Recently, I came across an article regarding the smoking situation in Singapore. It was about the increase in offenders caught smoking in out-of-bound areas, just a month after the nationwide smoking ban was widened to include more public places. This shows that smoking is still prevalent in Singapore. Considering the many harmful effects of smoking, like lung cancer, it is worrying to see that so many people still do not seem to pay heed to doctors and quit smoking. This raised the question, “Why not simply ban cigarettes in Singapore?” With cigarettes being the main form of tobacco used in Singapore, I feel that such a ban should be imposed.
Banning Cigarettes in Singapore?
Extensive Reading Programme (ERP) Assignment - The Day I Became The Teacher
As children, we are almost always being taught something from others, usually our elders. Be it our culture, Mathematics, language or any other topic, children are often at the receiving end of the knowledge. It was therefore a very unique experience when I was put into the shoes of a teacher.
It was turning out to be a very ordinary weekend. I had finished all my homework and was slouching on the sofa, watching a television programme to relax. My grandmother had come over just last month. Back then, we were bubbling with excitement but now, her presence no longer seemed special. Feeling bored, I switched off the television and decided to read one of the new Reader’s Digest issues. Just then, my grandmother came walking out with a wrinkled face as she turned over her new mobile phone to understand how it works. After trying for a few minutes, she finally gave up and asked, “Shorya, I can’t understand how this mobile phone works. I need someone to tell me how to use it.”
At once, my eyes lit up. I thought, “At last, something interesting to do!” Chucking the Reader’s Digest copy aside, I invited her to sit and began to explain the functions in the mobile phone with the aid of some gestures, “When you click the left button, the menu will appear. On the menu, you will see some pictures.” In this manner, I demonstrated the device’s functions.
It was during this demonstration that she inquired me not once but several times in our Mother Tongue. For instance, she asked, “How do you view the photos that you have taken?” or even requested, “Could you repeat what you did just now?” These questions suddenly prompted me to look at her. I could see from her eyes that she was really making an effort to understand and learn what I was teaching her. I was the teacher and she was the student. I also realised, “This is so easy to me but for her, this is a special skill just because she belonged to an older generation.”
However, this was not the first time that I had taught other people certain skills. I have taught my younger brothers and even my father some skills. Yet, this experience was special. Despite her gray hair and diabetes, my grandmother reflected an admirable zeal for learning. Her brown face battered by age showed earnestness, not shame, even when she asked questions whose answers seemed all too obvious. She would even say, “Let me try. Correct me if I am wrong.”
In her, I saw a pupil ever willing to learn. She was a sponge in a sea of knowledge that kept soaking up what was around her. She had just provided empirical evidence for what my parents’ kept saying, “Nobody knows everything. Even we are constantly learning. Sometimes, we also earn things from you, our children.”
That unique experience ended with her simply smiling and saying, “You sure make a good teacher. Try applying for a job in a school some day.” From that day onwards, that radiant smile has and always will remind me of this wonderful experience.
A Ban on Guns?
Recently, I came across an article regarding a seventeen-year-old shooting fifteen people in Germany and then shooting himself after that. Most of the killings took place at or near the school that he had graduated from last year. This can be seen from the fact that nine students, three teachers and a passer-by outside the building were amongst his victims. The death toll from this incident almost matched that of the worst German school shooting, in which the death toll was sixteen people. This shooting rampage, along with the recent shooting tragedy in the American state of Alabama by Michael McLendon, has raised questions about the issue of gun control. The German teen probably got hold of the gun that he used from his father’s collection of guns, while McLendon had bought his guns. This means that a ban on the possession of guns would have prevented these killings. However, there is no such ban in Germany or America. Thus, I feel that the possession of guns by ordinary citizens should be banned everywhere.
Firstly, these tragedies show that guns in the hands of wrong people can lead to the loss of innocent lives. We must understand that a gun in a person’s possession puts him or her in a position of power. This weapon renders and unarmed person as harmless and susceptible. Due to this, many people obey an armed person’s orders for fear of losing their lives or getting seriously injured. Many people who have experience armed robberies would testify to this. Even political leaders have identified this power too as seen when Vladimir Lenin said “One man with a gun can control hundred without one.” This power is often wanted by people who want to have more influence or want to achieve their aims. These aims are usually to get revenge on others or just to obtain something. So, if a gun falls in the hands of wrong people. “Wrong people” refers to people who have unethical or immoral objectives. Such objectives often involve hurting, if not killing, other people. It should also be noted that such people are hard to identify, since a person’s personality can change any time. An example of such a person would be McLendon as he was described as a “nice and polite kid” by those close to him. However, he left a list of people whom he held grudges against as he felt that they had treated him and his family unfairly. So, why should we risk losing lives and make the dead people’s loved ones cry when we can stop all this shooting by banning the possession of guns by ordinary citizens.
Secondly, humans are emotional beings, who should not possess guns. It is not rare to see people flying into a rage and hurling obscenities at each other or seeing people crying over bad news or after being emotionally hurt. It is part of human nature to express our emotions, regardless who we are or what we are feeling. However, when we are experiencing emotions, like when we are boiling with rage, and have a weapon in our hand, we can be murderers on the loose. At such times, we cannot think clearly, let alone control our actions. So, with a weapon in our possession, we may vent our emotions through the weapon, which sometimes leads to deaths. The recent shootings in Germany and Alabama are just two examples of such shootings, triggered by such emotions. If the possession of guns by ordinary citizens was banned in these countries, we would have saved so many lives. Therefore, the possession of guns by ordinary citizens should be banned.
Now, the question may arise, “Why ban only guns and not other weapons?” Practically, the only other weapons that we can possess are knives, which we need to perform many actions from day to day, like cutting fruits. Guns do not serve any such purpose and thus, should be banned.
Now, people in support of the possession of guns argue that these guns are required for self-defence. The book “Ayn Rand Answers” states that if a people have a right to their lives, they should surely have the right to a means to protect their lives. So, a person has a right to a firearm, like a gun, for self-defence. However, it must be noted that firearms are not the only forms of self-defence. By trying to clamp down on crimes and voting for people willing to do so, a person is defending himself or herself as no criminals means that nobody owns a gun illegally (if a ban on the possession of guns was imposed). Ordinary citizens possessing guns migh and has led to more criminals who shoot for more personal reasons, instead of reasons like stealing. McLendon and the seventeen-year-old German are just two examples of such gunmen.
Thus far, it can be seen that banning ordinary citizens from possessing guns, along with clamping down on crimes, would have saved many lives and prevented the tragedies, like the recent ones that took place in Germany and Alabama. In other words, such a ban is in the interest of humans as a whole. Therefore, it is a clear “No” from me on ordinary citizens possessing guns!
Practice Commentary for Upcoming Commentary Test
Recently, I came across an article regarding a seventeen-year-old shooting fifteen people in Germany and then killing himself. Most of the killings took place at or near the school that he had graduated from last year. This can be seen from the fact that of the fifteen killed, nine students and three teachers and a passer-by outside the building were shot in or near the school. The death toll from this incident almost matched that of the worst German school shooting, in which the death toll was sixteen people. This shooting rampage, along with the recent shooting tragedy in the American state of Alabama, has raised questions about the issue of gun control. The German teen probably got hold of the pistol that he used from his father’s collection of sixteen guns and the gunman in Alabama had bought his guns. This simply means that a ban on possessing guns would have prevented these shooting tragedies. However, there is no ban on the possession of guns in either Germany or America. Thus, I feel that the possession of guns should be banned everywhere.
Firstly, as seen from the shooting rampages, the guns in the possession of the wrong people can lead to the loss of innocent lives. We must understand the position of power that a person comes into when he or she holds a weapon. The weapon renders anyone without arms as harmless and susceptible. Due to this, weapons also frighten most people as they know that an armed person can take lives or seriously injure people. This also puts the armed person in a position of power. This power has been identified by past leaders as well when Vladimir Lenin said, “One man can control hundred without one.” This power is often wanted by a people who think that they are in a position of little influence and want to achieve their aims. This aim could be taking revenge for unfair treatment or just to get something. So, if the armed person falls under the group of wrong people, the situation becomes potentially life-threatening. When I refer to “wrong people”, the reference is being made to people who want to achieve their unethical or immoral objectives through any means. Such objectives usually involve hurting others or allowing the armed person to get something that he or she does not deserve. It should also be noted that these wrong people can often be hard to identify and could be anyone altogether as a person’s personality can change any time. For example, the earlier mentioned gunman in Alabama, Michael McLendon, was described as a “nice and polite kid” by those who knew him. However, he held grudges against some people who he felt had treated his mother and him unfairly. Thus, he tried to attain a position of power by using a gun in order to exact his revenge on them. Therefore, it is the safest choice in the interest of fellow humans that the possession of guns by ordinary citizens be banned.
Secondly, humans are emotional beings, who should not be in possession of guns. It is not rare to see people flying into a rage over trivial issues and hurling obscenities. At other times, one gets to see people breaking down and weeping over bad news or after being emotionally hurt. We, humans, always express our emotions, whether we are happy or furious or sad. These emotions are part of our lives but when we have a gun or any other weapon and are experiencing extreme emotions, we can be murderers on the loose. Extreme emotions, like when we are boiling with rage, are very often uncontrollable. Thus, when we experience such emotions, we cannot think clearly, let alone control our actions. This can and sometimes even does results in us using weapons as a means to vent our emotions, which in turn can cause deaths. The recent shootings by the seventeen-year-old German and Michael McLendon (in Alabama) are just two examples of such behaviour possibly triggered by emotions. Therefore, the possession of guns by ordinary citizens should be banned.
Now, the question may arise, “Why ban only guns and not other weapons?” The reason is rather simple. Practically, the only other weapon that ordinary citizens currently are allowed to possess is a knife. Knives are needed for daily purposes, like cutting fruits and vegetables, spreading butter, cutting cakes. So, they cannot be banned. However, this is not the case for guns. Guns are lethal weapons that cannot serve any daily. They can, at the very best, be used for self defence.
This brings me to the argument in support of ordinary citizens possessing guns. This group of people say that the possession of guns is a form of self-defence. As stated in the book “Ayn Rand Answers”, denying anyone the right to have a means to protect one’s life is absurd when he or she has a right to his or her life. In other words, it is necessary for anyone to have a right to own a firearm (gun) as a form of self defence as he or she has a right to his or her life. However, it must be noted that firearms are not the only form of self-defence. By trying to help clamp down on crimes as a society and voting for people who are willing to do this, we are defending ourselves. Otherwise, allowing ordinary citizens to possess guns, we might and have caused criminals to arise who shoot for personal reasons instead of reasons like stealing. Examples of such criminals would be the gunmen from Germany and Alabama.
Thus far, it can be seen that banning ordinary citizens from possessing guns, along with clamping down on crimes, could effectively prevent shooting tragedies like those in Germany and Alabama while keeping citizens safe. Therefore, it is a clear “No” from me on ordinary citizens possessing guns!
Orchard Road Facelift - A Waste or Good Use of Money?
Embryonic Stem Cells – Should it go on?
Have you ever had to make a choice which would almost surely dissatisfy some people? Almost all of us would have had faced such a situation. It is never easy to try to decide on something, knowing that you are going to displease people. However, it is a part of life that we cannot run away from. Such a situation is exactly what the whole world is now in. The issue at hand too is no small matter; it is embryonic stem cell research. With the case of the fraudulent research papers of the South Korean scientist, Hwang Woo Suk, this scientific research area has been dragged into the limelight for the wrong reasons. It has blemished all the scientists persevering in helping humankind find a cure to the incurable diseases of today. More importantly, it has further fuelled the debate on whether embryonic stem cell research is beneficial or not.
Firstly, we must understand that stem cells are actually undifferentiated cells that can be turned into nearly any kind of cell. An embryonic stem cell is just such a stem cell obtained form an embryo, which is a cluster of cells that have not yet formed into a foetus. This research area actually holds a lot of promise as it is not a short-term cure. For example, if a liver stem cell is inserted into a damaged liver, it can replace the damaged stem cells, and these cells will remain as part of the liver. In this manner, many diseases and injuries that are fatal today could be cured.
Now, people against pursuing research in this field might argue that it involves using embryos that could have been in the uterus of a woman and have developed into healthy children. However, what about looking at this issue in the perspective of the people who suffer from currently incurable diseases and their loved ones? Would it not be depriving these people of a possible cure and an end to their misery? Stopping research in this field would mean a definite end to the afflicted people’s lives. In other words, we would be depriving them of their lives. Would this be justifiable? Moreover, embryos are a cluster of cells that have not yet become a foetus. If it is being argued that foetuses are humans or not, how can embryos be considered human? The embryo's cells are just like other cells, like plant cells, that have been studied and manipulated with. If these plant cells can be used for such research, why not embryos? Even plants are living things that experience pain, affection (proven by Jagdish Chandra Bose, an Indian scientist), so if they can be used for such research, why not human embryos?
Helping the people afflicted by currently incurable diseases by furthering research in embryonic stem cell research to find a cure to their problems would also be a good deed. It would be helping them. Based on one’s morals and principles, this would mean that research should be pursued in this research field. Why should we refrain from doing a good deed then? Therefore, we should pursue this area of research.
However, there is a possible solution to this debate: adult stem cells. Embryonic stem cells run the risk of being rejected by the recipient. Since a human embryo has a complete set of chromosomes, it also has a full set of antigens and immune markers. If the tissue type of the human embryo, form which the stem cell is extracted from, is different from the recipient, there is a risk of the stem cell being rejected by the recipient’s body. This would mean that immunosuppression drugs have to be administered. These drugs might have unwanted side effects, so it would be better to minimise their use. This is where adult stem cells come into the picture. Since adult stem cells that are used come from the person himself or herself, the risk of them getting rejected is practically zero. Moreover, with new procedures in this field being developed to cure diseases like lymphoma, it would be a viable and good solution to pump more money into this less advertised but promising field of research.
We can clearly see that emryonic stem cell research is the way to go, especially since it is also a good deed to those afflicted with currently incurable diseases as it could provide potential cures. Moreover, with the less glamorous field of adult stem cell research as a possible good compromise, I strongly feel that we should give stem cell research our thumbs up.
What is an 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
However, this is only what the dictionary says. An exposition is actually a form of discourse meant to provide information or an explanation on the matter at hand. Some examples of exposition that we can see in everyday life are cookbooks, news features and scientific reports.
Expositions are also found to be in different types. Some of them are listed below.
- Sequence writing lists events or steps in chronological order. Example: Cookbook
- Descriptive essays use the five senses to form a mental image or feeling about the matter at hand. Example: Possibly news features
- Classification writing involves organising and arranging objects or ideas into groups according to a common theme. Example: Can be found in scientific reports
- Comparison writing shows the similarities and differences between two subjects. Example: Can be found in textbooks
- Cause-and-effect writing (analysis) identifies the reasons and consequences for an event or situation. Example: Can be found in evaluative essays
One of the most common form of expositions are arguments. These too provide information regarding the matter at hand but are also aimed to persuade reader to support the writer's or orator's point of view.
To understand what an exposition is, we also need to know some non-examples of expositions. One such non-example would be a shopping list with no order to it.
The general characteristics of expository writing include:- focus on main topic
- logical supporting facts
- details, explanations, and examples
- strong organization
- clarity
- unity and coherence
- logical order
- smooth transitions
So, we can see that expository writing is present everywhere around us. Even the magazine articles that we read or the research papers that we come up with are examples of expositions!
Sources: