The literature titles studied for poems are: In the Midst of Hardship- Latiff Mohidin and He had Such

Quiet Eyes- Bibsy Soenharjo. There are also two short stories to be studied. They are : QWERTYUIOP- Vivian Alcock and The Fruitcake Special- Frank Brennan. There is also one Drama called Gulp and Gasp Lord Townsend. Now we shall review each one of them. Synopsis of the poem In the Midst of Hardship: As the title suggest, this poem is trying to convey the hardship that a family in a village is facing after a big flood. In this poem, the poet tells of the situation of a farmer and his family. They onl y returned at dawn after being out in the floodwater for a day and night after tirelessly looking f or their sons albino buffalo. They are all wet and hurt but they do not show any despair or of lo sing hope. Although they have been born into a life of hardship, they have never complained. Th ey spend time together, enjoying each others company. They are grateful for what they still hav e instead of what is lost. Now, they are in the kitchen and they joke and talk while preparing to r elax with a smoke. Sample Question for the poem In the Midst of Hardship:

Read the following stanza of In the Midst of Hardship and answer the questions that follow.

At dawn they returned home their soaky clothes torn and approached the stove their limbs marked by scratches their legs full of wounds but on their brows there was not a sign of despair Latiff Mohidin

a.

What does the word dawn mean?

b. Write down two phrases from the poem which indicate injury.

c. How did they feel when they reached home? Using your own words, give a reason to support your answer.

 Synopsis for the poem He had Such Quiet Eyes: This is a poem about the love of a man and how deceptive in can actually be. A man with seduct ive, powerful and alluring eyes sometimes melt the heart of a naive, innocent, foolish young lad y, who will eventually give her everything to him, devote herself to satisfy his starving lust. In ot her words, it is a story of a girl who meets a boy and falls in love with him. The boy makes her b elieve that he loves her very much. The girl gives her everything to the boy and the girl loses eve rything. Finally the boy leaves her. This poem brings out the concept of the power of the eyes an d how, since ages and ages ago up till today, men all around the world are still using the same o ld trick and women, all over the world still fall for it. Young girls should be prepared to face the ugliness of the real world. Sample Question for the poem He had Such Quiet Eyes:

Read the following stanza of He had Such Quiet Eyes and answer the questions that follow. He Had Such Quiet Eyes He had such quiet eyes She did not realise They were two pools of lies Layered with thinnest ice To her, those quiet eyes Were breathing desolate sighs Imploring her to be nice And to render him paradise Bibsy Soenharjo-1968

a.

The phrase two pools of lies is a metaphor. What does it refer to?

b. Write down two words or phrases from the poem that describe the eyes.

i) ii) c. Describe in your own words how the girl is being deceived by the eyes.

 Answers to Sample question for the poem In the Midst of Hardship: Sun rise / early in the morning i.Marked by scratches iifull of wounds Not sad because they do not show any sign of sadness and continue with their normal routine a nd joke. Answer to Sample question for the poem He had such Quiet Eyes: the eyes that are deceiving i)quiet ii) the desolate sighs c. the man eyes is very deceiving, deep, calm but dangerous, just like a pool in winter. It may lo ok inviting and peaceful to see a still lake, but when you try to walk on the thin ice, it will break a nd you will drown in the icy cold water. Short Stories Synopsis for the short story The Fruitcake Special Anna, a chemist who works at the Amos cosmetics factory inNew Jersey,USAis trying to discover a new perfume. One day she mixes a slice of the fruitcake given by her Aunt Mimi into a mixture of flowers. It smells wonderful so she tried it on her. Not too long, her boss, David Amos who is a handsome English guy never saying nice thing to ordinary girl like her asked her to have a din ner with him. That would be because of fruitcake. Anna realises now that the perfume is respon sible for his strange behaviour. At dinner, there was a competition between David Amos and the waiter for her attention. The night ended with both men hitting each other and Sabina (Davids g irlfriend) punching David. Anna later found out more about the fruitcake from her Aunt Mimi an d realized that it was made by an old woman who had just passed away. Later David apologized and offered Anna a raise as compensation. Anna feels insulted and quit her job. Then, the pizza man appears at her door with pizza and a box of flowers. He is now the owner of his pizza comp any. Anna decides to go out with him.

Sample Question for the short story The Fruitcake Special: Read the extract from the short story THE FRUITCAKE SPEACIAL below and answer the questio ns that follow. I have to say that at this point I was feeling very confused. Five minutes ago my boss didnt want to be seen with me. Now he was saying he was crazy about me! What could be making him beha ve like this? Then, all at once, I realised it was the fruitcake special! Intrigue might smell great, b ut it didnt make a girl attractive to men. But my fruitcake perfume did. a. Why was the writer confused?

b.

What is the meaning of Intrigue?

.. c. What is Intrigue in the context of the story?

d. Do you think the fruitcake perfume actually made girls attractive to men?

Give a reason for your answer. Synopsis of the short story QWERTYUIOP QWERTYUIOP by Vivien Alcock is about a young graduate named Lucy Beck who has just finishe d her O levels atBelmontSecretarialCollege. Being a slow learner herself, she has no confidence that she will find a job. Fortunately, she is offered a job by Mr. Ross, the Manager of Ross and B annisters. During her first day, she encounters many peculiar incidents. Later, she finds out that there is a spirit lingering around the office who is adamant in holding on to her position as the c ompanys secretary. Towards the end of the story, Lucy tries to get rid of the spirit that has been haunting that place for many years by putting the spirit at peace. Sample Question for the story QWERTYUIOP: Read the extract from the short story QWERTYUIOP below and answer the questions that follow.

She stared at it in horrified bewilderment. What had happened? What had she done? Not even on her first day at theBelmontSecretarialCollegehad she made such ridiculous mistakes. S uch strange mistakes QWERTYUIOP, the top line of letters on a typewriter, repeated over and over again! Thank God there had been no one to notice. Theyd think she had gone mad. She must be more careful. Keep her mind on the job, not allow it to wander out of the window i nto the sunny shopping street below. Putting fresh paper into the typewriter, she began again. She was tempted to look at the keyboard . . . Dont look at the keys! Keep your eyes away! Mrs Price was always saying. No peeing. Youll never make a good typist if you cant do it by touch. Rhythm, its all rhythm. Play it to music in your head. a. Why was Lucy horrified?

b.

What were the common and strange mistakes that she made?

.. c. What did she decide to do after making the repeated mistakes?

d. Do you think you would make such mistakes. Give a reason for your answer.

Answers to Sample Question for the story Fruitcake Special: a. b. c. d. The boss took a liking of her when he was not interested at all a little while ago carry on an underhand plot name of the perfume (accept any logical answer)

Answers to Sample Question for the story QWERTYUIOP

a. b. c. d.

She had made a lot of ridiculous mistakes in her letter. QWERTYUIOP, the top line of letters on a typewriter repeated over and over again. To type more carefully / keep her mind on the job / not to allow her mind to wonder Yes, because it is the work of Miss Broomes ghost

No, I would be more careful.

DRAMA- Gulp and Gasp

Synopsis

This is a melodrama about a villain, Lord Septic who is greedy for more power, money and fame. He is even ca[able of committing murder to get what he wants. He owns the railways and is afte r the Gatsby gold. Crouch, Lord Septics manservant is a big bully. Rose is a damsel in distress w

ho meets Percy, the hero. They fall in love and he rescues her from a bloody death at the railwa y tracks. Later, Percy learns he is the heir to the Gatsby gold and is known as Sir Percy. Lord Sep tic loses everything.

Read the extract from the drama Gulp and Gasp below and answer the questions that follow.

CROUCH LORD SEPTIC

: Dont get too near the edge of the platform, sir. : If this train doesnt come soon, Ill sack the driver. Ill sack everyone.

After all, next week Ill own this railway line. CROUCH . LORD SEPTIC : Nothing can stop me now. Im just a step away. Do you know what Im ju st a step away from? CROUCH LORD SEPTIC CROUCH LORD SEPTIC t. a. : Yes. The edge of the platform. Be careful, sir. : No, you fool! Power. Money. Fame. : But youve got quite of bit of that already. : More! I want more, Crouch. I need it. I long for it. Im mad for it. Ill kill for i : Indeed, sir. Most true, your ever-so big lordship, sir

Where do you think this conversation took place?

b. When Lord Septic says he is just a step away, where did Crouch say he was?

c. What was Lord Septic longing for?

d. Do you think you should follow Lord Septics footsteps? Give a reason for your answer.

Answers to Sample Questions for Drama

a. b. c. d.

At the railway station At the edge of the platform Power, money and fame Yes, so that I can be a powerful person.

No, because it shows our greed and would not last long.

PRACTICE 1 Read the extract from the short story QWERTYUIOP below and answer the questions that follow.

She stared at it in horrified bewilderment. What had happened? What had she done? Not even on her first day at theBelmontSecretarialCollegehad she made such ridiculous mistakes. S uch strange mistakes QWERTYUIOP, the top line of letters on a typewriter, repeated over and over again! Thank God there had been no one to notice. Theyd think she had gone mad. She must be more careful. Keep her mind on the job, not allow it to wander out of the window i nto the sunny shopping street below. Putting fresh paper into the typewriter, she began again. She was tempted to look at the keyboard . . . Dont look at the keys! Keep your eyes away! Mrs Price was always saying. No peeing. Youll never make a good typist if you cant do it by touch. Rhythm, its all rhythm. Play it to music in your head. a. What is QWERTYUIOP?

b. Why must she be careful?

.. c. What did she decide to do after making the repeated mistakes?

d. Do you think you would make such mistakes. Give a reason for your answer.

PRACTICE 2

Read the extract from the short story QWERTYUIOP below and answer the questions that follow.

For an hour, she battled with the machine. As fast as QWERTYUIOPs and unwanted capit als appeared, she attacked with a loaded brush. The white fluid ran down the typing paper like melting ice-cream, and dripped thickly into the depths of the typewriter. YOURE DROWNING ME, it complained pathetically, and she swiped at the words with her brush. HELP! Another swipe. PLEASE! But Lucy showed no mercy. The large bottle was half-empty when she reached the end of the le tter in triumph. Yours faithfully, George Ross, She typed, and sat back with a sigh of relief. The machine began to rattle. Too late, Lucy snatched the completed letter out of the typewriter. Across the bottom of the otherwise faultless page, it now said in large, red capitals: I HATE YOU! Furiously she painted the words out. a. What is the white fluid?

b. Why is Lucy battling with the machine?

c. Why is the large bottle half empty?

.. d. What quality did Lucy display? Provide a reason for your answer.

 PRACTICE 3 Read the extract from the short story QWERTYUIOP below and answer the questions that follow.

Lucy typed quickly: Are you from outer space? The typewriter rocked, as if with laughter, its keys clicking like badly fitting false teeth. IDIOT, it wrote. Who are you? Lucy typed. Miss Broome, it answered. Lucy hesitated. She did not know quite how to reply to this. In the end she typed: How do you do? I am Miss Beck. GO AWAY, MISS BECK Why should I? I AM SECRETARY HERE, it sated, this time in red letters. No, youre not! I am! Lucy typed angrily. The machine went mad. Q U E R T Y U I O P / @ Q U E R T Y U I O P &()*QWERTYUIOP+1, it s creamed, shaking and snapping its keys like castanets. a. What does the word rocked mean?

b. What is Lucys occupation?

c. Why did Lucy hesitate?

d. If you were Lucy do you think you would reply to Miss Broome? Give a reason for your a nswer.

 PRACTICE 4 Read the extract from the short story QWERTYUIOP below and answer the questions that follow.

Lucy Beck was young and small and mouse-coloured, easily overlooked. She had a lonely O lev el and a typing speed that would make a tortoise laugh. Whoever will want to employ me? she had asked Mrs. Price once, and Mrs. Price had been at a loss to answer. Lucy wanted a job. More than anyone, more than anything, she wanted a job. She was tired of b eing poor. She was fed up with macaroni cheese and baked beans. She was sick of second-hand clothes. We are jumble sailors on the rough sea of life, her mother would say. Lucy loved her mother, but could not help wishing she would sometimes lose her temper. Shout. Scream. Throw saucep ans at the spinning, grinning head of Uncle Bert. a. Why is Lucy described as easily overlooked?

b. Why is finding a job so important to Lucy?

c. What was Mrs. Prices answer to Lucy when she asked whether she would ever find a job?

d. Describe Lucys feelings towards Uncle Bert. Provide reasons for your answer.

ANSWERS Practice 1 The top line of letters on a typewriter or keypad. She must not let people know that she is making mistakes.

She decided to try again and this time she will focus on the rhythm. Any logical answer. Practice 2 correction liquid/liquid paper the words QWERTYUIOP keep appearing. She used it to correct a lot of mistakes. Lucy shows determination in what she does. She refuses to simply give up and leave and finds a way to deal with the spirit. Practice 3 movement. Secretary She did not how to react to the typewriter or what to ask next. Any logical answer. Practice 4 she was small in size she wanted to move away from her mother. Mrs Price could not give an answer She hated him. She wished that her mother would lose her temper and throw things at him.