TÀI LIỆU THAM KHẢO: NHỮNG BÀI LUẬN TIẾNG ANH MẪU DÀNH CHO HỌC SINH THCS (PHẦN 1)

100 english essays for lower secondary school - part 1 tài liệu tham khảo dành cho học sinh THCS

LOWER SECONDARY

ENGLISH ESSAYS

(PART 1)

Road Safety

Why think of road safety at all? It is because of the accidents that occur everyday on the road, in which all sorts of vehicles and human beings and even animal are involved These accidents mean loss of life and loss of property and more often than not obstruction to traffic In this age

of speed and fast moving vehicles and with the congestion on roads, these accidents have became almost an everyday affair So unless

everybody is educated on the importance of road safety, the loss and the sorry spectacles cannot be avoided

Prevention is better than cure This holds good even in the matter of road accidents Accidents are due to many causes and may occur under different circumstances The simplest but at the same time dangerous perhaps is people slipping down on the road caused by an orange or a banana peel Without meaning any harm, quite innocently a person may throw away the orange peel or the banana skin on the road or the sidewalk When a person, walking briskly, steps on, it he or she will slip down ending in fracture of bones and sometimes even more

dangerous than that So people must take care they do not throw the pealings on the road but should deposit them in a dust-bin In some countries the offenders are severely punished The second cause of accident is due to careless crossing in busy roads While crossing one mustlook to the right and left for moving vehicles and then cross

Where there are Zebra crossings on the road for the pedestrians to cross, one should cross along them One should keep to the margin of the road while walking and the vehicles must keep to their lanes in busy streets

In the case of accidents involving vehicles there are many causes One is trying to overtake and very often taking risk Another is wrong judgment in crossing Sometimes it may be not caring for the signals In crowded streets accidents may take place in a snap second because one does not care for the signal "Stop, look and go" is the best precept; it will save vehicles from accidents But where one takes a foolish step, the result is the inevitable accident Jay riding may be another cause Riding two or three abreast is always dangerous Especially one must be aware of this Scooter riders become victims of road accidents But if they just wear the helmet as required by law they could easily avoid fracture and hence death

Very often the cause of accidents is the failure of the brake system which means the owner of the vehicle does not bother to keep the machine

in good condition By attending to the vehicle regularly a lot of miseries could be avoided.

Road safety is a matter of education in which the school can play a significant role Through scouting, Red Cross and social education classes,children can be taught the importance of observing the rules of the road Children must be taught their limbs and lives are very valuable and they must not take risk, especially when leaving the school As soon as the bell goes children rush out and accidents do happen Under the circumstances the teachers must feel it their duty to regulate the traffic near the school The police can cooperate with the school in this respect

To make the people road conscious, the mass media can play a useful role The newspaper, the wall poster and the cinema and now the TV come in handy Shots in the cinema or TV emphasizing the importance of road safety can be highlighted There may be speeches over the radio by the police officials During peak hours in crowded areas, the police may direct the traffic and ask people to keep to their lanes

Our neighbor

Living next to next is the principle of a neighbor Good neighborliness is the ideal to be aimed at and pursued People live in the same

neighborhood for many reasons Sometimes it may be aesthetic and very often convenience It may be the nearness to one's office of work, school, traffic centers and so on As the saying goes, no man is an island; he has to live with his neighbors To make life tolerable and bearable one must cooperate with one's neighbor

One's neighbor may be temporary as in the case of traveling by bus or train Here the neighbor is with one for a few minutes or few hours Even here if there is understanding between the neighbors the travel will be pleasant Good neigborliness generates good company and especially during travel it helps to take away the boredom There are cases when such travel has culminated in longstanding friendship

Whether one likes it or not, one cannot do without neighbors Even where houses are isolated as in the case of bungalows there is inevitably the neighbor Normally one may think one can do without neighbors because one can command all comforts and services, so the services or the needfor a friend may not arise However serviceable the radio or the TV may be in providing the recreation, they cannot supply the human elements

The sympathy, the admiration and the appreciation which a neighbor may offer will have a great humanizing influence To share one's view and sometimes even one's sorrows one needs some neighbors Because man is gregarious he cannot live in isolation.

But all neighbors are not always keeping the cordial relationship Stresses and strains develop because of misunderstandings The cause may be very trivial or flimsy, still tension develops ending in animosity and feud Jealousy may be another cause for such a tension The neighbor may bedoing fine, has earned a lot of money, his children are doing well, he gets quick promotions, these and such others may create jealousy Once this

is generated, this leads to non cooperation and petty quarrels Very often children may be the cause for strained feelings

Children may quarrel drawing the elders into the fray The neighbor's son may pick a flower or a fruit from your garden and an argument may erupt Again he may throw his ball at your window pane damaging it These are not unnatural so far as the younger one is concerned but it is for the elders to view at them with equanimity and make up for it This may read easy on paper but not so in practical life But with some broad outlook one must be able to tolerate

Another reason for tension may be the animals Your neighbor's dog may be a real nuisance or his poultry which would come into your garden and eat away the young saplings

In all these cases to keep up good neighborliness some understanding between the neighbors is important Small differences can be easily

patched up or ironed out Care can at times play the good samaritan and helps the neighbors in a small or big way Nobody is perfect and it is better not to speak disparagingly of your neighbor

A cheerful word or a nod or a casual enquiry will strengthen the feeling of good neighborliness Negatively, one must not pry into what the neighbor is or what he does

Tolstoy speaks in one of his stories how neighbors should behave A child was wearing a new shirt and the neighbor's child threw mud on it and thus spoiled it Women folk started the quarrel and men folk entered into the fray ending in a few heads broken and so on By then the children forgot all their quarrel and were playing Tolstoy draws a moral from the story namely neighbors must be quick to forget small wrongs done.Neighborliness is not only for individuals but it is important also in a great measure between neighboring countries History has got a lot to teach

in this respect Unless countries learn to live as good neighbors, there cannot be peace on earth So children must be taught at home and in the school to cooperate with the neighbors and be friendly with them The basic principle is to give and take and to develop a sense that the other man has as much right as you have and some degree of tolerance is very necessary

Computer and their uses

Perhaps the single greatest invention of the century is the computer The computer is essentially a machine that enables humans to complete tasksthat may be time consuming or very repetitive in nature This it achieves by imitating human thought processes In much the same way that humans think using pathways in their brains that conduct minute electrical currents, computers too use tiny electrical circuits which tell it what to

do The difference being that computers do this at incredible speeds

In this modern age man has grown to be heavily dependent on computers to carry out all kinds of jobs that were done manually before In

banking for example computers allow for millions of transactions to be carried out involving large sums of money which would otherwise requirethousands of bank tellers Computers do the job in a much shorter time and practically free of any errors Computers are responsible for air trafficcontrol and the running of trains to ensure that travel is made as smooth as possible In factories nowadays computers operate mechanical devicesthat produce goods we require for everyday living, in such quantities that would be otherwise impossible to achieve if these factories were run byhumans alone

Perhaps the greatest advancements have been made in the field of communications All of us are by now familiar with the 'Internet' The internet

is a collection of computer systems and individual terminals linked up worldwide through telephone lines and other channels It offers a cheaper alternative to communicating with people within a country and internationally through computers It has also been described as an immense pool

of knowledge just waiting for applications it has given rise to a new means for countries to carry on trade with each other through 'E-Commerce'

It must however be kept in mind that as useful as computers are They are not capable of independent thought and still require human input In recent times scientists have developed' Artificial Intelligence' in computers that may enable them to function independently of man in the future

The pleasures of reading

Animals may have moments of pleasure but only man has got a lot to do with it It is through our sense organs that we enjoy pleasure The sense

of smell, sight, hearing, touch and taste each brings pleasure Even the baby as soon as it is born feels the pleasure of sucking and the comfort of being cuddled in the wads of cloth in the mother's lap But for the pleasing smell we will not be able to enjoy our food We are thrilled by the sight of ice capped mountains or the roaring water falls of the Niagara So they are the senses that help us to get pleasure

There is no end to the sources of pleasure But reading for pleasure belongs to a higher order and stands as a category by itself While external things bring pleasure to the sense organs, reading brings pleasure to the mind Greater the mind is cultured, greater will be the derived from reading for reading makes a full man

Reading is the end product of writing Unless there is something written one cannot read So good writing is a concomitant of reading Man alonecan write, in other words put his ideas in black and white In fact even before printing came into being man was writing and it is as old as moderncivilization Man can preserve his thoughts and ideas through writing Thus the whole world of literature is there far one to read

Now reading material is available for all tastes A scholar may go through serious writing for the sake of enriching his knowledge Another may read a magazine or a picture book for whiling away the

time One chooses the reading material according to his moods, his literary background, the time at his disposal and the purpose if any A

teenager may like stories of romance and an old man may prefer books on philosophy and religion Some gifted with imagination and the faculty

to reflect may read poetry

One who takes pleasure in reading always tries to build his library Very often a good library may serve the purpose

The greatest advantage in reading is when one comes across great minds Whether you agree with what is there to read or do not agree there will not be any quarrel You may pronounce your judgement on the writer There will be no harm if your judgment is silent and not published

Given the proper atmosphere like a good silent place, soft light and comfortable seat, one can read and read and enjoy it

There are great masters of writing in all great languages of the world English Language abounds in such great authors Again it may be poetry, novel, fiction, drama, travelogue, and letters Biographies and autobiographies, form a sizable part In these days of rush good magazines supply the material for reading For example, one may cite the Reader's Digest.

In order to enjoy reading, one must cultivate that habit Reading is not the 'be all' and `end all' of life Yet, it can be ennobling There is dignity in reading habit

Obedience to parents and elders

To be obedient is to obey the orders of one's elders and superiors There cannot be order unless there is obedience One has to obey the laws of the country, otherwise the society cannot exist The laws may be irksome, but, for the overall good of the law one must obey them For instance, the laws to be obeyed on the road ensures road safety The laws pertaining to property help society continue without hitches and hindrances Even in our body our limbs obey the commands of the brains unless they are diseased Obedience is essential for the enforcement of order.Obedience includes obedience to one's parents and elders Parents are the best well wishers of their children From their experience, they know what is good for their children They would never mean ill for them For the sake of the well being of the children, parents insist on obedience Obedient children grow into fine children They are not only loved by their parents but also by others connected with the household and by the neighbours When children obey parents they are happy

Circumstances as they may be, parents may set certain norms Children may not understand their implications, but if they obey, very often they will steer of dangers For instance, the parent may warn his son of bad company If the son obeys, he will grow unscathed The parents may insist

on personal cleanliness, keeping things neat and tidy, being regular in studies and so on and so forth If the boy or girl obeys the parents in such and other things, he or she will surely grow into a finer one

Of course the parents' example may be forceful enough If the parent shows how he is obedient, the son will naturally be obedient

There cannot be a better story than Casabianca on the deck The father had asked the boy not to leave the deck until the parent returned The ship was on fire, the father was dead and other sailors asked Casabianca to leave the deck and escape for life But the boy would not leave, for father had asked him not to The fate of the boy could be conceived but Casabianca has become immortal because he obeyed his father.

Being obedient to parents and elders will have to be followed in life An obedient servant is always liked and respected But for the

unquestioning obedience of servants big establishments cannot be run Unless one knows the value of obedience and has been practising it, suddenly he cannot become obedient Servants who are obedient are preferred to clever ones

One may argue that blind obedience won't do good Where one can prove the other is wrong, strict obedience can be waived This happened sometimes; a junior may have a brilliant idea and without infraction of obedience he may put up his idea in the appropriate manner

Obedience, just like charity must begin at home Parents have a duty in bringing up children to be obedient and loving

My favorite outdoor game

Soccer is my favorite game Ever since I joined the school, I have been playing soccer The luscious grass field is very much suited to run, to roll over and kick

The game is played between two teams of eleven players each though sometimes lesser number like six or seven may be there in a team Among the players of a team, some may be forwards, others mid-fielders and defenders, and one goal keeper Unlike the other players the goal keeper can handle the ball as the situation calls for

As it is a team game, all must cooperate The forwards must be fast, able to take the ball through the legs of the opponent The midfielders help not only in defense but also help the forwards in clearing and supplying the ball Defenders must offer strong defense The goal keeper must be agile, quick to see, correct in anticipation and should kick the ball high and far

There are well established rules and foul play will be penalized The referee's job is tough and there have been instances when the poor referee has been man handled by the onlookers It is the bane of the game that the audience turn partisan.

Among the great soccer nations Argentina, Brazil, England, Russia and Germany are a few The name of Pelee, the great footballer of all times has become a household word among the soccer fans

Football is a manly game so I like it Whenever I find time in the evening, I never fail to play for an hour or so I take the forward position because I feel there is more fun in pursuing and heading the ball

Those who do not know much about the game say it is a rough game Of course there are cases of broken heads, muscle twisting and sometimes even fractures But these are caused when one does not play according to the rules Of course they are inevitable in a game like soccer

Nowadays people protect themselves with guards But for the risks the game is all right If it is all soft then there won't be any game at all

Life in a high-rise flat

Man is the only home making animal He alone can enjoy the warmth of his hearth and family circle Man has evolved from tree dwelling to the modern flat Primitive man was the master of his hut and it was his castle Till recently the house had been a complex affair There were the gardens, barn, poultry, cattle shed and so on The house itself was having different portions spacious enough for all the family members to move about These villas till recently were popular Even today we may come across these villas in the countryside

There was good neighborliness In sorrow and joy the neighbor shared They were helping each other in many of life's needs and operations They had enough leisure They had time to sit over a pipe or glass of drink and gossip In short everybody was known to everybody and the society was in one sense self contained

But those days are gone though there may be vestiges in remote places The onslaught of Industrial Revolution and the growth of industries as a result have caused the birth and growth of towns and cities Though even in ancient days there were cities, they were the capitals of kings and

emperors, otherwise there were not many cities Any student of history could appreciate this point So the growth of cities is a modern

phenomenon, concomitant to the growth and concentration of industries

In an industrial area space becomes scarce and as more and more families pour in they cannot find space for houses Not only the space but also the cost becomes prohibitive So an average office goer or a worker cannot have the luxury of owning a house Still they want some shelter to laytheir heads down when they have returned from their office or factory The answer has been the high rise flats of several floors They are either built by building societies or by the Housing Boards of government

These flats are provided with all facilities like water, electricity, good drainage, airy rooms and so on In every high rise flat there may be even lifts to take people up and down In the flats the tenants may be independent

But there are more disadvantages in living in a high flat The movement will be restricted and conditioned according to the circumstances One may have to live with all sorts of people, the homogeneity which was the rule rather than the exception will be wanting One does not know who his neighbor is, so though living in the midst of many one may feel lonely Since all facilities are artificially controlled any breakdown in them would paralyze life For instance, if there is any defect in the water system, life will be upset For want of space, one must plan carefully what one must own Whereas in olden days people had enough space to entertain guests and relatives It is the children who would suffer most for there won't be enough space for them to run and play about Unless one has the facility to take them out, they will develop complexes of closed space Since the cannot easily mingle with other children, there may be blind spots in their character Living such artificial surroundings may even tell on their health and growth In short they will feel like caged birds This may be true of even grown ups

Further if there were to be accidents like fire or the breakout of epidemics, the high rise flats will suffer most From aesthetic point of view also the flats do not add to the beauty of the city

In short one may conclude that life in a high rise flat is necessary evil in a big city

How to make your life successful

What we call life is a very complex affair It is not simply eating, reproducing and finally dying Every creature does these But in the case of man he has to lead a highly complicated life It is like going through a maze and coming out He is an economic being and a social animal He has to earn, make a home, look after his people, attend to his obligations to the society and the Government So in order to be successful, in all these, he has to develop certain qualities.

What do we mean by saying a man is successful? If in his occupation he can do satisfactorily both for himself and others then he is successful

He must be able to look after his people and bring up good children If he becomes a professional man like an engineer, doctor or lawyer, makingmoney should not be the only criterion; he must also be able to satisfy his clients and be honest at it

In order to be successful one should develop certain qualities At first he must realize his purpose; in other words what he would like to be This

is the crux of the problem, for the choice does not come to him Parents decide it very often for them Let us suppose he decides to be somebody

in his life Once having decided he must work for attaining certain standard in that line Only hard work would make him fit for the job It is rightly said that it is 5% inspiration and 95% perspiration One must deserve before desiring One must remember one's education does not stop with the school or college it is a life long process Professional people must keep themselves up to date

Then one must get on with others In the chess board of life one may find himself in any position; it may be the all powerful queen or simply a pawn It must be remembered that given the chance, even a pawn can destroy a queen This means in a complex society, everyone finds oneself

in a particular position; there may be some above and some below One need not be favoring and flattering those above and be arrogant with those below "What can I do for you' is the correct attitude and having done it go about your duty In getting on with others sweet temperament is really an asset; then only others will like to transact with one One must not be easily irritable nor give irritants to others Then one must be reliable One may be clever but if he is not reliable, he cannot achieve success in a great measure because others will have very little to do with him

Another important quality that would make up for success is doing things then and there Procrastination is the thief of time Postponement of doing things means swelling of work for the next day A small chink may be easily closed today but tomorrow it may be late If we analyze the life of successful people we could easily see they have been through and never postponed doing things

Still another quality is not to argue The other may be really wrong By pointing out that he has been wrong you are not going to improve matters,

on the other hand you can help him correct Arguing not only takes away precious time but also causes irritations Especially one's superior may not like situation something like this 'You may be right, sir', or 'This is all right', but 'what about our alternative' and so on

One must be capable of learning from experience One must be able to learn from the mistakes of others Only when nations and individuals fail

to learn from the past mistakes, they are ruined History is replete with examples.

Precious water

Water is one of the things we need most besides air, and thank god water is plenty generally speaking, because three fourths or so of earth's surface is covered with water This is only a general fact and not all places on earth are having enough water and healthy potable water is a rare commodity Rivers may bring water and lakes may be having it From the health point, they may not be fit for drinking Most of these waters are contaminated and may contain mineral as well as organic impurities, and sometimes epidemic spreading bacteria like those causing cholera and typhoid Nowadays the chances of contamination of water sources are quite common with industries coming up and sending out their effluents indiscriminately So to make these waters potable they must be treated before being supplied to a population

Treating water and supplying it to a town or city means cost The water has to be filtered for suspended impurities and then chlorinated and then pumped to a storage tank from where the water is distributed through pipes So one must remember that when one draws water from the tap, one

is actually buying or paying for water This has become inevitable with the growth of cities and towns

Once we bear in mind we will be careful in using water There are many ways in which water is wasted The tap may be leaky whereby water may be spilled That means some periodic attention must be paid to the plumbing and leaky taps The tap may be open and the water running out and nobody would care to stop it Unless there is need, the tap must be kept closed This must be particularly remembered when one leaves home

on holiday, otherwise throughout their absence water may be flowing out Just as we see if the electric mains are off when we are away for some time so too is the water tap

Major part of the water is used for bathing, washing, and cleaning In all these needs water must be prudently used, Take bathing for instance; when one is scrubbing or applying soap to one's body the shower need not be running Water economy must be remembered in the use of bath tubs One need not be a Rhino to be in one's bath for hours on end This prudence in the use of water may be practised in washing and cleaning Since these consume a lot of water, the municipal corporation, if it is affluent and water is in plenty, can have a separate system supplying water for washing and cleaning alone

The industrial houses must not be allowed to draw from public water system for their industrial use except perhaps for drinking water.

One must bear in mind when one wastes water one is depriving another of his share of water

Good water may get scarcer in days to come With the advent of rapid industrialization contamination of water sources poses a threat So the industrial people must feel it their duty not to add to water pollution In areas of acute water scarcity steps may be taken for recycling water.Remember one of the casualties of the so called modernization is that we have to pay for nature's goods of which water is one

Accidents at home

Let us cite some examples of accidents at home Cutting, burning, scalding, hurting to cause fractured, bones and getting electric shock are some

of them These may happen anywhere, in the kitchen, in the bathroom, or on the staircase

These accidents may lead to temporary disablement or permanent ones Sometimes they may prove fatal So as in many cases in life it is always better to prevent them; hence the proverb 'prevention is better than cure', but one must be aware of the cure also

Let us consider the preventive aspect first One must be careful in using cutting instruments in the kitchen One must learn from those who have experience how to use the knives, manglers and so on Care must be taken in handling hot things Use good tongs to remove hot vessels from the oven Hot things must not be placed anywhere, otherwise one would get scalded Steam causes a greater injury than hot water so one must be careful where steam is involved Since pressure cookers work on steam one should be careful when removing the lid of the cooker So too with hot oils Here care must be taken not to add water to hot oil when it is on open fire because it will catch fire

Falling down by false step is another accident Bathrooms, poorly lit landing places, ill fixed mattresses on the staircase are worst offenders Oil drops or soap bits must not be dropped down in the bathroom as these may help slipping down The staircase must be well lit so that no false step

is possible The mattresses must be well fixed Fall from ladder and stools are common Unless there is somebody to hold or unless the ladder is well fixed, one must be very careful in using ladders Trying to reach a higher point from a ladder always results in slipping down So too with

stools; broad based three legged stools are to be preferred to four legged ones because of the stability of the former Electrical wiring must be periodically checked Frayed wires must be removed When handling electrical equipment it is always advisable to have the mains off Too manyleads may not be taken from a single pin point as it results in heating and hence some accidents Electrical appliances must have insulated or protective handles When using the electric iron it is better to stand on a rubber sheet or dry wood plank No wet cloth must be hung on any electrical wire for, in case of any leakage, it would prove fatal.

Medicines must be kept away from the views of children and kept under lock and key Otherwise they may be tempted to swallow or drink the wrong medicine and may prove dangerous Youngsters must be taught how to use knives and other sharp instruments Nowadays gas is being used for cooking It must be seen that there is no leakage of gas lest there would be some explosive accident Children must not be allowed to play with the valves for even breathing of the gas is dangerous Beware of leakage of gas

In all these cases by being a bit careful, many an accident can be avoided

The day everything went wrong

There are days in one's life when everything can go wrong He can get into trouble at every move I had one such day last week

It was Friday when I woke up at 7 a.m The sun was already bright I had to be at the bus-stop at the latest 7.15 to reach school by 7.30 a.m I rushed to the bathroom for a quick wash and turned on the tap There was no water, it was dry! However, I managed with a pail of water, which

my mother had left there the previous night I quickly dressed myself up and slipped out of my house without mother's knowledge I knew my mother would be angry for what I had done that day

I reached the bus-stop within five minutes Alas! the bus had gone a few seconds before I concluded as there were no students at the bus-stop I had no choice but to call a passing taxi I was lucky to get one and jumped into it I cheered up thinking that I would reach school on time When

I put my hand in my pocket to pay for the taxi fare, I was horrified to find the pocket empty I had no money! "What shall I do?" As the taxi stopped at the gate of my school, I met my form teacher I explained to him my situation and he was kind enough to help me pay the fare I was

much relieved and ran to the class I regained my spirit when I found that I had reached school before the bell.

Then I noticed something peculiar I was the only student around "Am I late after all?" I quickened my steps, suddenly I heard a shout "What areyou doing here?" I turned back and saw my principal standing in front of me "Why are you late for school?" When I looked at my watch it showed 7.30 a.m "I am not, Sir," It is just 7.30 now I realized then my watch was running ten minutes late "Your watch doesn't show the correct time, boy; you better hurry to your class now," I blushed at the thought of my blunders and cursed my luck My teacher reprimanded me for being late for lesson

The career I would like to choose

I believe that in this day and age when competition is rife among young people to get ahead in life, it is important to get an early start One should know what one wishes to do with one's life To this end it is wise to seek advice from one's elders as well as to research the areas of work you might have an interest in, inclination or aptitude for The idea is to be exposed to as many views as possible Professional counselling or 'Career Days' may be helpful in this regard

I am fortunate I suppose in that I am reasonably certain what I want to do with my life I wish to be a lawyer for I believe it to be a noble and dignified profession It affords one the opportunity to be of help to others To a large extent my uncle, who is a lawyer, is responsible for my choice of careers My uncle has been practising law for the last twenty years and I find him to be knowledgeable in a great many things My uncle is always fond of saying that a lawyer's trade always involves him having to know about what other people do as well To put it another way my uncle may be described as a 'Jack of all trades' Acting on his advice and that of my parents I have decided to work very hard in school

so ultimately I will obtain results that are good enough for me to enter the National University I will have to work hard as places for this course are limited and also much sought after

At the moment however in Singapore there are a rather large number of lawyers and not everyone has a chance to work in the area he or she has trained for This does not discourage me although it is a source for some concern for my parents I am planning to take subjects in school that will

be suited for my intended course of study in university Although some may say that it is still much too early for me to narrow my choices or

options in this way, I am committed to my goal.

Gadgets at home

One of the symbols of civilization is the many gadgets which one finds in a modern home Many of these are acquired for the sake of fashion; some really for the convenience as they are efficient and time saving Nowadays even an average home of middle class family has many of these gadgets

Take the kitchen for instance, there is the gas stove which works on Liquid Petroleum Gas The stove is efficient, smokeless and at the same timecomparatively cheap Only one must be careful to see that there is no leakage of gas which would prove fatal There are wet grinders and dry grinders which take away the chores of the housewife In highly sophisticated homes they may have even dish washing machines Then there is the fridge This comes very handy for keeping things cool, for avoiding things getting putrid or stale, for preserving things and so on Thus milk,fruits, vegetables, meat and fish are preserved There is the electric toaster for toasting bread

Then there are other gadgets of utility like the electric iron, and sewing machine The electric iron is helpful in pressing things; otherwise one will have to wait on the laundry which is very costly nowadays The sewing machine is very useful since the family's clothes could be made provided of course the housewife at home takes interest in sewing and stitching With the machine, the work becomes easy and in fact with some modifications in the machine many types of stitching could be done

Then there are the gadgets of recreation, like radio, television and disc and cassette players To know the daily news and for hearing music the radio comes in handy The disc and cassette players have taken the place of the gramophone disc; one definite advantage being the disc or cassette could be made and unmade Music or speech could be easily recorded on the magnetic disc or tape While the radio could be played onlyduring stipulated hours, the cassette player has no such limitation Now the disc and cassette players and the radio are found in one

The rage of the day is television Since it has the advantage of sound and vision it takes the place of the cinema One can enjoy a program from one's easy chair or couch and one need not take the trouble to go to the theater The color television makes things more realistic Video cassette

recorder is another device to watch programs of one's choice, particularly movies.

But one big question that often comes to the mind is, if a man is really happy with all these gadgets There is always the law of compensation which works inexorably Without the coming of gadgets man may not find much use for his hands and creativity may suffer Unless one knows

to shoot the periodical trouble with these gadgets, simply owning them may mean costly

putrid decayed and having an unpleasant smell

come in handy convenient

inexorably continuing without any possibility of being stopped

The dream I never forget

One of the human faculties which distinguishes him from others is that he is able to dream However, one is not sure whether other animals dream; if at all they dream they have no medium to express it is just as the human Every human being should have had dreams, some of them very pleasant, some of them bizarre and horrible; in the latter case a few have a hell of a life and they call it the nightmare In a nightmare one may feel as if he is being choked or being drowned

In a dream one feels all one does in wakeful hours, only the body does not move Sometimes limbs may be moved and people have been seen to beat down their hands Some cry and laugh, some shiver and weep So dream is in a sense a semi-conscious state between sound sleep and wakefulness

It should be interesting to know how dreams are caused but there are no valid theories One thing is sure that something has been built up in the inner recesser of brains which get active accumulating concomitant interests Very strange things appear in dreams for which there is no valid explanation One thing is clear; some nerve center is stimulated, how God only knows, as a result many other nerve centers get into operation

bringing in a chain of experiences Things move fast and clear as on a cine screen and the subject taking part in it The ancient belief was that some dreams foreshadowed the coming events How far it is scientific we cannot say Shakespeare uses dreams in his plays; for example in the play Macbeth.

I too dream and had one recently, which may be of interest I become a ruler of my country Suddenly I find myself at the head of a procession, to

be correct it is a motorcade and I am in a Cadillac Huge crowds, men and women and children all in their fine dress line the route through which

I am taken There are victory arches and flags and festoons Photo flashes burst and hundreds of photographers take pictures of mine

At last I enter a massive mansion; the guards present me the honor I am taken by well dressed courtiers to the throne The reception hall is big and spacious; there are glittering windows and doors, and colorful chandeliers are hung from high roof Colored light beams into the hall as sunlight filters itself into the hall thorough stained glass panes

As soon as I sit on the throne, the courtiers cry 'long live the King' Then a man approaches me; he may be the chief minister He tells me

respectfully that I must announce my concessions to the people who eagerly wait to hear me speak I am a bit nervous at first but get over it soon

I tell them that the old system of paying one sixth of one's income as tax will come into use I add that the tax may be paid in kind I announce that there won't be any admission fee to go into theaters and the Government itself will run all the theaters and only healthy films will be

exhibited At one stroke I abolish child labor and education of children will be completely manned by the Government I make it known that every town and village will have a play field where the young can play and the old can relax The production of milk in the country would be stepped up so that everybody gets enough milk I exhort the youth to develop robust health and sharpen their intelligence

This dream did not continue long as my alarm clock began chiming, and it was time for me to get up and study The sweet dream vanished like the snow before the morning sun but that was the best dream I ever had

concomitant happening and connected with another thing

foreshadow to act as a warning or sign of a future event

paid in kind paid with something of the same kind

I am proud to be a citizen of my country

In his poem of patriotism Scott says if a man is not proud of his country, he will be buried without honor When a man returns after a travel to hiscountry he must be bubbling with enthusiasm and his heart must be pulsating with joy to land on his native soil We have heard of great martyrs who sacrificed themselves for the sake of their country So it is only proper and fair that one should love one's country

There are many things why one must be proud of one's country It may be due to the climate, natural regions, its people and the government, its tradition and culture and manufactures The relation which the country has with other countries is also a point to be considered

Considering the above norms let me say why I am proud of my country My country has an equable climate We are having bright sunshine throughout the year and plenty of rain There are virgin evergreen forests There are some good rivers, and hills and valleys make the country beautiful The sea coast is not straight but has bays so there are some good harbors

Our people are quiet, hard-working and peace loving They know their land gives them plenty in the form of grains and fruits and so one need not

be hungry The forests have natural wealth and the plantations are rich producing money spinning rubber Our mines produce valuable tin makingthe country rich We are a developing nation and a lot of good things will have to be done

We have a good government which is democratic in set up We have had a succession of enlightened rulers who have taken measures for

improvement The upheavals we see in some countries are practically absent in our country and the people are law abiding

Our country has had a long history of several centuries Several cultures have flowed in here and so there we see a mixed culture This is

reflected in the way people dress and eat; the buildings show the effect of these overriding cultures Our country has very friendly relation with the neighboring countries and we are held in high esteem Considering all these I am proud of my country

equable having no change or variation

overriding central, most important

high esteem pride in oneself, self-respect

Fashion trends among teenagers

Fashion trends often dictate what we wear and how we act When one thinks of fashion the idea of trendy clothes come to mind However this is not the only concept of what constitutes a fashion trend As an example in the nineteen sixties it was considered fashionable in America for men

to wear their hair long, also people spoke in an altogether different manner using a lot of slang expressions such as 'groovy' or 'cool' to signify that something was agreeable to them

In present day Singapore we can see that fashion trends have a dominating influence among our teenagers Most of these trends originate from the West Bell-bottomed trousers for both sexes once all the rage in the sixties are making a comeback on our shores Platform shoes although very hard on the feet are very popular too, to complete the look Perhaps most striking is the way the young people and some older ones have taken to dying their hair blonde, red and even green Fashion trends in themselves may not be harmful unless taken to extremes, for example, piercing one's eyebrows or eyelids even They are often merely a way for teenagers to express their individuality

What is sometimes insidious about these trends are that they help to promote a strong sense of wanting to belong which can have negative aspects Peer pressure may be responsible for compelling young people to do things they would otherwise not indulge in if not for the fear of being a 'fashion outcast' It is considered fashionable for young people to be seen at trendy night spots just as it is fashionable among some circles to consume the drug 'Ecstasy' because of it's ability to induce a feeling of non-fatigue

The important thing to remember is that teenagers are at a very susceptible time in their lives when the wrong influences can easily take root and express themselves as hostile attitudes or rebelliousness To a large extent we have to depend on teenagers to make the right choices based on theguidance we give them

groovy very pleasing, wonderful

all the rage the current or latest fashion

outcast One that has been excluded from a society or system

A distinguished visitor to my school

I study in a national type secondary school in Malaysia It is in Selangor and is one of the progressive schools in the country It is a

co-educational school and prepares students for the 'O' level and 'A' level examinations The school is lucky in having hard-working and intelligent members on the staff with an all rounder as Headmaster In academic as well as sports our school has always been in the top of the list

For National Day Celebrations, the Minister of Education was invited He readily accepted the invitation There was a tremendous preparation going on for a week for the celebration A face lift was given to the school Flags and festoons were hung up and in view of the Minister's visit invitations were sent to prominent persons of the town

The festive day came Our school hall where the guests were to be seated was tastefully decorated The guests were received at the entrance by the Headmaster and the committee members of the school The school band was in attendance The Secretary of the school led the chief guest to the seat

After a formal prayer, the Headmaster read the welcome address in which he expatiated on the services of the honorable minister for education One of the senior students garlanded the guest Then the guest addressed the gathering

At the outset he had a few words of praise for the school He spoke highly of the members of the staff who had been working hard to make the students good citizens Then he spoke of the greatness of the country which was shaping well in all fields He advised the students to work hard and become great citizens because he said the future of the country depended on the quality of its citizens So the students as future citizens must become big mentally, physically and spiritually He exhorted the students to develop a national outlook and at the same time they must develop

their faculty to appreciate the international situation He asked them to be prepared to contribute their part for the well being of the country He advised the teachers to look for the aptitude of students and develop their skills accordingly He asked the students to spend more time in the laboratory, in the library and on the play fields He said that an industrious nation would always flourish.

One of the senior members of the staff thanked the Minister for having come and for giving some valuable advice He assured the minister that the teachers would play their part well and would not lag behind in doing their duty to the country After the singing of the national anthem the meeting came to a close

all rounder a person who has many different types of skills and abilities

prominent very well-known and important

at the outset at the beginning

A fashion show

Fashion show is one of the ways of advertisement This is to attract the attention of the public and to educate them on the coming fashion Unlike the advertisements in the news papers, a fashion show has the glamour of music, color, light and all theatrical effects Since live models are used,

it becomes very realistic and the audience has got a chance to see, discuss and criticize, and have some fun at the expense of the models So there

is no denying the fact that the fashion shows have become the fashion of the day and they have become pace setters of a fashion

Thus recently I had an occasion to attend a fashion show organized by the Textile Mills Association and the Garment Makers' Guild This was held in the City Hall on a Sunday so that more people could attend The hall was very tastefully decorated The stage was set in such a way that the models could be viewed to advantage The lighting was first class with concealed lights and provision for color lighting Admission was by special invitation; otherwise the organizers could not control the crowd Since my father received an invitation, we went to the show Soft music was played to enliven the show

The models were selected ones who had been taken for their attractive personality There were men's, women's and children's models One by one they paraded on the stage and when they came there and walked across the stage showing their dress to the audience, some salesman at the microphone would describe the fabric, the name of the mill that had produced it and the name of the fashion At the same time, printed forms of the fashion was distributed to the audience.

Men wearing office dress, casuals, hunting dress, sports wear and dinner dress appeared on the stage The Olympics suit especially created for the Olympic games was shown A team of athletes wearing the suit paraded on the stage Women in all types of dresses both oriental and

occidental were there The materials of which their dresses were made varied from cotton to polyester There were women wearing Indian sarees,Japanese Kimonos, Bikinis and swim suit and Maxi's There was also a model who was wearing a casual dress made of paper The announcer said that the paper dress was cheaper and disposable and it could be used in the operation theatres and so on

It was not all a show of the grown ups There were children between three and eight, both boys and girls who presented the latest version of children's wear Some of the children who appeared on the stage were very smart and they enjoyed the fun

What attracted me most was the beach dress which when worn could give a camouflage effect Besides it was said that the material was

waterproof, non smelling and light

It was a delightful show and the audience had an enjoyable evening The fashions book which was for sale was in great demand So there is no gain saying that I too enjoyed the show very much

parade to show something in an obvious way in order to be admired

camouflage something that is meant to hide something, or behavior that is intended to hide the

truth

Silver wedding day of my parents

It was at dinner time that we learnt quite casually that it would be twenty-five years by March next since our parents got married Our parents are

a very loving couple who adore the company of each other But we brothers and sisters felt that something must be done to celebrate the occasion

of silver jubilee of our parents' wedding

When we broached the topic our parents smilingly brushed aside the idea; nor were they keen on the celebration They seemed to feel to be a man and woman, a blessing of God and this fact need not to be trumpeted But we insisted on having a celebration; only we needed their

blessing After some serious thought they gave us their consent to go ahead

Once we got the permission, we had to prepare for our program But we agreed that whatever we would do, it must be secret till the day so that there might be a surprise on the day

So we sat and planned My eldest sister said that we could present some memento in silver which would be apt for the occasion because we weregoing to celebrate 25th year of the wedding She went even to the extent of suggesting what could be the article It might be a carved silver plate

or a silver tea set She felt rightly too that the gift must be one which could be of some use instead of being confined to the showcase, as memory.But I thought of throwing a party for selected friends and relatives This would be an occasion for a get together and free mingling when we could hear our elders talk about the good old days

My younger brother had some nice ideas to put forward He spoke of arranging a picnic when we could freely enjoy nature's beauty while at the same time pay homage to our parents As an alternative he said we could re-enact the marriage of our parents That would bring great fun and perhaps my parents themselves could enjoy the joke But we were doubtful how far our parents could comply

I had almost a novel idea and said that the money we hoped to spend might be made into an endowment, so that the income could used for some good purpose However laudable the proposal was, all of us could not agree to it because the amount we hoped to spend might not be that big andthen there was no meaning in getting the money from parents to be reinvested

The discussion was long and nothing final could be decided because each one of us had our own views Then we struck a golden means of takingsomething from each one's suggestion We finally decided to give father a nice unbreakable brief case, to mother a silver framed mirror and a silver jug We decided also that we could hold a small party of selected friends and relatives The idea of picnic which the younger fellow so vociferously advocated was, not dropped either It was clearly understood that we could go to a pleasure spot not far away from our town

Having planned thus we unfolded it to our parents who felt very happy and promised us help in the execution of the plan

broach to begin a discussion of something difficult

momento an object that you keep to remember a person, place or event

mingling to move around and talk to other people at a social event

English : Why it is important to study the language

One may ask why is it important that we learn how to speak English in our schools? After all we live in a region of non-English speaking

countries Would it not be better perhaps to learn the languages more commonly spoken in our part of the world? In fact the most populous country in the world is China which accounts for more than fifty per cent of the world's population the Chinese people don't speak English but rather Mandarin or their individual dialects

The answer would be that traditionally the cultures of the world have come to be broadly classified into two groups the Western and the Eastern cultures English has come to represent the means of communication in the West With more and more gateways being opened to Asia it is imperative that one language be adopted to suit our needs As the people of Asia speak a diverse variety of languages it would appear that English would be the logical choice

In Singapore, English is the National Language in a country with a mixture of races Singapore is also a focal point for trade with the West in thispart of the world English is taught as a language in our schools to reflect it's importance in our society If this were not so, there is a good

likelihood that in time the strong influence of individual cultures here would result in people only being well versed in their mother tongues However Singapore being a former British Colony and the present education policy have seen to it that most Singaporeans are bi-lingual, that is able to speak English as well as their mother tongues

Another factor which has promoted the use of English as a medium of communication here in Singapore is the rather significant expatriate community here The process of globalization is not restricted to trade alone but also covers all aspects of our life The important thing to

remember however is that we should not sacrifice or compromise on our unique cultural identity in order to keep up with the pace of

globalization

diverse varied or different

compromise To arrive at a settlement by making concessions

Animals which help man

Man is not only denizen of this wonderful world of ours He says he has inherited this earth; so too are other animals of the earth It is sheer arrogance not to admit our dependence on other animals They contribute not a little to our welfare Even the so-called wild animals have some part to play in our lives on earth Now let us see how some animals help man

The first and foremost is the cow Who can deny that one does not enjoy a cup of milk? Next to the mother's milk, the cow's milk is the best for all, especially for children and the sick From milk, butter, cheese, ghee etc are made Skimmed milk is also nutritive Further, milk goes into themanufacture of sweets The male of the cow, that is the ox has been used as draught animal from time immemorial So the farmer uses it for ploughing his field, and for pulling his cart Milk is so valuable and in great demand that dairy farming has come to be one of the major

industries The animals are slaughtered for their meat Some countries like Australia, Argentine and the United States have vast cattle ranches which supply world's meat

Next to the cow is the horse Man's civilization has a lot to do with the horse Till recent times, the horse was used for riding, ploughing and pulling carts In olden days, armies were proud of their cavalries, that is horse troops Even today horse races are very popular and perhaps a costly pastime The race horses are worth thousands of dollars The horse is a very noble animal and very sensitive too The Arabian horses are famous even today

Then we may mention the sheep In the matter of number and use, the sheep stands foremost The sheep supplies man with wool for his clothing

and meat for his table In cold countries the sheep thrives very well and the wool is found very useful in the manufacture of warm clothing The lamb is a symbol of innocence.

The list will not be complete without the mention of the dog The dog was as wild as the wolf How it came to be domesticated, is a matter of speculation But one thing is certain, from the dawn of civilization, the man and the dog were friends They have found each other's company useful No other animal is so faithful and sincere as the dog There are very many kinds of dogs Some are good at hunting; some are vigilant and house-keepers Some are beautiful and so kept as pets The dog's sense of smell is so highly developed that it is used by the police in tracing criminals

denizen an animal, plant or person that lives in or is often in a particular place

from time immemorial for a very long time

domesticate to bring animals or plants under human control in order to provide food, power or

companionship

My school library

Our school library is one of the assets to our school It is the treasure house of knowledge, past and present It is so because the world's mighty brains are represented there through their works Just a glance would show that the names of great writers of the world are found side by side in the shelves of our library

Our library is a quiet spot in our school It is housed in one of the wings of our school building Gilded volumes decorate the glass chests There are different shelves for different languages Thus one finds books on English, Chinese, Malay, Tamil and so on For each language, books are classified under different heads Thus there are books on drama, prose, poetry, etc There is also a number of reference books The walls of the library are decorated with portraits of great writers

The library is very well equipped for comfortable reading Cushion seats are provided for students to use during the day One can take any book from the shelves, sit there and read undisturbed by anybody So one can find a number of boys and girls there in the evenings reading books.

Another attraction of our library is the reference room A number of dailies, and magazines are regularly received The illustrated magazines are the attractions for us, students

The library service is very efficient There is an able librarian, who is also well read One can have a free access to the shelves and pick up any book one likes There are two index cabinets, one according to subjects and the other according to the authors So one never finds it difficult to choose the right book

The library is very well utilized both by the students and the members of the staff The students are well trained in silent reading The library is a very useful place for self study When assignments are given by teachers, students make full use of the library to their advantage Thus our library is a place for intellectual work in our school

gilded covered with a thin layer of gold or a substance that looks like gold

Road accidents

Almost no day passes without the morning paper, bringing some news about one or other of the road accidents The more civilized we grow, the more we are prone to road accidents Why is it so? There are many reasons for such accidents For instance, there are the fast moving vehicles

In big cities speed and greater speed seems to be the rule So when one vehicle tries to overtake another, gruesome accidents may be the result It

is not uncommon to read in the news papers that on festival days, good number of accidents occur As a result there will be a number of deaths.Another reason, perhaps a major one, is the lack of road sense, among pedestrians Every one must use the road but everyone should also know how to use the road The pedestrian and the cyclist are often the victims of road accidents because they don't keep to their end of the road School

children must therefore be taught how to take to the road The cyclists are very often the victims of their own folly They indulge in gay riding, two or three abreast obstructing the vehicular traffic The result is, as one understand the accident.

Another cause for road accidents, is the unmanned level crossing The train may be coming A car or a cab would try to cross the level crossing and would be hit So a lot of precautions must be taken at level crossing They should on all accounts, be provided with gates and perhaps also alarm signals

Mechanical troubles may be another reason for road accidents The motorist will not be able to control the vehicle, hence the accident To avoid accidents periodical check up of public vehicles must be insisted on

Another cause of the accidents is the poor vision due to fog This very often happens in cold countries To avoid this, warnings are being given about the fog condition and visibility On wet roads sometimes, the tyres skid, resulting in accidents To avoid accidents, as in the case of health, prevention is always better than cure

prone likely to suffer from

gruesome extremely unpleasant and shocking

What causes this kind of behavior? The reasons are many Some youths show hatred for the society and its values These irresponsible citizens out of frustrations in life are tempted to do these undesirable acts of vandalism They do not have a sense of belonging or loyalty towards their society or nation In some cases it could be for drawing attention to themselves or just a desire to see their names written in prominent places.Vandalism is not exclusive in our society in Singapore, it could be a social ill in other countries too Although there are strict laws to prevent vandalism in every country it is rather impossible to enforce the laws strictly One way to eradicate or reduce the rate of vandalism is

to instill civic sense into the citizens, besides of course, the introduction of compulsory education up to the age of sixteen Vandalism can be curbed to some extent if the government law imposes severe penalty on those caught in the act But the permanent solution is inculcating the right values including respect for public property in all the young citizens If people start regarding that public property is their property, they willnot want to spoil it Schools can provide a healthy atmosphere for children to form healthy attitudes and this in turn would make them realise the values of discipline in life

All of us should realize that we deprive our children of their heritage if we deface beautiful things and damage public property

wilful something bad done intentionally

instill to put a feeling, idea or principle gradually into someone's mind

inculcate to fix beliefs or ideas in someone's mind, especially by repeating them often

round the stalls during their busy hours If you happen to be careless about your wallet beware of the pickpocket.

Business at the Central Market starts in the early hours of the day Vans and lorries bring loads of fish and meat to the vendors

Usually nonperishable things are brought overnight But green vegetables are brought early in the morning The smooth and efficient working ofthe market is really appreciable

This market is in a huge concrete building The stalls are arranged in beautiful rows, They are also classified according to the goods they deal with Fruits, vegetables, fish, fowls and meat; - all have their respective dealers There are also the platform vendors who add to the confusion of the place Each class of vendors also has a portion allotted to them

Nice things are being sold in this market Buyers and sellers, haggle and haggle over prices They push and jostle to get the best offer In addition

it is also filled with the angry voices of buyers and sellers Now and then, a fellow will come to you with an old pen or watch; be careful before buying It may be a stolen stuff and you may be get into trouble with the police In the midst of all these confusions, the sellers do a brisk trade.The market is under city authorities So health inspectors are responsible for its cleanliness They have to see that the food stuffs that are sold are free from defects Thus unscrupulous stall keepers and vendors are warned against selling rotten, unpalatable or poisonous food stuff

nonperishable Of food: Processed or packaged to withstand prolonged storage

brisk trade trade or business that is brisk is very busy, with a lot of products being sold

unpalatable food that is unpleasant to taste or eat

My best teacher

During my school life, I have come across several teachers None has impressed me so much as our English Teacher Courtesy requires that I don't give his real name here For convenience, I shall call him Mr Leo.

Mr Leo has been teaching me English for the last two years He is a very lovable person, soft spoken and good mannered He is not a giant in hisstature but it is very well made up by his intellectual attainments He used to come, neatly dressed There may not be anything gorgeous about it but he always dresses in an elegant way He used to move about quietly, though he always bears an assured look of a scholar Naturally therefore,everyone respects him

It is a pleasure to listen to him when he teaches English whether it be prose or poetry and he would leave his mark on it There, is

nothing bombastic in his use of words, because he always uses very simple ones, so that even an average student could follow him He has always been very methodical in his approach He would never proceed further unless he has made everyone understand the passage When he finds somebody has difficulty he would spare no pains to make the student understand

His teaching of poetry has been marvelous He would simply get into the spirit of the poet Gifted with some histrionic talent, he would carry thewhole class with him in the enjoyment of the poem Whether it be "Oh! Captain, My Captain!" "The Solitary Reaper" or "Patriotism", he would impress the class, with his dramatic teaching For all these things, he has been a very good coach so far as the examination is concerned But he used to say, that examination is not everything

During his leisure hours, he can be found in the school library browsing among literary magazines One can approach him easily and have doubtscleared By his knowledge, character, and day to day life he leaves a profound influence on the intellectual and moral character of his pupils He leaves the permanent stamp of his personality on their moral character One great quality in him is that he never bears malice towards anybody

He is a model for all teachers May his tribe increase!

bombastic using long and difficult words, usually to make people think you know more than you

do

histrionic very emotional and energetic

malice the wish to harm or upset other people

An exciting picnic in Sentosa

During our last school break for the millennium my classmates and I decided to make the holidays one to remember by planning a visit to Sentosa Island There were fifteen of us in all and we eagerly set down to discussing the trip We decided unanimously that no girls would be allowed as this was a boys only trip

We set out bright and early one Sunday morning for Sentosa by ferry from the jetty of the World Trade Centre We could barely contain our

excitement The first thing we did upon landing on the pier at Sentosa was to make our way single mindedly to the monorail We boisterously boarded the monorail for a trip around the island The train took us along a narrow track through lush green foliage and valleys We were

spellbound by the scenic beauty all around us Alighting at the terminal station near the jetty, we walked straight to the park where we strolled along the well worn paths for a while Then we sat down for a while and talked over what to do next

We first visited the Coralariums where we saw a variety of coral fishes and other marine creatures The so called lion fish caught our attention with it's strange form and coloration It was easy to see how it derived its name Little did we realize that coral was a living organism! Our next stop was at the wax museum which displays life size figurines of men and women who have left their mark in history The figurines were so life-like that one almost felt like reaching out and touching one and at the same expecting it to react We recognized some of the figurines from our history books but were at loss as to who the others were

Equally exciting were our next two stops, namely Fort Siloso and the Insectarium Among all the sights we experienced that day the most captivating was the Musical Fountain We spent some time there just watching the surroundings and listening to the music wafting through the air so soothing to the ears We began to feel hungry just then so we promptly wolfed down the sandwiches we had brought from home

Later that afternoon some of us went down to the beach for a swim There were a number of tourists there, mainly Japanese, who were enjoying the beach as well As it was getting late in the day we decided to go back home Our launch brought us back safely to the World Trade Centre at about seven in the evening We took along with us memories of beautiful Sentosa

set out begin a journey

waft to (cause to) move gently through the air

wolf down to eat a large amount of food very quickly

My favorite subject in school

In school a student has to study many subjects such as English, Mathematics, Science and Geography among others, in order to prepare himself for an examination Not everyone likes the subjects he or she studies in school Students have their favorite subjects and they tend to pay special attention to them in class They are willing to go that extra mile, so to speak, where these subjects are concerned More often than not they also perform better in these subjects during the exams

For me my favorite subject is Biology, a branch of Science This is because it teaches me about the human body, animal life and about plants I like to learn and understand these subjects more than others I learn with great interest the different parts of my body and their functions It is important to know how human beings respire and how food digests in our bodies We also learn about the bones, muscles and ligaments which make up our very form and aid us in our movement How we come to experience pain and other sensations through a network of fine channels called nerves which conduct very small electrical currents We then begin to realize the true complexity of the human body

The study of animals also fascinates me I came to know about the various breeds of mammals, birds and reptiles Both big and small mammals that live side by side in the forest and grasslands I am curious to know how they survive in the wild Wild animals like lions and tigers prey on weaker animals like deer and zebra yet they co-exist in such lands There are relationships between animals that are even beneficial to both parties and are called symbiotic My desire to know more has compelled me to watch documentary films on animal life

Science also teaches us about the plant, life It allows me to differentiate between species of plants It explains how they produce their own food and react to external stimuli Our class experiments have shown us the extraordinary ways plants adapt themselves to survive under different conditions The practical nature of the experiments allows us to see first hand the science of Biology in action I consider Biology as one of the most useful subjects for a student as it teaches him or her about the basic facts of nature However this is not to say that one should neglect other subjects.

so to speak as if it were really so

symbiotic Describes a close relationship between two species in which at least one benefits

Television and its influence on viewers

Television is a very powerful visual medium Practically every household has one Unlike radio the messages and ideas that are conveyed to the viewer are further reinforced by visual images that accompany these messages and ideas It is a fast and inexpensive medium by which to

communicate with the masses Satellite dishes and all kinds of other receiving devices enables us to not only to receive news and programs from within the country but also transmissions from abroad In some countries viewers may have access to a hundred or more channels through their televisions

It is however important to note that communication in this setting is one way and not interactive Considering that hardly a day passes without watching TV, it indeed has the potential of having a strong effect on us For the discerning viewer being able to differentiate between which programs have useful content and which do not, this may not be a problem However when we are dealing with impressionable young minds it may be difficult for them to separate reality from make believe

Responsible censorship by the authorities and careful monitoring by parents is necessary to ensure that young people are not adversely affected

by watching this medium The phrase 'couch potato' has been coined to describe viewers who are constantly in front of their television sets

Their senses are continuously only subjected to the images they see sometimes for the better part of the day Violence is a common feature in most entertainment programs to the extent that films have to be rated accordingly as most scenes are too horrific for younger viewers.

Television is not all bad as there are positive aspects to it Educational programs nowadays incorporate all kinds of ways to entertain as well as toeducate Programs such as 'Sesame Street' have a large following among children Documentary films are informative and instructional The expression that 'too much of anything is bad' applies here The idea is for viewers to have a healthy balance of the different kinds of programs available

discerning showing good judgment, especially about style and quality

impressionable someone, usually a young person, who is very easily influenced by the people around them

and by what they are told, and who sometimes copies other people's behavior

Shopping

For getting one's things, one has to do some shopping Sometimes shopping is undertaken for fun Shopping on special occasions, is really exciting For example, when one goes shopping on the eve of Hari Raya Puasa, Deepavali, Chinese New Year or Christmas, the experience is really exciting

Shopping is not simply buying things for our needs It is much more than that First of all one must know what one wants to buy He must know, where those things are available In fact, this is not a problem in a small place but in a big city, one must know where different things are sold There may be, chain stores, selling things at a higher price The same things may be had at a cheaper price at a grocery Then there are the genuine goods and the spurious ones Unless one knows one is likely to be deceived This reminds one of the famous chapter in the "Vicar of Wakefield" Moses went to the fair, to sell his mare He was deceived by a sharper, who exchanged the mare for a gross of silver spectacles When Moses returned home, he found they were not at all silver This may happen to anybody unless one has the wit and wisdom Shopping

requires some experience of the market.

Shopping requires bargaining ability It is not always fixed prices in all markets So one must be able to bargain It requires certain ability to choose the right stuff For instance if one goes into a big cloth shop, one finds it easy, one must have made up his mind as to what stuff to get Hemust be careful to see whether correct weights and measures are being used It is here that very often people are deceived

Shopping, during week end is really exciting One has to wend through a stream of shoppers There will be, the crowd of roadside vendors cryingtheir wares One must not be tempted to buy all and sundry, otherwise, he will find he has wasted his money In fact shopping is a good school, where one can learn about men, moods and manners

chain stores One of a number of retail stores under the same ownership and dealing in the same

merchandise

wit intelligence and the ability to think quickly

wend to move slowly and not directly

My pet

Rosy, is a dog which I have been keeping for the past four years It was sheer accident that Rosy came into my hands Our neighbor Mr Jones was a dog fancier He had a good kennel in his house where he reared different breeds of dogs Suddenly, he got transferred from the town and hewanted to dispose of some of the dogs He was talking about it to my father Then I told my father that we could have one of the puppies; though reluctantly, my father agreed Thus, Rosy came into my possession.

Why it was named Rosy, I can't say It is an Alsatian She is of medium height She is grey colored with dark spots near her belly The dog has a bushy tail and glistening eyes which has grown wonderfully well and can easily be the envy of many

Rosy, can be seen about our house when she is not engaged in playing or when she is not sleeping She takes pleasure in sneaking about the corners when she has nothing particularly to do She is as docile as a dog in our presence When we are not there she will be in her mettle None can easily come near our gate Though she doesn't bite, she will bounce on the person and paralyze him Since the postman regularly comes, she recognizes in him a friend and so does not do him any harm She will try to catch the sparrow and it will be a splendid sight to see

I give her a Spartan food She takes some biscuits and milk in the morning and meat mixed with rice in the afternoon Usually she is not given any food in the night When we are at our table, Rosy keeps company with me but she shows no eagerness to touch even a crumb unless offered

So my father likes it Rosy cries in a peculiar way It is between barking and howling Sometimes, she raises a cry like moaning That means she wants to go out to relieve herself

Whenever I go out in the evening, she accompanies me My friends are afraid of her because she doesn't like silly mischief of boys She shows her displeasure by a big bark and that is enough to unnerve the boys My father says, Rosy would soon become a mother Then I will have a litter

of nice puppies

glistening to shine by reflecting light from a wet, oily or smooth surface

docile quiet and easy to influence

mettle Inherent quality of character and temperament

The country which interests me

There are many countries in the world, which one would like to visit Each one has its own characteristics in architecture, the way of life of its people, landscape, etc I would like to visit Japan, if I have enough money to pay for the travel

Given the first choice, I would like to visit Japan because it interests me most For one thing, the Japanese are a vigorous people Height may be adisadvantage to them but it is not reflected in any of their activities As a rule they are a very busy race Nothing can equal their industry

Geographically placed as they are, they have to be industrious with pluck and courage The Japanese islands are subject to volcanic eruptions and earthquakes Very often the typhoon hits the country So the people have developed a courage and perhaps a philosophical outlook of life They have learnt to be industrious for survival

Japan can be said to be a modern nation for its recent history which starts from 1905 From then on Japanese have been progressing by leaps and bounds They became a very powerful industrial nation competing with England and America Their goods are found in every market But they became ambitious and wanted to have territories overseas This involved them in the second world war At first, they were victorious but in the end they had to face a shameful defeat But the wonder is they have been able to rebuild their country within twenty years so well The secret is their industry

The Japanese are said to be the neatest people on earth

They want to keep everything about them beautiful Thus even a small house will have a neat garden with artificial hills and pools The interior will be decorated simply but elegantly Their national dress also shows their sense of beauty Even taking tea is almost a ceremony for them So Japan is the country which interests me most

pluck bravery and a strong wish to succeed

by leaps and bounds improve very quickly

The sport meet in the national stadium

Sports lovers here always look forward to the month of August or September because there is the Inter School Sports meet at that time Such occasions are very colorful and attractive Just like previous years, this year also, the meet was enjoyable

The sports were held in the National Stadium The stadium was cheerfully decorated for the purpose The rubberized tracks were neatly marked

in white paint The sports officials wearing their official badges were busy the whole day At about 2 p.m that day, there was the march past by athletes in their respective school colors The Minister of Sports and Culture took the salute With the singing of the National Anthem and the hoisting of the National Flag, he declared the meet open

There were many interesting events, separately for boys and girls The competitors were tense and serious They were excellent specimens of physical fitness Some new records were set The 100, 200 & 400 meter races, the hurdles and relays were some of the interesting track events The girls' events added color and mirth to the spectators Among the girls' items the tug-of-war was a never ending source of merriment

Throughout, our school band was in attendance

After the events were over, the Minister of Sports and Culture gave away the trophies and certificates to the winners He complimented the athletes on their performance The Secretary of the Inter School Council thanked the distinguished guests With the singing of the National Anthem, the meet came to a close

It was on that particular day, I shared the atmosphere of real joy and excitement One of the most enjoyable days in our academic life, thus drew

to a close

take the salute When a person of high rank takes the salute, they stand and watch while soldiers march

past saluting them

mirth laughter, humor or happiness