Thursday, April 19, 2007

Articles for The Pearson Buzz (REVISIONS)

Please post your revised and final versions for The Pearson Buzz at this post.
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12 comments:

Michelle said...

Learning from Mice — Giving Myself More Confidence

Mice often scare me. I usually run away while screaming when I see a mouse. I even shout aloud and stamp heavily to avoid to seeing mice.

I scare mice too. Mice will run away as fast as they can when I am approaching them. Mice never dare to stay around me.

When I meet mice, the scene should be: mice and I run away with panic in opposite direction right away. Actually, we are scared by each other.

However, mice will never know they scare me, and they never understand that my yelling means that I am scared. Imagine if there is one day, mice know I am scared by them. Then, what would happen? They probably would run after me.

Sometimes I am a “mouse”. When I meet opponents in my life, I usually give up before the start of competition, because I don’t have enough confidence to beat them. However, learning from mice, I know that maybe the opponents think I am a threat to them too.

But, the most important thing is that I should make sure that the one I meet is a “mouse” not a “tiger”, or I will definitely “die”!
—197words

April 21, 2007 at 5:16 PM
Valentina said...

Just for Fun
A Tricky Expression

The English language has a lot of pretty expressions with mysterious backgrounds. Some of them even appear to be out of the ordinary.

During a long period of time the expression “OK” was always a puzzle for me. I have never known how this frequently usable expression came to be. Recently, I found out that some linguists supposed that it was the initials of two words. But which ones?

A professor of the English language was inclined to an idea that they were the initials of name, Orrin Kendall, – producer of biscuits, supplied to the soldiers during the civil war in the U.S.A. Then he found “OK” in some newspapers issued before the war. In one of them it was the abbreviation from “Oll Korrect” where the words were written incorrectly. Several scientists doubt these theories, and they think that the origin of “OK” comes from the Indian word “Okeh”, used as the affirmative reply.

Such exciting discovery inspires me to search for other tricky expressions which I meet in English language.

172 words

April 21, 2007 at 8:12 PM
Tatyana said...

Vancouver and Submarines for Russia

I am more than sure that very few denizens of Vancouver know the following. During the First World War (1914) submarines for Russia have been assembled in Vancouver. It was an extremely secret project. The territory under construction was huge, protected by wires and patrolled. On that site about four hundred and sixty men were working continuously twenty four hours a day. It was a construction of five submarines for Russia.
The very famous master James Paterson formed “British Pacific Construction and Engineering Company” renting two hundred and fifty meters of water front property at Barnet. The Canadian government was not informed of the plans. The contract called for the construction of five steel hulls.
The American Electric Boat Company delivered by rail to Barnet all necessary materials. The submarines were forty six meters long and five meters wide, with three hundred horsepower electric motors. By March 1916 all five hulls and engine parts had been constructed, knocked down and shipped in crates to Vladivostok city (Russia), and the site at Barnet was dismantled.
179 words

April 22, 2007 at 10:56 PM
Jie said...

The Mistake

That new comers make linguistic mistakes abroad is not surprised. I have never forgotten the mistake made by the time when I first came to Canada.

On the second day after I arrived here, I received a phone call just as my husband was out of home. I was so reluctant to get it when the phone ringing since I knew how poor my English was. After friendly greeting,the caller, my husband's boss, said, "Can leave a message for Rui?" "NO, No, you can't because my telephone's answering machine doesn't work now," I hastened to explain. Laughing was at the other side. I realized that I got the a mistake, so shame flushed my face. As far as I had comprehended the meaning of "leave a message" that only means to record a message on the answering machine.

The mistake disappeared in a twinkling of an eye, but the memory of it has been imprinted forever on my mind.

( 166 words )

April 23, 2007 at 11:50 PM
Phoebe said...

A Long Wait for Blooms

“ If you want to make friends, you had better have time and money, ” said my new girl friend. “Damn it! Neither of them I have.” I talked to myself. Two young children prevent me, a single parent, from social contacts with people. I did meet some housewives, and usually they are very rich. My limited budget cannot afford the luxurious life style as they have. Suddenly, I realized what caused my depression in the first year in Canada, but it only took me five seconds to regret.

I thought about how many intimate friends I left in my hometown—in fact quiet a few, yet it took me more than thirty years. How could I expect to make the same result in one year? It is a mission impossible. Lowering my expectation, I learn to cherish every moment of sharing with acquaintances, and give a hand to them whenever they need it. Since my deficiency of time and money is obvious, I don’t need to worry about fair-weather friends. Also the opportunity of making an intimate friend goes up. Friendship grows slowly, but it would thrive one day.
190 words

April 24, 2007 at 7:29 PM
Lien said...

I feel frustrated shopping at the grocery stores because some people can be so ignorant and unconsidered of leaving their shopping carts.
Do they think they are the only customers in the stores? There are many people whom carts need to be yeilded the spaces to get through.
Some abandone their shopping carts in the middle or the aisles that block others's passing ways.
Sometime, some families stand with the carts in middle the aisles to chat and discuss. Some bend down or search for stuff unconciously without noticing other people approacing from behind or in front, and let people wait and wait until for he or she to aware. Look back, I see another cart comes. I feel like being in the traffic jam. Sometime,I try to swing around them
While pushing the carts half way, they they realize that they have forgotten something, and then abandone their carts again to run back.
They can shop around as long as they need, but should leave the carts aside or at the corner.

How thoughless they are. Shopping foods isn't a fun errand for me, and when I see some unconsidered shoppers, then it make my shopping day even more unpleasant.

April 24, 2007 at 10:03 PM
Jenny said...

My Desire to Drive

I had longed to drive a car since I came to Canada. Although I got a driver’s license in China, I never had the chance to use it. My husband chauffeured me around if we needed to go out.
“When will I get the chance to drive?” I asked my husband.
“Not until I buy a tank for you,” he replied.
As a back seat driver, I desired to touch the steering wheel and felt the controlling of the car. On the other hand, I shared my husband’s driving frestrations day-in and day-out. Some drivers use the magic turning light, often indicating the wrong direction. Some will turn across the double line, and others will cut into your lane without a signal. The worst drivers shoot out from a stop sign or their parking spots without looking, then they give you the finger as a sign of defiance. After having seen so many of the unpredictable drivers, I decided to give up the desire to drive.

April 24, 2007 at 10:57 PM
Ruth said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
April 25, 2007 at 12:48 AM
Ruth said...

Music We Like
The Hollywood Bowl

Located in the north Los Angeles in California, the Hollywood Bowl not only attracts the music professionals with the classical music, but also entertains the music amateurs with jazz and popular music.

Instead of paying $100 for a box, I only spent $3 to get a seat with my friends. Sitting in Hollywood Bowl and watching the stars to wait for so-called "Symphonies under the twinkling stars" in the summer night, I was relaxed and carefree. At eight o'clock, the music started with Schumann's Spring Symphony by the American National Orchestra. In a flash, the whole Hollywood Bowl was submerged into the music flow. Unconsciously all tension, tiredness and unhappiness vanished into thin air.
That was a perfect combination between conspicuous performance and eminent composition. I was soaking it until my soul was completely purified.

I didn't know how long had passed, waking up from the "trance" with ceased music, I stepped out of the Hollywood Bowl with a pure soul. The Hollywood Bowl is a green field in the big desert and good choice for music enthusiasts from the end of June to the middle of September during every summer.

-197 words

April 25, 2007 at 12:53 AM
tien said...

The First Scenic Adventure

My first scenic adventure was the picturesque North Cascades, Washington State. At that time, both my daughter and I were merely new drivers.


We took Hwy 2 at Everett and drove through the lush forest. Soon after, the road climbed up steeply straight to the Steven Pass.Then, we stayed over night at Bavarian Village,Leavenworth.

The next morning, we drove to Wenatchee, the"Apple Capitol of the World". Then, we visited its enchanting Ohme Garden. It is an Alpine-style gardens which build on a rocky bluff overlooking the Wenatchee Valley.

When we looked at the VAlley, there were a numerous of growing apples hanging in the thick clusters. Later,we learned about the fact, and then we were amazed by the state's 4500 Washington apple growers who produce more than seven billion apples annually. That is close to half of all the fresh apples grown in the U.S.

Driving toward the North Cascades, it was tranquil everywhere, freedom, peace, and hope were all theirs.We then passed the familiar Dole can fruit plantation. An hour later,we saw Lake Chelan.Surprisingly, it is the deepest lake on Earth. Its water has a dramatic dark blue colour which thrusts nearly 60 miles into the heart of the Cascades. Adding in its meyestic snowcapped mountains' surroundings, we were awed by the splendour.

My first trip was not only a great pleasure but has also become a passion and confidence to me, for I've taken many more fascinating scenic adventure afterwards.

-238 words

April 26, 2007 at 3:14 AM
Brad said...

An article from Emilia:

ABOUT KITSCH


In German where it comes from, Kitsch means cheap, bad taste,
kvulgarity or even garbage. Kitsch frequently is an imitation or something that tries to improve the natural. We can see this fakeness in our everyday life: plastic flowers, fake fingernails, kitsch dolls or enormous breasts.
Created out of plastic, nylon or recently polymer ribbon, the artificial flowers try so hard to mirror the natural that winds up like Alice Through the Looking Glass, on the wrong side.
The fake fingernails for kids are not only a cheap appearance and a preposterous caricature of femininity but also a good way to destroy our children’s nails… the irony is that we pay for that.
An extravagant kitsch is the teenage doll, Barbie. With her eyes
in a sexy glance, with her fancy hairstyle and a perpetually pubescent design, some Barbie dolls are the most fascinating aspect of bad taste.
After all, good taste is what is appropriate, so what is natural, and delicate simply is not boring or too polite. It’s just GOOD .

April 27, 2007 at 3:19 PM
RyanK said...

Expensive Retail

A few weeks ago, I needed a blank disc to record some music onto at around close to midnight. At that time of evening your choices are limited to what sells writable media or what is even open. So I pick London Drugs because it's right in front of me and I know they have a computer section. To my shock I didn't see a single discount writable disc anywhere, but I picked the cheapest one at $1.79 and proceeded to the counter to pay.

I expected it to cost around two dollars with tax but then why was it almost three? I had to ask the lady at the counter "Excuse me, my Compact Disc isn't that much, it's the cheap one I took from the isle." Somehow I knew there was no mistake but said this anyway to the clerk becaus then she can explain the situation to me. "Oh no", she said. "It's nearly three dollars because there's a copyright tax involved when you purcahse blank media." I politely said nevermind to the lady and left. Knowing that I can goto wholesale and pickup a spindle of fifty blank media the next day for $9.99

June 20, 2007 at 9:45 AM

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