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On page 67, their introductory page for Unit 7, "Survival", Bixby and Scanlon (2013) present us with a with a large picture and several discussion questions.
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Questions to discuss
You have just brainstormed the questions below. Now, write a comment responding to them. There is no need to number your answers because you are writing one response to them, not three separate responses. The purposes of the questions is to help you get ideas on your chosen topic for discussion. You have ten minutes to write your response.
- Describe a geographical place where survival is difficult. Have you ever been in such a place?
- What makes survival so difficult there?
- What would you need to have to survive there? (In your initial brainstorming, you might like to make a list and circle the two most important things.)
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- Bixby, J. & Scanlon, J. (2013). Skillful reading & writing: Student's book 3. Oxford: Macmillan Education
First I thought of things like oceans, mountains and deserts, but then the picture reminded me of the geography of Mars, which I saw presented on the film The Martian, starring Matt Damon. It was a great film, and was about surviving on Mars.
ReplyDeleteObviously I've never been to Mars, but in some ways it's like deserts on Earth, only much harder to survive in. In the film, we learn that the air is breathable, so if you visit Mars, you need to take an air supply with you. Another problem in the film is that it's extremely cold. When he is outside of his high-tech. hut, Matt Damon has to worry about staying warm.
Another problem in such a harsh environment is loneliness, so taking along something to relieve that is a good idea. I would choose books. Matt Damon (I can't remember his name in the film) wanted music. Unfortunately, he only the 70s disco music left by his team leader when she and the rest of the crew escaped a powerful storm that threatened to kill them all.
I'm glad I spent a few minutes to brainstorm before starting to write - the Martian landscape seems to me a more interesting topic than my first Earthbound ideas.
I think loneliness is a big problem which is difficult to deal with because human is a social animal. Living alone in a distant area can lead human to a mental illness easily. I agree that books will be a very good friend and relieve some loneliness.
DeleteIf we talk about "Survival", I think I can say a lot. Because I know a lot. I love mountains, and I have to know haw I can survive. Fortunately for me, I never been in a critical situation in the mountains. But lots of situation is very dangerous. There is high altitude, not enough oxygen, danger of avalanches and rock falls almost all the time. And it's very easy to lose a trail, for example in a snowfall. So, all the time I keep my map and compass with me. I use SPOT navigation system as well, ant take enough food and water. And I totally recommend to have full insurance if you have plan to go to the mountains.
ReplyDeleteI love mountain as well and I also never have a survivor situation experience on the mountain. But I think mountain have various type of nature eats to survive if you get lost and wild animals is also untrustable. I agree with you full plan is important thing to do if we plan to go to the mountains.
DeleteWhen it comes to the place which is hard to survive, it occurs me to think of Africa. I haven't been to Africa before but I have read something on the books about it.
ReplyDeleteMost of people are staving just like skin and bones and homeless there.Besides, because their economy doesn't well developed so it is difficult for them to make a living there.
I think food and water are necessities to survive there, without these tow things it is hard to make a life there.
I also think that Africa is the place hard to survive. But for me, when I hear the word "Africa", I don't see the place where people have no food, no education, or no home. I see the wide forest, and that is a lot of wild animal ready to attack you. That is more dangerous for me, and also excited if I have an experience there(but don't is better). I think the place where is so dearth of food is also exist in Africa, but I didn't imagine this area because I think there also a civilization in somewhere of it. But however, both of them is hard to survive, but my place is also excited(if with safety).
DeleteI think it is interesting for me that the main idea of the place is hard to survive is not only the place but also the economy.An economy might be the way to lead the place hard to survive ,i think this can be the most probably place to solve the problem about the difficult place to survive.
DeleteAfrica is enormous. I first thought of Egypt, which I'm not sure is that difficult, and then I thought of the forests that I wrote about in reply to Thun's post.
DeleteYour post reminded me of a South African television host, Trevor Noah, he has been known as of The Daily Show, American late-night talk show. He wrote a book named 'Born to be Crime', which is about his childhood experience in South Africa. He said that it is very hard to live there, in the controversial country like South Africa.
DeleteI interested in Africa also, I think it true that it is hard to survive, but If I have a chance I would go there.
A geographical place where is difficult to survive, is a place that located on the high area such as Tibate because a pressure there is very low and there is less oxygen which is the most important thing for human living. In addition, on the high area, the weather is extremely cold. To survive there, I have to have good health and warm clothes.
ReplyDeleteSo, I've never been to Tibet (because it's very expensive), but I would like to! I was travelling around Nepal, and I was traveling in Sikkim region in India few mount ago. All of this region has a lot of Tibetan - and I talked a lot with this people. I also can say that I know a lot people who traveled in Tibet. So, that absolutely not difficult to live there!
DeleteAs I brianstormed, I had not thought of Tibate, so your anwer interest me. I agree with you that that place is very difficult to survive and oxygen is the most important for living. We could die without enough oxygen in 3-5 minutes.
DeleteIn my opinion, a geographical place where survival is difficult the forest. I have been to forest in many provinces in Thailand when I was in high school. It is hard to survive in the forest because there are many dangerous animals such as bear, wolf and snake. These animals can kill you if they think you are their enemy. Moreover, it is very hard to find food and water in the forest. Do not think that everything animals eat can be eaten by human too, because it might contain a poison that can cause you to dead. You need to know which one is eatable or the way to check it. Two most important thing for you to survive in the forest are food and medicine.
ReplyDeleteI like Thun's chosen topic because it did not occur to me. Then I wondered why I didn't think of forests, because Thun explains well why survival would be difficult there.
DeleteI think it's because when I was growing up, my family had some native forest areas on our properties, and I learned from my parents what was safe to eat, and how to deal with snakes and other possibly dangerous animals. The bush and forest land in Australia can be dangerous, but i don't think survival is all that hard if you have some knowledge: there is lots of food there, and usually water is not too hard to find. And some of the berries are delicious. For the small areas, my parents even let us go exploring by ourselves, but especially in winder, it could be dangerous to get lost, as people sometimes do: you need warm clothes or to be able to light a fire in freezing weather.
I was surprised that there are lots of forests in Thailand. It is really dangerous that wild animals would attack you for they think you are enemy to them and they might also think you occupy their territory.
DeleteI agree with you that food and medicine are essential things in the forest for getting hurt medicine is useful.
Desert is a difficult place to survive because it's extremely hard to find water, food, and shelter, which are really important for living. Clearly, in the desert, there is no sign of life (even though there actually are creatures out there) no tree to give us shade, no river to give us some water. Moreover, the weather is very hot during the days and cold in the night, but we hardly to find a shelter to stay.
ReplyDeleteTo imagine the place where survival is difficult, I would have a picture of desert. I've never been there and hopefully not ever been there.
ReplyDeleteOf course, the surrounding in the desert is nothing. Everything is seem to be hopeless, like we're in different world. The water is no where to find. The weather is always hot and dry. Maybe it can be rain, but that mean it's very cold, too. Moreover, no one's living there, so you're going to find no accommodation. And last, you have no electric that you can't call for help. That's really hard to survive.
The thing we need if we really are in this area is water, cloths, tools, and our conscious and hopeful mind. We can't live more than 3 days if we have no water. We can stand with very hot or cold without cloths. Sometimes, we need the tools to solve problem we face. And the last thing, phone, you might be hopeful if you know you can communicate with the world and ask them for help. However, your conscious mind is the most important.
I agree with you that dessert in one of the place where survival is difficult. Water is one of the most important thing human need. The temperature in dessert is very hot. It make our body get sweat very easy. If we haven't drink water for three days, we will die. So surviving in dessert means that the first thing you must do is finding the water.
DeleteI think it is very hard to live in a geographical place such as dense forest. Even if there is fresh air, it still difficult to live without food and safety.
ReplyDeleteWe are all eat food to survive. Some might say that you can find it in forest, and it is more fresh than in supermarkets. Yes, of course, but How? Most people quite not familiar with finding foods in forest.
As an adventure seeker, I could say I have ever been to survive in an isolate desert in day light and very low temperature at night at least once in my life. It was an incredible horrible experience at once in the same time.Yes,I am talking about Egypt. It is hard to survive under the strong sunlight of Ra or ancient Sun God of Egypt. You need to have lots of water carrier and high protein fruits to eat because that place is lack of water and cover with sand.
ReplyDeleteA geographical place where is difficult to survive, is a place that located on the high area such as Tibate because a pressure there is very low and there is less oxygen which is the most important thing for human living. In addition, on the high area, the weather is extremely cold. To survive there, I have to have good health and warm clothes.
ReplyDelete