Summary of “Beijing’s Polluted Air Opens China’s Eyes”

Summary of “Beijing’s Polluted Air Opens China’s Eyes”

China has been experiencing significant environmental problems that come with industrialization. In the article “Beijing’s Polluted Air opens China’s Eyes” from “What’s Happening In The World”, author Lawrence Gable describes these problems. Beijing’s factories, automobiles, weather and geography are all factors contributing to its air pollution. The Air Quality Index (AQI), a tool for measuring air pollution is also explained.

One example of Beijing’s severe smog problem was  in mid-January of 2013. The smog was unbearable for its 20 million residents and lasted for four whole days! However, the most unfavorable day was January 12th. The air quality reading was an astonishing 755, according to the government. This reading exceeded the AQI’s scale, and set a record for the highest reading ever.

There are many causes for Beijing’s pollution. First is the burning of coal. The consumption of electricity has increased due to the growing Chinese economy. Coal-fired power stations produce most of Beijing’s air pollution as well as the burning of coal at home for heat. The second cause is pollution from automobiles. Although authorities have tried to control the number of new cars on the streets, thousands of new cars still go onto the roads everyday. There are over 5 million cars in Beijing! Third, the weather and geography have also contributed to the polluted environment. Because this winter has been colder than average in Beijing, people have been burning more coal and wood than usual. Finally, mountains surround Beijing in a horseshoe shape. As a result of this, pollution gathers together as it blows in from the many factories in neighboring cities.

The article “Beijing’s Polluted Air Opens China’s Eyes” explains the negative effects of Beijing’s air quality. Beijing’s lung cancer rate has increased by 60%  in the last ten years and hospitals have reported higher numbers of patients with respiratory problems. In summary, although China has the world’s fastest-growing major economy, its air quality has suffered greatly as a result of its factories, power plants, and automobiles. The government is slowly taking action, it recognizes that it is time to change their environment.

The Influence of Neighboring Cultures on Japan

The Influence of Neighboring Cultures on Japan

Cultural diffusion, the spread of cultural elements from one society to another, had a major influence on many aspects of Japanese life. Cultural elements include objects, ideas, and customs from a society. These ideas from neighboring countries were brought to Japan, and impacted its ideas in government, city design, religion, writing, literature, sculpture, architecture, and music. The influence of neighboring cultures such as China, Korea, and India on Japanese culture is still seen in today.

Japan was introduced to many cultural ideas by the way of the Korean Peninsula. Some of these ideas had originally come from China and India. These ideas had spread to Japan through  many ways. For example, a Chinese scholar visiting Japan from a Korean kingdom introduced Confucianism; and Buddhist priests visiting from Korea introduced Buddhism. Furthermore, Prince Shotoku, who came to power in Japan in 593, encouraged contact with the Asia mainland. The rate of cultural diffusion accelerated as Shotoku and later rulers sought out contact with the mainland, especially in Korean and Chinese culture. Japan sent thousands of people on flimsy ships across the sea to China during the next three centuries. Usually these people stayed in China for years and returned home with the knowledge they had acquired. They also brought many examples of mainland culture including paintings, religious statutes, and musical instruments. Ideas and skills were also introduced by Korean workers who settled in Japan.

The Japanese created a unique culture as they blended new ideas with their own traditions. For example, during the 7th and 8th centuries, Japanese rulers adopted new ideas of government from China, giving the emperor and central government more power. Prince Shotoku established a set of ranks for government officials based on Confucian ideas. In 604, he issued the Seventeen Article Constitution which stated that the emperor was the country’s supreme ruler. In addition, the future emperor Tenchi created the Taika reforms in 645 to empower the central government. These changes were blended with Japan’s own culture when a powerful aristocracy developed during the 9th century. Another example of cultural blending in Japan is religion. Japan’s original religion was Shinto which expresses the love and respect of the Japanese for nature. However, when Japan was later introduced to Buddhism, the emperor and his court admired its wisdom and rituals. Buddhism and Shinto blended together, and continued to thrive in Japan, with their influence still strongly seen in Japanese culture today. Lastly, the Japanese music was influenced by especially by China, as contacts with the Asian mainland increased. For example, Gagaku, a form of Chinese court music, arrived in Japan in the sixth century. New musicals instruments also entered Japan. A Chinese wind instrument that the Japanese adopted was the sheng
. The Japanese called it the sho, a type of mouth organ designed to sound like the call of a phoenix. In conclusion, cultural diffusion and blending has helped Japan develop its own unique culture.

Daily Life in Tennochtitaln

Daily Life in Tenochtitlan

The Aztecs were a Mesoamerican people who built a large empire in central Mexico. Their empire arose in a fertile area nearly 8,000 feet above sea level known as the Valley of Mexico. Two groups, the Teotihuacans and the Toltecs, had built civilizations there that strongly influenced them. The Aztec empire extended from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific ocean by 1500 C.E.; it occupied a great area of Central Mexico and reached as far south as the current border of Guatemala.The civilization flourished between the years 1428 to 1519 C.E. and is known for its great city, Tenochtitlan. Tenochtitlan was a unique city because it is made of small islands called chinampas. In addition, the city had a large plaza where the Aztecs gathered for certain events, and  a marketplace where a variety of goods were traded. Furthermore, getting around the city was not a problem; a thousand workers swept and washed down the streets everyday, keeping them spotless. For the most part, Aztec life was centered around tribute and warfare; collecting tribute was the city’s most important business. The Aztecs relied on tribute to support the huge population of Tenochtitlan. In addition, the Aztecs had a declaration of war that followed a ritualized pattern. The Aztecs first asked a city to join their empire as an ally, the city was given 60 days to agree. If the ruler did not accept the offer, the Aztecs declared war. Only a few demands were made by the Aztecs on the defeated city: the people had to honor the god Huitzilopochtli, obey the Aztec ruler, and pay tribute.

The commoners in the Aztec empire began their day early in the morning to perform their daily tasks such as farming, fishing, serving, or making and trading goods. After working several hours, commoners would eat a simple meal in the late morning. At midday, commoners ate their main meal of tortillas, maize cakes, boiled beans, or tamales. The commoners went to markets to trade, sell their own goods, and socialize. Marriage and family life were important to Aztecs of all social classes. It marked an Aztec child’s entry into adulthood. Men usually married and the age of 20 and girls married at 16. The father was the master of the house. Women cared for children, wove clothes, fixed meals, tended the garden, and looked after the livestock. The Aztecs also gathered at the plaza for religious rituals, feasts, and festivals. Religion was very important to the Aztecs. They believed that gods were essential for survival. It was also important to perform rituals and ceremonies to please the gods. The Aztec’s own god was Huitzilopochtli, the sun god and the god of war. The Aztecs were especially known for rituals including blood sacrifice and human sacrifice. While religion and rituals were important to the Aztecs, they also had some time for recreation. They especially enjoyed music, dancing, and playing patolli.

Most of Aztec life for commoners consisted of consistent, faithful work to achieve many marvelous accomplishments. For example, the building of the island city, Tenochtitlan, was one of the most extraordinary achievements in the Aztec empire. Today, flower farmers in Xochimilco still use chinampas. In addition, tourists enjoy taking boat trips to see the beautiful “floating gardens”. Another impressive achievement was the three causeways that connected Tenochtitlan to the mainland. The causeways were usually teeming with people traveling to and from the capital. Furthermore, the Aztecs created the Sun Stone which was dedicated to the god of the sun. Today, the sun stone is a famous symbol of Mexico. In architecture, the Aztecs are known the best for their stone temples, like those of the Great Temple in Tenochtitlan. Finally, the Aztecs created a writing system that used pictographs and glyphs. As you can see, the Aztecs were a successful empire because of their unique accomplishments in many areas.

spoiler alert warning! Chapter 13 of The Master Puppeteer by Katherine Patterson

Chapter 13

I fetched the key and carefully unlocked the gate. I could hear Toyotake chanting the act from the theater. Being very cautious,  I slipped past the courtyard and went up the dark staircase at the end of the building. From there, I made my way through the narrow open space toward the light from the single window of the storehouse. Then, I went to the location where Saburo’s sword was previously hidden. I ran my fingers across the broad shelf and was shocked when I did not feel the weapon. WHERE WAS THE SWORD? It had to be there! I ran my fingers across the rafter again and again, but still did not feel it.

What was I going to do? Without the sword, Okada would not believe that Yoshida was Saburo. While wondering what Okada would do, I suddenly realized that I had to be foot operator for Yoshida’s play that was taking place at that moment. I swiftly ran through the narrow passageway toward the steps.

My blood suddenly froze. Someone was coming, someone with a puppeteer hood. I searched for a place to hide, but had no luck. I instinctively backed into the narrow passageway. The hooded figure was getting closer and closer and closer. When it reached the top of the stairs, I could see him carrying a male puppet. The puppet seemed to be peering to the left then to the right in search of me.

I had backed my way almost to the window when the puppet stopped and seemed to be staring right at me.

“Ah,” it said. “There you are. I’ve been looking everywhere for you.” There was something in the voice that seemed extremely  familiar to me. Who was it?

“Do you know,” the figure continued, “what a dangerous thing curiosity can be?”

I was speechless. “Remember the story of the peasant girl who was courted by a handsome suitor? She was not content that a highborn personage would deign to notice an ordinary girl like herself. She wanted to know what his name was and who his noble parents might be and where his ancestral home might stand.” As the puppet moved slightly, the light from the window caught something shining in its right hand, a puppet sword.

“The girl, as you will remember, asked her nurse how she might learn her lovers identity. And the old woman gave her a needle- as sharp as my sword here. The needle was threaded, and as her lover left, she stuck it deep into his garments. Then giving him a head start, she and the nurse followed the thread. It lead them out of the city and deep, deep, into the forest, disappearing at last into a cave.”

I was tired of hearing this story, but still waited for the puppet to finish.

“The old nurse lit a lamp and the two curious women went into that cave- and what should they find but an enormous serpent writhing in pain, the needle pierced deep into its throat.”

The puppet came toward me in a terrifying dance, holding a sword.

“Poor little Jiro.” It was those words that made me immediately recognize the voice. “Why are you so frightened? It is you who hold the needle to the serpent’s flesh.”

Okada would have been the last person on my list of who Saburo was. How could the blind, old man bee the fast, sneaky criminal???

“Ah, little Jiro. You make the mistake they all do. Yoshida is famous throughout Osaka as the master puppeteer of the Hanza, when it is I who manipulate Yoshida.” Okada laughed as if he were an evil villain. “Yes, Saburo has many puppets. The whole east wing belongs to him as well as Yoshida and a chosen few on the outside who have sworn their life’s blood to his cause. But, Saburo is only one. I alone am the Master Puppeteer.”

I tried hard not to breathe so I could stay invisible to the blind man. However, Okada took another step toward me, with the puppet’s sword glinting in his hand.

What am I to do? I come into my storehouse to find a mouse nibbling away at my treasure? What does the master do when he catches a mouse with its jaw sunk deep into--

I couldn't take it any longer. I snatched the nearest chest and threw it down between Saburo and me. I grabbed another and piled it on top. Then, I swung myself up as if I were a monkey and skidded across above Okada’s head. After I was past him, I jumped from the rafter and threw more boxes and chests into the passageway. The blind man had dropped the sword to the floor and continuously flailed his arms around helplessly, trying to find a way out of my trap.

“Jiro, I command you. Wait. Wait— wait, I say.”

I ignored Okada and ran down the stairs and out the grating. I slammed it shut, and then, half in panic, swung closed from either side the giant iron doors and threw the heavy bolt in place. I had Saburo the bandit,  locked behind iron doors, and all I could think of was that poor old man crying piteously for me to come back for him.

I had to find Kinshi. He would know what to do. I ran across the courtyard, but just as I got to the door, someone snatched my arm.

“Where in the devil have you been?” Mochida’s usually placid features were contorted with anger.“Yoshida Kinshi’s disappeared and you have to replace him on Akoya’s feet. Okada’s ill and can’t go on. Believe me”— Mochida smiled grimly— “the master is in a proper mood, so take care.”  Mochida shoved me toward the stage entrance where Yoshida and the left-hand manipulator were waiting.

I grabbed Akoya’s hem between my fingers and bent into position. Just then, Yoshida’s high clog banged into my ankle. OUCH!!!! It was a torturous pain. Luckily, I didn’t scream out loud. The next second, all three of us manipulating the puppet were gliding onto the stage behind the puppet. “Torture by Koto” had begun.