Phenomena
Can animals predict earthquakes?
Phenomena
Written by Henry and Melissa billings
Published by Jamestown publishers 1999
I read a story titled Can animals predict earthquakes? This story was not a long drawn out scientific read. This story gave several examples of animal’s behavior before an earthquake hit. It also gave a few scientific reasons of why they, the scientist, thought animals reacted when an earthquake was near. I liked the story; I would recommend this story for someone who was interested in this subject.
A man from Guatemala saw his gold fish leap out of the bowl.
The event that changed scientist’s mind took place in North Eastern China during the 1970’s
Haicheng is a city in China that was evacuated early, because the Chinese listened to the warnings of the animals.
There was an experiment where scientists severed the leg nerves of some laboratory pigeons, while leaving the others alone. During a small earth tremor the pigeons with the nerve damage done nothing, while the rest of them went into a frenzied.
The charged particles released before a earth quake are called ions
By Veronica
Disasters
“Disasters” is about some of the most terrible disasters that have ever happened: fire, volcanic eruptions, shipwrecks, bombings, earthquakes, etc. I read “Pompeii: The City That Slept for 1,500 Years” and “Death on the Unsinkable Titanic”. This book was very interesting and I would like to read the rest of the stories some other time.
Pompeii was built on the slope of Mount Vesuvius an inactive volcano. In A.D. 79, Vesuvius became very active. The lethal gasses from the volcano had killed all living things. A paste of volcanic ash mixed with mud and rain covered the city to a depth of 12 to 50 feet shutting off oxygen and preventing decay. It was as if the city had been frozen in time. Excavators found everything 1500 years later in an unbelievably good state of preservation. Today visitors marvel at Pompeii’s preserved wonders and step back in time 2,000 years.
“Death on the Unsinkable Titanic” is probably one of the most well known disasters. Many lives were lost when the ship hit an iceberg in the North Atlantic. The Titanic had over 2,200 passengers, but only 711 survived. Over 1,500 went to a watery grave with the unsinkable ship. Perhaps, if Captain Smith had heeded the warnings of two nearby ship and reduced the speed of the ship, it wouldn’t have sunk. Would the Titanic be as famous today if it hadn’t sunk?
By Linda
Phenomena
FROM THE BOOK “PHENOMENA”
BY HENRY AND MELISSA BILLINGS
JAMESTOWN PUBLISHERS 1999
“ THE SPECIAL GIFTS OF THE AUTISTIC
SAVANT”
The main idea of this story is, some mentally retarded people have special talents.
Nadia is the main character and an autistic savant
When Nadia was evaluated she was found to have an IQ of an eighteen- month child.
Nadia’s special talent is drawing. I was impressed with her drawing of a lifelike horse and rider. She added her own special touch. You have to see to appreciate it.
Although Nadia had been put into a school for the severely subnormal she was making no progress, yet, her drawings were superb.
Apparently, Nadia’s drawings expressed what she could not put into words for as she began to express herself verbally, her drawings became less spectacular.
The author probably wrote this story to tell the reader about the remarkable talents of the mentally retarded such as Nadia and others who have special talents like drawing,
calendar counting, or mechanical ability.
I have enjoyed this story. It is amazing how God has provided those children with a special talent to offset the below standard IQ. They are indeed special children.
Literature 2 Reading
I’m Nobody! Who Are You?
By Emily Dickenson
In this book, Reading in the Content Areas Literature 2, by author Laura Stark Johnson, I read from the poetry story, I’m Nobody! Who Are You?, on page 84.
I really like this story because I can relate to it. Of all the different stories in this book, this was my favorite.
In this story she tells really who she is and questions the person that she was with if they are “somebody”. She does not want to be famous, just kind of hidden in the background.
It is true how that famous people are unhappy. She uses comparisons like “public-like a frog”, meaning you are always going, hopping, and jumping.
“To tell ones name-the livelong June”. She is referring to something that is hot or famous.
“To an admiring Bog!” She is referring to something that is swampy and the stays together. A Bog is something that is swampy or marshy.
Other stories that are in this book also include short stories, novels, nonfiction, poetry, and drama. There are also famous authors in this book. Some of the authors include O. hennery, John Steinbeck, Jane Addams, Robert Frost, Emily Dickenson, and Dore Schary.
Eccentrics
This is a response to the book “Eccentrics”, part of the Critical Reading Series.
The stories in this book are truly hard to believe. I am assuming that all of the profiles of these "eccentric "people are supposed to be true. After reading the entire book, there are definitely some stories that are more interesting than others. The book though is good in its entirety.
I think of all the stories in this collection, the story about Hetty Green is, without a doubt, my favorite. Hetty inherited over two million dollars in 1865, making her the richest woman in the United States. Amazingly, by 1900 she was worth an estimated 100 million. Most people with this kind of income lead at least comfortable lives, not Hetty Green. She was so stingy that she walked the streets with matted hair and wore rags everywhere she went. She carried sandwiches with her so as not to have to eat in a restaurant and pay for the food. She married into more money and had two children. This family by no means changed her ways. After separating from her husband, she lived in bug-infested shacks with her children. Her terribly cheap ways, eventually led to her son having to have his leg amputated because she would not pay to see a doctor.
If this story is interesting to you, pick up this book and enjoy. It is full of people who led their lives differently than what is considered the ‘norm’. Page after page will leave you wondering about all the eccentrics in the world and the strange things they do.
Happy Reading !DiAnna
Challenger 5
Challenger 5 Adult Reading Seriesby Corea Murphy.
The title of the story was "The Necklace" This story was about a woman who longed for beautiful evening clothes and jewelry. However, she could not afford these things. She would cry at times from regret.
One day her husband came home from work with a party invitation. But she said she couldn’t go because she had no evening dress or jewelry. So her husband agreed to give her the money for a new dress. She still wasn’t happy because she didn’t have any jewelry to wear with her dress. Her friend, Mrs.Dennis let her borrow a diamond necklace.
After the party she realized she had lost the diamond necklace. Instead of telling her friend what had happened, she chose to purchase another just like it and pass it off as the original necklace. The cost of the new necklace was $36,000. Her husband signed notes and made bad deals with loan sharks to pay for the necklace.
Years later, the woman saw her old friend and decided to tell her the truth about the necklace. Her friend could only reply with much feeling that the necklace wasn’t real and had only cost a mere $500.
This story is just a sample of the many stories in this book about telling the truth and being careful about what you wish for because it just might come true.
By Beverly
Chicken Soup for the Christian Soul
Chicken Soup for the Christian Soul
Chicken Soup for the Christian Soul is a collection of stories and quotes from different authors, such as Corrie ten Boom, Dick Van Dyke, and Mother Teresa. One in particular was the story called The Last Straw by Paula McDonald. This story was about a mother who was trying to teach her children the real meaning of Christmas. The method she used was the act of kindness one to another but she done it in a way that her children would understand. These great stories were themed on love, forgiveness, faith, hope, and charity that will deepen your compassion for others.
Not only does this book have wonderful stories it has great quotes. One quote that stuck out to me was a quote from Mother Teresa. “Let us not be satisfied with just giving money. Money is not enough, money can be got, but they need your hearts to love them. So, spread your love everywhere you go; first to all in your home. Give love to your children, to your wife or husband, to a next-door neighbor.”
This book will warm your heart and remind you that you are not alone no matter how low or painful your circumstances may be. It will give you the satisfaction that God is always watching over his children.
Submitted by Wendy
Reading In the Content Areas LIterature 1
Reading In The Content Areas: Literature 1
“Roll Of Thunder Hear My Cry” written by Mildred D. Taylor
This story, set in Mississippi in the 1930’s is about black people and some of the things they faced before equality became a reality.
Cassie is just a small child, but thanks to her Mother’s teachings she knows all about injustice toward the black man. One instance came about because of used books the white people didn’t use anymore. The County Superintendent of School delivered the books to the black students and they were really excited to get new books, but the books were not new at all. They were dirty and very used. So naturally some of the children were disappointed. And when one little boy opened his book and read the first page, he threw down the book and stomped it over and over. Seems the books were passed to white students in very good to poor conditions, but when they were really bad they were passed down to the blacks. Since the mother of Cassie and the little boy was a teacher and probably pretty smart also, she had been teaching her children that they were as good as anyone else, so it offended these children to receive dirty, used books, especially books with the word “nigra”in them. One thing that strikes home the acceptance of this attitude is the teacher giving the boy a spanking for being offended and refusing to accept the book, and later whipping Cassie also. The teacher thought they should be thankful for this gift, and told Cassie that they were indeed what the books had written in them, “nigras”. Refusing to accept inequality had been taught them by their mother, and Cassie knew it was alright to refuse injustice, even if it was in the form of address towards blacks. On a personal note, I enjoyed this story a lot, and I plan to go to the library and check it out so I can find out the whole story.
Submitted by Linda
Contemporary’s Whole Language Series, Expressions: Stories and Poems Volume 2
“Trip in a Summer Dress” by Annette Sanford, page 33-43
“Trip in a Summer Dress,” is a story about a young girl going off to get married. She is leaving her parents and little brother, Matthew behind. She is headed to Arkansas to marry Bill Richards. As she is boarding the bus her mother tells her it is to cold to wear a summer dress. This trip is about her leaving behind something very important to her, and her starting a new life with out it. On the trip she tries to decide what she is going to do with her life. Whether to go on with this marriage or to go back to what her heart is longing for. This story takes an unsuspected turn and it surprised me when the girl reveals her secret. Her mother makes her keep what happen to her keep a secret and she can’t tell anyone. The girl wants so badly to tell someone what is aching in her heart, but every time she hints to her mother what she wants, her mother quickly sets her straight.
At the end of the story it has several thing to do. For example, it has a reflection part, asking a few questions about the story. One question was “What does the young woman plan to do when she goes into the telephone booth in Huntsville?” It also has a writing assignment to, asking you to right your opinion on who was right-the young woman or her mother? This book offers several other stories like mysteries, love, comedy, and some poetry.
Submitted by Mary
Wild Side: "In the Line Of Duty"
As I was reading stories from the book Wild Side ,In the Line of Duty, I could hardly believe the stories had actually happened. On page 92 began the story of, Nurses on the Front Line. This was a very heart-warming, about true events of the war in the Philippines. In reading this I learned different meanings of words such as: 1.) endured meant they suffered from, 2.) grueling – very difficult, and 3.) liberated- freed. I took the meaning as more than one meaning as well. The word grueling meant long and difficult according to the understanding I received.
Also in Lesson 14, pages 130-132 was a very interesting story about Fallen Heros. This story gave me an aspect of how other people’s lives are sometimes taken for granted, while on the other hand people are commended for the things that they do. The main idea of this story was telling how two people took for granted the lives of others, while others were grateful for the lives that they were willing to give.
I recommend reading this book in learning about people willing to give their life to the life of others, no matter what it takes.
by Christina
"Calamities" Critical Reading Series
Critical Reading Series, “Calamities”, Jamestown Publishers, Sabotage in the Desert, pp.76-83
The book I read was called Calamities. I really enjoyed reading this book; it is about 21 disastrous events that have happened around the world. I read several of the stories out of it and it is amazing some of the things that have happened and people are still alive to tell about it. I actually remember when some of the disasters took place. Most of them I had no idea had ever happened and a few of them brought tears to my eyes. The first story I read titled, Sabotage in the Desert is about an Amtrak train someone had deliberately sabotaged. The saboteur had taken up 29 spikes and 4 bolts from the track. Then rewired the track connection so the train’s engineer had no clue anything was wrong. Amazingly, only one person died from this tragic event. After reading the stories there are several different activities that will help you comprehend the reading.
By Shannon
