Pope appeals for Mid-East peace

Name: Angela Chen（49712051）
Reaction Article#11
Date:12/26/2008
From :BBC
Pope appeals for Mid-East peace
（http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7799464.stm）
My Reaction：
According to an up to date poll survey done by Americans, nearly everyone celebrates this festival regardless of the religion as well as race. It is interesting that people identify with Christmas because of a variety of reasons.In fact, the festival has been commercialized that it is considered a good time to do the shopping.However, owning to the global economic recession, the sales are said to decline, so this year the mayor of the New York even called upon to encourage the public to buy more.
There is another crucial reason why people celebrate Christmas that they agree on its spirits-peace and happiness.In these recent years,a number of conflicts happen, and many poor people suffer from them, living under the shadow of uncertainty and fear.Some may stand up to fight against what is called enemies;nevertheless,the desire for a peaceful life undoubtedly roots in their hearts.Of all the conflicts,the Mid-East especially draws our attention because this is the place where Jesus Christ is said to be born but now in horrible condition.Christmas is a time to share joy.Instead of throwing real bombs, why not enjoying the explosion of love not only in Christmas but also every daily life? （200 words）

Shrek musical opens on Broadway

Name: Angela Chen（49712051）
Reaction Article#10
Date:12/19/2008
From :BBC
Shrek musical opens on Broadway
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7783190.stm
My Reaction:
In recent years,there has been a dozens of animated films adapted for stage plays on Broadway;however, few of them really turned out a blockbuster.Take Tarzan and The Little Mermaid for example.Although they already have great fame,the advertising can be saved.Both of them still received overwhelming criticism,and cost numerous money.Therefore,this time Dream Workers taking the plunge to spend an arm and a leg is considered an adventure.
Undoubtedly,the show is a big success.According to the attendants of the opening performance,totally different from the movie,the play arouses dynamics as well as chemistry.With Tony-nominated actor’s vivid interpretation,the green ogre brings a lot of joy to the audience.
As everyone knows that now we are in global depression.People suffer from great burden of life,so they tend to laugh less.Shrek is said to make people burst into laughter because of the humorous plot.Irony is characteristic of the story;that is,it makes fun of other famous films.The play retains the core of it,which the audience can not help but giggle at.If the show maintains making a big hit for a long time,it can be thought of as a miracle in the financial swamp.（about 200 words）

Britons 'saving money with sex'

Name: Angela Chen（49712051）
Reaction Article#9
Date:12/11/2008
From :BBC
Britons 'saving money with sex'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7755315.stm
According to a survey,having sex is considered a free activity,and most people like to do so than window shopping and gossiping.Furthermore,the survey also show that there is a distinct difference between men and women.The latter have preference for window shopping as well as gossiping unlike the former.Talking about saving money,there is only one reason the illustration gave us-snuggling under the duvet could also save on those heating bills.
However,we can easily find many negative perspectives on uncontrolled sex.One of them is well-knowned that being infected with AIDS has become a worldwide disease,especially in those so-called lowly developed areas.Because of the lack of education,many people still don’t know how to protect themselves.The most convenient but yet not the most effective way may be having condoms.Due to rates of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections increasing with amazing speed,people are supposed to do it safely when snuggling down with a partner.Whatever the reason people have sex,contraception should be taken into consideration.Otherwise,saving money will turn to be costing much more money as well as losing one’s life forever. （200 words）

The C.E.O. of Thanksgiving Dinner

Name: Angela Chen
Reaction Article#8
Date:11/28/2008
From :NYTimes
The C.E.O. of Thanksgiving Dinner
（http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/26/dining/26dele.html?_r=1&ref=style）
MY reactions：

It is so interesting to compare preparing a Thanksgiving dinner to managing a company. Indeed, neither of them is an easy task, both of which require a great number of endeavors. Starting from scratch ending up receiving applause is what a successful chief executive officer may go through.
According to this article, a host equal to a C.E.O. is supposed to start with a vision. As the Thanksgiving chief architect, one can ask himself what is his vision toward this special occasion. It is a good idea to think bigger, but one should avoid expecting something impossibly achievable. There are two things to take into consideration：Organizing to execute and organizing to innovate. Then try to have effective delegation focus on results, not methods,because in this way person responsible for the job can do whatever he wants.Most importantly,a praiseworthy leader should appreciate people publicly and never blame mistakes on others.
As for my own experience,taking charge of an activity really calls for a sharp mind.The arrangement of delegation is always bothersome.Take one for example.Once being under the pressure to perform a good play in my high school time,I kept asking people to fulfill something they could not do or not want to.Therefore, I was accused of a bossy leader, and the performance turned out to be a real sulks.In fact,delegation is a terrific way to develop people.I should have given them a chance to shine by asking them questions that allowed them to express their accomplishments .After all, a successful cooperation was all what we pursued. （257words）

Maldives Considers Buying Dry Land if Seas Rise

Name: Angela Chen（49712051）
Reaction Article#7
Date:11/21/2008
From :New York Times
Maldives Considers Buying Dry Land if Seas Rise
By ANDREW C. REVKINhttp://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/11/science/earth/11maldives.html?scp=2&sq=Maldives&st=nyt
Maldives, once considered a heavenly place in the world, now unbelievably is likely to be destined for disappearance. Not only its original lowland but also the global warming problem has increased the crisis. The government now is going to plan to invest fund in buying a haven for its citizens.However, everyone will miss the breathtaking view.
The country is well-knowned as a traveling hot spot for its waters as clear as crystal. There is also a large number of atolls around it.However, after the Asian tsunami several years ago, people start to be aware of something different. The unexpected savior was the very coral reefs that surround the atolls, which absorbed the brunt of the initial 15- to 20-foot waves and reduced the wave size by half. Therefore, environmental protection is the most crucial thing ,including marine aspect as well as atmospheric condition. It is emissions of heat-trapping gases that are linked to rising temperatures, so people are very worried now.
If such a gorgeous paradise goes into history, how disappointed people will feel.
In order not to feel regretful,we had better do some action to love the earth.（214）

What Women Want

Name: Angela Chen（49712051）
Reaction Article#5
Date:11/06/2008
From :Newsweek
What Women Want
Designer Anna Sui on fashion, from New York to Tokyo.
（www.newsweek.com/id/162344）
My reactions:
Every time I browse through the shops in the department stores，Anna Sui’s boutique always draws my attention easily for its delicate storefront. One of her well-knowned style is traditionally tribal style, which combines a great number of different races. Then, I am wondering why she has such a talent to mix all those things and furthermore to create something novel. Once when I was sitting on a couch waiting for getting a perm，I took a look at a fashion magazine, and I was stunned to find out that Anna Sui looks like Asian as well as her younger age compared with other famous designers. How did she do to break the barrier?
From this article, we can see that the motive for her career is simply because of thinking becoming a designer is glamorous. However, she followed her heart to pursue her dream through dozens of difficulties. Thanks to the unique experiences her parents provided, which Anna Sui said is a big gift to her, she already prepared to think globally to face a foreign environment. Out of my surprise, it seemed that her age, gender and color of skin were not the main problem to her. Money is the biggest problem, but she overcame it.(210 words)

Math is Hard, Barbie Said

Name: Angela Chen（49712051）
Reaction Article#4
Date:10/31/2008
From :Newsweek
Math is Hard, Barbie Said
(http://www.newsweek.com/id/164523)
My Reactions:
Can we please retire the claim that boy brains are hard-wired for math and girl brains are not?
There has been a stereotype that girls have inferior math ability compared with boys. This article is trying to clear out the statement from biological point of view. According to the analysis the writer made, we can find chances are that the starkly social and other environmental forces in each country lead to the bias instead of the intrinsic biology. One may be confused if the outward force could make such a big influence on human’s behavior. Therefore, the writer also made efforts to clarify this point with dozens of scientific researches.
"Whether mathematical ability is identified depends on social, cultural and other environmental factors," says Janet Mertz of the University of Wisconsin, who led a study to discuss the math gender gap. It seems that the more emphasis the country put on the mathematical education, the better performance they did. For anyone still grasping for biological explanations for the math gender gap, consider neighboring countries with a common gene pool, such as the former East Germany and West Germany, or Slovakia and the Czech Republic. The female apparently did well in math.
It is no need to overestimate a man’s math ability, and to look down on a woman’s. Once people put prejudice on the gender, it may really affect the performance because one has expected it what will go on.(about 200 words)