What is Better: A City or Suburb? (Final)

When someone is moving to a different home, he ponders: should I move to a city or a suburb? Well first of all, you may be wondering what cities and suburbs are. Suburbs are open areas with an abundance of nature, while cities are crowded areas that are generally dirty. When compared with each other, they have many differences.
Then is a city or a suburb a better place to live in? A suburb is a much better to live at. There are many reasons, including that the air in suburbs is cleaner, suburbs are less crowded, and they’re safer.
The first point is suburbs have cleaner air. In cities, the air is polluted from factories excreting greenhouse gases and cars ejecting waste, and there are hardly any trees to exude oxygen. Most suburbs are abundant with trees, with almost no factories or harmful gas from cars. If one stays outside a whole day in a city and a suburb smelling the air, you'll sense a large difference. Suburbs are a lot cleaner.
The next reason that suburbs are better than cities is suburbs aren't crowded. Many people, including me, are claustrophobic, meaning that we're afraid of being in enclosed and narrow places. Cities are heavily populated, so it's very easy to get lost. In the suburbs, everything is spread out and moving around is a lot easier and safer. You'll have a lot more privacy, because there are less people. This also reduces the chance of somehow losing your way.
Finally, there's more safety in suburbs. In cities, many robberies and kidnappings take place. A city's high population makes it more likely to have crimes. Taking a look at the news proves this. Have you heard of a kidnapping in New York, or a bar fight in Las Vegas, or the robbery in Chicago? People who live in a city and are scared of being robbed or kidnapped, should definitely consider moving to a suburb.
A suburb is a much better place to be. Although a city isn't too bad, suburbs are the right choice. Suburbs are nice and clean, not so crowded, and are a lot safer than cities. If one ever comes in contact with a choice between moving to a city or a suburb, he knows the right thing to do. Move to a suburb!

Should We Lengthen the School Year? (Draft)

Did you know that in a Grade 4 international test took in 2007, United States was placed in a lowly eleventh place, while countries like Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Japan, and Kazakhstan, were in the top five. A similar result happened when America place 9th in an 8th grade international, while similar Asian countries were in the lead. While Hong Kong, the winner of the Grade 4 international contest, has about 200 days of school, America only has 180. The U.S.' curriculum is far behind other countries in the world. United States should definitely consider lengthening the school year.
Reasons why a lengthened school year is necessary is, because an extended school year will improve student's performance and increases chances of getting into a good college.
First, a longer school year improves student performance. U.S. has the least number of school days in the entire world, and is very far behind what other countries are learning. Many of these countries have longer school years than U.S., such as Japan, with fifteen more days in its school year than U.S. A longer school year could give the country a chance to catch up with its rivals in education, such as the countries in Asia mentioned earlier. A large number of cities, such as Philadelphia, have a very low curriculum. An extended school year gives students more time to learn new skills and to master the concept. Many people, even some government officials, such as Senator Peter Mills of Maine, agree with the idea of adding more days to the school year. A longer school year is what we need!
A longer school year also increases the chance to go to a better college. The main purpose of school is to be a preparation for the SAT. School teaches many of the skills needed to hopefully pass the SAT with flying colors, like algebra, reading comprehension, etc. Everything a student learns in school contributes to what they score on the SAT. Going to a good college, such as Harvard or Yale, is essential for someone to get a good job. With the economic crisis, and job layoffs, kids need all the help they can get to receive a job in the future. A longer school year will do just that. Did you know that an extra hour a day for school can give a student an extra twenty-five points on the SAT? Twenty-five more points on the SAT can give a student who would normally going to somewhere like Rutgers a chance into Harvard. A lengthened school year can give a child a better future.
A longer school year is what America needs at a time like now. Although America does need the money right now for other issues, such as for the government, and kids need to relax in the summer, an extended school year is worth it. Not only does it improve student performance, but it also lets students get enrolled into a good college. Take some time to think what's really important. A longer school year is what America needs!