Knowledge
2) Shylock - A Jewish moneylender in Venice. Angered by his mistreatment at the hands of Venice’s Christians, particularly Antonio, Shylock schemes to eke out his revenge by ruthlessly demanding as payment a pound of Antonio’s flesh.
Portia - A wealthy heiress from Belmont. Portia’s beauty is matched only by her intelligence. Bound by a clause in her father’s will that forces her to marry whichever suitor chooses correctly among three caskets, Portia is nonetheless able to marry her true love, Bassanio.
Antonio - The merchant whose love for his friend Bassanio prompts him to sign Shylock’s contract and almost lose his life. Antonio is something of a mercurial figure, often inexplicably melancholy and, as Shylock points out, possessed of an incorrigible dislike of Jews.
Bassanio - A gentleman of Venice, and a kinsman and dear friend to Antonio. Bassanio’s love for the wealthy Portia leads him to borrow money from Shylock with Antonio as his guarantor. An ineffectual businessman, Bassanio proves himself a worthy suitor, correctly identifying the casket that contains Portia’s portrait.
Gratiano - A friend of Bassanio’s who accompanies him to Belmont. A coarse and garrulous young man, Gratiano is Shylock’s most vocal and insulting critic during the trial. While Bassanio courts Portia, Gratiano falls in love with and eventually weds Portia’s lady-in-waiting, Nerissa.
Jessica - Although she is Shylock’s daughter, Jessica hates life in her father’s house, and elopes with the young Christian gentleman, Lorenzo.
Lorenzo - A friend of Bassanio and Antonio, Lorenzo is in love with Shylock’s daughter, Jessica. He schemes to help Jessica escape from her father’s house, and he eventually elopes with her to Belmont.
Nerissa - Portia’s lady-in-waiting and confidante. She marries Gratiano and escorts Portia on Portia’s trip to Venice by disguising herself as her law clerk.
Launcelot Gobbo - Bassanio’s servant. A comical, clownish figure who is especially adept at making puns, Launcelot leaves Shylock’s service in order to work for Bassanio.
The prince of Morocco - A Moorish prince who seeks Portia’s hand in marriage. The prince of Morocco asks Portia to ignore his dark countenance and seeks to win her by picking one of the three caskets. Certain that the caskets reflect Portia’s beauty and stature, the prince of Morocco picks the gold chest, which proves to be incorrect.
The prince of Arragon - An arrogant Spanish nobleman who also attempts to win Portia’s hand by picking a casket. Like the prince of Morocco, however, the prince of Arragon chooses unwisely. He picks the silver casket, which gives him a message calling him an idiot instead of Portia’s hand.
Salarino - A Venetian gentleman, and friend to Antonio, Bassanio, and Lorenzo. Salarino escorts the newlyweds Jessica and Lorenzo to Belmont, and returns with Bassanio and Gratiano for Antonio’s trial.
Solanio - A Venetian gentleman, and frequent counterpart to Salarino.
The duke of Venice - The ruler of Venice, who presides over Antonio’s trial. Although a powerful man, the duke’s state is built on respect for the law, and he is unable to help Antonio.
Old Gobbo - Launcelot’s father, also a servant in Venice.
Tubal - A Jew in Venice, and one of Shylock’s friends.
Doctor Bellario - A wealthy Paduan lawyer and Portia’s cousin. Doctor Bellario never appears in the play, but he gives Portia’s servant the letters of introduction needed for her to make her appearance in court.
Balthasar - Portia’s servant, whom she dispatches to get the appropriate materials from Doctor Bellario.
7) The story took place in Venice and Belmont.
9) All's Well That Ends Well
As You Like It
The Comedy of Errors
Cymbeline
Love's Labours Lost
Measure for Measure
The Merry Wives of Windsor
The Merchant of Venice
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Much Ado About Nothing
Pericles, Prince of Tyre
Taming of the Shrew
The Tempest
Troilus and Cressida
Twelfth Night
Two Gentlemen of Verona
Winter's Tale
Henry IV, part 1
Henry IV, part 2
Henry V
Henry VI, part 1
Henry VI, part 2
Henry VI, part 3
Henry VIII
King John
Richard II
Richard III Antony and Cleopatra
Coriolanus
Hamlet
Julius Caesar
King Lear
Macbeth
Othello
Romeo and Juliet
Timon of Athens
Titus Andronicus
Comprehension
12) Shylock demanded a pound of flesh from Antonio when his ships did not return to port on time and was rumored to have been wrecked, despite the fact that many people plead to spare Antonio's life. I did not like this as it showed that Shylock was a very cruel and inhumane person, and I was also disgusted by what he demanded.
18) In the first illustration, Antonio was holding Bassanio's hand with one hand and putting his other hand on his shoulder, and it looks like Antonio is assuring Bassanio that he would lend him the money he needed to woo Portia.
20) The merchant in "The Merchant of Venice" refers to Antonio, a prominent businessman in Venice with a good reputation, who is also the main character of the book. The title is titled so as it revolves around Antonio being unable to pay off his debt.
Application
27) I learnt to appreciate and cherish friendships more, as I may lose them anytime. I learnt what true friends really are like, true friends should be willing to take risks for their friends' sake, and help them whenever they need, just like Antonio willing to risk one pound of flesh to borrow some money to help Bassanio woo Portia. I learnt not to discriminate against other people of a different religion, as hatred will start to grow and spread, causing a lot of trouble, just like the hatred between Antonio and Shylock.
29)
Dear Jack,
I hope you have been well. It has been some time since we last met. Today, I am writing to you to recommend you a good book that I have just finished reading. The book is titled "The Merchant of Venice", a play written by William Shakespeare, a famous playwright and actor in the 16th century. This book is about Antonio, a venetian merchant, borrowing some money from a sly moneylender, Shylock, to lend his friend, Bassanio, to go and woo Portia, the daughter of a rich man. Shylock demands for a pound of Antonio's flesh if Antonio fails to pay him back. Soon after, Antonio realised he could not pay him back and Shylock demands for the pound of flesh, and both of them goes to court to settle the dispute. I will not tell you how the play ended, so go and read the book yourself. I can promise you that once you start reading, you will not be able to put down the book. So go and have fun reading the book, and maybe you can share with me what you think of the book after you have finished reading it!
Regards,
Leow Wei Sheng
32) If the book occurred two hundred years ago, the book would have to be filled mainly with pictures and made up of few and simple words or phrases. This is due to the fact that the people at that time had no or little education and most of the people could not read. However, they would be able to understand the play through the detailed pictures in the book. There would also be no need to include annotations on facing pages, as people at that time were still using the same kind of english that Shakespeare used during the Elizebethan era.
Analysis
34) The Elizebethan era is very different from today. The most obvious difference may be the fact that we have modern technology and a general cleanliness in where we live today. Our standard of living is also much higher than the Elizebethans. Another difference is that now we are not governed by a single king or queen, instead we are governed by a group of people in the parliament. However, there are still similarities. Today, the society still consists of social classes which divides the society unfairly, in which the rich can live a luxurious life while the poor must work very hard to even earn enough to support themselves.
40) Antonio's friend Bassanio is desperately in need of money to court Portia, a wealthy heiress who lives in the city of Belmont. Bassanio asks Antonio for a loan in order to travel in style to Portia’s estate. Antonio agrees, but is unable to make the loan himself because his own money is all invested in a number of trade ships that are still at sea. Antonio suggests that Bassanio secure the loan from one of the city’s moneylenders. In Venice, Antonio and Bassanio approach Shylock, a Jewish moneylender, for a loan. He offers to lend Bassanio three thousand ducats with no interest. Shylock adds, however, that should the loan go unpaid, Shylock will be entitled to a pound of Antonio’s own flesh. Despite Bassanio’s warnings, Antonio agrees. Shylock later rejoices in the fact that Antonio’s ships are rumored to have been wrecked and that he will soon be able to claim his debt. Bassanio arrives at Portia’s estate, and they declare their love for one another. Bassanio immediately picks the correct casket, which is made of lead. He and Portia rejoice, and Gratiano confesses that he has fallen in love with Nerissa. The couples decide on a double wedding. Portia gives Bassanio a ring as a token of love, and makes him swear that under no circumstances will he part with it. The celebration, however, is cut short by the news that Antonio has indeed lost his ships, and that he has forfeited his bond to Shylock. Bassanio and Gratiano immediately travel to Venice to try and save Antonio’s life. Shylock ignores the many pleas to spare Antonio’s life, and a trial is called to decide the matter. In the end Shylock lost and he converts to Christianity. Finally, news arrives that Antonio's ships have in fact made it back safely.
41) The last book I read was "The Floating Islands". The book is a story while "The Merchant of Venice is a play. The book was written in the 21st century while the play was written in the 16th century. The book is a fantasy while the play is a comedy. The two main characters in the book are Trei and Araene, and I will compare them. Trei is a very practical boy while Araene is a very sarcastic girl. Trei dreams to be a kajuraihi while Araene dreams to be a chef. Trei achieved his dream while Araene did not. However, there are similarities too. Trei and Araene, are both in their own way caught between dueling cultures. Trei is literally caught between two nations, his mixed heritage keeping him from truly belonging to either, and yet he feels a conflicted loyalty towards both; Araene is caught between her abilities and her gender, in a society where women are not supposed to exercise their ambitions, she is both driven by her talent and stifled from exercising it freely. Both Trei and Araene are very brave and smart too.
Synthesis
48)
Act 1 Scene 1 to Act 2 Scene 9 -- Portia, My Love
Act 3 Scene 1 to Act 4 Scene 1 -- Saving Antonio
Act 4 Scene 2 to Act 5 Scene 1 -- The Truth Is Revealed
50) Hi little boy, I am a librarian. Do you like this book, "The Merchant of Venice"? I strongly recommend you to borrow this good book. "The Merchant of Venice", a play written by William Shakespeare, a famous playwright and actor in the 16th century. It is about Antonio, a venetian merchant, borrowing some money from a sly moneylender, Shylock, to lend his friend, Bassanio, to go and woo Portia, the daughter of a rich man. Shylock demands for a pound of Antonio's flesh if Antonio fails to pay him back. Soon after, Antonio realised he could not pay him back and Shylock demands for the pound of flesh, and both of them goes to court to settle the dispute. I will not tell you how the play ended, so borrow this book and read it! I read this book before and I can promise you that once you start reading, you will not be able to put down the book! I need to go and work now, so bye little boy!
52) Hi listeners! Today, I am going to recommend you guys a book! The book is titled "The Merchant of Venice", a play written by William Shakespeare, a famous playwright and actor in the 16th century. This book is about Antonio, a venetian merchant, borrowing some money from a sly moneylender, Shylock, to lend his friend, Bassanio, to go and woo Portia, the daughter of a rich man. Shylock demands for a pound of Antonio's flesh if Antonio fails to pay him back. Soon after, Antonio realised he could not pay him back and Shylock demands for the pound of flesh, and both of them goes to court to settle the dispute. I will not tell you how the play ended, so go and buy the book. The book is available in many major bookstores. I have read this book before and I can promise you that once you start reading, you will not be able to put down the book! Maybe you guys can even call the radio station and share with everyone what you think of the book after you have finished reading it!
Evaluation
59) I will save Antonio in the event of a disaster. Antonio is a very helpful person and is willing to risk himself to help his friends, as shown in "The Merchant of Venice", when he risked his life to borrow money from Shylock to help Bassanio woo Portia. If I save him, I may become friends with him and in the future, he may help me when I am in need of help.
60) The title is a good one. The merchant in "The Merchant of Venice" is Antonio and the whole book revolves around the main conflict of Antonio borrowing money from Shylock and finding himself unable to pay him and Shylock wanting his life in exchange for the money. Since Antonio is the main character, the title should be related to him. The title "The Merchant of Venice", also makes the reader be interested in the book as the reader will be curious to find out who the "merchant" is and thus read the book to find out.
61) I will choose Antonio as a friend. Antonio is a very helpful person and is willing to risk himself to help his friends, as shown in "The Merchant of Venice", when he risked his life to borrow money from Shylock to help Bassanio woo Portia. If I become his friend, he might treat me just like how he treated Bassanio, and help me when I need help.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Environmental Studies
Environmental studies are about studying human interaction with the environment. It is a broad field of study which includes the natural environment and the built environment, and the relationships between them. I agree that environmental studies should be made a compulsory part of the science curriculum, as we should start from young in the saving of Earth. If we realise the consequences of global warming since young, we can go green earlier too.
Firstly, environmental studies can help to teach students about global warming, both the consequences and the solutions. Students will be more aware about global warming and they can even start to go green from a young age. When they grow up they will know even more what they can do to save the Earth. The students, knowing the consequences and solutions of global warming, may be motivated to save the Earth and also motivate other people to save it. There will be a chain reaction and soon there will be many people trying to save the Earth by going green. We can also think up of better solutions to aid in saving the Earth, thus contributing even more.
Secondly, environmental studies can help students develop good habits that can help to save the Earth by conserving energy. The habits may develop after the students decide to save the Earth. The habits include turning off electrical appliances when not in use, taking a shower instead of a bath and walking or cycling to a place instead of riding a car there. The good habits may even follow someone for life.
Thirdly, environmental studies can develop students into more responsible people. They will be instilled with the sense of responsibility to save the Earth from global warming, and will do their part to help. The sense of responsibility may not only be only for saving the Earth, but rather, it can be extended to other parts of their lives too.
In conclusion, I agree that environmental studies should be made mandatory in the science curriculum as there are many advantages of this. Everyone should also start from young in saving the Earth.
Firstly, environmental studies can help to teach students about global warming, both the consequences and the solutions. Students will be more aware about global warming and they can even start to go green from a young age. When they grow up they will know even more what they can do to save the Earth. The students, knowing the consequences and solutions of global warming, may be motivated to save the Earth and also motivate other people to save it. There will be a chain reaction and soon there will be many people trying to save the Earth by going green. We can also think up of better solutions to aid in saving the Earth, thus contributing even more.
Secondly, environmental studies can help students develop good habits that can help to save the Earth by conserving energy. The habits may develop after the students decide to save the Earth. The habits include turning off electrical appliances when not in use, taking a shower instead of a bath and walking or cycling to a place instead of riding a car there. The good habits may even follow someone for life.
Thirdly, environmental studies can develop students into more responsible people. They will be instilled with the sense of responsibility to save the Earth from global warming, and will do their part to help. The sense of responsibility may not only be only for saving the Earth, but rather, it can be extended to other parts of their lives too.
In conclusion, I agree that environmental studies should be made mandatory in the science curriculum as there are many advantages of this. Everyone should also start from young in saving the Earth.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Global Warming
1) There are many solutions to global warming, and the main idea is about using renewable energy and reducing the amount of carbon dioxide in the air, since carbon dioxide contributes the most to global warming. Renewable energy is energy that comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides and geothermal heat that will naturally replendish and never run out. We can build more solar power plants, wind farms, geothermal stations or hydroelectric dams to harness the energy. To reduce the amount of carbon dioxide we can plant more trees and stop deforstation. We can also reduce, reuse and recycle. This way we will be able to stop global warming from getting worse and maybe even reverse the effect of global warming.
2) Singaporeans can play an active role in saving the planet. We can reduce, reuse and recycle. We can do our individual part too to reduce our carbon footprint. We can reuse plastic bags, walk or cycle whenever possible, turn off electircal appliances when not in use, or just switching to public transport instead of driving our own cars. All these will help in saving the planet.
3) The school can organise talks for the students to educate them on the consequences of global warming and how to play a part in saving the planet. Being educated since young will enable students to put to use their knowledge when they grow up. The school can encourage students to reuse, reduce and recycle more. Posters can also be put up all around the school to remind students. This way the students can also protect the planet.
2) Singaporeans can play an active role in saving the planet. We can reduce, reuse and recycle. We can do our individual part too to reduce our carbon footprint. We can reuse plastic bags, walk or cycle whenever possible, turn off electircal appliances when not in use, or just switching to public transport instead of driving our own cars. All these will help in saving the planet.
3) The school can organise talks for the students to educate them on the consequences of global warming and how to play a part in saving the planet. Being educated since young will enable students to put to use their knowledge when they grow up. The school can encourage students to reuse, reduce and recycle more. Posters can also be put up all around the school to remind students. This way the students can also protect the planet.
Diary Entry
Dear Diary,
My sister was arrested yesterday for driving. I feel so depressed. Why should she be arrested just for driving? Why is driving even inappropriate for women? If women knows how to drive, why not? Even though my religion forbids women from driving, I still allowed my sister to drive yesterday, as I thought I should support my own sister's cause for achieving more rights for women. If she really helped women achieve more rights, she will be regarded a national heroine by women! However, what happened yesterday was a complete disaster, and she is no closer to achieving more rights for women...
Yesterday she wanted to borrow my car to drive around the city to protest. I agreed of course as since I am her brother, I must support her. With me accompanying her, she set off in my Prius. We drove around the metropolis, and she waved at women during red lights. Probably this attracted the attention of the police, as soon after there were police cars chasing after us. Eventually we were surrounded by the police cars and we came out of the car, raising both hands in the air. There were a huge crowd of people around us, watching the commotion. Some people were even jeering at us, though I think they were jeering mostly at me for supporting women's rights when I should be against it, and at me for being unfaithful towards my religion. Anyway, we were taken to a police station and detained and strangely released soon after. However, last night the police officers came again and took my sister away. My sister tried to put up a fight but was eventually overcame by the police officers. I could only watch in utter hopelessness as I saw my sister being taken away with my own eyes, right in front of me.
I feel so guilty and angry with myself! I should have protected my sister! She did nothing wrong! She merely drived! I am beginning to doubt my faith in my religion. My religion is so unfair! Women are as capable as men, the religious leaders must be able to see that! They are so stubborn in their views! I wonder when my sister will be released, but I hoped she will be released soon! There must be equality!
My sister was arrested yesterday for driving. I feel so depressed. Why should she be arrested just for driving? Why is driving even inappropriate for women? If women knows how to drive, why not? Even though my religion forbids women from driving, I still allowed my sister to drive yesterday, as I thought I should support my own sister's cause for achieving more rights for women. If she really helped women achieve more rights, she will be regarded a national heroine by women! However, what happened yesterday was a complete disaster, and she is no closer to achieving more rights for women...
Yesterday she wanted to borrow my car to drive around the city to protest. I agreed of course as since I am her brother, I must support her. With me accompanying her, she set off in my Prius. We drove around the metropolis, and she waved at women during red lights. Probably this attracted the attention of the police, as soon after there were police cars chasing after us. Eventually we were surrounded by the police cars and we came out of the car, raising both hands in the air. There were a huge crowd of people around us, watching the commotion. Some people were even jeering at us, though I think they were jeering mostly at me for supporting women's rights when I should be against it, and at me for being unfaithful towards my religion. Anyway, we were taken to a police station and detained and strangely released soon after. However, last night the police officers came again and took my sister away. My sister tried to put up a fight but was eventually overcame by the police officers. I could only watch in utter hopelessness as I saw my sister being taken away with my own eyes, right in front of me.
I feel so guilty and angry with myself! I should have protected my sister! She did nothing wrong! She merely drived! I am beginning to doubt my faith in my religion. My religion is so unfair! Women are as capable as men, the religious leaders must be able to see that! They are so stubborn in their views! I wonder when my sister will be released, but I hoped she will be released soon! There must be equality!
Women's Rights
1) The treatment of women's rights in Saudi Arabia is very unfair. It should allow women to drive, or vote, or simply have more freedom like the other countries in the world. Not letting women to have more rights is like looking down on them, thinking that they cannot take care of themselves. Women can not only take care of themselves, but also lead people too. A good exmple will be Angela Merkel, the current Chancellor of Germany. Since men have rights, women should have equal rights too, and not be treated unfairly, thus I do not agree with the treatment of women's rights in Saudi Arabia.
2) I think the use of social media has been an advantage to the women in Saudi Arabia. It helped to gather women together and plan and prepare about the strikes that they want to hold. It can also help to garner the support of other people, such as human rights activists. The social media thus also becomes a platform for the women to voice their anger and their thoughts to the public.
3) The women's rights problem can be solved by making the religious leaders and the government meet together and reach a compromise regarding the rights of women. Both parties should give in to each other instead of being stubborn in their views. The men should be more open to change. In the end everyone will lose some, and both parties should be honorable enough to accept the change.
2) I think the use of social media has been an advantage to the women in Saudi Arabia. It helped to gather women together and plan and prepare about the strikes that they want to hold. It can also help to garner the support of other people, such as human rights activists. The social media thus also becomes a platform for the women to voice their anger and their thoughts to the public.
3) The women's rights problem can be solved by making the religious leaders and the government meet together and reach a compromise regarding the rights of women. Both parties should give in to each other instead of being stubborn in their views. The men should be more open to change. In the end everyone will lose some, and both parties should be honorable enough to accept the change.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Reflection on Research
My impression of Shakespeare and his works is that he is someone who writes plays and acts in them just to entertain people and earn a living for himself. However, I must agree that he is very creative and full of imagination to be able to write such interesting plays, be it tragedy, romance or comedy plays. There must be a reason why he bacame so famous! His usage of English is also great, thus helping to standardize the English Language. He is so famous that his plays are still acted again and again long after his death. Even though I do not really understand what he is writing, some of the meaning of the words or descriptions he used are pretty obvious to me and I can comprehend them without the use of the guide (in the case of "The Merchant of Venice").
The Elizebethan era is very different from today. The most obvious difference may be the fact that we have modern technology and a general cleanliness in where we live today. Our standard of living is also much higher than the Elizebethans. Another difference is that now we are not governed by a single king or queen, instead we are governed by a group of people in the parliament. However, there are still similarities. Today, the society still consists of social classes which divides the society unfairly, in which the rich can live a luxurious life while the poor must work very hard to even earn enough to support themselves.
Shakespeare's works can be applied in the modern day context. The themes in his works are closely related to the modern day, themes such as love and racism. Love can be seen most prominently in "Romeo and Juliet" while racism can be seen in "The Merchant of Venice", between the Jew, Shylock and the Christian, Antonio.
The Elizebethan era is very different from today. The most obvious difference may be the fact that we have modern technology and a general cleanliness in where we live today. Our standard of living is also much higher than the Elizebethans. Another difference is that now we are not governed by a single king or queen, instead we are governed by a group of people in the parliament. However, there are still similarities. Today, the society still consists of social classes which divides the society unfairly, in which the rich can live a luxurious life while the poor must work very hard to even earn enough to support themselves.
Shakespeare's works can be applied in the modern day context. The themes in his works are closely related to the modern day, themes such as love and racism. Love can be seen most prominently in "Romeo and Juliet" while racism can be seen in "The Merchant of Venice", between the Jew, Shylock and the Christian, Antonio.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Flying the flag in Bosnia
Q1) The tone of the poem is sad. The poet makes the poem poignant to readers by showing the mother crying over the death of her son at his burial spot. The mother is offering food, drinks, clothes and his things to him.
Q2) The poet used personification. He wrote "unfurled by the wind". The poet also used simile. He wrote "like a flag". All these is used to show how sad the women is.
Q2) The poet used personification. He wrote "unfurled by the wind". The poet also used simile. He wrote "like a flag". All these is used to show how sad the women is.
Dulce et Decorum Est
Q1) The literal meaning is that the soldiers are bent very low and they look like beggars. The implied meaning is that the poet wants to show how horribly twisted and deformed the bodies of the soldiers have become. My impression of the soldiers is that they are crippled both mentally and physically and they are exhausted. "But limped on, bolld-shod. All went lame; all blind" suggest that they are crippled" and "bent double" show that the soldiers are crippled both physically and mentally. "Trudge", "men marched asleep" and "drunk with fatigue" show that the soldiers are exhausted.
Q2) The repetition of a frantic cry "Gas! Gas! Quick, boys! -- An ecstasy of fumbling," draw the reader straight into the frenzy of action and show how frantic the soldiers were, thus contributing to the start of the mood increasing tension in the poem. The sound devices and imagery let us have a feeling of how the soldiers were feeling then.
Q3) The poet's message is to let the reader know there is nothing honorable or glorious about war. I agree with his views. War only causes people to die and suffer and it does no one good. War is also very cruel to both the soldiers and their families. The will be peace when there is no war and to me, having peace is more glorious than having war.
Q2) The repetition of a frantic cry "Gas! Gas! Quick, boys! -- An ecstasy of fumbling," draw the reader straight into the frenzy of action and show how frantic the soldiers were, thus contributing to the start of the mood increasing tension in the poem. The sound devices and imagery let us have a feeling of how the soldiers were feeling then.
Q3) The poet's message is to let the reader know there is nothing honorable or glorious about war. I agree with his views. War only causes people to die and suffer and it does no one good. War is also very cruel to both the soldiers and their families. The will be peace when there is no war and to me, having peace is more glorious than having war.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Competitions -- Only Good Effects?
Competitions are events when people compete fairly against each other over something. There are mainly three kinds of competition, academic, aesthetic and sports-wise competitions. Competitions are very everywhere, in public, in schools, at home. These have both good and bad effects for students.
Firstly, there are good effects by taking part in competitions. One example will be the help in shaping the students' character. Through competitions, especially sports-wise competitions, students learn to have sportsmanship. Sometimes, the losers like to beat up the winners as they won instead of them. Once they learnt to have sportsmanship, they will accept defeat gracefully and leave a good impression for everyone. Another good effect of taking part in competitions is that students learn to have better time management. Before competitions, students will have to train very hard and therefore they have less time to study. After competitions, students tend to relax while they are supposed to catch up with their school work. By having better time management, students will learn to catch up with their work faster and learn that work comes before play.
However, there are also bad effects. One example will be that students will miss classes due to the competitions. Sometimes the students cannot catch up with lessons after their competitions and it affects their test results. This was what happened to my friend. He went for competition for three days straight and when he came back he was lost about what we were learning then. Some parents are worried for their child's studies too and even contact their child's teacher to know what the teacher is teaching then. Another bad effect will be that students will be very stressed, both before and after their competitions. Before their competitions, they will have to work very hard to win the competition so as to prevent themselves from letting the school down, especially when their co-curriculum activities (CCA) are elite CCAs and the school has high expectations of them. Other than preparing for the competition they still have to manage their school work and prevent themselves from losing out.
There can be ways to solve the bad effects. A way will be to provide extra lessons for the students after they have returned from their competitions. The students can stay back after school and meet up with their teachers so that the teachers and teach them what they have missed out on. Another way will be that the students can listen to music while doing their school work and while during training for their competitions. Some kinds of music, such as classical music, can help the students calm down and distress, letting them concentrate and do better at what they are doing.
In conclusion, they are both good and bad effects regarding students taking part in competitions. However there are solutions too. In my opinion time management plays the most important role.
Firstly, there are good effects by taking part in competitions. One example will be the help in shaping the students' character. Through competitions, especially sports-wise competitions, students learn to have sportsmanship. Sometimes, the losers like to beat up the winners as they won instead of them. Once they learnt to have sportsmanship, they will accept defeat gracefully and leave a good impression for everyone. Another good effect of taking part in competitions is that students learn to have better time management. Before competitions, students will have to train very hard and therefore they have less time to study. After competitions, students tend to relax while they are supposed to catch up with their school work. By having better time management, students will learn to catch up with their work faster and learn that work comes before play.
However, there are also bad effects. One example will be that students will miss classes due to the competitions. Sometimes the students cannot catch up with lessons after their competitions and it affects their test results. This was what happened to my friend. He went for competition for three days straight and when he came back he was lost about what we were learning then. Some parents are worried for their child's studies too and even contact their child's teacher to know what the teacher is teaching then. Another bad effect will be that students will be very stressed, both before and after their competitions. Before their competitions, they will have to work very hard to win the competition so as to prevent themselves from letting the school down, especially when their co-curriculum activities (CCA) are elite CCAs and the school has high expectations of them. Other than preparing for the competition they still have to manage their school work and prevent themselves from losing out.
There can be ways to solve the bad effects. A way will be to provide extra lessons for the students after they have returned from their competitions. The students can stay back after school and meet up with their teachers so that the teachers and teach them what they have missed out on. Another way will be that the students can listen to music while doing their school work and while during training for their competitions. Some kinds of music, such as classical music, can help the students calm down and distress, letting them concentrate and do better at what they are doing.
In conclusion, they are both good and bad effects regarding students taking part in competitions. However there are solutions too. In my opinion time management plays the most important role.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Letter to Survivor
Dear Mr. Doi,
I am a student from Hwa Chong Institution in Singapore. I am writing to you today to encourage you to move forward in life in the wake of the great earthquake and tsunami that struck North-eastern Japan on the eleventh of March. Even though I am only a student, I understand how you are feeling now. I sympathise with both you and Japan as a whole. Even though houses were smashed by the tsunami waves, properties were swept away, thousands of people, including your dearest wife and infant daughter were killed, you must not give up in life. You are so young, just twenty two years old, and you still have a long road to go ahead of you. What has been done cannot be undone, and you did not want this to happen to you and your family too. This a natural disaster and not caused by you, so you should not blame yourself for not taking good care of your family. Even though your family cannot be restored, your life can be restored. Currently, many countries around the world are sending aid to Japan. Personally, I donated some money to Red Cross too. Soon, the government will start rebuilding the cities and you will be able to go back home. Life has its low points, and this might be the low point for you. Life will not return to normal very soon, but eventually it will happen. Never give up! Everyone is rallying behind Japan!
With Regards,
Leow Wei Sheng
Monday, February 7, 2011
Blended Learning Article 2 Reflection
Question At Issue
The question at issue in this article is about what effect will Minister Mentor (MM) Lee's perspective about the Muslims in Singapore have on the Muslims in Singapore. His perspective involves the idea that Muslims cannot integrate easily with the people of other religion, and that they are separate and some of them even try to cause trouble both in the world and in Singapore.
Implication/Consequences
There may be many consequences due to the issue. Muslims may start to distrust the government and not support them. This is a very dangerous for the current government as the national elections are coming up. The Muslims might not vote for the current party and in the end cause the party to lose important parliament seats to the opposition party and decrease the amount of power the current party has over the citizens. Even worse, the issue may cause civil unrest such as riots. Riots does not happen nowadays, but if it does happen now, the social, economic and political impact will be huge. Events similar to what is happening to Egypt now may happen in Singapore, such as clashes between pro-government and anti-government protesters. The citizens may stop working resulting is loss of man-hours, thus causing huge losses in the economy. For worst case scenarios, the government may even be overthrown, just like what happened in Tunisia a few weeks ago.
POV
This article states the MM's and Mr. Yaacob's point of view as this article states opinions of them in interviews. They mentioned their views about the Muslims in Singapore, such as whether they think the Muslims are integrating smoothly with people from other religions.
Purpose
The purpose of this article is to show two different points regarding the Muslim community in Singapore. The writer wrote this article to let the readers know what is happening in Singapore and what effect did the MM's view have on the Muslims.
The question at issue in this article is about what effect will Minister Mentor (MM) Lee's perspective about the Muslims in Singapore have on the Muslims in Singapore. His perspective involves the idea that Muslims cannot integrate easily with the people of other religion, and that they are separate and some of them even try to cause trouble both in the world and in Singapore.
Implication/Consequences
There may be many consequences due to the issue. Muslims may start to distrust the government and not support them. This is a very dangerous for the current government as the national elections are coming up. The Muslims might not vote for the current party and in the end cause the party to lose important parliament seats to the opposition party and decrease the amount of power the current party has over the citizens. Even worse, the issue may cause civil unrest such as riots. Riots does not happen nowadays, but if it does happen now, the social, economic and political impact will be huge. Events similar to what is happening to Egypt now may happen in Singapore, such as clashes between pro-government and anti-government protesters. The citizens may stop working resulting is loss of man-hours, thus causing huge losses in the economy. For worst case scenarios, the government may even be overthrown, just like what happened in Tunisia a few weeks ago.
POV
This article states the MM's and Mr. Yaacob's point of view as this article states opinions of them in interviews. They mentioned their views about the Muslims in Singapore, such as whether they think the Muslims are integrating smoothly with people from other religions.
Purpose
The purpose of this article is to show two different points regarding the Muslim community in Singapore. The writer wrote this article to let the readers know what is happening in Singapore and what effect did the MM's view have on the Muslims.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Movie Review: "Life Is Beautiful"
"Its true!"
"Hi boy, you are all alone? You are not afraid, are you? Dont you stand there, come on up here. I'll give you a lift, come on get up here!"
This movie is actually an Italian film, its original title was "La vita è bella" The director and co-writer of the movie is Roberto Benigni, who is also the male protagonist of the movie. The female protagonist of the story is Nicoletta Braschi, who is also the wife of Roberto Benigni. The movie was produced and released in 1997. The movie tells the story of a Jewish Italian, Guido Orefice (Roberto Benigni) who must employ his fertile imagination to help his family during their internment in a Nazi concentration camp.
In the movie, Guido, a Jew, falls in love with Dora (Nocoletta Braschi) and they got married. They had a son named Giosuѐ (Joshua) (Giorgio Cantarini). During World War Two, they were sent to a Nazi concentration camp. Guido tried to contact and find his wife by doing ridiculous things like using the camp's loudspeaker to talk to his wife. He also tried to keep up Joshua's spirits by convincing him that the camp is just a game and that the winner will receive a real tank.
I rate this movie four out of five. I also recommend this movie to everyone. Even though children might not understand the movie, I am sure they will feel the love given by Guido to Joshua. I like this movie as it is very touching and it teaches us about parental love and scarifice for their children. The movie is also very humorous, making it suitable for people of all ages. Overall, I feel that everyone should watch this movie.
"Hi boy, you are all alone? You are not afraid, are you? Dont you stand there, come on up here. I'll give you a lift, come on get up here!"
This movie is actually an Italian film, its original title was "La vita è bella" The director and co-writer of the movie is Roberto Benigni, who is also the male protagonist of the movie. The female protagonist of the story is Nicoletta Braschi, who is also the wife of Roberto Benigni. The movie was produced and released in 1997. The movie tells the story of a Jewish Italian, Guido Orefice (Roberto Benigni) who must employ his fertile imagination to help his family during their internment in a Nazi concentration camp.
In the movie, Guido, a Jew, falls in love with Dora (Nocoletta Braschi) and they got married. They had a son named Giosuѐ (Joshua) (Giorgio Cantarini). During World War Two, they were sent to a Nazi concentration camp. Guido tried to contact and find his wife by doing ridiculous things like using the camp's loudspeaker to talk to his wife. He also tried to keep up Joshua's spirits by convincing him that the camp is just a game and that the winner will receive a real tank.
I rate this movie four out of five. I also recommend this movie to everyone. Even though children might not understand the movie, I am sure they will feel the love given by Guido to Joshua. I like this movie as it is very touching and it teaches us about parental love and scarifice for their children. The movie is also very humorous, making it suitable for people of all ages. Overall, I feel that everyone should watch this movie.
Monday, January 31, 2011
ACE Exercise 5 Domestic Helper
The maid is known as Jill. She works for a very demanding employer, Mr Tan. Mr Tan lives alone in a large mansion. Mr Tan demands perfection in everything Jill does. When Mr Tan saw something that does not look clean enough, he will order her to clean it again and again until he is satisfied. Jill's routine is fixed every day. She works like she has been programmed to do the same thing at the exact same order every day. Every day, at six am, Jill will wake up before her master and start cleaning up the kitchen. After an hour, she will go to prepare breakfast and at about seven thirty am, Mr Tan will wake up, eat the breakfast and go to work. For two hours later Jill will clean up the living room, then from ten am to twelve pm she will clean up her master's bedroom, and then she will go and prepare and eat her own lunch. From one pm to five pm, she will clean up the three guest bedrooms and all the other minor parts of the house. Then she will start preparing dinner and when Mr Tan comes back at seven pm he will eat dinner immediately. After that Jill will clean the many washrooms in the mansion and then she will finally be able to take a rest, at around nine pm. By then, she will be covered in dust and sweat and smell like rotten eggs. Some days, Jill will sit down on her bed and look at her hands. They looked like the hands of a seventy year old woman, old and wrinkled, even though she is only a thirty year old young lady. She will sigh and then take a bath. Then she will fall asleep in a flash due to sheer fatigue. The next day, everything will repeat itself once again...
ACE Exercise 4 Prisoner
31-1-11
This is my two hundred and fifth sixth day in prison. I still have about a month to go before I will be finally released from prison. I really cannot wait; staying in this three metres by three metres steel box with four other people is really very terrible. It is so cramped inside, and we have to do our private stuffs in front of everyone. And worse still, there is only one bed in our cell; that means that each person gets to sleep on the bed only once every five days. Even though the bed is very hard and not comfortable at all, it is still much better than sleeping on the hard, cold floor at night when it can get very cold and make me feel numb all over when I wake up in the morning. Sometimes I cannot even manage to sleep. If only I had not been so gullible and tried to steal a lady's handbag, I would not have landed in such terrible conditions for about nine months. The food here is horrible too, it tastes like its been put in the freezer for weeks. The food always made me feel uncomfortable in the stomach. However I do not have any choice but to eat it or else I would starve. The only good thing about being in prison are the free lessons to learn new skills such as cooking and gardening, and the exercise day when we are let out into the field to play soccer or basketball. Today is exercise day, and I'm very happy as I can finally get to breathe in fresh air. We were let out to the field for about two hours and I had a lot of fun playing soccer with my fellow jail mates. Time flies and soon, I found myself being herded back to the cell again. The day passed rather uneventfully and slowly after the soccer game. Ah, another day has passed, one less day to freedom!
This is my two hundred and fifth sixth day in prison. I still have about a month to go before I will be finally released from prison. I really cannot wait; staying in this three metres by three metres steel box with four other people is really very terrible. It is so cramped inside, and we have to do our private stuffs in front of everyone. And worse still, there is only one bed in our cell; that means that each person gets to sleep on the bed only once every five days. Even though the bed is very hard and not comfortable at all, it is still much better than sleeping on the hard, cold floor at night when it can get very cold and make me feel numb all over when I wake up in the morning. Sometimes I cannot even manage to sleep. If only I had not been so gullible and tried to steal a lady's handbag, I would not have landed in such terrible conditions for about nine months. The food here is horrible too, it tastes like its been put in the freezer for weeks. The food always made me feel uncomfortable in the stomach. However I do not have any choice but to eat it or else I would starve. The only good thing about being in prison are the free lessons to learn new skills such as cooking and gardening, and the exercise day when we are let out into the field to play soccer or basketball. Today is exercise day, and I'm very happy as I can finally get to breathe in fresh air. We were let out to the field for about two hours and I had a lot of fun playing soccer with my fellow jail mates. Time flies and soon, I found myself being herded back to the cell again. The day passed rather uneventfully and slowly after the soccer game. Ah, another day has passed, one less day to freedom!
Saturday, January 29, 2011
ACE An Evening By The Beach
As I watched the sun set at a desolate part of the East Coast beach, I licked the icy cold ice-cream that made my mouth feel very refreshing. Shades of red, orange, blue, lavender and gold spilled across the evening sky. The sweet smell of the strawberry flavoured ice-cream wafted through the air, carried by the slight and comforting breeze. The sound of waves lapping against the rocky shores was very comforting to hear too. Occasionally, a plane would fly pass above my head, leaving a white trail in the air. There were also many seagulls dominating the skies. The rough, cool sand rubbed against my naked feet, protecting them from the heat of the setting sun. I shielded my eyes from the glare of the sun by using my hands. This place was so desolate and peaceful compared to the hustle and bustle of city life. This place could never be more peaceful. Bliss!
ACE On Board A Crowded Train
Finally I reached Little India MRT station. When the train finally reached the station, I squeezed wearily into the train carriage. As usual, at seven in the evening, during peak hours, the train was packed like sardines and I felt a leather bag kept rubbing against my shoulders. There was also a sweet perfume smell lingering in the air. Inside the train, the scene that greeted me was normal and common. The reserved seats that were meant for the handicapped, elderly and pregnant were occupied by those "normal" people and they were all "pre-occupied" with doing stuffs like "sleeping" or listening to music from their MP3s or handphones, with their earphones jammed into their ears. There were also other students standing at a corner of the carriage talking about their teachers and cursing them loudly in front of everyone. Also, there were many passengers standing in front of the seats waiting for an empty seat and rushing at them whenever they see one. Looking at the seats, I really wanted to sit down and rest my exhausted legs but there were no empty seats at all. I heaved a sigh and continued standing, waiting for my stop to arrive.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Extract From To Kill A Mockingbird
My Extract:
He was still leaning against the wall. He had been leaning against the wall when I came into the room, his arms folded across his chest. As I pointed he brought his arms down and pressed the palms of his hands against the wall. They were white hands, sickly white hands that had never seen the sun, so white they stood out garishly against the dull cream wall in the dim light of Jem's room.
I looked from his hands to his sand-stained khaki pants; my eyes travelled up his hin frame to his torn denim shirt. His face was as white as his hands, but for a shadow on his jutting chin. His cheeks were thin to hollowness; his mouth was wide; there were shallow, almost delicate indentations at his temples, and his grey eyes were so colourless I thought he was blind. His hair was dead and thin, almost feathery on top of his head.
Questions:
1) What can you infer about how the character is treated by other people based on his looks?
2) What do you think the social status of the character is? Explain.
He was still leaning against the wall. He had been leaning against the wall when I came into the room, his arms folded across his chest. As I pointed he brought his arms down and pressed the palms of his hands against the wall. They were white hands, sickly white hands that had never seen the sun, so white they stood out garishly against the dull cream wall in the dim light of Jem's room.
I looked from his hands to his sand-stained khaki pants; my eyes travelled up his hin frame to his torn denim shirt. His face was as white as his hands, but for a shadow on his jutting chin. His cheeks were thin to hollowness; his mouth was wide; there were shallow, almost delicate indentations at his temples, and his grey eyes were so colourless I thought he was blind. His hair was dead and thin, almost feathery on top of his head.
Questions:
1) What can you infer about how the character is treated by other people based on his looks?
2) What do you think the social status of the character is? Explain.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
All Summer In A Day Comic
B)I used different backgrounds for different parts of the story to make it look more vivid and interesting. I also used a bright coloured background when the sun is out to show the ecstatic mood of the children when the sun was out. I also used exclamation marks for most of the speech bubbles as I wanted to show how excited the children were before the sun comes out and how happy they were when the sun came out. I used a black and white female to represent the character 'Margot' to show that she is very pitiful to be bullied by her classmates and to show her sadness when she missed out on seeing the sun, which comes out for two hours every seven years.
Purloined Letter Comic
B) I used the backgrounds to set the scene and also to make the scene more vivid. I used exclamation marks to emphasise on some of the words and also to let the reader know how the character is feeling at that particular part of the story.
Lottery Storyboard
B) The first picture shows childern collecting stones but why they were collecting stones is not explained as I wanted to keep the reader in suspense. The third and fourth pictures show the people taking slips of paper out of the lottery box. The fifth picture shows who the winner was and makes the reader feel confused as one of them said it was unfair that he won the lottery. In the last picture the reader finally gets to know why the chilfren were collecting stones. The "winner" of the lottery would be thrown by stones until that person dies. I used the different background pictures to set the setting of the story. The last two boxes has no background as I wanted to emphasise the character 'Tessie'.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Prejudice Reflection
According to Mrs Raj, prejudice is a thought, belief, opinion or judgement made without ascertaining the facts of a case. Everyone have prejudices against others, like Whites does not like Blacks because of their skin colour. Some people do not even realised that they have prejudices against somebody. Having prejudices against somebody is not good since you do not like a person even though you do not have facts to ascertain it; this may affect your relationship with that person. That person will also feel weird when you suddenly try to avoid him and refuse to talk to him. So, my point is that we should try as much as we can to reduce the amount of prejudices we have against anybody.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
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