Renee

=Quarter 3 Review=

toc Notice: Since I only took quarter 3, Quarter 1 and 2 are not included in this wiki page. =Book Review=  //Here’s to you, Rachel Robinson// is a book written by Judy Blume, a famous teenage book writer who is very popular among the teenagers around the world. Judy Blume was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey and spent her childhood there. After then, she spent her adult years in many places. Judy Blume is a wonderful author who was honored by the American Library; she has also honored more than ninety awards in her life. Other books by Judy Blume, such as //Deenie//, //Forever//, //Tiger Eyes// are all about the stories of teenagers, which make young people to sympathize with them. This book, //Here’s to you, Rachel Robinson// is also a story of a young girl, Rachel, who meets many difficulties in her teenage life.  The story takes place in America; more specifically, it takes place in a normal family. Rachel, the main character, is a perfect daughter with straight A+ in a perfect family. She is a gifted musician, a good friend, and wins all hearts. However, there is one big trouble that makes Rachel’s family not “perfect”, which is her brother Charles. After Charles has been expelled from the boarding school, he comes back to his family. But he seems determined to ruin every piece of happiness that Rachel has. He intrudes into Rachel’s life and mange it. Charles never stops being sarcastic to his own family, and tries his best to annoy his family members. Besides the concern of her brother, Rachel also has many other concerns like a normal teenage girl does. While Rachel is being sick of “perfect” and gets tired of many expectations on her, her family also wants to escape from Charles’s rude behaviors, destroying family’s happiness. Will she and her family overcome these problems?  //Here’s to you, Rachel Robinson// is a nice book, especially for the people who are at our age. The author, Judy Blume’s purpose might be to show many concerns that an adolescence girl has in her mind. This book actually gives many lessons to us. The one idea that I really liked was the “hidden family love” that the author shows from this book. The feeling between the family members is “hatred”, but that is just superficial. When you read this book, you will find out that the real feeling of Charles and Rachel is family love; the reason that it is hard to know from each other is because the love is hidden deeply. And this family love linked everything together in this book in the process of Rachel gets over every difficulty she has. I’m confident that this book will give people who are uncertain with their family love a hope and new thoughts of their families. =English Speech=

Speech
 Life and death, two inescapable fates with totally different meanings, seems to have no common factors at all. However, there are many situations in the world that could make these two words the same, or only a slight difference in their concept. And one of those situations, which is what I’m going to talk about today, is dictatorship. Dictatorship, what an unpleasant word that make you first think of those uncountable deaths under so many dictators in the history.

 “Death is better, a milder fate than tyranny.” Under the dictatorship of harsh and dehumanizing, death is usually a better choice for people. So does this mean death could stop the dictatorship? I would definitely say yes for it. Fear of speaking, fear of sacrificing, fear of fighting, can never stop you from getting further from the dictatorship, on the contrary, it will get harsher and crueler. So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that how horrible it is to live under dictatorship. Death was carried out through executions, after being made to disappear, through torture, premeditated homicide, and in many other ways. Cruel, inhuman treatments and torture continued every time when people speak of their human rights and freedom. So is this so-called “Living”? At this point, I see no differences between the deaths; even further, deaths can be more peaceful than to live under this oppression. Here is an example of a very familiar topic, Animal Farm. George Orwell, the author of the Animal farm had used all his force to doubt the practicality of the dictatorship. When the rulers of the animal farm lost their original intention and started to rule with dictatorship, all the animals felt that they were oppressed by dogs and pigs, but they didn’t really fight against them. They were afraid of telling, truth be told, they were afraid of being killed by those rulers. So, how was the result of receiving their ideas without any refutation or rebellion? It turns out amiss and led to the worst situation. After years pass, it became hard to distinguish which of them are pigs and which are human beings. So, it brings to my idea that, to choose death during dictatorship seizes breath from you, but gives you a never-ending comfort.

 Here is another example about North Korea, a topic that many people curious about since that bad events had happened. North Korea is a country of dictatorship but disguise itself as a communist. Throughout so many years after Korea had separated in two, dictatorship in North Korea had never stopped, but getting even worse than before. The news about “North Korean defector” is reported several times in a year. And this news is actually telling us that “death is better, a milder fate than tyranny”. A North Korean man, who escaped the bondage of that dictatorship and became a Christian, says most North Koreans believe Kim Jong-il actually is a god, because that is how he is portrayed. Also, Comprehensive information about Kim Jong-il's present rule in North Korea is hard to obtain because of the absolute dictatorship that exists. What also makes North Korea a country with dictatorship is Kim Jong-il’s expensive tastes. Reuters reported, "No one enjoys luxury goods more than paramount leader Kim Jong-il, who boasts the country's finest wine cellar with space for 10,000 bottles. …” As the result of Kim’s ignorant way of ruling, many people in North Korea tried to escape from the country and from a stressful life; even they know they would die in the process of escaping. If you were born in North Korea, would you like to live where there is only one party that you could support? Would you like to live where no dissents are allowed? Would you like to live where you are not allowed to have any beliefs except for the president of that country? I would rather choose the death with no hesitancy.

 Always remember, there is only a very fine line between the life and death under the dictatorship. You rather choose to die, or choose to live like you’re died. Death is softer by far than tyranny.

 Thank you.

Reflection
1. Why do you think it was successful?

I think my speech was quite successful in some ways. To start with, I have put much effort on writing this speech. For writing this speech, much research work was required in order to make the essay more accurate and trustful. So, I have many examples such as examples on Animal Farm, Kim Jong-il (the president of North Korea)... I also put some speech techniques to persuade the audience. I have many rhetoric questions on my speech, which emphasize the points that I am talking about. Besides that, there are many opinions that are presented as facts. In addition, I tried my best to put emotion when I speak this speech. These are the biggest reasons that why I think it was successful.

2. How do you could have improved it? I have little problems pronouncing some words, and some problems of grammar, that is because I didn't practice enough on speech. Also, I think I can use more persuasive techniques in order to convince the audience. Finally, if I have another chance for giving a speech, I would like to do it with more confident. =Analysis=

**Was Mao's leadership good for China?**  Mao was a leader of early China during 1949 to 1977. During the time of his rule, there were a lot of contrary ideas and opinions about whether Mao was a good leader or not, and this topic still continues even nowadays. I believe that Mao had given both profits and disadvantages to China. To start with, Mao’s leadership was bad for China for two main reasons. First, so many people were sacrificed for China under Mao’s leadership. His rule leads the Great Leap Forward which made tens of millions people (mainly peasants) died of starvation and diseases. The first plan of the Great Leap Forward was to modernize China’s economy by developing the industry and agriculture. However, they faced the task of doing thing that were impossible to achieve, and government took all the food that peasant grew, which led many people died. Also, the Red Guard during the Cultural Revolution under Mao’s rule pushed China into chaos. They punished and killed people without any control. About 500,000 people died during this revolution. The only reason for these deaths was to regain the authority and power of Mao himself. We can definitely blame these deaths to Mao because of his desire to achieve goal without any well-organized plans. The final thing that shows Mao wasn’t good for China is “no freedom of speaking, thinking, and publishing.” This is a very significant idea for political reason. People during Mao’s time couldn’t talk about anything that is related to the ideas of refuting communists. Mao refused to receive any criticism from the citizens that might slow down the development of its country. One important example might be 100 flower blossoms: At first, Mao encouraged people to speak of the criticisms for the progress of China but Mao cracked down people who had spoken about it at last. Also, the reactions toward those people who spoke freely were very extreme. He whether killed or made them to labor for last of the lifetime as a punishment. These actions of Mao didn’t help China to improve much.

 However, Mao wasn’t a terrible leader as he worked out many important achievements. First, Mao reset many of the rules in China. For instance, he announced the “equal rights for women”, which was very important in the early society. Women didn’t have as much freedom as we have in these days. The public places were not allowed to women, and they could only stay at home and do housework for their husbands. In 1950, the marriage law established by mutual consent, right to divorce, and outlawed the sale of children. This was a new and large women’s movement in China history, broke down the wall of the rights of women and men. In addition, Mao had reformed the system of land ownership; this was the process of giving land to landless peasants. Many of the peasants could have more profits than they had before this action. Communist Party members went into the countryside to teach poor peasant how to work out the social class of everyone in their community. The dividing classes according to the lands they own became a standard. During this time, a rate of development of agriculture had grown conspicuously, and it was achieved without relying on any foreign aids and assistance. Though this “land redistribution” gradually became capitalists, agriculture grew by 3 percent a year and it was a surprising improvement in just a short period of time. These achievements explain how Mao was helpful to China. 

=4th quarter Goals=

Reading
Goal: Improve Reading comprehensive Strategy: Evidence
 * 1) Read at least two books each month
 * 2) Check vocabulary and memorize them
 * 1) Become easier to read English books
 * 2) SRA cards level improves

Writing
Goal: Improve writing skills and write essay with shorter amount of time. Strategy: Evidence:
 * 1) Ask for conference
 * 2) Practice writing about different topics
 * 3) Follow the writing orders
 * 1) Get higher grade on essay assignment
 * 2) Complete essay faster

Speaking
Goal: Speak fluently with better vocabulary Strategy: Evidence:
 * 1) Talk more in English with non-Korean friends
 * 2) Watch movies (no Korean subtitle)
 * 3) Give ideas or comments in class
 * 1) Become easier to speak with foreign friends
 * 2) Speaking part of Toefl improves

Listening
Goal: Understand most of what teacher and students say Strategy Evidence:
 * 1) Watch American movies
 * 2) Take notes when others speaking
 * 3) Repeat what others say
 * 1) Grade in focus class improves

= =