SPM is around the corner...

TECHNIQUES FOR ANSWERING THE SPM ENGLISH PAPER (PAPER 2)
 

1. 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.
   
   
   
   
2. 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:

1. Which part of the passage is supposed to be summarized (you may to be required to summarize the WHOLE passage)
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.

1. Recognise the type of essay you are going to attempt i.e. whether it’s a narrative, descriptive, expository, argumentative or reflective.
2. Understand the chosen topic so that you do not write out of point.
3. Plan what you are going to write about.
4. Include enough good and relevant points.
5. Organize your points well and present each new or main point in a separate paragraph.
6. Show coherence in paragraphs.
7. Use idiomatic expression and include the active voice for narrative essays.
8. Vary the length and structure of sentences
9. Introduce your essay impressively and conclude it in a meaningful or original way.
10. Check for spelling, punctuation, grammatical correctness, especially the usage of tenses and pronouns.
11. 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".

Thanks to :

Judy Nur Adeena Lee

LITERATURE FOR PMR - NOVEL

HOW I MET MYSELF

By : David A. Hill

Synopsis

This story is about a man who met his doppelganger; a ghostly double of a living person.

John Taylor was an English computer programmer who worked in Budapest,Hungary, and lived there with his wife, Andrea, and daughter,Kati.He was walking home from work one day when he bumped into his doppelganger.John believed the doppelganger had come to give him a message.

John did some research and found that a man, with a name similar to his, had lived in that area many years ago along with a wife and daughter – whose names were also Andrea and Kati.The person's wife and daughter were killed in a tragedy.The timely warning from John's doppelganger saved John's wife and daughter from a similar fate.

Setting

Time:-

This story is set in the modern are.However,reference are made to events that had happened during World War II in 1945

Place:-

This story takes place in Budapest,Hungary.The places frequently mentioned are John and Andrea's flat, the address 7 Felka utca and a cafe at Gergely utca.Other places mentioned are John's office, the Budapest City Library, the Public Records Office,the Hungarian countryside and John's parent's home in a village near Swindon,England.

Plot

Exposition:-

John was walking home from work one everning when someone ran into him,causing him to fall into the snow on the ground.When John looked up, he saw that the person looked exactly like him.John felt very afraid.He decided to follow the person but was unable to track him down as he seemed to have disappeared.John also realised that the person did not leave any footprint in the snow.He did not know what to do.

Rising Action :-

John began having dreams about that evening.This resulted in him losing concentration at work, staying out late and having arguments with his wife, Andrea.Finally, John decided to tell Andrea about the incident. At farst, she was supportive. However, once their daughter ,Kati, was born, Andrea was constantly angry at him for paying more attention to his doppelganger than to his family.John had no choice but to find out more about his doppelganger on his own.

John discovered that not only did he look like his doppelganger, they also shared the same name.Even the names of their wives and children were the same. John felt uncomfortable with these similarities, especially when he learnt that his doppelganger's wife and child were killed in a cellar that was destroyed during the war.

Climax:-

A similar incident that had happened to the doppelganger and his family years ago occurred exactly on the same date. When John heard a very loud noise that sounded like an explosion, he realised that Andrea and Kati were at the same cafe where his doppelganger's wife and daughter were killed.He rushed over and saw that the place had been destroyed again.

Falling Action :-

John tried to get into the ruins of the destroyed cafe to find and rescue his wife and daughter but a fireman prevented him from going in.The place was full of gas and was too dangerous.John was told to go home as there was nothing else he could do to help.He was heartbroken.He realised that he should have paid more attention to the message his doppelganger was trying to tell him.

Resolution:-

As was walking home, he saw his doppelganger again.His doppelganger pointed to two figures at a distance.John was overjoyed to see that his wife and daughter were alive!Andrea told John that his doppelganger had saved them by preventing them from entering the cafe.

Themes

Determination:-

When John first met his doppelganger, he was very afraid . He did not know whether what he had seen was real or he was imagining things.However,when John became convinced of the doppelganger's existence, he became determined and persevered to solve the mysteries of the doppelganger.

Even though Andrea did not support John and thought he needed to see a doctor, John did not give up. He knew his doppelganger had appeared for a reason and was trying to tell him something. He was focused and determined to do all he could to find out what the message was about.

Fear of the unknown :-

From the moment John first saw the doppelganger, his life changes and he lived in fear.He was afraid because he could not understand what was happening to him and his thoughts were constantly on the doppelganger.At work,his performance suffered as he forgot important things that he should have remembered. Furthermore, his fear took a turn for the worse when he started having nightmares about the doppelganger. He began to feel terrified and so did Andrea. This fear of the unknown caused a strain in their relationship and their marriage suffered.

Being open-minded

John was open-minded. This encouraged him to search and gather information from various sources to solve the mystery of his ghostly encounter with someone who looked like him.It was this attitude that forms the basis of the story.When John first met his doppelganger, he did not feel that it was just an illusion.His willingness to accept new ideas and information provided him with the knowledge that doppelgangers do exist and that they appear to forewarn people of danger.

Moral values

Persistance:-

We should always be persistent in our endeavours and not give up whenever we face obtacles. It is only with persistence that we can achieve what we want.

John was an extremely persistent person.No matter what obtacles stood in his way or what difficulties he faced in his marriage , he never gave up trying to find out more about his doppelganger. He did a lot of research and questioned several people to get the information he needed. In the end, his persistence paid off and he found out a lot about his doppelganger.

Family support and trust :-

It is very important that members in a family support and trust one another, especially in times of trouble.

If Andrea had supported and trusted John wholeheartedly, she would have co-operated with John and this might have prevented Andrea and Kati from getting into danger.

Thinking outside the box:-

A person must be able and willing to think beyond their usual ways and look at things from different perspectives.This would enable them to find answers or solutions.

John took every opportunity to question and find out why the doppelganger appeared.Finally, he managed to solve the mystery because he was willing to think outside the box.

Characters

Main characters:-

John Taylor:-

*An English computer programmer

*34 years old,

*nearly two metres tall\

*Light brown hair with a moustache

*Working in a multinational company in Bristol

*Sent by company to head a young Hungarian team at Budapest office, Hungary

*Met Andrea, a pretty teacher and married with her 18 months later.

*Met his doppelgänger - initially had difficulty understanding the phenomenon

*Feared for wife and daughter but finally relieved they were safe.

Andrea Taylor :-

*John’s wife and a teacher of Hungarian

* Pretty with dark brown hair, blue eyes and a beautiful smile.

*Taught John and fell in love before getting married 18 months later.

*Did not understand John’s problem – feels John too obsessed with thephenomenon - eventually understand message of doppelgänger – grateful

Minor character:-

Kati Taylor :-

*John and Andrea’s cute baby daughter,

*born on 16 th September

*Saw John’s doppelgänger at Zsolt’s bar

*Recognised and told Andrea it was not John who was blocking their way to the cellar bar.

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Thanks For Reading! Leave a comment!

METEOR SHOWER in MALAYSIA

SubhanaAllah..... Allah the All Mighty....


STARRY NIGHT IN MALAYSIA

HAPPY EID MUBARAK

SYNOPSIS "The Curse" by Lee Su Ann

THE CURSE

SYNOPSIS "The Curse" by Lee Su Ann

“The Curse” is about a girl, named Azreen, her parents and sister, Madhuri. Azreen, a strong-headed girl is studying in London but has to take a leave from her study when she receives the news about her sister’s death. She is curious about the cause of her sister’s sudden death. When she reaches home, her sister’s body has been brought to the cemetery. She overhears a village gossiper, Puan Normala talks about her sister’s death. Normala claims that her sister has been murdered and has shed white blood.

On her return, Azreen discovers a few truths about her family and people around her. First she finds out that her sister has been in love with Asraf, and has planned to marry and divorced her husband, Hj Ghani. Second, Awang, the Shaman has actually caused the accident which his parents are involved in and causes her mother to become paralysed. Third, she learns that Madhuri is actually her adopted sister and the crazy woman is Madhuri’s biological mother. Fourth and finally, she discovers that Madhuri has accidentally been killed by her father.

There is one old woman whom Azreen has turned to for emotional support. The old woman lives alone in an abandoned house in the jungle. Azreen learns a lot about life from this wise old woman. The old woman however dies in a fire started by Asraf who has blamed her for his grandmother’s death.

At the end, Azreen returns to London to finish her study. She has learned a valuable lesson from her short break at her little village in Langkawi Island. She has learned to forgive others and to look ahead.





Contact me for further information about this novel.Good Luck dear.

THE THEMES OF THE CURSE

Love

1.1 Parental love
      > Salleh Abdullah and his wife love Madhuri dearly like their own biological daughter .
     
      > Azreen's inner conflict because she feels her father loves Madhuri more .

1.2 Forbidden Love
      > Mohd Asraf and Madhuri secretly love each other eventually led to Madhuri's death .

1.3 Unrequited Love
      > Azreen had a crush on Mohd Asraf during school days

Forgiveness
> Before the Old Lady dies , she advises Azreen to forgive others . When Azreen discovers that it was her      father who murdered Madhuri , she was suprised and run but she felt no anger towards him because he was passed away caused by heart attack

Belief in The Supernatural
> The villagers seem to believe in supernatural . For example , villagers call upon Awang , the villager shaman to avert disasters . Another example , Puan Normala tries to convince the villagers that the village is cursed because Madhuri's blood is white .

Violence Against Women
> The story potrays some men believe women to be the weaker sex and they are violent towards them . For example , the Old Lady's husband was abusive towards her and repetitively abused her . He hit and kicked the Old Lady .

Gossip And Rumors
> Puan Normala is the gossip of the village . Gossiping is a way of life for her . She is "that rotten durian neighbour" says Datin Sharifah . Puan Normala is responsible for spreading the rumors about Madhuri drawing white blood . It was also Puan Normala's gossip that resulted in the tragic death of the Old Lady of the forest .  

THE SYNOPSIS (2)

In 'The Curse' novel by Lee Su Ann , Azreen takes time off from her studies in London ,United Kingdom to return to her village in one of the legendary island of Langkawi . She return to mourn the lost of her older sister , Madhuri . However , she finds out via rumors and loud whisper that Madhuri was murdered . At her village , Azreen had to face with her cold-hearted father and at the same time an Alzheimer stricken mother . 

Azreen is subjected to negative comments and suspicion from her neighbours . She find consolation in the company of the Old Lady , an out cast of the village . Although the grand Old Lady is educated , the villagers shunned her because she murdered her abusive husband . 

Azreen has to solve the mystery that shrouds her sister's sudden death under suspicious tragedy . Her old schoolmate , Mohd Asraf refuses to reveal what he knows . A mysterious figure keeps on watching Azreen and strange things happen . Madhuri's room is destroyed in a fire . A carcass of a chicken with a broken neck was thrown in front of her house . Many villagers fall sick for no apparent reason . The Old Lady was killed in a fire accidentally caused by an angry Mohd Asraf . Bit by bit , the mysterious death of Madhuri is revelled by Azreen .

 

LITERATURE FORM 4 - DRAMA

GULP AND GASP 

by John Townsend

SYNOPSIS

This is a melodrama about a villain, Lord Septic is a greedy man who is very interested in power, money and fame. He is even capable of committing murder to get what he wants. He owns the railways and is after the Gatsby gold. Crouch as the manservant of Lord Septic is a bully who likes to bully other people when Lord Septic is not around. He bullies Rose, a blind flower girl who arrives at the railway to sell flowers to get money to treat her sick mother. She is rescued by the hero, Percy who turns to be Sir Percy in the end of the drama. They fall in love. Later, Percy learns he is the rightful heir to the Gatsby gold and is known as Sir Percy. Lord Septic loses everything. I think this drama is very interesting as the writer plays the words intelligently. However, students need to read and understand in order to laugh.

THEMES

• Pride goes before fall
• Greed is  destructive
• Innocence and beauty

MORAL VALUES

• Greed will lead to a downfall.
• We should live a humble and honest life.
• Do not bully other people when you have the power.
• Be considerate.

SETTING

• An empty train station
• A cold foggy night

PLOT

• EXPOSITION – Lord Septic, the villain, and his manservant Crouch, a groveling bully, are waiting for the midnight express at the train station. Lord Septic owns all the train stations and he wants wealth and power. He loves to brag about his wealth and success. Crouch is the manservant who sometimes fail to understand what the master tells him.
• RISING ACTION/CONFLICT – Rose, a blind flower girl comes to the station. She wants to sell flowers to help cure her mother. Crouch bullies her, as ordered by Lord Septic,  and Percy, the dashing hero comes in to help her. He tells her about himself.
• CLIMAX – Lord Septic hits Percy and ties Rose to the train track. Percy runs off to try and stop the train coming down the track.
• FALLING ACTION – Percy is able to stop the train using his long jack and Rose is saved. Later, he learns that  he is Sir Percy Gatsby and is the right heir to the Gatsby Gold.
• RESOLUTION – Percy is able to tie Lord Septic and Crouch. They are  waiting to be picked up by the police. Percy, the hero, proposes Rose and she agrees to marry him.

CHARACTERS

• Lord Septic, the villain
• Crouch the bully
• Rose the damsel in distress
• Percy the hero

LANGUAGE AND STYLE

• Simple and clear language
• Dialogue – repetition of words
• Alliteration

WELCOME YA RAMADHAN...

 

Welcoming Ramadan

This blessed month is a great opportunity for goodness, blessing, worship, and obedience of Allah (SWT).  It is a great month, a noble season, a month in which rewards for good deeds are multiplied and in which committing bad deeds is more serious than at other times. The gates of Paradise are opened and the gates of Hell are shut, and the sinners’ repentance to Allah is accepted. It is a month whose beginning is mercy, whose middle is forgiveness, and whose end is redemption from the Fire.

So give thanks to Him for the season of goodness and blessing that He has bestowed upon you, and for the means of bounty and various kinds of great blessings for which He has singled you out. Make the most of this blessed time by filling it with acts of worship and leaving haram (unlawful) things so that you may attain a good life in this world and happiness after death.   

For the sincere believer, every month is an occasion for worship, and his whole life is spent in obeying Allah. But in the month of Ramadan he has even more motives to do good, his heart is even more focused on worship, and he turns even more to his Lord. By His grace, our generous Lord bestows His bounty upon the fasting believers and multiplies the reward for them on this blessed occasion, so He gives abundantly and rewards generously for righteous deeds.  

We should note that the month of Ramadan is the best of months. This month is superior to others in four things:

  1. In it there is the best night of the year, which is Lailatul Al-Qadr. Worship on this night is better than worshiping for a thousand months. 

2. In this month was revealed the best of Books to the best of the Prophets (peace and blessings be upon them all). 

 3. In this month the gates of Paradise are opened and the gates of Hell are shut, and the devils are chained up. 

4. There are many kinds of worship in Ramadan, such as fasting, praying Qiyam Al-Layl (Night Vigil Prayer), feeding the poor, performing i`tikaf (religious retreat), giving charity, and reading the Qur’an.

I ask Allah, the Exalted, and the Almighty, to help us all to do that and to help us to fast and pray Qiyam Al-layl, and to do acts of worship and to avoid doing evil. Praise be to Allah.

HAPPY TEACHER'S DAY 2013

           The dream begins with a teacher who believes in you, who tugs and pushes and leads you to the next plateau, sometimes poking you with a sharp stick called truth.

SHORT STORIES FORM 4 : QWERTYUIOP - Literary Analysis

SHORT STORIES FORM 4 : QWERTYUIOP - Literary Analysis

SYNOPSIS:
This story is about a young graduate named Lucy Beck who has justfinished her ‘O’ levels at Belmont Secretarial College. Being a slow learner herself, she has noconfidence that she will find a job. Fortunately, she is offered a job by Mr. Ross, the Manager ofRoss and Bannister’s. During her first day, she encounters many peculiar incidents. Later, shefinds out that there is a spirit lingering around the office who is adamant in holding on to herposition as the company’s secretary. Towards the end of the story, Lucy tries to get rid of thespirit that has been haunting that place for many years by putting the spirit at peace.




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

 1) Lucy Beck :
She is a young, shy and insecure graduate of secreterial studies. She is dissatisfied 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.

  







2) 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.


3) Lucy’s mother : 
A housewife who lives a hard life. She has to support her brother.


4) Uncle Bert : 
Depends on his sister for support. He is also a drunkard.

 5) Harry Darke : 
Ross and Bannister’s handyman. He is an old man who has been working with the company for years.


6) Mr. Ross : 
The younger partner of the company.


THEMES:


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


2) POSSESSIVENESS:
Not even death could part Ms. Broome from what she feels is rightfully hers. She continues tohaunt the office through her electronic typewriter. 


3) 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.


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


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


6) 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.


7) COMPASSION:
This theme holds water especially in the final confrontation between Lucy and Ms. Broome. It isnot through hatred nor coercion that Lucy manages to outsmart Ms. Broome, rather, it wasthrough compassion and understanding of Ms. Broome’s intentions.

 

THE CHARACTER OF THE FRUITCAKE SPECIAL

CHARACTERS

"A character in a literary work can be a person, an animal, a non-entity or even a supernatural being. The number of persons in a short story is usually small. The personality traits of the important characters, their appearance, actions and ideas are usually portrayed"

MAIN CHARACTER

 

ANNA

Anna works as a chemist in the Amos Cosmetics factory in New Jersey. Her job is to design new perfumes. Anna is single and lives with her mother. Her mother and Aunt Mimi are worried she is not getting married. Anna is very aware of what goes on around her and quite a discerning character. She knows that David Amos is not possibly in love with her nor is the waiter at the restaurant. She recognizes that it is the result of the powerful perfume she has created.

 

 

~DAVID AMOS~

An important minor character is David Amos. He is the owner of Amos Cosmetics. David Amos is a dark, handsome and fashionable gentleman who is often seen with beautiful women. He appears polite but he actually  does not think much of his workers.

 

 

~AUNT MIMI~

Aunt Mimi, is pleasant but she also likes to mind other people's business. She is constantly trying to find a suitable partner for her niece. She gives some fruitcake to Anna.

 

 

~SABINA~

A beautiful young model who is David Amos' girlfriend. She looks down on Anna and is furious when David professes his love for an ordinary and plain-looking girl like Anna. David and her offer compensation to Anna in the form of money to forget the whole incident at the French Restaurant.

 

~ARMSTRONG~

He is the pizza delivery boy. He provides the perfect contrast to David Amos. Armstrong, through effort and determination, grows from a mere pizza delivery man to become the owner of the pizza company. He wants to make a success of himself before he declares his love for Anna.

 

~ANNA'S MOTHER~

Anna's mother is naturally anxious that her daughter is still single. Right from the beginning, she believes that Armstrong, the pizza delivery man, would make a good husband for Anna. Thus turns out to be right, at the end.

 

 

~WAITER~

He works in a French Restaurant. He adds humour and comedy to the story by the way he behaves towards Anna when under the spell of the fruitcake perfume.

 

 OLD WOMAN~

She used to sell fruitcake in the market. Nobody knows much about her except for Aunt Mimi. She had seven husbands who ate her magical fruitcakes. She seemed to have been able to read people's mind and had offered the cake to Aunt Mimi for her niece. She dies early in the story.

 

 

 

LITERATURE - SHORT STORY (FORM 4)

THE FRUITCAKE SPECIAL

 
SYNOPSIS

The Fruitcake Special is the  story if the effects of a perfume on men. It was accidentally created by Anna, a chemist. When Mr Amos gets a whiff of the perfume he feels he is in love with Anna and so invites her out for dinner. He does not behave like a man in love and Anna is surprised and upset. When she wears the Fruitcake perfume again, Mr Amos and a waiter become enticed and both make declarations of love to her. The situation become chaotic when a fight ensues between two men.

THEMES

• Illusion vs Reality
• Be realistic in life
• Appearances can be misleading

MORAL VALUES

• We should not be taken in flattery.
• We must not be too proud of our looks.
• We must not belittle other people.

PLOT

• EXPOSITION – Anna creates a Fruitcake perfume and dabs on it. Mr Amos becomes intoxicated with her when he gets a whiff of it. Anna is very surprise with this sudden interest.
• CONFLICT – During dinner, Mr Amos is not as attentive as he was in the morning. Anna dabs on the Fruitcake perfume in the ladies room.
• CLIMAX – Mr Amos becomes enamoured and makes declarations of love to her. A waiter also makes love declarations to her. A fight starts between Mr Amos, the waiter and Sabrina, Mr Amos’ girlfriend. Anna realises it is the effects of the fruitcake perfume.
• FALLING ACTION – Anna wants to find the ‘special something’ in the fruitcake but is unable to.
• RESOLUTION – Anna resigns from Amos Cosmetics and she settles for the pizza delivery man, Armstrong, who has his own pizza company.

CHARACTERS

• Main characters

1. Anna, the narrator
2. David Amos, owner of Amos Cosmetics

• Minor characters

1. Narrator’s mother
2. Narrator’s Aunt Mimi
3. Waiter at restaurant
4. Sabina, David Amos’ girlfriend
5. Armstrong, the pizza delivery man

POINT OF VIEW

• First person point of view

TONE, MOOD, ATMOSPHERE

• Light-hearted and humorous
• Comedic and entertaining

LANGUAGE AND STYLE

• Simple and easy to understand the language

ENGLISH INCUBATOR INAUGURATION

ENGLISH INCUBATOR INAUGURATION 2013

AT LAST.....

WE MANAGED TO MAKE IT POSSIBLE........

THANKS TO EVERYONE.....

SMKHK BOLEH.....

Directed Writing for SPM

SPM DIRECTED WRITING - INFORMAL LETTER

2010  :  Your cousin has been chosen to take part in the National Service Programme and is worried about going. You have decided to write a letter to tell him/her about the benefits of this programme and to encourage your cousin to go. 

(Your Name & Address)

Ginny Han

5, Jalan Tun Perak,

50050 Kuala Lumpur. 

(Date)
10 OCTOBER 2010.

(Salutation)
Dear Sam,

(Introduction)

How are you? I hope you are in the pink of health. I was thrilled when I got your letter. I read your letter eagerly .To be honest, I had mixed feelings after reading your letter. One was of happiness while the other was of sadness. Happy that you got chosen to go for the National Service Programme. On the other hand, sad , seeing  how worried you are to join this programme. I have penned this letter  to encourage you to go for this programme.

(Body 1)

Benefit 1 - One main point

                 - Two / Three supporting details

                 - Close

(Body 2)

Benefit 2 - One main point

                 - Two / Three supporting details

                 - Close

(Body 3)

Benefit 3 - One main point

                 - Two / Three supporting details

                 - Close

(Closing)

I hope my reasoning will convince you to go for this National Service Programme. To be honest with you, I am a bit jealous that I was not chosen for the programme. I surely would trade places with you if I could. I will keep my fingers crossed that you will take my advice and join this programme. Bye and have fun.

Your Cousin,

(Your Signature)

* [Name] is optional in Infromal Letter. It means you can choose to write your name or ignore it.