CW - TRIP / HOLIDAY

MY HOLIDAY...
         During my last school holiday,I spent a few days at my friend's house in Morib, one of the well-known and interesting beach of Negeri Sembilan,Malaysia.

            On the day I arrived, when I just stepped down from the train I saw my friend,Haziq, and his family were already at the railway station. I greeted his parents respectedly before I shook hands and hugged him. He said “Good to see you, Hafiz”.  I replied “Good to see you too. At last, our dream to meet each other back comes true”. We laughed happily. Then we rode back to his place. When we were on our way, Haziq told me “I will make this holiday, the most unforgettable holiday you have never experienced”.I smiled delightedly and became all excited. I took the oppurtunity to introduce myself and have a little chat with his parents. While we were engrossed chatting till I didn’t realise we had already in front of his house. I was amazed looking at his uniqe house. It was big and a uniqe structure of his roof were more amazed me. Besides, a few metre from his lawn facing the  fascinated sea. “ Come, let’s go in.” His mother invited me with friendly.

         In the evening, after I unpacked my things, we walked up and have some conversation at the beach. While we were there, the view of the sea was extremely beautiful, the air was fresh with the sound of the wave that can release our stress and the water was so clear and clean. While the birds flying calmly in the high sky, a few boys and girls were playing happily. I also saw some tired fishermen who worked all day long coming out from thier boat with thier catches. All of this view indeed very interesting to look at, it is very different from my neighbourhood. We walked leisurely, then Haziq told me “You have to get a lot of rest tonight because tomorrow we need all your energy”. I became curious.

        On the next day, early in the morning Haziq suddenly ask me to follow him into the forest. “Can you give me a hand?” Haziq asked. “What can I help you?” I asked back with excitedly.

“We need some tree trunks” .He grinned. With curious I just help him what he told me to do. After collected some of its, we took some tools at his store. “You know what we will build,do you?” Haziq asked me. “No?” I replied. “ A raft!” he shouted slowly. “Oh, you know how to build it?” I startled. “Of course, I am very skill of it too”  he explained. It took us almost a whole morning to build it. Just after we tied our raft at the coconut tree near his house, his mom called us to have our lunch. When we  had our lunch Haziq told his mom “Mom, I will took Hafiz at my favorite place after this” “Okay, but be careful!” his mom warned. “We will” we both replied.

      We headed to his favorite place with  his motorcycle. A few minutes later we arrived and I saw a signboard showed Banting Market. I was all excited. “We have to buy fishing tools and a net for our sea activties since we had our raft done” Haziq said. “Can I take a time to buy a few things for my family?” I asked. “Sure, there is a lot of  things you can buy here” Haziq give me permission. I smiled happily. After we got all the things we need, we headed back to his house.

      In the evening, we pushed our raft to the sea. As the tide was still high the raft floated very well. We sat on the raft and with the oars we had made we began to row it not too far from the beach. We bring along our fishing tools we had bought at the market and some baits we had dug in the mud with us. We started to fishing, while we wait we had some chat and ate our snacks that Haziq mom has packed for us. Suddenly, our raft shaked slightly. Haziq swiftly pulled up his fishing rod with all his strength and he moved his body backwards. Poof! A big fish came out from the sea. “Wow!” I shouted shockedly. “That is a big one!” I continued excitedly. “Well, today is our lucky day.” Haziq said. Then, we rowed back to the beach. We showed the fish to his mom. She smiled and told us “I’ll cook this for dinner tonight. Before that, both of you have to get a shower.”  After we had our fresh shower, we went to the kitchen and saw a lot of dishes served including the fish that was fried perfectly. A while later, everybody sat and had the dinner, I was very delighted as the fish was so delicious of the freshness.

      Early on the morning on my third day, we rode bicycles for our exercise while took a deep breath of fresh morning air. Then, we had a delicious ‘Nasi Lemak’ and a tea for our breakfast, at a small stall down the road. Around 8 a.m. We went back to Haziq home’s to took the net we had bought it at the market. We went out to the sea to try our luck catch some crabs and fishes to sell it at the market. “The bigger we can catch a lot we can get the money” told Haziq. Haziq taught me how to use the net because I never used the net before. After a while, we had caught 10 crabs and a lot of small fishes. We were glad our tried turn out great. We sold all of our catches and got a lot of money. The money we got we gave it equally. We ran back home to have our lunch. Haziq said “My mom said that she will cook a delicious lunch as today is you last day spent your holiday here”. I smiled sadly.  “Don’t worry, next time you can come here whenever you want too, okay?” I nod, a sign that I understand. We had our lunch together, then his mom said “ Haziq, you should teach Hafiz how to make a beautiful memory.” “I will, mom.” He replied with a smile on his face.

     Around 5 p.m. we went out again as Hafiz wanted to teach me how to make a beautiful memory as his mom told him. I realised there is a camera and a few things in the basket he had brought along to the beach. I asked him “What is that for?” He answered “Something that you will keep as our memory.” “We will be a part-time model for a day today” he joked. “I see” I smiled.  He continued “We will take a few pictures and  make a beautiful kite for us. Then we put our picture on the kite with ours encouragement words, then we will fly them high in the sky” I smiled delightedly. We began to make a beautiful kite while Haziq was snapped ours picture at the beach making it together. It was a fun moment. After we had finished it, we put our pictures and wrote down our words. I wrote ‘The Best Memory Ever’ while Haziq wrote ‘Thank You’. We flew it together. Haziq still snapped our picture for us to keep in our album as our sweet memories ever.

HOLIDAYS...

Just as sleep is necessary for our body similarly holidays are important for relaxation and change – they provide relief from the monotony of our daily routine. They are important for our mental and emotional well being.

Holidays! Holidays! Holidays who does not wait for them? Holidays give us a break from our routine and help us to refresh ourselves and go back to work with renewed energy.
They are not only meant for enjoying but also for pursuing our hobbies and interests. During holidays we can live our life as we want.
There are no rules for getting up in the morning and going to school, coming back home, having lunch, playing for a short while and then completing the home work.
We are our own rulers as we manage our time according lo our own wish; we play, visit places, pursue our hobbies and are relaxed.
After working hard throughout the year, summer holidays are eagerly awaited by students and teachers alike. During summer break my family always goes to a hill station for nearly 20 to 25 days.
We have a small cottage there and we enjoy ourselves, away from the hustle and bustle of the city life, in the lap of Mother Nature.
We play indoor games like cards, carom board, loud and chess. We also go for walks in the evenings, the cool fresh air, the long walks late into the night, having boiled eggs and corn from the road side is truly enjoyable. When we come back to our cottage we are tired but very happy and have a good night’s sleep.
After a good night’s sleep the chirping of the birds and the golden sunlight wakes us up gently. A hot cup of tea in the morning is truly welcome especially in the pleasant weather of a hill station.
I read many story books during my summer holidays and enjoy every moment of it. I enjoy my summer holidays also because I get time to spend with my parents. We go together for picnics and watch lot movies. I have a nice time during my holidays but I also keep some time aside for my friends. I chat with them and also play games with them but of course, on line.
We get holidays during winter as well as autumn. Autumn break is the time when my family and I enjoy the festive season. We do not go out during autumn break as we are busy celebrating different festivals. During the winter break, my father usually takes us to visit some or the other place but our visit is a short visit, of a week or so, only.
I know, holidays are enjoyed more by those, who work hard, because they bring a change for them rather then for those who while away their time. It is indeed true that life without holidays would become boring, making one lose all interest in work and studies after all “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”. Thus, holidays are as important for as going to school and study.


A holiday I would never forget
 
Holidays, a time everyone gets hyped up over, parents planning activities for the family to spend quality time with and school children ( as well as teachers) jumping for joy. Hello, waking up late, celebrating, goin for tuition and best of all, vacations! In myy case, a holiday I would never forget is a fruitful one I expereinced five years ago, where my family I spent six days in the land of K-Pop and ' kimchi '- Korea.

        Finally, after ages of waiting, our family arrived in beautiful Korea. Stepping out of the plane, we could feel the chilly weather to our bones. Never experiencing that kind of weather, my siblings and I were totally excited. Passing through immigration and baggage claim, we were talking animatedly about our new surroundings. Since we went with tour group, we knew we were in good hands.

        Incident number one. We were supposed to take a bus to check in at the hotel, as instructed. I guessed I was overeager and without thinking. I ran to a random bus and knocked on the door. The young bus driver opened the door and looked at me with a puzzled expression. He started asking me something in Korean, which of course I did not understand. I tried to reply in English, but before I could make the attempt, my father quickly apologized to the driver and walked me back to the tour group who was watching from afar, shaking with laughter. It turned out that the bus I was running to was not the bus we were supposed to take. I dismissed my burning cheeks. I was glad I could be the butt of everyone's jokes on my first day in a foreign country.

        It was a bit past lunch time when we were done checking in our hotel. Not doubt, everybody's stomachs were grumbling. Thank God after checking in, we were going to have our lunch and do a bit of sightseeing. While waiting for the others outside the hotel, we walked around nearby. There was a row of vending machines that sold various snacks and beverages, including Haagen Dazs ice-cream , and instant noodles. My mother had a craving for Nescafe, so she spent her first Korrean money on that.

        At the restaurant, a delicious meal was already spread out for us. That was the first time we all tried kimchi, a spicy  and sour vegetable side dish.I did not think it was horrible,  buut I preferred the fish kimchi much better. We all ate using chopsticks, so that was kind or awkward for me  and  my siblings, as we were not skilled at using them yet. Being Malaysians, we were used to rice, so it was a good thing that the Korean meal included rice and a few other side dish, eaten from a Bento box. It was weird though, the rice was stickier compared to the rice  we eat at home, mainly to make it easier to eat using chopsticks. There was also hot and scumptious miso soup together with the meal. Since my sister and my brother did not like it much, I finshed up theirs. I gulped the warm soup down my throat- a nice connntrast from the shivering weather outside.

        One of the highlights of our activities that we did in Korea was skiling. Everybody from the tour group was looking forward to that, even the 52-year old couple traveling with us. Since it was'nt fully snownig yet, the hill was coverred with artificial snow. After grobbing our ski gear, we listen to a briefing by the instructor. He was very help ful, especially with us kids annd the elderly couple.

        Feeling jumpy and hyperactive, me and my sister made our way to the cable car and successfully skied down a slope. I thought, " We're natural at this," and my sister could not agree more. When we came to see how our parents and brother were doing, my brother started to throw a snowball towards me and my sister. It hit me, and we started having a small snowball fight of our own, just like in the movies! I guessed we got a bit out of hand and my sister accidentally hit a woman's back. when she turned around, she had this angry look on her face and started to walk towards us.I hurried my siblings to continue skiing with our parents,and we ran away before she cold catch us. Breathless, we giggled innaivety as we recapped the moment.

        In a way, skiing is like swimming. Why do I say so? Well, when swimming ,you do not feel tired , but you would see the effect when you get ravenous and eat more after a session or when you aintend to tke a nap, but it is extended to long hours. The same goes to skiing. When we arrived at the hotel after skiing, we were drained out and starving. Instant noodles saved the day! We all ate curry-flavoured Maggi together, savouring the memontary pleasure. We also dozed off quite early that night , right after going for a walk to enjoy the amazing night view of th mountains, and breathing the cool, fresh winter air.

        Shopping in Korea was also different compared to Malaysia. Its malls were packed with small shops or stalla on every floor. Big boutiques were not seen as much as the quaint kiosks. Nevertheless, I found shopping at their markets more enjoyable, especially because you could haggle the price. Their specialities   were crystals, fabrics and outerwear. Apart form that, I also liked their wet markets , mainly because they were very clean and they did not have that fishy smell. I remembered a shocking incident when walking through the stalls of the wet market. A large fish jumped  out its aquarium  and onto the floor. I stared at it and suddenly, I saw a huge cutting knife slicing through the fish's neck! It was the owner of the stall's doing. Then, the owner left the fish flapping around lifelessly without a head.

    After saying our prayers, we devoured our mouth-watering find of the day. Dripped in a type of souce, the seafood was the best I had ever eaten, as you could taste the freshness. Or maybe I was just hungry after  a full day of activities.

        If it was up to me, there were so many things to write on my memorabe trip to Korean. Not onli we got to spend quality time together as a family, but we also learnt countless new things and even discovered hidden talents. My father always said we should travel with an open mind and an open  heart. This is when you get to see your capability to adapt to changes. Just enjoy the simple things in life and be thankful of what you have. So, do just that. Who knows you might discover a part of yourself you never know existed?  

NOVEL SPM 2015

THE CURSE

Practice 1

Based on one novel above, discuss one of the themes in the story. Provide evidence from the text to support your answer

The novel that I choose is The Curse by Lee Su Ann. The story is about the mysterious death of Azreen’s adopted sister, Madhuri, and how Azreen goes through everything to find out the truth behind the death. The theme that I would like to discuss here is gender stereotyping .
In the novel, gender stereotyping is presented through how females should behave. This can be seen especially through Azreen. For example, Azreen’s school friends start to give suspicious eyes towards her when she behaves unlady-like or tomboyish.  She plays hockey with the boys and even “laughs like a bunch of hyenas” with them. To them, as a woman, Azreen is not expected to be tomboyish and hangs too closely with boys.
In conclusion, Azreen’s unlady-like behaviors have created sense of discomfort among the people around her. This is an example of how gender stereotyping is presented in the novel.

Practice 2

Write about a character that you find most interesting. Support your answer with evidence from the novel.

The novel that I choose is The Curse by Lee Su Ann. The story is about the mysterious death of Azreen’s adopted sister, Madhuri, and how Azreen goes through everything to find out the truth behind the death. The character that I find most interesting in the novel is the old lady.
The old lady is 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. Her recipes and secret ingredients are very much sought after.
In conclusion, the old lady is the most interesting character in the novel. She is an educated woman, neat person, kind-hearted and a good cook too.

Practice 3

Write about a character that you dislike in the novel. Support  your answer with evidence from  the novel

The novel that I choose is The Curse by Lee Su Ann. The story is about the mysterious death of Azreen’s adopted sister, Madhuri, and how Azreen goes through everything to find out the truth behind the death. The character that I dislike in the novel is Puan Normala.
I dislike Puan Normala because she is a rumour monger. She is the one that spread the rumour about Madhuri and how she died. Puan Normala is also superstitious. She blames the old lady’s visit to Ashraf’s house as the reason for the continuous rain. Furthermore, she is also a mean and malicious person. For example, she provokes Mohd Ashraf to confront the old lady by accusing the old lady as the reason why Ashraf’s grandmother’s health is getting worse. Because of that, Ashraf burns down the old lady’s house in anger, and causes the old lady to die in the fire.
As conclusion, the character that I dislike most in the novel is Puan Normala because she is a rumour monger, mean and malicious and also a superstitious woman.

Practice 4

Write about a moral value you have learnt  in the story. Support  your answer with evidence from  the novel

The novel that I choose is The Curse by Lee Su Ann. The story is about the mysterious death of Azreen’s adopted sister, Madhuri, and how Azreen goes through everything to find out the truth behind the death. A moral value that I have leant in the story is bravery.
This value is shown by Azreen. First, even as a young girl she takes challenges and tries to prove to her friends that the Old Lady is not an evil witch. When she is yelled at for entering the Old Lady’s house and destroying her vegetable garden, Azreen bravely defends herself. In fact, she returns the next day and repairs the trampled garden. Her action wins the Old Lady’s heart.
The second evidence is when Azreen bravely takes the blame for Mohd Asraf in the bull incident. She demonstrates courage. The same bull later injures her mother’s leg causing her to paralyze. She was blamed and scolded by her father as well as the villagers. She bravely endures that and never tells anyone of what really happened.
The third event that displays her bravery is when she tries to tackle the angry people who are about to attack the the Old Lady. When the Old Lady’s house is in fire, Azreen tries to rescue the Old Lady but at the end she has to be rescued by her father. When the Old Lady dies in the tragic fire, she confronts Mohd Asraf like a wildcat.
Finally, towards the end of the story, she finds out the secret that her father has been keeping. She confronts her father about Madhuri’s murder until he is forced to confess about the truth.
As conclusion, bravery is the moral value that I have learnt through Azreen. For me, Azreen is very brave to confront people whom she knows have done wrong to others. At the same time she is very brave when defending herself and the people she loves.

CONTINUOUS WRITING

1) MY MOM, THE BEST IDOL

       Many people around the world have a family. It consists of father, mother, brothers and sisters. One of them could be the best one. I have a small family. It consists of my father, my mother and my oldest sister. According to me, my mother is the best one in my family. She is my idol over the world.
           My mother’s name is Ramlisnawati. She is 50 years old now. She was born in Solok, on September 20^th, 1961. My lovely mother is in well shape. She is also pretty tall, it is around 170 cm tall. I think my mom is very beautiful with her dimples, tan skin, thin lips, and brown eyes. She also has curly black hair, same with me.

          My mother is someone who full with love. She always gives her pure love to her family. She loves us more than herself. She raises me and my sister with her love. She is also fair to gives her love, for instance she never differentiates between me and my sister.

          The woman who has married with my father is also the best teacher for me in my life especially to sociable for other people. One thing of her lesson that I always remember is be useful for other people because we are not an individual person, we need somebody else to help and we have to help each other. I had never got this lesson in my school, just from my mom.

          The strong woman who always gives me many motivations is my Mom. She is the best motivator for me. She always gives some motivations to me to face my life, for instance when I dropped, she gives me a good motivation and I can stand again suddenly.

          My lovely mom is also a good career woman. She works at Department of Education and Culture in West Sumatera region. She is a treasurer. She can manage everything about her duty at office. According to me, my mother is very responsibilities with her job. I have never heard that her boss getting angry to her.

          Someone who has hobbies cooking and reading in my family is my mom. She likes cooking so much. She always makes something special in our dining room. It is really delicious. My mother can make Indonesian cuisine, Arabian cuisine and some of Chinese cuisine. She is the best chef over the world. Further more, my mom loves reading a lot of books such as religion and healthy book. She also likes to collect some novels and recipes. It is an interesting hobby.

          My mother is my best Idol for me. She is not only as a good mother but also a good teacher for me. I love her so much. She is the most perfect person in our house. I just can not imagine what it would be like without her.

 

2) MY IDOL

My idol is David Beckham
The person that I look up to is one of the best influential football players in
England, David Beckham. Beckham is a footballer with an uncanny ability to score
goals and get the crowd on their feet. The twenty-nine year old soccer idol has
changed the game of soccer throughout the entire world. Beckham is not only an
excellent soccer player; he is an idol to people of all ages because of his
excellent work ethic.
Beckham’s goal when he was a child was to make it to the premier soccer league
and play with Manchester United. When Beckham turned eighteen he made his soccer
dreams come true. Beckham signed with one of the best teams in the league,
Manchester United, in 1993. Beckham had to work extremely hard and show his
skill to win a starting position on this English team. It only took one year for
Beckham’s coaches to be impressed. He soon won his starting position, playing
right midfield.
Being a professional player you have to take on leadership to make it to the
top. It only took three years to become the captain of Manchester United. Beckham’s coaches saw that he was leading the team in everything that he did, so they selected him to be a team captain making him one of the youngest captains and newest players in the league. David Beckham exemplifies the definition of the word captain. Beckham has been chosen to be team captain with every team he has ever played on. A team captain is a huge responsibility, which entails basically running the team. The captain has to become the leader.
The UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has chosen David Beckham to be a UN

Ambassador. Beckham only being twenty-nine was “thrilled and honored” to accept
the prestigious title. His duties will include helping poverty-stricken children across the globe get involved in sports activities. Beckham says the first country he intends to assist is Africa. He looks forward to helping these African children.

 

MY DAD

Everybody has idol in their life and it can be inspiration source to walk on our life. They inspire us with many ways, for examples from life style, behaviour, characteristic and etc. So I will tell you about people as my idol that really guide me to get better life.
Firstly my idol is my mother because she is the best figure not to be separated from our life. She is strunggle to bore and brought us up. We have been spending time in our life from baby upto now with her and it is the precious moment in our life. The reason I choose my mother become my idol because she has given me inspiration in establishing my future. My dream is be a career women and from my mother I can learn the way become a career women and a good mother. My mother is a teacher at Elementary School, she has working before getting married to my father but upto now she is still working. Every morning she must go to school to teach but she never forgot her duty as a mother to prepare breakfast for my family and she always said to me “ if in the future I can be a career women and a mother in the same time without sacrificed one of the time, it is only how you can manage your time”.
My last idol is my father, since I was a child, I have been so close with him. My father and me have same hobby we like reading very much. Sometimes we went to bookstore together. He is a friendly, democratic person and got me spirit when I had problem. we can talked about anything and when I had problem I always talked to him and occasionally we had different opinion about the problem solving but then we walked together to find the best problem solving.
Finally My parents become my idols because they give inspirations in my life, I hope in the future I can make them proud of me and I can be an obey child for them.

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GOOD LUCK .......

From Teacher Suraya

. 

 

HE HAD SUCH QUIET EYES

     He had such quiet eyes

   She did not realise

  They were two pools of lies

   Layered with thinnest ice
   To her, those quiet eyes
   Were breathing desolate sighs      ----------->[ LYING / DECEIT ]
   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                     ----------> [ REGRET / REMORSE ]      
   With pleasure-seeking guys
   She'd 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                   -----------> [ ADVICE ]
  Though you may lose your heart once or twice

STANZA 1

•When the persona looked into the young man’s sincere-looking eyes, she was deceived into thinking that he needed someone to love.

•She was not aware that he is lying to her.

•His eyes even made her feel compelled to be “nice” to him.

•Meeting people and getting involved in a social relationship is part and parcel of life.

•However, along the way, we may meet two-faced people with ulterior motives.

•Sometimes, they may across as so sincere that we innocently accept them as their friends or partners.

STANZA 2

•When the persona was betrayed by the man, she wondered why she had not been wiser.

•She should have remembered the advice of not believing men blindly.

•If she had held on to her principles, she would not be asking herself why she had been cheated.

•Social relationships can turn sour if one party betrays the other. Hence, one should be careful on the other party’s motives.

•In any case, do not compromise your principles, as someone who is sincere would not force you into giving up your morals.

 

  STANZA 3

•The poet advises young ladies to be more careful before getting involved in relationships with men.

•They must make sure that they know the men well. They should learn to differentiate between sincerity and falsehood.

•They eventually meet the right man, though they may lose their hearts a few times before that.

•It is always good to be cautions before committing to a relationship to avoid serious consequences.

•You have to make sure you can trust the person you befriend. Do not gamble with your affections, even you fall in love.

 

 

POEM 4 SPM 2015

ARE YOU STILL PLAYING YOUR FLUTE???

STANZA 1

         Are you still playing your flute?
When there is hardly time for our love
I am feeling guilty
To be longing for your song
The melody concealed in the slim hollow of the bamboo
Uncovered by the breath of an artist
Composed by his fingers
Blown by the wind
To the depth of my heart.

 

[ The persona questions herself if her beloved is still playing the  flute, when there is no time to  show that one cares for each  other.  Though persona feels it is  not right to yearn for his music from the flute, the tune is deeply  attached to her affectionately.]

STANZA 2

         Are you still playing the flute?

          In the village so quiet and deserted
Amidst the sick rice field
While here it has become a luxury
To spend time watching the rain
Gazing at the evening rays
Collecting dew drops
Or enjoying the fragrance of flowers.

 

[ The persona finds that the village had been abandoned by the villagers and the paddy fields un attended. She recalls that, admiring the rain, staring at the sunray during the dusk, collecting dew drops and enjoying the pleasant smell of flowers and nature had become a luxury or an advantage that you do not find anymore.]

STANZA 3

          Are you still playing your flute?
The more it disturbs my conscience
to be thinking of you
in the hazard of you
my younger brothers unemployed and desperate
my people disunited by politics
my friend slaughtered mercilessly
this world is too old and bleeding

 

[ The persona feels guilty for yearning for the special person as her countrymen are jobless and willing to commit anything for a job. They are separated by different political views. People whom you care for, are brutally killed. Meanwhile the world resembles a sickly and dying old man.]

Lets answer some questions:

STANZA 1

1.At whom is the question directed?

  The man playing the flute/ her beloved.

2.What is the problem in the relationship between the persona and the flautist?

  There is not enough time for them to spend their time.

3.What is meant by the phrase to the depth of my heart?

   Touches her soul.

4.Mention two ways in which the melody affects the persona when she thinks of it?

- She longs for the melody.

- She feels guilty.

STANZA 2

1.What happened to the village?

  The village becomes under populated and the rice fields are not fertile anymore.

2.Give three pleasurable pastimes in the countryside as mentioned in the stanza?

i.Watch the setting sun

ii.Watch the rain coming down

iii.Collect dew drops

iv.Smell the fragrance of the flowers

STANZA 3

1.What is the mood of the persona as portrayed in the stanza?

  She felt frustrated and guilty.

2.What are the problems her brothers face?

   Unemployed and desperate.

3.What problems do you think her country is facing?

  Politically, the people are not united. There are economic problems and wars are going on.

Sample CW

A Horror / Tragic Story
by Jun Li

I opened the door, to my horror, a few skeletons lay there, chained on the wall.

Okay, time to recap. I and my friends, Jack and Peter, were playing around an old, abandoned mansion. We were told that no one was allowed to enter. However, curiosity overcame us and we picked the lock, granting us entrance into the sacred lair of the unknown.

At the sight of the skeletons, the three of us were completely stunned. Our jaw hung wide open for a few minutes before we came back to our senses. My sixth sense told me that something was about to go wrong, so I urged the other two to back out of the mansion.

“Don’t be such a chicken,” said Jack, with a shaky voice.

“Aren’t you scared too?” I challenged him.

“Yes, but we might never get the chance to explore here again if we leave now.”

“…All right, but we leave as soon as the first sign of danger shows.”

We ventured deeper into the mansion. The design looked like some sort of torture room, or a prison. Even though I was afraid, I was eager to discover more. Throughout the lair, we did not lose sight of skeletons or spider webs. These were at every corner, at every turn. The occasional howls from a distance made the hair on our backs stand up straight. We finally arrived at a long hallway. Jack picked up a piece of wood and lighted it up with his lighter. The flame seared at first, but after it simmered down, I was able to see the walls clearly. There were ancient writings, the kind we usually see in an Egyptian grave robber movie. As the expert in history, Jack tried his best to decipher the carvings. Meanwhile, Peter leaned towards the wall to catch his breath. At that very moment, a cold chill went down my spine.

“Watch out!” I shouted.

Before he could react, that portion of the wall he was leaning against flipped, trapping him on the other side. All he could let out was a loud shriek and he vanished behind the walls. I pounded against the wall, shouting his name. Only then did I know what real terror felt like. However, the chance of rescuing him was bleak. I sank to the ground, desolated and hopeless.

“Let’s get out of here, we have to inform the adults!” suggested Jack.

I got to my feet swiftly and both of us sped through the building. My heart was racing. I knew that danger may be waiting at the next corner. I could hear blood pounding in my ears. Wait, was that a creak I heard? “Uh-oh,” I thought to myself. The ceiling began to crumble. My sub-consciousness took over. I sprang forward and tackled Jack. Both of us fell to the ground. Just as I thought that trouble was out of the way, the burning piece of wood slipped out of his hand and landed in a pile of grease. Fire started spreading like mad. I struggled to get up.

“Come on, there’s not much time left!” I screamed as I turned towards the exit.

“Aahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”

In a split second, my head turned 180 degrees. A gigantic marble pillar fell on Jack. I mustered all the strength from every single cell in my body, trying to lift it up, to no avail. My eyes were watery. I was completely out of ideas.

“Save yourself, leave me, please,” muttered Jack, with a weak tone.

This was certainly a tough decision for me. All the moments we had spent together flashed through my mind. How could I leave him now? As the fire was close to sealing my only exit, I knew that I had to be rational. I dived for my escape route.

Tears rolled down my cheeks as the mansion erupted into flames behind me.


MY MOTHER

This good English essay was submitted by Alexis. Visit her blog to read her poems and stories. You can submit your essay and get it published on this blog too!

About seventeen years ago, a beautiful young woman, named Kari, was trying to adjust and understand the purpose of her life. She was a typical adolescent, making mistakes and hoping each lesson would guide her in the right direction of life. At this time, she was living in Germany, occupied in the US Army, on and off with a boyfriend, and fighting to keep a relationship with her family, through letters. It may not seem like an ideal situation, but everything in life has a purpose, the challenge is discovering it. Unlike most adolescents, her life was put into perspective very quickly. At the age of nineteen, Kari received results from a test, which changed her life forever. She was pregnant.

In January 1995, at the age of twenty years old, Kari gave birth to a baby girl. Her life now revolved around her child, Alexis. She got out of her relationship, got a job, and found a safe place for the two of them. Now living with her mom and step dad, working as a papergirl (newspaper delivery person), and fighting for divorce, Kari was struggling. It didn’t matter though; she made the best of it.

When Alexis was two, Kari married her husband, Mike. Together, they got a town home. Now, with a home and family, it may seem like times were great, but there was still a lot of life to be learned from. Mike was constantly traveling; in fact, he was in Utah for two years after they got married. Kari was now raising Alexis, working seven days a week, and working to keep her marriage healthy. As with everything in her life, Kari took sacrifices and made it work.

Fourteen years later, looking at this 36 year old, you would never realize the struggles she has faced in life. She is a beautiful, young, and caring, mother, friend and wife. She lives in a nice house, takes care of kids, home-schools Alexis and, her husband is home almost every night. She has many great qualities, but I think the characteristic that makes her the most unique and genuine person, is her love and creativity. She was, and is, able to take anything normal and make it enjoyable.

By now you have probably realized, I am Alexis, her daughter. I have a great relationship with my mom, something many girls, my age, are lacking. In some ways, it’s like we grew up together (although twenty years apart), best friends. She has always provided the loving, but strict mother figure, which I can rely on, in my life. Her creativity brought me lots of fun times, and cherished memories, throughout my adolescents. Her strong words and lectures, many she has learned from in the past, bring me wisdom and guidance for the rest of my life. And her open and loving heart, gives me a safe place to share my emotions. I never could ask for a better person to spend my memories with, for they wouldn’t be the memories they are, without her.


Write a story starting with: “The widow had to work hard to bring up her little son alone...”

The widow had to work hard to bring up her little son alone. This was after her husband’s early death. She and her son lived in a wooden house. It was a small house with only one bedroom and a kitchen.

            Mariam wanted Sam to study hard to get good result. So she would not let Sam help her do any household chores or wash his own clothes. The years flew by. Sam sat for his SPM examination and pass with flying colours.

            His mother was very happy. She went round telling her friends, “My Sam will be leaving for the city to study in a college. He will become a Manager one day. I’ll move to live with him in the city. Then, my struggle is worth it.”

            So Mariam continued to work hard to send money to Sam who was studying a business degree. For Mariam, it was a tough life. Meanwhile, Sam kept on phoning home to ask for more money. Mariam even had to borrow from her neighbours and friends to send her son the money.

            Three years Sam stopped calling home. He did not even let his mother where he was. When she phoned the faculty, they told her that he had graduated and left for job. However, they could not her more. Mariam was baffled. Where was Sam? She was so sure he would come back and fetch her for city. So, she started to pack some of her bags and boxes.

            Three months later, there was still no news or call from Sam. One day, Mariam’s niece, Kate, came to talk to her about Sam. She told her aunt, “Auntie, a friend of mine met Sam in a bank. He’s the branch manager. This is his address.”

            Early in the morning, Mariam took the first bus to the city. At the bus station, she took a taxi and showed the taxi driver the bank address. On the way there, she told the driver about Sam and what a filial son he was.

            The driver stopped his taxi in front of a tall building. She got out of the taxi and smiled at him happily. This was the moment she was going to meet Sam. She imagined him showing surprise and delight at meeting his mother. Inside the building, a security guard asked her who she was looking for. She told the guard Sam’s name.

            The bank staff saw an old lady holding a worn-out handbag. They were wondering, “Who is this woman? Why is she asking for our manager?”

            Meanwhile, Sam pretended he did not know his mother. Feeling disgusted and ashamed, he asked the security guard to ask her to leave. Mariam was shocked to hear that! She looked Sam in a disappointed feeling ever, and ran out of the bank.

            Back in her house, Mariam cried the whole night. She cried and cried till she had no more tears. The next morning, she was sitting by the window with Sam’s photo on her lap. She saw him walking towards their house. Soon she was shouting and crying, “My Sam is back! My Sam is back!”

            Sam ran towards her and hugged Mariam as he never let go. He was so sorry and regretted the way he behaved. His colleagues were the one who made him realized his big mistakes neglected his mother.

            The neighbours heard her. They too shouted and cheered, feeling happy for her.

574 words.



What would you do if you had a lot of money?
Here’s a model answer for a reflective essay. Read through the essay and identify the topic sentences of each paragraph and the supporting details.

Question: What would you do if you had a lot of money?

When I was small, I often dreamt about being rich as my parents were quite poor. We had difficulty making ends meet each month. So, if I had a lot of money, I would certainly fulfill my dreams.
First and foremost, I would buy a house for my parents, preferably a bungalow, in a quiet town. I would equip the house with the latest technology so that it would be a smart home. My mother would have a state-of-the-art kitchen as she loves cooking. I would also get a maid to help her with the household chores. I will ensure that my family is comfortably settled in this house.

The second thing I would do is to go on a world tour with my parents. I have never been overseas but I long to see the places I have only read or dreamt about. First, I would like to visit Europe, especially Italy, the city of romance. I would visit all the museums and buildings I have heard so much about. My next stop would be Hong Kong or China. There is something mystical about China and her people. This would be my dream come true.

Apart from that, I could finally go on a shopping spree, which is my favourite pastime. Thus far, I could only go window shopping and if I had a lot of money, I would go into these stores and buy whatever I fancy. Just imagine that for once in my life, I do not need to look at the prices of the items that I like. I could just shop till I literally drop. The salesgirls would be hovering near me with their latest outfits and my wish would be their command. Ah, I would not be ignored anymore as I walk into their stores!

Besides shopping, I would also remember the poor and the less fortunate. First, I would certainly build a better home for the orphans in my town. In fact, I would also sponsor their education till they could stand on their own. They would receive an allowance monthly and I would definitely take them shopping.

Finally, I would take the opportunity to further my studies. When I was younger, my parents could not afford to send me overseas. So, I would love to pursue a course in interior decorating in London and once I graduate, I would like to set up my own business with the rest of the money.
They say that a fool and his money are soon parted. Thus, I would be very careful with how I spend my money. I would invest my money with my parents’ advice and keep some for rainy days.

Source: By jennyho

    

SAMPLE WRITING FOR SPM 2015

DIRECTED: SPEECH

Your school is having a month-long ‘A Healthy Body Campaign’. As President of the Health Club of your school, you decide to give a speech on the ‘Tak nak Campaign’ recently launched by the government.

Tak Nak Campaign

            A very good morning to our dear Principal, Mr. Hasnan bin Jaafar, teachers and students.

            Recently, our former Prime Minister, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi launched an anti-smoking campaign called “Tak Nak”. You can now see this short and rhyming catch phrase “Tak Nak” everywhere – on billboards, posters, TV ads, and sometimes I even hear it on the radio. Though some people have criticised our government for setting aside a staggering sum of RM100 million over 6 years for the campaign, it is nothing compared to the huge amounts that tobacco companies spend to promote smoking.

            But in this war against smoking, money definitely talks; it is necessary for the Tak Nak Campaign to constanly remind us of the hazard of smoking because about 50 Malaysian teenagers light up for the first time every day. In fact, some of these youth progress steadily from this to regular use, with addiction raking hold within a few years. And this is despite the warning on every pack of cigarettes that states unequivocally “Smoking is dangerous to your health”.

            What can the Tak Nak Campaign do to combat this? Their aggressive advertising creates media awareness among the public, especially among the fashionable young crowd, that smokers have yellowed teeth and suffer from shortness of breath and tells them that it is not cool to smoke. It is also not responsible of them to affect non-smokers with second-hand smoke.

            Also, there is a succession of infomercials on TV and in the papers showing the debilitating effects of tobacco addiction on the body and gruesome statistics of smoke-related deaths. We are now familiar with the graphic pictures of damaged lungs on billboards which should scare people into not smoking. This works, as I know some of my friends are quitting now, or trying to reduce the number of cigarettes they smoke per week.

            However, I feel any anti-smoking campaign is more effective if other people and organisations are actively involved too. Yes, the first step has been taken by the top, but sad to say, many of our politicians smoke themselves. Nearer to home, so do some of our parents and teachers.

            These adults have to be good role models by not smoking themselves. If they do smoke, they should tell their children and students that they regret that they ever started, and then take steps to quit smoking as soon as possible. They must practise what they preach.

On a more positive note, I commend the Malaysia Amateur Athletic Union for its zero-tolerance of smoking because they know that smoking and health just do not mix. How can our sportsmen excel if they cannot stop smoking.

Dear teachers and students, thank you for your attention. Let me end my speech by reiterating that smoking is a bad habit, so make Tak Nak your mantra. If you have started smoking, say Tak Nak and quit! And if you haven’t started smoking, say know that smoking not only damages your health but you are also literally burning your money.

502 words