what I learned in ESL 114

After several days, the first semester that I learned in U.S will step into an end. I am willing to summarize what I have learned during the term. Only for ESL 114, I have learned many things that will be useful to me in the future. From this class I understand how to write a composition, a research paper, and to make a presentation; I even learned how to express myself and work with others.
Firstly, as what we were taught in the course, I have learned the writing skills and principles of dealing with essays, research papers and presentation. I learned how to organize an essay with introduction, body and conclusion; I learned how to express my ideas during writing with thesis statement and topic sentences; I also learned some grammar during writing like the function of “or, and...” and the classification of “a, an and the”. Of course, I achieved the knowledge of the ways to deal with different styles of essays, like the pattern of cause and effect. While doing with my research paper, I understood the way to find quotes and academic information. At last, I knew how to make a good presentation with speech and graphs.
Secondly, I tried to cooperate with others, which improved my skills of express myself and work with others. We had all kind of activities like group discussion and group game. I thought I could be better to show my talent after this class.
In conclusion, this class is so perfect that I learned a lot and help me fit into American society.

Living in a big city

Different individual with different characteristics would choose variable ways to express their life when talked about living. For most of us who fit ourselves very well in urban life usually take conveniences for granted that we don’t really appreciate the advantages we have when living in a big city. However, I would like to illustrate several great benefits of living in a metropolitan area.
First of all, according to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, the very basic one is the physiological need. Among many of the physiological needs, food is what I care the most. However, eating must be the essential advantage for people who live in a big city. The living pace in urban area is usually fast and sometimes irregular; consequently, the food must be served fast, readily and some restaurants will open up late to satisfy the customers. Other needs such us business meal and banquette places are relevant to the amount of demands in a big city contrary to that in a country area.
In the second place, the artistic and culture resources are abundant in the metropolitan area. Theaters, museums, concert halls and all other vibrant activities are available in the urban area which would attract people even from rural part of the country and would satisfy the different tastes of picky audiences. It is indisputable that the delicate and crateful creative artistic works that give the city a different look in contrast to the countryside. The flourish varieties of literature and art activities really are the most attractive advantages for me to live in a metropolitan area.
Last but not least, many of the advantages could be counted; consequently, to live in a big city has several disadvantages as well. The pollution of all kinds is very obviously in a big city. For instance, who can ride a bike or motor without getting a black face after you go home? Who can drink the water directly from the tap without at least boiling first? These may be the reasons for those urban haters who would claim as disadvantages to live in a big city.
In summary, although several disadvantages are listed above, there is no doubt that the convenience to live in the urban area is a great benefit for many of us. The benefits such us eating and the access to different kinds of activities are all essential to constitute to a colorful life in the metropolitan area. Those details of life are the advantages to live in a bid city.

Advertisements' misleading

Advertisements, one of the symbols of the modern society, are prevailing in every part of the world. Widespread and influential, advertisements are capable of convincing people to purchase commodities which they do not need. Among various factors that contribute to the phenomenon is the temptation of seeming lower price, the influence of celebrities and, in some case, the exaggerated functions of the products.
The foremost reason for the misleading of advertisements is that hardly anyone is able to resistant to the temptation of low price, which a trick is played by the sly and shrewd merchants. For example, there are always so many products on sale that few of us are able to be sensible and rational enough not to be lured by the huge price tags with" on sale” on them. As a matter of a fact, the buyers are hooked by the seeming discount. By frenetic and irrational shopping, people would be stock up piles of items that they actually will not be in need of in the foreseeable future or even for the rest of their lives.
Another sublet explanation rests on the fact that celebrities, who have been paid a considerable sum of money, play an important role in the effect of advertisements. Some famous stars are so influential that many companies focus their attention on them and best use of their fame. As a result, a group of loyal fans would rush into stores and go into rapture if they are fortunate enough to possess one. Consequently, both the stars and the sellers are benefit from the commercial game regardless of what the consumers obtained.
The third convincing reason point I would like to mention is that the exaggeration made in the advertisements by the merchants. There is no doubt that confusing and puzzling for ordinary consumers to distinguish the unqualified one from millions of products presented in front of them. In addition, a majority part of the merchants are in the disguise of appealing appearances. Consequently, if is of no wonder that consumers would buy products preached to be perfect, a number of them are nothing but a waste of money.
All in all, the minor merits which the advertisements hold will never prevent us from concluding that advertisements attract consumers to buy unless products, because of their so called discount, the effect of celebrities and the boastful description. Consumers should pay attention to this phenomenon, save their money and use it into a better way.

Serious or Entertained

With the progress of the society and the development of economy, increasingly, people tend to pay more attention to enjoyment: watching a movie becomes popular. However, different people love to watch different kind of movie. Someone choose to watch serious movies which lead them to have a better idea of their lives, the others think it is an excellent idea to achieve happiness and relax them by watching entertaining movies. In my view, I prefer to watch the movies which are designed primarily to amuse and entertain for the following reasons.

  First of all, with the buildup of the pressure from our work and study, we badly need to relieve our burden and give vent to our emotion. Obviously, it is a better choice to watch entertaining movies rather than serious ones, from which we are able to relax ourselves physically and psychologically. For instance, every weekend, I would like to stay at home to enjoy love romantic movies and cartoons, rather than go out play football or something else. To me, this is my favorite method to release tension out of my body and delight my spirit. Also, after watching this type of movie, it will be easier for me to devote myself back into my work and study, and the efficiency will be higher as well.

Furthermore, the pace of our living is becoming faster and tenser in the current society, so that we even do not have enough time to communicate or exchange emotion with our family members. Watching movies, especially entertaining movies, provides us with a sweet atmosphere to share happiness with our parents and children. Entertaining movies always bring us some laughter and happy moment during discussing the characters and the storylines in the movies. Also, we are given proper opportunities to realize family reunion and tell them how much we love each other.

What is more, when I am tired of working, I will not choose serious movies to relax myself, since these movies always make me think about some unhappy things, such as wars, political events and death. I cannot imagine how terrible it is to sit in my sofa and watch a serious movie with sadness even gloom, even though these movies seem to be more elegant and artistic.

Overall, I cannot deny serious movies can make us think more about our living. But taking into account of all the aspects above, I prefer to watch entertaining movies to relax myself. Rather than crying, I want to be happy.

essay outline

Thesis statement: I think censorship should not be allowed.
support 1: Due to the cut-outs, people can't follow books and movies plot.(fact)
support 2: People miss out excellent movies when there is a full censorship.(fact)
support 3: Adults are free to choose what they want to see.(opinion)

Chinese Universites and American Colleges

Thesis Statement: University, an educational institution offered an advanced education and research to human, operated in a different ways between Chinese colleges and American ones in terms of its enrollment, teaching method and graduation.

Topic sentence 1: Chinese universities and American ones take divergent ways of acceptances.
Example: ---in China, students will take entrance examination for universities every year, the level of grade determines the universities students would study in.
---in America, students will have exam of SAT, but the statement students sent to universities are very important access of universities, which is different.

Topic sentence 2: huge differences present between Chinese universities and American ones.
Example: ---in China, most courses will be fixed; students don’t have much space to choose their own.
---in America, majority courses are elective, like in my major of economics, there are approximate 80 credit hours elective, can be chosen by students themselves.
By the way, attendance points don’t occupy too much in the final grade of college students in China, which is contrast to American students.

Topic sentence 3: there is some dissimilarity in choice making of students after graduation in Chinese and American college.
Example: -----most of Chinese students would like to be a graduate student after graduation. (Data: in 2010, 1.4 million of persons in China enrolled to attend the exam for graduate school)
-----most of American students will choose to work other than achieving a higher degree.

smilarities and differences

Both pictures show a view of famous works of art. As the left picture represents a twisted clock, the right one displays same object. And actually we could find the object in left picture, which built later, is the copy of the object exhibited in the right.
In contrast, they have different meanings. While the painting shows a broken clock, implying that the time is broken, the sculpture is smoothly twisted while is being slowly melted, suggesting that the time has a expiration date. Besides, the support is also different, the sculpture is held by a tree branch whereas the clock painting is leaned on the edge of a cube. To conclude, the clock painting is framed in a surrealistic place, as the rest of Dali pictures, on the other hand, the sculpture is placed in a public place only by itself.

Reliable Friend

“A life without friend is like death without a witness”, the quote is a Spanish proverb which shows the importance of friends. During a human lifespan, he will meet all kinds of people and seek friends from them, so the characteristics of a good friend become very significant, but views on which are the most important characteristics vary from one to another, some prefer friend humorous, and some make friends with the one who is reliable. As far as I am concerned, whether the friend is reliable is a top priority.

Firstly, “a friend indeed is a friend in need”, a reliable friend could make me friend and help me in a bad situation. I used to believe that I had many friends because I had many people to play with, we play computer games, PS2 (a kind of video game machine) together. But once I find myself be in a trouble and turn to them for help, they all got various excuses to refuse my supplication. When I was in deeply desperation, a reliable friend came to help, who actually didn’t play with me very often. He tried his best to help me solve my problem, with words encouraged me, lead me be confident and finally held out through the difficulties.

Secondly, a friend who is reliable always be honest to me. I don’t want a friend who cheated me even he did something that I would not like; a cheat will make me uncomfortable when I realized that someone lied to me----he lied to me once, what else he had said would be trustful? Nothing is trustful. I will not continue the friendship with him. Since a reliable friend will not lie to me, I can build a solid relationship with him, and we can trust each other which I think is very important between friends.

Last but not the least, a reliable friend is the one who point out my shortages and let me correct. Many people will likely to tell me that I am so good, so perfect, but with their words, I could not find the real situation of myself. But a reliable one will seriously say to me like” Hey, Franklin, I think you are so addicted in computer games these days, I think you should back into study.”With his reliable words, I could understand my problems and then solve it.

With 3 reasons above, reliable friend would help me whatever the situation is, would be honest to me and would point out my disadvantages, reliable is the most important character in my point of view.

Campus Shooting

Thesis Statement:Campus shooting has become one of the most serious problems in the US, which resulted from several reasons :( 1) abnormal psychological condition of all the teen killers. (2) The violence influence from the media and the Internet. (3) There is not a good measure to help these abnormal persons.

Topic Sentence 1: Abnormal psychological condition of their inner world is the primary basement of killing others.
Support Evidence:
1. In March, 21st in Minnesota, the 16 years’ old boy who shot 16 people made 9 of them died thought himself as a born Nazi.
2. In April, 16th in Virginia, the Korean student who killed 32 people was shown his cruelty in the tape he sent, also according to some students and teachers in the university, they thought him unsociable and eccentric.

Topic Sentence 2: The violence show on the TV, the violence game and website in the Internet are also a reason lead the shooting happened.
Support Evidence
1. In 1999, a horrible campus shooting happened in Columbine High School in Colorado, two students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebond killed 13 people including 1 teacher. After the shooting, a research agency Simon Wiesenthal Center find that they have played a violence game “ Doom”, a very famous FPS ( First-person shooter), and what they dressed, a raincoat, was just like the heroes in the game.
2. Some killers also were found tracks of surfing some violence websites.

Topic Sentence 3: At last, the society doesn’t have a good measure to help those students.
Support Evidence:
1. Back to the shooting in Virginal, teachers and students had realized that the killer was in bad psychological condition, but no one turns out to help him, even the university agency.
2. For other killers, there should be some ways to help them, because their anger or abnormal situation all cumulative in their heart, there should be some way to observe and help.

The Shaw Shank Redemption

Since the first movie was produced in1888, innumerable movies have been produced throughout the world---From “Gone with the wind” to “Casablanca”, from “All Quiet on the Western Front” to “Schindler’s List”, from “Hamlet” to “Brave heart”, many of which are very classic and impressed. Talking about the most impressed movie I have watched, “the Shaw shank Redemption”, the first movie comes into my mind, teaches me to be optimistic to the life and never give up.
Andy, the hero of this movie, always is optimistic to his life, which impressed me and moved me a lot. He used to be a successful and talented banker, but he was sent to the Shaw Shank Prison because of false murderer conviction of killing his wife and her lover. In that jail, every prison was treated like a dog, they had to work without rest, they would be mauled even they made a little mistake, they also look down others and fight with other jailer. Everyone was hopeless and out of optimistic, but Andy became an exception. He also wanted to encourage others, once he played a wonderful CD named "The Marriage of Figaro" through the broadcast system, which was not allowed, and the prisoners standing on the playground were shocked and amazed because they could not believe that there were still something so beautiful in the world which is hope. As a result, Andy got punishment, but he reminded others of hope. Throughout the process of prison-break, hope is the source of his action and the persistence and freedom. Just like the words said in the movie, “Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.” All his action totally moved me and let me know that no matter whenever, wherever I am, holding a hope in my hands will finally guide me to success.
Andy also impressed with his persist and the spirit of never give up. And that’s the reason why he could escape from the jail. In the beginning, Andy wrote letters twice a week to the state government to ask for a donation in order to build a library in the prison, and he kept on doing it without any intermission. After a year’s persistence, he got five hundred dollars. Unexpectedly, this did not live up to his expectation, after writing letters for two years; he expanded the library to the biggest prison library in the state. In addition, as he wanted to escape the prison, he spent fourteen years in digging up a tunnel with a little rock hammer.
Although some persons think that this movie would arouse social disorder by telling a story of jailbreak, it still one of the best movies in the world and the one I like the most, it will be in my memory forever to encourage me to be optimistic and not to give up whatever the situation I am in.

Work In Group or Finish It Alone

In the modern society, people have to face the dilemma of choosing work with a group of people or to work independently. This problem is much-debated one that affects everybody’s life. Depend on different circumstance; people will have different answers to the question. But in most time, I would like to work in a group; I think it is necessary and more benefit.

  Group work is necessary in the society. Every field of the society requires team work, communication and cooperation among companions and individuals. Take an example of the produce of computers. It comprises of hardware, operating system and software, which are manufactured separately by different companies. Not one single company can accomplish a computer system without using products and technologies from other companies. Similarly, in a company, communication and teamwork is more and more important because I can not do my work properly without interacting with my supervisor and my colleagues.

  Moreover, Like in China, we often teach our children a quotation, “it is easy to snap a chopstick or a branch; while a bunch of chopsticks or the branches is so hard to break off only by hand.” working with a group is surly has more advantages than work independently. A team can achieve much more extensive than in sole, which is similar in nature. Wolf is one of highest efficient predators in the grassland. When they find the livestock, they will gather together, encircle the animals, and then enjoy their meals; meanwhile there are some wolves only hunt by themselves, which has a high rate to death as they are slower than cheetah, thinner than lions and what’s the most important reason--without help from others.

  By the way, work in a group is helpful to all of the group, just take myself as example, when I landed in Chicago O’Hare Airport and be forced to open my package, I was scared and worried, but the persons who stayed with me did all he can to comfort me, using his words, with his action like helping me repackage the luggage, which make me calm down. I don’t know what will happen if I am alone. Accompany and work with others is really helpful to all the group members.

  Even though work independently is better for some situation such as the commander in a war, what he need is to make all the soldiers obey without questions. Working with others is a better choice for most of people. In some degree, we have the ability to communicate with others and operate with others to build a group, we should make it used.

Introduction

Welcome to my PUMPKIN HOUSE, My name is Wanlan Zeng, but just call me Franklin or Frank, I am an international transfer sophomore of University of Illinois of Urbana-Champaign and this is the first semester I stayed in America. I study in the major of economics which is my favorite field since senior high school. Talking about what sports I love, the answer would be like swimming and dancing!( dancing, are you kidding me, you are so fat)....ok, before I am that fat, I was the modern dance champion in the national competition in China, and once be invited to the international competition. But now I love sitting at the table playing computer and surfing in the Internet. I am an active person who loves asking questions and talking with others, if you think that I am a good guy worthy to talk with, just tell me, we will be really good and fantastic friends!