Sunday, April 17, 2011

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

Nuclear power is the usable energy which is extracted from the atomic nuclei through controlled nuclear reactions with the help of nuclear technology. The nuclear power is used to generate heat - nuclear energy, which in turn is used to generate nuclear electricity - one of the main advantages of nuclear power. Nuclear power plants are found in electric generators, on board nuclear ships and nuclear submarines.

Nuclear energy, unlike other forms of energy, is clean and it does not result in the emission of any of the poisonous gases like carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide or nitrogen dioxide. Nuclear waste is also easily disposed and would not damage a single bit of the ecosystem when buried. In today’s world when pollution of the atmosphere is one of our main worries, an option such as this is definitely preferable compared to burning of fossil fuels which causes so much of pollution.

Nuclear energy is can be obtained from uranium and this is available in abundance in the crust of the Earth with major deposits being uncovered in Canada and Australia. Therefore since the source of nuclear power is readily available now and also for centuries to come, this form of power is virtually inexhaustible.

Hence, with so many benefits, nuclear energy still plays an important part in today's world. People just have to take safety measures such as location of plants and protection of it against natural disasters to prevent nuclear radiation from spreading to humans. With this safety measures, I am sure accidents such as the nuclear crisis in Chernobyl and Japan can be prevented.

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Term 2 Online Lesson 1: Crisis in Japan

Letter for Online Lesson 1:

12345 Sendai City
Apartment D - 105
Japan

4th April 2011

Dear Cousin,

How are you? I am sure Singapore is pretty fine as compared to the country I am living in now, Japan. I can assure you it was a disaster, but, I am one of the few fortunate ones who survived the deadly earthquake and tsunami.

It all started off with a normal day at work. Everything was fine, until the first tremors were felt around noon. At first, everyone thought that tremor was going to be like the common ones felt around this area frequently - slight movement and everything would go on as per normal. However, after a while, the vibrations became stronger and files started falling off shelves. The lighting hanging on the ceiling was also swaying from side to side and some parts of the ceiling fell off too. We were told to evacuate the building and run to nearby shelters. My natural instinct told me not to run to open space as usually after earthquakes, especially areas near seaside, tsunamis will follow up. Hence, instead of running out of the building, some colleagues and I ran to the top floor of the building.

What we saw at the top of the building will be etched in my mind forever. I can never forget what I saw at the rooftop. Large cracks seemed to draw across the whole world as crack lines of different sizes and patterns were seen not only on roads but also on buildings.

Then, we saw it. In the distance, large waves engulfed smaller ones and were approaching us rapidly. I could see that there were boats, numerous pieces of debris and even a fire in the middle of the waves of sea. Trees literally broke and were swept away like toothpicks. Wooden structures and buildings were not spared too and became part of the growing numbers of debris already in the waves. I could see vehicles trying to escape from the wrath of the waves but many of them were unsuccessful in escaping. Needless to say, the colleagues who ran out of the buildings were engulfed by the waves. Screams were drowned by the larger noise of falling debris and powerful tidal waves smashing against buildings. We felt the impact of the waves and the building threatened to collapse. Thankfully, it did not.

The tsunami lasted about a few hours and by the time the disaster was over, the aftermath was worse. What remained of tall buildings were pieces of debris and hardly any building was intact. What is even more worrying is the news we received that nuclear reactors are overheating and may cause radiation levels to rise. My house was destroyed and I am currently thinking of ways to come back to Singapore.

Fret not, although my house was destroyed by the tsunami, I found a temporary home at a Shrine where food and lodging is provided for earthquake victims. I am also unscathed and my daily necessities are taken care of. My temporary lodging is also far away from the radiation emitted from the nuclear reactors. Help me to send my best regards to your family too and tell them I am fine. I will be coming back to Singapore as soon as possible!

Yours sincerely,
Zane

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Blog Comments


Joel 's Blog


Aloysius's Blog

Ming En's Blog

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Point Of View in Narrative Writing

Roles :
1. Headmaster
2. A new student

HEADMASTER

Standing at the stage, nervousness seemed to come all over me. However, the familiar walls which greeted me every year and on this same occasion seemed to calm me down. "I can do this..." I cooled myself down. The first sounds of the bagpipe sounded through the hall and I knew that my speech was near. I was ready. By the time the last sounds rang through my head, I was already standing in the middle of the stage. I cleared my voice in a way that it was loud enough to be heard by all.

"Ladies and gentlemen, boys, the light of knowledge..."

A NEW STUDENT

I was awoken by loud blaring noises of the bagpipe behind me. It sent a stinging ring throughout for the next few minutes. Opening my eyes wearily, I could see higher grade students marching into the hall. 4 of them was holding a banner each. As the music faded away, the bald headmaster announced, " Boys.... the light of knowledge" Then, a flame was passed on to light our candles. Staring at the glowing flame, I wondered what my future holds for me. Excitedly, I spun around and looked at my parents whom returned equally exhilarated smiles.

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Language Arts Lessons

Language Arts lessons have always been a tough challenge for me as my usage of language was not very good. So far in the year 2011, I have learned up till now many things. Some of which are :
  • Characterization through Speech and Dialogue
  • Characterization through Description
  • Characterization through Figurative Language
I like this Language Arts Programme as it helps me to gain a better understanding of what are the teachers looking for when characterization is involved. An example would be the quote, "Show not Tell". I think that this Language Arts Programme is doing fine but, I would like more online lessons about the topics involved. For example, we did an online work choosing a favourite cartoon character or celebrity and write a short excerpt on it. This activity made me realise that even the minor cartoon characters have an exceptionally well characterised character done by the producers. From this activity (which I did on Popeye), I am able to understand the characteristics of Popeye and how was the cartoon based on history.

This year's LA programme was also better than that of last year. We were given chances to speak up to gain OP points and not only that, help to build the confidence of some shy students.

I particularly enjoyed these entire blogging sessions as they made me summarise what I have done all these while. I hope that more of these lessons will surface in Term 2.

Saturday, February 12, 2011



The exterior of Ong Teng Cheong Student Activities and Leadership Training Centre (Salt Centre) looked impressive - it seemed like an impenetrable castle with white walls and huge pillars wearing a red triangular cap. Trees decorated by the side and front of Salt Centre danced liked they knew the beat of the wind. It seemed empty from the outside, a lonely place other than the breeze. However, the scenario inside Salt Centre contrasted significantly.

The interior of Salt Centre was bustling with activities. Students moved like ants crawling around a nest inside the Salt Centre. A high contrast as it was a huge building. One of the activities, which was the most noticeable, was the NPCC Secondary 1 Orientation 2011. There, in a small corner of the Salt Centre, gathered about 50 students - both cadets and cadets-to-be. The students were gathered around 3 poles tied together, chanting cheers. After which, the seniors went on to explain the various components of CampCraft.

The Sun shone against the Salt Centre, intensifying its brilliant white coat of paint it was wearing. The wind blew, and the trees swayed again. This time, the scene looked like a concert, while the students were actors of this wonderful play - CCA.

Monday, February 7, 2011

Characterisation - Story Excerpt


Popeye stood impatiently against a railing, his gaze fixed on the ocean, trying to catch a glimpse of any ship. Every second or two, he would punch the railing, venting his anger on them. Soon, A ship sailed into the harbor and Olive Oyl was tied to the mast of the ship. She was gagged and signaled for Popeye to save her.

Popeye glared at the hundreds of man onboard and jumped onto the ship. He was outnumbered a hundred is to one but, Popeye had a secret weapon – Spinach. He burst opened the can of spinach and swallowed it in one gulp. His biceps started to move around and expand. Before long, it was twice as big as the can of spinach. Popeye rushed forward to combat the pirates. Cutlasses were dented; swords and daggers broken; rifles with their parts dismantled – all done by Popeye himself. With a powerful swing, he sent tens of people sprawling all over the deck with some overboard.

Popeye stole a dagger from a pirate easily and threw it at ropes that were binding Olive with shocking accuracy. The ropes were sliced cleanly and fell to the ground. Bluton, unknown to Popeye, already had a rifle aimed at Popeye’s head…