Survey

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Treasure or Trash

To the naked eye it looks like junk, but you know it's precious: the beat-up stuffed animal you slept with every night as a kid, the raggedy baseball mitt you used in Little League, the tooth you couldn't bear to throw away after it fell out. Choose a beloved object from your own childhood, and explain why you feel sentimental about it or treasure it so much. 

Everyday Heroes

How do you define hero? Do you think fame is an important component of heroism, or do you think most heroes are unknown? Is there anyone you know personally whom you consider a hero?

Holiday Cheer

What is your favorite holiday? What is your least favorite holiday? Write about two memorable holiday experiences, one from your favorite holiday and one from your least favorite.

Other Life in the Universe

What is your opinion about the possibility of life on other planets? Do you need to see it to believe it, or do you believe that in a universe as vast as ours, alien life must exist? Write on the topic, beginning with the sentence,

I believe (don't believe) there is life on other planets because. . .

If I Were in Charge

Most families set rules for their children, especially regarding behavior and responsibility. Which rules do you find particularly annoying? Do you long to stay up later at night, hang out with friends more, or dress any way you like? Write about the rules that you consider most unfair.

Remembering Firsts

There are many firsts in our lives that we don't remember, such as our first tooth, first step, first word, or first birthday. Firsts from later in childhood come easily to mind: a first pet, a first award, the first day of high school, a first kiss, a first summer camp. Write about a special first that you remember clearly.

Friend Types

Do you have one best friend? Are you the kind of person who goes everywhere in big groups? Or are you more of a loner? Write about the kind of "friend person" you are.

A Sense of Sports

People feel passionately about sports. Some play sports and detest it, because they're not as good as they want to be; others play and love it, because they're competitive and skilled. Some pay close attention to pro or local teams. Some attend games as serious fans; others attend because they like the social interaction in the stands. Some people loathe sports and think that the people who play them and watch them are brainless jocks. Which group do you fall into? Explain.

The Common Shakespeare

Shakespeare had an enormous working vocabulary; he used about 29,000 different words in his plays and poems. (By contrast, most people today have working vocabularies of only around 9,000 words.) Many people think of Shakespeare's language as difficult to understand, but he invented many words and phrases that we use nearly every day.

Below are some common phrases from Shakespeare plays. Choose one phrase, and explain what you think it means.

Apple of her eye

All the world's a stage

Eating me out of house and home  

To thine own self be true

Good riddance  

Tower of strength

Green-eyed monster  

Wear my heart on my sleeve

The Big Event

When a special event is on the horizon, people plan for it and get excited about it. Maybe it's a dance, an election, a family event, a party, a birthday, or an important sports game.

Think of a special event that you planned for and looked forward to that turned out much differently from what you expected. Write about what you expected would happen and what actually happened.

The Worst Time of Life

What was your most humiliating junior high experience? Write a short, possibly funny, description of it.

Childhood Memories

Most people have vivid memories of certain events from childhood. What sticks in your mind? Pick one particularly strong memory and describe it in detail.