Once A Teacher, Always A Teacher

LAGU NILAM

2012-02-10T10:11:00.001+08:00

Membaca dan belajar,

amalan hidup mulia

Jadikanlah panduan wawasan anda

NILAM program membaca,

memberikan semangat

Membaca dengan jaya, budaya kita

membaca, matlamat NILAM kita,

Ganjaran yang diterima, tidak terhingga

Jadi Rakan Pembaca juga capai Jauhari

Pembaca yang bestari, Anugerah diberi

chorus

NILAM, NILAM, Anugerah NILAM

Menerangi jalan suram

NILAM, NILAM, Anugerah NILAM

Idaman pembaca jaya.

Membaca dan belajar , amalan hidup mulia

Jadikanlah panduan wawasan anda

NILAM program membaca, memberikan semangat

Membaca dengan jaya,budaya kita

Tabiat membaca, matlamat NILAM kita,

Ganjaran yang diberi, tidak terhingga

Jika suka membaca, dunia indah sekali,

Akal bijak bistari, hidup berseri

chorus

NILAM, NILAM, Anugerah NILAM

Menerangi jalan suram,

NILAM, NILAM, Anugerah NILAM

Idaman pembaca jaya…

PROGRAM NILAM

2012-01-24T17:55:00.001+08:00

LATAR BELAKANG

Budaya ilmu adalah aktiviti ilmiah yang dipraktikan sesebuah masyarakat untuk menjadi masyarakat bertamadun. Peradaban ini akan terus relevan dan berkembang jika diasah dan diperturunkan kepada generasi muda masyarakat kita. Pembentukan bangsa atau masyarakat dapat dibina jika mengamalkan budaya ilmu. Salah satu asas yang penting bagi budaya ilmu ialah amalan membaca. Membaca perlu disemai dan dijadikan amalan setiap anggota masyarakat agar dapat berkembang maju dalam pelbagai bidang seperti pendidikan, ekonomi, dan teknologi. Kecemerlangan bangsa dan negara akan dapat dicapai jika masyarakatnya membudayakan amalan membaca sebagai rutin harian. Sekaligus pengetahuan dan pengalaman melalui pembacaan dijadikan asas pembentukan modal insan yang cemerlang bagi membentuk negara maju.

Program NILAM

Kementerian Pelajaran Malaysia telah memperkenalkan Program NILAM di peringkat sekolah rendah dan sekolah menengah. Program NILAM adalah agenda prima untuk menjadikan murid-murid sekolah sebagai warga yang berilmu. Di samping menjadikan membaca satu habit yang berkesinambungan tanpa mengira peringkat usia. NILAM adalah akronim daripada Nadi Ilmu Amalan Membaca. Program NILAM merupakan pengabungan atau adunan semua aktiviti galakan membaca yang pernah dijalankan di sekolah seluruh negara. Program NILAM adalah penjenamaan semula program membaca dengan memberi pengiktirafan. Ianya salah satu kaedah untuk menangani masalah yang menghalang penyuburan tabiat membaca dalam kalangan warga sekolah dan masyarakat Malaysia amnya.

Matlamat

Matlamat Program NILAM Pusat Sumber Sekolah SMK Bandar Putra adalah seiring dengan matlamat di peringkat Kebangsaan iaitu;

Membina tabiat membaca yang berkekalan dalam kalangan murid.
Meningkatkan kuantiti dan kualiti prestasi akdemik murid-murid dan sekolah.

Objektif

Objektif Program NILAM Pusat Sumber Sekolah SMK Bandar Putra adalah sebagaimana objektif di peringkat kebangsaan. Iaitu sepanjang program NILAM murid-murid akan dapat:

a. Menjadikan murid banyak membaca atau suka membaca.

b. Menggalakkan sekolah terus menjana idea kreatif dan inovatif bagi menyemai tabiat membaca.

Tiga Elemen Program NILAM

a. Rekod Membaca : Setiap murid merekod buku yang dibaca dalam Buku Rekod NILAM.

b. Pengesahan Pembacaan : Guru mengesahkan rekod bacaan murid.

c. Pengiktirafan : Pengiktirafan diberi kepada murid berdasarkan bilangan buku yang dibaca dan aktiviti berkaitan yang disertai.

Pelaksanaan

Program NILAM mempunyai dua tahap pelaksanaan iaitu;

Tahap Jauhari

Murid wajib mengikuti aktiviti galakan membaca di sekolah.
Membina kemahiran dan minat membaca sehingga menjadi satu tabiat.
Menggu akan kemudahan perkhidmatan pinjaman buku melalui pusat sumber sekolah dan pusat maklumat yang lain.
Mula dinilai dari Tingkatan 1 hingga Tingkatan 5.

Tahap Rakan Pembaca

Murid yang telah berjaya membaca 100 naskhah buku layak di peringkat ini.
Murid berkebolehan membimbing dan menarik minat rakan lain supaya membaca buku.
Mendapat bimbingan Guru Pembimbing sebelum menjalankan aktiviti RP.
Memberi pinjman buku kepada rakan, ahli keluarga dan jiran.
Markah diberi berdasarkan bilangan buku dibaca, jumlah pendengar, dan pembaca.

Aktiviti

Antara aktiviti yang dicadangkan di peringkat RP Pusat Sumber Sekolah SMK Bandar Putra adalah seperti berikut;

Bercerita
Membaca bersama
Bicara Buku
Meminjam buku
Memberi pinjaman buku
Ulasan Buku
Ulat Buku
Kamus Bergerak
Forum
Ceramah Buku
Ceramah
Jejak Buku
Kuiz Pengetahuan
Pameran Buku
Kelas Terbaik NILAM (Menengah Rendah & Atas)

Pengiktirafan

Berhubung pengiktirafan Program NILAM Pusat Sumber Sekolah SMK Bandar Putra. Murid-murid yang layak akan mendapat:

Sijil Anugerah NILAM
Sijil Akuan Sekolah
Sijil Berhenti Sekolah

Pengiktirafan Tahap Jauhari

Jumlah Bacaan Pengiktirafan

72-143 buah Gangsa

144-215 buah Perak

216- 287 buah Emas

288 ke atas NILAM

Pengiktirafan Tahap Rakan Pembaca

Segala aktiviti Rakan Pembaca dijalankan dan direkod dalam buku khas, disemak serta dinilai oleh guru pembimbing. Program NILAM Tahap Rakan Pembaca peringkat Pusat Sumber Sekolah SMK Bandar Putra adalah sama dengan pengiktirafan diperingkat kebangsaan.

Markah Pengiktirafan

100-199 Gangsa

200-299 Perak

300-399 Emas

400 ke atas NILAM

THE RIVER- POET’S BACKGROUND

2012-01-16T19:37:00.001+08:00

Valerie Bloom was born in Jamaica and came to England in 1979. She studied English with African and Caribbean Studies at the University of Kent at Canterbury.

She writes poetry in English and Jamaican patois for all ages, and has performed her work throughout the world, with many television and radio appearances. Her poetry is included in a number of anthologies and she tutors regularly for schools and colleges.

Her books include the Jamaican poetry collections Touch mi! Tell mi! (1983); and Duppy Jamboree and other Jamaican Poems (1991); Hot Like Fire (2002), a collection of poems in English and Jamaican patois; and more recently, Whoop an'Shout! (2003).

She has edited several collections of poetry such as On a Camel to the Moon and other poems about journeys (2001) and One River, Many Creeks: poems from all around the world (2003). Her children's novel, Surprising Joy, was published in 2003.

Valerie Bloom has been awarded an Honorary Masters Degree from the University of Kent, and lives in Kent. Her latest books are The Tribe and A Soh Life Goh, both published in 2008.

Journey to the centre of the Earth- Worksheet 1

2012-01-14T20:49:00.001+08:00

Let's Play Detective!!!

1. Title :

2. Author :

3. Retelling Authors :

4. Illustrator :

5. Where can you find the table of contents?

6. On which pages can you find an introduction of the characters?

No	Chapter	Title	Page
7	1
8	2
9	3
10	4
11	5
12	6

13. Under which heading can you find the meaning of words?

14. Under which heading can you find more information about the Earth's center.

15. What website can provide you with more information about this story?

JOURNEY TO THE CENTRE OF THE EARTH- SETTING/CHARACTERS/THEMES/VALUES

2012-01-14T20:40:00.002+08:00

SETTING

This adventure story is set in 1862 when there were no modern facilities. The story starts in Hamburg, Germany and the journey takes Lidenbrock and Axel to Iceland where they meet Hans and together they go below the earth's surface. After four months, they get blown out of the center earth in Sicily before they finally make their way back to Hamburg, Germany.

CHARACTERS

Professor Otto Lidenbrock     -     An intelligent, determined and adventurous scientist

Axel Lidenbrock         -    A faithful and loyal nephew. He is young and easily scared.

Hans Bjelke             -    A brave Danish guide. He is very quiet but is always on hand to save the other two explorers.

Gretchen             -     A young woman who loves Axel.

THEMES

1. Seeking knowledge

Professor Otto Lidenbrock went on a journey to the center of the earth to seek knowledge.

2. The spirit of adventure

The trio went on an adventure and experienced wondrous sights.

3. Explorations

To explore unknown places where humans have not gone before.

4. The wonders of the human mind

The human mind is forever seeking new knowledge and the mind of Professor Lidenbrock is a good example of this.

5. The wonders of Science

There is still so much that we do not know. We have to be brave to discover new wonders of Science.

VALUES

Some values found in this graphic novel are:

1. When we really want something, we should persevere.

Uncle Lidenbrock refused to listen to Axel's excuses on why they should not go on the journey.

2. We should not endanger others because of our passion for something.

Otto Lidenbrock put Axel, Hans and himself in danger by going to the center of the earth.

3. We must dare to take risks.

Otto Lidenbrock dared to go on an adventure to the center of the earth.

4. We should take the opportunity to discover the wonders of Science.

The trio were willing to go down into the center of the earth to find out more about the earth beneath their feet

5. It is important to be courageous.

It took a lot of courage on their part to go into the enter of the earth

Journey to the Centre of the Earth- PLOT SUMMARY

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Chapter 1 – A Great Discovery

Hamburg, Germany, May 1862, Professor Lidenbrock and his nephew, Axel, decoded a message written 300 years ago by a famous Icelandic explorer, Arne Saknussemm. In his coded message, Arne Saknussem wrote that he had been to the center of the earth and he went on to describe how he did it. Brushing aside the concerns of his nephew, the Professor insists that Axel accompany him on the expedition. Sadly, Axel takes his leave from his beloved Gretchen.

Chapter 2 – Our Journey Begins

Professor Lindenbrock and Axel travel for ten days by ship before reaching Iceland. Professor Lidenbrock employs, Hans Bjelke, as their guide on their adventure. Gathering supplies, the trio depart for Mt. Sneffels, the point through which they can gain access to the core of the earth. Ten days later, on Monday, June 29th, they reach the top of Mount Sneffel. The shadow of the afternoon sun shows which crater they should descend.

Chapter 3 – Into the Earth

The trio descend into the crater and they travel downward until they reach the bottom of the pit. There are two tunnels and the Professor chooses the one on the right. After several days trekking underground and almost out of water, they have to retrace their steps because the path leads to a dead end. Finally returning to the beginning of the two tunnels, Axel collapses and assumes they will return to the surface. Although the Professor shows concern for Axel, he asks for one more day to find water before they abandon the journey. On Wednesday, July 8, they descend into the second tunnel and emerge into a chamber of clear white mica. The chamber resembles a giant diamond cavern.

Chapter 4 – Lost

Hans finds an underground river and they quench their thirst. On Thursday, July 9, they continue on with their journey. By the next evening the professor estimates their position to be 90 miles southeast of Mount Sneffels and eight miles deep. They come to an abyss and make their way down a naturally formed staircase. On Sunday, July 12, they climb down about 20 miles. Over the next two weeks they climb down deeper and deeper into the earth. On Thursday, August 6, Axel finds himself alone. In desperation he retraces his steps but becomes hopelessly lost.

Chapter 5 – The Great Sea

It is only after much suffering that Axel is reunited with his uncle and Hans. They can hear the sound of waves. In fact, the three have arrived at a vast underground body of water which is given the name Lidenbrock Sea. Exploring the area around the sea, the travellers find what looks like a forest of giant mushrooms. They also see ferns as tall as trees and a mastodon skeleton. On Tuesday, August 11, the Professor decides that they must cross the ocean. Hans builds a raft from giant reeds and a sail from a sleeping rug. On Thursday, August 13, they push out to sea leaving behind the shore which they named Port Gretchen. The raft moves quickly and they travel about 75 miles in 24 hours. On Friday, August 14, Hans drops a hook and soon a fish is caught. It is an ancient species long extinct in the world above and they cook it for their meal. The professor wants to learn the depth of the sea so Hans attaches a pickaxe to a long rope and throws it overboard. When Hans retrieves the pickaxe it bears marks that look like teeth. On Tuesday, August 18, two huge sea monsters surface, battle, and almost swamp the raft. On Friday, August 21, a storm hits them. The raft is eventually cast up on a rocky shore in the midst of the storm and Hans carries Axel to safety. As the storm dies down they find, to their dismay, that they have been carried back to the same shore from which they left.

Chapter 6 – The Boiling Tunnel

Exploring an area which is farther along the shore than their starting point, the Professor and Axel find a huge field of bones. The Professor is delighted when they find a human skull. Continuing their exploration they come across a vast forest of prehistoric plants. They spot gigantic mastodons and in the distance see a twelve-foot tall human being. Afraid of confrontation, they leave the area. Going back to the shore they find a huge rock, with the initials A. S. carved on it, beside the entrance to a dark tunnel. With evidence that Arne Saknussemm has traveled this way, they enter the passage only to discover that it is blocked by a big boulder. They decide to blast the boulder using gunpowder. They set the charge and retreat to the raft. The explosion opens a deep hole that lets in the underground sea. They and their raft are swept along with the rushing waters. They head up the tunnel at an amazing speed. They ascend swiftly as the waters push up the raft along a narrow shaft. Axel worries about the rising temperature. The trio soon discover that the water beneath the raft is boiling hot. Finally Axel sees a tiny circle of light above. The professor realizes that they are inside an erupting volcano which leads out to the earth's surface. They land outside the volcano. While making their way down, they learn from a young shepherd that they are on the island of Stromboli in Italy. They have entered the earth by one volcano and come out by another, over 3,000 miles apart. Four months after discovering Arne Saknussemm's coded message they return to Hamburg where the trio are treated like heroes and the Professor's achievements are recognized.

Journey to the Centre of the Earth-author’s background

2012-01-14T20:00:00.002+08:00

Jules Verne was born in 1828 in France and died in 1905. He wrote over eighty books. His passion was Geography. He learned everything from reading and kept up with the emerging knowledge in many fields of Science. He was considered the "Father of Science Fiction". Verne's adventures and inventions were based on the then current Science knowledge which makes his work unique. He forecast with remarkable accuracy many scientific achievements of the 20^th century. He anticipated flights into outer space, submarines, helicopters, air conditioning, guided missiles and motion pictures long before they were developed in his novel The Time Machine.

Journey to the Centre of The Earth-Synopsis

2012-01-14T19:53:00.002+08:00

Journey to the Centre of The Earth is an adventurous science fiction. Professor Lidenbrock discovers a coded message in an ancient manuscript about a way to get into the centre of the Earth through a mountain in Iceland. After decoding the message , Lidenbrock and Axel set off to Iceland to begin their journey to the centre of the Earth. There they hire an Icelandic guide, Hans Bjelke to help them on their journey.

Professor Lidenbrock, Axel and Hans Bjelke find and enter the volcanic crater that marks the entrance to the centre of the Earth. Inside they face several difficulties and see a lot of strange things, including prehistoric life. They reach a vast underground cavern filled with a deep ocean, surrounded by a coastline.

The travelers build a raft and set sail on the ocean and reach a coastline. They enter a passage that they assume is the way ahead but discover that it is blocked by cave-in. They blast the rock but the explosion causes the sea to rush in. They are swept into a large vent filling with water and magma and are ejected onto the surface.

When they regain consciousness, they find out that they are on the island of Stromboli in Italy. The travelers return home to Germany. In Germany they are treated like heroes and Professor Lidenbrock's achievements are recognised. Axel marries Gretchen, and Hans eventually returns to Iceland.

Nature by HD Carberry- Glossary

2012-01-14T17:04:00.001+08:00

Theme	: A unifying idea that is a recurrent element in literary or artistic work.
Tone	: 1. The general atmosphere of a place or situation and the effect that it has on people; : 2. Manner in which written words might be said (for example, sarcastic, mild, witty, angry). In general the tone of a work can gradually shift (perhaps from sarcastic to ironic or from angry to remorseful)
Mood	: Feelings that you get while your reading a book or a feeling that a work of literature evokes. In general mood describes the feeling of the entire piece.
Lush	: 1. Produced or growing in extreme abundance; : 2. Being rich, fertile, opulent, plentiful or affluent.
Beat	: 1. A regular rate of repetition; : 2. The sound of stroke or blow.
Swish:	: Move with or cause to move with a whistling or hissing sound
Gullies	: Deep ditch cut by running water (especially after a prolonged downpour)
Struggling	: 1. Strenuous effort; : 2. An energetic attempt to achieve something
Guango tree	: Guango is a large, wide spreading tree, beautifully proportioned. The black pods are sticky and sweet, caramel coloured on the inside.
Reaped	: To have accumulated, amassed or garnered.
Fallow	: Left unplowed and unseeded during a growing season.
Logwood	: Spiny shrub or small tree of Central America and West Indies having bipinnate leaves and racemes of small bright yellow flowers and yielding a hard brown or brownish-red heartwood used in preparing a black dye.
Shiver	: 1. Tremble; : 2. A reflex motion caused by cold or fear or excitement.
Buttercups	: A plant of the genus Ranunculus, or crowfoot, particularly R. bulbosus, with bright yellow flowers; called also butterflower, golden cup, and kingcup. It

Nature-Worksheet 3- What Have I Understood?

2012-01-14T16:50:00.001+08:00

ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS BASED ON THE POEM 'NATURE'

1. Read the poem 'Nature' and state what the poem reveals about the poet's

homeland.

2. Which line in the poem 'Nature' suggests the sense of smell?

3. Which line in the poem 'Nature' suggests the sense of hearing?

4. Based on your knowledge of the poem 'Nature', describe a theme in the poem.

5. Write (T) for TRUE and (F) for FALSE in the boxes next to these sentences.

A	The country that is portrayed in the poem has only two seasons.
B	Bamboo crop is mentioned in the poem.
C	The strength and power of the wind is mentioned in the poem.
D	Bullets are mentioned as flying around in the poem.
E	Summer and roofs are nouns mentioned in the poem Nature
F	Examples of adjectives from the poem are swish and reaped.
G	One of the themes of the poem is about survival against the elements of nature.
H	Line 8 of the poem Nature envisions a gentle gush of breeze.
I	The image suggested in line 9-10 is death and inactivity.
J	The tone of the poem as a whole is more upbeat than melancholy.

6. From the poem, we know that the poet lives in a __________ country.

A. windy C. tropical

B. hot D. temperate

7. Which of the following phrase suggests a 'crop-free' land?

A. …the reaped canefield lie bare and fallow to the sun.

B. …the bush are full of the sound of bees and the scent of honey

C. …the gold sun shines on the lush green canefields

D. …the buttercups have paved the earth with yellow stars.

8. With reference to the last line of the poem, what is the colour of the buttercups that paved the earth?

A. Blue C. Red

B. Green D. Yellow

Nature- worksheet 2-The Weather

2012-01-14T16:48:00.002+08:00

Literal

With reference to the poem, answer the questions.

1. "What seasons did the poet say that they did not have?"

2. Complete these sentences

a) The days have both _____ that ______ magnificently on the green canefields and _____ that ______ on the roofs.

b) The mango and logwood ________.

3. List out the verbs found in the poem 'Nature'.

Inferential

1. Why do you think the poet chose to use the words he had chosen?

2. List words that describe the following in the poem.

a) sunny days

b) rainy days

Applied

1. Do you agree that the sunny days are "the best days" as compared to rainy days? Explain why or why not?

NATURE- worksheet 1 -ELEMENTS

2012-01-14T16:46:00.002+08:00

Fill in the blanks with words or phrases provided
1. Nature
2. swish of water in the gullies
3. God’s gift
4. colours and light
5. natural cycle of life
6. phases in life
7. sound of bees
8. personification
9. buttercups
10. H.D. Carberry
11. hot sunny days
12. metaphor
13. appreciate
14. beauty of nature
15. cold wet windy
16. experience
17. yellow stars
18. rainy days
19. similes
20. visualize
21. contrast
22. magnificent beauty
23. sound of bees
24. scent of honey
25. mango and logwood blossom

In the poem entitled “_____________” by _____________ the themes of the _________________________ and the many _________________________ are explored. The poet’s central message is the ____________________________. Through the use of poetic devices such as ____________, onomatopoeia and _______________, the poet allows the reader to ___________ the beauty of his homeland.

Among the dominant elements, is ________________. In the poem, imagery of sight such as “__________ have paved the earth with _________________” allows us to visualise the colourful side of nature. The poet has used words related to _________________________ to help the reader ________________ the beauty of nature. Imagery of sound is shown through “the ______________________________, the rain fall on the roof tops and the _______________________”. The “____________________” is an example of the imagery of taste. “________________________________” exemplify the imagery of smell.
______________________ is also used effectively and this is shown through “the tall grass sways and shivers to the slightest breath of air”. There is also _____________ in the poem, for example “the gold sun shines” and the magnificent “lush green cane fields”.

The poem highlights the beauty of nature during _________________, ___________________ days and _________________ and the harvest season. Each season has its ___________________. The poet has shown why we should ____________ and preserve ___________________ to us.

Nature by H.D Carberry

2012-01-14T16:21:00.001+08:00

We have neither Summer nor Winter

Neither Autumn nor Spring.

We have instead the days

When the gold sun shines on the lush green canefields-

Magnificently.

The days when the rain beats like bullet on the roofs

And there is no sound but thee swish of water in the gullies

And trees struggling in the high Jamaica winds.

Also there are the days when leaves fade from off guango trees'

And the reaped canefields lie bare and fallow to the sun.

But best of all there are the days when the mango and the logwood blossom

When bushes are full of the sound of bees and the scent of honey,

When the tall grass sways and shivers to the slightest breath of air,

When the buttercups have paved the earth with yellow stars

And beauty comes suddenly and the rains have gone.

Nature by H.D. Carberry –the poem

2012-01-14T15:59:00.001+08:00

We have neither Summer nor Winter

Neither Autumn nor Spring.

We have instead the days

When the gold sun shines on the lush green canefields-

Magnificently.

The days when the rain beats like bullet on the roofs

And there is no sound but thee swish of water in the gullies

And trees struggling in the high Jamaica winds.

Also there are the days when leaves fade from off guango trees'

And the reaped canefields lie bare and fallow to the sun.

But best of all there are the days when the mango and the logwood blossom

When bushes are full of the sound of bees and the scent of honey,

When the tall grass sways and shivers to the slightest breath of air,

When the buttercups have paved the earth with yellow stars

And beauty comes suddenly and the rains have gone.

Nature by H.D Carberry-UNDERSTANDING THE POEM

2012-01-14T15:54:00.001+08:00

Lines 1 to 10

The poet tells about his homeland, Jamaica and rejoices the beauty of this island. Jamaica has no seasonal changes. It has a tropical climate which is hot and wet throughout the year. The days of golden sunshine are glorious and magnificent. The are many canefields in Jamaica as sugar is one of the main exports in this country.

Lines 11 to 15

In the ending of the poem, the poet tells us his favourite time – days when the flowers of mango trees and logwood blossom. He uses imagery of sound and smell to illustrate abundant life and activity in the bushes when the ‘sound of bees and the scent of honey’ add to the charm and beauty if Jamaica. He describes the fields filled with lovely yellow buttercups. All this happens when the rains have stopped and the beauty if nature emerges once again.

THEMES

• Beauty of nature
• Appreciation of one own country
• Appreciate nature

MORAL VALUES
• We should appreciate what we have in our own country
• We should not long for what we do not have.
• We should appreciate our homeland.
• We should appreciate the beauty of nature.

TONE,MOOD, ATMOSPHERE

• Appreciative and happy
• Carefree and light-hearted
• Sense of beauty

POINT OF VIEW

• Third person point of view

LANGUAGE AND STYLE

• Simple and easy to understand the language
• Clear and descriptive
• Simple style with no rhyming scheme

POETIC DEVICES

• Imagery – e.g. ‘gold sun’, ‘lush green fields’, ‘trees struggling’
• Alliteration – e.g. ‘sways and shivers to the slightest breath of air’
• Symbols – e.g. ‘gold sun’ – symbol of summer, ‘rains’ – symbol of winter
• Contrast – e.g. ‘beauty’ or summer is compared with ‘rains’ or winter
• Figurative Language – Simile – ‘rain beats like bullets’
• Metaphor – e.g. ‘the buttercups paved the earth with yellow stars’
• Personification – ‘buttercups have paved the earth’ … buttercups have been personified as having laid tiles

Nature by H.D Carberry -Biodata

2012-01-14T15:47:00.000+08:00

Biodata of H. D. Carberry, 1921-1989

Hugh Doston (“Dossie”) Carberry was born July 12, 1921, the son of sir John Carberry, a former Chief Justice of Jamaica, and Lady Georgina Carberry, in Montreal, Canada. He came to Jamaica in infancy and spent most of his life there. He had his primary education at Decarteret school in Mandeville, Jamaica and then attended Jamaica College. After working with the Civil Service, to which he qualified as second out of over 100 applicants, Carberry went to St. Catherrine College, Oxford University, where he obtained his B. A. and B. C. L.. He read Law at Middle Temple and was called to the Bar in 1951, then returning to Jamaica to engage in private practice.
In 1954, Carberry married Dorothea, and they had two sons, Martin and John, and a daughter, Christine. In addition to his career in law, Carberry was a poet and gave outstanding service in the cultural field, being a member of the Managing Committee of the Little Theatre since 1951. A devout Christian, he was also a pillar of the Providence Methodist church as Class Co-leader. Carberry was Clerk to the Houses of Parliament from 1969-1978 and a member of the commonwealth Parliamentary Association. He was appointed Judge of the Jamaican court of appeal in 1978 and served for a decade. H. D. Carberry died on June 28, 1989.

Finding Tranquility and found it in this place.

2011-06-13T17:23:00.000+08:00

I went to Bukit Tinggi last year and stayed in Meranti apartment. We had a good time in Bukit Tinggi and we even went to Genting Highlands on the second day. Then, my husband's friend suggested that we go to Janda Baik some other time. Janda Baik? What is so special about this place. I knew about this many years ago when teaching the Literature novel Jungle of Hope. So, to me, Janda Baik is located in the middle of the jungle. The characters came to my mind; of Pak Kia-and the villagers' hardship when opening the settlement. That was what I knew about this place. After some time, I have read in the newspaper about a few pricey resorts in this place and came to think..why are they so expensive? Why would people pay thousands of ringgit for just one night stay?So I went googling during the March school holiday about the resorts Janda Baik can offer. True, the rates that the villas offer were faaaar beyond our budget. I didn't give up. I read blogs about the resort in Janda Baik and I finally fell in love with D Ark Resort. So far, the reviews were very helpful and attractive. We decided to make a call and requested them to provide us the room rates. (there's no website of this resort). We booked the place almost 2 months earlier as we were worried that the place will be fully-booked in the mid-year school holidays.

Finally, the day came. We departed from Johor around 11 a.m, stopped at Ar-Rawsha in Pandan, KL for lunch and reached D Ark Resort around 4 p.m. The kids were so excited when they saw the river flowing in front of the resort. They quickly performed their prayers; we did Jama' Ta'khir and around 5.30..they all took their first dip in the river at Janda Baik.

The room rates as for 2011:
Air-conditioned
Seroja (Junior Suite) (1Q) RM 232.00 Nett; Dahlia (Superior-1Q, 1S)RM 186.00 Nett, Melur (Deluxe-1Q,1S) RM209.00 Nett. Melati (Deluxe-3s) RM209.00 Nett. Mawar (Exec.suite 1K) 301.60 Nett.

Standard (air-conditioned)4s RM220.00 Nett.

I highly recommend this place as it offers peace and tranquility. TEl: 09-2330031.

2011-05-23T07:13:00.000+08:00

2011-05-23T07:08:00.000+08:00

GUIDES ON ESSAY WRITING

2011-04-24T19:20:00.005+08:00

Phew!!! Guess I've left my blog unattended for so many weeks. Well then, here's something for you. I came across these notes in one of the websites and felt that it would be very useful for my students. Just make sure you print it out and have them pasted in your essay book. It guides you to write a better essay. Remember, Continuous Essay is the heart of the SPM English Paper. It is 32% of the whole paper!!

Well, let's get straight to the point. These are the stages of writing that you should apply.

1. PRE-WRITING

This stage is very important because this is where you write down all your ideas and work out whether the ideas are connected and where they are connected.

You can use any of the strategies below:

A Listing

Write down all your ideas on the topic given. Don’t worry if your ideas seem jumbled up and messy, or if your spelling is faulty at this point. Some ideas may duplicate other ideas, so the process of listing them all down will help you to pick these out and delete them if necessary.

B Clustering/Mind mapping

This is where you write down the topic in the middle, and draw ‘arms’ out from that middle. The arms will each have one separate idea. This method helps you to see the connections between ideas. You can link one idea to another and yet another.

C Using Wh-questions

Using Wh-questions about the topic is another useful way to get ideas on a topic.

What?
Why?
Where?
Who?
When?
How?

2. PLANNING

This is when you organize your essay. Select usable/relevant ideas and discard those which are not relevant. Then pick out which point you consider most important, the second most important and the least important. Write down whatever extra points you can think of to support your main point.

Prepare the outline of your essay.

i)Introduction

ii)Main Body - Paragraph 1 main idea 1 & supporting ideas, details
- Paragraph 2 main idea 2 & supporting ideas, details
- Paragraph 3 main idea 3 & supporting ideas, details
iii)Conclusion

3.WRITING/DRAFTING

Start writing your essay. Organize your points into paragraphs.

i) Writing an Exciting Introduction
Grabbing a reader’s attention can be tricky, but here are some ideas on how to make an introductory paragraph more interesting.

a)Start with an interesting or little-known fact

b)Start with a question

c)Start with an amusing short story/real-life incident

d)Start with an exclamation, or a short dialogue

e)Start with a definition – definitions can be very important in helping you to stay focused on the topic. Commonly used in narrative or argumentative writing.

f)Start with a general statement

ii)Writing Good Paragraphs

A good paragraph must include a topic sentence. A topic sentence usually appears at the beginning of a paragraph. The topic sentence normally states the main point. This main point is then further elaborated by supporting details. Ensure that the supporting details support and strengthen, not overwhelm, the main point. Facts, examples or personal experiences are good supporting details.

iii)Cohesive devices

Cohesive devices are used to link sentences, paragraphs and ideas. They provide logical connections between ideas. Linking ideas in sentences and paragraphs is extremely important because it allows the essay to flow smoothly and is a highly important part of writing a good essay. Some common cohesive devices are as follows:

Function :To link ideas together and show that similarity in ideas
Cohesive Devices : similarly,furthermore, likewise, moreover

Function: To add information
Cohesive Devices:besides that, moreover, in addition, on top of that, …also…

Function:To give examples;for example, for instance, to illustrate
Cohesive Devices: To show differences in ideas/contrasting ideas;however, on the other hand, in contrast, on the contrary, in although, …but…, in spite of that

Function:To show result or consequence of the previous idea
Cohesive Devices:as a result, consequently, therefore, so, thus

Function:To show logical progression of ideas or time sequence
Cohesive Devices:firstly, secondly, lastly, first, second, next, then

Function:To summarize ideas
Cohesive Devices: in short, to sum up, overall, to summarize, briefly

Function:To conclude
Cohesive Devices:therefore, in conclusion, as a result

4. EDITING
After you have written your essay, spend some time to check the following:
i) Spelling errors – make sure the words are in English, not Malay Language and that the plural forms are correct
ii)Grammatical errors – subject-verb agreement, tenses, punctuation, improper use of abbreviations and symbols (e.g. do not use the symbol ‘&’, SMS short forms like ‘u’ for you and so on)

Points to note:
Ensure you have answered the question or topic

Ensure the main ideas have been well supported

Ensure the paragraphs are logically presented and the ideas flow properly

Ensure the conclusion is linked to the points presented

Check to make sure ideas are clear

Use words from the correct subject register (e.g. ‘customer’ instead of ‘person’ etc.)

Delete unnecessary information

5. REWRITING
Now, rewrite your essay. Make sure your writing is neat and clear. If you have extra time, it is a good thing to read through it one last time. Your essay must be approximately 350 words.

ENGLISH PROFICIENCY COURSE

2011-03-29T11:31:00.003+08:00

A glorious morning it is today as I am giving an English Proficiency course to 30 non-optionists teachers. The module aims at becoming an effective reader in which I have to help the teachers to develop an awareness that good readers have certain characteristics which help them to read more effectively.
What are the things I have accomplished this morning?
1.I carried out the first slot and here are some of their products for the 1^st session. These presentations came from 3 activities. The first was to predict the reading passage entitled "The Good Reader". The Course Participants (CPs) have to write down their predictions beginning with the sentence "I think the article will say …".The CPs came out with predictions which led them to understand the test they were about to read.Mission accomplished. Objectives achieved.
2. The 2^nd activity was where the CPs had to create a Questionnaire: "Am I A Good Reader?" after reading the text. They came up with relevant statements and managed to produce a simple questionnaire based on the text. Objectives achieved.
3. The 3^rd activity was where the CPs had to design a Reading Superhero. This was fun. They had to present their superheroes with super reading powers. Objectives achieved. Mission accomplished.

GRADUATION DAY 2011

2011-03-23T21:02:00.009+08:00

Today is considered as the happiest day for all the SPM 2010 candidates.As a teacher, of course there will be butterflies in my stomach. I was so proud of the students' achievements. 18 perfect scorers, and one of my students emerged as the best student in the Johor state. He scored 10A+s.

Ho Zheng Han, amongst 39 best students in the Johor State.He received his award in Johor Bahru, presented by the Director of Johor State Education Department. COngratulations Zheng Han!!!!

What else made me proud of them? 3 students from my class(5B2010) were among the 18 perfect scorers; Najwa Athirah, Leong Hui Ling and Ho Zheng Han. Besides, 5 choir team members also soared as the perfect scorers; Hon Shu Tian, Chong Xin Jie, Wong Jiun Kai, Tai Jia Ling and Chee Xin Ying. Congratulations to all of them. And, I felt happy that my 5B class passed all the papers.It's a 100% achievement and I am happy for them. As for the English Language paper, I taught 3 classes last year. Hmmm...managed to analyse their results;

The Malay Chronicles: Bloodlines (Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa)

2011-03-16T12:04:00.003+08:00

Based loosely on the 16th century historical document entitled ‘The Malay Annals’, ’The Chronicles of Merong Mahawangsa’ is an action-packed epic feature film, with mythical characters, magical moments and dazzling visual-effects sequences. Merong Mahawangsa was a descendant of Alexander the Great, a renowned naval captain and traveler who came to Asia several hundred years ago.

The year is 120 AD… a time when the Roman Empire is at the height of its power, during the reign of Hadrian – one of the Five Good Emperors. Meanwhile in China, the Han Dynasty is firmly cemented as the ruling empire and is expanding into Central Asia… one hundred years before the period of the Three Kingdoms. As the Roman fleet did their repairs and traded in Goa, they asked Merong Mahawangsa to escort a Roman prince to Southeast Asia, to wed a beautiful Chinese princess from the Han Dynasty. The Chinese princess and the Roman prince are supposed to meet halfway and be married on neutral grounds.

However, the pirate nation of Geruda had other plans. They decided to kidnap the Chinese princess and use her as ransom. En route to the Straits of Melaka, Merong Mahawangsa’s fleet was attacked by Geruda’s forces while stopping at a small island to replenish supplies.

Will Merong Mahawangsa be able to rescue the Princess and re-unite her with her betrothed in a marriage that is set to bring together two great civilizations from the East and West ?

Genre:
Action / Epic
Status:
Coming Soon
Director:
Yusry Abdul Halim
Language:
English

Cast:
Stephen Rahman-Hughes, Jing Lu,
Gavin Stenhouse, Craig Robert
Fong, Eric Karl Henrik Norman,
Keith Chong, Keith Chong,
W. Hanafi Su, Dato' Rahim Razali,
Khir Rahman, Ummi Nazeera,
Nell Ng, Jehan Miskin, Umi Aida,
Kuswadinata, Mano Maniam,
Ravi Sunderlingam

Source; http://www.krustudios.com/Merong_Mahawangsa

THE CURSE -CHARACTERS

2011-02-27T19:10:00.002+08:00

AZREEN

Main character of the novel. Studies in England. Happy to be away from her village. Did not have good relationship with her parents especially her father due to her defiant behaviour and tomboyish outlook. An outspoken and independent girl. Envious of her adopted sister, Madhuri. A helpful friend especially when she claimed responsibility for letting the bull run loose in order to save Mohd. Asraf's skin. Caring for her sick mother and Old Lady. Intelligent as she managed to further her studies in the United Kingdom.

MADHURI

A beautiful and polite lady. A submissive wife and daughter. Religious and good at reciting Quranic verses. Conservative compared to her sister, Azreen. Protective of her sister when they were young. A polite and caring daughter. Concerned about her sick mother.

MOHD. ASRAF

A dedicated and popular teacher in a local school on the island. Independent since young. Good friends with Azreen while they were in school together. A caring grandson who is concerned about his grandmother's well-being. Loves Madhuri and wanted to take her with him to Kuala Lumpur.

SALEH ABDULLAH

Madhuri and Azreen's father. Active and strong for his age. A stern father to Azreen since when she was young. Not on good terms with Azreen since the motorcycle accident which paralysed Azreen's mother. A manipulative father who let Madhuri become Haji Ghani's second wife in order to protect his interests. An egoistic person who could not accept Madhuri's love affair with Mohd. Asraf and in the end killed Madhuri in a fit of anger at the rubber plantation.

HAJI GHANI

The village headman who fell for Madhuri and took her as his second wife. Neglects his first wife, Fathihah in the process. An influential man on the island. Hides the cause of his wife's death in order to protect his reputation. Knows of Madhuri's affair with Mohd. Asraf. A religious man.

SITI

An obedient daughter of Pn. Kamsiah. She helps Mohd. Asraf to look after his grandmother while he looks for the medicinal plants. She is also a responsible girl as she warns Azreen about the mob that is lead by Mohd. Asraf to the Old Lady's house. She is gullible as she likes to ponder over the gossips and rumours told by Normala, the village gossip.

PUAN NORMALA

The rumour monger of the village and her topic of interest is on Madhuri and how she died. She is sneaky and malicious when she coaxed Mohd. Asraf to confront the Old Lady, accusing her as the reason why his grandmother's health deteriorates and she finally dies. She is also superstitious when she blamed the Old Lady's visit to Mohd. Asraf's house as the reason for the continuous rain.

THE OLD LADY

An educated woman as she has knowledge of herbal medicine to treat illnesses. Her house is always neat and situated by the hillside. She is a caring and concerned woman as she takes Azreen in and gives her food and shelter whenever she has fights and problems. She is also a resourceful person and she is a good cook and her recipes and secret ingredients are very much sought after.

DATIN SHARIFAH AND DATUK ZULKIFLI

Azreen's rich foster parents whom she stayed with for two months foster programme. Datuk and Datin helped her financially in her studies in the UK. Even though she only stayed with them for a short period of time, she still maintains a good relationship with them. Even though they are foster parents, they treat Azreen as their own child. Azreen calls her Mak Cik which signifies their close relationship.

BOMOH

The Bomoh is the person whom the villagers seek for traditional cure. It is through the Bomoh that the mysterious happenings that took place in the village are uncovered. The truth behind the death of Madhuri and the status of Azreen are also finally revealed by him.

FATIHAH

She is Haji Ghani's first wife and appears to adore Madhuri. However, she secretly hold grudges against her husband's young wife. She feels that her husband favours the young wife more than herself. She tries her best to win her husband's heart after the death of Madhuri

THE CURSE-CHAPTER 12

2011-02-27T18:56:00.002+08:00

Azreen visits her family's graves. She leaves a flower on each grave and leaves quietly. She leaves a flower at the hillside where the Old Lady was buried, too. As Azreen leaves, she sees a smiling figure which resembles Madhuri's smiles.

THE CURSE-CHAPTER 11

2011-02-27T18:54:00.001+08:00

Azreen delves on the bomoh's words that Madhuri was not her real sister. She encounters a shadow of a woman from behind the wooden fence again that directs her to a woodpile a few feet away behind her house. Azreen and her father walk towards the woodpile and see a "parang" that Saleh used to chop wood. There is white and sticky stain at the edge of the parang. Azreen immediately recalls Normala's words "She had white blood" and she stares at her father in disbelief. Saleh recalls how fond was he with Madhuri and how he found her as a baby at the paddy field. He stumbles upon Madhuri and Mohd Asraf together at the rubber plantation. In his fury, he kills Madhuri and her body knocks over the latex-filled container. Upon hearing this revelation, Azreen runs away from her father.

Saleh suffers a heart attack and dies. Meanwhile in the village, a rumour spreads like a wildfire that a woman who looks suspiciously like his dead daughter had been wandering about at the time of his death.

THE CURSE-CHAPTER 10

2011-02-27T18:53:00.001+08:00

Azreen awakes to a flurry of knocks on her door. She finds out that Nek has passed away and Mohd Asraf is heading towards Nek's house with a few men for revenge. Azreen tries to stop him and in a struggle, stabs him at the foot with a spade. The torch that he was holding fell onto the wall of the house and soon the house was on fire. Azreen finds Nek, barely alive lying beside the stove and she advises Azreen to learn to forgive before it is too late. Azreen's father saves her before the whole house crumbles.

Mohd Asraf confesses to Azreen that he loves Madhuri and they were planning to abscond from the island when he was offered a teaching course in Kuala Lumpur. Madhuri wanted to confess to her husband, parents and Azreeb about her affair with Mohd. Asraf. However, Madhuri was found dead at a rubber plantation. Azreen then meets Awang, the bomoh, who tells her that Madhuri was not her real sister. Awang also confesses that he was the one who left the gate open that led to the motorcycle accident that paralysed her mother. Awang also confirms that he had seen Madhuri and Mohd Asraf together several times in the rubber estate. The chapter ends with Haji Ghani, the headman thinking about his young wife meeting her lover on that fateful day when she was killed.

THE CURSE-CHAPTER 9

2011-02-27T18:51:00.003+08:00

Siti keeps an eye on Mohd. Asraf's grandmother (Nek) while he goes out to get her medicine. Pn. Kamsiah and Normala are curious at the Old Lady's presence at Mohd. Asraf's house.

The Old Lady tries to cure Nek. Azreen is puzzled to discover a university prospectus that reveals Mohd. Asraf's intention to pursue his studies in Kuala Lumpur. When Azreen returns home, she sees the bomoh scampering behind the bushes. As she confronts the bomoh, he informs her about the mob incident at Mohd. Asraf's house.

She immediately runs to Asraf's house. Normala blames Azreen for bringing the Old Lady to Mohd. Asraf's house and causing heavy downpour to hit the village. An argument starts and Azreen's father intervenes to stop the commotion. Meanwhile, Nek is beginning to recover and Mohd. Asraf is extremely relieved. They thank the Old Lady for bravely coming over to cure Nek and the rain finally stops.

THE CURSE –CHAPTER 8

2011-02-27T18:51:00.001+08:00

Azreen's mother dies. Meanwhile, Mohd. Asraf continues to worry over his sickly grandmother. Mohd Asraf goes to the market to look for medicinal plants for his grandmother but fails to find any. In desperation, he goes to the Old Lady's house for help. The Old Lady hesitates at first but after much persuasion from Azreen and Mohd. Asraf, she finally agrees to go over to Mohd Asraf's house to help his grandmother.

THE CURSE-CHAPTER 7

2011-02-27T18:50:00.001+08:00

Asraf is concerned about his grandmother's deteriorating health. At the same time, Hj. Ghani, mourns at Madhuri's tombstone. While deep in thoughts, he almost saw someone, a woman in a flowing white dress, strolling past the trees. At home, Azreen's father reprimanded her for not latching up the chicken coop. A chicken carcass, with its neck broken, lies on the bottom step of the coop. The next morning, Azreen reads Julian's letter about the examination week in college. Then, she reads Madhuri's letter of her marriage and relationship with Kak Fatihah (Haji Ghani's first wife). The letter also hints that Madhuri has a secret to be revealed to Azreen when she returns home for her holidays.

THE CURSE –CHAPTER 6

2011-02-27T18:49:00.001+08:00

The Old Lady relates to Azreen that she saw Madhuri's lifeless body and the wound on her. She suggests that Madhuri's murder was covered up as investigation into her death would reveal more secrets. Puan Fatihah, the village headman's wife recalls how her life changed forever when her husband, Haji Ghani, became attracted to Madhuri.

Azreen recaps how Madhuri tried to defend her from her father's wrath for stealing mangosteen and the good times she spent with Madhuri. In a flashback, Azreen admitted her folly for letting the bull go in order to save Asraf from Encik Mohan and his son's wrath. The escaped bull knocked into the motorcycle that her parents were on and caused her mother to be paralysed. The Old Lady reveals her past life with her abusive husband who drove her to kill him in self-defence. She made herself a home in a deserted house in the jungle.

THE CURSE-CHAPTER 5

2011-02-27T18:47:00.001+08:00

Azreen meets Asraf. She enquires about Madhuri's death but is only given vague details of the incident. Normala, the rumour monger, spreads rumours about what had happened to Madhuri. Awang, the bomoh, makes an appearance as he dreams that a disaster is about to hit the village soon. Awang recalls the incident when he stole a chicken at Encik Mohan's farm causing a bull to escape. Asraf was blamed for the fiasco but Azreen bravely took the blame on his behalf. Back to the present, Azreen looks for the Old Lady in the jungle to catch up on old times. The Old Lady discloses that Madhuri was murdered.

THE CURSE -CHAPTER 4

2011-02-27T18:46:00.002+08:00

Azreen reaches home but is unable to see her sister,Madhuri's body as it has already been taken away for burial. Meanwhile, there is an air of mystery over Madhuri's death. Village gossip, Normala keeps insisting that she saw Madhuri's blood being white in colour. Azreen takes her mother to the burial ground.There she sees her father, Saleh Abdullah and Madhuri's husband, Haji Ghani. Her father gets angry at her for bringing her mother there. Walking back from the cemetery, she meets her old friend and classmate, Mohd. Asraf. They exchange greetings and Azreen is upset whenever she sees him as she knows he likes Madhuri more than her.Back in her living room, Fatihah, haji Ghani's first wife tears up the curtains Madhuri had put up in their house with keris. She is angry with Madhuri for dominating her home and ruining her peaceful married life with her husband.

CHOIR...DEAR CHOIR

2011-02-25T05:26:00.002+08:00

It has been a very tiring week for everyone, I guess. We had "inter-sports house" sports events for 3 consecutive days. Right after recess, the choir team had their training right until 4.30 p.m. I admire their perserverence, no matter how tired they were, when it comes to singing, they tried to do their best. Yesterday we had a rehearsal in Persada Johor. It went well,perhaps because the organiser had not prepared the hall yet...so the team managed to overcome their stage fright. I let them to familiarize themselves with the stage, making themselves comfortable. Today is the day, for the first time our team is invited to perform in a grand event. I prayed hard that they could perform all the songs really well.

THINGS TO BE DONE TODAY

2011-02-21T05:46:00.003+08:00

It's endless, and the list keeps building up.I'll start clearing my thoughts so that I'll accomplish a few things today.
1. Formal assembly. I must make sure that the team is ready to perform the national, Johor state and school anthem. After the hard work last week, we managed to form a team for 2011. This is a start for the new ones. I really rely on the senior members to help me with the audition; Baizura, Ummusalamah, Rachel, Kher Nin, Sze Yi, Sze Min, Christine, Pin Xin,Shu Xin, Jia Xin and the thorn among the roses, Azizan Hafiz...credits to you people.

2. It's sukantara day today. Luckily I'm in charge of......well,what else does a discipline teacher do in this kind of event other than "kawalan pelajar"? Guess I have to make my rounds with the long cane again.

3. 11.10; training the choir team for the performance on the 25th. The officers from JCorp are coming to see how they perform today. Sigh.....i didn't expect much from the students at this stage. They barely memorized the song on Saturday. Just hope it goes well today.

4. 1.30; All the excellent teachers will have to present their innovation for this year to the Principal, that includes me, of course. Ideasssss....ideasssss....

5. right after the meeting with the Principal, I'll continue with my choir training.

6. 3.30 p.m. Observation by the JCorp officers...I'm wondering what they're going to say.

7. 5.00 p.m....I hope I can reach home by 5 p.m.

HOLIDAY HOMEWORK FOR MY DEAREST FORM 5 STUDENTS (2011)

2011-02-02T03:51:00.002+08:00

Salam and greetings everyone. As promised, your teacher is here to give you homeworks for your Chinese New Year holiday. I know you must be bored to death, so I have something to keep you occupied, ya!

Since all of you have finished reading the novel, we'll discuss....characteristics. What you need to do is to find the evidence from the text, based on the characteristics of the characters.

CHARACTER	CHARACTERISTICS	EVIDENCE FROM THE TEXT (state the page number)
Azreen	A student at a London university
	Four years younger than her older sister
	20 years old
	Bespectacled
	Speaks her mind, fiery tempered, stubborn, close to her sister, Madhuri
	Can be defiant when she chooses to
	Filial daughter to her parents
	Kind and accepting of others (i.e Old Lady)
	Loyal and protective (over Asraf)

The Curse- Chapter 3

2011-02-02T03:23:00.002+08:00

Azreen is greeted by her uncle, Datuk Zulkifli and his wife, Datin Sharifah at the airport. They are her adopted parents. They try not to talk about Madhuri's death. They take her home.
Back home, Azreen listens to rumours about Madhuri's death, spread by the village gossip, Normala. She spreads the news that Madhuri was murdered. She keeps on saying that she saw Madhuri's body before it was taken away. She saw that the blood was white in colour, which is a bad omen. She believes that they have all been 'cursed'.

The Curse -Chapter 2

2011-02-02T02:30:00.003+08:00

When Azreen is on the plane, she recalls her childhood days with her sister, Madhuri. Madhuri was well-liked, prettier than Azreen. She was four years older than her and had been a filial daughter to her parents. On the contrary, Azreen is short, bespectacled, fiery-minded and always speaks her mind. She does not like to be compared to her sister, and rather envious of her sister's popularity. As blood is thicker than water, she also remembers the happier moments spent with Madhuri when they cycled past the paddy field and picked rambutans and fallen durians from the fruit plantations.

The Curse, Chapter 1

2011-02-02T01:53:00.003+08:00

Azreen Saleh who is studying in London receives the news that her sister, Madhuri has died. She leaves quietly, without telling her friends. On the way to the subway station, she meets her classmate, Julian Ng. She tells him the reason of her return to Malaysia. She is reluctant to elaborate further. He tells her that he might visit her when he goes back to Malaysia.

New Novel -The Curse (Form 5)

2011-02-02T01:45:00.003+08:00

Salam and hello everyone. It has been quite a while since I last dropped a few words in my blog. Due to this very short break, I would like to use this opportunity to disseminate some useful notes to help you understand the novel you are studying this year.

It took me a while to read the novel, and I could foresee certain drawbacks as the author uses a lot of flashbacks in the chapters. To help you understand the story better, you really have to use your imagination. Just imagine that you're watching a movie or drama on the television where they have flashbacks in black in white.

Alright, enough with my ramblings, let's start talking about the novel. I shall divide it according to chapters to avoid confusion.

HE HAD SUCH QUIET EYES

2011-01-22T21:28:00.006+08:00

The poem is about a persona, a lady who fell for the wrong man. She was fascinated with his ‘quiet eyes’ and believed that his eyes showed his true emotion and feelings for her. The man’s eyes had the power to charm her and made her believe him and be nice to him.
However, the man was actually a ‘pleasure seeking man’, a flirt. As the lady was truly fascinated and charmed by the man, she did not listen or did not want to listen to any advice concerning the man’s true behaviour. In the end, she realized her error and was broken hearted.

BIBSY SOENHARJO

Bibsy Soenharjo was born in Jakarta on 22 November 1928. Bibsy and her siblings were homeschooled and each was encouraged to pursue their own interests. She had a particular fondness for literature and, after returning home from a four-year stay in Japan, Bibsy began writing her first prose in 1957, and then poetry in the 60s. The Literary Review, an international quarterly published by Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey, USA, published her first four literary pieces in their Autumn and Spring Editions in 1967 and 1968 respectively. In 1967 also, her poem, “Jakarta, March 1967” was published in the Australian magazine Hemisphere, while ”Setelah Gerhana Bulan” (After the Eclipse of the Moon) was published in Gelanggang, an Indonesian cultural magazine now defunct.
Her poems have appeared in bilingual anthologies, with her Indonesian works translated into English, Dutch and Japanese and her English poems into Indonesian and Dutch. She continued to write prose pieces in Indonesian that appeared in Jakarta dailies under the pen name Nuspati.
Bibsy Soenharjo now lives in Jakarta with the youngest of her three sons, Haryo, his wife Sutji and their children.

He had such quite eyes.

He had such quiet eyes
She did not realize
They were two pools of lies
Layered with thinnest ice
To her, those quiet eyes
Were breathing desolate sighs
Imploring her to be nice
And to render him paradise

If only she’d been wise
And had listened to the advice
Never to compromise
With pleasure-seeking guys
She would be free from ‘the hows and
whys’

Now here’s a bit of advice
Be sure that nice really means nice
Then you’ll never be losing at dice
Though you may lose your heart once or
twice

Bibsy Soenharjo

TURNING A NEW LEAF, AGAIN?

2010-12-01T20:32:00.002+08:00

Salam and hello everyone. Firstly, please accept my apology for not responding to the
messages in the chatbox. Things seemed to keep piling up towards the end of the year. Well, we're all moving forward to the end of the month, which is also the end of the year 2010. It's the month in which almost everybody starts checking their deeds for the whole year:

1. Have I achieved what I have planned for?
2. Am I half-way there? Or...
3. I stalled the moment I wrote my resolution because it looked too good to be true?

Some of us might be smiling and says Yes!!! I finally made it!! Or even there are people who would say....I knew I could do it!!! And some might still be upset and say...If only I have listened....If I knew it turned out to be this way, I wouldn't have done it!

Yes, this is the month we normally reflected upon our work, our results, our achievements, our failures, our weaknesses etc. Then, we start to ponder on our regrets and decide to turn a new leaf, writing a new resolution....and we do this every year.

NOW....for a change. Why don't we pick the area that we were weak in and improve that weak part of our life? This will help us to build a stronger characteristic. Identifying our strength and weaknesses is the turning point for a better self in the coming years. New year does not only mean New resolutions....it would be more meaningful if our resolutions make us a better man. It's like saving the world, you can always Re-use our strength, Reduce our weaknesses and Recycle our successful strategies.

revision Q & As

2010-05-12T12:35:00.001+08:00

Salam and hello everyone!! I guess you are busy with your revision since the examination has started. Here are some Q & As for the SPM 2010 students, for you to recapitulate the poems you learned last year. Good Luck!!

SONNET 18
1. Why does the poet compare his beloved to a summer’s day?
The poet compares his beloved to a summer’s day because it is bright, sunny & the best season in the whole year.
2. Why is his beloved “more lovely” and “more temperate” than a summer’s day?
The poet’s beloved is more beautiful than a summer’s day because her perfect beauty does not change.
3. What does the phrase “darling buds” refer to?
“Darling buds’ refers to the tender/delicate buds that are waiting to blossom into flowers.
4. What will the rough winds do to the “darling buds”?
The rough winds blow strongly and the shake the tender buds.
5. Why is the summer season considered a “lease”?
Summer is considered a lease because it seems to be renting for only 3 months in a year.
6. Why does “summer’s lease” have “all too short a date”?
Summer only lasts for 3 months and it is too short to be experienced by the people.
7. What does the phrase “eternal summer” mean?
“Eternal summer” is a metaphor that refers to the everlasting beauty of the poet’s beloved.
8. What are the weaknesses of summer?
i)Summer is too short. It only lasts for 3 months.
ii) Summer is too hot when the sun shines too brightly.
iii) The weather is not exactly temperate as it is unpredictable.
iv)Sometimes the wind blows very strongly that it threats the lovely May flowering buds.
9. What are the strengths of “eternal summer”?
i) Summer season lasts forever.
ii) The beauty and joy of summer lasts forever.

10. Why does the poet describe the sun as the “eye of heaven”?
The sun is in the sky and as if it is looking at the earth from above.
11. Why is the “eye of heaven” itself not perfect?
Sometimes it shines too brightly that it makes people feel hot and uncomfortable.
12. What does “his gold complexion dimm’d” refer to?
Sunshine can sometimes be hidden by dark clouds.
13. What does line 11 mean : “Nor shall Death brag thou wand’rest in his shade”?
Death cannot boasts over the death of the poet’s beloved as it can only take her life away, not her beauty.
14. “When in eternal lines to time thou grows’t” (line 12). What does this line mean?
The beauty of the poet’s beloved remains captivating as the poet has written about it in this sonnet.
15. What does “this” in line 14 refer to?
The lines in the poem.

IF

Stanza 1
The father advises his son to:
keep his sanity and be sensible at all times
trust himself when others doubt him
give others the benefit of the doubt
practise patience (line.5)
avoid lying and being lied to (line 6)
put aside all hatred (line 7)
be moderate in appearance and speech(line 8)
be humble and not be arrogant (line 8)

Stanza 2
The father advises his son to:
not to indulge in dreams(line 9)
not to show off or try to impress(line 10)
be open-minded and treat success and failure on equal terms (line 11)
to be strong in times of failure (line 12)
remain calm no matter how other people twist your words of truth.(line 13)
evil cheater will twist your words and use them for their own advantage. (line 14)
remain calm when you watch your life’s work being destroyed by unscrupulous people. (line 15)
to rebuild whatever he has lost in life(line 16)

question 8
To become a true man who is perfect in every way.

Stanza 3
The father advises his son:
to gather all his wealth in one venture(line 17)
to be prepared to take risks(line 18)
that if he loses all of his wealth, he has to start all over again(line 19)
not to tell anyone about his loss.(line 20)
to perservere and discipline your mind and heart. (line 21)
be positive and be objective even if you are feeling weak or fearful (line 22)
not to quit even though the odds are against him(line 23)
not to give up easily and to have strong will power(line 24)
Stanza 4
The father advises his son to:
mix with all sorts of people and be true to your values and upbringing(line 25)
socialise with the upper class without looking down on the lower class (line 26)
live in harmony with both your friends and enemies without being harmed by them. (line 27)
be just and equal treatment to everyone(line 28)
be virtuous
have humility
socialise without fear or prejudice
live in harmony with others
be careful not to get hurt
be dependable
appreciate time
make full use of time

si tenggang’s homecoming
by Muhammad haji salleh
1) What does “physical journey” refer to?
The physical journey refers to si tenggang’s journey overseas.
2) What does “A journey of the soul” refer to?
“A journey of the soul” refers to the journey of the mind and heart of the persona.
3) What do lines 5 & 6 mean?
the knowledge that sweats from it
is a stranger’s knowledge
The word sweats suggests that it is not easy to acquire new knowledge. The word stranger means foreign. Now this knowledge is part of his identity.
4) What has this knowledge helped si tenggang to do?
It has helped him to think, see and choose between realities
5) How do his family members feel about the new si tenggang?
His family members do not understand the new si tenggang and they feel that si tenggang has entirely changed.
6) Who understood and accepted him?
His wife
7) si tenggang feels he has “not entirely returned”(line 16). Why is this?
He has physically returned but he is not accepted by his people. He also has a lot of knowledge to share with his people but they refuse to accept the new changes.
8) How has he been changed?
He has been changed by time and place during his travels. He can overcome his problems by himself.
9) What does “the contents of thee boats are yours too” mean (line 37)?
The knowledge he learnt from his travels.
10) Why does si tenggang say that he is “still malay”(line 32)?
He still practise the Malay traditions and believe in what is good.
11) 26.What is si tenggang’s journey compared to (line 28-30)?
A loyal teacher.
12) 27.Why does he say he is “not a new man?”
He has not changed into a different person.
13) In the last stanza (line 55-68), what does he say he has learned?
He has learned not to brood over a foreign world,
He has learned not to be fearful of possibilities.

14) What do lines 64 to 66 mean?
i am you,
freed from the village,
its soils and ways,
si tenggang is still the same person, but he has changed his way of thinking because he has gain more knowledge than his villagers, He has freed his way of thinking which was narrower before his travels.
15) What does he say he has become in lines 67 to 68? What does he mean?
independent, because
i have found myself
He has become more independent because he has discovered his strength and weaknesses.
Monsoon History
By Shirley Geok-lin Lim
1.Describe the air and what it does in lines 1-3.
It has been raining heavily and the air is filled with water vapour.The water vapour soaks into the mattresses causing them to be damp.

2.Why does the poet use the word “apparitions” to describe the air (line 3)?
The image of damp air is seen in the water vapour looking like circles of smoke.

3.What other creatures start to appear in the garden?
fat white slugs and snails.

4.Why do “Nyonya and Baba” count “silver paper for the dead” (lines 21-24)?
It is the practices of the Chinese custom of preparing “silver paper” for the dead to pay respect to the dead.
5.Why do they hang the “portraits of grandfathers” in “the parlour”?
The family has great respect for their ancestors.
6. Why does the poet mention the ancestors and their portraits?
To show the customs and traditions of the Nyonya-baba family which respect their ancestors and preserving the family history.

7. What creatures does the poet see around her?
termites, black spiders, gnats

8.Why are these creatures associated with the “down-pouring rain”?
The creatures normally appear when it rains.

9.Why do you think this poem is called “Monsoon History”?
It tells about an old tradition of the Nyonya Baba family.

10.State 3 themes found in the poem.
a)Monsoon Season in Malacca
b) Family
c) The Nyonya Baba customs
10. State 3 moral values found in the poem.
a) We must know know and value our heritage
b) We must appreciate our home for it is a place of love and warmth.
c) Man and nature can live in harmony with one another.

SPM REVISION: Monsoon History

2010-03-06T09:32:00.001+08:00

Monsoon History

The air is wet, soaks
Into mattresses, and curls
In apparitions of smoke.
Like fat white slugs furled
Among the timber,
Or sliver fish tunneling
The damp linen covers
Of schoolbooks, or walking
Quietly like centipedes,
The air walking everywhere
On its hundred feet
Is filled with the glare
Of tropical water

Again we are taken over
By clouds and rolling darkness.
Small snails appear
Clashing their timid horns
Among the morning glory
Vines.

Drinking milo,
Nyonya and baba sit at home.
This was forty years ago.
Sarong-wrapped they counted
Silver paper for the dead,
Portraits of grandfathers
Hung always in the parlour.
Reading Tennyson, at six
p.m. in pajamas,
Listening to down-pouring
rain; the air ticks
With gnats, black spiders fly,
Moths sweep out of our rooms
Where termites built
Their hills of eggs and queens zoom
In heat.
We wash our feet
For bed, watch mother uncoil
Her snake hair, unbuckle
The silver mesh around her waist,
Waiting for father pacing
The sands as fishers pull
From the Straits after monsoon.

The air is still, silent
Like sleepers rocked in the pantun,
Sheltered by Malacca
This was forty years ago,
When nyonya married baba.

gnats
black spider
silverfish

QUESTIONS
1. Describe the air and what it does in lines 1-3.
2. Why does the poet use the word “apparitions” to describe the air (line 3)?
3. What other creatures start to appear in the garden?
4. Why do “Nyonya and Baba” count “silver paper for the dead” (lines 21-24)?
5. Why do they hang the “portraits of grandfathers” in “the parlour”?
6. Why does the poet mention the ancestors and their portraits?
7. What creatures does the poet see around her?
8. Why are these creatures associated with the “down-pouring rain”?
9. Why do you think this poem is called “Monsoon History”?
10. State 3 themes found in the poem.
11. State 3 moral values found in the poem.

SPM REVISION: The Road Not Taken

2010-03-06T09:30:00.000+08:00

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

QUESTIONS

1. How many roads are mentioned in line 1?
2. Where are these roads?
3. What does “diverge” mean (line 1)?
4. What is significant about the colour yellow (line 1)?
5. Which road does the poet take?
6. What does “just as fair” mean (line 6)?
7. What does “wanted wear” mean (line 8)
8. Was his choice a careless one?
9. Do you think the traveler chose wisely? Explain your answer briefly.
10. What does “in leaves no step had trodden black” mean (line 12)?
11. What does “way leads on to way” mean (line 14)
12. Why will the traveler tell this story with a sigh?
13. What does “ages and ages hence” mean (line 17)?
14. Why has his choice made all the difference?
15. List 3 moral values found in this poem.
j.a.m/smkbp/f4/lit

SPM REVISION: If

2010-03-06T09:29:00.000+08:00

If
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream -- and not make dreams your master;
If you can think -- and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings -- nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run --
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And -- which is more -- you'll be a Man, my son!

QUESTIONS
1. List the advice given in stanza 1:
2. List the advice given in lines 5-8:
3. List the advice given in lines 9-12:
4. List the advice given in lines 13-16:
5. List the advice given in lines 17-20:
6. List the advice given in lines 21-24:
7. List the advice given in lines 25-28:
8. What is the reward that comes to the man who can follow all the advice given in this poem?

SPM REVISION:There's been a death in the opposite house

2010-03-06T09:25:00.000+08:00

There's been a death in the opposite house
As lately as today.
I know it by the numb look
Such houses have always

The neighbours rustle in and out,
The doctor drives away.
A window opens like a pod,
Abrupt, mechanically;

Somebody flings a mattress out, -
The children hurry by;
They wonder if It died on that, -
I used to when a boy.

The minister goes stiffly in
As if the house were his,
And he owned all the mourners now,
And little boys besides;

And then the milliner, and the man
Of the appalling trade,
To take the measure of the house.
There'll be that dark parade

Of tassels and of coaches soon;
It's easy as a sign, -
The intuition of the news
In just a country town.

QUESTIONS
1. How does the poet know that someone in the opposite house has died?
2. What does the poet really mean by the phrase “numb look”?
3. What does “such houses” (line 4) refer to?
4. From your knowledge of the poem, say who the speaker in this poem (the persona) is.
5. Why does the doctor “drives away”?
6. What does the word “rustle” suggest?
7. Why is the dead person referred to as “It” rather than “he” or “she”?
8. Why does the minister “own” all the mourners?
9. What does the milliner do?
10. Why does the speaker call the undertaker the “man of the appalling trade”?
11. What could the “house” (line 19) be in this poem?
12. Why is the funeral a “dark parade”?
13. What is the effect of using the word “dark”?
14. Why is it “easy as a sign” to tell when someone has died?
15. What is the theme of this poem?

IMPORTANT PHRASES :

1. Numb look suggests …………………….…………………
2. houses (line 4) suggests……………………………………….
3. house (line 19) suggests ………………………………………
4. dark parade suggests……………………………………….
5. I used to when a boy suggests………………………………
6. The intuition of the news suggests…………………………..
7. In just a country town suggests……………………………….

IMPORTANT PEOPLE- WHAT ARE THEIR ROLES/WHY ARE THEY AT THE DECEASED’S HOUSE?
1. Neighbours …………………………………………………
2. Minister …………………………………………………
3. doctor …………………………………………………
4. Milliner …………………………………………………
5. The man of the apppalling trade……………………………
6. mourners …………………………………………………
WORDS RELATED TO DEATH
Dark parade IS ……………………………………………..
Tassles and coaches ARE ………………………………………..
A window opens like a pod & somebody flings the mattress out MEANS ………………………………………………

SPM REVISION: si tenggang's homecoming

2010-03-06T09:22:00.000+08:00

si tenggang’s homecoming
i
the physical journey that i traverse
is a journey of the soul,
transport of the self from a fatherland
to a country collected by sight and mind,
the knowledge that sweats from it
is a stranger’s knowledge,
from one who has learnt to see, think
and choose between
the changing realities.
ii
it’s true i have growled at my mother and grandmother
but only after having told of my predicament
that they have never brought to reason.
the wife that i begun to love in my loneliness,
in the country that alienated me
they took to their predecisions
i have not entirely returned, i know,
having been changed by time and place,
coarsened by problems
estranged by absence.
Iii
but look,
i have brought myself home,
seasoned by confidence,
broadened by land and languages,
i am no longer afraid of the oceans
or the differences between people,
not easily fooled
by words or ideas.
the journey was a loyal teacher
who was never tardy
in explaining cultures or variousness
look, i am just like you,
still malay,
sensitive to what i believe is good,
and more ready to understand
than my brothers.
the contents of these boats are yours too
because i have returned.
iv
travels made me
a seeker who does not take
what is given without sincerity
or that which demands payments from beliefs.
the years at sea and coastal states
have taught me to choose,
to accept only those tested by comparison,
or that which matches the words of my ancestors,
which returns me to my village
and its perfection.
v
i’ve learnt
the ways of the rude
to hold reality in a new logic,
debate with hard and loud facts.
but i too am humble, respecting,
man and life.
Vi
i am not a new man,
not very different
from you;
the people and cities
of coastal ports
taught me not to brood
over a foreign world,
suffer difficulties
or fear possibilities.

i am you,
freed from the village,
its soils and ways,
independent, because
i have found myself.

http://www.iias.nl/iiasn/interview_MHS.htm

QUESTIONS

1. What does “physical journey” refer to?
2. What does “A journey of the soul” refer to?
3. What do lines 5 & 6 mean?
4. What has this knowledge helped si tenggang to do?
5. How do his family members feel about the new si tenggang?
6. Who understood and accepted him?
7. si tenggang feels he has “not entirely returned”(line 16). Why is this?
8. How has he been changed?
9. What does “the contents of thee boats are yours too” mean (line 37)?
10. 25. Why does si tenggang say that he is “still malay”(line 32)?
11. 26.What is si tenggang’s journey compared to (line 28-30)?
12. 27.Why does he say he is “not a new man?”
13. In the last stanza (line 55-68), what does he say he has learned?
14. What do lines 64 to 66 mean?
15. What does he say he has become in lines 67 to 68? What does he mean?

j.a.m/smkbp/f4/lit

SPM REVISION:SONNET 18

2010-03-06T09:19:00.000+08:00

Sonnet 18

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date:
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance, or nature's changing course untrimm'd;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st;
Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st:
So long as man can breath, or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee

QUESTIONS:
1. Why does the poet compare his beloved to a summer’s day?
2. Why is his beloved “more lovely” and “more temperate” than a summer’s day?
3. What does the phrase “darling buds” refer to?
4. What will the rough winds do to the “darling buds”?
5. Why is the summer season considered a “lease”?
6. Why does “summer’s lease” have “all too short a date”?
7. What does the phrase “eternal summer” mean?
8. What are the weaknesses of summer?
9. What are the strengths of “eternal summer”?
10. Why does the poet describe the sun as the “eye of heaven”?
11. Why is the “eye of heaven” itself not perfect?
12. What does “his gold complexion dimm’d” refer to?
13. What does line 11 mean : “Nor shall Death brag thou wand’rest in his shade”?
14. “When in eternal lines to time thou grows’t” (line 12). What does this line mean?
15. What does “this” in line 14 refer to?

j.a.m/smkbp/f4/lit

ENGLISH DAY ACTIVITY (3) FEBRUARY

2010-03-04T22:26:00.000+08:00

PHRASAL VERBS
[verb + preposition(s)]
Choose a phrasal verb to complete the following sentences.

1. They hope to _________ _____ a contract and sign it before the end of the week.
a) set up b) put up c) draw up d) make up

2. He's a very dependable person. You can _________ _____ him in any circumstances.
a) count for b) trust in c) stand for d) rely on

3. Many husbands avoid any housework. They manage to _______ _____ _____ it.
a) get safe of b) go past on c) stay away of d) get out of

4. I'm glad you're coming to the meeting. I _________ _________ to meeting you.
a) look ahead b) look forward c) see forward d) think ahead

5. Harry reads the newspaper every morning. He likes to ___ _____ ____ the latest eventS.
a) stand up to b) stay on to c) keep up with d) get up to

6. Tom and Bill had a meeting in order to _________ _____ their difficulties.
a) bash out b) wash out c) iron out d) spread out

7. Tests will be _________ _____ to determine the causes of the failure.
a) taken up b) carried out c) looked into d) run on

8. The plans for the new theatre _________ ______ _______ a lot of criticism.
a) ran up to b) faced up with c) came up against d) was opposed to

9. Sophie wants to leave the company. We'll have to _________ ____ a way to make her stay.
a) set up b) turn out c) figure out d) stumble on

10. Anyone can make a mistake but George never _________ ____ to his errors.
a) comes on b) owns up c) goes forward d) pays up

TONGUE TWISTER
You've no need to light a night-light
On a light night like tonight,
For a night-light's light's a slight light,
And tonight's a night that's light.
When a night's light, like tonight's light,
It is really not quite right
To light night-lights with their slight lights
On a light night like tonight.

ENGLISH DAY ACTIVITY (2) FEBRUARY

2010-03-04T22:25:00.001+08:00

TRICKY TONGUE TWISTER
Thirty sly thick thugs sought thirty slightly thin slugs;
Did thirty sly thick thugs seek thirty slightly thin slugs?
If thirty sly thick thugs sought thirty slightly thin slugs,
How many slightly thin slugs did thirty sly thick thugs seek?

ENGLISH DAY ACTIVITY (1) FEBRUARY

2010-03-04T22:13:00.000+08:00

TRICKY TONGUE TWISTER
Thirty-three Finns found thirty free things.
Did thirty-three Finns find thirty free things?
If thirty-three Finns found thirty free things,
How many free things did thirty-three Finns find?

THE PEARL: SYNOPSIS OF CHAPTER 2

2010-02-21T09:02:00.001+08:00

KINO GOES PEARL DIVING
Kino is a pearl diver who lives among a community of "fishing people". He has a canoe which used to belong to his grandfather and father. Unable to get his son treated by the doctor, he goes out in his canoe with Juana and his son. Hoping to find a pearl which he can sell to pay for Coyotito's treatment. Before Juana gets into the canoe, she place a poultice of seaweed on the baby's swollen shoulder.They, like the other pearl divers in their community, to go to where the oyster bed is located. Kino has two ropes. One is tied to a heavy stone and the other is tied to a basket. He takes the rock in one hand and the basket in the other and dives into the sea. At the sea bed, he looks for mature oysters, breaks them away and lays them in his basket.

KINO FINDS THE PEARL
Suddenly, he spots a very large oyster and gets a glimpse on the shiny object within. He picks it up and, while holding it to his breast, rise to the surface. He place the oyster into his canoe and get into it. He opens the oyster in the basket first which do not produce anything. Juana urges him to open the larger oyster, which he does. In it he finds a large perfect pearl-as big as a seagull's egg. They look at Coyotito, only to find out that the swelling on his shoulder has gone down. Kino is overcome with emotion and screams. The other pearl divers head towards Kino's canoe.

this is a seagull's egg

THE PEARL: SYNOPSIS OF CHAPTER 1

2010-02-20T19:14:00.000+08:00

Kino wakes up at dawn and he feels happy. It is a beautiful morning. Juana makes corn-cakes for breakfast. She is also happy. She is singing an old song which is very comforting. It is the 'Song of the Family'. Kino's son, Coyotito is sleeping in a hanging box. Kino and Juana eat their breakfast and Kino sighs with satisfaction.

Suddenly, a scorpion stings Coyotito and he cries in pain. Kino kills the scorpion in rage and Juana quickly tries to suck out the poison. They take Coyotito to the doctor but he refuses to treat him as Kino has no money. Kino strikes the gate of the doctor's house with his fist until blood flows out. The crowd melts tactfully away. Everyone is aware of Kino's public humiliation and shame.

QWERTYUIOP-SYNOPSIS

2010-02-20T07:30:00.001+08:00

‘QWERTYUIOP’ by Vivien Alcock is about a young graduate named Lucy Beck who has just finished her ‘O’ levels at Belmont Secretarial College. Being a slow learner herself, she has no confidence that she will find a job. Fortunately, she is offered a job by Mr. Ross, the Manager of Ross and Bannister’s. During her first day, she encounters many peculiar incidents. Later, she finds out that there is a spirit lingering around the office who is adamant in holding on to her position as the company’s secretary. Towards the end of the story, Lucy tries to get rid of the spirit that has been haunting that place for many years by putting the spirit at peace.

QWERTYUIOP-SETTING , CHARACTERS, THEMES AND MORAL VALUES

2010-02-20T07:20:00.001+08:00

Hello everyone, today I would like to talk about a short story called QWERTYUIOP. Here are some notes that would help you to understand the text better. Thank you to CDC for providing us with a complete Literature Component module.

SETTING
The story revolves around two main settings: Lucy’s house which she shares with her mother and her Uncle Bert, and the office of Ross and Bannister’s where Lucy works as a secretary.

CHARACTERS
Lucy Beck : She is a young, shy and insecure graduate of secreterial studies. She is issatisfied with her current life and is determined to improve it. She obtains a position with Ross and Bannister’s, only to find that the position comes with a chilling secret.
Ghost of Ms.Broome : She was the previous employee of Ross and Bannister’s. She is unwilling to let go of her position and continues to defend her post, even after her demise.
Lucy’s mother : A housewife who lives a hard life. She has to support her brother.
Uncle Bert : Depends on his sister for support. He is also a drunkard.
Harry Darke : Ross and Bannister’s handyman. He is an old man who has been working with the company for years.
Mr. Ross : The younger partner of the company.

THEMES
Possible themes that can be found in the short story are determination, possessiveness, loyalty, loneliness, commitment, the supernatural, and compassion.

DETERMINATION:
Despite the supernatural nature by which Ms. Broome badgers and demoralises Lucy, she shows no signs of giving in to her demand. Instead, she is steadfast in defending her position as the secretary.

POSSESIVENESS:
Not even death could part Ms. Broome from what she feels is rightfully hers. She continues to haunt the office through her electronic typewriter.

LOYALTY:
As with her possesiveness towards her job, Ms. Broome was also extremely loyal towards Mr. Bannister. Even after she passed on, her spirit continued in its endeavour to serve her employer.

LONELINESS:
Loneliness can be a strong influence in a person’s life. Ms. Broome had no life outside of her office. That made her more possesive of her position in the company; a possesiveness that went beyond the grave.

COMMITMENT:
This attribute can be clearly seen in both Lucy and Ms. Broome. Both are extremely committed to their profession.

THE SUPERNATURAL:
It is interesting that such an integral character in the story happens to be an ethereal entity. Yet this theme is rather prominent in the story.

COMPASSION:
This theme holds water especially in the final confrontation between Lucy and Ms. Broome. It is not through hatred nor coercion that Lucy manages to outsmart Ms. Broome, rather, it was through compassion and understanding of Ms. Broome’s intentions.

MORAL VALUES
• Do not judge a person merely through credentials or qualifications
• We must be committed and responsible to our vocation or profession
• We must value our family.

THE PEARL-PLOT

2010-02-02T20:00:00.001+08:00

Kino, Juana, and their infant son, Coyotito, live in a modest brush house by the sea. One morning, calamity strikes when a scorpion stings Coyotito. Hoping to protect their son, Kino and Juana rush him to the doctor in town. When they arrive at the doctor’s gate, they are turned away because they are poor natives who cannot pay enough.

Later that same morning, Kino and Juana take their family canoe, an heirloom, out to the estuary to go diving for pearls. Juana makes a poultice for Coyotito’s wound, while Kino searches the sea bottom. Juana’s prayers for a large pearl are answered when Kino surfaces with the largest pearl either of them has ever seen. Kino lets out a triumphant yell at his good fortune, prompting the surrounding boats to circle in and examine the treasure.

In the afternoon, the whole neighborhood gathers at Kino’s brush house to celebrate his find. Kino names a list of things that he will secure for his family with his newfound wealth, including a church wedding and an education for his son. The neighbors marvel at Kino’s boldness and wonder if he is foolish or wise to harbor such ambitions.

Toward evening, the local priest visits Kino to bless him in his good fortune and to remind him of his place within the church. Shortly thereafter, the doctor arrives, explaining that he was out in the morning but has come now to cure Coyotito. He administers a powdered capsule and promises to return in an hour.

In the intervening period, Coyotito grows violently ill, and Kino decides to bury the pearl under the floor in a corner of the brush house. The doctor returns and feeds Coyotito a potion to quiet his spasms. When the doctor inquires about payment, Kino explains that soon he will sell his large pearl and inadvertently glances toward the corner where he has hidden the pearl. This mention of the pearl greatly intrigues the doctor, and Kino is left with an uneasy feeling.

Before going to bed, Kino reburies the pearl under his sleeping mat. That night, he is roused by an intruder digging around in the corner. A violent struggle ensues, and Kino’s efforts to chase away the criminal leave him bloodied. Terribly upset by this turn of events, Juana proposes that they abandon the pearl, which she considers an agent of evil.

The next morning, Kino and Juana make their way to town to sell the pearl. Juan Tomás, Kino’s brother, advises Kino to be wary of cheats. Indeed, all of the dealers conspire to bid low on the pearl. Kino indignantly refuses to accept their offers, resolving instead to take his pearl to the capital. That evening, as Kino and Juana prepare to leave, Juan Tomás cautions Kino against being overly proud, and Juana repeats her wish to be rid of the pearl. Kino silences her, explaining that he is a man and will take care of things.

In the middle of the night, Juana steals away with the pearl. Kino wakes as she leaves and pursues her, apprehending her just as she is poised to throw the pearl into the sea. He tackles her, takes the pearl back, and beats her violently, leaving her in a crumpled heap on the beach. As he returns to the brush house, a group of hostile men confronts him and tries to take the pearl from him. He fights the men off, killing one and causing the rest to flee, but drops the pearl in the process.

As Juana ascends from the shore to the brush house, she finds the pearl lying in the path. Just beyond, she sees Kino on the ground, next to the dead man. He bemoans the loss of the pearl, which she presents to him. Though Kino explains that he had no intention to kill, Juana insists that he will be labeled a murderer. They resolve to flee at once. Kino rushes back to the shore to prepare the canoe, while Juana returns home to gather Coyotito and their belongings.

Kino arrives at the shore and finds his canoe destroyed by vandals. When he climbs the hill, he sees a fire blazing, and realizes that his house has burned down. Desperate to find refuge, Kino, Juana and Coyotito duck into Juan Tomás’s house, where they hide out for the day. Relieved that the three did not perish in the blaze, as the rest of the neighborhood believes, Juan Tomás and his wife, Apolonia, reluctantly agree to keep Kino and Juana’s secret and provide shelter for them while pretending to be ignorant of their whereabouts.

At nightfall, Kino, Juana, and Coyotito set out for the capital. Skirting the town, they travel north until sunrise and then take covert shelter by the roadside. They sleep for most of the day and are preparing to set out again when Kino discovers that three trackers are following them. After hesitating briefly, Kino decides that they must hurry up the mountain, in hopes of eluding the trackers. A breathless ascent brings them to a water source, where they rest and take shelter in a nearby cave. Kino attempts to mislead the trackers by creating a false trail up the mountain. Kino, Juana, and Coyotito then hide in the cave and wait for an opportunity to escape back down the mountain.

The trackers are slow in their pursuit and finally arrive at the watering hole at dusk. They make camp nearby, and two of the trackers sleep while the third stands watch. Kino decides that he must attempt to attack them before the late moon rises. He strips naked to avoid being seen and sneaks up to striking distance. Just as Kino prepares to attack, Coyotito lets out a cry, waking the sleepers. When one of them fires his rifle in the direction of the cry, Kino makes his move, killing the trackers in a violent fury. In the aftermath, Kino slowly realizes that the rifle shot struck and killed his son in the cave.

The next day, Kino and Juana make their way back through town and the outlying brush houses. Juana carries her dead son slung over her shoulder. They walk all the way to the sea, as onlookers watch in silent fascination. At the shore, Kino pulls the pearl out of his clothing and takes one last, hard look at it. Then, with all his might, under a setting sun, he flings the pearl back into the sea.

In The Midst Of Hardship-Synopsis

2010-01-31T14:36:00.000+08:00

This poem tells of the hardship that a family in a village faces after a big flood. The elders return at dawn in soaking-wet clothes. They go straight to the kitchen. They are probably hungry. Their hands and legs are bruised but they do not show any sign of despair or of losing hope.
After braving the dreadful flood for the last 24 hours, they still can not find their son’s albino buffalo. Despite all the adversities and suffering, the people in the poem do not complain or lament on their misfortunes. They spend time together, enjoying each other’s company. They are grateful for the fact what they still have instead of what is lost. Life goes on with their daily chores of preparing food and habit of rolling their cigarette leaves. They are still able to joke with one another.

In The Midst Of Hardship;-Background of the Poet

2010-01-31T14:27:00.000+08:00

Latiff Mohidin
Born on 25 August 1941 in Negeri Sembilan, Latiff Mohidin was educated at Lenggeng, Seremban, Singapore, and the University of Fine Arts in Berlin. This poet and artist has held exhibitions of his works and travelled abroad extensively in the 1960s and 1970s. He has served as Writer in Residence at the Science University of Malaysia, Penang, the National University of Malaysia and Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka. At present, Latiff is a freelance poet and artist. His poems have won the Putra I poetry Award. Among his books are: Sungai Mekong (1972), Kembara Malam (1974), and Wayang Pak Dalang (1977). Garis: Dari Titik ke Titik (1988), a book on the creative process (art and poetry), won the Honourable Diploma Prize at the Festival of International Books at Leipzig, Germany in 1989.
Latiff Mohidin is usually known for his graphic and imagistic experiment. He addresses social themes in his poems, illustrating the all-important concept that poetry serves society. Among the poems he has written are Dream 1, Mirror, The Puppeteer’s Wayang, Words Adrift on Air, The Legend of the Dawn, His Thick Shroud, The Shore of Time, Mask of My Name is Rawana and ‘A City, A Grandmother and Death’.

Welcome 2010

2010-01-31T14:12:00.000+08:00

Wow! I haven't been blogging for quite some time, it seems. Well, having a long year-end break was so satisfying that I managed to adapt to the changes in the first month of 2010. It is pretty tough to juggle both career and family world, but keeping this statement in my head seems to be the driving factor so far="If you don't have time, MAKE time." It is true, somehow because the crucial part in managing the routines is to manage time. Trying to quit my position as the Queen of Procrastination is not an easy task. Well, perhaps by reminding my students everyday will help me to remind myself most of the times that Procrastination is the thief of time.

2009-10-01T05:13:00.001+08:00

THE SOUND MACHINE - CHARACTERS

2009-09-29T13:58:00.001+08:00

Character

The main character in the short story is Klausner. The other characters (minor) are:
- Scott (Klausner’s doctor and friend)
- Mrs. Saunders (Klausner’s neighbour)
What we can tell about the characters

Klausner
- authoritative, assertive
- emotional/sensitive
- impractical
- loves nature
- responsible, harmless
- irrational /obsessed/confused/nervous/undecided/crazy/mad
- insistent/ persistent/demanding
- determined/focused
- selfish, self-centred
- inquisitive /imaginative / intelligent/intuitive /curious/observant
-funny, acts childish in a way
-gets very excited, hysterical

Scott
- realistic /practical /rational
- responsible
- fearful /uncertain/worried
- tactful
- assertive ( needs proof or evidence to accept something)
- not easily convinced (does not accept anything easily)
- determined
- feels insecure, helpless (Klausner is holding an axe in the hand)
- sensitive
- cooperative
- compassionate

Mrs. Saunders
- cooperative
- focused
- sporting
- carefree
- calm
- not easily convinced

Class photo 2009

2009-09-29T11:40:00.000+08:00

The exuberant 4B students.

The Sound Machine-Who is the character that stands out ?

2009-09-28T12:36:00.002+08:00

Based on the short story of The Sound Machine by Roald Dahl,the character that stands out is Mr.Klausner.Mr.Klausner is a very knowledgable and innovative man.He discovering a sound machine that could record the presence of sound vibration in the air and convert them to a scale of audible tones.Next,he is obsessed to invent the sound machine.He also test is and prove it is able to detect sound that has no limit.Mr.Klausner took his sound machine box and headed for the park.He went to large beach tree and put on his earphones.Taking up his axe,he swing it hard and cut deep into the tree trunk.Immediately,he heard a long,harsh,growling scream.Lastly,Mr.Klausner invents a sound machine based own his own creativity.he has a very imaginative mind and is also very observant.Creativity does not come out of thin air,but through hard work as Klausner proves,through his experiments and observation.Mr.Klausner is able to be very creative because of his obsession too.

The smart way to catch Burglars

2009-09-25T12:05:00.000+08:00

It was late and Charlie was about to climb into bed when his wife informed him that there was a light on in their garden shed. Charlie started to go outside to turn off the light but noticed some people in the shed who were busy stealing his things.

He ran back inside right away and called the cops, who asked him "Are there any intruders in your house?" to which Charlie replied no and explained his circumstances. The cops told Charlie that all patrol cars were otherwise occupied, and that he should just lock his door and a uniformed cop would be at his house when one was free.

Charlie answered, "Alright," hung up, waited 30 seconds, and then called the cops again.

"Hello, I just called a short while ago because there were people stealing things from my shed. I want to let you know that they're not a problem anymore because I've just shot every one of them."

Charlie then hung up the phone. In five short minutes, three patrol cars, a SWAT team, and an ambulance arrived, and Of course, the cops caught the burglars in the act.

One of the cops snapped at Charlie: "I thought you said that you shot every one of them!"

"I thought you said there were no patrol cars free!" Charlie answered.

Eid ul-Fitr

2009-09-25T10:26:00.000+08:00

Eid ul-Fitr
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

عيد الفطر
Eid-al-Fitr(Festival of the Breaking of the Fast).Also called Eid, "Ramadan Eid", "Smaller Eid"; Idul Fitri, Hari Lebaran (Indonesia); Hari Raya Puasa, Hari Lebaran, Aidilfitri (Malaysia); Riyoyo, Riyayan, Ngaidul Fitri (Javanese); Boboran Siyam (Sundanese); Rojar Eid (Bangladesh); Ramazan Bayramı (Turkic); Korite (Senegal); Sallah (Hausa); Kochnay Akhtar (کوچنی اختر) (Pashto); Eid-e Sa'eed-e Fitr (The Mirthful Festival of Fitr, Persian);Choti Eid (Urdu);Cheriya Perunnal(Malayalam);Ramazanski Bajram, Eid (Bosnian); Cejna Remezanê (Kurdish)
Observed by Muslims around the world, as well as non-Muslims in Muslim majority areas.

Eid ul-Fitr (Arabic: عيد الفطر ‘Īdu l-Fiṭr‎), often abbreviated to Eid, is a Muslim holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting. Eid is an Arabic word meaning "festivity", while Fiṭr means "to break fast"; and so the holiday symbolizes the breaking of the fasting period. It is celebrated after the end of the Islamic month of Ramadan, on the first day of Shawwal.

Eid ul-Fitr lasts for three days of celebration and is sometimes also known as the "Smaller Eid" (Arabic: العيد الصغير al-‘īdu ṣ-ṣaghīr‎) as compared to the Eid ul-Adha that lasts four days and is called the "Greater Eid" (Arabic: العيد الكبير al-‘īdu l-kabīr‎).

Muslims are commanded by the Quran to complete their fast on the last day of Ramadan and then recite the Takbir all throughout the period of Eid[Qur'an 2:185 (Translated by Shakir)].

reminiscing

2009-09-02T20:14:00.000+08:00

This picture was taken in 1996, which was like.....12 years ago. In this picture: Fizar, Kak tini, Ena, Intan Hamimah,Mega,Is,Ted and Elly(now married with 2 kids), and ME!

THE PEARL. Which character shows determination in the novel? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

2009-09-01T08:39:00.000+08:00

The character that shows determination in the novel, The Pearl is Kino. He is a poor pearl diver.
One day, he finds a great pearl. After finding the precious pearl, he places all hopes on it. He is determined to sell the Pearl of The World off instead of throwing it away. When he meets with the pearl buyer, they only offer him a very low price to buy the pearl. However, Kino refuses to bow down to the pearl buyers who try to cheat him, Therefore, he decides to sell the pearl to the cities in order to get a higher price.
Besides that, Kino also shows his determination in protecting the pearl.
The pearl has brought many problems to Kino and his family. Juana, his wife suggests that they destroy the pearl but Kino refuses and says that he will fight anyone who wants to take the pearl away from him. So, Juana decides to steal away the pearl but Kino had found it. He beats Juana due to the incident.
In the other hands, Kino also shows determination to protect his family.
When he finds the pearl, many men shows interests to the pearl including the trackers. They try to attack him by burning down his brush house and destroying his boats. So, Kino and his family escape from the trackers and hide themselves in the jungle but the trackers continue to follow them into the jungle. In order to protect his family, Kino killed one of the trackers in self-defence.
In conclusion, Kino shows his determination to sell the Pearl of The World besides determined to protect the pearl and protect his family from being attacked by the trackers.

THE PEARL. What are the valuable lessons you have learnt fro the novel? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

2009-09-01T08:35:00.000+08:00

In the novel ,The Pearl, I have learnt two valuable lessons from the character Juana.
I learnt that being a loving. Protective and responsible parent is important. In the novel She really takes care of baby Coyotito lovingly. When Coyotito is bitten by a scorpion, She quickly sucks the poison from the puncture. She insists that Coyotito must be brought to the doctor to be treated even though every one doubts the doctor will treat the baby because they are too poor to pay him.
Juana also teaches me to be sensible and rational. Unlike her husband and others, She is not over helmed by the pearl. All She wants from the pearl is to get money to seek treatment for Coyotito who is stung by a scorpion. When the pearl changes her husband from a mild. Loving father to a violent and desperate man, Juana decides to throw the pearl back into the sea, even though She knows Kino will be angry.

Group 2 (5C 2009)

THE NECKLACE. Choose one male character that you like from one of the short stories that you have read

2009-08-31T23:10:00.000+08:00

Based on the short story ‘ The Necklace ’ written by Guy de Maupassant , the male character that I like is Monsieur Loiser.

I like Monsieur Loiser because he is a resourceful man. When his wife asks for a piece of exclusive jewellery , he thinks of a solution to replace the dear jewellery with natural flowers. He is a quick-thinker in handling the problem.

Apart from that, Monsieur Loiser is also willing to sacrifice for the sake of his wife. He is willing to give up his own pleasure to satisfy his wife. He tolerates with his wife’s whims and wants. He gives the money which he had saved to buy himself a gun to his wife so that she could buy herself a gown for the ball.

Furthermore, the patient characteristic of Monsieur Loiser makes me admire him the most. He treats his wife patiently thought sometimes Mathilde asks for things that he could not afford. Besides, when Mathide is dancing gracefully and enjoying in the ball, Monsieur Loisel waits for his wife patiently in the anteroom with three other gentlemen.

In a nutshell, Monsieur Loisel is a resourceful, willing to sacrifice and patient person. His good characteristics attract my interest to read the short story til the end.

4C Low Zhi Liang/Chee Xin Ying/Evon Chin/Nur Liyana/Chong Xin jie

THE DROVER’S WIFE.Love is important in a family. How is this shown in the story you have read?

2009-08-27T09:32:00.000+08:00

Love is important in a family.This is shown in the short story I have read which is "The Drover's Wife".Tommy,the eldest son tries to hit the snake with a club bigger than himself.The snake darts into the woodshed and creeps under the house.

As the mother loves her son,she rushes out from the kitchen and stops Tommy.She makes the chidren stand together near the dog-house while she looks out for the snake.

At sunset and with the thunderstorm coming,she took the children into the kitchen instead of the house.She was afraid that the snake might come out through the cracks in the slab floor in the night.This shows how a mother's love for her children requires her to protect them.

She gives the chidren supper and tooks the pillow and bedcloths from the house.Then she makes a bed for them on the kitchen table.This is for her children's safety.The children are fast asleep while she sits in a chair by the bed with a club by her side,sewing and reading.She brings the dog into the kitchen.This shows that the mother is caring and being protective for her children.

When Tommy sees the tears in his mother's eyes,he hugs and promises her that he will never go droving as his father,the drover and leaves her behind.This shows that Tommy is a loving and sensitive son.

In this story,the mother's love and care is seen in how she deal with the snake.She is willing to face all kinds of difficulties and challenges in order to protect her children and family.This is because she loves her children and family very much.

THE NECKLACE From the short story you have read, describe the changes that a character faces.Use evidence from the text to support your answer

2009-08-27T09:26:00.000+08:00

Changes, either for the better or for the worse, sure are inevitable in our lives. We all certainly have experienced them, and sometimes we glory at them, whilst other times we remain unfazed or devastated upon seeing the results. Now, based on the short story ‘The Necklace’ by Guy de Maupassant, I would like to describe the tormenting but teachable changes experienced by the character Mathide Loisel.
In the beginning of the story, Mathide was a very charming and young married woman, who insisted that with her attractive attributes, she could have been wedded to a man who had higher status and her husband, Loisel. She was a perfect victim of vanity and was never contented with her life, often thinking that she deserved fine gowns and delicacies of the lavish lifestyle. Nevertheless, Loisel, the all-too-caring husband tolerated her grumbles and did all his best to provide his wife the best of possibles. One day, Loisel came home after work, with an invitation to the ball held in the Ministry of Public Instruction. The guest invited were all strictly selected and Loisel, a mere clerk in the ministry had gone through loads of troubles in order to acquire the invitation. He showed the invitation to Mathide, thinking that she would be thrilled and delighted. Instead, Mathide started to cry and lamented that she did not have a nice-enough gown to be presentable and told Loisel to give the invitation card to somebody’s wife who was ‘better equipped’ than her. Knowing his own priority, Loisel gave four-hundred francs to his wife and thus allowing her to get herself a gown that she fancied. The money was actually saved up to buy a gun for a hunting trip.
After getting the gown that she desired, Mathilde was caught in happiness, but the delight did not last for even half a day. Mathilde began to complain that she did not have a nice necklace to go with her pretty gown. Now that Loisel’s money was quite used up, he came up with an idea- Mathide would wear natural flowers as a necklace, to fill her vain desire. Then Mathide began to lament again. She told Loisel that with the flower-necklace, with a look at her, people would know that she was poor. Amidst endless lamentations provided by his wife, Loisel came up with another idea- Mathilde would go to her former classmate, Madame Forestier who was filthy rich and had her house filled with jewelleries, so that Mathilde could borrow a necklace from her, which of course she did.
Mathilde’s first change in her life was when she became a great success at the ball. Being born in a poor community and married to a little clerk, that was probably the very first time she ever indulged in luxurious delicacies. She was sought to be introduced and invited to dance every dance whilst Loisel waited and fell asleep in another room along with another couple of gentlemen. That was the proudest and happiest moment of her life and she was described to be ‘intoxicated with pleasure’. Then at dawn, Mathilde finally went to the room where Loisel had fallen asleep and they prepare to leave the Ministry of Public Instructions. Loisel threw some wraps over his wife’s shoulder for fear that she would be too fragile to catch a cold, but instead of showing appropriate gratitude, Mathilde shook free of the wraps and ran down the stairs as fast as she could, being afraid that others might see this and then gossip. They took a cab at a place quite a distance from the ministry to get home, and when they got home, it was then Mathilde realized something bad had happened- she had lost the necklace. That was also when she experienced her second change, which arrived after her night of glory, or rather known as the classic ‘fall after pride’.
Having literally no choices left, Loisel had to retrace the path they took while returning home while Mathilde did nothing but cried amid maddening fear. Loisel did everything he could think of doing, including publishing an advertisement in the newspapers, mentioning the lost of the valuable necklace and offered a reward for whoever capable of bringing it back. Heeding Loisel’s advice, Mathilde told Madame Forestier that the clasp of the necklace was broken and she needed time to have it mended in order to stall the return of the jewellery she had borrowed. After time had passed, Loisel knew that they had to return the necklace immediately, he borrowed some money and used up the assets his father had left him in order to purchase another necklace, very similar to the one Mathilde had borrowed from Madame Forestier. This left the Loisel couple heavy debts to be cleared for the rest of their lives, which was the third and most torturing change in Mathilde’s life, which resulted in her sudden turn into a more-mature woman.
Loisel took up three jobs in order to clear the debts and the couple had sold their house and shifted into a garret. Mathilde was no longer curled up in her castles in the air, thinking that she would become rich and pretty one day. Instead, she had bore her responsibilities with ‘sudden heroism’. She worked and became old-looking and haggard and talked loud whilst doing her chores. One day, while taking a walk in the beautiful park which was also a tourist spot, Champs Elysees, Mathilde ran into her old friend, Madame Forestier. She greeted Madame Forestier almost gloomily, and the rich woman was taken aback upon being acknowledged in a way which sounded so friendly. When she learnt that the haggard-looking woman was actually Mathilde and the Loisel’s sufferings for a decade, she exclaimed in shock and we learnt that the necklace was actually paste. It was clad in thick irony and of course, this struck Mathilde like a bolt of lightning like it would have hit anyone.
The three major changes which resulted in the joys and tears of Mathilde was amongst the factors that added to the reason on why this story is rather interesting. Like the message which seemed to have been delivered by the topic, changes are inevitable, and so as we grow older and older, we should learn to accept them with open hearts and deal with the problems faced afterwards.

"THE NECKLACE""Honesty is the best policy". Which story teaches you this value? Explain by using evidence from text to support your answer.
2009-08-27T09:24:00.000+08:00

The story that I have read is "The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant. Honesty is the best policy. In this short story, I have learnt about the importance of honesty.

The main character, Mathilde was very materialistic and yearned for luxuries. In order to show her wealth, she had borrowed a superb diamond necklace from her former classmate, Madame Forestier to attend a ball. After the ball, Mathilde discovered that she had lost the diamond necklace. Her husband, Loisel went on foot to retrace the entire route to search for it. Unfortunately, he returned home without finding anything. In this condition, Mathilde did not inform Madame Forestier that she had lost the necklace. However, she lied to her friend explaining that she needed time to mend the clasp of the necklace. This really showed that Mathilde did not potray any honesty.

In the short story, Loisel was another character who displaced dishonesty. When he knew that Mathilde had lost the necklace, he did not even want to tell the truth to Madame Forestier. He asked her wife, Mathilde to write to Madame Forestier and tell her that Mathilde needed some time to mend the clasp of the necklace.

Futhermore, though Madame Forestier did not literally lie, she displaced dishonesty by trying to cover up the fact that the necklace was paste. She did not tell Mathilde that the diamond necklace was paste and it was only worth five hundred Francs. If Madame Forestier had told Mathilde the truth earlier, Mathilde and Loisel would not suffer such hardship to earn money for returning the "paste" diamond necklace.

In conclusion, the characters in this story, Mathilde, Loisel and Madame Forestier had delivered the message containing the importance of honesty through their dishonesty. The lesson to be learnt is always be honest, because lies are capable of leading to another and eventually - endless disasters.

By: 4D 2009 May Ling, Jiun Kai, Ser Min, Amirul, Lydia.

'THE NECKLACE'What are the themes of the story you have read? Support your answer by giving evidence from the text.

2009-08-19T20:03:00.000+08:00

Based on the short story 'The Necklace' which is written by Guy de Maupassant, the main theme is pride before fall.

Mathilde Loisel, the main character in 'The Necklace' starts off by being a very proud person who thinks she is 'pretty and charming' and born 'by a slip of fate into a family of clerks'. Thus, she is distressed by her poverty, feeling herself born to enjoy 'all delicacies and all luxuries' in life.
Besides, she has pretensions about her position in life. She wants an expensive dress and jewelleries to go to the ball. She throws a tantrum and laments to her husband. When choosing jewellery from Madame Forestier's collections, she must have the best. Her heart throbs with 'an immoderate desire' when she sees the 'superb diamond necklace'.

Moreover, she is a great success at the ball. She is prettier than any other woman present and everyone wants to dance with her. She is so pretentious that she refuses to wait for a cab outside the Ministry for fear others may see the ' cheap looking wraps' which her husband has thrown over her shoulders.

Furthermore, her fall comes when she loses the necklace and has to work very hard for ten years to pay the debt. She changes from a proud person to a humble one. She no longer looks beautiful. She has learnt her lesson and no longer desires materialistic things nor finds fault with her husband. She accepts the 'horrible existence of the needy' and she willing to do all the hard work and learns to be thrifty, defending her miserable money, sou by sou.

Next, she falls really hard when her friend , Madame Forestier, informs her that her necklace is 'paste'. Imagine her horror and great despair at having slogged all those years for nothing. It is too high a price to pay for one night of success.

Prepared by:
4D 2009 Group 4
Chang Jia Ke/Nurul Aisyah Bt Shukor/Pavitira /Amalin Sabiha Binti Ismail

LIERATURE COMPONENT : THE DROVER'S WIFE

2009-08-17T12:43:00.000+08:00

THE DROVER’S WIFE

Write about the female character that you like.

Based on the short story ‘The Drover’s Wife’written by Henry Lawson,the female character that we admired the most was the drover’s wife.
One of the characteristics that could be found in this story was being independent.This was proven when she was able to live in the harsh bush land,taking care of her four children while waiting for her husband to come home.
Besides that,she was very protective towards her children.For example,she didi not allow her eldest son to help her to kill children.She rather syayed up all night waiting for the snake to appear so that she could kill it.
Apart from that,she quickly ‘dashes from the kitchen,snatches her baby from the ground’when Tommy informed her that there was a snake.This emphasized that she was quick in action.
In a nutshell,we learnt that a mother should always protect her children from any unexpected danger.

From group 1 (4C): Cabita/ Nur Awatif Fatini/ Nur Amira Amiza/ Anasuha/ Ong Ching Yao

Mengejar Raudhah

2009-08-17T11:30:00.000+08:00

Teringat kembali kisah mencari Raudhah. Subhanallah-walhamdulillah-waalaailahailallahu-Allahu akbar, Allah SWT beri kami kemudahan untuk ke Raudhah karena begitu banyak orang menceritakan tentang peluang untuk dapat masuk ke Raudhah yang tipis. Ada yang mengatakan tidak dapat ke Raudhah langsung, tetapi ada juga yang memberi panduan supaya terus menunggu sehingga pintu ke Raudhah dibuka.

Raudhah adalah ruang diantara mimbar Rasulullah SAW dan Kamar/Makam Rasulullah SAW. Keutamaan Raudhah sebagaimana tersebut dalam sebuah hadits yang di riwayatkan oleh Abu Hurairah RA, bahwa Rasulullah SAW bersabda, “Diantara rumah dan mimbarku adalah taman dari taman-taman surga, dan mimbarku diatas telagaku”. Sehingga banyak orang yang rela berdesak-desakan untuk dapat masuk ke Raudhah terutama bagi wanita.

Raudhah ini terletak di tempat solat lelaki, manakala untuk wanita waktu ziarahnya sedikit terhad, biasanya untuk ke Raudhah waktu-waktu untuk wanita adalah setelah solat shubuh - sekitar pukul 08.00 pagi hingga pukul 11.00 dan setelah solat Zuhur iaitu pukul 13.00 hingga 14.00.

Antara perkara yang tidak diketahui tentang tips untuk menjadi istimewa di Raudhah ialah pakaian serba hitam. Istimewa di sini bermaksud mendapat peluang untuk solat di saf pertama di dalam Raudhah. Saf pertama ini istimewa kerana kedudukannya yang paling hampir dengan makam Rasulullah s.a.w, dan ia istimewa kerana kurang gangguan di segi pergerakan manusia yang pelbagai ragam. Jika di saf yang belakang, kemungkinan kepala dipijak ketika sujud mahupun ditolak ketika ruku'. Di saf pertama lebih tenang dan berfokus. "Berdoa ketika sujud", pesan Hajah Jamilah.

Pernah sekali saya ke Raudhah tanpa panduan sesiapa, sebagai ujian untuk diri sendiri.Mampukah aku berlumba dengan jemaah yang lain? Tekad hanya satu, Ya Allah, berilah peluang hambamu mendapat tempat paling istimewa di Raudhah Ya Allah. Setelah mempersiapkan diri yang berpakaian serba hitam, saya menunggu di salah satu daripada 3 pintu Raudhah. Pintu yang mana dibuka dahulu tidak dapat dipastikan, namun hati sentiasa berdoa, ".Ya Allah, berilah peluang hambamu beribadat di saf pertama Raudhah ini Ya Allah".

ACTION RESEARCH PROPOSAL 2009

2009-07-30T11:05:00.000+08:00

TITLE:

DEVELOPING STUDENTS’ ABILITY IN CONTINUOUS WRITING BY USING DESCRIPTIVE SONGS AMONGST FORM 5 STUDENTS (5C,6C,7D GRADE)

RESEARCHER:
Pn. Julia Bt. Abdul Muttalip

RESEARCH BACKGROUND:
As an English Teacher for Form 4 & 5 students, I have encountered difficulties in marking essay questions, especially the continuous writing section. This is due to students’ inability to generate ideas and appropriate vocabulary in context when building sentences. Hence, this will hinder them from getting higher grades for the 1119 English Language paper as 60% of the marks comes from Paper 1, which consists of Directed Writing and Continuous Writing section. Therefore, by using descriptive songs in my lessons, it is hoped that students will be able to write better essays.

Focus of Research:
1. Transcribing lyrics
2. Sentence structure and tenses used in the songs

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

General Objective
This research is aimed at assisting students in writing better essays

Specific Objectives:
1. Students will be able to write a continuous essay of 350 words.
2. Students will be able to use appropriate vocabulary in their essays.
3. Students will be able to apply the sentence structures and use of tenses in context.

Target Students:

5A students who re weak in essay writing (based on their mock essay test)

Proposed Actions:
1. Selection of songs
2. Duplicating lyrics
3. Lesson

Research Schedule

JAN Identifying areas of research
FEB Identifying students involved in the research
MARCH Selection of appropriate narrative songs
APRIL Preparation of handouts for students
Carry out lessons using narrative songs
Essay 1
Carry out 2nd lesson using narrative songs
Essay 2
MAY Collection of data based on students’ essay marks
JUNE Reflections

Proposed Budget

Handouts:

10 sets (RM 0.50 per set) x 15 students=RM 75.00

2009-07-17T21:35:00.000+08:00

""MENGUBAH SEMPADAN IMAN"Tajuk ini dipetik dari sebuah buku yang saya baca, tulisan Prof. Dr. Kamil Bin Ibrahim, yang banyak mengajar saya tentang peri pentingnya menjadi insan yang paling istimewa di sisi Allah. Setelah menamatkan bacaan pertama, saya berikan buku tersebut kepada suami untuk dibaca. Saya ingin kepastian tentang perasaan saya.Ternyata kami mempunyai gerak hati yang sama. Baru kami sedar, pejalanan kami mengerjakan umrah bukanlah satu perjalanan yang bertujuan untuk bertawaf dan sa'ie sahaja. Perjalanan itu harus bermula lama sebelum itu.

Dalam kesibukan tugas harian, kita selalu alpa dengan nikmat yang Allah berikan. Kita buat yang wajib-wajib, kadang-kadang ada diselitkan amalan sunat, kalau sempat. Kenapalah ketika sibuk membuat persiapan, 3 bulan sebelum tarikh keberangkatan baru saya bertemu dengan buku tersebut? Patutlah ibu mertua selalu bertanya, dah mula Qiyamullail? Jawapannya hanya satu senyuman yang dipinjam dari si kerang busuk....belum sempat, bu. Allah maha pengasih dan penyayang, Dia mahukan kunjungan saya ke Baitullah sesuatu yang sempurna perjalanannya dan ibadah-ibadahnya. Alhamdulillah...barulah dapat saya menyusun perkara-perkara lain selain barang keperluan fizikal yang perlu dibawa. Kelengkapan spiritual.

Setelah sekolah ditutup dan anak-anak dihantar ke kampung, barulah saya rasakan jiwa saya bagaikan disentuh. Entah kenapa setiap solat diiringi airmata tanpa disuruh.Solat Taubat terakhir sebelum meninggalkan rumah sangat bermakna.Perasaan berdebar, gembira, bersyukur bercampur-baur. Sepanjang perjalanan hati berdoa agar dijadikan tetamu Allah yang istimewa. Hanya itu.

UMRAH...mengubah sempadan imanku

2009-07-16T21:40:00.001+08:00

Perjalanan dari Singapura menuju Jeddah memang meletihkan, tambahan dengan transit 2 jam di Mumbai. Disambung dengan 5 jam menuju Madinah. Ustaz Basit yang merupakan mutawwif kami membimbing kami membaca doa. Masih teringat ayat-ayatnya dalam telor Indonesia ; “Ibu2 Bapa2 , sama-sama kita bacakan Doa naik kenderaan, dan doa cepat sampai.” Kami pun mengikut setiap doa yang dibacakan. Dalam hati ada terdetik,"…Doa naik kenderaan ni memang selalu dengar masa anak2 baca sebelum perjalanan, tapi doa cepat sampai ni macamana pulak..tak pernah dengar pun." Ustaz pun menyambung dengan Doa cepat sampai, yang berbunyi:
"Bismika Allahumma Ahya Wa Amuut.". Laaaa....doa sebelum tidur rupanya.Kemudian katanya "Ya, kalau ibu-ibu dan bapa-bapa tidur, bila celik mata kita udah sampei.Jadi itulah doa cepat sampei." Berseloroh pula ustaz ni.Kami terlalu letih untuk ketawa, hanya sekadar tersenyum sambil melelapkan mata.

Keseluruhan perjalanan mengambil masa hampir 15 jam. Harapannya dapat solat Subuh di Masjid Nabawi, tapi tak berkesempatan kerana waktu Subuh di sana pada jam 4.07. Kami berhenti di R n R di lebuhraya, 40 km dari bandar Madinah.

Kami tiba di AlFayroz Shatta, Madinah pada jam 7.45 pagi. Syukur kerana akhirnya kami sampai ke destinasi. Penerangan Ustaz tentang pintu-pintu masjid didengar dengan teliti.Yang pastinya, pintu masuk ke masjid untuk lelaki berbeza dengan pintu untuk kaum wanita.Lelaki masuk melalui Babussalam, laluan Rasulullah s.a.w ke masjid Nabi, dan juga laluan menuju ke makam Rasulullah s.a.w. "Ingat, pintu 25, bu", sekadar mengingatkan ibu tentang nombor pintu supaya tidak tercari-cari. Ibu dan ayah dah cukup biasa dengan Masjid Nabawi, jadi kami tidak begitu bimbang kerana sentiasa ada guru-guru yang mahir bersama kami setiap masa. Hajah Jamilah pun tak berhenti-henti memberi panduan kepada jemaah wanita.

Melihatkan masjid yang begitu hampir dengan hotel, hati rasa ingin terus menziarahi makam Rasulullah s.a.w, namun adab masuk ke Masjid harus dipatuhi. Ini Masjid Nabi, masjid yang sangat istimewa.Mesti mandi bersih-bersih, pakai wangi-wangian.Alamak! Minyak wangi tak bawak! Sambil menunggu Hajah Jamilah menguruskan bilik hotel, kami sempat meninjau-ninjau duri-duri kecil di sekeliling hotel, untuk mencari minyak wangi. Duri-duri yang selalu membuatkan kami tersangkut dan berhenti untuk membeli. Begitu banyak duri di sekitar hotel, kiri, kanan, depan, seberang kanan, seberang kiri, seberang hotel yang di seberang dengan pelbagai tarikan, jubah, tasbih, cincin, jam tangan...semua ada. Masih terlalu awal untuk membeli-belah. Duri adalah istilah Ustaz Basit merujuk kepada kedai mahupun jualan-jualan di tepi –tepi lorong. Teringat kata-kata Prof. Kamil yang dia berdoa minta ditutupkan hati untuk bershopping." Ya! Allah! Aku datang semata-mata untuk beribadah, maka tutuplah hatiku daripada keinginan untuk bershopping, melainkan untuk yang benar-benar perlu, Ya Allah".
Setelah mendapat kunci bilik, kami membersihkan diri dan berehat seketika. Waktu Zuhur bermula jam12.15. Jadi, kami bercadang untuk ke Masjid jam 11."Nanti dah ramai orang", kata ibu. Jam 11 kami pun melangkah meninggalkan hotel, menuju ke masjid Nabawi. "Ingat ….niat I'tikaf", kata ibu setelah berdoa sebelum melangkah masuk masjid. Polis di pintu 25 memeriksa beg dan badan kami sambil bertanya" Mobile? Mobile?"..."Ma fi",saya menjawab."ma fi mobile'. Tidak boleh membawa handphone ke dalam masjid, apatah lagi kamera. Pemeriksaan agak ketat. Setelah berjaya masuk ke ruang dalam masjid, kami meneguk air zamzam sekadar membasahkan tekak, bimbang perlu ke tandas yang agak jauh dari masjid. Lepas solat aku nak minum banyak-banyak. Sekali lagi kata-kata Prof. Kamil tentang niat ketika minum air zamzam. ..."Ya Allah! Jadikanlah air ini penawar segala sakitku, dan kurniakanlah kesihatan yang berpanjangan kepadaku Ya Allah”.

Ibu mendapat saf bersama-sama jemaah Hajah Jamilah yang lain. Saya meminta kebenaran untuk meninjau saf yang hadapan, mamandangkan banyak lagi waktu sebelum azan Zuhur. Hajah Jamilah pun selalu pesan ketika kami mengikuti kelas umrah di pejabatnya. Rebut saf yang pertama. Jangan solat di belakang. Ibu mengizinkan dan kami berjanji bertemu di pintu 25 selepas solat. Bermulalah adventure saya di Masjid Nabawi. Pertama, cari saf pertama. Jumpa. Mencari Raudhah. Tak jumpa. Pintu ke Raudhah dibuka pada waktu tertentu sahaja. Hendak bertanya, di kanan orang Arab, di kiri orang Pakistan…macam-macam orang pulak. Mana jemaah Malaysia ?Relax dulu. Balik nanti rujuk Hajah Jamilah. Walaupun terasa asing , hati tetap tenang. Ketenangan yang susah untuk diungkapkan dengan kata-kata. Istimewanya suasana di dalam Masjid Nabawi, mungkin kerana di sini bersemadinya Rasulullah s.a.w.

TIPS FOR 1119 PAPER 2

2009-05-04T13:59:00.000+08:00

TECHNIQUES FOR ANSWERING THE SPM ENGLISH PAPER (PAPER 2)

DIRECTED WRITING
In the first section of the SPM English Paper 2, students are expected to spend about thirty minutes, expanding on given notes. For this section, imagination and creativity do come into play because even though certain facts are given, they serve as a mere guide. You are required to do at least three major things:
1. Use the right format for your writing
2. Include all the facts given in the question
3. Elaborate or provide your OWN but relevant details) on these given facts.
From the total of 30 marks awarded here, 15 are for CONTENT and the other 15 is for LANGUAGE USE.

As a student, you can easily get full marks for content provided you follow the ensuing good advice.

CONTENT

There are three important aspects to awarding of marks for content.

a) Format

Marks awarded are usually in the range of 2-3. Make sure you read the instructions carefully. You may be required to write an informal letter, a formal letter, a speech, an article or a report. In each case, you must thoroughly realize how important it is that you suit the right format to the questions.

b) Inclusion of Given Facts

Certain facts are given in the question itself. Usually 6-7 marks are awarded if you include ALL the given facts in your writing do not leave even a single one. Couch each fact in a complete sentence. If you just use phrases or if the sentence you make is meaningless, no marks will be given.

c) Elaboration

Finally about 6-7 marks are awarded if you add details of your own to make your writing more intresting. No details - no marks !

Remember, one extra sentence or two is usually enough. You don’t have to write and write. Also, the details must be relevant, suitable and interesting too. You need to invest a little time and imagination here so that your writing won’t come across as "dry and dull".

LANGUAGE

Finally, the remainder 15 marks are allocated for language use. You must try and make sure that grammar, spelling and punctuation are as error-free as possible. Do take a little trouble to check through your writing. Write shorter sentences if you are not too sure about grammar. Avoid words that you do not know how to spell. But do begin from now to revise the spelling of simple words like "sincerely", "faithfully", "fine", "thank you", and other such frequently used words.
SUMMARY WRITING

Section B of the SPM English Paper 2 presents a question on summary writing. You are advised to spend forty-five minutes on this section.

For this section, a total of 3 marks are allocated. Of these, 20 are awarded for content and another 10 for language accuracy and style. Read the instructions carefully. By doing this, you ought to know very clearly:

Which part of the passage is supposed to be summarized (you may to be required to summarize the WHOLE passage)
What aspect of the content of the passage is to be summarized. (For instance, you may be asked to summarize only the advantages or disadvantages, or certain reactions of people or even the causes/outcomes of certain incident.
The length of your summary – i.e the number of words that you are allowed in your final summary. If it is stated that your summary MUST not be longer than 160 words, please adhere to this word limit. If you write more than 160 words, all the extra facts contained there are NOT taken into account by the examiner.
Take note of any starting words or phrases given and use them as instructed to begin your summary. Don’t forget the number of words in the starting line are included in counting the total number of words in your summary.

Once you have understood the question clearly, only ten should you begin to read the passage. Try to understand what the passage is all about – what its message/theme is or what the story is about.

During the second reading, begin to underline the important ideas and relevant tails. Pick these out and list them down. Do ensure that the points you are picking out are meeting the requirements of the question given. Read the passage once more to ensure that you have not left out any pertinent points.

Now, begin summarizing. Ignore irrelevant explanations and superfluous examples. Focus on the main ideas and those that support the theme of the passage. Generalize and convert lengthy sentences into shorter ones. Use one, or shorter words that can substitute the meaning of a long phrase in the passage. For example, "my mother, my father, my brother, and sister" can be rephrased as my family.

Group similar points together - for example the feelings of a person or the advantages of a certain procedure/machine. Rather than use three or four sentences to convey all of it, you ca put it all in one or two sentences. Use commas – they help. You will need skill for this, and that is why you should practice writing a lot of summaries before the real examination.

Many students grapple with summary writing because they get caught up with the words used in the passage. They want to use all of them. The reason? They feel that the author’s words are best and that almost all that is contained within the original passage is important and necessary to be included in their summary. As such, most students tend to copy the author’s words as much as possible and try to include almost everything from the original passage into the summary.

The result is a chop cut-and-paste version of the original. It has little meaning and relevance. It is NOT even a summary and you get a few marks when you write a chopped summary like this.

Remember, you get more marks if you use your OWN WORDS. I know this is not easy, but you must try. Don’t be afraid to rearrange, reorganize and compound facts. The main issue here is whether you have understood the meaning of the passage and whether you can faithfully translate it into a passage that is made up mainly of your own words.

So, begin practicing writing a lot of summaries now. Every time you read a report in a newspaper or an article in a magazine, ask yourself – what is this repot/article all about? What is its message? Try to summarize it in your mind. Imagine that someone younger is asking you what is it that you are reading, and try to visualize the simplified answer/version that you are going to tell him/her. That is a summary.

Where marks are concerned, try to get as many as you can for CONTENT. Stick to the meaning of the passage as much as possible but do it using your own words. Do not be lazy. Secure as many points as you can by reading and scanning the passage carefully for relevant facts and details.

Jot all of these down diligently and try to incorporate them all in a simplified, summarized form. Try not to leave out important fact. Each fact left out means one less mark for you.

As for language, do take the trouble to read through your final draft and make sure that your grammar, punctuation and spelling are as accurate as you can possibly make them. Your error must be minimal and the language you use must not make it difficult for the examiner to understand what you are trying to say.

c) CONTINUOUS WRITING

Section C of the SPM English Paper 2 presents a question on Continuous Writing. Students are advised to spend about one hour on this section.

5 topics will be given and choose only ONE.

Recognise the type of essay you are going to attempt i.e. whether it’s a narrative, descriptive, expository, argumentative or reflective.
Understand the chosen topic so that you do not write out of point.
Plan what you are going to write about.
Include enough good and relevant points.
Organize your points well and present each new or main point in a separate paragraph.
Show coherence in paragraphs.
Use idiomatic expression and include the active voice for narrative essays.
Vary the length and structure of sentences
Introduce your essay impressively and conclude it in a meaningful or original way.
Check for spelling, punctuation, grammatical correctness, especially the usage of tenses and pronouns.
Factual topics should as far as possible be avoided. This is because the material you use must be based on facts and not "guess work".

Little Naqib n his antics

2009-05-03T12:38:00.000+08:00

I OFFERED A PRAYER TO GOD

2009-05-02T17:27:00.000+08:00

I asked for strength.
God gave me difficulties to make me
strong.

I asked for wisdom.
God gave me problems to solve.

I asked for prosperity.
God gave me brawn and brain to
work.

I asked for courage.
God gave me dangers to overcome.

I asked for patience.
God placed me in situations where I
was forced to wait.

I asked for love.
God gave me troubled people to help.

I asked for favors.
God gave me opportunities.

I received nothing I wanted.
I received everything I needed.

2009-05-01T22:36:00.000+08:00

2009-05-01T18:55:00.000+08:00

Catch a Rabbit

2009-04-30T11:30:00.000+08:00

The LAPD, The FBI, and the CIA are all trying to prove that they are the best at apprehending criminals. The President decides to give them a test. He releases a rabbit into a forest and each of them has to catch it.

The CIA goes in.

They place animal informants throughout the forest. They question all plant and mineral witnesses. After three months of extensive investigations they conclude that rabbits do not exist.

The FBI goes in.

After two weeks with no leads they burn the forest, killing everything in it, including the rabbit, and they make no apologies. The rabbit had it coming.

The LAPD goes in.

They come out two hours later with a badly beaten bear. The bear is yelling: "Okay! Okay! I'm a rabbit! I'm a rabbit!"

d...e...p...r....e....s....s...e...d...

2009-04-29T16:31:00.000+08:00

Sighhhhh.....it's my sister's birthday yesterday and i have completely forgotten about it. And today is my hubby's birthday. I can't afford time to celebrate his birthday. I feel so bad...being someone so special in his life and i could not spend time with him on his birthday due to my WORK!!!

Yesterday

2009-04-28T21:16:00.000+08:00

Yesterday....all my troubles seemed so far away...now it looks as though they're here to stay oh I believe in yesterday.

I'M GOING BONKERS!! Allah..please give me strength and hope.

2009-04-28T13:14:00.000+08:00

I guess I haven't been blogging for quite some time, and I finally admit that I can't afford TIME. Professionally speaking, teaching has become a minor part of a teacher's job. There are just endless lists of deadlines to meet. After the State Level Choir Competition on 23rd April, I have to prepare my choir team for the District Level Teacher's Day Celebration, which will be on 27th May 2009. While getting to that date........,
1. as the committee member of the Disciplinary Board, there are cases that require meetings after meetings in the afternoons. Yesterday we had a meeting until 5 something, pertaining to discipline matters.
2. Today, there'll be a meeting for the QLA (Quantum Leap Award), and ....
3. at 2.30 there'll be our weekly Buddy Support System agenda....until 3.30.

Aaaaaat the same time, I am way behind schedule to submit my Action Research report and my SKPM documents. Not to mention we had just finished our monthly test and it's the keying-in festival where teachers rush to key-in the students' marks. Once they have been keyed-in, I felt a great relief. One major task is done, and a few hundreds more are waiting.

A few other things that are bothering me....
1. NEXT WEEK....we'll be expecting:
i) visits by Jemaah Nazir Sekolah. So the admin had given us a schedule for the exercise books routine
ii) visits by the QLA officers
iii) visits bt the SKPM officers

2. NEXT WEEK......i've got to get my choir team to prepare for the Teacher's Day Celebration, and prepare my classes for their Mid-year exam.

..........i can't think anymore........

Competitions after Competitions

2009-03-25T11:39:00.000+08:00

It has been a while since I last visited my blog. I think I better write in English, as I feel that it is more comfortable for me to express my views.

This is the first week after the short break (which I did not enjoy much). There are numerous activities waiting, competitions dateline approaching. Talking about competitions, it is something that bothers me the most because I can't stop thinking of what to do next, how to make it better n the final question that scares me most...."Are we going to win?". If we happen to win, then we will start practising for the next level....and to win for the State Level is another nightmare. What if we happen to win again? Then the pressure is greater. I have lost my focus in teaching temporarily as I have to train 2 sets of students for 2 different type of competitions. One is Parliamentary Debate, and the other one is Choir Competition. However, I'm fortunate enough to have friends who really contribute in training the students, as the saying goes, "many hands make light work".

Actually I'm stealing a few minutes from the training session as my debaters are busy rewriting their scripts into cards. Then, my mind went wandering..thinking of the most suitable candidates for my choir team, and the most suitable song to sing. Then, suddenly new points for debates came knocking....and then the choir songs came, in harmony with the debate points...and my brain is telling me to stop blogging

Koir oh Koir

2009-03-19T13:23:00.000+08:00

Alhamdulillah....selesai juga akhirnya PTK yang dah jemu diduduki saban tahun. Sebelum sekolah dibuka semula, macam-macam perkara yang datang mengasak-asak memori.

Pertamanya, saya perlu ingatkan pasukan koir tentang persembahan untuk Majlis Pelancaran English Week. Di samping nyanyian rutin di setiap perhimpunan rasmi, pelajar juga perlu menyanyikan lagu Somewhere Over The Rainbow.

Kedua, perlu update file ULBS tingkatan 5A & 5C kerana akan dipantau pada minggu hadapan.

Ketiga, latihan intensif Koir untuk pertandingan Peringkat Daerah yang akan diadakan setiap hari dari jam 3 hingga 5 petang. Harap-harap pelajar saya setia dalam setiap sesi latihan yang diadakan. Begitu juga dengan ibubapa. Semoga mereka dapat memberikan sokongan. Bandar Putra mesti mengekalkan kejuaraan yang telah digenggam selama 4 tahun berturut-turut. Saya akan tetap setia melatih.

Keempat, perlu sediakan bahan untuk menjalankan kajian tindakan. Pemilihan narrative songs yang sesuai dengan pelajar-pelajar yang agak lemah.

Kelima, saya perlu mendapatkan sponsor untuk pakaian rasmi Pasukan Koir.Ini yang penting. Oh Ya! Semalam saya bersama Fikri ke Jakel utk mencari selendang pelajar perempuan. Lunch di McDonald's....n petang saya tergerak untuk mencari tie bagi pelajar lelaki di Hot Market. Mujur ada diskaun 50%. Untuk persembahan sekolah bolehlah pakai. Surat mohon sumbangan telah saya sediakan....perlu berbincang dengan Tuan Pengetua.

Setakat ini....lima sahaja perkara yang perlu disediakan SEBELUM sekolah dibuka. Mudah-mudahan separuh lagi penggal pertama ini akan lebih bermakna.