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.