Thursday, October 8, 2009

RRJ#5

Reference:
Wilson,C. (2009, MAY 19). Luxury in a Bell Jar. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/21/fashion/21CRITIC.html?_r=1&ref=fashion

Summary:
In Cintra Wilson’s article "Luxury in a Bell Jar," she points out that people should think more simply about everything. First of all, the illustrations feature an author thinking that people’s thinking can’t think about everything easily. One day, he meets a designer, who is called Mr. Lam, who decorates his house very simply, but it also looks fashionable. Actually, he has a prefect and professional desigs group which design clothes for females and the clothes are made to fit female’s requirements, so the author starts to focus on clothes for females which are made by Mr. Lam because his design is so bold and confident. Moreover, the author considers how Mr. Lam desigs clothes and then he found an answer from his background; his mother worked in clothes at a weeding factory when he was a child. In summary, designs should be not only easy and simple but also exclusive and rare.

Reaction:
Although most stores have complicated decorations, some fashion stores have designed simpler and easier decorations than before. For example, modern stores only put on some same style products in the big clean stores which have two or three floors, but in old stores, they will put on a lot of categories of stuff in the small dirty stores. Also, designers have become bolder than before. According to Mr. Lam, he wants his clothes to be high-class, but be appropriately priced and bold in his store. Even if a store is not selling enough, he will still do it. That has influenced me a lot, because he doesn’t care about the economy. For example, not every brands can be like GUCCI or other famous brands having special designs and also selling goods at a high price on the other hand many brands worry about the money, so they just design the normal clothes for selling. Finally, he still focuses on his design. For me, that’s a crazy and amazing thinking and behavior. The article mentions why he has the skills to do that, because his mother was working in a clothes factory. The meaning is that the environments of people are in affected their future.

Vocabulary:
1.Gazing: look at with fixed eyes.
2.Fantod: State of worry or nervous anxiety.
3.Trek: journey on foot, especially in the mountains
4.Disorienting: causing loss of physical or intellectual bearings
5.Boutique: a shop that sells women's clothes and jewelry
6.Couturier: someone who designs clothing
7.Cultivated: prepared for raising crops by plowing or fertilizing
8.Precisely: indicating exactness or preciseness
9.Inquisitive: showing curiosity
10.Oddballs: strange
11.Sheltered: protected from danger or bad weather
12.Femininity: the trait of behaving in ways considered typical for women
13.Ornament: decorate: make more attractive by adding ornament
14.Chastity: abstaining from sexual relations
15.Mannequins: dummy or lay figure
16.Counterbalance: adjust for
17.Sophisticated: having or appealing to those having worldly knowledge and refinement
18.Opulence: luxury, rich.
19.Ostentation: a gaudy outward display
20. Bulletproof: that can stop bullets from passing through it

RRJ#4

Reference:
TAREK EL-TABLAWY. (2009,April 27). OPEC, Asia, call for curbs on oil speculation. Energy Tribune. Retrieved From:http://www.energytribune.com/articles.cfm?aid=1663

Summary:
In Tarek El-Tablawy's article "OPEC, Asia, call for curbs on oil speculation", the author tells us that the oil price is volatile. So, many organizations want to stableilize the oil price. There is a meeting in Tokyo to discuss the oil market in the world and it maybe can make a global recession. Because the oil price are down, the investments of oil is down. So many projects have to stop or be delayed. Many people are not good for the economy; they want the oil price to rebound. It reaures more investments to make the oil market stable. Many countries try to do many measures to make the oil market stable. For example, in Iran, people think that they must limit the control of the oil market, because it's not good to make oil market stable. Many influential people said they try to invest something about oil although the oil market has downturned. People want to control the amount of oil and reduce costs to control oil price and make the oil market and global economy stable.

Reaction:
From this article, I know that the oil price is volatile. Sometimes the price is very high, but sometmes it's very low. So the oil market is not stable. The oil price also makes the global economy volatile. It's very hard to control the oil price although many organizations want to do it. Many projects have to stop or be delayed, because the oil market is downturn. Now the oil price is very low, so many organizations want to make the price higher to make the oil market stable. And I know that the volatile price of oil is harmful to both producers and consumers. So it's necessary to control the price of oil. Stable oil market can make global economy stable and make our life better.

Vocabulary:
volatility-being easily change
recession- corner
investment-use money to do some projects
regulation-rule
consumers-people who buy something

Monday, September 28, 2009

RRJ#3

Reference:
By Joe Lynam 28 March 2009. G20 'make or break', Soros says.From: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7970199.stm

Summary:
In Joe Lynam's article "G20 'make or break', Soros says", the author tells us that the system of international financial is broken, and the system must be rebuiling because the old system has many flaws. Many people think that the G20 meeting is the last change to make the global economy better. The G20 meeting had to give some idears to help the developing world because the developing world had the worst hit. In the G20 meeting, people said that they must rebuild the new international financial system, because the old system has many flaws and can't be restored . This system was an aberration 25 years ago, so we must rebuild the foundations. People lost their confidence in investment besause the international financial system is broken, but we all know that it's hard to call back. In conclusion, rebuilding the new system of international finance is the most important thing.

Reaction:
From this article, I know that the international financial system is very important. But the old system of international finance is brokem because it has mant flaws. So, people had to rebuild the new system of international finance. I also know that the system of international finance must always be change. The reason the system has many flaws is that this system didn't change for 25 years. If we want to make the international finance better, we have to rebuild a new system of international finance.

Vocabulary:
collapsed-broken
flawed-have many problems
foundations-base
donated-give people many things free

RRJ#2

Reference:
Resper France, L. (2009, May 29). Adults enjoy summer camp, too. CNN.com. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2009/TRAVEL/05/29/adult.summer.camps/index.html

Vocabulary:
1. Ensure- to secure or guarantee
2. Trudge-.walk heavily and firmly, as when weary, or through mud.
3. Indulge- to yield to, satisfy, or gratify
4. Lumpy-not smooth and even in texture
5. Folks-people in general .

Summary:
In Lisa Resper’s article “Adults enjoy summer camp, too,” she points out that the summer camps can help adults to relax and reduce their stresses from their job but also from their children. First of all, the summer camps help adult to reduce pressure and remind them of childhood. Second, people love to join the many kinds of summer camps with their children such as music camp, archaeology camps and comedy camps. They can play music, learn photography skills and enjoy funny comedies in there, but it will cost much money. Even if the economy is decreasing, a lot of people still join the summer camps because it can help them to remember their past.

Reaction:
Although the economy is decreasing now, a lot of people still join the summer camp. In China, thousands of people join the summer camps even if the temperature is increasing and the economy is decreasing. Chinese news has discovered that Chinese people can play a computer a whole day in room and work their tasks a whole day in the office. If people still focus on activity in inside, they will be unhealthy. Moreover, Chinese people started to do climbing mountains, riding a bicycle, playing a game and taking pictures of insect and seeing views of the mountains with friends or families. I like to play outside because it can make my mood become better. If I get too heavy stress, I will become crazy and want to kill myself. So, summer camp is very necessary because it can make us happy.

Monday, September 14, 2009

RRJ#1

Reference: Ecuador - A Booming Real Estate Market. Michael Russell, from http://www.financenook.com/Article/Ecuador---A-Booming-Real-Estate-Market/31460

Summary:
In Michael Russell's article "Ecuador - A Booming Real Estate Market", the authors tell us that Ecuador's real estate market is very good and is developing very fast. First, the environment in Ecuador is very beautiful. Many house in Ecuador are near the beach and the mountains, so you can see some beautiful landscape. In Ecuador, the weather is very comfortable; it's not too hot or too cold. Second, houses in Ecuador are very cheap. Many people can buy the house which they want to buy. The last is that it don't have limit and foreign-exchange control in Ecuador, so people can earn more money. In this article, the author lets us know that Ecuador is a very good place to live and the real estate market in Ecuador is considerable.

Reaction:
This article lets me know Ecuador is a very good country to live in. It's very beautiful and the weather is very good. And the house in Ecuador is not expensive. I think when I am old I can buy a house in Ecuador. In Ecuador, it doesn't have limit and control, so it's very good for someone who likes freedom. I also know that the real estate market in Ecuador develop very fast. It means more and more people go to live in Ecuador. The financial meltdown doesn't have a vehement effect in Ecuador. So people who live in Ecuador must be very happy. When I am old and give up my job, I will live in Ecuador.

Vocabulary:
ancient: have long history
retreats: go back
tumultuous:babelism
profits:gain
stroll: promenade

Monday, April 27, 2009

The Most Surprising Thing

What is the most surprising thing happened to me? When I herad this question I want to laugh, because it let me remember a very interesting things. One day I want to go to my grandmother's house with my cousin, so we went to there by car. But unfortunatly, we get a accident, another car hit my cousin's car. My cousin and I were very uncomfortbale, so we argue with another driver. Everyone become steamed up about this argue,so the discussion deteriorated into a bitter quarrel.My cousin and the driver call their parenst and tell them about this thing. After a few times, their parents arrived. At this time, the surprising thing happened. My cousin's father is a distant cousin of the driver's father. So my cousin and the driver didn't argue after their parents arrive. They go to ate dinner together after they know that ther are relative to each other.

Sunday, April 19, 2009

The Strange Dumpling

Do I ever ate some strange things? When someone ask me this question I well become embarrassed, because the strangest thing I ever ate is dumpling. Dumpling is very common in China, on one in China didn't eat dumpling. Maybe someone will be very confused abou why I think dumpling is the strangest food. Because the dumpling which I said is different between other dumplings, the dumpling which I said is maked by myself. Dumpling that make by other people is very beautiful, but which make by myself is malformed. The most interesting thing is that the common dumpling is very delicious, but the dumpling which I make is very terrible and strange. I don't know how to describe the taste, I just remember that everyone who ever are my dumpling said they doesn't want to eat dumpling again. After this time, my parents didn't let me make dumpling again. They said that please don't waste the flour and meat. Although I don't want to recognize, but I know that the dumpling which make by myself is very bad. So this is the reason why I thing dumpling is the strangest food I ever ate.