Topic 1: Online books

The first books were invented around 2100 BC by writing on tree bark and converting it to paper. People could read at any time they wanted, like their parents reading kids to bed.  

In 1971 (according to ZDNet), online books came along, and with it came a lot of conveniences. People were very excited about it. Now they didn’t have to go to the library every time they wanted to read a new book. This also helps children with dyslexia. Educomics says,”Children with dyslexia are often turned off by the idea of reading. Unfortunately, because of their condition, dyslexic children are lacking in terms of reading skills and thus have a harder time progressing with their education. However, scientists are discovering that e-book readers might just be a solution to that problem.“ Think about how much dyslexic children will be influenced by ebooks. Imagine bringing 200 pounds of books plus luggage. When they go on a vacation, they don't have to bring like 40 books along. Instead, they could

bring just a tablet. Audiobooks can read the story to you without someone reading it to you. Ebook users are able to magnify, change the font or font size, and copy-paste information on the ebook. Ebooks are eco-friendly, too. One of ebooks’ largest benefits is the fact that they don’t require trees to create them,which is obviously an eco-friendly option that both reduces cost and environmental impact.  

With all these advantages, I am certain that you can’t think of many disadvantages. Over the years, as more and more people use online books, they begin to find its disadvantages. Both ebooks and audiobooks had to be charged over time and people couldn't read them all the time.  Imagine being in the climax of the book when the battery becomes dead and the screen becomes black. Ebooks on screens emit blue light which damages your eyes and can keep you up at night. Ebooks also cause eyestrain (partially according to Penn State Univ.). Print books have many advantages over e-books, which can be doors to other electronic distractions, all of which can screw up your sleep. If you have an Amazon Kindle, the result is better. Ebooks are not fair to

authors that professionally publish ebooks because they are paid less than authors that professionally publish print books. Supporting this idea, Wise Bread says,”In a professional deal, you will earn more money on a per book basis from a print book than an ebook because of the way the professionals structure payouts,” and “Of about 200,000 authors publishing and selling ebooks on Amazon, only about 5,000 — 2.5% of the authors — consistently earn $10,000 a year or more.”

If you ebook-lovers are disappointed about this, you still can read ebooks on computers while not screwing up with your sleep because there is a setting called “Night Light” which can help you sleep by displaying warmer colors on the screen, but it can make things disappear or become discolored. For example, when Night Light is on, light blue items are displayed as white, and red items are displayed as pink. This is why I think online books are not as good as traditional books. I wouldn’t sacrifice my eyesight just for the conveniences of online books.

Topic 2: Dog breeds

There are many breeds of dogs. Some breeds are large and strong like the Golden Retriever and German Shepherd,  while other breeds are small and cute, like the French Bulldog. Then you also have the crossbreed. Some crossbreeds turn out good like Huskies, and some not so good, like the Mexican Hairless. Crossbreed got popular for a while. But, people later went back to purebred dogs. Purebred dogs soon become more luxurious to own. 

But what makes dog breeds different? Dog breeds look different because different dogs evolved in different ways from the same ancestor and changed because of natural selection and evolution. For example, German Shepherds are different from poodles even though they both have a wolf-like ancestor. Then the breeds adapted to their climate and now look very different.

Topic 3: Memoir (trip to Hawaii)

I woke to a blinding light. I was on a plane to Hawaii. I saw some mountain with a huge hole in it. Why was that hole there? Then, I saw gas steaming out of it. Maybe there are smaller gas-emitting holes in it. That gigantic hole looked as if the “roof” caved in.

I pointed out of the window and asked my mom,”What is that enormous hole doing in the mountain?”

She said, ”It’s an inactive volcano.”

It was only then when I remembered what a volcano was.

The next thing I knew, the plane was already landing. It touched the ground with a thud, and I felt my ears pop. A few moments later, we took our stuff and got out of the plane. I immediately smelled fresh air after being cramped in the plane for 5 long hours. The first thing I saw, which was weird enough, was a staircase.

My whole family and I took our luggage down and to the building. Once we were inside, I felt the nice cool air conditioning in the tiny 1-story airport after perspiring for some time in the hot sun while waiting at the benches outside of the airport. We passed the security check in the small airport in Kona, on the Big Island, and went to a car rental area. We got a shiny, white Nissan Maxima and drove to our hotel: Kona Coast Resort.

From my room, the view was just so beautiful. It overlooked a private golf course and the huge hotel

swimming pool. My dad had booked a 1-bedroom condominium with a fully furnished kitchen. The room was a huge one, with a king size bed!!!!!

There was a shopping center nearby, just across the street. We went to the only grocery store there: KTA Super Stores. I found some of my favorite items there, like Jell-O, ham, coconut rolls, and yogurt.

After we finished shopping, we went to a restaurant

called L and L Hawaiian Barbecue. I tasted some of the best food in my life: Teriyaki beef, fries, and Chicken Katsu with soda.

The next two days, we snorkeled. I saw hundreds of fish like the Yellow Tang or Lau’l Pala, the Moorish Idol or Kihi Kihi, the Teardrop Butterfly or Kika Kapulauhau, the Pennant Fish or the Banner Fish, the Rectangular Triggerfish, and the Pinktail Triggerfish. (These names are placed in an order from most to least commonly seen by me.) Despite seeing all the fish, I saw a tire in the ocean. I felt sad because the beauty of nature was

being destroyed before my very eyes. Although my dad and I got cuts, we (my dad, mom, and I) really enjoyed the experience of snorkeling. Anyway, the soothing ocean water really calmed my pains and helped heal my cuts.

Wait, did I tell you what the dates were? No. So here it is: June 27-July 6, 2014.

On June 30, we traveled to the less popular east side