Escolar Documentos
Profissional Documentos
Cultura Documentos
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TASK A
Each 2-min presentation should include 5 important elements:
Greetings
Repeat situation from the question
State the point given to you
3 pts with relevant explanation & examples
Conclusion
Greetings
Good morning to everyone.
Good morning I bid to one and all.
Good morning to the examinerS and all candidateS.
A very good morning I wish to all examinerS and fellow candidateS
Repeat Situation
Today we are talking about
The situation I have been given is
According to the situation
Based on the situation given
State the point given
I would like to give 3 reasons for my point which is
There are 3 reasons to support my point which is
My point is ________ so to elaborate I would like to discuss 3 reasons.
I think that ____________ is the best idea.
3 Pts (Explanation & Examples)
Firstly, I think thatThis is because.. Moreover,... For example,
Secondly, another reason is In addition, For instance,
Finally, in my opinionFurthermore, A good example is...
Conclusion
In conclusion, this is the best point because
To conclude, I still agree that
In a nutshell, I feel that
In short, my idea is the best because
p/s: Its ok if you dont speak on 3 points.No penalty as long as you develop even one point well with good
elaboration and examples. The 3 points we stress on is just for practice.you dont have a conclusion.No
penalty but if you manage to do a conclusion you will logically score higher because your presentation is
more structured. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS TALK NON-STOP FOR 2 MINS!!!!
TASK B
Agree
I agree with you. (NOT: Im agree.)
Thats a great idea!
I see your point!
Thats an interesting perspective.
I like your suggestion.
Indeed!
I concur with your point of view.
Disagree
Im sorry but I disagree.(NOT: Im not agree)
Im afraid I have to disagree with your idea.
I dont see eye to eye with you.
Thats not a good idea/suggestion.
I beg to differ
Interrupting
Excuse me, may I interrupt please.
Id like to add something please.
May I say something?
Could you please hear me out.
Pardon me but could I add something please.
Questioning
So what do you think, Candidate X?
How about your point of view?
Candidate X, would you like to give us your opinion?
Does anyone agree with me?
Why dont we consider the other points?
I dont understand, can you please repeat?
Any suggestions?
Concluding
In conclusion, ALL OF US agree that
To conclude, MOST OF US agree that
In a nutshell, SOME OF US agree thatwhile SOME OF US prefer
As time is running out, it seems that ALL OF US CANT AGREE on which option is the best because
each point has many advantages and disadvantages.
Listen to the others while they are making their presentations and take down notes for the group
discussion in Task B.
You are given two minutes to prepare points to support or oppose the other candidates views.
After you have listened to everyone, try to come to a decision as to which of the four suggestions
is the best.
Situation
Your brother has been given the opportunity to study in England on a government scholarship. You and
your family are very proud of him. Decide on a special gift for him to prepare for his trip abroad.
Task A: Suggest that they give him cash. Say why.
Task B: Discuss which of the following would be most useful.
i. cash
ii. a computer
iii. some suitable clothing
iv. some Malaysian foodstuff
Candidate A
Task A: Suggest that they give him cash. Say why.
Good morning to the examiners and my fellow friends. Im very happy that my brother has just received a
scholarship to study in England. My relatives and I would like to give him a special gift. We all think that
the best gift is money because it will be very useful for him.
The first reason is with cash he can buy the things that he needs when he gets there. There will me
a lot of things that he will need like new books, stationery, clothes and food. He will also need to pay for
transportation like taking the bus or train to go to the university campus. As we know, it is very expensive
in England so any money we give him will be very useful.
Secondly, my brother can use the money to buy a mobile phone when he gets to England. I think
this is very important in case of emergencies so we can contact him easily. Furthermore, he can sms us and
keep us updated with his progress in his studies there. Hence, if we really miss him we can just give him a
call.
Finally, I also think giving him money is the best choice because it is light and doesnt take up a
lot of space. If we were to give him a computer, books or winter clothes it will be very heavy and bulky for
him to bring to England. Therefore, I think that it is much easier to bring money and buy those things when
he gets there.
In conclusion, these are some of the reasons why I think giving him cash is the best choice. To me,
it is the most useful gift we can give him. Thank you.
Candidate B
Task A: You suggest that they give him a computer. Say why.
A very good morning I bid to one and all. My relatives and I are very proud of my brother. He has just
received a scholarship to study in England and so we would like to give him a special gift. We believe that
the best present for him is a laptop computer.
Firstly, as a university student, my brother will have to do many assignments. If he has a laptop computer
he can bring it everywhere and consequently, do his work anytime and anywhere. Thus, he will not have to
share the computers at the computer room with other students and he will be able to do his work more
quickly and efficiently.
Another point is that when he boards the plane from KLIA to London, he will be able to bring the laptop
with him easily because it is compact and light compared to a desktop computer. Hence, it will not be too
much trouble to transport it to England.
Last but not least, if he has a laptop he will be able to connect to the internet. This has two main
advantages as firstly, he can do a lot of research online. The world wide web is a fountain of information so
it will be very useful for him to make full use of this technology. Furthermore, he can keep in touch with
friends and family here in Malaysia by e-mail.
In short, a laptop computer will prove to be very useful to my brother. He can do his assignments, research
for information and keep in touch with us using it therefore it will make the best gift. Thank you for
listening.
Candidate C
Task A: You suggest that they give him some suitable clothing. Say why.
To the examiners and my fellow candidates, a wonderful morning I bid you. My brother was lucky enough
to receive a scholarship to study overseas. We want to send him off with a nice gift so we have decided to
buy him some suitable clothing.
The main purpose for buying him some suitable clothing is because the weather in England is very
different from the weather in our country. There are four seasons there so he will need to have different
clothes for different situations. For example, we can buy him some sweaters, cardigans, scarves, snowcaps,
thick socks and gloves and many more. These will definitely keep him warm in winter.
The second reason is we think that he should have clothes that reflect our Malaysian identity. This is
because he will be a young ambassador for our country so if he has a few sets of traditional clothing like
the Baju Melayu or formal Batik shirts, I am sure he will not only look good but promote our culture
overseas.
Lastly, neat clothes make a good impression. For instance, if we buy him some everyday clothes like jeans
and trousers with nice shirts and matching ties, this will give him a good feeling about himself so he will
walk a bit straighter and talk a bit wiser. Moreover, people will look at him and have a good impression
about Malaysian students.
To conclude, I think that the best present to give him is some suitable clothing because it will be very
useful and will reflect positively on him. Thank you very much.
Candidate D
Task A: You suggest that they give him some Malaysian foodstuff. Say why.
I would like to wish everyone here a very good morning. As we all know, my brother has won a
scholarship to study in England. Therefore, some relatives and I have decided to give him some Malaysian
foodstuff as a going away present.
First and foremost, one of the main problems Malaysians face when studying overseas is that it is hard to
find Halal food. We feel it is a good idea to give him some Malaysian foodstuff because it will take time
for him to get used to the place and find out where to buy Halal food. Thus, in the meantime he can enjoy
the Malaysian foodstuff that we have given to him.
The next reason is because some of the foodstuff we are used to having here in Malaysia is quite hard to
find in UK. Most students studying overseas really enjoy eating Maggi Mee and sambal belacan. For
instance, it is also hard to find the right spices for curry and rendang and so on so if we supply him with
enough Malaysian foodstuff, he can eat it whenever he misses home.
The final point I have is that he can use the Malaysian foodstuff we give him and cook it for the Westerners
there. Sometimes, universities organise events like Malaysian Night and so he and his friends can cook
some Malaysian specialities for them to taste a bit of our way of life. Hence, the Malaysian foodstuff will
be very useful to promote our culture.
In a nutshell, giving my brother Malaysian foodstuff to take with him to England is a good idea. This is
because he will have some familiar food to eat when he misses home and he can also share it with his new
friends. Thank you for listening to my opinion.
example,
______________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________.
C: I see your point but how about getting him ______________________________. In this way, he can
use
it
to
___________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________.
D:
A: Yes, I agree with you. To add to your point, I feel that ______________________
_________________________________________________________________.
This is so he will ___________________________________________________.
C: Im afraid I dont see eye to eye with both of you. Buying that as a present for him is not the most
useful
gift
because
__________________________________
_________________________________________________________________.
Moreover, ________________________________________________________.
Can you all understand what Im trying to say?
B: Indeed, I do see your point of view but I still feel that the most useful gift is __________________
because
it
can
___________________________________.
Another
reason
is
___________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________. For instance,
_______________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________.
D:
If
he
and
A: Im not sure I understand what you are saying. Can you explain it again, please.
D: What I mean is we should buy him _____________________________________ because it will me
more useful for him when he is studying in England. This is because
___________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________.
A: Aaah I see. Yes, I think it would be a very useful gift too. This way, he can
_________________________________________________________________.
C: Thats a good point, but dont you think if we gave him _____________________ it will be the most
useful for him as a student. I still believe that this is the most useful because
_____________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________.
Remember, we need to think of the best and most useful choice.
B: I agree with you, Candidate C. In addition, he can use this gift to _____________
_______________________________________________________________________________
______________. So candidates A & D, what do you guys think?
D: Now that youve explained it like that, I also agree that it will be the most useful. In fact, he could also
use
it
to
_________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________.
A: As for me, I feel that it is also the most useful. When he arrives at his university in England, he will be
able
to
____________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________.
C: Thats right. Well, after listening to all the points on the four choices we have, I think it is time to make
a conclusion.
D:
our
brother
D
Good morning .
I would like to begin by suggesting
One important reason is .(explain/give example)
Next, I would like to highlight ( )
Moving on to my next point, which is .. ( )
However / But / Nevertheless ..
On the one hand, happiness is maximised when happiness is shared. In general, everyday we interact with
the people closes to us be they family members, spouse, children, best friends or colleagues. In fact,
sometimes, happiness comes from external sources and we may not even know them personally. But it is
these very relationships with others that will build the foundation of happiness brick by brick. When we
need help, and a friend offers it, or when we just need to spend some quality time with our family and
every member of the family shows up, well, these instances feed happiness to our souls. Imagine if you
received really good news like a scholarship to study abroad but had no one to tell. Indeed, our happiness
would fade a little, or we might even end up depressed!
On the other hand, happiness diminishes when we have few or no good relationships with others. In times
of need, it is human nature to reach out for help especially from our closest and dearest. As a child, when
we fell and hurt our knees, we would call out for our mom or dad. When a friend backstabs you with nasty
gossip, we call our best friend to unload our unhappiness. In the workplace, when our colleagues treat us
unfairly, we go home to our spouses and use them as sounding walls to express our anger or
disappointment. Thus, the human race is fragile, and we depend on good human relationships to keep our
happy odometer high.
In short, it would be pointless to attain happiness yet be so lonely with no one to share the good times with.
Hence, each of us should work on improving and bettering our relationships in order to attain unlimited
happiness in life. Thank you and have a nice day.
Candidate C
A marvelous morning I bid to one and all. As the popular saying goes, 'Health is Wealth'. There is indeed a
whole lot of truth to this age old adage as I am sure everyone will admit that without health, we would live
a poor quality and even substandard life hence marring our ability to attain true happiness! Allow me to
further elaborate by providing a few different perspectives on this issue.
First and foremost, the level of our health will determine how happy we are. Surely there is not a single
soul out there who rejoices in being unhealthy and unwell. Basically, being healthy is crucial to our
happiness because if we cannot do even the simplest of things such as brushing our own teeth and going to
the toilet unassisted then it would be a very sad day indeed. There can be nothing joyful about waking up
every morning to face blood transfusions or chemotherapy or surgery after surgery. In fact it would be
downright depressing and it isn't any wonder that these people would suffer depression and even
contemplate committing suicide.
Conversely, when we have optimum health, happiness is easily attained. When you wake up in the
morning and stretch and take big lungfuls of fresh air, it makes us ready to face the challenges in the day
ahead. We are able to play our role in society well be it as a student with a sharp mind to study better, or a
worker in this industrious world, doing our job well. Or when our health is maximised, athletes all around
the world break records and cry in jubilation as when Usain Bolt does when he literally flies down the
track or when Micheal Phelps or even Lin Dan lifts the Olympic gold medals high in victory.
Needless to say, in conclusion, happiness is easily attainable when we are healthy because it is one of the
pillars of the basic necessities in life in order to truly achieve a state of bliss. Thank you.
Candidate D
To the examiners and my fellow candidates, a wonderful morning I bid you. The topic given today is rather
interesting as it brings to mind a commonly asked question, "Is the glass half empty or it is half full?" A
person with a positive outlook would surely answer 'half full' and this colours his or her life with positive
energy therefore making happiness truly easily attainable. Allow me to elaborate what I mean about a
positive outlook.
Firstly, a positive outlook gives us a means of inventing options. What does this mean exactly? Well,
people who are positive do not give up easily, in fact, they make it a point to inspect every avenue and
come up with innovative ways to overcome any obstacle. For instance, after studying so hard a student
fails due to a death in the family during exam time and she could not concentrate. Rather than surrender to
her fate, she takes it as a challenge to get back up on the horse and find a job. After a few years of working,
she collects enough money to do her degree on a part time basis and after 3 or 4 years, she finally
graduates. This is because she has a positive outlook and looked hard for other options to change her fate.
At the end, she has managed to attain happiness when her goals are achieved.
In addition, a person with a positive outlook seem to draw positive energy into her radius and somehow
good things start to happen to her. Even when bad things happen, like an accident that messes up her car,
she would still find the silver lining in the sense that she is thankful to be alive and more grateful still for
not having harmed anyone else. Therefore, a positive outlook is crucial in attaining happiness because it is
a wonderful ability to find the good in any bad situation.
In short, people with a positive outlook with find happiness under every stone, at every corner because
they are better able to be happy and content with their lot in life. Thank you for lending me your ears.
Secondly, toilet cleaners are also instrumental in maintaining the facilities in the public toilets. This
is because it is quite common for public property like toilets to be vandalised by irresponsible people.
Some trash the place and spray graffiti on the walls, while there have also been cases of breaking toilet
bowls, sinks and others. If the toilet cleaners are around, these incidences can be reduced greatly and
society can enjoy a better and cleaner image. Therefore, toilet cleaners have a very meaningful job because
they help maintain a good impression of our country especially to international tourists.
Last but not least, being a toilet cleaner is an extremely meaningful contribution to society because
not many people want to do this menial task. The responsibility of cleaning toilets is not a glamorous job,
in fact, people may be embarrassed to tell others that their occupation in life is a toilet cleaner. However, I
completely believe that without them, public toilets would hazardous to our health and they provide us a
service that is crucial and necessary for a healthy lifestyle. Hence, we should be thankful to them for their
commitment in their profession.
In essence, the most meaningful contribution to society is by toilet cleaners because they help
maintain hygiene, our countrys image and it is a thankless job. Thank you and have a nice day.
Discuss the best reasons why people should grow their own fruits and vegetables.
Candidate A: Good for the family budget
Candidate B: Good for the environment
Candidate C: Good for health
Candidate D: Good for making use of available land
Task B:
Discuss which is the best reason why people should grow their own fruits and vegetables.
Set 5
Task A:
Discuss characteristics that make people happy.
Candidate A: Be grateful
Candidate B: Have a positive outlook
Candidate C: Have a good relationship with others
Candidate D: Have a goal
Task B:
Discuss which of the characteristics above will most likely make people happy.
Set 6
Task A:
Discuss ways to overcome tiredness.
Candidate A: Have a good sleep and rest
Candidate B: Have a balance between work and play
Candidate C: Have healthy eating habits
Candidate D: Exercise regularly
Task B:
Discuss which is the best way to overcome tiredness.
Set 7
Task A:
Discuss sectors or industries that have the best job scope.
Candidate A: Agriculture sector
Candidate B: Business sector
Candidate C: Manufacturing industry
Candidate D: Entertainment industry
Task B:
Discuss which of the sectors or industries above has the best job scope.
END-2009
(BOOKLET 1)
Which of the following is the most important factor that can affect the reputation of a family?
i)Behaviour of family members
ii)Income levels of family members
iii)Educational levels of family members
iv)Occupations of family members
(BOOKLET 2)
The public has been advised that the consumption of water should be reduced.Where can you save water
most?
i)At home
ii)In schools
iii)In public places
iv)In restaurant
(BOOKLET 3)
For any teamwork to succeed,it is most important to choose agood team leader.What are the qualities that
you would look for in choosing a good leader?
i)Well-liked and well-respected
ii)Knowledgeable and competent
iii)Patient and rational
iv)Fair and open-minded
(BOOKLET 4)
The increasing price of foodstuff affects everyone.Suggest how you can save money spent on
foodstuff.Which is the following is most effective in saving money spent on foodstuff.
i)Eating more home-cooked food
ii)Buying only the foodstuff that you need
iii)Growing fruits and vegetables
iv)Not wasting food
(BOOKLET 5)
Malaysians should be proud of the fact that various groups can live together in peace and harmony because
of our generally tolerant nature.How can this be improved?To which group of people should we know our
greatest tolerance?
i)People of different cultures
ii)People from different age groups
iii)People with dfferent habits
iv)People who are disabled
(BOOKLET 6)
There has been a lot of discussions on what should be done to young people who break the law.Suggest
what action should be taken.Which of the following is the most effective way to reform young people who
have broken the law?
i)Send to jail
ii)Send to rehabilitation centres
iii)Made to do social work for a number of hours
iv)Place under the guidance of mentors
(BOOKLET 7)
Lifespan and health conditions have improved tremendously.As a result,many people who retire in their
fifties are still fit and alert.Suggest options available for people of this age group.Discuss which of the
following will most benefit retired people.
i)To be re-employed
ii)To start a small business
iii)To do social work
iv)To learn something new
(BOOKLET 8)
It has been said that young people in Malaysia today are considered lucky.Why it this so?Whis of the
following has helped young Malaysians today the most?
i)They grew in a time of peace and prosperity
ii)They have easy access to more information
iii)The government has provided better facilities for sports and recreation.
iv)The education system has offered them more opportunities
(BOOKLET 9)
Malaysian food manufacturers would like to sell more of their products overseas.Suggest what they can
do.Which is the most effective way of increasing sales of Malaysian food products overseas?
i)Improve the packaging of the products
them in their skills and technique. The foreign coach also could teach them the new technique
so our athlete will not fall behind the advance level of other country. Professional foreign
coach would also help athlets to find out their mistake made in their performance. So that
they can get rid of the error in the competition. Proffesional coaches also able to plan
strategies for the competition...
Paper 4 Wriing
SAMPLE 1) YEAR END 2008: MUET WRITING 800/4 QUESTION 2
People are becoming more materialistic. They are concerned with making more money and what
money can buy. What is your opinion on being materialistic? You should write at least 350 words.
[60 marks]
They say that money makes the world go round. And indeed it does as without money, life would be very
difficult as in todays society, nothing is free. The side effect however is that people are becoming more
materialistic; more concerned with making money and what money can buy. But how much money is
enough? Is it ever enough? To some, it will never be enough. In my opinion, I truly believe that this
statement is true and that people are becoming more materialistic in nature. In this essay, I will discuss how
materialism has affected modern societys way of life on an individual level, the countrys economy as
well as our spiritual and moral beliefs.
First and foremost, each individual is affected by materialism to some extent in this day and age because
hedonism is becoming an uprising trend. This is because today's generation are geared towards making
more and more money so that they can enjoy the carefree lifestyle that is so popular these days. Moreover,
people now are striving to earn more income in order to afford things that are more expensive and branded.
For example, people spend their hard earned money on material objects like genuine LV and Coach
handbags, expensive gadgets like Iphones and Tablet pcs and so on which in my opinion is a waste of
money when regular goods may prove to be good enough. Therefore, while individuals become more
focussed on their pursuit of material wealth and improving their standard of living, they may forget that
what matters most in life is quality time spent with family and friends and not the quantity of their material
goods.
Secondly, when society starts spending in a materialistic manner it will surely have a domino effect on the
countrys economy. This means that the spending power of society will help boost the economy and create
more business opportunities for the booming trade. However, when a society overspends, using plastic
money or credit cards, or when they take loans they cannot afford to repay, then the countrys debt margin
will be higher. For instance, USA today is facing an economic crisis because banks have approved home
loans to people who aspire to own bigger houses than they can actually afford and this is causing the
collapse of the countrys economy there. Thus, while a societys spending habits helps our economy to
grow, overspending due to materialism will have an adverse effect to the countrys financial stability.
Last but not least, materialism affects our spiritual and moral beliefs. This is due to the fact people who are
materialistic may become amoral whereby they disregard their spiritual and moral upbringing and instead
turn to crime to satisfy their materialistic needs. In fact, the crime rate is increasing because criminals these
days have developed many ways to gain more money from society. Take for example, there are more
reports of snatch thefts, burglaries, kidnapping for ransom, credit card fraud, internet banking hacking and
others that are driven by materialistic criminals. Hence, when people lose sight of their spiritual and moral
beliefs and believe instead in the greed of materialism, therefore the crime rate is bound to increase.
In a nutshell, materialism is a common agenda in the 21st century as more people are working hard to
afford things beyond their reach. While this may spur individuals to work harder to improve their standard
of living, overspending due to materialism may cause the downfall of a countrys economy and their
morality. In my opinion, I still firmly believe that materialism has a strong hold on todays society; both
positive and negative effects. Our government can encourage society to be less frivolous and wasteful in
spending by running campaigns such as Consumer Awareness and Buy Malaysian Made Products in
order to educate our younger generation for the prosperity of our nation.
World commitment, respect and tolerance for the global community through efficient and clear ecommunication. Take for example, we are able to connect with people on an international basis using
Facebook, Friendster, Tagged, Hotmail, Yahoo and others. Hence, these tools will enhance global unity and
create a more peaceful world.
In a nutshell, this growing trend has many positive effects not just to individuals but the global society in
terms of efficiency, enhancing communicative skills and shaping a borderless community. In my opinion, I
still firmly believe that this latest trend is the best way forward and if we do not catch up, we will be left
behind by the tide of development. Our government can encourage the proper usage of electronic
communications by increasing communication amenities and free broadband accessibility especially in
rural areas so that they can enjoy the same facilities as city-folks therefore balancing the development of
our country towards achieving Vision 2020.
especially negative influence from friends, can shake his hold on his principles and cause him to commit
undesirable deeds like smoking, stealing, raping, murdering and others. Hence, if a person values
friendship so much to the point where he is willing to break his principles, then he has done a serious
misdeed against himself and will most likely regret his actions later in life.
In short, friendship is the rainbow of life as it colours our horizons with invaluable experiences but without
good health, a supportive family and strong principles, life becomes empty and meaningless. In my
opinion, it is beyond a shadow of a doubt that I still firmly believe that friendship is not the most valuable
thing in life. Our government can encourage people to prioritise health, family and principles in life by
organising awareness campaigns especially in primary schools where the younger generation should learn
about priorities in life because they are the leaders of tomorrow.
affected. This means that new families will consciously decide not to have too many children in order to
increase their quality of life. In addition, society is now more aware of birth control and family planning so
this will greatly reduce the population as most families will have 1 to 5 children instead of more. Take for
example, new families with less children will surely spend less on basic necessities like food, clothes,
transport and many more. Hence, the demographics of the whole country will be affected and this in turn
will reduce our workforce which will affect our country's productivity and prosperity.
In short, there are many short term to long term effects of a fuel price increase which includes more crimes
like hoarding and smuggling will occur and this leads to the widening of the gap between the rich and the
poor as well as a change in the society's demographics. I still strongly believe that the rising fuel price has
pushed up the price of other consumer products and this will surely cause a negative impact to society. The
government must find a way to stabilise the fuel price at a reasonable rate so that it does not affect the
productivity of this country towards achieving the aspirations of the nation for Vision 2020.
Sample 5
Man's careless attitude is the main cause for the destruction of the
environment. Discuss. You should write at least 350 words. (60 marks)
Below is a good sample answer written by Franky, my 2013 lower 6 science student.
In this modern civilization, man struggles to survive the high cost of living expenses,
which significantly increases with each passing year. This causes them to use any
method available that generates income and they start to sideline the importance of
preserving nature. This is due to mankind realising the potential of economy that can
come from nature. So, I strongly believe the destruction of nature is mostly caused
by man's careless attitude whereby they prioritise their greed for money and the
development of civilisation. Let us analyse this phenomenon in terms of the
country's development, illegal activities of exploiting nature and the job
opportunities.
First of all, many nations try to achieve the title of the most leading nation in
economy or infrastructure. So in order to compete with other countries, most nations
try to explore any available land in their country for development such as industries,
tourist spots and many other purposes that are related to money. Whenever they see
the potential of a certain piece of land, they tend to develop it despite some of these
places might still be uninhabited or the home for many wildlife. Sometimes, they
would also plod through jungles or level the mountains for road development which
severely changes the landscape of nature. As a result, this selfish and careless act
will cause the deforestation and global warming. For example, Indonesia has become
quite careless with their handling of these problems. In Kalimantan, Indonesia, the
forest is being severely deforested by their people for land development. And to
make matters worse, they even choose the fastest and cos-saving method of
deforestation which is by burning down the trees, the mass release of carbon dioxide
from the mass burn down of trees lead to ozone thinning and greenhouse effect.
Also, the haze problem is another negative side product. As for the real victims of
these acts, they are the neighbouring nations such as Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand
and Philippines especially as haze causes many health issues such as lung cancer
and breathing problems. Therefore, these careless acts and greed not only cause the
destruction of nature but also endanger many lives, both man and animals.
Secondly, some people's greed for great fortune and easy life make them become
selfish and careless by over-exploiting nature. They willingly do illegal activities such
as cutting down trees or animal hunting, seeing the high demand for these materials.
It will slowly cause the depopulation of different kinds of flora and fauna. In China,
these activities of eating inner organs of animals such as tiger or bear and they even
use these animals' body parts for economic purposes such as tiger skin, crocodile
skin and elephant teeth and tusks by exporting it to those who pay a high price for it.
This has a serious effect on the ecosystem which is the extinction of animals. In
Indonesia, trees are being cut down for making expensive house furniture made of
material such as teak wood. In fact, these trees require a long period of 10 to 20
years to mature. Thus, the continuous cutting down of trees will eventually lead to its
extinction. These activities are illegal by law and still occurs widely despite many
countermeasures that have been taken by the authorised organisations such as
World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Somehow, these criminals are able to slip through the
organisations's enforcement laws of protecting the wildlife and nature. Plus, most
society are careless to even take notice of these problems because they have yet to
come to awareness of the dangers that would happen from these illegal acts. If only
they had given more attention and cooperation to the authorised organisations,
these problems might have been able to be prevented.
Lastly, to survive in this modern world, every person needs to be able to make a
living for themselves of their family, but many people with low education level
cannot get high salary jobs, even university scholars are yet to be certain of getting
a proper job after their graduation despite their high level of education. The
competition is just like the survival of the fittest among these graduates and people
with low qualifications. Therefore with the growing demand for more natural
materials such as petroleum gas and minerals from the earth as well as a high
demand of smuggled goods, people are willing to pay high prices to have employees
do their job of exploiting nature because these jobs are high risk. So people that are
desperately in need of jobs are usually tempted with the pay and they would take up
the call. This situation had opened up a lot of job opportunities, but they are careless
to not realise that these jobs are the main cause of nature's destructtion because
they are being pinned down by the pressure of high living cost in this modern world
that they have forgotten the importance of preserving nature.
In a nutshell, I still strongly believe in my opinion that nature's destruction is mainly
caused by man's careless attitude. They strive to make a living in the world so
desperately that some eventually deny the truth that it is their own fault for nature's
destruction. If no serious and proper actions are being taken immediately by many
wildlife and nature preserving organisations or authorised organisations such as
WWF, UNESCO and ASEAN to prepare an effective strategy or blueprint to prevent
this problem, there probably won't be any jungles or wildlife left in the future and our
young generaton will have to live in a polluted world.
QUESTION 2:
The world today is turning more to electronic communications such as the e-mail, Facebook and Short
Message System (SMS). What is your opinion of this growing trend? Discuss. You should write at least
350 words.
As time goes by, the world is changing rapidly; so are its people and the technology itself. Technology
brings about a lot of amendments in peoples life. It is getting more advanced from day to day especially
when it comes to Information Technology or in this case; electronic communications. Back then, mailing
was seemingly to be one of the most vital ways of communication especially for the world communication.
In contrast, nowadays people are more prone to communicate the easier ways; by staring on their
electronic accounts on their computers or through their iPods and sending short messages from their
iPhones or Blackberries. Why is it so? In my slight opinion, this growing trend gives a lot of dominances
in todays life, which are helping people to save their time and money, create borderless communication
and make it easy for people to gain prominent information.
Feedback
The student introduces technology as a whole, looking at its history, from how it has grown from a
simple form of communication through letters to todays extensive choice of communication through
electronic gadgets. This is a great way to start your introduction. Based on the question, explain what
the issue is and give a brief background of its past and present. State your opinion as to why such
situation arises.
First and foremost, the world today is turning more to electronic communications like e-mail, Facebook
and Short Message System (SMS) and other electronic communications is because they will prevent
people from wasting their time and money. How do these work? As we all know, sending a letter to
someone will take a lot of processes and will eventually take a long time and waste a lot of money. On the
contrary, electronic communications entail only the tip of our fingers so as an electronic device to work
with. Then, what is left for us to do is just, typing! Has that not taken a much lesser time and money? For
instance, an e-mail only requires us to turn on our laptops, open our accounts on the website and then, you
can start write your letter and send them through e-mails. In short, with the very unstable economy
nowadays, having these kinds of communications will ease everyones burden especially on their daily
expenses and also their valuable time will not be wasted.
Feedback
State, Explain and then Illustrate. Remember SEI. First, state the topic thats been mentioned. In this
case, its the rise of electronic communications. Then explain. Explain what electronic communications
entail. Next, illustrate. This means give examples based on your explanation. The student illustrates by
giving a scenario of the use of emails.
Secondly, the growing trend of electronic communications is making it possible for a borderless
communication which is vital these days. Why is it vital? A lot of things require borderless
communication; in education field, businesses and even daily activities, especially when foreigners
involved. For example, when trading with foreigners, in order to communicate with each other, they need
Skype or Yahoo Messenger as mediums to interact and be able to do the trade at a faster rate as compared
to by using snail mails or regular letters. Skype is the perfect example of an electronic communication
which will cut the boundary that has separated each country and make communication between two
different countries from around the world possible. In conclusion, it is crucial to have these electronic
communications in todays age of globalization as they make it easier for people around the world to
connect with each other.
Feedback
Structure your subsequent paragraphs like the first one. Add a new point in the second paragraph and
repeat the SEI format. Its important to have a mind map of your points before you start writing.
Last but not least, the dominance of these electronic communications is people could gain prominent
information more efficiently than before. As there are lesser borders between countries, the efficiency of
getting much more relevant and prominent information is higher. People will have the ability to provide
and gain information effectively through Facebook or Twitter accounts. For example, international artists
who have planned to do a world concert can inform their fans about it through their Facebook account.
Likewise, the fans also can ask just about anything to their favourite artists regarding the concert. Hence,
this explains why people make these electronic communications as a huge trend these days and in order to
keep the trend ongoing, each person has the responsibility to adapt with the technology itself.
In a nutshell, the growing trend of using electronic communications is inevitably vital in peoples lives as it
gives out a lot of benefits as stated in above paragraphs. So, to avoid ourselves from not getting the chance
of keeping up with the changing trends, we have to try our best to adapt ourselves with the rapid changes. I
believe that the electronic communication trend is a trend which is very important to be followed as the
world is getting more advanced day to day.
Feedback
To indicate that your essay is coming to an end, use words like in conclusion, in a nutshell, in short or
to wrap up. Summarise your opinion based on all your previous paragraphs and emphasise your point
through words like I believe.
Nov 2012 Writing: Women make better leaders than men' Sample Answer
Women Make Better Leaders Than Men
The debate between the supremacy of the genders have been in session since time immemorial. In the past,
it would seem that men had the upperhand but these days, women are starting to leave their mark in
many aspects from business to politics rather than just domestic affairs. In my humble opinion, both men
and women have the potential to be great leaders but the question of 'better leaders' does not lie in a
person's gender alone but his or her innate character. In this essay, let us explore the qualities that make
men and women great leaders before focusing on other factors that are unrelated to gender.
First and foremost, men have some distinctive qualities that make them far better leaders than women. We
can attribute this to the fact that men are generally physically stronger than women. This is undeniable
because a man has clearly more muscle mass than a woman so in terms of leadership that has to do with
physical ability, men win hands down. For example, in the army, most leaders are men that are buffed up
and better able to handle the physical exertions of this field compared to women who are more delicate in
structure. Men are also known to have better ability to strategise in terms of warfare and they seem to
command their armies better. For example, great leaders have been men such as Napoleon Bonaparte,
Genghis Khan, Hitler and so on. Moreover, men tend to be able to make quick decisions that are not
usually based on their emotions but logical, rational and practical reasons. Women, however, seem to be
very emotional creatures so they may make poor leadership decisions if they simply follow their feelings.
Therefore, men have many qualities like physical strength, ability to strategise well and make snap
decisions which can make them better leaders.
However, women have proven to be better leaders in an increasing number of cases. This can be seen as
more and more countries have entrusted women to be their leaders. These women have a more 'feminine'
approach to leadership which is more sensitive towards the needs of society. For instance, history is
peppered with exemplary female leaders such as Indira Ghandi, Benazir Bhutto, Eva Peron and present day
heroines such as Aung San Suu Kyi. Women tend to be more caring in nature and quite patient in dealing
with problems which makes them better leaders compared to men who could be less sensitive and
impatient. Most women are also known to be perfectionists, and this is an advantage because they are
often very meticulous and detailed in carrying out their duties as leaders. Thus, with a more open-minded
society, an increasing number of women are being given the onus to take the lead and may even one
day supersede men in their traditional leadership roles!
Although I have gone to great lengths to show that both men and women have the ability to be great
leaders, I still completely believe that 'leadership' has little to do with gender and a lot to do with a person's
innate character. This means that to be a great leader does not depend on whether you are male or female
but rather your personal characteristics that drive you to succeed. Men and women both possess the
qualities of confidence, responsibility, time management and delegation skills, public relations and good
communication skills, positive outlook, high commitment, creativity and innovation, forward-looking
visionaries and many other characteristics of a good leader. Hence, the question of gender should not arise
because being male or female does not guarantee the ability to lead well.
In conclusion, history has shown that men make better leaders but this is a faulty argument because it does
not take into consideration the fact in the old days women were discriminated against and not allowed to
lead. Today, society is more open-minded and more women are taking the helm and proving that women
can be better leaders. Nevertheless, leadership to me is 'genderless' whereby it is completely dependent on
a person's positive characteristics which makes people respect them and want to follow in their footsteps.
Every country needs more leaders regardless of gender so the government should conduct more selfimprovement leadership courses for the younger generation so they may become better future leaders of
our country
SAMPLE 1:
The Various Types of Cooking Oil Used in the Kitchen
The stimuli present a line graph on 'Global production of cooking oil (2000-2006)', a bar graph on 'Fat
content in commonly-used cooking oils' and an article excerpt on the healthiness of oils. In general, palm
oil is the most produced oil while the least produced but healthiest option is sunflower oil.
According to the line graph, the highest world oil production is palm oil increasing steadily from 25
million tonnes in 2000/01 to 35.5 million in 2005/06, beating soya oil by a small margin. Among the 5
types of oil, sunflower has the lowest production stabilising at just under 10 million tonnes from 2000 to
2006. Based on the bar graph, the healthiest oil is sunflower because it contains the second lowest fat
(12%) content and the highest healthy polyunsaturated fat (71%). This is followed by other healthy oils
with lower fat like canola (7%), olive (15%) and soya (16%). The unhealthy oils are very high in fat and
very low in polyunsaturated fat such as palm oil (51%) and coconut oil (91%). The article states that we
cannot be sure about how healthy the oils we eat are because it may contain too much trans fats leading to
SAMPLE 2:
Describe the general trend of the line graph and analyze the whole graph.
Sample Answer1:
The graph shows the incidence of x disease cases in Someland.The overall trend of the incidence of x
disease in Someland over 36 years was a marked rise, a series of constants and a substantial fall.
The outbreak of x disease started at 100 cases in 1960 which lasted for five years until 1965. The
number of cases then began to climb reaching 200 cases in 1970.Following this was a dramatic rise in the
number of cases to a peak of 500 in 1975.The value remained unchanged for five years until 1980.Then,
the incidence of x disease had a marked fall of 150 cases to a low of 350 in 1985.The number of cases then
continued to drop sharply to zero cases in 1990.The record had maintained for five years until 1995.
In conclusion, the incidence of x disease in Someland had experienced a series of climbs, constants and
drops from 1960 to 1995.
Sample Answer2:
The graph shows the incidence of x disease in Someland from 1960 to 1995. The incidence of x disease
had increased from 1965 to 1975, levelled off for five years at the peak and fell to zero cases in 1990 and
maintained until 1995.
There was an initial outbreak of 100 cases for the first five years. Then it started to climb and increased
dramatically to a peak of 500 cases from 1970 to 1975. The number of cases remained unchanged until
1980. Then, the number of cases started to fall rapidly to a zero incidence in 1990. The incidence of x
disease had been successfully controlled until 1995.
In conclusion, the incidence of x disease in Someland had experienced a marked increase for 10 years
and fell dramatically to zero cases in another 10 years from 1980 to 1990.
Question 4
Based on the bar graph above, write the general trend on the amount of sugar in certain foods.
Model Answer Bar Graph on Amount of Sugar in Certain Foods
The bar graph shows the amount of sugar in certain foods. Generally, chocolate delights, soda and icecream contain the highest percentage of sugar while ketchup, peanut butter and crackers contain much less
sugar.
Based on the chart above, we can see that all chocolate-based foods, soda and ice-cream have more than
21 per cent content of sugar. The lowest ranking sugar-laden food has about twice the content of sugar in
ketchup, peanut butter and crackers while the highest one, the chocolate bar at 33.2 per cent has three times
the amount.
Finally, we can conclude that the amount of sugar is comparatively high in certain foods due to the
nature of the foods themselves. It is so obvious that ketchup, peanut butter and crackers are comparatively
low-sugar foods.
Question 5
Compare the Highest level of education of women in Someland in 1945 with the one in 1995.
Model Answer:
The pie charts show the comparison of highest level of education of women in Someland in 1945 and
1995.Over a period of 50 years, there had been a huge change in the level of education among women in
Someland.
The most obvious changes were the number of dropouts, the year six and the ones under the third grade
category.There were no women dropouts, year six and third graders in 1995 meaning that these three
categories of level of education had disappeared totally in 1995.
On the other hand, the number of first degree graduates had dramatically increased from 1 per cent in 1945
to 50 per cent in 1995.Amazingly, there was an establishment of another category of level of
education,which is post graduate in 1995 valued at 20 per cent.
Apart from that,the year twelve category had increased from 4 to 20 per cent while the year 9 category
remained unchanged at 10 per cent.
In conclusion,the level of education of women in Someland had improved in 50 years. There were even
new categories of level of education emerging during the period.
Communication skills
Diligence
Teamwork skills
Computer literacy
Personality
Work ethics
Qualification
Motivation
Experience
Respect for authority
Ranking of
qualities
Employers look
for
In job applicants
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Ranking
qualities
applicants
believe
employers
for
5
6
7
3
4
8
1
9
2
10
of
look
Overview
The table shows that employers and job applicants have different views on the expected qualities
required at the workplace but both agree on respect for authority.
Comparing/synthesis
1. Employers ranked communication skill as top preference while job applicants ranked it fifth.
2. Both employers and applicants mutually agreed on respect for authority.
The two most important aspects in Question 1, Paper 4.
The two graphics show the results of a survey conducted on pet ownership and the reasons for keeping the
pets. Generally cats and dogs are the most favoured pets among owners for several reasons with the cats
most preferred by pet owners of all ages.
The cats are owned by 80 pet lovers while dogs are kept by 49. These two pets are popular among pet
owners for four common reasons that is; companionship, uniqueness and love for animals and competition.
Birds are kept by owners of all ages but only a few do. Another two preferred animals are tortoises and
rabbits which liked by children and quite a number of teenagers . It is also shown that snakes and spiders
are the most unpopular pets which are only owned by a few adults for their uniqueness.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------MUET Writing April 2013
Sample Answers