I was a student changing to study at Lee Ching Dea Memorial College since I was in Form 4. One of the reasons is my brothers has been studying here so I started to study with him while he was in Form 6. Of course, I was unfamiliar with this school at first. But I was very lucky that my classmates and teachers were all enthusiastic and I got used to this school in a very short time. This school made me feel so warm immediately.

I have made a lot of friends soon and they were kind and friendly. They will give you a hand when you have difficulties. They will encourage you when you are frustrated. We study together. We play together. We trust in each other. We share our happiness and sadness. We deepen our friendship during every competition. We overcome many barriers together. We have many wonderful experiences in our school. They are my schoolmates and also my friends. I am really happy to spend hours in this school with them.

I like my school and teachers as well. The teachers in this school are especially better than the others. They not only teach us critical thinking, knowledge and how to equip ourselves for the future, but they show much more concern about students. They always teach us positive value judgement and philosophy. They never give up on each of the students although some are rebellious. I can still remember how my teachers comforted and encouraged me when I was depressed during public exam. I can feel how much they care. Thus, there is a harmonious relationship between teachers and students.

An ideal school should not only concern itself about studies. My school has so many activities to be held, functions and variety of school societies. We have many opportunities representing our class or even our school to participate in different competitions. So, there is room for showing our talents and it can help us to build up our self-confidence. We learn so much but not from books. We realize what team spirit is. We develop our sense of belonging. I am so proud to be in this school after experiencing a lot in this few years.

Although I have studied in this school for only a few years, I really love this school. I feel that I have grown up so much in this wonderful place. I know I will leave this school one day and everything will soon be my invaluable memories. I will treasure the days left in this school. I believe that it is always a great time in my life. Thank you to Lee Ching Dea Memorial College!

Write your own essay, outlining your personal preference and stating at least three reasons to support your choice. Give your essay a title.

Give the elderly a hand

In our society, there are many different groups of needy who need our help such as the poor elderly people and primary schoolchildren newly arrived from the mainland. In my opinion, the old people need more help because they are always neglected by society.

First of all, the poor elderly people have no one to look after and take care of them. Hong Kong is a very busy place. The young people work for long hours every day and do not have time to take care of their parents. So they choose to send them to elderly homes, asking someone to look after them instead. They seldom visit them so the old people are unhappy and think that they have been ignored. What they really need are love and care from their family members. The situation of some old people is even worse. Their family members or relatives are not willing to live with them. For example, the old people often have arguments with their daughter-in-law. They cannot live together peacefully so they are forced to leave their home. Some can rent a small flat but some may need to live in the streets. It is not good to see old people picking up or collecting rubbish from the streets and rubbish bins everywhere. It is very cruel and it is not the scene we want to see.

Secondly, the old people devoted their life to contributing to the society when they were young. They had their roles and helped to develop our society. No matter how little they had contributed, they should have the right to live a better life for the rest of their lives. As they worked so hard for society when they were young, we should provide them with a good environment to live in and try our best to help them. We cannot view them as a burden to society with the reason that they are old but to respect them. We need to think about their feelings and let them feel that they are valuable and there are always hopes.

Lastly, there is lack of allowance provided for them. Some of the old people just have about $700 each month which is provided by the government. As we know, the old always suffer from different kinds of health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, loose bones, etc. They may fall down easily if they are not careful enough especially those old people who live alone. They need to spend money on food, necessities and do not have much money left to see the doctor. Some of them even don’t go to the hospitals or on the waiting list of the public hospitals for medical services. Then their health conditions will deteriorate. As they grow older, their body cannot function properly. Without sufficient allowances, they cannot live longer. Some of them don’t want to suffer anymore so they choose to commit suicide. Many elderly suicide cases occur because of this. A few months ago, news showed that the government intended to reduce the amount of allowance. This fuelled resentment among the elderly. A group of elderly gathered and protested against the government’s proposal. This revealed that a small amount of allowance is really not enough for them. Although we cannot help them financially, we can take part in a voluntary work project such as visiting them and running errands for them. We can also talk to them and share their sadness with them. This kind of activity is very meaningful and worth joining.

As we are living together in Hong Kong, everyone is equal and we need to try our best to help those in need. Then a harmonious society can be created. I hope that the voluntary work project in helping the poor elderly people can be held this time. I strongly recommend it to all of you. I am looking forward to joining it.

You are a computer enthusiast and you often download music and movies. Write a letter to the editor of the Young Post commenting on the rights and wrongs of downloading entertainment from the internet and whether you think people will continue to break the law when they risk being prosecuted. Sign your letter “Chris Wong”. Do not write any address.

Dear editor,

I am writing to express my opinions on the pros and cons of downloading entertaining materials from the internet. As the internet provides us with an efficient way to download music and movies worldwide, this benefits our lives by adding sounds and colours to them and saving our time and money. However, this act also brings a devastating effect on the recording industry.

People tend to download entertainment from the site as the cost involved is low, and even free. Since no one can guarantee the songs in the original CDs suit our tastes, internet surfers are prone to download the songs from the net as a means to avoid wasting money. Moreover, the CD versions of the songs are available on the site and this also explains why people like to download the songs from the net.

Besides, it is convenient to search and download our wanted entertainment from the net. We just, need to type our beloved songs’ and movies’ names on the search bar on Yahoo! And googles, millions of downloading links bombard our eyes. This efficiency reveals why people love to download entertainment from the internet too.

Conversely, downloading music and movies are infringing the copyrights and “downloaders” are taking risks of being sued. Downloading entertaining resources is as evil as stealing. Under the copyright law in Hong Kong, violators may face a harsh punishment, i.e. being fined and imprisoned. “Downloaders” are putting their future at stake.

In addition, entertainment downloads will lead to enormous economic losses to the entertainment field and the creative media industry. As people are likely to download the songs and movies from the web instead of buying original CDs, VCDs and DVDs, the income earned by the entertaining industries is minimized, and this implies the budget used to produce more new songs and movies is reduced. Therefore, the music industry is declining and so does the creative media field. This is proved by the vivid example of the recession of the status of Hong Kong movies.

People will continue downloading although they risk being prosecuted. Admitting that they know downloading is wrong, they realize that it is not a crime and the people who commit the act would not be punished. Moreover, they believe that the police only catch those who do it for profit and not for personal use.

Generally speaking, most “downloaders” neglect the respect to the entertainment industries. I think people should be re-educated and let them know the songs and movies produced to entertain us are “priceless” but not “price less”. The government should also increase the penalties substantially to demonstrate its determination to combat copyright piracy.

Yours faithfully,
Chirs Wong
Chris Wong

Making Friends by Andrew Matthews

“Making Friends” helps us to get along with people. The book is divided into 6 chapters and they are mainly about how to treat others and how we can enjoy human relationships more.

I’ve learnt three lessons from the book.

First of all, we should voice out our feelings appropriately. We always share our happiness and sadness with our friends, but most of us are taught that it’s not nice to get angry as it may embarrass others. So, very often we choose not to show our displeasure. However, in our everyday life, people do sometimes frustrate us. Actually we can express our feelings rationally to ease our mental burdens.

Secondly, the writer encourages us to be good listeners. We can be a good listener and lend a patient ear to our friends when they need one. Sometimes, we may feel annoyed with our friends’ non-stop complaints, but we need to show our understanding by listening instead of ignoring them. By this, we practise tolerance.

Thirdly, we should have self-criticism. For instance, from time to time we should think about our own responsibility before blaming others. Moreover, we should admit our mistakes, review and learn from them.

6A – Ng Wing

Let us interview our principal -- Mr. Tam

Our principal Mr. Tam , always with his shining smile on his face, has been our school leader since 2005. We thank him for his leadership and his effort to our school. Every morning, he stands at the school gate, greeting students with a warm smile.
How much do you know about our principal?
Perhaps, all of you know very little about him.

Many students want to know more about you, can we ask you a few questions?

Which secondary school and university did you attend?
Secondary School: Ying Wah College (1961-1967)
University: The University of Hong Kong

Did any special events happen in your school life?
Fruitful school life:
I was a prefect and the chairman of literacy writing club, I wrote an essay and a short story and they were published in the student magazine. Besides, I acted in an English play (acting as a bad guy), joined the debate team (represented his school to debate in an ATV show) and played basketball. I also played mahjong in leisure time, but now I think it’s a waste of time.
A little secret:
I was left-handed before, but my primary teacher changed my habit. And now I use my right hand to write.

Wow….You were very active at school, how was your academic result?
I did very well in the science subjects in secondary school, but my English was not good.
Before Form 5 I studied Science subjects in cert level but I was in the Arts stream in form 6.

Do you think that English is the most important subject? Can you teach us how to improve our English?
Yes, English is very important.
Listen more and speak more. Speaking and listening are the first two things you can learn from your mum. You can watch movies and see how foreigners speak, this is the same as learning Putonghua. And then you should have extensive reading to see how paragraphs form. Lastly, you have to read more and write more to expand your vocabulary and learn more correct English. It’s easy to master the 26 letters.

Do you mind telling us your HKCEE results?
I remembered that I got B grade in Chinese, C grade in Mathematics and D grade in English. I got more than 14 marks. After passing the HKCEE, I studied UE, Chinese Literature, Chinese History and English Literature for the Advanced level.

Which subject did you take in university?
Chinese Language, since I got an A in Chinese Literature.

Wow…How can you balance your ECA and academic work?
The key to success is self-control, you have to be disciplined and have good time management. It’s true, you can do a lot in 24 hours if you have good time management. It’s good for you to design your own timetable.

After graduating from the University of Hong Kong,
Mr. Tam started his teaching career.

Career:
Start his teaching career in LCDMC in 1971.

He had been teaching for 26 years and was then transferred to another T.W. school to be the principal. After eight years, he returned to LCD. He is the first teacher in LCD who took up the principal post.

Mr. Tam: I am honored to have this chance to serve in LCD and I find myself having a heavy work burden in this school. It’s because I am representing the school and need to keep the school improving. I have my responsibility and duties.
I like the teachers and students here and I am very happy to be here.

Hobbies and interest
What are your hobbies?
I love reading; I would like to know more about the origin of China and her civilization. My interest in also in the I-Ching-poetry, historical record, and the origin of the Chinese characters.

How can we choose a good book?
It’s up to your choice and choose what you think is interesting. Before reading a book, you can check the content first to see if the item interests you or not. In order to read more books, you don’t need to read the from the first page to the last page.

What do you usually do on weekends?
I have already worked 6 days a week and I have to take a break, so I sleep on weekends. I sometimes go to book stores to see if some new books are published. When you read, you can know more about your feelings.

Have you written any books?
Yes. I wrote one book in 1990, it’s a collection of short stories; you can borrow it from the library.

Expectations
We know that you are going to retire soon, after leaving LCD, what are you planning to do? Will you go traveling?
Yes, I will retire in 2010 but I am not going to travel. I have already been to a lot of places in China, but I am not interested to visit places outside China and I don’t like to travel long-distance.

What are your expectations of our students? Do you have anything to share with our students or encourage them?
I hope that F.6&F.4 students will give a gift (90%passing rate) to LCD for the 40th anniversary. I hope our students can try to do something that achieves the goal.

Thank you very much for sharing with us!
Date of interview: 16th March, 2009
Reporters: 6A Yan Wing Yin, Tricia Cot, Vivian Chan, 6S Gordon Miu
Editors: 6A Vivian Chan, Yan Wing Yin, Cherry Chan

Is inclusive education good for the disabled?

Chris Wong is a young boy with a slight mental illness. He cannot communicate properly, nor can he behave normally. He is bound to go to a school which is described by the public as an abnormal school for disabled people. What his parents desire is that he is no longer ostracized by the public and provided with a chance to receive a normal education. What is more, Chris Wong is not the only one whose parents are eager to send him to a normal local school. Alongside him are quite a myriad of impaired children whose situation is similar to his. The calls of the parents have captured the attention of the public and led to the discussion whether children with special educational needs should be allowed to study in an ordinary local school.

In such a civilised city as Hong Kong, it is supposed not to have prejudice about people who need special care. We, theoretically, prefer equal opportunity rather than discrimination. If the policy can successfully pass through the Legislative Council, the ones with disability can go to normal schools, and thus we can fulfil the dream of unity. In addition, the reputation of Hong Kong can also accordingly be enhanced as people may see the Hong Kong Government put great emphasis on equal human rights.

As far as disabled people are concerned, setting up a standard learning environment can be advantageous to them. Imagine what they will encounter in that environment, where they are given chances to communicate sensibly with others as well as living compatibly with others. Gradually, they will adapt to normal life and learn a lot of daily manners, albeit slowly, through imitation and, most importantly, communication. It is undeniable that there are real cases in which people who are slightly mentally impaired can recuperate and lead a normal life as we do.

Drawbacks though exist. It is patently obvious that people with disabilities are in all likelihood discriminated against, if not bullied, by their fellows at schools. It is not surprising to find disabled students being attacked by bullies at schools as they are usually blunt in reaction. They are also impressionable people who may be cheated by gangs to commit crimes such as smuggling illegal drugs and cigarettes. These may, to some extent, spoil their lives.

Last but not least, it is predictable that teachers are more likely to be burdened by those who require more special care. Imagine the case when students with great discrepancy in terms of intelligence are put together in the same class room having hectic scheduled lessons, it is indisputable that teachers have to repeatedly introduce knowledge to the ones with much weaker ability. Even worse, teachers’ resting time may be bereft due to having extra lessons. It can be much more difficult for teachers to handle physically disabled students who have great difficulties in going to toilets. Not only are teachers annoyed, but also the students who have to endure such a slow process of learning.

Sadly, I am not in favour of the notion of giving disabled students places in normal local schools. After all, a huge amount of resources, on one hand, has to be invested to recruit experienced teachers, launch relevant programmes to train teachers as well as, most importantly, build disabled-friendly facilities at schools. But on the other hand, there are only a handful of benefits, which cannot make up for the costs.

In order to retain Hong Kong’s competitive edge by nurturing elites, there is no choice but to separate the able and the disabled so as to maintain the efficiency at the expense of the lives of the disabled. Cruel though the fact is, I think we finally still have to submissively accept it as this is the trend which nothing can change.

Chris Wong, of course, deserves a better learning environment. But is simply sending him to main stream school a good solution? I doubt it.

Interview with Ko Ho Ching
Mr Ko Ho Ching came to our school on 6th March for a Christian Fellowship gathering. We are so happy that we got a chance to interview him. He shared with us his life of being an artist and a Christian.

After being an artist, how have you changed?
Earning money is not easy, but I find that there are a lot of people I don’t know. Also, being an artist is not as easy as people may expect. There are a lot of things I need to learn in the entertainment industry. There are not any books telling you what to do on how to earn money and how to build up a relationship with other artists.
So you need to learn everything at the beginning, you need to put in a lot of effort to build up the relationship with others. Many people said the entertainment industry has many different kinds of people, but I will say there are always some good and bad people around us and I believe the same problem happens in every field.
Being an artist gives me a chance to know more people and this enriches my life.

Have you experienced any low tides in your career? What motivates you to stay in the entertainment industry?
There’s a lot! I haven’t earned a lot of money and I don’t have a lot of jobs. I had been disrespected by the reporters when I took photos with another more popular artist. I have come across different kinds of situations, but I won’t treat them as “low tides” in my career as I think a lot of people will have the same kind of experience. Life is just like jewels, you need to polish them before they shine brightly.

Apart from being an artist, what other jobs do you want to take up?
I want to be a missionary in China, because there are about thirteen hundred million people in China but nearly twelve hundred million of them do not have a chance to know about our God. I want to tell them there is LOVE in the world.
Many people are materialistic, they just care about money and hence they have lost the most valuable traditional Chinese values.

Do you miss your school life? What do you cherish most about it?
I cherish the relationship with my friends. It is pure. When I was still studying, I had a lot of free time to build up the relationship with my friends. I advise all of you to keep all your good friends. All my best friends now are my secondary school friends, I am sure they will accompany me until I die. So treasure your valuable friendship.
When you go to university or start working, it is difficult to make real friends and develop pure relationships with them.

Which do you like most, singing, acting or taking up an MC job?
I like all of them because I like making face-to-face communication with the audience. When you see me on TV, the feeling is not “real”. But when I have a chance to face the audience, I can really communicate with them. So I like all kinds of jobs which encourage direct communication with the audience.

What drives you to become a Christian?
There are a lot of factors. I knew about different religions when I was in secondary school. I studied philosophy in university. I realize God is real and there really exists a God in the world.
Also I have experienced God. When I follow what He does, He keeps His promise. He shows His love to me through different people, and He changes the way I look at things and life. For example, I had a lot of bad habits in the past, but God gave me the strength to face my problems and courage to correct them. After giving up all my bad habits, I have become free. I just don’t want to indulge in any bad habits again. This is a big difference.
Also God enables me to build up a good relationship with my family and friends, because Jesus is there, He makes us love each other.

Thank you so much to Ko Ho Ching for sharing with us his some inner feelings.

Chris Wong,
Flat 7C,
102 Main Street,
Hong Kong

10th September, 07
The Editor,
Young Post,
Po Box 248,
Tai Po, N.T.

Dear Editor,

I am writing in response to the articles of cruelty to animals. I would like to share my opinions and suggestions about the problem of animal cruelty in Hong Kong.

Recently, some of the media have reported terrible cases of cruelty to animals. One case involved a dog that died because it was kept locked in a cage, without exercise, food or water. Another case involved a man who beat a small dog to death to stop it from barking while he was watching TV. This kind of problem has become serious in recent years. So many pets were killed because of careless care and deliberately harm. Their masters will beat them just because they’re naughty. However, some people still think that beating pets is not a problem and think that it’s a good way to train their pets. Unfortunately, in Hong Kong recently, 4 men slaughtered a dog for food. In my opinion, I think it’s so ridiculous that these cases happened in a cosmopolitan city like Hong Kong.

To prevent these cases, people must be educated before buying pets. They should be made to consider seriously their ability to keep pets. Also, they should be made to take the responsibility for the entire lifetime of pets. On the other hand, some kinds of pets like dogs should be well-trained so that they will follow people’s commands.

Here, I will suggest three ways to improve people’s responsibility as pet owner. First, I think that education is the best way to help disseminate the message of animals concern to everyone. Through education, people can know more about cruelty to animals. The educational activities should include the disadvantages of pet abuse, the law about pets abuse and the punishment for pet abuse. Moreover, we should always organize these kinds of education talks at primary and secondary school. It’s because they should know what is the right thing from the very beginning. Also, people can learn knowledge about the animals’ needs, how to take care of them and the welfare of animals.

Another way to improve people’s responsibility as pet owner is to encourage people to join the volunteer team about pet care. People can find lots of fun and it’s a good way to help pets. It’s also a good way to learn about animals’ needs. Volunteers will keep in cleaning, feeding and bathing animals. I think it’s a great exercise before buying real pets. Moreover, people can learn the skills of communication with their pets. Through this volunteer training, you can gain many kinds of experience and it will help you a lot in looking after your pets. So, I recommend people to join the volunteer team before buying pets.

Finally, I think the Government should increase the punishment for pet abuse and produce an advertisement to ask people to stop pet abuse. Although it’s not the best way to stop pet abuse, people will consider more seriously before they buy a pet. So this serious problem can be overcome with a serious punishment.

Through these three suggestions, I hope people can improve their responsibility as pet owners. Also, I hope that the number of terrible cases of cruelty to animals will eventually decrease.

‘Studying in school is one of the most important parts in our life.’ I bet no one will argue about the above sentence. However, as a form five student, I think the time we spend in the secondary school is much more important than others. Therefore, everyone should have a lot of memories from their school life.

I truly like my school although some schoolmates say my school is old and the facilities are outdated. My school gives me a place to study, a chance to meet friends and a way to change my life.

I deeply love my school. When I came to my school on the first day. I felt lonely and everyone was like a stranger. I felt I had come to the wrong place. As time went on, there were no more strangers. All of them became my friends. They accompanied me when I was lonely. They helped me when I got any kind of problems. We have got many precious moments in the past.

I really love my school. My school gave me a place to study. Since the day I came to my school for the first time, those teaching experts started to give me lessons on different subjects. Their selfless attitude touched my heart. I learnt a lot from them. Sometimes I call them teachers, sometimes I call them friends.

If someone asks me what I like about my school. I will tell him I treasure everything in my school including my teachers, my friends, my classroom and even flowers and plants. I got a lot of joyful moments in my school. I hope that every student feels the same way I do.

The Tempest

This morning the observatory in Hong Kong said that a typhoon will come to Hong Kong in a few days. I hate typhoons because of an accident two years ago.

Two years ago, when I was twenty years old, I had a horrible experience. I had a trip with my family in the summer holiday. I was happy because that was the first time that I traveled with my family. I thought we could enjoy our trip and I never knew a bad dream was coming at that moment.

Our destination was Thailand. On the second day of the trip, we had to go to an island by ship. Typhoon signal No.1 was hoisted when we set off but the expedition was not cancelled. When the ship was moving in the sea, the waves were so high. The ship shook terribly and the passengers couldn’t stand properly. After a few hours, the ship was broken and it was sinking. All the passengers were afraid. Someone was crying and someone was screaming. There were disorder and horror everywhere. I lost my mother and father. Later I found them with my brother. At that time some huge waves hit and knocked me down. I caught my brother’s hand and we swam towards some debris. We grabbed and hanged onto it. The sea was cold. Some survivors like us grabbed something and they were floating near us. The rain and strong wind frightened us. I felt hopeless but I could not show that in front of my brother. I encouraged and comforted him.

Fortunately, my brother and I were saved by a ship. However, this accident made me lose my parents. Until this moment, when bad weather is coming, I can still remember this incident. I can’t forget and forgive the typhoon for destroying my happy family.

I gazed at the photo, there were my husband, my son and me. Our smiles are blissful and sweet. I recalled that twenty-eight years ago, I gave birth to my son. That was the happiest day in my life.

It was stormy and rainy, I was in the hospital and waited for my baby. I was frightened because I was afraid the intense thunder would scare my little baby who was still in my stomach. I prayed continually and hoped I could successfully give birth. My husband sitting near me, looked at me and said softly, “My dear, please don’t be so nervous. We will have a healthy and lovely baby soon. Please remember, I will always be there with you.” What a considerate husband I had. Then, I gave a satisfied smile to him.

The nurse said, ‘It’s time to welcome a new life. Mrs Au. Are you ready?’ I replied ‘Yes!’ I held my husband’s hand tightly. Then, I was sent to the operation room.

I was a mature lying-in woman. Therefore, natural childbirth was not one hundred percent safe for me. I had to have an operation to give the birth.

When I arrived at the operating room, I saw the doctors were ready. They injected a little anaesthetic. After that, I had a little bit of dizziness. I could feel there was indescribable pain around my body. I stared at the operating light above me, and I seemed to lose my feeling……

‘Wa wa wa ……’ What an angelic voice! I opened my eyes and saw Dr. Wong was holding an enchanting baby. My husband said emotively, ‘See!’

For a moment, I did not know what I should say. Then I cried touchingly. When I heard my baby’s beautiful voice, I smiled, like sun after rain. Was I living in a dream? ‘Wa wa wa ……’ My baby’s pretty voice called me back and told me: Yes, I had given birth!

My baby son gave a cry like the beautiful singing from a little angel. I loved him very much.

Since that day, I have a more beautiful life. Unwittingly, my son is 28 years old. Today, he is going to get married. There is wonderful weather with blue skies and a nice breeze. I will never forget the stormy night 28 years ago. That was my happiest day.

Schooldays are wonderful! Apart from broadening our horizons and acquiring knowledge, I have many bits and pieces of sweet memories with my schoolmates. It’s the main reason why I have a great affection for my school.

Interesting things happen every schoolday. I will share some episodes of my school life here with you.

Billy, who likes playing tricks on others, always call people names. This ‘game’ causes us belly laugh in my class. We all have nick names. They call me ‘sweety’ and I just ignore them. They can’t succeed and I can still keep my ‘original’ name.

School usually arrange some funny activities for us. We have ‘English Speaking Day’ every Friday. We need to speak in English to our friends and teachers in order to improve our English. We always say ‘you’re beautiful’ or ‘you’re charming’ to our mathematics teacher, Miss Kong. She looks happy and then gives us stamps. It’s amusing, isn’t it? I have got nearly 20 stamps and soon I will have a prize!

Although we play hard, we don’t overlook our studies. We are facing Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination, so we have all started working a bit harder now. Somehow I find it interesting to study with my classmates. In the past I hope there would be no more examination in the world, but now I’ve become more positive. Examination pressure is nothing because I know my classmates are by my side!

Lessons and teachers are the two other reasons why I like my school. Luckily, all of my teachers are kind and caring. They also can always make the class feel joyous. A mood of excitement fills the classroom. For example in the Geography lessons Miss Yeun asks the class to stand up and each one of us need to answer a question before we can sit down. English lessons are also exciting. Miss Wu draws lots and two students give their short speeches every lesson. We are always afraid to be the ‘lucky’ ones to do the presentation.

We can learn so much from our teachers and therefore enjoy going to school. I am so glad to see the class coming closer together day by day. It seems like the beginning of my colorful school life and fruitful year. I hope we can do well in the coming HKCEE and keep our friendship forever!

Many things will make you happy, but which day do you think is your happiest day in your life? I really felt on cloud nine when it was my eighteenth birthday.

I still remember clearly the things that happened on that day. I came into the classroom as usual in the morning. But when I sat down on my chair and wanted to take out the books from the drawer of my desk, I couldn’t touch any books. I looked into the drawer and felt amazed at once. It was full of presents inside! I felt really surprised that my friends still remembered my birthday although I hadn’t mentioned it. I opened the presents happily and even found some letters in it. I was moved after reading the letters, which were full of deep concern and lots of wishes inside.

In the evening, I chatted with my friend in the open-air. It was a tranquil night. Suddenly, the birthday song broke the silence around us. I saw that my friends were singing and carrying a cake coming to me. “Happy birthday, Yaki!” They spoke together to me loudly. I gazed at them in surprise, speaking “Thank you very much.” from the heart.

Looking at the beautiful candlelight shimmering on the cake, I felt so warm. It seems like a warm current through my heart. I made a wish and then ate up the delicious cake with my friend happily.

After that, I have realized that friendship is a priceless treasure. It has become the happiest memory in my life.

Write an article. If you wish, you may use the names of real movies stars in your article.

Last weekend was the most wonderful weekend of my life. I spent my weekend with my favourite movie star, Tom Hanks, in America. I received an airline ticket after I won the competition in a film magazine.

I arrived in America at Friday night. Tom Hanks was waiting me at the hall of the airport. It was really exciting. I felt like I was a big movie star in America. We greeted each other and had a little talk at a nearby site. I still thought that was a dream when I were back to the hotel because it was really amazing!

The day of my journey with Tom Hanks finally came. I met with Tom Hanks in the car that was waiting for me in front of the hotel. The car drove us to Hollywood. There were a lot of people dressed up like characters in movies, such as Batman, Spiderman, James Bond and more. We stopped at a big cinema. Tom showed me two of his movies, ‘Cast Away’ and ‘Catch Me If You Can’. They are such awesome movies that Hanks likes them very much too! While watching the film, Hanks taught me a lot about acting. He told me that the most important thing in acting is to think you are the character. If you try to act the character out, it will be bad acting.

We spent another day in a studio. Tom Hanks was taking part in a new movie called ‘Murder’. Tom said he would show me what was good acting. After the camera was turned on, Tom turned into another person. Hanks was a murderer who likes to kill when there is lightning. I felt his anger and terror although I was far from Hanks. When Tom was having a break, he introduced his partner in the movie, Angelina Jolie. She is much more beautiful than on the screen. She is really a beauty.

The last day of my journey had gone. I had to leave Tom finally. He gave me a present before I went on the plane. I opened the present and had a great surprise. It is an award of Tom Hanks in his work on movies. It is such a great present for me and it encouraged me to work hard in my studies. Because Tom let me know that everyone who works hard in their job will be repaid for their work. It was such a fantastic journey with Tom Hanks I will remember this journey forever.

In my opinion, students are unfit and overweight, because many students like to eat fried food, they dislike eating vegetables and fruits.

As a result, many students are obese. And many schools have reduced the number of sessions for PE and games. I think schools should add some sessions of PE. Now many students dislike doing exercises. So, schools should add more lessons of PE. In PE lessons, they can do swimming, badminton, etc.

I support the idea that the schools should teach students more about diet. For example, schools can help students know more about healthy eating. They may ask them what a healthy diet is and what food is unhealthy to eat. Fruit and vegetables are very healthy for them, but potato chips and ice-cream are unhealthy food. Schools can use more time to convince students. The next point is that many parents don’t have time to cook properly at home. When they dine out, they order many unhealthy dishes with much salt. Many people know it. But many parents do not cook. So many students eat lots of unhealthy food.

I hope this letter will encourage students to do more to keep themselves healthy.

Should students wear school uniforms to school?

Most students don’t like wearing school uniforms to school probably because they feel that wearing school uniforms is old-fashioned and it limits their freedom. In my opinion, this concept is wrong.

Firstly, our school uniform is specially designed for our school. Our school uniform is part of our school’s identity. Wearing a proper school uniform is a tradition too!

Secondly, the students will not waste too much time in selecting what to wear when they go to school. Wearing school uniforms will definitely save a lot of money in buying clothes for going to school. They don’t need to worry if the clothes they wear are fashionable or not.

Finally, students can improve their self-image in public places when they are wearing school uniforms. Most students behave well when they are in school uniform because if they misbehave in public areas people can easily find out which school they are from.

In conclusion, I absolutely support wearing school uniforms to school. Students should also respect the policy of their school regarding the requirements of their school uniform. If you are a student, I hope that you can treasure the moments when you can still wear your school uniform to school. You will not have the opportunity to wear a school uniform again when you have finished your secondary school. Your school uniform will be part of your precious memory.

The Advantages and Disadvantages of having a School Uniform.

The primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong do request students to wear uniform. Some students feel uncomfortable. They just consider uniforms always look quite similar and not attractive. However, I don’t agree with it.

First, I think if students do not wear uniform to go to school, they should spend a lot of money to buy beautiful and stylish clothing. Certainly they would be those fashion-followers. On the contrary, students can save money by wearing uniform. A few sets of uniforms would be enough for their schooldays. If students can wear casual clothing, they will spend more time on their appearance. Some rich students may show off their stylish dressing, while the poor students may be laughed at for their outdated clothes. This not only can lead to negative effects on their studies, but also lead to a misconception that a fashionable appearance is more important than anything else. Students go to school to learn, not to show off.

Second, I think it would be easier to identify us by looking at our uniform. If all students wear casual wear, it could be hard to discover if somebody pretends to be our students and sneaks into the school.

A tidy uniform would represent good discipline. If the students wear casual wear, people would feel it confusing. Uniforms are part of a school’s tradition.

My pet

I have kept a pet at home. It is a dog. We call it Brownie. He is a boy. His breed is ‘Saisze’ dog. He is one year old. He has long, white and brown hair. His fur is very smooth, but we always brush his fur and always give him a bath.

Brownie is very clever and obedient. He learns tricks quickly and he also obeys my command. He can take the newspaper to my father every morning, so my father loves him very much. When I throw a bone and tell him to take it for me, he will run very fast to pick it up. I think he is so smart.

One day, I brought him to the pack. When I played with him, some children looked at us because Brownie was very cute and funny. So they wanted to play with him. Then I invited them to play with us. They were so happy about that. After that, they felt we were friendly. Finally, Brownie and I also played really happily.

The Super Fashion Designer

He’s a fashion designer,
His name is Andy Hop.
Perhaps you’ve seen his designs
In his newly opened shop.

He lives in Hong Kong
Designing clothes for us especially.
If you wonder what’s in style,
He’ll tell you immediately.

Flared skirts and denim jeans are out,
They have been for a while.
Leather jacket is cool, he thought,
And it is coming back in style.

Miniskirts are cool on lady
Leggings and belts are too.
Knee-high platform shoes are trendy
if in a shade of blue.

If you have no idea
Go and ask Andy Hop,
And look out for his designs
In a designer’s shop.

An unforgettable camping trip

Last weekend was a nice day, so I decided to go camping at Tai Tam Country Park with my friends.

We got ready our baggage and went to the countryside together happily. We were so excited! There was sunshine and there were a lot of trees in the country park. Everything was beautiful and it seemed to welcome us. Suddenly, the weather started to change. It started raining. We were a bit worried, so we took out our map and compass and tried to locate where we were. We all wanted to go out of the country park quickly. Unfortunately, we were lost! It would be night very soon. We didn’t know what to do and we felt helpless.

Suddenly, I thought of a good idea. Then I suggested putting up a tent and stayed there for one night. Everyone agreed. We then started our work. We went to find some wood to make a fire as it would make us warm. It was a stormy night, it was difficult to do our work. Finally we could finished our work. Then we all slept in the tent. I didn’t mind the lightning and heavy rain outside. I just wanted to have a good sleep because I was very tired.

Chinese New Year is a special occasion for all the family. A few days before, people will clean their house, bedrooms, bathroom, kitchen, walls and doors. They will decorate the house with red papers especially. They will write some lucky words on the red papers, too.

On New Year’s Eve the whole family will have dinner together. They will eat special food with chicken and other good food, too. They believe the food will bring people good luck. Then, they eat turnip cakes, deep-fried dumplings and New Year cakes.

After dinner, they will go to the flower market. They will buy flowers and small trees, such as daffodils and peach blossom. Those represent good fortune. The most popular market is Victoria Park. There are many flowers and trees. It is crowded every year. Many people like to go there to shop on Chinese New Year’s Eve.

During New Year some people go to temples to burn incense because this can bring luck. Many people wear new clothes to visit their friends and relatives. Then, they will take presents with them. They will also give “lai see” to their children, unmarried men and women. When they see people, they will say “Kung Hei Fat Choy”.

People will watch the lion dances and the firework display. Thousands of people watch fireworks around the harbour.

During Chinese New Year, I will send email to my friends and wish them good luck.