High School English essays TUYỂN TẬP 100 BÀI LUẬN TIẾNG ANH CỰC HAY KHÔNG THỂ BỎ QUA – CHỦ ĐỀ ĐA DẠNG Lv TỪ CƠ BẢN ĐẾN NÂNG CAO

I am emphasizing this point because some teachers do not seem to feel the slightest obligation to do their job well nor the slightest feeling of guilt when their students fail in the exa

High School English essays

Write a story based on this line : "By evening, she was running a high fever "

Far up in the mountains of Canada, there is an old abandoned log cabin Once it was occupied by a young couple who wanted to distance themselves from the chaos

of this modern world Here they were miles away from the nearest town Bob, the husband, made the occasional trip into town to buy supplies whereas Jan, his wife, spent her free time by the fire, sewing Their life was simply idyllic

Then, one midwinter's day, Jan woke up from bed with a strange ache in her bones Putting it down to overwork, Bob shooed her to bed and made sure she rested

Though Jan was impatient to get to her chores, Bob soothed her, "Relax, Sugar You're overdoing things All these chores will be here when you recover."

However, Jan seemed to be getting worse instead of recovering By evening, she was running a high fever and in greater pain In spite of his best efforts, Bob could not manage to ease her suffering And then suddenly, she started to lapse into

unconsciousness

It was then obvious that she was seriously ill What could Bob do? He had no

experience in treating the sick and Jan was getting worse by the minute He knew that there was an old doctor in town but he lived three miles away, downhill Pot-bellied and obese, there was no way the doctor could make it up to their cabin Something had to be done quickly! Bob racked his brains but to no avail The only thing left to do was to go to the doctor In Jan's condition, she could never walk that far in the waist-deep snow Bob would have to carry her!

Bob searched his mind for a way to move poor, sick Jan Then, he remembered He had once made a sledge so that they could ride together over the mountain They never got around to using it though, because the whole mountain was thickly

covered with rocks and trees He had never found a safe way down, not even once

"Well," he thought, "looks like I'm going to have to try it anyhow," as he dug out the sledge from the storeroom "Jan may die unless I get her to the doctor, and life means nothing to me without her." With this thought in mind, Bob gently tucked Jan into the sledge, got in the front, and with a short prayer for safety, pushed off

How they got through that ride alive, Bob has never figured out As trees loomed up

in front of him and just as quickly whizzed by his side, close enough to touch, he felt relieved that Jan was not awake to experience the ride It was all he could do not to scream as collision seemed imminent, time and again, with only inches to spare

At last, bursting from the mountainside, the town came into view Barely slowing down, they sped through the icy streets, only losing speed as they neared the doctor's house The sledge, battered through the journey, collapsed in the left ski as it came

to a halt, spilling out its occupants Bob picked up his Jan and made his way into the

doctor's house

After what seemed to be a long winter, Jan recovered fully from her illness but Bob never recovered from his fright They moved into the little town so as to be near help

in times of crisis, and have lived there ever since

rack one's brains strain to find a solution

Write a story using this sentence as your first line : "It seemed like it was going to be another one of those days when nothing much happens."

It seemed like it was going to be another one of those days when nothing much happens Ken and his friends were playing their regular football game along the banks of the river near their small village In the midst of the game, Ken's attention was drawn to a tourist boat passing by

Actually, tourist boats were quite common in their area It was also common for some

of the tourists to take potshots at the birds and squirrels along the way This is why Ken's friends were not really surprised to hear a few small explosions from the boat They ignored the sounds and went on with their game

However, they were startled when they suddenly heard loud cries for help coming from the boat They could see that the crew were running about, panic-stricken Some people were shouting to them

"Their engine must have blown up! Look, there's smoke and the boat's out of control It's going towards the rapids," Ken pointed out to his friends

Ken's village was located at the point at which the tourist boats turned around and headed back upstream Three kilometers downstream were the rapids, which spelt trouble for the boats

"It's heading straight for the rapids! They're in trouble! The boat will be smashed against the rocks!" Ken exclaimed "Let's get help!"

The boys sprinted back to the village for help Along the way, they met the village headman Stumbling over his words in his haste, Ken explained the emergency to the headman

The headman was a man of quick action Without wasting any time, he yelled out to some men to help him carry his powerful outboard motor to the jetty With the motor tied firmly onto bamboo poles, they rushed hurriedly down to the jetty

Their haste was indeed necessary for, by the time the men had reached the jetty, they saw that the boat was dangerously close to the rapids There was not a moment to lose! With quick hands, the headman attached the outboard motor to his sampan and then sped off to the rescue

Upon reaching the tourist boat with bare minutes to spare, the headman realized his mistake How could so many tourists be packed into this small sampan? The headman was filled with despair Then he saw the rope that had been used to tie down the

outboard motor to the bamboo poles It had been flung into the sampan in his haste Quickly, he grabbed the rope and flung it to the boatmen on the tourist boat

"I'll tow you back!" he shouted

After the boatmen had tied the rope firmly to their boat, the headman made a swift turn and then, putting the engine on full power, he steered his sampan upstream The

U-rope gave a jerk and then, to everyone's relief and joy, the tourist boat moved forward, obediently following the small sampan

Loud cheers burst out from the tourist boat and the observers on the shore Thanks to the headman's courage, the cooperation from the villagers, and the quick action of the boys, the tourists were saved from certain death in the rapids

Describe an incident when a moment of forgetfulness got you into trouble.

The morning sun shone persistently on my still-shut eyelids Annoyed, I rolled on to the right side of my mattress Wondering about the time, I stretched out my arm to grasp the little, round alarm clock on my bedside table I forced open my eyes, focused them on the numbers and screeched!

Leaping out of my bed, I swung open the wardrobe door Throwing my school uniform

on the bed, I dashed to the bathroom Halfway, I spun around and grabbed my school bag, deciding not to brush my teeth Soon, I had shoved my feet into my shoes and pounced onto my bicycle My parents stood motionless, staring at me as I whizzed past

As my bicycle raced on, I noticed a group of schoolgirls looking my way with great interest Well, well! Obviously, I was still attractive even with uncombed hair My heart was pounding furiously in my chest as I whirred past a few cars on the road The drivers seemed to stare with disbelief that one could pedal so swiftly In no time, I reached the school gate, which was just about to be closed

Without bothering to explain myself to the priggish duo on guard duty, I hopped off my bike and dashed off After locking my precious iron steed at the shed, I sprinted to the school hall As I burst into the hall, I braked to change direction and made a beeline

for the back of my class Screeching to a halt, I took my place behind my classmates

In the whole gathering of students, I seemed to be the centre of attraction It did not matter much to me at the moment for I was used to being looked at However, to say the least, I was a little surprised when everyone stopped staring blankly at me and started to giggle

Suddenly, the whole hall was filled with roars and bellows of laughter Smiling at my audience, I decided to take a bow

Then, I noticed that the bottom half of my trousers were the wrong color My line of vision moved upwards, revealing that the rest of my pants were also the wrong color, and so was my shirt At first, even my powerful brain could not figure it out

"Daniel! Why on earth are you in pajamas?" my friend blurted out amidst the hollers of laughter

The feeling of sheer horror swept through my entire frame My mouth was stuck open in

an "0" shape for a few long seconds My mind was filled only with shock as darkness mercifully started to engulf me

Once again I awoke with lights playing on my eyelids At first I had little memory of what had happened, but one look at the group of people peering down at me brought the whole incident back to mind The young boys were all clad in white uniforms and grinning quite lunatically at me In the high corner of the room, I saw a red crescent Then the horrible little squirts started to call out for their seniors Outside, I heard

fresh gales of laughter The brats were chortling I was still clad in pajamas Not

knowing what else to do, I feigned unconsciousness again

in no time in a relatively short time

Imagine a world where nobody gets sick or old Write a story based in

this fictitious world

It's my birthday today I have lost count of how many birthdays have passed, but I still keep my tradition I climb to the top of the nearby hill, bringing a handful of dirt with

me I press it into the ground Then, I sit down to prepare my mind for my next annual rite: reminding myself of who I am and why I am living

I made this hill, actually, and I'm still building it up I started on my tenth birthday Now, the hill is large enough for me to ski down each winter In a world where people stay young forever, persistence pays

Persistence was what led Dr Syue Cano to discover the secret of eternal youth At the age of eighty-four, he identified the gene that causes humans to age and the specific radiation that destroys it No one will know whether he detonated his "Youth" bomb for the sake of his own immortality or for the sake of the other human beings in the world However, his defective heart could not withstand the impact of the blast He died the instant the bomb exploded

Mankind will always be grateful for the discovery to which Dr Cano dedicated his life However, he left the world with one problem: the earth's limited natural resources Even with plant growth accelerated by scientific wizardry, food and oxygen were becoming inadequate for the world population, which only kept booming

Some subtractions were necessary for the survival of the human species The only solution was to remove some of the people by unnatural means, that is, to execute them Thus, this was why all crimes were made punishable by execution: murder, theft,

adultery, slander, hoarding of food the list is very long This was the only way to maintain the valance of nature

That's where I come in I am an Executioner I work alone, never considering the risk People say I have a death wish Perhaps I do Certainly, yesterday's job was no waltz in the park

Rob Tao was suspected of stealing and hoarding food My job was to check this out As always, I was to be detective, judge, jury and executioner

I had enough stealth technology to break into Tao's compound undetected To get into the house was also a cinch My vibra-blade cut through the wall like it was butter In the house, my Arometer detected food, lots of it I went down corridor after corridor,

following the bleeps of light on my Arometer

The signals went wild outside one closed door There was a lot of human activity inside, judging by my HUO sensors I primed a grenade and opened the door just a crack enough to see whom I would be executing

Then I deprimed the grenade Sitting there were thousands of children Rob Tao stood

amongst them, holding a huge pot of steaming mush He smiled at me,

seemingly unperturbed

"You're feeding all these children?" I asked, flabbergasted

"Yes," he replied quietly

"How do you get so much food? I'm sure you steal it," I said

"Yes, I do Going to execute me?" Still that gentle smile Sitting here now, on my hill, I don't understand why I just walked out I had no excuse for letting himget away

with his crime It was not my decision to make Yet I can't remember what I'm killing

for; can't remember what I'm living for

Describe your relationship with your father

Every evening, as I am doing my schoolwork in my room, the familiar sound of my father's car reaches my ears I imagine his Fort Cortina coming up the driveway, the engine purring to a stop I know that in a few moments, my father will be pausing outside my door, looking in quietly, so as not to stir me from my concentration I know

he will feel pleased as he watches me studying

My father, at 53 years, has thinning hair swept back from his forehead He has a slim and athletic body His broad shoulders and rather serious demeanor give him an air of authority Yet, behind his steel-rimmed glasses are soft, kind eyes

My father has always been my source of encouragement When I was very young, he would take a book from our small home library and read aloud to me every night

Secure and loved, on his lap, I was introduced to the fascinating realm of books He would read stories and parables from the Bible Thus, he instilled in me a sense of God's presence in this world

I remember how, as he was reading, my father would point out the spelling of words Then one day, he instructed me to read the words for myself To our shared delight, I found that I was able to do so From that day onwards, I was the one who would read aloud, with his gentle correction every now and then Soon after that, I was picking up the hooks and reading them on my own I became quite a bookworm

As I grew into boyhood, my bookish ways and disinterest in outdoor games made me overweight, clumsy and rather unfit One day, my father stood observing me as I was running to a field, just 50 yards away I arrived there, huffing and puffing Worriedly, he told me that he would not like to see his son grow up into an unhealthy man

From that day onwards, he started to take me on jogs At first, I was a most reluctant jogger However, these days, as I stand perched on the peak of Mount Kina, breathing deeply after a good run, I remember his words, "A healthy body breeds a healthy mind."

My father has a store of wise sayings which may seem common to some but always strike the correct note with me Once, when I was really depressed, he put an arm

around my shoulders and gently asked me what was troubling me Lifting my bowed head, I poured out my heart's discontent After listening, he consoled me Then he said,

"Smile, and the world around you will smile." Somehow, I was able to smile in spite of

my problems

At another time, when I was about to give up on a task, he advised me, "If a job

deserves to be done, it deserves to be done well." Somehow, his words gave me the strength to try again, and I was able to succeed Since then, whenever I feeldaunted by

a task, his advice always comes to mind and this spurs me on to persevere

Looking back, I realize that every step of the way, through my childhood and

adolescence, my father has been there for me whenever I needed him When I was sick,

he would rush me to the doctor When I was sick at heart, he would know just the right things to say In any kind of trouble, I would just have to give him a call He would

surely be there

I am only a few years away from adulthood and know that many more challenges lie ahead of me However, I can be sure that my father will be there, looking out for me all the way Why? Because he loves me

Describe some of the minor accidents that you have experienced

Accidents are part and parcel of life itself and to say that you have never had a silly accident in your life would be like saying, "I'm a green-faced alien from Pluto." Well, I have certainly had my share of ridiculous accidents Not all of them have changed my life, but they have certainly made me more aware of my limitations Yet, sometimes, remembering those times, I think, "I can't believe I actually did that!"

There was this incident about five years back I was at a piano recital Actually, it was

my debut, and I was shaking with nerves Finally, the dreaded moment arrived I sat at the piano and started playing Halfway through the first movement, I felt a tickle in my nose My fingers were needed on the piano keys so I could not reach tip to rub my nose

I tried holding my breath to no avail I exploded in a huge, sloppy sneeze that blasted

my music sheets right off the piano Absolutely humiliated, I dashed off the stage Nothing could get me out there to face the amused audience

Then, there was this skating incident which occurred only a year ago My father had bought me my first pair of in-line skates Actually, they were my first pair of skates I had never skated before Well, I confidently put them on and fastened them, not

knowing what was ahead Standing up, I shoved off Then, for the first time in years, I lost all control of my bodily movements I was waving my arms around, like a drowning chicken trying to fly out of the water My legs had no sense of direction, with my left leg heading north and my right heading south-east Finally managing to get upright, I found myself staring the gate right in its metal grille There was a loud Crash! Boom! and Bang! Fortunately, all that was injured was my self-confidence, thanks to my

protective pads

Another accident occurred right in the safety of my home, in the kitchen, actually My mother had just bought a microwave oven On that fateful day, my mother had left me a plate of fried rice to be reheated for my lunch On the plate were the usual

accompaniments to the coconut-flavored rice: vegetables, groundnuts, chillied prawns and a whole hard-boiled egg I was, of course, still considered a user with "L" (Learner) plates as far as this oven was concerned However, warming up food was not

complicated or so I thought Carefully, I placed the plate of food in the microwave oven, turned the dial to "high" and pressed the lever to start the oven It started

smoothly Gleefully, I watched my dish of food turn graceful circles in the oven After a few rounds, I opened the oven to take out my warmed-up food At that very second, the egg exploded Boom! It was "Egg yolk keeps falling on my head" My clothes, my hair, the whole kitchen was covered with egg-yolk and rice that the force of the explosion threw There was no lunch for me that day either

Well, there you have them, some of the grimace-inspiring details of my life So, am I clumsy or just low in luck? A little of both, I think

Describe an occasion when you were caught in a rainstorm.

competitions I could not remember when I had last enjoyed myself so much

However, all good things must come to an end, and as it neared evening, we started preparing to leave I was supposed to walk the short distance to my aunt's house after the party About halfway there, I remembered that I had left a T-shirt on the beach I debated whether or not to return for it as I could see dark clouds heading my way However, the shirt was an old favorite of mine and I was so wet from the water balloons that a little more water would not make a difference

The beach was now deserted I looked around for my T-shirt but it was nowhere to be found Finally, after minutes of fruitless search, I gave up The sky was dark, with thick thunderclouds and it had begun to drizzle I started heading back

Then, suddenly, with a loud crash of thunder, the heavens burst and torrents of rain came pouring down Holding my backpack over my head in an effort toward off the relentless blows of the rain, I scanned the area for a place of refuge

Finally spotting a tiny shack at a distance, I dashed for it I reached it at last and darted

in, drenched to the bone and shivering from head to toe As I shook out my hair, I mentally kicked myself for getting into this situation

Wondering when the rain would stop, I stared out at it, dejectedly As I gazed, however,

my feelings of dejection turned into awe The black clouds hung low The sea was turbulent, with powerful waves crashing onto the shore On the left, where jagged boulders stood in the sea, the waves threw themselves on them, sending up sprays of sea water high into the air Gust after gust of howling wind blew through the trees

Lightning streaked across the sky, time and again, lighting up the whole scene for a split second each time

I stood transfixed, captivated by the power and violence of the storm It was beautiful, scary and magnificent at the same time I felt I had to be part of it, to be at one with nature

I ran out and stood in the middle of the storm, reveling in the stinging rain and chilling wind, thrilling to the sounds of the thunder and the crashing waves, and relishing the magnificence of nature

Describe the sights and sounds at the end of a long day.

"Cuckoo! Cuckoo! " the cuckoo clock on the wall of my office called five times

"Yes!" I shouted in my head "Time to pack up!"

I straightened my stiff back and neck, the result of hours of hunching over documents and surveyed the whole noise-polluted room Andrew was yelling at Mac for throwing a paper plane at him; Mandy and Lily were chatting animatedly, undoubtedly about clothes or make-up; Jay and Rayne were chatting up Sarah, the new clerk, probably trying to get her to go for a drink; and Cynthia was doing the waltz in her three-inch heels, heading out the door

With a grunt, I pushed my chair back, heaved myself up, started stuffing things into my briefcase and my huge handbag I couldn't wait to get home

As I stepped out through the glass doors of the air-conditioned building, a blast of hot, humid air slammed me full in the face, stunning me for a few seconds Then I continued towards the bus stop I groaned

aloud when I saw the hordes of people gathered there and regretted leaving my car at home Sigh! I had no choice but to join the crowd

Buses came and left Every time it was the same anxious craning to read the bus number above the heads of the crowd Then, there was the rushing and jostling as I tried to force

my puny frame through the

masses of burly men and women I was ready to perish amidst the petrol fumes and the stink of stale sweat when I finally managed to squeeze my right foot onto a bus step Then, up I went, forced by the

pushing crowd into the packed bus

Feeling woozy and yet hyped up, I searched for a seat No way! They were all

definitely occupied I grabbed hold of a strap and tried to stand firmly Every time the bus lurched forward, we would all sway

backwards The bus hurtled on, careening madly round corners, only to stop with a sudden jolt I was crushed on all sides, and had my toes trod on several times

Then, we got caught in a massive traffic jam Cars, buses and motorcycles around us kept up a constant honking The burning rays of the sun stoked up the oven which our bus had now become I became nauseous and thought many times about getting off Yet, I was too tired to walk home Inch by inch we moved and one and a half hours later, I finally arrived at my stop, which, thankfully, was just in front of

my flat I shoved my way out, my strict upbringing forcing me to mutter a few insincere

"Excuse-me's"

I dragged my body up the flights of stairs to my second-floor flat I did not even bother

to try the elevator as I knew I would be competing with a crowd of thirty or more residents Finally, I reached my door

and, after a little fumbling for my keys, I entered my apartment With a sigh of utmost relief, I dropped my briefcase and handbag on the floor, turned on the television and collapsed on the couch "All in

a day's work, my girl!" I told myself, and gazed with unseeing eyes at the television

perish to die

typed up artificially stimulated or high excited

fumble search blindly and uncertainly

The problem of deforestation.

Thousands and thousands of acres of lush rain forests are cleared each year to make way for development The once beautiful and spectacular forests are reduced to barren landscapes This is for the sake of development, for the advancement of man

Yet, what happens when trees are felled? Firstly, the earth is left vulnerable to soil erosion The heavy tropical rains will carry away the rich topsoil, and the land without its topsoil will no longer be fertile Slowly but steadily, the lush vegetation will give way to wasteland

Secondly, the flowing water will not only wash away the topsoil but will deposit it in the rivers As a result, the rivers will become shallower Consequently, floods will become frequent in the area Thousands of people will suffer in these floods

Another point to note is that forests are home to hundreds of species of flora and fauna Animals and plants live in symbiotic relationships in the balance of nature Man

destroys this balance when he flattens the forests to the ground Where do they go then, the great and tiny inhabitants of these forests? Nowhere They die If this goes on, the food chain will be disrupted As creatures dependent on the food chain, man is

ultimately destroying his own sources of food through the destruction of rain forests When forests are a distant memory, a shocking fact will hit us full force Mankind will

be thrown into a state of unimaginable suffering and agony What I am talking about is the lack of oxygen While cutting down a tree to add yet another piece of luxurious furniture to Man's already opulent lifestyle, people forget that they are also cutting down our supply of oxygen

Trees absorb the carbon dioxide breathed out by living creatures, reprocess it and, in the end, produce the life-sustaining oxygen Without trees, where will this oxygen come from? Will we process it in factories? Will a time come when man will be fighting for the very air he breathes?

Furthermore, the excessive carbon dioxide will also effect a change in the micro-climate and raise the region's temperature There will be a greenhouse effect on earth; warm air and radiation will be trapped under the earth's atmosphere Then, as the earth's

temperature rises, the ice in the polar caps will melt, raising the sea level Great floods will hit the lower-lying areas

As you can see, it is a vicious cycle A change in our environment will trigger

off another change which will trigger off yet another This is why we should keep the

balance of nature This is why we ought to preserve our forests This is why

environmentalist groups are pressurizing governments to reduce the felling of trees and the clearing of forests and to be serious about replanting forests

With the support of ordinary citizens like you and me, they will get the attention of the people in power We can also help by planting trees Members of this beautiful planet must be united By preserving our forests, we are preserving ourselves

lush abundant

What changes would you like to see in your school ?

If you were to see the number of suggestion slips stuffed into my school's Suggestion Box, you would be shocked Granted, some of the suggestions are rubbish but I do agree with many of them There are many ways in which my school could be improved, many weaknesses that need seeing to

Firstly, and most importantly, teachers in all schools should realize that they are

responsible for their students' future This is especially true for children from

less affluent homes who cannot afford to supplement the school's teaching with extra tuition Teachers should not shirk their responsibilities towards their students

I am emphasizing this point because some teachers do not seem to feel the slightest obligation to do their job well nor the slightest feeling of guilt when their students fail in the examinations In fact, in my school, teachers are sometimes found sipping coffee or even having a snack in the school canteen when they are supposed to be in class

teaching

Of course, there are teachers who are truly committed to their job and do deliver the goods They stay up late into the night to finish correcting their students' work and to prepare effective lessons for their students Some teachers will even devote Saturday mornings to conducting extra-curricular activities, such as the Scouts movement Now,

if only all teachers were like this!

Furthermore, wouldn't the school be a much better place to spend our adolescence if we did not have to cope with teachers who vent their foul moods on us? We should not have to walk on eggshells because our teacher has had a bad day

Another aspect of the school that needs changing is the set of school rules Some are so irrational or petty! Take, for example, the rule on short hair for boys What is the

rationale behind this? Do the people in authority believe that everyone with long hair will turn out to be a thug or a villain? Well, look at Hitler: he had very short hair and he almost caused the extinction of the entire Jewish race!

On the other hand, punishments for serious acts of indiscipline should be made more effective, even if they have to be harsher These days, students may get away with only

a warning or a "booking" for offences such as breaking the school's tables, chairs and even doors I strongly feel that these vandals should be made to pay for what they have destroyed

Furthermore, I feel that criminal action should be taken against students who beat people up, or threaten to do so, to extort money from them If you behave like a

criminal, you should be treated like one

Another area that needs reform is the school curriculum One major problem is the subject called "Moral Education" You just cannot learn good morals the way you learn any other academic subject, memorizing facts for examinations Good morals have to be internalized So, "Moral Education" should either be taken off the school curriculum after primary school or changed to emphasize practical application rather than "head

knowledge"

Our school hours take up a large portion of our day Let us spend these hours usefully,

in a secure, caring, fun-filled atmosphere Our school years take up a large proportion of our lives This is the time that we are molded, intellectually and morally Help us to grow into worthy citizens of our nation

What occupation do you see yourself in after you have completed your schooling ? What are you going to do to achieve this ambition ?

I climb into the cockpit and sit myself down on the metal seat of the F-16 "Falcon", one

of the best supersonic planes ever invented I run a routine check on all the aircraft's dials and gauges as well as the weapon systems through the heads-up display

The sergeant gives me the thumbs-up sign from the far run way, indicating that all the external parts of the plane are in order and functioning well I return the gesture to indicate that all internal systems are working well and that I will be taking off

I flick the start button and feel the soft vibration begin I hear the hum of pure power Pushing the throttle to three quarters, I feel the acceleration of the planetaxiing off the runway and into the air

I have always aspired to be a fighter pilot My dream began when I was about seven years old One day, my uncle took me for a ride in his private plane It was a

momentous experience for me! Soaring freely in the sky, high above the rest of

civilization, I knew that I would never want to do anything as much as I wanted to fly

As I grew older, I began to read books on aviation and air adventures I was especially fascinated with accounts of air battles Biggles was my hero above all other heroes Thus, my ambition narrowed from just wanting to fly a plane to becoming a fighter pilot The thought of scudding through the sky with the ability to defy gravity with a multi-million dollar piece of machinery and patriotic fervor excited my soul

The requirements for fighter pilot candidates are many and difficult to fulfill Among them are academic excellence, perfect eyesight, a fit body, quick reflexes and the ability

to stay cool under pressure Well, I have never been the kind of person to leave things to chance: I am constantly aware of the need to work towards my goals

Thus, throughout my childhood years, into adolescence and up till now, I have always made time for exercise I play games regularly, run ten kilometers a day and work out in the gym at least three times a week It is crucial for a fighter pilot to be fighting fit He must be able to withstand the high and low g's when piloting a jet at high speed

I have always been conscious of the need to preserve the perfect eyesight that God has blessed me with So, I have always curtailed my hours of television-viewing When I do watch television, I make sure I sit a good four meters away from the screen I have always been careful to read only in well-lit areas In addition, I watch my diet, eating food rich in vitamin A, which is essential for healthy eyes

In school, I never stint on my study times I made sure I qualified for the science stream

in High School, as a pilot must have a good understanding of physics and mathematics

My hard work has paid off and I have been topping the class in these subjects I have just sat for the O levels The results will not be out for months but I feel confident that I have done well Next year, I plan to do my A levels And after that, I shall enlist in the

US Air Force

There is not much longer to wait My dream is almost within my grasp I pray with all

my heart that it will become a reality and not remain just another of my boyish fantasies

It is better to be the eldest child than the youngest one in the family

"Write a debate speech, proposing or opposing this motion.

"Mr Chairman, honorable judges, misguided members of the opposition, and members

of the floor: Good day to all

"Standing here today on this breezy morning as the third speaker for the proposition, I wish to continue where my team-mates left off to correct the misleading information presented by the opposition

"For instance, the second member of the opposition claimed that the youngest child will

be treated more leniently than the others Now, is this an advantage? By being treated too leniently, the child might think that his misbehavior is perfectly acceptable Ever heard of the expression "Spare the rod and spoil the child"? It is true Without strict and loving discipline, a beloved child might end up being the black sheep of the family Now, the opposition contends that it is an advantage to be spoilt in this way How can this be?

"The opposition has also pointed out that the youngest child is usually more pampered I agree But, again, is this good? It is indeed enjoyable to be fussed over, pampered and mollycoddled but what will this pampered child grow into? It is a maxim that too much or too little is no good: Once a pampered child grows up, he will be overly

dependent on others, in other words, spineless Would you like to be this spineless adult? I leave you to decide

"Ladies and gentlemen, having straightened out a few delusions of the opposition, I shall present my own points One of the advantages of being an eldest child is that he is used to being respected and obeyed by his siblings This is because they know he is wiser and more experienced This is a good feeling and it creates high self-esteem This self-esteem will motivate him to succeed in every aspect of life

"Undeniably, the eldest child will shoulder more responsibilities He will often be left in charge of the younger ones The eldest child is also cast as a role model for the younger ones Thus, he has to try harder to maintain discipline and a high standard of behavior

"The eldest child, having to cope with his siblings' antics, will also develop patience

He may have to give in to his siblings because `they are too young to understand' Thus,

he develops tolerance and understanding of other people's weaknesses

"All these points were described as 'disadvantages' by the opposition They are only disadvantageous if you are unable to see the long-term benefits You see, these

momentarily trying circumstances will shape the child and prepare him for the

challenges that lie ahead

According to a survey conducted by the Home Ministry, an average of 3 out of 5

successful people corporate leaders, lawyers, politicians were the eldest children in their families

"On to my next point, which centers on the word 'privileges' In most cases, the eldest child will inherit the greater share of the wealth According to Chinese custom, the

eldest son carries on the family name, therefore he deserves a larger share of the

property In monarchies, the eldest child is the heir to the throne, as in the case of Prince Charles If you think that the eldest child is only privileged if he belongs to a wealthy family, you are wrong The distinction is even sharper in poor families where the eldest child may be the only one whom the family can afford to educate or feed properly

"So, there you have it Clear arguments to demolish the opposition to this motion And now I hand over to my opponents, to give the sensible ones amongst them a chance to start defecting over to our side Thank you."

Should our school examination system be abolished ? Give reasons for

your stand.

From primary school to the end of their tertiary education, students face the daunting task of preparing for examinations every single year So much time and emotion is poured into preparing for examinations

Advocates of the system contend that annual examinations are a good way of training

children for the stress of life after school - where deadlines and sales quotas need to be met, and work completed methodically and with minimum fuss

Government examinations are also said to be the necessary yardstick for measuring the capability of each person for further education or employment

Yet, are examinations an accurate yardstick? A person's true abilities may not be shown

by written examinations Take Winston Churchill, for example He was a school

dropout and yet he became one of England's greatest statesmen, a national savior in World War II Clearly, some talents and forms of ingenuitygo undetected in

examinations

Another problem related to our system of examinations is that teachers become too

"exam-orientated" They race through the syllabus so that they can cover everything in

it in time for the examinations regardless of whether their students have understood the material The weaker students often end up the victims in this race they are left far behind the rest of the class They become more and more discouraged as they

understand less and less of the lessons, to the point that they hardly care if they pass or fail Sadly, this attitude will be carried with them into adult life

What about the "swots"? Well, speaking as one, I confess that I often wonder whether it

is worth it We rush from one tuition class to another and we spend most of our time studying for tests and examinations, or doing our homework All through the school semester, we only have one thought in mind: to excel in the examinations Is this really living?

A related point is that some students are so occupied with their studies that they do not develop their potential in other fields It is true that there are many clubs and societies in the school However, many students just do not have the time to make full use of these extracurricular activities They have to study, study, study So, our emphasis on

examinations is indirectly producing people who are only trained to study and reproduce facts rather than well-rounded individuals

In conclusion, while I realize that it will be impossible to do away with all

examinations, I feel that they should be given less importance within the school system For example, instead of basing entry qualifications on one examination, students should also be evaluated through the cumulative marks of tests and assignments Furthermore educationists, employers, parents and the students themselves should always be

reminded that the results of examinations are not equal to the sum of the net worth of the individual

advocate person supporting an idea or cause publicly

"Cleaning toilets should be part of the school curriculum." Do you agree

About two months ago, our Education Minister brought up the subject of school toilets

He suggested that cleaning these toilets should be part of the school curriculum The public reaction to this issue was so strong that people have been flooding the mass media with opinions for and against his suggestion

One of the reasons the Education Minister gave for his proposal was that cleaning toilets will teach students humility and respect for others Firstly, the students will be able to understand the humility of the school workers when they have to clear up other people's messes in the toilets This job is looked down upon and considered one of the lowest

"They will also be able to respect the cleaners because he is able to do the necessary job, regardless of the low status it accords him Another advantage of this proposal is that the students will try to keep the toilets cleaner as their friends will be the ones forced to clean up any mess they create

On the other hand, there are countless reasons for me to be apprehensive about this proposal for making toilet cleaning part of the school curriculum Firstly, which student

in his right mind would be happy about having to clean a toilet? Most school toilets are dark, dirty and smelly Cleaning them will be most unpleasant

Furthermore, a spell of cleaning toilets will certainly be a blow to their ego Of course,

in a wholly girls' or boys' school it would not be so humiliating However, if it were a co-ed school, the male ego would certainly suffer a lot of pain Imagine girls laughing and teasing a guy who is forced to clean toilets Some egoistic guy will create havoc in retaliation!

Then, there is the consideration that most students are playful, anyway Imagine them expressing their playful nature in the toilets Other than the fact that excessive water is sure to be splashed all over the place, the students may slip and fall in their merriment More ill-behaved ones may even purposely push each other into the toilet bowls

One other possibility that cannot be excluded is that students may be so turned off at the thought of toilet cleaning that they may decide to skip school on the days that it is their turn to learn this skill Thus, the teachers of other subjects may find it hard to complete the syllabus, due to the rise in absenteeism

In conclusion, I feel that the Ministry of Education should really ponder on this issue carefully Frankly, I do not agree at all that cleaning toilets should be part of the school curriculum Actually, jobs like toilet cleaning make one think of prison camps, where the inmates are forced to do humiliating chores School is supposed to be a place where young people can imbibe knowledge and good values in a pleasant, enjoyable

atmosphere It is important that young people actually like to come to school

Write a debate speech in support of advertisements.

"Mr Chairman, honorable judges, my most worthy opponents and everyone else present here today Good afternoon Before I begin on my main points, I would like to express

my disagreement with one of the points expressed by the proposition team

"The second speaker for the proposition said that advertisements cause people to keep buying low-quality goods Now, I feel that people generally are not so naive Even the members of the proposition team have been able to note the various tricks and so-called brain washing maneuver So, the tricks haven't worked, have they? Actually, few of the usual purchases that we buy are heavily advertised on television or anywhere else for that matter For example, do you choose the most highly advertised tissue paper or toilet paper? At most, we would try a much advertised product only because it was something new Take the Cherry Coke advertisements Its advertising mode probably fits all the descriptions made by the proposition team member However, how many of us were so influenced by these advertisements that he or she has started to drink the beverage weekly, or even monthly?

"Now for my first point, I would like to state the benefits of advertisements from the economic side Advertisements can help companies to introduce their latest products to the market If the companies are not able to inform the public about their new products, they will not have the confidence to try to produce it It is undeniable that

advertisements play a crucial role in increasing a company's sales This may sound capitalistic, but we must remember the importance of these factories to the nation With the increase in sales, the company can afford to give better pay to the workers and offer more jobs

"Now, another point is that it is only with proper circulation of the products made possible by advertising that the companies are able to mass-produce their products Mass production is more economical and allows the producers to lower the price of these goods! As a result, consumers can purchase these goods at reasonable prices As you can see, millions of consumers benefit because of advertisements

"Thirdly, industries can also greatly contribute to the expansion of a company from regional to international status Let me give a real example One man started a small and humble cottage industry of jeans-making Because of its increasing popularity through advertising, this industry gradually weaved its way into the market until it started to prosper From a cottage industry, this industry grew into an international company known by both the young and old The name of this brand of jeans is none other than Levi's This company was able to grow due to advertisements, creating job opportunities for millions of people, not only in America but also in Levi's factories in Indonesia, the Philippines and other third world countries

"Fourthly, advertisements of the latest technology and inventions are also beneficial for the consumers, for it means they can find the right kind of product for themselves easily and quickly Here is another real-life case My grandmother used to have too many lizards crawling around her house and she isparanoid about them Then, one day, she saw the advertisement for a lizard spray that can paralyze lizards temporarily End of lizard problem How could my dear grandma have found out about such a strange but useful product without advertisements? Jokes aside, through reading the advertisements

in newspapers or magazines, many people find just the product required to take care of their particular problem Estate managers can find out about the right fertilizer or pesticide; computer owners can find the best software; doctors can find out about the latest medications Imagine all the bother one must go through to find out the product one needs amongst the rapidly expanding array of products and inventions available, without advertisements Why, one would have to phone just about every shop in town! Nowadays, we can just flip open a newspaper or even the Yellow Pages See how advertisements have been such a blessing!

"I rest my case Thank you."

paranoid feeling extremely anxious

Write a speech for an elocution contest entitled " Should men be

househusbands ?"

"I would like to share my thoughts with you on a subject that has always been close to

my heart, that is, whether men should be house-husbands You see, as a member of the male sex I feel guilty I feel that man has always dominated, or should I say, bullied, the fairer sex Women have long been downtrodden and forced to mind the house

"There was a very good reason for this in ancient times Eking out a living then

consisted mainly of running around with a club or spear, hunting deer, moose, or

dinosaurs However, now that we're approaching the year 2000, there has been a vast change Bringing home the bacon in modern times needs intelligence and sensible thinking And, as we all know, women can and do think as sensibly and intelligently as men

"Thus, more and more women now qualify as doctors, lawyers and scientists So, then, who will stay at home to take care of the children? Usually in cases where the mother works, the children are left in daycare centers This is not healthy Children need

parental care So, what often happens is that the wife has to quit her job Is this fair? Not really The men should be given the duty to mind the house occasionally, especially when the wife has better qualifications

"Some people doubt that a man can manage a household You see, the women have been doing it for centuries People have thus come to the conclusion that it is the

woman's duty to mind the home and it shall be her role forever

"Actually, men are perfectly capable of performing domestic chores and minding

children And, as fathers, men can give the affection and care that the children need And that's what really counts

"Personally, if my wife insists on being the breadwinner, I will be relieved of the stress

of running in the rat race I could even play golf every morning while the kids are at school What's so bad about that? So, let's give the women the chance to work at those jobs that they've always wanted, while we men opt for more 'relaxed' lifestyles And, who knows, perhaps the country would be run better After all, looking at the current state of the world, what with wars, famines and nuclear weapons, perhaps we men should just stay at home to mind the house and let the women run the world!"

downtrodden badly and unfairly treated

bring home the

bacon to earn money for a family to live on

the rat race

a way of life in modern society, characterized by people competing with each other for power and money

"Friends should never hide anything from each other." Do you agree ?

No man is an island Everyone depends on his friends to a certain extent Ever since man formed a system of verbal communication, all people have been in constant chatter with one another Relationships are important to man, so much that people may shape their entire lifestyles simply to find favor with theirclique or circle of friends

Therefore, much caution must be applied when dealing with our friends, especially in our speech So then, must we always tell our friends the whole truth and nothing but the truth or is it sometimes simply none of their business?

One thing is clear: finding out that your friend has lied to you always hurts In cases where lies have been told to hurt you or other parties on purpose, the friendship will never be the same If the lie caused you great damage, the friendship will not be

salvageable Who would want a treacherous person for a friend? Yet, even when the matter is not of great importance, little lies can lead to the spoiling of relationships I have a friend who often tells little untruths Sometimes, he exaggerates circumstances a little, just to impress others, sometimes he tells half-truths to get out of trouble,

sometimes, he makes up stories just to entertain his friends Personally, I just do not feel comfortable with him You see, I just never know whether he is telling the truth or one more of his little lies

Apart from the question of maintaining credibility, sharing one's problems and joys with

a friend can also be helpful as we deal with the problems of daily living As the saying goes, shared joy is double the joy and shared sorrow is half the sorrow Sharing the good times can brighten up a friend's day if he feels down Sharing one's problems and despairs with a friend will bring forth the encouragement and advice we need to hear Sometimes simply having an ear to hear our heart's cries and knowing that someone understands us will make us feel better People have been saved from suicide just by having a friend to listen to their troubles

It is clear, then, that some things need to be said to our friends without any twisting of the truth However, there are times when telling a friend too much can also lead to problems An all-too-common example of such a time is when one hears rumors Gossip can start simply because someone thought a rumor was true and shared all her thoughts

on the rumor with a friend The friend, who actually had no real knowledge of the matter, passed all her thoughts and ideas to another friend and so on and so forth The final result can be a mangled product which could really hurt the parties involved The thing to do about rumors is not to spread them, even if you have strong opinions, about them

Another noteworthy fact is that sometimes, telling the truth may be worse than saying nothing If an ugly girl with an inferiority complex were to ask you if she was

unattractive, it would be a very bad idea to tell her just how unattractive she was One must use his discretion in such situations, stressing on her good qualities, of course Telling the whole truth in this case would destroy her remaining shreds of confidence

In conclusion, I feel that friends, even the closest of friends, need not tell each other everything they know or feel Some matters, of course, should be discussed with

friends, while some others should be hidden We have to balance our love for truth with the practicalities of the situation Not being perfect, we are bound to make mistakes, of

course So, one must then be prepared to make up with our friends, apologizing for our verbal blunders and forgiving them for theirs Well, that's what friendship is really about accepting people for what they are, imperfections and all

"The Golden Age of Youth" How true is this description of your life as a

youth ?

"The Golden Age of Youth"? Who coined up that expression? I am certainly not

experiencing "golden" days in my life as a youth Furthermore, many of my friends' complaints seem to attest that their experiences of youth roughly match up with mine, that is, life as a youth is tough!

Firstly, being young automatically means that I have limited knowledge and no job skills, which means that no one will employ me for any worthwhile job This means, clearly and simply, "No Independent Income" Now, it is undeniable that without

money, you become severely limited in your options You cannot buy anything, go anywhere or do anything Obviously, this is a problem for me

Unable to function without cash, I have to rely on my parents financially Unable to buy

a car, I have to rely on them for transport Unable to buy a house, I have to rely on them for accommodation This means, theoretically, that my parents are my Supreme

Commanders When they tell me to jump, I have to jump In such a situation, I am deprived of the vital human right that caused the American Civil War - Freedom

Secondly, as long as you are not too old or too ill to walk, people will always be

measuring you by your achievements This is especially true for people in their youth Parents, teachers, society and the government love to gauge us scholastically,

physically, socially, morally and in whatever means they can think of Thus, school examinations become so important that many of us will study hours on end to perform well in them

Actually the pressure on us to perform well at all times is great The pressure from our family gets stronger the older we grow Since we started schooling, our parents have been comparing our test results with those of the children of their friends', who happen

to be equally goal-orientated parents In fact, since we were born, our parents have been comparing the ages at which we first started talking or walking, our kiddy IQ test results and such other traps for vainglory If I were a piece of chicken, I'd consider myself

"Kentucky Fried", not because I was "spicy" or "original" but because I have been chopped into pieces, tenderized, pressure-cooked and well-fried

Then, there is the question of romance Practically speaking, youth is the worst time to get romantically attached, because, as was earlier explained, we lack the time and money to maintain a special boy-girl relationship

Yet, during our youth, we are at our peak; physically, we are at our most attractive Furthermore, our hormones are swinging about wildly as we mature sexually

Unfortunately, this causes us to be more prone to getting involved in romantic

relationships, which leads to heartache and causes us to perform badly in our

examinations I think that the government should have chosen a better time to set all the major examinations than at this time, don't you?

So, youth is a traumatic time It is definitely not "golden" In my opinion, the idea of

"The Golden Age of Youth" must have been an illusion dreamt up by fools Perhaps we

should call it the "Iron Pyrite (Fool's Gold) Age of Youth"

What qualities would you look for in a future wife or husband ?

Along the road from cradle to grave many of us get married This in itself can cause more emotional disturbance than all the other events of our lives combined Many factors make the difference between marital bliss and having "an old ball-and-chain" but the most important factor is probably whom we choose to marry That is why I often meditate on the qualities I would seek in my future wife

To be honest, the first thing I notice when I meet a girl is whether she is pretty or not Long lashes and sparkling eyes do not cause someone to "fall in love at first sight", of course, but few people go round seeking ugly mates I am no different

Of course, I would also prefer to have a wife who is intelligent Some men have the stereotyped "dumb blonde" image of a perfect woman However, I know my life will be enriched by having an intellectually stimulating partner to share my thoughts with, and

to offer fresh insights to old situations More importantly, a husband and wife should be intellectually matched so that they can understand each other

Sports and games and other recreational activities are fun and foster closer ties Who better to enjoy sports with than my wife? This will draw us even closer together A wife should, after all, be a true friend whom I can have fun with and want to spend my leisure activities with So, my ideal mate will be someone who participates in the games and sports I like or at least, be willing to learn them

Often, quarrels between husband and wife concern other family members Your wife may be perfect but her parents may be irritating beyond comprehension There was, for example, an incident in City Center where one man's mother-in-law came to stay One day, she cooked and ate his pet dog for dinner! So, I always say that one's future in-laws should always be checked carefully before one makes decisions about marriage

If you are dead tired after a long, frustrating day at work, a loving wife who comforts you and listens to your problems can really make a difference So I would say, a

sympathetic, caring kind of woman is the only one with whom I would make any

commitments for marriage

Commitment is very important on her part, too If a girl isn't prepared to be faithful to you but she marries you anyway, chances are she's going to run away and leave you one day, for your best friend, perhaps

I realize that I have listed a whole string of qualifications for my future wife Well, if I can find all these qualities in one woman, I will really consider her The Ideal Wife However, chances are, with a girl like that, everyone else will be trying to win her hand, too So, I'll be in for a tough time! Furthermore, as the proverb goes, "The best laid plans of mice and men can fail" More than likely, I will meet a girl one day, fall in love and get married And even though she might not be perfect, I'll love her, and, through the years, that might just be enough

foster to encourage the development or growth of ideas or feelings

Write a composition entitled: How I know my mother loves me.

When I was very young, I was a sickly child In fact, I had to spend most of my life away from school and in bed Not surprisingly, I was miserable I fretted a lot and constantly demanded my mother's attention I was a spoiled brat

During the day, I would demand that my favorite delicacies be served to me and that my favorite stories be read to me At odd hours of the night, I would ask for a hot drink or a cookie, or just some company

"Mummy, stay with me!" was my constant whine

Not once was that demand refused Not once did my mother groan or grumble She answered every unreasonable demand of mine with unfailing patience My mother would put everything aside to comfort me

My world was very small then There was just me and Mummy My world consisted of the feel of her cool palms soothing my brow and her floral scent as she leaned over me

to tuck in my blanket I remember her low voice, hushing me as I fretted about the pains

in my joints Most of all, I remember the look in her eyes, of deep concern for her sick child That was how I knew my mother loved me then

Miraculously, I have outgrown my childhood ailments Now that I am on the threshold

of adulthood, my world has grown to include many exciting friends Set free from the prison of the sickbed, I revel in the fun that the world has to offer

My relationship with my mother has suffered from my wild pursuit of fun She criticizes

my choice of friends and tries to enforce rules and regulations to curb my activities

Two nights ago, I stayed out way, way past my "curfew" hour, which is eleven o'clock

It was almost 1 a.m when I reached my house To make matters worse, I had been unable to call home to inform my mother that I would be delayed There were no

phones where we were "hanging out" I knew that I was in for it!

My mother flung open the door the minute she heard my friend's car pull in Her face was red, sweat was pouring down her temples My friends made a quick exit as she ranted at me, her arms waving wildly I didn't say a word, in case one of those hands should find its mark on my face I was ordered straight to bed

As I got into bed, she stood in my room, still ranting at me for my disobedience and

"wild behavior" I was tired I just wanted to sleep I looked up at her face to try to gauge if her scolding would be continuing much longer

Then I saw something familiar about the look in her eyes It was the same look of concern that she had always had when I was so sick I saw in her eyes all the fears that she had suffered that night as she waited for her daughter to return safely

This is how I know my mother loves me now

fret to be anxious or worried

in for it certain to encounter trouble or punishment

How do you measure success in life?

Reaching the top of the tree in one's chosen occupation or profession is the usual

standard by which success in life is measured, at least in the Western world However many Asians would reject this criterion The contemplative religions assert that success

is only measurable in terms of religious advancement and of the acquisition of the virtues Thus, success would be in inverse ratio to material advancement

Most of the world accepts the definition of material advancement, its objectives being affluence and perhaps power over others, both being the most important means of self-expression

Some are born into positions which already confer affluence and power, so success to them might lie merely in the preservation of the family business or estate and perhaps its enhancement for the benefit of the next generation Most people have to work hard to

to achieve success

The western concept of success is not always satisfying and some people, at the height

of their affluence and power, reject it in favor of the simple life This happens for a variety of reasons

Beyond a certain point the acquisition of money proves unsatisfactory The difference between the lifestyle available to a millionaire and that available to a billionaire is marginal Unhappily money making can become an obsession, and some very wealthy people become very mean Money also creates anxiety since it usually has to be put at risk if more is to be made Other anxieties may be created when a large number of people become dependent on a financial empire Money confers power which may corrupt It is often made at the disadvantage of others, and it may damage a business man's relationships both with his peers and with his subordinates These pressures and anxieties often have a detrimental effect on health and on family life One's wife and children are inevitably neglected and unhappy The children of successful capitalists or career workaholics sometimes reject everything the father or parents stand for Success thus means failure

It is of course possible, though unlikely, that worldly success can be combined with a sensitive and therefore successful approach to the problems outlined above If a man or woman can achieve this then he or she truly has the right to be called successful

However success is not strictly related to the externals of power, prominence and

affluence, though these are often its attributes It is more to do with happiness and fulfillment What then are its features?

First, mental and spiritual peace A satisfying yet balanced way of life makes for the former and a religion or at least a philosophy for the latter The body should not be neglected; physical well-being is usually the result of good food and exercise; absence

of strain is at least as important A successful life depends crucially on good personal relationships both within and outside the family To ensure the well-being and

happiness of others forms a large part of success Perhaps the fundamental way to achieve success is first to be sure of what you want to do with life and then to be sure that you are capable of doing it Some people are strongly motivated to a profession or

to politics or to social campaigning from early days; others have to find their own role

in life by trial and error Many of these careers will not confer much success in

the worldlysense but they will lead to the success of happiness and fulfillment

contemplative deep in thought

confer to give

worldly relating to the ordinary life

In what circumstances is the invasion of one country by another justified?

Invasion is never justified if there is a possibility of resolving disputes by diplomatic means The U.N., drawn up by the San Francisco Conference in 1945, in succession to the League of Nations exists to maintain international peace and security Its Security Council can urge members to take economic or military sanctions, or can provide a peace-keeping force drawn from member - nations Its powers however amount to little more than those of the old League, since the two world-power centers remain NATO and the Warsaw Pact association

This having been said, invasions do occur Recent examples include the invasion of Iraq

by Iran, the Russian invasion of Afghanistan, and that of the Falkland Islands by

Argentina Motives for invasion vary; how cynical they are is a matter of opinion There

is national pride; the desire to annex territory which rightly belongs to a country but which has either become independent or has become the dependency of another There

is the instinct to expand, or not to become encircled, or to gain strategic territory, or to gain access to minerals such as oil, or to food The naked aggression of Hitler in Europe was totally unjustified, so the Second Front invasion of Europe by the allies in 1944 can

be amply justified Sometimes, as in the case of Afghanistan, the ostensible reason was

to establish a stable government in a country which, bordering on the USSR was

claimed to constitute a threat through instability That invasion was not justified

The ground for military invasion is usually prepared by other means If there is

instability and national discontent, or even two extremist parties each claiming the government, infiltration is much easier An actual invasion becomes a mere formality when a government accepts perhaps thousands of military advisers, massive war

equipment, and no doubt extensive economic aid from one of the great powers A physical take-over can sometimes be achieved without shedding a drop of blood What

is certain is that after such a takeover a large section of the population will remain discontented Future troubles, as in Afghanistan, are inevitable, and lead only to further repressive measures

The guiding principle governing the justice of invasion is surely this; do the majority of the people want such a take-over? A case in point is the invasion of the Falklands by Argentina, which country was at the time suffering internal troubles and needed a

famous victory abroad The Falklands, close at hand and regarded as an easy number, were an obvious choice, particularly since Argentina regarded the 'Malvenas' as their historic property However, the islanders wanted to remain British, so the British armed forces had to throw the Argentines out That particular invasion by the British was justified, particularly since, in fact, the Argentines were refusing to negotiate However, realistically it becomes another matter to retaliate when the major powers become involved Nobody wants to risk a full scale war for the sake of a principle Nobody forgets Vietnam So to invade or not to invade involves a crucial balancing of factors