Wednesday, June 17, 2015



                                                    Global Warming Changed Earth
      It is 3010, Johnny can see that outside of the houses, Hollow Street is a quiet as it always is.
Nobody is ever outside. Only delivery trucks with the needed goods and materials for the citizens.
The workers inside the trucks never actually got out and went to the dome surrounding each the
houses. The domes are there, because the world has become so polluted from gasses exposed
to the air that it is dangerous to go outside without protection. Instead of getting out of the truck
the workers attach a long wooden tube to the dome from the truck, and deliver what the citizens
have ordered from the food website and put it into their dome tubes. People have to be so careful
because of what global warming did to the world. It added so much pollution to the air, that now
it is unsafe to go outside without the provided oxygen suits and masks given by the government.  
   “Johnny get up” Mom yells, “You’re going to be late for school.” Johnny and his family are one
of the many who are annoyed by the inconveniences that global warming has given them.
   “Mom I hate school. It is a waste of time and you know it” Johnny says. “I don’t even get to
leave the house. The classes are taught in a TV screen,” Johnny adds. “It’s stupid.”
   “I already know all of this honey” Mother says. “You explained it to me just yesterday morning.
I know it’s annoying but you need your education and the government doesn’t want anybody
outside unless it’s necessary. The government also has made school a requirement so we are
obey their orders. Now get ready.”
    As usual, Johnny gets up, brushes his hair but not his teeth because he is not talking directly to
people. He then eats breakfast and goes into his room and sets up the TV for school.
    After school is over, like always, Johnny is bored. It’s hard to be entertained when you are not
allowed to leave the house without the special equipment needed to protect yourself from the
air pollution. The protection suits take a, very long time to put on. After thinking for a very long
time, Johnny builds up enough courage to finally ask his mom what he has been wanting to know
for a very long time. He goes into the living room, and starts talking to his mom.
“Mom I want to go outside” Johnny says. His mother laughs.
   “Are you crazy? Even though we have the protection suits, it does not mean you can go out
whenever you please. It very dangerous and I don’t want you going out alone, with friends or
with me! Do you understand?” Without responding Johnny runs up to his room, got his phone
and called his friend. Remembering what they talked about over the phone a couple days before,
Johnny rethinks what his friends suggested to him.
“Are you in on the plan I told you about?” Johnny’s friends asks.
“I think I am,” Johnny replies.
“Then are you ready, it’s taking place tomorrow” Johnny’s friend adds.
    “Ready as I’ll ever be” Johnny answers. The boys say goodnight to each other after a
conversation about what to wear, bring and where to meet. They agree to call each in the
morning. Johnny’s mother doesn’t suspect a thing.
     In the morning Johnny goes thru his normal daily routine and while his mother is distracted he
 sets up for the big day. He goes into the big, dark, dusty panic room, grabs the needed supplies,
heads down the hallway into his room and calls his friend. They arrange the details.
 “Do you have your survival kit and safety suits?” Johnny’s friend asks.
 “Yes,” Johnny nervously replies.
  “Put it on and meet me in the agreed, upon location in exactly 10 minutes.” Johnny’s friend
explains.
    “Got it. I will be there,” Johnny says. This is it, Johnny thinks to himself. Am I ready? Should I
really do this? He puts all these thoughts behind him, gets on his safety suit, packs up his back
pack and looks at his navy blue clock. He realizes he has to meet his friend in one minute. Johnny
bursts out of his room, makes his way to the door of the dome and types in the password to the
locked door. Once the doors open he sees his friend, turns around to close the door, as he sees
his moms figure coming into view. It all happened in slow motion. He knew he disobeyed and this
was wrong, but he kept telling himself he had good reasons for doing it.
    Johnny realizes his mother is on the floor next to the open door of the dome. Johnny just hopes
that his mom doesn’t have to pay for his mistakes. Closing the door to the dome he walks away
slowly, not understanding why he doesn’t care.

                                                              Bibliography

National wildlife federation.” Global warming is happening now-national wildlife federation.”
 Global warming is happening now-national wildlife federation. National wildlife federation, n.d.wed.16 June 2015.

Przyborski, Paul.” Global warming: feature article.” Global warming:feature articles. Charles
ichoku, n.d. wed. 16 June.

Cunningham, Greg “Clean energy and climate change.” Conservation law foundation RSS.
Conservation law foundation, n.d. Wed. 16 June 2015.  

Monday, April 13, 2015

Between Shades of Gray
 
 
 
 
          Life throws you many challenges, this makes you fight even harder. In the book" Between Shades of Gray" the characters go through hard times, but they help each other throughout the journey. " In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer." This quote is very impactful, because the setting took place in winter this symbolizes hope.
 
         This quote shows how hopeful the characters were that they would survive the Russians. For example, the book states "It couldn't end like this. It couldn't. What was life asking of me? How could I respond when I didn't know the question? I love you, I whispered to Jonas." This shows what Lina and the other characters have gone through and what they are willing to do to survive.
 
          Another reason why the quote symbolizes hope, is because in the end of the book almost all the characters were freezing to death. For example the book states " we have to help one another! I told him. But how could, I expect him of all people to understand? You need to stay here. Jonas is not well." This quote shows that the people all care about one another's well being, and they are willing to risk their life to help others.  
 
          In conclusion, the quote " In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer," symbolizes the hope the characters had, that they would survive the Russians. There hope is impactful and inspiring.  
 
        
 
 
   

Sunday, April 12, 2015

          Tests are important but they shouldn't change or determine your success. In the article “ Chinese cram schools” the Gaokao test can determine the rest of the students lives. This is very different from the American standardized tests. The test such as SAT and ACT put stress on students but not as much as the Gaokao.

          The article, “Chinese cram schools”, states that the Gaokao test can determine the rest of the students lives. This is different from the American standardized tests,  as the SAT and ACT aren't as important in determining the students lives as the Gaokao. For example , in the article,  it states "failing the Gaokao likely means that you will end up working in a factory or in a construction job." However,  if you fail the American standardized tests you aren't bound to one job. 

          The article,” Chinese cram schools” states that the Gaokao test is so important to schools, students and teachers that they eliminate anything that is a distraction. For example, it states "cell phones and laptops are forbidden. The dorms, where about half the students live , have no electrical outlets and  dating  is banned. In town, where the rest of the students live, mostly with their mothers in tiny partitioned rooms, the local government has shut down all forms of entertainment." This  shows that the government, town and many parents all know how important and stressful the Gaokao is. This is different than the American standardized tests because the government, schools and towns don't all participate in making kids study.  

          In conclusion,  the Gaokao tests do put extended stress on high school students. However, this is different than the American Standardized tests because, even though they are stressful they don't determine your future.

Wednesday, March 11, 2015


    " My Papas Waltz" and "Those Winter Sundays"

      Parents show up for their children and many different ways. In "Those winter Sundays" by Robert

 Hayden the father cares about his family. He makes many sacrifices for them. In "My Papa's waltz"

 by Theodore Roethke, the speaker makes it sound like the father is drunk. Both poems are about the

sons impression of his father and how the father acts towards them.

                  The father in "Those winter Sundays" is a selfless person. For example, in the text, it says,

"Then with cracked hands that ached /from labor in the weekday weather made/banked fires blaze."

 This shows that the father has a very tough job and even on Sundays, which is a day generally set

 aside for rest, is still working for his family. In "My Papa's waltz," the father doesn't seem as nice as

a father in "Those winter Sundays", because he doesn't treat his son well. For example, it explains,

"The whiskey on your breathe/could make a small boy dizzy." This doesn't mean the father drinks all

 the time, but if the whiskey could make someone dizzy then he's drunk. This makes him a bad parent

 because in the poem, he's playing with his son, and seems like they're playing roughly. The father is

supposed to be mature and the one in charge. It also says "But I hung on my death/such waltzing was

 not easy." This shows that the sun loves his father no matter what he does, bad or good, because the

 speaker explains that it was hard to hang on to his father. Or love him.
.
             In my "Papa's waltz" the son cares about his father very much. In "Those winter Sundays" the

 son doesn't appreciate everything his father does for him. For example in it says, "Speaking

 indifferently to him/who had driven out the cold/and polished my good shoes as well. This shows

 that the son was not grateful for all his father did for him. In"My Papa's waltz" it states "You beat

 time on my head/with a palm caked hard by dirt/then waltzed me off to bed/still clinging to your

 shirt." The sons are obviously very different from each other, because the son in "My Papas Waltz"

love his father, but his father doesn't show his feelings for his son. In "Those Winter Sundays" the

father does everything for his son, but doesn't get a lot in return.

       In conclusion, these two poems are different in many different ways. They show the same

characters, with different personalities. This poem relates to the world because the fathers and sons

obviously care about each other but it depends on who cares for them.

Friday, March 6, 2015


                                                          Night

                                                                   By Elie Wiesel

 

 

              Life throws many challenges at us, but you should never give up. In the book Night

By Elie Wiesel the characters face many challenges. They are put in camp after camp and they are tortured daily. The theme work is liberty, because the Jewish people are forced to do hard labor at the camps. Work is a big part of the book. The Nazis thought that being Jewish was wrong and they didn’t treat them right.

The theme is work is liberty because the Jewish people are forced to do work at the camps, for example in the book it states “the kapo explained to us at great length the vast importance of our work, warning us that anyone found slacking would have him to reckon with.” This shows how much power the Nazis had.  It also shows that the Nazis think they can use the Jewish people as their puppets.
Another reason why the theme is work I liberty is because in the book  it states” we were

tormented with hunger, we had eaten nothing for six days, except a bit of grass or some potato

peelings found near the kitchens.” How do the Nazi expect the Jewish people to work when they

don’t get enough sleep or food.

The theme is work is liberty because in the end I know that they are liberated. For example, in the book it

states "many years later in Paris I was reading my paper in the metro". This was in the future when he got out

of the camps. So work is liberty is definitely the theme. Another example is "this was Franek's chance to

torment my father and to thrash him savagely every day." After this,  Elizer showed his father how to not get

beaten by getting up early to practice. This shows that they believe if they work hard, they will be freed.

In conclusion The theme of the book night by Elie Wiesel is the work is liberty because of everything the Jews

went through, and how they faced it. They worked all day every day and never gave up.

Thursday, January 29, 2015

                      Should kids be allowed to play contact sports

                   Most parents are concerned by the well being of their children, but others put sports first. Teens should not be allowed to play contact sports at such a young age. Many people don't think kids should be playing sports because to many kids are sustaining injuries for life and some are even dying. Parents are almost more competitive than their kids, and their pushing their kids way too hard just like the coaches. Even though it's obvious that teens shouldn't be playing contact sports other people may think it's a good way to stay fit.

        One reason why teens shouldn't play contact sports is because too many kids are sustaining injuries for life, and some players are even dying. In the video "How children and teens can avoid sports injuries" it said that the most injuries are the 13,14,15 year old kids. They want to keep playing so if the kids have an injury they'll push through the pain. This can just lead to further injury that makes you stay out of the game even longer. There were 1.24 million injuries in 2013. In the article "For children in sports, a breaking point" it said "with visions of glory and scholarship too many young athletes are being pushed-or pushing themselves- to the point of breaking down, physically and sometimes emotionally." This is one of the reasons why teens should not be playing contact sports. 

        Another reason why teens shouldn't play contact sports is because parents and coaches are pushing their kids too hard. The coaches actually feel pressured by the parents to play injured players. In the video " how children and teens can avoid sports injuries", it said that the parents and coaches can sometimes be part of the injuries. They stress out their players by telling them how important it is to win. In the article "for children in sports, breaking point", it said " Bens problem was caused by throwing too many balls and a recommendation to rest his arm. His dad put him in the game. The injured boy began lamely lobbing balls at home plate. The father realized his foolish shortsightedness in putting winning ahead of his sons well being." This shows that kids can sometimes be scared to tell their parents how hurt or injured they are. 

       Even though a lot of people think contact sports think contact sports are dangerous and shouldn't be played by young kids. Other people may think that sports are good for young kids. A reason why people would think that contact sports are good for kids is because soccer, basketball, baseball and other sports are making kids healthier and more athletic. If kids are active than they don't have to watch their weight so much. In the article " young teens who play sports feel healthier and happier about life", it said " research shows that middle school students who are physically active and play on sports teams are more satisfied with their life and feel happier." Sports can also make exercising fun. Contact sports can put wear and tear on kids bodies and is dangerous for them. 

      In conclusion, kids should not be playing contact sports at such a young age. It gives kids injuries and could kill them. Sometimes the parents get too into their kids sports, push them too hard, and put wear and tear on their kids bodies. No parent should have to loose their child, no matter what the age, so stop contact sports today!