Term 2 Week 5 Weekend Assignment

Students may define school rules as oppressive and strict, but is this really the case? School rules are established to maintain order and discipline in the school. If students were allowed to alter school rules, they would probably change it to suit their own self-interests. Thus, I feel that the establishment of school rules should still be done by people of higher authority.

Many students find that school rules are very restricting to their freedom. For example: the wearing of school uniform and tidiness of hair. These school rules, although may seem useless, are actually quite vital. When students wear uniforms, it shows commitment to their school. Also, by having tidy hair and a proper uniform, others would not have a bad impression of our school when students are outside of school. Therefore, when we weigh the disadvantages and advantages, it is clear that the wearing of school uniform is beneficial to the students and the school. Corporal punishment is also necessary although deemed strict. It serves as a guideline in the student’s lives as they may stray into drugs or stealing or other major offences. Thus, it is necessary to use this punishment to teach them what is right from wrong and to serve as a warning to others too.

If students were given more freedom, I feel that more ridiculous rules would come out from them as they might not be mature enough to weigh the consequences. Imagine if a student establishes a school rule which allows gaming in school. This would make them happy but would it benefit them in the long run? Students would not be able to focus on their studies and would descend into addiction.

Therefore, I feel that students could be given more freedom to suggest appropriate school rules which are beneficial to both the school and students.

Term 2 Lesson 2 Online Lesson

Several shells fell from the sky and dived down straight into the rice fields in the distance where the German troops were running across. “Ah!” agonizing screams could be heard as the German soldiers were blasted apart. The sight was revolting. Blood turned the field into a crimson red colour. As more German soldiers stormed in through the field, a friendly airstrike came from above. Bombs were dropped onto the field. “Boom!” the ear-deafening sound of the bombs landed on the field. Again, the German soldiers were quickly thinned. Friendly troops were all cheering as we have finally captured Berlin after 34 hours. As I stood from a war-torn building, fatigued, I stared into the distance. The Sun was just rising. Perspiration trickled down my dirty face. I wiped it off and slumped on to the floor. My comrade, Private Brian stood beside me and gave a satisfied smile. Thoughts flashed across my mind. Was the war finally over? Or is this just the beginning of another one? Too tired to think further, I closed my eyes and lean against the wall. Brian went downstairs to meet our Sergeant. Quietness hung in the building. I sighed and curled up into a ball. Scenes of several battles surfaced in my mind. One moment, I remembered taking up my rifle and shooting a German soldier. The other, I remembered sprinting onto the beach as we landed. “Let’s go! Be down in 10 minutes!” my lieutenant shouted to everyone who was resting. Hearing his command, my heart dropped. Soldiers were all heard groaning. Berlin was completely quiet. Everything was quiet. My gut told me that something was going to happen. When can we go back to America and see my family? Deep down in my heart, I knew that wars were useless and destructive. Simply destructive. The cause despair and pain for everyone. Why? All because of man’s selfish needs. I reached into my uniform and took out a letter. Would we go back in to battle again? Would I escape death yet again? These questions entered my mind but I shunned them away. In my heart, I knew that whether I live or die, this letter, in my hand, will and must get back to my family…

Term 2 Week 4 (Weekend Assignment)

Does nuclear energy still have a part to play in the world?

I believe that nuclear energy still plays a vital role in our world today. Recently, a crisis befell Japan. Several nuclear plants in Japan leaked, thus leading to radiation being released into the atmosphere and the environment. The radiation is harmful to both Man and nature. Although this has made many feel strongly against nuclear energy, I feel that we should first go into detail about what happened. It was the earthquake which caused the nuclear reactors in Japan to leak. Thus, this is caused by nature and not the nuclear energy itself. Also, in the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, radiation was also leaked into the air, but it was caused by human err, not solely nuclear energy. From these examples, we should consider how it is nature and human err which caused these disasters.

Next, we should consider how much nuclear energy can benefit our world. As our natural resources are running low and our environment being harmed by CO2, we need alternative sources of energy. Even though hydro, solar and wind energy are being utilized, it is still hard to have a constant supply of energy as these things change with the environment. Therefore, we would need to look into nuclear energy. Although it is very dangerous, it is still very useful. It is able to produce large amounts of energy in a small area while other sources of energy require a large space to obtain the same amount of energy. We should not see nuclear energy as harmful as it is Man who has utilized and turned it into weapon of mass destruction. In conclusion, I feel that nuclear energy still has a part to play in the world.

Crisis in Japan

11 Pallet Town

4/4/11

Dear Jeremy,

I am terrified. Just a few hours ago, I was sitting at home and enjoying a nice hot bath. After coming out of the toilet, I went to take my breakfast. It was like the start of every normal day. Out of the blue, the house started to shake wildly. Over at my neighbour’s house, I could hear them screaming. I was rooted to the ground. Fear gripped me. My television fell to the floor with a deafening crash. Photo frames, plates and furniture were all toppling down. I quickly grabbed my phone and wallet from the table beside me and rushed out of the house. As I went out, the ground was still shaking vigorously. It was an earthquake. I saw several of my neighbours running out too. Suddenly, the tsunami alarm went off. Again, fear and panic seized me. Not far away, I could see a 10 meter tall wave charging towards Ofunato, our village. Immediately, my neighbours shouted at me to get to higher ground. I sprinted with all my might to the nearby park where a hill was 40 meters above ground level. As I reached the hill, safely above the flood waters, my heart came to rest. My neighbours and I stood there in both fear and shock. Down below, I could see several people being washed away by the tsunami. They were screaming hysterically for help. At that moment, my heart grew heavy and I finally realized how feeble life was. Our lives could be taken from us at anytime. Soon, rescue arrived within several hours.

The helicopter transported us the the Southern part of Japan where it was relatively safe. We had to stay in a stadium. It was very crowded and disorientated. Many people could be seen weeping over their loss of relatives. I feel very sad as my heart went out to them. Luckily, most of my relatives lived in the Southern part of Japan. As I sit here, stranded in this disaster and with nowhere to go, I write to you this letter expressing my feelings to you…

Yours sincerely,

Darren Lim