"Seems like we're set down here," a woman said to me recently, "and don't nobody know why."
-Pilgrim at Tinker's Creek
If I were to ask you the meaning of life, what would you say?
_________
I'm asking you for the meaning of life. Where do you find it? In waking up everyday to go to school? [I hear the collective groans. Yeah I know. Bad joke.] Of course the meaning in life isn't found in going to school. Then where? After you graduate, in the workplace? [more groans] Okay so we probably won't find the meaning of life in the politically correct world of business suits and money. Is money the meaning of life? No, really. Is money Your meaning of life? Is your life defined by money? Money, the thing that we use to buy chicken rice with.
Then what? Is clubbing the meaning of life? At the end of the day, when we're fifty and on our way to death, we're going to tell each other, yeah, hanging out at zouk is The Defining Moment in my life. [oh man that sounds horrifyingly pathetic.] What matters when we're on our death bed? Can't be grades, can't be money, can't be our ex-ex-ex-ex-girlfriend or boyfriend. Then why do these things preoccupy us so? How do we live our lives? We spend it feverishly studying, or with that present boy/girlfriend. Or working to make money.
Maybe we should all quit our school/jobs and live life for ourselves then. So maybe clubbing at zouk really is the meaning of life, because it brings us happiness. We should all live by the beach, sip champange on a yatch and pursue happiness. Oh wait we're going to need money for the yatch. So maybe we work for a few years first. and then a few more. and more. Hey what was the meaning of life again?
For most of us, we're going to graduate school, go to work, get married and have kids. Maybe do some charity work if we feel like it. Like cip hours back in school. Or maybe go holidaying once in a while because we think we deserve it. So, people, where's the meaning of life here?
When I did lit, mr woolhead taught the Threatre of the Absurd. Born out of the sufferings of world war two, by soldiers who were disilluioned with everything. Where was the meaning in waking up to die? In seeing heinous crimes? So that they would win the war? So what? Even if they won the war, would they find meaning in normalacy? In civillian life? In wearing a tie and taking the bus to work? Would they find meaning then?
It's pretty much the same today. Where's our meaning in life? Is it represented by grades? [I hope not because life would be really really sad.] So what happens if you do badly for the O levels? A levels? There's no more meaning in life? Is our meaning in life in our boyfriend or girlfriend? So what happens if you break up, or find a new one? Either you no longer have meaning in life, or you have a New Meaning. Or you're going to have a Few Meanings in life. Which doesn't make sense, however you look at it. Or is your meaning in life measured by your wealth? Like I said, the thing you use to buy chicken rice with.
_______________
The following short film [parts one and two] revolve around three people. I think we can all identify somewhat with them, their fears and heartaches. It's just that. their lives are so. meaningless. [and if blogger doesn't host it very well, go to youtube.com and type "vincentha". This is titled Escape.]
Okay. Now that we've watched it. Ever felt defeated because of bad grades? Or cried because you broke up with the boyfriend/girlfriend? What's going to happen in the future if we end up like kevin, looked down upon just because he's old?
Where's the meaning in life?
Many religions say they have it. I've found it.
Any questions for me? Let me guess...
What is religion anyway? Is it a man-made concept to guide us through life, to make us feel like we have a purpose? Which faith is right? Why should any one faith be 'right'? ... What's with worshipping? My pride doesn't like it, calling myself insignificant beside Him, telling Him that He is so wonderful, and completely succumbing to His 'power', so that I am but a mere sevant. It takes amazing humility, and faith.. I don't have that.
So many questions you're asking. I'll try. I don't know everything, but I'll try. mmm.
Firstly. As the watch proves the existence of a watch-maker, so the earth proves the existence of a Creator, and all that is within it. I mean, you're not going to see a watch and say Look, how curious! This watch suddenly appeared on my hand! You're going to see a watch and go, oh wow, I've always wanted a fossil watch.. and that basically acknowledges fossil as the brand-maker of that particular watch.
So let's start on that. That there is something out there who created at least the earth and all there is in it. Let's call that something, God. Since there is a God, obviously His religion, whatever it is, would be the "right" one. Yes? Any arguments against that? Therefore we follow the "right" religion. Assuming we know what the "right" one is. As to worshipping.. I don't claim to speak for everyone out there but for me, there are plenty of reasons to worship. You know how magnificent nature is? Nature in all its granduer and elusive tints that have yet to be named.. even animals. Cows can't have four stomachs by accident. grin. When I think about the beauty of the earth and sky.. there's this need within me to submit myself to whoever was powerful enough to create all this. I know what you mean about pride though. I once wrote in one of my journals that "I believe not because I do, but because I cannot afford not to." Evidence of this God is all around, even within us, how can anyone claim ignorance? I am afraid of this Being, I am indeed.
Believe me that there's a God? How about Christianity? Then.... More questions huh? Like:
Why must I lose the people I love when the end of the world comes, simply because they chose to follow a different philosophy of life, a different religion? It isn't fair, AT ALL. God is supposed to be fair.
Then what do you want God to do? Allow everyone to go to heaven although they've said they don't believe Him/don't want Him? That would be mocking His soverignity, wouldn't it? Notice how "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God". We're ALL supposed to go to hell honey. None of us, by our own merit, can be with God. Don't forget, God's perfect [that's why He's God. duh], so that creates a lot of problems. Especially because He's supposed to be just/fair.Problem1: We're not perfect, and He is. Problem2: He's just/fair. What. You expect Him to not punish wrongdoing? Again, that'd make a mockery out of His perfection, wouldn't it? So how? He takes the punishment instead. My dear... God took all the wrongdoings of the world.. and all we have to do, on our part, is to accept Him. If we don't accept or even believe.. what do you want Him to do now? Force you to? But He gave us free will when He created the first human.. and so it stays. God is God. Can a lump of clay comprehend the designs of its maker? Can the acorn refuse to gerimate? We who have been given the ablity to think, to differetiate, how much more ought we to obey our Maker? God is fair. That's why He did all that He did.
that was the day.. I reached home to find my mom pale-faced, glued to the TV set.. The tsunamis had struck. I mean, how apt can you get? Well.. I don't want the world to end. I'm not looking forward to the day it does.. There's so much to live for, so much ahead of me. And I don't want to all of us to be separated the way it's supposedly going to happen - good Christian, heaven; others, hell.
It's all in the Bible. The Bible, in case you forgot, isn't a storybook. It's actually a historical record, much like the archives you see in musems. For the record, ancient scrolls have been found in caves near the Dead Sea and they agree with the bible. That would say something about the authencity of the bible now, wouldn't it? I mean, the bible you see in shops and the ancient dead sea scrolls correspond. It's not just ME telling you the bible is true, history proves it too. The bible has said [thousands of years ago] that there'd be an increase in natural disasters. Think about it. If some piece of paper that's a couple of thousands of years old predicts an increase in natural disasters and that is what 's happening now... Doesn't that scare you? What that piece of paper said is coming true. I'd go read the rest of the paper if I were you, and see what it says about everything else. Especially on the afterlife. That piece of paper is the bible. By the way. The bible says that Man was created by God. Scientists say we came from monkeys. Scientists also used to think that the sky only contained hundreds of thousands of stars... because they could only COUNT that much. The bible was the only book that said that there were billions of stars.. and cool, calculative scientists laughed at that number. They were proven wrong. What about the rest?
You still don't believe me? Why?
There's no one I'll ever be able to believe in but myself. I am tangible. I'm a bit like Thomas... show me the holes in your hands. Even then.. is that enough?
You are tangible. Therefore you believe in yourself. The wind isn't tangible. So you don't believe in the wind? Then what is the thing that moves your hair? God isn't tangible. So you don't belive in God? Then what is it that calls to your heart?
I'll be leaving for consectutive camps starting tomorrow, be back 3rd june I think. Feel free to comment. (:
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
tuesdays with morrie [I need to learn how to die too]
Sitting turk fashion on the swirvel chair with Don Mclean's "Starry, Starry Night" hauting the night air, still soothing me because I'm already haunted. Ah, the wonders of technology. Maybe I won't yearn for company anymore, on nights like these. -there's beauty in wild brooding moments too. Have I grown uncomfortable with loneliness? That is, not loneliess, but the state of being alone.
I'm writing on paper, bleached recycled tree fibre because, to my dismay, I realise that I need a new Words book. This is my spur-of-the-moment-after-some-pondering name for my notebooks, filled with scriblings, in various states of quality, of my mind's openess- or exposure. I think in another world where Thought is tangible, I am sometimes caught half-naked with my bum to the camera, bent down [perhaps in the midst of a hasty struggle to pull that dress up], my face partially turned to the camera, in an "O" of suprise. My hair is a set of close curls clustering my head, ala Betty Boop. Do I have to explain my thoughts to you? But that's be prose without poetry, and I'm on one of my flights of fancy [you see].
In a serendipitous [did I spell that right?] moment today, my eyes fell on a slim spine of a book whilst browsing in the library on one of my ethan hunt missions to find a me book and my heart skipped a beat even without knowing why. Tuesdays with Morrie. Why did it sound so startlingly familiar? In a rather funny coincidence, today's Tuesday too. But I don't believe in coincidences. Today must be Serenedipity Day.
"You never know how to live until know how to die."
Have you heard that before? I think of it as a cliche. Yet cliche have their beginnings in truth, most of them anyway. Some are birthed in dillusion. But we will believe what we will. So maybe, after all, all cliches have their beginnings in truth. Or supposed truth, which I think amounts to the same thing in this world. Which is, of course, completely different from the Truth. But I digress.
"It is only when you learn how to die that you learn how to live."
That was morrie's philosophy, and seeing how he lived it out, it didn't become cliche anymore. The protagonist's incredubility [ignore the bad english; adds to the character of my writing, that's my excuse. heh.] was mine.
Losing the aiblity of your body, a blessing?
Dying slowly and painfully, another?
Needing someone to wipe your bum for you cz you weren't able to lift your hands any longer, good?
How?
But it was, it was to him. Because morrie had learnt how to die, so he could live.
I need to learn how to die too. So that I focus less on the [wavering] future that only God knows, and live in the Now. The Now that we all neglect because we think it's good to be long sighted. So we plan for the Years Ahead, forgetting that foundations are built in the Today.
I need to learn how to die too. This bears thinking over.
I'm writing on paper, bleached recycled tree fibre because, to my dismay, I realise that I need a new Words book. This is my spur-of-the-moment-after-some-pondering name for my notebooks, filled with scriblings, in various states of quality, of my mind's openess- or exposure. I think in another world where Thought is tangible, I am sometimes caught half-naked with my bum to the camera, bent down [perhaps in the midst of a hasty struggle to pull that dress up], my face partially turned to the camera, in an "O" of suprise. My hair is a set of close curls clustering my head, ala Betty Boop. Do I have to explain my thoughts to you? But that's be prose without poetry, and I'm on one of my flights of fancy [you see].
In a serendipitous [did I spell that right?] moment today, my eyes fell on a slim spine of a book whilst browsing in the library on one of my ethan hunt missions to find a me book and my heart skipped a beat even without knowing why. Tuesdays with Morrie. Why did it sound so startlingly familiar? In a rather funny coincidence, today's Tuesday too. But I don't believe in coincidences. Today must be Serenedipity Day.
"You never know how to live until know how to die."
Have you heard that before? I think of it as a cliche. Yet cliche have their beginnings in truth, most of them anyway. Some are birthed in dillusion. But we will believe what we will. So maybe, after all, all cliches have their beginnings in truth. Or supposed truth, which I think amounts to the same thing in this world. Which is, of course, completely different from the Truth. But I digress.
"It is only when you learn how to die that you learn how to live."
That was morrie's philosophy, and seeing how he lived it out, it didn't become cliche anymore. The protagonist's incredubility [ignore the bad english; adds to the character of my writing, that's my excuse. heh.] was mine.
Losing the aiblity of your body, a blessing?
Dying slowly and painfully, another?
Needing someone to wipe your bum for you cz you weren't able to lift your hands any longer, good?
How?
But it was, it was to him. Because morrie had learnt how to die, so he could live.
I need to learn how to die too. So that I focus less on the [wavering] future that only God knows, and live in the Now. The Now that we all neglect because we think it's good to be long sighted. So we plan for the Years Ahead, forgetting that foundations are built in the Today.
I need to learn how to die too. This bears thinking over.
Sunday, May 21, 2006
Today and another thought
Went down to play ultimate with a group of people today... and it was rather intimidating. It was like I was playing competitvely. Yells of frustration, of instruction... they were taking it so seriously. shrug. I mean. I'm not the best player, but I'm not a non-player either so I could transit into comptetitive player mode [I think sports people will know what I mean; the difference between playing for a competition and playing for passion]. I just thought it was a pity I had to do so at all. Do I sound very patronizing? I don't mean to. because my point is, at the end of the day, I didn't want to play compt player mode.. I wanted to play because I liked the game, and the people.
In my church, when we play, we laugh a lot. We clap after every point has been scored. Oh wait. We don't even count points. We just play until it gets rather dark. We make the effort to pass to everyone, even the inexperienced ones. A mentally impaired guy comes regularly to play, and we pass to him too. Doesn't matter if the disc drops or he passes to the wrong person, we just clap when he passes and he claps too. I can't imagine that happening on the field I was on today.
We may not pray before the game [although I think that's a good idea to emulate], but the way we play does, I believe, please God. We have so many atheletic players who can easily razzle dazzle and leave the rest breathing in dust. But we don't.
Another thought. Didn't get the teaching award. Which I thank God for. because when I went down to fass yesterday for its talk, I knew what I wanted to do wouldn't have been approved by moe. I'm looking at philo, political science and soci as possible majors, and deciding between european studies and eng lang as my minor.
I guess we've been conditioned to think of a rejection [of a scholarship, or whatever,] as a failure. Especially when I pretty much need the money. But to me, this is a just about the clearest indication that teaching is not part of His plans for me. and I take comfort in trusting in His will for my life, knowing that it's the best plan I'll ever get. I'm blessed to have my Father as my blueprint designer for my life. :) I'm not worrying about the financial part either, because I know my God is Jehovah Jireh [the One who provides]. hmmm I might elaborate more next time. Suffice it now to say that He gives peace that passes human understanding, and that I thank God I feel joy even when I ought to feel pain [at the "rejection"]. yayy! haha.
So yup, here's to church mates who know what playing with love means, a lovely uni life without restrictions, and the wonderful love of God!
In my church, when we play, we laugh a lot. We clap after every point has been scored. Oh wait. We don't even count points. We just play until it gets rather dark. We make the effort to pass to everyone, even the inexperienced ones. A mentally impaired guy comes regularly to play, and we pass to him too. Doesn't matter if the disc drops or he passes to the wrong person, we just clap when he passes and he claps too. I can't imagine that happening on the field I was on today.
We may not pray before the game [although I think that's a good idea to emulate], but the way we play does, I believe, please God. We have so many atheletic players who can easily razzle dazzle and leave the rest breathing in dust. But we don't.
Another thought. Didn't get the teaching award. Which I thank God for. because when I went down to fass yesterday for its talk, I knew what I wanted to do wouldn't have been approved by moe. I'm looking at philo, political science and soci as possible majors, and deciding between european studies and eng lang as my minor.
I guess we've been conditioned to think of a rejection [of a scholarship, or whatever,] as a failure. Especially when I pretty much need the money. But to me, this is a just about the clearest indication that teaching is not part of His plans for me. and I take comfort in trusting in His will for my life, knowing that it's the best plan I'll ever get. I'm blessed to have my Father as my blueprint designer for my life. :) I'm not worrying about the financial part either, because I know my God is Jehovah Jireh [the One who provides]. hmmm I might elaborate more next time. Suffice it now to say that He gives peace that passes human understanding, and that I thank God I feel joy even when I ought to feel pain [at the "rejection"]. yayy! haha.
So yup, here's to church mates who know what playing with love means, a lovely uni life without restrictions, and the wonderful love of God!
Saturday, May 20, 2006
a quirky quiz..
Because I was NICE and went to jeremy's blog, I'm now obliged to do this. ohwell. here we go. :)
Instructions: Go to your music player of choice and put it on shuffle. Say the following questions aloud, and press play. Use the song title as the answer to the question. NO CHEATING.
How does the world see me?
Destiny's Child- Emotion [okay yeah so what that comes with being a human being you know..]
Will I have a happy life?
Backstreet Boys- You're the one for me [yah mah estascyyy yah the one ah neeeed]
What do my friends really think of me?
Chicago- If you leave me now [you guys can't live without me that's plain :D]
Do people secretly lust after me?
Norah Jones- Don't know why [heh heh...]
How can I make myself happy?
Backstreet Boys- Show me the meaning of being lonely [see I'm already happy :D]
What should I do with my life?
Trademark- Miss you finally [this doesn't make sense]
Will I ever have children?
Leann Rhimes- Yesterday [I've had children already?]
What is some good advice for me?
James Blunt- You're Beautiful [:DD]
What is my signature dancing song?
Shania Twain- You're still the one [I'm going to need a sexy partner for this.. otherwise I'd probably fall asleep]
What do I think my current theme song is?
S club- Don't stop moving [yeah that could do]
What does everyone else think my current theme song is?
Black eyed peas- Where is the love [oh this could do too]
What song will play at my funeral?
Charlene- I've never been to me [NO IT WILL NOT! IT WILL NOT!!!!!!! this is a lousy quiz]
What type of men/women do I like?
Bon Jovi- It's my life [ermmm]
What is my day going to be like?
Extreme- More than words [the band or the title?]
i tag all who read this =)
Instructions: Go to your music player of choice and put it on shuffle. Say the following questions aloud, and press play. Use the song title as the answer to the question. NO CHEATING.
How does the world see me?
Destiny's Child- Emotion [okay yeah so what that comes with being a human being you know..]
Will I have a happy life?
Backstreet Boys- You're the one for me [yah mah estascyyy yah the one ah neeeed]
What do my friends really think of me?
Chicago- If you leave me now [you guys can't live without me that's plain :D]
Do people secretly lust after me?
Norah Jones- Don't know why [heh heh...]
How can I make myself happy?
Backstreet Boys- Show me the meaning of being lonely [see I'm already happy :D]
What should I do with my life?
Trademark- Miss you finally [this doesn't make sense]
Will I ever have children?
Leann Rhimes- Yesterday [I've had children already?]
What is some good advice for me?
James Blunt- You're Beautiful [:DD]
What is my signature dancing song?
Shania Twain- You're still the one [I'm going to need a sexy partner for this.. otherwise I'd probably fall asleep]
What do I think my current theme song is?
S club- Don't stop moving [yeah that could do]
What does everyone else think my current theme song is?
Black eyed peas- Where is the love [oh this could do too]
What song will play at my funeral?
Charlene- I've never been to me [NO IT WILL NOT! IT WILL NOT!!!!!!! this is a lousy quiz]
What type of men/women do I like?
Bon Jovi- It's my life [ermmm]
What is my day going to be like?
Extreme- More than words [the band or the title?]
i tag all who read this =)
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
because i am a teacher...
MID YEAR EXAMINATIONS 2006
MARKER’S REPORT
Paper: Secondary Three [Express] EL Paper 2, Comprehension
Marker: Rachel Ng
General Comments:
By and large, students are unable to express themselves succinctly. Sentences tend to ramble, and lack clarity. Often, in their haste to cover the question, they miss the point entirely. For example, in Question 5a, many spend quite some time describing the activities of a housewife [do household chores, tend to children etc], and fail to link the aforesaid activities to boredom. As such, while most students may think they have answered the question, they in fact have not. This was observed for a large part of the paper.
Question1: What do you think the author hopes the reader to understand by comparing the management of radio stations and TV screen to that of “blacksmiths confronted by a horseless carriage”?
This question was one of the most badly answered. A vast majority of the students did not understand the requirements of such questions. Instead of explaining the metaphor and then drawing the link, most merely stated their own opinions. Even of those who did attempt to explain the metaphor, misinterpretations abounded. Students also need to understand that they have to answer the question from the radio’s point of view, as it were. That it is outdated, as opposed to TV being advanced.
Question 2a: Was the management of radio stations in 1956 successful? In your own words, provide evidence in the passage that supports your answer.
Quite a few neglected the phrase “in your own words”. As such, the words “large” [or its derivatives] and “profits” or the phrase itself were frequently seen. Some replaced “profits” with “income”, not realizing the subtle difference. Others used “economically” as a substitute for “profits”, without knowing just how to use the word. Economics does not equal profits.
Question2b: How has technological breakthrough contributed to ‘this apparent paradox’?
Most understood the questions, but answered ambiguously, using words like “anywhere”. That however, was not sufficient as “anywhere” might mean any place that has signal coverage. The key word was “portable”.
Question3: [quote line 8-9] Give another word that has the same meaning as “revolutionized”.
Only accept words in answer scheme.
Question4: How did the radio audience differ from the TV audience in terms of loyalty?
Since the question did not require students to answer in their own words, lifting would have been sufficient. However, more than a few lifted incorrectly. Most understood that radio audiences were contented with the “same” DJ, but bungled up the phrase “TV consumes personalities and concepts voraciously”. It appears that they do not understand the phrase, and so their resulting answer does not make sense. An example of students’ answers would be “TV eats up personalities and concepts”. Another mistake many students made was to answer indirectly, i.e, they got the idea but phrased it incorrectly. Other things to take note of are that the difference between the TV and radio audience must be made clear, and that the answer needs to be elaborated.
Question5a: Why do you think the author describes the housewives as “a lonely, alienated group, yearning for some form of social involvement”?
Refer to general comments. Many think that staying at home equates to boredom, but the link is not direct. Some housewives actually find a sense of fulfillment in what they do! So students essentially need to make it clear that these housewives are bored.
Question 5b: Find another term or phrase the author uses in the passage to refer to “housewives”.
Answer scheme.
Question 6: Why is the radio considered “a greater wasteland than television has ever been”?
Another case of vague-gitis. Many students ended up merely describing the radio shows. They failed to conclude that since the radio did this this this and that that that, whereas the TV had so on and so forth, therefore it was less substantial than TV shows. The other half mark went to the fact that there are no signs of modifications made to improve radio shows, which some got by lifting.
Question 7: ‘Given the flexibility of audio tape, radio production costs are ________ ” Replace the word “negligible” so that it bears the same meaning as above.
Students need to realize that this calls for context, and extent. The phrase “inexpensive costs” is improper, and for that reason students were not awarded marks if they wrote “inexpensive” to replace “negligible”. Extent comes in when considering the key word. Therefore “small” was given half a mark, and “very small” was completely correct.
Question 8: What type of mission do you think the narrator and his companions were on? Explain.
Most got this correct.
Question 9: Pick out the phrase that indicates that the author was traveling in an aircraft.
Take note that phrases with the word “aircraft” in them are disallowed.
Question 10: What type of aircraft do you think the author was traveling in? Support your answer with evidence from the text.
The majority of the students correctly identified the aircraft as a helicopter. Quite a few, however, stopped after quoting from the passage, without linking the two. So the answer ended up looking like “Helicopter. “hovering about 20 feet over the ground”.
Question 11: Explain why the aircraft “shook itself to pieces”?
Answers were rather confused, perhaps reflecting students’ grasp of passage.
Question 12: What did the narrator mean when he thought, “I am caught, I’m going to be the next one”
About 65% got what the narrator meant. Some of them however, phrased it in such a way that it was unclear if the narrator had been caught by the enemies, or the safety harness. The others thought that the narrator had been caught by the enemies.
Question 13: Give one possible reason why the rescue helicopter came in at dusk.
As long as it was educated speculation, most got it correct. The accepted answers [in varying forms] were that of urgency, and undercover.
Question 14: Why do you think the Army personnel “quickly snatched off” the narrator’s pistol?
There had to be, in students’ answers, an indication of his disorientation. Only a few, however, did.
Question 15: Refer to answer scheme.
MARKER’S REPORT
Paper: Secondary Three [Express] EL Paper 2, Comprehension
Marker: Rachel Ng
General Comments:
By and large, students are unable to express themselves succinctly. Sentences tend to ramble, and lack clarity. Often, in their haste to cover the question, they miss the point entirely. For example, in Question 5a, many spend quite some time describing the activities of a housewife [do household chores, tend to children etc], and fail to link the aforesaid activities to boredom. As such, while most students may think they have answered the question, they in fact have not. This was observed for a large part of the paper.
Question1: What do you think the author hopes the reader to understand by comparing the management of radio stations and TV screen to that of “blacksmiths confronted by a horseless carriage”?
This question was one of the most badly answered. A vast majority of the students did not understand the requirements of such questions. Instead of explaining the metaphor and then drawing the link, most merely stated their own opinions. Even of those who did attempt to explain the metaphor, misinterpretations abounded. Students also need to understand that they have to answer the question from the radio’s point of view, as it were. That it is outdated, as opposed to TV being advanced.
Question 2a: Was the management of radio stations in 1956 successful? In your own words, provide evidence in the passage that supports your answer.
Quite a few neglected the phrase “in your own words”. As such, the words “large” [or its derivatives] and “profits” or the phrase itself were frequently seen. Some replaced “profits” with “income”, not realizing the subtle difference. Others used “economically” as a substitute for “profits”, without knowing just how to use the word. Economics does not equal profits.
Question2b: How has technological breakthrough contributed to ‘this apparent paradox’?
Most understood the questions, but answered ambiguously, using words like “anywhere”. That however, was not sufficient as “anywhere” might mean any place that has signal coverage. The key word was “portable”.
Question3: [quote line 8-9] Give another word that has the same meaning as “revolutionized”.
Only accept words in answer scheme.
Question4: How did the radio audience differ from the TV audience in terms of loyalty?
Since the question did not require students to answer in their own words, lifting would have been sufficient. However, more than a few lifted incorrectly. Most understood that radio audiences were contented with the “same” DJ, but bungled up the phrase “TV consumes personalities and concepts voraciously”. It appears that they do not understand the phrase, and so their resulting answer does not make sense. An example of students’ answers would be “TV eats up personalities and concepts”. Another mistake many students made was to answer indirectly, i.e, they got the idea but phrased it incorrectly. Other things to take note of are that the difference between the TV and radio audience must be made clear, and that the answer needs to be elaborated.
Question5a: Why do you think the author describes the housewives as “a lonely, alienated group, yearning for some form of social involvement”?
Refer to general comments. Many think that staying at home equates to boredom, but the link is not direct. Some housewives actually find a sense of fulfillment in what they do! So students essentially need to make it clear that these housewives are bored.
Question 5b: Find another term or phrase the author uses in the passage to refer to “housewives”.
Answer scheme.
Question 6: Why is the radio considered “a greater wasteland than television has ever been”?
Another case of vague-gitis. Many students ended up merely describing the radio shows. They failed to conclude that since the radio did this this this and that that that, whereas the TV had so on and so forth, therefore it was less substantial than TV shows. The other half mark went to the fact that there are no signs of modifications made to improve radio shows, which some got by lifting.
Question 7: ‘Given the flexibility of audio tape, radio production costs are ________ ” Replace the word “negligible” so that it bears the same meaning as above.
Students need to realize that this calls for context, and extent. The phrase “inexpensive costs” is improper, and for that reason students were not awarded marks if they wrote “inexpensive” to replace “negligible”. Extent comes in when considering the key word. Therefore “small” was given half a mark, and “very small” was completely correct.
Question 8: What type of mission do you think the narrator and his companions were on? Explain.
Most got this correct.
Question 9: Pick out the phrase that indicates that the author was traveling in an aircraft.
Take note that phrases with the word “aircraft” in them are disallowed.
Question 10: What type of aircraft do you think the author was traveling in? Support your answer with evidence from the text.
The majority of the students correctly identified the aircraft as a helicopter. Quite a few, however, stopped after quoting from the passage, without linking the two. So the answer ended up looking like “Helicopter. “hovering about 20 feet over the ground”.
Question 11: Explain why the aircraft “shook itself to pieces”?
Answers were rather confused, perhaps reflecting students’ grasp of passage.
Question 12: What did the narrator mean when he thought, “I am caught, I’m going to be the next one”
About 65% got what the narrator meant. Some of them however, phrased it in such a way that it was unclear if the narrator had been caught by the enemies, or the safety harness. The others thought that the narrator had been caught by the enemies.
Question 13: Give one possible reason why the rescue helicopter came in at dusk.
As long as it was educated speculation, most got it correct. The accepted answers [in varying forms] were that of urgency, and undercover.
Question 14: Why do you think the Army personnel “quickly snatched off” the narrator’s pistol?
There had to be, in students’ answers, an indication of his disorientation. Only a few, however, did.
Question 15: Refer to answer scheme.
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
after a month...
So how does one announce one's return? A triumphant trumpet blare that rings from our speakers, sending vibrations throughout the room? Perhaps not.. I'm not in the business of Vibrations. Yet a sudden jack-in-a-box post might just get readers feeling vagely disturbed. how abrupt. Humans, funnily enough, need preparation in everything. she ought to have done- something. an introduction. A Time And Place For Everything. and introductions have their Time And Place too. Hopefully this was introduction enough. :)
I'm back! haha. I left because I realised I was starting to pander more to my [hopefully not] imaginary audience and less to me; maybe too little. and so I wanted to reclaim myself. Reinstate my ownership, so to speak. That listen up all of you this was supposed to be a little space in the virtual world for My opinions, My theories, My life and how I see it....
heh.
So, dear readers and posties, wondering how I spent the last month? Did I hermit myself? Well to be completely honest, I didn't. Not really. grin. Created another blog. One that no one will ever know... where I had complete freedom to be as boring as I wanted, as painful, as personal, as real and as alien as I needed. I would recommand this to everyone. It's really quite liberating. I wrote on pieces of paper too.. that kept them so that I would put them up one day soon. Yes I thought of my blog... visited it almost every day in fact. Much thanks to those who commented in my last post. People love me. yayy.
This is what I wrote the first time I picked up a pen with the intention of writing to post...
"Dear me.
I have been writing to myself more frequently now. The past two weeks of no communication was killing. It fet more like two months. It's true, everything's a matter of perception. Well now I'm writing and I feel happy. That I can write again. At first it was because I felt like I had nothing worth writing about. Then it was because I couldn't. I mean I still don't but at least the itch has returned. It was rather horrible, not wanting to write..."
[I won't post the next paragrah. It was terrible and showed a total unsophistication of thought. argh.]
"... I'm sitting here in a stuffy classroom graced with only three malay girls. They're doing their lit paper and as I look out of the window grills into the next block of classrooms it appears similarly empty and deserted. It's a rather forsaken feeling, I suppose. A hot wind ruffles my hair slightly. The students have about half an hour left. Half an hour for me to get reaquainted with myself. It's strange how one can leave one's Self alone for awhile, walk away, thinking that it's alright because one's in a period of stasis anyway and if one doesn't change, one's self ought not to. But I guess it works differently. My Self seems almost independent of me; I pop back to look in how it is after a mere fortnight and volia, we feel like strangers already.
Or maybe I have forgotten my Self. Maybe it has been cowering at the spot I left it for two weeks, thinking it'd been abandoned and wondering miserably if I'd ever retun.
So while the the empty shell of me walked jauntily along the streets, Self shrank away from the world and it's terrifying unknown dangers.
Big eyes [through which simply volumes of pure innocence stared out- I'd like to think], trembling, quivering with terror. Like the young child who finds itself lost in a busy shopping centre and runs behind a little Suzy and her dog statue with the words SPCA painted on the bottom and a coin box attached to the dog's collar for donations [if it got too heavy, would the weight break the dog's neck? would that be animal abuse then?], squatting down, too overwhelmed to create a sound, a noise, anything to alert bad strangers, peering out from its refuge now and then, even though it knows that by doing so it becomes visible. Torn between a conflict to hide thyself from the evil ones and amonomity, yet needing to know for itself where mommy is.
But well. I don't think my theory is that far fatched. I mean, people do create masks for themselves, don't they? Masquerading behind a concocted image. What does their natural Self do in the mean time? See. I might not be so far-fetched after all.
But I'd like to assure mySelf that I've been me the past two week, albeit a little hollow, a little tired, but I have ben myself."
I'm back.
I'm back! haha. I left because I realised I was starting to pander more to my [hopefully not] imaginary audience and less to me; maybe too little. and so I wanted to reclaim myself. Reinstate my ownership, so to speak. That listen up all of you this was supposed to be a little space in the virtual world for My opinions, My theories, My life and how I see it....
heh.
So, dear readers and posties, wondering how I spent the last month? Did I hermit myself? Well to be completely honest, I didn't. Not really. grin. Created another blog. One that no one will ever know... where I had complete freedom to be as boring as I wanted, as painful, as personal, as real and as alien as I needed. I would recommand this to everyone. It's really quite liberating. I wrote on pieces of paper too.. that kept them so that I would put them up one day soon. Yes I thought of my blog... visited it almost every day in fact. Much thanks to those who commented in my last post. People love me. yayy.
This is what I wrote the first time I picked up a pen with the intention of writing to post...
"Dear me.
I have been writing to myself more frequently now. The past two weeks of no communication was killing. It fet more like two months. It's true, everything's a matter of perception. Well now I'm writing and I feel happy. That I can write again. At first it was because I felt like I had nothing worth writing about. Then it was because I couldn't. I mean I still don't but at least the itch has returned. It was rather horrible, not wanting to write..."
[I won't post the next paragrah. It was terrible and showed a total unsophistication of thought. argh.]
"... I'm sitting here in a stuffy classroom graced with only three malay girls. They're doing their lit paper and as I look out of the window grills into the next block of classrooms it appears similarly empty and deserted. It's a rather forsaken feeling, I suppose. A hot wind ruffles my hair slightly. The students have about half an hour left. Half an hour for me to get reaquainted with myself. It's strange how one can leave one's Self alone for awhile, walk away, thinking that it's alright because one's in a period of stasis anyway and if one doesn't change, one's self ought not to. But I guess it works differently. My Self seems almost independent of me; I pop back to look in how it is after a mere fortnight and volia, we feel like strangers already.
Or maybe I have forgotten my Self. Maybe it has been cowering at the spot I left it for two weeks, thinking it'd been abandoned and wondering miserably if I'd ever retun.
So while the the empty shell of me walked jauntily along the streets, Self shrank away from the world and it's terrifying unknown dangers.
Big eyes [through which simply volumes of pure innocence stared out- I'd like to think], trembling, quivering with terror. Like the young child who finds itself lost in a busy shopping centre and runs behind a little Suzy and her dog statue with the words SPCA painted on the bottom and a coin box attached to the dog's collar for donations [if it got too heavy, would the weight break the dog's neck? would that be animal abuse then?], squatting down, too overwhelmed to create a sound, a noise, anything to alert bad strangers, peering out from its refuge now and then, even though it knows that by doing so it becomes visible. Torn between a conflict to hide thyself from the evil ones and amonomity, yet needing to know for itself where mommy is.
But well. I don't think my theory is that far fatched. I mean, people do create masks for themselves, don't they? Masquerading behind a concocted image. What does their natural Self do in the mean time? See. I might not be so far-fetched after all.
But I'd like to assure mySelf that I've been me the past two week, albeit a little hollow, a little tired, but I have ben myself."
I'm back.
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