Learning English at MEI

Goodbye and good luck!

2006-05-03T12:12:00.000-07:00

Back row: Kim Sorensen (Listening/Speaking teacher), Ali Al-Buenain, Lun Liu, Mohammed Al-Hajri, and Abdulla Al-Abdulghani.
Front row:NaRy Kim, Boram Chae, Eman Al-Kindi (hidden), Maira Bissembayeva, Ozgecan Gunoz, Nina Liakos (Reading/Writing/Grammar teacher), Abdulrahman Al-Kaabi.
Missing: Mohammed Al-Buenain.
Click on the picture to see a larger version.

Our class has ended, and we now turn the page to a new chapter in our lives. Many of you will return to MEI to study more English, some in the summer term, and some in the fall. Others will transfer to a different school. Good luck to everyone! You have all made amazing progress since the class began. I have enjoyed being your teacher very much. Please stay in touch!

Eman's last assignment

2006-05-02T18:06:00.000-07:00

I don't know how to start my last assignment. I can't explain my feeling, no words will be enough. I came today late like always, and I thought I will receive my failing exam paper. But I was shocked when Nina told me you did it, you passed it. It was one of the most wonderful moments in my life. I mean I know I didn't work as hard as I was supposed to. There is no success without hard work. I missed a lot of classes and trips in this semester because of my situation and a lot of trouble getting the visa for my family. I was so depressed, and I couldn't come to class with this bad situation. I learned a lot of things from this country and these people. I have now more experience in several things: for example, life experience, education experience, and communication experience. No words will show how much I appreciate my teacher for caring and pushing me to learn, and she was so patient with me. I can say only one word. It will not explain but it will be the minimum thing I can say. I want to say, thanks Nina, I learned from you a lot of things, I'll never forget you. You are great with me and also with all students. Thanks Nina, my best teacher and friend :).

Abdulrahman's Last Assignment

2006-04-30T21:21:00.000-07:00

I have learned a lot of experience in the MEI since the semester began. First, I learned how to improve my English. I learned a lot of reading skills, listen with taking notes, improve the pronunciation, and make presentations. In addition, I was taught how to read fast even though I can’t understand every word. Furthermore, I was taught how to write an essay. I learned a lot of vocabulary, how to ask polite questions, and give advice. So the semester’s program was useful, but it needs some addition to be perfect. Finally, the MEI was a small home to us and the teachers, students, all the staff were very happy to help us to improve our English as a second language. They were very nice. I’d like to send my thanks especially to my best teacher Nina and Kim, and generally to everyone who participated to let this semester succeed. I’m very sad that I can’t come to the final ceremony because I will travel; I hope that all the students enjoy the ceremony.
THANKS.

003 students working together

2006-04-30T15:34:00.000-07:00

One Monday afternoon in PHYS 1219, group work in UMEI 003 Reading, Writing, & Grammar:Maira, Mohammed Al-B., and NaRy

Abdulla, Ozgecan, and Lun

Mohammed Al-H., Boram, and Ali

Don't they all look serious and dedicated to improving their English?

Maira's Last Assignment

2006-04-30T13:34:00.000-07:00

I want to say "Thank you very much" to all colleagues in the MEI, the director, teachers, and other people in the MEI. They were really helpful. We spent wonderful time, we could improve our English. We had very good teachers, Nina and Kim, a nice computer lab with many different programs to study English, and the guys in the lab always were ready to help you. I liked the coffee hours and my speaking partner. I liked all activities. I will remember our river trip on a rainy day, the trip to the National American Indian museum, and the trip to the zoo. I had ahard time to adjust and study, but I always felt kindness from the staff in the MEI. Good luck, everybody.

Boram's Last Assignment

2006-04-28T11:12:00.001-07:00

We have studied English in 003 class for about a half and three months. During spring semester, we had many things such as classes, Friday Activities, Coffee Hour, and three field frips. I had a good time with a good teacher and good friends. Now I try to remember our memories. When I had my first class, I thought that three and a half months were too long, but now I miss everything of MEI. Maybe we can’t meet next semester. We have only two or three more days. I want to remember everybody of our class and hope my friends will also remember me. I was so glad to meet you. Bye~bye~ *^^*

Ozgecan's Last Assignment

2006-04-28T07:51:00.000-07:00

Studying at MEI was very nice. MEI is like a family. Our teachers, students, and other people always showed it us. Nina is a wonderful teacher and person. Classes are enjoyable with her. She teaches perfectly. Thank you Nina. Thank you for everything…
After I read Lun’s entry, I wanted to cry. I’m a very emotional person; therefore, in final ceremony, I may cry. Especially if I see a person who cries, I start to cry :) I’m sad because this nice semester end. If I pass MEIPE and study my master degree here, I would like to come to MEI and visit my teachers. (Maybe some of students too)
I will miss everybody, every place, and every moment at MEI. Bye teacher, bye students, bye MEI !

Lun's Last Assignment

2006-04-26T17:02:00.000-07:00

Study in MEI
Today is the last day we study in 003 class. We really had a good time in this class. We had a good teacher. Her name is Nina. She teaches us not only reading and writing but also speaking and listening. Because she knows how to study a language, she tells us how to read a novel, how to listen a long story. At last, we can understand a movie from a novel, which we had read. I really enjoyed studying English. This is my first time when I like to study English. Before I met Nina, I didn’t like to study English, I thought learning English is the most boring thing in my life. But Nina has changed me; I can follow her teaching and try to understand the words, the sentence, the novel and the movie. I really enjoyed the movie in English. Many times I felt my eyes were moisten. I also had many good classmates. They came from different countries. All of them tried to study English in this class. Now we have to say “good bye”, but I believe we can speak English better and better. In the future, we can speak fluent in English.
See you MEI, see you 003 class!!

Ali's zoo diary

2006-04-26T08:40:00.000-07:00

On Monday morning I woke up at 7:00 am and I ate my breakfast. Then I went to the university by bus. First I met my friends and my teacher and went with them to the College Park Metro Station. Then when we arrived to the zoo, we took a map because this was the first time we visited the zoo. After that we went to the Elephant House to see the elephant bath. It was very interesting because It was my first time. Then we walked around the zoo and saw a lot of different kinds of animals. At 1:00 pm we went to the restaurant and ate our lunch. After that my teacher had some tickets for the baby panda. At 1:30 pm I saw a baby panda for the first time in my life. It was very cute. Finally we came back to College Park. It was a very interesting trip.

Maira's Zoo Diary Entry

2006-04-26T08:30:00.000-07:00

After the dicussion long time we decided to go to the zoo finally. I was't disappointed becouse I knew I would find some interesting information about animals.
On Monday I went to the zoo. It was the forth time, going to the zoo for me. I thought, I will bored there. Surprisingly, I liked our zoo trip with my classmates. It was not so long, I could see the interesting elephant's performance first time even I've been several times before. Each morning the elephants take a shower. They do with please. They are big, strong and kindly, I think.
I saw my lovely sea seals again. I wondered, people train even them. Their trainer took blood to check seal's health, she said to us , that she does it every morning. The seals were quiete and obedient and they like the trainer. It was shown by their repeating kissing the trainer.
We went to see the lions and the tigers. They are always same, they were relaxing as I saw them last time in the fall. They have too good comfortable life ilast timen the Washington zoo. The tigers in the Almaty zoo are very angry, they often growl throw cages to people even to children. Certainly, their life are not been easy in our zoo. It is one of the city's problems.
The most interesting thing was to see the famous panda with the baby. Before I was wondered and couldn't understant why Americans crazy from them. I invented and could understand it on that day. Panda and its baby are unsually sympathetic. Just I wanted to embrace them and to play like kids. The pandas are black-white color. They were playing outside for our luck to see them.
I liked the trip to the zoo with my classmates and our teacher Nina. Even I've been there before in this time I could know many new things, I discovered the zoo for myself one more time. And I was really happy.

Nary's Zoo Diary Entry

2006-04-26T07:37:00.000-07:00

In MEI, we had a field trip to National Zoo. Originally, I should go to shuttle but stop at 9:15, but I forgot the time so I went to 9:25, so I missed MEI family. I boarded next bus with Boram. We were a little bored because went to the zoo just two of us. It was my fault. When we arrived the station, we didn’t know any direction, so I asked to a woman how to get to the National Zoo. We walked toward road, but we became confused. We asked another man, and we walked again. But I didn’t make sure about direction; I had to ask to a grandpa again.

We walked under the sunshine. When I approach the zoo, I was tired. We were late, but we could meet everyone. The entry of zoo was so clear and large. I was so excited about animals.
There were many kinds of animals. First, we saw elephants. In the elephant’s house, they took a shower. We watched them. They were very cute even though they are very big. After that, I saw a lot of animals. I don’t remember what I saw next, but I remember all of animals I saw. The most interesting animal is a desert fox.

Nina, Lun, Maira, Boram, Ozgecan and I ate lunch together. Everyone brought lunch. Weather was good, so I was so happy. After lunch, I went to see the animals. I saw sea-lions, apes, small mammals and pandas. Especially panda cup was very cute. It looks like a ball of fur. It followed its mom, and it played by itself.

Sunshine was so strong. National Zoo was so large. In the end, I was exhausted, but it was very nice trip. I love every animal and my class mates. I’m sad that this semester is almost end.

Abdulla's Zoo Diary Entry

2006-04-25T16:16:00.000-07:00

The semester have gone, and the most beautiful times had gone also. But Monday 24-04-2006 was one of the most beautiful days in this semester, because my teacher Nina , classmates , and I went to the National Zoo in Washington DC .

I chose this field trip between two other choices because I think it is better, and it was. At 9:15 I met my teacher and my friends at College Park Metro Station, and then we went to the national zoo. At the entrance we saw a big panda doll. It was amazing, and then we went to see the elephant’s bath. After that my friend Mohammed Al-Hajri and I went to see some lions and some tigers. It was exciting. Then I told Mohammed to see the fish and snakes, but the problem was we didn’t know how to get there. And we found it accidentally we found the building was called Amazonia, and I think it was the most beautiful place in this national zoo. We saw a big fish. I have never seen such a big like that . then we saw the Amazon snake. Finally Mohammed and I went to the panda store, where we bought a lot of things such as Panda bags, panda pencils, and other things . I really enjoyed myself at the zoo, and it was one of the most beatiful days I have had in the US .

Abdulrahman's Zoo Diary Entry

2006-04-25T15:46:00.000-07:00

On Monday, I went with my classmates in a field trip to the National Zoo. First, I woke up early and went to the university to meet our students and teacher. I went to the bus stop and I met them, then we took the metro bus to the College Park Metro Station. After that we took the Green Line, and then we changed to the Red Line to get to the station nearest the Zoo. Next, we got off the metro and we went outside the station then we walked into the Zoo. When we went there, we walked throw the zoo. It was big, so we decided to take a map. Then we walked to see the animals. First of all, I went to see the elephant’s bath and that the first time I had ever seen this, so it was very riveting. Then I went to see the cheetahs. They were my favorite animals. I saw five cheetahs. I learned many things about them. It is the fastest animal in the world. It lives in many places in Africa, such as, forests. Next, I went to the Reptiles section and I saw the Black Rat Snakes. They were very exciting and strange at same time. I found out some information about them.Thier habitat is from south New England through Florida. They eat mice, chicks, and rats. Then I went to see the baby panda. It was so cute and wonderful. Finally, I went back home. I had a great time even though I didn’t spend alot of time seeing the animals.

Ozgecan's Zoo Diary Entry

2006-04-25T15:34:00.000-07:00

After a long discussion about where we should go, we went to the zoo. We met at the shuttle bus stop at 9.15. The trip took about 1 hour. In the morning, we went to see an elephant bath. After that, I saw a capybara which is from Southern Panama. Then we went to see a little performance of elephants. After that, some people left to go somewhere else. Nary, Maira, Boram, Lun, Nina and I walked together. We saw a Nile Hippopotamus. It came from Africa. It eats vegetation. It spends almost all its time in the water. It moves very slowly. I also saw some gorillas and took pictures. We saw a female tiger. We watched a seal training. That was the most interesting thing for me.
The time was almost noon, so we found a place to eat our lunch. The final thing was looking at the baby panda. I was worried about not seeing it, but we were lucky, and we saw it. We saw also the other 2 pandas. They were really cute. I needed to leave after seeing the pandas, because I had something to do in DC. After I finished everything that I needed to do, I ran into some of my classmates and my teacher at the metro. We went back to the university together.
It was my first time in a zoo. I always see the zoo in my city, because one of my rehearsal places is across from it, but I had never been to a zoo, even in my childhood. Maybe because I was expecting much more things from the zoo, it wasn't that interesting for me even though I wanted to go there very much. I couldn't see many different animals because they were very free to do whatever they want, but I know it is the best thing for them. However, I had a great time with some of my classmates and our teacher Nina.

Boram's zoo diary entry

2006-04-25T07:56:00.000-07:00

I met Nary at school at 9:25, and we went to the metro station by shuttle bus. It took about 50minutes on the train. After we got off the metro, we walked to the National Zoo. When we arrived at the national zoo, we met other friends. In the national zoo, we could see many kinds of animals. We saw hippos, alligators, monkeys and birds. After we saw them, we ate lunch with friends and a teacher. And we continued to see other animals: giraffes, tigers, lions and pandas. After we saw them, we came back to school. Because I was very tired, I went home, took a shower, and slept. But it was a good time.

Mohammed's Zoo Diary Entry

2006-04-25T05:54:00.000-07:00

On Monday 24-04-2006 I had a field trip with my classmates. The weather was fine and good for the trip. We have three choices for the trip, but we chose the Zoo because it was the most interesting place of all. I met my classmates and we went to the metro station. Then we got the Metro to the National Zoo which is located in D.C. I thought that I would have a good time there because I like animals.

When we arrived at the Zoo, I was ardent to see the elephants because I like them very much. We took a map for the Zoo. Then we went to see the elephant bath. It was wonderful and it was the first time for me. After that, I went with Abdullah to see lions and tigers, which was very exciting. Abdullah told me that he wanted to see Amazonia, so we went there and we took some pictures. While we were walking through the Zoo, by accident we saw the Seals. They were very cute. Next, we went to the Panda Pavilion and we bought many things from there. I hoped to see the panda, but I left the Zoo before 1:00 o'clock.

It was one of the most interesting days for me in the U.S. I really have enjoyed in the Zoo. I think the Zoo is the place where we can have fun and take picture of the cute animals. I hope to go back to the Zoo to see the Panda. Finally it was a nice day.

Lun's Zoo Diary Entry

2006-04-24T13:52:00.000-07:00

Asian elephant training

Abdulla, Nari, Ozgecan, and Nina

Harbor seal training

Lun, NaRy, and BoRam

Today we went to the National Zoo. There are many interesting animals: cute pandas, gentle crocodiles, shy gorillas, skillful seals and elephants. We had a good time. I hope you like the pictures. I would like share the pictures with you. You can see my classmates' expressions are interesting too. Abdulla was in sober earnest looking at the seals.

Abdulrahman's Cause & Effect Essay

2006-04-20T06:47:00.000-07:00

Air Pollution

Air is a very important thing in our life. Without it we can’t live, so we have to protect the air from pollution so we can breathe good, clear air. Especially these days when industry is increasing in Qatar, we have to work harder and harder to protect the air from pollution. For example, the city of Um Saied in Qatar faces a serious air pollution problem.

There are many factories in Um Saied. Because of the many factories, the factory emissions are increasing and this is one of the most dangerous kinds of pollution in the world. Factory emissions produce acid rain. As a result of acid rain, the sea water near Um Saied will become polluted and the fish will get sick and die. If this happened, people will no longer want to go to Um Saied’s beaches to swim and go fishing or boating, because the environment is damaged and polluted. People already complain that they can’t go to Um Saied beach or live there. After they complained, the government noticed that there is a lot of pollution and they have to think seriously about a solution to solve this problem and save Um Saied.

This problem is hared to solve, but the government of Qatar was determined to create a solution for the air pollution in Um Saied. They decided on four solutions: to build factories far away from the town, to design smoke filters for the factories, to create an environmental organization to keep an eye on the factories and all things that pollute the environment and the air, and to pass strong laws to control the air pollution.

Now everyone who pollutes the air has to pay a lot of money to the Qatar government. I don’t think that these solutions are enough for big cities, but for Qatar and Um Saied, they are useful.

Boram's Cause and Effect Essay

2006-04-19T10:37:00.001-07:00

Air pollution is the contamination of air with noxious substances such as vehicle exhaust fumes. These days, people are interested in air pollution because it is a serious problem. There have been many incidents such as developing skin cancer and changing ecosystem. Most of all, if we are going to solve the problems, we need to know the causes. In air pollution, exhaust is a big cause, and most exhaust is auto exhaust and factory exhaust.

Auto exhaust is a pollutant that comes from cars. These days, most adults have a car. Some people have two, three or four cars. We may think that each person uses only one car, so it is a small part of air pollution. But those thoughts make much more pollution. Cars emit exhaust into the air and carbon monoxide from the exhaust goes up into the sky. Carbon monoxide meets oxygen in the air. They combine to create carbonate, which causes damage to the ozone layer. When the ozone layer is damaged people will develop skin cancer because gaps in the ozone layer allow ultraviolet rays to shine on the earth. If that happens, plants and animals will also be affected plants because chloroplasts will be damaged, and animals’ immunity will be destructed by ultraviolet rays. Finally everything will die.

Factory exhaust is another big cause of air pollution. Factories emit sulfur oxide and nitrogen oxide into the air, where they meet and form sulphites and nitrites, which oxidize the air.
Eventually, our ecosystem will change because of those reasons. Exhaust is a more serious problem than we think, so we should reduce our use of private cars. Instead of cars, we should walk if we can or take public transportation. Walking is good for both the environment and our health. We should also reduce using factories. We should not waste goods that come from factories. The environment is not ours. It is just on loan to us, and we must give it to the next generation, so we must protect it.

Abdulla's Cause and Effect Essay

2006-04-19T10:37:00.000-07:00

Air Pollution in Qatar

Air pollution is a serious environmental problem and it is one of many dangerous problems that threaten our life. There are a lot of causes of air pollution in Qatar especially in the capital, Doha, but I think the vehicle emission are the most significant cause of air pollution in Doha, whereas in Umsaieed, the main cause of air pollution is industrial smoke, because there are a lot of factories in Umsaieed. Air pollution is a serious problem in Qatar because it is very small and the population is centered in the capital city Doha. All the people should work together to solve our air pollution problems.

in the past few years, the number of cars has increased in Qatar for example, every house hold has more than two cars, which is a very big problem because we don’t have a lot of trees in my country, and car’s exhaust from all the cars spread very easily. Umsaieed is an industrial city not very far from the refineries Doha, there are a lot of factories in Umsaieed such as oil and gas refineries, and the smoke that comes from the factories damages the environment just as car exhaust does.

Air pollution threatens life, so the trees, plants, animals, and humans are in danger, Air pollution hurts the trees and plants, and every body as knows that the main food source for human and other animals is plants so; the animals will die because they will not find food, and as a result, humans will be affected also. Humans will also face a lot of diseases, such as skin cancer, asthma, skin allergies, and our eye problem. In Qatar there are a lot of programs to safeguards our environment because we know air pollution is very dangerous and it will damage the life in my country if we don’t control it.

Right now the government is trying to solve pollution problems in many ways, of things such as building industrial areas and airports away from cities, and I think this is very good idea . I also suggest that people shouldn’t drive if they want to go to near places, and they should put a filter on car’s exhaust pipe. Air pollution is a dangerous threat to our life. The transportation and industry are the main cause of air pollution, and everybody should help to make our world pure.

.

Nary's Cause and Effect Essay

2006-04-19T10:31:00.000-07:00

We Sould Protect Our Earth

People come from the land and go back to the land. We take nutrition from land in order to grow. Our ancestors regarded the land as mother. They called the land a womb. Nowadays, people hurt the land in various ways. It is getting more and more polluted. We should protect the land because our lives depend on it.

One way people harm the earth is by burying lots of trash. We always use many disposable materials. For example, plates, cups, forks, and wrap are made of Styrofoam or plastic. They are very hard or even impossible to recycle. What can we do with them? We just bury them. If they decayed, they would disappear eventually. But they can’t decay so they just stay in the ground for hundreds of years. We create lots of trash. We go on burying it, and we need more and more land. Then, all of that land is used for garbage, so people can’t live there, and the land has no purpose. That’s how large areaof land are abandoned.

Another way people harm the earth is by using chemical fertilizer and pesticides. Farmers use a lot of land for farming, and many of them use chemical fertilizers and pesticides because they are very convenient. However, they harm good insects and animals because they are toxic. If plants grow in soil which contains lots of toxic chemicals, they will contain toxic chemicals. Toxic chemicals can not be digested, and they move to herbivorous animals. Finally, they move to people who eat polluted things and accumulate in the body.

If we use the land thoughtlessly, we will be harmed by the land. That’s why we should preserve the land. Governments should add more tax to disposable products. This is called green tax. Furthermore, we should teach recycling to our children. We should think about the consequences of our behavior for the environment. We don’t live by ourselves. We live together with nature.

Lun's Cause and Effect Essay

2006-04-19T10:26:00.000-07:00

Saving Ground Water for Posterity

Water resources include direct rainfall and that collected in rivers, lakes and under ground. As a matter of fact, individuals, industry, and agriculture all need to use fresh water. Today, there are many countries whose water resources are not enough. In the U.S., agriculture is the major consumer of water, using about 85% of all U.S. freshwater resources. Agriculture is the main reason for the decrease in ground water.

Ground water is a storage source that must be protected. Recently, ground water has been decreasing in many locations. Some of them are running out. For example, if we continue to allow people to pump ground water, the Ogallala aquifer, which hold water for the states of Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas, will probably become non-productive within 40 years. Once gone, ground water can take at least 100 years to come back.

Since agriculture needs a lot of water, people in many locations have to use ground water. All crops need massive amounts of water during growth. For example, 1 pound of corn requires about 1,400 pounds (175 gallons) of water to produce because the stem of corn is bigger and taller than that of wheat and beans. Also, the corn crops grow during summer. Therefore, corn needs a lot of water to sustain its growth. In the USA, some locations do not have enough surface water resources. But still, people plant corn there and try to make some money from corn. Since corn needs a lot of water, people have to use rivers, lakes and ground water. People have to pump ground water and use it.

We should change the agriculture system to limit the waste of ground water. For example, we should not plant corn in the areas where there isn’t enough surface water. If we don’t protect ground water resources, we won’t be able to leave any resources to future generations. Eventually, we won’t be able to survive on this planet.

Reference: http://dieoff.org/page40.htm

Alhajri's Cause and Effect Essay

2006-04-19T10:24:00.001-07:00

Air Pollution in Qatar

Air is very important in our lives, and we must protect it from pollution. If the air is polluted there will be no life on the Earth. There are many things polluting the air in Qatar. In the last few years, air pollution has been increasing in Qatar because of the increase in the population and the number of factories.

There are a lot of things which cause the air pollution in Qatar. Because of the increase in the population, the number of cars is increasing. Qatar is a small country, but it has many factories because it depends on industry. Exhaust from cars and factory emissions are the main cause of the air pollution in Qatar. It is a serious problem.

Air pollution has many bad effects in the country. It endangers animal life. Birds and animals breathe the polluted air. Consequently, they are poisoned and died. People also breathe the polluted air. It causes asthma, pneumonia and the skin cancer for them. The ozone layer is destroyed by air pollution, so the mean temperature is increasing, which endangers people, animal and plant life. Because of the air pollution, the ecosystem has been changed.

Air pollution is not an easy problem. It is hard to solve this problem because we need the cars and factories. We must find effective solutions to this problem. The country is working very hard to solve this problem and we have many ways to decrease this environmental problem. We can build the industrial area away from the cities, which makes less smoke in the cities; decrease the number of cars by providing public buses for each city, and put filters in factories and cars to cleanse emissions. These measures will decrease the air pollution.

Maira's Cause and Effect Essay

2006-04-19T10:24:00.000-07:00

A Major Ecological Problem in Almaty

Almaty used to be the national capital of Kazalhstan, and it is known as the city of apples. It is a beautiful place with a mountainous background and a very green city. In old times, we had a huge apple harvest. One thing people dislike about Almaty is the pollution which you can see hovering over the streets sometimes. In fact, this was one of the reasons for the transfer of the capital to another spot. Today Almaty is affected very seriously by air pollution.

One of the primary causes the city pollution is the exhaust from automobiles, approximately 85 percent. of. Over the past 10 years, the number of cars has increased ten-twelve times. Many of the cars are poor quality. In addition, up to 40 percent of the gasoline is impure. Furthermore, a vast amount of exhaust produced is trapped in and stayed into the city because a range of high mountains encloses the city, shielding it from winds. There is constant stale close air and severe smog.

People in Almaty are barely surviving without a breath of fresh air. As a result, people become sick due to the lack of clean air. Many citizens, perhaps 80 percent, have problems with high blood pressure. Young people, including schoolchildren, struggle with allergies, heart disease, and chronic headaches. It is especially hard for pregnant women; some of them lose their children late in pregnancy. 90 percent of newborn children are disabled. According to ecologists’ estimates, the deaths of about 2000 people a year are linked to ecological factors in the city.

The problem of air pollution in Almaty should be solved as soon as possible. The government ought to revise its environmental laws according to EU standards. Now ecologists from the whole world are seeking ways to solve the ecological problem in Almaty. It is being discussed a lot by all of the citizens. The mayor of the city has already passed a law to limit the use of old and out-dated vehicles, and cars must use natural gas instead of petrol. In my opinion, the best solution would be to replace cars with bicycles and change drivers’ habits. This will be also more enjoyable for all people in Almaty.

Cause and Effect Essay

2006-04-17T06:23:00.000-07:00

Your final writing assignment for this semester was to write an essay about an environmental problem, explaining the cause(s) and effect(s) of the problem and offering possible solutions. You learned how to narrow your focus to a specific problem with which you are familiar, and most of you described environmental problems in your home countries or cities. You started by creating a flowchart showing a causal chain (a chain of causes and effects, each cause leading to an effect which becomes the cause of another effect). Then you composed a first draft consisting of the body paragraph(s) of the essay. In your second draft, you added an introduction describing the problem and a conclusion suggesting solutions to the problem.

Eman's recommendation

2006-04-11T12:22:00.000-07:00

Next Friday we will have a trip with our institute. We have three choices; the National Zoo, the National Arboretum, or the DC Neighborhoods Exploration. I prefer the National Arboretum because nothing makes us feel so comfortable and relaxed as nature. Also, I missed the cherry blossoms two weeks ago; I couldn't go there. I think this is the best time to see the beauty of America. All the time we hear about this country that it is a paradise on earth, and this depends on the natural beauty of this land. Especially when we go together, we can take a lot of beautiful pictures there, and it will become a wonderful memory for all of us.

As for the other choices, I can accept the zoo. It's my second choice. But I think it will not be very easy to go around there with a big group. I prefer to go there alone or with a friend. For the last choice, I don't want to go there because I'm sure I will lose my way there, and I hate crowds in a small area. I'm not sure about my classmates' choices, but I have to accept what the majority of them choose. I hope it will be as nice and exciting as last week's field trip.

Mohammed Al-Hajri's recommendation

2006-04-11T10:37:00.000-07:00

We have three choices for our class field trip, and we have three choices: the national zoo,
national arboretum, and the DC neighborhoods exploration, but I think we had better go to the
Zoo because most of the students prefer that. It is good place to take pictures. I like animals, so
I would rather go to the Zoo. I think it is good idea and we will spend a good time there.

Mohammed Alb's recommendation

2006-04-11T10:24:00.000-07:00

hello oo3 class.

I chose the zoo for field trip because i like the animals. I like take a picture for new and strange animals. And the first reason for choose the zoo because i have not been in the zoo for 4 years.

I think we will enjoy the visit more than the other places. I heard about the american zoo very much and i find it very exciting.This is my opinion and i hope you will enjoy the visit.

Ali's recommendation

2006-04-11T10:12:00.000-07:00

I think go to the zoo more interesting then others for a lot of reasons. First we can see some kinds of animals, and we can feed them. Then we can play with monkeys, ducks, and elephant. After that we can take some picture. Finally we will know a lot of new information. And on the other hand, National Arboretum and DC Neighborhood Exploration are boring in my opinion.

Nary's recommendation

2006-04-10T12:11:00.001-07:00

I want to go the Zoo or the DC Neighborhoods Exploration, because there are a lots of interesting things! Of course the Arboretum is good too, but(!) if someone is allergic to plants, she(he) would have a big problem!!! Anyway, the arboretum is boring. I like animals. They make us happy! We can be happy!!!!!!!

Abdulrahman's Recommendation

2006-04-10T12:11:00.000-07:00

Last week I heard from my teacher that we have class field trip, and we have three choices the first one is the national zoo, the second is national Arboretum, or the DC Neighborhoods Exploration. I prefer going to the zoo because most of the student chose this choice, and because it’s interesting to see the new animals, strange things, have fun, and take photos.

Lun's recommendation

2006-04-10T09:44:00.000-07:00

I would rather go to the National Arboretum because I think we have many chances to go to the zoo and Chinatown, but we won't go to the National Arboretum by ourselves. And it is spring, the best season to see plants. By the way, I promise the smell is better than a zoo. I have gone to the zoo once and gone to Chinatown many times. I prefer going to the National Arboretum to going to the zoo. Why don't we go the National Arboretum? It is spring!! Let's go!!

Boram's recommendation

2006-04-10T05:34:00.000-07:00

I want to go DC Neighborhoods Exploration. It looks interesting, and I hope to see many different cultures. In Korea, there is also Chinatown, so I hope to know different things between in Korea and in the USA. I also want to go the national zoo, but DC Neighborhoods Exploration looks more interesting. And because I know how to get the national zoo exactly, I will be able to go another day. But I don’t know how to get DC Neighborhoods Exploration.
But I don’t want to go the National Arboretum. I like an arboretum, but it is boring. And if the weather is not good, we won’t be able to see. It is terrible. So I want to go DC Neighborhoods Exploration.

Maira's recomendation

2006-04-09T22:14:00.000-07:00

I have met many different people since I came to the USA. I am interested to know about other culture. Also it talks about Washington, DC. I might be to understand another American people by knowing their habits, opinions closely, and by trying their food.
I’ve been in Chinatown two times. There is a movie center, a Sturback’s cafeteria, some shops, the Spy museum, and something looks like Chinese gates. I couldn’t see any Chinese people there. I remember there is the American roc café. Nothing is special from China.
But I’ve never been in the Adams-Morgan and Shaw/U Street. I can’t imagine what that is. I need to know Spanish people. I don’t feel comfortable with them and really I should do something to understand them.
Secondly I choose the National Arboretum. I would like to see bonsai trees and I love beautiful flowers. Their beauty makes people happy

Abdulla's recommendations

2006-04-09T16:41:00.000-07:00

Last week our teacher told us that we should choose one of three field trips. The choices was the National Arboretum , DC Neighbourhoods Exploration, and the national zoo . I chose the national zoo trip because of a lot of reasons, but the main reason is that I love animals, specially the monkeys , because the monkeys are very funny , and I think monkeys are the smartest animals . Another reason is that I like feed the ducks and it is interesting. In the zoo we can take some photos with our teachers and my classmates. So I think the zoo is the best choice and I hope that we will have a wonderful time in the national zoo .

Ozgecan's recommendations

2006-04-09T16:20:00.000-07:00

I would rather go to National Zoo or the National Arboretum than the DC Neighborhoods Exploration. I think the National Zoo is very interesting. So is the National Arboretum. I haven't been there before. I can take some pictures. These places are more interesting for me. Somebody said that the smell is not good in the zoo. Actually, it made me to think about it. The National Arboretum might be better just because of the smell. If we go to DC Neighborhoods, it will not be boring for me because I can shop and see the city. It is also good for me, but we can do it by ourselves. I know we can do the others by ourselves too, but I think shopping, walking arround, or these kind of things are more personal things. I prefer the National Zoo or the National Arboretum.

Recommendations for Our Second Class Field Trip

2006-04-06T12:33:00.000-07:00

Before the semester ends, we are going to go on another field trip. The students have three options to consider:

1. The National Zoo: http://nationalzoo.si.edu/default.cfm

2. the National Arboretum: http://www.usna.usda.gov/

3. DC Neighborhood Exploration: Chinatown, Adams Morgan, and U street: http://www.washington.org/index.cfm?blnNavView=True&idContentType=499&idCurrentPage=30

I have asked the students to consider the three options and to write a short (1-2 paragraphs) piece for the blog, recommending one of the options and giving reasons why they think it is the best one.

NaRy's NMAI Diary Entry

2006-03-31T13:35:00.000-08:00

Mar. 15, we had a field trip to the National Museum of the American Indian. We met at a shuttle bus stop at school at 9. About 10 after 9, all of my class mates were gathered, so we were start. In the metro I, Ozgecan, Boram, Iman, and Lun were sat close. We were talked about many things. Especially I talked about North and South Korea with Ozgecan. Trip took almost 1 hour. And we were approached the museum.

When I saw the museum, I was very delighted. It looks a huge and tender rock. Maybe it had erosion from wind for a long time. It is stuck pieces of artificial rocks, but it looks a big rock. It was interesting

In the museum, there were many categories about tribes in continent of America. I focused on Quechua in Peru. They were part of Inka, so they have proud. In their beliefs, whole world is constructed by pair things. Eyes are pair, ears are pair, and even nose has pair of nostrils. That's why they don't accept unarranged people. After lunch, I saw an exhibit about now days of Native Americans. There were lots of exhibits about their life styles. It was so interesting because mixing modern things and old things is occurred every place. In case of Korea, many old things are mixed with modern things. But unfortunately many good old things are getting disappeared. I hope that Indian’s traditional things are not do like that.

We had lunch at Mitsitam Café. I sat with Nina, Ozgecan, Iman, Boram, Maira, Lun, and Ali. All of us are ate different foods, so very fun. I ate burrito but it wasn’t delicious. In its inside there was just potato.

After lunch, I went to second stairs, but there was just store. I just looked but didn’t buy anything because so expensive. I and Boram went to out of the museum, and went other museum. We went to a Japanese photographer’s exhibition. He took a lot of picture. I don’t understand something, but I love other paints. There were many kinds of paints and figures. Some of them were famous. Anyway, when I went to out, I was full of happiness. I went to home by metro. The way home I was satisfied. I learned lots of things, and I saw lots of things, and I felt lots of things.

LUN's NMAI diary entry

2006-03-29T12:24:00.000-08:00

A NICE TIME AT THE INDIAN MUSEUM

This morning, I met with other classmates at Stamp Union bus stop around 9 am. Then we all took a bus to the College Park Metro Station. We had to take the Green Line which would go to L'Enfant Plaza station. Luckily, after I entered the train, there were plenty of seats. I sat with Nari who is Korean and Ozgecan who is Turkish. In the meantime, I was bored, so I counted 11 stops to the destination. Then I looked around, and I saw there were many people taking a nap. I guess those people probably hadn’t gotten enough sleep. Anyway, after 40 minutes of travel time, we arrived at our destination. We walked about 10 minutes to the National Museum of the American Indian. I saw the U.S Capitol, but it’s kind of far away. Next time I get a chance, I will go to visit the U.S. Capitol.

The first impression I got from the American Indian Museum is that it was like a mountain. It is 4 floors high.

When I entered the museum, my task was to learn about Yup-Ik. The Yup-Ik people live in Alaska, and they are Eskimos. When their children catch their first animal, they have a ceremony for the children. And they serve ice cream for this important ceremony. I think the ceremony expresses family’s love.

We had lunch in the museum. I noticed that they had traditional Indian food. I ate lunch with Nari and Ali around 12:15pm. I ordered a buffalo burger, but I didn’t like it. The reason I ordered it was because it contained less fat than beef. It could be a healthy food for me. After lunch, I went to see a short movie for 10 minutes.

I left the museum around 2 pm. We walked to L'Enfant Plaza station, and took the Green Line to the College Park Metro Station. Then I went back home. I feel it was a interesting day. I had a good time today.

Ozgecan's NMAI Diary Entry

2006-03-29T11:44:00.000-08:00

On March 15, our class went to the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC. On that morning, we met at the bus stop which is located in front of the Stamp Student Union. We took the shuttle bus, and when we arrived at the metro station, we took the metro to go there. I sat with NaRy on the metro. We talked about similarities between Turkey and Korea. The trip took around 40 minutes. There was nothing to see except metro station names during the metro ride because we were under the ground. While we were walking to the museum, I saw the Capitol. Actually, last summer, I was in Washington, DC, and I saw this building and also some museums at that time.

Before we went there, we talked about the museum and its architecture in the class. I think the building was nice, but I couldn't see any interesting things about architecture. We entered the museum through a side door, which was not the main door, so we couldn't see the other side of the building, but our teachers suggested that we look at it later. After lunch, I went there, but I think it was nothing special.

The museum has 4 floors. Our assignment was on the 4th floor, so we started from these floor. When we were climbing the stairs, I saw some boats on the main floor. I saw a reflection of a light--like a small rainbow-- on the wall. Maybe it was because of the sunlight which was coming from a sky light in the roof. In "Our Universes", I focused on the "Q'eq'chi" tribe. They live in Guatemala. They have four cardinal directions: North, South, East, and West. Each of them has different colors and meanings. North is white, and they offer prayers toward the north. East is red, and where the sun rises, it is the region of light and blood and a source of happiness. The sun is very important for them because it gives them life and strength. Every morning, they greet the Lord Sun. South is yellow, and it represents human beings in nature and in society. It was the birthplace of water. The believe that they are composed of water, and it is part of their life. West is black, and it is related to death and darkness. They believe that they need a little light to see their way in the dark, but the dark is also as important as light. They say that the sun, water, stars, planets, and the other things in the universe were left them by their grandparents. The most interesting thing for me is that I saw a word on one of the exhibits. It was "Su", and it means water gourd. In Turkish, water means "su". It was really interesting for me.

At the Mitsitam Cafe, I sat with Eman, NaRy, Boram, Lun and my teacher Nina. The foods are very strange to me. I had difficulity choosing food, but then I ate something which is a kind of mashed patatoes with spice. It was delicious. After our field trip, I went somewhere else in DC. I had to deal with one of my Turkish friend's phone account. After I solved her problem, I went back to the University for International Coffee Hour. I really like Coffee Hours.It was fun again. After that, some friends and I stayed on campus a little bit more. Then, I came home. The day was very interesting, fun, beneficial, and tiring for me. I felt good at the end of the day.

Maira's NMAI diary entry

2006-03-29T11:43:00.000-08:00

News about a trip to the American Indian museum made our class happy. I met my classmates at the museum. I got on the metro alone and changed trains at Metro Center. As I waited for another train, I asked an American family with children what metro station I needed to get off at for the American Indian museum. They explained everything for me. It took half an hour to get there. What did I see during the metro ride? I usually read or do exercises in my grammar book, but for a while I looked at the people in the train. They are different and interesting, I remember nobody on that train, except for the American father with teenage sons, and he was kind and polite. The walk to the museum was shot, but windy after two blocks I could see an unusual building.

The building of the museum is a real gift from modern American citizens to the American Indians. The architecture is majestic and beautiful. I liked the walls like old natural rocks, they were undulating and beige, my favorite color. People called the building The People Way. It is true, it looks like the uneven rough way of people through life. Probably, this is the beginning of the history of a big country today and their principles, many of them came from American Indians, such the preservation of the environment and freedom.

We went to the fourth floor, looked at exhibits, and wrote something; Kim took pictures. My first impression from seeing the inside of the museum was a giant quiet area to relax in. I saw people sitting there around a long ancient wood boat. However, I was late and hurried to the fourth floor to learn about the Mapuche. I visited their exhibit in “Our Universes.” The Mapuche live in small communities in southern Chile. Their lives are guided by spiritual leaders, called machis, and political leaders, called longkos. They struggle to keep their traditional lands and culture. The Mapuche are healers, spiritiual leaders, counselors and servants of their communities. They do not choose their calling; it comes to them in dreams. They are mediators between gods and people, ancestors and the living, sickness and health. Their language is Mapudungun, which means “speech of the land.” I saw objects for rituals: male belts, masks, dolls, blankets, pitchers, cups, bowls and medical plants such as wild cinnamon, laurel and bamboo. Machis play kultrura (drums) during many rituals. There are many lines. Each line has a special meaning like south, north, east, west. The lines intersect in the center, where the Mapuche live. Their basic belief is positive events come from the south and negative events come from the north.

After lunch I went to the third floor, where I watched a short documentary film about the life of modern American Indians. They use new tools to move and to catch fish. They live in small houses. An old man told about difficulties, social and political states, and the climate in the north.
In the Mitsitam Café, we enjoyed Indian national food. There were a lot of new names of dishes, so it was difficult to choose something to eat. I bought the nation fry bread, which looks like Kazak bread and a salad from wild rice with vegetable oil. All of us sat together at one table: Nina, Ozgecan, Eman, Boram, Nary, Lun, Ali and I. I noticed water falling from upstairs through a window, but at that moment I didn’t think of the museum’s landscaping.

After the museum visit, I decided to take a bus to see the downtown through the bus window. I still can be disoriented in the city. It took one hour to get home. I was sleepy and tired, but I was happy have discovered a new interesting place in Washington and to learn so much about American Indian. I had a really good time with my teachers and classmates.

Mohammed's NMAI diary entry

2006-03-29T11:34:00.001-08:00

Last week I had field trip with my class to the National Museum of the American Indian. I met the class at the Bus stop. We took the shuttle to the Metro station. I sat with my teacher, Nina. The trip took almost 25 minutes. Then we walked from the Metro station to the museum.

The museum is not very big, but the designed is very good. It is obvious that the building is a traditional place. I think the architecture is very suitable and is similar to the old architecture.

In the museum, I saw many tools that were used in the past and many traditional clothes. My tribe’s name was Hupa. The Hupa people had three calendars rock called ch'ixochwe that sat in front of the church. One of the calendar rocks marks the 13 months. The ch'ixochwe rocks teach that the Hupa must do certain things each month, Out of respect for the k'ixanay (ancestors).

Hupa people believe that when they leave the world, all the ancestors go to a place where they dance forever. They have three dances. The first one is the White Deer Skin Dance. It is a plea for abundant harvest. They think it brings harmony back to them. The second one is the Brush Dance. It is a healing ceremony. They think the Brush Dance brings good luck. The third one is the Jump Dance. It is a ceremony to ward off misfortune. They think it drives bad things away. At lunch time, I left the museum and had lunch outside the museum. After that I went home by Metro. I had a good time in the museum. I hope to return to the museum because I am interested in history.

Boram's NMAI diary entry

2006-03-29T11:34:00.000-08:00

I met the class at school at 9:00, and we went to the metro station by shuttle bus. On the metro, I sat with Eman. It took about 40 minutes. During the metro ride, I looked out the window and took pictures with my friends. After we rode metro, we walked to the museum. On the way, I saw many signal lamps and the capitol.

When we arrived at the museum, I was surprised to see the form of the museum. The outside architecture was in the form of waves. It was unusual and interesting.

After we saw the outside architecture, we went inside the museum. As soon as I went inside the museum, I saw the prisms. At that time, the sun was not out, so we didn’t see the rainbow. We went up to the 4th floor. On the 4th floor, I focused on the Lakota, a Native American because I had an assignment about them. I learned that the Lakota people believe everything is inside a sacred circle, the Hocoka. Most interesting point was the directions. The directions of four have different colors and meanings. The west is associated with black, and it means spring and generosity. The south is associated with white, and it means winter, elders, wisdom, and all animals. The east is associated with yellow, and it means fall and adulthood. The north is associated with red, and it means summer and youth. It was very interesting for me.

After we went around the museum, we went to the 1st floor. There is a cafeteria called the Mitsitam café. We ate lunch there. At lunch, I sat with friends and my teacher and ate a burrito and drank orange juice. It was a good time. While I was eating, I saw many people and foods. It is very various and unique.

After lunch time, I went to other museums with Nary. One was the Hirshhorn Museum and the other was the African Art Museum. I liked the Hirshhorn Museum a lot. There were pictures and drawings. I also liked the African Art Museum. But I was very tired at that time, so I didn’t see all the exhibits. I thought that I would go again and see everything.

After I went around the 3 museums, I came back home by metro and shuttle bus. At the end of the day, I thought that it had been fun.

Abdulrahman's opinion essay

2006-03-29T11:26:00.000-08:00

Acupuncture is at the same time an ancient therapy and a modern one. It was discovered by Chinese people 3000 years ago. Acupuncture needles were originally from animal bones. The Chinese used acupuncture to heal some problem such as headaches. They have to put the needles in definitive points that are scattered in the body. Acupuncture has many benefits and can be effective, but not all the time because there are many diseases that acupuncture can’t cure, so people must choose another method such as surgery.

There are many patients who use acupuncture, but only a few of them find it to be effective, while the rest have to have surgery. There are many people who have ailments and they use acupuncture, and there are people who do not want to use conventional treatment, so they use it. But acupuncture is not a substitute for surgery. For example, last year my uncle had a slipped disk and went to a doctor who diagnosed him and advised him to use acupuncture. He tried acupuncture and it was effective at first. After months, he tried it again and it wasn’t effective, so he had surgery to heal himself.

In conclusion, acupuncture is a good cure method for some ailments, but not for every ailment and not all the time, so I advice everyone to go to a doctor before he decide to try acupuncture.

Abdulla's opinion essay

2006-03-29T11:24:00.000-08:00

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is one of the oldest, most commonly used medical procedures in the world. It is discovered by chines before along time. It is a kind of needle that puts in certain point in human body. It is called oriental medicine or traditional Chinese medicine. When my friend was eight years old he suffered from many health problems such as headache and back pain, but when he used acupuncture he feel well. So I believe that acupuncture is an effective treatment because my friend used it and it was effective.

Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese treatment. It is inserting needles at special points on the body to balance the opposing forces. There is an energy called chi that is believed to permeate all things. It is believed to flow through the body along fourteen main pathways called meridians. There are five hundred specific points where needles are to be inserted for specific effects.

Acupuncture has many benefits and special ways to cure the ailments. It is treats the human body as a whole that involves several things such as obesity insomnia and headaches. In western medicine, headaches treat by medicines such as aspirin, in eastern medicine they use the acupuncture and they prick these needles on the human body. Last few years my friend was suffering headache and back pain but when he used acupuncture he felt well.

Acupuncture is main part of conventional treatment. The modern science confirms that is important to heal a lot of aliment like headaches and back pain. And if you suffer headache or back pain my advice to you that you should take acupuncture remedy. And I think I will use the acupuncture because I have an insomnia and acupuncture can be effective for cure that .

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Class Field Trip to the NMAI

2006-03-29T11:19:00.000-08:00

On March 15, we went to the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. The students' homework was to write a journal entry about what they had seen and done on the field trip.

Ozgecan's Opinion Essay

2006-03-18T19:56:00.000-08:00

Reiki

Reiki comes from Japanese culture, and it treats the whole person including body, emotions, and mind. There is an energy in the world, and people just help to transfer it to treat a person or themselves. They don't use their own energy while they use Reiki. Reiki uses the power of positive emotions to heal certain conditions effectively.

Reiki is an alternative medicine which is used by some doctors in their hospitals. This kind of non-conventional method is usualy not accepted by scientists, but some doctors believe that Reiki is a very effective way to heal someone, and they accept it as a complementary medicine. All around the world, there are many hospitals which perform Reiki, there are many scientists who research about Reiki, and there are many institutes or academies which teach Reiki. Reiki also doesn't work alone. It works with conventional medicine, and it acknowledges that conventional medicine is important.

Reiki is a simple and natural method for healing that everyone can use and benefit from it. If someone's "life force energy" is low, then he/she is more likely to get sick or feel stressed, and if it is high, he/she feels happier and healthier. There are 7 places in the human body called "Chakras" and they have different colors. Reiki is used for the sick chakra. If you want to learn how to use Reiki, you must take some classes. These classes are broken down into 3 parts. I took the beginning part of Reiki classes. I can use it for myself or another person. I think it is effective for stomachaches, headaches, feeling weak or accidents. For example, at times when I fall down, I use Reiki, and my arm or my leg doesn't bruise. It has happened to me many times. But I think these kinds of remedies are risky because some people become obsessed with them, and they become strange. Therefore, I don't want to get too involved, but I can say that Reiki is effective for some illnesses.

These kinds of treatments proved that the human mind has a significant effect on human health. I think it is all about positive emotions. I believe positive emotions affect our health. When you think positively, your life becomes better. Reiki is also about positive emotions. It teaches us to look positively at life. I believe the human mind has this ability. I think this is not just belief anymore; it has been proved by scientists.

(Source: www.reikiturk.com/yeni/)

Boram's opinion essay

2006-03-16T15:28:00.000-08:00

Acupuncture has been used for 3000 years in China and Korea and even today, people use acupuncture. In Korea, we usually use acupuncture when we have a digestive upset. We pierce the fingers and it helps our blood circulation. This is a natural and harmless method. The method is piercing the sick part of the body with needles. I believe that acupuncture is effective.
Acupuncture has a long history in Asia. We don’t know exactly when acupuncture started. We just guess that acupuncture started several thousand years ago. In ancient Korean books, the data say that already 3000 years ago acupuncture was being used in the northern provinces of Korea. But I think that the original start was the time when the first humans appeared the earth and our ancestors made acupuncture by themselves. Because when we are sick, we naturally press on the diseased part of the body with our finger. I think that this was how acupuncture started.

Acupuncture is still a popular treatment today and can be more effective than conventional western medicines in treating certain conditions. It has even spread to western countries. In western countries, it is used because acupuncture cures some diseases that western medicine doesn’t cure. Today, acupuncture uses many methods from diet to prohibition of smoking. It pierces special parts of the body. It can also help us to control appetite and smoking. It is simple, harmless and effective.

In the past, acupuncture was used just in Asia. But today, acupuncture is used from Asia to America. There are many people around the world who use acupuncture to heal diseases. It is clear that acupuncture is effective and harmless. It is totally natural. These days, acupuncture incorporates many methods. We have to study and develop acupuncture and invent many methods and spread it to other nations.

Nary's Opinion Essay

2006-03-16T10:33:00.000-08:00

In the world, there are so many nations and folk remedies. Some countries have acupuncture, and some countries have massage. In case the of acupuncture, it is recognized by experts of many countries. But alimento therapy is very localized, so it doesn’t get any recognition. Alimento therapy is a kind of folk remedy. It uses common and natural food for healing illness. It is very useful in your life. Many people use it because it is easy and safe. Usually people learn of it by word of mouth. In that process, ancestors' wisdom was added and added. So alimento therapy suits local people. However, we should use it very carefully because it is also a kind of treatment. It is best to use alimento therapy with conventional treatment or the advice of experts.

Alimento therapy works slowly because it heals by changing your physical constitution. Changing their physical constitution, patients won’t get the same illness. Of course it is very effective for patients. Some people use a specific food for several years. However, if you use only alimento therapy, you will suffer from your illness for a longer time.

Every food has its own characteristics. For example, ginseng has hot characteristic, so fat and hot people shouldn’t consume a lot of it. Green tea has cold characteristic, so thin and weak people shouldn’t use it much. Therefore, when you use alimento therapy, you should follow the advice of someone who has much experience. You can also be advised by a Chinese medicine practitioner.

Alimento therapy may not always work, but it is convenient to use and sometimes very effective, so if you use it in conjunction with conventional therapy and with the advice of experts, you will be better soon.

Lun's Opinion Essay

2006-03-16T10:20:00.000-08:00

Acupuncture is a Chinese therapy that has been used for centuries. Some times the acupuncture is effective. At other times it is not. Before you use the acupuncture treatments, you should have a correct diagnosis, and you should consult with your doctor. Acupuncture is dangerous if people don’t have a proper diagnosis and want to rely on acupuncture alone.

Acupuncture is a Chinese therapy that has been used for centuries. It is based on a theory that there is energy in people’s bodies called chi. Chi causes energy to flow through pathways called meridians. People believe that a blocking or imbalance at any point along the pathway may result in illness. Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners believe that acupuncture unblocks and rebalances the flow of chi, and then people can be restored to health.

Acupuncture treatment is effective for many functional diseases, such as sleeplessness, functional headache, and muscle stiffness. It is acknowledged that acupuncture is effective for such conditions. In China, people have used the treatment for centuries and they think it is effective. Some of acupuncture treatments have been proved by scientists, but many have not. Now, in China, doctors direct people to use it if they want.

Before the treatment the patient must have a diagnosis and the doctor will judge whether acupuncture is appropriate for the disease or not.. Acupuncture treatment is not appropriate in many organic diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes, because the conventional treatment is more effective than acupuncture. Cancer and other malignant tumors are organic diseases. If you rely only on acupuncture, you will miss the chance to cure cancer by conventional treatment, in the early stages. Of course, it is acknowledged that the acupuncture is effective against many side effects of conventional treatment like nausea and sleeplessness.

Acupuncture is a good treatment, but it is not a cure-all, just as conventional treatment isn’t. It is dangerous if people don’t have a diagnosis and want to rely on acupuncture alone, because they can’t know what is happening in their body. Before you use acupuncture, you should have a correct diagnosis, and you should consult with your doctor.

Maira's Opinion Essay

2006-03-16T10:14:00.000-08:00

Fasting's Miracles

History tells us that fasting (i.e., complete abstention from food) was recommended by the great religions of Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism and has being a part of them. Fasting is one of most important and most misunderstood ways to keep health and to recover health. Fasting is an ancient treatment, the instinctive therapy for many illnesses, and a great tool for preventing disease. Choosing healthful foods, chewing well, and maintaining good colon function minimize our need for fasting.

If the body can’t heal itself, then nothing can heal it. Doctors do not heal; medicines do not heal; only the body heals itself. The body always knows best what it needs and what to do. My friend Galina Bazarova, who has worked as a doctor for many years, said once, “I can say from experience that I am not aware of any other healing tool that can be so effective as fasting.“
American world-famous doctor Paul Bragg wrote about nutrition and the medicinal fasting in health recovery. Several books, that have been written by him talk about his system of health recovery and the prolongation of life. His works have a world reputation. He demonstrates the effect of fasting in his own life. In his famous book The Miracle of Fasting, he said, “I believe in my program of fasting, it proved its effect on me, on my family, on my friends and on thousands people from the world. You can imagine how my body relaxes when I fast 75 days a year.”

The idea of abstention from food to heal sickness is very simple. That is why physicians have no respect for it. Today many people can talk about their results from fasting. Fasting treated incurable sicknesses such as leprosy, heart disease, anemia, Bright’s disease, nephritis, stomach ulcer, pyorrhea, sinusitis, and the common cold. All of them are relieved and made a complete recovery by fasting. To treat a cold, you need to fast for one to four days. Of course, many people are afraid of fasting. “How can I work?” one asks, or “How can I keep balance if I stop eating?” another worries. Certainly, each person feels a fit of hunger, but this state doesn’t last a long time. One person feels it only the first two days, and another one feels it five days. The most popular form of fasting is taking only water or fasting includes the use of fresh juices made from fruits and vegetables as well as herbal teas. After some time, they feel a sense of lightness and well-being.

Fasting is one of the best overall healing methods because it can be applied to so many conditions and people. I have read a lot of books about fasting. Animals instinctively fast when ill. In Kazakhstan, many people have learned this nonconventional treatment from books, such as those written by Malakhov, who cured himself of many diseases by fasting. I am sure every family in my country has his books and use his advice to heal themselves. People are tired of using many different chemical drugs in whose benefit they don’t believe.

Fasting can really work miracles. I know many people in my country, as well as in Russia and China, cured themselves of malignant breast cancer by correctly using a juice fast. Scientific research shows that long lived cultures like the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico and the Abkhazian of Georgia, who live on a low calorie diet and fast 1-2 days out of the week, lived to be on average 100-110 years old. The miracle benefits of fasting using the correct methods have been shown many times to cure illness, to help people lose weight, look younger, feel better, and even live longer.

Assignment 2: Opinion essay

2006-03-07T10:53:00.000-08:00

In this unit, you learned that an essay is a group of paragraphs about a topic. The first paragraph is the introduction, and the final sentence of the introduction is called the thesis statement. A thesis statement expresses the topic and controlling idea of an essay, just as a topic sentence expresses the topic and controlling idea of a paragraph.

After the introduction, an essay has one or more body paragraphs, each with its topic sentence. The body paragraphs provide support for the thesis statement.

An essay finishes with a conclusion, which restates the thesis in a different way and offers a solution, makes a prediction, or gives advice to the reader. The conclusion should provide the reader with a sense of closure.

Your assignment was to write an essay about a non-conventional medical treatment, expressing your opinion about its effectiveness and/or safety. You wrote at least three drafts before writing your final paper. In this blog, you are going to post your final essays after incorporating my grammar corrections.

Ali's opinion paragraph

2006-02-24T07:50:00.000-08:00

The media coverage of the Michael Jackson child abuse trial was out of proportion to the importance of the story. Michael Jackson is a famous American singer. Most people know him. Over the years there have been many reports concerning child abuse at Jackson’s ranch. He has been accused of being gay. The most recent story about Michael Jackson was that he had sex with a small boy, and the boy’s mother complained in to the police. Reporters made this story very big because he is a very famous singer. In the beginning Michael was famous for his dancing. Then he was identified as a suspect in these cases. Many reporters assumed that Michael was guilty and began looking for evidence of his guilt. Every detail of Michael’s personal life and career was investigated. Michael Jackson is a normal person; he might make mistakes, like other people. In my opinion, reporters must not make the story very big.

Abdulrahman's Opinion Paragraph

2006-02-24T07:48:00.000-08:00

The media should not exploit the personal problems of celebrities for profit.Diego Armando Maradona, whose nickname is El Diez, is regarded as one of the best players in the history of soccer. The story began when all the media announced that Maradona was battling a cocaine addiction. The news made the people who loved Maradona very upset and they didn’t trust it, so they went everywhere to know the truth. On the other hand, the reporters surrounded Maradona’s house. They were waiting for him, but they didn’t know if he was in the house or not. Other reporters were in the hospital waiting for him, but they also didn’t know if he was there or not. Day after day, the media made the story bigger. They said that the Mafia was to blame because Maradona’s team played a team owned by a member of Al-Mafia. Next, it was reported that Maradona was followed by Al-Mafia, and they tricked him into having cocaine in his blood. In fact, it was not true, but Maradona is still being followed by the media,who want to know all the facts and how he had cocaine in his blood. This just wastes people’s time and makes money for the newspapers. Maradona is the best in soccer, but not in his own life because he lost his good reputation by doing wrong things. However, the media was wrong to sensationalize his tragic mistake.

Na Ry's opinion paragraph

2006-02-24T07:45:00.000-08:00

Leslie Cheung was the most famous actor in Hong Kong. He was in Yee do hung gaan and Ba wang bie ji. He was also a singer. He was very handsome and talented. So lots of Asians loved him. Unfortunately, on April 1, 2003, he died. After he died in his hotel room, TV, newspapers, and the internet reported his stories. The very first story talked about when he died, where he died, and how he died. He was idolized by reporters who applauded his ability. Then, a few hours later, many reporters wrote about his suicide and suicide note. A policeman who saw Leslie Cheung’s suicide note wrote that he was depressed and he was in love with a man. Based on the police officer’s statement, reporters wrote a love story. They wrote that he loved two men, so he became confused, and that’s why he was depressed. It was almost like a romantic novel. Reporters must write just facts. Of course, they have to attract many readers to make a lot of money. So they write stories interestingly. It is natural. But it seems very cruel to sensationalize the story of one man who died of sorrow.

Boram's opinion paragraph

2006-02-24T07:44:00.000-08:00

Lee Yoonhyung, daughter of the CEO of Samsung, committed suicide in Manhattan because of a marriage problem. Her father, the Samsung CEO, didn’t accept her boyfriend. So she maybe had had a hard time. At first, when her death was discovered, the Samsung group announced that she was killed in a car accident. But the accident was investigated by the media. As a result, the fact that she committed suicide was discovered. She had been studying arts management at New York University. She had been having a problem with her parents. Her parents didn’t accept her boyfriend, Shin Subin, so she killed herself. But the Samsung group has not mentioned this incident. the media always must report facts. But they don’t have to make a story sensational. This incident is more sensational than the factual. The facts aren’t clear yet. But the media still reported that her death was caused by the conflict with her parents.

Mohammed Al-Hajri's Opinion Paragraph

2006-02-24T07:37:00.002-08:00

The media should not have made such a big deal of the Diego Maradona drug case. Argentine soccer superstar, Diego Maradona, is well known for his “Hand of God”. He is a good player. He led his team to win the World Cup. He was known as a famous player all over the world, but Maradona took drugs, which ruined his reputation. The incident happened in Italy, when he joined the Naples mafia organization and took drugs. Maradona failed a drug test and was banned for 15 months from playing. It was a big event in the world because he was a famous soccer player, so the reaction was extreme. The reporters covered every thing about Maradona’s life. He was followed everywhere by the media, which bothered Maradona. They even made false accusations, so Maradona became angry. One day, while reporters were waiting in front of Maradona’s house, he went out with a gun and fired on them. I think the reporters took all privacy from him. They followed Maradona everywhere and made his story very big. Maradona made a very big mistake, but they shouldn’t have followed him everywhere and invaded his privacy. Because he is a normal person, he might make mistakes. We must respect his great history in soccer as a good player.

Eman's Opinion Pragraph

2006-02-24T07:37:00.001-08:00

Eman AlKindi
Feb.14, 2006
Opinion Paragraph

Princess Diana died in a very terrible accident; she paid with her life for celebrity. The accident happened because the media followed her every where all the time. In 1997, when she was with her lover Dodi ALFaied in Paris, the media followed them with photography and surrounded them with cars. They tried to take some pictures of them with each other. The story started when some photographers took some pictures of them in the sea when they were having fun. The media sensationalized this news and supported it with these private photographs. The reporter wrote, “Princess Diana is pregnant by her boyfriend," which made the Royal family angry. Some people said the Royal family had a hand in that accident, but no one knows what the truth is. If it was an accident or intended accident, it's the same, because with her death and that of everyone with her, the secret disappeared. The media turned her life into a nightmare. They didn't let her have a personal life, and they made her life very difficult. It's terrible when someone can't be comfortable in her life. Finally, she paid too much for celebrity. In my opinion, everyone has a right to live his life without being followed or attacked by anyone, but for celebrities it's become a dream.

Abdulla's opinion paragraph

2006-02-24T07:37:00.000-08:00

When Hamad Al-Thani, president of Qatar, decided to build a big church in Qatar, the Qatari press sensationalized the story by focusing too much attention on people who objected to the church. Every body knows that all Qatari people are Muslims, so some people were angry, but on the other hand, the president’s plan was accepted by some people. President Hamad decided to build the church because there are many Christians in Qatar,thirty-five percent are Indian Christians , twenty-five percent British and European Christians , ten percent American Christians,thirty percent other nationalities. The other reason for his decision was that all people in Qatar are free to do anything they want. That is called religious freedom. I agree with my president because everybody must be able to do anything they want and they can choose their own religion. Qatar is a democratic country and everybody is the same and free. The story was sensationalized by the media. The media should not have blown this story out of proportion.

Maira's Opinion Paragraph

2006-02-24T07:30:00.000-08:00

People have been distracted and bored by the sensational endless story about three movie stars. It turned out celebrity divorce has an effect on common people. Brad Pitt, Jennifer Aniston and Angelina Jolie are very popular highly-paid actors in Hollywood today. Producers have invited to play them main roles for many interesting modern movies. For four years, Brad Pitt was married to Jennifer Aniston, and everyone thought that they were a lucky couple. But life changed for many people when Brad fell in love with Angelina last year. He divorced his wife and now he is trying to marry his new girlfriend, Angelina Jolie. Magazines, newspapers, the Internet and TV have all written about their lives, such as how they feel, what they say, where they go, when they call each other, and when they are going to marry again. There are a lot of repetitive articles. Reporters love to write gossip about the personal life of celebrities and to fill people’s heads with useless information. It is typical for people in that case to side with one person or the other. People sell and buy T-shirts and hats with the inscriptions, “Camp of Jolie” and “Camp of Aniston”, when they could be spending their time on important things. Journalists laugh and comment, “America has been divided into two camps”. The media needs to be more responsible about the stories that it covers and it should focus on serious and educational issues.

Lun's opinion paragraph

2006-02-24T07:24:00.000-08:00

Today there are too many news stories which are reported every day. Sometimes the facts are clear. At other times, people must rely on their own judgment. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was accused of sexual harassment by six women on Dec 2, 2002. The women alleged that Schwarzenegger had touched their breasts or buttocks over the last three decades. They first sold the stories to the Los Angeles Times the final weekend before the gubernatorial election. Schwarzenegger shocked the crowd in San Diego. Schwarzenegger said to the crowd that a lot of the allegations are not true. But he has apologized for behaving badly. He said he thought his behavior was playful, but now he recognizes that he offended people. The crowd accepted Schwarzenegger's apology. They did not believe the reports. They were cheering and clapping for Schwarzenegger. In the past politicians have often been accused in scandals by the media before elections, and the attacks were usually effective. But in the day people rely on their own judgment. They do not believe reports. They have their own opinion. Everybody can analyze news.

Ozgecan's Opinion Paragraph

2006-02-24T07:19:00.000-08:00

The media disturbs famous people with sensational news, but at the same time, I think it is good for them. For example, Michael Jackson always attracts attention with his bizarre life style. Recently, the most sensational news was that Michael Jackson was violating small boys. This news was heard for the first time in 1993. Then, in 2004 it was heard again, this time with a 15-year-old boy. As soon as this news was heard, new small boys appeared who claimed Michael Jackson had violated them. A lot of things about Michael Jackson’s story began to be broadcast in 2004. It was getting bigger day by day. The media researched everything about Jackson and his life. They spoke to his former wife, his children's mother and his friends and broadcast every detail. The trial began in January, 2005 and continued until July, 2005. The court decided that Jackson was innocent. Of course, people need to know that kind of news. The media should broadcast or print it, but if it had not been Michael Jackson, if it had just been an average person, the media would not have been that interested in it. Maybe we would see a little paragraph about this news on the last pages in the newspapers. People don't have to know too much information about famous people's privacy. I think the media sensationalizes this kind of story and it works for famous people because it keeps them in the public eye. For example, Michael Jackson is famous in Turkey, too. But he was at the height of his popularity in Turkey in the 1990's. Then it changed. But during the trial, he was on the news, on the TV, on the internet, on the radio. He was everywhere again. It doesn't matter to fans if the news is good or bad because Jackson still has a lot of fans. I think this kind of sensationalism makes it impossible to forget their names.

Assignment 1: Opinion paragraph

2006-02-23T07:42:00.000-08:00

In our first unit, you learned to

indent the paragraph
write a topic sentence with the controlling idea for the paragraph
write a concluding sentence to sum up the paragraph.

Your first writing assignment was to write an opinion paragraph. The topic was sensationalized reporting. You chose a news story that was sensationalized by the media. You described the event and the media coverage of the event, and you stated your opinion about the coverage.