Newspaper Article "Up to you, whether you C-fit or let it B"

The article above was published in the Straits Times on 10 August 2009. In summary, the article highlights the lately highly debated issue of breast enhancing surgery and some of the viewpoints from both the proposition and opposition camps in the public.

Personally, as a male student only 15 years of age, I have never had to think much about breast enlarging operations or even any other plastic surgeries involving the enhancement of outward appearance. However, I think this highlights a much more serious problem in our modern society: increasing numbers of individuals suffering from inferiority complex due to, in their opinion, unsatisfactory looks.

The fact that women are turning to breast implants and Botox injections to boost self-esteem is very telling of their self-confidence and priorities in life. Instead of utilising their money and time wisely in other activies such as leisure or even self-enrichment, they choose to invest heavily in enhancing their looks. According to a survey by the American Society for Plastic Surgery, the average cost of breast augmentation with silicon gel implants in America was a jaw-dropping US$4000. Not all can afford these pricey surgeries and only the wealthy ones which have been well-educated and have well established careers can enjoy these benefits, if the surgeries do benefit people at all. If even the educated and intelligent individuals resort to enhancing their looks to increase self-esteem or attention from the community, how can society progress with emphasis being constantly placed only on outward appearance?

However, we should also look at the other side of the coin. Many individuals have been changed on the inside after appearance enhancement surgeries: after their self-esteem was greatly boosted by their new looks after the surgery, their character and levels of confidence were also raised as a result. For example, doctors interviewed for the cover article (above) published in the Straits Times said that they had witnessed the “psychological transformation” of their patients after the surgeries, “blossoming into extroverts” after rejuvenating their looks. The surgeries work more wonders than just on the surface: in fact, some may argue they do more good inside than out. After waking up after their operations to find they now have a slimmer waist or a bigger bust size, these patients' self esteem and morale is instantly boosted. Their previous inferior complex is totally eliminated and may even be replaced by a superiority complex over others. Their instant increase in sex appeal or enhancement in their appearance has incredible effects on their morale and character, leading some to describe plastic surgeries as “catalysts” for internal happiness and satisfaction with oneself.

In conclusion, plastic surgery is a double-edged sword, yielding many benefits with the inevitable price to pay in return. Plastic surgery can almost instantly boost the morale of an individual and lead to satisfaction and happiness in oneself, not something many can hope to achieve. On the other hand, plastic surgery can also lead to an overemphasis on looks and appearances in the society and result in many feeling inferior to others because of their looks. However, my personal stand is that people should be allowed to exercise freedom of choice in embracing or trying to modify their god-given appearance or body. As long as happiness and self-satisfaction is what both parties strive for whether in chosing to go through plastic surgery, they have good reason in doing so.

"We should scrap the CCTs"

I feel that the school should scrap the common class tests (CCTs).

CCTs are generally held about once a term on average, depending on the syllabus of the subject and relevance of the topics taught during that term. The original purpose of CCTs was to ensure students had a complete overall understanding of what they had learnt over the term so that stronger foundations could be built and the end of year examinations would not be that difficult an ordeal for the students.

However, students burying their head in books and doing last minute “mugging” or cramming of information into their heads just a day or two before the CCTs has become a very common sight in our school. Students desperately try to memorise all the important or key concepts and details in time for the CCT, but there is little knowledge retention after the CCT is over. After each CCT has passed, students totally forget everything they had memorized in order to “mug” and cram even more information for the tests that are coming up next. Essentially, students only study when it is needed; the purpose of education for them has switched from learning about the world to sitting for tests.

This has caused students to have a mindset that the main purpose of education is to sit for tests and that CCTs can be sat for just by mugging a few days before the test and that it is not important to listen during normal classes, weeks before the test. Not only does this cause students to have short attention spans during classes, but students put totally no effort into revising their work on a daily basis during normal curriculum time and they are unable to make much meaningful progress from their education.

Therefore, the school should scrap all CCTs and use other methods to improve the efficiency of learning in the school. Some such methods could include minor graded quizzes every one or two weeks in order to ensure students are capable of reflecting what they have learnt daily. 

Committing suicide should not be made legal! - Pathos

I feel that committing suicide should not be made legal! Firstly, committing suicide is not cherishing the one life that is a gift from God to us. We are not respecting our parents or repaying their efforts in bringing us up since young. Would suicide not cause more pain to those around us than ourselves? Suicide is a selfish, cowardly and desperate attempt to escape troubles rather than face them. Legalising suicide would be directly encouraging young people of today to run away when facing failure instead of taking it head on and has nothing but negative implications on society. 

what is an exposition?

An exposition is a rhetorical mode of discourse, the purpose of which is to inform, explain, analyse or define. A few examples of expositions include textbooks, recipes, Wikipedia entries and even science reports.