DR3

World War One was a difficult time period for every American in the early 1900s; women, workers, and children were all affected by the conflict in Europe. However, soldiers dragged the burden of the war with their bare hands, but maybe there could have been a way around all of their suffering. Although the war was necessary, the prolonged distress was not. The new technology and well-trained soldiers would make it seem as if the war would end quickly, but the problem of an incessant onslaught lied in the method of war. [|Trench warfare]was a war strategy used in World War One in which opposing forces would battle from either inside [|long narrow ditches]or recklessly attack from the area in between the trenches. Unsanitary conditions and enclosed spaces in trenches posed a serious threat for soldiers in World War One; therefore, trenches were an ineffective war tactic that caused more casualties than intended. The trenches were basically death traps–when there were no bullets firing, there were dead bodies rotting in every square inch of the quarters, and the conditions only got worse. The number of rats in trenches were in the millions; they “ [gorged] themselves on human remains (grotesquely disfiguring them by eating their eyes and liver), and they could grow to the size of a cat” (Duffy Life in the Trenches). These nuisances spread infection, contaminated food, and even struck fear into the mightiest of soldiers. The attempts to kill the rodents were futile, for they produced up to 900 offspring per year. Along with rats came frogs, lice and insects, followed by serious diseases. Trench fever, trench foot and influenza haunted the soldiers. The medical services during this time were primitive; therefore, a small injury could prove fatal, so anything as miniscule as a rat bite could result in death. Delousing baths and constant cleanliness was a never-ending chore. When there is a war being fought, it is imperative for the soldiers to be ready at anytime for combat. They must devote their spare time to resting rather than killing rats and delousing themselves. Sleeping and eating in hidden campsites or actual housing would be a much more practical tactic for living arrangements in the war; this would eliminate disease, infestation and decrease the number of casualties for each attack, for the soldiers will not be trapped inside the trenches. Stepping foot outside of a trench was pure suicide. Retreating to no man’s land – the area between the trenches - would result in a shower of lead and explosions, for the area was riddled with land mines, barbed wire and a constant flow of bullets. According to (author’s name), men who wandered into no-man’s land became disorientated and often strayed into enemy trenches (814). Forced to stay inside the precariously built trenches, soldiers are exposed to poison gas, grenades and infiltration. Once an area of a trench was captured, there were barricades made so that the captured soldiers could not escape; however, if they were to escape, they would find themselves trapped in a storm of shell fire, bullets and bombs. In reality, trench warfare gave soldiers nowhere to run nor did it give them anywhere to hide. With both sides capturing their enemies’ trenches, it was no surprise that the war reached a [|stalemate]; this resulted in a lingering war and an absurd amount of deaths.


 * Assignment: Do memories hinder or help people in their effort to learn from the past and succeed in the present? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.**

Memories and past experiences serve as a rail, a guiding support, for people in an effort to succeed in the present. People not only learn from the past, but the very act of going through something provides experience for a person who is to "move up the ladder of success and achievement". Some view failed experiences as a hinderance to future success. This is very untrue because history has a tendency of repeating itself, and in recognizing past failures, one can learn how to successfully approach similar situations in the future. An example of this is looking back in history to WWI. Sedition acts at this time allowed for the imprisonment of anyone who voiced an opinion against the president, or against the war. America recognized this shady time in its past, and instead of covering it up in a movement towards a more democratic nation, these acts were published in textbooks and taught to students. Americans saw the poor judgement of this situation and later with the war in Iraq, approached "patriotism" differently. With this present war, those adverse to the war are able to voice their opinions without fear of imprisonment or death. In seeing the undemocratic ways of an earlier era, America was able to recognize the bad and try to reform it. If the Sedition Acts had been forgotten then what is to say that they wouldn't come back? Remembering the failed times insures that improvement is possible. In my personal experience, I have found that the very act of living through something not only matures me, but also provides skills and knowledge. In remembering past events, I am able to use them as reference, and sometimes assurance. A personal example, somewhat juvenile, but also effective, is when my first pet died. I was devastated and wanted to just clear my mind of the event, but I didn't. After time, I recovered, but maintained the memory of this horrible tragedy. Later in life, another pet died. I looked back to that memory as a guide and learned from it that in time I would be fine and to just hang on. In this situation, a memory served as a reference and catalyzed in my personal growth and recovery. Memories, good or bad, assist people in obtaining success. Whether used as reference for guidance, or lessons on what not to do, past experiences can only offer a gap between the steps on the ladder of success. Forgetting the past can and will only erase experience and knowledge from a person and in affect hinder one in seeking achievement. In looking at historical repeats and personal events, it is clear that old memories can only aid in success. 4 - strong point, could be clearer, grammar and transition is mediocre BY JUSTIN MANN

Japanese Militarists

__After World War I, Japan’s economy was thriving until the downfall of foreign trade hit the country hard. Similar to other countries in the early 1900s such as [|Germany], [|Russia] and [|Italy], the economic crisis cornered Japan until the only thing left to turn to was the military (Rise of Totalitarianism Paragraph 5). The Japanese military set up a dictatorship, and although there was not one single leader involved, the strength of the Japanese dictatorship was comparable to that of Hitler’s Nazi party. “The government arrested critics, imposed censorship, and employed a secret police force to hunt down and punish so-called enemies of the state,” giving the Japan the characteristics of a totalitarianist, or overly involved, government (Rise of Totalitarianism Paragraph 5). The militarists disagreed with a number of different details that the party government had put into action including reducing the size of the military, improving relations with China and the [|1930 London Naval Disarmament Conference]where Japan agreed to have a navy inferior to that of Britain and the United States. In response to this, an extremist – an advocate of taking excessive measures – assassinated the Prime Minister of Japan, but this was not the end of the Japanese militarist’s reign. These promoters of war had their__ minds set on expanding; Japan was in the process of conquering Manchuria and Siberia, for some people decided that Japan needed its own natural resources and more living space. Besides the desire to expand and the disagreement among parties, the Great Depression also accelerated the rise of militarism in Japan. The Depression led to unemployment, failure of crops, and complete collapse of the economy. Because all of Japan’s problems were blamed on the party government, people turned to the ideas of Japanese militarism to get them through this difficult time. In addition, [|racism]played a large role in Japan resorting to military methods. Japan’s “attempt to establish a statement of racial equality in the Covenant of the League of Nations was vetoed by the United States (because of opposition in California) and Great Britain (Australian resistance),” which was greatly resented by the Japanese (The World at War: 1931-1945 3). All of these factors aided in the dictatorship that tarnished Japan’s society in the early 1900s. The brutality and random attacks by Japanese soldiers were not only unnecessary, but they were unhelpful. An attempt to patch up a broken civilization resulted in the fall of a once stable social order.



__  1. "The Rise of Totalitarianism." A Brief Survey of World History__. __2008. California Department of Education. 3 February 2009. >.  **__ **2. "The World at War: 1931-1945." 2008. NCTA. 3 February 2009.  >. 3. "Trace the origins for the rise of militarism in Japan in the 1930s." 2008. The Corner. 4 February 2009. . 

__PART 1

You Will have 30 minutes to complete the writing task. Take a Few Minutes to think about the task and to plan what you want to say before you begin to write. You may use the prewriting/planning space to plan your text, but your prewriting will not be scored. **Only your writing on the lined pages of your answer sheet will be scored.** Do your best to make your writing clear and well organized. Keep your purpose in mind as your write and use your checklist. You must use a No. 2 pencil. You may either print or write your final copy. You may //not// use a dictonary or any other reference materials during the test. However, you may use the Writer's Checklist. If you finish before the time is called, review what you have written using the Writer's Checklist to read critically and improve what you have written.
 * Directions:** Today you are going to take part of the High School Proficiency Assessment for Language Arts Literacy. The assessment contains different types of text and different activities. In the first part of the test, you will look at a picture and then complete a writing task. In this activity, you have an opportunity to demonstrate how well you can organize and express your ideas in written text. Refer to the Writer's Checklist of important points to remember as you write. Educators who read your writing will consider these important points when they read and score your writing.



An ancient proverb says, "A picture is worth a thousand words." Regardless of the artist's original intent, what we see in the picture can be very different from what others can see. What story does this picture tell you? Use your imagination and experience to speculate about what is happening. Then write your story.

PART 2__

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 * Directions:** In this part of the test, you will read a narrative passage and then respond to the multiple-choice and open-ended questions that follow it. You may look back at the passage and make notes in the margin if you like, but you must record your answers on your answer sheet.You Will have 50 minutes for this part of the test**.**======

  On Feb. 2, 2007, the United Nations scientific panel studying climate change declared that the evidence of a warming trend is "unequivocal," and that human activity has "very likely" been the driving force in that change over the last 50 years. The last report by the group, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, in 2001, had found that humanity had "likely" played a role. The addition of that single word "very" did more than reflect mounting scientific evidence that the release of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases from smokestacks, tailpipes and burning forests has played a central role in raising the average surface temperature of the earth by more than 1 degree Fahrenheit since 1900. It also added new momentum to a debate that now seems centered less over whether humans are warming the planet, but instead over what to do about it. In recent months, business groups have banded together to make unprecedented calls for federal regulation of greenhouse gases. The subject had a red-carpet moment when former Vice President Al Gore's documentary, "An Inconvenient Truth," was awarded an Oscar; and the Supreme Court made its first global warming-related decision, ruling 5 to 4 that the Environmental Protection Agency had not justified its position that it was not authorized to regulate carbon dioxide.


 * Does this article effectively get its point across about global warming? If so, how does it persuade the reader to help the global warming cause?

The article effectively makes its point about global warming. It is very upfront and specific. It gives statistics and prime examples to support what it’s trying to say. Global Warming has always been a worldwide problem. In order to fix it everyone needs to work together to make a difference: however many countries are forced to deal with other problems, such as economical or social, and forget about the importance of a clean planet. The article clearly states signs of this problem by proving everyday instances that affect the earth such as smoke stacks and tailpipes. Due to a carbon dioxide increase, our earths temperature by 1 degree. The article gives vital details and makes the reader think about what is really happening in our world due to the affects of human nature, persuading them to believe this is a real and present problem.

12. This topic of discussion is very depressing for some people.
 * How does this article make you feel about the destruction going on around the globe?
 * Argue for both sides: for global warming and against global warming.

The Global Warming article angers me because this is a very important problem that isn't taken seriously. Not only our country, but every other country on earth, hasn’t done enough to try and prevent this situation. Global Warming is real, and there is enough evidence to prove it. Scientists have done studies about the effects of this situation that not only produces consequences for us, but everything else to. For example, animals are greatly impacted by the climates change, such as polar bears. As the temperature rises, ice caps melt. The bears rely on the frozen land to hunt food and live. The ice caps melting decreases the land size making it over populated and harder to catch prey. Many polar bears die from starvation while others drowned as the ice continuously cracks underneath them, making it impossible to get on land. These bears are only one example of endangered species that is affected by Global Warming. In contrast to this situation, many people believe that Global Warming isn’t real. Earth has constantly been changing throughout the centuries; extinction is just a part of life. Everything that is said to be caused by earths warming is really just the planet taking its natural course. Before humans, many species still died out, so it may not be our fault. The article makes me think about the problems and being a strong believer in Global Warming, just gives more reason to prove its existence.

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 * Directions:** In this part of the test, you will read a persuasive passage and then respond to the multiple-choice and open-ended questions that follow it. You may look back at the passage and make notes in the margin if you like, but you must record your answers on your answer sheet. You Will have 50 minutes for this part of the test**.**======

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Exercise is a word you hear everywhere - and for good reason. Exercise is a very important part of life because it keeps the body in good shape (and not just in humans either, as the vet's comment shows). Doctors and researchers are finding evidence that regular exercise, along with other things that make up a healthy lifestyle, can prevent some diseases that occur later in life and lead to a longer, happier life in general.======



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"So what? How does that affect me?" you may be thinking. Well, exercise doesn't just offer rewards when you're older - it offers rewards that begin **right at this moment**, too. Exercise is beneficial to every part of your body, including your brain. But probably the best place to start is your heart.======

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You most likely already know that the heart is a muscle - it's actually the strongest muscle in the human body. But did you know that just like other muscles, the heart likes (and needs) a good workout? You can provide it with an excellent workout in the form of aerobic exercise. Aerobic exercise is any type of exercise that makes your muscles use oxygen. Because aerobic exercise is repetitive, it brings fresh oxygen into the muscles of the body over and over - making the heart muscle stronger (and sometimes a bit larger, as well). Aerobic exercise increases the number of blood cells in your blood, so your blood can carry more oxygen than before; it also helps the blood travel more efficiently through your blood vessels.======

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It's recommended that teens do some sort of aerobic exercise at least three times a week, for 20 to 30 minutes at a time. Many teens who play team sports may do more than what's recommended - and that's great! The heart appreciates it and you'll be able to do more and more exercise without getting tired. Some team sports that are good for pouring on the oxygen are swimming, basketball, soccer, lacrosse, field hockey, ice and roller hockey, and rowing.======

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But if you don't play team sports, don't worry; there are plenty of ways to get aerobic exercise on your own or with a few friends. Some awesome ways to get aerobically fit include biking, running, aerobics, swimming, dancing, in-line skating, cross-country skiing, hiking, and walking quickly. In fact, types of exercise that you can do on your own are easier to continue for years to come, so you can stay fit as you get older.======


 * Using the text to help you, analyze two techniques that the author used to persuade the reader to exercise.
 * Which technique was most effective in persuading the reader? Why?


 * How do you motivate yourself to get something done?
 * How would you motivate yourself to exercise? Use examples from the article to support your answer.

The author used both statistics and examples to try and persuade the reading into agreeing with his essay. His statistics stated that the body’s heart needs exercise to stay healthy. It improves the oxygen running throughout the body and makes the heart bigger and stronger. It also strengths muscles and increases the number of blood cells. It makes differences in a persons life both in the present and in the future, such as preventing diseases and staying fit. By showing examples of exercising, the essay is easier to understand and proves that what it is saying is true. Any kind of movement 2-3 times a week for about 30 minutes can greatly impact your health. Those who play sports get more then the minimum amount, which only improves exercising effects. Using statistics is the strongest way to persuade a reader. It is true and actual affects that can’t be proved otherwise. Hearing scientific information is better then hearing advice. It is a better supporter and makes what the author is trying to side with more powerful. Without it, a reader can find may ways to disagree with the authors essay and have their own opinions and ideas, yet true facts make it harder to do so.

In order to get something done I try to keep my self as organized as possible. If I have everything written down and planned out it makes doing something a lot easier. For example, if I have a project that I really don’t want to, ill split up and devote time to it each day so I’m not jammed with a boring presentation that leaves me stress and rushing. I also try to take things so; going fast makes things sloppy and doesn’t allow me to put much effort into it. I motivate myself by continuously pushing to doing the things I want to do. When it comes to exercise I motivate my self by splitting up my week. I chose 3 days to run after school and walk the others. After exercising I always feel good about myself and more physically fit. It allows me to continue my runs and keep me healthy. I also do sports, which is a huge motivation for exercise. In order to score a goal I have to work hard and be better then the other players. If I was lazy and didn’t exercise I wouldn’t have an advantage over everyone else, causing me to do poorly at games. The author states that exercising doesn’t only help now but in the future as well. When I get older I want to have a good body. As you grow it seems to be harder to lose weight and there is a lot more stress, keeping you from taking care of yourself. If I start now doing it in the future wont be as hard and I can benefit from the effects of it.

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The Southern Christian Leadership Conference was officially inaugurated on January 11, 1957 in Atlanta, Georgia. The first meeting of the SCLC was in Montgomery in August 1957; here the founders of the organizations made decisions including the adoption of nonviolent mass action as the main strategy, the affiliation of local community organizations with SCLC across the South, and a determination to make the SCLC movement open to everyone; the organization did not discriminate because of race, religion or background. The first president, Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr was an extremely influential figure during the 1950s, for he was a key component in eliminating segregation with inspirational speeches and imperative integration movements. The main goal of the SCLC in the 1950s was to completely liberate the country of discrimination and segregation. They attained this goal in many different ways including sit-ins (and variations such as "wade-ins" and "kneel-ins", rallies and marches held to desegregate public places, voter registration drives and boycotts against merchants who would not desegregate their stores. Martin Luther King and Reverend Abernathy inspired people at the Albany Movement. Operation Breadbasket and the Citizenship Education Program were organized by the SCLC in Atlanta and spread throughout the South to elevate the economic status of blacks by concentrating on the job market, literacy programs, voter education, and community organizing programs.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __Hippies and the Counterculture__

The counterculture in the 1960s consisted of people revolting against conformity and expressing themselves. These people were the [|“baby boom” generation] who grew to hate the standard of living in their time period; a completely alternative lifestyle was created in order to revolutionize America’s materialism and cultural psychosis. These people who expressed themselves through art, music and literature along with demonstrations, protests, sex, unusual [|self-expression] and drug use were known as hippies. These people were in no way rebels without a cause; they disagreed with a number of political and cultural views. At the time Americans were trying to find and maintain political freedom and a comfortable level of middle clas by “fulfilling set roles and respecting authority” (Law 1998) meaning finding a job and forming a family. This is exactly what the hippies were fighting against. The hippies were not able to find comfort in superficial materials and successful careers; they wanted something more sentimental. This counterculture believed that positive social relationships and creativity yielded a happier and superior life. In the [|hippies’ ideal world], love, peace and freedom were the only rules people would need to abide by. This is why this faction of people usually lived together in large houses or even in meadows; they made a home out of anywhere that they could be together happily. Because they had complete freedom to do whatever they wanted in their culture, hippies usually did a lot of drugs, like LSD, acid, and marijuana, and had a lot of sex. The hippies respected every part of nature, which explains why large portions of them were vegetarians and why they incorporated flowers into much of their clothing. Also, the hippies were extremely anti-war. One of the largest world issues that the hippies were trying to stop was the [|Vietnam War]. There were countless protests against the war, for the hippies believed that there was no reason for it, and they wanted no part of it. Marches and sit-ins were just a few of the methods used to show the hippies’ objection towards the war along with handing out flowers, which explains the nickname “flower children” that they were given. Also, hippies were huge civil rights activists; they believed that everybody should be living peacefully. Because of their opposition to many components of society, hippies created their own separate communities to avoid contact with the “real” world. These hippie communities were places where hippies were free to live the way the wanted without being discriminated against or rejected for their [|beliefs]. Here, hippies were able to listen to their rebellious music without restraint. Artists like Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin allowed hippies to convey a strong political and cultural message – people need to stop embracing their materials and start concentrating on morals; however, there were disadvantages to living in a hippie commune. Although hippies were free to do whatever they wanted, there was a lot of pressure to do certain things that some people may feel uncomfortable with. Because sex and drugs was so prevalent, there was a lot of pressure to take part. Despite the good and bad side of the hippie culture, it continues to live on today. Unmarried people continue to travel and live in large groups in order to have freedom to express themselves politically, culturally and socially. Tie-dye shirts and flowers that are worn in peoples’ clothing marks the legacy that the hippies have left and that will stay, for a hippie is someone who shows his or her rebellion, and people will always have disagreements; being a [|hippie] is a way to express one’s disagreement.