TOPICS IN TEXTBOOKS

FORM 4
MODULE TOPICS/THEMES POSSIBLE QUESTIONS/CONTENTS
1 Social networking sites (Facebook, Twitter, ▪ advantages & disadvantages
Instagram, Tik Tok, WhatsApp, Telegram, ▪ personal choice to keep in touch with friends/families
WeChat, Snapchat, etc) ▪ to what extent have social networking sites
changed/affected our lives?
Group activities vs. Individual activities ▪ advantages & disadvantages
▪ make comparisons
▪ what group/individual activity you prefer?
▪ should schools promote more collaborative /
cooperative work among students? Why?
Leisure activities (online games, sports, painting, ▪ make comparisons
extreme sports, etc) ▪ personal/teenagers likes / dislikes
▪ advantages & disadvantages
▪ how do leisure activities help improve our lives?
▪ should everyone have a leisure activity? Why?
Mobile phones ▪ advantages & disadvantages
▪ should mobile phones be allowed in schools? (pros &
cons)
▪ life without mobile phones
▪ advancement in the functions of mobile phones
▪ how does the advancement of mobile phones
affect/change our lives?
Laptop vs. Desktop computer ▪ make comparisons
▪ personal choice
▪ should computer classes be made compulsory in
schools? (pros & cons)
▪ should laptops be allowed in schools? (pros & cons)
2 Extreme activities / Taking risks (bungee ▪ which would you like to try?
jumping, parkour, bull riding, mountain biking, ▪ benefits of taking risks
skateboarding, etc) ▪ should teenagers take risks / do extreme activities?
Helping those in need (voluntary work, charity, ▪ what programme did you/your school organise?
fundraising, etc) ▪ benefits (to the needy and yourself) / values learnt
▪ which voluntary work will you get involved in if you are
given a chance? Why?
▪ which group of unfortunate people would you like to
help the most? Why?
Films ▪ review (title, type of film, director, leading actors,
synopsis of the plot, what you like/dislike about it,
recommend to who & why)
▪ pros and cons of films on television
▪ preference of watching films at the cinema vs. at home
(pros & cons)
Professions (teacher, paramedic, athlete, ▪ characteristics one needs for a profession
receptionist) ▪ how could each profession contribute to the society
▪ which profession would you choose? Why?
Person you admire ▪ who, physical appearance, personality, career
▪ why you admire
▪ how has s/he influenced you or changed your life?
Crimes ▪ robbery/thefts/burglary/snatch thefts/mugging
▪ should people try to stop a criminal? Why/why not?
▪ how to reduce crimes?
▪ how would crimes affect the country?
Accident ▪ train/car/aeroplane/motorcycle
▪ causes & effects of accidents
▪ ways to reduce accidents
 Story ▪ a dangerous situation
▪ a narrow escape
▪ an encounter with wild animal(s)
3 Shopping habits / Being a responsible consumer ▪ shopping tricks (advertisements, sales/promotions,
arrangements of products in shops, etc)
▪ overspending
▪ compulsive buying / shopping addiction
▪ how to spend/shop wisely
▪ how to save money
▪ importance of saving money
Places to shop (shopping centre, open-air ▪ advantages & disadvantages
market, online, etc) ▪ make comparisons
▪ your preference(s) / preferences of teenagers (why)
Online shopping vs. Traditional shopping ▪ advantages & disadvantages
▪ make comparisons
▪ personal choice
▪ how has online shopping affected the environment?
▪ does online shopping affect the traditional business /
local economy?
An ideal job / part-time job // A job you would ▪ which job (describe it)? Why is the job suitable for you
recommend to your friend/sibling who asks for (your characteristics/skills/experiences)? How to
advice achieve?
▪ is it advisable for teenagers to do part-time job? (pros
& cons)
Formal letter of application ▪ apply for a job (what characteristics / skills /
experiences you have that fit the job?)
4 Teenage problems ▪ peer pressure/influence (in decision/choice-making,
behaviours, fashion, etc)
▪ bullying
▪ coping in education/studies
Reviews (strengths & weaknesses, what/how to ▪ school / school canteen
improve) ▪ online/virtual learning
▪ teaching & learning methods (the Internet, e-books,
interactive whiteboard, virtual reality, etc)
E-books vs. Paper books ▪ advantages & disadvantages
▪ make comparisons
▪ personal choice
▪ introduce e-books in schools (pros & cons)
Music ▪ advantages & disadvantages
▪ personal choice
▪ how music can improve our lives
▪ the importance of music in learning
Story (5W1H, 5 senses, feelings) ▪ a (school) celebration you enjoy / a (school) celebration
gone bad
▪ a festival/festivity
Homework ▪ advantages & disadvantages
▪ is it necessary?
Team vs. Individual project work/sports ▪ advantages & disadvantages
▪ make comparisons
5 Travelling / A holiday / A vacation ▪ advantages & disadvantages
▪ make comparisons - best way to travel (ship/boat,
car/bus, aeroplane, etc)
▪ how to promote own culture/country when travelling
▪ importance of respecting other people’s culture when
travelling
▪ personal experiences
 Tourist attractions (name of place, background
of the place if any, reasons for choosing this
place, benefits gained from this place,
feelings/hope)
Article
Story
Walking
Email
6 Free time/Leisure activity/activities
Ideas for presents
Email (semi-formal)
Computer / video games
Watching TV
Films
7 A trip to a foreign country (castle, zoo, ancient
ruins, bus tour, cave, woods, birdwatching, etc)
Article : Describe a nature reserve/place of
natural beauty
Environmental problems (smog, acid rain, oil ▪ who is responsible?
spill, toxic waste, fossil fuels, pollution, ▪ causes & effects
greenhouse gases, climate change, littering, etc) ▪
▪ how does economic development affect environmental
How to protect/respect the environment
▪ nature reserve (Matang Wildlife Centre, etc)
▪ historical places
▪ national parks / zoos / safaris
▪ restaurants / cafes / night market / eating outeries
▪ an expedition / excursion / outing / trip / adventure /
camp (where, when, activities, what you enjoyed &
learnt, problems faced, feelings, hope)
▪ an expedition / excursion / outing / trip / adventure /
camp (what you enjoy)
▪ funny/embarrassing/scary/annoying experience
▪ benefits
▪ do you enjoy it? (personal experience)
▪ make offers/suggestions (place to stay, places to visit,
what to do)
▪ give directions
▪ types of activities (advantages & disadvantages)
▪ physical activities: parkour / freerunning (should it be
taught in schools?)
▪ personal choice
▪ what present, why (benefits, price), where to get the
present, recommendation
▪ are presents necessary? Why?
▪ ask for information about an event/programme/activity
▪ give information to join the event/programme/activity
▪ advantages & disadvantages
▪ likes/dislikes
▪ personal choice (what computer / video game, why,
what is the game about, recommendation)
▪ advantages & disadvantages
▪ what programme(s) do you watch (sitcom, cartoon,
documentary, the news, weather forecast, soap opera,
chat show, game show, talent show, home decoration
programme, cooking programme, sporting event, film,
music video show)
▪ how to improve TV programmes
▪ life without TV
▪ opinions on reality TV
▪ opinions on commercials on TV (are they useful? Do
they influence you?)
▪ review (title, type of film, director, leading actors,
synopsis of the plot, what you like/dislike about it,
recommend to who & why)
▪ place, activities, advantages & disadvantages
▪ make comparisons
▪ would trips benefit learning?
▪ background of the place, why interesting,
sights/attractions, personal impressions/feelings about
the place, recommend
▪ benefits of visiting nature reserve/place of natural
beauty
how to overcome
sustainability?
▪ environmental-friendly products
▪ why important to protect/respect the environment
 Urban living vs. Rural living ▪ atmosphere, how people feel, people’s lifestyle &
health
▪ advantages & disadvantages
▪ why do young people prefer urban living?
Letter (to the editor) expressing an opinion** ▪ about building a shopping centre in a park (pros and
cons)
▪ about littering problems in town/city (sources of litter,
consequences, solutions)
8 Fashion/Appearance ▪ are you influenced by the way celebrities look? Would
you change anything about yourself to look like a
celebrity?
▪ do you agree/disagree with photo manipulation
(digitally editing photographs)? Why?
▪ is how we look important? Why?
Ask for / give advice ▪ unhappy because wealthy classmates boast about their
new clothes / gadgets / wealth
▪ addiction in video games
▪ fear of giving presentations, nervous, want to quit
Letter giving advice** ▪ overwhelmed with homework, revisions,
hobbies/school activities
▪ gain weight due to part-time job, become self-
conscious, want to go on raw food diet but disallowed
by parents
Art ▪ advantages & disadvantages
▪ different forms of art (pottery, batik, photography,
jewellery making, origami)
▪ painter, grafitti artist, digital artist (equipment needed,
training needed, difficulty, where work can be
seen/shown/exhibited, most popular/unpopular form
of art)
Report ▪ on school magazine
▪ on how to improve the quality of TV programme
▪ on how to improve your classroom to make it more
pleasant
LETTER TO THE EDITOR LETTER GIVING ADVICE
 FORM 5
UNIT TOPICS/THEMES
1 ▪ Family (adoptive family, blended family, extended family, single-parent family, traditional family)
▪ Household chores (whose responsibility?)
▪ Teens and pocket money
▪ Relationships between people / Your personal relationship with someone
▪ Person admire most
▪ Qualities important to make and maintain friendships
▪ Which is more important: have lots of friends or a few good friends?
▪ “Blood is thicker than water.” What does it mean? Do you agree? (**this question may be in the form of a
story)
▪ What do young people do at home and when they go out?
▪ Normal family routine at home (meals, housework, how spend leisure time together)
2 ▪ Mysterious/Scary/Haunted places
▪ History of your local area
▪ How to find out about local mysteries
▪ Books/Films/TV programmes about mysteries (crime / supernatural)
▪ Write a story that begins/ends with the sentence given.
3 ▪ Sport (indoor vs outdoor, advantages & disadvantages)
▪ Which is more important: to win or to have fun when you do sport?
▪ Should sport be made compulsory for students?
▪ Are some sports more suitable for boys than girls, and vice versa?
▪ Is participating in sport the best way to stay healthy? What other ways can we look after our health?
▪ Do young people take enough exercise? Why?
▪ Different ways athletes earn money (salaries, sponsorship deals, advertising deals, appearance fees, prize
money)
▪ Many footballers get paid a lot of money. Do they deserve it? Why?
▪ The media publishes many details of sports personalities’ private lives. Do readers have the right to know these
things? Why?
▪ Some countries spend a lot of money on providing world-class sports facilities for training talented youngsters.
Is this a good way or a bad way to spend government money?
4 ▪ Birthday present(s) you would like to receive
▪ Is it important to spend money on birthday presents? Why/Why not? Are there better ways of celebrating with
someone?
▪ Traditional shops vs. Online shopping (advantages & disadvantages)
▪ Locally-produced items vs. Well-know brands (advantages & disadvantages)
▪ What is the one place (sports shop/clothes shop/electronics shop) where modern teenagers go shopping the
most? Why?
▪ What form of relaxation (meeting friends/using a computer/playing sport) do teenagers nowadays enjoy most?
Why?
5 ▪ Causes of air/water/soil/noise pollution
▪ Environmental problems (acid rain, deforestation, poor drinking water quality, drought, endangered species,
floods, nuclear accidents, oil spills at sea, polluted beaches, smog)
▪ What can everyone do to help their local environment and the global environment?
▪ What are the best ways to encourage people to care about the environment?
▪ Does the quality of people’s local environment affect their behaviour? Why?
▪ What sort of environments are your favourite places to go (beach, mountain, city, etc)? How do these places
make you feel?
▪ What could be done to improve the environment where you live?
▪ What should a nature reserve have?
▪ How could the council reduce the amount of litter in the nature reserve?
▪ Is it right for zoos to keep animals in cages to study them and protect them for the future? Why/Why not?
▪ Some countries are banning plastic bags in shops. Is this good or bad for shoppers?
▪ Many people have decided to grow their own food these days. Is it good or bad for people?
6 ▪ Crimes (grafitti, mugging, kidnapping, arson, murder, vandalism, burglary) (**can be in the form of an
essay/article or story)
▪ Is crime a problem where you live? What sort of crimes are committed?
 ▪ Home safety (burglar alarm, security camera, security lock)
▪ Road safety (used by police: security camera, radar gun, speed limit)
▪ What can communities do to reduce crime in their area?
▪ What causes people to turn to crime?
▪ Should prisons train prisoners so that they can start a new career when they leave?
▪ Many people illegally download music from the Internet. Is it good or bad for the music industry?
▪ Young offenders should be sent to an army camp for a while instead of being sent to prison. Is it a good or bad
idea for young offenders?
7 ▪ The media (the Internet, radio, magazines, television, newspapers)
▪ Advantages and disadvantages of news (local, national, international news)
▪ Digital media vs. Print media (advantages & disadvantages)
▪ Commercial on media (radio & television)
▪ How to attract more customers to a new shop
▪ Are blogs useful and interesting? Why?
▪ Do you use social networking sites to get news or mainly for fun?
▪ Report on TV channel for students
▪ Report on monthly magazine for students
8 ▪ A fun/unusual job
▪ Interview advice
▪ Bus driver vs. chauffeur ; Soldier vs. policeman ; Waiter/waitress vs. chef ; Nurse vs. doctor (similarities &
differences, which would you prefer to do and why)
▪ Qualities needed for a particular job
▪ Responsibilities of a particular job
▪ Work outdoors vs. Work indoors (make comparisons)
▪ It is essential to go to university if you want to get a good job. Do you agree?
▪ The best ways to find work if you are unemployed or just leaving education
▪ Under what circumstances do you think it would be a good idea to quit your job?
▪ Formal letter of application for a job
9 ▪ An ideal family holiday
▪ Places to go for a week’s family holiday
▪ An ideal holiday with friends
▪ Would you prefer to go on a holiday with your family or your friends?
▪ Main tourist attractions in Malaysia
▪ Do you prefer to go to places that are popular with tourists, or relatively undiscovered? Why?
▪ Holiday abroad vs. Holiday locally
▪ Is tourism bad for the environment? Why? What can be done to reduce the impact of tourism on natural
world?
▪ In what ways do you think that travel is good for people’s understanding of the world? Justify.
▪ Would you like spending a year living in a different country? Why/Why not?
▪ Holidays for teenagers (review - the place, the food, activities, recommendation)
▪ Summer camps for teenagers (review - the place, the food, activities, recommendation)
10 ▪ Famous places in Malaysia
▪ What makes a place worth visiting
▪ Unique culture in Malaysia
▪ Is learning other languages/cultures useful/interesting? Justify.
▪ It would be an advantage to have dual nationality, with family members in two different countries. Do you
agree? Justify.
▪ If you were to choose, which country would you most like to live in, and why?
▪ When people migrate to other countries, do you think they should try to absorb their new nation’s culture, or
maintain their own culture?
▪ Advantages & disadvantages of school exchange visits
▪ Leave home vs. Stay home when studying in university/college or when working (advantages & disadvantages)
11 ▪ How can technology improve the lives of people living in a developing world?
▪ Sources of electricity, the importance of electricity
▪ How has technology changed the way we communicate?
▪ Photography (advancement in technology, photo manipulation)
 ▪ Mobile phone vs. laptop ; Digital camera vs. mobile phone ; motorbike vs. car ; washing machine vs.
dishwasher (similarities and differences, which would you prefer to own if you could only own one of them and
why)
▪ In your free time, would you be more likely to choose technology or fresh air and exercise?
▪ Ways of studying (pros & cons)
▪ Items of technology you could not live without
▪ Is technology bad for health? Give examples of technology that benefits/endangers our health.
▪ Shopping on foot vs. shopping online
▪ Your favourite way to communicate with your friends (face to face, SMS, chatting on the computer, etc). Why?
▪ Eating out vs. Home-cooked meals (advantages & disadvantages)
▪ Your favourite type of place to eat (home, restaurant, etc). Why?
12 ▪ Problems in your community (beggars, stray puppy, spray-painting the wall, etc). What are the possible
solutions? Justify.
▪ How charities (for the needy / to help nature & wildlife) survive : donating money, volunteering, organising
fund-raising events, spreading the word
▪ Voluntary activities : (in group) painting, clearing rubbish, organising food bank; (individual) visiting, delivering
shopping, helping in charity shop
▪ Voluntary work (organised by your school or you join personally; does it appeal to you?)
▪ Benefits of a youth centre & how to keep it open
▪ How to help young people who are unemployed
▪ Is it more important for councils to spend money on services for young people than for elderly people or pre-
schooled children?
▪ Young people turn to crime because there isn’t enough for them to do. Do you agree? Justify.
▪ What can be done to help young people feel more included in society?
▪ Formal letter : what could be done by council officials and local people to help the elderly people in local
nursing home who are suffering from depression caused by boredom and loneliness
▪ Formal letter : what could be done to make the city safer at night for pedestrians (especially from muggers)