Journal 4

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Journal 6

My favorit parts of chapter 17 are the different criterias need for a good narrative.

These parts are the Depection of Events through time, Connectiveness, Tension/conflict, and Resolution. All of these are critical aspects in writing narratives.

The tension in particular is the main component which keeps a reader interested. The tension must serve the function of engaging the reader by building up events until a final climax point.

The resolution is also important in tying the reading togheter. Without a clear conclusion, the reader is left without gaining any real information or substance. The resolution must be a retrospective of the essay and connect them in a meaningful way.

Journal 5

My favorite parts of chapter 16 are Lessons 1, 9, and 10.

Lesson one deals with Unity and Coherence. It is important that your work displays both of these qualities in order for it to be an impactful piece. Unity deals with the way each sentence flows with the next sentence. Coherence deals with the overall image portrayed by a passage and its relavence to the topic or thesis.

Lesson 9 deals with writing effective conclusions. The conclusion is often overlooked and under written. It is important that your conclusion serves as a retrospective of the key points of your essay and makes an underlying opionion or stance.

Lesson 10 deals with designing your writing. This includes what types of fonts, sizes, graphics and headings you use in your works. Many times these factors are predetermined depending on the type of essay you are writing. When designing your work, it is important to keep your design functional and not decorative. The design of your work often reflects your professionalism and dedication to your work.

Journal 3

A problem that has perplexed me is the current political crisis in the Middle East. The portrayal of the middle east by our media has not been able to provide a satisfying answer as to why things are the way they are in this part of the world. I feel the real problems are far more complex and deeply rooted than portrayed by the American media. There are several underlying issues which drives the numerous crisis of today. The problem is not a new problem and has appeared several times throughout history, such as in the Crusades. More currently, at the end of World War II, the british partioning of its occupied territories is at the core of the crisis. The arbritary lines drawn as political boundries by the British often grouped toghether rival factions within the same country. The displacement of thousands of Palestinian inhabitants in order to create the state of Israel is also another common trouble issue when it comes to the middle east.

Journal 2

The background knowledge need to understand this passage is somewhat extensive. International students reading this passage must have a comprehensive understanding of European and American history and the events surrounding the Cold War. The student must also be familiar with a number of names in modern history including Rondald Reagan, Mikhail Gorbachev, and Marx and Lenin.

Also the reader must be familiar with current politcal organizations just as NATO, as well as the differences between the political doctrines of communism and democracy. In addition to this, the reader must also be aware of the different economic systems of capitilism and communism. Knowledge of the nuclear arms race is also critical background information in the comprehension of the passage.

Journal 1

Andres Martin talks about the growing trend of tattoos among the urban youth today. In recent years, the acceptance of tattoos has increased significantly. Tattoos have come to represent a varietey of things, including fashion statements, group affiliation symbols, as well as identity definition.

There is almost always conflicting views between adolescents and their parents when it comes to the aquisition of a tattoo. Teenagers view the process of getting a tattoo as body adornment and self beautification while Parents view it as self mutilation and defiance to authority. Issues regarding the importance of tattoos has been researched and explored in recent years.

My personal belief is that the importance of tattoos is really relavent to the culture you are brought up in. For example, within the indian culture it is customary for a bride to be adorned with henna tattoos as a means of beautification.

However, with the growing popularity of tattoos in american culture, the reasoning for getting tattoos are more questionable. These types of tattoos are usually done to make a statement and is usually performed in a hasty manner.