Question 1 -10 are based on the following passage.

1 A very good afternoon to you, my beloved students, I'm glad so many of you
turned up for this afternoon's talk. At this moment, all your thoughts and activities
are geared towards doing well in your SPM examination. Once the SPM exams
are over, some of you may feel lost. The purpose of my talk is to explain the
options which are open to you after you have sat for your SPM exams. 5

2 What you do after your SPM exams depends very much on whether you
want to further your studies. For those who want to stop schooling after SPM, it is
important for you to pick up some skills that will enable you to get a job. Some of
you may want to enrol yourself for practical courses like tailoring and hairdressing.
Others may want to become apprentices in electrical shops and car repair shops. 10
Some may choose to have a career in the fast food line. As for those who prefer to
work in offices, it is essential for you to be computer literate. Many offices are
computerised. You need to learn word processing skills and perhaps, book
keeping as well. When you have formal training, you can get better pay for your
services.
3 15
From an informal survey I did among the Form Five students in this school,
I found that the majority of you want to continue your studies after your SPM.
Many options are open to you. You can join a twinning program. This program
enables you to complete one or two years of tertiary education in Malaysia and the
rest in a university overseas. Many private colleges cater for this segment of the
student population. For example, Inti, Metropolitan, Stamford, and KDU. One of 20
the selling points of twinning programs is that you can get a degree of your choice
in a shorter time. It is like a short cut which bypasses STPM. Well, go ahead if
your parents can support you.

4 What about the rest of you who do not want to get a degree overseas? If
you want to get a degree from a local university, you can either choose to do your 25
STPM or apply for a place in the Matriculation or Diploma programs. If you opt for
Matriculation or Diploma programs, you do not need to go through STPM. I know
many of you feel that it is futile to go through two years of STPM and later not
qualify for a place in local universities. I've heard groans that it is difficult to score
in STPM. Well, a grown-up baby no longer solely depends on milk. As you move 30
from Form Five to Form Six, you cannot depend on memorizing to score. In fact,
STPM is a very well-coordinated pre-university education program. It would stand
you in good stead regardless of whether you get your tertiary education in
Malaysia or overseas.
5
For those of you who are not able to make it to a university, don't lose
heart. STPM is part of a foundational education for everyone. In these years, you 35
develop critical thinking skills which prepares you for working life. At the end of the
two years, you get a certificate which entitles you to a higher salary scale than an
SPM-holder.
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SPM is a stepping stone to other achievements in life. Ponder upon what
I've said and be clear about what you want to do after SPM. A clear goal is like a
lighthouse in a storm.  40

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 Thank you.
Answer
  the following questions using complete sentences.
 

1. From paragraph 1, why would some students feel lost after SPM exams are over?

_________________________________________________________________
[1 mark]

2. From paragraph 2, how do practical skills help SPM-leavers looking for jobs?

_________________________________________________________________
[1 mark]

3. How do most of the Form Five students feel about stopping their studies after their
SPM?

_________________________________________________________________
[1 mark]

4. What are two essential skills they must have if they prefer to work in offices?

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________
[2 marks]

5. Why do some students prefer twinning programmes to a tertiary education in a

local university?

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________
[2 marks]

6. From paragraph 3, what is the selling points of twinning programmes ?

_________________________________________________________________
[2 marks]

7. Give two ways in which students can get a degree without going through STPM?

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 _________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________
[2 marks]
8. Why do most students do badly in STPM?

_________________________________________________________________
[1 mark]

9. What do the students entitles after two years of STPM?

_________________________________________________________________
[1 mark]

10. According to the passage, why is STPM worth taking? Give two reasons to
support your answer.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
[2 marks]

11. Based on the passage given, write a summary on :

 What do the options which are open to students after they sat for SPM
exams.

Credit will be given for use of own words but care must be taken not to change
the original meaning.

Your summary must :

 be in continuous writing form (not in note form)
 use material from lines 7 to 37
 not longer than 130 words, including the 10 words given below

Begin your summary as follows :

What you want to do after SPM exams depends so….

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 [15 marks]

SECTION A

RATIONAL CLOZE
Text 1
The mention of HIV strikes terror in the hearts of most people. HIV stands ___1___ 'human
immunodeficiency virus'. This virus has the ability to ___2___ down and destroy ___3___
body's immune system. Many people ___4___ are infected by the virus may not show
___5___ symptoms of the disease for months or ___6___ years.
Once the body's immune system ___7___ to break down, the body will no longer be able to
protect itself. When this happens, even the simplest of infections could prove to be fatal.
                 
1.   (A) for   5.   (A) no
(B) at     (B) much
    (C) by       (C) plenty
    (D) from       (D) any
                 
2.   (A) broke   6.   (A) not
(B) broken     (B) even
    (C) break       (C) never
    (D) breaking       (D) most
                 
3.   (A) a   7.   (A) begins
(B) an     (B) begun
    (C) the       (C) begin
    (D)  --       (D) beginning
                 
4.   (A) whom    
(B) who    
    (C) whose      
    (D) what      

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Text 2

Chandra had always wanted to be a teacher. There seemed to be a misconception

that people go ___1___ teaching because the economy was not doing well. He
remembered one of his ___2___, Brother Michael, whose dedication changed his
life.
Chandra knew that if the passion to relate to youths was not there, he would not last
___3___ an hour in school. He wanted the opportunity to influence young people.
___4___ he would earn much more as an engineer, ___5___ could compare with
the satisfaction of knowing your students have done well.
Teaching is ___6___ values in students -- to be intellectually curious, to not be afraid
of failures and the strength of character to bounce back. He knew he had it in him to
make a difference in the ___7___ of his students.
                 
1.   (A) to   5.   (A) nothing
(B) into     (B) anything
    (C) for       (C) everything
    (D) in       (D) something
                 
2.   (A) relatives   6.   (A) inculcating
(B) teachers     (B) introducing
    (C) partners       (C) implanting
    (D) colleagues       (D) inspiring
                 
3.   (A) for   7.   (A) lives
(B) by     (B) results
    (C) even       (C) lessons
    (D) though       (D) exams
                 
4.   (A) But          
(B) Since        
    (C) If          
    (D) Though

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Text 3

Two good friends ___1___ truant and decided to spend the day fishing. They arrived
on the steep banks of the ___2___ wide canal, armed with a fishing line. Karl
climbed down the slope but lost his footing as the algae made the slope slippery. He
slipped into the water. Govind jumped in after him ___3___ ran into difficulty.
Luckily, two ___4___ saw the boys in the water. At first Mr. Lee thought the boys
were just fooling around. But he soon realized they were in real danger. He found a
2-meter-Long wooden pole ___5___ against a tree. He held it out to the boys but it
was not long enough. A passing jogger, Encik Mohamad Asriff, grabbed a lifebuoy
and threw it in, but the boys were ___6___ weak to grab it. He immediately dived
into the water. He grabbed hold of Karl and managed to keep his head above the
water. ___7___, Govind who was unhurt, had managed to swim to safety on the
canal bank on his own.
By that time, the firemen had arrived. They tossed them a rope and hauled them up
to safety.
                 
1.   (A) played   5.   (A) lie
(B) playing     (B) lay
    (C) were played       (C) laid
    (D) were playing       (D) lying
                 
2.   (A) 10-meter   6.   (A) very
(B) 10-meters     (B) too
    (C) 10 meters       (C) most
    (D) 10 meter       (D) not
                 
3.   (A) so   7.   (A) Meanwhile
(B) but     (B) So
    (C) and       (C) Although
    (D) because       (D) But
                 
4.   (A) pass-by          
(B) passing-bys        
    (C) passers-by          
    (D) passing-by

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