Sentences

The pressure of our ageing population and social tensions arising from the wealth gap called urgently for a broader consensus and greater willingness in society to confront these issues.

It is not as if the government has a blind spot on education, health and care of an ageing population.

Hong Kong loses out on overseas talent when people cannot find suitable schools for their children.

Measures to tweak land supply and tackle the lack of affordable flats meet public expectations, so long as officials are mindful of past lessons that too much interference in the market can cause uncertainty and confusion.

That the way Hong Kong has emerged stronger from the financial tsunami speaks for itself.

We trust he is right that the city will overcome the many difficulties coming its way.

Financial Secretary John Tsang has finally unveiled the long-awaited annual budget, which concerns all sectors of the society, and the general public at large.

Although Hong Kong’s outlook appears optimistic, we still face a string of stern challenges and a bumpy road ahead.

We believe that all these measures demonstrated that the government is committed to addressing the plight of the underprivileged.

However, to combat another wave of global economic meltdown, or any unexpected calamities and hardship, a huge reserve is one of the most effective leverages that the government might be able to exercise. Therefore, we feel called upon to point out that our leap forward is never plain sailing.

New Sentences

Now that the flu season is upon us again, public hospitals and accident and emergency departments have been flooded with patients suffering flu-like symptoms, with some requiring intensive care. The government is providing free seasonal flu vaccines to target vulnerable groups, and subsidising vaccination by private doctors. But again the public response has been poor.

Social stability should be of overriding importance. Any political changes will be meaningless if the country falls prey to chaos in the end.

If the current situation continues to deteriorate, it will not only be nightmarish for the 80 million Egyptians, but also perilous to regional peace and stability.

That almost all cities that once banned firecrackers have made the annual Spring Festival an exception reveals how indispensable firecrackers are to the Chinese celebration.

A lunar new year holiday devoid of the spark of firecrackers would be insipid and incomplete.

But as people return to work from their weeklong holiday, the same old questions surrounding firecrackers have resurfaced. While lighting up the night skies and adding to the festive atmosphere, they also pollute and injure. While few complain about the noise, most of us have experienced what they can do to the air quality.

China’s fight against inflation will determine its chances of maintaining sound and stable growth.

The best way to tackle the problem is to arm people with knowledge and skills. The more people understand the food they eat, the more likely they are to respect it and eat a balanced diet.

Diplomacy is more than following the letter of the law; it is also about avoiding doing and saying what is wrong.

Writing Topic

In a modern society, it has been observed in some countries that the elderly are not duly respected. Discuss the reasons why this has occurred and the effects it might have on our society.

Some sentences from editorial

The prolonged drought, which has been hitting northern China harder than expected since last autumn, surely justifies greater efforts to accelerate the development of water conservancy projects and promote the sustainable use of water resources in this country.

To quench the current thirst is indeed a pressing task. But it is of far greater significance for policymakers to ensure that the upcoming massive investment on water conservancy will effectively boost long-term food security and environmental sustainability if the country is to survive the dire consequences of climate change and win the future.

The country has let slip an opportunity to change these statistics for the better.

China lags far behind other countries in its efforts to impose restrictions on smokers. There are no national regulations on banning smoking in public areas.

Banning smoking in all indoor public places is a nut that the government must crack, regardless of the immediate impact on its tax revenues.

Spectacular collapses of businesses owing the public money or services, such as a number of yoga studios recently, are the tip of the iceberg.

But "naming and shaming" can still be an effective tool in the hands of the Consumer Council, firstly for warning the public against persistent improper practices and also as a deterrent to people who will not desist.