THE LESSON ON CYBER-BULLYING

The Internet can be a scary place these days, especially because of

cyber-bullying. It’s difficult to open a newspaper these days and not see a story
about this. It’s a really nasty and growing problem. Cyber-bullies are real
cowards. They hide behind their computer and scare people, send them hate mail
or threaten them. Even worse is when they publish pictures of their victims
online. I have a friend who had a really bad time at the hands of a cyber-bully.
He or she spread lots of gossip and lies on the Internet. My friend’s reputation
was badly damaged. A really bad thing is how young cyber-bullying starts. Many
schoolchildren physically bully others in class and then continue online. Their
victim isn’t safe anywhere.
THE LESSON ON FOUR SEASONS

I’m not sure how many people ever stop to think how wonderful four seasons
are. I think people who live in cities don’t care about the seasons. City people
spend half their lives indoors or underground. I live in the country and I love
watching the seasons come and go. Every day is different in the countryside. I
love watching the crops grow in the fields. I watch them push their way up from
the ground in the spring and then grow tall in the summer sun. Just before
autumn arrives, the farmer harvests them and then winter comes. Seasons
means it’s like living in a new place every four months. Everything changes. One
wonderful thing about seasons is the seasonal food you get. There’s always
something tasty that’s just come in season.
THE LESSON ON HARRY POTTER

Harry Potter is a boy wizard who has taken over the world. He is everywhere. No
one had heard of Harry Potter before 1997. That’s when J.K. Rowling published
her first book. She’s the creator of Harry Potter. The first novel was called ‘Harry
Potter and the Philosopher's Stone’ and it became an amazing success. Everyone
was talking about it and Harry became an overnight phenomenon. Six more
Harry Potter books followed and they all became best sellers. People went crazy
over every new book. My friends waited overnight outside a bookstore to make
sure they got their copy of the latest book. My friends are 40 years old! Harry
Potter is now a global industry, with movies and merchandise of all kinds. It’s
amazing how big he is.
THE LESSON ON MULTICULTURALISM

Multiculturalism is everywhere today. As the world gets smaller, multiculturalism

becomes bigger. Few of us today live in towns in which there is only one culture.
Today, we live in towns where we are surrounded by many other cultures. If we
live in a city, we will see people from all over the world. Of course, some cities
are more multicultural than others. New York is a real melting pot. It is called the
most multicultural city on Earth. A city like Tokyo isn’t so multicultural. I think
multiculturalism is a great thing. It’s fantastic walking out of your door and
seeing other cultures. This didn’t happen when I was young. People didn’t
understand other cultures. They didn’t even want to understand. I’m glad things
are changing today.
THE LESSON ON MAKE A DIFFERENCE DAY

Make A Difference Day happens in the USA and UK towards the end of October.
It’s such a good idea that it should take place in every country around the world.
In fact, it should be every day, not just one day a year. So what is it? As the
name suggests, it is one day of the year when you must do something to make a
difference in people’s lives. It was created by the USA Weekend magazine. The
original idea was to “celebrate neighbors helping neighbors”. Millions of people
volunteer their time and efforts for community projects. You can choose your
own project or visit the Make A Difference Day website for ideas. If you register
your idea, you could win a special award.
THE LESSON ON WORLD ANIMAL DAY

If you love animals, then you should put World Animal Day on your calendar or
in your diary. It takes place each year on the 4th of October. It all started in Italy
in 1931 at an ecology conference. The scientists wanted to highlight the plight of
endangered species. People were concerned about this even at the beginning of
the last century. Today the day celebrates all kinds of animal life. Many countries
around the world hold different activities and events. It is on October the 4th
because this is the day of St Francis of Assisi, who is the patron saint of animals.
Anyone, from any religion, background or country celebrates this important day.
THE LESSON ON PAINTING

I like painting. It makes me very happy. I loved using paint when I was young. I
was really good at drawing, even in elementary school. My school reports said I
had a talent in art. I won the school painting competition many times. My friends
say painting is difficult. I disagree. All you have to do is pick up a brush and put
the paint on the paper. Anyone can do it. It’s child’s play. I don’t understand why
people say they can’t paint. For me, it’s so easy to paint. It’s the most natural
thing in the world to do. My friends say my paintings look so real, and that their
paintings look like children’s paintings. I’m not sure why this is. I’m lucky, I
guess. I don’t know what I would do without painting. It really helps me to relax.
THE LESSON ON ORGAN TRANSPLANTS

The question of organ transplants is a difficult one. Not for me though. I’m quite
happy to donate all of my organs for transplants. I don’t mind my body being
donated to science after I die. I think it’s much better to be useful even after I
die. I would be so happy to know that my heart was used to save someone else’s
life. I don’t need my eyes after I die, so it’d be great if someone else could use
them to see. Even though I want my body to be used for medical science, it feels
a little strange to think that medical students will be cutting me up. I know in
other parts of the world there are many people who don’t like the idea of organ
transplants. They believe the body should stay in one piece. I hope that changes
because doctors really need the organs.