Hi Mrs. Lin,
I have done this week's ELA work and scored 8/10 in the June 2004 regents exam. I got numbers 9 and 16 wrong, but I now understand why they are incorrect. At first I was very unsure of interpreting the diagram for number 16, but then after I tried the second attempt, I understood that I had to read the symbols in each of the 4 areas (Brazil, Nigeria, U.S., Mexico) and see which one applies to respiratory diseases caused by global warming.
Over summer vacation, I have been having a blast, going to new places and eating the diverse food there! Recently, I went to Singapore for a whole week and stayed at the Swissotel in Stamford. There, the national fruit is Durian. I was very eager to try it so I went to a street vendor and tried a little piece. It had a hard, prickly outer shell, similar to a pineapple, but it was a bit smaller and it was green. I dug into the fruit with a smile on my face, but it was immediately turned upside down by the fruit's taste. It was an indescribable notion... The fruit was neither bitter, nor sweet, but it was pretty much neutral. The fruit's inside had a slimy soft texture as of the inside of a banana and an avocado. This texture does not suit my taste, and often results in my dislike for the fruit. Even though bananas are very sweet and tasty, it does not suit me, and often makes me cough violently. Even so, it was really fun trying something new. Singapore was a very nice place, with lots of taxis and great public transportation.
To learn more about Singapore, I took a bus tour around Singapore and learned many interesting facts. One thing that really surprised me is the cost of houses and cars. Most people there live in government buildings(apartments) because single-homes there are far away from public transportation, and is proven inefficient and extremely costly. A middle-class family's house in the U.S., is about 1.5 million dollars in Singapore. The government pushes people to buy apartments. This is so due to Singapore small area. It is a small island in the midst of the ocean and not enough area to support everyone owning single-family-homes. Also, cars are only for the "gentry" crowd. Also due to Singapore scarce area, cars are extremely expensive. The government pushes more towards taxis, bus and trains (other forms of public transportation). The cheapest car in the world, close to $5000 sold in China, is about $85,000 in Singapore. This just shows to what extent cars are frowned upon in Singapore. Even so, the millionaires/billionaires that own cars in Singapore, mostly own famous cars, such as Lamborghinis, McLaren's, etc. So, It was great seeing all these awesome cars, we don't usually see in the suburban areas of New York.
Also, another thing to know about Singapore is it's climate: humid and hot. It is very humid and sunny in Singapore, which leaves you never leaving home without shades and shorts on. Also, Singapore is known for its unpredictable rains. In New York, when people are warned for a very heavy rain, and told to stay inside, Singaporeans view this as a normal, everyday rainfall. It is very unpredictable, but also is a nice change from the hot weather.
Last but not least, the schools in Singapore have to be talked about. The schools in Singapore are very large and tough. I talked to a few kids my age there, and they all said mentioned the abundant amounts of homework given and the massive difficulty of the papers. They also mentioned many important government mandated tests they have to take, which lets the government know which students are thriving, and which one's are having a difficult time. In just 7 days, I have learned so much about Singapore, and home to come back again. If you haven't visited Singapore yet, you really should. There are many great places to eat in Chinatown, Little India, and the many malls. There are also many fun attractions to visit, such as Sentosa Island and the zoos.
Right now, I am back in India, so due to the time zone difference, I cannot take the classes, but I am still doing all the homework you sent me and am doing self-studies on Khan Academy. I am also in the middle of reading the book "Brown Girl Dreaming" by Jacqueline Woodson. The book itself has many pages, but the pages do not have many words. The book is about a girl who's parents are divorced, and the mother is remarried. The mother has 4 children, who she moves with to New York after being remarried. The book has many internal conflicts dealing with marital troubles, as well as the mother's sister dying. The main character however, is the author herself, who is the 3 child of the mother, who takes a serious interest in religion and is venturing into her likes and dislikes as she grows up. The story takes place after the Civil War and slavery has been abolished. The mother's family is from South Carolina and due to their race, the older generation were slaves. Due to this, the mother sometimes tells of times when there was slavery to Jacqueline.The mother raises her children to solely depend on each other and no one else. So far, the book is very intriguing and keeps me on the edge of my chair. I am almost done with this book, so can you please advise me any adventurous books?
Thank you. Please write back.
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