Question: What do you think is the best way to develop a substantial plot of land which the government of your community has the freedom to develop in any manner it sees fit, considering the current needs of society and how different types of development could impact the society?
Discussion
1. Which of the following three responses to the question above do you
think is the least proper? Why?
A)
I would sell it to buy whatever
I want.
B)
I would build an amusement park
on the land.
C)
I would make it a refugee camp
which can help refugees (to) become independent.
Note: Response
A) is not a way to develop land. Response B) is a way to develop land but an
amusement park may not be among the most needed usage of society. C) meets the
need of society because so-called refugee crisis is one of the main issues of
today’s world. The heart of today’s question is thinking about a way to use a
huge area of land, which provides space, soil, ecological system, the
atmosphere above it, life and joy, and many other things that we can take
advantage of.
2. What are the current needs of society, and how can the land be
developed to make a difference to meet the needs of society?
☆Hints for Points
・a huge air purifier/water tank/vegetable
garden/nature park/factory of micropower generators
・a free cafeteria/ food bank/daycare center/evacuation
center/space without commercial facilities
・a shelter for refugees/the homeless/stray
animals ・an independent radio station/TV station
・a tuition-free college/hospital/school/library/museum/botanical
garden/ballpark/theater/concert hall
☆Presentation
1.
Make a presentation to your
partner or group members on your response to the question above by answering
the following questions.
1)
What is a current need of
society of your concern? What is its present situation?
e.g. It
is refugee crisis. They are in desperate situations and need support.
2)
How would you use the land to
change the situation?
e.g. I
would make the land a refugee camp and provide support and helping them (to)
become independent so that they can live a healthy and cultural life.
3)
What are the advantages of it?
e.g.
It would save many lives.
4)
What problem can you expect as
a result of your action, and how would you address it?
e.g. Some
local residents might not be happy about accepting refugees, but we can learn from the past and deal with it.
2.
Ask each other questions about
each other’s presentations. This will help (to) make your essays more
interesting.
☆Sample response
I would use the land to help escape so-called refugee crisis. There are 35.5 million refugees around the world
now. They have fled or lost their homes due to overwhelming events such as
conflicts, oppressions, and disasters. They are in desperate situations,
including threat of their lives. and need support. Therefore, I would make the
land a refugee camp and provide support to help them (to) become independent so
that they can live a healthy and cultural life. It would save many lives. Also,
it would facilitate economic and political actions for early safe returns of
refugees to their homes. A possible problem would be that some local residents
might not be happy about accepting refugees, but we can learn from the past and
deal with it. We accepted refugees in the last refugee crisis in the last
century, and we can cope with this problem by learning from what we did then.
One countermeasure would be to focus on the positive effects of accepting
refugees like enrichment of our culture as a result of encountering new
cultures like that of America. (182 words)
For reference: An essay on the same kind of topic
There would be many wise or innovative uses of a large tract
of land, but I would make it a town which is a test case for peaceful
coexistence of people and jungle crows. No other birds are so stigmatized as
crows, particularly in Japan, where I live. They are regarded as filthy
garbage-eaters, spiteful punks, and the sign of death. Yet, if observed
carefully without prejudice, they will turn out to be as likable as dolphins.
In fact, they are sometimes called flying dogs. They could possibly be our best
friends in the sky.
Jungle crows are the big black birds often seen
scattering the contents of garbage bags collected on the sidewalks in many
Japanese cities. This is the main reason why they are hated, yet if you know
their history, you will know that they are not to blame. They used to live in
forests and feed on dead animals on the ground. Development replaced trees with
buildings, and animal bodies with garbage bags. They have been doing the same
to survive, nesting on the power poles and eating waste on the ground, but now
humans are offended by their routine. People think crows are dirty and
dangerous. However, crows bathe a few times a day. They attack people only when
they feel their nestlings are in danger, and the worst thing they could do is
to swoop and kick from behind, which they rarely actually do because they are
afraid of humans. It is true that they remember the face of the person who
attacked or threatened them and repeatedly retaliate, but considering their
trauma, it is understandable that they do it for self-defense. The biggest
stigma that crows bear is the image of death, which probably derives from their
color. Surely, they eat dead bodies, but so do many other creatures, from lions
to bacteria. The fear of the color black is our problem, not theirs. In the
eyes of humans on the ground, crows on power lines might be eerie dark spots in
the sky, but seen from high above, they are precious pieces of life shining in
purple and green.
Although loathed, crows are well known to be smart,
affectionate, and remarkable birds. They store their food in thousands of
places and remember them. They use their calls for their communication.
Moreover, they use tools, and one subspecies has evolved to make a tool.
Sometimes, their behavior cannot be explained by any other words but play.
There are reports of crows repeatedly sliding down the slide or snow slope or
hanging upside down from the power line. Also, jungle crows mimic many kinds of
things, such as human words or machine noises. They cherish their mates and
babies. There are many reports that crows grieve the death of other crows. I
myself know a jungle crow which missed its mate for at least three years. When
its mate suddenly disappeared, it made the saddest voice I had ever heard. One
of the most striking things about crows is their eyes and ears. As they can see
ultraviolet like other birds and as they can fly high, they can spot a very
small thing from hundreds of meters high. They hear what humans cannot hear.
Above all, they play an important role as scavengers getting rid of things
people do not want to see lying on the ground like a dead mouse. Now you might
find this bird a little more interesting than before.
In my opinion, it is a shame that we do not have good
relationships with jungle crows, these charming and interesting birds that
happen to live closest to us, and here comes my model town for both jungle
crows and humans. This town would have several parks full of tall trees, to
which the garbage the residents produce would be sent. Since jungle crows are
originally from forests and tend to live where food is abundant, it can be
easily expected that they would stay in the parks most of the time. Thus, they
would stop littering the streets. Moreover, the cost of waste incineration
would be reduced, and so would CO2 emissions. Humans can enter the parks and
enjoy nature anytime except for the breeding season. My wildest dream is to
have crows participate in rescue operations. For their ability to fly a long
distance and high cognitive level, not to mention the great eyesight and
hearing, they would make good rescue crows. Of course, to protect animal
rights, only those that are willing and having the aptitude and characteristics
should be given the missions. I actually know a crow that is eligible for it.
Like us, crows also have some individuals that seek for challenge and bonding.
I once saw a jungle crow perched on a power
line entertaining a dog down in a garage. The dog, wagging its tail and jumping
around in the small space, looked quite happy to see its friend with wings. The
scene reflected their positions in this world: one was confined and the other
free. Crows could have been domesticated long ago, since their cleverness must
have been noticed by our ancestors, but they have not. I feel, with no offense
to dogs, that crows know what dignity is and keep a distance from humans. They
are hated but live proudly. They are sensitive enough to feel the pain of life,
yet they will never give up on life and can do without such things as hope or
dream or religion. Perhaps we could learn something important from them by
living closer to them than now.
Note: Some of the
information about crows included in this essay are taken from Karasu no Kyokasho by Hajime Matsubara,
a crow researcher.
Write your response in 10
minutes. Show each other your responses. Write down questions or suggestions to
each other’s response.
DRAFT
