blog assinment 7

The essay’s name I chose is “Going Nuclear”.
In this essay, writer’s claim nuclear plants would become a sound choice to generate energy instead of coal, oil, and natural gas plants. There are several aspects that writer mentions in his essay.
The first aspect is cost of constructing a nuclear plant is no long extremely expensive but affordable due to improvement of technology, policies, and competition in international market.
The second aspect is a sound cost effectiveness of generating energy by nuclear power. One reason is because of the property of uranium which includes easiness of transportation, high energy yielding, and less electricity cost. By proving his words, writers uses several data as evidence, such as “oil cost 2.21, 7.51 and 8.01 c/kWh”.
The third aspect is nuclear plants can help local government to decrease the unemployment rate. Constructing a nuclear plant is a huge project which requires a large amount of people to participate, which suggest it provide tremendous jobs for those people who do not have works to do. By explaining this benefit more vividly, writer gives a specific example to give a general idea to audience that how much advantages local people are able to take of the nuclear plants.
The forth aspect is nuclear plants are very environmentally friendly compared with oil, coal, and nature gas. Carbon dioxide is the main reason why our earth is becoming warmer and warmer, which partially derived from heating the oil, coal, and nature gas. However, when choosing nuclear power, the emission of carbon dioxide will decreased dramatically, which contributes to improve the environment. By proving this point, huge data of amount of carbon dioxide emission are used by writer.
Furthermore, writer has also mentions some default that nuclear plants have, such as radioactive waste, nuclear plants leakage, supply of uranium and world proliferation. Writer also gives information that how to solve those problems, including a safe place to store radioactive waste in Yucca Mountain, learning the reason why leakage could occur and how to avoid, 270 years of uranium supply, and introducing IAEA, UN, NPT to solve the nuclear proliferation.
From my point of view, this essay is relatively persuasive. Writer lists the advantages of nuclear plants, default, and the way to solve them, which are rather objective. Especially, a lot of data have been used to explain the efficiency of nuclear power and the benefit it can contribute to improvement of environment. However, I think some of this essay is still not persuasive. Especially, the beginning of the essay, the writer arouse some questions such as “what would the word be like today if David Faraday and James Maxwell had never discovered and worked with the properties of electromagnetism”. In this question, I think it is not persuasive; if they do not find out the properties of electromagnetism, I think there would be someone else find out. Therefore, it is not a very convinced example. Namely, it is not very persuasive.

Assignment 6

The article that I choose to read is the first essay, namely, “Radical But Right” by Sarah Wells.
The example of a paraphrase I choose is in her third paragraph. The paraphrase sentence is “A spectacular account of elephants’ compassion is resorted by the News 24 website, which describes a small herd of elephants deliberately setting free a group of captured antelope(“Elephant,”，2003，para.1)”. In this paragraph, writer wants to emphasize the fact that animal also has strong emotion. I　suppose writer paraphrases this sentence instead of quotation is because she is more likely to agree with this content which is able to support her topic sentence. In this way, the readers not only have a general idea about why she thinks animal has their emotional depth, but also it is also very specific.
The example of a quotation I choose is in her fifth paragraph, which is “Dogs are bred to be eaten (Jeffries, 2004, para.10)”. In this paragraph, writer wants to let readers know what kind of situation that animals are treated in the restaurant. And by using this quotation, it will make writer’s words clear: animals have been treating badly.
By comparing with paraphrasing, the information that writer gives by using quotation is more specific than this of paraphrasing. It is a narrow segment of the original sources and picked up deliberately by writer to support her own idea.
Overall, it is clear that function of both paraphrase and quotation is to support writer’s idea. Those quotation and paraphrase will make writer’s idea more convincing. Also, doing research is also a way to widen own perspective towards essay’s topic. A process of research will enhance our understanding of the topic. Namely, the more we read, the more information derived from our topic will come out, contributing our easy to become “a paper written to reflect a search that will present information to support a point of view on a particular topic", saying by P. Berge and C. L. Saffioti, Basic College Research (Neal-Schuman, New York, 1987).

Assignment 5

The fact of some historical events would not change if considering things is in an objective way, although some historical events may be described in different ways, appreciative terms, derogatory terms, and neutral terms. For example, in a war, winners are always likely to prove their legitimacy, eulogize and even exaggerate the victories; words in winners’ history textbook would be appreciative terms, such as ‘great’, ‘milestone’ and so on. On the contrary, it is not hard to imagine what kind of words would be used to describe ashamed failure in losers’ history; words could be filled with fury, complaint, regret, and criticism.

In 1949, Chiang Kai-shek were defeated by the communist party and left for Taiwan. It is a ‘liberation war’ called by communist party. It is also ‘a fall to enemy occupation’ called by Chiang Kai-shek. Although I have not read the taiwan’s history textbook, I can estimate what kind of content would be there. They may write multitudinous mistakes made on tactics and strategies which were avoidable brought to lose, leading mainland of China to be captured by robber, Mao Zedong. Also, they may give a promise that there would be one day that they will come back to mainland of China and help those people who are under a terrifying regime to have a real life, with criticizing, regretting, and furious words, and those words would never be added to mainland of China’s history textbook. What the content in mainland of china’s history textbook is, the communist party tells the youth generation, it is communist party that won the liberation of war, liberating the country and giving people a new life. Eliminate those biased and emotional words; the fact is simple and clear: Chiang Kai-shek lost a war, and the communist party won.

This is a world governed by the law of the jungle .Only the fittest survives. Therefore, it is a privilege but also a right for the winners to write the history as they like. However, the truth of history is underlying, but is able to find out as long as try to be objective and consider both side, the winners and the losers.

Assignment 4

There are many difficulties of studying in America. This is why a distressed tone is undergoing Liu’s article, especially when he decided to move out an American family and live with Chinese. He was at lost and depressed. His decision of moving out is understandable because of facing a culture shock and lacking rich vocabulary to express his emotional feelings. Staying with people who use the same language would be a way to alleviate the feelings of loneness and home-sickness to some extent. Even when the people he stayed with were strangers towards him, he would feel warm and safe, because, they are using same language, thinking in a same way, and belongs to a same culture.

Based on my experience of three weeks staying in America, I have somewhat similar feelings to Liu, although the situation is better than him. Every time a conversation that people speak in English would become an English listening test for me, I need to try my best to focus those sentences, but I can still only understand fifty or sixty percent of their meanings, which make me feel like having surdomutism. Moreover, things would become worse if those words were given by my professors on a lecture. For example, my American classmates consider my chemistry teacher is the great person, not only explaining the chemistry world but also sharing personal story to inspire them. However, when my classmates are laughing, I usually don’t understand why they are laughing, because I think the story is not sort of funny. Even one of Chinese students in that class sent him an E-mail to him, indicating his voice is not loud enough to hear clearly which I totally agree with him. But professor replied this email, saying this is the first time that student said his voice is not resounding.

Overall, life, indeed, would not be easy for a person to study in a place where he or she has never been before, and difficulties are so common. Nevertheless, from my point of view, those difficulties itself are part of things we need to study, to overcome. Culture shock, actually, is an acceleration to make us grow up, and become more mature.

Part 2
sarcasm
a way of speaking or writing that involves saying the opposite of what you really mean in order to make an unkind joke or to show that you are annoyed
whatsoever
used to emphasize a negative statement=whatever
saturate
to put a lot of something into a particular place, especially so taht you could not add any more

Assignment 3

Learning other countries’ nonverbal communication would not only be assistance for communicating, but also is a way to appreciate a diverse culture. During almost three weeks staying at United States, I have noticed some differences and similarities between China and America.

Gestures, based on my experience, are often used by Westerns. I still can remember, a same English word, dinosaur, the foreigner teacher disguised himself as a Wyvern, and tried hard to extend his neck, hoping us could remember one of important figures that a Wyvern has. Nevertheless, our Chinese English teacher only took some pictures and described its characteristic by speaking.

Moreover, ways of eye contact has a significant inverse meaning between the two countries. Chinese do not often directly look at others’ eyes when talking with them, because that would be considered rude and lack culture. However, in America, too little eye contact would be thought unfriendly by the person you communicate with, because eye contact is the way to respect him or her and show your participation in this conversation.

There are also some similarities in USA and China. For example, when people have no idea how to solve problems, they will shrug their shoulders. Also, “thumb up” has a same meaning, good job, in both China and America. And body space, both of Chinese and Americans keep some kind of distance from strangers, and would be closer to their friends.

Under different cultures’ background, it is understandable that people has a various nonverbal communication. Chinese culture emphasizes that people should be modest and have a collective spirit, so overdoing gestures are not welcomed. However, America is a country promotes personal values, there is no underlying culture or social rules to restrict the way of showing self point of view.
Overall, from my point of view, a country’s nonverbal communication is somewhat based on the country’s culture. So it is rather important to master the meaning of those gestures. Following the customs will help foreigners to communicate with local people.

Assignment 2 optional 2

Chinese are not likely to show their personal feelings, especially negative feelings, too much in public. The major reason I suppose is related to traditional Chinese culture, which is our emotion is influenced by others’ point of view and specific situation. For example, even when feeling outstanding on something, I’m always told by parents and teachers,” try not to let face light up with pleasure and be modest”, because it may bring pressure to others. That’s why when I wanted to consult a top-student in my class on a few math problems in high school, he told me he have to try and cannot guarantee he can make it, although those problems which I have already analyzed most one hour were solved perfectly by him in the following few minutes.
And then, it is easily to understand that Chinese also tend to hide their negative emotions, they do not want to let other people to worry about him or her. Take mine experience for an instance, when I used to fall from the second fall to the ground, I haven’t even talked this to my parents. Because it didn’t hurt me a lot, but I thought if I told my parents, they would become very worried, and I made them have a negative feelings.

Chinese used not to be allowed show affection in public by holding hands, let alone kiss. Hug is permitted, but it is a way to show friendship instead of affection. Nevertheless, being exposed to the influence and exchanges of a wide variety of Western thoughts, youth’s Chinese generation has begun to show affection in public.

Overall, Chinese tend to hide their emotions no matter they are positive or negative, but this situation is changing due to outside affections especially Western thoughts.

Part 2

Undeniably, language has a major influence on people’s life. In “Mother Tougue”, according to several anecdotes concerning Amy Tan’s mother, Amy vividly explains this to the audience. Indeed, difference of using language between my parent and me do exist.

The main distinction of language between my parent and me is the tone. They usually speak in a formal way no matter who the audience is. Even when my mother asks me to help her to change the air conditioner, she says that sentence in a commanding tone. By contrast, the choices of what kind of words and sentences should be used to express my point of view are always optional, formal or informal.

I suppose one reason of this difference of speaking tone is derived from dissimilar tendency of the times. When my parents were the same age as I am, what the education they received was communism propaganda which included a variety of slogans like “abide by the great leader Mao” or “ socialism is the only way for China to become thriving and prosperous”. Those sentences, in my eyes, are nonsense and inane, but in my parents’ opinion in that time, those were the truth. However, as china’s policy of opening to the outside world, different opinions coming from outside affect the youth generation of China, the tone that they uses becomes varied. They do not speak Chinese formally as their parents do. For example, I use Arab numbers to replace some Chinese character in my sentence sometimes, because they have similar pronunciations, and are easily to speak out.

Moreover, even some meanings of ancient Chinese characters have been changed artificially. Like character “囧”, in ancient Chinese it means bright, however, as the shape of this character is like a man’s face with emotional feeling, this character has been defined a new meaning, embarrassing. This character is derived from Internet, and of course, cannot be used in formal meetings. When there is an important speech that I need to give, words I choose to use become complicated. The main feature to distinguish whether I’m using a formal language is to feel whether it is hard to comprehend. I personally think formal speech is unbearable and interminable, and make audience feel there is a barrel for further communication between them and the speaker. Hence, it is understandable that a formal speech I give would need me type hundreds of words, and if the same meaning of that speech is used in informal speech, the data of word account would dramatically decrease.
Overall, many kind of tone of languages I encounter in my daily life, using internet language on-line, informal speaking with my friend, formal one toward my parents.
These are all about tones. Also, speaking English occurs my English classes, Mandarin is used in the rest of subjects and formal situation, and I also usually speak Sichuan accent, the local accent. In my opinion, the reason why there are so many kind of languages and tones is because of popularity, different situation and, environment you live in.

Myself

Hi everybody, it's the first time that I write blog in English. I suppose there would be some ambiguous words in my sentence hoping you can appreciate it, but I'll try my best to make my word clearly understandable. My family name Liu is the fourth largest family name in China, and my first name is Xiaoke(小可，in Chinese character）. Interestingly, although I'm a boy student, Xiaoke would sound like a female's name in Chinese. Why my parents would give me this unclear gender name? Actually, I used to have another first name Yilin(懿麟, in Chinese character）, despite that it only lasted few hours before my birth and was canceled during family discussion, because my parents were very afraid that I can't even write my own name until in elementary school. So they changed a simple one, Xiaoke, which in ancient Chinese means speaking "me" through a modest way, like thou equals to you in English I guess. I think I have already finished the assignment's minimum requirement, a single paragraph of at least 100 words, so that's the first blog for introducing me to you.