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2. Expository Essay

1. RAPID DEFORESTATION IS ENDANGERING BOTH THE WILDLIFE AND OUR HEALTH

My First Interview Experience at Njala University

My first interview was a memorable day in my life. The day was so thrilling and memorable that
I can still remember it clearly. It all started when I send in my application for an admission into
the university. It was in September 28th 2021, that I went for the interview at Njala Campus. I
came along with my aunt for the interview early in the morning by a taxi. I entered the campus
with curiosity and I straight away noticed that I am in a new world.

At first I was confused as I have no idea to as where the interview was to be held, so I had to
ask for direction, where I met a very noble and well respected man, he was the one who gave
me direction to the place of interview. By then I met so many other people waiting at LR 12 for
them to be called for the interview. Lucky, my name was the last on the list so I said to myself,
let me be preparing while waiting for others.

The interview started at 12pm, our names were called according to the list which was with the
admin of School of Technology. I rushed to ask my colleagues whom have left the interview
room to know the nature of the interview and they all told me different stories. But I had one
believe which was no matter what I will pass through this interview. So I went back and waited
patiently for my turn. But because of the time they had to make us stand in a queue, as before
they were using the list to call our names, it was already getting late, and majority of the
interviewers were tired and we were so many left to be interviewed. That day I was nervous,
but I thought to myself to be as confident as possible.

Finally my turn reached, and I went inside, by the looked of things majority of the interviewers
were academic doctors and professors. When I looked around I saw the man who gave me the
direction to the interview place and I was surprised to see him there and eventually he again
happens to be the one to interview me. I was asked by him to show him my documents which I
did. Upon submission of my document to him, he asked for my name and what program did I
apply for. I then have to tell him my name and the program which I applied for. He noticed that
we have met this morning and he then asked me to write my name on the list which was
available for those of us who came for the interview and there ends my interview and I was told
I will hear from the university. I was very happy as I was nervous, but because of the faith and
prayer I was not asked a question.
I have to thank him and I went outside and saying thanks to God for a successful interview. My
friends that were outside have to asked me what were the questions that I was asked and I
have to tell them that I wasn’t asked any questions, and they all were surprised and said I am so
lucky and I smiled and I said good bye to them all.
NARRATIVE ESSAY

1. VACATION:

Vacation is one word that instantly brings a smile on my face. And why not? It offers a great
respite from the dull and boring routine we follow each day. It is time to try new things and
bond with our family.

Summer Vacations are Always Fun

Summer vacations for me means a house full of cousins, lots of horror movies, delectable food
and the noisy yet soothing sound of the air cooler.

I live in a joint family and ever since my childhood, all my paternal aunts and cousins pour in our
house during summer vacations. I have three aunts who have two kids each. Two of them are in
my age and I particularly look forward to their visit to our house. We share various common
interests so we have a lot of fun together but we also fight a lot. Now, this is not to say that I
don’t enjoy with my other cousins. I rejoice their company too.

We are all fond of horror movies. So, almost every night during their stay we watch a horror
movie. We turn off all the lights, shut all the doors and then sit together for this spooky
adventure. We scream, shout and scare each other to take the experience to the next level. I
just love those crazy nights spent with my bunch of crazy cousins.

Besides, we indulge in various indoor and outdoor activities. We go for morning walks and
evening strolls, we play, have street food and also visit the nearby malls accompanied by our
elders.

We are all also made to sit for around two-three hours each day to study. It is much better than
studying alone. Though we look for excuses to skip these study sessions, they are actually not
that bad. We get yummy refreshments during this time and also get to giggle and whisper in
between that makes these sessions fun.

I love the way my aunts pamper me. The presence of my aunts in the house also means that we
get a variety of delectable foods each day. They all have good culinary skills and we love the
items cooked by them.

Conclusion

Vacations are full of fun and summer vacations are simply the best. They are the longest
vacations and I look forward to them every year. It truly is a time to catch up on a lot of sleep
and bond with our extended family members.
 2. TEACHERS' DAY:

One day every year, we celebrate Teachers' Day in honour of the teachers who spend so much
time teaching us so many things.

This year, Teachers' Day began with a school assembly in the hall where the headmaster
delivered a speech. After that we adjourned to our classes, not to have lessons, but to enjoy
ourselves.

My classmates gave a small party for the teachers who taught us. Each of us contributed a small
sum of money to buy cakes, drinks and other tastes. On that day we arranged the chairs and
desks so that they surrounded an empty space in the middle of the classroom.

So began a round of eating, drinking and playing games with the teachers. Most of the teachers
were very sporting and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. It was so different from having
lessons.

The other classes gave parties too. So the teachers had to move from class to class and
participate in the fun. I would think that this was quite tiring on the part of the teachers but
they managed it. After all it was their day to enjoy and have fun.

One class even gave a short play for their teachers. I did not get to watch it as I was busy tidying
up the classroom after the party.

All in all it was a great day. The whole school was immersed in an atmosphere of gaiety. So
when the school bell rang for dismissal I felt a little sad that it should end, but end it must. The
day was over and we went home tired but happy.

3. MOTHER’S DAY ESSAY:

Our mothers are like a security blanket to us because she saves us from all problems. She never
regards her own problems and listens to us all time. In order to give her respect, second Sunday
of May month has been dedicated for her to celebrate the mother’s day. This event is of great
importance to us and our mothers. At this day we should keep our mothers happy and never
make her sad. We should always obey her and do works properly. She always wants to make us
a good human being in the life.

A big programme is organized in our school every year on mother’s day to celebrate it
conjointly. Our teachers help us in getting prepared for the mother’s day occasion. We learn
lots of poem, rhyme, essay, speech, conversation, etc. for the celebration of this occasion. We
are really blessed by the God with a caring and loving mother. Without mothers our lives are
nothing. We are as lucky as we have mother. We give lots of special gifts to our mother and she
gives us lots of love and care. Out teachers give us an invitation card to invite our mother at
school and be the glory of the occasion.

Mothers do lots of activities in the classroom like dancing, singing, poem recitation, speech, etc
for our happiness. We too take part in the celebration and show our talent (such as poem
recitation, essay writing, speech, dance, singing, etc) in front of the mother and teacher. Our
mothers bring lot of delicious dishes with them to the school. At the end of the celebration, we
all enjoy eating those delicious dishes together with our teachers and mothers. We are served
with variety of dishes by our mothers.

Our mothers are very special. Even after being tired she always smiles for us. She tells us
different poems and stories while sleeping in the night. She helps us in preparing our project
works and home works and helps us during exam time. She takes care of our uniform and
school dress. She teaches us to eat anything only after proper hand wash with soap and water.
She teaches us good manners, etiquettes, morality, humanity and helping others always in the
life. She takes care of my father, grandparents and my small sister. We all too love her too
much and take her outside weekly with all family members.

4. MY NEIGHBORHOOD:

When I think of my neighborhood I get depressed. For one thing it is in a crowded street with
many tall story buildings on both sides. One can't see the sunrise or sunset, when one lives in
this street. It is always crowded and hence noisy but for the small hours of the night. All sorts of
vehicles move about the streets especially in the morning and during office hours. These
vehicles raise a great din. Since the road is well tarred there is no dust.

There is a school and a bazaar nearby. The school children add to the crowd and din of the
place. Very often they encroach upon the road for there is no proper playground for them. This
is a bane in many towns which have a mushroom growth and population.

The town Centre has all types of shops catering to the needs of the people living nearby. From
the small bunker selling tea to the big stores selling fashionable wares. It is very crowded in the
evenings with shoppers jostling each other. Mobile shops on wheels add to the confusion of the
place. In busy evenings one will have to thread one's way through milling crowds. The
shopkeepers keep up a continuous shouting out of the wares for sale. The music blaring from
the shops is deafening.

The bus stand is also very near. Town buses and those going to distant places stop there. So it is
a busy hub of a place. One can see stalls upon stalls laid out heavily with all sorts of things. The
bus stand is busy throughout the day and night.
Because of the cosmopolitan nature of the town all sorts of people live in the neighborhood. So
much so, one can hear and see people talking in different tongues and dressing in different
ways. From the simple dhoti of a South Indian, to the colorful sarong and to the most
sophisticated European dress. One can see all sorts of fashions. The diverse nature of the
population adds to the color of the neighborhood.

The flats are not congenial for a healthy living. For one thing there is not enough space and as
such the worst sufferers are the children and the old people. If free space is limited, free air is
also not to be had. The air is highly polluted and so one has to pay heavily in terms of health.

Having lived in this neighborhood for quite some time I yearn for a rural atmosphere which the
poets have sung so much about.

5. PLACES I LIKE TO VISIT:

First of all, I would like to visit the moon. By the time ordinary people can visit the moon, I will
probably be very old or dead. Anyhow it would be quite an experience to walk on the moon. It
is said that there is no air or water there and our weight is many times less. I certainly would
like to see how high I can jump and how fast I can run on the moon. These are all wishful
thinking, of course.

To be realistic I can only visit places on earth. There are the Seven, and other, Wonders of the
Earth and I like to visit them all, if possible. After hearing about the marvels of The Pyramids Of
Egypt, The Great Wall Of China, The Taj Mahal, The Leaning Tower Of Pisa, The Colosseum Of
Rome, Stonehenge in England and others, it would be great to actually be there and experience
these things first-hand.

However, before all these places, I would like to visit Disneyland first. Which kid would not like
to? There are so many things to see and do. It would be great fun.

Right now I cannot visit any of these places. The first reason is the lack of money. The second is
I am too young to go on my own and I do not know anyone rich enough to take me there.

So they remain places I like to visit. Who knows, I might get to visit some or all of them in
future, or not at all. Only time will tell.

6. THE CAREER OF MY CHOICE:

If I am able to pass the necessary examinations to go to a University, I would like to read law
and afterwards spend two years in an office training to be a solicitor.

There are several reasons for my choice. Firstly, I want to read law, because it is a subject which
has always interested me. In many ways it is similar to History which I have always liked at
school. For a law degree, laws made by man right back to Roman times have to be studied. A
slight knowledge of Latin is also required and this, too, is a subject which I like.

Secondly, as a fully qualified solicitor, there would be a great variety of jobs available to me.
There are always vacancies for young solicitors in general practice. Many Government
departments employ solicitors as town clerks and legal advisers. There are a great many
openings in industry too. Most large firms have legal departments to advise on patents,
copyrights and general legal procedure.

In these days of high prices and high cost of living, most of us wish to earn as much money as
we can, to provide the good things of life for ourselves and our families. We also want to
educate our children in the best possible way. All this needs money, which, as a solicitor in any
of the different spheres open to me, I could easily earn. we rarely see a poor solicitor, because
the law is not subject to slumps or declining trade or things of that kind. As long as there are
people, there will be a need for lawyers, to settle differences, to make wills, to draw up housing
contracts, to protect the innocent and to punish the guilty. Therefore, as a solicitor, I would
have a secure and well-paid job.

Finally, in whatever branch of the law I work, I shall always be in contact with people and their
fascinating human problems. To be with books or figures or machines, all day long would, for
me, be very dull and monotonous, because I want to work with and for human beings. As a
solicitor, I would be able to do this.

7. THE PERSON I ADMIRE MOST:

The person I admire most is my father. My father is a man of medium built and height. He runs
a small textile shop on Arab Street which provides the family with a good and steady income.
But, my father actually came from a very humble background.

My father was born to a poor family in Malacca. My grandparents could not even afford to send
my father for higher education. After completing his studies in his village, he helped my
grandfather in the padi fields.

At the age of eighteen, father decided to leave the village and head to the city in search of
work. He found work as a peon in a small textile company. He was very hard-working and his
superiors were pleased with him. They advised my father to continue his studies by taking part-
time classes. He took their advice and enrolled himself in evening classes. He learnt English and
other subjects n these classes.

After a few years, he got himself a diploma from his studies. Very soon afterwards, he was
promoted and sent to manage the Singapore branch. My father was never a spendthrift and he
never drank or smoked. He met my mother when he came to Singapore and they were married
the following year. My eldest brother was born a year later.

My father had only worked for that one company. He constantly improved himself and grew
with the company until he was appointed as one of the company's directors. When the old
patriarch who founded the company had passed away, his two sons decided to sell the
Singapore branch to my father. And so, my father finally became the boss of the very firm for
which he had worked for.

My father is truly my role model. He has given the family everything it needs. He sets himself as
an example for us to follow. He is never angry without a good cause and is always cheerful, kind
and helpful and I hope that, by his example, I would grow up to be like him, too.

8. MY FAVORITE SUBJECT IN SCHOOL:

My favorite subject in school is Mathematics. It is my favorite because I never have difficulty

with it and always get good marks in tests.

I suppose I am lucky to be born with a clear-thinking brain. So ever since young, manipulating
numbers and figures came easy to me.

The wonderful thing about Mathematics is that, besides some formulae, there is nothing else to
remember. Every step in solving a problem is done logically. Other subjects like History and
Geography require a lot of memory work. Remembering dates and other facts is hard work
compared with the ease and simplicity of mathematical reasoning.

While Mathematics is simple to me, some of my friends have great difficulty with it. I do not
really understand why. They get stuck with simple problems and often give up. So I help them
out when I can.

The one advantage I have in being good in Mathematics is that I do not have to spend a lot of
time on it. Homework and tests are a breeze. So I have plenty of time left over to study other
subjects. Sometimes I feel sorry for my less fortunate classmates who get scolded in class for
not completing their Mathematics homework.

Anyhow I have come to realize that human beings can be so different in their abilities while
they look similar otherwise. Some of us are lucky to be good in some things. Others may not be
so lucky.

9. A SAD OCCASION:

I am the youngest in a family of six children. My eldest brother, Ali, was almost twenty-three
when tragedy struck suddenly to deprive our family of a filial son and loving brother.
I came home from school that day, cheerful because I had won the top prize in a school
mathematics competition. When I reached home, I knew immediately that something was
wrong. Many of my relatives were at my house and the looks on their faces showed sadness.

I quickly rushed into the house and met my sister, Salmah, who blurted out to me that Ali was
dead. "He was knocked down by a car while crossing the road to his office," she said, "and was
killed on the spot." I felt as if someone had pulled the carpet from under my feet, and for a
second I felt dizzy. Then the realization of the loss set in and I was overcome with sorrow.

I could hear my mother and sisters wailing loudly inside the room. I knew that Ali's body lay
there but I could not bring myself to go in. I moved towards the wall and turned my back
towards it. Then, I slumped down to the floor and bowed y head low between my upright
knees.

I felt someone touch my shoulder and looked up to see my father standing over me. His eyes
were red and the skin around his eyes looked puffy. He told me that it was time for the funeral.

Ali's body was washed according to the Islamic custom and prayers were held. Then, we went
to the Muslim cemetery at St James Park for the burial. After, the burial and further
supplication for the dead, it finally dawned on me that I would never ever see my brother again
in the flesh. I offered a silent prayer for my brother and beseeched God Almighty to provide ell
for my brother in the Hereafter.

10. MY FATHER:

My father is my best friend and real hero of my life. I generally call him Dad. He is the most
special person in my life. He is a very good sports person and artist. He does paintings in his
spare time and promotes us also to do paintings. He tells us that we should anything extra like
music, singing, sports activity, painting, dancing, cartoon making, etc because such extra
activities keeps us busy in our spare time and helps us to be peaceful all through the life. By
profession, he is an internet marketing manager (a software Engineer) in a limited company in
New Delhi.

He never thinks to be back in helping needy people and always ready to help them especially
old people. He is my best friend and discusses my all problems. Whenever I become fed up, he
ask me the reason very peacefully and takes me to the top floor, let me sit in his side, keep his
hand on my shoulder and discuss his own experiences of life, his faults an drawbacks including
his success in order to make me realize that what I am doing wrong or right. He teaches us
about ethics of the life and importance of elders and the life time. He tells us that we should
never make any person unhappy in our life and always help needy people especially old people.
He always cares of my grandparents and tells us that old people are like precious assets of the
home, without them we are like children without mother and fish without water. He always
gives

very good examples to make us understand anything very easily. At every weekend means at
Sunday, he takes us outside of the home to the park for picnic where we all enjoy a lot by
having some outdoor activities and sports. We generally play badminton as an outdoor game
and carom board as an indoor game.

EXPOSITORY ESSAY

1. RAPID DEFORESTATION IS ENDANGERING BOTH THE WILDLIFE AND OUR HEALTH.

Every nation aims for a developed or advanced status. Only through development, the nation
can progress and ensure the people enjoy a high quality and standard of living. Deforestation
clears land of trees and bushes for development. Houses, industries, parks and public
infrastructure are built on the cleared land. However, rapid deforestation as a result of greed
for quick wealth is endangering both the wildlife and our health.

In Malaysia, the last decades since independence have witnessed massive deforestation and
clearing of land for development mainly to build houses, condominiums, theme parks,
industries among others. The purpose is to provide facilities and amenities to the citizens.
However, this is causing major problems to wildlife as their habitat is destroyed. Our indigenous
and unique flora and fauna is also being threatened. Protected species such as tigers,
elephants, rhinoceros and others are dying due to the destruction of their natural habitat.
Many are forced to find new areas which may not be conducive to them. We often hear in the
news how wild tigers and elephants encroach into human habitat and have killed or maimed
humans while foraging for food.

We need to preserve more forests and reserve areas for these animals as sanctuaries. Aside
from providing a haven for these creatures, preservation of forests is also good for us as trees
provide fresh and health air. As human population increases, so does pollution. Forests and
jungles provide natural protection against pollution by providing uncontaminated air and
trapping pollutants.

The government and nongovernmental organization must collaborate to protect the green
lung. the presence of factories and increase in number of vehicles on the roads have resulted in
an unhealthy atmosphere. In addition Malaysia regularly suffers the haze problem due to
forests fires from Kalimantan as well as open burning here. This combined with indiscriminate
felling of trees have contributed to a host of medical problems among citizens of our country.
Doctors confirm that there has been a dramatic increase in people suffering form lung and
breathing complications. A major factor is the destruction of forests coupled with pollution.

Hence, it is vital that the government take immediate steps to prevent this situation from
worsening. the state governments should designate more forest reserves and great care must
be taken to relocate wild life if their habitat is being cleared for housing or industries. In fact,
the government should reduce the number of licences being issued to developers and timber
logging companies. They are the main culprits threatening the existence of wild life as well as
our health. Fresh air provided by natural forests is important for human survival.

2. EXAMINATIONS:

Older people who reflect on the happiness of youth often forget all about examinations, just as
we tend to push all unpleasant things out of mind. All young people who aspire to reach any
worthwhile position in life are committed to the examination system from the age of 9 or 10,
until the early 20s, if the university training or technical college is included. Examinations are a
series of hurdles to be jumped until the weary student finally reaches the winning post -- job.
At any rate, most people see them this way. Nobody likes them, but nobody can suggest a
reasonable substitute for them.

There are two kinds of examinations; the private ones held in school or college and the public
once such as school entrance, School Certificate, Higher School Certificate and the University
examinations such as B.A. (Bachelor of Arts) B.Sc. (Bachelor of Science), B. Lit (Bachelor of
Literature, L.L.B ( Bachelor of laws ) etc. their objectives may vary. The private ones are
intended to show whether or not a student has worked well during a term and the result may
involve little more than pleasure (or displeasure!) on the part of parent or teacher. The public
ones are designed as steppingstones to more advanced fields of education, until the degree
level is reached, and these are very important in determining the kind of job a student can get
in the competitive world or in indicating what kind of further education suits his or her
particular talents. Banks, business houses, commerce and local government demand a
reasonable number of good 'O' levels and prefer some 'A's, while the professions, the law,
medicine, teaching etc. require considerably higher qualifications even than these. To the
student, it seems an endless vista of study -- an intellectual 'rat-race' in these competitive
modern times. Yet, there must be some way of indicating that one student has reached a
required level when another has failed -- even the student will admit this (especially after he
has passed). And the authorities have never been in any doubt -- anywhere. The fact that public
examinations, both oral and written, were held as long ago as in Greek and Roman times shows
this -- as does the fact that examinations today are held in every civilized country in the world.
If we accept the need for a way of differentiating students, the question which follows is, "are
examinations the best way?" Here, there are two schools of thought. In Britain, the most
debated examination is the "11 +". If a child fails at this age, he or she is debarred from the
grammar school or 'stream', and in effect, from the academic life.

If a few cases, bright failures are given a second chance at 13 and a few move into higher
schools -- but not many. Some local authorities have now dropped the examination altogether
at this stage and award places on termly work and primary teachers' recommendations. But
here again some have to fail, and however impartial the decision may be, there is always some
suspicion of favoritism or unfairness.

The question arising, then, 'is an examination a fair test of ability ?' The answer, generally is,
'yes, it is.' There are, of course, children and young people whose minds 'go blank' in the
examination room and those who suffer from nerves or whose technique is bad and then they
fail to do themselves justice. But too often this talk of 'exam. nerves' s a cloak for laziness or
ignorance ! By the middle teens, a child ought to make a fair showing, at more tender ages the
candidate is given every chance including an intelligence test beforehand sufficiently elaborate
to enable the school to predict results with some confidence.

The last question -- 'Are examinations fair in themselves?' - may most certainly be answered
'yes'. The examiner is never out to catch the student; indeed enormous efforts are made to
offer a wide selection of fair questions covering the whole range of work the student may be
expected to have done. Again, the student who says 'I had a bad paper' really means 'I only
covered part of the work and was unlucky!'

Given hard and intelligent work, any normal student may expect to pass his examination. There
are, of course, helpful points such as neatness good spelling, paragraphing, planning the paper
at the beginning and so on. These will all gain marks. But in general, providing the work is there,
so will be the results.

Examinations need never be feared. They can even be enjoyed; if only in retrospect!

3. THE BENEFITS OF AND THE PROBLEMS CAUSED BY THE ARTIFICIAL DAMMING OF

RIVERS:

The damming of rivers to form reservoirs was common practice in Roman times, and probably
much earlier. Over the intervening centuries the practice has evolved for three main purposes;
human consumption, irrigation, and industrial use. Since rainfall is never sufficiently uniform to
provide a reliable water source from normal river flow, the reservoir has always been a great
boon, spanning as it does lengthy periods of drought. There are, of course, other reasons for
damming a river. Following heavy storms in mountainous areas more water than a river can
carry will flow down to the plain, inundating large areas often destroying crops, homes and
animal and human life. Mountain passes, if dammed, give the opportunity not only to control
the flow of flood water at its peak but also to retain large quantities for controlled use in dry
weather. This control of water works from sea to river as well as from to sea. An example is the
recently constructed Thames barrier below Woolwich on the River Thames in England. This
consists of solid pillars across the river with massive steel plates between each pillar which can
be raised or lowered mechanically. The object is to protect the low-lying parts of London when
a certain combination of wind and tide raises the water level by as much as thirty feet.

A further use of the dam is to produce hydroelectric power, the power station, of course, being
built below the level of the dam. Water is channeled through conduits and used as mechanical
power for the turbines. It is then returned to the river. Reservoir water is also used today in
vast quantities in nuclear power stations for cooling and other purposes and is similarly
returned to the river or to the sea.

Some rivers in their natural state are not navigable by large vessels, or run dry in seasons of
drought. Where such rivers can be dammed they can be given a constant depth for purposes of
navigation, and this benefits a country's communication system.

More often than not a dam may be central in a multipurpose scheme including most of the
functions outlined above. This is particularly true in countries lying in temperate zones, where
water shortage can be a nuisance but is rarely a disaster.

Matters are different in underdeveloped countries which are hot, dry and barren. In these areas
populations are often nomadic, driving flocks and herds from waterhole to waterhole, or
scratching a mere subsistence from the soil. Drought means disease, hunger, dehydration and
death to animals and humans alike. The damming of major rivers such as the Nile is crucial to
life itself, and the control of their floodwater for irrigation purposes essential, but even this is
not preventing large tracts of North East Africa from reverting to desert.

Perhaps of least importance is the social value of a reservoir. Some stocked with trout, provide
good fishing, and most are used by sailing clubs, and for other aquatic sports. A reservoir is also
a great attraction to water-loving birds and often becomes an interesting staging-post for
migrations.

Damming a river can also cause problems. A great area of land, with its trees, flora and fauna,
farms and houses, has to be inundated. Neither the resident, who have to resettle elsewhere,
nor the environmentalists, appreciate this. The problem is more acute when the countryside
about to be spoilt is environmentally unique, as in a recent case in Australia, where attempts
were made to involve Prince Charles and Princess Diana in the dispute. Creating an artificial lake
inevitably changes the character of a large area. Farmland is destroyed, natural scenery, in the
opinion of some, despoiled. People have to move, inconveniently.

A second drawback may be political. Many rivers flow through more than one country, that
lying higher up the river having the whip-hand. A dam built for one country's benefit may be
much to the detriment of another. The USSR has been in dispute with Turkey over this matter
as has Egypt with the Sudan.

Dams are vulnerable to air attack in wartime. The destruction of the Mohne See dam in the
Second World War brought the industry of the Ruhr to a virtual standstill, as well as causing loss
of life. There have also been cases of the collapse of dams due to inadequate strength and
imperfect design.

4. THE PROBLEM OF DEFORESTATION:

Thousands and thousands of acres of lush rain forests are cleared each year to make way for
development. The once beautiful and spectacular forests are reduced to barren landscapes.
This is for the sake of development, for the advancement of man.

Yet, what happens when trees are felled? Firstly, the earth is left vulnerable to soil erosion. The
heavy tropical rains will carry away the rich topsoil, and the land without its topsoil will no
longer be fertile. Slowly but steadily, the lush vegetation will give way to wasteland.

Secondly, the flowing water will not only wash away the topsoil but will deposit it in the rivers.
As a result, the rivers will become shallower. Consequently, floods will become frequent in the
area. Thousands of people will suffer in these floods.

Another point to note is that forests are home to hundreds of species of flora and fauna.
Animals and plants live in symbiotic relationships in the balance of nature. Man destroys this
balance when he flattens the forests to the ground. Where do they go then, the great and tiny
inhabitants of these forests? Nowhere. They die. If this goes on, the food chain will be
disrupted. As creatures dependent on the food chain, man is ultimately destroying his own
sources of food through the destruction of rain forests.

When forests are a distant memory, a shocking fact will hit us full force. Mankind will be thrown
into a state of unimaginable suffering and agony. What I am talking about is the lack of oxygen.
While cutting down a tree to add yet another piece of luxurious furniture to Man's already
opulent lifestyle, people forget that they are also cutting down our supply of oxygen.
Trees absorb the carbon dioxide breathed out by living creatures, reprocess it and, in the end,
produce the life-sustaining oxygen. Without trees, where will this oxygen come from? Will we
process it in factories? Will a time come when man will be fighting for the very air he breathes?

Furthermore, the excessive carbon dioxide will also effect a change in the micro-climate and
raise the region's temperature. There will be a greenhouse effect on earth; warm air and
radiation will be trapped under the earth's atmosphere. Then, as the earth's temperature rises,
the ice in the polar caps will melt, raising the sea level. Great floods will hit the lower-lying
areas.

As you can see, it is a vicious cycle. A change in our environment will trigger off another change
which will trigger off yet another. This is why we should keep the balance of nature. This is why
we ought to preserve our forests. This is why environmentalist groups are pressurizing
governments to reduce the felling of trees and the clearing of forests and to be serious about
replanting forests.

With the support of ordinary citizens like you and me, they will get the attention of the people
in power. We can also help by planting trees. Members of this beautiful planet must be united.
By preserving our forests, we are preserving ourselves.

5. THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF BEING AN ONLY CHILD:

In our parents' days, being an only child was unusual. In those days, people had bigger families,
and it was common for a family to have four or five or even more children. But for our
generation, I notice, two or even one child seems to be the norm. An only child often gets more
attention from his parents. As there is no other sibling to compete for his parents' attention, it
is easy for an only child to get his way. My neighbor Cecilia is an only child. Since she was
young, she has always been the first one to own the latest toy and gadget. Now that she is a
teenager, Cecilia is always dressed in the latest fashion.

The only child often has no one to play with. As a result, he is more resourceful in keeping
himself entertained. He is usually good at an activity that he can indulge in without a
companion such as creative writing, reading and painting. An only child also tends to mature
faster because he is always surrounded by adults. I think the greatest disadvantage of being an
only child is that he does not have any brother or sister to play with.

As children, my sister and I were always playing together. We would play all kinds of games.
When we grew up, we exchange news about clothes and friends, and confide in each other. Of
course, we often quarrel and bicker with each other. But our sibling bond is special. The only
child has the disadvantage of not knowing this relationship. It must also be lonely at times not
to have a companion of his generation in the family.
As the only child often gets his way, he does not have the opportunity to learn to share. A child
with siblings inevitably has to learn to share food, toys and even his parents' affection. This can
be annoying in childhood, but it will help him get along with people as he grows older. On the
other hand, an only child who does not receive parental guidance will take it for granted that
his needs and wants will always come first. That is why some people who grow up as only
children have trouble sharing things in school. As they grow up, they will also face the same
problem in situations which require teamwork.

An only child may also face unreasonable expectations from his parents. They may focus all
their dreams on the child, and assume that he would fulfill them. I am sure that there are times
when an only child wishes that he has brothers and sisters. Perhaps it would help him to know
that there are times when some of us who have siblings envy the privileges and attention
enjoyed by an only child.

6. THE ADVANTAGES OF TRAVELING:

Robert Louis Stevenson's observation that books though good enough in their own way are a
"mighty bloodless substitute for life", has always appeared to me as correct and rich with
meaning. Those who live in a narrow confined society find it difficult to develop an out-going
personality: they, at times, are not to tolerant and it is always easy for them to fall into a dull
routine. Amongst the aristocratic families of Europe of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries
no young man's (or young woman's for that matter) education was considered to be complete
without travel. Those who were not lucky enough to have adequate funds found other means
of traveling. They either traveled as companions and employees of the rich people or if
adventurous and daring joined professions which took them abroad. People have traveled as
tramps and stowaways. The whole world of commerce and the colonial system grew out of this
urge for travel and adventure. Traveling does not necessarily mean traveling abroad: it means
traveling as much as one can - travel to the next town to the seaside resort, to the small hill
station, the next state, or the nearest island. It basically implies getting out of the rut, seeing
other people learning about their way of living and thinking, and thus developing a broader and
more tolerant outlook towards life.

Traveling is the best kind of education. Of course, it is no substitute for the basic learning of the
three R's. But it can be a substitute for most other kinds of learning. For when we travel we get
the opportunity of seeing and knowing people at first hand. One sees them as people, but
meets them as individuals. Traveling even in one country is beneficial. Some parts of the
country abound in rain and in backwaters, in lush, green landscapes: others have the right kind
of soil and terrain for plantations - rubber, tea, coffee or timber. Still others may be having
factories for canning marine products. In another part of the country there may be oil fields or
coal mines or oil extracting units. So by traveling over these areas one is able to see the
different kinds of industries, soils and people.

Customs, languages and religious practices differ from place to place. One learns about them
and learns to live with and accept the differences. The truth of it can be seen in multiracial
societies like Singapore and Malaysia where Chinese, Malays and Indians live side by side.
Traveling from one corner of India to another is like traversing a whole continent. The cultural
preferences vary from place to place. These experiences increase aesthetic sensitivity.

Besides learning about the customs of other people and gaining a great deal of knowledge
travel also teaches adaptability. Those who travel a great deal and are willing to rough it out are
not so fastidious about the ordinary comforts of life. They make cheerful and pleasant
companions. Travel also breaks through religious fanaticism and encourages exchange of ideas.
People who have succeeded in developing an interest in birds and animals, in rocks and
minerals and in plants and trees find travel a rewarding experience.

In the present day society, individuals can perhaps survive only if they can get out of their
limited circle. It is important that they know what is happening around them not only
economically and intellectually but also politically.

7. THE PURPOSES OF PUNISHMENT:

There is a tendency in man to deviate from the right path and act in such a way that the
interest of another is injured. Society binds its members to a certain line of conduct so as to
ensure security for all. It is this function of ensuring safety through right behavior that has given
rise to the idea of punishment. Punishment is intended to prevent, deter and reform.

The individual is a member of society and he needs society for the development of his
personality He has his freedom but it cannot be absolute. His freedom to direct his own share
of the common life is balanced by the freedom of society to dissociate itself from his actions
which conflict with its interests- Therefore, punishment is essentially disowning by society of
acts done by its members when such acts are In conflict with the general interest.

The theory of retribution has few defenders today. The main objection to retributive theory is
that it inflicts pain for the sake of pain. Hammurabi's famous code contained the principle of
"an eye for an eye". Society feels that the criminal should get the taste of violence which he has
inflicted on his victim. The penalty given is to be equated with the seriousness of the crime.
Thus, when a criminal is punished, society is expressing its antagonism and this, it is said, is
necessary for the preservation of the character of society. Those who oppose this purpose of
retribution believe that the aim of penal sanction is not revenge for retribution which is
associated with revenge is incompatible with forgiveness. However, it must be observed that
the only person who can feel revengeful is the injured person. If A injures B. it is absurd for C to
forgive.

When a person is sent to prison for life or hanged, he is prevented from repeating his offence. If
he is sent for a period of time, he may be deterred from committing further crimes. Punishment
can also have a deterrent effect on would- be criminals. It is possible that one who is punished
realizes the error of his ways. In prison he may be visited by the chaplain or the psychiatrist and
he may decide to go straight in future. But there is the opposite view that when a prisoner is
discharged he is charged to the eyes with venom and hatred and therefore punishment cannot
have a deterrent effect.

The modern tendency is towards reform and society's attitude towards criminals today is more
humane. Punishment is no longer an occasion for community entertainment. Society, instead of
disowning him, tries to understand him because punishing a criminal is like treating the
symptoms of a disease. A case study is made of the criminal and psychologists and social
workers try to detect reasons for the actions of the criminal. Some of the factors considered to
be responsible for crimes are lack of affection at home, the environment, upbringing and
frustration. The aim is to remove the factors that make a man deviate from the right path and
help him to fit himself into society. In the prison, the emphasis is on reform. He is taught a skill
so that his prison term could be profitably spent and he could secure a job on release. The
remedial measures adopted are intended to make a criminal a normal person. After all, killing
the offender does not revive the life of the victim.

Punishment, in essence, is the method by which society tries to maintain its moral standard. It
also enables others to enjoy their freedom. As understood today, it is not revenge. The aim is to
guarantee each man to run his own life as he thinks fit until he has done something which gives
society reason for invading his freedom.

8. MIGHT IS RIGHT:

The old saying 'Power corrupts; infinite power corrupts infinitely' is the eternally true corollary
to the Hitlerite slogan "Might is Right." It is a valid truth in practically every sphere of human
life. 'Might’ or the possession of total power by either an individual or a group seems to bring
out the most universally-condemned failings of mankind; pride, arrogance, contempt of the
weak, and the presumption of infallibility. it is often mingled with fear.

The dangers of the 'Might is Right' doctrine are very apparent in the field of politics. If a
president becomes dictator, we soon discover that democratic processes wither and die, and
that ultimately, even the rule of law is challenged. The head of a police state, however, lives in
fear; hence, the imprisonment of opponents, the armed escorts, the arbitrary changes of law,
the oppression of minorities. Domestic and foreign affairs are handled automatically and
capriciously, other countries being alienated. Totalitarian states carry within themselves the
seeds of their own destruction; Julius Caesar, Genghis Khan and Adolf Hitler all bear witness to
each fact. Eventually people rebel, the tyrant or the caucus falls to the assassin. 'Might may be
right' -- for a time, but rarely for very long.

The principles actuating nations also hold good for individuals. Everybody hates the bully, the
hold-up man, the brutal murderer, who all pay unconscious tribute to the principle of 'Might is
Right.' Such individuals are anti-social, and the laws of all nations include stern measures for
dealing with them.

In the modern business world, the principle has regrettably many adherents. Many a headline
tells of the 'take-over bid,' the 'price ring,' the 'squeeze' put on the small business man. Often,
the public suffers from high prices and over standardization of products, but, this is partly
competition of a free state in the commercial and business world, and partly by Government
intervention, sometimes in the form of the nationalization of basic supplies and the sources of
raw materials.

In some communities, it is said that the 'might is right' principle holds well in the administration
of justice. Justice Galsworthy's play "The Silver Box' implies that in early 20th century England,
there was 'one law for the rich and another for the poor.' Such is very rarely the case nowadays
in enlightened or civilized countries, a testimony to mankind's general approval of the principle
of fair play.

'Might' may have 'right' on its side in a major war, and people generally accept the morality of a
greater force putting down a tyranny. 'Might' is also 'right' in the sphere of sport, where the
best man wins, and is applauded for doing so.

But humanity never allows 'the weak to go to the wall' forever. Power is dangerous, and
therefore feared. History had taught us to shun the 'might is right' principle. We can only hope
that a more civilized principle will govern the actions of those nations, who, today have a stake
in the 'space age.'

9. ASSESS THE DANGER THAT THE INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY MAY COLLAPSE BY THE MIDDLE OF
THE 21ST CENTURY THROUGH THE EXHAUSTION OF RAW MATERIALS

Before actually assessing the danger as contemplated let us first of all know about the certain
premises raised here. To begin with let us be clear about an industrial society. In such a society
for all his needs man look to the machines which symbolize the industrialized society. Many of
the things would have been automated, for example, the sorting of eggs or the baking of bread.
In such and many other cases man may be working but he is only a cog in the wheel. Everything
is on a mass scale; everything follows a system; everything is made to order. The USA and most
of the West European countries come under this category. Japan is the Eastern nation which is
highly industrialized.

For all their industries, all these societies use many raw materials. They may be forest products,
the fossil fuels, or the ores from the bowels of the earth. Their quantity is limited and the way
the industrialized societies are exhausting them, create the fear that stock may be exhausted
sooner or later.

For instance, forests are being denuded in many countries for the manufacture of paper and
furniture. It is easier to fell hundreds of trees a day than to grow one. But the demand for paper
is growing very fast that unless some alternative to wood is found in forest based industries,
there may not be enough paper.

So too with fossil fuels whether it is oil or coal or natural gas, the way they are being used has
led to the speculation that there may not be any petroleum by the turn of this century. Perhaps
the stock of coal may last a few decades more. Anyway in the case of coal the stock is only
limited and not inexhaustible. If forests take only decades to come up the fossil fuels require
geological ages to form and unlike trees they cannot be made to order.

Then there are other minerals especially ferrous and non-ferrous metals. Some of the metals
are in abundance while others are scarce. After all mines are not milch cows and even milch
cows would become dry and old.

But by the middle of the next century things may not be gloomy after all. Science and ingenuity
of man will work together to find a way out of the impasse. Newer materials, newer processes
and recycling may have the answer. Already we are having a taste of what may come. Look at
the man-made fibers and plastics. A few decades ago none would ever have thought of them
but now there is none who does not use them. In fact they are made from things which were
considered useless or which were going to waste.

With the advent of television and other still more sophisticated methods of communication, the
need for a big bulk of paper, may be reduced. Instead of writing letters, they may be tape
recorded. Instead of books we may have microfilms of books.

Recycling has a great promise. Since matter is indestructibly, one useless stuff can be converted
into something really useful. Nature does it in fact as in the case of photosynthesis or keeping
the nitrogen cycle going. After man has set his foot on the moon, a lot of thinking has gone into
recycling. So we may think of a day soon when there will be not waste material. By changing
the constitution of materials they may be made to do wonderful work. An example is fiber glass
which has the strength of steel. Then there is the sea floor which has not been exploited as
much as land. Remember three fourths of the earth is sea.
Man is the only animal who can take the challenge and if previous history has anything to
teach, it shows that man has stupendous and fantastic capacity to survive.

10. EXPLAIN DEVALUATION OF CURRENCY AND DISCUSS ITS POSSIBLE EFFECTS ON THE
COUNTRY WHICH DEVALUES AND ON OTHER COUNTRIES

Currency is the easiest from to settle bargains in trade and commerce, whether it be in a
simple, elementary level between a seller and buyer or in a complicated level between one
country and another, each country is having her own currency and it is valued in terms of an
international currency e.g. pound sterling or the American dollar. This linking is purely a matter
of convention and convenience and this helps in carrying on international trade directly with
Great Britain or U.S.A. or indirectly with other countries through them. The importance arises in
settling payments for exports and imports and for services.

The financing authority of a country can change the value of their currency in relation to other
currencies according to the strength or weakness of her balance of payment. This is a jugglery
and requires a lot of tact and prudence. Let us take an example. About two decades ago an
American dollar was worth about S$3 which means a dollar worth of goods was equivalent to
three Singapore dollars’ worth of goods. Where there was a normal condition and one country
was not enjoying more advantages than the other this exchange ratio continued. But the dollar
was devalued and it has become equivalent to S$1.75 today.

Why did they do it? Though it is more complicated it can be explained this way. Suppose there
are more foreign goods going in, then in terms of the US dollars the in things will become costly
and so it will discourage people from going in for foreign services. That would mean the internal
economy may be geared to better production. If it is luxury goods people are getting from other
countries, than the increase in cost will discourage them from going in for the foreign product
e.g. the motor car. The internal prices will become costly but production will rise. While this
may discourage internal consumption, a foreigner may find it cheaper to buy in his currency;
thus the effect of devaluation may be to boost up exports and, in fact, the monopoly items may
have a facelift and this will encourage an expansion of export trade and so there may be new
markets established. The foreign investor will find it advantageous to invest in the devaluing
country. His investment will get an artificial, boost. Thus devaluation would encourage the flow
of foreign money into the devaluing country. In terms of foreign currency it would not be
advantageous to take money out. That money would, perforce, be ploughed back into the
country's economy.

Indirectly it would mean the people would have to work hard. Foreign goods may become
dearer. It would mean incentive for more production. But devaluation is to be handled very
carefully; otherwise it would wreck the economy of the country, shake the confidence of the
foreign investor and also the prestige of the country concerned.

ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY

1. A GOOD WOMAN INSPIRES A MAN, A BRILLIANT WOMAN INTERESTS HIM, A BEAUTIFUL

WOMAN FASCINATES HIM BUT A SYMPATHETIC WOMAN GETS HIM. DO YOU AGREE
WITH THIS VIEW?

The question deals with women of different accomplishments and how man reacts towards
them. The qualities of woman categorized here are goodness, brilliance, beauty and sympathy.
Apposite to them are put inspiration, interest, fascination and getting or winning respectively.
To know women of these traits, one must have a wider experience which is rather difficult but
the lapse could be made up by knowledge of history and literature of the world. On the world
stage, there had been and there are still women of different accomplishments and here and
there mention will be made of them.

In general the question deals with man's relation with women but for a single man to have
contact or relation with the different women mentioned here, the chances may be rare unless
he is a great figure who has a galaxy of women hovering around him. To inspire is to give life, to
fill life with hope, to pull up the crestfallen one from despondency to optimism. When we take
in air we say we inspire because we are taking in the life giving, blood purifying oxygen. So the
action or the words of woman may be inspiring. The one may be the wife or a good friend or as
sometimes happens a mistress. To inspire, such persons must basically be good. Their words
and actions must have a soothing effect on the soul and result in goodness to the recipient.
Quite recently and during our times we have heard of Florence Nightingale or the Lady of the
Lamp and Mother Theresa. They have given their love instinctively for the sick and ailing; how
their work has inspired many to follow their footpath. A husband or a son must be really
blessed indeed to have a good woman as the wife or mother; for the hand that rocks the cradle
rules the world.

To interest one is to make one think of the benefits that may accrue. One may be interested in
a proposition because it may bring one some benefits. The benefits need not necessarily be
material; it may even be mental, say a speech. Brilliance relates to the dazzle in appearance,
speech and manners. The brilliance in appearance may incite jealousy, the brilliance in wit and
humor attracts and interests. It was said of late Sarojini Naidu that her conversation was full of
wit and humor and so she shone among her friends like a brilliant star in the firmament. So
people were interested to hear what she would say in general and in particular.

To fascinate is to attract. The fascination may be real or false, the fascination may be for good
or bad. The fascination of the moth for fire is a classical example where it is attracted by the
light of the fire only to die. The beauty refers, may be, only to the external, a woman may be
beautiful to look at and as an opposite sex, man is fascinated by her but if the inner woman is
not as beautiful as the outer then the man having to do anything with her will be ruined beyond
measure. There are stories of beautiful women who have fascinated men only to destroy them.
That is why beautiful women are used as spies. In World War I, Mata Hari was used as a spy to
destroy the morale of army men in the allied ranks. While it is true a beautiful woman
fascinates there are stories in which the beauty of a woman was responsible for the destruction
of a country or an empire. For example, the beauty of Helen was responsible for the fall of Troy
and in the Ramayana the fall of Ravana was caused by the beauty of Sita.

To get is to own. To own means also the power to command over. When I own a horse I can
ride at my will and pleasure; What I own I can easily dispose of but it is beside the point here
because the question deals with the sympathy. Sympathy is to have the same feeling for. When
one sympathizes with another, it means the latter has the same feeling as the former, that is
why we often say 'in sympathy with you'. In sympathy we see the identical views. When a
woman has the sympathy she can naturally get the other. In fact the getting may be in different
degrees. Some explanations will make this point clear.

Take for instance the sympathy of a nurse for a baby or a patient. In both cases the getting may
not be exactly by owning but it is getting a permanent place in the heart of a baby or the
patient. The sympathy shown by the mother, helps her get the child. Where children are
brought up by others, the sympathy of children for their mothers is very thin indeed. A good
wife must have the sympathy for her husband to get him. A classical woman is described that
way. She is everything for her husband. She is the wife, the cook, the counselor and the friend.
Where she fails to have sympathy for her husband, he looks elsewhere. Kasturbai Gandhi was
such a good and sympathetic woman she was able to rule Gandhiji. But to see a woman of all
these qualities is rare and such a one is a rare phenomenon.

2. SHOULD THE PRESS BE COMPLETELY FREE?

Under a dictatorship the press is completely under the control of the government. The
implications of this are that the authorities discard all stories unfavorable to their policies and
supplement the favorable ones with propaganda and disinformation . All this involves control of
TV and radio; in many countries, listening to broadcasts such as the BBC World Service, now
available everywhere because of short-wave satellite output, is proscribed. People are not
fools, however, and such dictatorship can lead to unrest and produce the opposite to the
intended effect.

In most democracies, there is a varying degree of freedom. In Britain, for example, the
government only steps in during wartime, apart from exerting control over stories which the
Home Office regards as dangerous to the national interest, i.e. top security information. In
these cases, a 'D Notice' forbids publication. Otherwise, and in peacetime, the press is entirely
free to publish at will, subject to the following conditions: the material must be truthful, decent,
and compatible with the laws of libel.

Libelous material of course sells newspapers and magazines, and certain unscrupulous editors
will publish for this reason alone, setting aside money to settle the damages in civil law which
will inevitably follow.

Much of this is based on a section of the people's pleasure in seeing prominent people
discredited. For example, Jeffrey Archer was awarded a half million pounds a few years ago
because his personal morals were brought into question; Elton John received substantial
damages because of a scurrilous and untrue account of the way he was said to treat his pet
dogs. The courts now tend to award according to the seriousness of the alleged offence rather
than on the prominence of the person concerned. The crux of the matter is whether the story is
true. David Mellor, a prominent secretary of state, recently had some aspects of his personal
life exposed. He did not challenge the stories, and chose to resign on the tacit admission that
his lack of judgment precluded him from parliamentary office.

A story may be defamatory, but if it is true there is nothing to stop its publication. This is the
basic test on which most editors take their decisions, and logically there is no challenging this
principle in a democracy. However, there are two classes of reporting in the British tabloid
press which have incurred much public displeasure in recent years.

The first is the invasion of privacy. After some disaster, those closely concerned are often
hounded by the press for human stories . This amounts to an unwarranted intrusion into
private grief. The more distressed the interviewee the less he or she is spared.

The second is the gathering of newshounds, the paparazzi , with their long-distance telephoto
lenses, their listening devices and their phone-tapping proclivities. These reporters dog the
footsteps of very prominent people, such as the British royals. It so happens that two royal
marriages have recently come on the rocks , with close friends of both parties involved in each
case. For some weeks these stories sold millions of extra copies of the tabloids. There was much
criticism in parliament, but nothing could be done; the stories were not denied. The editors
claimed the right to publish on the ground that the stories were true, whatever methods were
used to obtain them.

Perhaps decency is the other issue. Some men like looking at nude women, and no doubt the
regular 'Page 3 girl' sells many copies of the tabloids. The editors know exactly how far they can
go without incurring the laws against pornography.
In Britain, complaints are heard by the Press Council, a self-governing but rather toothless body.
Today there is a strong move to tighten controls by legislation, particularly in the case of
infringement of privacy, and over the methods used to obtain information, particularly
trespass. However, in any society there is always a demand for the sensational, and in a
democracy repressive legislation is unwise. Part of the health of a good system lies in editorial
freedom to criticize or applaud, and nobody should be exempted. After all, if there is nothing to
bring into the open, there is no story. On the contrary, if there is real corruption, as in the cases
of BCCI or Robert Maxwell, the press does the public a service by exposing the details.

Completely free is too sweeping a phrase. Yes, the press should be free, but subject to the
controls mentioned above. Most democracies get it almost right.

3. DO YOU BELIEVE THAT A MAN HAS A RIGHT TO DIE AS AND WHEN HE CHOOSES?

To take one's own life is called suicide. Suicide has always been discouraged. Judaism,
Christianity and Islam consider it a sin. In some societies suicide is accepted or even expected in
the face of disgrace. Hara-kiri is an ancient act of ceremonial suicide in which a short sword was
used to slash the abdomen from left to right, then upwards. This was resorted to by warriors to
escape capture by the enemy as well as to avoid dishonorable execution. The Japanese favored
hara-kiri to avoid capture even during the Second World War. Like the Japanese the ancient
Romans and Egyptians also killed themselves to avoid disgrace or capture by the enemy. We
have the examples of Brutus, Cassius, Mark Antony and Cleopatra.

There are many countries in the world which have made attempts to consider suicide a
cognizable offence. (Incidentally, this is the only criminal offence that attracts punishment for
just the attempt, and not for the commission of the offence.) Until 1961 the U.K. sought to
discourage suicide by making it a crime; it still is in India and in some U.S. states.

There is by and large no social sanction for suicide. An attempt to commit suicide is often
thought to be an implicit 'plea' for help, and may result from extreme depression and
helplessness. There are also the cases of some notable literary figures who have committed
suicide; Ernest Hemingway, Anne Sexton and Sylvia Plath are examples. Hamlet contemplates
suicide in a mood of depression:

To be or not to be: that is the question:

Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer

The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune

Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,

And by opposing end them. In the U.S., suicide is the cause of 1.4% of all deaths each year. The
suicide rate there is 12.7 per 100,000 populations. The comparative rate for Britain is 7.8 and
for Switzerland 23.8. No one religion or organization or group of people encourages suicide or
upholds the commission of suicide as a personal right. In fact not even courage is attributed to
the person who commits suicide; he is, on the other hand, looked down upon. As Martial sings,

When the blandishments of life are gone,

The coward sneaks to death, the brave live on.

We may, however, ask ourselves the question whether a man has a right to die as and when he
chooses. An individual has got his personal rights or fundamental rights; these are the right to
freedom of speech and expression, to acquire, hold and dispose of property, to practise any
profession, or to carry on any occupation, trade or business, etc. In other words, the
fundamental rights guaranteed under a democratic constitution are intended to ensure
peaceful life for the individual. Personal rights imply respect for the dignity of the individual.

God has given us life. Is it within us to take that life as and when it pleases us? Perhaps not, you
may argue that taking one's own life is not taking another's life and that in the same way as you
have no right to kill another person you have no right to kill yourself. Both your life and the life
of another person are God-given. This is perhaps a religious view.

But even rationalists and atheists who do not believe in a life after death or in the existence of
God do not recommend suicide as a panacea for personal suffering. They too insist on the
useful role which every individual can play in society. According to them, killing one-self is
defeat- ism. They say that a healthy mind does not contemplate suicide as a solution to
personal problems. The very thought of suicide is an aberration of the mind. All cases of suicide,
when investigated upon, show that it is disillusionment, despair, depression, disgrace (or the
fear of disgrace), and lack of courage to face life in the raw that drive a person to suicide.
Depression, disillusionment and despair are psychological symptoms.

It may also be argued that persons who have outlived their useful- ness to themselves and to
society should have the choice to take their own lives. That is to say, persons who are suffering
from incurable diseases like leukaemia or AIDS or those who are old and incapacitated for life
should be given the freedom to choose to die. The law against suicide should not prevent them
from ending their lives, if they wish to do so. In other words, euthanasia should be encouraged.
But euthanasia cannot be permitted except under special circumstances in view of the
dangerous potentialities of the practice. To allow a fellow human being suffer agonising illness,
giving him no opportunity for a merciful release, is inhuman. The patient should be the best
judge. If his thinking is impaired, the doctor could be the judge. If life is a round of suffering and
if one has suffered enough, it should not be his bane to die suffering from a terminal disease.
And we all pray for a peaceful death.

Suicide as a way out of worldly problems, say, failure or unrequited love, is cowardly and is as
bad as homicide. It is an aberration of the mind that drives a person to suicide. It is perhaps not
the individual who is responsible for this aberration; the circumstances may combine with his
lack of fortitude. Social measures can be adopted to allow an individual to lead a contended
life. Condoning suicide is ruinous to civilised existence.

4. DO YOU THINK THAT HOMEWORK SHOULD BE ABOLISHED ? DISCUSS ITS VALUE IN OUR
SYSTEM

Homework is a bitter pill for many students. Teachers always give homework. They are given to
help students to revise what has been done in the class and also to finish a given task set in
school which the pupil could not finish on time.

Education and mastery of knowledge, is a matter of skill so the more practice one has the better
skill. There are skill subjects and knowledge subjects. Both these categories require drill and
repetition. The teacher, to some extent, drills the student in the class but in the classroom each
individual student cannot be expected to do the same amount as skills of students vary from
each other.

Homework need not necessarily be repeating what has been done in the class, it may be more
study. The student goes through references and acquires more and better knowledge. The
world of knowledge is so wide that the class alone cannot bring everything into the grasp of the
student. So the student must take up some initiative of his own. This is one of the purposes of
homework.

The school also must see that the students are not overburdened with homework. The teachers
must see to it that the homework is distributed evenly throughout the week. Still there arc
subjects like mathematics or transcription in the lower classes which require daily attention.
There are other aspects of school work which can be attended to during the weekend, for
example, map making and drawing diagrams.

Simply because some boys find homework too much to cope up with, it cannot be abolished.
The school should provide some facilities, so that the boys can conveniently attend to their
homework and the teachers can come willingly forward to help such boys.

5. DO YOU THINK THAT RITUALS, CUSTOMS AND CEREMONIES STILL HAVE A PART TO PLAY
IN MODERN SOCIETY?
There are several factors which appear to militate against the continuation of rituals, customs
and ceremonies in modern society. The first is the life-style norm in industrialized and
westernized countries. An agricultural existence may be hard, but it is steady and unhurried.
Modern living is fast living. Men and women work perhaps sixty hours a week in the factory,
office or shop. Food imports mean that they are less dependent on the land, so the old customs
connected with fertility and the propitiation of hostile spirits, all based in animistic beliefs, have
become irrelevant. The climate of outlook has also changed. The religious and political hold of
the old time chiefs has largely been replaced by democracy, in some cases one of the
enlightened religions, and in others a kind of hybrid of materialism and humanism. So it might
seem that the new will inevitably replace the old, inexorably if not quickly.

In some respects, ritual, custom and ceremony may have a reactionary, indeed at times
positively malevolent influence. The modern world has set certain standards of human rights, in
religion, in sexual and racial parity, in speech, in education, in political freedom, in freedom of
travel. The objective is humane behavior within countries, and international peace and co-
operation. Yet, in certain countries barbaric customs remain, especially where women are
denied equality. Suttee, the harem, Slavery, Female circumcision, the cutting off of hands for
theft floggings. Automatic torture, isolation and deprivation for prisoners, whether political or
criminal. There is no place for these customs in the modern world.

Yet, some customs remain good, and should not be abandoned. The custom of hospitality to
strangers, and of ensuring their safety while they stay with the host. The custom of giving to the
poor. The custom of helping one's neighbor in distress. Many customs connected with the
dead, for example the wake. This ensures solidarity with the bereaved, and has a strong
therapeutic effect. Customs connected with courtesy; behavior in public and as a guest; good
manners at table, the wearing of the correct dress for a particular occasion. Modern society
would be poorer without these things.

Much the same applies to rituals and ceremonies. Where any of these retain a helpful meaning
they are worth preserving. Of course, some have lost their original significance with the passage
of time, and should be discarded. Yet very many, particularly those connected with religion,
remain powerful for good. Religious services are more meaningful if they include music, colour
and movement, and where each action brings an article of the faith concerned vividly to life.
Much the same applies to the coronation of a monarch, where religion meets power and
authority in ceremonial. The fact that judges wear special robes, and enter court in procession,
reflects the dignity of the law. The same applies to the Speaker's procession in the UK House of
Commons. The same applies to the military ceremonies of Changing the Guard and Trooping
the color. The service for the launching of a ship recognizes the mariner's dependence on God.
There are also worthwhile ceremonies connected with receiving a degree, or being called to the
bar. Wedding and funeral ceremonies reflect happiness or sorrow and solemnity. Even the All
Blacks carry out a Maori war dance before a match, and they remain very hard to beat !

However modern, practical and enlightened modern society may be, people remain the
products of their ancestry. History has passed on a profusion of rituals, customs and
ceremonies. Some have become meaningless, or are positively inhumane, and society can do
without them. However, probably far more enrich the lives of those whose existence could
easily become barren and humdrum if the past were to be discarded.

6. EQUAL PAY FOR EQUAL WORK' IS THIS FAIR?

There is not, and can never be, any logical argument against equality of payment for the same
work as between men and women. It is true that men do certain jobs better than women, or
quicker, and the reverse holds good about other jobs. But is 'equal work' which is under
consideration and payment for any type of work, performed by anybody, is always the least
that the employer can get away with. In other words, pay rates are fixed by two factors; firstly
the supply of labor available for a particular job. Scarce labor for skilled jobs tends to push up
wages, coupled with the fact that skilled workers will revert to laboring jobs unless they are
paid extra for the use of their skill. Secondly, the government and the trade unions have a hand
in rate-fixing, as well as the employer. If the cost of living index rises, the unions will call a strike
for more pay, and they will always, in a free economy, press for not only a realistic wage level,
but also a share in the profits of the firm, which are otherwise paid to the government in the
form of taxation, to the shareholders as dividends, or ploughed back into the firm for
development. The fact that in many countries, women are paid a lower rate for doing the same
job merely indicates that, on the whole, most women are not union minded. They are relatively
unorganized, because most of them do not bring in the basic income on which the family, if
any, depends. Moreover, they are available in large numbers for a short-term employment and
for most married women at any rate; there, 'heart' isn't in the prospect of a life time's
employment.

And this raises the argument often advanced against equal pay for women. Single women do
not need the same pay as married men. Yet what about their old-age? Married woman's pay is
additional, while the married man's is basic to the family. The bachelor will probably get
married any way and acquire responsibilities.

Women may well ask by what right an employer presumes to assess the income he pays his
employees by a prior examination of their domestic commitments, when in fact, he is paying
everybody the lowest wage he can. And, of course, in more advanced countries, these
anomalies of sex are being ironed out, based as they are on the old system of regarding the
female of the species as inferior to the male. Already in more westernized countries, women
have achieved parity in matters of property and the franchise. It is now a short step to accord
them equality of pay.

The fact that women on the whole suffer this inequality still is well and truly based on historic.
For this purpose, we can discount the various national and racial customs of the Far East,
because we are thinking in terms of industrialized, i.e westernized countries, where a real
similarity of conditions exist to those of USA and Europe. Britain was the first country in the
world to become fully industrialized, a process completed between 1733 and 1850 -- and the
background of British thought about female labor followed the commercial and industrial flag
of Britain Overseas, and fitted in very well with local ideas of the inequality of women. Women
themselves have long since exploded this myth by means of their own efforts and have entered
successfully into every sphere of male occupation, heavy engineering and the mines included.
Today, quite rightly, they are debarred from nothing.

So the crux of the matter is the British background. From 1733, until at least 1914, and in some
respects later the upper and middle classes considered it degrading for a female to earn money
at all. Lower-class women worked as helps to their husbands -- in the fields, brickyards,
foundries and the mills. They had no rights and expected nothing, but toil and an early death.
(Unmarried women and spinsters far outnumbered jobs.) There was no state benefit for
unemployment, so thousands had to tolerate the working conditions and poor wages, or starve.

The development of factories led to the concentration of populations in the towns. Prices rose,
and men's wages never kept pace, so women had to work to supplement the family income --
and again for what they could get, which was very little. Today, curiously enough, married
women again work, usually from economic necessity. It is now more a matter of improving an
already reasonable standard of living. And there is no moral reason why they should not do so,
or receive the correct economic rate for the job they do -- not the sex they belong to.

Inequalities are historically based in snobbery and economic oppression, not in any careful
assessment of financial commitments, and it is high time these remaining inequalities were
ironed out everywhere.

7. SHOULD DANGEROUS SPORTS BE FORBIDDEN BY LAW ?

The 'dangerous sports' implied by this title include both which may involve death or serious
injury to the participant and those dangerous both to participant and onlooker.

There is no case whatsoever, for legislation against the former, indeed in a free country, such
legislation would be an unwarrantable limitation of the freedom of the individual. This is limited
to the natural instinct for adventure, thrills, and seen as a challenge to nerves and reflexes. It is
possible to break one's neck riding a horse, or climbing a mountain. No sane legislation would
seek to bar such activities, because this would be to legislate against the development of
certain qualities very valuable in youthful people, qualities which are at a premium, when a
country's prestige is at stake, or when a country is faced with war.

'Sport' is a very wide term, however, and includes some activities which are very much more
dangerous than others; of these, motor-racing, and competitive motor-cycling are merely two.
A mishap or a fractional error of judgment can be fatal to other competitors and to a crowd of
onlookers. Accounts in the press of terrible Grand Prix accidents, involving death and mutilation
to perhaps fifty spectators at a time, are commonplace. It is incidents of this kind which have
prompted the move to legislate against dangerous sports. The bereaved victims of such
disasters may have a strong emotional case for urging such legislation.

It is sometimes urged by those who fear and dislike the baser pleasures of the masses that
psychologically, many attend motor sports and other dangerous activities in the secret hope of
seeing blood and disaster. The same contingent seeks to abolish professional boxing for the
same reason, plus the undaunted fact that sooner or later, the boxer will suffer from brain
lesion. The argument is that ultimately the public is responsible for forcing men into such
pursuits. But the case is overdone; basically, the majority goes for the thrill -- football, the least
dangerous sport of all, is the most popular.

It may fairly be stated that legislation is required, but that such legislation should be framed in
order to safeguard the public, and as far as possible, the participants. For example, crowd
safety precautions at motor-racing meetings need drastic revision. The professional boxer's
license should be removed if he shows the slightest sign of mental deterioration. Perhaps,
thirdly, there should be some control over the financial awards available to the stars of any
sport, as the continued need for a high income often leads them into taking part, long after
they have passed their peak; it also encourages the second-rate to attempt things beyond their
power. Both can be disastrous.

Any attempt to ban the participants in dangerous sports is doomed to failure. The instinct of a
man or woman to seek adventure or thrill cannot and should not be extinguished by Act of
Parliament. Any such legislation will merely drive the sport "underground", make it more
popular, and condemn it to bad conditions. In the days when professional boxing in England
was forbidden by law, it drew far greater crowds into the scheduled fields than the carefully
staged promotions of the present day.

8. IS IT FOOLISH TO BELIEVE IN SUPERSTITIONS?

A degree of superstition is built into the history of very race. The few remaining peoples living
simple and remote lives still govern their actions by superstitions. Many African tribes live by a
double standard. They adopt Western Attitudes for the most part, but the witch-doctor still
wields great power. One wealthy example claimed that he could not only predict the winners of
the World Cup but also, for due payment, prevent any participating team from winning, and all
this from his native village. Some people believe him.

More sophisticated people tend to adopt a superior attitude to superstition. Yet despite
themselves they sometimes find that they behave as though the believed in it.

Superstitions have varying origins. Most are based in some kind of religious belief, ranging from
animism to the monotheism of the Muslim and Christian religions. In animism, all natural
phenomena are held to be governed by different spirits, and care must be taken both to please
and to propitiate. For example, fishermen have beach ceremonies to ensure favor i.e a good
catch. These customs are understandable, but life lived in this way can become over-restrictive.
Development is hampered.

In the case of the Christian Faith, the Roman Catholics have always laid great store by the
efficacy of relics of the saints, or some place previously hallowed by virtue, such as Lourdes, in
respect of healing the sick. On occasion, these superstitions are efficacious, though ti is hard o
say how much of this healing is due to the patient's own faith. Any why should some be healed
and not others ? At any rate, superstition of this kind cannot easily be dismissed. Veneration of
images, the use of holy water etc come into this category.

Science and sophistication have done much to eradicate superstition from Western and
Westernized society. Adam Smith wrote "science is the antidote to superstition", meaning that
people's actions should be governed by rational thought. Most people today would deny that
superstition plays any part in their lives. Yet ironically British people for example still observe
certain taboos, of which the following examples are typical; it is bad luck to bring certain plants
into the house, such as lilac; if you fear had luck you touch wood, originally to appease the
powerful wood spirit; if you spill salt at table you throw a pinch over your left shoulder. This
gets into the eyes of the devil and thwarts his evil intentions. For some reason you do not walk
under a ladder, perhaps because the painter above may drop his pot on your head !

Logically, most superstitions can be dismissed as having their origins in ignorance. Yet there is a
hard core of superstition which seems to work without any rational explanation. in the end,
superstition may die out completely, but that time is far ahead.

9. WHO CONTRIBUTES MOST TO THE WELFARE OF YOUR COUNTRY, THE TEACHER, THE
DOCTOR OR THE POLITICIAN ?

In school we are told of the dignity of labor, the equality of man and his responsibility to
society. According to our Careers Master, the fundamental philosophy of vocational guidance is
that the job that a boy should take up should be compatible with his abilities and aptitudes.
Viewed in terms of this ideal, each man, whether he be a teacher, doctor or politician, is
contributing a share to society and all their contributions are to be considered equal.

In Asia, after independence, owing to the importance of leadership, the politician has come into
the limelight. The conception of politicians as scheming slogan-shouting individuals has become
obsolete. To us, a politician is a man who has the country's interest at heart and who is more
involved in achieving concrete results than in making empty speeches. We also have an
inherent, vague respect for politicians because they are connected with government. We tend
to think that the politician is more important because his work involves organization and
planning at national level. Plato, the great Greek thinker, once remarked that in most trades,
one requires skill - that to be a good potter, one has to learn pottery, to become a good
carpenter one has to learn woodwork, and so on. He remarked regretfully that the only
profession which did not require any training or skill was politics, and that the sorry part of it all
is that the mistakes made in such high circles, could ruin a country.

Every country needs doctors. No country in the world can progress if its citizens are physically
unhealthy. There is nothing the most brilliant politician can do in a situation like this. The doctor
is often motivated by the sincere desire to help his patient. He has an abiding sense of human
dignity and his integrity remains undiminished even when confronted with callousness and
brutality.

The importance of the teacher lies in the fact that it is lie who is responsible for the training and
education of the youth of the country. The future of any country depends on its youth, and
much depends on the kind of education they receive. That is why a teacher's role is difficult. He
has to see to it that they get the training that will prepare them to be useful citizens of the
country. He also ensures the moral and physical development of his pupils.

Many of us, I am sure, will remember the story of the man who was given three wishes and
who asked for health. wealth and wisdom. The politician by ensuring prosperity is providing the
wealth, the doctor, the health and the teacher, of course, the wisdom. In this not sufficient
argument to prove that all three are equally important ?

10. WHAT CHANGES WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE IN TODAY'S SOCIETY?

The term society has no general application. Every country differs from every other, however
subtly, so answers must relate to a particular country. This answer relates to England, not even
the whole of Britain.

Perhaps the first point to acknowledge is that in comparison with many other countries,
England has an overwhelming number of good features. Yet there are several aspects of our
society which I would like to see changed. Some of these changes could be affected
immediately. Others would take longer. Society does not exist, said Mrs. Thatcher. She was
wrong. Society consists of an aggregate of families. The first change I would like to see is the
reversal of the current steady breakdown of family life. In Britain, the monarch stands at the
head of the state and of the Established Church. In return for the privileges of their position, it
has been generally expected of the Royal Family that they set an example to the country, and in
the case of the Queen this example has undoubtedly been set. Not so, in the case of most of
the other royals. In 1992 the so-called example set by this family has been appalling. This need
not be spelled out. The world media have done this very effectively. The Queen herself
described last year as an 'annushorribilis'. Many responsible people rightly wonder about the
future of the monarchy, and their thinking tends to move in the direction of a republic. In the
modern world, there is a strong case to be made for the abolition of hereditary privilege.
However, the breakdown of family life cannot be attributed to the poor example of the minor
royals. It actually stems from the permissiveness of the 1960s. The result is much suffering
caused to children and young people, some of whom leave, or are virtually forced out of their
homes, only to live in one of the cardboard cities , or to be put into care, or to join the drug
scene and commit crime.

Unemployment, currently standing at 3m plus, is another aggravating factor. The present

government has no policy to deal with this, and gives every indication of being quite indifferent
to the problem. Interim measures could be taken until the world trade recession eases. Much
work is needed on local environmental projects and on the updating of the country's
infrastructure, which has been grossly neglected for decades. This could be financed by a
modest increase in income tax; a measure which I believe would be generally acceptable. We
have an uncaring government, the result being that many once prosperous areas are now
centers of poverty and despair. Throughout the country, small businesses are being forced to
close at the rate of hundreds per day. This is because the government refuses to impose
controls over rent and leasehold increases and to reduce the swinging industrial rate. The net
result of all this is that people are reluctant to spend, because they live in fear of redundancy or
unemployment and, even worse, house repossession, in cases where heavy mortgages were
taken on in better times. The house market is a good indicator of confidence in the future. It
has now been at a virtual standstill for five years.

Thirdly, crime, especially violence. Due to the decline in religious faith and the consequent lack
of moral training in home and school, crime levels have become appallingly high over the past
few decades. Bad social conditions in many areas exacerbate the problem. Prisons are
overcrowded, so the judiciary is encouraged to minimize custodial sentences. The fundamental
remedy is a return to Christian moral standards, or those of the other great religions, now
represented among the large immigrant population. Many of them are setting the native
English a good example. The latter offer young people little help, and certainly little discipline at
home, and the reputation of teachers in the state sector has never been lower.

Much is being done to stamp out the evils of hallucinatory drugs in Britain. This country would
do well to adopt some of the draconian measures which are proving successful in some Far
Eastern countries.

In the case of child sexual abuse and violence occasioning actual bodily harm, custodial
sentences are now mandatory. This is justified, since such offences have greatly increased in
recent decades. At one time, children were safe to roam their own areas without fear of
molestation. Today, this is impossible.

Next, housing, good neighborliness was the prime feature of pre-war terraced housing, now
replaced in many cities by tower blocks and complexes of maisonettes. These concrete
monstrosities eliminate family identity and encourage crime and vandalism. This is now
realized. Much of this post-war building is now being demolished, and domestic architecture is
reverting to old patterns. More low-cost or rentable accommodation would ease several social
problems.

England welcomes immigrants, and laws have been passed to outlaw discrimination. Most
immigrants provide an enriching contribution. Their churches, mosques and temples are
acceptable to most people. However, there is a down side. Numbers have to be controlled, and
this leads to disputes. A bad mistake was to allow 'ghettoes' to be formed in the early post- war
days. An even distribution of this influx should have been made mandatory in the early days.
The basis of that is the immigrants, while preserving their social and religious identities, must
also accept and respect British traditions. Agitators operate much more easily in areas of dense
population, often inciting violence between groups in the wake of violence overseas.

To believe that all these defects in English society can be changed is to live in cloud cuckoo land.
All the same, these are the objectives which we must all work for.