Descriptive

 What Makes A Film Great?

Though we might think that what makes a film great is subjective, there are definite
criteria that points to it being a standout piece of art. There are tons of lists of the
greatest films of all times, and what do they have in common? The six areas of
brilliance are the script, characters, acting, timing, sound, and visuals (No Film
School). In order for a film to be truly great, it needs to excel in all those spheres.

For scripts, if the dialog is clunky and unnatural, it is usually noticed by audiences and
critics alike. No matter how amazing the plot is or how beautiful the visuals are, if
the script is pretentious or awkward, then the film does not float. Also, having weak
opening and/or ending dialog certainly contributes to a sour taste in the audience’s
mouth (Grove, E.).

Characters are often the focal point of a film. They are the drivers of plot and scenes.
The main aspect of characters in films that is important is whether or not they are
believable. It is a fine balance between exaggeration of real life and vagueness
(Nicholson, J.).

In order for a film to be great, the acting obviously has to be on par with the rest of its
components. Critics usually go after actors whose work is flat, over the top, or
unconvincing. It is part of the casting director’s job to find actors that will fit in the role
perfectly, and that will act in a way that will be Oscar-worthy. This is perhaps the most
difficult part of getting a film right, as it is the main characteristic of a film that people
criticize, besides plot.

The timing, or a pace, of a film is often what keeps film viewers staying or leaving.
A great film commonly slows down for emotional moments, and speeds up for
action scenes—just like a novel does with its pacing. If a movie seems to take too
long, or ends too swiftly, audience members usually feel that it either dragged on, or
they did not get their money’s worth (raindance).

Sound is more essential to the film-viewing experience than most would believe. The
sound, especially music, adds layers and emotional content to the film that nothing else
can. A great film will have an impressive score, and one that aligns with the plot and
mood of the film.
Finally, the cinematography should be stunning. This part of film is often what makes A-
list movies different than B-list movies. The type of camera used, the angles employed,
the filters of the lens used, and much more add to the overall experience—which allows
viewers to become engrossed in the film.

Though most people say “to each one’s own” when it comes to films, there are exact
criteria that critics and official film industry professionals use to gauge the greatness of
films. These elements comprise script, characters, acting, timing, sound, and visuals.
Without the successful undertaking of these aspects, a film might be a cult gaff, but
never a cult classic.

 The Latest Mammalian Species Discovered

Ancient scientists must have had much more work than their modern colleagues, as
there were a plethora of undiscovered phenomena, laws of nature, animal species, and
so on. Along with scientific and technological progress, people continued to believe in
manticoras, chimeras, werewolves, and other mythical creatures. The ancient Chinese
manuscript Zuo Zhuan contains descriptions of the Qilin—a creature with a body of a
deer, the head of a lion, green scales, and a long horn. Today, new animals are rarely
discovered; however, it looks like even in the 21st century, with GPS and satellites,
nature still can surprise us. In August of 2013, a new carnivorous mammalian species
was discovered: the olinguito.

An olinguito (or Bassaricyon neblina in Latin) has been classified in the family of
procyonidae; the most well-known representative of this family is a raccoon. The
discovery of olinguitos, made by Smithsonian scientist Kristofer Helgen, curator of
mammals at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, is in fact a rare
occasion, as almost 35 years have passed since the last time another carnivorous species
had been discovered in both North and South Americas (CNN). Olinguito share about
90 percent of their DNA with olingos—their “sister” species—but still remain a unique
carnivore specimen (Time).

Considered the smallest representative of the raccoon family, olinguitos are jokingly
described by scientists as a “cross between a house cat and a teddy bear” (Newsdesk),
and weighs about two pounds, while being no bigger than 2.5 feet long. Since
olinguitos are nocturnal creatures, they have large eyes that help them navigate in the
dark. Olinguitos reside in the misty forests of the South American Andes located at
5,000 to 9,000 feet above sea level, and live in the treetops—they can move through the
forests by jumping from one tree to another; perhaps, this is one of the reasons why
they have remained unclassified by science for such a long time.

Olinguitos primarily eat fruits, but also feed on insects, which gives a reason to classify
these animals as carnivores. According to Helgen, there seems to be four subspecies of
olinguitos that differ mostly by color (their fur can be of different shades of reds,
oranges, and browns) and by the area of the Andes that they inhabit. Helgen said it is
rather unusual to discover the olinguito: “I honestly think that this could be the last time
in history that we will turn up this kind of situation—both a new carnivore, and one
that’s widespread enough to have multiple kinds” (Smithsonian.com).

According to the descriptions provided by scientists, olinguitos seem to be cute

carnivorous creatures belonging to the raccoon family that have been recently
discovered. They are rather small—about 2.5 feet long and weighing only 2 pounds—
and feed primarily on fruit, though insects also make a part of their diet. They inhabit
the misty forests of South America and are nocturnal creatures, which results in the
large size of their eyes. There seem to exist four subspecies of olinguito, differing only in
fur color and regions of the Andes they inhabit. It has been a long time since scientists
have discovered a rare mammalian species and it might be even longer until the
scientific community happens upon a new one.

 Moving North Became The Dream Come True

As a child, I always enjoyed spending time up north at our cabin. It was a place where
you could go and get away from the busy life in the city and enjoy doing things that you
might not be able to do back home. While we didn’t get to go there as often as I would
have liked, we always tried to go at least a couple of times during the summer when my
grandfather would get his vacation from work. There was so much to do and see up
north. Even though things have changed now, I won’t forget all of the memories that I
have from when I was a child.
Every morning I awoke to the sounds of cars rushing down the street in an attempt to
make it to work on time. The hustle and bustle of city life was all around me. No one
ever took the time to sit back, relax and just enjoy the outdoors. Most of the time that
was because it is hard to relax and enjoy the outdoors when everything is so loud all
around you. Going up north made everything different.

At night, it was so quiet you could have literally heard a pin drop. The animals rustled
through the leaves as they gathered food or chased each other up a tree. It was a sight
that was far unlike anything I could have ever imagined back home. With it being so
calm and serene, you could sit outside in your camping chair for hours just listening and
watching nature in its truest form.

Living in the city means dealing with the pollution from cars, factories and anything else
that might be coming through the area. Thousands of people hit the streets every day
to get to work. The air was thicker. When you went outside to take in a breath of fresh
air, you smelled smog, sewage and any number of other contaminants. It was a foul
smell that you didn’t want to breathe in, but you got used to it after living in it for so
long.

The first time we went up north I noticed a difference in the way the air smelled. I took
in a deep breath of air and noticed how clean it smelled. I couldn’t help myself. I wanted
to breathe in more and more to keep taking it all in. How could the air possibly smell
this good? I felt my lungs clearing from all the contaminants and stale air back home. I
never wanted to let go of this feeling of freshness.

Back home, you didn’t really walk places much. The environment wasn’t exactly the
safest for anyone to walk the streets. Up north, things were different. We walked
everywhere we went and took in everything around us along the way. I got to enjoy
being a kid and playing outside or walking down the street to the local store. The stress
of the world back home was gone. I didn’t worry that some crazy person was hiding in
the woods waiting to attack because I knew that wasn’t the way things were up north. I
felt safe and at peace.

Even though I can’t relieve the memories I have of being in our cabin today, I did make
the decision to move up north and raise my family here. Now, they get to enjoy the
fresh air, relaxed atmosphere and laid-back setting that is normal for people living up
north. Those experiences as a child opened my eyes to something far better beyond the
city that I get to cherish every day with my family.

Compare and Contrast

Frozen Yogurt vs. Ice-cream

Ice cream is a frozen dessert made with milk or cream along with added flavors. Fresh
fruits or artificial flavorings are added to impart particular flavor to this treat. Ice creams
are served in cups, cones, as sundaes and with different topping such as chocolate
syrup, nuts, wafers, caramel, fresh fruits and more. Frozen yogurt is also a dessert but is
made from yogurt instead of cream, and hence more tart than ice cream.

Frozen yogurt is sweet a dessert - often with a hint of tartness - with flavored yogurt as
its main ingredient. Other ingredients include sugar and flavoring additives.
American-style ice cream, which tends to be manufactured industrially by large,
commercial enterprises, contains more air, milk fat, and cream than gelato does and
more frequently contains preservatives and artificial flavors.

Although frozen yogurt started out with mostly fruit based flavors, the manufacturers
have been coming up with innovative flavors to make it closer to ice cream. More
likely to use artificial flavors and artificially-flavored candies than gelato is. Vanilla,
chocolate, fruit, and nut flavors are popular. Chunks of chocolate, fruit, and nuts are
common in ice cream.

Because of its cultures & broken down lactose content, yogurt is easier to digest than
other dairy. However, only some frozen yogurt has live cultures that help lactose
intolerance; consumers should check the label before buying. Regular ice cream
generally does not work for lactose intolerance. You do however get lactose free ice
cream.

The history of ice cream can be traced back to Baghdad where a form of ice cream was a
popular dessert. But due credit has to be given to the Chinese who devised a way of
making ice and milk mixtures. Ice cream soon found its way from China to Europe and
then to the Unites States. Since then different forms of ice dessert have been made and
served all over the world. Frozen yogurt was first introduced in 1970 but gained
popularity in the 1980s. It is considered to be a healthier alternative to ice cream.

Ice cream is generally prepared in cooling vats, and the ingredients churned while it is
being cooled, this prevents the formation of ice crystals and makes the ice cream
creamier.

Frozen yogurt can also be prepared in an ice cream machine. The trick is to incorporate
air into it after all the ingredients have been mixed, and then cool it rapidly to prevent
formation of ice crystals.

Although both ice cream and frozen yogurt provide calcium, protein and other vitamins
and minerals, there are various other health benefit of frozen yogurt. One of the
ingredients of frozen yogurt is live bacterial cultures, which are good for the body’s
immune system. Besides that, frozen yogurt is easier to digest than ice cream, especially
in people with lactose intolerance. The fat content in ice cream is 10-18%, whereas in
frozen yogurt it is lower. Non-fat and low fat flavors are available for both.

Fruits and Vegetables

Throughout my adolescence I have been told that fruits and vegetables are essential to
a quality health. “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” or “It is important to eat your
veggies to grow big and strong.” Although these foods contribute to a good health,
they also differ in many ways. There are distinct requirements that allow a fruit to be a
fruit, and a vegetable to be a vegetable, and the tastes and usage of these foods often
bear no resemblance with each other.

Before I proceed, I feel it is necessary to clarify any common misconception about fruits
and vegetables that were brought up throughout my research. The tomato, thought to
be a vegetable by many, as well as myself, is actually not, it is a fruit. The pumpkin and
avocado also fall into the category of a fruit ("Did you know fruit facts".) These false
impressions result in the mistaken identity in countless fruits and vegetables.

A fruit is the ripened ovary of a flowering plant, often sweet and fleshy ("Fruits vs
Vegetables"). On most accounts, fruits are foods that are consumed for dessert or as a
snack. For example: apple pie, a banana split, or a strawberry shortcake, all of which are
desserts with ingredients that require the use of fruit (MarthaStewart.com). The majority
of fruits taste rather sweet due to a simple sugar called fructose. However, fructose is
not the only element found in fruits. For a fruit to truly be a fruit, it must contain seeds.
Some examples of fruits include pumpkins, avocados, bananas, tomatoes, and apples.

"Vegetables come from plants that have leaves and stems, but no persistent woody
stem above ground." Unlike fruits, vegetables, more often than not, are eaten
accompanied by a meal's main course ("Fruits vs Vegetables"). Vegetables may be found
in meals such as a juicy steak beside a twice baked potato smothered in cheese and
bacon, or a freshly caught salmon with a short stack of asparagus. Comprised of much
lower levels of fructose, vegetables are typically less sweet than fruits. A few examples of
vegetables include: celery, cabbage, and spinach.

Although together, both fruits and vegetables assist in the creation of a healthy diet,
these foods are essentially opposites. While fruits are sweet, vegetables are not as
sweet, almost bitter in some cases. Fruits are eaten as a quick bite or delicious dessert,
vegetables are often served as a side. But above all, fruits have seeds, and vegetables do
not.

Christmas and Halloween

Many people prefer Christmas over Halloween and vice versa. These two holidays both
have many similarities and differences. The similarities and differences of these two
holidays can affect someone's opinion about these two holidays.
 Halloween is a holiday mainly known for the fright and spook. Another big part of
Halloween is all the candy and costumes. Halloween is a holiday where for one night,
children can dress up as whatever they want, from vampires to barbies, and walk door to
door to receive candy. The rest of the neighborhood usually passes out candy, or hides
in bushes to scare children and other pedestrians.

Haunted houses are also a main part of Halloween. Not only are there haunted houses
around this time, but there are many other scary events that people like to attend to
celebrate, such as festivals and parades. During this time, pumpkin carving is also an
activity that many people participate in. Pumpkins in general, are very popular at this
time, which makes pumpkin patches quite popular too. Some popular characters related
to Halloween are ghosts, vampires, witches, goblins, zombies, and anything bloody and
scary.

Christmas on the other hand, has a totally different mood from Halloween. Christmas
is all about the joy, love, and festivities. Some people like to celebrate Christmas to
celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, and some people just celebrate Christmas, because it
is another fun holiday that takes place. Usually, many families like to invite relatives over
to spend joyful memories for the season. Aside from the fact that Christmas is
celebrated for different reasons by all people, Christmas is still the same when it is
celebrated. Families are always sending greeting cards to each other to wish each other
a "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays".

For Halloween, it might be the pumpkins, but for Christmas, it's the Christmas trees!
People either get fake ones or real ones, but either way, decorating Christmas trees are
a very popular part of celebrating Christmas. There are always places where you can buy
fresh cut trees. Santa, reindeer, and gingerbread men are well known characters for
Christmas time. Present exchanging is probably one of the biggest parts of Christmas.
Everyone exchanges gifts from friends to family. Where Halloween is only celebrated for
one night, Christmas Eve is celebrated just as much as the actual Christmas day. Other
fun Christmas activities include making gingerbread houses, going Christmas caroling,
putting on Christmas performances, and snow activities.

Despite the fact that there are so many differences between Christmas and Halloween,
you'd be surprised at the things that these two holidays have in common. First of all,
both of these holidays aren't actually celebrated by everyone. Some people don't
because of their religion or nationality, and some people just plainly decide not to.
Secondly, both of these holidays last for only one day. Next, lots of people like to go all
out with their decorating, so there are always sections at different stores for the holiday
decorations put up many months in advance. Also, children always receive something,
whether it is candy or presents. Lastly, Christmas and Halloween are both very fun and
enjoyable holidays that we all look forward to! As you can see, these two holidays can
easily be compared and contrasted. Which holiday do you prefer, Christmas or
Halloween?

sequencing

How To Make Ice-cream

There is always room for dessert and when it comes to sweets the first thing that pops
into mind would be none other than ice cream. Chocolate, strawberry, vanilla, pistachio,
the flavor goes on and on. Children and grown-ups alike all scream for ice cream. The
origin of this American dessert can be traced back from the 4th century B. C. When the
Emperor Nero of the Roman Empire wanted to have a combination of ice and fruit
toppings brought over from the mountains.

In the same way, Shang China’s King Tang developed a special way of making ice
combined with milk. Over the course of time, this dessert became popular until such
time it was served in the Royal courts of France. When this dessert arrived in America, it
was welcomed by the people. George Washington served it to some of his guests. New
York City is the home of the very first ice cream parlor. The name iced cream evolved
and was later on called as ice cream. Controlling and lowering temperature for the
preparation of ice cream has been a constant challenge way back then until someone
invented a way to use a mixture of salt and ice in order to maintain temperature. The
invention of the wooden freezer with paddles on it was an amazing breakthrough for ice
cream (Bellis, 2009).
The procedures in making ice cream consists of several steps which will all start from
dairy farms. From the dairy farms, trucks will then transfer the products in preparation
for the ice cream but before everything else, it is a must that every equipment must be
sanitized. The ice cream mixed will be poured down into a container. The mixing will
begin to freeze the sides of the container at about twenty degrees Fahrenheit as soon as
the dasher blades start scraping the mix thereby enabling the air to be incorporated
together with the ingredients. The process is fast because two gallons of 2. 5 bags of ice
cream mix will shortly become ten gallons of ice cream in less than fifteen minutes (
South Carolina Curriculum Standards, n. d. ). There are many ways of making ice cream.
It can be processed with or without an ice cream maker. Fresh, homemade ice cream
can be made quicker. Making ice cream without the ice cream maker is a more speedy
process because every batch of ice cream is frozen in salt and ice. In making home made
ice cream, one needs half a cup of sugar, a quarter teaspoon of salt, one cup of milk,
three egg yolks, a tablespoon of vanilla extract and two cups of whipped cream. Two
cups of fresh fruit bits can be added as well for extra flavor.

The sugar together with the salt and milk has to be put into the top of a double broiler
with water in the bottom pan. Once the water boils, temperature will rise thereby
ensuring that the mixture will not get overcooked. The beaten egg yolks must be
combined together with the sugar and milk and leave it there to cook until such time
that bubbles can be seen around the mixture. Once the mixture is done, it must be left
at a room temperature to cool down. Once the custard has cooled the vanilla extract
must be stirred into it together with the whipped cream.

Afterwards, the ice cream mix must now be transferred into a zip-lock plastic bag which
must be put inside a gallon sized zip-lock bag filled with ice cubes at about one third for
the ice cream freeze. It is easy to know once the ice cream is done because the mixture
will feel like paste not liquid. Fruits can be added to have a variety of flavors. For
instance, about two cups of strawberries can be mashed with half a cup of sugar. When
ready this fruit can be mixed into the original ice cream flavor and viola there goes the
homemade ice cream. There are many ways to create mouthwatering ice cream and no
matter what the process is, ice cream industry will always be a success because people
just cant get enough of this dessert.
 How To Make A Pizza
Throughout the history of human civilization meals of flatbreads or rounds of dough
with various toppings were common and used consistently. People of ancient Greece,
Persia and Rome used this kind of sustenance for centuries, until meal that we call today
pizza found its home in the Naples area in Italy. During the period of Middle Ages,
cooks from that city managed to improve the process of pizza creation, adding new
ingredients and toppings with the goal to make best dish possible. After the arrival of
tomato from the New World, the most important ingredient was present and pizza
started slowly to spread across the world.

In order to make pizza, first we need to revisit its official definition: "A pizza is a round,
open pie made with yeast dough and topped with tomato sauce, cheese, and a variety
of other ingredients as toppings".

The step and most important step in making pizza is creation of dough by mixing flour
with water and or some other liquid (for example milk) and yeast. After the ingredients
are perfectly mixed together, leave the dough must be placed in the bowl that is coated
with small amounts of olive oil and be left to grow (yeast extract oxygen from starch in
flour, and produce carbon dioxide which causes flour to rise). After around 1 to 1 1/2
hours of being in a warm environment, the dough will double in its size (if you don't
have access to the warm environment, heat up your oven to 150 degrees, let it cool until
its just a little warm and place dough inside it.

While the dough is growing you can prepare you topping ingredients, and preheat the
oven to 450°F for at least 30 to an hour. When the dough is ready, put it on the surface
that is slightly floured. With your hands stretch the pizza into oval shape and flatten it to
be 1/2-inch thick. The most common diameter of pizza is 10 to 12 inches. For the end
use your palms to create lip on the edge of dough, which will hold all the ingredients
and sauces on the pizza.
With the dough prepared, now you can start adding sauce and toppings. Over the
centuries, many kinds of tomato sauce became popular among pizza eaters. After sauce
(which will give pizza moisture needed for the baking process) you can add cheese and
any other topping that you want. The wide variety of these toppings can create
countless types of pizzas - from low calorie diet ones, spicy, vegetarian, sweet, to the
real behemoths with thousands of calories.

After you have finished with the toppings, pizza is ready for baking. The usual amount of
baking in a pre-heated oven lasts between 10 to 15 minutes. You will know that pizza is
ready when crust is browned and the cheese is golden.

How To Make A Bed

The proper process of making beds is a very important process for someone awaiting a
house guest to know. People like to make their beds in the morning to return to a
welcoming, restful place. If not, they “return to a rumpled, tangled mess in the evening”
The house owner must know all the secrets to making their guest comfortable and fell
right at home. Beds have been around since people have, and now we have the secret
to making the perfect bed. The first few steps are making sure you have the correct
tools in order to make the perfect bed. “A bed is a personal place of rest-choose
bedding that will please the person sleeping there” so first you may want to find out
what sort of allergies the guest may have, and if they have a sensitive back or not. Then
buy bed sheets, a bed skirt, and a bed pillow, which is like a top cushion that goes over
the mattress.

Place the bed skirt on top of the box spring and place the mattress on top of that. Next
put on the bed pillow to ensure the guest is comfiest. Make sure that the bed pillow has
absolutely no wrinkles so the following layers look as nice as possible. Following the
bed pillow is the fitted sheet with the elastic corners. Place that on the bed and tuck it
as far under the mattress that it may go with no wrinkles on the surface. Then take the
regular sheet and spread it over the mattress with no wrinkles, and tuck in at the foot of
the bed. Tuck the sides of the loose sheet on the sides at most two thirds of the way in
making it easy for the guest to enter the sheets without having to untuck the sheets.
Tuck in the corners hospital style take the corner “at the bottom corner and hold it out.
Tuck in what is left hanging down, then let the edge fall down and tuck it in as well ”The
next part is the comforter or a heavy blanket. Place it on the bed and smooth out.
Place the pillows in any way that looks even and lovely. Lastly, any decorative pillows
and stuffed animals may help the guest feel at home, so that is suggested but not
mandatory.

A bed made the correct way is a way to keep a house guest from never wanting to visit
again. If the bed is not comfortable, then the guest may feel crabby during the day.
The bed making process will not only help one with pleasing guests, but it may help
please themselves. For example, the bed will “look nice, stay clean, and be the place you
would like to sleep. Putting it all together neatly at first will even make daily bed-
making easier!” The bed is always important even for daily events, for example, school,
sports, exercise, or spending time with family or friends. If someone does not achieve a
good night’s rest, then it will affect the daily activities. If there is something wrong with
the sleeping area, then there is going to be something wrong with one’s day.