Hi 5 Graciousness,
Choose any newspaper articles to read during the holidays. If it is hardcopy newspaper, please quote the headlines as well as the date of the article.
If you can find the article online (for instance, BBC, Straits Times etc) then do cut and paste the URL here.
If you have no English newspaper, then just do a summary of the Chinese newspaper.
In your newspaper review, include the following:
1) Your comments/viewpoints
2) 5 vocabulary words/phrases that you have learnt
Thank you.
Rgds,
Spoilt Recorder
Headline: Dr Goh's funeral watched by almost 400,000
ReplyDeleteFrom: The Today Paper, Wednesday May 26
My comments/viewpoints: Although I was not familiar with Dr Goh in the past, after I have heard the many things that he has done for Singapore, I feel very grateful to him.
5 vocabulary words/phrases that I have learnt:
-coverage
-streamed
-constituency
-exerpts
-state funeral
Headlines:Postal service at Changi for banned travel items?
ReplyDeleteDate:27 May(Thursday)
After reading this report, I feel that it is right that SingPost is taking the initiative for passengers to post their liquor and perfume to SingPost instead of them just being destroyed and it will also be a waste of time to put the about-to-be-confiscated items into their luggages.
5 words that I have learnt:
aviation
tamper-proof
restrictions
mutal
vary
Cheong Wei Soon
ReplyDeleteHeadlines: Graffiti vandal breaches security at MRT depot
From: The Straits Times, Friday 4th June
After reading this article I felt that the man was very notorious and had commited a few other crimes. Graffiti is illegal andit is also called commiting a serious crime. The man should stop doing that.
Five new words that I have learnt:
commuter
plied
garnered
defaced
alleged
Headlines : Briton is 1st woman to row solo across Pacific
ReplyDeleteFrom:http://asia.news.yahoo.com
Date:Saturday,5 June 2010
After reading this article,I know that this woman row solo across Pacific because she wanted to raise awareness about climate change and plastic debris polluting the ocean and after reading this,I learnt to use use biodegradable trash bags and reusable grocery bags instead of plastic bags.
5 new words/phrases
-adorned her with colorful leis
-phenomenal
-sheer luxury
-desalination
-albeit
Headline:More windows falling from high-rise homes
ReplyDeleteFrom:The Straits Times, Saturday June 5 2010
My comments/viewpoints:
The falling of windows will put the life of passers-by in risk,so high-rise home owners must be more pro-active about maintaining their windows and installing safety features.I learnt to check the windows and replace defective or loose parts.
5 vocabulary words/phrases that you have learnt:
1)in a worrying trend
2)perennial
3)echoing (what happened five years ago)
4)a cause for concern
5)retrofitting
Headline: Victims shot multiple times
ReplyDeleteFrom: http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/World/Story/STIStory_536336.html
Whoever shot those nine men were very cruel.Mr Ince declined to name which victims were shot how many times. I think he had some connections to the victims. I wish that there will not be any more wars(especially WW3)as many people, whether innocent or not, will die.
5 words/phrases I learnt:
1)autopsies
2)blockade
3)convoy
4)paintball guns
5)firearms
The Sunday Times Prime Page 1 6 June 2010
ReplyDeleteHeadline:Swiss charged with trespass, vandalism
I think that vandalising public property is a very bad thing and whatsmore it is a serious crime. Although it is very beuatiful, but anyone convicted of vandalism faces a maximum punishment of up to 3 years' jail or a fine of up to $2ooo and caning of between 3 to 8 strokes.
5 words/phrases that I learnt:
-security lapses
-spray-painted
-barbed wire
-impounded
-flight risk
URL: http://g.sg.sports.yahoo.com/football/world-cup/news/fan-surge-sounds-world-cup-security-alarm--fbintl_lc-security060610.html
ReplyDeleteHeadline: Fan surge sounds World Cup security alarm
Comments: The World Cup is coming in about 4 days time and there is a stampede because of a friendly soccer match in the host's country. The police couldn't arrive in time to save 15 people from getting injured. In 4 days time, players from all over the world are going to South Africa to participate in the World Cup. What if there is a terrorist attack? Can the police and guards in South Africa handle it? After this incident, no one can be sure. In this incident, the police van slowly crept down the street which was packed full of cars. During the World Cup, there would be many more cars, and what if there is a stampede, would the police arrive in time to save the victims? I am shocked at this incident and I hope that this does not happen in the World Cup.
5 words/phrases that I learnt:
-clogged
-sanctioned
-Speculation
-balked
-revival
Headline: Littering: A fine mess
ReplyDeleteFrom: The Today Paper, Monday June7, 2010
My comments/view points: I think that it is right to have a tougher Corrective Work order (CWO) regime as it would encourage people not to litter. In order to have a clean city, we should not litter on the floor, throw litter in the sea or throw litter in the drain. It will clog up the drains and we may get dengue fever.
5 vocabulary words/phrases that I have learnt:
-commissioned
-deterrent
-composite
-canisters
-regime
Source:http://sg.news.yahoo.com/afp/20100605/tap-skorea-nkorea-military-06f3cb7.html
ReplyDeleteHeadline: US demands global response against North Korea
I think that the North Koreans should not use their torpedo to sink the Cheonan, a South Korean warship. Whether intentionally or not, they should not release the torpedo and should be careful of safety. If intentionally, we have to defend South Korea in case of a war. I am not very sure if North Korea wants to bring peace and harmony to the world.
5 good phrases/words that I learnt:
-intervention
-looking at fresh steps
-apparent
-corvette
-sanctions
Headline:Singapore hopes shaming litterbugs will help keep squeaky-clean image
ReplyDeleteDate:7 June 2010
URL:http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/world/breakingnews/singapore-hopes-shaming-litterbugs-will-help-keep-squeaky-clean-image-95753894.html
My Comments/My Viewpoints:
I think that it is good to shame them in public as it will teach them a lesson and also serves as a warning to others so they will think twice if they want to follow the footsteps of those ex-offenders. We Singaporeans should play a part in keeping Singapore a clean and green place.
5 Good Words/Phrases that I learnt:
-Singled out
-Toe the line
-Befouling
-Exacerbated
-Instil the fear
Headline: Daddy's home, hooray
ReplyDeleteURL: http://www.todayonline.com/Kids/EDC100531-0000021/Daddys-home,-hooray
My comments/viewpoints:
I think pre-teens interacting more with their father is good as most fathers are working all day and have no time for the kids.The association can arrange an bonding event for kids and mothers too.
5 good words/phrases I learnt:
-esteem
-adversity
-convey
-undivided attention
-makes it a point
Headline : Dogged Ditermination
ReplyDeleteFrom : The New Paper on Sunday - May 30 2010
My viewpoints :
I think that the couple in very determined to find their lost dog, Ginger as they have been searching for her for 1 and a half years. I think the couple has a very close bond with Ginger. They spent a lot of money on putting up posters and putting advertisements in various newspapers. Until now, the couple still have not given up hope and are still searching for their lost dog. I think people should me more caring for their dogs and do not just abandon their dogs after they have went missing.
5 Vocabulary Words/ phrases that I have learnt :
- disorientating
- tireless
- combed
- subsequently
- wild goose chase
11:55 am 8 June 2010 GMT+8 www.yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteInternet addicts stage uprising at China boot camp
A group of young Chinese web addicts staged a mutiny at an Internet "boot camp", tying up their instructor and fleeing the facility over its tough military-like techniques, state media said Tuesday.
The 14 mutineers, aged 15 to 22, were all caught by police when they failed to pay a taxi fare following their escape from the rehabilitation centre in east China's Jiangsu province last week, the Global Times said.
They had tied up their supervisor in his bed to allow them to escape the "monotonous work and intensive training" at the camp, it said.
Parents of 13 of the Internet addicts have already sent them back to the Huai'an Internet Addiction Treatment Centre after picking them up at a local police station, the paper said.
"We need to teach them some discipline and help them to establish a regular lifestyle," the paper quoted an employee at the camp as saying.
"We have to use military-style methods such as total immersion and physical training on these young people."
Last month, a court in the southern region of Guangxi sentenced two Internet boot camp instructors to up to 10 years in prison after a 15-year-old addict was beaten to death at the facility.
The August 2009 death followed a string of abuse reported by state media at numerous unregistered Internet treatment centres around China.
According to the China Youth Association for Network Development, there are up to 24 million Chinese adolescents addicted to the Internet, with up to half of them obsessed by online gaming, the Global Times said.
The government said in a white paper on the Internet released Tuesday that it was committed to the "online safety" of minors, noting that it would take measures to keep young people from "overindulging in the Internet
Comments: Internet addiction is widespread amongst youth worldwide but I do not think sending them to a boot camp is necessary. These camps might do more harm than good for the addicts in the camp as they are treated more like inmates. They have to do rough physical training, total immersion, etc. I also think that these people should shut down these camps and use rehabilitation centres instead to treat these addicts.
New or hard words: mutineers, monotonous, adolescents, rehabilitation, overindulging
Headline: Hang on, I'm still on the phone
ReplyDeleteBy: Jamie Ee Wen Wei
From:(The Sunday Times)
Date: 6 June 2010
My Comments / My Viewpoints:
I Agree that playing the phone , tweeting or updating Facebook while having a meal with somebody or with your family is rude. However, with the better technology, it makes people more excited every moment of getting updated about posts or applications in these websites in their phones. Sometimes, not everyone can balance their time between virtual and reality as they get addicted to the phone with good technology. As this continues, it will soon become a habit when phones become advanced and cheaper. It is best to have the manners of not playing the phone when having a meal with somebody and to keep track of the time, not spending to much time playing with it.
5 Good Words / Phrase:
etiquette
phenomenon
transgression
stimulation
Secretariat
Headline: No time like the present to revist the past
ReplyDeleteFrom: The Strait Times, 9 June 2010
By: Wang GungWu
Comments:
I think Singaporeans should be more aware of our country's history. It would be very embarrasing if a tourist asked a Singaporean a question on the history of our country and we don't know the answer. After reading this article, I have decided to work harder on my Social Studies and be more aware on our country's history.
5 good words/phrases:
1)alarm bells were already ringing...
2)a spate of (books)...
3)epitome
4)dwell (on...)
5)marginal
HEADLINE: Long Road To Recovery
ReplyDeleteFROM: The Sunday Times, 6 June 2010
BY: Kimberly Spykerman
COMMENTS:
I read with sadness on the reports of the victims of the Kallang slashers. I emphatize with those victims, as they had done nothing to incur the wrath of those slashers. The victims were just the three unfortunate people who happened to pass by Kallang on their way home when the slashers appeared, killing one man and maiming the other two. My father goes overseas for business trips quite often, and I would definitely not like to receive news of him being attacked or any similiar issue.:O
5GOOD WORDS/PHRASES:
~ assailants
~ trawl (the streets...)
~ recourse
~ swathed
~ traumatised
The "Bookworm' above is Yip Sue Min
ReplyDeleteHeadline: It's mental to force treatment by decree
ReplyDeleteURL:http://health.asiaone.com/Health/News/Story/A1Story20100607-220551.html
Comments: I think it is horrible that this court allowed this. It is like you are a wanted terrorist, and when the authorities knocked you out with tranquilizer, you are dragged away... It is up to the person to decide, and if that person cannot decide, leave it to the next of kin. Mentally disordered people are not terrorists and outsiders have no right to interfere in their business.
5 New words I learnt:
1.compel: to force
2.divulged: to make known
3.transparency: the quality of being clear
4.autonomy: personal independence
5.presumptively: providing a reasonable basis for belief or acceptance
Headline: What's the fuss about littering?
ReplyDeleteFrom: The Sunday Times, Home page 10.
By: Irene Tham
My Comments/viewpoints:
I think that people should not take littering as a small matter which doesn't bothers them. Actually, littering is a big offence. If you litter, you will be fined up to $300. I think that we should not waste our parent's hard earned money on littering.The newspaper said that people only would throw their litter in a bin only when there is a bin nearby. We should take this matter seriously and do our part on making Singapore litter free.
5 vocabulary words/phrases I had learnt:
Commissioned
Qualms
Misconceptions
Hardcore litterbugs
Criminology
Grace
Headline: BP chairman summon to Obama meeting over oil spill.
ReplyDeleteURL:http://sg.news.yahoo.com/afp/20100611/tts-us-oil-environment-pollution-bp-chai-c1b2fc3.html
My comments:
I think calling a meeting about oil spill is a good thing as oil spill can not only kill other animals and it will affect our enviroment. Our world is in danger and we should protect it by not polluting the air,water and try to prevent oil spill from happening.
5 words/phrases:
-flippant
-admiral
-ruptured
-slick
-parried
Title:Boy on school trip hurt on Mt Kinabalu
ReplyDeleteFrom:Life!
By:Jennani Durai
Comments:I think the boy had negleted safety issues and was clumsy that he fell down.I think it is due from climbing to the peak of Mt Kinabalu.I also think that this accident could not be avoided as he was feeling very 'high'.In the end, the boy,Chan Yang Kai, had to be whisked to the nearest hospital to receive treatment.Due to his clumsiness, he had to feel the painful treatment.I count my lucky stars that I did not fall down at Mt Kinabalu.
5 vocabulary words/phrases:
heli-pad
go-ahead
insurance
enforcement
discharged
Kenneth Hong
Headline:$36m home could be S'pore's most expensive
ReplyDeleteFrom The Straits Times,13 June 2010
My comments/viewpoints:To me,although the house looks nice and big but,it is too costly. The 99-year old Sentosa Cove bungalow can be sold at such a high price!I cannot believe my ears. Only some rich people would be able to afford it.
5 vocabulary words/phrases that i have learnt:
1)caveat:law
2)tenure:the holding or possessing of anything
3)brokered:to arrange or manage
4)berth:the space allotted to a vessel at anchor
5)exuberant:full of enthusiasm or joy
Headline:Obama's Speech Seems To Send Student To Sleep
ReplyDeletedate:9 June 2010
story from: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/06/08/ap/strange/main6561600.shtml
story: (AP) KALAMAZOO, Mich. (AP) - As President Barack Obama delivered the commencement speech at a Michigan high school's graduation ceremony, not everyone was paying rapt attention.
One member of the Kalamazoo Central student choir sitting behind the president had some serious trouble staying awake.
In videos posted online, the boy is seen succumbing to a series of gaping yawns as Obama offers advice on how to succeed in life. Later, the boy's eyes droop and his head rolls forward until his chin rests on his chest, and it appears he has nodded off.
Only occasionally is the unidentified teen jolted into consciousness as his classmates erupt into cheers and applause for the president.
Obama delivered the school's commencement because it won the Race to the Top Commencement Challenge competition.
My comments: I think dozing off in a president's speech should be a bad especially in a graduation day. If Obama figures it out, the boy's school would be downgraded for one of their students gave him a bad impression of that school.
5 words/phrases I've learnt:
1. rapt - deeply engrossed
2. succumbing - to yield to disease
3. a series of gaping yawns
4.the boy's eyes droop and his head rolls forward until his chin rests on his chest
5.to bring to a desired state sharply or abruptly
Headline:19 killed in rehab centre
ReplyDeleteFrom:June 11, 2010 Friday Straits Times
Comments: Kiliing people is wrong. The rehab centres are often targeted by the cartels because they are used by individuals selling small quantities of drugs and as a refuge from violence.There were 19 people dead and 4 injured.
5 WORDS/PHRASES
-rampage:to rush, move, or act furiously or violently
-caliber:the diameter of something of circular section
-cartels:an international syndicate
-lucrative:profitable
-refuge:shelter or protection from danger
Headlines: City Harvest founder now accused of plagiarism
ReplyDeleteFrom: The Straits Times 12 June 2010(Saturday)
Comments: I think that plagiarizing is not good as we should not copy what others have made with their own efforts.We should never resort to plagiarism even when we are in trouble.
5 GOOD WORDS/PHRASES
-alleged
-legally sophisticated
-attributes
-sermons
-preachers
Headlines : Seattle police to review training after girl punched
ReplyDeleteFrom : BBC , Wednesday, 16 June .
Comment : I think that the police officer should have just fined her . Instead , he went ahead to punch the girl before pinning her to the ground . In my opinion , he should not have done that as that is breaking the law by harming a civilian .
5 good words /phrases :
-Scuffling
-Intervene
-Onlookers
-Training procedures
-Discretion
sorry.
ReplyDeleteURL : http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/us_and_canada/10336500.stm
Headlines: Ad to spread filial piety message
ReplyDeleteFrom: The Straits Times, Home, Friday, 18 June 2010(Saturday)
By Carolyn Quek
Comments: I think that we should all learn filial piety values and apply them to our daily life. This ad shows how a man cares for his aged mother even though she is difficult to live with. After watching that video, I learnt to be filial to my family and treasure them.
I agree with their tagline: How one generation loves, the next generation learns.
5 vocabulary words/phrases that you have learnt:
~Broached - To bring up a subject for discussion
~Garnered - To gather
~Superdeded - To take the place of
~Depiction - To represent in a picture
~Interracial - Relating to, involving, or representing different races
Done by: Lee Jia Ying~
Headline:Tony Blair hopes Israeli blockade of Gaza will be eased
ReplyDeleteDate:13 June 2010
From:http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/middle_east/10305706.stm
Comments:I think Israel should really ease the blockade of Gaza.Many people were killed in the war.People at Gaza are suffering and yet Israel still do not allow people to go help them.
5 vocabulary words/phrases that I have learnt:
-envoy
-humanitarian
-flotilla
-deteriorated
-outrage
From:The Straits Times
ReplyDeleteHeadlines:China's Latest Craze:A dog to dye for
Date:20/06/2010
I believe these dog owners’ objective was to attract the public attention when they take their dogs for a stroll. Passers-by will definitely turn their heads when they see these unusual looking dogs and the dog owners will feel good as they have a chance to show off their dog. In my opinion, I feel that such mentality is wrong. In the first place, the pet owners had purchased the dogs because they were attracted to their looks or character. Thus we should admire the animals’ authentic appearance instead of changing their looks simply to please us.
I feel that dog “dyeing” is like an act of cruelty to animal and the dog did not have the right to decide if it wants to be dyed. Also, the dog may experience skin irritation during the dyeing process. If I were in the dog’s shoes, then I will definitely prefer to look natural.
Also, if anything should go wrong during the dyeing process, then the dog may end up looking like a hideous monster. If the owners got tired of their pets’ new look, the poor animals may even suffer abandonment.
I strongly feel that it is better to accept the looks of the dog as it is.
5 New Words/Phrases
-Mutant
-Caters
-turn heads
-pampering
-pedicures
Newspaper Review 2:
ReplyDelete21 June 2010 (Monday)
From: The Straits Times (Home)
Headline: Primary lessons for examination (My Life)
Comment: I agree with Alex Woon that learning is not through examination. I feel that examination is a test not a lesson. Perhaps for some, it is a lesson to teach you not to be lazy and to study hard. Learning is something that is not that 1 hour plus moment where you seat there quietly and do that thick booklet of questions. Learning should be a life long moment, a never ending moment, you can never ever finishing studying everything. However, there should be examination to test you of your knowledge. Examination is necessary but not so much that it becomes unnecessary.
5 vocabulary words/phrases that i have learnt
~ Literally at stake
~ Vital
~ Prestigious
~ Tree Forts
~ Neck-with-neck
Bernice's newspaper review
From:Straits Times
ReplyDeleteDate:24 June
URL:http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/World/Story/STIStory_544887.html
Headline:Rare quake hits Ottawa
Comments:I feel that nowadays,the numbers of
natural disaters are getting higher and higher and I think the cause of it is global warming.In the near future I think that a disater is going to strike Singapore.I hope that everyone can stop this global warming.
5 vocabulary words/phrases that i have learnt:
1)temblor of magnitude
2)epicenter
3)province
4)sending office workers scrambling onto downtown streets
5)Geological
From:Straits Times
ReplyDeleteDate:26 June
Headline:Rain causes havoc
Flash floods
The heavy rain which battered many places in Singapore yesterday was caused by a short, sharp rainstorm. It created havoc islandwide. Many trees fell, traffic snarled at major roadways and our drainage system was overwhelmed. Several people were hurt by falling trees. Some children were evacuated from a childcare centre by SCDF officers.
As compared to last Wednesday, yesterday’s rainstorm was more intense. However, no widespread damage was reported and the flood subsided within an hour. An affected resident felt that the problem was once more due to chocked drains. Damaged vehicles cost a hefty sum to repair as expressed by disappointed motorists.
The two government bodies NPB (National Park Boards) and PUB (Public Utilities Board) argued the cases about the flash floods.
After reading the newspaper article ‘Rain Causes Havoc’, I learned that flash floods occur when there is severe rainfall in a short time. Our country is also susceptible to flooding when heavy rain collides with high tide, or if there is nonstop rain over a long period.
I feel that this is not just a matter of who to blame but a matter of what to do. I hope that Singapore continues to upgrade the drainage system. The flood last Wednesday was already a shock, having it again after such a short period of time is unbelievable.
5 vocabulary words/phrases that I have learnt:
-havoc
- overwhelmed
-more intense
-a hefty sum
-coincides
From:The Straits Times
ReplyDeleteDate:22 June,2010
Headlines:Militants jailed for bombings
URL:http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_544145.html
It's unimaginable. Okay, think about you being in a hotel in Jakarta. You were relaxing and suddenly...BOOM!A bomb exploded but you survived. How would you feel?Horrified,traumatized,relieved,frightened? This action is done by none other than the terrorists. They do it to strike fear to peoples' hearts for their own political reasons. I sense that these people are in the desperate need for something in life. However, they cannot just resort to violence to get what they need. They can seek help from their loved ones, get a job enough to support themselves and all. Or perhaps they are so crazed with power and greed that they become terrorists. Or...they're just sadists.Bu still, some people do not know what is right and wrong thus they end up being like that. All this is a shock to everyone and having more of such cases will be untolerable.
5 good words:
1.militants:people engaged in warfare(usually referring to terrorists)
2.alias:also known as/a false name
3.manhunt:an organised search for a(fugitive)
4.convoy:a group of vehicles travelling together
5.in the wake of:as a result of something
URL: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4721598.stm
ReplyDeleteHeadline: Reality takes wing over bird flu
My comments/viewpoints: I think we can control the bird flu if the farms pay more
attention in the poultries’ hygiene. We must focus on the things that we can do
(get farms to clean up) instead of go hunting for migratory birds. These measures
will kill loads of birds while receiving very little effect in controlling the disease.
Five new words I learnt: drastic, manure, cover-up, sensationalise, culling,
On behalf of Li Zhi Jian
From:The strait times
ReplyDeleteHeadline:Don't expect flood-free Singapore
My comments:I think that what PM Lee said was right.This can also warn Singaporeans that Singapore may not be a flood-free singapore.I hope that singaporeans will be ready for anything.
5 new words:
1)tracts
2)monsoon
3)prolong
4)infrastructure
5)contingency
Joshua tan
MRT graffiti case put off
ReplyDeleteFrom:Straits Times Newspaper
Tan Yang Rui said,
I think what Mr Fricker should be dealt severely by the long arms of the law as vandalism is a serious offence and if you commit graffiti, you will be FINED,CANED,JAILED,any two of the punishment,or even all of them.All in all,we should not be vandalising anything or esle the punish will be extremely SEVERE!!!!!!!!
5 new words:
tentatively
impounded
allegedly
consultant
bid.