Video Reflection 5

     This time I am going to talk about a subject  that I really love.It is Sign Language.I watch the tv serial Switched at Birth,so this topic appeals to me very much.I chose this video because my favourite actor,Sean Berdy interprets the song for us.First of all,I would like to have a short chat about Sean Berdy.

Sean Lance Berdy was born in Boca Raton, Florida; June, 3, 1993, better known by his screen name of "Sean Berdy". He is a deaf film actor, comedian and live performer. He has enjoyed success in film. He was born deaf, he started acting when he was a little boy giving shows.

He  is my favorite because he is the most special of all actors.He holds an important place in the film industry.He can’t hear or speak,but he can feel the love all around him.Also,he reflects the light inside of him.In this video Seal can not hear the song,but he feels it.As I was searching through the internet,I came across a few sites that is based on his life.I learned that he is also in a dance group which consists of all deaf people.They just turn up the volume,and dance with their instincts.It really caught my interest.

As for the song,I can say that it is amazing.Oh my God! This song is beautiful,and Sean’s signing makes it more dramatic.I have already listened to this song many times.However,I will never be sick of it..

Lastly,If you let me, I will show you a few words from the sign language and the sign language alphabet.

FOR READİNG MY REFLECTION :)

Song Reflection 4

Now I would like to share a song related to my topic. Its name is My Baby Shot Me Down. "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)" is the second single by singer-actress Cher from her second studio album The Sonny Side of Chér. The song was written by Sonny Bono and released in 1966. The song reached number three in the UK Singles Chart and number two on the Billboard Hot 100. Also, Turkish singer Ajda Pekkan covered the song in 1967 as a B-side on her single.Here is its lyrics:

I was five and he was six

We rode on horses made of sticks

He wore black and I wore white

He would always win the fight

Bang bang, he shot me down

Bang bang, I hit the ground

Bang bang, that awful sound

Bang bang, my baby shot me down.

Seasons came and changed the time

When I grew up, I called him mine

He would always laugh and say

"Remember when we used to play?"

Bang bang, I shot you down

Bang bang, you hit the ground

Bang bang, that awful sound

Bang bang, I used to shoot you down.

Music played, and people sang

Just for me, the church bells rang.

Now he's gone, I don't know why

And till this day, sometimes I cry

He didn't even say goodbye

He didn't take the time to lie.

Bang bang, he shot me down

Bang bang, I hit the ground

Bang bang, that awful sound

Bang bang, my baby shot me down...

The second song I would like to share with you is The Lonely Shepherd. It was recorded with the James Last Orchestra.It is featured in Quentin Tarantino's film Kill Bill Vol. 1. The melody "The lonely shepherd" was written by James Last and first released on his album "Memories from Russia", released 1977.The panflute was played by Gheorghe Zamfir.

     The Kill Bill movies introduced me to these songs,and I really liked them. In the first Kill Bill, right after it shows Bill shooting the bride in the head, My Baby Shot Me Down starts, and it makes  the movie infinitly more powerful. This song fits perfectly for Kill Bill. Through the end of the film this song makes sense more.I mean that when the Bride goes to Bill’s house to shoot him down,she is confronted by a surprise.Her daughter is alive,and she waits for her mom with his father, Bill. They play a game together.Her daughter shoots her with a toy gun,and she pretends to be dead. This song can also be related to this film in the way that the Bride has loved Bill since her childhood.Nevertheless,Bill  requested for her death.I think that this can be a sign of unrequited love somehow.

JOURNAL 5

                                                            Kill Bill: Vol. 1

Deadly Viper Assassination Squad

The lead character, called 'The Bride,' is a member of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad, lead by her lover 'Bill.' Upon realizing she is pregnant with Bill's child, 'The Bride' decides to escape her life as a killer. She flees to Texas,and she meets a young man here. However, their wedding rehearsal is gunned down by an angry and jealous Bill with the assistance of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad. 
 
 Four years later, 'The Bride' wakes from a coma, and discovers her baby is gone. She, then, decides to seek revenge upon the five people who destroyed her life and killed her baby. The Deadly Viper Assassination Squad consists of five most deadly killers, led by Bill. There is O'Ren-Ishii as Cottonmouth, Elle Driver as California Mountain Snake, Vernita Green as Copperhead, Budd as Sidewinder. And there is The Bride, whose name is not spoken, who wanted to quit because she was pregnant. . First on her death list is Cottonmouth, who has become the yakuza boss of Tokyo, Japan, second in line is Copperhead, who chose a more decent life as well. The Bride sets out to take back what was once hers: Her life.

Cottonmouth(on the left)and the Bride (Beatrix Kiddo)  are fighting.

BILL

                                             

                                            

 CALIFORNIA MOUNTAIN SNAKE                                                          COPPERHEAD

 Kill Bill: Vol. 2 

The murderous Bride is back and she is still continuing her vengeance quest against her ex-boss, Bill, and taking aim at Bill's younger brother Budd and Elle Driver, the only survivors from the squad of assassins who betrayed her four years earlier. It's all leading up to the ultimate confrontation with Bill, the Bride's former master and the man who ordered her execution. However, Bill does possess one thing that keeps the ball in his court: B.B., the daughter the Bride thought she had lost in her coma. And now, at this point, the Bride knows only one thing: in the end, she will kill Bill.In the last scene the bride takes her revenge.She kills Bill with a five-point heart attact technique.They are even now.

PAI MEI

BUDD

JOURNAL 4

                             TWO PLACES TO WATCH MOVIES

     

      While some people prefer to go to the cinema,others like to watch movies at home.How often do you go to the cinema?If you’re a fan of watching movies at the cinema,your answer to this question is probably two or three times a month.I think watching movies at the cinema and watching movies at home have more differences than similarities.

      
     One difference is that comfort level is different in both places.At home you are more relaxed.To illustrate,at home you can lie on your sofa while watching your favorite movie.However,at the movie theater you have to sit up.Whereas at home you can comment on the actions of the characters,at the cinema you can’t comment on anything loudly.If you do so,someone is likely to warn you.

      
     Another difference lies in the price.If you want to watch movies at the cinema,you have to pay a certain amount of money.For instance,you must buy movie tickets.Also,you buy popcorn and drinks for a very high price at the cinema.In contrast,you can make your own popcorn at home.Watching movies at home is cheaper than watching movies at the cinema.

     
      Watching movies at home and watching movies at the cinema can make a difference in technical properties.While at the cinema the images are very clear,at home they are not.At the cinema you watch movies on a vast screen.Conversely,at home the size of the screen is not so huge.Unlike home,cinema offers us a good and loud sound.Also,at home you can pause the movie whenever you want.In contrast,at the cinema you don’t have such a chance.

      
     Both watching movies at the cinema and watching at home give us pleasure.If we watch a movie that we are interested in,we can take pleasure from the movie in both places.The place doesn’t make much difference.Whereas at home you laugh at the actions with your family,at the cinema you laugh together with your friends.

      
     Watching movies at the cinema and watching movies at home have much more differences than similarities.Watching films is more comfortable at home.The price you pay for the cinema is a lot higher.Technical properties are better at the cinema.However,both places give a certain amount of pleasure.When I look at these aspects ,watching movies at the cinema appeals more to me.

Video Reflection 3

This is the film version of  The Kite Runner.It says in the video that ‘There is a way to be good again..’In this trailer of the Kite Runner there is a perfect message to all of us.Whoever you are or whatever you do ,you always have a second chance.People can make terrible things,but they should always seek a way to correct them.It is true that Amir made a really bad mistake.He escaped from reality.He refused to help Hassan when he was in danger.

However,he is a changed man now.He sets out to his homeland to find Hassan’s son.The boy lost his parents in war ,and he lives under a very bad condition now.Maybe Amir can get rid of his bad characteristics by helping the boy.It is a good chance for him to purify his soul from his sins.He hadn’t helped Hassan before,but there is always an opportunity to be good again…

JOURNAL 3

                              THE KITE RUNNER by Khaled Hosseini 

      Now is the time of  my third journal.If you want to learn about one of the best books ever written by men,you must read this journal. I hope you take pleasure from it.However,I warn you beforehand that this book has a saddening effect.

      I would like to start my words with a few lines from The Kite Runner.This lines were at the beginning part.It gives us clues about the overall story.While Hassan is loyal to Amir,Amir’s only purpose is to earn his father’s love..

Amir : Hassan and I fed from the same breasts. We took our first steps on the same lawn in the same yard. And, under the same roof, we spoke our first words. Mine was Baba. His was Amir. My name. Looking back on it now, I think the foundations for what happened in the winters of 1975 – and all that followed – was already laid in those first words. -From The Kite Runner, page 11-

The story takes place in  Afghanistan.There are two friends:  Amir and Hassan. Amir is the main character.Hassan is the servant of Amir.He is also the best friend of Amir.They spend most of their time together.Hassan is a perfect kite runner.They participate in kite tournaments. Amir drops the kites from the sky,and Hassan runs after the kites to catch them .At first,there is a warm atmosphere of friendship in the story.However,one day everything chances.Hassan is raped by Assef,and the only thing Amir does is watching.

After that day , Amir is troubled by his feelings of regret.He decides to end this,so he accuses Hassan of stealing his money.After that event ,Hassan and his father leaves.A couple of years later ,Amir and his father moves to California because there is an invade in Afghanistan.He starts a new life here.His father dies,but he marries to a woman he loves.He thinks that his past is far away from him .However,his past doesn’t leave him alone.He learn tragic facts from an acquitance.He learns that Hassan is actually his brother,and that he is dead. He returns to Kabul.He finds an orphaned boy here.He is the Hassan’s boy.More tragically the boy, Sohrab was raped by the same man who had raped his father years ago.This time Amir takes revenge.He beats Assef,the raper,to death.He adopts Sohrab,yet the boy will never be happy.He even commits suicide at the end.

      When I finished reading this book ,I couldn’t help feeling sorry for Hassan.He was such a faithful friend to Amir.Nevertheless,Amir betrayed him by watching him being abused .I think that Amir has a really big problem.To illustrate,he lacks confidence in himself.He is even unable to defend himself.The only thing that he is capable of is escaping.He escaped the day when Hassan was abused.He also escaped when they moved to United States.However,his feeling of guilt never left him.Every single day was like a hell to him.I think he deserved  much worse.Betraying a friend who truly loves you is unacceptable…

                                           

REVISED VERSION OF MY FIRST JOURNAL

                                                                Being a METU student

       I am studying at my dream university now. I studied so much to come to it. I spent my days and nights to reach it. Now that I am here I can reflect my first impressions on  METU…

      When I first entered the campus , I thought that this was a nice place. The campus is covered with trees.When you look at any spot,you are likely to find yourself in a nice area of METU. Besides the natural beauty ,METU  offers ring busses to the students. Although I don’t like the dogs walking around I like the nature surrounding us. Whenever I am bored I go for a walk.There are fitness centers for us too.

      Before coming to this university I had talked to two people who graduated from my department. They said that they liked the education and the teachers at this university. Now I can say the same things they said. I think the lessons are effective and informative,and  I like the listening parts of lessons most.

      In addition to good education , there are student clubs which appeal to every interest. We can join these  clubs. Thus we can develop our abilities and enjoy ourselves.I haven’t had a chance to join in these clubs yet.However,I am planning to participate in education club and book club.These two clubs’ activities are suitable for me.For example,education club makes visits to schools which have poor conditions,and they help the students there.

      As for the adaptation process ,  I can say that I am not having difficult times while getting used to living here. This is because of two things . Firstly ,  my family live in Konya and I go there nearly every weekend. If I said I miss them ,it would be unjust for my friends. Secondly , my aunt lives in Ankara ,and sometimes I go to her house. I am content with my dormitory too. My roommates are fine. We have a kitchen here. I cook everything I want there. We have access to internet. I watch tv serials. It’s fun.

      However,  sometimes I face challenges. As a quality of my personality I can’t socialize very easily. I am unable to find intimate friends.Nowadays it is getting better. I make new friends.I am trying to talk with everyone,and find the most suitable ones for me. Another challenge is that from time to time the lessons are not so interesting and they seem difficult too,yet I do not exaggerate this issue so much.I just study as much as I can,and wait for the feedbacks.

      Despite some challenges I think being a METU student has its own credit. We learn many things that are not properly taught by other universities. To illustrate,my friends studying at other universities say that their lessons are too superficial.In addition,teachers are knowledgeable at METU. In the lessons we learn a lot. After the graduation I hope I will be able to speak English fluently, learn a second language properly ,and go to different parts of the world. My biggest dream is to be a good academician. This university is a step for my goals and ambitions. I hope METU will help realize them.

EXERCISES

1) COLD COMFORT

 Not so long ago, many of us resisted separating the glass, cans, and paper out of our garbage. What a hassle. Today, of course, every second-grader knows that the world's resources are limited and that recycling helps preserve them. We act locally, while thinking globally. It's time to bring the same consciousness to health care as we face a growing medical crisis: the loss of antibiotic effectiveness against common bacterial illnesses. By personally refusing—or not demanding—antibiotics for viral illnesses they won't cure, we can each take a step toward prolonging overall antibiotic effectiveness.

Media reports have likely made you aware of this problem, but they have neglected the implications. Your brother catches a cold that turns into a sinus infection. His doctor treats him with antibiotics, but the bacteria are resistant to all of them. The infection enters his bloodstream—a condition known as septicemia—and a few days later, your brother dies. (Septicemia is what killed Muppets creator Jim Henson a few years ago.) Or instead of a cold, he has an infected cut that won't heal, or any other common bacterial disease, such as an ear or prostate infection.

Far-fetched? It's not. The antibiotics crisis is real. Consider Streptococcus pneumoniae: This common bacterium often causes post-flu pneumonia. (Pneumonia and influenza combined are the  country's sixth leading cause of death, killing 82,500 Americans in 1996.) Before 1980, less than 1 percent of S. pneumoniae samples showed any resistance to penicillin. As of last May, researchers at the Naval Medical Center in San Diego discovered that 22 percent of S. pneumoniae samples were highly resistant to it, with another 15 percent moderately so. And the most recent statistics from the Sentry Antimicrobial Surveillance Program, which monitors bacterial resistance at 70 medical centers in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and South America, show that 44 percent of S. pneumoniae samples in the U.S. are highly resistant, and worldwide, resistance is at an all-time high (55 percent).

2) Soccer — or football (or foosball or futbol), as it is called by the rest of the world outside theUnited States is surely the most popular sport in the world. Every four years, the world championship of soccer, the World Cup is watched by literally billions all over the world, beating out the United States professional football's Superbowl by far. It is estimated that 1.7 billion television viewers watched the World Cup final between France and Brazil in July of 1998. And it is also a genuine world championship, involving teams from many countries(as many as 172)and played in venues all over the globe, unlike the much more parochial and misnamed World Series in American baseball (that doesn’t even involve Japan or Cuba, two baseball hotbeds). But although soccer has become an important sport in the American sports scene, it will never make inroads into the hearts and markets of American sports the way that football, basketball, hockey, baseball, and even tennis and golf have done. There are many reasons for this.

Recently the New England Revolution beat the Tampa Bay Mutiny in a game played during a horrid rainstorm. Nearly 5000 fans showed up, which shows that soccer is, indeed, popular in the United States. However, the story of the game was buried near the back of the newspaper's sports section, and there was certainly no television coverage. In fact, the biggest reason for soccer's failure as a mass appeal sport in the United States is that it doesn't conform easily to the demands of television.

Basketball succeeds enormously in America because it regularly scheduled what it calls "television time-outs" as well as the time-outs that the teams themselves call to re-group, not to mention half-times and, on the professional level, quarter breaks. Those time-outs in the action are ideally made for television commercials. And television coverage is the lifeblood of American sports. College basketball lives for a game scheduled on CBS or ESPN (highly recruited high school players are more likely to go to a team that regularly gets national television exposure), and we could even say that television coverage has dictated the pace and feel of American football. Anyone who has attended a live football game knows how commercial time-outs slow the game and sometimes, at its most exciting moments disrupt the flow of events. No one raises an objection, however, because without television, football knows that it simply wouldn't remain in the homes and hearts of Americans. Also, without those advertising dollars, the teams couldn't afford the sky-high salaries of their high-priced superstars.

IF I WERE A BOY

If I were a boy even just for a day,
I'd  be faithful to my wife
and never lie to her

Buy presents for her
and make her feel surprised
I'd not talk with whom I wanted
and I'd never come home late
Cause it would upset my wife

If I were a boy
I think I could understand
How it feels to care about a woman

I swear I'd be a perfect husband
I'd never betray her
Cause I know how it feels
When you lose the one you wanted
Cause she doesn't love you anymore
And everything you had got stolen

If I were a boy
I'd be the same lunatic
Tell everyone that I love her
so they'd think that I was madly in love with her

I'd allow my wife to do whatever she wants
and make her happy
Cause I know that she likes being free
wandering through the streets

If I were a boy
I think I could comprehend
How it feels to do all the housework
I swear I'd help my wife
I would make coffee for her
Cause I know how it is so perfect
When you are supported by someone
Cause she's the one you wanted
And everything you had got stolen

It's a little too late for you to understand
Say you will do all those things for me
Think I'd accept you like that
If you thought I would pray for you
You were mistaken

But you're just a boy
You don't comprehend
and you don't comprehend,ohhhh
How it feels to be a good husband

Someday you wish you were a better man
You don't care about you wife
You don't know how it hurts
When you ignore your wife
Cause you are no gentleman
And everything you had got lost
But you are just a boy

Video Reflection 2

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi1858602521/

Dexter has a strong motive for killing people.However,he kills people who do really bad things.He kills with a certain purpose.''Am I a good person doing bad things or a bad person doing good things?'' , Dexter asks himself.

When I first had a chance to watch the first episode of Dexter,I really enjoyed its topic.It was so captivating.From then on I kept on watching it every week.It is one of the best shows I have ever seen.It is a great show with great acting and plot,and something dark but wickedly fun.In spite of the brutal scenes in which Dexter kills the bad characters ,it brings some humor along each episode.However,some people say that  Dexter mustn’t be watched.They claim that the people watching it cheer for the serial killer,and justify its socially unacceptable behaviour.I disagree with this point of view.I think that the show has nothing to do with this issue.It is just for fun.In addition,he only kills people who have killed others,so it  doesn’t constitute so much problem.

Another opinion is that Dexter’s mind is the creation of the unorthodox world.Murder and amusement of such things as entertainment is the paramount example of America in decay.They say that they have a prison system for a reason,and they don’t think they need to go back to ‘the law of jungle’instead.We are not more civilized when we fight fire with fire.I disagree with this opinion because  in Turkey there are many people who get away without  any punishment . The police can't catch them all. If there was such a person who kills bad people,it wouldn’t be bad at all.

The show shows us the good and evil in everyone,and really gets us thinking.Nonetheless,I don’t like the last season very much.It is a little boring.The events are not as exciting as the previous ones.In spite of this, it is a review of best drama,suspence and adventure tv show ever on tv.In addition,it is so addicting that I can’t prevent myself from watching it every week.In each episode you really hope that Dexter doesn’t get caught and always kills the bad guy before he gets killed himself.The darkness and mystery aspects captivate me. This is a show that I will follow until its end.It is worthy of my time.As a whole the Dexter is unique in that it is a challenging and deeply engaging series.I would recommend it to all of you if what you want is a great show.

JOURNAL 2

Hello  everybody,

The topic that I am going to talk about is Dexter. It is my favourite . I hope you enjoy it.

First, I want to show you the morning routine of  Dexter. Each episode starts with this routine.Let’s  have a look at it.

The series centers on Dexter Morgan,a bloodstain pattern analyst for the Miami Metro Police Department who moonlights as a serial killer.The first season of Dexter is an adaptation of Jeff Lindsay's first novel in the Dexter series, Darkly Dreaming Dexter. This season includes Dexter's investigation of "The Ice Truck Killer". This serial killer targets prostitutes and leaves their bodies severed and bloodless. At the same time, Dexter's foster sister, Debra Morgan , a vice squad officer, aspires to work  in the homicide department. Debra begins dating a prosthetics doctor named Rudy Cooper, who is secretly the Ice Truck Killer. After they get engaged, Cooper kidnaps Debra and lures Dexter to the house where he is keeping her. Here Dexter recognizes Cooper as Brian, his long-lost brother. Brian tells Dexter that, as children, they witnessed their mother's murder at the hands of drug dealers, who then left the two of them in a shipping crate for two days, sitting in a pool of their mother's blood.

 He also learns that Brian spent much of his childhood in an institution. Brian brings Dexter to a bound

Debra, intent that the two of them would kill her together to cement their bond and sever the ties between Dexter and his adoptive family. Dexter hesitates for a moment, but eventually stops Brian from killing her; moments later, the police arrive and Brian escapes. After luring Brian into a trap, Dexter drugs and kills him, making it look like a suicide; everyone, including Debra, remains unaware of the exact connection between Dexter and Brian. Dexter feels some regret over killing Brian, the one person who fully understood him, in order to save Debra, who he knows would reject him if she ever learned his true identity.

In the second  season, the bodies of Dexter's victims are uncovered and an investigation is launched in Dexter's own department to find the killer, dubbed the "Bay Harbor Butcher". Dexter  is in danger of being caught.During this time, Debra(his sister) struggles to recover after surviving Ice Truck Killer's attempts to murder her, and Rita (Dexter’s  new girl friend)sends Dexter to Narcotics Anonymous meetings when she suspects that he has an addiction. At the meetings ,Dexter meets and becomes involved with his sponsor, Lila Tournay, who starts to pursue Dexter obsessively.

In the third season, Dexter kills a man in self defense and initiates a friendship with the man's brother, Assistant District Attorney Miguel Prado.In the meantime,Dexter proposes to Rita. In addition,Debra investigates the murders of a new serial killer, called "The Skinner", who skins his victims alive. On the night before his wedding, Dexter is captured by The Skinner.However,he  takes advantage of a moment when the Skinner is distracted.Dexter kills the skinner ,and makes it look like suicide .After that event, he attends his wedding. 

In the fourth season,Special Agent Frank Lundy comes to hunt down the "Trinity Killer" who he believes always murders three people in a very specific sequence: a young woman in a bathtub, an older mother of two falling to her death, and a father of two bludgeoned to death.Dexter investigates this Trinity case.When  one dayDexter returns home after dealing with Trinity, he picks up a message from Rita. After listening to the message, he calls her back. He hears Rita's phone ring from within the house and soon after, he hears Harrison (his son) crying. He rushes to the bathroom, where he finds Harrison sitting on the tile floor in a pool of blood while Rita lies dead in the bathtub, having been murdered in the same fashion as each of the other Trinity bathtub killings.

The fifth season focuses on how Dexter deals with Rita's death.Dexter finds a Department of Sanitation worker, Boyd Fowler, who is responsible for the deaths of many women. Dexter eventually kills Fowler, but the crime is witnessed by Fowler's next victim Lumen Pierce, whom he has in captivity. Meanwhile, Dexter and Lumen hunt the other people responsible for torturing her.

The sixth season features two main antagonists, Professor Gellar  and Travis Marshall , who base their killings on biblical texts, specifically the Book of Revelation, and leave signs of the Apocalypse including the Alpha and Omega or the Four Horsemen, as a cryptographic tableau at crime scenes. The season also introduces Brother Sam , a former drug addict and murderer who repented and became a minister. He operates a body shop where he employs other ex-convicts, whom he also "shepherds" to lead crime-free lives. Initially believing Sam to be behind the fruit vendor's murder, Dexter is quickly proven wrong and finds himself befriending him.

EXERCISES

EXERCİSE 1

Our beagle likes hunting.When someone opens the back door for her ,she barrels down porch steps into the yard. Then,she runs back and forth across the lawn  in happiness. Her nose cruises the wet grass for smells of cats,rabbits ,and other presences too subtle for humans to detect.While she is sniffing,  she spins her tail in quick circles.She spins firstly  clockwise,and then counterclockwise.The sniffing and spinning actions  always happen at the same time.These are the things that seem to propel her along.

EXERCİSE 2

The Government Printing Office in Washington D.C. is a source of useful information.Nevertheless not many people know about it.The GPO  is the official publishing  center for the federal government.It publishes pamphlets and books on a broad number  of topics that range from the dangers of x-rays from home tv sets to the identification of mushrooms.About 27 000 publications are offered through the superintendent of documents,many of which are inexpensive.In addition to these things, there is no charge for some of them.

EXERCİSE 3

John Jacob Astor,who  was a German immigrant,reaped America’s first fortune.Firstly,he made his money trading Indian furs.He  was a lowborn and untutored person.Since he never learned to speak English decently,he conducted his business to the final stage in an accent which was reminiscent of the Hamburg gutters.

Sentences: Simple, Compound, and Complex

SIMPLE SENTENCE :A simple sentence, also called an independent clause, contains a subject and a verb, and it expresses a complete thought.

Some students like to study in the mornings.

COMPOUND SENTENCE:A compound sentence contains two independent clauses joined by a coordinator. The coordinators are as follows: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so. (Helpful hint: The first letter of each of the coordinators spells FANBOYS.)

  I tried to speak Spanish, and my friend tried to speak English.

COMPLEX SENTENCE:A complex sentence has an independent clause joined by one or more dependent clauses. A complex sentence always has a subordinator such as because, since, after, although, or when or a relative pronoun such as that, who, or which.

When he handed in his homework, he forgot to give the teacher the last page. 

COMPLEX SENTENCES / ADJECTIVE CLAUSES:Finally, sentences containing adjective clauses (or dependent clauses) are also complex because they contain an independent clause and a dependent clause.

The house which Abraham  Lincoln was born in is still standing.

Video Reflection 1

1) The students liked the atmosphere. Studying in the US gave them a chance to know American culture better. They were able to have a close contact with the American people. By every passing day they learned something new from the people that live here. As a result they gained experience. Additionally the university offered many opportunities to practice. It helped them to participate in the lessons actively.  

2) In Linxi’s home country it was impossible for her to get in this major programme. Because it required a very high score. So Linxi decided to go to US for education. As for Krishna she thinks that American education system is a very different system. It is based on creativity and team work which she personally really likes to do. It is the main reason for her to come to America. It is a kind of environment that she prefers. She wants to get her degree here.

3) There are some differences those students observe between their home countries and the USA both in their educational life and daily life. For example in Japan, students have to choose a major and once they enter into college they can’t change their major. ‘In Netherland the educational system is very strict’, Krishna says. They give students books and planning. Then they say that this is it. In American educational system students have a little bit more flexibility. They can do much more things besides studying for their degree. When it comes to daily life Linxi observed that American people are used to tumble dryers. But in China they don’t use them. They just hang clothes outside. Arata likes American people’s personality. He thinks that they are outgoing and sociable. In US you need to have a good communication. But in Japan they emphasize on indirect communication. They have to read people’s minds. In America communication is much easier.

4) The money they spend for their education depends on which department they study. It includes airplane fees, housing and meals. The total amount is around 35 thousand dollars. It includes boarding, room and all the fees they have to pay basically. They have to pay for their education. And they find the price reasonable.

5) Linxi says she is surprised by the facts that even if it is freezing outside some people wear shorts in winter. Arata found some difference in the size of chips and the drinks. And he thinks that American people do not get embarrassed much. They are confused by those facts.

6) They all experienced some form of culture shock. It is a natural thing. It refers to the anxiety and feelings of surprise, disorientation when someone is confronted by unknown cultural or social environment such as a foreign country. It causes difficulty in knowing what is appropriate or not.

If I were to go US for my education it would be a good opportunity for me. I would get a chance to know their culture. Every day I would be talking to the native speakers of English and I could improve my speaking ability. I like meeting with foreign people since every one of them can teach me something that I don’t know. Apart from experience it gives us studying at US can give different job opportunities to us. After graduation we can work at international institutes, maybe. But it is not such an easy process, though. Getting used to a community that you hardly know is quite hard. More or less a student will have similar experiences to the ones we saw in the video. 

Grammar Topics

Transitive and Intransitive Verbs
Examples:

According to the instructions, we must leave this goo in our hair for twenty minutes.(transitive)

We would like to stay longer, but we must leave.(intransitive)

The audience attentively watched the latest production of The Trojan Women.(transitive)

The cook watched while the new dishwasher surreptitiously picked up the fragments of the broken dish.(intransitive)

Every spring, William moves all boxes and trunks from one side of the attic to the other.(transitive)

The crowd moves across the field in an attempt to see the rock star get into her helicopter.(intransitive)

Because of blood sugar problems, Rosa always eats before leaving for school.(intransitive)

If there is no leftover pizza, Rosa usually eats whole-grain cereal.(transitive)

 

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