DESCRIPTIVE ESSAY : The Night Market

 

The Night Market

One of the most interesting places in Malaysia is the night market. You may visit and experience the night market yourselves. Both locals and foreigners agree that the night market is the most common feature in the local society.

The night market begins when ___________________________. More and more goods laden vans arrive to begin a brisk day of business. Most of the vendors busily set out to set up their stalls respectively in order to get ready _________________ of selling their food and wares. 

The sun gradually sets and the night market picks up momentum. More cars and vans are arrive. By now, the stalls are neatly and strategically arranged to entice their customers. There is an assortment of goods sold ranging from food, toys and clothes, to name a few. Large rainbow-coloured parasols are used to shade the people from rain or shine. A concoction of blaring music can be heard in the night market background amidst the constant shouting. It is an amazing _________________________________

The night market is known as a haven by local ‘gourmets’ who can enjoy _______________________________. Still more people arrive, they come from all walks of life, mingling freely and harmoniously. Crowds walk up and down in an _____________________. Some of them stop by the stalls and haggle before making purchases. Little children tag along, amused and excited. Sprinklings of tourists join in to experience _____________________________.

When night falls, lighted lamps brighten up the place, they add gaiety to this atmosphere, and it is like a funfair. The night wears on and ___________________________. Vendors get a chance to rest their weary legs besides banter with each other about the day’s happenings.

By 10.00 pm, all the stalls _____________. The vendors pack up and close the van doors. One by one, they leave, leaving behind pieces of papers, plastic bags and discarded boxes. It is ___________ Finally, the night market disappears. The place becomes quiet and still once more.

Answers 

1. the vendors arrive in the late afternoon

2. for a long evening

3. kaleidoscope of sights, sounds, smells and colours.

4.  various kinds of mouth-watering local cuisine

5. endless stream

6. the lifestyle of typical Malaysian folks

7. the traffic of people recedes

8. call it a day

9. an eyesore!

10. quiet and still once more

RECOUNT : A Hiking Trip

During the last school holidays my family decided to visit the great outdoors. We had decided to hike up Gunung Pulai in Kulai. Early on Saturday morning, I helped my mother pack essentials like water bottles, freshly cut fruit and some sandwiches. Meanwhile, my father and brother were in charge of the equipment such as binoculars, camera and hiking sticks. We departed at around 6.30am in order to make it to the top before the sun got too hot.

Gunung Pulai was already quite crowded by the time we arrived. There were many morning hikers and families that had come to enjoy the trek up too. We opted for an easy waterfall trail which was about 3 KM long and not very steep. Some avid nature lovers took the challenging route that would bring them to the peak some 7KM away. 

During our journey to the falls, I marvelled at the wonders of nature surrounding us. It was easy to get lost among the gigantic trees, cool wind and distant calls of families of monkeys. My brother and I started a scavenger hunt. We had prepared a list of various elements of nature and tried to capture pictures of everything on the list. Father did a little bird watching while mother was captivated by the different exotic looking jungle flower species that we passed.

At around 8am, we could hear the bubbling, rushing water from the falls. Soon we arrived at a small, fast-flowing stream. Mother unpacked our snacks and we set up a small picnic mat by the river. My brother and I enjoyed a refreshing dip in the crystal clear and ice-cold water as father and mother decided to unwind with a steaming cup of coffee and books. 

Finally, we decided to call it a day at around 11am . The weather was getting warmer and the scorching heat made it impossible to hang around much longer. After the downhill trek back to our car, we arrived home at about 12pm. I felt completely exhausted and my muscles ached after the workout. Nevertheless, I was rejuvenated and fulfilled as the trip allowed me to spend quality time with my family and appreciate the marvels of Mother Nature. I hope that such outings become a regular feature for our family. 

RECOUNT ESSAY : My Most Embarrassing Memory

  Everyone has been embarrassed at one time or another. It is that moment in time when you wish _________________________. The anxiety and discomfort felt during that time which may only last a few seconds feels like time has stood still.

         I remember so well when I had my most embarrassing moment. I was in Form 4 and it was during the school recess hour. The minute the bell rang for recess, I rushed to the toilet because___________________________________. I didn’t want to miss class because the lesson taught that morning was to include tips for the forthcoming examination.

         Without realising, I had rushed to the girls’ toilet. The prolonged control and an upset stomach made worse by two glasses of cold milk in the morning made me grunt and groan in what I thought was the privacy of the male cubicle. I thought I heard giggling outside and wondered why the giggles sounded unusually near. A few minutes later I came out the cubicle and discovered to my horror that I had __________________. To make matters worse, the few girls standing outside didn’t even turn away when I came out. Instead they looked down at me, and only then turned their heads in the opposite direction. Horror of horrors, I had forgotten________________! No beetroot could have matched the colour of my face at this point in time!

         The news of my predicament spread _______________ throughout school. I was truly the talk ______________. I felt like I could either walk around feeling perpetually self-conscious and embarrassed or I could turn the situation round, perhaps even to my advantage. I remembered my mother’s words that _______________________. So I decided to make fun of myself. Everyone got bored after a while and nobody teased me after that.

         It was indeed an eye-opening experience for me. I have learnt that when people laugh at you, _________________________. You must not take yourself seriously. Learn to look at yourself through _____________________ and you will realise that most of the time when they laugh at you, they just want to have some fun. They mean no harm. So smile, while you still have teeth!

Answers

1. the earth would open up and swallow you

2. I had been controlling my urges since class started

3. entered the girls’ toilet

4.  to zip up

5.  like wildfire

6. of the town

7. ‘if you can’t beat them, join them’

8. you should laugh along

9. other people’s eyes

Article:The Best Way for Teenager to Save Money

STUDENT'S WORK

The Best Way for Teenagers to Save Money

Written by:Yam Pui Sie

      Nowadays, there is a growing concern over the issue of teenagers squandering money unwisely. According to a community survey in Malaysia, young people spend too much money on online shopping. They are attracted by great offers which cause them to buy more. This problem which seems trivial and negligible to some can lead to terrible ramifications if it is not combated at an early stage. For this outcome to become a reality, it is pivotal for adolescents to manage and save their money prudently. This article will shed some light on the best way for teenagers to save money.

         In my opinion, there are a few effectual ways to save money among teenagers. Among them are avoiding debt and storing money in the bank. To illustrate with an example, we should avoid debt by not overspending on unnecessary things which may lead to borrowing funds from other people. Besides that, young people are encouraged to save money in the bank. No one can deny that banks are the most safe place for us to store money without any risk of loss of money. However, I reckon that the best way for teenagers to save money is by buying second hand things. The following paragraphs will elaborate more on this simple yet ingenious method of stretching the dollar.

             In recent years, young people tend to buy new products and follow the trend to satisfy their vanity.If we think from a  different viewpoint, we can gain a lot of benefits by buying second hand things.Firstly,the price for second hand goods is affordable so we can save  money to buy the things that we really need.It is good way to ease our parents’ financial burden.Moreover,don't doubt that the quality of second hand products can be assured if we buy them from legitimate sites. Although there will be some flaws in the goods,it will not influence our daily user experience.A good example could be purchasing second hand reference books or gadgets like handphones and laptops.To wrap it all up, buying second hand things can reduce financial problems which are really important especially for needy families.

           Furthermore,this action is profitable for the environment.In this day and age,the volume of garbage is increasing by leaps and bounds.By practicing the action of buying second hand things,we can minimize the space of landfills to create a clean and favorable environment.For instance,reusing clothes or sports equipment such as badminton rackets are able to prevent them from ending up in landfills.All in all,buying second hand things is not only an extraordinary way to save money,but also an approach to decrease negative impact on the environment.

             There are numerous mediums for us to get second hand products.First and foremost,we can get them at charity shops or car boot sales.In some cases,we can get the second hand things that we want by exchanging our possessions with another person instead of utilizing money.Other than that,we can buy second hand products online through apps dedicated to second hand sales. It is convenient and able to save our time so we do not need to spend our time going out. By doing this,we can bargain the price of products to get high quality products at a cheaper price.

           In a nutshell,saving money is a crucial habit that we need to practice from the time we are young.This is necessary to ensure that we have a better and bright future without monetary concern.Everyone including educational and social institutions as well as social media platform must cooperate to cultivate the habit of money saving and wise management of money among adolescents.

BOOK REVIEW : The Lion, the witch and the Wardrobe

        A book that I recently had the opportunity to read was “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” by CS Lewis. This young adult novel was published in 1989 and is written in English. The book is not very long at a modest 180 pages. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this adventurous tale and was hooked from start to finish. 

        The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a tale that begins with the four Pevensie children who somehow stumble upon a magical land called Narnia by walking through an enchanted wardrobe during a game of hide and seek. It is here the real adventure begins, as they discover sinister enemies lurking in the snowy wilderness and gather up their allies to battle the evil Witch and her soldiers while setting the innocent creatures of Narnia free. 

          This remarkable story has a number of elements that I admire. Firstly, I was impressed by the characters introduced by the author. Instead of incorporating tough superheroes, he makes use of children as the main protagonists. This makes the story appeal to the younger audience as they are able to relate to the innocence and normalcy of the main characters. Apart from that, the storyline never fails to keep me at the edge of my seat with suspense. Weaving in between thrilling battles and heart stopping encounters, the author keeps the reader hooked from start to finish. 

              In addition, another praiseworthy feature of this book is the language used. The author stays true to the young adult target audience and utilises modern yet understandable vocabulary and sentences throughout. The descriptive nature of the text also aids in visualising the storyline clearly. To complement the colourful language, were equally detailed illustrations on every few pages. In my opinion they did not overdo the visual aid and it added so much character to the novel, making it more appetising to a reader hungry for something to aid his or her imagination.

              Finally, I marvelled at the ending crafted by the author which tied up all the loose ends and provided satisfactory closure to the reader. There were many themes and lessons explored deeply throughout the novel, which the readers can take with them well after their reading experience. 

             All in all, I would definitely recommend this amazing work of fiction to all young adult readers. While it is highly entertaining, readers also stand to gain many important life lessons found throughout the storyline. This book is definitely a page turner till the end. 

ARTICLE : SAY NO TO PLASTIC

Say No to Plastic

By Liliana James

        Without realising it, plastics have become ubiquitous in our daily lives. Indeed, one can scarcely go more than 24 hours without encountering a piece of plastic whether in the form of packaging or a disposable piece of cutlery. With its undeniable benefits, have we gone too far in our use of this man-made material? While some have called for an outright ban on all plastic, others have taken the more moderate route and urged the public to say no to disposable plastics. In my opinion, I concur with the latter viewpoint that the general public should cease and reject the production of single-use plastics. 

        Single use plastics can be found in everyday routines. For instance, shopping bags used in supermarkets are typically made of plastic. In addition, drinking straws in fizzy or cold beverages as well as takeaway food packaging are also most commonly in plastic form. Once these items are used, they are often disposed of instead of being reused especially if they are wet or stained from food or drinks.  Consequently, most of this type of plastic waste ends up in landfills where their non biodegradable nature prevents them from breaking down into the soil. In the long run, we will have no land space to contain the trillions of kilos of plastic waste that we accumulate. 

            Another horrifying outcome is, some plastic finds its way to the rivers and oceans where they cause a lot of harm to marine creatures. Many cases of sea life like turtles and seagulls washed ashore with pieces of plastic lodged in their throats have made headlines globally. However, it is disheartening to see that human beings continue to treat this as if it were a trivial matter. 

              For all its dangers and disadvantages, ridding the world of plastic is no easy feat. Having said that, I believe that progress however little, is still a step forward. Afterall, Rome wasn’t built in a day.  In order to enjoy some measure of success, I opine that  governments should play a more active role in ensuring that nations drastically reduce their use of single-use plastics. This can be done by enforcing “no plastic bag” days in shopping malls, stores and supermarkets. It might inconvenience shoppers at first, but in the long term, bringing their own bags on a shopping trip will become second nature for consumers. Along with this enforcement, shoppers who still insist on plastic bags should be charged a small fee to deter them in the future. 

            Apart from that, whenever possible, governments should power “go green” campaigns in which schools can organise activities to educate students about the downside of using plastics. Pupils should also be encourage to bring their own food containers and reusable water bottles instead of relying on single-use packaging in the canteen. 

             At a consumer level, government bodies should promote and fund the development of greener alternatives to plastic. For example, items that are normally made of plastic could be replaced with paper or cloth. To illustrate the point, restaurants could switch to recycled paper or cardboard for their packaging and utilize paper or stainless steel straws for beverages. This in turn will greatly reduce the amount of non biodegradable waste material produced daily. 

              

             In conclusion, there is no question that we should work towards banning the use of disposable and single use plastic. Although it may take decades before we observe any notable change, the future generations only stand to reap the benefits of this gargantuan effort that begins with the simple action of saying no.

SHORT NOTE: Working On A Science Project

 You received an email from your classmate, Abdul who is your partner for a science project.

Hi, 

I was thinking we could work on our science project this Friday afternoon. Where shall we meet and what should we bring? How long should we work on it? 

Hope to hear from you soon!

Bye!

Write an email to your friend in about 80 words. Write your answer below. 

(STUDENT'S RESPONSE)

Dear Abdul,

        I totally agree with your idea that we should have a meeting to complete our science project this Friday.I think we can meet at Starbucks Coffee near to my house since it is serene there.We will be able to enjoy an aromatic cup of coffee if you feel unenergetic or sleepy. You should bring the science textbook and some writing materials while I will bring colour pencils and a few science notes for reference. Don't forget to bring a laptop so that we are able to search for some information about our project on Google.It will be quite useful! I think our project will be completed within two hours. Do you agree with that? Hope to hear from you soon. Goodbye.

(SAMPLE ANSWER)

Dear Abdul, 

       I think it’s a great idea to work on our project this Friday after school. In my opinion, the school library is the best place to meet up as it is air-conditioned and there are many science textbooks that we could rely on for reference. As for things to bring, I think our writing materials and science notes will suffice. Since this is our first meeting, we could do some light brainstorming for ideas before getting to work. If we begin after one o’clock, do you think we could wrap things up by three o’clock in the evening? I have a tuition class at four. Two hours should be sufficient to draft a course of action, don’t you think? Do you like the plan? Do let me know in your reply.