Picture Discussion

I think the people in the picture are celebrating Singapore’s national day. The woman in the foreground is also celebrating her birthday as she is holding the cake. She is feeling overjoyed and probably elated that her birthday is on the same day as national day. The guy on her right as well as the woman wearing the flowery shirt might be her siblings. From their facial expression, I can see that they feeling happy at this joyous occasion.
The weather seems very humid as many of the people in the background are carrying their umbrella and wearing their caps. The number 30 is printed on their caps and fans. It could be Singapore’s 30th birthday. Some of them are holding the Singapore flag as shown in the background.

Picture Discussion

I think the people in the picture are attempting the low elements. Participants are engaged in an outdoor activity known as the ‘spider web’. They are gathered at the campsite as there are trees and tent seen in the background. The boy in the foreground is trying to go through the ‘spider web’ with the help of his teammates. One of his teammate is supporting his waist while the other two are assisting him to get his leg through the spider web. He should be feeling very reassured that he has his teammates to depend on. The girl in background is cheering for them. His teammates are engrossed in the activity. The objective of this activity is team-building. Through this activity, the participants are able to better understand the importance of team work and also bond together with their teammates. I think team spirit is rather essential. The boy would not be able to complete the spider web without the help of his friends.

Today Janina Pietrasiak and Maria Lopuszanska live like sisters. They meet daily and help each other out. They both live alone and are not affluent. Maria’s parents were anti-Nazi underground activists' and sheltered Janina and her mother. When Janina’s mother died of tuberculosis, she clung desperately to her new family. She was baptized to become part of the family to avoid being detected and killed by the Nazis and even gave up the chance to live with an uncle in the United States. During the Warsaw Uprising, the girls had to fend for themselves as Maria's father was sick and her mother was demonstrating against the Nazis. Janina lost both parents and Maria was like her mother. Her only sibling committed suicide. Both suffered from cancer. Janina is separated while Janina is a widow. Janina contacted the Yad Vashem Holocaust museum in Jerusalemto recognise Maria and her parents for saving her during WWI and the cash reward can improve Maria’s financial situation.

(152 words)

July 29, 2009

Teenagers dead in hit-and-run accident

By Nicole Tang and Yvonne Sng

A 21-year-old motorcyclist was hit by a Toyota Corolla at CTE at 5.30am yesterday.
The collision happened when the driver was talking on the phone and crash into the motorcycle. The car swerved towards the right lane. Mr Tan Ah Kiat, who was in that lane, managed to stop in time and little damage is done. The Toyota Corolla then drove off without providing assistance to the victims.
The impact of the collision threw Mr Ahmad and his pillion onto the road. Mr Ahmad suffered serious injuries and died on the spot. His mother, Madam Rahman Sawam, 45, said Mr Ahmad was a cheerful person who played soccer every evening with his brothers and friends. The last time she saw him was on Monday morning, when he was off to work.
His pillion, 18-year-old, was taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital. He, however, did not survive the crash, and was pronounced dead at 3pm in the morning.
26-year-old, Ms Jane Tan, an eye-witness and a student said, “It happened so fast!” She was also sure that she saw two cars. Mdm Moliah Bte Ismail, 36-year-old housewife who was one of the passengers in the cars said, “All I heard was a loud bang!” she was unsure what caused the accident.
43-year-old Inspector Abdul Rahman said, “There were streams of blood on the road.” He was shocked by what was left of the motorcycle.
When interviewed, Inspector Abdul Rahman advised drivers to drive carefully, not to talk on the phone when driving.
Bystanders/ eye-witnesses are advised to come forward with information on the license plate number of the vehicle(s) involved in the hit-and-run accident.

Chong Boon Secondary School
2 Ang Mo Kio St 44
Singapore 569250

26 July 2009

Mr Lee
Director
Urban Re-development Authority
45 Maxwell Rd The URA Centre
Singapore 069118

Dear Mr Lee

Proposal to develop Palau Ubin

I would like to propose to you a plan to develop Palau Ubin. The plan is to help serve the residents better and bring more tourists to the island. I have interviewed a number of residents and collated their views.
To begin with, Mr Mohamad Ismail Bin Adam, headmanof the island, age 74, indicates that it is rather inconvenient for grandchildren to take a bumboat to the mainland. Thus, he suggests setting up a new clinic and schools for the locals there. With a clinic there, locals would not have to take a bumboat to seek medical help. In addition, Madam Chan Ah Mui, former owner of a kiosk for a bicycle rental, age 45, suggests making the places more accessible by building roads and infrastructure, as well as cycling tracks and nature trails.
Mr Chandran Mohan, polytechnic student, age 20, wishes to transform Palau Ubin into a 21st century New Town by including shopping facilities. We can indulge in a relaxed way of life and enjoy the best of both worlds. On top of that, Mrs Tan Li Lian, housewife and part time hawker assistant, age 32, would like to start a coffee stall to provide water supply for campers and day trippers.
However, Melvin Koh, 'O' level student, age 16, expresses his corncerns that the changes made might destroy the natural beauty of te island. Hence, he wishes to preserve Chek Jawa, the pride of Palau Ubin, as a natural reserve.
I hope that the views of the residents would be taken into consideration. I urge you to make the appropriate changes and preserve Chek Jawa as a nature reserve. I look forward to the development of Palau Ubin.

Yours faithfully
Yvonne Sng
President
Green plan 2012 Club

Cyclone Nargis was a strong tropical cyclone that developed in the Bay of Bengal about 360 miles off of the southeast coast of India on April 27, 2008. It gathered strength over the next several days and made landfall in Myanmar (Burma) on May 2, 2008. Landfall occurred in the Ayeyarwady Division of Myanmar. The storm tracked northeast, passing close to the former capital city of Yangon. It finally died down near the Burma-Thailand border. Strong winds of over 120 miles per hour, heavy rain, local flooding and a storm surge resulted in a death toll expected to exceed 100,000 with over 2,000,000 people left homeless and without water, power, food or sanitary conditions. It might be the deadliest cyclone of all time. The high death and destruction caused by the storm was only partially due to its intensity. The Irrawaddy Delta area is very flat and only a few feet above sea level. Before the storm it was occupied by thousands of people who tend the many rice farms which are scattered across the delta. When the storm surge swept over the rice farms there was no high ground to find refuge and many farmers drowned. This wiped out the current rice crop and ruined the area where much of the country's food is produced. These things, combined with the government's reluctance to accept immediate foreign aid, resulted in an enormous death toll.

Extracted from: http://geology.com/events/cyclone-nargis/