231. Invent a game and explain the rules.

You are locked up in 99 floor building. You are in the first floor and there is nothing between first floor and very top floor. Only things that are in the building are 3 switches for a light bulb, elevator, and a light bulb in very top floor. Okay, now you need to find which switch is for the light bulb. Only one switch is the switch for the light bulb. Two other switches are fakes. Wait! You can only use elevator twice; up and down. Remember that there are no stairs, windows, or anything else. Now find which switch is for the light bulb. If first switch is the right one, explain. If second switch is the right one, explain. If third switch is the right one, explain. You need to give me a reason because any three of them can be the right one depends on your reason. Now begin the game!
Is it too hard? Here is my answer. You turn on first and second switches for 30 minutes and turn the second switch off. Then you take an elevator and go up to the top floor. If you see the light on then obviously second switch is the right one. If not, touch the light bulb and see if it is hot or not. If it is hot, then first switch must be the right one because you turned the first switch for a long time and thus, made the light bulb hot. If not hot, then the answer is the third switch because it is cold. So did you now get it? Thank You.

187. People attend school for many different reasons (for example, expanded knowledge, societal awareness, and enhanced interpersonal relationships). Why do you want to attend university?

Honestly, most students don’t like to study. I see almost everyone complaining teachers for giving homework during weekend, stressed to study for exam, and sleepy for staying up for essay. They want to play sports with friends or play computer games. But why are they attending university? I only see one reason: they want to get a good job and earn a lot of money. I too am like that. This is an undeniable answer that every single student has in their mind. Perhaps few might really want to attend university to expand their knowledge, but again as I said it is only “few” students. I want to attend university to get a good job and earn a lot of money. I don’t think this is a bad motive. Anything that motivates you to pursue university degree is fine. If you are passionate to learn more, then it is better because you will learn a lot in university. But even if you were primary reason for attending university was not to learn, you will still learn more in depth than high school and eventually become skilled in the area you learn. So I do not want to say that my major reason for attending university is to expand my knowledge. 

164. How has your family history, culture, or environment influenced who you are? (University of Florida)

How has my family influenced who I am? I should probably begin with my dad’s advice. My dad always tells me, “Challenging is always difficult. But this is the very time to challenge.” Whenever he tells me this, I say this in my mind: “he’s right. This is the very time. How I do now will decide what I will become in the future.” However, I tend to forget this significant truth as time pass and try to avoid challenge simply because it is hard. Whenever I am in this situation, my dad keep on revive the need to challenge as if my dad knows I forgot about it. In this sense, my dad is a pace-maker. He is like a small device in my heart that constantly helps me not to stop. Because of him, I do not easily give up even though hardship comes on my way. Because of him, I do not stop run for my goal even though everyone else stop just like how heart does not stop to beat. On the other hand, I have my mom and sister who always cheer me whenever I look behind. Although I am away from house, they are very close to me. If I am happy, they will celebrate me. If I am tired, they will take out my burden. If I am sad, they will cry with me. Whenever I call them, they will listen, understand, and share together. Just like how food is physical energy, my mom and sister is my spiritual energy. Without them, I would never have been able to come this far. My family made me to come this far. They are my energizer.

163. What is your favorite word, and why? (University of Virginia)

Without question, there is not a single person who does not know Picasso Pablo. He is one of the famous artists in our history. However, when we look at his works such as Les Demoiselles d'Avignon and Three Musicians, they look like paintings a seven years old made. So what is the reason that he is so famous out of so many other great artists? The answer is simple: he disregarded the world of perspectives and naturalism. Before him, all artists focused only on depicting objects from one viewpoint. In other words, they focused on painting objects exactly same view. Therefore, whoever could realistically paint was the best artist. Picasso, however, ignored the conventional notion of beauty; he broke up, analyzed, and re-assembled objects in an abstracted form. This is what we now call cubism.

Picasso is a “creative” artist. I also want my life to be creative. Therefore, my favorite word is creative.

Miami, City of Sun and Beaches, Is Now About Art

Miami, City of Sun and Beaches, Is Now About Art by Lizette Alvarez 

 

 

Published: November 29, 2011; accessed: November 29, 2011

SUMMURY:

Miami has always been a city where people come and retire or spend their honeymoon. It is also a place to buy cocaine and dodge bullets. However due to Art Basel, an organization which promotes the expression of Art has now taken over Miami Beach. Miami Beach has brought an international circus of high-powered art dealers, curators and art loves. This has been a booming contemporary art scene, which has influenced and attracted artists all around the world.  It has given Miami the power to believe in itself. Only 3 of the 260 galleries in Miami are invited this year for Art Basel fair and only a handful of homegrown artists were in the fair. Due to this Art Basel there are a dozens of new galleries, which have opened, and scores of artists have relocated to Miami, firstly because they are lured by relatively low rents and of course because of Art Basel. This fair gives the artist, collectors and gallery owners a rare opportunity to observe world-class art however more importantly it is a time where they can talk and interact with the leading players of the international art world.

REASPONSE:

This is obviously important to me because I have always wanted to pursue art and whenever in my art class we learn about profound and reputed artists it is an honor to see their artwork being displayed. This article struck out to me, firstly because it is about art and secondly because it relates to what I want to do in life. I want to be known as a leading player of the international art world. I want to talk to famous artists and relate with their work. Ms. Onkka gives our class an artwork and we have to analyze it, it is so much fun for I learn so much from just one piece of art.  So imagining that Miami, which was not influenced by art, is now experiencing the new world of art. I too, want to experience the world of world-class art.

VOCABULARY:

*        Gentrifying:

“First came the Design District, known foremost for its furniture and design showcases, and then Wynwood Art District, its still-gentrifying neighbor, which has grown from about 4 galleries eight years ago to about 45 today.”

Definition: renovate and improve (esp. a house or district) so that it conforms to middle-class taste.

My father is gentrifying the interior of the house because I was feeling uncomfortable with the porch furniture in the house.

*        Impoverished:

“Most galleries are clustered in two once-impoverished neighborhoods just north of downtown Miami that now serve as popular art enclaves, luring the expert and the curious alike.”

Definition: exhaust the strength, vitality, or natural fertility of; make poor

The soil in my garden looked impoverished, so I went out and poured water and fertilizer to nourish the soil.

*        Lured

“But since Art Basel’s debut 10 years ago, dozens of new galleries have opened, and scores of artists have relocated here, lured by the relatively low rents and, partly, by Art Basel itself.”

Definition: tempt (a person or an animal) to do something or to go somewhere, esp. by offering some form of reward :

The child was lured into a car by the kidnappers however luckily he managed to escape

123. How do you feel about Wednesday? (U of Chicago)

I feel goooooooooooooooood about Wednesday simply because time flows faster after Wednesday. I should probably begin with why time goes faster after Wednesday:

Monday,

It is very long day.

Because day before was Sunday.

Because day after will be only Tuesday.

Tudesday,

It is still quite long day.

Because day before was Monday.

Because day after will be only Wednesday.

Wednesday,

It is very good day.

Because tomorrow will be already Thursday.

Because day after tomorrow will be Friday.

Thursday,

It is very very good day.

Because tomorrow will be Friday.

Because tomorrow will be the last school day of this week.

Friday,

It is a super good day.

Because you are free after school.

Because from this day it is weekend after weekend.

Saturday,

ZZZZZ

ZZZZZZZZZ

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Sunday,

It is very bad day.

Because it is a last day of weekend.

Because tomorrow you need to go to school.

Do you see? Wednesday is a starting point of your good days. You only have to go to school twice after Wednesday and your long waited weekend comes true. So I feel really good about Wednesday.

80. Describe how the character of a literary work you have read recently has made a lasting impression on you. (College of Notre Dame of Maryland)

McMurphy, a main character in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, taught me one, simple, powerful lesson about true courage. We often think skydivers and rock climber as a courageous people because they risk chance of falling and injury. However, when they finish, they actually have not really lost anything, and in fact they actually have gained an exhilarating experiences. This is not a true courage.

McMurphy was no more than a patient, but he courageously stood up against an undefeatable and overwhelming Nurse Ratched and the system to bring a change to the hospital and its patients. For instance, to demonstrate other patients that they could stop Nurse Ratched’s control, he put himself at risk by refusing to follow daily route schedule and watching TV. He also took ten patients outside hospital for fishing to make them realize that they are strong by making them catch a huge fish. These were a huge risk for McMurphy. By breaking the rule, he was forced to take electroshock therapy and lobotomy. He really risked his life to bring freedom to patients.

McMurphy’s willingness to face fears and vulnerabilities for other patients has really made a lasting impression on me. He taught me that true courage require putting something at risk like our self-importance, freedom, and life.

McMurphy was a true courageous man!