O Level: Open Letter

An Open Letter to Forever 21

To whom it may concern:

First off, thank you for taking the time to read this, because it may be long; it is the reason I’m boycotting your brand. Sorry in advance. Earlier today, around 8pm, I was in your Somerset 313 outlet. I was there with my mother and my baby sister, and the moment we stepped in, your store was blaring rap music. Fine. I don’t mind rap. What I did mind was the lyrics, which declared “half you bitches like pussy too”. Yes, I know, rap is a genre that typically tackles anti-social issues; drugs, sex, violence, bring it on, am I right?

I brushed this off because maybe you guys were playing a Billboard Top 100 mix, or somebody’s 8tracks, and this was some sort of anomaly. I continued looking through your merchandise, slightly uncomfortable, but okay. I figured once the song changed, everything would be fine.

I hate to tell you that everything was not fine. The songs got progressively more derogative: more condoning of abuse towards women, more explicit in descriptions of sexual endeavours… more disgusting, if I can put it flatly.

Typically, I wouldn’t have a problem with this. No, I don’t agree with it, and it definitely isn’t my cup of tea, but I understand that this is a genre that people listen to, that makes money. And if I stepped into a shop that had shaped its general brand image around fellatio and breasts, then I would understand the demand for this sort of music in that sort of shop.

The problem is that you guys are not that brand. You guys are a brand that caters to women. You are a store that thirteen-year-old girls frequent. You are a store that women can bring their children to. While I was shopping, I saw a woman, her husband, and their two-year-old son. I saw a couple of girls no older than fourteen. You are that kind of store.

So when your store decides to blast music that screams “you have a right to rape her” and “I won’t have sex with her unless she has big breasts” and “I’ll only love you if you suck my penis”, I have a problem with that. I have a problem with the fact that your target audience is young girls and women, and yet somehow, for some alien reason, your store decided blasting horribly misogynistic, uncensored, woman-shaming, woman-blaming lyrics would be a perfectly acceptable thing to do.

It disgusts me that while we’re trying to deal with problems of rape, assault, and misogyny, your store took the liberty to piss all over all that. You fed a bunch of kids the idea that boys deserve sex, and girls are sex toys. Great job, Forever 21.

And don’t tell me that lyrics don’t affect us, because I’m looking at the American Academy of Pediatrics’ article “Committee on Public Education” right now, and on page 341, it explains that explicit lyrics warp our perception of the world around us. Flip to the next page, and apparently explicit lyrics are linked to increased aggression in some people. Go to That CD Shop or HMV, and you can’t even buy most of the rap albums without an IC that proves you’re above age 16.

I’m seventeen. I’m old enough to buy a rap anthology, but it still made me uncomfortable taking off my clothes to the sound of a man rapping about his right to have sex with whoever he feels like having sex with. I wanted to throw up when, while trying on your apparel, your store literally yelled at me that date rape isn’t real rape. I was tempted to spit on your dresses when your music proposed that girls ask for sex by going over to boys’ houses.

This is disgusting. Not just because the lyrics are horrible, but because your target buyer is young impressionable girls, who will start accepting this sort of mindset as “normal”. Because majority of your buyers are girls, whatever their ages, who deserve to be viewed as something more than warm holes for penises. Because the men who walk into your store should not be inadvertently taught that sex is their right.

Thank you for your time. No thanks for your music.




http://just-selah.tumblr.com/post/99317540444/an-open-letter-to-forever-21

O Level: Useful Essay Words

To indicate more information

• Besides - Making an additional point; anyway
• Furthermore
• In addition
• Moreover
• Likewise
• Indeed – In truth
• In fact
• Also
• As well
• Foremost - Ranking above all others; Preceding all others in spatial position
• First, Second, Third, Finally
• Firstly, Secondly, Thirdly

To indicate an example

• For example
• For instance
• In particular
• Particularly - Specifically or especially distinguished from others
• Specifically
• To illustrate
• To demonstrate

To indicate a cause or reason

• Since
• Because
• Because of
• Due to
• For
• For the reason that
• As
• Inasmuch as - Since
• Whereby - As a result of which, By which, "the means whereby we achieved our goal"

To indicate a result or an effect

• Accordingly - because of the reason given
• Consequently
• Hence
• So
• Therefore
• Thus
• Thusly - In the way indicated
• Thence - From that fact or reason or as a result
• Therefrom - From that circumstance or source
• Thereof - Of or concerning this or that, From that circumstance or source
• Corollary - A practical consequence that follows naturally, "blind jealousy is a frequent corollary of passionate love"

To conclude

• For the aforementioned reasons
• For the aforementioned reasons, there is no doubt that
• To sum up the foregoing,
• Given these facts
• In conclusion
• In closing
• To conclude

To express an opinion

• In all due fairness
• With good judgment, (one/we may)

To describe or make

• vivid
• portray
• depict
• exhibit
• illustrate
• expose
• present
• paint a portrait
• limn - Trace the shape of, make a portrait of
• delineate
• represent
• demonstrate
• constitute - Form or compose
• embodied - (adj) Expressed by
• embody - (v) Represent or express in tangible form
• embodiment

To prove

• manifest - Provide evidence for; stand as proof of
• attest - Provide evidence for
• testify - Provide evidence for
• certify - Provide evidence for
• endorse, indorse - Give support or one's approval to
• shew - Establish the validity of something, as by an example, explanation or experiment
• establish
• instance - (v) Clarify by giving an example of
• exemplify - (v) Clarify by giving an example of

To compare or contrast

• Whereas
• In comparison
• In contrast
• However
• Although
• On the other hand
• Likewise
• Similarly
• But
• Yet
• Withal - Despite anything to the contrary (usually following a concession)
• Withal - Together with this
• Nevertheless - Despite anything to the contrary
• Nonetheless - Despite anything to the contrary
• Notwithstanding - Despite anything to the contrary
• Even so - Despite anything to the contrary
• All the same - Despite anything to the contrary

To indicate time

• After
• Before
• Currently
• During
• Eventually
• Finally
• First, Second, etc.
• Formerly
• Immediately
• Initially
• Lastly
• Later
• Meanwhile
• Next
• Once
• Previously
• Simultaneously
• Soon
• Subsequently
• Subsequent - Following in time and order
• Hitherto, Heretofore - Used in negative statement to describe a situation that has existed up to this point or up to the present time, “The sun hasn’t rose hitherto.”
• In due time
• Henceforth

To indicate certainty

• Truly
• Sincerely
• Genuinely
• Surely
• Rightfully
• Absolutely
• Indubitably
• Certainly
• Without doubt
• Needless to say

To indicate doubt

• Most likely
• More likely
• Possibly
• Probably
• Dubitable - Open to doubt or suspicion
• Dubious - Distressed with uncertainty or doubt

To summarize

• Overall
• To summarize
• In summary
• To sum up
• Paraphrased
• Briefly
• In brief
• Summing up
• To put it briefly
• précis - A sketchy summary, Make a summary (of)
• synopsis - A sketchy summary
• apercu - A short synopsis

To provide a condition

• provision, proviso - A stipulated condition
• stipulate - Specify as a condition or requirement in a contract
• given
• if
• whether
• whenever
• when
• while

To express positive words

• magnificent
• grandeur - The quality of being magnificent or splendid or grand, the quality of being exalted in character or ideals or conduct
• magnanimous - The quality of being exalted in character or ideals or conduct
• fantastic
• fantastical
• phenomenal
• wonderful
• extraordinary
• marvelous
• superb
• good
• fine
• great
• avid - Emotionally desirable
• avid ambition to succeed
• excellent
• spectacular
• prodigious
• grand
• brilliant
• glorious - Bringing great happiness and thankfulness
• illustrious - Widely known and esteemed
• notable - Worthy of notice
• respected
• impressive
• splendid
• splendiferous - Having great beauty and splendor
• resplendent - Having great beauty and splendor, Richly and brilliantly colorful
• flamboyant - Elaborately or excessively ornamented, Richly and brilliantly colorful
• redoubtable - Having or worthy of pride
• formidable - Extremely impressive in strength or excellence
• prowess
• superior
• terrific
• tremendous
• wondrous - Extraordinarily good
• wonderful
• sublime - Inspiring awe, Lifted up or set high
• flair - natural talent
• knack - A special way of doing something
• outshine - Attract more attention and praise than others
• paramount - Having superior power and influence
• predominant
• preponderating
• prevailing

To show intelligence

• profound
• shrewd – hardheaded (practical experience and observation) intelligence
• astute
• acumen - Shrewdness shown by keen insight
• insightful
• savvy - The cognitive condition of someone who understands
• cognition - The psychological result of perception, learning and reasoning
• genius
• smart
• sharp
• keen
• mastermind
• Einstein - Someone who has exceptional intellectual ability and originality
• work of art
• fine art
• maven - Someone who is dazzlingly skilled in any field
• mavin - Someone who is dazzlingly skilled in any field
• adept - Someone who is dazzlingly skilled in any field
• whiz - Someone who is dazzlingly skilled in any field
• wizard - Someone who is dazzlingly skilled in any field

To intensify

• incredibly
• exceedingly
• toppingly - extremely well
• extremely
• extraordinarily
• truly
• really
• very
• utterly - Completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers, With sublimity; in a sublime manner
• absolutely
• perfectly
• sublimely
• dramatically
• sheer - (adj.) Complete and without restriction or qualification; sometimes used informally as an intensifier; (adv.) Directly "he fell sheer into the water"

Said

• enounced, enunciated - Speak, pronounce, or utter in a certain way
• pronounced - Speak, pronounce, or utter in a certain way
• articulated - Express or state clearly
• vocalized - Express or state clearly
• posited - Put firmly
• stated
• expressed
• reported
• alleged - Declared but not proved
• averred - Report or maintain, To declare or affirm in a grave manner and formally as true
• affirmed, asserted
• wrote
• composed
• indited - Produce a literary work
• penned - Produce a literary work
• spelt - Indicate or signify
• voiced, sounded - Give voice to
• demean - Reduce in worth or character, usually verbally

Noted (said)

• remarked
• denoted - Be a sign or indication of, "Her smile denoted that she agreed"
• observed
• commented
• mentioned
• referred
• announced
• noticed

Precisely

• explicitly
• accurately
• expressly
• exactly
• incisively

Numerous

• innumerable
• many
• various
• several
• diverse
• umpteen
• umteen
• myriad (noun and adj.)

Praise

• extol - (v) Praise, glorify, or honor
• exalt
• glorify
• laud
• proclaim
• revere
• idolize
• worship
• venerate

Call Forth

• evoke - Call forth (emotions, feelings, and responses)
• arouse - Call forth (emotions, feelings, and responses)
• elicit - Call forth (emotions, feelings, and responses)
• enkindle - Call forth (emotions, feelings, and responses)
• provoke - Call forth (emotions, feelings, and responses)
• inflame - Arouse or excite feelings and passions
• awake - Stop sleeping
• conjure - Evoke or call forth, with or as if by magic
• invoke - Evoke or call forth, with or as if by magic
• summon - Gather or bring together
• instill - deposit gradually

Source: http://martinpiecyk.com/site/improveyourwritingability/index.html#_To_indicate_more_information

Sec: Irony

An excellent write-up in explaining the different uses of irony.



http://theoatmeal.com/comics/irony

A Cultural Experience : The Fire-walking Ritual

It was an annual event. However, this time it was going to be different because I was one of them. I was going to participate in the fire-walking celebration ritual in honour of the Mother. Oh how I dreaded it for it was my first attempt! What if the Mother was not pleased with me? What if I was not holy enough? There was just no time to consider these anymore. There was no back-out plan, was there? 

Soon, it was five in the evening. The ceremony was about to commence. I positioned myself in the middle of the pack where I felt more secure. I was bearing flowers on my head, my face painted with white stripes and a red dot on my forehead.

The march finally began as we moved forward toward the temple. The pace was brisk and the mood was exhilarating. I was stuck and dragged along by my fellow devotees. The temple soon loomed into view. My heart started pounding like the African drums. Indian music was blaring near the entrance of the temple, played by musicians using traditional instruments. We continued to surge forward as the eyes of at least the eyes of  a thousand dark faces were observing us with intense expectancy.

Before us was a pit carved from stone-hard earth.  Embers were at the base and granite chips were laid over them. The burning granite stones caused the heat to rise and anyone near it would feel as if he was in the hellish heat of an oven furnace. Vigilant temple attendants were black shining figures stripped to the waist, ready to attend to the devotees walking across the pit.

Fervour rippled across the ecstatic crowd. They were pressing in to witness the famous ritual, ready to snap photographs and take videos of the fire-walking ritual. The noise died to a subdued murmur of intense expectancy. The devotees started to move across the pit one by one. Some ran across as if they were participating in an Olympic race. Others were half-walking and half-staggering. Tears welled up in their eyes as they were overcome with inexplicable emotions. 

It was now my turn. At the edge of the pit, I hesitated. Half of me was screaming from within, “It's not too late to back out!” Suddenly, I felt a stab of pain as the rope whip wielded by the temple priest lashed on my bare back. Like a man in the depths of a trance, a gush of emotions surged through my body as I floated along over the length of inferno of hot stones, my face contorted with a flood of secret ecstasy. I heard nothing; saw nothing; felt nothing. Then, I felt the sudden coolness of my feet as I plunged my feet into milk water and collapsed into the waiting arms of the temple attendants. Meanwhile, a string of devotees after me followed one after another likes ants in a straight line in rapid succession and made their entranced passage across the pit.

Finally, the orange sun set and the ceremony ended.  None of us suffered burnt feet. When it was over, a water hose extinguished the heat at the pit and the imprisoned inferno sizzled into billowing clouds of hot white steam. As the pit gave up their heat under the shower of water, the crowd rushed over to  seize a charred crumble of the sacred embers.

A sense of achievement and pride overwhelmed me.  In-between tears of joy, I gazed at the temple tower with hundred of Her loving images, clasped my hands together and bowed my head in prayers.  Then, I caught sight of the crying faces of my family and friends and held them in one tight loving embrace. A thought struck me: Maybe, just maybe, I could do it again.



PS: I am not a Hindu and have not attended this ceremony.  My students shared that their parents had done it before.  I think this cultural experience is very rich and interesting.  The inspiration came from a comprehension passage with powerful sensory phrases and the phrases in bold are my favourite phrases from the text.  There is no author's name or article title found.

O Level: Learning - the Finnish way

 

By Sandra Davie The Straits Times Monday, Sep 30, 2013

 

 

Like Singapore, Finland, which has a population of 5.4 million, is an education superstar. - See more at: http://www.edvantage.com.sg/content/learning-finnish-way#sthash.3XR6FXvm.dpuf

 

Only Finland's best become teachers

Free to play and free to learn at Finnish pre-schools.

 

 

Its students consistently do as well as top-performing Singapore pupils in international maths and science tests. 

 

But a recent study trip by The Sunday Times sponsored by Lien Foundation found that Finnish students take a completely different route to academic excellence.  Before going to Primary 1 at age seven, all that Finnish children in pre-schools seem to do is play.

 

And once in school, they do not undergo formal assessments or examinations until they are 18, when they sit for a matriculation examination to enter university. There is also little homework for primary and lower secondary students, and no nationwide standardised testing. 

 

And tuition? That is a concept foreign to most Finnish parents.  Teachers say the equivalent of Singapore's gifted education scheme or Normal or Express streams would be illegal in Finland because its education policy calls for all children to be given the same opportunities.

 

Streaming at 16

 

The only "streaming" allowed occurs at age 16, when students, after being graded by teachers, get to choose whether to take the vocational or academic route. 

 

And yet, the Finns have consistently performed in the top tier since the first Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) survey was conducted in 2000.  This study compares 15-year- olds in different countries in reading, mathematics and science. 

 

So how does Finland do it without the intense pressure and competition that are so much a part of Singapore's system?  Finnish educators list a combination of factors, from the strong reading culture - Finnish people borrow more books from libraries than anyone else in the world - to highly educated and well-trained teachers. 

 

Many also attribute the success of the Finnish education system to the strong foundation in learning laid in pre-school, where the focus is on cultivating intellectual curiosity and a love of learning in the young.

 

The emphasis is on learning through collaboration, not competition."  All children are given equal opportunities. We put equity ahead of producing top students," says Dr Pasi Sahlberg, who wrote the much-talked-about book, Finnish Lessons, which details how the country improved its mediocre academic results and produced top-performing students.

 

Every school is a good school

 

The 53-year-old director-general of CIMO (National Centre for International Mobility and Cooperation) at the Finnish Ministry of Education explains how Finns aim to have good schools for all students, echoing the Singapore Education Ministry's (MOE) recent slogan that "every school is a good school".

 

Dr Sahlberg says Finnish parents really do believe that all Finnish schools are equal. That would explain the puzzled looks given by Finnish parents when The Sunday Times asked how they select a school for their children. The answer: They pick the one closest to home.

 

Dr Sahlberg points out that the Pisa results show that the gap between high and low achievers in Finland is the smallest in the world.The main aim of its policymakers since the 1980s has been to ensure that every child should be given the same opportunity to learn, regardless of family background or income.

 

In Finland, education is free from pre-school to university level. Government spending on education makes up 6.8 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP).All Finnish schools offer free meals, free health care, free psychological counselling and free individualised student guidance.The country's education system did not start out this way.

 

Back in the 1960s, less than 10 per cent of students continued their education until the age of 18. There was nationwide standardised testing for children at age 11. Children who scored in the top 25 per cent went to private schools that charged high fees.

 

But starting in the mid-1970s, education reforms were introduced. Private schools were scrapped and all schools became publicly funded. Pre-school teachers attended a three-year degree course, while those heading to teach in primary and secondary schools studied for five years up to master's level.

 

Teachers are allowed to design their own lessons.

 

Streaming of students to put them on either the vocational or academic tracks was pushed to a later stage, at age 16.Class sizes were kept to an average of 25 students. Teachers were allowed to design their own lessons.

 

Instead of examinations, teachers assessed students using tests they designed themselves. Grades in report cards were based not just on test scores, but also on projects and class participation. 

 

Periodically, the Education Ministry would track a few sample groups of children across a range of schools to make sure the system was working.  There was opposition to the reforms at first, with some groups calling for a return to examinations and streaming. 

 

But the results of the first Pisa studies in 2000 and the second in 2003 changed people's minds. Finnish children were among the top performers in mathematics, science and literacy.  Soon, educators from around the world were flocking to Finland, hoping to learn the secret to its success.

 

"Once, people used to come to Finland to learn about Nokia. Now, they come here to learn about our school system," says Dr Sahlberg, who receives numerous invitations from around the world to give talks and attend education conferences. 

 

Dr Sahlberg, who has been appointed visiting professor by Harvard University, says: "When the first Pisa study came out, most Finns didn't believe it. But we came out tops again in the second survey. The best thing that Pisa did was that it silenced those who wanted to go back to having private schools and national examinations."

 

But he is quick to correct any misconceptions among visiting educators that the system, from pre-school to university, is laid-back. He notes that although examinations and streaming do not exist in the lower levels, students have to sit examinations at age 18.  At 16, more than 90 per cent of students choose to further their education through either "general" or "vocational" upper secondary schools.

 

Consider doing away with PSLE

 

Vocational students usually head to polytechnics or enter the job market. Those in the academic general stream have to sit a national examination to get a place in university.  Universities also set their own entrance tests to select students for specific courses.

 

However, there are those who believe the Finnish system is not suitable for all countries, including Singapore. 

 

While Finland's population is similar in size to Singapore's, it is largely homogeneous, with people speaking the same language, Finnish.  Also, Finland has a generous social welfare system where education and health care are free. But Finnish taxes are among the highest in the world at 44 per cent of GDP, reported Reuters.

 

The income tax rate ranges from 6.5 per cent to 31.75 per cent. On top of that, Finns pay municipal tax ranging from 16.25 per cent to 22 per cent.  Dr Sahlberg says Singapore is admired for the way it teaches mathematics and science, and for its recruitment and training of teachers.

 

But one thing that Singapore should consider doing away with is the Primary School Leaving Examination, he says, echoing the views expressed by Stanford University professor Linda Darling-Hammond in a recent interview with The Sunday Times.  "Singapore is one of the few countries in the world to have a high-stakes examination for 12-year-olds," says Dr Sahlberg. "So I wonder why Singaporeans are arguing over scores or bands.

 

Shouldn't the debate be about whether the exams are appropriate for children at such a young age?" 

 

He is aware of the anxiety felt by Singapore educators over the widening gap in school performance between children from disadvantaged homes and those from privileged backgrounds. 

 

Stressing that many elements of the Finnish school system are interwoven with the country's social welfare policies, he says: "As the OECD (Pisa) report stated, the highest-performing education systems are those that are able to combine quality with equity." 

 

And if there is something that Finland can show others, it is what equity and equal opportunity in education look like. And it is possible to achieve excellence along with equity."

 

 

Source: http://www.edvantage.com.sg/content/learning-finnish-way

O Level: Speech (Estate Upgrading)

Good morning to all of you.

Our estate will soon be undergoing some upgrading work and we have been offered three programmes to choose from, namely, the Lift Improvement Programme, the Home Upgrading Programme and the Interim Upgrading Programme. In my opinion­, the Interim Upgrading Programme would be the most beneficial for all the residents.

Firstly, the Interim Upgrading Programme will improve the overall façade of the estate and includes functional items such as linkways, repainting and new letter boxes. This is great news for us so our estate looks dull as the last painting was done ten years ago and some paint has already been peeled off. Thus, it really needs a new facelift to enhance our living environment. Furthermore, residents have often complained about the inconvenience of moving around the estate under the elements of heavy rain and scorching heat. With the construction of the linkways, residents can enjoy the shade provided while running errands to nearby supermarkets, schools and bus-stops without the fear of not bringing an umbrella with them. The children’s playground and the facilities in the old folks’ corner will also be upgraded. Presently, our playground and old folks’ corner have been poorly utilised. This is because there are little potholes on the rubber floor matting and the equipment is fairly run-down. By improving these facilities, it will bring benefits to the young and old alike as they would be able to be outdoors more often. Most importantly, this programme will be fully paid by the estate central funding which is great news for every resident.

On the other hand, the Home Upgrading Programme and the Lift Improvement Programme are not as well-received based on our survey conducted with some residents. The main reason is that both programmes require the residents to fork out quite a sum of money to pay for the improvement and many find it unaffordable since most come from the low-income families. Hence, our immediate priorities are to make sure that we create convenience for our residents and provide recreational facilities for them at no cost at all.

To conclude, I feel that the Interim Upgrading Programme is the best choice for us since it addresses our urgent needs without having to pay for them. I hope that the considerations I have raised will be taken into account by all of you when polling takes place and help you make an informed decision to make our estate a wonderful place to live in.



Thank you.

Secondary: Courage

Though I do not condone his drunk driving, I salute his courage to confess and not lie even when this means a heavy jail sentence. 

 

 

A 22-year-old Ohio motorist dramatically claimed responsibility for a drunk-driving fatality, and urged others not to repeat his tragic mistake, in an online video that went viral Friday.

"My name is Matthew Cordle and on June 22, 2013, I hit and killed Vincent Canzani. This video will act as my confession," stated Cordle in the professional-looking clip that appears on BecauseISaidIWould.com.

 

The 3-1/2 minute confession opens with somber music and Cordle sitting in a dark room, his face obscured by pixilation, recounting how he "blacked out" behind the wheel after a night of "heavy drinking" then hit another vehicle in a wrong-way crash on an Interstate highway.
 

"When I get charged I will plead guilty and take responsibility for everything I've done to Vincent and his family," he said as the pixilation gives way to a clear view of his face and the camera reveals scars on his arm.

 

Cordle said "high-powered attorneys" had told him they could get him a reduced sentence, or off the hook entirely, if he agreed to lie, "but I won't dishonor Vincent's memory by lying about what happened."

 

The video ends with Cordle looking into the camera and telling viewers: "I'm begging you. Please don't drink and drive. I can't bring Mr. Canzani back ... but you can still be saved. You victims can still be saved."

 

Alex Sheen, founder of BecauseISaidIWould.com, a donation-supported website where people can go public with promises, said Cordle approached him via Facebook last month with his story.

 

"I don't know Matt at all outside of this," Sheen told CNN, as the video surpassed 137,000 views on YouTube by mid-day (1700 GMT) Friday.

 

The prosecutor handling the case, Ron O'Brien, said he'll ask grand jurors Monday to indict Cordle on a charge of aggravated vehicular homicide, after receiving the completed police investigation Thursday, the Columbus Dispatch newspaper reported Friday.

If convicted, Cordle could face a prison sentence of up to eight years.

 

Canzani, 61, was described in his obituary as "a gifted photographer" who attended art school in Ohio and later served in the US Navy as a submarine missile technician.

 

Local news reports at the time of the accident said Canzani died at the scene of the pre-dawn crash, and that medical staff described the driver of the vehicle that hit him as "very, very drunk."
 

Every day in the United States, almost 30 people are killed in motor vehicle crashes that involving an alcohol-impaired driver, amounting to one death every 48 minutes, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

 

It put the annual cost of alcohol-related crashes at more than $51 billion and the total number of drunk-driving fatalities in 2010 at 10,228 -- about a third of all traffic deaths.

 

 

 

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/ohio-drivers-killed-man-confession-goes-viral-193218970.html

O Level: Formal Letter - Choosing a CIP programme

28 Woodlands Drive
Singapore 720028

17 August 2013

Mrs Evelyn Wong
Teacher-in-charge
Community Involvement Programme Club
Woodlands Circle Secondary School
20 Woodlands Circle
Singapore 730020

Dear Mrs Wong

Re: New Community Involvement Programme (CIP) for the Club

Thank you very much for allowing me the chance to evaluate the programmes you have suggested. All of us in the Community Involvement Programme club are really excited at the thought of embarking on a new volunteering programme! After serious consideration, I would like to suggest that we volunteer at Beron Hospice Centre.

This charity provides comfort and support to patients with life-limiting illnesses. We can visit the terminally-ill patients and be a friend to them. We can chat with them and engage them in planned activities such as singing karaoke and bringing them out for a meal. We can also assist them in simple house keeping. Moreover, we can get them involved by spreading the festive joy with them during various festivals.

I feel that Beron Hospice Centre is the best choice among the three. Firstly, since we are students, we have little to offer except by way of volunteering our time and a listening ear. Secondly, we as students can learn how to interact with the terminally-ill patients and become more compassionate and empathise with their distressing situation. Most importantly, we can benefit as we would probably see the parting of some of the patients and learn to treasure and cherish our lives and live it to the fullest. In this way, I strongly believe that this experience will nurture us to be socially responsible and develop a sense of belonging to our country since we can care for our fellow countrymen.

I would suggest that we separate the club members into groups and send them into different wards. The senior members will be appointed as the leaders and they will coach the juniors on how to interact with the same group of patients weekly over a sustained period of time. This helps to build deeper friendship with the patients and remove feelings of loneliness among the hospice patients. This also gets rid of any feelings of awkwardness since the patients will meet the same faces regularly.

Serving at Beron Hospice Centre will definitely be a rewarding experience for all of us.  I hope you will take up my suggestion and allow us to implement it soon. Thank you for allowing me to help select a meaningful programme to embark on!

Yours sincerely,



Baba Lee

What are your thoughts and feelings about growing up

When we transform from a child to an adult, many things change including our thoughts and feelings about growing up. When I was young, I always thought that growing up was a ‘cool’ and ‘fun’ process. I was always looking forward to adulthood, when I can finally make my own decisions just like everyone else. However as teenage years started, I realize that growing up is not what I thought it was anymore. As we grow, many things start to change too regardless of studies, emotions or dreams.

The greatest change of all is definitely studies and stress level. When we were in kindergarten, going to school was just like a definition of ‘fun’. I remember I never wanted to miss school even though I was sick. Back then we were all so carefree. However as we were enrolled into primary school and then secondary school, going to school is not as enjoyable as it used to be. We started off with 4 subjects and then slowly increasing to 8 subjects. There is so much to learn in a short period of time. Also, I usually have to stay up till late night to complete my assignments that is due on the next day. Tests and examinations are no exceptions. As the examination dates inch closer, my stress level builds up, as I do not want to lose to others in this race of education. If I knew as a child these are what I am going to face in the future, I would definitely not want to grow up.

As we grow up, we also start to face different emotions. When I was a child, clothing and appearance were never a problem. I could dress up as a princess and walk down Orchard Road without worrying about getting judged by the public. However as I grow, insecurities and fear of getting negative comments by others start to set in. Having to walk down the streets without failing to think about what others might think about you is definitely a pain. Another example would be love. Love for the opposite gender is a new emotion you will feel as you grow up. This is especially common in secondary schools. Experiencing love is also part and parcel of growing up. Even our level of happiness changes as we transform from a child to a teenager and then to an adult. We are constantly facing new challenges each day and sometimes it might tire us. We soon, too, expect more to get happiness. Many events affect our emotion such as stress and fear. Growing up allows you to discover these new emotions and to me, it is just like surprises.

Last but not least, our dreams. We are often asked what we want to be in the future and what are our answers? “I want to be an astronaut!” “I want to be a princess!” “ I want to be a superman, so I can save people from evil beings!” but as we grow, these dreams get eliminated one by one. We are then forced to make more realistic dreams and goals. Our freedom of being who we want to be becomes merely impossible as we grow. For me, my dream is to become a song composer but often, many people tell me that it is almost impossible to earn a living as a composer. However, shouldn’t we be allowed to have the freedom to dream about who we want to be even when we grow up?

Growing up may be scary and difficult sometimes but it also brings us surprises. It is only once in a lifetime, so why not enjoy this process of growing up?

Chong Jiachyi, Sec 3

O Level: A Eating Place You Frequent

As we know, Singapore is a food paradise where food is part of our culture and something that unites Singaporeans together regardless of race, language or religion. A good example of such cultural diffusion would be our hawker centers where one would be able to taste a variety of cuisines from different races.

 

In my view, the Chong Pang food center is one of the best hawker centers. It is a popular eating place that have been frequented by my family for many years. It may seem like any other ordinary hawker centers with no special decor or expensive tables and chairs like those found in a five-star restaurant. Though its interior design is not as comparable to a classy restaurant, its food is often better. Many of the food available here have been perfected by the individual stall owners who can be considered the ultimate specialists of their dishes.

 

Once one steps into the food center, the aromatic scent of from the stalls fills the nostrils, make the mouth water and the tummy rumble. Crowds balloon especially during meal times. All you can see are snake-liked queues outside the stalls, tables fully occupied and even customers squeezing through the cluster of humanity maneuvering back to available seats with simmering hot dishes. Dinners clad in casual attire munch their food amidst sounds of chattering voices, chuckling laughter and the clanking cutlery.

 

To me, Chong Pang food center always allows our family to have a satisfying dining experience Whenever we are there, we will be sure to get our tummies fully filled before leaving. There are too many types of cuisines available for us to choose from ,we usually order a variety of food and enjoy our  'buffet'.

  

One of the favorite dishes that my family and I love is the Malay satay. No one can resist the rich barbecued smell of the fragrant chicken, mutton or beef meat. The charred edges of the meat with the thin layer of the honey added to the zing making it look even more juicy and tempting. A dip of the special peanut sauce made by the owner enhances the goodness of the dish and each mouthful is a burst of umami goodness. The flavor and texture are even further perfected by the side garnishing of onion and Ketupat that add oomph to the whole satay dish.

  

After a hearty meal, we leave and look forward to the next meal there. At Chong Pang, the food center never sleeps. Even deep in to the night, dinners are there for a great supper. The bustling activities continue.

 

Written by Careen Lim Sec 3.  Edited by Mrs Lee

O Level: Advertisements are harmful. Do you agree?

Advertising is an extremely lucrative business that is worth billions of dollars across the world. Advertisements are everywhere in all forms of media, such as on the Internet, in paper print and on the television and radio. In fact, the amount of advertising has exploded over the past two decades where studies have shown that on average, consumers are exposed to a staggering 3000 advertisements a day. Online advertising alone is believed to be worth $24 billions. So what is wrong with advertisements? Why are they harmful? Whilst most agree that advertisements help business to sell their products and inform consumers about new products, many believe that advertisements have negative influences on people. In this essay, I shall explore how advertisements create harmful effects in people's health, finances and self-image.
 

Firstly, the profiteering nature of advertisements causes health to deteriorate. The fast-food advertisements that abound everywhere are good examples to illustrate the point.  Everyday, in Singapore, consumers are invaded by many MacDonald advertisements. Such advertisements tempt us to feast on more junk food. It is a well-known fact that fast food is detrimental to health because of its high fat content and the lack of proper nutrition. Still, people flood to the MacDonald restaurants whenever there is an ad that introduces some attractive $2 value discounts or a new burger flavour. This contributes to the increase in the obesity index. Hence, with such fast-food advertisements, people's health would definitely continue to spiral downward.

Secondly, advertisements hurt people's pockets considerably. Advertisements have the ability to transform every want into a need. Many consumers love to buy products of limited editions. It is not uncommon to hear people say, “I really need to get the new limited Louis Vuitton handbag.” Even children want the latest Lego Ninjago figurines. It was reported that in December 2009. the credit card debt hit an estimated $3.4 billion which was the highest in that month for the past 20 years. As a result, many enter into an exorbitantly-high bloodsucking credit card debts. As interest rates of credit cards can go up to 24% per annum, they become trapped in a cycle of overspending and under repaying. As a result, the debts balloon to gargantuan amounts. Sadly, many, even teens, end up becoming bankrupt.

Thirdly, advertisements cause many to have a poor self-image of themselves. They set the standard of the ideal image. Due to the advertisements, the common aspiration of women now is to have a slim and shapely figure, to be young and beautiful as well as to have a great fashion sense. Not only is this idealized image not attainable for most, it also results in poor self-image. Women resort to plastic surgeries, botox, slimming pills and what-nots to stay attractive. For example, glossy photographs of super-thin models in magazines subtly persuade women to go for liposuctions, slimming pills or even starve to be stick-thin but not many can attain the body of Kate Moss. This gives rise to the increase in anorexia in young girls. Such successful marketing strategies have given rise to a need to embody such beauty and yet, the irony of not being able to attain it at all. Consumers suffer low self-esteem as a result.

In conclusion, people consume unnecessary products due to these advertisements and the irony of it is that they become less healthy, poorer and less happy about themselves. Without a doubt, the negative influences of advertisements abound. Perhaps, consumers should learn how to be more discerning and not be seduced into the addiction of buying more and more. Instead of slogging hard to buy what we do not need, we should think twice and learn contentment and choose not be trapped by these evil claws of advertisement anymore.