QUESTION 2

Terror in the Sky

Has there ever been a time, when everything you thought was sturdy and stable came crashing down around you? I unfortunately can answer yes to that question. I grew up in Holbrook, New York on Long Island. Long Island is nothing like the city. It is full of trees and suburbs. I lived right down the road from McArthur Airport and the train station, so it made for a loud neighbourhood. I attended a Catholic school and I went up until I was 11 years old because we moved in 2002. I never thought that at the age of ten, I would be faced with one of the scariest experiences of my life; going through the horror of September 11th. I thought about the things I had experienced and this is the most profound moment that I can remember that has helped mould the person that I am today. I rode the bus to school, just like every other day. It was a sunny day but cool, as if you were feeling the breeze you get when youre at the beach. We had the bus windows cracked slightly. My bus driver, Tony, always had candy for us when we got on and settle down, and buckle your seatbelts. Hed always say. He seemed like a giraffe compared to all the other passengers. He had a kind smile, not one full of teeth, just the top layer showed unless he was laughing. Each day was an adventure it seemed, getting to school and driving through the blocks and the neighbourhoods filled with ladies in their robes, reaching for the morning paper. As we pulled up to the front of the church, where Tony would let us off, there were always so many kids, with their lunchboxes of action heros and princesses. The girls would be in their plaid, green jumpers and knee high socks and the boys would be in black pants, white shirt and ties. It was just another ordinary day; or so I thought. I was in my Spanish class when everything turned from a normal school day, to one of my most tragic experiences like when my parents had gotten divorced. We had just gotten settled into class and started the lesson, when two of my other teachers came in. You wouldnt have been able to tell at first glance that they were distraught; with no urgency in their steps walking into the classroom. From my desk, facing the chalkboard, the door was to my right and the small windows, to my left. They were like the ones in a basement of an old home that you can open when its raining to enjoy the sound without the rushing water

flooding into the home. There were 5 rows of 6 desks, the old fashioned kind, well for this day and age. They had the cubby so you can put your pencil box and composition books in. When the other teachers spoke out to get our teachers attention their voices were somewhat elevated, but nothing anyone would assume to be out of character. It was only when the whispers began and the way they seemed to tip toe out of the room, as if the floor would give out at any moment, were there any indications of fear and sadness. The only tell they had was in their eyes, they were gaping and ominous and their eyebrows were raised inward as if they were questioning things without any hope of an answer. As the teachers were having their meeting in the hall, my friend Tierney and I turned to one another and gave this curious look, as if trying to figure out the answer to a question that hadnt been asked. I said to her, what do you think is going on? She looked at me for a minute, took a deep breath and replied: I dont know, I have a bad feeling though. I responded, Yea it has to be something pretty bad if the teachers arent saying anything to us. She shook her head in agreement and at that point our Spanish teacher came back into the room. To look at her, her face appeared flushed with heat and her eyes were a faint red colour. Her makeup was still in place, mascara hadnt run and there was no evidence of any eye shadow out of place. In spite of this, you could tell she was perplexed. She took a long pause, sitting in her desk with her head down. As her head raised, and she began to speak her voice sort of cracked. You could barely tell, she played it off like she had cleared her throat. She still was able to keep her composure to get through the lesson. We all thought that maybe it was just something that happened in her personal life. We all brushed it off as a random problem. The rest of the day went by at a normal pace, until we got on the bus to head home. It was a somber mood as we got on, it was quiet and eerie. Tony had no facial expression, no smile and no laughing. I asked, whats going on Tony, why are you not happy? It took him a minute to look up. The only thing that he said, in a monotone voice; not raised in anyway, Youll need to ask your mom. Thats all I am going to say, and thats the only thing I can tell you. At that very moment I knew that everything had completely changed. The rest of the ride home, no one spoke. As each of us got off the bus, Tony turned and told us to have a good day, and that he hoped everything turned out for the best. Approaching my stop, the bus had come to a stop and the doors slowly opened, as if they were in slow motion. Before I slowly made my way down the bus steps, I turned to Tony, and

gave him a hug. I walked up my driveway. I saw my mom on the front porch. I could see she was trying to hold back the tears in her eyes. She helped me with my book bag, and we turned to go inside. There was an attack today Melissa, terrorist crashed planes into the Pentagon and to the World Trade Centers. There was another plane, but it didnt make it to any specific target, it crashed before it had been able to take out its intended target and we arent sure what happened, she said. Fighting back the tears, she continued, The towers collapsed, and the new coverage is hard to watch. If you want to watch it I will turn the television back on. I couldnt speak, and I couldnt think. I sat down on the couch and just continued to listen. Your Aunt Sharon said that Uncle Eddy had to work this morning. She hasnt been able to get in touch with him all day. We dont know if hes alright. At that point, I couldnt keep the tears back anymore. This was so much worse than we had ever imagined at school earlier that day. My mom telling me, that my uncle could have very well been a casualty of the terrorist attacks. That we could very well never see him, or hear his voice ever again, really hit me hard. We spent most of the day, watching the news. I couldnt believe the desperation I saw from these people, facing their death, it was the worst feeling. It felt like, the pit in your stomach when you cant stop yourself from falling down. After watching the TV for a while, and waiting by the phone for word from my aunt, finally the phone rang. My mom answered and spoke for a few minutes to my aunt. She had finally heard from Uncle Eddy. He was alright for the most part. He works at Chase Manhattan about a block and a half away from the World Trade Centers and they used his building as an aid center. They brought the injured and the traumatized into the lobby. They also needed a place to put the dead and the dying. Thats all I really ever knew about what he had to deal with that day. He never talked about anything he had to help with, or witness. We also never asked him about it, anyone could see it in his eyes that if we had asked we werent ever going to get a straight answer. He was not the same for a long while after that. After a few days, then after a few weeks; the funerals for the officers, firefighters, and volunteers that lost their lives had come to a close, the recovery process began. They cleaned up all the rubble and were finally able to bring closure to the families of the ones they couldnt find. The country was united as a whole and we all supported one another. This was a huge milestone in my life, living through something so terrible and fearing that my loved one was hurt or dead truly gave me a different outlook on life. I believe that because of this happening to me, I became a better person. In High School I didnt drink, I never smoked and I never started any drama. I never saw the importance of it. There are so many better things to

fill your life with; I think there are always good things that come out of heartache. So I propose that each person take these word into consideration; The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live. By, Flora Whittemore

OPEN & CLOSED cLASS

OPEN CLASS ATTENDED WENT MOVED LIKE HAD STARTED CAME HAD PUT LOOK APPEARED FLUSHED TOOK SITTING THOUGHT I AND UP BECAUSE WE IN TO INTO MY THEY YOU AT HER WITH IT

CLOSED CLASS

HAPPENED NEEDED UNITED SUPPORTED BELIEVE HAPPENING

BECAUSE OF ME

Parts of Speech
1. I(pronouns) attended(verb) a Catholic school and(conjunction) I(pronouns) went(verb) up(preposition) until I(pronouns) was 11 years old because(conjunction) we(pronouns) moved(verb) in(preposition) 2002. 2. I(pronouns) rode(verb) the bus to(preposition) school, just like(verb) every other day. 3. We(pronouns) had(verb) just gotten settled(verb) into(preposition) class and(conjunction) started(verb) the lesson, when two of my(pronouns) other teachers came(verb) in(preposition). 4. They(pronouns) had(verb) the cubby so you(pronouns) can put(verb) your(pronouns) pencil box and(conjunction) composition books in(preposition). 5. To(preposition) look(verb) at(preposition) her(pronouns), her(pronouns) face appeared(verb) flushed(verb) with(conjunction) heat and(conjunction) her(pronouns) eyes were a faint red colour. 6. She(pronouns) took(verb) a long pause, sitting(verb) in(preposition) her(pronouns) desk with(conjunction) her(pronouns) head down. 7. We(pronouns) all thought(verb) that maybe it(pronouns) was just something that happened(verb) in(preposition) her(pronouns) personal life. 8. They(pronouns) also needed(verb) a place to(preposition) put(verb) the dead and(conjunction) the dying.

9. The country was united(verb) as a whole and(conjunction) we(pronouns) all supported(verb) one another. 10. I(pronouns) believe(verb) that because(conjunction) of(preposition) this happening(verb) to(preposition) me(pronouns), I(pronouns) became a better person.

Parts of Speech
Parts of Speech
In grammar, a part of speech (also called lexical categories, grammatical categories or word classes) is a linguistic category of words. In English there are eight parts of speech.

A list of parts of speech

A list of parts of speech in English grammar include the following: 1. Verb A verb is used to show an action or a state of being go, write, exist, be 2. Noun A noun is a word used to refer to people, animals, objects, substances, states, events, ideas and feelings. A noun functions as a subject or object of a verb and can be modified by an adjective. John, lion, table, freedom, love ... 3. Adjective

Adjectives are used to describe or specify a noun or pronoun good, beautiful, nice, my ... 4. Adverb An adverb is used to modify a verb, adjective and other adverbs. completely, never, there ... 5. Pronoun A pronoun is used in the place of a noun or phrase. I, you, he, she, it ... 6. Preposition Prepositions are used before nouns to form a phrase that shows where, when, how and why in, above, to, for, at ... 7. Conjunction Conjunctions join clauses or sentences or words and, but, when ... 8. Interjection Interjections are used to show surprise or emotion. oh!, Good Lord

Examples of parts of speech

Here are some examples of parts of speech:

My (adjective) friend (noun) speaks (verb) English (noun) fluently (adverb). Oh! (interjection) I ( pronoun) went (verb) to (preposition) school (noun) and (conjunction) I ( pronoun) met (verb) Fred (noun).