MONTHLY TOEFL ESSAY #2

Ubiquitous world in the 21st century

Elderly say that the world has changed a lot. All they have imagined about have become reality and life became easier and comfortable. The biggest change that is brought is that the world became ubiquitous. For instance, moving from place to destination meant just ‘shifting’ in the past. There was nothing people could do but reading books or staring at the landscapes. However, with the progress of modern techniques, working while moving became practical. As the meaning of ‘moving’ differed, lifestyle changed. The barrier between career and private life slowly vanished and different forms of job emerged. The ubiquitous lifestyle enabled telecommuting and long-distance (videoconferencing). Some problems or side effects also emerged with the new paradigm.

To begin with, technology development especially internet services and mobile phones caused a change in people’s occupation. An image of preceding typical career was an image of group of people inside an office, doing meetings with co-workers. The new technology broke the prejudice. Nowadays, people can concentrate on their career regardless of the place. Thus, telecommuting and videoconferencing became reality and made people’s life more comfortable. However, some side effects also appeared. Since work is available in any place or time, it intrudes private time. Even after regular laboring hours, people check things about their career in their daily spare times. For example, mobile phone is a very convenient device for modern people. People can check their work any time any day and can be ready for any emergency. However, even during vacation or holidays, workers have to check their e-mails or documents due to a burden of their career. The technology development is convenient but surely spoils one’s private time.

The other change due to the development of ubiquitous devices is that people’s lifestyle changed. People use their time more diversely in modern days. Owing to the technical enhancement, contacting with different people and finding information is available in any place, anytime. As a result, people could easily keep in touch with others regardless of place, country. Furthermore, the ubiquitous technology allowed people to use their spare time such as time for moving and commuting much efficient. For instance, airplane faced significant development with the development of ubiquitous devices. Commuting and interacting with the information of the plane became a basic function. Nowadays, downloading movies and chatting with friends by SNS is available even above thousands of feet of earth. The ubiquitous devices enabled a comfortable life.

The most significant changes in the 21^st century is actually bad. There is a gap between the rapid development of ubiquitous techniques and ethics. People are not that mature enough to deal with social problems such as intrusion of private life. Since ubiquitous techniques enhanced, most people gained more intimidate relationship with their friends. This is a good consequence of development. However, people’s personal information such as appearance, height, age, academic achievement is exposed to other people. Thus, others might know about a person regardless of his agreement. Intrusion of private life is extended farther to crimes related to personal information or stalking.

To sum up, 21^st century has faced a huge change by technological development. Especially, development of ubiquitous techniques such as internet or mobile phone, laptop computer has facilitated the change. The change includes diversity of job and working environment. Furthermore, it led to changes in daily lifestyle such as comforting the customers and allowing to use time efficiently. In contrast, the enhancement also produced some social issues such as intrusion of private life and expanded to other crimes. 

Letters to Juliet

     It's a romance movie about true love. Sophie who is an apprentice writer (or a fact, journeys a beautiful city of Italy with her fiance. However, her fiance is so enthusiastic or may say obsessed to his career that he lefts Sophie alone for his searching for good ingredients. Sophie visits the balcony of Juliet and finds a letter that is written fifteen years ago. She replies to the letter and the women of the story meets her. They find for the women's first true love and Sophie finds her own true love too.
     The story is very beautiful yet unrealistic. It is so romantic that I believe that no such thing would happen. Without many coincidence, this wouldn't happened. Also, the women's true love was alive and his wife is dead. Either the women's husband. They finish by having a remarriage. If the story happened in modern society, family and friends would fiercely oppose the marriage. It is because modern society evaluate money and fame more than true  love, unfortunately. However, the movie conveyed a message that happiness from finding true love is the most important thing. Otherwise, the love will change and shift every day. By finding true love, people can find their own identity as Sophie did by writing the love story and becoming a real writer. Hopefully, there still is some romance in this world and I find it a relief.

earthlings

Our lives are hugely dependent on animal species. Throughout the history of a mankind, it is evident that human were actively interacting with animal species. In prehistoric days, people foraged foods and hunted for meat. They drew animal paintings on the wall and sometimes worshipped some valiant animals. Human developed agriculture and used animal’s bones for tools and their strength for labor. In modern days, people start their day with a pork-fulled breakfast and ends by cleansing their face with cow gelatin filled facial cream. Thus, there’s no such thing a as a vegan because in any products people use, there’s still traces of animals. Human constantly interact with animal species and it may be fairly said that our species have developed by using (exploiting) other earthlings. Nowadays, this ‘usage’ on animal has progressed so violent and cruel that exploitation on animal emerged as a new social issue. The film “Earthlings” is the representative one that pinches on the immoral exploitation on animals and people’s ignorance of the truth. The director Shaun Monson critics human under five themes.

Shaun Monson

What is the truth? On the five themes, Shaun Monson illustrates about pets, food, clothing, entertainment, and science. The truth is that human shouldn’t have any guilt using animals as pets, food, clothing, entertainment and science. Well, using animals for entertainment is actually immoral. However, ‘using’ animals for human survival shouldn’t be blamed. It’s not the human’s first time killing animals for retaining their live. For history and with the presence of mankind, killing animals for survival continued and will continue. The only thing that should be blamed is how we treat animals. As shown in the film, people try to gain as much profit over limited amount of animals. Majority of the companies which use animals as commercial reason do not treat their animals as a living organism. The workers throw, hurt these animals without satisfying any minimum desires for survival. The animals are regarded as part of machine, that people try to use as efficient as they can. These vice companies are not only limited to food industries, but enlarged into cosmetic, cloth, furniture, even digital device companies. The bigger problem lies on the consumers. Most of the consumers know these facts. It is a lie that they didn’t know because there are so many videos, books, commercial about animal rights and many of the vice companies’ brutality is already revealed. However, they tend to search for the most economical choice and usually this concludes with choosing the company which exploited on animal. The fact that companies regard animals as their resource and consumer’s ignorance on the brutality should be the target of the film, not the five themes. All five themes concentrates on the cruelty of the process making a product, not on the themes.

The film ends with a sentence “make the connection”. The director shows that animals also have emotion and they have their way of comprehending the world. He redundantly cites that animals feel pain and every animal dies in pain, human do not have right to exploit on them only by our superiority. And most of the film is filled with some secretly shooted image of slaughterhouse or hunting scenes. However, director’s attention was ceased only to the violence and cruelty of killing animals for human use. If the only aim of the film was informing people with the violence of animal using industry, the director sure gained his goal. But, the film didn’t give any clue to the fundamental question. Mankind is highly dependent on animals and it is inevitable living without killing any animals. Then, how should people deal with this issue(excluding the entertainment theme)? Would larger cages and fulfilling the animal’s minimum desire make the animals less stressful and happy? Would killing the animals politely and less violent a better treatment? Would stopping scientific research on animals be the best alternative for all these problems? Is hunting of tigers on rabbits natural and hunting of a human on rabbit immoral and should be punished? Personally, the most urgent thing is change of mankind’s arrogance over other earthlings. Mistreating other species is originated from the cognition that human rules the earth and are top of the whole ecosystem. People learn that humans dominated the top of earth ecosystem and are the most powerful creatures inside the earth. This is a great error because all these information are defined and made up by human. It isn’t revealed that other species agree to this information. Thus, human should not take an arrogant act by this misbelief and dominate other species.

To conclude, the film was very violent. It showed the truth within producing animal product and how the processes are brutal. The film sure did quite well on frightening my meals and making reluctant to eat meat. However, the issue that should be criticized is not the human’s act on eating and clothing by the animals. The thing that be blamed is the arrogance that mankind can control over animal species. It is the mistreating that should be blamed. Overall, the film made lots of thinking on solution of the animal-exploiting issue. If the problem is inevitable, what is the best alternative? 

MONTHLY TOEFL ESSAY#1

     Table manner is the first step of a person’s brain development and education. When mothers meet their eyes with their infants, infants communicate with and learn about their mothers. A toddler trains to behave and get etiquette lessons during his meal with elders. A table is a place where child and parents share kinship and converse about their recent lives. Every country has distinct table cultures and the daily usage of table emphasizes the importance. Especially, Korean tables are distinct because Koreans use a tool called chopsticks. This custom, using chopsticks during meal is really a merit to Koreans. Majority of researches prove that chopstick using facilitates development of brain. Also, chopstick allows many Korean families to spend longer time during their meals. Other countries would also benefit when adopting this custom.

To begin with, chopstick using table manners promote development of brain. Utilizing chopstick requires thirty parts of body joints and over sixty parts of body muscles. Especially, when used for picking up small things, the activity stimulates nervous system reaches the zenith.   For foreigners, chopstick for every day diet, would enable them to enhance their usage of brain and concentration. Some critics assert that the success of Korea’s supreme semiconductor technology is contributed by the custom of using chopsticks. Semiconductor technology requires delicate touch and meticulous observation. Since Korean mechanics are from environment which consumes many parts of muscles, used to deal with small objects and have good concentration, korea takes advantage of rapid development of semiconductor. This example is the representative one that shows the superiority of traditional custom, chopsticks. Other countries might also benefit by utilizing chopsticks and exercising their brain activities. Cutting edge including IT, medical treatment, usually needs delicate touch so other country or foreign people can benefit.

Furthermore, the table manner using chopsticks ensure families to spend enough time bonding together. Unlike forks or other utilities, chopsticks can pick up only a limited amount of food. With chopsticks, people slowly reach the food for many times. In comparison to forks, which can pick up chunk of food, chopstick using is more time consuming relatively. As a result, people could enjoy more time with their family by using chopsticks. In majority of countries, many social problems such as murder, violence, divorce emerged by the deficiency of understanding and affection with family members. Private time with family is crucial these days since kinship with family members helps people to grow upright. People communicate about recent hardships they are facing or their daily schedules with family during meal. People release their burden or stress when they are with family members and can endure their stressful daily lives. Chopsticks allow people to spend adequate amount of time with their family and share affection and understanding with each other when they are in the table. Chopstick using helps families to enjoy adequate time releasing their stress and feeling the love between each member.

To sum up, one of the traditional table custom, chopstick using is helpful for foreign people. Adjusting the custom to their country or their lifestyle would really benefit because of the merits of chopstick using. It is very educational, since it encourages the usage of brain. It improves concentration and muscle controlling of a person. Furthermore, it enables people to have enough conversation with their family members. Chopstick takes relatively longer time for finishing the meal, and people spend the time with affection and care with their family during the meal. 

personal narrative revision

Memories With My Pets

     In this modern society, pets fill up people's lonely heart with love and care. I had my own pets twice in my life. I only had two pets due to our family's health problem As I was younger, I suffered from asthma and my brother had a serious allergy to all kinds of objects such as pollen, fur, dust and sun. My parents wouldn't let us raise pets, considering that we would be exposed to furs and fleas which might worsen our condition. However, it's every child's wish to own a pet. Thus I was a little lonely since my brother was a teenage boy when I was five years old. So, my parents allowed pets that would not hinder the sanitary environment. It is heartbreaking that all the pets I desired for faced a tragic death.

     My first pet was a tadpole. I bought it in a nearby pet ship with my allowance. The creature was small in size but huge enough to fulfill my monotonous daily life with vivacious experiences and lessons. The tadpole was initially just a tadpole but as time passed, it grew two legs, two more legs, and a long tail which almost resembled a mature frog. Watching its growth astonished me and helped me understood the nature of life. Raising one life by myself was meaningful and gave rich experience to me. However, happiness did not ever last because I accidentally flushed my tadpole away into a drain when I was playing with it. Death of something I loved was a real tragedy.

     The next and the final pet I had was a rabbit. I raised a rabbit in the terrace. Rabbit had big ears, deep blue eyes, and vivid, cotton like fur. I gave all my care and love as if I treated my own sibling. The rabbit served not only as a friend, but it was something I truly cared for without any expectations or compensations. Also, I could gain good qualities such as responsibility by feeding and cleaning it. I believed that I could maintain happy memories with my pet forever. However, the rabbit also encountered a tragic death. I wonder whether innocence or excessive love killed the rabbit. There was abundant clovers growing int he park. Clover means 'Rabbit grass' when interpreted in Korean, so I though it would be the best food source for my pet. As a result, I picked up all the clovers and fed my rabbit. The next day, it suffered diarrhea and later died. 

     All the things I truly desired became reality. However, all my wishes left some flaws and tragedy. Memories with my pets are not that pleasant personally. It made wounds in my youth. Despite the tragic incidents, the short memories are valuable since I learned a lot and had distinct experiences. 

my goal

Writing is a difficult subject to me. My TOEFL writing score is the lowest compared to other sections. The biggest reason is that I do not have any chances to convey my ideas with letters except English class. Furthermore, writing is not really my interest and I have some bad memories. Memories of writing class of first semester is horrible since my essay editting job was done always at midnight, pressed for time, nervous. I do not want a repertoire of the first semester. As I know my deficiency, I could improve a lot. It would be a difficult process but once I overcome my deficiency, the subject will be much easier and interesting.

The primary thing teachers commented about my essay was that I should develop more. I could not understand about "developing". I used quite good examples and made some points about the topic. However, in KMLA, by reading some famous stories and well-organized essays, I could realize my deficiency. My sentences had some ideas, but it only ended to an idea. My essays were choppy, it was a list of ideas that didn't link together. Also, the ideas weren't specific, neither the examples. I used broad sentences that conveys diverse meanings which hindered the fluency of the essay. These are all the things I want to eliminate by taking composition class.

introduction

Hi! My name is Soo young Choi. You can call me Isabel:)
Actually, it's my Spanish name. The second semester of KMLA makes me exciting and somewhat anxious. The past two days of new semester was exhausting because life in KMLA means little sleep. I think I just need some time to adapt to new daily schedules.

 I enjoy watching any kind of movies. I especially like sensational ones such as action or thriller. The most recent movie I watched is the "Dark Knight Rises". Watching movies is a essential because it is the best way I can realease my stress. T.T It is really stressful being a highschool student in Korea and watching movies help me find my innerpeace. (HAHA)

I am in the field of natural science. I am especially interested in biology and chemistry. Biochemistry catches my interest recently. I want to study in depth about biochemistry and conduct researches about developing a new drug or material. Even though jobs related to this field is regarded difficult, it is meaningful. I want to develop something that would benefit other people.

From this semester, I wish I could get better grades from overall subjects. I especially want to enhance my writing skills and read books of diverse fields.
Well, this is a really short "introduction" and I hope that I could get good results from a good start!