What I Like About This Class

  In last journal, I've shared my shallow minds for what  I disagree about English class. On the other hand, English class has lots of treasure which needs us to discover, such as Greek or Latin roots. First of all, I have to declare that I don't really like tests, because I'm not acute or smart enough, I just like the way the teacher does. He makes us practicing roots by quizzes; if he didn't test us, I don't think I would hardworking initiate and learn roots for improving vocabularies. I might sit in front of television whole day just for entertainment. ( just kidding ! ) Although it was sort of exhausted for memorizing roots and having a quiz per week, it was worth for us to increase our skill and knowledge. The most important thing that I love English class was the energy of the teacher. He was always vigorous for teaching and being humorous for joking. It often makes me feel comfortable and lusty to learn. I also feel kind of enjoyable for circulate and fresh air with beautiful scenery, which makes my mood serenely and relaxes my eyes. Furthermore, the sound of the teacher was sonorous and clear, which makes us won't fall asleep in class. Unlike some classes, the sound of the teacher just like hypnosis, which always makes me have a good dream. Therefore, it is value for us to have such an entertaining English class which requires diligence.   

What I Don't Like About This Class

   I've just transported to PAS for about two months. Fortunately, I gradually adapt to the new environment, and glad to have such lovely and thoughtful friends. But, I kind of don't like some "customs" in English class, I just want to share my shallow mind.
    During English class, the teacher is interested as humorous. He always makes us feel relaxed in the class, and gives us a great mood for concentrating ; yet, I don't wish this great mood carries on while we're having a test. I'm not an intelligent student who concentrates attention wonderfully. I've always been distracted easily from thinking. When I am trying to figure out how to write an essay question. I need great concentration for thinking, thinking for correct answer or thinking for creative. I don't have gigantic amounts of vocabulary and quickly writing --- it  even makes me more fretful and slower. I'm not as smart as my classmates who could always write fastly and score high grades. Another reason that makes me kind of disagreeable is having complicated form for homework assignments. Although the teacher explains really, really detailed and explicit, we students still sometimes stick at few points. I'm not smart enough to understand thoroughly, luckily, thanks to the teacher, I'm now more accustom on your complex form ~
    In fact, I don't really have many aversions to the way of teacher doing things. At least, the teacher still asks our opinions for improving !       

Frietchie v. Jackson

  According to the poem, we could determine that both Barbara Frietchie and Stonewall Jackson were doing the right thing.Babara Frietchie was willing to contribute herself by risking her life to get the flag of oppenents. Stonewall Jackson was intelligent enough to identify the right and brave that an old woman would venture for her country, so he decided to order his troop not to injure her.
  The story is admitted by all that Barbara Frietchie was no myth, but a worthy and highly esteemed gentlewoman, intensely loyal and a hater of the Slavery Rebellion, holding her Union flag sacred and keeping it with her Bible; that when the Confederates halted before her house, and entered her dooryard, she denounced them in vigorous language, shook her cane in their faces, and drove them out; and when General Burnside's troops followed close upon Jackson's, she waved her flag and cheered them. Stonewall Jackson, another hero character, did a right thing.While their army was marching through the town, he heard the words which Barbara Frietchie said. He felt guilty and humiliate about it. Then, he commanded the soldiers not to touch the old lady, because he knew that she was protecting her own country, even sacrificed herself. From the action he did, we could see that he respect his enemy. 

Do the Right Thing

  One definition of a hero is a person who does the right thing even through he or she might have to act along. I think that both Harriet Tubman and Barbara Frietchie are heroes.  
  Hariet Tubman risked her life in order to free them from slavery, even through she could enjoy her freedom. Because she knew how suffer was a slave, she was so thoughtful that she wanted to help others. Barbara Frietchie ventured her life to wave the flag of Union in front of her enemies. Her action made us knew how supportable she was to her country. That was a courage deed which I couldn't image. In addition, Stonewall Jackson was also a hero. He stopped his army from shooting and injuring the old lady. Because he knew that she was doing the right thing, dared to contribute herself for her country. Stonewall Jackson was wise enough to judge right and wrong.
  Another heroine that I admired,Mother Teresa,devoted herself. She used her power of love from God to help those in desperate need. Mother Teresa didn't get paid for anything she did nor would she except money from organizations or donations. It was not like Mother Teresa had an overwhelming amount of money but she was simply a person who devoted her entire life to serving others and helping those in need.She was doing the right thing. Once, I had done the right thing about being sincere to friends. Although I might be betrayed, I still believe them. I believe that " A friend in need is a friend in deed ",  I will truly support them to pass the difficult point.  
 

Standing up for Your Beliefs

  Through the centuries, there are lots of people who contend and strive for their beliefs. They parade to support their faith, pray devoutly for their creed, or even fight to perseverve their beliefs. Mother Teresa, the Roman Catholic nun, cherished and took good care of every people selflessly. 
  She established hospices and homes for people who are dying and orphans who are helpless, caring them attentively and prayed to their own god to concern them. Unlike someone, she did not preach religion to them. She even refused to get paid for anything nor would she except money from organizations or donations. Once, she had faced a diverse range of criticism, her belief in the spiritual goodness of poverty was doubted by others, she still stood up for beliefs. Mother Teresa practiced and taught payer, faith, love and peace. She also taught that observing silence and reflecting will solve problems for people, because our mind is quiet enough for thinking.
  Although Mother Teresa didn't have a great amount of money, she devoted her entire life to help others indeed and in need by noble spirit which supported her to stand up her beliefs.

Cinderella Story

    I don't exactly recognize people who had experienced a hard time when they began learning skills, and eventually succeed their life. In general, lots of hardworking great - people are " Cinderellas ".
    Thomas Alva. Edison, one of the greatest scientist and inventor, had been discriminated against his teachers while he was young. He was even been classified as idiot, because he always asked persistent questions. Edison was quoted as saying, " Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration " His life prove this sentence. During his life, he patented 1093 inventions ; the most famous was an incandescent light bulb.Thanks to his efforts, the whole world was lit by electricity.    
     On the surface, success and failure are entirely different things. However, there is only a fine line between them, and that fine line is our attitude. That is, if we oversimplify the cause and effect, success and failure are poles apart. If we keep them in perspective, they are two sides of the same coin. Success is never a single event. Each failure has a say in the final stage of success. In a word, each failure helps come closer to the success we pursuing.

Hero Biography

    Through the centuries, there are tons of heroes and heroines. Some of them are public, some of them are backstage. Part of them are actual, part of them are unreal. (such as the character in The Return of the Condor Heroes )
    However, I still need to share a biography of a heroine, who was intelligent, brave, and sober at the critical moment --- Joan of Arc. She was a peasant girl born in eastern France who claimed the guidance of God. She led the France army as a director and regained lots of territories to several important victories. Once, she withstood a blow from a stone cannonball to her helmet as she climbed a scaling ladder, but she didn't shrink . Her courage had been impressed with performance. Unfortunately, once, when she ordered a retreat, she assumed the place of honor as the last to leave the field, but the city was afraid of the enemies, they didn't wait for everyone then close the city gate.  So Joan has been captured by the Burgundians . Opening a trial anyway, the court also violated ecclesiastical laws in denying her right to a legal adviser. She signed an abjuration document with illiterate. Later, she was trapped at the stake and prepared for burn.While the fire was burning, she prayed constantly with holding a crucifix in front of her. Then, the suffer went over. Twenty-five years after the execution, other people examined the trial pronounced her innocent and declared her a martyr.     

What is a hero?

    A hero is a person who has great courage and bravery, or willing to help and sacrifice for others without any interest. Being a hero, I think that the most important quality is contribution. No matter how brave or coward a person is, we just have to learn the ability of contribution, it then won't be in vain to our lives.
    Through the history, we could discover hundreds of thousands of people who glittered their lives. Florence Nightingale, the kindhearted heroine in my heart, made most of people admired. Although she was a nobility, she persisted in working as a nurse (a job which was a low level at her era ) after she heard the decree of God. she laid the foundation of professional nursing with the establishment and cared for the soldiers by overworking during the Crimean War. Nightingale also promoted and improved general woman by having more respect and jobs.
    One of the beautiful compensations of this life is that no one can sincerely try to help another without helping itself. To be a hero, we exactly require this quality and great courage and bravery for shining our lives.

Leaving Everything Behind

    Once, tons of people compelled to work for the emperors ; once, they left everything behind just for commands --- Shi Huang - ti, the most famous tyrant in china's history , concentrated all of the power on himself.
    He created lost of criminal law, concluded some boring laws, such as entrance guard for eleven o'clock, if someone violated, they must severed their noses. ( because he was scared of someone was planning to usurp the throne )  Shi Huang - ti also burned thousands of books, in order to make his citizens lack of knowledge, so they won't criticize his mistakes. ( How  creative he is ! ) 
    Otherwise, the most significant and cruel command was that he made thousands of hundreds of citizens to build the Great Wall. The main reason was to defend the Huns in the north, but he never thinked of how ruthless he did done to his citizens. Chinese peasants were forced to leave their farms to the actual work of building the Great Wall with no payment to provide for their families. Chinese soldiers were also forced to leave their barracks to move the brickbats for the Great Wall. All of them have never seen seen their family again after they began to work. Some of them died by too weary, and some of them died strangely with no skeletons. 
   Under the oppressions, the workers have no choices. They would like to have democracy, but it seemed too far to them. Nowadays, I'm pretty glad to enjoy democracy of Taiwan.

The Promised Land

   Freedom is worth to treasure. Except violate the laws, nowadays, we could could enjoy things what are legal with no restraint --- this is kind of freedom. Thousand years of histories, people had social classes in order to discriminate respect. Higher classes such as kings, pharaohs, and priests, they could direct others as worse than pigs or dogs ; on the other hand, lower classes such as slaves have no freedom, even self - respect. Decreed by fate, it depends on your backgrounds. 
    Harriet Tubman and Moses were both indeed saviours to the slaves. They are kindhearted and having thoughtful thinking to others. Although, they could enjoy the freedom which they made a great effort to gain, they still make plans for saving Hebrews and slaves. Moses accepted the task of helping the Hebrews to enter " the promised land " which the god guided, he vantured through crossing the Red Sea, got risk of the armies which pharaoh dispatched to battle, But, unfortunately, he failed while he was almost reached the land. On the contrany, Harriet Tubman spent almost all of her intelligence, risked her lives and the future of slaves again and again. Fortunately, she entered her promised land, Canada.    
     Anyhow, although some of the libertors failed, they indeed attempt a great job for a model. We could discover definitely --- pursue the desire till your life ends.   

Why Risk Your Life?

    More than one person has lost his mind searching for the meaning of life. It's not easy to find. Most people lose their wide- eyed amazement for the world. Life is import because there's only once. I believe the only meaning of life is what you choose to give it --- Harriet Tubman, chose to risk her life for saving the slaves.  
    Harriet Tubman is brave and bright . She could plan escape at only a faint of hope for the purpose of rescuing other slaves. Because she knew how suffer was being a slave, she treasured her life by risking it to devote for others. Her spirit of contribution wasn't everyone could reach it. She didn't enjoy her freedom, rather thought for her families, and other slaves ( even she didn't know them well ) how they could escape. She had already known if the police arrested her - torture cruelly or so far as to die. Even though, she still make a great effort to help others. Facing to the death, she advanced bravely as before. 

    Why risked her life ? Because she understood that the worth of her life was contribution. She's kind of a model for everyone. Even if her life was at the end, she had discovered the meaning of life, such as a candle, flames up herself, shines bright and warm to others.  
  

For the Sake of Freedom

     Over the centuries, people all over the world had endured all kinds of suffering for the sake of freedom. Whether the Jewish, Africans, or Asian people, they had been discriminated against the color of skins and social classes, so they have to be slaves in order to satisfy societies.
    It was pretty unfair for the slaves to obedient to the system of slavery. They have to work hours and hours with no payment and poor, despiteful treatment. Some of them have already forgotten human rights, cowardly scared to their master, even everyone in the community, because they have already having no idea to believe people. They have given up their self-respect, so they chose to have faith of only themselves. Being slaves, some of them are desperate to their lives, but some of them have a faint of desire--they are planning escape. Thanks to Lincoln, through his great effort, the Civil War has an ending of slavery --- Slaves didn't have to plan escaping to Canada or other hidden places.
     However, no matter which color of people or social class you are, the worth of a person is equitable and just.

What happens ?

  After a moment of their tea party, Billy started feeling thirsty, became parching, and then extremely scorching, such as he couldn't live if there's no a droplet of water. He could not but drank all of the tea though it was little bitter. He then felt so comfortable that he falling asleep ... ...
  In a daze, he saw that the landlady wearing a suit of white dress, light as a feather, she jumped up to the edge of the roof, such as she knew Free Running ! Her gauze coattail was swinging while breezing, but Billy changed his mind that she was beautiful when he looked up her face  --- fulled of wrinkles with dim and dark. She sighed with regret :  " How come the time was transient ? How come my beauty had disappeared ? " She then floated down the roof and muttered something to herself : " Once, here was a valley which trees and flowers were lush, but now, everyone was died, I have just came back from the gate of hell, I was so lonely. " She then muttered after another sigh : " I loved my husband so much, but he betrayed me, he had another sweetheart, and wanted to kill me in order to marry her.''  She then turned to a shrill voice : " From now on, I was going to wrest all of the cute and handsome gentlemen who passed my house ! " Afterwards, she laughed loudly and wickedly. In the instant, Billy was wet with cold sweat, he found that he wasn't in a scary dream, he was in the truth ! Now, he felt aching and limp with fright, and he had no power to escape the evil house ! In the meanwhile, the landlady floated in front of him with a sweet smile : " My dear, just a moment, and and then all of the suffering was gonna to vanish, concluded your skill of being a human, you were going to have a forever peace and ......silence ! "
  Billy could feel that he was bleeding with painful, but after a moment, he was confused that he was almost numb --- he wasn't hurt ! Actually, he even paralyzed at his heartbeat, there wasn't a heart ! He changed lots of mind, but finally stuck at a point, he was stuffed. He was screaming but there wasn't a sound, Billy was disappeared, there's only a pet replaced him, and an unknown, paltry pet ! " Being a silent pet, and enjoyed your forever life with peace is wonderful, right, Mr. ah ... Weaver ?