Favourite Poem

For Mother
You nursed me through
me milk teeth,
consoled me through
me spots
- I love you like
an auction, Mum.
Lots and lots and lots!

1. Introduction to Figurative Language

b) 1. I love you like an auction, Mum. The type of figurative language used is simile. The poet chose to use this figurative language as this simile expresses the poet's love for her mother.
b) 2. I like this poem as the poet loves her mother so much, and she even dedicated her time to come up with a poem to express her gratitude towards her mother. This poem reminds us to follow the poet and always be grateful to our mother for all she has done for us. This poem tells us to always remember to be grateful to our mothers and to appreciate them for what they have done, be it big or small. When we grow up, we have to repay our mothers with the same amount of love they treated us with.

2. Analyzing and composing own poem

c) Writing task(creative poem-individual effort)

School is stressful
School is fun
Its been like that
Since time begun

For what is life
Without some stress
Our brains would wither
We'd be a mess

Mental sums
The order of the day
The teacher said
To our dismay

Worked our brains
We sure did
Day in day out
With sure grit

But I love school
They say I'm mad
Get a life
You poor lad

To me
This is life
And it's really fun
Hey, it's been like that since time begun

Gulliver's Travels And Animal Farm Comparison

On reading Animal Farm and Gulliver's Travels, one cannot help but see the obvious similarities between the two. Both authors Swift and Orwell use satire to criticise and make fun of human behaviour. Swift takes a dig at the British government while Orwell criticises the communists of Russia. In Animal Farm, a group of animals from Manor Farm successfully take over the running of the farm after chasing Farmer Jones and his cronies away. The farm, run by the pigs, prospered and they managed to create their own ideal society. The animals soon realised that even the pigs could not abide by their own rules and things began to take a turn for the worse. It is obvious that the basis of Animal Farm's satirising is communism where by each animal depicts an individual person in the communist party. In Gulliver's Travels, the author, Jonathan Swift brings up many scenes to highlight the pride and folly of human beings. He uses many satires to compare the lives of strange creatures to the way mankind lives in our society today. For example, in the island of Lillliput, the people there distinguish their parties by the height of the heels on their shoes and how they crack their eggs. Gulliver's Travels also shows how human beings are so caught up in making their lives better and richer than what they have at present. The last place that Gulliver travels to is the land of the Yahoos and Houyhnyms. There, he satires humans are like animals. In both books, the authors have chosen to place animals in a higher hierarchy than human beings. Perhaps they are trying to say that animals are more civilised than humans.

Animal Farm Glencoe Study Guide Worksheets

Active Reading Animal Farm Chapters 1-4

Old Major gets the revolution started; inspires hope for real change
Snowball fought bravely at the battle of the cowshed; good leader
Napolean manipulates the animals
Squealer Napolean's close assistant and loyal follower who controls the animals
Boxer very hardworking; wakes up an hour earlier just to do work
Clover very caring; takes care of the welll being of animals on the farm
Mollie very vain, likes to wear clothes; only works for personal gain
Guard Dogs maintain law and order on the farm
Moses spreads rumours about Sugar Candy Mountain around the farm

Responding Animal Farm Chapters 1-4
Personal Response

I feel that the animals should stand up for what they believe in and go against the humans.
I sympathise with the animals' complaints and goals. The animals are forced to work for the humans, and in the end they are only given sufficient food to prevent them from starving. It is only logical that the animals feel that they have been treated unfairly.

Analyzing Literature

1. When Old Major died, Snowball held secret meetings with the animals and discussed with them the teachings of Old Major. Soon after, they plotted and succeeded in chasing Farmer Jones and his wife out of the farm. The animals stood up for their own rights and were brave to stand up against the humans, which is a characteristic of humans. The animals butted and kicked Farmer Jones, which is a characteristic of animals.
2. The pigs said that they were the smartest animals on the farm, and that they needed milk for their brains to think of new ideas for the farm. The animals believed the pigs led by Snowball, as Snowball was the leader of the farm at that time. Pigs had the most power on the farm and they were held with the highest esteem.
3. In simple words, Animalism meant that four legs were good while two legs were bad. The animals were not well educated and wanted to use simple language. The pigs use the language we humans speak.
4. He describes and writes about many characters in the book which are unsure of the animal rebellion against the human race.
5. Snowball is a very ruthless but effective leader in my opinion. His reaction was appropriate as in war, we have to be merciless in order to triumph over our enemies.

Active Reading Animal Farm Chapters 5-7

In future all questions relating to the working of the farm would be settled by a special committee of pigs presided over by himself.--Napolean is going to make all the decisions from now on.
This work was strictly voluntary, but any animal who absented himself from it would have his rations cut by half.--All animals had to work on Sunday no matter what.
Beasts of England has been abolished--Napoleon is starting to have human characteristics and is slowly changing his ways.
The pigs would get up an hour later--The pigs had priority and were superior compared to the other animals.
On the contrary, it was he who had advocated it in the beginning and the plan which Snowball had drawn on the floor of the incubator shed had actually been stolen from Napoleon’s papers--Tarnish Snowball’s reputation and make the animals distrust him
But not more comfortable then we need, I can tell you, comrades, with all the brain work we have to do nowadays--The pigs lived in luxury with many human inventions
For we have every reason to think that Snowball’s secret agents are lurking among us at the moment--Napolean criticised Snowball.

Responding Animal Far Chapters 5-7
Personal Response

I thought it was par for the course and was expected that Snowball would be eventually kicked out from Animal Farm because Napolean had been plotting and training his guard dogs to chase Snowball out of the farm as he was jealous of Snowball's authority.

Analyzing Literature

1. Snowball is expelled from animal farm by the Napolean's guard dogs. This scene suggests the expulsion of Stalin by Trotsky.
2. Napolean uses Squealer to manipulate the animals on the farm. Napolean also has trained guard dogs to scare any animals which are doubtful about his ideas or his ways. He even goes to the extreme and kills any animal which gets in his way. After the expulsion of Snowball, Napolean was in total control as he was the next smartest animal on the farm. He did not have any more meetings like Snowball used to conduct, but instead did all the decision making by himself.
3. The executions took place so as to get rid of Snowball's spies and to also ensure that the other animals would not betray Napolean.
4. Orwell tells the readers that the animals suffer from starvation and are killed mercilessly. This is worse than when the farm was under Farmer Jones rule as at least the animals were decently fed. Orwell tells us that totalitarian governments are often corrupt and that they cause more trouble compared to last time to the people living there.
5. I do not think it's fair. I feel that everyone, no matter how intelligent, deserve to make decisions and stand up for what they believe in.

Active Reading Animal Farm Chapters 8-10

pigs live in farmhouse work longer hours
Napolean is waited on receive less food
have shorter working hours sleep in the barn
get to drink milk
make all the decisions on the farm
have the luxury of sleeping on beds

Responding Animal Farm Chapters 8-10
Personal Response

I found the ending very appropriate. The ending shows that the human race would do anything to win, even resorting to illegal means.

Analyzing Literature

1. Napolean trades goods and merchandise with Frederick and Pilkington. The animals are now under a Republic with Napoleon as their corrupt leader. Orwell is highlighting the controversy when Stalin took over the Republic.
2. Boxer is sent to the slaughterhouse and is brutally murdered. The other animals know of this through Squealer. The animals come to a final conclusion that Napolean kills any animals which are of no use to him.
3. The fifth commandment is changed to "No animals shall drink alcohol to excess" and the sixth commandment is changed to"No animals shall kill any other animal without cause". The leaders of the Soviet at that time always modified and changed the rules to satisfy their needs, just like how Napolean and Squealer changed the commandments so that they would not have broken any rules of the farm.
4. In my opinion, this evolution is a sign of progress. Initially, the pigs hated the humans and vowed to rebel and overthrow the human race. However, as the story progressed, the pigs started taking on human characteristics, including sleeping on beds and engaging in trade with the other farms. In the end, the pigs transform completely into humans and lose all their animal characteristics.
5. I think that all leaders are interchangeable. Most leaders are corrupt and are full of greed, such as Napolean and Stalin, and therefore, they deserve to be overthrown.

Responding Animal Farm

I find the scene in which Boxer was sent to the slaughterhouse the most effective and memorable. Squealer tricked the animals and said that Boxer was being sent to the hospital, when in actual fact, Boxer had been sent to the slaughterhouse to be killed. I found the scene very sad and depressing as Boxer was one of Napolean's most loyal followers. Boxer trusted Napoolean and devoted his work entirely to him. However, after Boxer was of no use anymore, Napolean did not hesitate to sell him off for money. I feel sorry for Boxer because his loyalty to Napolean never paid off. I was also moved because a basic human trait like loyalty was totally betrayed.

Animal Farm: News Story On Wild Rice Production

Animal Farm: Review Of The Play

If you are expecting fancy costumes and humans dressed up like pigs and dogs, then you will be disappointed by the Wild Rice production of Animal Farm currently at the Drama Centre @ NLB. I was, but the acting and the storytelling made up for it to some extent. The "animals" such as Napoleon and Snowball are created not through fancy costumes but by the human body. This serves to reinforce one of the main messages of the novel: the fine line between humans and animals. The cast hams it up and certain parts are quite funny, eliciting laughter from the audience. For me, one of the highlights of the play is the construction of the windmill, which looms large on the stage in shades of grey. I personally would have wished for more of such props, like in the London production of Lion King I watched two years ago. That was indeed a feast for the eyes. However, the Wild Rice production is minimalist in its approach. I guess it is a different experience from the productions I have watched -- no crashing chandeliers as in the Phantom of the Opera, or a flying car as in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Different, in this case, can be refreshing.

Animal Farm: Most Effective Character In The Play

In my opinion, the most effective character in the play is Boxer. The actor, Gani Abdul Karim, brings the workhorse in Animal Farm to life. Boxer is the most hardworking animal on the farm, but he is also the most gullible. Not exactly bright, he could not read the alphabet beyond the letter 'C'. An encounter with Squealer, which reveals his ignorance, is both funny and poignant. When Boxer is being sent to the slaughter house, he still does not know what lies ahead of him. He innocently bids farewell to his animal comrades, thinking that they will miss him. The actor portrays the horse's gullibility well, evoking sympathy from the audience.

Animal Farm: The Play's Relevance To The Book

The Wild Rice production mirrors the book, so I had no trouble following the storyline. Some sections were summarised or simply narrated, like the Battle of the Cowshed. As I had read the book before, and knew the plot like the back of my hand, it was not a problem for me. Watching the play helps reinforce some of the messages and themes of the book. However, for sheer character development and plot nuances, I would still prefer the book version to the play.

Alice In Wonderland The Movie:Trailer

Alice In Wonderland The Movie:Reflections

I vaguely remember the storyline of Lewis Carroll's novels, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass. Seven-year-old Alice fell into a rabbit hole and came upon Underland, a fantasy world of talking animals and things. Fast forward 12 years, and Alice is now 19 years old. She fell into that hole again and... the movie, "Alice in Wonderland" was born. In this modern version, Alice was told she was the only one who can slay the Jabberwocky, a dragon-like creature controlled by the Red Queen who terrorises Underland's inhabitants. The recently-released movie was produced with a budget of US$200 million, and has become the highest grossing film of 2010 and the 28th highest grossing film of all time. I watched the 3-D version of the movie, which made the special animation effects very impactful. Everything came alive through the 3-D glasses. One of my favourite characters is the White Rabbit. It is always late, always-hurrying, always nervous. Another is the Cheshire Cat, which has supernatural abilities and a silly grin. It also feels creepy at times, as it disappears in a puff of air. The Red Queen also left an indelible impression -- she hates animals and uses them as servants and furniture. Her head was digitally increased three times its original size on screen. The white queen is the good sister of the red queen, but she has a certain quirkiness about her. The movie has a big name cast that includes Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham carter and Anne Hathaway. I like the movie for its message that nothing is impossible. Alice thought that she would never be able to slay the dragon, but she accomplished her task in the end. As an animation, I would rate this movie 7/10. As for storyline, I would rate this movie 5/10 for the predictable plot. Halfway through the movie, I was already expecting the climax battle-scene between good and evil. Then I asked myself: this is a movie based on a children's novel. How else would the ending be, if not happily-ever-after?

Research On The Amish

Although the Amish people live thousands of kilometers away in the United States, I feel I already know them. Or at least, part of their culture evident from the memorabilia my father brought home after a visit to their community. It was a beautiful pot holder quilted from colour patches, and filled with fragrant cinnammon. Unfortunately, it did not withstand the march of time and we had to throw it away. However, that piece of handicraft made me appreciate them as good craftsmen.
I have also researched their lifestyle, and learned that they dress plainly and do not really bother about their looks. They lead simple lives away from modern technology. In extreme cases, they do not even use light bulbs at night, relying on candles. The Amish home my father visited in Philadelphia does have electric lighting, but no computers or television sets. If the Amish want to make a telephone call, they have to make their way to town. They do not own motor vehicles, and walk on foot or travel in bullock carts.
The worlds of the Amish and Singapore are as different as chalk and cheese. The Amish lead simple lives, while we thrive on technology. They do not own vehicles. On the other hand, Singaporeans cannot imagine life without one, and those who have one are dreaming of buying an even bigger one when they can afford to. By walking about, the Amish get good exercise. We simply vegetate and children are getting more and more obese despite admonitions from the Government. The Amish do not rely on electrical appliances; we would not think twice of buying a 42 inch TV set for the bedroom.
So, who are the happier people, the Amish or Singaporeans? Sometimes, I think that Singapore would do well to imbibe some Amish values, and perhaps vice versa. In the rush towards First World, many things have been sacrificed in Singapore -- like family values, spending a quiet evening at home without the distraction of TV or computer,etc. Of course, technology is important to all of us. Just do not let it smother ourselves in the process.

Vocabulary Worksheet: Pre

Predict: question to answer- What are two things you would like to be able to predict? My future and my fate.
Prevent: question to answer- What are three things you would like to be able to prevent? Mistakes, careless mistakes in exams and needless deaths.
Preview: question to answer- What is something besides a movie or TV show that you could preview? A book.
Precaution: question to answer- What are four examples of precautions for four different things? Safety in a lab, No running around in a clinic, No running around in a carpark and No smoking in a bedroom.
Prefer: question to answer- What are three things you prefer doing? Playing computer games, listening to music and reading books.
Previous: question to answer- What are three things you learned in previous classes? Density, the Bunsen burner and lab safety in science.
Prenatal: question to answer- What would "prenatal care" mean? You have to care for your child even before his birth.
Pre-owned: question to answer- What are three things people often buy "pre-owned?" A television set, a sofa set and a computer.
Prelude: question to answer- What are three examples of "preludes?" Dark clouds as a prelude to a storm, a prelude to a piece of music and a prelude to a book.
Preoccupied: question to answer- What are three things someone who is "preoccupied" might say? Do not disturb me, go away and I am trying to do something now.
Prequel: question to answer- Why would someone write a prequel? To write the events which happened before the sequel.
Predispose: question to answer- What are three things you could do so that you were predisposed to get good grades? Study hard, get enough sleep and listen to the teacher in class.
Preamble: question to answer- How is a preamble like a prelude? It is an introductory statement before an important statement.
Preempt: question to answer- What are two things you would not like to be preempted? A TV show and a basketball match.
Preface: question to ask- Where in a book would you find or put the preface? At the first few pages of the book.
Preprandial: question to answer- What are two of your favorite preprandial activities? Going for a stroll in the park and playing computer games.

Here are some other words where "pre" means before
pretext, predecessor, preconception, precede, preclude, precognition, preliminary, premeditate, premature, premonition, prenuptial, preordain, prerogative, prerequisite
Complete these sentences with the "pre" word. Be sure to mix these sentences with words learned in previous lessons.
predict, prevent, preview, precaution, prefer, previous, prenatal, pre-owned, prelude, preoccupied, prequel, predisposed, preempt, preface, preprandial
1. I like to take a preprandial walk to work up my appetite for dinner.
2. I don't like it when the networks _____preempt____________________ my favorite TV shows because of sports.
3. One of the jobs of the meteorologist on the news is to _____________predict__________________ tomorrow's weather.
4. Just as a _______precaution_________________ , I always lock the car doors when I am driving.
5. Which of these coats do you ________prefer________________ to wear tonight?
6. I don't think Mike heard a word I said because he was so ___________preoccupied_______________ about his sick sister.
7. We got to the concert at the symphony hall just in time -- we barely sat down before the conductor started the _________prelude______________________ .

Vocabulary Worksheet: TEN/TAIN

Contain: question to answer- When should you keep your laughter contained? When you are in a meeting.
Tenacity: question to answer- When are two times when it would be a good thing to have tenacity? In the middle of a difficult task and when you in the process of creating something.
Retain: question to answer- What are three examples of information you have retained? My secret, my friend's secret and some of my personal information.
Intensity: question to answer- How can you change the intensity of your voice? By using a voice changer.
Contend: question to answer- What are two things you have had to contend with this week, or sometime in your life? A fencing tournament and a tennis match.
Content: question to answer- What does a "table of contents" describe? It describes the things in a book.
Contentious: question to answer- What are two things that a contentious person might say? Do you have a problem and do you want to fight.
Detain: question to answer- What are two reasons a person might be detained? He has an illness or he is a criminal.

Vocabulary Worksheet: Tele

Telephone: question to answer- What are two things that are a lot easier because of the telephone? Long distance calls and overseas calls.
Television: question to answer- What are two things you wouldn't know about without television? The news and current affairs.
Telescope: question to answer- Who would want to own a telescope? A scientist.
Telegram: question to answer- What are two messages that would be important enough for someone to send a telegram? SOS and a help message.
Telepathy: question to answer- What are two things you would do if telepathy were possible? Move things and make people move.
Teleconference: question to answer- What are two reasons to have a teleconference? When you want a few people from different places to discuss something and when you cannot be at one meeting place.
Telephoto: question to answer- Where are two places where a telephoto lens would be a good thing to have? Mountains and outdoors.
Telemetry: question to answer- What are two things that telemetry makes easier for people? You do not have to go to a specific place in the country to deliver someone a message and you do not have to go overseas to deliver someone a message.
Telemeter: question to answer- What are two things you could do with a telemeter? Measure the distance between the Earth and the Sun and measure the distance between Mars and Earth.

telephone, television, telescope, teleconference, telemeter, telemetry, telepathy, telegram, teleconference, telephoto
Complete these sentences with the "tele" word. Be sure to mix these sentences with words learned in previous lessons.
1.There will be a video _____________teleconference__________________ and people from all over the world will be joining.
2. The army sent the soldier's wife a __________telegram_______________________ when he was killed in action.
3. The reporter took a picture of the actress from half a mile away with a ____________telephoto__________________ camera.
television, telescope, telemeter, telepathy,
4. Some people think talking on the ______telephone__________________ while you are driving should be against the law.
5. The robot on Mars uses ________telemetry________________ to send information about the land and atmosphere to scientists on Earth.
6. When people have known each other for a long time, they can sometimes know what the other is thinking or feeling without a word spoken -- it's like ____________telepathy______________.
7. We used a ___________telemeter____________________ to figure out how far we were from the ground.
8. There is a huge _____________telescope___________ in New Mexico that is used to look at far distant stars.

Vocabulary Worksheet: Ject

Eject: question to answer- What are 3 examples of things or people being ejected? A cartridge, CD rom and DVD.
Reject: question to answer- What are 2 examples of things or people being rejected? Proposals and offers.
Projectile: question to answer- What are three things that could be projectiles? Cannon balls, water and spit.
Conjecture: question to answer- What are three things people make conjectures about besides the weather? Betting, votes and football scores.

Some other words you might see with "ject" in them:


object

subject

objective

subjective

trajectory



Choose one of the "ject" words to complete the sentence.

1. My VCR will not __________eject_____________ my tape.

2. The pen became a_______________projectile___________________ when it was thrown across the room.

3. A diabetic may have to _____________inject_______________ insulin with a needle.

4. Do you really know they will get married, or is that just ______conjecture____________?

5. The school will automatically ______reject______________ your application if you don't pay the fee first.

Vocabulary Worksheet: Bene

Benefit: question to answer-what are three things you would benefit from? Education, health and love.
Benediction: question to answer- what are three things you could say as a benediction? Happiness, good health and God's blessing.
Benign: question to answer- What are three things that look dangerous but are benign? Mushroom, monarch butterfly and king snake.
Benefactor: question to answer- What are three things a benefactor could give money for? Charity, clothes and food.
Beneficial: question to answer- What are three things that are beneficial to people, and why? Food, air and water. People need them for survival.
Benevolent: question to answer- What are three things a benevolent person would do? Donate money, time and love.
Beneficent: question to answer- Why would someone do something beneficent? He is a kind person.
Beneficiary: question to answer- What are three things you would like to be a beneficiary of? Education, charity and a rich man's estate.

Complete these sentences with the bene - word. Be sure to mix these sentences with words learned in previous lessons.
benefit beneficial
benefit benediction benign benefactor beneficial benevolent beneficent beneficiary
Note: Many of these words are very close in meaning, so think about the exact meaning when you choose between words like "benevolent" and "beneficent" and "benign."
1. It was good news to find out from the doctor that the strange growth was _________beneficial______________________ .
2. We always say a special _____benediction______________________ at graduation to wish the best for our graduates.
3. A very kind __________benefactor____________________ donated the money to build a new library.
4. She didn't know it, but she was the main ________beneficiary________________ in her great-aunt's will.
5. I hope that if any beings from another planet visit here, they are __________benevolent______________ .
6. The Boy Scouts encourage people to do at least one ________beneficial__________________ thing each day.
7. Going over my notes every day after class has been very ____________beneficial___________________ to my grades.
8. One ______benefit__________________ of living in Florida is low heating bills.

With close reference to the short story Flowers For Algernon, do you think that ignorance is bliss or suffering?

For 37-year-old Charlie Gordon, ignorance is bliss .Only when Charlie's I.Q. of 68 trebled did his troubles begin. Before the operation which improved Charlie's intelligence, he lived a relatively happy life. He thought that he had friends. Even though his "friends" had made fun of him, Charlie was ignorant to know.
His state of ignorance is apparent from his progress report, written for Dr Strauss: "My friends from the factery Joe Carp and Frank Reilly invited me to go to Muggsys Saloon for some drinks. I don't like to drink but they said we will have lots of fun. I had a good time”.
As he was intellectually challenged, he had no issues with his janitor job or status. He was proud of his job and showed it off willingly to his friends during his night out at the pub.
But things took a turn for the worse when he underwent the operation. Before, he was merrily mopping the floor at the plastic box factory as his job. After, Charlie was promoted at his workplace as he had discovered a newer and more efficient way to arrange the plastic boxes. This infuriated his colleagues, who then went on to sign a petition to have Charlie fired from his job.
When he discovered that everyone except Fanny Girden, had signed the petition, his feelings were of shame and loneliness: “Once again, now, I have the feeling of shame burning inside me. This intelligence has driven a wedge between me and all the people I once knew and loved. Before, they laughed at me and despised me for my ignorance and dullness; now, they hate me for my knowledge and understanding. What in God's name do they want of me? They've driven me out of the factory. Now I'm more alone than ever before…”
His unhappiness surfaced also at the dance club he visited with his colleagues. Because he did not know how to dance, he was made fun of. He was embarrassed: “I didn't know what to do or where to turn. Everyone was looking at me and laughing and I felt naked. I wanted to hide. I ran outside and I threw up. Then I walked home. It's a funny thing I never knew that Joe and Frank and the others liked to have me around all the time to make fun of me. Now I know what it means when they say "to pull a Charlie Gordon." I'm ashamed.”
At his usual dining place, the new dishwasher boy had accidentally dropped the plates, and was cruelly scolded by his manager as a result. Charlie had joined the other patrons in laughing at the boy until he discovered the boy was mentally retarded. Charlie then went on to scold the other patrons, observing that “Only a short time ago, I learned that people laughed at me. Now I can see that unknowingly I joined with them in laughing at myself. That hurts most of all.”
In conclusion, Charlie’s life was changed dramatically by the operation. Before it, he was doing his job happily and thought that he had true friends. After the operation, his life was miserable. Charlie was able to analyse the situation and realised that his friends were just there to make fun of him. Consequently, he was hurt emotionally.
Therefore, I can conclude that ignorance is bliss, and not suffering, in the case of Charlie Gordon.

Flowers For Algernon: Charlie's Obituary

Just how far would you push the envelope to improve your intelligence? What price are you willing to pay? Well, for one Charlie Gordon, he paid the price this week with his life -- 37 years after he came to this world.
This story will make your heart sob. This is a story of a scientific experiment that had gone wrong. All Charlie wanted was to be like you and I – normal. It was supposed to treble the intelligence of this factory worker who was born mentally retarded. It did, but only for a while. Soon, the downhill slide began and he lost his intelligence rapidly.
The two scientists who performed the operation on him feel nothing but guilt now. Dr Strauss refused to comment. Dr Nemur, the other scientist, said, "When Algernon passed away, Dr Strauss and I already knew that Charlie's fate would be closely entwined with Algernon's."
Algernon is, or was, the earlier subject of their experiment to boost intelligence. It was a mouse that had died after the experiment when its brain shrunk and regressed, quite the opposite effect of what was intended.
Charlie's mother said in between sobs, "Charlie was always a jovial and happy go lucky boy who loved to play in the garden. We only began to realise that something was amiss when we discovered that he still could not write nor read at the tender age of six. We took him to see a specialist who then told us that Charlie was mentally retarded and had learning difficulties. We feel bad that we allowed the doctors to experiment on our son. But then again, who would not want their child to be intelligent?"
Charlie’s adult-night-school teacher, Miss Kinnian, said," I feel extremely guilty as I was the one to recommend Charlie to the doctors for the operation in the first place. I just wanted him to be like ordinary people."
Joe Carp, Charlie's co-worker, said," We feel bad that we used to make fun of Charlie. "
Mr Donnegan, Charlie's boss, had this to say," Although he was mentally retarded, he was always a hardworking person and he always came to the factory punctually every day. When he started becoming intelligent, the factory workers started to dislike him. Out of eight hundred people, seven hundred and ninety-nine signed the petition to fire Charlie. He did not deserve to suffer all of this, and surely he did not deserve to die this way."
Algernon was being operated on by the scientists before Charlie. The mouse improved its intelligence dramatically, and emboldened by this, Charlie went under the knife. Charlie also showed marked improvement after the operation, but Algernon’s death soon after scared Charlie, and turned him into a recluse. He knew what would happen next.
When his intelligence deteriorated, Charlie thought it best to leave New York for California where people did not know him. There, he met Tom Ross whom he spent the last moments of his life with. Charlie died before Dr Strauss managed to track him down.
Today, in the garden of a small house in Brooklyn, New York, stands two small burial plots. Charlie and Algernon had been buried side by side. Charlie must have known his fate when he buried Algernon, as he had made special effort to clear a bigger plot of land for the mouse’s final resting place. He had also written to Miss Kinnian before leaving New York, asking her to put flowers on Algernon's grave and not to feel sorry for his deteriorating mental state.
Few things in life are more heart wrenching than preparing for one’s own death. The note to his teacher, and burying a mouse that foretells his own fate, must have torn Charlie apart. Perhaps in his plot in heaven, where all men are equal, he could take comfort from how his story would probably save a few other lives like his. Perhaps, even set the scientific world on some soul-searching.
Charlie Gordon, may you rest in peace.

Percy Jackson And The Lightning Thief Movie: Which One I Prefer

I prefer the book to the movie. I liked the part in the book where Percy dueled with Ares. That part was full of suspense and tension. That was also when Percy's true abilities and powers were awakened. Unfortunately, this whole part was left out in the movie. Although this did not affect the storyline, I thought that this scene would have enabled the director to bring out more of Percy's character.

Thematic Apperception Test Research

The Thematic Apperception Test is a projective psychological test which was created by Herman Rorschach. Scientists claim that they can find out from this test the personality and motives of the person they are testing. In the test, the scientist will hand the test subject some papers with pictures and drawings on them. The scientist will then ask the test subject what the picture depicts. There can be many different interpretations and there is no right or wrong answer. Since the TAT is used primarily for personality assessment rather than diagnosis of mental disorders, it does not yield a "score" in the usual sense. Then again, this test may not yield definitive results and conclusions should not be based on a single test. There are also some parental concerns regarding this test. The test may not accurately reflect their child's skills, talents, or problems and as a result, there should not be too much emphasis placed upon the results of a single test. Critics have also slammed the test saying that interaction between examiner and test subject can play a vital role in determining the outcome. Factors like race,sex and social class and even likability can prove significantly.

Percy Jackson And The Lightning Thief Movie: Ten Differences Between The Book And The Movie

1. In the book, Percy was twelve years old, but in the movie, he was almost eighteen when he entered Camp Half-Blood.
2. Clarisse was mentioned in the book but not the movie.
3. In the book, Percy had to duel with Ares, but in the movie, the duel was with Luke.
4. In the book, Percy and his friends were sent on a quest to the Underworld but in the movie, they went on their own to the Underworld without permission.
5. In the book, Percy and his friends went to the Underworld to clear his name but in the movie, they went to rescue Percy's mother.
6. In the book, the campers only knew who Percy's father was during the battle for the flag. In the movie, the campers knew who Percy's father was the moment he stepped into Camp Half-Blood.
7. In the book, Percy and Annabeth were on the same team for the flag battle but in the movie, Percy and Annabeth were on different teams.
8. In the book, Luke sparred with Percy once but in the movie, Luke did not spar with Percy at all.
9. The Oracle was mentioned in the book but not in the movie.
10. In the book, Dionysus, the god of wine, was the director of Camp Half-Blood but in the movie, Chiron was.

Avatar The Movie: Ten Questions I Want To Ask James Cameron

1. What inspired you to make the movie Avatar?
2. How much did it cost to produce the movie?
3. How did you come up with the story line?
4. Will you be making a sequel? If so, have you thought of the story line?
5. Is the story based on any of your childhood fantasies?
6. What was the most challenging part about directing the movie?
7. Avatar the movie is the top grossing movie in the world. Did you expect such an overwhelming response?
8. What could you have done to improve the movie?
9. What are you most proud of about the movie?
10. Are any of the characters in the movie similar to you in any way?

Percy Jackson And The Lightning Thief Movie: Trailer

Percy Jackson And The Lightning Thief Movie: Reflections

Very often, a movie based on a novel turns out to be a disappointment. Too many details left out, poor story development, poor acting, etc... This movie, however, is an exception, at least for me. The movie was well directed with many twists and turns that had me rooted to my seat. Although I had read all five books of the series by Rick Riordan, and knew what to expect from the movie, I was very impressed by how the movie's storyline was modified and improved for the silver screen. I was already a Percy Jackson fan before, but now that I have watched the movie, I like the Percy Jackson series even more. Beneath the storyline of adventure and war, the movie also conveys a serious message: the true meaning of blood ties. The main character, Percy Jackson, refused to admit initially that he was the son of Poseidon, god of the sea, as his father had abandoned him and his mother after he was born. However, during his quest to save his kidnapped mother, his father was always giving him advice in his head and he finally appreciated this. His mother also made many sacrifices in her life, marrying someone loathsome just to ensure her son's safety. The movie also reminded me never to judge a book by its cover. Luke pretended to be Percy's friend but turned out to be an evil back-stabber. I would rate this movie five out of five and one of the best I have seen. I hope that there will be a movie sequel to it, just like the book series.

SCAMPER Blog Post (The Hitchhiker and The Butler)

Main characters: The butler, the chef, the hitchhiker, the police and Mr Cleaver.

The butler and the chef had escaped from the house of their previous employer, Mr Cleaver. They had cheated Mr Cleaver of his wine and driven off with some of his money. Obviously this angered Mr Cleaver. Just then, the chef and the butler spotted a man on the side of the road who wanted to hitch a ride. The two men agreed and the hitchhiker got into the car. Unbeknownst to the chef and the butler, the hitchhiker was actually a fingersmith hired by Mr Cleaver to retrieve the stolen money from the duo. When the chef and the butler stopped at a petrol kiosk to use the toilet, the hitchhiker seized the opportunity to retrieve all the money which belonged to Mr Cleaver. Being very skillful in this "job" of his, the chef and the butler did not notice anything amiss when they returned to the car. After the chef and the butler had dropped off the hitchhiker, they decided to stay at a nearby hotel for the night. As they were unpacking their suitcases, the duo realised that the stolen money was missing. They immediately suspected the hitchhiker. They made a police report and gave a description of the hitchhiker to the police. A few days later, the hitchhiker and Mr Cleaver were caught. The butler and the chef were informed and they headed to the police station. There, Mr Cleaver told the policemen that it was actually his former staff who had cheated him and that he was just trying to bring them to justice. After much interrogation, the butler and the chef were found guilty and they were sent to prison.

Avatar The Movie: Trailer

Avatar The Movie: Reflections

I want to be a Navi -- tall, blue and quick on my feet. Those were my first thoughts after watching the movie, Avatar. The plot and the special effects made me an instant fan of Pandora, the home of the Navis. The movie was very well directed, as expected of James Cameron. As I watched it in 3D, the CG effects made the movie come alive! Beneath the jungle book storyline, the movie also spreads a serious message: the need to protect our environment. In exploiting Mother Nature for their material gains, humans are destroying everything that is beautiful around us. What we do will inflict irreparable damage to the future inherited by generations to come. I like the movie's plot also for its value of sacrifice. The main character of the show was willing to sacrifice himself to save the Navi people who had come to accept him, and the female Navi he loved. Great show, with good morals. What more could I ask of a movie?