English Blog: Term 2 Week 10: Energy efficient light bulbs

A very good morning to all of you. Thank you for taking time off your busy schedule to attend my talk today. On behalf of the Ministry of Environment, I would like to talk about energy efficient lighting, and hopefully convince you to switch to a more environmentally-friendly type of lighting.

What is energy efficiency? It means to use less energy to provide the same level of energy service. An example would be insulating a house with less heating and cooling energy to achieve the same temperature. Another example would be installing fluorescent lights and/or skylights instead of incandescent lights to attain the same level of illumination. Efficient energy use is achieved primarily by means of a more efficient technology or process rather than by changes in individual behaviour.

You may think, : “Energy efficient lights are expensive and doesn’t glow brighter.” Although energy efficient lights cost more than the standard lights, it will save you money in the long run! For example, for every Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFLs for short) you use, it can save you over $US30 in electricity costs over the light’s period of use. It is true that CFLs don’t glow brighter, but it will save you electricity! Compared to the common incandescent lights, which are neither energy efficient nor environmentally friendly, it is a total contrast. Imagine what you could do with the money you have saved! You will be totally amazed at what energy efficient lights can do!

You can also save the environment by changing to the more environmentally-friendly choice. If the demand for energy services remains constant, improving energy efficiency will reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions. This will save our environment and Earth in the long run.

The government will give out tax rebates on Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs and other energy efficient light bulbs. So what are you waiting for? Switch to Energy Efficient Lighting now!
Thank you for your kind attention.

English Blog Term 2 Week 9

Blog Term 2 Week 9
Do you support stem cell research? Explain your view.

Stem cells are cells found in most, if not all, multi-cellular organisms. They are able to renew themselves through mitotic cell differentiating into a diverse range of specialized cell types. Stem cells can be grown and transformed into specialized cells with characteristics consistent with cells of various tissues such as muscles or nerves through cell culture. Highly plastic adult stem cells come from a variety of sources, including Umbilical cord blood. Umbilical cord blood and bone marrow are routinely used in medical therapies.
Stem cell research is used for investigation of basic cells which develop organisms. The cells are grown in laboratories. The tests are carried out to investigate fundamental properties of the cells. There are pros and cons to carrying out stem cell research. Although it is a tremendous breakthrough in medical science and is something that we should cheer, there are some concerns.
There are many advantages of stem cell research. The most obvious being able to treat a host of medical problems such as Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s Disease, Heart Diseases, Stroke and Diabetes, Birth Defects, Spinal Cord Injuries or even replace or repair damaged organs and the list goes on. This will revolutionise the world of medical treatments. It will ease the pain and suffering of the sick and injured. This research would give great insights about basics of the body.
However Stem Cell Research raises some issues, mostly ethical ones. For example, people are worried about how the knowledge will be used and we should not mess with human life. Stem cell research may lead to human cloning in the future. As with experience in other research which lead to adverse consequences, like the nuclear research, we have to be extra cautious.
Many critics are also concerned with the ethical issues relating to stem cell research. We should develop more ethical methods to extract the stem cell and also to research in a more ethical way. A life is a life and should not be compromised. A fertilized egg is a life even though it is only a few weeks old.
The benefits of stem cell research has such a great outcome that in my opinion it outweighs the ethical concerns. Strict guidelines should be in place to ensure that the research do not cross the tolerance range relating to ethical issues.
Thus for all obvious medical benefits and to lessen patient’s pain and improve the quality of people’s life, I totally support stem cell research. In fact, I aspire to be one of those researchers and to contribute positively to the research and medical arena.

Term 2 Blog Week 8: Social Network Bad Experience

Write a short story about a teenager who goes missing shortly after joining a social network site.

Opening his email, John found an email reading," Are you a fan of anime? Join this social network!” Not knowing that the email was spam, he clicked on the link below. He was led to their network on Ning. He joined and started looking around the site.

John found several members of the social network with the same interest. His addiction in the social network increased and he would go online for at least 2 hours a day to chat with the various people. Funnily enough, he did not realise that it was always the same four or five boys that he chatted to. He made many friends online, and even gave out personal information such as his real name and address and that his father was a professor in a university. John did not realise the consequences of doing this just then. Little did he foresee the unexpected.

The “good friends” persuaded John to officially join their exclusive club for die-hard anime fans. It would also enable him to meet friends of the same interest and widen his circle of friends . They sounded convincing enough. John, thinking that this club would benefit him, agreed to meet up with two of the committee members from the club. The meeting place was none other than McDonalds along Bukit Timah Road, which was a stone’s throw away from his house. The two boys looked decent and unbelievably friendly. John was sold! He readily agreed when they asked for a $200 membership fee to the club. John dug out every last dollar from his wallet, which was his allowance for that month.

Feeling glad that he had finally joined a club where he can belong to, John smiled as he walked home. He received an email, asking him to meet those “friends” the next week and was elated. A nasty surprise awaited him. This time, they requested to meet at a quite, dilapidated house near Holland Village. At first, John was puzzled. But soon, in his eagerness to meet his “friends”, he ditched all his sensibility. Upon arrival at the deserted place, his “friends” immediately got to their act and asked John for more money, a whopping $10000.

“Ten thousand dollars?” exclaimed a surprised John. The looks of malice and wickedness in his friends, which he had never noticed before, soon sank in. He could feel the blood drain off his limbs and tension amounting within. He felt his knees go wobbly and adrenaline rush through his veins.

Soon, the “friends” turned aggressive and menacing. They admitted that they are thugs out to cheat innocent, rich and lonely schoolboys like John. They were big bullies pounding on him! With evil looks, they demanded that he call his parents for money. Unfortunately, his parents were not contactable as they were in a rural part of China. John pleaded with them and tears streamed down. They showed him no mercy and locked him in one of the dirty, smelly rooms before leaving. They warned him that unless they get their money, he would be left there to starve and meet his death.

John prayed fervently that help would arrive soon. But how? His parents are overseas. John looked out of the tiny window and wished to breathe the fresh air. He wanted very much some water and food. How he wished that he had not been so gullible. His parents had warned him many times and he always turned a deaf ear. If only he had heeded their advice, he would not be in this predicament. “If only I could get out as soon as possible,” John prayed, “I will always be obedient to my parents and think before I leap.”

English Blog: Term 2 Week 6: Women Deserve Equal Standing and opportunities in workforce

Women deserve equal standing and opportunities in the workforce. Write and exposition of about 400 words of this title.

Women of today take on a wide array of roles in society ranging from being a wife, mother and a corporate high flier. More women gets higher education and that translate to more women entering the workforce and holding higher positions in the corporate ladder.

With globalisation and Singapore being more urbanised and industrialised, the need for intelligent ambitious and talented personnel, whether male or female is apparent. Every organisation should promote their personnel based on meritocracy and as long as a woman has the right qualifications, ability, aptitude and capability, she should have an equal chance of being promoted.

The modern Singapore women are well educated, well read and well travelled. These diversities in background and knowledge set them poise to demand equal or better opportunities in the workforce.
In the 21st century, brains count a lot more than brawn. Women’s achievements have a significant role in the workforce. They deserve equal standing and recognition so that they can realise their fullest potential and contribute to the prosperity and progress of our nation. Women should be given equal opportunities to nurture their unique capabilities and leadership strengths.

Singapore is a society which holds dear the ideal of meritocracy. In education and the workforce, equal opportunities exist for the best candidates, regardless of gender and race. In school, boys and girls are given equal opportunities to excel in sports, aesthetics, community and intellectual pursuits. Similarly, in the workforce, women should get equal access to all opportunities. Many women have gain credible positions in the workforce all thanks to the recognition by the government that men and women have equal rights in the work place. The Fair Employment Practices ensure that employers do not discriminate and they recruit, select and reward their employees based on merits.

All women deserve equal opportunities as men and enjoy a full range of human rights. There are many high flying women holding key positions in the political, public and arena. Members of parliament include Ms Grace Foo, Ms Lim Hwee Hua and private Madam Halimah Yacob, to name a few. The group CEO of the largest listed company in Singapore is Ms Chua Sock Koong while Dr Wong Ting Hway was the first Singaporean to work full-time with the International Committee of the Red Cross.

We must empower and enrich the lives of women who are assets and rich resources to our country. We must leverage Singapore women so that they could achieve success in the national and global arenas. Thus I conclude that women deserve equal standing and opportunities in the workforce.

Term 2 Blog Week 7: Addiction to gaming

I have heard stories about my classmates getting addicted to computer and console games. Never did I think I would become addicted too.

"Hey! You should really download and play WT! It's so cool!" came my friend's voice over the phone. He went on elaborating about the game details, rattling on like a machine gun about how "cool" it was. "No thanks", I replied. My parents had warned me about the dangers about game addiction and to stay away from it. "Oh come on! What can a little bit of playing do?” came my friend again. I weighed the pros and cons. Yes, he was right? What could a little bit of playing do? I succumbed to my temptation and started to play the game. I neither expected nor foreseen the unexpected.


What started of as half an hour a day soon turned into pure addiction. It just seemed so engrossing and interesting, and drew my interest. I kept thinking about it in my mind. It became a daily affair for me and I played up to 6-8 hours every day, without taking eye breaks. They turned red and swollen. My eyesight turned poor. I neglected my homework, studies and most importantly, my family. I placed gaming as priority, above everything else. Still I did not realise that I had become addicted. That was just the tip of the iceberg. I also got hooked on to similar role-playing-games like HCE. The thoughts of the games were in my mind all the time, round the clock. I could not concentrate in school. My grades deteriorated like a roller coaster, plunging down the rails.

One day it began to dawn on me. I saw my mother shaking her head, totally disappointedly at my report card. The appalling, atrocious, ghastly, devastating MSG of 8.9 stared coldly at her.


From then on, I worked hard to pull up my grades and made time to spend with my family. Luckily, my addiction only lasted for 3 months and I have steered clear from it. I am addiction-free now. I only play for leisure and the most is 2 hours a week. J

English Blog: Term 2 Week 4

Why are GM or genetically modified foods such a controversy in the world today? Are they truly dangerous or are people being overly cautious? Discuss.
GM or genetically modified foods is controversial for many reasons and I feel that it is because they are truly dangerous. Better be cautious than sorry. In this world and age, with the advancements in research and technology, nothing is impossible to create. GM is gaining a lot of attention.GM are made from organisms that have been given specific traits through genetic engineering. A quick visit to the supermarket and you will discover many GM food products ranging from soybean, corn, potato to animal products like a breed of pig that are better able to absorb plant phoshorus so that the phosphorus content of their manure is reduced by 60%.
While GM may seem a convenience way of producing many products to serve the growing world population, there have been many objections due to safety issues, ecological concerns , economic concerns and ethical concerns.
GM is inherently unpredictable and dangerous for humans, animals, the environment, and for the future of sustainable and organic agriculture. It has resulted in the unexpected production of toxic substances in genetically engineered bacteria, yeast, plants, and animals with many problems still remaining undetected. It has the potential to be toxic and a threat to human health. For example, a type of GM potatoes are found to damage vital organs and immune systems of lab rats. New toxins are being produced as manipulations of genes get more complex.
Another GE recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH) -- injected into dairy cows could pose serious hazards for human breast, prostate, and colon cancer. Fatal allergies were found in a Brazil nut gene spliced into soybeans where mild unpleasantness to sudden death could occur. Studies have also shown that GM food will likely result in foods lower in quality and nutrition.
The negativity associated with GM are endless…... People who ate GE food may increasingly become antibiotic resistance. There is increased pesticide residues in the soil and on crops. Wind, rain, birds, bees, and insect pollinators have begun carrying genetically-altered pollens and polluting the DNA of crops of organic and non-GM farmers. GM crops are adversely affecting the beneficial insects and soil mirco-organisms. GM crops that are herbicide-resistant are in turn creating superpests and superweeds. GE soil bacteria to resist viruses can cause the viruses to mutate into new, more virulent forms. The invasions of superior GM plants into the environment are creating ego imbalance. With GM foods and widespread biotech food production, farming and agricultural jobs are being eliminated and many will lose their livelihoods. Finally, we faced the Ethical issue with the cruelty inherent in experimentation associated with testing on live animals. Animals genetically engineered for use in laboratories, such as the infamous "Harvard mouse" which contains a human cancer-causing gene that will be passed down to all succeeding generations, were created to suffer.
Thus GM foods are really dangerous and more awareness and studies need to be given. So go with the proposition. GM Food can be hazardous and a threat to our entire Earth.