(Story 1) - My perfect future husband or wife

Whenever I attend weddings and see the adorable pairs of newly-weds, I would wonder
how my future wife be like. One thing I can be sure of is that she would not just be any
other woman. There are certain qualities that I would like her to have.
She should be of medium build, that is, neither too fat nor too skinny. The same goes when
it comes to stature - we would be an odd-looking couple if my wife is a lot taller or shorter
than me. While looks are not of vital importance to me, I would not want her to be too ugly
either. So long as she possesses a normal appearance, I am fine with it, since I believe that it
is the inner beauty that counts.
She also has to be a responsible and faithful person. It is obvious that an immature and
childish woman would find it hard to know and take on her responsibilities as a wife, such as
to keep the house spick and span and prepare nutritious meals for the family.
It is important for my wife to be faithful to me because when she marries me, she and I
unite as 'one' and she promises to be with only me for the rest of her life. Being unfaithful
breaks that promise and when that happens, there is no longer any trust between us. The
loss of trust can subsequently give rise to many other problems. Therefore, it is essential
that she remains faithful to me as long as we live.
As far as character traits are concerned, she needs to be kind, understanding, caring and
sympathetic among some other positive personality traits. After a hard day at work, I expect
my wife to be comforting and appreciative of my efforts to provide for the family. To be a
loving mother, she definitely should also love children and enjoy spending time with them,
so as to ensure that they have a decent upbringing. I really love children and would not
appreciate a woman who dislikes them or are impatient with them.
In order to have stronger family ties, it is also important that her interests are more or less
similar to mine. I love reading and fishing.
Although I do not expect her to like fishing, she should at least support me and appreciate
my catch after a fishing trip. I also hope that she could accompany me to some of the trips, if
not all of them. Reading and fishing are so much a part of me. I can hardly imagine someone
who shuns both hobbies.
I understand that such a wife is not easy to find but it is not an impossible task. I trust that
the right person would appear when the time is right. When the time comes, I should also
make sure that I am ready for marriage and have the same qualities. Otherwise, it would be
unfair to expect my spouse to have such qualities when I myself am lacking in them.
(Story 2) - Beauty

Everybody said that my sister Britney was the beauty of the family. I did not really mind
them saying so, as it was apparent. What I did not like was the way they pointed out how
unattractive I was.
"Is Britney really your sister?" they would exclaim. "It's incredible - you don't resemble her
at all!"
Britney's hair is dark and shiny. It flows in waves to adorn her fair, healthy skin. Framed by
naturally long lashes, her large sparkling eyes shimmer like opalescent lilies in the lake of the
celestial maidens' palace. Her straight nose goes well with her high cheek bones while her
full lips are the colour of a red rose. When she smiles, the world would sigh with
contentment and her laughter brightens the world. A tall, slim figure with long, slender legs,
she is fit to be a supermodel and seems a Greek God or a picture of perfection.
I, on the other hand, am the exact opposite of Britney. I do not possess any striking features
and appear to be extremely ordinary and plain. My small eyes, flat wide nose, thick lips and
dark complexion could hardly impress anyone.
In the hope of becoming a little more charming, I had tried following exercise programmes,
wearing mud packs and applying beauty creams but to no avail. I was disappointed and
eventually gave up the efforts to improve my looks. I decided to be contented with what
God had given me.
Time flew by and the years passed. Both of us grew up, fell in love, got married and had
children. Britney married a doctor and has three children. Despite my common appearance,
an accountant asked for my hand in marriage. I consented and till now have borne him two
offspring.
One day, I overheard Britney's child arguing with mine.
"It's clear that my mum is more beautiful than yours," said Britney's child.
"That's untrue," my child retorted. "In my opinion, my mum is prettier." Later, I told my
husband Bob about the argument.
"How silly! It's obvious! The beauty of the family..." Bob exclaimed but I cut him off.
"... is Britney. Of course I know!" I said dejectedly. "No, silly! I meant you!" Bob continued.
Although I found it hard to believe that he meant what he had just said, he was indeed
sincere.
"I married you because of your inner beauty. You're kind-hearted, patient, loving and
thoughtful - those are the character traits that Britney lacks," Bob elaborated.
"Really?" I asked. "But isn't it true that people generally favour charming and attractive
women - or women with outer beauty?"
"A woman's outer or physical beauty can be a bonus, but it's the inner beauty that really
matters," Bob further explained. "For instance, when talking to someone for a while, you
may find them pleasant or not-so- pleasant at first. But as the conversation continues
longer, you may begin to discover personal qualities and traits. Without even realising it,
you start to find the person more and more beautiful or charming. In fact, that was what
happened when I first met you - you left a good initial impression on me."
Bob's words of encouragement were really uplifting. Now I have finally understood the
meaning of the proverb 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder' - different people have
different ideas about what is beautiful. I am glad and thankful that my husband and children
appreciate my beauty. I am no longer ashamed of the way I look.
(Story 3) - Describe an outing with your friends.

Last year during the first semester holidays, I went on an outing with my classmates and
best friends, Ariff and Adam. Adam's father won a trip to Penang, which came with a hotel
suite stay for three people for two nights. As he was busy with his work, he decided to let us
go on the trip instead. We were overjoyed to hear the good news.
From Kuala Lumpur, we went to the 'Pearl of the Orient' by coach. The journey took about
five hours. After checking in the five-star and high- rise hotel, we proceeded to our suite
which was located on the top floor. Upon seeing the king-size bed, I jumped onto it as I had
always loved staying in hotels. Adam and Ariff giggled at my silliness. We then went to the
balcony to enjoy the superb panorama of George Town, Penang's capital city. We could also
see the blue sea as the hotel was located by the beach. The views were simply breathtaking.
After unpacking our stuff and having our baths, it was almost dinner time. Since all meals
were provided throughout our stay, we went to the hotel restaurant as we were famished.
A buffet dinner was served and we had a variety of delicious food. When the meal was over,
we brought our torches and strolled along the beach, where we collected some colourful
and pretty seashells. Occasionally, we saw jellyfish that were stranded on the beach. After
the stroll, we retired early that night because we felt tired.
The next morning, we woke up to a sumptuous and nutritious breakfast. Next, we went
snorkelling in the shallow sea. It was a wonderful feeling swimming among the exotic and
flamboyant sea-fishes. We also had a chance to explore the spectacular coral reefs. In the
afternoon, we had a karaoke session. The karaoke machines were part of the leisure
facilities of the hotel. As we were fans of the latest hits, we had a good time singing them.
Influenced by his parents and having a great voice, Adam could even render golden oldies.
When evening came, we went to play at the beach. We met a group of
teenagers in our same age group. They were camping by the beach. When we met them,
they were playing Frisbee. We greeted them and they invited us to join them in their game.
We had a lot of fun together. We were glad to have made new friends. After the game, we
rested and watched the enchanting sunset together.
On the third day, we decided to use the health spa facilities of the hotel. We swam in the
Olympic-sized swimming pool and did some workout in the gymnasium. We also took a
sauna. A friendly reflexology professional gave each one of us a foot massage. We felt
mentally relaxed after the reflexology session.
At noon, we checked out of the hotel. We went back to Kuala Lumpur by coach as well.
Overall, it was a happy trip for us. We considered ourselves extremely fortunate to be able
to enjoy this free trip and stay in a luxurious hotel where everything was provided free of
charge. I had had a wonderful time with my friends and wondered when such a rare
opportunity would come again in future.
(Story 4) - Write a story with the following title: Pride Goes Before A Fall.

Having held the interschool storytelling championship for the past three consecutive years, I
was the star of my school. When it came to choosing the right candidate to participate in
such competitions, I was always the first choice. Naturally, I was once again selected to
represent my school in the approaching contest this year.
Upon hearing the fact that I was chosen again, my classmates and friends acknowledged
unanimously that I would undoubtedly emerge as the champion again. Consequently, I
became conceited. I was so complacent that I neglected the importance of practising for the
contest.
"Cindy, would you like to come in front of the class to rehearse for the contest?" asked my
teacher, a week before the contest was held.
"I'm sorry, teacher," I replied. "I'm having a sore throat."
That was what I would do, whenever my teacher requested me to practise in front of the
class. I always found excuses to avoid doing so as I had the opinion that I was too good and
therefore the practice was quite unnecessary. On one occasion, I even told her not to worry
as I was well prepared for the contest. I only managed to glance briefly through the story a
day before the day of the contest. As the best storyteller among the students of the local
secondary schools, I was too vain to practice and expected everything to be fine.
The contest was arranged to take place in a community hall. On the day of the contest, the
hall was packed. Apart from my school teachers and principal, many of my classmates and
schoolmates were present as well. I was the eighth contestant. Those who spoke before me
did extremely well. On seeing their captivating and outstanding performance, I began to
lose confidence in myself. My palms perspired heavily and I felt nervous.
Soon, it was my turn to talk. While walking up the steps leading to the
stage, I tripped up on the step and fell, drawing laughter from the audience. I was mortified
and got up quickly to proceed to the microphone. When I was facing the crowd, I suffered
from stage fright. My legs shivered and so did my voice. I spoke in an expressionless voice
and even stuttered a few times as I had forgotten some parts of the story. On seeing my
terrible performance, the judges shook their heads. The supporters from my school looked
at me in disappointment. I had never been so embarrassed in my life. In the end, I walked
off the stage with my eyes filled with tears.
When the results were announced after the contest, I did not win any prizes - not even a
consolation prize. It was not surprising at all. I regretted underestimating my opponents. My
vanity had cost me the championship and I was remorseful for being so vainglorious. I had
learnt my lesson well and finally understood the meaning of the saying, 'pride goes before a
fall'.
(Story 5) - Write a story beginning with: "The teacher walked into the classroom. It was
the first period ..."

The teacher walked into the classroom. It was the first period that morning. Our English
teacher, Puan Maimunah, greeted us and we greeted her back. Then, the lesson began.
While Puan Maimunah was teaching, all of a sudden, there was a loud scream coming from
the back of the class. Astonished and shocked, everyone turned back to see what was
transpiring. We set our eyes on our classmate, Julia, who suddenly got up from her seat and
took to her heels. As she ran out of the classroom, she cried hysterically.
Puan Maimunah than asked the class to calm down. After asking the class monitor to take
charge of the class, she pursued Julia. Julia ran across the school field and sat under a huge
angsana tree, crying her heart out.
"What's bothering you, Julia?" Puan Maimunah asked. "Do you want to talk about it?"
Julia just would not stop weeping. Noticing that she was so upset, Puan Maimunah decided
to let her cry it out. After 20 minutes of emotional outburst, she finally calmed down and
was willing to talk about the predicament she was in.
"My parents are going through a divorce, teacher. They have been quarrelling for many
weeks and sometimes they abuse me and my siblings," said Julia, showing her the bruises
on her body.
"I could no longer tolerate the pressure. I am stressed at home because of my parents. At
school, I am stressed because my grades are dropping. I am sorry for letting it out in class.
Please forgive me for being so rude," Julia continued.
Puan Maimunah hugged and comforted Julia. She told Julia that she could understand what
she was going through and did not blame her.
"I'll tell you what - I'll visit your home after school and talk to your parents," Puan
Maimunah suggested.
Seeing that help was on the way, Julia was hopeful that things would get better. She smiled
and nodded her head in agreement.
When school was over, Puan Maimunah followed Julia home and had a long conversation
with her parents.
"I didn't realise that Julia is so badly affected," said Julia's mother, with feelings of guilt.
"Me too," Julia's father said remorsefully. "I had no idea at all. We've realised our mistakes
and we promise that we'll try to work things out."
Julia and her family thanked Puan Maimunah for her benevolence before she left them.
After a week, Julia was seen smiling. She was in high spirits and was cheerful once again. Her
grades began to improve. She was grateful to Puan Maimunah for her assistance. She even
bought her a present as a token of her gratitude. Puan Maimunah was deeply touched by
her sincerity.
In fact, Puan Maimunah was known as the good Samaritan of our school. As a kind-hearted
soul, she treated her students like her own children and was always ready to help those who
were in trouble or facing problems. She was indeed one of the best teachers in the school.
(Story 6) - Write a story with the following title: A Narrow Escape.

Billy was extremely overjoyed. He had just got his SPM examination results and he scored
straight A's. His parents promised to take him to Taiwan for holidays if he passed the public
examination with flying colours.
Billy's parents kept their promise. A week later, they were at the Kota Kinabalu International
Airport to catch an aeroplane to Taiwan. Billy was excited as it was his first overseas trip.
Furthermore, it was his first flight. After checking in at the counter, they proceeded to the
departure lounge. They waited for about an hour before boarding the aeroplane.
On the aeroplane, Billy was lucky to have a window seat. Fifteen minutes later, the
aeroplane started to take off. As the aeroplane soared into the air, Billy looked out through
the window. He could see the buildings and people on the ground getting smaller and
smaller. Not long after, the aeroplane was flying above the clouds. The jungle below
resembled a giant green carpet.
When the aeroplane was flying over the Philippines, all of a sudden, there was a mechanical
failure and smoke was seen emerging from one of the engine nacelles. Billy, his parents and
many other passengers started to panic. Some passengers screamed out of fear.
"Ladies and gentleman, please calm down," the captain announced. "Due to technical
problems, we'll have to make an emergency landing on a coastal road of the Philippines.
Please take out the life jackets under your seats and put them on. After that, remember to
relax, stay calm and keep your seats upright."
All the passengers did as told. A benign stewardess helped Billy and his parents to put on
the life jackets. Some passengers prayed while the others closed their eyes in silence. A few
children cried. Billy was afraid so his parents comforted him.
Soon, the aircraft landed on a road near to a beach. Fortunately, it was a suburban area and
not much traffic was on the road. Motorists were able to dodge the aeroplane in time on
seeing it.
Upon landing safely, the passengers heaved out sighs of relief.
"Ladies and gentleman, we have landed safely. However, we are still in danger as the
aircraft is still carrying a large amount of fuel. Please evacuate from the aeroplane instantly
using all the usable exits."
After the captain's announcement, the crew members opened all the exits, including the
emergency ones. The passengers then took turns sliding down the evacuation slides. When
all the passengers had alighted from the aeroplane, the captain led them to a safe place
away from the aircraft. As they were leaving the scene, the aeroplane burst into flames.
Fortunately, when the plane exploded, they were some distance away. Though they were
safe, they could still feel the intense heat of the explosion.
Soon, the Filipino authorities came to their assistance. Although Billy and his family were
upset because they had lost their belongings and were unable to visit Taiwan, they were
glad and thankful to have escaped from death. It was indeed a narrow escape that Billy
would not forget as long as he lived.
(Story 7) - Describe the biggest challenge in your life.

I had a pampered and protected childhood. As the youngest daughter, I was the princess
and prima donna of our family. I usually got what I wanted, much to the envy of my two
brothers and a sister.
When I was ten years of age, I had an illness with strange symptoms such as giddiness,
tiredness and nausea. Apart from that, I also had unusual bruising and a cut on my finger
that would not stop bleeding. Extremely apprehensive of my condition, my parents brought
me to hospital, where I underwent tests. A few days later, I was diagnosed with leukaemia.
When the doctor broke the bad news to me and my parents, we were flabbergasted. My
parents had never expected me to have blood cancer. I could not even accept the news.
"How could this be?" I exclaimed in disbelief. "What have I done to deserve this?"
When the doctor said that I had only fifty chance of survival, I started to breakdown and cry.
That day when we went home, I felt like the end of the world was coming. I began throwing
tantrums. Locking myself in my bedroom, I wept and refused to see anyone. I did not want
to eat anything too. My parents, siblings, relatives and friends talked to me outside my
bedroom door. After some time, they managed to cajole me into opening the door. In my
room, they comforted me and emphasised that they cared for me and loved me very much.
They also assured me that I was not alone in the battle against the disease and they would
always support me and be with me all through the fight for survival. Their assurance and
encouragement touched me deeply and I finally accepted the facts. With teary eyes, I
thanked them for standing by my side and for giving me the strength to carry on.
The next day, I was admitted to hospital, where I was being treated
almost immediately. Tubes were being inserted all over my body. I had to undergo eight
operations and five bouts of chemotherapy. I experienced quite a number of side effects,
including the lack of appetite, fatigue, diarrhea, constipation and hair loss. My skin was
itchy, dry and red while my nails became yellow and cracked. My aunt almost fainted when
she came to visit me and saw me pulling out my hair!
During my treatment period at hospital, a religious friend of mine came to see me. She
introduced me to her religion. I was glad to be able to turn to God for spiritual comfort.
I was hospitalised for six months. Now I am aged seventeen. I am thankful that I have been
cured of the sickness and it has never relapsed since the completion of my treatment. I have
to go for regular checkups, though. I owe those around me a great debt of gratitude.
Without their love, encouragement and moral support, I doubt if I would be able to make it.
Through the biggest challenge of my life, I have learnt to become stronger in many ways. I
have also learnt the importance of living life to the full.
(Story 8) - A day I wished had never happened.

My eyes are filled with tears as I look at a photo. It is a family photo taken three years ago,
showing my parents, my younger brother Alex and myself having fun while we were having
a picnic at a beach. I used to have a warm and happy family but now I am left with only
memories.
I could still remember vividly what happened that day, the day I wished had never
happened. It was about two weeks after our family picnicked at the beach. My parents
owned a business which required them to travel once or twice per month. That morning
when my brother and I were having our breakfast before going to school, we saw our
parents walking down from the stairs, all dressed up. They were carrying their luggage and
were ready to go on a business trip to Singapore. Normally, they drove but this time, for a
change, they decided to go by air.
Alex and I helped our parents to carry their luggage to a taxi waiting outside our house.
"Sally, we'll be in Singapore for only three days," said my mother, before getting into the
taxi. "Take care of your brother while we are gone."
"Don't worry, Mum," I replied. "I will.""Alex, be obedient to your sister. Don't be naughty,"
said our father.
Alex, who was a year my junior, nodded his head. We bade our parents goodbye before
they went off in the taxi.
While my brother and I were schooling later that morning, we were requested to go and see
the principal.
"I'm sorry to inform both of you that the aeroplane which your parents were travelling on
has crashed, due to mechanical failure. No one survived the crash," said the principal, while
we were in his office.
Extremely shocked and grief-stricken to hear the tragic news, we burst
into tears. I was so miserable that I fainted. When I woke up, I found myself at home in my
bedroom. I then went downstairs and saw my brother in the living room. Some of our
relatives were present as well. They comforted us and asked us what we were going to do,
since our parents had passed on. They invited us to stay with them so that they could take
care of us. I thanked them for their benevolence and replied that my brother and I needed
to think it over before making a decision.
Having considered our future for a few days, we decided to live in an orphanage as we did
not wish to trouble our relatives.
Three years have passed since we moved into the orphanage. At first, it was hard living
without our parents. Now we have settled down. In the orphanage, we have friends just like
us - orphans. Our relatives come to visit us once in a while. I am in Form 5 now and will be
sitting for my SPM examination at the end of the year. Alex is in Form 4. We take our studies
seriously and hope to have our own loving families one day.
(Story 9) - Write about a person who has succeeded in life.

It is lunch hour. A large restaurant located in the heart of Kuala Lumpur city is packed with
regular customers. Waiters and waitresses are busy serving the customers. Outside the
restaurant, the owner of the restaurant is seen arriving in a luxury car. After parking his car,
he enters the restaurant and starts mingling with the customers. The humble man is none
other than my beloved grandfather.
My grandfather is a man of little education. He comes from a poor family. After attending
primary school, he had to stop schooling due to poverty. As the eldest son of the family, he
helped his father at his stall selling barbecued meats. Life was indeed difficult for him then.
He had to get up early in the morning before dawn and go to the market together with his
father to buy fresh chickens and ducks. Then, they returned home to slaughter them,
prepare the meats and barbecue them.
My grandfather was extremely interested in culinary skills. As a teenager, he was a fast
learner and was able to prepare the meats as well as his father before long.
One morning, my grandfather woke up early in the morning as usual. He assumed that
everything would go on smoothly but little did he know that he had lost his father. When he
went to wake his father up, there was no response from him. My grandfather panicked and
called for an ambulance. When his father was sent to hospital, he was pronounced dead on
arrival by a doctor. My grandfather was totally devastated by the sudden demise of his
father. In the midst of his sadness, he knew he had to find strength to carry on.
To earn a living, he had no alternative but to take over the stall that his father left behind.
Using the small savings that he inherited from his father, he continued with the business. He
learnt about finance from his own experience and whatever he could recall when he was
with his father. He led a frugal lifestyle and only spent money when it was necessary. He
was so thrifty that when he got married a few years later, his guests were
only treated to rice and barbecued meats. He was industrious and saved as much money as
he could. He kept his savings in a bank.
After a couple of years, his diligence and modesty finally paid off - he had saved enough
money to open a restaurant. Thanks to his excellent management skills that he acquired
earlier, his restaurant prospered and his business expanded. Apart from selling barbecued
meats, he also sold other food such as chicken rice, economical meals, dim sum and a
variety of noodles.
Today, my grandfather is an extremely successful and well-established restaurateur. He
often advises me to study hard and be a knowledgeable person in order to contribute to
society in future. He also emphasises the virtues of diligence, frugality and honesty. I will not
forget his advices for as long as I live because he is my role model.
(Story 10) - Write a story ending with: "... Now I realise the value of a true friend."

I had never taken my studies seriously. In fact, I was the happy-go-lucky type of person.
Compared to me, my classmate, Ming Wei, was exactly the opposite. He was quiet and
serious in his studies. Thus it was not surprising that he often performed well academically.
Despite the fact, I was not interested in being Ming Wei's friend. Since he was only
interested in the schoolwork, I consider him a bookworm and believed that it would be
extremely boring to be in his company.
This year when the school restarted, I was down with flu. Therefore I was absent on the first
day, when students chose their seats in class. A few days later when I had recovered, I found
that I had been allocated a front seat. In the past, I had always tried to avoid the front seats,
since being seated so close to the teachers meant that I would constantly be under their
watchful eyes. To worsen the matter, Ming Wei was seated next to me. No words could
describe my annoyance.
In spite of the fact that I did not like Ming Wei, I found him rather helpful, especially in
explaining mathematical problems. As I was weak in mathematics, he was always willing to
lend me a helping hand when I needed it.
One day, a few friends requested me to join a gang. They told me about the benefits of
joining, including the support and protection that I would get from the gang and all the fun I
could have with the members. Being young and naive, I was very much attracted and agreed
to join without much consideration.
The very next day, I realised my mistake and regretted acting too hastily. I discovered that as
part of the gang, I was required to obey everything the leader said. That day, I was ordered
to commit a robbery with a few other members. I was reluctant to commit the crime as it
was against the law to do so. I disobeyed the leader and told him that I wish to resign
from the gang.
"If you wish to resign, you need to pay us RM500," said the leader in a menacing tone.
I was worried as I had no money. Not daring to tell my parents for fear of the outcome, I
was at wit's end.
"Why do you look so worried, Lex?" Ming Wei asked me the next day at school. "What
happened?"
I told Ming Wei everything. After learning about my terrible predicament, he comforted me
and promised to get the money from his parents. The next day, he came to school with
RM500. I paid off the gang with the money and was free once again. I was extremely
grateful to Ming Wei for helping me out. Now I realise the value of a true friend.
(Story 11) - Write a story beginning with: "It had been raining all day ..."

It had been raining all day and I was feeling bored that evening. As the single child of my
family, I had no one to play with. My mother was ironing clothes downstairs and my father
was away at work.
To relieve my boredom, I sneaked into my father's study, which was normally locked. I was
not supposed to go there but I was lucky that evening because my father had forgotten to
lock it that morning. As an 11-year-old boy, I was inquisitive and curious. I opened the
drawers in the study and looked inside. In one of the drawers, I saw a file with my name on
it.
There were newspaper cuttings in the file. Upon looking at the cuttings, I was astonished to
see news reports about me. The reports stated that I was abducted when I was three years
of age. There were also pictures of me and my biological mother.
"The parents that I am staying with now aren't my real parents?" I mumbled to myself in
disbelief and surprise. "How could this be?"
Full of curiosity, I took the news reports and showed it to my mother. On seeing the reports,
she seemed petrified. She started to weep and beg for my forgiveness. It was also at that
time that my father came back from work. When he learnt that I had discovered the truth,
he apologised to me and admitted that he kidnapped me when I was aged three.
"Being an infertile couple, you mother and I had always longed for a son," my father
explained. "Eight years ago, I saw you playing alone in the playground and couldn't resist the
temptation to abduct you and make you ours."
I was in tears and dumbfounded. My parents then started packing their belongings. In the
middle of the night, they took me to my real parents' home. Then, they left as they did not
wish to be caught by the police.
"My son! Where have you been all these years? Who kidnapped you?" cried my mother,
when she saw me.
Crying happy tears, she was able to recognise me the instant she saw me. I told her
everything. She was overjoyed to have me back and hugged me tightly. The rest of the
family was happy to be reunited with me as well. Apart from my father, I had an older sister
and a younger brother. As I was only three years old when I left them, my memory of them
was vague. Nevertheless, I could still feel the love and warmth of my real family and I was
delighted to go back to where I belonged.
Six years have passed since the reunion with my family. Until today, the couple who
abducted me has not been caught yet. Even though they are not my biological parents, they
treated me like their own son. I still think of them occasionally, especially when it rains. I
even miss them and wonder how they are now.
(Story 12) - Describe an unforgettable incident that you saw on your way home from
school.

It was a hot afternoon and the heat from the scorching sun was quite unbearable. I was
cycling home from school after arranging the books in the school library as I was a librarian.
The road was quiet. I felt hungry and was looking forward to reaching home and having my
late lunch.
When I was cycling along the roadside, a motorcyclist appeared out of the blue and roared
past me. He had almost knocked me down and I was rather taken aback by his sudden
appearance. I then noticed there was a passenger behind the motorcyclist and they were
heading for a lady, who was walking on the pavement at the side of the road.
The motorcyclist then stopped beside the lady. After dismounting from the motorcycle, the
pillion rider tried to snatch the lady's handbag but she resisted. Feeling furious, he took out
a knife and brandished it at her. On seeing the knife, the lady was scared and apprehensive
of getting hurt. Having no alternative, she let the mugger have her handbag. After getting
hold of the handbag, the mugger shoved her. He shoved her so hard that she fell into the
ditch. The obnoxious criminal then mounted the motorcycle. His accomplice, who was also
the motorcyclist, sped off and they escaped from the scene.
I was shocked at what I saw. The robbery happened so fast that before I could do anything
to try to foil it, the whole incident was over. I ran to help the lady. When I reached the part
of the ditch where the lady fell into, I saw her seated at the bottom of the ditch. She had
scratch marks on her arms and legs and was groaning in pain. I then realised that she was
pregnant. I assisted her to get out of the ditch. I felt sorry for her as she was in a state of
shock. I comforted her. Soon, a car stopped beside us and a man emerged from it. Upon
seeing the condition of the lady, he asked me what had transpired. I related the whole
incident to him. The benevolent man then offered to take the lady to hospital. As I was an
eyewitness to the crime, he requested me to come along in order to help lodge a police
report.
The doctor who examined her said that apart from some superficial scratches and minor
bruises on her limbs, she was doing fine. The baby she was conceiving was healthy as well. I
was glad to hear that. A few days later, she came to my house to thank me personally for
lending her a helping hand. However, the snatch thieves were never apprehended. I would
never forget this incident or the snatch thieves' faces as long as I live.
(Story 13) - Write a story ending with : "... We said our goodbyes and went our separate
ways."

Last year during the year-end holidays, I had an opportunity to participate in a Youth Camp
organised by the Boy Scouts Association of my school. Since it was the first camp that I had
ever taken part in, I really looked forward to it.
The camp was located in a field by a river. It was on the first day of the camp that I met Leo,
who was a year my senior. He had a body size resembling a bear. During the lunch hour, all
the campers queued up to get their food. After getting my share, I was looking for a suitable
spot to sit down and enjoy my lunch when Leo bumped into me, spilling gravy on me.
Instead of apologising, Leo laughed at me.
"Don't you think you should apologise to me, clumsy bear?" I told him off as I was really
annoyed.
"Apologise? It was only a minor accident. By the way, how could you call me a clumsy
bear?" Leo retorted.
I ignored him.
On the second day, Leo was late for roll call. As a consequence, he was punished to do push-
ups.
"It serves you right. You should have apologised to me," I told Leo after the roll call.
In the afternoon, all of the campers went canoeing on the river. As it was my first
experience, I capsized my canoe. Leo mocked me and remarked loudly what a lousy canoeist
I was. Very much embarrassed and furious, I swam towards his canoe with clenched fists.
Fortunately, some other campers managed to hold me back before I did something
regretful.
We went jungle trekking in the afternoon of the third day. While carrying out the activity, I
sprained my ankle accidentally and was left behind.
Though the pain was excruciating, I stumbled on since I did not want to be lagged behind
too far. While I was crossing a narrow single-log bridge, I lost my balance and fell down a
ravine. Due to my foot injury and the depth of the ravine, I faced difficulty getting out. I was
devastated and could only hope that help would arrive soon.
Hours passed and it got dark. In the midst of my despair and pessimism, Leo appeared.
When I saw him, I expected him to tease me and give me a hard time again. However, in
spite of the differences we had, he stretched out his hand and offered to help me. When I
was out of the ravine, he gave me a piggyback ride back to the camp.
I was deeply touched by his kind acts, let alone my gratitude to him. From that point
onwards, we became intimate friends and often helped each other.
The fifth day was also the last day of the camp. Leo and I were sorry to part with each other.
He told me that he would be leaving the country soon to further his studies overseas. We
regretted our petty attitudes and apologised to each other. We said our goodbyes and went
our separate ways.
(Story 14) - Write a story that ends with: "... They looked at each other and smiled
meaningfully."

James and William are neighbours. When they were in kindergarten and primary schools,
they were intimate friends. However, things changed when they were in secondary school.
Due to the fact that they had different interests and pursuits, they were no longer close.
William was a studious introvert who kept to himself whereas James was outgoing and
gregarious. James, who also excelled in sports, was chosen to be in the school basketball
team and became a popular student.
Deep in William's heart, he still wanted to be friends with James. Even though James felt the
same way towards William, he was aware that his new friends would not approve. Due to
peer pressure and to prove his loyalty to them, he would make fun of William together with
them.
One day, both William and James went on a school trip to a waterfall. When William was
changing in a changing cubicle, James stole his glasses and hid them. After changing, William
was surprised to find his spectacles missing. As he was short-sighted, he could hardly see
well without the glasses. Even so, he started searching for them. While searching, he tripped
over a short stool and fell heavily onto the floor. Luckily, he did not sustain any serious
injuries. While some other students were helping William to get up, James and his friends
were laughing at William and making sarcastic remarks about him. James then returned
William's glasses to him and told him to be more careful with his belongings.
The students then went to the waterfall and swam in the pool. All the students had a good
time in the pool. Later, James and his friends swam far away from the other students. After
swimming for a while, William got out of the pool. All of a sudden, one of James' friends
came running.
"Help! James is having a leg cramp. He's drowning!" cried James' friend .
William ran as quickly as he could to where James was. Without thinking
of his own safety, he dived into the pool to rescue James. It was not easy as the current was
strong. After putting in a lot of effort, he succeeded in his endeavour. He brought James to
the shore but unfortunately, James was unconscious. A teacher called for an ambulance and
not long after, James was rushed to hospital. William went along with James.
In the hospital ward, James woke up. He thanked William for saving his life. He also
apologised for being so mean and cruel to him.
"It's okay," said William with a smile. "I've never had a grudge against you. Just let bygones
be bygones."
Just then, a nurse walked into the ward to check on James.
"Both of you look very close to each other. Good friends, I guess?" the nurse remarked.
James replied, "We were and always will be good friends." They looked at each other and
smiled meaningfully.