SPM English HOMEWORK Paper 1 Time: 1 hour 45 minutes Section B: Continuous Writing [ 50 marks] You are advised to spend

about one hour on this section.

Write a composition of about 350 words on one of the following topics: (a) Write an essay on the topic !!"n une#pected turn of events.$$ (b) %escribe someone whom you loo& upon as a role model. (c) 'ealth is better than wealth. What is your opinion( (d) " person who scores straight "s is a very intelligent person. What do you thin&( (e) Write a story that begins with !!) turned over the *uestion paper+..

Sample Answers: Question 2 (a) Write an essay on the topic, ``An unexpected turn of events. Sample Answer: )t started off ,ust li&e any other afternoon after school. ) had my lunch and was watching -. before starting on my homewor&. ) normally started on my homewor& at 3pm and too& my tea brea& at /.30 in the evening. -hat day as ) was watching -. ) heard the sound of brea&ing glass. )t sounded as if it came from a neighbour$s house across the road. ) listened attentively. -hen ) heard the sound of utensils falling down. -hen my immediate neighbour$s dog started bar&ing. ) sensed that something was wrong. ) opened the front door and loo&ed out at 0r Wee$s house. ) thought ) saw a movement in the bedroom through the window. ) &new that no one would be home and so ) called out to the maid. !!&a&a& &a&a&+. 1ut there was no sound. 1y then the other two neighbours had ,oined me. When we heard the maid screaming my neighbour 2iva ,umped over the gate and banged on the front door. 1efore ) &new it two men with mas&s rushed out of the house with a bag and were trying to ,ump over the wall. ) made a tac&le and brought the man down. 'e dropped the bag on me and ran away. 0y head ached awfully and we opened the bag. )nside was a laptop and a digital camera. -he maid phoned 0r Wee and he arrived shortly. ) went with 2iva and 0r Wee to the policestation to ma&e a report. 1y the time the drama ended it was already 3.30 and it was time for my "dd 0aths and 4hysics tuition till 5.30 pm. When ) got bac& from tuition ) had to relate the whole drama to my brother and sister. )t was only when ) was getting ready for school the ne#t day that ) realised that ) had not done my 0aths homewor&. 4uan 6essie was a real tyrant. When she wal&ed into the class ) dared not loo& at her. 2he stared at me and said !!0u7afar come here8$$ 9#pecting the worst ) dragged my feet to the front of the class. -hen she said !!:isten class. 0u7afar here is a hero. 'e too& the initiative to stop a thief from ransac&ing his neighbour$s house. -he ;esident$s "ssociation is going to give him a certificate of bravery and neighbourliness.$$ !!1ut+ 4uan 6essie how+$$ !!0u7afar 0r Wee is my brother. 'e told me you had saved his laptop which contains a lot of confidential stuff. 'e said you were a very brave boy. -han& you.$$ -he whole class started clapping. ) was a hero. -hat was an une#pected turn of events. Question 2 ( ) Describe someone whom you loo upon as a role model. Sample Answer: ) was at a 'i<tea that my parents had to attend. -hey didn$t want to leave me home so ) had to tag along. ) hated every moment of it until a young man not much older than me wal&ed into the room. -here was an aura of authority about him. 9ven the elderly .)4s stood up and waited to greet him. Young handome obviously rich and very friendly. 2uddenly the 'i<tea did not seem too bad. ) was =5 and very interested in ma&ing money and becoming rich but ) did not &now how. ) normally wait unitil my father introduces me to the guests but this time something about him bec&oned me. ) went up to him and introduced myself !!'i )$m 1illy $$ !!'ello $$ he replied with a smile !!)$m 'isham.$$ -he name did not ring a bell and ) thin& he &new ) did not &now who he was.

!!)$m 'isham 'isham 2antiago.$$ ) felt the blood go to my feet. -his was the 2antiago+ the young millionaire that my parents would often tal& about. 'e was only >0 but was a self<made internet millionaire. !!?h my goodness8 )$m sorry. ) did not recognise you. You loo& so terribly young.$$ !!)$m sorry to disappoint you $$ he replied and then we both burst out laughing. -he funny thing is+ for some reason he told his personal assistant to bloc& off half an hour for me88 )n that half an hour from 3.30 to /.00 pm ) became a changed person. 'isham didn$t tell me the easy way to become a millionaire. 'e told me that ) had to have passion in what ) wanted to do. 'e told me that passion alone was not enough he warned me that ) had to be committed. 'e showed me that consistency and patience were two other important factors for success. 'e pointed out that ) had no goals no proper vision no plan+ 'isham was the &ind of person ) wanted to become. "nd he is helping me. "t the moment he reminded me that my focus was getting through my e#ams with flying colours. With his help ) am learning to concentrate and do what ) have to do and learning to li&e studying too888 'e insisted that ) must get a good and strong foundation in my studies. 'e has been guiding me and counselling me. ) &now now that wealth is not everything but it is important. 'isham 2antiago is someone ) admire and respect. 'e is humble and not arrogant li&e other wealthy people. 'e is &ind and always treats people with great respect. 'e shares his wealth with the unfortunate. 'e listens attentively to what his fans have to say. 2omeday ) hope ) become a person with such admirable *ualities. 4erhaps someday someone will also write about me as his role model. Question 2 (c) !ealth is better than wealth. What is your opinion" Sample Answer: (!"is kin# o$ %uestion re%uires a personal response& But' $or eac" point (ou make' (ou must ack it up wit" reasona le e)planations&) "ll the wealth in the world is useless if you don$t have the health to en,oy it. @or me health )2 wealth. )t$s as simple as that. )f one is in good health he can find wealth but show me anyone who can buy good health. Aood health is a gift money cannot buy not even with all out latest technology. ) am one of those who believe in being happy. ) &now ) will be happy ,ust to be able to ,ump out of bed every day and go for a run in the par& or even tre& up the mountain path. ) would be terribly unhappy if ) had to have help even to get to the bathroom. 2o what if ) have the latest motorised wheel chair to get me to the bathroom( Bothing can beat the ,oy of getting around on our own two feet8 )sn$t independence wealth( What price can you put on that( "nother of my passions is food. ) love to eat good food. ) want to be able to eat what ) want and when ) want. ) don$t want to have to swallow pills before ) can tuc& into a plate of fried rice8 ) cannot e#plain the sheer satisfaction of a good meal. ?f course ) need money to buy the food so wealth is important but again there is no use if you can afford to buy wine and caviar but can only stare at it longingly. " person with good health can earn enough to afford that &ind of food and relish it as well8 ) li&e to do social service. ) feel good when ) can actually serve a physically disabled person to achieve a tas&. ) have done it before and ) &now how happy they are when together we finish a pro,ect. )f ) have given them money they would not &now the satisfaction of &nowing their own

capabilities. )f ) had ,ust bought them an album it would have been easier but because ) am healthy ) could run around get the stuff needed rush bac& and forth without being tired and being there for them until the ,ob was done. -hese are ,ust a few reasons why ) would choose to be healthy rather than be wealthy. )f ) didn$t have to ma&e a choice ) will want both. Who doesn$t want to be healthy and wealthy8 Question 2 (#) A person who scores strai#ht As is a very intelli#ent person. What do you thin " Sample Answer: ) disagree wholeheartedly with the statement. ) do not get straight "s but ) li&e to thin& of myself as a very intelligent person. ) would also li&e to state that more than half my class will agree with me on this. @irstly ) thin& we should try to understand the meaning of the word !intelligent$. "ccording to the Cambridge dictionary the meaning of the word !intelligent$ is the ability to understand and learn well and to form ,udgments and opinions based on reason. 'ow does scoring "s reflect these outcomes( )t does not in any way show anything that ) feel is close to intelligence. We all &now that there are many types of intelligence. "ccording to psychologist 'oward Aardner there are nine types of intelligence. We all fall into different categories. ) may have two types of intelligence or even more. 2ome may have only but but we are all intelligent in our our ways. -hat$s the point ) am trying to ma&e. 4olicy ma&ers should ta&e these intelligences into consideration before ma&ing it seem that only those who are academically smart are intelligent people. ) am upset because ) am a 1odily<Dinesthetic )ntelligent person. -his is because ) have the capacity to manipulate ob,ects and use a variety of physical s&ills. -his intelligence also involves a sense of timing and the perfection of s&ills through mindEbody union. "thletes dancers surgeons and craftspeople e#hibit welldeveloped bodily &inesthetic intelligence. 0y *uestion is this !!%id the athlete dancer or craftspeople get "s in school( Bo8 -hey were sidelined as !slow$. Why was their intellgence ignored($$ 'ow often have people who were fascinated with ma7es or ,igsaw pu77les or spent their free time drawing or daydreaming been branded !stupid$ and !only clever to build castles in the air$( Bow than&s to 'oward Aardner we &now that these people are 2patial )ntelligence (F4icture 2martG). -hey have the remar&able ability to thin& in three dimensions. Core capacities include mental imagery spatial reasoning image manipulation graphic and artistic s&ills and an active imagination. 2ailors pilots sculptors painters and architects all e#hibit spatial intelligence. ) doubt these people scored "s in school. -here are seven other intelligences which ) would li&e to tal& about but these e#amples should be sufficient to strengthen my case that only a person who scores straight "s is intelligent. Question 2 (e) Write a story that be#ins with, ``$ turned over the %uestion paper&.. Sample Answer: ) turned over the *uestion paper and *uic&ly through the titles. ) almost fainted with fear. )t ,ust wasn$t happening. "ll the titles seemed alien to me. 0y mind went totally blan&. ) had written

so many essays when ) was revising but now ) could not even start on any of the topics8 2uddenly ) started shivering. ) couldn$t control myself. ) put my head down on the des& and tried to control my breathing. ) was going to cry. ) had written two essays the night before. ) had gone through all the *uestions that our teacher had given us. Why couldn$t ) remember anything( !!"re you all right($$ )t was the invigilator. 'e was very concerned. !!Yes yes. ) am fine.$$ -he invigilator didn$t seem convinced. 'e stood near my table. -hat made me even more nervous. ) started shivering again. 'e stared at me as if ) had done something wrong. ) loo&ed around me. 9veryone had their heads down and were busily writing away. 2uddenly ) felt a strange sense of calmness falling over me. ) pic&ed up my pen and started writing. What ) wrote ) don$t &now but ) managed to fill two foolscap papers. ) was numb with shoc& and fear. What was happening to me. 4retty soon the bell rang and we passed up our papers. "s soon as we got out of the e#amination hall we began to discuss our answers. ) shut myself off. What did it matter( ) would fail anyway. )t was over. When ) returned home my mother as&ed me how the paper was. !!@ine$$ ) mumbled and went to my room. -here on the table were the essays ) had written. ) had ta&en the trouble to find suitable vocabulary and thrown in suitable proverbs and famous *uotations. ) too& another deep breath. Bever mind. ) could not turn the cloc& bac&. ) told myself firmly not to worry. What$s done is done+ as the saying goes.