The Children by Nina Fedorova Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Children by Nina Fedorova - Essay Example Lida is the main child. Manchuria is China and hard. Many peoples refugee there and Japan controlled. Lida and her mother are Russian and escape violence in Russian Revolution. Lida sings good and loves Jimmy from U.S. They will have marry some day and mail letters, but Lida stops getting them. When traveling to sing. Lida sees friends in Harbin and Shanghai. She sees the Platova, Mother Abbess, and Mme. Militza. Mainly Lida worrys for Jimmy, because must marry to be happy. Glafira marrys George and they are happy with brothers in Australia. Mother Abbess even wants to marry, but she dies. Jimmy has accident in hospital and Lida sad and sick but Leon downstairs send her letters. Lida writes Jimmy how that Leon asked her to marry and Jimmy doesn't write until he leaves so she choose. Leon is in Spain and Mrs. Clark finds out about Jimmy to help Lida to go to U.S. Before Lida leave, her home flooded. Piano can't be sold. Rooms Mother rent are full of peoples without house, so Lida has no money to leave. Lida's friend Alla is sick because her mother did not like her husband. They stay with Lida but Alla dies. "Fate deprived Alla of many pleasures in life now refused her even the traditional accessory of death." (Fedorova 340). The city was under water. People moved in boats and tubs and rafts. With no place to bury Alla. Mother sew her in sackcloth and she in General took body on boat to Hei-ho river and push her in. Japan soldiers sit in boats over fences because of blockade. The town is almost dry when Second World War happens. Russians have party for Lida because Miss Clark pays for boat. Lida travels with Mr. Rind and Professor Kremenetz, but she is careful without Japanese permission. Mr Rind is American but Professor Kremenetz is Russian and says "A Russian girl is almost ridiculous in her devotion. A Russian heart is the pathetic heart of a child rushing for an illusion, hurting himself and others - still refusing to take reality as it is." (Fedorova 375). Lida gets to Seattle and Jimmy buys her oranges. Everyone is child and Russian child have to learn. Many learn in The Children. The Shanghai student are get impressed by Lida and come see her sing. The boys stop changing Mme. Militza's sign and bring her flowers because a book told them how. Nikitka's mother rents him to Mrs. Pitcher and she sends him to school with English. He learns with younger child and then he cheats. No other English students like him and Nikitka gets beat for cheating so he runs away. Comrade Dasha is Communist. She read newspapers for Mr. Rind in Harbin. When Lida watches the frozen river at Christmas, she talks that God means she is never lonely. Dasha laughs because she is atheist. Dasha take Mr. Rind to Communist meeting where she is dead. Dasha saves the speaker from a bullet and has a big funeral because she was a worker. Lida tells Mother Abbess and the mothers pray because Dasha was atheist. Sinner Vera is a liar about everything. Her parents are killed at six years old. Mother Abbess says "To lie i s perhaps her way to believe that one can change the facts." (Fedorova 145). Lida's cousin Dima in England. He can go to U.S. but stays to fight for Mrs. Parrish in England. Dima has plan for children. He writes to Lida and her Mother to tell them about plan. He takes all from all fighting countries and they go to island.

A-level Writing - Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

A-level Writing - Environment - Essay Example We are a long way from Mesopotamia at this point in our history, however. Many of our modern efforts to control or adapt the environment for the benefit of humans have created environmental degradation and damage. We are actually at a point where humans are no longer making the world a better place to live. We are damaging the planet due to excessive use and waste of our natural resources. This is most clearly visible through the global phenomena of climate change, desertification and water pollution. Global climate change is a very contentious topic. Many scientists believe that greenhouse gasses such as carbon dioxide and methane that are being released into the atmosphere at historic levels by human activity is causing the earth’s atmosphere to heat up. Other scientists believe that the recent warming that has been measured is nothing more than a part of the earth’s natural cycle of warming and cooling (Press, 2004, p.55). Assuming that the science is correct, it is important to understand that much of these greenhouse gasses that are being emitted are a result of conveniences we demand as a part of our modern lifestyles. They are not vital for human existence. Having a car, electricity and high-speed air travel are vital parts of our global culture, but they are not necessary for the sustaining of human life. Our world would be radically different without these modern inventions and services, but there is a chance that our continued use will damage the planet deeply. Entire ecosystems may disappear simply because people are unwilling to pay more for alternative forms of transportation or because they refuse to acknowledge scientific data because of a certain religious or political belief (Letcher, 2009, p.133). This is indeed proof of the danger humans pose to the earth. Even when there is a chance our actions are detrimental to the environment; many of us still refuse to change our ways. Desertification is another way that humans are degradin g the environment. Pasturing animals is an ancient occupation, but the modern demands of six billion inhabitants of earth to eat an animal rather than a plant-based diet is starting to stress many ecosystems. Grazing animals in areas of marginal rainfall can lead to a process known as desertification. The soil dries out and loses its fertility, leading to an encroachment of desert soils or a barren hardpan. Desertification claims many acres of land each year. The real problem with this phenomenon lies in the fact that once soils are degraded in an arid region, they are almost impossible to rehabilitate. A few seasons of over-grazing can result in ruined soils that took millennia to develop. Traditional grazing practices were much gentler on the environment, but modern methods of grazing have proven disastrous in many areas of Africa, Southwest Asia and even North America (Geist, 2006, p. 42). A final way that humans are causing irreparable harm to the environment is through water po llution, specifically through the runoff of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides. The green revolution of the 1960’s greatly increased the output of the world’s farms, but we are now reaping the negative consequences of the overuse of agrichemicals. Estuaries such as the Chesapeake Bay have entire areas