Lotteries, a tax on the poor

Gambling has been the cause of many family and marital problems. It is easy to get into gambling, but extremely difficult to get out of it. As a student, I do not think that gambling is good for a person's future. The idea of getting rich overnight is what tempts people to gamble. However, what are the odds of winning? Lotteries are a form of gambling. In Singapore, there are many different forms of lottery, such as 4-digits. The reason why so many people buy lotteries is because they are easily accessible and cheap. In the long term, gamblers usually end up incurring a huge debt. Each time someone loses money in gambling, he or she will want to win the money back. Even when gamblers are on the process of recovering from gambling addiction, it is the notion of "one last try" that can let them get hooked again. My father often reminds me,"It is best to stay out of gambling as once you get addicted, your future is ruined." Some people gamble as they are desperate to earn money in a short time, while others gamble for the thrill. Whatever the cause, they will still be addicted. Gambling does not only harm the gambler, it affects his or her family too. Young children may be influenced when the adults in a family gamble. The family will experience financial problems when a gambler in the family loses a lot of money. Nowadays, in this modern society, there is also online gambling. What this means that it not only removes the geographical barrier for people to gamble, it allows people to gamble whenever they want. I think that online gambling should be banned. Many children use the Internet, what will happen if they get addicted to gambling online? It is difficult, or impossible, to place restrictions to prevent children from gambling online as anyone can use the Internet. If online gambling is not banned, it will only place more stress on parents to ensure that their children do not get the wrong influence. My father thinks that although lotteries in Singapore give out prize money to those who strike lottery, they actually earn more through the money placed on bets. This is indeed true. If a thousand people each bet five dollars, it will be five thousand dollars gained by the lotteries! Furthermore, many adults gamble in Singapore, and the number will continue to rise. In the Youtube video "Gambling addiction", an ex-gambling addict reveals that "a compulsive gambler will do whatever it takes to gamble". I think that this is a serious problem. This may lead to more robberies and crimes as gamblers are in desperate need of money. In conclusion, gambling is a habit that not only affects one psychologically, but also tears apart relationships.

Robert Frost, one of my favourite poets

Robert Frost was born in San Francisco on March 26, 1874. He moved to New England at the age of eleven and became interested in reading and writing poetry during his high school years in Lawrence, Massachusetts. He was enrolled at Dartmouth College in 1892, and later at Harvard, though he never earned a formal degree. Frost drifted through a string of occupations after leaving school, working as a teacher, cobbler, and editor of the Lawrence Sentinel. His first professional poem, "My Butterfly," was published on November 8, 1894, in the New York newspaper The Independent. In 1895, Frost married Elinor Miriam White, who became a major inspiration in his poetry until her death in 1938. The couple moved to England in 1912, after their New Hampshire farm failed, and it was abroad that Frost met and was influenced by such contemporary British poets as Edward Thomas, Rupert Brooke, and Robert Graves. While in England, Frost also established a friendship with the poet Ezra Pound, who helped to promote and publish his work.

Robert Frost is my favourite poet as he had many experiences in life when he changed jobs many times. He also had the help of other contemporary poets. In a 1970 review of The Poetry of Robert Frost, the poet Daniel Hoffman describes Frost's early work as "the Puritan ethic turned astonishingly lyrical and enabled to say out loud the sources of its own delight in the world." Robert Frost expresses his feelings in some of the poems he wrote. The way he writes makes it seem as if we are not reading the poem, but the poem is telling about itself. He also repeats some words to make it some more dramatic. The flow of his poems are also very consistent. There is also a very good use of personifications in his poems. Three of my most favourite poems by him are The Road Not Taken, Bond and Free and Going for Water. Some of his poems actually tell a story on their own, with dialogues that rhyme. In my opinion, he does not limit his boundaries when it comes to writing poems, he has wrote many different types of poems in different ways. Furthermore, many of the words used in his poems are simple and easy to understand, but when stringed together, they form a more complex poem.

Bibliography: http://poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/192

All the World's a Stage by William Shakespeare

All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages. At first, the infant,
Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms.
Then the whining schoolboy, with his satchel
And shining morning face, creeping like snail
Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,
Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad
Made to his mistress' eyebrow. Then a soldier,
Full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard,
Jealous in honor, sudden and quick in quarrel,
Seeking the bubble reputation
Even in the cannon's mouth. And then the justice,
In fair round belly with good capon lined,
With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,
Full of wise saws and modern instances;
And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts
Into the lean and slippered pantaloon,
With spectacles on nose and pouch on side;
His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide
For his shrunk shank, and his big manly voice,
Turning again toward childish treble, pipes
And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,
That ends this strange eventful history,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion,
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.
In this poem, figurative language is used in the forms of metaphors, similes and hyperboles. In the first part, "All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances," means that the poet is comparing the world to a stage, including everyone's different roles and responsibilities. It is a metaphor as a stage is used to describe the world, and everyone plays a part in it. In a stage, there are exits and entrances, everyone also enters and exits the world. The phrase "Turning again towards childish treble" is also a metaphor. The meaning of treble in this context is a high-pitched sound. In music, it is used to represent more high-pitched notes that instruments can play. The poet tells us that the once big man whose voice was deep had grown old and his voices were beginning to sound like pipes, which were more high-pitched. In the next line, "whistles in his sound" is a metaphor which tells us clearly that the old man was not in good health anymore. The phrase "Even in the cannon's mouth" is a hyperbole as it emphasizes on the soldier's desire to seek a good reputation, even in the face of death. A hyperbole is an exaggeration of the truth. The line "And shining morning face, creeping like snail" has a simile which is creeping like snail. This shows the reluctance of the schoolboy when going to school in the morning. In the next line, there is also a simile "Sighing like furnace", which compares the lover's sigh to the loud sound of a furnace. We can tell that he is deeply grieved. The phrase "bearded like the pard" is a simile as it gives us the impression that the soldier is bearded. The similes in this poem have the word "like" in them.
I like this poem written by William Shakespeare as it has a very good structure and the whole poem is like an act. How is it so? At the start, he uses a stage to represent the world, and they are actually similar in many ways. The act begins when a "player enters the stage" as an infant. The poem slowly begins to build up as the infant grows up. In a way, this poem also gives us a hint of the lives of people at that time. When the schoolboy grows up, he falls in love but apparently gets rejected, which explains his sorrow. He then becomes a soldier with a big beard. After that, he becomes a justice, he is well-fed as he has a fair round belly. His beard is also cut. When he grows old, the poet gives us a good description of his appearance. Finally, the act is over when the old man dies. That is his "exit" from the stage. This poem is unique as it includes the lives of people of different ages.

How far do you agree that courtesy begins at home?

In my opinion, courtesy should be practised wherever we go, regardless of whether it is in public or at home. I believe that courtesy not only begins at home, but also in school.

The people who have the most influence in our lives are our parents. They are the ones who have guided us since we were young. Have you ever wondered why our parents reprimand us when we behave badly in public? Courtesy is a very important value. If you are courteous, people will naturally have a good impression of you, especially when you go out to work. However, it is not as easy as it seems to be courteous. Sometimes, when we lose our temper, we tend to forget that our actions in public will affect us greatly. After a tiring day at school, we tend to forget what our parents have taught us since we were young.

Courtesy begins at home. I believe that your parents have taught you about being courteous. It is vital that we realise the importance of courtesy at a young age, then we will able to show it when we grow up. Home is the place where we spend the majority of our lives, and it should be where we start being courteous.

Courtesy also begins in school. Our teachers not only teach us about our subjects, but they also remind us about our values in life. I think that our moral values are the key to our success in life. That is why our teachers and principal has placed such great emphasis on character development. No matter how intelligent we are, our behaviour is the true reflection of who we are. In school, there is a conducive environment to study, and also to start being courteous. Besides showing courtesy to the school staff, we should also set a good example for our classmates by being courteous to them. I believe that the school will become a better place if everyone learns to be courteous.

Our behaviour in public has an impact on our school's reputation. If we are courteous in public, people will have a good opinion of the school, and will gladly send their children here to study for six years. However, if we do not uphold the reputation of the school, who will do it for us?

Village by the Sea - 10 years later (My version of what will happen!)

"How can I help you?" a grumpy-looking old man dressed in a neat, impeccable coat muttered from behind the counter. The provision shop reeked of cigarette smoke and the floor had a visible layer of dust. Huge towering shelves of goods for sale stood in a corner, reaching up all the way to the ceiling. Hari replied with a smile,"Sorry for interrupting. I'm just here to collect my tools." The old man reached for a bag hanging from the wall with some difficulty, and handed it over to Hari. "Goodbye! Have a nice day!" Hari thanked the old man before heading for the exit.

"Hey! Wait! Watchmender! Can you help me to repair my old watch? The hour hand seems to have stopped moving," the old man's voice stopped Hari in his tracks. "Don't worry too much. It should be fixed by tomorrow," Hari smiled as he received the watch from the old man's wrinkled fingers. As he left the store, he thought he heard the old man sigh,"I'm not getting any younger..."

The streets were bustling with people, the honking and screeching of vehicles filled the air. The dark, gloomy chimneys of the factories loomed in the distance, huge clouds of smoke billowing from them. "Fresh fruits for sale! Fresh from the farm! Come and buy now!" a grocer hollered at the top of his voice. Lila wondered,"I guess I should buy some fruits for Father before he comes home from work." A shout interrupted her train of thoughts. "Hey, Ma! Look! Isn't that Uncle Hari?" Lila's son, Najib, shouted in ecstasy as he tugged at his mother's sari. Lila put her fingers to her lips and signalled for him to keep quiet. As she searched the sea of faces, she caught sight of Hari. Hari looked back at her, and she waved. She hoped that he was not too exhausted from work, and business at the watch repair shop would be good. After buying some fruits, she made her way home, with Najib tagging along behind her.

Hari could not help but feel how time flies when he saw Lila with her son, Najib. After just a decade, she had started to have a family. Hari stopped to look at his own reflection in a shop window. He sighed,"Would the time come for me to get married?" As he continued on his journey back to his shop, a huge group of men in blue uniform brushed past him. He could tell immediately that they were workers from the factories. When he looked at their gleeful expressions as they drank the bottles of beer in their hands, he was reminded of the time when his father was still a drunkard. All those bitter memories made him grit his teeth. After he regained his composure, he checked to make sure the tools were still with him, and resumed his journey.

Lila was relieved when her house came into view. Najib was pestering her to let him play in the playground near their home. Although their house was only a small brick hut compared to the de Silva's bungalow, it was definitely more comfortable than living in the streets with all those beggars and filth. Soon, the high-rised buildings would be complete, and many people would come to Thul to stay. Lila felt a wave of nostalgia as she reminisced about the past. There had been many happenings in Thul. From a small, humble fishing village years ago, it had become an industrial estate and busy town. Furthermore, the people in Thul were proud of their little port. It was owned by Biju, who was the pride and joy of the town. However, Lila could not suppress her anger when she was reminded of the fact that the ships had to sail far out to sea in order to catch any fish at all. It was all because of those pollutant-releasing factories. What was the point of selling fertiliser when the factories poisoned their land and sea? However, no one could do anything now. It was too late. The rich land of crops and plants had long been replaced by the industrial estate. They were gone forever. Lila sighed.

As Hari entered his watchmending shop, he was surprised to see Sayyid waiting for him. "Is everything going well for you?" Sayyid asked. "Oh, yes. Father's doing well at work, Lila has a son," Hari beamed, but from out of the blue, a thought struck him,"But, Mother..." He tried to hold back his tears. He was reminded of that horrible night, when his mother died after being poisoned by the fish she ate.

"What has happened is already the past. Remember what I told you?" Sayyid said. Hari felt a weight life off his heart. He had to adapt. How he missed the old village of Thul, when birds still sang and flew freely in the sky...

Interview with my father on a book that he read when he was young

Q: What was the book that had a great impact on you when you were young?
A: The book on the Chinese hero-"Yue Fei".

Q: Why did it had a great impact on you?
A: Firstly, Yue Fei had a similar background as me. When he was young, he was very poor. When I was young, my parents worked very hard to support the family. It taught me many valuable life lessons.

Q: What did the book teach you?
A: It taught me that you must be obedient to your parents. They are the ones that will guide you to the correct path. My parents often taught me to have a good character and have integrity. In order to succeed in life, one must also have partners and people to guide them.

Q: Can you tell me more about the story?
A: In general, it is about a Chinese general, Yue Fei, who won countless battles for his country. He was loyal to his country as his mother had taught him to be patriotic from the time he was young. Unfortunately, he met with a sad ending. One of the emperor's closest subjects was secretly helping the enemy and sabotaged Yue Fei by making the emperor think that Yue Fei was a traitor. In the end, the emperor believed his subject and called for Yue Fei. Yue Fei did not retaliate even when he knew that his end was near. He was so loyal to his emperor and his country. Before his death, he wrote a song that deeply expresses his sorrow.

Q: How the lessons learnt from the book apply in real life?
A: It tells us that the world is not a place where kindness always begets kindness. However, we must still remember our values and not betray the trust of others.

Reflection on Village by the Sea

The story "Village by the Sea" by Anita Desai tells us of the problems faced in India through the point of view of two characters, Hari and Lila. The book is written in a way that lets us experience the Indian culture and their way of life, through the terms used in the story and the lives of the characters. I feel that the book is unique in a way, as it alternates between the points of view of Hari and Lila. It certainly has an effect on the reader, especially when Hari goes to the city of Bombay and Lila is in the village of Thul. By using two points of view of two different characters in two totally opposite places, the writer lets us get a better idea of the similarities and differences between city and village life.
One of the problems faced by mainly the villagers in India, is industrialisation. As the country progresses into a modern era, more factories will be built, so as to generate more income and jobs. However, even though factories have a positive impact on the economy, they will greatly affect the environment around them. Imagine if the government decides to build some factories on a piece of fertile, agricultural land, and the factories will contaminate the area and make it unfit for growing crops. How will the people who make a living there feel? That was what happened to the villagers of Thul. The government took their land without officially buying it, and wasted their rich land. Firstly, the villagers who depend on agriculture for a living will have no source of income. Besides wasting the rich land, the fertiliser factories will also pollute the air and the sea around it. As we all know, factories will release harmful pollutants into the air. Waste and chemicals will also be dumped into water bodies around them. Not only does this make the air unhealthy to breathe in, it will also poison the marine creatures in the sea. Think of what will happen when someone just happens to eat the poisoned fish! Furthermore, Thul is a fishing village. How can the fishermen there earn more income if they have to travel so far out to fish? Their families will certainly be affected. Unlike the people living in the city, the lives of the villagers greatly depend on the environment around them. As a result, it is unwise of the government to choose such a location to build fertiliser factories.
Another issue faced by India is urbanisation. I would not say that it is a problem, but there are definitely pros and cons to urbanisation. The advantages are that the country will be more economically competitive compared to other not so developed countries. It will also have more advanced technology and will be more capable in managing their resources. In addition, when the country is very developed, they will be very effective in defending themselves. When more people live in cities or high-rised apartments, there will be more space for other development. More investors will want to invest in the country and more tourists will want to go to the country, because of these factors. What about the cons of urbanisation? The air quality of the area will certainly be affected, because of the smoke from the exhaust of vehicles and the pollutants from the factories. This may in turn affect the health of the people living in the cities. The environment of the country may also be affected by the country's development.
At the start of the story, the readers are given the impression that Hari and Lila's family is a dysfunctional family, with a drunkard for a father and a critically ill mother. As a result, Hari and Lila have to take on the responsibilities of adults at a young age, by supporting the family and taking care of their two younger sisters. In my opinion, their father was a very irresponsible man, and failed to be a good father to the children. When their mother was ill, instead of saving up to pay for her medical bills, he went out and squandered money on toddy, which was a form of alcohol. Hari fears his father, actually, he dreads him, to the point where he once hoped that he would die. Lila is frightened of him whenever he is at home. It is evident that the children were not close to their father. However, as Hari goes to Bombay, things start to take a turn for the better. Hari gets the help of some benefactors and manages to earn some money and even picks up watchmending skills. Lila supports the family by working for the de Silvas, who were kind enough to help her send her mother to the hospital. At the end of the story, I felt that Hari and Lila's father was not actually a bad man. He showed concern for his wife when she was in hospital and was willing to turn over a new leaf. When Hari is reunited with his family in Thul, he realises that many things are going to change in the village. The factories are going to be built and new roads made. I wonder what will happen to Thul in a few decades?

Nothing But The Truth (from the POV of Jake Barlow). I decided to assume the role of one of the characters to make it more interesting!

What is this country turning into? Can you believe it? I read in a news article that a student was kicked out of school for patriotism! I had such a shock that I thought I was dreaming. It happened in Harrison, New Hampshire. In America! I thought this is a free country. How can such a thing happen? A tenth grader was suspended from his local school just because he sang "The Star-Sprangled Banner" during the school's morning exercises. The boy, Philip Malloy, who wished to sing in the spirit of patriotism, was then forced to remain home alone as both his parents work. His English teacher, Margaret Narwin, who brought about the suspension, maintains the boy was making a nuisance of himself! I sang "The Star-Sprangled Banner" many times when I was a child. The teachers did not scold me! This teacher, Margaret Narwin, has no right to suspend a student just because he is patriotic to our nation. I am infuriated at her actions. She is a disgrace to the teaching profession.
If I were that poor boy, I would fight for my rights, and make sure that teacher is taught a lesson. She should not be allowed to teach at all! Why should we respect people who condemn the spirit of patriotism in this free nation? "The Star-Sprangled Banner" is a way of showing our patriotism for America, the country where we belong. I cannot imagine the consequences if every teacher is like Ms Narwin.
Furthermore, the teacher said that Philip Malloy was making a nuisance of himself! She has no respect at all for our national anthem. Is singing "The Star-Sprangled Banner" a nuisance? Definitely not. I love my country. No one will stop me from singing "The Star-Sprangled Banner"!
This incident must be made known to America, to the world! I will definitely talk about it at my talk show tomorrow. Imagine what will people think about it? What will you do if you are wrongly accused? They will be flocking to listen to my talk show, and they will be cursing Ms Narwin. This is what she deserves! The school should not hire her in the first place. I strongly believe that our students are the country's future, and they should be educated well. Ms Narwin has failed as a teacher, and as a citizen of America!
I support Philip Malloy and encourage him to fight for his rights. He does not deserve to be kicked out of school at all. What is the school doing? Shouldn't they prevent Ms Narwin from doing so? Are they in cahoots with her? Philip Malloy is a loyal and patriotic citizen of America. We should learn from him and stand up for our rights. Go Philip! For America!

Singapore has all it takes to host the Youth Olympic Games. Do you agree?

I am sure you know that Singapore has been chosen over Moscow to be the first city to host the Youth Olympic Games 2010. It was certainly good news for us and many Singaporeans celebrated and rejoiced. The Youth Olympic Games is a worldwide event and is considered as important as the Olympic Games, the only difference is that younger athletes take part. Hosting the Youth Olympic Games will not only make Singapore more famous, it will help to boost the economy of the country as more tourists want to come to Singapore to see what the first city to host the Youth Olympic Games is like.

Have you considered why Singapore was chosen to host such a major event? Do we have all it takes? Singapore is known as a little red dot, as it is only a dot on the world map, but it is actually very powerful, that is why it is red. Singapore has one of the most vibrant economies in the world, and one of the world's busiest ports. However, we have a major disadvantage, compared to big countries like China and USA. Singapore is only a small island, but we have a huge population size compared to our land area. Do you know which country hosted the previous Olympic Games? China. China is considered a very big country, joined by many provinces. It certainly has the space to host such a major event. That is why it can build many structures for the Olympic Games, like the famous Water Cube. However, Singapore is already experiencing a space constraint, our population is growing and the government must find space to build houses for the citizens. Our government is currently reclaiming land, but it takes many years, the Youth Olympic Games is only a year away. Can Singapore build the necessary facilities to host the Youth Olympic Games, and make sure it runs smoothly?

Singapore has a stable economy, unlike countries like the USA and Iceland. We are currently facing a global economic downturn. Does Singapore have the money to host the Youth Olympic Games? Have you seen the Olympic Games 2008 in China? It was a dramatic and grand event, with fantastic opening and closing ceremonies. Imagine how much money was spent to make that event a success! Singapore must do its best to make the Youth Olympic Games 2010 an unforgettable event, so that we can be recognised by the other countries as a major economy. If we just make the Youth Olympic Games a boring event, what will people think of our country? Our national pride depends on our performance in this Youth Olympic Games.

I believe that Singapore has all it takes to host the Youth Olympic Games. Although we are a small country, we are not to be underestimated. We have a good government compared to other countries. I hope that we, as a country, will do our best to make the Youth Olympic Games an event to be remembered. I also sincerely wish our young athletes all the best in the Youth Olympic Games 2010!

Reflections on Little Ironies - Adeline Ng Ai Choo

This story is about a secondary school girl who committed suicide after failing her exam by one mark. Why do you think she chose to commit suicide? Whose fault was it?

Adeline Ng Ai Choo's parents were partially to blame for her death. They have too high expectations of her and thus give her the wrong mentality that exams are everything. As a result, Adeline is under too much stress and studies as hard as she could to get good grades for her parents. When she is refused the mark needed for her to pass, she thinks that she has let her parents down and everything is over for her. In the end, she could not take the blow when she failed her exams and resorted to ending her life.

Adeline Ng Ai Choo herself was partially to blame for her own death. She had the power to choose whether to end her life just because for an exam or to continue to work harder to get better results in her future exams. However, she chose to give up and end her life. I think it is a pity that such a thing could happen. Her teacher was also partially at fault. Instead of just bluntly refusing her one mark, she should talk to her and tell her that exams are not for pleasing parents, they are just a mode of assessment.

To prevent such a tragic incident from repeating itself, the school should also care more for the welfare of the students. This incident would not only cause hurt and grief to the victim's parents, it will affect the school's reputation. Would you send you son to a school where a student has committed suicide? For his safety, you certainly would not. The school should give a talk to the students about this incident and tell them that they should not care only about results. I agree that marks should not be awarded just because the students beg for it or are so close to passing. This will defeat the purpose of having an exam in the first place. However, students should not be given only a pass mark or a fail mark, it will be unfair to those who pass with flying colours. I think that exam papers should also be returned to the students, so that they will know their mistakes, but parents should not compare marks with other students, it will put a lot of pressure on their children.

Life is not a bed of roses, it is natural for us to experience difficulties in our lives. However, we must not give up in the face of adversity, instead, we must overcome it in order to progress. Nowadays, students in Singapore face a lot of stress in their studies because of the exams and workload. In my opinion, there is more to life than getting good results for exams. Singaporean students should also know that too. This way, such incidents of students ending their lives can be prevented.

Age and Experience are important to the workforce in any country. How true is this?

Do you think that age and experience are important to the workforce in any country?
Recently, Singapore is facing a growing problem. The percentage of old people in the population is increasing. This is known as ageism. How did this problem come about? Let me share it with you.

In the past, after the fearful and uncertain days of World War II, there is a period of peace in Singapore. Many couples at that time saw that it was the perfect chance to have children. As a result, there was a baby boom in Singapore. The population of babies increased dramatically, until the government had to stop the surge in the population. After the problem was resolved, everything went back to normal. As the years went by, Singapore began to enter a modern era, and the birth rate decreased. How did this become a problem? Well, the babies that were born in the baby boom eventually grew older as the years went by. They make up Singapore's senior citizen population today! The senior citizen population is huge compared to the percentage of young people because of this reason.
As everyone knows, experience is very important to the workforce. If a person goes to a job interview and is asked whether he has undertaken such a job before, and he says yes, there is a very high chance that he will be hired. Experience is important as people with experience will be more efficient in dealing with problems in their work as they have faced them before, whereas people without experience much seek help or attempt to solved the problems themselves, which takes up a lot of time.
Many companies prefer younger employees to older ones. Old people are more fragile, so they cannot take on some jobs. Young people are more active and strong, so they have many advantages over older people in many areas. Furthermoe, old people can be stubborn sometimes, but young people are more flexible and IT-savvy. I think that experience is important to the workforce, but not age. Age can hinder a person in his job, but experience can aid him to overcome difficulties faster.
Nowadays, it is increasingly difficult for old people to find jobs. The government is encouraging companies to hire more older people. We are also currently facing an economic downturn, so the problem is worsened. Some senior citizens want to work even when they have reached their retirement age, mainly because they are passionate about their jobs or they want to pass time. Most of the senior citizens have the mentality that they have reached their "golden age" and should spend their rest of their lives relaxing. Most old people have experience, while most young people are inexperienced. However, it does not mean that the older you are, the more experienced you become. In this modern era, Singapore has progressed so quickly that most old people are unable to catch up. Young people are equipped with many skills that most old people lack, such as knowledge of IT, programming and anything to do with technology. This is the reason why experience is more important than age in the workforce.

Reflection - Lamb to the Slaughter

The story "Lamb to the Slaughter" tells of a woman who kills her husband and manages to fool the policemen. Why do you think Mary Maloney killed her husband? In my opinion, she did it when she was not in the right state of mind and it was an act of impulse. When she heard the news that her husband was going to leave her, any woman would be shocked, heartbroken and furious. The mixed emotions in her caused her to lose control of herself. At that moment in time, she found a lamb leg by chance, and it was a perfect murder weapon, so she killed her husband.

Do you think that Mary Maloney should be punished to the full extent of the law? Or does she deserve your sympathy? If you say that Mary Maloney should be punished to the full extent of the law, isn't it very unfair to her unborn child, who is completely innocent? Mary Maloney's child has already lost a father, if she goes to jail, won't he become very sad? In my opinion, Mary Maloney deserves some sympathy. She still cares for the welfare of her unborn child and uses all means to protect him, so she is not a cold-blooded murderer.

Does Patrick deserve to die? My answer would be no. Mary Maloney was wrong to kill her husband. Although he betrayed her love for him, this is not a worthy reason for her to kill him. Instead, Mary Maloney could try to talk to Patrick and tell him not to leave for the sake of the child. If he insists on leaving, she could seek help from her friends or family. This way, no lifes will be taken.

Current Affairs: "Economic development vs environmental conservation"

Do you agree that economic development will always have the upper hand over environmental conservation? Both of them have their own advantages and disadvantages, so it depends on which point of view you are looking from.

Economic development is crucial for the progress and stability of our economy and society, not to mention our national security. Currently, we are facing an economic downturn, all the more we will need to have a stable economy. Have you heard that even countries like Iceland are beginning to become bankrupt? If we do not have the ability and money to support ourselves, how can we have the ability to protect the environment? If the economy is stable, we can build more facilities, tourist attractions and even help people who are in need overseas. However, there is a growing problem in Singapore, a small island which little natural resources. How can we get the land to build all these things when we are having difficulties making land to build homes? The answer is land reclamation. It is essential for the progress of our economy. With enough land, we can build more tourist attractions, which will help improve the economy. The tourism industry is a key factor in our economy. The Integrated Resort is also under construction. Where do we get the land to build it? Through land reclamation! The IR will not only attract tourists, it will also create more jobs for our people.

Do you know that the population of Singapore is constantly increasing? As a result, the government is finding ways to build more homes for our people. Nowadays, high rised flats are much more common than bungalows or terrace houses as they take up less space and house more people. Do you know that the entire area from Suntec City to Marina lies on reclaimed land? That shows how important land is to us! However, land reclamation damages the marine life near the coast, especially the corals. To minimise the impact on the marine life, the silt release into the water is minimised during the process of land reclamation. This will actually help to lessen the impact on the marine life and it is proven too. The government will also try to preserve some of our natural beaches. We cannot afford to worry about the environment when our economy is at stake. Furthermore, we need land to build more schools to educate the younger generation. We will also need land to build facilities like NeWater plants, libraries and many others.

Environmental conservation is also important. Currently, the world is facing a very serious problem. Global warming. In this modern era, there are many air pollutants, such as vehicles, factories and many others. The carbon dioxide released will accumulate in the ozone layer and begin to trap heat. As a result, more and more heat will be trapped in the Earth's atmosphere. That is why the climate is beginning to change. The ice caps are starting to melt due to the increased temperature. In the end, the sea level will rise dramatically, causing small islands to be submerged completely. Singapore is also at risk. I am sure you do not want this to happen! Everyone, regardless of status or race, has the responsibility to conserve the environment. Since we depend on the environment for natural resources, we must protect it to ensure that future generations will still have the natural resources that we have. Do you know that the area of natural forests in the world is decreasing? This is caused by illegal logging, forest fires, expansion of human settlements and many others. This will cause animals that live there to lose their natural habitats. They may even become extinct! Don't you think that it is unfair for innocent animals to die from the acts of selfish people? Trees form an important part of the ecosystem. That is why our government wants us to recycle paper so as to save trees. Do your part! For the future, for the environment and for the Earth.

Now you understand the advantages and disadvantages of economic development and environmental conservation. I think that both of them must coexist in harmony. Without economic development, we will not have the ability to protect the environment. Without environmental conservation, we will not have a safe place and future for our economy to progress. In my opinion, we, as citizens of Singapore, can start playing our part by not wasting paper and water, encouraging people to take public transport as it reduces carbon emissions, recycling materials that are recyclable, using less plastic bags and not smoking. I think that the government's role is to think of solutions for economic and environmental problems, improving the living conditions for the poor and needy, maintaining the countries security and building facilities for our well-being.

The future may be uncertain, but I believe that if we work together, we can be prepared for any problems that we may face. What are your views?

First Post

What a fine day for a fine blog! This is the first post, so don't expect anything interesting. I just read a story which is "Nothing but the truth". Although it is quite thick, you can read it within two hours or so as the story is written in the form of tables, letters and dialogues. In my opinion, it is very interesting and unique. There are many different views about the characters in the story, whether they are right or wrong. I won't tell you the story, as it is better for you to flip the pages yourself!

There is also another story is would like to recommend. It is "Lamb to the Slaughter", by Roald Dahl. You may have heard of this story before. You should read it as Roald Dahl writes the story in a way that is very unique, especially the ending of the story. It is quite a short story, and there are also many videos on YouTube about it. Roald Dahl is one of my favourite authors because he is very good in writing children books. His language is simple for children to understand, but it is also interesting, in a way. Some of his famous stories have been made into films, for example, "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory"!