english commentary-YET AGAIN!

What is becoming of sports?

If sports are a reflection of the human nature, then man has much to worry about himself. Sports are man’s way of maintaining has sanity; there is nothing much quite like getting home after a long, tiring day at work and watching your favourite football team play and win. Sports are more than just about giving people an adrenaline rush; it is a binding force that gives people- both young and old -, a common topic to talk about. Sports are also known for their competitive nature, which provides an excellent platform for public display of talent and skill. Sportsmanship is the hallmark of sports…or used to be. Sports, in the past couple of decades, however, have adopted different characteristics. They have become more commonly associated with drugs and violence and this is true; sports have indeed come to show the other side of man’s true nature, one that is punctuated by his darker qualities.

Sport has become a hub for performance enhancing drugs. It is becoming common to read about sportsmen who shook the world with their superhuman abilities, only to be tested positive for drugs. One famous example would be the Olympic Games in 1988, when Ben Johnson won the 100 meters race in a record-shattering 9.83 seconds, only to be stripped of his medal when he tested positive for using stanozolol to enhance his performance. Recently, Michael Phelps, who won a record 8 gold medals in the Olympic Games last year was caught smoking marijuana and received a short-term ban. These incidents continue, despite painfully strong measures being put in place to prevent such fraud. People are constantly expanding the boundaries of sports by breaking records and reaching heights that never seemed in sight. However, sport is not about the individual or team glory. It is more importantly about how such peaks are reached and how new boundaries are made. Sports exist as a well from which people can draw inspiration. However, the wells are becoming dry because of corruption.

Many say that competition and the passion that arises out of it are some of the most important aspects of sports. Yes, they can be good to man, as they unite people regardless of background, and also rekindle the youngness in the hearts of the old. However, this very passion also poses a very significant threat to sports’ very own existence. There are many good examples of intense competition which make sports even more entertaining, but there are an equal number of examples where passion has turned into craze and done massive damage to the reputation of sport. A very relevant example would the very recent English Premier League game between West Ham United and Millwall, which have been fierce arch rivals for a long time. Hundreds ran riot in the streets after the game, throwing bottles, bricks and starting fires, and more than 200 riot police had to arrive at the scene to contain the violence that had erupted. The main damage dealt was not to the people injured in the riots, but to the very name of sports. Peoples’ image of sports being enjoyable and safe is shattered, replaced by one that depicts sports as a very dirty affair. This, however, is truly becoming the case, as sports are moving away from their purest forms, where they are solely meant for the enjoyment of people.

Sports are losing their true colours and are becoming increasingly associated with drugs and violence, and this is true as discussed above. Sport is no longer what is used to be – for people’s enjoyment and learning. There now exists a negative cloud around sports, and something has to be done to address such issues and redirect sports back to its original ideals of sportsmanship and true-natured entertainment, without which sports may become a thing of history.

ERP-4a) Recall a time you witnessed someone..

It was the last day of school. The End-of-year examination was over and the festive mood was in the air. I was all the more excited, since my class was about to have a farewell party after morning assembly. As I entered the hall for assembly, all I could hear was a mixture of words and laughter. The atmosphere was soaked with the surplus of energy from the charged crowd. As we settled after our daily duty of singing the national anthem and reciting the pledge, I really looked forward to some entertaining performances. However, the moment the discipline master came and announced the last thing that possibly any of us expected-a public caning- the hall turned pin-drop silent. I was rather confused with the on-goings, but soon a sense of shock overcame me. A student was about to be caned for a series of thefts!

This was a situation no one in the hall had ever thought of in their wildest of imagination. The unusually quiet surroundings just contributed to the fear developing in me. Fear of even having to watch such an act. As the discipline master explained about the severity of the offences the student had committed, I could not help but think about how this form of public embarrassment would not just leave a physical stain on him, but as well as an emotional scar. What emphasized was the fact that the Headmaster was going to do the caning! This very fact just blatantly pointed out to me that the caning was to be taken seriously by each and every one of us; it was not just a mere sequence of events that we were not involved in. The school was doing this for more than just punishing him; it was a powerful reminder to us about the consequences of our every actions.

The procedure started. Despite not knowing the student at all, I could not help but let my heart out to him. The Headmaster very carefully caned him three times, pausing after each time. These gaps made it even more painful to watch; time seemed to pass so very slowly. As I looked around, not one of the students’ eyes strayed away from the scene, and they revealed the fear which I myself had succumbed to. Nobody moved even after it was done, for it took a while for us to digest what had happened- and what it meant. I felt a sense of anger developing in me as we were released from the hall. Why did they have to humiliate a student in front of the whole school? Do they not realize that public caning was more than just the physical wound it creates? The more painful, unhealable wound was created in the heart. Or was that what they were after?

Soon my class met for the class party. However, as I had expected, not one person was in the mood to celebrate; the incident had just left us all speechless. As we quietly went about sharing our food, my mind was clouded with a certain hatred developing towards such a cruel form of punishment. After all, punishments are supposed to correct; not destroy.

Goodness

There are a few reasons why humans are willing to do good to others. They may be selfless or with an expectation of something in return. Or some do it for the sake of doing, as a way of ‘paying back’ for what someone else has done. I agree with the article that humans are not always selfless. What I mean is that it is true that relatedness and cost of the actions affects the good that a person does. Also, I agree that a sometimes person indeed does good as a form of reciprocation. However, I truly believe that goodness is not something that can be put into a formula.

Revamped introduction.. :/

Did you just say $40-million? Well, let’s see, what can I do with $40-million? Well, I could buy 80 Porsches. Or, with an open heart, I could feed 10-million hungry mouths for a day. Overall, definitely much more than an unnoticeable makeover of Orchard Road. The changes were hardly even visible and could not be observed unless scrutinized, as said by passers-by who only realized that something was different, after reading about the changes. Many Singaporeans join me in complaining that the makeover has actually only made the place worse. Definitely, the large amount of money could have been spent in by better ways to make Orchard Road a more attractive tourist destination.

Commentary on 'Orchard road facelift'

For today's commentary, I'll be talking about the 'Orchard road facelift', with reference to the article 'So, what's new?'- Sunday Times, The (Singapore) - Sunday, 15, 2009.

The parts of the commentary:

• Introductory Paragraph
  • Thesis Statement
  • Blueprint
• Body Paragraphs (x2)
  • Topic Sentence
  • Specific Support
    • Evidence
    • Explanation of Evidence
• Concluding Paragraph
  • Reworded Thesis Statement

______________________________________________________________________________________

Points:

Against:

1) $$ Can be spent on other areas which really need it.

2) Not only is it hardly noticeable, it even makes the situation worse.

3) In times of economic crisis, spending such huge amounts money should not be spent on issues which are not pertinent to the country.

For:

1) Tourism is an important source of revenue for Singapore and such upgrades will help attract more tourists.

_____________________________________________________________________

It would not be an exaggeration to say that the $40-million makeover of Orchard Road that the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has recently completed has not been well received by Singaporeans. They cite very valid reasons, an example being that the changes were hardly visible and could not be observed unless specifically scrutinized, as said by passers-by who only realized that something was different, after reading about the changes. In fact, some even say that the changes have only made things worse in Orchard Road. It also has to be said that the large amount of money could have been spent in by better ways to make Orchard Road a more attractive tourist destination. This essay will explore the various negatives of the makeover, and eventually prove that it was not worth the huge amount.

The makeover of Orchard Road has brought about much discontent within both Singaporeans and foreigners alike. Many complain about the problems it has brought about. For example, designer Josephine Jane has said that it does not look finished, and the flower totems that were supposed to add to the beauty of the place, only ended up blocking the view of pedestrians. Retiree Rosy Ong also commented that despite spending so much money to make the Orchard Road a greener placer, the dead leaves on the floor just made all the effort go down the drain. There exist also comments on the glass panels that seem to spoil the look of the place. All these comments go to show how STB has not achieved its goal of beautifying the place and attracting more tourists. Hence the $40-million makeover has proven has not had the impact in wanted to, and ended up going down the drain.

The makeover of Orchard road, which has cost $40-million, could have been spent better to make Orchard Road more attractive. Some passers-by said that the money could have gone into maintaining the place instead of upgrading it and event went on to specify that the pavements looked very dirty and the flooring very old. Also, salses promoter Nicholas Poh,18, said that the money could have been used to build a bridge across the road, which would have helped the situation better. Such examples go to show how the makeover could have been improved by spending the money on different areas to attract tourists.

This essay has why the makeover was not worth huge amount of $40-million spent on it. The money could have been put to better use in attracting tourists and developing the image of Singapore.

Arugument In Logos

I've chosen to talk about the topic a) Students should be allowed to set their own rules, using Logos.

   In my opinion, I believe that students should not be allowed to set their own rules. This is mainly due to the problems such a situation might cause. Firstly, students will tend to set rules that give them much freedom and liberty. They will end up setting rules that are not good for themselves, for example, allowing students to play handphone games during lessons. Another example would be giving the green light to using vulgarities whenever they want to. This would definitely have negative implications, as students will end up with poor character and discipline. We all agree than students are the leaders of tomorrow. If the leaders of tomorrow have poor discipline and character, the country will eventually turn chaotic. Hence students should not be allowed to set their own rules.

What is an exposition?

I've actually not much clue whether what my idea of exposition is correct. Anyways, here I go:

It is a writing or speech primarily intended to convey information or to explain. It is a good way to put across an arugment and convince the reader or listener about the author's view on a certain topic. Usually, I guess, a good exposition contains two sides of the issue. 

In an online dictionary, I found the following meaning for exposition:

1.a setting forth of the meaning or purpose (as of a writing)2. discourse or an example of it designed to convey information or explain what is difficult to understand
I think very much sums up what's an exposition. We all use exposition very often, I think, even the essays we write for SS and History are expositions!