Argument Paragraph

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Nadya Suleman’s doctor should not have allowed her to have six embryos implanted through invitro. Firstly, Nadya already had six kids under the age of seven. Three of these children have disabilities. I can not imagine how Nadya felt she had enough time for all her children then! She is a single parent and could not afford outside help. Fertility doctors exist to help people who desperately want a child. Nadya was lucky. She had six kids; she didn’t need more, certainly not at that time. Secondly, there was no reason for six embryos to be implanted. Guidelines recommend implanting no more than two into women under 35, such as Nadya. Nadya’s doctor knew her success with her past pregnancies, and should not have been concerned that the procedure would not work. The doctor was also aware that Nadya was against selective reduction, should it be an issue. Thirdly, the mother of 14 is currently unemployed. She has not been working for sometime and is living with her children at her parent’s house. Her mother declared bankruptcy last year. The family receives food stamps each month. Clearly, this is not a family who could have afforded even one more child.

Cause and Effect Paragraph

There are many reasons why people imigrate to Canada. Firstly, lots of people come to Canada to escape religious prosecution. Canadian's recieve the luxury of practising what ever religion they want, as long as it doesn't hurt anyone. This would be a welcome gift for sure to those who have their life threatened because of their religion back home. Secondly, people may come to Canada so that their children can receive a proper education. Free, quality public schools is a luxury that not all countries have. Children who go to school will also learn english, which many people feel is vital for success in the world today. Immigrants can come to Canada and be sure that their children recieve a great education so that they can grow up to do whatever they want. Thirdly, people may wish to come to Canada to live near family. Families may want to live closer to their relatives who live in Canada. Often, when people visit Canada they are amazed by its beauty, and people may be persuaded by those who they know that live here that Canada is a great place to live. There are many reasons why people chose to move to Canada.

Comparison and Contract Paragraph

I recently visited the Toronto zoo. I have many memories of the zoo as a child. As I walked around, I noticed that a lot changes when you grow up. The same place, which has not physically changed much at all, is very different during different stages of your life. Firstly, I can remember as a child looking through the big glass windows that contained the animals, and thinking of how nice their little homes were. I thought that they looked happy entertaining a mass of people. Now, at 18, I found myself feeling very sorry for the animals confined to those small quarters. How would I feel, living in a building built by humans and being watched all day? It suddenly felt very odd to me, to see a rhinoceros banging around a concrete room as snow fell outside of his window. My perspective on these animals in captivity has changed drastically since I was little. Secondly, the walk that my dad said used to take hours, suddenly didn't seem far at all. Well I remember the zoo as a fun experience, I do remember my legs hurting, and feeling like we would never make it back to the entrance. Now, I walked through the zoo at a pace familiar to walking to school or trying to get to an appointment on time. I also found I was looking down on the animals, instead of desperately trying to get a good look on my tip-toes. Thirdly, I can remember as a child wanting more than anything to purchase something from the gift store on the way out. I recall the less than enthusiastic looks on my parents faces when I saw one of the, oh yes, 17 gift stores at the zoo. This time, I had the pleasure of bringing the four little girls I babysit to the zoo. They too wanted to experience the gift store. I found myself thinking the same thoughts that my parents must have though; why are the prices outrageous, and where on earth are we going to store all this junk? My dad laughed at me, feeling that it was good payback. I still love the zoo. I had a great day seeing the looks of curiosity and excitement on the little girls faces. I was also surprised at how much the world can change as you grow older. The zoo hasn't changed, but how I view it has. Your experience of places as a child and as an adult are very different.

Classification and Division Paragraph

There are four paths for those leaving high school. Students have the option of entering university, college, an apprenticeship or the workplace. Students may complete a combination of these in their lifetime, but they all are designed for a specific purpose. University, is for students who wish to continue a particular field of learning even further. You can take several different programs, but usually you recieve a broad education that does not lead to one select job. University is for those with high marks. College is for students looking to pursue jobs that require higher education, for example a practical nurse. Programs at college is often training that leads to one specific job. College requires marks that are fair. Apprenticeships are for students interested in a trade. They include some classes as well as a lot of practical experience. You graduate with certification in one specific area. Apprenticeships are great for students who know what they want to do and who benefit with more hands on experience. The workplace is for students who do not wish to pursue any further education at the time. These students begin to work instead of attending school. All four of these options are available to students leaving high school. Students must decide on the type of life that they want, and determine the apropriate educational route to follow.

Metacognitive Reflection #1

Reflecting on the evaluations that the class made on my presentation skills, I feel that I have a better idea of my strengths and weaknesses. My biggest strength, is that I try and contribute as much as possible to the discussion. I also respect other peoples ideas and contributions. My biggest weakness in oral communication is that I don't articulate my ideas well. When I am in front of a lot of people I become nervous, and lose track of what I am saying. I often have good ideas in my head, but they don't get properly communicated in oral discussion. I am the type of person who likes to contimplate their ideas for a while. This means that I am great at discussing ideas that I have already thought about but not as good with ideas that are brought up in the discussion. It isn't that I can't come up with ideas quickly, but I wonder if they are good enough to share with my group. This is a skill that I really need to improve because it is so important in school and life in general. To improve this skill, I think I need to just say the ideas that come into my head. The worse that could happen, is people will disagree. I also think that I need to make sure that I am really prepared, so that I feel very confident to share my ideas. If I had to chose a word that described my oral communication skills I would pick a leader. However, I think I am only a leader when I have to be. If someone else resumes the role of the leader, I am quite happy to sit back, and to just contribute. If no one is stepping up to the leadership position, then I will gladly step in. I found it really interesting to look at the feedback from the class. I think it was also interesting how people changed their behavior when they knew that the outer circle was evaluating them.

"A Fire Truck" by Richard Wilbur

1. What is the purpose of the poem?

The purpose of this poem is to acknowledge everything that firemen do for people everyday. The poem uses exquisite words and phrases to elevate the simple story it tells. Perhaps this is appropriate, as the story being told is incredibly important, yet very ordinary. A firetruck rushing to the scene of a fire happens daily, and yet it is such an extraordinary thing. The language contributes so much to this poem. This poem is passionately written by an author who has clearly found a beautiful way to express gratitude and thanks to a well deserving firefighter.

2. Is "A Fire Truck" good poetry? Justify your response drawing on your knowledge of good and bad writing.

"A Fire Truck" is a very good piece of poetry. The poem is beautifully written and has been expertly edited to the point where every word is important. The vocabulary used is very descriptive and allows the reader to see vivid images of the scene in their head. When reading this poem, I can truly hear the "squall of traction". This poem is very original in its approach to describe the scene of the fire. Wilbur writes with a clear purpose and meticulously describes every detail of the scene that is important for the reader to understand the atmosphere and opinion of the scene. He does not, however, bore the reader with unnecessary explanations. The author is able to achieve his purpose through a beautifully written poem. "A Fire Truck" is a well written poem.

You Call this Literature?

Looking through the "Literature" section, expecting to find articles on Woolf and Morrison, Pound and Hazlitt, I was disgusted to see the word “best-seller” displayed almost everywhere I looked. I realized that this is in fact what we have come to. People no longer have any idea of what quality literature is. Firstly, society no longer trusts their own opinion, but instead looks for other people to tell them what to and what not to read. Often these individuals are under qualified and wrongly assigned to their literary position. Secondly, it seems that Canadian authors have been given a back seat. Yes, popular literature has hit an all-time low, and fine literature has begun to experience a decline in popularity.
When entering a book store, you will notice that the tables nearest the entrance are filled with shiny, colourful, hard-covered bestsellers; books written by Dan Brown and anything that has Oprah's Book Club's seal of approval sticker. Many people don’t bother to read anything other than these acclaimed bestsellers. In fact, it took William Faulkner almost an entire century to finally be recognized as a valuable writer by most of us when Oprah recommended a three-volume set of his "best" work. It is probable she even gave copies away to an audience of politely clapping women who scream and hoot when given trips to Cancun or gift certificates for Channel. We read what Oprah tells us we should read, find it at the front of Chapters, and, for the select few of us who actually want to read more of an author's work, search desperately to find anything else he wrote in the store. It seems we all want what someone thinks is "best". We don’t want to do our own research or dig through piles of books to find the overarching narrative of an author's career. Rather, we gather bits and pieces, as if all works were separate, only caring to read the author that the New York Times deems "Brilliant" and "Dazzlingly unique".
Incredibly, there are many Canadian’s who have never read a Canadian novel. Canada is one of the only countries in the world, where a child may graduate from high school without having read a single Canadian novel. Some Canadian’s can not even name a Canadian book or author. Many of us have never read anything by Atwood or Munro, and it is concerning that Canadian novels hardly ever make it to be considered a Chapters' “Best Selling Novel”.
It seems everyone wants to "escape." Everyone wants to read for "enjoyment," to dissolve into a world where a beautiful young woman falls head-over-heels for some man who has some dark and foreboding secret. Have we become so passive, so hopeless, that we feel we have to escape our lives and put our brains in the numb cloudy box of predictable plots with happy endings about boring people just like ourselves? It seems we don't want to look around us, don't want to read about things that matter, don’t actually want to think about what we are reading. I recognize the need for enjoyment, but great writers like Brand and Rhys and Joyce and Chesterton inform and inspire us a lot further than a bestselling Dan Brown or Stephen King. If what we're reading is mass-market, bestselling, clichéd, plot-driven books, I'm concerned about what that says about us, and, more specifically, where humanity is headed.