My Reflection 2

I learned from this course many things, including writing and research and how to write references so I thank the teacher for these things and this effort. I learned to extract information from websites, magazines and last week I completed the report submissions and added more words. Also I did the vocabulary and I finished all assignments. I did the Global Warming and posted it in the blogger. In this course we learn how to make a blog and upload to the website. Thanks teacher for teaching me this course. I learned too many things from this course.

Global warming

A. Problem and Solution

Global warming is a worldwide concern and the continuous thinning of the ozone layer caused by it reaches now to its alarming level.  Do we still have a solution for this problem?

B. Introduction

“The world is becoming warmer and this is an unusual occurrence because it dehydrates the earth. This is alarming considering that it will harm and endanger all the living things: men, plants and animals” (“Global Warming”, n.d).  The primary reason why there is the occurrence of this phenomenon is caused by man’s activities especially those that are aided by electricity. We need electricity to make life convenient but the improper use of it causes us to suffer from its effects. Also, one of the significant causes is the fossil fuel emissions that build up carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. “Carbon dioxide is released every time man uses his car, an airplane and a coal plant. Deforestation is another cause of global warming. When man converts the forests and grasslands into farmland and cities, it could not be avoided that there will be the release of carbon dioxide because man will burn the forests and grasses emitting carbon dioxide in the air.  All these human activities result to global warming” (Global Warning Early Warning Signs”, 1999).

C. Problem

Global warming is one of the serious environmental problems the whole world is facing today, which means the world is becoming hotter because the temperature rises to the level above the natural warmness of the earth. One harmful effect of deforestation is the lessening of the number of trees providing less oxygen to all living things. If the activities of man will warm the earth just enough, it will cause the carbon sinks to naturally fail.  Carbon is stored in the atmosphere for thousands of years and it is the “carbon sink”, a natural system that stores it. When carbon is released in the atmosphere, it will create a catastrophe to the earth. Another cause of global warming is the oceans which are no longer capable of storing carbon as they have in the past. Again, an ocean is considered a carbon sink, which holds even 50 times of the carbon as the atmosphere. Phytoplanktons, which store carbon dioxide, are dying at the bottom of the ocean because of the effect of global warming which in turn becoming less able to store carbon, aggravating the worsening climate change.

D. Solution

“We can prevent global warming by the following simple things to do. First, minimize the use of chlorine compounds. Examples of these are bubbles in plastic foam, spray paint, fire extinguishers, bleach and a multitude of discarded household and industrial chemicals. Other chemicals include phosphates found in many laundry detergents and soaps and should be avoided as well as aerosols such as fresheners and hair sprays which contain butane. Planting trees, using bicycles instead of cars in some situations, and minimizing the use of electricity are other simple things that can help” (“The Solution to Global Warming”, 2005). Processing of fossil fuel is harmful. Reducing the use of appliances, weather stripping, insulation and proper ventilation will go a long way to reduce the amount of heat that our homes need. Reducing the use of hot water will reduce also the amount of energy use, which is helpful in preventing global warming. On top of this issue, the harmful effects and the prevention will surprise all if they know that global warming has also useful effects. The temperature may change in a way that can help us. According to Global Warming Solutions”, 2008, “The greenhouse effect makes the earth appropriate for us to live.  Without the greenhouse effect, the earth might be frozen which means death to all living things or on the other hand, the earth might be burning hot also, which can kill all the living things as well”.

References:

1.     (“The Solution to Global Warming”, 2005). http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/12/photogalleries/global_warming/photo9.html

2.     (“Global Warming”, n.d). http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0215471/global_warming.htm/

3.      (Global Warning Early Warning Signs”, 1999) http://www.climatehotmap.org/

4.     http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dianne_Lawson-Jeffreys

5.     http://www.globalissues.org/issue/178/climate-change-and-global-warming

6.     http://www.google.ae/search?q=Global+warming&hl=ar&biw=1280&bih=705&prmd=ivnsb&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=MHfQTc7YI8KKhQfLqLCIDQ&ved=0C/

7.     http://ashutoshjoshi.instablogs.com/entry/disadvantages-of-global-warming/

My Reflection

The first thing that we learned from this particular subject was about referencing. I learned that online citations and bibliography are examples of references.  We referenced the reading materials and the articles we used in our research work because we would like to give credit to the author of those reading materials.  Also, we reference them because we acknowledge that the works are original and not ours.

Research materials taken or downloaded from the net need online citations because of the same reason that we acknowledge the works to be that of somebody. I got both good and not so good remarks on the my first project about referencing but on my next try, it was already almost perfect. 

Our second project was the comparison of cars. It is an individual project where I compared the Bugatti Veryron with the Porsche 911 Turbo.  Doing the comparison was great becaue I was learning as well which one is the better luxurious car. I used the different features of the two cars to show a clear comparison. Again I researched from the internet and used the websites of the cars’ companies which are in review.

The latest project, which is my third project, is an example of a popular technology in my area. “Mint, the cleaning robot” is the example of my popular technology.  While doing the project, I marveled at the ingenuity of man and how some men can come up with this very important invention.

The Cleaning Robot

Everyone probably is familiar with the iRobot Roomba which is dominating the works in the cleaning robotics market. The iRobot does what the human does especially in the maintenance of cleanliness of the homes and the environment. The Robot that has been discovered a decade ago has many flaws when doing its job though because precisely the technology was not perfected. iRobot Roomba slams on the desk, vacuums the same corner five times and always missing some portions

dotted with dirt. This cleaner is not cute and is insensitive to the feelings of his employer and no matter how he is ridiculed by his master, he just shrugs it off and continues cleaning as if he is mindless of what is going on around him. But wait! This has been changed and improved through the invention of Mint.  Mint has a bigger brain and is the more intelligent and smarter of the two robot cleaner. Its is everyone’s favourite micro static cleaning cloth. His name is Mint, and he’s almost perfectly made to do the cleaning in a superb and efficient manner. This robot has been the main attraction in the just concluded Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. When it bumps the wall, it does not stumble, as the previous robot was experiencing, because of its perfect reflexes that always find balance every time it is bumped and pushed by any person or object.

“Mint's secret weapon is not a remarkably bigger or faster computer brain, but a new approach to indoor navigation. A small black cube, called a beacon, projects an infrared spotlight on the ceiling. Mint's upward-facing IR sensor uses that spot as a reference point as it maps out a room. Paulo Pirjanian, CEO Evolution Robotics, describes it as a micro-GPS system, with the IR spot acting as the robot's GPS satellite”. (Sofge, 2010).

For those who are still sceptical of the uses of Mint, here is the proof that robotics have been innovated successfully so far because Mint can use wet and dry Swiffer pads. It enhances the minor domestic secret of disposable, micro static cloth. The robot is very light, quiet and very effective in cleaning even if dirt is found in the corner of every home where even a human cleaner can hardly removed it. It resembles a Swiffer pad that rotates when it cleans the floor and can detect any dirt in every space of your wall and floor and it can brush the dirt completely leaving your floor very shinning.  Mint continues to clean even when it is out of your sight.  It can sweep under the beds and even continues cleaning the other room as long as it can see the glow of the beacon’s beam, a function called glow following. According to Pirjanian, (2010), “Mint has the ability to fully cover a given space three to five times faster than a Roomba and is therefore more reliable and perhaps the most human-like robot cleaner invented so far by the ingenuity of man.”

According to Coldewey (2010), “The Mint Automatic Floor Cleaning Robot is basically designed to clean all types of hard floor surfaces, such as laminate flooring, tiles or hardwood floors”.  Mint is unique because it can even pick up dirt, dust and even pet hair off the floors by mopping the area with the use of the synthetic brush.

Mint can clean the corners hardly reached when humans clean them but with the use of Mint, it can clean them completely because it uses microfiber or disposable cloths to clean hard floor surfaces.  The cloth, either dry or wet, can be bought directly from Mint Company.

“The Mint is one of the growing numbers of floor-cleaning robots that evolved after the success of the Roomba. Unlike many of the others, though, the Mint works on different principles and should be viewed as separate but related, as opposed to the cut-rate or imitation Roombas out there. This is a different product”( Review: Mint Floor-Cleaning Robot”, 2010).  In the future household members can stay away from their house for so long with the expectation that the moment they arrive home, all floors are clean and all the room corners are free of dirt because Mint is a different innovation in the cleaning industry. Mint is a different product, which will provide comfort among family members and will slice the families’ budget in hiring a house cleaner or a cleaner requested from any cleaning company.

References:

 Coldewey, D., (2010), Review: Mint Floor-Cleaning Robot, Retrieved 06.04.2011 from http://www.crunchgear.com/2010/09/25/review-mint-floor-cleaning-robot/

Mint Automatic Floor Cleaning Robot – Cleanse while You Relax, (2011), Retrieved 06.04.2011 from http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/mint-automatic-floor-cleaning-robot-cleans-while-you-relax-4099040.html

Sofge, E., (2011), The Coming Cleaning Robot War, Retrieved 06.04.2011 from http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gadgets/reviews/4341854

Bugatti Veyron and Porsche 911 Turbo

1- Needless to say that the car is a great invention for human beings. It makes life very easy.

It saves time and effort and it also shortens distances. From time to time we hear about development improvements, modifications and new technology in car manufacturing. These new modifications are for human safety, welfare and pride. Engineers developed cars that run on petrol, then cars run on gas and they developed the cars that run on electricity and solar energy. In doing that, they thought about fuel. But when they produce the two super cars, Bugatti Veyron and Porsche 911 Turbo, they thought about many things like safety, speed, power, shape , engine , gear , pride and trust . Thanks to these engineers' research, we have these two top super cars, the Bugatti and the Porsche 991 Turbo.

2- In fact, there are some similarities between the two super cars. Both are very expensive. So only a few people can buy them. Therefore, only wealthy people can buy them. Besides, both are very fast. So they can share into car racing easily. When you drive or own one of them, you feel different as you have a fast car.

Moreover, they are very strong and they have a great power. So you feel safety on driving them. In addition to all, this they have modern technology. They have maps to do this. Also these super cars can discover if anything wrong with the help of their computers. They also have cameras and can connect to the net.

3- Yet, they have some differences. The Bugatti is faster than the Porsche. While the Bugatti runs at more than 400km/h, (Bovingdon, Jethro) the Porsche runs at312km/p. Also, the Bugatti is heavier than the Porsche. The Bugatti weighs 4350 IB but the Porsche weighs 3,650-3,750 Ib. (Renolds, Kim. "Topless Turbo). Another thing, the Bugatti is stronger than the Porsche. The Bugatti is 1001 horsepower, (Adams, Eric, Joe Brown,) but the Porsche has 500 horsepower only. Naturally, they are not the same price. Besides, they are not the same shape of design. They aren’t from the same company or factory. 

4- If I don’t own one of these two super cars, I must think about the materials they are made of. The tyres and the wheels actually will be different. Besides, the glass and the seats are from special materials. The engines and the gears of these two cars have in fact special aspects and qualities. Safety rules are well done in these cars. The computers in these super cars can solve any problems that take place in these cars. Moreover, the body of them will not be easily affected by any kinds of accidents. The brake system and electrical system I think are very strong and different. These cars are provided with GPS and maps. The dash board and the steering wheel are high-Tech designed. Totally, they are very distinguished and unique cars.

5- As I don’t possess one of them, I think they are very imaginative and ideal cars. Because a human being is priceless, these two cars are very suitable for our safety pride, welfare and luxury. I think, they are very attractive with great value. I think they are not only a means of transport, but they are a means of comfort and dignity as well. Yet, I can't imagine how a man pays these millions of dirhams to buy these cars. They are very expensive. With this sum of money, we can start a great project to help people. I think with the help of its price, we can do lots of business and employ many young men. Also, their speed is very serious. Besides, they will cost lots of money to do repairs or maintenance on them. If you ask me if I have one of them, I will certainly employ a guard to put his eyes on it when parking.

To sum up, like any new inventions or technology, these two cars, The Bugatti Veyron and the Porsche 911 Turbo have some advantages and disadvantages. What must we do is to make use of their merits. Finally, I hope to own a Bugatti Veryon.

                                                            References:

1.      Bovingdon, Jethro. "Heat-seeking missiles: Bugatti meets Lambo on the open roads of oil-rich Qatar." Motor Trend Sept. 2010: 56+. Gale Student Resources In Context. Web. 23 Mar. 2011.

http://0-ic.galegroup.com.library.hct.ac.ae/ic/suic/MagazinesDetailsPage/MagazinesDetailsWindow?displayGroupName=Magazines&prodId=SUIC&action=e&windowstate=normal&catId=&documentId=GALE%7CA234720578&mode=view

2.      Adams, Eric, Joe Brown, and Dan Lienert. "Auto Tech." Popular Science Dec. 2006: 71. Gale Student Resources In Context. Web. 23 Mar. 2011.

http://0-ic.galegroup.com.library.hct.ac.ae/ic/suic/MagazinesDetailsPage/MagazinesDetailsWindow?displayGroupName=Magazines&prodId=SUIC&action=e&windowstate=normal&catId=&documentId=GALE%7CA155047014&mode=view

3.      Renolds, Kim. "Topless Turbo: the 192-mph tanning booth." Motor Trend Sept. 2007: 158. Gale Student Resources In Context. Web. 23 Mar. 2011.

http://0-ic.galegroup.com.library.hct.ac.ae/ic/suic/MagazinesDetailsPage/MagazinesDetailsWindow?displayGroupName=Magazines&prodId=SUIC&action=e&windowstate=normal&catId=&documentId=GALE%7CA167884769&mode=view

Bugatti Veyron

Bugatti Veyron

The Bugatti Veyron is the best car to appear on the planet and was born thanks to the efforts of Volkswagen, owner of Bugatti,when it announced in 1998 that it would revive the name Bugatti which appeared in the twenties and thirties of the last century.
However, when Bugatti revealed the legendary super car project, no one imagined it would turn into a reality and as a car the Veyron.

After two years Bugatti unveiled the car that is supposed to rekindle the flame of the glory of the old Bugatti.

The Veyron is a masterpiece of engineering that cannot be emulated.
The car has undergone extensive testing by a specialist company Volkswagen and even reached the stage of readiness for production.
And the Veyron is not only a very fast car, but, hey, it also proved to be agile and quite flat in corners and on twisted roads when he was driving at high speeds in the Alps.
A design unique to this car is a wheel drive system development and high-mail system stability and aerodynamic equipment and very smart windows. Hey, those are some advanced features that make the Veyron completely safe for normal drivers.
The Veyron is the most powerful car in the world with the power up to 1000 HP and it is considered the fastest in the world. Also it is one of the most expensive cars in the world with an estimated price of approximately Dhs 5.4 M or approximately US $ 1.2 M .

Ford, Tom. "Bugatti Veyron." Top Gear 20 Dec. 2010: 101. Web.

Bibliography & Citation

Kharma and Hajjaj (1989) describe characteristics of conditional usage in writing by learners whose first language is Arabic. The Type 1 conditional (If + present + future) was the next most common form they encountered. They state that it generally does not pose a problem for Arab learners (Kharma and Hajjaj, p.138). This correlates with my experience in the UAE where I have found upper elementary and lower intermediate learners quickly demonstrate an ability to conceptualize and use the Type 1 conditional.

Bibliography:

Kharma, N., & Hajjajj, A. (1989). Errors in English Among Arabic Speakers: Analysis and Remedy. Essex: Longman. pp. 137 - 142

(1) Who did the original research? Kharma, N & Hajjajj, A
(2) What was the name of the book? Errors in English Among Arabic Speakers
(3) Who was the publisher? Longman
(4) Where was the book published? Essex
(5) When was the book published? 1989
(6) What format has been used? MLA