Gaokao vs. NY Standardized Tests

Compare and Contrast: New York Standardized Tests vs. Gaokao

By Jared Dougall

                Many people think that the New York State Tests are horrible, but wait until you hear about a miserable test in China called the Gaokao. The Gaokao test is a Chinese College admissions test that determines the fate of those that take it. If a student has a bad day or fails, that student is condemned to a life of labor; there are no second chances at taking the test. If a student scores just two or three points behind his peers, it could doom him to a life of manual labor. The poor people living in rural areas are at a disadvantage in succeeding on the Gaokao compared to the urban, rich population because the poor can't afford test prep or tutors. In comparison, the State Tests are used for High School Admission. The primary purpose is to determine if the schools are adequately teaching their students and to make sure the students are mastering the skills that will be needed later in life. Although the two tests are both "standardized", they search for very different standards.

                First, the Gaokao is a test of memorization. It includes a vast range of subjects, including Chinese language, math, foreign language (usually English), and either social studies and literature or sciences. Everything taught in the 10th and 11th grades must be memorized in 12th grade, the year of the Gaokao. To pass the Gaokao, a Chinese student must memorize all of the material, in all of the subjects, and no Chinese student has ever achieved a perfect score. On the other hand, our State Tests are not tests that require detailed memorization, but rather test logical reasoning, general principals and the process of elimination. Test taking methods are very important for the NY State Tests.  The structure of the tests differ, and select for different kinds of skills.

                Second, the Gaokao is a test that is so stressful that it causes many students to commit suicide, or take drugs that help them study. In the months leading to the Gaokao, many students have nervous breakdowns. As a result, this test is extremely dangerous to the mind and body. Studying hours can last from 6:20am to 10:50pm, and towns with cram schools such as Moatanchang have a ban against internet and all forms of relaxation and entertainment. "There was nothing to do but study," says Yang Wei, a former student of Moatanchang a cram school for the Gaokao. Although NY State Tests are taken seriously in the United States, they're not taken as seriously as the standardized tests in China. The amount of study time the schools and students invest for the NY State Tests is far less. New York students are allowed to relax during the months leading to the tests and are not prohibited from using iPhones or computers. Because the stress levels associated with the NY State Tests are lower, the tests are not as psychologically dangerous to students. Although the schools use almost every ELA class period for roughly two months before the tests for preparations, the preparation is nowhere as rigorous as in China.

                In conclusion, the State Tests and Gaokao are two very different tests that serve very different purposes. The Gaokao is a memorization-filled, highly stressful test that dooms many students, while the state tests are not as serious, and do not entail as many risks. I sure hope I never have to take the Gaokao!

 

Compare and Contrast:

The “Hunger Games” and “1984”

By Jared Dougall, 711

               

In the two books, “1984” by George Orwell and “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins, there are two characters in dystopian societies rebelling against their governments. Although there are some important differences between the characters, what the governments do and the things the books make you think about, the books both show how fascist dictatorship governments work. The classic literature of George Orwell asks the reader harder questions, while Suzanne Collins’ writing is not as complex, but is more action packed. Both books are very interesting and both present a chilling portrayal of a dystopian society.

First, “The Hunger Games” and “1984” have similar character relationships. For example, the main characters both have loved ones or partners. Winston has Julia, and Katniss has Peeta. But Katniss and Winston have different reasons for liking their partners. Katniss likes Peeta because he is a good person, while Winston mainly likes Julia for the sexual encounters. Katniss also has a relationship with her Younger sister, Prim whereas Winston seems to have no close relationships other than Julia. Throughout both books, these secondary characters are victimized. For example, Julia is tortured, Peeta almost dies in the arena and Prim was selected for the hunger games. Katniss protects and saves Peeta and Prim, while Winston betrays Julia. When Winston betrays Julia, this challenges and asks the reader if they would have betrayed Julia, and I can say first hand I was very distraught when reading this part of the book. This part made me wonder if I would betray Julia, while the “The Hunger Games” did not cause me to ask as many questions.

Second, both governments are fascist dictatorships and both use propaganda to try to control their people. The two governments spy on their peoples, allow no criticism through freedom of speech and have a single party government controlled by a dictator. Although Big Brother is more successful at controlling its people, these two governments try to leave their populations with no power. But the propaganda is different in each book. For example, the Hunger Games are pretty much publicly televised torture of individuals, while the 2 minutes of hate is pro-party, not anti-citizen.

Third, the factors driving the protagonists themselves are very different.  Katniss is selfless while Winston is selfish.  Katniss volunteers for Prim, and saves Peeta’s life while Winston turns on Julia in the end and gives in to Big Brother. They are similar because they both try to rebel, but once again Katniss has a more valid motive to rebel.  The districts are pretty much labor camps and she had to rebel to save her family (Prim) and friend (Peeta).  Winston’s main motive was to break rules (which sexually excited him) and to get in bed with Julia.

In conclusion, the challenges that Winston faced were much more realistic than those of Katniss.  Katniss faces a much more “fantasy-like” problem that is extremely unlikely to ever occur.  While televised reality competitions certainly exist, the obstacles that Katniss has to overcome are not realistic. Also, Katniss’ character is flawless in her loyalty to Prim and Peeta.  On the other hand, Winston’s ‘naughty’ need for sex is much more common, and occurs thousands of time a day.  Also facist governments that spy and control their own people and ask people to betray each other have and continue to exist.  Because Winston is flawed and the situation he is in is more common, George Orwell challenges the reader more to try to understand Winston. Both books were fantastic, but 1984 asks better and more realistic questions.

Compare and Contrast Poetry Essay

Jared Dougall 711

Often as a child you don’t appreciate or see your parents’ love for you, and take your parents for granted. The two poems “My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke, and “Those Winter Sundays” by Robert Hayden, share many similarities and differences. Both speak about having relationships with fathers and the different ways that fathers show love. While the fathers are different, both poems are sweet, vivid mini-stories that capture the relationship between father and son.

         The two poems are similar because they both depict a father showing love, each in his own way. For example, in stanza 2 of “Those Winter Sundays” Robert Hayden writes, “I’d wake and hear the cold splintering, breaking. When the rooms were warm he’d call.” That shows that the father would display his love in kind and caring acts, not with words. He would wake up early, and warm the house for his son, instead of more open acts of love. In stanza 1 and 2 of “My Papa’s Waltz”, Theodore Roethke writes, “Such waltzing was not easy. We romped until the pans slid from the kitchen shelf.” This showed that the father danced playfully with his son, and showed his love through some “rough housing” with his son. The two poems are also similar because both fathers are laborers. In “Those Winter Sundays” it says, “…with cracked hands that ached from labor in the weekday…” and in “My Papa’s Waltz” it states, “The hand that held my wrist, was battered on one knuckle… You beat time on my head with a palm caked by hard dirt.” This shows that both fathers are hardworking, and also shows that they have had difficult lives.

The poems are different because the speakers are talking to different people. For example, in “Those Winter Sundays” Hayden speaks to the reader. Stanza 2 shows this when it says “When the rooms were warm, he’d call, and slowly I would rise and dress, fearing the chronic angers of that house” which sounds as if the speaker was talking to a friend about his dad, or as if he was telling the reader a story. Hayden uses a more reminiscing tone. In “My Papa’s Waltz” Roethke is talking to the father throughout the poem. For example in stanza 1, Roethke writes, “The whiskey on your breath, could make a small boy dizzy”, this clearly shows that the speaker is directing words at the father. Also, the mood and the tone of each poem is different, because while one is more regretful, guilt-filled and sad, the other is more positive, cheerful and happy. The word choices and phrases used by Roethke such as “romped” and “waltzed me off to bed” indicate more happy circumstances, while Hayden uses “austere”, “lonely”, and “no one ever thanked him” to show woeful circumstances. Also, the two fathers’ personalities are different as well. The father in “Those Winter Sundays” is reserved, somewhat shy and quiet. For example, “(he) made banked fires blaze. No one ever thanked him. When the rooms were warm, he’d call…” This shows that instead of more open acts, he would quietly make his son a fire and warm the house. The father in “My Papa’s Waltz” is friendly, loud and playful, like in stanza 3 where Roethke writes, “We romped until the pans, slid from the kitchen shelf.” The word choice, “romped” used by the author shows that the father played with his some in a lively, boisterous fashion.

In conclusion, these two fine poems are both similar and different. They both display a relationship between a hardworking father and his son, and the unique way each father expresses love for his son.  They show that there are more ways to show love than just saying “I love you.”  Both poems display a wealth of emotions, and with only a few words, draw a vivid mental picture of the fathers these poets are remembering. 

 

1984 Book Club Essay

1984 Book Club Essay

Jared Dougall 711

                Some nations and societies have mirrored Big Brother’s oppressive ways, such as Joseph Stalin’s fascist regime in the former Soviet Union, and more recently, China. Throughout the book “1984”, by George Orwell, I found remarkable similarities between China’s government and that of Big Brother’s, such as the “telescreens” that spied on the people of Oceania, the single party government with no elections, and the “Thought Police” that controlled the people’s minds. From banning social media to wiping events out of history books, the events that took place in Oceania are taking place right now on the other side of the globe. Although many say the Chinese government has gotten less strict in recent years, the government is still extremely similar to Big Brother.

                First, China has only one political party, like Big Brother. The leader or Chairman of China’s political party, Xi Jinting, is the supreme leader of the country. There are only a few elections on the local level where the party picks the candidates, and there is no way to vote for or against anyone in a role of power, especially on the national level.  Also, anyone who does anything that could be interpreted as anti-party, such as throwing away a newspaper with Chairman Xi Jinting’s face on it, could face serious repercussions if discovered.  Similarly, in the book, anyone who showed a sign of disagreement or even frowned at something said by Big Brother, if reported, could be sent to the Ministry of Love or prison.

Second, in China there is no freedom of speech. Anyone who speaks out on topics the Chinese government has banned, or against an important position held by the government, could face jail time, or even death. A man named Leo Showbaa was imprisoned for 11 years because he asked for China to be more democratic, and proposed new thoughts and ideas to the Chinese public (Leo Showbaa won a Nobel Peace Prize, but was unable to collect it because he was not allowed to leave the country). The situation with Leo Showbaa is like the book because Winston wants to change the government, and was imprisoned for it, just like Leo Showbaa.  The Chinese Communist Party works to ban news from abroad that the party does not like.  That is why Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube are all banned in China.  Big Brother and China both operate in a way that leaves the party with all of the power, and the people with ignorance. 

Third, the Chinese Communist Party tries to control the population’s thoughts, words and actions by controlling what they see on television and hear on the news, and by altering written history. The news in China is very closely monitored by the party. Every morning, the party’s Ministry of Propaganda sends E-mails to the major new stations stating which topics should not be discussed and which are party-approved. Not only that, but certain issues such as Taiwanese independence and the Dalai Lama can only be discussed by people who share the party’s opinion. Big Brother does this in 1984 when the only people who speak about the war effort against Eastasia are the party fanatics. Similarly to Big Brother, China also has a “memory hole.”  For example, in 1989, college students in Tiananman Square protested against the government and asked for China to be more democratic.  They were fired upon by soldiers and tanks. That event has been wiped from the history books in China, and is forbidden to be discussed. This is similar to 1984 because even though Oceania was allied with Eastasia 65 years ago, later, when the alliance ended, Big Brother claimed that Eastasia had always been the enemy, and Eurasia had always been the ally, wiping all newspapers, books and propaganda of any evidence of the alliance with Eastasia, thus creating a “memory hole”.

Fourth, Big Brother and China are similar because they both spy on their population to ensure that no one is rebelling or speaking against the party.  Although there are some Chinese social media sites, they are constantly scrutinized by thousands of internet sensors who flag and remove anti-party propaganda, and in some cases, send police forces after those who post inappropriate comments about the party.  In “1984” Big Brother uses telescreens, which are TVs that constantly show party propaganda and Big Brother’s latest news, but have hidden cameras that monitor each citizen’s actions, and that person’s reaction to the propaganda. If a citizen’s response isn’t suitable, the Thought Police place him under arrest. The Chinese government uses similar methods. Without any permission, they can hack the camera and microphone of any Chinese citizen’s phone, the web cam of any computer and can tap into phone conversations. This is the way that both governments can monitor their people at any time.

In conclusion, some (if not most) of what occurred in George Orwell’s 1984 is happening today, in China. Oceania and China both have single party governments with no elections and strict rules that cannot not disobeyed. With foreign social media banned in China and propaganda filled news, the people in China are isolated from the outside world, just like the population of Oceania. In China, the government conducts espionage on its own people, and controls the freedom of speech, similar to Big Brother as well. Although China may not be as successful at controlling its people or have as many resources as Big Brother, it is frightening how alike the two governments are.

                 

Building Bridges

 Building Bridges Essay

Jared Dougall 711

              Symbols can be used in many different ways, such as to show ideas and feelings, and to help a story flow. In the short story, “Building Bridges”, the author, Andrea Davis Pinkney demonstrates how symbols can portray characters thoughts and emotions in many ways, and by using symbols she helps progress the plot. She uses symbols such as the Ham Skillet, the Brooklyn Bridge and Mama Lil’s cigarette within the short story. Mama Lil, Bebe’s 73 year old grandmother, is illiterate and racist, and uneducated, but a person with good intentions, through and through. Bebe, a teen who is independent and heavy-set, and doesn’t care about her appearance. The two are arguing over whether or not Bebe should work on a team to help renovate the Brooklyn Bridge. They both go to symbols that show freedom, regret, remorse and hope. Without these symbols, the story wouldn’t move along as well.

              Furthermore, a symbol that the author uses is Brooklyn Bridge itself to show Bebe’s hope for freedom and independence from her grandmother, and Bebe’s passion for engineering. “Ahead in the distance, stood the Brooklyn Bridge. This was the best spot in Brooklyn’s Red Hook section for seeing the bridge. I’d come to this corner and studied the bridge millions of times. And on every one of those times, I was taken by what I would come to call Brooklyn Belle.” This quote shows that Bebe escapes Mama Lil’s constricting grip by going to the bridge and experiencing ‘Brooklyn Bell’. Bebe wants to work on the bridge and to become an engineer, and Mama Lil is stopping her, so she gets as close to her dream as she can. “Tonight I’d draw Belle with her lighted cape. I sketched slowly at first, then faster, my pencil working with the speed of my excitement – the thrill that worked me over every time I sketched that bridge.” Additionally, this quote shows how much Bebe loves engineering, and how much she longs to break through the limits, and see what she can do.

              Secondly, another symbol used by Andrea Davis Pinkney is Mama Lil’s cigarette, which shows Mama Lil’s way of escaping. Mama Lil has had a pathetic life, and has achieved nothing. So to retreat from her miserable life she smokes the world away. “I’m enjoying my cig, Bebe,” she said, “It tastes better with my eyes closed.” Mama Lil’s dialogue shows the reader that she is neglecting Bebe, and is taking the easy way out of life; smoking blindly. Mama Lil is doing this because she is old and has had a terrible life where she has achieved nothing. “The cigarette had burned to ash. Its smoke had gone, but its heavy odor remained in the room.” This quote symbolizes that Mama Lil’s life was gone, but the hardships she faces still burdened her. It also symbolizes that Mama Lil had wasted her life to the point where the only thing worth living for is Bebe, and she was wasting that too.

              Finally, the special ham skillet that Mama Lil made for Bebe was also a symbol. When Mama Lil was asking for forgiveness of Bebe the morning of the bridge team meeting, she made Bebe’s favorite breakfast. “I awoke to the smell of Dunbar’s Ham coming from the kitchen. The sun hadn’t risen; twilight slowly approached. I listened for Mama Lil’s TV, but all I heard was crackling grease and the shuffle of Mama Lil’s feet against the kitchen tile.” The ham represents Mama Lil’s remorse for stopping Bebe’s hopes and dreams. She shows her asking forgiveness by getting up at the crack of dawn to serve Bebe the ham, which is only served on special occasions.   “When I got to the Kitchen, my place was set. Mama Lil scurried between the stove and the table, setting down napkins, pouring orange juice, flipping the ham as it rustled in the skillet.” That quote also shows that Mama Lil put in a good faith effort to help Bebe get to the bridge. Also, Mama Lil put in a great deal of effort to please Bebe on her big day.

              In conclusion, the ham, bridge and cigarette were all extremely effective ways of demonstrating ideas throughout the story, and also helped progress the plot. Mama Lil and Bebe’s character arch were supported by the symbols, which not only moved along their character arch, but also moved along the plot as a whole. The bridge really showed Bebe’d disparity, the cigarette showed Mama Lil’s regret, and the ham also demonstrates Mama Lil’s asking for forgiveness. All in all, symbols really do rock!

MY NAME

MY NAME:

My name is Jared Anson Yachuda Heim Dougall. Jared Anson, for my family. I was named after my great grandparents Jack and Janet, so that is where the "J" comes from. Sometimes I don't like having a 'J', it's much to common. Anson, well, my great grandmother Anne was a favorite of my mother's, so to honor her I am literally 'Anne's son'. I feel like my name is one big commemorative statue to those in my family, while my brother's name 'Cailan' was chosen just because my parents "liked it".

You can kind of guess who's the favorite...

 

I was named Yachuda after Yachuda Macabee, a warrior in the Jewish religion who fought the Romans and kept our people alive. He retaliated after the Romans eviscerated one of our temples, which sparked the story of Chanukah. So I am pretty much named after the 'founder of Chanukah', which I find to be pretty cool, being that Chanukah is my favorite Jewish holiday. Next, I am Heim, which means 'life' in Hebrew. So I am a "Warrior Who Embraces Life", which I think describes me pretty accurately.

 

Ms. Cunningham asked us to pick an animal, an element and a color to describe us, and I came up with some good ideas. I was thinking 'Orange Uranium Wolf", and I know what you're thinking right now, "What the heck is he thinking? Uranium? Pfft...". But before you condemn me, hear me out. Orange, soft to the touch, sweet like an orange, yet volatile and powerful. Uranium, radiant, explosive, sought after, powerful and versatile. Wolf, strong, fierce, travels in packs, loyal and a protector of the young. So next time when you think the name Jared Anson Yachuda Heim Dougall, think Orange Uranium Wolf.

To Kill A Mocking Bird

TO KILL A MOCKING BIRD

The book to kill a mocking bird changed my life. The book was fantastic, and I loved it. I really admired Harper Lee for writing a book like this in the 40s, and openly opposed segregation on a national scale. I think Harper Lee showed a lot of courage to right a book like this. I think that even though this book has a lot of explicit content, this book should be 'censored' for kids of the age of 9-10, and should be a read aloud required for that age level. If you don't know about history then you are bound to repeat it's mistakes.

I think Harper Lee displays courage through some of the characters in this book. Such as when Atticus defends Tom Robinson from the angry farmers in the middle in the middle of the night. This is important because at the time of segregation, a white man defending a black man for a crime is uncommon and is a big deal. Atticus displays courage and moral, and he shows that he is a good guy.

In conclusion, To Kill A Mocking Bird was a fantastic book. It illustrated the injustice in the south during segregation. Harper Lee showed a lot of courage to write a book like this, and I really look up to her for that. I hope that everybody gets to read this book in their life time, because it will change your life. If Harper Lee had not written this book, then maybe segregation would have never ended.