Book Report 2

Title: The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, aged 13 3/4

Author: Sue Townsend

Publisher & Year: 도솔, 초판발행 1990. 2. 12.


Vocabularies -

1. consolation - the act of consoling; comfort; solace.

2. introspection - observation or examination of one's own mental and emotional state, mental processes, etc.; the act of looking within oneself.

3. slopping - to be unduly effusive or sentimental; gush (usually fol. by over).

4. malingerer - to pretend illness, esp. in order to shirk one's duty, avoid work, etc.

5. diabolical - having the qualities of a devil; devilish; fiendish; outrageously wicked

and many, many more.....


Summary:

Adrian Mole is a troubled adolecent. He is bullied at school, his parents don't care for him, has skin problems, has to take care of a bitter old man, his dog causes trouble, and is heartbroke. He even experiences being a one parent child, and at one point was so poor that his phone got cut off. However, aside from all these things he believes himself to be an intellectual. He would read as many books as he can to increase his knowledge, and frequently write poems to cultivate his sentimental abilities. Although this boy goes through rough times, most of the things turn out well in the end(his mother comes back to his father, his father gets a job, he succeeds in becoming lovers with Pandora, befriends Bert Baxter the grubby old guy, etc.).


Comment:

Unlike all the other books we were forced to read, this one was actually fun. This is probably because the speaker is around the same age as me, and of his problems are almost the same as mine. I nodded in agreement to almost everything he would list in diary and felt relieved when things turned out to be good at the end.
Out of all the happenings in this book, there were some parts that I expecially liked such as when he protested against the school for its dress code regarding socks, when his father and mother reunited, and when Bert Baxter got married. However, I have to say that my favorite scene of the whole book was when Adrian hang out with Pandora. Judging from the things he said, Pandora is the beauty queen of his school. Usually this kind of people do not hang out with geeks like Adrian, but somehow he got to strike up a relationship with her. This proved that Adrian is not a complete loser afterall, and might have encouraged every male-reader who thinks he's a nerd to not lose courage.

I heard that there are some sequels to this book. I'll give them a try when I have time(I don't know when that will be, or if it will even exist).

A Song

One Last Cry - Brian McKnight

My shattered dreams and broken heart
Are mending on the shelf
I saw you holding hands, standing close to someone else
Now I sit all alone wishing all my feeling was gone
I gave my best to you, nothing for me to do
But have one last cry

One last cry, before I leave it all behind
I've gotta put you outta my mind this time
Stop living a lie
I guess I'm down to my last cry

Cry......

I was here, you were there
Guess we never could agree
While the sun shines on you
I need some love to rain on me
Still I sit all alone, wishing all my feeling was gone
Gotta get over you, nothing for me to do
But have one last cry

One last cry, before I leave it all behind
I've gotta put you outta my mind this time
Stop living a lie
I know I gotta be strong
Cause round me life goes on and on and on
And on.....

I'm gonna dry my eyes
Right after I had my
One last cry
One last cry, before I leave it all behind
I've gotta put you outta my mind for the very last time
Been living a lie
I guess I'm down
I guess I'm down
I guess I'm down...
To my last cry...








What other time than now would these lyrics mean so much to me?

Prevent Global Warming

This is an essay about ways to stop/prevent global warming. Okay okay, I confess that the part about farting and it's effect in increasing the emission of CO2 is actually not valid information. I know for sure though that cow farts are leading contributers to global warming because they hold so much CO2, and decided that human farts can't be that different. If any one of you who views this essay happens to hold vast knowledge in science and can logically explain why my assumption is wrong, I will edit the part at once.


It is needless to point out global warming as a serious, world-threatening issue. Due to greenhouse gases emmited by humans over the past 50 years, global surface temperature has increased 0.74 ± 0.18 °C (1.33 ± 0.32 °F) during the last century. It is predicted that the temperature will continue to rise in the future, causing various phenomenons such as rise of sea levels, change in the amount of precipitation, expansion of sub tropical rainforests, and so on. All of these are certainly not things to welcome; we must conceive the significance of global warming and try our best to prevent it. In this essay I will introduce various efforts to prevent Global warming, both personal and national.

Some personal efforts to combat global warming can be exemplified as planting trees, using public transportation, and curtailing the comsumption of carbonated drinks. As for planting trees, the main cause of global warming is the world-wide emission of Carbon Dioxide, and it is clarified that trees convert CO2 into oxygen. Using public transportation means personal automobiles will be less used, ultimately resulting in the reduction of CO2 as well. Now for reducing the comsumption of fizzy drinks, it is proved through various researches done by scientists that human farts contain CO2. Drinking these drinks will cause humans to fart, and if many people do this simultaneously,.... well, you get the picture. Carbonated drinks may be tasty, but they are not helpful in preventing global warming.

There are also notable national efforts to stop global warming, and suitable examples would be the Kyoto Protocol and Geoengineering. The Kyoto Protocol is the world's primary international agreement on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and currently covers more than 160 countries and over 55 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. The treaty expires in 2012, and international talks have begun on a future treaty to succeed the current one. Geoengineering means changing the Earths environment on a large scale to suit human needs, such as "carbon dioxide air capture". Although no large scale geoengineering projects have been made yet, it is considered an innovative move to prevent global warming.

As you can see from above there are many ways to stop global warming from proceeding such as planting trees, the Kyoto Protocol, and even reducing the consumption of fizzy drinks. Humans must quickily realize that global warming is now a life threatening reality, and put efforts to implement the methods suggested at all costs.

Stunned

A random list of things which have nagged me since Monday:

Book report on 고대로 부터의 통신 due 6/10
Book report on "Republic" - Platon due 6/30
Book report on the Adrian Mole book (which I haven't even taken a glimpse at the cover yet) due 6/20
Make and hand in a squared shaped cusion complete with a fancy bear design sewn by hand
Presentation on "Why Men Don't Listen, Why Women Can't Read Maps"due 5/28
Vocabulary(really hard and really frustrating) test on 6/10
Big exam on "everything" 6/17
Prepare for geography presentation
Prepare for "Debate Club" audition(I don't even fully understand the topic yet) 5/30
Essay on Global Warming due next week
Field trip report due 6/12
Final Exams 7/1


AAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGRRRRRRRRRRHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAA

Chaos.

The single, simple word which pretty much describes everything this week.

Just after we got back from our school trip, after days of fun, laughs, and for once some freedom, we got hit on the back of our heads(literally, for some). It's as if the teachers were waiting for us to get our minds cleared, and when we did, filled them up with more junk. Do they possibly think we can somehow complete all these tasks on time? I can already imagine how this weekend would be like, and I hate every bit.

Hmm...

Hey, I just realized that this whole blog thing could be really fun. I desperately felt throughout this weekend that for once in my life I must organize all the complex, chaotic emotions gurling inside me, and none other than this blog would be so useful a tool to do that. Why hadn't I thought of this before? From now on, I vow to myself that no matter what happens, I will write freely on this blog at least once a week.

Hmm.. let's just start by telling what I did over the weekend. This weekend, first of all, I experienced excruciating emotional pain; never in my life had I felt anything like it. I did whatever I could do(including walking around Yeonje-gu without a specific destination in mind for 2 hours, wearing only a white shirt and shorts and sandles) to keep the incident out of my mind, but I guess it was useless because I'm still feeling dreadful. I really hope time will eventually cure for me.

Um,, what else did I do... oh right I gained access to the video of me singing which was shot by Mr.황(http://minihp.cyworld.com/22676483/355636753)...-_- Whoa, I'm viewing it again as I'm writing this and I really really really sound and look like a fool. I love singing, and people tell me that I'm good at it, but the problem is that whenever I get up on stage my voice cracks like popcorn. I'm gonna have to get over that soon, or I'm really gonna mess up our band's show on our school festival.

Another thing I did was to buy the sheet music for a song called 같이 걸을까(Walk with me) by 이적(Lee Juk). I was just randomly looking through things on Youtube when I found the video which used the song as the background. I fell in love with it the second my ears got hold of it, so I decided to give it a try on my new portable keyboard(the one you see me playing on the video above). I was surprised to find that it's actually easy, you just need to give some slight changes on the basic chords. I can imagine how well it would sound if combined with my cracking voice..lol

Let me see.. I went out to Seomyun with my family and ate dinner at a meat restaurant called Korea(고려). I practically devoured the food withought thinking so I don't know if it was good or not, although I remember hearing my mom say the meat's too tough. After that we went to the bookstore to fumble through some English books. I still haven't finished reading "Stupid White Men" that I bought at the same store about 2 months ago, but I bought another book anyhow. It's called "50 Great Short Stories". Hm, sounds just about as fun as having a tooth pulled out.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot. This weekend our former president Ro-Mu-Hyun commited suicide. I'm embarassed to say that I'm not into politics so I didn't feel anything special about it. But to my astonishment, my father cried like a baby! He even visited Bong Ha town to participate in the funeral(??). I knew that Ro graduated from the same highschool as my father, and is the only president in Korean history to have avoided criticism from him, but it was still sad to see a grown man break into tears.



Well, I guess that's about it. It feels really good to do writing like this, without concerning all the stupid things the school requires us, like keeping the proper structure, using good grammer, volcabulary, whatsoever. I feel as if I have found an escape route against the complex things going around me. Most of all, through this, at least some of the emotional pain I held has gone. For those of you who are dying to know what makes me suffer so much, I'm sorry to say that I can't reveal it at this point. Maybe, when I'm fully cured I'll post a writing containing all the details.

Book Report 1.

Title - Building Green


Author - 이찬승/황우연/안세정/구은영/김진홍/이종은


Publisher & Year - 능률교육, 2009. 3. 1.


Vocabularies -

1. Sustainable - Capable of being continued with minimal long-term effect on the environment

2. Architect - A person professionally engaged in the design of certain large constructions other than buildings and the like

3. Economical - Avoiding waste or extravagance; Thrifty

4. Supply - To furnish or provide (a person, establishment, place, etc.) with what is lacking or requisite

5. Convert - To change (something) into a different form or properties; Transmute; Transform

6. Generate - To bring into existence; Cause to be; Produce

7. Rooftop - The roof of a building, esp. The outer surface

8. Drainage -Aa system of drains, artificial or natural

9. Bamboo - Any of the woody or treelike tropical and semitropical grasses of the genera Bambusa, Phyllostachys, Dendrocalamus, and allied genera, having woody, usually hollow stems with stalked blades and flowering only after years of growth

10. Indeed - In fact; In reality; In truth; Truly (used for emphasis, to confirm and amplify a previous statement, to indicate a concession or admission, or, interrogatively, to obtain confirmation)

11. Currently - At the presenttime; Now

- Dictionary.com


Summary -
Due to the increasing interests towards sustainable development, a new style of buildings, called 'Green' buildings are becoming popular. These constructions are economical, safe for health, and environmentally friendly. A few examples of these buildings include Clackamas High School in Oregon, whch has big windows that reduce the need of electricity; the new research center at Oberin Colege in Ohio, which has solar cells on therook that convert sunlight into electricity; Calhoun Shool in New York City, which has an entire rooftop garden which keeps the temperature nice; the new library in Santa Monica, California, which was built with a special drainage system to collect rainwaer planned to be used in toilets and for watering the grass; Chicago Center for Green Technology, of which the ceiling tiles are made of newspaper; the Women's Cultual Center in New Mexico which is built with old tires packed with dirt.

Comment -
I'm glad to hear that the world is finally apprehending the significance of conserving the nature. It is everybody's obligation to protect the environment, and hopefully this book(?..) will affect many.



* The reason I put (..?) is because this is actually not a book. It's a short little passage from our "High School English Textbook".

Conserving World Heritage Sites/Providing Social Welfare

Here's what "seems" like a short little essay on a serious topic. Actually it doesn't even 'seem' like one because it's too short and illogical(especially the second body paragragh and the conclusion). Well my alibi here is that I wrote this right after I came back from our school's 4-day-trip, which means tonight's sleep will be my first one in 4 days. I know it doesn't exactly make sense but hopefully it will at least be comprehendable.


Debate 3: The limited governemtal budget should be spent on conserving the world heritage sites rather than providing social welfare service: providing food, shelters and part-time jobs for the homeless.

During an economical crisis like today, it is significant for the government to act wisely upon its people. In this aspect I strongly suggest the limited governmental budget be spent on conserving the country's heritage sites rather than providing social welfare. Effectiveness and pride are the two main reasons for this.
First, conserving heritage sites brings immediate growth in the country's tourist industry, thus contributing to economical welfare. On the other hand, helping the poor causes temporary improvements which only satisfy the poor themselves. Even if the supported try to make themselves worthy to the country, their efforts will become apparent in a period of time uncomparable to that of protecting heritage sites. It is thus clear that the former option is much more effective than the latter.
Second, conserving heritage sites gives the country pride; the sites act as the country's mental pillars, reminding the people how old and sacred their history is. However, helping the poor seldom draws the people's interests, and usually leaves little or no mental changes.
As shown above, taking care of heritage sites brings much more benefits than socially helping the poor. The government should straighten up apprehend what is right.



* I just figured out that indenting a paragraph is impossible. Don't blame me if it's too hard to read the words.