13 June, 2010

Essay worksheet 3

Name:__________________ Date:_____________

Using the notes below, write a story and make your story as interesting as
possible.

Jeff watched a late-night movie ... went to bed late…got up late the next
morning ... missed bus to school … took next bus ... late to school ...
reprimanded by teacher… must go to bed earlier.

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Answer:

LATE TO SCHOOL

Jeff watched a late-night movie until the end. As a result
he went to bed late. It was well past midnight.

The next morning Jeff got up late. He did not even hear
the alarm clock which had rung earlier. So he got dresses, and
hurried to the bus stop without even having breakfast. Alas,
he missed the bus to school.

Jeff had no choice but to wait for the next bus. It came
after what seemed a long time. He took the bus and
arrived late at school. The lessons had already begun.
Nevertheless Jeffrey walked into his class.

The teacher reprimanded Jeff for coming late. All Jeff
could do was apologise. He told himself he must go to bed
earlier next time so that he would not wake up late again.
Missing the bus and getting scolded for coming late to school
were not pleasant at all.



Essay worksheet 2

Name:__________________ Date:_____________

Using the notes below, write a story and make your story as interesting as
possible.

Two young girls Anna and Brenda playing with their toys ..in shade of tree ...
playing with toy cooking utensils ... making mud-cakes and cooking
food ... naughty boy Ben came along ...kicked sand onto girls ... girls went
home and changed … next day girls ready for Ben ...Ben came to disturb
them ... girls took pail of water and splashed water on … Ben soaking wet ...
never disturbed girls again.


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Answer:

TEACHING SOMEONE A LESSON

Two young girls Anna and Brenda were playing with their toys
in the shade of a large tree. They were playing with some toy
cooking utensils, making mud-cakes and cooking makebelieve
food.

Ben, the naughty boy, came along and kicked sand onto the
girls. The girls were mad at him but could do nothing but to go
home and change their clothes.

The next day the girls again played with their toys under the
tree. However this time they were ready for Ben. Ben came to
disturb them, they took a pail of water they had got ready
earlier and splashed the water on Butch.

Ben stood there shocked and soaking wet. He realised he
could not bully these girls. From then on he never disturbed
the girls again.


Essay worksheet 1

Name:__________________ Date:_____________

Using the notes below, write a story and make your story as interesting as
possible.

Alan cycling along road ... suddenly fierce dog chased him… bitten on
leg and fell onto ground ... cuts and bruises ... Alan picked up stone and
threw at dog ... dog ran back into house compound ... Alan reported to
police ... police came to house ... owner given warning to curb dog and get
licence ... owner complied ... dog no longer chases passers-by.


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Answer:

THE FIERCE DOG

Alan was cycling along the road between two rows of houses.
Suddenly a fierce dog came out of one of the houses
and chased him.

Alan tried to get away but the dog was too
quick.The dog bit him on one leg and he fell onto the ground.
He had cuts and bruises on his body. In anger Alan picked up a
stone and threw it at the dog. The dog ran back into the
compound of the house, still barking at Alan. The owner of the dog
did not seem to be in. So the Alan reported the incident to the
police.

Two policemen in a car came to the house that evening.
The owner of the dog was in at the time and was warned to
curb his dog. In addition he was told to get a licence for his dog or
it would be shot.

The owner realised that he had been neglectful of his dog. He
complied with the policemen’s requests. Now the dog wears a
licence and the main gate is always closed. The dog no longer
chases passers-by.


12 June, 2010

How to write a good essay?

When writing an essay, it is important to take your time and give your writing a lot of consideration. The actual writing of the essay consists of 8 steps:

  1. Study the topic or the question given carefully.
  2. Write down any key words or phrases that can be associated with the topic. Look at the key words and try to expand your ideas using the key words.
  3. Think of the plot (your main idea) based on the topic or the sentences.
  4. Next , decide on the characters of your story. Remember to have only 1 or 2 main characters.
  5. Now, write your story based on your plot. To make your essay interesting , imagine the story taking place in your mind.
  6. Describe the characters or the plot more interestingly and in details as you picture them.
  7. Read your essay to check that your essay has an good opening interesting details and a good closing.
  8. Proofread your essay for any grammatical and spelling mistakes .

11 June, 2010

Fifth Formers’ Woes









We are kept busy doing homework every day
we never have time to play
We have no time even to rest
Because our parents pressure us to do our best.

Every time teachers come to our class
They warn us never to act crassor
we will have no opportunity
To study in Form Six and university.

The thought of SPM drives all of us crazy
We are given no chance to be lazy
All our hopes are tied up in this examination
It brings upon us parental praise or condemnation.

The mad woman

I walk a kilometre or so to school every morning. Sometimes I come across a mad woman dressed in a dark dirt:, sari. She probably had not had a bath for years. Her hair is matted, teeth stained red with betel-nut and eyes blood-shot with the look of madness. I always keep my distance from her for my own safety for I cannot be sure what she will do flex: Also she smells terrible up close.

It is never pleasant when I see her standing by the roadside. She is by no means violent but she has the nasty habit of following people who pass by. Normally when I see her I cross over to the other side of the road just to avoid her Usually that works. Sometimes she crosses the road too. So run. Fortunately she cannot run very fast and gives up after while.

One morning, as I crossed the road to avoid her, she tried to cross too. I started to run. She started to run too but. tripped on her sari. She fell down hard on the road and lay there in a heap. I wanted to keep running but I saw that she was in great danger of being run over by a car. So I ran over her to pull her to the roadside.

As much as I disliked it, I had to help her. The other passers-by did not seem to bother. So I held my breath as I pull her by her arms towards the roadside. By now people and cars had stopped to watch. No one helped but at last I managed to drag her to safety.

She opened her eyes and gave me a smile. I could only stare at her dumbly. Then I turned and hurried to school to wash my hands.

Nowadays I cycle to school. It is much faster this way. Also I do not have to contend with the mad woman again

The haunted house

Everyone says that the old house at the end of the road is haunted. It used to be the residence of a rich family but now none of them would stay there. So the house is vacant and not cared for. The compound is filled with overgrown weed and grass.

My friend Jack and I decided to find out once and for all if what people said about the house was true. So one evening, we bravely entered the house and prepared to spend the night there. We brought along a powerful torch-light, two sleeping-bags, some food and drinks, and a portable stereo set.

The early part of the night was no trouble at all. We sat on our sleeping-bags and listened to our favourite music.

Twelve midnight came. We felt a bit sleepy. So we switched off the stereo set and crawled into our sleeping-bags. However sleep was impossible. There seemed to be a heavy atmosphere hanging around us. The darkness was oppressive and there was a strange soft whining noise coming from upstairs.

We dared not go up to investigate the noise. So we lay quietly in our sleeping-bags and hoped that the noise would go away. But it would not go away.

Actually it got louder and louder. Then it sounded like someone moaning. Jack hurried out of his sleeping-bags and switched on the torch-light. We could see nothing except the walls of the empty living-room we were in.

Suddenly there was a loud crash from upstairs and the moans turned to screams. We screamed too and ran out of the house as fast as we could, leaving behind everything that we had brought. The hair on the back of my head stood on end for hours afterwards.

We never dared to go back into the house, not even in the daytime. My uncle had to go and retrieve the things we had left behind there.

So, is the house haunted? All I can say is that if you want to know, go and find out for yourself.

A visit to the market

I accompanied my mother to the central market to buy some groceries that she needed for the coming New Year.

When we arrived at the market we could not find a place to park the car. So we waited patiently for about ten minutes before someone vacated a parking space and we moved in.

Coming to the market just before a festive season was not a pleasant experience. The whole town seemed to be there. Everyone had things to buy. So the prices of things shot up. Worst of all, we had to struggle to get these things.

So we made our way carefully through the various sections buying vegetables, meat, fish, noodles, spices and other food stuffs. We had wanted to buy some prawns too but they were all sold out, despite their sky-high price.

The bags got heavier and heavier. The crowd got thicker and thicker. The noise and heat were overwhelming. As we had nearly done all the shopping, I told my mother that I would wait for her at the car. I could not stand being among hundreds of aggressive shoppers any longer.

I lugged the bags wearily to the car and breathed a sigh of relief when I reached it. The air smelled sweet and cool. I was glad to be outside.

Fifteen minutes later my mother emerged from the market. She looked exhausted. We put the groceries in the boot, got into the car and drove off with the air-conditioner at full blast.

What changes would you like to see in your school in the new millennium?

A new millennium a new beginning a bright new future That is what I see for my school, my alma mater. As a student, I am proud to be a part of the small community here. As the old century quietly waves goodbye, past mistakes are reflected upon, new challenges are made to lay a foundation for a better tomorrow.

A millennium one thousand years much can be achieved. I can see a new, computerized teachingsystem where students are taught based on their own understanding and learning method. Each studentwould have a mini laptop which would be linked to different sites, via the Internet. Computers would notcompletely take over the role of teachers, but instead, be teaching-aids, each designed to specially suit theneeds of individual students. One might ask: Wouldn't specially-programmed robots be good teachers? No! Students learn best through love and understanding, qualities of a good teacher which could never be replaced by a lump of metal with a microchip.

Lessons would not be exam-oriented, but instead, would be focused on moulding a new generation,ready to face whatever the future holds. Moral values would be stressed upon, the seeds of humanity sownthrough hard labour, love and example. A bountiful harvest would be reaped when the students each venture outside the walls of education, with the light of goodwill and trust lighting the way to success. Then, my schoolwould truly have achieved its goal.

Nowadays, gangsterism in school is rampant. Cases of vandalism, gang-fights and public confrontationagainst teachers have increased rapidly. I hope that my school would adopt a more transparent attitude inwhich the students would be sure of finding someone who would willingly lend an ear or a shoulder to cry on, a mentor to guide them back to the path of Ruth from which they have strayed. I envision my school providinglove and protection from the dark, cruel world outside. Teachers could be the vital link to prevent students frombeing swept into the bounds of evil. Sometimes, I think that all we, the students, need is someone to hold uswhen things go wrong and tell us that everything is going to be alright.

I also wish that my school would organize more projects involving everyone, not just a handful of people. For instance, on 'Green Day', everyone could lend a hand and beautify the school. More trees and flowers could be planted. Murals could be painted all over the school, portraying different achievements of the school. The students, in turn, should give a good response and help in every way they can. "Green and clean", that should be the motto in the school compound.

Beside that, the facilities in the school should be improved upon, based on the needs of the growingnumber of students. In my fantasy world, I can see a new cafeteria, big enough to house all the students and at the same time able to provide nourishing food for the students. And the library would be like a grand hall, with shelves and shelves of books from the past and present. There would be a swimming pool; tenniscourts...different places for different games. All these can be achieved with a little hard work and perseverance.

In the new millennium, my school would achieve new height and be a benchmark in the world ofeducation. Besides being the house of education, my school would also be a shelter of love and compassion,encouraging the students to reach out for the stars.



Vocabulary
Vandalism :intentional and needless damage of public property 破坏公物
benchmark :the examination of a rival company’s product in order to establish a standard 基准制定

Dark and stormy night

It was a dark and stormy night when she came to find me. I was sitting at my work desk, writing my daily report of the day's work when my ears caught a soft knocking at the front door, timid but distinct against the fury of the tempest.

Who could it possibly be at this hour and in this kind of night, I mused as I pushed back my chair irritably to answer the door. As I was about to slip back the latch, a small, seldom heard voice in the back of my head, which only spoke in times of danger, cautioned me to be careful. My hand hovered over the latch hesitantly. Could the stranger on the other side be a dangerous person? Even in the middle of a night like this, the very notion of a dangerous person wanting to take the trouble to harm a plain Jane like me seemed absurd. I peered out through the glass peephole in the centre of the door, but it was so dark outside that all I could see was a dark silhouette.

"Who's there?" I called out.

"Maze, its me." A woman's voice rang out on the other side, a voice so old and familiar that it was unmistakable even in the thundering rain.

All thoughts of burglars and stalkers fled from my mind as I slipped back the last latch and flung open the door. There she stood, a lone and forlorn figure on the doorstep. The torrential rain had drenched her from head to toe, the rivulets of rainwater gleaming in the dim light of the hallway down her back and formed a puddle at her feet. She had changed much, yet I could still recognize her as the dear friend from my school years. Her business suit was wet and hung limply from her tall frame, but it was obviously of an expensive cut. She held a small briefcase tightly in one hand. Even in my state of semi-shock, I could see that she was unusually nervous, for she gripped the handle so tightly I could see her knuckles shining white in the dim light. Her eyes, those fiery, piercing eyes which always seemed to dance with laughter during our school days were not dancing now as she gazed back at me. I do not know how long we stood there simply staring at each other, but it was Ling who broke the spell.

"May I come in?" she inquired tentatively.

I started. What was I thinking of, letting an old friend stand out there dripping wet and not inviting her in. But then, even old friends do not pop up at one's front door in the middle of the night, do they? Indeed it had been 7 years since I last saw Ling. As I led her into the sitting room and helped her out of her wet coat, all the old memories came flooding back to me. We had been childhood friends since the first year of kindergarten. We grew up together and shared everything between us until the year when brilliant Ling received and accepted a scholarship offer to study in the United State of America. Ever since that fateful year, we were never as close as we used to be again. Ling did try to keep in touch through letters, but there was always an intangible gap between us, I could sense her change even in those hurried letters scribbled between classes in her hectic university schedule. Maybe she could sense a difference in myreplies too. We slowly drifted apart. One year after she had left the country, our letters stopped.

Ling went on to fulfil her life long ambition of becoming a scientist. She specialized in genetic engineering and became a very capable and renowned name in her field. This I did not learn through her as we had lost all contact. Instead, I read about her progress in the various science journals. She was a brilliant engineer and received much praise in the articles on the progress of her career. In fact, Ling was one of the scientists in the team which succeeded in cloning the sheep, Dolly, I had not expected to see Ling again. How could a successful sought-after scientist like her find the time to associate herself with a humble, unemployed researcher like me?

As she sat on the sofa, she began to speak. I sat down opposite her. She had refused all offers of fresh clothes and heat coffee.

"I will not keep you long. My time is nearly up. I must be short and precise about my purpose in coming here." Her voice was low but clear. Lightning flashed outside and lit up the haggard lines on her face. She had obviously been through many struggles in the past 7 years.

"You must have read about my most recent project in the news."

I nodded. The proposal to clone an actual human had sparked a flurry of debates, protests and controversy. Ling had been working for the company who made the bold announcement. Gossip and rumours about the cloning project was splashed all over the newspapers.

"I ran away from the team," she stated simply. "I am ambitious, yes, I admit. But I do not want to defy God."

Again I started, this was strange and abrupt. I stared incomprehensibly at her, a hundred questions on the verge of my tongue unspoken.

"Yes, I stole our latest work. The data is in a diskette inside my case, and I ran away." She looked at me, hopefully.

"I'm dying, Maze. And I know you have no obligations to help me but what I'm asking of you now is not only for old time's sake, it's for the entire human race."

"You never believed in human cloning, did you? You never did approve of the idea, not even as a student...all those interviews where you spoke against your own work..." I whispered.

Ling closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "You're right. I never did. So now I'm going to put a stop to it before I leave this world. Take the diskette and keep it safe, Maze. Destroy it if the need arises. I leave the decision in your hands. Our word is not ready for such a discovery."

She got up from the sofa. "I missed you very much all these 7 years, Maze. I'm glad I got to see you one last time before I " She paused, never finishing the sentence.

That was the last time I saw her - the visitor in the middle of the dark and stormy night.

A happy day in my life

Outside the surgery room, my family and I were waiting anxiously. Today was the day my grandmother would be operated on by some skillful surgeons. My grandmother had always had a weak heart. Not wanting to see her suffer any more, my parents decided to let her have the surgery as recommended by our family doctor.

My mother was pacing anxiously in front of me. What could possibly go wrong? I asked myself. But still I could not see my heart at ease. The seconds ticked by. I could feel myself getting more and more anxious.

As the ordeal dragged on, I could not help but think back of the times my grandmother and I had spent together. I had always been the apple of my grandmother's eye. She would give me everything I wanted. When I was little, she used to tell me stories, but as she grew older, she often suffered from chest pains and became too weak to tell me all her dear stories.

Lost in thoughts, I did not notice a doctor and several nurses coming out of the operating theatre. It took me several seconds to return to reality. Immediately, I leaped up from my seat, and rushed forward. My heart pounded heavily in my chest. I felt as if I would explode!

My heart sank as I noticed the grim expression on the chief surgeon's face. Then, his stem face broke into a smile. He informed us that the surgery was a success. My heart swelled with happiness. "My dear'Por Por' is alive!" Out of the corner of my eyes as tears ran down my cheeks, I saw my parents thanking the surgeon profusely.

That day was no doubt the happiest day in my life. It was such a relief to know that my grandmother would no longer have to suffer in agony from her chest pains and that we both could be together a little longer.



Vocabulary
grim : causing great fear or anxiety 令人害怕的,
profusely:generous in giving thanks 一再道谢
agony :very great pain 极大痛苦的