Zhoufng's Blog!

Sunday, 21 August 2011

Blog Prompt #6 - RM Phone-hacking SCANDAL


 "The news media should be blamed for the unhealthy paparazzi culture and going to the extremes for sensational news. How far do you agree?"



Yes, I only agree to this statement to a small extent, the news media are not the ones to take the entire blame. Look at the modern world today. The readers have a part of this blame. The general readers (not the entire public) wants their gossips and news everyday. They demand it and the newspapers give it to them. However, the Internet has been much more important and it is used to spread these gossips around to their social circles. This will affect the news firms. Thus, the news firms have to resort to the most ultimate methods. They have to do much more than interviewing the      person, they have to deploy spies and trackers to follow, stalk and report back to the news firms. The celebrities are thus affected and will try to avoid these paparazzi and spies, but it will definitely inflict harm on themselves. For example, the Princess of Wales, Diana, was killed in a car crash due to the pursuing paparazzi. She had to avoid them and entered the car which resulted in this fatal accident. Thus, the readers could tone down and give the celebrities some breathing space.

If the paparazzi and readers are following this particular celebrity, don't they want to care for them? If so, why not abolish such extreme methods? It will definitely cause harm sooner or later, and it's about time the readers should really sit down and re-think their tactics.

The celebrities sometimes have themselves to blame too. Some of them just want more exposure to the public and aspire to become a star overnight. All they have to do is to post a rumour anonymously somewhere and it will instantly result in a overwhelming number of fans and paparazzi following them. Simple yet stupid.

Thus, the readers and paparazzi have themselves to blame, not entirely the news media itself for this unhealthy culture. If YOU are one of them, then please, stop these nonsense now.

Seriously.

Blog Prompt #5 - Justice and Mercy


1. Is there true justice? Why?

2. Is there true mercy, as expounded by Portia? Why?

3. Justice and Law can be manipulated by people in power. Comment on this with reference to the text and other real-life cases and examples.



1) No, I don't believe that there is true justice in this world. There will always be exceptions and things that can defy the power of justice. Although we always try to make unbiased decisions, justice is not totally black and white; there is a grey area. Our past prejudices will act against how we make our decisions, for example, those with different religions and races, and those with different wealth. Moreover, the people can change and obstruct justice to their own means. 

2) I do not believe there is true mercy. True mercy does not always happen at important situations. Look at the trial scene in Merchant of Venice. Shylock had declined all offers, including the six thousand ducats that Bassanio offers, and was only determined to get his pound of flesh, or simply killing Antonio. He has not shown any form of mercy towards Antonio. The hatred in his heart only tells him to get rid of Antonio. Nothing else. However, Shylock eventually gets trapped by Portia. The duke showed mercy by not killing Shylock for threatening the life of a Venetian. Shylock, on the other hand, did not think that the punishment meted out was any merciful as he had to convert to Christianity, and he was stripped of his profession. Thus, in the trial scene, we can conclude that there is no form of true mercy, and that applies to the modern society too.

3) Yes, Justice and Law can be manipulated by people in power. In the MOV trial scene, Portia manipulated the law to turn against Shylock and let him receive punishment instead of his much yearned revenge. Justice is manipulated to the favour of the majority and the minority definitely have the lower hand, such as the Venetians (Christians) and Jews in MOV. In real life, people with power and wealth constantly abuse their power and use it in their own means; if they are determined to do this, they will do it no matter what. They will use bribes, blackmail, and in any retarded way they will still do it. I am shocked. Retarded people like Dominic Strauss-Kahn abused his power as the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund and did perverted things which I wouldn't want to state. After everything was revealed, he paid a enormous sum of cold hard cash and was released out for custody. Even though the maid's statements might be unreliable, we can see that with money and power, anything is possible, right to the point where justice is manipulated, changed and abused. It's still outright possible.

Saturday, 6 August 2011

Blog Prompt 4

To what extent do you agree with the issues that the student has raised here? Point out some issues of agreement and possible contention.


I agree to a certain extent on the issues that Janelle, a Secondary 4 student form Nan Chiau High School has raised in her open letter to the Education Minister, Mr Heng. In her letter, she stated that from her personal experience, she found that 'students are often not taught to ask ‘Why?’'. This is somewhat true, for I can also see that this phenomenon has also occurred in our lives too. In the past, only hard-working students are rewarded, they spend all of their time reading books and studying, with no computer or internet access. And if they are REALLY poor, they have to copy books as their only form of getting information. Nowadays, with the introduction of computers and internet, we can easily find and compile useful information, which is extremely easy. Most Singaporeans have the money, and internet access is not a problem.

However, she pointed out that 'To get an A1, all we have to do is memorise our textbooks inside out and upside down'. This is not really true, for example, in Hwa Chong, we are encouraged to research online to find valid, resourceful and useful information. The textbooks and notes that teachers give are often not exhaustive. It is therefore easy to get an A1 as long as you know how to find information and study the fast and effective way. Thus, memorising text in our textbooks is not the only way to get good grades.

She also stated that civics and moral values are 'eating up classes' and schools are putting it in the last priority. This is not necessarily the case. In HCI, we often have compulsory PCME lessons during Assembly. During that period of time, we are not allowed to do anything else. A topic is started by the teacher and then we can discuss and answer questions. It is an effective way, and no time is wasted. Although parents also have responsibility in teaching the children moral values, I disagree with Janelle's statement that good parenting are more effective than teachers, as teachers may have more experience than parentas, and they may be more willing to teach these values.

Examine her tone and attitude in this letter. Do you think it’s a well-crafted letter with the appropriate tone?


I think that it's a well-crafted letter. In the beginning, she brought out some main points and was quite informal. However, as the letter progresses, she became more serious and formal. And she voiced out our opinions that might have never made it the the Education Minister. Her tone is unwavering, so I think this letter is well-crafted.

If you should write a letter to Minister of Education, what are some issues you would raise? Remember- your intention is to make the system better for society’s betterment via CONSTRUCTIVE ideas.


 
I might raise the point that we should follow the education system like China. 45 mins of lessons and 15 mins of break. It would not be too stressful and short breaks will allow us to further relax ourselves and digest the information we were given with a calm mind. 

Monday, 18 July 2011

Blog Prompt - Is money necessary for a marriage?

Does money affect relationships nowadays? Well, based on our mindset, I'm afraid to say that we are relying more on money to find a good companion than in the past. Let me explain this in a simply way:

Firstly, the female (mostly) wants to have a relationship. She has a choice between two men.
The first guy, is poor, but extremely caring, helpful, loving etc. etc. etc. (+ all the good qualities), so he's considered a gentlemen.
HOWEVER, the second guy, is extremely rich, but is fat, ugly and very annoying and hard to get along with.
(Sorry I think I exaggerated too much on the details)
Who will the woman choose? Gentleman or Rich-man?
EPIC SOUND EFFECTS
.....
....
...
..
.
Some (which is more than the past), will choose the rich-man.
No, that isn't good. But money is more crucial in relationships now as compared to the past, where only good gentleman are favourited. This trend will mean that poor people will have a disadvantage, but why again?
Rich people = have lots of money = become rich yourself = can spend money on anything = happy life.
So, why not? Why not marry a rich person when you know you are going to have a happy life?
But, rich doesn't mean happy (all the time). Sometimes that person is very annoying and hates people like you (which only appears AFTER marriage), but because of the other person's wealth, we may not choose to divorce. So, that's probably why (PROBABLY) people choose money over qualities. This is how I interpret this question, I'm not sure if I'm right about this... ._.

Blog Prompt - How has war evolved?

War in the past was  definitely different from what the war we are going to have now. Previously, it was due to the invasion of the terrible Nazis led by Adolf Hitler. What he planned was wrong, and everyone agreed to this point. Thus, a war had to be started in order to prevent him and his regime from taking over the world and turning it into a deadly nightmare. It was a war that had to be fought and nobody could have stopped it. His intentions were evil and most of all, wrong. However, look at us now. The younger generation (of the 20-21st century) are talking about unnecessary wars that could have totally be avoided by having friendly diplomatic talks between two or more countries. The war we are talking about now is totally unrealistic and overwhelmingly stupid. Why start a war when you realise that thousands or even millions of victims are going to die because of this war. I don't think they fully understand the consequences, and if a war really starts for no apparent of good reason, I don't think humanity will be able to survive past this century.

Why did I make this statement? Well, our technology has also improved dramatically in the past few decades, and some say the German scientists contributed most in this technological advancement, and I feel that this is not good news for us. This technology can be used by terrorists to create a mega terrorist attack, which means they can practically take over the world within a matter of time, and all they need is just advanced weaponry, manpower, which they all have. Compared to the past, terrorist attacks have only appeared in this century. And they are notorious and infamous than before. I seriously cross my fingers and hope that one day we can take action and eliminate all of them before they do the same to us.

Sunday, 10 July 2011

Book Review #1 - Feed by Mira Grant

Hey guys I know it's late but just let me do a book review okay? Great. So let's begin.

FEED - MIRA GRANT

Feed is a book by horror author Mira Grant., and is the first book from the Newsflesh trilogy. The story is set in the summer of 2014, where two experimental viruses—a genetically engineered flu strain designed by Dr. Alexander Kellis, intended to act as a cure for the common cold, and a cancer-killing strain of Marburg, known as "Marburg Amberlee"—escaped the lab and combined to form a single airborne pathogen that swept around the world in a matter of days. It cured cancer. It stopped a thousand cold and flu viruses in their tracks. However, it raised the dead.

And the world was thus infected, no cure was found, and the world turned into a zombie land. The mainstream media fell and Internet news acquired an undeniable new legitimacy. The Newsflesh trilogy follows two bloggers, Shaun Mason and Georgia Mason who are covering the US Presidential Campaign in 2014. Senator Peter Ryman of Wisconsin decides to take them along on his run for the White House, with Georgette 'Buffy' M. They were excited at the opportunity to take their careers to a whole new level, but there's one candidate who wants them dead, and what's even worse, he's using the 'zombie' method to get rid of them. They will have to be alert and be cautious of their surroundings, but like most thriller stories, who can accurately predict the ending of this story? Well, the story doesn't really end in this book cuz there's two more books followed (that's why it's called a trilogy). There were multiple scenes where I found myself distraught at what happens. And as you piece things together with Georgia, you struggle along with her to determine how much the truth is worth. Is it worth pain and discomfort? Sure. How about death and destruction? Well...

So why not just head towards your nearest library and pick up this awesome book now? *DISCLAIMER: Not for the faint-hearted*



Saturday, 9 July 2011

OVER 1,000 VIEWS!!! - Reflection on 'The Soldier'

Hey everyone it's me back in Term 3 and I'll be doing a reflection on the poem 'The Soldier'.


1) Occasionally, we need young men in Singapore to do National Service. Why do you think National Service is 
compulsory in Singapore and why is it important?

Ans: It's important to have National Service because National Servicemen have to defend their country and protect it from enemy invasion when the time comes. Thus we need a steady 'stream' of Operationally Ready NS-men. Without them is like without a layer of protection over Singapore, and it would be extremely vulnerable to foreign attacks. And moreover, the importance of National Service has been crucial after it fell to the Japanese, and we realised it the hard way. It had thus been important to Singapore's defence, and also bond people from different races together, promoting social cohesion.

2) In the above poem, the speaker expresses his love for his country, England.
Do you have the same patriotism towards Singapore? Why?

No, I don't think I have the same patriotism towards Singapore, because I'm still young and I don't think I have that kind of patriotism as the persona in the poem. Moreover, I was born in China, so I think I'm more towards China than Singapore. But definitely as a Singaporean, my love in Singapore will change in the future.

Tuesday, 26 April 2011

War - A Personal Response

Hi guys I'm here to do the descriptive essay on war. From the slideshow: http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_8492000/8492777.stm , I chose one of the pictures and here is my essay:




"BLAM!" Went the missile, tearing the building into pieces. Debris fell from the sky like rain. A soldier had no time to react and run, but could only prone and evade the flying debris. Time slowed down. It seemed like eternity. More missiles missed him by a few metres, but he was lucky enough to survive. Realising the immediate danger, he started to crawl forward, hoping to find shelter. Cold sweat dripped down his already-drenched uniform. Looking to the side, he saw his comrades fall one by one. His jaw dropped. He simply could not believe it. Determined, he continued his daring journey, any wrong move could send him along with his comrades, to heaven. The only thing that's motivating him is his family, his allies, his country, and his will to survive. Again he crawled, inch by inch, careful not to move too fast......

This picture describes a soldier fighting in the Vietnam War. He's looking to one side, obviously looking at something, probably his comrades. the is debris all around him, and it's hard for him to crawl through them. It's a daunting task which is part of his life. A soldier in a war has to defend and fight for their country. Their patriotism and bravery is extremely commendable. They are setting a good example, and we should follow in their footsteps(literally). It reflects clearly the danger of being in the middle of a war, the will to fight and survive till the end, and their emotions are definitely scarred by the effects of war.

I think that's all. Thanks. :D

Monday, 11 April 2011

How to make a BANANA SPLIT! :D

How to make a banana split:





Ingredients:


  • 1 banana (DUH!)

  • Strawberry Ice-Cream

  • Vanilla Ice-Cream

  • Chocolate Ice-Cream

  • Fudge Sauces

  • Strawberry Syrup

  • Pineapple Syrup

  • Whipped Cream

  • Nuts

  • Maraschino Cherries

  • Ice Cream Bowls




  • Instructions as follows:

    1) Peel a banana and cut it in half lengthwise.
    2) Put the two halves into a long, skinny ice-cream bowl.
    3) Place three scoops of the ice-cream (one vanilla, one chocolate and one strawberry) on top of the banana.
    4) Pour hot fudge over the ice-cream (YUM!)
    5) Pour pineapple syrup over the vanilla ice-cream (EVEN MORE YUM!)
    6) Pour the strawberry syrup over the strawberry ice-cream.
    7) Topped with whipped cream, a few cherries and nuts.


    TA DAA! YOU' RE DONE!!!


    Wednesday, 30 March 2011

    Informal Letter to Mrs Sandra Barron - LA Online Learning

    Blk 1D, Cantonment Road
    #21-43
    Singapore 085407

    30/03/2011

    Dear Sandra Barron,

                    I’m Zhou Zhefang from Singapore and I’ve recently saw your post on opinionator.nytimes.com on how you survived and what you did after the 9.0 magnitude earthquake happened in Sendai, Japan. In your account of the effects of the earthquake, you mentioned contacting people in Twitter via tweets, which are social networking sites.

    Well, I think that tweeting and sending useful information over Twitter is quite important and also helpful to those who need them urgently. However, sending useless, unreliable and stupid information is just being selfish, as maybe someone (a pessimist, a survivor etc.) is reading your tweet and you may be harming or scaring him/her. Also, when you are dealing with emergency situations, you should take all the necessary precautions (like what you did) and always stay calm.

    I think that you should also be cautious at all times, and watch out for any signs of radiation from the Fukushima Daiishi Nuclear Plant. It may happen anytime, and it will be really deadly, so be careful. I offer my deepest condolences for your family and friends, and hope that they will be safe and sound. I’m sure the people of Japan can recover fast and rebuild the country. The whole world will be supporting you, and we are offering our help from almost everywhere in the world.

    Regards,
    Zhefang
                    

    Thursday, 3 March 2011

    The Scientist - Coldplay


    Awesome Song!!!


    Come up to meet you, tell you I'm sorry
    You don't know how lovely you are

    I had to find you
    Tell you I need you
    Tell you I've set you apart

    Tell me your secrets
    And ask me your questions
    Oh, let's go back to the start

    Running in circles
    Coming up tails
    Heads on the science apart

    Nobody said it was easy
    It's such a shame for us to part
    Nobody said it was easy
    No one ever said it would be this hard

    Oh take me back to the start

    I was just guessing
    At numbers and figures
    Pulling the puzzles apart

    Questions of science
    Science and progress
    Do not speak as loud as my heart

    Oh tell me you love me
    Come back and haunt me
    Oh and I rush to the start

    Running in circles
    Chasing our tails
    Coming back as we are

    Nobody said it was easy
    Oh, it's such a shame for us to part
    Nobody said it was easy
    No one ever said it would be so hard

    I’m going back to the start

    Oh ooh ooh ooh ooh
    Ah ooh ooh ooh ooh
    Oh ooh ooh ooh ooh
    Oh ooh ooh ooh ooh

    Sunday, 27 February 2011

    Short Story (English Essay Draft 2 - EDITED)

    Here's the second draft. Hope you guys like it!

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    English Essay - Short Story

    Exam


    If you approach any successful Singaporean and ask them about how life was like when they were students, they would probably give you only one answer: Tough. As a student in Hwa Chong Institution, I was no different. So, I would like to share my real-life experience on the day before my Maths exam. Here’s how it went…
    The clock is ticking away… “Beep!” goes my digital watch. It’s 11pm, and I was still flipping the last few pages of my Mathematics textbook. “Sigh, why is life so tough?” I mumbled and buried my head in my hands. After taking a very short break, I scratched my head hard and looked outside the window. I could see other families in the neighbouring block sitting together as a family and enjoying TV programmes. “Concentrate!” I reminded myself yet again. I couldn’t seem to understand why I could not concentrate properly and was distracted frequently. It was the night before the Mathematics exam, and being the usual ‘kiasu’ student, I had mugged through the whole night. I did not have the urge to study very late though; my parents were my motivators. They were in the master bedroom, but constantly came to check on me. Tea was the most important drink that kept me awake, or else I would have been dozing off by now. Half an hour later, I shouted, “Yes! Finally!” I finished revising with the help of the Maths textbook, and punched my fists into the air. Hurriedly, I shoved some important materials into my bag, washed up, and went to bed. I was just hours away from my Mathematics test……
    “Please leave your bags in the hall and proceed to your respective classrooms to take your exams!” The headmaster shouted into the loud-header. Solemnly, we walked along the corridor and entered this random classroom. I had prepared well the day before and crossed my fingers: Don’t mess this up. Clenching my stationery tight in my hands, I took my seat at the far end of the classroom. As usual, the invigilator recited the rules and regulations. I had heard this countless times. But one thing was clear: No cheating. Glancing around the classroom, I could differentiate those students who did not prepare for the exam and those who did. I nodded my head and made a thumbs-up sign to my friend for the last time, and I could see his worried smile. I sighed and turned my head back to the desk. Finally, the 3 different exam papers were handed out to us, and we could not flip open the paper until we were told to do so.
    “Ring!” went the school bell, and we all started. Taking a deep breath, I flipped open the first page. “Hah, it’s those puny little Multiple-Choice questions; I should be able to breeze past them easily.” Indeed, I did so and was already on my way to Section B after half an hour. I knew it was going to get harder, and I was perfectly right. The questions become more complicated as I reached the half-mark of Section B. Another 45 minutes passed, and after heaving a sigh of relief, I moved on to the final and most difficult section of the exam paper: Section C. Those questions were real tough, and even though I had studied hard, I seem to forget some of the very important formulas. “Holy smokes.” I muttered a curse under my breath and scratched my itchy scalp. Skipping a few questions, I moved on to questions about angles and polygons, I found them easier. “Come on…” I rummaged through my brain for answers, but to no avail. Looking up, I could also see a few confused and desperate faces. They also must have faced similar problems. The invigilator was walking around the class, occasionally glancing at our papers. Closing my eyes, I hoped that some miracle would happen the very next second. It did not. What am I going to do now?
    The whole classroom was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. Some were tapping the table with their fingers, and others were swinging their feet back and forth. Looking back up at the clock again, I realised that I had only 20 minutes left. It was definitely not good news.  I checked through my paper and found 4 questions not done yet. Reading the question over and over again in my mind, I decided to try out the most basic and dumbest way: Trial and Error. I supposed it would work, but that was very slow and it was my last resort. I could not waste any more time and started scribbling possible answers. Checking them over and over again, I got lucky with 2 questions and managed to solve them with this ‘traditional’ method. However, Lady Luck did not shine on me long enough. 5 minutes was all that was left, and I still had 2 questions. I just randomly chose one of them and charged my way through. I finished writing the last number and the bell rang coincidentally. I was not even sure that the 3 questions were correct. I slammed down the pen and leaned back, “Oh, come on. I still have one question.” But too bad, I did not have the time. Reality set in, and I was a little disappointed with my performance. It did not turn out what I wanted it to be, but I knew that I tried my best. As we waited for the invigilator to count the papers, I knew that I just have to wait for the week after next week……
    As the exam week ended, we all could finally relax, but I was still worried about the Maths paper. “Zhefang…… 92! Not bad.” My Maths teacher, Mrs Ng shouted out. “Yes! An A*! Woohoo! ”Now then I could finally relax for a while.
    This was how a typical exam went for me. As you know, one year in Hwa Chong Institution has at least 24 such exams. But I am not surprised at all.

    Saturday, 26 February 2011

    LA Setting: Make A Guess?





    This is a photo I took with my mobile phone while waiting for assembly in the 'terraces'. I think it's an awesome place to take the most awesome pictures because, well, there's a REALLY WIDE space in the track and field area, and you will always see the sun rising from the Northeast of where we at seated (OBVIOUSLY it rises from the east), and so when there's a few clouds blocking the path of the sun's light, you can easily capture the prefect picture. The sun's extremely bright, the clouds are daintily floating past the burning sun. The cranes in the foreground depict the Technological Age. With Nature and Technology s flawlessly combined with each other, what else can I say?

    Guess the setting! :D

    Thursday, 10 February 2011

    LA Short Story - Exam


    Exam


    The clock is ticking away… “Beep!” goes my digital watch. It’s 11pm, and I’m still flipping the last few pages of my Mathematics textbook. “Sigh, why is life so tough?” I mumbled and buried my head in my hands. After taking a very short break, I scratched my head hard and looked outside the window. I could see other families in the neighbouring block sitting together as a family and enjoying TV programmes. “Concentrate!” I reminded myself yet again. I can’t seem to understand why I could not concentrate properly and was distracted frequently. It was the night before the Mathematics exam, and being the usual ‘kiasu’ student, I mugged through the whole night. I did not have the urge to study very late though; my parents were my motivators. They were in the master bedroom, but constantly came to check on me. Tea was the most important drink that kept me awake, or else I would be dozing off by now. Half an hour later, I shouted, “Yes! Finally!” I finished revising with the help of the Maths textbook, and punched my fists into the air. Hurriedly, I shoved some important materials into my bag, washed up, and went to bed. I was just hours away from my Mathematics test……

    “Please leave your bags in the hall and proceed to your respective classrooms to take your exams!” The headmaster shouted into the loud-header. Solemnly, we walked along the corridor and entered this random classroom. I had prepared well the day before and crossed my fingers: Don’t screw this up. Clenching my stationery tight in my hands, I took my seat at the far end of the classroom. As usual, the invigilator recited the rules and regulations. I had heard this countless times. But one thing was clear: No cheating. Glancing around the classroom, I could differentiate those students who did not prepare for the exam and those who did. I nodded my head and made a thumbs-up to my friend for the last time, and I could see his worried smile. I sighed and turned my head back to the desk. Finally, the 3 different exam papers were handed out to us, and we could not flip open the paper until we were told to do so.

    “Ring!” went the school bell, and we all started. Taking a deep breath, I flipped open the first page. “Hah, it’s those puny little Multiple-Choice questions; I should be able to breeze past them easily.” Indeed, I did so and was already on my way to Section B after half an hour. I knew it was going to get harder, and I was perfectly right. The questions become more complicated as I reached the half-mark of Section B. Another 45 minutes passed, and after heaving a sigh of relief, I moved on to the final and most difficult section of the exam paper: Section C. Those questions were real tough, and even though I had studied hard, I seem to forget some of the very important formulas. “Oh cr**.” I muttered a curse under my breath and scratched my itchy scalp. Skipping a few questions, I moved on to questions about angles and polygons, I found them easier. “Come on…” I rummaged through my brain for answers, but to no avail. Looking up, I could also see a few confused and desperate faces. They also must have faced similar problems. The invigilator was walking around the class, occasionally glancing at our papers. Closing my eyes, I hoped that some miracle would happen the very next second. It did not. What am I going to do now?

    The whole classroom was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. Some were tapping the table with their fingers, and others were swinging their feet back and forth. Looking back up at the clock again, I realised that I had only 20 minutes left. It was definitely not good news.  I checked through my paper and found 4 questions not done yet. Reading the question over and over again in my mind, I decided to try out the most basic and dumbest way: Trial and Error. I supposed it would work, but that was very slow and it was my last resort. I could not waste any more time and started scribbling possible answers. Checking them over and over again, I got lucky with 2 questions and managed to solve them with this ‘traditional’ method. However, Lady Luck did not shine on me long enough. 5 minutes was all that was left, and I still had 2 questions. I just randomly chose one of them and charged my way through. I finished writing the last number and the bell rang coincidentally. I was not even sure that the 3 questions were correct. I slammed down the pen and leaned back, “Oh, come on. I still have one question.” But too bad, I did not have the time. Reality set in, and I was a little disappointed with my performance. It did not turn out what I wanted it to be, but I knew that I tried my best. As we waited for the invigilator to count the papers, I knew that I just have to wait for the week after next week……

    As the exam week ended, we all could finally relax, but I was still worried about the Maths paper. “Zhefang…… 92! Not bad.” My Maths teacher, Mrs Ng shouted out. “Yes! An A*! Woohoo! ”Now then I could finally relax. All these studying were definitely worth it!

    Sunday, 30 January 2011

    Historical Background 2 (LA E-Learning)

    The Civil Rights Movement


    a.      The African-American Civil Rights Movement was made up of many movements, one from 1896 to 1954, and another from 1955 to 1968.
    b.      The Civil Rights Movement was a long, primarily nonviolent struggle to bring full civil rights under the law to all Americans. This movement has had a lasting impact on the United States society, and increased the social and legal acceptance of civil rights.
    c.       There were some key events that took place in the Civil Rights Movement. In 1915, there was The Grandfather Clause (an exception that allows the old rule to continue to apply to some existing situations, including laws), in which the Supreme Court rules against grandfather clauses used to restrict black voting registration.
    Secondly, there were the Freedom Rides. The Freedom Riders were civil rights activists that rode interstate buses into the segregated southern United States to test the United States Supreme Decision Boynton v. Virginia (of 1960) [a case being held in court]. The first freedom ride left Washington D.C. on May 4, 1961, and was scheduled to arrive in New Orleans on May 17.
    Thirdly, there was the Mississippi riot, or Ole Miss Riot of 1962. It was fought between Southern segregation civilians and federal and state forces as a result of the forced enrolment of black student James Meredith at the University of Mississippi (also known as Ole Miss). What happened? In short, James Meredith filed a case against Ole Miss University after it barred him from entering it, solely because of his skin colour. This decision sparked riots in the campus, which resulted in the death of 2 people.
    d.      John F. Kennedy (President of United States Of America from January 20, 1961 – November 22, 1963) was the president who supported the civil rights movement the most. He helped pass laws to make sure that all Blacks could vote and get a good education (Abraham Lincoln was also another American president who supported the civil rights movement).
    e.      As a result of the Civil Rights movement, the African-Americans are now as equal as whites, although racism is still going on to this day. There is no exact known date to when the Civil Rights Movement ended, but it seemed that it ended after Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968.
    f.        Harper Lee’s novel, ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ was so closely related to the Civil Rights Movement that it was cited as a major reason for the success of civil rights in the 1960s, and that it ‘arrived at the right moment to help the South and the nation grapple with the racial tensions (of) the accelerating civil right movement.’

     

    Montgomery Bus Boycott and Scottsboro trials

     

    a.      The Montgomery Bus Boycott was a political and social protest campaign that started in 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama, USA, intended to oppose the city’s policy of racial segregation on its public transit system. Many historically significant figures of the civil rights movement were involved in the boycott, including Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. and Ralph Abernathy. It all started from December 1 1955, when Rosa Parks, an African-American woman, was arrested for refusing to surrender her seat to a white person. It led to a federal ruling, then to a United Supreme Court decision that the Alabama and Montgomery laws requiring segregated buses to be unconstitutional. The victory led to a city ordinance that allowed black bus passengers to sit virtually anywhere they wanted, and the boycott officially ended on December 20, 1956, after lasting 381 days. The Montgomery Bus Boycott also had ramifications that reached far beyond the desegregation of public buses and provided more than just a positive answer to the Supreme Court’s decision against racial segregation. This boycott also reverberated throughout the United States and stimulated the national Civil Rights Movement. This was the largest contribution to the start of the Civil Rights Movement.
    The Scottsboro trials (also known as ‘Scottsboro Boys’), were nine black teenage boys accused of rape in Alabama in 1931. This landmark set of legal cases from this incident deal with racism and a basic American right: the Right to a fair trial. The case includes an all-white jury and a miscarriage of justice. On March 25, 1931, several white boys jumped off a freight train traveling between Chattanooga and Memphis, Tennessee, reporting to the sheriff that they had been attacked by a group of black boys. The sheriff combed the train and found the group of black boys, along with two white girls who accused them of rape. Immediately a case was heard in three rushed trials, in which the boys were convicted of rape and sentenced to death. However, during the retrials, one of the alleged victims admitted fabricating the rape story and asserted that none of the Scottsboro boys had ever touched them. From then on, the seven white boys and two white girls were found guilty, instead of the Scottsboro boys, and all nine but two served prison sentences.
    b.      Both trials explain the horrible racial discrimination present in America in the past, while the whites receive all the power they can get.
    c.       The Scottsboro trial is related to ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ in many ways. One of the important points to note is the case of Tom Robinson. He, an African-American, was falsely accused of raping Mayella Ewell, while the Scottsboro boys were also falsely accused of raping two hobo (migratory worker or homeless vagabond, often penniless) women.

     

    Trials of a true Southern Belle and Southern Gentleman
    a.     Etiquettes:
    a)      Gentlemen

                                                i.            A good manner is the best letter of recommendation among strangers. Civility, refinement, and gentleness are passports to hearts and homes, while awkwardness, coarseness and gruffness are met with locked doors and closed hearts.
                                              ii.            Never scratch your head, pick your teeth, clean your nails, or worse of all, pick your nose in company; all these things are disgusting. Spit as little as possible and never upon the floor.
                                            iii.            If you are going into the presence of ladies, beware of onions, spirits and tobacco.
                                             iv.            It is a great thing to be able to walk like a gentleman-that is, to get rid of that awkward, lounging and swinging gate of a clown and stop before you reach the affected and flippant step of the dandy. In short, nothing but a gentleman can give you the air and step of one.
                                               v.            Civility is particularly due to all women; and, remember, that no provocation whatsoever can justify any man in not being civil to every woman; and the greatest man would justly be a brute if he were not civil to the meanest woman. It is due to their sex, and it the only protection they have against the superior strength of ours; not, even a little is allowable with women; and a man may, without weakness, tell a woman she is either handsomer or wiser than she is.
                                             vi.            A gentleman will assist a lady over a bad crossing, or from an omnibus or carriage, without the waiting for the formality of an introduction. When the service is performed, he will raise his hat, bow and pass on.

    b)      Ladies

                                                i.            A true southern belle has a charm that radiates whenever she enters the room. Her genuine smile and sweet southern drawl will turn anyone's head. 
                                              ii.            A true southern belle is always ready to help. She volunteers for organizations without a second thought. She is active in her community and also through her children's schools. She takes on projects that no one else will consider. This is her second nature.
                                            iii.            A true southern belle does not care about the money. More than likely her family does not have much of it. Antiques and family traditions are more important. She would much rather have her mother’s china or her grandmother's wedding band to hand down to her own family. 
                                             iv.            A true Southern belle knows her manners. She knows to put her napkin in her lap and to say "ma'am" and "sir". She says "excuse me" when she accidentally bumps into someone and "thank you" for gifts and compliments. 
                                               v.            A true southern belle knows how to dress appropriately. She knows not to wear too revealing clothing in public. However, she knows how to dress seductively in private. 
                                             vi.            A true southern belle knows how to entertain and cook. She always has a pitcher of iced tea prepared for her family as well as unexpected guests. She can cook fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and biscuits. She has her mother's peach cobbler recipe tucked away in a safe place. Even if she cannot cook biscuits, she knows how to buy them from the store and disguise them as her own. 
                                          vii.            A true southern belle knows the importance of education. She will finish high school, even if it is public education, and pursue further education at a public or private college or university. She will finish her college education and use the knowledge she has acquired in a career that brings personal satisfaction as well as honour to her family. 

    b.     They loved to bake cakes, drink tea and chat with their friends and read.
    c.      Picture of Southern Belles:

                   Picture of Southern Gentlemen:


    d.     In the novel ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’, Atticus Finch is an example of a true Southern gentleman. He is humble, upright, and wise. He does not discriminate other races and does his job with justice. Aunt Alexandra and Miss Maudie, on the other hand, are perfect moulds of Southern Belles. They do everything related to a Southern Belle and devote their time to their family. Aunt Alexandra cares for Scout and Jem while Miss Maudie often bakes cakes for her neighbours.

    Harper Lee
    a.     Harper Lee was an American writer, famous for her race relations novel ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’, which was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1961. The book became an international bestseller and was adapted into screen in 1962. Lee was 34 when the work was published, and it has remained her only novel.
    b.     Harper Lee (born April 28, 1926, Monroeville, Alabama, U.S.) was a U.S. novelist. The daughter of a lawyer, Lee attended the University of Alabama but left for New York City before obtaining a law degree. An editor helped her transform a series of short stories into the novel To Kill a Mockingbird (1960). Lee's only novel, it was nationally acclaimed, winning a Pulitzer Prize in 1961, and was adapted into a memorable film in 1962. The novel's hero is the white lawyer Atticus Finch, whose just and compassionate acts include an unpopular defense of a black man falsely accused of raping a white girl. The book continued to resonate into the 21st century. In 2007 Lee was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
    c.      She only wrote one novel: ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’, other works by her include ‘Love- In Other Words’, ‘Christmas To Me’ and ‘When Children discover America’.
    d.     She was awarded the Presidential Medal Of Freedom of United States for her contribution to literature in 2007, and also received numerous honorary degrees, but has always declined to make a speech.
    e.     It was Harper Lee’s only famous novel in her life, and it meant a lot to her.


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