EPT 34 Reading Selections

Louie Johnson Bastasa
ALTIPLANO (Selection 1 of 34)

The Altiplano, that high plain which balances at 14,000 feet like slate between the two
spectacular black ridges of the Andes, has formed and influenced the life of the Incas
more than anything else. Its thin stern air has even affected the bodies of Indians, giving
them larger lungs to bear the strain and more red corpuscles to stand the cold. It is
stunning part of the world, with broad barren valleys and purple mountains dotted by
floating clouds that can suddenly erupts in convulsive showers. Historians say that very
barrenness of the land and prohibitiveness are what prodded Incas into their astonishing
accomplishments. They had to use every piece of land, to terrace and burrow. Organize
and work together, to be able to live there.
Note: Try to complete all the selections as needed. Always check the video description
for the Google Drive Link to download the copy of the audio file and the word file. Thank
you and God bless.
BALANCED LIFE (Selection 2 of 34)

Happiness is a combination of how satisfied you are with your life and how good you feel
on a day-to-day basis. Both of these are relatively stable. Thais is our life changes, and
our mood changes, but our overall happiness is determined than anything else. The good
news is, with consistent effort, this can be balanced. Think of it like you think about mass
(sic): If you eat how you want to and are as active as you want to be, your body will settle
at a certain mass. But if you eat less than you'd like, or exercise more, your body will
adjust accordingly. If that new diet or exercise regimen becomes part of your everyday
life, then you'll stay at this new mass. Your body will adjust accordingly. If you go back to
eating and exercising the way you used to, your mass will return to where it started. So it
goes, too, with happiness.
you and God bless.
BIRDS (Selection 3 of 34)

Birds don't seem to suffer from jet lag. But then again, they don't suffer from airport delays.
Crowded sealing, inedible airline food or lost luggage either. Human jet lag seems to be
bound inevitably to passing rapidly through different time zones. Birds usually migrate
from north to south often not encountering any time change in their journey. A veterinarian
speculates that if you put a bird on a place going east to west, it might feel jet lag. But
birds, unlike humans, don't try to fly that way and cross several time zone in one day.
Some migrations can take up to several weeks. Birds don't stretch their physical limits,
unless they have to, such as when flying over a large body of water. If they are tired, birds
stop and go to sleep. While their human counterparts, often have difficulties getting some
shut-eyes on a plane. As a rule, migration doesn't upset birds' natural sleeping patterns.
They sleep when it is dark and awaken when it is light.
you and God bless.
CAMERA (Selection 4 of 34)

A camera works like a human eye. Like the eye, the camera takes in rays of light reflected
from a subject. A camera resembles life because you have many settings within the
camera that you can use, just as the versatility of life. You could also choose to use the
zoom and focus to criticize and magnify the attributes of their personality. Singling out a
certain aspect, sometimes pleasantly, other times with great dislike. Taking an action shot
is like slowing down a busy week with a rainy day. You are forced to say inside and spend
quality time with the most important people in your life. The bad weather, or even deciding
to stay off social media for a week, helps you to break out of your routine and create new
experiences. Moments like these create stronger bonds with your family and friends, and
will never be forgotten. The quick speed of the camera shutters opening and closing
creates a life story. Every movement is captured and shows a real person. We try and
hide our flaws but this part of the camera reveals it with great beauty. Just focus on what's
important. Capture the good times. Develop from the negatives and if things don't turn
out- just take another shot.
you and God bless.
CAR INDUSTRY (Selection 5 of 34)

American market has been open to Japanese car manufacturers. Because of this, car
sales for GM, Chrysler, Ford, and American Motors have suffered. Because of pressure
from American government, and business leaders, Japan has voluntarily reduced the
number of cars exported to the United States. This self-imposed quota has allowed U.S.
auto makers to improve quality, increase automation, and reduced manufacturing costs.
Unfortunately, American car buyers, have not significantly increased their purchase of
domestic cars. They choose, instead, to pay more for the fewer Japanese imports, and
they have responded to the limited exports of Japanese cars, by buying more European
imports.
you and God bless.
CAT (Selection 6 of 34)

A cat is a precision instrument- a perfectly engineered machine, designed for stealth,
capture, and self-defense. It has padded feet that make no sound and muscles of
enormous power and bulk for its size. Its bones are attached at the energy efficient angles
that create a system of springs and levers perfect for bounding, leaping and climbing. Its
claws are shaper than those of any other mammal and can be withdrawn under sheath-
like pads where they escape injury and wear. No teach are better suited for hunting than
those of the cat-great canines for tearing and scissor -like premolars for shearing off bits
of flesh small enough to swallow. In the cat's eye, the colored fiber of theirs respond
immediately to light changes to permit exactness of vision in all light conditions. In the
darkness of night, the iris contracts to widen the pupil and admit any trace of available
light. In the blinding light of midday, the iris expands and the pupil shut down to thin
vertical slit. Except in white cats, with blue eyes, a cats hearing is extremely acute. Each
ear has twenty-seven muscles that allow the cat to rotate the ear in all directions, to collect
sounds. The cat's reaction to sudden movement or noise is so swift that it can usually
escape threatening danger and the little quarry passes unharmed!
you and God bless.
CHOPSTICK (Selection 7 of 34)

Chopstick were invented in China over thousand years ago, probably evolving from twigs
used to spear food from a cooking pot. Knives took over this function in the West, but
Confucius, who considered knives instruments of aggression, encouraged the use of
chopsticks as part of his teaching of nonviolence. The name in Chinese is kuaizi, which
means "quick little fellows: came from the pidgin English for kuai. Chopsticks spread
throughout the orient, those belonging to the rich made of gold, silver, ivory, or jade. Most
however, were-and are made of bamboo, which was plentiful and cheap, with no taste or
smell that could affect the food. The Japanese made them from a variety of woods and
lacquered them for durability. It was not until the late 19th century that the disposable
bamboo variety became popular. Traditionally, Chinese and Japanese chopsticks differ
in length and shape. The Chinese are ten inches long, square, and blunt at the tip. While
the Japanese are rounded, come to a point, and are a couple of inches shorter. They are
efficient enough to pick up a single grain of rice, but the accepted way to eat rice is to use
the chopsticks almost like scoop, moving the grains from a small bowl held close to the
mouth. Chopstick etiquette says you should not gesture with them as you talk, nor should
you use them to pass food. And you're inviting misfortune if you drop them or place them
crossed on your plate, unless you do it in a restaurant to show the waiter you're finished
and ready for the check.
you and God bless.
CULTURE AND FUTURE SHOCK (Selection 8 of 34)

Anthropologists have coined the term "culture shock" to describe the effect that the
immersions in a strange culture have on the unprepared visitors. It is what happens when
the familiar psychological clues that help individuals to function in society are suddenly
withdrawn and replaced by new ideas that are alien and incomprehensible. But most
travelers have the comforting knowledge that the culture they have left behind will be
there to return to. The victims of future shock do not. Future Shock, as told in Alvin
Toffler's book, is a time phenomenon; A product of the greatly accelerated rate of change
within the society. It arises from the "superimposition" of a new culture on an old one. It
is culture shock in one's own society. But its impact is far worse.
you and God bless.
CYBER BULLYING (Selection 9 of 34)
Cyber bullying is defined as the use of the internet or cellphones to send hurtful and
harassing messages. Most victims are teenagers. They are likely to develop symptoms
of depression, substance abuse, and internet addiction. as reported in a new study in the
Journal of Health. Conversely, teens who are depressed or who abuse drugs are also
often targets of cyber bullies. "Understanding the link between cyber bullying and health
behaviors in adolescence is critical," said the study's lead author, Manuel Gamez. "A
number of adolescents are both victims of cyber bullying and perpetrators of cyber bully,
but victims are at higher risk for psychological and behavior health problems, like
substance abuse, after six months of bullying." Robert D. Siege, professor of pediatrics
at Boston University noted, "This is important because it contributes to what we already
know about cyber bullying." It’s pretty clear if you are cyber bullied, you are more apt to
be vulnerable to a cluster of non-adaptive behaviors. I found it particularly interesting that
if teens are cyber bullied, "They more apt to become depressed and conversely, if they
are depressed, they are more apt to be bullied." Gamez added, "It is important to include
strategies to prevent cyber bullying within the interventions for behavior problems during
adolescence. Mental health professionals should pay special attention to these problem
in the treatment of victims of cyber bullying."
you and God bless.
DRUG ADDICTION (Selection 10 of 34)

Drug addiction is a brain disorder involving a compulsive use of drugs in spite of its
detrimental consequences. It ruins the individual and the society in manifold ways-
socially, physically, culturally, emotionally and economically. Acting on the brain, the drug
spawns a wide range of disorders like fear, anxiety and a sense of insecurity in the human
mind. There are certain drug like nicotine, cocaine and caffeine that stimulate the brain
and the nervous system resulting in increased alertness and response. Addiction to such
drugs causes a severe loss of appetite and weight, constipation, increased anxiety and
withdrawal of hypnotic drugs might lead to epileptic seizures and delirium. When a man
starts drug addiction, he becomes addicted to it forever and goes on increasing its dose.
In the first phase of drug addiction, his brain cells become irritated and his faculties of
rationality, judgement, observation and attention get blunted and he becomes the victim
of sub-clinical stage. In the second phase, the addict feels as if he is not aware of his own
self and such and psychic trauma leads him to the drug abuse condition of stimulation.
In the third phase, as the victim increases the dosage and frequency, he loses his physical
balance and muscular coordination. The addict is now a prisoner of confusion and is fast
digging his own grave.
EDUCATED FILIPINO (Selection 11 of 34)
In the light of social changes, we come to the question: What qualities should distinguish
the educated Filipino today? I venture to suggest that the educated Filipino should first
be distinguished by the power to do. The oriental excels in reflective thinking he is a
philosopher. The Occidental is a doer; he manages things, men and affairs. The Filipino
of today needs more of this power to translate reflection into action. I believe that we are
coming more to this power to translate reflection into action. We are coming more likely
to the conviction that no Filipino has the right to be considered educated unless he is
prepared to take an active and useful part in the work, life, and progress of our country
as well as in the progress of the world.
you and God bless.
FAITH AND MUSIC (Selection 12 of 34)

The Filipino is sustained by his faith and his music. This was the observation made many
years ago by a noted Jesuit. This I saw, felt and believed when I took a summer vacation
in my father's hometown. For example, Tata Kandong would work like a horse the whole
day as he shuttles endlessly between his vegetable farm and his modest piggery. In the
evenings he would play his banduria and tell lots of stories between his pieces. Then he
would sound solemn and pious in saying, "God will send us rain for our rice field soon."
My father's youngest sister, Tita Cora, was a fine example of wife and mother would put
her young to sleep with her sweet lullabies. Going back to her work as a seamstress, she
would hum lovely kundiman. On one occasion, she paused and with a glint on her eyes,
she hoped her two children would be successful professionals. My cousin, Josuel, just
graduated from high school. He had to walk five kilometers every day to school as there
were no available means of transportation. Some evenings we would share some praise
songs. "I hope". He wistfully said once, "I can be a lawyer, so I can help the victims of
exploitation in our town." Tata Kandong, Tita Cora and Josuel typify the strong and
resolute Filipinos. While life is difficult, hope springs eternal from their hearts, by the
power of their faith and music.
you and God bless.
HAPPINESS (Selection 13 of 34)

We strive for happiness, generally in self-centered ways. We expect others to favor us
with their attention, for example, or we wait for invitations or gifts. We have probably tried
to buy happiness with purchase of a new dress or shoes. Fleeting moments of happiness
are gained, that's all. And soon we are discontented once again. But things may have
changed for some of us. We are learning, maybe slowly, how to find more permanent
happiness. And we know that happiness that comes from "getting" is elusive. Giving to
others, sharing our stories with others, listening to theirs, is the key to finding the
happiness for which we have searched so long. We must get outside of ourselves and
focus on other's joys or sorrows. Only then do we get a clear perspective on who we are
and the necessary role we play in the lives of others who need our attention and who
have a message we also need to hear.
you and God bless.
THE ILLIAD AND ODYSSEY (Selection 14 of 34)

The views and beliefs of societies are often portrayed in the literature, art, and cinema of
a certain era. The Iliad and Odyssey, give scholars and historians an idea how the Ancient
Greek lived their everyday lives. The Iliad and the Odyssey are two classic stories told by
Homer. Within these two stories the roles of the gods are very important to the story line
and how they affect the characters throughout. In the Iliad, more gods are involved with
the characters whereas in the Odyssey there are only two major gods that affect two
major characters. The roles of the gods in the Iliad are through two different stances of
immortal versus immortal and mortal versus immortal. The roles of the gods in the
Odyssey are through two major gods and they affect the plot as Poseidon versus
Odysseus and Athena versus Telemachus. Iliad was a tragedy illustrating the despair and
useless suffering associated with war. Homer's Odyssey was an epic tale of long suffering
resolving in triumph. Though there were a great many differences between the two works,
there was an underlying theme of love which ran through both. Not just the physical
manifestation of infatuation, but the kind of love that makes one willing to die for another.
you and God bless.
INVENTION OF CAMERA (Selection 15 of 34)

Inventions enhance people's lives. Inventions are improvements of previous discoveries.
With technology, inventions are easier to complete. One such invention is the camera.
The invention of camera gave way to the first underwater camera in 1856. It was placed
in a tightly sealed container. However, when the contraption was underwater, the
container broke before many pictures were taken. It was only in the 1980's that a camera
was made which is able to go deep underwater without being damaged. Less than twenty
years later, technology allowed underwater cameras to take photographs in color. And to
go even deeper into the water. With better technology, an invention will never stay
stagnant.
you and God bless.
KNEE (Selection 16 of 34)

The knee is the largest part of the body and is one of the most complicated. At the same
time, the knee joint swings like a hinge and lifts like a lever. It flexes to absorb shock as
we walk or run and to protect our other bones from jarring or grinding. Without the knee,
humans could not stand up, walk climb or kick. Every day, every knee receives a routine
workout. But the runners and other athletes in high-impact sports, the knee receives a
serious pounding. Overuse can lead to serious injury. In fact, one out of every four sports
injuries involve the knee. "Runner's knee" is the most common injury from overuse.
People with runner's knee complain of dull, aching, pain under or around their kneecaps.
The pain seems to worsen when they descend stairs or run-down hills. To protect their
knees, athletes should look at their shoes. Exercise shoes must fit and wear well in order
to minimize risk to the knee. If an athlete wishes to increases the time or intensity of his
workout, this must be done slowly in a step-by-step- fashion. Athlete should work to
strengthen their quadriceps, the large muscles group on the front of the thigh. In many
runners the quadriceps are not as strong as the hamstrings. This uneven strengthen the
quadriceps muscles. Many serious runners switch off between cycling and running as
they train.
you and God bless.
McLean (MRI) (Selection 17 of 34)

A funny thing happened when researchers at Mclean Hospital in Massachusetts were
studying the brain chemistry of a bipolar people using an MRI machines with a unique
electromagnetic pulse sequence . The patient’s mood lifted lasting for hours or even days.
Skeptical the doctors put another 30 bipolar adults through the Magnetic Resonance
Imaging (MRI) and seventy percent had a significant mood boost. They are not sure why
it works but there is a possible link nerve.
you and God bless.
MONTY (Selection 18 of 34)

There was a young man whose father was a traveling horse trainer, moving from one
ranch to another because he didn't have his own land where he could train horses. So,
the education of the boy was constantly interrupted. In one of his English classes, his
teacher asked him to write a paper about what he wanted to be and do when he grew up.
Putting a great deal of his heart in a seven-page paper, he then submitted to his teacher.
He clearly described goal of owning a 4,000 square-foot house that would sit on a 200-
acre dream ranch, but only to receive a failing remark. She then reprimanded the boy and
asked him to rewrite his paper with a more realistic goal, for her to reconsider his grade.
But the young man turned in the same paper, making no changes. He believed that his
teacher will keep her remark. Yet he keeps his dreams. Today, that young man is Monty
Roberts who now owns a 4,000 square-foot house in the middle of a 200-acre horse
ranch.
you and God bless.
NATIVE BORN (Selection 19 of 34)

It is significant that "native born" is still considered by numerous Americans as a
complimentary adjective, say immigrants from Eastern or Southern Europe. In the
Philippines, in the other hand, the word "native" has an unfavorable connotation; It keeps
a disagreeable flavor of inferiority, Reminiscent of the Spanish "Indio," or of early
American who were ostracized for marrying Filipino women and "going native". The minor
difference indicates the greater one. During the fourth centuries of colonialism in the
Philippines, the government was "foreign". The exclusive prerogative of a superior class,
and the special privilege of an alien race, obviously the Filipinos could not consider such
a government their own. They could not identify themselves with it: it was a thing part,
and more than that, a thing to be regarded with suspicion, Hostility, even hatred.
you and God bless.
NEW GENERATION OF YOUTH (Selection 20 of 34)

Asia's new generation of kids has more than just in common. Whether in Manila,
Hongkong, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Jakarta, Tokyo, whether rich or poor or rural
delinquent or not Asian's youngsters share many things. They go to schools, sing along
bars, fast food outlets, rock concert, and rallies. They are dressed in wild costumes of
screaming color or black, leather jackets, outsize t-shirts and candy-colored sneakers. In
Manila, they are particularly called "bagets". Their pursuit through seemingly along with
the gang at the malls, sharing cheeseburgers and soda or cruise the commercial center
in Cubao and Makati. In Bangkok, they will wander about the Siam Shopping Center. In
Singapore, in the shopping complexes of Orchard Road. They are kids of Asia's great
cities, avant garde, rebellious modernized. They are exposed to imported television that
usher in international values. In Hongkong, the kids have been described as precious
world-wise and materialistic, governance less by teachers and parents than by
omnipresent television. Peer group is a great influence because of their trademarks are
smoking, foul language, bizarre and attention getting appearance and rude mannerisms.
In Japan, they look like different race to old generation. There is rising drug abuse, sexual
freedom, crime, and homosexuality among the youth. There is less respect given to
parents and to the aged people.
you and God bless.
OBEDIENCE (Selection 21 of 34)
What is obedience? It consists putting our own will to the will of another. It is a habit of
following a law or command. It is a virtue necessary for everyone, especially children and
young people. It is the basis of order. Without obedience life will be a great disorder. It
has been said that he who rightly obeys will live right; he will live sweetly, free from cares
and troubles. He cannot grow or progress if he does not learn to obey. He is not safe and
happy if does not obey orders. But obedience appears unattractive to the eyes of young
people. They want to enjoy their liberty. Admittedly, this is the trend now or what seems
to be. Therefore, it is most necessary that they be wisely advised. Always be obedient.
You will find it very difficult at times, when pride or bad temper wants to dominate. you
should learn to bow, that is to obey while you are still young and you will have done a
great deal to promote the happiness of your future life. Obedience is something not to be
ashamed of. You cannot live without it. Even the president of the country is not exempted
from obedience. He/She has to obey the laws. He/She have helped to make, so obey
God, your parents, teachers, superiors, people in authority, laws of government, and
customs of society. Obedience must be our law. And what a happy and world this be if
everyone is obedient.
you and God bless.
OVERSEAS FILIPINO WORKERS (Selection 22 of 34)

The unpresented and increasing volume of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW's) migration
from the Philippines has unquestionably ease unemployment and generate foreign
exchange earnings. General findings of students made about our workers who are single
are more likely to be female, relatively younger and better educated than their
counterpart. In addition, both male and female OFW's are for the most part, better
educated than their parents who hardly reached the secondary level of education. Many
of the OFW's who have established residence in Metro Manila are "migrants from far flung
province". For example, a large percentage of seaman were born in Visayas. At the same
time, a number hose born in nearby regions such as Central Luzon and Southern Tagalog
have retained their provincial residence. It is probable that because of proximity of these
regions to the metropolitan area, such workers opted to stay in their place origin. The
land-based workers profile is dominated by Saudi Arabia as country of employment. Other
Middle East destinations include Iraq, United Arab Emirates, Libya, Kuwait and Bahrain.
In the case of seaman, some 50% of ships are registered in either Liberia or Panama.
Such country employment focus should not prevent recognition of the very wide
geographical dispersion of Filipino workers in countries all over the world. Given the low
level of Philippines monthly earnings and a household size of about 5 persons to support,
the average workers view contract employment as a temporary means to secure higher
income. In addition to the generally increased level of living standards, overseas workers'
target includes acquisition of a house and a lot, setting up one's own business, education
of children and family security. By and large, OFW's are skilled and experienced workers.
Overseas jobs entail either similar or additional responsibilities relative to their previous
jobs in the Philippines. In most cases, employment skills are fully utilized overseas but,
for a minority, there is a little or no use skills previously learned in the Philippines. OFW's
holding positions overseas are generally very satisfied with their jobs and working
conditions. A factor to consider in job satisfaction, however, is the country of employment.
It appears that workers in Saudi Arabia and Middle East are relatively less satisfied than
workers employed in Europe, America and Asia.
you and God bless.
PALAWAN (Selection 23 of 34)

Unique to Palawan is its mega diversity. For a long time, only the many ethnic
communities that thrive in these islands and a few other daring settlers who wanted to
live in unpolluted surroundings know Palawan’s bountiful resources, abundant wildlife,
and extraordinary natural beauty. The island province first attracted foreign attention in
the 1970’s when it became a United Nations Vietnamese Refugee Center. At this time, a
disturbance in Kenya also saw the transport of endangered animals from its savannas to
the plains of Calauit island. However, it was only a sea accident in 1979 that eventually
led to the opening of Palawan into major tourist attraction. According to a story, a tuna
line disabled a dive boat’s propeller in the middle of the night forcing it to drop anchor in
an inlet. The following morning, the divers woke up with amazing scenery of skyscraping
dark cliff.
you and God bless.
PASTA (Selection 24 of 34)

A world without pasta sees inconceivable. Macaroni and cheese loving children across
the US would howl in protest; Italy might suffer a heart attack; social unrest could explode
in China where noodles are the main staple. But if humans want to keep eating pasta, we
will have to take much more aggressive action against global warming. Pasta is made
from wheat, and a large growing body of scientific studies and real-world observations
suggest what wheat will be hit especially hard as temperatures rise and storms and
drought intensify in the years ahead. Three grains-wheat, con and rice account for most
of the food that humans consume. All these are already suffering from climate change,
but wheat stands to fare the worst in the years ahead, for it is the grain most vulnerable
to high temperatures. Those spells trouble not only for pasta but also for bread, the most
basic food of all. International agricultural research centers and the private sector have
woken up to the fact that higher temperatures are almost inevitable and they have very
little in their genetic toolbox to deal with them.
you and God bless.
POVERTY (Selection 25 of 34)

Studies have consistently pointed to at least three major immediate factors that push
children to stay or live on the streets. These are the poverty of the family, family
relationship factors (physical or sexual abuse) and peer influence. Poverty and peer
influence when compounded with problems and stresses in the family life such as family
break-up, child abuses and neglect. Domestic violence by step-parents, underemployed
parents, etc. Altogether create under pressure on the child to leave home and find solace.
Protection and support from the peers on the street, eventually becoming susceptible to
their influence and lifestyle. In Metro Manila, population growth, urbanization, and
migration have increased through the years. Children are often forced to try
circumstances to help their family eke out of living or tend for themselves on the streets.
Most of them are children of poor parents who migrated from rural areas in the hope of
finding better job opportunities in the city. But whose lack of education rendered them ill-
equipped to struggle for survival in the urban jungle and are thus curtained to a life of
object poverty. For the street children, life on the streets is a constant struggle to
overcome. The various negative comments that threaten to overtake them and destroy
their hopes for survival. They work under the heat of the sun or in a dark of the night from
six to ten hours, seven days a week. Often in a …. Of “occupations” each… a legitimate
way to survive.
you and God bless.
POWER OF DRAMA (Selection 26 of 34)

The arts generally depend on ridiculous region, but the theater is most ridiculous of all.
Imagine asking us to pretend that we are in Bangkok after the fall of Saigon and that Lea
is a Vietnamese bar girl who kills herself because she believes that suicide is the only
solution to her problem. More than that, imagine asking us to believe that and all the other
characters in the play talk to each other by singing. The theater is a lily that inexplicably
arise from a jungle of weedy falsities. Yet, it is precisely from the tension produced by all
this absurdity that theater is able to create each poetry, power, enhancement and truth.
you and God bless.
RICHARD CORY (Selection 27 of 34)

Whenever Richard Cory went down town, we people on the pavement, look at him. He
was gentleman from sole to crown. Clean favored, and imperially slim and he was quietly
arrayed and he was always human when he talked. But still he fluttered pulses when said
“Good morning’ and he glittered when he walked and he was rich – yes, richer than a king
and admirably schooled in every grace. In fine, we thought that he was everything to
make us wish that we were in his place. So on we worked and waited for the light And
went without meat, and cursed the bread. And Richard Cory, one calm summer night
went home and put a bullet through his head.
you and God bless.
ROSETTA STONE (Selection 28 of 34)

In the year 1799, an officer of the French Army was stationed in a small fortress on the
Rosetta River, a mouth of the Nile, near Alexander, Egypt. He was interested in the ruins
of the ancient Egyptian civilization, and had seen the sphinx and the pyramids. Those
mysterious structures that were erected by men of another era. One day, as a trench
was being dug, he found a piece of black slate on which letters had been carved. He
studied Greek in school, and knew this was an inscription written in that language. There
were two more lines carved into the stone: One on the Egyptian characters he had seen
on the ruins, the other in completely unfamiliar characters. The officer realized the
importance of such a find, and relinquished it to scholars who had been puzzling over
Egyptian inscriptions. In 1802, a French professor by the name of Champollion began
studying the stone. In an attempt to decipher the two unknown sets of character using the
Greek letters as a key. He worked with the stone over twenty years, and in 1823,
announced that he had discovered the meaning of the fourteen signs. And in doing so,
had unlocked the secret of ancient Egyptian writing. Some 5000 years after an unknown
person had made those three inscriptions, the Rosetta Stone became a key. Unlocking
the written records of Egypt and sharing the history of that civilization with the rest of the
world.
you and God bless.
RULES (Selection 29 of 34)

Posted here, recited there. It seems that rules that rules are everywhere. Rules at home,
and rules at school, they’re at the park, they’re at the pool. I can hardly breath or lie in
bed without their chores in my head . Close your mouth to chew your food, don’t cross
your eyes and don’t be rude. Wipe your feet, turn out the lights, look both ways , take
smaller bites . Don’t cut in line, do shut the gate. Lick and stick the stamp on straight. Dad
and me or Dad and I? What’s this about an infield fly? Sit down, clean up, keep off the
grass, raise your hand to talk in class. Rules tell me what to do and say. They cramp my
style, control my day. But without rules, without the din, I couldn’t play, I couldn’t win! Life
would be a dreary plight without a wrong, there’d be no right.
you and God bless.
SMOKING (Selection 30 of 34)

Smokers and non-smokers alike have their consciousness raised about the effects on
passive smoking on humans. But until now, one had considered kittens. A recent study
in the American Journal of Epidemiology found out that cats living with smokers are twice
as likely to develop lymphoma. The most common cancer in cats, as are those in smoke
from home. Cats may be particularly affected by household smoke because they spend
so much time indoors and because when grooming, they ingest particles that fallen on
their fur. Smokers can minimize risk to the cats by keeping them out of rooms when
people light up. Brushing or bathing the cats may also help.
you and God bless.
SOCIAL MEDIA AND NARCISSISIM (Selection 31 of 34)

In today’s modern life, uploading countless selfies, updating statuses, and checking
notifications have been a part of man’s daily routine. A recent study at the university of
Georgia on social media use suggest that there are unmistakable correlations between
social media use and what is known as “grandiose narcissism”. The study found four
common factors associated with severe egotism:
1. How long people spend on social media
2. How often they tweet or update statuses

3. How many friends or followers they have
4. How many selfies they tend to post
These likely send signals about your personality. All of these online actions are ways in
which one tires to promote oneself online. The more often one does these, the stronger
their ego is likely to be when one posts his/her pictures or constantly update their status.
How time spent online is too much? That is to say, if you constantly engage with social
media on daily basis, it could be a sign that one has a negative relationship with it. Social
media is not actually the problem, it is merely a symptom. If you already have a
narcissistic personality, chances are you will display some of the characteristics
mentioned in the study.
you and God bless.
THANKSGIVING (Selection 32 of 34)
We have so much in life to be thankful for. We walk, talk, see, think, and breath – usually
without effort. Why do we have to spend so much time dwelling on what we can’t, don’t
have and what is going wrong? We can instantly recall the negative experiences, people
and circumstances without recognizing, we have the ability to walk a way or make a
change. Perhaps we have too many options from which to choose. Or it could be we
simple want to complain. Maybe if we spent just a little time saying “thank you” for what
we do have, we won’t have so much time to dwell on what we lack. Gratitude, praise, and
thanksgiving activate the divine laws of abundance when the universe can see we are
conscious of and grateful for what we have. It is activated to shower us with more. Even
when it seems that the well is drying up, we can affirm. “I can hardly wait to see the good
that will come out of this”
you and God bless.
VERB (Selection 33 of 34)
The verb is the business end of a sentence, the sentence’s reason for being. That’s where
the action is. Without a verb, even if it’s only suggested, there’s nothing going on, just a
lot of nouns standing around with their hands in their pockets. A verb is easy to spot. Just
look for the moving target, the center of activity, the part that tells you what’s going on.
No wonder the verb is the most interesting word in a sentence. It is also the most
complicated. Because the verb expresses action, it has something that other words lack-
time. It has to tell you whether something happened in the past, the present, the future or
some combination of times: sneeze, sneezed, will sneeze, would have sneezed and so
on. The verb has another aspect too. It varies according to who or what is performing the
action: sneeze, he sneezes, they sneeze, and so on. There are plenty of reasons a verb
can go astray. The most common is that it doesn’t match the subject: one is singular and
the other is plural. For example, Pocholo and I was sneezing. The next most common
reason is that the verb’s timing-its tense-is off. (Yesterday she sneezes.). This makes
verb sound daunting, but they’re really not so bad. Taken one a t a time (which is how
you encounter them, after all) problems with verb can be made to disappear.
you and God bless.
WORK (Selection 34 of 34)
Let me but do my work from day to day.

In field of forest, at the desk or loom
In roaring market-place or tranquil room
Let me but find it in my heart to say
When vagrant wishes beckon me astray
“This is my work: my blessing, not my doom
Of all who live, I am the one by whom
“This work can best be done in the right way”
Then shall I see it not too great, nor small
To suit my spirit and to prove my powers
Then shall I cheerful turn, when the long shadows fall
At eventide, to play and love and rest
Because I know for me my work is best.
you and God bless.

EPT 34 Reading Selections

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EPT 34 Reading Selections

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Louie Johnson Bastasa

ALTIPLANO (Selection 1 of 34)

BALANCED LIFE (Selection 2 of 34)

BIRDS (Selection 3 of 34)

CAMERA (Selection 4 of 34)

CAR INDUSTRY (Selection 5 of 34)

CAT (Selection 6 of 34)

CHOPSTICK (Selection 7 of 34)

CULTURE AND FUTURE SHOCK (Selection 8 of 34)

DRUG ADDICTION (Selection 10 of 34)

FAITH AND MUSIC (Selection 12 of 34)

HAPPINESS (Selection 13 of 34)

THE ILLIAD AND ODYSSEY (Selection 14 of 34)

INVENTION OF CAMERA (Selection 15 of 34)

KNEE (Selection 16 of 34)

McLean (MRI) (Selection 17 of 34)

MONTY (Selection 18 of 34)

NATIVE BORN (Selection 19 of 34)

NEW GENERATION OF YOUTH (Selection 20 of 34)

OVERSEAS FILIPINO WORKERS (Selection 22 of 34)

PALAWAN (Selection 23 of 34)

PASTA (Selection 24 of 34)

POVERTY (Selection 25 of 34)

POWER OF DRAMA (Selection 26 of 34)

RICHARD CORY (Selection 27 of 34)

ROSETTA STONE (Selection 28 of 34)

RULES (Selection 29 of 34)

SMOKING (Selection 30 of 34)

SOCIAL MEDIA AND NARCISSISIM (Selection 31 of 34)

2. How often they tweet or update statuses

THANKSGIVING (Selection 32 of 34)

VERB (Selection 33 of 34)

WORK (Selection 34 of 34)

Let me but do my work from day to day.

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