Help ! Save MIZU !

MIZU is a Japanese word for WATER



Water is one of the basic needs in our life.

Approximately 66% of human body consists of water.

We can survive without food for a month, but we can only survive a week without water.

In order to live healthily, a person must consume 2 litres of water everyday.

Why is it important to drink water?

Water plays several important roles in human body :-

1- It helps regulate the temperature of human body.

2- It removes waste from human body.

3- It saves us from dehydration. 

4- It is transported throughout our body to assist physical functions.

Lots of people tend to use water more than the actual amount that they need.

Such action can be seen in our daily life,

for instance, some people, when washing dishes, tend to let the water run while rinsing.

This action should be avoided as water is significant, and thus we need to use it wisely.

Here are some tips on how to conserve water in daily routine :

1- When washing dishes by hand, don't let the water run while rinsing. Fill one sink with wash water and the other with rinse water.

2- When doing laundry, match the water level to the size of the load. Run your clothes washer only when they are full. You can save up to 1,000 gallons a month.

3- Monitor your water bill for unusually high use. Your bill and water meter are tools that can help you discover leaks.

4- Wash your fruits and vegetables in a pan of water instead of running water from the tap. Collect the water you use for rinsing fruits and vegetables, then reuse it to water houseplants.

5- Shorten your shower by a minute or two and you'll save up to 150 gallons per month.

6- When cleaning out fish tanks, give the nutrient-rich water to your plants.

7- Collect rainwater and use it to water your garden. 

8- If your shower fills a one-gallon bucket in less than 20 seconds, replace the showerhead with a water-efficient model. 

9- Turn off the water while brushing your teeth and save 25 gallons a month.

10- Saving a bottle of cold water in the fridge is better that taking it from the tap, because it saves time and water.

P.O.I Sir!

P.O.I = Point of Information

POI is given when a debater wants to argue opponent's point.

It is given when the opponent's is delivering his/her points. 

This term is commonly associated with DEBATE.

What is Debate?

• Debate is a formal opinion exchange or discussion involving arguments.
• Arguments here should be in a positive, healthy way, and there will be no fighting or quarelling involved.

The Structure of Debate

• There are two teams involve in debate.
• One will be the Government (team who supports and agree with the Topic), and the other will be the Opposition (team who disagrees with the topic).
• Each teams consist of 3 main speakers and one reserve speaker.
• There will be Prime Minister (Fisrt Speaker), Deputy Prime Minister (Second Speaker) , and The Rebuttal Speaker (Third Speaker) for the Government side.
• As for the Opposition side, there will be Opposition Leader (Fisrt Speaker), Deputy of Opposition Leader (Second Speaker), and The Rebuttal Speaker (Third Speaker).
• Topics (also known as Motion) can be based on current issues, politic, economic, education, as well as health aspect.
• 7 minutes are given for First Speaker, 8 minutes for Second and Third Speaker, and 4 minutes for the Reply Speech.

Rules and Regulations

• Use appropriate words when debating on the issue/topic.
• Give Point of Information (POI) during the allocated time.
• Points will be deducted for rude and inappropriate facial expressions and body gestures.
• The Reply Speech cannot be done by the third speaker. Only the first or second speaker can deliver the Reply Speech.
• The speakers must obey the time allocated for each of them.

Advantages of joining Debate

• Widen your knowledge - you will involve in thorough discussion about general issues that happen inside and outside your country.
• Develop your speaking skills.
• Increase critical thinking - you will be exposed to various critical analysis on your motions/topics given.
• Increase your level of confidence.
• Learn about team work - in debate, you will have to work with the rest of the team members. Team work is one of the keys to success.

MASTER MIND of Literary Analysis

In literature, you will learn how to analyse novels, short stories, poems and plays.

How are you going to analyse them? What will you use? Are there any special tools needed to start your analysis?

LITERARY ELEMENT 

 This is what you need in your analysis.

Literary Element consists of :

• Synopsis
• Synopsis tells you what the story is all about, but it only involves the general idea of the story. There will be no specific storyline stated in synopsis. 

• Theme(s)
• It describes the main or central idea of the short stories/novels/poems/plays.
• It should be stated as a generalization of life, for instance, if the story is about a poor young man who faces a lot of obstacles and manages to succeed in life, the theme of this story would be 'Determination is the key to success'
• Note : Theme should be stated in a sentence.

•   Plot
• Consists of Exposition, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, Resolution.
• Exposition - It provides the introduction of the characters and the settings of the story to the readers. This will help to attract the readers' attention and encourage them to keep reading the story.
• Rising Action - It introduces the conflicts faced by the main characters in the story.
• Climax - This is where the conflict is at its peak. The readers will understand more about the core of the conflicts at this stage.
• Falling Action - At this stage, the readers will be exposed to the solution of the conflicts.
• Resolution - It indicates the end of the story, some stories might have sad endings, and some might have happy endings.

•  Character(s)
• Characters can be divided into two, major and minor characters.
• Major characters are characters that play important parts in the story, while minor characters are characters that support the main characters.

• Settings
• There are Time Setting, Social Setting, and Place Setting
• Time setting explains about when the story takes place, in what year and at what time, for instance.
• Social setting tells the readers about the characteristics of the society in the story. For example, in the play 'Gulp and Gasp', written by John Townsend, it can be seen that the society in the play is greedy for power and wealth.

• Moral Value(s)
• Most of the literary works consist of moral values, thus, the readers will be able to obtain something beneficial while reading and learning them.

CONCLUSION : Now that you already knew all the literary elements, hopefully you will be able to use them in analysing any kind of literary texts given to you in class.

F.A.M.I.L.Y

Family, it is a simple but meaningful word for people who know how to appreciate their parents, siblings, and relatives.
The issue in our world nowadays is that children always forget about their family, especially their parents, once they succeed in their life.
Old Folks Houses are built because of these ungrateful children who abandon their old and ailing parents.

"It's difficult to take care of them because I have tons of work to do in my office", "There are lack of spaces in my house, I can't afford to have them in my house" - These are some of the excuses given by these people when sending their parents to the Old Folk houses.

• Such houses should not be built at first place if the children appreciate the family bond between them and their family.
• It is cruel to do such things towards your parents when they are the one who keep you away from harm, protect you from the hot sun, and believe in your abilities when other people turn their heads away from you.
• Whoever your parents are, you should respect and love them as much as they love you.

Those who live far away from your family, here are some useful tips for you to strengthen your family bond :-

1) Call them frequently (4 days a week)

2) Say 'I Love You' and 'I Miss You' ! Express your feeling to your family, so that they will know that they are always in your heart.

3) Pay them a visit during weekends. Or you can also visit them during your holidays and spend time with them for 3 to 4 days.

4) Share your excitement or problems with your family. This is one of the ways to make yourself closer to your family because they will understand you better and know you more.

Strong family bond will lead to a happy life, and a happy life will lead to a successful life.