English Reading Class

During my English reading class, I learned a lot of reading strategies, as like using context clues, mind mapping, summarizing the gist…and so on. The most useful to me is using context clues which are words and phrases in a sentence that help me reason out of an unfamiliar word. Besides, I also obtain a lot from the cooperative learning during this class. I can bring up my ideas or questions directly with my group members, and then we can discuss and solve the problem together. However, the disadvantage of this cooperative learning is that most of members do not have enough time to gather to discussing. To sum up, I found that I have made great progress of my reading after learning reading strategy. It helps me to read in a very efficient way and to get the maximum benefic from the reading with minimum effort.

Stinky Tofu

Stinky Tofu, or Chou Dou Fu, is a form of fermented tofu that has a strong odor. Its smell has been described as "baby poo," "hellacious" and "sharply foul". Stinky tofu is tofu that stinks and is a popular dish in Taiwan. It is made by marinating fresh tofu in brine produced by fermented ingredients, e.g., dried shrimp, Chinese herbs, or bamboo shoots. Stinky tofu is a very popular snack in East and Southeast Asia where it is easily found with no place to hide at night markets or roadside stands. Try it! You will never forget its special smell.

Morning People / Night People

Each person has his or her own circadian rhythm. Some individuals are morning people while others are night people. There are quite a few differences between morning people and night people. One difference is the sleeping time. Moring people follow the maxim of “early to bed, early to rise,” and turn in by 9:00 pm. Night people only get five or six hours of sleep a day. A second difference is the brains excitable time. Morning people's brains were most excitable at 9 a.m. This slowly decreased through the day. In contrast, for night people, whose brains were most excitable at 9 p.m. For example, morning people are ready to face the day while having a cup of coffee at the breakfast table. However, night people are often tired and cranky at the breakfast table, they feel that they function better at night and are often very productive during the evening hours. All in all, though there are differences between the morning people and the night people, we understand that sufficient sleep is very important no matter which kinds of people you are.

Tell the Truth

If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything, says “Mark Twain”. Telling the truth is a very important trait, and we should teach our children to tell the truth all the time. They can avoid misunderstandings and complications later in life if they are taught that telling the truth is always the best way to deal with situations. Truth is a virtue. When people avoid being truthful, it can lead to numerous other lies and complication.

How to Live on a Tight Budget

Living on a tight budget is a difficult task. In these difficult economic times it is import to budget carefully and follow that budget. Here are some tips on how to survive on a tight budget. First of all, one of the best ways is paying by cash only. For instance, if we pay by credit card, we may forget what we have spent until get the debit cards. Paying by cash not only let us know what we are spending but also can restrain our desire to purchase luxury goods which we cannot afford it. In addition, eliminate or reduce unnecessary expenditures. If you really need a car or new clothes, you can spend less money for a used car instead of a new car. To sum up, living on a tight budget is very tough, so, it is necessary to plan expenditures carefully and keep to a budget even only a penny.

Qualities of Good Parents

Good parents must be sensitive to all their children’s needs. How to be good parents? There are three qualities that goods parents shall have. Firstly, the good habits, good habits are one of important features to the development of children’s daily life. Parents are the model of the children. If parents teach them good habits, children will develop them. For examples, if parents like reading or painting, and most of the children will do as their parents do. Secondly, the patience, the parents must have patience to their children. When the children were a baby, the only way to express their emotion is crying, the parents must find out and understand what they need. Lastly, the love, love is most important for the children. The children who grow with loving parents are happier than the children who grow with less compassion family. For instance, they will concern and care others people who need their help. To sum up, the qualities of good habits, patience and love are essentials for the goods parents.

A Sunny Day at the Beach

The beach is full of people on a sunny day. The weather is warm and pleasant, with small waves, clear water and a sunny, blue sky. People love to lie on the beach and look at the sky to enjoy their free time. Parents accompany children to do sand sculpture, and boys and girls are playing volleyball at the beach. The whole beach is full of former frivolity sound. However, people always leave a pile of garbage after they left. Hope everyone can pick the garbage up before they leave. Let's enjoy what a lovely sunny beach for a day off!