Entry 7: Best experience of my life

Enormous icicles where I used to do my laundry.

The best experience of my life was the time I spent living on my own in Rochester, New York. I was there for about a year while working as a programmer for a small game studio. This was the first time I lived away from home without roommates and was financially responsible for all of my expenses. It wasn’t the most fun time in my life, but I consider it very important because of the personal growth I experienced. It was an experience that I needed rather than one I completely enjoyed.

Both of my sisters went to school nearby, so I wasn’t completely isolated from people I knew, but I still had a lot of time to myself. I used this time to study a foreign language and engage in inner reflection. I think being able to dedicate so much time to reflection is what encouraged me to follow my dreams and pursue a different career path. If I didn’t have this time to myself, I think I might not have decided to take the leap toward becoming a teacher. Living on my own also taught me a lot of responsibility since it was now solely my job to clean and maintain my apartment as well as be on top of my finances.

    One of the most memorable but irritating things about my time there was the temperature of my apartment. I lived next to the building’s boiler, which meant it was always 80-90 degrees in my apartment, from the start of December to the end of April. Looking back there might have been something I could have used to switch to an unoccupied apartment but I at the time I beared with it. During the winter, I got to experience the “best of both worlds,” since I would bike to and from work in most snow and sub-zero temperature. However, since I prefer cold weather to hot weather, I think I actually enjoyed being outside more than inside my apartment during that winter. I think those experiences enhanced my ability to ignore discomfort or imperfections if it was for a more important goal. Despite these struggles, which are probably quite small in the grand scheme of things, I still consider the experience of living on my own in Rochester to be incredibly valuable.

Vocabulary
financially (adverb): relating to money
expenses (noun, plural): money that needs to be paid (such as groceries or rent)
isolated (verb, past-tense): alone
inner reflection (noun): time where you think deeply
maintain (verb): to keep the same or in good condition
irritating (adjective): annoying
beared (verb, past-tense): stuck with, endured
enhanced (verb, past-tense): improved

Vocabulary Exercise
1. Regular exercise is a good way to _________ your body.
2. I pay all of my _________ before the end of the month.
3. The hermit lived _________ in the woods.
4. When the stock market crashed, many people were ruined _________.
5. Buddhist monks engage in a lot of _________.
6. I hate mosquitoes. They are so _________!
7. In order to _________ a pool, you need to check the balance of chemicals inside it.
8. It was a long journey but she _________ with it and eventually got home.

Grammar Point & Activity
"Not" contractions are shortened versions of parts of speech where a verb is followed by "not," such as "have not" and "haven't," and "does not" and "don't." Find all "not" contractions in the passage above, then write the non-contracted version. After that, rewrite the following sentences with the contraction.
1) Timmy would not eat his broccoli.
2) Jane could not jump as high as Tabitha could.

Entry 6: A family vacation

When I was 11 my family and I went to California for one week, during the summer. My godmother also accompanied us. We visited San Diego and Anaheim. The plane ride was very long, but I endured it. It was the furthest I have ever traveled. In San Diego, we went to the zoo. I remember seeing pandas and red pandas as well as numerous other animals. We also rode in their aerial tram. We went to Lego Land was well. It had many rides, including a canoe ride where you need to paddle yourself. My godmother and I were in a boat together and got stuck in a small whirlpool on the course. The employees had to pull our boat out. When we went to Anaheim we spent a few days in Disney Land. The Matterhorn, a roller-coaster with a Himalayas theme, was my favorite ride. We also rode a roller-coaster that had three loops. It was a very fun trip. The only thing I regret is not seeing the Pacific Ocean. I would like the opportunity to go again, in the future.

Vocabulary
accompanied (verb, past-tense): came with
endured (verb, past-tense): to deal with
furthest (adjective): most far away
numerous (adjective): many
aerial tram (noun): a machine that moves you across the sky
regret (verb, present-tense): be sad about
opportunity (noun, singular): chance

Vocabulary Exercise
1. If you ride an _________, you can get a bird's eye view of the ground below.
2. A museum will have _________ works of art.
3. My best friend _________ me to the library.
4. You might _________ last meeting someone on a bad note.
5. The exam was 4 hours but I _________ it.
6. Some people look through the newspaper to find the right job _________.
7. The _________ I have ran at once was 500 meters.

Grammar Point & Activity
An irregular past-tense verb is one that does not end in "-ed". See how many you can find in the above passage. Then, write 1 sentence with a regular past-tense verb, and one sentence with an irregular past-tense verb. Remember that regular past-tense means it ends in "-ed."

Entry 5: Fantastic Mr. Fox

One of my favorite movies is Fantastic Mr. Fox, which is directed by Wes Anderson. It is a stop-motion comedy. Stop-motion is a movie-making technique where you continuously take pictures of an object, such as a posable doll, while moving it to make it look like it is moving on its own. It requires a lot of time and dedication. I admire the hard work that goes into creating this type of film. The movie is an adaptation of a book by Roald Dahl.

Fantastic Mr. Fox is about a family of foxes who live in the woods. The father is an old thief who has retired. An awful situation arises and they need to leave their home. It is an entertaining film. If you are interested in watching the film, you may be able to borrow it at your local library. If they do not have the film, you can borrow the book.

Vocabulary
comedy (noun, singular): a type of movie or show that is funny
technique (noun, singular): a way to do something
requires (verb, present): needs
admire (verb, present): to respect
adaptation (noun, singular): a change from one form to another
awful (adjective): very bad
situation (noun, singular): place or position where something is
entertaining (adjective): makes you smile

Vocabulary Exercise
1. Boiling, baking, and barbecuing are all cooking ____________s.
2. A role model is someone you ___________.
3. Getting good grades ____________ hard work.
4. Over the weekend, I saw a lovely and ____________concert.
5. The werewolf is an ____________ monster!
6. Whenever I watch a ____________ I can't help but laugh out loud.
7. The saying "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade," is about making the best of a bad ___________.
8. Many Marvel and DC superhero films are ___________s of stories from comics.

Grammar Point & Activity
A and an are indefinite articles. Find these articles in the above passage and look at the word that follows each one. Do you notice a pattern? Then, write 3 sentences that use either a or an.

(Hint: It has to do with vowels) 

Entry 4: Outdoors in October

A goat from a petting zoo.

When October comes around, most of us think of Halloween, a special holiday where costumed children roam the town in search of delectable treats. However, you can have a blast doing other things as well as you wait for that one of a kind day. Many people visit local farms or plant nurseries to find pumpkins they can transform into intimidating Jack-o'-Lanterns. There might also be petting zoos at these places where you can pet animals such as pigs, sheep, and goats. I adore goats and never miss up an opportunity to pet or feed them during this season.

If you go to a farm with your family, you may also find a corn maze. When I lived in Rochester, my family would visit me in October and we would go to Long Acre Farms to venture into their massive maze. We could collect pieces of a map at stations hidden throughout the maze, and by collecting them all you could easily find the way out. They change the theme and layout each year so each trip is never the same.

A bird's-eye view of the maze from Long Acre Farms.

Vocabulary
delectable (adjective): yummy
blast (noun, singular): fun time (it can also mean explosion!)
nuseries (noun, plural [singular: nursery]): place(s) where plants are grown
transform (verb, present tense): change
intimidating (adjective): scary
adore (verb, present tense): like very much
opportunity (noun, singular): chance
massive (adjective): very big
layout (noun, singular): position of things

Vocabulary Exercise
1. I visited the ___________ to find flowers that I could plant in the spring.
2. I had a ___________ at the amusement park with my family.
3. The cupcakes my mom baked were ___________!
4. Before you make a Halloween costume, you should ___________ it on paper.
5. The circus tent was __________.
6. I __________ my puppy.
7. Caterpillars ___________ into butterflies while inside their cocoons.
8. Many college students won't pass up the ___________ to get free food.
9. A cluttered ___________ can make a newspaper or magazine confusing to read.

Grammar Point & Activity
A proper noun is the name used for a person, place, or thing. Find all proper nouns in the above passage. Then, write two sentences that contain at least one proper noun each and underline the proper nouns.

Entry 3: Hyenas

A wild spotted hyena

Hyenas are one of my favorite animals! They are native to the African savannas. There are three species: spotted, striped, and brown. The spotted hyena is the most common. They have a reputation of being cowardly; that is not true. They do whatever it takes to survive even if it means fighting lions for food. Hyenas live together in groups of 30 to 40 members ruled by a matriarch. They do most of their hunting at night and can see in the dark. Hyenas are carnivores; they mostly consume the remains of deceased animals. While this may not sound appetizing, it makes them a vital part of their ecosystem! Hyenas have powerful jaws and teeth that allows them to eat bones. They are famous for the "laughing" sound they use to communicate.

Here is one more fact about hyenas: Although they look similar to dogs, they are more closely related to cats.

Vocabulary
reputation (noun): common belief about someone or something
cowardly (adjective): does not have courage
matriarch (noun): woman who is the head of a family
carnivores (noun, plural): an animal that eats only meat
consume (verb, present tense): to eat
deceased (adjective): dead
appetizing (adjective): to taste good
vital (adjective): important
powerful (adjective): very strong
communicate (verb, present tense): to speak
similar (adjective): same

Vocabulary Exercise
1. Squares and rectangles are __________ shapes.
2. Lions only eat meat, making them __________.
3. The big eater _______
4. He did not leave his house on Halloween because he was a ________.
5. A graveyard is a resting place for the __________.
6. The Thanksgiving dinner my grandmother cooked was so ___________.
7. If you want to pass your test, it is _________ that you study!
8. If you have a good __________, people will be kind to you.
9. Hyenas, elephants, and killer whales, are three animals who live in packs led by a __________.
10. The Mets are a _______ baseball team this season.
11. By using a telephone, you can _________ with those who are far away.

Grammar Point & Activity
The semicolon (;) can be used to join two clauses that share closely related ideas. Find all sentences that use the semicolon in the above passage. Then, write two sentences about your favorite animal that use semicolons.

Entry 2: Penn & Teller

A photo of my sister and I with Teller, a famous magician.

Have you ever seen a magician perform? I have!

Penn Jillette and Teller are a duo of magicians who perform under the name Penn & Teller. Over the summer, my sister and I went to New York City to see them perform. My sister is a magic enthusiast and has seen them on television in the past. However, this was the first time I had seen them. They usually perform in Las Vegas but to celebrate their 40th anniversary of working together they performed in New York for several weeks.

The both of us were astonished by their performance. They had many different acts but one of their most incredible and frightening ones involved a nail gun. Penn would switch between firing a nail gun into his body and a plank of wood. Every time he fired into the wood a nail would shoot out. But when he fired it at himself only air would escape! He revealed to the audience that instead of memorizing the pattern in the nail gun he had instead synchronized the order of nails and air pockets in the nail gun to his speech. Depending on how far into his speech he was, he could tell whether or not a nail would shoot out. After the show we got to take pictures with both Penn and Teller. I was surprised by how tall Teller was since he always looks minuscule next to Penn who is of towering height.

Vocabulary
duo (noun): pair
enthusiast (noun): fan
usually (adjective): almost always
several (adjective): more than two, but not many
astonished (verb, past tense): amazed
frightening (adjective): scary
revealed (verb, past tense): to show what was hidden
synchronized (verb, past tense): to go together
minuscule (adjective): very small
towering (adjective): very tall

Vocabulary Exercise
1. On Halloween I saw a ___________ ghost!
2. I ___________ swim on hot summer days.
3. There were ________ cupcakes on the baking rack.
4. The baseball ___________ collected cards of every player.
5. When the magician pulled a rabbit out of his hat, I was ___________.
6. The _________ giant stood before the _________ townspeople.
7. Batman and Robin are one of the most famous dynamic _______s.
8. The stage curtain opened and the actors were _________.
9. I ________ my grandfather clock with my smartphone's clock so that they both showed the same time.

Grammar Point & Activity
When ending a sentence, you need to use either a period (.), an exclamation point (!), or a question mark (?). Periods are used to end statements. Exclamation points are used to end exclamations. Question marks are used to end questions. Find a statement, exclamation, and question in the above passage. Then, create your own.

Entry 1: My favorite food.

My favorite food is ramen, a very hot soup. Ramen originates from Japan, a country in Asia. You might be familiar with the "instant" version that can be cooked in a microwave. However, authentic ramen is much more savory and made very differently. There are 4 types of ramen: shio (she-oh), shoyu (show-you), miso (me-so), and tonkotsu (tong-coat-sue). A ramen's type is determined by how its broth is prepared. Shio is the Japanese word for salt and shio ramen has a clear broth. Shoyu ramen utilizes soy sauce to create a dark broth. Miso ramen uses miso paste to create an opaque broth. Tonkotsu broth is made by boiling ground up pork bones. Within these four types, there are many varieties. My favorite type is tonkotsu. Tonkotsu ramen contains noodles, sliced pork, mixed vegetables, and an egg that is cooked by the broth itself.

New York City has many Japanese restaurants that serve ramen. My favorite establishment is Ajisen Ramen. They serve vegetarian ramen as well. In the summer they serve "summer ramen," which contains no broth, making it a cool dish to eat. However, I love hot ramen so much that I will eat it even when it is scorching outside!

Vocabulary
originates (verb, present tense): comes from
authentic (adjective): real, not a copy
savory (adjective): tasty, full of flavor
prepared (verb, past tense): to be made
utilizes (verb, present tense): uses
opaque (adjective): cannot be seen through
varieties (noun, plural ): different types
establishment (noun): place
vegetarian (adjective): does not contain meat
scorching (adjective): very hot

Vocabulary Exercise
Instructions. Fill in the blanks with the correct vocabulary words. Each word will be used once.
1. The window was so dusty that it became ___________.
2. It was a ________ day at the beach.
3. I do not eat meat so I asked for a ___________ meal.
4. The meal my grandmother _______ for Thanksgiving was very __________.
5. Tamales are a dish that ___________ from Mexico.
6. The museum had an _________ tapestry from the Middle Ages.
7. A steam engine is a train that ________ steam to run.
8. There are many ________ of insects.
9. A temple is an example of a religious ____________.

Grammar Point & Activity

Adjectives are words that are used to describe nouns. What adjective are used to describe food in the above text? What is your favorite food and what are some adjectives you would use to describe it? What are some adjectives you would use to describe yourself?