Class reflection

As the end of this school year was coming, I looked back to the beginning, I found I have learned a lot on this English class. In this year, I finished reading six books and also studied poem. From the first book The Girl with pearls earrings to the final one We were liars, I read books of different topic and style which covers non fiction, fiction, religion, mystery. This whole year class changed my way of reading. I usually read book quickly but didn’t think deeply about author’s language and the meaning of some sentences before; as I read more books on the class, I gradually keep the habit of taking notes when reading, thinking about key sentences, connecting each separate plot.

Sometimes, I had hard time on writing essay. I feel struggled on choose the right word to show my idea, during most of time I have to use almost right word. Also I need to improve on incorporation of a variety of sentence styles. When I read the essay I wrote, I will feel some sentences are repetitive, I use too much same coordinating conjunction. And I need to learn how to connect each paragraph by sharing same points, because the paraph transition in my essay is usually really sharp.

Among the books I have read in this year, My favorite book is Me and You. This book doesn’t contain a lot of difficult word which helps me reading. And especially the touchful ending makes me always remember this book. Nobody can understand Lorenzo except the sister Olivia, even his parents though he was not normal child. No one cares about Olivia, she always lives lonely. Only Lorenzo and Olivia can understand each, promised and supported each other. When I read this book, I felt I can’t stop reading it. I want to know what happened between Olivia and Lorenzo, I want to know if they would have dream life at the ending. The plot really attracts me a lot.

In this summer, I want to read the book Divergent.It is young adult dystopian novel. I have ever watched the film which makes me be desired to read the novel of it. It has similar theme with other young adult book such as The Maze Runner and The Hunger Games. These stories will make me not feel bored when reading. I also think the book that similar to the girls with pearls earrings would be a good option for me. This historical novel has very strong plot which makes me search and study a lot of information about that artist, that period of time and that art painting after I read the book. I like studying the history by reading the story of it. 

Play about murder and inheritance

In this weekend, I watched the spring play Bone chiller in black box. I feel it was a mysterious play when I first time heard the name of it. When I walked into the black box and got the brochure of introduction, I can make sure it is. On the cover of brochure, there is a large picture that show kind of message in both painting and letter ways. The stage was redesigned perfectly. It looks like an old but rich style house. The play started with scary lightening sound and the butler walked onto the stage slowly and the mirror on the wall reflect that butler which all makes me feel this play may be mysterious and a bit scaring. I guess that there will be a murder. But after the character kindergarten teacher appear on the stage and began to show, I changed my mind. Although it has a mysterious theme which is about murder and inheritance, it can be showed in a funny way. Her speaking almost made all audience laugh loudly.

The play talks about that a rich man who were murdered by someone, but he left a huge amount of inheritance, and he wrote the message of who can inherite it in mystirious code. His friends and families came to his house to find the truth. But during the process of finding, two people were killed. At last, they find the two people who are killer.

I feel the sound system of this play is really good. It makes me feel that I'm surrounded by mystery. And every time the killing was happened, or actors said funny lines. The sound will appear in right time which makes us laugh a lot.

Ghost or imaginary

I think Mirren, Johnny and Gat are Cadence's imagination. Firstly, I don't believe in ghost. Then in the book, the author writes that, Cadence got injury in that accident and had mental problems. She can't remember what happened in that accident. So in this condition, I think Cadence may have imagination due to the injury. When Cadence set the fire then she found other liars were still in the house. She was extremely sad and scared, and felt guilty. Then want to make this family be better but finally she destroyed it. I think this kind of serious sadness may cause Cadence have imaginary of liars. Because she didn't want them be died. She lived in her imagining world, she imagined that they were still alive, and the whole family relationship got better and better which is what all four liars hope. And the last reason is that, in the book, there are only conversation between Cadence and liars. But liars never talked with other family members in summer seventeen which means other people can't see them. And when Cadence once asked Carrie about how was Johnny. Aunt Carrie didn't know what she was talking about. If they are ghost, everyone in this island can see them. But they couldn't. So according to above reason, I think Johnny, Mirren and Gat are imaginary. 

51-70

When cadre saw liars, they lied to her and said they went too see firework and doughnut shop.

Cadence was hit by migraine much worse than before.

The fire was happened in summer fifteen. Four liars did it.

Aunts argued to each other again for inheritance.

Aunt Bass want to inherite the house.

Gat told about her girl friend Raquel to Cadence.

Questions

1. What weird things happened during chapter 30 to chapter 50?

2. What did Gat mean by saying cadence doesn't know him?

31-40

 31. Cadence gave away her childhood art and botanic prints. She talked with Mirren about the email and roll she send to her. Buy Mirren said she never got that doll.

32. Cadence met Gat and they walked to the perimeter again. Gat asked cadence to start over again. Although cadence as mad, she still loved him. She said yes to Gat, they started over after lunch.

33. They had lunch in new clairmount. Granddad led cadence to visit the new house. The house is clean, open and opulent. Granddad didn't want to talk about old life and stuff at all. And when cadence asked aunt Carrie about how was Jonny yesterday night. Carrie seems didn't know anything which is really weird.

34. Cadence asked Taft and Will what happened in last summer, but they always avoid answering her questions because they said that will cause her headache. Bonnie and Liberty went through cadence stuff and found drugs in her bedroom.

35. When four liars are gathered, Johnny mentioned something in summer fifteen, Mirren suddenly stopped him and said they shouldn't talk about that. Johnny smiled at cadence nervously later. 

36. They played tennis. Johnny and Cadence won. They talked about her European experience and blue toilet. 

37. Cadence's mom are happy cadence takes up tennis again. Cadence recalled a night on two weeks before the accident. All three aunts wanted to get the expensive Boston house from granddad and they argued.

38. Four liars talked about their motto. Taft's is "Drugs are not your friend." Mirren said:"Be a little kinder than you have to." Gat's is "Do not accept an evil you can change." Cadence's is "Always do what you are afraid to do."

39. Cadence kissed which is what she afraid to do and Gat kissed back her. Then he pulled her away. Cadence said this is the starting over. But Gat said that she didn't know him.

40. Cadence told a fairy tale. It's about King, three daughters and a mice. Cadence is the tiny princess and Gat is that mice. The king didn't want they fall in love. But at last, the tiny princess left the palace, traveled and married with mice.

events

Cadence said that she got a pile of fairy tale books from her father. Then she made her own fairy tale which is about a king and her thre daughters.

Cadence started a project. She give away one own things, she has given away grand's photo, her pillow and brushteeth kit.

Cadence always ask her mother what happened during that summer. Her mom always tell her truth but she can't remember it. So cadence decided to write it down.

Cadence wanted to go to the beechwood island for summer vacation. But her father wanted to take her to Australia. Cadence grandfather went to visit her, and he looks thin. 

First, Cadence talk about her own fairy tale about king's three daughters are swallowed by the dragon. After an argument, Finally Cadence will go beechwood island for four weeks and then stay with her father in Colorado for a week.

Cadence cleaned up her room. And then she gave away a travel toothbrush kit and gat's olive jacket. She tried to convince herself she didn't love gat any more.

Cadence got a call from Taft. He asked her if she is drug addict. Cadence said no. Then Taft told her he thought the house cuddledown is haunted. Cadence tried to comfort him that it's just the wind blow through house.

Cadence and her mom took motorboat to the island, first she saw her aunt Carrie. And she found clairmount is new, many things are changed. Her mother asked her to be normal now. Cadence saw four liars.

Cadence saw littles, will and tart, liberty and Bonnie. Later when she saw granddad, he called her Mirren although he said he know she is not Mirren.

Cadence met four liars. She stared at gat but gat didn't quite look at her. Cadence don't want they feel she is sick. At last they all decide not to clairmount dinner.

Vocabulary

Glamorous P.39

Adj.

Having an air of allure, romance and excitement – charming

Book: it is hardly glamorous the way Mummy and I quarrel now that Dad is gone. 

Stagger P.30

V.

Walk as if unable to control one's movements

Book: I’d stagger from the table or collapse in quiet shameful agony.

Recuperate P.32

V.

Regain a former condition after a financial loss.

Book: Mummy took me home to Vermont to recuperate.

Villainous P.32

Adj.

A villainous person is very bad and willing to harm other people or break the law in order to get what he or she wants.

Book: they always look villainous in the dark of the evening.

Heroine. 39
N.

The main good female character in a work of fiction

Book: When she’s there, her pale skin and watery eyes make her look glamorously tragic, like a literary heroine wasting from consumption.

Agony 30
Adj.

Intense feelings of suffering; acute mental or physical pain

Book: I’d stagger from the table or collapse in quiet shameful agony.

Ivory 28

Adj.

A hard smooth ivory colored dentine that makes up most of the tusks of elephants and walruses

Book: inside, it is full of original New York cartoons, family photos, embroidered pillows, small statues, ivory paperweights, taxidermied fish on plaques.

shore 32 n.

the land along the edge of a body of water

Book: There are big rocks in off the shore, craggy and black.

hilariously p31

Adv. marked by or causing boisterous merriment or convulsive laughter

Book: covertly,  hilariously, behind Granddad’s black while he drove the motorboat. 

stunning p27

Adj. strikingly beautiful or attractive

She was a stunning woman, even when she was old. 

pitiful p36
Adj.

inspiring mixed contempt and pity

Different from my pitiful voice messages, these were charming, darling notes from a person without headaches.


collapse vt. an abrupt failure of function or health
12“I’d stagger from the table or collapse in quiet shameful agony, hoping no one in the family would notice.”
Giddy vt. having or causing a whirling sensation; liable to falling
11“Johnny, Mirren, Gat, and I snuck glasses of wine and felt giddy and silly.”
embroidered adj adorned with embroidery
11“Inside, it is full of original New Yorker cartoons, family photos, embroidered pillows, small statues, ivory paperweights, taxidermied fish on plaques.”
Surpasses 
V. distinguish oneself
16“Eventually she surpasses her employer in skill and her food is known throughout the land”




(n.)Taxidermy: the art of mounting the skins of animals so that they have lifelike appearance
 11“Inside, it is full of original New Yorker cartoons, family photos, embroidered pillows, small statues, ivory paperweights, taxidermied fish on plaques.”
Page 28

Quarrel: an angry dispute
15“It is hardly glamorous the way Mummy and I quarrel now that Dad is gone.”
Page 39

Constellation: an arrangement of parts or elements
8“I was glad Gat didn’t try to sound knowledgeable about constellations or say stupid stuff about wishing on stars.”
Page 21

Snorkeling: skin diving with a snorkel
11“WHEN I WASN’T bleeding, and when Mirren and Johnny were snorkeling or wrangling the littles, or when everyone lay on couches watching movies on the Clairmont flat-screen, Gat and I hid away.”
Page 30

Stagger: an unsteady uneven gait
11“I’d stagger from the table or collapse in quiet shameful agony, hoping no one in the family would notice. Especially not Mummy.”
Page 30

Traumatic: of or relating to a physical injury or wound to the body
13“Migraine headaches caused by traumatic brain injury.”
Page 34

infectious adj caused by infection or capable of causing infection


collapse vt. an abrupt failure of function or health

Giddy vt. having or causing a whirling sensation; liable to falling

embroidered adj adorned with embroidery

16“Eventually she surpasses her employer in skill and her food is known throughout the land”

12“I’d stagger from the table or collapse in quiet shameful agony, hoping no one in the family would notice.”

11“Johnny, Mirren, Gat, and I snuck glasses of wine and felt giddy and silly.”

11“Inside, it is full of original New Yorker cartoons, family photos, embroidered pillows, small statues, ivory paperweights, taxidermied fish on plaques.”

Glamorous P.39

Adj.

Having an air of allure, romance and excitement – charming

Book: it is hardly glamorous the way Mummy and I quarrel now that Dad is gone. 

Stagger P.30

V.

Walk as if unable to control one's movements

Book: I’d stagger from the table or collapse in quiet shameful agony.

Recuperate P.32

V.

Regain a former condition after a financial loss.

Book: Mummy took me home to Vermont to recuperate.

Villainous P.32

Adj.

A villainous person is very bad and willing to harm other people or break the law in order to get what he or she wants.

Book: they always look villainous in the dark of the evening.

Heroine. 39
N.

The main good female character in a work of fiction

Book: When she’s there, her pale skin and watery eyes make her look glamorously tragic, like a literary heroine wasting from consumption.

Agony 30
N.

Intense feelings of suffering; acute mental or physical pain

Book: I’d stagger from the table or collapse in quiet shameful agony.

Ivory 28

Adj.

A hard smooth ivory colored dentine that makes up most of the tusks of elephants and walruses

Book: inside, it is full of original New York cartoons, family photos, embroidered pillows, small statues, ivory paperweights, taxidermied fish on plaques.

shore 32 n.

the land along the edge of a body of water

Book: There are big rocks in off the shore, craggy and black.

hilariously p31

Adv. marked by or causing boisterous merriment or convulsive laughter

Book: covertly,  hilariously, behind Granddad’s black while he drove the motorboat. 

stunning p27

Adj. strikingly beautiful or attractive

She was a stunning woman, even when she was old. 

pitiful p36
Adj.

inspiring mixed contempt and pity

Different from my pitiful voice messages, these were charming, darling notes from a person without headaches.


collapse vt. an abrupt failure of function or health
12“I’d stagger from the table or collapse in quiet shameful agony, hoping no one in the family would notice.”
Giddy adj. having or causing a whirling sensation; liable to falling
11“Johnny, Mirren, Gat, and I snuck glasses of wine and felt giddy and silly.”
embroidered adj adorned with embroidery
11“Inside, it is full of original New Yorker cartoons, family photos, embroidered pillows, small statues, ivory paperweights, taxidermied fish on plaques.”
Surpasses 
V. distinguish oneself
16“Eventually she surpasses her employer in skill and her food is known throughout the land”




(n.)Taxidermy: the art of mounting the skins of animals so that they have lifelike appearance
 11“Inside, it is full of original New Yorker cartoons, family photos, embroidered pillows, small statues, ivory paperweights, taxidermied fish on plaques.”
Page 28

Quarrel: an angry dispute
15“It is hardly glamorous the way Mummy and I quarrel now that Dad is gone.”
Page 39

Constellation: an arrangement of parts or elements
8“I was glad Gat didn’t try to sound knowledgeable about constellations or say stupid stuff about wishing on stars.”
Page 21

Snorkeling: skin diving with a snorkel
11“WHEN I WASN’T bleeding, and when Mirren and Johnny were snorkeling or wrangling the littles, or when everyone lay on couches watching movies on the Clairmont flat-screen, Gat and I hid away.”
Page 30

Stagger: an unsteady uneven gait
11“I’d stagger from the table or collapse in quiet shameful agony, hoping no one in the family would notice. Especially not Mummy.”
Page 30

Traumatic: of or relating to a physical injury or wound to the body
13“Migraine headaches caused by traumatic brain injury.”
Page 34

10 Vocabulary

stunning: extremely impressive or attractive

Soaking: extremely wet

Stagger: walk or move unsteadily

Agony: physical or mental suffering

Hilarious: extremely amusing

Barrier: a fence or other obstacle that prevents movement or access

Shore: the land along the edge of a sea

Craggy: rough

Recuperate: recover from illness

Pitiful: deserving or arousing pity. 

We were liars

We were liars is a book written by E. Lockhart. It describes the mysterious event happened in Beechwood island and how the main character Cadence found the truth. The characters in this book are from a old-money family--Sinclair. This is high social class family, they are incredibly rich, handsome, athletic and tall. The narrator and main character is Cadence who. Cadence's grandparents are Harris Sinclair and Tipper Taft, they have three daughters--Carrie, Bess and Penny. Carrie's children are Johnny and Will. Bess's children are Mirren, Liberty and Bonnie, Taft. Cadence are daughter of Penny. 

The whole family went to private island-beechwood island every summer. Parents call four young children liars--Mirren, Johnny, Cadence and Gat. Gat is Carrie's boyfriend's nephew. The story starts with that Cadence's father left her and her mother, go with another women. Gat and Cadence were fell in love for a short time. I feel the reason is that Gat is not the member of Sinclair's. So he is always a outsider, he can't be in part of their life even he also comes to the island in summer.

This book reminds me of another young adult book that is called Gossip Girl. Similar as We were liars, teens in that book are rich, they lied, and there is also one outsider boy who is not belong to their rich world but tried to join in their group. In We were liars, four children always lie. I feel like the reason they lie is to hide the fact of this family. Rich family always have some secret that can't show to people, for example, they debted, the family relationship is bad; but as a member in that family, they have to hide it, because they Sinclair's . They have high self esteem. They have to lie to hide the truth of family, they have to smile to someone in the family who they actually don't like to take with. They must pretend to have a perfect rich, high social class family.

Assignment 2

Assignment1

Three questions

22. As a reader, I don't think their dream will be forever existed in the world beyond the cellar. Olivia hopes that in the real world she can never ever take drugs, and there will be someone who cares her and stay with her in life; Lorenzo's dream is to became one of his friends group, because he doesn't want to be lonely any more and actually do what he wants to do. In the cellar, only Lorenzo and Olivia, who are really similar to each other. Both them are lonely, stuck in life. When these two people meet, they can creat a dream world they like. But the real life is more hard than their dream world; when they go out of the cellar, when they live in the real world, they may find more difficulties. Olivia can't control herself of taking drugs, she may can't find anyone who can understand and stay with her. Lorenzo many still have some problems on beliving and getting on with other people. When they realized the dream can't be accomplished, it will extinguish them. Olivia promised Lorenzo she won't take drug again; Lorenzo promised her they will meet each other again. Although this is a promise with a 14-year-old boy, I believed that this is important to Olivia and it can support Olivia for a long time to change her life--not taking drug and finding friends she loves and understand. Though at the ending, Oliva's hope was extinguished and she was dead because of over does; but during these long ten years, promise with Lorenzo is the only support and power to make her live in this world for longer time.

24. I think the reason of the author chose to sandwich Lorenzo's coming of the age between the bookends of the Cividale del Friuli chapters from ten years later is to attract readers and showed the closed relationship between Olivia and Lorenzo. Because in the very beginning part, author mentioned the name of sister, Olivia and the piece of paper folded in the wallet of Lorenzo which is written by her ten years later. This makes readers to think, who is Olivia and why Lorenzo saved the paper for that ten years. The last chapter changes the tone and the central message of this novel. Because it tells readers the ending, Olivia was dead because of over does. If writer doesn't write this part, readers may think Olivia and Lorenzo kept their words and had a better life. But actually the writer showed the truth, the real world is not same as they think it would be.

26. I would view this novel as a tragic story because of Olivia's death. Before I read the last ending part, I tried to believe that Lorenzo and Olivia will have a dream life in the future, they won't be lonely anymore, Olivia won't take drugs, they will see each other again. But the ending makes me feel that this story is tragic. I think Olivia's death means that at last she was disappointed about the life, she can't find anyone she loved and understand, she can't control herself of taking drugs. The real life is much harder, not as wonderful as her dream world. And the environmental description in he ending such like: pale sun, blowing cold wind gives me a sense that Lorenzo also didn't achieved his dream, maybe he was not as desperated as his sister, but he also can't keep that promise.

Haiku

Dancing is boring,

I don't want to do it again

Let me play tennis,

School day is boring,

I will go home in the break,

I miss my dear friends.

No biology,

Life will be much better then,

I love CS more.

three questions

If your were Lorenzo, what would you do when that man show rude attitude to mother during car accident?

Why does Olivia came to find father's money if she hates him?

If you were Lorenzo, would you help Olivia?

Sister

When Olivia was younger, she was incredibly beautiful, but now she is not in good shape. She is the daughter of father and a dentist. But after they divorced, Olivia hated her father because she thought that father didn't love her at all. She is independent, she doesn't want father's help though sometimes she was in trouble because she hated him. Also she was really smart, when Lorenzo refused her to stay in the cellar, she began to yell that Lorenzo was hiding there. She knew how to use Lorenzo's lie to help herself.

Chapter 5 summary

Lorenzo hide in the cellar and had fun alone. Later he got a call from his step sister Olivia. He lied to Olivia and said that he was in ski week. When Olivia came to the cellar to find something, he was alarmed. He try to hide in the corner, but finally Olivia found him. Olivia asked him to help her find a box. Aftern Olivia left, Lorenzo found a letter from Olivia to father. Olivia came back, she asked Lorenzo to let her stay one night in the cellar, in return Olivia wouldn't tell anyone Lorenzo hiding there.

Chapter4 summary

When Lorenzo stayed in cellar, he recalled the car accident in Corso. When driving, Lorenzo and his mother listened to music, talking about dress and living in the country. Lorenzo felt happy with her. But when his mom tried to drive car in the parking place, she actually drive into a Smart car. The left mirror of that car was destroyed. The owner was angry and rude to his mother. He said a lot bad words and made her lay on the cobble to check the mirror. Lorenzo sat in the car and watched what happened. He felt angry on that man, but he was full of fear. He can't undo the seatbelt, can't move. At last, Lorenzo was almost fainted.

Chapter 4 question

The incident in chapter 4 is that Lorenzo and his mom had a car accident. When mom drove on the crowded street, another smart car drove into her car. The left mirror of that car is destroyed, the man in that got off of the car and was rude to Lorenzo's mother. He reviled her. Lorenzo tried to undo he seat belt and go out to argue with that man. But he lost the rage, he was overcame by the fear. I think the importance to Lorenzo is that he realized he was not that brave to face the annoyance and protect his mother.

Summary

Lorenzo didn't go to the ski week, he stayed in the cellar without telling anyone. He enjoyed his holidays a lot and felt like he was the only survivor in Rome of alien invasion. He slept for a long time and waked up till his mom called him. His mom didn't know the truth and asked about the ski week, Lorenzo lied to his mom and pretended to be in cortina. She cared about her son, and asked to talk with Lorenzo's friend's mother. Lorenzo tried to come up with a proper excuse to avoid that and kept the lie.