Thứ Hai, 10 tháng 8, 2009

The problems faced by old people in our society

The problems faced by old people in our society

Modern society is built by the young for the young. It is a dynamic creation that does not give much consideration to the old, sick, handicapped or incapable. They are merely tolerated as so much liability or nuisance. So these hardly wanted people face many problems in their everyday living.

The old, who were once young, helped to make the present society. Now they pay the price of their former neglect of the old. They themselves are neglected and unappreciated in turn.

An old person does not have the physical ability of a young person. Walking can be an effort. Crossing a road can be impossible without assistance. On many occasions I have come across old men and old women who just could not cross a busy road that had no pedestrian crossing. No driver stopped for them. So these old folks had to wait patiently until a kind soul happened along to lead them across. I have helped a number of them. Some of them were very grateful but some simply cursed the traffic. Whatever their attitudes, they were better off staying at home.

It is common to hear of old people being knocked down by vehicles on the roads. They just cannot handle the traffic anymore.

This busy world is certainly not kind to old folks. Crossing a road is just one problem they encounter. Getting onto a bus is another. The old person is usually the last to get on, if he manages. I have seen a bus conductor telling an old man to wait for the next bus because his bus was full. If the old man does get on, the likelihood is that he will have to stand, which does no good for his old bones. Rarely does anyone give up his seat for an old man, or old woman.

In the old days, most people did not go very far from their birth-place and thus families usually stayed together. The family unit is strong and practical. Today the family unit is breaking apart as young men and women travel widely in search of better jobs. So the chances are that the old folks will be left alone and neglected. Sometimes they are not wanted by their children at all. The luckier ones may have a child or two staying with them. The less fortunate ones may have to pine their lives away in an old-folk home or in their empty house that once was filled with the sound of children’s laughter. This neglect is a very real problem in our society and it is what the old dread the most – being unwanted and uncared for in the time of need.

There are other problems old folks face, but none can be as bad as the indifference and neglect of the young. The young have no time for the old even though the old have virtually no time left. Soon they will die and the young will take their place.


P18 http://language123.blogspot.com
Students study just to pass the examinations - Do you agree?
Education is very necessary. Do you agree?
School leavers should get some working experience before going for further studies
Physical education is important
Parents and children - Are there ways to improve understanding?
Women should be restricted to work connected with the home and children.
People who look for excitement and danger are foolish. Do you agree?
Honesty is the best policy
Advertisement are boring, unless, and often misleading
The twentieth century is an age of greed. Do you agree?
No room for true craftmanship in the modern world of mass production
Storm caught
A nightmare
What I dislike most in people
Is family planning necessary?
What opportunities have you had at school or elsewhere of listening teacher and speaking English?
The advantages and disadvantages of co-education.
What career would you like to choose after leaving school?
I choose a career
Old age and youth
Library
I am proud of my country

Drop it where it belongs

Drop it where it belongs.

The Ministry of Environment is gearing up its campaign on television with an advertisement accompanied by a song. The song ends with a melodious jingle called “drop it where it belongs” with the letters shrinking and going inside the dustbin. Environment is the surroundings such as the roads, lanes, grounds, private or government housing estates. Singapore is the world’s cleanest city and it is important that every citizen tries to maintain the record. We should make sure that all places are kept clean and tidy.

Littering on roads, lanes, playgrounds or anywhere would make the places dirty. The drains should remain clean without being clogged up with waste materials or stagnant water as these are the ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes and other flies. Though the Ministry of Environment and the Community Centers arrange to maintain the housing blocks clean and tidy, it is the duty of every citizen to see that these places are not polluted by the rubbish thrown indiscriminately. That is why dustbins are provided in every nook and corner for us to throw or drop it where it belongs.

The clean environment should start from our houses itself. The leftover foodstuffs, other wastes and rubbish should be put in a plastic bag, tied and disposed through chutes. We can see the Ministry of Environment garbage trucks collecting these wastes daily. Since we have been provided with so many facilities, we should try our best to keep the city clean.

Our Government periodically launches “clean environment” campaigns to make every citizen aware of the value of a dust-free, pollution-free, clean, neat and tidy country. Strict measures, such as heavy fines for littering may achieve this purpose. But it is the citizens who are reminded of their responsibility to keep a pollution-free environment for a healthy and comfortable lifestyle in Singapore.

Crowds

Crowds

A crowd is a gathering of many people in a place of limited size, such as in a hall, a supermarket or a town square. In a crowd, the movement of a person is restricted. He or she cannot move freely and may often have to take action to avoid collision with another person.

I have been in many types of crowds before and I have to say that the experience is not pleasant. Though a crowd can be bearable, most of the time it is uncomfortable to be in one and I get out as quickly as possible.

Once I had the misfortune of going to a popular supermarket when it was having a sale on. I did not know that until I reached the place. All I wanted to buy was some mosquito coils and some sweets. When I arrived there, I was shocked to see the place packed with people. Nevertheless, as I had come quite a distance by bus, I decided to join in the crowd to see what was inside the supermarket that attracted the people so.

That was one of the biggest mistakes of my life. The moment I squeezed into the crowd at the entrance, I was swept into the supermarket by the sheer wave of eager people. There were all sorts of people here. Young and old, men, women and children were all gripped by the 70% discount fever that was plastered all over the place.

I had intended to go to the confectionery section but I was pushed against my will towards the clothes section. That was where most of the action was taking place. The clothes were on sale. I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw respectable-looking adults involved in what looked like a gold-rush. They were literally tearing at the clothes. No quarter was given or asked. It was madness. I could see how people could behave when they stood to gain from something. Manners, courtesy and shyness were all thrown aside as they grabbed the dirt-cheap clothes.

After some struggle I managed to free myself. However it was no different in other sections. I had to fight my way through the throng to get what I wanted. Then I had to wait in line at the checkout counter, which was the only orderly place in the entire supermarket, for a long time to pay for what I got. After paying it was another struggle to get to the exit. Finally outside the supermarket, I breathed a huge sigh of relief. I swore that I would never join in such a mad crowd again.

Another crowd that is unpleasant is the going-home crowd in the bus station every evening. As night approaches everyone is eager to get home and that is when people can become impatient and unruly. Young and old jostle with each other to get on the bus. The conductors yell out obscenities but no one takes any notice. All each person wants is to go home, regardless of others. So everyone rushes. If one does not then one has to wait for the last bus.

There are other crowds like those in stadiums, processions and other social activities that involve many people. Not all are unruly. This is so as long as there is no disturbance. A crowd, however, has the tendency of turning into a mob if there is excitation, as evident in football matches. I shy away from such dangerous emotions. A crowd is definitely not my cup of tea.

Hospitality

Hospitality

Hospitality is everywhere regarded as a virtue; but it is perhaps more common in the country than in the town. It is a common saying that in a big city like London, a man does not know even his next-door neighbor, and there is no place where one can feel as utterly lonely as among the millions of that huge city. The inhabitants of a large town would be astonished if a passing traveler, a complete stranger, came to their houses and demanded food and lodging from them. They would probably shut their doors in his face. But it is the commonest thing for villagers to welcome a passing stranger and give him freely food and shelter and entertainment, expecting nothing to return. This is not only because villagers are simpler and more unsophisticated than town-dwellers but because their lives are so lonely and monotonous that a visit from a stranger is a welcome event; and also because in the sparsely populated country-side there are, as a rule, no public inns or rest-houses where travelers can stay. So in the country, hospitality is looked on more as a duty than a virtue, the performance of which is a matter of pride.

The people of the East, especially in Arabia and parts of India, are noted for their hospitality. And among the people of the North-West Indian Frontier, the laws of hospitality are strictly observed; and even the most lawless raider will never rob or hunt a man who has eaten his salt, even though he is an enemy.

A great deal of hospitality is merely a matter of fashion, and is selfish in its spirit. People ask acquaintances to dinner, not because they want to do them a service but because it is “the thing to do” and because they hope to be asked back again in return. This is not the kind of hospitality which is a virtue; for that is unselfish and inspired by kindly feelings. So the Founder of Christianity taught his disciples to show hospitality only to the poor, who needed food, and who could not reward them for their kindness. While he sat at meal in the house of a rich Pharisee who had invited him to dine with him one day, he said to his host: “When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, nor thy kinsmen, nor rich neighbors, lest haply they also bid thee again and a recompense be made thee. But when thou makest a feast, bid the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind; because that have not wherewith to recompense thee.”


Language123.blogspot.com
Library
Proficiency Examinations - Who Needs Them
Physical Education Is Important
Progress - Its Benefits And Harms
What Difficulties Are You Facing In Choosing A Career?
I Am Proud Of My Country
Crowds
The Advantages And Disadvantages In Teaching English To Adult Learners
The Way I Spend The First Few Days After Examination
What Have You Gained From University Education?

Floods

Floods

Floods are a natural phenomenon. They cause tremendous havoc to human life and property but are sometimes also a blessing in disguise because they bring alluvial soil which is essential for crops. This is a great benefit compared to the havoc it creates.

Floods are natural calamities and occur regularly in certain low lying area. The unexpected flood causes great misery. The rush of water demolishes houses and destroys homes. It inundates large areas under cultivation, wrecks public services and makes the life of the survivors miserable. Sometimes man is prepared for it and has learned to take advantage of floods to enrich their soil, trap fish and more logs of wood.

Floods, however have always brought out the best in men. Men organize rescue and relief activities for strangers without expectation of personal gain. Voluntary organizations organize relief camps and provide medical facilities. Floods bring out the best in men to the surface. People throughout the world make collections and airlift relief materials to the victims.

The increasing incidence of floods can be reduced by construction of dams and catchments areas. These activities cannot be carried out by a single man, but can be achieved only by the Government as these require colossal resources, organization and manpower.

Every single man can contribute to prevent flood by planting trees and preventing denudation of vegetable plots. Forestation is one of the best alternatives to arrest floods.


language123.blogspot.com
Progress - Its Benefits And Harms
The Advantages And Disadvantages Of Co-Education.
The Advantages And Disadvantages In Teaching English To Adult Learners
No Room For True Craftmanship In The Modern World Of Mass Production
Home Accidents And Its Preventions
The Laser: Solution To Many Problems
Modes Of Traveling
I Am Proud Of My Country
The Unselfish Devotion Of A Housewife
People Who Look For Excitement And Danger Are Foolish. Do You Agree?

The unselfish devotion of a housewife

The unselfish devotion of a housewife

The housewife has always been among the unappreciated lot. Her unflagging devotion to her husband, children and grandchildren has always been taken for granted. She slaves all day as wife, mother, nanny, cook and housekeeper without any thoughts of rewards. Her only satisfaction lies in the harmony that her hardwork creates in the family.

Her main duty lies in creating a comfortable environment so that the breadwinner can come home from work to relax. She becomes the sympathetic listener of all his problems at the office. She dusts, vacuums and sweeps all day. Her hobbies normally include knitting, sewing and flower making for the purpose of creating a more delightful home. She mends his favorite shirt time and time again without grudging. Her only gratification comes from those casual compliments she receives for the delicious dishes she serves which involve so much preparation and work.

Little children are quite lost without their dear mummies. The mother nurses the tiny, helpless infant. She cares for, feeds, washes and cloths the baby. She gets up several times in the middle of the night just so that her baby is soothed and comfortable, rocking and singing to her baby the old, lovely lullabies.

The mother never forgets birthdays and always manages to whip up a cake for that special day. She remembers our first words, looks out for our first front tooth. She is always there to wipe our tears after we toddle, tumble and fall.

She is always there to teach us our numbers and alphabet. She works and wears herself out to prepare us for our first day at school. She runs out of the house at the last minute to hand to us our forgotten homework book we have left behind. She always manages to stand just outside the school gate with an umbrella so that we do not get soaked in the rain.

Her sharp eyes always watch for the first signs of cold. She waits over her children night and day worried and anxious as they go through their share of flu, measles, mumps and chicken pox. She coddles her poor sick children. Then when we are well again, she scolds us sharply for not finishing our vegetables.

She administers the timely slaps on the hand every time we get into those mischievous pranks. She angrily sends the whole lot to bed without any supper. Then she gets up in the middle of the night to pull over us our blankets and stroke our hair reassuringly.

She continues to remain her daughter’s best friend, her son’s best confidant. She nags at us with her old fashioned values and chides us for being stubborn. But she is always there when things go wrong to lend a shoulder for us to cry on.

Her grandchildren look to her as a marvelous “sugar-mummy” who spoils them with home-made toys, sweets, ice-cream and jellies. She has an infinite store of old, fascinating stories to keep us bewitched for hours. She has a marvelous knack for providing delightful old fashioned remedies to cold, cuts or broken toys.

There is indeed no tribute which is fitting to the housewife’s simple, selfless devotion to her family.


language123.blogspot.com
The Problems Faced By Old People In Our Society
Physical Education Is Important
The Beneficial Effects Of Games On Language Learning
One Who Is Good At English Grammar Can Write Well In English?
The Laser: Solution To Many Problems
The Advantages And Disadvantages Of The Cinema
Causes Of Teenage Smoking
My Hobbies
Qualities Of A Good Teacher
Is Your City A Much Better Place To Live In Today Than 10 Years Ago?

The use of forests

The use of forests

Forest form an important part of the wealth of a country; and in India, the preservation of the of the forests is so important that it has long been taken over by the Government, and is in charge of the Government, and is in charge of the Government Forest Department.

Forests have a great influence upon climate; for they attract rain and preserve moisture – an important matter in a dry country like India. The leaves of a tree are always giving off moisture; and this constant evaporation cools the surrounding atmosphere. In consequence, when moisture-laden winds blow over a forest, the moisture they carry is condensed and forms clouds and these dissolve in rain. This is not mere theory. It has been proved that the destruction of forests of any extent quickly changes the climate of the whole district. Whereas before it had an abundant rainfall, after disafforestation the rainfall became scanty, the land went out of cultivation and became an arid desert. On the other hand, afforestation or the planting of forests, will turn a desert into a well-watered and fertile district.

Further, forests on hill sides do much to prevent destructive floods. When heavy rain falls on bare hills, it rushes down at once to the plains I roaring torrents, carrying parts of the hill with it, and flooding the country below. But when the hills are covered with forests, the trees and the spongy soil they create absorb a large part of the water, and allow the rest to flow down to the plain quietly and without any destructive effects.

Forest products, especially timber, form an important part of a nation’s wealth. The Indian forests supply all the timber that is required in the country and much is exported, the sale of it bringing in a very respectable revenue to the State. Forests also provide abundant fuel to the districts near by.

The planting and preservation of forests is therefore a matter of great importance.


language123.blogspot.com
Old Age And Youth
Storm Caught
Crowds
Hospitality
Is Family Planning Necessary?
The Clothes We Wear
A Nightmare
Women Should Be Restricted To Work Connected With The Home And Children.
Old Age And Youth
The Ills Of Modern Cities

Bài đăng phổ biến