Happy Mood

Yesterday was a rainny day, and I was unhappy.
Many activities, tests, reporters, and works were chasing behind me.
Sometimes, I feel that I am out of breath.
I fell out with my friend yesterday.
I can not bear the mode which she talked with me.
After I told her she made me uncomfortable, we had a chat until AM1:00.
We talked a lot, and we be friends again.


After solving the problem, I feel so relaxed, even though there still are many tests wait for me.

BUSY

These days, we have the second midterm.

We had an exam almost every week.
I am so tired that can not to post many literary works.
Next week, I have a report to make.

The article is The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine to introduce NO.
Years ago, many people considered NO is a harmful substance.
Now, we know the NO equals to EDRF, the enzyme in human's body.
Anyhow, I hope we can make a perfect report.

Unit 7 Language and literature - Hamlet

1. What are the major characters in Hamlet and what are their relationship?
2. What does the name Cain imply and how?
3. How did Hamlet make a pun of “lie”?
4. Why did tanner last longer?
5. Do you think it is correct for Hamlet to take a revenge for his father?
6. Who was Yorick? And how differently Hamlet and Gravedigger think of him?
7. Who was Horatio and what was his role in Hamlet?

Unit7 part1 Ouestions

What is the evolution of language from old English, Middle English and Modern English?What are their features?
Old English developed from the Germanic branch of Indo-European languages, was characterized by limited vocabulary with word endings that identified the gender, number and case of words. Middle English was distinguished by a large influx of French words into the language, and the shift to more simplified word forms. Modern English featured a move toward standardization of the language by formalizing both usage spelling.

In the 17th and 18th century, why did some writers hold a low opinion of English? How did English writers at that time solve this problem?
They felt that because French and Latin followed specific patterns and rules, these languages were more prestigious than English. Such writers concluded that the corruption they saw in their native tongue could be improved by standardization of the language.

What is the purpose of English academy?
Move toward standardization .

Describe prescriptive and descriptive grammar.
A few of the rules proposed in the prescriptive grammar texts of Dryden’s time were changes in the use of double negatives, contractions, and spellings. Such rules are known today as prescriptive grammar. Writers of this second kind of grammar texts objectively described the rules native speakers seemed to follow. This kind of grammar was referred to as descriptive.

Give me some examples of the debate between the prescriptivists and the descriptivists.
Prepositions show up quite regularly at the end of sentences. Prescriptivists aiso view the usage of “ain’t” as a contraction of “am not” as inelegant and wrong, whereas many dictionaries list “ain’t”, indicating the word is used by speakers of English. The prescriptivists also disallow regional usage that does not follow the standard rules of English.

Is corruption of the English language a problem? What are the opinion of prescriptivists and descriptivists?
The descriptivists’s answer is that English is changing, as all languages must, but that such change is not a corruption of the language. Living languages must change, adapt, and grow. Whether change is good or bad is not the question, descriptivists say, because change is inevitable. The only languages no longer in flux are those no longer in use.

The Summary of Unit7-1

Fixing the English Language

The English language first developed from the Germanic branch of the Indo-European languages. One of the major changes in the language from Old English to Middle English was the influx of French words into the language. During the shift from Middle to Modern English, spelling and grammar rules were introduced to standardize usage. Writers who supported this standardization of the language held the opinion that, compared to Latin and French, English was inelegant due to its lack of rules.
These writers set down prescriptive rules of grammar and spelling for others to follow. However, some modern linguists argue that grammars should describe the actual usage of the language rather than force rules upon native speakers of the language. The debate between prescriptive and descriptive grammar continues.

Mothering Day

History of Mothering SundayMost Sundays in the year churchgoers in England worship at their nearest parish or "daughter church".Centuries ago it was considered important for people to return to their home or "mother" church once a year. So each year in the middle of Lent, everyone would visit their "mother" church, or the main church or Cathedral of the area. Inevitably the return to the "mother" church became an occasion for family reunions when children who were working away returned home. (It was quite common in those days for children to leave home for work once they were ten years old.)And most historians think that it was the return to the "Mother" church which led to the tradition of children, particularly those working as domestic servants, or as apprentices, being given the day off to visit their mother and family.As they walked along the country lanes, children would pick wild flowers or violets to take to church or give to their mother as a small gift.

Pricilla's Day

Finally, we finished the first midterm.

This blog was wasted for one month.

I think I should paste some writings.

May 4, is Pricilla's birthday.

We bought a wisp of cake, and took many pictures to commemorate.

These are part of pictures: