Summary
Men should be know how to fix things in our daily life which is kind of gender stereotype. The author referred that fixing things is a historical habit for men, however, men didn’t need to clean bathroom. When women asked them to fix things, they would pretend that they knew everything well. In the article, the author, Dave Barry, he took himself as an example. When his wife asked him whether there was something wrong or not, he would pretend that he was checking it seriously and answer “Nothing wrong with it.”
Besides, the author concluded the reason why he could not handle these things well from his tonsillitis in his childhood. For this reason, he was absent and caused him losing some chances to discuss about the machine with his classmates. Until his college time, his roommate, Rob, fixed things with only a machine. On the contrary, he even couldn’t open the toolbox. That was why he was frightened by mechanical guys.
In the end of the article, the author gave two reasons about there was a tendency why men liked to control everything. First, it was their human nature. Secondly, guys would convince it was normal for the furniture to be against the wall in the Titanic event. Even the guys of federal leadership were no exception.
Reflection
In the modern society, some unreasonable traditions still exists. In my opinion, I think that is a weird stereotype of gender. Every person is unique; no one should be classified into what should do or what should act. Women can fix things and men can clean the bathroom as well. What you are interested in, and just do it.
However, many people think that girls should be good at doing housework. In my family, I have the same problem, too. My Mom always complain about why I can’t do house work well. I think that was a definitely strange thought. Why should I do housework well? Why should a girl need to do housework? Those questions confused me a lot for long time. I think my interest which is reading books instead of doing housework. I discussed the problem with my Mom in one day. I told her that every one had different professional specialty. Although I could not do housework well, I could help her to do other things. After a long talk, she accepted my opinions about that. After that day, I have no more that kind of problems.
Anyway, I don’t think that man should know how to fix things. That is not shameful for not knowing how to fix things. Every person has different kind of abilities. Be a modern person, I think we should get rid of some reasonable traditions, and gender stereotype is one of good examples.
2011年1月8日 星期六
Ordinary people produce extraordinary results
Summary
Rosa Parks is an African American lady who refused gave up her seat to a white man and this act made her earn the title of “mother of the civil rights movement” on the American history. Actually Rosa Parks was not coming from nowhere and became a civilest or hero in one night. What she did is not an accident. Rosa Parks attended a lot of opposing racial segregation and met several old civil right activists. All of these made her have the courage to refuse to give up her seat. However, media shape her as a real heroine and made all her acts heroine. These scared us and made us believe that those goals are unachievable. What author trying to say is that we misunderstand the definition of hero.
No one was born to be a hero, and we should know what we want to be and work for it. Moreover, he tries to convince us that everyone can be hero as long as you are well prepared. Everyone has the ability to change and help our society. No doubt, Rosa Parks is an inspiration story to convince people that do not limit yourself to do anything because you might have the ability to do everything.
Reflection
The story mainly told us that no one was born to be a hero. Even if he was just a normal person, he still could create something you could not imagine. If you are willing to devote, you could be a hero as well. And Rosa Parks was a good example to support the central idea in the story.
It made me think that mother Teresa was one of examples in devoting love. Mother Teresa, a loving person, was always spreading her love to everywhere. She helped someone who was in need, abandoned babies, and Max crazy patients. Why could she do those things? Because she made up her mind already, she was willing to devote her love to those who were in need. The greatest contributions of Mother Teresa to the world were probably the way she showed her caring and mercy to the strangers. Her loving action directly taught me what unselfish love was. On the contrary, many people said that they were willing to help someone who was in need. However, they didn’t take action immediately. Maybe saying “Love others” was an easy thing for most of us. Nevertheless, if you did not practice it , “Love” was just a meaningless word. All in all, if you are willing to, you could a hero in others mind, either.
Rosa Parks is an African American lady who refused gave up her seat to a white man and this act made her earn the title of “mother of the civil rights movement” on the American history. Actually Rosa Parks was not coming from nowhere and became a civilest or hero in one night. What she did is not an accident. Rosa Parks attended a lot of opposing racial segregation and met several old civil right activists. All of these made her have the courage to refuse to give up her seat. However, media shape her as a real heroine and made all her acts heroine. These scared us and made us believe that those goals are unachievable. What author trying to say is that we misunderstand the definition of hero.
No one was born to be a hero, and we should know what we want to be and work for it. Moreover, he tries to convince us that everyone can be hero as long as you are well prepared. Everyone has the ability to change and help our society. No doubt, Rosa Parks is an inspiration story to convince people that do not limit yourself to do anything because you might have the ability to do everything.
Reflection
The story mainly told us that no one was born to be a hero. Even if he was just a normal person, he still could create something you could not imagine. If you are willing to devote, you could be a hero as well. And Rosa Parks was a good example to support the central idea in the story.
It made me think that mother Teresa was one of examples in devoting love. Mother Teresa, a loving person, was always spreading her love to everywhere. She helped someone who was in need, abandoned babies, and Max crazy patients. Why could she do those things? Because she made up her mind already, she was willing to devote her love to those who were in need. The greatest contributions of Mother Teresa to the world were probably the way she showed her caring and mercy to the strangers. Her loving action directly taught me what unselfish love was. On the contrary, many people said that they were willing to help someone who was in need. However, they didn’t take action immediately. Maybe saying “Love others” was an easy thing for most of us. Nevertheless, if you did not practice it , “Love” was just a meaningless word. All in all, if you are willing to, you could a hero in others mind, either.
Summary and Response of Male Fixations
Summary:
In this article, most every man thinks that they know how to fix things, and to fix things is a historically responsibility for every man. Therefore, they consider that cleaning bathroom is not their business because they always need to stand by to fix things when mechanical emergency breaks out.
In the common situation, when one’s wife informs them that the commode has some problems, their husbands would take action to fix the commode through lots of complex procedures. However, the author, Dave Barry, dons not seem to be the same as other men. He doesn’t fix anything. He blames that on tonsillitis. Because something happened before, he is intimidated by mechanical guys.
Therefore, he has some approaches that he can disguise his mechanical tonsillitis and deny that there’s ever anything wrong with anything. It seems that the author often succeeds to disguise his mechanical tonsillitis, and the way he uses is to pretend not to know. For example, the author needs to re-packs the bearings in his job, but he pretends to know how to re-pack. He doesn’t admit that he can not re-pack because he is afraid other men will laugh at him and hive him a noogie.
At the last, the author makes a conclusion that guys have a natural tendency to act as though they are not in control of the situation even when they are not. He takes Titanic as an example to explain that men often use to want to control the situation even if that situation is very bad.
Response:
In the common, girls will consider that guys are good at fixing mechanical facilities. However, this is a fault sense. In my point of view, girls in this generation can also do what men do so we should renew new ideas as times forward.
With this old thinking, men always use this excuse to escape from doing housework because they consider that to fix broken things is their responsibilities rather than cleaning things. Therefore, they throw all house works to women. Then, another reason results from old thoughts. In older generation, most family value the male child only so most parents would asks women to do housework. Take me as an example; my mother also has this old thought so she considers that my elder brother should not do housework. Only when those housework need to use power to be finished, my brother would be asked to do at that time.
In my opinion, I think that fixing mechanical can not only men’s responsibilities, but also women’s responsibilities. On the other words, women can do things which belonged to men in old thoughts. I think that women’s abilities would not worse than men’s. Take my story as an example; I am more sensitive about machines than my elder brother. Sometimes I can quickly fix some machine trouble which my brother doesn’t know how to fix. Therefore, we need to have newly thoughts because we live in E generation, and we should have equal thoughts. Then we can share the same rights no matter you are male or female in this society.
To sum up, what we think is changed as that time goes by. We should not keep standing in traditional circle, and just be trapped. We should get rid of it and update new thoughts. Only we can do is not to divide things clearly into women’s or men’s. Thus, everything will become much fairer.
In this article, most every man thinks that they know how to fix things, and to fix things is a historically responsibility for every man. Therefore, they consider that cleaning bathroom is not their business because they always need to stand by to fix things when mechanical emergency breaks out.
In the common situation, when one’s wife informs them that the commode has some problems, their husbands would take action to fix the commode through lots of complex procedures. However, the author, Dave Barry, dons not seem to be the same as other men. He doesn’t fix anything. He blames that on tonsillitis. Because something happened before, he is intimidated by mechanical guys.
Therefore, he has some approaches that he can disguise his mechanical tonsillitis and deny that there’s ever anything wrong with anything. It seems that the author often succeeds to disguise his mechanical tonsillitis, and the way he uses is to pretend not to know. For example, the author needs to re-packs the bearings in his job, but he pretends to know how to re-pack. He doesn’t admit that he can not re-pack because he is afraid other men will laugh at him and hive him a noogie.
At the last, the author makes a conclusion that guys have a natural tendency to act as though they are not in control of the situation even when they are not. He takes Titanic as an example to explain that men often use to want to control the situation even if that situation is very bad.
Response:
In the common, girls will consider that guys are good at fixing mechanical facilities. However, this is a fault sense. In my point of view, girls in this generation can also do what men do so we should renew new ideas as times forward.
With this old thinking, men always use this excuse to escape from doing housework because they consider that to fix broken things is their responsibilities rather than cleaning things. Therefore, they throw all house works to women. Then, another reason results from old thoughts. In older generation, most family value the male child only so most parents would asks women to do housework. Take me as an example; my mother also has this old thought so she considers that my elder brother should not do housework. Only when those housework need to use power to be finished, my brother would be asked to do at that time.
In my opinion, I think that fixing mechanical can not only men’s responsibilities, but also women’s responsibilities. On the other words, women can do things which belonged to men in old thoughts. I think that women’s abilities would not worse than men’s. Take my story as an example; I am more sensitive about machines than my elder brother. Sometimes I can quickly fix some machine trouble which my brother doesn’t know how to fix. Therefore, we need to have newly thoughts because we live in E generation, and we should have equal thoughts. Then we can share the same rights no matter you are male or female in this society.
To sum up, what we think is changed as that time goes by. We should not keep standing in traditional circle, and just be trapped. We should get rid of it and update new thoughts. Only we can do is not to divide things clearly into women’s or men’s. Thus, everything will become much fairer.
A view from Mount Ritter
Summary:
The author began his article by describing the situation and exploration they faced on the Mount Ritter.
During the first week, the weather was nice. However, weather had change during the second week. The rain fell really fast and it was very heavy. This serious rain lasted for the whole day and stopped them from exploring the Mount Ritter. They had no choice but found a nearest shelter and build a tent. At first, the author thought it was the worst day he ever had in his life. He was wet and cold, and felt sick of the weather. Standing 13,000 above the sea level, the air was clear and fresh. The fresh air made him think about his high school year and the life after he gradated from high school, which was the thing he had never thought about before. During the freshman and sophomore year, he refused all the suggestions and cared that his parents and teachers had offered, he strongly believed his own thoughts were right and resisted all other outside voice. And now he felt regret what he had done a lot. He should have to listen to parents and teachers opinion. Mount Ritter was a turning point for him, and he started to think about changing. He deeply believed that life contained both mistakes and success, and it was not too late to change.
After back to school, he tried so hard to buckle up and prepare for his life after graduated from high school. The adventure definitely changed his attitude to life.
Reflection:
The author used many amazing words and sentences to describe the photographic scene he experienced. The vivid descriptions made me feel like that I was in his story as well. Apparently, you could find that the author took a meaningful trip through the article. And because of this unforgettable adventure, it made him think thoroughly about his life. And he was also willing to turn over a new leaf and did some changes for his future. The story also told me that it was never too late for change.
I would like to share with you my experience about changing. That was a tough time for me when I was a high school student. There was so much tests and homework that I was unable to deal with the pressure of those works. I had no target for my future and I even confused that why I need to learn the subjects I was not interested in. I became a bad temper girl; every thing bothered me a lot. One day, my Mom told me that I should get rid of this kind of negative attitude. With negative attitude, I wouldn’t feel happy in learning. It also made me lose a lot of opportunities to gain knowledge. She thought high school was the best time to learn. If you missed the time, you would feel regret one day. If you couldn’t solve this initial problem, which meant you also couldn’t solve your problems in the future.
After listening what my Mom said, I thought that I should find a way to solve this kind of negative attitude. Therefore, when I felt upset in full of works, I would tell myself to take a break instead of having negative thoughts. In this way, I found I was good at relieving pressure.
The author began his article by describing the situation and exploration they faced on the Mount Ritter.
During the first week, the weather was nice. However, weather had change during the second week. The rain fell really fast and it was very heavy. This serious rain lasted for the whole day and stopped them from exploring the Mount Ritter. They had no choice but found a nearest shelter and build a tent. At first, the author thought it was the worst day he ever had in his life. He was wet and cold, and felt sick of the weather. Standing 13,000 above the sea level, the air was clear and fresh. The fresh air made him think about his high school year and the life after he gradated from high school, which was the thing he had never thought about before. During the freshman and sophomore year, he refused all the suggestions and cared that his parents and teachers had offered, he strongly believed his own thoughts were right and resisted all other outside voice. And now he felt regret what he had done a lot. He should have to listen to parents and teachers opinion. Mount Ritter was a turning point for him, and he started to think about changing. He deeply believed that life contained both mistakes and success, and it was not too late to change.
After back to school, he tried so hard to buckle up and prepare for his life after graduated from high school. The adventure definitely changed his attitude to life.
Reflection:
The author used many amazing words and sentences to describe the photographic scene he experienced. The vivid descriptions made me feel like that I was in his story as well. Apparently, you could find that the author took a meaningful trip through the article. And because of this unforgettable adventure, it made him think thoroughly about his life. And he was also willing to turn over a new leaf and did some changes for his future. The story also told me that it was never too late for change.
I would like to share with you my experience about changing. That was a tough time for me when I was a high school student. There was so much tests and homework that I was unable to deal with the pressure of those works. I had no target for my future and I even confused that why I need to learn the subjects I was not interested in. I became a bad temper girl; every thing bothered me a lot. One day, my Mom told me that I should get rid of this kind of negative attitude. With negative attitude, I wouldn’t feel happy in learning. It also made me lose a lot of opportunities to gain knowledge. She thought high school was the best time to learn. If you missed the time, you would feel regret one day. If you couldn’t solve this initial problem, which meant you also couldn’t solve your problems in the future.
After listening what my Mom said, I thought that I should find a way to solve this kind of negative attitude. Therefore, when I felt upset in full of works, I would tell myself to take a break instead of having negative thoughts. In this way, I found I was good at relieving pressure.
Appearances Are Destructive
Summary: p.203
The article Appearances Are Destructive written by Mark Mathabane and published by New York Times shows author’s reply to start spreading dress codes in the public schools in the United States.
When the public schools issue new strategies to control violence in school, the author’s sisters believe that dressing uniforms would benefit students rather than depending on instruments and safeguards’ assistance. Therefore, the author highly expects that the educational conditions in public school of the United States with abundant equipment would be better than black schools. However, those facilities do not work, and the sisters’ hard working at learning was running off the lines. They were frequently laughed by dressing too plain among those students dressing with gorgeous clothes and accessories.
Then, the author discovers that what his sisters faced is common to see around the country. For those students, they would rather care the outward appearance than their cultivation. Not only teachers find that their students pay more attention on labels than textbooks, but also parents find that their children evaluate their love depending on how much they are willing to reach their material satisfaction. Children believe that decorating themselves well is far important than improving their wisdom.
In fact, dress codes do not violate the freedom of expression, and it is daily portion of people’s lives. The author says that dressing uniforms promotes learning effect which let students in many countries do better than American’s. Also, students would pay more attention on their study than on pursuing famous labels. Then, Americans knows that the advantages of effectively ruling schools is far important than caring for whether to let students wear uniform or not.
Response:
Should students be required to wear uniforms to schools? In my opinion, of course they should. There are three advantages of wearing uniforms o school. Those are: to make students avoid being judged by their family background, to control students’ behaviors, and to avoid students being easily distracted by outside appearance like the author mentions.
For the first advantages, it can reduce the differences between the rich and the poor. The students who go to school are for learning and studying. If students wear casual clothes, they might secretly compare themselves with other peers. Then, the students’ values would be replaced by what they wear today instead of the effect of their study.
For the second advantages, it can help schools rule their students. If the students in this school do not be required to wear uniforms, the school would be like in a mess. On the other hand, if students are required to wear uniforms, they would let the school with regularity and may build a good impression to parents. Also, the students themselves would be responsible for their behavior and feel they are in the same group.
For the last advantages, it can help students pay more attention on their study instead of decorating themselves. Take some of the university students as an example, some of students spends most of their time chatting for what new clothes they just bought recently instead of discussing the progress of the report.
To sum up, requiring students to wear uniform can decrease many possible troubles. Also, it can protect the poor, rule the students and help students focus on study. As a result, I totally agree the policy to ask students to wear uniforms to school.
The article Appearances Are Destructive written by Mark Mathabane and published by New York Times shows author’s reply to start spreading dress codes in the public schools in the United States.
When the public schools issue new strategies to control violence in school, the author’s sisters believe that dressing uniforms would benefit students rather than depending on instruments and safeguards’ assistance. Therefore, the author highly expects that the educational conditions in public school of the United States with abundant equipment would be better than black schools. However, those facilities do not work, and the sisters’ hard working at learning was running off the lines. They were frequently laughed by dressing too plain among those students dressing with gorgeous clothes and accessories.
Then, the author discovers that what his sisters faced is common to see around the country. For those students, they would rather care the outward appearance than their cultivation. Not only teachers find that their students pay more attention on labels than textbooks, but also parents find that their children evaluate their love depending on how much they are willing to reach their material satisfaction. Children believe that decorating themselves well is far important than improving their wisdom.
In fact, dress codes do not violate the freedom of expression, and it is daily portion of people’s lives. The author says that dressing uniforms promotes learning effect which let students in many countries do better than American’s. Also, students would pay more attention on their study than on pursuing famous labels. Then, Americans knows that the advantages of effectively ruling schools is far important than caring for whether to let students wear uniform or not.
Response:
Should students be required to wear uniforms to schools? In my opinion, of course they should. There are three advantages of wearing uniforms o school. Those are: to make students avoid being judged by their family background, to control students’ behaviors, and to avoid students being easily distracted by outside appearance like the author mentions.
For the first advantages, it can reduce the differences between the rich and the poor. The students who go to school are for learning and studying. If students wear casual clothes, they might secretly compare themselves with other peers. Then, the students’ values would be replaced by what they wear today instead of the effect of their study.
For the second advantages, it can help schools rule their students. If the students in this school do not be required to wear uniforms, the school would be like in a mess. On the other hand, if students are required to wear uniforms, they would let the school with regularity and may build a good impression to parents. Also, the students themselves would be responsible for their behavior and feel they are in the same group.
For the last advantages, it can help students pay more attention on their study instead of decorating themselves. Take some of the university students as an example, some of students spends most of their time chatting for what new clothes they just bought recently instead of discussing the progress of the report.
To sum up, requiring students to wear uniform can decrease many possible troubles. Also, it can protect the poor, rule the students and help students focus on study. As a result, I totally agree the policy to ask students to wear uniforms to school.
The Decline of Neatness
Summary
In the article, the author says that the apt tag for our time is “Unkempt generation”. All sectors of the society are infected by the sloppiness virus. People are uncombed, unshaved and undressed now. Frayed, torn and discolored blue jeans are the symbol of times. The jeans factory also noticed the people like this kind of jeans, so they make old jeans for customers. Now, disheveled is in fashion, and neatness is obsolete. Cousins says that there is nothing wrong with comfortable clothes. However, our generation is focus on special and comfortable too much. It is weird that an inappropriate appearance is good in our generation. A same phenomenon is appearing in speech. It is rare to hear a complete sentence in everyday speech. People communicate in chopped-up phrases and short sentences. Neatness is important in appearance and speech. Nowadays, we are linguistic paupers. Violence seems to be a necessary part of language. Some screenwriters also admit that they added foul language in scriptures in purpose to avoid classifying as G rating, because motion-picture are more interesting in R rating movie. This effect also affect on foster attitude. The ability to react instinctively seems to be disappearing. When young men sit in front of TV and see some people are hitting, they seems felt nothing about the violence. The author thinks children would not outgrow casual attitudes toward brutality. The purpose of education is to develop respect of life, and it is failed. One day out society would ruin because our generation’s mind is too dulled to recognize problem. If there were a man had done everything and seen everything, he would feel nothing in the end. The main of the article is about “bad” attitude of appearance and behavior. We have to improve our attitude, and our education system also has to reward children who have good manner to make our society better.
Response
It is true that our generation is strange and weird. When we see murder news which is bloody and cruel, most of us would feel nothing about it. When we see a movie, our first choice would be a R-rating film, because we are afraid of being a “boring” movie. In other words, we are the insensitive generation. This attitude also reflects on our appearance. Many people just wear what they to wear and neglect the situation. We often hear someone who wears slippers and jeans to apply a job. It seems we have lost the skill of considering other people. I think the problem was made by the media and parents. The media should be a communicator of truth. However, the media has become a merchant who sales the information. They would try everything like violent and bloody to attract people’s attention. Then, child would feel nothing about dead men and murder. Parents dote on children to much. They always satisfy children’s requirements though money. In the end, children would think they can everything what they want to do. The media and Parents should change their thoughts and attitude. Otherwise, our society would become a place where are full of selfish people.
Ordinary People Produce Extraordinary Result
Summary
This article is about Rosa Park, a woman who refuses to get up and give her seat in white section to white people. A few years ago, the author had a chance to go to a show, and Rosa would be interviewed in the same show. However, Rosa had spent a lot of time on many activities of the human right for a long time. Everybody was shocked by the action that Rosa refused to give up the seat. When her story was retold again and again, it would become a fable. People would think it is hard to do good things like that. The public made her become a hero and made us away from her. The media also rarely represent historical change which is made by the ordinary people. We also dismiss normal people’s actions, knowledge and insufficiently. Finally, we find it hard to imagine normal people with a extraordinary action. A young African American activist also it does us all a disservice. Our misreading of the Rosa Park’s story make us forgets many things. For example, most of us forget the grass-movements in which ordinary people fought for freedom, democracy and a more just society. Many normal people’s stories are erased just like the real story of Rosa. From Park’s actual story, we know that an empowering moral is lost in her public myth. She continued to fight for human right and never give up. If we want to change the society, we have to take action. We are a part of our society, and we will trigger a miracle for only when we act, and we all have the chance to shape a story.
Response
I think it is an interesting story that points out the problem of the society. The modern society is a big and complex machine, and everybody is just a little gear. Most of us are doing the same job without any creativity day by day. This situation makes people do not believe themselves. We have to know that we are not just parts of the world. We are human beings, and we have ability to express our ideas and thoughts. Nowadays, we have the most powerful tool of communication: the Internet. We can express our feelings and ideas to share to the world. It is easily to find supporter if the idea was good enough.
Sometimes we would think that only great men can change the world. It is not true. If you want to change the world, just do “Good” thing, no matter whether it is small or big. Do a good turn daily and you can change not only your life but also other people’s lives. Constant dropping wears out the stone. Many good deeds would become a mighty torrent to make our society better. Do not look down on yourself, try to do some thing right now and you will realize how powerful you are.
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