http://www.englishclub.com/vocabulary/figures-similes-list.htm
http://www.englishclub.com/vocabulary/figures-simile.htm
http://www.saidwhatguides.co.uk/similes.php
http://www.saidwhat.co.uk/spoon/similes.php
http://www.colorwize.com/BODYColorwize.html
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Metaphors and Similes
Metaphors and similes can not only make our writing more interesting but also help us to think more carefully about our subjects. Put another way, metaphors and similes are not just pretty ornaments; they are ways of thinking.
How do we begin to create metaphors and similes? For one thing, we must be ready to play with language and ideas. A comparison like the following, for example, might appear in an early draft of an essay:
Laura sang like an old cat.
As we revise our draft, we might try adding more details to the comparison to make it more precise and interesting:
When Laura sang, she sounded like a cat sliding down a chalkboard.
George has been working at the same automobile factory six days a week, ten hours a day, for the past twelve years.(Use a simile or a metaphor to show how worn out George was feeling.)
Sample Responses to Sentence #1
a. George felt as worn out as the elbows on his work shirt.
b. George felt as worn out as an old phonograph record.
c. George felt worn out, like an old punching bag.
d. George felt as worn out as the rusted Impala that carried him to work every day.
e. George felt as worn out as an old joke that was never very funny in the first place.
f. George felt worn out and useless--just another broken fan belt, a burst radiator hose, a stripped wing nut, a discharged battery.
How do we begin to create metaphors and similes? For one thing, we must be ready to play with language and ideas. A comparison like the following, for example, might appear in an early draft of an essay:
Laura sang like an old cat.
As we revise our draft, we might try adding more details to the comparison to make it more precise and interesting:
When Laura sang, she sounded like a cat sliding down a chalkboard.
George has been working at the same automobile factory six days a week, ten hours a day, for the past twelve years.(Use a simile or a metaphor to show how worn out George was feeling.)
Sample Responses to Sentence #1
a. George felt as worn out as the elbows on his work shirt.
b. George felt as worn out as an old phonograph record.
c. George felt worn out, like an old punching bag.
d. George felt as worn out as the rusted Impala that carried him to work every day.
e. George felt as worn out as an old joke that was never very funny in the first place.
f. George felt worn out and useless--just another broken fan belt, a burst radiator hose, a stripped wing nut, a discharged battery.
Similes Ex (Refer to Preston English p 317)
Similes
Showing distinctive qualities of creatures
1. As agile as ____________
2. as blind as ____________
3. as brave as ____________
4. as bright as ____________
5. as busy as _____________
6. as crafty as ____________
7. as faithful as ___________
8. as fast as ______________
9. as fierce as _____________
10. as gaudy as _____________
11. as gentle as _____________
12. as graceful as ___________
13. as hairy as _____________
14. as happy as ____________
15. as harmless as a _________
16. as heavy as _____________
17. as hungry as _______________
18. as lazy as _________________
19. as like as _________________
20. as lively as ________________
21. as mad as _________________
22. as meek as ________________
23. as nervous as ______________
24. as obstinate as _____________
25. as playful as _______________
26. as poor as _________________
27. as proud as ________________
28. as quiet as _________________
29. as red as __________________
30. as slippery as ______________
31. as slow as _________________
32. as spineless as ______________
33. as strong as ________________
34. as suspicious as _____________
35. as timid as _________________
36. as tricky as _________________
37. as useful as _________________
38. as wise as __________________
Showing distinctive qualities of creatures
1. As agile as ____________
2. as blind as ____________
3. as brave as ____________
4. as bright as ____________
5. as busy as _____________
6. as crafty as ____________
7. as faithful as ___________
8. as fast as ______________
9. as fierce as _____________
10. as gaudy as _____________
11. as gentle as _____________
12. as graceful as ___________
13. as hairy as _____________
14. as happy as ____________
15. as harmless as a _________
16. as heavy as _____________
17. as hungry as _______________
18. as lazy as _________________
19. as like as _________________
20. as lively as ________________
21. as mad as _________________
22. as meek as ________________
23. as nervous as ______________
24. as obstinate as _____________
25. as playful as _______________
26. as poor as _________________
27. as proud as ________________
28. as quiet as _________________
29. as red as __________________
30. as slippery as ______________
31. as slow as _________________
32. as spineless as ______________
33. as strong as ________________
34. as suspicious as _____________
35. as timid as _________________
36. as tricky as _________________
37. as useful as _________________
38. as wise as __________________
Metaphors 2
Metaphors
So, what is a metaphor? A metaphor is like a simile. That's because it is a comparison that is made between things, which is not always likely or obvious.
However, the explicit use of the word 'like' or 'as' which you see in a simile, is not used in a metaphor which is rather a comparison of two unlike things using the verb "to be".
Hence, a metaphor sounds more forceful and suggestive, but is still very common in speech. Common metaphors include "the neck of the woods" or "the foot of the mountain". These can be seen to be similar to similes - they suggest a comparison but do not make it explicitly.
We often use metaphors without realising it. For instance, when we say that your parents 'bark a command' at you, you are comparing them to a dog, and hence engaging in metaphor!
Other Metaphors
A heart of stone (from Rebecca)
He has the heart of a lion
You are the sun in my sky
You are the light in my life
She is my East and my West, my compass.
You had better pull your socks up
Life is a mere dream, a fleeting shadow on a cloudy day.
Love is a lemon - either bitter of sweet (from Scott)
Drowning in the sea
Jumping for joy
Rolling in dough
Apple of my eye
Leaping with laughter - From Trinita
The silence was a blood-curdling scream of anguish, set out to break my soul - from Kiwi
So, what is a metaphor? A metaphor is like a simile. That's because it is a comparison that is made between things, which is not always likely or obvious.
However, the explicit use of the word 'like' or 'as' which you see in a simile, is not used in a metaphor which is rather a comparison of two unlike things using the verb "to be".
Hence, a metaphor sounds more forceful and suggestive, but is still very common in speech. Common metaphors include "the neck of the woods" or "the foot of the mountain". These can be seen to be similar to similes - they suggest a comparison but do not make it explicitly.
We often use metaphors without realising it. For instance, when we say that your parents 'bark a command' at you, you are comparing them to a dog, and hence engaging in metaphor!
Other Metaphors
A heart of stone (from Rebecca)
He has the heart of a lion
You are the sun in my sky
You are the light in my life
She is my East and my West, my compass.
You had better pull your socks up
Life is a mere dream, a fleeting shadow on a cloudy day.
Love is a lemon - either bitter of sweet (from Scott)
Drowning in the sea
Jumping for joy
Rolling in dough
Apple of my eye
Leaping with laughter - From Trinita
The silence was a blood-curdling scream of anguish, set out to break my soul - from Kiwi
Metaphors 1
Metaphors are comparisons that show how two things that are not alike in most ways are similar in one important way. Metaphors are a way to describe something. Authors use them to make their writing more interesting or entertaining.
Unlike similes that use the words “as” or “like” to make a comparison, metaphors state that something is something else.
Read the statements that contain metaphors in italics. Then complete the statements that explain the metaphors.
1. Brian was a wall, bouncing every tennis ball back over the net.
This metaphor compares Brian to a wall because __________.
a. He was very strong.
b. He was very tall.
c. He kept returning the balls.
d. His body was made of cells.
2. We would have had more pizza to eat if Tammy hadn’t been such a hog.
Tammy was being compared to a hog because she __________.
a. looked like a hog
b. ate like a hog
c. smelled like a hog
d. was as smart as a hog
3. Cindy was such a mule. We couldn’t get her to change her mind.
The metaphor compares Cindy to a mule because she was __________.
a. always eating oats
b. able to do hard work
c. raised on a farm
d. very stubborn
4. The poor rat didn’t have a chance. Our old cat, a bolt of lightning, caught his prey.
The cat was compared to a bolt of lightning because he was __________.
a. very fast
b. very bright
c. not fond of fleas
d. very old
5. Even a child could carry my dog, Dogface, around for hours. He’s such a feather.
This metaphor implies that Dogface __________.
a. is not cute
b. looks like a bird
c. is not heavy
d. can fly
(Source:http://www.rhlschool.com/eng3n26.htm)
Unlike similes that use the words “as” or “like” to make a comparison, metaphors state that something is something else.
Read the statements that contain metaphors in italics. Then complete the statements that explain the metaphors.
1. Brian was a wall, bouncing every tennis ball back over the net.
This metaphor compares Brian to a wall because __________.
a. He was very strong.
b. He was very tall.
c. He kept returning the balls.
d. His body was made of cells.
2. We would have had more pizza to eat if Tammy hadn’t been such a hog.
Tammy was being compared to a hog because she __________.
a. looked like a hog
b. ate like a hog
c. smelled like a hog
d. was as smart as a hog
3. Cindy was such a mule. We couldn’t get her to change her mind.
The metaphor compares Cindy to a mule because she was __________.
a. always eating oats
b. able to do hard work
c. raised on a farm
d. very stubborn
4. The poor rat didn’t have a chance. Our old cat, a bolt of lightning, caught his prey.
The cat was compared to a bolt of lightning because he was __________.
a. very fast
b. very bright
c. not fond of fleas
d. very old
5. Even a child could carry my dog, Dogface, around for hours. He’s such a feather.
This metaphor implies that Dogface __________.
a. is not cute
b. looks like a bird
c. is not heavy
d. can fly
(Source:http://www.rhlschool.com/eng3n26.htm)
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
SW An Announcement on Notice Board: Who Murdered Sherlock Holmes?
SW: Who Murdered Sherlock Holmes? (An Announcement on Notice Board)
Dear English Drama Club members,
I came across an advertisement about this play entitled “Who murdered Sherlock Holmes?”. I think the play is perfect for us to watch because it will provide good exposure and we will have a better understanding of what a play is like.
The play is a comedy thriller and it is produced by The Theatre Lyric London. It will be held at the Substation, from 11 March to 13 March, at 8pm. What is interesting or special about this play is that it provides a new twist to the mystery of Sherlock Holmes’ death.
I hope that we will be able to catch this play together.
Thank you.
Your Chairman,
Tommy
21 July 2010
Dear English Drama Club members,
I came across an advertisement about this play entitled “Who murdered Sherlock Holmes?”. I think the play is perfect for us to watch because it will provide good exposure and we will have a better understanding of what a play is like.
The play is a comedy thriller and it is produced by The Theatre Lyric London. It will be held at the Substation, from 11 March to 13 March, at 8pm. What is interesting or special about this play is that it provides a new twist to the mystery of Sherlock Holmes’ death.
I hope that we will be able to catch this play together.
Thank you.
Your Chairman,
Tommy
21 July 2010
Synthesis p24-29 : Despite/In spite of (WS1-3)
Despite/In spite of (Synthesis p 24 – 29 WS 1-3)
1. Despite what he did, I did not scold him.
2. Despite the soup being very hot, John drank it up in a gulp.
3. Peter continued to study for his test despite having a headache.
4. Despite the cold weather, she wore a dress.
5. Despite all of us being there, we could do nothing at all.
6. Despite his lack of self-discipline/ lacking in self-discipline, he was a kind and generous man.
7. Despite countless warnings, you still refused to obey the school rules.
8. Despite my warning, she touched the kettle.
9. Ben did not give up despite being very tired mid-way through the marathon.
10. Despite the bad weather, they decided to leave for the concert.
WS2
1. Despite the poacher being very close to the tiger, he missed the shot.
2. Despite us warning Peter, he left the camp without the gun.
3. Despite the tough competition, he won the gold medal.
4. Despite countless warnings not to, they swam in the lake that night.
5. Despite being ill/his illness, he insisted on going to work.
6. Despite their persuasion, she refused to go to the party.
7. Despite having his innocence proven, the people were still suspicious of him.
8. Despite his injury, Fandi still continued to play until the end of the match.
9. Despite eating nothing but salad and fruit, she still saw the same round face in the mirror.
10. Despite my protest, Fiona ignored me.
11. Despite all of us being there, we could do nothing at all.
WS 3
Despite her lack of experience, the company employed her.
Or Despite lacking in experience, she was employed by the company.
2. Despite playing well, the soccer team lost the match.
Or Despite losing the match, the soccer team played well.
3. He still found time for a last visit with all his friends in spite of having to leave for England so soon.
4. In spite of the heavy downpour, the four boys hiked down to the next town.
5. In spite of the fact that he knew everything, he still kept quiet when his brother was arrested.
6. In spite of being poor, they were happy.
7. Weiwei refused to give up the race in spite of being seriously injured.
8. In spite of his protest, he was taken to the police station and charged with theft.
9. In spite of me shouting for help as loudly as I could, no one heard me.
10. He offered to help in spite of being very busy/ his business.
1. Despite what he did, I did not scold him.
2. Despite the soup being very hot, John drank it up in a gulp.
3. Peter continued to study for his test despite having a headache.
4. Despite the cold weather, she wore a dress.
5. Despite all of us being there, we could do nothing at all.
6. Despite his lack of self-discipline/ lacking in self-discipline, he was a kind and generous man.
7. Despite countless warnings, you still refused to obey the school rules.
8. Despite my warning, she touched the kettle.
9. Ben did not give up despite being very tired mid-way through the marathon.
10. Despite the bad weather, they decided to leave for the concert.
WS2
1. Despite the poacher being very close to the tiger, he missed the shot.
2. Despite us warning Peter, he left the camp without the gun.
3. Despite the tough competition, he won the gold medal.
4. Despite countless warnings not to, they swam in the lake that night.
5. Despite being ill/his illness, he insisted on going to work.
6. Despite their persuasion, she refused to go to the party.
7. Despite having his innocence proven, the people were still suspicious of him.
8. Despite his injury, Fandi still continued to play until the end of the match.
9. Despite eating nothing but salad and fruit, she still saw the same round face in the mirror.
10. Despite my protest, Fiona ignored me.
11. Despite all of us being there, we could do nothing at all.
WS 3
Despite her lack of experience, the company employed her.
Or Despite lacking in experience, she was employed by the company.
2. Despite playing well, the soccer team lost the match.
Or Despite losing the match, the soccer team played well.
3. He still found time for a last visit with all his friends in spite of having to leave for England so soon.
4. In spite of the heavy downpour, the four boys hiked down to the next town.
5. In spite of the fact that he knew everything, he still kept quiet when his brother was arrested.
6. In spite of being poor, they were happy.
7. Weiwei refused to give up the race in spite of being seriously injured.
8. In spite of his protest, he was taken to the police station and charged with theft.
9. In spite of me shouting for help as loudly as I could, no one heard me.
10. He offered to help in spite of being very busy/ his business.
Dictogloss: An Old Ice-Cream Peddler
Dictogloss: An Old Ice-Cream Peddler
Dark monsoon clouds gathered in the sky. Ah Peck looked out of his window and waved at Li Ping, his granddaughter, who was getting onto her school bus. Beaming at him, she waved back. The bus disappeared round the corner, and as the rain started to pour, it brought back vivid memories of last November.It was another bad day for Ah Peck, an old ice-cream peddler. It had been raining the past week and business was poor. Ah Peck vowed, no matter how difficult life was, he would do his best to support Li Ping. Li Ping's parents had passed away in a tragic accident just a year before and she had to move in with Ah Peck. He was her only kin.
Dark monsoon clouds gathered in the sky. Ah Peck looked out of his window and waved at Li Ping, his granddaughter, who was getting onto her school bus. Beaming at him, she waved back. The bus disappeared round the corner, and as the rain started to pour, it brought back vivid memories of last November.It was another bad day for Ah Peck, an old ice-cream peddler. It had been raining the past week and business was poor. Ah Peck vowed, no matter how difficult life was, he would do his best to support Li Ping. Li Ping's parents had passed away in a tragic accident just a year before and she had to move in with Ah Peck. He was her only kin.
SW: The Arctic Tale
Dear RVians,
As you know there are many animals becoming extinct, it is time for us to help save these animals. I will encourage you to support the Wildlife Conservation Singapore Fund.
The event is the screening of a movie called 'Arctic Tale' for charity. It will take place on 8 September 2007. It is held at the Pavilion by the Lake, Singapore Zoo. Each ticket costs $8. You can find out more about the movie at this website:www.arctictalemovie.com. I’ll encourage you to buy the movie tickets to help fund the wildlife conservation programmes. Thank you for your attention.
As you know there are many animals becoming extinct, it is time for us to help save these animals. I will encourage you to support the Wildlife Conservation Singapore Fund.
The event is the screening of a movie called 'Arctic Tale' for charity. It will take place on 8 September 2007. It is held at the Pavilion by the Lake, Singapore Zoo. Each ticket costs $8. You can find out more about the movie at this website:www.arctictalemovie.com. I’ll encourage you to buy the movie tickets to help fund the wildlife conservation programmes. Thank you for your attention.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Wed (21 July) 'Show' Sentences; Anger, Scared, Overjoyed
‘Show’ Sentences for ANGER
Her face turned red/ flushed with anger.
Looked fuming with rage.
She stormed out/ stamped her feet out/ of the room./ stamped her feet in frustration
Slammed the door.
Pushed/ kicked the chair
Threw things onto the floor.
Screamed vulgarities at
Sullen and bad-tempered
As fierce as a lion
Screamed like a hyena/yelled loudly
Unblinking eyes flashed with anger
Eyes staring like daggers
Icy cold stares
Stand at akimbo
Clenching your fists
Hatred/anger boiling inside you
Hell broke loose
exasperate - to infuriate or frustrate
indignant - angry and resentful
perturb - to annoy or trouble
rancor - hatred
ire - Angry and wrathful.
rage - Violent anger
furor - Violent anger
spite - hard feelings, has a slight feel of revenge.
antipathy - a strong dislike
disaffected - full of resentment
disconcerted - disturbed or upset
aversion - another strong dislike
contentious - argumentative or quarrelsome
Madder than a wet hen.
Mad enough to spit nails.
Seeing red.
rebuke or reprove
he's put out (also meaning 'troubled', 'bothered', 'inconvenienced')
"his feathers are ruffled
s/o (or s/th) has got under his skin
s/o (or s/th) has rubbed him up the wrong way
he's cheesed off with s/o (but beware: "he's cheesed off" on its own usually means "he's bored" or "he's depressed").
“I don’t want to be hard on you, but your behaviour on this matter is not appropriate.”
“It was quite inappropriate to say that!”
“What an inappropriate gift for a child”
I regret ….
I regret every moment I spent with you.
I hope the delay has not caused any inconvenience to our customers”
Disappoint..“I was quite disappointed when you cancelled the appointment”
“Not sending me a letter or a little note in order to explain what really happened was a kind of a disappointment for me.”
Afflict (maybe little harsh but can be used in extreme situations)
I was afflicted with/by your …”
Someone or something that makes you irritated or mad can:
Get your back up....(picture an angry cat!)
Get your goatGet your dander up
Set your teeth on edge....(sort of like the sound of fingernails on a chalkboard!)
If you yell at someone, you can:
Read them the riot act.......To read the riot act to someone
Let loose on them
Go off on them
Rake them over the coals
Give them a tongue lashing
Clean their clock.....(this can mean physical violence, too.)
If you want to argue with someone, you:
Have a bone to pick........(this is more for a certain cause)
Have a chip on your shoulder...........(this carries a sense of defiance, or a long lasting grudge)
If you lose control suddenly you can:
Blow your top
Flip your lid
Fly off the handle....(this has the sense of being angry for little cause, maybe you assume something incorrectly.)
Go off half-cocked.....(This one, too. These two are usually used in an apology!)
You can be:As mad as hops....(I think that's British.)
Hopping mad.......(I think that's American.)
Bristling with anger
You can:Catch an attitude
Have an attitude
Get riled......Get riled up
Be vexed with someone.
Embarrassment
Cheeks turned red with embarrassment/
Blushed so furiously that his ears turned pink
His ears turned flame coloured
Covered his eyes with his hands
Face turned lobster red
Lowered his eyes, avoiding her gaze
Smiled sheepishly
Close his eyes
Dashed to the toilet
Too embarrassed to utter a word
Overjoyed/Happiness
At cloud nine
Jumped up and down
Felt like flying
Screamed in joy
Unexpected excitement
Shrieked with excitement
Smiled gleefully
Started singing and dancing
Promised treats for others
Wonder
We listened in rapt attention to the tour guide
The children, totally enthralled by the show, stood wide-eyed at the cast.
"Wow!" We could not help but marvel at the fine spread.
Stupefied, we gazed at the chests of jewellery in the cave.
We stood there in awestruck silence.
To my astonishment, my new teacher was my cousin!
"Really? Tell me more," he was fascinated.
"Mmmm..." the judges nodded and seemed totally impressed.
The performance was certainly dazzling!
What are you gaping at?
The children watched spellbound at the puppets as they came alive in front of them.
A hush fell over the auditorium as the audience gasped in wonder. Several minutes later, thunderous applause broke out spontaneously.
She was totally mesmerised by the spectacular performance.
The performance was simply electrifying!
Scared/afraid
Hair-raising experience
Biting his teeth/nails
Legs numbed like jelly
Trembling/shaking
Having butterflies in the stomach
Urinated in his pants
Covered one’s eyes
Some other ways to describe being scared are;
It frightened the life out of me
I was shaking like a leaf
He/she was as white as a ghost
My stomach was churning
I was so frightened I was as sick as a dog
"Shaking in my boots"Scared stiff
to scare the pants off ...
to scare the Dickens out of...
running scared...
that scared me so much I thought my hair turned white
scared strait...
scared speechless...
Scared witlessScared rigidScared out of my skin
terrified, frightened, afraid, panicked, terror-stricken, aghast
to daunt to appal (it means more to shock than frighten), to horrify, to affright
Terror
She was immobilised with fear.
Her face turned pale with fear.
We were paralysed by terror.
His courage melted away at the sight of the cane.
My heart pounded at an amazing speed.
Terrified, I buried myself under the covers and pulled my blanket right up to my neck.
The harder I tried to keep my mind from wild thoughts, the faster my mind raced.
My blood ran cold.
My body stiffened at the sight of the first blow approaching.
I froze.
Beads of perspiration formed on my forehead and my hands became clammy.
My legs turned jelly-like as I retreated.
A tingling sensation ran down my spine.
The scream was heart-stopping and ear-piercing/ blood-curdling.
"Don't ...don't shout! I'll give you everything!" He waved frantically as his voice trembled.
My heart skipped a beat.
I broke out in cold sweat.
I ran... and ran... and ran...till my face turned red and my legs turned weak.
My mind raced with wild thoughts.
Huddled in a corner, the hostages squatted with their hands at the back of their heads.
I steeled myself to take a quick peep at the syringe and needle.
My heart was pounding fast and hard/ faster by the minute.
"Somebody! Help me!" I pounded at the lift buttons fiercely. I was near hysteria.
She cowered in a corner.
I recoiled at the sight of the badly mutilated corpse.
He felt his stomach lurch as he saw the horrible sight.
Driven by fear, I raced blindly ahead.
Shock
To my astonishment, it was a puppy.
My eyes widened and my jaw dropped. "Where's my money?" she gasped.
Gasping for breath, she clasped her hand over her mouth.
I looked up, startled by the sudden sound.
"What? That's all you have?" I exclaimed in disbelief.
"What? Which hospital?" Mother's face turned pale and her voice faltered.
Dumbfounded, I stood rooted to the ground.
I opened my mouth to speak but no words came out.
Her lips parted but no words came out.
Stupefied, I turned speechless.
He was in a daze.
There was an incredulous look on her face. "It couldn't be ...it couldn't be my Monica..." She continued to shake her head in denial."Not my Monica."
Her lips were pulled back into a strangled scream.
She was completely bewildered by the strange sight.
The news astounded the neighbours and sent them talking.
Sadness
Eyes reddened and turned moist
Tears brimmed in her reddened eyes
Her eyes were puffy and her nose red after crying
She broke out into loud, uncontrollable sobs which escalated into wails
It broke my heart to see the coffin lowwered into the grave
Overwhelmed by self-pity, she started to weep
Tears welled up in her eyes as she felt her worls collapse.
Wiping away a teardrop with the back of her hand, she forced a faint smile, "I am all right, really."
She let her tears flow down her cheeks, her neck and onto her dress. She did not care about looking pretty anymore.
Her face was tear-stained.
"Don't talk about it anymore," she avoided my eyes and sniffed.
"Mama, mama..." his little face creased with sorrow as he started to bawl.
Misery was written all over her face.
My heart ached.
I could hear my heart shatter into a million pieces.
Choked with emotions, I hugged her only briefly, "Goodbye, Mum!"
Fighting back tears, I smiled at her and patted her lightly on the hand, "You'll get well soon!"
I choked on my tears and hugged her hard, "Goodbye!"
Her face was etched with sorrow.
Tiredness
Drowsy and weary, he drifted off to sleep without even realising it.
His face was pale and his eyes bloodshot.
The child made feeble attempts at keeping his eyes open but eventually he dozed off.
I stifled a yawn and rubbed my bleary eyes.
My eyelids felt as heavy as lead. No matter how hard I tried, I just could not keep them open anymore. The untidy scrawl gradually reduced to illegible snakelike drawings.
Overcame by fatigue, he propped his head on one hand and started snoring on the sofa.
His whole body ached in protest but he forced himself to go on.
After a long day, I trudged home wearily, lugging my heavy school bag.
My school bag seemed extraordinarily heavy. My shoulders stooped even more.
Numbed with exhaustion, I stared blankly at the lines of words on the book.
I sat in a slouch, my armssprawled carelessly on the table.
She shuffled to her little room and sighed with weariness.
I was panting, gasping and sweating.
I could feel the weariness in my bones.
Halfway through the race, she was already huffing and puffing.
I staggered under the heavy weight of the sack and very nearly collapsed at the door.
He laboured up the stairs.
Her face turned red/ flushed with anger.
Looked fuming with rage.
She stormed out/ stamped her feet out/ of the room./ stamped her feet in frustration
Slammed the door.
Pushed/ kicked the chair
Threw things onto the floor.
Screamed vulgarities at
Sullen and bad-tempered
As fierce as a lion
Screamed like a hyena/yelled loudly
Unblinking eyes flashed with anger
Eyes staring like daggers
Icy cold stares
Stand at akimbo
Clenching your fists
Hatred/anger boiling inside you
Hell broke loose
exasperate - to infuriate or frustrate
indignant - angry and resentful
perturb - to annoy or trouble
rancor - hatred
ire - Angry and wrathful.
rage - Violent anger
furor - Violent anger
spite - hard feelings, has a slight feel of revenge.
antipathy - a strong dislike
disaffected - full of resentment
disconcerted - disturbed or upset
aversion - another strong dislike
contentious - argumentative or quarrelsome
Madder than a wet hen.
Mad enough to spit nails.
Seeing red.
rebuke or reprove
he's put out (also meaning 'troubled', 'bothered', 'inconvenienced')
"his feathers are ruffled
s/o (or s/th) has got under his skin
s/o (or s/th) has rubbed him up the wrong way
he's cheesed off with s/o (but beware: "he's cheesed off" on its own usually means "he's bored" or "he's depressed").
“I don’t want to be hard on you, but your behaviour on this matter is not appropriate.”
“It was quite inappropriate to say that!”
“What an inappropriate gift for a child”
I regret ….
I regret every moment I spent with you.
I hope the delay has not caused any inconvenience to our customers”
Disappoint..“I was quite disappointed when you cancelled the appointment”
“Not sending me a letter or a little note in order to explain what really happened was a kind of a disappointment for me.”
Afflict (maybe little harsh but can be used in extreme situations)
I was afflicted with/by your …”
Someone or something that makes you irritated or mad can:
Get your back up....(picture an angry cat!)
Get your goatGet your dander up
Set your teeth on edge....(sort of like the sound of fingernails on a chalkboard!)
If you yell at someone, you can:
Read them the riot act.......To read the riot act to someone
Let loose on them
Go off on them
Rake them over the coals
Give them a tongue lashing
Clean their clock.....(this can mean physical violence, too.)
If you want to argue with someone, you:
Have a bone to pick........(this is more for a certain cause)
Have a chip on your shoulder...........(this carries a sense of defiance, or a long lasting grudge)
If you lose control suddenly you can:
Blow your top
Flip your lid
Fly off the handle....(this has the sense of being angry for little cause, maybe you assume something incorrectly.)
Go off half-cocked.....(This one, too. These two are usually used in an apology!)
You can be:As mad as hops....(I think that's British.)
Hopping mad.......(I think that's American.)
Bristling with anger
You can:Catch an attitude
Have an attitude
Get riled......Get riled up
Be vexed with someone.
Embarrassment
Cheeks turned red with embarrassment/
Blushed so furiously that his ears turned pink
His ears turned flame coloured
Covered his eyes with his hands
Face turned lobster red
Lowered his eyes, avoiding her gaze
Smiled sheepishly
Close his eyes
Dashed to the toilet
Too embarrassed to utter a word
Overjoyed/Happiness
At cloud nine
Jumped up and down
Felt like flying
Screamed in joy
Unexpected excitement
Shrieked with excitement
Smiled gleefully
Started singing and dancing
Promised treats for others
Wonder
We listened in rapt attention to the tour guide
The children, totally enthralled by the show, stood wide-eyed at the cast.
"Wow!" We could not help but marvel at the fine spread.
Stupefied, we gazed at the chests of jewellery in the cave.
We stood there in awestruck silence.
To my astonishment, my new teacher was my cousin!
"Really? Tell me more," he was fascinated.
"Mmmm..." the judges nodded and seemed totally impressed.
The performance was certainly dazzling!
What are you gaping at?
The children watched spellbound at the puppets as they came alive in front of them.
A hush fell over the auditorium as the audience gasped in wonder. Several minutes later, thunderous applause broke out spontaneously.
She was totally mesmerised by the spectacular performance.
The performance was simply electrifying!
Scared/afraid
Hair-raising experience
Biting his teeth/nails
Legs numbed like jelly
Trembling/shaking
Having butterflies in the stomach
Urinated in his pants
Covered one’s eyes
Some other ways to describe being scared are;
It frightened the life out of me
I was shaking like a leaf
He/she was as white as a ghost
My stomach was churning
I was so frightened I was as sick as a dog
"Shaking in my boots"Scared stiff
to scare the pants off ...
to scare the Dickens out of...
running scared...
that scared me so much I thought my hair turned white
scared strait...
scared speechless...
Scared witlessScared rigidScared out of my skin
terrified, frightened, afraid, panicked, terror-stricken, aghast
to daunt to appal (it means more to shock than frighten), to horrify, to affright
Terror
She was immobilised with fear.
Her face turned pale with fear.
We were paralysed by terror.
His courage melted away at the sight of the cane.
My heart pounded at an amazing speed.
Terrified, I buried myself under the covers and pulled my blanket right up to my neck.
The harder I tried to keep my mind from wild thoughts, the faster my mind raced.
My blood ran cold.
My body stiffened at the sight of the first blow approaching.
I froze.
Beads of perspiration formed on my forehead and my hands became clammy.
My legs turned jelly-like as I retreated.
A tingling sensation ran down my spine.
The scream was heart-stopping and ear-piercing/ blood-curdling.
"Don't ...don't shout! I'll give you everything!" He waved frantically as his voice trembled.
My heart skipped a beat.
I broke out in cold sweat.
I ran... and ran... and ran...till my face turned red and my legs turned weak.
My mind raced with wild thoughts.
Huddled in a corner, the hostages squatted with their hands at the back of their heads.
I steeled myself to take a quick peep at the syringe and needle.
My heart was pounding fast and hard/ faster by the minute.
"Somebody! Help me!" I pounded at the lift buttons fiercely. I was near hysteria.
She cowered in a corner.
I recoiled at the sight of the badly mutilated corpse.
He felt his stomach lurch as he saw the horrible sight.
Driven by fear, I raced blindly ahead.
Shock
To my astonishment, it was a puppy.
My eyes widened and my jaw dropped. "Where's my money?" she gasped.
Gasping for breath, she clasped her hand over her mouth.
I looked up, startled by the sudden sound.
"What? That's all you have?" I exclaimed in disbelief.
"What? Which hospital?" Mother's face turned pale and her voice faltered.
Dumbfounded, I stood rooted to the ground.
I opened my mouth to speak but no words came out.
Her lips parted but no words came out.
Stupefied, I turned speechless.
He was in a daze.
There was an incredulous look on her face. "It couldn't be ...it couldn't be my Monica..." She continued to shake her head in denial."Not my Monica."
Her lips were pulled back into a strangled scream.
She was completely bewildered by the strange sight.
The news astounded the neighbours and sent them talking.
Sadness
Eyes reddened and turned moist
Tears brimmed in her reddened eyes
Her eyes were puffy and her nose red after crying
She broke out into loud, uncontrollable sobs which escalated into wails
It broke my heart to see the coffin lowwered into the grave
Overwhelmed by self-pity, she started to weep
Tears welled up in her eyes as she felt her worls collapse.
Wiping away a teardrop with the back of her hand, she forced a faint smile, "I am all right, really."
She let her tears flow down her cheeks, her neck and onto her dress. She did not care about looking pretty anymore.
Her face was tear-stained.
"Don't talk about it anymore," she avoided my eyes and sniffed.
"Mama, mama..." his little face creased with sorrow as he started to bawl.
Misery was written all over her face.
My heart ached.
I could hear my heart shatter into a million pieces.
Choked with emotions, I hugged her only briefly, "Goodbye, Mum!"
Fighting back tears, I smiled at her and patted her lightly on the hand, "You'll get well soon!"
I choked on my tears and hugged her hard, "Goodbye!"
Her face was etched with sorrow.
Tiredness
Drowsy and weary, he drifted off to sleep without even realising it.
His face was pale and his eyes bloodshot.
The child made feeble attempts at keeping his eyes open but eventually he dozed off.
I stifled a yawn and rubbed my bleary eyes.
My eyelids felt as heavy as lead. No matter how hard I tried, I just could not keep them open anymore. The untidy scrawl gradually reduced to illegible snakelike drawings.
Overcame by fatigue, he propped his head on one hand and started snoring on the sofa.
His whole body ached in protest but he forced himself to go on.
After a long day, I trudged home wearily, lugging my heavy school bag.
My school bag seemed extraordinarily heavy. My shoulders stooped even more.
Numbed with exhaustion, I stared blankly at the lines of words on the book.
I sat in a slouch, my armssprawled carelessly on the table.
She shuffled to her little room and sighed with weariness.
I was panting, gasping and sweating.
I could feel the weariness in my bones.
Halfway through the race, she was already huffing and puffing.
I staggered under the heavy weight of the sack and very nearly collapsed at the door.
He laboured up the stairs.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Jeremy Lee En's Composition: My Trips Abroad
My Trips Abroad
I visited three countries, France, Switzerland and Italy, during the June holidays. I went with my family---my father, mother and sister.
I got there by plane and the journey took twelve hours. It was summer there but it was quite cold in France and Switzerland, but hot in Italy. The day was long and the sky was only dark at 9.30pm. I like it in Switzerland because we took a train up two mountains and saw snow.
One of them was Mount Jungfrau which was the top of Europe and the other mountain was Mt Titlis. We took the train up Mt Jungfrau, while we took three cable cars up Mt Titlis. The first one was a normal one which could only take six people while the second one was one that could take up to eighty people. The third one could also take up to eighty people, but it can turn 360 degrees while going up. I played with snow on top of the mountains.
I saw two of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Pisa Tower in Rome. I would like to go back to Switzerland again.
Jeremy Lee En (5 Endurance)
I visited three countries, France, Switzerland and Italy, during the June holidays. I went with my family---my father, mother and sister.
I got there by plane and the journey took twelve hours. It was summer there but it was quite cold in France and Switzerland, but hot in Italy. The day was long and the sky was only dark at 9.30pm. I like it in Switzerland because we took a train up two mountains and saw snow.
One of them was Mount Jungfrau which was the top of Europe and the other mountain was Mt Titlis. We took the train up Mt Jungfrau, while we took three cable cars up Mt Titlis. The first one was a normal one which could only take six people while the second one was one that could take up to eighty people. The third one could also take up to eighty people, but it can turn 360 degrees while going up. I played with snow on top of the mountains.
I saw two of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Pisa Tower in Rome. I would like to go back to Switzerland again.
Jeremy Lee En (5 Endurance)
Roneil's Compo: A Country I Have Visited
I visited Spain on 11 December 2009. My family and I took a cruise ship named Super Star Virgo to that place. The journey took us eleven days! The climate was very hot when we were in the midst of the ocean.It was very cold when we reached Spain. I was shaking like a leaf. We encountered a thunderstorm while we were sleeping in the cruise ship. I was scared when I heard the rumbling of the thunder and the flashing of the lightning. I saw many fishes, dolphins and whales. Eleven days later, we finally reached Spain. The ticket to Spain cost us about $8000 each.When we reached Spain, we went to our hotel first which was far from the port. The hotel was called Pornamens. I did not know what it meant in Spanish.
In Spain we had lots of fun. We went to a few amusement parks and shopping malls.We enjoyed playing and buying things a lot.Later the next day, I witnessed a robbery. I was shocked! There was a young man who tried to steal someone’s bag. I immediately called the police, who caught the robber. I was rewarded for my brave action. The owner gave me a few pasita [their money]. I enjoyed my holidays a lot!
Roneil Bhatia
5 Endurance/2010
In Spain we had lots of fun. We went to a few amusement parks and shopping malls.We enjoyed playing and buying things a lot.Later the next day, I witnessed a robbery. I was shocked! There was a young man who tried to steal someone’s bag. I immediately called the police, who caught the robber. I was rewarded for my brave action. The owner gave me a few pasita [their money]. I enjoyed my holidays a lot!
Roneil Bhatia
5 Endurance/2010
Danny Lee's Composition: A Country I Have Visited
A Country I Have Visited
I still remember the trip to Alpine, Japan. It was from ninth to the sixteenth of June this year. The whole journey took seven hours. While I was on the aeroplane, there was some turbulence. I was frightened as the aeroplane started shaking violently and I thought that we might not make it to Japan. My parents assured me that it was only a turbulence. Once the shaking stopped, I heaved a sign of relief.
When we reached the airport in Japan,we immediately met up with the tour guide,Yu Ren. After that, he told us that we could have our breakfast as our flight was a night flight from 11 pm to 6 am. I dashed off to find a Japanese food stall. I then found a ramen shop and found a vacant table to sit at. I then slurped the ramen noodles so loudly that people nearby looked at me disapprovingly. I was flushed with embarrassment.
The few tourist attractions there were the steep Suicide Cliffs, the rest stop at nearly half of Mount Fuji and the interesting Snow Wall which was high up in the snow-capped mountains that it took an hour's ride up.
The Suicide Cliffs were not within my expectations, because they did not look like people had committed suicide there. However, I noticed that the cliffs were steep and high. There were hawks flying above us in all directions. I was comforted by Yu Ren, our tour guide.He said the hawks were harmless if you did not mess with them.
The rest stop near half of Mount Fuji was scary but fun. I looked down the mountain and I immediately stood back. It was very high in the mountains. There were a lot of people there shopping at the gift shop, taking photographs of the scenery and eating hot and hearty meals.
The last and most interesting tourist attraction was the Snow Wall. The ride took an hour to get up. As I looked around, we were surrounded by snow-capped mountains. As we stepped out of the bus, we immediately went to take photographs at the Snow Wall. The snow was so white that it was hurting my eye. My mother then dug into her handbag and gave me a pair of sunglasses to put on. I wore them and my eyes did not hurt anymore.
On the last day of the tour, we were on our own. We had a free day in Tokyo to shop. I was awed by the shops in the streets in Tokyo. There were games, toys, books and food. All the things were to my satisfaction. But there was a problem, we could not speak Japanese! I then used my handy Japanese Dictionary on my Nintendo DS to translate for us from English to Japanese. At the end of the day, we were all holding a lot of shopping bags of items we had bought.
The best part of my trip was the stay in the hotels. They had nice comfy beds to sleep on, were air-conditioned and had televisions. Luckily, Yu Ren told us that we could watch the FIFA World Cup 2010.
I was excited.When we were boarding our plane back to Singapore, my heart was still reluctant to leave Japan. How I wish I could go back there again in December. It was an enjoyable holiday indeed !
Written By Danny Lee Hao Jun from 5 Endurance
I still remember the trip to Alpine, Japan. It was from ninth to the sixteenth of June this year. The whole journey took seven hours. While I was on the aeroplane, there was some turbulence. I was frightened as the aeroplane started shaking violently and I thought that we might not make it to Japan. My parents assured me that it was only a turbulence. Once the shaking stopped, I heaved a sign of relief.
When we reached the airport in Japan,we immediately met up with the tour guide,Yu Ren. After that, he told us that we could have our breakfast as our flight was a night flight from 11 pm to 6 am. I dashed off to find a Japanese food stall. I then found a ramen shop and found a vacant table to sit at. I then slurped the ramen noodles so loudly that people nearby looked at me disapprovingly. I was flushed with embarrassment.
The few tourist attractions there were the steep Suicide Cliffs, the rest stop at nearly half of Mount Fuji and the interesting Snow Wall which was high up in the snow-capped mountains that it took an hour's ride up.
The Suicide Cliffs were not within my expectations, because they did not look like people had committed suicide there. However, I noticed that the cliffs were steep and high. There were hawks flying above us in all directions. I was comforted by Yu Ren, our tour guide.He said the hawks were harmless if you did not mess with them.
The rest stop near half of Mount Fuji was scary but fun. I looked down the mountain and I immediately stood back. It was very high in the mountains. There were a lot of people there shopping at the gift shop, taking photographs of the scenery and eating hot and hearty meals.
The last and most interesting tourist attraction was the Snow Wall. The ride took an hour to get up. As I looked around, we were surrounded by snow-capped mountains. As we stepped out of the bus, we immediately went to take photographs at the Snow Wall. The snow was so white that it was hurting my eye. My mother then dug into her handbag and gave me a pair of sunglasses to put on. I wore them and my eyes did not hurt anymore.
On the last day of the tour, we were on our own. We had a free day in Tokyo to shop. I was awed by the shops in the streets in Tokyo. There were games, toys, books and food. All the things were to my satisfaction. But there was a problem, we could not speak Japanese! I then used my handy Japanese Dictionary on my Nintendo DS to translate for us from English to Japanese. At the end of the day, we were all holding a lot of shopping bags of items we had bought.
The best part of my trip was the stay in the hotels. They had nice comfy beds to sleep on, were air-conditioned and had televisions. Luckily, Yu Ren told us that we could watch the FIFA World Cup 2010.
I was excited.When we were boarding our plane back to Singapore, my heart was still reluctant to leave Japan. How I wish I could go back there again in December. It was an enjoyable holiday indeed !
Written By Danny Lee Hao Jun from 5 Endurance
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Answers: Describing People
1. His burly frame is covered with a metal suit of armour. He has a smile on his face and his arms are raised in victory.
2. He is hunched and is pushing a trolley with a pile of newspapers. He has wrinkles on his face. He has thin arms and bony fingers.
3. It is gazing at the ground. Its face is filled with pain. Its broken leg is sticking out from under its body.
4. its face is partly hidden by the leaves. Its movements are so quick that the image of its body is blurry. Its tail is pointed downwards.
5. Her brow is creased as she stands with one hand on her hip. Her mouth is open wide. Her eyes are looking fiercely ahead.
2. He is hunched and is pushing a trolley with a pile of newspapers. He has wrinkles on his face. He has thin arms and bony fingers.
3. It is gazing at the ground. Its face is filled with pain. Its broken leg is sticking out from under its body.
4. its face is partly hidden by the leaves. Its movements are so quick that the image of its body is blurry. Its tail is pointed downwards.
5. Her brow is creased as she stands with one hand on her hip. Her mouth is open wide. Her eyes are looking fiercely ahead.
Writing Exercise: Describing People
Writing Exercise on Describing People
Imagine you are an artist interested in drawing portraits and animals. Before drawing, you pen down some features of the subject in each question.
E.g.
An old fisherman who has made his living by fishing for forty-five years.
His face is wrinkled with age.
He has a dark complexion, a snub nose and big eyes.
1. A great commander who had just won a battle in ancient times
2. A rag-and-bone-man walking along the streets
3. A lion with a broken leg lying on the ground
4. A shy squirrel bounding up a tree
5. A lady on her mobile phone making a complaint to a customer service officer
Imagine you are an artist interested in drawing portraits and animals. Before drawing, you pen down some features of the subject in each question.
E.g.
An old fisherman who has made his living by fishing for forty-five years.
His face is wrinkled with age.
He has a dark complexion, a snub nose and big eyes.
1. A great commander who had just won a battle in ancient times
2. A rag-and-bone-man walking along the streets
3. A lion with a broken leg lying on the ground
4. A shy squirrel bounding up a tree
5. A lady on her mobile phone making a complaint to a customer service officer
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Wed (14 July): Interesting Phrases for Composition (An Accident)
Dark monsoon clouds were gathering quickly in the sky
thick drops of rain began to pelt against the hard pavement floor
within a split second
thrown off his seat
landed on his leg with a huge thump
a deep crimson-red gash
drenched and writhing in unbearable pain
pitiful sight
prompt response
ferried him to
improved thereafter
with tears welling in his tears
vivid memories
beaming at him
tragic accident
only kin
rode speedily
his wrinkled face breaking out in a smile
did not budge
flushed with embarrassment
sweaty, ragged state
pretended not to know him and scurried towards the bus stop
heart was crushed
his cries had fallen on deaf ears
all the commotion caused her to turn her head
stunned
lying hurt and helpless on the ground
how could she ignore
she despised herself
with a change of heart
blurted out
support his frail body
clasping his hands tightly
nodded in gratitude
committed herself to change
smiling throughout the treatment
thick drops of rain began to pelt against the hard pavement floor
within a split second
thrown off his seat
landed on his leg with a huge thump
a deep crimson-red gash
drenched and writhing in unbearable pain
pitiful sight
prompt response
ferried him to
improved thereafter
with tears welling in his tears
vivid memories
beaming at him
tragic accident
only kin
rode speedily
his wrinkled face breaking out in a smile
did not budge
flushed with embarrassment
sweaty, ragged state
pretended not to know him and scurried towards the bus stop
heart was crushed
his cries had fallen on deaf ears
all the commotion caused her to turn her head
stunned
lying hurt and helpless on the ground
how could she ignore
she despised herself
with a change of heart
blurted out
support his frail body
clasping his hands tightly
nodded in gratitude
committed herself to change
smiling throughout the treatment
Composition (30 June): A Country I Have Visited
A Country I Have Visited
In the first week of the June holidays, on 28 May, I went to Kuala Lumpur by car with my family. It took us seven hours to reach there. There were many cars at the customs. After we crossed the causeway, the traffic began to crawl and we waited two hours to enter the Malaysia customs. After the customs, we stopped at Malacca for our lunch at the KFC fast food restaurant. Then, we continued our two-hour journey to Kuala Lumpur.
We finally reached our destination at 2pm sharp. We went to find our hotel. When we reached there, my brother and I wanted to quickly get out of the car. However, as we were sitting at the back of the car, we needed help to push the car seat. Thus, I shouted, “Help! Get us out of here!” My mother came to help to push the car seat to get us out. Beside my family, my grandmother, aunts and uncles together with their children also drove their own cars and reached the hotel before us. Once I got out of the car, I saw Madeline and Nick, my cousins, waiting for us at the lobby. We quickly ran to Nick and hugged him.
After we had checked into our hotel, we headed to our room. My father wanted to boil some water but when he turned on the tap, the hot water flew non-stop and the water was also yellowish. We quickly called the hotel staff to come and help us. Within minutes, one of the hotel staff came and helped to turn off the tap. We were then asked to change to another room.
After a while, we went to Times Square to shop. I saw many toys which were very expensive. Most parts of the square were shopping malls but half was a theme park and the rides were very scary. The next day, we went to another shopping mall. I forgot its name, but all the videos there were cheap.
The next day, we had to prepare to go to Fraser Hill. It took two hours to get there from Kuala Lumpur. We did not know how to go there as it was a new place for us. We took one hour to reach KKB Town, which is near Fraser Hill. As we went up the mountain, we felt like vomiting as the road was curvy like a long serpent. We seemed to be riding a roller coaster going up a hill in a curved way. When we reached there, my brother cried as he felt like vomiting.
The hotel there was very different from other hotels. Their hotels looked like bungalows. Though the room was very big, it only cost sixty dollars a day. We went to explore Fraser Hill on our first day of visit. The next day, we went to ride some horses. I rode three times, while my cousins rode four times. Then we proceeded to paddle boats. The person-in-charge wasn’t there yet. There was a trail link to nowhere, so my uncle decided to follow the trail and explored what there was in the forest. I was walking and looking in front, thus did not notice there was a snake in front of me until I walked nearer it.
Then my uncle shouted, “Snake!”
I immediately turned my head and said, “Where?”
My uncle pointed to the floor and I jumped backwards and called out to the rest of my family, “Snake! Snake!”
They immediately came and took a look. Uncle James used a stick to carry the small snake and threw it into the lake.
My cousins and I asked, “Why do you want to throw the snake into the lake?”
He did not say anything. The snake head was brown and it slowly turned red and we saw the snake angrily swam away.
The person-in-charge finally arrived. We quickly ran toward him and went to get our boats. When we were paddling, my cousin saw a toad and my father saw another small snake swimming across the lake. We decided to have a race. Thus, everyone paddled as fast as they could.
After paddling the boat, we went back to the hotel. As it was raining, we waited for it to stop before going trekking. When we reached there, my father saw leeches and quickly asked everyone to back off. One of the leeches bit Uncle James’ leg. He plucked it out and used a tissue paper to stop the bleeding.
The next day, only my family went to Genting Highlands. The rest of them went home as they had things to attend to.
From Fraser Hill, it only took us only an hour to reach Genting Highlands. I enjoyed myself there as there were indoor and outdoor theme parks. The next day, Roysius, my cousin, came to join us.
The day I went home, it was 4 June 2010, at four o’clock in the afternoon. I like Fraser Hill the most, as it was a forest with wild animals.
Yong Le
5Endurance
13 July 2010
In the first week of the June holidays, on 28 May, I went to Kuala Lumpur by car with my family. It took us seven hours to reach there. There were many cars at the customs. After we crossed the causeway, the traffic began to crawl and we waited two hours to enter the Malaysia customs. After the customs, we stopped at Malacca for our lunch at the KFC fast food restaurant. Then, we continued our two-hour journey to Kuala Lumpur.
We finally reached our destination at 2pm sharp. We went to find our hotel. When we reached there, my brother and I wanted to quickly get out of the car. However, as we were sitting at the back of the car, we needed help to push the car seat. Thus, I shouted, “Help! Get us out of here!” My mother came to help to push the car seat to get us out. Beside my family, my grandmother, aunts and uncles together with their children also drove their own cars and reached the hotel before us. Once I got out of the car, I saw Madeline and Nick, my cousins, waiting for us at the lobby. We quickly ran to Nick and hugged him.
After we had checked into our hotel, we headed to our room. My father wanted to boil some water but when he turned on the tap, the hot water flew non-stop and the water was also yellowish. We quickly called the hotel staff to come and help us. Within minutes, one of the hotel staff came and helped to turn off the tap. We were then asked to change to another room.
After a while, we went to Times Square to shop. I saw many toys which were very expensive. Most parts of the square were shopping malls but half was a theme park and the rides were very scary. The next day, we went to another shopping mall. I forgot its name, but all the videos there were cheap.
The next day, we had to prepare to go to Fraser Hill. It took two hours to get there from Kuala Lumpur. We did not know how to go there as it was a new place for us. We took one hour to reach KKB Town, which is near Fraser Hill. As we went up the mountain, we felt like vomiting as the road was curvy like a long serpent. We seemed to be riding a roller coaster going up a hill in a curved way. When we reached there, my brother cried as he felt like vomiting.
The hotel there was very different from other hotels. Their hotels looked like bungalows. Though the room was very big, it only cost sixty dollars a day. We went to explore Fraser Hill on our first day of visit. The next day, we went to ride some horses. I rode three times, while my cousins rode four times. Then we proceeded to paddle boats. The person-in-charge wasn’t there yet. There was a trail link to nowhere, so my uncle decided to follow the trail and explored what there was in the forest. I was walking and looking in front, thus did not notice there was a snake in front of me until I walked nearer it.
Then my uncle shouted, “Snake!”
I immediately turned my head and said, “Where?”
My uncle pointed to the floor and I jumped backwards and called out to the rest of my family, “Snake! Snake!”
They immediately came and took a look. Uncle James used a stick to carry the small snake and threw it into the lake.
My cousins and I asked, “Why do you want to throw the snake into the lake?”
He did not say anything. The snake head was brown and it slowly turned red and we saw the snake angrily swam away.
The person-in-charge finally arrived. We quickly ran toward him and went to get our boats. When we were paddling, my cousin saw a toad and my father saw another small snake swimming across the lake. We decided to have a race. Thus, everyone paddled as fast as they could.
After paddling the boat, we went back to the hotel. As it was raining, we waited for it to stop before going trekking. When we reached there, my father saw leeches and quickly asked everyone to back off. One of the leeches bit Uncle James’ leg. He plucked it out and used a tissue paper to stop the bleeding.
The next day, only my family went to Genting Highlands. The rest of them went home as they had things to attend to.
From Fraser Hill, it only took us only an hour to reach Genting Highlands. I enjoyed myself there as there were indoor and outdoor theme parks. The next day, Roysius, my cousin, came to join us.
The day I went home, it was 4 June 2010, at four o’clock in the afternoon. I like Fraser Hill the most, as it was a forest with wild animals.
Yong Le
5Endurance
13 July 2010
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Using Settings
From The Sinister Airfield by Alison Prince
They emerged from the narrow track on the airfield _______. It was windswept and desolate, the concrete runway ________ and broken, blotched with ___________ of blackberry. The afternoon sun was ___________ on the horizon and shone red through the emopty ________ of the roofless brick buildings as though ___________ burned in them.
Thickets, low, windows, itself, fires, cracked
From my tree you can see the gorge beyond the ___________. White water pours ____________ the black wet boulders and _________ into the valley ____________. The water that day was as ___________ as the rocks. Only the __________ told me it was still fading.
Dark, cascades, between, sound, below, meadow
They emerged from the narrow track on the airfield _______. It was windswept and desolate, the concrete runway ________ and broken, blotched with ___________ of blackberry. The afternoon sun was ___________ on the horizon and shone red through the emopty ________ of the roofless brick buildings as though ___________ burned in them.
Thickets, low, windows, itself, fires, cracked
From my tree you can see the gorge beyond the ___________. White water pours ____________ the black wet boulders and _________ into the valley ____________. The water that day was as ___________ as the rocks. Only the __________ told me it was still fading.
Dark, cascades, between, sound, below, meadow
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Written work on Describing Places
Describing places
They have chosen this place as their wildlife excursion trip. Colourful fishes were swimming around, making a colourful trail. The calm and beautiful stream flowed, making people feel relaxed and peaceful. (Xue Lin)
As they were making their way back to their small campsite, they cme across an icy, frozen lake. It was very slippery so they decided not to take chances to go around it. (Dillon Lin)
The hiker was lost. He trekked along the grass in the dense forest. Suddenly, he heard water splashing behind him. When he turned around, he decided to collect water from the sparkling clean waterfall. (Ziyan)
An Eskimo was hunting for food with his trident in the majestic snowy mountain. After s tired day of hunting, the Eskimo rested at the steep and slippery side of the mountain. Later, he continued to hunt among the range of mountains there. (Zara Tan)
An Eskimo walked along the route until he found a snow-capped mountain. He took a rest for a while and he became hungry. Later, he found a frozen lake. As he had a trident, he could catch fish.
A boy having his vacation discovered a fast-flowing, gleaming waterfall. He saw the water flow into a peaceful river. He sat on one of the rocks, watching the sparkling water and crystal clear river. He was enjoying his vacation tremendously.
A group of people was sailing a boat on the deep blue sea. Later, they reached a sunny island. They rested on the muddy beach. Then they walked into the evergreen forest. (May Thu Tun)
They have chosen this place as their wildlife excursion trip. Colourful fishes were swimming around, making a colourful trail. The calm and beautiful stream flowed, making people feel relaxed and peaceful. (Xue Lin)
As they were making their way back to their small campsite, they cme across an icy, frozen lake. It was very slippery so they decided not to take chances to go around it. (Dillon Lin)
The hiker was lost. He trekked along the grass in the dense forest. Suddenly, he heard water splashing behind him. When he turned around, he decided to collect water from the sparkling clean waterfall. (Ziyan)
An Eskimo was hunting for food with his trident in the majestic snowy mountain. After s tired day of hunting, the Eskimo rested at the steep and slippery side of the mountain. Later, he continued to hunt among the range of mountains there. (Zara Tan)
An Eskimo walked along the route until he found a snow-capped mountain. He took a rest for a while and he became hungry. Later, he found a frozen lake. As he had a trident, he could catch fish.
A boy having his vacation discovered a fast-flowing, gleaming waterfall. He saw the water flow into a peaceful river. He sat on one of the rocks, watching the sparkling water and crystal clear river. He was enjoying his vacation tremendously.
A group of people was sailing a boat on the deep blue sea. Later, they reached a sunny island. They rested on the muddy beach. Then they walked into the evergreen forest. (May Thu Tun)
Describing Past Events - Using adverbials of time and location
Many years ago, in Britain, stage coaches were the only means of travelling long distances by land. They travelled for many hours during the day. They stopped at night. The passengers needed food and rest. Moreover, the horses had to be fed and watered after working all day.
The stage coaches travelled over the roads. They carried people and mail across the country. The stage coaches faced many dangers. Highwaymen waited along the route, beside lonely roads.
In the evening, the people waited at the inn for the stage coaches to arrive. They cheered and welcomed the weary travellers.
The stage coaches travelled over the roads. They carried people and mail across the country. The stage coaches faced many dangers. Highwaymen waited along the route, beside lonely roads.
In the evening, the people waited at the inn for the stage coaches to arrive. They cheered and welcomed the weary travellers.
THursday, 8 July Lesson: Describing Places
Words to describe :
Mountains: snow-capped, majestic, tall, high, gigantic, humongous,
a range of, rocky, steep
cliffs : steep, high, white
Lake: a lake with boats on it, fresh-water lake, crater lake, frozen lake.
Sea: froen, stormy, deep blue, calm, serene, peaceful, foamy sea.
River: winding, meandering, muddy, gushing, polluted, glistening water, glittering, glimmering.
Waterfall: sparkling, gleaming
Valley: deep, green, low-lying, a valley full of rocks and sand.
Beach: sandy, rocky, muddy.
Forest: dense, a forest of tall trees, tropical forest, evergreen forest.
Island: sunny, cluster of islands, smallest, largest.
City: crowded, bustling, modern, ancient, a city of towering buildings, cities having cobbled streets, cities with streets choked with traffic.
Desert: burning, a desert of shifting sands.
Canal: man-made, wide, narrow.
Mountains: snow-capped, majestic, tall, high, gigantic, humongous,
a range of, rocky, steep
cliffs : steep, high, white
Lake: a lake with boats on it, fresh-water lake, crater lake, frozen lake.
Sea: froen, stormy, deep blue, calm, serene, peaceful, foamy sea.
River: winding, meandering, muddy, gushing, polluted, glistening water, glittering, glimmering.
Waterfall: sparkling, gleaming
Valley: deep, green, low-lying, a valley full of rocks and sand.
Beach: sandy, rocky, muddy.
Forest: dense, a forest of tall trees, tropical forest, evergreen forest.
Island: sunny, cluster of islands, smallest, largest.
City: crowded, bustling, modern, ancient, a city of towering buildings, cities having cobbled streets, cities with streets choked with traffic.
Desert: burning, a desert of shifting sands.
Canal: man-made, wide, narrow.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
List of Descriptive words and adjectives for characters
List of Descriptive Words and Adjectives for Characters.
Descriptive words / Adjectives for Characters below.
Words are listed in Alphabetical Order.
clever
confident
courageous
demanding
determined
easy-going
eccentric
efficient
emotional
energetic
enthusiastic
exuberant
firm
flexible
forgiving
frank
friendly
generous
gentle
good-natured
healthy
helpful
honest
hopeful
humble
humorous
imaginative
independent
individualistic
industrious
insightful
intelligent
inventive
kind
likable
logical
loyal
methodical
modest
motivated
open-minded
optimistic
practical
precise
prudent
purposeful
quick-witted
quiet
realistic
reliable
resourceful
responsible
self-confident
selfless
sensible
serious
sincere
smart
sociable
spontaneous
strong-willed
tenacious
thorough
thoughtful
tolerant
trusting
trustworthy
unconventional
understanding
verbal
versatile
visionary
wise
witty
zany
Descriptive words / Adjectives for Characters below.
Words are listed in Alphabetical Order.
clever
confident
courageous
demanding
determined
easy-going
eccentric
efficient
emotional
energetic
enthusiastic
exuberant
firm
flexible
forgiving
frank
friendly
generous
gentle
good-natured
healthy
helpful
honest
hopeful
humble
humorous
imaginative
independent
individualistic
industrious
insightful
intelligent
inventive
kind
likable
logical
loyal
methodical
modest
motivated
open-minded
optimistic
practical
precise
prudent
purposeful
quick-witted
quiet
realistic
reliable
resourceful
responsible
self-confident
selfless
sensible
serious
sincere
smart
sociable
spontaneous
strong-willed
tenacious
thorough
thoughtful
tolerant
trusting
trustworthy
unconventional
understanding
verbal
versatile
visionary
wise
witty
zany
Describing places
My Stay at Sentosa
During the June holidays, I stayed at Sentosa for two days. We parked our car at the World Trade Centre and took a cable car to Sentosa. Our cable car was green in colour. The ride was shaky and we saw a cruise ship with a swimming pool. We checked into the Rasa Sentosa hotel and put our things in the room. I locked my teddy bear in the safe because it was special to me. The first place we visited was the dolphin lagoon. My sister took photos of the dolphins. The dolphin show was interesting and the dolphins could jump through the hula hoops. Next, we went to Underwater World. We saw torpedo rays, sharks and electric eels. We had dinner and watched the musical fountain. The next morning, we swam in the pool. I liked the slide very much. We played with sand on the beach and walked across the bridge back to Singapore. I was very happy. I hope I can stay at Sentosa again.
At the Beach
I like going to the beach. I had a wonderful time last week. There were miles of golden sand. I waded in the cool water along the shore. My friend and I collected a bag of shells. Many of the shells had different shapes.
When I put a shell to my ear, I could hear the sound of the sea. The sea looked blue and cool. My friend and I built a sandcastle and decorated it with shells. I dug the sand with my spade. We saw some fishermen spreading their nets on the sand to dry. We also saw them going to the sea to catch fish.
I watched the white-topped waves rush up the beach. They left behind seaweed and more shells. The seagulls circled above in the blue sky. The coconut trees swayed in the gentle breeze. It was delightful.
As I walked, I left my footprints behind on the sand. I drank cool coconut water to quench my thirst. When it was hot, I rested under the shade of a bench umbrella. Soon it was time to go home. I made up my mind to come back another day.
My Holidays
During the school holidays, my family visited Taman Negara Endau-Rompin in Johore, Malaysia. We drove to Mersing and parked our car there. With our tour guide, we later hired a van which took us to Rompin.
Taman Negara Endau-Rompin is the second largest national park in Malaysia. We stayed in a wooden chalet surrounded by tall trees, all kinds of insects and strange noises. There were many wooden huts and farm animals nearby which belonged to the Orang Asli people. Orang Asli are the aborigines or natives of the jungle. Although they could not speak our language, they were very friendly towards us.
Very late at night, we went for a night jungle walk. It was scary because there were many unusual insects such as the goggle-eyes crawlers, some giant ants and a few fireflies.
The next morning, we spent four hours jungle-trekking to a spot called Blue Lagoon. We had to cross three fast-flowing rivers and beat the rapids by holding on to a thick and strong rope. Throughout the journey, we saw leeches everywhere and I was bitten by them. I was not frightened at all although my blood was oozing out. After a few days of exciting adventure, we left Rompin and headed towards Mersing.
We then visited Pulau Besar, a tropical island off eastern Johore, and a half hour boat ride from Mersing. It had white sandy beaches and lots of colourful fishes. My father taught me how to snorkel and canoe. We then hopped to another island called Pulau Rawa on a chartered boat. We had an enjoyable time feeding the colourful fishes and swimming in the deep blue sea. We took a speedboat back to Mersing and after having our delicious nasi lemak lunch, we drove back to Singapore.
I enjoyed my trip to Malaysia very much and had a wonderful time.
The Enchanted Flowers
It was a humid Sunday afternoon. The air was still. The sun was shining brightly up in the clear blue sky. Birds were chirping melodiously in the branches outside my window. However I was feeling very gloomy and bored at home. Longing for some activities, I went to the woods nearby to pick some wild berries.
I was walking alone in the quiet woods, shuffling my feet on the dried leaves. After a while, I caught sight of some unusual but beautiful flowers. There were hundreds of them. Their petals were of rainbow colours, their stems were orange and their leaves were sparkling white. The stigmas were little heads of fairies. They fluttered their petals and flew around the flowerbed, sprinkling sweet smelling pollen grains. Some were walking about, chatting in a peculiar language that I did not understand. Others were dancing and singing merrily. I could not believe my eyes. It was indeed an amazing sight.
Suddenly, I felt a pinch on my shoulder. OUCH! A fat, juicy bee had stung me and everything vanished before my eyes.
During the June holidays, I stayed at Sentosa for two days. We parked our car at the World Trade Centre and took a cable car to Sentosa. Our cable car was green in colour. The ride was shaky and we saw a cruise ship with a swimming pool. We checked into the Rasa Sentosa hotel and put our things in the room. I locked my teddy bear in the safe because it was special to me. The first place we visited was the dolphin lagoon. My sister took photos of the dolphins. The dolphin show was interesting and the dolphins could jump through the hula hoops. Next, we went to Underwater World. We saw torpedo rays, sharks and electric eels. We had dinner and watched the musical fountain. The next morning, we swam in the pool. I liked the slide very much. We played with sand on the beach and walked across the bridge back to Singapore. I was very happy. I hope I can stay at Sentosa again.
At the Beach
I like going to the beach. I had a wonderful time last week. There were miles of golden sand. I waded in the cool water along the shore. My friend and I collected a bag of shells. Many of the shells had different shapes.
When I put a shell to my ear, I could hear the sound of the sea. The sea looked blue and cool. My friend and I built a sandcastle and decorated it with shells. I dug the sand with my spade. We saw some fishermen spreading their nets on the sand to dry. We also saw them going to the sea to catch fish.
I watched the white-topped waves rush up the beach. They left behind seaweed and more shells. The seagulls circled above in the blue sky. The coconut trees swayed in the gentle breeze. It was delightful.
As I walked, I left my footprints behind on the sand. I drank cool coconut water to quench my thirst. When it was hot, I rested under the shade of a bench umbrella. Soon it was time to go home. I made up my mind to come back another day.
My Holidays
During the school holidays, my family visited Taman Negara Endau-Rompin in Johore, Malaysia. We drove to Mersing and parked our car there. With our tour guide, we later hired a van which took us to Rompin.
Taman Negara Endau-Rompin is the second largest national park in Malaysia. We stayed in a wooden chalet surrounded by tall trees, all kinds of insects and strange noises. There were many wooden huts and farm animals nearby which belonged to the Orang Asli people. Orang Asli are the aborigines or natives of the jungle. Although they could not speak our language, they were very friendly towards us.
Very late at night, we went for a night jungle walk. It was scary because there were many unusual insects such as the goggle-eyes crawlers, some giant ants and a few fireflies.
The next morning, we spent four hours jungle-trekking to a spot called Blue Lagoon. We had to cross three fast-flowing rivers and beat the rapids by holding on to a thick and strong rope. Throughout the journey, we saw leeches everywhere and I was bitten by them. I was not frightened at all although my blood was oozing out. After a few days of exciting adventure, we left Rompin and headed towards Mersing.
We then visited Pulau Besar, a tropical island off eastern Johore, and a half hour boat ride from Mersing. It had white sandy beaches and lots of colourful fishes. My father taught me how to snorkel and canoe. We then hopped to another island called Pulau Rawa on a chartered boat. We had an enjoyable time feeding the colourful fishes and swimming in the deep blue sea. We took a speedboat back to Mersing and after having our delicious nasi lemak lunch, we drove back to Singapore.
I enjoyed my trip to Malaysia very much and had a wonderful time.
The Enchanted Flowers
It was a humid Sunday afternoon. The air was still. The sun was shining brightly up in the clear blue sky. Birds were chirping melodiously in the branches outside my window. However I was feeling very gloomy and bored at home. Longing for some activities, I went to the woods nearby to pick some wild berries.
I was walking alone in the quiet woods, shuffling my feet on the dried leaves. After a while, I caught sight of some unusual but beautiful flowers. There were hundreds of them. Their petals were of rainbow colours, their stems were orange and their leaves were sparkling white. The stigmas were little heads of fairies. They fluttered their petals and flew around the flowerbed, sprinkling sweet smelling pollen grains. Some were walking about, chatting in a peculiar language that I did not understand. Others were dancing and singing merrily. I could not believe my eyes. It was indeed an amazing sight.
Suddenly, I felt a pinch on my shoulder. OUCH! A fat, juicy bee had stung me and everything vanished before my eyes.
Useful Phrases for Composition Writing
Useful Phrases For Composition Writing
They congregated at the void deck every morning.
Trudging home wearily,
It whizzed past my astonished eyes…..
It was a distressing sight…
He was on the floor, wincing in pain….
With her stick brandished in the air,….
He hobbled forward awkwardly…
Feeling remorseful,
He apologized profusely to the ….
With thunderous applause…..
My curiosity was aroused….
He was heaving a sigh of relief…
She shrieked excitedly…
We wormed our way through the crowd.
There were cloying smells of cheap perfume and sweat…
Excitement was building up…
The bewildered audience…
Sweat trickled down my face…
Screams of delirious laughter could be heard…
He stood there, making derogatory remarks…
A shrill voice pierced through the darkness…
The gangster hurled vulgarities and expletives like molten rock spewing from an angry volcano….
With a penetrating voice…
It was giving me shivers down my spine…
It droned another voice…
I was wondering at the juxtaposition of fear…
A ghostly apparition appeared in front of me…
Mist swirling away from the choppy waters of the sea…
Paroxysms of fear and agony…
With renewed vigour,….
The crowd dispersed…
the tranquil moonlight…
he muttered with utmost conviction..
hurled abuses…
gasped in surprise…
The room reverberated with the noise of the shot.
They congregated at the void deck every morning.
Trudging home wearily,
It whizzed past my astonished eyes…..
It was a distressing sight…
He was on the floor, wincing in pain….
With her stick brandished in the air,….
He hobbled forward awkwardly…
Feeling remorseful,
He apologized profusely to the ….
With thunderous applause…..
My curiosity was aroused….
He was heaving a sigh of relief…
She shrieked excitedly…
We wormed our way through the crowd.
There were cloying smells of cheap perfume and sweat…
Excitement was building up…
The bewildered audience…
Sweat trickled down my face…
Screams of delirious laughter could be heard…
He stood there, making derogatory remarks…
A shrill voice pierced through the darkness…
The gangster hurled vulgarities and expletives like molten rock spewing from an angry volcano….
With a penetrating voice…
It was giving me shivers down my spine…
It droned another voice…
I was wondering at the juxtaposition of fear…
A ghostly apparition appeared in front of me…
Mist swirling away from the choppy waters of the sea…
Paroxysms of fear and agony…
With renewed vigour,….
The crowd dispersed…
the tranquil moonlight…
he muttered with utmost conviction..
hurled abuses…
gasped in surprise…
The room reverberated with the noise of the shot.
Oral Practices (July-Sept)
Oral Practice (July)
It was raining. Mr Lim was rushing to work. After gulping his cup of coffee, he rushed out of his house for the MRT station that was a seven-minute walk away.When he arrived at the MRT station, he dipped his hand into his pocket to retrieve his fare card. “Oh, no!” he exclaimed. “I have left my wallet at home.” He quickly hurried home to get his wallet. He was extremely annoyed with himself for being so forgetful. “ I am going to be late for work,” he fumed. Not far from his the station, he saw someone who resembled his wife. He was glad that his wife had realised that he had forgotten his wallet. She was thoughtful and kind enough to take the wallet to her husband.Mr Lim was very grateful and thanked his wife for her help. “ Looks like I’m not going to be late afterall,” Mr Lim said with a smile.
Oral Practice (August)
Last Saturday afternoon, Siti and her parents decided to visit the Jurong Bird Park. They joined the long queue to buy the tickets. Ahead of them were a group of Japanese children. They looked hot and thirsty but each child patiently waited for his turn to buy his ticket.Siti’s father was getting his money ready when a group of about ten Singaporean schoolboys appeared. They rushed up to the front of the queue. Siti and her father were shocked. The Japanese children stared at the boys.Siti’s father marched up to the front to talk to the newcomers. However, they refused to go to the end of the queue. They shouted excuses such as,” I can’t wait forever!” and “The parrot show is starting soon!”Siti felt ashamed to see Singaporeans behaving so badly. She wondered why there were still such rude people. Didn’t they know that our government had been encouraging us to be gracious.
Oral Practice (September)
It was lunch time. Seng Poh decided to have chicken rice for a change. He knew where to go for the chicken rice that he liked best. As it was at a nearby food centre, he decided to walk there. There was a long queue. Seng Poh had no choice but to join the queue though his stomach was growling. Just then, Seng Poh heard a loud crash. Immediately, he turned around and saw a young man sprawl on the floor with a tray beside him. There was broken glass everywhere and the man looked very embarrassed. “Why is it that no one is helping that poor man?” Seng Poh thought. He moved forward. “ Are you all right? Let me help you up,” said Seng Poh. The man assured Seng Poh that he was fine and thanked him profusely before leaving hurriedly. Seng Poh then helped to pick up the pieces of broken glass before enjoying his plate of chicken rice.
It was raining. Mr Lim was rushing to work. After gulping his cup of coffee, he rushed out of his house for the MRT station that was a seven-minute walk away.When he arrived at the MRT station, he dipped his hand into his pocket to retrieve his fare card. “Oh, no!” he exclaimed. “I have left my wallet at home.” He quickly hurried home to get his wallet. He was extremely annoyed with himself for being so forgetful. “ I am going to be late for work,” he fumed. Not far from his the station, he saw someone who resembled his wife. He was glad that his wife had realised that he had forgotten his wallet. She was thoughtful and kind enough to take the wallet to her husband.Mr Lim was very grateful and thanked his wife for her help. “ Looks like I’m not going to be late afterall,” Mr Lim said with a smile.
Oral Practice (August)
Last Saturday afternoon, Siti and her parents decided to visit the Jurong Bird Park. They joined the long queue to buy the tickets. Ahead of them were a group of Japanese children. They looked hot and thirsty but each child patiently waited for his turn to buy his ticket.Siti’s father was getting his money ready when a group of about ten Singaporean schoolboys appeared. They rushed up to the front of the queue. Siti and her father were shocked. The Japanese children stared at the boys.Siti’s father marched up to the front to talk to the newcomers. However, they refused to go to the end of the queue. They shouted excuses such as,” I can’t wait forever!” and “The parrot show is starting soon!”Siti felt ashamed to see Singaporeans behaving so badly. She wondered why there were still such rude people. Didn’t they know that our government had been encouraging us to be gracious.
Oral Practice (September)
It was lunch time. Seng Poh decided to have chicken rice for a change. He knew where to go for the chicken rice that he liked best. As it was at a nearby food centre, he decided to walk there. There was a long queue. Seng Poh had no choice but to join the queue though his stomach was growling. Just then, Seng Poh heard a loud crash. Immediately, he turned around and saw a young man sprawl on the floor with a tray beside him. There was broken glass everywhere and the man looked very embarrassed. “Why is it that no one is helping that poor man?” Seng Poh thought. He moved forward. “ Are you all right? Let me help you up,” said Seng Poh. The man assured Seng Poh that he was fine and thanked him profusely before leaving hurriedly. Seng Poh then helped to pick up the pieces of broken glass before enjoying his plate of chicken rice.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
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