June 6, 1944
Dear Diary,
Today was a gruesome day. I have already begun going a little crazy from seeing all the blood spewing out of my fellow soldiers like little fountains at the park. I have already been immune to seeing all my friends die in pain, one by one. I have already begun to hate this war, even though this is just the beginning!
When we were about to reach Omaha beach, many people vomited while the rest looked to God for protection. As the soldiers departed from the boat, they were immediately shot by a barrage of bullets. I was fortunate to escape this wrath and swam to shore. I hid behind several barricades and led some of my soldiers up the beach. However, the death tolls increased very quickly, as we were on lower ground. I lost many friends; some lost their limbs while some died in horrible pain. I could not bear to look at their badly-wounded bodies because it was just too revolting. Finally, the day drew to a close and the remnant of our troops returned to base, all relieved but shocked.
As soon as I returned to my bunk, I asked myself, "Why do countries wage war against each other?" Looking at all the dead bodies around me, I really wonder why wars take place. Wars just take away lives like that, destroying people's dreams, breaking up people's families and ultimately increasing the death tolls. Where is humanity? I am lost with a few other soldiers in an enemy's land, although I know that my opposition feels the same way. I live in worry everyday and as soon as I wake up, I live it like it is my last. War is such a tragedy, I cannot emphasise this enough. I hate the war, but not the soldiers; the action, but not the people. I respect all those who risks their lives to fight valiantly and pray that no one dies brutally.
Captain John H. Miller
Monday, April 18, 2011
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Descriptive Paragraph
Smoke wafted into my nostrils, causing me to cough. Suddenly, the sound of a gunshot resounded. The general standing beside me fell to the ground. Blood splashed out from his wound onto my face, then flowed down his cheek continuously and dripped onto his uniform. Bending down to support him, I wiped off the blood off my face and managed to hear him mutter a few words of gratitude to God and his family. After he breathed his last, his head fell to one side. I held back a few tears, thinking back of the encouragement he had given me and I took off his helmet. My fellow soldier beside me was literally shell-shocked. He stared blankly into space, possibly wondering when the same thing would happen to himself. I clasped my hand around his, feeling coldness and lack of life in him. Spurred on by my general's death, I stood up and charged towards the enemies.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
LA Essay- Classification
Q. Our lives have improved as a result of computers. Do you agree?
Our society is filled with 'Generation Y' teenagers who cannot get apart with their electronic devices even for one day. One common device is the computer, which has since been developed from its initial invention in 1936. Despite many negative comments about computers, I believe that these high-tech media devices can help us in every aspect of our lives, if we use them properly. The main aspects I will talk about are education, communication and business.
Education
As Kent Conrad, an American politician, put perfectly, "Access to computers and the Internet has become a basic need for education in our society. " Computers provide many resources for better education to take place. Due to the advance in technology, there are now search engines, like Google, that are useful for research, applications for enhanced learning and online tools available for teaching in a unique manner. Hwa Chong Institution recently adopted a "Future-School" programme which involves online lessons for students to use media to learn subjects in a more interesting way. For example, instead of just doing worksheets on coordinate geometry, teachers use an application called Geogebra to make learning "hands-on". Therefore, computers help to provide quality education by allowing students and teachers to use its resources so that education is improved as a whole.
Communications
Computers have been used as a platform of communication over the past few years, therefore helping to bridge the gap between people from different countries who are unable to meet up in person. As more and more people go for business trips, overseas exchange programmes and vacations each year, more and more family members or friends are separated. Thus, computers help to solve this problem by allowing people to communicate with their loved ones through Skype, Facebook and any other social networking site on the Internet! Therefore, computers have definitely brought convenience to our lives, as we do not need to use the slow and conventional method of writing letters.
Business
Business is an important part of adult life and many companies are coming up with new strategies to improve efficiency in the workplace. Computers are one of the main solutions to fulfill this aim because they provide employees with tools to collate results, analyse data, classify information, you get it. For example, an accountant can use Microsoft Excel to collate data very quickly and then calculate the net profit of the company each month. Hence, this helps to speed things up in the office so that companies can produce work faster, earning more profit as an end result.
However, I have to admit that computers cause gaming addiction and undesirable content can also be easily posted up on the Internet. Therefore, I believe that in order for us to reap the full benefits of the computer in every aspect of our lives, we need to start learning to discern between right and wrong, and gain self-control. The computer is an awesome invention, all we need is to use it wisely.
Our society is filled with 'Generation Y' teenagers who cannot get apart with their electronic devices even for one day. One common device is the computer, which has since been developed from its initial invention in 1936. Despite many negative comments about computers, I believe that these high-tech media devices can help us in every aspect of our lives, if we use them properly. The main aspects I will talk about are education, communication and business.
Education
As Kent Conrad, an American politician, put perfectly, "Access to computers and the Internet has become a basic need for education in our society. " Computers provide many resources for better education to take place. Due to the advance in technology, there are now search engines, like Google, that are useful for research, applications for enhanced learning and online tools available for teaching in a unique manner. Hwa Chong Institution recently adopted a "Future-School" programme which involves online lessons for students to use media to learn subjects in a more interesting way. For example, instead of just doing worksheets on coordinate geometry, teachers use an application called Geogebra to make learning "hands-on". Therefore, computers help to provide quality education by allowing students and teachers to use its resources so that education is improved as a whole.
Communications
Computers have been used as a platform of communication over the past few years, therefore helping to bridge the gap between people from different countries who are unable to meet up in person. As more and more people go for business trips, overseas exchange programmes and vacations each year, more and more family members or friends are separated. Thus, computers help to solve this problem by allowing people to communicate with their loved ones through Skype, Facebook and any other social networking site on the Internet! Therefore, computers have definitely brought convenience to our lives, as we do not need to use the slow and conventional method of writing letters.
Business
Business is an important part of adult life and many companies are coming up with new strategies to improve efficiency in the workplace. Computers are one of the main solutions to fulfill this aim because they provide employees with tools to collate results, analyse data, classify information, you get it. For example, an accountant can use Microsoft Excel to collate data very quickly and then calculate the net profit of the company each month. Hence, this helps to speed things up in the office so that companies can produce work faster, earning more profit as an end result.
However, I have to admit that computers cause gaming addiction and undesirable content can also be easily posted up on the Internet. Therefore, I believe that in order for us to reap the full benefits of the computer in every aspect of our lives, we need to start learning to discern between right and wrong, and gain self-control. The computer is an awesome invention, all we need is to use it wisely.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Newsworthiness and Newspapers
Hi,
I would like to share about the different types of newspapers and the factors that decide whether a story is newsworthy.
Firstly, I would like to classify newspapers under two main categories: Tabloid and Broadsheet. Broadsheet newspapers are printed in larger formats and are considered as more "serious journalism" compared to tabloids. This is because broadsheets are normally written in a factual and formal tone, in contrast to the sensational and light-hearted tone used in tabloids. Broadsheets also put a lot of facts and details in their articles and present the issue from an objective view. On the other hand, tabloids emphasise certain parts of the article to make it more dramatic to attract readers and hence slants to a certain perspective. Therefore, the people who read broadsheets are often people who are more educated while the people who read tabloids prefer gossipy talk compared to facts. Some examples of broadsheets are The Straits Times and The Telegraph, while The Sun and the The New Paper are tabloids. However, it is important to note that there are some newspapers which have both types of articles. For example, The Straits Times include both the factual sections (Prime News, World, Asia) and the sensational sections (Life, ST Forum). Personally, I prefer tabloid news because I will be more engaged to read the article. However, it is important to read the broadsheets too, so as to look at the issue from a more objective stand and then taking our own point of view based on the facts provided.
Newsworthiness is an important factor in deciding the success of newspapers. If the articles provided are chosen well and engage its audience, then the newspaper will certainly sell well too. I think that there are many factors that determine an article's newsworthiness. For example, the proximity and the number of people involved in the article will affect the impact of the issue and will hence determine the relevance of the article to the readers. The fame of the person involved and the uniqueness of the article will also help to engage the interest of the audience. Some other factors to consider are the timeliness of the article, the shock or titillation factor instilled in the readers and most importantly, there must be a conflict between two parties in order to attract readers. However, in my opinion, I think that I am naturally drawn to the articles which talk about the issues that I am interested in. For example, being an athletic person, the first section of the newspaper that I read everyday is the Sports section, so as to keep updated on what is happening in the sports field. I also enjoy reading unique news that peak my interest. Most importantly, I find that the most simple yet most important factor is still the timeliness of the article. I feel that the timeliness really affects the other factors, because if the article is outdated, no one will read it even though it may be shocking or unique. Therefore, I learned that in order for a newspaper company to stay competitive, it needs to hire skilled news editors to pick interesting articles that are newsworthy.
Nathanael
I would like to share about the different types of newspapers and the factors that decide whether a story is newsworthy.
Firstly, I would like to classify newspapers under two main categories: Tabloid and Broadsheet. Broadsheet newspapers are printed in larger formats and are considered as more "serious journalism" compared to tabloids. This is because broadsheets are normally written in a factual and formal tone, in contrast to the sensational and light-hearted tone used in tabloids. Broadsheets also put a lot of facts and details in their articles and present the issue from an objective view. On the other hand, tabloids emphasise certain parts of the article to make it more dramatic to attract readers and hence slants to a certain perspective. Therefore, the people who read broadsheets are often people who are more educated while the people who read tabloids prefer gossipy talk compared to facts. Some examples of broadsheets are The Straits Times and The Telegraph, while The Sun and the The New Paper are tabloids. However, it is important to note that there are some newspapers which have both types of articles. For example, The Straits Times include both the factual sections (Prime News, World, Asia) and the sensational sections (Life, ST Forum). Personally, I prefer tabloid news because I will be more engaged to read the article. However, it is important to read the broadsheets too, so as to look at the issue from a more objective stand and then taking our own point of view based on the facts provided.
Newsworthiness is an important factor in deciding the success of newspapers. If the articles provided are chosen well and engage its audience, then the newspaper will certainly sell well too. I think that there are many factors that determine an article's newsworthiness. For example, the proximity and the number of people involved in the article will affect the impact of the issue and will hence determine the relevance of the article to the readers. The fame of the person involved and the uniqueness of the article will also help to engage the interest of the audience. Some other factors to consider are the timeliness of the article, the shock or titillation factor instilled in the readers and most importantly, there must be a conflict between two parties in order to attract readers. However, in my opinion, I think that I am naturally drawn to the articles which talk about the issues that I am interested in. For example, being an athletic person, the first section of the newspaper that I read everyday is the Sports section, so as to keep updated on what is happening in the sports field. I also enjoy reading unique news that peak my interest. Most importantly, I find that the most simple yet most important factor is still the timeliness of the article. I feel that the timeliness really affects the other factors, because if the article is outdated, no one will read it even though it may be shocking or unique. Therefore, I learned that in order for a newspaper company to stay competitive, it needs to hire skilled news editors to pick interesting articles that are newsworthy.
Nathanael
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Reflections of Mississipi Burning
Hi,
I would like to share my feelings after watching the film "Mississipi Burning".
I think that I do not really like this show because it is quite slow-moving and quite vulgar as well. However, this film was very effective in evoking strong feelings of hate in me against the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). Before this year, I did not know much about the extent of the racism in Southern USA. By watching the film, I discovered about the cruelty of the KKK and how they silenced the Blacks by using intimidation. I also knew what the term "lynching" meant. I feel very indignant against the KKK and the people who just watched the discriminations but did nothing about it, because all humans are equal, therefore we should accept each other and acknowledge that every human has his or her own strengths and weaknesses. I think that generalisations and stereotypes are not to be accepted too, because they are definitely not true. Violence is just not "cool", because it is not the gentlemanly way to settle disputes. However, I have to admit that I myself have some prejudices against some people, therefore I have to make sure that this thoughts do not become actions. I also have to confess that if I were living in Mississipi at that time, I would have discriminated the Blacks too, so that I would not be bullied by the Whites.
The scene that struck me most was the part where the Ku Klux Klan lynched the Blacks and burned down their houses. The sight of the Black man hanging on a tree made me feel very angry because the Ku Klux Klan were very cruel. It really brought out the theme of prejudice very strongly. Another scene that I enjoyed was the last scene where the Blacks gathered at the burnt down church. I think the producer includes this scene to show that although the KKK were successful in breaking the physical bond among the Blacks by burning down their churches, however they were unable to break up the strong spiritual bond among them.
My favourite character in "Mississipi Burning" is Mr. Anderson, because he has a way with people and knows the perfect way to deal with the Ku Klux Klan. He is also very brave and is willing to stand up for what is right. However, I do not like the fact that he is quite vulgar and violent, as there are always other alternatives to solving a problem. Therefore, I find that Mr. Anderson is my favourite character because he played a vital role in nabbing the Ku Klux Klan and helped the state.
In conclusion, I find that the film is a very good film in teaching about the racism that happened in the Southern USA because its scenes are very useful in bringing out feelings and themes. However, I feel that the film is quite slow-moving, perhaps because it was made in 1988.
Nathanael
I would like to share my feelings after watching the film "Mississipi Burning".
I think that I do not really like this show because it is quite slow-moving and quite vulgar as well. However, this film was very effective in evoking strong feelings of hate in me against the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). Before this year, I did not know much about the extent of the racism in Southern USA. By watching the film, I discovered about the cruelty of the KKK and how they silenced the Blacks by using intimidation. I also knew what the term "lynching" meant. I feel very indignant against the KKK and the people who just watched the discriminations but did nothing about it, because all humans are equal, therefore we should accept each other and acknowledge that every human has his or her own strengths and weaknesses. I think that generalisations and stereotypes are not to be accepted too, because they are definitely not true. Violence is just not "cool", because it is not the gentlemanly way to settle disputes. However, I have to admit that I myself have some prejudices against some people, therefore I have to make sure that this thoughts do not become actions. I also have to confess that if I were living in Mississipi at that time, I would have discriminated the Blacks too, so that I would not be bullied by the Whites.
The scene that struck me most was the part where the Ku Klux Klan lynched the Blacks and burned down their houses. The sight of the Black man hanging on a tree made me feel very angry because the Ku Klux Klan were very cruel. It really brought out the theme of prejudice very strongly. Another scene that I enjoyed was the last scene where the Blacks gathered at the burnt down church. I think the producer includes this scene to show that although the KKK were successful in breaking the physical bond among the Blacks by burning down their churches, however they were unable to break up the strong spiritual bond among them.
My favourite character in "Mississipi Burning" is Mr. Anderson, because he has a way with people and knows the perfect way to deal with the Ku Klux Klan. He is also very brave and is willing to stand up for what is right. However, I do not like the fact that he is quite vulgar and violent, as there are always other alternatives to solving a problem. Therefore, I find that Mr. Anderson is my favourite character because he played a vital role in nabbing the Ku Klux Klan and helped the state.
In conclusion, I find that the film is a very good film in teaching about the racism that happened in the Southern USA because its scenes are very useful in bringing out feelings and themes. However, I feel that the film is quite slow-moving, perhaps because it was made in 1988.
Nathanael
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Superstitions
Hi,
I would like to share some of the unique superstitions and give my view on these beliefs.
Some superstitions are listed below:
If you cut an apple in half and count the number of seeds inside, you will hence know the number of children you will have.
However, if a person eats many apples a day, does it mean that the number of children he will have will change? Anyway, the number of children a couple has can be controlled by them and thus I believe that this superstition is not really true.
It is bad luck to cut your fingernails on Friday or Sunday.
I have cut my nails on Sunday before but nothing noticeably bad had gone wrong to me. Also, life is full of ups and downs, therefore it is perfectly normal if I get into trouble.
A yawn is a sign that danger will come.
I think that I yawn almost once every day, and science has proven that we yawn because of an excessive amount of carbon dioxide in our body, not when we are going to face danger.
A watermelon will grow in your stomach if you swallow a watermelon seed.
This is completely untrue.
I think that the reality of superstitions is really up to the person. In my opinion, I think that suprestitions are just things that were made up due to coincidences that happened in the past or when people decided to have some fun scaring their friends. However, I find superstitions quite interesting and enjoy proving them wrong.
Loo Nathanael (18) 2I1
I would like to share some of the unique superstitions and give my view on these beliefs.
Some superstitions are listed below:
If you cut an apple in half and count the number of seeds inside, you will hence know the number of children you will have.
However, if a person eats many apples a day, does it mean that the number of children he will have will change? Anyway, the number of children a couple has can be controlled by them and thus I believe that this superstition is not really true.
It is bad luck to cut your fingernails on Friday or Sunday.
I have cut my nails on Sunday before but nothing noticeably bad had gone wrong to me. Also, life is full of ups and downs, therefore it is perfectly normal if I get into trouble.
A yawn is a sign that danger will come.
I think that I yawn almost once every day, and science has proven that we yawn because of an excessive amount of carbon dioxide in our body, not when we are going to face danger.
A watermelon will grow in your stomach if you swallow a watermelon seed.
This is completely untrue.
I think that the reality of superstitions is really up to the person. In my opinion, I think that suprestitions are just things that were made up due to coincidences that happened in the past or when people decided to have some fun scaring their friends. However, I find superstitions quite interesting and enjoy proving them wrong.
Loo Nathanael (18) 2I1
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
My Favourite Character
Hi,
I read the book "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee and would like to share my favourite character in this story.
My favourite character in the story is Atticus because he is very wise and always maintains his cool throughout the story despite being the one who is always facing some sort of adversity. I have utmost respect and admiration of Atticus because he is an ideal father to me and a role model for me to follow. There were certain instances in the story which the author includes to invoke the feelings of respect that I feel towards him. For example, he would allow Scout to cuddle in his lap every night reading The Middle Section, showing that he is a very caring father who is willing to spend time to build up on the relationship with his children. However, not many fathers in Singapore are willing to put aside their busy schedules to ensure that they are close with their families. Therefore, I respect Atticus for this point. Also, when Bob Ewell threatens to kill Atticus and even spits in his face, Atticus just wiped the saliva off his face and replied Bob Ewell in a polite manner. If he were me, I would have taken no hesitation to deal a stinging blow onto his cheek and spit on him ten more times! I am extremely amazed at the way Atticus is able to curb his temper. Next, Atticus teaches his children very good and insightful values like putting ourselves in others' shoes and that having prejudices is wrong. Most importantly, Atticus has a very strong sense of justice. He was willing to defend Tom Robinson even though it put him at risks like getting confronted by a lynch mob. However, many people do not have the courage to stand up for the right thing because they fear the bad things that would happen to themselves. All these examples are the reason why my favourite character is Atticus.
However, in reality, I do not think that I would be able to find such a good man because Atticus is just a fictional character in a book. Even so, I hope to model after his wisdom and courage. I hope that every boy in the world would have the same dream as me!
Nathanael
I read the book "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee and would like to share my favourite character in this story.
My favourite character in the story is Atticus because he is very wise and always maintains his cool throughout the story despite being the one who is always facing some sort of adversity. I have utmost respect and admiration of Atticus because he is an ideal father to me and a role model for me to follow. There were certain instances in the story which the author includes to invoke the feelings of respect that I feel towards him. For example, he would allow Scout to cuddle in his lap every night reading The Middle Section, showing that he is a very caring father who is willing to spend time to build up on the relationship with his children. However, not many fathers in Singapore are willing to put aside their busy schedules to ensure that they are close with their families. Therefore, I respect Atticus for this point. Also, when Bob Ewell threatens to kill Atticus and even spits in his face, Atticus just wiped the saliva off his face and replied Bob Ewell in a polite manner. If he were me, I would have taken no hesitation to deal a stinging blow onto his cheek and spit on him ten more times! I am extremely amazed at the way Atticus is able to curb his temper. Next, Atticus teaches his children very good and insightful values like putting ourselves in others' shoes and that having prejudices is wrong. Most importantly, Atticus has a very strong sense of justice. He was willing to defend Tom Robinson even though it put him at risks like getting confronted by a lynch mob. However, many people do not have the courage to stand up for the right thing because they fear the bad things that would happen to themselves. All these examples are the reason why my favourite character is Atticus.
However, in reality, I do not think that I would be able to find such a good man because Atticus is just a fictional character in a book. Even so, I hope to model after his wisdom and courage. I hope that every boy in the world would have the same dream as me!
Nathanael
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