יום שני, 5 בנובמבר 2012

A woman or a man ?



8 Zion Street
Holon
44661
November 4th, 2012
The Editor
"17 Magazine"
10 Kugel street
Tel Aviv.

Dear editor,

I would like to respond to your article "righting a wrong", in which you discussed affirmative action for women. In the past, women were discriminated in every little thing, such as bus seats and even the right to vote. Nowadays, women are almost equal to men, as directors and executives. But still, there is a feeling in some places that women are not equal to men.

It's true that a manger, for example, should choose the person who fits the job, and not deliberately choose the person that is discriminated. But people are still not choosing women, just because there're women. A manager might choose a man instead of women to his company and say that he chose this man just because he is better than the women, but sometimes it's not true. Some people still think that some women are stupid, they can't financially support the family and they should stay at home with their kids. It's sad to see people still think like that in such a modern world. 



Women nowadays are integrated in most fields, but not enough. A good reason to integrate women more is the fact that in many companies women's minds helped to raise the company. It will be good for us, women, and for you too, men.
                                                                                 
                                                                                                         
Sincerely yours,

Emily Fox



 Daphna- when I wrote about the discrimination in bus seats I didn't wrote about the   situation we read in class. There was a discrimination for women as well, white or 
black in bus seats.
Good work.
(85) 
Daphna
                                                                                                              

יום שבת, 29 בספטמבר 2012

Devil or Angel ?



A known quotation says: "Tell me who your friends are and I'll tell you who you are". We see that in different societies and environments there are different types of people, and in the same environments there are the same types of people. People are influenced by their friends and TV shows, their parents' education and so on.

We are influenced by our society, and that means we learn from it. We learn how to express and develop our personalities. So, is it true that people are sometimes evil because they have acquired it from their environment, or are they just naturally evil?

I can answer that question with an example. A friend of mine told me about a girl that randomly talked nastily to her with no reason. After 2 minutes her friend came and started to talk exactly in the same way to my friend. I can also say that I would respond to that situation just the same as my friend responded to that- by not answering and walking away. The bottom line is that my friend and I are the same, and this girl and her friend are the same.

In conclusion, when we are born we are not evil or kind at all. As we grow older, our personality is formed by our education, friends and family.  No one is born either evil or kind, our job is to decide which part of our society's values we want to absorb.

It's better. Good work.

(85)
Daphna 



יום שבת, 15 בספטמבר 2012

The Generation Gap

Parents-children relationships are complicated, especially when children turn into raging teenagers. They grow up and have their own opinions, while demanding their independency. Teenagers also have stimulated hormones, which strengthen their anger and sensitivity.

My relationship with my parents is quite typical. They do something I don’t like, I get angry, and we fight. But the most beautiful thing about it is that we all forget about it after 2 seconds. People say that you fight with a person just because you care about him/her, and that means you love him/her. I'm sure that my parents are strict with me just because they want the best for me.

I think that the reason for the problematic relationships is the generation gap. The older generation has its own rules and boundaries, and so does the younger generation. The older generation always shows more dignity to the elders, and less self expression. In contrast, The younger generation advocates freedom, independency and liberty.

In conclusion, I think that the generation gap problem can be solved by tolerance, understanding, patience and respect. We should all respect one another and be kind to each other, by compromising our thoughts and opinions. After all, we all love each other.


Very good work!
(96)
Daphna



יום שבת, 1 בספטמבר 2012

Let's go team !


Some people prefer team sports while others prefer individual sports. if I want to join any kind of sports, I would definitely want to be on a team. It develops your communication with people, you meet new friends etc. 

First, team sports can help you meet some new friends, who will stay for a long time. These friends can know what your ups and downs are, which creates a good relationship. Working on a team and helping others can improve your team work skills, being more patient and listening to others' opinions.

Not only can team sports improve you as a single person, but as a partner as well. For example, you're in a game and you make a mistake. As an individual sportsman, you have to solve it by yourself, and you may lose the game. But if you're part of a team and you make a mistake, your friends can help you and your team as well. It also works the other way around – you can be the one who solves the problem.

In conclusion, team sports help your motivation, since you learn to get along with people and trust them while you're in a game. And that is why team sports are more beneficial than individual sports.

(90)
Daphna

יום שלישי, 24 באפריל 2012

How to succeed in life

People's lives are based on relationships, hopes and dreams in life. In order to have good relationships with your friends, relatives and partners it's important to have two characteristics: consideration and optimism. We need to consider one another and to believe in our dreams.

The first characteristic is consideration. If you want people to appreciate you and listen to you whenever you need, you have to consider your friend/partner/relative. For example, if your boyfriend is jealous and he gets hurt because of you, you should consider him and not get too friendly with your friend (not partner). If you don’t, your boyfriend would not consider you in the future. Moreover, he won't take you seriously.

The second characteristic is optimism. You need to be a good person to other people, but it's very important to take care for yourself too. Everybody has his own hopes and dreams, and everybody wants to make them come true. That's why it's important to be optimistic, believe in yourself. People who succeed in life are only the people who believe it is possible.

In conclusion, to succeed in life you have to consider other people and to be optimistic. Consideration makes you appreciated by people and helps you have good relationships. Optimism helps you raise your self-esteem, you should always believe in yourself.


Good work.
(92)
Daphna


יום ראשון, 25 במרץ 2012

All the right moves

Five years ago I needed to face a dilemma in which I had to choose before middle school the class where I want to study. It was very difficult for me, but after a lot of conversations with my parents I made my decision.

I had two options: communication or science class. Back then, I really disliked science, so I was afraid that I would regret my choice, that maybe I don't like to be in my class. Despite all that, I figured I should be in the science class. I considered the fact that I could move to the communication class whenever I wanted, but I couldn't move to (the) science that simply.

I think I made the best decision I have ever had to make in my life. If I had to return to that point where I needed to choose between communication and science (classes), I would definitely choose science. It wasn’t what I thought it would be, and because of that I chose to be in Nachshon after 3 years in the science class. Consequently, one of my chosen subjects is physics, which I'm sure I wouldn't pick it if I didn't choose the science class.

This choice has changed my life completely. If I hadn’t chosen science I certainly wouldn't have chosen physics, one of my favorite subjects in school. Moreover, if I had made a different choice I wouldn’t have met my friends, which mean a lot to me.

 In conclusion, making choices in life is not that easy, and your life won't be the same after any decision you make. I'm happy I made this decision and I don’t regret it at all.

Much-much better. Well done!
(90)
Daphna




יום חמישי, 1 בדצמבר 2011

Summer's reading - Activities

Activity 1:
Throughout the plot, both George Stoyonovich and Mr. Cattanzara try to escape from reality .
Listen to and watch another character, who wishes to escape from reality, in the song Bohemian Rhapsody performed by Queen (while reading the lyrics.) 

How do they escape from their reality?
Drag the correct answer to each of the characters. 


George Stoyonovich 
Goes to the park to day-dream.

Mr. Cattanzara 
Drinks alcohol.

The Queen singer 
Commits a crime. 

Now that you understand how different people escape from reality, what do you recommend they should do instead?

I recommend them, even though it's hard – to face the reality. People that face the reality can overcome it well, and in the future it will affect their reaction to other difficult situations in life. People that don't face their reality can become unconfident with low self-esteem.(20)

Activity 2: Cause and Effect
We have read in the book that things that happen make more sense when we understand why they have happened (the cause) and what the result is (the effect) 
Explain the following line from the story. Say what has happened to make George feel this way. Use the thinking skill of Explaining Cause and Effect to help you: "George knew he looked passable on the outside, but inside he was crumbling apart." 

George is not able to face the reality, which is why he is crumbling apart. His confidence is very low, and he didn't wanted people to see that. From the outside George looked confident and stiff but on the inside he was miserable.
(14)


2. Another issue to discuss here is the effect George's lie had on his life:

How did the lie George told affect his life? Consider both the short term and possible long term effects of the lie.

George's life has changed when he told his lie. George's life before the lie was simple, quite, and boring. After that lie, George kept thinking about the lie, and tried to avoid discovering it. He was busy escaping from the truth (Mr. C.). The short term effect was that he felt bad with himself, he shut himself in his room. The possible long term was that, he started to read, which can change his life.(15)

Activity 3: The author
Read the biography of the writer, Bernard Malamud .
Find and tick all the autobiographic details reflected in the story.
Bernard Malamud wrote about famous people. 


Bernard Malamud wrote about famous people.
Bernard Malamud worked at odd jobs.
Bernard Malamud's mother died when he was young.
Bernard Malamud was interested in simple people.
Bernard Malamud wrote about people whose hopes come true.
How is the information you have just read about the author reflected in "A Summer's Reading"?
How does reading this information about Bernard Malamud add to or change your understanding of the story? 

Bernard Malamud wrote his main characters as simple people, who worked at odd jobs (George's father, Mr. C, George's sister…). George's mother also died when he was young, just as Malamud's mother. From this information I can understand that Malamud's mother was important to him, and her death was tragic to him. That is why he wrote that about George's mother. I can infer that Malamud was a simple guy, who was interested in simple people, and wrote about them.(18)


Activity 4: Compare and Contrast
How would you define the character of George Stoyonovich?

George is lazy, irresponsible, doesn't care about his life. He has big dreams. He knows that he can achieve them only by effort, struggle and endeavor, but he doesn't do anything to make his dreams come true. Even though he doesn't want to disappoint Mr.C, he still doesn't read as Mr. C wants him to.


Luckily for George, he is still young and able to change his situation, unlike Mr. Cattanzara.
The meaning of Stoyonovich in Polish is "Staying in one place".
The meaning of Cattanzara in Italian is "Chained to a place".


What is true about Mr. Cattanzara? 

Mr.C. is chained to his own life. He can't do anything about it, it's too hard to change his life at such an old age, after so long in this situation. He is fixated to his own place, his own neighborhood, his job and his addiction to alcohol.


2. Compare and contrast George and Mr. Cattanzara. How are they similar? How are they different? 

George and Mr. C are both lazy (Mr.C was lazy in the past, we can guess that is he deteriorated to alcoholism) and they are characterless. They also can't deal with problems in their lives, and can't face the reality. George, unlike Mr.C, absolutely can change his own life. He is young and his whole life is in front of him. In addition, George has someone that helps him change his life – Mr.C . He has the first push towards his change. Mr.C is too old and too addicted to change his life, he is already desperate. (17)


Activity 5:
The story brings up general themes through some specific examples.
Write the number of the theme next to its matching example: 



עמודה ראשונה
                                  עמודה שנייה

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Living in a multicultural society. 2
            1.   Growing up.

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Coping with   difficulties. 3
            2.   Being an immigrant.

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Taking responsibility. 1
            3.   Proper Education




Why is the story titled "A Summer's Reading"?

The story is called "A Summer's Reading" because the story takes place in the summer, and the whole story deals with George's reading. I think that there's a contrast in that title, because summer's reading is usually mentioned when we talk about school work for the summer's vacation, but George dropped out of school.
(15)


(79)
Daphna