My best friend

I have a number of close friends both at school and outside of it. Although I am close to all of them I like and respect a particular one above the others. He is Peter my best friend. Peter and I go to the same school and live quite near each other. It is therefore no surprise that we may often be found in each others company. Peter's house is like a second home to me and vice versa. Peter's parents are also close family friends of ours. As both Peter's parents work, Peter is often entrusted to my mother to watch over when they are away at work. My mother doesn't mind as she considers Peter one of her own.       Peter is my best friend for a number of reasons. I can always come to him for advice on any difficulties I may be experiencing and I value his advice as it is sensible and very practical. Everyone who knows Peter says that he is very mature for his age. It astounds me how much Peter knows on a variety of subjects. He is well read and never ceases to try and instill the reading habit in me. Needless to say it is Peter who helps me with my school homework when I encounter problems. I remember the time that I foolishly joined a few friends from school and experimented with cigarettes, Peter as a school prefect found us out and was duty bound to report the matter to the disciplinary teacher. All of my friends who were involved in the incident thought that Peter was simply being a tattle-tale but. I knew that Peter took his responsibilities seriously and only had my well being in mind. I often wind up in difficulties through my own doing and Peter is always around to bail me out without expecting any gratitude or explanation, his friendship is unconditional.       Our teachers and friends at school have taken to calling us the 'Two Musketeers' as we do everything together. It seems that some of my interests have rubbed off on Peter as we are both in the school debate team. I quite enjoy public speaking but Peter dreads addressing crowds as by nature he is a very reserved person. I suspect he finally gave in to my constant cajoling and agreed to join the team. What Peter really enjoys is sports. He excels at football and track and field events. He has won numerous trophies for the school at inter-school sports meets.       Peter is admirable as a friend and a person and is well spoken of by everyone who knows him. I am glad that I have his friendship and feel that I have grown wiser as a result of it. Click here to lauch more sample english essays : http://www.englishdaily626.com/ (source)

Kesan gejala vandalisme dan langkah mengatasinya

          Saudara Pengerusi Majlis, Tuan-tuan, Puan-puan, dan pelajar sekalian yang saya hormati. Selamat sejahtera saya ucapkan kepada anda sekalian kerana sudi menjemput saya untuk menyampaikan ceramah kepada pelajar-pelajar di sekolah SMK Gemilang tentang kesan gejala vandalisme dan langkah-langkah mengatasinya.

Saudara dan saudirin sekalian,

          Menurut Kamus Dewan, vandalisme didefinisikan sebagai perbuatan salah laku atau melakumusnahkan. Dalam konteks vandalisme di Malaysia pula, vandalisme sebenarnya dapat diertikan sebagai fenomena merosakkan harta benda awam. Gejala ini memberi kesan yang buruk kepada masyarakat dan negara. Oleh itu, langkah-langkah yang berkesan perlu diambil untuk mengatasi masalah ini daripada terus berleluasa.

Sekiranya perbuatan vandalisme tidak dikawal dengan baik, ia akan menimbulkan pelbagai kesulitan dan kesusahan kepada anggota masyarakat. Sebagai contoh, kerosakkan harta benda awam seperti telefon awam akan menyebabkan ia tidak dapat berfungsi pada masa kecemasan dan perkara ini mungkin akan menyebabkan kehilangan nyawa atau mengalami kerugian kepada orang lain. Walaupun vandalisme bukan sesuatu jenayah yang sangat serius tetapi perbuatan ini akan menjejaskan kestabilan ekonomi sesebuah negara. Hal ini kerana kegiatan vandalisme telah menyebabkan pelabur asing menghilangkan keyakinan kepada negara tersebut dan akhirnya menyebabkan kerugian yang besar dalam sektor ekonomi yang sedang membangun.

Kesan seterusnya ialah imej negara akan tercemar di mata dunia. Hal ini sudah tentu akan menjejaskan ekonomi Malaysia kerana pelancong luar tidak sudi untuk datang melancong ke negara kita akibat keadaan alam sekeliling yang buruk dan sikap rakyat yang tidak berprihatin. Natijahnya, industri pelancongan akan merosot. Kejadian ini akan memberikan kesan buruk kepada rakyat negara tersebut. Industri pelancongan menyumbang kepada sektor lain seperti perhotelan. Sektor perhotelan tidak akan mendapat sambutan handal akibat industri melancong yang merosot. Hal ini menyebabkan rakyat menganggur akibat kekurangan sektor pekerjaan. Tambahan pula, pihak kerajaan akan membelanjakan berjuta-juta ringgit untuk membaikpulihkan infrastruktur yang dimusnahkan.

Tuan-tuan dan puan-puan,

          Untuk mengatasi gejala vandalisme, langkah yang paling utama ialah pendidikan. Sistem pendidikan yang mantap dan kukuh dapat membendung gejala vandalisme. Menurut Datuk Lee Lam Thye, beliau menjelaskan hanya melalui pendidikan, kita dapat memupuk semangat antivandalisme dan meningkatkan kesedaran remaja tentang sikap memelihara harta benda awam. Justeru, remaja hendaklah didedahkan kepada kesedaran sivik sejak dari awal lagi kerana setiap anak yang dilahirkan hanya menanti warna budaya yang bakal dicorakkan oleh ibu bapa. Jelaslah bahawa kalau baik budaya hidup dan acuan dari rumahnya, maka baiklah peribadi remaja.

          Langkah seterusnya ialah Penguatkuasaan undang-undang yang ketat. Hal ini dikatakan demikian kerana hukuman dan kompaun atas kerosakan yang dikenakan dapat memberikan pengajaran kepada mereka atau setidak-tidaknya mereka akan berfikir dua kali sebelum berbuat demikian. Sebagai contohnya, negara Singapura mengenakan hukuman berat kepada pemusnah harta benda awam. Hal ini terbukti apabila hukuman berat yang dilaksanakan di Singapura mampu mengurangkan kes vandalisme. Menurut Datuk Lee Lam Thye lagi, satu undang-undang kecil vandalisme telah diperuntukkan untuk mendenda tidak kurang daripada RM2000 atau penjara tidak lebih daripada satu tahun kepada remaja yang melakukan vandalisme.

          Di samping itu, kempen antivandalisme anjuran Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (DBKL) yang bertemakan ‘Harta Awam Milikku-Milikmu’ dapat menanamkan sifat bertanggungjawab dan menyemai perasaan sayang terhadap harta benda awam dalam sanubari remaja. Kempen ini juga harus disusuli dengan pelaksanaan program seperti Program Pembimbing Rakan Sebaya, Sistem Mentor-Mantee dan Sekolah Penyayang di peringkat sekolah bagi membanteras kemelut vandalisme. Kementerian Pendidikan juga boleh menganjurkan peraduan melukis dan pertandingan menulis esei bagi meningkatkan kesedaran remaja supaya lebih menyayangi harta awam demi kepentingan bersama, berdasarkan tema ‘Harta Awam Milik Bersama-Hentikan Vandalisme’. Tegasnya, melalui kempen dan ceramah, nescaya matlamat vandalisme sifat dapat dicapai.

Pelajar sekalian,

          Kemelut vandalisme tidak boleh dipandang enteng. Oleh itu, semua pihak haruslah berganding bahu bagi membendung masalah vandalisme. Remaja janganlah terlalu mengikut perasaan atau terburu-buru melakukan sesuatu sehingga sanggup merosakkan harta benda awam. Harta benda awam harus dianggap seperti harta sendiri. Semoga masalah ini dapat diatasi agar negara tidak mengalami kerugian dari aspek material.

        Sebagai pengakhir kata, saya ingin menyeru agar semua pihak memberi kerjasama untuk membanteras masalah ini. Dengan ini, saya akhiri ceramah saya pada pagi ini.  Sekian, terima kasih.

Shopping

For getting one's things, one has to do some shopping. Sometimes shopping is undertaken for fun. Shopping on special occasions, is really exciting. For example, when one goes shopping on the eve of Hari Raya Puasa, Deepavali, Chinese New Year or Christmas, the experience is really exciting.           Shopping is not simply buying things for our needs. It is much more than that. First of all one must know what one wants to buy. He must know, where those things are available. In fact, this is not a problem in a small place but in a big city, one must know where different things are sold. There may be, chain stores, selling things at a higher price. The same things may be had at a cheaper price at a grocery. Then there are the genuine goods and the spurious ones. Unless one knows one is likely to be deceived. This reminds one of the famous chapter in the "Vicar of Wakefield". Moses went to the fair, to sell his mare. He was deceived by a sharper, who exchanged the mare for a gross of silver spectacles. When Moses returned home, he found they were not at all silver. This may happen to anybody unless one has the wit and wisdom. Shopping requires some experience of the market.           Shopping requires bargaining ability. It is not always fixed prices in all markets. So one must be able to bargain. It requires certain ability to choose the right stuff. For instance if one goes into a big cloth shop, one finds it easy, one must have made up his mind as to what stuff to get. He must be careful to see whether correct weights and measures are being used. It is here that very often people are deceived.           Shopping, during week end is really exciting. One has to wend through a stream of shoppers. There will be, the crowd of roadside vendors crying their wares. One must not be tempted to buy all and sundry, otherwise, he will find he has wasted his money. In fact shopping is a good school, where one can learn about men, moods and manners.

chain stores One of a number of retail stores under the same ownership and dealing in the same merchandise. wit intelligence and the ability to think quickly wend to move slowly and not directly Click here to lauch more sample english essays : http://www.englishdaily626.com/ (source)