Three Gorges Dam

The Three Gorges Dam in Hubei, China

Imagine being forced out of your home. You would have to pack everything you needed, find a new home, and somehow just move away from everything you have ever known. This is how most of the people in China felt when they had to move away from their home because the Three Gorges Dam was going to be built. Along with forcing locals to be relocated, the dam also causes  negative enviromental impacts,destroyed important archeological sites, and causes earthquakes and lanslides to this day.We might need the electricity, but was it really worth it?

Moving is not fun for anyone. Imagine how the people of China felt! You have lived in the same place your whole life and now you are forced to move away from everything you have ever known.
They might have cultural ties to the place they live, and now they have to move away. What about family? When you move you might not be able to live together and take care of each other. Also, it costs money to buy a new house, make a new garden, pack and move belongings. The people of China might get compensation for a new house, but they don't get help with making new friends and living in a new city.

Pollution is yet another big problem that the Three Gorges Dam causes to this day. The Dam causes water pollution, which not only endangers the animals in it, but takes away from the beauty of nature. Also, the rare Yangtze dolphins, located in the Yangtze River, are now going extinct due to the constrution of the Three Gorges Dam. They will be one of the first dolphin species to go extinct because of humans. We need to protect our wildlife. Not kill it! 

The destuction of many famous archeological sites is also a problem the dam caused when it was built.It's construction flooded many historical places. By flooding the archeological sites, not only did it destroy history, the dam also destroyed culture. The destuction of the sites also reduced tourism in China. While tourists may be annoying, they do bring in good money. 

While the dam was built to prevent flooding, it might just cause bigger problems. Studies show that the dam has caused over 3,000 earthquakes in the last year. While they were small, a larger earthquake could happen, causing landslides and the death of many people. The dam was built to stop disasters not cause them. 

Maybe you think that the construction of the dam was ok. Maybe you think that forcing millions of people out of their homes, endangering a rare animal species, causing earthquakes, and destroying history, is a perfectly reasonable thing to do. But in my opinion, the construction of the Three Gorges Dam was not a good choice, for neither the environment nor the people.

The Living Book Review III

    The Living, by Matt De La Pena, is a book about a boy named Shy, who works on a cruise ship. He has to work so he can pay for his family who live back in Otay Mesa, a small Mexican town by the border. His family is very poor and his grandma has just died of a horrible disease called Romero Disease. On one of his first voyages he sees a man jump overboard and commit suicide. He still has nightmares although the man jumped almost a week ago. One of his friends on the ship, Kevin, tells him he overheard a man was looking for Shy because he needed to ask some questions about the man who jumped. Later, he Skypes his mom and learns that his little nephew Miguel has Romero Disease. Shy is heartbroken, but doesn't have time to worry because the ship is forecasting bad weather so all the crew members have to secure the ship. As Shy is moving umbrellas from the deck a girl named Addie comes out in the rain and asks Shy why her father has a picture of him in his cabin. Shy has no time to answer because the ship announces that a major earthquake hit Los Angeles and was affecting almost all of North America. The earthquake has caused a tsunami and the ship is headed right towards it. All of the passengers and crew get into lifeboats and leave the sinking cruise ship. Shy gets into a lifeboat with only two other alive people. Addie, and an oilman. They stay on the water for days, fighting off sharks and struggling to survive. The oilman dies due to a shark bite in his leg and Shy and Addie are left alone. Addie falls in love with Shy, but Shy still harbors some feelings for a worker on the cruise ship named Carmen. Shy and Addie make it to an island in Hawaii that the other cruise ship passengers and crew are on. Shy and Addie get rest and food. But Shy learns that the company where they are staying started the terrible Romero Disease in order to gain money. They have killed most of the passengers with the disease and plan to kill the rest later by staging a helicopter accident. The book ends with Shy and a few other crew members fleeing the island and heading into the ocean again.

I think that the theme of this book is, no matter what situation you are in you still put the ones you love first. My first example is when the ship is sinking but Shy's only thought was to find Carmen and save her."He stopped in the hall, spun around searching for Carmen. It was all that seemed to matter now. Just find Carmen. Make sure she's okay." (119) My second example is when Shy tries to catch a fish for him and Addie on the boat but a shark takes it and they lose the bait and the fish. Addie starts crying, and even though Shy is angry he lost the fish he focuses all his attention on comforting her."'It's okay," Shy said kneeling down beside her. "We'll figure something out Addie. I swear.''' (226) My third example is when Shy's best friend Rodney is sick and Shy sneaks past security guards just to visit him. 'There was no way Shy was gonna climb all those stairs without seeing Rodney.' (270)

The main setting in The Living is the ocean. Shy works on a cruise ship and when the ship sinks he is stuck on the ocean in a raft. The ocean drives Shy crazy and he can't wait to get home to Mexico. 'This sudden awareness crushed down on him and stole his breath, and for a split second he understood why someone could be moved to jump.' (34) When Shy is stuck at sea he gives up hope on even being rescued and just wants to go home. 'But Shy no longer held out hope for a rescue anything.' (177)

My favorite character in The Living was Addie. She puts out a tough shell in the beginning of the book and acts snotty, but when Shy got to know her as they were stranded together,  he found out she was actually really nice and they had a lot in commen. Addie is also amazingly brave and strong especially when it's hard to be. She rows the lifeboat for hours, letting Shy rest and get better. She also deals with the crazy things happening to her and Shy in a calm way. Addie just spoke to me as a character and I found her quite relatable. This is why Addie, is my favorite character.  

I would recommend this book to other 7th graders. It was a fast paced story filled with adventure. I liked the authors writing style and I enjoyed Shy's point of view.The ending was the absolute best, it left me wanting more and wanting to order the next book in the series.

picture citation: http://mattdelapena.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/The-Living-PB.jpg

Lunch Should be Longer!

   Have you ever felt rushed during lunch? I know I have, which is why I think lunch should be a longer period. First of all, we would have way more time to eat. Second of all, we can leave to go out to lunch with our families, but make it back to class on time. Third of all, we would get more social time during the day. Lastly, we would clean up our lunch tables better. Therefore, lunch should be a longer period. 

   First, I get so hungry during the day, and I'm so distracted by my growling stomach that I forget to watch the teacher and watch the clock instead. If lunch was longer we wouldn't go to our next class hungry, because we didn't get to finish our food. Instead, we would have energy for the rest of the day.

Second, some people go out to lunch with thier families, and come back to school late. If lunch was longer, we could enjoy quality time with our families and not be late to our next class. Next, If there was a test that day, and we were late, our grade might suffer, so being on time to class would be helpful. Lastly, when we get to highschool and we are allowed to eat lunch off campus, we need time to get to the resteraunt, eat and get back. If lunch was longer we wouldn't feel so stressed to get back on time. Teachers deserve to have students come to class on time. If lunch was longer, no student would have an excuse for being late. 

   Third, some people only have lunch with thier friends. If lunch was longer, we would have more social time to chat and catch up with them. Also, we've been sitting all day in class listening to the teachers, not being allowed to talk. If lunch was longer, we could talk more during lunch, and less during class. 

   Lastly, we would clean up our dirty lunch tables better if we had more time. It would teach us to be responsible, and to be less messy when we eat, if we had to clean them up ourselves. But we need time to thouroughly clean and help out the janitor. If lunch was longer we could give back to our school by keeping it clean.

  In conclusion, don't be distracted by your growling stomach! We need to finish our food and not be distracted during class. Also, we would get to go out to lunch, but make it to class on time. We would get more time with our friends if we only had lunch with them. Lastly, we would pick up our lunch tables and learn responsibilty. So the next time you see a student coucil member in the hallway, stop and tell them to petition to lenghten lunch!

Endangered Book Review

Endangered, by Eliot Schrefer , is a book about a girl and a bonobo trying to stay alive in the vast forest of the Congo. The book starts out with Sophie riding in a taxi to go visit her mom. Along the way they drive past a beaten bonobo and his owner. Sophie stops the car, buys the bonobo and brings it back to her moms bonobo sanctuary where she takes care of it. She names the bonobo Otto and gets the sick little monkey healthy again. As soon as Otto gets better her mom leaves the sanctuary to release some of the healthier bonobos in to the wild. After her mom leaves Sophie and the workers at the sanctuary learn that the president of the Congo has been killed and rebels are taking over and destroying the country. Since Sophie is American she is permitted to leave the country but instead of getting on the plane to leave she stays with Otto and runs into the forest so nobody can stop her from staying. She lives with the bonobos for weeks in the sanctuary enclosure, learning what to eat, who to trust, and where to sleep in the trees. She eventually escapes the enclosure to try to get to her mom at the release site. She travels through vast forest, escaping soldiers and managing to keep her and Otto alive in the forest. She refuses to leave Otto and turns down many offers to leave the country. Sophie and Otto live in the jungle and slowly make there way to her moms release site. Finally, they find Sophie's mom and are in good care. Sophie takes a plane back to the sanctuary with her mom and gets to her dad in America. Sophie has to leave Otto behind but she visits him in the future and she safely makes it back home.


One of the main themes in this book is we will do crazy things for the ones we love. An example of this is when Sophie abandons her chance to get out of the dangerous Congo. "'I'm staying,' I said. I told myself that soon the van would be gone,  and they'd have to let me remain at the sanctuary with Otto." (65) My second example is when Sophie gets a second opportunity to get out of the country without Otto but she refuses again. "As I re-entered the clearing, swiping at my eyes with the butts of my palms, one thing was very clear to me: I was not leaving Otto here." (161) My third example is when Sophie goes into a dangerous town in the forest to try and save Otto. "Getting to Otto was the one thing on my mind, and pointing towards him was all I could do." (196)

The main setting in Endangered is Kinshasa. Her dad and mom split up when she was five and her dad chose to live in America but her mom chose to stay in the Congo so she could continue working on her bonobo sanctuary. Sophie visits Kinshasa every few years but she hates it. "Then when I was eight I left to live with my dad in America; ever since then coming back to spend summers with my mom meant descending into the muggy and dangerous back of nowhere." (1) When Sophie gets lost in the Congo she is terrified and is unsure of what to do and how to be safe. "I was feeling something more than fear as I rode: it was fear with a purpose, fear devoted entirely to the task of feeling alert." (144)

I would recommend this book to other 7th graders. It had a compelling story line that I really enjoyed. I also liked the way it was written. It was like was there in the story. I also loved the ending. It was heartfelt, sweet, and just so good.


Picture citation: http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/515ma1zBFTL._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

The First Fish

   The First Fish

by Molly Melnick

It was a cold December day. The air was frosty and I could see my breath. Indian River roared in my ears, mixed with the sound of fish fins slicing through the water for barely a moment before dipping back in. My dad stood a little ways from me casting his fly rod in and out, his line slicing through the air causing droplets of water to hang glimmering in the air for a moment before falling to the ground. The sky was streaked with orange and pink clouds, the sun setting in the distance. The smell of fish and crisp air hung in my nose. I could feel the cold slowly creeping up on me and I was ready to go home and eat.

“Daddy how many so far?” I asked

“About four. Five if you count the one I caught but didn’t land,” he replied.

“How are you catching so many? I have been fishing the same spots you did but none are biting!”

I was beginning to get agitated. The river was cold and I was swarmed with mosquitoes trying desperately to eat me alive. On top of that I hadn’t caught a single fish!

“Well, I got some new fly hooks and the fish seem to like them,” my dad answered calmly.

He cast out neatly, just barely missing the tree tops. He was a skilled fly-fisher though he was only a beginner.

“Do you think I could try using your fly-rod Daddy?” I asked sweetly, hoping to persuade him to let me us his precious fly-rod.

“Sure princess. Do you know how to use it?”

“Well… no.”

“Here let me show you. You put your hand here,” he guided my hand to the bottom of the rod.

  “Loop the line and pull it back. Now whip the rod back with your wrist and let the string go.” He demonstrated for me then let me try it.

“Don’t move your arm, just your wrist. Now whip it forward using the same control. You got it! Ok now repeat.” I was slowly starting to get it. I could feel myself getting into a rhythm

.

 “Watch the bush! Good! Ok let the fly float for a while now!”

My dad was a good teacher. He talked to me in a patient voice and gently guided me through the motions until I got it. He smelled like Old Spice and cinnamon and his deep rumbling voice was soothing. We had been fishing together a lot lately, me and my dad. His father had just passed away and the whole family missed him a lot. I think we both felt especially close to him when we were fishing so we liked to go out together.

 “Is this right? I think I’m doing it!” I asked, trying to distract myself from the feeling of sadness that was slowly creeping up on me.

“You’re getting it!” my dad shouted back over the roar of the river.

I sensed some sadness in that one sentence. I knew exactly what he was thinking about. I was determined to catch a fish just to take both of our minds off the pain. Suddenly I felt a tug at the end if the line.

“DAD! I THINK I HAVE ONE! HOW DO I REEL THIS THING IN?” I was shouting in joy desperately clinging on to the shaking pole.

“Pull the line back. Reel! There you go!”

I followed his instructions and felt a swell of pride as I finally landed the Dolly Varden.

“I got one! My first fish from a fly-rod!”

“I’m so proud of you sweetheart” my dad said.

“Daddy?” I asked.

“Yes?” he answered as he distractedly untangled the fish from the line and let it back into the river.

“My feet are cold.”

I was also hungry and covered in mosquito bites but I kept quiet.

“Let’s stay out for five more minutes,” he said.

“Ok.”

I felt a surge of love for my brave dad and I thought about how much I loved him and how much I would miss him if he was gone.

“Daddy?”

“Yes?”

“I love you.”

“I love you too, bear.”

After fishing we hiked back to the car in silence. He held my hand warming it with his touch. I learned a lot that day. I learned how to fly fish, I learned how to cope with pain, and I learned just how much I loved my dad. I still think about that day sometimes. I remember how close I felt to my dad and how much fun we had, but most of all I remember how I learned to fly-fish because of my father’s love and patience. 

Heir Apparent Book Review

Heir Apparent, by Vivian Vande Velde, is a book about a girl fighting to stay alive in a virtual reality game. The book starts out with Giannine Bellisario going to the gaming center to redeem the gift card that her dad gave her for her birthday. The gaming center has protesters blocking the doorway, but she goes in anyway. She chooses to play the game Heir Apparent. After she starts the game she gets a message from the owner of the gaming center that says the protesters broke in and destroyed the game. The only way she can get out is to win the game. If she doesn't she will die. She is quickly killed in the game because she made the wrong decision. She restarts the game and gets a magic ring and she finally breaks through level one. She tries to befriend the guards and when she goes to get them some money they are due she is captured by barbarians who want a crown that the old king stole from them. She is killed again and restarts the game. She meets three wizards who tell her where a dragon is that has the barbarian crown. She finds the dragon, gets the crown, and the book ends with her getting out of the game unharmed.

I think that the theme of this story is to spend more time with your kids or they might make wrong decisions. My first example is when Giannine is surprised that her dad actually remembered to get her a birthday gift and she wants to use it, leading her to cross picketers just to try and connect with her father. "Once I  got in front of the building, I sprinted for the doorway weaving through picketers" (6).  My second example is when she leaves her mother without saying goodbye to her father who has what she needs to win, because she considers it a waste of her time. "I was eager to get the game moving.That-and the last time I'd said goodbye to a father-had me frantic not to wait around" (20). My third example is when she refuses to say goodbye to her father again because she doesn't trust him when he really had the ring that would help her win. "'Of course I have no ring,' my mother told me as I blacked out. 'It's your father who took the ring'" (69). These three examples led me to the conclusion that neglecting children's needs has bad consequences on their future. 

I would not recommend this book to other 7th graders. I found the story line to be quite dull. I also thought that Giannine was really incompetent and that was really not enjoyable for me. Lastly, I was really expecting a better ending, but I got a total letdown. That is what I thought of the book Heir Apparent.


                                         Honey Water Recipe
Giannine Bellisaro drank some honey water in the last chapter of the book Heir Apparent, I decided to make some honey water to see what it is like. Here is the recipe:
                                            INGREDIENTS
> 1 cup warm water
> 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
> 2 tsp. honey
> lemon (optional)                                         
                                       DIRECTIONS
> Pour water into cup and add the cinnamon and honey and lemon 
> Stir together
> Enjoy!

cover picture: cover https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/64/Heir_Apparent_Cover
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Practice Book Review:The Veldt

  The Veldt, by Ray Bradbury,  is a short story about a modern familythat becomes too dependent on technology and face disastrous consequences for their actions. They are especially dependant on their virtual reality room that is their nursery. The book starts out with Lydia Hadley telling her husband to check the nursery because something is wrong with it. George Hadley goes to check it and they find themselves in an African veldt with lions chasing them and a screaming sound. Lydia is very afraid and she wants to shut the house down because she feels that her and George are beginning to feel useless and the room is beginning to feel too real.  George wants to check the room again and when he does the room wont respond. It stays the hot veldt. When the two children Peter and Wendy come home from the carnival they deny that the room is the dangerous veldt and when George walks in its no longer the veldt but a wonderful jungle. He then finds his own bloody wallet hidden in the bushes. He decides to lock the nursery and when he goes to bed he hears screaming that sounds very familiar. In the morning he forbids Peter and Wendy to go in the nursery ever again and Peter begins to threaten him. George calls the psychologist to check out the nursery and when he gets there he tells George that the room is very dangerous and he should shut down the house and take a trip while its resetting. When George and Lydia tell Peter and Wendy they throw a fit and Peter tells George he wishes he was dead. They both plead to go into the nursery one last time before its shut off for good. George relents and lets Peter and Wendy go into the nursery just one more time. Peter locks the door and tells the room to kill Lydia and George. The book ends with Mr. and Mrs. Hadley dying and the children take over the house and kill the psychiatrist.

  I think that one of the main themes in the book is spoiling your children never ends well. My first example is when George Hadley says "Nothing is too good for our children"(pg.1) when he is  describing the crazy amount of money spent on them. Also on page 18 Lydia says "They're insufferable-lets admit it. They come and go when they like; they treat us as if we were offspring. They're spoiled and were spoiled."  My second example is when David McClean comes to the nursery to check it out he says "I sensed only that you had spoiled your children more than most. And now your letting them down in some way." (pg 22)

I would definitely recommend this book to other 7th graders. First of all it has some really cool technology mentioned in it that I wish was real. Also it has a really good surprise ending. I love when a book has a total plot twist and this book had a great one.  Another reason why is because it has great moral to the story. It really teaches you and makes you think about your own behavior. That is why I recommend the book.