Competition

1. Summary

Every single Americans think they are in competition with others. Competitiveness is broadly spread from East to West.
They always assessed; who is faster, smarter, richer, better looking; whose children are the most successful; whose husband is the best provider or the best cook or the best lover; which salesperson sold the most during the past quarter; who earned his first million bucks at the earliest age; and so forth.
It is clear that people who are competing with others are definitely alone, trying to maintain their superiority and simplicity, their separateness from others.

2. Personal Response

Competition is very essential stuff in doing something.It gives effectiveness, concentration, and something positive thing for something to be well done. I like competition in which I can feel more adrenalin rush. But I agree that is harmful for me too. It makes a lot of stress which sometimes gives you nightmare. Especially for children, it is worse than the elders. When they are doing something that is very necessary for them. But because of lots of stress, they’re gonna get lost interesting with it. That is very big deal. Because they don’t have chance to learn or have fun with it. (American Values and Assumption by Gary Althen)

Sunday in the Park

Analysis of the short story

1.Author's point of view

I think the author of this book wants to tell us about differences between an educated person and as uneducated person. Not always is it refleted with one educational background but sometimes is reflected. In my opinion, the author would think accrording to one's uducational achievement, it is well enough to can be reflected his or her character like temper and behavior.

2. Personal reflection

Ok. well, if I were little younger than now I am, I could not avoid being faced with situation like Morton. But It's a totally different matter between one who has bravery or not; on the other hand, it's very different when it comes to family. If it's a problem for me, I can get over the situation in which I could be in humiliation. However, if it's related with my family, it's quite different with me. I do fight for my family and protect them .

The Opportunity In Crisis

Summary

Financial crisis from Subprime mortgage, kind of housing loan, in the U.S have struck all over the world since last year. Almost all countries are suffering from a critical financial problem such as liquidity and flexibility.

In this situation, Buffett, the billionaire investor, announced on Wednesday that he would invest $3 billion in General Electric, the industrial giant that is also the nation’s largest nonbank financial company. The move comes eight days after he said he would invest $5 billion in Goldman Sachs, the world-wide investment bank.

Because of his decision, these two companies can have

credit in the market, since it' s the clue that they are still good and stable. And this is good for him too. Since last year those GE's shares have lowered about 33%, when compared with same period of last year. He could buy cheaper price than last year's. (10/02/2008, Buffett’s Bet on G.E.: Almost as Good as a Bailout , New York Times)

Personal Response

There is a maxim in Korea, which is "a crisis is an opportunity". Mr. Buffett is a person who fits perfectly in this expression. He is a very famous investor in stock market and one of the richest people in the world. He's been always seeking to find positive thing in anysevere situation. That's the way he walks through. I love his attitude. We have met a lot of problems since we were born and we'll certainly be faced with a certain snag.

However, if we have positive attitude like him, we can get through a trouble even if it's hard for us.

Second language learning

Summary:

Second language learner is a person who start to learn an additional language, at least some years after they started to acquire their first language.
There are two kinds of learnig language: one is a localized language, the other is the target language. Leaning a localized language will help you to become insider in a local speech community, and getting the target language offers you access to abundant life pattern.
when learning a new language, there are some factors to which will influence the language learner. Factors consist of conitive factors and affective factors.

Personal Response:

I think it's very interseting thing to learn a new language. It will give you many fancy opportunities. By the way, as you want to learn second or third language,it is reqired to have kind of bravery other than intelligence or apptitude.
No fear and no anxiety!!!
Just speak and write what you have and what you know even if it is not perfect way. Some reserchers say the most important thing is the age(they maintain " the younger=the better").
I don't think so at all. In my opinion,there is a no loyal way to learn other language.
"The harder, the better." That's it. No doubt.