5.08 Free Choice Blog

For this free choice blog, I chose to read a chapter in The Fault in Our Stars. I have heard so much about this book and everyone seems to love it. The first chapter is all about Hazel Grace, a cancer patient, and how she goes to a weekly support group because her mother thinks she is depressed. She doesn't like going and she is very angry about it and also constantly makes sarcastic comments about it. She meets another boy, Augustus, and after introducing themselves, they have a conversation. Augustus invites her over to watch a movie and she quickly goes and informs her mom that she is going to watch a movie at Augustus Water's house.

What was your personal reaction to this reading selection?
I honestly was really surprised when I read it. It wasn't what I was expecting at all and the way it was written makes it so much more interesting and makes you want to read more. The characters are hilarious yet unique. They each have their own character and after finishing this chapter, I want to finish the whole book to see what happens.

What did you believe the author's intent was, and what patterns of organization did you observe?
I think with this chapter, the author wanted to show the readers that all of these teenagers who have/had cancer are still normal teenagers. They still have this weird thinking and all these quirks and hobbies. I noticed that the pattern of organization used was chronological organization. The story goes day through day and it is in Hazel's perspective.

2.03 Summarization

AP Images © 2010

Chants, curses can't stop Red Sox

NEW YORK (AP) _ who’s your daddy, indeed.

No chants, no curse could stop the Boston Red Sox.

They turned history on its head and the New York Yankees into baseball’s most stunned losers to reach the World Series for the first time since 1986.

"All empires fall sooner or later," Boston president Larry Lucchino said.

He had once branded the Yankees "the Evil Empire," and he fought them hard without the resources that Yankees boss George Steinbrenner had. But even with a far lower payroll, the Red Sox had enough stars to come through with one of the greatest victories in the history of the franchise.

"I'm just thinking of all those great Red Sox teams that could never quite beat the Yankees," said Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein, proud that he helped put together one that did.

The way they're playing, rolling to four straight wins with everyone clicking, they just might win the whole shebang for the first time since Babe Ruth was on their side back in 1918. 

All of us who wrote off the Red Sox after they lost the first three games, and seemed to have lost Curt Schilling to injury, were wrong. Crow pie is hereby served. 
Now Yankee fans have a small idea of how Red Sox Nation has suffered, watching its team find incredible ways to lose over and over. They can't truly grasp the depth of the annual ordeal without going through it for generations, but losing this one hurt to the Big Apple's core.

At one minute after midnight, the Red Sox closed out the Yankees 10-3 in Game 7 when Ruben Sierra grounded out to second base. Nothing whacky happened. No ball through someone's legs, no errant throw, no sudden breeze from the supposed ghosts of Yankee Stadium. Just a simple throw by Pokey Reese to first and the Red Sox were the American League champions.

They had been hugging each other in the dugout for several innings, and now they leaped on each other on the mound as the Yankees watched.

"I'm embarrassed right now,'' said Alex Rodriguez, who was nearly traded to the Red Sox before going to the Yankees. "Obviously that hurts _ watching them on our field celebrating. Being up 3-0 and not being able to put the knockout punch. That hurts. ... I'm going to need to go somewhere for a while and just hide.''

There were different heroes on different nights. David Ortiz, the unanimous choice for MVP, hammered one more homer in the first inning Wednesday night off Yankee starter Kevin Brown to kickstart the Red Sox after his walk-off hits helped them win Games 4 and 5. 

Then Johnny Damon, all but invisible the first six games in a 3-for-29 slump, pounced on the first pitch from reliever Javier Vazquez in the second inning for a grand slam into the right field stands. Damon, a .304 hitter with 20 homers during the regular season homered again in the fourth a two-run shot that put Boston ahead 8-1. The rout was on.

"I hadn't been as aggressive as I was during the course of the season,'' Damon said. "With the bases loaded, I knew Vazquez was trying to sneak a fastball by me so he can start working on his changeup or whatnot. I jumped on the first fastball.''

Derek Lowe, the forgotten man in Boston's rotation much of the season, came up with a gem _ a one-hitter over six innings. It was his second huge performance of the ALCS. When Boston faced elimination in Game 4, he started and held the Yankees to three runs on six hits in 5 1-3 innings. 

When Pedro Martinez pitched in relief in the seventh, Yankee fans predictably chanted "Who's Your Daddy?'' It seemed silly with the Red Sox leading by so much, even though the Yankees came up with two runs against him. On this night, in this series, even with Yankee fans holding up photos of Ruth to evoke the fabled "Curse of the Bambino,'' the Red Sox were the Yankees' daddy.

"I've only been here a couple of years and I can't imagine what people in Boston have been suffering through,'' Kevin Millar said."Not many people get the opportunity to shock the world. We came out and did it. We made history by getting to Game 7 and made history again by winning it.
"You know what? We beat the Yankees. Now they get a chance to watch us on the tube.''

The humbled Yankee, winners of the AL East during the regular season, gave full credit to the wildcard Red Sox for coming up with this win.
"When we get to the postseason, it's whatever team is the hottest,'' Derek Jeter said. "It's not always the best team that's going to win. And I'm not saying that we are a better team than they are. I'm just saying that's how it goes sometimes. There's been years when we've had a pretty good team and we just weren't hot at the right time.''

They were on fire the first three games, especially Game 3 with a 19-8 victory in Fenway Park and then they were frigid. They lost in ways that Red Sox fans were used to seeing their teams lose. In extra innings two nights in a row. Against a pitcher with an ankle tendon held together by stitches the next. And finally against a slumping hitter who found his home run stroke and a forgotten pitcher who came through in Game 7.

40 – 50 Word Summary: The Boston Red Sox are a baseball team in the Major League Baseball. People said they were cursed as they did not win a World Series game in decades. In 2006, they won against the Yankees making the Yankees the most stunned losers since 1986.

15 – 20 Word Summary: The Boston Red Sox are an MLB baseball team who broke a curse in 2006 after beating the Yankees.

5.05 Connotations and Allusions Analysis

We were both young, when I first saw you.

i close my eyes and the flashback starts-

I'm standing there, on a balcony in summer air.

 see the lights; see the party, the ball gowns.

 see you make your way through the crowd-

 say hello, little did I know...

That you were Romeo, you were throwing pebbles-

And my daddy said "stay away from Juliet"-

And I was crying on the staircase-

begging you, "Please don't go..."

And I said...

Romeo take me somewhere, we can be alone.

I'll be waiting; all we have to do is run.

You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess,

It's a love story, baby, just say yes.

So I sneak out to the garden to see you.

We keep quiet, because we're dead if they knew-

So close your eyes... escape this town for a little while.

Oh, Oh.

Cause you were Romeo - I was a scarlet letter,

And my daddy said "stay away from Juliet" -

but you were everything to me-

I was begging you, "Please don't go"

And I said...

Romeo take me somewhere, we can be alone.

I'll be waiting; all there's left to do is run.

You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess.

It's a love story, baby, just say yes-

Romeo save me, they're trying to tell me how to feel.

This love is difficult, but it's real.

Don't be afraid, we'll make it out of this mess.

It's a love story, baby, just say yes.

Oh, Oh.

I got tired of waiting.

Wondering if you were ever coming around.

My faith in you was fading-

When I met you on the outskirts of town.

And I said...

Romeo save me, I've been feeling so alone.

I keep waiting, for you but you never come.

Is this in my head, I don't know what to think-

He knelt to the ground and pulled out a ring and said...

Marry me Juliet, you'll never have to be alone.

I love you, and that's all I really know.

I talked to your dad -- go pick out a white dress

It's a love story, baby just say... yes.

Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh.

'cause we were both young when I first saw you

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. a. That you were Romeo, you were throwing pebbles-

And my daddy said "stay away from Juliet"-

    b. Referring to Romeo and Juliet and how Juliet's parents didn't approve of him.

    c. Her dad didn't like the guy but she wanted to be with him. 

2. a. So I sneak out to the garden to see you.

We keep quiet, because we're dead if they knew-

    b. Making an allusion to Romeo and Juliet and how for a while they snuck around to be together. 

    c. They both want to be together so they meet at places where her father won't know. 

3.  a. Romeo save me, they're trying to tell me how to feel.

This love is difficult, but it's real.

Don't be afraid, we'll make it out of this mess.

     b. Juliet was told by her family members to stay away from Romeo though she didn't want to/ 

     c. Her parents are trying to keep her away but she believes they will be happy and one day will be together. 

4. a. Cause you were Romeo - I was a scarlet letter,

    b. This is referring to the scarlet letter and how women were marked for committing adultery. 

    c. Her father doesn't want them to be together so she is considered the scarlet letter. 

5. a. We keep quiet, because we're dead if they knew-

    b. In Romeo and Juliet, they snuck around because if they were caught, they'd be killed. 

    c. She knows that if her parents were to find out, she'd be in big trouble but she stills chooses to meet him. 

5.03 Inference Analysis

Notes from the text:

1. "Unconscious of his wife's shriek, the old man smiled faintly, put out his hands like a sightless man, and dropped, a senseless heap, to the floor.""

2. "The paw!"She cried wildly. "The monkey's paw!"

3. She cried and laughed together, and bending over, kissed his cheek.

4.  "I only just thought of it," she said hysterically. "Why didn't I think of it before? Why didn't you think of it?"

5. "Think of what?" He questioned.

Thoughts/Questions:

1. Why was the man smiling if his son just died?

2. Why does she want this paw so badly?

3. What is she doing?

4.. What is going on in her head and what is she thinking about?

5. He probably thinks she's going crazy.

Predictions:

1. Something good has to happen if he's smiling when his son just died.

2. There's more to this paw and it has a story behind it.

3. She's going to do something without telling her husband.

4. Whatever she's going to do is not going to be right and she didn't think it through before.

5. He's going to go after her and find out what's going to happen.

5.02 Predictions, Questions, and Context

"The Lady or the Tiger"

1. How did the princess find out which door held the lady and which door held the tiger?
The princess was a girl of strong will and she was determined to find out who was behind which door. This led her to pay someone to find out and tell her which door held the lady and which door held the tiger.

2. How did the king feel about the young man who loved his daughter?
The king was not happy at all when he found out about the young man who loved his daughter. He disapproved of it and threw the man in prison and put him on trial for either death or choosing a wife. The king knew that whatever the man chose he wouldn't end up with his daughter.

3. What does the word "deliberation" mean in the following sentence?
Deliberation in this sentence means the the princess was constantly thinking about the man's fate. The sentence also shows that the decision wasn't easy to make.

4. Which came out of the opened door: the lady, or the tiger? (As long as you provide details from the text to support your answer, there is no "right" or "wrong" response.)
I think the whole point of this story is to make you wonder who came out the door and even come up with your own ending. The author didn't give any hints as to who would come out the door, leaving it up to us to decide.

2.05 Note Taking Styles

"The Bet"

“02.05 Note Taking Styles”
Notes on “The Bet”, by Anton Checkov

•  The banker had a party about fifteen years ago in the autumn.
• The old banker remembered a conversation that he had with some of his guest all about the capital punishment.
• Some guests were disagreeing with others and their opinions that they had on it.
• The old banker was young at the time and had made a bet with a lawyer. Stating and telling him that he wouldn’t last fifteen years in a prison.
• When the bet was made and final the lawyer stayed in a part of the house all alone and isolated from society and life. In return the banker would give him two million dollars.
•  The lawyer was only allowed to drink some wine, have tobacco, write letters, and read book. He also was allowed to have an instrument.
•  Once the banker had realized how ridiculous the bet they had made was he then decided that he should have never agreed to the bet they made because nothing would have been proven.

4.08 Free Choice Blog

For this assignment, I chose to do the first chapter of "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald since I am also reading it for my English class. The first chapter starts off with the introduction of the main characters which include Nick Caraway, Tom Buchanan, and Daisy Buchanan. Not only are they introduced, but the way they are described the readers can tell that their relationships are complicated and dramatic. The first chapter also describes the setting of Long Island in the 1920s and all the fancy houses and the decor.

What was your personal reaction to this reading selection?

I really enjoyed reading this chapter as it was descriptive and made me want to keep reading. The dialogue between the characters was very interesting and it made me wonder what else would happen.

What did you believe the author's intent was, and what patterns of organization did you observe?

I think from this first chapter, the author's intention was to grab the readers attention and make them want to continue. I noticed there was a chronological organizational pattern in this first chapter since it showed how the narrator met each one of the character step by step.

4.05 Bias Analysis

04.05 Bias Analysis

Blank Graphic Organizer

http://www.stopbullying.gov/index.html

http://www.teenink.com/nonfiction/all/article/282362/A-bullying-Satire/

Issue: Bullying

First View: Anti-Bullying

Author: written by the stopbullying website

Facts and Opinions: Bullying affects millions of students all around the world and it affects not only the students being bullied, but those around them Though sometimes it cannot be seen, it is still extreme and a lot of the times adults don't understand how bad it can get because they don't see it. Bullying is basically a repeated aggressive behavior that can be done on one person or more and can be either physical or emotional. Bullying is a serious problem that makes students afraid to even get up sometimes.

Second View: Pro- Bullying

Author: A teenage writer from New Jersey

Facts and Opinions: Bullying can be seen as helpful to everyone, whether they are the one being bullied or the bully themselves. When it comes to bullying, it should be encouraged as everyone wins and most people believe that some need to be bullied. Bullying shouldn't be made into a huge deal because you will most likely never see that person again after you graduate.  Bullying can be good for adults, students, children, and everyone around the world.

Reader’s View and Why: I think that between both articles, there are points make sense and are right. I do think though that it's anti-bullying that takes the spot because it is honestly wrong to physically or emotionally bring harm to another person.

4.04 Bias and Opinion

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/jan/17/sabet-marijuana-legalizations-worst-enemy/

There is some bias in this article. First of all, they basically left out one side of the article and only spoke about the negative effects. There may be positive sides to legalizing marijuana but it was not written. A lot of facts were also ignored in this article. I also feel like like the article was only written from one side and not the other side. There was also bias because this article only included one view, which was from the negative side. The opposing view was not included and this showed bias.

Bias in this article could have been avoided easily. Just by including the positive effects they could have avoided bias. If they included the other views and not just written from one view there would be no bias. Getting information from all sides and views would have made the article less biased.

4.03 Tone Analysis

The positive and negative reviews on The Monkeys Paw W. W. Jacobs:

Positive:  This is probably one of my favorite passages that I have ever read. I really caught my attention and it was interesting to read. The way this was written and the details used was really amazing. The author has a really creative mind and I really like the idea of this story. I liked how the Monkeys Paw was able to grant three wishes for three different men. This story really impressed me and I really hope W. W. Jacobs writes more passages similar to this.

Negative: This is probably one of least favorite passages that I have ever read. I didn't find it interesting at all and there was nothing that really caught my attention. I think more descriptive details could have been used and I think the author needs to be a little bit more creative. I didn't understand the idea of the Monkeys Paw granting three wishes for three men, it didn't make sense to me. I really disliked this story and I think it could have been written better. I really do hope that W. W. Jacobs writes better stories than this one.

3.07 Free Choice Blog

The book I chose for this assignment is Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. This is the second book to the Hunger Game series and it was the most different from the other two books. This book was basically the aftermath of the hunger games and it was for all the people who have already won the hunger games. It's about how all those who've won the hunger games before are now going to go back to fight each other. This idea made everyone upset because once you play in the hunger games once, you don't go back. For a better chance in surviving, Katniss and Peeta decide to team up with other people so as the others are getting prepared, they are looking for people to team up with.

What was your personal reaction to this reading selection?
I was kind of surprised to the fact that the capital would want people to fight again. They're making people who have already killed to survive go back to win again.

What did you believe the author's intent was, and what patterns of organization did you observe?
The author's intent was to grab the readers attention and to give you a surprise you wouldn't expect. She wanted the readers to be more interested and to want to know more on what was going to happen. The one pattern of organization I observed was that the author used cause/effect.

3.05 Styles of Analysis

3.05 Styles of Analysis

Cause/Effect

Causes:

• He was given the Monkey's paw.
• He didn't know what to do with it.
• Using the talisman, he made only one wish.

Topic: The Monkey's Paw

Effects:

• His own family wished for 200 dollars.
• The sound of the door banging upstairs.
• Once the wish was made, the Monkey's paw moved.

Compare/Contrast

Topic One
Differences:

The bad outcome:

• The old man kept the Monkey's paw.
• The money never came after the wish was made.
• The man saw bad images in the fire.
• He heard a banging on the door upstairs.

Topic Two
Differences:

The good outcome:

• The old man kept the Monkey's paw.
• They weren't harmed.
• The banging on the door wasn't a bad thing.
• The old man was able to laugh at the situation and think nothing bad of it.

Similarities:

• The old man kept the Monkey's paw.
• The banging on the door upstairs.

2.07 Free Choice Blog

For the free choice assignment, I chose to read The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant. I read this once for my English class and I found it really interesting.

The story is basically about a woman named Madame Mathilde Loisel and how she would always dream of being wealthy and being well known. She would always dream of having the most expensive jewelry and being able to dress in nice clothing. Once her and her husband got invited to two parties and she didn't want to go because she had nothing to wear. Her husband felt bad so he used money he was saving for himself to buy her dress, but even that wasn't enough because she wanted jewelry. They finally borrowed a beautiful necklace from a friend, Madame Jeanne Forestier. At the party, the woman lost the necklace and they couldn't find it. For years and years, the husband and wife saved up money to pay back for the necklace. One night, she sees Madame Jeanne Forestier and feeling guilty, she goes and tells her the truth. Madame Jeanne Forestier is shocked and she tells the lady that the necklace was actually not real and it was really cheap.

My personal reaction to this story was that I thought this was really interesting for a short interesting. It is interesting to read about how the woman spent her time daydreaming about being rich but in the end, she didn't even know the difference between real and fake.

I think if I were to write notes for this short story, I would use an outline because that way, I would be able to write the main ideas and then all the ideas that support it.

1.03 Materials and Free Choice

After taking the quiz, I found it to be quite accurate. The ending results states that nonfiction is my favorite genre of books. Most of the books that I read are nonfiction and it is my favorite genre. I really like reading books based on true stories and reading books where I can compare it to my own life. I read a lot of news and blogs; I also enjoy reading magazines. The results of this quiz just proved to be correct with its precise results.

The last book I read was The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I really enjoyed reading this book and I learned so much from it. There were so many lessons to be learnt from this book and I really enjoyed it. The book is not only based on one thing but on different things. Each theme can teach something different in all aspects of life. Though this book was fiction, I really enjoyed it and would read it again.