Poem Explanation..

1. ex: Dedicating a party dress to the land. (personification)

This line makes the landscape seem elegant and graceful. It demonstrates the beauty shown by the land. At the same time, readers can imagine the land as a blessed territory because the sun is filled with joy to devote its rays for the land.


ex: Branches protrude, as if reaching for notability. (simile)

The sentence gives the audience a feeling that the land is very notable. Branches that stick out is pursuing the outstanding of the land. It makes the "avenue" full of pride.


ex: The chunks of snow, are the graves of grass. (metaphor)

This creates a sad atmosphere for the poem. Grave has a negative connotation which symbolizes death. Grass is stereotyped because it represents spring, the season of hope. This indicates that there is a long way to a better life. At the same time, readers can hear the howling winds just like inside the graveyard.





ex: To deteriorate the route to the remote faramita. (alliteration)

The sound of "t" makes the line full of rythme. It is a hard sound, which makes the poem serious, and not a love poem. Just like the poem"The Eagle: A Fragment", a lot of hard sounds are used to create the sad, solitary atmosphere.





ex: Miles away, is a world of green, teemed with hope. (symbolization)

Green is the colour of spring, which represents rebirth and hope. Symbolization is used to show the wonderful world that lies beyond the bumpy road. As long as you persist to conquer the difficulties along the route, a splendid plance will be waiting for you.



2. The avenue is described as crystal and that shows both nobility and notability of the road. That is the road to success which is very significant. However, the further you go, the more challenges there are. The difficulties are represented by the bumps. There is a long way to go in order to reach our goals, but the magnificent sunlight will always be there to encourage us. The road also symbolizes our lives, which might be very long. As long as we work hard, the world of green or hope, which means success, will be achievable. The branches in the poem stand for the wicked people who might try to thwart us from reaching our goals, but the pure snow, or the justice in the world will stop them. The most important trait that is required is perseverance. It will bring us to prosper and a better life.



3. My poem is describing the snow when sun is shining on it. I used the bumpy road of snow to represent the life of people which is full of hardships. The green trees far away can be spotted, and that symbolizes the success we will gain after walking over the bumpy road, or after conquering the difficulties. The golden sunlight is the people that encourages us while we are challenging ourselves.

4. The picture I chose is covered by snow. Canada is a very cold place, so snow is very common. Every time it snows, the land is teemed with those little pure angels. There are also a lot of forests and trees in Canada, just like the trees in the back of the picture. All together, the picture portays a peaceful and natural place, which is the same as Canada.

5. They would feel that this is a very beautiful place because such wonderful scenery can be seen. It is also very peaceful and harmonious. The natural conditions benefits the country a lot because snow brings more beauty to the country.

Poem of Canadian Landscape

The Crystal Avenue

By: Joy Wang

Golden sunlight,

shining on snow at twilight,

Dedicating a partydress to the land,

Branches protrude ,

as if reaching for notability,

The chunks of snow,

are the graves of grass,

saying farewell to spring,

Steps away,

lies the bumpy avenue,

still and determined,

to deteriorate the route to the remote faramita,

It would take centuries,

to saunter over the crystal route,

Miles away,

is a world of green,

teemed with hope ,

The jubilation after the conquer of the shiny road,

is overwhelming the crystal avenue.

Alliance with the Huron Empire..

1. An alliance is when several people or groups unite together. In their cooperation, everyone works together for their common purpose. By working together, every one of them wins profits. At the same time, their power is strengthened.

2. When Champlain first arrived in Canada, he nor his crew was accustomed to the climate and terrain. To succeed in his planned business, he had to look for a partner. This group had to familiar with all the local events. At the same time, they can't be too feeble. The most suitable group was the Huron Empire. They were native people who could offer Champlain plenty of assistance. Both of them could also benefit each other during their alliance.

3. a) The picture looks as though it was taken in the forest near a river. There are a lot of boats moored beside the shore. Two or three people are rowing a boat in the forest. It seems very peculiar. The two groups of people are having a battle. In their hands are arrows and bows. Several people are hurt, and lying on the ground. Everyone is naked in the picture.

b) I don't think this is a realistic picture because of the boat in the forest and the naked people. A forest is supposed to be full of trees and dirt. How can they paddle the boat then? At that time, there was already fur trading, which implies that clothes already exist. I don't think anyone would want to be naked when they have the opportunity to wear clothes in the olden times.

4. a) Georgian Bay is surrounded by the French River, Bustard Islands, Parry Sound Depot Harbor, Hope Island and Cove Island. It is beside Lake Huron.

b) Bay: a shoreline that is bigger than a cove but smaller than a gulf.

5. In the picture, there are some earth or rocks in the bay. They seem to be very soft and makes me feel the warmth. The clouds in the sky looks like soft cotton that would fall on us. Far away, there are some trees. It demonstrates peace in this boisterous world. The sun is shining brightly which gives the sky a golden jacket.

6. When I see the picture, I didn't feel the fear at once. The sky is very blue, which makes the picture seem not as powerful. However, the tree that is bending in the wind makes me feel the strength of the storm. The water that's boiling in the bay also looks very fierce. If the painter could make the sky into a dark colour, I'll feel the tempestuous of the storm.

7. I could feel the gale blowing at me and trees waving in the wind. The sky is in a dark colour which creates a sad atmosphere. The land seems to be full of despair and loneliness. There are a lot of natural animals there, such as the duck on the soft stone. The water makes the scene full of peace. The trees seem as though they will wither soon, but the strength inside them keeps them alive and strong. The internal power of all the biotic components is defeating the force that comes from the nature.

8. After establishing the New France, Champlain found an accesible way of gaining rapid development. He cooperated with a native group--Huron Empire. Their relationship can be symbolized by the word mutualism. Both of them is benefited through the teamwork. Champlain helped them to defeat the Iroquis while they became his navigator in the new area. It was a success as the geographic location provides natural protection for Champlain.

New France..

cliff

habitation

map

St.Lawrence

1. The map shows Southeast Canada and parts of America. The St.Lawrence River is surrounded by Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick. A lot of explorers from France travel to North America from the St.Lawrence River because of the convenience its geographic location provides. The river has a bond with the Atlantic Ocean.

2. In the picture of St.Lawrence River, there are two main colours--blue and green. The sky and the water are bright blue. It makes people feel calm and peaceful. In the sky, there are some clouds stretched out. They look like silk ribbons which are dancing leisurely. Beneath it are the islands full of green trees, surrounded by the napping water. A highway is also seen from the picture, but it looks very isolated with no cars. Between the road and the river, there is a lighthouse with a bright red top.

3. For all his explorations, Champlain chose ships as his transportation tool. He must have compared it with the other ways of travelling, but his final choice shows his approval of travelling on water. First of all, it's the most convenient way to explore. There were no airplanes at the moment, so he had no choice other than sail over sea by ship. It is also more economic. The king of France won't offer to manufacture a plane just for Champlain's exploration!

4. In the picture of Champlain's habitation in Quebec, there are several two storied houses. The three of them all have smoke rising up from chimneys. The triangular shape the front end of the port makes it look like a ship. This is a black and white picture, which shows the audience how ancient it is. On one side of the group of houses, there is a garage like a store house. I suppose its existence is to store the merchandise traded. It's likely to consist of fur.

5. As mentioned in the question, the cliffs are already towering. This indicates that it would be very difficult to attack. At the same time, Champlain and his men don't need as much effort to defend themselves from possible harm. The cliffs can preserve Champlain from danger. It not only avoids the attack of others, but also protects them from natural disasters.

6. After Champlain had failed in creating Port Royal, he persisted in establishing another one. This new port is called New France. It is located in Quebec. There are more businessmen to transaction with, so it is much easier for them. At the same time, the natural topography and geographic location has a lot to do with Champlain's choice. The towering cliffs provides preservation for them.

A Grand Beggar (Ms.Yu..READ IT)

On a prosperous road of New York, an exquisite black limo flew like a bird. In it sat Kevin and his employer Raymond. They were compatible partners who had met each other a few years ago on the same street they were on now. Kevin and Raymond were recalling the memories reminded by this approach and Raymond said, "Hey buddy! Remember how you spoke to me to ask for money several years ago? Your politeness sure surprised me!" "Ha ha", laughed Kevin. Just then, the ringing of a phone interrupted. After hanging up the phone, Raymond smiled bitterly and Kevin nodded. An expression is sufficient for their negotiation. Both of them were considerate and tolerant of each other as Raymond never taunted Kevin's poverty and Kevin minded none of Raymond's business.

Evening soon came, quietly putting on a light black jacket to the city. At the party, Raymond and Kevin were the brightest moon, always surrounded by the shining stars. Everywhere they go, warm welcomes is like water, overwhelming the place. "Hello Sir! Nice to meet you!", a gentleman came to talk. For the next half an hour, Kevin had to deal with all the praise that came from the gentleman Jason. Even though that it was an evident fact that Kevin was only a driver, people still treated him as though he was the prince, who was always by King Raymond's side. Jason thought to himself, who knows what Kevin's true identity is? How is it possible for someone proud like Raymond have a companion who is a real beggar? To him, as long as Kevin is accompanying Raymond, Kevin is the god.

Time flows like water, never coming back. Time runs like horses, fast and steady. A couple of days had passed until Kevin showed up in the area for commoners, visiting his friends who's occupations are the same as his before--beggar. It was a nice sunny day which made Kevin very satisfied of the splendid life he is leading. He had no idea that an event happening a few minutes later would change his concept of the world. A magnificent helicopter suddenly landed near Kevin and his friends. As they were astounded, Jason walked out majestically. His Armani suit made an evident comparison with the others' dirty jeans and t-shirts that were full of mends. "You are a dirty beggar!", exclaimed Jason with disgust. Kevin couldn't bear the jeer that Jason had just showed because of his identity, so he said, "Get away from me!" "Without Raymond, who do you think you are? Demanding me? In your dreams!" Jason demonstrated great anger, yelling at Kevin. Kevin couldn't persuade himself to believe that this is the person that had glorified him a few days ago. This pushed him into great disappointment, but he kindly thought that Jason was just in a negative mood.

It wasn't too long before Kevin and Jason's next encounter. In a ball room, Kevin and Raymond spotted Jason immediately as he was coming towards them. Kevin and Raymond looked at each other, asking for some advice of what is going on because Raymond had heard about the insult that Kevin received recently. "Hi Sir! How glad I feel to see you two again!", greeted Jason, as if he didn't know what happened the other day. "Oh." The coldness coming from Raymond didn't affect Jason's praise of them. "How noble you look, sir!", said Jason to Kevin, smiling like a flower. Kevin's heart suffered from great agony because of how Jason was behaving. Why is the world like this?! Kevin shouted inside his heart, trembling like a leaf in the wind.

On their way leaving, Raymond comforted Kevin, "You don't have to care about what others are like! As long as you know that you are the one and only, special Kevin, everything's fine! You're important because of your true self! Nothing else!" Kevin sank into deep thoughts for a while before he answered, "We should be judged by the contents of our characters and not our occupations!" Both of them smiled warmly at each other, knowing that they will always be the best partners, no matter how different their classes were. In a bar, Raymond and Kevin communicated joyfully. Raymond put up his bottle of beer and shouted, "Cheers for our grand beggar!" "Cheers!", replied everyone else. Grand Kevin, nodded with a fleet sparkle in his eyes.

Port Royal..

1. Monopoly means the only one to control the whole business. The monopoly has great power. Samuel De Champlain wanted to be a monopoly not only because of the power he would have to order the others, but also because of the immense amount of profit in furtrade. If he was the monopoly, all the money would have went to him. This means he only needs to work to establish the fur trade and wait for money to flow into his pockets!! Everyone loves MONEY!!$$$!!

2. Just like the exploration essay we did, exploring brings the countries a lot of benefits, especially when it's colonized. If the French colonies were successfully formed, France can enlarge their territories and find more natural resources. At the same time, they can have more population to create a stronger country. The negotiating of cultures is also very important. France can absorb the local culture and mix it with their own. That would help to educate better people. The king of course wanted his country to become stronger!!

3. a)In the picture, there is a country road. It looks like the outskirts of a city. I could feel the peace and harmony there. Beside the wooden house, there's a flag pole behind the fence. The flag is dancing in the wind, as though it's saying "Hi" to the sea by its side. The green grass, light blue sky and dark blue ocean makes the place a beautiful painting.

b) There are 3 people standing on the road in the picture. There are several wooden houses behind them. It looks exactly like the county sides. The grass is very green, with a bench a table on it. The sky is a little bit cloudy which makes the picture kind of gloomy and somber.

Samuel De Champlain..

1. a) In this picture, Samuel De Champlain is standing near the lake. It's near the sunset, so the sky is filled with both white and yellow clouds. Beside Samuel De Champlain, a soldier who's holding a fan seems as though he's serving Samuel De Champlain. In Samuel De Champlain's hand, there's a helmet and in the other hand, he's holding a sword which he inserted into the ground. It looks as if he had just came back from a successful voyage and he's celebrating his victory. Samuel De Champlain has curly hair and a little moustache which makes him look noble. He is looking into distance and his expression makes him full of pride. Standing on the rock, Samuel De Champlain is like the king of the world, filled with dignity.

b) Samuel De Champlain was a French man who had many occupations. The most famous one is as a navigator who is also the founder of Quebec City. He had jobs such as geographer, diplomat, explorer and soldier etc. Samuel De Champlain was never of nobility as his father was a captain of a ship. He had been trained as a navigator from early life.

2. Samuel De Champlain had been exploring in Canada and up the St.Lawrence River. He was the founder of Quebec City. Samuel De Champlain also established the fur trade interior in Quebec City to make it easier to control. During his stay in Canada, he helped the Huron Indians to fight the Iroquois. In the duration of that experience, Samuel De Champlain found Lake Champlain.

3. Samuel De Champlain returned to Canada and explored around Nova Scotia in 1604-1607. During that period of time, many new colonies had formed. Granted by England's James I, the Plymouth Company and London Company established. They were miles away from each other, but both on the coasts of America. During that time, the French colonists had also found Port Royal in Acadia.

4. In the map, there's portion of Canada and America. In 1603, Samuel De Champlain sailed over the ocean from France and headed towards the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Then, he landed in Quebec. There, he established a colony and became the founder of Quebec City, forming the fur trade interior. Then, Samuel De Champlain went into Ontario and crossed a Great Lake to go to New York, which was his last stop for this voyage. Again in 1605, he came to Canada to continue his exploration. This time, he went towards the coast of Nova Scotia and went all around it. Then, he went around the American coasts, passing two states before reaching his destination Massachusetts.

5. Samuel De Champlain decided to explore because of his determination. He wanted to succeed in establishing a French colony in America. It was his desire to make a mammoth devotion to his country. As an explorer, Samuel De Champlain was a successful one. His persistence and perseverance were to praise. This is because of his resolution of organizing a French colony in the new found land.

6. Samuel De Champlain made many trips to Canada. He had a smart way of travelling that saves him a lot of money. On most of his voyages, he goes with people who have the king's permission. This way, Samuel De Champlain no longer needs to plead the king for budget. On all his trips to Canada, he sailed over the sea on ships.

Reflection..

1. Since starting to take Canadian Studies in February, I've learned a lot about the Canadian history in the past hundreds of years. There were two important explorations to Canada with the two explorers who discovered Canada, John Cabot and Jacques Cartier. John Cabot is from England and he went on several voyages to Canada, but he had died on the last trip. The French explorer Jacques Cartier is a friend of Christopher Columbus, the discoverer of North America. He was very successful as an explorer, finding ample natural resources and colonizing Canada for France. I also learned about the Northwest Passage. It's the thought of passing through Canada to find a route towards China and India. This didn't work because they weren't familiar with the Canadian landforms. Both France and England deserve credits for transforming Canada into what we see today.

2. The most memorable lesson since September for me is the first lesson in Language Arts 9 taught by Ms.Yu. The first task she gave us after our self introductions was an English provincial exam. I'm not sure which grade it's for and I only remember that it was very hard for me. It wasn't like any of the exams I've taken, and it really scared me. School was very different from my imagination, so I was getting more and more nervous. I had doubts of being able to do well in English, but when I thought about it, I became determined to work extra hard to catch up. That first lesson was an important point in my life at Sino Bright because it inspired me to make efforts. At the same time, the acting we did in LA9 helped me gain a lot confidence. It's very unforgettable.

3. I've changed a lot since coming to this school. In the beginning, I was shy and scared, but I decided to change myself and be more confident. I overcame my fears in class and tried to participate as much as I can. I've never worked that hard in my life! This time, it's not for the honor nor the teacher, it's truly for myself! By challenging myself and conquering different hardships, I became more powerful and confident. Now, I'm more mature because I've learned the importance of studying for myself and being confident. I became a lot hardworking too since I know how to control myself from lures. This has been an important school year in my life.

4. My goal is to get straight A's in all my classes. I'm planning to study the biology part in Science by myself and review for the Science provincial exam which is coming up in June. For English, I'll practice writing essays and try to do my best. I need to finish all my homework on time!! I don't always reach my goals, but I'll try to make as great efforts as I can to improve my marks. The hardest subject for me now is Science, so I need to work even harder to get a good mark. When I have any questions, I have to force myself to ask the teacher or my classmates and not be shy. With hard work, I believe that I can successfully reach my goal!

5. I'm proud of the A that I got in Math last semester. My math wasn't very good, and I wasn't sure if I could do well in it. I made great efforts and even though I failed for a few times, I still persisted in working hard. At last, my hard work led me to a good grade. From that experience, I know that even if we fail sometimes, it's important to not give up and keep trying. At first, I worked extra hard, and always tried my best in tasks. After several months, I was kind of tired of school, so I didn't work as hard. What makes me very happy is that I've been doing my best all the way this semester and I hope to keep it up!

Explorations Need to be Handled

Explorations is important to countries because of the great benefits brought by it, but exploration can also cause unhappy consequences. In the past historical explorations, there were many conflicts and misunderstandings between the local citizens and explorers, just like the experience in Franmanyland, a heaven like country. From the experience of Franmanyland, it's clear that exploration can be very harmful if explorers couldn't control their selfish attempts because it can evoke contradictions by contending for resources with the native people, colonizing native lands and kidnapping native people

On a sunny day, the citizens of Franmanyland welcomed the new comers--explorers from Itaziltina. The native people were very glad to have some visitors, and offered to be their guides. Of course, the explorers were delighted to see how popular they were and told the citizens all about their homeland. Everyone was very ethusiastic because of the unexpected friendship, but the happiness didn't last long. After having lunch together, the explorers setted out on their discovery trip in Franmanyland while the native people took their nap as usual. When it was almost sunset, a native teenager ran to the king to tell him that nearly half of the cods in the lake had disappeared and some people saw the explorers taking the fish away. The king was astonished to hear the news, but the fishers were very angry to know that their "money" had been taken away. The native people ordered the explorers to give back their resource immediately, and the explorers refused, so without doubt, they had a quarrel. The unhappy experience made the explorers regret being so impulse, and the native people also felt sorry for being mean, so they all determined to have a new start tomorrow and try their best to repair their relationship.'

It wasn't hard for the explorers and native people to become friends again since they were both very firm to be nice to each other. Both of them were eager to please each other, so they soon became friendly again. A few days later, the explorers were about to leave and came to say farewell. People of Franmanyland were relieved to see them planning to leave without harming their country, but they pretended to be very sad. The polite words stoves that warmed everyone's heart. It wasn't long after some boatmen noticed the cross planted in the sand saying "Itaziltina" while the explorers were having their last dinner in Franmanyland. No wonder, it exasperated the Franmanylandians, so they were determined to never help the explorers again. At the same time, rumors flew into the explorers' ears and exaggeration of what they had done made them very dissatisfied, so they wanted to take revenge. After holding a secret meeting, the leader of the explorers said, "We don't even need to care about how those stupid native people feel! They're so rude and not at all considerate!" This time, the conflicts between the two of them is for real.

Angrily, the explorers planned a kidnap with no pity. At night, when the explorers crept quietly outside to find a good opportunity to kidnap, one or two Franmanylandians walked by, but they didn't bother to speak to the explorers because of the unhappy events. This made the explorers even more determined to take revenge because they don't feel respected among the natives. Soon, the explorers found 10 native people that weren't alert and tricked them onto their ships. After kidnapping the 10 native people, the explorers left with the joy of having revenge, leaving the native people sad and regretting after discovering the loose of the 10 people that they had not thought highly of the explorers after their conflicts and misunderstandings.

From then on, Franmanyland's native people had always treated explorers with respect and tolerance. Even though conflicts and misunderstandings between countries during exploring is unavoidable, people on both sides need to be more considerate and work together to avert fights and even wars. After all, it's the citizens' reponsibility to keep their homeland harmonious and peaceful. Through the historical event of exploration in Franmanyland, it's clear that exploration can bring both advantages and disadvantages, so people of the earth should all make efforts to avoid wars and conflicts. The world needs everyone to contribute to become a place full of peace.

Essay Plan (Exploration can cause misunderstandings)

Introduction:unhappy experience in Franmanyland because of conflicts between native people and explorers
Thesis Statement: From the experience of Franmanyland, it's clear that exploration can be very harmful if explorers couldn't control their selfish attempts because it can evoke contradictions by contending for resources with the native people, colonizing native lands and kidnapping native people.


Body Paragraph 1. Topic Sentence: On a sunny day, the citizens of Franmanyland welcomed the new comers--explorers from Itaziltina.
Body: At first, everyone was friendly and polite with each other, but soon, they had a quarrel because of the natuaral resources
Conluding Sentence: The unhappy experience made the explorers regret being so impulse, and the native people also felt sorry for being mean, so they all determined to have a new start tomorrow and try their best to repair their relationship.


Body Paragraph 2. Topic Sentence: It wasn't hard for the explorers and native people to become friends again since they were both very firm to be nice to each other.
Body: They were nice for a while, but when the explorers were about to leave, they put a cross saying "Itaziltina" on the native land, native people were angry and decided to never help them again.
Concluding Sentence: "We don't even need to care about how those stupid native people feel! They're so rude and not at all considerate!", said the leader of the explorers.

Body Paragraph 3. Topic Sentence: Angrily, the explorers planned a kidnap with no pity.
Body: natives were unhappy with explorers, so they didn't bother to speak to them. the explorers were even more angry and kidnapped 10 native people
Concluding Sentence: After kidnapping the 10 native people, the explorers left with the joy of having revenge, leaving the native people sad and regretting not thinking highly of the explorers after their conflicts and misunderstandings.

Conclusion. Topic Sentence: From then on, Franmanyland's native people had always treated explorers with respect and tolerance.
Concluding Sentence: Exploration can bring both advantages and disadvantages, so people of the earth should all make efforts to avert wars and conflicts. After all, everyone looks forward to peace.

Learning to Balance

A lot times, people face decisions that are difficult to make. It’s important to choose the right option because every decision has its consequence, which is prone to becoming a turning point in our lives. As people grow up and become more and more mature, they need to learn to decide for themselves. This implicates that everyone must understand the importance of comparing two choices. I know all this by experiencing the hardness of making a decision. Through deciding for myself, I suffered from internal conflicts, made a choice with doubt, but teemed with gratification after finding out the truth.
It was the first day going to school after a holiday, but luck was already fading away from me because I had just lost my cell phone. During class, one of the teachers told me that my mother had an emergency, so I needed to call her. My mother sounded very worried and said, “I’m going back to your grandma’s, are you coming with me?” “Um” I was filled contradiction. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to” Mother was considerate as always. “What’s wrong with grandpa? We just came back today!” “You don’t need to know that much.” I could evidently feel her worry, but I didn't want to miss school. “Then, I’m going to stay here. Bye!” After hanging up, my heart was like the messy yarn that twists. I was desperate to know what made mother so concerned. I knew that I would always have the opportunity to go with her.
For the next five minutes, I was filled with doubt and concern. There were two voices that were arguing with each other, but both of them were convincing to me. Just that morning, I had just come back from grandma’s because my mother and I wanted to take care of my grandpa who was seriously ill. One voice said, “Stay here! Your provincial exams are coming up, why would you want to miss school?” Just when I was having a hard time to decide, the other voice showed up. “Why are your marks so important to you? Maybe your grandpa needs you very much!” By then, I only wanted to cry, but I didn't. I knew that I had to have a calm mind to analyze the situation calmly. I told myself, the wrong decision may fill you with remorse for the rest of your life. I thought about my two choices over and over again, and finally made a choice. I immediately called my mother to tell her that I’m going back with her. Even though I was unsure of my final decision, I think it’s the wisest choice I could make. Provincial exams are important of course, but I could have more than one chance to take it. Grandpa is different, I only have one! I couldn't be so selfish and disappoint him by refusing to see him for the last time just because of my future. I felt both unsure and determined.
Filled with uncertain, I went on to the same trip that I had just taken several days ago. During our car trip, mother cried helplessly like a little child. That indicated the seriousness of the situation which flurried me. At the same time, my heart was full of joy because I made the right decision of coming back, but the truth was distant from my predictions. I thought that grandpa was ill even more seriously and I held on to that thought all the way until we arrived at grandma’s. The yard under grandma’s apartment was filled with wreaths, and there was a banner mourning my grandpa. My heart was pounding so fast that I could hardly breath and I felt as if it was the end of the world. I don’t know how I walked up the stairs, the only thing I remember was the room full of people crying and the black and white picture of my grandpa that hung in the middle of the wall. My mind turned blank immediately and I started to wail. After trying to accept the truth, I was gratified that I chose to go back.
By making the right decision for myself, which I now think is an important turning point in my life, I know that I’m growing up. Choosing the right path is a significant lesson in everyone’s life, so learning to balance is the first step to success. Through one’s upbringing, there are lots to learn before becoming truly mature, but balancing choices and making the correct decision is vital as it could easily change our lives.

What you think is what you see..

1. If the maps around me supported the idea that the Northwest Passage existed, I would probably choose to believe it. I've always trusted scientists because I think they're usually very objective. The maps publishing company should be authorized, so that convinces me to believe the maps. If there was a map like that, I believe that a lot of people would think that it's true, so I might be persuaded by people around me too.

2. If I was John Cabot and someone told me that the Northwest Passage didn't exist, I would be very angry because I have bias. Maybe I'll say, "You're just jealous of me because you're not as successful as I am! Stop talking nonsense!" Even though I wouldn't want to belive that there is no Northwest Passage, I think I would think about that person's sayings afterwards and I'll probably be unsure of my belief. I think I would still choose to believe that there is the Northwest Passage unless someone has enough evidence to prove that it doesn't exist.

3. In the map, Canada is west of England and Africa is south of England. There's a red marked route to Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and then back. I think it supports the idea that the Northwest Passage exists.

4. The explorers and monarchs all wanted to find treasures which they think might be in Asia. They wanted to get there faster so that they can win more profits for themselves and for the country. The Northwest Passage supports the idea that there's a fast way to arrive there, so they all chose to believe the existence of the Northwest Passage.

5. In my life, there are a lot of feed back loops. An example is liking dogs and feeding dogs. I like dogs, so I want to feed one. I feed one means that I like them.

6. There were the French explorers and the English explorers who discovered Canada. They colonized parts of Canada and that's why people speak English and French in Canada today. Their colonizing helped Canada's development even though it once caused conflicts and misunderstandings.

Flat Earth..

(1) (2)

1. (1) The picture shows a mammoth circle, which a lot of people take as the earth. On the flat surface, there are the colours of blue, white, green and brown. I think they represent the oceans, ice glaciers and lands. In the center of the picture, there is a small white circle which comes to me as the north pole. The white circle surrounding the earth in the picture looks very mysterious and it seems to be the edge of the earth. Water takes up most of the earth in this picture, which is actually the same as now. Affected by the facts I've learned in school, I think the earth in this picture is incomplete. It looks as if there are several continents missing in the picture.

(2) In the picture, we can see the background of some houses. It appears to me as the castles in the olden times. There are a lot of clouds flowing in the sky. I learn that the weather is very nice because the sky is very blue. Behind the castles, there are lots of trees and a river. The scenery makes the picture look very peaceful. What points out it's a flat earth is the boat falling on the edge of the earth. I think it's a waterfall that the boat is dropping from. It tilts at the edge which indicates that it's an end of the earth. The sky looks very near to the earth, maybe just covering it.

2. If I still believed that the earth is flat, I would definitely have a very strong believe because nowadays, few people still hold that old thought. If the earth is round like a ball, how can we stand on it and not fall? Scientists say that there is gravity, but then how can balloons fly into the sky? The earth I see everyday is also flat. When cars drive on the road, they travel in a straight line, and not in a curved shape. Another reason is that even if there is gravity, how can people live upside down on the other end of the earth? Wouldn't they die? In the olden times, people were hard to convince and not much people would believe scientists, but the theory of flat earth succeeded in persuading everyone. This shows that it has its logic. Our ancestors have always believed that the earth is flat, so they absolutely had their reason, which is an important reason why I still choose to believe the old opinion.

3. Technology is becoming more and more developed. Today, we learn a lot about our universe and the earth and most of it seems to make sense. I think we still have false concepts of the world because there are still a lot of things that science can not explain today. Technology has never stopped improving, so the truth is always upgrading and changing. For example, scientists kicked Pluto out of the list of planets. This means that it's no longer an acknowledged planet. From there, we see that science doesn't always stay the same, so we never stop correcting our misunderstandings of the universe. Therefore, people would always keep on having wrong concepts of the earth. However, scientists are there to correct them.

Puppet Show..

1. Our puppet show is about the part when Jacques Cartier tricked Donnaconna and his sons onto his ship. It's different from the true historical event because we wanted to make it more humorous. In the puppet show, we had two scenes. One at the harbour and one on the ship. In our show, Donnaconna forced Jacques Cartier to bring him to France, which is just the opposite from the truth. The ending stayed the same because Jacques Cartier didn't send Donnaconna back to Canada as promised.


2. Joy---Donnaconna's son
Carolyn--Donnaconna
Jennifer--Jacques Cartier
Sai--villagers

3. From making the puppet show, I understand about Jacques Cartier's experience better. At the same time, I thought about cooperation in a deeper way. What's the most important is that I had fun during the project, and next time, I'll be more experienced and prepared.

4. When Ms.Chan is marking our puppet show, I'd want her to notice that we made the villagers with a pair of gloves by sticking faces onto it. I think it was pretty creative. I also think our background looks nice because Carolyn and Jennifer both made efforts to make it beautiful, so I hope their work can be approved.

5. Maybe our group isn't the best one, but I think everyone tried hard to work and unite together. Reasons:
1. When Carolyn and Jennifer were drawing the backgrounds, me and Sai tried to help them in any way we could even though we don't draw well.
2. Everyone brought everything they could to help make the puppet show better.
3. Sai couldn't come on the day we planned to film, but no one blamed him for it. We found someone else to substitute him instead.

Exploration Essay..

Nowadays, countries compete fiercely, so every one of them is making efforts to find a way to develop rapidly. 500 years ago, the first exploration took place, explorers proved its value and importance to a country right after returning to their homeland. Since then, many countries started to mimic the act. Explorations took place very often in the past hundreds of years because of its significance by bringing countries plenty of resources, massive lands and a quick develop in technologies.

In the olden times, a lot of powerful countries such as Spain, Britain and France, sent explorers to look for routes towards the ancient nations. A lot of them found natural resources in the new found lands. For example, John Cabot found a big region with sufficient fish to provide all people in Britain, and for Jacques Cartier, his crew traded iron goods for the furs which they lacked. People nowadays learn from those historical events about how exploration could bring resources. This is a way to bring profits to the countries quickly. Although it may cause misunderstandings and even wars, countries still venture to send explorers onto voyages of discovery. From that, we can easily learn about the mammoth advantages of exploration that could lure the kings to take the risk. Thus, people learn from past events about the position of exploration as it benefits countries within its people with the wealth found in the new discovered lands.

Exploration is significant to countries, not only because of the profits it brings to the country, but also because of the massive lands claimed for the country. A strong country keeps its position by developing itself. This means that countries need big territories to become stronger and stronger. Looking into the past, America bought Alaska from Russia in 1867 for 720 million US dollars. Did America buy it for nothing? Of course not. America had a purpose that made them willing to pay millions of dollars for a piece of land. That's because they realized the importance of territory to a country. By exploring, people often discover lands that don't belong to any government at the time, so explorers would claim the land for the country that sponsored their voyages. What's the most important is that it's entirely free. Therefore, exploration holds its unique status in the development of a country because of the mammoth benefits it brings.

Above all, technology, which decides a country's position, could also be gained from exploration. As we all know, technology is a significant factor of a country which decides the nation’s position and fame. For instance, the strongest country is America, but is it the biggest country? Is it the country with the most population? Definitely not. Then what makes it hold its high position in the world? The answer is technology. America has the most developed technology and top scientists. Technology not only helps the country strong its military forces but also brings the country more and more income. Technology can be developed during the voyage by making new discoveries in the sea or on land, which is very often. Explorers can also learn from the native people in the new found lands. They often bring back the new founds with them to disclose to their country. Hence, countries often send explorers to improve their technology and gain experiences because of the importance of expolorations.

In summary, exploration is important for the countries because the new found resources could make up for the lacks of the country, the new lands could enlarge the country and enrich the original country's culture, and improve the technologies with a quick speed. All these benefits are significant to a nation's development. It's a fact that all countries are making great efforts to strong themselves nowadays. For this reason, exploration is a quick way to improve the country, so it has always held its importance.

Exploration Essay Plan..

Introduction: common event in the history of people, bring profits to countries
Thesis Statement: Exploration took place very often in the past hundreds of years because of its importance by bringing countries plenty of natural resources, massive lands, and a quick develop in technologies.

Body Paragraph 1. Topic Sentence: In the olden times, a lot of powerful countries such as Spain, Britain and France sent explorers to find routes towards the ancient nations.
Body: exploration is important because of the advantages it bring
Concluding Sentence: Thus, people learn from past events about the position of exploration as it benefits countries within its people with the wealth found in the new discovered lands.

Body Paragraph 2. Topic Sentence: Exploration is significant to countries, not only because of the profits it brings to the country, but also because of the massive lands claimed for the country.
Body: exploration is important because the new found lands help to develop the country rapidly
Concluding Sentence: Therefore, exploration holds its unique status in the development of a country because of the mammoth benefits it brings.

Body Paragraph 3. Topic Sentence: Above all, technology, which decides a country's position, could also be gained from exploration.
Body: exploration is important because of the technology improved during the explorations
Concluding Sentence: Hence, countries often send explorers to improve their technology and gain experiences because of the importance of expolorations.

Conclusion: Topic Sentence: In summary, exploration is important for the countries because the new found resources could make up for the lacks of the country, the new lands could enlarge the country and enrich the original country's culture, and improve the technologies with a quick speed.
Body: countries make great efforts to develop
Concluding Sentence: In summary, exploration is a quick way to improve the country, so it has always held its importance.

Provincial Exam..

I don't have any questions about the Provincial Exam for now..
Maybe I'll ask Ms.Chan when I think of one..

Hmm..I'm kind of worried about my English provincials because I really want to get an A!!
I'll work really hard.. I'm afraid I can't even pass..
555555555..!!
The provincial exams are really hard to me.. Especially the poetry..
I can't even understand the poems!!
I don't think I can sleep well tonight because I'm so worried..
Anyways..I'll work hard!

Exploration..

http://tbn0.google.cn/images?q=tbn:w1wUYZ3ytUb-iM:(1)

http://tbn3.google.cn/images?q=tbn:fd2b2YmWdFgayM:(2)

http://tbn0.google.cn/images?q=tbn:qTA0tPvaYg0FUM:(3)

(1) There are a lot of cods in this picture, just like what John Cabot had found in the oceans near Canada. Exploration is important to a country because it can bring them goods. The fur trade also supports this idea. People can get things their country require by exploring and finding lands of riches. This would save them a lot of time and money. What's more is that exploring to find goods could bring bring them a lot of profits.

(2) This is a wooden cross. I chose this picture to represent the importance of exploration because it's similar to something that's mentioned in the Jacques Cartier video. Explorers could claim lands for their own country. This would help to develop the country and it could become stronger in a short period of time. At the same time, the country could gain experience of communicating with a different nation. That would prepare them for more diplomacy.

(3) In this picture, the ship is exploring on the ocean. There's a mammoth ice berg in their way. Exploration is very necessary and useful to developing a country's technology. They could learn a lot from exploring, and their experiences would be more useful. This not only benefits the country but also brings profits to the whole world. It's an important step of developing!

Fur Trade..

http://tbn0.google.cn/images?q=tbn:wX1w3OwCLpZyNM: (1)

http://tbn1.google.cn/images?q=tbn:T7tRei7HTuh_7M: (2)

http://tbn0.google.cn/images?q=tbn:arBYIAEbDHw-9M: (3)

http://tbn0.google.cn/images?q=tbn:lY2kN-3xqAt1QM: (4)

http://tbn2.google.cn/images?q=tbn:G2SepVbAWuWI5M:(5)

5. (people travelling) In this picture, several men are walking in a mountain. I think they're looking for animals to hunt. It shows their first step of the process of fur trade. This picture reveals the true life of the people involved in the fur trade. I can feel the difficulties in their lives through looking at this picture because their clothes don't seem very comfortable and warm, but the setting looks very cold. People could feel the tiring mood.

4. (canoe) I can see a lot of people rowing the canoe down a river. Some trees are along the bank of the river. Nature seemed very peaceful. There might be a lot of obstacles on their way to the destination, but everyone is making efforts to overcome the difficulties and all men are united together. Fur trade brings them a lot of benefits, but I think when facing danger, it's friendship that connects them together, not profits.

3. (dead animals) A row of dead animals are lying on the snow. This picture makes me think of the contents of people. People are cruel animals sometimes. Even though they have brilliant minds, they could be very cold blooded, and care about nothing except for money. The animals are also lives, and they're equal to us humans. Their parents also cherish them just like the way ours treasure us. Would you like to see humans killed by others just because of benefits? These animals deserve to be treated kindly and with respect, so I think they the fur trade might not be such a good idea since they harmed the ecological balance.

2. (bloody beast) The leopard looks as if it's dying. It must have been shot by a hunter for its fur. Blood is oozing out from the animal's mouth. It looks very scary. Its eyes are full of hatred and disgust. Maybe it's thinking of having revenge on the human who killed it. While the fur trade, a lot of innocent animals like the leopard were killed. Humans should really think over on the consequences of their actions before doing it.

1. (map) This is a map of the fur trade route. It shows the US and parts of Canada. I think the Europeans must have won a lot of profits during the fur trade, but shouldn't they care more about the nature? It makes me think of how cruel the Europeans were. They invaded the Native people's land, harmed the people and destroyed the local nature. Sometimes, people should be more foresighted.

Literary Essay

Bravery is an important trait of a hero. It's a characterization that will help audience learn more about the different kinds of characters. Heroes are not only around us, but also in legendary stories. They demonstrate courage that could inspire others, just like what the protagonists in "The Sniper" and Lady Westall in "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" do. Their existence helps to make our world a better place.


In the short story "The Sniper", the protagonist is a courageous sniper who fights with enemies all by himself and plans to escape calmly after getting shot. In the setting of the civil war in Ireland in the 1920s, most soldiers are selfish and they often escape from dangerous tasks. The Republican sniper is just the opposite because he fought with bravery with his enemies all by himself. For instance, when the sniper noticed the enemy car on the street, "The sniper raised his rifle and fired." He shot at the armored car once he noticed it. The protagonist knew that there were a lot of enemies around, but he still chose to fire at them. This shows that he's fearless towards enemies. He is very heroic at such a young age. The sniper's behavior of battling with the Free Staters by himself creates a mood of intensity for the audience. In addition, when facing external conflicts, people are usually very fragile, but the main character planned his runaway calmly with intelligence right after he was injured. For example, after getting shot, "The sniper lay still for a long time nursing his wounded arm and planning escape." Suffering from an arm injury must have been torture, but the sniper overcame the agony and analyzed the situation with a calm mind. As a young man, he demonstrated excessive maturity by being so thoughtful and gallant. The short story's resolution was a tragedy, but the author didn't mention the protagonist being fragile after finding out that he killed his brother. That shows the author wants the reader to think of the sniper as a hero who is very strong and could control his emotions because ordinary people would burst into tears when they're facing a next of kin's death. In summary, the Republican sniper symbolizes bravery with his cleverish mind, endurance and courage.


In "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight", Lady Westall demonstrated bravery by overcoming her own fear and daring to persuade the protagonist to escape. As a woman in the olden times, her position must have been very low, so she needed a lot of courage to disobey a man's will. For example, when she walked into Sir Gawain's room to convince him to escape, "She whispered 'You must escape right now, I will help you!' " Lady Westall told the protagonist softly that she's providing him a chance to flee. It would give the audience suspense and make them wonder why she would do this because the readers couldn't know about her thoughts since the story has a limited omnicient narrator. At the same time, this action shows that even though Lady Westall was afraid to be noticed by other people, she still decided to assist Sir Gawain in escaping. Not much people would offer to sacrifice themselves to benefit others. Lady Westall needed to be very brave in order to overcome her own internal conflict of being scared. Her behavior also breaks the stereotype that woman are like shadows who only follow men. Another idea is that being an elegant lady, Lady Westall was probably very kindhearted because it's not easy for a noblesse to be so modest. For instance, " 'I can not let this happen to you. Run for your life!' She pleaded." after Sir Gawain refused to escape. In that kind of intense atmosphere, Lady Westall's actions makes it clear that she is a person who insists on behaviors that she thinks is right, no matter what it would cost her. People like Lady Westall are usually full of dignity and grace, so she had to be brave to demonstrate the true, gracious self. That makes it clear that Lady Westall gives the audience a impression of considerate. Therefore, Lady Westall represents bravery and courage to challenge the feudal faith that woman should always be obedient. It's self-evident that she's the symbol of gallantry.


Thus, the sniper and Lady Westall have characteristics in common. Both of them are courageous, so they could encourage readers to stay calm in dangerous situations and persist in behaviors they believe is correct. Bravery also makes people able to overcome fears. Even though the protagonists' bravery in the two stories aren't the same, "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" and "The Sniper" both explain the gallantry of heroes.

This week has nearly passed..

Time flies..
It's already Thursday..one more day to go!
This has been a busy week.. We did our literary paragraphs and prepared for the provincial exam.. I don't really want to come to school so much any more.. It's so hard thinking of plans for my essay!! I hate the quizes and tests.. I've always been lazy, so now I just want to sleep everyday~

But.. that only happens in my imaginary world because I know that I have to work hard to achieve.. I'm going to make great efforts in English!! Then..I can relax after the provincial exams in April (if I do well..)

Hmm.. Science is ok.. I'm having fun there because it's pretty interesting to me and Mr.Posada (unlike Ms.Chan) never gives us homework.. (I'm not blaming you Ms.Chan! Just saying..)

Life is kind of boring right now.. nothing exciting..the same old things happen again and again..
Every morning I wake up and go to school.. I study hard in school.. then I go home with Carolyn.Jennifer and Kayla.. I do my homework and practice my piano at home.. I go to sleep and the next morning, I go to school again! I know life isn't always exciting.. so I'll just have to get used to it and tell myself to work hard in school for now!!

I really need to do well in the provincial exams and I'm practicing very hard at home..
God bless me~!!

And..this weekend..I'm planning to redo my fingernails and then fix my uniform pants.. maybe I'll buy a bag if I have extra money left..

Anyways.. I'll be a good student and work hard~

Ps. Ms.Chan.. I know you're laughing after you read my last sentence~

Jacques Cartier..

http://tbn3.google.cn/images?q=tbn:5alHcSZSxghDgM: (right)

http://tbn3.google.cn/images?q=tbn:Zq3LwCAruHY0MM: (left)

http://www.members.shaw.ca/kcic1/maps/car1535.jpg (map) (5)

http://tbn0.google.cn/images?q=tbn:dc54NDlko8-WUM: (scurvy) (8)

1. Jacques Cartier is wearing a suit in the picture on the right. We can see a hand pointing in front of him, it shows that people respect him very much. He is looking at the see on a ship and he seems to be thinking. In the picture on the left, there are a lot of workers with Jacques Cartier. They might be making a ship on a mountain because they need wood. Working with workers demonstrates Jacques's modesty and earnesty.

2. (1) Jacques Cartier is a French man.

(2) Jacques Cartier was a explorer and navigator

(3) Jacques Cartier led 3 expeditions to Canada
(4) Jacques Cartier was born in Brittany

(5) Jacques Cartier was sent by the French King to find a land full of treasures

(6) Jacques Cartier used the ship "Grande Hermine"

(7) Jacques Cartier experienced a harsh winter in Canada on his 2nd expedition

(8) Jacques Cartier died in 1557

(9) Jacques Cartier didn't discover any gold in Canada

(10) Jacques Cartier claimed Canada for France

3. Jacques Cartier was the first European explorer to travel inland of North America. Jacques Cartier claimed Canada for France. He also named Montreal. Jacques Cartier gave Canada the name "Kanata", meaning small villages or settlements.

4. Jacques Cartier was sent to Canada by the French King in 1534 to look for a passage around North America to East Asia, as some people had done already. The king also wanted him to find a trade route. The French King sponsored him with 2 ships and 61 men. The king gave him the mission to discover lands where it's said that a great quantity of gold and other precious things are to be found.

5. Jacques Cartier sailed over the Atlantic Ocean to Canada. Then, he sailed along the east shores of Canada. He sailed over St.Lawrence River and went to Quebec and Montreal. He then headed towards France, passing the shores of Nova Scotia and St.Pierre Islands. Jacques Cartier also sailed over the Gulf of St.Lawrence.

6. If I were the First Nations people, I would wonder why the Europeans are here, and I'd want them to leave my home. I don't think anyone would want visitors who aren't invited. I would have been a little bit scared because I don't know what their purpose was. I would ask them politely what they're here for. I might also tell them not to harm the people because everyone needs peace. If the Europeans mean no harm, I would invite them to my home and introduce the environment to them. If they're hostile, I'll use millitary force to kick them out of the place.

7. a) Jacques Cartier traded goods with the native people. The Europeans gave out iron goods for animal fur. Jacques Cartier then took two of the native Chief, Donnaconna's sons back to Europe with him. Donnaconna was not very satisfied with that. When Jacques Cartier left, he put a cross that claimed Canada to France on the seashore. This provoked Donnaconna because he thinks they should have asked for his permission. When Donnaconna's two sons came back with Jacques Cartier, Donnaconna firmly decided not to help the European explorers after hearing his two sons describe their seeings in Europe.

b) Jacques Cartier returned to Canada but a lot of his men were seriously ill. The harsh climate and illness took away all the strength in them. Luckily, Donnaconna's two sons helped him cure all the people. When Jacques Cartier headed for France again, he tricked Donnaconna and his two sons onto his ship. He wanted to bring them to the French King so that he could convince the king to give him another chance to go to Canada. He promised Donnaconna that he's going to send him home after some time, but Donnaconna never had the chance to go back home. He died in France after living there for four years.

8.Scurvy is a kind of disease caused by a lack of fresh fruits or vegetables. To cure it, people just have to inject enough Vitamin C. People who have scurvy might feel pain and they may be very weak and fragile. Blood leaks from the blood vessels and they form red dots. This disease is often seen in travelers and mariners.

9. Jacques Cartier brought Donnaconna back to France by tricking him. Donnaconna had no choice, and went to Europe with Jacques Cartier. He hoped to go back to his nativeland after a few days' time, just like what Jacques Cartier had promised. Eventually, he never had the chance to go back to Canada again. After living in France for four years, Donnaconna died in France. The poor man never saw his land again.

10. If I were Donnaconna, I would be both exasperated and nostalgic. I would hate the French people very much because they not only invaded my land, but also harmed me. They have no right to claim Canada for France since its not their property. Their behaviour was very rude and violent. I would also be sad. Before the French people came, we all lived peacefully in our village. Their approach destroyed our splendid lives and caused sorrow in our people's hearts. I would miss the moderate life we once had before the French people came. I don't think I'll want to be friends with the French anymore. They're too violent and hostile. I'll never forgive them for hurting us native people.

11. archipelago 群岛 In the old times, a lot of people thought of North America as a archipelago of islands.

scurvy 坏血病 In Jacques Cartier's crew, a lot of people died of scurvy.

immunity 免疫力 The Iroquois had no immunity to some of the diseases in Europe.

Sieur 贵族 Sieur de Roberval was told to establish a colony in North America.

pyrites 硫化铁矿类 Iron pyrites are common minerals that are worthless.

treachery 背叛 The Iroquois were disgusted by French treachery.

John Cabot..

http://tbn3.google.cn/images?q=tbn:XTmzauR1vV-2eM:

from Google(young John Cabot)

http://tbn2.google.cn/images?q=tbn:EctS_zyT7O-SSM:

from Google(old John Cabot)

http://tbn1.google.cn/images?q=tbn:CFnte4aAaoAIIM:

from Google(left) Question 6

http://tbn2.google.cn/images?q=tbn:5uqKXHmZbzN7HM:
from Google (right) Bonus Question

1. These two pictures are both portraits of John Cabot. I think it makes a good comparison because one is the picture of an old man and the other one is approximately in his late thirties. In both pictures, John Cabot is wearing a cap. In the picture on the left, he has a long beard. He's looks old but healthy. In the other picture, John Cabot is sitting in a chair. He looks very energetic. Maybe it was drawn right after he succeeded in exploring new lands.

2. (1) John Cabot was Italian

(2) John Cabot's ship the "Matthew" was named after his wife

(3) John Cabot was a lifelong friend of Christopher Columbus

(4) John Cabot went to Enland to seek sponsorship from King Henry VII

(5) John Cabot discovered Newfoundland

(6) John Cabot never returned from his second expedition to Newfoundland

(7) John Cabot was born in Gaeta

(8) John Cabot approached the kings of Spain and Portugal for sponsorship

(9) John Cabot was acclaimed as a hero by his sponsors

(10) John Cabot was the first Englishman to discover the main land of North America

3. He found Newfoundland, and he brought English to North America.

4. He wanted to find a sea route westward to China and Japan.

5. He never returned from his second expedition. No one knows what happened to him.

7. After Christopher Columbus came back from his voyage, King Henry VII decided to have someone go on an expedition for England. He firmly chose John Cabot. John Cabot went on his voyage navigating his ship, the "Matthew". He found Newfoundland! John Cabot returned to England, hailed by people as a hero. The news he brought back, that there were a lot of cods in that region, made a lot of European fishermen fish there. By that time, John Cabot was on his second expedition to discover more things about the new lands. Sadly, he never came back, and no one know what happened to him. Three years later, a Portuguese explorer found people in Newfoundland. They kidnapped some of the native people, but all the native people died. People soon forgot about these people because they were much more interested in the fish. All people know about the native people is that they are gentle and they have a strong sense of shame. They seem to be slaves.

Lazy..

I was very busy this weekend..

My mom's cousin came to visit us on Saturday..
We went to a park together, then I went to my piano lesson..
My teacher was in a good mood that day..so I had a great time learning!
I practiced doing math provincial exams yesterday..
It wasn't hard, but I got a lot of problems wrong..
I have to work very hard in this month because the provincials are coming!!

Today..I went to my math lesson..
All the problems were pretty hard..but I tried my best
I also went shopping with my dad..He bought a pair of shoes for me
It made me really happy!

I think I'm becoming more and more lazy now..
All I want to do is relax!

Viking Ship..

This is a picture of a Viking ship that I found on Google..

It has a back ground of snow moutains and that makes the atmosphere more soft..

Everyone in this world deserves a good reputation, so we shouldn't totally believe that Vikings are all aggressive and violent because the people who recorded it had bias..

The ship in this picture looks lonely but peaceful..

In my mind, Vikings would have been lonely because no one truly understands them and people weren't very tolerant of them..

I think this picture might give the audience a peaceful mood..

An Ordinary Day..

This was an ordinary day, with nothing special happening..

We started to work on our literary paragraph in English today..
I chose to write about Lady Westall in "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight"..so it was hard
Anyways, I made efforts and finished my homework!

In Canadian Studies..We finished our ship..It does look a lot better!
I love Carolyn's idea of putting candy into the boat as cargo..
The people in my group were reading jokes for a while and I wasn't very satisfied with that..
I didn't say anything, but luckily, they realized that they should work..

Mr.Posada was sick today, so Ms.Chan and Ms.Loftis substituded.. I learned a little bit by myself

Not very interesting, huh? As long as I feel comfortable..everything's fine

Peace At Last!!

Today..I found out the truth..But just like what Ms.Yu and Ms.Chan said, finding out the truth isn't the most important thing! I don't feel any better than before.. Sometimes, we should be more tolerant and learn to forgive people.. We're all still friends anyways..

Our report cards are going to go home soon..I did ok in English and Canadian Studies, but my test from yesterday wasn't so great.. Next time, I really have to study harder or else I'll likely fail English!! I worked very hard on my reading log today..and I feel very proud of myself because I controled myself when I wanted to hang out with my friends.. In Canadian Studies, we continued to work on our ships.. I'm not really confident in our ship anymore, even though I think we really did our best.. It looks so ugly and simple compared to other groups' ships! I hope it will look better when we finish it in the end~ We also worked on vocabulary..I liked discussing with Bo because he's always so thoughtful and humorous.. I studied hard in the afternoon too.. We learned about kinetic energy today in Science.. I concentrated in class, so it wasn't very hard and I understood everything! I felt very happy..

At school, Carolyn, Jennifer, Heaven, Amy, Alice, Sky, Jane, Helen, Catherine, Kayla and Jessie were all acompanying me, and that made me very grateful..I really appreciate it! I hope we can be friends forever!! Today..Jessica and Briandony were also very nice to me.. I felt kind of relived since I didn't want to have any enemies.. I wish life could continue to be peaceful like this.. I enjoy the kind of life, working hard in school and having fun with my friends.. What more could I ask for?

Confused..

I was late for school because I got trapped in the subway..I was so worried!! Ms.Chan was really nice though, and she didn't blame me for being late.. We had a test on short story in English 10, but I didn't do well..It made me really worried..

Tracy talked to us for about 2 hours..I was very confused because neither Nancy nor Una agree with each other and I don't know whom to believe.. After school, we saw several people argue badly with each other..They were all so angry and sad..I'm not sure who's right and who's wrong, but I don't want any of them to be upset..I want everyone to be happy and peacefull together..Una and Jessie apologized to me..I want to believe that everything is a misunderstanding and that they didn't mean to harm me..but..a lot of facts don't allow me to convince myself.. I never wanted to get anyone in trouble or have revenge on anyone.. I just didn't want to be bullied by people!! I really don't know who to believe and what to do now!!

Someone..Help me and tell me the truth!!!

A Very Tiring Day..

A new week!!

Today, we didn't have our short story test because Ms.Chan was caught in a car accident. Luckily, no one was hurt.. We really should be more careful when we go out!!

In Canandian Studies, we worked on our Viking Ship and vocabulary..I'm not so confident about our ship anymore because there seems to be a lot to do, but I'll still try my best..We had a competition between 7 groups for vocabulary..It was so fun!! I cheered so loudly for my group that my throat hurted after class!! Haha..

At lunch time, Carolyn and Alice both wanted to talk to me, so I was really busy and I felt bad that I couldn't stay with Alice for long..Sorry Alice!!

Mandarin class and Science were both pretty fun..I studied really hard for the whole afternoon..It makes me feel more confident about the provincial exam..

I also told Tracy about the people putting water from the washroom into my bottle..I feel really angry and disgusted..How on earth could they even think of this idea?! I'm very tired now..from all these boring arguements..All I want is a place to study peacefully..nothing more to ask for

What's really unlucky today is that I forgot to bring my Crossroad text book back so I can't finish my reading log..55555 Oh well, maybe I can get up earlier and work on it tomorrow!

I really hope tomorrow will be a happy day for me..and I'll try my best to have an optimistic attitude towards studying!! Go Go~

My weekend..

I've been really busy this weekend, so I didn't really have time to write in my blog..

I like weekends a lot because I can sleep till 11 o'clock..

I hate weekends a lot because I have to go to my piano lesson and my math lesson..it takes up a lot of my time!!

Yesterday, grandpa came home from the hospital and I called him..He was really happy to talk to me..I felt really bad that all of us are lying to him

When I went shopping with my parents, I saw a person hit a big dog with a wooden stick..Poor dog! If I were the dog..I'd bite him!! People are so cruel..A lot of people were even laughing at the scene.. I really wanted to call the animal association to take the doggie away

Math class was ok today even though some problems were really difficult..I'll just have to work harder!!

I don't really want to go to school tomorrow..I don't want to see the people who I hate!!

I've been really nice in the past few weeks..but they're being meaner and meaner to me..

On Friday, they poured water from the washroom into my water bottle..I really can't bear it anymore.. The nicer I am, the meaner they are!!

Every lunch time, they occupy my seat and throw my backpack onto the floor.. I didn't tell on them or anything because I didn't want to fight with anyone..I only wanted to study hard in Sino Bright peacefully ..Is that too much to ask for?! Why do they keep on bullying me? I've been tolerant enough, but that doesn't mean they can bully me!!!

How come there're people like them in this world? Why can't they leave me alone?! Whenever Mrs.Huang comes, they change into a friendly classmate..Those fake people make me so disgusted!!

Because of their existence, I don't even want to go to school anymore..

Not a very lucky day..

Today, I cried at school.. It was so frustrating!!

The relationship between me and one of my classmates isn't so great..

It wasn't a big deal, but another person kept on annoying me with it..

She asked me why I wasn't hanging out with her anymore..

I was really patient at first even though her attitude was kind of bad

She couldn't understand me and she wouldn't let me go..

How can you stay calm when someone keeps on forcing you in an aggressive way?

I really wanted to swear at her..but I didn't

I wanted to cry but the whole time, I was thinking that Grandpa wouldn't want me to be sad because of things that doesn't really matter

At last..I couldn't control myself anymore and cried

It was a really unhappy experience..I guess I'm just not so lucky today

At the same time..I'm extremely happy to know that there're so many friends who care about me and support me!

Carolyn, Jennifer, Catherine, Helen, Amy, Heaven, Alice, Sky, Jane, Bell and Jack..
I really want to say thanks to all of you! Your comforting makes me feel really warm..I'm so lucky to have friends like you guys..

In the afternoon..I was kind of worried about my Science course.. I'm afraid that I can't get an A..Sometimes, I just couldn't focus on what the teacher's saying!! It makes me so frustrated..I see Mr.Posada's lips moving and I hear every word he says..but I just don't know what he's talking about!! Oh my gosh..It's driving me crazy!!! AHHH

I'm going to work very hard next week!!! I have to get straight A's!!! That's the only way I can get into UTF!! Then I'll be a doctor and find a way to cure cancer..

By the way..I really miss Ms.Yu.. She doesn't teach me anymore so I don't see her that much.. I miss our talks and I miss the days when I was always telling her, "Miss. Yu, I miss you" I'll go chat with her on Monday!

Anyways..my major job now is to study hard.. That way, people who love me won't have to worry about me..They've paid enough for me so it's my turn to pay them back now!! Fighting!!!

I have to go practice my piano now cause my piano lesson's tomorrow.. Bye~

The Sadest Week in My Life..

It's been a really unlucky week for me..

Grandpa's illness is really serious, and I don't know what to do!!

Now, I'm able to control my emotions..Grandpa wouldn't want to see me cry all day..

School's ok..We worked on the Viking Ship today in Canadian Studies, it was pretty fun and our ship is starting to look good..

Oh yeah! This morning, I saw a really cute boy on the way to school..Haha!

I'm not so happy about the relationship between me and my classmates..

Oh well, I don't see them that much so it doesn't really matter any more..

I need to be positive and happy! Ha..