The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that, the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.


After reading this poem, I was not able to fully comprehend it immediately. However, I read a poem analysis and managed to better comprehend this poem. According to the analysis, this poem is one of the best-known, but most misunderstood poems in the world. It is basically about the importance of making the right choice.

In the first stanza, the speakers describes his position. He is in the middle of the woods and comes across two roads. He would like to take both roads, but doubts that he would have the chance, thus he carefully looks down both roads for a long time. In the second stanza, the speaker looks down one road but decides to go down the other. This is because he feels that the second path seems less worn and has less traffic. He then describes that the difference is not much, but only a little. In the third stanza, he continues to describe the two paths, how the fallen leaves are still fresh and have not been stepped on.

The last stanza is the tricky one. Firstly, the "sigh" in the first line can mean two things; one, the speaker has chosen the right path and sighs in relieve; two, the speaker has chosen the wrong path and sighs in disappointment. Secondly, the speaker himself is not too sure what this "sigh" means as he says "somewhere ages and ages hence:". This mean that the speaker is yet to know whether he had took the right path. Thirdly, the word "difference" in the last line is directly affect by the connotation of "sigh" in the first line. If the "sigh" meant that he is relieved, then "difference" would mean a positive difference; if the "sigh" meant disappointment, then it would be a negative "difference".

In all, I found this poem very tricky and it indeed boils down to making the right choices. Making the right choices would ultimately determine your future.

Sacrifice

Write about a time when in wanting to make someone happy you were forced to make a sacrifice. 

What should I do? Is this the right choice? These were some of the questions that ran through my mind as I stood there in the bookstore, holding one item in each hand. In my left hand was the newest, coolest video game that had just reached Singapore. I have been waiting for this video game to reach stores for a long time and have been saving since. Now, my hands on this video game and enough money in my pocket, I was finally ready to try out this new cool game. However, tomorrow is my best friend's birthday and I wanted to give him,  John, a special present. I had always knew he wanted this storybook and wanted to give it to him as his birthday present. Coincidentally, his birthday accurately falls on the day my new video game releases. With only enough money to buy one present, I am in a dilemma.

Anyway, did I see this book when I went to his house just last week? Or was it another? Fresh hopes and ideas that might convince me to buy the video game flashed through my mind. My eyes greedily fell upon the video game package and I dreamily thought of how I would spend my upcoming school holidays. This is the game I had been waiting for for such a long time! How could I bear to sacrifice this to for a book? However, My eyes turned and gazed upon the boring old book. Although most of my instincts would tell me to put that book down and pay for the video game, my brain stopped me and made me think twice before deciding. John had been my best friend since Primary One and we spent a lot of time together. He had always been there helping me and making school life more bearable. I also recall him lending me lunch money a few days ago.

With all those good points, how could I not give him a good birthday present in return? Making a mental note to return him the money, I put the video game back and walked towards cashier...

Logic and Decision-Making

Answer the following in 150-200 words: What is the common theme among the scrolls inside each of the caskets? How does this theme relate to how each suitor (Morocco, Arragon, and Bassanio) chooses their particular casket?

I think that the common theme among the scrolls is that appearance is not important, rather, it is what it is made of that matters. For the gold casket, it looks nice and beautiful on the outside, and since the Prince of Morocco thinks himself as a very handsome and dashing man, he feels that the gold casket is the right one. However, "all that glitters is not gold". He only thought that being beautiful is everything, but it is actually what is inside that really matters. For the Prince of Arragon, he chose the silver casket. He was arrogant and proud and thought that he should get as much as he deserves, just as the silver casket promised. However, the casket described him as a fool. Bassanio, unlike the other two princes, was not fooled by appearances. He chose the lead casket, the ugliest of the three. He knew that men were tricked by appearances, and thus he did not choose the gold or silver caskets.

Write a narrative and exposition in 200-300 words on the following topic: A moment in your life when you had to make a difficult decision primarily using logic.

What should I do? Which one is the best choice? These were just some of the many questions that flashed through my mind when I was thinking about that topic. Just recently, my pet dog, Oscar, was diagnosed with having a deadly disease. As my pet dog is already very old, it came to no surprise that he had contracted a diseases. However, it had never crossed my mind that he will suffer from a deadly disease! It is either a life-or-death situation and all responsibility now rests on my shoulders.

After quite a while of consideration, I am left with only two options: One, send him to a vet and undergo surgery to sure him of his illness; Two, spare him from his suffering and put him to sleep forever. This was a very tough decision. My pet dog had been by my side for almost 10 years, thinking that he will soon be gone certainly makes me feel depressed. At a glance, I would definitely have gone for the operation; but after thinking about it even more, putting him down for good seemed like a better choice. Sending him for surgery may allow him to live a few years longer but the surgery itself might cost a bomb and there will be a chance that it might fail. After the operation, Oscar might even feel worse and this will prolong his suffering. Putting him down for good certainly end his days of suffering but that would also mean the end of the 10-year relationship with him. It certainly is hard to just let go of my pet dog. However, putting him down for good might be the choice that would really benefit for Oscar. It would end his days of suffering.

After a lot of thinking, I finally made a decision. Good bye, Oscar!

Expert Circle

Expert Circles Activity #1

1st Topic:
William Shakespeare of Stratford-upon-Avon was not considered a likely candidate for the authorship of Shakespeare’s works as his biography, particularly his humble origins and obscure life seemed incompatible with his poetic eminence and reputation for genius.

There are more than 70 possible authorship candidates, including Francis Bacon, the 6th Earl of Derby, Christopher Marlowe, and the 17th Earl of Oxford.

I think that the most likely candidate to have written Shakespeare’s works is Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford. This is because Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford was an Elizabethan courtier, playwright, lyric poet, sportsman and patron of the arts and is currently the most popular alternative candidate proposed for the authorship of Shakespeare’s works. Also, J. Thomas Looney, an English schoolteacher, proposed Oxford as a candidate for the authorship of Shakespeare’s works and his theory was based on perceived analogies between Oxford’s life and poetic techniques and Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets. Hence, I think that the most likely candidate to have written Shakespeare’s works is Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford.


2nd Topic:
Elizabeth I was Queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 24 March 1603.

During the Elizabeth’s reign, there were conflicts between England and Spain, Scotland and Ireland. However, England was alliance with Netherlands during the Elizabeth’s reign.

The relationship between Shakespeare and Elizabeth I was employer-employee relationship. Shakespeare was throughout his life greatly indebted to the patronage and support of royal and noble personages; his royal patrons were Queen Elizabeth and King James I, both of whom greatly loved the drama.

Portia has a nature which is at once finely sensitive and very determined. Feminine in her intuitions, she can also be strong-willed, resourceful, resolute, romantic and witty. She has a keen insight into human character. Like Portia, Elizabeth I was determined, intelligent and well educated. Also, Elizabeth I managed to overcome challenges like defeating the Spanish Armada, just like Portia who managed to save Antonio from receiving his forfeit.

3rd Topic:

Hygiene was virtually non-existent during the Elizabethan era. Wealthy people bathed once every few weeks, while peasants bathed about 3 times every year. Females used make-ups. Males put lead powder on hair. Wealthy women bring about perfume & lonely peasants bring nothing. No running water. Wealthy people had buckets of water wheareas lonely peasants had water only from out houses.

4th Topic:

- What was Venice like during 15th & 16th Century?

Venice flourished & was important trading centre & art centre, due to stable political climate. Over hundereds of thousands of people lived there. Venetian craftsmen produce various decorative arts, while Merchants traded wood & silk & various other products. Art beginning of 16th Century, theatre was welcomed. Groups of actors performed in houses of nobles.

- Why was Venice important during 15th & 16th Century?

Venice was centre of Renaissance then. Architecture, art, music & literature flourished in Venice. The printing of books in the Italian language ws initiated in Venice & contributed to the Italian Renaissance. The Venetian School poly-choral compositions were famous throughout Europe then. The dominant religion in Venice is Roman Catholism.

5th Topic:
1.Open Air Theatres with no electricity or lighting
2. No electricity or lighting or sound amplification
3.People with a good memory and coordination for stunts partook in the plays. The general public could watch them.
4.”Queen Elizabeth” liked plays but the authorities did not.
5.Golden Globe theatre was a lot less developed than modern days theatres and the stages were usually bare with little technology

Describing a Person by Describing the Place

You might have seen some flashes of light coming from that little hut over there, the old and dilapidated one. You may think that it is just some light bulb problem, nothing to worry. However, if you look closer, you would see 'lightnings' instead of just flashes of light. Yes, you heard me right, lightnings. Small, mini lightnings that erupts ever so often. Though they are small, they still are as strong as the real mighty ones. Well, why listen to an old man tell his old cock-and-bull story? If you believe it or not, I had once been to that dingy little hut a long long time ago...

The place had a strong burning smell, like something had been burning for a long long time. Smoke seem to ooze out of the walls and though it was smoke all over the place, it still felt reasonably cool. The room was dark and eerie as the room had no windows and the door was always shut. Huge machines the size of elephants wheezed and whistled many soft tunes while other small machines the size of mice roared and screeched noisily. To my utmost amazement, the machines seemed to be calling me to go, run away from this place. I took the hint that something interesting was lurking further in the corner and proceed further into the small hut.

Weirder machines started popping up at every corner. One was bright blue and seemed to be floating in midair, just like a lantern without a string. Another was puffing out ring-shaped smoke in every single colour. It too was floating in midair but this one seemed to be magically moving around. Another one was walking around the floor. It walked a few steps and suddenly burst into blue flames. The flames died down as fast as it came and the machine continued walking. A lot more kinds of weird and interesting machines started appearing. They were all very unique in their own ways and were all different. Finally, I reached the final room. A huge machine the size of a mansion stood towering over me. It was round and hollow at the centre, so I was able to see what was on the other side of it. To my amazement, I could see the whole town! Suddenly, a spark formed in the centre and it slowly magnified. Soon, mini lightnings were all over the place! The scene was magnificent but I soon heard footsteps and sped out of the house. It was the first and last time into that small hut.

Ameneh Bahrami

An Iranian man was convicted of throwing acid in the face of a female student, Ameneh Bahrami. She was blinded and the convicted man, Majid Movahedi, was to be blinded in retribution. However, Ameneh pardoned the attacker just at the last minute and Majid was let off the hook. If I were Ameneh, I would not have let my attacker go just like that. I would want retribution as he had ruined my life by making me blind and disfigured. For that, I would have insisted on eye-for-an-eye justice. The attacker ruined my life and I want to warn all criminals by showing them that no one can escape from the long arms of justice. However, it may be right to show mercy to the attacker as I would have no gains from blinding him.

Firstly, the attacker ruined my life and my future. After being splashed with acid, my face was deformed and I was blinded. My future career would definitely be affected as who would want to hire a blind person? Being blinded would also cause a lot of inconvenience for me and the people around me. My parents and relatives have to help me out a lot and these may pose troublesome to them. They would have to help me to do simple things such as pouring water and helping me to a chair. Thus, I would not let my attacker off the hook as he had ruined my life and my future.

Secondly, from this, I would want to warn all criminals by showing them that no one can escape from justice. For instance, the attacker who splashed acid on my face must be prosecuted and face justice. This would tell all criminals that they cannot escape justice if they committed a crime and would face the punishment. Hence, by not showing him mercy, it can act as a reminder to all that all actions have consequences.

However, I should also consider showing him mercy. If he was to be blinded for an eye-for-an-eye justice, that would not in the least be beneficial to me. I would gain nothing if he were to be blinded. Hence, I should show him mercy. After suffering for 7 years in darkness, I have experienced the pain and suffering and I would not want anyone to go through these pain as well. So, instead of prosecuting that person, I should show him mercy and spare him from the pain and suffering.

In conclusion, the reasons why I shouldn't show him mercy far outweigh why I should show him mercy. Thus, if I were Ameneh Bahrami, I would not have chose to forgive my attacker.

Reflections:

I feel that it was cruel and inhuman that Majid Movahedi threw acid on Ameneh's face just because she repeatedly spurned his offer of marriage. Even though I can understand that he was angry and upset, he should have controlled his anger and thought of the consequences before acting. He had just ruined a perfect life just because he did not get what he wanted.

However, I feel that Ameneh Bahrami is indeed an "angel". Even after someone threw a bucket of acid on her face, she could still forgive him and give him another chance. She is very righteous and did not want eye-for-an-eye justice. She did not put her personal thoughts and feelings in between her judgement whether or not to spare him.

Speech

Good afternoon Mr Lundberg and fellow classmates. Today, I will be talking about my views of why I believe that it was a good choice killing Osama bin Laden rather than sparing his life and bringing him back to the US.

On September 11, 2001, a series of four coordinated suicide attacks was launched by Al-Qaeda to the US. 19 Al-Qaeda hijackers hijacked 4 commercial passenger jets airliners and took control of the plane. The hijackers intentionally crashed into four different sites, killing thousands of people.

This is all because of Osama bin Laden. Committing such a huge crime, I feel that the US has made the right choice by killing Osama on the spot at Pakistan. Remember the case on Mas Selamat? He was attempting to bomb Changi Airport before he was arrested by Singapore authorities. After being sent to prison, he managed to escape prison through the toilet window. If the US authorities had committed the same kind of mistake as the Singapore Authorities, the consequences would be disastrous. It would be impractical for the US, which has been trying to catch bin Laden for such a long time, risk Osama escaping again. If bin Laden did manage to escape, it may be possible that Osama might be enraged with his capture and plan another, more terrible terrorist attack against the US. While trying to give bin Laden another chance in court, it may lead to bin Laden terrorizing the US once more. Thus, I feel that it will be more fail-safe to kill Osama on the spot.

Furthermore, the US has been tracking bin Laden since the presidency of Bill Clinton. If I were the US navy soldier, I would have done the same and killed Osama. Getting rid of one of the world's more notorious terrorist would be doing the world a good deed. Also, after committing such a huge terrorist attack on the US, I can believe why the US navy soldier did not think twice before shooting and killing bin Laden. For all the innocent people who have died because of bin Laden, it should be time that bin Laden himself have a taste of his own medicine and face death. He had ruined countless number of lives and caused so much destruction in the US. He should not be allowed to live any longer, and thus I feel that it was right that the US killed bin Laden on the spot in Pakistan.

In conclusion, I stand firm that the US has done the right thing and killed bin Laden on the spot. Although some people may argue that everyone deserve another chance, another chance to start anew. The problem is, bin Laden has been given so many chances to own up and face justice. Yet, he decided to remain hidden and wait till the US navy came and found him. After all, it is impossible to escape the long arms of justice. Therefore, I feel that bin Laden as no rights to continue living after all the terrible things he had done to the world.

Thank you.

War Poetry (2)

World War II

We retreated through the thick jungle.

Airplanes flew above us

like bombs exploding in our ears.

We hadn't even saw the enemy,

yet we were already running.

We crossed the bridge between the two countries.

The British blew it up

and yet the enemy still advanced.

It was the first time we met the enemy,

and we weren't able to hold ground.

We retreated further into the island.

The zero planes squashed our planes flat

together with many other strategic sites.

The enemy was invading fast

and we were tripping over our feet to escape.

We backed further into the country.

Things were looking bleak

and air raids showered the city.

Most of our troops were gone

and it was hardly two weeks!

There is not much space to retreat to now.

Dead bodies littered the streets,

rubble and dirt were all over the place

and it seems that the place have been washed with blood.

The enemy, merciless, pressured us to surrender.

Sigh, what a war!

Barely into two weeks and

we have our hands on our heads!

We had disappointed you, citizens,

but we had tried our best!

War Poetry (1)

Passage A

1. Sandburg is describing cannons.

2. The "jackies" were sailors and they were singing "war chanties" because they were trying to raise their morale in battle.

3. Sandburg means that no matter how shiny and nice-looking the weapons of war may be, war ultimately entails to death. In the previous stanza, line 12 "Scooping out oblong vaults" implicates the laughing jackies are now dead because of the war. The shovels are used for burying the dead jackies. Thus, whenever there is a "gun", which means a war, there would be "shovels", which means that there is dead. Therefore, a shovel is a brother of a gun.

Passage B

4. The poem's title is significant as it tells us what the poem is about. The title seems to tell me that the soldiers, workmen and citizens follow and carry out what they are told to do, even though what they are called to do may not be right. Soldiers, workmen and citizens are just mindless servants serving the government.

5. Both stanzas contradict each other, one saying to destroy while the other says to build. This shows that the government is both caring and destructive. The persona feels that soldiers are meant for destroying things and they are heartless and emotionless. "Into loose piles of stones and lumber and black burnt wood;" However, the persona feels that the citizens are kind and constructive. "Into buildings of life and labor."

6. I feel that it is harder to build a society rather than to destroy one. Take for example the civil war in Libya. The civil war is still ongoing and destruction is everywhere. The US and British's ships and submarines fired at least a 100 missiles at 20 Libyan integrated air and ground defense systems. The US also sent a lot of air strikes over Libya and many cities and architectures have been destroyed. Up till now, the Libya has not yet recovered from the war and has not rebuilt the city. Therefore, I feel that it is much easier to destroy a society than to rebuild one.

Passage C

7. I imagine the sounds of the future wars to be silent. The guns will be silent, tanks would be silent, even the airplanes would be silent. Soldiers would have no idea who killed them and where they enemy shot them from.

8. I think a good example would be the Libyan "king" Gadaffi. He ruled Libya for 42 years, making him one of the longest serving non-royals in the world. However, there was a major political protest following the wake of the demonstrations in Egypt. They thought that his views were wrong and therefore, the Libyans sort of "kicked him under the dust".

The Merchant of Venice

Pretend for a moment that you are Antonio. Based on Bassanio's arguments, would you also have loaned him the money?

In Act 1 Scene 1 of The Merchant of Venice, Bassanio persuades Antonio to lend him a sum of money so that he can woo and marry a rich women called Portia. Bassanio used many different approaches to persuade Antonio to lend him the money. In the end, Antonio agreed to lend money to Bassanio but since all his money was out in sea, Bassanio had to borrow money from a Jew moneylender. If I were Antonio, I would lend Bassanio the money, but only after thinking over it for some time. The reason why I would lend Bassanio the money because he would be able to return all the money he borrowed and Bassanio is, simply, my friend.

With enough money, Bassanio would be able to woo and marry a rich women Portia. Being Bassanio's good friend, I know that Bassanio is a spendthrift and often spends above his means. Thus, I am not the only person he has borrowed money from. If he really manages to marry Portia, he would be rich beyond measure and thus would be able to return all the dept he owns, including mine. Even though there might be some risk involved, I believe in Bassanio to manage to marry Portia and return all the money he owes me.

Secondly, Bassanio is my best friend, how can I just leave him to bury himself in endless dept? Besides, this might be the only time Bassanio can set things straight and free himself from all of his dept. Being a spendthrift, it would be nearly impossible to ask him to save money by himself. Thus, this might be the golden opportunity to allow Bassanio get out of his dept and also a golden opportunity for me to get back the money I lent him. The saying goes, "A friend in need is a friend indeed". Therefore, I would lend Bassanio the money he needs.

However, there were a few things I had to think over before I agreed to lent Bassanio the money. Firstly, I have already lent Bassanio money countless of times and he has yet to return the money to me. If he doesn't succeed in wooing and marrying Portia, all the money I had loaned him would be going down the drain and never returned back. Thus, some risk involved partially stopped me from lending money to Bassanio.

In conclusion, even though there might be some negative consequences of lending money to Bassanio, the benefits still outweigh the negative consequences, thus I would decide to lend money to Bassanio.

Descriptive Narrative Prose

Write several paragraphs (200-350 words) of descriptive narrative prose, but without using adjectives or adverbs.

One by one, they wrestled us to the floor. Well, it wasn't really much of a wrestle. We were clearly no match for them. A punch from one of them will be able to knock the living day-lights out of anyone of us. The three of us were stood side by side, arms at the ready, but we had completely no chance. They got us surrounded.

Yet the most worrisome thing wasn't them, it was how they found us. I didn't have much time to think before a few punches and everything was a blur...

When I came to, all three of us were on the floor, mouths gagged, of a hut. The thing that most likely have woke me was the smell. The smell slapped me straight in the face. It smelt like dead carcasses, rotting in a corner. They must have slung us to this place when we were unconscious. I could hear mutterings of different languages all around me. Were these people police or kidnappers? The place was dark and I could only make out a few figures. I looked around and saw that we were in a house. It was in a mess. Chairs were all over the place and the place felt damp.

Just then, a man came out from the darkness and pushed a table forward so that the table was just in between us and him. He slammed the table with his hand and the sound echoed, making it sound tenfold.

"Where are the goods?" he boomed. We stared blankly at each other. He shouted louder, "WHERE ARE THE GOODS?"

"I don't know what you are talking about," I said. The man muttered something and then boomed, "Which one of you is Mr David?"

"None of us are," I replied, still unsure with what is happening. The man, furious, turned around and muttered to someone at the back. He raised a threatening finger at us and said,"We would find out sooner or later. You just wait and see." With that, he backed into the darkness, slammed the table once more and flipped it, making it do cartwheels before crash landing. I had a weird feeling that we would not get a chance to see sunlight again.

7-word Sentences

The lock opened with a soft 'click'. Two crafty thieves laughed softly. They opened the door and went in. One of them closed the door. They were both male. Both of them were tall and well-built. Still they broke in silently. The nearby clock tower chimed midnight. They did not waste a second. One of them checked the living room. The other checked the rooms. Many people were sleeping in the house. They had to be quiet. Accidentally, one of them pushed a vase. The vase fell with a 'CRASH'. The thieves rushed to the windows. They slid out before anyone was awake. It was such a close shave.

Gender Imbalance

What will be the effect on Asian society by such a large gender imbalance if this trend continues? Write in SEE format.

In less than 15 years China would have 30 million more men than women resulting from the one-child policy. In China, it is seen that a son is a legacy, who would eventually carry down the family's name. In other rural countries, where social security system is limited or virtually non-existent, a son is often seen as a support for parents in their old age. Daughters, on the other hand, is seen as a family burden. They have to be fed and brought only to be sent into her husband's family when she grows up. This seems unfair to parents as they feel that they are at a lost raising up a girl. However, if no girls are born, many problems will rise. I would be explaining about the consequences on Asian society if large gender imbalances continue.

Firstly, gender imbalance could destabalise society. Research has shown that the suicidal rate of unmarried men are higher than that of married men. This is because they would be lonely and depressed due to the lack of a wife and they would slowly grow crazy due to the lack of company. Lonely and depressed men also develop anti-social and violent attitudes. This may threaten the stability and security of the country.

Secondly, the security and welfare of women might be threatened. Research has shown that 90 million women have gone "missing". One possible reason is that they got abducted by smugglers. Research has shown that men in China are so desperate that they pay smugglers to abduct women to become their bribes. Other women get kidnapped and forced to be sex slaves. Men in China have little outlet for sexual energy, thus they must resort to these methods. This shows just how severe the problem is.

Lastly, the economy of the country would decline. As less men get married and have children, the number of babies born would decrease. This would ultimately result in a smaller workforce and thus less economy growth.

In conclusion, many problems arise when there is a huge gender imbalance. However, the China governments have set up some campaigns to promote more female births. An example would be significant bonuses would be given to parents of girls. I hope that this problem would be resolved quickly.

Same-Sex Marriage

Do you think that same-sex marriage will ever become legal in Singapore?

Based on evidence from the government, I can see that the government is strongly against the idea of same-sex marriage and thus Singapore would not allow same-sex marriage to become legal in the near future. Based on Section 377A of the Singapore Penal Code, "Any male person who, in public or private, commits, or abets the commission of, or procures or attempts to procure the commission by any male person of, any act of gross indecency with another male person, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 2 years" , I can see that the government has set up heavy penalties to fight against Lesbian-Bisexual-Gay-Transsexual (LBGT). It can be clearly seen that gays and lesbians are not accepted in Singapore.

To add on, same-sex couples get many disadvantages in society. For example, benefits, wills and tax rights all exclude same-sex couples. Same-sex couples also cannot own their own HDB flat and can only rent or buy private housing. This a huge disadvantage towards the same-sex couples and with very limited housing choices, it can be quite clear that they do not belong in Singapore and should move out. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong once said that: "Family is the basic building block of this society. And by family in Singapore we mean one man, one woman, marrying, having children, and bringing up children within the framework of a stable family unit."

However, just a few days ago, New York City allowed same-sex marriage. It became hot news on most newspapers as New York City became the sixth US state to legalise same-sex marriage. There are already six countries that allow same-sex marriage. This might just cause a domino effect. More and more countries might follow the US and legalise same-sex marriage. This could lead to more and more people accepting gays and lesbians. Eventually, this world might turn upside down with gays and lesbians completely normal.

Isn't same-sex marriage against simple human biology? Shouldn't the opposite sex attract one another? This are some of the questions that pops into my head when I saw "same-sex marriage". I hope that Singapore continue to disallow same-sex marriage although it may change in the future.

Most Interesting Thing I learned during HBL

The most interesting thing I learned during the home based learning was the maths home-learning module. The module allowed us to use a new program called GeoGebra. This programme allowed us to create polygons of any shape such as rectangles, hexagons and such. The programme basically allows us to draw lines on a grid to draw up these polygons. There are other features too such as the programme helps us draw perpendicular and parallel lines just with a click of a button. It can even help us draw circles. Although it has many features, the programme was still quite confusing in the beginning as I did not know which button was which; but still, I found this module very interesting and a fresh experience.

Home-Based Learning - Task 2

1. Whose Point of View

Statement: The poet is most probably writing from a war veteran point of view.

Evidence: Hubert Wilson has been a war veteran before, thus he is able to recount what happened into a poem.

Elaboration: Being a war veteran before, the poet surely has a vivid memory of the war. Thus, he would be able to write it out as a poem. The poet knows that many people has died due to this war.

2. Situation and Setting

Statement: The situation is that many people are dying from the Agent Orange and the setting is at Vietnam, during the Vietnam War.

Evidence: "Toll on the innocent and unborn." and "all the illness, birth defects and prematurely dead."

Elaboration: After the US sprayed millions of gallons of Agent Orange on Vietnam, many Vietnamese were mutated or even killed. Many of the babies born were also dead or deformed.

3. Language/Diction

Statement: The last word in each line rhymes with the last word in the next line.

Evidence: "foresee" and "potpourri", "price" and "twice", "unborn" and "mourn", "dead" and "spread", "astray" and "pay" and "spray".

Elaboration: The last word in each line rhymes with the next to allow the poem to be more smooth.

4. Personal Response

Statement: I feel that war is inhuman and should never happen again.

Evidence: Countless of people die from wars and some of them even get mutated. Humans should live in peace and harmony where killing and maiming is not allowed.

Elaboration: With bullets and missiles flying everywhere, innocent people are sure to die. Destruction is the only outcome of war and neither parties would gain anything. Humans should learn to stop war and violence.

Home-Based Learning - Task 1

"Rainbow Death" by Hubert Wilson

America did not foresee
Green, pink, purple and other colors death potpourri!
Expecting others to pay a high price.
Now thinking twice?
Toll on the innocent and unborn.

Omnipotent and disregarding who will mourn.
Reflective about all the illness, birth defects and prematurely dead.
All the deceit continues to spread.
Nefariously America led astray -
Generations untold WILL pay -
Execrable effects of agent orange spray!

Hubert Wilson was in the USAF Security service before he started writing. He fought in the Vietnam War and was sent to Shemya Island, Alaska. That area was contaminated with Agent Orange, a very poisonous and dangerous substance. Agent Orange was used by the US to chase the villagers in Vietnam to US-inhabited areas. The US sprayed millions of gallons of Agent Orange to destroy the villagers crops. Having no food to eat, the villagers are bound to flee to US-inhabited areas. After staying at the place for long, Hubert started having seve re headaches and muscles aches. The doctors could not diagnose the illness and Hubert had to bear with the pain. Hubert thus decided to write, since his brain was still working fine.

The poem, Rainbow Death, was written to remind everyone about the dangers of war. Agent Orange is just like nuclear energy, it doesn't go away easily and sticks to the water and ground. Upon drinking the contaminated water, humans would become mutated. Babies who were born might be mutated or even born dead. Even though a war might have ended, the affects of the war still lives on. Hubert wants to remind everyone to think twice before starting a war. The war will not only affect the current generation, but also the younger generation. It would be selfish to sacrifice the next generation, babies who wouldn't even born, to suffer for one's selfish decision.

References: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agent_Orange

http://www.warpoetry.co.uk/2010warpoetry.html#Rainbow

Osama bin Laden

Was the decision to assassinate bin Laden rather than bring him to trial a justified one?

I feel that it was justified to assassinate bin Laden on the spot. Taking the Mas Selamat incident to account, if bin Laden managed to escape prison, he would continue his terrorism and might even cause more trouble than before. Bin Laden was the mastermind behind the 911 accident that happened quite some time ago in the United States. The accident occurred when two hijacked planes crashed onto the World Trade Center on the 11th of September. The accident killed thousands of people and completely destroyed the World Trade Center. If bin Laden managed to escape prison, he would be even more enraged at America and might plan something worse than the 911 accident to harm America. Thousands of lives are at stake and it would be unfair if these lives were lost for the sake of giving one heartless and notorious criminal another chance. Thus, I feel that he should not have another chance in trial.

Iraq Invasion

Iraq invasion

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Done by Lee Weng Khin and Richmond Xiao.

The Iraq war, also known as the Second Gulf War and Operation Iraqi Freedom, was a war against the Americans and the Iraqis. The war begun on March 20^th, 2003 and only ended on August 31^st, 2010.

I feel that this war has caused many people to be inspired to write poems on war. These people are usually directly or indirectly affected by the war, and they feel that the war has left scars on them, thus they would want to express theses feelings into poems. Such poems are: “SERGEANT!”, “Travel my Road”, “Ecetera” and “IF TOMORROW NEVER COMES”. The poem for “IF TOMORROW NEVER COMES” is:

Life is uncertain nowadays
And truly, I do not know how many days I have left
It may be today or it may be tomorrow
That I can be called to leave this place.
And so my dear, we have no time to waste
Come and hold me deep in your arms
Let me feel alive
And love me like tomorrow will never come.
We have no time for quarrels
There is no need to be apart;
We are of one another
We are the beats of each other hearts.
Love me, is all I ask of you
Tomorrow is not certain
But this moment is ours to keep
Lets not leave any words unsaid.
Love me, love me, and love me!
We can capture this day, is ours to keep.
My number may come at any moment
But this moment will always live.
Hold me; bring me into your bosoms
Let me know that you are mine
And in case that I do not return;
Know that yours is my heart.

These four poems were written by Michael Pilarte. Michael Pilarte is an army staff sergeant deployed in Iraq. He got directly affected by the war as he had to a high ranking and thus had to plan for the war. From his poems, I can tell that he was scarred by the war. In “IF TOMORROW NEVER COMES”, he mentioned that any day could be his last, any day he could have died in the war. This shows that war is a very scary thing and you could just be breathing your last breath any second. In another poem, “SERGEANT!”, says that war is a dirty job and there would be a lot of blood. This is another example to say that war is very scary and terrible.

The thing that is unique about this poem is that unlike what is expected of an American soldier (patriotism, nationalism) he actually goes against those values inculcated in him and disagrees with the war. This is one idea that we thought volunteer soldiers do not have. Therefore, this sheds new insight on the lives of soldiers.

One other work is “No Flowers, No Doves” by Leo Yankevic:

When we entered the burning city

charred corpses greeted us.

A child's hand dangled from a scorched tree

and the twisted wreckage of a bus

mocked the stillness of the sky.

Gunner gagged, Ski scratched his head,

neither understanding why

he had to liberate the dead.

Leo Yankevich

This poem depicts a scene where almost nothing lives. Everything was killed by the war, the people, trees and the buses. This poem is quite gory, as it says “charred corpses greeted us” and “A child’s hand dangled from a scorched tree”. I think that the poet is exaggerating but his message to the reader is that war is a terrible and an immoral thing. We should try to solve problems peacefully without causing conflict or violence.

Space Flight

The drive to explore the space and our solar system is still an important human endeavor. Do you agree?

I think that the drive to explore the space and our solar system is still an important human endeavor. It is in human nature to be curious and find out more about the world we live in. We should try and know more about the solar system we live in and try to unlock many other questions about the universe. For example, "Are we the only ones in the Universe", "Is there another planet we can live in when Earth 'dies'?" and many other puzzling questions that scientist cannot figure out. The Universe may contain many mysterious elements that scientist can use to build or even heal with. There might be an even stronger and lighter metal than titanium and an even harder material than diamond. We do not know. Thus we have to venture out to space to unlock the mysteries of space.

War: A Personal Response

This is a photo taken by Mr Don McCulin, a world renowned photographer, in Northern Ireland, 1970. This photo really caught my attention because there was panic and fear found in this photo. Firstly, from this photo, I think that it accurately depicts a scene of a war. The photographer changed the photo to black and white so that it better communicates the atmosphere of fear and death. The photo has an eerie The mood of this photo is mostly grave and sorrow as a war is going on and many people are going to die.

There is also smoke in the background and it supports that there is a war going on and the people are running away from it. People are jumping off a steep ledge and running for their lives. Although I cannot see their faces, I think that they are in fear and panicking. During a war, this is what usually happens. Pandemonium spreads throughout the streets are citizens are forced to escape or get killed. One man is carrying a backpack over his shoulder. He most probably heard about the war and quickly grabbed his important stuff and ran. Litter and rubber are also strewed all over the ground which shows that there is destruction and violence.

When you put this photo together, it feels just like a graveyard. Black and white together with the smoke in the background really makes the setting to the graveyard in the middle of the night. The people running away seem like they are running away from the graveyard, away from their grave. This photo really brings out the fear of war.

Examining the Posters

Which poster more effectively communicates a sense of teamwork?

I feel that the NSP poster is more effective in communicating a sense of teamwork. In the poster, all the members are depicted in the same size, thus it would show team work as all of them are equal and they work together. However, for the other poster, Goh Chok Tong is prominently in the front, and all the other members are at the back. This shows that Goh Chok Tong is the leader and that everyone else are members, thus it shows that there isn't much teamwork. In one glance, I would feel that the NSP is very equal and everyone has the same position; for the PAP, all my attention would go to Goh Chok Tong and not any of the other members. Thus, I would feel that the NSP poster is more effective in communicating a sense of teamwork.

Do we still need Heroes? (Essay)

I think that we still need heroes. Without heroes, our world would be in a mess and crimes would spread throughout the streets. Heroes are people who are great leaders that are able to lead their team to victory. Heroes are also people who are kind and compassionate. Lastly, heroes are people who are righteous, who only does thing which are morally just. These are my opinions for the qualities a hero should have and I am going to expand them into 3 bigger paragraphs.

Firstly, heroes are people who are great leaders and are able to lead their team to victory. I'm not only talking about war, where in the end, the heroes would win the battle; I'm talking about heroes that have good leadership and are able to lead their men to win. One good example is Lee Kuan Yew, the once prime minister of Singapore and now the minister mentor of Singapore. He led Singapore through all odds and Singapore is now a vibrant and prosperous country. In the past, it was a small and undeveloped piece of land filled with forest and mangrove. It was also said that it was impossible for Singapore to be where it is today as it is so small and cannot sustain itself. However, Lee Kuan Yew step in and led the country to what it is today, from a third world country to a first world one. Lee Kuan Yew is truly a hero who displayed great leadership and led Singapore.

Secondly, heroes are people who are kind and compassionate. When a disaster strikes, they would be the first at the situation to help out. When a person is in need, they will be there to give helping hand. A good example of someone like that is Mother Teresa. She was benevolent, kind and caring. What made her exceptionally great and respectable was that she care for hundreds of children and orphans whom she did not know. These children had illnesses and diseases but Mother Teresa was kind and caring, she took them in and raised them with care. She also founded the the Missionaries of Charity. With her caring heart, she is truly a hero who is still respected today.

Lastly, heroes are people who are righteous and just. Heroes are people who would do the right thing no matter what and they would uphold their morale values and pass them to others. They have very high morale values such as no cheating, no stealing, no drugs et cetera. Confucius is a very good example. He lived in ancient China and he was a social philosopher and thinker. He emphasized on justice, respect and sincerity. Even though he lived in ancient China, he recorded down his values and thoughts and passed it down. It already has been thousands of years since Confucius lived but his thoughts and values are still applicable to the modern world. This shows that Confucius is very smart and very wise. People should read Confucius' books and apply them in daily life. It is very meaningful and has many morale values in it. Confucius is wise and righteous and is a hero.

In conclusion, we still need heroes to save the world from corruption. We still need heroes to guide us and teach us some important lessons.

Do we still need Heroes?

I feel that we still need heroes. In the world, war and riots are still occurring and many people have lost their lives. We need heroes to help solve our problems and make the world a peaceful and better place. Theft and murder are still rampant on the streets. Riots and wars are still occurring. Lastly, heroes are righteous, thus they would be able to set a good example to us. The world still needs heroes to help us keep the world safe.

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News Article

Recently, I read a news article about the maid carrying the NS man's backpack. This article has sparked a lot of commotion and I have my own thoughts about this article. Even though the man is already in NS, he still needs his maid to carry his bag for him. I feel that this man is over reliant of his maid and that he needs to start learning how to take care of himself. If it was a young primary school boy, it would still be tolerated; but having already in NS, this man should start taking care of himself. I think that the now NS man had a maid when he was young and he got reliant of having a maid helping him since young. Thus, he still is reliant of a maid when he is older.

Link: http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg/stomp/sgseen/caught_in_the_act/588060/nsmen_trained_to_be_fit_strong_soldiers__yet_this_one_makes_maid.html

Letter to The Straits Times Editor

Dear Sir/Madam,

I feel that Singaporeans can learn a great deal from the recent Japanese earthquakes and tsunami incidents. During the earthquake, I read that the Japanese did not freak out, rather, they orderly crawled under the table and waited till the earthquake was over. I feel that we can learn from this. Even though Singapore does not have any natural disasters, it would be great with we can learn to always be calm and cool when any accident happens. We can also learn to be vigilant and on the look-out at all times. For example, we should be always be on the alert in case of a terrorist attack.

I feel that Singaporeans have the potential to handle a similar situation if one arises. We should just be calm and and do what is necessary. Only by being calm can we think sensibly and handle the situation. Most of the time, we would be too freaked out to think straight and end up not doing something sensible like crawling under the table. The Japanese were calm and cool during the earthquake and I think that Singaporeans could do that too.

From,

Lee Weng Khin

Literature

I think that literature means to understand a language completely. Understanding a language means to learn its history and how it is used. For example, we learned that there are other forms of writing, such as poetry, persuasive writing and so on. Understanding a language also mean to understand the meaning under a story. For example, in To Kill A Mockingbird, some underlying message and moral values can be drawn from the story. I feel that there is much more to fully understanding a language than to just speaking it.

Fight Racism!

I think that not enough has been done to combat racism yet. Even though racism has significantly over the years, there are still cases of prejudice against the other race, for example whites towards blacks. I think that racism can be completely stopped just if everyone cooperates with one another. More campaigns can be organised to engage the people from different races to come together and be peaceful. For example, "white" Americans still loathe the "black" African Americans in the United States. They "whites" loathe the "blacks" just for who they are no matter how innocent they are and this has been going on for many, many years.

The Singapore government has done many things to stop racism. Singapore had once witnessed a terrible period of race riots when she was still part of Malaysia. The huge population of Chinese in Singapore and the huge population of Malays in Malaysia were unable to co-exist harmony at that period of time and many race riots started sprouting out. In order for history not to repeat itself, the Singapore Government spent a lot of effort to make peace between the people in Singapore.

For example, Racial Harmony Day is celebrated every year to educate the people of Singapore about the importance of racial harmony. In my primary school, we were allowed to dress up as someone of a different culture to celebrate Racial Harmony Day. There were also game booths set up to test ourselves about the different races. This would ensure that everyone knows about the importance of racial harmony.

The Singapore Government also arranged the people living in HDB Flats so that in every floor, there would be a number of Chinese families, Indian families and so on. This ensure that everyone living in the HDB Flats get to interact with people of different races, and hopefully the they would learn to appreciate one another.

Reflection on CIP Event

On Monday, 21st March, the class went to the St Andrew's Cathedral for the aged for a CIP (Community Involvement Programme) event. It was a very tiring day at the home but it was still meaningful. It was an eye-opener to me as this was my first time doing such a CIP programme.

Firstly, some of us went to clean the windows of the home while the others spent time chatting with the elderly. I was a bit embarrassed at first, but I soon found out that the elderly were quite friendly even though some of them plainly ignored me. Some of the elderly spoke different dialects such as Teochew, Cantonese and Hokkien, so it was sometimes quite difficult to converse with them. However, there were some of them who knew how to speak English and Chinese. I spoke to them about many things such as about their routine and stuff like that, but sometimes they might even turn the conversation around and ask me about my life. Many of the conversation were very interesting. Even though they might be old, but they still know how to strike up a conversation.

After that, the whole class sang five Chinese songs for the elderly before we left.

The biggest thing I took back from the visit is that it feels good to make someone feel happy. Through the chat, I found out that the elderly lived a very boring and routine life at the home. I think that our class going to the home certainly raised the elderlies' spirit as well as made them happy. During the sing-along session, all the elderly actively took part in it and I saw that all of them were smiling. It was the first time I ever did such a CIP programme and it certainly felt good to make someone happy, even though we may not know them.

This event also taught me about caring for the elderly. I felt very sad for the elderly living there as it was very boring and many of them had nothing much to do. Thus, I told myself that when my parents grow old, I would not just toss them into an old folks' home and not care about them. I would support them and make them happy. My school should organise more of these events as I feel that it is important in our character development.

Reflection on Mississippi Burning

During the last few LA lessons, Mr Lundberg has allowed us to watch the movie "Mississippi Burning". From this movie, I feel that prejudice is a very frightful thing. In the movie, the whites from Mississippi were prejudice against the coloured folk, they burnt down their houses, kidnapped them and even killed some of them. The whites and coloured folks were not even allowed to share a water fountain. I feel that it was very cruel of the whites to treat the coloured people like this. Even though they might look different, they are still humans and thus should be treated equally like everyone else. The coloured folks lived in fear that the whites might come and kill them. Instead of reporting to the FBI, the coloured folks did not try to fight back, rather, they thought that if they did not disturb the whites, the whites would not come to disturb them, which was not at all true. It would be much better and peaceful for everyone if everyone lived in harmony, no fighting and no prejudice.

Book Review of "To Kill a Mockingbird"

After reading the book "To Kill a Mockingbird", I learnt a few things from the book. Firstly, I learnt that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird. The meaning of this is basically it is wrong to kill or harm something that is innocent. Miss Maudie said:" They don't do one thing but sing their hearts for us." Mockingbirds are harmless and only sing, thus Atticus also told Jem and Scout to never shoot a mockingbird with their air-rifles. That is basically what the whole book is about. Tom Robinson's case is also a similar case where Tom Robinson is innocent but he was being framed up by the Ewells. In the end, he tragically died.

I also learnt from this book to be tolerant and kind to others. Atticus is a very good example. He is tolerant and he treats everyone around him equally and justly. He does not base his opinions of someone just by looking at him but by understanding him. Even with the whole county is against coloured people, Atticus still fights for a coloured folk in court for his innocence. Atticus is also kind to Mrs Dubose, which in Jem and Scout's opinion is a very unfriendly and unkind person. Finally, Atticus is tolerant with everyone even when they insult him and also teaches his children to be likewise. These are all attributes to becoming a good gentlemen.

Lastly, I learnt that we must respect everyone, no matter who they are or what they do. We should respect who they are and what they like. These are all good attributes to a fine gentlemen. Boo's comfort zone was being terrorised, thats why he came out running with a shotgun. Everyone is different and we must learn to accept them and respect them.

My Favourite Picture of my Neighbourhood

2i) A large clump of green bamboos provide shade from the sun to the people who passes underneath it.

ii) A huge black van parks inconveniently on the pavement.

iii) On the busy road, a yellow van speeds by in order to pass the next traffic light.

iv) The once clean pavement is now littered with dead brown leaves.

3) Distances - i) crawling across a two-d floor like a little desert roll-bug (line 7-8) - Metaphor

ii) narrow stone passageways seemed to press in closer ( line 4-5) - Personification

The Hobbit - i) perfectly round door like a porthole (line 4) - simile

ii) not a nasty, dirty, wet hole ( line 1) - alliteration

4i) On the busy road, a yellow van roars by, speeding as fast as a cheetah to pass the next traffic light.

ii) A huge clump of bamboos acts like a shield, bravely shielding off the sun's scorching rays from the people who walks under it.

6) A huge clump of bamboos stood up heroically and acting like a shield, it bravely shields off the sun's evil scorching rays from the innocent people.

7) The scorching hot sun burned my cheeks and arms as I darted as fast as a rabbit to the shade under the huge and brave bamboo. The humongous bamboos heroically stood up to the sun, shielding me from the sun's malicious rays. I fanned myself tirelessly with my hand, desperately trying to keep myself cool. Although this brave tree has shielded me from the sun's rays, I could not bear to look at the dead dried leaves that littered my neighbourhood, just like pimples that ruin one's face.

Apart from the leaves, I could hear the loud hustle and bustle of the Singapore road. A yellow van roars by, speeding as fast as a cheetah to pass the next looming traffic light. Even though it was Saturday, I could still hear the roars and rumble of the cars on the Singapore roads, all waiting for the right moment to pounce.

Then, I noticed an old man walk past me, panting like a dog under the Singapore weather. He paused in front of a huge black van blocking his way. He gave an audible sigh, even above all the roars and rumble from the cars, and made a detour around the car. That big black van has obviously caused inconvenience for the old man and the driver was very rude to have parked his van there.

Found Poem in "To Kill a Mockingbird"

Arthur ‘Boo’ Radley

Boo, sir, Boo, I find
what you are doing
in that spooky house of yours
where no one knows of you.

You rarely come out,
with the gates lock shut
and the doors all closed,
no windows left ajar.

One time you came out
with a gun in arms
when you have realised
someone went in your yard.

Then another time
when that fire arise
you came from behind
gave a blanket to us.

There is one more time,
when that mad dog came,
you were lucky then,
for Atticus had killed him.

One last time you came,
and this time you helped,
by rescueing Jem,
from the strangler Bob.

Boo, sir, Boo. I find
whatever you do
even in that house
your heart stays very nice.

From reading this poem alone and not referring to the book, I feel that Boo Radley is a very kind and helpful person, even though he may occasionally be agitated. Boo had once gave the narrator a blanket and also had saved Jem from Bob. Even so, Boo was once agitated as he found out that someone had entered his house and invaded his privacy. No matter how kind or unkind a person may be, we must always give them some respect. In Boo's case, he wanted to be alone and to have privacy, unfortunately, according to the book, Scout, Jem and Dill sneaked into Boo's house and Boo got very agitated.

ACE Reflection 2

Act of Respect

Today, when I was at the bus-stop, waiting for a bus, I saw an incident that left me very touched.

It was the end of school and I was at a bus stop waiting for my bus to arrive. Just then, a bus came and the back door slid open. An old women carefully stepped down the steps of the bus, both of her arms carrying large grocery bags. She was as skinny as a matchstick and her two skinny arms were shaking under the weight of the large grocery bags. All of a sudden, she lost her footing and she fell straight onto the ground. All her groceries were strewn onto the ground and she was groaning in pain. Suddenly, a young boy perhaps about the age of 8 rushed forward and helped the old lady up. The young boy helped the old lady onto a empty seat and then rushed back to pick up the groceries on the floor.

I was amazed. This young boy was so respectful and kind to others. Even though the old lady was not his own grandmother, he still helped the old lady up and even helped her pick up her groceries. When I was the young boy's age, I guess I wouldn't help the old lady at all because I was shy and did not know the meaning of respect. I would just stand there I stare at the situation. This was not the young boy's case. He bravely rushed forward and helped the old lady no matter what. I admired the boy's bravery and I also hoped to learn from him.