English Reading Response

By: Robert / 9 PIB / 19

 Newspaper Reading Response

1. OFFICIAL SAYS 7 DIED IN AIRSTRIKE IN FARAH

Reference: International Herald Tribune | September 6-7, 2008
Seven people, including two children, were killed in Farah air strike. Te air
strike happened in western Afghanistan in house of a Taliban commander. There
was no immediate comment from the US-led coalition.
Response: I’ve found a new vocabulary “coalition”; it means connection,
unity. This article contains a violent condition of the country in the world. Many
people killed without reasons as the victim of terrorism and war. Some of the
people keep themselves silent so they are saved from any law that would
torment them.

2. “THE VISIT TO THE FARM” PAINTING, BY: PIETER BRUEGHEL

Reference: International Herald Tribune | September 6-7, 2008
The panting shows us the scene in the social family of farmers. Many of
the people in the paintings is the people who lived in such a village which use
farming as one of the income source. The ensemble scene and Brueghel’s
cheerful colors are dominated by yellow-brown shades that enhance the peaceful
atmosphere of the farm scene.
Response: I’ve found a new vocabulary “enhance”; it means to raise
something. The article tells us about things in the paintings. It shows us the
description of the painting; some things were just understandable by the people
who know art well.

3. “WINTER FUN ON THE ICE”, BY: PIETER BRUEGHEL

Reference: International Herald Tribune | September 6-7, 2008
The painting contains the winter scene. The seasonal scenes are highly
appealing in the way they bring us back to the golden age of Flemish Art. The
landscape is alive, enhanced by the warm colors that stand out against the snow.
Response: I didn’t found any difficulties in vocabularies. The article tells
us about the scene in the winter. How the people make an event in the winter.
The painting brings us the truly of Flemish art.
4. TERROR IN INDIA
Reference: International Herald Tribune | September 6-7, 2008
The bombings that killed at least 45 people in the city of Ahmadabad on
July 26 are a reminder of the scope of India’s internal terror threat. Last year,
1.093 people died in terror incidents. The number of attacks by terrorist with no
apparent motives is rising at the time when India has neither a national strategy
nor a federal agency to contain terrorism. Indian parties have often reveled in
blaming terror attacks on their opponents, and are loath to crack down.
Response: I’ve found a new vocabulary “apparent”; it means real, clear.
I’ve also found “loath”; it means a feeling of respect. This article tells us about
terrorism in India. The article indicates that India is one of the countries which
have the highest terrorism rate. The article also affects us on our perception to
India and giving a new knowledge about India.
 Magazine Article Reading Response

1. THE BEST OF AMERICAN UNIVERSITIES

Reference: Newsweek | August 18 / August 25, 2008
Speaking about universities, USA is the home for its bests. USA has
almost 600.00 international students, which taking higher education. US still held
six of the top ten world universities. USA provides educational investment and
benefits that will set them apart in their chosen career. USA has managed to
adapt the global competition by maintaining their positions as leaders of
discovery and innovations.
Responses: I didn’t find any difficulties in vocabularies. The article is
simple and easy to be understood. It’s just a simple article but it is detail
However, it contains deep meaning which affects many people. It also gives
people a new knowledge about education in USA. This could affect our
perception in study abroad. Some statistics are also included to support this
article.

2. THE BEST OF EUROPEAN UNIVERSITIES

Reference: Newsweek | August 18 / August 25, 2008
Europe has established and continues to establish world-class universities
with progressive, impressively modern attitudes. Europe held 86 universities
among top 200 world universities. Europe allows students to choose an
environment that suits their aspirations. European universities offer consistently
excellent degrees at relatively low costs, the high standards of education
maintained by government subsidies.
Responses: I didn’t found any difficulties in vocabularies. This article is
similar to the first article, but the difference is just on the country. But, this article
gives more complete details. This article also includes several statistics. Fact
with details could make us believe in things we’ve never heard, so this article
could convince people well. This article also chooses the word which raise the
quality of the promoted things, for example: impressively modern, excellent, etc.

3. THE TOEFL AND GRE TESTS

Reference: Newsweek | August 18 / August 25, 2008
More than 8.000 institutions accept GRE and TOEFL test scores, including
world top colleges and universities. And with thousands of testing centers
worldwide, taking a test is convenient and easy. The TOEFL (Test of English as a
Foreign Language) test and GRE (Graduate Record Examinations) test are
created by ETS (Educational Testing Service), and remain the world’s best and
most popular standing the test of time.
Response: I’ve found a new vocabulary “convenient”; it means not hard,
easy, good. This article contains things about new things that could change the
world. Now as we know by the TOEFL and GRE tests, things get easier when we
want to study abroad. The things changed the world by increasing its connection
between universal educations. The things needed to be condition to apply in
universal education.
5. THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
Reference: Newsweek | August 18 / August 25, 2008
The George Washington University (GW) which is located on the heart of
US capital is home of the most-after engineering and computing programs in the
country. Technology Corridor gives the students an unequalled combination of
research work. The teaching method prepares the students to help advance the
frontiers of technology.
Response: I didn’t found any difficulties in vocabularies. This article aims for a
promotion to universal education. This article affects people which wanted to
have an education program. This article shows some advantages in the
promotion.
Novel Reading Response

THE LOST WORLD

Reference: Conan Doyle, S.A. (2003). The Lost World. Elementary Edition,
Jakarta, Dian Rakyat.
Edward Malone, a young newspaper reporter, joins a team of explorers,
headed by the eccentric Professor Challenger. Professor Challenger claims he
has found a lost world where animals believed to have become extinct million of
years ago still survive which means he found dinosaurs. Some of another
eccentric joins the journey to prove the existence of dinosaurs, and so the
journey is full of eccentrics. The journey begins by crossing the river with some
help of Indians and landed on the way to the lost world.
Then Edward Malone and his eccentric friends camped near the red cliffs
where the professor thought it was the lost world. The pterodactyl suddenly came
and disturb the camping atmosphere, luckily no one hurt. Next, somehow the
explorers made it to go to the red cliff and some of the servants betray them by
closing the way to go out from the red cliff. Some of other servants kill the
betrayers and searching for help to help the explorers out of the red cliff.
They have found the living dinosaurs and the ape-people. Some of the
explorers get caught by the ape people and so the battle of the explorers and the
ape-people begun. Some of the prisoners and is Indians. The team helped the
Indian prisoners and they help the explorers to fight the ape-people. The battle
ended satisfactorily. The explorers won the battle and all the ape-people were all
dead. The Indian help the team to go out of red cliff and they get back to London.
Professor Challenger brings a package which no one knows what the thing is
inside. When they get back to London and told the scientist the journey, still
many of them didn’t believe the story, and the Professor Challenger opened the
package. Suddenly son of pterodactyl came out and fly away out of the hall, and
no one speak because they knew that the story is true.
Response: I’ve found a new vocabulary “eccentric”, it means unique,
weird, and rather crazy. I’ve also found “plateau”; it means highlands. This story
is quite easy to understand because it is a retold edition of the true story. This
story is good and increases our imagination about the past. This story doesn’t
make the readers feel boring because there is always tautness in every incident.
This story also contains the things which are a new knowledge for us about the
past.