Hello

I'm in Secondary 1 now :)))
I love my sec school, my CCA-----St.Nicks,Chinese Orchestra
I hope that all of you who are taking PSLE this year are working hard to achieve your goal.
I've worked hard, and I got into the school of my choice! :)
Remember, never EVER give up when you have difficulties.
You will soar high if you do not give up. :)
Trust me..:D
(PS: I will continue posting stuff here if I have the time. I'm currently preparing for my CA1. :) I wish all of you all the best for your CA1 :) )

Tips on Synthesis and Transformation 3

1) John likes to play squash. He does not like to play tennis.
Ans: John likes to play squash instead of tennis. (correct)
         John likes to play squash instead of play tennis. (wrong) (Note: 'Instead of' is used to express an alternative. If the verb is the same for both sentences, there is no need to repeat it.)

2) Lisa is a member of the girl guides. Kate is also a member of the girl guides.
Ans: Lisa, together with Kate, is a member of the girl guides. (correct)
         Lisa, together with Kate, are members of the girl guides. (wrong) (Note: The verb in the transformed sentence has to agree with the subject mentioned at the beginning of the sentence. In this case, Lisa is the main subject, not both Lisa and Kate.)

3) Jake is an intelligent boy. Jake is a lazy boy.
Ans: Jake is an intelligent but lazy boy. (correct)
        Jake is an intelligent boy but he is lazy. (wrong) (Note: 'But' is used to join two sentences which contrast each other. Thus, we do not repeat the noun after 'but' if the subject of the sentence remains the same.)

Model Composition 2

This is adapted from  http://thelearningworkshop.blogspot.sg/, one of my favourite websites. No copyright intended. I have highlighted some good phrases and sentences. Happy note-taking! :)

Black ominous clouds moseyed across the sky. My mother, my two-year-old sister, Grace, and I had just finished our great Safari trip.  It was magnificent watching the animals plodding across the African plains in herds.  The elephants, the lions, the giraffes and the antelopes were all amazing in their natural habitats.

 

Today was the last day of our holiday in Kenya and we had to do some last-minute shopping for souvenirs while Dad went back to the hotel to catch a nap. 
 

 

The Nairobi shopping mall was bursting at its seams.  Busy shoppers were everywhere.  “Let’s go to the toy shop on the third floor,” Grace suggested as exuberance bubbled in her. 
 

 

“You and your toys!” Mum teased as she playfully pinched her rosy cheeks.  Grace smiled sheepishly and stuck out her little tongue.
 

“We’d better hurry up before the shops close.  We have a late flight to catch later.”  I hurriedly pulled them along.

Bang! Bang! Bang!  Shrill gunshots resounded through the air.  I looked down from the escalator and caught a glimpse of men, women and children falling down like dead flies.  Scores of shoppers were taking cover, fleeing into shops.         

Behind them were a troop of gunmen shooting at the innocent at random.  Pandemonium struck!  Everyone went amok, shrieking like banshees.  We stood rooted to the ground like the Roman statues.  Fear pulsated in us.  The gunmen then spoke in some foreign languages, pointing upwards.  They started rushing upstairs.  Panic engulfed us like a huge tsunami. 

Grace  started bawling at the top of her voice.  Mum cupped her mouth tightly and ordered, “Keep quiet and follow me!”  Mum carried Grace and ran along the aisle with me in tow, looking for the emergency exit.

“Mum, there!”  I pointed excitedly.

Hope rekindled inside me as we rushed towards the door.  Mum pressed the door lever but it would not budge.  My heart dropped.  We turned and heard thumping footsteps.  Terrorists!  We thought it would be the end of us.  To our surprise, it was a burly security guard.  “Follow me!”  he urged.

Without hesitation, we followed him as if we were his shadow.  He brought us to the movie theatre where it was dimly lit.  Here was safer than the shops.  There were intermittent whispers around.  We squatted behind a row of velvety seats, panting profusely. Our fate was so unclear. Would we die?

Suddenly, we heard rough voices.  A rebel had entered the theatre.  Silence blanketed the place.  No one dared to make a sound.  He fired at the ceiling.  The gunshots ricocheted like bouncing marbles as smithereens fell from above and cut our skin but we did not even whimper.    The footsteps of the gunman grew louder and louder.  My heartbeats went faster and faster.   Then, his shadow loomed over us. My heart was in my mouth.  Luckily, he did not notice us.  The rebel was holding an AK-47 assault rifle, with ammunition strapped across his shoulder.  His heavy boot was pressing against my palm.  Ouch!  I wanted to scream in pain as tears brimmed in my eyes.  However, I held back, knowing that the consequences would be dire.

There was a sudden slight movement outside the exit.  It was the same security guard, trying to make his escape.  The rebel turned and ran, aiming at him and – fired.  Crimson blood spurted everywhere as the bullet penetrated his heart.  He fell to the ground - dead.

Just then, my mobile phone broke into the melody of "Oppa Gangnam Style".  It was Dad.  The gunman turned and ran back.  His footsteps thundered in my ears.  My heart almost jumped out of my body.  We were all ready to die.

Fortunately, a posse of officers from the Special Forces came charging in and killed the rebel instantly.  There was an intense gunfight.  Numerous gunshots were fired across the aisle.  We waited in trepidation.  After what seemed like eternity, the policemen triumphed and came combing the areas looking for survivors.  We were then swiftly escorted out of the building.  Needless to say, stray bullet shells were scattered all over and shops were riddled with multiple bullets.  Corpses were everywhere.

As we emerged from the building, a glare of lightning lit up the entire sky.  Rain started pouring in torrents as if the heaven was also mourning for the death of the innocent victims.  We spotted Dad among the crowd behind the security cordon.  Tears flowed freely as we embraced in tight hugs.  We were just too lucky to be alive.

Tips for Composition

I don't know where I adapted this from but the tips are useful...
Continuous Writting:
~ You was walking home from school. You saw two man at the loby ofyour flat. Your lift is here and you did not bother too much. When you reached your home, and when you are going to unlock your house gate, you saw two men infront of your neighbour's gate picking on the lock......

Compo plan [5 to 10 min]:
Exposition:
- Characters: Me, policemen, neighbour's relatives
- Setting: Near your neighbour's house
- Introdution: Question
- Walking home from school.
- Noticed two ma in black with caps.
- Did not bother as my lift came.
- Went up the lift and went home.

Rising Action:
- Enter home and heard a "click" sound coming from neighbour's house.
- Remembered clearly that neighbour went to Europe for two weeks and should not be back yet.
- Went to peep through the peep hole.

Climax:
- Saw the exact two men picking the locks of my neighbour's house.
- They went inside neighbour's house.
- No adult at home so decided to salvage the situation myself.
- Locked my neighbour's gate with a huge padlock so that the two men could not come out.

Resolution:
- Called the police and they arrived in no time.
- They went inside and about two minutes later, the policemen and the two man came out laughing.
- Policemen explained to me thatthe two men are my neighbour's relatives.
- They are supposed to take care of the house.
- I felt embarrass and apologised.

Model compo;
          Have you evercaught a burglar? I witnessed a whole inccident and even caught one.

          "Yay! Finally! I can go home! End of school!" I shouted as I made my way home. Pictures of my new "PSP" kept flashing in my mind waiting for me to play. "Click, clock, click, clock" hush shuffling sounds can be heard as I waited for the lift at my lift lobby. At the corner of my eye, I spotted two men wearing black from headto toe. They even wore a cap. I did not bother too much about them as my lift had just arrived. I dashed home and threw my bag onto my sofa and was ready to start my game when I heard the sound "click" coming from my neighbour's door.

          It aroused my suspicion because I recalled very clearly that my neighbours were in Europe for two weeks, hence no one should be at home. Out of curiousity, I peaked through my peep hole. To my horror, I saw the same two men whom I saw at the lift lobby earlier, struggling to open my neighbour's door!

          There were no adults at home so I decided to salvage this situation on my own. "Click!" now the door is opened, the two men went inside. I began to panic, thinking desperately what I should do. Just then, a very clever idea popped into my mind. Recently, my parents bought a huge padlock, so I decided to use it to lock the two strange men inside the house. I did not think they could escape through the window as I lived on the eight floor.

          I waited for my opportunity to come. After five minutes of waiting, I unlocked my door, slowly tip-toed to my neighbour's door and attached the padlock on the door without making any sound. Then I tip-toed back to my house and locked my door and quickly called the police. I kept an eye on my neighbour's door hoping the burglars take a longer time so that the police will be able to catch them. Within minutes, the police arrived. They asked if I called them, I nodded my head and told them sabout the inccident. Then I handed them the key of the padlock. They asked me to stay at home and not interfere. I watched them from my window as they unlocked he padlock and kicked open the door. They all went inside to search for the two strange men.

          Within minutes, the police and the two men came out laughing. I felt very puzzled so I unlocked my door and asked the police. The police explained that the two strange men were actually my neghbour's relatives, they were taking care of the house, just that the key was stuck in the key hole of the door. I flushed with embarrasment and apologised for the inccident.

*Credits go to the one who wrote this...good job...does that happened to you before?*

作文好词好句

好词好句/俗话

• 我真的是太饿了！我不管三七二十一，狼吞虎咽地吃我的面。
• 小丽的家陷入了困境，所以他变得郁郁寡欢，无心向学。
• 同学们都战战兢兢的走进考场，心情像十五个吊桶大水---七上八下。
• 文具店里的文具琳琅满目，应有尽有，令人目不暇接。
• 妈妈把我骂得狗血淋头，火冒三丈地说：“小时偷针，大时偷金！我今天一定要教训你！”
• 我和弟弟被突如其来的事情吓得魂飞魄散，连忙逃跑。
• 俗话说：“只要功夫深，铁杵磨成针。”只要肯努力，成功就在你眼前。

好句

往事如海滩上五彩的贝壳，数也数不清，然而我心中有那么一枚“贝壳”，它深深地藏在我记忆的匣子里。

Elephants

Questions about elephants once came out in PSLE. So, here are some facts about the elephants.
Why do elephants have such big ears?

Ans: The big ears are to help the elephants stay cool. Elephants don't sweat, so they have a hard time dissipating excess heat (keeping cool). Their large ears contain many blood vessels that allow heat to escape into the air. When you see elephants they are usually moving their ears back and forth. This fanning helps to dissipate more heat than if their ears remained still.

Compre Cloze Tips

Here are tips for compre cloze:
a) read entire passage to have a feel of content first
b) read the paragraph and underline clues
c) choose 2 or more suitable words (maximum 3) and write neatly on top in pencil
d) Select the best word by "reading aloud" softly because sometimes the eyes are misleading. Write in your choice.
Here is an exercise for you.
(Comment below if you want answers)
Maricel Apatan, 22, stands in the kitchen of the Edsa Shangri-La Hotel in Manila, preparing to _________ a cheesecake. It would seem to be a routine task for a pastry chef, but Maricel is no _________ chef – she has no hands.

Her disability, however, barely slows her ________. Using her wrists, Maricel coats the sides of the cake ________crushed nuts. Next, she grips a chef’s knife tightly between her hip and left inner elbow and uses her left wrist to delicately slice grapes, kiwi and strawberries in _________. In short order, she arranges the fruit on the cake, adds blueberry filling, and sets an elegant chocolate curl on top.

Maricel has come a long way since the day in September 2000 when she and her uncle were attacked near their farm in a __________area of Zamboanga City, Mindanao. Five machete-wielding men, who were trying to force Maricel’s family off their land, brutally hacked into her uncle, then turned on 11-year-old Maricel. She passed out as she tried to protect herself from the savage blows. After she _________ to, Maricel pretended to be dead until she was sure the attackers were gone. As she _________ home, she looked down to see her hands dangling loosely on threads of bloodied flesh. Miraculously, she survived a long, arduous trip to the hospital, but doctors could not save her ________.

Maricel eventually __________ from high school and enrolled in a two-year Hotel and Restaurant Management course in Cagayan de Oro City. "I have really enjoyed cooking since I was seven years old." Thanks in large part to her parents’ unwavering support, Maricel flourished even though she was the only __________student in the course. "I wasn’t shy or ___________ to sign up for class competitions like cake decorating."

When managers at the Edsa Shangri-La Hotel saw Maricel on television, they hired her as part of the hotel’s Care for People project. Fellow chef Aljamil Borja marvels at Maricel’s skills. "She asks for ___________ only if she needs to move a hot kettle or large saucepan from the stove, or open slippery bottle caps," says Aljamil. Maricel has also ____________her goal of inspiring others.

"It is difficult to make ends __________ but I don’t lose hope. I believe anything is possible if you dream, work hard and pray." Maricel commented.

Composition Topics

1) You were on an MRT train when suddenly the train jerked to a sudden halt.
2) There was no one at the bus stop. You were waiting for the bus as usual when you spotted a leather bag on the seat. Out of curiosity, you decided to see what was inside.
3) We were sitting in a cafe after school when we suddenly heard a loud commotion.
4) The angry man raised the whip again. But before he could strike the helpless hungry orphan, a strong arm stopped him.
5) One afternoon, you returned home from school at the usual hour to find your front door wide open. Nobody was in. But your lunch was ready on the dining table.
6) You were walking back from home when you find a wallet. You opened it and saw that it is filled with money.
7) Your classmates and you waited for your Mathematics teacher to come to class. Your friend passes you a piece of paper from behind.
8) You and your classmates were having a lesson when a student burst into the room.

Grammar Tips

Some grammar tips adapted from an english resource website.
Lain vs Laid
The English verb "lie" is complex and often problematic. Proper usage of its past tense forms like "lain" and "laid" are often confusing and used improperly. However, keeping some simple rules in mind makes it easier to use words like "lain" and "laid" in their proper grammatical context.Whether one uses "lain" or "laid" depends on the action being performed by the verb. "Laid" is the past tense of "lay," and "lain" is the past participle of "lie." The most simple way of understanding which form to use is by using it in context. For example, if one is resting or becoming prone, "lain" would be proper, as in "he has lain there for days." However, if one is placing something somewhere, "laid" is proper, as in "she laid the notebook on the desk."
   But lie and lay seem to give people more difficulty than do all the other irregular verbs combined. Here's why: The past tense form of lie is lay, so it's indistinguishable from lay in the present tense except in usage. (Sit and set, probably the irregular verbs that give people the most trouble next to lie and lay, for example, have no parts in common. It's sit, sat and sat but set, set, set.)

 The principal parts (most-common verb forms) of lie are:

lie (present,) lay (past) and lain (past participle).

     The principal parts of lay are:

lay (present), laid (past) and laid (past participle).

     As an aid in choosing the correct verb forms, remember that lie means to recline, whereas lay means to place something, to put something on something.
Lie
Present tense: I lie down on my bed to rest my weary bones.
Past tense: Yesterday, I lay there thinking about what I had to do during the day.
Past participle: But I remembered that I had lain there all morning one day last week.
Lay
Present tense: As I walk past, I lay the tools on the workbench.
Past tense: As I walked past, I laid the tools on the workbench. And: I laid an egg in class when I tried to tell that joke.
Past participle: . . . I had laid the tools on the workbench.

All about T-score in PSLE

Here are some powerpoint slides about t-score in PSLE. It is about how the t-score is calculated and how the aggregate score is calculated.

http://www.edgefieldpri.moe.edu.sg/wbn/slot/u2208/Parents_Link/Understanding%20PSLE%20T-scores.pdf