PSLE English Oral Practices – Recycling, Saving water and Volunteering

Let’s take a look at our Oral practice series : Community.

Some of the common topics tested under this title are Recycling, Saving water and Volunteering.

Below are 2 such topics.

Topic 1: Save Water Oral model answer

Question 1: Do you agree with the above ways to save water?

Thought:

Yes,  I do.

Reason 1

The ways stated are practical and applies to children as well as eveyry member of the family. Everyone takes showers, brushes their teeth and flushes the toilet and washes dishes!

Reason 2

I never knew that there so much of water is used just for a 4 minute shower. Unfortunately, I am guilty of leaving the shower on while I soap myself. Even though I know that I should turn it off I often forget! Sometimes, my mom will yell for me to hurry up and not waste water but I love my showers! Especially on a hot day. So, this is a good reminder for everyone to save water when taking a shower.

Reason 3

I do follow the way to save water when brushing my teeth. I always turn off the tap after I have wet my brush and I use a cup to rinse my mouth with water.

Reason 4

My domestic helper usually washes the dishes and unfortunately, I know that she leaves the water running. I will show her the poster and explain to her why she shouldn’t be doing that.

Reason 5

I think that the idea of checking for leaks in the toilet is an excellent one! I will surely try that at home. We may have  a leak and not even know about it.

Experience

Last year, my school put up posters about how we, as students, can play a part in saving water in school. In our rush to get to class on time or eat our meals in the canteen, we may forget to turn off the taps in the school toilets or canteen wash basins and waste water.

Opinion

In my opinion, water conservation is important for Singapore. Singapore is facing water scarcity due to our lack of natural resources. We as citizens, should all do our part to conserve water.

Question 2: How do you save water at home?

How does your household conserve water?

Thought

Aside from the ways indicated in the poster, my mum also has other ways to save water. My mother is very particular about water conservation as the water bill can be quite high.

Reason 1 & Example

She makes sure that the water used to wash vegetables or rice is then used to water our plants. She taught my helper how to wash the vegetables in a basin and then to keep the water aside to water our plants.  We have quite a number of plants on our balcony so the water collected in the kitchen is put to good use.

Reason 2 & Example

She also constantly reminds us to turn off the tap or shower when we brush our teeth or soap ourselves and gets angry if she catches us not doing what has been told!

My younger sister is always getting into trouble because she loves to sing in the shower while leaving the water on!

Reason 3 & Example

My mother is thinking of buying a dishwasher as she says it will save us money in the long run due to lower water consumption. We can’t reuse the water from washing dirty dishes so that’s a lot of water wasted.

Suggestion

I suggest that all every member of the household puts in the effort needed to conserve water and keep the water bill low.

Question 3: How can you raise awareness about saving water in your school?

Reason 1 & Example

I believe that once a year, the school can have a ‘Save Water’ campaign.  This will serve as a reminder to everyone to save water. The school can start off the campaign by holding art or writing competitions. Students can create posters about why we should save water and winners will receive a prize. We can also use the posters during the Save Water campaign in school.

Reason 2 & example

Aside from competitions, we can also put up posters in the school toilets, reminding students to make sure that the faucets are turned off properly after washing their hands.  There could also be posters about the importance of water conservation pasted around the schools.

Some students can’t be bothered to follow the different ways to save water. Some students leave the tap running and simply walk out of the toilet after washing their hands! Others have water fights in the bathroom, wasting a lot of water!

Reason 3 & Example

To ensure that younger students understand about water conservation, the school can also put up a play about the topic. One year there was even an interesting play about what happens when we waste water. It was part of a talk on water conservation. The talk was useful because as children we sometimes forget to use water wisely. Also, we may not understand how much water we waste and why we should conserve water.

Opinion

In my opinion, schools have a responsibility to educate their students on water conservation as everyone should understand the importance of water conservation.

Topic 2: Volunteering

Question 1: Have you ever visited the Home for the Elderly?

Experience:

Yes I have. Last year in May, my school brought us to an Old Folks Home. It was part of a school programme. Before the visit, my teacher broke us up into groups and each group was assigned a different task to do at the Old Folks Home. My group was in charge of the entertainment and we were performing a song and dance. Instead of choosing a current song, we decided to surprise them by singing a classic song from their time. So, we all went home and quizzed our grandparents what their favourite songs were when they were young. We chose a Chinese song and a very popular American song called Tie a yellow Ribbon.The elderly at the Home loved the songs. They requested an encore which we were very happy to oblige them. 

Opinion

In my opinion, visiting the Home for the Elderly was a very enriching experience and I learnt a lot from that visit.

Question 2: Do you think that children should put their parents into a Home for the Elderly if they are unable to care for them?

Opinion

Many of the elderly I met at the Home seemed happy. They had the company of friends and entertainment throughout the day. However, some of them told me that their children and grandchildren do not visit them often and I found that sad. My maternal grandparents live with us. They are very active and love to spend time walking in the park, shopping and cooking. I do not think that they would be happy living in a Home. I would not put my grandparents nor my parents in a Home unless they wanted to be in one. I think we should find the time and means to care for them as they have cared for us. Anything is possible if we really put our minds to it. 

Question 3: How do you spend time with your grandparents?

Experience

During the weekdays, I am busy at school and with after school activities. When I get home, grandma is there, ready  with lunch or a snack. Even if she goes out with her friends, she will always be home to greet me when I return from school. In the evenings, my mother will be home from work and grandma and her will prepare dinner. Grandpa will help me with my Math homework as he used to be a Math teacher!

On Saturdays, my grandparents are very busy with their own activities but on Sundays we will spend time as a family, going out for lunch, a walk in the park or visiting a museum. Honestly, I just like to sit and listen to my grandparents stories about ‘back in the day’. They have such lively and funny stories about living in the kampong and the games they played. I really enjoy my time with them!

Suggestion

I suggest that we should make time to spend with our grandparents. We can learn a lot from them!