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5-4-3-2-15.Comments:- The word ostentatious was a vocabulary word in my ELA class.
- Bobbie seems like a very good friend since he has been supporting Mai and her mother while they are going through a somewhat hard time.
- I did not know that they had Hostess Twinkies back then; I don't like Hostess Twinkies though (too sweet).
- Vietnamese people call adults who they know as aunt or uncle; they call it out of respect.
- My family also celebrate Tet with friends and family; I love the celebration because it is very a fun and energetic Vietnamese holiday.
4.Questions:- What does the Vietnamese saying "Parents point, children sit and the American saying "Children point, parents sit" mean?
- What is the movie or show I Dream of Jeannie about?
- What are sea swallows' nest?
- What are ghost money?
3.Vocabulary: - Regurgitating: to cause to surge or rush back; vomit
- Stoic: one who is seemingly indifferent to or unaffected by joy, grief, pleasure, or pain
- Ambiguity: doubtfulness or uncertainty of meaning or intention
2.Literary Terms:
- Simile: "As a child I could lie in his arms, and they held me like a sturdy hammock on a windy day." (page 59)
- Simile: "It was a tactic as smooth and sleek as hot wax on tender skin." (page 61)
1.Overview Sentence:- Mai describes her father as a person and Vietnamese customs.
5-4-3-2-15.Comments:- Mai refer a lot of things to Vietnam.
- There is a lot of Vietnam history.
- Mai's mother is just like my mom because they both believe in karma.
- Mrs. Bay advises are sort of weird but very smart especially the advices about the grades and school.
- I understand how Mai felt when she had to translate for her mother because sometimes I do the same thing for my parents.
4.Questions: - What is the difference between guerrilla tactics and guerrilla warfare?
- What is the bo tree?
- Why did Mai's mother believe that Connecticut was not safe?
- Is there a special meaning behind "the pig has two ears"?
3.Literary Terms:- Paraphernalia: equipment, apparatus, or furnishing used in or necessary for a particular activity
- Vicinity: the area or region near or about a place; surrounding district; neighborhood
- Peculiarity: a trait, manner, characteristic, or habit that is odd or unusual
2.Literary Terms:- Simile: " the capital of any country is like the king in a game of chess." (page 30)
- Metaphor: "It can get so cold that their breath does acrobatics in the air just to keep warm." (page 48)
1.Overview Sentence:- Mai describes her and her mother's life so far in Connecticut with her Aunt Mary and Uncle Michael.
5-4-3-2-15.Comments:
- From reading the description of the book, my parents can somewhat relate to Mai's life in the United States since my parents are also immigrants from Vietnam.
- Mai's mother's name is Thanh and my Vietnamese name is Thanh too.
- I have been to Saigon (I believe now it is called Ho Chi Minh City) before and it's the largest city in Vietnam; it's very crowded there.
- The first page use lots of descriptive words such as warm, wet, rose, solemn, etc.
- So far this book to me is very interesting due to the fact that I am Vietnamese and also because Mai's life is very similar to how my parents' life was like back when they immigrated to the U.S.
4.Questions:- Is Golden Hordes a Mongolian Army?
- Where is Peking located?
- What does "Indochinese" mean?
- How old is Mai and Bobbie?
3.Vocabulary:- Permanence: the quality or state of being permanent; continuance in the same state or place; duration; fixedness; as, the permanence of institutions; the permanence of nature
- Intermediary: acting as a mediator or an agent between persons or things.
- Unpropitious: unfavorable; inauspicious
2.Literary Terms: - Simile: "A pair of veins ran along the sides of his prizefighter's neck like electrical wires." (page 21)
- Metaphor: "Her body had become a battlefield..." (page 7)
1.Overview Sentence:- Mai described her mother's health condition.
5-4-3-2-1
5.Comments:- I don't think I would read Thomas McKaig's book titled "Building Failures".
- I don't think I would read D.I. Blockley's book titled "The Nature of Structural Design and Safety".
- In both of the books that I have just mentioned there are a lot of reasons why structures fail; some structures fail due to vehicle impact, lack of sufficient preliminary information.
- I don't think I would like to become an engineer when I grow up.
- This is an informative book that I would suggest others who are interested in engineering to read.
4.Questions: - Who is Nevil Shute?
- Who is Robert Byrne?
- What does the ENR stand for?
- Who is Steven S. Ross?
3.Vocabulary:- Connoisseurs: A person with expert knowledge or training, especially in the fine arts
- Paradigm: a set of forms all of which contain a particular element, esp. the set of all inflected forms based on a single stem or theme
- Postmortem: occurring after the end of something; after the event
2.Literary Terms:- Indirect Characterization: Thomas McKaig's book Building Failures is a widely known collection of case studies intended for the use of engineers, architects, and contractors." (page 204). Thomas McKaig is a writer and engineer.
- Simile: "Engineers cannot, like the architects, cover his failures with trees and vines." (page 215)
1.Overview Sentence:- Describes different books that explain the causes of structure failures and how the causes occur; this is the end of the book.
5-4-3-2-15.Comments:- I did not know that 25 years ago there was a slide rule; but now engineers just use computers.
- To me I think a computer is a more accurate and precise technology to use to design a structure.
- I did not know that back then most engineering student were male; now its both women and men.
- Civil engineers have turned to the computers for speed, accuracy and productivity; computers are being used for many different errands due to it's many functions.
- I did not know that the computer can be an almost indispensable partner in the design process.
4.Questions: - What are civil engineers?
- What is the Mead Prize?
- What brand of computers are used mostly by engineers?
- What is the Log Log Duplex Decitrig ?
3.Vocabulary:- Alloy: a substance composed of two or more metals, or of a metal or metals with a nonmetal, intimately mixed, as by fusion or electro-deposition
- Technocratic: of, pertaining to, or designating a technocrat or technocracy
- Prototype:the original or model on which something is based or formed
2.Literary Terms:- Simile: "Almost all males carried 'slip sticks' in a scabbard-like cases hanging from their belts." (page 189)
- Simile: "...older engineers wore small working models as tie clips that in a pinch could be used for calculations." (page 189)
1.Overview Sentence:- Described the importance of computers to engineers and how the engineers use the computers to design their structures.
5-4-3-2-1
5.Comments:
- I did know that the lighter the bridge is, the less money it will cost to build but the higher chance of the bridge collapsing.
- To me, the success of the Crystal Palace shows that bridges and other structures can overcome the challenge of building a structure that is sturdy.
- I'm glad that James Eads and John Roebling was able to proof people wrong; the completion of the Eads Bridge was in May 1874.
- Now I understand why the 13th chapter was called "The Ups and Downs of Bridges"; it took Eads and Roebling a time and effort to complete the Eads Bridge.
- I did not know Shakespeare created bridges; I thought he was just a poet and writer.
4.Questions:- Did Eads or Roebling build a bridge on their own? If so, what are the names of the bridges?
- What were the bridges that Shakespeare designed?
- Where is the Hart Crane Bridge located?
- Who is Joseph Stella?
3.Vocabulary:- Colossal: extraordinarily great in size, extent, or degree; gigantic; huge
- Pneumatic: of or pertaining to air, gases, or wind
- Obviate: to anticipate and prevent or eliminate (difficulties, disadvantages, etc.) by effective measures; render unnecessary
2.Literary Terms:- Direct Characterization: "Steinman, the designer of over four hundred bridges of his own..." (page 169)
- Direct Characterization: "Robert Stephenson, the great British engineer..." (page 162)
1.Overview Sentence:- Describes the hardship of building a successful bridge and the engineers who accomplished their goals of building a successful bridge.
