Thursday, June 7, 2007
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Dear Reader Letter
The biggest change in my life was to came the U.S. I came U.S. because I wanted to study about animals. In the future, I want to be a veterinarian and help suffering animals. In the U.S., technology in the animal medical field is better than Japan. So, I am studying science, and I will study biology a lot.
I had learned English in Japan, so I used to write some essays in English. But, English is my second language, so it is really hard to write, read, speak, and listen in English. At first, I started to adapt myself to English. I was afraid to study with Americans who speak English as their first language, but I think I did well in this class.
I'd heard from other students that this class is a good way to improve writing and reading skills, so I took this English 98. It was great. I guess my English is better than before because I did lots of reading and writing in a short time. It was my first time to finish reading a book written in English. Moreover, students in English 98 were very nice; they were kind, and they advised me or talked to me.
One of the hardest things that I did in English 98 was reading books. I wasn't used to read books in English. The two books, Touching the Void and Pursuit of Happyness, made me sleepy when I started to reading them. It was difficult to catch what the books said. But, reading did helped writing an essay in English. I learned new words, how to make strong expressions, and writing coherently. Although my English is still wordy and difficult to understand, I hope that my English skills have progressed.
In my e-portfolio, I have put three major writing assignments and a seminar paper because I took much time to finish these papers.
Thank you for reading my e-portfolio.
I had learned English in Japan, so I used to write some essays in English. But, English is my second language, so it is really hard to write, read, speak, and listen in English. At first, I started to adapt myself to English. I was afraid to study with Americans who speak English as their first language, but I think I did well in this class.
I'd heard from other students that this class is a good way to improve writing and reading skills, so I took this English 98. It was great. I guess my English is better than before because I did lots of reading and writing in a short time. It was my first time to finish reading a book written in English. Moreover, students in English 98 were very nice; they were kind, and they advised me or talked to me.
One of the hardest things that I did in English 98 was reading books. I wasn't used to read books in English. The two books, Touching the Void and Pursuit of Happyness, made me sleepy when I started to reading them. It was difficult to catch what the books said. But, reading did helped writing an essay in English. I learned new words, how to make strong expressions, and writing coherently. Although my English is still wordy and difficult to understand, I hope that my English skills have progressed.
In my e-portfolio, I have put three major writing assignments and a seminar paper because I took much time to finish these papers.
Thank you for reading my e-portfolio.
Intro to Pigs and Humans
The first paper that I have chosen for my e-portfolio is called "Humans and Pigs". This was the first major writing assignment in this class. The essay is a compare/contrast essay, so I compared humans to pigs. I put lots of information, which I got through my experience, into my essay. For example, "When I used to go to high school for agriculture, I took care of three pigs in each barn. They and their room were clean; they separated bedroom, feeder, and bathroom respectively. Pig's stalls were the easiest rooms of all barn animals' to take care of."
Pigs and Humans
Pigs are the most misunderstood animal all over the world! The reason is that even though people use pigs in several ways for example food, medical treatment, or companion animals, generally, “pig” is used as an insult. For instance, “you look like a pig” for a fat person. Another example is that Muslims regard the pig as an unclean animal. Frankly speaking, people are reluctant to compare humans and pigs; definitely, both of them differ in appearance. However, humans and pigs have some surprising similarities between internal organ, placenta, cleanness, and lovingness.
First of all, in the medical field, the resemblance is well known between humans’ and pigs’ internal organs. Internal organs of humans and pigs are alike not only in size, but also in physiology. If a pig’s insulin transferred to a human's body, he/she would not show rejection because the pig’s and the human's insulin are almost the same physically. Recently, the development of treatments for diabetes using pigs has been taking place among advanced nations. The sole medicine for diabetes is insulin; the insulin is made from a pig’s pancreas. In Washington University in 2004, an experiment took place for trying to find a cure for diabetes. The researchers took islets of Lanferhans, which are organs that secret insulin into the pig, and they transferred the islets of Lanferhans to a human’s body. Nowadays, people in the medical field have been trying to succeed in a new treatment called human islets transplantation. Furthermore, they have also been experimenting, not only with islets of Lanferhans, but also with livers and hearts for transplantation. Since 1950’s, the research about “specific pathogen free” has progressed to produce lots of pigs that are useful for humans’ medical treatments. Specific pathogen free is a term used for laboratory animals that are guaranteed free of particular pathogen. Because pigs’ and humans’ organs are similar, people has been trying to produce SPF.
In addition to the anatomical similarities between them, the placentas in both of humans and pigs are unexpectedly alike. The placenta includes amino acids, nucleic acids, vitamins, and minerals; as you can see, it is extremely nutritious. Because pig’s placentas are compatible with human’s, the extract from pig’s placenta is refined and used to make people strong, beautiful, and live longer. Furthermore, the placenta gives energy to weak cells in the body; therefore, it is instrumental in maintaining a healthy body condition, and is effective in allergy treatment. Even if people use the pig’s placenta, they can get a same effect that when they use humans’ placenta.
Most significantly, the pig is just as clean as humans are. People and pigs are both sleep and expel waste in different areas. In the case of pigs, it is consummately the same. As I mentioned before, some religious people hate pigs, seeing them as a dirty animal. However, they have misunderstood pigs. Pigs are much cleaner than other animals. For example, they decide where the bath room is, so they always expel waste in same place. Pigs never dirty their bed space. They usually soak in the mud, not to become dirty, but to cool their body because they do not have sweat gland. When I used to go to high school for agriculture, I took care of three pigs in each barn. They and their room were clean; they separated bedroom, feeder, and bathroom respectively. Pigs’ stalls were the easiest rooms of all barn animals’ to take care of.
One more similarity is that a pig is no less loving than a human. For example, pig babies head toward their mother for comfort; the mother brings up her babies with her singing. There is another case to show lovingness. People sometimes display miraculous ability for someone, especially their family or friends like rescuing them from danger; likewise, pigs show their courage for someone, especially their master in the same way. The example is that one pig, named Plue, saved his master from a pond. The news was reported in The Daily Telegraph, an English newspaper, and the pig was admired by many. They are friendly, loyal, loving; besides, it is probable that they might have strong emotions just as humans.
Despite humans and pigs having various similarities, some people do not want to agree with these. It happens because of people’s misunderstanding or misconception. However, positively speaking, the pig is a wonderful animal and is very human like.
First of all, in the medical field, the resemblance is well known between humans’ and pigs’ internal organs. Internal organs of humans and pigs are alike not only in size, but also in physiology. If a pig’s insulin transferred to a human's body, he/she would not show rejection because the pig’s and the human's insulin are almost the same physically. Recently, the development of treatments for diabetes using pigs has been taking place among advanced nations. The sole medicine for diabetes is insulin; the insulin is made from a pig’s pancreas. In Washington University in 2004, an experiment took place for trying to find a cure for diabetes. The researchers took islets of Lanferhans, which are organs that secret insulin into the pig, and they transferred the islets of Lanferhans to a human’s body. Nowadays, people in the medical field have been trying to succeed in a new treatment called human islets transplantation. Furthermore, they have also been experimenting, not only with islets of Lanferhans, but also with livers and hearts for transplantation. Since 1950’s, the research about “specific pathogen free” has progressed to produce lots of pigs that are useful for humans’ medical treatments. Specific pathogen free is a term used for laboratory animals that are guaranteed free of particular pathogen. Because pigs’ and humans’ organs are similar, people has been trying to produce SPF.
In addition to the anatomical similarities between them, the placentas in both of humans and pigs are unexpectedly alike. The placenta includes amino acids, nucleic acids, vitamins, and minerals; as you can see, it is extremely nutritious. Because pig’s placentas are compatible with human’s, the extract from pig’s placenta is refined and used to make people strong, beautiful, and live longer. Furthermore, the placenta gives energy to weak cells in the body; therefore, it is instrumental in maintaining a healthy body condition, and is effective in allergy treatment. Even if people use the pig’s placenta, they can get a same effect that when they use humans’ placenta.
Most significantly, the pig is just as clean as humans are. People and pigs are both sleep and expel waste in different areas. In the case of pigs, it is consummately the same. As I mentioned before, some religious people hate pigs, seeing them as a dirty animal. However, they have misunderstood pigs. Pigs are much cleaner than other animals. For example, they decide where the bath room is, so they always expel waste in same place. Pigs never dirty their bed space. They usually soak in the mud, not to become dirty, but to cool their body because they do not have sweat gland. When I used to go to high school for agriculture, I took care of three pigs in each barn. They and their room were clean; they separated bedroom, feeder, and bathroom respectively. Pigs’ stalls were the easiest rooms of all barn animals’ to take care of.
One more similarity is that a pig is no less loving than a human. For example, pig babies head toward their mother for comfort; the mother brings up her babies with her singing. There is another case to show lovingness. People sometimes display miraculous ability for someone, especially their family or friends like rescuing them from danger; likewise, pigs show their courage for someone, especially their master in the same way. The example is that one pig, named Plue, saved his master from a pond. The news was reported in The Daily Telegraph, an English newspaper, and the pig was admired by many. They are friendly, loyal, loving; besides, it is probable that they might have strong emotions just as humans.
Despite humans and pigs having various similarities, some people do not want to agree with these. It happens because of people’s misunderstanding or misconception. However, positively speaking, the pig is a wonderful animal and is very human like.
Intro to What is Individualism?
The second paper that I have chosen for my e-portfolio is called "What Is Individualism?". This was the second major writing assignment in this class. The essay is a definition essay, so I defined what individualism is. I also had some informations in this essay, and I wrote it using contrast between Japan and U.S. Before I wrote this essay, I used to write essay objectively. But, I could write an essay subjectively in this paper. And I wrote a good conclusion. It is that "Mainly speaking, although individualism seems to be selfish, it is made up of the group, the pursuit of happiness, and the responsibility. Individualism makes a society and life active more and more. One can not exist without the other, and any good society needs to implement both."
What is Individualism?
Individualism is a popular thought in Europe and America; Japan is also getting the thought of individualism although there is still groupthink there. Everyone should have their own ideas, so mentioning or telling other people the idea is very important. Whether good or bad, individualism is necessary to making a proper society.
An individual sparkles because he/she is in the group. An individual can not exist without the group. To establish individualism, an individualist needs the group. Individualism differs from egocentrism which is vain idea. That is to say, it is the thought which is formed with communicating with other people because it presumes the self-assertion and self-actualization. To observe or express something, listener should be there because people share their opinion. While they respect their opinion, they have their opinion each. Without a society, self-assertion and self-actualization cannot exist. Identity is not the difference between others, but when he does the same things as other, his identity would come out. As people communicate with each other, they can build self-control and moral. Individualism is a necessary idea to make a society. It is the thought which is formed by communicating with others actively. By the way, Japanese thought is a little different. In Japan there has been the concept of “Wa” (meaning: harmony) for a long time. Wa (harmony) emphasizes the aspiration to be one. To feel, see, think and live together rather than apart. Of course, although people are different individuals, it is best when they want the same thing. The unity and harmony of the group takes priority over individual responsibility, authority, or initiative. So, it is said that individualism brings the destruction of harmony (group) for Japanese.
Secondly, individualism’s purpose is the pursuit of happiness. Only he knows his own happiness; in other words, nobody knows what makes another’s happiness. For him, it is free to think what his own happiness is; therefore, in the individualism society, it is necessary to declare what happiness you want to pursue. However, in the pursuit of happiness, there are some lights and shadows because the pursuit of happiness is the pursuit of desire in other words. The individualism society brought the development of science and industry as a part of lights; on the contrary, it brought the cultures’ decadence and environmental destruction as a part of shadows. Individualism is based on the energy that each person has. The essence of the energy is a desire, so there are various desires in individualism society. The money standards or material standards have replaced internal nobility or honorability as the standards of people’s sense of value. As a result, self-profit and self-desire would destroy the world. In order not to break down the world, a base of individualism should be established as a thought, and then people have to protect their everlasting peace and prosperity. Individualists have to treasure personal will and faith.
Individualism is a responsibility and a freedom. Most people imagine that there is a higher level of freedom in the U.S. because individualism exists there. In United States, it is natural that people have to decide what to do; on the contrary, in Japan, the culture or the custom dictate people’s decision. For example, in the wedding party, it is free that whether people in the U.S. invite their boss or not; on the other hand, people in Japan should invite their boss. Usually, underneath individualism society emphasizes freedom; individual freedom is our own responsibility. In Japan, there has been the joint responsibility instead of own responsibility. There are some proverbs which represent joint responsibility in Japan. For example, “To be in the same boat.” This means to join forces with somebody and act together. Likewise, there are also some sayings which represent individual responsibility in the U.S. For example, “Every man for himself.” This means that you take care of yourself first. Compared to Japanese, Americans have more “Every man for himself” attitude. Because individualists have our own responsibility each, they have a strong mind and self-sufficiency.
Mainly speaking, although individualism seems to be selfish, it is made up of the group, the pursuit of happiness, and the responsibility. Individualism makes a society and life active more and more. One can not exist without the other, and any good society needs to implement both.
An individual sparkles because he/she is in the group. An individual can not exist without the group. To establish individualism, an individualist needs the group. Individualism differs from egocentrism which is vain idea. That is to say, it is the thought which is formed with communicating with other people because it presumes the self-assertion and self-actualization. To observe or express something, listener should be there because people share their opinion. While they respect their opinion, they have their opinion each. Without a society, self-assertion and self-actualization cannot exist. Identity is not the difference between others, but when he does the same things as other, his identity would come out. As people communicate with each other, they can build self-control and moral. Individualism is a necessary idea to make a society. It is the thought which is formed by communicating with others actively. By the way, Japanese thought is a little different. In Japan there has been the concept of “Wa” (meaning: harmony) for a long time. Wa (harmony) emphasizes the aspiration to be one. To feel, see, think and live together rather than apart. Of course, although people are different individuals, it is best when they want the same thing. The unity and harmony of the group takes priority over individual responsibility, authority, or initiative. So, it is said that individualism brings the destruction of harmony (group) for Japanese.
Secondly, individualism’s purpose is the pursuit of happiness. Only he knows his own happiness; in other words, nobody knows what makes another’s happiness. For him, it is free to think what his own happiness is; therefore, in the individualism society, it is necessary to declare what happiness you want to pursue. However, in the pursuit of happiness, there are some lights and shadows because the pursuit of happiness is the pursuit of desire in other words. The individualism society brought the development of science and industry as a part of lights; on the contrary, it brought the cultures’ decadence and environmental destruction as a part of shadows. Individualism is based on the energy that each person has. The essence of the energy is a desire, so there are various desires in individualism society. The money standards or material standards have replaced internal nobility or honorability as the standards of people’s sense of value. As a result, self-profit and self-desire would destroy the world. In order not to break down the world, a base of individualism should be established as a thought, and then people have to protect their everlasting peace and prosperity. Individualists have to treasure personal will and faith.
Individualism is a responsibility and a freedom. Most people imagine that there is a higher level of freedom in the U.S. because individualism exists there. In United States, it is natural that people have to decide what to do; on the contrary, in Japan, the culture or the custom dictate people’s decision. For example, in the wedding party, it is free that whether people in the U.S. invite their boss or not; on the other hand, people in Japan should invite their boss. Usually, underneath individualism society emphasizes freedom; individual freedom is our own responsibility. In Japan, there has been the joint responsibility instead of own responsibility. There are some proverbs which represent joint responsibility in Japan. For example, “To be in the same boat.” This means to join forces with somebody and act together. Likewise, there are also some sayings which represent individual responsibility in the U.S. For example, “Every man for himself.” This means that you take care of yourself first. Compared to Japanese, Americans have more “Every man for himself” attitude. Because individualists have our own responsibility each, they have a strong mind and self-sufficiency.
Mainly speaking, although individualism seems to be selfish, it is made up of the group, the pursuit of happiness, and the responsibility. Individualism makes a society and life active more and more. One can not exist without the other, and any good society needs to implement both.
Intro to Do We Really Need Animal Testing for the Medical Field?
The third paper that I have chosen for my e-portfolio is called "Do We Really Need Animal Testing for the Medical Field?". This was the last major writing assignment in the class. The essay is an argumentative essay, so I argued whether animal testing for the medical field is required or not. In the essay, I put lots of informations like my first and second essay. Because this topic is related to my future, I could write an essay using strong opinion. For example, "Animals, including humans, are able to feel pain and fairness, enjoy their lives, eat their favorite foods, and be satisfied. Actually, non-animal methods are the best way to develop the medical field."
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