MALAYSIAN UNIVERSITY ENGLISH TEST (MUET)

PREPARED BY:

MADAME HASTINA BINTI MOHD FARID

WRITING PAPER

QUESTION 1 ;

DIRECTED WRITING Transfer or interpret information based on a non-

linear source to a linear text.

GRAPH

PIE CHART

BAR CHART

LINE GRAPH

TABLE

COMBINATION OF BAR & LINE GRAPH

COMBINATION OF PIE CHART & LINE GRAPH

COMBINATION OF 2 BAR GRAPHS

COMBINATION OF GRAPH & NEWSPAPER EXCERPT

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

1950 1975 2000

BUS

CAR

BICYCLE

MOTORBIKE

“Protect the environment, lead a healthy lifestyle! Take the train,

car pool, cycle, walk, ....”urges the Minister of Environment.

Malaysian Times, 17 Nov 2000

SAMPLE QUESTION

AND

ANSWER

SAMPLE 1

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

The two graphs show the main sources of energy in the USA in the 1980s and the 1990s.Write a report for a university lecturer describing the changes which occurred.

Write at least 200 words.

The main sources of energy in the USA in the 1980s and the 1990s

The two pie charts show that oil was the major energy source in the USA in both 1980 and 1990 and that coal, natural gas and hydroelectric power remained in much the same proportions. On the other hand, there was a dramatic rise in nuclear power, which doubled its percentage over the ten years.

Oil supplied the largest percentage of energy, although the percentage decreased from 42% in 1980 to 33% in 1990. Coal in 1990 was the second largest source of energy, increasing its proportion to 27% from 22% in the previous decade. Natural gas, the second largest source in 1980 at 26%, decreased its share very slightly to provide 25% of America’s energy ten years later.

There was no change in the percentage supplied by hydroelectric power which remained at 5% of the total energy used. Nuclear power the greatest change: in 1990 it was 10%, twice that of the 1980s.

SAMPLE 2

However – Sentence connector to state an opposing idea. In Bangladesh, very few

women could read and write compared to the men. Far more – Starts with the subject to describe one part of the chart to

emphasize the difference in the percentage. Slightly – Adverb to describe the degree of change. Went up to – Verb to show an upward direction of growth. Similarly – Sentence connector to state explicitly that two items are similar

to each other. Both the men and women have shown improvements in the literacy rate over the decade. Substantial – Adjective to describe the degree of change. In conclusion – Sentence connector to summarise the idea that all

countries have shown improvement in the literacy rate over the decade.

USEFUL VOCABULARY

WRITING PAPER

QUESTION 2 ;

EXTENDED WRITING

SAMPLE QUESTION

QUESTION 1:

School children are becoming far too dependent on computers. This is having an alarming effect on reading and writing skills. Teachers need to avoid using computers in the classroom at all costs and go back to teaching basic study skills.

Do you agree or disagree?

Write at least 350 words.

QUESTION 2:

You should spend about 50 minutes on this task.

Children should never be educated at home by their parents. Do you agree or disagree? Discuss the advantages and disadvantages for young people who decide to do this.

You should write at least 350 words

QUESTION 3:

You are advised to spend about 50 minutes on this task.

“People are becoming more materialistic. they concerned with making more money and what money can buy.” What is your opinion on being materialistic?

You should write at least 350 words

QUESTION 4:

You are advised to spend about 50 minutes on this task.

“The most valuable thing in life is friendship.” Do you agree? Discuss.

You should write at least 350 words.

QUESTION 4:

You are advised to spend about 50 minutes on this task.

The world today is turning more on electronic communications such as the email, Facebook and Short Message System (SMS). What is your opinion of this growing trend? Discuss.

You should write at least 350 words.

MODEL QUESTION:

Classmates are a more important influence than parents on a child’s

success in school.Do you agree or disagree with the

following statement?

MODEL ANSWER:

I can not completely agree with the statement that classmates are more important influence than parents on a child's success in school. In this essay I will first focus on the reasons why I agree with this statement and then list a few points why from my opinion in some cases is not true.

In addition friends tend to copy each other's habits and manners. For instance, my little sister became friends with the girl who did not have good grades at school at that time. It does not mean she could not have better grades; she just had many friends who did not care about their grades. So, when they started to spend their time together and share their interests, girl's grades improved. They did their homework together, shared their dreams and exciting moments. From this point I must agree that classmates can change child’s attitude towards school.

From the one side, classmates have a significant influence on child's behaviour and his or her success in school. First of all, children spend much time at school. Classmates have many things in common such as age, interests, homework and classes after all. So, they discuss their impressions about a new teacher, solve problems together, learn their homework, gain new knowledge and experience and even make their own discoveries. Sharing all these makes them closer. Some of them become friends and they spend after-school time together.

From the other side, parents have a great influence on children' success in school too. For example if parents show an interest in their child's progress and talk to him or her about the importance of learning I think their child will listen to them and do his or her best.

Personally, I believe that relationships between parents and a child play an essential role in child's success in school. If these relationships are close and wholehearted I am sure that parents should not be afraid of bad influence from the outside.

USEFUL VOCABULARY

Firstly, Secondly, – Shows the logical order of ideas to support the writer’s opinion.

Finally Such as – Provides an example to illustrate that programmes conducted by universities are internationally recognized. Furthermore – Links the idea of losing cultural values to the earlier idea on

culture shock. On the contrary – Signals a difference in ideas: students lose their own

cultural values but came back with contradicting Western values. Besides that – Adds a further reason as to why family relationships are

looser. Other than that – To link the new idea of hidden costs involved to the

previous idea of the high costs involved.

THEMES COVERED IN LOWER 6

1. Let nature manage our environment2. Donate and save lives3. Promote tourism – a smokeless industry4. Life after retirement5. Bringing up children6. Let us conserve water7. Consumerism8. People and lifestyles9. Top marks for our scientists10. The world is warming up

EXERCISE 1

THEME 1: Let nature manage our environment

Exercise 1:

Forest are the lungs of Mother Earth. It is imperative that we stop all deforestation activities immediately. What do you think? You should write at least 350 words.

song: mj

Is this our mother earth?

Oh my God!

What is happening here?

What is he doing?

ENVIRONMENTAL DISASTER?

What’s wrong with this bird?

OMG! What’s that?

DROUGHT

ICE MELTING

GREEN HOUSE GASES

FLOOD

GLOBAL WARMING

VOCABULARY:

Global warming Ice caps

DroughtsGreenhouse

Flood

The meaning of the words:1. Global Warming – general increase in world

temperature caused by increased amounts of carbon dioxide around the earth

2. Greenhouse – a glass building used for growing plants

3. Ice caps – area of ice that permanently covers land or sea, ex: North pole

4. Drought – a long period of dry weather when there is not enough water for plants and animals to live

5. Floods – to make a place become covered with water

VOCABULARY:

1. Climate 21. Ozone layer2. Global Warming 22. Ecosystem3. Greenhouse Gases 23. Exploitation4. Carbon Dioxide 24. Chemical fertilizers5. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) 25. Environmentalists6. Trapping 26. Smoke emission7. Atmosphere 27. Garbage8. Ice Caps 28. Fumes9. Melt 29. Destruction10. Flood 30. Protect11. Drought 31. Coastal area12. Crops 32. Pollution13. Livestock 33. Future14. Erratic 34. Generation15. Fertility 35. Law16. Soil 36. Logging17. Boycotts 37. Gazette18. Survival 38. Affect19. Climatic 39. Enforce20. Wildlife 40. Replanting

QUESTION:

Forest are the lungs of Mother Earth. It is imperative that we stop all deforestation activities immediately. What do you think?

How to answer this Q?

1. State your stand in the 1st para; Yes or No

2. 1st paragraph – Types of introduction

● Define “forest”

● Explain the importance of forest

● Give example of national park/reserve

forest in M’sia

3. 2nd paragraph – Issues related to environment – deforestation, global warming, greenhouse effect, open burning, pollutions, floods, drought etc

4. 3rd paragraph

● Forest clearing – soil erosion, loss of

flora & fauna, global warming etc

● Use of herbicides and pesticides –

pollute river & sea, threaten aquatic life,

affect quality of water etc

5. 4th paragraph - How to conserve the environment? – gazette more forests as national parks, enforce law against illegal logging, launch “Plant-a-tree” campaign, forest replanting project etc.

6. 5th paragraph – Conclusion

● Include famous saying

● Stress on statement

● Conclude