20080511
It is going to be a fast and furious week. Lessons plan as follow.
Wednesday: continue going through the essay questions on environment (1more question to go) and discuss crime and punishment reading package (in light of the last essay question of the term)
Thursday : go through 2nd compre assignment completely
Friday: debate on the death penalty and 2nd chance(if we have time)
WORK
in the meantime, i require you guys to work on
- 2 newspaper articles (BOTH will have task1(mindmap minus your opinion) and task 2(a PEEEL to answer an essay question)) due this coming FRIDAY(160508)
- 2 newspaper articles (BOTH will have task1(mindmap minus your opinion) and task 2(a PEEEL to answer an essay question)) due next tuesday(after the vesak day holidays)200508
- 1 essay - 'The death penalty is justified because it - and it alone - pays proper respect to the importance of human life.' What is your view on this? this essay is due this coming Friday, so you have 5 days to work on it. The crime and punishment package will be talked about during class but majority of it should be self directed learning.
yup that's all. time is really running short. i require all these work to be on time so that we can go through them in week 10 and consolidate before your exams. if possible i will slot an extension lesson right after week 10 Tuesday SPA. it will be the last time i should be seeing you guys and i have to get most things right
-msg from MR CHU-
joerh here~
most probably we will stay back on fri again(160508)
cuz exams fall on thurs and fri which means it will eat up gp lesson again
pls do everything and hand in following the datelines
exams coming so thts why we hav to chiong
jia you every1!
27/o8 (: roared at
20080507
this week's reading article:
-source for own article
- use questions from annex A
-come up wit own point
-use article as evidence
-do 1 content para wit PEEEL
hand in by fri!
(deadline extended to mon)
but in addition do the reading package quiz by mon as well
COMPRE TEST on FRI(090508)
- after skool
-full compre paper
-1h 30 mins
-bring AJ TYS/ compre book
-LT3
-2.15-3.45pm
joerh~
27/o8 (: roared at
20080503
Choose 1 question (out of the 3) and write an essay response. 1. Efforts to protect the environment are of utmost urgency. Discuss. 2. Should efforts to protect the environment be sacrificed in light of economic progress? 3. Environmental damage is an inevitable consequence of worldwide improvements in the standard of living. Do you agree? -from mr chu- pls hand in on mon! joerh~ =p
27/o8 (: roared at
20080426
Hi guys,
For the sake of prep-ing your draft, I will most kindly request(in fact, its a request from you guys) you guys to upload your ppt/scanned versions or your mindmaps to IVLE.
Attached is a picture of the place you should upload it to.
Some instructions if you do not follow:
1. Search out my course's workbin (the place you find my uploaded files and NOT the general GP cohort course workbin)
2. click on 'file manager' at the left hand side
3. click on student's submission folder in the popup (see picture)
4. upload according to instructions
Do not upload unnecessary stuff with content not pertaining/relevant to this Env topic.
Yup, try to see to it by monday so that we can all write a good essay. But at the same time, do your on research online/through books/newspapers/TIME magazine(this week's article is fantastic - the green colour issue).
-mr chu-
27/o8 (: roared at
Essay Key instructions
mail from Mr Chu:
word of caution again.
DO NOT copy the question wrongly (implies when you copy the question onto your paper please do it meticulously. any change in words or dropping of words results in a big change of the question nuances. This is a mistake never to commit in examinations which is why I must highlight to you and enforce it right now) If you commit such mistakes, the punishment will be to redo the whole essay.
drafts will be collected on wed.
Have fun in the weekend. Chelsea is taking on Manchester United - don't miss it.
muz hand in on time ppl! joerh~
27/o8 (: roared at
20080421
Do you agree with a boycott of the Beijing Olympics? Discuss.
Question Analysis: TICKS!
T- sports, politics
I- olympics, should there be a boycott of it?
C-present, global
K-boycott-not taking part in as a form of protest, Beijing Olympics-major sports event
S-do not agree with a boycott
Topic sentence 1-The Olympic Games,an international multi-sport event, has been a tradition since 776BC to gather top notch athletes and this tradition should never be broken.
Topic sentence 2- Atheltes have gone through pain and vast amounts of training to be able to qualify for this event and this oppurtunity should not be taken away from them because their home country wants to boycott the event.
Topic sentence 3-The Olympic Games is an international multi-sport event which gathers top notch athletes from different parts of the world to showcase their talents and compete against each other to further improve themselves, pushing themselves up to greater heights.
Topic sentence 4-Boycotting the Olympic Games by a country might send the wrong message of not being friendly and thus might impose strains on the countries' politcal ties.
Content paragraph- PEEEL!
P- The Olympic Games is an international multi-sport event which gathers top notch athletes from different parts of the world to showcase their talents and compete against each other to further improve themselves, pushing themselves to greater heights.
El-politics should not have any involvement in the event where athletes are allowed to play on fair grounds.
E-countries want to boycott the Beijing olympics because of China's poor human rights record and the recent disturbance in Tibet.
E-Athletes are not only able to showcase their talents and improve themselves, they can also learn from their many counterparts and teach each other their methods of training.This can aid ties between countries.
L-therefore there should not be a boycott of the Beijing Olympics.
evidence taken from www.wikipedia.org
yeechernXD
27/o8 (: roared at
20080420
Do you agree with a boycott of the Olympics? Discuss.
T - sports, politics
I - should there be a boycott of Olympics?
C - present, worldwide
K - boycott. not showing support, not participating in the Games
S - i do not agree
topic sentence 1 - The Games are for athletes to showcase their capability, not for politics to be involved. To boycott the Games will be equivalent to being unfair to all the athletes, from any country, who are affected.
topic sentence 2 - Boycotting of the Olympics will result in the opposite effect intended, China will become more defensive and stubborn. Instead of showing the displeasures of countries, China feels that it is a form of disrespect from the world.
topic sentence 3 - Boycotting the Olympics causes more problems instead of solving the current existing ones, like straining ties between countries.
topic sentence 4 - Countries do not have a valid reason for boycotting the Games, like the one given to punish China for its association with the Sudanese government because China bought oil from Sudan.
Point - Countries do not have a valid reason for boycotting the Games.
Elaboration - Reasons given has no link with the Olympics Games at all. If countries really want to punish China, the reason for boycotting the Games should be one that has link with the Olympics. For example, if China did not prepare the country well to welcome visitors from other countries, these people then have a reason of boycotting the Games.
Example - Reason for boycotting: China has association with the Sudanese government as it buys oil from Sudan. However, US also has a close ties with Saudi Arabia, a mediaeval monarchy that has funded Islamic terror.
Evaluation - Should countries also boycott US for this relationship with Saudi Arabia?
If they really want to punish China for this relationship with Sudan, it should not involve the Olympics, an international competition.
Even Dalai Lama disagree to the boycott and urged followers to engage in no violent protests.
Link - Boycotting the Games will not meet with the original purpose of the countries.
xiaorong (: roared at
do you agree with the boycott of the olympics?
T:sports, politics
I:whether the Olympics should be boycotted
C:Now, international
K:boycott- to refuse to take part in sth as a way of protesting
S:No.
TS 1: Athletes' chance of getting world recognition and glory is denied when their government decides to boycott the olympics.
TS 2: the intended purpose of Olympics is being defied when boycotting of the games occurs.
TS 3: When countries boycott olympics, it will lead to political strains between both countries. future cooperation between them will be tough.
TS 4:When a country boycott the Olympics, it is sending the message to the host country that they disapprove the host country's actions. However, the host country might not rectify the problem.
content paragraph
Point: The intended purpose of Olympics is being defied when boycotting of the games occurs.
Elaboration: Olympics was held to gather athletes around the world so that they can pit their skills in a fair playing field
Evidence:The mission of the Olympic Spirit is "to build a peaceful and better world in the Olympic Spirit which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play."
Evaluation:if not all nations participate in the Olympics, then the win of athletes would not be as glorious as it should. the abilities of these winners will be critisized,
Link: All nations will be affected even if only one country boycott the Olympics.
jia juan roared at
Do you agree with a boycott of the Olympics?
Question Analysis
Topic: Sports, Politics
Issue: Should countries boycott the Olympics?
Context: Present, global
Keyword: Boycott- Abstain from participation as a mean of intimidation or coercion
Stand: No, I do not agree with a boycott of the Olympics.
Topic Sentences
One: The Olympic games should be an arena where all sportsmen compete rather than a ground where countries fight for their own political gains.
Two: It will be detrimental for countries to boycott the Olympics as they will lose out in the world’s sport ranking whereas the host country will not be affected much.
Three: The sportsmen’s time and effort will all be futile if their country decided to withdraw from the Olympic games.
Four: By boycotting the Olympic games, some skillful and experienced sportsmen will miss the chance to participate and therefore tongues may wag on the winners’ competency.
Content Paragraph
Point: The Olympic games should be an arena where all sportsmen compete rather than a ground where countries fight for their own political gains.
Elaboration: The game would not be fair and square if politics is being implicated into sport.
Evidence: Take the recent Taiwan-China issue as an example, Taiwan refuses to partake in the games under the name of China, and therefore they are considering to boycott the Beijing Olympics 2008 to express their dissatisfaction. If this is really to happen, sportsmen from Taiwan will not be able to play in the Olympic games.
Evaluation: It is evident that political implications will cause potential sportsmen like Ming-Huang Chang to miss a rare opportunity in competing with the crème of other nations if countries were to boycott the Olympics.
Link: As a result, boycotting of the Olympics merely demonstrates how egoistic the country is and will not help to solve the problem.
Jasmine ((:
27/o8 (: roared at
20080416
Do you agree with a boycott of the Olympics?
Question Analysis
T-Sports and politics
I-whether there should be a boycott of Olympics
C-present
nations involved in the Olympics- China, US, France
K-boycott: abstaining from taking part, mass withdrawal of many nations
S-No. I do not agree with a boycott of the Olympics
Topic Sentence 1- Nations should respect the principles and spirit of the Olympics to bring people together in peace.
Topic Sentence 2- A boycott of the Olympics will deprive the athletes who have put in effort traning hard of the opportunity to participate in the Olympics and may not bring any changes to the situation in China.
Topic Sentence 3-Nations should not politicize the Olympics by boycotting the event due to political reasons.
Topic Sentence 4-Boycotting Olympics will worsen the situation by insulting the host country, China, damaging ties between countries and prompt retaliation against European economic interests.
Point-A boycott of the Olympics will deprive the athletes who have put in effort training hard of the opportunity to participate in the Olympics and may not bring any changes to the situation in China.
Elaboration-The athletes have been preparing for a long period of time to have the chance to join this prestigious sports event. Boycott of the Olympics will only hurt the athletes but may not cause China to take any actions to improve the problems faced now.
Evidence-Political boycotts of the 1976,1980 and 1984 Olympics shows that the impact of the boycott is on the athletes, and has not much effect on the country.
Evaluation-The boycott will not meet its aim to force China to make changes to its policies towards Tibet, human rights and the Darfur conflict, instead generate more problems to China and all the athletes participating.
Link-Boycotting the Olympics is not rational because this will only worsen the situation in China and disappoint all the athletes looking forward a chance to play for their country.
joerh~ =p
27/o8 (: roared at
20080415
Blog title this week!
Sports- Do you agree with a boycott of the Olympics? Discuss.
Individual Work Do question analysis and come up with 4 topic sentences.
From these, choose 1 to do a complete content paragraph
Use the P.E.E.E.L format…
As usual due Fri…(18 Apr)
Reading Article this week changed to Task 2
No more Mind Mapping…
Read a good article and come up with your stand
Write a point tht will support your stand
Then use the P.E.E.E.L format to plan a para
Deadline-Fri (18 Apr)
Jia you everybody =p
27/o8 (: roared at
20080412
The press cannot be completely free because it is capable of causing tension and violence when involved in sensitive religion and racial issues. The press remains as the main medium of news spreading and source of information in many countries, so its content can be easily obtained by the public. When the press is not restricted in any way to publish their views, some believers may be insulted by sensitive issues in the press. The publishing of offensive materials and opinions may lead to profanity and cause large-scale protests and riots. The provocative nature of cartoons depicting Prophet Muhammad as being related to terrorism is a great insult to the Muslims as they see him as the messenger of god. However, the Danish paper insists their publication based on the press freedom principles. Besides, complete press freedom also provoke hatred and rage by racial discrimination. The South African press believes in identification by race in their allocation of space of news. Newspapers give more editorial space to white victims, devoting greater resources to events concerning the whites. The African blacks feel discriminated and this lead to protests and chaos in the country. As such, while press freedom plays an important role to ensure democracy, the people’s interests and long-term consequences should be considered. Thus, some regulation in the press is needed to ensure justice and equality is given to all.
Question analysis
Topic: Should the press be completely free?
Issue: Whether the media should be completely free
Context: Global
present time
Keywords: press-medium to spread information,eg:newspapers,magazines
completely free- absolute freedom of press to give out information, report on events and news and express opinions to the public without any interference
Stand: No- The press should not be completely free
Topic sentence 1: The press cannot be completely free because it is capable of causing tension and violence when involved in sensitive religion and racial issues.
Topic sentence 2: The press might sensationalize sensitive issues, fuelling social unrest, in an attempt to boost sales.
Topic sentence 3: The press should not be completely free as it may be abused to display unorthodox materials that are unsuitable for the eyes of children.
Topic sentence 4:The press should not be completely free because the press has the power to even result in the widespread of wrong ideas to the public.
Topic sentence 5: The press should not be completely free because certain issues are sensitive and should not be broadcast to the public.
paragraph
topic sentence chosen-The press cannot be completely free because it is capable of causing tension and violence when involved in sensitive religion and racial issues.
27/o8 (: roared at
20080408
this week we will be doing group blog
which means only 1 assignment per blog group
please refer to annex-A with all the essay questions
we may choose from:
a) page A-5 the mass media section
b) page A-11 the media section
there are a total of 10 choices for the ques.
choose 1 ques among the group and discuss to come up with the question analysis...
use the TICKS format...
then come up with at least 4 topic sentences
then write 1 full content para for one of the topic sentence
dateline as usual: fri ( 11 april)
remember do reading article! =)
joerh~(jia you!)
27/o8 (: roared at
20080407
Is the environment suffering? A resounding yes can be heard if this question is posed to the public. The earth is ill, all because of selfish humans who pollute the environment. Even though I am against pollution, I am still contributing to it as I am typing. What we could do is to reduce the impact caused by us and try to rectify the problem caused. By playing a part in conserving the world's resources, we have taken responsibility in contributing back to the world just as we took the world's resources for granted.
For years, we have been taught the importance of the forests and that how it might reduce CO2 emission. In actual fact, forests are not the best absorber of CO2, algae is. There is a unicellular algae, called Zooxanthellae that lives within coral reefs. Under stress, corals may expel their zooxantheallae, which leads to a lighter or completely white appearance, hence the term "bleached". However, stress is not the only reason that is causing this bleaching of the corals, the higher sea surface temperature is. This action leads to decrased algae and ultimately, lesser CO2 converted. It also serves as the earth's reminder to us on its illness. The world is made up of about three quarters of water, and yet the temperature could still rise for a few degree celcius. It is irrevocable on how much damage humans have created. Will we be in time to save the world? It all depends on you. 
what is left now? Bleached corals
jia juan roared at
20080406
Is environment suffering?
source :
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j191/mikesamerica/USEUCO2a.jpg
source:
http://zfacts.com/metaPage/lib/zFacts-global-temperature-1860-2005.gif
Is the environment suffering? Why are we trying to hard to protect the environment? Why are there the three 'R's, reuse, renew and recycle, which are the habits that most of us should have. Why are scientists finding alternative ways to replace fossil fuel so as to preserve the non-renewable fossil fuels? It is all because of mankind torturing the Earth too much.
By looking at the amount of pollution there is on Earth, we could say that it is already too much for our Earth to handle. Yes, trees do provide the materials much needed in our daily lives, like paper or furniture. With the increasing population and demand of theses materials, industries have no choice but to cut down more trees to provide the society. However, deforestation starts to bring about major problems for us. Although it is a needed ingredient for paper, it is also extremely important to the Earth. It is the Earth's lungs, just like how our lungs are important to us. Through photosynthesis, carbon dioxide is removed by the forest and fresh oxygen is released for our use. With the work of deforestation, the number of trees to remove the carbon dioxide decreasing, the amount of carbon dioxide removed also decrease. Carbon dioxide levels in our atmosphere have risen about 40% since the onset of human industrialization. Carbon dioxide, though important to the trees, is extremely dangerous to the Earth if it exceeds the amount that there should be in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide not only react with the water droplets in clouds to form acid rain, it also helps to trap heat within the atmosphere. Contributing to global warming as part of the greenhouse gases, it rise the global temperature, leading to the melting of ice berg and thus the rising of sea level which results in frequent floods in lowlands.
Enough about air pollution, what about land and water pollution? As compared to air pollution, land and water pollution contributes to the suffering of Earth as well. Also due to the rising population, the amount of crops needed to feed the society increase. Many farmers, due to this reason, tend to use fertilizers excessively and carelessly. Out of good intention in hope of having their crops to grow well, they use too much fertilizers that results in eutrophication as excess fertilizer is washed into rivers. Fertilizer encourage the growth of bacteria which takes up much of the dissolved oxygen in rivers. Plants and organisms die and results in the lifeless rivers.
Adding on to these, what about oil spills and resource depletion? With the endless list going on and on, they are definitely harming the Earth. Many issues are due to development brought about by mankind and are unavoidable. However, if human were to be able to reduce the harm caused by us, it will be useful even it the problem cannot be resolved totally. Even if a perfect solution cannot be found to save the Earth completely, it will be good enough for us to try our best to bring the least harm possible to Earth.
xiaorong (: roared at
figure 1 source: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Environment/TrendTemperature Fossils fuels are running dry low, with an expected less than fifty years worth of it left for mankind's consumption.For the past century or so, mankind has leisurely used fossils fuels as though it's limit was a bottomless pit.Now, we face a progressing problem of shortage of fossil fuels. New sources energy are being invented to replace fossils fuels which take millions of years to form.We have been depleting nature's resources and using it to benefit ourself but harm nature. There are still many ways that the environment is suffering, such as pollution of water and the piling stacks of waste that we produce every single day.I definitely agree that the environment is indeed suffering.We are implementing measures to slow down the process of nature depleting but we may never be able to completely stop it neither can we reverse the harm that has been done.We can only do what we can, that is to reduce further suffering for the environment. yeechern XD
Is the environment suffering? Are we doing more harm instead of protecting mother nature when it has given so much to us for the past centuries?The artic circle gapping ozone hole is expanding every single day.Ice bergs are melting, ice shelves are breaking apart, increasing the sea level.Flowers are blooming outside of their seasons.Nature is telling us we have to do something to save our Earth.
Carbon dioxide emissons has drastically increased over the years so have sulphur dioxide emissons.Industrialistion has led to the rise in number of industries and factories which means increase sources of pollutants.The poisonous gases produced then escape into our atmospere.Carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide mainly adds up to the acid rain that plummets down onto our Earth.These acid rain destroy sculptures such as the greek scultures and statues in Greece.The rain falls into ponds and rivers, acidifying the waters causing it to be an uninhabitable enviroment for aquatic life to survive in. Benefits for human race but problems for mother nature.Is that really a right thing to do?
Sky-high greenhouse gases contributed to enlarging the already gapping hole in the artic circle. These greenhouse gases trap heat and prevent radiation from being reflected into space.As a result, there is a significant increase in the global temperature today as compared to a century ago.Ice shelves breaking apart, ice bergs melting increase the sea level.Low-lying land will soon be submerged like the lost world Atlantis. Artic creatures are not able to migrate through the artic because their paths have been obscured by the melted ice.With reference to figure 1 below,
global temperature increased about half a degree celcius. This will result in increased flood risk, impact on various aspects of human race such as agriculture.
27/o8 (: roared at
The environment is suffering. The rapid increase in progress and development brings along pollution and is placing unprecedented strains on the environment. So far, the negative impact of globalization on the environment outweighs the benefits. The upsurge of trade and investment in sectors concerning natural resources such as forestry, mining and oil refinement are threatening the health of the world’s forests, mountain, water and many other sensitive ecosystems. Development of technology and research has invented chemical products like pesticides to improve the agriculture but this has posed another problem to the environment. Besides, industrialization also uses the environment as a dumping ground. High-tech industries, with reputation as relatively clean, actually demand heavy environmental costs. Water sources are being contaminated with excess chemicals and industrial wastes, including carcinogens, acids and toxic solvents. Is the environment a sink for all our wastes? Then, why are people treating water sources as a waste disposal system? Pollution has deprived mankind of clean drinking water-a need to survive. There is water everywhere, but not a drop to drink. The burning of fossil fuels has released significant amounts of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide judging by the percentage of the world’s energy depending on it. The environment cannot afford to take in any more wastes. It is time to look for alternative energy to save the world from choking. joerh~
27/o8 (: roared at
Is Environment Suffering?
source: http://www.goma.demon.co.uk/al%20qaida/reason.html
As seen from the UK statistics above, the number of days of moderate or higher air pollution at urban sites is generally decreasing. oweHowever, since year 2004 to recent times, the figures have been rising and therefore, major countries have taken the lead to implement measures pertaining to controlling pollution. So is the environment suffering? It must be, as always, due to the prevailing pollution problems. Nonetheless, environment will suffer less with greater technological improvements.
The most prominent dip in the statistics for recent years would be that from the year 2003 to 2004. The phasing out of leaded gasoline and introduction of lead-free petrol was the main contributor to the downtrend and this showed how advancement in technology would aid with the control of pollution. On top of that, as more and more countries are getting concerned with sustaining their development, they had introduced many schemes alongside with measures to combat environmental degradation. These includes the fitting of catalytic converters onto cars and more importantly signing of international treaties between developed countries to reduce emission of harmful gases into the atmosphere. This can hence protect the environment especially with global industrialization where more pollutants are released into the air.
Nevertheless, we cannot deny the fact that the environment is, in certain aspect, over-exploited by the destructive hands of mankind. With increasing world population, there is increasing demand for the world’s resources. Consequently, campaign for the 3Rs, reduce, reuse and recycle, is essential to reduce demand and thereafter prevent further downgrading of environment.
In conclusion, the environment is suffering, but slighter as more ways are found to protect itself from degrading and to sustain further development globally.
jasmine ((:
27/o8 (: roared at
20080402
as usual we have blogging to do!
this week's topic is on environment...
"Is Environment Suffering?"
insert graphs, pie charts n statistics...
pls be reminded to hand in reading articles on fri...
n bring $3.70 tomoro 4 compre book...
n bring 2 bux on mon for gp files....=p
remember to do compre....
hav to hand in mon...
27/o8 (: roared at
20080329
Title of picture : soldier pay tribute to fallen friends.[picture taken from flickr.com url: http://www.flickr.com/photos/11043230@N03/1353515860/ ] feeling abouts the iraq war:The iraq war has been going on for years now and the battle for their nation is still going on.i feel that such a warfare is causing too many casaulties and not only that but also alot of pain for those who have lots their loved ones to the war. This not only applies to the iraq inhabitants but also the soldiers who have fought hard and brave through this enduring period of time. Families have grieved our lost of these valiant soldiers. We should honour them for sacrificing their lives in the midst of trying to make this world a much better world to live in. Thousands of American soldiers to date have lost their lives. As we can see from this picture, other soldiers are paying tributes to their fallen friends. These soldiers paying tributes to their friends are still fighting hard out there.For the fallen soldiers, may they rest in peace back in their homeland.This issue also touches on the the use of power. As a leader The President of United States holds the authority as well the the responsibility to make the right decision of which is the optimal choice for his country and/or iraq.I believe that he will be able to make the right choice one day and save the innocent lives from the terror of war.war should be banished from this earth's surface as it only harms the fragile lives of humans instead of benefiting us. yeechern XD
27/o8 (: roared at
Iraq War
source: http://www.goma.demon.co.uk/al%20qaida/reason.htmlThis political cartoon, I feel, is a very interesting one as it states the reasons for the US invasion of Iraq. Firstly written on the piece of paper is “We want to invade Iraq because of links with Al Queda” then “We want to invade Iraq because of Weapons of Mass Destruction” and “We want to invade Iraq because Saddam Hussein’s a horrible man” and lastly “We want to invade Iraq ….”
The trigger for the 2003 invasion, as offered by US President George W. Bush, was that they suspected Iraq of possessing nuclear weapons and wanted to intervene in their development of the Weapons of Mass Destruction, also known as the WMD. However when the US troops performed a search in Iraq, they could find no evidence of nuclear weapons except for some degraded and abandoned ones which were defected. Therefore US’ claims for the invasion were all invalid, as seen from the crosses in the cartoon.
From what the cartoon showed, the US had ran out of excuses for her invasion of Iraq and up till the point where she wrote the fourth “We want to invade Iraq”, she could think of no more reason but to give the excuse that the pen ink had run dry.
I believe that the US must have an ulterior motive for this invasion. Firstly, it could be that they were eyeing on the rich oil resources in Iraq. After they occupy Iraq they would be able to tap on their rich oil fields and oil, being a high-priced resource will hence stimulate US’ economic growth. Secondly, it could be for revenge. The Al Queda led by Osama bin Laden attacked the World Trade Centre in New York City in the 911 Event, killing many American victims. Hence US might use this opportunity to seek revenge on the Iraqis.
Although the victims in the 911 event were innocent, I still feel that US was at fault for the Iraq invasion as it did not have a valid reason to invade Iraq. It feels just like a big bully tormenting on a little boy in school. Therefore I think countries should settle disputes through diplomacy rather than deterrence to avoid unnecessary casulties.jasmine (((:
27/o8 (: roared at
Two U.S. soldiers walk through a tunnel. They see a candle-lit cake on a table. The tablecloth is labeled as 'Another Iraq War Anniversary.' The caption says: 'I see lights. Is this the end of the tunnel?' Editorial cartoon by Bruce Beattie.
Source: http://www.bendweekly.com/Opinion/Editorials/3746.html
This year will mark the fifth anniversary of the Iraq War. After these years, what exactly has U.S. achieved? What consequences are they facing now?
At the start, U.S. invaded Iraq with the reason of Iraq possessing and developing weapons of mass destructions. However, there was no evidence of WMD found. Some claimed that Iraq posed immediate threat to U.S. while some said that Saddam Hussein worked together with al-Qaeda. However, evidence of them cooperating had not been found. Officials stated that they were concern about the Iraq government human rights abuse and their oil reserve. However, who were the ones who invaded Iraq, causing the death of over 150,000 to more than a million? Are they not the ones who were abusing human rights? Did they merely wanted to stop Iraq from possessing the non-existing WMD or was Bush actually interested in the oil reserves of Iraq? With the third largest reserves of oil resources in the world, could it be that Bush was aiming to take over these resources? However, if Bush's aim was really what he had claimed to be, was he making things for the worst, or for the better?
Actions from the U.S. has resulted in more violent response from Iraq, which could give the U.S. another reason to not withdraw from Iraq. More than half of the people in Iraq has claimed that the condition of their family's economic situation, and the availability of electricity, clean water and fuel for cooking was very bad. Without access to clean drinking water, Iraqis faced many health issues. Adding on to that, nearly half of the doctors have left Iraq. Without proper resources, how are the Iraqis able to survive through this war? In addition, more than 35% of the children in Iraq are orphans. Is this war fair to the innocent children who have no idea why are these things happening to them? News reported that U.S. government has spent more than $500 billion on the war, while allocating another $70 billion for use in 2008. [link] What exactly is the reason as to why U.S. is spending so much resources and yet resulting in the undesirable condition in both Iraq and U.S. itself?
xiaorong (: roared at
20080328
Pic from : http://www.chris-floyd.com/war/ I chosen this picture because I think that it is very different from the pictures I see from the Iraq War like those of casualties, injuries and destruction. This picture somehow brings hope that there is still morality and sense of sympathy for the people in the midst of the terrible bloodshed due to war. At least, some people still believed in respecting each other as humans and is willing to stretch out a helping hand to those in need. Feelings on the Iraq War The Iraq War that took place since March 19 2003 has struck the world by shock and terror until now. US’s rational for the invasion was that Iraqi refugees still refuse to return to their homes even though they are facing hardships in their countries of asylum. The US may have improved the Iraq’s security and stability by the decline of violence, however the poor facilities and amenities proves that the humanitarian crisis still remains the most critical to an extent that refugees is horrified to return to Iraq. The cruelty of mankind towards the innocent is clearly captured and displayed to the world, showing the embarrassing side of the US. If only some of the trillions of dollars that the US is squandering on the Iraq war is instead being invested in reconstruction and development, Iraq will not be in such a mess as it is in now. I believe it is time to start the gradual troop withdrawal of American and Coalition forces once Iraq has build up its military defense force. The results of the American presidential elections will definitely change the nature of their involvement in Iraq. Thus, the whole world has set their eyes upon the election and looking forward to see an improvement in the situation in Iraq. joerh~
27/o8 (: roared at
“With great power comes with great responsibility.” With US's status and power 5 years ago, should they assume responsibility and try to make a world a better, and safer place? They proclaimed that Iraq was fielding weapons of mass destruction, and thus the only way to attain peace is ironically to invade Iraq and start the second gulf war. President George W. Bush is the one who had claimed this false accusation. After conquering Iraq, it was found out that they were not hiding any weapons of mass destruction. It is he who suggested invading Iraq, but does he has a motive for his action? To lay his hands on the supply of oil? To encourage greater economic growth with lower oil prices? If he really had that intention, then his plan has backfired, with oil prices rising at an alarming rate. It is currently producing half of what it used to, leading to the high oil prices that we experience today.(~US$110 per barrel)
Next up on his plan probably is to invade Iran, but will this action solve the root of the problem? In my opinion, the America should pull their troops out. These troops are fit, young male, with families waiting for them at home. They live in fear everyday, just to hope that their family members can return in safety. Yet, the one who suffers the most from the Iraq war is the family members of these soldiers, whether an Iraq, an American or a British. Children of these soldiers are unable to grow in a healthy environment that they deserved, and just because of president George Bush's decision.
Is oil really worth sacrificing lives for?
jia juan roared at
20080326
this week's assignment is to find a pic n respond to it
then write your feelings on Iraq war
Mr. Chu said tht this need not be more than 300 words.... around 1 paragraph will do.
n remember the reading article due friday too!
=p
Jo-Erh~
27/o8 (: roared at
20080322
"Is Winning Important In Sports?"
“Is winning important in sports?” While the typical answer for this cliché question would most probably be “Oh no it’s the process that matters, that we learn”, I personally feel that winning is especially important. Winning makes you a conqueror, an achiever ahead of others. It gives you unfathomable fame, recognition, respect and even wealth. Within all competition lies an undeniable truth that all athletes play to win. The most renowned World Olympic Games has started since the 19th century and it marks the onset of distinguishing a winner in each sport.
Taking Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson as an example, how many men out of 10 know Woods? In comparison, how many have even heard of Mickelson before? Apparently, Woods holds more fame than Mickelson, although Mickelson merely lost out to him by a single placing. But in reality, who cares? Not the supporters, not the other players and most importantly, not the judges. Here, we can see how realistic it is. There have to be a distinguish winner and the man would then be credited fame and recognition. With these, respect for the winner will then multiply and it can incredibly bring him advantages such as obtaining wild card entries for major sport competitions. Also a sportsman could play so well that if he keeps on winning, his entire income, which is generated by the sport he plays, would be able to last him his whole lifetime. For celebrity soccer players such as David Beckham, we all know the extravagant figures in his bank could even provide for the next two generations of his offspring.
Winning is also seen by an athlete as a reward to his effort in trainings. Who would not feel at all disappointed when they put in so much effort but yet, futile? Furthermore I believe experiencing failure is not the only alternative for an athlete to learn what they have to. Definitely, one can also learn new skills, gain experiences and such by winning hence all in all, winning is certainly important in sports.
Jasmine :)))
27/o8 (: roared at
Is winning important in sports?
Athletes may have different definitions of 'winning'. Some say that when one puts in the maximum effort, it is winning. However, most will say that they have won only when the medals are in their hands.
To a certain extent, winning is definitely important in sports. After all, what are athletes training so hard for? Why do they train all days just to participate in competitions? Surely, the main purpose is to win. to prove their abilities and to strive harder to make an achievement out of it. As a coach has said before, "Winning isn't everything, but striving is to win." After striving so hard, it is obvious that athletes do want their medals, and the recognition from the public. When they have finally won, they are recognised and honored by all. Striving for the medal since the start, their efforts have been worthwhile. It allows then to go on to push themselves to their limits, aim after their own and even other athletes' records one after another, jus to compete to be amongst the top.
Although winning may be important, it is not everything in sports. Some may have the desire to obtain the title, but it will never be a bed of roses for the athletes. There are times when they meet strong athletes who will give then the taste of failure. It is also when they have to learn to accept failures, gain the experience, learn from other athletes and bettered their skills so as to bring themselves to a higher standard. Moreover, the word ‘sportsmanship’ came from such athletes. “It is what makes a good athlete great!” It refers to athletes who do not display bad attitude during competitions, respect each other, and bear no grudge with whom they have lost to. As long as they have sportsmanship, is winning still as important? Will titles and awards be able to replace these? There are also athletes who take part in competitions in order to gain the experience, not bothering about the outcome, whether win or lose. To them, nothing is more important than to learn from other athletes. All they want is to see where their abilities will bring them to. There is nothing more satisfying than to just take part in events without worrying about the outcomes. Not only that, when athletes go for competitions, they meet people who have similar interests and passions as them. Not only can they exchange pointers, they might even end up as friends. It brings the world closer to one another, which also could be a reason so to why one may want to participate in competitions.
xiaorong (: roared at
Is winning important in sports? This is a question which many athletes find questioning themselves in various situations such as during a competition or when they are training hard in their sports. Therefore, is winning really that significant in sports or are other factors more vital that achieving the utmost title.
As a sports athlete myself, I personally think that winning is not the main focus in sports but rather the valuable experience and lessons that I learn from it. Sports not only allows you train the physical body and push your physical self to the limit but also trains the mental side of ourselves. We learn to overcome our obstacles and ascend to greater heights and achieve higher standards in life. These experiences can tide us through many hardships later in life and allow us to better tackle the problems as well. Thus, winning is not important in sports.
However, on the other hand, winning may be important in sports. Winning may be important as it gives certain individuals the drives as well as the motivation to continue striving on moving forward to achieve their goals. Without the focus of winning in their minds, they may not be able to perform up their fullest potential. In other cases, winning can very well be the most essential part in sports. One citing example will be sports as a career. With sports as a career it is almost, or a must, an essential for an individual to win as in concerns important statistics such as status, fame, reputation in the area of sports, and most importantly the individual’s earnings. Famous sportsmen will not be earning the big bucks if they are throwing away their games purposefully but actually winning them for the sake of money.
In conclusion, I conclude that winning is not important in sports as I feel that it’s the experience that counts the most and benefits you the most. There may be other exceptions to this such as pros in the league where their rice bowls depends on the sports that they play.
Yee Chern 27/08
27/o8 (: roared at
20080321
It is not fair to say that winning isn’t important but no one can say that winning is the only thing in sports. I believe different people have different perspectives in this matter, depending on attitudes, gender, ages and roles. Coaches and managers may say “ITS VERY IMPORTANT!”, but youths think that winning is only a bonus of the game. I think that in sports, everyone should be aiming to win, but winning isn’t that important. Athletes must give their best and always hold on to his own goal and principles, as this is sometimes tougher than winning the competition. For an amateur, winning is not the main aim, self-improvement should be. The process, skills, and experience gained are the essences of the sport. Just for the sake of winning, athletes should not sacrifice team spirit, sportsmanship or integrity nor allow violence and rule breaking. Losing a competition should not let the athlete’s spirit down; rather raise it even higher to double the effort and improving self discipline. Winning is relative, it is often affected by luck and sudden changes. So it depends on how you see it. What if the winner’s performance is lousy and disappointing, but happens to win because the opponent is less skilful? And what if the loser plays very well but loses due to lack of experience? To me, I rather play on the losing team than sitting on the winning team’s bench. For professionals, after a long period of vigorous and intensive training, they will put in all their effort because their ultimate goal is to win. Winning is the reward of their hard work, with it comes fame, prestige, honour and respect. Of course, winning can also be the stepping stone for greater income and maybe a promotion. Winning drives athletes to go further, beyond their current capabilities, to reach for a higher level. Without the desire to win, a competition would lose the spice as quality of performance of athletes can be questioned. Winning provides motivation and energy to give one’s best. Winning a game, no matter big or small boosts one’s self-confidence to a certain extent because their abilities have been recognized and acknowledged. However, obsession with winning will cause pressure and stress and may generate hate towards sports as this deprives the athletes of the enjoyment of the game. I believe the healthiest point of view is to look into the definition of winning, which is to set attainable and meaningful individual goals and to put up the best performance in sports. To me, the journey undertaken to achieve that goal and the ability to reach it is the mark of winning, far more precious than the championship itself. So, winning isn’t confined to only getting the championship, but also breaking own records and standards. Sports is more interesting when people feel satisfied after trying their best. I believe that in the course of the game, an athlete should focus and aim to win but should not compromise game morality and social responsibility. Instead, hold on to the goals set and remember the purpose of sports is to have fun, to learn and to gain friendship and respect. “Winning isn’t important, striving to win is”.
Anonymous roared at
Labels: jia juan
Winning in sports is important but it is not absolute. This is because in this materialistic society, achievements are the only thing that will make people look up to you. With it comes recognition, fame, money and so on. By comparing between two athletes, it is just a superficial way of measuring of who has won the game. This is the method of comparison that the audience and the media commonly use. In my opinion, a title is just a recognition accepted by the public. In the case of athletes who have lost, they do not back down and stop competing. This is because to a professional athlete, they is no absolute winning or losing. It is the experience and the fun that matter to them. Furthermore, it is competing to the end of one’s limits that is the most important objective of the game. By winning a title, it is a way to measure one’s physical, mentality and psychology level. Besides, winning the game can create sense of achievement to the winner and a better confidence for the next game. However an athlete should never aim for the title onlyhe should aim for challenging the end of his limits. Only then will he really emerge victorious. An example of such is Tiger Woods and Roger Federer. Both of them are top leaders of the golf and tennis games respectively. They are able to maintain as champions consecutively as they challenge their own limits and never against their opponents or even the title. Therefore, a winning athlete will never be beaten by others, but only by himself.
27/o8 (: roared at
