Sunday, November 9, 2008
Being a bride is hard
I want to talk about my dream and problems for it. I have a lot of dreams and the most important dream for me is being a bride. I have to take over many things in making the dream real. First of all, I'm not sure if I can find my destiny or not. The possibility which I can find a good man is not high and it's difficult to continue relationship forever. If I particular about characteristic or appearance too much, it's more difficult to get married. Second, I don't have confidence in housework, because I'm not good at cooking, cleaning and so on. In additon, they are very hard and stressful. But I must do housework every day no matter how I have a job or not for my future husband and children. Finally, the most important fear is that I will get divorced. Nowaday, in Japan, the rate of divorce is increasing more and more. There are various reasons. The number one reason is difference of sense of value. Many people notice that characteristic they haven't known after marriage although they have dated for long time. So I need to see congeniality very carefully. Also, I have to choose a man who suits a marriage partner not just a lover. Moreover, sometimes visions of matrimony aren't realized and some people are disappointed at marriage or partners. It's rare to be able to make them real faithfully. Thus, there are some things I'm afraid of in being a bride. Some are things I can take over by effort, and others depend on my fortune. Anyway, I hope that I will find a perfect man for me, and have a happy life with him forever.
Monday, November 3, 2008
My First Halloween!
In my country, we don't have a holiday like Halloween, so I want to talk about my first Halloween in the U.S. I hadn't known about Halloween well and celebrated it before I came here. However, I have heard that so many people celebrate Halloween every year in the U.S. I was very excited and I looked forward to some things. At first, I wanted to try to wear costumes! It is a main reason why I was interested in Halloween. In Japan, we have customs to wear yukata or kimono on special day, however we don't have occasions to wear costumes or masks. If I wear some costumes in Japan, everybody regards me as a strange person. It was very hard to choose one from so many kinds of costumes. Finally I chose a costume like a magician. I liked it very much, so I was happy to wear my favorite costume. Second, I wanted to curve pumpkins and also I had never seen real pumpkin curved. On Halloween, we had a party in Faner Hall and I tried to curve a pumpkin. First, I drew the picture of face of pumpkin. After that, I curved it with friends. It was not hard, but it's difficult for me. At last, we had a contest of curving pumpkins. Our pumpkin wasn't selected but it became a good memory. Finally, I wanted to join Halloween party. I have heard that people who wear various kinds of costumes gather at bar, so I wanted to see them. On Halloween, I went to a bar with friends with wearing costumes. Then, there were a lot of people and almost all of them wear costumes! It was so funny and I took many pictures. Also, I talked with many people and danced with friends there. Thus, I could enjoyed Halloween than I had predicted. This year, I have experienced Halloween in the U.S. for the first time and it was an amazing event. I wish the event like Halloween in Japan.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Fluency #4
Halloween in Carbondale
In Carbondale, many people enjoy Halloween. I look forward to it very much, because we don’t have Halloween in my country, Japan, so this year Halloween is the first experience for me. I don’t know what happens on Halloween. Then, last Friday, I enjoyed Halloween early in the bar, and I was surprised at one thing. It was costumes. It was one of the most important things for me, and I also bought one. And I thought I bought a colorful one. However, there were a lot of people with more colorful costumes in the bar. Everyone wore various kinds of costumes and all of them were very unique. It was still a week before of Halloween, but I didn’t feel it at all. I plan to go to Halloween party on this weekend with my costume. I want to try to be more unique and enjoy Halloween!
In Carbondale, many people enjoy Halloween. I look forward to it very much, because we don’t have Halloween in my country, Japan, so this year Halloween is the first experience for me. I don’t know what happens on Halloween. Then, last Friday, I enjoyed Halloween early in the bar, and I was surprised at one thing. It was costumes. It was one of the most important things for me, and I also bought one. And I thought I bought a colorful one. However, there were a lot of people with more colorful costumes in the bar. Everyone wore various kinds of costumes and all of them were very unique. It was still a week before of Halloween, but I didn’t feel it at all. I plan to go to Halloween party on this weekend with my costume. I want to try to be more unique and enjoy Halloween!
Summary Response #2
A Threat to Whooping Crane
In the REDORBIT NEWS (2008) article, “Wind Farms Threaten Endangered Whooping Crane,” the author states that wind farms are the new causes that bring about death or injury of North American whooping crane. First, there are a lot of wind farms around their routes of migration. They create large wind turbines and cranes can crash into them when they land or take off during migration. The main cause of death for the whooping cranes is crashing into power lines. If cranes are safe, their migration stopover habitats can be lost. Second, now wind farms are growing, and many employees of the companies don’t want to see injured crane anymore. However wind farms are required for clean and renewable electricity in the U.S now. Therefore they are supposed to increase more in the route of migration. Finally, whooping crane is an endangered species. Increasing the number of wind farms can cause extinction, so it should be stopped. Today how to protect whooping crane from wind farms’ impact is discussed.
In the world, there are endangered birds for various reasons, for example air pollution, climate changes and loss of habitat. Now we have a new reason for extinction of birds like whooping crane that is threatened by wind farms. Our activities which affect wild lives are increasing more and more, and the activities are important for our lives. So it’s difficult to solve this problem. We have to know reasons for extinction and compare the importance of birds’ lives with that of our high quality lives in solving the problem.
First of all, we should know what we do to birds’ lives. Today all we know is that increasing human activities threaten them greatly and some species of birds have died out already. We usually don’t notice that birds are threatened until the problem is serious, because we don’t kill them directly. A wind farm wouldn’t seem to be dangerous to birds, but in fact, it takes their habitat away and extinction results from it. They rarely die out in nature without our activities, so it should be thought that we kill them. By thinking like that, our thoughts for birds' extinction should change.
Second, we have to consider whether high quality lives are more important than birds’ lives. We cause factors which bring about threat of extinction of birds one after another to have high quality lives. In fact, they make our lives developed and we are accustomed to using them, so it’s difficult to live without them now. And we still now try to create more convenient lives. However, on the other hand, birds fall victim to our greed. It’s a big problem for wildlife because the extinction of a kind of animal can collapse another animal’s ecosystem. We need to consider what happens and precede safety of their lives before we think about developing our lives.
Finally, protecting birds and helping them recover from crisis of extinction are our responsibilities. We live with wild animals in this world, so it’s impossible for us not to be concerned with them. In addition, only humans can collapse their ecosystems contrary to nature, so we need to care about them. However we have threatened them already. Now we have to try to help birds as soon as possible and pay attention to others. They are all things we can do to make up for their sacrifice.
In conclusion, human activities which make our lives convenient can threaten birds’ lives. This problem has already been serious, and it’s very hard to solve it because the cause of the problem is our activities. However we have only one choice which is to prevent factors from threatening them even if the factors make our lives useful. It’s difficult to precede bird’s lives, but birds can live freely by our effort to care about them.
Reference
REDORBIT NEWS. (2008, February 29). Wind Farms Threaten Endangered Whooping Crane. Retrieved October 28, 2008, from http://www.redorbit.com/news/display/?id=1275521
In the REDORBIT NEWS (2008) article, “Wind Farms Threaten Endangered Whooping Crane,” the author states that wind farms are the new causes that bring about death or injury of North American whooping crane. First, there are a lot of wind farms around their routes of migration. They create large wind turbines and cranes can crash into them when they land or take off during migration. The main cause of death for the whooping cranes is crashing into power lines. If cranes are safe, their migration stopover habitats can be lost. Second, now wind farms are growing, and many employees of the companies don’t want to see injured crane anymore. However wind farms are required for clean and renewable electricity in the U.S now. Therefore they are supposed to increase more in the route of migration. Finally, whooping crane is an endangered species. Increasing the number of wind farms can cause extinction, so it should be stopped. Today how to protect whooping crane from wind farms’ impact is discussed.
In the world, there are endangered birds for various reasons, for example air pollution, climate changes and loss of habitat. Now we have a new reason for extinction of birds like whooping crane that is threatened by wind farms. Our activities which affect wild lives are increasing more and more, and the activities are important for our lives. So it’s difficult to solve this problem. We have to know reasons for extinction and compare the importance of birds’ lives with that of our high quality lives in solving the problem.
First of all, we should know what we do to birds’ lives. Today all we know is that increasing human activities threaten them greatly and some species of birds have died out already. We usually don’t notice that birds are threatened until the problem is serious, because we don’t kill them directly. A wind farm wouldn’t seem to be dangerous to birds, but in fact, it takes their habitat away and extinction results from it. They rarely die out in nature without our activities, so it should be thought that we kill them. By thinking like that, our thoughts for birds' extinction should change.
Second, we have to consider whether high quality lives are more important than birds’ lives. We cause factors which bring about threat of extinction of birds one after another to have high quality lives. In fact, they make our lives developed and we are accustomed to using them, so it’s difficult to live without them now. And we still now try to create more convenient lives. However, on the other hand, birds fall victim to our greed. It’s a big problem for wildlife because the extinction of a kind of animal can collapse another animal’s ecosystem. We need to consider what happens and precede safety of their lives before we think about developing our lives.
Finally, protecting birds and helping them recover from crisis of extinction are our responsibilities. We live with wild animals in this world, so it’s impossible for us not to be concerned with them. In addition, only humans can collapse their ecosystems contrary to nature, so we need to care about them. However we have threatened them already. Now we have to try to help birds as soon as possible and pay attention to others. They are all things we can do to make up for their sacrifice.
In conclusion, human activities which make our lives convenient can threaten birds’ lives. This problem has already been serious, and it’s very hard to solve it because the cause of the problem is our activities. However we have only one choice which is to prevent factors from threatening them even if the factors make our lives useful. It’s difficult to precede bird’s lives, but birds can live freely by our effort to care about them.
Reference
REDORBIT NEWS. (2008, February 29). Wind Farms Threaten Endangered Whooping Crane. Retrieved October 28, 2008, from http://www.redorbit.com/news/display/?id=1275521
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Fluency #3
The best ways to learn languages
When you start to learn new languages, you should think about the ways to study before you start to study. If you choose a bad way, it takes a very long time to master languages, or it’s very hard for you to study for you. So you should know the following ways. First, you can study languages at cram school, especially a language school. There are foreign teachers in most language schools so you can meet native speakers regularly at school. The second way is watching movies and TV shows or listening to music in foreign languages you want to learn. If you like to watch them, it’s the best way for you. You don’t feel that you are studying languages because it’s like your hobby. By this way, you can come to listen to the languages easily. Finally, you should make friends who are native speakers. You can improve listening skill and speaking skill more quickly than other ways because you have to use languages whenever you are with them. It’s apparently hard, but they are your friends. So you can talk about various things, such as your interests, your trouble and your love. The more time you spend with them, the more fluently your can speak languages. Thus, you can learn languages in various ways, but these are the best ways for you. So you have to choose a way carefully, and then you can study languages while enjoying and mastering them quickly.
When you start to learn new languages, you should think about the ways to study before you start to study. If you choose a bad way, it takes a very long time to master languages, or it’s very hard for you to study for you. So you should know the following ways. First, you can study languages at cram school, especially a language school. There are foreign teachers in most language schools so you can meet native speakers regularly at school. The second way is watching movies and TV shows or listening to music in foreign languages you want to learn. If you like to watch them, it’s the best way for you. You don’t feel that you are studying languages because it’s like your hobby. By this way, you can come to listen to the languages easily. Finally, you should make friends who are native speakers. You can improve listening skill and speaking skill more quickly than other ways because you have to use languages whenever you are with them. It’s apparently hard, but they are your friends. So you can talk about various things, such as your interests, your trouble and your love. The more time you spend with them, the more fluently your can speak languages. Thus, you can learn languages in various ways, but these are the best ways for you. So you have to choose a way carefully, and then you can study languages while enjoying and mastering them quickly.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Summary Response #1
Birds are dying out now
In the Martin Mittelstaedt’s (2008) article entitled “Black clouds on the horizon for birds of the world; From field sparrows to boreal chickadees, 20 of the most common species in North America are being decimated, report warns” the author states many species of birds are in trouble around the world. In the past 40 years, more than half of the population of birds has decreased in the U.S. Also many migratory species have faced the decline of population. The well-known species of birds such as bald eagles, whooping cranes and peregrine falcons are recovering from the problem of extinction due to bans on toxic pesticides. However the reason they are decreasing is not known exactly. In Canada’s boreal forest, the breed such as the evening grosbeak and rusty blackbird are decreasing. We have to know about what causes extinction more. The problem is found around the world and it has gotten worse and worse quickly. Until now, 153 birds species have died out and the rate of extinction will be higher in the future. In the world, there are 10,000 places such as breeding areas and sites for migratory birds. In Canada, there are about 600 places for birds and the government protects them. Now many birds are facing extinction because of the loss of habitat. Now some species of birds barely live and they have to cope with humans to survive.
The extinction of birds is occurring around the world. Now the problem is more serious and some species have died out already. It is difficult that birds take over the problem and recover by themselves. We have to know about the problem, causes and solutions. However we don’t know the detail of causes. Also, we can’t notice even that species of birds, which we don’t know are endangered. By knowing them, we can solve the problem.
The problem is similar to the problems of other animals. We have many problems about animals now. Of these problems, the problems about birds are important because so many species have deteriorated already. At first, the species of birds which are not known well because their population was not large, faced the problem. We did not know it so we did not do anything. Now, the damaged species are increasing and we finally noticed the problem. It is too late for trying to solve it, but we must do every thing we can do to help birds.
Various kinds of birds have died out and the reasons for it are almost the same. The most reasons are the loss of habitat. Some kinds of birds have the habit of migrating between their habitats. However, their habitats are being lost because of exploitation of colonies and deforestation, so they don’t have places to go. As a result, these kinds of birds can’t find places to live and they are finally endangered.
Are there solutions for the problem? In nature, animals have the rules of nature. They live and some of them die out under rules. In this case, however, human activities such as exploitation of colonies and deforestation cause extinction, as I stated already. Thus, we have deprived them of habitats and destroyed the rules of nature. The purposes are for developing countries and getting resources and wealth. Therefore the kinds of birds in the article have fallen victim to our greed. We need to know the fact and think about it. Finally we have to find the solution to help them. It is the most effective solution that stopping destroying their habitats and creating the places where they can live freely.
In conclusion, the extinction of birds is accelerating quickly and they can’t adapt to the problem. We are to blame for the problem because our activities are the causes of it. It isn’t easy to solve it, but it’s our duty. We need to reconsider how our activities affect birds’ lives and try to limit our greed. That effort would prevent the problem from deteriorating and lead to a solution some day.
Reference
Mittelstaedt M. (2008, September 23). Black clouds on the horizon for birds of the world; From field sparrows to boreal chickadees, 20 of the most common species in North America are being decimated. The Globe and Mail (Canada). Retrieved October 20, 2008, from LexisNexis.
In the Martin Mittelstaedt’s (2008) article entitled “Black clouds on the horizon for birds of the world; From field sparrows to boreal chickadees, 20 of the most common species in North America are being decimated, report warns” the author states many species of birds are in trouble around the world. In the past 40 years, more than half of the population of birds has decreased in the U.S. Also many migratory species have faced the decline of population. The well-known species of birds such as bald eagles, whooping cranes and peregrine falcons are recovering from the problem of extinction due to bans on toxic pesticides. However the reason they are decreasing is not known exactly. In Canada’s boreal forest, the breed such as the evening grosbeak and rusty blackbird are decreasing. We have to know about what causes extinction more. The problem is found around the world and it has gotten worse and worse quickly. Until now, 153 birds species have died out and the rate of extinction will be higher in the future. In the world, there are 10,000 places such as breeding areas and sites for migratory birds. In Canada, there are about 600 places for birds and the government protects them. Now many birds are facing extinction because of the loss of habitat. Now some species of birds barely live and they have to cope with humans to survive.
The extinction of birds is occurring around the world. Now the problem is more serious and some species have died out already. It is difficult that birds take over the problem and recover by themselves. We have to know about the problem, causes and solutions. However we don’t know the detail of causes. Also, we can’t notice even that species of birds, which we don’t know are endangered. By knowing them, we can solve the problem.
The problem is similar to the problems of other animals. We have many problems about animals now. Of these problems, the problems about birds are important because so many species have deteriorated already. At first, the species of birds which are not known well because their population was not large, faced the problem. We did not know it so we did not do anything. Now, the damaged species are increasing and we finally noticed the problem. It is too late for trying to solve it, but we must do every thing we can do to help birds.
Various kinds of birds have died out and the reasons for it are almost the same. The most reasons are the loss of habitat. Some kinds of birds have the habit of migrating between their habitats. However, their habitats are being lost because of exploitation of colonies and deforestation, so they don’t have places to go. As a result, these kinds of birds can’t find places to live and they are finally endangered.
Are there solutions for the problem? In nature, animals have the rules of nature. They live and some of them die out under rules. In this case, however, human activities such as exploitation of colonies and deforestation cause extinction, as I stated already. Thus, we have deprived them of habitats and destroyed the rules of nature. The purposes are for developing countries and getting resources and wealth. Therefore the kinds of birds in the article have fallen victim to our greed. We need to know the fact and think about it. Finally we have to find the solution to help them. It is the most effective solution that stopping destroying their habitats and creating the places where they can live freely.
In conclusion, the extinction of birds is accelerating quickly and they can’t adapt to the problem. We are to blame for the problem because our activities are the causes of it. It isn’t easy to solve it, but it’s our duty. We need to reconsider how our activities affect birds’ lives and try to limit our greed. That effort would prevent the problem from deteriorating and lead to a solution some day.
Reference
Mittelstaedt M. (2008, September 23). Black clouds on the horizon for birds of the world; From field sparrows to boreal chickadees, 20 of the most common species in North America are being decimated. The Globe and Mail (Canada). Retrieved October 20, 2008, from LexisNexis.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Japanese Meeting Ways
We have various ways to meet lovers or marriage partners. Some ways are accident and others are made intentional. I don’t know about the ways in foreign countries well. In Japan, people meet their lovers or marriage partners by normal ways or unique ways. I want to introduce Japanese ways to meet lovers. First, almost people encountered their lovers at school or office. I think that this way has possibility to meet lovers the most. The reason is that they meet a lot of various people and they spend long time together at school or office. They have a lot of chances to meet and fall in love. I also met my boyfriend at university. I spent much time with him at school so I could know him very well and loved him. Next, we have a traditional way to meet marriage partners and we call it Omiai. Long time ago, almost all of people meet their marriage partners by Omiai. But now, only people who can’t find their marriage partners often use this way. At first, they exchange pictures of them and information. If they like the picture and information, they can meet directly. When they meet, their parents usually accompany with them. If both of them and their parents like each other, they can establish second meeting. Finally, some people find lovers by Goukon. It’s like a party and people who are strangers each other attend it. Even if they can’t find lovers, they can meet new friends there. The number of people depends on the party, but basically 8 people (4 boys and 4 girls) attend the party. They enjoy talking, drinking, playing the game and karaoke there. If they are interested in someone, they can ask his/her cell phone number or establish second meeting. Thus people have a lot of chances to meet lovers or marriage partners in Japan, and I think that there are countless ways in the world. The ways are essential for us because we can meet various people and fall in love by the ways.
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