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3Chiron of TWSS. This is our English blog, mainly used for Ms Chong to update this blog with instructions for us and this is also the place where we do all our newspaper reflections etc etc. Guyz, leave your blog link and whatever you want like twitter etc etc for me to link you. The more the links, the nicer the layout :D And give me your blogger or google email addresses or w/e, make sure can sign in to blogger in class so i can invite you as author and you can post w/e Ms Chong ask us to do thru your own account. THANKS!
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Sunday, February 28, 2010 @ 6:01 PM
Pg 2 Saying "sorry"
The Straits Time IN

Page 2

Saying “sorry”

A 14 year old started a fire at a mosque last October has been given a chance to apologise. The juvenile will meet a representative of the mosque. This week, he will also tell his family and counselors how he intends to make amends. The teen admitted to setting two books on fire in the Masjid Kampung Siglap in Marine Parade. The fire spread, causing about $3.3 million in damage. The boy, who has a below average IQ of about 50, said he had felt frustrated with life.
Why It Matters
Instead of simply punishing him harshly, the judge has offered a way for him to realize his wrongdoings. In juvenile cases, a combination of counseling and punishment is usually ordered so as to do what is best for the child, who can learn from his mistakes. The judge will also take into account a psychiatrist’s assessment of the juvenile’s IQ level.

My reflection:
I think that the 14-yaer-old boy should not have done such foolish things as many could have been hurt or burnt to death. In my opinion he should be brought to the boys home and be caned harshly.The boy did had a chance given to him to apologise to the public for what he had done. I also hope that the Mosque can be rebuilt soon.
@ 5:59 PM
Newspaper reflection 1(Rezan)
CHILE'S earthquake toll soared past 700 on Sunday. The rescuers tried to find survivors after the devastating disaster which emerged in coastal areas where homes were washed away a tsunami. The number of deaths to increase further and the magnitude quake is around 8.8 on Saturday.
The navy made a mistake by did not issue them with a tsunami alert. A giant wave generated by the quake washed away entire homes and leaving desperate residents to stare in disbelief at the seaweed clinging to what was left of their livelihoods. The wave came and covered everything. The sea level was twenty feet high. The mayor of Chile pleaded urgently for help as rescuers with heat detectors hunted scores of people believed to be trapped in a 15-storey apartment block toppled on its back by the quake.
Police fired tear-gas and water cannons to try to disperse looters there, some of them dragged shopping trollies full of basic supplies. They need food for the population. They are without supplies, and if they don't resolve that they will have serious problems during the night. President Bachelet said the government was beginning to distribute food and vital aid to the shell-shocked population.
Aftershocks continued to rattle the country with alarming regularity; more than 115 were recorded in the first 30 hours after the quake, one a powerful 6.1-magnitude striking at 8.25am local time (1125 GMT, 7.25am Singapore time).


http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/World/Story/STIStory_496311.html
@ 5:58 PM
1st Newspaper article by Hao li
CELTICS HUMILATED B13 Sport

Celtics, a NBA basketball team that has been humiliated and were booed by their fans after losing to lowly New Jersey side.The Boston Celtics have not found a way to fix their defensive woes,and that resulted in this season’s most humiliating defeat for them as their team is considered quite good and well-known but being humiliated by other teams.

I think that they will be good and back to their own standards,once they fixed their defensive woes.

By Hao li
@ 5:56 PM
IN Straits Times pg10
No real value in pricey gifts

I do agree with the author that, nowadays, teens are bargaining with their parents of getting something new or cosy if they achieve distinction. However, i do not agree with the author that not all teen are like this &not all teens only think that the value matters cause as a matter of fact, many still do not think this way & insist on hand-made item for friend's birthday &etc. Things that are made by one self contain a much more value than a present that is bought from the shopping mall. Sometimes, even a hand-made card with your name or several stickers can be the most valuable &sweetest gift ever.

Eunice M.J.Y
@ 5:56 PM
Newspaper article 1st march by eugene
Champion of Life C4 lifeC.Kunalan is already 67-years-old but he still do sprinting. He gets into the park at 6am at the morning.He times himself. Each sprint must be 30 seconds or faster. A 45-year-old writer shadowed C.Kunalan but he failed to keep up. C.Kunalan did about 60 push-ups and 70 sit-ups per minute. He sometimes does a 5km run on the park.

I think that C.Kunalan is have a very good sportsmanship and even willing to train at such age. Many people cannot achieve this level of fitness at this age.

Acting out her fears.For Barbie Hsu, the movies are not so much a stepping stone as a training ground. She had a phobia of water , but she overcame that and dived into the sea for her latest romantic film, Hot Summer Days. Worse, she had to do that under the gaze of paparazzi, who were waiting to catch any wardrobe malfunctions on camera

.I think that to overcome the phobia by acting is a good thing and for Barbie Hsu, she can go to swimming now.

By Eugene wong kang long (=
@ 5:55 PM
"In" newspaper relfection.
Pg 2 [ Saying 'sorry']

A 14 year old teenager started a fire at a mosque last October has been given a chance to apologise. The juvenile will meet a representative of the mosque
This week, he will also tell his family and counselors how he intends to make amends.
The teen admitted to setting two books on fire in the Masjid Kampung Siglap in Marine Parade. The fire spread, causing about $3.3 million in damage.
The boy, who has a below average IQ of about 50, said he had felt frustrated with life.
Why It MattersInstead of simply punishing him harshly, the judge has offered a way for him to realize his wrongdoings. In juvenile cases, a combination of counseling and punishment is usually ordered so as to do what is best for the child, who can learn from his mistakes. The judge will also take into account a psychiatrist’s assessment of the juvenile’s IQ level.My reflection:I think that the 14-yaer-old boy should not have done such foolish things as many could have been hurt or burnt to death. In my opinion he should be brought to the boys home and be caned harshly.The boy did had a chance given to him to apologise to the public for what he had done. I also hope that the Mosque can be rebuilt soon.. I think that the guy do not really mean to set fire in the mosque , he maybe just for the sake of fun .

LeongLiShi 3C (6)
@ 5:53 PM
Newspaper Reflections.
Be Wary Of Peer Pressure - IN straits times Pg.3

This piece of article is about people who can't cope with pressure and ending up taking drugs .
It can be very hard to say 'No' to friends or even strangers about many things , not just drugs.
Its can be either smoking , cutting yourself , and many stupid acts that can be done , thinking that such deeds could make those pressure off their minds.
Instead of getting themselves drugged , they do have other forms of method that can minimise their pressure , by not doing things that are harmful.
They could look up for people who they trust , or trusted friends , speak out about their problems. Friends that are not in bad company , friends that don't ask you to do stupid things or even do drugs!
And people could learn to say " no " to drugs or any other harmful stuffs.
Or when feeling pressurise , they could seek for their families members , as their the closest and understands more than others do.
Hence , people who can't say " no " to drugs , has to learn how to or think positively , calm down and sort it all out in a good way.
-
-

Straits Times Page A18,
Parkour Makes Great Leaps In Land Of Gongfu.

Well , in this article , teens in china makes use of playground to be a ' training ' place for cool moves/ sports. The wall and railings towered over one of them , in a smooth motion , swinging his lean body over them and landing on the other side like a gongfu moves.
Passerby or resisdents , raised their eyebrows or admiring their moves. I thought that , even this makes you feel cool , or you could train yourself stronger or doing stunts , it still not something save to do.
We might never know when accidents might happen. What if they were to fell or knock onto the railings , the impact that the injuries caused is going to be very serious.
Such activites is dangerous . Refering to what Mr.Liu , a widely considered skilled traceurs , he said , " The key is learning to control your mind and your body ".
" Know what you're capable of , and avoid reckless attempt moves outside of your skill level " .
Therefore , i would like to end of by saying , if people who want to take up such cool moves , they could go for a course. If they were to ' train ' in the playground zone , firstly , people who walks by will be thinking that it was cool and awesome. Eventually , they will take this as something cool to do . Secondly , they never thought of what consequences it may brings , hurting yourself or worst.
Thirdly , playground was meant to be for childrens to play and enjoy , not for doing cool moves , swinging around.

-
Brennda.S
(19)
@ 5:49 PM
Celtics Humiliated
The Straits Times Monday, March 1 2010 Page B13

Oh my god! The formiable Celtics lost to News Jersey, a team who is being threatened to finish the season with the worst record in the history of National Basketball Association-NBA.The buzzer beats at the end with the score of 96-104,with the Celtics falling behind the News Jersey by 8 points.
The reasons provided by the Celtics are the coaching problem, not enough respect to guys and not playing with a sense of urgency.I personally felt that losing a game is unavoidable but we need to pick up from where we fell and ensure that we does not lose the next match that we play.
@ 5:48 PM
Page 2 Saying 'sorry'
The Straits Time IN.
Page 2

Saying ‘sorry’

A 14-year-old started a fire at a mosque last October has been given a chance to apologise.
The juvenile will meet a representative of the mosque. This week, he will also tell his family and counselors how he intends to make amends.
The teen admitted to settling two books on fire in the Masjid Kampung Siglap in Marine Parade. The fire spread, causing about $3.3 million in damage. The boy, who has a below average IQ of about 50, said he had felt frustrated with life.

WHY IT MATTERS

Instead of simply punishing him harshly, the judge has offered a way for him to realize his wrongdoings.
In juvenile cases, a combination of counseling and punishment is usually ordered so as to do what is best for the child, who can learn from his mistakes. The judge will also take into account a psychiatrist’s assessment of the juvenile’s IQ level.


My reflections:


I think that the 14-yaer-old boy should not have done such foolish things but I think that he thinks that he is cool trying to start a fire at mosque. In my opinion he should be brought to the boys home and be caned harshly, for what he had done to the mosque. The boy did had a chance given to him to apologise to the public for what he had done. $3.3 million sum is not a small sum. I hope that the mosque will be built up once again and everything will be back to normal.
@ 5:46 PM
No Real Value In Pricey Gifts - writeIN (P.g. 10)
-
This article is saying about there is no real value in pricey gifts as shown at the headline.
Some people would think that receiving expensive gifts mean that the person like you more
but is is not true. I would think that it is the heart that count. People might give you a very expensive gift but you might have no use for it. On the other hand, people who give you cheaper gifts might have more use to you than the expensive ones. It's like what they say, "the price of their present reflects how much the giver treasures them". Which i think is not true, if the person treasures you they will buy something that is more useful for you.
-
-
Fewer Complaints Now After Patrols Deployed - TheStraitsTimes
-
The police officers should start this patrols from the start so there will be no complaints at the first place. They should not wait till it got worst den start taking action. But better late then never.The foreign workers should not litter or worst, urinate at the void decks. It will disgust people, and flag seller might not find a buyer due to the bad environment of the block. It will really bring unconfort to people. So really hope the workers would me more responsible of their action and help keep the place clean.

By:LowZunHung :)
@ 5:45 PM
Newspaper reflections.
Reflection 1: A chance to say something to Mr Obama http://news.sg.msn.com/cna/article.aspx?cp-documentid=3914820


On Sunday, Singaporeans had a chance to say something to United States President Barack Obama. All they had to do was to turn up at the Asian Civilisations museum and record a 30 second message in front of the camera. It was for a upcoming documentary film My America. Ms Eng, a film-maker, was asked for help in making this documentary by the director Mr Hegedus, who were classmates with her during her school years in Brisbane, Australia. Unfortunately, only one Singaporean, a full—time National Serviceman (NSF) who saw the listing in Lianhe Zaobao, did turned up. With eight participants,including herself, Ms Eng has amassed ample footage to pass on to Mr Hegedus. It took quite some time for her to agree to help Mr Hegedus to make the film because she was afraid that Singaporeans will not give 'enough reactions'.

I thought that this was an awesome idea to give opportunities to Singaporeans to give a shout out to President Barack Obama. It would be very fortunate if I were one of the people who did this video. It is also a great way to give sincere thoughts about exploring the US role in this century as well as each individuals role in making the world a safer place.


Reflection 2: SMU students shaken but safe, Straits Times Page A1

Six students from the Singapore Management University (SMU) were selected for a five-month exchange programme at the Pontificia Universidad Catolica De Chile, a university in the South American country. It was their fist night in Chile and they were all asleep when the first rumblings of a magnitude-8.8 earthquake began. They all ran out of the building. Shortly after returning into their hostel, a second tremor was felt. Parents of the students were worried sick. The orientation was delayed to a week later and they will cut short their exchange programme if the situations worsens.

I felt that it's good that they are taking the necessary precautions to prevent the students' safety from being affected. It's true that the students' safety there are at stake. An earthquake can happen anytime and there's no time for turn backs if it happens and that someone would have to suffer a loss of someone. The students there should be very careful with their whereabouts or whatsoever because their lives are at risk and that it would be a pity to lose those younger generation. I pity those students in Chile because they're living in risk. I hope and pray fort heir well-being there.


Nurulain Haziqah (14) 3C
@ 5:45 PM
IN Straits Times pg3
Be wary of peer pressure
I always thought friends are there for you for happy times &encourage you at times when things are not good. However, i did not expect that friends are to bring you to the wrong path. In this article, it says how many students became drug addict due to friends' pressure. Of course, it is your choice to say yes or no but many of times, it can be rather hard to say no to your friends or even strangers. As they want to fit &not to be left out by the friends. Thus, even if they doesn't like it, they will still force themselves to do it. &when they got addicted, there's no way they'll stop. This is what happen to many students nowadays. Teen should know what is right or wrong now, they should be mature/ sensible enough to differentiate what is wrong or right, and it lies upon their hands to say yes or no. They should always listen to themselves, the inner voice-"angel within them". There're things that can be done while also things that can't, and this is the matter that can't be done!
Eunice M.J.Y ['09]
@ 5:44 PM
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/World/Story/STIStory_496311.html


CHILE'S earthquake toll soared past 700 on Sunday as rescuers raced to find survivors and the grim extent of the disaster emerged in coastal areas where homes were washed away by a giant wave.

President Michelle Bachelet said she expected the number of deaths to increase further, while her government admitted it had erred by failing to warn Chileans about the tsunami risk following Saturday's 8.8-magnitude quake.

The government in Chile under-estimated the damage caused by the quake. Its obvious the 8.8 magnitude will cause ALOT damage than the quake in Haiti. If the government had expected this maybe the death toll will be lower. I also expect another we are the world collaboration for Chile.

http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/World/Story/STIStory_495744.html

MOSCOW - SOME Russians were amazed to discover dozens of T-80 battle tanks seemingly abandoned in a forest, but army officials insisted there was nothing unusual about it. The tanks - nearly 100 in all - were found near the Elanovskaya railroad station about 100km o'There are tanks all over the forest, abandoned. If you need one, come and get it,' an unnamed person behind the camera says in the video posted on E1.ru, as the camera spins around to show dozens of unguarded tanks. utside the Urals Mountains city of Yekaterinburg, the Kommersant daily reported on Saturday.

This is a surprising thing. Weapons of war conviniently placed near a railroad station where a random passer-by can take one for free. Whoever did this or incharge of the operations should be aware of the risks and the possibilities of terrorists groups taking the tanks for extremist use. Although the price of tanks and the risks are great getting a tank for free is a good deal.
@ 5:42 PM
Charlene

IN page 3 : Be wary of peer pressure.

I think that most people started drugs mostly because their friends ask them to try. Most of the people that try drugs are from broken family or from families that both parents work full time. Friends are supposed to help each other instead of harming each other. If your friend offer you any drugs, they are not good friends. My idea of friends are helping each other and encouaging each other. IN says that people accept it due to peer pressureand wants to fit in or seem different. But it is normal for a person to be part of a group. But it may be a bad thing when it comes to taking harmful stuff like drugs. IN also says that it is not so simple to say 'No' to drugs but gives you some tips about it. Examples are know more about drugs and talk to people tyo understand.
@ 5:42 PM
Newsapaper reflection.
Article: Pg A2 [Teen sex: It’s up to parents to draw the line]

“Girls are so modern these days!” That’s an exclamation one hears often from the old folk, they don’t mind to be flattering. Girls nowadays are so ‘modern’ that they are having sex in a younger and younger age. Teenage sex seems to beon the rise in most of the developed countries. With no sign of babting, never mind that sex under 16 is illegal, and sex with girl under 14 is considered statutory rape . Males, old or young will get the book thrown at then if they have sex with an under 16 girl.

United states and britain set the consent age at 16 but no would relise tthat given the sex and pregnancy figure among teenagers.

In my opinion, i think that teenagers under age should not having sex , even though the male will get punishment but the female should also some punishment, both of them are in the wrong (if the female willing to have sex). I do not think that sex under age is a fun thing to be done , if they wants to have sex , they can do it anytime after 16-18 years , they can do as much as they like.

LeongLiShi 3C (6)
@ 5:40 PM
Page 8 - Chilean quake one of the biggest ever
The huge earthquake, with a magnitude of 8.8 quake, was a "megathrust". It was considered the most powerful type of quake on the planet. This earthquake, really did alarm me. In 1960, a magnitude of 9.5 had killed about 1,600 people in Chile and scores of others in the Pacific.It will tie with the 1906 offshore Equador quake as the fifth-largest since 1900 if the magnitude holds. Eventhough the Chilean quake was smaller tahn the Sumatra quake of 2004, it was not expected to be anything nearly as destructive. That quake and ensuing tsunami killed 230,000 people. In my opinion, I think this time round, the people in the affected countries were able to prepare themselves earlier to save for their lives, since they already knew roughly when the tsunami will come. It's either the magnitude of the tsunami or the preparation for the tsunami caused lesser number of people injured.

By: Wan Nurul Fazeerin Wan Anuwar (22)
@ 5:32 PM
WRITE IN-page 10. No real value in pricey gifts.
This article is about they way teenagers nowdays, think about the values of their gifts, be it from their parents, bestfriends or even their lovers. Many teenagers thought that the more expensive the gift is, the more it will prove how much they mean to them. I disagree with them thinking that way. After all, most people say, its the thought that counts. They say that the price of a gift reflects how much the giver treasure them. It was not being said out, but it is rather obvious that the teens' values have been replaced by a huge dollar sign. In my opinion, what have been said is not so realistic. I disagree when they say that the higher the price, the more satisfied the recipient is. If the recipient loves the other party, she/he will not care about how high the cost of the gift is as its always they thought that counts, as i said before.

Labels:

@ 5:30 PM
Page A9 Geylang Serai Market is for all races, says SM Goh
Even though the new geylang serai market is a traditional appeals as a location for spices, malay clothes, halal food and other items but the other races can also built up their shops there. It is easy for tourist going to Geylang and enjoying themselves of the malay cultural. There are no problem fpr other races to set up their stall but it the stall holder must respect the malays by not selling pork there as to be considerate .

Therefore , the chinese and the indians who lived there have no markets nearby where they can buy their pork and other items. Then the government have to built up some non-halal markets nearby.

I think that the government should make another market for the non-malay so that they can buy their non-halal foods there.

Labels:

Thursday, February 18, 2010 @ 7:27 PM
Answer Key for compre practice.
Hi guys, below is the answer key for the practice compre. Please check!

From Passage A:

From paragraph 1:



1

What does the word “epic” (line 2) tell you about the Southeast Asian tsunami?

[1]

ANS

It was a major disaster[1]. / The damage was huge[1]. Many countries were affected. [1]



From paragraph 6:


2

What does ‘makeshift nation’ (line 26) reveal about the extent of damage after the tsunami?

[2]

ANS

There was a large number of casualties[1] and homeless.[1]



From paragraph 8:


3

What was the belief of the author when he used the word “unholy” (line 30) to describe the waves?

[1]

ANS

He believed that the natural disaster was not an act of god. [1]



From paragraph 9:


4

What information does the word “undocumented” (line 35) give you about the Burmese labourers?

[1]

ANS

The Burmese labourers were illegal[1]. / working there illegally[1].



From paragraph 10:


5

In your own words, what are two obstacles to keeping Baan Nam Kem alive?

[2]

ANS

The two obstacles are the quarrels between the villagers[1] and the poor hygiene conditions[1].




From paragraph 12:


6

In your own words, explain the difference between the stress faced by volunteers in Khao Lak and the stress faced at work?

[1]

ANS

The stress faced by volunteers in Khao Lak is more of an emotional one whereas the stress at work is more mental [1].


* Do not award marks if there is no comparison.


From Passage B:


From paragraph 2:


7

What is implied by the word “unscheduled” (line 9)?

[1]

ANS

The train was not supposed to make the stop.[1]



From paragraph 6:


8

“…five minutes later a more massive wall of water, this one 12 metres high, blotted out the horizon and barrelled over the train.” (lines 24 – 25). Explain the meaning of the expression, paying close attention to the underlined words.

[2]

ANS

The wall of water was so high that it blocked out the sea and the sky[1] and fell over the train like a blanket.[1]



From paragraph 7:


9

What does “as if they were no heavier than a child’s toy” (lines 26 – 27) say about the impact of the wave?

[1]

ANS

The wave’s destructive force was so great that it was able to move a heavy train so easily.[1]



From paragraph 9:


10

Explain why the author mentioned that “Not even the temple was safe from another wave” (line 41).

[1]

ANS

The temple, being a sacred place of worship, was not spared from the effects of the tsunami.[1]



From paragraph 12:


11

Identify an act of improvisation by Luke Simmonds and CC in order to help the injured.

[1]

ANS

They used doors as stretchers to carry the injured.[1]

OR

They used hotel bedsheets as bandage.[1]




12

State a word that illustrates the courage of the young Japanese woman who had her left leg broken, yet bore it bravely.

[1]

ANS

Stoically [1]



13

For each of the following words, give one word or short phrase (of not more than seven words) which has the same meaning that the word has in the passage.


From Passage A From Passage B


1. hardy (line 41) 3. urged (line 40)

2. flocked (line 45) 4. rubble (line 59)

5. excruciating (line 68)

[5]


Wednesday, February 10, 2010 @ 5:24 AM
testing 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8.
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