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Catcth Us If You Can Chapter 1-5
Section 1 Rory and his granddad are holding back to see Dr Nicol, theirâ family specialist at the doctorââ¬â¢s sitting area. Rory calls ...
Tuesday, January 28, 2020
Say No To The Habit Of Swearing English Language Essay
Say No To The Habit Of Swearing English Language Essay Last year , my cousin got into a fight after attending his friends party at a club . He got himself really drunk and without any intention he started swearing . A passerby thought those words were referring to him and in response, he attacked my cousin . My cousin was not badly injured but he did got a small cut on his forehead . Never would I imagine that such a thing could happen. What would you do If you were in my cousins shoes ? How would you handle this sort of situation ? Would you defend yourself by attacking him back or would you try to run away from this situation ? I have learnt that swearing should never be used in a public whether with or without intention as we would not know what could happen . Today , I would like to persuade my audience to stop swearing starting from today .My argument contains the causes of swearing . Before I begin , we need to understand on how swearing is being a problem to the society today . Swearing is now a bad habit practiced by most teenagers. They swear regardless to the time , place and person . First of all, swearing leaves a bad impression on the society of your behavior. How so you may ask ? Society will loose respect for you as it is a sign of bad attitude, a lack of character, immature, ignorant and a bad example. Also, it makes you unpleasant to be with and at the same time, it endangers your relationships with your friends. For example, you swore at this friend, he or she took it the wrong way, and you may end up being physically or verbally attacked. Furthermore, lead to unnecessary stress on yourself. Next , I need to explain on what causes teenagers to practice this attitude of swearing . Have you ever wondered what causes us to swear ? Based on psychologist David McClellands theory, he identified power as one of the needs related to management behavior . At the point of teenage hood, we desire the need of power the most where we can have a sense of control of over things to make us look tougher .For example, when we encounter a problem or threat, many times we think that using vulgar language will give us the power to have control over threats or problem greatly. We believe that we are able to control them through abusive, aggressive and domineering speech. Other than that , teenagers are easily influenced by peer pressure by society. A common example would be the influence by your friends. We would have a couple of friends who swears all the time and the thing is that, we feel pressured because all of them that you think seems cool swears but not you .Therefore, thinking that swearing makes themselves cooler , teens curse to fit in . Based on the survey questionnaire that I have conducted, it has proved that 80% of teenagers in Inti Subang Jaya swears. So, it is almost impossible for one to not swear if they continue to hang out with friends who do swear. They do not realize that slowly, this habit of swearing would gradually become a habit so satisfying, that which you may find hard to get rid of. Now that we have seen the problem, lets move on to the solution. You must be wondering , how is it ever possible to stop swearing ? The first step is to make a commitment to yourself, to stop this habit .How can we make a commitment to ourselves you may ask . First, find substations to the words you commonly swear with. Think of words that are less offensive that can substitute the swear words you commonly use with. An example would be, get into the habit of saying phew instead of curse words. You may feel a little silly at first, but after a while, youll get used to it, and no one will actually question why you said it, because it is a socially acceptable phrase Other than that , One psychological method that can be used is to punish yourself. You must be thinking, what do I mean by punishing yourself ? What I am trying to say is that , every time you swear ,make a commitment by putting money in a swear jar for charity every time you curse. This actually gives you extra motivation to stop. In conclusion , most teen nowadays do not use profanity to rebel or annoy people. It has simply became a part of our society so much that has lost Its original meaning. Foul words are now used as an integral part of speech and is commonly used in the daily basis. Please bare in mind that Alexander Pope once said that, To swear is neither brave, polite nor wise. Finally, I hope that you will understand that swearing is not good and unnecessary. It is best kept for the really emotional or painful moment instead of over using it at every speech act.
Monday, January 20, 2020
How Guns Work :: essays research papers
How Guns Work A gun is a weapon that uses the force of an explosive propellant to project a missile. Guns or firearms are classified by the diameter of the barrel opening. This is known as the calibre of the gun. Anything with a calibre up to and including . 60 calibre(0.6 inches) is known as a firearm. The precise origin of the gun is unknown, although they were in use by the early 14th century and were common place in Europe by mid-century. These early guns were nothing more than large calibre cylinders of wrought iron or cast bronze, closed at one end and loaded by placing gunpowder and projectile in the muzzle, or open end. Nowadays firearms are a little more sophisticated. However, the physics behind all guns remain the same. Weapons such as cannons, shotguns and rifles, work on the basic idea of conservation of momentum and the change in energy from potential to kinetic. When the trigger is pulled the hammer hits the firing pin. The firing pin then hits the primer which causes the powder to burn hence producing lots of gases. This causes the volume behind the bullet to fill with extremely high pressure gas. The gas pushes on every surface it encounters, including the bullet in front of it and the base of the gun barrel behind it. The increase in pressure caused by the gases causes the bullet to be forced into the barrel hence causing the bullet to come out the muzzle at very high speeds. Once the bullet is fired, it remains in motion from its momentum. The momentum will carry the bullet until it strikes an object or gravity pulls the bullet towards the earth. Firearms change potential chemical energy into kinetic energy in the actual firing of the gun. Many people do not realise that the force imparted by accelerating the bullet is not the only force acting on the gun, or the shooter. Grains of burned gun powder are sent out the muzzle at high velocity. When the trigger is pulled, the hammer strikes a small charge at the end of the shell, the ammunition. This charge ignites black gun powder packed behind the lead ball bearings. When the black gun powder burns, it produces gas that rapidly expands with the burning of more black gun powder. High pressure gases exert forces on the back of the bullet and on the gun. The only way for the gas to escape is to push the bullet out of its way through the end of the barrel. This is how a bullet is fired from a gun.
Sunday, January 12, 2020
Assignment 2 for General Linguistics Essay
I. Chapter 6: SEMANTICS: The study of meaning and denotation EXERCISE 8 (page 224) a. A second is part of a minute A minute is part of an hour An hour is part of a day * A second is a part of an hour, and it is also a part of a day. It is a transitive relation because a minute, an hour and a day express the same thing which is Time. b. The toenail is part of the toe The toe is part of the foot. The foot is part of the leg * The toenail is part of the leg. It is also a transitive relation because leg, foot, toe and even toenail are parts of body. c. Henryââ¬â¢s toe is part of Henry Henry is part of the 23rd Battalion But Henryââ¬â¢s toe is not part of the 23rd Battalion. * It is not a transitive relation because Henryââ¬â¢s toe is only a part of his body, it cannot represent as Henry as the whole. II. Chapter 9: PRAGMATICS: The study of language use and communication EXERCISE 7 (page 250) The sentence I promise I will call the police if you donââ¬â¢t quiet down is not literally and directly used to promise nor warn. According to the theories of Bach and Harnish 1979, Recanati 1987, this sentence is not directly used to promise but rather are directly used to do what declarative sentences normally do ââ¬â declare or state. It is only indirectly used to promise and warn. The sentence I promise I will call the police if you donââ¬â¢t quiet down is used directly to state or declare that the speaker is promising, and indirectly it is used to promise that the speaker will call the police if someone doesnââ¬â¢t quiet down and warn that the speaker will call the police if someone doesnââ¬â¢t quiet down. In my opinion, this sentence tends to be used as a warn more than a promise. EXERCISE 10 (page 10) a. A rolling stone gathers no moss Meaning: This proverb refers to a person who does not settle down is not attached to anything or anyone. If a person never stays in one place, he or she never ââ¬Å"gathersâ⬠or gets attached to things or people. Moss grows on stones which have been on the ground for many years, so a stone which rolls cannot grow moss. The saying is â⬠A rolling stone gathers no moss. â⬠It means if you keep moving and learning that you donââ¬â¢t just sit there becoming a couch potato. It is true a rolling stone gathers no moss but only overtime. At the begging of the rock rolling then it will gather moss, but overtime it will lose all the moss it has gained. The term ââ¬Ërolling stoneââ¬â¢ commonly refers to a person who is frequently changing his work or profession. Just as a stone that is continually rolling doesnââ¬â¢t gather any moss on it, similarly a person who is constantly changing his occupation doesnââ¬â¢t succeed in any achievement. Acquisition of wealth or learning or experience requires time and steady prolonged application of energy to some tasks. On the other hand one who is constantly chopping and changing will never become wealthy or learned or experienced. He will merely be dissipating his energies and will get nowhere. The popular fable of the farmer who dug many shallow wells in his farm in search of water is a fine illustration. Had he dug deep at one place, he would have definitely found water. By being ââ¬Ëa rolling stoneââ¬â¢ few people accomplish their goals. In todayââ¬â¢s world of breakneck competition, migratory birds stand absolutely no chance. It is by working at a place, putting in constant labour that one earns a reputation and recognition. The intended message: This adverb can be understood as an advice to people ââ¬Å" You should worl single-mindedly at one work. You shoulnââ¬â¢t change your work so frequentlyâ⬠. b. Look before you leap Meaning: This proverb simply means that you must think before you act. Before you do something (or ââ¬Å"leapâ⬠into something) you must consider the consequences (or ââ¬Å"lookâ⬠) of your actions. The intented message: ââ¬Å"Be careful! â⬠c. A stitch in time saves nine. Meaning: This proverb tells that timely effort will prevent more work later. A little preventative maintenance can eliminate the need for repairs later. This proverb warns us against neglecting small faults or imperfections which may lead to further damage or increased problems later. ââ¬Å"A stitch in time saves nineâ⬠advises us to realize the value of time management and that small things do make a big difference. We should all learn that it is best to work diligently, consciensciously, and carefully while using our time wisely and efficiently. The intended message: ââ¬Å"Do it now, donââ¬â¢t wait till itââ¬â¢s too lateââ¬
Friday, January 3, 2020
Starting At A New School - 887 Words
Starting at a New School The first day of school can be terrifying for some students. However, there are some important and helpful tips that can help start your journey on the right track, such as how to handle with those who are racist, how to face people who do the bullying, how to make friends in the classroom and extracurricular activities, and how to handle outside influences that impact on studentsââ¬â¢ learning. Starting at a new school can be challenging for some new students. New students may experience racism at a new school. As cited from the American Heritage College Dictionary1, racism has two definitions. The first is ââ¬Å"the belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a particular race is superior to others.â⬠Second is ââ¬Å"discrimination or prejudice based on race.â⬠Arnold Spirit, Jr. grew up on the Spokane Indian Reservation located just west of Spokane, Washington. As a young teenager, he knew that it would be a challenge for him, being the only Native American student besides the team mascot attending an all-white school but Arnold went ahead anyway. Arnold thought that learning from the white kids would benefit him so he determined to leave the reservation to go to Reardan, in order to get a better education. According to Desmond Tutu, ââ¬Å"If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse, and you say that you are neutral, the mouse willShow MoreRelatedAgainst Later Start Time For School849 Words à |à 4 Pageslater start time for school Many people think that schools shouldnââ¬â¢t start schools later. It does not help teens at all. Starting school later that means it will affect all sports. Many parent arenââ¬â¢t sold on later school start times for teens. Sleeping in probably sounds like a no brainer to most teenagers, but their parents arenââ¬â¢t so sure that itââ¬â¢s worth starting school later to get the extra shut-eye. If we start school later than kids will have to start school earlier and sleep forRead MoreAnalysis Of Teens May Do Better When School Start Later720 Words à |à 3 PagesWhen School Starts Laterâ⬠, Amanda McMillan explains middle schools and high schools should have a start time no earlier than 8:30 a.m. in order to allow teenagers to be well rested and be high achievers in school. Macmillan supports this claim by using support that teenagers should sleep anywhere from 8-10 hours a night but many are lacking this necessity. Teenagers going through puberty have a delayed cycle of producing melatonin, which cause their sleep cycle to be delayed. Schools starting earlierRead MoreBusiness Statistic Project Report Asian Business Schoo ls734 Words à |à 3 Pagesproportions. What new insights do these descriptive statistics provide concerning Asia-Pacific business schools? Analysis: 1. Full time enrolment is highest in Indian Institute of Management (Calcutta), 463 and lowest in Macquaire Graduate School of Management (Sydney),12 as per data available from the full time enrolment. They are far above and below as compared with the average full time enrolment of individuals in Asian countries. Average number of full time enrolment in these B-schools across AsiaRead MoreI Loved The Small Town I Grew Up At949 Words à |à 4 PagesI loved the small town I grew up at. Where I went to school, played sports, and made lifelong friendships. It was like Mayberry from Andy Griffith. You couldnââ¬â¢t go anywhere or do anything without everyone knowing what you were doing, and sometimes reporting your actions to your parents. It all changed dramatically and for the worse, when we moved in my freshman year of high school. The town I grew up in was named Union Star, MO. You could go anywhere you wanted, as long as you were home by the timeRead MoreShould School Start Times?1527 Words à |à 7 Pagesand believe the school is responsible for it. In most districts, schools start times around 7:00 am in some cases. Parents and students believe that the school district should change this and make the start of the school day later, so that they can get the right amount of sleep they need to function. In the Scope article, ââ¬Å"Should School Start Later?â⬠by Justin Oââ¬â¢Neill, ââ¬Å"Teachers Oppose Later Start Timesâ⬠by Julie Zauzmer and Dana Hedgpeth, and ââ¬Å"Eight Major Obstacles to Delaying School Start Timesâ⬠Read MoreCommunity Reflection885 Words à |à 4 Pagesto help them, but sooner or later, they will come around if they truly want help. Since starting this opioid unit, I have learned a lot about my community and the people that live in it. As a result of my work in this unit, I have been paying more attention to the crisis in my county, and have been wanting to find a way to help. Letââ¬â¢s start by explaining what my experience has been with this unit. Since starting this unit, I have learned a lot about the opioid crisis in Scioto County, but I neverRead MoreShould School Start Later?1128 Words à |à 5 PagesShould School Start Later? For years, experts have debated when the proper start time for high schools in America should be. Most high schools start at around 8:00 A.M. and some even earlier. New findings have led many experts to believe that schools should start later than 8:00, around 9:00 to 9:30. Most students would agree and appreciate the extra sleep. Starting school later would be beneficial because teenagers need to go to bed later and get up later, less sleep for students means lowerRead More Personal Narrative- High School and Church Youth Group Essay607 Words à |à 3 PagesPersonal Narrative- High School and Church Youth Group The most distinguishing and memorable moment of my life was entering high school for the first time. I feel that the event of starting high school was the starting point of what kind of person I was going to become. Not only did I start going to a new kind of school, but I started attending the high school youth group at my church. I also had the privilege to start working on my first car. Without this experience, I feel that I would notRead MoreQuestions On Math Animal Elephant 826 Words à |à 4 Pagesyear: September School Life What excites you most about starting high school? Starting a new school, with a lot of new people, and new rules is pretty scary, but there are some things I am very excited about. I am excited for getting involved with the school by joining new clubs like DECA, and meeting new people.I am also excited for something that might not apply to the younger grades, but it is getting a wider selection of coursers. What scares you most about starting high school? The past threeRead MoreReasons Why Schools Should Start Later During The Day1295 Words à |à 6 Pages I am doing my paper on the reasons of why schools should start later in the day. I will analyze many negative effects that come with sleep deprivation, such as caffeine usage and car wrecks. I will also discuss the positive aspects of schools starting early, such as extra time for extracurricular activities. American Academy of Pediatrics. ââ¬Å"School Start Times for Adolescents.â⬠Pediatrics, vol. 134, no.3, Sept 2014, pp.642-649. pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/pediatrics/early/2014/08/19/peds
Thursday, December 26, 2019
A Short Story A Story - 1181 Words
~I went to school was hanging out with my friends came home and had a nice dinner with my family and went to sleep at the sounds of the wind blowing through the trees, woke up to birds chirping~ then I actually woke up give me the remote! yelled my sister. No my brother shouted. ââ¬Å"Its my turn, GIVE IT BACK! Thats what I woke up to every morning. Got myself breakfast because dad went to work and mom wasnt awake and walked to the bus. I sat by myself as always and watched the beautiful trees of Africa pass by. Went through all my classes, science, English, ... Till lunch I asked nicely if I could sit with some of the guys, but they just turned around laughing, I always wondered whyâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦I thought was gonna die. But out of nowhere this huge giraffe came out and all the animals ran, including the giraffe that helped me so I was a bit confused, but I ran after it anyway, for a pretty long time until I couldnt anymore. But it stopped running so I finally caught up to it and it said ââ¬Å"holaâ⬠.. I was so confused why did it just say hi to me in a different language? So I ran back to my tree to go to bed. As I was falling asleep, I continued to think about what had happened earlier. The giraffe saved me from all those animals, but then didnt want to talk to me. Then when I finally got it to say something it was in a different language.. Spanish. So when I woke up I went to the Sahara cafe and got my breakfast same as yesterday, but I also found a Spanish-English dictionary. Then I spent over half the day going around to look for the giraffe and read some words from the dictionary. I finally found the giraffe. I went up to it and it almost ran, but I quickly looked in the dictionary to see what ââ¬â¢waitââ¬â¢ is in Spanish I found it and yelled ââ¬Å"ESPERAâ⬠So he stopped, turned around looking surprised that I spoke in Spanish but then it looked down and saw the dictionary and it looked less confused. I looked in the dictionary to see how to ask ââ¬Ëwhat is your nameââ¬â¢ and I asked him ââ¬Å"à ¿como te llamas?â⬠he answered and said ââ¬Å"Rafael peroShow MoreRelatedShort Stories : A Story Of A Short Story838 Words à |à 4 PagesShort Stories: Creative writing The dark place Supper was always at six oââ¬â¢clock. Our one meal of the day, the highlight of our day. One stale slice of bread and one small pot of cold rice some suspected wasnââ¬â¢t even rice. A cup of water was also allowed to aid in washing down the miniscule amount of putrid food. Drinking the water thought could cause typhus. Supper was never a sufficient amount of food but it kept us breathing and denied us the energy we needed to attempt or even plan an escapeRead MoreShort Story : The Story Of The Story1264 Words à |à 6 PagesSuicide mention near the end of the story, please do not read if you are not ok with things like that. It was a beautiful day at the beach. He had been planning their date for weeks. The war had ended and he finally had a chance to spend time with her. He watches her beautiful blonde ringlets bounce as she walked. Her smile was like the sun itself. Hey Seaweed Brain. She grinned. Wise Girl. He greeted her back. She was looking quite distant so he decided to ask what was wrong. What are youRead MoreA Short Story : A Story Of A Story1091 Words à |à 5 Pagesher, anyone could tell that it sounded forced. ââ¬Å"Thatââ¬â¢s nice,â⬠I replied. What? Was I supposed to tell her that I was so thrilled to be her sister because thatââ¬â¢s the ââ¬Ënormalââ¬â¢ thing to do? If you think that, youââ¬â¢ve forgotten that this is not a normal story. If normal is what youââ¬â¢re looking for, youââ¬â¢re welcome to transition to Amelia by Henry Fielding. My mother left Lucinda and me to share Eleanors room, while she had been forced to adjust to the attic. You may think that it would be cruel to haveRead MoreA Short Story : The Story Of The Story1011 Words à |à 5 PagesIt is a rainy afternoon, KYOKO OTONASHI is sitting in the classroom as the teacher is giving a lecture in front of the room. Her phone buzzes and she takes it out to check it.Dads messageTheres been another murder, come to the station as soon as possible.Kyokos textI will, after class ends.The bell rings, Kyoko puts her books into her bag and head towards the entrance of the school.As she approaches the exit, she notices that the rain is quite heavy. She doesnt have an umbrella and hesitatesRead MoreA Short Story : The Story Of The Story879 Words à |à 4 Pagesââ¬Å"Ugh, go away!â⬠,yelled Sarah to her little brother. Wait you dont know who these people are, well then let me introduce them to you.This story is about a little family who lived in a small house in New York City. This family consisted of the mom, the dad, Sarah the big sister who we were just talking about, and Sammy the little brother which we were also talking about. Anyway, Sarah is a sixteen-year-old girl who loves music, talking to her friends, and being on social media. Sammy, on the otherRead MoreA Short Story : A Story Of A Story?756 Words à |à 4 Pages It was November 29 1864, I was with my brother Kiaan. He was fifteen years old. My name was Hansh and I was only thirteen years old. We were outside my village practicing archery. My brother was a really good bowhunter, he taught me everything I do. Once we headed back to our village my mom was cooking corn and deer meat, that my father killed the day before. We were planning to have a picnic soon. Then it happened, we heard screaming and hollering across the village. My brother and I lookedRead MoreA Story Of A Short Story1228 Words à |à 5 PagesHi. My name is Chelsea and this is a short story from my lif e. Now, I am not really good at talking about my life because I feel like there really is not much to discuss. However, I am going to tell you about the hardest thing that I have had to overcome. It is upsetting and sometimes hard to talk about, but I have learned the most from this than I have anything else. It is something that constantly clouds my train of thought and sometimes leaves me at a loss. You see, it all happened six yearsRead MoreA Short Story : A Story?725 Words à |à 3 Pagesstarted to walk off. ââ¬Å"But grand...â⬠he was gone from site. I started to get real nervous and started to pick another scab on my knee. Marco was the long time manager here, and for some reason would always chat with grandpa for at least an hour. He was a short man that always had strong pulled back gell in his hair, with a large belt to pull up his shaggy tan pants. I could see Grandpa and Marco starting toward me out of my peripheral vision. Marco with the litter and Grandpa had the long grin on his faceRead MoreA Short Story : A Story?1746 Words à |à 7 Pages ââ¬Å"Iââ¬â¢m off to work!â⬠Cole shouts to his parents as he closes the house door behind him. Today is his first day of work, and he is very excited. When Cole moved to the city, he found a job at one of the factories, and being inspired by machinery, he applied and was accepted. Cole is 17 years old, and is tall with black hair and a thin build. As a kid, he loved school, and would go voluntarily unlike some of his classmates, and so he is expecting great things from his first job. From his house, ColeRead MoreA Story Of A Short Story710 Words à |à 3 Pagesââ¬Å"I am going to tell you a story. It goes all the way back when I was once a young lad like you. Itââ¬â¢s about all the amazing and wonderful adventures I went on. It all started at storage and collection for me. I was thirty-two at the time and was at the bottom of the lake, traveling to my parents current where they were vacationing on. I floated all the way up to the surface to look around. The sun was blazing. It shined right on me. The sun was really helpful because I was really cold, but it warmed
Wednesday, December 18, 2019
The Trial Of The Mill Farm - 1883 Words
ââ¬Å"In the spring of 1886 the plaintiff, learning that the defendants had some polled Angus cattle for sale, was desirous of purchasing some of that breed, and, meeting the defendants, or some of them, at Walkerville, inquired about them, and was informed that they had none at Walkerville, but had a few head left on their farm in Greenfield, and they asked the plaintiff to go and see them, stating that in all probability they were sterile and would not breed. In accordance with said request, the plaintiff, on the fifth day of May, went out and looked at the defendants cattle at Greenfield, and found one called Rose 2d, which he wished to purchase, and the terms were finally agreed upon at five and one-half cents per pound, liveâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦2. Where, in such a case, the thing actually delivered or received is different in substance from the thing bargained for and intended to be sold, there is no contract; but if it be only a difference in some quality or acciden t, even though the mistake may have been the actuating motive to the purchaser or seller, or both of them, the contract remains binding. 3. Where a cow was contracted to be sold upon the understanding of both parties that she was barren and useless for breeding purposes, and it appeared that such was not the case, -- Held, that the vendors had a right to rescind the contract, and refuse to deliver the property. Further reading on the American case of Sherwood v. Walker shows that, ââ¬Å"Tthe contract made was not within the statute of frauds, and that payment for the property was not a condition precedent to the passing of the title from the defendants to the plaintiff. Furthermore I agree that the plaintiff was entitled to a delivery of the property to him when the suit was brought, unless there was a mistake made which would invalidate the contract; and no such mistake can be found. There is no pretense that there was any fraud or concealment in the case, and an intimation or insinuation
Tuesday, December 10, 2019
Life as a Screenplay free essay sample
The soft velvet seat of the theater surrounds me as I start to relax; the floor is sticky with the residue of spilled soda and candy, and a hint of butter still lingers in the air. The curtains go down and the lights dim; a scene flickers onto the blank screen, an establishing shot of a house. The camera pans right and focuses on the only window in the house with light spilling out. A girl sits at her desk, her face hidden from the prying eye of the lens. The camera follows as she gets up and makes her way to the kitchen, switches to a high-angle shot as she makes her own dinner. The camera cuts away from the girl and focuses on her surroundingsââ¬âshe is alone. The silence is too much for her, so she slips into bed and pulls the covers up around her to drown it out. We will write a custom essay sample on Life as a Screenplay or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Only in slumber does she reveal her face to the camera. As the curtains go up and the lights return, I remember that I am the girl on the screen; I am just another character in a story, and my life up until now has always been lived through a lens. Since I was young, I have fancifully considered that I may be the star of an elaborate ââ¬Å"Truman Showâ⬠- style program. Though I, of course, recognize the utter improbability of my fantasy, it has still shaped the way I see the world. A brilliantly-hued sunset becomes an impressive CGI shot, my closet morphs into a costuming department able to accommodate any era, and that new girl in Biology clearly came from the Casting department. Through it all, the cameras rollââ¬âmy eyes, capturing the reels of my life and framing the defining moments of my existence in memories, like limited edition film cells. The lights dim once more, for my daydream-intermission has come to an end, and the projector sputters back to life, returning me to the heroineââ¬â¢s storyline. The scene comes into focus: a long shot of my sitting in the middle of a restaurant, dishes clattering in the background amid a cacophonous atmosphere. My mind stumbles back in time, and instead of watching the scene, I am now reliving it. My throat closes up and tears threaten to spill out of my eyes as I look down at my untouched plate. When I look up, I see my motherââ¬â¢s mouth moving, but I donââ¬â¢t hear the words clearlyââ¬âitââ¬â¢s as if everything is being muffled by a wall. Sheââ¬â¢s talking about my father: I think I hear the word divorce, and though I canââ¬â¢t be sure Iââ¬â¢ve heard correctly, I know itââ¬â¢s true. Iââ¬â¢m not shocked; the truth is I had come to terms with the inevitable long before that day. It is this scene, more than any other, that shows me the powerââ¬âand limitationsââ¬âof my mental camera. Strange details that I hadnââ¬â¢t planned to recordââ¬âmy brotherââ¬â¢s stony face, the water-spot on my fork that I canââ¬â¢t seem to removeââ¬âare indelibly captured on film, while crucial segments, even my own lines from the script, have somehow landed on the cutting room floor. The film reel catches and jerks to a stop, forever paused in that moment of time. Unable to replay that scene further, I revisit the episodes of their divorce, sometimes fast-forwarding, sometimes moving frame by frame, aware yet again of the power of the camera; how the scene is framed, how the contents of the foreground or background can dramatically alter the effect on the audience. When my mothers claims about my father, blown out of proportion, loom too large near the foreground, my heart pangs with guilt as I remember the bitter script I recited at him. With proper framing and proportion, though, I am able to find the necessary balance, the c ontentment of understanding that I can control where my camera focuses. Every day, I revisit the theatreââ¬â¢s dark corridors. This theater is not open to the publicââ¬âit is here to remind me that I must choose to be my own director, to take an active hand in the casting, scripting, and composition of what will be the greatest blockbuster of my lifetime. It is a limited run, so I better make it worthwhile. Even though I dont always know the script, I do know that, from now on, Iââ¬â¢ll be the one controlling the camera.
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