Here's the link for ORAL Quiz - pls fill in with a different color by Saturday night.
red-Ziying
Blue-Qiwei
Green-Kaykiat
Purple- brandon
Friday 16 August 2013
Monday 24 June 2013
World's Worst Toxic Dump
In China, pollution is everywhere. After a chemical factory exploded and polluted the Songhua River.
The citizens of Harbin waited for tanker trucks to deliver water to them as about 100 tons of toxic chemicals have been floating down the Songhua River ever since an explosion in Jilin which released highly toxic compounds which would kill more than 10 million people downstream in Russia. The communist party responds using the same old Stalinist approach. In Harbin, as with the SARS crisis two years ago, authorities initially tried to downplay the true scope of the disaster.
Other rivers in China are turning into sewers, toxic soup splashes through the country's waterways, while people living along the banks die from cancer at above-average rates. This is a result of industrialization. According to official statistics, 350 Chinese die each day in industrial accidents, but the unofficial figure is likely to be much higher. This shows another problem as people are making use of the revenue for their own usage like cars and villas and not on workers safety. China would soon surpass the United States as the world's largest producer of greenhouse gases as about 400,000 people die prematurely each year because of the polluted air they breathe.
After reading this article, i felt that China is really having a serious problems with the environment." Polluted" is the only word to describe their water sources and air. I also remembered reading the article on the Chinese government asking workers to spray the grass green just to beautify the country as pollution has caused the plants to wither. The Chinese government should really start reflecting on how to deal with pollution correctly and stop fooling both the citizens and the world. Take for example the chemical factory explosion. I am glad that the Chinese government did actually do something about it and helped the citizens. Instead of really thinking of ways to stop future explosions and telling citizens the ways, they actually made use of this opportunity to actually garner the support citizens by giving water. To further trick the world and their citizens that the country is great, they actually downplayed the true scope of the disaster.
I feel that the government should actually also educate the people as some of them are corrupted. Like what the article had stated; some of the people actually used the companies revenue for their own "wants" and "needs" . China is reach in tradition and they believe in Confucianism; and yet they do not even practice what Confucius had said. All in all, i just think that China's government should think of ways to reduce the pollution and stop in a sense " corruption" within companies.
The citizens of Harbin waited for tanker trucks to deliver water to them as about 100 tons of toxic chemicals have been floating down the Songhua River ever since an explosion in Jilin which released highly toxic compounds which would kill more than 10 million people downstream in Russia. The communist party responds using the same old Stalinist approach. In Harbin, as with the SARS crisis two years ago, authorities initially tried to downplay the true scope of the disaster.
Other rivers in China are turning into sewers, toxic soup splashes through the country's waterways, while people living along the banks die from cancer at above-average rates. This is a result of industrialization. According to official statistics, 350 Chinese die each day in industrial accidents, but the unofficial figure is likely to be much higher. This shows another problem as people are making use of the revenue for their own usage like cars and villas and not on workers safety. China would soon surpass the United States as the world's largest producer of greenhouse gases as about 400,000 people die prematurely each year because of the polluted air they breathe.
After reading this article, i felt that China is really having a serious problems with the environment." Polluted" is the only word to describe their water sources and air. I also remembered reading the article on the Chinese government asking workers to spray the grass green just to beautify the country as pollution has caused the plants to wither. The Chinese government should really start reflecting on how to deal with pollution correctly and stop fooling both the citizens and the world. Take for example the chemical factory explosion. I am glad that the Chinese government did actually do something about it and helped the citizens. Instead of really thinking of ways to stop future explosions and telling citizens the ways, they actually made use of this opportunity to actually garner the support citizens by giving water. To further trick the world and their citizens that the country is great, they actually downplayed the true scope of the disaster.
I feel that the government should actually also educate the people as some of them are corrupted. Like what the article had stated; some of the people actually used the companies revenue for their own "wants" and "needs" . China is reach in tradition and they believe in Confucianism; and yet they do not even practice what Confucius had said. All in all, i just think that China's government should think of ways to reduce the pollution and stop in a sense " corruption" within companies.
JUNE ARTICLES
Please use these 20 articles for your April-May-June Blogs (links inserted)
Overpampered children in Europe
Get back to basics of education: Heng Swee Keat
UK Prince visits Singapore
Teenager sells his app for $18 million
Lifelong learning
UK Prince visits Singapore
Teenager sells his app for $18 million
Sunday 23 June 2013
Poverty creeps up on elderly South Koreans
An average of 43 people commit suicide on any given day in south korea, making it the most suicide-prone country in the developed world. South Korea’s suicide rate has been rising dramatically, jumping by 101.8% from 2000 to 2010. The rate is twice as high among the elderly.the elderly population is in some ways a by-product of the country’s economic transformation that turned South Korea into one of the richest nations in the world. Elderly citizens, who are generally perceived as less productive, are therefore seen as less valuable. the government started the Basic Old-Age Pension System for people who meet income and asset requirements; roughly 70% of the elderly receive benefits under this scheme. Even so, the amount they receive sometimes falls short of the elderly living costs recommended by the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
The Korean government needs to invest more money to promote the well-being of senior citizens as more jobs would be created to help alleviate old-age poverty and loneliness.
After reading this article, i felt that the Korean government are trying very hard to help this crisis;a crisis whereby these senior citizens commit suicide as they felt that they are a heavy burden to society and are unwanted. This is actually like what the article had said, a result of development. I agree with what the government is planning to do, to invest more money to promote the well-being of senior citizens as this would let other age groups to know the "value" of these people. The young generation would also learn and know that the elderly were the ones who actually helped Korea to develop and are to be respected.
The Korean government needs to invest more money to promote the well-being of senior citizens as more jobs would be created to help alleviate old-age poverty and loneliness.
After reading this article, i felt that the Korean government are trying very hard to help this crisis;a crisis whereby these senior citizens commit suicide as they felt that they are a heavy burden to society and are unwanted. This is actually like what the article had said, a result of development. I agree with what the government is planning to do, to invest more money to promote the well-being of senior citizens as this would let other age groups to know the "value" of these people. The young generation would also learn and know that the elderly were the ones who actually helped Korea to develop and are to be respected.
Friday 21 June 2013
China officials caught spray-painting grass green in Chengdu
In Chengdu, China, officials hit upon an easy solution to cheer up their city's appearance: specifically, a chemical solution called Top Green Turf Greening Agent. Chinese reporters filmed workers from Chengdu's municipal landscaping department dying the grass green with green spray. A salesman from the company told the China Daily newspaper that it is not toxic. A number of people are unhappy and wished that the government would use the money to build schools and make "The skies blue", making china free from pollution.
After reading this article, i was shocked that the department of landscaping in china actually made use of this method just to beautify the city; and at the same time not amazed by what they had done. We all know that China is heavily polluted as industries are booming in it. It is because of the pollution that vegetation there are literally dying. Instead of having campaigns or finding ways to decrease such heavy pollution, they actually sprayed the dying plants green instead to make citizens feel as though the land IS green and the plants are healthy. The pollution might therefore worsen as people who does not know about the spraying of the grass would feel that the pollution is not harming the environment as the plants are still healthy, hence continue to pollute the air. Spraying the grass may make the country appear "cleaner" and green, but it is not solving or improving the air pollution in China. I hope that the chinese government would look into ways of improving the air quality and not just thinking of development and beautifying the country. Affecting the lives of plants is indirectly affecting the lives of people. Plants are the giver of oxygen.
Saturday 8 June 2013
Singapore's 'instant-noodle generation'
This article basically talks about Singapore's new generation of people who are basically born into rich families with a silver spoon in their mouth. Parent and government officials are concern with a trend whereby more and more families are employing maids just to take care of their child. This as a result causes more and more children these rich families to be pampered and become less self reliant but over dependent on the maid. Then Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong railed against children who "grew up with a silver spoon in their mouth, a maid at their beck and call, and a car to bring them around". Singaporean youth, he said, must "rediscover some of the self-reliant spirit of earlier generations".
After reading this article, i think this is actually not a problem but a result of Singapore's fast development from a third world to a first world nation. Although many of these kids are pampered, they are educated. Education is the basic thing that people in Singapore needs to be successful . Since they are educated, the chances of getting a high paid job would be easier. Hence, having the money, they would also likewise would be able to employ a maid to aid them. So this so called "Phenomenon" happening now is not really a problem. So what if rich people employ maids? It really does not affect any other people. Many of the less wealthy families are unhappy that wealthier families get to employ maids and otherwise, they themselves need to do all their housework by themselves; but everyone has equal opportunities. Everyone needs to go to school. If the less wealthy studies hard, they would likewise get a good job and employ a maid. If the reich does not study hard, they would soon loss all their wealth.
After reading this article, i think this is actually not a problem but a result of Singapore's fast development from a third world to a first world nation. Although many of these kids are pampered, they are educated. Education is the basic thing that people in Singapore needs to be successful . Since they are educated, the chances of getting a high paid job would be easier. Hence, having the money, they would also likewise would be able to employ a maid to aid them. So this so called "Phenomenon" happening now is not really a problem. So what if rich people employ maids? It really does not affect any other people. Many of the less wealthy families are unhappy that wealthier families get to employ maids and otherwise, they themselves need to do all their housework by themselves; but everyone has equal opportunities. Everyone needs to go to school. If the less wealthy studies hard, they would likewise get a good job and employ a maid. If the reich does not study hard, they would soon loss all their wealth.
Friday 7 June 2013
Why Chinese Mothers are better
All decent parents want to do what's best for their children. The Chinese just have a totally different idea of how to do that. The Chinese Mothers are willing to sacrifice much more for them than Westerners, who seem perfectly content to let their children turn out badly. In fact, its actually a misunderstanding on both sides.Western parents try to respect their children's individuality, encouraging them to pursue their true passions, supporting their choices, and providing positive reinforcement and a nurturing environment. By contrast, the Chinese believe that the best way to protect their children is by preparing them for the future, letting them see what they're capable of, and arming them with skills, work habits and inner confidence that no one can ever take away.
I personally think that it is true that all parents love their kids and want them to be successful. Chinese mothers in a sense educate their child in a different way and have different mindsets. This as a result produce kids that a potentially better then any other kids. Their parent's mainly wish that their kid would be successful, and they think that the only way to do so is to do it the hard way and basically" sacrifice much more for them than Westerners". This is the reason why most chinese people are cleverer and more successful than westerners. I am not trying to be bias or prejudice against others, but this is a fact and result of having strict parents. Westerners do not practice what the Chinese mothers do so they do not produce people of high calibre(a degree of high excellence and worth).
I personally think that it is true that all parents love their kids and want them to be successful. Chinese mothers in a sense educate their child in a different way and have different mindsets. This as a result produce kids that a potentially better then any other kids. Their parent's mainly wish that their kid would be successful, and they think that the only way to do so is to do it the hard way and basically" sacrifice much more for them than Westerners". This is the reason why most chinese people are cleverer and more successful than westerners. I am not trying to be bias or prejudice against others, but this is a fact and result of having strict parents. Westerners do not practice what the Chinese mothers do so they do not produce people of high calibre(a degree of high excellence and worth).
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