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Far up in the mountains of Canada, there is an old abandoned log cabin. Once it was occupied by a young couple who wanted to distance themselves from the chaos of this modern world. Here they were miles away from the nearest town. Bob, the husband, made the occasional trip into town to buy supplies whereas Jan, his wife, spent her free time by the fire, sewing. Their life was simply idyllic. Then, one midwinter's day, Jan woke up from bed with a strange ache in her bones. Putting it down to overwork, Bob shooed her to bed and made sure she rested. Though Jan was impatient to get to her chores, Bob soothed her, "Relax, Sugar. You're overdoing things. All these chores will be here when you recover." However, Jan seemed to be getting worse instead of recovering. By evening, she was running a high fever and in greater pain. In spite of his best efforts, Bob could not manage to ease her suffering. And then suddenly, she started to lapse into unconsciousness. It was then obvious that she was seriously ill. What could Bob do? He had no experience in treating the sick and Jan was getting worse by the minute. He knew that there was an old doctor in town but he lived three miles away, downhill. Pot-bellied and obese, there was no way the doctor could make it up to their cabin. Something had to be done quickly! Bob racked his brains but to no avail. The only thing left to do was to go to the doctor. In Jan's condition, she could never walk that far in the waistdeep snow. Bob would have to carry her! Bob searched his mind for a way to move poor, sick Jan. Then, he remembered. He had once made a sledge so that they could ride together over the mountain. They never got around to using it though, because the whole mountain was thickly covered with rocks and trees. He had never found a safe way down, not even once. "Well," he thought, "looks like I'm going to have to try it anyhow," as he dug out the sledge from the storeroom. "Jan may die unless I get her to the doctor, and life means nothing to me without her." With this thought in mind, Bob gently tucked Jan into the sledge, got in the front, and with a short prayer for safety, pushed off. How they got through that ride alive, Bob has never figured out. As trees loomed up in front of him and just as quickly whizzed by his side, close enough to touch, he felt relieved that Jan was not awake to experience the ride. It was all he could do not to scream as collision seemed imminent, time and again, with only inches to spare. At last, bursting from the mountainside, the town came into view. Barely slowing down, they sped through the icy streets, only losing speed as they neared the doctor's house. The sledge, battered through the journey, collapsed in the left ski as it came to a halt, spilling out its occupants. Bob picked up his Jan and made his way into the doctor's house. After what seemed to be a long winter, Jan recovered fully from her illness but Bob never recovered from his fright. They moved into the little town so as to be near help in times of crisis, and have lived there ever since.
Write a story using this sentence as your first line : "It seemed like it was going to be another one of those days when nothing much happens."
It seemed like it was going to be another one of those days when nothing much happens. Ken and his friends were playing their regular football game along the banks of the river near their small village. In the midst of the game, Ken's attention was drawn to a tourist boat passing by. Actually, tourist boats were quite common in their area. It was also common for some of the tourists to take potshots at the birds and squirrels along the way. This is why Ken's friends were not really surprised to hear a few small explosions from the boat. They ignored the sounds and went on with their game. However, they were startled when they suddenly heard loud cries for help coming from the boat. They could see that the crew were running about, panic-stricken. Some people were shouting to them. "Their engine must have blown up! Look, there's smoke and the boat's out of control. It's going towards the rapids," Ken pointed out to his friends. Ken's village was located at the point at which the tourist boats turned around and headed back upstream. Three kilometers downstream were the rapids, which spelt trouble for the boats. "It's heading straight for the rapids! They're in trouble! The boat will be smashed against the rocks!" Ken exclaimed. "Let's get help!" The boys sprinted back to the village for help. Along the way, they met the village headman. Stumbling over his words in his haste, Ken explained the emergency to the headman. The headman was a man of quick action. Without wasting any time, he yelled out to some men to help him carry his powerful outboard motor to the jetty. With the motor tied firmly onto bamboo poles, they rushed hurriedly down to the jetty. Their haste was indeed necessary for, by the time the men had reached the jetty, they saw that the boat was dangerously close to the rapids. There was not a moment to lose! With quick hands, the headman attached the outboard motor to his sampan and then sped off to the rescue. Upon reaching the tourist boat with bare minutes to spare, the headman realized his mistake. How could so many tourists be packed into this small sampan? The headman was filled with despair. Then he saw the rope that had been used to tie down the outboard motor to the bamboo poles. It had been flung into the sampan in his haste. Quickly, he grabbed the rope and flung it to the boatmen on the tourist boat.
"I'll tow you back!" he shouted. After the boatmen had tied the rope firmly to their boat, the headman made a swift U-turn and then, putting the engine on full power, he steered his sampan upstream. The rope gave a jerk and then, to everyone's relief and joy, the tourist boat moved forward, obediently following the small sampan. Loud cheers burst out from the tourist boat and the observers on the shore. Thanks to the headman's courage, the cooperation from the villagers, and the quick action of the boys, the tourists were saved from certain death in the rapids. take potshot sprint stumble a shot which is fired carelessly or with little preparation to run as fast as you can over a short distance to act or speak falteringly
Then, I noticed that the bottom half of my trousers were the wrong color. My line of vision moved upwards, revealing that the rest of my pants were also the wrong color, and so was my shirt. At first, even my powerful brain could not figure it out. "Daniel! Why on earth are you in pajamas?" my friend blurted out amidst the hollers of laughter. The feeling of sheer horror swept through my entire frame. My mouth was stuck open in an "0" shape for a few long seconds. My mind was filled only with shock as darkness mercifully started to engulf me. Once again. I awoke with lights playing on my eyelids. At first I had little memory of what had happened, but one look at the group of people peering down at me brought the whole incident back to mind. The young boys were all clad in white uniforms and grinning quite lunatically at me. In. the high corner of the room, I saw a red crescent. Then the horrible little squirts started to call out for their seniors. Outside, I heard fresh gales of laughter. The brats were chortling. I was still clad in pajamas. Not knowing what else to do, I feigned unconsciousness again ... in no time make a beeline for gales of laughter in a relatively short time to straight to a forceful outburst
Imagine a world where nobody gets sick or old. Write a story based in this fictitious world
It's my birthday today. I have lost count of how many birthdays have passed, but I still keep my tradition. I climb to the top of the nearby hill, bringing a handful of dirt with me. I press it into the ground. Then, I sit down to prepare my mind for my next annual rite: reminding myself of who I am and why I am living. I made this hill, actually, and I'm still building it up. I started on my tenth birthday. Now, the hill is large enough for me to ski down each winter. In a world where people stay young forever, persistence pays. Persistence was what led Dr Syue Cano to discover the secret of eternal youth. At the age of eighty-four, he identified the gene that causes humans to age and the specific radiation that destroys it. No one will know whether he detonated his "Youth" bomb for the sake of his own immortality or for the sake of the other human beings in the world. However, his defective heart could not withstand the impact of the blast. He died the instant the bomb exploded. Mankind will always be grateful for the discovery to which Dr Cano dedicated his life. However, he left the world with one problem: the earth's limited natural resources. Even with plant growth accelerated by scientific wizardry, food and oxygen were becoming inadequate for the world population, which only kept booming.
Some subtractions were necessary for the survival of the human species. The only solution was to remove some of the people by unnatural means, that is, to execute them. Thus, this was why all crimes were made punishable by execution: murder, theft, adultery, slander, hoarding of food... the list is very long. This was the only way to maintain the balance of nature. That's where I come in. I am an Executioner. I work alone, never considering the risk. People say I have a death wish. Perhaps I do. Certainly, yesterday's job was no waltz in the park. Rob Tao was suspected of stealing and hoarding food. My job was to check this out. As always, I was to be detective, judge, jury and executioner. I had enough stealth technology to break into Tao's compound undetected. To get into the house was also a cinch. My vibra-blade cut through the wall like it was butter. In the house, my Arometer detected food, lots of it. I went down corridor after corridor, following the bleeps of light on my Arometer. The signals went wild outside one closed door. There was a lot of human activity inside, judging by my HUO sensors. I primed a grenade and opened the door just a crack -- enough to see whom I would be executing. Then I deprimed the grenade. Sitting there were thousands of children. Rob Tao stood amongst them, holding a huge pot of steaming mush. He smiled at me, seemingly unperturbed. "You're feeding all these children?" I asked, flabbergasted. "Yes," he replied quietly. "How do you get so much food? I'm sure you steal it," I said. "Yes, I do. Going to execute me?" Still that gentle smile. Sitting here now, on my hill, I don't understand why I just walked out. I had no excuse for letting him get away with his crime. It was not my decision to make. Yet... I can't remember what I'm killing for; can't remember what I'm living for. cinch unperturbed flabbergasted something easy to accomplish free from emotional agitation or nervous tension to shock someone, usually by telling them something they were not expecting
me studying. My father, at 53 years, has thinning hair swept back from his forehead. He has a slim and athletic body. His broad shoulders and rather serious demeanor give him an air of authority. Yet, behind his steel-rimmed glasses are soft, kind eyes. My father has always been my source of encouragement. When I was very young, he would take a book from our small home library and read aloud to me every night. Secure and loved, on his lap, I was introduced to the fascinating realm of books. He would read stories and parables from the Bible. Thus, he instilled in me a sense of God's presence in this world. I remember how, as he was reading, my father would point out the spelling of words. Then one day, he instructed me to read the words for myself. To our shared delight, I found that I was able to do so. From that day onwards, I was the one who would read aloud, with his gentle correction every now and then. Soon after that, I was picking up the hooks and reading them on my own. I became quite a bookworm. As I grew into boyhood, my bookish ways and disinterest in outdoor games made me overweight, clumsy and rather unfit. One day, my father stood observing me as I was running to a field, just 50 yards away. I arrived there, huffing and puffing. Worriedly, he told me that he would not like to see his son grow up into an unhealthy man. From that day onwards, he started to take me on jogs. At first, I was a most reluctant jogger. However, these days, as I stand perched on the peak of Mount Kina, breathing deeply after a good run, I remember his words, "A healthy body breeds a healthy mind." My father has a store of wise sayings which may seem common to some but always strike the correct note with me. Once, when I was really depressed, he put an arm around my shoulders and gently asked me what was troubling me. Lifting my bowed head, I poured out my heart's discontent. After listening, he consoled me. Then he said, "Smile, and the world around you will smile." Somehow, I was able to smile in spite of my problems. At another time, when I was about to give up on a task, he advised me, "If a job deserves to be done, it deserves to be done well." Somehow, his words gave me the strength to try again, and I was able to succeed. Since then, whenever I feel daunted by a task, his advice always comes to mind and this spurs me on to persevere. Looking back, I realize that every step of the way, through my childhood and adolescence, my father has been there for me whenever I needed him. When I was sick, he would rush me to the doctor. When I was sick at heart, he would know just the right things to say. In any kind of trouble, I would just have to give him a call. He would surely be there. I am only a few years away from adulthood and know that many more challenges lie ahead of me. However, I can be sure that my father will be there, looking out for me all the way. Why? Because he loves me. demeanor daunt The way in which a person behaves to make someone feel slightly frightened or worried about their ability to achieve something
spur on
to encourage an activity
grimace
try to prevent to render motionless, as with a fixed stare or by arousing terror or awe
stop, which, thankfully, was just in front of my flat. I shoved my way out, my strict upbringing forcing me to mutter a few insincere "Excuse-me's". I dragged my body up the flights of stairs to my second-floor flat. I did not even bother to try the elevator as I knew I would be competing with a crowd of thirty or more residents. Finally, I reached my door and, after a little fumbling for my keys, I entered my apartment. With a sigh of utmost relief, I dropped my briefcase and handbag on the floor, turned on the television and collapsed on the couch. "All in a day's work, my girl!" I told myself, and gazed with unseeing eyes at the television. perish hyped up fumble to die artificially stimulated or high excited search blindly and uncertainly
breathes? Furthermore, the excessive carbon dioxide will also effect a change in the micro-climate and raise the region's temperature. There will be a greenhouse effect on earth; warm air and radiation will be trapped under the earth's atmosphere. Then, as the earth's temperature rises, the ice in the polar caps will melt, raising the sea level. Great floods will hit the lower-lying areas. As you can see, it is a vicious cycle. A change in our environment will trigger offanother change which will trigger off yet another. This is why we. should keep the balance of nature. This is why we ought to preserve our forests. This is why environmentalist groups are pressurizing governments to reduce the felling of trees and the clearing of forests and to be serious about replanting forests. With the support of ordinary citizens like you and me, they will get the attention of the people in power. We can also help by planting trees. Members of this beautiful planet must be united. By preserving our forests, we are preserving ourselves. lush opulent trigger off abundant rich, luxurious, affluent put in motion
Furthermore, wouldn't the school be a much better place to spend our adolescence if we did not have to cope with teachers who vent their foul moods on us? We should not have to walk on eggshells because our teacher has had a bad day. Another aspect of the school that needs changing is the set of school rules. Some are so irrational or petty! Take, for example, the rule on short hair for boys. What is the rationale behind this? Do the people in authority believe that everyone with long hair will turn out to be a thug or a villain? Well, look at Hitler: he had very short hair and he almost caused the extinction of the entire Jewish race! On the other hand, punishments for serious acts of indiscipline should be made more effective, even if they have to be harsher. These days, students may get away with only a warning or a "booking" for offences such as breaking the school's tables, chairs and even doors. I strongly feel that these vandals should be made to pay for what they have destroyed. Furthermore, I feel that criminal action should be taken against students who beat people up, or threaten to do so, to extort money from them. If you behave like a criminal, you should be treated like one. Another area that needs reform is the school curriculum. One major problem is the subject called "Moral Education". You just cannot learn good morals the way you learn any other academic subject, memorizing facts for examinations. Good morals have to be internalized. So, "Moral Education" should either be taken off the school curriculum after primary school or changed to emphasize practical application rather than "head knowledge". Our school hours take up a large portion of our day. Let us spend these hours usefully, in a secure, caring, fun-filled atmosphere. Our school years take up a large proportion of our lives. This is the time that we are molded, intellectually and morally. Help us to grow into worthy citizens of our nation. affluent walk on eggshells extort having a lot of money being careful not to offend someone or do anything wrong to obtain something by force or threat
What occupation do you see yourself in after you have completed your schooling ? What are you going to do to achieve this ambition ?
I climb into the cockpit and sit myself down on the metal seat of the F-16 "Falcon", one of the best supersonic planes ever invented. I run a routine check on all the aircraft's dials and gauges as well as the weapon systems through the heads-up display. The sergeant gives me the thumbs-up sign from the far run way, indicating that all the external parts of the plane are in order and functioning well. I return the gesture to indicate that all internal systems are working well and that I will be taking off.
I flick the start button and feel the soft vibration begin. I hear the hum of pure power. Pushing the throttle to three quarters, I feel the acceleration of the plane taxiing off the runway and into the air ... . I have always aspired to be a fighter pilot. My dream began when I was about seven years old. One day, my uncle took me for a ride in his private plane. It was a momentous experience for me! Soaring freely in the sky, high above the rest of civilization, I knew that I would never want to do anything as much as I wanted to fly. As I grew older, I began to read books on aviation and air adventures. I was especially fascinated with accounts of air battles. Biggles was my hero above all other heroes. Thus, my ambition narrowed from just wanting to fly a plane to becoming a fighter pilot. The thought of scudding through the sky with the ability to defy gravity with a multi-million dollar piece of machinery and patriotic fervor excited my soul. The requirements for fighter pilot candidates are many and difficult to fulfill. Among them are academic excellence, perfect eyesight, a fit body, quick reflexes and the ability to stay cool under pressure. Well, I have never been the kind of person to leave things to chance: I am constantly aware of the need to work towards my goals. Thus, throughout my childhood years, into adolescence and up till now, I have always made time for exercise. I play games regularly, run ten kilometers a day and work out in the gym at least three times a week. It is crucial for a fighter pilot to be fighting fit. He must be able to withstand the high and low g's when piloting a jet at high speed. I have always been conscious of the need to preserve the perfect eyesight that God has blessed me with. So, I have always curtailed my hours of television-viewing. When I do watch television, I make sure I sit a good four meters away from the screen. I have always been careful to read only in well-lit areas. In addition, I watch my diet, eating food rich in vitamin A, which is essential for healthy eyes. In school, I never stint on my study times. I made sure I qualified for the science stream in High School, as a pilot must have a good understanding of physics and mathematics. My hard work has paid off and I have been topping the class in these subjects. I have just sat for the O levels. The results will not be out for months but I feel confident that I have done well. Next year, I plan to do my A levels. And after that, I shall enlist in the US Air Force. There is not much longer to wait. My dream is almost within my grasp. I pray with all my heart that it will become a reality and not remain just another of my boyish fantasies. taxi scud within one's grasp to move slowly on the ground to move quickly and without stopping in a straight line the ability to achieve
It is better to be the eldest child than the youngest one in the family. "Write a debate speech, proposing or opposing this motion.
"Mr. Chairman, honorable judges, misguided members of the opposition, and members of the floor: Good day to all. "Standing here today on this breezy morning as the third speaker for the proposition, I wish to continue where my team-mates left off to correct the misleading information presented by the opposition. "For instance, the second member of the opposition claimed that the youngest child will be treated more leniently than the others. Now, is this an advantage? By being treated too leniently, the child might think that his misbehavior is perfectly acceptable. Ever heard of the expression "Spare the rod and spoil the child"? It is true. Without strict and loving discipline, a beloved child might end up being the black sheep of the family. Now, the opposition contends that it is an advantage to be spoilt in this way. How can this be? "The opposition has also pointed out that the youngest child is usually more pampered. I agree. But, again, is this good? It is indeed enjoyable to be fussed over, pampered and mollycoddled but what will this pampered child grow into? It is a maxim that too much or too little is no good: Once a pampered child grows up, he will be overly dependent on others, in other words, spineless. Would you like to be this spineless adult? I leave you to decide. "Ladies and gentlemen, having straightened out a few delusions of the opposition, I shall present my own points. One of the advantages of being an eldest child is that he is used to being respected and obeyed by his siblings. This is because they know he is wiser and more experienced. This is a good feeling and it creates high self-esteem. This self-esteem will motivate him to succeed in every aspect of life. "Undeniably, the eldest child will shoulder more responsibilities. He will often be left in charge of the younger ones. The eldest child is also cast as a role model for the younger ones. Thus, he has to try harder to maintain discipline and a high standard of behavior. "The eldest child, having to cope with his siblings' antics, will also develop patience. He may have to give in to his siblings because `they are too young to understand'. Thus, he develops tolerance and understanding of other people's weaknesses. "All these points were described as 'disadvantages' by the opposition. They are only disadvantageous if you are unable to see the long-term benefits. You see, these momentarily trying circumstances will shape the child and prepare him for the challenges that lie ahead. According to a survey conducted by the Home Ministry, an average of 3 out of 5 successful people -- corporate leaders, lawyers, politicians -- were the eldest children in their families. "On to my next point, which centers on the word 'privileges'. In most cases, the eldest child will inherit the greater share of the wealth. According to Chinese custom, the eldest son carries on the family name, therefore he deserves a larger share of the property. In monarchies, the eldest child is the heir to the throne, as in the case of Prince Charles. If you
think that the eldest child is only privileged if he belongs to a wealthy family, you are wrong. The distinction is even sharper in poor families where the eldest child may be the only one whom the family can afford to educate or feed properly. "So, there you have it. Clear arguments to demolish the opposition to this motion. And now I hand over to my opponents, to give the sensible ones amongst them a chance to start defecting over to our side. Thank you." mollycoddle antics sensible to give too much care or protection amusing, silly or strange behavior having an awareness or understanding of a situation
Should our school examination system be abolished ? Give reasons for your stand.
From primary school to the end of their tertiary education, students face the daunting task of preparing for examinations every single year. So much time and emotion is poured into preparing for examinations. Advocates of the system contend that annual examinations are a good way of training children for the stress of life after school - where deadlines and sales quotas need to be met, and work completed methodically and with minimum fuss. Government examinations are also said to be the necessary yardstick for measuring the capability of each person for further education or employment. Yet, are examinations an accurate yardstick? A person's true abilities may not be shown by written examinations. Take Winston Churchill, for example. He was a school dropout and yet he became one of England's greatest statesmen, a national savior in World War II. Clearly, some talents and forms of ingenuity go undetected in examinations. Another problem related to our system of examinations is that teachers become too "examorientated". They race through the syllabus so that they can cover everything in it in time for the examinations regardless of whether their students have understood the material. The weaker students often end up the victims in this race -- they are left far behind the rest of the class. They become more and more discouraged as they understand less and less of the lessons, to the point that they hardly care if they pass or fail. Sadly, this attitude will be carried with them into adult life. What about the "swots"? Well, speaking as one, I confess that I often wonder whether it is worth it. We rush from one tuition class to another and we spend most of our time studying for tests and examinations, or doing our homework. All through the school semester, we only have one thought in mind: to excel in the examinations. Is this really living? A related point is that some students are so occupied with their studies that they do not develop their potential in other fields. It is true that there are many clubs and societies in the school. However, many students just do not have the time to make full use of these extracurricular activities. They have to study, study, study. So, our emphasis on examinations
is indirectly producing people who are only trained to study and reproduce facts rather than well-rounded individuals. In conclusion, while I realize that it will be impossible to do away with all examinations, I feel that they should be given less importance within the school system. For example, instead of basing entry qualifications on one examination, students should also be evaluated through the cumulative marks of tests and assignments. Furthermore educationists, employers, parents and the students themselves should always be reminded that the results of examinations are not equal to the sum of the net worth of the individual. advocate ingenuity well-rounded person supporting an idea or cause publicly someone's ability to think of clever new ways of doing something involving or having experience in a wide range of ideas or activities
even purposely push each other into the toilet bowls. One other possibility that cannot be excluded is that students may be so turned off at the thought of toilet cleaning that they may decide to skip school on the days that it is their turn to learn this skill. Thus, the teachers of other subjects may find it hard to complete the syllabus, due to the rise in absenteeism. In conclusion, I feel that the Ministry of Education should really ponder on this issue carefully. Frankly, I do not agree at all that cleaning toilets should be part of the school curriculum. Actually, jobs like toilet cleaning make one think of prison camps, where the inmates are forced to do humiliating chores. School is supposed to be a place where young people can imbibe knowledge and good values in a pleasant, enjoyable atmosphere. It is important that young people actually like to come to school. apprehensive merriment ponder feeling anxious about something that you are going to do having enjoyable time together to think carefully about something, especially for a noticeable length of time
because of advertisements. "Thirdly, industries can also greatly contribute to the expansion of a company from regional to international status. Let me give a real example. One man started a small and humble cottage industry of jeans-making. Because of its increasing popularity through advertising, this industry gradually weaved its way into the market until it started to prosper. From a cottage industry, this industry grew into an international company known by both the young and old. The name of this brand of jeans is none other than Levi's. This company was able to grow due to advertisements, creating job opportunities for millions of people, not only in America but also in Levi's factories in Indonesia, the Philippines and other third world countries. "Fourthly, advertisements of the latest technology and inventions are also beneficial for the consumers, for it means they can find the right kind of product for themselves easily and quickly. Here is another real-life case. My grandmother used to have too many lizards crawling around her house and she is paranoid about them. Then, one day, she saw the advertisement for a lizard spray that can paralyze lizards temporarily. End of lizard problem. How could my dear grandma have found out about such a strange but useful product without advertisements? Jokes aside, through reading the advertisements in newspapers or magazines, many people find just the product required to take care of their particular problem. Estate managers can find out about the right fertilizer or pesticide; computer owners can find the best software; doctors can find out about the latest medications. Imagine all the bother one must go through to find out the product one needs amongst the rapidly expanding array of products and inventions available, without advertisements. Why, one would have to phone just about every shop in town! Nowadays, we can just flip open a newspaper or even the Yellow Pages. See how advertisements have been such a blessing! "I rest my case. Thank you." humble weave not proud to go or make a path by moving quickly and changing direction often, especially to avoid hitting things feeling extremely anxious
paranoid
Write a speech for an elocution contest entitled " Should men be househusbands ?"
"I would like to share my thoughts with you on a subject that has always been close to my heart, that is, whether men should be house-husbands. You see, as a member of the male sex I feel guilty. I feel that man has always dominated, or should I say, bullied, the fairer sex. Women have long been downtrodden and forced to mind the house. "There was a very good reason for this in ancient times. Eking out a living then consisted mainly of running around with a club or spear, hunting deer, moose, or dinosaurs. However, now that we're approaching the year 2000, there has been a vast change. Bringing home the bacon in modern times needs intelligence and sensible thinking. And, as we all know,
women can and do think as sensibly and intelligently as men. "Thus, more and more women now qualify as doctors, lawyers and scientists. So, then, who will stay at home to take care of the children? Usually in cases where the mother works, the children are left in daycare centers. This is not healthy. Children need parental care. So, what often happens is that the wife has to quit her job. Is this fair? Not really. The men should be given the duty to mind the house occasionally, especially when the wife has better qualifications. "Some people doubt that a man can manage a household. You see, the women have been doing it for centuries. People have thus come to the conclusion that it is the woman's duty to mind the home and it shall be her role forever. "Actually, men are perfectly capable of performing domestic chores and minding children. And, as fathers, men can give the affection and care that the children need. And that's what really counts. "Personally, if my wife insists on being the breadwinner, I will be relieved of the stress of running in the rat race. I could even play golf every morning while the kids are at school. What's so bad about that? So, let's give the women the chance to work at those jobs that they've always wanted, while we men opt for more 'relaxed' lifestyles. And, who knows, perhaps the country would be run better. After all, looking at the current state of the world, what with wars, famines and nuclear weapons, perhaps we men should just stay at home to mind the house and let the women run the world!" downtrodden bring home the bacon the rat race badly and unfairly treated to earn money for a family to live on a way of life in modern society, characterized by people competing with each other for power and money
"Friends should never hide anything from each other." Do you agree ?
No man is an island. Everyone depends on his friends to a certain extent. Ever since man formed a system of verbal communication, all people have been in constant chatter with one another. Relationships are important to man, so much that people may shape their entire lifestyles simply to find favor with their clique or circle of friends. Therefore, much caution must be applied when dealing with our friends, especially in our speech. So then, must we always tell our friends the whole truth and nothing but the truth or is it sometimes simply none of their business? One thing is clear: finding out that your friend has lied to you always hurts. In cases where lies have been told to hurt you or other parties on purpose, the friendship will never be the same. If the lie caused you great damage, the friendship will not be salvageable. Who would
want a treacherous person for a friend? Yet, even when the matter is not of great importance, little lies can lead to the spoiling of relationships. I have a friend who often tells little untruths. Sometimes, he exaggerates circumstances a little, just to impress others, sometimes he tells half-truths to get out of trouble, sometimes, he makes up stories just to entertain his friends. Personally, I just do not feel comfortable with him. You see, I just never know whether he is telling the truth or one more of his little lies. Apart from the question of maintaining credibility, sharing one's problems and joys with a friend can also be helpful as we deal with the problems of daily living. As the saying goes, shared joy is double the joy and shared sorrow is half the sorrow. Sharing the good times can brighten up a friend's day if he feels down. Sharing one's problems and despairs with a friend will bring forth the encouragement and advice we need to hear. Sometimes simply having an ear to hear our heart's cries and knowing that someone understands us will make us feel better. People have been saved from suicide just by having a friend to listen to their troubles. It is clear, then, that some things need to be said to our friends without any twisting of the truth. However, there are times when telling a friend too much can also lead to problems. An all-too-common example of such a time is when one hears rumors. Gossip can start simply because someone thought a rumor was true and shared all her thoughts on the rumor with a friend. The friend, who actually had no real knowledge of the matter, passed all her thoughts and ideas to another friend and so on and so forth. The final result can be a mangled product which could really hurt the parties involved. The thing to do about rumors is not to spread them, even if you have strong opinions, about them. Another noteworthy fact is that sometimes, telling the truth may be worse than saying nothing. If an ugly girl with an inferiority complex were to ask you if she was unattractive, it would be a very bad idea to tell her just how unattractive she was. One must use his discretion in such situations, stressing on her good qualities, of course. Telling the whole truth in this case would destroy her remaining shreds of confidence. In conclusion, I feel that friends, even the closest of friends, need not tell each other everything they know or feel. Some matters, of course, should be discussed with friends, while some others should be hidden. We have to balance our love for truth with the practicalities of the situation. Not being perfect, we are bound to make mistakes, of course. So, one must then be prepared to make up with our friends, apologizing for our verbal blunders and forgiving them for theirs. Well, that's what friendship is really about -accepting people for what they are, imperfections and all. clique treacherous noteworthy a small group of people who spend their time together extremely dangerous deserving attention because important or interesting
"The Golden Age of Youth". How true is this description of your life as a youth ?
"The Golden Age of Youth"? Who coined up that expression? I am certainly not experiencing "golden" days in my life as a youth. Furthermore, many of my friends' complaints seem to attest that their experiences of youth roughly match up with mine, that is, life as a youth is tough! Firstly, being young automatically means that I have limited knowledge and no job skills, which means that no one will employ me for any worthwhile job. This means, clearly and simply, "No Independent Income". Now, it is undeniable that without money, you become severely limited in your options. You cannot buy anything, go anywhere or do anything. Obviously, this is a problem for me. Unable to function without cash, I have to rely on my parents financially. Unable to buy a car, I have to rely on them for transport. Unable to buy a house, I have to rely on them for accommodation. This means, theoretically, that my parents are my Supreme Commanders. When they tell me to jump, I have to jump. In such a situation, I am deprived of the vital human right that caused the American Civil War - Freedom. Secondly, as long as you are not too old or too ill to walk, people will always be measuring you by your achievements. This is especially true for people in their youth. Parents, teachers, society and the government love to gauge us scholastically, physically, socially, morally and in whatever means they can think of. Thus, school examinations become so important that many of us will study hours on end to perform well in them. Actually the pressure on us to perform well at all times is great. The pressure from our family gets stronger the older we grow. Since we started schooling, our parents have been comparing our test results with those of the children of their friends', who happen to be equally goalorientated parents. In fact, since we were born, our parents have been comparing the ages at which we first started talking or walking, our kiddy IQ test results and such other traps for vainglory. If I were a piece of chicken, I'd consider myself "Kentucky Fried", not because I was "spicy" or "original" but because I have been chopped into pieces, tenderized, pressurecooked and well-fried. Then, there is the question of romance. Practically speaking, youth is the worst time to get romantically attached, because, as was earlier explained, we lack the time and money to maintain a special boy-girl relationship. Yet, during our youth, we are at our peak; physically, we are at our most attractive. Furthermore, our hormones are swinging about wildly as we mature sexually. Unfortunately, this causes us to be more prone to getting involved in romantic relationships, which leads to heartache and causes us to perform badly in our examinations. I think that the government should have chosen a better time to set all the major examinations than at this time, don't you? So, youth is a traumatic time. It is definitely not "golden". In my opinion, the idea of "The Golden Age of Youth" must have been an illusion dreamt up by fools. Perhaps we should call it the "Iron Pyrite (Fool's Gold) Age of Youth".
on end vainglory
Continuously, without interruption Boastful, unwarranted pride in one's accomplishments or qualities An emotional wound or shock that creates substantial, lasting damage to the psychological development of a person
traumatic
in for a tough time! Furthermore, as the proverb goes, "The best laid plans of mice and men can fail". More than likely, I will meet a girl one day, fall in love and get married. And even though she might not be perfect, I'll love her, and, through the years, that might just be enough. bliss meditate foster perfect happiness to think seriously about something for a long time to encourage the development or growth of ideas or feelings
on my face. I was ordered straight to bed. As I got into bed, she stood in my room, still ranting at me for my disobedience and "wild behavior". I was tired. I just wanted to sleep. I looked up at her face to try to gauge if her scolding would be continuing much longer. Then I saw something familiar about the look in her eyes. It was the same look of concern that she had always had when I was so sick. I saw in her eyes all the fears that she had suffered that night as she waited for her daughter to return safely. This is how I know my mother loves me now. fret spoiled brat to be anxious or worried A spoiled brat is a child whose parents or other educators systematically fail to teach socially acceptable behavior and discipline. certain to encounter trouble or punishment
in for it