Why do you think some people are offended by public breastfeeding but not offended by public advertising that shows much more revealing images (I am thinking of a well known undergarment store)?

100 words

Thinking about how a Type A personality affects the body reminded me of some things  I've read about heartbreak and its effect on the body. In this article, I read that a study found the same parts of the brain were active when people were shown a picture of someone they had just broken up with as when that person was in physical pain. The reason for this is not specific, but when researchers theorized it occurs because the sympathetic and parasympathetic activation systems are triggered simultaneously.

What are your thoughts on this article? Can you think of other personality traits, feelings, or experiences that can cause direct harm to the body? 

Topic 1

Milly and Peggy are neighbors. Peggy’s boy-friend Raymond died recently and Milly had not seen Peggy for weeks. One day, Milly met Peggy at the corridor and Peggy was taking a suitcase with her.

Milly said, “Hi, Peggy, how are you? Are you going to travel?”

Peggy looked peaceful and replied, “Hi, Milly. I am fine….I am…..”

Milly said, “I know that Raymond has….Well, anyway, are you going to travel? There is quarantine everywhere. Where are you going?

Peggy replied, “Korea.”

Milly asked, “What…? The pandemic there is still very severe. Do you have to go now?”

“Well…Milly. It’s not that…..simple. But I am really excited to go.” Peggy replied.

Milly said, “Not that simple….what do you mean? Don’t do anything stupid.”

Peggy said, “Stupid of not…I don’t know. But I deeply believe in it. Have you heard of the movie ‘There is another You in this world’ ”?

Milly said, “Yeah. It’s good. I watched it on Netflax”

Peggy said, “Master Seven told me that what the movie says is true. In this world, there is another you, me and Raymond etc. Usually we are not able to see the other self because we are in different channels.”

Milly asked, “Master Seven?”

Peggy said, “Yeah. The one that you can see on TV. She is a great fortune teller and Fung Shui Master. My mum is her good friend. Recently I have been depressed and my mum took me to see Master Seven. She treated me. She also told me about this multiple-self theory.”

Milly said, “This is….incredible. Do you really believe in it?

Peggy said, “Of course. Master loves you…and everyone. She also said that Raymond’s another self is in Korea now. He has the same appearance and character as my deceased boy-friend. If I go there to meet him, we can continue our relationship.”

Milly said, “Peggy, I understand that you must be sad right now. But you have to keep your mind clear.”   

Peggy showed Milly her mobile phone, on which there is an Instagram account of a Korean guy; and the guy looks exactly like Raymond!

Milly asked, “So you believe that this is Raymond’s another self’?”

Peggy said, “You got me. Master Seven has made friends with this Korean guy and found that there are a lot of similarities between him and Raymond. Their hobbies and living style are the same!”

Milly said, “So you are going to Korea now. Aren’t you? Peggy, the pandemic there is more severe than that in Hong Kong. Think twice. It’s too risky.”

Peggy said, “Master Seven has performed some religious ritual on me, and she gave me some magic water to drink. I will be fine.”

Milly asked, “But where do you meet this guy?”

Peggy said, “Master Seven gave me an address. She said when I arrive there the guy will be there waiting for me.”

Milly said, “Sorry. I can’t believe in this. This is too unnatural and there is no concrete evidence.”

Peggy said, “Milly, I know you are a supporter of the correspondence theory of truth. But I am a believer of the coherence theory of truth. There are lots of things which you don’t require evidence to believe, right? Just like you believe that Napoleon existed. I know that you don’t believe in Master Seven because you don’t know her. But I know her well, and I have his Instagram account here. See….”   

Milly asked, “When will your flight depart?”

Peggy replied, “Master Seven asked me to take the flight CCAH4016. It departs at midnight. Milly: “Do you mind spending a while with me and let me analyze the case with you?”

Peggy said, “Ok. There is still some time, so I think I can.”

Continue Milly and Peggy’s conversation. In the end, one side should be reasonably convinced by the other. (If Milly is convinced by Peggy, she will let Peggy go. If Peggy is convinced by Milly, she will stay in Hong Kong.)

Write the dialogue in 800 words.

The question sounds pessimistic but it is significant which needs to be answered if really we are to meet the President’s goal of working to make Accra the cleanest city in Africa. Many things suggest a step forward and many steps backwards in our bid to become the cleanest city.

Perhaps, the biggest of the factors inhibiting our ability to make the city of Accra clean is the political will of governments in power over the period.

From the era of Kofi Portuphy (1991-1992), those of Ishmael Ayeetey (1992-1993), Nat Nunoo Amarteifio (1994-1998) and Samuel Adokwei Addo (1998-2001),      , has seen the MCEs cocooned into their offices in order not to court the anger of their ‘seniors’, in whose hands their destiny of continuing in office is assured or otherwise.

We have not forgotten so soon the vibrancy with which Metropolitan Chief Executives such as Solomon Ofei Darko (2001-2003) and Stanley Nii Adjiri Blankson (2003-2009) started but the coldness set in no time.

Alfred Okoe Vanderpuije (2009-2017) continued. We saw him on foot with his lieutenants at Kaneshie, Mallam, and the central business district especially after floods, with determination to do away with the filth to end once and for all the resultant effects of the filth in the city. But Oko chickened out later. Some elements in his party had criticised him in public that as they struggled to fill the barrel with water he was busily emptying it with his actions. Would he have had the courage or stubbornness to continue? We mustn’t forget that his political fortunes were tied to how other actors, especially in political circles, scored him.

What also didn’t Mohammed Adjei Sowah (2017-2021) do to ensure discipline and a clean city? Other decongestion exercises were done. War was waged on indiscipline and lawlessness especially the wrongful parking of vehicles and hawking in the major streets. It was his time the President declared the government’s determination to make Accra the cleanest city in Africa.

Henry Quartey

Even with the highest influence and support for him, Adjei Sowah chickened out in the end. It only took the new Regional Minister, Henry Quartey, to start cracking the whip on the lawlessness.

He literally and virtually took over the task from Adjei Sowah. A lot of successes have been achieved since. The age-old problem of the onion market has been relocated to Adjen Kotoku. A big task whose success had eluded the city and the country in general over the years had finally been chalked up. The electronic waste collectors have been dislodged from the banks of the Odaw River and the place fenced.

Worry

But a worry has sprung up. The citizenry do not see any progress beyond the relocations and the erection of th   e wall. Were we interested in just clearing the area of the people without having any immediate plans for the space? The vim with which the regional minister started is by all indications also dying down.

Ready for clean city?

Are we ready to make Accra the cleanest city? This is the biggest question agitating the minds of many. The seeming pessimism from some of the people is justified.

Many actions have been taken over the years. But it is like the profound statement from the legend reggae superstar, Robert Nesta Marley, “One step forward two steps backwards.”

Has the regional minister relaxed waiting for the new MCE, Elizabeth Naa Kwatsoe Tawiah Sackey, to continue from where he has left off? Will Elizabeth Sackey’s tenure provide and produce the vibrancy, boisterousness and tact needed to rid the city of filth to meet the President’s ambition of Accra, the cleanest city in Africa?

Work to do

The solution lies in looking at what we have done to make the stretch between Kotoka Airport and Kempinski/Movenpick clean; then replicate it. We need to create a framework for people to work with; otherwise it will be a losing battle.

Let’s start by giving traders somewhere decent to trade from; then ban trading in places we don’t want trading to occur. Let us start by giving people places to throw their filth; then impose and rigorously enforce penalties for littering.

We have demonstrated that we can do it, because there are a few parts of Accra that are very clean. We just need to learn from our successes and rigorously apply them across the board as they do here - there is no other way out.

You are required to:

1. Summarise your above passage in 120 words 
2. Write summarized Argument in the standard form 
3. Insert any assumption you identify and include them in your standard form 
4. Evaluate your argument using the ARG conditions and determine if the argument is cogent or not