After Reading "Three die in Saudi shop stampede"

This article on this website is discussing the fact that a branch of IKEA claimed a limited number of credit vouchers were offered to the public in Saudi Arabia. More than 8000 people stood in a queue all night for these vouchers, but a lot of people wouldn’t be able to obtain these vouchers. Because of this reason, this incident caused three people to be crushed to death and sixteen people injured.

The power of crowd usually causes people to lose their mind and become very crazy. No matter what the event is, if that’s human’s desire, they would always be crazy for it. Also, no matter where it takes place, people’s behavior is all the same. People can see this kind of news happening around the world all the time. They’d better to keep the lesson. However, I think sometimes, people are greedy; they always ignore the lesson unconsciously and they always forget to prevent themselves from being injured. That’s why such kind of accidents happen again and again. In addition, after reading Le Bon’s theory, I think that is very interesting. It says that the large number of people in a crowd allows our primitive, “animal” side to come out. I agree with this theory, because when some people are in a crowd, they feel they are hidden in a group. They can turn of their masks off civilized behavior and do some irrational things. So, I think when people lose their mind in a crowd, it is very dangerous.

Reading about Gene

This article discusses about whether the gene is the main reason that causes homosexuality. Some psychologist think that the fact of homosexuality was caused by the social environment. The important research discussed the relationship between the gene and the homosexuality in 1993, but they just discussed the single X chromosome, and explained that it is likely that the homosexuality gene is passed down from the mom to the son. However, the result of basing the study on a single gene is not convincing. Also, it indicated that only less than 50% showed that there is something with the gene and the sexual orientation. Therefore, there is still a long way to go.


Since the improvement of technology, lots of studies have been conducted. Even the sexual orientation can be shown by the study. To tell the truth, I didn’t realize that homosexuality can be inherited from the gene until I browsed this website. Just like what others thought, I always though that the homosexuals themselves choose to have “this” life-style they live. But the fact is not like this. As you can see from the website, lots of studies are attempting to connect the relationship between the gene and the sexual orientations and to locate that the gene seems to play a significant role in influencing the sexual orientation. Although there is not any definite and absolute result yet, and no matter what the result is, I think the homosexuals are just like the different color of people’s skin or eyes in the world; people should learn to be more of accepting the homosexual life-style.

After reading about the Amish

The Amish's history and American history have some relation. They just want to keep their strict and simple life, hence they colonised American from England, because they are relogious, and they reject wars, materialism and frivolity. The Amish's main job is farming and their main crops are wheat, oats, clover and corn. Due to the fact that these crops sre not always plentiful in harvest, sometimes they change to diferent kind of jobs.

When I see this website, I can better understand the different kinds of clture in the U.S.A., and people have to respect these different cltures. Like the Amish, they keep their religious and natural life, although it is very amazing for me, but their natural life decreases the pollution in the Earth. Maybe they have some conceptions I can not accept, like they do not use technology, but I respect their environmental protection conception. I hope I can understand more different American culture when I study in the U.S.A..

After Reading about Cohabitation

This website introduces a book: Unmarried to each other. It is known that there are more and more couples or partners living together without getting married. This phenomenon is more and more common now than the past. In the book, it describes some facts and discusses some questions and problems that people wonder about and would like to solve. Moreover, it provides some tips or tools for people whether it is in law, finance, having children in the coming years, etc. if they would like to keep the relationship of cohabitation or would consider living together and remaining unmarried. Also, it provides some suggestions from the real samples. Indeed, this book is packed with a lot of information about the joys and common challenges to love without getting married. In addition to the introduction of the book, there are some useful guides provided for those living together as unmarried couples from the news and other related online readings.



This book is discussing the problem of the relationship of cohabitation. It starts from why couples live together without getting married. Also, how to introduce or name each other, how to tell the children the relationship, whom the children will belong to in the future and so forth are mentioned in the book as well.

I would like to share my opinions about cohabitation. I personally agree with living together without getting married for a short term only, i.e. no longer than half year if they are sure they will be married in the coming years and this short period of cohabiting time can be seen as a kind of accommodative time. However, if those who live together hold the concept of “testing marriage,” I don’t agree with cohabitation and I don’t think that is suitable. The most important thing is that cohabitation can neither guarantee nor protect the affectional relationship. For instance, the reason unmarried couples live together is solely because of love at the moment; however, nobody knows if they will break up with each other at the next moment after a dramatic argument. Thus, it is irresponsible for the couples toward dealing with their affection.

Based on the traditional concept, couples live together only if they are married. Also, according to the terms of the law, it also says that to protect the marriage, the right and obligation for couples is to take the full responsibility of their marriage and affection. Cohabitating couples can abandon their affection anytime so nobody will be protected without the law. For instance, in the past, couples without getting married seldom lived together, and the percentage of divorce was not a high proportion. However, more and more couples live together now and the percentage of divorce is getting higher and higher. This also expresses that more and more couples would rather try “trial marriage” or cohabitation to see if they are Mr./ Mrs. right for each other so that the percentage of divorce is increasing. It proves that cohabitation will not only cause the sense of irresponsibility easily but also be helpless for maintaining the affectional relationship.

To sum up, I agree with cohabitation only based on the fact that the couples will get married in the future and they have to live together inevitably because of some reasons for a short period of time. However, I would not agree with cohabitation if they are only trying to “testing marriage.”