Nowadays, the health of both adults and youngsters is not very good.

In this fast-paced society, we are forced to work very hard at the expense of our health.

We strive to do our best in order to gain good exam results or promotion at work.

But, without good health, how can we achieve our target?

Our health is the root of our success. Therefore, we should take good care of our body.

Nicola Chan, Po Leung Kuk 1984 College

Social responsibility

The rubbish collected after the Mid-Autumn Festival this year was 17 tonnes less than 2006. This is good news for all of us.

But a lot more needs to be done to improve our environment.

I recently saw a little girl throw her face mask into a recycling bin meant for plastic items. But her parents didn't say anything.

Why did the girl do such a thing? And why did her parents simply watch her do it? They should have told her to put the mask in the correct garbage container.

We should be responsible citizens. We can pick up the rubbish on the ground and not speak loudly in public.

People around the world should pay attention to the environment. If we don't do our duty, how can we have a wonderful future?

Mandy Sze Yuen-fai, Christian Alliance S. C. Chan Memorial College

English teacher a shining star

A good teacher is like a shining star to students.

Ms Wang, my English teacher in primary school, was such a person.

I had difficulty learning English when I was a child. I seldom raised my hand to answer questions because of my poor pronunciation and grammar. I rarely wrote anything.

English was my worst subject in primary school.

Ms Wang found out about my situation and decided to help me. She encouraged me to speak English and even taught me after school.

This helped improve my language skills and raised my interest in English. Before long, I was getting top grades in the subject.

Ms Wang was kind to everyone and her lessons were lively and interesting. She taught us to develop good study habits. She said: 'There is no special road to learning.'

I want to say: 'Ms Wang, thank you for your help. You are like a shining star in my life.'

Yumiko Lam, Our Lady of the Rosary College

Take action now on child abuse

I was shocked by two recent reports about child abuse.

In one case, a young mother had ill-treated her children.

They had low intelligence and difficulty in walking.

They were dreadfully underweight and had bruises on their body.

The other report was about two little siblings who were left home alone. They caused a fire which put their lives in great danger.

These cases are very heartbreaking. How can parents so cruelly neglect their children?

Their behaviour should be condemned and it reflects badly on our society.

In my opinion, many young couples are not mature enough to bring up children. Perhaps they are incapable of taking care of themselves.

Poverty is another reason behind child abuse. Both parents have to work to support their family so they leave their children alone at home.

The two cases provide a clear message: the community does not understand the seriousness of child abuse. In order to solve this problem, the government should set up more child-care centres and hire more social workers.

I believe all parents love their children.

But they don't know how to care for their children or they are not yet ready to shoulder the responsibility.

All children deserve to have responsible and loving parents.

Ruby Yeung, SKH Lam Woo Memorial Secondary School

UK singer's story offers inspiration

Every day I imagine that I'm an international pop singer. Am I really stupid? No, because with perseverance, my dream can come true.

Take Paul Potts, for example. He was a mobile phone salesman and took singing lessons for a few months.

And what is the result? He won this year's hit reality TV contest, Britain's Got Talent, and is a famous singer now.

It may seem unbelievable but it's true. Do you know how he achieved his dream? Because he never gave up.

What's more, he sang in front of opera legend Luciano Pavarotti and received much acclaim.

But some people are really stupid. They think failure is the end of the world and they kill themselves.

You should not give up - try your best and make your dream come true.

Lau Chun-wai

You deserve a break

Every day, we have lots of things to do, including school assignments and extra-curricular activities.

We work under pressure and we are very tired at the end of the day.

But it is important to take a break, no matter how busy you are.

When we relax, we can regain our energy and face up to the challenges bravely.

Also, we can reflect on what we have done and correct our mistakes.

So, after a tough assignment, remember to take break. You deserve it.

Victor Cheng, STFA Tam Pak Yu College