Foreword The Schoolwide English Enrichment and Development Strategies (SEEDS) is a programme specially designed to arrest the declining standard of English among Malaysians. It is a comprehensive programme that takes into account every facet of language learning and the unique problems faced by Malaysians when striving to learn a foreign language. It uses a 3- pronged strategy namely, (i) Plan for Improving English in Schools (PIES) (ii) Formal English Classes (FEC) (iii) English Immersion Activities (EIA) This booklet is compiled to facilitate the running of the first component (PIES) and is to be used for the broadcast and R & R sessions. The rationale behind PIES is that vocabulary forms the foundation of any language learning. Thus, PIES is the strategy in the SEEDS programme, designed to help the learner acquire 1500 words or more within a span of 5 months. The acquisition of 1500 words serves as a springboard, enabling the learner to participate confidently in the other components of SEEDS (FEC & EIA). Introduction SEEDS is designed to be used in a school environment. However, it can be adapted for individual use. If you are using this booklet and a recording of your own reading, you should follow these steps in order to get the maximum benefit. Steps: 1. Listen to one article at a time, beginning with Article 1. 2. Listen two or three times a day to each article, with a break of at least an hour after each listening. Note the pronunciation of new words. 3. After each listening, replay the article. Without looking at the article on screen or referring to your booklet, but merely based on what you hear, write down as much as you can on a piece of paper. You may only be able to catch some words and phrases the first time. 4. Repeat Step 3 for the second and third listening, using the same piece of paper. Fill in as much as you can of what you missed previously. By the third listening, you should be able to reproduce most of the article.
SEEDS The Schoolwide English Enrichment and Development Strategies (SEEDS) is a programme designed as part of the English Everyday Programme (EEDP). Articles in this booklet are suitable for secondary school students and are taken from various resources to meet students’ needs. It is hoped that the implementation of this SEEDS programme will provide a platform for the assimilation of the language into the English language learners’ world. Let’s cherish the power of READING! SEEDS 2023 TEAM MRSM PASIR TUMBOH MRSM PDRM KULIM MRSM PENDANG MRSM PENGKALAN CHEPA Cover Design by RASYIDI MUHAMMAD RADZI MRSM TAIPING
1 Table of Contents Article 1: Littering Litter?.................................................................................................................5 Article 2: Cough! ................................................................................................................................6 Article 3: Asthma Attack ..................................................................................................................7 Article 4: A Letter to the People of the 21st Century .................................................................8 Fable 5: The Foolish Donkey ..........................................................................................................9 Excerpt 6: First Day at University................................................................................................10 Article 7: Always have an emergency fund...............................................................................11 Article 8: Money-saving tips for students .................................................................................12 Article 9: Need Vs Want..................................................................................................................13 Article 10: The Origin of the Phrase ‘The customer is always right’..................................14 Article 11: Should I Spend?...........................................................................................................15 Story 12: Long Lost Twin...............................................................................................................16 Fable 13: The Tortoise and the Hare...........................................................................................17 Story 14: A Gentleman’s C ............................................................................................................18 Excerpt 15: The House on Avenir Street....................................................................................19 Story 16: Beauty and the Beast – A Recap ...............................................................................20 Story 17: A Shocking Read ...........................................................................................................21 Story 18: The Wooden Leg ............................................................................................................22 Story 19: Tommy’s house..............................................................................................................23 Article 20: Remembering Ada Lovelace-The first computer programmer........................24 Story 21: The Man and the Coconuts .........................................................................................25 Article 22: Podcasts........................................................................................................................26 Story 23: Akbar and Birbal ............................................................................................................27 Article 24: The Myth Of Pandora’s Box......................................................................................28 Article 25: Legendary Kelantenese Warrior Princesses........................................................29 Article 26: How does the electric car engine work? ...............................................................30 Article 27: Che Siti Wan Kembang ..............................................................................................31 Story 28: The Frog Prince..............................................................................................................32 Article 29: The Role of Technology.............................................................................................33 Story 30: A Petty Revenge.............................................................................................................34 Story 31: Bad Blood ........................................................................................................................35 Excerpt 32: Black and White.........................................................................................................36 Article 33: Black Friday vs Cyber Monday ................................................................................37 Article 34: How to Control Bad Spending Habit?....................................................................38 Article 35: Teen Financial Freedom ............................................................................................39
2 Article 36: Vegan Alternatives ......................................................................................................40 Article 37: Street Economies ........................................................................................................41 Article 38: Cultural Clash of Leadership Expectations.........................................................42 Article 39: Fairies............................................................................................................................43 Article 40: Fake News ....................................................................................................................44 Story 41: Jungle Jim ......................................................................................................................45 Story 42: Of Love and Time..........................................................................................................46 Article 43: Pygmies - Short People of the Tropical Rainforest...........................................47 Story 44: Rotten................................................................................................................................48 Story 45: Seat 23A and Seat 23B .................................................................................................49 Story 46: The Hand..........................................................................................................................50 Excerpt 47: Wanted – A Royal Snow-Digger ............................................................................51 Article 48: Emmeline Pankhurst...................................................................................................52 Story 49: A Walk in a Futuristic Park..........................................................................................53 Story 50: Rapunzel – The Beginning ..........................................................................................54 Story 51: The Accident ...................................................................................................................55 Article 52: Climate change: can we stop it? .............................................................................56 Article 53: Transforming Healthcare With 5G...........................................................................57 Article 54: Making Malaysia Proud..............................................................................................58 Article 55: Bloody Mary ..................................................................................................................59 Article 56: Water Purifier................................................................................................................60 Article 57: Oil and Gas....................................................................................................................61 Article 58: The Zodiac Story..........................................................................................................62 Article 59: Science is Blessing.....................................................................................................63 Story 60: Laughter is the best medicine by Carlos Bulosan................................................64 Story 61: A Day in the Life of an Influencer..............................................................................65 Article 62: The Weekend Market ..................................................................................................66 Article 63: Christiane Amanpour..................................................................................................67 Article 64: What are Calories?......................................................................................................68 Article 65: Climate change.............................................................................................................69 Article 66: Environmental Impact of Air Pollution...................................................................70 Article 67: What is a healthy diet?...............................................................................................71 Story 68: An Unhappy Old Man....................................................................................................72 Excerpt 69: My Hopes and Fears.................................................................................................73 Excerpt 70: The Dead Man in The Garden.................................................................................74 Story 71: Controlling Anger ..........................................................................................................75 Story 72: The White Lion................................................................................................................76
3 Excerpt 73: The Faith of the Sparrow.........................................................................................77 Article 74: Best Foot Forward.......................................................................................................78 Article 75: Make Time for Consumer Education......................................................................79 Article 76: Big Loans Can Really Affect Your Life ..................................................................80 Article 77: Pavilion featuring Tokyo Town ................................................................................81 Article 78: Benefits of Market Speculation................................................................................82 Story 79: A Shortcut........................................................................................................................83 Article 80: Do Superstitions Control Your Life?......................................................................84 Article 81: Déjà vu’...........................................................................................................................85 Story 82: Dumplings........................................................................................................................86 Article 83: Hugh Jackman..............................................................................................................87 Story 84: Purple Hands...................................................................................................................88 Article 85: Thanksgiving ................................................................................................................89 Excerpt 86: The Story of Aron Ralston ......................................................................................90 Article 87: The Struggle of the Youth .........................................................................................91 Article 88: The Suicide Forest ......................................................................................................92 Article 89: Unique Cultural Differences of the World .............................................................93 Article 90: Loch Ness Monster.....................................................................................................94 Article 91: The Archer and The Sun............................................................................................95 Article 92: Hercules and his 12 Healing Labours. ...................................................................96 Article 93: Modern Forensic Science Technologies...............................................................97 Article 94: The Mystery of Kuldhara............................................................................................98 Article 95: The Mercedes Headphones ......................................................................................99 Article 96: The Must-See Monster!............................................................................................100 Article 97: Forensic Science Investigation..............................................................................101 Article 98: Desert............................................................................................................................102 Article 99: The Princess of Bekhten: A God who Saved a Princess ................................103 Article 100: Science is Blessing.................................................................................................104 Article 101: The Best Care Is Self-care.....................................................................................105 Article 102: Why is exercise so important for seniors?.......................................................106 Article 103: Monkeypox -MOH confirms one case involving Malaysian man in Singapore.........................................................................................................................................107 Article 104: The Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)....................................................108 Article 105: The Causes and Effects of Thermal Pollution .................................................109 Story 106: Good Girls Lie.............................................................................................................110 Article 107: Mid-Autumn Festival...............................................................................................111 Article 108: Choosing a charcoal toothbrush ........................................................................112
4 Article 109: Covid-19.....................................................................................................................113 Story 110: Afterlife.........................................................................................................................114 Story 111: The Favourite Daughter...........................................................................................115 Story 112: The Long Flight Home..............................................................................................116 Excerpt 113: The Phantom of the Opera..................................................................................117 Excerpt 114: The War of the Worlds .........................................................................................118 Article 115: The Semang Tribe ...................................................................................................119 Story116: Susie...............................................................................................................................120 Article 117: Weird Food of the World........................................................................................121 Excerpt 118: Les Mise’rables by Victor Hugo ........................................................................122 Excerpt 119: Confession of a shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella...........................................123 Excerpt 120: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho........................................................................124 Excerpt 121: One flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey..........................................125 Excerpt 122: The Kitchen God’s Wife by Amy Tan ...............................................................126 Excerpt 123: A Shilling for Candles by Josephine Tey........................................................127
5 CEFR Level A1 Article 1: Littering Litter? Littering includes throwing the waste and dust materials here and there carelessly and littering result in the ugliness of the environment. It looks dirty, and it becomes uncomfortable to continue your activities there. So, we should not litter things here and there. Littering has many evil impacts on the environment. When done in water, air and soil, it is resulting in water pollution, air pollution, and soil pollution. These hamper the living organisms. It is very common to find the cattle, birds and other animals consuming plastics on the road which chokes their digestive system and leads to death. The main factor responsible for littering in the rural area is lack of awareness, whereas, in the urban areas, it is carelessness and laziness. People are overlooking these practices and making the environment dirty. Bit they are ignorant about the harsh effects they will face due to this. So, children should be taught in school to develop healthy and hygienic habits. As responsible citizens, we must clean our surroundings. Students from an early childhood should be taught about littering and trained how to do proper waste management. We should know the environment we live must be healthy for our health. We have certain obligations for the environment. The Government should take proper measures to dispose of the wastes properly and treat them distinctly according to the types. Lastly, the business places also generate a lot of waste and should dispose of them carefully. https://www.aplustopper.com/essay-on-littering/ WORD LIST with CEFR Levels 1. Littering unlisted - throwing membuang 2. uncomfortable B1 - upsetting tidak selesa 3. evil B2 - bad teruk 4. soil B2 - land tanah 5. consuming B2 - eating memakan 6. lack B1 - absence kurang 7. awareness C1 - attention kesedaran 8. overlooking B2 - ignoring tidak endah 9. ignorant C2 - insensible tidak kisah 10. hygienic C2 - sanitary kebersihan
6 CEFR Level A1 Article 2: Cough! Coughing is a protective reflex. It can remove substances that may have been inhaled, such as dust, and excess secretions that have built up in the airways. Coughing is how the body cleans the lungs and airways. Coughs may be dry coughs or chesty coughs. A dry cough does not produce any mucus or phlegm. A chesty cough (‘productive’ or ‘wet’ cough) is one that produces mucus and may cause feelings of congestion in the chest. The most common cause of a short-term (acute) cough is a viral infection of the upper respiratory tract, such as in the common cold or the flu. The viral infection inflames the throat, windpipe (trachea) or lungs. In healthy people, this type of cough normally goes away on its own within 2-3 weeks. In the other hand, a persistent cough (lasting more than 8 weeks) is also known as ‘chronic cough’. It may be caused by an underlying disease, or sometimes the cough reflex may become sensitised and a person develops an ongoing cough. You can’t prevent a cough caused by cold, flu or COVID-19. However, you can minimise your chances of catching these viral infections in the first place, by practising good hand hygiene, physical distancing, and by getting vaccinated (against COVID-19 and influenza). Cough etiquette and staying home when sick are also important in stopping the spread of respiratory viruses. https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/cough WORD LIST with CEFR Levels 1. remove B1 - clear membuang 2. congestion unlisted - blockage tersekat 3. inflames unlisted - incite keradangan 4. persistent C2 - continuous berterusan 5. chronic C2 - severe teruk 6. underlying C2 - hidden tersembunyi 7. ongoing C2 - continuing berterusan 8. However A2 - but tetapi 9. infections B2 - contamination jangkitan 10. vaccinated C2 - immunised divaksin
7 CEFR Level A1 Article 3: Asthma Attack Asthma is a health problem that makes it hard to breathe. This happens because airways in the lungs swell up, fill with mucus, and get smaller. Some people say having asthma feels like breathing through a straw. No one really knows why kids get asthma. Asthma tends to run in families That means if a kid has asthma, he or she might have a parent, sibling, or other relatives who has asthma or had it as a kid. Asthma doesn't make your breathing harder all the time — just sometimes. This happens because the airways get more irritated than normal. When this happens, it's called an asthma "flare-up" or "attack." Flare-ups also can make you sweat or feel like your heart is beating faster than normal, even while sitting still. An asthma flare-up can get worse if you doesn't use your asthma medicine as directed. Caring for your asthma means doing two things: avoiding things that cause flareups and taking medicines if your doctor prescribes them. A lot of kids find their asthma goes away or becomes less serious as they get older. Some doctors think this happens because the airways grow wider as a kid grows up and gets bigger. With more room in the airways, the air has an easier time getting in and out. https://kidshealth.org/en/kids/asthma.html.html WORD LIST with CEFR Levels 1. fill A2 - stuffed penuh 2. sibling C2 - blood adik-beradik 3. breathing B1 - respiring bernafas 4. irritated B2 - aggravated keradangan 5. sweat B1 - agitate berpeluh 6. faster A1 - apace laju 7. directed B1 - conducted diarahkan 8. avoiding B1 - eluding mengelakkan 9. cause B2 - beget menyebabkan 10. prescribes C2 - gives diberikan
8 CEFR Level A2 Article 4: A Letter to the People of the 21st Century Hey guys! I bet you must be sick of getting letters from us. Heck, there are ten other kids in my year and we’re all writing to you. We’re probably all saying pretty much the same thing too. You guys totally suck! You screwed the world and left it in a mess for us. You are all greedy, horrible, selfish, mean, thoughtless people. I’ve decided not to have kids myself, it’s not much fun here on what’s left of Planet Earth. Not much fun to be a kid. I don’t want to make anyone else have to live this way. Mom tells me she felt that way when she was small too and I’ll change my mind when I get older. Not a chance. Things keep getting worse here. Year by year. I wish you guys could see what you did to the sea, the forests, the air. But why bother? Would you change anything? Would you even care? Anyway, I’ve got chores to do so got to run. Hope you’re all burning in Hell right now. Yours sincerely Trixie (age (almost) eight and three quarters) WORD LIST with CEFR Levels 1. sick of A2 - meluat annoyed 2. probably A2 - mungkin possibly 3. screwed (unlisted) - merosakkan ruined 4. mess B1 - huru hara shambles 5. mean A2 - kejam cruel 6. thoughtless C2 - tidak bertimbang rasa inconsiderate 7. not a chance B1 - tidak mungkin impossible 8. bother A2 - peduli worry 9. chores C1 - tugasan tasks 10. got to run B2 - perlu pergi have to leave
9 CEFR Level A2 Fable 5: The Foolish Donkey A salt seller used to carry the salt bag on his donkey to the market every day. On the way they had to cross a stream. One day the donkey suddenly tumbled down the stream and the salt bag also fell into the water. The salt dissolved in the water and hence the bag became very light to carry. The donkey was happy. Then the donkey started to play the same trick every day. The salt seller came to understand the trick and decided to teach a lesson to it. The next day he loaded a cotton bag on the donkey. Again, it played the same trick hoping that the cotton bag would be still become lighter. But the dampened cotton became very heavy to carry and the donkey suffered. It learnt a lesson. It did not play the trick anymore after that day, and the seller was happy.Moral of the story: Luck won’t favour always. https://lithub.com/story WORD LIST with CEFR Levels 1. seller B1 - penjual retailer 2. suddenly A2 - secara tiba-tiba unexpectedly 3. tumbled B1 - jatuh secara tiba-tiba fall (over) 4. dissolved C1 - larut melted 5. trick B1 - helah artifice 6. lighter A1 - lebih ringan feathery 7. heavy A2 - berat hefty 8. suffered B2 - menderita undergo 9. dampened C2 - lembap moistened 10. carry A1 - membawa bring
10 CEFR Level A2 Excerpt 6: First Day at University I remember my first day at university very clearly. I felt excited and happy. At the same time, I was very nervous because I didn't know anyone. However, my first day at university was really memorable. At first, I was confused and lost. I didn't know where to go. I had to ask a stranger where the first year students were going to meet. This person was very polite and showed me the way. I asked one girl and we discovered that we were in the same group. We introduced ourselves. Her name was May. We joined in with the activities for “freshie” students. Soon, I started feeling much better. The activities helped me feel part of a team and I was beginning to feel that I had become a university student. Later, we began our classes. However, all our classmates were quiet. The teacher talked for a while and then we introduced ourselves. I met two girls. Their names were June and Apple. Soon we became good friends and started chatting and learnt more about each other. I’m always going to remember that day because I had the opportunity to meet many people. WORD LIST with CEFR Levels 1. nervous B1 - berdebar anxious 2. memorable B2 - diingati unforgettable 3. stranger B1 - orang asing unknown 4. discovered A2 - dapati encountered 5. freshie Unlisted - budak baru new 6. soon A1 - Tidak lama kemudian shortly 7. beginning A1 - mula starting 8. while B1 - sebentar bit 9. chatting A2 - berbual talking 10. opportunity B1 - peluang chance
11 CEFR Level A2 Article 7: Always have an emergency fund Good financial management will play a huge role in helping Malaysians stretch their ringgit further. Whether we like it or not, we must spend within our income in addition to saving for emergencies. In short, we need to change the way we spend as if there is an inflation, it will hit us hard and affect our income. Economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic would not happen overnight. It will take time for things to return to a phase where we can be more at ease. For now, proper cash management is important. Our expenses should be carefully considered. For example, should we eat out more or would it be wiser to have dinner at home? Would buying groceries through a delivery service make more sense than going to the supermarket? Members of a household could help one another to cut down on their spending. The head of the household should be transparent in managing finances. Plan the budget ahead of time and discuss household needs with each other so everyone knows what needs to be prioritised. Adapted from The star 3 September 2022 WORD LIST with CEFR Levels 1. stretch B2 - memanjangkan extend 2. further A2 - selanjutnya more 3. inflation B2 - inflasi price increase 4. recovery B2 - pemulihan recuperation 5. pandemic unlisted - wabak contagion 6. overnight B1 - dengan segera very quickly 7. sense B1 - dapat diterima akal logic 8. household B2 - keluarga family 9. transparent B2 - telus clear 10. prioritised unlisted - utamakan give high priority
12 CEFR Level A2 Article 8: Money-saving tips for students It is important to keep track of your spending. One of the ways to do so is by creating a spreadsheet of your finances. This way you can see how much you have spent each month and how much you are left with by the end of the month. In this spreadsheet you can include the amount you get from the from student loans, scholarships and bursaries, any parental contributions and part-time jobs. All of these are considered as your income. You need to list down any regular outgoings such as your rent and mobile phone. You'll need to be smart with food shopping. Do a cost-effective 'big shop' at the start of each week and minimize the number of takeaways you have. Buy supermarket value products rather than well-known brands, and shop at the end of the day when many items are discounted. Share the cooking with your housemates and plan your daily meals in advance. You'll save money by making packed lunches rather than buying a sandwich or going to a coffee shop. https://www.goget.com.au/blog WORD LIST with CEFR Levels 1. spending A2 - perbelanjaan expenses 2. finances B2 - kewangan assets 3. income B2 - pendapatan salary 4. bursaries unlisted - dermasiswa subsidies 5. minimize C1 - minimum lessen 6. takeaways B1 - bawa pulang take-out 7. value B1 - nilai cost 8. discounted unlisted - diskaun reduced 9. advance B1 - terlebih dahulu early payment 10. rather B1 - sebaliknya slightly
13 CEFR Level A2 Article 9: Need Vs Want Do you ever feel like you absolutely must have that new toy, book, or game? You have lots of them already, so why do you think you need more? The idea that we need to keep getting new things is called consumerism. Many people think that it is important to have many, many things, even if they don't use them or need them. Researchers have found that, on average, a 10-year-old owns 238 toys! That's too many to use all at one time, or even in one week. They also found that even though there are that many toys available, those 10-year-olds only play with about 12 of them every day. So, ask yourself: do you think they really need all those toys? People spend a lot of money on things that they want but don't really need. In 2011, it was found that every year, Americans spend over 1.2 trillion dollars on goods and services they don't absolutely need! Wow! Keep in mind that a trillion is a hundred million - so every year, we spend over a hundred million dollars on things we don't really need. That's a lot of stuff! The problem is that many people are affected by consumerism; they love to keep getting new things whether they actually need them or not. Another interesting fact is that only about 3% of all the children in the world live in the United States, which is a small number; however, those children own 40% of all the toys sold in the world! That's consumerism. https://study.com /academy/lesson WORD LIST with CEFR Levels 1. absolutely B1 - semestinya definitely 2. Researchers B2 - Penyelidik Scholars 3. average B1 - purata moderate 4. available A2 - tersedia accessible 5. goods B1 - barang things 6. spend A2 - berbelanja allocate 7. affected B2 - terkesan afflicted 8. whether B1 - samada even if 9. Interesting A1 - menarik attractive 10. fact A2 - fakta evidence
14 CEFR Level A2 Article 10: The Origin of the Phrase ‘The customer is always right’ Several retails concern the use of 'The customer is always right' as a slogan from the early 20th century onward. In the USA it is particularly associated with Marshall Field's department store, Chicago, which was established in the late 19th century. The store is an icon of the city, although the Macy Building was taken over by Macy's in 2006. In the UK, Harry Gordon Selfridge (1857-1947), the founder of London's Selfridges store, which opened in 1909, is credited with championing the use of the slogan. Of course, these entrepreneurs didn't intend to be taken literally. What they were attempting to do was to make the customer feel special by inculcating into their staff the disposition to behave as if the customer was right, even when they weren't. Whether the phrase was coined by Field or Selfridge it is fair to call it American. What we can't do is credit them with the idea behind it. In 1908 César Ritz (1850-1918), the celebrated French hotelier is credited with saying 'Le client n'a jamais tort' - 'The customer is never wrong'. That's not the phrase that people now remember, but it can hardly be said to be any different in meaning to 'the customer is always right'. WORD LIST with CEFR Levels 1. concern B2 - kena - mengena have to do with someone 2. slogan C1 - cogan kata motto 3. century A2 - abad 100 years 4. taken over B2 - mengambil alih replaced 5. championing unlisted - menjuarai winning 6. intend B1 - bercadang mean to do something 7. attempting B1 - mencuba trying 8. customer A2 - pelanggan buyer 9. disposition C2 - sifat nature or character 10. coined C2 - mencipta to invent a word
15 CEFR Level A2 Article 11: Should I Spend? Spending money unwisely could be avoided back when shopping could only be done at a bricks-and-mortar shop. Nowadays, however, shops are not only at our front-door steps but inour homes at our fingertips. When frequenting a mammoth shopping mall, we could at least pretend to go on the pretext of burning a few calories by shops hopping, shopping platforms hopping however doesn’t allow us this delusional myth. Instead, we could gain a few pounds due to physical immobility and munching snacks. How to resist the temptation of spending? With so many choices and best buy offers, could any sane person turn a blind eye? Frankly, it might be humanely impossible but if we rationalize and look closely at our bank balance after deducting all expenses like rent, car loan, utility bills, student loan and work-related expenses,maybe this could douse our fiery spending spirit a bit. The devil no longer wears Prada, it usesAndroid phones. I know Android phone users won’t let the devil cast its spell on us. WORD LIST with CEFR Levels 1. pretext unlisted - alasan false excuse 2. hopping A2 - melompat, meloncat Jumping, leaping 3. delusional unlisted - mengkhayalkan impressions contradicted by reality 4. immobility unlisted - keadaan tidak bergerak motionlessness 5. resist B2 - menentang withstand 6. sane C2 - siuman, waras rational 7. deducting unlisted - memotong subtracting 8. expenses B2 - pebelanjaan costs 9. douse unlisted - menyiram extinguish 10. fiery unlisted - berapi-api burning, blazing
16 CEFR Level A2 Story 12: Long Lost Twin It happened one afternoon at the skating rink. I was at the rink side, resting and watching my brother skate. Suddenly, I noticed another boy skating swiftly towards my brother’s direction. I tried to warn my brother, but it was too late. The two boys collided into each other and fell down. I rushed towards them and had a shock when I saw their faces. I could see that they were equally shocked as they looked at each other. “Who are you? Why do you look like me?” asked my brother. He rubbed his eyes in disbelief. “My name is Chee Ben. What’s yours?” asked the other boy with a confused expression on his face. “My name is Sen Chen and this is my sister, Sen Sen,” replied my brother. “Hello, I said rather weakly. “I live nearby. Why don’t we go to my place and ask my mother if you could be my twin?” suggested Chee Ben. Ten minutes later, we arrived at Chee Ben’s doorstep. When his mother saw Sen Chen, she hugged him and began to cry. She later explained that Sen Chen and Chee Ben were identical twins. They were separated during a riot. Chee Ben’s parents and my parents later met. They all agreed that the boys should meet occasionally. Sen Chen and Chee Ben were happy to have found each other. As for me, I was happy to gain another adopted brother. WORD LIST with CEFR Levels 1. skating rink A2 - gelanggang luncur skateboarding area 2. swiftly C2 - dengan pantas speedily 3. collided unlisted - terlanggar bumped 4. rubbed B2 - gosok wiped 5. disbelief unlisted - tidak percaya doubt 6. weakly unlisted - lemah feebly 7. doorstep unlisted - pintu depan front door / entrance 8. riot C1 - rusuhan revolt 9. occasionally B2 - sesekali sometimes 10. adopted B2 - menerima accepted
17 CEFR Level A2 Fable 13: The Tortoise and the Hare A Hare was making fun of the Tortoise one day for being so slow. "Do you ever get anywhere?" He asked with a mocking laugh. "Yes," replied the Tortoise, "And I get there sooner than you think. I'll run you a race and prove it. "The Hare was much amused at the idea of running a race with the Tortoise, but for the fun of the thing he agreed. So, the Fox, who had consented to act as judge, marked the distance and started the runners off. The Hare was soon far out of sight, and to make the Tortoise felt very deeply how ridiculous it was for him to try a race with a Hare, he laid down beside the course to take a nap until the Tortoise should catch up. The Tortoise meanwhile kept going slowly but steadily, and, after a time, passed the place where the Hare was sleeping. But the Hare slept on very peacefully; and when at last he did wake up, the Tortoise was near the goal. The Hare now ran his swiftest, but he could not overtake the Tortoise in time. Slow and steady wins the race. https://americanliterature.com/ WORD LIST with CEFR Levels 1. mocking C2 - mengejek ridicule 2. amused B2 - terhibur cheer up 3. consented C1 - dipersetujui agreed 4. distance B1 - jarak range 5. ridiculous B2 - mengarut silly 6. course A1 - perjalanan route 7. meanwhile B1 - sementara itu meantime 8. peacefully B2 - dengan aman calmly 9. swiftest C2 - terpantas rapid 10. overtake B2 - memotong leave behind
18 CEFR Level A2 Story 14: A Gentleman’s C My father, trying to finally graduate from college at sixty-two, came, by curious circumstance, to be enrolled in an English class I taught, and I was, perhaps, a bit tougher on him than I was on the others. Hadn’t he been tougher on me than on other people’s kids growing up? I gave him a hard, honest, low C. About what I felt he’d always given me. We had a death in the family, and my mother and I travelled to the funeral. My father stayed put to complete his exams–it was his final term. On the way home we learned that he had received his grades, which were low enough in the aggregate to prevent him from graduating and reading this news on the dowdy sofa inside the front door, he leaned over as if to rest and had a heart attack and died. For years I had thought that the old man’s passing away would not affect me, but it did. https://windowed.wordpress.com/2011/03/20/a-gentlemans-c-by-padgett-powell/ WORD LIST with CEFR Levels 1. curious unlisted - ingin tahu inquisitive 2. circumstance B2 - keadaan event 3. enrolled unlisted - menyertai join up 4. funeral B2 - majlis pengebumian burial 5. prevent B1 - menghalang avoid 6. dowdy unlisted - lusuh run down 7. leaned over B2 - bersandar incline 8. thought A1 - berfikir contemplate 9. passing away A2 - meninggal dunia die 10. affect B2 - memberi kesan induce
19 CEFR Level A2 Excerpt 15: The House on Avenir Street None of the girls noticed the new house except June. But there it stood; it was as real as ever to June as she stood at the end of Avenir Street, looking out over the long stretch of beach along the Coast of Plymouth. The house was three stories high and stood out from the other houses because of its full glass front and futuristic looking gadgets in the lawn. Yet, there was something so homely about the house that June couldn’t help but feel warm inside each time she walked past it. It was getting late, so June had to give up her attempts at convincing the girls that the new house was real and made her way back home with them. Home wasn’t much of a home to June anymore. Rather, home was an orphanage on the uglier side of town that June had to move into when she lost both her parents at the age of two. Nine years since moving in, June and the girls around her age were well aware that they were getting too old for adoption into new families WORD LIST with CEFR Levels 1. noticed B1 - memberi perhatian get attention 2. real A2 - wujud existing 3. stretch B2 - terbentang to extend 4. Coast B1 - Persisir pantai near the beach 5. gadgets C1 - alat small tool 6. homely unlisted - sederhana pleasantly simple 7. convincing B1 - menyakinkan likely to be believe 8. orphanage unlisted - rumah anak yatim home for orphans 9. aware B2 - sedar knowing something 10. adoption B2 - pengambilan anak angkat to take a child of others as your own
20 CEFR Level A2 Story 16: Beauty and the Beast – A Recap A merchant lived with his beautiful daughter, Beauty. One day, while foraging for food in the forest, he got lost. While looking for his way home, he came across a hidden castle. He was perplexed to see it then against his better judgment he decided to check it out. He peeked inside but didn’t see anyone, so he made up his mind to enter and spend the night there. The next morning when he was leaving, he saw a garden filled with beautiful blooming red roses. He thought of Beauty and how much she loved roses, so he plucked one for her. Suddenly, a horrible beast came from behind and screamed at him. Aghast, the merchant fearfully explained that he plucked it for his daughter. The beast snarled and told him he would let him go if he promised to let his daughter stay in his castle with him. The merchant reluctantly agreed. When he reached home, he explained to Beauty the whole story. She put his worries torest and left for the castle. Initially, she was scared but after a few days, she realized that the beast was kind and gentle. WORD LIST with CEFR Levels 1. merchant unlisted - peniaga trader, businessman 2. foraging unlisted - mencari makan searching for food 3. perplexed unlisted - bingung completely baffled 4. judgment B2 - penghakiman decision 5. blooming A2 - mekar blossoming 6. plucked A2 - memetik picked off 7. horrible A2 - ngeri dreadful, horrifying 8. Aghast C1 - terkejut appalled, horrified 9. snarled unlisted - growled said something angrily 10. reluctantly C1 - dengan berat hati unwillingly
21 CEFR Level A2 Story 17: A Shocking Read Once, there was a boy who loved to read. He read everything he could get his hands on and loved going to his favourite book store. One day the boy realised he had read everything the store had to offer. He confronted the owner and asked him if he had anything the boy had never checked out. The owner said he did have something special and pulled out a book called ‘Death’. After much bargaining, the shop owner finally agreed to sell it to the boy at a discounted price of RM50, since the boy frequented his shop. However, he warned the boy never to look at the front page. The boy returned to his house and started reading the book, and he was contented. But, at the back of his mind he always wondered what could be on that front page. One day, the temptation was too much for the boy. He nervously flipped to the very front of the book, and dropped the book in HORROR! There, in bold print was RM7.99! WORD LIST with CEFR Levels 1. get his hands on A1 - mendapatkan obtain 2. confronted C2 - berhadapan faced 3. checked out B1 - lihat looked into 4. bargaining unlisted - tawar-menawar negotiating 5. discounted unlisted - diskaun reduced 6. frequented unlisted - kerap mengunjungi regularly visited 7. warned B1 - memberi amaran cautioned 8. contented unlisted - puas hati satisfied 9. wondered B1 - tertanya-tanya thought about 10. temptation B2 - godaan urge 11. flipped unlisted - menyelak turned over
22 CEFR Level A2 Story 18: The Wooden Leg Mark only saw it by itself at night, when she would remove it and lean it against the wall before going to sleep. In the dark, shadowed by the street light, his mother’s prosthesis resembled a wooden man watching him. And to Mark, it was strange the way the leg would slide off like a long white glove, then in the morning his mother would pull it back on again and leave for work. She had been walking on an artificial leg since losing her real leg under a train, at 17. San Francisco’s streets are steep and slippery. His mother fell many times when he was with her. Usually, Mark could help her get back up .Once, though, her wooden leg snapped, and she collapsed to the sidewalk on Sutter Street. It was raining and people kept hurrying past. A few paused to look at them, but not one walked over to help her get up. It was as though his mother and he were marooned on an island of shame with the wooden leg. Adapted from: http://200wordshortstory.org/the-wooden-leg-story-by-stewart-lindh/ WORD LIST with CEFR Levels 1. prosthesis unlisted - anggota tiruan fake body part 2. resembled C1 - menyerupai looked like 3. slide off B2 - mengelongsor slip off 4. artificial B2 - tiruan false 5. steep B1 - curam precipitous 6. snapped C2 - patah broke 7. collapsed B2 - pengsan fell down 8. paused B1 - berhenti stopped by 9. marooned unlisted - terdampar stranded 10. shame A2 - rasa malu disgrace
23 CEFR Level A2 Story 19: Tommy’s house I sat on the bus, on my way to school. Listening to music, paying little attention to the other students. At one of the stops my mind snapped back to reality. I looked towards the small house. Tommy’s house, I thought. A hand slipped through the drapes of the window and waved the bus driver to move on. He’s sick I thought, paying not much attention to the situation. The hours flew by. I watched the local news channel after dinner. The news was about a family of four who was slaughtered by an intruder. The address sounded familiar but it had not clicked to me. It took place in my neighbourhood. It was already passed midnight so after the news, I slowly climbed the stairs to my room. I fell asleep. The next day, I sat on the bus. We drove past Tommy’s house. There were red tapes around the house. The bus driver, unaware of Tommy’s family’s fate, stopped at his home and said ‘this house was on the news yesterday’. As the driver resume his route, I was about to get up and inform him that Tommy was my friend then something caught my eye. A pale hand slipped through the drapes of the window and waved the bus driver to move on. I sat on the bus, horrified. WORD LIST with CEFR Levels 1. snapped back C2 - kembali kepada quickly returned 2. drapes unlisted - langsir curtains 3. move on C1 - teruskan perjalanan continue 4. flew by A2 - berlalu pantas moved swiftly 5. entire B2 - keseluruhan whole 6. intruder C2 - penjahat criminal 7. slaughtered B2 - dibunuh murdered 8. unaware B2 - tanpa menyedari not knowing 9. fate B2 - takdir/nasib destiny 10. horrified C2 - gerun frightened
24 CEFR Level A2 Article 20: Remembering Ada Lovelace-The first computer programmer Ada Lovelace has been called the world’s first computer programmer. In the 1840s, she wrote the world’s first machine algorithm for an early computing machine that existed only on paper. Ada was just a teenager when she met Cambridge mathematics professor Charles Babbage, who had invented the Difference Engine, a mechanical computer designed to produce mathematical tables automatically and error-free. Babbage was impressed with the brilliant young woman, and they corresponded for years, discussing math and computing as he developed the Analytical Engine. Ada, then in her late 20s and known as the Countess of Lovelace, was commissioned to translate the transcript into English. Lovelace was a visionary: She understood that numbers could be used to represent more than just quantities, and a machine that could manipulate numbers could be made to manipulate any data represented by numbers. She predicted that machines like the Analytical Engine could be used to compose music, produce graphics, and be useful to science. Of course, all that came true—100 years later. https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/53131/ada-lovelace-first-computer-programmer WORD LIST with CEFR Levels 1. brilliant A2 - Sangat bijak intelligent 2. existed B1 - wujud occur 3. invented B1 - mencipta constructed 4. produce B1 - dihasilkan create 5. corresponded B2 - Berutus surat Keep in touch 6. commissioned unlisted - tempahan authorised 7. visionary unlisted - berwawasan insightful 8. represented B2 - diwakili illustrated 9. predicted B1 - menjangkakan foretold 10. compose B2 - mencipta create
25 CEFR Level A2 Story 21: The Man and the Coconuts Based On a Folktale from the Philippines Long ago, an old man almost ran out of food. He attached a small cart to his horse to look for coconuts. He had to travel very far. Finally, he found the coconuts. He filled his cart with them and headed home. He was exhausted and just wanted to go back. After a while, he bumped into a boy and asked him for the distance. The boy looked at the cart full of coconuts and replied, “If you go fast, it will take a long time. If you go slowly, you will be home soon.” The old man thought that he was foolish thus made his horse go fast. The road was bumpy and many of the coconuts fell off. It took a long time to pick them up and put them back on. He wanted to get home quick and made his horse go fast again. Once again, the coconuts fell off. The man stopped to pick them all up. Only then, he realised that maybe that boy was not so foolish after all. He made his horse go slowly, and soon he was home. https://chalkboardpublishing.com/quizzes/topic-the-man-and-the-coconuts WORD LIST with CEFR Levels 1. Attached B1 - memasang fix 2. Cart Unlisted - Kereta sorong wheelbarrow 3. Headed B2 - Menuju gone 4. Exhausted B1 - Keletihan Tired 5. Bumped into B2 - Bertembung Terjumpa 6. Distance B1 - Jarak Length 7. Replied B1 - Menjawab Respond 8. Foolish B2 - Bodoh Silly 9. Bumpy Unlisted - berbonggol rough 10. realised Unlisted - sedar noticed
26 CEFR Level A2 Article 22: Podcasts Podcasts are a great way to relax, learn, laugh, escape and pass time. The podcast space has exploded in recent years with thousands of shows discussing everything from news to true crime to music and television. Podcasts are also an excellent platform for teens searching for advice on difficult topics like mental health, dating, fitness, and family relationships. While many parents may complain about teens spending all day on their phones, podcasts are actually a great way for teenagers to learn about the news, discover new hobbies, or simply relax without staring at a screen all day. With teens home from school all summer, listening to a podcast is a great way to fill their time. Many podcasts can even start discussions between teens and parents, giving you a fun interest to bond over. https://www.familyeducation.com/teens/15-of-the-best-podcasts-for-teens-that-are-funny-fascinatingand-informative WORD LIST with CEFR Levels 1. way A2 - cara approach 2. pass time A2 - menghabiskan masa waste time 3. space A2 - ruang area 4. news A2 - berita bulletin 5. platform A2 - landasan stage 6. advice A2 - nasihat guidance 7. health A2 - kesihatan well-being 8. complain B1 - merungut criticize 9. discussion B1 - perbincangan dialogue 10. bond over A2 - berhubung connect
27 CEFR Level A2 Story 23: Akbar and Birbal Birbal was one of the Navratnas (nine jewels) in Mughal Emperor Akbar’s court. These gentlemen were considered to be extraordinary intellectuals and artists. Birbal was known for his wit, and in time, tales about his astuteness spread far and wide. Stories about Birbal getting the better of jealous rival courtiers and his repartee with Akbar are loved by one and all in India. Here’s one such tale about Birbal. One day Akbar sent his equerry to make a pronouncement that he would hold a contest and give a handsome reward to anyone who triumphed. He then drew a line on the floor with his hand. He then commanded everyone present to make the line shorter without erasing any part of it. One after another the courtiers, the nobles, and the aristocrats tried to solve the puzzle, but no one could make sense of it. However, it was soon Birbal’s turn, and he just drew another longer line next to the first one. Thus, he made the line drawn by Akbar shorter without ever having touched it. Akbar and his courtiers were once again forced to acknowledge Birbal’s unsurpassable wit. Adapted from: https://theculturetrip.com/asia/india/articles/7-fascinating-indian-folk-tales WORD LIST with CEFR Levels 1. intellectuals C1 - cerdikpandai scholars 2. astuteness C2 - kecerdikan shrewdness 3. far and wide B2 - ke segenap rantau far distance 4. courtiers C1 - pegawai istana royal personage 5. repartee B2 - bergurauan dengan bijaksana pleasantry 6. equerry C2 - penolong di raja royal attendant 7. pronouncement C1 - pengumuman rasmi proclamation 8. aristocrats C1 - bangsawan patrician 9. make sense of B2 - merungkai figure out 10. unsurpassable C2 - tidak dapat ditandingi exceptional
28 CEFR Level A2 Article 24: The Myth Of Pandora’s Box Pandora was, according to the myth, the first woman on Earth. She was created by as a retribution to the mankind; Zeus wanted to punish people because Prometheus stole the fire to give it to them. She was given a box or a jar, called “pithos” in Greek. Gods told her that the box contained special gifts from them but she was not permitted to open the box ever. Then Hermes took her to Epimetheus, brother of Prometheus, to be his wife. Prometheus had advised Epimetheus not to accept anything from the Gods, but he saw Pandora and was astonished by her beauty, thus he accepted her right away. Pandora was trying to tame her curiosity, but at the end she could not hold herself anymore; she opened the box and all the illnesses and hardships that gods had hidden in the box started to emerge. Pandora was scared, because she saw all the evil spirits coming out and tried to close the box as fast as possible, closing Hope inside. https://www.greekmyths-greekmythology.com/pandoras-box-myth/ WORD LIST with CEFR Levels 1. according to B1 - seperti dinyatakan as stated by 2. retribution unlisted - hukuman punishment 3. jar B1 - bekas simpanan container 4. permitted C1 - dibenarkan allowed 5. astonished B2 - terperanjat shocked 6. tame her curiosity B2 - mengatasi keinginan overcome her interest 7. hold herself B1 - mengawal diri contol 8. hardships C1 - penderitaan sufferings 9. emerge B2 - muncul appear 10. evil spirits B2 - roh jahat bad ghosts/souls
29 CEFR Level A2 Article 25: Legendary Kelantenese Warrior Princesses Che Siti Wan Kembang was a queen. Believed to have ruled Kelantan in the 16th century, Che Siti was a warrior princess who could ride a horse, wield a sword, and perform martial arts. Che Siti was only 4 when her father died, hence the Ruler of Johor was made Regent of Kelantan. She only ascended to the throne after the latter’s death. Throughout her 30-year reign, she never married or had children, choosing instead to adopt a female heir. Legend claims that she never died, but ventured into the mystical world. Puteri Saadong became the next Ruler of Kelantan after her disappearance. Just like her mother, Puteri Saadong was blessed with incredible beauty and skills that made her a formidable ruler after Che Siti disappeared. She was married to Raja Abdullah at a tender age of 15. Not long after she took over Kelantan, the King of Siam invaded the state, and she gave herself up to spare her people, as well as the life of her husband. Raja Abdullah promised to wait for her return. https://www.lokalocal.com/blog/culture/%EF%BB%BF9-legendary-malaysian-princessesfrom-almost-every-state/ WORD LIST with CEFR Levels 1. wield C2 - memegang hold and use 2. Regent A1 - pemangku raja ruler 3. ascended to the throne C1 - menaiki takhta became king or queen 4. latter B2 - yang dinyatakan kemudian last-mentioned 5. reign C1 - pemerintahan empire 6. adopt B2 - memelihara to foster 7. heir C2 - pewaris inheritor 8. ventured into C2 - menerokai attempted 9. formidable C2 - digeruni intimidating 10. invaded B2 - diceroboh occupied
30 CEFR Level A2 Article 26: How does the electric car engine work? Electric cars (EV) function by plugging into a charge point and taking electricity from the grid. They store the electricity in rechargeable batteries that power an electric motor, which turns the wheels. Electric cars accelerate faster than vehicles with traditional fuel engines – so they feel lighter to drive. How does charging work? You can charge an electric vehicle by plugging it into a public charging station or into a home charger. There are plenty of charging stations around the UK to stay fully charged while you're out and about. But to get the best deal for home charging, it's important to get the right EV electricity tariff, so you can spend less money charging and save more on your bill. How far you can travel on a full charge depends on the vehicle. Each model has a different range, battery size and efficiency. The perfect electric car for you will be the one you can use for your normal journeys without having to stop and charge up halfway through. https://www.edfenergy.com/for-home/energywise/how-do-electric-cars-work WORD LIST with CEFR Levels 1. plugging into B2 - disambung kepada connecting to 2. store B1 - kumpul gather 3. accelerate C1 - memecut speed up 4. public B2 - tempat awam common area 5. plenty B1 - banyak abundant 6. out and about A2 - berada luar dari rumah outside 7. best deal B2 - tawaran menarik good bargain 8. electricity tariff A2 - kadar pengunaan elektrik rate 9. efficiency B2 - kecekapan adeptness 10. halfway through A2 - separuh jalan incomplete/ mid-way
31 CEFR Level A2 Article 27: Che Siti Wan Kembang At young age, Che Siti Wan Kembang was a brilliant scholar. She could read all the old manuscripts describing her ancestors and learn martial arts. She was bold and intelligent. One day, her father was struck by a strange disease and died within seven days. The best pawangs were called but to no avail. They were too late. Che Siti travelled for two decades as preparation to lead the kingdom. She returned and became a great queen. She gained fame and soon, many proposed to marry her. She rejected them all as she was only concerned of her people’s welfare and the survival of her reigning territory. Che Siti continued visiting neighbouring states. In Jembal, its ruler had a little princess, a beautiful toddler. Che Siti was interested to adopt the princess. The king knew it was for the benefit of his daughter. Che Siti elucidated that her adopted child would be her only heir. She would receive education in the ways befitting a future queen. Finally, they agreed to the request and soon, the princess was called Puteri Sa'dong. The Siam King was interested in the princess and her throne. So, Che Siti made arrangement to thwart the king. WORD LIST with CEFR Levels 1. ancestors B1 - nenek moyang forefathers 2. to no avail C1 - sia - sia futile 3. reigning C2 - pemerintahan ruling 4. neighbouring B2 - berjiran nearby 5. toddler. B2 - kanak – kanak kecil a very young child 6. elucidated C2 - menerangkan explain 7. heir B2 - waris inheritor 8. befitting C1 - bersesuaian suitable for 9. throne. B1 - takhta sovereignty 10. thwart C2 - menggagalkan spoil/ impede
32 CEFR Level A2 Story 28: The Frog Prince The Frog Prince is a story about a prince turned into a frog by an evil witch. In order to break the spell, a good princess had to grant him one wish. Luckily, the youngest princess in the kingdom came to play near the lake every day so the frog got his chance to become a prince again. The princess had to listen to her prudent father in this case because it would be indecent not to fulfill the given promise. She obeyed him and did not repent because in the end the frog turned into a beautiful prince and became her husband. Except for keeping her promise, the princess had to be responsible for her actions. She told a lie to the frog so her father got angry because she cared more about her ball while she judged the frog by his appearance and not kindness. The princess looked like a spoiled brat at the beginning, in the end, she showed a certain amount of maturity. WORD LIST with CEFR Levels 1. evil B2 - jahat bad 2. spell A2 - sihir bewitch 3. grant B1 - memberi give 4. prudent Unlisted - berhemah discreet 5. indecent Unlisted - tidak sopan crude 6. fulfill Unlisted - memenuhi keep 7. repent Unlisted - bertaubat regret 8. lie A2 - bohong fabricate 9. judged B1 - menilai consider 10. maturity Unlisted - kematangan adulthood
33 CEFR Level A2 Article 29: The Role of Technology When we look around us, we see a huge number of examples of technology. The mobile phone in our hands, the headphones we wear for listening to music, the microwave we use to heat our food, and even the construction of the buildings we live in – all use some or the other type of technology. Technology is so important in today’s world that it is almost impossible to imagine a life without it. Could you imagine what you would do if you were not able to watch television every once? Or what would you do if you were unable to talk to your grandmother who lives away from you on the phone for some time now and then? Not having technology in our lives would make us feel like something in our lives is missing. Yes, that’s how big a role technology plays in our lives if we think deeply about it. One of the best and most accessible forms of technology is the mobile phone or, more precisely, the smartphone. A smartphone is a phone, which can connect to the internet. They have many advanced features in a phone and are a very good example of technology. https://www.aplustopper.com/paragraph-on-technology/ WORD LIST with CEFR Levels 1. headphones Unlisted - fon kepala headset 2. construction B2 - pembinaan manufacture 3. impossible B1 - mustahil out of the question 4. imagine B1 - bayangkan visualize 5. unable B1 - tidak mampu incapable 6. missing A2 - hilang lacking 7. deeply B2 - secara mendalam profoundly 8. accessible B2 - boleh diakses attainable 9. precisely B2 - dengan tepat accurately 10. advanced A2 - maju modern
34 CEFR Level B1 Story 30: A Petty Revenge It was a sweltering hot summer day. The small fan in the post office did very little to cool the air and the long queue made it worse. I couldn’t stand it anymore and was about to leave when something caught my ears. The elderly lady at the counter was asking for only a single stamp. Obviously considering this a waste of her time, the woman behind the counter made a snorting noise, ripped off a stamp and flicked it across the counter where it landed on the floor. She didn’t apologised or offered the old lady another stamp. I was dumbfounded. Neither the heat nor the tiresome duty could justify her rude behaviour. Instead of being angry, the old lady stayed calm. She considered for a second, picked up the stamp and left her 50 cent piece on the floor in its place. She said a cheery ‘Thank you!’ and walked out. The woman behind the counter had to walk around to pick up the money. It made me smile for the rest of the day. Adapted from: http://200wordshortstory.org/seat-23a-seat-23b-story-by-jim-woessner/ WORD LIST with CEFR Levels 1. sweltering unlisted - terik scorching 2. did very little A1 - tidak membantu was not helping 3. couldn’t stand A2 - tidak dapat menahan couldn’t tolerate 4. obviously B1 - jelas sekali clearly 5. ripped off B2 - mengoyakkan tear 6. dumfounded unlisted - tergamam taken aback 7. tiresome C2 - memenatkan exhausting 8. justify B2 - mewajarkan rationalise 9. considered B1 - mempertimbangkan thought 10. cheery unlisted - ceria cheerful
35 CEFR Level B1 Story 31:Bad Blood David and Emma gazed at each other across the table. The young couple were content: the meal was delectable; the candlelight was soft and the music captured the moment perfectly. David looked at Emma's beautiful smile. All the pain of his last break-up, all his suspicious and fears about love melted away. His hand reached out and touched hers nervously. From the corner of the restaurant, a strange man watched them. He sat, stiff and unmoving, at his table, pretending to read a menu. But all the while, he stared with cold eyes at the young couple. Back at their table, David suddenly felt his nerves falter. He pushed his chair back and went to the toilet. As he looked at his reflection in the mirror, he took a deep breath and nodded at himself. Feeling braver, he stepped outside the bathroom when he bumped straight into the extremely tall man, whose eyes were cold, bright blue. His pale face and equally pale lips were unsmiling. David felt his heart lurch. WORD LIST with CEFR Levels 1. gazed B2 - merenung stared 2. delectable unlisted - lazat scrumptious 3. captured B2 - merakam encapsulated 4. suspicious B2 - mencurigakan doubtful 5. stiff B2 - kaku rigid 6. pretending B2 - berpura-pura acting 7. nerves B2 - keyakinan confidence 8. took a deep breath B2 - menarik nafas inhaled deeply 9. bumped B2 - terlanggar collided 10. lurch C2 - tersentap jump
36 CEFR Level B1 Excerpt 32:Black and White I don’t know why but since I was a small child, I could see people for who they truly are. White is good and black is evil. I very rarely see whites but I very rarely see blacks too. Most people are usually a shade of grey, like my stepdad and little brother. My mother and older sister have always been close to white. Which makes sense for they are always devoting their time to helping out at the homeless shelters. That all changed though when my sister was found dead in the woods behind our back yard. Police said that she had been asphyxiated and showed signs of rape. I never forget my mother’s cries when she found out. At the funeral my sister laid there on the casket. The purest white I had ever seen. I looked over to my little brother. He was only four, and did not fully understand what was happening. Standing next to him was my stepfather. He was pitch black. WORD LIST with CEFR Levels 1. truly B2 - sebenarnya really 2. very rarely B1 - sangat jarang seldom 3. shade B1 - rona tone 4. makes sense B2 - munasabah is reasonable 5. devoting B2 - berbakti dedicating 6. helping out B2 - membantu assisting 7. woods A2 - hutan forest 8. asphyxiated unlisted - melemaskan smothered 9. casket unlisted - keranda coffin 10. purest white B1 - tiada sebarang cela untainted
37 CEFR Level B1 Article 33:Black Friday vs Cyber Monday The origins of the term ‘Black Friday’ go back as far as the 1950s, whereas Cyber Monday’s origins are much more recent. The term was coined in 2005 to describe the Monday after the Black Friday when people continued to shop online after going back to work. Cyber Monday is by far the biggest online shopping day of the year, representing a massive sales opportunity for eCommerce retailers. Many smart and savvy retailers take advantage of the ‘Black Friday sales season’ to figure out which deals and promotions are working and use those insights to optimize their Cyber Monday sales. By replacing unpopular offers with deals that are in high demand, businesses can do both, drive more profit and keep their customers happy. Although traditionally Black Friday sales focused on in-store deals, more shoppers choose to hunt for offers online and the concept of Black Friday as the kick-off of the holiday shopping season is changing. The period from Black Friday to Cyber Monday is now often referred to as ‘Cyber weekend’, with discounts getting steeper as the sale progresses. It’s a great opportunity for retailers to clear their stock and gather useful data in preparation for the Christmas sale. Adapted from The Sun 3 October 2022 WORD LIST with CEFR Levels 1. recent B1 - baru-baru ni latest 2. coined C2 - dicipta created 3. massive B2 - besar-besaran large in scale 4. retailers C2 - penjual sellers 5. savvy unlisted - lebih arif knowledgeable 6. deals B2 - tawaran bargain 7. insights C1 - pemerhatian observation 8. kick off C1 - permulaan beginning 9. steeper B1 - semakin tinggi Unduly high 10. progresses B2 - maju grows
38 CEFR Level B1 Article 34:How to Control Bad Spending Habit? With the New Year, many people work to improve their financial situation by changing their bad spending habits and repaying debt. Not only that, they will start the year with resolution not to spend money on unnecessary things. But this is not enough! You need to change your spending habit and try to improve your financial standing. To get started, track every ringgit that you spend to avoid you from overspending. If you decide you’re spending too much in one area, find ways to tighten up and change your budget from month to month. Your budget shouldn’t be static—it should change often as your circumstances change. Try to avoid using credit cards and use cash wherever you can. When banking, consider keeping your money in saving accounts that aren’t easy to withdraw from. In addition, cooking your own meal instead of eating out will be the best way for you to cut down the spending. On average, it’s five times more expensive to dine out than to cook meals for yourself at home. Every ringgit you spend dining out includes 80 cents you could have saved by cooking your own meal. If you find you’re struggling to keep up with your New Year’s resolution to develop better spending habits, get help. Professional debt coaching is available free of charge to help you create a workable budget and address your debt situation. https://credit.org/blog/how-to-control-bad-spending-habits/ WORD LIST with CEFR Levels 1. debt B2 - hutang charges 2. resolution C2 - resolusi resolve 3. tighten up B2 - mengetatkan stiffen 4. budget B2 - bajet financial plan 5. circumstances B2 - keadaan condition 6. consider B1 - pertimbangkan contemplate 7. withdraw C1 - menarik keluar draw out 8. average B1 - purata standard 9. struggling B2 - bergelut fighting 10. develop B1 - membangun expand / evolve
39 CEFR Level B1 Article 35:Teen Financial Freedom Noa Mintz started out as a regular 12-year-old girl who babysits for people who need a nanny for a night out or the weekend. However, Mintz took this opportunity and started the childcare matchmaking service Nannies by Noa. The brand has since then taken off and the teen has attended many conferences and meetings, while her brand continues to grow. In 2015 the 17-year-old hired an experienced CEO to run her brand for her because it was distracting her from something that she found more important… her school work. Noa Mintz still wanted to complete her schooling because she knew that an education is important. Many millionaire “gurus” will tell you that unless you can pay for your schooling in cash, then you don’t need it. If everyone stuck by that logic, we would not have all the great doctors and lawyers that we have today. Many individuals cannot pay for schooling even after grants and scholarships, so they take out school loans. Borrowing money can spiral out of control and should be done with caution, however, if you want to go to school and get a degree… do it! Just make sure that you do it the right way and that you have a good financial plan to pay off the school loans that you may need to take out. https://teenfinancialfreedom.com/ WORD LIST with CEFR Levels 1. babysits B1 - mengasuh care for 2. childcare unlisted - asuhan day care 3. matchmaking unlisted - temu suai intermediary 4. hired B1 - mengupah employ 5. distracting B2 - menganggu disturb 6. stuck by C2 - terhimpit cemented 7. grants B1 - tajaan fellowship 8. loans B1 - pinjaman borrow 9. spiral C2 - lingkar swerve 10. caution C1 - waspada alert
40 CEFR Level B1 Article 36:Vegan Alternatives Paris is home to the world’s largest wholesale market for fresh produce at Rungis. The French capital was also transformed into a giant supermarket for the international food fair, which ran from the beginning of the year until October 19. Highlighting upcoming trends this edition of global food marketplace reflects how vegan food could be on track to become a sandal one section, just like the gluten- free aisle today. From ingredients and packaging to recipes and even commercial commitment, manufacture have developed new strategies to shape this growing offer. Vegas are consumers (almost) like any others. While the Gourmey start-up hopes to treat them to a lab-developed synthetic foie gras by 2024, the companies present at the world’s largest food trade show are visibly working to offer vegan alternatives to other culinary make vegan ravioli and uses cauliflower to make fresh pasta. Even the nation’s prized mozzarella now has a vegan version, made with oats and almonds. Meanwhile, a Danish firm called Leighton Foods is catering for Mexican food lovers by preparing tortillas made with carrots, beet and rapeseed oil. Indeed, food manufactures have been working on alternatives to many of the product that vegans are currently deprived of. WORD LIST with CEFR Levels 1. capital A2 - Ibu negeri chief city of a country 2. giant B1 - sangat besar huge 3. upcoming C1 - akan datang about to happen 4. reflects B2 - menunjukkan to show 5. developed B1 - membangun to grow larger 6. visibly C2 - nyata jelas able to give a clear view. 7. offer A2 - menawarkan provide 8. culinary unlisted - masakan cooking 9. alternative B2 - pilihan choice between two things 10. deprived B2 - dirampas to take away
41 CEFR Level B1 Article 37:Street Economies In some countries with huge populations, sometimes jobs are scarce and hard to come by therefore citizens look for any kind of opportunities to make a living. This is when street services are contrived with many people getting involved in this enterprise. Back when our country’s economy was thriving, we could hardly see paddlers selling their wares in small cities or towns, but lately due to recession and joblessness, we could witness their growth. Even smalltowns like Kubang Kerian could not escape from this as vehicles are being approached and passengers are offered goods at traffic lights. On a blazing hot day, it’s tempting to sample one of the proffered iced drinks but before you made a decision, do look at the price tag first as those drinks that are served along a street at a traffic light might be more costly than a cold Coca- Cola sold at a down the road mini market. Always be a wise consumer. Think before you buy. WORD LIST with CEFR Levels 1. scarce C1 - sukar didapati insufficient, in short supply 2. contrived unlisted - berusaha, cuba find a way, bring about 3. enterprise C1 - perusahaan a business 4. thriving C1 - berkembang maju flourishing 5. paddlers unlisted - penjaja hawker 6. wares unlisted - barang jualan goods, merchandises 7. recession B2 - kemelesetan economic decline 8. tempting B2 - menggoda enticing, alluring 9. proffered unlisted - ditawarkan offered 10. more costly unlisted - lebih mahal pricey
42 CEFR Level B1 Article 38:Cultural Clash of Leadership Expectations Gabriela worked for a multinational company as a successful project manager in Brazil and was transferred to manage a team in Sweden. She was excited about her new role but soon realised that managing her new team would be a challenge. Despite their friendliness, Gabriela didn't feel respected as a leader. Her new staff would question her proposals openly in meetings, and when she gave them instructions on how to carry out a task, they would often do things their own way. What Gabriela was experiencing was a cultural clash in expectations. She was used to a more hierarchical framework where the team leader took control and gave specific instructions on how things were to be done. In Sweden decision making was more democratic where subordinates worked with their bosses and made decisions together. When Gabriela became aware of the cultural differences between her and her team, she took the initiative to have an open conversation with them. She was then able to make adjustments to her management style and more effectively motivate her team to achieve their goals. WORD LIST with CEFR Levels 1. role B2 - peranan position 2. challenge B1 - cabaran (an) obstacle 3. proposals B2 - cadangan recommendations 4. carry out B1 - melaksanakan execute 5. clash C2 - pertentangan conflict 6. framework C2 - kerangka structure 7. democratic B2 - bersifat demokrasi autonomous 8. subordinates unlisted - pekerja bawahan (low ranked) employees 9. took the initiative C1 - mengambil inisiatif made the effort 10. adjustments B2 - perubahan changes
43 CEFR Level B1 Article 39:Fairies Fairies today are the stuff of children's stories, little magical people with wings, often shining with light. Typically pretty and female, they usually use their magic to do small things and are mostly good-natured. We owe many of our modern ideas about fairies to Shakespeare and stories from the 18th and 19th centuries. Although we can see the origins of fairies as far back as the Ancient Greeks, we can see similar creatures in many cultures. Some, however believe that fairies are actually real people, not spirits. In the old days, when tribes with metal weapons invaded land where people only used stone weapons, some of the people escaped and hid in forests and caves. Living outside of society, the hiding people stole food and attacked villages. This might explain why fairies were often said to play tricks on humans. Hundreds of years ago, people actually believed that fairies stole new babies and replaced them with a 'changeling' – a fairy baby. WORD LIST with CEFR Levels 1. Typically B1 - biasanya commonly 2. good-natured unlisted - baik hati friendly 3. ancient B1 - kuno prehistoric 4. creatures B1 - makhluk life forms 5. spirits B2 - hantu ghosts 6. tribes B2 - suku kaum clans 7. invaded B2 - menceroboh occupied 8. escaped B1 - melarikan diri got away 9. play tricks unlisted - memperdayakan deceive 10. replaced B1 - tukar ganti swapped
44 CEFR Level B1 Article 40:Fake News Every time you're online, you are bombarded by pictures, articles, links and videos trying to tell their story. Unfortunately, not all of these stories are true. With the use of social media, these fake news circulate quickly and extensively. One of the ways to determine how true a story is by first, checking the source of the news. Fake news websites often use addresses that sound like real newspapers, but don't have many real stories about other topics. Watch out for fake photos too. A tool like Google Reverse Image will show you if the same image has been used in other contexts. In addition, look to see if the story you are reading is on other news sites that you know and trust. If you do find it on many other sites, then it probably isn't fake. Finally, look for other signs including using ALL CAPS and lots of ads that pop up when you click on a link. It is crucial to have control over what to read, what to believe and most importantly what to share. WORD LIST with CEFR Levels 1. bombarded unlisted - dibanjiri swamped 2. circulate unlisted - tersebar spread 3. extensively unlisted - secara meluas widely 4. determine C1 - memastikan find out 5. watch out B2 - berhati-hati beware (of) 6. tool unlisted - alat (an) instrument 7. contexts B2 - keadaan settings 8. probably A2 - mungkin perhaps 9. pop up unlisted - muncul appear 10. crucial B2 - penting important
45 CEFR Level B1 Story 41:Jungle Jim Mom always thought Jungle Jim was creepy, but I liked him. He sold ice cream and said hi to every kid in the playground. Sometimes, when a bunch of us said hello at the same time, he twirled in circles howling, “HELLOOOO!” We laughed hard at that. The kids did. The grownups acted like they didn’t trust him. The truth about Jim came out when Allison disappeared from the playground. Her Dad was frantic. He screamed, “ALLLLLLISOOOON!”, twirling around like Jim. His face was as white as a sheet. But turned out Allison was just across the street. I bet she was staring at toys in Walgreen’s window. Upon hearing her father’s panicked voice, she ran across the road without looking. A car turned the corner, fast. Jungle Jim jumped into the street and fell into Allison hard enough to knock her away. Now he’s in the hospital. He’ll be okay. Allison’s dad is using his vacation to sell ice cream for Jungle Jim. I think that’s super nice. https://benzackheim.com WORD LIST with CEFR Levels 1. creepy unlisted - menyeramkan scary 2. twirled unlisted - berpusing-pusing spun 3. howling unlisted - melolong wailing 4. grownups unlisted - orang dewasa adults 5. frantic C2 - cemas distraught 6. turned out B2 - ternyata apparently 7. bet B1 - mengandaikan guessed 8. upon B1 - sejurus selepas immediately after 9. knock away B1 - menolak push 10. super nice unlisted - hebat fantastic
46 CEFR Level B1 Story 42: Of Love and Time Once, there was an island where all the feelings lived. Happiness, Sadness, Knowledge, and all of the others. One day it was announced that the island would sink, so all constructed boats and left. Love was the only one who stayed. Love wanted to hold out until the last possible moment. When the island had almost sunk, Love finally decided to ask for help. Greed was passing by in a grand boat. Love asked for help but Greed answered, “No way! There’s no place for you”. Love then asked Vanity who was also passing by in a beautiful vessel. “I can’t help you Love. You are all wet and might damage my boat,” Vanity answered. Happiness passed by Love too, but she was so happy that she did not even hear when Love called her. Suddenly there was a voice, “Come, Love, I will take you.” It was an elder. Turned out it was Time who had helped. “Why did Time help me?” Love asked Knowledge. Knowledge smile with deep wisdom and answered, “Because only Time is capable of understanding how valuable Love is”. WORD LIST with CEFR Levels 1. announced B1 - diumumkan declared 2. constructed B2 - membina built 3. hold out A2 - tunggu wait 4. grand C1 - mewah majestic 5. passing by A2 - melewati moving past 6. vanity C2 - megah diri self-admiration 7. vessel unlisted - kapal ship 8. damage B1 - merosakkan ruin 9. wisdom B2 - kebijaksanaan intelligence 10. valuable B1 - berharga precious
47 CEFR Level B1 Article 43: Pygmies - Short People of the Tropical Rainforest Pygmies are tribes of people who only grow to a height of under 150 cm. Most of them live in tropical Africa and are believed to be the original inhabitants of central and southern Africa. They probably lived there long before other tribes came from the north. Most pygmies are hunters and gatherers. They live in remote places and are connected closely with nature. They believe that the forests are there to protect them and provide them with the basic things in life. They also trade with their neighbours in order to get the food that they need to survive. Pygmies have started to leave their homes in the forest and move to populated places and work on farms or in mines. But here, they are persecuted. Thousands were killed during the civil war while many still live as slaves. Today, pygmies are threatened by a number of problems, including environmental issues. Due to deforestation activities, they are in danger of losing a large part of their land. In town, they get low paid jobs and are refused basic rights other citizens have. https://www.english-online.at/people/pygmies/pygmies-short-people-of-the-rainforest.htm WORD LIST with CEFR Levels 1. inhabitants B2 - penduduk occupants 2. remote B2 - pedalaman isolated 3. trade B1 - membuat pertukaran barter 4. populated C1 - berpenduduk inhabited 5. mines B2 - lombong quarries 6. persecuted unlisted - ditindas mistreated 7. civil war unlisted - perang saudara war between the states 8. threatened B2 - diancam endangered 9. deforestation unlisted - penebangan hutan forest clearing 10. refused B1 - dinafikan denied