1000527 A Terrible Twister –Michael

A Terrible Twister
After a devastating tornado, the people of Joplin, Missouri, pick up the pieces
By Suzanne Zimbler

On Sunday evening, a powerful tornado tore through the town of Joplin, Missouri, creating a devastating path of destruction. Twenty minutes before the tornado touched down, warning sirens sounded, and residents scrambled to find cover or leave town. But for many, 20 minutes was not enough time.


MARIO TAMA—GETTY IMAGES

People struggle to salvage items from homes ripped apart by Sunday's tornado.

The tornado touched down at around 6:00 p.m. It destroyed thousands of homes and business, injured 750 people and killed at least 122 people. Three days later, as residents start to pick up the pieces, the search for missing victims continues. "We are still in search-and-rescue mode," said Mark Rohr, Joplin's city manager.
A Mighty Tornado
Sunday's tornado was the country's eighth deadliest since record-keeping began in 1840. The National Weather Service said the twister was an EF5, the highest rating possible on a scale of tornado power and intensity.
Bill Davis, the lead forecaster on a National Weather Service team, said that only an unusually powerful tornado could destroy so many sturdy buildings, including a hospital, a bank and a Pepsi bottling plant. "Numerous well-built residential homes were basically leveled," he said.
The Road to Recovery
With four school buildings destroyed, class has been cancelled for all Joplin students for the rest of the school year. But officials have vowed to be ready for the new school year to begin on August 17, as scheduled.

JULIE DENESHA—GETTY IMAGES

Rescuers are traveling from house to house, searching for survivors.


The district is working to determine which buildings can be used. Some Joplin students may be sent to attend school in other districts. "We definitely have a deadline, and we're looking to make that happen," Superintendent C.J. Huff told The Joplin Globe.
As Joplin residents turned their attention to recovery efforts, violent weather struck the Midwest again on Tuesday and Wednesday. Tornados tore through parts of Oklahoma, Arkansas and Kansas, killing at least 14 people.
With so many communities devastated by the recent twisters, many wonder how they can lend a hand. The American Red Cross has set up a donation page that allows you to give directly to tornado relief. For more information, visit www.redcross.org.

1000527 A Terrible Twister –Michael
Tornadoes are terrible disasters if they come they will destroy a lot of things. In America there are lots of tornadoes hitting people they often destroy everything. What is a tornado? A tornado is a dagerous, violent rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. People often call them as twister, tornado or cyclone. The tornado often has a destructive power which sucks everything up in the sky until the tornado vanish. When the tornado disappear all the things that the tornado sucks up will fall down to the ground. People are afraid of the tornado because the tornado might destroy their houses and farms they can also cause death. Even more when a tornado sweeps over a place you will need to spend a lot of time rebuilding the things back to normal. The tornado which striked Joplin, Missouri had destoyed four schools. It let the class cancelled for the rest of the years. So children have to study in other school or study by themselves. So tornadoes are very terrible.

1000129 大學學測作文-Michael

1000129 大學學測作文-Michael
There was fancy ball, which everyone needed to wear a mask and fancy costumes. There was a young man called, Johnny he was looking at a pretty girl. The girl who was called Ann also saw Johnny, and then all of a sudden they saw each other and fell in love. Johnny asked where Ann lived and he also wanted her cell phone number. The next day, Johnny went to Ann’s place with his lovely yellow guitar. He stood outside of Ann’s house and started to sing a lovely song. Just then, a man opened the window and yelled at him, “What the hell are doing at there? Are you making some noise? You are disturbing us! If you don’t leave I’ll take a bazooka and shoot you!” Johnny was frighten but he didn’t give up to see Ann. He yelled, “Ann, I am Johnny please come down and see me!” Then Ann came down, she said, “Johnny, I really love you but I am a lesbian!” Johnny was so shock that he said, “Actually, I am a girl” and then he took off his mask. So Johnny and Ann lived together happily forever!

1000121 Traditional Chinese New Year Fun with Trendy New Twist-Michael

1000121 Traditional Chinese New Year Fun with Trendy New Twist-Michael
The Lunar Chinese New Year is one of our traditional cultures. It is very special because a lot of foreign countries don’t have this holiday. During the Chinese New Year, also called the Spring Festival, people will go to buy a lot of New Year goods, give others red envelope, cleaning the house, and putting up the Spring Festival couplets. We also eat New Year’s Meal, on that day families get together and have a feast together. Every dish has a meaning for it. I think Chinese New Year has a great meaning for me not only because I can get a lot of red envelopes but also means that I am older and I need to have more responsibility. So Chinese New Year is very important to our life.

1000107 Taiwan’s Tea Culture-Michael

1000107 Taiwan’s Tea Culture-Michael
Tea has been an important part of the Taiwan culture. From green tea and oolong tea to bubble tea and pearl milk tea, the tea culture has been existed for a long time. Tea is very important to Taiwanese people. Why Taiwanese people like tea? Taiwan’s climate and geography makes a good place to grow tea. So people started to grow tea since 1970. Tea was a good thing at that time because people can sell tea to other countries and make money by selling them. Nowadays, people open a lot of tea shops these tea shops have a lot of different tea like black tea, green tea, pearl milk tea and others too. I think Taiwan’s tea culture is something that is very special so I think people should keep this culture and make it better.

991231 The Holidays are Here!-Michael

December 13, 2010
The Holidays are Here!
Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa are celebrated in December



JUPITER IMAGES/AP

A boy plays the dreidel game, a Hanukkah tradition.

Each December, many people around the world celebrate holidays and traditions that are special to their culture and religion. Christmas is celebrated on December 25. This year, the first night of Hanukkah is on December 1. Kwanzaa begins on December 26.
Celebrating Christmas
On Christmas, Christians honor the birth of Jesus Christ. They celebrate the day with prayers, gifts and stories. In one Christmas tradition, a jolly, bearded man named Santa Claus brings gifts to good children on Christmas Eve. Each country has its own traditions for Christmas celebrations. In the sixteenth century, Germans started the Christmas-tree tradition as we now know it. They brought trees into their homes and decorated them with fruits, nuts, lighted candles and paper roses.
The Story of Hanukkah
This year, Jews began celebrating Hanukkah at sunset on December 11. The holiday lasts eight days and nights. In Hebrew, the word "Hanukkah" means "dedication." Hanukkah honors a struggle that dates back to 165 B.C., when Jews defeated an invading army and regained the Temple at Jerusalem. According to legend, Jews found a lamp inside the temple with just enough oil to light their holy lamps for one night. By some miracle, the legend goes, it burned for eight nights. Today, Jews celebrate Hanukkah by lighting a candle in a menorah for each of the eight nights.

YELLOW DOG PRODUCTIONS/GETTY IMAGES

Families celebrate the principles of African-American culture during Kwanzaa.


Kwanzaa Traditions
Many African Americans celebrate Kwanzaa to honor their cultural roots in Africa. Kwanzaa is modeled after a series of cultural principles called Kawaida. According to Kawaida, African Americans can improve their lives by getting back in touch with their cultural roots. The holiday lasts seven days and nights, each marked by the lighting of a candle that represents a principle of family and community.
Peace on Earth
People of many backgrounds and belief systems spend time in December reflecting on the year that is coming to an end, then setting goals and making plans for the new year to come. The beginning of the dark, chilly winter seems a good time to gather loved ones around a fire or a candlelit table and celebrate the new beginning that we all share at the end of every December.

http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/kids/news/story/0,28277,1691266,00.html

991231 The Holidays are Here!-Michael
Each December, many people around the world celebrate Christmas. Christmas is celebrated on December 25th. Christmas is a traditional day for the Christians because Jesus Christ born on that day. In Christmas, children celebrate the holiday with prayers, gifts and stories. An old man with a white beard called “Santa Claus” will come out this day with his reindeers. Santa Claus will give Christmas presents to all the children. People will also decorate their house with Christmas tree, stockings and Christmas lights. Families will also have a Christmas feast together. It is a great day for children because they can have a lot of presents and happiness. We also can have a snow ball fight during the Christmas. People will also sing Christmas songs such as “Santa Claus is coming to town” and “We wish you a Merry Christmas”

991217 A Winter Storm in Autumn-Michael

December 13, 2010
A Winter Storm in Autumn
A powerful snowstorm swept through the Midwest over the weekend
BY KELLI PLASKET

Winter came early this weekend for Americans in the upper Midwest who were hit with a powerful mix of snow and high winds. The storm has so far caused at least 11 weather-related deaths and canceled more than 1,600 flights in Chicago, Illinois. Parts of Minnesota and Wisconsin were buried under nearly two feet of snow, and the roof of the Metrodome, the Minnesota Vikings' stadium, collapsed from the snow's weight.
The weather is what the region would normally experience in January, not December, according to Jim Taggard, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service. In Minnesota on Saturday, the Twin Cities had their snowiest December day on record.
Under Pressure
As the storm made its way through eight states over the weekend, several major highways closed due to accidents and road conditions. The weather forced the cancelation of at least 1,375 weekend flights at Chicago-O'Hare International Airport and more than 300 at Chicago's Midway International Airport.
The inflatable Metrodome roof collapsed Sunday after the storm dumped 17 inches of snow on Minneapolis. This caused a major rip, dumping mounds of snow onto the field. A Vikings' football game scheduled for Sunday at the Metrodome had already been pushed to Monday when the visiting team, the New York Giants, were stranded in Kansas City, Missouri, on Saturday night due to canceled flights. Monday's game has been moved to Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. Officials aren't sure when the Metrodome will reopen.
Cold Continues
The storm continues northeast on Monday toward Canada. Michigan and northern Indiana through parts of Pennsylvania and New York may experience some snow. A jet stream following the storm is expected to stretch as low as Florida, blanketing the East with cold temperatures and potentially bringing record colds Monday night to parts of the Sunshine State.
Meanwhile, the storm left behind dangerously cold temperatures in the Midwest, with wind chills well below zero. These conditions could slow down snow-clearing efforts on the roads. More flight delays and cancellations are also expected Monday at major airports in the East.


http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/kids/news/story/0,28277,2036747,00.html

991217 A Winter Storm in Autumn-Michael
It is getting colder and colder these days because winter is coming. We need to wear more clothes to keep warm or we will get sick. There is a big winter storm which has attacked America is very strong. The snowstorm has caused the Midwest snowing and the temperature is still getting lower. The bad weather forced 1,375 weekend flights at Chicago-O'Hare International Airport canceled. The snowstorm affected all America it brought cold temperatures and chill winds that made some cities had a temperature below zero. There was also cold current that struck Taiwan it made the temperature decreased a lot. Kaohsiung had a temperature like 15 degrees. So, we had to wear a lot of clothes to keep us warm. I expect the temperature will rise tomorrow or the day after tomorrow because I don’t really like cold weathers.

991210 Turn Down the Volume!-Michael

December 6, 2010
Turn Down the Volume!
Congress passes a bill that quiets commercials
BY KELLI PLASKET

Commercials are too loud! It's one of Americans' top complaints when watching television. Now, the government is turning down the volume. On Thursday, Congress passed the CALM Act, which calls for regulations that will lower the volume on television commercials that sound louder than the shows they interrupt.


GETTY IMAGES

The CALM Act will lower the volume on loud commercials.

The CALM Act is short for the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation Act. Representative Anna G. Eshoo from California sponsored the bill. "Consumers have been asking for a solution to this problem for decades, and today they finally have it," Representative Eshoo said.
Viewers Complain
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), an independent government agency that regulates radio and television broadcasting, has received complaints from viewers about commercial volume since the 1960s. In 21 of the FCC's last 25 quarterly reports, loud commercials were listed as a top consumer complaint.
Advertisers raise the volume on commercials to try to grab consumer attention. Instead, viewers reach for the mute button.
The act calls for the FCC to come up with regulations for commercials so that they cannot be louder than the average sound level of the accompanying television shows. Advertisers will have one year to meet the new regulations.
The Senate passed the CALM Act on September 29, 2010. On Thursday, the House gave final approval to the bill. After a bill passes through Congress, the President must sign the bill to make it a law. President Obama is expected to sign the CALM Act
http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/kids/news/story/0,28277,2035492,00.html

991210 Turn Down the Volume!-Michael
TV commercials are usually very loud. In America people don’t like the commercials and the loud sounds while they are watching the TV. They complain about the loud sounds of the TV commercials. So, the Congress is going to make a law for the “loud” TV commercials which is called the CALM Act (Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation Act). The CALM Act will lower the volume on television commercials that sound louder than the shows they interrupt it will make the people who watches the TV feel better and comfortable. Sometimes, loud sounds will make our moods get worse so it is really important of the sounds of the TV. The new law that Congress made will make the advertisers follow the law. Commercials can’t be louder than the average sound level of the other TV programs or the government will give you a fine for breaking the law.