Collaborative Writing (Final Version)

Love Affairs in Marriages

Recently, there are more and more affairs in marriages on the news. According to research, Taiwan is the No.1 in the rate of divorce. Besides, the main reason is Love Affair for it. With tools of communication developing rapidly, it seems to have no way to escape from the affairs if you or your lover really wants to do it. However, it depends on different kinds of situations of the couple. Love affairs happen for reasons.

As we know, having love affairs becomes a kind of common phenomenon. No matter how high or low one’s social status is, he or she is very likely to have an affair outside of the marriage. Let’s take the recent sensation, Washington Nationals pitcher Chien-Ming Wang, for example, the Taiwan’s biggest celebrity held a news conference in Florida, where he admitted to Taiwanese reporters that he had an extra-marital affair in 2010 and apologized for it after Apple Daily published a couple of photos of him with a woman called Cyndi. Wang explained the eight-month fling started in 2009 when he had the shoulder surgery, which made him feel hopeless. In Wang’s opinion, he had the affair only due to his frustration during the time of his rehabilitation. Though Wang expressed how sorry he felt, he has already hurt his wife and son deeply. His fans supporting him the most are really disappointed about his behavior. Our question is: Is lack of will possible and reasonable to be the reason why he had the affair? Can pressure really transform a nice guy into one who does not care about his family and cheat them?

There are several reasons that cause many men to have love affairs while in marriage. Firstly, according to a marriage counselor M. Gary Neuman, the author of The Truth about Cheating, emotional disconnection, specifically a sense of feeling underappreciated is the main reason that causes men cheat on their spouses. "Men are very emotional beings. They just don't look like that. Or they don't seem like that. Or they don't tell you that," M. Gary Neuman said as well. Life is not a fairy tale. When people get married, there are a lot of complicated things to deal with. For instance, pressures of daily life, stress at work and even different opinions on raising children. Without good communication as well as appreciation for each other, those problems could easily cause a sense of disconnection between husbands and wives. Therefore, as long as the right time or occasion comes, some husbands may want to find some consolation from other women and then make a very serious mistake in marriage.

The second reason that causes men cheat on their spouses may be loneliness. Due to the traditional social identity, males are often taught that they should be strong as well as tough in both physical and mental status. They cannot shed tears in front of people or reveal their true feelings to others. Once they do such things, those men might be considered weak or lack of masculinity. Therefore, when husbands encounter some difficulties or feel stressed out and upset in life, most men tend to hide their feelings and be not willing to express their emotions. Gradually, it results in a sense of emptiness and solitude because they have no one to talk to. If a man really wants to find someone to share their feelings, an unfamiliar woman could be a good choice since talking about the inner feelings with the other half is too embarrassing. Also, he may feel that he loses his own dignity in front of his wife. Consequently, we can say that a love affair starts from loneliness.

The third reason that men be unfaithful to their spouses may be seeking for excitement in marriage. To some men, having a romance while in marriage is something acceptable, also being with their wives all the time is a little boring. Those married men have nothing to talk to or share with their wives; however, a girl who they meet outside of the house is totally different. What the girl can provide or satisfy their needs is something those married men cannot find in their wives. It can be consolation, a sense of belonging or physical need. In a word, those husbands can find something new as well as excitement in daily life by being with women who they meet outside of the house.            

In Wang’s case, the despair in his baseball career, pressures of recovery from injury and the expectation of all his fans around the world made Wang want to run away from his real life. During Wang’s most difficult time, he met Cyndi and started to date with her. This woman became Wang’s temporary shelter. Then these two developed a secret relationship and finally this Taiwanese baseball player cheated on his wife.

It seems that the aforementioned causes are proper reasons. And having an affair also seems reasonable. However, there are severe effects and impacts on people and family. From small influence to serious impact, the effects can be classified into following categories:

Health Problems: No one knows that it is too dangerous to have an affair. If he has had a sexual relationship with her, it means that he already had the sex relationship with her sex partners who already had sex with her within ten years. It symbolizes that it is very easy to get sex disease, such as AIDS. The most serious problem is that he maybe continued to have a sexual relationship with his wife and in the end; his wife may get the disease unjustly. We all know that this kind of the disease is a nightmare and is hard to cure. The sufferer will have to endure severe pain for the rest of her life. It’s not worth it to have an affair and risk one’s life.  

Heart-Broken: After he has had an affair in marriages, His wife will suffer heart-broken the most. He has promised to love the other till die but nothing remains now. In the marriage, he has to be loyal to his beloved wife. But now all are lies. Not only his partner but also the children will suffer when they know their kind and great father has had an affair. More seriously, when the children grow up, they might make the same mistake—having an affair. At that time, there will be a vicious circle; they harm their lovers and their children as well. For Chien-Ming Wang, he also has broken every fan’s heart. Everybody trusts him and saw him as a model, but now all seems different.

Discredit: Chien-Ming Wang is a famous baseball player, he was known as “The glory of Taiwan.” His reputation has kept for a long time until he did the very wrong thing—had an affair with Cyndi. From that moment, his glory and sparkle on him all vanished. Trust also has been ruined by his own irresponsible deeds. In addition, He lost the opportunity to be a representative to many brands. He brought discredit not only to his family but also to Taiwan! Having an affair and then losing so much. It didn’t worth it. This scandal will make him think more about who is more important and the meaning of responsibility. Having an affair is immoral and irresponsibility.

To sum up, the impacts of having an affair on Chien-Ming Wang, his family, the fans, and Taiwan are so serious and painful. As a result, it’s the last thing for anyone to do.  

Everything happens for a reason. Everyone in marriage should think more than twice when you are almost making a mistake or when you are close to make a mistake. Care about the families related to you especially yours. Chien-Ming Wang is the most notable example to understand it. Most important of all, respect your family and yourself and release your pressure or negative thoughts in right ways.

Collaborative Writing ( 1st Version)

Love Affairs in Marriages

    Recently, there are more and more affairs in marriages on the news. According to the research, Taiwan is the No.1 in the rate of divorce. Besides, the main reason is Love Affair. With tools of communication developing rapidly, it seems to have no way to escape from the affairs if you or your lover really wants to do it. However, it depends on different kinds of situation of the couple. Love affairs happen for reasons.

    As we know, having love affairs becomes a kind of common phenomenon. No matter how high or low one’s social status is, he or she is very likely to have an affair outside of the marriage. Let’s take the recent sensation, Washington Nationals pitcher Chien-Ming Wang, for an example, the Taiwan’s biggest celebrity held a news conference in Florida, where he admitted to Taiwanese reporters that he had an extra-marital affair in 2010 and apologized for it after Apple Daily published a couple of photos of him with a woman called Cyndi. Wang explained the eight-month fling started in 2009 when he had the shoulder surgery, which made him feel hopeless. In Wang’s opinion, he had the affair only due to his frustration at his rehabilitation. Though Wang expressed how sorry he felt, he has already hurt his wife and son deeply. His fans supporting him the most are really disappointed about his behavior. Our question is: Is lack of will possible and reasonable to be the reason why he had the affair? Can pressure really transform a nice guy into the one who does not care about his family and cheat them?

    There are several reasons that cause many men have love affairs while in marriage. Firstly, according to a marriage counselor M. Gary Neuman and the author of The Truth about Cheating said that emotional disconnection, specifically a sense of feeling underappreciated is the main reason that causes men cheat on their spouses. "Men are very emotional beings. They just don't look like that. Or they don't seem like that. Or they don't tell you that," M. Gary Neuman said as well. Life is not a fairy tale. When people get married, there are a lot of complicated things to deal with. For instance, pressures of daily life, stress at work and even different opinions on raising children. Without good communication as well as appreciation for each other, those problems could easily cause a sense of disconnection between husbands and wives. Therefore, as long as the right time or occasion comes, some husbands may want to find some consolation from other women and then make a very serious mistake in marriage.

    The second reason that causes men cheat on their spouses may be loneliness. Due to the traditional social identity, males are often taught that they should be strong as well as tough in both physical and mental status. They cannot shed tears in front of people or reveal their true feelings to others. Once they do such things, those men might be considered weak or lack of masculinity. Therefore, when husbands encounter some difficulties or feel stressed out and upset in life, most men tend to hide their feelings and be not willing to express their emotions. Gradually, it results in a sense of emptiness and solitude because they have no one to talk to. If a man really wants to find someone to share their feelings, an unfamiliar woman could be a good choice since talking about the inner feelings with the other half is too embarrassing. Also, he may feel that he loses his own dignity in front of his wife. Consequently, we can say that a love affair starts from loneliness.

    The third reason that men be unfaithful to their spouses may be seeking for excitement in marriage. To some men, having a romance while in marriage is something acceptable, also being with their wives all the time is a little boring. Those married men have nothing to talk to or share with their wives; however, a girl who they meet outside of the house is totally different. What the girl can provide or satisfy their needs is something those married men cannot find in their wives. It can be consolation, a sense of belonging or physical need. In a word, those husbands can find something new as well as excitement in daily life by being with women who they meet outside of the house.            

    In Wang’s case, the despair in his baseball career, pressures of recovery from injury and the expectation of all his fans around the world made Wang want to run away from his real life. During Wang’s the most difficult time, he met Cyndi and started to date with her. This woman became Wang’s temporary shelter. Then these two developed a secret relationship and finally this Taiwanese baseball player cheated on his wife.

It seems that causes are for proper reason. And having an affair also seems reasonable. However, there are severe effects and impacts on people and family. From small influence to serious impact, the effects can be classified into following categories:

Biological Problems: No one knows that it is too dangerous to have an affair. If he has had sex relationship with her, it means that he already had the sex relationship with her sex partners who already had sex with her within ten years. It symbolizes that it is very easy to get sex disease, such as AIDS. The most serious problem is he maybe continued to have the sex relationship with his wife and in the end; his wife may get the disease unjustly. We all know that this kind of the disease is a nightmare and is hard to cure. The sufferer will have to endure severe pain for the rest of her life. It’s not worth it to have an affair and risk one’s life.  

Heart-Broken: After he has had an affair in marriages, His wife will suffer heart-broken the most. He has promised to love the other till die but nothing remains now. In the marriage, he has to be loyal to his beloved wife. But now all are lies. Not only his partner but also the children will suffer when they know their kind and great father has had an affair. More serious, when the children grow up, they might make the same mistake—have an affair. At that time, there will be a vicious circle; they harm their lovers and their children as well. For Chien-Ming Wang, he also has broken every fan’s heart. Everybody trusts him and saw him as a model, but now seems all different.

Discredit: Chien-Ming Wang is a famous baseball player, he was known as “The glory of Taiwan.” His reputation has kept for a long time until he did the very wrong thing—had an affair with Cyndi. From that moment, his glory and sparkle on him all vanished away. Trust also has ruined by his own irresponsible deeds. In addition, He lost the opportunity to be a represent to many brands. He brought discredit not only to his family but also to Taiwan! Having an affair then lost so much. It didn’t worth it. This scandal will make him think more on who is more important and the meaning of responsibility. Having an affair is immoral and irresponsibility.

To sum up, the impacts of having an affair on Chien-Ming Wang, his family, the fans, and Taiwan are so serious and painful. As a result, it’s the last thing for anyone to do.  

Everything happens for a reason. Everyone in marriage should think more than twice when you are almost making a mistake. Care about the families related to you especially yours. Chien-Ming Wang is the most notable example to understand. Most important of all, respect your family and yourself and release your pressure or negative thoughts in right ways.

Collaborative Writing - Love Affairs in Marriages - Cause

Love Affairs in Marriages

     There are several reasons that cause many men have love affairs while in marriage. Firstly, according to a marriage counselor M. Gary Neuman and the author of The Truth about Cheating said that emotional disconnection, specifically a sense of feeling underappreciated is the main reason that causes men cheat on their spouses. "Men are very emotional beings. They just don't look like that. Or they don't seem like that. Or they don't tell you that," M. Gary Neuman said as well. Life is not a fairy tale. When people get married, there are a lot of complicated things to deal with. For instance, pressures of daily life, stress at work and even different opinions on raising children. Without good communication as well as appreciation for each other, those problems could easily cause a sense of disconnection between husbands and wives. Therefore, as long as the right time or occasion comes, some husbands may want to find some consolation from other women and then make a very serious mistake in marriage.

     The second reason that causes men cheat on their spouses may be loneliness. Due to the traditional social identity, males are often taught that they should be strong as well as tough in both physical and mental status. They cannot shed tears in front of people or reveal their true feelings to others. Once they do such things, those men might be considered weak or lack of masculinity. Therefore, when husbands encounter some difficulties or feel stressed out and upset in life, most men tend to hide their feelings and be not willing to express their emotions. Gradually, it results in a sense of emptiness and solitude because they have no one to talk to. If a man really wants to find someone to share their feelings, an unfamiliar woman could be a good choice since talking about the inner feelings with the other half is too embarrassing. Also, he may feel that he loses his own dignity in front of his wife. Consequently, we can say that a love affair starts from loneliness.

     The third reason that men be unfaithful to their spouses may be seeking for excitement in marriage. To some men, having a romance while in marriage is something acceptable, also being with their wives all the time is a little boring. Those married men have nothing to talk to or share with their wives; however, a girl who they meet outside of the house is totally different. What the girl can provide or satisfy their needs is something those married men cannot find in their wives. It can be consolation, a sense of belonging or physical need. In a word, those husbands can find something new as well as excitement in daily life by being with women who they meet outside of the house.

     In Wang’s case, the despair in his baseball career, pressures of recovery from injury and the expectation of all his fans around the world made Wang want to run away from his real life. During Wang’s the most difficult time, he met Cyndi and started to date with her. This woman became Wang’s temporary shelter. Then these two developed a secret relationship and finally this Taiwanese baseball player cheated on his wife.  

Writing Assignment 2 (Final Version)

A Student’s Place

     How do you define a student? I think everyone has different opinions; you can define a student by his or her age, school performance or maybe his or her attitudes toward study. My personal opinions on becoming a student can be divided into three processes.

     Firstly, redefine “being a student.” What is usually meant by “I am a student”? You “become a student” when you go to school on the first day. After graduating from high school, college or graduate school, you are no longer a student anymore. I believe this is the way that most people think about being a student. However, the meaning of being a student is more than that. As a student, you should do your best to embrace knowledge as well as skills which you learn from school. What’s more, apply what you learn in your daily life is also very important. This is not about the identity but the effort you made.

     The second process is “learn by yourself.” A student does not necessarily have to learn from teachers. Sometimes, learning by yourself can gain more than being taught by teachers or professors. Thanks to today’s technology, a student can use a lot of tools to acquire knowledge. By the Internet, you can search countless information to do more research on your study. By other resources, such as novels, movies or even songs, they can teach you something your teachers would never tell you in the class. Somehow, those things can give you inspiration and influence your entire life. This is about your attitude, which is related to whether you have a highly-motivated attitude toward learning new things or not.

     The last process is “enjoy learning.” For everybody, I think that enjoy what you have to do in life is the best way to do those things right. For a student, the first priority in the things-to-do list should be homework or something related to study. However, the things that a student needs to do firstly do not mean those things will be finished firstly. If a student cannot enjoy studying and learning, I think that he or she would learn nothing in the end. Therefore, enjoy and love learning is a key element of being a student.

     To sum up, “being a student” is not about the identity. It is all about how much effort you made to learn, your attitudes toward learning new things and whether you can enjoy and love learning or not.

In-class writing practice 1

     A lot of students have to leave their home and live in a dormitory when they go to college. There are several differences between students who live in a dormitory and at home.

     The first difference is the living environment. For students who live at home with their family, they know more about their living environment and have fewer problems in their daily life. However, students who leave their familiar living environment and live in a dormitory, they would have more problems in the daily life especially at the very beginning of their dormitory life. For example, they may not know where to buy food, groceries or something they need.

     The second one is the independence between these two kinds of students. Students who live in a dormitory have to be more independent to deal with many different problems that happen in their life by themselves. They cannot count on other people to solve the problems; therefore, they would gradually learn how to take care of themselves and solve problems independently. On the other hand, students who live at home are probably less independent in many aspects. They may tend to rely on their family to solve some trouble for them, instead of facing those problems by themselves.

     To sum up, students live in a dormitory and at home are quite different from each other.    

Writing Assignment 2 (2nd Version)

A Student’s Place

     How do you define a student? I think everyone has different opinions; you can define a student by his or her age, school performance or maybe the attitude toward study. My personal opinions on becoming a student can be divided into three processes.

     Firstly, redefine “being a student.” What is usually meant by “I am a student”? You “become a student” when you go to school on the first day. After graduating from high school, college or graduate school, you are not a student anymore. I believe that is most people think about being a student. However, the meaning of being a student is more than that. As a student, you should do your best to embrace knowledge as well as skills which you learn from school. What’s more, apply what you learn in your daily life is also very important. This is not about the identity but the effort you made.

     The second process is “learn by yourself.” A student does not necessarily have to learn from teachers. Sometimes, learning by yourself you can gain more than being taught by teachers or professors. Thanks to today’s technology, a student can use a lot of tools to acquire knowledge. By the Internet, you can search countless information to do more research on your study. By other resources, such as novels, movies or even songs, they can teach you something your teachers would never tell you in the class. Somehow, those things can give inspiration and influence your entire life. This is about your attitude, whether you have a highly-motivated attitude toward learning new things or not.

     The last process is “enjoy learning.” I think for everybody that enjoy what you have to do in life is the best way to do those things right. For a student, the first priority in the things-to-do list should be homework or something related to study. However, the things that a student needs to do firstly do not mean those things will be finished firstly. If a student cannot enjoy studying and learning, I think that he or she would learn nothing in the end. Therefore, enjoy and love learning is key element of being a student.

     To sum up, “being a student” is not about the identity. It is all about how much effort you made to learn, your attitude toward learning new things and whether you can enjoy and love learning or not.

Writing Assignment 2 (1st Version)

A Student’s Place

     How do you define a student? I think everyone has different opinions; you can define a student by his or her age, school performance or maybe the attitude toward study. My personal opinions on becoming a student can be divided into three processes.

     Firstly, redefine “being a student.” What is usually meant by “I am a student”? You “become a student” when you go to school on the first day. After graduating from high school, college or graduate school, you are not a student anymore. I believe that is most people think about being a student. However, the meaning of being a student is more than that. As a student, you should do your best to embrace knowledge as well as skills which you learn from school. What’s more, apply what you learn in your daily life is also very important. This is not about the identity but the effort you made.

     The second process is “learn by yourself.” A student does not necessarily have to learn from teachers. Sometimes, learning by yourself you can gain more than being taught by teachers or professors. Thanks to today’s technology, a student can use a lot of tools to acquire knowledge. By the Internet, you can search countless information to do more research on your study. By other resources, such as novels, movies or even songs, they can teach you something your teachers would never tell you in the class. Somehow, those things can give inspiration and influence your entire life. This is about your attitude, whether you have a highly-motivated attitude toward learning new things or not.

     The last process is “enjoy learning.” I think for everybody that enjoy what you have to do in life is the best way to do those things right. For a student, the first priority in the things-to-do list should be homework or something related to study. However, the things that a student needs to do firstly do not mean those things will be finished firstly. If a student cannot enjoy studying and learning, I think that he or she would learn nothing in the end. Therefore, enjoy and love learning is key element of being a student.

     To sum up, “being a student” is not about the identity. It is all about how much effort you made to learn, your attitude toward learning new things and whether you can enjoy and love learning or not.

Writing Assignment 1 (Final Version)

Whitewater Rafting

     I believe that every parent hopes their children can be happy as well as healthy for good. Therefore, most parents are willing to try their best and do everything they can to protect their own children. My parents are no exception. After graduating from high school, my friends and I decided to take a three-day trip in Hualien in summer vacation. My parents had no problem with the trip, but an activity we planned to do-whitewater rafting.

     My parents thought whitewater rafting is too dangerous. Actually, all my friends’ parents thought that way, too. Although my parents already knew that I am the person who enjoys exciting activities, such as riding a rollercoaster or a pirate ship in the amusement park. My parents still worried about me and did not want to put me in danger. My mother kept asking me whether I really want to go whitewater rafting with my friends, and my father kept telling me how dangerous that could be. They thought all of my friends and me were inexperienced and too weak to do it. Safety was my parents’ biggest concern. In a word, they did not want me to go whitewater rafting with my friends in the most famous river in Hualien.

     I could understand my parents’ worries and feelings. I tried to tell my parents that whitewater rafting was not as dangerous as they thought and promised them everything would be fine. To be honest, go whitewater rafting was one of the things which I was desperate to do and I felt this might be the only chance in my lifetime to do it. Also, I believed this special experience would be an unforgettable memory in my life. As a result, I insisted on going whitewater rafting with my friends. Without spending too much time persuading my parents; at the end, they gave in and allowed me to go whitewater rafting.

     To sum up, parents around the globe do hope their children can be happy, carefree and healthy forever. No matter how old we are, in our parents’ eyes we always need their protection. However, children sometimes need their parents’ trust as well as support to experience new things and explore this world.

Writing Assignment 1 (2nd Version)

Whitewater Rafting

     I believe that every parent hopes their children can be happy as well as healthy for good. Therefore, most parents are willing to try their best and do everything they can to protect their own children. My parents are no exception. After graduating from high school, my friends and I decided to take a three-day trip in Hualien in summer vacation. My parents had no problem with the trip, but an activity we planned to do-whitewater rafting.

     My parents thought whitewater rafting is too dangerous. Actually, all my friends’ parents thought that way, too. Although my parents already knew that I am the person who enjoys exciting activities, such as riding the rollercoaster or the pirate ship in the amusement park. My parents still worried about me and did not want to put me in danger. My mother kept asking me whether I really want to go whitewater rafting with my friends, and my father kept telling me how dangerous that could be. They thought all of my friends and me were inexperienced and too weak to do it. Safety was my parents’ biggest concern. In a word, they did not want me to go whitewater rafting with my friends in the most famous river in Hualien.

     I could understand my parents’ worries and feelings. I told my parents that whitewater rafting was not as dangerous as they thought and promised them everything would be fine. To be honest, go whitewater rafting was one of the things which I was desperate to do and I felt this might be the only chance in my lifetime to do it. Also, I believed this special experience would be an unforgettable memory in my life. As a result, I insisted to go whitewater rafting with my friends. Without spending too much time persuading my parents; at the end, they gave in and allowed me to go whitewater rafting.

     To sum up, parents around the globe do hope their children can be happy, carefree and healthy forever. No matter how old we are, in our parents’ eyes we always need their protection. However, children sometimes need their parents’ trust as well as support to experience new things and explore this world.                

Writing Assignment 1 (1st Version)

Whitewater Rafting

     I believe that every parent hopes their children can be happy as well as healthy for good. Therefore, most parents are willing to try their best and do everything they can to protect their own children. My parents are no exception. After graduating from high school, my friends and I decided to take a three-day trip in Hualien in summer vacation. My parents had no problem with the trip, but an activity we planed to do-whitewater rafting.

     They thought whitewater rafting is too dangerous. Actually, all my friends’ parents thought that way, too. Although my parents already knew that I am the person who enjoys exciting activities, such as riding the rollercoaster or the pirate ship in the amusement park. My parents still worried about me and my friends. My mother kept asking me whether I really want to go whitewater rafting with my friends, and my father kept telling me how dangerous that could be. They thought all of us were inexperienced and too weak to do it. Safety was my parents’ biggest concern. In a word, they did not want me to go whitewater rafting with my friends in the most famous river in Hualien.

     I could understand my parents’ worries and feelings. I told my parents that whitewater rafting was not as dangerous as they thought and promised them everything would be fine. To be honest, go whitewater rafting was one of the things which I was desperate to do and I felt this might be the only chance in my lifetime to do it. Also, I believed this special experience would be an unforgettable memory of my life. As the result, I insisted to go whitewater rafting with my friends. Without spending too much time persuading my parents; at the end, they gave in and allowed me to go whitewater rafting.

     To sum up, parents around the globe do hope their children can be happy, carefree and healthy forever. Children sometimes need their parents’ trust as well as support to experience new things and explore this world. Both parents and children need to keep learning how to love each other in their own ways.

Short Takes - Playing House

1.      The question in the first paragraph is “Do the chances of a successful marriage improve by cohabiting?” Leight’s answer to this question is “Not necessarily true”

2.      The characteristics of a cohabiting couple and a married couple are very different. Cohabiting couples lack both specialization as well as commitment in their relationship. They generally live more financially and emotionally independent of one another to allow themselves the freedom to leave. On the contrary, married couples pool their money, time, and other resources, creating a higher quality lifestyle.

3.      Leight thought that cohabiting does not necessarily lead to a successful marriage or a tragic end of a relationship. In the last paragraph, Leight said “If a couple wishes to have a successful marriage, they should show their commitment to each other from the beginning. If they trust each other enough not to cohabit before marriage, their marriage already has a higher probability of success.”

4.      I think it is very sufficient, because those references did support what the writer said in this essay and her ideas about cohabiting.

5.      I haven’t thought of any loopholes yet.   

Short Takes - Living on Tokyo Time

1.      The examples that Butler gave are very effective to support her statement. Butler said that Japanese people are unbelievably busy by saying they work ten hours a day, and often come in even on days off. Also, the Japanese rarely take a vacation of more than three of four days. A straight week is a hedonistic luxury. Students in Japan have less than a month for summer vacation, and they have all kinds of assignments to do.

2.      Butler raised a question that why doesn’t this cradle-grave, manic scheduling bother the Japanese people. The answer to this question is that the Japanese people grow up with a sense of time as a communal resource, like the company motor pool.

3.      The Japanese attitude toward time is that time is a communal resource, like the company motor pool. However, the American toward time is that time belongs to individuals.

4.      I think Butler prefers the Japanese attitude. Because in the last paragraph she said all the convenience of life and the richness of culture are invaluable that she would not trade for a lifetime of free hours.

5.      She pointed out that most of the Americans take it for granted that their spare hours are none of their teachers’ or bosses’ business.

Writing Assignment 2 (Final Version)

Homemade Cookies

     Homemade food usually reminds people of their hometown, childhood, beloved family and some special festivals. To me, my favorite homemade food is the cookies baked by my mother. Every time I think of those cookies, my mind is full of sweet and happy memories. The memories of my childhood, my birthdays and some pleasant afternoon spent with my mom in the kitchen are the most unforgettable moment in my life.

     My mother is quite good at cooking, but I love her homemade cookies more than any dishes she cooks. When she is baking, our house is always filled with the aroma of cookies. The smell always tantalizes me to eat the cookies before them are moved to a plate. I feel that the sweetness of those cookies is kind of my mother’s warmness as well as her love. Also, I think my mom is just like a magician who can turn the simple cookie ingredients into the everlasting happiness.

     I still remember that when I was in the first grade of elementary school, the teacher held an activity that asked all the parents to prepare a homemade dish and bring it to school to share with the whole class. On that day, my mother prepared a lot of homemade cookies and all my classmates loved them. So did their parents as well as my teacher. Some of my classmates even told me that they wish their mother could bake such delicious cookies. This really made me feel very happy and proud of my mom.

     Since I was a little child, my favorite day in the whole year was my birthday. On that special day, my parents would give me a birthday present, take my brother and me to have a big meal in the restaurant and buy me an ice cream cake. What’s more, my mom would bake some of my favorite chocolate-chip cookies as my breakfast. From the morning to night, I was like a princess who had everything she wanted and lived in a wonderful life. Therefore, I think my mom’s cookies played a very important part of my birthday memories.

     My mother often bakes cookies in the afternoon on weekends. Baking cookies at home is not difficult at all. As long as we have some eggs, sugar and flour, then we can bake “freestyle” cookies in the kitchen. I like to help my mom when she is baking cookies, adding some chocolate chips, walnuts, oatmeal, raisin and dried fruit to the dough at my will. It is very interesting. When the cookies are out of the oven, my family and I would have an afternoon tea time together and watch movies on TV. I think it is the most relaxing moment of the week. Spending time with family is truly a big enjoyment in the ordinary life.

     My mother’s homemade cookies are not only my favorite snacks but also mean a lot to me. Those homemade cookies remind me of my mom’s love and the time I spend with my beloved family. 

Short Takes - The Handicap of Definition

1. Paragraph 1-4: The major assertion in paragraph 1-4 is a tragically limited definition of blackness, and it isn't only white people who buy it.

Paragraph 5-7: The major assertion is that the harm that comes from too narrow a definition of what is black.

Paragraph 8-11: The major assertion is what I am talking about is the importance of developing positive ethnic traditions.

2. In paragraph 12, Raspberry points out the achievement of economic are almost reached by the white, not the black. The preceding paragraphs are about the prejudice that the black only good at singing and sports.

3. Raspberry’s thesis is that the young generation can be able to do whatever they put their mind to and make it in the American mainstream, not just in a black subculture.

4. I don't think there is any evidence to support the view that Raspberry is trying to make blacks "better" by making them white. Raspberry is just trying to change the existing stereotypes of the black and make them more positive. 

5. I don't think there is any evidence or point that a feminist could argue it is sexist in this essay.

Writing Assignment 2 (2nd Version)

  

Homemade Cookies

     Homemade food usually reminds people of their hometown, childhood, beloved family and some special festivals. To me, my favorite homemade food is the cookies baked by my mother. Every time I think of those cookies, my mind is full of sweet and happy memories. The memories of my childhood, my birthdays and some pleasant afternoon spent with my mom in the kitchen are the most unforgettable moment in my life.

     My mother is quite good at cooking, but I love her homemade cookies more than any dishes she cooks. When she is baking, our house is always filled with the aroma of cookies. The smell always tantalizes me to eat the cookies before them are moved on a plate. I feel that the sweetness of those cookies is kind of my mother’s warmness as well as her love. Also, I think my mom is just like a magician who can turn the simple cookie ingredients into the everlasting happiness.

     I still remember that when I was in the first grade of elementary school, the teacher held an activity that asked all the parents to prepare a homemade dish and bring to school to share with the whole class. On that day, my mother prepared a lot of homemade cookies and all my classmates loved it. So did their parents as well as my teacher. Some of my classmates even told me that they wish their mother could bake such delicious cookies. This really made me feel very happy and proud of my mom.

     Since I was a little child, my favorite day in the whole year was my birthday. On that special day, my parents would give me a birthday present, take my brother and me to have a big meal in the restaurant and buy me an ice cream cake. What’s more, my mom would bake some of my favorite chocolate-chip cookies as my breakfast. From the morning to night, I was like a princess who had everything she wanted and lived in a wonderful life. Therefore, I think my mom’s cookies played a very important part of my birthday memories.

     My mother often bakes cookies in the afternoon on weekends. Baking cookies at home is not difficult at all. As long as we have some eggs, sugar and flour, then we can bake “freestyle” cookies in the kitchen. I like to help my mom when she is baking cookies, adding some chocolate chips, walnuts, oatmeal, raisin and dried fruit to the dough at my will. It is very interesting. When the cookies are out of the oven, my family and I would have afternoon tea together and watch movies on TV. I think it is the most relaxing moment of the week. Spending time with family is truly a big enjoyment in the ordinary life.

     My mother’s homemade cookies are not only my favorite snacks but also mean a lot to me. Those homemade cookies remind me of my mom’s love and the time I spend with my beloved family. 

Writing Assignment 2 (1st Version)

Homemade Cookies

     Homemade food usually reminds people of their hometown, childhood, beloved family and some special festivals. To me, my favorite homemade food is the cookies baked by my mother. Every time I think of those cookies, my mind is full of sweet and happy memories. The memories of my childhood, my birthdays and some pleasant afternoon spent with my mom in the kitchen are the most unforgettable moment in my life.

     My mother is quite good at cooking, but I love her homemade cookies more than any dishes she cooks. When she is baking, our house is always filled the aroma of cookies. I feel that the sweetness of those cookies is kind of my mother’s warmness as well as love. Also, I think my mom is just like a magician who can turn the simple and humble cookie ingredients into the everlasting happiness.

     I still remember that when I was in the first grade of elementary school, the teacher held an activity that asked all the parents to prepare a homemade dish and bring to school to share with the whole class. On that day, my mother prepared a lot of homemade cookies and all my classmates loved it, and so did their parents as well as my teacher. Some classmates even told me that they wish their mother could bake such delicious cookies. This really made me feel very happy and proud of my mom.

     Since I was a little child, my favorite day in the whole year is my birthday. On that special day, my parents would give me a birthday present, take my brother and me to have a big meal in the restaurant and buy me an ice cream cake. What’s more, my mom would bake some of my favorite chocolate-chip cookies as my breakfast. From the morning to night, I was like a princess who has everything she wants and lives in a wonderful life. Therefore, I think my mom’s cookies is a very important part of my birthday memories.

     My mother often bakes cookies in the afternoon on weekends. Baking cookies at home is not difficult at all. As long as we have some eggs, sugar and flour, then we can bake “freestyle” cookies in the kitchen. I like to help my mom when she is baking cookies, adding some chocolate chips, walnuts, oatmeal, raisin and dried fruit to the dough at my will. It is very interesting. When the cookies are out of the oven, my family and I would have afternoon tea and watch movies on TV. I think it is the most relaxing moment of the week. Spending time with family is truly a big enjoyment in the ordinary life.

     My mother’s homemade cookies are my favorite snack and those cookies also mean a lot to me. They remind me of my mom’s love and those time I spend with my beloved family.