If the result is still not accetpable to the defendant, it can be appealed to a highest court. And it is the final one.

Journal Entry #9 What Is a Friend?

What is a friend? Please write one paragraph using three main points/ideas.
What Is a Friend?
What is a friend? In my opinion, there are three main ideas to explain it. First, I think a friend is the person to whom you can share everything. No matter what happened to you, you can tell him/her. Even it is a secret. Second, a friend is the person who will be with you when you need his/her help. For example, you broke up with your boyfriend and felt sad, so a friend should do something that make you happy. Finally, a friend should give you real advices. He/she should tell you the truth, not the lies. Also he/she can help you to see the fact, not pander to you. Thus, all of the above are my ideas about what a friend is.

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Journal Entry #8 My dream vacation



Tell me about your dream vacation. Where would you like to go and why? What sort of things would you like to see and do?

My dream vacation is Las Vegas. There are several reasons why I want to go to Las Vegas. First, it is close to LA and easy to go there. Second, I heard from my friends there are a lot of amazing buildings, like Venetian, Paris, and New York New York. And it will be the most romantic experience to see the whole scene at night. Third, shows are everywhere. It will be worth watching some famous show, such O’ show, blue man, and Phantom. I can’t wait to watch these show. Last thing you must do is to gambling. What I want to do is to sleep until noon and go to buffet then go to gambling and finally watch show at night and gambling again. Put everything in my real life totally out of my mind, and just enjoy my temporary life in Las Vegas.


Journal Entry #7 My weekend

Are you going to the Concert Under the Stars? Are you going on the Los Angeles City Tour? I hope you go to at least one of these events. First, attend the event. Next, write a paragraph summarizing your experience. If you do not attend either event, please write about what you did over the weekend.

Last Friday noon, I started to clean my house including my room, the kitchen, and the restroom. Because my roommate and I have a deal that we have to clean our house every three weeks. After finishing cleaning my house, I was almost exhausted. So in Friday evening, my friend, Elson, and I had a dinner at Tea Station. It served lots of Taiwanese style meals. And it tasted so wonderful, especially when I was so tired. Then we went to campus to see firework. It was so fantastic. On Saturday, my boyfriend cam to pick me up and we went to a plaza. There were a lot of Korean’s restaurants, Korean’s stores and a supermarket, Zion. It was our first time to shop in a Korean’s supermarket. I liked this supermarket due to that it was a little similar to Taiwan’s market. I bought some fruits and cookies. It was almost 6 pm by that time, and we had an appointment at 8 pm with my friends to celebrate my friend, Jodie’s, birthday. It took more than one hours to drive there. It was a little tired for us. But we had a lot of fun and enjoyed our celebration in the restaurant Red Lobster. End of that day, my friend made a wish and share the birthday cake. On Sunday, my boyfriend and I decided to go to library. And we stayed at library all day until 6 pm. After having a dinner, my boyfriend drove me back my home. I was so happy to have so great weekend with my friends.

Journal Entry #6 an unforgettable experience

Write a narrative paragraph about an unforgettable experience in your life. This could be an earthquake like in the story on page 24 or it could be something different like your first dating experience. Be sure to use time order signals.
Valentine's Day!
An unforgettable experience in my life was Valentine's Day in 2007. In the morning of that day, my boyfriend helped me move a bed mattress to my apartment. After that, I said something wrong, so my boyfriend got angry at me. He didn't talk to me and I felt bad. After a while, I thought it's my fault and I said sorry to him. But he didn't accept my apology. Later, we went to his house and cooked our lunch. I tried to break the deadlock, but he still felt angry. At last, I gave up and felt unhappy. We didn't talk to each other until he drove me home. When we arrived my home, he just said goodbye and left. At that moment, I cried and felt disappointed. Because it's my first Valentine's Day with my boyfriend. At that night, I couldn't sleep very well. After that day, he apologized to me for his behavior and asked me to forgive him. Finally, he promised he won't do that again and begged my pardon. Then I decided to forgive him.

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

Journal Entry #5 My Favorite Season

What is your favorite season? Write a paragraph.

My Favorite Season is Winter
There are four seasons: spring, summer, autumn and winter.And my favorite season is winter. There are three reasons. First, winter is a cold season. When winter is coming, the weather is not hot. I feel comfortable. I can wear long sleeve、jeans、jackboot and all kinds of coats and jackets. I like wear long sleeve more than short sleeve. Besides, it is convenient for me to do everything with wearing jeans. And when I wear good-looking coats or jackets, I am in a good mood all day. Second, there is snowing somewhere in winter, and everything becomes white. I think that's a beautiful scene. Also, I can make snowman and play snowball with my friends or my family. It's a lot of fun. Finally, there is Chinese New Year's Day in winter. During the day, I can eat a lot of candy、chocolates and cookies. Furthermore, my mom cooks many delicious dishes.Then My family sit together and enjoy the food. So they are the reasons why my favorite season is winter.

Journal Entry #4 write an imaginary letter to change the class schedules

If you don't feel there is enough time for lunch, write an imaginary letter to the dean to persuade him to change the class schedules.

Hello, I am Hsiao, Fang-Nung. I study level 4c in ALP. Now I have a problem and I hope you can help me to deal with that. The problem is that the ALP fun lunch has a time conflict with my grammar class. I am very interested in ALP fun lunch. I want to communicate with some people who come from different countries. So I can improve my English ability and know other culture. Therefore, is it possible to change the grammar class to a compatible time?

Thank you!!!

Journal Entry #3 A Person Who Has Made a Difference : Confucius

Write a paragraph about a person who has made a difference.

A Person Who Has Made a Difference : Confucius


A person who has made a difference is Confucius. He is Chinese. He born in 551 B.C. Spring and Autumn Period.Confucius was an educator and named the first model of teachers. He helped his students in two ways. First, he taught a variety of students no matter whether the student is rich or poor. Second, how he taught students depended on students' abilities and personalities. For example, student A and student B asked him the same question, but he gave them different answers. In that way, it was easier for students to understand the meaning. Moreover, Confucius's answer depended on the students' personalities. He helped students to reach their own limitation. For example, he had about 3000 students and divided some of them into four groups: morality, language, politics and literature. Then he gave them different goals to accomplish. Now, Confucius deeply influences the way of the teaching. Many teachers follow his thoughts. He was named the greatest teacher in the world. To sum up, Confucius’s teaching styles has an important effect on education.

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Journal Entry #2 My favorite sport

My favorite sport

There are all kinds of sports in the world. Jump rope is my favorite sport that I have played ever. My first time to play jump rope is when I was an elementary student. And, I found it was very interesting. Jump rope can be played not only by one person but also played by two persons or more. There are a lot of team games that I have tried. Moreover, it helps me to make friends easily. My friends and I have a lot of fun. Besides, it is very convenient to carry with me because a jump rope jusy takes up little space in my package. In addition, it just needs not very wide space to play jump rope, not like playing baseball or basketball which needs a wide field. Therefore, I can take it and do exercise anytime and anywhere I want. Now we see why jump rope is my favorite sport.

Journal Entry #1 Introducing myself

Introducing myself
My name is Hsiao Fang-Nung., and I come from Taiwan. This year I am 23 years old. There are five people in my family, including my parents, a younger sister and a younger brother. When I graduated from the university, I became a kindergarten teacher. Besides, I taught children at a kindergarten in my home town last year. I am so happy about this job because I love children. But I also want to be an English teacher. Therefore, I decide to get a master degree of TESOL. It is the reason why I am here.