All Genre Texts

The Bat, the Birds, and the Beasts

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 19 May 2015 01:30:00 +0000

A great conflict was about to come off between the Birds and the Beasts. When the two armies were collected together the Bat hesitated which to join. The Birds that passed his perch said: ‘Come with us”; but he said: ‘I am a Beast.’ Later on, some Beasts who were passing underneath him looked up and said: ‘Come with us”; but he said: ‘I am a Bird.’ Luckily at the last moment peace was made, and no battle took place, so the Bat came to the Birds and wished to join in the rejoicings, but they all turned against him and he had to fly away. He then went to the Beasts, but soon had to beat a retreat, or else they would have torn him to pieces. ‘Ah,’ said the Bat, ‘I see now, ‘He that is neither one thing nor the other has no friends.’

Aesop's Fable

School Uniforms – Good or Bad?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 18 May 2015 00:30:00 +0000

Ever since they were introduced in Victorian times, school uniforms have been a contentious subject. In this discussion text I will look at both sides of the argument – why some teachers love them, and why most kids don’t.

Supporters of school uniform argue that fashionable clothes, and arguing about whose clothes are nicer, can distract children from their schoolwork. In addition, they say that school uniform makes everyone look the same, whereas if you let children wear their own clothes it would be obvious whose parents had lots of money and whose did not. The poorer children might get bullied, they claim. Furthermore, the more fashion-conscious children might not want to risk getting their own clothes dirty or torn, so they might not want to do activities such as art.

Many teachers feel that school uniform is good for discipline and makes the children feel part of the school. They maintain that on school trips, it is easier to check all the children are present if they are wearing school uniform. What’s more, some adult jobs (e.g. flight attendants, nurses or policemen) involve wearing a uniform, so children might as well get used to it early. Finally, school uniform makes life easier for busy parents because they know exactly what their child is going to wear each day, and they know they’re not going to get into any argument about whether a certain garment is suitable to wear to school!

Critics of school uniform argue that making children wear exactly the same clothes stifles their individuality and creativity. In some countries, like France and America, school uniform is almost unheard of. Most adults do not have to wear a uniform to work and would be horrified if their bosses suggested it, so why should children have to wear one to school? Furthermore, some schools insist that uniforms are bought from a certain shop, and this can be expensive. Poorer children would have to buy their uniforms second-hand which could embarrass them. Moreover, the style of school uniform does not suit everyone. I was a chubby child and looked atrocious in the white shirt, bottle-green jumper and black skirt my school insisted I wear. Maybe I would have been more self-confident in my own clothes?

There are yet more problems with school uniform. Everyone wearing the same clothescan lead to lots of lost property because there might be five blue fleeces left in the playground and nobody knows who they belong to. Children would recognise their own clothes much easily. What’s more, children don’t argue over clothes on non-uniform days, so why would they tease each other if they wore their own clothes all the time? Finally, the point about children wearing school uniform so they can be spotted easily on school trips isn’t true because children often wear their own clothes on outings.

In conclusion, there are advantages and disadvantages about wearing uniform AND wearing ordinary clothes to school. On balance, although I hated wearing school uniform myself, I think there are probably more arguments in favour of school uniform. They do stop arguments in the playground, they do make life easier for busy parents, but most of all they let children get on with being children because they’re not worried about messing their nice clothes up.

Source

The Advantages and the Disadvantages of Nuclear Energy

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 17 May 2015 07:00:00 +0000

Nuclear Energy is commonly offered as an alternative to overcome the crisis of energy. The debate of whether the use of nuclear is an appropriate choice has not come to an end. Some people agree the utilization of it because of its benefits. Some others disagree because of its risks to the environment.

Those who agree with the operation of nuclear reactors usually argue that nuclear energy is the only feasible choice to answer the ever-increasing energy needs. In their opinion, the other sources of energy such as oil, coal, and liquid natural gas are not renewable and save, while nuclear energy can be sustainably when produced in a safe way.

However, people who disagree with the use of nuclear energy point out that the waste of nuclear products can completely destroy the environment and human lives. A meltdown in a reactor, for instance, usually results in the contamination of surrounding soil and water. Take for example, the blow up of the nuclear reactor at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Station in Russia twenty years ago. The serious contamination imperilled people and the environment severely.

It is obvious that nuclear energy should be avoided because it really endangers the environment but what about a less polluted energy instead of nuclear energy? Are there any alternative ways to overcome the crisis of energy?

Source

Housefly

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 16 May 2015 00:00:00 +0000

The common housefly is a flying insect that is found throughout the world. The genus and species of the housefly is Musca domestica.

Like all insects, the housefly has a body divided into three parts (head, thorax, and abdomen), a hard exoskeleton, and six jointed legs. Flies also have a pair of transparent wings. The Housefly can taste using its feet and with its mouthparts. Adults are about 1/4 to 1/2 inch (6 - 12.5 mm) long with 13 - 15 mm wingspan. Houseflies are dark gray, with four dark stripes down the top of the thorax. They have sponging mouthparts (they cannot bite); houseflies can only eat liquids, but they can liquefy many solid foods with their saliva.

The complete life-cycle of a housefly takes from 10 to 21 days. On the average, 12 generations of houseflies can be produced in one year. Adult females lay 120-150 tiny white eggs, usually in manure or other warm, moist, decaying organic matter. Female lives for about 2 1/2 months and can lay up to 1,000 eggs in her short life. The eggs are only about 0.04 inch (1 mm) long and hatch into white, worm-like maggots in about 12 hours. The maggots grow to be about 1/2 inch (12.5 mm) long. When they are this big, they burrow into the ground to pupate. An adult will emerge in about 5 to 6 days (in warm weather) or about a month (in cold weather).

The housefly is often a carrier of diseases, such as typhoid fever, cholera, dysentery, and anthrax. The fly transmits diseases by carrying disease organisms onto food. It picks up disease organisms on its leg hairs or eats them and then regurgitates them onto food (in the process of liquefying solid food).

Source

Kakadu National Park

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 15 May 2015 04:30:00 +0000

Located 240 kilometres east of Darwin in Australia’s tropical north, Kakadu National Park is Australia’s largest terrestrial national park. Kakadu covers almost 20,000 square kilometres and is a place of enormous ecological and biological diversity. It extends from the coast and estuaries in the north through floodplains, billabongs and lowlands to rocky ridges and stone country in the south. These landscapes are home to a range of rare and endemic plants and animals, including more than one-third of Australia's bird species and one-quarter of its freshwater and estuarine fish species.

Kakadu is considered a living cultural landscape. The traditional owners Bininj Mungguy have lived on and cared for this country for more than 50,000 years. Their deep spiritual connection to the land dates back to the Creation and has always been an important part of the Kakadu story.

The extraordinary natural beauty and ancient cultural heritage of this land was recognised internationally in 1981 when it was first inscribed on the World Heritage list. Further land was added to the listing in 1987 and 1992. In 2011, the Koongarra land, which had previously been excluded from the listing because of its potential uranium resources, was added to the Kakadu World Heritage Area following decades of lobbying by Koongarra's senior custodian Jeffrey Lee. The land is now part of Kakadu National Park, protecting its significant cultural and heritage values for future generations.

Today, the World Heritage-listed park remains well protected by a board of management, which has an Aboriginal majority representing the traditional owners. This arrangement showcases to the world how 'joint management' can combine ancient culture and modern practice.

Source

Hodja Story

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 14 May 2015 00:00:00 +0000

The Hodja was invited to a banquet. Not wanting to be pretentious, he wore his everyday clothes, only to discover that everyone ignored him, including the host. So he went back home and put on his fanciest coat, and then returned to the banquet. Now he was greeted cordially by everyone and invited to sit down and eat and drink.

When the soup was served to him he dunked the sleeve of his coat into the bowl and said, "Eat, my coat, eat!"

The startled host asked the Hodja to explain his strange behavior.

"When I arrived here wearing my other clothes," explained the Hodja, "no one offered me anything to eat or drink. But when I returned wearing this fine coat, I was immediately offered the best of everything, so I can only assume that it was the coat and not myself who was invited to your banquet."

Source

The Fox and The Crow

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 13 May 2015 06:00:00 +0000

It was a fine summer’s day and fox was out for a stroll when he spotted a crow sitting on a high branch of a tree. The fox couldn’t help but notice that the crow had in his beak a very large chunk of cheese! The fox being a crafty fox, and the fact that he’d not yet had his breakfast, decide that this was too good an opportunity to miss, and sat down at the foot of the tree. He watched the crow as he thought to come up with a ruse which would deliver the cheese to him. The crow eyed him suspiciously, being very much aware of the fox’s reputation. But she considered herself quite safe, as it is well known that foxes do not climb trees.

“My my”, said the fox at last, looking up towards the crow, “What a magnificent noble bird I see before me! Your beauty is indeed without equal, mistress, and the effect of the sunlight on your feathers is surely beyond compare! I heard from my friends that it is your voice, however, that is your finest attribute, and I have been longing to hear you sing!”

Now the crow had never really given much thought to the quality of her voice, but she was mightily flattered by the fox’s compliments. As a result she forgot all about her suspicions, and threw caution to the wind. She opened her mouth, and started singing a tune, as loudly as she could: “caw craw craw!” As soon as she did so, of course, down fell the cheese, and the fox put her paw over it. “Well, mistress, you do indeed have a fine voice”, he called out to her, “if only your brain was quite as sharp!”

Source

Pros and Cons of Technology to Humankind

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 12 May 2015 02:30:00 +0000

Technology brings problems as well as benefits to humankind. Since Henry Ford began mass-producing them in 1908, automobiles have provided us with a cheap and convenient means of transportation. However, they also brought us traffic jams and air pollution. The development of technology that is changing our lives as much as the automobiles is the personal computer. Since 1980s, personal computers have become common in homes, schools, and businesses, and just as automobiles have brought unexpected problems, so have personal computers.

To begin with, communication by computer has caused some problems. Although we can easily send a message to hundreds of people in an instant, we can also receive hundreds of messages, both wanted and unwanted, in just a few minutes. It took several hours to read all of them. The lack of censorship in cyberspace is another problem that no one has solved yet. Our expanded ability to communicate means that anyone with a computer can communicate anything to anyone on any subject at anytime. In addition to problems in communication, computers have also caused problems in business. They have created excellent opportunities for computerized crime. Computer criminals use their skills to obtain secret business information and to steal money. Moreover, the use of computers has depersonalized business. People are no longer costumers; they are account numbers. Face-to-face business transactions are no longer necessary; you can buy almost anything you need by computer, phone, or fax. Also, as telecommunicating becomes more common, workers in the same company interact with each other less and less. Someday it may be possible to have a company of people who have never met face-to-face.

It is clear that personal computers have made our lives easier, but they have done so at a cost. As with every new invention, there have unforeseen consequences. It is up to us to find the solutions to the problems as well as to enjoy the conveniences of the new tool.

Source

The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 11 May 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Now you must know that a Town Mouse once upon a time went on a visit to his cousin in the country. He was rough and ready, this cousin, but he loved his town friend and made him heartily welcome. Beans and bacon, cheese and bread, were all he had to offer, but he offered them freely. The Town Mouse rather turned up his long nose at this country fare, and said:

‘I cannot understand, Cousin, how you can put up with such poor food as this, but of course you cannot expect anything better in the country; come you with me and I will show you how to live. When you have been in town a week you will wonder how you could ever have stood a country life.’

No sooner said than done: the two mice set off for the town and arrived at the Town Mouse’s residence late at night.

‘You will want some refreshment after our long journey,’ said the polite Town Mouse, and took his friend into the grand dining-room. There they found the remains of a fine feast, and soon the two mice were eating up jellies and cakes and all that was nice. Suddenly they heard growling and barking.

‘What is that?’ said the Country Mouse. ‘It is only the dogs of the house,’ answered the other.

Only!’ said the Country Mouse. ‘I do not like that music at my dinner.’

Just at that moment the door flew open, in came two huge mastiffs, and the two mice had to scamper down and run off.

‘Good-bye, Cousin,’ said the Country Mouse,

‘What! going so soon?’ said the other.

Yes,’ he replied; ‘Better beans and bacon in peace than cakes and ale in fear.’

Aesop's Fable

Mudslides

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 10 May 2015 06:00:00 +0000

Gravity and water play a role in causing mudslides. Hurricanes and other severe rain storms produce a lot of water in a short period of time. Soil on a steep slope becomes so wet that it is too heavy to stick to the underlying rock or soil. Gravity pulls the mud down the hill. The saturated soil flows much faster and farther than an ordinary landslide. The debris flow ranges from watery mud to thick, rocky mud that can carry large boulders and trees. Mudslides happen in places that are hilly or steep. Coastal areas with cliffs weakened by erosion can have mudslides when there is intense rainfall. Droughts, wildfires, and deforestation can destroy vegetation. There is a strong chance that these areas will also have mudslides during and after heavy rainfall.

Mudslides can have devastating effects on people and landscapes. They bury houses, vehicles, crops, animals, and people. On average, mudslides cause 25 to 50 deaths each year. The tides of mud, trees, and boulders can sweep through villages and towns, destroying the vegetation along the way. When the flows reach flatter ground, the debris spreads over a wide area, sometimes collecting in thick deposits. The mud will stifle any plant and animal life beneath it. Places hit by mudslides are often declared disaster areas. Nothing will live there for a long time. A mudslide can leave a deep scar on a mountainside or hillside. This acts as a reminder of potential danger to those who live nearby.

Source

Linkin Park – A Thousand Suns (Album Review)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 09 May 2015 02:30:00 +0000

Release date: September 8, 2010

Label: Warner Bros.

Linkin Park’s first single The Catalyst takes a big risk by not using the traditional verse-chorus-verse structure, instead picking every single idea they’ve had for the past three years and putting them into something that may sound like a concept album… or not.

What makes this a magnificent album? The intros to every song, the tribal sounds mixed with great sequences and environmental sounds. To top it all with top-notch vocals, new instrumentation with pianos, as well as the melancholic spirit that surrounded the whole project, which also feels a bit more commercial than previous work.

Some people may think the record lacks the energy, that the band is selling out, but it seems like the sound is a natural progression for a band that’s grown up and are experimenting with their talent to try to take it to the next level.

Rating:4/5

Source

Guns Should not be Sold to the Public

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 08 May 2015 00:00:00 +0000

I strongly believe that guns should not be sold to the public for many reasons. They are very dangerous objects and only police should be allowed to use them. Selling more may lead to more massacres in Australia because they often fall into the wrong hands.

To begin with, only police should be allowed to use guns. Many people do not understand how dangerous they are. Gun licences are too easy to obtain and this has resulted in many people owning them. Many people own guns illegally because the penalties are not very great.

Furthermore, if we continue to allow guns to be sold, people will buy them, and some people may want to kill another person. There have been many shooting deaths in Australia, as demonstrated at Port Arthur in Tasmania. Martin Bryant used guns that he had bought from a gun shop to kill many people. Therefore, the selling of guns may culminate in more massacres.

My final reason for not selling guns to the public is that they can fall into the wrong hands, and this can contribute to more deaths. Once, a small pistol fell into the hands of a six year old boy. He took it to school. Not knowing what he was doing, he shot one of his classmates. Due to this dreadful act, the little girl died in hospital. The pistol belonged to an eighteen year-old boy who was staying with the six year-old’s family. Although this happened in America, it could happen here.

In conclusion, I am convinced that guns should not be sold to the public and must only be used by the police.

Source

Tsunami

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 07 May 2015 04:30:00 +0000

A tsunami is a fast-moving ocean wave or a series of waves. In the deep ocean, a tsunami is usually no more than one metre tall. When a tsunami reaches shallow water, it can grow as high as 30 metres.

An underwater earthquake, a volcanic eruption, or a landslide can trigger a tsunami. For example, when an earthquake happens, the sea floor shifts. This sudden movement creates a sea bulge that sends out a series of ripple-like waves. In the deep ocean, these ripples are very wide and low, and travel fast. They cannot be felt aboard ships, nor can they be seen from the air in the open ocean.

A chain of tsunami waves can be very destructive. The pounding water can strip away sand from beaches and tear up trees and other vegetation. A tsunami can destroy coastal towns and villages. People can be swept away and drowned.

Source

The Eagle and the Kite

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 06 May 2015 01:00:00 +0000

AN EAGLE, overwhelmed with sorrow, sat upon the branches of a tree in company with a Kite.
"Why," said the Kite, "do I see you with such a rueful look?"
"I seek," she replied, "a mate suitable for me, and am not able to find one."
"Take me," returned the Kite, "I am much stronger than you are."
"Why, are you able to secure the means of living by your plunder?"
"Well, I have often caught and carried away an ostrich in my talons."
The Eagle, persuaded by these words, accepted him as her mate.
Shortly after the nuptials, the Eagle said, "Fly off and bring me back the ostrich you promised me."
The Kite, soaring aloft into the air, brought back the shabbiest possible mouse, stinking from the length of time it had lain about the fields.
"Is this," said the Eagle, "the faithful fulfillment of your promise to me?"
The Kite replied, "That I might attain your royal hand, there is nothing that I would not have promised, however much I knew that I must fail in the performance."

Aesop's Fable

Giraffe

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 05 May 2015 03:00:00 +0000

Giraffes are the tallest land animals. A giraffe could look into a second-story window without even having to stand on its tiptoes! A giraffe's 6-foot-long neck weighs about 600 pounds. The legs of a giraffe are also 6 feet long. The back legs look shorter than the front legs, but they are about the same length. There is only one species of giraffe. The recognized subspecies include reticulated, Nubian, Uganda or Baringo, Masai, Angolan, and southern. The different kinds can be recognized by their spots and also by where they live in Africa. Masai giraffes, from Kenya, have spots that look like oak leaves. Other kinds have a square-shaped pattern that looks like the giraffe is covered by a net. Some zoologists think that the giraffe's pattern is for camouflage. Both male and female giraffes have two distinct, hair-covered horns called ossicones. Male giraffes use their horns to playfully fight with one another.

Source