Texas: More than Cowboys and Oil Wells

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"Bang! Bang! Cowboy?" I often heard these words while traveling in Europe years ago when I said that I was from Texas. The next words were usually, "Do you have an oil well?" Although my home state is known around the world for its cowboys and oil wells, Texas has other interesting, though lesser known, features, which are its varied geography, its cultural heritage, and its strong pride.

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The first interesting feature of Texas is its varied geography. Texas is located at the intersection of several geographical regions. It has mountain, hills, plains, beaches, deserts, and forests. In one long day of driving, a person can start the morning beside rice fields in the humid southeastern part of the state and, in the evening, stop beside wild cactus plants in the dry western part. On a winter day, a person in the northern tip of Texas can be playing in the snow while another person in the southern tip is picking oranges near palm trees.

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The second interesting feature of Texas is its cultural heritage. The Institute of Texas Cultures, a museum in San Antonio, explains the cultural history of Texas and contains permanent exhibits of twenty-six cultural groups that helped build Texas. These groups range from Native Americans and Mexicans to Japanese and Chinese. Today visistors to Texas can still see elements of ranching and cowboy culture, the culture of the rural Old South, and the cultures of German and Czech immigrants, mixed with the generic culture of modern American. However, the past and the future of Texas are most closely associated with Mexico. For examble, the 2000 census shows that about 28 percent of Texans speak Spanish in their homes, and this number is likely to grow.

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In addition to its geography and cultural heritage, the third interesting feature of Texas is the regional pride of its people. Supermarkets sell Texas-shaped pasta and people wear Texas-shaped earrings. Bumper stickers say, "Native-born Texan" and "I wasn't born in Texas but I got here as fast as I could." Many people think of themselves as Texans first and as U.S. citizens second. This strong Texas identity is rooted in the history and the size of Texas. From 1836 to 1845, Texas was an independent country. Then, after it became a state, it was the biggestin area for over 100 years, and Texans loved to say that everything was biggest in Texas. When Alaska became the forty-ninth and largest state in 1959, proud Texans joked that, because Alaska was mainly ice, it could melt. According to them, Texas was still the biggest state..
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In conclusion, Texas is an interesting place because of its varied geography, its cultural heritage, and the strong pride of its people. When I travel outside Texas or meet international visitors in Texas, I know the stereotypic images of Texas that they probably have. Therefore, I make sure to tell them that Texas is very diverse and has much more to see than cowboys and oil wells.

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Portraits of Special People

My Grandmother
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Wood, my grandmother, died many years ago, but she is still one of my favorite people. Althought she was too strict, she had many good qualities. One of these is her love of learning. She had little money and lived on a farm, but she wanted to learn as much as possible. For examble, after she finished all eight grades of her rural school, she took a one-month course in teacher training. It was the maximum education available for her. When she was old, she often took out her world globe after dinner and studies the countries on it. Another of Lizzie's good qualities was she ability to cook everything well. Without written recipes, she made delicious bread and desserts, such as fruit pies. She turned ordinary potatoes into tasty soup and ordinary apples into wonderful jelly. Still another of her good qualities was that she was helpful to everyone. One time she organized a drama production for kids in her community. Another time she was the president of a service organization. Many times she helped her neighbors with the hard parts of their sewing. Grandma Wood was a strict person, but her good qualities made her one of my favorite people.

A Great Friend
Kyle Robertson, my best friend from childhood, has three good qualities that I admire. His sister's name is Emily. The first quality is his energy and sense of adventure. We visited his grandparents in Georgia. His granfather dirves a Volvo. We went to see my uncle in San Francisco. We went skiing, backpacking, or rock climbing together. A second quality is his technical skills. In junior high, we spent hours at the computer as "pilots" of simulated planes and, in high school, flew remote-controlled planes. Now we enjoy different activities. We like building Web sites and editing wideos together. A third good quality is that he is loyal. He is always there for me, no matter when or where. I recently needed last-minute help at 4 A.M. with an important Java assignment. I love computers. There was no problem when I telephoned and woke him up, and he had an answer to my question, as always. In short, Kyle has many good qualities and is really a special friend.

Sharing Stories - Quick Action

It was an ordinary day at the First National Bank. Everything seemed normal. An elderly woman and her grandson were in the bank. The woman had an old handbag and a new umbrella on her arm, and the little boy had a balloon on a long string. The woman began to make a deposit and cash a check. Then a man with a black-and-white hat walked in. The little boy saw the man's picture on the wall and began to feel afraid. The man slowly walked to a teller's window and suddenly pulled out a big gun. He gave the teller a note and got two heavy bags of money from her. He started to run away, but the woman quickly started to run after him. She hit him hard with her umbrella and stopped him! A young policeman immediately took the famous robber away to jail, and a crowed watched. The bank manager gave the woman a reward, so she looked very happy. He gave the boy seven balloons, so the boy also had a big smile of his face. In the end, everyone was happy except the robber. In this incident, quick action by an ordinary person stopped a crime.

Not Only On TV

When my family lived in another city, we had two experiences with robberies.One time someone broke into our car in front of our house and took some CDs.We were upset and unhappy, but we did not call the police. It did not seem too important.Another time a few week later, someone took our new camera and $55 from our house.The person came in through a window when we were out of the house during the day.The camera was very expensive, and we did not have teh money for another camera.We felt afraid and bought new blocks.Robberies were not only on TV. They were real now.(Philip L. Sladek)

Why Football Is Successful on U.S. Television

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Football is a very successful sport on U.S. television for serveral reasons. One reason is that football has lots of action. Viewers do not get bored while watching fooball because something happens on every play. In a sense, each team wins, loses, or ties on every play, so viewers stay interested. Another reason for football's TV success is that viewers can actually see the game better on TS than in person. Closeup camera shots, mutiple cameras, and instant replay make the sofa at home as good as the best seat in the stadium. Still another reason for football's success on TV in the United States is that it is good for advertising. Because there are frequent short breaks in the game, advertisers have many opportunities to show commercials to large audiences without interrupting the action. In short, because football pleases both TV viewers and advertisers, it is a big success on U.S. television.

Popular Types of Student Housing

When U.S. students leave home and move to another city to attend a university, they have three popular types of housing to consider. One popular type is student dormitories. Dorms are especially good during the first year because they usually provide meals and offer opportunities for making friends. Another popular type of housing is apartments. They are especially good for people who like to cook or have special dietary or personal needs. Still another popular type of housing is student cooperative houses, sometimes called co-ops for short, which are available near many American universities. In these democratically-run houses, students do household tasks, such as cooking, shopping, or cleaning, to keep the operating costs low. Thus, before signing a contract, students should think carefully about the best type of housing for them.

Great Virtual Trips!

1. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, New York, http://www.metmuseum.org/. Visit the collections and click on "Director's Choices," which shows twenty-five of the director's favorite objects.

2. California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, California, http://www.calacademy.org/. It offers nice online tours of exhibits in the natural history museum and aquarium.

3. The White House in Washington, D.C, www.whitehouse.gov/history/whtour. You can take a room-by-room tour of the presidential residence.

4. The Natural History Museum in London, England, www.nhm.ac.uk/meseum/vr/index.html. There is a tour of the online gallery of virtual objects. You can grab and rotate the objects.

5. The Museum of Modern Art in New York, New York, www.moma.org/collection/collection_highlights.html. You can choose a collection and see the highlights of one or more galleries.

6. National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, www.baseballhalloffame.org/help/tour.html. You can see baseball artifacts and read about baseball history.

7. National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, http://www.nga.gov.au/. It provides an interesting virtual tour of an Aboriginal art exhibit and other exhibits.

8. The University of Texas in Austin, Texas, www.utexas.edu/tower/. Visit the main building of the university to see both the inside rooms and the view of the university from the top of the tower.

Fast Way to a New Life

(Doctor Noe Itall)

Are you tired of your daily routine? Are you bored with your typical days? You can change your life. Here is the important first step.
Use your imagination! Imagine that you now have your prefect routine.
You wake up at the perfect time, and you eat the perfect breakfast. You put on the perfect clothes. Perhaps you have the perfect way. You have exactly the schedule that you like best. Imagine your perfect day in detail and write to me about this routine. Begin your letter like this: "Dear Dr. Itall: I now have the perfect routine for me. Every morning, I... "
When you finish your letter, send it to me. I will read it. Maybe I will print it here in my column, so keep reading "Psychology Corner."

Class Statistics

A. Math Problems

Addition

3 + 2 = 5

The sum of three and two is five

Three plus two equals five

Subtraction

8-1=7

Eight minus one equals seven.

Multiplication

4x5=100

Four times twenty-five equals one hundreds.

Division

12:2=6

Twelve divided by two equals six

Two into twelve equals six

B. Fraction and decimals

Fractions

1/2 = one-half or a half

5 (1/3) = five and one-third or five and a third

7 (3/4) = seven and three-fourths or seven and three-quarters

Decimals

0.87 = zero point eight seven or eighty-seven hundredths

3.01 = three point zero one or three and one hundredths

3.009 = three point zero zero nine or three and nine thousandths

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California in 2000

Among the many ethnic groups in California, the largest groups are whites (59.5%), Hispanics (32.4%), Asians (10.9%), and black (6.7%). This makes it the most populous state in the United States. About a quarter of the population is under the age of 18. Few visitors to California know many statistics about the state. The population has grown 13.6% since 1990. Just over half of the population is female. The smallest reported group in Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islanders (0.3%) Visitors who are interested in more statistics about California can find them at http://quickfact.census.gov/gfd/states. One tenth is 65 years or older. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, California has a population of more than 33,871,000.

Compare two drafts

Draft 1
A few years ago, my grandfather Paul, who loved to cook but did not like recipes, made an especially disgusting and memorable dish. It did not have a name, but here is his process. First, he looked in the refrigerator. Second, he got some leftover enchiladas. Third, he put the enchiladas in a saucepan. Fourth, he looked in the pantry. Fifth, he found two cans to add. They were a can of green beans and a can of hot dog chili sauce. Sixth, he added the green beans and hot dog chili sauce to the enchiladas. Seventh, he cooked the mixture on top the stove until the food was very hot. This step took about fifteen minutes. Eighth, he put some crunchy dry cereal on top of the mixture. Finally, he served the dish in the saucepan.
Unfortunately, as the pieces of cereal absorbed the liquid, they began to look like short, fat brown worms. This dish was unforgettable because it looked so disgusting that no one would eat it, except my grandfather.

Draft 2
A few years ago, my grandfather Paul, who loved to cook but did not like recipes, made an especially disgusting and memorable dish. It did not have a name, but here is his process. First, he looked in the refrigerator, got some leftover enchiladas, and put them in a saucepan. Then, he looked in the pantry and found two cans to add. They were a can of green beans and a can of hot dog chili sauce. Next, he cooked the mixture in a saucepan on top of the stove until the food was very hot. This step took about fifteen minutes. Finally, before serving the dish in the saucepan, he put some crunchy dry cereal on top of the mixture.
Unfortunately, as the pieces of cereal absorbed the liquid, they began to look like short, fat brown worms. This dish was unforgettable because it looked so disgusting that no one would eat it, except my grandfather.

RED SEA and GULF OF ADEN (II)

The State of Preparedness

Developments and improvement in the state of preparedness and response capabilities in the region have been slow, but in recent years there has been progress towards improved regional co-operation.

The Jeddah Convention of 1982, formally titled "Regional Convention for the Conservation of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Environment," provides an important basis for environmental cooperation in the Region. It was the result of a Regional Intergovernmental Conference, supported by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The Regional Intergovermental Conference also adopted a "Programme for the Environment of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden (PERGSA)." PERGSA is an intergovernment body dedicated to the conservation of the coastal and marine environments. Its daily affairs are managed by a secretariat run by a team of professionals recruited from various countries in the region. All countries in the region are currently party to the Jeddah Convention and members of PERGSA.

In addition to regional agreements and conventions a number of initiatives have been developed that aim to promote and encourage cooperation and mutual assistance. These initiatives include, for example, a regional oil spill contingency plan between Israel, Egypt and Jordan ensuring cooperation and assistance for oil spills within the Gulf of Aqaba.

Efforts are also being made to protect the marine environment under the World Bank funded Strategic Action Plan (SAP) for the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, which aims to improve coastal and marine environments by reducing navigational risks and preventing and controlling marine pollution in a regional context. The countries of Egypt, Sudan, Saudi Arabia and Yemen have established marine protected areas consistent with the aims of the SAP for promoting awareness of the sensitivitives of the marine environment.

Progress with regard to implementation of international conventions over the past decade has been relatively slow. As at October 2003, only two of the seven countries have ratified MARPOL 73/78 and OPRC 90. Two states are party to the CLC 92. Despite the limited oil imports and high risk of pollution damage within the region, only Djibouti has ratified Fund 92 to date.

The knowledge of national contingency planning within the region is limited. However, it is understood that most of the states have some form of contingency planning arrangements in place. The extent of implementation varies from government plans to national oil company plans, draft plans awaiting approval and co-opperative plans involving more than one country. Generally the industry plans are exercised regularly.

Improvements in preparedness and response capabilities may be expected with recent initiatives by PERGSA and ROPME (the Regional Organization for the Protection of the Marine Environment, which comprises Bahrain, Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Emirates) in promoting greater co-operation between the countries of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden and those of the Gulf.

In addition to the regional initiatives, the Petroleum Association of Japan has a significant stockpile located in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates and another in Saudi Arabia. This non-profit, trade association has a number of stockpiles strategically located along the tanker route from the Middle East to Japan. The equipment is available free of charge to anyone in need of assistance, subject to the equipment being returned clean and any damaged items repaired or replaced.
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Satelite view of the Middle East. Photo: NASA

RED SEA and GULF OF ADEN (I)

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The Rea Sea and Gulf of Aden region includes the Res Sea, Gulf of Aden, the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba, and comprises the states of Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. The countries within this region hold some of the world's largest oil and gas reserves and export potential.


The waters of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden constitute a unique ecosystem with high biological diversity. In particular, they host and extensive system of coral reefs and their assiociated animals and plants. Surrounded by arid terrestrial environments, the reefs support rich biological communities and representatives of several endangered species. There are also mangroves, seagrass beds, salt marshes and salt pans in the region. Fishing and an ever growing tourism industry are important to the economy of this area.


THE RISK OF OIL SPILLS


The Red Sea and Gulf of Aden form an important transport route between Europe and the Far East, particularly for the carriage of oil and commodities. Although appoximately 11% of the world's seaborne oil is transported through the region, there have been no major spills (>5,000 tonnes) resulting from shipping accidents. Most spills in this region have been the result of operational discharges, equipment failures and groundings.


Despite the low occurrence of major accidents within the region, the high volume of shipping results in chronic pollution in the form of tarballs arriving on the shorelines. Studies of water quality suggest that the Red Sea environment receives more oil per square kilometre than any other regional sea. The coast of Saudi Arabia between Jeddah and Yemen is heavily tarred in places. The Egyptian coast near the offshore oil fields of the Gulf of Suez is similarly affected by oil discharges. Increasing levels of dredging, construction and industrial waste associated with coastal development, are also creating threats to the marine environment.

In terms of navigation there are some potentially hazadous areas within the region. The strait of Bad-el-Mandeb is well defined and marked with an established traffic separation scheme. Numerous offshore platforms in the Gulf of Suez pose a danger to navigation, as do a number of coral reef systems in the Strait of Tirana at the entrance to the Gulf of Aqaba, where many ships have grounded in the past.

(from Regional Profiles (ITOPF): http://www.itopf.com/information-services/country-profiles/documents/redsea.pdf)

No More Accidents

(By Ryota Imai)

A few years ago, I got hit three times on my bicycle in two months. The first accident was at night in June. I was going across an intersection. A car hit my bicycle side, but the car was going slowly. The car driver said "Are you okay?" I said, "I'm okay," but my right shin hurt. My bicycle was no problem. The second accident was at night in July. The car was a little fast, and I was thrown onto the hood of the car. The car driver said, "We are going to the hospital and the doctor can check you." My body was no problem, but my bicycle was broken. The third accident was in the morning when I was going to school. That day I was feeling a little uneasy, and my uneasiness came true. I was hit by the side of a car, but we were going very slowly. The car driver and I exchanged address. After that, I went to school. My mother said, "If you get in another accident, you can die." I hope I don't have any mor accidents.

Why I Look Almost Bald

(By Toru Imai)

The reason that I shaved my head is not a heartwarming story. Yesterday I wanted to cut my hair. I didn't have a lot of money, so I looked for a cheap haircut. I found a salon with only $5.99 haircuts. I said to the barber, "My hair is so long." Then she shaved my side hair and made a favorite Chinese hairstyle in only three minutes! But, I'm Japanese. I said, "shorter," and she said "Oh, I see! You need to say Number 2!" She shaved my head all over in just one minute! She never thought or waited. It's the reason for the cheap price. I will never go for a cheap haircut again. Also, I learned that I need to study hairstyle in English before I go for a haircut.

Some Stories?

The Tank Was Empty
(By John Lapatsanis)

Six years ago I lived in Athens. Every fifteen days I went to my village with my friend who had a new Italian car. One Friday the engine didn't work. My friend got out of his car and looked it. He didn't see anything. For one hour he and I looked everywhere. We checked everything. Finally, after one hour, we looked in the gas tank. It didn't have any gasoline! My friend and I feel terrible because the day before he had filled the tank, and today it didn't have any gasoline. Anyway, together we put gasoline in the tank and went to my village. In the end, my friend was lucky because the thief took only the gasoline. My friend still has his car.



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My Daughter
(By Gerardo Nunez)

I remember when my daughter was born. When I brought my wife to the hospital, I stayed there in the room with her. I put on doctor clothes and was able to see the birth on my daughter. She was beautiful. Then my wife and I were happy. Now my daughter goes to school in my country, and she practices gymnastics because she like it. Also, all the time she draws with colors. She studies English and Spainish in her school, but I hope maybe for a short time she can go to study English in the USA. When my wife was a child, she lived in USA for one year, and she spoke English very well. I hope that my daughter can study in the USA because she is very important to us.

The English Times (2)

An Afraid Night

(by Xiao-He Zhao)

When I had just come to New York, I was not afraid when I walked home at night. One thing happened to my good friend to change me. One night, my good friend was going home after work. She was waliking on the sidewalk. There were no people or cars in the street. Suddenly, a tall man jumped out of a doorway near her. He pulled out a sharp knife. He took her new handbag and expensive watch. he left. My friend did not say anything because she was very afraid. She lost a watch that cost $200 and $50 in money. After that, my friend didn't walk on the sidewalk at night. She bought a car to drive home. When my friend told me this dangerous thing, I was very afraid. Now I don't walk home at night. I'm very careful at night.

The English Times (1)

Meet Level 2A
(From Staff Reporters)

The Level 2A class this spring is interesting and cooperative. The class consists of sixteen students: ten females and six males. They come from eight conutries in Asia, Afirca, America, and Europe. They speak the following native languages: Arabic, Chinese, Greek, Korean, Spanish and Tigre. In their countries, they had various occupations including hair stylist, student, electrical technician, and driver. The students range in age from 20 to 41 years. The average age is 24.6 years. Six of the students are married. Three students live alone. The others live with their spouses and/or relatives. According to the teachers of the class, these student study hard and get along well. The teacher said, "It is really a pleasure to teach this group of varied people who work together well.
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Black Sky
(By Ana Nogueira)

Last semester when I lived in Texas, I had a scary experience. It happened on the Friday night before spring break. The sky was dark, and the clouds were moving very quickly. I turned on the TV and listened to the weather channel. The newscaster was warning about a tornado near the lake. I was scared because I had never seen a tornado before. Suddenly, it began to rain pieces of ice, or haill I began to be very scared. The hail was hitting my window, so I went into the bathroom and waited for the storm to finish. I heard hours later that the tornado hit a few blocks from my house. It didn't cause any damage, but I know tornadoes are really dangerous. I didn't have a real experience with a tornado before, and I was not prepared for it. Now I'm sure it is a good idea to listen to a weather report if it looks like a bad storm. I hope I don't have another experience like that.

Three Good Ways

(In this unit, you will learn about formal style and write a paragraph using this style)

Ways of Writing
People have three good ways of writing. The first way is writing only one quick draft. People on vacation use this way when they write post cards to friends and relatives. The second way is planning, writing, revising and editing several careful drafts. People use this way when they write something important. They usually get feedback from other people during the process. The third way is writing carefully in a timed situation, without help or feedback. People use this way during tests when they have to complete all the steps of the process in a short amount of time. All three ways of writing are useful if people use them in the appropriate situations.

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Ways of Writing to Friends and Relatives
People usually have three ways of writing to friends and relatives. The first way is writing letters by hand. People use handwriting when they want to be personal. They use it for thank-you notes and cards for special occasions. The second way is writing e-mail messages. People use this way because it is fast, convenient, and inexpensive. It is especially helpful when people are in different time zones. The third way is writing instant messages. People use this way for fun and for quick questions when they are working at a computer. It makes time at the computer seem less lonely. All three ways of writing to friends and relatives are very useful in the appropriate situations.

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Ways of Writing
We've got several ways of writing. The first way is that I can write one quick draft.
If there's time, you can plan, write, revise and edit several careful drafts.
Also, in a timed situation, when you write carefully, without help or feedback.
In my opinion, all three ways of writing are useful if I use them in the appropriate situations.