Krista Ramsey Article- Reading Teacher Wants Students To Pass Test, Love Books

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/opinion/columnists/krista-ramsey/2014/03/15/krista-ramsey-third-grade-reading-guarantee/6475723/

       In this article, Krista Ramsey talks about a 3rd grade teacher who wants her students to enjoy reading, not just be able to pass a test.

    The line that I think is best written is the line, "It has taken two years of legislating and countless hours of hammering out rules and time lines, but Ohio’s Third Grade Reading Guarantee is fully in place this year." The impact that this line has on the reader is that it is the lead of the article. This lead is used to draw the reader into the article, and must be well written to keep the reader actively reading. The best diction of the line is the use of the words, "legislating, and hammering," and abstract diction of "countless". This is a long sentence, but fully shows the idea of the new Ohio Third Grade Test. I like how it shows details first, then the subject followed. 

     Ramsey's writing style is strong, and to the point. She is also biased on what she writes. I know this because in the article, she states, "She also has a very good handle on something the state’s not measuring at all: not just if her students can read, but if they will read." This sentence is basic, and to the point. However, she cannot necessarily prove that she has a good handle- this is opinionated. 

       From the article, "Ramsey: For better vision, kids need time outdoors", the same writing style is found: "But before parents claw back the iPhones, experts say the problem may not lie in the technology itself, but the amount of time spent on it, the environment in which it's used and the activities it's replacing." From this sentence, the same style is used- short and to the point. 

       "Manning is a Southern-bred gentleman whose classic suits match up nicely with his classy manners." This quote is from the article, "Ramsey: Super Bowl QBs score points for great style". Again, the pattern of short and sweet continues throughout all of Ramsey's pieces. 

Questions :

1. Did you want to be a writer when you were young?
2. What makes you love your job?
3. What do you have to say to young authors? 

Thirst No5- Qualities of A Character

Alisa Perne is the main character of Thirst No5.  She is a vampire, who has lived for over five thousand years, until now. After dying and switching into the body of her closest living relative, Teri, who is about to die again. A secret government program, called the Cradle is trying to take her down, and unleash a poison that could kill everyone in the world. Alisa reacts to this by staying cool, calm, and collected.

     The best quality of Alisa is that she is an extremely hard worker. If she decides to do something, she will do anything to get it. On many occasions, Alisa has risked her life to save those who she loves. This is what makes her hard working, and brave.

     The worst quality of Alisa is that she is self conscious, and that she will sometimes have this trait make her not be able to do everything is capable of. When Alisa is deciding where to go in the after life, she is really holding down her "scale" with her foot. Because of this, she has to go back in time to see what she has done wrong, only to discover that it was herself all along.

My best quality is, like Alisa, my ability to work hard. My worst quality, however, is that I sometimes do not think, and will not think through everything before I perform this action.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cItUWSKXR3U is a link to a video regarding the author of Thirst, Christopher Pike. Christopher Pike is the pseudonym of Kevin Christopher McFadden. He never makes public appearances, and shares little information about his life. His characters, however, also have this trait of mysteriousness. From this, I can say that Christopher Pike gives his readers information about him through his characters. 

Uglies- What does the work tell us about how the society affects the individual?

     In the world of Uglies, at the age of 16 everyone undergoes a procedure that makes them "Pretty".  Bones are stretched or shaved, skin is made completely smooth and tan, and everything about them is made pretty- except the brain. It has been reprogrammed to not be aware about the faults in society. Tally Youngblood's best friend, Shay, decides to leave the city behind and not have her operation. Tally, the main character, is then faced by Special Circumstances to find Shay or not become pretty at all.

     The Pretties in this society are unaware of everything that is going on. Instead, they party 24/7 and joke around. Uglies have a realization of the world, but once they start questioning what is happening, they are swooped up by the operation and completely forget what they are thinking.

    I personally like to think that there are two types of people in this society- a) the ones who question the society and do not want to become a Pretty and b) most of the people in the book, who want to become pretty and never question anything.

     Shay questions everything, and then later teaches Tally to do the same. Shay then escapes to a city called the Smoke, which is full of Uglies who live together away from the government. These people make their own decisions, and are free to live a life without being restrained by the government. Like Fahrenheit 451,  the peace and quiet of nature allows them to think for themselves.

     From the article, How Does Society Affect Behavior in Teens?, (http://everydaylife.globalpost.com/society-affect-behavior-teens-4728.html), people, such as teens, are highly influenced by their society and surroundings. Uglies may be a different society than ours today, but the same thing still applies. When the Uglies grow up in Uglyville, they are constantly influenced that what is going on is right. However, once Tally escapes to the Smoke and is influenced by another society, she now finds how much different everything really is.