What's the Real Cause of Common Colds?

Authors Note: The following piece is a research essay on the “common cold”. Questions such as what it is, how it is caused, if there are cures, and the difference between a cold and allergies will be answered.

As the common cold is spread throughout the world each day, a small amount of people actually know what it really is, what causes it, or if there are permanent cures. Many get sick and think it’s just a cold, but do they really know what caused it or even it wasn’t just a cold? It’s important to know about common colds because knowing more about the substances causing you to not feel well will only help you liberate the virus faster.

To begin, people are receiving colds year after year; most don’t know what a cold exactly is other than the symptoms. “The common cold is a self-limited sickness that can be caused by a number of different types of viruses” (Steven Doerr). Symptoms for most colds are coughing, sneezing, runny nose, fever, etc.  “A person is infectious with their illness starting the day before the sickness acts up, until a few days after they start feeling better” (Korsholm).The most known way of spreading and catching a cold is when the person who is sick touches their area around their eyes and nose because the virus could be on their hands also.

Second of all, “Cold's are caused by numerous different viruses, while allergies are caused by an overactive immune system” (Is it a Common Cold or Allergies?). The most important difference between common cold's and allergies is that colds don’t last longer than 14 days, so if the symptoms are still there after 2 weeks, it may be allergy symptoms.

Furthermore, “Although there are medicines at stores that are used to treat the symptoms for the common cold, they have little to no affect on the cold itself” (Szabo). There have been medicines tested in a Petri dish and many have been appearing as promising, but once tested on humans, unfortunately, the cold remedies start to fizzle off. The result to their experimenting shows that there are no permanent cures to the common cold.

In conclusion, the reasons discussed state why it's important to know everything about the sickness you have whether or not it's a common cold or allergies. Knowing what you have, what's causing your sickness or allergy, and how you can treat it is information that is useful for patients that are dealing with the symptoms of the common cold or allergies.

Evil Destroys Good

Authors Note: This following piece is a prediction on what will happen next in the book “Catching Fire” by Suzanne Collins. This piece also includes figurative language and a creative scene made for my prediction.

Within about 100 pages in the book “Catching Fire” by Suzanne Collins, Katniss and Peeta went on their “victory tour” throughout all 12 Districts for the congratulating of winning the 74^th annual Hunger Games. The Capitol is not pleased with Katniss and Peeta; the famous “star-crossed lovers” from District 12, because of the fact that they showed them off by acting as if their love was too powerful to lose one another in the games and both were allowed to win. I predict that President Snow will do something that will harm both Katniss and Peeta’s families to show that he has control over all districts and he’s not afraid to use it.

Here I sit in the tallest tree within the whole forest, a tree that could touch the moon, a tree that can look over the whole world. While I sit on this sturdy branch, I listen if anyone is near, but all I hear is the wind whistling throughout the air; responding that I am completely alone. As I gaze into my thoughts, I find myself drifting into sleep, until shortly after woken by a Gale screaming his lungs off down below. He says the Capitol has captured my mother, sister, and Peeta’s family and has them as hostage, sentencing them to death within a matter of days. 

I hastily climbed down the never ending tree and ran we ran as if we were a pack of lions catching their prey, not stopping until we’ve caught it. I don't know what my plan is, but I have to do something, so my only choice was to find Peeta and Haymitch. All four of us decided to drive to the Capitol in Haymitch’s avocado green car that smells like the strongest alcoholic drink known to man-kind.

Once we reach the Capitol, Haymitch finds a way to get around the guards surrounding the entire building, acting like they’re protecting the most valuable person or object that will ever exist. Just as we’re entering the building, we’re spotted. They take us up to the prison cells which looks and smells like the inside of a sewer.  About an hour after being locked in cells, I hear my name being called by a voice that I recognize; my mother. I feel like the happiest person in the world, like I actually have the hope to stay alive. In the middle of stating her plan to escape, a gunshot goes off and I see her eyes grow wider and drop to the floor on her knees, with a bullet through her back and a Capitol guard standing directly behind her with the gun.

In conclusion, this scene is similar to my prediction because the entire capitol is very upset with Katniss and Peeta, and will do anything to make sure their place of control and power in everyone’s mind stands at the top. Also, my ending is a hook because in the first book of “The Hunger Games” trilogy, Suzanne Collins left it as a hook. Overall, I vastly predict that President Snow will get back at the two winners from District 12.

Exclusive Scene

Authors Note: This following short response is a creative scene from the book "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins. My main focus in this piece is the use of figurative language.

Here I sit in the tallest tree within the whole forest, a tree that could touch the moon, a tree that can look over the whole world. While I sit on this sturdy branch, I listen if any of the remaining eight tributes left in the game are near, but all I hear is the wind whistling throughout the air; responding that I am completely alone. As I gaze into my thoughts, I find myself drifting into sleep, until shortly after woken by an announcement from the Gamemakers.

“There has been a slight change in the rules. Two tributes can both win if they are from the same district. Good luck, and may the odds be ever in your favor.”

I hastily untied the rope attaching myself to the tree, climbed down, grabbed my things and ran as fast as I could, not knowing where I was going or how I was going to find him, but running as if I were a lion trying to catch my prey; not giving up until I catch it. After running for about 15 minutes, I’ve spotted him. He’s with the careers and looks like he’s scared to death, almost as if they’re going to kill him. I hide behind a bush, being as quiet as a mouse. I watch and listen to them as they plan how they’re going to kill him, so I shoot two arrows through both of them, each aimed right in the center of their hearts, and finally see both of them cease to the ground in immediate death. I sprint as fast as a cheetah towards the love of my life and rescue him from the ropes wrapped throughout his body, setting the one I intend to win the games with free, Peeta Mellark.