Ng Jun Yan

2008 'O' Level Oral Day 9 Conversation

2009-06-21T23:15:00.000-07:00

2008 'O' Level Oral Day 9 Conversation

My favourite subject in school is Mathematics and I feel that it will be useful for me in the future. This is because most subjects require some basic knowledge in Maths. However, some other subjects such as Geography need more knowledge in Maths such as knowing Logarithms. I also find some Mathematical laws interesting as they help to simplify problems and make it easier to compute. Other Mathematical relationships such as Trigonometry Identities are interesting and I feel that in the future, some of the Mathematics that I learnt in school can be put to good use. I would like to study more about Science and Maths after I graduate as I find Science to be an interesting subject. Out of the different Sciences, I think I will enjoy studying about Biology as it focuses on living things. I find it fascinating to study about different parts of the body even those not present in human beings such as gills.

I feel that everyone should go to University as we are all learning from one another all through life. Thus, at University, there is a high chance that you can find a subject that interests you and also make several good friend who have similar interests. Science is an important subject as it is what makes animals living things and what makes us us. It also unravels mysteries such as forces, heat and things that we cannot see with our naked eye.

I will encourage young children to take an interest in Science by encouraging them to read news articles concerning interesting developments due to modern day science and read science magazines that are simple to understand but delivers the same concept effectively over to them.

I view that boys and girls can be equally good scientists and that girls are not any worse than boys. This is because boys could have more interesting science ideas while girls are usually careful when it comes to doing work, including Science. Hence, they can make discoveries in both the vast and the minute details in the world of Science.

2008 'O' Level Oral Day 9 Picture

2009-06-21T23:08:00.000-07:00

2008 'O' Level Oral Day 9 Picture

This picture depicts a scene of a Biology laboratory. From the dimensions of the room and the scientists in it, I assume that it is taken in an University. In the background, I can see several groups of students forming teams and carrying out experiments. This can be seen in the foreground. The team of four students in the foreground is made up of three ladies and one gentleman. They are all clad in white suits and wearing gloves. On the rectangular table in front of them, I can see several dishes of agar jelly, a can of distilled water and several sheets of papers. These sheets of papers could contain information about the experiment or could be the source for them to record down their investigations after the experiment.

In the centre of the picture, I can see a short haired student focusing on her work. She appears to be streaking some samples onto the agar jelly very carefully. From what I can see, she is being very careful as she had only opened half the lid of the agar jelly. I feel that being focused and careful is very important not only when doing experiments but also in life. It is only through being focused and careful that you will be able to handle difficult tasks efficiently. It is also a good habit and from the picture, the student seems to be putting the habit into use. On the far right of the picture, I can see a bespectacled lady. She is smiling and this could indicate that she is enjoying herself at this experiment. In the centre of the picture, I can also see a long-haired student. She is also smiling and she might also be enjoying herself too. On the far left of the picture, I can see a male student observing the agar jelly as another one of his team mate is carrying out the experiment. He appears to be serious about the experiment as seen from his facial expressions. The students might be carrying out other Biology experiments later that day which might involve the usage of the can of distilled water while waiting for the results of the experiment with the agar jelly to show.

2008 'O' Level Oral Day 7 Conversation

2009-06-21T23:03:00.000-07:00

2008 'O' Level Oral Day 7 Conversation

I live in a condominium and I am usually a tidy person. I am the type that will keep my things filed or kept in places that are easy to spot. I also dislike it when people leave their belongings all over the place as it gives me a nagging feeling that something is not yet completed and needs someones attention. Unfortunately, some of my family members prefer to leave their things all around the house and therefore, despite me being a tidy person, my house is rather messy.

Hygiene is very important as it is needed so that we can live healthily. Good hygiene should be practiced at all times as it is beneficial to you and considerate for everyone. However, sometimes it is not possible to maintain good hygiene. For example, when you are outdoors or rushed for time. Usually, there are no taps found in open spaces and so, we are unable to wash our hands before having a meal or some snacks. In such instances, the best choice for me would be to clap my hands together several times and try to get rid of as much bacteria as possible. When I am rushed for time, I will sometimes neglect good hygiene although it is something important and should be done. I feel that this is not good as I should have prepared myself to go outdoors at an earlier time instead of pushing everything to the last minute and thus, neglect good hygiene.

On the other hand, being too hygienic is not good as well. This is because when you are too hygienic, you will tend to be very conscious about your actions and as a result, worry too much. You will also be very sensitive and try to avoid touching other peoples' hands who are not as clean as yours. You may also find it very problematic as you may find the urge to wash and clean your hands every now and then for fear of getting germs on your hands.

2008 'O' Level Oral Day 7 Picture

2009-06-21T22:56:00.000-07:00

2008 'O' Level Oral Day 7 Picture

This picture depicts a scene of a hawker centre. I can see this as there are round tables and chairs in the centre of the hawker centre for people to have their meals in. On the left of the picture, I can see an elderly man wearing a loose white T-shirt mopping the floor. He is accompanied by a woman in a black shirt. Perhaps they are two of the hawkers in this hawker centre and are helping in cleaning the floor of the hawker centre. I feel that this is a good sign as by doing so, they are practicing good hygiene. Good hygiene is important so that hawkers and customers will not fall sick easily. In the background, I can see a group of onlookers standing outside the entrance to the hawker centre. Judging by the number of on-lookers, the hawker centre could have been a crowded and bustling place during normal days. They appear to be customers and are waiting or watching the hawkers clean the hawker centre. Some of the passer-by are carrying a grin on their face. Perhaps they are happy to see that the hawkers are concerned about hygiene, not only about making money.

At the right of the picture, I can see a group of young people helping to clean the hawker centre. A tall man wearing a light grey coloured singlet along with a bespectacled man wearing track shoes are both helping out by spraying water onto the tables and chairs. I can also see a middle-aged man wearing a striped T-shirt helping out by mopping the floor and redirecting water out of the hawker centre. I can also see a short elderly man in the background pointing at the onlookers while saying something. Perhaps he is encouraging his friend who is an on-looker to help out with the cleaning. These young people who are helping out with cleaning the hawker centre could have initially been with the other on-lookers but have decided to step up and help clean the hawker centre. I feel that such an act is worth praising as it shows how some people still believes hygiene is very important to the point of helping out to keep the place cleaner and more hygienic.

2008 'O' Level Oral Day 5 Conversation

2009-06-18T21:26:00.000-07:00

2008 'O' Level Oral Day 5 Conversation

I enjoy learning Mathematics as I feel that it will be useful for me in the future. This is because most subjects require some basic knowledge in Maths. However, some other subjects such as Geography need more knowledge in Maths such as knowing Logarithms. I also find some Mathematical laws interesting as they help to simplify problems and make it easier to compute. Other Mathematical relationships such as Trigonometry Identities are interesting and I feel that in the future, some of the Mathematics that I learnt in school can be put to good use. However, I do not enjoy working with my hands. I feel that I am not the type of person suitable for hand-work as I am a bit clumsy and careless at times. I feel that reading the subjects can help me to get my facts right while hand-on or practical work is just there to reinforce the concept and make it easier to remember. However, I feel that if I had not read about the subject yet, I will not enjoy hand-on work at all and it will not leave any impression in me.

If I could re-design my school timetable, I will add more periods of Mathematics and Science in my timetable. This is because there is a lot to learn in Mathematics and Science is relevant to the world today. Thus, I feel that there is a need to increase the importance of these subjects so that we can be more prepared for challenges that we may face in the future.

2008 'O' Level Oral Day 5 Picture

2009-06-18T21:18:00.000-07:00

2008 'O' Level Oral Day 5 Picture

This picture depicts a scene of a school science laboratory. I can see a few groups of students in the foreground and background. They seem to be carrying out a physics experiment about pulleys. In the foreground, I can see a group consisting of four students, a bespectacled girl and three other boys. I can also see an experienced bespectacled physics teacher with curly hair on the left of the picture. She appears to be explaining the principle of the pulley while demonstrating how the pulley works. This can be seen by her act of pulling a string connected to the pulley. The bespectacled girl along with the boy with a name tag next to her are taking their mechanical pencils and flipping open an exercise book. Perhaps they are about to jot down what the teacher had just explained to them in the exercise book. I can also see a short bespectacled boy jotting down information in his exercise book. He is looking attentively at the set-up and I assume that he is jotting down details such as measurements so as to find out how useful the pulley actually is. The last member of the group is a boy wearing a dark watch found on the right of the picture. His head is tilted at an angle. Perhaps he is curious about how the pulley works and is trying to get a clearer view of the set-up from another angle. Having a curious mind is a good thing as it is very important to question the facts of Science and see for ourselves whether the fact is believable or not. However, he had been paying so much attention the set-up that he appears to have forgotten to record the results of the set-up. The teacher may have been setting up the set-ups and carrying out the experiment repeatedly to different classes in the day. Despite this, she is still not bored of repeating the experiment over and over again, which can be seen by the smile on her face. What she had done is worth our respect as she tries to provide each class with the same amount of energy and curiosity level. However, this is not seen on the faces off the students. The students are not smiling, perhaps this is because this is their last lesson of the day and the students are already exhausted from the overload of information given by subject teachers earlier that day and they need some time to absorb all this knowledge. However, I believe that they should still maintain smiles despite having a long curriculum time as it is encouraging for the teachers to see students appreciate the lessons and putting forth relevant questions.

2008 'O' Level Oral Day 3 Conversation

2009-06-18T21:12:00.001-07:00

2008 'O' Level Oral Day 3 Conversation

Last year, I participated in the East Zone Chinese Music Competition for Secondary Schools. All schools from the East Zone are allowed to send representatives to compete against one another. Our school sent four representatives tot he competition, including me, and we achieved three gold and one silver certificate in total. I remembered how focus I was when I was practicing my Grade Eight music piece days before the competition, fine tuning my mistakes. Finally, just several days before the competition, I did a through check on the sound quality and spent hours tuning the notes. Although I was nervous during the competition, I managed to control myself an d the piece was played smoothly with only several minor mistakes. Despite this, I felt that I had done a good job as I was serious when preparing for the competition and tried my best in the actual competition. I enjoy taking part in competitions as they give me a chance to show my abilities to the judges. Although a lot of time is spent fine tuning the piece before the competition, I felt that it is worth it as I get the satisfaction after finishing the piece during the competition.

Many children enjoy playing computer games or video games as they are captivating and have stunning graphics. They may also like playing games with a simple objective or they like the feeling of having power in the game. However, computer games have disadvantages too. Firstly, they may be addictive and will thus affect the student's study. Secondly, some games promote negative ideas such as violence and other wrong ideas to gamers. As these teenagers play these games, they will be exposed to these negative stuff and this is bad for themselves. Thirdly, many games require you to pay real money in exchange for powerful virtual items that can benefit your character. This will lead to the student spending money foolishly without knowing how hard it is to earn money.

2008 'O' Level Oral Day 3 Picture

2009-06-18T20:48:00.000-07:00

2008 'O' Level Oral Day 3 Picture

This picture depicts a scene at a beach. In the background, I can see a row of closely packed trees, a signpost and a van at the top right hand corner of the picture. Perhaps this picture is taken at East Coast Park. There are many people at the beach. This could be because it is a Sunday or public holiday. Close to the trees, I can see a group of girls sitting on a mat on the beach. They appear to be ch it-chatting. Perhaps they are good friends with one another and had decided to spend the day at the beach for a picnic. At the background, I can see a group of seven people grouping together. They seem to be in the midst of making a sandcastle. A woman dressed in a T-shirt and long pants had stood up and is gazing at the rows of trees. Perhaps she is waiting for someone such as her friend or husband to join them with building the sandcastle.

In the background, I can see a group made up of five Malay children and two Malay women. The group of Malays appear to be building an oval-shaped object from the sand. Out of the five Malay children, four of them are boys while one of them is a girl. Perhaps they are siblings or cousins and have all decided to spend the day at the beach. Judging from their facial expressions, they seem to be enjoying themselves but at the same time, serious about building the base of a sand castle. In order for the sandcastle to be stable, the base must be strong. Hence, two Malay women had joined in to help the five Malay children with their sandcastle. A bespectacled Malay women with short hair and a watch found on the left side of the picture is shaping the sides of the base of the sandcastle. The other Malay women wearing a hat and hanging a whistle around her neck found at the right of the picture, appears to be making the base of the sandcastle compact while the other Malay children are adding more sand to the sandcastle. Perhaps these two women could be the mothers of some of these Malay children or they could be relatives. As it could be a Sunday or public holiday, I suppose that these people will spend most of the day building their sandcastles. They might also play some games near the water or have a picnic by the beach.

2008 'O' Level Oral Day 1 Conversation

2009-06-18T20:27:00.000-07:00

2008 'O' Level Oral Day 1 Conversation

One elderly relative that I can think of would be my grandmother's cousin. She is an optimistic person and always tries to make the best of things. I remember one occasion when she was sick, everyone was very concerned about her as she is an elderly and thus, her immune system was not as good as her olden days. However, when the doctor diagnosed that her illness was mildly serious and could be recovered by having plenty of rest, we were all very anxious about what was going to happen next. However, she unexpectedly smiled and told s that it was in a way a blessing in disguise as her illness was not very serious. When she returned home, my aunt, who is her daughter, offered to cook a costly dish for dinner as a way to encourage her to get well soon. However, she gently rejected the idea with a s mile and showed her a confident look that everything will be alright and she could do with plain rice.

From this, I have learnt to be cheerful and optimistic in life. I learnt that there are two ways of looking at an issue and that we must always think positive and choose positively. If there were to be something that I could do for her, I will show her through my actions that I will not be beaten so easily and will stand firm no matter what I face.

A special home for the elderly should include gym facilities so that they can exercise and stay fit. It can also include a special table designed for playing games such as chess for the elderly to play when they are bored. The home could also include small animals as these creatures can help to keep the elderly company in their later years. I feel that health care and nursing homes should be free of charge as elderly folks require more attention from the younger generation. They tend to fall ill more easily due to a weaker immune system and therefore, are in greater needs of health care. Furthermore, it is our responsibility to keep elderly happy and lead a fulfilled life in their later years.

2008 'O' Level Oral Day 1 Picture

2009-06-18T20:19:00.000-07:00

2008 'O' Level Oral Day 1 Picture

This picture depicts a scene of a nursing home. I know this as there are many old folks found in the picture in a room filled with some equipments. These equipments can be found in a gym and are most likely used by the old folks for exercising purposes. I feel that this is good as the old folks are advanced in age and thus, their bones are stiffer and their joints are weaker. In order to maintain a healthy lifestyle, old folks need exercise and this could be done by exercising using the facilities found in the old folks home. Therefore, the old folks can stay fit and healthy even in their later years. I can see from the picture that all but one old folk are sitting in wheel chairs. Perhaps this is a special part of the old folks home for old folks that are physically disabled. The one other old folk not in wheelchair could have been from other parts of the nursing home and came here to experience what other old folks are doing. I feel that separating the old folks into different groups, based on their similarities is a good idea as in this way, the old folks will not feel shy to interact with the others as they are all handicapped in the same way and thus, equal.

I can also see two young girls helping out in the old folks home. They are dressed in white shirts and grey skirts and both wear name tags. This suggests that they are two of the many volunteers that had volunteered to help out at the nursing home. I feel that their actions of spending time with the old folks is worth praising, at the same time, they gain experience about taking care of the elderly. One of the two volunteers is seen throwing a beach ball to the old folk seated in the direction that she is facing. They seem to he having some activities to keep the old folks occupied. From the facial expressions of the other old folks, I can see that they are enjoying themselves at the nursing home. A day in the nursing home would mostly be free time for he old folks to interact with one another while the remaining time would be used for activities among the old folks. In the free time, old folks can also keep fit by exercising on the facilities provided.

Week 21 English Journal

2009-03-30T05:51:00.001-07:00

Week 21 English Journal

Despite being in lush surroundings now, the scion did not seem to notice anything. Since young, his mother had nurtured him in every way she could, with the hopes of him becoming a knowledgeable person one day. At that time, his family was in destitution. How he had longed to be like the other children, with toys to play with, and even having proper education. The thought of how his mother had raised him up strengthened his determination and desire for success. After several decades, he finally succeeded. However, at that time, his mother was already in Nirvana. The metamorphosis of his status and living condition did not bring him the satisfaction that he had yearned for. Now, as a rich businessman, he could afford anything he wanted. Yet, even n ow, he had often stopped and pondered over the same question that he had since young --- Is materialism the true meaning of life?

Week 20 English Journal

2009-03-15T00:35:00.001-07:00

Week 20 English Journal

As soon as Mary returned home, she realised that her mother and her neighbour had gotten into a heated argument. Initially, Mary was nebulous about what was happening as her mind was still in repose. However, she realised that it was a quarrel over trivial matters soon after as she heard her mother indict her neighbour, Mrs Lim, for shattering the peace in the neighbourhood by playing loud music late in the night. Mrs Lim's puissant rebuttal came almost instantly claiming that Mary's mother was oversensitive as no one else in the edifice had lodged a complaint against this. The quarrel carried on unabated as Mary tried to sort through the continuous stream of disparate comments from both parties, all the while trying to find peace between them.

Stickman Murder Mystery Detective

2009-03-15T00:23:00.000-07:00

Analysis of a detective in Stickman Murder Mystery

After receiving orders to find the murderer, I as a detective, began searching around my desk for any useful clues in solving the case. After getting familiarised with my office, I drove to the crime scene and started searching for clues. Initially, I was not thorough in my search and hence, overlooked an important clue. Next, I travelled around the neighbourhood to places such as the donut shop and the morgue. At the morgue, I found the murdered victim and after some careful inspection, discovered a series of letters and numbers on his hand. Immediately, I realised that it was a chain of numbers, probably a phone number. In the brown box, I found the victim's belongings, including a yellow key with a number on it. Sensing that this will be useful in the future, I decided to jot down the number.

Then, I went to take a nap in my room and in my dream, I saw a large egg shell. Upon clicking on it, the egg shell cracked to reveal a person and some numbers. It was through the person's speech that I realised that there was a clue in a purple paint can. Then, I went back to the crime scene and sure enough, found a purple paint can. Inside the purple paint can, I found the murder weapon.

After that, I went to make the telephone call and discovered that it was actually the number of a bank. I jot down the address of the bank and drove there. Initially, I wanted to ask the bank about murder related questions. However, after asking for some time, I found no point in continuing on the topic and decided to change the subject. That was when I hit another clue. It turned out that the number on the yellow key is the combination of the safe in the bank. In the safe, I found a huge stash of money that was stolen recently.

When I headed back to my office, one of the workers notified me that he had found something in the victim's mouth. It turned out to be a green ripped cloth. Then, I went to the room where the witness and two suspects are waiting. The monologue of the second suspect was too simple to be true and I became suspicious of him. In the end, my suspicion proved correct when I saw a tear in his green shirt. After putting all the clues together, I decided to report my findings and as a result, successfully arrested the murderer.

Week 19 English Journal

2009-03-12T20:45:00.000-07:00

Week 19 English Journal

The general brought the legion group of captured prisoners into the restrictive zone of the enemy camp. As much as they wanted to balk and stall for time, they knew that this will not do them any good. Without any choice, the group of prisoners trudged reluctantly towards the old rundown workshop. There, they are told to dismantle what seemed to be unending rows of furniture. As they listened to the instructions, a feeling of nostalgia overcame them as they vividly remembered how carefree they were in the past - Gathering firewood to keep their family warm during the harsh winter. But at that time, they were doing it for their family, unlike now. Their family was counting on them for firewood, yet, they knew that there was no way to help them now.

Week 18 English Journal

2009-03-01T00:42:00.000-08:00

Week 18 English Journal

Tom, with more than a veneer of intelligence, decided to enter the competition. Tom had to make use of his creativity to modify products found commonly in homes so as to accommodate the objectives and satisfy the numerous requirements of the competition. As Tom had a crave to win some prizes in competition, despite having a myriad of obstacles in front of him, Tom's innate talent allowed him to clear these hurdles without much delay. As the closing date draws nearer, Tom began to be more confident in himself. He was sure his had work for the last few days have been worthwhile and that even someone that is not a genius will deem that it was a masterpiece and he is the genuine winner of the competition.

Week 17 English Journal

2009-02-22T03:25:00.001-08:00

Week 17 English Journal

As soon as Mary knew that she had to send in a self-made simple machine for the competition, she started working on it right away. Firstly, Mary concocted a plan on how she should go about making her product. When she had finally decided on making it out of wood, she started on it immediately. As one who cares about precision, she made consummate measurements in the manifold components of her machine before sawing it. After working on it for several weeks, Mary submitted her work with confidence. Indeed, her hard work did pay off. A few days later, Mary was informed that her machine had won the first prize. Mary, upon hearing the news, had a good cause to exult.

Week 16 English Journal

2009-02-15T03:20:00.001-08:00

Week 16 English Journal

The boss swept a cursory glance at his workers. One of them is the culprit. He was sure of it. Yet, these workers had all been committed to the company for several years straight. From this incident, the boss can tell that while most of the workers are loyal, there was one who was the antithesis of them all. This man had the temerity to steal and pocket some of the company's most important blueprints. Just the thought of this flared him up. Who was it that had that must courage and cupidity to commit such a crime? How had he done and covered it up so nicely? Where are the blueprints? Are they in the hands of an interloper? A rich interloper with such a sum of money to bribe one of his loyal workers? The boss needed time to think this through and come to a conclusion.

Week 15 English Journal

2009-02-08T00:54:00.000-08:00

Week 15 English Journal

It was late in the night when the burglar and his accomplice reached the museum. Their objective was simple - All they had to do was to break into the historical museum and steal some artifacts. The burglar sneered at the look of the museum as he thought to himself "The architects were stupid to believe that this pathetic security system is a paragon for all important buildings and would preclude the chance of a theft.". He promised silently to himself that this time he will succeed and nothing would fetter his way. Yet, he clearly knew that if he were to be held culpable in the theft of the priceless artifacts, the consequences will be dreadful. He could be spending the rest of his life in jail or worse, a death sentence. Despite the heavy consequences, he knew that he would be rich if he were to succeed. What separates unimaginable richness from poverty was the courage and strategy used in his break-in. Both of them have weighed the risks and came to the conclusion that doing this was worth the risk. The burglar nodded his head at his accomplice and silently, both of them set to work.

Week 14 English Journal

2009-02-01T05:13:00.000-08:00

Week 14 English Journal

When I was young, I had always marvelled at the dangerous tasks a fireman had to do in the event of a fire. Recently, I watched a documentary on television showing what exactly goes on inside the building engulfed by flames. One of my favourite extract from the documentary is about how an experienced fireman battled the lethal flames that are about to engulf a mammoth looking building and his singular act of valor to rescue helpless people trapped in the building but was constantly endangering his own life in the whole process. Though aged, he made an effort to precipitate his pace of rescuing people as he knew that every second delayed counts. Through experience from trainings and drills, his hard work had finally paid off as shown in the part where his pair of incisive ears could pick up the faint cries of help from inside the building. Ignoring the flames that constantly nettle his eyes and nose, h e made his way into the collapsing building. Due to his experience and quick thinking, many lives were spared from the fire.

Week 13 English Journal

2009-01-24T18:18:00.000-08:00

Week 13 English Journal

Singapore has a good geological location and this makes it less prone to natural disasters such as earthquakes and tidal waves. However, this does not mean that such natural disasters will definitely not occur and so, we must be on the alert at all times and know the procedures to take in such situations. In the event that an earthquake in another part of the world has so great a magnitude, Singapore will, at the very least, feel a tremor. However, if small magnitude earthquakes were to occur in Singapore and we, as Singaporeans, are unprepared, the aftermath will be devastating. Here are some basic instructions on how to react in the case of an earthquake or a tremor. When in subterranean areas, walk briskly to the nearest escape route so as not to jeopardize your life. In buildings, cover your head with your heads to provide some shield against the falling debris and seek refuge in a haven as quickly as possible. A propitious example of a haven is under open space, far away from buildings and structures. To curtail my message, all of us have to stay calm and evacuate buildings briskly. At the same time, stay calm and think clearly about the ultimate result of y our action as sometimes, your decision can determine your survival.

Can one improve his English skills?

2009-01-21T20:03:00.000-08:00

Can one improve his English skills?

Regarding the topic of improving your English language skills, I strongly agree to this statement. This is because there is a lot of room for improvement in writing English such as improving your writing skills, vocabulary and summary writing.

Firstly, there is an array of methods to improve your vocabulary. For instance, you can go to the nearest National Library and borrow some books that make use of many vocabulary words and read them. As many books fall under this category, you also get the choice to choose books with a storyline that you like. Over time, your vocabulary knowledge will increase and you will find yourself using more of these words in your compositions.

Secondly, you can improve your summary writing skills by picking extracts from your favourite book and then try to rewrite that extract using as little words as possible. After many practices, you will eventually find that some words carry little meaning in almost all summaries and can be omitted most of the time. An example of such as word is the word "the". Also, many long phrases can be replaced by one or two of your own words. In this case, your vocabulary knowledge will then come in handy.

Lastly, I would like to emphasize my point of view that you can improve your English skills if you put in enough effort. To those of you that find this goal hard to achieve, my advice to you is to start reading more. Over time, you will develop an interest to English and from there, you will start to be interested in the subject and thus, this will significantly improve your language skills.

Week 12 English Journal

2009-01-18T02:21:00.001-08:00

Week 12 English Journal

Chung Cheng High Main is a prestigious school and over the years, the school and its CCAs have given the school a good reputation. I myself, am proud to be a member of one of Chung Cheng's largest CCA groups, the Chinese Orchestra. During Chinese Orchestra practice, me and others of my ilk will come together to create music. Of course, players of a good team must practice on their own frequently besides coming together so as to practice their skills. Thus, it is essential for us to split into smaller groups if we want to see good results. In the process of learning, it is natural for us to make markings on musical dictations on our scores such as the style that we can use to play the piece and expunge some of them later. This is because sometimes music does not sound as nice as it can be without the addition of the proper dictation. Through hardship, we, together as a team, have the ability to paint a flamboyant picture through the use of music alone.

Week 11 English Journal

2009-01-18T02:03:00.000-08:00

Week 11 English Journal

A few days ago, our class took a Physics test on the first chapter on measurements. However, as some of my facts on the topic are garbled, I do not really understand the topic well. Due to this, I decided to have a comprehensive study on the topic tested the night before the test. On the actual day, I was confident that I will score, however, this small hope was dashed when I received the test paper - my mind went blank. As a result, I spent most of the time recalling the facts. Time elapsed by quickly while I was thinking and soon, it was almost time to stop. I remembering telling myself that filling in an answer is better than not and so, just before the test ended, I tried my luck and made conjectures on the answers to the remaining questions. Despite having finished the paper on time, I was not sanguine about scoring. It turned out as I expected and I blame myself for being lax while answering those giveaway questions in the test. I hope that this experience will not happen to me again.