Reading List for September

Ok I haven’t managed to finish the reading mission for August. More exactly I wasn’t resolute enough to strictly follow my established plan, partially due to the mid-August vacation plus my sluggishness. By far I have just completed “Sons of Fortune”, not even bothered crossing a finger through the 2nd and 3rd books, and abruptly changed my mind to try “Treasure Island”.

I know I’ll have to go to self-discipline for the 3 or 4 upcoming months as long as I still want to get a decent, or at least, “acceptable” score for the SAT. Sometimes I feel a bit regretful about my decision to register for the test that early, but anyway, it’s just about time to really strive. Really. (Oh, again, sometimes I feel I am sooooo pompous)

Ok, Let’s start tomorrow. READ, READ, and READ.

1. Treasure Island – Robert Louis Stevenson

2. Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen

3. Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte

4. To Kill a Mocking Bird – Harper Lee

[TOEFL Essay] A Small Town vs. A Big City

The second essay I decided to post to the blog since I think it’s generally better than the others I’ve written.

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Topic Question: Some people prefer to live in a small town. Others prefer to live in a big city. Which place would you prefer to live in? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.

I was born and lived in a small town in the countryside for years until my family moved to Hanoi, a very big city, so I believe I have good experience living in both places. From my perspective, big cities make life more significant and enjoyable. Since the movement to Hanoi, I can hardly think of a possibility to return to live in a small town.

In terms of living quality, I must say a big city is far flourishing than a town. It offers me the chance to expose to a good education, and a healthily competitive environment for me to live in. Also, in a rapidly thriving city like Hanoi, all kinds of services seem so plentiful. I don’t have to ride a bike 10 kilometers to school every morning anymore. Moreover, how convenient it is when markets and supermarkets lie only 50 footsteps from home, and my parents no longer have to travel over 30 kilometers to get medical treatments. We now already have a decent fridge, a TV, a computer and copious amount of clean water, which was always in dearth when I was a child.

The second reason I love this city so much is that I enjoy the abundance of mass media and entertainments here. Once suffered the shortage of newspaper and books, I now listen to hottest up-to-date news on TV twice a day, surf the Internet to find out information, and have access to library to read and research whatever I am inquisitive about. Furthermore, it is various sorts of entertainment, along with media, that play a crucial part of my life. After school I often watch a comedy show on Star World, see a film at night, go out for supper with my family once a week, and go to the stadium every weekend.

Finally, the hustle and bustle of a changing city contributes to motivate me to achieve goals. It took me months to adapt to this changing world when I first came to Hanoi, but soon I realized this animated environment has changed my whole life. Every morning I come to school and compete with my friends in every class for the valedictorian title. Whenever walking down the street I can notice people rushing in a very dynamic fashion. It is the bustling and competitive atmosphere of work within this busy city that gives me the greatest impetus for studying and working for my future, which I believe cannot be found in my old tranquil hometown.

Hitherto, I have never regretted moving to a big city like Hanoi. In fact, the past three years of modern life gave me a lot more than the over ten years of living in the countryside. I love this hurly-burly of city life, all the facilities and comforts I am provided with, a valuable approach to latest technologies, and the exposure to big opportunities. Therefore, I am totally convinced that life in a big city is much better than one in a small town.

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It seems I still cannot get rid of my wordiness. Over 400 words, though tried my best to truncate it.

=> Task: Practice thinking and expressing ideas straightforwardly unless if I want to write a complete essay under time pressure

Reading List for August

I planned to make my summer reading list from the beginning of the summer, but it seemed I haven’t do enough commitment. I often found myself break plans, consequently so far I just completed only 2 books (Animal Farm, and Harry Potter 6 – I am juvenile, I know – and in fact now halfway through “Sons of Fortune”).

I think it’s now the right time to make myself more self-disciplinary. One important thing I read some months ago in a book is that whenever one tries to plan for some work, write it down on a piece of paper, because that will not only daily remind him of the work but also make coerce him to strictly commit to it.

1. Sons of Fortune – Jeffrey Archer (already halfway through it)

2. Robinson Crusoe – Daniel Defoe

3. To Kill a Mocking Bird – Harper Lee (optional)

Today is already August 2nd so I’m not quite sure I can finish all these three. If I complete the first two and still have decent time, then it might be possible. “To Kill a Mocking Bird” seems a well-known book. Just try my best. I’ve got a lot of novels to wade through in the next Sep, Oct, and Nov. Not only will I read them for my knowledge but also to serve my Dec SAT.