Wednesday, 21 August 2019

Before you read "Designing Solutions" (SkR&W3, p20)

What we will read

We are going to read a text about two construction projects that were designed to overcome challenges, but before we read about those, Bixby and Scanlon want us to start thinking about the general topic of challenges and solutions to them. 

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Bixby and Scanlon's question

What are some solutions that humans have devised to overcome challenges in the following areas? (Bixby & Scanlon, 2013, p. 20)
  • agriculture / farming 
  • housing 
  • transportation 
Chose and comment on just one of these areas, presenting the challenges that occur to you and your solutions to them. 

Factors to think about include, but are not limited to: 
    • weather
    • water
    • limited space
    • environmental issues
    • energy efficiency
    • geographical challenges 
Remember
Imagine you are writing for readers who have not seen the question you are responding to. Your answer should make sense to her if handed, for example, to a randomly chosen student from a different class. 

For this writing exercise, you have 20:00 minutes. I suggest you spend: 
  • five minutes planning: choosing a topic, getting ideas and organizing those ideas
  • ten minutes writing
  • five minutes editing: reviewing, revising and proofreading.
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Reference

  • Bixby, J. & Scanlon, J. (2013). Skillful Reading & Writing: Student's Book 3. Oxford: Macmillan Education

6 comments:

  1. Although space has generally not been a problem in Australia, the climate and environmental situations related to the geography of Australia have caused a number of problems that have need solutions in housing.

    First, much of Australia is very hot. In some areas in the vast central deserts, the temperature is regular over 40 degrees Celsius for long periods in summer, even getting up to 50 degrees, which can quickly prove deadly to humans and other animals. One solution to this has been building houses underground. this can be seen in Coober Pedy, where many families' homes are dug into the ground. This solution first occurred to people because Cooper Pedy was a famous mining area, where opals and other stones were dug up for profit. The miners discovered that their tunnels were cool even when the temperature outside was extremely hot, so they started turning the old mining tunnels into rooms that were connected by other tunnels. This also makes adding a new room to the house a simple matter of digging out a bit more.

    Of course, not all the land is as suitable to underground housing as are the deserts with suitably strong soil that can be dug out safely so that it won't collapse. Different solutions were needed on areas near the coast, where the sun is still fierce for much of the year. The solution here, as was the case for my own family home on our farm, was to build houses with wide verandahs covered by the roof. The large roof area also served to collect a lot of valuable rain water that could be stored for drinking and often bathing, as my own family did. Meanwhile, the shaded area was comfortable to sit under and enjoy any breeze that might be blowing. The traditional Australian house in the country was also designed with large doors and hallways that took the wind through the house so that it could be cooled as much as possible in the long, hot summers. This design with large verandah's on all sides also makes the most of the views, which can be enjoyed without interruption. Today, one of the best things about visiting Australia for me is staying at my brothers 120 year old house and enjoying breakfast or lunch on his verandahs with family and friends as we look out over the cattle. the bushland and the circling birds.

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  2. Transportation becomes more easier and faster nowadays due to modern technology and innovation. Although new modes of transport improve our quality of lives, it causes many problems which are environmental issues and energy shortage. However, humans devised solutions to overcome challenges which are tax incentive and alternative energy.
    Modern modes of transport such as fossil fuel cars release much CO2 causing many environmental issues. Many government tried dealing with the problem by introducing tax incentive on purchasing electric cars.People bought electric cars as they was cheaper.
    Transpiration requires a lot of energy. Consequently, a increasing number of people travelling everyday leaded to energy insufficient. Normal sources of energy were not adequate, so humans had to look for the new source of energy. Alternative energy was what they was finding. Wind and water energy became new energy source providing enough power for transportation.
    Humans the problems resulting from transportation by using tax measure and alternative energy sources. Even though humans have devised to get rid of the problems, new problems keep occurring due to increasing world population.

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  3. In recent years. people aroung the world have been devising the solutions of environment issues which have occured from transportations. This eassy will examine drawbacks of transportation and suggust the solution to alleviate problems.
    On the one hand, there are disadvantages of using individuals and public transportations. The most and the foremost important issue is environmental issues; noise pollution and global warming. Looking first at global warming or the incidence of temperature changing. This incidence affects not only to animal habitats but also living animals (prople are concluded), the result of this is that climate changes a lot, comparing to a past century. Norther part of the world is a good example of this, the temperature has increased significantly, it lead to the ice have melt.
    On the other hand, at present, people have become interesting in this issue. In general, it is likely that most countries solved this problem by enforcing laws.
    In conclude,

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  4. Thailand has a large number of people in big city such as Bangkok. The most crisis problem is transportation. While a crown people were increased, transportation not enough, that why cause of traffic jam, the challenging problem for everyone.

    This is cause relate to another problem such as air pollution and noise pollution. These are critical problem, everyone concern. So government's organization and private organization were associate, got the solutions for solving problems base on three concepts as safety convenience and safe the world. For examples MRT many lines are connect surrounding Bangkok. Laws of speed limiting and promoting ECO engine car by decrease the tax.

    These are some efficiency solutions. Nowadays transportation in Bangkok is convenience. We can go to every where easier and safety than the past, can solve by human.

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  6. Nowadays, agriculture, housing and transportation problems are the crystal-clear examples of problems which I genuinely believe that people all around the world have faced for many years. Having said that, I would like to talk and focus only on the main transportation problems and solutions.

    To start with the main transport problems, as everyone can know, globally, the number of populations has been dramatically increasing and generated many difficult situations; for instance, traffic jam during the rush hour, shortage of goods from time to time when there is such a scorching weather. From my daily basis and personal experience, I have to take the BTS and the MRT to get to my university, Chulalongkorn University. In the morning, approximately 7.30 - 8.30 a.m., I have to be waiting for many BTS skytrains because it is always crowded and has no enough space for me to stand, until I can finallya get on the train. It absolutely frustrates me because I can’t attend the class on time. Even though I have many alternatives transportations to take, such as bus, taxi, and motorbike taxi. Sadly, for bus, it usually takes more than one and a half hours to go to my destination. Similarly, taxi and motorbike taxi make me have the same problem as taxi. On top of that, the costs of taxi and motorcycle taxi are extremely expensive from my condo to the university. If you carefully consider the main factors that I have mentioned and compare the BTS and the MRT to the other choices, you will automatically choose both of the BTS and the MRT to be your best options for sure.

    However, every problem has at least one solution. Even if presently, in Thailand, there has not been a brilliant method to alleviate the problems, Thai government has tried to reduce the costs of the BTS and the MRT by subsidize the costs the excess price. For example, the current maximum price of the BTS is 59 bath, the government would decrease from 59 to 30 bath for the costs that people have to pay and for the remaining, 29 baht, they use the extra budget that perhaps, has come from taxes to cover it. I think that it is a good idea to solve the problems but unfortunately, I strongly believe that dispersing the wealth and the prosperity is a better way to solve them.

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