Holden is flunking four out of five subjects at Pencey Prep, which happens to be the fourth school he has attended by the time he has reached seventeen. Old Spencer is sympathetic about flunking Holden but does not know what else to do because Holden knows absolutely no material, for the class. So, old Spencer asks Holden, “What would you have done in my place?” Holden replies saying he would make the same decision as Old Spencer made. This passage implies that Holden understands and takes credit for his mistakes. To me this indicates that Holden is lazy, but is an honest and trustworthy boy. Honesty and trustworthiness are two aspects I admire greatly in a person. In this case Holden plans to go home and explain the situation to his parents rather than hiding it. I also believe that Old Spencer is only concerned for Holden and trying to help him, because of his trustworthy characteristics. If Holden were just an all around rude and ignorant boy, Old Spencer probably would not be as will to work with him. Comparing Holden’s trustworthiness to the characteristics we wrote in class, of an average teenage boy, shows that Holden differs from the average. He is not as serious about his work ethics but cares if people feel as if they can trust him or not.

Katherine Grace, who is usually called Kate, is my little sister. She is two and one-half years younger than I am, to the day. I thought life was pretty good until she came along. Then my whole world changed because I no longer got all of the attention. Now, I would not know what to do without her.

Kate is happy and fun loving. She has a goofy personality and loves being silly. She really likes to laugh and enjoys jokes. Sometimes, however, her silliness can become irritating. But, overall, she’s fun to be around. When we were on vacation in Europe (summer before 5th grade) we were playing tag in a place where there was gravel on the ground. Once, when I tagged her, she fell down and hit her mouth on the gravel. She cut her face, scraped her arms and loosened her front teeth. Afterwards, she could barely talk but was not mad and never lost her funny personality. She even made a game out of communicating with us.

Kate is pretty tall for her age. She has sandy blond hair, with very dark brown eyes. She is also quite athletic. She currently plays soccer and volleyball but used to be a gymnast. Kate is constantly doing cartwheels. She does them unexpectedly as we walk, so it is dangerous to walk behind her because you never know when her legs will come flying up and hit you. She also likes to hop like a bunny so her family nickname is “Bunny.”

Kate is not perfect. She does many things I find irritating and sometimes we argue with each other. But, although Kate can be irritating, we are really close. I would not know what to do without her. Kate is not only my sister but also one of my best friends.

One of the most pristine and remote places in the world is New Zealand. On the one-hundred and forty-four islands that make up New Zealand lay thousands of different wildlife species. Of the many residents that I encountered in New Zealand, every one was friendly. The sounds of their voices were so kind and helpful. With the Maori culture and the friendly New Zealand people, along with the wildlife and geography, New Zealand is a very interesting and fascinating country to study.
My family and I took a trip to the beautiful country of New Zealand. While I was there I visited both the North and South Islands along with some gorgeous islands off the coast called Kawau Island, Great Barrier Island and Waiheke Island. I saw several thousand waterfalls and tons of different animals, mostly sheep! I touched many other farm animals while I was there such as cows, pigs, horses, llamas, and more, all while I was in New Zealand. While I was hiking the only words I could say were, “wow” and “green.” There were ferns the size of palm trees and flowers everywhere you looked. The peaceful sounds off running water and birds chirping filled my ears. The beauty that lies in this country is absolutely amazing. It makes Yosemite and Yellowstone Park look like nothing. It was the most memorable Christmas vacation ever.
The way that I saw New Zealand was from two different perspectives. The first six days of my trip we stayed on a ninety-six foot yacht that belongs to a good friend. There were four crew members including a chef. We traveled from island to island by sailing. While we were sailing from Auckland Harbor to Kawau Island we saw dolphins swimming right alongside of the yacht. They were showing off their tricks to my sister and me who were watching. That was a big treat! My time spent on “Symmetry,” the yacht, was amazing and so a blast.
The next six days of my trip were spent in Queenstown and Te Anau on the South Island. I saw grassland filled with pastures and the steep Southern Alps. I visited Milford Sound, a popular and beautiful tourist attraction. The aroma of the clear, fresh air is something you could never find in Los Angeles. Along with the air comes the pure tasting water called “Kiwi Blue.” The “Lord of the Rings” and many other movies were filmed on the South Island. I loved seeing all the animals and had a blast.
I would love to go back to New Zealand. I loved my trip and I hope another trip will be just as exciting. New Zealand is truly amazing!

It was a peaceful and quiet morning in Cincinnati as Isabella boarded the riverboat. Her parents had recently passed away in a terrible accident. Isabella was now an orphan and had the choice to live in an orphanage or with her grandfather in New Orleans. She chose to live with her grandfather where she would receive attention from someone who loved her. Her parents would have made the same choice.

The river was calm and she was looking forward to seeing her grandfather, but sad about leaving all of her friends and most of her belongings behind. As she boarded the riverboat, a peculiar man, Mr. Santos, took her to her room and dealt with her luggage. He was short and stout and wore a little black suit with an oversized, bright pink tie. His shoes did not match his suit at all. He wore large glasses and walked with a bit of a stumble.

Isabella was wary of Mr. Santos. He seemed very odd and kept staring at her. She was uncomfortable around him and it seemed like he was in her room for hours even though he was only there a short time.

When Charlotte was positive Mr. Santos was well away, she cautiously turned the little silver knob on the creaky wooden door and stepped out onto the deck for a breath of fresh air. She hadn’t noticed that the boat had already started down the river. Isabella shivered as a cold breeze of air swooped across the boat.

She was admiring the view of the water when she caught sight of a large, low rock right in the path of the boat! Isabella looked up and braced herself for the collision. She tried to scream at the captain, but it was too late. The riverboat hit the rock and quickly sank towards the bottom. Isabella was not a strong swimmer. Her clothes were weighing her down, so she was gradually sinking. She was about sure that she would never see her grandfather again when, of all people, Mr. Santos appeared. He swam towards Isabella, gently grabbed hold of her arm and swam her to shore. It took her a little while to realize what had happened.

Isabella was surprised by how wrong her first impression of Mr. Santos was. Mr. Santos had a kind heart and was just worried about Charlotte traveling alone. He watched over Isabella until the next boat arrived. Mr. Santos then paid for her ticket and she was soon on her way to see her grandfather in New Orleans.

Isabella knew she would never see her parents again, but a new life with her grandfather awaited her. She was ready to change and adapt to her new life.

I shut my eyes and jump in the freezing cold water so I do not decide to think my decision over again. It is just a couple minutes later, and I feel as if my toes are going to fall off and the remainder of my body is a stiff frozen icicle. Then suddenly I feel the tension on the rope and hear the boat waking up. It ruins the natural silence, of birds chirping, wind blowing, and water slapping the old wooden docks. I look ahead to see the red flag go down and the driver’s thumb shoot straight out of his fist. Then suddenly I shout, “Hit it,” and the boat takes off like a horse bolting out of the starting gates. I stand up, bend my knees, and dig my foot into the wake. A couple seconds later, I hit a bump and fall flat on my face. I flip back over, onto my back, and look down at the redness lying on my stomach, from my fall. But, despite what had happened seconds before, I try again. This time my wakeboard escapes when my feet are yanked out, by the boat’s powerful engine. But, I stick my feet back in the foot holes and tighten the straps until the board is pinching my feet. I then stand up again and fall on my face. “Alright, that’s good, get in the boat,” everyone calls. But no, I do not give up yet. I try yet again…and this time I stand up, plow through the wake, then gain my confidence and jump out and back into the white splashing water, as I laugh and ride the board half way around the lake. While I am up, I cannot think of anything but the smooth sheet of glass I am zipping across. I look around one last time and then let go of the rope. I crash into the water, shattering the glass surrounding me, and once again breaking the silence.

I take a deep breath and grasp my poles tightly in my freezing palms. I glance up to see my chocolate brown jacket is already covered in snowflakes and it seems as if the whole world was part of this winter wonderland. I shiver and then look at the temperature gage, only to find out, it is negative seven degrees Fahrenheit. I then take off down the ramp and zip across the snow. But, as I approach the chair lift, to start skiing my first run of the year, suddenly I stop. I have a discouraging flashback. The last time I had gone skiing, I plopped myself down on the chair lift and then I decided to watch the people below me ski. So I looked over the edge at the little dollhouse people, flying down the icy mountain, and then I fell off the chairlift myself. I slid down the remainder of the slope, into a ditch full of slushy and mucky ice. My arm and leg both hurt, but I tried to sit up anyways. Then I see three pairs of skis coming straight towards my head. Of course, I was right next to where they board the chair lift. Then, I hear my father’s familiar voice screaming “DUCK DOWN!” So I pressed myself against the snow until they stopped the lift. That treacherous experience is all I can think of while I sit down on the lift, two years later. But, I whip down the mountain and then decide to try a more challenging run. The snowflakes stop falling and the sun peaks through the hazy sky. When I arrive to the top of the next mountain, I looked around at the dreamy landscape that surrounded me and I felt as if I was on top the world. I gained back all of my confidence and started down the mountain. But, it was icy and quite crowded. I gain more and more speed until I do not have control over myself. Then I race around a corner to find a split in the run. I cannot decide which way to go, so I try to stop. But, me stopping is the equivalent to a horse running 35 miles per hour and suddenly having to come to a complete dead end. So, I panic and sit down on my bottom, but my momentum keeps pushing me forward. I summersault backwards off the edge of the cliff, down through the trees, and land in the deep snow, on my neck. I whimper in pain but do not dare to move a muscle. With help, I climb my way back onto the run. The next morning, I go outside to a beautiful day and ski from sunrise until sunset, carving my skies into the fresh soft powder that cover the earth.

Two weeks ago, I escaped the heat and humidity, while I stood next to the beautiful sea green ocean. The breeze felt quite pleasant but it just didn’t do it. So I took off my little metallic flip flops and cringed at every step I took. The sand was blazing hot, like the flames of a fire, and my feet sizzled as I walked down closer to the ocean. When I stepped on to the wet sand I felt a sense of relief and relaxation. I squeezed the sand between my toes and looked out at the nice cool water. Then, I sprinted into the ocean and as the water surrounded my body, I just wanted to stay in forever. It was so refreshing and calming and nothing could ever take the ocean’s place. Every wave that crashed was one that I rode into shore, but each time I ran back in again. With the sun reflecting across the water and the dolphins in the distance, the large crisp ocean was the perfect way to put an end to an amazing summer.

Fog rolls in and out like the gray smoke slowly rising from a brick chimney.

10 blacks:
- burnt toast black
- black silk
- charcoal pencil black
- spandex black
- cashmere sweater black
- Abraham Lincoln’s hat black
- a golden retriever’s nose black
- MacBook black
- typewriter black
- oreo cookie black

description:
= My dog would not even eat her dinner so I checked her little nose, black like a charcoal pencil, to determine if she was sick. Her nose felt like an icicle hanging from the edge of the eaves of a house in the dead of winter.