Task 3 Part 6: Evaluation

58: The author intended to portray the prejudice and hatred towards the Jews from the Christians, but shows it in such a way that the Christians always seem to be correct, and also shows the loyalty of Antonio and Bassanio, as they help one another in life-threatening situations and pursuing romance.

59: I would save Antonio from the hands ofShylock, because he does not desewrve such cruelty for help his friend out.

60: The title is poor because although it refers to Antonio as the Merchant of Venice, Antonio is technically not the main character. It is supposedly Bassanio.

Task 3 Part 5: Synthesis

43: I would change the ending, because Ifind the judging and sentence of Shylock too harsh and unfair, and I think thatthe fake justice should not be portrayed in the play as readers may have adifferent sense of justice after watching the play with regards to prejudice aswell.

48:

Part One: The Human Debt and the Wooing ofthe Heiress

Bassanio asks friend Antonio to borrowmoney to woo Portia, a rich heiress, but the borrowing of money turns nastywith Shylock, so wants a debt interlinked to human life.

Part Two: The fate of the Merchant ofVenice

Antonio’s life is at the mercy of Shylock,as he is determined to get the end of his deal: A Pound of Antonio’s flesh. How will Antonio be saved?

Part Three: The unexpected ending

Portia disguises herself as a lawyer tojudge Shylock, and in the end, they get away with it managed to rescues Antonioas well.

52: Attention Shakespeare Lovers! Do youlove comedy in an odd twisting kind of way? Do you want to learn the nature ofold England and the conflicts between Jews and Christians? Then the book entitledThe Merchant of Venice is just for you! It has an interesting plot about afriend’s loyalty and justice, with a wicked sense of humour added to it! Whatare you waiting for! Come get it at your nearest bookstore now!

Task 3 Part 4: Analysis

33. In London at that period, economy ispoorer, but in Singpore, people are generally well-paid because of aknowledge-based economy and that London has people working as farmers andpeasants, therefore the social level there is very divided and the people aremuch segregated, where it is very difficult to rise up in the classes. Whereasin Singapore, with the power if education, it is very easy for a person with alow social status to rise to among the toppest.

34. If the story occurred today, mostpeople would not be able to comprehend the Olden English used, and the peoplewould not understand the story behind the themes due to lack of backgroundknowledge, and the people may find the ending very controversial, and it mayeven spark off dispute between races and religions. However, the very idea ofthe play is novel and unique, so people may find it interesting as well.

35. Antonio, like me, keeps close only to afew friends. We also are fiercely loyal to friends and will not betray them. Ifwe have problems, we will tend to keep them to ourselves and attempt to solvethem by ourselves. We also put others above self, regarding their problems asour own. We may have tolerence, but only to a certain extent where we may turnnasty.

Task 3 Part 3: Application

24: The book has shown me the strongloyalty Antonio has for Bassanio, even willing to risk his life to borrow moneyfor Bassanio so that he can woo Portia, so I think that I should pay attentionto my friends and treasure them, putting tohers above self.

25. I don’t think that Antonio will mixaround with our classmates, but will find one or two close friends.

27 I have learnt that loyalty betweenfriends is very important and precious, and we should not betray them andstrive to help them when they are in need.

Task 3 Part Two: Comprehension

11. Shylock, a greedy Jewish money-lender,wants Antonio, a merchant of Venice to pay a pound of his flesh if Antonio isunable to pay up his debt by the stipulated date. When Antonio is unable to payhis loan, Shylock demands his pound of flesh. The problem is solved when Portiadisguised as a lawyer to save Antonio by telling Shylock that if he spills onedrop of blood, he will be charged.

12. Shylock did something I disliked. I didnot like how he placed the life of Antonio just for the sum of money, and Ithink that the human life is worth more than just a debt, because if Antonio isunable to pay off in time, he can just increase the interest rate or file apolice report legally.

13. It is a comedy. Portia disguisedherself as a lawyer to save Antonio, and outsmarted Shylock with her wits, andthe three boxes scene is also fairly amusing.

14. Shakespeare’s message was regarding thediscrimination against Jews in his time, in twisted irony because in the end,Shylock is supposedly turned into a Christian, to show a “happy ending” to theplay, as the conversion would supposedly get rid of his evil intention to killAntonio. And the people who judged Shylock had no right to do so.

16. Bassanio ask Antonio for money, Antonioask Shylock for money, Bassanio wooing Portia, Portia disguised as a lawyer to saveAntonio from death at Shylock’s hands, and finally the conclusion when Shylockis converted into a Christian, to be saved from death.

17. Bassanio asks Antonio for money to wooPortia, and he says that he short of money at the moment, but he will try tofind a money-lender to borrow money from him instead.

18. Antonio greets Bassanio in a street, asBassanio attempts to ask him to borrow money.

20. The title, The Merchant of Venice,refers to Antonio himself.

Task 3 Part One: KNOWLEDGE

List of Characters

· Shylock

§ Antagonist,he demands that if Antonio cannot return his money on time, Antonio must returnhim a pound of flesh.

· Portia

§ Anintelligent and wealthy heiress, she plays an important role in saving Antoniofrom certain death.

· Antonio

§ Aloyal friend who helps Bassanio by lending him money to woo Portia, and almostsacrifices himself through his dangerous debt

· Bassanio

§ Agentleman in Venice who borrows money from Antonio in order to woo Portia

· Gratianoand Nerrisa

§ Friendsof Portia and Bassanio, who fell in love with each other

5 New Words

1. Argosy[ahr-guh-see]: A large merchant ship with rich cargo

2. im·peach[im-peech]: to accuse (a public official) before an appropriate tribunal ofmisconduct in office.

3. pen·ance[pen-uhns]: a punishment undergone in token of penitence for sin.

4. hal·ter[hawl-ter]: a rope with a noose for hanging criminals; the hangman's noose;gallows; death by hanging.

5. no·ta·ry[noh-tuh-ree]: -ries.

8. The places are Venice and Belmont, whichis situated just outside Venice.

9. Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar, Macbethand Twelfth Night

10. The book happened from 1596-7, theElizabethan period.

Activity 2: Environmental studies should be made a mandatory part of the science curriculum. Do you agree?

Almost every single person is aware of global warming,but are they serious in saving the Earth? Most people are unaware of the impactand importance of saving our planet, so I think the it is crucial the peoplestart learning from young so that they will realize the impacts, and go green,hence applying the skills they have learnt from the education received, or soto speak, the environmental studies, so I think that is should be an importantpart in the science curriculum.

In Singapore, education is crucial in determiningone’s future, but we should use this platform to raise the awareness of globalwarming and the need to save our planet. Therefore, environmental studies canand should be implemented in our studies from young so that in the future, oursociety will consist of people who are willing to sacrifice and play a part ingoing green. With more understanding on the issue and problem at hand, theeducation system can also allow the great young minds of the future to identifythe problems at hand and come up with global solutions that will benefitSingapore and other countries.

By realizing the consequences of global warming, theywill also be motivated to save the Earth and at the same time, motivate othersto follow suite. This way, we will create a trend of going green, and it willbe easier to push forward ideas to counter global warming, because the publicwill welcome more of such ideas.By providing solutions for global warming, thestudents can also review the current methods and weigh its effects and cost,and come up with a newer idea and hence we will have an innovative team to savethe Earth.

Inconclusion, I feel that environmental studies should be made a mandatory partof the science curriculum, because it will instill the moral sense andresponsibility against climate change and raise the awareness of global warmingat the same time. With a more in-depth studying on the issue, we can createbetter solutions as well, and hence there are many benefits to this step thatwe should take.

Activity 2: Global Warming

1. There are many solutions to global warming, but they all revolve around the idea and theme of reducing energy use. Some examples are walking or cycling when possible, use energy efficient products, turn off lights when not in use and use the fan instead of the air-con. There are also specific and direct solutions, such as planting trees and plants, not burning rubbish and carpooling. On a global scale, the big shots can look at alternative energy sources, not burn fossil fuels, freeze carbon production and shift taxation from employment and production to taxation on pollution. These may be extreme means, but this means that they are extremely effective too. This solutions will reduce the carbon dioxide in the air and decrease energy use as well.
2. Singaporeans can play an active role in saving the planet by going green and using the 3 R’s: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. In fact, there are a lot of campaigns in Singapore that promote going green, such as Saving Gaia, and the NTUC’s initiative to use recyclable bags so as not to use more plastic bags. We can also reduce our usage in water and electricity appliances as well. This way, we will reduce our carbon footprint and energy consumption.
3. In HCI, we can organise competitions, events for saving the Earth, such as a Going Green day or quizzes and other sorts of competition to raise the awareness of global warming and promote good habits in saving the earth. This way the students and teachers alike can participate actively in going green. An example will be a competition to test the knowledge of the three Rs so as to enrich the minds of students so that they know the omportance of saving the Earth.

Activity 1: Saudis Arrest Woman Leading Right-to-Drive Campaign: Diary Entry

Dear Diary,

I have done aterrible thing today! Why was I so dumb? I may never see my sister again!Today, my sister asked me to borrow the car to run some errands, and at thattime, I was so busy myself, I allowed her to drive without second thoughts. Afew hours, I received a call from the police, telling me that my sister wasarrested, and that’s was when it hit me – I totally forgot that she was notallowed to drive! And because of that, because of my stupidity, she wasarrested! I was told that she could face a fine, or even a month in prison!What would Mother say? I was tasked to take care of her!

However, as Ifurther thought about this, why was there the rule that women weren’t allowedto drive cars? I know that it was because of religious issues, but why wouldthe government go so far for their religion as to arrest a woman? I alwaysthought that religious rules would not cause an impact or change on the law,because I always thought of religion and the law as two separate things. Cometo think of it, why did our religion bar women from driving? Other countries,America, China, Japan, they all allow women to drive, and I hear that they aretreated equally as well, so why not here in Saudi Arabia?

Maybe the religiouslaws here are too strict, and I myself am faced with an increasing doubt infaith of my religion. My sister can take care of herself perfectly, so why allthe worries about their safety? However, I am too afraid to go against thegovernment, because who am I to question my religion? I may even face the sameconsequences as my sister! Please tell me what to do. I am at a loss! I amsupposed to go see my sister and bail her out, but what do I say later? Do Isupport or go against her? I am so nervous! Help me!

Activity One: Saudis Arrest Woman Leading Right-to-Drive Campaign

1. I am utterly disgusted by the woman’s rights given in Saudi Arabia. The women there are not even allowed to drive, and this because of their religious reasons, and that the men were afraid that the women could not take care of themselves outside alone in the car and they were exposed to the danger of strangers. However, this is just a prejudice; a baseless argument, and if so, we can also safely assume that the same would apply for men, and that they cannot deny it as that itself would be prejudice. Hence, I strongly disagree with the rights of women in Saudi Arabia.
2. In this case, the use of social media has been an advantage to the women of Saudi Arabia, because they take advantage of the fact that Saudi Arabia is the only country with women deprived of their rights, so by this way, they can garner support from other countries, which support human rights to help overthrow the law. Also, by using these social media tools, they can gather the people who support this motion so that their strength will come with numbers.
3. In my opinion, when the government makes laws, they should consider the effects and impacts it has on the human rights and religion. Therefore, I think that both parties must come to a compromise on both sides so that a more harmless solution is created.

Impressions on Shakespeare’s Works and Life in England

Truth be told, I was not very keen on Shakespeareand his world of plays and the theatre, but I recently read a book, TheSorceress, it portrayed William Shakespeare has an apprentice under Nicholas Flameland Doctor John Dee, in a magical world of contemporary times, and I find hislife to be very interesting, as the author portrayed William Shakespeare as aman of inspiration and imagination.

In my opinion, William Shakespeare formed the veryfoundation of many of today’s modern plays. Today’s plays copied themes likelove and romance from his. William Shakespeare also received his inspirationfrom poems, legends, and even the bible. His plays also reflect the bigdifferences in the classes of people,

The Elizabethan Era is much different from ourtimes. In their era, even though their social levels are also divided, peopleare very likely to remain in that particular social level in their entirelives, whereas in our modern world, through good education, people can riseeasily through the social levels, because meritocracy is exercised. The peoplealso practically worshipped the monarchy, as they believed that theyrepresented the Gods. However, the sad thing is it is due to their beliefs ofgods and that they should obey themonarchy, that the people are trapped in the social levels they are in.However, the only exception was that John Shakespeare, so rose from a farmer’ssocial level to be a successful man, going against all odds.

William Shakespeare’s plays can definitely beapplied to modern context, because in his plays, there are themes and lessonsto be learnt. For example, in Romeo and Juliet, we can learn about thestrength of undying love and the strong bonds the people have, and that we canappreciated modern society and systems which are much fairer than those of theElizabethan Era, in which everything was decided by the monarchy.

Willliam Shakespeare

William shakespeare

View more presentations from Lek Hong.

Flying the flag in Bosnia Analysis

1. The writer uses “Her face is hidden byher hands, but the hands are enough” to show us how sad the woman is over herson’s death, and that even the gravedigger showed sympathy by “a full cup ofcoffe, left by the grave digger” and that the woman is pitiful, as shown in herappearance, “An old woman Whose hair is parted Straight down the middle.” Thismakes the readers feel sorry for the mother as she mourns over her son’s death.

2. On her son’s grave, there was a shirt that was like a flag signifies deathon the person, so when the poem says “In a country which already has too many.”This means that many people had already died due to war, so the poet wants tosignify the country’s suffering and misery from the war, due to the many deaths, and the message is that war brings about sadness and death, so it is bad.

Dulce et Decorum Est Analysis

1. The literal meaning is that the soldiers were carrying bags so heavy that their backs were bent, similar to beggars with heavy sacks on their backs. However, the implied meaning of this is to destroy people’s mindset of young brave soldiers fighting for their country. The reality was that the soldiers were very weak and suffering a lot from the war.
2. The writer uses sound devices like “GAS! Gas! Quick, boys!” to increase the tension as there is an element of danger. He uses similes like “And floundering like a man in fire or lime” to show us how horrifying war was, and the writer uses contrast between the phrases Quick, boys! , ecstasy of fumbling , and clumsy helmets recalls the young age of the inexperienced comrades, and the pitted landscape “Dim through the misty panes and thick green light.”
3. At the end of the poem, the writer says “The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est’ in which the latin phrase means dying for your country is beautiful and sweet” but in reality, the writer wanted to warn against the so-called glories of war marketed to their paradoxically juvenile audience. The message he wanted to get across was War is not worth it, as Owen proves with the lie perpetuated across the world: Sweet and fitting it is to die for one's country. I agree with it, because, war is meaningless because it only brings about death and suffering, therefore, dying for your country is not sweet, as shown in the poem, death can be inhumane and cruel.

Featured Article

• Topic 16: Stressed for success—students who are intent on achieving success, college entrance exams, etc.

Thereare many different types of students in the classroom. However, there is onecommon obstacle every student faces. That is, stress. What makes the studentsdifferent is how we treat this stress. But firstly, let us define stress forstudents. Stress, would then be defined as that mountainous pile of homework,those countless commitments to non-academic work, and the seeming insufficientamount of time: 24 hours a day is always not enough! However, what makes thestudents different is how they cope with the stress.

Onecommon method is sacrifice. While some sacrifice their academic work, otherssacrifice their other commitments, and this will be the main focus of our topictoday. Yes, the advantages of sacrificing other commitments are obvious andbeneficial, but have you considered the disadvantages?

Thecommon thinking is that other commitments are not as important as youracademics. In fact, it is goes hand in hand with Singaporeans’ “kiasu” mentality. When this choice is made, students, ofcourse will have more time to focus on their studies and ace their subjects.With this, they will rise to the top and supposedly have a “better job prospectand future”.

However,two major flaws in this choice. Firstly, it is selfish thinking, as the studentonly thinks of the benefits of himself while he neglects others. Innon-academic commitments, it most of the times involves many people in a teamor group, like projects or CCAs. By ignoring these, the team members of theteam will be affected because their burdens will be much heavier due to lack ofmanpower and thus you pull those around you down as well. Secondly, lessons donot just happen in the academic world. Non-academic worlds teach you otherimportant things like skills of a particular CCA or values like teamwork,unselfishness, and moral values. These skills are also important in the futureand in the job scope, because the academic skills can only take you so far.Without the right moral values and mentality, you will not go far and yourfuture will be bleak. This is because jobs in the future normally do not askyou for the formula of the area of a sphere, neither do they require theknowledge of the cross-section of a fish, what they do require is the abilityto manage a team of workers, the will and unselfishness to contribute tosociety and the workforce. On separate note, neglecting other areas, especiallyphysical health and fitness, you will suffer when you enter National Service.

Wellthen, now that we are faced with this problem, what do we do? Firstly, I thinkthat the evil cause of this stress is ill discipline. Many students complainedof the lack of time, but what do they spend their time on? Gaming-addiction.Television. These mindless activities are the major time-consumers in our dailylives. To some students, these are more important than their own future and jobprospects. Therefore, the one and most important solution is self-discipline.Students must be able to prioritize their work over play-time, then only comessuccess. This will increase efficiency by a lot and therefore we will have moretime to complete our work. Hence, stress is eradicated!

Personally,I am totally disgusted by the fact that such a choice exists in the minds ofpeople. In my opinion, we should at least think of the consequence of ouractions and be considerate to others in the group or team. Sadly, most of thepeople who made this choice already knew about their actions and yet they stillpersist in their selfish choice. What is worse is that sometimes they areinfluenced by none other than their parents. Hence the only way for them towake up their ideas is by teaching them a lesson the hard way. In truth, thegovernment has also realized the importance of non-academic work, and henceprojects and CCAs now are graded and very important. Hence by not picking themto be your group members, they will have to face the consequences, of their ownselfishness. The bottom-line is that academic level does not define your futurejob, neither is it more important than non-academic subjects or activities.

Informal Letter

Dear Mr Doi Syunsuke,

I am Lek Hong, a Singaporean. A saddened member of the public from the Japan earthquake. Your strong pillar of support. Your friend. On 11 March, we both lost something precious. You, your family, and me, another human in the world. I am appalled by the destruction caused by the earthquake and tsunami. I fear for the state of Japan due to its current nuclear disaster. I know that you are in a state of depression, as you probably felt like you lost your reason to live, but remember, we, the world, are behind you. Your sad fate has been retold numerous times over the world, and we would like to express our deepest condolences to you.

But don't give up.

I can imagine the despair and grief you must be feeling right now.Live goes on, whether you want it or not, so make the best out of it. You must pick yourself back up when you fall. Around the world, Japan is famous for its earthquake preparations. The people are calm, and do not panic. Currently, people around the world are donating funds to help in the reparation works, and hopefully, their help will reach you. Live, not just for the sake of yourself, but for the sake of your family. The last thing your family wants to see you is wasting your life just because of the earthquake. You have to look at the brighter side of things. Rebuild your life, don't live in anticipation. Things will turn out fine.

My heart follows you. May you , like Japan, be a rising sun!

Regards,

Lek Hong, just another silent supporter

Blended Learning: Article 1

Assumption

The author of the article assumes that the readers are unaware that more young people are going for plastic surgery. He/She also assumes that low costs, and media awareness are some of the causes of the youth going under the knife. The writer also assumes that childrens of this age are vain and care a lot about their looks.

Point of View

The author adopts the point of view of the narrator, or the main society, as he views the situations of young people going under plastic surgery without any personal views. With this point of view, anyone reading the article will agree with him/her and is able to comprehend the situation better. From this POV, the author can also convey his message and reasons for the plastic surgery for the youth to his audience better.

Consequences

The consequences of this article is that when the readers read it, they will be aware of the youths going under the knife, and that they may react differently, since they all possess different points of view, so parents may want to either let their children go for plastic surgery as well, or they may choose to prevent their children from. Youths who read this may choose to care more about their looks as well.

Data

The writer cites evidence in his article. Firstly, he says that a blogger who went under plastic surgery posted it on her blog, then she receives various feedback, and a general positive review on plastic surgery, which proves that the general public is okay with and supports the young people going for plastic surgery. The second piece of evidence is that the author relates to a pair of sisters who went under the knife, relating their experiences and feelings of it. Also, the evidence shows that the teenagers generally welcome plastic surgery to improve their appearances and are satisfied with it.

Setting and Mood

A Noisy Classroom

As I entered my classroom, I was greeted by a bustling sound of noise and chatter. I strolled to my desk before lowering my bag. Classmates gathered at a corner, furiously copying homework, lamenting on how they could not finish it last night due to some soccer match they could not miss, so they snatched the class nerd's research paper before taking down the factors affecting the star's position on different days, while the nerd sat at a corner, unable to do anything or risk losing his friendship. Another group of students gathered, around a laptop, updating their profiles on social networking sites, or playing the latest version of Call of Duty, with plugged in speakers, I could hear the sounds of machine guns ricocheting madly, before blood splatters and moaning droned, followed by a few "woots" and "high-fives", as the class gaming addicts took down enemies, ranging from the FIB to Islamic terrorists mercilessly. I sighed, as I wondered how drastically the scene would changed only if a teacher came in...

Setting and Mood

Your Home During a Family Gathering

As more and more people entered, seasons greetings were exchanged and presents were passed around, closely followed by many "Oh you shouldn't have" and "Let's give it a shake shall we?" As Dad led a group of friends hung their coats on the hanger, they gratefully accepted mugs of piping cocoa served. As I returned to the kitchen with an empty tray, I stared at the dining table. I gaped. It was truly a feast for the kings. With golden plates placed neatly alongside, with throne-like chairs arranged along the table. A sharp scent of mint and raspberries pierced my nostrils, while the delicious smell of roasted turkey and baked ham wafted into my nose. As Mum called me in to try the stew, I was more than delighted as I eagerly grabbed a ladle, while Mum frowned at my weapon of choice. I excitedly scooped up the stew and ladled it on a porcelain bowl. I could even taste the richness of the gravy even before it entered my mouth. It was heavenly. The smooth boiled potatoes, the sweetness of the carrots, and the succulent tender chicken thigh, and not to mention the various herbs and spices used in the gravy. As I smacked my lips, eager for another bowl, Mum stopped me before sending me to serve another round of drinks. I arrived just in time to see Dad and his merry men help set up the Christmas tree. He certainly picked a fine pine tree, as they carefully wrapped the lights around it, before hooking the baubles and placing the huge star at the very top. As Dad switched on the lights, I momentarily squinted and blasts of red, green, yellow and blue filled the entire living room. We stared in awe, before bursting into a round of applause. This truly was the spirit of christmas...

Movie Review: 13 Going on 30

Plot

Jenna Rink (Christa B. Allen), is a young girl who does not fit with society, wishes to be 30 on her 13th birthday as she strongly desired to escape from reality as she was very unpopular in school. Jenna's best friend, Matt Flamhaff (Sean Marquette), gives her a doll dream house he built for her and a packet of "magic wishing dust" for her birthday, which is sprinkled on the roof of the house. Then, when a prank was pulled on her, she thought that Matt was responsible and she locked herself in a cupboard, wishing desperately that she would turn 30. Then, the magical dust falls on her and her wishes come true.

When she opens her eyes, Jenna finds herself in the future 17 years from then. She found out that she was an editor in her favourite fashion agency, Poise. She thought that she had everything she wanted, she found out that her best friend, Matt, had been engaged and that she was just a shadow of herself in the past. She has lost almost all contact with her parents, and she is having an affair with the husband of Tracy from the art department. Not only is she generally despised by her co-workers, she is suspected of giving her magazine's ideas to a rival publication, Sparkle. She found out that she was untrustworthy and unlikeable as well. How will she feel about her new life? Will she continue to be the person everyone dislikes?

Review

I feel that this movie is very fascinating, as it gives us a perspective of a child's personality in a 30 year old body viewing adult-life, its difficulties and problems and how she sees these problems, and I have learnt that actions lead to consequences, and I feel that this movie is very good-natured and heart-warming, and we should be responsible for our actions.

LA ACE Person Descriptions

A Person who is Unsatisfied with his looks

As he looked into the mirror, his eyebrows arched and as he pulled a long face. He hated his eyes. He hated his hair. He hated his lips. He hated his figure. He rubbed his eyes. Why couldn't they be bigger and rounder, instead of being like slits of a snake? He brushed his hair. Was dyeing his hair blond the wrong choice? Should it have been brown. His Justin Bieber hairstyle did not match him, didn't it? He should have got a rooster-hairstyle shouldn't he? He stared at his lips. He loathed them. Why does cleft lips look so ugly? He jsut wanted round and perfect lips, was that hard to ask for? His figure, his figure, his figure. he hated it the most. Why were his biceps still so puny? Had the dumbbells training been worthless? Why, he could see a spare tyre emerging deep beneath his baggy shirt! He wanted slim and slender legs, not short and stubby ones! He desperately needed a make-over! He put on his running shoes while dialing the hair-dresser the fifth time this month...

LA ACE Person Descriptions

A Housewife

After a whole day of sweeping, cleaning and dusting, she settled down on a the leather sofa, with a cup of coffee in her hands. She had her hair tied in a ponytail, while dressed in a plain shirt and shorts. While the leather sofa was shining and speckless, she was covered in dust, dirt and sweat, as her shirt sticked to her sweaty figure, looking out of place, compared to the dustless-looking living room. As she laid down her coffee, she glanced at her old hands. They resembled earthy-paper, wrinkled at the corners, yet blisters formed at her fingers, the result of mopping the five-hundred square-metres bungalow, while also causing a backache as well. The fatigue was overwhelming, but her joy and desire to see her husband kept her awake as she sipped her coffee while glancing at the mahogany grandfather clock. She glanced at the clock, not because she was impatient, but she was cheering herself with the fact that every second that passed brought her closer to her husband. Just as she was about to take another sip, she heard footsteps. That alone was enough to set her rushing to the door, awaiting the moment to greet her man...

Language ACE: Describing A Scene

Source: http://www.mycarforum.com/index.php?showtopic=2655510

A Scene in The MRT

At Paya Lebar Interchange, passengers from a walks of life swarmed in to the train carriage. As I squeezed my way in, there was barely enough room for me to even turn my head. A typical scene greeted me. Office workers and teenagers occupied the seats, even the ones reserved for the elderly or the handicapped. They were either "preoccupied" with their latest iPhones or had ear-phones jammed up their ears music so loud that these "noise-cancelling" earphones were producing the latest hits of 2010. These people were either deaf or really desperate to distract themselves from the elderly, or those who had been glaring at them. In another corner, a group of students stood at the door entrance, chatting merrily about teachers, homework, while another group of "aunties" stood in front of the seats, hunting out of empty seats. The moment anyone left their seats, they would rush to take it. Meanwhile, they would chat about the latest gossip, about Mr A's daughter breaking up with Mr B's son. Then, another group who occupied the seats were dozing off, "miraculously" waking up just as they were approaching their stops. I sighed, as I heaved my heavy schoolbag, waiting for what seemed an eternity for the train to approach my stop...

Language ACE: Describing A Scene

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Creative-Writing:-How-to-Write-Fight-Scenes&id=332408

A Fight Scene

Mr Tan frowned upon seeing Mr Lim and clenched his fists, blue veins protruding out, like rivers on a map. Uttering a mad roar, he charged towards him like a horse on steroids, fists tucked under his chest. Mr Lim was no gentleman himself, leapt on a table and performed a jumping-front kick. His skills in his days as a taekwondo master had not faltered after all these years, as his foot landed squarely in Mr Tan's face. Mr Tan growled like a Rottweiler with rabis and threw himself onto Mr Lim, punching wildly at him. Mr Lim sniggered menacingly as he dodged his punches as though they were slowed down and swept Mr Tan of his feet and slammed him down with his hundred-pound frame. Before Mr Tan could even get on his feet, Mr Lim performed a flawless three-hundred and sixty degrees turning kick followed swiftly by a back-hook, before finishing off with a punch to his groin. Mr Tan spat into his hand what seemed like crimson blood as he staggered to a table tried to support himself. He heard bells ringing madly in his ears as world was slowly engulfed with darkness...

Mr Lim let out a triumphant roar of victory and spat venom at the eagled-spread body of Tan Choo Meng.

(216 words)

Language Arts Comic Strip: The Three Short Stories

Extract from "To Kill A Mockingbird"

Page 48, Line 15 to 29

"She loved everything that grew in God's earth, even the weeds. With one exception. If she found a blade of nut-grass in her yard it was like the Second Battle of Marne: she swooped down upon it with a tin rub and subjected it to blasts from beneath with a poisonous substance she said was so powerful it'd kill us all if we didn't stand out of the way.

'Why can't you just pull it up?' I asked, after witnessing a prolonged campaign against a blade not three inches high.

'Pull it up, child, pull it up?' She picked up the limp sprout and squeezed her thumb up its tiny stalk. Microscopic grains oozed out. 'Why, one sprig of nut-grass can ruin a whole yard. Look here. When it comes fall this dries up and the wind blows it all over Maycomb County!' Miss Maudie's face likened such an occurrence unto an Old Testament pestilence."

Questions

1. From this extract, what can you infer about Miss Maudie's view on prejudice?
   
2. How is nut-grass related to prejudice?

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Reflections of Prejudice

Firstly, I used the prejudice of Singapore schools, mostly about pupils in top schools such as Hwa Chong Institution and Raffles Institution. I find it very interesting because it is quite controversial, and I am investigating the cause of the prejudiced. It is also a local topic I believe everyone is very familiar with since we ARE from Hwa Chong Institution. Through this, the message I want to convey is that we should understand the cause of all these prejudice to help us to better clear some misunderstanding about us.

Next, I find the lesson on prejudice very fascinating, as Mrs Raj helped us to differentiate stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination. Stereotypes are the generalisation of a group of people, prejudice is the thought of opinion on people without evidence and discrimination is the treatment given to a group of people, and it is caused by prejudice. I found it useful when she asked us to cite examples of the different category to give us a better understanding of the three words. I understood better when we used examples from "To Kill a Mockingbird" as we had already understood the context, so we could make reference and thus can comprehend the use of prejudice, discrimination and stereotypes on the characters like Boo Radley and Tom Robinson.

In my own opinion, I find that prejudice should be unacceptable in society, as prejudice and stereotypes are like an unseen criteria used to judge people on, even though they might not even be as bad as you think they are. The use of stereotypes will be a burden to many. For example, an ex-offender released from prison will immediately give people a bad impression, so they already have a disadvantage. In my opinion, we should only trust what we see and hear from these people. This way, we will be able to create better judgments and help give the person a chance to prove him/herself. We will also benefit from it, like the ex-offender is more skillful than an ordinary person in that line of job, so you will benefit from his skills as well. So choose to believe your own senses, and not let others do the thinking for you.