Course reflection: Summary of the year

I can’t believe that there is only two weeks left for the whole year. In English class, I have read six books, finished several projects and passed plenty of tests and quizzes. Time passed a lot faster than what I thought before. Looking back to the start of this year, I thought it was impossible for me, a lazy girl, to finish so many tasks. However, I did everything all right dramatically. I have improved so much and learned so much in the English class. The whole year’s work not just told me how to get a better grade, but also taught me how to be a better student.

Looking through the year, I have improved a lot on my reading speed, just like I have improved my writing efficiency in writing class. Well, the progress was so hard than what people imagine. I remembered there was one night, when I was reading “Pobby and Dingan”, and I found that the homework for one night was reading half of the book. It was so thrilling that it seemed even more thrilling than all the horror movies I have seen. All right, I didn’t see a lot of horror movies. As a result, I have finished the book in one week. As a non-native English speaker and reader, it was the first time I read that fast in my whole life. So, I think it would train my reading skills, and make me fix better in the following studying for IB class.

Otherwise, I still saw lots of things I need to continue working on, such as my grammar. Even though I always talked about grammar in all the blog posts about “goals” or “summaries” and some of them have already been fixed, it was a big deal. From my language, everyone can see that how important role that grammar problems were taking in my weakness ranking. For the goal for the summer or for next year, and as the goal I have had for thousands of times, I would continuously work on the grammar problems. Although It seemed to be so hard, and I really wouldn’t fix them perfectly, I would try my best.

After talking about my improvement and goals for later, the works I did this year were fun. Even though Frozen in Time was the most unintelligible book I have ever read in my life (Wow I have done so many things for the first time in my life), the other ones seemed fantastic. The one I liked the most and remembered the clearest was “We were liars”. The reason I can remember it the clearest was it was the most recently book I have read. And the reason I liked it the most was the book was so beautiful. The whole book was written in a beautiful mode, with an unreliable narrator and a broken beautiful family. I liked the way the story tells and the unexpected plot. I would also recommend the book to others.

Admittedly, the year finally ended successfully. Over the summer, I would like to choose some science fiction books or fantasies to read, since they attracted me so much. Besides hoping to have an excellent grade in the final example, also hoping me to have a fulfilled summer.

Bone Chiller – Who is the killer?

The Spring Theatre came to students in Cheshire Academy last Thursday, and I went to see it as a required task in both my Writing and English class. Actually, I wasn’t that unhappy to be required to watch the play, I remembered the one this winter was so fun. This time, the theatre group brought us a thrilling one, Bone Chiller. In winter, “the 25 annual spelling bee” was fantastic and I still can remember most details of the show, so I looked for the coming up presenting of Bone Chiller for a while. After finishing it, I found the show was fun. I would like to see the plays like this for next year if it’s possible.

13 people gathered together for fixing the strange will that Josiah Travers left for them. The will wasn’t normal that it was a rebus, which is a kind of puzzle that waited the others to fix. In the rebus, the 13 peoples found out it contained the information of where his money in and who was or were the people that killed him. Basing on the logical inference of Jerry, the thirteen people finally find out a killer between the 13 people. In the progress of inference, the butler, who usually been thought as the first people to doubt as the killer, died. And finally, after a heart-stopping progress, they defined the lawyer, Addie, and a “policeman” as the killer. Then, the whole play ended successfully.

As I have already said, I like the whole play, but it was a little bit confused. There are 13 characters, and all of them were main characters. When the teacher told me about the basic information of the play, I didn’t mark that as a big deal, but in the play, I quickly found that each of them have an important role. Thus, during the play, there were thousands of times that I used the dark like to check in my little sheet of introduction of the play to see who was the person on the stage. Fortunately, it helped me to fix my face blindness totally, and I even don’t have any problems with miss identifying during writing this blog.

Otherwise, the play was tremendous that each character was acting well. When I found that the cook was hanged in the closet, I was scared as the actors did. When I found that Addie, the lawyer might be the killer, I was thrilled as the actors did. My mind was moved with the characters on the stage. I was thought about who the killer was for the whole time, just like what everyone who seen the play might do. The inference was so brilliant that when I heard the one about the last Sunday of October, I even wanted to clap for the whole theatre group. They seemed like they made all the characters alive.

Admittedly, it was another excellent show that the school theatre group brought to the students. I wish too see some more great works next year! Also, I would like to appreciate and recommend the whole play for the others as well.

In class writing – what are the three liars?

After finishing the book, I found the three liars, Mirren, Gat and Johnny, were ghosts, just in my perspective.

First of all, they kept thinking about and talking about things that Cadence didn’t know. For example, Cadence didn’t know their model before Summer 17; she couldn’t just imagine something that already existed. Also, Mirren told with Cadence about how she jealous about Gat’s love to Cadence. I didn’t really think Cadence would imagine the whole thing by herself that she wouldn’t know Mirren’s thinking. The jealousy between people wasn’t that easy to think of, and if Mirren didn’t tell, Cadence would never noticed about it. Also, the liars went to the sea by motorboat with Cadence, I didn’t think it can be done by herself. The liars never went out to see others, but if they were just imagination, Cadence can actually imagine that they went out together with others to do something and she wouldn’t get confused. If they were just imagination, their actions wouldn’t be that restrained, and they should be able to do whatever Cadence wanted them to instead.

I thought they were ghost, and just came back to Cadence because she needed help. Cadence didn’t want to admit the truth they already dead, and she couldn’t really realize without them. At least the liars appeared in the story should be their spirit. Then they could help Cadence to fix the problems and the big mess of the whole family.

Reaction

In the ending of we were liars, Cadence and the other three liars burned Clairmont House and the other three died in Summer 15. In the last few chapters of the book, I found that Cadence seemed upset, and she ended the book with she deserved the bad things happened to her. She thought the plan to set a fire was stupid and she was the one to blame. She thought she caused their death. However, at least those of the Sinclairs who still alive banded up together and became a better family again.

I was kind of thrilling when I first saw the ending. It wasn’t unpredictable, and we even saw the ending when I finished half of the story. However, it was still thrilling, Gat, Mirren and Johnny were died because of the liars and the Sinclairs’ fault. Cadence was the only one who survived, bearing the hope and all the evil, the crime, to live alone. Maybe she was the most pitiful one.

I didn’t want to say it was Cadence’s fault or whose fault, they all did something wrong. Granddad kept controlling the whole family and all his properties. Those properties drove all the aunts crazy and they badly beaten each other. Gat brought the thinking, which said the family should share their money to the poor, to the family. Cadence kept acting as she was great and she wanted Gat to love her. Everyone did something wrong so it caused the breaking of the family.

Fortunately, the deaths of the three liars finally make the family stayed together. Grandpa finally became kind and accepted Ed to their family. After Cadence found out the truth, she finally integrated to the real family again, even though she felt like she deserved the loneliness. Even though the liars were dead, which seemed to be a big unfortunate, at least the family became better.

Over all, I liked the book, which brought me a lot of thinking of the plots and prediction. There might be many different ways to evaluate the whole story and the ending. It brought me lots of ideas about how would the family acted. Even it was just a fiction book, I wished Cadence in the book would became better with the whole Sinclair family.

What is revealed?

According to chapter 50-70, there was a fire setted up by the four liars in summerr 15. And the others didn't know about their crime. The aunties were all arguing about the goods, the house the Sinclair family had in summer 15. They argued every they and asked their child, the four liars to ask for the aunties demand as well. Gat was not allowed to go to lunch or supper with granddad so none of the liars went to supper or lunch as well. Carrie refused the propose of Ed without even asking Granddad. Cadence was asked to break up with Gat. All the liars were angry and they wanted to have their nice family back, so they setted up the fire.

Question

1. What did Cadence feel when she knew her Europe trip was paid by Granddad?
2. Do Cadence really want the liars felt that she was pitiful or not? Why?

events from chapter 31-40

Chapter 31:
Cadence talked with Mirren, and talked about the stuffs that she sent to the liars. However, Mirren didn't know about the old barbie, which seemed strange. Then, they talked about Cadence's health problem, and Cadence didn't want her to feel that Cadence was pitiful.
Chapter 32:
Gat went to find Cadence, he seemed wanted to start over again with Cadence. Cadence was kind of angry with his ignorance for her. Then, she finally agreed to start their relationship again.
Chapter 33:
Cadence went to lunch at new Clairmont with Granddad, who kind of erased his old life. He asked about Gat and the book he promised to Gat, but they both weren't their. Then he got angry. Then, Cadence asked Carrie about the night before, but Carrie said she didn't know what Cadence talked about.
Chapter 34:
Cadence went to ask the other littles, Taft and Will, about her accident. But the others told that they couldn't say because Penny had told them they cannot tell it.
Chapter 35:
The liars were decorating Cuddledown and Cadence mentioned about her memory again. Everyone knew about Cadence's lost memory but Johnny. They were required to not talk about it also.
Chapter 36:
Johnny and Cadence were playing tennis and she talked about her trip in Europe.
Chapter 37:
Mummy asked Cadence about tennis thing, and she felt good. Cadence remembered the memory two weeks before her accident. The littles and Gat were at that scene; they were having dinner with the others. The aunts are  kind of argued with the house in Boston.
Chapter 38:
Cadence were with the liars at midnight, and she said that Taft has a motto. They were chatting as usual and Cadence talked about a sentence of Emerson, "Always do what you are afraid of", and Mirren thought she must never do that.
Chapter 39:
Cadence and Gat kissed again. Gat claimed that Cadence didn't know her well, because she never knew his life out of Beechwood Island. He thought that her granddad would never think he was good enough to date Cadence. The granddad would always think Gat was that gypsy boy forever. Then, he left and shut the door
Chapter 40:
Cadence wrote a fairy tale about a king, with three daughters and a tiny princess. The princess loved with a mice, which implied her love with Gat. If they wanted to stay together, they must give the huge kingdom up.

Events up to chapter 25

Part two - Vermont
Chapter 16: Cadence made a story about a king and his three daughters. The youngest daughter might be his heiress lastly.
Chapter 17: After the trip to Europe, Cadence missed the liars a lot and she gave a lot of her stuffs away.
Chapter 18: Cadence talked to her mom about her lost memories, but her mother didn't want to mention it. She thought it's better to make Cadence realized it by herself.
Chapter 19: Granddad came to Vermont to see Cadence and talked to Penny, her mom. His mind wasn't so clear and he became old. He talked a lot about their Sinclair family. Cadence dyed her hair to black.
Chapter 20: Cadence made a story that a king sent his daughters to kill an evil dragon and they died.
Chapter 21: Cadence maintained that she didn't love Gat anymore and gave away things that related to Gat.
Chapter 22: Taft called Cadence surprisingly. He asked if Cadence was a drug addict. Cadence let him to get help from Mirren.
Chapter 23: Cadence finally got back to the Beechwood Island again. She saw Aunt Carrie, and she pretend to be normal again even though she already got different. Then, she saw the liars; she saw Gat once again.
Chapter 24: Cadence talked with the littles in the family, she got confused with the changes in the island. Also, she found something strange.
Chapter 25: The liars talked with Cadence a lot. They are still the same but Cadence was so different. She didn't ask why they never see her after the accident. They talked about the New Clairmont.

Vocabularies

Glamorous P.39

Adj.

Having an air of allure, romance and excitement – charming

Book: it is hardly glamorous the way Mummy and I quarrel now that Dad is gone.

Stagger P.30

V.

Walk as if unable to control one's movements

Book: I’d stagger from the table or collapse in quiet shameful agony.

Recuperate P.32

V.

Regain a former condition after a financial loss.

Book: Mummy took me home to Vermont to recuperate.

Villainous P.32

Adj.

A villainous person is very bad and willing to harm other people or break the law in order to get what he or she wants.

Book: they always look villainous in the dark of the evening.

Heroine. 39
N.

The main good female character in a work of fiction

Book: When she’s there, her pale skin and watery eyes make her look glamorously tragic, like a literary heroine wasting from consumption.

Agony 30
N.

Intense feelings of suffering; acute mental or physical pain

Book: I’d stagger from the table or collapse in quiet shameful agony.

Ivory 28

Adj.

A hard smooth ivory colored dentine that makes up most of the tusks of elephants and walruses

Book: inside, it is full of original New York cartoons, family photos, embroidered pillows, small statues, ivory paperweights, taxidermied fish on plaques.

shore 32 n.

the land along the edge of a body of water

Book: There are big rocks in off the shore, craggy and black.

hilariously p31

Adv. marked by or causing boisterous merriment or convulsive laughter

Book: covertly,  hilariously, behind Granddad’s black while he drove the motorboat.

stunning p27

Adj. strikingly beautiful or attractive

She was a stunning woman, even when she was old.

pitiful p36
Adj.

inspiring mixed contempt and pity

Different from my pitiful voice messages, these were charming, darling notes from a person without headaches.


collapse vt. an abrupt failure of function or health
12“I’d stagger from the table or collapse in quiet shameful agony, hoping no one in the family would notice.”
Giddy adj. having or causing a whirling sensation; liable to falling
11“Johnny, Mirren, Gat, and I snuck glasses of wine and felt giddy and silly.”
embroidered adj adorned with embroidery
11“Inside, it is full of original New Yorker cartoons, family photos, embroidered pillows, small statues, ivory paperweights, taxidermied fish on plaques.”
Surpasses 
V. distinguish oneself
16“Eventually she surpasses her employer in skill and her food is known throughout the land”




(n.)Taxidermy: the art of mounting the skins of animals so that they have lifelike appearance
 11“Inside, it is full of original New Yorker cartoons, family photos, embroidered pillows, small statues, ivory paperweights, taxidermied fish on plaques.”
Page 28

Quarrel: an angry dispute
15“It is hardly glamorous the way Mummy and I quarrel now that Dad is gone.”
Page 39

Constellation: an arrangement of parts or elements
8“I was glad Gat didn’t try to sound knowledgeable about constellations or say stupid stuff about wishing on stars.”
Page 21

Snorkeling: skin diving with a snorkel
11“WHEN I WASN’T bleeding, and when Mirren and Johnny were snorkeling or wrangling the littles, or when everyone lay on couches watching movies on the Clairmont flat-screen, Gat and I hid away.”
Page 30

Stagger: an unsteady uneven gait
11“I’d stagger from the table or collapse in quiet shameful agony, hoping no one in the family would notice. Especially not Mummy.”
Page 30

Traumatic: of or relating to a physical injury or wound to the body
13“Migraine headaches caused by traumatic brain injury.”
Page 34