American Value and Assumption

Summary

In the article named American Value and Assumption, Gary Althen pointed out that individualistic Americans naturally saw themselves as being in competition with other. He gave several factors to support his argument.
Most Americans pay their attention to the athlete events and star athlete. In the school, the teenagers desired to win in the games or sports. In sum, American like competition and try to maintain their superiority from others.

Personal Response

I agree with the writer in the point that Americans like competition.It is obvious that Americans have the ardor of sports. Every weekend, when you turn on the TV, there are so many sport report or the sport lives. In American bar, people crowded together to talk with each other, at the same time, watch the athletes on the TV on the wall. The TV in most of American restaurants usually plays the sport all the time.

Analysis the short story

Author's point of view

The author told us a story about two family enjoyed their holiday in the beach.But ,unfortunatly, the game between their children seems not friendly.The fat boy threw sand to the other little boy. The little boy's mother tried to stop this action by tolking to the fat boy's father. But that guy seemed to courage his son to do this rude action.So the little boy's father try to do persuaded that guy gently.However, that guy didn't care his advice and wanted to fight to the little boy's father.At the end the little boy's family got out of the beach to avoid the fighting.But the feeling of the three people was bad.In my opinoin the writer want to show the woman's different feeling during these different contradictions between the two boys ,between the two fathers and between the husband and wife.

Pay attention to your health.

January W. Payne argues in the article entitled” Your iPod and BlackBerry Can Hurt Your Health” found in the U.S.News that a couple of recent reports remind that the way you use your personal electronics may be hazardous to your health. The article states how to avoid short- or long-term health problems. Firstly, the writer quotes the researches in the European Union. Users of MP3 players risk permanent hearing loss if they listen to these devices for too long at maximum volume levels. The solution is that Keep the devices' volume at a level where others sitting nearby can't hear the sound. Secondly, the writer point out that it's essentially like walking blind, when you text and walk. So don’t multitask while you send text messages. Finally, the small keyboards are not designed for excessive texting, and overdoing it can result in swelling and pain in the tendons at the base of the wrist and thumb. For your health, take a break from texting, and do exercises.

Personal response

It is true that we often use our electronics in our daily life. I agree with the writer’s opinion that it is harm for your ear by listening to these devices for too long at maximum volume levels. Take my experience for example. When I prepared for my toefl, I always listened to the exercises in my mp3 player for a long time everyday. During this time, my ear not felt very well, sometimes it was aching. After the exam, I try to decrease the time I use the mp3 player. The aching of ear is somewhat released.

Second language learning

Summary:
According to Mitchell & myles, second language learner is the people who learn a languge after they already master their first language.They learn the target language in different place.English become a target language for the second languge in the worldwide.Reserchers tend to minimize the different among learners, but younger always means better in long run learning.learners followed a same route, but due to individual differences the result were different. There are two group of the most important learner traits, congnitive factors, such as intelligence, language aptitude, language learning strategies, and affective factors, such as language attitudes, motivation, lauguage anxiety. As a social being, interests of learners focus on relationship with social context and structuring of the learning opportunites.The interests leads to not onlyconcern social element and relationship, but also the relationship between idividual and society change. (Mitchell & myles, PP.17-20)

Personal response:
As a second language learner, I am agree with Mithchell on the point of a critical age. Actuallly, if you are young, like 7 years old, you can accept the new knowlegde more easyer than the people who is above 18 years old.

To be continue...