SJ TUITION CENTRE SPM ENGLISH CLASS

Dictation Composition
We should build more parks than shopping malls. Discuss
What is the difference between a park and a shopping mall? Both _____________________ where
families can spend time. In a park, the children run free, play on the swings, kick a football or jog on the tracks.
Well, many children ______________ in a mall too, while their parents are busy shopping! The main
_______________ is, the park is free, healthy and filled with fresh air. As for the mall? Well, the parents may
spend more money than they had ______________ planned to in the shops and the children sometimes get
into _________ accidents, running up and down the _________________.
For many people, ______________________ malls are far more interesting than parks because they
have almost everything ______________________. They have a variety of shops selling goods, from
groceries to expensive, ________________ clothing. They have many restaurants to
____________________________. Many even have gyms, amusement and ___________________ centres
and cinemas. They are designed to attract crowds and so they do. Malaysians love shopping. It is the most
popular ____________ in the country.
_______________, parks have no department stores or cinema complexes. They are filled with grass,
trees and flowers. If given a choice, quite a number of people would _______________ the mall! Why?
This is ______________ as parks bring ___________________ to the community. People run, walk,
jog and play in parks, developing strong, healthy bodies. As many people cannot ____________ gym fees,
parks provide an _________________ to be physically active without spending money.
Parks are ____________ to our well-being. The acres of grass, trees and flowers make us feel happy
and calm. Research has shown that green spaces ______________ physical and mental health. This is the
reason why many older people walk in parks or just sit on the benches there. Green spaces _______ and soothe.
Some people __________ that shopping malls ___________________ and parks do not. People spend
money in malls which is very good for the economy. People do not spend money in parks. That is true too,
but money is not the only factor in a countrys economy. Other factors are important, such as peoples mental
and _______________ well-being, the quality of the air we ____________ and the quality of life of the people.
The trees in a park clean up the air, so that we breathe in cleaner, safer air. It is _______________ that
trees in parks clean the air of thousands of tons of pollutants per year. ___________________, trees in parks
not just _____________ shade, but they also protect us from air pollution.
Parks give people a space in nature to relax and be free from stress. They get the community together.
They make children happy as they run and play, safe from danger. Shopping malls take our money. Parks give
us peace. ____________________, we should build more parks than shopping malls.

Answer the questions below.

1. What are sold in the malls?
___________________________________________________________________________________
2. In paragraph 2, it is the most popular pastime in the country. What does it refer to?
___________________________________________________________________________________
3. How does parks make people feel happy and calm?
___________________________________________________________________________________
4. In your own words, explain what do you understand by pollutants as mentioned in the text.
___________________________________________________________________________________
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Vocabulary Enrichment Exercises: Words about Feelings

Lets have a simple test first! Answer the following questions using the options given. ( / 10 )
1. The little girl was ____________________ when she saw a mouse.
2. Today is Toms birthday. He is very ____________________.
3. I was very ____________________ because he teased my puppy.
4. Jim felt ____________________ because he had broken his fathers favourite vase.
5. The soccer players were all very ____________________ after the match.
6. Mary was very ____________________ when her pet dog died.
7. I am feeling very ____________________ because I have a lot of work to do.
8. The beggar is very ____________________. He has not eaten for days.
9. My sister was ____________________ because she won the champion for her school team.
10. We felt ____________________ when the troublesome case was finally solved.

relieved sorry sad happy tired

angry proud frightened miserable hungry

1. Level 1: Choose the most suitable feeling words in the brackets and fill in each blank.
1. Our baby sister is very adorable. We ____________________ her very much. (hate / love / dislike)
2. The shy student was very ____________________ when the teacher asked her a question. (disturbed /
excited / nervous)
3. Mary was ____________________ when she was not invited to the party. She liked going to parties.
(upset / cheerful / thrilled)
4. She was ____________________ when a fierce dog attacked her. (puzzled / relieved / terrified)
5. Mr Thomas was ________________________ to see a burglar in his room when he returned. (happy /
grateful / shocked)
6. I ____________________ it when people tell lies. (love / fear / hate)
7. The boys were ____________________. They were going to the stadium to watch the soccer finals.
(sorry / disappointed / excited)
8. We were _____________ that Chris could beat his much bigger opponent. (fearful / worried / surprised)
9. Paul feels ____________________ to be representing his school in the badminton championships. He
cannot wait for the tournament. (proud / shy / cheerless)
10. The hot and humid weather makes me feel ____________________. (uneasy / unhappy / uncomfortable)
11. Mary was ill and could not go to school. She felt ____________________ as she had nothing to do.
(nervous / tired / bored)
12. This little girl is ____________________ of spiders. (afraid / angry / upset)
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2. Level 2: Complete the passage below with suitable words from the box. Use each word once only.

When Jimmy returned home from school yesterday, his pet dog did not come out to greet him as usual.
Jimmy was (1)____________________. He thought that it was playing a trick on him. He started to look for
his dog but could not find it anywhere near his house. Jimmy became (2)____________________. A car might
have run over it! The thought (3)____________________ him. Soon, he became very
(4)____________________ and began to cry.

Fortunately, at about six in the evening, his neighbor brought his dog back. Jimmy was
(5)____________________ and (6)____________________. He was very (7)____________________ to his
neighbor. He realized that his (8)____________________ dog had entered his neighbours house and slept
through the day!

surprised overjoyed upset worried

1
frightened grateful tired puzzled

3. Level 3: Choose the most suitable answer and write its letter in the brackets.
1. I saw Peter heave a sigh of ________ after the successful completion of his project. ( )
a. relief b. comfort c. expectation d. worry
2. We were ________ when we saw a man abusing a stray dog. ( )
a. nervous b. furious c. desperate d. expectant
3. Jason was ________ to the person for returning his lost passport. ( )
a. mindful b. resentful c. grateful d. hopeful
4. The students were ________ when they received the news that they were all admitted to the university.
a. worried b. upset c. elated d. doubtful ( )
5. Although Mr Lee is stern, his students know that he does it with kind intentions and are ________ towards
him. a. respectful b. relaxing c. sympathetic d. respectful ( )
6. After attending the motivational talk, Mr Charles was very ________ to do well in his business.( )
a. empowered b. proud c. enchanted d. stimulated
7. Samuel was so ________ by the jokes his brother told him that he kept giggling. ( )
a. calmed b. tickled c. renewed d. irate
8. It ________ Mrs Williams to have to constantly remind her husband to switch off the bathroom lights after
use. a. frightens b. startles c. bereaves d. irks ( )
9. Sonia felt very ________ when her best friend was blamed for the incident that she had caused. She
decided to own up. ( )
a. dazed b. guilty c. passionate d. ecstatic

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10. Everyone was ________ that the fifteen-storey building was built in six months that they questioned if it
was structurally safe. ( )
a. amazed b. disgusted c. encouraged d. confused
11. Malcolm became even more ________ of the woman who claimed to be his long-lost aunt when he found
inconsistencies in her story. ( )
a. detached b. trusting c. exhausted d. suspicious
12. Mrs Grant was ________ on learning that her husband had met with a tragic accident on his way to the
airport. a. hopeless b. discouraged c. devastated d. reserved ( )
13. Carol felt ________ having to face her unreasonable supervisor for long hours every day. ( )
a. heartbroken b. depressed c. hostile d. shameful
14. The child was so ________ in his work that he did not hear his teacher calling his name. ( )
a. paralysed b. absorbed c. impulsive d. reserved
15. James was ________ to have made such sweeping statements about his good friends character. They had
hurt his friend. ( )
a. tearful b. perplexed c. insensitive d. nervous

D) Level 4: Underline the right word for each of the following sentences.

1. The businessman, Mr Benson, is very rich, yet he is very ( proud / cocky / humble ).
2. The social worker has a lot of ( compassion / fear / hatred ) for the poor and the sick.
3. Little Maria ( loves / loathes / pities ) spiders and insects. She does not like them at all.
4. James was ( miserable / delighted / worried ) when he was invited to the party. He loves parties.
5. Mr Lanson was ( satisfied / stunned / nervous ) when his young son talked back. That had never happened
before.
6. The woman who saved the drowning boy was ( admired / derided / despised ) for her bravery.
7. When I saw their ( happy / calm / gloomy ) faces, I knew that something was wrong.
8. Everybody is ( shocked / thrilled / amazed ) by Johns premature death. He was so young and healthy!
9. The senior citizen ( grimaced / trembled / fidgeted ) when the robber pointed a knife at him.
10. The parents separation after five years of marriage was a ( wholesome / joyful / traumatic ) experience
for the child.
11. There was ( consolation / happiness / panic ) among the hotel guests when the fire broke out.
12. Dr Gladstone has received many letters of thanks from his ( grateful / grumpy / dissatisfied ) patients.
13. My grandfather has a beautiful garden. He finds gardening a very ( relaxing / strenuous / painful) hobby.
He enjoys it very much.
14. Keeping a pet can be a ( fearful / joyful / worrisome ) experience if you really love animals.
15. The unrepentant criminal felt no ( remorse / fear / worry ) for his hideous crime.
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E) Level 5: Fill in the blanks with the correct words from the box. Use each word once only.

elated euphoria calm grimaced

jittery irritable bitter excruciating
regretted remorseful humiliation dismayed
hysterical contempt disgusted optimistic
pessimistic wearisome exhausted irritating

1. Mr Owen is ______________________ about his business. He does not expect things to improve.
2. Mr Calvin is by nature a/an ______________________ person. He always believed that good things will
happen.
3. There was ______________________ among the soccer fans when the country won the World Cup.
4. Despite being provoked, Alex remained ______________________. He refused to get angry.
5. Mr Brown has become extremely ______________________ ever since he lost his job. He gets angry over
trivial matters.
6. I find Bobs habit of sneezing and blowing his nose noisily rather ______________________.
7. The boxer ______________________ when his opponent landed a blow on his stomach.
8. The teenage fans became ______________________ when the singer they idolized appeared on stage.
9. Looking after young active children can be a/an ______________________ task for many.
10. Jack was utterly ______________________ when his teammates refused to cooperate during the game.
11. At the end of the 5-km marathon, many of the runners were completely ______________________.
12. When he bent his injured right arm, the pain was ______________________.
13. I always feel ______________________ when I see harmless animals being ill-treated.
14. Despite being unfairly treated by his family, Henry does not feel ______________________. He does not
hate them.
15. Joyce was ______________________ when she won the first prize in the contest.
16. Because the accused was ______________________, the judge decided to give him a lighter sentence.
17. Nancy deeply ______________________ losing her temper which caused her to lose a friend.
18. Some of the applicants became ______________________ as they waited for their turn to be interviewed.
19. The champion suffered his greatest ______________________ when he was defeated by an unranked
player.
20. I have nothing but ______________________ for bullies. They are such cowards!
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Vocabulary Enrichment Exercises: Synonyms!

A) Level 1: For each of the following sentences, underline the answer that has the same or almost the
same meaning as the word in bold.
1. All the students have arrived. Lets begin the tuition class. ( end / stop / start )
2. The boys are eager to do well in this exercise. ( likely / keen / sure )
3. The elephant is a huge animal. ( big / clumsy / fat )
4. Mable has been ill for the past two days. ( absent / sick / well )
5. There is too much work. He cannot finish it alone. ( complete / end / do )
6. I saw Nick roaming the streets instead of going to school. ( walking / strolling / wandering )
7. The student was punished for being rude to the teacher. ( fierce / impolite / defiant )
8. My grandfather is old and feeble. ( strong / weak / healthy )
9. The courageous man rescued the boy from drowning. ( brave / clever / smart )
10. There is an unpleasant odour in the room. ( smell / taste / sight )
11. This festival is celebrated annually. ( weekly / monthly / yearly )
12. Jane is a very diligent student. She always tops the class. ( quiet / hard-working / responsible )

B) Level 2: Read the following sentences and fill in the words with suitable synonyms.
1. The teacher was angry because the class was very rowdy. She was _____________________.
2. You had better not go near the mad man. Yes, he is ___________________.
3. This herbal medicine is a cure for sore throat. You can try this _______________________.
4. Do not trust that man. He is very cunning. Really, he is a ____________________ man.
5. The mountaineer succeeded in reaching the peak on his third try. Its his third ____________________.
6. The workers were scolded for being late again. The supervisor ______________________ them.
7. Has the show __________________? Oh, it finished at ten oclock.
8. All your answers are right, said the teacher happily. Mei Ling got all __________________ answers.
9. Mary is married to a rich businessman. Her husband is really _____________________.
10. Mr Lee saved the boy from fire. The boy was ___________________.

sly insane furious remedy reprimanded

ended correct rescued wealthy attempt

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C) Level 3: Replace the underlined word or words with its synonym.

1. The entire building was burnt to the ground. ( )
dilapidated / completed / multi-storey / whole
2. Jason quarreled with his sister and in his rage, he broke the vase. ( )
grief / temper / anger / haste
3. He spends most of his free time fishing by the river. ( )
leisure / break / recess / childhood
4. Have you informed your parents that you will leave? ( )
ordered / told / instructed / warned
5. You made a very grave mistake in your report to the police. ( )
tiny / serious / slight / common
6. The detective examined the room carefully for clues. ( )
spotted / watched / checked / measured
7. The woman was filled with sorrow over her husbands death. ( )
fear / pain / jump / repair
8. The captain told the sailors to abandon the sinking ship. ( )
leave / save / jump / repair
9. Ahhah, you are confident that you would get this question correct. ( )
doubtful / certain / hopeful / unsure
10. The handbag she bought was made of genuine leather. ( )
expensive / real / tough / synthetic

D) Level 4: Fill in the missing letters of the synonyms of the words in bold.
1. Mr Lee is getting fed up with his wifes constant nagging. f __ __ q __ __ __ t
2. The man became a beggar because he was too indolent to work. l __ __ y
3. The high jumper cleared two metres on his third try. a __ __ __ __ p t
4. Some passengers fell off their seats when the bus stopped suddenly. a __ __ u __ t __ y
5. The plants in this garden grow well because of ample sunshine and rainfall. p __ __ __ t i __ __ l
6. All the members were told to adhere to the club rules and regulations. s __ __ __ k
7. The teacher is conducting an experiment to demonstrate how to produce carbon dioxide. s __ __ w
8. The criminal has time and again eluded arrest. e s __ __ __ __ d
9. The elephant is an enormous animal. h __ __ e
10. The kidnapper tried to entice the child with sweets. l __ __ e
11. The rich country has decided to donate surplus grains to the poor countries. e x __ __ __ s
12. My Ingram had to make several important changes to his report. s __ __ n __ __ __ c __ __ t
13. Studying in a faraway country, Carol feels lonely and always thinks of home. d __ __ t __ __ t
14. The big bully strikes terror in the small boys heart. f __ __ r
15. The tramp sleeps in public parks at night. v __ g __ __ __ t
16. I had an awful time at the theme park. t __ __ __ __ b __ e
17. Her weird behavior puzzled many. __ i z __ __ __ e
18. Undergraduate classes at the university commence in July every year. s __ __ __ t
19. The choosy girl spent hours selecting a dress. p __ __ __ y
20. Only her family members are willing to listen to her grumble. g __ __ __ __ e

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E) Level 5: For each of the following sentences, choose the most suitable answer to replace the words.
1. In Singapore, many people are able to read and write.
A) literate B) bilingual C) linguistic D) educated
2. The lost hikers stayed alive by eating wild berries and drinking spring water.
A) connived B) surprised C) survived D) revived
3. Mr Smith was determined not to change his decision concerning his early retirement.
A) oblivious B) adamant C) stubborn D) insistent
4. The millionaires young son was taken away by force by some criminals.
A) abducted B) snatched C) extorted D) grabbed
5. Is it true that most women like to talk idly about other people?
A) quarrel B) chat C) argue D) gossip
6. Gary will be working for a short period until the school term begins.
A) temporarily B) occasionally C) permanently D) shortly
7. The drunkard walked unsteadily out of the bar and fell into a drain by the side of the road.
A) swaggered B) strolled C) staggered D) limped
8. The disorderly fight among the students stopped when the teacher walked in.
A) scramble B) tackle C) jostle D) scuffle
9. Please be wary when preparing these medications as they are capable of causing death if not given at the
recommended dose.
A) lethal B) grievous C) mortal D) fatal
10. The taxi driver was violently attacked by the two robbers when he resisted.
A) assaulted B) escorted C) killed D) harassed
11. Alex was mildly rebuked for his misbehavior.
A) dismissed B) reprimanded C) ridiculed D) punished
12. Do you know that certain metals, like lead, are easily bent but will not break?
A) durable B) supple C) malleable D) flexible
13. Steven is a poet, but he also likes to write short stories from time to time.
A) always B) occasionally C) regularly D) frequently
14. The terrible train accident resulted in many people being killed and injured.
A) casualties B) patients C) vagrants D) victims
15. The storm became less forceful after an hour or so.
A) relaxed B) subsided C) ended D) retreated

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Idiom Enrichment
A) Fill in each blank with a suitable idiom from the box.
1. There is ________________________________________ between my father and his cousin, so they
seldom keep in touch.
2. I was ________________________________________ when my father told me that he would take me to
Japan during the holidays. I had always wanted to go there.
3. My elder sister has gone to Australia to study. I realise that
________________________________________ when I miss her although I used to quarrel with her
every day.
4. The shoppers were ________________________________________ on the opening day. I almost lost
sight of my mother.
5. The new working hours apply ________________________________________ no matter which
department you are in.
6. It is good that you realize the importance of helping the poor, but
________________________________________. You should start thinking about how you can help.
7. We ________________________________________ in trying to get the best medical help for my
grandfather.
8. Derek and Anthony are as ________________________________________. Its hard to tell them apart.
9. The book you are looking for is right ________________________________________.
10. Julie is like ________________________________________ when she is with the other girls. She prefers
to play football with the boys in the field.
11. My noisy and inquisitive neighbours are really ________________________________________.
12. The two feuding families decided to ________________________________________ when they realized
their folly.

absence makes the heart grow fonder under your nose

walking on air alike as two peas
across the board bad blood
left no stone unturned packed like sardines
bury the hatchet actions speak louder than words
a pain in the neck a fish out of water

9|SJ Tuition Centre Form 4 Tuition Module 7 September 2017