FIK 3042 ENGLISH FOR COMMUNICATION 2

EDITORS

AINON OMAR

AHMAD ZAINURI LOAP AHMAD

AZIZAH ATAN

LEELA CHAKRABARTY

Writers:

Ainon Omar

Ahmad Zainuri Loap Ahmad

Farah Natchiar Mohd Khaja

Goh Hock Seng

Leela Chakrabarty

Mariyatunnitha Shari

Mohammad Sidik Ariffin

Napisah Kepol

Nor Azmi Mostafa

Nor Hashimah Isa

Azizah Atan

Seva Bala Sundaram

Abdul Ghani Abu

Che Ton Mahmud

Hasimah Ja‟afar

Maizatulliza Muhammad

Raja Nor Safinas Raja Harun

Intan Safinas Mohd Ariff Al-Bakri

Abdul Halim Ibrahim

Fairus Ahmad Daud

CONTENT

Unit Topics Page

1. Human Interest 1

Listening 1

Speaking 2

Reading 3

Language Focus 11

Writing 19

Self Assessment 26

2. Journey to the Future 37

Listening 38

Speaking 39

Reading 50

Language Focus 54

Writing 59

Self Assessment 62

3. Tech Savvy 67

Speaking 67

Listening 74

Reading 80

Language Focus 84

Paraphrasing 89

Self Assessment 95

4. A Way of Life 113

Speaking 113

Listening 117

Reading 121

Writing 127

Language Focus 128

5. Job Satisfaction 150

Listening 150

Speaking 153

Reading 155

Language Focus 160

Writing 163

Self Assessment 168

COURSE GUIDE i

INTRODUCTION The course guide is to assist students to understand the course content and

assessment. Students are advised to read this section carefully and take note of

the course requirements so that they can complete the course successfully.

The course FIK3042 English for Communication 2 will cover 5 units in this

book which are thematic and authentic, catering for students from both science

and arts streams. Specific Language skills such as listening, speaking, reading

and writing are covered in each unit. While these language skills are presented

under separate sections, they are integrated throughout the module.

Furthermore, grammatical aspects are peppered throughout to reinforce the

students‘ general grasp of the language.

The listening components for the respective units are designed to cater to the

while and post-listening activities. The speaking section allows students to

interact in pairs and groups. In addition, these speaking tasks encourage

creativity and freedom amongst students to express their views. The reading

texts that appear in each unit are interesting and varied, covering various

pertinent current issues. The culmination of these skills prepares the students for

the writing section. It is a 2 credit hour course.

TARGET AUDIENCE

This course is offered to all students undergoing the Bachelor of Education

Program at UPSI. However, this module has been specially designed for

students pursuing the Distant Education Program.

STUDENT LEARNING TIME

According to UPSI‘s and MQA Standards, every credit requires that students

allocate 40 hours of learning time. Therefore, for this course students are

required to spend 80 hours of learning time. The estimated learning time for the

course FIK3042 is presented in Table 1.

COURSE GUIDE ii

Table 1 Estimated learning time for the course FIK3042

Learning Activity Learning Time

Face-to-Face Independent

Reading the Module, revision and completing

assignments

21

Tutorial at centres 10

On-lineTutorial (E-Learning, example, via

BigBlueButton, Skype, etc.)

26

Forum (E-Learning via MyGuru2) 12

T&L Video via MyGuru2 10

On-line Quiz via MyGuru2 1

36 44

Total Learning Time 80

COURSE LEARNING OUTCOME

At the end of the course, students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate effective listening, speaking, reading and writing skills

learned in the course for communicative purposes.

2. Use correct grammar and vocabulary when writing a variety of texts.

Define and discuss, individually and in groups, vocabulary, expressions,

and issues found in a variety of texts.

3. Apply critical reading skills when reading texts on current issues.

4. Organise and implement a collaborative writing project.

COURSE GUIDE iii

COURSE SYNOPSIS

This course helps students in developing strong foundations in reading and

writing skills for communicative purposes in a variety of contexts. The course

integrates the skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing, with more

emphasis being given to the skills of reading and writing.

COURSE CONTENT

To assist students in achieving the learning outcomes for this course, the course

content is divided into five units which cover the listening, speaking, reading and

writing skills.

UNIT TOPIC

1 HUMAN INTEREST

Listening – Healthy Lifestyle

Speaking – Nutrition and Food Pyramid

Reading- Letter to the Editor

- Word Attack

- Comprehension

Language Focus

- Present Tense

- Past Tense

Writing

- Pre-writing Activities

- Writing Process

Self-Assessment

2 JOURNEY TO THE FUTURE

Listening to a radio interview

COURSE GUIDE iv

Speaking – Oral Presentation Skills

Reading- Voyagers 1 and 2

- Word Attack

- Comprehension

Language Focus

- Future Tense

Writing

- Descriptive Writing

Self-Assessment

3 TECH SAVVY

Listening to a talk

Speaking – Role play

Reading- The Net Generation

- Word Attack

- Comprehension

Language Focus

- Present Continuous Tense

Writing

- Paraphrasing

Self-Assessment

4 A WAY OF LIFE

Listening – Practising Turn Taking

Speaking - Conversations

Reading- Past Traditions brought to life

COURSE GUIDE v

- Word Attack

- Comprehension

Language Focus

- Gerunds and Infinitives

Writing

- Summary Writing

Self-Assessment

5 JOB SATISFACTION

Listening to a Radio Interview

Speaking – My Dream Job and Conducting Interviews

Reading - Workplace Satisfaction

- Word Attack

- Comprehension

Language Focus

- Passive Voice

Writing

- Letter of Application

Self-Assessment

COURSE GUIDE vi

ASSESSMENT

Assignment %

Weightage

Approach and

Assignment

Outcome

On-line Quiz 1 10 On-line via MyGuru2

On-line Quiz 2 10 On-line via MyGuru2

Project Work

Final Examination

40

40

On-line via MyGuru2

Conducted at Centres

Total 100

ICON SPECIFICATIONS

Exercises to consolidate students‘ understanding of the

topics learnt.

Exercises with answer key. Aktiviti latihan yang disertakan jawapan

serta maklum balas.

A

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UNIT 1

HUMAN INTEREST

LEARNING OBJECTIVES At the end of the unit, you should be able to: 1. listen to texts and answer T/F questions;

2. discuss on given topics in groups;

3. read and answer comprehension questions and

4. write paragraphs on topics discussed.

CONTENT

LISTENING

Task 1 Listen to the Radio Talk Show entitled “Healthy Lifestyle” and

answer the following questions.

1. The radio talk show is about En. Hamid‘s health. T / F

2. Mr. Sam is the Deejay. T / F

3. Dr. Sani is the nutritionist from ANPAC. T / F

4. We need to stop being stressful and start living healthily. T / F

5. To be healthy we must avoid processed food. T / F

6. En. Hamid is a university lecturer. T / F

7. En. Hamid often has palpitation in his chest. T / F

8. Mr. Sam advises En. Hamid to reschedule his activities. T / F

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9. Dr. Sani suggests that En. Hamid goes for medical

check up as soon as possible. T / F

10. Almonds are good source of calcium and fibre. T / F

SPEAKING

Nutrition and the Food Pyramid

Task 2 Study the food pyramid below and in groups of four discuss the various

types of food one needs to consume in order to lead a healthy life. Then, the

group representatives will present the groups‘ findings.

Nutrition and the Food Pyramid

Source: Ignatowski .A. 2005. Food Pyramid Chart for Balanced Diet. Best

vitamin- supplements- guide.com.

Dialogue

Imagine that you and your three friends meet after a tutorial class at the

cafeteria, and your next tutorial is an hour later. While having a drink each of you

relate events that took place in your lives. While listening, the others are to ask

questions and give opinions wherever necessary. Come up with a dialogue to be

presented to the class.

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READING

PASSAGE ONE Read the letter to the editor and carry out the tasks. 1 2 3

Dear Editor,

I am an ardent fan of ASTRO, so much so that the first thing I do upon entering my humble abode is to switch on to HBO, Star Movies, E, ESPN, Animal Planet, Discovery Travel and Living and of course to AFC or Asian Food Channel when I am incredibly hungry. As I watch delicious foods on AFC, I sincerely hope the pang of hunger will slowly disappear into oblivion. More often than not, this does not work to my advantage especially when I am famished. The effect is just the opposite as I gazed at the delicious foods prepared by the chefs. And talk about the camera men! They are incredibly good at focusing. The food is so crystal clear that you are practically thrown into the chef‘s kitchen. Once, I became so hopelessly hungry watching the program `License to Grill‟ that I could not stop myself from rummaging my small refrigerator for bits of snacks. I was desperate for food in the middle of the night. I love to read the Astroview – your magazine with the slogan `Malaysia‟s largest circulated entertainment magazine‟ which is out monthly, complete with information and updates on the different channels, celebrity news, health tips and other news useful to ASTRO subscribers. Congratulations! Your viewers must be so thrilled to grab a copy every month. I am keen on watching Animal Planet and I am very thrilled to read that this channel will be airing a new program called Bindi: The Jungle Girl. I think Steve Irwin‘s daughter is such a brave girl to be among snakes and other animals. She has her daddy‘s talents and not to forget his smile. I just had to bring to your readers on page 8 of December 2007 issue entitled ‗Watch out - Jungle Girl‟

―My daddy was a hero,‖ she said, and her short speech earned a standing ovation and an indelible mark on the memory of many Australians. Now, Bindi‘s charms comes to the small screen in Bindi: The Jungle Girl , a new wildlife series that brings the Irwins and heir passion for animals together on-screen. Here are some quick facts about Bindi:

She has a rat named Candy ―Candy is my favorite friend and we do lots of fun things together! We go out rollerblading and he rides on my shoulder. He likes to play with all my other animal friends too except the snakes, of course!‖

She‘s not afraid of the animals she handles

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4 5 6

―My dad taught me to respect all animals, so I‘ve never had to overcome my fear.‖

As I am a traveler I love to read the travel guide and tips given by famous travelers such as Samantha Brown and Anthony Bourdain. I just love Samantha because of her sweet smile and her pink attire. She makes me want to travel to those countries and experience what she had experienced. Who does not know Anthony Bourdain on Discovery Travel and Living? He is the tall New Yorker Chef who travels around the world to discover culinary heaven. We can catch him on No Reservation 3. Bourdain is the man for real travel….no reservation indeed. He is like the Guru of real travel. He has no boundaries and limits to trying local foods and drinks. In the December issue, he gave a few very practical travel tips on page 9. He suggested that we:

Never eat in the hotel and never ask the concierge where to eat. Ask your taxi driver instead.

Eat local.

Don‘t travel in packs – no more than two or three people. It gets difficult after that.

These travel tips are so practical and I will definitely remember them when I visit Scotland next week. I will unquestionably follow Bourdain‘s tips when I am there. It is so true that one should try and eat local foods and not insist on looking for your own traditional foods. When we are in a foreign country we must try to adapt and adopt. If we are rice eaters, we can opt for bread instead, or croissant. We cannot be looking high and low for restaurants selling rice. Well, I welcome other readers to share my views of ASTRO and Astroview. Well done ASTRO! Shima_Daniel Shima_daniel@yahoo.com

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Task 3 Provide the meanings of these words pertaining to the letter to the

editor.

1. ardent (line 1) _______________________________________________ 2. abode (line2)________________________________________________ 3. famished (line 7)______________________________________________ 4. rummaging (line 11) __________________________________________ 5. keen (line 18)________________________________________________

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6. attire (line 38)________________________________________________

Task 4 Answer the questions. 1. Name the ASTRO channels found in the letter to the Editor.

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

2. What is the slogan for Astroview?

__________________________________________________________

3. Who is the New Yorker chef that Shima Daniel admires?

___________________________________________________________

4. What is the programme that the chef hosts?

___________________________________________________________

5. Who is Bindi‘s father?

___________________________________________________________

6. In your own words, explain what the writer means in the phrase ―It is so

true that one should try and eat local foods and not insist on looking for

your own traditional foods”

___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________

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7. Imagine you are the Editor of Astroview. Reply to Shima Daniel‘s letter via e-mail.

Dear Shima Daniel, Thank you so much for your letter. ________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ Editor.

Task 5 In groups of four, prepare a mind map of the advantages of tuning

in to ASTRO channels. You are to present your mind map. You have 15 minutes

to discuss and create the mind map. Choose your group‘s best channel and give

four reasons for your choice.

Our best Channel -

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Task 6 Still in your group, prepare an e-mail to Shima Daniel, in response

to her letter to the editor. You may agree or disagree with her pertaining to

ASTRO‘s channels and Astroview. Give reasons for your agreement or

disagreement.

Dear Shima Daniel,

I read your letter to the editor and ………

Yours faithfully,

…………………………….

*Please exchange your group‘s e-mail with other groups. Note the differences or

similarities between the e-mails. Underline them.

PASSAGE TW0 Read the passage and complete the given tasks

1 2

I had been a quiet, bookish child. My father had led a peripatetic career as a teacher and he had taken his young family with him to successive postings across the length and breadth of the Malayan Peninsula. And it was a growing family; my two brothers were born, at three-year intervals, in Johor Bharu at the peninsula‘s southern tip, and in Kuala Krai in the interior of Kelantan, where my mobile family had come to a temporary rest. Eventually my father had received what would be the last posting of his abbreviated life, as a senior lecturer at the Language Institute in Kuala Lumpur. It was in our house in Kuala Lumpur, on a dark and rainy night in 1967, that my father first spoke to me about my future. I was twelve years old then, in Standard Six of primary school; the next year, I would be moving on to secondary school. My father had always been a fairly remote figure to his three

5 10

8

3 4 5 6 7

sons; stern and affectionate in equal measure, but still remote. Much, much, later I would console myself with the thought that he had been saving himself for later in our lives, when we were out of our infancy and could understand more of his strong and complex personality. That night, my father said to me: ―The Malay College is not just any school. It is the school.‖ That‘s about all I remember, although there must have been more. I do remember not being sure what he was on about. I knew that I would be sitting for the Malay College entrance examinations very soon, and I was vaguely aware that this was a place, a big boarding school way up in Kuala Kangsar, spoken of with much respect by my teachers. But merely sitting for the exams was no big deal; practically every Standard n the country did so, and I had by no means excelled in school so far. But here was my father talking about the Malay College in a way that made me feel, for the first time in my young life, that he actually had hopes for me. And he went on: ―You must take the Sciences. There is no future in the Arts.‖ What was this? ―Sciences‖? ―Arts‖? I couldn‘t even draw! And I was certainly no whiz at arithmetic. The day of the entrance exam came, and the four of us who were the only four Malay boys in our primary school‘s top class went to take it. Ghani and Azizi were deadly serious about it; Muslini and I larked about. Ghani and Azizi were the great hopes of our school, which would apparently be honoured to send off a ward or two to the Malay College; Muslini and I were there to make up the numbers. So of course, when the results came out a month later, Muslini and I made the cut and the other two didn‘t. Nobody could believe it, least of all Muslini and me. I went home a very happy kid that Friday. My father was at home when I got there, reading the newspaper. ―Papa,‖ I said, struggling to keep the excitement from my voice. ―I‘ve got the results. I passed. I have to report to Malay College on January seventh.‖ He didn‘t even lower the paper. ―Good,‖ he said. Years later, my mother would tell me that was one of the proudest moments of his life. He certainly fooled me then. Five days into 1968, my father bundled his wife and sons into the car and set off on a 200-kilometre drive north to Kuala Kangsar, a small, sleepy town dozing by a bend of the Perak River not far south of Taiping. Kuala Kangsar had a distinguished air about it: it was the royal town of Perak, site of the Sultan‘s Palace, and of the esteemed Malay College. It had been founded by the British in 1905 as a place in which the sons of Malay Sultans could acquire the rudiments of a sound British education before moving on to tertiary institutions in Britain itself. It was indeed a grand old school, and its reputation was well deserved. My first impression, however, was of bedlam: a horde of twelve-year-olds and what seemed to be their families, seeking out their allotted bed-spaces in the dormitories, being endlessly hugged by weeping mothers, grandmothers and aunts. I was happy to find Muslini amidst the chaos, although he seemed altogether too dazed to be coherent. The day drew to an end; the families were waved a tearful goodbye. We had our first mass meal in the dining hall, in which were hung framed group photographs of the College‘s previous First-Form intakes, and were sent to our

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beds at nine. Within the soft white drapes of their brand-new mosquito nets, ninety-two young boys fell asleep on their first night away from their homes and families. From that day on, home would be a place we would only visit on holidays. It was all for the best that we were utterly exhausted. Adapted from: A Malaysian Journey by Rehman Rashid.

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Task 7 The following words given in Column A are found in the passage

above. Match the meanings in Column B with the words in Column A in context

of the passage.

A B

1. peripatetic ________________ 2. stern _______________ 3. excelled _______________ 4. whiz _______________ 5. larked _______________ 6. apparently _______________ 7. esteemed _______________ 8. rudiments _______________ 9. bedlam _______________ 10.coherent _______________

a. confusion and noise b. clever c. definitely d. strict e. very good f. speak clearly g. basics h. roamed i. traveling from place to place j. respected and admired

Task 8 Mark with a (√) for the statements which are true and a (x) for the

statements which are false

1. The writer‘s family had stayed in a number of places throughout

the peninsula ( ) 2. The writer‘s father last career was a senior lecturer ( )

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3. The writer‘s father was very close to his sons ( ) 4. The writer was not very interested to be in the Malay College ( ) 5. The writer was good in arithmetic ( ) 6. The Malay College is the only well-known place in Kuala Kangsar ( ) Task 9 Answer the following questions in your own words.

1. When did the writer‘s family finally settle down?

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

2. How was the father-son relationship in the writer‘s family?

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

3. Why was the writer not keen in enrolling in the Malay College?

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

4. What was the response of the writer‘s father when he was successful in the

Malay College entrance exam?

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

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5. What was the main aim of the establishment of the Malay College by the

British in 1905?

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________ Task 10 You may have some ideas after reading the above passage.

1. Relate your experience on your first day in primary or secondary school.

2. Describe any memorable happenings in your school or college life.

LANGUAGE FOCUS

TALKING ABOUT THE PRESENT Simple Present Tense shows habitual action, a fact or general truth, a planned

action that will take place in the future and to show the time of action.

Usage Examples

1. To show a fact or general truth e.g. Penang is the `pearl of the orient‘ UPSI is located in South Perak.

2. To show habitual action. e.g. Goh always plays tennis at UPSI court. Shima drives from Proton City to UPSI every day.

3. To show a planned action that will take place in the future.

e.g. The plane takes off at 12 midnight from KLIA. The Kayak participants leave for UPM tomorrow.

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4. To show an event that is likely to happen in the future (`If‘ is used).

e.g. If he arrives, just let him into the house. The students will respect you if you demonstrate some concern and kindness.

5. To show the time of action. Words like `until‘, `as‘, `as soon as‘ and `when‘ are used.

e.g. As soon as she locks the door, the robber grabs her. When he reaches his house, he goes straight to bed.

Task 11 Change the forms of the verbs in brackets to the present tense. 1. She (sip) ___________ the hot tea slowly.

2. Her nephew (love) __________ to play squash and he (is) ________ the

state champion.

3. The vet (suggest) __________ that her dog be put to sleep.

4. He (inform) __________ his class of the concert tonight.

5. Ahmad (write) to his parents every week.

6. Mei Lee (sing) at the Charity Ball every year.

7. We (experience) longer days in the U.K. during summer.

8. Friends (support) one another in difficult and challenging times.

9. The university bus (depart) as early as 7 in the morning.

10. Vitamin C and Fish Oil (help) our bodies fight against influenza.

Task 12 Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the present tense.

Herman _________ 1 (love) to kayak. He ___________ 2 (dream) to be a

Malaysian cum an Olympic Kayak paddler one day. Realizing his passion, he

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_________ 3 (join) the UPSI Canoe Club, under the guidance of the Sports

Science Faculty.

The Club members train at the Proton City Lake about 8 kilometres from

UPSI. Herman and five other peddlers normally _________ 4 (practise) from

5.00 pm. to 7.30pm everyday. He _______ 5 (join) his team to row the kayak

back and forth several times under the watchful eyes of the coach. When he

__________ 6 (finish) his training, he returns home and continues working on

his assignments like any ordinary university student. Herman _______ 7

(receive) his early training at Belaga, Sarawak where he rows sampan and

maneuvers motorboats. His effort __________ 8 (pay) off as he is now the

university Kayak peddler.

Herman and his team ___________ 9 (compete) in the Asian Varsity

Rowing Tournament in October. The UPSI Kayak peddlers _________ 10

(leave) for Putrajaya on 14 October 2008. They have made us proud winning

the gold medal a few months ago and we pray for their success in the up

coming tournament.

SIMPLE PAST TENSE

USAGE EXAMPLES

To express an action completed in the past usually with a time frame

Salim played rugby when he was in school. I saw this movie when I was 12 years old.

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To show a past habit, usually accompanied by adverbs like „always‟, „often‟, or „ „never‟

She always visited the old folks home when she was in town. My teacher often made it compulsory for us to write an essay every week.

To express a series of past actions

He got into the car, started the engine and drove off in a hurry.

To express an unlikely situation in the ‗if‘ clause of a conditional sentence

Father would be angry if I did not get home by 11 pm

In indirect speech

Direct: She said ― I want this book‖ Indirect: She said she wanted that book

In its passive form to indicate a past action was done to the subject and not by the subject

I was asked to give a speech. The students were reminded to submit the report before the deadline.

In English, the simple tenses are the present, past and future. The tenses show the time when the action takes place. Verbs (‗doing‘ word) in sentences will indicate when the action has occurred. Task 13 Tick the sentences in the simple past tense form only. 1. He eats rice for lunch and dinner. ( )

2. Dollah scored a goal for his team. ( )

3. She studied hard for the examinations. ( )

4. The police sent the prisoner to jail. ( )

5. Do you always go out at night? ( )

6. I watched a horror movie. ( )

7. The tiger killed and ate the deer. ( )

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8. The river flows into the lake. ( )

9. They visit their aged parents on weekend. ( )

10. Bears love honey. ( )

Task 14 For each of the following sentences change of the verb in bracket into the past tense form.

1. I (buy) _____________ a new car yesterday.

2. His uncle (arrive) _____________ from Johor Bahru last night.

3. The cat (catch) _____________ a rat in the drain.

4. She (walk) _____________ to her office this morning because of the jam.

5. The doctor (tell) _____________ me to take less sugar.

6. We (find) _____________ a strange- looking insect on our field trip.

7. The guest speaker (give) _____________ an interesting talk.

8. He (run) _____________as fast as he could when the dog chased him.

9. She (get) _____________ into trouble after complaining to the authorities.

10. He (is) _____________ a well-known rugby player in his younger days.

Task 15 Complete the passage below with the correct past tense form of the verbs in bracket.

Ismail (1)………….. (leave) in a hurry with Kandan. They (2)………… (be) on

their way to the house of the village headman, Haji Hamid, who

(3)……………(live) a quarter of a mile from the mosque. Ismail‘s neighbour,

Khalid (4) …………… (spot) the terrorists crossing the Langat river just before

sunset. There (5)…………. (be) seven of them, all in light green uniforms and (6)

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..………….. (arm) with rifles. They (7) …………. (come) from the isolated Sungai

Long track and (8)……………..(approach) the village from Bukit Enggang.

The intrusion to Omar (9) ………… (be) frightening. He (10) ……….. (hear) from

uncle Ali that there were brutal killings in the district. The Communist terrorists

(11) ………… (ambush) and (12) …………. (kill) a Scottish planter in a rubber

estate near Semenyih in broad daylight. Two days later, they (13) …………..

(burn) down a bungalow in another isolated rubber estate, in full view of the

workers. Before the terrorists (14) …………. (set) the bungalow on fire, they (15)

…………..(shoot) dead the English planter and his wife.

Adapted from: Long Road to Merdeka by Kamarul Zaman Ariff (2007)

PRESENT PERFECT TENSE

USAGE EXAMPLES

To show actions at an unspecified time with words like ‗before‘, ‗ever‘ or ‗finally‘

Bakri has never seen a tapir before. Have you ever seen a ghost before?

To show a past action that has continued until NOW, with words like ‗for‘, ‗since‘, ‗so far;, ‗up to the present‘

My mother has cared for me since I was born. She hasn‟t settled the loan until today.

To express an action that begins in the past and finishes at the moment of speaking

I have not seen her for years until today. He has not spoken a word of English for years. (But he is speaking it now)

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To show an action completed recently with the verb ‗just‘

The train has just left the station. Alin has just finished cooking lunch.

Used with the phrase‘ the first time‘

This is the first time I have arrived here. Is this the first time you have met my parents

The present perfect tense shows an action that started in the past and was

completed at an unspecified time or still continues into the present. It involves

two periods of time that is a ‗half present and half past‘ action.

Task 16 For each of the following sentences, change the present tense into the present perfect form

Present Perfect Example: He eats durians has eaten 1. Jenny and I drive to town _________________________________________________________ 2. The life guard watches the children in the pool _________________________________________________________ 3. Our friends bought the final match tickets _________________________________________________________ 4. Omar dreams of winning an award _________________________________________________________ 5. Rodiah finishes her project _________________________________________________________ 6. The worker gives his manager an answer _________________________________________________________ 7. The baby catches cold _________________________________________________________

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8. The mechanic repairs the car _________________________________________________________ 9. I submit my assignment _________________________________________________________ 10. We take our meal _________________________________________________________ Task 17 For each of the sentences below, change the verbs in the brackets

into the present perfect form.

1. The workers …….. (have) just …………… (finish) the road repair work.

2. I ………….(have) already…………..(buy) the ticket for tonight‘s big match.

3. She ………..(have) ………….(live) here for thirty years.

4. The boys ………..(have) not ……………..(complete) their homework.

5. I ………(have) ……….( play) rugby since I was in secondary school.

6. The tutor …………(have) just ………….(give) us the assignment topic.

7. Nizar ………..(have) just …………..(report) for duty this morning.

8. We ………….(have) already …….. (see) that movie in 2001.

9. Kumar ………..(have)……….(leave) the office ten minutes ago.

10. Eliza is worried. Her boyfriend ……….(have) not ………(call) her or

........... (send) her any messages for the last few weeks.

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WRITING

Are you ready to begin the writing process? Often, writers begin by doing some

Pre-writing activities. A pre-writing activity will help you find ideas to write what

you need to write about. A pre-writing activity is also a useful way to help you

organize your ideas in a logical order. Here are some suggestions.

TALK

Talk about what you want to write. For example, share your interests with a group of students. Give reasons, listen to your friend‘s reasons, exchange views and ask questions. Don‘t forget to take note of the interesting things you have discussed in your group.

FREE WRITING

Free writing involves writing about a particular topic for a timed period. For example, writing about whatever that comes to your mind for ten minutes about a particular topic. At the end of ten minutes, read what you have written and further develop your ideas from that point onwards.

BRAINSTORM

Brainstorming is a process where you list down thoughts in words or phrases that come to your mind about a particular topic. You can do this on your own or in a group.

CLUSTERING

Another word that means the same as clustering is grouping. When you cluster or group certain words, phrases or ideas together, you are actually organizing and expanding your thoughts. You will then form a diagram to show how each word, phrase or idea links to one another.

20

Task 18 Now, let‘s start with some pre-writing exercises.

1. Share your thoughts on the things that you enjoy doing with a group of

students. Use the box below to take notes of some interesting things

mentioned by others.

•

•

•

•

•

•

2. Write a paragraph on the topic below in not more than 10 minutes. Begin

now.

The most interesting thing that I have done in my life‘

……………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………

21

3. Individually or in groups, list down as many words, phrases or ideas that

comes to your mind on the topic given below. Compare your list with

others.

‗Things that I wish to do in my lifetime‘

……………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 4. Use the diagram below to expand your ideas on ‗Interesting things people

do‘.

Interesting things people do

Shop for antiques

Learn how to swim

22

Task 19 Before you write, take a look at the boxes below. Match the terms

in Box A with their definition in Box B. Then, check your answers.

Box A Box B

Topic •

Main idea •

Thesis statement •

Topic sentence •

Paragraph •

• A group of sentences about one main idea

• A sentence that summarizes what an essay will be about

• A word or phrase that tells what a paragraph is about

• A word or phrase that tells what an essay is about

• A sentence that includes the main idea of a paragraph

Let‘s find out if you have really understood the terms above by completing some

exercises. Use the terms above to fill in the boxes below. The first one has been

done for you.

0) Datuk Nicole David is my favourite squash player.

1) Topic sentence

1. Mountain climbing has captured the hearts of

many people. Lately, young children have also been introduced to mountain climbing activities at camps. These young children are taught the basics of mountain climbing and are given proper training by qualified instructors.

____________________

2. It is easy to take up swimming for three reasons

____________________

3. Gardening can also help reduce stress. ____________________

23

4. Alternative Music ____________________

5. There are a few interesting activities that I do during my free time.

____________________

Task 20 Now, the following exercises will help you narrow down your topic,

write a thesis statement, form topic sentences and finally, construct a paragraph.

STEP 1:

Narrow down your topic.

State three things that interest you in Column I. Then, add more information

related to the three things you enjoy in the Column II. Before you begin, check

out the example.

Column I Things that interest me

Column II Additional information

Example: Science

Space, astronauts, exploration of planets

24

STEP 2:

Write a thesis statement.

Study information that you have stated in column I and II. Try and form a thesis

statement. Check out the example.

Example:

Exploration of planets interests me for three main reasons.

Write your thesis statement:

________________________________________________________________ STEP 3:

Forming topic sentences.

Based on your thesis statement, form three topic sentences. Check out the

example.

Example:

Topic sentence 1: Firstly, I have always wondered about life beyond our

planet.

Write your topic sentences: Topic sentence 1: ………………………………………………………………………………………… Topic sentence 2: …………………………………………………………………………………………

Tip: Use a sequence or logical connector to begin your topic sentence.

25

Topic sentence 3: ………………………………………………………………………………………… STEP 4: Construct a paragraph.

Your paragraph should include a thesis statement and the topic sentences that

you have formed. Each paragraph consists of a topic sentences and a few

supporting details. Check out the example.

Example:

Exploration of planets interests me for three main reasons. Firstly, I have always wondered about life beyond our planet.

I am certain that aliens and other beings exist. Evidences

that were reported by astronauts and space explorers

convince me that we are not alone in this universe.

Thesis

statement

Topic sentence

Su

pp

ortin

g

deta

ils

26

SELF ASSESSMENT TEST 1 Read the article on Almonds and respond to the tasks.

Awesome Almonds

You may have had almonds in your cakes, ice-creams and chocolate bars but do

you know that these nuts have some beauty tips to offer? Eating a few almonds

offer benefits which include good fats, minerals and vitamins including A, B and

E. Some experts believe it is best to eat raw almonds that have been soaked in

water overnight. Although almond oil is not commonly consumed as olive oil, it

can be eaten to get those benefits.

Almond is used mainly for its emollient and slight bleaching properties. This is

why these nuts are used in skincare. They have anti-inflammatory properties and

their light aroma and texture make them ideal for soothing women‘s skins.

Ground into a meal, almonds are used for exfoliation in beauty preparations, and

almond oil serves as a skin softener, with antiseptic properties and a complex

array of vitamins and minerals.

(Adapted from Her World , February 2008)

27

Answer the following questions. 1. What are the benefits of eating almonds?

___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________

2. Why are almonds used in skincare?

___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ 3. What would you do to almonds if you want to exfoliate your skin?

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

4. Name the benefits of using almond oil as skincare?

___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________

5. Suggest your own traditional way of using almonds in your daily life.

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

28

TEST 2

Create a skincare product using any local vegetable or fruit. Present this in class

using a mind map. Allow questions and answers after your presentation.

SUMMARY

Main Skills Sub Skills Tick here if you have

understood Notes

Listening Listening to a Text

Listening Comprehension

Speaking Speaking about Food Pyramid

Speaking about Healthy Life Style

Presentation of Findings

Reading Reading

Vocabulary

Reading Comprehension

Writing Pre-Writing

Writing Paragraphs

Mind-Mapping

Grammar Present Tense

Past Tense

Present Perfect Tense

29

ANSWER KEY Task 1

1. F

2. F

3. F

4. T

5. T

6. T

7. F

8. T

9. T

10. T

Task 7

A B

1. peripatetic ______ i _________ 2. stern _______d_______ 3. excelled ________e_______ 4. whiz ________b______ 5. larked _______h________ 6. apparently _______c________ 7. esteemed ______ j _________ 8. rudiments ________ g ______ 9. bedlam ________a_______ 10.coherent _______f________

a. confusion and noise b. clever c. definitely d. strict e. very good f. speak clearly g. basics h. roamed i. traveling from place to place j. respected and admired

30

Task 8

1. True

2. True

3. False

4. True

5. False

6. True

Task 9

1. The writer‘s family finally settled down when his father had his final

posting as a senior lecturer at the Language Institute in Kuala

Lumpur.

2. Not very close and stern but affectionate

3. Because he felt that he was not a bright student/ did not excel in

school.

4. His father did not show any enthusiasm/ did not show he was

happy/

5. It was meant for the sons of Malay Sultans to be educated

according to the British education system.

Task 11 Present tense

1. sips

2. loves, is

3. suggests

4. informs

5. writes

6. sings

7. experience

8. support

9. departs

10. help

31

Task 12

1. loves

2. dreams

3. joins

4. practise

5. joins

6. finishes

7. receives

8. pays

9. compete

10. leave

Task 13 Past Tense Tick the sentences in the past tense for only

2. /

3 /

4 /

6 /

7 /

Task 14 Past Tense

1. bought

2. arrived

3. caught

4. walked

5. told

6. found

7. gave

8. ran

9. got

10. was

32

Task 15 Past Tense

1. left

2. were

3. lived

4. spotted

5. were

6. armed

7. came

8. approached

9. was

10. heard

11. ambushed

12. killed

13. burnt/burned

14. set

15. shot

Task 16 Present Perfect Tense

1. has driven

2. has watched

3. have bought

4. has dreamt/dreamed

5. has finished

6. has given

7. has caught

8. has repaired

9. have submitted

10. have taken

33

Task 17 Present Perfect Tense

1. have , finished

2. have, bought

3. has, lived

4. have, completed

5. have, played

6. has, given

7. has, reported

8. have, seen

9. has, left

10. has, called, sent

TEST 1

1. Good fats, minerals and vitamins including A, B and E.

2. Because of its emollient and slight bleaching properties.

3. I would ground the almonds into a meal to exfoliate my skin.

4. Almond oil serves as softener to the skin.

5. Gives any relevant suggestion.

34

TEST 2 Mix the ingredients and apply to face every morning.

BLEND THE CUCUMBER

ADD TWO TABLESPOON

OLIVE OIL

CUCUMBER

ADD TWO TABLESPOON

HONEY

ADD HALF A CUP OF FRESH MILK

35

REFERENCES

Gaudart, Hyacinth; Hughes, Richard & Michael, Jessie (2003) Towards Better English Grammar . Shah Alam: Penerbit Fajar Bakti Kamarul Zaman Ariff (2007) Long Road to Merdeka Kajang: Kamarulzaman Mohd Ariff Dusun Gayah Rehman Rashid (1993) A Malaysian Journey Petaling Jaya: Rehman Rashid

LISTENING TRANSCRIPT Voice: Listen to the Radio Talk Show entitled “Healthy Lifestyle”. (End of the Road by Boyz II Men is on air….) Deejay Pink: Hmmm …that was Boyz II Men with End of Road. It is definitely not end of the road here at FBK. FM as it is time for our favourite programme. Hello everyone! I‘m Deejay Pink and I‘m so thrilled to have with me in the studio this morning two very important guests who are going to talk about ―Healthy Lifestyle‖. They are Mr. Sam, a nutritionist from ANPAC and Dr. Sani, a physician from the General Hospital. How are you Mr. Sam and Dr. Sani? Mr Sam : Well, I‘m good. Thank you. Glad I made it despite the heavy traffic (laughs) Dr. Sani: I‘m fine too. It is great to be here. Deejay Pink: Thank you so much for being here at FBK.FM. I‘m sure our listeners out there are equally excited to listen to our renowned guests. Feel free to call in and talk to our experts. The number is 03-3344555. Well …. Mr. Sam, what exactly is Healthy Lifestyle? Mr Sam: Well….remember the saying ―Take your time to smell the flowers? Deejay Pink: Yes… and ―You will get more wrinkles if you worry too much.‖ Mr. Sam: Exactly….those are some of the advice for Healthy Lifestyle. We need to stop being stressful and start living healthily. Eat good food and exercise. Deejay Pink: Yes! You are right Mr. Sam. Actually I would like to discuss this – Healthy Lifestyle in this modern demanding age! Is it feasible? Can we be not stressful with all the job deadlines? Mr. Sam : Of course we can. That is if we put effort to it. We must be positive and take our time to try and consume nutritional food. Avoid processed food and the famous fast food that we have now. Dr. Sani: I agree with you on that Mr Sam. It saddens me to see parents or elders bringing children to the fast food joints. The food there is not healthy at all. The drinks are so sweet and bad for health too. Malaysians are high on diabetes. We should also get medical check ups regularly. Deejay Pink: Gosh!! I feel guilty already (laughs). We have a caller on the line….Hello En. Hamid…?. En. Hamid: Hello….Hello… Yes. I have question for Mr. Sam and Dr Sani. Deejay Pink: Yes. Go ahead En. Hamid.

36

En. Hamid; I‘m a university lecturer. I work round the clock. My job is not merely teaching. At times I work at night too, trying to meet my deadlines. What should I do to distress? I am always stressed. At times I feel palpitation in my chest. Mr. Sam: Thank you En. Hamid. This is so true in this modern era. I find life to be stressful too. Perhaps you can try and reschedule your activities. Do one task at a time. Take a breather after you have finished one task. Go out and walk in the park near your house. Deejay Pink: Dr. Sani, do you have any advice for En Hamid? Dr. Sani: Yes. Have you done your Medical check up, En Hamid? How old are you now if I may ask? En. Hamid: Well, I just turned 50, doctor. Hmm….My last medical check up was 10 years ago (laughs) Dr. Sani: You have to get it done soon. Ask your doctor to do a profile and with the results he or she can follow through. You need to inform the doctor of your family medical history. I‘m sure the palpitation is due to your stress level but you can‘t be too sure. You must go for medical check up fast. En. Hamid: Thank you Dr. Sani and Mr. Sam. Have a nice day!! Mr. Sam: He is cheerful already… (laughs). Deejay Pink: Yes. He is. Ermm….Mr. Sam, could you give us some easy tips on eating healthy? Mr. Sam: As a nutritionist I have some suggestions. Take more nuts like almonds. They are good as source of calcium and fiber. We can crush them and add to our vegetable salad. Or eat them just like that. Deejay Pink: Hmmm….almonds? I never thought of eating them like that. I eat them only if I find them in ice creams or chocolate bars. Dr. Sani: I agree with you Mr. Sam. By the way, eating almonds may sound easy but I think it could be challenging to get them. It is not easy to find in our country unlike peanuts. They cannot be replaced with peanuts though. People who are suffering from gout should abstain from peanuts. Deejay Pink: Yes. Not many stores have almonds. We need to buy them from big supermarkets. Mr. Sam: I agree with both of you but we need to try and buy them. They provide great benefits such as calcium. In fact people suffering from thyroid should eat more almonds. Deejay Pink: Do you have email that can be accessed by our listeners? I‘m sure more people would like to reach both of you for tips and advice. Mr. Sam: Sure! My email is Sam@ANPAC.com.my. (He spells the address). Dr. Sani: Mine is Sani@yahoo.co.uk (He spells the address). Deejay Pink: Well…It looks like we have come to the end of our session. I would like to thank Dr. Sani and Mr. Sam for coming to FBK FM this morning. And thank you so much to our caller En. Hamid and to our listeners out there….don‘t touch that dial as Deejay Paul is here with more songs from the 80‘s. (Endless Love by Lionel Ritchie and Diana Ross is aired)

37

UNIT 2

JOURNEY TO THE FUTURE

LEARNING OBJECTIVES At the end of the unit, you should be able to:

1. listen to and respond to opinions,

2. prepare speeches based on specific situations,

3. read and understand the text,

4. guess the meaning of words in the text, and

5. write sentences in the correct tenses.

CONTENT Man has always been fascinated with what is beyond this earth that we live in.

What is out there? How did the world come into being? Is there intelligent life out

there? Such questions continually spurred scientists to explore space with

numerous spacecrafts. Do you know that there are many spacecrafts orbiting the

earth at the moment? How many spacecrafts do you know that have been sent to

space and for what purpose? You may want to visit the relevant websites of

countries like America, Russia, Japan, China and even Malaysia that have

ongoing space programmes for more information - one recommended website is

the National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA) [website at

http://www.nasa.gov.]

38

LISTENING Task 1 You will listen to a radio interview. As you listen, complete the

graphic organizer.

A

39

SPEAKING

Oral Presentation Skills

Learning Points

Most people feel nervous about speaking in public. For most students, oral

presentation is not an easy task as they fear speaking in front of an audience,

especially in English. As a result, they become nervous and will in turn affect

their performance during the oral presentation. Nervousness is normal. We need

to have a systematic plan to deliver our speech effectively. If oral presentation is

guided properly, students will be able to reduce their anxieties and improve their

performance during presentation. This would help them to develop a greater

awareness of how self-confidence can overcome fear of public speaking

especially in the target language. Their confidence level will improve and oral

presentation will not be a threat to them anymore.

First, let‘s have a look at some basic styles to do speeches such as:

i. Impromptu speaking means unprepared speech where students are

suddenly asked to perform without given time to do much preparation. The

delivery style is informal. We need to adopt some changes to suit our

purpose and audience.

ii. Extemporaneous speaking happens when students are quite prepared

beforehand. Normally they will refer to the text when it is necessary.

Therefore, they will deliver quite naturally and will do some changes of

delivering according to the audiences‘ responses.

iii. Text speaking refers to a situation where students have prepared

themselves in terms of the topic, the audience and the speaking situation

before presentation. This will make them confident to deliver well.

However students might lack spontaneity during presentation.

40

Oral presentation involves a lot of skills for it to be delivered successfully.

Students have to collect, inquire, organize and construct information before they

can present their speech. These skills will provide students a valuable learning

experience and help them in acquiring lifelong skills for their future career and

professional development.

Task 2 Impromptu Speech i. Think of a topic and prepare a speech for a 2 minute individual

presentation.

ii. Present your speech.

iii. In groups of 3 evaluate speeches of each other. Use the evaluation form

below to evaluate your friend.

a. Content Excellent Good Fair Weak

1. Gains the audience's attention and focuses it on the topic

2. States main ideas clearly and distinctly

3. Uses transitions that are effective

4. Uses sufficient evidence to support assertions

5. Communicates ideas clearly and understandably

b. Presentation Excellent Good Fair Weak

6. Pronounces words clearly and correctly

7. Maintains eye contact with the audience

8. Speaks at an appropriate rate

9. Uses effective, non-distracting gestures

10. Uses effective facial expressions to reinforce message

11. Appears extemporaneous and not memorized

c. Conclusion Excellent Good Fair Weak

12. Uses effective strategy to end speech

41

Effective Oral Presentation There are three important steps of an oral presentation:

i. planning

ii. preparing

iii. delivering

Step 1 Planning an oral presentation

Here are simple rules that students can follow as they plan for an oral

presentation. First, consider the following questions as a guide.

What topic should I choose?

Can I narrow down the topic into something manageable?

What is my purpose?

What are my goals?

Who are my audience?

It seems difficult to start but there are ways to handle this situation effectively.

Here are some ways that can help you to select a topic:

Relate to your own experience

Choose an interesting and a current topic or issue

As a speaker, you must ensure that you have a clear purpose and set goals. This

would provide directions for you to move forward successfully. You should also

be aware of who your audience are such as their age group, general

background, interests and needs. This is important so that you can plan your

content appropriate to their level and able to gauge their attention from the

beginning to the end of the presentation. As an example, if we are giving a

speech in front of our course mates, we can assume that they share the same

interest and knowledge of the world with us. Therefore, we can choose to present

current topics and issues appropriate and relevant to us as students and

members of the society.

After you have decided on a topic, you can proceed to plan the content of your

speech. Brainstorming is a useful technique which you can use to structure the

content. Brainstorming helps students to generate as many ideas as possible.

Two ways of brainstorming for ideas are idea mapping and listing.

42

i. Idea mapping

This method of brainstorming can be developed in many directions. You can

make other mappings and go into details before you choose the most effective

ideas for your presentation.

An example of idea mapping.

ii. Listing

This method of brainstorming requires us to list all the ideas in our mind. Do not

worry if you do not see the connection of your ideas. This technique encourages

us to have a free flow of unlimited ideas before we develop the ideas further.

Plastic surgery

Luxury operation

Wasting money

Painful experience

Benefits of Plastic Surgery

Boost confidence

Correct deform from birth

Help accident

victims

43

An example of listing.

Step 1: List as many topics as you can.

1. MPP election

2. Health

3. Unemployment

4. Road bully

5. Instant millionaire

6. Time management

7. Animal cruelty

8. Technology

Step 2: Narrow it down to causes of road bully.

1. Stress at work/home

2. Unhappy

3. Insensitive to others

4. Egoistic

5. Impatience

6. Selfish

7. Disrespect other drivers

Step 3: Focus on impatience.

1. Negative attitude on the road

2. Endanger other drivers

3. Reckless driving

4. Ignore rules and regulations on the road

Task 3 Brainstorming In 5 minutes, write down as many topics as you can for a presentation. Choose

ONE method of brainstorming and focus on it. Show the exploration of the topic

clearly.

44

After you have completed generating ideas, the next important task is to organize

the ideas. Organization is essential so as to make your presentation attractive

and clear. This will keep your audience alert and your presentation will be

interesting as you deliver the content effectively. To do this, you need to prepare

an outline to organise your ideas. You should include not more than four points

for a short speech. There are two ways to organise your ideas and they are using

a tree diagram and outlining.

i. Tree diagram

This diagram displays an effective visual of the relationship between the points

and its purposes. A tree diagram consists of short notes and this will make it

easier for the speaker to remember the main ideas during presentation.

An example of a tree diagram

Holiday Abroad

ii. Outlining This method will help us to develop the body of the speech for the presentation.

Therefore we need to choose and select the points carefully so that the ideas are

relevant to make our presentation successful.

An example of an outline

Specific Purpose: To inform people of the advantages of going holiday abroad.

Main Points: 1. Taste food from different countries.

2. Meet new friends and exchange views and experiences.

3. Learn the culture of various people in other countries

Tasting New Food

Meeting New Friends

Shopping

45

Task 4 Identifying main points Write the main points that are appropriate to support the specific purpose given. 1. Specific Purpose: To inform the audience about social etiquette.

Main Points: 1. ________________________________________ 2. ________________________________________ 3. ________________________________________

2. Specific Purpose: To inform the audience that great teachers are born, not made.

Main Points: 1. ________________________________________ 2. ________________________________________ 3. ________________________________________

3. Specific Purpose: To inform the audience that open burning is

hazardous. Main Points: 1. ________________________________________ 2. ________________________________________ 3. ________________________________________

Task 5 Idea mapping

State a specific purpose for a speech and give three main ideas.

Present your ideas in the form of a tree diagram or an outline.

A

46

Step 2 Preparing an oral presentation

Writing the introduction

As a speaker, you need to have a good introduction or an opening statement so

that you can capture the attention of the audience immediately. Learn to

introduce your speech effectively as this is the ‗wow‘ factor in your speech that

will make your audience continue to listen. Here are some tips to help you in your

preparation.

The opening statement should seek the immediate attention of the audience.

This can be in the form of a startling statement or statistic, a controversial

point, a question, an anecdote, a famous quote, an eye-catching visual or a

story.

Listeners pay close attention when a person begins with, "Two weeks ago as

I was driving to work, a van pulled out in front of me…."

You could begin with a current event: "You might have read in the papers this

morning about the brutal murder of …."

A question is another way to make people listen. "How many of you feel our

society spends too much on beauty care?" might be a way to begin a

presentation about cutting costs.

Task 6 Provide three examples of effective opening statements.

i. ___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

ii. ___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

iii. ___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

47

Task 7 Introducing your speech

Write a brief introduction of your speech using the guidelines below. The main

objective of this activity is to capture the attention of the audience.

Topic:Unemployment

1. Relate to the audience‘s experience

2. Narrate a story

3. Pose relevant questions

4. Begin with current events or statistics

Developing the content

The content of your speech should be well developed and organised. You need

to communicate your ideas as clearly as possible. Introduce the central idea first.

Then, present the main points and develop each point with supporting details so

as to ensure that the audience understand well. Structure your speech. Ideally,

do not have more than three or four main points. Preview in the beginning what

your main points will be. With each point, have two or three supporting details

such as provide relevant examples, definitions, present testimony or current

statistics. Visual aids are important when you want your audience to understand

a process, concept, or understand a financial goal. Line graphs are best for

trends. Bar graphs are best for comparisons and pie graphs are best for showing

distribution of percentages. The following is an example of an outline with a

central idea, main points and supporting details.

Central Idea: The Ministry of Education‘s immediate solutions to its

problems are to deal with the shortage of English language

teachers and the difficulty of learning Maths and Science in

English language in rural schools.

Main Point 1 The shortage of English language teachers is seriously

affecting the examination results in rural schools.

Supporting Details

A. Parents do not send their children to tuition classes.

48

1. live in a rural area. 2. cannot afford the expensive tuition fees.

B. Students are not keen to learn the target language.

1. can survive without knowing English.

2. English is a boring subject.

Main Point 2 Some difficulties faced by students from rural schools who

are learning Maths and Science in the English language.

Supporting Details

A. Difficult subjects in schools.

1. cannot score well in examinations.

2. lose interest to learn.

B. Students do not understand English language well.

1. have difficulty to understand the instructions.

2. teachers do not motivate students in classrooms.

It must be noted that as a speaker, you need to establish your credibility as a

knowledgeable as well as a sincere speaker. Therefore, you need to tell the

audience the source of your expertise and you should add depth to your

evidence.

Conclusion

A common conclusion will be to summarize your main points. Remember that

your conclusion should leave the audience with further food for thought. People

remember best what you say last. As an example, you might end a speech on

becoming a better speaker with, "As Robert Frost once said, „In three words I can

sum up everything I've learned about life. It goes on.‟ Do not end your speech

with “That‟s it” or ―That‟s all I have to say.” Remember to say ―Thank you very

much” at the end. This is to show your sincere appreciation for your audience

presence and attention and it signals the audience to applaud. Leave the

audience with positive memories of the speech.

49

Step 3 Delivering an oral presentation

Practice! Practice! Practice! Adequate practice will boost your confidence. While

practising, you need to work on your body language as well as your voice

projection. It is advisable to practice in front of your peers so that they can

provide constructive feedback on the following details:

body posture

facial expressions

body gestures

eye contact

pronunciation

pace and intonation

voice projection

clarity of your voice

Do not memorise your notes but try to remember the key words. Use your

knowledge of the world to give your presentation a ‗BANG! Avoid reading your

notes as this will bore the audience. Deliver your ideas confidently and with style.

The following are some tips for you to consider so as to make your oral

presentation effective and attractive.

Before delivering your oral presentation:

Dress appropriately

Relax and take a few deep breaths to calm yourself

Be confident and believe in yourself

Focus on your message and communicate it clearly

Things to avoid during your oral presentation:

Reading from prepared text

Excessive hand movements and gestures

Distracting body positions, movements and postures

Long pauses

Too many fillers e.g. Hmmm… aaaahh….

50

Speaking too fast

Monotonous tone

Things to do during oral presentation:

Maintain eye contact

Speak with clarity and confidence

Be natural and spontaneous

Be lively and smile

Include effective visual presentations when and where appropriate and

relevant

Monitor your time to avoid panic attack!

Task 8 List as many spacecrafts as possible and be prepared to share with your friends in the class.

READING

As you read the passage below:

(a) try to guess the meanings of words that are new to you.

(b) think about the answer to this question – What are the purpose(s) of

the two space probes?

1

Voyagers 1 and 2

The twin spacecraft Voyagers 1 and 2 have transformed our

understanding of the outer solar system. Originally designed to study

only Jupiter and Saturn, these two intrepid probes have visited all the

gas giants – Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. They have sent

back startling images of churning atmospheres, complex ring systems

5

51

2

3

4

5

6

and exotic moons, some of which are large enough to be worlds in

their own right. Now, as the Voyagers head for the stars, they continue

to report from the edge of the solar system.

After 20 years and more than 7 billion miles (11 billion km), the

Voyager space probes are still in fairly good shape. Both spacecraft

continue to return data from their studies of the solar wind – the

stream of charged particles emitted by the Sun. Using this data,

scientists hope to investigate the heliopause, the distant region where

the solar wind finally dies away.

NASA plans to keep in contact with the Voyagers for the next 20 to 30

years, which is when their nuclear power packs are expected to run

down. After that, and assuming that nothing collides with them, the

probes will continue on their journey to the stars.

Voyager 1 is currently travelling into the outer solar system at a rate of

about 324 million miles (520 million km) per year. After both Voyagers

break through the heliopause, which is expected to happen in 2014,

they will travel for some 24,000 years before they reach the Oort

Cloud, the area on the edge of the solar system where comets are

thought to originate.

Beyond the Oort Cloud, the Voyagers will enter true interstellar space.

But even at speeds of more than 35,000 miles per hour, it will be tens

of thousands of years before either craft reaches another star.

About 40,000 years from now, Voyager 1 will pass less than a light-

year from AC+793888, a star in the constellation of the Little Bear.

According to present calculations, Voyager 2 should arrive in the

vicinity of the bright star Sirius in the year 296,036. It could be millions

of years before either spacecraft drifts into another planetary system

and is perhaps picked up by intelligent life

[Source: Space Missions: From Sputnik to SpaceShip One, The

history of space flight]

10

15

20

25

30

Task 9 Given below are some words taken from the passage above and do

the following:

a. Please refer to your dictionary and provide the ‗appropriate‘ definition of

each word in the context of the passage.

52

b. Identify the part of speech (noun, adjective, verb and adverb) of the word.

c. Write a sentence using the given word

1 head

a) Definition: _____________________________________________________ b) Part of speech: _____________________________________________________ c) Sentence: _____________________________________________________

2 report

a) Definition:

b) Part of speech:

c) Sentence:

wind

a) Definition:

b) Part of speech:

c) Sentence:

4 break

a) Definition:

b) Part of speech:

c) Sentence:

53

5 pass

a) Definition:

b) Part of speech:

c) Sentence: _____________________________________________________

Task 10 Read the passage again and answer the following questions. 1. What were the initial aims of sending out Voyagers 1 and 2 into space?

___________________________________________________________

2. Are the two space probes travelling in the same direction?

___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________

3. Can scientists in NASA keep in contact with the Voyagers after 30 years?

Why?

___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________

4. Will the probes travel through space forever?

___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________

5. When are the probes expected to break through the region where the

solar wind finally dies away? ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________

54

6. Where is the area in which comets are thought to originate?

________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________

7. Do you think there is intelligent life ‗out there‘?

________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________

Task 11 In small groups, discuss the following questions. Be prepared to

share your opinions with the class.

1. Do you know of any satellites that are orbiting the earth presently? What

functions do they have?

2. Do you know of any spacecrafts (other than Voyagers 1 and 2) that have

been deployed in space to study the various planets and the solar

system?

3. How do you think studies in space affect our lives on earth?

4. How do you think a settlement in space for man will be like?

LANGUAGE FOCUS Talking About the Future

There are several ways of expressing about the future in English. Given below

are four ways in which one can talk about future actions or what will happen in

the future.

1 Simple

Future

Tense

A) Structure

will/shall + the base form of the main verb

B) Examples

a. It will take a few years before the new space shuttle is ready.

b. I shall introduce a new source of energy tomorrow.

2 Present A) Structure

55

Continuous

Tense

Auxiliary be + Verb+ing

B) Examples

a. They are launching the rocket on Monday.

b. I am receiving the fuel efficient car next week.

3 Simple

present

tense

A) Structure

(Please refer to Unit 1)

B) Examples

a. The countdown starts tonight.

b. I leave for NASA on Saturday.

4 ‗Be going to‘ A) Structure

Auxiliary be + going to + the base form of the main verb

B) Examples

a. I am going to wait for the hybrid car.

c. Oh.. No! The rocket is damaged. It is going to explode!

Task 12 Write 3 sentences using each of the 4 ways of expressing the

future as explained above.

1.

Simple Future Tense

_________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________

2. Present Continuous Tense

________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________

3. Simple present tense

________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________

4. ‗Be going to‘ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________

56

Task 13 Read the passage at the beginning of this unit again and do the following:

a. Identify the sentences that express the future.

b. Underline the relevant words or phrases that help to express the

future.

Task 14 For each blank below choose the right form of the verbs given in the brackets

1

2

3

4

The Road Ahead

(by Bob Lutz)

In other parts of the world, including markets where some people

buy cars for the first time, a different type of small car is developed, one

lacking many premium features such as multiple airbags, antilock

braking systems, traction control, entertainment and power everything.

And that (1) ______________ (explain) the very low costs of some of

these vehicles.

To be successful, a company has to be prepared to address both types

of market, and at GM we are. Our partners around the world such as

Wuling in China, and our own global brands like Chevrolet, (2)

_________________ (help) us to do just that. We (3)

_________________ (plan) to compete aggressively in the brave new

small-car world if we want to succeed.

But that doesn‘t mean there will be a small-car craze that will envelop a

market like the United States. Certainly, impending Corporate Average

Fuel Economy (CAFE) regulatory changes (4) _________________

(affect) the composition of the U.S. fleet. I‘m a believer, however,

research has suggested the U.S. fleet won‘t come to resemble what‘s

on European roads until fuel prices (5) __________________ (climb)

well above $10 per gallon. Until then, there will be a place for all types

of vehicles in the market, even as the volume change.

People still have a need for trucks in America and, to lesser extent,

elsewhere. People still (6) __________________ (buy) them for work.

5

10

15

20

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5

People still want them to haul boats and horse trailers. Not everyone (7)

____________________ (be - go) switch to very small cars, or tiny little

pickup trucks, unless they suddenly (8) _______________ (decide) to

haul tiny little horse trailers carrying tiny little horses.

And there will still be a desire for high-performance vehicles like the

Chevrolet Corvette ZR1. The global automotive market is a big place,

after all. There is and will be room for green and mean. Just because a

grocery store (9)__________________ (expand) its line of organically

grown vegetables, that doesn‘t mean it (10)_________________ (shut)

down the meat counter.

[Source: Newsweek 2008]

1 A

B

C

D

explain

explains

will explain

is explaining

2 A

B

C

D

helps

will help

are helping

has helped

3 A

B

C

D

plan

planned

are planning

have planned

4 A

B

C

D

affect

will affect

is affecting

is going to affect

5 A

B

C

D

climb

will climb

will be climbing

is going to climb

6 A

B

C

D

buy

bought

will buy

are going to buy

25

30

58

7 A

B

C

D

is going to

are going to

was going to

were going to

8 A

B

C

D

decide

will decide

is deciding

are deciding

9 A

B

C

D

expand

expands

is expanding

are expanding

10 A

B

C

D

shut

shuts

will shut

are shutting

59

DESCRIPTIVE WRITING

In descriptive writing the main aim is to describe someone, something, some

place or an event in such a way that helps the readers to imagine or picture

(rather than just tells) that which you are describing. In other words your writing

should vividly portray the person, thing, place, or event in such a way that the

reader can visualize it or enter into your experience or imagination. This is

usually done by using lots of descriptive language and details.

T

US Plans Moon Settlement Before Heading on to Mars

The US president, George Bush, will announce plans next week to build a human

settlement on the moon, with a view to sending humans to Mars. In an attempt to

reinvigorate the space programme, still reeling from last year's Columbia shuttle

tragedy, Mr Bush will unveil plans to create a permanent science base for people

on the moon. Once there, aides say, scientists could test the equipment and

techniques vital to making the significant technological advances demanded for

sending astronauts to Mars more than a decade from now.

Task 15 Above is an excerpt from a newspaper report back in the year 2005. In

celebrating its 50th Anniversary (2008), NASA is having a contest describing a

settlement on the moon. Discuss with your friends how you think a home will be

like in a settlement on the moon. You may want to start by considering the

following aspects:

Shape

Materials used

Amenities

Air and water supply

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Entertainment

Furniture

Task 16 You have decided to send an entry to the contest by NASA. Write an essay in

about 150 -200 words, describing how you think a settlement on the moon will be

or look like. You may even want to send some sketches of the settlement.

________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

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Task 17

Prepare and present a speech to the whole class. You are free to choose your

own topic. Other members of the class will evaluate the speaker and provide

feedback.

Task 18

Surf the internet and find information regarding the following:

a) Alternative sources of power for cars (to replace petroleum).

b) Future application and role of computers.

c) How a house of the future may look like

SUMMARY

Main Skills Sub Skills Tick here if you have

understood Notes

Listening Understand texts

Identify main ideas

Identify supporting ideas

Understand language forms

Speaking Oral Presentation Skills

a) Planning

b) Preparing

c) Delivering

Reading Know meaning of words and phrases

Identify parts of speech

Writing Descriptive writing

Ways to describe objects

Ways to describe people

Grammar Future Tense

Different types of future tense

62

SELF ASSESSMENT Test 1

Prepare and give a speech. Get your partner to use the evaluation form to gauge

your performance.

Test 2

Write sample sentences in the future tense. You can combine them to form a

paragraph.

REFERENCES Azar, B. S. (2000). Basic English grammar. New Jersey: Pearson Education. Barker, A. (2007). Improve your communication skills. (2nd ed.). London: Kogan

Page. Beebe, A. S. & Beebe, J. S. (1997).Public speaking: An audience centred

approach. New York: Allyn and Bacon. Mehmet, C. (2001). Teaching English intonation to ESL/EFL students. Ankara,

Turkey: Hacettepe University.

ANSWER KEY Task 1

Listen to the tape and answer the following questions.Here‘s the script you were

listening to.

Tapescript

DJ Hello, Miss Lee. I hear that ‗Mega Science TV‘ is screening science

fiction movies every Sunday next month.

Mr Lee Yes, we are going to whet the appetites of so many fans of science

fiction. As you know, until man has conquered every corner of the

known universe, man will always be fascinated about what‘s there in

space. This fascination has been nurtured since young and for many

people, the craze for sci-fi movies remain until adulthood.

DJ Why are these movies classified as science fiction?

63

Mr Lee Well, science fiction movie is a movie genre. It is speculative,

science-based depictions of phenomena. It is not mainstream

science.

DJ How does it differ from mainstream science?

Mr Lee There‘ll be extraterrestrial life forms and alien worlds, time travel, and

other futuristic elements. Of course, rather like mainstream science,

there are spacecraft, robots, and other technologies.

DJ What makes this four-Sunday movie screening event unique?

Mr Lee Well, each movie will be screened full length. As you know, ‗Mega

Science TV‘ normally screens multi-episodic science fiction movies

and also serials.

DJ Yes, I watch ‗Star Trek‘ movies and ‗Robocop‘.

Mr Lee Yes, these are multi-episodic movies, including ‗Highlander‘. But ‗Star

Trek‘ has also been made into serials. The same goes for ‗Back to

the Future‘.

DJ What are other science fiction movies turned into serials on TV?

Mr Lee We are still screening ‗Transformers‘ weekly, remember?

DJ I think you also screen ‗Robocop‘ and ‗The Jurassic Park‘?

Mr Lee Yes, we turned ‗Robocop‘ and ‗The Jurassic Park‘ into episodes as

they are too long. Our long running one is ‗Star Trek: Voyager‘, about

172 episodes. ‗The Jurassic Park‘ is also screened as episodes.

DJ So what movies are you going to screen this month?

Mr Lee We are definitely showing ‗AVATAR‘. As you know, humans are

forever seeking resources, and here man is the exploiter. This is

recent as it‘s from the 21st century.

DJ Is there a 1990‘s movie?

Mr Lee We‘ll screen ‗Armageddon‘ and ‗Total Recall‘ from the 1990‘s. Then

there‘ll be a James Bond movie, the one with the plot of global

genocide using a space shuttle from the 1970‘s.

DJ That must be ‗Moonraker‘?

Mr Lee Yes, you‘re right. So, I hope sci-fi movie buffs will enjoy the four

Sundays next month.

DJ Thank you Miss Lee for a most enlightening view of what science

fiction movie fans will see on ‗Mega Science TV‘ next month.

64

Task 8

Here, you may find many examples beside Voyagers 1 and 2, for example,

Sputnik.

Task 9

1 head

a) Definition:

going to or heading to

b) Part of speech:

verb

c) Sentence:

To save time, we head for the river for the night.

2 report

a) Definition:

give a verbal statement or account of a situation

b) Part of speech:

verb

c) Sentence:

You have to report to your supervisor immediately..

3 wind

a) Definition:

one of nature‘s elements

b) Part of speech:

Noun

c) Sentence:

You have to be careful of the strong wind in this weather.

4 break

a) Definition:

going through

b) Part of speech:

verb

c) Sentence:

She breaks into the room quickly.

5 pass

a) Definition:

have completed or reached

b) Part of speech:

verb

c) Sentence:

They pass the checkpoint without any problem.

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Task 10

1. They were designed to study only Jupiter and Saturn

2. Yes, they are.

3. Yes, they can still keep in contact with them provided they are not

destroyed by collision with space objects.

4. Yes, they will.

5. After 24,000 years

6. Oort Cloud

7. It is a possibility.

Task 11

1. At present, Malaysian satellite‘s Measat is in the space for communication

purposes.

2. Initially, it started with the Apollo series.

3. It helps us to understand nature.

4. Any logical opinion is acceptable.

Task 12

Any sentence is acceptable as long as it is grammatical and serves a particular

function.

Task 13

a. Example: After that, and assuming that nothing collides with them, the

probes will continue on their journey to the stars.(Lines 17-18)

b. Phrases like will continue

Task 14 1. B

2. C

3. C

4. B

5. A

6. A

7. B

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8. A

9. B

10. C

67

UNIT 3

TECH SAVVY

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

At the end of the unit, you should be able to:

1. listen for main and supporting ideas;

2. manage discussions using the correct forms and functions;

3. read and identify the main ideas and supporting details in the text;

4. identify the main ideas in a paragraph to paraphrase.

CONTENT

Speech Acts

Learning Points

Speech acts are things we do through language (Nunan, 1999). We use

language to convey our thoughts and ideas, views and opinions and to express

our feelings and attitudes. We also use language to make sense of and confirm

our understanding, to question and to test our assumptions, and to explore

meaning. As an example, when we say I am sorry, we are apologizing for

something. Likewise, Can you turn on the radio? is a request for someone to do

something. Speech acts can be a direct or an indirect use of functional language.

This means that meaning is literally presented or inferred (Thornbury, 2006). For

68

example, the statement It‟s hot in here may be inferred as a request for someone

to switch on the fan, in replacement of the direct use of the statement- Can you

switch on the fan?

Participating effectively in conversations not only requires knowledge of

grammar, but also an understanding of key communication factors (Mc Carthy

and Walsh, 2003). What are the key communication factors which need to be

taken into consideration each time you use English in your daily conversations?

The following guidelines will provide helpful hints in making appropriate choices

and forms of English language in various situations. In communication, these

factors need to be considered to ensure meaningful and effective speech acts.

i. Goal which answers the question ―What is the main purpose of the

conversation?”

ii. Context which answers the question ―What is the nature and situation

of the conversation? “

iii. Relationship of speakers which answers the question ―Who am I

speaking with?”

Goal

Goal refers to the purpose of the conversation. Is the conversation about

making a serious decision? Is the conversation casual and jovial? Take the

following statement for example: You've got to be joking! In a serious

conversation this statement would mean that the person does not take you, or

what you have to say, seriously. This is obviously a bad sign and calls for you to

explain your position in detail. However, if this comment was given during a lunch

break while you were telling a funny story, the statement means that the person

finds what you have to say amusing. You may even want to continue telling more

of the story.

Generally, speech acts in formal situations which involve making

negotiations, business transactions, and providing information in oral

presentations for example, require more formal language forms. It is advisable

not to use colloquial or informal language during such transactions.

Context

Context involves understanding the situation and knowing your rights and

responsibilities in any discussion in which you may be participating. Is the

discussion of a personal nature? Are you being interviewed for a job? In each of

69

these instances personal conversations allow for freedom of speech. On the

other hand, if you are being interviewed for a job, certain speech conventions

must be adhered to.

Relationship between Speakers

The type of language you use depends on the relationship between you

and the speaker. This includes factors such as relative status and familiarity

(Thornbury, 2005). Is the person you are speaking with a subordinate, or is

he/she your employer? Do you have a friendly relationship with this person? Is

joking allowed? Generally, informal situations require informal language use.

Friends and colleagues use more informal language with each other. If, on the

other hand, you are speaking with a person of authority, you will probably need to

use more formal language.

Forms of Speech Acts

Task 1 The table below provides samples of the language forms which you

can use in your daily conversation for specific speech acts. Try adding more

examples.

Speech Act Language Form

Informing

(to request for or to give information)

Could you tell me ___________________?

Do you know _______________________?

I‘d like to know _____________________

__________________________________

Persuading Please _____________________________

I would be much obliged if _____________

___________________________________

___________________________________

Suggesting

Why don't you / we go to the movies?

Let's go to the travel agent's this afternoon.

What about asking your brother for help?

___________________________________

___________________________________

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Requesting Can you please mail the letter?

Please take me to the clinic.

I would like a cup of tea please.

__________________________________

__________________________________

Apologizing I‘m sorry. I shouldn‘t have done that.

Please accept my apologies.

I would like to apologise ______________

__________________________________

__________________________________

Complaining

I would like to complain about ___________

I am not satisfied with _________________

I‘m afraid I‘m not happy with ____________

___________________________________

___________________________________

Complementing You look pretty in that new dress.

He has been such a good friend.

This is a fantastic book.

___________________________________

___________________________________

Asking permission Please can I ________________________?

I have to leave for home. Would you mind?

May I _____________________________?

___________________________________

___________________________________

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Offering help or advice Can I help?

Don‘t worry. I‘ll help you out.

I think you should ____________________

It would be better if __________________

__________________________________

__________________________________

Agreeing and disagreeing

I think you are right.

It is not as simple as it seems.

That is not necessarily so.

__________________________________

__________________________________

Expressing disappointment

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

Giving and responding to opinions

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

Expressing disbelief

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

Task 2 : For each situation, identify the language function.

Situation 1

Aina : You look lovely in this one!

(Function: Complementing)

Siew Ai : Do you think so? I like the blue one better.

(Function: ______________________________________________)

Aina: No…..This is more becoming. It suits you.

(Function: ______________________________________________)

A

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Siew Ai: Alright, I‘ll trust you on this.

(Function: ______________________________________________)

Situation 2

Mel: Hi Chris, would you like to do something with me this weekend?

Chris: Sure. What shall we do?

(Function: _________________________________________________)

Mel: I don't know. Do you have any ideas?

(Function: __________________________________________________)

Chris: Why don't we see a film?

(Function: __________________________________________________)

Mel: That sounds good to me. Which film shall we see?

(Function: __________________________________________________)

Chris: Let's see "Action Man 4".

(Function: __________________________________________________)

Mel: I'd rather not. I don't like violent films. How about going to "Mad Doctor Brown"?

I hear it's quite a funny film.

(Function: __________________________________________________)

Chris: OK. Let's go see that. When is it on?

(Function: __________________________________________________)

Mel: It's on at 8 o'clock at the Rex. Shall we have a bite before the film?

(Function: __________________________________________________)

Chris: Sure, that sounds great. What about going to that new Italian restaurant ‗Mama Macaroni '?

73

(Function: __________________________________________________)

Mel: Great idea! Let's meet there at six.

(Function: __________________________________________________)

Chris: OK. I'll see you at six. Bye.

Mel: Bye.

Task 3 Which of the expressions in the box below are used for (i)

complaining about things, (ii) giving/responding to opinions, (iii) offering help or

advice, (iv) asking for permission, and (v) apologizing for something?

Complaining about things.

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

May I leave early? I am displeased with the courier services.

That’s very kind of you.

We were unhappy with the way we were treated. Can I join the trip?

I‘m sorry. I don’t think you have to go to that extent. Do you need anything?

Did you hear that?

It would be wise if you think it over first. I think so too. I believe you can do it.

Sorry for the delay. You should visit your parents often.

Gosh! How awful! This isn’t what I had expected! The idea sounds good.

What a pity! Oops! I didn’t mean to do that. I couldn’t agree with you more.

I fancy your shoes. He can’t really mean that. Do take caution.

A

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Giving/ responding to opinions.

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Offering help or advice.

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Asking for permission.

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Apologizing for something.

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

LISTENING

Task 4: Listen to the talk on the advantages of Computer Assisted Language

Learning (CALL). Answer the following questions as you listen for the second

time.

Part 1 What are the advantages of CALL?

i) Generate……………………………….

ii) Students become………………………

iii) Changes in ……………………………

A

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iv) Promote……………………………….

Part 2 Appropriately implemented network-based technology contributes to:

i) ………………………………….

ii) ………………………………….

iii) ………………………………….

iv) ………………………………….

v) …………………………………

SPEAKING

Sample Conversation

Read the following conversation between three friends. One of them plans to get

a new netbook.

Situation: Azaize and Lyla are the University‘s LRT Station. They are met by

their friend Swee Pee.

Swee Pee : Hi Azaize, hi Lyla. (To greet)

Both of you are all dressed up.

Where are you girls heading to? (To ask for information)

Azaize and

Lyla

: Hi. (To greet)

Azaize : You look good, yourself. (To praise)

We‘re going to Low Yat Plaza. (To give information)

Swee Pee : Low Yat? Getting a new PC? (To ask for information)

Azaize : Yeah. I urgently need a new one.

I‘ve got loads of assignment and the due dates are just around

the corner.

Swee Pee : Are you getting one too, Layla? (To seek for clarification)

76

Lyla : Nope. I‘m just accompanying Azaize.

Would you like to come along? (To invite)

Swee Pee : Yeah, why not. (To accept an invitation)

I‘ve always wanted to get an external hard drive. The 4G

thumb drive which I have is nearly used up.

By the way, Azaize. Are you getting a desk top or a laptop? (To

seek for clarification)

Lyla : She told me she wants to get a netbook and I told her there are

some new ones just launched at Low Yat. (To explain)

Swee Pee : That‘s right. A friend of mine posted some sleek and stylish

ones on her Facebook.

Some of them are really awesome. (To agree)

Azaize : Really? I don‘t know much about computers. That‘s why I

asked Lyla to come along with me to Low Yat.

Do you know much about computers? (To seek for

clarification)

Swee Pee : A little. (To clarify)

I saw the New Alpha Swift on my friend‘s Facebook and it‘s

quite popular in the market. The Swift is powered by the Intel

Mega N600 dual core processor.

Lyla : What about its speed. Is it fast? (To inquire)

Swee Pee : Of course. The N600 processor has been given a speed

increase.

The 1.5GHz x 2 processor also supports hyperthreading (To

explain)

Azize : Wow! That‘s marvelous!

Lyla : We can also have a look at the New Sonata NB606. It has

1024 x 600 pixel display and it‘s powered by 1.66 GHz Intel

mega and 554 processor.

Not only are its features recommendable, it also comes with a

77

range of colourful lid options. There are blue, orange, green,

red, brown and turquoise. (To give details)

Azaize : That‘s interesting. But I need a netbook with a lasting battery.

Lyla : Not a problem. The Sonata comes with a 6 dry cell. You can

use it up till 6 hours.

Swee Pee : The New Alpha Swift is also fitted with a 6 dry cell as well.

Azaize : I‘m glad both of you can come along with me. (To express

gratitude)

Let‘s go and check out both machines. Besides the features, it

must also be within my budget too.

Task 5 Practice making suggestions in the following situations:

1. Help your partner decide which item to buy.

2. Warn your partner against doing something stupid.

3. Suggest that your partner change his/her plans on an overseas trip.

4. Help your partner make up his/her mind on taking up a job offer.

5. Suggest doing charity work together during the weekend.

Sample conversation:

Amira : Should I buy the blue or the purple hand phone?

Bella : I think you should buy the purple one.

Amira : Why is that?

Bella : Because purple is more trendy.

78

Task 6 Here are some role plays for you to practice your speech acts.

Role Play 1: Requesting for Product Information

Student A

You need to purchase six new computers for your office. Call JA Computer World

and ask for the following information:

Current special offers on computers

Computer configuration (RAM, Hard Drive, CPU)

Guarantee

Possibility of discount for an order of six computers

Student B

You work at JA Computer World. Answer student A's questions using the

following information:

Two special offers: Multimedia Monster - with latest Pentium CPU, 256

RAM, 40 GB Hard Drive, Monitor included – RM 4,000 and Office

Taskmaster - cheaper CPU, 64 RAM, 10 GB Hard Drive, Monitor not

included - RM4500.

1 Year guarantee on all computers

Discount of 5% for orders of more than five computers

Role Play 2: Selling your product

Student A

You are a salesperson for Ready Company. You are entertaining a customer

who you think might be interested in buying your new line of office supplies.

Discuss the following information with your customer:

New line of office supplies including: stationery, mouse-pads and white

boards, printers, scanners, digital cameras.

You know the customer has not ordered any new products during this

past year

Special discount of 15% for orders placed before next Monday

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Any order placed before Monday will not only receive the discount, but

also have its company‘s logo printed on the products at no extra

charge

Student B

You work in an office and you need some new office supplies. You are very

interested in what the salesperson has to offer. Talk about the following:

Printers, scanners

Do they have any special offers?

You would like to place an order for 200 packages of copy paper

Task 7

Asking for permission is very similar to asking for favours. In most cases, when

you ask someone to do something for you, it is important to use an introductory

phrase to soften the request.

Examples:

Lend me your pen-drive! (too abrupt; sounds rude)

Excuse me, could you lend me your pen-drive? (more polite)

Help me fix my PC. (sounds too demanding)

Sorry to bother you. I'm having trouble with my PC. Would you mind helping me

for a minute? (better)

Role play the following situations with a friend. Include details and give a

variety of responses.

1. Ask your friend to repeat something.

2. Ask your friend to help you print something.

3. Ask your friend to give the web address.

4. Ask your friend to download a video clip from U- Tube.

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Task 8: Role play In groups, discuss which would be the most effective decision for each of the

following situations. Role play the situations and present it to the class.

1. The English Language Panel has just completed writing a revision E-Book

for the Form Five students. Decide on a suitable name for the E-book.

2. The ‗E- poster‘ group assignment is due tomorrow. Your group members

have not completed their individual task and would require an additional

week to complete it. All of you decided to meet the lecturer concerned.

3. You have just started teaching for two months. Your school principal

wants you to prepare a power point presentation for some visitors from

Korea. Ask the principal what he/she wants to be included in the

presentation.

4. While waiting for the semester to reopen, you worked part time as a

technical assistant in a computer company. Apologize to a customer for a

mistake your friend made while performing maintenance operation on her

computer.

READING

Reading about current trends in technology

The Net Generation has grown up with information technology. The aptitudes,

attitudes, expectations, and learning styles of Net Gen students reflect the

environment in which they were raised. One generation's technology is taken for

granted by the next. Computers, the Internet, online resources, and

instantaneous access are simply the way things are done.

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Pre- Reading

Make notes on you know about the following internet- based services:

Blogging

Podcasting

Photo sharing

Wikis

Social Bookmarking

Video Sharing

Read the passages below and complete the tasks.

PART 1 1 2 3 4

It is an almost instinctive assumption to believe that Net Gen students will want to use IT heavily in their education; they certainly do in their personal lives. However, if you ask Net Gen learners what technology they use, you will often get a blank stare. They don't think in terms of technology; they think in terms of the activity technology enables. In general, the Net Gen views the Internet as an access tool—a medium for distribution of resources rather than a resource with limitations.

When asked about technology, students' definitions centered on new technologies. For example, a cell phone with a new feature was considered technology; a cell phone with standard features was not. What we might consider "new technology," such as blogs or wikis, are not thought of as technology by students.

The activity enabled is more important to the Net Gen than the technology behind it. For example, instant messaging wasn't considered a technology; IMing is treated as a verb—it is an action, not a technology. Students often use the word "talk" when they describe text messaging or instant messaging. Software blends into the background; it enables certain activities to occur, but it is not new, novel, or customizable—all part of the Net Gen's definition of technology.

Student satisfaction with online learning exemplifies our assumptions about online learning. Since Net Geners spend so much of their time online, it seems reasonable to expect that they would have a strong preference for Web-based courses. The reverse is actually true, as illustrated by a study from the University of Central Florida. Older students (Matures and Baby Boomers) are much more likely to be satisfied with fully Web-based courses than are traditional-age students. The reason relates to the Net Gen desire to be connected with people and to be social as well as their expectations of higher education. Traditional-age students often say they came to college to work with faculty and other students, not to interact with them online. Older learners tend to be less interested in the social aspects of learning; convenience and

5 10 15 20 25 30

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5 6

flexibility are much more important.

In response to a student technology survey the majority of students preferred a moderate amount of IT in their classes. They also want face-to-face interaction, however; year after year, face-to-face interactions are ranked by all students in either first or second place. This replicates the results of many distance education studies that show students often feel that something important to their learning is missing when all interactions are mediated, whether asynchronous or synchronous.

The implication is that colleges and universities should not assume that more technology is necessarily better. Technology that enables certain types of activities is likely to be appreciated. For example, wireless networking enables learner mobility and makes it possible to be constantly connected. The majority of wireless network use, however, may be outside the academic realm. Using technology to increase customization, convenience, and collaboration is well received; however, its integration into most courses or curricula is not as deep as into students' personal lives.

35 40

Task 9 Do the following statements agree with the information given in the

passage above?

Write TRUE if the statement agrees with the information.

Write FALSE if the statement contradicts the information.

Statements True/False

1. Net Gen students usually opt to use IT heavily in their education.

2. Net Gen students think in terms of the activities they can do with technology.

3. A cell phone with extra features will not attract Net Gen students

4. Students often use the word talk when they are actually sending short messages.

5. Students nowadays have a strong preference for Web-based courses.

6. Older learners tend to be extremely interested in the social aspects of learning.

7. Face-to-face interactions are becoming very popular amongst the students.

8. The integration of technology into most courses is not as deep as into students' personal lives.

A

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Task 10 Complete each of the following sentences with information from the

reading passage.

1. The ________________________includes commercial, educational,

governmental, and other networks, all of which use the same set of

communications protocols.

2. Social ____________________sites typically let users develop a list of

friends.

3. _____________________________ is a branch of knowledge that deals

with the creation and use of technical means and their interrelation with

life, society, and the environment.

4. The movement of people, as from one social group, class, or level to

another is known as __________________________.

PART 2 Task 11: Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow.

A junior at the university, Eric wakes up and

(i)……………………………..(IMs) arrived while he slept. Several attempts to

reach him are visible on the screen, along with various postings to the blog he's

been following. After a quick trip to the shower, he pulls up an eclectic mix of

news, weather, and sports on the home page he customized using Yahoo. He

then (ii)……………………………. A reminder pops up indicating that there will be

a quiz in sociology today; another reminder lets him know that a lab report needs

to be e-mailed to his chemistry professor by midnight.

After a few quick IMs with friends he (iii)………………………………..has

made on a project they're doing for their computer science class. He (iv)

……………………………………; he'll review it while he sits with a group of

students in the student union working on other projects. After classes are over he

has to go to the library because he can't find an online resource he needs for a

project. He rarely goes to the library to check out books; usually he uses Google

or Wikipedia. Late that night as he's working on his term paper, he

(v)…………………………………….multiplayer game he's trying to win.

A

A

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1. Complete Eric‘s activities (i-v) with the correct phrases from a- e

a. downloads yesterday's chemistry lecture to his laptop

b. switches back and forth between the paper and the Internet-based

c. peers at his PC to see how many instant messages

d. logs on to his campus account

e. pulls up a wiki to review progress a teammate

2. Which of the following is a suitable title for the passage.

a. Eric is goes crazy every morning because he is not organized.

b. Eric is a member of the Net Generation; he's never known life

without the Internet.

c. Eric does not lead a normal life, he is always tormented by the

internet.

d. Eric uses the internet facilities to complete his work, thus he has

got no friends.

LANGUAGE FOCUS The Present Continuous or Present Progressive Tense

The Present Continuous or Present Progressive Tense is used to describe an

action that is currently in progress. The action words (main verbs) used are in the

present participle form ending in –ing.

Read the following sentences.

1. I am having some problems with my keyboard.

2. I am watching Lady Gaga‘s latest video on Youtube.

3. My sister is reading the information on the touch screen computer.

4. The new boy in my class is talking on his HTC mobile phone.

5. Joe, the headboy, is typing on his laptop.

6. Josiah and Amirul are downloading some images from Yahoo.com.

7. Chandran and his friends are challenging each other in Avatar, the latest

game on Play Station 3.

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Note: am, is, are are the auxiliary or helping verbs.

having, watching, reading, talking, typing, downloading and

challenging are the main verbs in the present participle form.

Basic rules Rule 1 : If a verb ends with a consonant e. Drop the –e and add –ing.

have have + ing having

write write +ing writing

Rule 2 : One vowel + one consonant. Double the consonant and add –ing.

w, x and y cannot be doubled.

begin begin+ing beginning

run run+ing running

Rule 3 : Two vowels + one consonant. Do not double the consonant.

read read+ing reading

download download+ing downloading

Rule 4 : Two consonants. Do not double the last consonant.

indent indent+ing indenting

align align+ing aligning

Task 12: Write the –ing forms of the following verbs.

1 fix fixing 7. justify ____________

2. view ____________ 8. scroll ____________

3. copy ____________ 9. defragment ____________

4. paste ____________ 10. format ____________

5. delete ____________ 11. publish ____________

6. align ____________ 12. embed ____________

Task 13: Fill in the blanks with the correct –be verb+ ing.

1. I am formatting (format) this CD. I need to format it before I could use

it.

2. Zulhelmi ____________________ (copy) the file into his external hard

disc drive.

A

A

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3. James Raj ____________________ (justify) the document. He wants it

to look neat.

4. The students ____________________ (view) the latest netbook in the

market.

5. The twins ____________________ (save) all the files into the CD

before sending the computer for repair.

6. I ____________________ (publish) my ―Save the world‖ video on

Youtube. I want to share it with the rest of the world.

7. He ____________________ (scroll) the screen for the latest information

on Egypt.

8. They ____________________(embed) songs and pictures in their

presentation slides.

Task 14: Fill the blanks with the most suitable phrases.

1. The students‘ ___________________________ attentively to the

instructor who is explaining how to create a movie.

2. We ___________________________ Google.com for some pictures.

We want to use them for our e-poster.

3. My father ___________________________his document on Google

Doc. He can share the document with his colleague on Google.com.

4. I ___________________________ my parents to get me the latest Play

Station for my birthday.

5. Sue ___________________________ some articles on ProQuest. She

needs it for her assignment.

A

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Task 15 Use the Present Continuous to describe the following actions.

1. delete the phrase

____________________________________________________________

2. download the video

____________________________________________________________

3. embed the song

____________________________________________________________

4. clean up the temporary C: file

____________________________________________________________

5. buy an external hard disk

____________________________________________________________

6. format the CD

____________________________________________________________

7. name the file

____________________________________________________________

8. publish ______on Youtube

____________________________________________________________

The Present Continuous/Progressive Tense – Questions

Read the following questions and the answers.

1. Is Jamal buying an i-pad?

Yes, he is./Yes, he is buying an i-pad.

No, he isn‘t./No, he isn‘t buying an i-pad.

2. Are they doing their assignment at the cyber café downstairs?

Yes they are/ Yes, they are doing their assignment at the cyber café

downstairs.

No, they aren‘t / No, they aren‘t doing their assignment at the cyber café

downstairs.

A

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Task 16 Make questions and give short answers to your questions. Eg. 1 Question : Are you buying the latest Blackberry Storm? (be___buy). Answer : Yes, I am/ Yes, I am buying the latest Blackberry Storm. No, I am not/ No, I am not buying the latest Blackberry Storm. 2. Question : __________ the ―Flood‖ document into the D: File?

(be___save). Answer :

__________________________________________________ 3. Question : __________ Farid and Johnny __________ competing in the

―Video Game Challenge‖? (be___compete) Answer :

__________________________________________________ 4. Question : ________the girls ______________ the drama on the

computer? (be___view) Answer :

5. Question : ________Salmi and Chloe Lim ______________ with their

friends on Yahoo.com? (be___chat) Answer :

_________________________________________________ 6. Question : ________Tamilselvi ______________ to post the invitation on

the wall of her Facebook? (be___plan) Answer :

_________________________________________________

A

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PARAPHRASING

Why do we need to crack our heads and learn to paraphrase?

When we have large chunks of lecture notes to digest, we need to paraphrase.

It will help us remember the important points or

information.

What is a paraphrase?

A paraphrase is when you write published materials in your own words without

changing its original meaning. It is important that the sentence structure and the

vocabulary are not too similar to the original.

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The main way to paraphrase is to:

change the structure of the paragraph

change the words.

It is not enough to do just one of these, you need to change the structure and the

words. You must do this to avoid plagiarism.

Changing the structure of a paragraph

Use the following steps to change the structure of a paragraph.

i. Write down the main ideas and concepts.

Read the paragraph and write down the main points or words. Do not

copy down entire sentences.

ii. Put the original away.

Put the paragraph / book away and using the main points, write your

paraphrase from memory. This means that you are not copying the text

word for word.

To be able to paraphrase correctly, you must be able to understand and identify

the main idea and the specific details.

PRACTICE: Make predictions about the topics using the given passages.

Educators Need to Embrace Internet Technologies. There are five reasons

why they must do so. They are:

Reason No. 1: ___________________________________________________

As the world continues to embrace and evolve the Internet, businesses and

organizations are increasingly looking to tap into this resource. It is in the best

interest of educators, and professionals in general, to be aware of what the

Internet has to offer. We can choose to sit back and wish it would all just go away

because it‘s too hard to find the time for it, or we can choose to embrace it, and

look for simple ways to learn more about it. Another unavoidable fact is the

growing desire for experience and familiarity with the Internet and other computer

technologies as a hiring requirement in the educational field.

91

Reason No. 2: ___________________________________________________

Internet tools can be fun! Internet tools are interactive! What a great way to

engage students in the classroom. Many of the tools are collaborative, and they

are all hands-on. Applications that allow for the creation of cool looking timelines,

videos, or other dynamic presentations can be a lot of fun, and when a student

realizes that they can easily make the resulting creation available for viewing on

the Internet, it can be pretty exciting!

Reason No 3: ____________________________________________________

―Meet them where they live!‖ We‘ve all heard this, and there is a

solid undercurrent of wisdom in it. Many students use Internet tools on a regular

basis. If you use some of them in the classroom, you will be talking to them in

their language. And for those who have not been exposed to a given technology,

you‘ll be teaching them something they are probably predisposed to learning

more about.

Reason No. 4: ____________________________________________________

The Internet is here to stay. It‘s been well over a decade now that ‗average users‘

have had access to the Internet, and we‘re now knee deep in the Social Media

revolution that has defined Web 2.0. It isn‘t going away. It isn‘t a fad. It‘s only

going to grow and evolve. It‘s already woven into the fabric of the daily lives of

millions of people. Yes, a lot of folks are wasting a lot of time doing things on the

Internet that don‘t contribute to society or offer much in the way of personal

growth, but at the same time, there are countless ways in which the multitude of

tools and technologies available on the Internet are being used in wonderfully

constructive ways.

92

Reason No. 5: ____________________________________________________

If you introduce your students to technologies like Blogs, RSS Feeds, Wikis, and

so on, you will be helping to build their resume. Businesses and organizations

are more interested in these types of tools every day. They‘re thinking about how

to get on board and get ahead of the curve, and how they can offer value in the

workplace. Blogs are being used to provide updates about new developments,

Wikis are being used as knowledge bases, RSS Feeds are being used to

capture a steady stream of information about topics of interest, Social

Bookmarking tools are being used for research, and the list goes on and on.

Name any Internet technology, and there is a growing list of business

applications for it. Go to Google and search ―Twitter for business‖ and see the list

of articles on the subject.

Task 17 Match the reasons 1-5 to the topics A-E

Topics

Reason Number

A Businesses Want to Hire Workers Who Understand The Internet

B Students Use Them Already

C Professional Development

D It‘s Not Going Away (It Will Only Grow)

E The Power To Engage

Task 18 Underline the topic sentence in each of the above paragraphs.

A

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Task 19 Answer the following questions on each of the paragraphs (a)- (e)

Reading paragraph (a) All of the following key facts about internet are mentioned in the paragraph

except

A. Businesses and organizations are trying to use this resource

B. Educators do not need to use the internet

C. We should learn more about internet

D. Students have no desire to use computer technologies

Reading paragraph (b) Which of the following does not explain the benefits of internet applications?

A. Presentations can be interesting

B. Presentations can be difficult

C. Videos can be created

D. Timelines will be clear

Reading paragraph (c)

The meaning of the word ―predisposed‘ as used in the paragraph is…

A. Prejudiced

B. Prepared

C. Prompt

D. Prime

Reading paragraph (d)

The phrase ‗It is not a fad‘ implies

A. it is a craze

B. it is not a craze

C. it is a habit.

D. it is not a habit

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Reading paragraph (e) Fill in the table below with the information from paragraph (e)

Technology Use Who would use it?

a. Blogs

b. RSS feeds

c. Wikis

d. Social Bookmarking

Task 20 Read these paragraphs again. Pay attention to the topic sentence.

Underline the details that support the topic sentence. Rewrite the main idea and

the supporting details in your own word.

SUMMARY

Main Skill Sub Skills

Tick here if

you have

understood

Notes

Listening Listening to a talk

Listening to the main ideas

Listening for specific details

Speaking Speech Acts

Forms of Speech Acts

Language Form

Reading Reading a text on use of technology at home

Reading for Main Ideas

Reading for Specific Details

Writing Paraphrasing

Identifying the main idea

Identifying the supporting details

95

SELF ASSESSMENT

Test 1

Read the following passage on using technology at home and answer the

questions that follow.

1

2

3

4

5

Parents have numerous demands on their time and energy.

Luckily, there are plenty of ways to save time, stay organized, and

streamline your day by adopting a digital lifestyle. Giving your house a

digital home makeover will allow you to be more efficient while reducing

stress and providing your family with opportunities to have fun together.

Here are some simple and fun family activities you can do using digital

technology.

Sit down with an online calendar and plan out the family meals for the

week. There are numerous recipe sites you can visit to generate ideas for

new dishes. In many areas, food retailers feature online services to deliver

groceries straight to your door, saving you a trip to the supermarket. When

planning dinner, invite your kids to help and teach them the basics of

building healthy, balanced meals.

No working parent wants to be concerned with how their kids are

spending their time when they return home from school. With a little

forethought on Sunday, you can use a Digital Video Recorder (DVR) to

plan out a schedule of wholesome, educational programming to keep your

children entertained and informed until you return home each weekday.

DVRs utilize an onscreen television menu allowing you to choose what

your children are able to watch, and cable boxes feature parental controls

to prevent your children from watching inappropriate content while you are

not home.

It can often be difficult to coordinate a family's schedule around the

broadcast of family-friendly films on TV. Today's time-shifting technologies,

such as DVRs and Video On Demand (VOD) channels, allow you to watch

movies at your family's convenience. With the use of a DVR and VOD, it

has never been easier to plan a time for the whole family to enjoy a movie

at home together.

You and your kids can conduct research online to organize a

96

6

7

8

weekend outing to a nearby public park or recreation area. A few minutes

on the Web will provide you with details such as driving instructions, hours

of operation, and amenities offered by your destination. If you need to stock

up on picnic supplies, outdoor games, or sporting goods, there are a

number of online retailers available to meet those needs. Make sure you

consider weather forecasts and dress appropriately.

Often during the summer your children's outdoor plans get washed

out, leaving you responsible for finding an entertaining alternative in a

pinch. Plan ahead for rainy days by spending a few moments to set aside

engaging activities for your children to enjoy indoors. Go online and

bookmark a few sites featuring fun games and puzzles for your children.

You should also save up a few hours of wholesome, educational

programming on your DVR and be familiar with movies and TV

programmes that are available over VOD. These options will be waiting for

you on a moment's notice when you unexpectedly need to provide your

kids with stimulating activities for an afternoon or two.

Many communities boast a number of fascinating historic places

that get taken for granted when encountered on a daily basis. Help educate

and enlighten your children by encouraging them to research the history of

their community on the Web. Most museums and historical societies

maintain Web sites featuring a wealth of interesting facts and information,

offering your children a richer appreciation of their community.

These are just a few basic suggestions on how adopting a digital

lifestyle can save you time and energy when dealing with today's hectic

parenting responsibilities. You will be surprised at how much difference a

digital home makeover can make in your life.

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Match the „topics‟ or main idea with each of the paragraphs.

Paragraph

Number Main Idea or Topics

1 A Save Up Rainy Day Entertainment.

2 B Plan a Family Movie Night.

3 C Teach Your Kids Local History.

4 D Plan Dinner Online.

5 E Organize a Weekend Outing.

6 F Record Educational Programming for Your Kids.

TEST 2

Read the article and match the main idea of each paragraph in the box provided

from the list given below.

a. Training teachers

b. Increasing access through distance learning

c. Enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of educational administration

and policy

d. Broadening the availability of quality education materials

e. Enabling a knowledge network for students

How do ICT in education initiatives contribute to the Millennium Development

Goals?

Paragraph Main Idea

Paragraph 1:

ICTs can provide new and innovative means to

bring educational opportunities to greater

numbers of people of all ages, especially those

who have historically been excluded, such as

populations in rural areas, women facing social

barriers, and students with disabilities

b.Increasing access through

distance learning

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Paragraph 2:

With knowledge as the crucial input for

productive processes within today‘s economy,

the efficiency by which knowledge is acquired

and applied determines economic success.

Effective use of ICTs can contribute to the

timely transmission of information and

knowledge, thereby helping education systems

meet this challenge

Paragraph 3:

Large numbers of school teachers will be

needed to meet the Millennium Development

Goals for education. The use of ICTs can help

in meeting teacher training targets. Moreover,

ICTs provide opportunities to complement on

the job training and continuing education for

teachers

Paragraph 4:

Network technologies have the potential to

increase the availability of quality educational

materials. Their interactivity and global reach

allow for customized sharing of knowledge,

materials, and databases, quickly and cheaply

over long geographic distances. Furthermore,

online resources offer teachers access to a vast

and diverse collection of educational materials,

enabling them to design curricula that best meet

the needs of their students.

99

Paragraph 5:

New technologies can help improve the quality

of administrative activities and processes,

including human resource management,

student registration, and monitoring of student

enrollment and achievement

REFERENCES Azar, B. S. (1996). Basic English Grammar. (2Ed.). New Jersey: Pearson Longman. DiSessa, A.A. (2000). Changing Minds: computers, learning, and literacy. Reilly, B (1996). New Technologies, New Literacies, New Patterns' (in C. Fisher, D.C. Dwyer & K. Yocam (eds.), Education and Technology: Reflections on computing in classrooms. San Francisco: Pearson. McCarthy, M. & Walsh, S. (2003). ―Discourse‖ In Nunan, D. (2003) Practical

English language teaching. New York: McGraw Hill. Nunan, D. (1999). Second language teaching and learning. Boston, MA: Heinle &

Heinle. Thornbury, S. (2005). How to teach speaking. Essex: Longman. ANSWER KEY: Task 1

Speech Act Language Form

Informing

(to request for or to give

information)

Could you tell me where I could get

some CDs?

Do you know how much an external

drive costs?

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I‘d like to know if you have i-phones and

i-pods.

You can get a good bargain for a new

mobile phone at Low Yat Plaza.

Persuading Please come in and see our latest

mobile phones.

I would be much obliged if you could

spend some time and try out our

courseware.

This notebook is fitted with windows 7.

Would you like to see its other features?

Suggesting

Why don't you / we go to the movies?

Let's go to the travel agent's this

afternoon.

What about asking your brother for

help?

Shall we purchase the latest virus

cleaner?

Why don‘t you get yourself a laser

printer?

Requesting Can you please mail the letter?

Please take me to the clinic.

I would like a cup of tea please.

Can I have an MP4 for my birthday,

Dad?

Please let me use your PC. I need to

send an e-mail immediately.

Apologizing I‘m sorry. I shouldn‘t have done that.

Please accept my apologies.

I would like to apologize for using your

scanner without your permission.

I‘m sorry for erasing the files from your

D: drive.

Complaining

I would like to complain about your rude

sales assistant.

I am not satisfied with my new digital

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camera.

I‘m afraid I‘ve misplaced the address of

the website.

I‘m not happy with the colour of my new

pc .

Complementing You look pretty in that new dress.

He has been such a good friend.

This is a fantastic book.

She is good at preparing Power Point

Presentations.

Your 4G iphone is amazing.

Asking permission Please can I use your lap top?

I have to leave for home. Would you

mind?

May I use a few CDs for the project?

Could we buy a better digital camera?

Can I order some HP 1006 toner for the

printer?

Offering help or advice Can I help?

Don‘t worry. I‘ll help you out.

I think you should buy a new handphone

and give this one to your son.

It would be better if we bought a faster

laser printer.

I think you should email the document to

her immediately.

Don‘t panic. I‘ll help you to make the

100 copies that you need.

Agreeing and disagreeing I think you are right.

It is not as simple as it seems.

That is not necessarily so.

Yes, typing the schedule using Microsoft

Excel is a better idea.

No, I think faxing the letter is better than

emailing it to him.

Expressing I‘m not happy with the new computer

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Task 2 Situation 1

Aina : You look lovely in this one!

(Function: Complementing)

Siew Ai : Do you think so? I like the blue one better.

(Function: Giving and responding to opinions)

Aina: No…..This is more becoming. It suits you.

(Function: Disagreeing)

Siew Ai: Alright, I‘ll trust you on this.

(Function: Agreeing ) Situation 2

Mel: Hi Chris, would you like to do something with me this weekend?

Chris: Sure. What shall we do?

(Function: Agreeing)

Mel: I don't know. Do you have any ideas?

disappointment lab. It‘s too small.

Haven‘t you ordered the thumb drives

as instructred?

You should defragment your computer

once a week. It‘s too slow.

Giving and responding to

opinions

I think we can print our drafts using the

dot matrix printer.

Yes, chatting on Skype is better than

Yahoo Messenger.

A high definition television gives a better

picture than the normal ones.

Expressing disbelief

I can‘t believe you spend all your money

on that purple Sega Wildfire handphone!

He‘s getting a new plasma flat screen

television? Didn‘t he buy one last week?

They spent RM4000 on a new sound

system for their car!

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(Function: Enquiring)

Chris: Why don't we see a film?

(Function: Suggesting)

Mel: That sounds good to me. Which film shall we see?

(Function: Giving and responding to opinions)

Chris: Let's see "Action Man 4".

(Function: Suggesting)

Mel: I'd rather not. I don't like violent films. How about going to "Mad Doctor

Brown"?

I hear it's quite a funny film.

(Function: Giving and responding to opinions)

Chris: OK. Let's go see that. When is it on?

(Function: To request for or to give information)

Mel: It's on at 8 o'clock at the Rex. Shall we have a bite before the film?

(Function: Suggesting)

Chris: Sure, that sounds great. What about going to that new Italian restaurant

'Mama Macaroni '?

(Function: Agreeing)

Mel: Great idea! Let's meet there at six.

(Function: Agreeing)

Chris: OK. I'll see you at six. Bye.

Mel: Bye.

Task 3

Complaining about things.

I am displeased with the courier services.

We were unhappy with the way we were treated.

This isn‘t what I had expected!

Gosh! How awful!

What a pity!

Did you hear that?

Giving/ responding to opinions.

I don‘t think you have to go to that extent. .

I believe you can do it.

I think so too.

I couldn‘t agree with you more.

The idea sounds good.

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Offering help or advice.

Do you need anything?

Do take caution.

You should visit your parents often.

It would be wise if you think it over first.

Asking for permission.

May I leave early?

Can I join the trip?

Apologizing for something.

Sorry for the delay,

Oops! I didn‘t mean to do that.

I‘m sorry.

Task 4

Part 1. What are the advantages of CALL?

i. Generate autonomous learners who will experience freedom of choice

ii. Students become interactive

iii. Changes in the teaching methodologies of English

iv. Promote communication/interaction with -and mainly among- students

Part 2 . Appropriately implemented network-based technology contributes to:

i. Experiential Learning

ii. Motivation

iii. Enhanced student achievement

iv. Authentic materials

v. Greater interactions

Task 9

1. False

2. True

3. False

4. True

5. True

6. False

7. False

8. True

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Task 10

1. internet

2. network

3. technology

4. mobility

Task 11

1.

i. c

ii. d

iii. e

iv. a

v. b

2. B

Task 12

1 fix fixing 7. justify justifying

2. view viewing 8. scroll scrolling

3. copy copying 9. defragment defragmenting

4. paste pasting 10. format formatting

5. delete deleting 11. publish publishing

6. align aligning 12. embed embedding

Task 13

1. I am formatting (format) this CD. I need to format it before I could use it.

2. Zulhelmi is copying (copy) the file into his external hard drive.

3. James Raj is justifying (justify) the document. He wants it to look neat.

4. The students are viewing (view) the latest netbook in the market.

5. The twins are saving (save) all the files into the CD before sending the

computer for repair.

6. I am publishing (publish) my ―Save the world‖ video on Youtube. I want

to share it with the rest of the world.

7. He is scrolling (scroll) the screen for the latest information on Egypt.

8. They are embedding (embed) songs and pictures on their presentation

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slides.

Task 14

1. The students are listening attentively to the instructor who is

explaining how to create a movie.

2. We are surfing Google.com for some pictures. We want to use them

for our e-poster.

3. My father is typing /is saving his document on Google Doc. He can

share the document with his colleagues on Google.com.

4. I am persuading/asking my parents to get me the latest Play Station

for my birthday.

5. Sue is browsing some articles on ProQuest. She needs it for her

assignment.

Task 15

1. delete the phrase

He is deleting the phrase from the document.

Sharul is deleting the phrase because his lecturer asked him to.

2. download the video

They are downloading the video from Youtube.

She is downloading the video to be embedded in her slides.

3. embed the song

The group is embedding the song into their presentation slides.

Anne Sim is embedding the song into her PowerPoint presentation.

4. clean up the C: file

The technician is cleaning up the temporary C: file.

5. buy an external hard disk

I am buying an external hard disk because I want to download some

movies.

Fadhilah Hanim is buying an external hard disk for her boyfriend.

6. format the CD

We are formatting the CD as instructed.

The lecturer is formatting the CD for the students.

7. name the file

She is naming the file after her beloved father.

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The group is naming the file “Our group”.

8. publish their short movie on Youtube

They are publishing their short movie on Youtube.

The student is publishing his/her video on Youtube.

Task 16

1. Question : Are you buying the latest Blackberry Storm?

(be___buy)

Answer : Yes, I am/ Yes, I am buying the latest Blackberry

Storm.

No, I am not/ No, I am not buying the latest Blackberry

Storm.

2. Question : Are you saving the ―Flood‖ document into the D: File?

(be___save)

Answer : Yes, I am / Yes, I‘m saving the ―Flood‖ document into

the D: File.

No, I am not/ No, I am not/No, I‘m not saving the

―Flood‖ document into the D: File.

3. Question : __________ Farid and Johnny __________ competing

in the ―Video Game Challenge‖? (be___compete)

Answer : Yes, they are/ Yes, they‘re competing in the ―Video

Game Challenge.‖

No, they are not/ No, they aren‘t/No, they aren‘t

competing in the ―Video Game Challenge‖.

4. Question : ________the girls ______________ the drama on the

computer? (be___view)

Answer : Yes, they are/ Yes, they‘re viewing the drama on the

computer.

No, they are not/ No, they aren‘t/No, they aren‘t

viewing the drama on the computer.

5. Question : ________Salmi and Chloe Lim ______________ with

their friends on Yahoo.com? (be___chat)

Answer : Yes, they are/ Yes, they‘re chatting with their friends

on Yahoo.com.

No, they are not/ No, they aren‘t/No, they aren‘t

chatting with their friends on Yahoo.com.

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6. Question : ________Tamilselvi ______________ to post the

invitation on the wall of her Facebook? (be___plan)

Answer : Yes, she is/ Yes, she‘s planning to post the invitation

on the wall of her Facebook.

No, she is not/No, she‘s not planning to post the

invitation on the wall of her Facebook.

Task 17

A. 1

B. 3

C. 5

D. 4

E. 2

Task 18 Passage (a) Internet and other computer technologies as a hiring requirement in

the educational field.

Passage (b) What a great way to engage students in the classroom.

Passage (c) Many students use Internet tools on a regular basis

Passage (d) The Internet is here to stay

Passage (e) you will be helping to build their resume. Task 19 Reading Passage (a)- D

Reading Passage (b)- B

Reading Passage (c)- A

Reading Passage (d)- B

Reading Passage (e)

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Technology Use

Who would use

it?

a Blogs Provide updates about new

development

Students,

professionals

b RSS feeds Information on topics of interest General public,

students,

researchers

c Wikis Get knowledge or information students

d Social Bookmarking research Researchers

Task 20

Reading Passage (a)

It is important that educators are aware of what the Internet has to offer as

experience and familiarity with the Internet and other computer technologies is

becoming a hiring requirement in the educational field.

Reading Passage (b)

It is a great way to engage students in the classroom as many of the tools are

collaborative, and they are all hands-on.

Reading Passage (c)

Many students use Internet tools on a regular basis and using them is similar to

talking to them in their language.

Reading Passage (d)

The Internet is here to stay and It‘s been over a decade that ‗average users‘ have

had access to the Internet and it‘s become part of the daily lives of millions of

people.

Reading passage (e)

It will help build resume. Businesses and organizations are more interested in

these types of tools as they want to get ahead of the curve.

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TEST 1

1. D

2. F

3. B

4. E

5. A

6. C

TEST 2

Para 1 – b

Para 2 – e

Para 3 – a

Para 4 – d

Para 5 - c

UNIT 3: LISTENING TRANSCRIPT

One of the advantages of CALL is that it offers a powerful self-access

facility, that is, it helps to generate autonomous learners who will experience

freedom of choice. The tools that learners find in computers allow them to

assume mastery of their own learning experience. Students can call up the

programs held by computers whenever they want; besides, computers are

sensitive to the learners level of proficiency.

Another advantage of CALL is that it gives a new role to teaching

materials. Out of the context of CALL, teaching materials are passive. Before

computers were used in the classroom context, nothing the student said or did

could influence in any deep sense the linear progression of the content. In

CALL, materials adapt themselves to the requirements of the individual student;

that is, they become interactive.

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In the field of methodology, we also find one advantage and one

correspondent disadvantage. The advantage is that CALL, like other new

technologies, brings about changes in the teaching methodologies of English.

There are cases, though, in which computers are just used to give old materials a

new aspect. This is the case of teachers who put students in front of the

computer just to make fill-in-the-gap exercises.

The advantages mentioned up to the present moment make us aware of

an important fact in relation to CALL- we have to be constantly analysing whether

the uses to which CALL is put are just reinforcing current practices or if, in

contrast, they are promoting curriculum renewal. In order to fully benefit from the

potential of the computer for language learning, language teaching specialists

have to promote a complementary relationship with computers.

The teacher abandons his informative role to take on a more active part in

the teaching process; and this is allowed to him thanks to computer co-operation,

since the computer is now going to be the new source of information. This results

in an innovative teaching methodology in which the dichotomy

teacher/transmissor-student/receiver is broken. Now, teachers are going to

promote communication/interaction with -and mainly among- students; in order to

attain this objective, they are going to encourage students to take risks, leaving

aside penalties for producing incorrect bits of language.

One final aspect that we should analyse in relation to the implementation

of computers in English language teaching is ultimately an ethical question- What

is the kind of environment that is going to be created by means of the computer?.

Personally, I consider that the creation of autonomous learners should not be

associated to the concept of human alienation. The CALL classroom should not

be conceived as a room in which every learner is studying in isolation in front of

his/her computer. Teachers must think of activities that enable group

work/human interaction and computers to be compatible. Otherwise, men as

social beings will be replaced by men as alienated computer slaves.

Research and practice suggest that, appropriately implemented, network-

based technology can contribute significantly to:

1)Experiential Learning- The World Wide Web makes it possible for students to

have a huge amount of human experience. They can learn by doing things

themselves and become the creators not just the receivers of knowledge

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2)Motivation -Computers are most popular among students because they are

associated with fun and games and also they are fashionable. Student motivation

is therefore increased, especially whenever a variety of activities are offered,

which make them feel more independent.

3)Enhanced Student Achievement-Network-based instruction can help pupils

strengthen their linguistic skills by positively affecting their learning attitude and

by helping them build self-instruction strategies and promote their self-

confidence.

4)Authentic Materials for Study-All students can use various resources of

authentic reading materials either at school or from their home. Those materials

can be accessed 24 hours a day at a relatively low cost.

5)Greater Interaction- Random access to Web pages breaks the linear flow of

instruction. By sending E-mail and joining newsgroups, ESL students can

communicate with people they have never met. They can also interact with their

own classmates. Furthermore, some Internet activities give students positive and

negative feedback by automatically correcting their on-line exercises.

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UNIT 4

A WAY OF LIFE LEARNING OBJECTIVES

At the end of the unit, you should be able to:

1. practice turn-taking by using various ways of interrupting.

2. listen to conversations and identify specific ways of interrupting.

3. read and identify the main ideas and supporting details in the text.

4. identify topic sentences and supporting details.

5. write a summary.

CONTENT Turn-taking In a conversation, we take turns to speak. Task 1 Practice the conversation below. Siti : Did you watch the new reality show on TV last night?

Amy : Which one? There are so many reality shows nowadays especially

those portraying the fabulous life of western celebrities.

Siti : I couldn‘t agree more. However I do feel that showing these

celebrities‘ life style may influence the way people in our country

lead their life like they way they dress.

Amy : You‘re right. But if you look at it this way, some of the reality shows

give some useful ideas about how to bond among family members

and how they resolve problems faced by any of the family

members. This would benefit the viewers.

Siti : Could I just say something here? Those reality shows would

probably benefit the adult viewers but I‘m afraid that the youngsters

may not see those values.

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Amy : Really! What do you mean?

Siti : My niece keeps asking her mother to buy her new clothes with

matching accessories because she wants to look fabulous like the

celebrities she saw on TV.

Amy : Did your sister buy her the clothes?

Siti : No, she didn‘t. But she said it was difficult to explain to her daughter

that they can‘t afford to spend so much money on clothes as they

have bills to pay.

Task 2 Practice the conversation in Task 1 with a partner. Task 3 Talk about the following topics with a partner:

1. The influence of western culture on the way teenagers dress.

2. Should Valentine‘s Day be celebrated by Muslims?

Interrupting In taking turns to speak, you may want to interrupt the speaker. There are many ways to interrupt a speaker. Task 4

A. Complete the conversation by filling in the blanks with appropriate words.

Jane

: I think pop culture is wreaking havoc

among our youths.

Hui : Yes, you‘re __________________. The

sad thing is that many people don‘t

realize it.

A

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Jane : That‘s __________________ . Pop

culture usually glorifies what has usually

been seen as having a negative

influence on society. But it is done in a

subtle way. That is why people don‘t

realize that they are being influenced.

Hui : I don‘t quite ____________________

with you there. I think it is quite obvious

how negative ways of behaving are

portrayed in pop culture.

Jane : __________________, it is obvious

only to people who can see through it

but not for people who think that

everything in the magazines or movies

is ‗cool‘.

B. Practice the dialogue with a partner.

Task 5

A. Identify the functions of the two questions in the following conversation.

Write (C) at the back of the question that is asking for clarification and (I)

at the back of the question that is asking for

more information.

Ben

: Many people now eat fast food as

their daily meals. It‘s a part of

western culture that people have

happily adopted. They don‘t realize

what that can do to them.

Shah : What do you mean?

: Well, there‘s no doubt that fast food

is fast and convenient but they

should think of the effects of fast food

on their bodies. Just look at the rate

of obesity in the country where the

fast food chains come from.

Agreeing

You’re absolutely right! I

couldn’t agree more.

Great idea!

I agree with your

suggestion to …….

Disagreeing

No, that’s not true.

I don’t quite agree with

you.

I see your point but I …….

Asking for Clarification

I’m not sure I understand

what you mean. Could you

talk a little bit more about

that?

So you want to open a new

site. Is that right?

Would you mind explaining

that a little bit more,

please?

Asking for Information

What is included in the

plan?

How much is the cost of

printing these charts in

colour?

Did Azlan tell you to say

that?

A

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B. Create a dialogue with a partner using the dialogue given above as a

model. The dialogue must include questions or sentences that ask for

clarification or information.

Task 6 Fill in the blanks with the sentences given in the shaded box below. Then discuss what they are used for.

Such as?

Can I suggest

something?

Go ahead.

Well, that sounds good,

too.

Nisha : Shall we go and watch a movie?

Izad : I don‘t feel like it. Can we do something

else?

Nisha : Oh, OK. What do you want to do?

Izad : Let‘s eat. The food court is full of choices.

Nisha : That sounds good.

Kim : _________________________________

Ben : Where is that?

Shah : America, of course! More than half of

Americans are categorized as obese.

Ben : What‘s the situation like in Malaysia?

Shah : I read in the papers that the obesity

rate is increasing here.

Asking for permission to

interrupt

I’m sorry, but can I

interrupt you for a

minute?

Can I add another

thought for you?

Before you go on, can I

say something?

Encouraging

I’m listening.

That’s a great idea.

Go on.

A

117

Nisha : _________________________________

Kim : Let‘s do something new.

Nisha : _________________________________

Kim : Let‘s watch the orchestra at Dewan

Philharmonic Petronas.

Izad : Isn‘t that expensive?

Kim : No. The chamber concert is on today.

The ticket costs RM10 only.

Nisha : _________________________________

LISTENING Task 7 You are going to listen to a dialogue between Nani and Sya. Listen carefully and

write the ways of interrupting used in the dialogue.

Dialogue Ways of interrupting

Nani : Have you read the newspaper

lately?

Sya : No. Was there any interesting

news?

1. Asking for more

information.

Nani : There‘s news about an artist who

used twitter to write bad

comments about people she

doesn‘t like.

Sya : Is that true? What did she write? 2.

A

118

Nani : Well, she used very bad words to

describe one artist whom she

believed was badmouthing her. I

don‘t think she should write that

on twitter because so many

people can read it.

Sya : You‘re right. Her actions are

unacceptable. You know, this kind

of behaviour has become a

culture in our country. Many

people, even kids in school, are

using twitter to write bad things

about their friends.

3.

Nani : That‘s really bad.

Why are they doing that?

4.

5.

Sya : Because they find that twitter can

be used to channel their anger

and frustration towards other

people and, being kids, they‘re

still immature.

Nani : Can I add something? I really

think that children nowadays are

given too much freedom by their

parents and this lack of

supervision leads to this bad way

of expressing their negative

feelings.

6.

Sya : Absolutely. Supervision is a major

issue among parents today as

they‘re all busy with their work

and have less time to monitor

their children.

7.

Nani : Mmm. You have a point there.

Being a mother, I myself feel that

8.

119

it‘s hard to monitor all my son‘s

activities.

Sya : It is difficult because we‘re

working mothers. However, I

believe that we should let them

use the internet when we‘re at

home. So that we can see what

they‘re doing.

9.

Nani : Is that right? Do you mean that we

should be in front of the computer

while they use the internet?

10.

Sya : Yes. My daughter has a Facebook

account. I make sure she knows

what to be included and what not

to be included in her Facebook.

Nani : Right. I‘ll do the same. Thanks.

Sya : You‘re welcome.

Task 8 Read the dialogues and underline parts of the dialogues that indicate

ways of interrupting. Write the ways of interrupting in the column provided.

Dialogue a)

Ain : Children nowadays don‘t visit their

grandparents anymore. They‘re too

busy watching TV and playing video

games.

Sara : Could I just add something here? I

personally feel that parents should be

responsible for the children‘s way of

behaving.

A

120

Dialogue b)

Liza : Where‘s Aishah?

Mira : She went out to celebrate Valentine‘s

Day with her boyfriend.

Liza : Did she say that?

Mira : Yes. She told me she‘s going to

KLCC with Azam to celebrate

Valentine‘s Day.

Liza : Really?

Mira : That‘s exactly what she said to me.

Dialogue c)

Zaza : We have to think about our

performance for the speaking class.

We have to perform something

unique and different from the others.

Misha : Ah! So you want us to perform

something that nobody would do?

Zaza : Yes, I think we should perform a

musical role-play like High School

Musical.

Misha : I love the idea of performing a

musical role-play. However, I don‘t

think we should perform something

like High School Musical. Let‘s do

something that represents our

culture and tradition like P. Ramlee

the Musical.

121

Task 9 You are going to listen to a conversation among Azie, Rina and Wati about ways

of viewing religion among people.

Listen to the conversation again and complete the chart given.

Ways of interrupting Who What the person said

Agreeing

Disagreeing

Asking for clarification

Asking for information

Asking for permission to interrupt

Encouraging

READING Together with your partner, discuss the following questions.

1. What is your understanding of the term ―tradition‖?

2. Why is it important to preserve one‘s own tradition?

A

122

Past Traditions Brought To Life

Read the following passage. As you read, try to guess the meanings of the words

in bold.

1 2 3 4

They came in droves to pay homage to the sea that sustains or hadsustained them and their forefathers. From fishermen, to farmers, businessmen,politicians, students, homemakers to wealthy Melanau people living in other parts of Sarawak and some abroad, all came home dressed in their best traditional costumes to celebrate the Mukah Kaul Festival for three days. And the ―leader‖ of the Melanau community state chief led the celebrations held at the Kala Dana beach area, where thousands converged to celebrate the Mukah Kaul Festival. It is always celebrated in the month of April to mark the beginning of the fishing season after the end of the monsoon that keeps many fishermen from going to sea with their boats anchored safely along the shores. Before the fishing community ventures for a new season, they always pay homage to the sea by offering eggs, glutinous rice, betel leaves and many Melanau delicacies, among other things. In ancient times, the Melanau community were pagan and they believed the offerings to their ―keepers‖ will bring them a good harvest and tidings during the fishing season. But with the conversion of many to Islam and Christianity, the thanksgiving ceremony is more of a tradition now with no religious significance. These days, the Mukah Kaul Festival is a place to meet old friends and relatives and at the same time enjoy the activities held at the beach as well as savour local delicacies, especially sago-based dishes.

5 10 15 20

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5 6 7

The focus of the festival in the past used to be the Tibau or the giant swing where the youngsters and elders would swing in clusters high above the sand with some going higher and higher while others just falling off as they were unable to cling onto their mates. In ancient times, the Tibau was used by the village elders to determine the strength of youngsters who were being groomed to become fishermen. When youngsters swung on the Tibau, the old folks would know immediately whether the young lads were fit to be fishermen who could takeon the choppy seas on fishing trips. Besides testing the strength of able bodied youngsters, the swing, found in many villages in Mukah, had another purpose in the past. Village maidens who were looking for mates would swing on the Tibau in the late evenings and nights, and sat comfortably on the ropes. The men who wanted to make any of the girls their wife would jump onto the swing. As the swing went higher and higher, the girls would push away the men whom they didn‘t like off the swing and hold on to the ones they chose. However, the present day Melanau woman does not conform to this ancient practice anymore and would instead allow her family to find her a suitable husband. Still, there are those who seek thrills and fun, who will not think twice about jumping onto the Tibau with their loved ones. (Adapted from: New Straits Times, May 20, 2008. p.11)

25 30 35 40

Task 10 State the meanings of the following words in the context of the

passage.

a. homage (line 1)

___________________________________________________________

b. sustains (line 1)

___________________________________________________________

c. forefathers (line 2)

___________________________________________________________

d. converged (line 8)

___________________________________________________________

A

124

e. ventures (line 13)

___________________________________________________________

f. ancient (line 15)

___________________________________________________________

g. pagan (line 16)

___________________________________________________________

h. tidings (line 17)

___________________________________________________________

i. conversion (line 18)

___________________________________________________________

j. savour (line 22)

___________________________________________________________

k. clusters (line 24)

___________________________________________________________

l. cling (line 26)

___________________________________________________________

m. groomed (line 28)

___________________________________________________________

n. choppy (line 20)

___________________________________________________________

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o. conform (line 37)

___________________________________________________________

Task 11 Together with your partner, take turns to identify whether the

following statements are true (T) or false (F).

1. The Mukah Kaul Festival is a thanksgiving ceremony celebrated _________ by the Melanau community. 2. The Melanau people from all walks of life came to Sabah to _________ celebrate the Mukah Kaul Festival. 3. The Mukah Kaul Festival was held at the Kota Dana beach area. _________ 4. The festival is always celebrated in the months of March and _________ April to mark the beginning of the fishing season. 5. The fishermen were prevented from going to sea because of the _________ bad weather. 6. After returning from the sea, the fishermen always pay homage to _________ it by offering food and delicacies. 7. The Melanau community believes that the offerings will bring _________ them a lot of fish during the fishing season. 8. Today, the Mukah Kaul Festival still holds a religious significance _________ to most people in the Melanau community. 9. The Tibau was used by the village elders to identify future _________ fisherman among the Melanau youth. 10. The Tibau was also used by the village women and girls for _________ physical exercises and playing games.

A

126

Task 12 Answer the following questions. Discuss with your partner. 1. What is the Mukah Kaul Festival? ___________________________________________________________ 2. Why is it always celebrated in the month of April? ____________________________________________________________ 3. Why did the Melanau fishing community pay homage to the sea before

venturing out for a new fishing season? ____________________________________________________________ 4. In the past, what were the purposes of the Tibau? ____________________________________________________________ 5. Today, how is the Mukah Kaul Festival celebrated? ____________________________________________________________ 6. In your opinion, why does the present day Melanau woman not conform to

this ancient practice anymore but would instead allow her family to find a suitable husband for her?

____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________

A

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WRITING Task 13 Write a paragraph about some of the old traditions in your society. Why are they

still being practiced today? Do you agree with them? Present and discuss this

with the rest of the students in class.

________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________

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LANGUAGE FOCUS Gerunds and Infinitives Task 14 Which response would you choose for the situations below?

Task 15 Fill in the blanks with an infinitive or a gerund form of the verb. 1. Sarah refused ___________________________ (participate) in the

discussion.

2. Those who dared _____________________________ (voice) their

opinions were praised.

3. She recalls __________________________ (see) him at the museum

yesterday.

4. He struggled ___________________________ (finish) his assignment.

Mina was asked to

recall her visit to a

batik factory in

Terengganu three

years ago but she

could not remember it.

a. She forgot to visit

the batik factory.

b. She forgot visit the

batik factory.

c. She forgot visiting

the batik factory.

When Junita was in

England, she ate the oily

fish and chips very

regularly that it was

almost a habit.

a. She loved eating the

oily fish and chips in

England.

b. She loved to eat the

oily fish and chips in

England.

c. She loved to eating the

oily fish and chips in

England.

Rizal wants to improve

his Tamil language and

thinks that he can do so

by talking in Tamil to his

friends. However, before

he could do so, his

friends left.

a. Rizal tries to speak

Tamil to his friends.

b. Rizal tries speaking

Tamil to his friends.

c. Rizal to try speak

Tamil to his friends.

A

129

5. Azlan risks _______________________ (lose) his job because of his

frequent absence from work.

6. Chong admitted _______________________ (make) an error in the letter.

7. Adibah managed ________________________ (call) her father just in

time for the wedding.

8. I like ________________________ (go) to the Sunday market.

9. She considered ________________________ (visit) her relatives in

Sarawak instead of going to Thailand.

10. They need _______________________ (save) for the new house.

Task 16 Discuss the following situations with a partner. Find a suitable verb followed by a

gerund or infinitive that you can use to convey the meaning as described in the

situations given.

Example: Situation: Aliyah is interested in crafts. She will go to the National Craft Centre next weekend.

Aliyah plans to visit the National Craft Centre next weekend.

1. Situation: The ais batu campur looks really delicious. Siti finds it hard to

ignore it and ends up eating it. Siti couldn‘t _________________________________________________

2. Situation: It is not known whether Mohamad really knew A. Samad Said.

He said he did. Mohamad __________________________________________________

A

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3. Situation: Ravi asked Hasni to help him. Hasni said that she will. Hasni ______________________________________________________

4. Situation: Rose goes to the theatre regularly. She says that we should go

too. Rose ______________________________________________________

5. Situation: Suilin does not listen to loud music. She has a strong dislike for

it. Suilin ______________________________________________________

Modal Auxiliaries Task 17

Task 17 Complete the dialogue below with an appropriate modal auxiliary. A: My wedding is two months away! What _____________________ I wear? I don‘t even know what I ___________________ wear! B: Come and sit down and we ______________________ plan this together. Now, let‘s look through this bridal magazine which I just bought for you. A: I want to wear white. B: That‘s fine. You _________________wear white but I think you ________________ also wear the songket. It __________________ be a shame if you don‘t because that is what people wear in a Malay wedding. A: But I ________________ be sweating in the songket! B: Well, you ____________ but you _____________ appreciate our tradition. Don‘t worry, I ____________ make sure that we have the fans on full blast!

Talk with a partner and try to predict the likelihood of the following events happening to you:

Living in a foreign country.

Changing your daily diet according to a

Japanese menu.

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Task 18

For each dialogue, work with a partner. Choose a role each. Read out your lines

and fill out the blanks to complete the dialogues.

Dialogue 1: A: I love the Hari Raya celebrations.

B: Me too. But I wish people are more considerate when parking their cars

while visiting each other.

A: I agree with you. They _________________ park their cars properly.

B: Look at that one. It ____________________ be parked with its side

sticking out like that.

A: Someone ___________________ easily knock into it.

B: Hey, that one over there is Ahmad‘s car.

A: He has parked it on the wrong side of the road.

B: He _______________ have been in a hurry.

A: That‘s not a good excuse to park like that.

B: There he is! I __________________ tell him to move it.

Dialogue 2

A: Many children are attracted to the western culture.

B: It _____________________ be the influence of TV and the internet.

A: Yes. Their values have changed as well as their attitudes toward our

culture.

B: I wonder what we ___________________ do about it.

A

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A: I think children ___________________ be made aware of how our

personal and cultural values shape our identities. We have a rich cultural

heritage and we ___________________ encourage our children to

appreciate it.

Task 19 Rewrite the following sentences using appropriate modal auxiliaries

without changing the meaning.

1. Are you able to help me?

___________________________________________________________

2. My father used to speak in English when he was angry. ___________________________________________________________

3. He is going to leave for the airport in an hour. ___________________________________________________________

4. The engagement has to precede the wedding. ___________________________________________________________

5. You are not allowed to touch the batik exhibitions. ___________________________________________________________

6. We are supposed to tolerate each other‘s religion. ___________________________________________________________

7. We have got to appreciate our culture. ___________________________________________________________

8. Fatihah is about to make a complaint at the counter.

___________________________________________________________

A

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9. Who is going to prepare the speech tomorrow? ___________________________________________________________

10. A leader is supposed to be fair in his judgments. ___________________________________________________________

WRITING A SUMMARY

A summary is intended to highlight objectively the main points of another writer‘s

work. Although written in your own words, the summary does not include your

opinions of the piece you are considering. Since the summary eliminates those

details that are not needed to convey the major points, it is naturally shorter than

the original. In general, a summary is from one fourth to one half the length of

the original.

Steps in Writing a Summary

1. Read the piece for understanding first.

2. Try to find the main idea in the reading text. It is usually in the first

paragraph. Next, skim through the text, glancing at any headings and

graphics. Then, read the conclusion.

3. Identify the topic sentences and key words (words that are underlined,

italicized, or capitalized). These will clue you in on the main ideas.

4. Jot down the organization of the original and follow that pattern in your

summary. Make an outline that includes the main idea and the supporting

details. Arrange your information in a logical order, for example, most to

least important or chronological. Your order may not be the same as that

of the original, but keep related supporting points together.

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5. Write your summary, presenting the main idea, followed by supporting

details. Be objective. You should not include your own opinions.

6. Revise and edit your summary to be sure that you have properly

documented important words and phrases from the original text.

Task 20

Work in pairs. Read the paragraphs and answer the questions that follow.

1. They came in droves to pay homage to the sea that sustains or had

sustained them and their forefathers. From fishermen, to farmers,

businessmen, politicians, students, homemakers to wealthy Melanau

people living in other parts of Sarawak and some abroad, all came home

dressed in their best traditional costumes to celebrate Mukah Kaul Festival

for three days.

What is the topic sentence? ___________________________________________________________ What are the supporting details?

2. The Mukah Kaul Festival is celebrated by thousands of the Melanau

people living in Sarawak. It is always celebrated in the month of April to

mark the beginning of the fishing season after the end of the monsoon that

keeps many fishermen from going to sea with their boats anchored safely

along the shores.

What is the topic sentence? ___________________________________________________________

A

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What are the supporting details? ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________

3. Before the fishing community ventures for a new season, they always pay

homage to the sea by offering eggs, glutinous rice, betel leaves and many

Melanau delicacies, among other things. In ancient times, the Melanau

community were pagan and they believed the offerings to their ―keepers‖

will bring them a good harvest and tidings during the fishing season.

What is the topic sentence? ___________________________________________________________ What are the supporting details? ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________

4. With the conversion of many to Islam and Christianity, the thanksgiving

ceremony is more of a tradition now with no religious significance. These

days, the Mukah Kaul Festival is a place to meet old friends and relatives

and at the same time enjoy the activities held at the beach as well as

savour local delicacies, especially sago-based dishes.

What is the topic sentence? ___________________________________________________________ What are the supporting details? ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________

5. The Tibau or the giant swing was the focus of the festival in the past. It

was where the youngsters and elders swung in clusters high above the

sand with some going higher and higher while others just falling off as they

were unable to cling onto their mates. In ancient times, the Tibau was

used by the village elders to determine the strength of youngsters who

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were being groomed to become fishermen. When youngsters swung on

the Tibau, the old folks would know immediately whether the young lads

were fit to be fishermen who could take on the choppy seas on fishing

trips.

What is the topic sentence? ___________________________________________________________ What are the supporting details? ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________

6. Besides testing the strength of able bodied youngsters, the swing, found in

many villages in Mukah, had another purpose in the past. Village maidens

who were looking for mates would swing on the Tibau in the late evenings

and nights, and sat comfortably on the ropes. The men who wanted to

make any girls their wife would jump onto the swing. As the swing went

higher and higher, the girls would push away the men whom they didn‘t

like off the swing and hold on to the ones they chose.

What is the topic sentence? ___________________________________________________________ What are the supporting details? ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________

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Task 21 Read the passage titled ―Past Traditions Brought To Life‖ in Section A

again and summarize it in not more than 100 words.

Task 22 Get your partner to read your summary and discuss the following questions:

1. Does your summary make the same point as the text?

2. Have you omitted anything important?

3. Does your summary read smoothly with all parts clearly related?

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SELF ASSESSMENT TEST 1

Various factors (e.g. a television program, a management system, fashion, trend,

beliefs etc.) are said to be shaping culture. Find examples on the Internet where

something is said to be shaping culture and write down at three factors that

influence today‘s culture. Identify one specific example for each factor.

TEST 2

The website http://www.malaysia.alloexpat.com/ provides various information to

expatriates living in Malaysia. Read the description of "Malaysian Culture" on

this website.Write a short review on the accuracy of the information provided.

Summary

Main Skill Sub Skills Tick here if you

have understood Notes

Listening Identifying specific ways of interrupting

Speaking Practice turn-taking when talking in a conversation

Using different ways of interrupting in a conversation

Reading Reading a text entitled ‗Past Traditions Brought to Life‘.

Reading comprehension

Vocabulary

Writing Identifying topic sentences

Identifying supporting details

Writing a summary

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REFERENCES (May 20, 2008). Past traditions brought to life, New Straits Times, p. 11. ANSWER KEY Task 1 Read the conversation aloud and listen. Task 2 Practice the conversation with a partner. Task 3 Talk about the given topics with a partner. Task 4

Jane:

Hui:

Jane:

Hui:

Jane:

I think pop culture is wreaking havoc among our youths.

Yes, you‘re ____right_______. The sad thing is that many people

don‘t realize it.

That‘s ___true_________ . Pop culture usually glorifies what has

usually been seen as having a negative influence on society. But it is

done in a subtle way. That is why people don‘t realize that they are

being influenced.

I don‘t quite _____agree_________ with you there. I think it is quite

obvious how negative ways of behaving are portrayed in pop culture.

___No______, it is obvious only to people who can see through it but

not for people who think that everything in the magazines or movies is

‗cool‘.

Task 5

Ben:

Shah:

Ben:

Many people now eat fast food as their daily meals. It‘s a part of

western culture that people have happily adopted. They don‘t realize

what that can do to them.

What do you mean? (C)

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Shah:

Ben:

Shah:

Ben:

Well, there‘s no doubt that fast food is fast and convenient but they

should think of the effects of fast food on their bodies. Just look at the

rate of obesity in the country where the fast food chains come from.

Where is that? (I)

America, of course! More than half of Americans are categorized as

obese.

What‘s the situation like in Malaysia? (I)

I read in the newspapers that the obesity rate is increasing here.

Task 6 Nisha:

Izad:

Nisha:

Izad:

Nisha:

Kim:

Nisha:

Kim:

Nisha:

Kim:

Izad:

Kim:

Nisha:

Shall we go and watch a movie?

I don‘t feel like it. Can we do something else?

Oh, OK. What do you want to do?

Let‘s eat. The food court is full of choices.

That sounds good.

_Can I suggest something?_____________________________

_Go ahead.__________________________________________

Let‘s do something new.

_Such as?___________________________________________

Let‘s watch the orchestra at Dewan Philharmonic Petronas.

Isn‘t that expensive?

No. The chamber concert is on today. The ticket costs RM10 only.

_Well, that sounds good, too.____________________________

Task 7

Dialogue Skills of interrupting

Nani : Have you read the newspaper

lately?

Sya : No. Was there any interesting

news?

1. Asking for information

Nani : There‘s news about an artist who

used twitter to write bad comments

about people she doesn‘t like.

Sya : Is that true? What did she write? 2. Asking for clarification

Nani : Well, she used very bad words to

describe one artist whom she

believed was bad mouthing her. I

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don‘t think she should write that

way and send it on twitter because

so many people can read it.

Sya : You‘re right. Her actions are

unacceptable. You know, this kind

of behaviour has become a culture

in our country. Many people even

kids in schools are using twitter to

write bad things about their friends.

3. Agreeing

Nani : That‘s really bad.

Why are they doing that?

4. Encouraging

5. Asking for information

Sya : Because they find that twitter can

be used to channel their anger and

frustration towards other people

and being kids, they are still

immature.

Nani : Can I add something? I really think

that children nowadays are given

too much freedom by their parents

and this lack of supervision leads

to this bad way of expressing their

negative feelings.

6. Asking for permission to

interrupt

Sya : Absolutely. Supervision is a major

issue among parents today as

they‘re all busy with their work and

have less time to monitor their

children.

7. Agreeing

Nani : Mmm. You have a point there.

Being a mother, I myself feel that

it‘s hard to monitor all my son‘s

activities.

8. Encouraging

Sya : It is difficult because we are

working mothers. However, I

believe that we should let them use

the internet when we‘re at home.

So that we can see what they‘re

doing.

9. Agreeing

Nani : Is that right? Do you mean that we

should be in front of the computer

while they use the internet?

10. Asking for clarification

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Sya : Yes. My daughter has a Facebook

account. I make sure she knows

what to be included and what not

to be included in her Facebook.

Nani : Right. I will do the same. Thanks.

Sya : You‘re welcome.

Task 8 Dialogue a)

Ain : Children nowadays don‘t visit their grandparents anymore. They‘re too

busy watching TV and playing video games.

Sara : Could I just add something here? (Asking permission to

interrupt) I personally feel that parents should be responsible for the

children‘s way of behaving.

Dialogue b)

Liza : Where‘s Aishah?

Mira : She went out to celebrate Valentine‘s Day with her boyfriend.

Liza : Did she say that? (Asking for information)

Mira : Yes. She told me she‘s going to KLCC with Azam to celebrate

Valentine‘s Day.

Liza : Really? (Encouraging)

Mira : That‘s exactly what she said to me.

Dialogue c)

Zaza

:

We have to think about our performance for the speaking class. We

have to perform something unique and different from others.

Misha : Ah! So you want us perform something that nobody would do?

(Asking for clarification)

Zaza

:

Yes, I think we should perform a musical role-play like the High School

Musical.

Misha : I love the idea of performing a musical role play. (showing

agreement) However, I don‟t think we should perform something

like the High School Musical. (showing disagreement) Let‘s do

something that represents our culture and tradition like P. Ramlee the

Musical.

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Task 9

Ways of interrupting Who What the person said

Agreeing

Rina

Azie

Oh, yes, you‘re right.

You‘re right there.

Disagreeing

Rina I don‘t see how it can be other than a set of

beliefs.

Asking for clarification

Rina Do you mean to say that it can be seen as

both?

Asking for information

Rina Which one is it then?

Asking for permission

to interrupt

Wati May I say something?

Encouraging

Rina

Azie

Go on.

Yes, of course.

Task 10

No Word Meaning

a) homage a group

b) sustains support

c) forefathers ancestors

d) converged come together

e) ventures go out

f) ancient long time ago

g) pagan belonging to a religion that worshipped many gods

h) tidings good news

i) conversion change religion

j) savour enjoy

k) clusters together in a group

l) cling hold on

m) groomed trained

n) choppy rough waves

o) conform follow

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Task 11

1. T

2. T

3. T

4. F

5. F

6. F

7. T

8. F

9. T

10. F

Task 12 1. A festival celebrated in the month of April to mark the beginning of the

fishing season.

2. to mark the beginning of the fishing season after the end of the monsoon

that keeps many fisherman from going to sea with their boats anchored

safely along the shores.

3. they believed the offerings will bring them a good harvest and tidings

during the fishing season.

4. to determine the strength of youngsters who were being groomed to

become fisherman.

5. place to meet old friends and relatives and at the same time enjoy the

activities held at the beach as well as savour local delicacies expecially

sago-based dishes.

Task 13 Answers will vary depending on which tradition is being discussed. Students can

use the two questions given to focus their discussion.

Task 14

1. c

2. a, b

3. a

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Task 15

1. to participate

2. to voice

3. seeing

4. to finish

5. losing

6. making

7. to call

8. going

9. visiting

10. to save

Task 16

1. Siti couldn‘t resist eating the ais batu campur.

2. Mohamad claimed to know A. Samad Said.

3. Hasni agreed to help Ravi.

4. Rose suggests going to the theatre.

5. Suilin hates listening to loud music.

Task 17

1. should

2. should

3. can

4. can

5. should

6. will

7. will

8. would

9. should

10. will

Task 18

Dialogue 1

1. should

2. shouldn‘t

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3. can

4. may

5. will

Dialogue 2

1. could

2. can

3. should / must

4. must / should

Task 19

1. Can you help me?

2. My father would speak in English when he was angry.

3. He will leave for the airport in an hour.

4. The engagement must precede the wedding.

5. You may not touch the batik exhibition.

6. We should tolerate each other‘s religion.

7. We must appreciate our culture.

8. Fatihah shall make a complaint at the counter.

9. Who will prepare the speech tomorrow?

10. A leader should be fair in his judgements.

Task 20

1. Topic sentence They came in droves to pay homage to the sea that

sustains or had sustained them and their

forefathers.

Supporting details From fishermen, to farmers, businessmen,

politicians, students, homemakers to wealthy

Melanau people living in other parts of Sarawak and

some abroad, all came home dressed in their best

traditional costumes to celebrate Mukah Kaul

Festival for three days.

2. Topic sentence The Mukah Kaul Festival is celebrated by thousands

of the Melanau people living in Sarawak.

Supporting details It is always celebrated in the month of April to mark

147

the beginning of the fishing season after the end of

the monsoon that keeps many fishermen from going

to sea with their boats anchored safely along the

shores.

3. Topic sentence In ancient times, the Melanau community were

pagan and they believed the offerings to their

―keepers‖ will bring them a good harvest and tidings

during the fishing season.

Supporting details Before the fishing community ventures for a new

season, they always pay homage to the sea by

offering eggs, glutinous rice, betel leaves and many

Melanau delicacies,

among other things.

4. Topic sentence With the conversion of many to Islam and

Christianity, the thanksgiving ceremony is more of a

tradition now with no religious significance.

Supporting details These days, the Mukah Kaul Festival is a place to

meet old friends and relatives and at the same time

enjoy the activities held at the beach as well as

savour local delicacies, especially sago-based

dishes.

5. Topic sentence The Tibau or the giant swing was the focus of the

festival in the past.

Supporting details 1. It was where the youngsters and elders swung in

clusters high above the sand with some going

higher and higher while others just falling off as

they were unable to cling onto their mates.

2. In ancient times, the Tibau was used by the

village elders to determine the strength of

youngsters who were being groomed to become

fishermen.

6. Topic sentence Besides testing the strength of able bodied

youngsters, the swing, found in many villages in

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Mukah, had another purpose in the past.

Supporting details Village maidens used the swing to look for mates.

Task 21 Use the points in the topic sentences identified in Task 5.20 as a guide.

Task 22

The discussion should be focused on the questions provided.

Tape Scripts

Task 7 Nani : Have you read the newspaper lately?

Sya : No. Was there any interesting news?

Nani : There‘s news about an artist who used twitter to write bad

comments about people she doesn‘t like.

Sya : Is that true? What did she write?

Nani : Well, she used very bad words to describe one artist whom she

believed was bad- mouthing her. I don‘t think she should write that

way and send it on twitter because so many people can read it.

Sya : You‘re right. Her actions are unacceptable. You know, this kind of

behaviour has become a culture in our country. Many people, even

kids in schools, are using twitter to write bad things about their

friends.

Nani : That‘s really bad.

Why are they doing that?

Sya : Because they find that twitter can be used to channel their anger

and frustration towards other people, and being kids, they are still

immature.

Nani : Can I add something? I really think that children nowadays are given

too much freedom by their parents and this lack of supervision leads

to this bad way of expressing their negative feelings.

Sya : Absolutely. Supervision is a major issue among parents today as

they‘re all busy with their work and have less time to monitor their

children.

Nani : Mmm. You have a point there.

Being a mother, I myself feel that it‘s hard to monitor all my son‘s

149

activities.

Sya : It is difficult because we are working mothers. However, I belief that

we should let them use the internet when we‘re at home. So that we

can see what they‘re doing.

Nani : Is that right? Do you mean that we should be in front of the

computer while they use the internet?

Sya : Yes. My daughter has a Facebook account. I make sure she knows

what to be included and what not to be included in her Facebook.

Nani : Right. I will do the same. Thanks.

Sya : You‘re welcome.

Task 9 Azie : Some people see religion as a way of life.

Rina : Really? I see religion as a set of beliefs.

Azie : There you go. Different people view it differently.

Rina : Which one is it then?

Azie : Well, I don‘t think there is any right or wrong answer here.

Rina : Do you mean to say that it can be seen as both?

Azie : Well, yes. You see, it is a set of beliefs that guides the way we live.

Rina : Go on.

Azie : When you believe in Islam, you live by its principles. When you

believe in Christianity, you have a way of life that reflects the

teachings of Christianity.

Rina : Oh, yes, you‘re right.

Wati : May I say something?

Azie : Yes, of course.

Wati : You have to be careful though. Some people may not like their

religion being described as just a ‗set of beliefs‘. To them it is more

than that.

Azie : You‘re right there.

Rina : I don‘t see how it can be other than a set of beliefs.

Wati : We have to try to look at it from other people‘s perspectives too, not

just our own.

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UNIT 5

JOB SATISFACTION LEARNING OBJECTIVES

At the end of the unit, you should be able to:

1. listen and answer questions based on interviews;

2. manage discussions on the situations given;

3. read and comprehend passages; and

4. write a resume applying for a job.

Content

Listening

Good Listening Strategies There are three stages of listening: Pre-listening You might get ready to listen by thinking about:

the speaker and the speaker‘s purpose,

your purpose for listening: to learn specific information or to understand

most or all of the message, and

your knowledge/ experience with the subject: think about what you already

know about the subject and predict the language and information you

might expect to hear, including specific words and phrases.

Based on these clues, predict what you will be hearing:

the format (how the message is organized and in what sequence)

key words or phrases

the information or opinions

Talk about the process and strategies you might use for listening effectively:

Determine the combination of strategies that will be useful in this situation.

151

If listening in a non-native language, think about how you would listen in

your native language; clarify any cultural information that may be

necessary to comprehend the message.

While-listening

While you listen you‘ll need to monitor your comprehension:

Use visual clues to help you understand: the setting, the interaction, facial

expressions, and gestures (if there is any)

Check the accuracy of your predictions

Decide what is and is not important to understand

Ask for help if you do not understand

o Ask for clarification or repetition from the speaker or ask if what you

understood is correct

o Ask additional questions to check your understanding

Post-listening

After you listen these strategies might help you synthesize, interpret and evaluate

what you have heard:

See if you can paraphrase what you heard

Consider what you heard and how it fits with what you know

Discuss or respond to what you heard through writing or group discussion.

Identify facts vs. opinions, more and less important details, supported vs.

unsupported ideas

(Adapted from:eff.cls.utk.edu/toolkit/support_listening_strategies.html)

LISTENING Task 1 You will be listening to a radio interview between the radio host, Gina Sulaiman,

and Jason Khoo, a Job Space columnist from The Asian Workplace Magazine.

You will listen to the radio interview three times.

A

152

1. Read and understand all the questions in the listening task.

For the first listening, try to understand the following:

Who are the speakers?

What is the topic under discussion?

What does the task require you to do?

2. While listening to the interview, answer the following questions:

No. Questions Answer

a. What is the topic discussed in the

interview?

b. State two complaints on the Gen Y

employees?

c. What is the age group for the Gen

Y?

d. Why is there a trend of job hopping

among the Gen Y employees?

e. List two ways that companies can

entice employees to stay longer in

one company?

3. Listen to the radio interview once again. Check your answers to the above questions. In pairs, discuss three reasons as to why it is important for employees to have flexible hours and to be able to be working from home. ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________

153

Speaking

Task 2

What is your dream job? Why is it your dream job? Write a simple description

about your dream job and ask your partner to guess what it is. You can use the

following guidelines in your description.

Does the job require a lot of training/ experience?

Is it well-paid?

Is it indoors/outdoors?

Does it involve other people?

Is it dangerous?

Does it involve travelling?

Task 3 After giving a thought on your dream job, think of the criteria that will make you

satisfied as an employee in a particular organization.

In groups, study the following categories on the job satisfaction. Each group has

to choose one category and construct interview questions from the category

chosen.

My Dream Job

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Categories for Job Satisfaction Interview

After you have constructed the interview questions, each group will take turns to

conduct an interview on job satisfaction. Group members will become the panel

of interviewers and act as a human resource manager and executives. The

interviewees are representatives from other groups.

While listening to the job satisfaction interviews, list some of the questions posed

and the kind of responses given.

No. Categories Questions Responses

1. Mission and Purpose

2. Teamwork and Communication

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3. Opportunities for growth

4. Compensation

5. Respect for Employees

6. Workplace and Resources

Reading

Task 4 : The following people seem to face problems at their workplace. Read

the following situations and think of possible solutions to the problems.

How do I cope with a building manager

My supervisor thinks that I‘m a good worker but my manager thinks I‘m problematic. She attacks me in meetings, humiliates me in front of my office mates and criticizes me in e-mail messages. She does this to all new personnel and some of them have actually resigned. My supervisor can‘t seem to help me and as such I feel worthless and upset at being treated like a scapegoat. What should I do?

-Desperado- Possible Solution: ………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………...

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READING

Read the passage and answer the questions that follow.

Workplace Satisfaction

1 2

People want work to be ―a good place to be.‖ Norita Hamdan, Health and Wellness Coordinator for Makeup Art Cosmetics in Roseputih, comments that you should work with people you enjoy, and who are in a good mood. It‘s being very enthusiastic going to work, and your head hitting the pillow at night with a smile on your face. The relationships we experience at work can make or break us. A Psychotherapist points out that you have to pick your boss and your co-workers very carefully. The ‗Emotional Intelligence‘ factor that is of so much interest today is definitely important, for the leaders and for the employees so that they can relate effectively and understand others as well as establish good relationships to both personal and workplace satisfaction. Studies have proven that some of the most important elements in workplace satisfaction are good pay and rewards, good working conditions, good relationships on the job, and, above all, recognition, appreciation and involvement. Melta Molding Systems of Shah Alam is already well-known for its care and attention to workers. For more than

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Lazy work colleagues

I work in a group of four in an important project. It‘s really hard to get them to do things that need to be done. They are calculative and sometimes I have to keep reminding them over and over again to do their work. They are really testing my patience. What do you think I should do? -Exasperated- Possible Solution: ……………... ……………………………………..

…………………………………..

Unproductive at work

I hate getting out of bed and going to work. At the workplace, I just go through the routine of my work unenthusiastically and if possible, I try to avoid tasks given to me by my boss. At the end of the day, I feel totally drained. What‘s wrong with me? - Breathless- Possible Solution: …………… ……………………………………

……………………………………

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twenty-five years, Melta President Haiqal Zubir was promoting and building a workplace that is healthy, clean and aesthetically pleasing, and a workforce that is highly productive and loyal. According to the President, people love to work there and they work hard so much so that it has become an unspoken ethic. Employees have access, to a medical doctor, a chiropractor, a naturopath and a registered massage therapist. They also enjoy subsidized and healthy vegetarian meals, a non-smoking environment, and a pesticide-free landscaped ground. Ramon Pillay, Plant and Production Manager for Malaysia Steel works in Johor, points out on another essential for workplace satisfaction. ―There has to be a feeling that what you‘re doing counts,‖ he says, ―and that your efforts are recognized and supported.‖ Opportunities for developing important skills such as problem-solving and communications skills help Malaysia Steel employees enjoy more responsibility and more awareness that what they do ―makes a difference.‖ Madihah Sulaiman, coordinator of Staff Development for the Perak‘s Workers Association, suggests that workers today have put more responsibility for their own morale more than in the past. They should be provided with flexible working hours, a comfortable building and workplace, a learning environment and Employee Assistance support in order to feel satisfied at work. At a Private Hospital in Kuala Lumpur, the challenge of rapid change is met with optimism. The manager states that you need to have and encourage a ‗developmental attitude‘. An environment of openness, willingness to listen and understand, and mutual support at all levels is what is needed to find satisfaction even in the midst of such change. Rozita Rashid, Executive Director of Kaswi Job Skills in Penang says that one of the most important factors in job satisfaction is attitude – being able to embrace change, seeing it as opportunity, being willing to find out how to make it work. Stress management experts recommend the restructuring of organizations to promote greater control for employees, resulting in less stress and greater commitment. ―Open door‖ policies, an ‗egalitarian‘ culture (no special privileges for executive), and a team approach all go a long way towards developing the awareness that ―I have some control over my fate‖. Overall, money counts, but pride, respect, and appreciation count even more. And the support of management – both by supplying resources and growth opportunities, and with leaders ―walking the talk‖ with integrity – is central to the success of an organization. If the boss understands that a happy employee is a productive employee- that absenteeism, illness and turnover will go down while loyalty, creativity and productivity will go up, and that they‘ll be way ahead by providing the environment for this, the company will move forward.

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Task 5: Complete the crossword puzzle.

Clues 1. Khairy does not seem _____________ about his new job.

2. The building where I work at is old but it is _______________ appealing to

anyone who appreciates work of art.

3. Due my bad back pain, I went to see a ___________________ to get

treatment.

4. The new hotel has a _____________ for nature lovers who love to view

the natural habitat of insects and birds.

5. The company is building a gymnasium as part of the ___________

campaign for its employees.

6. There was a note of _______________ when he talked about the

company‘s future.

7. The workers were able to _________________ changes in the company

due to their positive attitude.

8. The President of the company was a man of the highest ______________

as he practices what he preaches.

E

H

N T P

N

E W

S

T

L

B

P

C

T

1 7

4

8

5

2 3

6

A

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Task 6: Complete the tasks.

1. What do you think the expressions below mean?

i. ―head hitting the pillow at night with a smile on your face‖

ii. ―it‘s an unspoken ethic‖

iii. ―makes a difference‖

iv. ―are responsible for our own morale‖

v. ―open door policies‖

vi. ―walking the talk‖

2. Answer the following questions.

i. Why is the ―Emotional Intelligence‖ factor important for the leaders

and employees?

_____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________

ii. What makes the Melta Molding Systems possess a highly productive and loyal workforce?

_____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________

iii. How do employees at Malaysia Steel Works know that what they do ―makes a difference‖?

_____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________

iv. What has contributed to the workers at a private hospital in Kuala Lumpur being able to accept rapid changes in a company?

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

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v. How can companies promote less stressful and more committed working conditions amongst their employees?

_____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________

vii. Based on the passage, how can you summarize the expression ― a happy employee is a productive employee‖?

_____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________

Language Focus

The Passive Voice

Rule 1

The passive voice is used

when we wish to stress the

importance of the action or the

object rather than the doer.

Active: I am sure Sarah can

organise the in-house

training programme.

Passive: I am sure the in-house

training programme can

be organised by Sarah.

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Rule 2

The passive voice is used

when the agent (doer) is

unknown or not clear.

Active: Someone observed her

lesson yesterday.

Passive: Her lesson was observed

yesterday.

Rule 3

The agent is mentioned in the

passive voice to complete the

sense of the sentence.

Active: Prof. Tony Wright wrote

the story.

Passive: The story was written by

Prof. Tony Wright.

Study the active and passive forms of the present simple and past simple:

Present simple

active: clean (s)/see (s) etc. Somebody cleans this room

every day.

passive: am/is/are cleaned/seen etc. This room is cleaned every

day.

Many accidents are caused by careless driving.

I‟m not often invited to parties.

How is this word pronounced?

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Past simple

active: cleaned/saw etc. Somebody cleaned this room

yesterday.

passive: was/were cleaned/seen etc. This room was cleaned

yesterday.

We were woken up by a loud noise during last night.

‗Did you go to the party?‘ ‗No, I wasn‟t invited.‘

How much money was stolen?

Task 7: Change the following sentences into the passive voice. Example: People always praised him for his works of art. He was always praised for his works of art. 1. The teacher has scolded her students for being disobedient. ___________________________________________________________ 2. The poor boy sold his bicycle to pay his school fees. ___________________________________________________________ 3. Mrs. Lee ordered Kumar out of the classroom for disrupting the class. ___________________________________________________________ 4. They are going to hand in their essays tomorrow. ___________________________________________________________ 5. Semester 7 TESL students will stage a Shakespearean play next week. ___________________________________________________________ 6. That famous professor wrote a book on child psychology. ___________________________________________________________

A

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7. The counselor advised the student to stop smoking. ___________________________________________________________ 8. They assumed that the answer was correct. ___________________________________________________________ 9. Someone will take you to the manager‘s office.

___________________________________________________________ 10. People always speak well of that doctor. ___________________________________________________________

WRITING

FORMAL LETTER OF APPLICATION

Task 8 Below are examples of phrases used in business letters. Complete the sentences with words in the box. a. Thank you for your letter dated__________ which I received yesterday.

b. I would be ___________ if you could provide me with some information

about the intensive courses which your college is offering.

c. I ___________ my curriculum vitae and certificates for your attention.

Apply unfortunately hearing response complain 20th June confirm enclose grateful pleased

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d. ____________ I am not available for the interview on the date you

suggest in your letter.

e. I would be ___________ to attend an interview at any time convenient to

you.

f. I am writing to ___________ about the faulty equipment that I bought from

your company last week.

g. We look forward to ___________ from you soon.

h. We would be grateful if you could ___________ your reservation for the

seminar room in writing.

i. I am writing in ____________ to your advertisement in The New Straits

Times.

j. I would like to _____________ for the position of Assistant Graphic Artist

in your company.

Task 9 Match each of the sentences from the exercise above to one of the functions

below. Place the alphabets in the boxes provided. Note that there are two

sentences for function 3.

1. beginning a letter

2. applying for a job

3. asking for information

4. giving good news

5 giving bad news

6. closing a letter

7. complaining

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8. asking for confirmation

9. saying that you are sending something with the letter

Task 10 Helmy Saputra is interested in applying for the post of Flight Steward. Read his letter of application and improve the letter based on some of the phrases provided.

JUMBO AIRLINES

Flight Steward Jumbo Airlines is currently looking for friendly, service-oriented males who take pride in their performance and appearance. Applicants must have the following:

20-30 years of age

Possess at least SPM Grade 1

Able to converse well in the English language and Malay Language. Other languages an advantage.

Interested candidates can write to: Jumbo Airlines Inc, P.O.Box 58923, Jalan semangat, Petaling Jaya, Selangor

No.3, Jalan Kempas 2B,

Proton City, Tg. Malim

Perak D.R.

Jumbo Airlines,

P.O.Box 58923, Jalan Semangat,

Petaling Jaya. 6th

June 2008

Dear Mr or Mrs,

Applying for flight steward

I saw your advertisement in the New Sun Times and I want to be a

flight steward in your company.

I am 23 years old and I have a Diploma. I have put my c.v. with

this letter so that you would know my background and what I am

good at. I would love to attend an interview whenever and

wherever you like. Why don’t you send me an application form and

more information about the work of a steward?

Hoping to hear from you soon!

Lots of love, Helmy

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Task 11 You are interested in a career as a college lecturer. You see the

following advertisement in the newspaper. Write a letter of application attaching

your certified certificates.

KINGSTON COLLEGE LECTURER Must # possess a degree in education # have good communication skills # enjoy working with young adults # be interested in a career in education Write in to: The Principal, Kingston College, 189 Jalan Tun Ismail, 31350 Ipoh. State your particulars, qualifications and relevant experience if any.

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SUMMARY

Main Skills Sub Skills Tick here if you have

understood Notes

Listening Listening to a radio interview

Listening Comprehension

Speaking Speaking about dream job

Job satisfaction interview

Reading Reading

Vocabulary

Reading Comprehension

Writing Phrases in business letter

Improving a letter of application

Formal letter of application

Grammar The Passive Voice

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SELF ASSESSMENT

Exercise 1

Fill in the blanks with the correct verb in the brackets.

1. Many accidents _____________________ (cause) by dangerous driving.

2. Yoghurt _____________________ (make) from milk.

3. The house _____________________ (damage) a few days ago.

4. There's no need to worry. You ____________________ (take) there soon.

5. You _____________________ (invite) to the party. Why didn't you go ?

6. An art gallery is where great paintings __________________ (display).

7. In Malaysia, general elections _____________________ (hold) every

five years.

8. Originally the book _____________________ (write) in Chinese and later

it _____________________ (translate) into English.

9. I was driving quite fast but I _____________________ (overtake) by lots

of other cars.

10. It's a big company. One thousand people ________________ (employ)

there.

11. More than half of the Earth ____________________ (cover) by water.

12. Water ____________________ (cover) more than half of the Earth.

13. The main door to the faculty ____________________ (lock) at 5pm every

day.

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14. While I was on holiday, my luggage ___________________ (steal) at the

airport.

15. The cruise ship ____________________ (sink) rather quickly but all

passengers ____________________ (save).

16. The parcel ___________________ (post) last Thursday and it

____________________ (arrive) the very next day.

17. My family house is quite old. It _____________________ (build) in

1819 by my great grandfather. He _____________________ (build)

it with his own bare hands.

18. A new school _____________________ (build) near the junction.

Work started three months ago and _____________________

(expect) to open next year.

Exercise 2

Make sentences from the words in brackets. Use either active or

passive verb.

Example: Have you ever been robbed? (I/rob/yesterday)

I was robbed yesterday

1. Last night, there was somebody behind us. (I think / we / follow)

___________________________________________________

2. This room looks different. ( I / paint / it / )

___________________________________________________

3. I can‘t find my ring. ( I think / it / steal )

___________________________________________________

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4. I can‘t find my book. ( somebody / take / it )

____________________________________________________

5. Amy has a better position now. ( She / promote / last month )

____________________________________________________

6. Sue can't sleep in her room now. ( she / redecorate / it )

____________________________________________________

7. The printer broke down yesterday, but now it's fine. ( it /repair/

immediately)

________________________________________________

8. A tree was lying across the road. ( it / blow down / by the storm )

__________________________________________________

Exercise 3

Identify and correct the errors in the following sentences. Rewrite the sentences

into the passive voice.

1. A good film was show in the cinema yesterday.

_________________________________________________

2. Are you sure the door were shut just now?

_________________________________________________

3. Korean is teaching at this faculty.

_________________________________________________

4. The police was shoot in the crossfire.

_________________________________________________

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5. The student‘s speech can easily been understood.

_________________________________________________

6. I had not inform about the new meeting venue.

_________________________________________________

7. The baby was being awake by the loud noise at 4am.

_________________________________________________

8. Many songs are being rendered at the party last night.

_________________________________________________

9. Not much can being wrote about the new actor as he is a very private

person.

_________________________________________________

10. The students was being split up into groups of three.

_________________________________________________

REFERENCES Leela Chakrabarty, L. & Nor Azmi Mostafa. (2009). Read up and write down: English for communication 2. Tanjung Malim, Perak: UPSI Publisher. Pollard, A. & Triggs, P. (1997). Reflective teaching in secondary education. London: Cassell.

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ANSWER KEY

Task 1

1. Speakers: Gina Sulaiman, a radio host, and Jason Khoo, a Hob Space

Columnist in the Asia Week Magazine

Topic: Gen Y at the workplace

Task: Listen for specific information

2. a. Gen Y at the workplace

b. They don‘t work hard enough and can be very demanding

c. 18-25 year olds (mostly) and 26-34 year olds

d. No longer the issue of loyalty; people are willing to leave jobs when they

are dissatisfied

e. Contemporary design in the workplace, environmentally friendly place,

mobile working environment and flexible working hours

3. accept any suitable answers

Task 2

Accept any logical/relevant answers

Task 3

Mission and Purpose:

Do you have a good understanding of the mission and goal of this

organization?

Do you know how your work directly contributes to the success of this

organization?

Teamwork and Communication:

Is teamwork practiced and encouraged in this organization?

Are you able to voice your opinion to your immediate boss?

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Opportunities for growth

Do you receive training to enable you to perform well in your job area?

Do you find your job stimulating?

Compensation

Are you satisfied with your current pay?

When was the last time that you got your bonus?

Respect for Employees

Do you feel being respected at your workplace?

Do you feel your talent is being valued at work?

Workplace and Resources

Is your workplace comfortable for you?

Do you have enough resources that enable you to perform well in your

job?

Task 4

Accept any possible solutions

Task 5

1. Enthusiastic

2. Aesthetically

3. Chiropractor

4. Naturalpath

5. Wellness

6. Optimism

7. Embrace

8. Integrity

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Task 6

Question 1

i. Feeling very satisfied with your day at work.

ii. Everyone seems to know what they are supposed to do.

iii. Able to contribute productively to the company.

iv. Responsible for the values that you put into your work.

v. Less procedures and red tapes in meeting with immediate bosses.

vi. Leaders do what they preach.

Question 2

i. To relate effectively and understand others to build good relationships.

ii. The company builds a workplace that is healthy, clean and aesthetically

pleasing.

iii. Their efforts are recognized and supported. Opportunities for developing

problem solving and communication skills were provided.

iv. Establishing an environment of openness, willingness to understand and

mutual support at all levels.

v. Support from the management through resources and growth opportunities

as well as good pay, respect and appreciation for their employees

contribution to the company.

vi. Accept any logical/relevant answer.

Task 7

1. The students have been scolded by the teacher for being disobedient.

2. The bicycle was sold by the poor boy to pay his school fees.

3. Kumar was ordered by Mrs. Lee out of the classroom for disrupting the

class.

4. Their essays will be handed in tomorrow.

5. Shakespearean play will be staged by final semester TESL students.

6. The book on child psychology was written by that famous professor.

7. The students were advised by the counselor to stop smoking.

8. The answer was assumed correct by them.

9. You will be taken to the manager‘s office by someone.

10. That doctor has always been spoken well of.

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Task 8

a. 20th June

b. grateful

c. enclose

d. unfortunately

e. pleased

f. complain

g. hearing

h. confirm

i. response

j. apply

Task 9

1. a

2. j

3. b

4. e

5. d

6. g

7. f

8. h

9. c

Self Assessment

Exercise 1

1. are caused.

2. is made

3. was damaged

4. will be taken

5. were invited

6. are displayed

7. are held

8. was written / was translated

9. was overtaken

10. are employed

11. is covered

12. covers

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13. is locked or will be locked or is going to be locked

14. was stolen

15. sank / were saved or is sinking / have been saved

16. was posted / arrived

17. was built / built

18. is being built / is expected

Exercise 2

1. I think we were followed or I think we were being followed.

2. I painted it or I have painted it.

3. I think it was stolen or I think it has been stolen.

4. Somebody took it or somebody has taken it.

5. She was promoted last month.

6. She is redecorating it.

7. It was repaired immediately.

8. It was blown down by the storm

Exercise 3

1. A good film was shown in the cinema yesterday.

2. Are you sure the door was shut just now?

3. Korean is taught at this faculty.

4. The police was shot in the crossfire.

5. The student‘s speech can easily be understood.

6. I was not informed about the new meeting venue or I had not been

informed about the new meeting venue.

7. The baby was awaken by the loud noise at 4am.

8. Many songs were rendered at the party last night.

9. Not much can be written about the new actor as he is a very private

person.

10. The students were split up into groups of three.