Outdoors

The Chinese dragon boat festival is one of the popular summer holidays in Taiwan. The festival is derived from an ancient scholar and hero who was a high official of the Chu State. It illustrated that a patriotic poet, Chu Yuan, drowned in the Miluo River, because the master of the empire did not have the ability to organize the country. Chinese citizens wanted to rescue the scholar and protect him from evil or ghost, so they threw the bamboo leaves that were filled with cooked rice into the water. By the way, the marine creatures could eat these foods rather than the poet’s body. Nowadays, people employ three methods to celebrate the honored poet. Firstly, people will take part in the racing competition on the fifth day in May every year. There is a drummer to drum, and paddlers must synchronize to propel the boat. The dragon boat that can reach the end early is the winner. Furthermore, citizens will throw the pyramid shaped cooked rice into the water. People believe that these foods will invite fish to feed, so these nutritions can protect the body of the honored from being attacked. Finally, residents will go to the Chinese temple, and invoke the scholar to have a suitable life in another world. In summary, the Chinese dragon boat festival is not only a significant memorial day, but also an interesting activity during the summer in Taiwan.

Outdoors

In recent years, global warming has been the most dramatic change in the weather around the world. The natural crisis is caused by man-made activities, air pollution, industrialization, and so on. Human beings produce many chemical substances, spend many natural resources, and bruise many natural habitats. These pollutants make a dent in the Ozone, so our globe has continually became a greenhouse that raises the global temperature. Following the rising temperature, the rain forest, which is a fourth of natural resources on Earth, has continually shrunk. It has a serious effect on Earth, because these forests contain various species, abundant resources, and balanced functions. They play a crucial role to circulate the global ecosystem. With the global warming, finally, animals will have difficulty surviving. They are endangered. Their disappearance will be related with human beings’ life. In conclusion, people need to protect and manage these natural treasures right now before they disappear. The methods are to cherish our precious resources when we use them, and to reduce CO2 pollution. It is a very easy step to follow for everyone everyday.

Outdoors

EAP2A WW
Fluency Exercise #1
Fan, Kang-Hsin
Mr. Leverett
May 21, 2008

Basketball has always been my favorite outdoors sport. To play basketball outside is a good way to benefit my health, to reduce my modern pressure, and to sharpen my skills. I always like to play basketball in a public park in the morning, because it is the best time to breathe the fresh air and feast on a gallery of landscape. The view of the park is so charming and attractive. Also, playing basketball can help me relax myself to forget my busy job. It is an exciting sport to play with other competitors, so I can focus on the game to wipe out my pressure. Furthermore, I can practice my new skills that I learned from the NBA program on TV. The field is an instant stage to show my ability, and I can study other special skills from my competitors. Finally, to play basketball outside can help me make various friends who are equipped with different backgrounds, so we can talk about our jobs, interests, and life after the game. Due to these factors, basketball is my favorite outdoors sport.