27-09-07 Assignment : Summury of "Small Wonders"

Andrew Marshall, the author of "Small Wonders", discusses the distinctions between prodigies and average children. The author, quoting a neural circuitry survey, argues remarkable difference is that prodigies can concentrate on one thing shutting down any other disturbing noises rather than average kids as well as they have an astonishing processing talent. The author, on the other hand, insists that how their parents raise thier prodigies is important as well as such inborn talent, refferring to necessity to give them good environments such as reading book and allow them high degree independence. Finally, author call attention that parents should occasionally allow their prodigies to play as a child.

09-26-07 Assignment 2: short essay about aging popupation

In Japan, according to the official survey, a rate of an aging population has been increasing since 1935, and in 2006 it became 20.7% which is the highest level in the world. Nowadays, it has become one of the most serious problems in Japanese society, because increasing the aging population understandably causes swelling medical expenses, bringing in growth of younger's burden to support older and increment of government's expenses such as annual pension.

I personally think that the most effective resolution of these problems is to increase a birthrate. The Japanese birthrate has been decreasing recently and become lower part among developed countries. Low birthrate, according to a government's report, results mostly from high cost of raising a child and lack of day care center for child. Thus, I strongly think that the Japanese government should focus expenditure on subsidizing growing up children and increasing official day care center.

09-26-07 Class Work

Discuss the documentary, "The End of Suburbia"


1.What's the documentary's main claim

The documentary's main claim is that the trend of living in suburbia come to end.


2.What's the background of the problem?

The necessity of using energy is greatly increasing because of the industrial revolution, rapidly economic growth, improving living standard.


3.What reasons dose the film-maker provide in support of the claim? Which reasons do you find the most convincing? Which ones are not so convincing?

Although people living in suburbia inevitably need using a automobile to go to their office or shopping, the people will hardly use automobile because the oil deposit become scarce and oil price has skyrocketed.

The film predicts that the governments will not be able to maintain every highways that is necessary for people to live in suburbia to go to work and shopping.


4.What's evidence dose the film-maker provide in support of these reasons? Which evidence do you find the most convincing?


5.What counter-arguments dose the film-maker deal with?(You should be able to name at least 3).

One expert insists that people can substitute bio energy for the oil energy. Other expert, however, point out bio energy can not substitute because of shortage of land to grow up crops for bio energy and insist that we need more energy to grow up a lot of crops for bio energy.

One expert argues that people can substitute hydrogen for the oil energy. Other expert, however, point out the problem of hydrogen. First, hydrogen automobile put out a lot of water, so it becomes foggy in a city. Second hydrogen automobile is more dangerous than oil automobile. Third, hydrogen automobile is much expensive than oil automobile.

One expert said that amount of consumption of oil pass the peak, because amount of consumption of natural gas is substituted for oil. Other experts, however, said that in America, natural gas depend fifty percent more on Canada, so if the amount of consumption of natural gas increase in Canada, we could use natural gas.


6.What are some of the implications of the problem? In other words, what is the cost of inaction?


7.Dose the author discuss any solution to the problem?

The author suggests that people should change their lifestyle. One example is that instead of using automobile, people use public transportation such as a bus or subway. Other example is that people should make a small community which consists of all necessities to live such as school, mall, hospital, and workplace.

09-20-07 Class Work

Assignment 1: Discuss whether you think mixed marriages are good or bad.

In Japan, many traditional people disagree with mixed marriages. I, however, think mixed marriage is good for the following reasons.

First, mixed marriages can allow people to learn more depth each country such as history, culture and entertainment, which they might not have known if they did not get married. For example, my older brother got married with American woman seven years ago. He now know more about American history such as how the constitution was built and how it works in this era than me although I major in public administration at GWU. This shows that mixed marriages has more advantages than normal marriages.

Second, their son or daughter can become bilingual without any difficulty. For example, my older brother's son who is still four-year-old can speak English and Japanese fluently, although I, thirty-one-year-old can not still speak English well.

Many people, however, might think people who get married outsider go through hard time to understand each other. I, however, assume that understanding each other is not difficult because we can now get a lot of information more easily via internet than before.


Assignment 2: If you were going to do research on mixed marriages, what factors would you investigate?

I would investigate the number of people who get married outsider every ten years from 2006, rate of divorce people that got married outsider every ten years comparing with who got married insider and consciousness research on mixed married.

09-18-07 Assignment 2: Wright in your journal (page 20)

In Japan, where I live, many people disagree with introducing computers in early stage which is an elementary school. I, however, personally think computers should be introduced in early stages as possible.

This is because computers are indispensable for our current life. Without computers, we can not get business opportunities, communicate each other and get a lot of information. This shows that we can get more opportunities if we start learning from earlier age how to use computer, what we can do using computer and what happen in the world than we start learning from old age.

Many people, on the other hand, might think that computers are harmful for children mental and physical health or children should go outside and learn a lesson from a real world or children can access many harmful website. They might be partly true but we can solve this problem limiting computer use. I think it is very important to balance learning using computers and learning from real world.

Thus I strongly believe that computers should be introduced in early stages as possible.

09-18-07 Assignment 1 : Critical Thinking Strategies (page 15)

1. I personally think “health concerns” which the Alliance for Childhood cites might mean both mental and physical health. First of all, computers often are harmful for children eyes if they keep looking at computers’ screen for many hours. Furthermore, computers might make children’s body strength decrease because they often discourage children to go outside and learn directly from real world.

2. I think these parents are not sure whether using a computer is good or not for their children, more likely, they might have thought children should go outside and learn a lesson from nature.

3. I think there are two factors which can determine how useful computers are in the classroom. First, teachers should be well trained how to use computers and how to teach students using computer. Second, computers should be used not for just repeating fundamental exercises, but for resolving practical exercises.

09-17-07 Assignment : Summury of the article "BEYOND RIVARY"

Elizabeth Stark, the author of "Beyond Rivalry" discusses the vicissitudes of relationship between siblings. The author points out younger adult siblings are apart from each other as they rather connect with their own societies, for older adult siblings, however, it is no longer important. The author describes that older adult siblings often contact each other triggered by their parental death or sickness because of physiological and physical reasons. The author, finally, claims that in spite of increasing their desire to turn back to each other, they rarely contact directly each other because they think siblings have equally needs for help and they are a safety net and still rivalry.

A Short Summary of the article "State Lotteries are Needed"

State lotteries, whitch have existed for 500 years, provides essential fund for state program through voluntaly taxation. For example, lotteries's revenues help state raise educate program, and make job oppotunity. Furtheremore, state lotteries make taxpayers rich by reduing tax. In addition to this, the State which have lotteries gets money from nearby states which do not have lottery system. Although some people critic that there are many risks in the lotteries, the proceds can accomplish a great deal of good when effective administration of lottery revenue is achieved.

09-12-07 Assignment 3 : Writing Exercises

Assginment:Alter the following sentences to make them academically respectable and defensible

1; Physical attraction is important for marital happiness.
-It is almost certain that physical attraction is important marital happiness.

2.Economic sanctions are ineffective.
-It is very probably that economic sanctions are ineffective.

3.Alcohol causes people to become violent.
-There is a strong possibility that alcohol causes people to become violent.

4.Passive smoking causes cancer.
-There is a strong possibility that passive smoking causes cancer.

5.Recycling is the best solution to the waste disposal problem.
-Recycling is the one of the best solution to the wasete disposal problem.

6.Physical exercise lessens the severity of depression.
-Physical exercise seems to lessen the severity of depression.

7.Great novels do not make great films.
-It is probable that great novels do not make great films.

8.Private schools provide better education than do public schools.
-Private schools might provide better education than do public schools.

09/12/07 Assignment 2 : Hedging parts

There are many hedging parts in the article. The most definite hedging parts, however, might focuses on the following three points.

First, the author clearly shows that their analyses of cases of school violence support the hypothesis that social rejection was involved in most cases of lethal school violence, on the other hand, the author mentions that cases of social violences are not explained only by the rejection quoting the article [Vossekuil et al., 2000]. Addition to this article, the author also shows the other reasons which make students violent quoting the articles [Millon, 1981] and [Vossekuil et al., 2000].

Second, the author refers to possibility of bias of analysis which indicate social rejection causes the school violence. In particular, the author thinks that the evidence that they obtained about the episodes from press reports may reflect reporters’ implicit theories about the link between rejection and aggression.

Finally, the author uses many words to hedge its article as bellow. "Several of the perpetrators explicitly explained their actions as a response to being mistreated by other students". "It is also noteworthy that, to our knowledge, few of the perpetrators attributed their violent behavior to other equally plausible causes..." "Few individuals navigate their way through adolescence without ..." "Rejection may be frustrating, angering, even maddening [Buckley, unpublished data; Twenge et al., 2001], but it is rarely sufficient to provoke premeditated violence even if the victim feels like killing people." "In particular, most of the perpetrators displayed at least one of the other three risk factors..." "First, a variety of psychological problems may be associated with an increased tendency for aggressive behavior." "Second, individuals who not only have access to guns but who are fascinated by firearms and explosives may be more likely to act on their aggressive impulses..." "Third, people who are fascinated by themes of death, and whose identity is linked to Gothic, Satanic, and other ‘‘dark’’ lifestyles may find the idea of carnage less revolting than most other people do." "It remains unclear whether death-rock music and other aspects of popular culture ..." "Previous theory and research has not adequately addressed the question of why rejection sometimes leads to anger and an impulse to aggress." "we believe that the primary motive in most of the school shootings seems to have been retribution..." "In fact, many of the cases were characterized by both an ongoing pattern of rejection and a specific rejection experience..." "At the same time, however, the evidence suggests that at least some of the perpetrators were seeking respect as well." "In particular, the evidence that we obtained about the episodes from press reports may reflect reporters’ implicit theories about the link between rejection and aggression; we may have found evidence of such a relationship because writers in the mass media selectively reported evidence consistent with their implicit theories." "In most cases, information regarding the perpetrator’s relationships with other students was mentioned only in the context of describing the kind of person he or she was." "Although we can document that most of the perpetrators of these school shootings had been subjected to ..." "Even so, from reading descriptions of their peer relationships, our sense is that most of the shooters had experienced an unusually high amount of bullying or ostracism..." "Furthermore, when an individual has psychological difficulties, an affinity for guns and explosives, or a fascination with death and gore, such peer mistreatment may evoke a catastrophic reaction."

The question about a compulsive shopper

1.Yes they do. Compulsive shoppers usually buy something whether it is necessary for them, and in almost every case, they do not calculate their revenue and expenditure accurately. Normal shoppers, on the other hand, usually buy only what they really want, maintaing a balance between revenue and expenditure.

2.I know a woman who is addicted to shopping. In her case, the stress leads her to shop compulsively. She is normal shopper when she has a few tasks, but as her work load increase, she used to frequent mall and buy anything she do not want.

3.I think some cultures seems to encourage people compulsive shopping. Japanese, for example, ofen want to purchase any item which is associated with Hoolywood stars regardless of costs.

4.Advertisements usually give the illusion people as if the merchandise which advertisements show is the most popular in their community and many people think they are superior than others if they have that merchandise.

5.I would define a compulsive shopper that they usually buy something whether or not it is necessary for them and almost all they do not calculate their revenue and expenditure accurately.

6.I think a compulsive people are similar to the people who are addicted to alcohol or gambling. Therefore the citation about research on why people addicted to alcohol or gambling would make this essay stronger.

09-12-07 Assignment 1 : About clever animals

Almost all animals usually obey man's direction if they are adequatly educated. For example, many dogs learn to sit down when dogs' guardian feed dog food, and they will bark when thieves break into their house. Especially, seeing-eye dogs are most obedient among dogs. After they go through a training for a year, they can even lead blinds to cross a cross walk when the signal turn to green, and lead to get round when there are some obstacls.

Differences between academic writing and non-academic writing

First of all, academic writing focuses on specific themes such as science, histroy, economics. Non-academic writing, on the other hand, is usually deal with general topic, such as entertainment and sports.

Second, academic writing has a clear and theoretical structure. It needs concise introduction which is summury of its contents, sufficient evidences to support its opinions and clear conclusion. Non-academic writing, on the other hand, usually has obscure conclusion which is not supported sufficient evidences.

Third, academic writing distinguishs the opinion which is thought by itself from a opinion which is insisted by other person using citation, and citation shows clearly that which documents insists that opinion. While, non-academic writing is usually vague whose opinion it is.

In addition, people use a terminology in academic writing , but not use in non-academic writing.

Introduction

My name is KT from Tokyo, Japan.

I graduated from Tokyo University in 2001, and then started my career at the Japanese government. I have worked for there for six years, and the last three years was the most hard time for me because I was in charge of the competition policy as deputy director.

But now, I am studying in the public administration program at GWU to achieve my professional goal. My ultimate goal is to make Japan the biggest economic power in the world so I decided to take the public administration program and improve my skill by studying economic analysis and management of organization.