Our Summer Vacation

 

Edited for clarity.

During this summer, I went on a trip to Europe.  I went to Switzerland, France and Spain.  I didn't like Switzerland because the room was so tiny.  I didn't like Spain because it was hot, smelly and dangerous.  I liked France and Euro Disney.  My favorite ride weas the roller coaster, and I didn't like the Tower of Terror.  I don't think I would go back to Europe again.

In July, I went to summer school.  I played Minecraft and made new friends. I like Minecraft.  I have been playing Minecraft for at least 4 years.  I also made YouTube posts and have them on my USB.  I liked this summer school and would like to go back next summer.

Now, I am finishing my second week of Hi-New-York.  I like Hi-New-York because I get to eat a lot of chocolate.  There is nothing that I don't like.  This is my second summer with Hi-New-York, and I'm still not bored.  (T)

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I had a very busy summer.  I spent most of my time at home in New York City and went to Europe for a two-week vacation with my family.  I enjoyed everything I did but wish I had more time to play games and go to the playground.

In July, I went to summer school.  During the first week, I learned about AI.  I really liked the teacher because he was so funny.  During the second week, I learned about business .  I hated this week because it was boring and my partner was younger than me but very bossy.  During the third week, I did Minecraft .  Sometimes it was boring, but most of the time, it was ok.  I don't know if I would like to go back to this summer school.

In August, I went to Europe with my family.  We went to Switzerland, Spain and France.  In Switzerland, we stayed in a hotel in Zurich and saw beautiful mountains and lakes.  In Spain, we saw a famous church of Gaudi.  In France, we went to Euro Disney.  I liked France best because of Euro Disney.

On our next school vacation, we are going back to Japan.  We haven't been in Japan for a year and a half, and I am really looking forward to it.  (E)

AI - Good or Bad?

Edited for clarity.

Artificial Intelligence or better known as AI is a technological phenomenon that has existed since the first line of code was written. During the Cold War, NASA, to reach the moon, had to make hundreds of thousands of calculations that would have taken years to do by hand.  NASA, to beat the Soviets to space, didn't have time to do this; so, they built the first supercomputer, and with that, the first artificial intelligence code.

Since that moment, 56 years have passed, and now everyone has access to humanity's greatest and worst creation.  Nowadays, we use AI for personal things like schoolwork and emails, and some companies lay off workers to replace them with AI. You might think that it's fine to make AI do stuff for you, but would you trust a random person with your emails, schoolwork or even bank details?  Of course not!  AI is just like a normal person, and it's only a matter of time until it understands everything.

In my opinion, we have to limit AI's reach and get prepared for a potential uprising.  I know that an AI uprising sounds like the plot of a cliche sci-fi movie, but it can happen.  It's only a matter of time.  (P)

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AI can be dangerous.  It might take away people's jobs.  It can spread fake news that trick people into believing lies.  It is still helpful sometimes in doing school tasks, but it collects a lot of personal information, which means we lose privacy.  Overall, I think AI is not good for our world.  (M)

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I think artificial intelligence is good for humans. These days, AI is improving so fast, and AI users are increasing too like my parents.  There are so many AI tools on the internet, and they are useful for programming or just searching.  If we can use them efficiently and completely, we can decrease our tedious tasks.  

AI can be used for not only tasks at school or work but also our personal lives.  For example, there is an AI platform called Alexa which allows us to control furnishings in our homes by voice only.  So, for these reasons, I believe AI can make our lives great.  (H)

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Artificial Intelligence is a revolutionary development in technology.  It's being used for a lot of things now - for good things and bad things.  

In some hospitals, AI is used to discover bad things in the body with images from a camera.  It can help some people discover bad things before they become worse.

Some companies like OpenAI offer the possibility to use AI.  The most popular one is ChatGPT, and children of now (and the future) can use it for their tasks without thinking about them.  AI can make children think less and not progress at school.

Like all technology-related products, we need to use AI carefully.  It is important to take the good and not the bad.  (K1)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------AI is bad because you can use it for class and to do homework without thinking. AI can make mistakes too.  AI is bad, but you can use it if your teacher says "yes".  (K2)

Dear Mom and Dad

Dear Mom & Dad,

I am actually in a New York City Museum with one of my teachers and a German girl.  Here, everything is good except the food.  So far, I have been to the World Trade Center, Times Square, Empire State Building and various museums.  I met a lot of people, and I had a lot of fun in this city.

And you?  How are you doing?  Is Morocco a nice destination too?

R

Dear Mom,

I want to thank you for this nice trip.  I saw so many cool things, and I ate so many tasty things.  When I think back to the first day, it feels like we have been here already for a year.  Do you remember getting lost in Times Square on the first day or the frog on the sidewalk in upstate NY?  I'm very happy to be here, and I'm very thankful for this nice trip.

Your A

Edited for clarity.

Showing Off Our Creativity

 

A Cookie to be Remembered

Today, we went to a cafe, and Lux ordered a cookie.  Lux and her sister tasted the cookie, and they said it tasted bad.  I was very curious and asked to taste it.  The cookie tasted like overburnt cement.  It had grainy bitter raisins and seemed to be sprinkled with salt and pepper.  It was so bad I almost puked.  My friend Eisuke tasted the cookie, and it was so bad that he puked into the trash bag.  Lux's cookie looked good, but it tasted so bad!!!  Next time we come here, we will not order this cookie!

The Life of a Sailor on an Aircraft Carrier

It was 5:00am, and like every day, the alarm clock rang.  I woke up, and everything was dark.  I said hello to the other sailor who was in the bed above, and very slowly, I stood up and went to the line for the showers.  I waited about 10 minutes in line, and when I arrived at the shower, I took off my clothes and went in the shower.  As always, the water was freezing.  It burned my arms, and even though I did it every day, I never got used to it.  Then I went to have breakfast.

A Fairy Tale

Once upon a time, there was a girl who lived in the country with her family.  Every member of the family got his/her own unicorn at the age of 11 if he/she completed 3 tasks on their 11th birthday.  So, the girl started with the first task of eating the bean burrito from Taco Bell.  The next task was for her to do a backflip.  The last task was for her to eat 3 big cotton candies. At the end of the day, her unicorn was waiting for her, and they became best friends.

Edited for brevity and clarity.

Why You Should Come to...

 

Hong Kong

You should visit Hong Kong.  Hong Kong is an international city.  There are restaurants from different countries, shops that would be suitable for everyone, and weather that is not extremely hot or cold.  So, every visitor will not feel unhappy when they visit.

Hong Kong has many amazing views and attractions.  For example, there is Victoria Harbor.  I would recommend that you hike to the Peak at night and look down to see the greatest view of Hong Kong and the lights from the tall buildings.  You can also enjoy the comfortable weather at night in Hong Kong.  In my point of view, I don't think Hong Kong's gorgeous night view is any worse than New York's.

Hong Kong has been called the 'shopping heaven' or the 'travel heaven' for decades. It is because Hong Kong's products are not very expensive.  It is often much cheaper compared to other countries. In addition, there are no taxes on products, which is quite unique compared to other foreign countries.

Also, Hong Kong's cuisine is really delicious.  There are quite a lot of Michelin-starred restaurants in Hong Kong.

In conclusion, Hong Kong is a place that can fulfill every visitor's needs.  So, I highly recommend that you visit Hong Kong at least once in your lifetime.

The Chamonix Region

Chamonix, located at the foot of Mont Blanc, is a dream destination for winter sports and mountaineering.  Its stunning landscapes and diverse slopes attract visitors from around the world.  However, the high cost of accommodations, ski passes, and dining make Chamonix an expensive choice.

What many people don't know is that there are affordable ways to enjoy the Chamonix region.  Smaller, nearby resorts such as Vallorcine and Avoriaz offer more reasonable rates while maintaining the charm and beauty of the Alps.  These smaller resorts are less crowded as well.

Visiting these resorts outside of the peak season has its perks too.  Snow conditions are typically excellent, and prices are lower outside the peak holiday periods.  This allows the visitors to enjoy the typical winter sports, hiking and cultural activities without crowds.  

Chamonix is a popular and costly destination, but there are many ways to experience its surroundings more affordably, You will end up coming back every year!

Edited for brevity and clarity.

Battle of the Doughnuts: Dunkin Donuts vs. Krispy Kreme

 

Which is better?  Here are the viewpoints of our students from the Spring 2024 session.  

Edited for length and clarity.

Antoine

Before eating lunch, I tasted for the first time Dunkin Donuts and Krispy Kreme doughnuts. Dunkin Donuts, which has a worse box than Krispy Kreme doughnuts was cheaper and sweeter.  I prefer the taste of Krispy Kreme doughnuts although it is more expensive.  Krispy Kreme doughnuts have become my favorite American snack.  

Artur

Which doughnut was more delicious?  Dunkin Donuts or Krispy Kreme?  I tasted for the first time Dunkin Donuts and Krispy Kreme doughnuts, and I found that they are different!  Krispy Kreme doughnuts are more beautiful, and Dunkin Donuts are sweeter and bigger.  I prefer Krispy Kreme doughnuts because I don't like food that is too sweet.

Pauline

I tasted real doughnuts, Dunkin Donuts and Krispy Kreme doughnuts, for the first time in NYC.  I first looked at Dunkin Donuts.  I love big and sweet snacks and thought that Dunkin Donuts would be better than Krispy Kreme doughnuts.  I was wrong.  Dunkin Donuts was too sweet.  I prefer Krispy Kreme doughnuts.

If I Were Rich and Famous...

I would live in a Hanok in the middle of Seoul.  A Hanok is a traditional Korean House.  It is cool in the summer and warm in the winter.  I like "ondol", which is a special feature of an Hanok house.  "Ondol" is used in the winter.  It is placed under the floor, and it can heat a room very fast.  I would also like to see beautiful plants and trees in the garden.  I would like to adopt a dog with white hair too.  I have an allergy to dog hair, but I would like to have the allergy disappear in the future.  It may take a long time to reach my every wish, but I will never give up.

I would live in a log cabin in a forest in the US.  The house would be made of wood and have 3 floors and 5 rooms - a living room, kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and my secret room!  The secret room would be on the third floor, and in the room, I could play games, play with my animals and feed them.  In front of my house, there would be a pool and grass.  On the grass, I could play.  I think my house would be real some day.

I would live in a big house in Florida.  The house would have a big game room and kitchen because I love to play games and cook.  I would like to have a PS5 computer, TV, LED lights etc.  I would like to have a gym room too, with all the machines.  Very cool.  I would also like to have a dog and live with my girlfriend or best friend.  I could go to parties, work out in the gym and eat ramen with them.  I would like a car (Supra Toyota) or a motorbike (Z1000), big pool and a tree house where I could watch movies with my friends.  I can't wait!

I would live in a big house with a swimming pool and a huge garden.  My house will have a big, cozy bedroom and an exciting game room.  I would have a very cute cat and a dog.  Also, my little lizard Sand would live in a very big cage.  My house would have three floors, and on the third floor, there would be very big windows on all four walls.  The garden would be very colorful.  My house would be the nicest in Seoul, Korea.