1) Watch the 2010 World Bank International Essay Competition 2nd place winner and answer the following questions:
- Why do you think it receved the second prize?
- What type of essay is it?
- How does the author support his point of view?
2) Download the PDF file and take the quiz then check your answers.
3) Now let's practise how well you can use connectors. Take the QUIZ.
3) What is a thesis? Watch the video and write your own, detailed definition.
4) Watch the Video Essay "A Scenic America" and write your opinions about the essay in 150-200 words.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txFwuJz_iK8
ReplyDelete"If you start younger, you will get success faster" – such a short message but so true and self-consistent. For the last year I’m haunted by the idea of starting my own business and to work for myself – It’s really hard to find something nice, especially if you are a student – no one wants to give you a job because of your schedule or lack of experience.
Searching for a perfect essay I’ve chosen this one because, first of all, I liked the idea of the video. Secondary, I love its simplicity and purity. This young lady shared her own experience in a motivational way, even if it seems a little bit naïve.
So, what should we do? Indira has the answer! Firstly, "explore yourself!" And she is right. Do what you love and love what you do. For this you need just to find your strong point, "it could be anything: your hobbies or activities (photography, drawing)".
Secondary, "make it marketable!" Working as a sales representative, I’ve learned that it doesn’t matter so much what are you saying, but how you are saying that – you can sell anything while you believe in your product. "Don’t think too much. Do it now!" The use of imperative mood makes this essay a motivational and dynamical one, inspiring the public for action.
Visual essay by Scenic America on Urban Sign Pollution
ReplyDeleteAfter watching this video I wondered what Scenic America represents and I found out that “Scenic America is the only national nonprofit organization dedicated solely to preserving and enhancing the visual character of America’s communities and countryside.” They accomplish this mission through national advocacy efforts and technical assistance services, local and national projects, and the support of US state affiliates. I think that this video essay is also a way of “accomplishing their mission”.
This essay describes another kind of pollution, that kind that does not affect the atmosphere, but the American society, through advertising billboards and not only. I’m sure that because of that the author thinks that his cities “are in big trouble”. I believe I would also say that if the buildings in Chişinău were swallowed by enormous canvases, if all the places (historical or not) were hidden behind some commercial images. The video essay presents images of big cities of the US, like: Los Angeles, Hollywood, San Francisco, Miami, New York, an even Washington D.C. (which should have been an example of order and officiality), that are lost under all the advertising tools: ad-s on busses an walls, giant TV-s etc.
I am convinced that this essay wants to achieve the awareness of the population, and of the advertising companies, too, and they made it in a video format because Scenic America is concerned about the visual character of America's communities and countryside. In this way, they cannot only talk about the visual issues, but actually show them.
I chose the essay about pollution and the topic discussed there is plastic bags, and how we can recycle them. I thought that this topic is actual for our country also and the ideas given there can be used here in order to reduce the pollution in Moldova. The writer of this essay describes that in his country are a lot of plastic bags, even lands of plastic bags that pollute the soil. In the video we can see images taken by the writer that show us how many bags are there on the ground. I liked what he suggested to do: to recycle those bags in special places and make plastic granules. This kind of granules are used by different industries to make plastic products. The main point here is that this granules are the same that produce petrochemical companies, but a lot of cheaper.
ReplyDeleteI think that through this essay, the author wanted to warn us that nowadays people produce and throw too many plastic bags, an those bags are the main factor of pollution. He also gave a solution to this problem, the solution that was based on real example of recycling plastic bags. Each country that also have that kind of problem, can follow this example and encourage people to run a business that will recycle plastic bags. This will lead to minimization of pollution in the country and also industries that make plastic products will have the access to cheaper plastic granules in their country.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZXfcuaoRJk
¨Me.Us.All.Can stop Global Warming starting from little things¨
ReplyDeleteI chose ¨All of Me´s¨ video essay,because I like very much how the author present in a very simple way,a serios problem.He didn´t use a scientific vocabulary or complicated expirements,in order to develop his idea,he just show a banal and ordinary action.
It represent a problem and solution essay.The author draw the problem:The Global Warming, and, the end of the video,he gives a solution.
I like the structure of this essay-in a short form,it consits of introduction(author argues that people tend to think about themselves),body(author draws a problem) and the conclusion(the solution of the problem).
This essay examines a phenomena directly related with humanity.To make a better world,we have to start from ourselves.The big and important things consist from little and simple things.I little thing can be paper recycling,or using bio bags,or using nontoxic cleaning products,or planting trees.
Global Warming is a Global problem,and trough this video-essay,the author tried to call people to not be indifferent,and to start by ourselves to do better our environment.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaeHAV3rSfY
ReplyDelete“Without an idea there is no story” – the author point that the idea is the fundament of a story formed through inspiration. Inspiration is all around us. The idea is formed from pieces of everything that we have learned and have experienced through our entire life. All that we have to do is pulling the pieces together and take off running…
The idea is closely related to the human being. It is a conception, a thought that actually exists in the mind. The term of “idea” was defined by the greatest philosophers: Plato considered idea an archetype of which a corresponding being in phenomenal reality is an imperfect replica, Kant - a concept of reason that is transcendent but nonempirical and Hegel said that idea is the absolute truth, the complete and ultimate product of reason. Idea is a reason of doing something phenomenal, changing the entire world. For example the idea of inventing computers, medicines or even atomic bombs change the world, change the mind of people. The idea is everything that the person has. It is so pure and absolute correct. The idea is perfection.
by Reshetnic Cristina, FB-29G
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKD0fuR1dsg
ReplyDeleteVideo Essay: Moscow's Traffic Mess
It is a video essay that describes the terrible traffic jams of Moscow, that make people spend a lot of time just waiting. Even if Medvedev and Putin get to Kremlin in few minutes, citizens are blocked in huge rows of vehicles in the morning. The roads represent a hell for the car-drivers, some of them just leaving the car and getting back for them in some days.
One crazy thing about driving in Russia is the traffic Cops, that can stop you everywhere they want. While he calls you outside the car, there starts some kind of negotiation. Some drivers prefer to give 100 rubles instead of loosing time on getting written tickets.
While driving on terrificly full roads of Moscow, you see that not everything appears as it should. It seems that traffic jams and cops, unexpected pedestrians and stopping traffic lights, accidents make foreigners and Russians loose their hope that there will be more clean, quiet and waitless roads of Moscow. I think there won't...because it is already a hell!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzX9aWSH_8E
ReplyDeleteThis video essay is about unemployment like a state of mind. At any given minute, all around the world, 1.2 bilion people are unemployed. There are thousand ways to get busy man and you should be the one to create the opportunity. Initiative knows no lows only highs. Open your mind to the endless posibilities,no matter how old you are, the main thing is to have the purpose.
I chose this video essay, first of all because it is on a very actual subject for our society. In my opinion it’s a very creative essay and it good structured. The black and white design attract attention, voice is very nice and it is in changing in different context. The essay is very specific, key words are distinctive. I think that it is an excellent video essay which can stimulate people to start something and to understand that first of all they have to change something in their mind.
Melnicenco Tatiana FB-29g