Excerpt from an unexplainable occurrence
elizabeth kibler

1) my sleepy little town used to be a blip on the world’s radar screen, but recently it seems that it cannot escape from the glare of the spotlight. people throughout the state continue to talk about the so-called unexplainable occurrence that happened here.

2) two summers ago, my summer vacation commenced much like every other and i could scarcely handle the boredom. one day, i overheard some people discussing a traveling carnival that had unexpectedly arrived in our town the night before. the performers planned to put on a spectacular show that evening. i had never been to a carnival, but i welcomed a distraction from a normally dull friday night.

3) as i strolled to the carnival, i noticed that my town looked deserted. the usually hectic streets seemed lonely in the moonlight, and many of the businesses had closed so that everyone could enjoy the exhibition. the only sounds i heard were the echoes of music and cheering that arose from the park. when i got closer, i could see the gigantic shadows of animals and performers leaping across the sides of the glowing tent. the scents of cotton candy and popcorn wafted through the air.

4) i peered inside the luminous tent and instantly recognized numerous people from the town. they gazed toward the top of the tent at a courageous trapeze artist who swung perilously above them. i took a seat beside the door and held my breath waiting for the next act. crack! i almost jumped out of my seat when i heard the ringmaster’s whip splinter the air. throughout the night, the entertainers kept the crowd engaged with a variety of wild and crazy events. then, the carnival characters took their bows and ended their performance. afterward, the townspeople walked wearily, but jubilantly, home.

in paragraph 4, the word luminous means
a) bright.
b) gigantic.
c) noisy.
d) shadowy.

i have learned a great many things from participating in varsity football. it has changed my entire outlook on and attitude toward life. before my freshman year at [high-school], i was shy, had low self-esteem and turned away from seemingly impossible challenges. football has altered all of these qualities. on the first day of freshman practice, the team warmed up with a game of touch football. the players were split up and the game began. however, during the game, i noticed that i didn't run as hard as i could, nor did i try to evade my defender and get open. the fact of the matter is that i really did not want to be thrown the ball. i didn't want to be the one at fault if i dropped the ball and the play didn't succeed. i did not want the responsibility of the team because i was too afraid of making a mistake. that aspect of my character led the first years of my high school life. i refrained from asking questions in class, afraid they might be considered too stupid or dumb by my classmates. all the while, i went to practice and everyday, i went home physically and mentally exhausted.

yet my apprehension prevailed as i continued to fear getting put in the game in case another player was injured. i was still afraid of making mistakes and getting blamed by screaming coaches and angry teammates. sometimes these fears came true. during my sophomore season, my position at backup guard led me to play in the varsity games on many occasions. on such occasions, i often made mistakes. most of the time the mistakes were not significant; they rarely changed the outcome of a play. yet i received a thorough verbal lashing at practice for the mistakes i had made. these occurrences only compounded my fears of playing. however, i did not always make mistakes. sometimes i made great plays, for which i was congratulated. now, as i dawn on my senior year of football and am faced with two starting positions, i feel like a changed person.

over the years, playing football has taught me what it takes to succeed. from months of tough practices, i have gained a hard work ethic. from my coaches and fellow teammates, i have learned to work well with others in a group, as it is necessary to cooperate with teammates on the playing field. but most important, i have also gained self-confidence. if i fail, it doesn't matter if they mock or ridicule me; i'll just try again and do it better. i realize that it is necessary to risk failure in order to gain success. the coaches have always said before games that nothing is impossible; i know that now. now, i welcome the challenge. whether i succeed or fail is irrelevant; it is only important that i have tried and tested myself.

the topic of this essay is how the applicant has matured and changed since his freshman year. he focuses on football. one of the strengths of this essay is that it is well organized. the applicant clearly put time into the structure and planning of this essay. he uses the platform of football to discuss and demonstrate his personal growth and development through the high school years. what he could have done better was spend more time describing himself after he made improvements. as it is, he only tells us about his newfound confidence and drive. this essay would have been stronger had he actually shown us, perhaps by including a story or describing an event where his confidence made a difference

explanation:

when alex falls for the charming new boy at school, cole -- a handsome, funny, sports star who adores her - she can't believe she's finally found her soul who truly loves and understands her.  

at first, alex is blissfully happy. sure, cole seems a little jealous of her relationship with her close friend zack, but what guy would want his girlfriend spending all her time with another boy? as the months pass, though, alex can no longer ignore cole's small put-downs, pinches, or increasingly violent threats.  

as alex struggles to come to terms with the sweet boyfriend she fell in love with and the boyfriend whose "love" she no longer recognizes, she is forced to choose -- between her "true love" and herself.

explanation:

question: why should you take some time to reflect on the interview after it's over?

answer: to review what went well and learn how to do it better next time

explanation: you do this so incase you did bad on this interview you can reflect back on it and fix the mistakes you missed and when you do another interview you will do great because you reflected and studied what you did wrong

question answered by

(jacemorris)