Discussion text dan Explanation text

Discussion text

The Advantage and Disadvantage of Nuclear Power

Issue

Nuclear power is generated by using uranium which is a metal mined in various part of the world. The first large scale of nuclear power station was opened at Calder Hall in Cumbria, England in 1956.

Supporting Point

Some military ships and submarines have nuclear power plant for engine. Nuclear power produces around 11% of the world's energy needed, and produces huge amounts of energy. It cause no pollution as we would get when burning fossil fuels. The advantages of nuclear plant are as follow:

• It costs about the same coal, so it is not expansive to make.
• It does not produce smoke or carbon dioxide, so it does not contribute to the greenhouse effect.
• It produces huge amounts of energy from small amount of uranium.
• It produces small amount of waste.
• It is reliable.

Contrasting Point

On the other hand, nuclear power is very, very dangerous. It must be sealed up and buried for many years to allow the radioactivity to die away. Furthermore, although it is reliable, a lot of money has to be spent on safety because if it does go wrong, a nuclear accident ca be a major accident.

Conclusion or Recomendation

People are increasingly concerned about this matter. In the 1990's nuclear power was the fastest growing source of power in many parts of the world.

National Exam: Pro and Contra?

 

National exam becomes the hot topic in most of discussions. Though the Supreme Court has rejected an appeal by the go-vernment on the organization of the national exams, the controversy over whether it is necessary to maintain the national exams (UN) has continued. Some debates include the primary questions such as; does the quality of Indonesia education depend on the national exam?, will the quality of the Indonesian education system worsen without natipnal exam?

People, who support the national exam explain that the quality of the Indonesia education system will drop without the national exam, so they try to defend the current system.

Hoever there are people who disagree with the opinion. Those who against this national exam kept in our high school education say that it doesn't need the national exams because the quality of education does not just depend on the national exam. Further, the national exam only measures a small portion of students' competence in specific subjects, and does not measure students' competences throughout the semester.

In fact, the national examination can still be useful as an instrument to evaluate or detect the level of students' cognitive competence in several subjects, on a national scale.

Abortion : Pro And Contra?

Good morning Ladies and Gentlemen,

First of all, I would like to thank the organizing committee for giving me opportunity to say a few words at this seminar. In this occasion, I’d like to speak about ‘Abortion: pro and contra’.

As you see, there has been a great deal of discussion on the problem of abortion in this country. The discussion includes: Is abortion legal or illegal? Is abortion morally justified or not? However, in this discussion I would like to talk from different side.

To begin with, let me say that on one hand abortion is one method of birth control. Let’s look at the fact about the population problem in a country. When a country faces the problems of population explosion, the government should find methods to solve it. But since no method of contraception is one hundred percent effective and successful, abortion becomes the only way out when prevention fails.

On the other hand, abortion may cause many negative effects for women’s health. Women risk their health and lives in bearing the weight of the operation and its consequences. The most common complications are inflammation, interruption of menstrual patterns, infertility, endometriosis, myoma of the uterus, and many other kinds of ovary illnesses.

So far, abortions have become a dilemma for countries with a large number of citizens. On one hand, it can control the birthrate but on the other hand, it brings terrible consequences, especially for women’s health.

Hacking: Pro and Contra?

Do you know what a hacker is? Well, a hacker is a person who enjoys exploring the details of programmable systems on computers and they like to stretch the capability of the systems. And you know what, the activities they do in the computers are called ‘hacking’.

So, what’s the problem with ‘hacking and its hackers’? Well, the problem is whether ‘hacking and its hackers’ is legal or illegal? What I mean is that people in the world have many different views about hacking and the hackers. Some of them take sides, but many object.

To get back to what I was saying previously, let us see the positive points of a hacker, shall we? Although in most places breaking into computer systems is considered illegal, I believe that hackers don’t do anything illegal because they only want to know and try the systems. I dare to say that a hacker likes finding the strengths and the weaknesses of a computer system. They feel proud if they can find the weaknesses. So I don’t really see the crimes in this case. In addition, these hackers sometimes help the police catch the ‘white collar criminals’, such as bank robbers, money launderers, credit card forgers. For example, in 2000, the U.S. hackers caught some Singaporean hackers who made ‘Virus Love’ to break up the programs of the U.S. National Security system.

Nevertheless, those who object to the good points of a hacker say that hacking is a crime. The reason is that some hackers use their brilliant skills to break into banks and other vital institutions where they can get money, destroy information, and the worst thing is they can get secret information and sell it to another country. This is a treachery.

Take for example, in 1994, The U.S. government broke a conspiracy of computer hackers out of Majorca, Spain. These hackers were responsible for accessing and eliminating 190,000 telephone credit card numbers over computer bulletin boards in America and Europe. Seeing this fact, I don’t blame those who think negatively about hackers.

To put the whole thing in a nut shell, I personally think that hackers are not bad people with their brilliant skills. However, they could be bad because of money orientation to get the wealth. That’s just the point.

Nuclear Energy : Advantage Or Disadvanrage

Nuclear energy is commonly offered as an alternative to overcome the crisis of energy. The debate of whether the use of nuclear energy is an appropriate choice has not come to an end. Some people agree with the utilization of it because of its benefits. Some others, however, disagree because of its risks to the environment.

Those who agree with the operation of nuclear reactors usually argue that nuclear energy is the only feasible choice to answer the ever – increasing energy needs. In their opinion, the other sources of energy: oil, coal, and liquid natural gas are not renewable and safe, while nuclear energy can be sustainable when produced in a safe way.

However, people who disagree with the use of nuclear energy point out that the waste of nuclear products can completely destroy the environment and human lives. A meltdown in reactor, for example, usually results in the contamination of the surroundings soil and water. Take for example, the blow up of the nuclear reactor at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Station in Russia twenty years ago. The serious contamination imperiled people and the environment severely.

It is obvious that nuclear energy should be avoided because it really endanger the environment but what about a less polluted energy instead of nuclear energy? Is there any alternative energy to overcome the crisis of energy? 

  

Convenience or Care?

When something issued by someone, we say it has been consumed. We as consumers use many things, both natural and processed. We consume more of the Earth’s resources than other animals do and, as a result, we cause problems for the environment.

Like all animals, we need clean air and water, food and shelter for survival. Unlike other animals, however, we have certain “want”. These are items that are not necessary for our survival, but that we want because they make our lives easier or more enjoyable.

Environments claims that a great deal of waste is created by both the production and the consumption of these items or product. Disposable products, such a pens, take away food containers, plates, shavers and cutlery, are made using the Earth’s resources. When these products are thrown away, the resources are lost.

Another example of waste is the unnecessary packaging on many products. The material is often not recycled and used again.

Throwing thing away also increases pollution. The amount of disposable plastic litter that ends up in waterways is a serious problem. When this waste reaches the oceans, it can kill marine life.

Industrialist counter these arguments with their own point of view. They claim that consumer’s expect to be able to purchase food which is attractively presented, prepackaged to extent its life and easy to store. In a busy society, convenience is a priority. Products which make life easier, era in demand. Industrialist argue that they cater to this perceived need.

Packaging is also big business and provides jobs for many people who might otherwise be unemployed and a burden to society.

Environmentalist declare that for thousands of year, people survived perfectly well with re-usable products. However, people of the twenty-first century have become used to wing in a ‘thrown-away’ society. It is up to each one of us to dispose of waste products carefully, recycle as much as possible and to reduce the stress on our environment. Think when buying pre-packaged goods and consider whether the same products can be bought without the extra wrappings. Let’s make the best of what we have.

Birth Control

Most people agree that some form of family limitation or spacing is desirable for the good of the family and society. But individuals and groups–especially religious groups–differ sharply on the methods of birth control that they consider moral and acceptable.

Couples that practice birth control do so for various reasons. They may want to limit or space their children, or to have no children at all. Young couples often postpone having children so that both partners can work full-time. Other couples space their children so they can give each child as much attention as possible. Some women are advised by their doctors to avoid pregnancy for health reasons. In many countries with rapidly growing populations, the government encourages couples to limit the size of their families.

Even though birth control has gained in acceptance, opposition to the practice is continuous. Some people fear that birth control encourages sexual relations outside marriage or that government might impose birth control. Some religious groups oppose birth control on moral grounds.

Some religious groups teach that artificial methods of birth control are immoral because they separate the two purposes of intercourse in marriage–conjugal love and the procreation of children. Although they oppose all artificial birth control, they consider natural family planning acceptable.

Explanation text

How is a Kite Flying?

A kite is an object which is made from a light material stretched over a frame. Due to its light material a kite will lift off the ground and fly when it is tilted into the wind.

A kite is uses wind to make it fly because it is heavier than air. When wind travels over the surface of the kite, it is split into two streams of air. One stream of the air goes over the kite while the second stream goes under the kite.

The upper stream creates an area of low pressure above the kite. The lower stream hits the kite at a shallow angle and creates an area of high pressure.

The high pressure area has a pushing effect while the low pressure area has a pulling effect. The combination of push and pull can creates enough force to lift the kite into the air.

Kites have been known for thousand of years. They are used for military or scientific purposes. Todays kites are much used for leisure and competition.

Photosynthesis

What is photosynthesis? Photosynthesis is a food-making process that occurs in green plants. It is the chief function of leaves. The word photosynthesis means putting together with light. Green plants use energy from light to combine carbon dioxide and water to make sugar and other chemical compounds.

How is the light used in photosynthesis?

The light used in photosynthesis is absorbed by a green pigment called chlorophyll. Each food-making cell in a plant leaf contains chlorophyll in small bodies called chloroplasts. In chloroplast, light energy causes water drawn form the soil to split into hydrogen and oxygen.

What are the steps of photosynthesis process? Let me tell you the process of photosynthesis, in a series of complicated steps, the hydrogen combines with carbon dioxide from the air, forming a simple sugar. Oxygen from the water molecules is given off in the process. From sugar together with nitrogen, sulphur, and phosporus from the soil-green plants can make starch, fat, protein, vitamins, and other complex compounds essential for life. Photosynthesis provides the chemical energy that is needed to produced these compounds.

How does Rain Happen?

Rain is the primary source of fresh water for most areas of the world, providing suitable conditions for diverse ecosystems, as well as water for hydroelectric power plants and crop irrigation.

The phenomenon of rain is actually a water circle. The concept of the water cycle involves the sun heating the Earth's surface water and causing the surface water to evaporate. The water vapor rises into the Earth's atmosphere. The water in the atmosphere cools and condenses into liquid droplets. The droplets grow until they are heavy and fall to the earth as precipitation which can be in the form of rain or snow.

However, not all rain reaches the surface. Some evaporates while falling through dry air. This is called virga, a phenomenon which is often seen in hot, dry desert regions.

Tsunami

The term of “tsunami” comes from the Japanese which means harbour ("tsu") and wave ("nami"). A tsunami is a series of waves generated when water in a lake or a sea is rapidly displaced on a massive scale.

A tsunami can be generated when the sea floor abruptly deforms and vertically displaces the overlying water. Such large vertical movements of the earth's crust can occur at plate boundaries.

Subduction of earthquakes are particularly effective in generating tsunami, and occur where denser oceanic plates slip under continental plates.

As the displaced water mass moves under the influence of gravity to regain its equilibrium, it radiates across the ocean like ripples on a pond.

Tsunami always bring great damage. Most of the damage is caused by the huge mass of water behind the initial wave front, as the height of the sea keeps rising fast and floods powerfully into the coastal area.

How Venus Eclipse Happens

On May 16, 2010, people in most regions in the world have seen a very rare natural phenomenon. It was Venus eclipse. It was very rare amazing natural event. It was reported that the Venus eclipse will seen again in the future in 2050. Do you know how this rare Venus eclipse happens?

Well, actually Venus eclipse is like Sun eclipse. Venus eclipses occurs when the position of the earth, moon and Venus is parallel. Venus planet will slowly disappear for a moment because it is covered the surface of the Moon. Venus planet seems to move to the back side of the Moon.

The moon and planets are sharing a similar apparent path in the sky. That is why, it is not unusual for the moon to appear to pass close to Venus. In fact, the moon appears somewhere near it about once a month. However, most people don’t see these events because they are visible in the evening sky only half the time, and then only for a short period after sunset. The apparent closeness varies from month to month as well.