Do Not Turn Over This Page Until You Are Told To Do So 霹雳怡保培南独立中学 SM POI LAM (SUWA)IPOH FINAL EXAMINATION 2023 ENGLISH LANGUAGE Paper 1 [WRITING] DATE:16 OCTOBER 2023 TIME: 0820 - 1000 DURATION: 1hr 40 mins NAME: Reg. No: CLASS：S3REN / S3ZHO INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES Paper 1 (50%) Paper1 consists of 2 sections: Section A: Summary Writing (15%), Section B: Essay Writing (35%) Your composition will be assessed on content, grammar, organization, spelling andpunctuation.Write the question number or the topic you have chosen at the top of your answer sheet. This paper consists of 3 printed pages Prepared by: Checked by: …………………………… ……………………….. (Ms. Survinderjeet Kaur) (Mr. Kok SheeLoon) 1
2 Section A: Summary Writing (15%) Read the following passage carefully, and then summarise it in continuous writing(not innote form) in not more than 150 words. Write a summary on the writer's opinionsof Asian food in Europe and in Asia itself. Food may not be a reason to travel to Asia but for me it is certainly a reason to comeback, When I was a young man in England, my only exposure to Asian food was Chinese takeaway at a shop in Sheffield. Fried rice was rice fried with egg and bean sprouts. Sweet and sour pork – a great favorite of my adventurous English friends was pork fried in stickydough swimming in sickeningly sweet syrup. No wonder many of us thought Chinesecuisinewas not as wonderful as it was made out to be. The small, rather dirty Pakistani restaurant opposite Leeds University served very mediocre briyani rice. Nothing like the aromaticdishof similar name I was served in Kuala Lumpur. Asian food in Europe is not fairly represented. It was little wonder I did not recognize the fried rice that came when I ordered if at theairport In Singapore. The rice was full of diced carrot, green peas, cauliflower and cubes of chicken! It is little wonder that most Asians are obsessed with food. Asian food is so delicious. WhenI first moved to Bangkok, I was amazed that food was the main topic of many conversations. My colleagues at Chulalongkorn University were very insistent that I knew where thebest chicken rice, fried noodles and beef soup were sold. Of course, no two people wouldagree. I discovered through my learned friends that some of the best food in Bangkok is to befoundat street stalls, the markets, the noodle shops and the push-carts. I learned not to judgebyappearances alone. I discovered that in Thailand and indeed for much of Asia, the moreunpretentious the premises, the tastier the food. Let me give a few examples. My favorite restaurant in Bangkok is Chang Kit. It sells thebest rice soup with fresh fish. When the taxi stopped in front of the restaurant, I did not immediately want to enter it, the shop was very old, the tables and chairs were rickety. Thewaiters were old too and dressed casually in faded T-shirts with holes in them, but onespoon of the soup and all is forgiven, the best wonton noodles I ate was at a roadsidestall inKuala Lumpur. It was in the heart of Chinatown. There were only two tables and clientshadto wait to be served. The black chopsticks looked quite filthy. It was a rainy evening, everytime a car passed, my feet were splashed with dirty water. The noodles were tender, thesoup flavorful, the vegetables crunchy and the roast meat was to-die-for. Many Westerners think that the hygiene in Asia's foodstalls is a little suspect. There is probably some truth in this. My experience has shown me that it is safe to eat at most restaurants where the food is cooked on the spot, for example, fried noodles or chickenporridge. Therefore, Chinese, Vietnamese and Thai food is relatively safe. It is less safetoeat food which has been cooked earlier and left to sit on the counter for hours. Foodgoesbad very quickly in the tropics because of the heat. Food cooked with coconut milk tendstoget spoilt even faster. Therefore, I try to avoid restaurants serving food already cookedandplaced in food warmers. I also avoid raw vegetables and cold drinks. This is becausenot all food vendors wash their vegetables well or boll their drinking water. The best thing about Asian food – Chinese, Indian, Thai, Vietnamese and so on – is that it isusually very tasty. Another advantage is one can eat in Asia quite cheaply. For instance, for the equivalent of a British pound, one can have a balanced meal of rice, chicken andvegetables in most Asian cities. For that amount, one is lucky to get a sandwich in Europe. The exception to the rule is Japanese food which is often the most expensive food inAsia.
3 Section B: Essay Writing (35%) Write a composition of not fewer than 350 words on ONE (1) of thefollowingtopics. 1. Some people prefer to cook at home while others prefer to dine at restaurants. Compare and contrast eating home-cooked meals and eating out at restaurants. 2. Physical fitness has become a great concern these days. Suggest ways onhowwe can keep fit physically. 3. Abandoning babies has become has become rampant and is a great concerninour society. Discuss the causes and efforts of this social ill. 4. A mother’s place is in the home. What is your opinion? 5. Travelling can be a rewarding experience. Do you agree?
