This Week - 1/25/08

Finish the revisions I suggested to your speech (Dorcas, William, and Sandy) or finish your first draft (Carrie and Samson). If you want, you can type it up and post it on this blog and I will check it for you.
Also, once you have finished it, read it a few times so you are familiar with it. You will make the speech in class on Friday and then we will discuss it together.
Good luck.
Have fun.
Try to smile.

Pete

Homework Notice

This is for those of you (Carrie and Dorcas) who were not in class last week, as well as a reminder to those of you who were (Samson, Sandy, and William).
For this Friday, please write a persuasive speech about any subject you like.
For example, whether or not school's should require to wear uniforms, or whether or not women should be allowed in the military, or whether or not Taiwan's government should round up all the crazy foreign English teachers and send them back to their countries.
I will read them and then check then so that you can revise them.
There will be no article this week.
Have fun.
Try to smile.
Enjoy life.

Pete

Assignment #15

Two women become Marines' first female frogmen

Marines Cheng Chih-ya and Hsu Yu-ting made history yesterday after completing nine weeks of gruelling training to qualify as the military's first ever female frogmen.

"They are now fully qualified frogmen. They have proved it with their remarkable performances during training, even better than some of their male counterparts," said Lieutenant Colonel Ku Chang-chih.

Ku said that he was very impressed by privates Cheng and Hsu during training, since both of them performed well in the 50m swim with one breath and the 26km run, doing better than everybody else in the program.

"They fully deserve all the [praise]," Ku said.

Apart from Cheng and Hsu, a total of 118 other marines, including ranks from privates to lieutenant colonel, volunteered for the training program. Only 44 of the volunteers finished, however, graduating as qualified frogmen.

The 123rd Amphibious Training Program was an intensive nine-week program, including physical training, military combat training and underwater demolition training. In the middle of the program, trainees have to endure a "three-day-stay-awake" exercise that sees them continue the physical challenges at sea and on land without sleep for three consecutive days.

All 44 marines were officially certified as frogmen yesterday morning after completing the "Road to Heaven" challenge, which involves doing various tough exercises along a 50m long path that is littered with coral and rocks.

"I just wanted to challenge myself and prove to everyone that I could do it, and I did," Hsu said.

Cheng had already made the front pages in August last year when she gave up a place on the national swim team and the chance to be an elementary school teacher to join the Marines.

"You always have chances to prove yourself and challenge yourself as a Marine. That is something I like about it," Cheng said.


Questions:
1.) What do you think about women in the military?
2.) Should women be allowed in combat (as Israel and the US do)?
3.) Why would someone want to become a "frogman"? And should it be "frogperson" now?

For the real article:
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2008/01/09/2003396348