A Picnic by the Sea

Teluk Kemang is about 12 kilometres from Port Dickson town in Negeri Sembilan. It is a
popular beach where many people go to and relax on.
It was on one of the days of the Chinese New Year holidays that we had a picnic at Teluk
Kemang. I went there with my uncle and his family. There were five of us, my uncle, his wife,
their two young children and me. My uncle drove us there in his car.
We arrived there at about ten in the morning. The beach was already crowded with other
holiday-makers. Anyhow we managed to get a place in the shade of a large tree and we put our
things there. My aunt laid out a mat for us to sit on.
In double-quick time we were enjoying ourselves in the sea, except my aunt. She just sat on the
mat watching us.
The water was cool and refreshing and I loved splashing it on my cousins. However the hot sun
above can be quite uncomfortable. So after about an hour or so, my uncle told us to sit in the
shade for a while. The sun was getting increasingly hot. So we reluctantly came out of the sea.
In the shade of some trees we built some sandcastles.
Time passed so quickly. Soon we heard my aunt calling us to have lunch. We ran to her and
helped ourselves to the delicious curry she had brought. Then we had several glasses of ice-cold
drink from the Thermos flask.
After lunch we played a while more in the sea. The sun was just too hot. So we walked over to
one of the hotels nearby and washed ourselves with clean freshwater.
When we returned, my aunt had already packed everything in the car. So all of us got into the car
and my uncle drove us back home to Seremban.

lay out to arrange something on a flat surface

mat a small piece of cloth

In double quick time very quickly






An exciting picnic in Sentosa

During our last school break for the millennium my classmates and I decided to make the
holidays one to remember by planning a visit to Sentosa Island. There were fifteen of us in all
and we eagerly set down to discussing the trip. We decided unanimously that no girls would be
allowed as this was a boys only trip.
We set out bright and early one Sunday morning for Sentosa by ferry from the jetty of the World
Trade Centre. We could barely contain our excitement. The first thing we did upon landing on
the pier at Sentosa was to make our way single mindedly to the monorail. We boisterously
boarded the monorail for a trip around the island. The train took us along a narrow track through
lush green foliage and valleys. We were spellbound by the scenic beauty all around us. Alighting
at the terminal station near the jetty, we walked straight to the park where we strolled along the
well worn paths for a while. Then we sat down for a while and talked over what to do next.
We first visited the Coralariums where we saw a variety of coral fishes and other marine
creatures. The so called lion fish caught our attention with it's strange form and coloration. It was
easy to see how it derived its name. Little did we realize that coral was a living organism! Our
next stop was at the wax museum which displays life size figurines of men and women who have
left their mark in history. The figurines were so life-like that one almost felt like reaching out and
touching one and at the same expecting it to react. We recognized some of the figurines from our
history books but were at loss as to who the others were.
Equally exciting were our next two stops, namely Fort Siloso and the Insectarium. Among all the
sights we experienced that day the most captivating was the Musical Fountain. We spent some
time there just watching the surroundings and listening to the music wafting through the air so
soothing to the ears. We began to feel hungry just then so we promptly wolfed down the
sandwiches we had brought from home.
Later that afternoon some of us went down to the beach for a swim. There were a number of
tourists there, mainly Japanese, who were enjoying the beach as well. As it was getting late in the
day we decided to go back home. Our launch brought us back safely to the World Trade Centre
at about seven in the evening. We took along with us memories of beautiful Sentosa.

set out begin a journey

waft to (cause to) move gently through the air

wolf down to eat a large amount of food very quickl



1. preparing 2. especially 3. forward 4. gather 5. before 6. cats 7. had 8. when 9.
don't 10. busy 11. threw 12. of 13. away 14. something 15. over 16. so 17. on 18.
As 19. for 20. out

"Don't forget the sandwiches!" Mother reminded me. We had been preparing for this family
picnic for two days. Everybody, especially my little brother, had been lookingforward to it.
All of a sudden, dark clouds started to gather in the sky. Soon, it began to drizzle,
and before long, it was pouring cats and dogs. The picnic had to be cancelled.
I was sulking on the sofa when Mother suggested, "Why don't we clean up the house ?" Soon,
everyone was busy doing something. We dusted the furniture and threwaway old magazines.
The store room was purged of many things we had conveniently stashed away inside. Father
painted the cabinet, something he had always said he would do but had never got round to
doing. I found many old photographs and had a good laugh over them. My little brother polished
the glass table so well that we could see our reflections on it clearly.
At the end of the day, we were all exhausted. As the family gathered round the dining table for a
dinner of pizza, we were glad that the day had turned out well.





One weekend, my father decided to go fishing. He had called up a close friend to join him on this
fishing trip. I was very eager to go as well, so I asked my father if I could go with him. He
thought about it for a while and then agreed to take me with him. That night, he cleaned up his
fishing rods and got out his hat.
We woke up at five o'clock in the morning and had a quick breakfast. My mother had prepared a
nice picnic basket for us. My father had arranged to pick up his friend on our way to the pond.
After a long drive, we arrived at the Rainbow Fishing Pond. There were a few other fishing
enthusiasts who were preparing their fishing rods with bait. We found a shady place near a huge
tree and set out our things. As my father and his friend hooked bits of prawns to their fishing
rods, I decided to walk around and take a look. When I got back to our spot, my father and his
friend had already cast their line but had not caught anything yet. I took out three bottles of drink
from the picnic basket and handed my father and his friend a bottle each. They had hardly taken
a sip when they felt a pull on their rods.
They quickly put down their drinks and hung on to their rods. As they pulled in their lines, I saw
what they had caught. My father had caught a small carp, while his friend had caught a large
trout. That was the first catch of the day.
By late afternoon, both my father and his friend had caught a dozen of fish and were getting
tired. I had tried catching some fish with my small net but all I caught was a tiny little fish. After
a while, I got tired so I just lay down on the grass and enjoyed the breeze. We decided to go
home at about five in the evening. It was a tiring day, but we had enjoyed ourselves.

1. Was the authors father very willing to take him along ? How do you know ?
2. Where did they go fishing ?
3. What did they use as bait ?
4. What does the phrase "They had hardly taken a sip" tell us ?
5. What was the first catch of the day for his father and his friend ?
6. How many fishes had his father and his friend caught by late afternoon ?
7. What did the author do after trying to catch some fish ?
8. What time did they go home from the fishing trip ?
9. What does 'our spot' refer to ?
10. Which word in the passage means 'made preparations for' ?
It was a bright and sunny day. Mr. Smith lay contentedly on his picnic mat at the
beach as his children built sandcastles nearby. After some time, he dozed off. He
woke up suddenly when he felt large drops of water on his forehead and nose. When
he opened his eyes, he saw that it was no longer sunny. The dark clouds in the sky
indicated that a storm was approaching. He could see lightning flashing in the
distance. Mr. Smith ordered his children, who were swimming in the sea, to come out
of the water at once. Soon, his eldest son came running.
"Dad, I think we can seek shelter under those trees," said his son pointing to
a clumpof trees nearby.
"No, run to the car at once," Mr. Smith said.
When they were safe and sound in the car, Mr. Smith explained :
"During a thunderstorm, you must be very careful about safety. First of all, you must
never swim during a storm. Water is a good conductor of electricity and you may get
electrocuted if lightning should strike the water. Another thing you must remember
isthat seeking shelter under trees during storm is a foolish thing to do. Lightning
tends to strike at tall objects and if you wait under a tree, you may be struck by
lightning. So the best thing to do is to lie down flat in a low place."



1. He buys all of his clothing/clothes at sales. He looks really smart.
2. All of the equipment in the sports center is from Australia.
3. His father was admitted to hospital last night. He had a heart attack.
4. Sam is much taller than his brother.
5. I bought two new shirts at a sale in the Mall.
6. Mrs. Lee walked into the classroom and greeted all her pupils.
7. I am sure you will be able to pass the English entrance test.
8. Next July I shall be going to Beverly. I'll be staying with one of my friends there.
9. My father always stressed good manners to his children.
10. The team comprised eight locals and three foreign players.
11. I hope you can manage to come to the picnic on Wednesday.
12. Alan is now working for City Bank in News York.
13. I spoke to one of the office staff about the problem.
14. I have a terrible headache at the moment.
15. I think you probably know him. He's a big man with glasses.

Silver wedding day of my parents

It was at dinner time that we learnt quite casually that it would be twenty-five years by March
next since our parents got married. Our parents are a very loving couple who adore the company
of each other. But we brothers and sisters felt that something must be done to celebrate the
occasion of silver jubilee of our parents' wedding.
When we broached the topic our parents smilingly brushed aside the idea; nor were they keen
on the celebration. They seemed to feel to be a man and woman, a blessing of God and this fact
need not to be trumpeted. But we insisted on having a celebration; only we needed their blessing.
After some serious thought they gave us their consent to go ahead.
Once we got the permission, we had to prepare for our program. But we agreed that whatever we
would do, it must be secret till the day so that there might be a surprise on the day.
So we sat and planned. My eldest sister said that we could present some memento in silver
which would be apt for the occasion because we were going to celebrate 25th year of the
wedding. She went even to the extent of suggesting what could be the article. It might be a
carved silver plate or a silver tea set. She felt rightly too that the gift must be one which could be
of some use instead of being confined to the showcase, as memory.
But I thought of throwing a party for selected friends and relatives. This would be an occasion
for a get together and free mingling when we could hear our elders talk about the good old days.
My younger brother had some nice ideas to put forward. He spoke of arranging a picnic when we
could freely enjoy nature's beauty while at the same time pay homage to our parents. As an
alternative he said we could re-enact the marriage of our parents. That would bring great fun and
perhaps my parents themselves could enjoy the joke. But we were doubtful how far our parents
could comply.
I had almost a novel idea and said that the money we hoped to spend might be made into an
endowment, so that the income could used for some good purpose. However laudable the
proposal was, all of us could not agree to it because the amount we hoped to spend might not be
that big and then there was no meaning in getting the money from parents to be reinvested.
The discussion was long and nothing final could be decided because each one of us had our own
views. Then we struck a golden means of taking something from each one's suggestion. We
finally decided to give father a nice unbreakable brief case, to mother a silver framed mirror and
a silver jug. We decided also that we could hold a small party of selected friends and relatives.
The idea of picnic which the younger fellow so vociferously advocated was, not dropped either.
It was clearly understood that we could go to a pleasure spot not far away from our town.
Having planned thus we unfolded it to our parents who felt very happy and promised us help in
the execution of the plan.

broach to begin a discussion of something difficult

momento

an object that you keep to remember a person, place or
event

mingling to move around and talk to other people at a social event

Describe an occasion when you were caught in a rainstorm.

"Argh!" screamed my friend as the water balloon hit her full in the face. She stood in shock for a
moment before charging after me, laughing and yelling out threats.
We were at our annual class party and having the time of our lives. This year, we had decided on
the picnic at the beach. After eating, we had all sorts of games and competitions. I could not
remember when I had last enjoyed myself so much.
However, all good things must come to an end, and as it neared evening, we started preparing to
leave. I was supposed to walk the short distance to my aunt's house after the party. About
halfway there, I remembered that I had left a T-shirt on the beach. I debated whether or not to
return for it as I could see dark clouds heading my way. However, the shirt was an old favorite of
mine and I was so wet from the water balloons that a little more water would not make a
difference.
The beach was now deserted. I looked around for my T-shirt but it was nowhere to be found.
Finally, after minutes of fruitless search, I gave up. The sky was dark, with thick thunderclouds
and it had begun to drizzle. I started heading back.
Then, suddenly, with a loud crash of thunder, the heavens burst and torrents of rain came pouring
down. Holding my backpack over my head in an effort to ward off the relentless blows of the
rain, I scanned the area for a place of refuge.
Finally spotting a tiny shack at a distance, I dashed for it. I reached it at last and darted in,
drenched to the bone and shivering from head to toe. As I shook out my hair, I mentally kicked
myself for getting into this situation.
Wondering when the rain would stop, I stared out at it, dejectedly. As I gazed, however, my
feelings of dejection turned into awe. The black clouds hung low. The sea was turbulent, with
powerful waves crashing onto the shore. On the left, where jagged boulders stood in the sea, the
waves threw themselves on them, sending up sprays of sea water high into the air. Gust after gust
of howling wind blew through the trees. Lightning streaked across the sky, time and again,
lighting up the whole scene for a split second each time.
I stood transfixed, captivated by the power and violence of the storm. It was beautiful, scary and
magnificent at the same time. I felt I had to be part of it, to be at one with nature.
I ran out and stood in the middle of the storm, reveling in the stinging rain and chilling wind,
thrilling to the sounds of the thunder and the crashing waves, and relishing the magnificence of
nature.

drizzle rain in very small light drops

ward off try to prevent

transfix

to render motionless, as with a fixed stare or by arousing terror or
awe
How I spent the weekend

Nothing extraordinary happened last weekend. It was just like any other ordinary weekend.
I got up later than usual on Saturday morning. After breakfast I went over to my friend Arul's
house and spent some time reading comics there. Arul has tons of comics. His father buys the
latest for him. Being his friend, I get to read them too.
We read comics till lunch-time. Then I went home, had lunch and took an afternoon nap. Taking
an afternoon nap is a pleasure that I can indulge in only on weekends. On weekdays I do not
have time for it.
The rest of the afternoon I helped my father in the garden uprooting weeds and trimming
the hedge. We continued until darkness fell. After that I had my bath and dinner. After dinner I
watched television until it was time for bed.
I got up late too on Sunday morning. For breakfast I had cornflakes with milk while listening to
the radio. Then I spent the rest of the morning doing homework.
Again I took a nap after lunch. Then I finished up my homework.
By the time I was done with the homework it was already evening. So I took a strollaround the
neighborhood. It was a great feeling to be able to relax after all the homework had been done.
After dinner, I packed my books in my bag and went to bed early. I had to get enough sleep
otherwise I would fall asleep in school the next day. Thus ended yet another weekend.

indulge

to allow yourself to have something enjoyable, especially more
than is good for you

hedge

In gardening a hedge is a row of woody plants, generally of one
species, used to demarcate spaces.

stroll a leisurely walk





A Trip To The Market

It was scarcely six in the morning when my mother woke me up to go marketing with her. "
Boy, boy! Wake up or the best stuff at the market will be gone!" my mother's voice rang through
my room. My eyelids were so heavy that when I opened them to look at her, all I saw was a
blurred mass in front of me. I dragged myself from bed and began to change.
I was grateful for the short walk to the market because it gave me a chance to wake up before
getting there. My mother went on and on about what she was going to buy for the day. That also
helped wake me up. By the end of that short walk, I gathered that she was going to cook stew
shepherd's pie for the day.
The market was stirring with activity. Even though I was wearing sneakers, I made it a point to
avoid the fish stalls where the floors were always muddy and wet. The old chicken seller was as
friendly as usual, greeting my mother with the widest grin. I was just surprised his dentures did
not fall out of his mouth with such a wide smile. My mother bargained hard for the best price and
they landed on a price they could both agree after two minutes.
When my mother finished her marketing, we sat down at the food centre for our breakfast. I
looked into the plastic bags and saw that she had some fish in them too. It is too bad that I
seldom pay attention to how my mother chooses the food that she buys, preferring instead to pay
more attention to the people around me.

scarcely barely or hardly

mass solid object

grin smile
A Walk by the Seashore

It was shortly after six o'clock in the evening when I went for a walk by the seashore in Penang.
The tide was just coming in and waves were beating strongly against the rocks. Seagulls were
flying over the sea, looking for fish and swooping down onto the water every now and then.
The scene was truly a beautiful one to behold. The sun was sinking beneath the horizon and the
sky was painted with beautiful tints of pink, gold, orange and yellow. Its reflection on the sea
held me spellbound. There was a magical touch about it and it was created by the dancing waves
that shimmered in the twilight.
I saw fishermen returning wearily after a day of toil out at sea in their boats which were probably
loaded with fish. There were many people strolling along the beach, enjoying the cool sea
breeze. Children were the happiest as they ran and dipped their little feet in the cool sea water,
letting out squeals of delight as the waves teased them.
I felt at peace, surrounded by the beauty of Mother Nature and tranquility as I welcomed the
close of the day by the seashore that evening.

swoop

to move very quickly and easily through the air, especially down
from a height in order to attack

tint a small amount of color

spellbound having your attention fixated as though by a spell

twilight the period just before it becomes completely dark in the evening

toil hard work

squeal to make a long very high sound or cry

tranquility calm and peaceful
Composition helps the student to express his views on what is happening in the world
around him, besides expressing personal thoughts, feelings and experiences.
A Flooded Village

It was the rainy season and, for one whole week, the rain poured incessantly. The water level in
the river rose steadily until the water spilt over, flooding many low-lying areas.
My village was one of the areas affected and we had to move our belongings to higher ground.
There, we waited for rescue teams to arrive. The whole village was submerged in about one
meter of water. The currents were swift and merciless, sweeping away livestock and furniture.
Red Crescent members could be seen busy evacuating old folk, women and children trapped by
the rising waters. Flood victims were taken to a Flood Relief Centre. Here we were given hot
drinks, porridge and milk for the babies. Some had to be given clothes and blankets as they could
not save anything in time.
After three days, the rain subsided and the flood waters receded. It was such a relief to see the
sun again. Flood victims began to move back home, to clean up the place as well as to assess the
damage.

incessantly never stopping, especially in an annoying or unpleasant way

evacuate to move people from a dangerous place to somewhere safe

recede to move further away into the distance

It was a cool, breezy evening. It had been a long time since the temperature had
dipped this low so Neil and his brother, Freddy, took this chance to stay out in the
patio for a little while longer after dinner. as they sat there, they sipped the homemade
lemonade that their mother had prepared and chatted for a while. Despite their four-
year gap in age, the two brothers had always been close.
Their relaxing evening was disrupted by a sudden explosion. The boys almost choked
on their drinks. They stood up and tried to scan the area to see what might have
caused it. In the distance, they spotted a glow. They deduced that Mr. Jacob's farm
was on fire. Neil immediately ran into the house and called for the fire brigade.
Meanwhile, Freddy and his father ran as fast as they could towards Mr Jacob's farm to
render help.
As soon as Freddy, Neil and their father arrived at the farm, the house was already
ablaze. Thankfully, Mr Jacob and his family had managed to escape the inferno. Mrs
Jacob was checking her children to make sure that they were unharmed. The boys and
men who had gathered tried to put out as much of the fire as they could. In about ten
minutes, the sirens of the fire engines could be heard wailing in the air. Everyone
stepped aside and let the firefighters do their job. Poor Mr Jacob could only stand by
helplessly as his house was burnt to a crisp.
It took the firefighters almost two hours to put out the blaze. It turned out that Mr
Jacob's kitchen stove had a leaking gas pipe which caused the explosion and the
resulting fire. That evening, all the neighbors rallied around the Jacob family. They
offered the family food and lodging for the night.
During the period of time that the house was being rebuilt, Mr Jacob and his family
stayed with his cousin who lived nearby. This way, the children's schooling was not
affected and Mr Jacob could supervise the construction of his house. In the midst of
this tragedy, Mr Jacob was very grateful to have such good neighbors who lent a
helping hand in his time of need.
Imagine that you have witnessed a fire that razed a squatter area. Describe the incident in
not fewer than 350 words.
A Squatter Fire

I had never seen a house on fire before, only filmed reports of it on the television. So, one
evening when I heard the siren screams of a few fire-engines rushing past my house, I dashed
into the street and joined a growing crowd of curious people. We could see the fire only from a
safe distance as the police had cordoned off the place for security reasons. even at a distance, I
could recognize that the affected houses were in a squatter area where my part-time maid, Mani,
lived.
What a terrible scene greeted my eyes ! The fire was raging through the shabbily built houses.
Flames leaped up hungrily to devour the wooden sheds. every now and then tongues of fire
would shoot up almost skyhigh, sprinkling bright red sparks of fire about. Fiery wooden beams
crashed and glowed brightly. Thick black smoke spread all around.
Dozens of firemen from the four fire-engines were busily engaged in putting out the fire. The
rushing water from several hoses soaked the houses but it did not seem to have any effect on the
flames. Soon, a few firemen with hoses in their hands were seen climbing up tall red ladders of
the fire-engines. The continuous flooding from the top finally brought the fire under control.
Where it had been red there was only black -- the charred remains of ruined houses.
While all eyes were transfixed on the inferno, the plight of the victims did not escape the eyes of
the spectators. Firemen were seen dragging wailing women away from the burning houses to a
safe area. Frightened children clutched to their mothers. Some of the men simply stared
speechlessly as they witnessed their homes reduced to ashes.
It took only 30 minutes before the whole squatter area, comprising mainly wooden houses, was
razed to the ground. No one could salvage anything. According to a reporter, the estimated loss
was around 1 million dollars. Although the amount may seem insignificant to some, for the
victims it was all they had. Their only consolation was the fact that no lives were sacrificed
Though I watched with great sympathy for the other victims of the fire, my real fear the concern
were for Mani. All this while, I was straining my eyes to catch a glimpse of her. What a relief
when I finally saw her standing with downcast eyes in the midst of other fire victims. My
heart went out to her.

cordon off

If people in authority, such as the police, cordon off a building or
area, they put something around it in order to stop people from
entering it

transfix

unable to move or stop looking at something because they are so
interested, surprised or frightened

go out to sb

If your thoughts or sympathies go out to someone in a difficult or
sad situation, you think of them and feel sorry for them






A Busy Street

Petaling Street in Kuala Lumpur has got to be one of the busiest street, if not the busiest, in
Malaysia. To be in it just once is to know the meaning of the word "busy".
I happened to be in it a few days before the Chinese New Year. On both sides of the street were
hawkers with all sorts of goods for sale. Fruits, cakes, fireworks, food and other things were
displayed openly for people to come and buy. The five-foot ways were not big enough, so the
hawkers and their customers actually spilled into the narrow street itself making it
a hazardous place for drivers and motorcyclists. Every few seconds a horn sounded as the
vehicles crawled cautiously among the throng.
There were so many people there that if I had not been with my father I would probably have got
lost. My father knew his way around. So I held on tightly to his hand as he led me through the
crowd. A number of times I nearly knocked into someone, or rather, someone nearly knocked
into me. Everyone seemed to be in a rush and nobody seemed to care whether they trampled on
another.
We were there to buy some cakes for the New Year. At the shop we had to wait a long time
before we could pay for what we wanted. The shop was crowded with other shoppers.
After our purchase, we made our way carefully out of the street. Once outside, the air felt so
much fresher. Though we had to walk some distance to our car, it was so much more pleasant
than walking among the crowd of frenzied shoppers along the busy street.

hazardous dangerous

throng a crowd or large group of people

trample

to step heavily on something or someone, causing damage
or injury

An Adventurous Trip
You have just returned from the trip advertised below. Write a letter to your friend about your
experience

Dear Gerald,

Thank you for the letter I received two weeks ago. I am sorry to hear that you did not go
anywhere for your holidays. Gosh! What did you do then? Were you up to any of your pranks? I
am sure you drove everyone up the wall.

As for me, I had a most exciting adventure or rather a cruise along Slang River. In case you don't
have a clue about what I am rattling about, let me enlighten you. I went on a nature related
holiday package. The two days, one night adventure kicked off on 14th September and was
jointly organized by a group of concerned individuals and communities who are seeking to
preserve the natural surroundings of Slang River. Never before has a weekend been such a
rejuvenating one. My two friends joined me.

We were so keyed up for the whole adventure that we spent weeks preparing for it.People came
in droves for the much-publicized trip. The trip entailed a lot of jungle trekking, village visits
and picnics. All the participants congregated at the Open House Information Center at 8 a.m. on
Saturday, 14 September. We were all raring to goand when given the cue, we quickly got into
our boats. In between the melodious chirpings of birds we heard the disgruntled cries of other
jungle creatures. Besides that, the monotonous chirpings of the cicadas could be heard
throughout the trip.

Various activities engendering the green spirit had been lined up. On the first day, we went for
short jungle treks and bird watching. We drank in the lush greenery and the picturesque riverine
scenes. Before dusk we put up our tents and camped beside a waterfall. The next day, we geared
ourselves for more exciting activities like fishing, rafting and village visits. By the end of the
afternoon, we were all worn out and were beyond appreciating nature. We came back exhausted
but each of us had a store of memories, which will not be easily effaced.

That is all about my trip. Do write and tell me how you spent your holidays.

Bye.

drove everyone up the wall irritated everyone

keyed up excited

people came in droves many people came

raring to go eager to go

Camping in the highlands

The highlands have their fascination for those who love camping. With its hills and dales, green
valleys, murmuring rivers and silence only to be broken by the chirping of birds, and the buzzing
of beetles, the attraction will be endless. One must be a seeker and be willing to keep company
with nature, be physically hardy and resolute to face hardships have a philosophical attitude and
be poetically inclined to enjoy the pleasures of camping in the highlands. It would be to have one
or two companions to share the joy and adventures of camping in the highlands.
For a city-bred person who is accustomed to noise, dust, smells and all sorts of pollutions,
camping in the highlands has its thrills from sunrise to sunset. One may study the habits of birds
and animals. One may enjoy the sky at night with its sentinel stars. One also can find time to
read, draw or reflect. That is why most of the saints of the world sought the peace of caves and
mountains.
To enjoy camping, one must be familiar with forest craft even though one need not be an expert.
For instance, one must enjoy walking, be able to climb trees and hills, be able to satisfy with
simple food which he has to prepare, and revere the habitat of animals. He must be able to pitch
his tent and know how to go about preparing the camp site.
A tent when properly set up will give a certain amount of protection against wind and rain as
well as shelter for sleeping. A provision box should be well provided with necessary things for
making food, a few plates, cups and saucers and other necessary items for cooking. One must
take pleasure in cooking, otherwise there mustn't be enough food to last for the period of
camping. A radio set or a casette player with a selected list of tapes would help drive away the
silence and loneliness of the night. Anyway before going on a camp one must plan well to avoid
disappointments. Above all what is needed is a mind to enjoy it.
Great philosophers and writers have praised the value of camping in the great open. For instance,
R. L. Stevenson praises such a life in his 'night among the pines'. Thoreau, the American
philosopher has a lot to say about such a life far from the maddening crowd.
It I will certainly enlarge ones views of life and may help one to see the hands of God shaping
nature around us.




Read the passage carefully. Then choose the correct answer.

I had always wondered what it would be like to go camping. I love the outdoors but this is one
thing I've never done. So when my Boy Scout's group planned a camping activity for the
holidays, I jumped at the chance. My mother was reluctant at first.
Eventually, she gave her permission. Whooppee !!!
The night before camp, I checked my haversack. Sleeping bag, water bottle, torchlight,
compass, clothes; I was all set !
At the campsite, my heart was beating fast. My first camping trip ! I was put in the same group
as some of my classmates. We played games to get to know one another better. After lunch, we
learnt some survival and hiking skills. This was when the compass came in useful ! We also
had to play games that taught us teamwork and to learn to trust our teammates. The night
activities were just as fun. We had night trails, ad I finally got to use my torchlight. And at the
end of the night, we had a huge campfire. We sat around it, sang songs and told ghost stories.
This was definitely not my last camping trip !


ALL ANSWERS MUST BE IN COMPLETE SENTENCES

1. Has the narrator ever been on a camping trip ? Which sentence tells you this ?

2. Did the narrator's mother give her permission straight away ?

3. What were the things that the narrator had to bring on his camping trip ?

4. Why do you think the narrator's heart was beating fast ?

5. Did the narrator enjoy his camping trip ? Which sentence tells you so ?






For each of the texts or passages below, summarize into one sentence

1.
Penang has been experiencing a delay in rainfall. In fact there has been no rain on the island over
the last few months. The water level at the Air Itam dam which supplies water to the residents of
the island, has been dropping causing great concern to the authorities. Meanwhile, the situation is
being monitored closely by all concerned.

2.
After retiring as a commercial diver, Raj decided to set up a diving school of his own. He proved
to be as successful as a trainer as he was a commercial diver. Thousands of professional divers
from all over the country have graduated from his training school. His advice has been constantly
sought and he has given lectures and conducted short courses all over the world.

3.
For those interested in camping, here are some useful tips. First, remember to choose your
equipment carefully to enable you to travel light and yet have all your need. Your personal need
may include clothing, shoes, and toiletries. A rucksack is useful as there is a lot of walking.
Ensure that your camping group bring along a first-aid kit.

4.
Almost all species of bats are declining rapidly. This is largely due to slaughter, habitat loss and
pesticide poisoning. Fruit bats are also a table delicacy to many Asians. In Europe, some bat
populations have fallen by 90%, resulting in an explosion of insect pests that requires increasing
sue of dangerous chemical pesticides.

5.
For those who wish to take up canoeing, the first most important thing to do is to learn to swim.
You can then proceed to take lessons on canoeing. For safety, it is a must that he wears a life
jacket. He is strongly advised to go in groups and not to venture alone. Once he has mastered the
skill of canoeing, he will enjoy paddling his craft anywhere he wishes to go.