Storm over the Amazon
Read the chapter titled "Storm Over the Amazon" below and answer the questions below. http://books(dot)google(dot)com/books?id=FzPaB_6Pw4MC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false Discussion Questions for “Storm over the Amazon” 1. As you read over the piece, pay special attention to Wilson’s choice of verbs. How would you characterize those verbs? How does his use of verbs affect you as a reader? 2. Identify what you think is a particularly strong paragraph. Be prepared to discuss the verbs and their subjects in that paragraph. 3. As Wilson sat down to write this piece, he most likely had to think about his intended audience. Based on what you have read, what can you say about that audience? What is their level of knowledge about and interest in the subject? How do you think the subject relates to their values? What does Wilson do in terms of content and style to increase reader interest and connect to their values? How does Wilson’s writing style increase audience’s interests? 4. In your view, what is Wilson’s purpose for writing this chapter (and book)? 5. Although the chapter is rich in descriptive detail and filled with philosophical musings, there is an argument. In a few sentences, describe Wilson’s argument. 6. Describe Wilson’s ethos (credibility, character) in this piece. How does he establish his ethos? 7. Although this reading exceeds the parameters of a personal statement, what might you take away from it as you prepare your own personal statement?
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Storm over the Amazon
Language skills are quite important when it comes to aspect of passing a message across to the readers or the listeners. In the case of written material, in the English language one has to particularly keen on the sentence structures. These structures can change the meaning intended by the writer to their audience. Reading through The Diversity of Life; a book authored by Edward O. Wilson, it is clear that verbs have an impact on the meaning of the content. There are quite a number of helping verbs, linking verbs and the action verbs falling between the transitive and intransitive categories. For the audience, there is a mental picture painted by the use of the verbs and they can easily relate with the premise of the chapter. The use of the verbs creates emotional responses from the audience.
In one of the most informative paragraphs, Edward brings out the element of diversity and its influence over nature and all that is upon it. In this paragraph, Edward illustrates the fact that resilience is borne of diversity in nature. However he also points out that if the pressure in the system is not relieved, it can lead to erosion fragment by fragment. There heav...