Current Event #4: Panda Dies Suddenly in Chinese Zoo Amid Mistreatment Claims

A zoo in China is under scrutiny for the claims of one of their pandas dying because abuse. They tried putting the claim to rest by saying the panda was away for mating. They later affirmed the panda had died, but they refuse to give any more information until the autopsy report comes back.

This reminds me of last year in English class, we were studying the Rights of the Human Race; why does this not apply to animals? Yes, animals don't need some rights that humans have but they still should be treated fairly no matter what species or country they are from. It is sickening to me that the zoo would lie about the panda dying. They clearly have something to hide if they were not truthful to begin with.

 Sheilalau."Panda."  Photograph. Wikimedia Commons. Media Wiki, 12 December 2006.

                             Web. 23 Feb. 2014. < http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cd/Panda_Cub_from_Wolong%2C_Sichuan%2C_China.JPG/800px-Panda_Cub_from_Wolong%2C_Sichuan%2C_China.JPG>

What is the central idea of the passage and how is it developed and refined throughout the selection? Use evidence from the selection to support your answer.

The central idea of this passage is, China's Zhengzhou Zoo lost one if it's pandas on February 9th and lied about it, "[the pandas] mental and physical health 'quickly deteriorated' and [the panda] died early on February 9th" (Chan). Visitors to the zoo said the panda "was fed a meager diet of corn cakes instead of a proper diet of bamboo" (Chan). These claims lead people to believe the panda was abused; the zoo lying does not help these claims disappear. The lies, in fact, make it seem like the zoo knows they are guilty of abuse and don't want people to know.


Chan, Wilfred. "Panda Die Feb. s Suddenly in Chinese Zoo Amid Mistreatment Claims." CNN. Turner Broadcasting System Inc,18 Feb. 2014. Web. 23 Feb. 2014. <http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/18/world/asia/panda-zoo-death-china/index.html?hpt=hp_bn2>



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Panda_Cub_from_Wolong,_Sichuan,_China.JPG

Current Event #3: India and the Sochi Olympics

The start of the Olympics was just a few days ago. but one country went into the opening ceremony suspended. India had been suspended from the Olympics and it's athletes entered as independent competitors. The International Olympic Committee originally suspended India in 2012 because of corrupt leaders being elected. 

This article reminds me of The Crucible in English; all the people in both The Crucible and the India Olympic team were wrongly punished for things out of their control. Every person in the town of Salem was convicted falsely as were the Olympic athletes. 

I think India should have been allowed to fly their flag at the opening ceremony no matter what their country's political status. This effects me because I feel bad for the Indian athletes not being able to represent their country in the beginning of the Olympics. 

Joshi, Yogendra. "Indian Flag." Photograph. Flickr. Yahoo, 26 Jan. 2010. Web. 11 Feb. 2014. <http://www.flickr.com/photos/yogendra174/4331356987/>

What is the purpose of using quotations from an Olympic athlete? Use evidence to support your answer. 

In the article, Rawlings has quotes from Shiva Keshava, an Indian luge athlete, expressing what she thinks about not being able to fly her country's colors at the opening ceremony. "' When the Indian flag doesn't fly, people know it is because of corruption and it's not a nice image for the country,"' says Keshava for an Associated Press interview (Rawlings). All the athletes are definitely feeling the pressure to do better now that country has been reinstated "in time for the flag to fly in the Olympic Village." (Rawlings). The athletes also feel as if " more people are behind [them] when [they] go in with [their] country's flag." (Rawlings).

Citations

Rawlings, Nate. "Olympic Committee Reinstates India, Flag Will Fly in Sochi." Time. WordPress, 11 Feb 2014. Web. 11 Feb. 2014. <http://world.time.com/2014/02/11/sochi-winter-olympics-2014-india-russia/>