Golf in Vietnam--an Investment?

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203802204577066091227404700.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_editorsPicks_3

VOA reading/listening for future nurses

http://www.voanews.com/learningenglish/home/science-technology/A-Room-Where-Nurses-Learn-How-Not-to-Get-Hurt-134998088.html

A Runner with No Legs and Disabled Surfers

http://www.dogonews.com/2011/9/28/oscar-pistorius-aka-blade-runner-prepares-for-2012-olympics

http://www.voanews.com/learningenglish/home/american-life/Disabled-Surfers-Ride-the-Waves-129917688.html

Hispanics in the Midwest and Surfing in Danang

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/14/us/as-small-towns-wither-on-plains-hispanics-come-to-the-rescue.html?_r=2&hp

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/asia/la-tr-surfvietnam-20111030,0,3744914.story

The Economy--for kids (and advanced ESL students)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/kidspost/explaining-wall-street-recessions-and-the-economic-crisis-to-kids/2011/10/18/gIQAFfXBvL_story.html

White Collar Crime (Unit 11 in Reading Connections)

Read about one white collar criminal who is going to jail:

Halloween, 1517, and Martin Luther--more for your Reading Log

http://www.history.com/topics/martin-luther-and-the-95-theses

Vietnam in HD

The History Channel listing:
http://www.history.com/shows/vietnam-in-hd

The review from the newspaper:
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/tv/la-et-1108-vietnam-20111108,0,786375.story

Food Safety Readings--optional for your Reading Log

These are difficult, but don't be afraid to try reading them! You'll find some science vocabulary that could be helpful in your future.

A story from China
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/money_co/2011/04/new-wave-of-food-scares-in-china-could-spread-because-of-inflation.html

A story from the United States
http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/food-poisoning/news/20111010/listeria-outbreak-now-2nd-largest-in-us-history

For your iPhone?

I have not seen or used this dictionary, but it is a possibility for some of you:

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/oxford-advanced-american-dictionary/id443411692?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4

I have a functional phone, not a fancy iPhone.

Online Magazine for Reading Log

The Auto Club magazine, Westways, is available online:

http://www.calif.aaa.com/westways/Pages/landing.aspx?zip=92626

The Best Music on This Earth

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6984208089899995423

A Soldier Returns to Vietnam

Read this interesting story from the Auto Club magazine about an American going back to Vietnam after a long time:

http://www.calif.aaa.com/westways/2011-07-08/Pages/soldiers-journey-vietnam.aspx

More Answers from After Shocks

I had no email or comments (below), so I don't think anyone is reading yet. I'll post these answers, but I won't post any more until I hear from some of you out there.

Answers to "A Horseman in the Sky" by Ambrose Pierce, pp. 18 - 22

SELECTING DETAILS FROM THE STORY
1. c 2. b 3. a 4. c
HANDLING STORY ELEMENTS
1. a 2. a 3. c 4. b
OBSERVING NEW VOCABULARY WORDS
1. c 2. b 3. a 4. a
COMPLETING A CLOZE PASSAGE
1. five 2. Virginia 3. born 4. died
KNOWING HOW TO READ CRITICALLY
1. a 2. c 3. c 4. b

When you finish checking your answers, please email me. Thank you. --Mr. R
dratzlaff@coastline.edu

Answers for Summer Reading Club: "The Jigsaw Puzzle"

This is the first story in After Shocks, pp. 9 - 14. Here are the answers to the exercises that begin on p. 15.

SELECTING DETAILS FROM THE STORY
1. a 2. c 3. b 4. c
HANDLING STORY ELEMENTS
1. c 2. b 3. a (See p. 7 for setting.) 4. c
OBSERVING NEW VOCABULARY WORDS
1. a 2. b 3. c 4. a
KNOWING HOW TO READ CRITICALLY
1. c 2. b 3. a 4. c

Please post a comment below or send email to let me know how you did with the questions.
Mr. R
dratzlaff@coastline.edu

It's Over!

Thanks for the gift and the great party. I'll miss you! Have a great summer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9Ulsy6dLGs&feature=related

Summer Reading Club

Some of you have said that you would like to improve your reading skills during the summer. One way to do this is to buy a book with the answers in the back, and a number of you have done that. Another way to improve reading is to read short stories and check your answers here on The World of Mr. R during the summer.

I will be using After Shocks by Burton Goodman. You can buy it from Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/After-Shocks-Startling-Comprehension-Enrichment/dp/0890617511/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1306173001&sr=1-1

There are 15 stories. I will give you time to read a story and then I will put the answers on The World of Mr. R. You can email questions that you have to . . .

dratzlaff@coastline.edu

The American Songbook

Ask your children what they are singing in elementary school these days. When I was in elementary school, children all over the United States learned the same songs. Here is one of those songs:
http://www.youtube.com/user/kentuckyderby#p/u/7/SryB2Cgb-SY

Of course, the Kentucky Derby is an American tradition, the one horse race that millions of Americans watch:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQsMgu9rr1k

I was at the San Diego Zoo recently and saw a bird which reminded me of another song that we used to sing in elementary school:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1Uq6AB_4hM

Shall we try it?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1fO1je3Oxg&NR=1

The Silk Road

Explore this website from Stanford University.

http://virtuallabs.stanford.edu/silkroad/SilkRoad.html

Optional Reading

Travel through Asia . . .

http://blogs.wsj.com/scene/2011/04/26/freezing-to-sweltering-in-just-two-suitcases/

Maundy Thursday? Good Friday?

http://christianity.about.com/od/easter/qt/maundythursday.htm

http://christianity.about.com/od/holidaytips/qt/whatisgoodfrida.htm

Is this language "degradation"?

Verbing--changing nouns into verbs

http://grammar.about.com/od/grammarfaq/f/verbingfaq.htm

Optional Science Reading

Many parents would choose to have gene tests for their children, according to this study (research):

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/18/us-genetests-kids-idUSTRE73H3P320110418

Change the drinking age? One man's opinion

http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB10001424052748704641604576255161172364474-lMyQjAxMTAxMDEwMjExNDIyWj.html

For your Reading Log

Read about the future of farm subsidies in the United States: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704587004576245093010870216.html

Spring Break Viewing/Reading

China's Ghost Cities
Video
http://www.sbs.com.au/dateline/story/watch/id/601007/n/China-s-Ghost-Cities
Transcript (reading) of the video
http://www.sbs.com.au/dateline/story/transcript/id/601007/n/China-s-Ghost-Cities

VOA News from Japan

http://www.voanews.com/english/news/

Sat. News from Japan (on VOA)

http://www.voanews.com/english/news/Japans-PM-Urges-Evacuation-Near-Nuclear-Plant-117850648.html

Japan's Tsunami on VOA

Read and listen to the news from Japan:

http://www.voanews.com/learningenglish/home/world/Quake-Tsunami-Add-to-Economic-Worries-for-Japan---117830848.html

Japan's New Push for English Lessons in Elementary School

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2011/mar/08/japan-launches-primary-english-push

This is not ESL English, so you can choose whether you want to read it for your Reading Log. You can try it and then switch to another reading if this one is too difficult.

Homework for Thursday, March 10

Write draft three of the definition paragraph.
Put your three drafts in a folder. You do not have to include the peer review.

Please do not include the older work, like the holiday paragraphs.

I will grade this final draft. I will also subtract points if you do not follow the format requirements on p. 3 of my syllabus.

Baseball in Hanoi

For your Reading Log reading:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704171004576149231828928092.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_MIDDLE_Video_second

For your Reading Log?

You can read about one of your classmates' relative who left Vietnam on a boat:

http://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/index.ssf/2010/09/for_vietnamese_refugee_casey_h.html

For your Reading Log?

Libya
http://www.voanews.com/english/news/Opposition-Movement-Moves-Westward-in-Libya-as-Bloody-Uprising-Continues-116833323.html

The Oscars
http://www.voanews.com/english/news/usa/Top-Acting-Oscars-Go-to-Favorites--117060688.html
http://www.voanews.com/english/news/arts-and-entertainment/The-Kings-Speech-Wins-Best-Picture-Oscar-117038018.html

Homework for Tuesday, Feb. 8

1. Reading Log
2. Draft 2 of Holiday paragraph
with draft 1--in folder
(Outline is optional.)

Welcome!

I hope that you had a good Christmas and New Year. If you have forgotten some of your English, don't worry. I'm sure that you'll "recover" quickly.

If you have questions during the semester, you can ask me at school or email them to me:

dratzlaff@coastline.edu

Homework for Thursday:
1. Buy your books, although the Coastline Bookstore may not have Interactions 2 Reading yet.
2. Fill out the Information page.