WELCOME 2015

SAMPLE ESSAY 4 SPM

My Favorite Teacher

My favorite teacher is my history teacher, and he is by far the best teacher that I have ever had. He has the ability to make a subject that many students find incredibly boring come to life through his enthusiasm and passion for history, and his love of being a teacher. Going to his lessons is something we look forward to, not dread, like we do with most other lessons.

It’s ever so funny to watch him get excited about something, which happens in every lesson. It’s easy to know that he’s getting excited because he begins bouncing up and down slightly in a way that no other sixty-something year old would ever managed without looking completely ridiculous. He has this dark (with more and more grey streaks these days), springy hair that lines the edge of his growing bald patch, and the hair bounces up and down with him like thousands of tiny little springs. Then, he takes on his whole new persona, often going into role and becoming the character or figure he is talking about, doing the voices, the actions, and parading up and down the room gesticulating wildly, but all the while there’s a gentle ‘bounce, bounce, bounce’, as though the springs are not just on his head but on the soles of his shoes too.

A teacher that doesn’t take himself too seriously always will be a big hit with teenagers, although he’s not afraid to impose his authority if he has to. I’ve only ever heard him properly shout once (although thankfully it wasn’t it me), but it isn’t an experience that I would like to repeat. When he lost it, the room suddenly became more silent than I’d ever known it to be before. We all sat slightly paralyzed, not even anting to breathe too loudly, because hearing such a jovial and jolly little man lose his temper was a huge shock. It certainly had the right kind of impact though, because he’s never needed to shout since.

It is actually this teacher that I have to thank for my love of history. In his lessons, history does not mean copying out of textbooks and writing pages and pages of notes. History is alive; history is something tangible, that you can see, hear and feel, and we can live it through dressing up and acting out scenes or taking trips to important places of historical interest. And although he’s getting on in years and may not be teaching for much longer, he will have an important place in history for many of his students, because there has never been a teacher able to bring a subject to life in quite the same way he does.

MY FAVOURITE TEACHER

In my school there are many teachers. Each one teaches us different subjects. Although all of them are fairly good, there is one teacher whom I love and admire the most. Her name is Ms. Lily. She is the most pleasing personality that I have ever come across. She is an ideal teacher. She has all those qualities which a good teacher is expected to have.

Ms. Lily is a science teacher. She loves the subject that she teaches and has an in-depth knowledge of it too. She teaches science almost as though it were a hobby class. She does not adopt the old methods of teaching. In fact we even forget at times that she is teaching us from our text books.

Science comes alive in Ms. Lily's class. When she teaches, no one talks about anything but the topic that she discusses. She has the ability to draw out attention to the subject and also to sustain it. She conducts various experiments in the class and demonstrates them thus making it much easier for us to understand what she teaches. She does not merely read from the book but gives us a concrete picture of everything, so that we see them before us.

Although her subject is science, Ms. Lily has a good knowledge of other subjects also. She is well versed with all the current affairs of the world and she often links what we are studying to something that may have been taught somewhere else in the world. She encourages us to ask questions so that we may be able to understand the subject well. She never loses patience with those students who take long to grasp the subject.

Ms. Lily gives personal attention to all the students. If, by chance, any student tries to play the fool in her class, she is firm and does not allow that to happen. She is a great combination of kindness and strictness. She encourages the students to ask each other and her anything with regard to the subject so that a healthy discussion generates new ideas and increases our curiosity about the subject.

She is very popular, but she is not conceited. She is courteous to her colleagues and the principal of the school. I have never seen her frown or lose her temper. She remains calm even when there is a crisis of any kind. She makes me love going to school. I always look forward to my science period.

She is an ideal teacher and provides the students with a good role model. I love her the most and hope to be like her one day.

The Curse by Lee Su Ann- SPM sample questions and answers

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.

LITERATURE - SPM NOVEL

AN IMPORTANT EVENT IN THE CURSE

In the novel ‘The Curse’ by Lee Su Ann, an important event is the outbreak of the fire which results in the Old Lady’s death.

Firstly, it is an important event because after this event, it creates a domino effect on a number of other events which in turn helps Azreen to finally solve the mystery behind her sister’s murder. The fire enrages Azreen and ‘like a wildcat’, she confronts Mohd Asraf. He apologises and admits that he had been too grief-stricken to be rational when he has lost two important people in his life – his secret lover, Madhuri and his grandmother, Nek. After the fire which kills the Old Lady who is trapped in the fire, Awang, the bomoh informs Azreen that Madhuri is not her biological sister. The secret about Madhuri’s identity is finally disclosed by Azreen’s father who reveals that Madhuri is actually an abandoned baby whom Saleh pick up from the paddy field. Moreover, the village Pontianak is actually Madhuri’s biological mother who returns to the village to seek revenge over her daughter’s death. According to Awang, the ‘ghostly figure’ is also the “vengeful spirit” that has killed Azreen’s chicken.

Secondly, it is an important event because we are finally shown the reason for Madhuri’s murder and the culprit. When Azreen confronts her father, Encik Saleh defiantly confesses that he had accidentally murdered Madhuri after learning that Madhuri, a married woman, commits an adultery when she secretly sees another man. It is probably out of shame, the angry father who is embarrassed of Madhuri’s unethical behaviour which he thinks has brought shame to the family, confronts Madhuri and during the struggle, Madhuri falls to the ground and her head knocks over the latex cup which stains her clothes. A distraught Azreen flees after hearing the shocking news while Encik Saleh comes face-to-face with the shadowy woman – Madhuri’s mother who nears him with a parang in her hand. Saleh collapses and dies of a heart attack. With this, peace is restored in the village when the spirit of Madhuri’s mother disappears after bidding farewell to Azreen who leaves Langkawi to return to London.

Thirdly, the fire at the Old Lady’s house is the climax of the novel. From that point onwards, events dramatically unfold and Azreen gets to the bottom of the mystery. Azreen puts the pieces of facts here and there together and begins to understand the reasons behind the cover-up of Madhuri’s murder by her husband, Haji Ghani. Most importantly, we are also exposed to the crime of the villagers who are willing to do anything including planning an attack on the innocent and harmless Old Lady just because of superstition. Under the instigation of Puan Normala, the villagers are convinced to believe that the Old Lady possesses a special power to turn people into rats and squirrels, so the latter is accused to be an evil witch who brings all the misfortunes and bad omen to the village. In fact, when the rain continues to pour for more than four days, causing the town to be flooded, the Old Lady is blamed to have put the curse on the village. From this event, we can see how gullible the villagers are to believe the vicious rumours spread by the village gossiper, Puan Normala. She does not seem to care about the destruction she causes. Her irrational behaviour thus destroys the reputations of victims such as the Old Lady even in the eyes of children. At the same time, through this event too that we see the purity of the Old Lady’s heart. Despite being ostracised by the villagers, the Old Lady bears no grudges and is still willing to help people like Asraf’s Nek. More importantly, the Old Lady at the point of her death before the burning house collapses on her, she reminds Azreen to forgive all the villagers who have wronged her.

ENGLISH LITERATURE - How I Met Myself

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.

MIND YOUR WORDS....

Bombastic Words

Accolade - praise
Allusion - indirect reference
Ambivalence - uncertainty; having 'mixed' feelings
Ambivalent - unable to decide
Analogy  -comparison
Anecdote - short account of something interesting; story
Anomalous - odd; not fitting the pattern
Apparition - ghost; something that 'appears'
Aspersion - negative feeling; damaging remark
Belligerence - aggression
Bombastic - too elaborate; exaggerated
Candid - truthful
Capricious - changeable; fickle
Cherished - cared for; firmly-held
Cliche - over-used expression
Conception  -1. idea; view. 2. beginning of pregnancy
Convoluted-  complicated or long-winded
Credence - belief
Cryptic - hidden
Currency - 1. widespread acceptance, 2. money
Decorous - good and correct (used of behavior)
Denunciation - act of speaking out against
Derailed - thrown off course
Derivative - unoriginal
Despotic - acting like a tyrant
Detritus - rubbish
Diaphanous - very thin and transparent
Dictum - often-used saying
Dilettante - person who dabbles in the arts
Disdained - showed contempt for
Dispassionate - unbiased; fair
Dowager - an elderly woman of elevate social status
Dubious - doubtful
Egalitarian - equal; believer in equality
Elicit - draw out (used mainly for information or feelings)
Elliptical - 1. shaped like an ellipse, 2. indirect
Epitomizes - acts as a typical example of
Equivocate - speak ambiguously/vaguely
Evasiveness - trying to avoid something
Explicitly - very clear; nothing hidden
Foraging - searching for food
Hypothetical - based on guesswork; not proven
Iconoclast - person who goes against accepted authority
Idiosyncratic - quirky; unique to an individual
Imponderable - cannot be understood
Indecorous not - well-behaved; lacking in dignity
Indigence - extreme poverty
Inept - clumsy
Inherent - inbuilt; genetic
Intricate - complicated
Irrefutable - cannot be proved wrong
Jingoism - using words to stir up exaggerated patriotism
Jubilant - joyful
Judicious - fair and equal
Lament - express regret over something
Loquacious - talkative; using too many words
Mendicancy - begging
Metaphorical - not literal; figurative
Milieu - environment; surroundings
Mitigated - made less severe
Nascent - just begun; in an early stage of development
Nostalgia - longing for the past
Obtrusive - easily seen
Orthographical - concerned with writing and spelling
Ossified - become fixed and rigid
Ostentatious - showy
Palpable - can be felt
Pastoral - 1. concerned with the countryside, 2. concerned with the care a pastor gives to someone
Pedestrian - 1. boring (adj), 2. person who walks (n)
Perfidy - treachery; betrayal
Profligacy - wasteful and immoral behavior
Prohibitive  -very expensive
Prudence - wisdom; caution
Pugnacious - aggressive
Purveyor - one who sells something or causes something to spread
Resonance - echo
Respite - break (from work etc.)
Resurgence - revival
Sparse - thin; not thick
Stringent - strict
Succumbing - giving in to; falling under the influence of
Supercilious - arrogant
Tenacity - firmness of purpose
Transcend - go beyond a limit
Variegated - multicolored
Venerable - worthy of respect
Viable - workable; able to live or grow
Visceral - concerned with the 'guts'; physical rather than mental

GOOD PHRASES TO USE.....

Do you have anyone special in your life? Which one of these would you like to say to him or her?

Honest and heartfelt
"I love you."
"I adore you."
"I'm totally into you."
"I love you from the bottom of my heart."
"You mean so much to me."
"I'm yours."
"You complete me."
"I'm in love with you."
"There is no other."
"You're my ideal woman."

Complimentary
"You're my Prince Charming."
"You're my angel."
"You're my princess."
"You're incredible."
"You're my baby."
"You're my king."
"You're mine."
"You're amazing."

Persuasive
"We're perfect for each other."
"We're a good match."
"You can't deny what's between us."
"We're meant for each other."
"We complete each other."

Romantic
"I'm infatuated with you."
"You're my lover."
"You're captivating."
"I'm addicted to you."
"You're perfect."
"I've totally fallen for you."

Confessional
"I've got a thing for you."
"I have feelings for you."
"I feel something for you."
"I'm drawn to you."
"I think of you as more than a friend."
"I've got a crush on you."
"I've had a crush on you for a long time."
"I think I'm in love with you."
"I think you're the one."
Light and Casual
"Love ya!"
"We make a good team."
"You're so awesome."
"I'd like for us to get together."

Lustful
"You've got what I need."
"I want you."
"Let's get it on."
"I must have you."
"You make me burn with desire."
"I'm burning for you."
"I need you."

Over-the-top
"I worship you."
"I'm crazy about you."
"We're soul mates."
"You make me want to be a better man."
"We were meant to be together."
"I can't live without you."
"You're my goddess."
"I can't bear to be apart from you."
"I idolize you."
"You're my everything."

Old married couple-ish
"You're my sweetie."
"You're my sunshine."
"You're my other half."
"You're my darling."
"I'm devoted to you."
Talking about the relationship
"I want to take this slow."
"This is more than a crush."
"I can't get over you."
"I'm ready to take it to the next level."
"I think I wanna have your baby!"

Slangy
"I'm hooked on you."
"I'm all about you."
"I'm down with you."
"You're my man."
"You're my girl."
Understated
"I'm rather partial to you."
"You're not bad."
"I kinda like you."
"I'm fond of you."
"I have a soft spot for you."

Poetic
"I'm smitten with you."
"I yearn for you."
"You turn me inside out."
"You've put a spell on me."
"I'm under your spell."
"My heart calls out for you."
"You make me feel young again."

Cold and scientific
"I'm physically attracted to you."
"You are the object of my affection."
"We have a good chemistry."
"I feel affectionate toward you."
"I care for you deeply."

Old-timey
"You're my best girl."
"I'm sweet on you."
"Do you want to go steady?"
"Will you go with me?"
"Roses are red; violets are blue; sugar is sweet, and so are you."
"I'm enamored with you."
"I'm mad about you."
"I hereby declare my love and affection toward you."