THE BLACK DEATH

If somebody asked you "Choose an area of health research that should no longer be pursued and provide reasons why?", what would be your answer?

I have thought about this question for a long time and the proper answer for it, and this is what I have concluded.

There is no research that should no longer be pursued. Every field is important and continuous research is essential to lead to new discoveries. There could be, however, some researches that are not contributing significantly to human kind health. The need to conduct research on disease varies since some are more harmful than others and more threatening to human kind. Others, on the other hand, are not as dangerous given that there is either a successful cure or an effective vaccine.

For instance, the Black Death was a fatal disease that killed more than 25 million people around the 14th century. Its virus attacks the host cell and pumps toxins into the cell, causing destruction to this cell. However, cases of the disease now are rare and can be treated. The Black Death does not pose any threat today, and there is only a limited amount of cases that are being documented each year and these are not deadly. In the United States, for instance, only an average of 12 cases occur each year. Conversely, this disease could be extremely dangerous if we made a mistake while handling it. According to Matthew Nilles, a professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology from University of Massachusetts Medical School, "if the virus (yersinia pestis) were acquired by the wrong people, the Black Death could have devastating results. The virus has resurfaced as a concern in recent weeks because of its potential to be used as weapon of biological warfare. If someone intentionally released the virus, it would inflict mass casualties and overwhelm our health care system". Nilles also concludes that if any mistake took place inside the labs that contains the disease, the virus could escape. In case such an incident occurs, the virus would spread very quickly around the world. Moreover, miss-handling the virus could form a new type of mutation and therefore, the virus may become stronger than before. A recent incident occurred in Australia when a few Australian scientists accidentally created a new deadly mouse virus. This virus had the ability to destroy the immune system and killed all the mice involved.

Keeping such prospects in mind and considering the huge funding that are consumed simply in maintaining a research on such a virus, it might be wiser to divert the research of a virus such the (yersinia pestis) to its less dangerous cousins like HIV. As an alternative, this financial support can go to other important diseases such as cancer and even malaria which cause millions of deaths.

Every research is valuable to the progress of humanity, yet the importance of each research varies as a few are better to be discontinued. Even with negative encounters occurring from a certain research, the experience and the knowledge gained from the research might still be valuable. Progress in each field affects the progress of others; thus, science is ever connected.

ARABIC AND ITS IMPORTANCE

Arabic is the language that is broadly spoken in most of the Middle East and North Africa countries, the area which is known today as the Arab world. Arabic belongs originally to a Semitic family of languages, which includes Hebrew and Aramaic. This family is known of its history-recording for thousands of years, building one of the most extensive and oldest history archives known to man. Evolving to its present form, Arabic language was almost restrained to the Arabian Peninsula. It was only a century after the death of prophet Mohamad1 that Arabic has become the official language of a world empire stretched from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the borders of China to the east. For centuries, Arabic was conceded the language of science. It did not only contribute in the development of today’s basis of science but also helped in spreading knowledge from different civilizations2. Moreover, many other cultures used the Arabic calligraphy to write their own languages, as in the case of Urdu and Persian. Today, with the weakness of Muslim civilization3, the spread of Arabic usage decreased. The population of Arabic mother tong is only within two hundred million worldwide. Even within the Arab world, the language lost a lot of its popularity, most of the research is now conducted in either English or French. It was only within a century ago where many Muslim countries changed their calligraphy from Arabic letters into Latin, as in the case of Turkey, some South East Asian4, and Black African5 Countries. In spite of all this, Arabic is still internationally ranked in sixth position. That can only be due to the fact of being a language for a growing religion6, of almost one and half billion people around the world, and being the language of the non changing book, the Holy Qur’an.

Some of the Sources:
http://www.indiana.edu/~arabic/arabic_history.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabic_language
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1 A prophet sent by God to deliver the message of Islam.
2 Documenting knowledge from different cultures (china, Indian Subcontinent, Greeks, Persian, Byzantine).
3 Muslims conceder the last few centuries to be a fall back to the Muslim civilization due to the behavior of Muslims from drifting from their original teaching that promotes knowledge and science.
4 For example: (Indonesia, Malaysia, Fatan(part of Thiland).
5 For example: (Nigeria)
6 In spite of the Fastest Growing religion

Will English Be The Dominant Language Forever?

There are more than 6800 languages spoken all over the world. Even though English is the global and universal language of today's world, it will not last as a dominant language for more than seventy years. English as a language will expand more in the next thirty years. But as soon as it reaches its climax, it will declaim later on.

English as any other language can be influenced by several factors. A lot of researches have been done in this field. According to some experts in Harvord University, there are basically two pressures on the English language. First, English will be the universal language as long as the United States controls the world. Once U.S.A looses the grip on things, English will be lost. For instance, when the Roman Empire collapsed as a country, its language, Latin, separated into three languages (Spanish, Italian, Portuguese). Second, there is a theory that the lack of formal grammar teaching in foreign countries contrasting with the formal English grammar teaching to second language learners will lead to a new kind of English.

A language can be imagined as a human being. It grows until it reaches its peak. However, once it reaches the peak, it will go down again and less people will speak that language. Therefore, it does not matter how long a language is going to live because it will die one day.

THE GREAT LAKES 3

Challenges:
Even though both Canada and the United States have placed a number of regulations in order to protect this valuable natural resource, many challenges threat the lakes. Through the last few hundred years, people have fished from the lakes and depended on them not only as a source for local consumption but also as a major source for international exportation and commerce. As a result, some species are becoming endangered while some have already become extinct. This problem was further amplified due to the removal of the trees covering the nearby streams and channels which provide spawning grounds. It affected the necessary shade, temperature, and moderating conditions which are essential to reserve endangered species. Other ecological problems in the lakes and their surroundings have stemmed from the urban sprawl, sewage disposal, and toxic industrial discharge.


The Great Lakes are a great and valuable resource for the whole planet, and for Canada and the United States in particular. Their unique features and large size make them an important habitat for many of the planet’s unique species. Appreciating and protecting the Great Lakes is a mission of humanity as well as a major part in saving the planet we live on. However, great effort is being made by both neighboring countries, yet much more work needs to be done and further cooperation is essential for guaranteeing a possible future for the Great Lakes.

THE GREAT LAKES 2

Their affects:
Due to the fact that the lakes occupy a large area, they have a great influence on their surroundings. This effect can be clearly noticeable on weather, which is referred to as the lake effect. Due to this effect, in winter, the moisture is picked up by the prevailing winds from the west which can produce very heavy snowfall. This effect is especially sensed along the lakeshores in the east such as Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Ontario, and New York. It is not uncommon for heavy snow to occur while the sky is completely clear because of this phenomenon. The lakes also moderate seasonal temperatures somewhat by absorbing heat and cooling the air in the summer. After that, the lakes slowly radiate this accumulating heat during the autumn. This temperature buffering produces ideal areas for fruit growing, especially in the south, which gave these areas their name as the "fruit belts". Furthermore, the area on the eastern shores of Lake Michigan has become a home to many North America’s fine wineries.


Economy:
Both Canada and the United States relay heavily on the Great Lakes for generating energy, for fresh and drinking water, and for their industry and economy. The fishing industry in the lakes alone generates over four billion U.S dollars a year, which includes Sport fishing, commercial fishing, and Native American fishing. Since ancient times, the lakes and their connective and branching rivers were the only practical means of moving people and goods. Later, the main business of many of the passenger liners in the 1800s was the transporting of immigrants. Today, the Great Lakes remain a main traveling route, and it is extensively used for regional transport. However, one of the reasons that helped the lakes to be accessible is the great lakes waterway, also known as the great lakes St-Laurent system.

The Great Lakes 1

The Great Lakes are one of the world’s youngest natural features. They consist of five large lakes, and they connect with each other by either tiny ducts or small rivers. These lakes are located in North America on the Canadian-American border. They are considered a symbol for the two countries. One of the interesting things about the lakes is that it can be seen easily and clearly from outer space. If you could stand on the moon, you could see the lakes and recognize the familiar wolf head shape of Lake Superior, or the mitten bounded by lakes Michigan, Huron, and Erie.










The lakes cover over 94,000 square miles and drain more than twice as much land, so they are considered the largest body of fresh water in the world. 20%, one-fifth, of the world's fresh surface water is located in the great lakes. This freshwater holds about 6 quadrillion gallons of water; It is enough water to cover the contiguous 48 states.

The lakes and their formation:

These lakes were formed 10,000 years ago at the end of the ice age. When the glaciers had moved, they dug and carved large holes in the land that formed the shapes of the lakes. As the glaciers melted, the large amounts of fresh water filled the holes. The geological topographical terrain formed five main bodies of water. The first one which is the largest by volume and depth is Lake Superior, which occupies a larger area than Scotland or South Carolina. The second largest one by volume is Lake Michigan, and it is the third-largest one by area. The third one is Lake Huron, which is the third-largest by volume and the second largest in area. The fourth lake is Lake Erie which is the smallest one by volume and shallowest of all the great lakes. The fifth one is Lake Ontario, which is the second-smallest one in volume and in area, yet much lower elevation than the rest.

From Where Does The Most Expensive Coffee Come From?!

Coffee kopi luwak considers the best coffee in the world. It has a rich, heavy flavour with hints of caramel or chocolate. Also, it is the most expensive coffee. Its price ranges between 200 to 600 $ per a pound. It is difficult to find its beans everywhere. Sometimes, you can drink in coffee shops where the price of a small cup is 46$.

BUT HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED WHY IT IS VERY EXPENSIVE?

Did you discover the reason?

This expensive coffee does not come to us immediately form the beans' trees. Instead, they take a long process before we drink them. The beans come out of a mammal's digestive system. These mammals, Asian Palm Civet, carefully choose their food. They eat vegetable and sometimes meat. These little mammals live in trees and one of their favorite foods is the red, ripe coffee cherry. They eat this fruit but it does not get digested in the animals' digestive system. The beans go through many processes inside these animals' cavities. The enzymes break down some proteins, which give the coffee its bitter taste. That is why they have a unique flavor.


Most of these coffee beans are found in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Ethiopia. Workers collect them from forests. They take the beans and clean them. Then, they give them a light toast in order not to destroy the complex flavor that has developed through the long process inside the mammals' digestive system. Finally, they pack the beans in fancy boxes. So, they can be ready to be shipped to other countries.

BONNE PETIT

WHO IS RASPUTIN

A biography documentary, The Bad Monk, was very gripping and interesting. It tells a story of an unusual doctor, Rasputin. Nevertheless, he is considered the most devilish man in the Russian history. This story happened over two hundred years ago. He had both powers and influence, from curing people and animals to a consultant in the royal family. However, many people did not like him. His life had different stages. I am going to divide his life to three stages; his early years, middle years, and last years.

Rasputin’s early years began when he was born in 1869 in Siberia. He was raised like a normal child, working in fields and taking care of cattle. At that time, people began noticing that Rasputin had something special hidden within him, he was gifted the power on healing. This gift led the villagers to bring their animals to him to cure or bless them.

In his middle years, Rasputin was very sexuality active. Even though, he got married, he was still a playboy which led his wife to say that he was a man for more than one woman. Despite of his problems, he had three children from his wife. Because of his behavior, his family didn’t accept him so he had to leave the village. Quickly, he moved to be among high society level. He met the royal family of Russia, Zare Nicolas and his wife Dozalin Alexandra, but they didn’t know that this meeting would lead to their doom. During that time, the royal family was hiding a secret; their son was fighting a deadly disease, hemophilia. The son become very sick and no body could treat or even help him. This changed when Rasputin helped him the son. This paved the way for him to become a consultant to the queen, and the queen got emotionally attached to him.

In his last years, Rasputin’s reputation became so bad that the royal family decided to kill him. However, killing him wasn’t as easy as they thought. They desperately tried several times by several ways, but he did not die. The first time was in a train by his x-lover, she stabbed him thinking that he would die. The second time was by a prince from the royal family, but Rasputin did not die. In the third time, Rasputin died. The royal family thrown him into a river which caused him to freeze and die. Before his death, Rasputin wrote a letter telling that if he got killed by the royal family, the royal family would die within two years. It was only 14 months later, where the Zare, and all the royal family including their children were tragically killed.

ICLAND AND NEWFOUNDLAND

I saw a documentary and I wanted to share it with you. I summarized it.
Two islands are located in the Atlantic Ocean. The first one, Iceland, is an example to a very positive isolated country that has succeeded, developed, and improved. It is considered also one of the richest countries. On the other hand, Newfoundland is like Iceland which has the same resources, yet it went to another movement. In fact, it is the second poorest state in Canada even though they have the same geological formation. WHY IS THERE A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THEM?

Since the beginning, the two islands have gone in different directions. When Iceland declared its independence in 1944, Newfoundland joined Canada and became a province in 1949. Later, Iceland has become part of the European Union growing economy, while it is highly unlikely for Newfoundland, which has won baby bonus, age pensions, and orange juice and coca molt for children as being a part of Canada. While Iceland has its own language, which is called Icelandic, Newfoundland lost its language and adopted English. Today, Icelandic people are placing great faith on their small island and feel proud of their products, and everything in their small shops has been locally made. This is opposite to Newfoundland.

The two islands have the same geographical structure; they are isolated rocky islands in the far north edge of the Atlantic Ocean. Their only way to the outside-world is the sea. At the same time, the sea is their economical resources, due to the fact that it is difficult to grow any thing in their lands. Even though Newfoundlander taught Icelandic fishing, they couldn’t fight for their own fish when Irish and England were fishing in their coast. However, Icelandic fought for their fish. When the British started fishing in their own coast, they cut their fishing nets. Today, Iceland is considered one of the biggest fish exporters in the world, yet Newfoundland can’t fish as a result of over fishing from other countries. Therefore, Newfoundlanders have had the option of moving elsewhere in Canada to find work. Icelanders haven't had the similar option.

Looking towards the future, it is interesting to note that the two counties have a bright future. That is going to happen if only Iceland kept moving and improving toward, and Newfoundland changed its attitude and behaved to which is better for its people not for what Canada’s government decides and wants for them.

THE DREAM JOB

Everyone has particular goals, he or she hopes to achieve. Most people have regular ambitions like graduating from a school, finding a highly paid job, and having a beautiful wife or a handsome husband. These people, usually, do not aim to make a positive change to their community. They are usually focused on what they can gain and take from it. Furthermore, such ambitions are usually short in applying and creating new ideas. On the other hand, there are the other kinds of people who strive to find unordinary nonconformist goals. They want to alter the world to the better even though these changes might be small. I hope to believe myself to be one of these people who want to make good but huge differences for humanity.

Since I was a young child, I had many objectives. So far, I have managed to accomplish some of them. However, I still have a lot to do. First, I would like to study medicine. The purpose of studying medicine is not to have a good paid job but to gain a proper position in the community to allow my voice to be heard and to get people to have a trust-in-me. Doctors, usually, are so bravado. So, by being a humble but good doctor, I hope to convey and encourage physicians to be wide opened minded with all the levels of society. Then, I would like to study how to relate medicine with technology. That is because technology is improving everyday and the medical field depends on technology. So, in order to be a good doctor, I have to study the relation between science and medicine. Finally, I want to have and raise a child. I want to give and teach him or her the principles of not only science but all other principles in life. In other words, I want to prepare that child with all the tools and skills that would help him to be successful in life. Also, I want to make him or her a humble and descent person who cares for others' feelings and opinions more than his or hers.

Thus, my dream job is to be an expert in my field, a perfect wife, and an exclusive mother. I want to change every evil act that people do. I hope, one day, when I die and be buried beneath the ground, people remember my positive side.

D R E A M S

What are dreams? Why people dream? What happens when people dream? Scientists and experts have been studying dreams for a long time, yet they have not come up with a good explanation.

The problem that scientists and experts have that dreams are abstract. They can not open a dream and study it. What is more, dreams happen when people are unconsciousness. So, they can not tell the experts what really happens when they are asleep. However, experts have done a great job so far about dreams.

The only thing that people know about dreams that dreaming make them feel that they are in another word. That is the good part about dreaming. People could imagine and do crazy things in their dreams that they can not do in the real life like jumping from a high building or stealing an expensive car. Sometimes, dreams, on the other hand, may cause some uncomfortable feelings. This happen when people dream about terrible memories that they have tried to forget or even bad events. What ever the dreams are, they only represent the deep feelings that people have.

One of the unforgotten dreams that I had was when I was ten years old. I dreamed that my life is a long dream and I should not worry about my life any more. In another word, I could do whatever I want in my life unless I wake up from this long dream. Unfortunately, I believed that the dream is real. So, I did every prohibited thing I could do. I did not care about my mother yelling or pay attention to my father anger. I knew it is just a dream and I will wake up one day and everything will be ok again. It seems that this day dreaming condition was triggered by some dissatisfaction to my life, where in my childish mind I wanted to have a life of fantasy.

So, dreams only express what people think and hope for; things that they look to and lack in their reality. They connect and link people to another realm of reality, a place with no boundaries or limits. In spite of all the scientists' exploration and philosophers efforts to reach a rational explanation, dreams just seems beyond human comprehension.

Is Editing Useful or Not?

Is editing useful or not? I have been thinking about this question for the last week. Then, I suddenly remembered one of the bad memories that I have. That happened when I handled in my first lab report in biology last semester. I got zero in one of the questions even though I answered it correctly. When I saw my mark, I cried for a long time because not I had a low mark but I made the answer unclear. Since then I decided to make one of my friends to edit whatever I write even I am quite sure that what I have written does not have any mistake. However, having a good grammar, a compound structure, and a wide range of vocabulary do not indicate that the person will drive the correct meaning to the reader. These are characters that any writer should have them but having them do not mean you are a good writer. That is where editing becomes essential. If the writer wants to make his or her work clear and understandable, he or she must edit his or her work. The editing process should be done by another person in order to make the work perfect. Editing could be done in anything and in any field. However, writing is one of the most difficult things to edit and not any one could be a writing editor. It needs a lot of skills and experience.

Nothing is Perfect

Learning a new language is one of the difficult tasks to people to achieve. After a person takes some language courses, he thinks he got the language and he knows everything about it. DO YOU REMEMBER YOUR FIRST COURSE AND HOW YOU WERE PROUD OF YOUR ENGLISH??! But later on, the person feels disappointed and upset from himself because he thinks he isn't improving even though he is. That is true. He is not improving upward he is expanding his knowledge which is more important. I think that is what we are doing in this EAP3. The instructors emphasize on our writing and reading skills, which is great. But at the same time I don’t like this course from another prospective. First, I thought we will have some native speakers, who didn’t do well in ENGLISH 30 in high school, in the high levels. At least that what I was told when I wanted to register for this course. Unfortunately, there was no native speaker in all EAP classes. Second, the time schedule is strongly not good. I know what you will say guys that it like a university class. No, in university we choose our schedule and coordinate our timetable. A lot of research have shown that the best time to study and learn is in early morning after sunrise. However, with this schedule, from 11 to 4, we are unable to do some job in the morning or enjoy our evening. Though, the most what I like about this course is the ton of assignments that we have to handle in because of their variety from speaking to reading and finally writing. I know this course will be hard. But come on guys this is English. So, let's have fun.