Book Title: Thoughts & Notions
Author：Patricia & Linda Lee
Publisher：Thomson Heinle
班級：國中部三年仁班
姓名：楊宗翰
Summary of the reading
This unit is about some interesting facts that we don’t know about food. Do
you know the origin of chocolate? Do you know what Blue Revolution was? You can
find the answer out after reading this unit.
Reflection on the reading
I like anything related to food. The articles in this unit satisfy my
curiosity about food. As far as I am concerned, my favorite food is sweet potato
because there are lots of dishes I like are made of it, such as sweet potato chips,
baked sweet potato, etc. Besides, sweet potato is a healthy food, which provides large
amounts of vitamin C and E. What’s more, it even decreases the chances of getting
cancer. It is delicious and healthy, which is the reason why I like sweet potatoes so
much.
People around the world often associate food with festivals, and we are no
exception. For example, at Mid-Autumn Festival, pomeloes are very popular with
people. It is such a juicy fruit; moreover, the Chinese pronunciation of this fruit,
“Yiu-Zhi,” sounds like “protecting my son”. Based on these reasons, it isn’t hard to
understand why pomeloes are so popular with people during this holiday.
Good health lies in a diet of healthy food. Some people don’t have a
healthy diet because they eat just what they like. What’s worse, they just eat junk
food. If they eat too much, they will be fat and become unhealthy. Therefore, eating a
wide variety of food is very important. Do you want to have a healthy diet? Then eat
more vegetables and fruit instead of your junk food.
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Book Title: Thoughts & Notions
Author：Patricia & Linda Lee
Publisher：Thomson Heinle
班級：國中部三年仁班
姓名：毛昱潔
Summary of the Reading
Unit Three is about food, such as the puffer fish, foods from around the world and chocolate.
Besides, the blue revolution and twenty-one days without food are also one of the topics in this unit.
We can even learn some knowledge and get insight into food from each article, too.
Reflection on the Reading
As far as I am concerned, my favorite foods are salad and seafood. I like salad
because it tastes fresh, and it has many different ways to make. You can mix uncooked
vegetables, sweet corn, cucumber and carrot together. You can even put some small cookies in
your salad. Another food I like is seafood. I like the soup with seafood or seafood pizza. I like
it just because it really fits my sense of taste.
As for popular holiday food, I think there are two popular foods to eat on Chinese
holidays: rice dumplings and moon cakes. We eat rice dumplings at Dragon Boat Festival.
People put glutinous oil rice in leaves, and steam them to eat. Moon cakes are a kind of snacks
that everyone eats on Moon Festival. Moon cakes have many flavors, like small red beans and
egg yolk. I think rice dumplings and moon cakes are popular just because they are part of our
tradition and because of the stories behind them.
In terms of healthy food, not everyone in the world has a healthy diet because
some people like to eat deep-fried food and don’t like to eat vegetables and fruits. If you eat
too much or too fast, you also won’t have a healthy diet. Other special reasons are some people
in the world are too poor to buy foods, so they can’t get enough nutrition they need. However,
most of us are rich enough to have everyday food. This way, being a moderate eater and eating
right are more important, and being careful about what you eat is good for your health, too.
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Book Title: Thoughts & Notions
Author: Patricia Ackert
Publisher：Thomson Heinle
班級：三年仁班
姓名：郭祖伶
Summary of the Reading
Mysteries congest this world. They are covered with an arcane veil, and the articles in this unit
show some of the famous mysteries in the world, such as the Marie Celeste, the Tunguska Fireball
and the Easter Island Statues, etc. People, especially scientists, have tried hard to find out the
answers, but in vain. Neither scientists nor experts can explain them.
Reflection of the reading
Among the mysteries in this unit, I think The “ Marie Celeste” is the most interesting and
the strangest. In the story, the Marie Celeste used to have a crew of ten people, but why did they just
suddenly disappear? What’s even stranger, there was food on the table and nothing was damaged.
It seemed like they were still eating a few minutes ago, and then a strange thing took them away.
There were many stories about curses, and I think Marie Celeste must be one of them. This is really
a puzzle with everything still intact on board. Interestingly enough, the Marie Celeste is now still
lying quietly at the bottom of the ocean filled with darkness.
If I were a member of the crew and wanted to send a message to the world, it would be as
follows. “This is an emergency!! Please send some people to help us. We’re at the Atlantic Ocean.
A strange thing is invading our ship. We might disappear a few minutes later, so please hurry!”
Besides the mysteries mentioned in this unit. There are other mysteries I feel interested in.
The Bermuda Triangle is one of them. I read a story on the Internet, which happened in the
Bermuda Triangle. A man who had been dead for sixty-three years was found at the south of
Bermuda Triangle. He was covered with a white sailcloth and was floating on the ocean. Then
someone saw him, and took him to the Bermuda Hospital. Nothing can explain this. The man was
still alive!! Sixty-three years ago, he died of cancer, but now he survived!! There are many
mysteries in the world, but really, even a wise expert can’t expound them, not to mention solving
them.
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Book Title: Thoughts & Notions
Author：Patricia & Linda Lee
Publisher：Thomson Heinle
班級:國中部三年仁班
姓名:吳立婷
Summary of the Reading
The second unit of the book is about some interesting sports, such as Thai Boxing, Sumo
Wrestling, Tarahumara Foot Races and the Olympic sports. These articles introduce their histories,
how to play them and the rules of them.
Reflection of the Reading
As far as I am concerned, the part of “track-and-field” is the most interesting. That’s because
when I watch the Olympic Games on television, I can see “the fastest woman and the fastest man in
the world. ” When they are running, there are many funny expressions on their faces. When they
win the gold medal, their looks are more difficult to describe. I enjoy watching them very much.
My favorite sport is “basketball.” In the PE class in my school, I always play basketball with
my friends. I played basketball when I was little. Sometimes I went to a court with my brother on
weekends. I also like watching basketball games on television like: SBL or NBA. I like watching
the basketball players of the U.S.A in the Olympic Games. They have many consummate and
amazing skills. They always win my admiration without fail.
In my country, there is a famous athlete earning a lot of money. His name is Chien-Min Wang. He is
the famous basketball athlete in Taiwan. In the year 2000, he went to New York Yankees to play
baseball. In the year 2005, Chien-Min Wang stood on the pitcher mound of MLB. Everybody calls
him the light of Taiwan and he earns a lot of money now. Who pays him? I think the company of
New York Yankees pays him. I think it is a good idea for famous athletes to earn a lot of money. It’s
a great achievement and he deserves it.
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Book Title: Thoughts & Notions
Author：Patricia & Linda Lee
Publisher：Thomson Heinle
班級:國中部三年仁班
姓名:莊晉
Summary of the Reading
This unit is about’’food.” For example, puffer fish,chocolate...
It is about the origin of the
food and the history of it. It also mentions some problems of food, like food shortages. When a
shortage might happen and how we can stop it are also included.
Reflection of the Reading
I think my favorite food is beef noodles mainly because they are the food that I’ve been eating
since I was a little boy, and they are also the most delicious food that I’ve ever eaten.Besides, they
are easy to cook, and I can have them almost in every restaurant. I can have them even if I am in a
foreign country.
I think the most popular food that we eat on holidays is rice dumplings because they are tasty.
What’s more,there is a story behind it. The story is about a patriotic poet, Chiu-Yuan, who jumped
into a river because the king at that time didn’t believe him. Then the people threw rice dumplings
into the river because they didn’t want fishes to eat his body.
A healthy diet lies in healthy food. However, most people do not have healthy diets. I think
there are two reasons for that. One is that they have so much pressure that they can’t even eat
welland the other one is that they can’t control their appetites, both of which lead to poor health in
the end. People should be careful about what they eat because as an old saying goes, “You are
what you eat.”
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Book Title: Thoughts & Notions
Author：Patricia & Linda Lee
Publisher：Thomson Heinle
班級 : 國中部三年仁班
姓名 : 鍾侑軒
Summary of the Reading
The subject of Unit 3 is about food, like 〝The Puffer fish,〞〝Chocolate,〞〝Food from Around the
World,〞〝The Blue Revolution,〞and〝Twenty-One Days Without Food.〞These articles are mainly
about the origins of different foods, the history of different foods and other things related to foods.
Reflection of the Reading
My favorit food is fried chicken because it tastes delicious. It is crispy on the outside and
juicy on the inside as well. What’s more, we can also buy it easily.
There are a lot of foods to eat on different holidays in Taiwan and rice dumplings are the
most popular one. Rice dumplings are popular food to eat on Dragon Boat Festival because there’s a
legend behind it . It’s about a patriotic poet named Chiu-Yuan, who jumped into the river and
committed suicide in the legend . People were afraid he was eaten by fishes; therefore, they made
dumplings and threw them into the rivers to prevent fishes form eating the poet . This is the origin
of the Dragon Boat Festival and the food too!
Most people in the world have poor diets. There are two reasons for this . First , everyone in
the world almost leads a busy life , or they have so many things to do that they don’t have much
time to cook for themselves . Second , they eat too much junk food , because it is convenient.
People should pay more attention to what they eat because good health lies is a healthy diet.
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Book Title: The Innocent Man
Author: John Grisham
Publisher: The Random House
班級: 高中部三年善班
姓名: 林大為
Summary of the reading
The Innocent Man tells the sorrow tale of Ronald Keith Williamson, a star college
baseball player whose life went out of track. Ronald, who was better known as Ron,
was born in a small town located in Oklahoma named Ada. Since his early years, he
had shown great potential in sports, especially baseball. His performance was so
impressive that he appeared on the local newspapers, and no one in town had a doubt
that he was going to make his way into the Major League.
Eventually, he got in the Minor League. Unfortunately, the players in the League
were tougher than anyone he had faced before, and he soon proved to be no match
for them. Eager to change the situation, he took on intense training. The training went
on until a sharp pain struck right through his arm one day. However, instead of
finding a way to mend his arm, he still continued training. With everybody in town
waiting for the moment of his triumph, quitting was the last thing to do. In the end,
the injury aggravated, and he could barely toss the ball. The team fired him, and he
never had a contract with another team.
After returning to Ada with his dream shattered, Ron started abusing alcohol and
turned into a madman who constantly had unpredictable mood swings. Soon after his
return, a waitress was raped and murdered. After years of fruitless investigation, the
police ‘’had no choice’’ but to arrest Ron, who was seen at the place where the
waitress worked before the murder took place. Ron was then sent to trial. The
following are what the police put up against him. First, a microscopic hair
comparison based on the hair found at the crime scene. Secondly, a ‘‘dream
confession’’ that Ron made, telling the police how he murdered the victim in his
dream. Ron could have won the trial with ease, but his unstable mental condition and
the attorney’s blind tactics (sarcastically, his lawyer was blind, literally) reversed the
situation. The jury never got to know that hair comparison is incredibly unreliable,
and the hair sample could have had an identical match with many other people in
town. They also didn’t get to know that the dream confession was made after Ron
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endured countless hours of mental abuse illegally performed by the police. Without
the opportunity to fight back, Ron was cornered in the ring, constantly hammered by
his opponent. When the trial ended, the jury declared Ron the loser and threw him
behind the bars.
The years while he was on Death Row was the most tragic part of his life. The
food was often cold and disgusting, and there was barely any sunlight and view in his
small cell. Worst of all, the inmates and even the cell keepers would make fun of him
by saying ‘‘Ron, why did you kill me?’’ Ron, whose mind had already corrupted,
would then yell back in despair ‘‘I am innocent, I didn’t kill anyone!’’ His scream
could last for hours and be heard frequently in prison for more than a decade, before
he was finally saved by his new lawyer and a government official who found out
about how his ‘‘dream’’ turned out to be a nightmare.
That wasn’t the end of Ron’s journey to hell, however. When he was out of prison,
he had difficulty adapting to the new world. Especially due to the fact that many
people were still convinced that he should be executed. To avoid the whispering
behind his back, he was forced to move for over a dozen times. A few years after his
release, Ron was diagnosed with an untreatable disease. Though faced with death, he
showed no fear. In fact, he was actually glad he could finally leave the world once
and for all. ‘‘Eternal rest, like you’ve seen on some tombstones, that’s what a hope
for.’’ After spending more than half of his life in the center of a storm, Ron closed his
eyes for the last time. Only when he passed away did he find the peace he had always
wished for.
Reflection on the reading
The Innocent Man is the gloomiest novel I have read so far. That was mainly
due to the unbelievable events that ruined Ron’s life and the fact that the story was
non-fiction. In other words, in reality, Ron really had endured an incredible amount
of pain that no person could ever imagine. Who could have thought that such a
sorrow tale was not made up by imagination? Except for the first chapter, the story is
bitter from the start to the end. Not many protagonists in fiction novels started and
ended up so badly. It is no wonder Ron lost most of his sanity and became a lunatic.
Ron’s life could have turned out very differently. He had a chance to improve and
make his way into the Major League. He might have been able to shine like a star,
which he dreamed of becoming. However, the worst events took place every time at
the worst time, resulting in a gruesome fate that he did not deserve.
Although the story was very rich, it lacks dramatic scenes due to the fact that the
author used too much description and too little dialogue. In fact, there were less than
8
fifty quotes in the entire story, making the book at times slow-paced and dull. To me
that was the main reason why the book had less impact on me than the other
fast-paced books the author wrote.
Ron’s tale is like a reflection of our society. We can find many cases that are
similar to Ron’s. For instance, ‘‘guilty’’ victims and ‘‘innocent’’ criminals that can be
often found in the newspapers. The criminal justice system is to be blamed for
making such an error. It is ironic that the system was used to put someone innocent
instead of guilty into jail. It is supposed to be a shield for those who are right and
weak to defend themselves, not a spear for those who find flaws in it and use it to
harm others. Ron’s tale is all about that. It is a story about a man waiting for justice to
finally prevail.
9
Book Title: The Devil Wears Prada
Author: Lauren Weisberger
Publisher: Anchor Books
班級:高中部三年善班
姓名:翟週如
Summary of the Reading:
Andrea, a girl who had just graduated from college, was fond of writing and looking forward
to working in The New Yorker, a famous newspaper office. While most of her friends complaining
about their boring working life and the bleak future, Andrea accidentally got an extraordinary job,
an junior assistant of a chief editor of Runway, the world’s famous fashion magazine. According to
her coworker, it was a job that millions of girls would die for. However, as time went on, Andrea
discovered that “junior assistant” had to do trivial works such as picking up her boss’s dog from the
animal hospital, and purchasing those accessories and garments her boss’s daughter wanted.
Obviously, none of these had something to do with fashion or writing. What’s worse, the interaction
with Miranda Priestly, her English boss, always drove her crazy, for Miranda’s ambiguous orders
and capricious mind.
When Andrea felt deeply frustrated and wondered whether to give up, one of her colleagues’
words inspired her. As a result, she determined to alter her attitude and gave herself a new start.
First, she changed her sloppy, out-of-date outfit, trying to be like a fashion-related worker.
Moreover, instead of complaining and reluctance, she started to get everything done perfectly even
before Miranda had ordered. As an old saying goes, ”it is dogged that does it.” She successfully
impressed her harsh boss, and therefore obtained the chance to participate in the most significant
fashion show in Paris.
At the end of the story, Andrea quit the job, and her harsh boss sent a letter to The New Yorker,
where Andrea decided to work as an editor. There was only a few words in the letter. “Andrea is the
most worst person I’ve ever employed, but if you don’t hire her, you’ll definitely feel regret for it.”
Reflection on the Reading:
As far as I’m concerned, fiction novels such us The Lord of the Rings are absolutely much
more interesting than those gossip story, but seemingly, The Devil Wears Prada isn’t one of those
boring novels. Though it doesn’t have incredible magic and imaginary creatures, it still captures my
mind easily. In the terms of the first person, the author records the life the leading character had had
10
from the moment she got the job as Miranda Priestly’s assistant, a job that billions of girls would
die for. Standing at the climax of the New York’s fashion world, Miranda, the most influential
woman in the fashion industry, and clearly one of the most prominent magazine editors in the world,
is no doubt the goddess of all fashion-chasing girls. To them, the chance to work as her assistant is
what they look forward to.
However, through Andrea’s eyes, I realize the untold exhaustion in this fashion world covered
with bright surface. Perhaps it takes us thirty or so minutes to finish reading a magazine with
dozens of photos of glamorous models and accessories, but the completeness requires days of
editorial work and negotiation. On the other hand, it’s interesting to find out that “Miranda’s junior
assistant” isn’t as dignified as it sounds. Actually, the “assistant” needs to pick up Miranda’s
daughters, send her a skirt during Christmas holidays, do her daughter’s homework, etc. From all
the aspects, Andrea is more like a housekeeper than an assistant.
Also, I see the busy but colorful life of the upper class, knowing many well-known brand, like
Jimmy Choo. Last but not least, this novel is without question a page-turner, and it’s horribly funny.
11
Article Title: The Cellist of Sarajevo
Author: Paul Sullivan
Source: Sanmin English Textbook, Book Five
Publisher: Sanmin Bookstore
班級:高中部三年善班
姓名:翟週如
Summary of the Reading:
The cellist of Sarajevo is a musical composition which has a touching story lying behind. In
1992, a mortar shell fell into the line formed by those starving waiting for help, killing 22 people.
Witnessing this misery, Vedren Smailovic, a cellist living in Sarajevo, decided to fight against the
war in the way he was adept at—music. Dressed in formal concert suit, he played the most
mournful music to war-beaten people, streets, and terrified souls. Knowing this, a composer named
David Wilde was moved by Vedren and wrote a composition called The Cellist of Sarajevo, which
still remind people of the cruelty of the war today.
Reflection of the Reading:
To me, though music is not as sharp as a sword or as powerful as a bomb, it can do what they
can’t do—music makes the darkness in our heart subside. Unlike words, music owns its unique way
to express itself. Musicians are people who understand and make good use of it. It is music that
enables people to fully understand the beauty, the reality or even the imperfectness of the world.
Without them, people would not be able to appreciate the color of the world. The cellist of Sarajevo,
Vedren Smailovic, and the composer, David Wilde, are one of the best examples.
Article Title: The Cellist of Sarajevo
Author: Paul Sullivan
Source: Sanmin English Textbook, Book Five
12
Publisher: Sanmin Bookstore
班級:高中部三年善班
姓名:陳彥儒
Summary of the reading
On May 27, 1992, in Sarajevo, the war-torn city, you could see splattering flesh, blood, bone,
and rubble everywhere. As a result, there was a man named Vedran Smailovic playing the cello to
define his firm stance –“peace.” To our astonishment, he played to this war-shattered city with
bombs falling and masonry exploding around him. Later, after newspapers picked up the story, a
composer called David Wilde wrote a musical composition for him. Not only the piece of music,
which was entitled “The Cellist of Sarajevo,” but Vedran Smailovic won prolonged applause from
people around the world.
Reflection of the reading
Without a doubt, there are many people working for the peace in the world. Among them,
Vedran Smailovic, who is strongly against war in a moderate fashion, is the most impressive one.
He was famous as a cellist; in addition, he played to the war-shattered city, Sarajevo. We all have
convictions, principles and persistence; however, who can hold on straight to the end? I can’t
imagine that anyone can play the cello with masonry exploding around. It is Vedran Smailovic who
courageously fought for human dignity, for those who had been lost to war, for civilization, for
compassion, and for peace. We can learn from his determination, intrepidity and his attitude. Bob
Dylan, the singer I admire, once said “A song is anything that can walk by itself.” I can see
genuineness in Vedran Smailovic and his deeds as well.
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Article Title: The Cellist of Sarajevo
Author: Paul Sullivan
Source: Sanmin English Textbook, Book Five
Publisher: Sanmin Bookstore
班級: 高中部三年善班
姓名: 邱莉媛
Summary of the reading
The Cellist of Sarajevo, played by a phenomenal cellist, Yo-Yo Ma, as the opening-night
performance at the International Cello Festival held in England, has a touching story lying behind.
Seeing 22 innocent people killed by a mortar shell when waiting in line for bread distributed by a
bakery, a marvelous cellist decided to make music to show his mercy to the victims and his anguish
over the current war. It was Vedran Smailovic that fought against the terrifying war in terms of
music. Giving his performance in the middle of exploding bombs and destroyed houses, Vedran
fought for the misery without reservation. Upon knowing the moving story of Vedran’s contribution,
an English composer, David Wilde, finished a masterpiece entitled The Cellist of Sarajevo. After
Ma’s performance, Vedran showed up out of the blue, winning applause from every participant.
Reflection of the Reading
Eighteen-year-old student as I am, I couldn’t associate music with selfless sacrifice until
completely moved by the story of The Cellist of Sarajevo. Behind the song, I saw Vedran’s feat in
which he put his own life at risk during the war. His act truly caught the attention of people around
the world. I found a book shared the same title with the song. Written by Steven Galloway, this
book was also based on the story as we all knew. We could scarcely pay attention to the acute
damage caused by the war without Vedran’s commitment. In the foreseeable future, I hope everyone
can set about clinging to a peaceful life and terminating all kinds of invasions. Needless to say,
Vedran’s good will will go down in our memories forever.
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Article Title: The Cellist of Sarajevo
Author: Paul Sullivan
Source: Sanmin English Textbook, Book Five
Publisher: Sanmin Bookstore
班級:高中部三年善班
姓名: 林妍蓉
Summary of the reading
In 1944, the world-famous cellist, Yo-Yo Ma, was invited to the International Cellist Festival
to perform the composition ''The Cellist of Sarajevo.'' There was a story behind it. On May 27, 1992,
in Sarajevo, a fearless cellist stood out to play the mournful pieces to all the victims during the war.
Though the bombs kept falling and bullets flying around, he never stopped fighting for human
dignity and peace. After newspapers picked up the story, a composor, David Wilde, wrote the
musical composition ''The Cellist of Sarajevo,'' which was played by Yo-Yo Ma.
Reflection on the reading
Through the music, even we don't know the entire fact of the war, Yo-Yo Ma did convey the
core of the composition－wish for peace. After his performance, the brave cellist in the war before
appeared. Everyone was surprised, and cheered out loud. Realizing the meaning of the music, some
ideas came up in my mind. People fight for things like energy, territory, religions and so on.
Conflicts happen everyday everywhere on our planet. I wonder if humans can stop being so selfish
and start thinking more about others rather than about our own benefits. If so, I think it’s possible
that we can live in a peaceful and wonderful world.
15
Article Title: The Cellist of Sarajevo
Author: Paul Sullivan
Source: Sanmin English Textbook, Book Five
Publisher: Sanmin Bookstore
班級:高中部三年善班
姓名: 陳建弘
Summary of the reading
A pianist was invited to perform with the famous cellist, Yo-Yo Ma, at the International Cello
Festival in Manchester. Yo-Yo Ma played “The Cellist of Sarajevo,’’ which sounded sad and
grievous. There is a touching story behind the composition. A distinguished cellist, Vedran
Smailovic, witness a massacre in front of his apartment during the war in 1992. After that, he
decided to make music on the scene with bombs falling around him. After newspapers picked up
the news, a composor, David Wilde, wrote a musical composition, “The Cellist of Sarajevo,’’ which
was played by Yo-Yo Ma. After Yo-Yo Ma finished his performance, no one moved or made a
sound. Yo-Yo Ma stood up and signaled Vedran Smaillovic, the cellist of Sarajevo, to come to the
stage. Everyone in the hall clapped, shouted, and cheered for him.
Reflection on the reading
I think music has a magic power. When you listen to a song, you can clearly know what the
song wants to tell you. Like the song ‘’The Cellist of Sarajevo’’, you need not know the background,
but you can feel sad when you listen to it. But if you know the background of the song, you will
actually perceive how the composer or the performer think of the war. I feel quite lucky to feel the
cruelty of war through listening to the music without actually experiencing it myself.
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Article Title: The Cellist of Sarajevo
Author: Paul Sullivan
Source: Sanmin English Textbook, Book Five
Publisher: Sanmin Bookstore
班級:高中部三年善班
姓名: 石正宣
Summary of the reading:
One day, a distinguished cellist, Vedran Smailovic, saw a massacre outside his window. In
order to do what he could do for people, he began playing the cello beside the crater that shell had
made. An English composer was touched by the story, so he wrote a composition, “The Cellist of
Sarajevo,” to reflect the story. In the concert, all the audience were touched by the cantus that Yo Yo
Ma played and the story about Vedran Smailovic.
Reflection on the reading
During the war, some people felt disappointed about the terrible world, while others wanted to
do something to change the situation. The thought of hoping about tomorrow made these people
live a more meaningful life. Their courage was the key to success. They decided to resolve the
problems instead of escaping the truth. In contrast, most people didn’t have the courage and
ambition to change the bad situation. The main ideal that the author wanted to express was that a
person can make a difference to others by taking action. I learn from this story that a person’s warm
heart can move many people even though what he or she does is a little thing.
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The Cellist of Sarajevo
Author: Paul Sullivan
Source: Sanmin English Textbook, Book Five
Publisher: Sanmin Bookstore
班級:高中部三年善班
姓名:劉庭謙
Summary of the reading
A distinguished cellist named Vedran Smailovic witnessed a massacre, which killed 22
people in front of his apartment, and he felt agony. He resolved to do the thing he did best--- “make
music.” For the nest 22 days he played the cello beside the crater. After newspapers picked up the
story of this extraordinary man, an English composer, David Wilde, was so moved that he wrote a
composition for an unaccompanied cello entitled “The Cellist of Sarauevo.” This song was the
piece that Yo-Yo Ma was to play one evening in England. Vedran Smailovic was a surprise guest in
that concert.
Reflection on the reading
From the story, I learn that everyone can do something to help the world. Like Vedran
Smailovic, he made music to erase his outrange, and revealed the cruelty of the war to the world.
He wished there would be no war in the world, and I do too. I want to own a brave heart like him. I
want to courageously fight for human dignity and world peace. If everyone can contribute
something, the world will be a better place.
Music is something that transcends language barriers so it can convey clear messages to the
world. To me, it is magic, which provides channels to express personal feelings. What’s more, it
inspires everyone with graceful melodies. And it consoles people’s soul with its rhythms.
18
Ａrticle Title:The Cellist of Sarajevo
Author:Paul Sullivan
Source:Sanmin English Textbook, Book Five
Publisher:Sanmin Bookstore
班級: 三年善班
姓名: 童鈺婷
Summary of the reading
Yo-Yo Ma was to play a composition,”The Ceilist of Sarajevo”,written by David Wilde at
the International Cello Festival in Manchester. In fact,there was a touching story behind it. On May
27,1992,Vedran Smailovic,an outstanding cellist in Sarajero,saw a mortar shell drop and explode,
killing 22 people outside the bakery. The scene was so cruel that he couldn’t endure any more. From
then on,he was determined to fight for those who had died from the war by making music. He
played the cello beside the crater in front of the bakery when bombs fell around him.
Miraculously,he was never hurt.
Reflection on the reading
I am so happy that Vedran Smailovic is still alive. There is so much misfortune caused by wars.
It goes without saying that it is brave of him to fight for human dignity, for compassion, and even
for peace. However,most people take it lightly because they don’t understand how terrible it is.
Besides,they think one person can’t change anything. It is too trivial to help them. Nevertheless,I
know how Vedran Smailovic have changed the world as his story changes me now.
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Article Title:The Cellist of Sarajevo
Author:Paul Sullivan
Source:Sanmin English Textbook,Book Five
Publisher:Sanmin Bookstore
班級：高中部三年善班
姓名：游芷蒓
Summary of the reading
The world-famous cellist,Yo-Yo Ma,was invited to perform at the International Cello Festival
in Manchester,England.With a moving story behind,the musical composition,The Cellist of
Sarajevo,was played by Yo-Yo Ma. The story was all about Vedran Smailovic,who courageously
fought for human dignity,for those who had been lost to war,for civilization, for compassion, and
for peace by making music. Everyone was moved by Ma’s performance, realizing music is a gift
we all share equally.
Reflection on the reading:
After reading the article, I have a different impression of music. Music is such wonderful
grace.When we listen to music, we can know what the composers want to express.With Ma’s
music,the attendees of the performance could imagine how Vedran Smailovic felt and the scene
which he saw at that time. Although Vedran Smailovic could not stop the war,he used his own
way to resist it. He fought for everyone’s rights with his music in the war. It was his courage and
music that made everybody know the cruel war. Perhaps we can`t change the situation, but we
are all still able to do our best to help. No matter what the end is,we have tried it at least. We
need not give up when we face difficulties. Everything will be different after making efforts.
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Article Title: The Cellist of Sarajevo
Author: Paul Sullivan
Source: Sanmin English Textbook, Book Five
Publisher: Sanmin Bookstore
班級:高中部三年善班
姓名: 魏旭安
Summary of the reading
Yo-Yo Ma played a musical composition, The Cellist of Sarajevo, at the International Cello
Festival in England. There was a tragedy behind the music. A cellist named Vedran Smailovic
witnessed death during the war, deciding to play music at the scene every day in memory of the
death in the massacre. At the end of Ma’s performance, Vedan Smailovic showed up! Both of the
two cellists won the audience’s applause and support.
Reflection on the reading
I admire Smailovic a lot because his action and attitude touch my heart. Just a person’s power
has an impact on people all over the world. How great the man is! We shouldn’t neglect a person’s
power. It can make people know the situation of the war and the tragedy in Sarajevo. He is not only
a cellist, but also a Santa to me.
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Article Title: The Cellist of Sarajevo
Author: Paul Sullivan
Source: Sanmin English Textbook, Book Five
Publisher: Sanmin Bookstore
班級:高中部三年善班
姓名: 古國昌
Summary of the reading:
The renowned cellist, Yo-Yo Ma, was playing the significant composition at the
International Cello Festival. In fact, there’s a great story behind the composition written by David
Wilde. On May 27, 1992, in Sarajevo, with shelling raging on, it was a mess everywhere. Only a
man in a formal suit carried a cello and performed music with his life left behind. All he wanted to
do was call for the end of the war. Such is his incomparable spirit that David Wilde composed this
song to commend the very person, Vedran Smailovic.
Reflection on the reading:
Life is not always smooth. As to some war-torn countries, people there lived an
impoverished life, being subject to death. However, it is this situation that makes for some
commemoratory figures, such as Vedran Smailovic. While people were managing to survive, he
chose to play inspiring music regardless of his life. Maybe music is too ordinary to be taken so
seriously, but it may be the most powerful spell that can soothe people’s grief. In my opinion, if
everyone has this kind of great mind, the world will become more harmonious. As long as we don’t
give up, it’s possible that we can still succeed after encountering so many obstacles.
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Article Title: The Cellist of Sarajevo
Author: Paul Sullivan
Source: Sanmin English Textbook, Book Five
Publisher: Sanmin Bookstore
班級:高中部三年善班
姓名: 劉浩雯
Summary of the reading
Yo-Yo Ma was invited to perform a composition, “The Cellist of Sarajevo” at the International
Cello Festival in Manchester, England. There is a toching story behind the tune he played. On May
22, 1992, at 4 p.m., a ruthless bomb fell on a bakery, killing 22 people. At that time, a cellist named
Vedran Smailovic witnessed it. For each of the next 22 days, at 4 p.m., he played to the victims with
his heart full of sorrow. Therefore, an English composer, David Wilde wrote a composition
entitled“The Cellist of Sarajevo” for him.
Reflection on the reading
After reading the article, I feel sad with the harm that the war caused. Vedran Smailovic was
too sad to accept it with his own eyes. H e expressed bitter complaint about the war by playing the
cello. His move touched many people. I can’t image if I saw the sight, what would I do? Needless to
say, we can understand Vedran Samilovic’s feeling of outrage and love for the music.
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Article Title: The Cellist of Sarajevo
Author:Paul Sullivan
Source:Sanmin English Textbook,Book Five
Publisher:Sanmin Bookstore
班級:高中部三年善班
姓名:曾嘉富
Summary of the reading:
On April night in 1994 , the world-famous cellist Yo-Yo Ma was playing an unaccompanied
and mournful composition named The Cellist of Sarajevo. This composition had a moving story
behind. On May 27,1992. There was a war in Sarajevo. A mortar attacked some starving people,
killing 22 people. A distinguished cellist named Vedran Smailovic witnessed this, and he decided
to do his best to perform music to the victims everyday with bombs falling around him. After the
press reported his news to the world a composer, David Wilde was touched and wrote “The Cellist
of Sarajevo” for the cellist.
Reflection on the reading:
After reading this article , I have gotten many deep vibrations. First I think the war is cruel. It
only bring us sadness and pain. As far as I am concerned , war is the result of people’s greed and
disrespect to others. If we can possess a humane heart to treat everyone in the world , there will he
less war. In addition , we have to respect people and views from diverse cultures all over the world
so as to tolerate differences. I think by learning to accept each other’s differences, there will be less
war or even no wars. Next, I also learn that no matter what difficulties I have encountered, I
shouldn’t give up easily just like the cellist, Vedran Smailovic. Although we are just humans and
what we can do is very little, we can try our best and work hard to form a magical power that can
make people around become more united.
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Article Title: The Cellist of Sarajevo
Author:Paul Sullivan
Source:Sanmin English Textbook,Book Five
Publisher:Sanmin Bookstore
班級:高中部三年善班
姓名: 許展豪
Summary of the reading
Yo-Yo Ma was invited to play an unaccompanied cello “The Cellist of Sarajevo, ” written by
an English composer, David Wilde, at the International Cello Festival in Mauchester, 1994. There is
a touching story behind it.
The story is about a distinguished cellist Vedran Smailovic, who withessed a massacre, so he
decided to calm the people’s and his anguished heart by making and playing music right on the
massacre scene. He mainly played for human dignity and for peace.
Ma successfully reviewed the scene of the horrifying massacre at his performance. Then Vedran
Smailovic showed up at the end of the concert and gained every one’s applause. The music is
proved to be a gift to inspire us and for us to share with everyone.
Reflection on the reading
After reading through this story and listening to the music, I feel lucky because I can understand
the terror of the war by listening to the music and reading the article instead of getting involved in
it.
Although I am not used to listening to classical music and I hardly understand what it wants to
express, after reading through this article, I understood one thing. That is, it is not only music but an
advanced language. A language goes without words but conveys intense feelings.
Whatever the music conveys to us, the mot important thing is to learn from others’ experiences.
Now that we know the nature of war, we should try our best to stop and avoid it. Hopefully we can
bring peace to our children forever.
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