Engliah Oral

Under the living environment aspect, lack of sufficient personal space is another issue. As the

poor family cannot afford the high rent, living in sub-divided unit usually is their only choice.

From the previous video and pictures, I believe most of you have a clear picture of the living

environment of sub-divided units. Tiny space and crowd environment are the characteristic of

these flats. Living in this kind of cubical home, people are unable to have their personal space.

Maybe it is common for us to have our bedroom. However it is not possible for the poor family

to have one in their tiny flat. Referring to the picture; an apartment was divided into 4 small

units. Comparing the original one and the sub-divided units, we can see that the size of a sub-
divided unit is limited. Mrs. Yang and her three family members live in one of these sub-divided

units. Just a couple of basic furniture, such as desk and bed, has already occupied most of the

area. In addition, there is only one living room with no bedroom; so no matter what kind of

activities, such as sleeping or having dinner. They all have to do it within this small room. Mrs.

Yang comments that the sub-divided unit is no place for human.

Actually, in some extreme cases, we realize that it is nearly impossible for the poor people to

enjoy personal space. In the picture, that is Mr. Cheung with his apartment. A single bed has

already taken up most of the spaces. No space can be provided for putting furniture or other

belongings. The room cannot even provide a sufficient space for him to move. For the poor

families, most of them do not have their own room. Some people cannot even have enough

space to move. It is no doubt that they cannot have enough personal space.

Poverty problem is not only creating a heavier burden to the government, but also affecting the

next generation. This situation as know as intergenerational poverty. Different...