Monday, April 18, 2011

Third Quater Reflection

   Few more weeks later would be the end of the 4th quarter, and the seniors don’t have to come to school anymore. Today, we have our 3rd quarter midterm back, and evidently I drop comparing to the last quarter. In the 3rd quarter, me and other students attended the Model United Nations that took place in St. Petersburg. Thus, we missed about one week of important reviewing lessons. Several days after we came back from St. Petersburg, it was the midterm exam week. I think that I’m not prepared enough for college yet since I should acquire the skill of knowing how to study and play at the same time. I should have done more work because I wasn’t presented in class and missed crucial lessons.

Monday, March 14, 2011

p916 quickwrite

Discuss why you think people remain enchanted with stories of castles, knights, quests, dragons, and ancient times.
      I think people remain enchanted with stories of castles, knights, quests, dragons, and ancient times is because we want to experience life in the past too. I always think that if I had a time machine, I would choose to go back to the past rather than to the future. Whenever I read stories or watched movies about Medieval times, my mind would get attracted and excited. Moreover, I really hoped that I could be the main character, the warrior fighting against dragons, or the knight in a sword match.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Analyzing a Poem

Describe your process of analyzing a poem
       When first reading a poem, I would glance through it to see whether there are any stanzas that split up the work. Second, when encountering words I don’t understand, I would look it up on a dictionary. Third, I would read the poem out loud to see the best way it flows. Last, after knowing the main idea of each stanza and understanding all the words, it’s time to put everything together and start to analyze the whole piece. If I’m still unable to comprehend the poem, I would use online resources such as Sparknotes or work together with classmates on Facebook to help me know more about the poem.

Monday, March 7, 2011

p842 quickwrite

If your imagination could take you on an adventure, what would that adventure be?
     If my imagination could take me on an adventure, I would want to be like special agent such as James Bond doing missions. In real life, there’s a little chance for me to do dangerous or impossible missions. However, things would be different if they were imagined. I would hope to become one of the members of the Superhero Union, which consists the Iron Man, Hulk, Batman, the Green Hornet, IP Man, Spiderman, 007, etc. Moreover, I would have one of them as my partner whenever I’m out for missions that help to promote justice and save the human world.

Poem Response

If you were to do your poem again, how would you make it better?
    If I were to do my poem again, there are lots of parts where I can improve in order to make it better. First, I should speak with more emotion and my tone should change to attract my audience. Second, I should have more eye contact by looking around at my audience more often to show that I’m confident. Third, I should practice reading out loud the poem for more times so I can be more familiar with it and not forgetting or mixing up lines even when I’m nervous.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

p818 quickwrite

What sights (natural or human-made) prompt you to think imaginatively about life?
        Few weeks ago, I watched a movie called “127 hours.” There was a scene in which I remembered the most: the main actor slid through in between the steep rocks and fell into the natural hot spring. When seeing that, I have an imagination about life that it is always full of adventures, and never ends. At first, the action seems dangerous. However, after going through all the risks, people can finally taste how great and how sweet it is to be alive.

Monday, February 21, 2011

page 766 quickwrite

In “Kubla Khan,” Coleridge presents his vision of an earthly paradise. Imagine your own version of the perfect place. What would it look like?

     Music can always relax people’s mind and make them feel happy, so it is an essential element in my imagined perfect place. Moreover, people should just thinking about having fun without worrying about their works at my paradise. Every day, they can wake up at whatever time they want, eat a variety of delicious food, play video games, watch television and movies, get the latest shoes or clothes, do extreme sports, etc. Moreover, these activities are all free because I don’t want money become an issue. Also, there are different themes of parties everywhere, so life won’t be dull at all. Every night, people can have a taste for diverse kinds of drinks while listening to music, enjoying dancing.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

William Shakespeare page388

Think of someone you know or have read about who was in love. Did love make the person see the world more clearly, or did it cloud his or her vision?

     I remembered when I was studying in Canada, my brother had a girlfriend. I think the love clouded his vision because the only thing he cared most about was his girlfriend, not family or academic. Every day, they talked through the telephone for several hours at night. Moreover, no matter how late it was, when his girlfriend asked him to pick her up, he would quickly drive the car to her place, thus he couldn’t stay awake at school the next day. During weekends, my brother would rather spend the time at his girlfriend’s house than having field trips with us. Seeing my brother’s behavior at that time, I finally understood why people always say love is blind. My brother couldn’t see other wonderful things on the world; his eyes were covered up. He even wanted to marry his girlfriend right after he graduated from university. Love is a powerful thing that makes people’s actions become unable to explain.

Let Your Backbone Slide

Monday, February 14, 2011

Poem I like

   Bai Lee is one of the greatest poets throughout the Chinese history, and he is a romantic poet. I like his poem that titles “sending his friend Hao-Rein Mong away to Guangling” because it’s very touching. The poem contains the imagery of rain and a lonely boat sailing away, which adds more sadness of the parting. Moreover, Bai Lee just stands beside the Yangtze River until he couldn’t see his friend anymore. His lonely shadow shows a strong emotion of grief for separating with his best friend.

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Sonnets 18, 29, 30

1.      What is the speaker’s attitude toward his loved one in each of these sonnets?
In Sonnet 18, the speaker is prizing for his lover’s beauty; in Sonnet 29, the speaker regains confidence, feels wealthy, and is motivated by thinking of his beloved; in Sonnet 30, the speaker gets back what he lost and ends his sorrow when thinking about his friend.
6.  In the first two quatrains of Sonnet 18, what are the speaker’s feelings about summer?
      In the first two quatrains of Sonnet 18, the speaker’s feelings about summer are that it is beautiful yet more extreme than his loved one, which can be seen from line two to six.
7.  What similarities can you find in the main ideas in Sonnets 29 and 30?
Main ideas in Sonnets 29 and 30 are similar in ways that speakers in both sonnets started out in disgrace, depression, and outcast. However, when they remember their beloved, their conditions improve: they feel worthy again and overcome feelings of loss and grief.
8.  Shakespeare’s sonnets use conceits, elaborate figures of speech that draw a surprising connection between two seemingly dissimilar things. In these sonnets, which conceit makes the most unexpected comparison? Explain.
      Among the three sonnets, I think the conceit of comparing the speaker’s lover to a summer’s day in Sonnet 18 makes the most unexpected comparison because summer symbolizes passion rather than beauty.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Image in Song

   My top 5 favorite songs are “Hotel room service by Pitbull, OMG by Usher, Baby by Justin Bieber, Dynamite by Taio Cruz, and Nothing on You by Bruno Mars.” When I listen to the song “Dynamite,” I get an imagery of lots of people gathering at the dance floor enjoying themselves that they put their hands high in the air and shout out loud, just like in a club. I also picture that an excellent dance expert is in the center of the dance floor who can’t take away the crowd’s eyes. Everyone surrounds him just move with the music, cheer for him, and watch the great solo.

Dynamite (Taio Cruz): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpGgBYeOgi0

Monday, January 31, 2011

The Rape of the Lock Response

   To me, the Rape of the Lock is kind of incomprehensible. After finish reading two Cantos, I still don’t understand what’s really going on throughout the whole story. The only thing I know is that the Baron stole a lock of Belinda’s hair, and she was furious about it. Although there were sylphs trying to warn Belinda from being attacked by the scissors, it was unsuccessful. At last, the lock of hair rose to the sky and became the star, which symbolized for Belinda’s lasting fame. I think the reason I don’t understand the story might be the language being used, which is in between modern and old English. Thus, it’s difficult for me to find out the significance of this famous mock epic, the technique of juxtaposes that Pope used, and the flirtatious affair that Pope is trying to satirize. As for result, I don’t really know how to connect the satires used in this mock epic to the events that happened in the world we’re living now.

Candide Question #10

10. An archetype is a pattern that has appeared in literature across cultures and times. A common archetype is the journey: A hero is thrust into a strange world to face dangers and wonders. How does this excerpt from Candide express the archetype of the journey?
        This excerpt from Candide expresses the archetype of the journey in ways that Candide is in harsh condition when he is expelled from the earthly paradise: he sleeps supperless between two furrows in the open fields, which snowed heavily in large flakes; moreover, the shivering Candide is penniless, dying of cold and exhaustion, and he halts sadly at the door of an inn. He is deceived and forced to join the military when two men notices him and said that they would not only pay his expenses, but would also never allow him to be short of money.

The Rape of the Lock Question


8. How does the poem apply to contemporary life? What passages could serve as satirical commentaries on people’s behavior today?
1.      How do the heroes of this mock epic differ from the conventional epic hero?
The heroes of this mock epic differ from the conventional epic hero in ways that heroes of this mock epic don’t encounter trials and accomplish challenging tasks.
2.      Why have “the heroes and the nymphs” fathered at Hampton Court?
The heroes and the nymphs fathered at Hampton Court because a party is held at the Court.
3.     What events serve as “epic battles”?
The event of Belinda playing card games with two other gentlemen and Belinda combating with the Baron demanding for the return of the lock serve as epic battles.
4.     Who and what is Pope mocking in this epic?
In this epic, Pope is mocking the young gentleman Rober, Lord Petre, who steals a lock of Arabella Fermor’s hair and set off a quarrel between the Fermor and the Petre families.
7.   In Canto III, line 86, Pope juxtaposes, or places side by side, dying
husbands and dying lapdogs. What is the effect of this juxtaposition? Find other surprising juxtapositions in the poem, and describe their effects.
l   The effect of this juxtaposition is that it shows royal residence as a place which both serious matters of state and frivolous social occasions happen.
l   There are other surprising juxtapositions, such as in Canto III, lines 1 to 8: at Hampton Court, statesmen discuss the fall of tyrants-and also of young ladies. Meanwhile, Queen Anne is sometimes served political counsel-and at other times, tea. The effect of this juxtaposition is the grandiose and the trivial; in Canto V, lines 49 to 58: even though the lock is gone forever, its very loss will ensure Belinda’s lasting fame. The effect of this placing is the short-lived and the eternity.
l   The poem applies to contemporary life in ways that the society of that time and the society existing now have lost proportion in valuing: trivial subject is given the attitude of gravity and solemnity, which shall be treated with truly important issues.
l   Passages that describe noble men and women having parties, card games, and affairs could serve as satirical commentaries on people’s behavior today.  

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

The Black Death

     “The Black Death,” also known as “The Plague” caused great amount of death during the 18th century. It originated from mouse, which made its appearance especially in dirty, filthy environments. London at that time was having the Industrial Revolution, which made poor people even poorer, and the wealthy even richer. During that time, most people didn’t even have places to stay. They slept on streets and searched food on roads or trash cans. Combining the cold winter, the massive pollution, and bad hygiene, mice came along. Mice only made the already suffering condition even worse, thus there was “The Black Death.” With no treatments to cure this disease, the result was the death of lots of people.

Monday, January 24, 2011

What I know about the 18th century

   The Restoration was when the English monarchy restored its position, and it took place from 16th century to 18th century. In 18th century, a significant event happened in England that would change the rest of the human history, which was the Industrial Revolution. During the Industrial Revolution, people no longer worked at homes. Instead, they moved to cities and worked in factories, which caused urbanization. Moreover, factories were built near where workers lived so that it was more convenient for them. What concerned to factory owners the most was how they could make the greatest profit by only using the least cost. They didn’t care about how workers lived, thus workers’ rights were deprived of. Moreover, children were employed to do jobs such as cleaning machines or delivering components. Children might get crippled due to accidents, but the factory owners still wouldn’t care about these children. They would only think that it’s the children’s own fault for not being careful.

Verbal Irony

    Swift uses irony throughout the whole proposal: he satirizes how English landlords abuse Irish family and he suggests that the solution to solving the poverty problem in Ireland is through eating infants at age one. The reason this is an irony is the writer doesn’t actually mean what he writes. As for result of eating babies, the Irish family would get a new food source, social problems would get eliminated, and there would be less Catholics. With the reduction of Catholics, Swift is satirizing Protestants’ prejudice toward Catholics. In addition, Swift also satirizes the Irish for accepting all the bad treatments they receive rather than rebelling against the English landlords.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Retreat of the ‘tiger mother’

   After her controversial article was published, Chua receives many criticizes via e-mail or comments on the newspaper’s Web site. As this article mentions, Chua is just writing a memoir rather than parenting guide, so I think people shouldn’t judge her so harshly. Every household has different methods of raising children, and some are more kind, some are more demanding on academic achievement. In addition, she is just writing her own story, people really don’t have to be so overreacted. Instead, people should just use the attitude of reading a novel to treat Amy Chua’s book. When Amy Chua said that her real crime is telling the truth, and people are not that honest about their parenting, I feel this is so true. How many parents can say they’re perfect that they have no fight with their children ever? I’ve never heard of and I think it’s impossible for not having any conflict with family members. Although Amy Chua’s parenting method might sometime be too excess, her children are thankful toward the way that Chua uses. As long as her children didn’t result in depression or unhappiness, other people really don’t have the right to say that Amy Chua is a “tiger mother.’

Monday, January 17, 2011

Why Chinese Mothers Are Not Superior

   To most Asian parents, grade is the most important thing to them. They expect their children to achieve high in academics, and care less about extracurricular activities. I totally agree with the author that this kind of parenting is only a short term success because children aren’t given enough freedom to search for themselves. After graduating from college, our roles transform from students to employees. Having been only studying school subjects for such a long time, it’s hard for Asian children to find where their interests are at first few times. We’ll definitely make many mistakes before finding jobs that we really want and that are truly suitable for us. Defining success doesn’t necessarily limited to meanings of studying in prestigious schools, working in high positions in large companies, and earning lots of money. Rather, I think that achieving success is accomplishing one’s goal in one’s specialized area. Although these areas might be small or unnoticeable, as long as people are satisfied with their doings and lived enjoyable and happy lives, I think that’s called success.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Why Chinese Mothers are Superior

   I think this article portrays the difference in parenting model of Western and Chinese parents really true. In Chinese culture, parents and schools only focus on children’s academic performance rather than extracurricular activities. When schools end, we directly go to cram school so that we are capable of competing with others, thus making both parents and teachers proud. Also, parents would try to let children to cram for all subjects, which is just like what the article mentions: Chinese parents would sacrifice everything for their children’s future. In contrast, Western culture’s teaching method varies greatly from that of Chinese. Western parents want their children to have as many extracurricular activities, to join as many clubs as possible. Parents simply want their kids to enjoy the fun social life rather than always studying like nerds. In addition, Western parents would use more encouraging language when seeing their children don’t perform that well academically because they’re afraid of hurting children’s self-esteem. Unlike Western parents, Chinese parents tend to use insulting, harsh language to try to motivate their children to excel to a better level or achieve what they expect of their children to do. However, I don’t really agree with this kind of method because I think this would only cause drawback.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

The Knight's Tale VS A Knight's Tale

    “The Knight’s Tale” from Geoffrey Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales” and the movie “A Knight’s Tale” are similar and different in some ways. The element of courtly love can be seen in both stories. In “The Knight’s Tale,” the two wounded warriors, which are Arcite and Palamon, are being captured by Theseus and put into prison. The two prisoners fall in love with Emelye, who is Theseus’s sister-in-law, and they decide to have a duel. Similarly, in “A Knight’s Tale,” William the peasant and Sir Adhemar are fond of the noble lady Jocelyn. William and Sir Adhemar also fight against each other in the jousting tournament. However, the class of William and Sir Adhemar is different from that of Arcite and Palamon. In “The Knight’s Tale,” there are three temples to the gods: Venus, the goddess of love; Mars, god of war; and Diana, goddess of chastity. Before the battle day, Palamon asks Venus to let him get the victory in the name of love, Emelye tells Diana the desire to remain a virgin, and Arcite begs Mars to win the tournament. In the end, Arcite wins the battle, but still unable to marry Emelye due to severe wounding caused by Saturn. Everybody in Athens mourns for Arcite’s death, especially Emelye and Palamon. Theseus couldn’t stand for their long grieving, and he requests them to cease mourning. In the end, Emelye and Palamon obey Theseus’s order and enjoy their happy marriage. In contrast, the movie doesn’t is without the praising part. In addition, William not only wins Jocelyn’s heart, but also the battle. Nevertheless, the endings for both stories are joyful ones, in which Palamon and Emelye, and William and Jocelyn live happily ever after.

Monday, January 10, 2011

Reflection 2 Term 2

     First semester of the senior year is almost over, and now it’s a great time to think back what I’ve gained and learned throughout the year. First is the pressure from both heavy school works and college application. Time is especially important for us, but is always not enough; I wish I can have 48 hours a day rather than 24 hours. Not only we have to handle such great pressure within only limited time, but also we have to endure scolding from Ms. Pamela constantly. Second is the closer connection with other seniors. I start taking AP courses this year, and I stay after school since the beginning of the year for discussing and writing homework with others. I become friends with those I’ve never would have thought talking to: just like two parallel lines finally have a connection due to the challenging courses. To me, I’m happy to stay after school because I can talk with friends and finish the work at the same time. Also, I think I’m more productive at school compared to at home. Third is the final exams, which I study extremely hard this time. And the paid-off is great: I’m pretty satisfy with my grades for all subjects, probably the best of what I get since grade 9. Now, the first semester, the most stressed out one, is finally finished. From now on, I could finally enjoy the rest of my senior year because I only have to focus on school work.