Grade 9 Sample Essays

Theme1 : Environment and Natural Disasters
Topic1: Write an expository essay in which you discuss the numerous causes, effects, and possible solutions to eliminate the dangers of global warming.

Sample 1:
Title: Global Warming
I- Thesis Statement: Global Warming has various causes that destroy our planet and lead to numerous lethal effects.
II- Body:
A- The causes of global warming.
1) The greenhouse gases like CO2, CH4, NO2 that are spread into the air and are forming a depletion in the ozone layer.
2) Also, factories that don’t have filters are a main cause of pollution that leads to global warming.
3) Deforestation and cutting trees that make forests disappear and lead to the extinction of certain species. 
B- The effects of global warming.
1) Ice melts in polar caps which leads to the extinction of some species like polar bears and penguins.                               
2) Climatic changes that increase the sea level and that lead to flooding.
3) Natural disasters like tornadoes, tsunamis, hurricanes and many other disasters that destroy our Mother Nature.
C- In brief, we can solve this dangerous problem in different ways.
1) We can use bicycles and other environmental transportation means instead of cars, trucks, buses and others.
 2) We can also decrease the deforestation through cutting less trees and planting more to protect our environment.
III- Conclusion: As a conclusion, global warming is a natural disaster that is destroying our planet and man-kind.

                                                              Global Warming
Global warming is a serious issue that is destroying our planet and man-kind. It has various causes that destroy Earth and lead to numerous dangerous and lethal effects.

Several causes lead to global warming including greenhouse gases, factories, factories without filters and deforestation. The greenhouse gases like CO2, CH4 and NO2 that are spread into the air, form a depletion in the ozone layer and cause a lot of danger on earth. Also, factories that don’t have filters are a main cause of pollution. They increase the concentration of greenhouse gases. Moreover, deforestation and cutting trees make forests disappear and extinct.

All these causes lead to dangerous effects that threaten people and lead to their death. Some of these effects are ice melting, climatic changes, and natural disasters. Ice melts in polar caps lead to the extinction of some species like polar bears and penguins. Also, climatic changes increase in the sea level and that leads to flooding due to the rise in the oceans. Natural disasters like tornadoes, tsunami, hurricanes and many other deadly disasters destroy our Mother Nature.

In brief, we can solve this dangerous and deadly problem in different ways. We can use bicycles and other environmental transportation means instead of cars, trucks, and buses to overcome toxic gases. We can also decrease the deforestation by eliminating the act of cutting trees to protect our environment and planting others to replace the ones we cut through deforestation campaigns.

As a conclusion, global warming is a natural disaster that is destroying our planet and man-kind. As such, people must beware and try their best to overcome and stop global warming to save our planet.                                                                                                      Done by: Amal Maanna 2011-2012

Sample 2:
Title: Destiny of the World
I- Thesis Statement: Global warming has various causes and effects that are endangering our lives, so we must work on some solutions to overcome it.
II- Body:
A-Global warming has many causes that can be split into two groups, natural causes and man-made causes.
1-Natural causes are water vapor and release of methane gas from wet lands.
2-Man-made causes are polluted gases, unfiltered factories, burning fossil fuels
3- Deforestation and green-house gases.
B-Those causes lead to many effects.
1-Witnessing extinction of some species
2-Having climatic changes and melting of ice caps in the North Pole
3-Suffering from natural disasters
C-People should work on solving this problem
1- Planting trees (reforestation campaigns)
2- Eliminating unnecessary urbanization
3- Producing energy in scientific ways
4- Forcing factories on using filters
5- Using environmental friendly vehicles (using solar energy)
6- Build shelters for animals
III- Conclusion: In brief, people should do their best to overcome this massive disaster and to decrease its causes because this way all of us would be able to live in peace and in a clean and beautiful world because the destination of the world is between our hands.

                                                             Destiny of the World

    The world is facing a massive disaster that is endangering the future of mankind. This disaster is global warming. Global warming has various causes and effects that are endangering our lives, so we must work on some solutions to overcome it.
    Global warming has many causes that can be split into two groups, natural causes and man-made causes. Natural causes are the ones caused by nature like water vapor and the release of methane gas from wetlands. However, the man-made causes are more dangerous than the natural ones. And they are presented by polluted gases like carbon dioxide (CO2) which is released from unfiltered factories, and burning of fossil fuels. Another man-made cause is deforestation which leads to the extinction of some species. Moreover, green-house gases are the gases that escalate global warming the most, and they are presented by CO2 and CFCs.
    Those causes lead to many effects such as extinction of some species, climatic changes and natural disasters. First of all, they lead to the extinction of some species like Pandas due to the melting of ice caps. Another effect is climatic changes, which include freezing winters and warm summers. Moreover, natural disasters took place in many countries like Japan. Japan had been devastated by earthquakes and tornadoes. All these effects and many others put our Earth’s future on stake.
    People should work on solving this problem, or we would never be able to overcome it. And those solutions include planting trees instead of cutting them through reforestation campaigns and eliminating unnecessary urbanization, producing energy in a scientific way instead of burning fossil fuels, forcing factories to use filters which will help in decreasing the amount of CO2 gas, using environment friendly vehicles, and building shelters for animals .
   In brief, people should do their best to overcome this massive disaster and to decrease its causes because this way, all of us will be able to live in peace and in a clean and beautiful world since the destiny of the world is between our hands.

                                                                                           Done by Sara Shibly 2011-2012

Topic 2: Write a well-structured essay in which you recall a natural disaster that you witnessed or heard of and the devastation it led to.

Sample 1:                                                    An Earthquake

      An earthquake is when two tectonic plates slide over each other thus causing the earth to shake. When I was 11 years old, I experienced the largest earthquake that hit Lebanon. In May of 2001, Lebanon experienced massive earthquakes causing the annihilation of many buildings.
     It all started when I was lying on the floor watching cartoon late at night, while my parents and brother were asleep. I suddenly heard a noise that sounded like a bomb blasting our fragile earth and planes crashing down killing many innocent people. So, I quickly got up off the floor scared and frightened like a cat being washed against its will.
    I quickly went outside to witness this catastrophe that happened. So, as I was looking at the road, I noticed this huge crack in the middle of the street spreading throughout the street into horizon. Then, I turned to the left and saw that the building was shattered and destroyed to the ground.
       After half an hour, an ambulance and the fire fighters arrived to our neighborhood to help. In the half an hour that took the authorities to reach our neighborhood, people were trying to save and help our helpless friends and neighbors. After all this , there were few injuries but, thank God, no one died .
      In conclusion, the extreme power of nature left behind a negative impact on all our neighbors after the earthquake. It all happened in 2001, but until this day, though everything has become normal and all the minor injuries have healed, no one will ever forget that quake that shook us all and drove us out of our wits.
                                                                                                        Done by Natalie Shhaitli 2011-2012


                                                         Sample 2 Surviving a Tsunami
    Extreme powers of nature leave their negative impact on almost all aspects of life. It was a hot summer day. My sister, cousins, and I were so bored and feeling hot, so we decided to go to the beach for a swim. It was 9:00 am when we packed our things, and we were ready to go.
    On our way there, the weather seemed to change a little. We felt a cold breeze of air twice, yet still the weather was flaming hot. In half an hour we reached our destination.
     We took our shoes off and walked across the sandy beach to find a good place to sit. We couldn’t beat the sand beneath our feet that seemed like burnt coal, so we threw our stuff from our hands and rushed towards the cool water. We swam, splashed and so we sat in a row on the light carpet I had brought with me. We sat with our backs facing the ocean, except for my older sister who sat across us. While we were eating, a sudden cool breeze came once again, and that time the sun hid behind the clouds. I noticed a weird look on my sister’s face. She was speechless, her eyes popped out, and also her mouth, wide full of food. She spat what was in her mouth and yelled, “Wave!!!!!!!” A high wave was coming toward the shore; it needed about a couple of minutes to reach us. We ran as all people were running up to the highway. We all split and everyone went into a direction. The wave arrived the shore and swapped everything on it. My heart beat doubled. After the situation calmed down, we called each other, and we started looking around us as the water rushed across the land it swept away along with trees garden, buildings, cars, and other man made equipment. Boats have often been hurled into the sky and iron parking meters have been bent to the ground. The water has left a trail of destruction that looks like an enormous bomb has exploded in the area.
    It was the most horrifying experiences of my life. I was scared that I might not see my parents or relatives again. Mother Nature always reminds us how powerful it is, and we can’t predict when it might give a visit.
                                                                                                          Done by Reem Daher 2011-2012

Sample 3
Writing Prompt: Earthquakes / Disaster ReliefThink of any disaster that you have been part of or learned about. Write a composition of 150-200 words to narrate the event and the consequences it led to. Provide a suitable title and an outline to your composition.  
[Score: 02 for outline and title, 03 for ideas, and 03 for language].    

                                                           A Mishap to Remember

     “The thing that a lot of people cannot comprehend is that Mother Nature doesn't have a bullet with your name on it; she has millions of bullets inscribed with 'to whom it may concern.” Every action has an opposite and equal reaction. If one bears this in mind as he dumps his venomous wastes into his earth, rivers, and seas, excessively burns fossil fuels for his personal use and transportation increasing the rate of greenhouse gases, cuts off trees for unnecessary urbanization leading to deforestation, and experiments chemical weapons wherever and whenever possible, perhaps Mother Nature’s rage and wrath would be by far less. Perhaps then human beings are less likely to face natural phenomena that would shake their existence and lead to their impending doom. They would not know any of the famous fatal names of storms, earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, and volcanic eruptions. However, people tend to turn deaf ears to all raising awareness campaigns and end up bearing the consequences of their deeds against Mother Nature. I still remember the day I witnessed nature’s wrath on us, dodged death and lived to tell its story.
      At the age of fifteen, I had experienced the trauma and ordeal of living through one of Mother Nature's most notorious disasters. The earthquake I witnessed showed me that life is erratic and random and should be intensely cherished. I was sitting with a group of friends in a café at that day.
      As we were heading downtown, I remember noticing what a picturesque and tranquil day it was, resembling the calm before the storm. As we stepped off the bus, we immediately headed to the entrance of the café. We sat near the exit and made our order a few minutes before sensing mild tremors. In the past I had experienced voluminous and massive tremors, but due to my lack of understanding, I considered them mild disturbances. I still recall the head chef’s words, "Please do not be startled. It is only a tremor ". However, as soon as the chef finished his statement, the tremor turned into a catastrophic earthquake.
      It felt like the ground underneath is having seizures, shivering with vigorous and forceful strength. Reaction was almost impossible due to shock, and we could not move because it felt like the ground underneath is threatening to gobble us if we do. As one of my friends led me to the exit, we struggled along with others who were fighting to escape and flee through the small exit, but no one was succeeding. I felt like we were destined to stay inside and remember thinking that my life was about to end and praying to God for rescue and salvation. Once the earthquake stopped, we were pushed by the mob of people towards the exit. As we stepped out, ironically, the first person we saw at the exit was the head chef that had, a few moments ago, said everything would be fine. After helping the traumatized people around us, my friends and I decided to head back to the apartment.
      On our way there, continuously haunted by the aftershocks, we saw the people in the streets in shock and buildings on the ground either entirely or partially destroyed. The streets had been torn in the middle, opening up the earth, hence giving an impression of a war zone. When we finally arrived, we discovered that most of the building had collapsed and that we had been lucky to escape with our life intact. We gathered with a group of people outside. No one thought it was safe to go inside any of the buildings though. We contemplated staying at one of our friend’s home, but we decided it would be better to stay in the streets due to the danger surrounding us.
      In the morning, we decided to get our things and some belongings since we would be staying in my friend's house. We walked up the stairs with much trepidation and fear. As we stepped inside the apartment, we found that only a few things had fallen on the floor, so we took what we came for and headed out as fast as our feet could carry us to safe ground. When I finally sat down, all my thoughts circulated around the events of the previous day. It was quite an experience to have evaded death that day. I realized that nature can't be controlled and that Mother Nature doesn’t forgive.
                                                                                    Done by: Miss Batoul Ali Saad

Writing Prompt 4: Pollution is one of the dilemmas that people need to overcome for the safety of their upcoming generations. Write a well-structured essay in which you discuss two of its major causes and effects.

Beware It

         "Pollution is the forerunner of perdition". This quote asserts and implies that pollution is a serious threat to the health and well-being of all living things. Pollution is the biggest menace to the human race on this planet today. Through destroying, wrecking, and demolishing all the means of living, the existence of man and nature will be hampered. Pollution has a lot of faces for it can destroy air, water, and land by a blink of an eye. As such one must beware the causes of such a disaster and its effects. Pollution is an inevitable outcome of people’s misuse of natural resources and governments’ irresponsibility which could lead to health problems and environmental degradation.

         Pollution is an inevitable outcome of human beings’ misuse of Mother Nature. To begin with, humans are misusing and exploiting their mother nature through excessively cutting off trees for urbanization and daily use leading to deforestation and soil erosion and unduly burning fossil fuels; hence, triggering an upsurge in the emission of greenhouse gases like CFCs, CO2, and methane and causing an escalation in the depletion of the ozone layer and intensification of the soon to come global warming. They are overly burning coal which causes the release of smoke from chimneys, factories, vehicles, or burning of wood and sulfur dioxide into the air making it toxic and leading to global warming, drought everywhere, and acid rain. Moreover, overgrazing would certainly spiral desertification and deforestation. Dumping industrial wastes and Oil spills into the rivers and other water bodies can cause an imbalance in the water leading to its severe contamination and death of aquatic species while spraying insecticides and pesticides like DDT in plants pollutes the ground water system. Moreover, dumping toxic wastes and unwanted chemicals in the land would certainly lead to all kinds of pollution and affect the ecosystem.

           Yet another lethal cause behind pollution is governments’ lack of concern and responsibility. Due to the sensitivity of the problem in hand, clearly a vast amount of anti-pollution activity should be taking place, innumerable solutions should be suggested and implemented, and optimum control standards should be set. However, governments worldwide don’t seem to be doing a good job at that, for protective laws and legislations are not being set and, if set, aren’t being imposed and followed up. Factories that dump their toxic wastes and their oil spills are being let off the hook instead of being sued, state forests and other natural reserves are being violated on a regular basis without holding anyone responsible for cutting off trees or burning them down, and industrial unit that discard toxic wastes in land are not being stopped or fined for such deeds. This is all due to governmental greed and irresponsibility. Many politicians and especially those in power are ruled by the interests of big businesses and other global players. Greed and selfishness seem to be rife and prevalent in the world. As such, some of the parliamentary figures are being bribed into covering up for attempts at turning their counties’ land and water into a dumpster for toxic wastes and oil spills. Recycling isn’t being closely followed up, factories without filters aren’t being charged, and projects that aim at shifting to environment friendly vehicles aren’t being supported and implemented. As such, pollution is ever-increasing, threatening planet earth and human race.

            What is worse than the cause is the deadly effect, and one of the hazardous effects of pollution is encountering severe health problems and ailments. It goes without being said that air pollution leads to several respiratory problems, asthma, lung cancer, chest pain, congestion, throat inflammation, and cardiovascular diseases. Noise pollution, on the other hand, leads to hearing loss, stress and sleep disturbance. And water pollution may pose skin related problems including skin irritations and rashes.

        Environmental degradation is another detrimental effect of pollution. To begin with, the increase in the amount of CO2 leads to smog which restricts sunlight from reaching the earth, hence preventing plants in the process of photosynthesis. Moreover, gases like Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide would cause acid rain. In addition to that, water pollution in terms of Oil spill may lead to death of several wildlife species. As such, pollution is doomed to cause an overall lack of balance in the ecosystem.

     As a conclusion, “The thing that a lot of people cannot comprehend is that Mother Nature doesn’t have a bullet with your name on it; she has millions of bullets inscribed with ‘to whom it may concern.” is a quote that best portrays the fact that humanity is digging its own grave, for mother nature doesn’t forgive. Nature’s wrath and rage is soon to reveal itself unless people and governments start acting wisely and set standards to limit pollution and surmount its effects.

                                                                               Done by: Miss Btoul Ali Saad

Writing Prompt 5: Air pollution is threatening the human race's safety. Write a well-structured cause/effect essay in which you tackle the causes and effects of air pollution.

                                                       A Breath of Our Impurity

         "Pollution is the forerunner of perdition". This quote asserts and implies that pollution is a serious, sincere, and crucial threat to the health and well-being of all living things. Pollution is the biggest menace to the human race on this planet today. Through destroying, wrecking, and demolishing all the means of living, the existence of man and nature will be hampered. Pollution has a lot of faces for it can destroy air, water, and land by a blink of an eye. It is significant to note that air pollution has a lot of causes such as burning fossil fuels and coal, the use of petroleum, and the exhaustion from combustion engines. In addition to that, it has hazardous, perilous, and risky effects like respiratory problems, depletion of the ozone layer, and the emission of greenhouse gases.
 
        Air pollution is the inevitable outcome of a lot of causes such as using fossil fuels and coal, expending petroleum, and excessively using combustion engines. To begin with, air pollution can be caused by the use of coal and fossil fuels, for factories, power-generating establishments, offices, and even homes utilize fossil fuel and coal for power or heat. Though it’s beneficial, burning coal and fossil fuels contributes to air pollution and smog. Moreover, petroleum is the driving force behind vehicles; however, this helpful substance is a major contributor to global air pollution. Petroleum releases carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide into air which, when inhaled, can lead to ailments. In addition to that, exhaustion from combustion engines is one of the reasons behind air pollution. Add to that the fact that while modes of transportation such as cars, ships, and planes have made people's lives easier, they are also some of the biggest causes of air pollution.

      Such a cataclysmic problem is deemed to embody some deadly and risky effects like respiratory problems and depletion of the ozone layer. First, pollution can affect humanity, for the emission of greenhouse gases can harm human beings by causing lung cancer and chest pain. Another clout effect is the depletion of the ozone layer which technically protects the earth from the ultraviolet rays of the sun. It also gives way to the production of smog, which is a major cause behind a variety of lung problems.

    Earth is everybody's home and nobody likes to live in a dirty home. Of all change swirling among us, those that affect the natural environment seem to hold the most serious consequence on human life. From a long period of time, people have been polluting the earth surface, but because of earth's own ability to absorb and purify minor qualities of pollutants, the problem has been minimal. But what would happen when it can no longer do so?
 
                                                                               Done by:Nour Raya  Grade 9"A"  2013-2014

Sample 6: Persuasive Essay about Preparedness for Natural Disasters 

 Alert Today, Alive Tomorrow 

     “We can’t stop natural disaster but wen can arm ourselves with knowledge: so many lives wouldn’t have to be lost if there was enough disaster preparedness.” This quote highlights the importance of being prepared to combat natural disasters. A natural disaster is a major adverse event resulting from natural processes of the earth, such as earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, cyclones and other geographical processes. A natural disaster kills, destroys, damages properties and steals loved ones and family members and typically leaves many other catastrophic effects resulting from lack of preparedness and knowledge. Unfortunately, people are often unconscious of the devastating effects of natural disasters and how savage they can be, which could make things much worse; thus, people should be better prepared for any natural disaster or phenomenon. People should seriously take the idea of making preparations and getting ready for any sudden natural disaster to avoid its plethora of savage impacts including psychological, social and health effects.

 

    One considerable reason why people should make preparations for natural disasters is to dodge the psychological effects resulting from natural disasters such as post traumatic disorder and fear. To begin with, disasters are mostly  unpredictable , which leaves the victims in a state of shock due to loss of loved ones and damaged properties. The victims tend to deny the loss and try to escape from reality, but they still feel that they are in a state of insecurity because their sense of security, attachment and belongingness has received a major blow. Second, natural disasters create an enormous amount of stress and anxiety for survivors leading to a high sense of fear. After having experienced the loss of family members and properties, including one’s home, survivors of natural disasters might have nightmares and  worry excessively about  safety. They might even have strong physical reactions like trouble in breathing  when reminded of the disaster they’ve survived.

 

     Another reason to be well-prepared for a natural disaster is to avoid the social effects one might bring about, such as poverty and drug addiction. First, poverty is a menacing aftermath of a natural disaster after having lost crops and sources of income like companies and shops; as such, people would suffer from malnutrition due to disruptions in food, damaged crops and loss of one’s source of income. People may not be able to buy food supplies due to rise in prices, which makes people go hungry and possibly die if the problem wasn’t  solved. Moreover, the overwhelming feelings of anxiety, shock, depression, and fear that survivors of natural disasters are barraged with might lead to the frequent use of drugs, especially among teenagers, to numb such feelings and to forget the experience. For example, people who have lost everything in a natural disaster, whether their home or family, might use drugs as a solution for overthinking or suicidal thoughts.

 

     Yet another reason to prepare for a natural disaster is to try to limit or avoid the horrid health and physical effects that might result from one,  such as death and maladies. Natural disasters destroy entire buildings and crush many homes and bones leaving behind it thousands of dead and crashed bodies and dangerous cases of injuries,  including victims of heart attacks. Since natural disaster dangers are difficult to detect, being better prepared could help diminish casualties and victims. People would know dangers zones to evacuate them; hence there would be less casualties and deaths reported, not to mention that more lives can be saved from the repercussions of these deaths, including suicide after having lost a loved one or death from an overdose while trying to forget such a loss. Furthermore, because of the contaminated water and poisoned food and poverty after the disaster people are exposed to  ailments and maladies such as poisoning,  problems in the immune system and gastric problems or even respiratory problems. These diseases might be dangerous and fatal, so countries should increase preparedness and awareness to avoid the leakage of floods and debris into underground water systems and to avoid anything that would pose future threats to humans’ health and safety.

 

      In a nutshell, failing to prepare is preparing to fail , for preparedness is the only way to combat natural disasters and limit their traumatizing and dreadful effects. People have to keep in mind the catastrophic aftermath that a natural disaster brings about, including psychological, social, and health effects as an incentive to be ready and prepared for any natural disaster. This might not reduce fear and anxiety, but would undoubtedly eliminate some of the losses that accompany a disaster and minimize its impacts .

 

Aya Zein

2SA 2022

Sample 7: Problem-solution Essay about Natural Disasters 

Natural Disasters: A Cry For Help

        “We Cannot stop natural disasters, but we can arm ourselves with knowledge: So many lives wouldn’t have to be lost if there was enough disaster preparedness”. This quote sheds light on the significance of armoring ourselves from the inevitable danger of being a target for natural disasters. Natural disasters are unpredictable events that show no mercy on their victims. They destroy, ruin, kill, and displace aimlessly, leaving a  trail of dark deadly ruins behind. These disasters are caused by nature, but they also harm nature itself. These catastrophes cause a plethora of problems for the environment, societies and people. Some of these problems that require serious and immediate measures vary between economic, physical and psychological problems.

 

  To begin with, some of the economic problems that are caused by natural disasters and require immediate solutions are loss of crops and loss of infrastructure. The first economic problem inflicted by natural disasters is the loss of crops which occurs when these disasters destroy fields containing large amounts of goods and much-needed crops, and pollute the water used to help these crops grow, which kills the nutrients that are necessary for harvest growth. As a result, this loss reduces farmers’  income and their ability to feed their families. This also negatively affects the economy of the country. The second problem is loss of infrastructure since industrial facilities and critical infrastructures are vulnerable to the impact of natural disasters as they destroy capital assets, houses, schools, factories, roads and bridges, especially if the disaster is of a high magnitude. This loss hinders development, leads to economic loss and lessens productivity and growth of a country. These problems require serious measures, including shifting to cropping systems that are less water dependent, planting crops that withstand dryness, and adopting updated buildings with higher standards and robust materials in order to protect the infrastructure.

 

   Another category of problems caused by natural disasters and that requires immediate solutions is the physical one which includes death and casualties and widespread of maladies and ailments. Death and casualties are the main aftermath of each natural disaster, that is the outcome of the lack of preparation and safety measures and precautions, in addition to the poor lifestyle and poorly constructed buildings and houses, leading the people living in them to be more exposed to death and injuries. Also, high density population in a country would definitely lead to an increase in the number of loss. Some of the effects of this problem include the emotional impacts on the families which could lead to serious mental problems. Another health problem is the widespread of diseases as a result of the release of toxic and dangerous gases after a disaster. Moreover, the substantial population displacement in overcrowded shelters leads to this widespread. These ailments and maladies would definitely raise the number of deaths especially during the disaster if there were no hospitals or medics to treat ill people. Some of the required solutions include the preparedness of people in the face of these catastrophes by gaining knowledge, following orders, and staying alarmed. Government officials should also raise awareness, and to prevent the widespread of diseases, people should wear masks and protect themselves.

 

   Yet another category of problems resulting from natural disasters is the psychological one, which includes Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, depression, and anxiety. PTSD is one of the most common problems that are caused by natural disasters, and it results from being exposed to such a traumatic event and being unable to move on, especially if the person lost a loved one. It affects the patients leading them to have intense and disturbing thoughts, feelings and flashbacks related to this specific event, and to have constant fear and sadness. Depression and anxiety are another very common problem that is caused, similarly to PTSD, by going through a traumatic experience and facing emotional shock after losing a family member or a loved one. It results in suicide and other health problems including cardiac problems and digestive disorders. To avoid having any of these problems, one should be emotionally and mentally prepared for a disaster, and in case of having any, therapy would be the best solution alongside relaxation techniques, meditation and specific exercises.

     In a nutshell, natural disasters are catastrophic events that leave huge problems behind, including economic, physical and psychological ones which should be solved immediately. These disasters are brutal hits by Mother Nature to the unforgiving humanity. They are a cry for help from nature to stop its agonizing pain which is caused by the cruelty of humans. There is no shadow of doubt that natural disasters are not only natural but also man-made.

Sara Wehbe

2SA 2022

Sample 8:  Problem-Solution Essay (Natural Disasters: Causes, Effects, and Possible Solutions)

Natural Disasters: Emergency Sirens Going Off

“Natural disasters occur when our planet uses nature to attend to an agonizing itch”. This quote emphasizes on the suffering and misery that humans are causing to our planet and home the earth. Natural disasters  are phenomena that represent a wake up call to humans to warn them that they should stop messing with the earth. These disasters are cruel and brutal; they can destroy a whole city, with no hesitation or mercy, leaving nothing but death and wreckage behind. They are monstrous attacks drawing ash and blood. Natural disasters are either caused by nature or manmade, and they have a plethora of negative effects that should be solved immediately. Immediate and serious measures should be taken, in order to lessen the effects of these disasters including the physical and social ones, caused by nature and humans.

   To begin with, natural disasters are an outcome of nature itself and a reaction to some human activities. Nature, through natural disasters, communicates  with humans that are  unfortunately still unable to receive the message to put a stop to their harmful acts against the environment. These disasters are major catastrophic events with atmospheric, geological and hydrological origins such as droughts, storms and heatwaves; these are some environmental factors that could trigger a natural disaster. Nevertheless, human actions are the flame that puts up the fire, through being irresponsible and inconsiderate towards  nature, not knowing that nature users the Uno reverse card on them.  Growing population requires increasing agricultural activity, so humans choose to cut trees in order to create suitable lands, increasing the risk of deforestation which triggers natural disasters as a result of climate change and rise in temperature which would lead to extreme weather conditions and heat waves.

   As an impact of the previously mentioned causes, nature responds in a rather tragic way to the cruelty of humans by impacting their lives physically and socially through its natural disasters. First of all, death and casualties are the most common outcome of natural disasters, especially in overpopulated places, as people will either pass away or at least get injured because of the force of the disaster. Also, survivors of these disasters are most likely to suffer from some unexplained physical symptoms such as fatigue, muscle pain, dizziness and gastric troubles. Moreover, some of the social effects include poverty and homelessness since after a disaster, houses, buildings, factories and companies would definitely be destroyed and damaged, so survivors face a lot of difficulties after losing their homes and jobs, causing a great increase in the percentage of poverty and homelessness. And  in order for people to survive, they tend to steal and maybe kill to protect themselves, leading to an upsurge in the cases of theft and crimes.

   In the light of all the unfortunate crises, it is but urgent to find a way out of all this dark hole and seek the light at the end of the tunnel, so some measures should be taken. People should be well prepared mentally and physically for a natural disaster, by seeking information through reading, social media, TV and the radio, in order to be able to survive such a catastrophe with the least damage possible. They should also stock up non-perishable food, water and medicine in unreachable places, plus having a first aid-kit to treat minor injuries. Government officials and NGOs members could also play an important role, by building awareness campaigns to spread knowledge and enlighten people about what they could face in such situations.

   In a  nutshell, natural disasters are both natural and manmade , showing no mercy to people and causing drastic changes to occur in their lives in the physical and social fields. These crises can turn people’s lives upside down, leaving them barely hanging on the edge of the cliff when their one and only savior is themselves. That’s why preparedness is a must, and can save so many innocent and pure souls from facing death and its severity. And as Santosh Kalwar once said, “Nobody can stop natural disasters; we are the cause and we are the remedy”.

 

Sara Wehbe

2SA 2022

Theme 2: Self-confidence / Perseverance / Determination / Will Power

Topic 1: Write a well-structured essay in which you discuss how you or someone you know proved the importance of self-confidence in achieving goals and targets, tackling and overcoming obstacles, and even fighting discrimination.
  Sample 1:                                          Nothing Is Impossible
        A man, as a basic rule, owes very little to what he was born with. A man is what he makes of himself. Some people were born with little resources, but with their wit, distinguished character, and ambition they became an example to follow for others. Da Silva, the former Brazilian president, is a living example for such a person.
     Da Silva commonly referred to simply as “Lula,” was born to poor parents. There was little time or money for young Lula to get an education, and he was working in the streets as a shoeshine boy and street vendor before he was in his teens. Later, as he worked in an industrial factory, he became exceedingly involved in the movement of unionizing the workers. Due to his natural leader charisma, he rose quickly in the ranks of the union leadership and learned that the true path to fair treatment for workers was through political power.
  Lula started his political life as the president of the workers’ party which was very popular among the worker class. He shared in formal political life as a member in the congress, and after three failures, when running for the elections; he at last became the president of Brazil in the year 2002. Lula is known for being a remarkable president, allowing Brazilian industry to prosper while taking steps towards combating and fighting Brazil’s legendary poverty.
   Could anyone imagine that Lula the shoeshine boy might become the president of the country? Anyhow Lula and people like him teach us to hang on to our dreams and who knows what the future would bring to us?

                                                                                                          Done by Reem Ahmad 2011-2012

Sample 2:                                                  Key to Success
        Where there is a will there is a way. When self-confidence activates, man becomes powerful. This means that a handicap doesn't hamper man's motion in life or hinder his progress. Zack, our next door neighbor, is the best presentation of the importance of self-confidence in shaping one’s life.
    Zack is a good example of self-confidence, he is handicapped. To illustrate more, he is blind. However, his blindness doesn't constitute an impediment in front of his achieving a high position as well as gaining respect and love.
      Zack was born blind, and his parents let him join school like other students. Though blind, he was excellent and remarkable. He always rejected any different treatment between him and his colleagues and requested an equal treatment as well as equal expectations. His teachers always praised his pre-imminence and sent his parents evaluation cards. Whenever he needed anything in his studies, he used to ask his teachers or his classmates.
     When he was 15, he was able to prove himself at school as well as in society and gained love and respect from the elders and his fellows. He used to help his friends at school and the neighborhood. In the secondary classes, Zack was thought to be a graduate. His intelligence was outstanding. Many teachers thought that he should be at the university rather than the secondary school. It was not a surprise that he was considered a miracle at college. Zack continued his way of success till he became a great physician. Once he was asked, ''How could you achieve that and you are sightless?'' He replied, ‘Fellow, it only demands your self-confidence, and life becomes very easy.”
     In conclusion, where there is a will, there is a way. All what one needs to achieve his goals in life and face his hardships is self-confidence and determination. You have to believe in yourself if you want others to believe in you.
                                                                                                   Done by: Natalie Shihaitly 2011-2012

Sample 3:                                                Self-confidence Is a Must          
           Johann Wolfgang once said, “As soon as you trust yourself you will know how to live”. Self-confidence is a necessary element in anyone’s life, as it gives hope and self-esteem to reach life’s goals. An example of a self-confident person is Robert Schlienz.
         Schlienz lost his arm at the age of six, but that didn’t stop him from playing his favorite sport which is football. Robert ignored all the negative remarks from coaches and peers and trained hard. After that, he signed up for Stuttgart’s youth team where all players made fun of him. He believed in his abilities and went on to become a successful football player scoring 143 goals and winning many cups.
             In conclusion, “A successful person is one who can lay a firm foundation others throw at him”, as David Brinkly said. Therefore, self-confidence is a main part in achieving our goals.                                           

                                                                                                 Done by Mohamad Fawaz 2012-2013

Sample 4:                                              A Miracle Can Be Attained
        Life is overloaded with obstacles and hindrances that would try to knock people down and paralyze their ability and willingness to strive and seek what they aim for in life. However, one should try to surmount such deterrents and strive, seek, fight, and never yield before achieving their goals and dreams. To attain this and surmount difficulties, self-confidence, determination, strong will, and perseverance should be one’s close friend and ally. Wilma Rudolph is one of those who were able to overcome the difficulties of life with her determination and self-confidence.
       Wilma was a girl that had a paralyzed leg caused by polio. She was curious to beat the sickness and to compensate what she missed in her childhood. She went to school on her wheel chair to watch her friends playing basketball and concentrated on every step they did. Her mother took her to the hospital and doctors took good care of her. They advised her to do daily exercises to have the ability to walk. She practiced and trained every day and didn’t give up to her sickness. She didn’t even let her sickness block her way in life. Wilma Rudolph started walking better until she had the ability to run. The college coach encouraged her to win a full scholarship to college and helped her share in championships and win. She had the ability to concentrate, and this ability was important because it helped her put all her efforts into winning again.
      Wilma became a big runner who challenged and faced many people in running. She became the fastest woman in the world, and she won many gold medals
       In conclusion, it is Wilma’s determination and persistence that helped her face life and achieve her goals. As such, people should be aware of the importance of self-confidence, determination, perseverance, and strong will in achieving success in life, tackling and overcoming obstacles and hindrances, and strengthening them so as to no longer be vulnerable to criticism and discrimination.
                                                                                 Done by: Kassem Ayyash 2012-2013


Topic 2: “Where  there’s a will, there’s a way.” is a saying that refers to the importance of will, determination, and perseverance in aiming at goals and achieving them and facing any obstacle or hindrance that might face one throughout his life. Write a well-structured essay in which you elaborate this through someone who proved this to be true.

Sample 1:                                               Benjamin Franklin          
      Where  there's a will, there's a way. This is how a person can attain a prosperous life. It is through determination, strong will, and perseverance, which are the main elements in achieving success that one can seek and achieve. Benjamin Franklin is one of those persons who worked hard to have what he owes to.
        Benjamin Franklin, through hard work and perseverance, transformed himself into a philosopher, diplomat, inventor, writer, and scientist. Franklin’s contributions and ideas significantly encouraged major progress in the development of his country and improvements that continue to affect society. He showed that with a strong desire and honest and hard work anything is possible. Unlike most politicians, he was a common person. He is also a hero in that he symbolizes hope and possibilities for many Americans. However, Franklin was not a perfect human being, and for that reason, some believe that his face should not grace the $100 bill. His legacy is undeniably a major part in history and as one of the key “founding fathers” to his society.
Franklin moved from Boston to Philadelphia in search of a better place to stay and for his exploration. He is known for going “from rags to riches” from achieving many jobs and contributing to the colonies as a way to give back to the community. He became the first person to open a public library in Philadelphia in hopes of helping more people to educate themselves. Later, he established a fire company, developed a hospital and many useful things that are still with us today.
     In my opinion, Franklin was a man of his time. So I believe it’s hypocritical to suggest that Franklin should no longer be on the bill but his many positive contributions and will more than make up for his human shortcomings.
                                                                                            Done by: Reem Daher 2011-2012


Topic 3: They say that self-confidence is a must for a life full of achievements, success, and wellbeing, yet excessive self-confidence could have devastating effects. Write a well-structured essay in which you discuss the advantages of self-confidence.

Sample 1:

Tools of Survival

    “Perseverance is great element of success. If you only knock long enough and loud enough at the gate, you are sure to wake up somebody.” This quote asserts and alludes that perseverance is critical and vital in one’s attempt to attain a thriving and flourishing life. However, perseverance cannot be achieved unless one is armed with self-confidence. Self-esteem is essential since it assists in achieving goals, strengthens one against mockery and discrimination, and aids one while countering and combating adversities and predicaments.

    To begin with, one of the major reasons why self-confidence is vital in one’s life is that it assists in achieving goals. It goes without saying that self-assurance gives one the surge to pursue and seek his aims and dreams, for unless one believes in his potentials and capability to attain whatever he aims for, he will not have the courage and will to claim them. Moreover, self-confidence urges one to persevere and persist. Triumph doesn’t come easily; its path is often bumpy. As such, one would come across some hindrances that might impede and foil his progress. As long as one is armed with self-esteem and has faith in his ability to reach his ultimate goals eventually, these adversities won’t prevail since he would persevere and strive till he surmounts these obstacles.

    Another reason why self-confidence is important is that it strengthens one against mockery and discrimination. Self-assurance makes one hold his ground and stand up for himself. In order to defend oneself against segregation or apartheid and scornful or disparaging attitudes from friends and society members, one should exploit his self-confidence and his belief in himself and what he is truly made of, for as the saying goes, “Man, as a general rule, owes very little to what he is born with. A man is what he makes of himself.” As such, one would persist till he proves them wrong and overcome their prejudices. In addition to that, self-esteem helps one face mockery in an aloof and indifferent manner. For instance, it is rather arduous to provoke, infuriate and aggravate a person who believes in himself and what he truly is. This type of people would never pick up the gauntlet, start a fray or quarrel, commit rash, ludicrous and idiotic behavior, or whine and weep when mocked.

    Furthermore, self-confidence is vital and highly significant since it aids one while facing predicaments and obstacles. To begin with, it boosts one’s belief in his ability to combat and counter obstacles without yielding or giving up, for unless one has faith in himself and his capacities or capabilities, he will not be able to fight and surmount adversities and mishaps that might try to hinder his progress in life. Once one believes in his ability to overcome any obstacle be it physical, mental, financial or emotional, his self-esteem will urge him and instigate his desire to fight back rather than give up and yield. It would force him to strive to overcome his dilemmas and reach a more thriving, flourishing and fruitful life, for he’d be aware of the fact that a smooth sea never made a skillful sailor. A good example to that is Nick Vujicic, a limbless man, who overcame his physical disability, pursued his higher education, graduated, established his own motivational organization, and built himself a jovial marital life.

    As a conclusion, self-confidence is a cornerstone in one’s attempt to weave himself a thriving future, a promising life, and an everlastingly ecstatic and triumphant existence because it aids one while trying to achieve goals, fortifies one against mockery and inequity and helps one while countering predicaments and mishaps. As such, one should embrace self-esteem as though his whole existence depends on it.

Miss Batoul Saad and students of Grade 9 J

    

Sample 2:

Self-confidence

        “You can’t stop the waves but you can learn how to surf.” This quote asserts and implies that a person cannot just give up and concede for one chasm and gap that would impede and hinder the long risqué and appalling road, but he should surmount and tackle to achieve what he aims for by clutching to self-confidence and assurance. As such, self-confidence is important in one’s life since it stimulates him to strive to achieve his goals, strengthens him against criticism, and enables him to believe in himself and tackle obstacles.

      To begin with, one of the innumerable advantages of self-confidence is that it stimulates people to strive and persevere to achieve their goals and aims in life. Self-assurance motivates and encourages a person to persist in order to approach his target in life and what he aims for in the future. For example, when a person has enough self-assurance and self-confidence, he will persevere and strive in order to approach every star he’s working to attain.
      “Don't be distracted by criticism. Remember - the only taste of success some people have is when they take a bite out of you.” is a quote that shows another importance for self-assurance that is strengthening people against criticism, mockery, discrimination, segregation, apartheid, and inequality. People tend to infuriate and provoke each other through criticizing and mocking each other, but this would only work with cowards and people with low self-confidence and self-esteem. As such, the more a person is self-confident, the less he’s likely to be provoked by some rascals.
      Moreover, self-confidence enables one to believe in himself and tackle obstacles. This means that self-confidence permits one to prevail and conquer any dilemma that would stand in his way to triumph. For instance, the more a person has self-confidence, the more he’s capable of surmounting and overcoming the calamity that stands in his path.
       As a conclusion, one should clutch to self-confidence and self-assurance to achieve opulence in his life, confront criticism, segregation, mockery, inequality, and dilemmas and strive and persevere to achieve whatever he aims for in life.
                                           Done by: Ali Shoeab       Grade 9 “A” 2013-2014



Topic 4: They say that self-confidence is a must for a life full of achievements, success, and wellbeing, yet excessive self-confidence could have devastating effects. Write a well-structured essay in which you discuss the advantages and drawbacks of self-confidence.

Sample 1: Note (OFF THE NET)
                                SELF-ESTEEM'S ADVANTAGES AND DRAWBACKS
      Whoever will carefully study the matter will agree that a moderate amount of self-esteem is a great aid to success in the present life. It gives self-confidence in respect to all of life's affairs, great and small. It impels its possessor to do and to dare to the full extent of his ability--if caution be lacking it may lead on to disastrous folly. But the lack of self-confidence, self-esteem, has held back thousands who otherwise might have been brilliant leaders in the path of progress. Self-confidence embodies various advantages including being resilient, happy, self-assured, respectful, motivated, and lovable.
       First advantage of having self-confidence is becoming resilient. One gains that ability to bounce back from situations that have been difficult to deal with in the past. One also learns from his or her mistakes and re-approaches the situation with more learning and confidence. One would also learn to seek reflection rather than jumping for rash and idiotic or ludicrous reactions.
       People with self-confidence also become happy. Isn't this what we are all looking for? To be happy in life and project a vibrating sense of joy and charisma? Once a person radiates a wonderful sense of happiness people will flock around him as someone who brights up the world wherever he goes.
       In addition to resilience and happiness, one would become self-assured. Nothing will ever stop such a person from standing his or her ground and protecting his or her loved ones with a powerful self-assurance that is unshakable. Self-assurance isn't only useful when one is in confrontational situations, but is also very handy when one needs to take the lead in a social project or challenge. People will eventually look up to him/her as someone to follow as a leader.
      A person with self-confidence would also become respectful to others. Once a person succeeds in having a healthy self-esteem, he’d start to respect himself and his emotions. With this new skill, this person would be able to respect others also. Respecting yourself is knowing how to respect others and with this self-esteem as a trait, one would gain people’s respect and confidence whenever they feel down. One would also be able to rely on himself if he ever feels down.
     Moreover, a person with high self-confidence would certainly become motivated to achieve his goals. A person’s goals and dreams in life are undoubtedly very important to him. They are a part of him and signify his ability to grow and achieve as a human being. With core self-esteem one is able to unleash his personal power and drive himself to manifest the life he desires. Everyone deserves to live the life his dreams, and with healthy self-esteem one is able to make his dreams come true with unstoppable confidence.
     Furthermore, anyone with self-confidence would become lovable and feel loved by himself. One of the most important traits of self-esteem is feeling love and one’s ability to spread love to others. Love is probably the most powerful force on the planet. Love stops wars, love creates children, love causes people to get married and love brings people together. One has this untapped power within himself right now.
     In conclusion, self-esteem is so important to keep a healthy balanced life-style. With healthy self-esteem one becomes the ruler of his life and the dictator of his daily success. One should maintain his self-confidence and believe in himself since any deficiency in self-confidence would lead to a lack of self-appreciation which is perilous since one is treated according to his estimate of himself as expressed in his acts and looks, all of which reflect unconsciously his mental picture of himself. It may also surprise some to learn that lack of self-confidence affects physical health as well as morals. Physiologists are agreed that the mind has much to do with the operation of all the human functions. The man deficient in self-esteem not only feels mean in respect to other affairs of life, but he lacks physical tone, snap, energy, so necessary to our best success in any avenue of life. Wisely, therefore, physicians and philosophers are advising people to hold up their heads; not to become discouraged. However, having pointed out some of the advantages of reasonable self-confidence one should beware the disadvantages of over-confidence--too great self-esteem including arrogance, pride, and snobbishness, which are disgusting and continually interfere with the progress of the unfortunate possessor. Those with over-confidence never learn except by bitter experiences, because they always think they know best.

Theme 3: Mysteries and Supernatural Powers

Topic 1: Some might face things that are hard to fathom or justify through reason and science. Write a well-structured personal narrative essay in which you discuss something supernatural or eerie that you once witnessed and scared you out of your wits.

Sample 1:                                                                 Fathom That

     What happened to me had not happened to any other human being in this world. What happened to me really astounded and amazed me to the extent that I can't remember what frankly happened, but I know it was frightening.
     In 1999, specifically on the 31st of October, on Halloween night, everyone was so excited about this night and I was too, but I had work up to my ears, so I couldn't celebrate it with them.
I stayed in my home that night, working and thinking what would’ve happened had I gone out with them, after all, it is Halloween night, when all of a sudden I heard a spooky voice coming from the living room.
     I didn’t care much because I thought it was the wind. But it didn’t stop there. No, it continued till I heard a door being locked so I went down to check what was going on but nothing really had appeared.
     I thought I was hallucinating when I saw what was more likely to be something coming out from a mist outside and approaching me, so I immediately locked the door and went upstairs, but the door opened by itself!
      At that moment, I was scared out of my wits. I was frightened so much that I literally froze. My body temperature decreased from 37o till 30o and that was horrifying. Then, I fell at the floor unconsciously.
     What I saw over my head while I was on the floor was not a human. It was an extraterrestrial creature that had a circled head, one eye, 2 tongues and two antennas, so I fainted directly.
    The next day, I woke up and I didn't remember anything from the other night. I want to know what happened that night, I want to fathom it, but no one could explain what had actually happened back then.

Sample 2:                                                            B-MARRY
       “Mystery is at the heart of creativity. That, and surprise” is a quote that defines mystery as a baffling, odd, curious and bewildering issue that cannot be deciphered or fathomed. Mysteries vary between witnessing UFOs, hearing stories of the devil triangle and extraterrestrial creatures like ghosts, vampires, and zombies. However, nothing is considered more harrowing, scary and freakish than seeing your friend die in front of you thanks to the mysterious and eerie rituals done to summon the so cold “BLOODY MARRY”.
       It was Friday the thirteenth, which was announced as the day of slaughtering Marry, a.k.a. “BLOODY MARRY “. Her story was widely spread in the school. Some supported the idea while others rejected it, and those were my friends. They believed that souls cannot move after the death of the body. Those who believed insisted on trying it. It was said that if Mary appears carrying a baby, you’d be forgiven. But if she appeared holding a knife, then you are perished and slaughtered.
     The moment Suzan decided to try it, we gathered at her place waiting on pins and needles to see the results. The clock announced 12:00 am, and that’s when Suzan entered the bathroom. She turned off the light, lit six candles, and wrote with red lipstick on the mirror “6 6 6”. She started repeating the word “BLOODY MARRY, BLOODY MARRY, BLOOD MARRY…” We felt relaxed since the candles were still on until, out of a sudden, the candles turned off!
       We felt our sweat dripping. Blood flowed crazily through our vein, and our hearts started pounding riotously and uncontrollably. We heard Suzan screaming and knocking on the door. When we rushed there, the door was locked and there was complete silence. We pounded and knocked harshly on the door until it opened slowly. That’s when we saw it.
      We saw Suzan’s head in the sink and her body tied to the wall. Continuous shrieks and yells were heard. We called the ambulance and the police station. The following day, news papers announced her death, hiding and concealing how harsh, cruel and painful her death was.
     Eventually, people started believing in some mysteries while some other mysteries still post a big fat question mark. After all they are still mysteries, meant to baffle us, puzzle us and trigger our sense of curiosity. As said by Charles De Lint, “Without mysteries life would be very dull indeed. What would be left to strive for if everything was known?”
                                                        Done by Razan Kashmar and her group in grade 9 “A” 2012-2013


Sample 3:                                                            UFO’S
      Have you ever seen an unidentified flying object, and had the curiosity to know what it was? Have you ever had the sense of fear of observing an extraterrestrial object? This was what I witnessed when I went to the farm. I used to hear about UFOs, but last summer, I believed that they might actually be true.
      Last summer I went to the farm with my brother. We were planning to stay there for a couple of days. It was almost dark and rumor has it that weird creatures arrive at night. We went to sleep in the upper floor. We laid on the bed trying to sleep, but what kept us awake is a beam of light floating on the wall. We looked out the window and witnessed the unidentified flying object, the thing that baffled us. We went downstairs and out of the house it was a UFO; could be an alien’s ship. It landed in front of us and opened its door. We ran inside and hid under the bed. We felt them entering and searching the house. We saw them from the mirror facing us. They were grey colored with tall feet and short hands, but we couldn’t see their faces.
       Suddenly, we heard my grandparents screaming. They kidnapped them, but we followed them and entered the big spaceship. We were aiming at returning our grandparents and going back home before the aliens realize. But what happened is that they closed the door directly, and we were trapped in this eerie flying saucer.
       That scared us out our wits, so we started desperately searching and looking around for an exit as well as our grandparents. What made us last inside is our goal which is saving my grandparents. We faced some creatures, so we hid again because we weren’t brave enough. After hearing screams, we found them. However, our next dilemma was finding an exit to flee this entrapment. Finally, we found it, but one problem stopped us from fleeing which is the fact that we were flying in midair.
        We looked for something to jump in, but what we found is a bunch of armed aliens trying to shoot us. I found a big blanket that we jumped with. While we were flying in the sky, they started shooting at us and hit this blanket that saved us. It was torn and we started falling down. We were screaming and shrieking as we were rapidly approaching our planet, earth, and when we were about to crash, I woke up and started breathing heavily. My brother asked me about what had happened. When I told him about my dream, he started laughing. But I stared at him, and what I found was a bloody scar on his neck which made me think, “Was it really a dream?”
        Anyhow, mysteries are concepts that baffle us and arouse our curiosity, but at the same time, they are not based on means of science or logic which is constantly trying to rationalize them. That’s why one should think long before believing in such things because they’d lead to one thing, nightmares.
                                      Done by Mohamad Abbas and his group in grade 9 “A” 2012-2013
Sample 4:                                                             Vampires
         When people’s intellectual strength stops, superstitions begin. Due to various movies and stories, vampires who originate from bats are taking all over the world. Nowadays people panic whenever they hear about vampires because some mysteries imply that vampires suck people’s blood to get their vitality, power, and energy. People are divided into two groups, some who believe in vampires and the others don’t since it’s not scientifically proven. I thought I was one of the second group but then, a story I heard changed my thoughts and reshaped my way of viewing things.
   On Halloween, while I was celebrating with my friends, my best friend decided to tell us an interesting story about vampires with a spooky voice.
   I can still recall her voice as she was saying, “Vampires are dead bodies who live in graves and appear after midnight to suck blood out of living people, but mostly appear at Halloween. One day, a school arranged a trip to an old village. There they had issues with their flat tire, so they were trapped there until they could fix their deflated wheel. Suddenly, they heard a scary voice. They started screaming when they saw a bunch of vampires approaching them. Eventually, they all perished except for the bus driver who ran away with the bus and became a resident at a local asylum.”
   While she was telling us the story I felt odd, eerie, puzzled, and baffled since the story was so harrowing and vague. Least to say, it scared me out of my wits. In a minute, I became a superstitious person. Fortunately my friend was joking just to scare us and her talk was mere babble.
     In conclusion, illiterate and weak minded people can be a prey for superstitions and baffling stories of mysteries. Since mysteries and superstitions are still not scientifically proven, they will stay mysterious, puzzling and irrational.
                                                          Done by: Serena Nasser and her group in grade 9 “A” 2012-2013
Sample 5:                                                          The Mystery of Jinni
        “Without mysteries, life would be very dull indeed. What would be left to strive for if everything were known?” is a quote that highlights and alludes that mysteries are part of our cultural heritage and essence of life. They are what spice things up and trigger our intellectual abilities. What is important here is that mysteries are not always what trigger our intellectual abilities but what sometimes cause our death. It was that day when two of my friends wanted to know what a jinni is and whether it is true or not, that I became aware of the dangers of diving into the unknown.
            Well that day came, the day we would never forget. We met at the evening nearby our target, what they called “The Haunted House”. It was also said that anyone who enters the house would never come back. It was awkward that my friends had the courage to go in, but I didn’t. I was bewildered just thinking about it.
             My friends entered inside, and I decided to wait for them around. While waiting, I heard a freaking and abnormal sound from that house. I felt scared and slowly approached the door. Suddenly, I saw a devilish face looking out the window. I was frightened and ran frantically to the fence’s door. I tried to open it, but it was locked. I decided to climb the fence. While climbing it, I felt a hand stingingly holding onto my leg. I jumped to the road and ran heatedly to my house thinking witlessly about what might have happened with my friends.
              I woke up the next day still worried. When I arrived to school, I noticed the absence of my friends. When I got back home, I turned on the TV and changed to the news channel where they were reporting the missing teams who happened to be my friends.
               Up to this day, whenever I hear about my last Friday, I feel afraid and start wondering what would have happened to me if I had entered that house.
                                                   Done by: A Group of Grade 9 “A” students/Dana Farhat’s 2012-2013

   Sample 6:                                                          UFO's
      Have you ever seen an alien and took a minute to ask yourself, “Am I hallucinating? Is it real or a delusion? Where is it from?” Have you ever imagined how it would be to witness such a thing? Nothing is more mysterious, puzzling and bewildering than seeing a UFO on the ground.

        Last year was one of the weirdest years of my life. I came across many weird people, objects and situations, until it was October 31st, and I was shopping for a Halloween costume in order to attend my school's Halloween party. I was so confused concerning what I wanted to be, a vampire, a princess, or a zombie. But then it hit me, "What about a creature from another planet like an alien?"

        My friends and I began to dress up for the party and they started telling scary stories when they saw my costume. Maya said that there was a boy that she has seen several times in school and that he is from Mars. I laughed at her and said, "Really Maya? And pigs can fly ". She replied, “Where do you think vampire, zombie, and alien stories come from?" And that's when I stood up for a good 10 minutes thinking about what she said and that she might be right.

      I remembered the day I bumped into a green boy who was eating a cockroach. Now, at that moment I thought it was one of those gummy worms but it was moving and purple goo and sludge was splattering out of his mouth. I asked him what his name was, but he just stared at me gazing at my costume. I asked again and still no reaction. As i was turning around to leave, I heard him scream. It was more like a sound that results from waves around.

       When I got home, I kept on thinking if Maya's story was true or not. I never knew if he/it was wearing a costume, or he was really from another planet. Do UFOs and aliens exist? I still question it till this day and hope to find the truth behind this shady world.

                                                                 Done by: Tala Suheil’s group in grade 9 “A” 2012-2013
Sample 7 :                                                      Whatchamacallit

     Have you ever seen a zombie and taken a moment to ask yourself, “Am I hallucinating? Am I getting crazy? Am I seeing delusions?” Have you ever thought of how you are going to react upon seeing some? Will you pass out? Nothing is considered bizarre compared to witnessing a zombie with your naked eye, and I was one of the unfortunate people who encountered it.

    Last month was the weirdest month I’ve ever had, and most probably, the weirdest month I’ll ever have. It was a summer night, and my cousins and I were sleeping at grandpa’s house when we decided to go on a walk to the graveyard at 12:49. It was the dumbest decision I’ve ever taken. I thought I can set them up and see their eyes, out of horror, popping out.

     While we were walking, I hid behind my cousins and then ran silently on toes to the graveyard to start my spookiest hoax ever. I stood behind a grave, but before I could start my trick, reality played its prank on me. The grave I was hiding behind was opened and contained nothing.

     I wasn’t really scared out of my wits, but my wits were scared out of me and my heart tore my ribs to get out of this scary place, but all I could do at that moment was freeze in my place. And then, I heard a “wooo” sound strolling out of the trees and coming closer. Promptly, fear built me wings to flee for my life. I eloped away till I approached my cousins with a white-raised hair and shrieked with cries interrupting every letter that sled down my lips, “look! It is a zombie! I swear!”, but no one was able to ratify my hallucination as they called it. And then again, I saw an enormous and eerie shadow walking slowly, but immediately disappeared.

      After my eyes popped out in awe, and I passed out for a couple of hours till my eldest cousin woke me up and took me hand in hand to the graveyard, but nothing was there. As such, he accused me of hallucinating because there wasn’t an opened grave.

      Although some said that what I saw was delusions and zombies are fallacies, I saw what I saw, and I can’t accuse my eyes of lying, for that incident still passes in front of my eyes and makes my blood race wildly inside my veins, but I still can’t fathom that whatchamacallit creature.

                                                                                            Done by: Ali Shoeab Grade 9 “A” 2013-2014

Sample 8:                                                  A Spooky Incident     

        “Life is not a problem to be solved, but a mystery to be lived”. This is a quote that implies and asserts that life is a mystery full of baffling, odd, and eerie incidents that can’t be interpreted, fathomed, decoded, or discerned through scientific knowledge. I can never forget that spooky and scary incident that I once witnessed with my cousins in the village.

       One day, my family, my cousins, and I decided to go to the village in order to spend the weekend there. We were so happy, jovial, and ecstatic. Then, our parents were invited to a wedding, so we stayed alone in the house. We started to chit chat, laugh, and talk with each other without knowing what is awaiting us.

        Suddenly, we heard a strange, odd, and weird cracking sound upstairs. At the beginning, we didn’t take it into consideration. But then, this mysterious sound became louder and louder which frightened, bewildered, and astonished us, so we had a nervous breakdown. Unpredictably, the electricity was gone what made us shriek and yell loudly. We were stunned, amazed, and fascinated. Our blood rushed rapidly through our veins, and our hearts were beating in our ears.

        Afterwards, we rushed horrendously outside the house and saved our skin. We directly looked at the window and witnessed a circular white light moving from one room into another. All of us were standing with open mouths and popping eyes, and one of my cousins fainted and passed out. I was horrified, petrified, and confused. Then, we called our parents and told them to come rapidly. Finally, our parents came and knew the entire bizarre story. They entered all the rooms but didn’t witness anything mysterious.

        After this incident, I realized and concluded that life is full of mysterious, baffling, and unsolved things, and this incident became a deeply rooted image in my memory.

                                                          Done by: Ghiwa Soufan Grade 9 “A” 2013-2014

Sample 9:                                       Watch Out for the Mummy

       "Mysteries create wonder, and wonder is the basis of man’s desire to understand” is a quote that defines a mystery as a puzzling and perplexing issue that cannot be fathomed, cracked, and interpreted. It's interesting to talk about such things, but what's terrifying is the fact that you might encounter it. It all happened that ill-fated day in summer when my friends and I decided to visit the museum to look for some Mummies.

       As we entered the museum, we read the following adage atop the entrance, "Don’t have the strength to look into a mummy’s eyes after 8:00 sharp, for if you do you'll fall into the hands of a mummy." As we entered the museum, my heart started beating fast as if this horrifying story established an eerie atmosphere right from the beginning.

       Time passed fast, and the hours rushed through, but we didn't notice. The museum was locked and all the employees had gone home. However, soon screams hovered in the air making the presence of the mummy felt and giving our spine a shrill pricking. My chest was heavy. I found it hard to breathe while my whole body was shaking with fear. The idea of looking in the mummy’s eyes frightened the hell out of me and scared me out of my wits.

       As soon as the room got darker, the hair-raising scene of the mummy didn't leave my thoughts and gave me the itchy feeling about the ways I might end up falling in the hands of the mummy.

        Few minutes later, after I passed out, the voice of my friend shouting, "Wake up you idiot." was the reason behind my consciousness. It turned out to be a prank. But it was enough to tell him, "I might look calm, but in my head I've killed you three times." to make him avoid me for the rest of his life.

                                                             Done by: Noor Rayya Grade 9 “A” 2013-2014
Sample 10:

                                                               The Buried Truth

     A mystery is the underlying truth of the wonders of the universe, the unfathomable code of a phenomenon and paradox, and the missing puzzle piece of a paranormal event or occurrence. Mysteries can be found anywhere, in books, on T.V, and in public talk… They exist everywhere. I have seen tons of documentaries related to mysteries, read tons of books portraying the truth about mythological events, heard tons of stories about world wonders like the Babushka Lady, Dracula or even Atlantis, but one story that highly triggered curiosity in me and intrigued my surge to fathom what is yet to be deciphered is the one about the triangle that aroused public interest and left people perplexed, The Bermuda Triangle.

     The myth about the Bermuda Triangle wasn’t new to me. I have heard it a couple of times before when I was younger where my mind was still weak to comprehend it, but this year was the very first time that I have finally conceived this fable, and the very first time I have decided to look it up.

     Everybody heard about the disappearance of the Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 during its journey from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing back in July 2014. Myriad conspiracy theories were offered to explain the cause behind the vanishing of that flight, and the Bermuda Triangle was one of them. A large number of people agreed to this theory while others thought it’s because of military services. I, myself, tried to give some reasons, but unfortunately, none of them were convincing. The Bermuda Triangle was the only theory that could exhibit the cause behind this puzzle. Even though it didn’t sound as scary, it still gave me chills. How in the world could a huge plane holding about 100 or 200 people disappear in daylight?

     This question itself left me baffled. The fact that navigators lost connection with the travelers and there was no sign of the plane near the seas and oceans astounded me; it’s crazy. Countless questions provoked my mind, “What if I was on that plane?”, “What if one of my loved ones was a part of this eerie occurrence?” Just thinking of that made me petrified and frightened.

   100 days have passed since that queer and odd enigma occurred. Ever since I’ve heard about this mystery, I have had the plenary and complete fear of planes. One must beware of the unknown after all.

   The Devil’s Triangle, a delusion of concealed secrets, hidden truth, and missing pieces of a scrambled puzzle, an enigma full of fear and harm and a mystery of strange things with no escape will forever haunt me and everyone who hears about it, for once you’re in, you’re never out…

                                                       Done By: Dania Mahmoud Gr 9 A 2014-2015

Topic 2: Develop a well-organized essay in which you display the causes behind believing in superstitions.

Sample 1:

                                       The Remedy of Feeble Minds
               "Mystery creates wonder, and wonder is the basis of man's desire to understand." This quote asserts and alludes that a mystery is the cornerstone of curiosity and wonder which in return, instigates, triggers and intrigues one's surge and craving to unveil the unknown and to fathom and decipher what is yet to be discerned and decoded . This applies to superstitions, the mystery of all mysteries, for they still stage themselves as an annoying enigma concerning whether they are true or not. Superstitions, beliefs that are not based on logic or reason, promise to protect one from harm and to affect his luck. As such, people tend to embrace such beliefs for innumerable reasons. The major causes behind believing in superstions vary between psychological and social.
              Fear of the unknown and anxieties concerning the possibilities of any underlying truth within superstitions are the critical psychological reasons behind taking in superstitious beliefs. Suffering from the fear of the unknown and having the surge to attain an illusion of control over one's luck would definitely intrigue one's willingness to accept superstitious beliefs. Therefore, people would exert a momentous effort in their attempts to find patterns that would grant them this illusion of control. No wonder then that some people pay a generous sum of money for amulets, feel trepidatious and fainthearted when they discover that their good luck charm is missing, and would never lay a foot outside their doorstep on a Friday 13th. Add to that the apprehension and worries that people have regards any underlying truth within superstions. Hence, one might not believe in such ludicrous thoughts as not walking under the ladder because it's a bad omen but would still avoid passing under it just in case it were true. In other words, people might be forced to abide by superstitions just out of fear of what might befall them if they held any truth within them.
            Yet another category of causes behind believing in superstitions is a social one. One prominent and familiar justification often given for believing in superstitions is that they were passed on through their parents and grandparents and have been embraced as though they were a vital part of one's identity and existence. Therefore, they are a part of one's cultural heritage and social identity. For instance, if one sees a newly wed bride and groom throwing a piece of dough on the wall on their wedding night, he'd immediately figure out that they are from "Baalbek".One additional reasno why people embark upon such beliefs is ignorance, for people who know more tend to believe less. That's why statistics show that 70% of the superstitious people are illiterate.
              As a conclusion,superstitions impose themselves as an inevitable part of people's daily life. However ,one must be aware of the causes behind believing in what some might refer to a ludicrous beliefs, the implications they have and impression they leave before embracing them .

                                          SHARED WRITING in class 2014-2015

                                          Miss Batoul Saad and students of Grade 9 J

Theme 4: Tolerance and Human Relationships

Topic 1: Write a well-structured narrative in which you reflect on something that happened and taught you the importance of one’s family and family members.

Sample Essay 1:                                         Something to Value                 
         Family is one of the most valuable and irreplaceable things that one will be blessed with in a lifetime. Family is always there no matter what the problem may be. However, family members do not live forever; they could be gone in a blink of an eye. For this reason, family and the time one has with them should be cherished.
       On December 19, 2005 my grandfather was diagnosed with cancer. The doctor said that is was not an extreme cause; however, he would have to undergo some Chemotherapy. He had a good chance for surviving this terrible disease. I was never extremely close to my grandfather, just because of the fact that we did not live close to each other. The only times I ever saw him were at family gatherings and a few unexpected visits my family and I made. I would always give him a hug and an occasional kiss on the cheek when I saw him, and then when it was time to leave we would exchange “I Love You” and I would be on my way. When I first heard that he was diagnosed with cancer, it hit me hard. I had experienced a family member trying to fight the disease, and I wondered if I would ever really know how truly amazing my grandfather was.
      At the next doctor visit, we found out the cancer had spread to his brain and was quickly distributing itself throughout the rest of his body. I slowly watched this disease take control of my grandfather. He began to lose his hair and was unable to speak clearly, and it was hard for me to look at him without crying. On April 2, 2006 I got a call from my mother saying that my “Papa” had passed away. I couldn’t believe the words that I was hearing. It just didn’t seem real to me that he could actually be gone. At his viewing it finally sank in. My grandmother had a slide show playing beside his body, and there I sat with my mother and other family and watched the memories of that amazing man. I got a better understanding of who my grandfather was, just by looking at a few pictures. I cherish the time that I spent with my grandfather and know that with his loss, my parent has lost his supporting, sacrificing, loving, caring, and reliable parent. Since then, I’ve been determined to make use of every single minute I have in this life with my beloved ones.
     In conclusion, one must cherish his beloved ones and make use of every single minute of life with his loving and supportive parents and be of support to them just as they were to him when they need him just as they were there for him when he was in need because life is short. Make use of life when you can.

 Topic2: In every school there’s a newcomer who has to go through a lot of pain and suffering. Write a well-structured essay in which you discuss the difficulties that newcomers are likely to face and what possible procedures you’d take if you were a school counselor.  

SAMPLE ESSAY 1:                                            If I Were a Counselor
        At school, a counselor’s duty is to encourage students to be honest with themselves and to tolerate those who are different. And usually, in every school, there are new comers who could look strange or unfamiliar to other students. "What problems would a new comer face? How would they affect on him or her? And what solutions can be suggested for such a problem?” are all questions that impose themselves and require answers.
     Sometimes, a new student would face many problems from his mates like: discrimination, ignorance and being treated badly. Discrimination is a serious issue that a new comer can face. At school many narrow minded kids do not accept the idea of having a new friend in class, so they try their best to mock him and laugh at him especially if he was of a lower social class. Another problem that a new student can face is indifference. Usually, when a new student gets into a new school, he would like to meet new friends and to mingle with them, but this thing won't be easy because they will ignore him and think that it’s inferior for him or her to involve them in any activity. Being treated badly is also a problem that a new student can face. Being fashionable is a condition for some pupils at school, so if the new comer wasn't funky fashioned, students will call him names and make fun of him. Thus, no one will be his or her friend.
       As a result, those problems will affect badly on the student’s personality like having poor self-confidence, being lonely, and having low educational grades. After being discriminated and kicked out of friendship groups, a new student will be extremely wretched and depressed to the extent of losing his self-confidence which is the main key to success in life. And he would be lonely because other kids will feel afraid of even talking to him because they will think that nobody will befriend or walk with such a stranger according to their limited minds because it will affect their image among others and popularity. Moreover, the most serious effect would be reflecting low educational grades because this student would be stressful during an exam out of fear of his mates hitting him for getting good marks, and sometimes he would shy from answering a question in the class for the same reason so, most certainly, he or she would fail in the report card.
         If I were the counselor of the school, I would stop all that by giving an advice for this new comer to give their mean comments a deaf ear and to ignore what such bullies would say. And I would be having a serious talk with those snobberies about human behavior and the importance of equilibrium between people on earth because we are all born equal and we will stay equal till the end.
      In brief, every school should have a counselor encouraging this issue and making sure that all the students are having their rights without being discriminated because in Gods eyes we are all equal and someday we'll all have perfect wings.

Topic 3: People all around the world are likely to face disputes. Unless a person tries to reach out for a common understanding and learn to tolerate each other, life would be in an unstoppable war. Write a narrative essay in which you discuss an incident in which you almost lost a friend or relative but didn’t due to tolerance.


Sample 1:                                         A Problem with My Sis
        Conflicts, problems, privations, and destitutions are all what make our lives go on. People all around the world are likely to face disputes. Unless a person tries to reach out for a common understanding, a reasonable solution, or peace, all of our lives would be in an unstoppable war. I can never forget the day that is likely to be considered as my every night nightmare when I first fought with my sister.
       It was summer, and my family and I were spending our family vacation in Australia. When we first got there, my dad booked us in a classy hotel, and bought us tickets to the most wonderful and fun places one could ever imagine. We were all ultimately excited especially my elder sister and I because we were planning to have a "Sisters Night Out" where we were invited to a private all girls party.
         Once we arrived to the party, we made a promise to have as much fun as we can and to never leave each other. Unfortunately, luck was not on our side because through the huge amount of guests, my sister's ticket was stolen. She freaked out and complained to the security guard, but sadly, he didn’t believe her and threw her out. In the meantime, my selfish and careless self, walked into the party without any concern of my sister.
       My sister was devastated and amazed by my ludicrous reaction, so she walked away slowly and shed tears full of wretchedness and sorrow. After I got home, everyone gave me the disgrace and disappointment look. I knew then that I was guilty for ditching my sister and soon got that surge of resentment and shame that made me stomp right to my sister and kneel down on my knees begging her to grant me her forgiveness. Luckily, she did and told me that she was happy that I had fun and that we can always have another "Sisters Night Out".
       At last, I got to learn a very important lesson that should be taught to all people which is to never turn your backs on your beloved ones for the amusement and pleasure of life because this joy is limited while the love of our relatives and beloved ones is limitless.
                                                                                                    Written by: Aya Abdallah 2012-2013

Sample 2:                                                   Zero To Hero
        "We don't need holy wars, what we need is tolerance and brotherhood and simple humanity." is a saying I've heard many times, and it shows that in our life tolerance, brotherhood and humanity are important. Even though I am the older sister and he's the younger brother, Mohammad was always a head taller and a good 7 kilos heavier than me when we were growing up. I hated that. I was the big sister. I was supposed to be the dominant and the protector. But while he was the biggest kid in school, I was nearly the smallest. It all started there, that incident took a great part of my life that I can never forget.
      Mohammad's size and strength only made my lack of those two qualities more apparent. I was two years ahead of him in school which meant that by the time he was in middle school, I was already an 8th grader. Kids there were not kind or accepting, and over the years they had continually made fun of my pony size and lack of athletic ability. But the teasing reached a whole new level when Mohammad entered the middle school. Now they had a new way for tormenting me.
       They would taunt me, "Hey shrimp! Does your brother still beat you up?" or they would chant again and again on the bus, "Talah, Talah, she's so small, but her brother's ten feet tall". I guess that rhyme was hurtful to both of us, but I only felt my own humiliation. It caused a battle within me that I took no notice of my brother's feeling. The times when jokes centered around him, like when they called him, "Moe the Giant", it was such a relief not to be their target that I did nothing to stop them. Nothing seemed to bother Mohammad anyway. I never heard him complain or so much as saw him flinch. I was just assured that his interior was as steely as his exterior.
      That was until the day he snapped. There was a new girl, Sara, in Mohammad's class, who wore really thick glasses, and without them she was nearly blind. She, to my relief, had temporarily become the butt of jokes and pranks. The latest chant that the kids had come up with was, "Sara, Sara, short and fat, squinty eyes and blind as a bat." In all fairness, Sara wasn't fat at all, but the kids chanted that because it rhymed with bat. It started as a normal break, with Mohammad and Sara standing in line. Suddenly, Ahmad Roda ran up and snatched Sara's glasses off her face. Everyone started to chant, laughter filled up the place, and her glasses were tossed down the line. At that moment, I caught Mohammad's face as it was happening. There seemed to be anger beyond his eyes. Ahmad Roda had gotten the glasses and was waving them in the air. That's when it happened; with one hand Mohammad grabbed the glasses from him, and with the other hand he punched his face. He hit him with such a force he fell down.
        Everyone froze for a second. I bought the glasses over from my brother's hand and handed them to Ahmad as he was picking up himself, off the floor, humiliated. "Say sorry and give Sarah her glasses back.” I told him. He said nothing. Mohammad walked slowly over and punched him in his stomach. He stumbled over gasping a breath. “Say sorry and give her back her glasses”, he said as he dragged him over to Sara. “S-S-S- sorry", stammered Ahmad and handed her the glasses. Sara took them as her eyes rounded with shock.
        At that point, someone started clapping. It was quiet at first, and then almost everyone joined in, everyone except Ahmad and his group. They sat in stunned silence, knowing that this day has marked a change for us all. That day, I realized that I have a wonderful brother that I should tolerate and appreciate. May God bless him.                                  Done by: Tala Souheil 2012-2013


          Sample 3:                                      Tolerance in Life

       "I find hope in the darkest of days, and focus in the brightest. I don’t judge the universe!" In our daily life, tolerance is a word used but isn't actually being proposed. It comes from the Latin "tolerare" which means to bear. It is the key for all closed doors, as well as it liberates and articulates fears and hardships in one's life. In that special day, I took a free lecture in life which taught me the importance and the real meaning of tolerance the hard way. One can never forget a problem with his parents which imprinted his personality, reformed his life, and altered his existence.
    The moment summer was over, my parents took the hardest decision. This astounding decision was sending me to London to complete my knowledge there. Hearing them saying such a hilarious thing shocked my existence. I was speechless and felt like they were trying to get rid of me. I looked in their eyes and shouted "why are you so mean to me? Why do you hate me this much? What did I do to you?"
   I stomped furiously to my room, picked up my stuff and pretended that I was okay with this decision. I told them that I'm ready to go. They tried to talk to me but I refused and insisted that I am not going to forgive them for such a harsh decision that they took.
  After reaching the vast street of London, I met a poor little orphan with torn clothes who was laughing and having fun with the other kids. She saw me crying and disappointed, took me a side, and asked me to tell her the reason behind my sorrow and resentment. I felt that I can trust her and depend on her. After telling her about the dispute I faced, she made me shy and embarrassed of my reaction and attitude. She made me notice how much my parents cared about building up my future achieving high goals in life.
   Eventually, after knowing how much this girl is suffering without care and love from her parents and struggling alone in life in order to achieve success and how tolerant she is, I knew the value of the presence of my parents in my life. I trotted to my bag, picking up my phone, and called them, apologizing about my misbehavior and rude attitude, and thanking them for their support and care. This situation made me realize that tolerance is giving every human being every right that you claim for yourself.
                                                                                                      Done by: Razan Kashmar 2012-2013 Sample 4:                                               Tolerance      
          People are likely to face numerous disputes. Unless a person demonstrates a true understanding of the importance of tolerance, the world would be in an unstoppable war. Lack of tolerance and understanding is a serious impediment facing the world and that should be abolished in no time since it has the power to change us, mold our personalities, and reshape our essence. I could never forget that fray that took place between me and my friend because of lack of tolerance and understanding and that imprinted our personality forever.
       It was the holiday vacation, the day that my friend and I were jubilantly waiting for months, the day of the new movie we wanted to watch in the cinema. My friend and I were so thrilled before I knew that this day was the family meeting day. On this day, all the family members are urged to go for the meeting, so I felt a surge of resentment, frustration, and bitterness swelling inside me, and I stomped to my room furiously thinking of how I could explain this abstruse situation to my friend, wondering if she will understand me or not.
       After a few hours, the bell rang, and it was my friend. When I saw her jumping and so eager to watch the movie, I faced a massive issue in explaining my situation to her. She was so upset to hear me saying, “Sorry, I can’t go…” and before I could complete, she interrupted me and turned a deaf ear to all what I had to say.
       The days passed, and neither of us talked to the other. One day at school, the teacher told us a story about tolerance. While we were listening, my friend looked at me in a sad and ashamed way, feeling sorry for what she did and for her lack of tolerance.
      Eventually, she realized her mistake, so we interrupted our teacher and apologized to each other. From that day on, we knew that all of us should tolerate and understand each other to save the world from any possible disputes and misunderstandings.
                                                                                      Done by Dana Farhat 2012- 2013


Topic 4: Write a well-structured essay in which you discuss the importance and vitality of embracing tolerance as a virtue to abide with and show whenever possible and the drawbacks of lacking such a virtue through life examples from history.

Sample 1: (Note: OFF THE NET)                 
                                                         Tolerance Is a Virtue
        The world has not been set to one pattern, nor have men been shaped in a single mould. Difference, in environment or conditions of life, causes difference in temperament and opinion. Historical evolution has led to diversities in outlook. Since man is a social being and has to live in a spirit of harmony and co-operation with others, some amount of give-and-take is necessary, as a capacity for compromise. By the time intolerance leads to the worst disaster, tolerance is the virtue of a civilized age. It is the virtue that helps us to put up with those who have different ways, opinions, and outlook on life. It enables us to always see the other side of things, to suffer fools with patience, and fanatics without losing out temper. Tolerance’s presence is of great importance, and its absence is of great disastrous effects and this is proved through the story of various historical figures.
              Tolerance is a highly useful quality. It is one of the basic principles of good manners. We can do justice if we are tolerant to hearing the different views of others. If we are tolerant we can make the due assessment of the views of others. Tolerance as a quality is indispensable in the democratic countries. Tolerance is the first condition for the exercise of all views. We must be tolerant of the views however bitter that may be. So, every student, every citizen and every individual culture the habit of tolerance.
                On the other hand, intolerance leads to the worst kinds of disasters. In the mythology and history we can find many horrible acts of intolerance. Cain killed his elder brother Able because he could not bear the importance of Able in the eye of God. The Catholic queen Mary of Great Britain burnt the Protestants alive because she could not tolerate the Puritanism. Aurangzeb killed Hindus under the feet of elephants because he could not tolerate Hinduism. Sometimes we quarrel with others owing to such intolerance. Many of our enemies are the outcome of our intolerance. We cannot make justice because we are intolerant to hearing the views which are different from ours. As such, intolerance is an outrageously fatal quality.
              There is no doubt in it that tolerance is the most necessary quality of our everyday life. If we culture tolerance we will be free from all the pain of envy within ourselves. Then our soul will live in peace and happiness. Children from their early childhood should develop the habit of tolerance and elders should guide them in this respect.
 

Theme 5: Crafts
Sample 1: Choose a craft to describe and talk about.

                                                                  Weaving
      Crafts formed the basis of economy for many years. They have the potential to give people an insight into a country’s culture, for it is part of a man’s cultural heritage. It also enriches people’s aesthetic sense and love of all what is unique, beautiful, well made, and special. One of these handicrafts is weaving.
     
      Weaving has played a significant role in the economy of innumerable countries in the east so far. One can’t visit Iran or Uzpakistan in a touristic voyage without buying samples of their famous and fascinating handmade fabric hence improving the country’s economy.
     
     One would certainly be baffled and startled upon seeing the stunning beauty of woven products. It’s enough to know that they are handmade and to visualize various fibers and threads interwoven together with great attention and love to know what a picturesque masterpiece one would end up with. It’s true that weaving is time consuming and very expensive, but still one is sure to end up with something unique, flawless, and of an astoundingly high quality that varies in style and material.

     In conclusion, crafts are the proof that man has what it takes to manipulate the sources God gave him and end up with a masterpiece and a genuine work of art.

                                                                                                    Done by: Miss Batoul Ali Saad

Writing Prompt 2:

Construct a well-structured cause-effect essay that develops the following thesis statement. “Although machine made carpets are just as attractive as handmade ones, and cost less money, some people prefer to buy the latter for their uniqueness and value.”

Sample 1:                                   Why Handmade Carpets Excel

       A successful and noteworthy craftsman is one that displays great devotion, dedication and consecration in his attempt to exploit and utilize his creativity, lofty imagination and unique or indigenous materials to produce an artistic piece of work or handicraft after a lot of endeavoring .Handicrafts are handmade products famous for their consumption of artistic touch, very high quality, uniqueness, great value and being expensive. This is why people seek out and pursue handmade carpets instead of machine-made ones. Although machine made carpets are just as attractive as handmade ones, and cost less money, some people prefer to buy the latter for their uniqueness and value.

       One of the major reasons why people seek out handmade carpets is their outstanding, flabbergasting and amazing quality. Artisans are careful to select the finest available materials and by the time factories are using inanimate devices to produce carpets, artisans are looking for rare materials and quality. This is the main reason why they are considered expensive products. However, machine-made carpets often wind up in the trash due to their no sense of quality, for they cannot distinguish good materials from poor ones .On the other hand, handmade materials are treated attentively by hand, so they are popular for their high quality.

       Another significant reason for choosing handmade carpets is their uniqueness. They are momentous and memorable handmade materials cultivated in multiple patterns. A handmade carpet is unique and made just for one person; it is one of a kind. One can have details and personality in a handmade item that is hard for a machine to produce. It is actually more creative for a craftsman to make one item. Each handmade product is unique and one of a kind, for there are no two handmade items that look alike which makes each item a special object.

       Finally, people always go for handmade products due to their value. A machine-made carpet gets worthless with age whereas handmade products become popular throughout the world, and their value increases write age. Moreover, handmade products are exhibited in museums. It’s fun to see the creativity and excellence of the very talented designs out there. It summons back and subpoenas the old days when craftsmanship, creativity, and quality were paramount. One is buying items that are not mass produced and impersonal but rather extremely personal and intimate not only to the purchasers but also to the maker. After all, treasures are handmade with love and thought and not mass produced.

          In conclusion, buying handmade products is a win-win situation. Through buying a handmade product, one enriches life with beautiful handmade goods and enables an artist to continue practicing his creative dreams. In addition to all that, one would be contributing to the act of generating a unique, precious, inestimable, intermittent and sporadic product.

  Done by: Ayman Mawassi, Nour Rayya, and their group     Grade 9 “A”   2013-2014

Writing Prompt 3:

“Every decade needs its own manual of handicrafts.” Write a well-structured persuasive essay explaining the quote and why handicrafts should be preserved.

Outline:

Title: Hold on to Your Past

I-                   Thesis Statement: One should on to, preserve, and maintain handicrafts, for they promote cultural heritage, build values of perseverance, and overcome unemployment.

II-                Body:

A-    Promoting Cultural Heritage:

1.      using indigenous materials

2.      documenting the cultural development of certain cultures

B-    Building Values of Perseverance:

1.      refusing to be absorbed in the monoculture of global materialistic business

2.      working on crafts that require patience and time

C-    Overcoming Unemployment:

1.      providing vacancies and vocations for the undergraduates

2.      facing unemployment resulting from technological development

III-             Conclusion: As a conclusion, one should preserve handicrafts since they are vital assets in promoting cultural heritage, building values of perseverance, and overcoming unemployment. After all, people are the outcome of their past, so they should safeguard it.    

Hold on to Your Past

        “Every decade needs its own manual of handicrafts.” This quote highlights and alludes that every generation has different needs. Therefore, different handicrafts would be required because what was of aid for the previous generation entails modification to match the new ones. As such, one should hold on to, preserve, and maintain handicrafts, for they promote cultural heritage, build values of perseverance, and overcome unemployment.
         To begin with, handicrafts should be preserved and well-maintained because they promote one’s cultural heritage. This is achieved through the use of indigenous materials which are available in specific areas, hence displaying the source they come from. It also documents the cultural development of a certain country since modifications brought upon crafts stage the changes that have occurred in the countries in which they have been created.
          Yet another major reason why handicrafts should be preserved is that they help build values of perseverance. Handicrafts refuse to be absorbed in the mono-culture of global materialistic business. A high quality is maintained while necessitating the presence of two major qualities, uniqueness and individualism. Moreover, just the fact that handicrafts require patience and time highlights the values that it builds if not necessitates in a craftsman. After all, what needs minutes with the help of machinery, takes hours if not days when done by hand.
          Overcoming unemployment is another motivational cause behind preserving handicrafts. These days, technological development has had a grave effect on nations worldwide and the job vacancies available, for machines have replaced human beings at work due to their speed and accuracy. However, handicrafts which are crafts done by hand have helped a lot in minimizing the damages resulting from this technological progress through providing job vacancies and vocations for both graduates and undergraduates.
            As a conclusion, one should preserve handicrafts since they are vital assets in promoting cultural heritage, building values of perseverance, and overcoming unemployment. After all, people are the outcome of their past, so they should safeguard it.   


Writing Prompt 4: Write a letter convincing a friend living abroad to come and check some of the famous crafts in your country.



                                                 Mkarzil Street, Sfeir
                                                 Beirut, Lebanon
                                                 Friday, January 16th, 2015
Dear Hans,
I hope this message finds you well and warm. I am quite sure that you’ve enjoyed your visit to Riyadh and the replicas of old souks there. Crafts are always the best insight into one’s cultural heritage and social background.

The reason why I’m writing this letter is to share with you some of our own crafts, for Lebanon is famous for its woodcrafts and copper. Sculpted wood is mostly famous in Tripoli where craftsmen, known as carpenters, perfect and refine their techniques in humble workshops. At first, they prepare the sketch, cut the wood, and assemble the parts. The artisan digs out the background hollowing out the wood to enhance the innumerable decorative and ornamental parts and elements. Finally, he refines each detail. That’s why Tripoli has a famous furniture industry which competes with Italian products. Tripoli is also famous for its copper, brass, and silver objects formed while using several methods which include hammering, embossing, and filigree. The artisan there would spend hours stooped over his task which is transforming shiny metal into multitude pieces of arts using a hammer and chisel. The outcome would be a vivid array of lamps, beautiful tapered spears, incense holders, carafes, platters, and covers for plant pots which are decorated with engraved medallions or with designs of plants or flowers as well as Quranic verses and philosophical quotations. Others include chandeliers, lanterns and samovars all of which are made of fine details. It’s true that these crafts are time-consuming, laborious, and outrageously expensive; however, each piece is rather unique and of a high quality. The results are often serendipitous and delightfully unexpected which makes them even better.

In an attempt to preserve these crafts, the government and people present their products on a stall in replicas of old souks and compose exhibits in places like Biel and Expo Beirut where craftsmen practice their skills.

I feel pride when I think of our crafts, for they are part of our national heritage and a beautiful display of our past. I hope that one day you’d visit Lebanon and attend one of our exhibitions to enjoy the beauty of our art.
                                                                       Yours Truly,
                                                                       Batoul Ali Saad

Theme 6: Education
Writing Prompt 1: Every person has a role model to look up to and hope to be like one day. Write a well-structured essay about a teacher that you consider a role model describing his internal as well as external beauty.                                 
      Sample 1:
                                                    My Perfect Teacher
       Every person is impressed, imprinted, and influenced by someone who is inspiring and constructive to the extent of hoping and having the great desire and urge to be like him in the future. Everyone has someone to look up to and consider a role model to cherish and to appreciate. My science teacher, Miss Darine, is this person. She is my role model in this life due to her exterior as well as her internal beauty.
         Outer appearance has the potential to impress others and it is as crucial and important as the inner personality. Miss Darine is the biggest proof for this well-known phenomenon. She is an extremely trendy, fashionable, and elegant teacher. Subconsciously, every day you find yourself and your classmates waiting for Miss Darine on pins and needles to check her unusual and extraordinary outfit. In addition to that, her fascinating appeal attracts students to communicate and talk with her. Her face is always clean, neat, and clear. One would never feel tired of looking at her shiny, bright, and glamorous skin. She became the role model of all the girls in class because of her unlimited styles and elegantly impressive presence.
         However, beauty is not skin deep and what really has the capacity to imprint someone is not only the outer physical appearance but the perfect and idealistic personality and character traits. Miss Darine is the most understanding, encouraging and loving teacher I've ever met. Her actions are always mature. She knows how to deal with our situations and how to provide us with and escalate our self-confidence. She's not only our teacher; we consider her our older sister. In addition to this, Miss Darine is the perfect person for encouraging her students to achieve high ranks and dreams and teaching them how to have a great and outstanding character to communicate with the outside society. Her Love for her class doesn't have limits. She is very popular, but she is not conceited. She is courteous to her colleagues and the principal of the school. I have never seen her frown or lose her temper. She remains calm even when there is a crisis of any kind. She makes me love going to school. I always look forward to my science period.
       There are some teachers, who hardly ever make an impact on, or touch someone’s life enough to change it for the better. Some just go through life teaching. But there are some that alter a person’s life and imprint him for eternity. She was the kind of person that everyone loved. She never asked too much or expected too much. As I look back on my days at Hassan Kasser High School, I remember what an impact this woman had on my life.
                                                           Done by: Talah Suheil’s Group Grade 9 “A” 2012-2013             


Writing Prompt 2: Education is facing innumerable hindrances. Write a well-structured essay reflecting on some of the problems faced in education, their causes, and possible solutions.

Sample 1:                                                          Education   
      “Education is a progressive search of our own ignorance.” This quote reflects the importance of education in building intellectual abilities, providing people with a decent life, and overcoming discrimination. Even though education has numerous advantages, it still faces innumerable hindrances that require attention and solutions such as school dropouts, lack of adequate funding, and destructive competition among colleagues.
      Even though school dropout is considered one of the hazardous, detrimental, and deadly issues that the 21stcentury is facing due to numerous reasons, with the proper solutions we can comprehend and trounce it. Poverty or the inability to afford the fees, books, and transportations, ignorance and lack of awareness of the importance of education, and high scholastic fees and tuitions are all causes of school dropouts. However, those can be surmounted through the proper solutions. Governments should implement education as mandatory up till secondary classes, and they should provide free education and scholarships as well as free books for the poor.
       Another major problem faced by poor countries and causes illiteracy is lack of adequate funding for education. There is a continuous governmental budget cut. Appropriate solutions are the reinstatement of funds for education by the government and providing people with package grants.
       Finally, the destructive competition among colleagues and students, which is due to the students’ increasingly materialistic perception of life, is a critical problem. Suitable solutions could be integrating values like honesty, love, care, and friendship in education, and involving students in group work to acknowledge the virtue of sharing.
      As a conclusion, people should be aware of the importance of education to achieve self-satisfaction, prosperity, and high social ranks in our community, and as Prorhet Mohammed said, “None of us truly believes until you love for your brother what you love for yourself.” So we should love, care, and tolerate our colleagues because they are the shoulder that we cry on, and a warm place full of love.
                                                                  Done by: Mohamad Suheil’s Group Grade 9”A” 2012-2013

Writing Prompt 2: Education is the best mean of creating a healthy community. Write a well-sructured persuasive essay in which you convince readers that education is a must.

Education as a Must

      “Education makes people easy to lead but difficult to drive, easy to govern but impossible to enslave.” This quote portrays the significance of education as a cornerstone in building one’s personality, life, and being or identity. Countries throughout the world tend to set laws and legislations in addition to plans that aim at safeguarding and widely spreading education among their nations. This is the inevitable outcome of the importance of education which needs to be encouraged due to its importance in having a better lifestyle and assisting the development of the nation.
        One of the major reasons why people should hold on to education as a central part and necessity in having a healthy life is its significant role in providing people with a better lifestyle. To begin with, educated people are of a higher social rank. Those often have better job opportunities, higher posts, bigger salaries, and more frequent promotions. Educated people are also more respectable and reputable, for education is a significant sign of wealth and high social rank.
      Another reason for convincing and persuading people to go for education is enhancing the development of one’s country. For instance, learning and knowledge helps in nourishing economic life and developing technology. Nowadays, people have myriad gadget at their service making their life much easier. For example, smartphones are there to facilitate communication and overcome hierarchy, internet is there to save time, connect people, and minimize distances, and house appliances are there to assist people with their house chores and errands. All these couldn’t have been achieved hadn’t people been educated.
      As a conclusion, governments should enforce education to maintain the well-fare and well- being of their societies and communities. After all, the quote “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world” is unquestionably true as long as people are wise while exploiting it.
                                                                        Done by: Miss Batoul Ali Saad --Shared Writing in class
Theme 7: Technology
Writing Prompt1: “This is perhaps the most beautiful time in human history; it is really pregnant with all kinds of creative possibilities made possible by science and technology which now constitute the slave of man-if man is not enslaved by it.”
Write a well-structured essay in which you explain the statement above displaying how technology can be a double edged weapon. Provide your essay with an outline and a title.

Outline:
Title: A Double-edged Sword
I- Thesis Statement: Technology is a double-edged sword which embodies various constructive and beneficial advantages and at the same time innumerable destructive and lethal drawbacks.
II- Body:
A- Advantages of Technology:
1. Making life easier
2. Saving time
3. Facilitating communication
4. Providing rich resources
B- Disadvantages of Technology:
1. Leading to a lazy generation
2. Suffering from unemployment
3. Aggregating violence
4. Deteriorating face-to-face interactions
III- Conclusion: In conclusion, one must beware the lethal and detrimental drawbacks and disadvantages of technology and be aware of its numerous advantages to know how to exploit it and utilize it properly, for one should enslave technology rather than be enslaved by it. One must be extremely precautious because, “Whenever science makes a discovery, the devil grabs it while angels are debating the best way to use it.”

                                                                     A Double-edged Sword
       “This is perhaps the most beautiful time in human history; it is really pregnant with all kinds of creative possibilities made possible by science and technology which now constitute the slave of man-if man is not enslaved by it.” This quote highlights the prominence of technology as a blessing to human beings, for it has the potential to change their life with the creative possibilities that it makes possible. However, technological innovation requires much awareness while being put to work because its advantages and disadvantages are two sides of the same coin. Technology is a double-edged sword which embodies various constructive and beneficial advantages and at the same time innumerable destructive and lethal drawbacks.
       Technology can be a piece of good fortune for humanity with its various advantages which include making life easier, saving time, facilitating communication, and providing vast resources. To begin with, technology has what it takes to make life easier, for instead of traveling for hours on foot, man can simply drive a car towards his destination and instead of suffering to find wood and start a fire to heat his meal, he can use the so-called microwave. In addition to this, technology saves time since one can avoid wasting time traveling from one country to another to attend a meeting by simply having an online conference and writing a formal letter and waiting for days to be received through sending it by mail or faxing it. Another benefit of technology is facilitating communication. People, these days, can follow up each other’s latest news through social media networks like Facebook and Twitter and can contact each other even if they were living in distant areas through phones and the latest smart phones’ applications like Viber, Tango, and Whatsapp. Moreover, technological innovations such as the internet’s search engines, including Google and Ask Jeeves, encyclopedias, and TV channels like the Discovery Channel provide people with a vast range of educational resources. Nowadays, all what a person has to do is log into Google, jot in his quest, and end up with a rich list of possible resources.
       On the other hand, technology embodies lethal disadvantages that can be deadly if people are not precautious and extremely vigilant while using it, and those include ending up with a lazy generation, suffering from unemployment, facing aggregating violence, and witnessing a massive deterioration in face-to-face interactions. First of all, excessive use of internet and exposure to TV sets would most certainly lead to having a generation that is least to say, a couch potato. This in return would lead to health issues and increase in obesity especially among teenagers who spend their time in front of TV sets and their laptops rather than doing sports. It also leads to suffering from unemployment, for machines and robots are taking over jobs and positions, and this diminishes job vacancies which as a result causes an increase in poverty rates, homelessness, and starvation. Another fatal effect of the misuse of technology is facing aggregating cases of violence. Crime rate and death cases are increasing these days due to the violent and notorious scenes that people and especially adolescents are being exposed to over the net as well as the TV sets. Sports such as WWE and cartoons which include violent scenes are subconsciously driving their viewers to imitating them. For instance, not long ago, several death cases have been witnessed among kids who were imitating vehement scenes found in the cartoon show “Detective Conan”. Finally, spending too much time using smart phones to contact friends via Viber, Tango, and Whatsapp is having a detrimental impact on face-to-face interaction as well as family bonds. These days, people and family members cannot sit in one room and have a normal conversation, for each would be busy with his tweets, Whatsapp chats, and video calls or phone calls via Viber and Tango.
         In conclusion, one must beware the lethal and detrimental drawbacks and disadvantages of technology and be aware of its numerous advantages to know how to exploit it and utilize it properly, for one should enslave technology rather than be enslaved by it. One must be extremely precautious because, “Whenever science makes a discovery, the devil grabs it while angels are debating the best way to use it.”

Theme 8:       Sports

Writing prompt: People often say that a sound mind is in a sound body. However, sports do have their benefits and drawbacks. Write a well-structured essay in which you discuss 2 advantages and 2 disadvantages of sports.

Sample 1:

Sports: Advantages and Disadvantages

“Sports serve society by providing vivid examples of excellence.” This quote asserts that sports help the society in several ways, and especially by showing it the shortest ways to excel in something. However, sports have their disadvantages on society in general, and on the audience in specific. Sports help one in enjoying fortune, luxury, and wealth, as it helps one in gaining fame, popularity, and prosperity. On the other hand, sports have their disadvantages like increasing cases of bribes and corruption and display the existence of violence in sports like hooligans and barbarians. As such, sports as advantageous as they might seem, do embody some fatal drawbacks.

To begin with, some of the innumerable advantages of sports are helping one in achieving wealth, fortune, and luxury, and enjoying fame, popularity, and prosperity. Playing sports is very profot profitable, for winning games gives a lot of money for the winner, and the salaries of players are so high, where Lionel Messi’s salary, in 2011, was 1100 € per week. Commercials also play a big role in giving money where those search for famous players to do their advertisement, and the payment this athlete will take may reach 3000000 $ for every athlete if the commercial involved more than one athlete like the Turkish Airlines advertisement which involved both Lionel Messi, the famous football player, and Michael Jordan, the famous basketball player. Moreover, these commercials play another role in making these athletes even more famous; that’s besides being exceptional in the sport he’s playing which will make his fame snarl like a lion in every fan’s ear and help him achieve opulence and prosperity.

On the other hand, sports have their disadvantages that are portrayed by increasing cases of bribes and corruption, and displaying an escalation in violence. Athletes tend to be involved in cases of bribes to lose a match with their team, for this is one of the most lucrative ways in sports to earn money. A spoiling man will bribe an athlete by a sum of money that could reach 1000000$ to make his team lose for reasons that vary from one case to another. This athlete will take the bribe, enjoy it and induce some of his friends which will increase the cases of bribes. In addition to that, some sports display cases of violence like the hooligans and barbarians that play the hokey game, where some athletes will go like soulless Vikings with their sharp axes cutting heads here and there without looking at what they have done to the poor athletes who are there just to play. Spectators who watch this and endorse it are likely to imitate these actions at home if not in their matches at school, hence increasing violence and helping it spread even more.

As a conclusion, sports are a double edged weapon, for they portray two faces of a coin, a glittering and fabulous one, and a fire-blazing and evil one. However, people can decrease some sports’ disadvantages and increase the advantages by acting wisely.

Done by: Ali Shoeab Grade 9 “A” 2013-2014

Sample 2:

The Two Opposite Sides of Sports

       “Practicing sports which can be fully advantageous may not turn out to be so if it doesn’t serve its goals of keeping your bodies healthy and prompting feelings of friendliness, cooperation, and peace”. This quote implies and asserts that sports influence people positively, facilitate their lives, and make it easier. Even though sports have myriad and innumerable health and mental benefits, they embody enormous disadvantages such as increasing violence and causing fatal injuries.

        Sports are an essential and significant part of everyday life, for they have various advantages such as mental and health benefits. To begin with, sports embody enormous health benefits since they work on building muscles, maintaining body fitness, and enhancing agility and flexibility which makes an athlete able to compete and excel at the games. Sports also enhance the blood circulation and assist the respiratory system by exercises that help change the mood. In addition to health benefits, sports have mental benefits, for a sound mind is in a sound body. Sports boost self-confidence, for when the athlete always wins and achieves his goals, he will trust his abilities and believe in himself. Sports also help release tension and stress in addition to increasing team spirit and sportsmanship.

      However, sports do have lethal and deadly disadvantages and drawbacks such as increasing violence and causing fatal injuries. First, violence exists in sports and in athletes and spectators who are more like hooligans and barbarians than human beings. These often fight if they weren’t satisfied with the results. Violence is also displayed through malicious and rude athletes who could lead to a new generation of bullies when imitated by their teenage fans at school. Another presentation of spreading violence is when children imitate violent scenes at home. For instance, they might mimic certain smack down moves from “WWE” wrestlers which might cause them or their relatives serious injuries. Furthermore, athletes are subjected to dangerous and lethal injuries while playing sports which might deprive them of their physical ability and make them suffer from depression and other psychological complexities.

        As a conclusion, sports are a double-edged weapon, for they embody both advantages that are highly constructive and disadvantages and drawbacks that can be severely destructive.

                          Done by: Ghiwa Soofan and her group          Grade 9 “A” 2013-2014

Sample 3:

The Double-edged Weapon

        “Gold medals aren’t really made of gold. They’re made of sweat, determination, and a hard-to find alloy called guts and courage”. This quote asserts and alludes that athletes must be armed with self-confidence and determination to reach that gold medal by playing and undergoing rigorous cramming. However, even though sports have myriad health and mental advantages, they embody innumerable disadvantages such as increasing violence and causing fatal injuries.

        Sports are an essential and significant part of everyday life, for they have various advantages such as mental and health benefits. To begin with, sports help in gaining a lot of health benefits such as building muscles and maintaining body fitness by undergoing rigorous cramming and having agility, flexibility, and stamina. Sports also enhance the blood circulation and assist the respiratory system. Moreover, sports embody countless mental benefits. These include boosting self-confidence and releasing stress and tension through changing one’s mood.

      On the other hand, sports do have some lethal and deadly disadvantages or drawbacks such as increasing violence and causing fatal injuries. First of all, they increase violence by imitating violent scenes at home while watching W.W.E. In addition to that, those societies are currently spectators who imitate violent athletes and become bullies. Sports also cause fatal injuries which could lead to suffering from depression and other psychological complexities upon losing the physical abilities that used to make this athlete feel special.

      As a conclusion, sports are a double-edged weapon, for it embodies both advantages that are highly constructive and disadvantages or drawbacks that can be severely destructive.

                      Done by: Hanan Farhat, Alaa Hamadeh, Fatima Jaber, Fatima Youness, and Rayan Awwad      Grade 9 “A” 2013-2014

Sample 4:

                               Advantages and Disadvantages of Sports

         “A Sound Mind is in a Sound Body.” This quote initially or mainly highlights the importance of sports in today’s society. However, practicing sports may lead to several drawbacks. Even though sports have myriad health and mental advantages, they embody innumerable disadvantages such as increasing violence and causing fatal injuries.

       Sports are an essential and significant part of everyday life, for they have various advantages such as mental and health benefits. To begin with, sports assist people in their attempt to gain a lot of health benefits by building their muscles and maintaining body fitness. In addition to that, it helps in maintaining a healthy blood circulation and assisting the respiratory system. Moreover, it helps them earn innumerable mental benefits such as boosting self-confidence, releasing stress and tension, and increasing team spirit and collaboration, for it helps people get accustomed to the idea of working or collaborating with other individuals.

         However, sports do have some lethal and deadly disadvantages such as increasing violence and causing fatal injuries. One of the reasons behind that is having naive spectators trying to imitate their favorite professional superstars which turn them to bullies in their daily life. Another example is junior leagues that try to perform just like their favorite team in their own leagues. As such, if their role models are violent players, they will be so too. Sport might also cause fatal injuries. Being subjected to lethal and deadly injuries while playing sports can deprive players of their physical abilities which, in return, leaves them to suffer from depression and other psychological problems or complexities.

        As a conclusion, sports are a double-edged weapon, for they embody advantages that are highly constructive and disadvantages or drawbacks that are severely destructive.

                     Group Work: Sara Abbani and her group from grade 9 “A” 2013-2014

Sample 5:

A Double-Edged Weapon

       “Sports serve society by providing vivid examples of excellence.” This quote asserts and implies that sports is a unique discipline that paves the way for excellence in society, and gives the chance to excel through different aisles in the maze of exceptionality. However, sports include some disadvantages which might lead to the depth of failure. Even though sports have myriad health and mental advantages, they embody innumerable advantages such as increasing violence and causing fatal injuries.

        Sports are an essential and significant part of everyday life, for it has various advantages such as mental and health benefits. Sports lead to glittering with sparkles of agility, stamina, and flexibility which will be highly reflected by the strong muscles all over the athlete’s well-built body. Moreover, sports have their biological benefits such as enhancing blood circulation and assisting the respiratory system. In addition to that, sports leave a crucial impact on one’s mental abilities because they have the potential to boost one’s self-confidence and increase his team spirit and his ability to collaborate with others which will clear the way in front of him, in the future, where he is expected to work at any time with other compatriots in his coworkers’ team later on. For example, one would work harder to concentrate in his respective disciplines in order to find himself in the shoes of one of the well-known athletes like the renowned football players Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

        However sports do have some lethal and deadly inconveniences or drawbacks such as increasing violence in sports and causing fatal injuries. To begin with, watching sports may lead to encountering junior leagues that imitate their favourite professional sports team or violent scenes at home. That’s besides witnessing spectators who imitate violent athletes and become bullies. And this is highly reflected through the Lebanese auditoriums between the audience of Nijme and Ansar who used to start a lot of frays just because their favourite athletes down the field did. Moreover, sports play a major role in being deprived of physical abilities, suffering from depression, and having other psychological complexities due to lethal injuries that some athletes might encounter.

       As a conclusion, sports hover in the sky of both advantages and disadvantages, for it embodies some advantages that are highly constructive like mental and physical ones, and it portrays some disadvantages or drawbacks that can be severely destructive. But in both cases, sports will always remain one of the key sources of a vigorous and dynamic life, one that is full of excitement and enthusiasm; far away from a sluggish and lethargic life span in this fast human race.

Ali Shoeab- Sara Hamoud- Batoul Baalbacki…(group work)

Sample 6:

                                      Advantages and Disadvantages of Sports

        "Sports don’t build character; they reveal it." This quote implies and asserts that sports don’t build one's character and personality but rather stage it and portray it. Sports play a crucial part in building one’s character and reflecting his true personality. However, even though sports have myriad health and mental advantages, they embody innumerable disadvantages such as increasing violence and causing fatal injuries.

        Sports are an essential and significant part of everyday life, for they have various advantages such as health and mental benefits. To begin with, practicing sports helps the body gain a lot of health benefits. People often witness how the athlete has strong muscles and how he maintains his body fitness. This is due to sports. Moreover, doctors usually say that sports help in enhancing the blood circulation and assisting the respiratory system. Moreover, sports help in earning countless and myriad mental benefits such as building and boosting one's self-confidence as they release stress and tension which helps in changing the mood. They also build one's team spirit which prepares him for his future career where he is expected to cooperate with a whole team of coworkers, for working within a team at a young age prepares the athlete for work within a team at work in the future.

          However, sports do have some lethal and deadly drawbacks such as increasing violence and causing fatal injuries. Sports increase violence through witnessing spectators who imitate violent athletes and become bullies. This is further increased through imitating violent scenes at home like WWE. Sports also encounter junior leagues that imitate their favorite professional sports team. For instance, if a Ronaldo fan sees Ronaldo stepping over Messi's hand, he's likely to do the same with his opponent too, for one tends to imitate his role model. Sports also cause fatal injuries. Athletes are subjected to dangerous and serious injuries while playing different kinds of sports. As such, athletes would be deprived of the physical ability to continue playing; they will lose their job, hobby and future. Therefore, they will be suffering from depression and other psychological complexities, and in some cases this can lead to suicide.

           As a conclusion, sports can be considered a double-edged weapon, for they embody both advantages that are highly constructive and disadvantages or drawbacks that can be severely destructive.

                              Done by: Robina Assaf and her group _ Grade 9 “B” 2013-2014

Sample 7:

The Two opposite Sides of Sports

“Practicing sports which can be fully advantageous may not turn out to be so if it doesn’t serve its goals of keeping your bodies healthy and prompting feelings of friendliness, cooperation, and peace”. This quote implies and asserts that sports influence people positively, facilitate their lives, and make it easier. Even though sports have myriad and innumerable disadvantages such as increasing violence and causing fatal injuries, they embody enormous health and mental benefits.

Sports are an essential and significant part of everyday life, for it has various advantages such as mental and health benefits. To begin with, sports embody enormous health benefits since they work on building muscles, maintaining body fitness, and enhancing agility and flexibility which makes an athlete able to compete and excel at the games. It also enhances the blood circulation and assists the respiratory system by its exercises that help change the mood. In addition to health benefits, sports have mental benefits, for a sound mind is in a sound body. Sports boost self-confidence since when the athlete always wins and achieves his goals, he will trust his abilities and believe in himself. It also helps release tension and stress. Moreover, sports increase team spirit and sportsmanship.

However, sports do have lethal and deadly disadvantages and drawbacks such as increasing violence and causing fatal injuries. First, violence exists in sports and in athletes and spectators who are more like hooligans and barbarians than human beings. Violence is also displayed through malicious and rude athletes who could lead to becoming bullies. Another presentation of spreading violence is when children imitate violent scenes at home. For instance, they imitate “WWE”. Furthermore, athletes and leagues are subjected to dangerous and lethal injuries while playing sports which deprives them of the physical ability and makes them suffer from depression and other psychological complexities.

As a conclusion, sports are a double-edged weapon, for it embodies both advantages that are highly constructive, and disadvantages and drawbacks that can be severely destructive.

 Done by: Lina Sharara and her group in grade 9 “A” 2013-2014

Sample 8: à

                                            A Sword with Two Edges

        “Sports are like a roller-coaster, practicing them has its ups and downs.” Practicing sports, which is fully advantageous, may not turn out to be so if it didn’t serve its goals of keeping our bodies healthy and prompting feelings of cooperation and peace. Although sports have myriad health and mental advantages, they can embody innumerable disadvantages such as increasing violence and causing fatal injuries.
       Sports are an essential and significant part of our daily life for they have various advantages such as health and mental profits. First of all, several health benefits are gained like building muscles and maintaining body fitness and physical health. It also enhances blood circulation and assists the respiratory system. Another reason why sports is an advantage, it builds one’s self confidence and determination, it releases stress which helps change the mood of the athlete and relaxes the nervous system by exercising  every day and increases stamina, agility and flexibility.
      Conversely, sports have lethal and deadly drawbacks and disadvantages such as increasing violence and causing fatal injuries. Violence is seen every day. It is increasing day after day, for we are witnessing spectators who impersonate violent athletes and become bullies. And besides, children, especially teens, are imitating violent scenes at home like WWE and other wrestling programs. Moreover we are encountering junior leagues that mimic their favorite professional sports team, especially violent ones. Another reason why sports are a disadvantage is that they might cause permanent and fatal injuries which may ruin one’s career and future. This would leave an athlete with severe depression which is likely to end up with him committing suicide.
      As a conclusion, sports don’t build character they reveal it and it is for sure a rollercoaster on which one might drop off or continue his journey to fame and success.

  Done by: Razan Hadid and her group     Grade 9 “B”    2013-2014

è Topic 2: Every person has a role model to look up to and respect. Write a descriptive essay discussing the outer appearance and personality of an athlete that you look up to as your own idol.

My Role Model

What is a role model? A role model is a person who deserves to be imitated and respected by other people. Everyone has a role model in life that influences and impacts him, for a role model is a hero who kindles a great light in the world and who sets up blazing torches in the dark streets of life. My role model is Oscar Pistorious, a South African handicapped athlete that had to tackle and surmount his disability which transformed him into an idol and a role model that others would want to be like due to his outstanding outer appearance and captivating inner beauty.

Although Oscar Pistorious has a physical disability, he has an outstanding outer appearance. First, he is well built and has a well-shaped and fit upper body. Also, he has attractive muscles due to long hours and sessions of practicing sports and running as fast as a tiger. Moreover, he is elegant, neat, and chic, for he tremendously cares for his clothes, outer appearance, and neatness.

In addition to his baffling outer appearance, he has magnificent and captivating inner beauty that results from his self-confidence, perseverance, and will. To begin with, he is self-confident since he surmounted and tackled his disability by leaving his obstacles and burdens behind. Moreover, he faced innumerable and enormous hindrances, but he persevered and never gave up or yielded to become a great and tolerant man.

As a conclusion, the quote “Sports is a metaphor for overcoming obstacles and achieving against great odds. Athletes in times of difficulty can be important role models” is unquestionably true, for an athlete like Oscar Pistorious have is the biggest proof.

Done by: Ghiwa Sowfan and her group – Grade 9 “A” 2013-2014

è Writing prompt 3:

Everyone has a role model in life to look up to and respect. Write a well-structured essay about an athlete that you look up to as a role model discussing three character traits that makes him  stand out among other athletes.

Sample 1:

                                                              Role Models
 
      "Sports is a metaphor for overcoming obstacles and achieving against great odds. Athletes in times of difficulty can be important role models." This quote asserts and alludes that some athletes, through their potential and strength to baffle, bewilder, astonish, and captivate other people, and their ability to surmount and overcome dilemmas and hindrances, can leave a massive and titanic impact or imprint on people's lives as well as personalities. These kinds of athletes are what one can refer to as role models or idols that others look up to, regard with high respect and awe, imitate, and mimic due to their outstanding and spectacular perfection. Kun Sergio Aguero is an athlete that merits and deserves to be an idol and unites plenty and varied characteristics that a lot of other athletes don’t exert and possess like his competency, self-confidence, and determination.
 
    To begin with, what should be admired about Aguero is his competency. To begin with, he is the best example of modern strikes. Great upper body strength, ability on the ball, terrific accelerations, superb close control, wonderful movements of the ball, excellent hold-up play, pugnacious attitude and lethal finishing stand out as striking abilities and characteristics in Aguero. He does not only contribute with goals; he is a superb team player as well. His individual brilliance is always accompanied by a terrific team play in all his performances.
 
    Moreover, Aguero has a high self-esteem and self-confidence. He is one of the individuals who are characterized by frequent cognitions about the attainment of ideal perfectionist standards. Furthermore, he is the modern striker of his team. In addition to that, he became one of the best players in football after Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. All these accomplishments and achievements are based on and due to his self-confidence and self-esteem.
 
    Finally, Aguero is considered a role model due to his determination. Aguero faced plenty of desolations and depredations, but he stood up and tried several times till he reached his goals and aims and gained fame and popularity. In fact, his collapse, misfortune and devastation seem to have made him even more determined to do even better.
 
     As a conclusion, sports accomplishments are not in and of themselves the qualifiers and litmus test for being a role model. Having said that, there is a good number of athletes that perform well in their sports and possess the right set of human qualities needed to be role models and Kun Sergio Aguero is one of these athletes.
 
 
           Done by: Nour Raya,Ayman Mawassi,Leen ghattice,Nour Balaghi,Ali Rislan

                           Grade 9 “A”    2013-2014
 

Sample 2:

                                                   The Dream of Success

     “Being yourself is all it takes. If you want to impress someone, don’t be someone else; just be yourself.” This quote asserts and implies that everyone should have his own personality and self-confidence to express his feelings through his actions. An athlete must have certain traits as Maxime Chaaya who is self-confident, agile, and hardworking.

      To begin with, Maxime Chaaya is self-confident. He was sure of himself and his abilities. He believed that he had enough power to achieve his goal which is reaching the summit of Mount Everest even though he had a bad health. This self-confidence provoked him and urged him to fight for and claim his aim and gave him the strength to surmount his hindrances.

       In addition to that, Max is agile. He had the required body fitness to accomplish a detrimental and risky mission, for he doesn’t care about being better than someone else. He cares about being better than he was the day before.

    Finally, Maxime is a hardworking person. He is a fearless player who refuses to let himself be anything but the best he can be since he believes that winners don’t wait for chances; they just take them . He persevered and persisted enduring all the suffering and exhaustion that came along till he reached the summit of Mount Everest.

As a conclusion, Maxime Chaaya doesn’t dream of success; he stays awake to achieve it because when he was young he learnt that when you don’t win the silver, you lose the gold. Maxim Chaaya’s self-confidence, agility, and hard work portray him as the role model that everyone should follow to attain and accomplish success in life.

Done by: Hanan Farhat, Alaa Hamadeh; Fatima Jaber; Fatima Youness; Rayan Awad

àWriting Prompt 4: Life is full of hindrances and difficulties. Write a well-structured personal narrative essay in which you discuss a situation in which you faced a hindrance or physical disability to be a successful athlete.

A Whitewashed Hindrance

       "Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall." You may ask me what does that mean because I am one of the indefinite people who fell from the mountain of rising to the hole of misery, then to the climax of perfection. Maybe someone will say that my hindrance is a scandal, but this hindrance was my motivation to achieve my triumph. My restricted abilities and disabled knee didn't keep me from achieving my utmost goals.
        Life welcomed me as a handicapped. However, this issue didn't affect me much because I had faith in God and in higher purposes before the people's ruthless and soulless thoughts concerning my disability, as they considered it a gap that my life should stop at. But my ambitions' glow worm wasn't exhausted and kept glowing till the extremities when it illuminated my life with rays of success and confidence.
        In order to reach my destination in life, I picked up the gauntlet, and stepped over the stairs of agony, woe, and disability to the ground of the school's marathon where I decided to share and show the world what a handicapped can do. The marathon started, and adrenaline was flushing through my veins along with excitement and eagerness, and I ran as if I were racing the wind. The smile never left my face until I detected some villains who started shouting out words of mockery and irony. I was depressed, but I didn't let them get the best of me. I kept running even faster than before, took the bronze medal, and enjoyed seeing gestures of bewilderment and perplexity on the faces of the spectators.
        As a conclusion, "When there's a will, there's a way." and this is highly reflected through my experience where I had to clutch to self-confidence and self-esteem to achieve my ambitions, goals, and aims in life.

Done by: Ali Choeib and his group    Grade 9 “A”   2013-2014