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           Two days ago, I went to the CTEF Annual Dinner. There, I sold raffle tickets.            I felt unhappy about selling the tickets at first because I felt bored. I didn't want to go around holding a box and ripping apart tickets to drop in it. I saw kids playing games, and I wanted to do that, too. I didn't want to keep walking around to tables, selling raffle tickets. I ripped the tickets, dropped them in, ripped more tickets, dropped them in, and repeated the process. It was tedious and annoying. I really wanted to take a break and have some fun.            I decided to keep selling tickets because I wanted to help kids in China have a good education. I felt that these kids deserved an education, and I wanted to give them a chance to have one. So I kept selling raffle tickets, ripping them and dropping them into the box, even though I really wanted to play some games. I kept selling t...

           Yesterday Kevin had a sleepover at my house. I had a great time.            During the period of the sleepover that took place yesterday, we watched movies, played games, and a lot more! First, we played two games - Aggravation and Apples to Apples. Everybody was laughing their butt off by the time we finished Apples to Apples. Then we started playing video games. We beat a boss in Kirby's Return to Dreamland (the first letters of the worlds spell "CROWNED", in the French version it spells "PARFAIT"). After that, we ate dessert, watched some interesting cartoons, and went to bed. Kevin and I stayed up talking to each other about our lives. I also ad-libbed a story called "The Adventures of Mikey" which was really funny.            The next day, Kevin and I made breakfast. I taught him to make eggs, and it tasted pretty good. We then played with Legos for a really long time. We tried to...

      I recently visited a school called Lakeside Middle School. It was a great school, and I enjoyed the visit.       One thing I thought was interesting was  the science lab. People were blowing glass bubbles, and it was really cool. A girl stuck a rod with glass on the end into the fire. She then took it out and blew through the hollow rod and into the bubble, expanding it. Another girl popped her own bubble, and it was in a really wacky shape.       Another thing I thought was cool was the "Hall of Nations". There were flags from lots of countries, and in the middle of the hall there was a stand with a gigantic binder on it. The binder held information about the countries each flag represented. I enjoyed looking at all the interesting flags.       To sum up, I think Lakeside was an awesome school!

          A few days ago, precisely last Saturday, the 21st of April, 2013, I went to Des Moines, Washington, to participate in a contest called the Math is Cool contest.           The first part was the Mental Math contest. It was a series of 8 questions of mental math, with only 30 seconds for each one. Lots of people got messed up when the test proctor asked what was 35*26. Everybody forgot about the numbers so fast probably nobody but me got the question right. I was most likely the only one who calculated that correctly in my head in <30 seconds.           The second part was the Individual contest. It wasn't that hard, but Kevin and Patrick Fan got the last problem wrong. The third part was the Team contest. I'm not happy to say this, but Kevin and Patrick Fan just started running around after they were done. The relay was not so good, either. Patrick Fan took a lot of our precious five minutes doodl...

         Today I explored the OMSI museum. There were exhibits about physics, chemistry, and the human body, amongst other things. My favorite exhibit was the one where you got to add water and air to a bottle and then launch it. There was a button for water, and another button for air. After you filled the bottle, you could flip the lever to activate the release mechanism. My mom and I found out the perfect solution to it - you had to fill the bottle with water almost up to the blue spike. Then you had to fill the rest with air. When you flipped the switch, the bottle would fly up the tube and touch the top. The other exhibit I really liked was the ball and pipes exhibit, or the "Inventors' Ball Room". You could connect pipes to all kinds of pumps and machines. Then you could insert balls and launch them everywhere! I had a lot of fun experimenting. Clearly, OMSI is a great place to visit!

           There are many delicious dishes my parents make, but I have three that are my favorite. They are grilled fish, steak sauce chicken, and steak sauce ribs.            The first dish, grilled fish, is made by my dad. He grills the fish for an hour or so,and then takes it out and serves it. The fish has a great taste to it, made by soaking the fish in soy sauce for a long time. Also, some spices are added to the fish before the grilling begins, to add more rich flavor to it. After all the work that goes into the fish, everybody just eats it up - and it disappears really fast, too.            The second and third dishes - steak sauce chicken and steak sauce ribs - are made by applying a soaking in steak sauce to the chicken or ribs and then baking them in the oven. This creates a great dish - the steak sauce gives the food a great flavor, while it isn't just poured on the food - it's litera...

Honoring a hero Annual festival Parade with band An important official gives a speech A big banquet at a big building Reason People will remember the hero if a commemorative festival is held annually People will remember what the hero did if the official talks about it during the speech People will remember the hero, also, by associating the memory of the hero with yummy food - human beings always seem to work better with food.           One way to honor a hero would be to hold a festival. There would be lots of participants, and there would also be a parade with a band. After the parade, and important official would give a speech, talking about the hero's good deeds. Finally, there would be a big banquet at a big building.           There are many reasons why this would be the best way to honor a hero. People will remember the hero if a commemorative festival is held annually, because it would be hammered...

Adjective - "independent" I study by myself on the computer Khan Academy - math Codecademy - computer coding I do schoolwork on the computer independently I can make breakfast by myself I have learned to make eggs I have also learned to make smoothies I have learned to make breakfast pastries           One reason the adjective that describes me is "independent" is because I study by myself on the computer, or "self-study". I learn math on Khan Academy, which also covers biology, economics, chemistry, and JavaScript. I learn about computer programming on Codecademy, which covers several programming languages.  I sometimes do schoolwork on the computer independently, too.

How can you make a friend? First - greeting: this is the most important part Walk up to someone and say "hi". Start a conversation and be polite Be open to the other person - let him/her know your name, hobby, favorite sport, etc. Keep the friendship up Regularly talk and have fun with the person Be considerate in bad times, share the happiness in good times. Try not to start big arguments and lose your friend Conclude           I think the first and most important step in making a friend is the greeting. To perform this step, walk up to someone and just say "hi!" Start a conversation, avoiding touchy subjects, and get to know the other person. Be open to the other person, and let him/her know your name, hobby, and other information. Don't let the other person know your secrets like your birthday yet, though.This is the other person's impression of you. This is their basis on judging you to see if they want to be your friend. So, make...

Special about me: I like to study and research things I'm interested in I'm interested in math, science, and computer coding, so: I study math and science on Khan Academy I study computer coding on Codecademy I can just separate myself from the world when I'm reading I just travel into my own world, and there, I don't and can't pay attention to anything in the outside world I get too absorbed in the book I can't hear my mom telling me to do something else Conclude           One reason I think I am special is because I like to study and research things I'm interested in. For example, I'm interested in math, science, and computer coding. I study math and science on a website called "Khan Academy", while I study computer coding on a website called "Codecademy". I try to make practicing and learning in each of these subjects an everyday routine, and I have learned a lot in the past few weeks using this plan.

 Favorite Game - Kirby's Return To Dreamland Great graphics The backgrounds seem are very realistic The 3-D effects seem very real The characters are all very bright and eye-catching Motivating storyline At the start of the game, there is an animation of a ship crashing into the ground and then sending "energy spheres" everywhere. The goal of the game is to collect all the energy spheres. The levels are hard, but at the end of each world, the reward - an "energy sphere" - motivates the player to keep going Conclude           One reason my favorite game is a Wii game called "Kirby's Return To Dreamland" is because it has a motivating storyline. When you create a profile at the very start of the game, right after the "Play" button is pressed, there would be an animation of a ship flying through the sky with smoke trailing behind it, and then the ship would crash into the ground and send "energy spheres" ...

Reasons I appreciate my parents Let me and my siblings participate in many events with them, and spend a lot of their time on us Go family swimming or play Quads most Fridays Go skiing on Sundays with Dad Math Olympiad Club with Dad Let me and my siblings have a lot of play time We have to finish our homework up to standards Then we can play Appreciate for resisting the pressure of the larger portion of the culture - "Work all day, and be successful!" Conclude: Want to be like them when I grow up           One reason I appreciate my parents is because they let my siblings and I participate in many events of our choice, on their own time. For example, on Fridays, my siblings and I can choose to play chess at Friday Night Quads or go family swimming. They could have just spent the time at home, working on their own thing, but instead they played with us, spending time with their children. Also, on Sundays in the ski season, my Dad brings us...

Washing clothes and making Sunday breakfast Washing clothes Notice when the basket is full, take the basket to the laundry machine, pour in the detergent, turn on the machine Think it's pretty fair - everybody should do some work at home For example,  my brother's chore is to pick crumbs off the ground after dinner Sunday breakfast I make eggs or some other breakfast food I like making breakfast I think I can and should do it occasionally because my mom does it all the time Conclude           One chore I do is doing the laundry. To do this chore, I notice when the basket is full, then take the basket to the laundry machine and put all the clothes in the basket into the washer. After that, I pour detergent into the slot, turn on the machine, and leave. In the night, my parents load the clothes into the dryer, and then clean out the filter in the morning. I think it's pretty fair that I do a chore - everybod...

1.       Global warming o    Natural disasters from global warming §   Global warming will bring many natural disasters §   Floods will leave cities along the coasts submerged §   Droughts will leave places inland bare o    Diseases §   Places that originally were hot might become cold, and they might be exposed to diseases from cold areas of the world they had never seen before §   Originally cold places might suddenly become hot and be exposed to diseases from hot areas of the world they had never seen before §   Many people would find these unfamiliar diseases fatal, and death would spread throughout the Earth 1.       Conclude I would like to solve the worldly problem of global warming to prevent the natural disasters that will result from it. Global warming will bring floods and droughts with it, because global warming causes water level to rise and land to dry....

1.       School o    Pros and Cons §   Pro = Great teachers for higher grades §   Con = Bad quality lunches §   Want to make lunches better o    Making lunches better §   Start a program with a place like Whole Foods Market §   Get healthier lunches §   Increase the price of school lunch to a price that the company will accept 1.       Conclude To make lunches better, I think my school should start with a simple program to make school lunches healthier and tastier. The school could start a partnership with Whole Foods Market, and let the Market deliver food to the school. The school would get healthier lunches, and some part of the profit would be delivered back to Whole Foods. The price of school lunch would go up, and more people would buy it because the quality is better. Think about it – it’s good for everyone.

Teleportation Could go anywhere I wanted pretty quickly Wouldn't have to ride an airplane and wait for a few hours Could get there fast, and wouldn't even have to wait or pay money Wouldn't have to experience turbulence or even ear pressure Could escape danger easily If there was a sinkhole, could teleport away If I was falling from a great height, like accidentally walking off the Grand Canyon, I could teleport away Basically every possible danger would be avoidable with the power of teleportation Scientists could learn about me and then find out how to give other people the superpower of teleportation, too Other people would get cost-free travel No longer use cars, planes, boats Save environment Conclude           One reason a superpower I would want is teleportation is because I could go anywhere I wanted pretty quickly. During long-distance travels, I wouldn't have to ride an airplane and wait for a few hours on the plane. I ...

Birthday Acknowledgements of Happy Birthday Everybody sings Happy Birthday Grandparents send e-mail and call Everybody eats cake Go out to dinner I get to choose where Everybody eats there The whole family has a good time  Charity birthday party Family tradition Grandfather was charity Mom was charity Conclude           One reason my birthday is the most special family celebration to me is that my family members all celebrate my birthday. Everybody sings Happy Birthday, and wishes me a happy birthday and gawks over how old I'm getting. My grandparents and other family members that live far away send a happy birthday e-mail and call us on the phone. Everybody eats cake. The acknowledgements of Happy Birthday make me and my family very happy, and I feel really special.           Another reason my birthday is the most special family celebration to me is that everybody in my immediate family goes to d...

Basketball, soccer, baseball, tennis… what’s your favorite team sport? My favorite team sport is soccer. This is my favorite team sport because it is very fun to kick the ball around and also because it’s very fast-paced. The first reason I like soccer is because it’s very fun to kick the ball around. I really enjoy when I have the ball, because I can kick it really far. To me, it is fun to kick the ball as high as I can, because I can test my own strength. I enjoy passing and “boof”ing the ball around, and ultimately, scoring – the most rewarding part of the game. The other reason I like soccer is because it is very fast-paced. Instead of waiting… waiting… still waiting…, I can get in the action immediately. It’s like playing games without the “loading…” part. I enjoy this because I  don't  like waiting. It gets me really bored or  irritated   In soccer, I get to rush right to the ball and try to score. I  don't  have to wait for any amount of time. ...