DESCRIPTIVE ESSAY

A famous person you admire

There are many famous people in the world who are in the entertainment line,
science field and so on. The person I admire in particular is actor Tom
Hiddleston. He was born in Westminster, London, as the middle child with two
sisters.
Tom Hiddleston is best known for his role as Loki in the films 'Thor', 'The
Avengers' and 'Thor: The Dark World'. In 'Thor', Loki was the main antagonist,
striving to claim the throne of Asgard and was willing to kill his brother, Thor
and father, Odin for it. In the end he failed and was sucked into an abyss and
later reappeared in 'The Avengers', seeking to claim the Earth as his own with
the help of the Chitauri, an alien race with a massive army but was defeated by
the Avengers, comprising Thor, Ironman, Captain America, Hawkeye, Hulk and
Black Widow. He was later sent into jail by Odin in 'Thor: The Dark World' and
later joined forces with Thor to defeat Malekith, leader of the dark elves, only
to be seemingly killed by the Kursed. He was later seen impersonating Odin.
What I like about Tom Hiddleston is that he brings out the character Loki
really well. He plays Loki with so much compassion and really brings the
character to life from the comics to the big screen. I love the way he acts,
taking up each scene with much anticipation and compassion. In 'Thor', he was
first seen as a person who will do anything to seize power. The way he acted as
Loki in 'The Avengers', bringing out the mad and evil side of Loki, really caught
everyone's attention. Throughout the movie, he showed how power-hungry Loki
could be and that he would take whatever it took to seize control of the Earth.
In 'Thor: The Dark World', he showed that he had a reason to help Thor and
that he loved his stepmother, Frigga, deeply. He demonstrated the love when he
used magic to smash furniture against the walls when he found out about her
death.
When he first signed up for 'Thor', he tried out for the character Thor but
was found to be unsuitable. But during the interviews, he showed so much
determination and was seen as the perfect person to play Loki.

In real life, he is known to value his fans and always entertains them well. He
will tweet with them on Twitter and he even has a group, called "Loki's Army",
going after him. That is how much Tom Hiddleston has influenced the world of
entertainment as one of the best villains to ever take on the big screen. During
interviews, he would always be jovial and tell jokes. Even his own fellow actors
like Natalie Portman and Chris Hemsworth say that he is a fun and supportive
actor, even though he is the eldest among the trio. Two of his personality traits
that I admire are that he always does his best and he is extremely humble.
To sum it up, Tom Hiddleston is one celebrity I really admire and I would love to
meet him one day. I hope that my dream would come true in the near future.

ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY
School children should not have long holidays. Do you agree?

When asked if school children should have long holidays, the answers of
different individuals will certainly differ. Some people have the opinion that
school children should be entitled to long holidays while the others disagree.
From my point of view, school children should be given long holidays. I have my
own reasons for thinking so.
The freedom of school children is normally restricted by their parents during
the school days as they want their children to focus on their studies in order to
pass their examinations with flying colours. Apart from schooling, they have to
spend a lot of time doing their homework and attending tuition classes as well.
As a result, they hardly have any time left for leisure pursuits. During school
holidays, more freedom is usually given and children are able to spend their time
on activities that they are fond of. For example, if children have green fingers,
they can spend more time on gardening. They can also spend more time on their
favourite sports in order to keep fit both physically and mentally.
The arrival of long school holidays is also a good time for children to strengthen
their family ties, since families need to spend time together in order to bond.
Examples of activities that assist to develop close family ties are having a picnic
at the seaside and playing sports and games. When children involve in family
activities such as cleaning the house and preparing a meal, they learn about the
spirit of cooperation and burden-sharing, thus promoting strong family ties.
Besides, they learn to be more independent and responsible when they do
household chores such as washing the clothes and dishes, sweeping the floor,
laying the table before a meal, making their own beds, and so forth.
Another reason why long holidays are necessary is that children need to meet
other relatives and to socialise with friends in the community so as to improve
their interpersonal skills, since 'no man is an island'. This can be extremely

beneficial to them and helps them be better equipped especially when they grow
up and starts working in the society.
It is true that many parents face problems during long school holidays as their
children waste their time by spending it on undesirable activities such as playing
too much computer games and getting into bad company. However, I believe that
such problems can be solved through proper planning, guidance and time
management.
FACTUAL/EXPOSITORY ESSAY
How to keep oneself healthy

There is a saying, 'health is better than wealth'. The saying is extremely true a man may be immensely rich, but without health, he can hardly enjoy his wealth.
Since health is so important, how does one keep oneself healthy?
One of the most effective ways to keep fit is through exercising. Doing
exercise helps to reduce the risk of contracting heart diseases and getting
stroke. Other than that, it also helps to decrease the risk of developing
diabetes, high blood pressure and colon cancer. People who exercise regularly
are able to maintain healthy bones, muscles and joints. Therefore, it is advisable
to do exercise such as walking, jogging, swimming, cycling, doing push-ups,
skipping, playing sports, et cetera three to four times a week for about half an
hour per session to maintain good health.
Having a balanced diet is another key factor in ensuring a healthy life. It is
important to eat food that is rich in nutrients. Fresh fruits and vegetables are
rich sources of vitamins and minerals that are essential in order to keep fit. For
strong bones and teeth, drink more yogurt and milk and eat more cheese. Other
food that contributes to a balanced diet includes fish, poultry, eggs, beef,
beans, nuts and tofu. It is advisable to avoid food that contains too much sugar
as it causes bad health. The same goes for junk food and also food made from
refined flour as a lot of nutrients are destroyed during the refining process.
Unfortunately, most bread is made from refined flour nowadays. It is best to

increase the intake of natural foods as they contain plenty of natural goodness
which we cannot do without to possess good health.
It is wise to avoid smoking and drinking alcohol, since they damage our lungs and
livers respectively, besides bringing forth other harmful effects to our bodies.
Taking drugs can be a serious problem as it usually causes addictions, diseases
and cancers. In serious cases, it may even cause deaths. Thus, it is advisable to
stay away from drugs.
Having sufficient sleep is also a vital factor. Every day, school children,
teenagers and adults should get 10 to 11 hours, 8 to 9 hours and 7 to 9 hours of
sleep respectively. The insufficiency of sleep can lead to serious heart
problems, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes and obesity. To improve the
quality of our sleep, it is important to sleep in complete darkness, since artificial
light interferes with the production of hormones or chemicals that tells our
body to rest. If we are unable to eliminate the light in our room, then wear an
eye mask.
Over-eating and under-eating can give rise to health problems as well.
Therefore we should eat the right amount of food each meal.
About 70 percent of our body is made of water. Since our body is constantly
using it up, we need to drink about 8 glasses of water daily to replenish it.
Water is needed to flush toxins out of our vital organs, carry nutrients to our
cells and provide a moist environment for our ear, nose and throat tissues. It
also cools our body through the process of perspiration. When sweat evaporates
from our skin, it takes heat with it and lowers our body temperature.
In conclusion, it is extremely vital for us to do everything in moderation. As long
as one cultivates good habits and leads a healthy lifestyle, it is not difficult to
keep oneself healthy.

NARRATIVE ESSAY
Write a story ending with: "If only I had been more careful, that
wouldn't have happened."

One Saturday afternoon, I had to babysit my three-year-old little sister. My

mother was going out and my father had to work overtime.
My little sister, Angie, was cute and witty. She had a pair of large sparkling
eyes and a pretty face. She was hyperactive and loved to play hide-and-seek
with me. Though we had a loving relationship, there were annoying moments as
well. A few months ago, I accidentally left my geography project, which I had
just completed, in the living room. I was supposed to hand in the handwritten
project to my teacher the next day. When Angie got hold of it, she tore it into
pieces. Although I was furious to find out she had done, I had myself to blame
for not keeping the project in an appropriate place. Consequently, I had to stay
up late to redo the whole project.
Not long after I started to babysit Angie that afternoon, my best classmate,
Victor, called me on the phone. He told me that his father had just bought him

the latest model of 'PlayStation' and he invited me to play computer games

together with him at his house. I accepted his invitation and decided to bring
Angie along.
Victor was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. His father was an extremely
successful and wealthy businessman. Upon arriving at the gate of his triplestorey palatial mansion, I pressed the doorbell. Soon, a servant appeared in a
golf cart. With the cart, he brought Angie and me to the house as there was a
large garden at its front. Victor greeted us on the porch. After entering his
house, he led us up a flight of grand staircase which led to his spacious bedroom
located on the second storey of the house.
Victor offered us some refreshment. Then, we started to play a computer game.
Angie was left to play on her own. While we were playing the game, she was
playing with some of Victor's soft toys. We were so engrossed by the game that
we forgot to keep an eye on her. About fifteen minutes later, all of sudden we
heard screams from the staircase. At that moment, we realised that Angie was
missing from the room.
"Where's Angie, Ben?" Victor asked.
"That beats me!" I replied.
Extremely taken aback, we ran out of the room to check what had happened. We
were shocked to see Angie lying at the bottom of the stairs. It appeared that
she had fallen down the stairs. She was unconscious. Victor called for an
ambulance instantly and Angie was sent to hospital.
After a doctor had examined Angie, she was found to suffer from a broken arm.
She had to be hospitalised for treatment. I got a good scolding from my parents
for being so irresponsible. I was also grounded for a fortnight. I felt sorry for
Angie and regretted my negligence. If only I had been more careful, that
wouldn't have happened.

ONE WORD/ OPEN ESSAY

Friends

It all started at boarding school. I was sent to boarding school at the age of 13
in the hope that I would excel in my studies. But I was quiet and always got
bullied by older kids. Only one person stood up for me: Sam Berenson. We
became best friends and later, we went to the same university and graduated
with honours. We were recruited into a spy agency and soon rose to the rank of
spies.
One day, we were assigned a covert operation - to retrieve a special hard drive
containing information of the agency's agents which was stolen by rebels a
couple of weeks ago. We packed our bags and were soon on our way to the drop
site.

The helicopter dropped us off at the drop zone and we parachuted down into
the compound. Some rebel soldiers were patrolling around the compound. We
slipped past them and headed towards the safe, where the hard drive was
located. I connected the decryption device to the safe lock and proceeded to
unlocking the safe.
"Let's just grab the hard drive and get out of here," I whispered to Sam. He
nodded and drew his gun as a precaution. After unlocking the safe, I grabbed
the hard drive just before rebels stormed into the room.
"Hands on your heads," they yelled and we did as told. The rebel leader
approached us.
"Give back the hard drive," he hissed at me.
I hesitated. Suddenly, Sam pointed his gun at me and said, "Do as he says."
"What do you think you're doing?" I hissed at him, very much surprised.
"The rebels offer better perks then the agency does. Besides, it won't be
around much longer once we eliminate all its agents," he grinned at me. He
yanked the hard drive from me and handed it over to the rebel leader, who put
it back into the safe.
"Kill him," the rebel leader instructed but Sam said, "No. Let me do it." He
dragged me out of the compound and to the extraction zone. "Forgive me,
William," he said and shot me in the stomach. I fell onto the dirt as he walked
off into the night. I fumbled for my radio and said, "Agent down. Need help,"
before blacking out.
The next thing I knew, I was in the sick bay with my boss next to me. "We're
getting ready for a full assault by the rebels. Agent Berenson defected to
them," he said.
"I know," I said, pointing to my bandages.
"Our field agents have been compromised. Most were taken down by Berenson
himself," he started just as an agent burst into the room.

"They've started the attack," he panted and both of them quickly left the room.
I heard gunshots coming from the hallway and I painfully stood up and grabbed
my jacket. I stumbled into the hallway where many agents were shooting at the
rebels. Many rebels fell but so did the agents. I staggered past many bodies
before I heard a voice saying, "Kill the rogue agent. He has no further use to
us," and I heard a gunshot.
I hid as the rebels came round the corner and when they came near, I shot
them down. I went to where Sam lay and tried to help him up. "After what I did,
you came back for me," he mumbled. "That's what friends are for," I said and
he placed his hand on my shoulder. "They've planted a bomb which is bound to
blow any minute in the basement. Disable it," he choked and he closed his eyes. I
laid him down gently and went down to the basement. I disabled the bomb and
after hours of bloodshed, we finally won.
Even though Sam betrayed us, he was given a decent burial. I laid my hand on
the coffin and said, "Rest in peace now, my friend." Then, I left.

DIRECTED WRITING
ARTICLE: Factual

Haze: A Danger to Health

The haze is a constant phenomenon faced by Malaysia and her neighbouring countries.
The haze is basically pollution of atmosphere, which is clogged with pollutants and
other substances from forest fires.
The haze is a direct effect of forest fire in Kalimantan and other parts of Indonesia
due to slash and burn method of farming. The Indonesian authorities appear to have no
power to control farmers from practising such methods. The haze is further worsened
by open burning practised by most Malaysians. Open-field burning of rice straw by the
rice planters and open burning of dried leaves and garbage done by the public are a few
examples that done by Malaysian. Many are ignorant of the health effects of open
burning.
During the haze, hospitals and clinic often report a dramatic increase in respiratory
problems, lung infections and asthma attack. The Air Pollution Index (API) usually
indicates the hazardous and dangerous levels of pollution during this period. The haze
has long-term side effects. Prolonged inhalation of polluted air will result in serious
lung infection which particularly affects the elderly.
The government must play its role to reduce the haze treat. It has to cooperate with
the Indonesian authorities to stamp out forest fires. The culprits must be brought to
justice, either through healthy fine or prison sentence. Constant vigilance would ensure
the perpetrators do not repeat their offence.
The government should also raise the public awareness of the dangers of forest fire.
Continuous campaign of the cause, solutions and steps-need-to-be-taken to reduce the
haze need to be promoted through all types of social media like television, radio,
newspaper and even via internet. The authorities should also provide assistance to
farmers and introduce more sophisticated forest clearing methods.
In Malaysia, strict laws must be imposed to penalise those who practise open burning.
On-going campaigns on the dangers of open burning should be intensified. Individuals
too have a role to play. They must participate in every campaign and stop burning.
Students can advise their parents not to practice open burning.
Every individual has to remember that we do not own the world, but instead we lent it
from our future generations. We must protect our world so that our grandchildren
woulh have a healthy earth to live.

Ahmad Harun bin Hashim

Seremban, Negeri Sembilan

ARTICLE: Article for School Magazine / Newsletter

The Importance of Studying English

It is a big concerned for teenagers nowadays as they are unaware of the

importance of English language as they tend to ignore to learn the language. Students

attitude towards the language is also crucial to make sure that these teenagers can
face the future world better by learning English language as it is an international
language.
Although the government has repeatedly told us of the importance of English,
many students are still not bothered about studying it seriously. There is also a
campaign that still on to make all the Malaysian becomes a better English learner, which
is Enhance Proficiency in Bahasa Malaysia, Strengthen the English. English is the most
important and the most useful language in the world today. There are many reasons why
you should study the language properly.
First and foremost, English will definitely help you a lot when you want to
further studies. Almost all books at university are written in English in all subjects.
Plus, it is a compulsory for any candidate to pass English with credit before entering
any universities. So, if you are poor in English, you will blow you chance for better
education or worse, you are going to have a big problem studying at university.
The second reason why you have to study English well is that it will help you to
get a job. When you go for a job interview, the interviewer will surely talk to you in
English. The first impression you should give in order to success and have the job is, to
respond in English fluently. Your chances of getting the job are very slim if you stutter
while interviewing.
A good command in of English will also help you greatly in your job. If the
company you work is actively involved in international trade, you have to speak to
prospective customers in English. Miscommunication might occur if your English is bad.
And this will put your company at risk and you will likely be dismissed if this happen.
Good English will also help you a lot when you travel. Every country in the world
studies English. Even the roadside stall-holders in China speak fairly good English! At
least some of the people you meet on your travels in other countries can understand
English. The language is certainly practical when you are lost in your trip.
Communication problem will not happen if you can converse well in English. Inevitably,
English is one of the languages used in any airport in the world in making announcement.
Knowing English well, therefore, make travelling overseas easier.
Besides all these, entertainment is one of the major advantages you will
experience if you good in English. You will enjoy televisions best programmes. We must
admit that many of the best programmes are produced by the Americans and British
companies. High self confidence influenced by the programmes will indirect inculcate in
yourself when you are fluent in the language. Quality time is worthily spent if you
understand and enjoy the programmes.

Based from all the above elaboration, I hope that students will see the
importance and realise how importance the language is for their own future. Although it
is a second language in our country, it is now a main language all over the world.

ARTICLE / REPORT: Newspaper Article / Report

Couple Foils Robbery Attempt

PULAU PINANG, Thu An elderly businessman and his wife foiled a robbery attempt
by two men armed with a screwdriver and a knife. The victims were reported safe from
any bad injury.

Tan Ah Wok, 60 and his wife were taking a morning walk near their home in
Helen Heights yesterday when two men on a motorcycle stopped them under the
pretext of asking for directions. As Mr. Tan was giving directions, one of the robbers
pointed a knife at him and ordered them to keep quiet. He then relieved Mrs. Tan of
her jewellery and instructed Mr. Tan to hand over his ring and watch. When he refused,
a struggle ensued. Meanwhile, his accomplice grabbed a helmet and hit Mr. Tan on the
head with it. On seeing this, his wife started screaming.
One of their neighbours, R. Subramaniam, who was taking his dog for a walk,
heard the screams and when to investigate. On seeing Subramaniam and his dog, the
robbers fled. I was taking my dog for a walk when I heard someone shouting for help.
Knowing that something was wrong, I ran there as fast as I could. Before I reached the
scene, the robbers fled on a motorbike. They were probably afraid of my Rottweiler.
Mr. Tan, who suffered a small cut on his head, was given outpatient treatment
at a private clinic. He said that it was a horrified experience as he never expected the
two men would attack his wife and him. He thought that they were lost and needed
help. He also mentioned that the guard who in charge nowadays easily allowed the
strangers to enter their residents. State CID Chief Supt Harun Din advised him and
the people to be more careful in giving help to strangers. The guard also must be
stricter in letting people from entering any residents without proper permission.
He added that the suspects, aged between 25 and 30, were believed to be
illegal immigrants. He said there had been similar incident last week when two men
approached a factory worker who was on her way home after work. The duo then
relieved her gold chain and cash. He advised the residents to be alert and reports to
police any suspicious-looking characters lurking in their area.

REPORT Police Report

To:

Sergeant Razali Kamrin

From: Julia Selamat

Date: 7th September 2011

Report of the accident on Jalan 2/14

On 7th September 2011 at 10.30 a.m., I was walking alone Jalan 2/14 which is
next to the childrens playground. As I was about to cross the road to enter the park, I
saw a car driving swiftly down Jalan 4/14. It was a Honda Civic with the number plate
BEH 9110. Another car, a Toyota Vios 1.5 with plate number WHM 4657 came out of
Jalan 4/14 as well. The Honda Civic was driving too fast that make it did not have time
to avoid collision.
The accident caused a loud crash. The Honda Civic hit the Toyota Vios on the
drivers door. The door could not be opened and the driver had to get out from the
passengers door. The driver of the Toyota Vios was lucky as he survived with no
physical injuries. Both air bags popped up when they collided to each other. They both
were fortunate as their car was not badly damaged and dented.
The Toyota Vioss windscreen was shattered to pieces. The Honda Civics headlight and
signal light were smashed. There was plenty of glass on the road. The two drivers
startled to argue. The driver of the Honda City was a woman. They blamed each other
and the argument stopped when her mobile phone rang. Most of the passerby slowed
down their vehicle to watch the accident. Some pedestrian came by and offered help.
As it happened, I ran into my house which is close by. I called the nearest police station
and in ten minutes, a police car drove up. I told the police officer I had witnessed the
accident and offered to come out to the station to give a statement. The cars were
towed to the side of the road first, and then were brought to the police station before
to workshop. Pictures were taken for insurance claim.
In my opinion, the driver of the Honda City is to blame for the accident. She was
driving too fast and did not pay any attention to vehicles coming out from the side road.
The driver of the Toyota Vios should have stopped at the junction.

Julia Selamat
REPORT Book Report

The Story of My Life is an autobiography written by Helen Keller. It tells us how

Helen Keller, who was deaf, blind and mute, defied the odds to become one of the most
celebrated personalities in the world. The story was set in Alabama in 1997.
In the first half of the book, Helen Keller writes about how she was afflicted
with scarlet fever while she was still a baby and how illness left her deaf, blind and
mute. The story outlines the frustration Helen Keller experienced as a child alone in a

dark and silent world unable to communicate with anybody. The author then goes on to
say how her life changed with the arrival of her new-employed teacher and nanny, Anne
Mansfield Sullivan.
The second part of the book relates how Helen Keller studied the deaf and
dumb language and learnt how to write using Braille and then went to college and
graduated. The story goes on to say how she spent the rest of her life helping the deaf
and dumb all over the world.
I enjoyed reading every page of the book. I found some sections of the book,
especially those that deal with the early part of her life, poignant and touching. It
made me realize how difficult life must be for the handicapped. It also made me realize
how fortunate I was. It has made me more sympathetic towards the plight of those
who are less fortunate than I am, especially the handicapped who has given up hope in
the face of misfortune, and the severely handicapped who have lost the will to live.
The story is very touching and informative. It arouses the feelings of the
readers. I admire Helen Keller for her determination and diligence. I appreciate the
painstaking efforts taken by the teacher. The book has a good moral lesson for all. It
shows the triumph of the human spirit in the face of indomitable obstacles. It makes us
wonder whether Helen Keller was just another victim of fate or whether her birth has
a special significance. Was Helen Keller fortunate or unfortunate? Helen Keller was
unfortunate to have suffered the cruel twist of fate but the world is fortunate to have
had a person like her. Her life was a shining example to prove the adage, where there
is a will, there is a way.

NOVEL

The importance of preserving the family unit

This is the central message in the novel. The family institution is a solemn
entity. It is created when two adults decide to tie the knot through their
marriage vows. Hence, parents are mainly responsible in keeping the family unit
intact through love and understanding because divorce and separation can only
lead to ugly consequences as clearly shown in the novel.

The family institution should also provide security to children. However,

when it is broken, children feel helpless and they feel they are victims of the
situation. The novel reveals how the five children cope with difficult times when
their parents marriage fails. Claudia and Pixie for example, have to undergo
emotionally painful and tumultuous moments to get used to their parents
divorce. The ugly effects of divorce and separations are also shown in the way
Claudia and Pixie resist their step parents and siblings. The quarrels, the
screaming, the sibling rivalry demonstrate that the harmony that is central in
their families has long gone. Children suffer most from broken homes and they
need a lot of time to adapt to their new situation. This is true in the case of
Pixie, who needs a great deal of time to adjust to her step mother and step
sisters, Sophie and Hetty.
The family institution must be preserved at all cost to avoid unnecessary
sufferings on the part of the children. Parents must protect their children from
the effects of divorce as much as possible. If a divorce is unavoidable, parents
need to ensure that every care is taken to make life as normal as possible for
their children.

Acceptance and tolerance

Learning to accept and tolerate new members in the family is important

when a divorce happens. The novel shows how children learn to accept their new
family members and make the best of their new circumstances. Although this
sounds a big task for them, they all end up accepting their new life at the end
of their stories. Despite their being young, they realize how important it is to
learn to share belongings and love with their step siblings. For example, Pixie

has to learn to share her bedroom with her step sister Hetty. She has to
tolerate her privacy being taken away causing her to devise ways to get rid of
Hetty from her bedroom. She considers her bedroom is her territory and
Hettys presence an intrusion. However, she manages to get her room back after
a heated argument with her step mother. In the end Pixie learns to tolerate her
step sisters and accepts their differences.
Acceptance and tolerance can also be seen in Claudias story. She learns to
accept the presence of her step mother when her fathers marriage to her real
mother fails. The green pyjamas her step mother gave her and the dinner
hosted by her step mother one night play a role in bringing them closer. Despite
her earlier resentment towards her step mother, Claudia makes a big decision
that it is not fair for her to hate her step mother. In doing so she also shows
her maturity despite her young age. In Pixies story, she is shown to accept the
fact that her new stepmother is having as much trouble "adjusting" as she is. It
is amazing how these young characters show a lot of strength despite the
distinct problems they face in their families. They learn to accept things around
them gradually because they do not have a choice. Furthermore that life has to
go on.

Responsibility

This is another theme that is evident in the novel. Responsibility is shown in

different ways in the novel.
Marriage entails responsibility. It is about building a family and raising
children that are part and parcel of a marriage partnership. This will include
providing shelter, clothing, education and love. Therefore if a marriage is

broken, children would be directly affected. Parents therefore must accept

that they still have a responsibility to ensure that the divorce does not cost
their children more than it already has. One of the ways this is shown in the
novel is by the turns or visits the children have with their new families. Their
parents although divorced, insist that their children take turns to visit them.
Pixie for instance goes to her step familys house a few days in a month while
Ralph has a more hectic and complicated schedule. He has to divide the
weekdays to be at his divorced parents house. It is a pity that he has to shuffle
his time between his parents but he pretty much accepts his situation without
complaints.
The step parents also try their best to be responsible towards their step
children. Stella tries to make Claudia feel comfortable every time she is with
them. Colins mother shows a different kind of responsibility though. She moves
to a different place to protect her son from her rough-house husband.
Although Colin misses his father very much, his mother has made the right
decision for their safety. Another example is Robbos step father who sends
Callie, his sister to school every morning and works over time to pay for repairs
for the house.
It is fair to say that no one would wish for a divorce but when it happens,
parents have to carry out their responsibilities well. They have to be sensitive
to the needs of their children since children have a natural attachment to their
parents. Sometimes children are simply attached to their surroundings, and
moving into new surroundings can cause an understandable negative reaction.
Colin for instance has trouble learning being half asleep in school.

Children have opinions too

This theme is portrayed through the five main characters in the novel.
Since all the main characters come from broken homes, we learn that they too
want their opinions to be heard and acknowledged. Very often than not, there is
a communication breakdown between the children and parents who undergo
divorce. For example, Colin does not have a say at all when her mother decides

to move to another place to stay safe from his father. Colin has to start all over
in a new school and make new friends. His opinion is never sought. In another
example, Pixie shows that she wants to be heard. Her strong opinions about the
adults around her are revealed when she quarrels with Lucy, her step mother.
She expresses her frustrations and anger through her words.
The writer provides the opportunity for the children to voice out their
opinions frankly and honestly through the stories they tell. Through each of the
main characters, we realize that children too have opinions and that their
opinions must also be sought. Pixie would like to have a say about her room
arrangement and Colin, although quiet, often wonders why his mother makes
decisions independently.
Through the main characters words and actions, we can also see a certain
level of maturity in the childrens thinking. They are not without opinions. But
how many parents actually sought for their opinions. Divorce is always an adults
story and too often children are just trapped in between. The novel in a way is a
tribute to the childrens spirit. They make us see the depth of their feelings
and opinions through their unique stories. Too often childrens feelings are
unnoticed, ignored and or not taken seriously resulting in failure in building
relationships in broken homes.

Character that I admire: Claudia

From the novel 'Step By Wicked Step' by Anne Fine, I like Claudia from the story the
Green Pyjamas. I like Claudia because she is kind, loyal and she can be very mature and
wise.

Claudia is a very kind girl. During her father's birthday party, Claudia wears her
green pyjamas given by her father's girlfriend, Stella. She decides to do this because
she feels that the guests in the party are very rude when they refuse to talk to Stella.
They act like Stella is invisible and Claudia feels angry because Stella is actually a very
nice person.
Other than that, Claudia is also a loyal daughter to her mother. She knows that her
mother hates the fact that her father is happy with a new woman in his life so she
pretends that she is unhappy when she has to go to her father's house. Claudia also
refuses to accept Stella's kindness because she wants to show that she is loyal to her
mother.
Lastly, Claudia shows that she is very mature and wise. Claudia feels that the guests
for her father's birthday party are very rude. They do not want to acknowledge that
Stella is her father's new love by giving her a cold shoulder during the party. Claudia is
very angry with all those immature adults so she decides to give all of them a lesson by
wearing her new green pyjamas and showing it off in front of the guess, hinting that
Stella and her are very close. The guests are ashamed so they start to treat Stella
nicely after the incident.
From these three reasons, I choose Claudia as the character I like the most. Claudia
shows that she is a good daughter to both her mother and father and she is also kind
enough to accept Stella as her future step mother.

ENGLI
SH

Name:Sacha Engelbert
Class: 5 AZAM

[POEM] ARE YOU

STILL PLAYING
YOUR FLUTE?
5 SETS OF QUESTIONS

QUESTION 1: Suggest two things you would do to stop the world from bleeding
= Spread the message of peace, tolerance and living in harmony

Learn to appreciate what life has offered and be happy with it.

QUESTION 2:

In the second stanza, what does the word deserted mean?

= Empty / abandoned / neglected / vacant

QUESTION 3: Why does the persona ask if the flute player is still playing his flute?
= She does not know if he is still in the village enjoying his favourite pastime.

QUESTION 4: What kind of a person do you think is the flute player?

= Passionate / Obsessed / An introvert / A sequester

QUESTION 5: What could the poem be about?

= It is about upholding values, accepting changes in life and appreciating simple pleasures of life.

; DIRECTED WRITING

; CONTINUOUS
WRITING