143 Some students like classes where teachers lecture (do all of the talking) in class. Other students prefer classes where the students do some of the talking. Which type of class do you prefer? Give specific reasons and details to support your choice.

In my country, the lecture system is the most common system. It is the one I prefer for three reasons: I am used t the lecture system; it is an efficient system; I am too shy to talk in class.

All my life, I have listened to teachers. They come into the room, open their books, and start to lecture. We students sit quietly at our desks and take notes. We never ask questions because we don’t want to seem stupid. At the end of the course, we are given a test. If we can repeat on the test what the teacher said in class, we will get a good grade.

The lecture system is an efficient one. Te teacher is the one who knows the subject, not the students. It is a waste of time listening to a student’s ideas. What good will that does me? Time is short. I want the teacher to give me as much information as he or she can during the class period.

Even if we could talk in class, I would never open my mouth. I am much too shy. I would be afraid the other students would laugh at me and make fun of my ideas. I prefer to listen to the teacher and memorize the teacher’s ideas.

I hope I can always study in a school where they use the lecture system. I think it is better to continue with what one is used to. I also think that there is a lot of information that I must learn in the most efficient manner possible. I wouldn’t want to interrupt a teacher with my foolish questions.

144 Holidays honor people or events. If you could create a new holiday, what person or event would it honor and how would you want people to celebrate it? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.

October 24 is Union Nations Day. This day is noted in the calendars, but not observed as a holiday around the world. I want the entire world to celebrate the birth of the United Nations because of its attempts to promote peace, education, and health around the world.

Peace is the most important thing that we can have today. The sooner that we can stop war the sooner we can all have better lives. There are countries around the world that have been at war for generations. In some of these countries, UN Peacekeepers have temporarily stopped the violence so people can go about their lives. If this peace could be made lasting, the lives of these citizens would be much richer.

The UN actively works to promote education. Universal literacy is one of its important goals. Every child in the world deserves to know how to read and write. The UN is also involved in job training for adults. The age of information technology demands new job skills. The UN works with continuing education programs around the world so workers are not left out of the job market.

The UN has played an instrumental role in the eradication of smallpox. Polio vaccines and AIDS-awareness programs have also helped reduce the incidence of these diseases. There is a lot to be done in these areas.

Much of the work of the UN is unknown and underappreciated. If we want to live in a peaceful world, where every child can attend school and where every citizen has access to health care, we need to support the work of the UN. We need to recognize its importance and celebrate its birthday.