Creative Writing Text

Topic: “The Magical Talisman”.

Outline:
I. I found a surprisingly beautiful blue stone in the forest.
II. After having the stone in my hands, I lost my sense of being until somebody helped me.
III. After the fainting, I began to hear sounds and voices.
IV. I realized with my family that I was able to hear what they were saying without them actually saying it.
V. I got scared because the blue stone has given me the power to read thoughts.
VI. I experienced my new ability with my family.
VII. I experienced my ability with other people.
VIII. I controlled my ability a hundred percent that allowed me to notice the advantages and disadvantages of having it.
IX. I decided to throw as far as possible the surprisingly beautiful blue stone that was ruining my life.

The Magical Talisman

I never would have had imagined that while taking a walk in the forest my life could change so drastically. I was taking my usual stroll when I noticed a glitter at a distance. I began walking towards the blinding light as a child walks for a candy mindlessly. As I got nearer to the amazing light an object began taking form, revealing the source of the light. The light was coming from a surprisingly beautiful blue stone, which I took in my hands to appreciate its beauty. As I did this an electric shock traveled to the depths of my body.

After this sensation, I lost my sense of being until a voice calling me: “Hello, are you ok?” woke me from my state of mind. I found myself wrapped in the arms of an unknown person talking to me. She then sat me up and told me to remain seated for a few moments. I could hear her talking, but it seemed like she was just talking to herself because I could not see anyone else nearby. After a few minutes she helped me to my feet and asked if I was good to go. I told her I was fine, even though I had a weird sensation that something was very different.

She was kind enough to walk with me just to make sure I was fine. I began hearing a lot of voices and sounds that I could not identify from where or who was saying them. I thought it was just a side effect of my fainting, so I just went straight home and went to bed to rest. I fell fast asleep until I heard and felt my mom calling me. She was on my bedside asking me if I was “OK”, I answered to her that I was fine then I told her why, was she asking. Then I heard her say “Just, you never take naps” to what I answered, “I was just feeling tired and went to bed when I got home”. After saying this, my mom gave me a weird look and left. This really troubled me so I got out of bed and followed her into the kitchen.

Once again I started hearing a lot of voices, but I could not see anyone talking. I could hear my brother saying “What is there to eat?” and my mom asking “what am I going to make for supper?” I was very confused and began to reflect on what was happening. Then I realized what was really happening. I was able to hear what my family was saying without them actually saying it. It was all out of focus and hard to understand, but I was sure, that, that was what was happening.

I got scared and ran to my room. I began to think how could this be happening? It made me retrace my steps and remember about the shinny blue stone and my fainting in the forest. The stone must have given me the power to read thoughts maybe even minds. I wanted to experiment and check what I would be able to do with my newly acquired powers.

I went back downstairs with my family and sat at the dining table. I could hear what everyone was thinking and saying at the same time, it was so much information that it was confusing at times. By the end of supper I was able to have more control and focus my ability. Making everything clearer and easier to understand.

I went to bed with a little bit of uncertainty, but happy because from this moment my adventure to own the world had begun. The next day when I woke up the first thing I did was to read the thoughts of each of the members of my family. At first, it was still difficult to control this ability because I was not able to distinguish which thoughts came from each member of the family. But by the time I left my house to go to college my ability was a bit more trained, so I began to read the thoughts of who got in my way. By doing this, I realized that I was able to do what people are expecting me to do, and therefore I will be seen as someone perfect.

As days passed my ability got stronger, until I was able to control it a hundred percent. And when this happened, I was able to easily gain a lot of things such as permissions, trust, friends, gifts, jobs, money, good reputation, etc, etc, etc. But I also realized that having this ability has its disadvantages because with it, I found out things that are not pleasant to know such as hypocritical and lying people, depraved minds, dirty thoughts, etc.

Now that I have this ability and that I have it trained a hundred percent is not that fun to have it because it is not true that I have the world at my feet. I only have a hypocrisy world that I am building, since I wanted to be the person that everybody is expecting, and not the person I want to be. To finish with all this hypocrisy, I decided to throw as far as possible the surprisingly beautiful blue that was ruining my life.

Compare/Contrast Essay (Corrected)

Topic: Eyeglasses Vs Contact Lenses

Outline: Point-by-Point
I. Introduction
II. Price
a) Eyeglasses
b) Contact Lenses
III. Sight of Vision (natural and peripheral)
a) Eyeglasses
b) Contact Lenses
IV. Comfort
a) Eyeglasses
b) Contact Lenses
V. Conclusion

Eyeglasses Vs Contact Lenses

When you go to an ophthalmologist for the first time, the first thing that comes to your mind is that he or she is going to tell you that you are having sight problems, and due to this you will need to wear corrective eyewear. Wearing eyeglasses as we know is not the best option, since wearing them brings some disadvantages, such as having nicknames. However you need to know that eyeglasses are not the only option that corrects sight problems, since contact lenses also exist. They have some disadvantages too, but it is another option. So, in order to reach a decision on which type of corrective eyewear is the best for you, I am going to give you three differences between them, which are: price, sight of vision (natural and peripheral) and comfort; with the purpose of helping you to decide which option is more appropriate for you.

The first difference between eyeglasses and contact lenses is their price, since one can be cheaper than the other. Eyeglasses are considered to be cheaper, because the minimum price to buy one of these is $300 MXN, and their life span is for a year or more. So, if you want to buy a treatment for a year the cost will be between $300 MXN to $5,000 MXN, but you have to be aware that the price also varies depending on the brand you want to buy, the life span and the material by which is made. On the other hand, contact lenses’ treatment for a year start from $1,800 MXN to $2,500 MXN, but you should know that the price also depends on the brand you want to buy, the life span, and the material by which is made. So, if you are starting to have sight problems, and you do not know which type of corrective eyewear you want to buy, you have to look first into your pocket, since money is an important element to reach a decision.

A second difference between these two types of corrective eyewear is their sight of vision (natural and peripheral). With eyeglasses you cannot have a natural vision, because “the distance between the eye and the glasses cause the objects to appear larger or smaller than they actually are” (Wright, 2006). Also with eyeglasses you are not able to have a peripheral vision, since the frames of the glasses block it and every time you want to “move your eyes to the side, you are no longer looking through the optical lens, and due to this you can have a blurred and distorted vision” (Wright, 2006). On the contrary, with contact lenses you can have a more natural vision, since the place where you wear them is right on the cornea of the eye, and due to this, “objects appear in the correct size and positions, without any distortion” (Wright, 2006); moreover, with contact lenses you are able to have a wider view and a peripheral vision, due to the fact that with them you always see in a clear way because they move along with your eyes (Wright, 2006). To sum up, you have to know that the sight of vision (natural and peripheral) of these two types of corrective eyewear is another thing in which you have to think about, because choosing the inappropriate eyewear will not let you have the vision you are expecting.

A third difference between glasses and contacts is their comfort. Using eyeglasses is not very comfortable because they fog up with every temperature change, they are a distraction while practicing a sport or playing a game, because they do not remain in the same place, that is to say, they are unstable. Also this type of corrective eyewear is not very comfortable because wearing them while it is snowing or raining is annoying, due to the fact that they partially block your lens; whereas, contact lenses are seen as more comfortable, because they do not fog up with every change of temperature, they do not distract you while practicing sports or playing games, since they remain stable (without moving), and it is not annoying to use them, because they do not blur your vision every time it snows or rains (Wouldn’t you rather wear contacts than glasses?, n.d.). In other words, you have noticed that comfort is another aspect to take into account in order to make the right decision on which one to buy, because depending on how comfortable you feel using one of these two types of corrective eyewear, you will perform satisfactorily all of your activities.

To conclude, even though eyeglasses and contact lenses are two types of corrective eyewear that have the same purpose which is to correct sight problems, they differ in some aspects such as: price, sight of vision (natural and peripheral) and comfort. So, taking into consideration these aspects one might require or benefit from using these two types of eyewear. If your budget allows you might be able to consider using glasses for formal situations or educational practices and limit the use of contacts for outdoor activities.

References

Wright, M. (2006, August 29). The Advantages of Contact Lenses over Glasses. Retrieved November 17th, 2010, from http://www.articlealley.com/article_84513_17.html?ktrack0kcplink GP ContactLenses. (n.d.). Wouldn’t you rather wear contacts than glasses? Retrieved November 18th, 2010, from http://www.contactlenses.org/clsglasses.htm

Compare/Contrast Essay

Topic: Eyeglasses Vs Contact Lenses

Outline: Point-by-Point
I. Introduction
II. Price
a) Eyeglasses
b) Contact Lenses
III. Sight of Vision (natural and peripheral)
a) Eyeglasses
b) Contact Lenses
IV. Comfort
a) Eyeglasses
b) Contact Lenses
V. Conclusion

Eyeglasses Vs Contact Lenses

When you go to an ophthalmologist for the first time, the first thing that comes to your mind is that he or she is going to tell you that you are having sight problems, and due to this you will need to wear corrective eyewear. Wearing eyeglasses as we know is not the best option, since wearing them brings some disadvantages, such as having nicknames. However you need to know that eyeglasses are not the only option that corrects sight problems, since contact lenses also exist. They have some disadvantages too, but it is another option. So, in order to reach a decision on which type of corrective eyewear is the best for you, I am going to give you three differences between them, which are: price, sight of vision (natural and peripheral) and comfort; with the purpose of helping you to decide which option is more appropriate for you.

The first difference between eyeglasses and contact lenses is their price, since one can be cheaper than the other. Eyeglasses are considered to be cheaper, because the minimum price to buy one of these is $300 MXN, and their life span is for a year or more. So, if you want to buy a treatment for a year the cost will be between $300 MXN to $5,000 MXN, but you have to be aware that the price also varies depending on the brand you want to buy, the life span and the material by which is made. On the other hand, contact lenses’ treatment for a year start from $1,800 MXN to $2,500 MXN, but you should know that the price also depends on the brand you want to buy, the life span, and the material by which is made. So, if you are starting to have sight problems, and you do not know which type of corrective eyewear you want to buy, you have to look first into your pocket, since money is an important element to reach a decision.

A second difference between these two types of corrective eyewear is their sight of vision (natural and peripheral). With eyeglasses you cannot have a natural vision, because “the distance between the eye and the glasses cause the objects to appear larger or smaller than they actually are” (Wright, 2006, para. 10). Also with eyeglasses you are not able to have a peripheral vision, since the frames of the glasses block it and every time you want to “move your eyes to the side, you are no longer looking through the optical lens, and due to this you can have a blurred and distorted vision” (Wright, 2006, para. 12). On the contrary, with contact lenses you can have a more natural vision, since the place where you wear them is right on the cornea of the eye, and due to this, “objects appear in the correct size and positions, without any distortion” (Wright, 2006, para. 10); moreover, with contact lenses you are able to have a wider view and a peripheral vision, due to the fact that with them you always see in a clear way because they move along with your eyes (Wright, 2006, para. 12). To sum up, you have to know that the sight of vision (natural and peripheral) of these two types of corrective eyewear is another thing in which you have to think about, because choosing the inappropriate eyewear will not let you have the vision you are expecting.

A third difference between glasses and contacts is their comfort. Using eyeglasses is not very comfortable because they fog up with every temperature change, they are a distraction while practicing a sport or playing a game, because they do not remain in the same place, that is to say, they are unstable. Also this type of corrective eyewear is not very comfortable because wearing them while it is snowing or raining is annoying, due to the fact that they partially block your lens; whereas, contact lenses are seen as more comfortable, because they do not fog up with every change of temperature, they do not distract you while practicing sports or playing games, since they remain stable (without moving), and it is not annoying to use them, because they do not blur your vision every time it snows or rains (Wouldn’t you rather wear contacts than glasses?, n.d., table). In other words, you have noticed that comfort is another aspect to take into account in order to make the right decision on which one to buy, because depending on how comfortable you feel using one of these two types of corrective eyewear, you will perform satisfactorily all of your activities.

To conclude, even though eyeglasses and contact lenses are two types of corrective eyewear that have the same purpose which is to correct sight problems, they differ in some aspects such as: price, sight of vision (natural and peripheral) and comfort. So, taking into consideration these aspects one might require or benefit from using these two types of eyewear. If your budget allows you might be able to consider using glasses for formal situations or educational practices and limit the use of contacts for outdoor activities.

References

Wright, M. (2006, August 29). The Advantages of Contact Lenses over Glasses. Retrieved November 17th, 2010, from http://www.articlealley.com/article_84513_17.html?ktrack0kcplink
GP ContactLenses. (n.d.). Wouldn’t you rather wear contacts than glasses? Retrieved November 18th, 2010, from http://www.contactlenses.org/clsglasses.htm

Argumentative Essay (Corrected)

Topic: Euthanasia

OUTLINE:

Pattern 1
I. Introduction
II. Pro idea 1: Terminally ill people stop suffering
III. Pro idea 2: Helps families’ sustainability
IV. Counterargument/refutation: Against good customs, values and religion/statistics demonstrate that we as humans have the right to die.
IV. Conclusion

Euthanasia

Euthanasia must be considered legal because it is “a way of relieving people’s pain and save them from the tortures of their illness” (List of Argument Essay Topics, n.d.). If euthanasia goes on, the patients would not be the only ones that would stop suffering, but also the people that surround them. If you know a person that has a terminal disease, you should know that the best option to get rid of the suffering is euthanasia. If you think in this way, it is because you love and want the well-being of that person. But if you still think that euthanasia is not the best option, and that it should not be legalized, let me give you two reasons why euthanasia helps patients to have a better life.


The main reason why euthanasia should be considered legal is because it helps terminally ill people to stop suffering. If you aid or assist euthanasia, you would help those people with the big agony that they have to deal with, since their suffering will come to an end. I know that you will be in disposition to help them because euthanasia also helps those people to be in peace. You are probably thinking that medicines can also help the patients feel better, but you have to know that medication only relieves pain just for a while, and that sometimes this does not work in extreme cases. Another thing you have to know as an unbeliever is that euthanasia also helps those people that surround the patients, since they also suffer the same agony. To summarize, euthanasia is the step we must take to leave behind all suffering.


A second important reason why euthanasia is the best option for those that have a terminal illness is because if it is carried out you will help those patients with the sustainability of their families. You might think that this is not a good reason why euthanasia should be considered legal, but let me tell you that in these cases those people who are suffering, the last thing they want is that you as his/her family pay more medication, hospitals and treatments. But if you still think that this is not a good reason, try to be in the shoes of those people who are almost dying. Now tell me, what do you think about this? If you really are in the place of these people your thought must be that you do not need more suffering then the one you have, since the last thing you wish is to lead your family to economical problems or to a bankruptcy. To sum up, assisted suicide helps terminally ill people to leave this world in peace, since they will not feel remorse for leaving debts to their families.


However, other people believe that euthanasia is against the good customs and values that we as humans have. Moreover, these people think that euthanasia is a method that humans might not follow because the religion says that God is the only one who has the right to decide when, how and where people will die (Van Tongerloo, n.d., para. 2). On the other hand, “a fully 70% of 1, 500 people say that there are circumstances when patients should be allowed to die, while just 22% believe that doctors and nurses should always do everything possible to save a patient” (Strong Public Support for the Right to Die, 2006, para. 1). Now you have noticed that most people think that we as humans have the right to die, and that if we carry out this right, we will not be worse people, since all we want is to feel better, and this is not a sin that prevents us from having those good customs and values that we were taught since childhood.

In conclusion, euthanasia should be considered legal because if we help it to be carried out, we will help those people who are suffering, to relieve that unbearable pain they feel, and also because it will help the sustainability of families that have terminally ill people. If you want to prove that euthanasia is the best option you only have to take a look in some statistics that show that sick people prefer euthanasia as a good option to get rid of the suffering.

References

Good essay topics. (n.d.). Argumentative Essay Topics. List of Argument Essay Topics. Retrieved November 1st, 2010, from http://www.goodessaytopics.com/argumentative-essay-topics.html The Pew Research Center for the People & the Press. (2006, January 5). Strong Public Support for the Right to Die. Retrieved November 1st, 2010, from http://people-press.org/report/266/strong-public-support-for-right-to-die Van Tongerloo, E. (n.d.). Arguments against euthanasia. Retrieved November 1st, 2010, from http://www.helium.com/items/65132-arguments-against-euthanasia

Argumentative Essay

Topic: Euthanasia

OUTLINE:

Pattern 1
I. Introduction
II. Pro idea 1: Ill people stop suffering
III. Pro idea 2: Helps families’ sustainability
IV. Counterargument/refutation: Against good customs, values and religion/statistics demonstrate that we as humans have the right to die.
IV. Conclusion

Euthanasia

Euthanasia must be considered legal because it is “a way of relieving people’s pain and save them from the tortures of their illness” (List of Argument Essay Topics, n.d.). If euthanasia goes on, the patients would not be the only ones that would stop suffering, but also the people that surround them. If you know a person that has a terminal disease, you should know that the best option to get rid of the suffering is euthanasia. If you think in this way, it is because you love and want the well-being of that person. But if you still think that euthanasia is not the best option, and that it should not be legalized, let me give you two reasons why euthanasia helps patients to have a better life.

The main reason why euthanasia should be considered legal is because it helps ill people to stop suffering. If you aid or assist euthanasia, you would help those people with the big agony that they have to deal with, since their suffering will come to an end. I know that you will be in disposition to help them because euthanasia also helps those people to be in peace. You are probably thinking that medicines can also help the patients feel better, but you have to know that medication only relieves pain just for a while, and that sometimes this does not work in extreme cases. Another thing you have to know as an unbeliever is that euthanasia also helps those people that surround the patients, since they also suffer the same agony. To summarized, euthanasia is the step we must take to leave behind all suffering.

A second important reason why euthanasia is the best option for those that have a terminal illness is because if it is carried out you will help those patients with the sustainability of their families. You might think that this is not a good reason why euthanasia should be considered legal, but let me tell you that in these cases those people who are suffering, the last thing they want is that you as his/her family pay more medication, hospitals and treatments. But if you still think that this is not a good reason, try to be in the shoes of those people who are almost dying. Now tell me, what do you think about this? If you really are in the place of these people your thought must be that you do not need more suffering then the one you have, since the last thing you wish is to lead to your family economical problems or a bankruptcy. To sum up, assisted suicide helps ill people to leave this world in peace, since they will not feel remorse for leaving debts to his/her families.

However, other people believe that euthanasia is against the good customs and values that we as humans have. Moreover, these people think that euthanasia is a method that humans might not do because the religion says that God is the only one who has the right to decide when, how and where people will die (Van Tongerloo, n.d., para. 2). On the other hand, “a fully 70% of 1, 500 people say that there are circumstances when patients should be allowed to die, while just 22% believe that doctors and nurses should always do everything possible to save a patient” (Strong Public Support for the Right to Die, 2006, para. 1). Now you have noticed that most people think that we as humans have the right to die, and that if we carry out this right, we will not be worse people, since all we want is to feel better, and this is not a sin that prevents us from having those good customs and values that we were taught since childhood.

In conclusion, euthanasia should be considered legal because if we help it to be carried out, we will help those people who are suffering, to relieve that unbearable pain they feel, and also because it will help the sustainability of families that have ill people. If you want to prove that euthanasia is the best option you only have to take a look in some statistics that show that sick people prefer euthanasia as a good option to get rid of the suffering.

References

Good essay topics. (n.d.). Argumentative Essay Topics. List of Argument Essay Topics. Retrieved November 1st, 2010, from http://www.goodessaytopics.com/argumentative-essay-topics.html
The Pew Research Center for the People & the Press. (2006, January 5). Strong Public Support for the Right to Die. Retrieved November 1st, 2010, from http://people-press.org/report/266/strong-public-support-for-right-to-die
Van Tongerloo, E. (n.d.). Arguments against euthanasia. Retrieved November 1st, 2010, from http://www.helium.com/items/65132-arguments-against-euthanasia

Literacy Process Essay (Corrected)

Topic: The Evolution of my Electronic Literacy.

Outline:
I. Introduction
II. The Beginnings of my Electronic Literacy
A. How I started using electronic tools?
a) School
· Elementary School (Image Viewer: Paint; Word Processor: Word)
· Middle School (Image Viewer: Paint; Word Processors: Word and Excel; Search Engine: Encarta)
· High School (Image Viewer: Paint; Word Processors: Word, Excel, WordPad, PowerPoint, Notepad; Internet; e-mails: Hotmail; Search Engines: Google and Yahoo; Chat rooms: Messenger.
B. Electronic Tools
a) Purposes
· Get Familiarized
· Education
· Entertainment
b) Difficulty
· Lack of electronic literacy
c) Limitation
· Expensive
d) Advantages
· Education
· Get in contact with people
· Things were much easier
· Save time
e) Disadvantages
· Expensive
· Difficult to manage at the beginning
· Plagiarism
III. My Electronic Literacy Nowadays
A. My strength and weakness in electronic literacy
a) I know how to use Internet, e-mails, some Search Engines, Social Networks, Chat Rooms, Discussion Boards, Word Processors, Blogs, Portfolios and Image Viewers.
b) Lack of knowledge on how to use some programs
B. How electronic tools have influenced/improved my L1/L2
a) Composition
b) Fluency
c) Grammar
d) Spelling
e) Get in touch with the language
IV. My Future Electronic Literacy
A. Plans
a) Online courses
b) Master degree
c) Get more in touch with virtual libraries
B. Expectations
a) Be better in the use of programs
b) Be familiar with a lot more programs
V. Conclusion

The Evolution of my Electronic Literacy

At some time, have you ever questioned yourself if you have evolved in the way you write, speak, listen and read? I do and that is why I wrote this essay because I want you to notice that all people including me have had an evolution on these four skills. Probably you are asking yourself what I mean by an evolution, so before you start questioning yourself about it, I will tell you what I mean. By evolution I mean the emergence of what today is electronic literacy, but if you still do not know what is electronic literacy let me give you a brief explanation. Electronic literacy means the developing of our four skills in a technological environment. So now I can say that an evolution began in the past, it is still in development and will continue and will not finish until the future, since life evolves every day.

The beginnings of my electronic literacy (computer software) began at school, since this was the first place that put me in touch with it. In Elementary School I started to use the basic programs of a computer like the image viewer, Paint, and the word processor (Word) because my teachers taught me how they work. In Middle School besides knowing how Paint and Word worked, my teachers put me in touch (taught me) with the word processor Excel and the search engine Encarta. In High School I began my evolution since besides knowing how Paint, Word, Excel and the search engine Encarta worked by means of friends and teachers I began using WordPad, PowerPoint, Notepad, Internet, e-mails: Hotmail; Google, Yahoo and Messenger. For me, knowing the programs mentioned, first helped me become familiar with them, so that later I could be able to use them for educational and entertainment purposes. In the process of understanding how these programs work, I had a difficulty at first which was the lack of knowledge in this field, and I also had the limitation that when I was in Elementary School my parents could not buy me a computer because at that time they were very expensive. Now I can say that the beginnings of my electronic literacy (computer software) brought me both advantages and disadvantages. The advantages were in my education, in the way I communicate with other people, that things were much easier, and finally that it helped me to save time. And the disadvantages of this electronic literacy were and continue to be expensive, difficult to manage at the beginning, and that plagiarism may occur. So to conclude, the beginnings of my electronic literacy gave me the experience in order for me to have a wider knowledge of this field.

The knowledge that I have today on electronic literacy has made me realize about my strengths and weaknesses, and also on how this literacy has influenced and improved my L1 and L2. The most important strength is that I now know how to use Internet, e-mails, some search engines, social networks, chat rooms, discussion boards, word processors, blogs, portfolios and image viewers. I know how these programs work due to the fact that I have been in contact with all of them for many years. I do not only have the strength mentioned, I also have a weakness, and this is that I still have a lack of knowledge on how to use some programs, due to the lack of information that I have about them. The electronic tools especially the computer have influenced and improved my L1 and L2 in several aspects such as composition, fluency, grammar, and spelling. But knowing how to use a computer not only has helped me in these aspects, but also has helped me remain in contact with both languages. To sum up, I have noticed that since I began using the computer, I have improved my electronic literacy, and now I can say that what I know today about this topic will help me in the future.

My future electronic literacy is characterized by the plans and expectations I want to achieve. In order to achieve these plans and expectations, I will be using continuously electronic tools which will help me carry them out. The plans that I have in mind and that I want to carry out are: to take online courses, to do a masters degree, and to be more in touch with virtual libraries, and I know that I am going to carry them out because I will be practicing and improving my electronic literacy. The expectations I have towards this literacy are very simple, but that does not mean that they are not very important, and these are: to be better in the use of programs (computer software) and to be familiarized with a lot more of these programs. My expectations will probably sound for you very easy to carry out, but for me these expectations are difficult to accomplish, because, ever since I was in Elementary School, I have been trying to improve my electronic literacy, and still I have been unable to achieve it completely, since this field is too broad. To summarize, the plans and expectations I have towards my future electronic literacy are uncertain, due to the fact that future is indefinite and therefore difficult to say if what I want for this, will be fulfilled.

Finally, I can say that my electronic literacy has evolved over time, but not as much as I would like it to happen, since this field is too broad to know it completely. I also know that for the future I can achieve a wider knowledge of this field, and I know that the only things I need in order to achieve it are: to do my best, and to put desire and enthusiasm. So in order to become a completely electronically literate person, you need the help of three allies, and these three allies are: time, desire to learn and the enthusiasm that you put into learning.

Introductory Essay

Topic: The Essence of my Life

Outline:
I. Introduction
II. General Information
III. Past Activities
A. My last 6 birthday parties
B. My last 2 graduations
C. My sister's departure
D. The birth of my two nephews
E. An academic decision
IV. Present Activities
A. Priorities
B. Hobbies
C. Routines
V. Future Plans
A. Study
B. Work
C. Get married
D. Have a family
E. Travel
F. Buy
a) House
b) Car
IV. Conclusion

The Essence of my Life

Have you ever asked yourself, what has happened to you throughout your life, and what is coming next? Let me tell you that I have, and I found that sometimes we categorize events or things that have happened to us as insignificant, but in the long run we realize that these become part of our essence of life. I noticed when answering these questions that past and present events help us become the persons we are now, and future events the persons that we will become. These stages in life are the only ones that help identify the essence of each person and knowing the general information of a person will also allow you to start knowing the essence of that person. In order to know what is my essence of life, you should keep reading this essay.

My essence of life is represented by all the aspects that make me a unique girl. This essence began in April 22nd 1990, when I was born, since then, I am brunet and my name is Alma Susana Ortiz García. Another aspect of my life is that I have a great family composed by my mom Lucia, my dad Armando, an older brother Armando and an older sister Elizabeth. Other aspects that represent me are that I am a short thin girl with a long dark brown hair. Since I was a teenager people called me Zuzzie and I started to notice that I had acquired values like: friendship, honesty, responsibility, cheerfulness, strong work ethics, etc. The last aspect that I want to mention about me is my marital status, I am single, but in a stable relationship. Now you can notice that I have several aspects that might be similar to yours, but you will notice that my essence identifies me not only for the aspects mentioned before, but also because of the experiences that I have had.

The past activities and experiences that have made me the person that I am now are: my last six birthday parties, my two graduations, my sister's departure, the birth of my two nephews and an academic decision I have taken. My last six birthday parties because they represent a stage in my life that have brought me happiness and freedom along with responsibilities and work. My two graduations also represented a stage, but this time in my academic life, just like it brought me responsibilities and work, but the most important thing is that it brought me memorable friends. The hardest moment would be my sister's departure (when she got married), but this situation made me a stronger person. Another significant past activity in my life was the birth of my two nephews, since for my family and I, they are the shine that light up our days. The important academic decision I took have made me the person I am now, since I had to decide in which university I wanted to study (UPA or UAA), with this decision I realized that teaching is what I want to do all my life. Now you had the opportunity to realize that my past activities are identifying the beginning of my essence.

Putting together my priorities, hobbies, and routines have shaped what today is my life. My principal priorities are: studying the B.A. in ELT (English Language Teaching) and become a better person in all areas. Studying the B.A. in ELT because even at a young age my dream was to become a teacher, but I never imagined that I could accomplish this dream, but now I can make this dream into a reality. And become a better person because if I know how to "build" myself, I will be able to know and identify that all my experiences are allowing me to accomplish my objective. Other aspects that identify my essence are my hobbies: going out, dancing, and listening to music. I really like to go out with my friends, boyfriend, and family to any place, since for me that is the least important; the important thing is to spend time with each one of them. Other hobbies that identify me are that I like to dance and listen to music, but I like to dance and listen Mexican music: banda, tambora, and mariachi, for me dancing and listening to music are the greatest things that I can do. The last aspect I want to mention are my routines, since they are: coming to the university, studying and doing homework. Even though all of them are related with my academic life, I enjoy doing them because I love my career. My present essence of life stems my past like the same way my present will stem my future.

The essence of my future is somewhat uncertain, since my present has not finished yet. But I know that if I work hard, I will be able to accomplish all I want for my life. I know that I will be able to study a doctorate, work either in a school or in a company as a teacher, get married and have three children, travel to Australia and Europe: France, Italy, Spain and England, and of course have a house and a car. Now you have realized that what I want for my future life. This is what I have been building my entire life. And I know that this will come true due to the simple fact that I take my life as a great goal to be accomplished.

To conclude, the essence of a person is constructed according to his/her own experiences as days go on, it is like a plant that it has to be watered, since if you do not take care of it every day you are not going to have a cultivated and beautiful plant.

Introductory Essay (Corrected)

Topic: The Essence of my Life

Outline:
I. Introduction
II. General Information
III. Past Activities
A. My last 6 birthday parties
B. My last 2 graduations
C. My sister's departure
D. The birth of my two nephews
E. An academic decision
IV. Present Activities
A. Priorities
B. Hobbies
C. Routines
V. Future Plans
A. Study
B. Work
C. Get married
D. Have a family
E. Travel
F. Buy
a) House
b) Car
IV. Conclusion

The Essence of my Life

Have you ever asked yourself, what has happened to you throughout your life, and what is coming next? Let me tell you that I have, and I found that sometimes we categorize events or things that have happened to us as insignificant, but in the long run we realize that these become part of our essence of life. I noticed when answering these questions that past and present events help us become the persons we are now, and future events the persons that we will become. These stages in life are the only ones that help identify the essence of each person and knowing the general information of a person will also allow you to start knowing the essence of that person. In order to know what is my essence of life, you should keep reading this essay.

My essence of life is represented by all the aspects that make me a unique girl. This essence began in April 22nd 1990, when I was born, since then, I am brunet and my name is Alma Susana Ortiz García. Another aspect of my life is that I have a great family composed by my mom Lucia, my dad Armando, an older brother Armando and an older sister Elizabeth. Other aspects that represent me are that I am a short thin girl with a long dark brown hair. Since I was a teenager people called me Zuzzie and I started to notice that I had acquired values like: friendship, honesty, responsibility, cheerfulness, strong work ethics, etc. The last aspect that I want to mention about me is my marital status, I am single, but in a stable relationship. Now you can notice that I have several aspects that might be similar to yours, but you will notice that my essence identifies me not only for the aspects mentioned before, but also because of the experiences that I have had.

The past activities and experiences that have made me the person that I am now are: my last six birthday parties, my last two graduations, my sister's departure, the birth of my two nephews and an academic decision I have taken. My last six birthday parties because they represent a stage in my life that have brought me happiness and freedom along with responsibilities and work. My last two graduations also represented a stage, but this time in my academic life, just like it brought me responsibilities and work, but the most important thing is that it brought me memorable friends. The hardest moment would be my sister's departure (when she got married), but this situation made me a stronger person. Another significant past activity in my life was the birth of my two nephews, since for my family and I, they are the shine that light up our days. The important academic decision I took have made me the person I am now, since I had to decide in which university I wanted to study (UPA or UAA), with this decision I realized that teaching is what I want to do all my life. Now you had the opportunity to realize that my past activities are identifying the beginning of my essence.

Putting together my priorities, hobbies, and routines have shaped what today is my life. My principal priorities are: studying the B.A. in ELT (English Language Teaching) and become a better person in all areas. Studying the B.A. in ELT because even at a young age my dream was to become a teacher, but I never imagined that I could accomplished this dream, but now I can make this dream into a reality. And become a better person because if I know how to "build" myself, I will be able to know and identify that all my experiences are allowing me to accomplish my objective. Other aspects that identify my essence are my hobbies: going out, dancing, and listening to music. I really like to go out with my friends, boyfriend, and family to any place, since for me that is the least important; the important thing is to spend time with each one of them. Other hobbies that identify me are that I like to dance and listen to music, but I like to dance and listen to Mexican music: banda, tambora, and mariachi, for me dancing and listening to music are the greatest things that I can do. The last aspect I want to mention are my routines, since they are: coming to the university, studying and doing homework. Even though all of them are related with my academic life, I enjoy doing them because I love my career. My present essence of life stems my past like the same way my present will stem my future.

The essence of my future is somewhat uncertain, since my present has not finished yet. But I know that if I work hard, I will be able to accomplish all I want for my life. I know that I will be able to study a doctorate, work either in a school or in a company as a teacher, get married and have three children, travel to Australia and Europe: France, Italy, Spain and England, and of course have a house and a car. Now you have realized what I want for my future life. This is what I have been building my entire life. And I know that this will come true due to the simple fact that I take my life as a great goal to be accomplished.

To conclude, the essence of a person is constructed according to his/her own experiences as days go on, it is like a plant that it has to be watered, since if you do not take care of it every day you are not going to have a cultivated and beautiful plant.

Descriptive Essay

My Wonderful Gift: My Mom

Outline:

I. Introduction
II. Positive Aspects
a) Wonderful
b) Adorable
c) Trustworthy
d) Sincere
e) Wise
f) Helpful
g) Protective
h) Lovely
i) Kind-hearted
III. Things she gives me...
a) Care
b) Courage to do things
c) Love
d) Self-confidence
e) Attention
IV. Likes and Dislikes
a) Likes
-Family living
-Gives solutions to any kind of problem
b) Dislikes
-Hypocrisy
-Gossipy people
V. Conclusion

Before the ninth month of gestation, I was desperate to be born in this world. The first reason to felt like that was because I wanted to know the person who was always talking to me with those beautiful words that made me feel beloved. Inside the belly of that wonderful person, I could feel her hands caressing me in spite of the fact that she was not touching me literally. Those caresses made me feel the softness of her hands which represented all the love she feels for me. Also inside the belly of this person, I could listen to every sweet and lovely word coming out of her mouth, while caressing me. With everything what I felt and listened from this person, I had many conflicting feelings, but this did not make me lose the sight of my goal, which was to know everything about this person. When I was born and I looked at that person who had been with me these nine months, I noticed that the person was a wonderful gift given by God, and that from now she is going to be my mom.

Over time and with coexistence, I have been discovering through my senses that the gift God gave me has aspects that identify her as a unique and unrivalled person. I have noticed that my mom is wonderful simply because when I see her, I can see and feel how amazing and fantastic she is, since I can notice this to long distance because these aspects are impregnated in her personality. She is also adorable because every time we spoke, she does it with a soft and pleasant voice that inspires on me love and admiration. My mom is a trustworthy person or a person in who you can trust, since you can tell her any kind of things, she always will be there to listen to you very carefully every time you need it. She is like a grave when someone tells her their things, because she does not like to disclose them. She only wants to keep them for her, because she likes to be faithful. Every time I want to tell her my things (problems, concerns, thoughts, feelings, etc), she always waits for me with a smile. When she listens to me, she tries to be as sincere as possible when she gives me her points of view, even though I sometimes get mad with her because in some occasions we do not think in the same way. I know that she is always wise and knows the truth, like all moms, but I sometimes blind myself. I also know that she gives me those comments with the whole love of the world, because she wants my well and also because she wants to help me. Sometimes when she gives me her points of view, I feel like in a judgment, first because she makes a poker face and asks me any kind of questions, and second, because she tells me first, that I have to listen to her, and after listening to her, I can decide if I take or not her advice, since she tells me that it depends on me because it is my life. I know that she does all these things for me because she wants to protect me of any kind of things, people, and situations; it is like she wants to keep me in a bubble. With all the positive aspects mentioned, there are also two more that are derived from these, which are that, she is a lovely and kind-hearted person. There is no explanation for these two positive aspects, since their meaning is extraordinary and inexplicable like the reflection of my mom.

All the aspects mentioned have made me realize that these aspects are nothing compared to what my mom has given me until today. I know that she gives them to me, because for her I am one of the most important people. One of the things she has given me is care, because since I was a baby, she has showed me this care every time she embraces me in a soft and delicate manner. Until today, she still does this for me every time she sees that I need some of those hugs. Another way she has shown me her care is by protecting me from all the bad things that are in my way, since she is like a wild animal protecting her cub. Another thing my mom has given me is courage to do all the things I want, since every time I listen to her speak, she is always doing it with lovely words and with a sight that reflects the courage I need. She also has given me the most important aspects for me which are: love, self-confidence and attention. Whenever my mom is with me, I can smell, perceive, and hear all the love she has for me, and I know this because my mom is love. I have self- confidence, due to the fact that I have seen that my mom has it, so she has been transmitting me this from every pore of her skin. Another thing that she has been transmitting me with every pore of her skin and with her actions is the attention that I have from her, since she is always keeping an eye on me also of what happens to me. With all the things I have mentioned, you can notice that my mom is an extraordinary person.

As any extraordinary person, my mom also has likes and dislikes, which they make her even more extraordinary. One of her likes is that she loves family living, and she transmits this by each one of her five senses. She transmits this with her sight because her eyes always show a sensational shine, with her hearing because she always listens to any good or bad comment, with her touch because she gives caresses all the time, with her smell because she always smells happiness, concern, problems, etc., and with her taste because she can distinguish when each one of her children is doing something good or bad. Another thing she likes to do is to help people find solutions to any kind of problem, since my mom is a kind-hearted person, and due to this, she first thinks of others before thinking about herself. One of the things my mom hates is when people pretend to be one person, but in fact they are another. When she realizes that she has met a hypocritical person her face turns red from anger, because she thinks that we should show us how we are. Another thing she dislikes is communicative people, that is to say, gossipy people. She dislikes them because they do not have an own life. One of the things she has done in front of this type of people is to show them an angry face, that is to say, she frowns. She does this because she wants that these people notice that she is angry because they are talking about things that do not matter for them. Now you have noticed that my mom as any other person also has reactions to certain situations.

To sum up, now I can say that God could not have given me a better gift, since my mom has everything I expect. She has wisdom, a good heart, courage, love, self-confidence, and any other values you can imagine, and that I could not write in this essay.

Literacy Process Essay

Topic: The Evolution of my Electronic Literacy

Outline:

I. Introduction
II. The Beginnings of my Electronic Literacy
A. How I started using electronic tools?
a) School
· Elementary School (Image Viewer: Paint; Word Processor: Word)
· Middle School (Image Viewer: Paint; Word Processors: Word and Excel; Search Engine: Encarta)
· High School (Image Viewer: Paint; Word Processors: Word, Excel, WordPad, PowerPoint, Notepad; Internet; e-mails: Hotmail; Search Engines: Google and Yahoo; Chat rooms: Messenger.
B. Electronic Tools
a) Purposes
· Get Familiarized
· Education
· Entertainment
b) Difficulty
· Lack of electronic literacy
c) Limitation
· Expensive
d) Advantages
· Education
· Get in contact with people
· Things were much easier
· Save time
e) Disadvantages
· Expensive
· Difficult to manage at the beginning
· Plagiarism
III. My Electronic Literacy Nowadays
A. My strength and weakness in electronic literacy
a) I know how to use Internet, e-mails, some Search Engines, Social Networks, Chat Rooms, Discussion Boards, Word Processors, Blogs, Portfolios and Image Viewers.
b) Lack of knowledge on how to use some programs
B. How electronic tools have influenced/improved my L1/L2
a) Composition
b) Fluency
c) Grammar
d) Spelling
e) Get in touch with the language
IV. My Future Electronic Literacy
A. Plans
a) Online courses
b) Master degree
c) Get more in touch with virtual libraries
B. Expectations
a) Be better in the use of programs
b) Be familiar with a lot more programs
V. Conclusion

The Evolution of my Electronic Literacy

At some time, have you ever questioned yourself if you have evolved in the way you write, speak, listen and read? I do and that is why I wrote this essay because I want you to notice that all people including me have had an evolution on these four skills. Probably you are asking yourself what I mean by an evolution, so before you start questioning yourself about it, I will tell you what I mean. By evolution I mean the emergence of what today is electronic literacy, but if you still do not know what is electronic literacy let me give you a brief explanation. Electronic literacy means the developing of our four skills in a technological environment. So now I can say that an evolution began in the past, it is still in development and will continue and will not finish until the future, since life evolves every day.

The beginnings of my electronic literacy (Computer Software) began at school, since this was the first place that put me in touch with it. In Elementary School I started to use the basic programs of a computer like the image viewer, Paint, and the word processor (Word) because my teachers taught me how they work. In Middle School besides knowing how Paint and Word worked, my teachers put me in touch (taught me) with the word processor Excel and the search engine Encarta. In High School I began my evolution since besides knowing how Paint, Word, Excel and the search engine Encarta worked by means of friends and teachers I began using WordPad, PowerPoint, Notepad, Internet, e-mails: Hotmail; Google, Yahoo and Messenger. For me, knowing the programs mentioned, first helped me become familiar with them, so that later I could be able to use them for educational and entertainment purposes. In the process of understanding how these programs work, I had a difficulty at first which was the lack of knowledge in this field, and I also had the limitation that when I was in Elementary School my parents could not buy me a computer because at the time they were very expensive. Now I can say that the beginnings of my electronic literacy (Computer Software) brought me both advantages and disadvantages. The advantages were in my education, in the way I communicate with other people, that things were much easier, and finally that it helped me save time. And the disadvantages of this electronic literacy were and continue to be expensive, difficult to manage at the beginning, and that plagiarism may occur. So to conclude, the beginnings of my electronic literacy gave me the experience in order for me to have a wider knowledge of this field.

The knowledge that I have today on electronic literacy have made me realized about my strengths and weaknesses, and also on how this literacy have influenced/improved my L1/L2. The most important strength is that I now know how to use Internet, e-mails, some Search Engines, Social Networks, Chat Rooms, Discussion Boards, Word Processors, Blogs, Portfolios and Image Viewers. I know how these programs work due to the fact that I have been in contact with all of them for many years. I not only have the strength mentioned, I also have a weakness, and this is that I still have a lack of knowledge on how to use some programs, due to the lack of information that I have about them. The electronic tools especially the computer have influenced/improved my L1/L2 in several aspects such as composition, fluency, grammar, and spelling. But knowing how to use a computer not only has helped me in these aspects, but also has helped me remain in contact with both languages. To sum up, I have noticed that since I began using the computer, I have improved my electronic literacy, and now I can say that what I know today about this topic will help me in the future.

My future electronic literacy is characterized by the plans and expectations I want to achieve. In order to achieve these plans and expectations, I will be using continuously electronic tools which will help me carry them out. The plans that I have in mind and that I want to carry out are: to take online courses, to do a master degree, and to be more in touch with virtual libraries, and I know that I am going to carry them out because I will be practicing and improving my electronic literacy. The expectations I have toward this literacy are very simple, but that does not mean that they are not very important, and these are: to be better in the use of programs (Computer Software) and to be familiarized with a lot more of these. My expectations will probably sound for you very easy to carry out, but for me these are difficult, because, ever since I was in Elementary School, I have been trying to improve my electronic literacy, and still I have been unable to achieve it completely, since this field is too broad. To summarized, the plans and expectations I have toward my future electronic literacy are uncertain, due to the fact that future is indefinite and therefore difficult to say if what I want for this, will be fulfilled.

Finally, I can say that my electronic literacy has evolved over time, but not as much as I would like to happen, since this field is too broad to know it completely. I also know that for the future I can achieve a wider knowledge of this field, and I know that the only things I need in order to achieve it are: to put more of me, and to put desire and enthusiasm. So in order to become a completely electronically literate person, you need the help of three allies, and these three allies are: time, desire to learn and the enthusiasm that you put into learning.

Dictionaries and Thesauri On Line

Word Reference.com
http://www.wordreference.com/es/en/translation.asp?spen=

Merriam Webster
http://www.merriam-webster.com/

Your dictionary.com
http://www.yourdictionary.com/library/index.html

Oxford Dictionaries
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/bedlam?view=uk

Reverso
http://dictionary.reverso.net/

Thesaurus.com
http://thesaurus.com/

Free Thesaurus
http://freethesaurus.net/

Real Academia Española
http://buscon.rae.es/draeI/

Sinónimos.org
http://www.sinonimos.org/