Signing off a formal letter...

ANSWERING SUMMARY IN 1119 ENGLISH SPM PAPER 2

SECTION C: SUMMARY (ESPECIALLY TO MY SETS 4(1)A and 5(1)E!!)

The third section in Paper 2 English SPM, section C requires students to complete a set of reading comprehension questions (RC) and a one paragraph summary based on a reading passage. RC is not the hardest part of the paper, because every student would have been doing this since standard 4. The problem will be the summary. Let me give you some tips on answering summary.

1.       Read THE QUESTION FIRST.

Scroll down after the RC questions and you will find the summary question. This should be done BEFORE reading the passage.*

For example,

31 Based on the passage given, write a summary on:
• the suggestions given by Mahes to promote laughter therapy at the office.

Credit will be given for use of own words but care must be taken not to change the original meaning.

 Your summary must:

• be in continuous writing form (not in note form)

• use material from lines 16 to 34

• not be longer than 130 words, including the 10 words given below

Begin your summary as follows: Mahes suggests that laughter clubs are set up to make ...

*You should get the idea of what the passage is about just by looking at the question. Reading the questions before reading the passage is good because it gives you focus on your reading and you will understand the passage a lot faster.

2. Read the passage

3. Complete the Reading Comprehension Questions

4. To start summarizing, use the BRIEF  technique

B	BOX
R	READ
I	IDENTIFY
E	EXTRACT
F	FINALIZE

5. B=BOX

This is VERY SIMPLE. Just draw a box on the paper. Start the first horizontal line ABOVE the line mentioned in the instruction (In RED) and another after the last line mentioned. In this case it is line 16 and line 34.

31. Practice 3 Questions 26 – 31 are based on the following passage.

1 Work-related stress is a common problem among employees. It can result in feelings of depression, frustration and demotivation. Stress management therapist, Mahes Karuppiah recommends laughter therapy to deal with this problem. Mahes says that laughter helps to reduce levels of cortisol, a stress hormone that weakens the immune system.     

                                                                             

 5 Studies have found that a good laugh session can lead to a sense of wellbeing and optimism. It can also reduce blood pressure, increase circulation and relax the muscles. Mahes, who began using laughter as therapy four years ago says laughter is the easiest and most practical way to manage stress. It is also inexpensive as everyone possesses the natural ability to laugh. “You don‟t have to learn how to do it or buy equipment to help you laugh; it is in you.

 10 If you look at children, they laugh at the simplest things while adults are finding it difficult even to smile.” Mahes says employees who are facing pressure and stress usually cannot cope with their work. This drags down their productivity and may even compel them to come up with excuses not to come to work. “If you start work at the age of 25 and retire at 55, you would be spending 30 years of your life at the office. And you work about nine hours or more there every day. So, if you are unhealthy and

15 unhappy during this period which is the prime time of your life, you have wasted the bulk of your life with these emotions.” To make the office a fun place, she suggests the establishment of a laughter club at each company. “Get a few people together every morning and have a laughter therapy session for about 15 minutes. All the laughter club members should try to identify and remove negative feelings such as guilt, anger, fear, jealousy and ego,”  she says.

20 According to Mahes, there are a few types of laughter therapy. Among them are putting a pen between your teeth to simulate a smile and the “Ho, Ho, Ha, Ha,” which involves laughing while clapping your hands. You don’t need to listen to a joke or look at something funny. You can do it as a form of exercise just like aerobics. It is said that laughter is like internal jogging. It keeps the mind and body fit.  “There should also be a laughter room in every office,” she says. “You’ve heard of people

25 screaming to release their tension. Why not have a laughter room where instead of screaming, they can laugh?” Employees can use the room to practise laughter exercises, watch a funny video or sit there and just laugh their frustrations away. The cost of having this room is small. And in return it will help boost morale among the workers, reduce absenteeism and increase productivity. Another suggestion is to have a Public Announcement or P.A. system in the office so that someone can tell a

30 joke of the day or just begin laughing. Laughter is contagious. Once you get someone to laugh, soon everyone in the room will be laughing or smiling as well. Post funny jokes or cartoons on a bulletin board, as long as they are not lewd or offensive. Employees can rotate the postings every week. The best joke or cartoon should be declared the “Humour of the week”. This is the cheapest way to bring fun into the office.

35 According to a study by David Abrams of California State University in the United States, people who have fun on the job are more creative and productive, are better decision-makers and get along better with co-workers. So, start the day with a laugh and you‟ll find the saying “Laughter is the best medicine” is really true. (Adapted from The New Straits Times, July 2003)

Example of the box:

6. R=Read the passage

This is not simply reading. Focus on what you are going to summarize. Especially the one in the box.

7. I=Identify

This means you must identify the points/ key ideas that are relevant to what the instructions want. Be careful of what the question wants especially the PARTS OF SPEECH.

For example-the instruction above is QUESTIONING about SUGGESTIONS TO PROMOTE LAUGHTER THERAPY IN THE OFFICE. Now SUGGESTIONS should fall into the NOUN CATEGORY/PART OF SPEECH. So you have to search for ACTIVITIES.

I WOULD HIGHLIGHT THE POINTS

8 E=Extract

This basically means when you have identified the ideas, you have to take the idea out from the text and ON A PIECE OF A DIFFERENT PAPER, write them out again according to the ORDER THEY ARE FOUND IN THE PASSAGE. Making this list of ideas/points is CRUCIAL because we need to weed out the unnecesssary details and to recheck whether the ideas we identify is relevant or not. Remember, only highlighting on the text IS NOT ENOUGH. You have to REWRITE THE POINTS.

Ok, let’s look at the list

SUGGESTIONS ON PROMOTING LAUGHTER THERAPY AT THE OFFICE

1.       she suggests the establishment of a laughter club at each company. “Get a few people together every morning and have a laughter therapy session for about 15 minutes. All the laughter club members should try to identify and remove negative feelings such as guilt, anger, fear, jealousy and ego,”  she says

WHAT IS STRUCK OUT: ELABORATION ON WHAT IS A LAUGHTER CLUB

2.       According to Mahes, there are a few types of laughter therapy.

WHAT IS STRUCK OUT: MENTIONING THE WRITER IS UNNECESSARY

3.        Among them are putting a pen between your teeth to simulate a smile and the “Ho, Ho, Ha, Ha,” which involves laughing while clapping your hands. You don’t need to listen to a joke or look at something funny. You can do it as a form of exercise just like aerobics. It is said that laughter is like internal jogging. It keeps the mind and body fit.  

WHAT IS STRUCK OUT: ELABORATION OF LAUGHTER THERAPY AND HOW IT WORKS

4.       “There should also be a laughter room in every office,” she says. “You’ve heard of people screaming to release their tension. Why not have a laughter room where instead of screaming, they can laugh?”

WHAT IS STRUCK OUT: JUSTIFICATION FOR HAVING A LAUGHTER ROOM

5.       Employees can use the room to practise laughter exercises,

WHAT IS STRUCK OUT:  WHO IS USING THE ROOM BECAUSE IT IS EXPLAINED IN THE POINTS ABOVE.

6.       watch a funny video or

7.       sit there and just laugh their frustrations away. The cost of having this room is small. And in return it will help boost morale among the workers, reduce absenteeism and increase productivity.

WHAT IS STRUCK OUT:  THE COST AND BENEFITS OF THE ROOM

8.       Another suggestion is to have a Public Announcement or P.A. system in the office so that someone can tell a joke of the day or just begin laughing. Laughter is contagious. Once you get someone to laugh, soon everyone in the room will be laughing or smiling as well.

WHAT IS STRUCK OUT:  REASON FOR USING THE P.A SYSTEM

9.       Post funny jokes or cartoons on a bulletin board, as long as they are not lewd or offensive. Employees can rotate the postings every week.

WHAT IS STRUCK OUT:  WHAT CAN BE POSTED AND WHO CAN POST IT.

10.   The best joke or cartoon should be declared the “Humour of the week”. This is the cheapest way to bring fun into the office.

WHAT IS STRUCK OUT:  THE COST
.

Remember, NO EXAMPLES, ELABORATIONS AND 

REPEATED IDEAS IN A SUMMARY

.

9. F=FINALIZE

Use the sentence as an opener for your summary given to start writing a paragraph of summary. Be sure not to exceed 120 words.

Mahes suggests that laughter clubs are set up to make people release their tension. First, there are a few types of laughter therapy:  Among them are putting a pen between your teeth to simulate a smile and the “Ho, Ho, Ha, Ha,” which involves laughing while clapping your hands. Second, create a laughter room in every office. Then use the room to practise laughter exercises, watch a funny video or sit there and just laugh their frustrations away. Third, use the Public Announcement or P.A. system in the office so that someone can tell a joke of the day or just begin laughing. Finally, post funny jokes or cartoons on a bulletin board and the best joke or cartoon should be declared the “Humour of the week”

              

               You must write the number of word                                       (126 words)

In finalizing, you can write in Sequence connectors like the numbering of points to make your points clearer. Before submitting, check your sentences and grammar.

There you are. we are done. You can start practising!

Good Luck!

Answering Section D Paper 2 English SPM

Most students have this 'irrational' fear of answering literature questions just 

because they find it tiresome and loathsome to read. Apparently literature is 

good for you and boosts your brain power. 

Unfortunately, some students do read but they could not produce a decent script

for this section simply because they fail to fulfill the requirements. So, a little

heads-up, please READ THE INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY before 

you start.

Ok, let's get a sample.

_________________________________________

The following are the novels studied in the literature component in English Language:

                                            Step by wicked step – Anne Fine

                                     Catch Us If You Can – Catherine MacPhail

                                             The Curse – Lee Su Ann

Choose any one of the novels above and answer the question.

Use information from the novel to support your answer.

Compare two characters in the novel you have studied. How are they similar and different?

Compare and contrast two characters.

                  The novel I have chosen is ‘Step by wicked step’ written by Anne Fine. Colin and Claudia are the two characters I have chosen to compare and contrast. Although they are two differing characters, they also have some similarities.

                  Both Colin and Claudia come from broken or separated families.  They both have step parents. Colin’s mother has left his biological father and `took up’ with Jack.  Jack is the only ‘father’ figure Colin ever know. However, Colin’s mum leaves Jack after a while. This causes him to miss Jack so badly that it hurts. On the other hand, Claudia’s father has left her mother for another woman, Stella. She feels disloyal to her mum whenever she has a good time with her father and Stella. Both Colin and Claudia really want their parents to reconcile as they pine for how it used to be when they were happy. And this aspect of unhappy home is the first similarity.

                 Colin and Claudia also do not adapt to the drastic changes their families undergo. Colin’s unwavering loyalty and want for his ‘dad’ to be back and Claudia’s misguided loyalty to her mother shows that these two characters find difficulties dealing with changes. There are frustrations, fear and sadness. Furthermore, both Colin’s and Claudia’s mothers do not take their emotions into consideration. It is as though everything is only happening to them, and will never have an impact on the children. This is the second similarity; the fact that the changes take time.

                  However, Colin and Claudia are markedly different individuals. They deal with the changes in their respective families differently; Colin is portrayed as a boy always pining for his ‘father’ even after five whole years. However, Claudia becomes hostile towards the new lady in her life, Stella, disregarding all the latter’s efforts to warm up to her. These different treatments are proof of their dissimilarity.

                Both Colin and Claudia have different personalities too. Colin is a dreamer who dreams of an ideal life where his ‘dad’ and mother will be together forever and happy. He secretly keeps his ‘father’s’ tobacco tin and saves money so that he can look for him one day. This makes him too depending on his stepdad and emotionally attached to him. This is probably due to the fact that he needs love from a man called ‘father’. Claudia is more of a sensible and rational person. After seeing her dad’s friends ignoring Stella and judging it as ‘rude’, she goes to compliment Stella on her stellar choice of green pyjamas. Claudia is more independent and is not afraid to voice her opinions. Unlike Colin, Claudia is brave in coming to terms with her parents’ separation. She is independent and not afraid to voice her opinions. These dissimilar personalities differentiates them and hint at a different future both might face.

Even though they experience broken family relationships and find it difficult to accept changes, the way Colin and Claudia accept new additional member of the family is different. They have different views in accepting reality and this has made the story more inspiring and colourful.

_________________________________________

TIPS

1. Fulfill the requirements. You must know TWO characters and state the character of your choice.

2. Write a thesis statement, hinting and giving a general idea at what the readers will read (purple colored)

3. Start every paragraph with a topic sentence that contain the main idea or keyword. For example, the first main idea is 'both come from broken or separated family' (blue colored)

4. After the topic sentence, elaborate and give example from the story to make your points clearer. Do not retell the whole story.

5.You must link your points/ideas back to the question. Failure to link might cause you to not achieve more than 4 or 5 marks for content.(yellow colored)

6. Close your essay with a simple restatement of your thesis statement, or restate your three main ideas.(red colored)

7. Check your tenses. It must be in Simple Present Tense.