秋天的晚上

秋天的晚上

炎炎的夏日晚上已經靜悄悄的溜走了，我最喜歡的秋天晚上已經悄悄的到來，秋天有著一種奇妙的魔法，晚上當你在家中覺得很悶熱的時候，到外面散散步、透透氣，放鬆身心，你會發現在這個時候不但沒有夏天晚上那悶熱、討厭的感覺；也不會有冬天濕濕冷冷的感覺。

夏天的晚上十一時我才睡，可现在呢？秋天到了，你也知道，天色迅速地暗淡起來，我總是想著快速地，提早準備舒服地躺在床上，要不然，睡遲了，早上便睡過了上班的時間。

我愛秋天的晚上，在秋天的晚上獨自一人坐在窗前的座椅上吹著涼爽的秋風，欣賞我最喜歡的「緊張大師」希治閣的偵探電影，觀看到半途時，想休息一下的時候，再望望眼前那又大又圓的月亮，再加上甜美的葡萄果子，吃上一口濃郁的朱古力，朱古力少少苦澀的味道加上一點甜甜酸酸的葡萄味道還有百力芝的口感，好像有著比平常在夏天的晚上的葡萄果子還會甜上好幾倍，繼續看我的偵探電影，真是人生的一大享受啊!


我喜歡秋天晚上，在秋天的晚上有著一種奇妙的魔力，它會派涼爽的晚風來把你那悶熱、心浮氣燥的心情帶走，到公園散散步，海邊踱踱步，當我回到家中的時候，你已經把所有的煩惱和不愉快的事情通通忘掉，就好像變了另一個人似的。

我只能說秋天的晚上這個時段是每天中最具有安撫人心和最美麗的時刻。

最後我只能說我愛上了秋天的晚上。


Mary

(532字)

Summer memories @ 2013 (夏日的回憶)


Time flies. It seemed it was only yesterday when I attended the English evening class. I took part in the DSEEE and scored good marks.

In this summer period, I re-decorated my house. The works are completed and the house looks very comfortable and bright. I visited the famous tourist spots in Hong Kong, too. I strolled around outlying islands. I enjoy the fresh air and the beautiful sceneries very much indeed.

I appreciate the evening school English teacher. Her inspiring words are wonderful and positive. Her proactive manners are very respectable and active, resulted her students’ English standard to have been improved to a great level. I got the champion, a reward and a cheque given by the institute as the rewarding merit, were achieved.

I will be on retirement next month. I’ve planned a lot of activities to be carried out afterwards. They are travelling plans, living in bungalows, studying, taking care of young babies, cleaning houses, making clothes, planting some potted flowers, meeting interesting people…etc. Most of all, I’ll attend the culinary class to cook some tasty food for my family.

Of course, I should take good care of my health. Keeping hopeful and happy is the utmost important thing to do every day. Mary

Good Manners

Good Manners !

－    Wait your turn.

－    Use polite words.

－    Listen carefully.

－    Cooperate with others.

－    Show your appreciation.

－    Give compliments.

知足常樂，潔心良藥。

A fishing ship in the Victoria Harbour, HK

 

Sub-divided flats

PART B

For questions 2-9, choose ONE question and write about 550 words in the space provided on Pages 6-8.  Mark which question you are going to attempt using the question number box on Page 6.

Learning English through Social Issues

A local TV station is looking for input for a series they are producing on 'Issues for the Next Generation'.  They are asking young people to submit aritcles on various topics, the best of which will be turned into a TV report.  Write an article on one future issue.  Your article may cover one or more of the following aspects : its potential advantages and disadvantages, its implications, your feelings about it, and how it can be solved in the future.

The sub-divided flats in Hong Kong.

     The following issue is for the next generation and TV programme. 

     As Hong Kong is a small place with a huge population, housing problem has plagued HK for a long time.

     Sub-divided flats are a key housing problem nowadays and a key-point for the next generation.  Sub-divided flats usually exist in old and shabby buildings.  They are formed by dividing a flat into different small rooms so that the owner can ripe higher profit as the same flat can be rented out to a number of tenants.

     The problem with these sub-divided flats is that unauthorised alterations and additions and structural changes are done to the building in the process of converting one single flat into a number of smaller flats.  Some are even bed-space tenants.  The problem of sub-divided flats affects mainly the HK citizens to a wide extent, especially the grass-roots.  The grass-roots can only afford to live in these low-rent sub-divided flats.  Indeed, it is a grief to live in such bad living environment.

     There are numerous problems living in these sub-divided flats.  The bad hygienic conditions, that is, shared toilets, as well as shared cooking, water, electiricity facilities raised many potential risks.  The residents often quarrel with each other, because of the congested environment and close contact.  The bad elements from triad societies easily penetrate into buildings with these sub-divided flats.  Talking on phones is easily overheard by others.  Moreover, the letters in the letter boxes are easily damaged or stolen.  People of different cultures, languages, originals and religions living in close proximity will easily lead to misunderstanding.  These people lead a hard life.  They are not willing to live in these unpleasant places.  However, they have no other alternatives.

    The fire in November 2011 in Fa Yuen Street raised public awareness on the safety of sub-divided flats.  Nine persons were killed in the blaze.  Many sub-divided flats existed in old buildings in Mongkok.  Since the fire was such a big disaster, the HKSARG paid great attention to the case.  The Chief Executive C Y LEUNG proposed ten methods/measures, or to put in a better way, ten initiatives to solve the problem.  However, the property price is still soaring significantly.

    It is good to note that the residents are being settled to live in public housing flats.

    Voices from citizens of HK echo loudly in the positive in recent days.

     It is estimated that the government cannot solve it for the time being.  But we must be optimistic that the problem of sub-divided flats will be solved in the near future.  Giving time to the HKSARG to work is the most appreciated thing to do nowadays.

     Sub-divided flats existed in HK for a long time because of their low-price rents.  The grass-roots and citizens need subsidized housing flats.  The HKSARG should build more public flats to accommodate them.

     I feel sad to hear the news of the Fa Yuen Street fire.  Fire can damage the structure of the buildings, too.

     The government should find more land to building public housing.  The New Territories and outlying islands such as Lantau Island and Cheung Chau are good choices.  The coastline should be expanded to building more housing estates.  Recently, there are plans suggested by HKSARG to reverse the factories into residential flats.  Why not distribute them to the residents living in those sub-divided flats?

     In view of the above possibilities, I am sure the problem of sub-divided flats will be solved.

Mary
13.3.2013

(556 words.)

FOOD NOT BOMBS

Food Not Bombs

 

Have you ever been touched by images of poverty and war and wanted to do something to stop them?  If so, you should consider joining Food Not Bombs.  This volunteer movement is dedicated to ending hunger, war and poverty through direct action, not just empty protests.  It is one of the fastest growing humanitarian movements in the world.

 

The first Food Not Bombs chapter was formed by a group of anti-nuclear protesters in Massachusetts, USA in 1980 and there are now hundreds of chapters throughout the world.  The group has three main beliefs.  Firstly, as their name suggests, they believe that all the money, time and energy currently being spent on war should be spent on food for the hungry.  For example, the United States Government now estimates that the war in Iraq will end up costing more than 500 billion dollar – that amount of money could end world hunger many times over.

 

Secondly, they believe that world hunger is not due to a shortage of food, but to the unnecessary wastage and unequal distribution of food.  It is a fact that the world produces more than enough food to feed every single person.  However, it is also a fact that not enough of it reaches the mouths of those who need it the most, and a huge proportion actually ends up being wasted.  For example, every year more than 160 billion kilograms of food is produced in the United States.  Nearly a third of that food – 45 billion kilograms – is wasted by retailers, restaurants, and consumers.  As another example, Hong Kong Government figures show that over 9 million kilograms of food is wasted in Hong Kong every year.  That constitutes around one third of the city’s total waste. 

 

The third main belief of Food Not Bombs is that a vegetarian diet should be encouraged because it is both healthy and does not involve killing.  People can get very sick from eating fish, meat or poultry that has not been cooked properly, or has begun to spoil.  However, with vegetarian food, there is a much smaller risk of people developing health problems from food spoilage.  Furthermore, because a vegetarian diet does not contribute to the suffering of animals, Food Not Bombs believes that it is preferable to a meat-based diet.

 

Every Food Not Bombs chapter, no matter where in the world it is located, acts according to these three core beliefs.  However, the chapters can decide for themselves how best they will try to help the people in their community.  Many chapters do things like visit grocery stores, bakeries and markets to collect food that would otherwise be thrown away, and go ‘dumpster-diving’ to recover usable food that has already been thrown out.  They then use this food to cook free, healthy vegetarian meals which are served in public places to anyone who would like one.

 

That is not all they do, however.  They also work to reduce the amount of waste – not just food waste – that society generates by helping redistribute it to people who are in need.  A good example of this is the ‘Really Free Market’ that is held every two months by the chapter of Food Not Bombs in Christchurch, New Zealand. The Food Not Bombs volunteers accept donations of things that people no longer need – children’s toys, old clothes, furniture and so on – and display them at the Really Free Market.  People who visit the market are welcome to take what they need – free of charge.  The market helps the Christchurch community in several ways.  Firstly it is an excellent way for people to dispose of things they no longer need.  Secondary, it reduces the amount of waste that would otherwise go into a landfill.  Thirdly, it helps people who do not have much money provide for their families, and fourthly, it helps build a stronger sense of community.

 

Whether they can actually stop war or poverty is questionable, however it is true that they don’t just shout slogans and wave signs.  One of the major factors separating modern anti-war activist groups like Food Not Bombs from earlier anti-war groups is that instead of just complaining about things they don’t like, these people are actually doing something productive.  Their actions directly address society’s inequalities, by providing food for the people that need it and spreading an anti-war message, all at the same time.