English Section
"That you are here—that life exists and identity,
That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse."
An extract from the poem, O Me! O Life! by Walt Whitman (1819-1892)
Responses to the Radio Drama on Climate Change
2024-25
Radio Drama on Climate Change
2nd Term 2023-24
The radio drama was brilliantly done by Hurricane Mak 4B and Cedric Sy 4B (2023-24) under the guidance of our experienced English teacher, Ms Christina Chan. Listen to their radio drama and learn about their issue.
A: Hi everyone, hope you’ll stay awake for the next 10 minutes. Well I suppose the chilling wind will do that for me? But just to be sure let me give a horrific thought to scare you awake. Picture this: Millions of homes submerged in water. Billions of people face the onslaught from natural disasters. A global famine that spans worldwide.
B: Indeed, a horrifying stark reality. Good thing that it isn’t real.
A: Too bad, because this is exactly what will come about in the future if things go the same as now. In like a few decades or so.
B: Mm, I believe this is going somewhere? You don’t spit this out without reason, all I hear in our classroom is how exciting it is to encounter a difficult question while muttering spells of horror.
A: Do I look like a joke to you?
B: Ok ok, no need to get so mad. Why are things getting bad then?
A: One simple answer, climate change.
B: I thought I escaped that last year. (cough cough) Simple concept, no? Greenhouse gases trap energy from the sun making the atmosphere warmer. Surely, a slight temperature increase can’t be that much of a problem.
A: Not that much of a problem? Boy, you’re in for a treat. As temperatures rise, winters become colder and summers hotter. The result of the extreme climate? Total chaos as ecosystems collapse while the rising oceans swallow our coasts and cities.
B: Ok, if it’s really that bad then why can’t we just prevent all of that? Let’s just cut down greenhouse gas emissions.
A: If only it’s that easy genius. The industrial society is inherently destructive to the planet. Everything we do to make our lives better is doing the opposite to the earth. The food you ate this morning, these gadgets we are using and even the school we are standing in.
B: That’s easy. I didn’t even eat breakfast this morning. And these microphones? I can shout, you know. As for the school, who even needs it? I prefer staying at home anyway.
A: I didn’t know idiocy was limitless. I was only scratching the surface of this issue. Fixing a small part of our lives is not enough. For instance, making a new car emits as much as building two metres of road. So it wouldn’t matter if we used electric cars if we built roads the same way.
B: What do we do then?
A: Completely change our way of living, favouring the climate over our comfort! So why don’t you start walking to places? Replace your gas stove with an electric one? Stop eating meat! Put away your phone!
B: Wait, wouldn't that be very disruptive to our lives?
A: It is necessary for the betterment of our planet. What, are you too hooked on to your video games?
B: No, not at all! I only play video games for like… um.. A tiny fraction of my day. Just a mere five hours or so. That’s way less than before, I swear! Anyway, that’s beside the point.
A: It is exactly because of people like you who cannot cut their extravagant lifestyles that's causing climate change.
B: But we’ve already done that!
A: Prove it.
B: During the coronavirus pandemic, people stayed at home, didn’t use transport and consumed less. And CO2 emissions were only reduced by a measly 7%.
A: Hold on? Really?
B: Indeed, asking the average person to solve climate change quickly breaks down when we analyse the situation. Personal contributions towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions are nice, but they are pale in comparison to global emissions. Even if you were to eliminate 100% of your emissions for your remaining lifespan, it would only account for one second’s worth of emissions from the global energy sector. No matter how dedicated you are, you couldn’t even make a dent.
A: Now that I think of it, you do have a point…
B: Hahahaha, I always do. You see now, this gives us free rein over how we do stuff then! Teachers, lower the air conditioner temperature limit! That’s a message from Earth!
A: No no no no no! Let's not jump to conclusions. While it's true that individual actions alone may not solve the entire problem, they still matter. I would admit that my previous suggestions were a tad extreme and disruptive as you said. Nonetheless, climate change requires a collective effort, and when we combine our actions, they can have a significant impact. Same as your homework. One is easy to deal with, but when it piles up it can also make a significant impact, except this time on your mental health. Instead of feeling hopeless, let's focus on what we can do: playing our small part and influencing those in power.
B: Didn’t I just say personal contributions didn’t matter much? I’m willing to bet that three fourths of the global emissions are from countries across the globe. What do those people sitting at the top know about climate change? All they care about is maximizing profits and stopping the latest Chinese products from hitting their market. Politics, man.
A: Don’t be so down. There are still ways, for example, by making sure that politicians need to know that people care about climate change and that their success depends on addressing it. We can vote out those who resist change and elect science-minded leaders who will implement effective strategies. When industries resist change, they must be put down.
B: Still, I doubt that will be enough. Forcing such large change onto the international economy is unrealistic. Many low carbon technologies are still ridiculously expensive. And do you think the average person has the money for that? Let me check my wallet… nothing, nothing, and nothing… OOo ten bucks. Ah, that could afford it. We can’t pull things out of thin air, you know that, right?
A: Yes, yes I know. But, poverty doesn't mean we're helpless. Sometimes it is... but not on the topic of climate change, haha. We can still do our tiny part, and that's more than enough. It's not about how much money we have, but about the choices we make and the actions we take. And if we do, it'll make a difference and inspire others. When we show companies that we care about the climate, they'll start paying attention. Everyone can contribute to climate change, regardless of wealth.
B: Ah, you took so long to get to the point. Basically, it’s just a matter of choice! Vote at the ballot and vote by our actions.
A: You're absolutely correct! And while you do that, you can start taking action by starting recycling, eating less meat and turning off your lights. Not because you should bear yourself with guilt if you don’t or believe that you alone can solve the entire problem. But rather, to contribute your small yet significant part towards the systemic change we need to tackle against climate change.
The Pursuit of Happiness
Happiness has long been one of the major goals ever since the existence of humanity. The magical feeling makes us healthy, empowered and most importantly, it offers us the sensation of a meaningful life. To achieve happiness is to gain satisfaction. Ironically and lamentably, it is no easy task. Only by trials and errors, can one find the perfect way to feel content.
For people with a surplus amount of time, adding and multiplying life experiences can make one feel more productive while for those overwhelmed with their heavy workload, subtracting and dividing tasks can provide them with more air to breathe.
4B Cedric Sy (2023-24)
We should know that some limitations are beyond our control. This may lead to the feelings of unfairness and frustration. It’s important to recognize and accept our limitations as well as turn them into positive experiences. This requires our willingness to explore new opportunities and take risks. Through the process, It can also help us to find new meanings and purposes in our life.
4D Samuel Zhang (2023-24)
As a student, I have lots of responsibilities at school, which imposes tremendous stress on me. Dividing responsibilities can help me manage my time better, making my life more planned. I think we should also refuse some duties to create space for ourselves.
4B Erik Sung (2023-24)
2nd Term 2023-24
Once, I needed to finish a project with me being the leader of the group. I was pressurized by the amount of workload I had. I tried to do everything on my own and often worked till midnight. Yet, after sharing workload with other members, the rock on my shoulders appeared to vanish.
4D Joyce Fung (2023-24)
A New Beginning...A New Start....
How to manage?
2023-24 Term 1 Sept
First, organize your stuff. Everything is easier when you’re organized since you can immediately get to work without wasting time looking for stuff. You may find yourself always stuffing loose papers in your bag. Indeed, if you put them in binders, notebooks, or folders, offload things you don’t need, that way lots of problems will be solved in a heartbeat.
Being organized in both school and personal life is an uphill battle.
Emily Law 6C (2022-23)
Have you heard of “decluttering”? It means throwing something you actually don’t need to make your room more pleasant and well-organized. I bet you have a lot of old toys and textbooks from primary school, right? Well, throw them away! Keeping your room neat and spacious could not only help you feel less compact, but it would also lighten your mood.
Staying organized isn’t easy but I have faith in you
Angel Chui 6C (2022-23)
Well, what you need can be just narrowed down to one word --timetable. How? I know you don’t have the habit of using one because you think it's time-consuming. But maybe you have been using it wrongly! In the timetable, you should first prioritize every task you have and allocate time for them. After finishing one task, you could simply put a tick next to the task and it will make you feel the sense of achievement instantly! It will motivate you to keep working and eventually guess what? You have already done everything you need! But most importantly, I strongly advise you to have an “evaluation day” every week. Why? Because through reviewing your work progress, you could know if you have underestimated or overestimated your time allocation or not. Not only could it help you make adjustments regarding your ability, but you will also learn to be more well-organized through trials and errors, so that you won’t miss any of your crucial tasks. Isn’t it an intriguing way to help you stay more organized?
Do you keep a pet? What do you think about animal rights?
Zoos have the most comprehensive and abundant resources for animals. The majority of zoos world employ an array of specialists, ranging from the botanists, marine biologists to microbiologists and vets. A reliable squad could not only tailor-make the best and most nutritious diet for each animal in the zone, but it could also provide professional information for zoos to make improvements to enhance the living quality of animals. Besides, zoos could provide numerous shelters and artificial habitats for the organisms. Considering the fact that zoos are often located at the periphery of the city, they could take the advantage of the huge area of land to develop infrastructure, including the living places of animals. Thus, never would a population in the zoo face the problem of competition for space. Also, zoos are usually subsidized by the government. Therefore, they have a stable financial income for sustaining the astronomical amount of expenditure of taking good care of the precious life in the area. As a result, how would zoos not be beneficial to animals, would they?
Should zoos keep animals?
Morris Suen 6B (2022-23)
“Zoos keepers are animal lovers, they treat animals well.” Yes, there are passionate people working at the zoo. However, having nice zookeepers does not necessarily mean that no harm is done to animals. Would you rather live a year at home, which is comfortable,or live in a small dark jail but with a nurse that is nice to you? I guess we would all choose the former. Yes, the proper care of zoo keepers private love to animals, but it can never offset the harm. Also, animals are designed to love others of their kind. They can live without zookeepers. Therefore, this argument does not stand.
If you were an animal at the zoo, sorry but you had better forget what ‘privacy’ is. From walking, eating, climbing, to sleeping or even excreting, these are all watched by crowds. Of course, animals might not know what our rectangular gadgets are. However, it is proven that they do feel disturbed seeing people outside the glass every day. Some misbehaving tourists may even harass the animals intentionally. These cruel actions are all recorded on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube. Who exposes animals to the environment in which humans gather to disturb them? Zoos.
Oscar Yue 6C (2022-23)
How much do you love about the environment?
Boots Yee 6B (2022-23)
Greta Thunberg, the Swedish environmental activist, has given a fabulous point on why young people are the ones who respect and fight for the environment more than anyone else. This ‘most influential person’ selected by the Time Magazine stated that we, the younger people, are the victims who will live in the ruined earth in the future. Young people actually respect the environment most . As our government puts environmental conservation into schools’ syllabus long ago, young people are actually taught to protect the world at a very young age. The awareness and mindset of a green life have been planted in our hearts, and as we grow, it flourishes to become eco-friendly actions that we take every day. Washing the bottles before putting them in the recycling bin, reducing the use of plastic bags, reusing papers, are what most teenagers have as a habit.
Oscar Yue 6C (2022-23)
Think about the last time you went to a beach or had a picnic in the woods . Did you leave any waste on the ground? Many of us probably have left some waste, without realising ourselves. If you have finished your sandwich, what will you do with the paper bag carrying it? Leave it somewhere under the trees because there are no bins around you? It is not uncommon for people to hold a misconception that rubbish can break down in nature. Not entirely wrong, but it can sometimes take hundreds of yours to decompose, and even more for waste containing plastic, including the ‘paper bag’ that we find in bakeries. Holding the incorrect concept, many people mistakenly believe that throwing away rubbish in the countryside and beaches would do no harm to the local habitat.
2nd term 2022-23 Jan 2023
Do you know how to boil water?
Do you know how to use a washing machine?
Students should be trained on their daily living skills which could enhance their problem solving skills in numerous aspects. By learning a new set of skills, teens will have to overcome different challenges, which can improve their mindset and power to face hardships. Take cooking a fish as an example. Students may need to gut a fish, wash it, put it in the pan to fry and add seasoning to adjust the flavor. During the process, they may be clumsy with the gutting, having the oil spilled over the place while frying the fish and having no ideas on how much salt or sugar or pepper to add or not add. However, with the guidance provided by teachers at school, teens can have more courage to carry on their task. They learn to stay calm and do the task step-by-step. This skill can be transferred to other areas, which enable them to deal with challenges ahead.
Oscar Yue 6C 2022-23
It is better to make daily living skills compulsory in primary and secondary school education. Frankly, some of my friends do not know how to peel an apple. We do not possess those basic skills chiefly due to the lack of education on it. If we are taught about these at school, then we can learn how to cook, how to clean, how to make a room and even how to manage our money regularly and systematically. After 12 years of that sort of education, I certainly believe that the future pillars will be fully equipped with all sorts of life skills. They can live alone aboard and the reputation of Chinese youngsters lacking independence will no longer be valid.
Christy Tong Wing Sum 6C 2022-23
Seeking Love in the Cyber World? Falling in Love with Fictional Characters?
A majority of these fictional characters are attractive. Youngsters don't have to be worried over how to communicate with them.They don't have to think about where to go with them like which restaurant to dine in and which shopping mall to go to. All they have to do is to turn on their digital devices. In real life, some of them may even be bullied or rejected by peers around them when they seek companionship. Thus, they can be totally stress-free making friends with or dating an animated character.
I am not going to say that it is a sin to watch anime or manga. Yet, it is definitely problematic if we are addicted to the happiness that the virtual world offers us. We may not be willing to return to the reality any more. Then problems arise. For teens, the problem may be even worse. As they are at the stage of learning to build their own social network, being obsessed with those fictional characters may lead to their isolation from their real pears. Think! Who can say no to a virtual character that always appears gleefully in front of you and greets you enthusiastically? If the trend becomes the mainstream, our next generation will be all trapped in the virtual world.
Sun Cheuk Hei 6B 2022-23
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
1 John 4:7
Law Yin Yi 6C 2022-23
Do you think you are the winner of your life?
1st Term 22-23 Aug 2022
An Extract from Harvard Book Prize Essay
Boots Yee 5B (2021-22)
Meritocracy
That was my first time spending time with other pupils with special educational needs (SEN).
We were taking the recess together as SEN pupils have different exam schedules. My heart was pounding for the upcoming oral exam. I pictured myself stuttering badly in front of the examiners.
I used to sit side by side with schoolmates concentrating on reciting the idioms in the textbooks, all too focused. They were too busy to listen to someone mumbling his unease. They’d simply dismiss it.
‘Don’t be silly!’
It’s how modern schooling works. It’s about wrestling for the top spot. It’s about ranking students based on merit...
Is there true love in the world?
Love can be thorny.
What are love scams?
A 20-year-old woman looking for a young single man has met a guy online, only to discover he is over 60. I believe you must have all heard of similar cases about love scams. Lately, the cases of romance scams are skyrocketing and people who fall victim to them are mainly single women. Loves scams can lead to financial losses and emotional damages. The consequences are devastating. However, why are there still many people falling prey to scammers? What can we do to tackle the problems?
Angel Chui 5C (2021-22)
Why?
i carry your heart with me(i carry it in
my heart)i am never without it(anywhere
i go you go,my dear;and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)...
An extract from the poem, [i carry your heart with me(i carry it in] by E.E. Cummings (1894-1962)
The rise of cases of love scams is a result of vulnerable emotion and stressful social environment. To start with, scammers like to target single and older females for their evil plans. The targets are devoid of companionship and generally feel lovely in the society. As a result, fraudsters manage to tug into their heartstrings and earn their trust by showing care constantly. For example, the scammers send the victims intense messages to lure them into traps...
Amy Leung 5C (2021-22)
Love should never be exploited.
We just have to look out for each other. Love scams are only so common because we feel too lonely. Therefore the solution to this seems as clear as day—we just have to care for one another. Some people may argue that the victims of love scams are looking for life-long partners. So just by being a good friend won’t prevent others from falling victim to scams. However, I disagree. As a good listener, you can help share the burden of loneliness to an extent that your friend won’t blindly trust a stranger in exchange for love...
It is wonderful to care for the people around us. Now, why don’t we start by ourselves and reach out to someone today?
Amy Li 5C (2021-22)
Can Love Break Conventions?
Some conventions should never be broken.
1st Term 22-23 Aug 2022
I love the love poem, Love is, by the renowned African American Poet, Nikki Giovanni. She mentions what people often forget about how to love, the basic acts like listening and showing interest by asking questions. People may rarely touch the topics of commitment and responsibility in love. Yet, without these two components, love can bring no joy.
Ms. Flo Au
Read the full story by clicking the link, Wing. Enjoy!
A Story Where Love Has No Commitment...
I have written another story about love relationship of a couple. The story is a bit dark but fantastical in the sense that I put some magical elements in a setting of our reality. I adopted this strategy in my first story, Floating, before.
This story, Wing, was published in Untitled. Voices. Questions for you:
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Does Wing really turn into a bird in the end?
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What happens to Wai?
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Do you think Wai loves Wing?
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What is the dark element in the story?
1st Term 22-23 Aug 2022
Love in another form....
Star Fascination
Mirror, Mirror on the wall...
The hottest boy band in Hong Kong, Mirror, has heated up conversations on the Internet lately. Not because has it just finished their first show at the Star Hall, but because of the Facebook group “My wife married Mirror and left my marriage in ruins”. Husbands post hilarious moments which their wives are so obsessed with the boy band that they are no longer husbands to their wives.
Amy Leung 5C (2021-22)
Oscar Yue 5C (2021-22)
Fascination with pop stars can be caused by the love the fans lack and the images the stars built. First, people who yearn for love in the life may easily join the trend. Imagine living on your own, or being with someone who seldom cares about you. Then all of sudden, you see a star telling you that he understands you and will support you by his songs. This means more than you think to those who want love desperately. Another reason is simply the admiration on the hard-working young. Pop stars often have a dream plus strong determination to keep them grow more popular. Some of them even have tragic back stories. These are attractive and could touch people's hearts. Everyone loves budding youngsters who chase their goals, perhaps especially for the middle-aged. They have passed the age where they still have the ability and time to realize their wishes. Seeing the youngsters, like Mirror, fighting for their dreams, they may feel that supporting them is also a way to compensate for the fantasies they fail to make real.