Friday, January 24, 2020

My Senior Year of High School Essay -- Personal Narrative Writing

Having spent twelve years of my school life in just one small red brick building, the years tend to fade into each other. But the year I remember most clearly and significantly is my senior year of high school, where I finally began to appreciate what this institution offered to any student who stopped to look. Before, school had been a chore, many times I simply did not feel motivated toward a subject enough to do the homework well, and seeing the same familiar faces around ever since I was 5 years old grew very tiring soon enough. But I began to see things from a different angle once I became a senior. First of all, there are roughly only 800 students in my entire school, from kindergarten up to upperclassmen and women, and my graduating class of a mere 67 was the biggest in my school's history. So you were forever running into everyone you knew, and who you had known for your whole life. At times this was comforting, at others, slightly claustrophobic. After a while it was easy to feel that you knew practically everyone's middle name or favorite movie, and it was impossible to...

Thursday, January 16, 2020

Childhood Nostalgia Essay

Childhood memories never fade easily, and I long for the life I had as a child, as many others do. Nostalgia will always be a part of me, as my childhood was simply unforgettable and wonderful. When I was a child, I lived with my grandparents for a while, as my parents are both busy with work in their company. I still have a clear visual memory about my grandparents’ traditional Chinese house. The old wooden gate with black rings on both sides displays the typical Asian atmosphere. When I open the gate, I immediately smell the smoke of burning wood used to heat the house. The split firewood is stacked on the side wall of the house, enough for several winters. The front yard is covered in green fresh grass which turns into yellow dry grass as winter approaches. Some stones are imbedded in the grass like a bridge to the house from the gate. It was truly a view few other places can compete, and it’s a break from the concrete urban jungle I was used to in the cities. A medium-sized pomegranate tree is planted in the corner of the yard, and its sweet sour fruits are picked and eaten. These fruits are some of the most delicious I’d ever had, and I still long for them every single day. As a child, I was always amazed how the tree bore the red delicious fruit every year. It was then I realized how food always tastes better when you grow them yourself. Finally, there is a titanic rectangular building that seems simple in shape but complex in other aspects. The black tiled roof, in my opinion, is the most appealing strength of the house as those hundreds of tiles are engraved with delicate patterns, making the tiles bumpy and coarse. Under the roof, there is a tiny nest of swallows which symbolize peace and happiness in China. The morning at my grandparents’ house is welcomed everyday with the harmonic songs that the birds provide. These fine details of the house always linger in my head, persuading me to visit my grandparents, as these memories are simply timeless.

Wednesday, January 8, 2020

Fall Leaf Colors by Tree Species

Certain broadleaf trees can be uniquely identified by their brilliant fall leaf color. In some cases, a trees common name is derived from its primary autumn leaf color, such as red maple and yellow poplar. The most common leaf colors of fall are red, yellow, and orange. Some tree species can express several of these colors simultaneously as the season progresses. How Fall Leaf Color Develops All leaves start out in summer as green. This is because of the presence of a group of green pigments known as chlorophyll. When these green pigments are abundant in the leafs cells during the growing season, they mask the color of any other pigments that may be present in the leaf. Chlorophyll in the leaves is the trees main means of producing nutrients during the summer. But with autumn comes the destruction of chlorophyll. This demise of the green pigments allows other, previously masked colors to come forward. Those unmasked fall colors quickly become markers for individual deciduous tree species. The two other pigments present in leaves are: Carotenoid  (produces yellow, orange, and brown)Anthocyanin  (produces red) Trees With Red Leaves Red is produced by warm, sunny fall days and cool fall nights. Leftover food in the leaf is transformed into the color red through anthocyanin pigments. These red pigments also color cranberries, red apples, blueberries, cherries, strawberries, and plums. Some maples,  sweetgum, and oaks have red fall leaves. Dogwoods, black tupelo trees, sourwood trees, persimmons, and some sassafras trees also have red leaves. Yellow and Orange Shades Chlorophyll is destroyed with the onset of autumnal conditions, which reveals the orange and yellow leaf colors, or carotenoid pigments. Deep orange is a combination of the red and yellow color-making process. These yellow and orange pigments also color carrots, corn, canaries, and daffodils, as well as egg yolks, rutabagas, buttercups, and bananas. Hickory, ash, some maples, the yellow poplar (tulip tree), some oaks (white, chestnut, bear), some sassafras, some sweetgum, beech, birch, and sycamore trees have yellow leaves in the fall. Weathers Effect Some years see more brilliant color displays than others. It all depends on weather conditions. Temperature, the amount of sunlight and how much rain fell all are contributing factors in color intensity and in how long theyll remain. Low temperatures, but above freezing, are good for reds in maples, but an early frost can hurt a bright red color, according to SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. Overcast days tend to make all colors more intense. Peak Viewing The United States and Canada produce a variety of fall foliage colors which has created a tourism industry. Here are peak viewing times in the United States: Late September/ Early October: New England, upper Minnesota/Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Rocky MountainsMid-, Late October: Upper MidwestNovember: Southwest, Southeast Some Stay Green Not all broadleaf trees change colors and drop their leaves in the fall. Found mostly in southern climates, some evergreens broadleaf trees can survive tough winters. Magnolias, some oaks, and myrtles are among them.