I had just finished my twentieth year. In those days, starting to smoke was a `macho' thing to do.

It was
like adult franchise, when one is considered old enough to vote in the country's election. It was like a
rite of passage, when one moved on from being a boy to being a man, an adult. Friendship in those days
insisted on being able to do similar things together. So, if one had the bad luck of being among smokers,
picking up the habit was the most natural thing to do.

It was a time when tobacco companies were systematically hushing up the real details of the hazards
that came with smoking. The first real indication that things were not that rosy came up when the `star'
of a cigarette advertisement, one that had a lovely slogan about smoking being a truly glamorous and
manly thing to do, died of lung cancer. Pretty soon, stories of others who died of respiratory ailments
after years of smoking became common news. Even non-smoking tobacco company employees
developed lung cancer and other complications. It would be another fifty years before tobacco
companies admitted that tobacco plants were genetically modified to create faster addiction to nicotine
among new smokers.

By the time all these came into the public domain, I had been smoking for more than twenty years. The
addiction was so entrenched that I never mentally accepted that I had an addiction. My best friends'
wife died of lung cancer despite never having smoked a cigarette all her life. Only much later did we
realise that sleeping all those years next to him was the real cause of her cancer. We had heard of
secondary smoke. He smoked everywhere in the house. But worse still was that his breath was
poisonous for her, even when he wasn't smoking, because he was a chain smoker.

Another friend of mine, although not a chain smoker, was a heavy smoker. Famous for his deep guttural
smoker's cough, over the years he steadily lost his physical capabilities. Being close friends, he used to
confide in us that his sexual ability was on the decline. He had very bad emphysema and would be
gasping for breath after climbing just a single flight of stairs.

Several times, I started on nicotine replacement therapies. But it was not helpful, because in my opinion
it did not address my addiction. It only replaced the source of nicotine that my body yearned for. It was
only a matter of time before I started to smoke again. I now realise that I should have continued with
counselling sessions after the nicotine therapy.

Another friend of mine, also a smoker, had a heart attack. Being close to me and not having a big family,
I became a constant companion. I drove him to all his hospital visits over the next few months. The
doctors convinced him, with detailed x-rays and other materials, that the real cause of his heart disease
was the smoking habit. Having been hospitalized for more than a month after the heart attack, the
confinement in hospital meant that he naturally stopped smoking. I realised that if I did not stop now, I
would only be encouraging him to start smoking again.

I decided to totally removed cigarettes from life. I got rid of all the ash-trays in my house and the office. I
did not throw away the cigarettes. The first one week can best be described as totally terrible. My
moods fluctuated from one extreme to the other. Every time that I very badly wanted a cigarette, I
would hold a cigarette in my hand and stare at in closely. I would build up the hatred that I had for it, for
having taken over my life so insidiously. I would then crush in between my fingers, grind in up in my
palm and throw it into the rubbish bin!
One day, it struck me out of the blue. I realised that smokers love cigarettes because they fed their
nicotine addiction. Nobody loves the smoke. In fact, who would want to fill their chest with suffocating
smoke? We never see a smoker burn stuff just to inhale the smoke. It is the nicotine in smoke that they
are really after. I discussed this with my friend who is a psychologist. He was very interested in my
concept.

He said he would look into the possibility of coming with a psycho-therapy program which planted a
hatred for cigarettes in the smoker's mind. But he warned me that it might not work because people
might object to it as an invasion of privacy. Who knows? I hope he is not right. Anyway, I am happy. My
life is now cigarette free. My house, office and clothes no longer of have a burnt smell.

One big change I have found was that food tasted better. Only then did I realise that the smoke that I
had inhaled all my life was at a very high temperature. It was burning my taste buds. In fact I also
realised that my sense of smell was never better. Even the smell sensors in my nose were affected by
the hot smoke that I was inhaling.

Believe me when I say this as a previously heavy smoker, the only good that comes out of smoking is
that it makes tobacco companies richer, and you poorer both financially as well as physically.

Answer the following questions using complete sentences

1.From paragraph 1, what is adult franchise ?

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2.(a) From paragraph 2, what happened to the model in the cigarette advertisement ?

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(b) How do you think non-smokers in tobacco companies developed lung cancer ?

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3.(a) From paragraph 3, what would have caused the friend's wife's lung cancer ?

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(b) From paragraph 3, mention the two advantages of using mass media.

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4. (a) From paragraph 5, in two sentences, explain why you think the nicotine replacement therapy
failed ?

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(b) How did hospitalization helps the friend to stop smoking ?

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5. it makes you poorer both financially as well as physically. "

Based on this statement, how would you describe the detrimental characteristic of cigarettes ?

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Characteristic:

Reason:

6.Based on the passage, write a summary of :

• The circumstances that led to the smoking habit of the writer.

• The different ways in which families suffer because of the smoking habit.

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_____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

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Answers

1. It is at the age when we can vote in national elections.

2.(a) He died of lung cancer.

(b) Handling tobacco leaves every day would have led to the harmful chemicals in tobacco entering their
system.

3.(a) The secondary smoke from her husband and his breath must have caused her affliction.

(b)(i) His sexual ability declined.

(ii) He developed bad emphysema.

4.

(a) Addiction to nicotine was removed because the nicotine was still made available from another
source. Besides, the writer failed to continue with the counselling sessions.

(b) Smoking is strictly prohibited in all hospitals and their grounds. Besides, he must have been pretty
weak after the attack. By the time he was discharged, he was already not smoking for a whole month.
Thus, he would already be used to being without cigarettes Of course, there was also the fear of dying.

5.Characteristic: Cigarettes create an addiction which drains both health and finances.

Reason: On an average a pack of cigarette is about RM15. Smokers usually smoke a pack a day. That
works out to more than RM5,000 a year. Twenty years of smoking at that rate would be RM100,000, the
cost of a small house. Hence it is definitely a drain on one's finances. Besides the addiction to the
chemicals in tobacco, the health of lungs, heat and other parts of the body is also adversely affected.
This is the drain on health, increasing medical expenditures in tandem.

6. The source of the writer's smoking habit was peer pressure. It was a time when there
was social pressure to do similar things to identify with groups. His friends were smokers. So, to become
their friend he too had to become one. It was a time without awareness of the hazards of smoking.
Besides, smoking was advertised as a socially fashionable and manly thing to do. Happily, today the
advertisement of cigarettes and other tobacco products are totally banned. There are two ways that the
smoking habit affects families. First, the health of the smoker and his is adversely affected. Secondly,
being an expensive habit that raises medical expenses in the long run is creates a strain on family
finances.
Physical fitness is a pre-requisite for experiencing a satisfying and fruitful life full of joys and fulfilment.
Barring a small minority, most humans are healthy when they are young. By the time they are in their
teens, their interests and tastes start to surface. Some like to read and write. Others develop talents
that they discover in themselves. The concern about settling in a job that brings a good salary is the
primary objective for most people. Other than for the exceptionally talented, this means a dreary
existence where financial security is given greater importance than one's own personal enjoyment.

Up until the recent past, rest and recreation were viewed by many as irresponsible and self-indulging. It
was opined to be an expression of selfishness, with hardly any economic benefit. This evaluation was
proven to be fallacious with the discovery of stress as a malady. When people started to `feel tired' even
in the absence of physical exertion it made doctors and scientists wonder about the phenomenon.

Previously, stress was nearly always viewed as beneficial as it made people rise up to challenges and
even become creative. The normal remedy to being tired is to rest. Doctors started to ask why a person
in a sedentary job, with little physical exertion could feel abnormally tired.

Studies showed that those with hobbies and those who indulged in physical activity that resulted in
bodily tiredness were less `stressed. The importance of rest and recreation thus came into consideration
as a remedy for stress.

Today, attitudes have changed to such an extent that rest and recreation are now considered essentials
to a healthy and satisfying existence. Sports, games and other forms of physical exertion are now
identified as absolutely necessary for a healthy body and hence a healthy mind. For the first time in
human history, mental health has been given an equal footing to physical health.

This has led to the emergence of various sciences that deal exclusively with a person's mental health.
Gone are the days when `mentally imbalanced' meant `stark raving mad. Today, mental imbalance is
accepted as a natural phenomenon and is more often than not addressed by counselling, by qualified
professionals. Traumatic experiences like grief, disease, natural and unnatural disaster (like financial ruin
due to various reasons) are all treated successfully with psychological counselling. It helps victims in
such stressful situations to recover from their bad experiences in a shorter space of time and become
productive, self-respecting, respectable citizens again.
The parameters to physical and mental balance have been clearly identified. They are regular physical
examinations, a proper balance of. rest and recreation, contact with loved ones, friendship and
companionship. Today, being employed no longer just means being present to do one's work each day.
Today, being employed also means having annual medical check-ups, eating right, being involved in
physically exertive activities, attending seminars to enhance one's mental training and attending annual
dinners.

Gone are the days when there was a single guideline on what is good decorum and discipline. Today's
attitude is such that there is acceptance to how children, youngsters, teenagers, youths, adults and the
aged behave differently. Creches and kindergartens cater to the needs of children. Today, on the other
extreme, we have homes for the aged that cater to the needs of the elderly. This is a direct result of the
development of sciences that deal with physical and mental balance of various ages.

In the age of the digital revolution, we may expect more inventions that constantly analyse our physical
and mental balance on a more regular basis. When we wear devices that monitor our health constantly,
the annual medical check-up will surely become obsolete. The validity of constant information retrieval
about our physical and mental balance may best be seen in the case of the pilot who deliberately
crashed a plane full of people. He was already proven to have psychological problems. But the
information was hidden from the authorities.

Answer the following questions using complete sentences

1.

From paragraph 1, what is the pre-requisite for a life full of joys and fulfilment ?

2.
(a) From paragraph 2, what was viewed as irresponsible and self-indulging ?

(b) From paragraph 2, what discovery led to the validity of rest and recreation ?

3.

(a) From paragraph 4, who were the less stressed people ?

(b) From paragraph 6, what did mentally imbalanced mean. In your own words, what does it mean today
?

4.

(a) From paragraph 8, how has today's attitude changed in relation to people of different ages ?

(b) What is the other extreme of creches and kindergartens stated ?

5.

In your own words, what characteristic of a human life is enhanced with good physical and mental
balance ?
Characteristic:

Reason:

6.

Based on the passage, write a summary of :

• The The importance of physical and mental balance

• The good that still happens despite being sickly and physically handicapped

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Answers
1.

It is physical fitness.

2.

(a) Rest and recreation were viewed in this way.

(b) The discovery of stress as a malady led to the validity of rest and recreation.

3.

(a) They were those who indulged in physical activity that resulted in bodily tiredness.

(b)

(i) In olden days, mentally imbalanced meant start raving mad.

(ii) Today, mentally imbalanced simply means that the person needs some form of counselling to give
him back mental serenity ( Any suitable answer )

4.
(a) Previously, there weren't many guidelines on what was good behaviour. Today, there are accepted
norms for the appreciation of behaviour according to one's age or age group. ( Any suitable answer )

(b) They are the institutions that cater to the needs of the elderly.

5.

Characteristic: I think it is the sense of satisfaction that one may draw from one's life.

Reason: There can be no true satisfaction in the absence of either physical or mental balance. When the
two are well-balanced as a result of good physical as well as mental discipline, there can be true
satisfaction. We would have done most of what we could and what we could have wanted. ( Any
suitable answer )

6. Physical and mental discipline is very important in our life. Science today recognises that
we can have a happy and fulfilling life only when we have both physical and mental discipline. physical
discipline involves following an appropriate diet and doing the necessary amount physical exertion in
the form of games, sports or other outdoor activities. It could also be done within indoor gyms. Mental
discipline ahs more to do with our value systems. Mental discipline also involves making decisions that
do not result in physical damage such as smoking and drinking. even when we have physical problems
such as being diseased we can still live in fruitful and satisfying. Proof of this is in the world's greatest
scientists Stephen Hawkins who is physically handicapped.
Halimah made a steaming cup of tea for her father who was near the railway tracks, bent over some old
newspapers. She was bothered that the amount of tea leaves left was too little for a second round. She
adjusted her dress which was torn over her knees and left shoulder before climbing out of her hut. She
was careful not to hit the cup on the narrow door.

Halimah's father was kneeling down, engrossed in the pile he had collected. He spat betel juice on the
stone slabs and barked at her for the delay. She scratched her head and drew back the fringe that
covered her heart-shaped face. Her father gulped the hot tea and shoved the cup back into her hands.
Chasing her to start work, he mumbled the dates of the newspapers to himself, trying to arrange them
in order for Uncle Aziz. She was glad he did not ask for a second cup. Running towards her hut, she
nearly bumped into Uncle Aziz pushing his cart filled with bundled up papers, freshly purchased.

Back home, Ibrahim was still asleep, curled up with Lat the stray cat. Halimah chased Lat out and kicked
her twin brother roughly. He jolted out of his sleep and scolded her for giving him a fright. "What's so
scary?" she yelled back, pushing forward the bowl of last night's porridge. Ibrahim grudgingly drank the
porridge. He knew Halimah would not have had any side dish of sambal saved for her own breakfast
only. She was not that type. "That would have enhanced the taste somewhat," he thought and drooled a
little.
Halimah washed the pots and pans outside and watched the slum dwellers finally rising to attend to
their many businesses. Begging was the most popular amongst the children in this part of town while
the men

usually resorted to helping out contractors in transporting cement and other heavy duty labor.
Halimah's mother and some of the other women were out selling baskets woven by them during the
week. Although Halimah was only ten, she could weave a basket in half a day which impressed the other
women.

She rolled up her long, dry, brown hair into a messy bun and dragged Ibrahim with her. They had to start
early or the office crowd would be gone. They would have to use whatever they earned for lunch and
track down foreigners in the many tourist spots to secure dinner later. If business went well, Halimah
had promised to take Ibrahim out to watch a show at the cinema. They had been saving the past week
and if luck allowed it, they would have had enough by Saturday to enjoy a little luxury.

Ibrahim did not seem enthusiastic when she reminded him of their outing. He scratched his head and
threw his shirt over their father's bicycle parked outside. He walked on uninterestedly to the bus stop
and sat sulking by the corner. Halimah tried cheering him up by allowing Lat to tag along but he still
seemed moody. Giving up, she started out alone, begging from the people crowding the fish market
nearby.

Answer the following questions using complete sentences

1. Based on paragraphs 1 and 2, what do you think Halimah's father did for a living ?

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2. Why was Halimah glad that her father 'did not ask for a second cup' (paragraph 2) ?

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3. 'She was not that type.' (paragraph 3) What did Ibrahim mean by 'type' ?

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4. Why did Ibrahim munch on the porridge grudgingly ?

__________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

5. What do you understand by slum dwellers ?

a. They are poor people who live in a poor area of a town.
b. They are social workers.
c. They are people working in the slum.
d. They are newspaper collectors.

6. Explain clearly why Halimah had to 'start early or the office crowd would be gone'
(paragraph 5).

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7. In what way did Halimah and Ibrahim manage to have lunch and dinner every day ?

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8. What does the 'little luxury' (paragraph 5) refer to ?

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9. Describe the jobs the children, men and women who lived in the slum did for a living.

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10. According to the passage, what are two most obvious character differences between
Halimah and Ibrahim ?

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___________________________________________________________________
11. Find two pronouns in Paragraph 1.

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Grammar

Q1. Identify the Active and Passive tense. (2 marks)

a. People say that he is rich man ____________________

b. You are requested to post this letter _______________________
c. Twelve mouths make a year _____________________
d. Let the lamp be lighted ______________________
Q2. Rewrite the sentences in future Passive (1 marks)

a. Peter will click selfie.

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_____________________________________________________________

Q3. Rewrite the sentence in active voice. (1 marks)

a. A race will be run by them.

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_____________________________________________________________
Answers Key

Answers

1. He collected old newspapers in order to sell them.

2. The amount of tea leaves left was too little to make another cup of tea.

3. He meant she was not the type of girl who was selfish/greedy or inconsiderate.

4. The porridge was tasteless without a side dish and he was not enjoying it.

5. They are poor people who live in a poor area of a town.

6. Halimah had to start begging from office workers before they got to work. / In order to
beg from office workers, Halimah had to start early before the workers reached their offices.

7. They used the money they begged from office workers to buy lunch and the money they
begged from tourists to buy dinner.

8. It refers to watching a show at the cinema.

 9. The children begged. The men worked at construction sites while the women sold
baskets woven by them.

10. Halimah was more responsible and hardworking than Ibrahim.