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. 

Short Takes - Getting Angry Can Be a Good Thing

1.      The writer uses a personal narrative to give the readers a more specific situation to relate her feelings. In paragraph 3, the writer generalizes that her outrage became kind of fuel which drives her straight to the civil rights movement and changes her life for good.

2.      In paragraph 1, the writer tells the readers that her opinion about outrage. From paragraph 2 to 3, she tells a life story that occurred when she was seventeen years old and its meaning and influence in her life. From paragraph 4 to 6, she shares some of her working experiences and feelings about this job. In the last paragraph, she examines the negative and positive aspects of outrage. 

3.      When I think of outrage, the first word appears in mind was furious. According to the online Cambridge Dictionaries, the definition of outrage is “a feeling of anger and shock” or “a shocking, morally unacceptable and usually violent action.”

4.      I think her points are very believable to me. Because she clearly describes how outrage change her as a person and her whole life.  

5.      I think the opening sentence is the essay’s thesis because the writer tells the readers that outrage sometimes can be turned into propellant as well as power to accomplish something.

Writing Assignment 1 (Final Version)

My Part-time Job Experience

     As many of my friends had a part-time job and shared their experiences with me, I thought maybe it would be a good opportunity to learn something new and make some pocket money at the same time. Fortunately, while I was think about it my cousin called me and asked if I want to be an English tutor in his cram school. I felt very lucky that I could have such a chance, so I accepted his offer immediately. Since then, I have worked as a tutor, teaching elementary school and junior high school students English for about one year. Also, I think that I have changed and learned a lot since I started to have a part-time job.

     First of all, I become much busier and I believe that this situation is many students who have a part-time job would encounter. As a result, time management is very important to me now, and I have to know how to use my time well.

     Before I had this part-time job, I tended to be lazy as well as passive to get everything done. For example, I used to do the assignment the last few days before the deadline. What is worse, I used to prepare the midterm and final exam in a very short time only because I did not manage my study time beforehand. In order to be a good student and a good tutor; therefore, I need to be well prepared to do everything I should do, including my studies and my job. Now I use my limited time well and my academic performance is improved, too.

     In fact, I was a quite impatient person who was always unwilling to do something unnecessary repeatedly. However, a good teacher or a responsible tutor should be patient as well as thoughtful to the students. Working as a tutor means you have to teach your students something they don’t know or confused until they can totally understand. This was truly a challenge to me, but I am more willing to explain a question to my students for several times now. Because when I see my students had great progress in English, I would feel very happy and proud of them. Knowing that I am being helpful to them also makes me feel satisfied with this job. I think it is all worth it and it is the greatest achievement of being a teacher, too.

     Another thing that I truly learned from this part-time job is the value of money. I once spent money improperly and bought something without serious consideration. Not until I started to work and make money did I realize that making money is not easy at all. Now I don’t want to spend my hard-earned money on something I don’t need it very much. For this reason, I cherish and feel gratitude for all I have today.

     Learning is a process of gaining knowledge, skills and values which can take place in and out of the classroom. In addition, we can learn from our friends, daily life and personal experiences. This part-time job has brought many experiences which I may not learn from any classes. I think that I have learned some knowledge as well as values from my part-time job and it also has changed me into a better person.

Short Takes - I Was a Member of the Kung Fu Crew

1.     From paragraph 1 to paragraph 8 are about the writer’s memories and experience of his early life in Chinatown. From paragraph 9 to 13 are about the recent life of the writer’s.

2.     The first category is pale-faced nerds who study all the time to get into the Ivies. Another category is the recent immigrants with uncombed hair and crooked teeth who sing karaoke in bars. The third category is the punks with high-lighted hair who cut school, and the gangsters, whom everyone else avoids. Then there is the K.F.C. They work hard like the nerds, but they identify with the punks.

3.     He wants to point out the life experience which he and the young people had in Chinatown before.

4.     I think this community cherishes everyone and everything they know or share together.

5.     Lau’s thesis is a little implicit at the beginning but it becomes very clear at the end of his essay.

Although Chinatown is ghetto, it is the home Lau used to be and his world.