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Portfolio II: Name: Curse: Advance 9 Reading and Writing Schedule
Portfolio II: Name: Curse: Advance 9 Reading and Writing Schedule
Name:
Curse: Advance 9 reading and writing
Schedule:
Vocabulary log:
1. Chasing: chase something to try to obtain or achieve something, for
example money, work or success.
-Too many people are chasing too few jobs nowadays.
2. Mundane: not interesting or exciting.
-I lead a pretty mundane existence.
3. Splodge: a large mark or spot of ink, paint, mud, etc.; a small area
of colour or light
-He had a splodge of oil on his cheek.
4. Grace: something to make something more attractive; to decorate
something
-The table had once graced a duke's drawing room.
5. Philanthropists: a rich person who helps the poor and those in need,
especially by giving money
-He was a wealthy businessman and philanthropist.
6. Journey: to travel, especially a long distance
-They journeyed for seven long months.
7. Handicap: a permanent physical or mental condition that makes it
difficult to do some things that most other people can do.
-She was born with this disability was then called a handicap.
8. Struggle: to try very hard to do something when it is difficult or
when there are a lot of problems.
-Local workers were still struggling to find employment.
9. Hopelessness: the fact of being extremely bad or without ability or
skill
-Despite his hopelessness as a boyfriend, he is capable of empathy.
2. Imagine you are one of Frank McCourt’s former students. You have just
graduated from college. Write a letter to Frank McCourt. Explain how he
helped and inspired you to overcome an obstacle.
-Dear Professor Frank, I am one of your students whom you taught. I just
graduated from university, and I wanted to comment and at the same
time thank you, because you have inspired me to overcome my obstacles.
I was also a very shy person, and I was embarrassed to be able to socialize
and express myself with people about big things and projects that I had in
mind. this happened in my university, before graduating, I had great
ideas, but I had a hard time saying it for fear that they might think it
might be wrong. In those moments I remembered it and I also began to
compare myself with you, because you could and I, who do not have any
physical or psychological impediment, cannot. I began to lose that fear in
expressing my ideas. And now I'm the most outstanding student in public
speaking and political science.
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STEP 1: Choose a famous person you admire or a person from the list
below who has overcome an obstacle.
Stephen Hawking:
Stephen Hawking was very famous because of his disability, associated
with ALS. He developed this disease at the age of 21 and lived with it until
he was 76 years old. Many wonder how it was possible, since people with
ALS survive a few years after diagnosis, usually late. This disease was
limiting his movements more and more, but it never reduced his scientific
work, even though the diagnosis predicted that he would only live to be
24 years old.
His goal for many years was to find a theory that describes our Universe.
He managed to popularize science and transmit his ideas to millions of
people around the world. His 'cameos' in television shows, series and
documentaries also helped his popularity.
Hawking's work on black holes helped prove the idea that there was a Big
Bang at the beginning of everything. Although it had been developed in
the 1940s, the Big Bang theory had not yet been accepted by all
cosmologists.
What encouraged Stephen to follow his goal was his work and good sense
of humor, he once indicated in a report.
Vinvent van Gogh:
Vincent van Gogh was a well-known painter for his talent and for his very
particular way of painting. Van Gogh suffered from psychological
problems which prevented him from progressing in his paintings. Van
Gogh presented pictures of suicide, epileptic episodes, depressive crises,
as well as auditory and visual hallucinations associated with religious
themes, since he was the son of a protestant pastor.
In his youth he went to live in Paris with his brother Theo. At that time
Van Gogh met many contemporary painters like Gauguin, who later
began to live together and had a problem in which Van Gogh came to
attack Gauguin with a razor. Van Gogh repented and it was there that
they released some versions that say that he cut off his ear so as not to
feel guilty and sent it to Gauguin, who was not moved and what he did
was brand him as dangerous and crazy. After that event, Theo convinced
him to enter a psychiatric hospital, where he remained for 12 months.
Unfortunately, Van Gogh could not overcome these obstacles. His success
came when he had already passed away.