Undergraduate / Expository Essay question - choosing and re-writing my essay? [16]

Hi, Sarah!
Thanks for your help!
My teacher have given out a topic like this:
"Pick a piece of writing from your portfolio and revise it into an expository essay of around 700-750 words"

But I don't understand the request much!
What is a expository essay?
And As far as I understand, this request means that I can choose one of my essay, and simply I re-write it (still be right to the topic) in another length, is it right ?

This is my expository essay that I have written it and I am sure that you will see a lot of improvements :)!

Every morning, when I wake up, I often spend sometime in thinking about things. I enjoy feeling a powerful new day with the sunlight, with the light wind and with the pure sound of birds. Now when being a foreign student in a strange place, I have more things to worry about. But this habit has made me revitalized every morning and my mind is refreshed so that I always feel merry and optimistic.

I am a sensitive girl but not a weak one. I worry about my family back in Vietnam. I think of my family, my close friends and my place where I was born and grew up. Heavy pressure in my new life cannot eliminate these holy from my head. I always keep the images of my loved people and my home country in my mind. I feel lucky because I have my happy family as well as my sweet childhood. I love my people who are dear to me. I often remind myself of when my parents cared for me, they were really my true friends. I miss my lovely sister so much! Every time I played with her, I liked to look into her innocent eyes which brought me comfort. I remember the summer holiday in my countryside. That the place is peaceful and I feel relaxed after the hard-working at school. On the other hand, the busy streets of Hanoi, where I lived and studied also makes a special impression on me. I never will forget the nice memories with my close friends, when we studied and played with each other. Apart from those times, when I was alone, I liked to walk on the streets, to hear daily stories of the Hanoians, to see gradual development of my city.

Being far away from the those things that are dear to me makes me feel lonely. However, I always kept in my mind that I needed to come over the difficulties to make my ambition come true. I set my goals since I was in secondary school. I hoped to become a useful citizen who contributes to the growth of my country. I planned to study economics abroad. I understood that dreams were nice but hard. Therefore, I tried my best to study English hard as well as to read economics news everyday to prepare for the university entrance examination. Luckily, my dream came true. I was accepted into Nanyang Technological University to study Economics. However, there were still many new challenges to me when I first came to Singapore. Feeling sad and being without my loved ones, I could not concentrate on my study. Afterwards, I thought of the advice of my dad that I had to be strong. I have tried to stand on my own feet.

It has been three months since I arrived in Singapore. Now I have not felt as strange as the first. I have many new friends, who are good to me. We help each other come over difficulties in both studies and daily matters. I like my new life here, because it brings me new discoveries and challenges, the new friends and my own independence. I often told my friends about Vietnam, especially Hanoi, when I have free time. Although Vietnam is poor, I still love it much. I feel proud when I tell them about the brave deaths of young Vietnamese soldiers for our country. I also enjoy hearing about the countries of my foreign friends, especially about their customs. I hope that I will be able to visit their countries on one day.

Sometimes I stop everything and think of things in life. I wonder why many people find it difficult to look for their happiness. Happiness is something simple to me. I am happy just to chatter away with my friends. I can smile when I look out the window to face the bright sun and feel the warm breeze. When I close my eyes and think of my loved once, sadness is expelled in a wink. The thought of me going back to work in Vietnam, to devote my knowledge gained abroad to the growth of my country in the future inspires me. I am then, prepared to face any challenges that lie ahead.

I have had a busy period to prepare for my final exam but still spend a part in writing !
Hope you can see my effort! And you will feel acceptable my new essay :)
And also, hope for your help :)
Thanks and have a nice day!
Ha.

Essays / "One minute for yourself" book! [5]

Hi, I have to write about my favourite writer, I like to read the book "One minute for yourself" of the author Dr.Spencer Johnson most!

But I cannot find the English edition of the book in my university's libraries.
I have just read the book in Vietnamese language when I was in my countryhome.
I have tried to find some English paragraphs in this book through Internet but I have failed.
Now I don't know how to do, May I can translate some paragraphs I like in this book from Vietnamese into English directly, carelessly the accuracy of the orginal English Edition?

If you know the website address that I can read some paragraphs of this book in English free, please help me.
Otherwise, I know this book is also famous, so If you have it and can type for me some (2 or 3) paragraphs you feel interested (because I like almost pages in this book), I am thankful a lot.

Have a nice day.
Ha.

Undergraduate / Story telling topic; essay based on an interview with a member of your family [12]

Hello!
I have taken steps to other topic! It is about story telling!
As I read in a book, I see the phrase "tell the story in the third-person voice", I don't understand it much, would you mind explaining for me what the third-person voice means?

and this is my essay

Since I am in Singapore, I have met many people, but I especially paid attention to a man, Mr. Chew, who always looked happy although his business was much busy. When I asked him about this, he cheerfully shared his story which had a great impact on his life.

The story happened 20 years ago. At that time, Mr. Chew was a very young ambitious businessman. He had a small family in the center of Singapore with a wonderful wife who always sacrificed for him and their little daughter. However, Work took so much of his time that he neglected his family. His daughter longed for more love and attention from her father. Business competitiveness made him even get angry with them.

One morning, his little daughter happily whispered to him that she would like him to come back to her early. She said she had something special just for him. He agreed without noticing what she mentioned in her words. (<>May I change into indirect way? What do u think is better? The direct or indirect way?) <>That evening, he ignored the time he should go home as his promise. He thought that everything would be alright and his little daughter's saying was not important at all. It was quite late then, feeling something bad happening made him cannot concentrate on his work. Suddenly, the phone rang, he realized the voice of his wife. She was panic when informing that their little daughter had gone out for more than two hours. He madly rushed out to drive home as fast as he could. "Only when experiencing the feeling of losing something do you find out that thing is really important to you." He said me then. (<>If I still want to interupt by his saying to me, may I do this? Because I want the story to be better, soulful<>). In the dull house, he saw his wife's frightened face and suddenly huge her tightly, which rarely had he acted like that before. They were in a hurry to find their daughter. They looked for her everywhere in vain. It was getting darker and darker. Mr. Chew regretted because of his empty promise. They continued to search, but were beginning to lose hope. There was only a frightening wild wood in front of them. He wondered if his little daughter dare to be in there in such the darkness. But there was something prodding him go in that wood... Oh god! His farther was sitting under a big tree with a frightened face. She busted into tears when seeing her father. He took the daughter in his arm and understood all.

He found the happiness in his wife's eyes. Never did he fell so happy and love his small family so much. He understood that nothing was so valuable as his family. Since that he has cared for his family more, this also has brought his comfort after hard working hours.

He ended up his story with such a bright smile that I cannot forget until now. I always remind myself of his last saying: "I have realized the most important in my life, it is not to pursue the success by all means, but when I can bring the happiness to not only myself but also my dear persons."

Hope for your help! If anything still wrong, I will continue to correct it, thanks
Ha.

Undergraduate / Paper on an econ. concept that help u understand an issue in ur life [10]

Please help me correct my essay, I have tried to do it after the topic following:
I have got my writing essay result : C+, very bad result. I was very disappointed. I am trying to do better.

Select a concept from your discipline, and use it to answer this question: How does it help you understand an issue that drives or impacts your life?

In 250-300 words, explain the concept to a non-specialist audience, and integrate it into your issue. Your essay must be uncluttered, and demonstrate a clear understanding of the writing mechanics you have learnt in the course.

Making decisions is never easy, especially the ones that are the most important in our lives. But luckily for me, allowing myself to think in terms of "opportunity cost", one of the key concepts I have studied in my major economics, has made it possible to gain perspective and sanity over some tough decisions.

Opportunity cost, is just a way of measuring the true cost of something by looking at your next best alternative. However, its power comes in not being limited to measuring cost in terms of money. I often remind myself of my unforgettable memory when I was young and graduated from my secondary school. At that time, I found it time-wasting to study, I wanted to earn money to spend on my hobbies, to prove that I was not a little girl. However, I could not find any jobs suitable for my age. Thus, I had to come back to my studying.Up to now I have become an economic student and pursuing my full-time degree in a university. Thanks to my major, the concept of the "opportunity cost" in particular, it has helped me see clearly how not to lose a lot of valuable things in my life. Because you only have so much time and money to spend, in other words, neither is unlimited, you have to think carefully before making decisions. To do that, we ought to be taking (or to take?) not in terms of the cost of it or others, but the opportunity cost of them. Under my circumstance, I might earn much money by working but will lose much more without studying. Studying gives me not only valuable knowledge but also life experience. And after graduating, I believe I will be able to find a suitable job and face up to the life with confidence.

Career decisions, as well as all other types of decisions always have opportunity cost. I prefer the "opportunity cost" concept to any another tool ( I think it should be another tool) when making important decisions in my life.

Good bye, Have a nice day!