The Singapore City Gallery

On Friday, English Corner toured the Singapore City Gallery located next to the famous Maxwell Market in Chinatown. This highly recommended gallery contains several scale models of different parts of the city and the island that are truly magnificent. There are also many interactive attractions with stories and photos of Singapore’s colourful history. Click on the pictures for a clearer view.

The gallery is located on the bottom three floors of the URA building. We stopped for a quick group shot before going in.

This model shows the future of the central district including the new integrated resort/casino just to the left of the harbor entrance.

This model shows the Lakeside/Jurong area in the island’s southwest.

This model shows the entire island of Singapore and includes every building and block. It is an amazing replica and everyone tried to find their own place.

A closeup of the same model shows the central catchment area which includes McRitchie and the Upper and Lower Pierce reservoirs. Main areas are labeled to help locate specific landmarks.

This interactive theatre gave the students a chance to test their knowledge of Singapore by answering questions posed on the screen. They did pretty well, too!

This perfect model of the harbor and central district got the most attention. This view is looking down from the floor above where there are telescopes mounted to allow you to zoom in.

Another view of the same model from a different angle.

This closeup shows the amazing detail of the building and streets.

Finally, a cross view of that model looking into the harbor. How they keep this up to date given the constant construction on the island is a mystery.

Various kinds of interactive stations can be found throughout the gallery.

Looking down the famous Orchard Road.

Last but not least, a closeup of the National Library, Inter-Continental hotel and our school!

The Singapore City Gallery is located on Maxwell Road next to the Maxwell Food Court and Market and just a block from the Tanjong Pagar MRT. It’s open Monday through Saturday, 9am to 5pm and best of all, it’s free!

Hu or Who?

by Ken

One day, in the morning, Rice said to George Bush in the White House, “Morning Mr. President, there is  important news. Hu is the the new leader of China. “The president said, “Who is the new leader of China?” Rice said, “Yes. “The president said, “Pardon, did you anwer my question?” Rice said, “Yes Mr. President, Hu is the new leader of China.

P: “That is what i want to know.”

R: “That is what i just told you.”

P: “What? Then who is  that man?”

R: “Hu.”

P: “Tell me.”

R: “l said Hu.”

P: “Why do you keep asking me?”

R: “Sorry, Mr. President.  I did not ask you. I just wanted to tell you Hu is the new leader of PRC.”

P: “Who?”

R: “Yes, Hu.”……..

Impossible 0

by Ken

The Impossible 0

Gilbert Arenas is famous not only because of his fantastic performance in NBA games but also because of his persistence to realize his dreams when no one believed in him.

Full name: Gilbert Arenas(often called G.A or Gil)

Birthday: January 6 1982

Height: 1.9m

University: Arizona

Team: Washington Wizards

Position: SG (shooting guard）

Part One

The Number 0

“It’s impossible for you to play basketball in university,” said Arenas’ coach in high school. This changed Arenas’ whole life. So he got up at daybreak and trained really hard by playing one on one games or team games all day long.

“It’s impossible for him to enter onto the stage longer than 0 minutes in NCAA basketball games” said all the experts on basketball. So he chose 0 to be his number and finally proved that they were all wrong by averaging 25 points in the games.

“It’s impossible for a player who is not tall enough to play well as a SG in NBA games but not NCAA games” said the experts on NBA games. So immediately he went to the training center and soon proved this is the biggest mistake in NBA history by becoming the best new player the next year and then the all star SG.

There is an adidas advertisement about Arenas:

Hi, I’m Gilbert Arenas and this is my story. When I entered the NBA, the first 40 games of my career I sat on the bench. They said I was gonna play zero minutes. You know, I just think they didn’t see the talent that I had. They thought I was a zero. Instead of sitting there being bitter, I just practiced and practiced.

If no one believes in you, anything you do is a positive. It wasn’t even about basketball any more,
It was about proving them wrong. Now the reason I wear No. 0 is because it means nothing and it lets me know that I need to go out there and fight every day.

Part two

The ten thousand shots

When he was refused by the “Dream Team” namely the men’s basketball team of the USA, he did not just go to enjoy a nice holiday but returned to the play ground and did a great job. He finished shooting ten thousand times in only a summer and got a hit rate as high as 69.5% on the three point line.

From then on, Arenas became one of the best shooters around. That famous hot summer gave him the ability to shoot from two or three steps farther than the three point line as a symbol of himself-half angel, half demon.

Arenas had a very poor childhood. When he was very young, his mother left his father. In pursuit of his dream of being a movie star, his father went to LA with little Arenas with just 50 dollars. His father had to get up very early each day to work for the United Parcel Service. Just after his father went out, Arenas would get up to begin his whole day training. Because of his passion for basketball, he always kept far from drugs and all the troubles on the street.

Being fit and filled with dreams, Arenas began his career in the NBA. Among all the NBA players, GA looked very gentle and normal. He smiled like an angle but when he wanted a game so much, the fire in his eyes made him look like a demon with a ferocious tiger tattoo on his breast.

Gilbert Arenas is now one of the best players in the NBA. In his position, he can do almost everything, pass, shoot, assist and rebound. His skills and leadership bring victory to Washington again and again.

Number 0’s story tells us firstly to never stop our dream even if nobody believes in us. We just tell ourself where there is a will there is a way.

Secondly, we must pay for our dream. Action is always stronger than words. Practice to win. Say goodbye to the records of yesterday, say goodbye to the championship last season, say goodbye to the bench, say goodbye to “cannot”. The spirit of 0 is no pain no gain. It’s not only a key to sport but also a key to life. It tells us to start from the very beginning and makes us brave. Always remember impossible is 0.

Meeting the Great Names in History

Last Tuesday started out like any other day in Conversation 3. At one point, I asked the class which people in history had made the most significant contributions to mankind and world culture. The first name that popped up was Abe Lincoln.

A lightbulb went on in my head and I told them Abe was in town and asked if they would like to meet him. Of course they thought I was nuts but decided to humour me. So we quickly filled out our excursion forms and took off on foot.

I led them up North Bridge Road to the magnificent Parkview Square building just opposite Raffles Hospital.

I don’t know the history of this building but the architecture is impressive both inside and out.

By the time we arrived at the entrance to the beautiful open courtyard, it might have appeared as if I wasn’t so crazy afterall.

Darius took this group shot in front of this beautiful statue. From left to right: Wan Lin (Taiwan), Phuong Chi and Kim (Vietnam), me (US), Vivien (China), Ryan (South Korea), Ken and Huang Jun (China).

The courtyard is surrounded by bronze statues of great historical figures whose lives and work have had a lasting impact. Among them is Lincoln, Churchill, Plato, Einstein, Rodin, Chopin, Beethoven, Mozart, Dali, Dante, and more. Even Raffles warranted a spot. There are about 20 statues in all.

The present imitates the past. Special thanks to Darius for all the great photos.

Six statues are visible from the sidestreets outside of the building.

One of those on the outside is Rodin who Ryan knew was the sculptor of “The Thinker”. My impression was, well, not very impressive.

Darius managed to get this shot before the security guard told us that photos are not allowed inside. All in all, a nice quick trip that I recommend to everyone.

After we returned to school, each student chose one of the people represented and planned an oral presentation which was given the following Thursday. I found a few videos and pictures of each and even some audio of music by Mozart and Chopin to accompany the presentations. They were very well done and we all learned a lot about these influential personalities.

Trekking to Chinatown

Three weeks ago, English Corner bussed down to Chinatown. Although it is quite near, most of the students had never been there. As usual, this area was buzzing with activity. Time was limited so we were not able to visit some of the more historic sites like the Heritage Center and Chinatown market.

We filled out our excursion forms at school and then ambled over to the bus stop.

The students were excited and happy to get out of the classroom.

Once we got our bearings and arranged a meeting place, we were off.

Many of the streets are just narrow walkways filled with a plethora of shops and stalls.

The F1 models were a new addition to this metal artworks shop.

Special thanks to Vivien (center) for taking so many great photos. Mine are usually lousy.

Darius looked like he was having an especially good time.

The original architecture is well maintained and colourful.

Here, the old meets the new with typical shophouses being watched over by modern office buildings.

The Heritage Centre is a replica of living conditions and memorabilia from Chinatown’s past. It costs a few bucks to get in but it’s worth the trip.

The Friday after the trip students separated into groups and created itineraries for a one day visit to Singapore by their parents. Their presentations were top notch and even included lots of new ‘travel’ vocab.Good job everyone!

10 of the Most Endanagered Species

By Duanyu

The extinction of at least 500 species of animals has been caused by man, most of them in this century. Today there are about 5,000 endangered animals and at least one species dies out every year. The number is rapidly growing, some species becoming endangered without most of us even knowing it. Their value is of utter importance, since they are responsible for a variety of useful medications. The first step towards saving animals is to learn as much as possible about them. So here is a look at some of the most endangered species of animals around the world:

1. Greater Horseshoe Bat– There are fourteen species of bat in Britain and all of them are endangered.The Greater Horseshoe Bat is one of the rarest. There are currently 35 recognised maternity and all-year roosts and 369 hibernation sites. Current estimates range between 4,000 and 6,600 individuals. They have also suffered from the use of insecticides (poisonous chemicals sprayed on  crops to kill harmful insects) which have deprived the bats of their insect food.

2.Siberian Tiger– It is highly endangered and there may be fewer than 200 in the wild, probably all in special nature reserves. The are hunted because a poacher can feed his family for a year on the proceeds of just one tiger kill.

3.Loggerhead Turtle– This threatened reptile lives in the Mediterranean Sea, as well as the Black Sea and Atlantic Ocean. The turtle was once intensively hunted for their meat and eggs, but it’s fat was also used in the cosmetic industry. Many of these animals die annually caught in the fishing nets of crabfishers. In Turkey, hotels have been built right on its breeding sites.

4.White Tailed Fish Eagle– Before man experimented with the use of pheromones, this spectacular bird of prey was much more numerous than it is today. They have also been hunted by shepherds and gamekeepers that considered them a threat to their sheep or birds. With intense conservation actions, the populations in eastern Europe recovered. Recovery plans are aimed at colonizing some traditional breeding areas in Europe.

5.Mandarin Duck– This bird can be seen in Britain, but its native home is across eastern Asia, in Russia, China, Korea and Japan. Worldwide population status is unknown, the current Asian population being somewhere under 20,000. Extinction of these beautiful birds is due mainly to loggers, hunters and poachers. Known predators include minks, raccoons dogs, otters, polecats, eagle owls and grass snakes.

6.Lion-Tailed Macaque– These animals live in several areas in Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Many of India’s tropical forests, the monkey’s natural habitat, have been cleared and replaced with tea and coffee plantations. As with so many mammals, currently the main threat in the wild is destruction of their habitat. Poachers have also captured baby macaques, often killing their parents in the process, for illegal export to collectors. They are considered to be the most endangered monkey, with only 400 individuals left in the wild. They are hunted for their flesh and fur.

7.Jackass Penguin– Once the most common sea-bird in South Africa, the jackass penguin is the only penguin to be found in Africa. Because they live so far north, and in a relatively accessible region, African penguins have been particularly vulnerable to human depredation. Considering the decline in food supplies, seals now prey on the penguins instead. Oil pollution also threatens them, as does the taking of their eggs for food.

8.Mountain Gorilla– The Virunga volcanoes region in eastern Zaire, Rwanda and Uganda is the only home of the highly endangered mountain gorilla. They are frequently killed by traps and snares intended for other animals, face habitat loss and are vulnerable to many of the same diseases as humans. It depends on dense forests for survival and these are steadily being cut down to make way for crop growing and livestock grazing. Humans and gorillas are 98% genetically identical so they are also exposed to human disease. This is the most endangered of the gorilla subspecies, only about 700 mountain gorillas remain in the wild.

9.Numbat– They inhabit woodlands in Western Australia, the only state in which they are found in the wild. The numbat is now extinct throughout much of its range. It survives in the wild only in a small area in the southwest corner of Australia. When man introduced predatory animals such as cats, dogs and foxes, these animals ate many numbats. Their numbers are still declining since many of the areas that constituted their habitats are being cleared for farming and mining.

10.Black Footed Ferret– This is one of the most endangered mammals in North America, an animal on the edge of extinction in the wild. Loss of habitat is the primary reason black-footed ferrets remain near the brink of extinction. The remaining prairie dog colonies are small and fragmented, separated by great expanses of cropland and human development. By the year 2010, biologists hope to have 1500 ferrets established in the wild, with no fewer than 30 breeding adults in each population.

A FUNNY STORY ABOUT A LION

A lion, who was the star of the circus show, was walking among the other animal’s cages when he came across a monkey. “Who is the greatest animal in this circus ?” He roared. The monkey was very frightened, and said, “You are, O mighty lion!”

This pleased the lion, of course, so he walked on and met a performing seal. “Who is the greatest animal in thic circus?” He roared again, taking away the seal’s ball. “You are, O mighty lion!” squeaked the seal, so the the lion gave him his ball back.

Then the lion met an elephant and repeated his question. Instead of answering, the elephant picked the lion up in his trunk, twirled him around a few times and threw him into the air. The lion picked himself up off the ground, dusted himself off and whined, “There’s no need to get rough just because you don’t know the answer”.

– cage (n) : structure of bars or wires for confining animals or birds.

– circus (n) : travelling show of performing acrobats, clowns, animals, etc.

– roar (v) : utter loudly, made by a lion.

– seal (n) : a kind of fish-eating amphibious marine mamal with flippers.

– squeak (v) : make a short high-pitched cry or sound.

– trunk (n) : elephant’s elongated prehensile nose.

– twirl (v) : spin, swing or twist quickly and lightly round.

– dust (v) : wipe the dust.

– dust off : remove the dust from.

New Useful Services Links

We’ve added a Useful Services category in the sidebar. Included are links to Singtel Wireless (for your free wireless internet password), bus and MRT information, The Ministry of Education for school and student pass info, the National Library, Raffles Hospital and more!

If there are other links you would like to have us add, just let Brian or your teacher know. See you at English Corner!

“O” Levels party before the big Test

Front Row. Left to right:

Ding Hao, Ye Sheng Wen, Lin Dan Ri, Lv Xi Lei, Li Jing Lin, Zeng Ya Bin, Liu Ling Tong, Wang Xu Jun, Chen Yan Di.

Back Row. Left to Right:

Liu Bing, William Thompson, Zeng Wei, Nguyen Quy Hoang, Li Bin.

GCE ’O’ Level Exams Begin Oct. 21, 2008

by William

Washington’s very own cohort of ‘O’ Level students partied one last time on 19 September 2008 and now brace themselves for the moment they have been preparing so hard for – their 2008 GCE Exams starting October 21 and ending November 10, 2008.

Hailing from Vietnam and various parts of mainland China, these seventeen to twenty-one year olds – four guys and ten gals – like their counterparts in all schools in Singapore, will sit for their written English Language Papers I & II first, having already confidently completed their Oral Chinese and English Language Paper III in August 2008.

Describing their Oral Chinese Paper as “a piece of cake” and the Oral English Examination as “somewhat challenging”, the ‘O’ class – “the most cohesive and hardworking group” in the words of their 19 year old class leader, Annie Li – know full well what they are up against in the days ahead. Classmate Amber Wang aged 18 and from Fujian province puts it in a nutshell: “more stressful than ‘Gao Kao’!”

‘Gao Kao’ fever aside, nothing is going to stand in the way of these students, many of whom have set their sights on a polytechnic engineering, hotel management or tourism education whilst two or three are seriously contemplating pursuing business and law degree studies. One 18 year old from Shanghai may even take to the skies after her studies here in Singapore!

But student life at Washington has not all been smooth sailing. All experienced a few hiccups and rough edges, but those have been ironed out and most got up to speed quickly in their program. Lamented Betty and Sabrina, “we lost valuable time!” Yet all is not lost as both classmates vowed to rise to the challenge. Chipped in class leader Annie, “I promise you my class will always do our best”.

From all of us at Washington to the Class of 2008 nothing less than our very best wishes for their future endeavors

SHORTCUTS 4 ur SMS

The teacher asked students to write about their holiday . This is the composition from a 13 years old English student.

My smmr hols wr CWOT.
B4, we usd 2 go 2 NY 2C my bro, his GF & thr 3 :-@ kds FTF.
ILNY, its gr8.
Bt my Ps wr so {:-/ BC o 9/11 tht they dcdd 2 stay in SCO & spnd 2wks up N.
Up N, WUCIWUG – 0.
I ws vvv brd in MON.
0 bt baas & ^^^^^.
AAR8, my Ps wr 🙂 – they sd ICBW, & tht they wr ha-p 4 the pc&qt…
IDTS!!
I wntd 2 go hm ASAP, 2C my M8s again.
2day, I cam bk 2 skool.
I feel v O:-) BC I hv dn all my hm wrk.
Now its BAU …

em _ Could u understand? She used sms shortcuts to say this:

My summer holidays were a complete waste of time. Before, we used to go to New York to see my brother, his girlfriend and their three screaming kids face to face. I love New York, it’s great. But my parents were so worried because of September 11 that they decided to stay in Scotland and spend two weeks up north. Up north, what you see is what you get – nothing. I was extremely bored in the middle of nowhere. Nothing but sheep and mountains. At any rate, my parents were happy – they said it could be worse, and that they were happy with the peace and quiet. I don’t think so! I wanted to go home as soon as possible, to see my mates again. Today I came back to school. I feel very saintly because I have done all my homework. Now it’s business as usual …

Shortcuts can save you time. Here are some useful ones.

SHORT FORM

* & – and
* 0 – nothing
* 2 – two, to, too
* 2DAY – today
* A – a / an
* B – be
* B4 – before
* BC – because
* BF – boyfriend
* BK – back
* BRO – brother
* BT – but
* C – see
* D8 – date
* DNR – dinner
* EZ – easy
* F8 – fate
* GF – girlfriend
* GR8 – great
* HOLS – holidays
* HV – have
* I – I, it
* Its – it is
* KDS – kids
* L8 – late
* L8R – later
* M8 – mate
* NE1 – anyone
* PLS – please
* PS – parents
* QT – cutie
* R – are
* SIS – sister
* SKOOL – school
* SMMR – summer
* U – you
* WR – were

* A3 – anyplace, anytime, anywhere
* ASAP – as soon as possible
* B4N – Bye for now
* BAU – business as usual
* BRB – I’ll be right back.
* BTW – by the way
* CUL – see you later
* CWOT – complete waste of time
* FTF – face to face
* FYI – for your information
* GMTA – great minds think alike
* HAND – have a nice day
* HRU – how are you
* ICBW – it could be worse
* IDTS – I don’t think so
* IMHO – in my humble opinion
* IYKWIM – if you know what I mean
* JK – just kidding
* KOTC – kiss on the cheek
* LOL – laughing out loud
* LSKOL – long slow kiss on the lips
* LTNS – long time no see
* Luv U – I love you.
* Luv U2 – I love you too.
* MON – the middle of nowhere
* MTE – my thoughts exactly
* MU – I miss you.
* MUSM – I miss you so much.
* NP – no problem
* OIC – oh, I see
* PC&QT – peace and quiet
* PCM – please call me
* ROTFL – rolling on the floor laughing
* RUOK – are you ok?
* THNQ – thank you
* U4E – you forever
* UROK – you are okay
* WUCIWUG – what you see is what you get
* WYSIWYG – what you see is what you get
* XLNT – exellent

For even more sms shortcuts, take a look at this page and this page.