FORM 4

ENGLISH

考前复习班
*POEM SEPT 2019
*SHORT STORY

NAME:______________
COMPILED BY : SG LONG ENGLISH LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT
2016 SMK TAMAN BUKIT MALURI (MAY)
a) Who is the persona?
A grandchild
b) What does line 6 tell us about the persona and the grandmother?
The persona tell us that even though she and her grandmother are
different races but they also can be a family.
c) From the description in line 5, what is the most likely position of the
child and the grandmother in the photograph?
The child holding her grandmother’s hand at somewhere since the
persona was three.
d) With the reference to Line 14 to 16, how do these lines make you
feel about photographs of people you love?
1. Where do the persona mean there’ in Stanza 3?
In the photograph

2. Why do you think the crinkled smile is still living and

breathing in the eyes of the persona?
The persona missed her grandmother very much

3. How old was the persona when the photo was taken?
3 years old

4. Who was three years old in the photograph?

The persona

5. In which line does is state that the grandmother

continues to live in the photograph?
The crinkled smile is still living, breathing

6. Who are the people in the photograph?

The persona and her grandmother
KBAT
1. How does the persona feel about her grandmother?
What evidence is there in the poem?
Feelings: Her grandmother is kind
Evidence: Her kind old smile round her eyes

2. Do you think the persona was close to her grandmother?

Give one evidence from the poem to support your answer.
Reason: yes, she is closed to her grandmother
Evidence: Her big hand holds mine

3. Do you think that ‘The Living Photograph’ is a suitable title

for the poem?
Opinion: yes, it is suitable
Reason: This is because the persona keep the photograph as a
remembrance after her grandmother passes away.

4. If you were to take care of your grandmother for a day, what

would you do to make her experience an unforgettable one?
I will bring her to the place she wants to go and buy favourite
food for her.
2016 SMK KEPONG BARU (MAY)
a) In stanza 1, what does ‘valley of Death” imply?
Soldiers are going to die.
b) Which word in stanza 3 describes the loud sound of war?
Thundered.
c) What can we learn from the poem?
We can learn sacrified for our country.
d) Name one quality that a soldier should have. Give a reason for your
answer.
Quality: Brave
Reason: They have to face many terrible war.
1. What do the soldiers do when the order is given? Give
a reason.
The soldiers charged into the valley of death because
they wereline
2. Which loyal to the commander.
indicates that it was mistake to attack the
enemy?
Someone had blundered
3. In Stanza 2, whom does the word ‘theirs’ refer to?
The soldiers.

4. What does ‘blundered’ mean?

make a mistake

5. Which phrase means ‘willingness to honour one’s duty

to one’s country?
Do and die
6. In Stanza 2, what does the word ‘dismayed’ suggest?
The soldiers do not lose their courage
KBAT

1. What is the attitude of the soldiers towards battle as shown

in the poem?
The soldiers are brave

2. Would you like to be a soldier? Why?

Yes, because I can protect my country

3. Do you like to take orders from others? Give two reasons.

Yes, because I can have blind spot sometimes and I can refer
to a better suggestions from the others.

4. In your opinion, is it necessary to have a war? Why?

No, because war can have many bad impacts and many
people will sacrifice.

5. From the poem, give two moral values that you have learnt.
Bravery and loyalty.
F4 SHORT STORY---LEAVING
IMPORTANT INCIDENT 1: Mother moved to Upanga from Uhuru Street

• Aloo’s sisters were married and left home.

• Aloo’s brother was working in the office of a big shop
• Mother’s hopes were on her two youngest children, Aloo and his sister
• Mother wanted Aloo and his sister to study hard and not to spend time working in
the store.
• Mother locked up the big doors for the last time and sold the store.
• Then, they moved to a part of town called Upanga, which was a very quiet place
after the noise and hurry of Uhuru Street
• There were only few houses in Upanga and behind the houses was wild land with tall
trees.
• There were no streetlights and at night it felt a lonely, frightening place.
• Sometimes in the evenings, when Mother felt sad, Aloo and his sister played card
games with her.

IMPORTANT INCIDENT 2 : Aloo wrote to universities in America

• Mr Datoo, who was once a teacher in Aloo’s school came back from America to
visit Aloo’s school.
• Due to the influence of Mr Datoo, Aloo started to think of his future.
• He would like to be the same as Mr Datoo.
• All through the rest of the year he wrote to universities in America, finding their
names in books.
• Mother was just smiled at all this busy letter-writing.
• Mother even teased at him that his uncle in America will pay money just to send
him to college.
• Mother did not take Aloo’s plan seriously.
• Some weeks later, answers to the letters began arriving., with big shiny prospectuses.
• Slowly, Aloo, learnt which universities were good, which were famous, which were
the best for this or that subject.
• He learnt that people could study all kinds of strange and interesting things.
• Aloo had a place at a local university.
• However, he wanted to study medicine but they gave him a place to study
agriculture.
• Aloo was not interested in farms or farming, he wanted to live and work in a city.
• Then, a letter came for Aloo from the California Institute of Technology, a famous
college in America.
• They offered him a place with scholarship.
• He read the letter again and again.
• When he told Mother, Mother did not believe him and asked him go away.
• Mother had no money for him to study.
IMPORTANT INCIDENT 3 : Mother agrees to let Aloo to go America

• Mr Velji was one of Aloo’s school officers.

• Mother told him all about her family, about Aloo’s father’s
death.
• Aloo put all the papers in to Mr Velji’s hand.
• Aloo got all A’s in school and Mr Velji’s eyes opened very wide.
• Mr Velji read the papers carefully.
• Mr Velji said it was a good opportunity for Aloo’s education but
maybe Mother will lose Aloo.
• Mother requested to read the prospectus.
• Aloo, Mother and Aloo’s sister sat down to look at the prospectus.
• The pictures in the prospectus showed tall, grand buildings,
students hurrying here and there, classes taking place outside,
under the shade of trees.
• Aloo told his mother that the students there sent rockets to the
moon.
• Finally, Mother agreed to let Aloo went to America University.
• Mother told Aloo not to marry a white woman and also not to
smoke and drink .
• Aloo promised to his mother.
• Aloo’s first letter came after a week after he left, from London.
• He stopped there to visit an old friend from school.
4. The following are the short stories and drama studied in the literature component in
English Language.
 Tanjong Rhu - Minfong Ho ( retold by Clare West )
Leaving - M.G. Vassanji ( retold by Jeniffer Basset )
The right thing to do - Martyn Ford
 
Choose any one of the above and answer the question below.
With close reference to the text , write about the character you like and state how the
character showed strength of character.

Based on the short story Leaving, the character that I like most in the story is
Mother . Mother is a woman in Tanzania who raised her five children single-
handedly and who made sure they had a good future. Her youngest boy wanted to
further his studies in America. A conflict arose as she was not willing to let her son
leave home and go to such a far place. He might have a good future and a good
education but she was not willing to let him go.
 
The character I like and who showed strength of character is the mother. Mother
wanted her children to have a good future and education but she would prefer them
to stay close to home for their education at whatever level. She was not willing to
let Aloo leave and study overseas. She had the traditional attitude that her children
should not leave the family and home. She was sure that Aloo would not come back
to her. She held on to her opinion for as long as she could.

Mr Velji said it was a good opportunity for Aloo’s education but maybe
Mother will lose Aloo. Mother requested to read the prospectus. Aloo, Mother
and Aloo’s sister sat down to look at the prospectus. The pictures in the
prospectus showed tall, grand buildings, students hurrying here and there,
classes taking place outside, under the shade of trees. Aloo told his mother that
the students there sent rockets to the moon. Finally, Mother agreed to let Aloo
went to America Univeristy.

  This was why I like mother. She had strength of character and held on it until the
very end.
 
 
 Choose any one of the above and answer the question below.
With close reference to the text , write on the theme of ambition as potrayed in the
story.
 
The story, Leaving, is about a woman in Tanzania who raised her five children single-
handedly and who made sure they had a good future. The youngest boy wanted to further
his studies in America. A conflict arises as Mother was not willing to let her son leave
home and go to such a far place. He might have a good future and a good education but
she was not willing to let him go.
 
The story portrays a few themes and one of these is ambition. We see the characters of
both Aloo and mother showing their ambitious nature. Mother was ambitious for her
children. Aloo’s sisters were married and left home. Aloo’s brother was working in
the office of a big shop. Mother’s hopes were on her two youngest children, Aloo and
his sister. Mother wanted Aloo and his sister to study hard and not to spend time
working in the store. Mother locked up the big doors for the last time and sold the
store. Then, they moved to a part of town called Upanga, which was a very quiet
place after the noise and hurry of Uhuru Street. There were only few houses in
Upanga and behind the houses was wild land with tall trees. There were no
streetlights and at night it felt a lonely, frightening place. Sometimes in the evenings,
when Mother felt sad, Aloo and his sister played card games with her.
 
Aloo was ambitious too. Aloo wrote letters to the universities in America. Mother did
not take Aloo’s plan seriously. Some weeks later, answers to the letters began arriving.,
with big shiny prospectuses. Slowly, Aloo, learnt which universities were good, which
were famous, which were the best for this or that subject. He learnt that people could
study all kinds of strange and interesting things. Aloo had a place at a local
university. However, he wanted to study medicine but they gave him a place to study
agriculture. Aloo was not interested in farms or farming, he wanted to live and work
in a city. Then, a letter came for Aloo from the California Institute of Technology, a
famous college in America. They offered him a place with scholarship. He read the
letter again and again. When he told Mother, Mother did not believe him and asked
him go away. Mother had no money for him to study.
 
Mr Velji said it was a good opportunity for Aloo’s education but maybe Mother will
lose Aloo. Mother requested to read the prospectus. Aloo, Mother and Aloo’s sister sat
down to look at the prospectus. The pictures in the prospectus showed tall, grand
buildings, students hurrying here and there, classes taking place outside, under the shade
of trees. Aloo told his mother that the students there sent rockets to the moon. Then,
Mother agreed to let Aloo went to America Univeristy.

The theme of ambition is clearly portrayed in the story.

 
F4 SHORT STORY---TANJONG RHU
IMPORTANT INCIDENT 1 : Mr Li bought a binoculars for his mother
who had cataracts.

• Mr Li was eager to show the binocular to his mother when he

returned home from work.
• He hurried towards the back of the house, walking past room
after room looking for his mother.
• Then, he found his mother beside the swimming pool in the
garden, where she was feeding her chickens.
• His mother was small and thin, with grey hair and a bent back.
• Mr Li called his mother.
• As always, when Mr Li went from speaking English all day back to
Cantonese, he found it difficult to say what he wanted.
• Mr Li gave the binoculars to Ah Ma, but Ah Ma she did not need
it.
• Ah Ma refused to use it.
• When Mr Li wanted to walk away, Ah Ma asked him whether the
binoculars could see Tanjong Rhu or not.
• Ah Ma promised to go to Mr Li’s office in order to see Tanjong
Rhu.
IMPORTANT INCIDENT 2 : Ying was arguing with Ah Ma.

• The next morning, Mr Li saw Ah Ma was in the dark little room

where the family altar was.
• Ah Ma was cleaning the altar and putting new flowers on it.
• Ah Ma unlocked the top drawer of her special desk, where she
put everything she needed for the altar, small cups, gold sheets,
candles, and joss sticks.
• Mr Li saw his daughter, Ying was arguing with his mother.
• Ying wanted to help her grandmother but her grandmother said
that Ying did not know everything which was needed.
• Ah Ma was doing the prayer properly with every step and Ying was
worried that her father would be late for work.
• Mr Li watched as the old woman bowed in front of the altar,
holding the joss sticks in her hands.
• Ah Ma was telling Mr Li’s father that she was going to visit Mr Li’
office.
• Ying shook her head and tried to leave but Mr Li held her arm and
asked her to listen.

IMPORTANT INCIDENT 3 : Ah Ma was ill.

• Ah Ma was deathly ill in the hospital.

• She lay in bed, not moving tied to machines which fed her or gave
her blood.
• Ying gave her grandmother to drink some chicken soup
• Ying told her father that Ah Ma was better.
• Ying moved behind her grandmother and carefully pulled the
eyelids up.
• The woman’s eyes stared out at him, like colourless stones.
• Then ， Ah Ma passed away.
The following are the short stories studied in the literature
component in English Language.

Tanjong Rhu - Minfong Ho

Leaving - M. G. Vassanji

Choose any ONE of the short stories above and answer the question
below. With close reference to the text, what is the most important
moral lesson you have learnt?

Based on short story Tanjong Rhu by Minfong Ho, the most important
lesson that I have learnt is to be responsible.

As for example, Mr. Li is a responsible son. He takes care of his old

mother as she has given birth to him and took good care of him since
he was young. Mr. Li’s responsibility to his mother inspires me to do
the same. I realize that I need to take good care of my old parents as
they had sacrificed a lot for me. I will pay back their kindness to me.

Besides that, when Mr. Li’s mother was sick and hospitalized, he
often visits her in the hospital and accompanies her there. He is very
responsible that he doesn’t neglect and abandon his mother. His
daughter, Ying is also responsible. She stays at the hospital with her
sick grandmother so that she won’t be alone. Mr. Li and Ying show
that we must be responsible to our old parents. They had done a lot
for us and we need to appreciate it. I’d promised myself that I will be
a responsible daughter and take care of my parents perfectly. I will
make them proud to have me as their child.

In a nutshell, we need to be responsible and show our filial piety for

our parents. They are the one who brought us into this world, so we
need to pay back their sacrifice by loving them and taking good care
of them.
“Someone with positive qualities often impresses everyone”
From the short story that you have read, write about one character
that impress you.
In the short story “Tanjung Rhu” by Minfong Ho, a character
which impresses me is Mr. Li. Mr. Li is Ah Ma’s son and she loved him
so much. Mr. Li too loves her very much. He feels sad for the lost of
her beloved mother.
I am impressed by Mr. Li because he is a responsible and filial
son. He does everything right for his mother even after she dies. He
makes sure she has a proper burial, the way she would have wanted.
He also feels responsible to take charge of the altar because he
understands that his mother wanted it. Based on the above evidence,
we could conclude that Mr. Li tries his best to carry his responsibility
as a son to fulfil his mother’s wishes and become a filial son.
Next, I was amazed by Mr. Li’s thoughtfulness and concern
towards his mother. She had cataracts and he wanted her to have an
operation to remove the, but she refused. Due to her stubbornness,
she could not see well. As a thoughtful and concerned son, Mr. Li
wanted her to see better, so he bought her a pair of binoculars.
Unfortunately, she could not see anything with them. This evidence
shows that Mr. Li always thinking about his mother and tries his best
to help her.
Finally, Mr. Li’s patience and tolerance of his mother’s traditional
and conservative ways are impressive. For instance, he waited for her
to finish the long process of ancestor worship. He did not rush her
although he was late for work. Then, at his office, he patiently taught
her how to use the binoculars. Mr. Li is truly a patient and tolerant
son.
In conclusion, Mr. Li really impressed me with all his positive
qualities and he is a good role model on how to treat our parents
with love and care.
NOTES