Listening Script 244 Question 4 You hear a conversation between two friends. Henry : Why are you yawning, Aishah? Aishah : Oh, I’m sorry, Henry. I guess I got up too early this morning. I didn’t fi nish my Science homework last night, so I had to do it this morning. Henry : Well, why didn’t you? Aishah : I couldn’t fi nish my homework because I wanted to watch my favourite show on television last night. Henry : Oh, dear! You should get your priorities right. Question 5 You hear a boy talking about moving to Sarawak. My father told me he will be getting a promotion soon, and that we would be moving to Kapit, Sarawak. After spending all my time in Peninsular Malaysia, I will need some time to get adjusted to life in Kapit. However, I am sure I will make a lot of new friends there and get used to their way of life. I can’t wait to move there. Question 6 You hear a newscaster talking about the 3 Cs. Avoid the 3 Cs that is crowded places, confi ned spaces and close conversations. Avoid gathering in crowded places such as the assembly halls, markets, canteens or cafés. Avoid confi ned areas such as rest areas and prayer rooms. Avoid close conversation by practising social distancing at your workplace and use Google Meet if you need to have meetings. Together we can overcome and win the fi ght against COVID-19. Question 7 You hear a man talking about travelling. I just love travelling. It takes me out of my comfort zone and enables me to learn cultures, food, history, people and landscapes. I use travel to get away from my hectic schedule, gain new perspective and learn something new about myself. It just excites me to experience the smells, tastes, sounds, sights and feelings of a place. I just love it! SPM Practices Part 2 – Longer Narrative/Monologue Practice 1 On the fi rst day, we caught the train to Duta and then walked to the campsite. We had to carry everything. My rucksack was really heavy. When we arrived at the campsite, we pitched the tents and collected wood for a fi re. We made our dinner on the fi re. It was delicious. We told ghost stories before going to bed. It was fun. e next morning, we got up early. It was my turn to make breakfast. at was the fi rst time I had cooked for thirty people, including my two scout masters. It was tiring but I thought I made a good meal of baked beans and sausages. After breakfast, the leaders divided us into three teams. I was in the Owls. We were given a challenge. We had to cross the river without swimming. My team used plastic bottles to build a raft. It wasn’t the most brilliant idea because it didn’t fl oat very well but we had a good time. RE SPM English-Listening.indd 244 13/04/2023 2:28 PM PENERBIT ILMU BAKTI SDN. BHD.
Listening Script 245 LISTENING SCRIPT e third day was the most unfortunate day. We went rock climbing in the morning. I was scared at fi rst, but after sometime, I discovered that I really liked it. It was slippery at some parts of the rocks as there was moss on them. I placed my steps carefully to ensure that I did not slip and fall; however, suddenly, one of my friends who was in front of me slipped and knocked me down. I landed on the ground but luckily, it was not from a great height. Both my scout masters quickly lifted me up. Unfortunately, I was not able to stand as I had fractured both my feet. My scout masters instructed everyone to turn back so that we could get back to our campsite. My scout masters and friends took turns to carry me back. As soon as we reached the campsite, one of my scout masters treated my feet. en, we had a picnic lunch and the others did water sports activities in the afternoon. Canoeing was my favourite, but I was only able to sit and watch my friends canoeing. ey learnt how to turn the canoe over. It was quite diffi cult but teamwork helped to make the task easier. After that, everyone cleaned up the campsite and packed. It was an enjoyable experience. As soon as I got back home at dusk, I was taken to the hospital by my parents. Practice 2 Research has shown that the family unit signifi cantly impacts a child’s life. Children depend on their parents and family to provide for their needs. eir growth and development depend on their parents’ ability to become their teachers and raise them in a conducive environment. Parents, of course, try their best to bring up their children to the best of their ability, helping them to establish healthy lifestyle patterns from young so that they will lead good, happy, healthy lives in time to come. is includes learning good habits as well as learning acceptable social behaviour in diff erent cultural settings and circumstances. Role-play is by far the best way for children to explore, learn and develop as an individual. Role-plays nurture their imagination and give children a sense of adventure and exposure into scenarios of the future. By playing a role in a given scenario, children learn certain skills, for instance, problem solving, working with others, sharing and even leadership. When they come up with creative ideas to solve problems, they need to communicate their ideas to others around them. With more practice on presentation skills, they become better leaders and followers as they are able to present their views in a logical and eloquent manner. Parents should also encourage their children to take up sports. Sporting activities help develop balance, coordination, motor control and enhance social skills of children. ese activities can even help them discover their hidden talents and from there, develop a passion for that game. e hidden talent may well become his or her future profession when they win big. Winning builds confi dence. But of course, winning needs practice, hard work, perseverance and tenacity. It is almost impossible to rely on luck to win in sports. It is practice and practice because practice makes perfect. ere are useful human values learned through role-play and sports activities. When these values are inculcated in children, parents can be sure that the society will have great, honest and hardworking leaders. I cannot emphasize enough that character building is a critical part of raising a child. It is even more important than learning the sciences and arts because a person with only logical thinking and knowledge may not desire to use them for a good purpose. Practice 3 Have you done any extreme sports? Are you an adrenaline junkie? I am Christina and I will tell you how I faced my fear. I was once driving along a road in the middle of nowhere. ere were no signs of a town and then I saw this sign, not really a proper sign at all, but just a piece of card with some words scribbled on it: ‘Bungee Jumping, 5 km ahead’, and an arrow pointing to the left. I could not even see a road going left, and there was certainly no sign of any bungee jumping, but the idea had taken over me and I was crazy about it. I had always wanted to do bungee jumping. RE SPM English-Listening.indd 245 13/04/2023 2:28 PM PENERBIT ILMU BAKTI SDN. BHD.
Listening Script 246 Off I went along this dirt road, for what seemed much more than fi ve kilometres to me. Suddenly, out of nowhere, some trees appeared, like a small wood. e road narrowed into just a path, so I pulled over to the side of the road. I couldn’t drive down there if I wanted to. As soon as I was out of the car, I could hear voices: people shouting and laughing. ey sounded like young people, they sounded like they were having a good time. I slowly walked to where the noise and the people were. Once there had been a river running through the middle of the forest, but now there was only a dry ditch. A metal bridge crossed the ditch. e bridge did not look too stable. I think the kids had built it themselves. ere was a big group of kids in the middle of the bridge. ey were all leaning over and looking down into the ditch. ey were all shouting and laughing. Another person was hanging from a long piece of elastic rope in the middle of the ditch. He was laughing like he was mad. e other people slowly pulled him up to the bridge. As the guy came to the top, he looked excited and shocked, but also very, very happy. I decided to try. I inhaled, closed my eyes and didn’t think about anything. I jumped. I think I was going forever and wondered when I would stop. But it felt great. I felt scared, thrilled and alive, all at the same time. en there was a pull and I was going back up again, and, yes, it was dangerous, but, yes, it was thrilling! SPM Practices Part 3 – Matching Practice 1 Speaker 1 You will hear fi ve short extracts in which teenagers are talking about reasons for truancy. Some students do not like the subjects being taught in school. ey do not have any interest to study and prefer to loiter around in shopping malls than attend boring classes. ey leave home in their uniforms with a set of casual clothing in a bag. ey change into these clothes at the toilets in the shopping malls. Speaker 2 I’ve heard of students working part-time selling mobile phones. ey want to earn more pocket money to buy their favourite video games. As they sleep late after returning home, they tend to get up late and so skip school. When they are queried by their teachers, they say that they have to assist their parents in earning more income to overcome poverty. Speaker 3 ere are also students who lack care, love and attention from their parents. eir parents work from morning till night while they are looked after by maids or servants. ey are frustrated and want to perform poorly in school to show their anger and also to get some attention from their parents. Speaker 4 Some students are chain-smokers who feel sleepy in class. As a result, they simply cannot concentrate on their studies. To obtain money for their cigarettes, they do odd jobs and as such, have to skip school. is becomes the main reason for them to stay away from lessons regularly. Speaker 5 I think bullying is also a reason for teenagers to skip school. Rather than facing their bullies on a daily basis, skipping school is the best solution for them to avoid being bullied. It is made even worse when teachers or the school authorities do not acknowledge the problem and sweep it under the carpet. RE SPM English-Listening.indd 246 13/04/2023 2:28 PM PENERBIT ILMU BAKTI SDN. BHD.
Listening Script 247 LISTENING SCRIPT Practice 2 Speaker 1 I prefer to study in a group. Usually, my friends and I will fi x a time to meet to discuss subjects, topics and questions that are diffi cult to us. We prepare materials for the study group and teach each other. Teaching each other enhances my understanding of the topic. Speaker 2 I like to study alone so that I have the freedom to choose when and where I want to study. I make a timetable to revise my lessons every day. I spend around four hours each day doing my homework and revising. I believe studying consistently will help me get good grades. Speaker 3 I like to try answering past-year exam questions. I usually get them online or ask my teachers about where to obtain them. is strategy helps me identify the topics I am good at and topics that require further revision. Getting a feel of the diff erent types of exam questions of a subject helps me to prepare a strategy to tackle questions in the actual exam. Speaker 4 I love to make notes using mind maps. It helps me break down information to smaller portions so that it is easier to understand the topics. is helps me memorize and remember the topics. I use a lot of colours and graphics to create my mind maps so that I can remember each portion. Speaker 5 I cannot sit and study for long periods of time. erefore, I take a fi ve-minute-break after studying for 30 minutes. I usually take a walk in the garden or have a healthy snack before continuing my revision. Taking these short breaks at regular intervals helps to refresh my memory and refuel my energy. Practice 3 Speaker 1 Well, I don’t think it benefi tted me in my career. Don’t get me wrong. I had a wonderful time and I learned all sorts of life lessons. In fact, I would not trade that experience for the world, but in the long run, I don’t think that it really benefi ts you, career-wise that is. Speaker 2 To me, university off ers so much. I mean, it’s not just about the lectures, the seminars and the study skills. It’s also about getting an opportunity to meet like-minded people – not just students, but people who are real authorities on the subject, and having debates and discussions with them and really exploring something that interests you. Speaker 3 Well, I don’t know about university education since I left school at 17 after my SPM. I got an apprenticeship with a local building fi rm, and picked up some skills along the way. University is supposed to prepare you for life. But nothing prepares you more than just getting a job and doing it. RE SPM English-Listening.indd 247 13/04/2023 2:28 PM PENERBIT ILMU BAKTI SDN. BHD.
Listening Script 248 Speaker 4 I think university opens up the world to you. You stop thinking like a member of your little neighbourhood, or your corner of your town or city, and you become more worldly. You meet people from all sorts of backgrounds and they infl uence you. I think they just make you a more well-rounded person. Speaker 5 Well, personally I don’t know what everyone is talking about here. Education isn’t just about getting a job since university isn’t a job training workshop. We are privileged to have, in this country, and in other countries too of course, a long and rich academic culture, and this culture has brought us a wealth of great minds. SPM Practices Part 4 – Note Completion Practice 1 omas : Mum, I am home. Mrs Ella : How was school? How did you do in the test? omas : School was alright, and I did well in the test. Mum, do you know how worried I was about that test, but now that it’s over, I feel great. What a relief! Mrs Ella : I am glad to hear that. You have been studying so hard the past few weeks. Now, you can relax and enjoy the weekend with your cousins. omas : Oh yes, Mum! What are you cooking? It smells so good. Mrs Ella : I just fi nished baking. is is your favourite raspberry cheesecake. omas : It looks really yummy. And I can see muffi ns over there too. You were busy, weren’t you? Mrs Ella : Yes. Jeff has to take something to school tomorrow. So, those muffi ns are for him. Don’t touch them yet. ey’re just from the oven. omas : Can I have a piece of the raspberry cheesecake? I want to enjoy right now. Mrs Ella : You don’t want to wait until after dinner? omas : It looks tempting, and I bet it is delicious. No, I don’t want to wait. Can I, Mum? Mrs Ella : OK, go ahead. omas : Did you see the new recipe that was posted on yesterday’s baking website? I believe it was called Delicious Cookies. Mrs Ella : No, I did not. But I want to try that recipe. Your dad loves cookies. omas : So do I. Mrs Ella : So does Jeff . Our whole family is crazy about cookies. omas : When do you want to try the new recipe? I want to learn too. Should we bake chocolate cookies or almond cookies? Mrs Ella : Since this is the almond season, let’s make some almond cookies. Tomorrow, I will get some almonds at the supermarket, and we can start baking in the afternoon when you get home from school. omas : I need to fi nish a science project, and I will not get home until four in the evening. Will it be too late to start baking, Mum? If it is, you can start without me. Mrs Ella : Four o’clock is fi ne. I will prepare dinner early, and then I will have everything ready for our baking session before you get home. omas : Make sure that we have enough sugar and eggs, Mum. I’m sure you used a lot of sugar and eggs baking the cake and muffi ns today. Mrs Ella : Don’t worry. We still have plenty of sugar and a lot of eggs, enough to make at least about two hundred pieces of cookies. RE SPM English-Listening.indd 248 13/04/2023 2:28 PM PENERBIT ILMU BAKTI SDN. BHD.
Listening Script 249 LISTENING SCRIPT omas : Two hundred, huh? It sounds like a good number, but let’s not overdo it. Let’s make about fi fty pieces instead. Mrs Ella : OK, we will make fi fty pieces of almond cookies tomorrow. No more, no less. omas : It is a deal. Mrs Ella : Enough about baking cookies. I need to start working on today’s dinner. It is three o’clock already. Your dad and Jeff will be home soon. I am sure they will be very hungry and will want dinner right away. omas : What are we having for dinner tonight? Mrs Ella : I will make roast chicken and cream of mushroom soup. omas : It has been a long time since you made cream of mushroom soup. Do you need any help, Mum? Mrs Ella : No, go do your homework and leave the cooking to me. omas : anks, Mum. Call me when dinner is ready. I do not want to be late for the roast chicken, cream of mushroom soup and raspberry cheesecake. Mrs Ella : We’re also going to have an early dinner because we’re going to visit your uncle. He came back from Hawaii yesterday. omas : Wow! I’ll be able to meet Danny and Steven then. Practice 2 Judy : Hi, Jenny. ank you for agreeing to this interview for our school magazine. Jenny : Hi, Judy. You are welcome. I’m excited to share with you what I’ve learned at the ‘Healthy Eating’ Workshop. Judy : Let’s begin. When and why was the workshop held? Jenny : e workshop was held last weekend for two days from 9 in the morning till 5 in the evening. e purpose of the workshop was to increase awareness on the importance of nutrition and healthy eating. Judy : I’m sure you have learned many things there. What would you like to share with us today for this week’s issue? Jenny : For this week, I would like to share the importance of breakfast and tips in choosing ideal breakfast meals. Judy : at’s an interesting topic, Jenny. Jenny : Yes, Judy. I’m sure you have heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. is fact is more so for students like us. You should never come to school on an empty stomach. Judy : Yes, Jenny. My mum always makes sure that I have my breakfast before leaving for school. Jenny : at’s great. Having breakfast helps you stay fi t and healthy. It provides your body with the essential vitamins and nutrients after fasting overnight for eight hours. Having breakfast also helps you to perform better in school. Judy : How does having breakfast relate to performing better in school? Jenny : Well, when you have your breakfast, your concentration improves and you become skilled in problem solving as you are able to think better. Your energy levels will increase as well. Judy : Oh, I see. Now I understand. When your stomach is growling, you would not be able to concentrate on your lessons. Jenny : at’s right. Research also shows that those who have their breakfast before going to school tend to have a better mood. ere has also been improvements in learning and memory among those who do not skip breakfast. Judy : at’s an interesting point. Many teenagers like us are conscious about our weight. Some of them tend to skip breakfast in order to lose weight. RE SPM English-Listening.indd 249 13/04/2023 2:28 PM PENERBIT ILMU BAKTI SDN. BHD.
Listening Script 250 Jenny : For those who believe that skipping breakfast can help you lose weight, may be mistaken. e results of skipping breakfast are misleading. When you skip breakfast, you tend to overeat during lunch and this might cause you to gain weight, instead of losing weight. Having a healthy breakfast also prevents you from becoming obese. Judy : is brings us to our next topic of discussion…ideal breakfast meals. Could you share some tips on choosing ideal breakfast meals? Jenny : Yes, of course. In choosing ideal breakfast meals, maintain your nutritional requirements. Focus on achieving a balanced combination of proteins and carbohydrates. Hearty carbohydrates will give that boost of energy to jump-start your day. Protein will help to keep your body going strong over the next three or four hours until lunch. Plan a variety of choices for breakfast as there would be some of you who dislike having the same breakfast every morning. Judy : Oh I see. Jenny : In addition, make sure you have enough time to have a good breakfast. If you are feeling stressed or in a rush in the morning, you may be less inclined to spend the time on a good breakfast. However, drink a glass of juice at the very least. Try quick breakfast meals such as low-sugar cereals, yogurt, fresh fruits, whole-grain bread, overnight oats or muffi ns. ey are easy to grab on the way out. Some can even be prepared the night before. Judy : at’s really interesting and informative. ank you for sharing this information with us, Jenny. We will meet again next week to discuss more interesting topics about healthy eating. Jenny : You’re welcome, Judy. I’m happy to share my knowledge. Practice 3 Lecturer : Good morning. How is everyone feeling today? Monica : Fine. What are we going to do today? Lecturer : Well, for today’s lecture I think it might be interesting for you to learn about the world’s oldest continuously-running laboratory experiment that is still going on till today. Jessica : What is it called? Lecturer : It is called the ‘pitch drop’ experiment. Have any of you heard about it? Amy : Yes, I remember reading about it. But I can’t recall what it is. Lecturer : It was created by Professor omas Parnell at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia. It also holds the Guinness World Record for being the oldest longest-running experiment. Cindy : Who is Professor omas Parnell? I have not heard of him. Lecturer : Professor omas Parnell was the university’s fi rst physics professor. Joanna : What was the aim of the experiment? Lecturer : Professor Parnell wanted to show in this experiment that everyday materials, such as pitch, can have quite surprising properties. Students : Wow! Lecturer : You see, when pitch is at room temperature, it feels solid and you can easily break it with a hammer. However, it isn’t in fact solid. At room temperature, pitch is many billions of times more viscous than water but it’s actually fl uid. Jessica : When did this experiment begin? Lecturer : In 1927, Professor Parnell took a sample of pitch. He heated it and poured it into a glass funnel. He allowed the pitch to cool and settle – for three years. He then turned the funnel upside down and cut the top off it. Joanna : And the experiment has been continuing since then? Lecturer : Yes, since then, the pitch has slowly dropped out of the funnel. Brittany : How slowly does that happen? RE SPM English-Listening.indd 250 13/04/2023 2:28 PM PENERBIT ILMU BAKTI SDN. BHD.
Listening Script 251 LISTENING SCRIPT Lecturer : Well, the fi rst drop took eight years to fall. it took another forty years for another fi ve drops to fall. Today, it is almost 90 years and only nine drops have fallen from the funnel. e last drop fell in April 2014 and the next one is expected to fall in the 2020s. Joanna : How did Professor Parnell feel when he saw the pitch drop? Lecturer : Well, this experiment has a tragic story associated with it. Professor Parnell died without seeing a pitch drop. His replacement, Professor John Mainstone, became responsible for the pitch drop experiment from 1961. He held the job for 52 years, and missed seeing the drop fall three times – the fi rst time by a day in 1977, by just fi ve minutes in 1988 and fi nally in the year 2000, when the webcam which was recording the experiment suff ered a power disruption for 20 minutes, during which time the pitch dropped. Amy : Oh! at is so tragic. Lecturer : Yes, it sure was. After all the hard work and he missed seeing the drops. Kate : Can we see a recording of the webcam? Lecturer : Well actually, the pitch drop experiment is something we can all participate in now. ere’s a live web stream that allows anyone to watch the glass funnel and wait for the fateful moment. A similar experiment to the Queensland pitch drop was set up in Dublin, and the video showing the pitch actually dropping went viral on the internet. It’s interesting to see how a very slow event can spread news so quickly. I hope you enjoyed today’s lecture. Joanna : Yes, it was interesting. I am going to watch the glass funnel and wait for the fateful moment on live web stream. RE SPM English-Listening.indd 251 13/04/2023 2:28 PM PENERBIT ILMU BAKTI SDN. BHD.
252 Reading and Use of English Unit 1 Part 1: Short Texts SPM Practices Practice 1 1 A 2 A 3 A 4 B 5 B 6 A 7 A 8 B Practice 2 1 A 2 B 3 A 4 B 5 A 6 C 7 C 8 C Practice 3 1 A 2 B 3 C 4 B 5 B 6 A 7 C 8 A Practice 4 1 A 2 A 3 B 4 A 5 B 6 C 7 A 8 A Practice 5 1 C 2 B 3 C 4 B 5 B 6 B 7 C 8 C Practice 6 1 A 2 C 3 C 4 A 5 B 6 C 7 C 8 B Part 2: Cloze Text SPM Practices Practice 1 1 A 2 C 3 A 4 B 5 C 6 A 7 C 8 B 9 B 10 C Practice 2 1 B 2 D 3 A 4 A 5 C 6 D 7 A 8 B 9 B 10 D Practice 3 1 D 2 B 3 B 4 D 5 B 6 B 7 B 8 A 9 C 10 C Practice 4 1 C 2 B 3 B 4 B 5 B 6 D 7 A 8 D 9 C 10 C Practice 5 1 C 2 A 3 B 4 A 5 B 6 D 7 B 8 D 9 D 10 A Practice 6 1 A 2 A 3 A 4 D 5 D 6 D 7 C 8 D 9 A 10 D Part 3: Extended Text SPM Practices Practice 1 1 B 2 C 3 B 4 D 5 A 6 B 7 A 8 D Practice 2 1 B 2 A 3 C 4 A 5 C 6 A 7 A 8 A Practice 3 1 A 2 A 3 B 4 C 5 C 6 B 7 B 8 C Practice 4 1 B 2 A 3 B 4 B 5 A 6 B 7 D 8 C Practice 5 1 C 2 C 3 C 4 A 5 A 6 B 7 C 8 B Practice 6 1 C 2 A 3 C 4 A 5 B 6 B 7 A 8 B ANSWERS RC SPM English-Answers-9pt.indd 252 13/04/2023 2:26 PM PENERBIT ILMU BAKTI SDN. BHD.
253 Part 4: Gapped Text SPM Practices Practice 1 1 F 2 B 3 E 4 G 5 D 6 A Practice 2 1 E 2 C 3 H 4 B 5 A 6 G Practice 3 1 D 2 H 3 B 4 F 5 E 6 A Practice 4 1 C 2 G 3 H 4 A 5 F 6 B Practice 5 1 F 2 D 3 H 4 C 5 A 6 E Practice 6 1 G 2 A 3 F 4 B 5 C 6 E Part 5: Matching and Information Transfer SPM Practices Practice 1 1 A 2 C 3 B 4 E 5 rejuvenate 6 culture 7 window 8 scary Practice 2 1 B 2 D 3 C 4 E 5 trees 6 roads 7 play 8 safety Practice 3 1 E 2 A 3 D 4 F 5 childhood 6 stages 7 friendships 8 help Practice 4 1 E 5 challenges 2 F 6 positive 3 D 7 confi dence 4 C 8 mood Practice 5 1 D 5 connect 2 F 6 socialise 3 C 7 courses 4 A 8 deadlines Practice 6 1 D 5 greenhouse 2 C 6 energy 3 A 7 plastic 4 E 8 oxygen Writing Unit 2 Part 1: Short Communicative Message Emails SPM Practices Practice 1 Model Answer To: [email protected] Subject: Exam Preparations Hi Meera, ank you for the good wishes. As for the preparation, I’ve organised my lessons to study them systematically. I hope to spend about three hours daily revising my lessons. Yes Meera, I’m not being overconfi dent this time as I have learnt my lesson. I’m not attending the dance and music classes till my exam is over. Of course, I’m too looking forward to take you around Singapore to visit some interesting places. Please come over after my exam. Love, Bavani RC SPM English-Answers-9pt.indd 253 13/04/2023 2:26 PM PENERBIT ILMU BAKTI SDN. BHD.
254 Practice 2 Model Answer To: [email protected] Subject: Cycling Tour Hi Beng Kee, anks for your response. Another three of my friends have decided to come along with us. As you know, my village is a peaceful place with hills and a big lake. erefore, I’m planning to cycle up the hills and camp there for a day. Down the hills is a big lake where we can go fi shing. We’ll bring along some canned food, bread and fried noodles. Bye! Hassan Practice 3 Model Answer To: [email protected] Subject: “Friends” Website Hi Sakura! I read your message in the “Friends” website. I’m Angela from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and of the same age as you are. My interests are playing the piano, reading and cycling. I don’t have a favourite game in particular, but I do play outdoor games like badminton and netball. I play these games with my friends and neighbours. My ambition is to be a teacher. I hope you’ll write to tell me more about yourself. Bye! Angela Practice 4 Model Answer To: [email protected] Subject: Feedback about School Canteen Hi Indra, Regarding our school canteen, I wish to bring to your attention the following issues. Firstly, the food is expensive and not nutritious. Besides that, the number of fl ies invading the canteen has increased over the months. One can see swarms of fl ies buzzing around the canteen. e canteen workers are not neatly dressed and they serve food, especially local cakes, with their bare hands without using tongs or spoons. We hope the situation will be improvised. Evelyn Part 2: Guided Writing Descriptive Essays SPM Practices Practice 1 Model Answer During the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, my parents made use of their free time to grow vegetables on the piece of land behind our house. My father and I cleared the bushes and burnt them. Next, my father bought some vegetable seeds such as long beans, chilli, spinach, ladies’ fi ngers, brinjals and maize. We planted them and within three weeks, the shoots were showing up. My parents felt happy and I too was excited to see the young leaves sprouting. I helped my father to water the plants daily while my mother pulled out the weeds. My father built a fence around the farm to keep away the goats from the neighbourhood. After about two months, the vegetables were ready to be harvested. We gave some to our neighbours who were grateful to us. My parents felt happy that we had fresh vegetables to eat from our own farm. Practice 2 Model Answer During the last holidays, I visited my grandparents in the village. ere was a heavy downpour for the next two days and the village was inundated by fl ood. My grandparents panicked; however, I took them upstairs and told them to stay there. Meanwhile, with the help of several neighbours, I salvaged the electrical appliances and furniture by placing them on the tables and on the upper fl oor. Later, some rescuers came by and brought my grandparents and me to the community hall. e rescuers were kind and they gave us some food and drinks during our stay there. After two days, the fl ood subsided. I returned to my grandparents’ house fi rst to clean the mess caused by the muddy waters, with the help of the villagers. My grandparents were thankful and praised me for being a great help to them. Practice 3 Model Answer Chinese New Year was just around the corner. As usual, my mother wanted to take me to shop for some new clothes. She took me to the New MegaStore which has several clothes shops. My mother told me to choose clothes that were of my choice. I chose a pair of jeans, a cheongsam and two dresses. e jeans were dark blue and the cheongsam was maroon in colour. However, the dresses were of light green and light yellow. I chose these clothes because I felt comfortable wearing them. My mum said that I looked elegant in the dresses, so I chose them. en, we went to the Central Shoe store. I chose a pair of black shoes that would match both my dresses and cheongsam. I felt very happy and we returned home in the evening. RC SPM English-Answers-9pt.indd 254 13/04/2023 2:26 PM PENERBIT ILMU BAKTI SDN. BHD.
255 Formal Letters SPM Practices Practice 1 Model Answer e Secretary Science Club Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Yussuf 30000 Ipoh. e Manager Meadow Margarine Factory Jalan Manjoi, 30000 Ipoh. 6 June 20__ STUDY TOUR TO THE FACTORY Dear Sir/Madam, On behalf of the Science Club, I am writing to seek permission to visit the factory. We plan to visit the factory on 26 June 20__ at 9.00 a.m. e purpose of our visit is to study the process of how margarine is produced. is will enable us to understand the transformation of its ingredients at the diff erent stages during the process. us, it will help us in our subjects such as science. ere will be 40 students and four teachers in this study tour. We hope the date and time proposed by us is convenient to you and the authorities concerned. We look forward to receiving a favourable response from you. Yours faithfully, Rita Kaur (RITA KAUR A/P KARPAL SINGH) Practice 2 Model Answer e Chairperson Taman Bukit Jaya 75000 Melaka. e Secretary Town Council 75000 Melaka. 15 August 20__ UNHEALTHY CONDITIONS IN TAMAN BUKIT JAYA Dear Sir/Madam, On behalf of the residents of Taman Bukit Jaya, I would like to draw your attention to the unhealthy conditions prevailing here. e rubbish has not been collected by the authorities concerned, thus, it has become a breeding ground for fl ies. Rats too can be seen running around these heaps of rubbish. e drains are clogged creating a foul smell. Besides, mosquitoes have started to breed in the stagnant water. Weeds have grown along the roads. Workers from the town council have neglected this area. We are afraid that these conditions would bring airborne diseases to the residents. I humbly request that the town council take the necessary steps to remedy the situation as soon as possible. Yours faithfully, Steven (STEVEN PEREIRA) Practice 3 Model Answer Nadia binti Ariffi n Form 5 Dahlia Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Jalan Bandar Jalan Bandar, 48000 Rawang, Selangor. Puan Cheng, Form Teacher Form 5 Dahlia Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Jalan Bandar Jalan Bandar, 48000 Rawang, Selangor. 24 May 20__ REASON FOR ABSENCE Dear Madam, I am writing to explain my recent absence from school. I contracted the fl u virus and was instructed by my physician to stay home so that I do not risk infecting the other students. During my absence, I kept in touch with Rohana, the class monitor, to keep up with the lessons taught. I have done all the work given by the teachers and have uploaded my written assignments to the network. I am enclosing the physician’s note, where he states the particulars including the medical certifi cate and medications. ank you for your understanding in this matter. Yours faithfully, Nadia (NADIA BINTI ARIFFIN) RC SPM English-Answers-9pt.indd 255 13/04/2023 2:26 PM PENERBIT ILMU BAKTI SDN. BHD.
256 Practice 4 Model Answer Nora binti Norman 16, Jalan 2/4, Taman Sentosa, 56100 Kuala Lumpur. e Chairperson Students’ Club SMK Dato Rahmat 56100 Kuala Lumpur. 27 October 20__ A LETTER OF APPRECIATION Dear Sir/Madam, I’m writing this letter in appreciation of the recent celebration held for celebrating my victory in the SPM examination. I am overwhelmed with feelings of gratitude to the Students’ Club for celebrating my victory. It defi nitely will be in my memory forever. As a matter of fact, I wish to take this opportunity to thank each and every teacher who has taught me from Form One till Form Five. I have also not forgotten my dear friends who have been with me, giving co-operation and encouragement in all aspects throughout my years in SMK Dato Rahmat. Please do keep in touch with me and I will make time for any request by the school when in need of my hands. Yours faithfully, Nora (NORA BINTI NORMAN) Argumentative Essays SPM Practices Practice 1 Model Answer Mothers play a signifi cant role in every household. ey are known to be the love of their families. e most important task of mothers is to take care of their children who need their love, care and attention physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally. Furthermore, they have to provide the best meals for their children and take care of the household. On the other hand, working mothers are too busy and they do not have time to relax. is is bad for their health as well as for their children. Furthermore, as mothers become busy with their career, children tend to be naughty due to less supervision from mothers. is may create chaos in the family. In short, it is possible to maintain a happy and healthy family when mothers could plan their budget to live within their means by cutting their coats according to their cloth. Practice 2 Model Answer Almost every household in the world has a television set, and children are exposed to this media from a very young age. However, it has positive and negative eff ects on children. Some children are addicted to television. As a result, they neglect their studies. Homework and revision are not done and this leads to them being left behind in their lessons. Furthermore, watching television often spoils one’s eyesight. Due to this, many students wear spectacles from a very young age. Nevertheless, some programmes with subtitles help students to improve their profi ciency level in the particular language. Besides that, the documentary or scientifi c fi lms are informative, as such, they help to widen their knowledge in various fi elds. In my opinion, any type of technology has its bad and good eff ects. erefore, the onus is on the users to use it wisely. Practice 3 Model Answer e problems caused by smoking are a mass phenomenon around the world. ere is a high level of deaths among smokers due to various diseases caused by this dangerous habit. It is undeniable that besides the smokers, children and others who breathe in the tobacco smoke let out by active smokers become the passive smokers. Hence, non-smokers’ lives are also at risk. However, a ban on cigarettes or smoking will cause an increase in the black market activity. Cigarettes will be sold illegally, so such ban on smoking will result in criminal organisations making profi t from selling tobacco illegally. Furthermore, it will reduce the government’s income from the production and sale of cigarettes. To conclude, a better plan would be to increase the awareness of people about the negative eff ects of smoking on their health and lives. Recounts SPM Practices Practice 1 Model Answer My father drove us to Penang last December. I went along to spend my holidays with my cousins there. We left at about 9 o’clock in the morning. All the way, it was raining cats and dogs. My sisters and I were reading. Suddenly, an express bus overtook us and knocked the front of our car. My father was not able to control the car, so it skidded to the side and plunged into a monsoon drain. RC SPM English-Answers-9pt.indd 256 13/04/2023 2:26 PM PENERBIT ILMU BAKTI SDN. BHD.