SAMPLE ESSAY FOR SECOND STANDARDIZED TEST - FORM 2

Essay written by Ashnira Kesavan of 2KP1 for the Second Standardized Test 2011.

TYPE OF ESSAY: SPEECH/TALK
TITLE/TOPIC: STRESS MANAGEMENT

A very good morning to our respected Principal, Senior Assistants, teachers and fellow friends. I am Ashnira d/o Kesavan, a member of the Biology Club of SMK Taman Universiti. First of all, I would like to thank Puan Roslina for giving me this opportunity to deliver a speech entitled "Stress Management" in conjunction with the "Healthy Lifestyle Campaign".

First and foremost, what is the definition of stress? In my opinion, stress is tension, headache and tiredness that occur due to abundance of office work, homework, examination, house chores, fight and frustration because of certain reasons. Nowadays, even a little child complains of stress (in "Seriously Funny Kids") programme. Well, it could actually be true! Each and every one of us is very occupied with our own work and there are many things to think about. A lot of thinking may worry you more and cause stress so you should relax and try to overcome your thoughts.

Whenever stress occurs, most of us will reach for Panadol. Instead of Panadol, try drinking a glass of warm water. Too much medicine is actually not good for our health. Why should we drink warm water when we are stressed? Most of you would think that Panadol is more effective. However, do you know that 85% of our brain and 70% of our whole body is made up of water? When we do a lot of thinking, our brain tends to lose water so why not grab a glass of water to overcome your stress. Moreover, even the doctors would encourage us to drink plenty of water if we feel tired.

Secondly, we should consume a balanced diet to supply enough nutrients to our body. A balanced diet is a meal that consists of all the seven classes of food which are carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, fibre and water. We must exclude junk food and include healthy food in our life. According to an anonymous in "Health Week's Magazine", we should eat, drink and do what we don't like in order to be healthy. Furthermore, there is a saying that goes: what you eat is what you will be.

Next, try doing simple exercises such as jogging, skipping and aerobics to relieve stress. By doing exercises, we can boost our body metabolism rate. Other than that, try having a daily timetable which may help you to become more organized everyday. It is also an effective manner to help enlighten your daily burden. At the end of the day, you will feel more satisfied after completing every chores. Furthermore, there is a saying that goes, "do not put off until tomorrow what can be done today."

We must also have adequate sleep everyday to overcome stress. Most of us may have sleeping problems such as insomnia. Here are a few measures for a better sleep. You should avoid sleeping with wet hair and do not drink caffeinated drinks before you hit the sack. Play soothing classical music which can lull you to sleep and you would turn up as bright as a button the next morning. Eventually, develop a good sense of humour. Moreover, laughter is the best medicine so laugh out loud which can help you to overcome stress.

These are the few tips I think you all should know to handle stress problem. In a nutshell, I hope each and every one of you could follow these tips as they are really proven to be effective. Do not take stress as a major problem for you in life which may result in migraine and with this, I thank you.

ALFATIHAH FOR ADI BIN AHMAD

picture taken from his Facebook

I received a text message from an ex-student telling me a shocking news. His friend, Adi bin Ahmad, from SPM batch 2008 had passed away because of an accident that happened in Pontian. Upon posting the incident on Facebook, I was then told by another ex-student that the late Adi was involved in a car accident the night before in Pontian but the family was only informed about the tragedy in the afternoon the next day.

It is indeed very sad to see a person go you at such a young age. The last time I saw him was when he came visiting during Eid ul-Fitr two years ago. Let us recite ALFATIHAH for him and pray that his soul will be placed among the faithful ones.

JAIL OR NOT TO JAIL? THAT IS THE QUESTION.

This is the issue that the whole nation is discussing. Students of a secondary school in Johor Bahru claimed they were physically and mentally abused when they were sent for a motivation camp held in jail (not in a jail actually but in the training centre). If you miss the boat, you can read the news HERE.

If you ask me about my opinion, I could write a book to discuss this issue. However, I can just state that you have to be in our shoes, the teachers' shoes, to understand. People can simply complain because it is easier said than done.

Prior to the heated argument whether is it really necessary to send students to prison for this kind of thing, I had carried out a survey on my Facebook page. I just discovered this function so this would be my first try. So the respondents were asked to respond to the statement. Nevertheless, not that many were interested to take part actually.

CHART ONE: Should Students Be Sent To Prison For Motivation Course? (Teenagers' View)

From the first group of respondents which comprised of teenagers and young adults, 78 people took part in the survey. 31 people gave positive response while 11 were negative regarding the issue. Nevertheless, 37 were not sure of their stand which was surprising as I expected a more enthusiastic response from this group.

CHART TWO: Should Students Be Sent To Prison For Motivation Course? (Adults' View)

While for the other group of people which consisted of adults who should be more matured in their decision making, 16 people supported the view that students should be sent to prison for a course while only 5 disagreed. 4 people still could not make up their mind.

It could be concluded that majority of the respondents involved are more convinced of their choices either by saying "yes" or "no". The other group had to be sure of what they thought of the issue so as to provide a clearer picture whether this kind of activity would be suitable for students as well as to avoid any dissatisfaction once the programme has been carried out.

I wonder whether I can just collect my statistics data using the Facebook when I want to do my PhD in the future.

This is fun. There will be more surveys coming up for all the people in the friends' list. But I do need more participants in trying to make the result more valid and reliable.

DO AS YOU WOULD BE DONE BY

You just cannot stop smiling when you receive gifts from other people, no matter how big or small, cheap or expensive. And today I went back home smiling from ear to ear. This must be because of Ramadhan, the month of giving and receiving. So thanks a lot Puan Jainah Baharuddin for both the tea and Tupperware gift set, as well as Puan Haridawati Hassim, who was kind enough for the package.

FREE ADVERTISEMENT:
By the way, if you are interested to buy the special Tupperware gift set in conjunction with Ramadhan and the coming Eid ul-Fitr, you can place your order from Puan Jainah. The other gift set that I saw circulating around the staff room is the 2 pieces square shaped carry-around food container which contains fruit cake inside. Offer while stock lasts. :)

"FANTASIA BULAN MADU" IN ANGKLUNG MODE

This is the one that I almost forget to post. "Fantasia Bulan Madu" performed during the Farewell Dinner for the retiring Principal on the 1st of July, 2011. A song with beautiful melody and lyrics. Enjoy!

FANTASIA BULAN MADU

Demi cintaku padamu
Ke mana pun akan kubawa
Ke hujung dunia, ke bintang kejora

Demi cintaku padamu
Kukorbankan jiwa dan raga
Biarpun harus ku telan lautan bara

Bulan madu di awan biru
Tiada yang mengganggu
Bulan madu di atas pelangi
Hanya kita berdua
Mengecap nikmat cinta
Yang putih tak terbanding
Sesuci embun pagi

Andai di pisah
Laut dan pantai
Musnahlah ilham
Hilang pedoman
Andai dipisah
Cahaya dan bulan
Gelap gelita
Musnah Asmara

COMPOSER: M. Nasir
PERFORMED BY: Amy Search

SAMPLE ANSWER FOR SPM'S CONTINUOUS WRITING

*NOTE: How do you tell an A essay from the rest? Apart from the very minimal grammar errors found in the writing, reading it will be something you will enjoy, as if it comes from any novel, magazine or reading material.

QUESTION: Write a story ending with: "If only I have been more careful, that wouldn't have happened."

I had absolutely no ideas about the kind of trouble I was getting myself into when I dropped out of school to join the Royal Flying Corps. Not yet seventeen, I was not of a legal age to join the army, but it was the year 1917 and Britain needed all the recruits it could get. So I was drafted along with a few other young boys like myself. One of them was Mark Way.

During the two weeks of compulsory flight training, I became fast friends with Mark. He had grown up in the countryside, and was dying to see the city. A city boy myself, I could not wait to explore the hidden wonders of the British countryside. Apart from swapping tales about our very different lives, Mark and I barely spoke. We would often sit on the hangar's roof, enshrouded in a comfortable, companionable silence.

After those two blissful weeks, all the newly-trained recruits were posted to distant lands, over strange seas, to aid the war against Germany and her allies. Mark and I were posted to France, at the very front-lines of a bloody and vicious battle. When we stepped onto the airfield at our new base, thunder boomed and lightning flashed in the sky. It was an omen of the evil fate about to befall us.

The first two days I spent on the base was nerve-wrecking. Airplanes landed and took off at the most ungodly hours. Everybody shouted on top of their lungs. And the worst of all, was the screams of dying pilots. Much of my boyhood innocence was lost in these two unforgiving days.

Poor Mark, who was rather a soft-hearted lad, was affected far worse than I was. He became pale and more introverted than he usually was. Oh, how I longed to shield him from the cruel, unforgiving world! Although I did not realize it at the moment, my protective feelings for Mark help me overcome my own fears.

Then, on the third day, Mark and I were given scout duty. This meant that we had to fly over the border and ensure that the sly, conniving Germans did not try to cross the border and conquer France a little bit at a time. As soon as I took off in a Spitfire, a smile blossomed on my face. There was nothing in the world I loved more than flying.

Just then, my radio crackled to life. It was Mark. "Hey, Bobby," he said, "I think we're going to be alright here." I could not help to agree with him. Mark shared my passion for flying and we often performed stunts in our Spitfires, much to the dismay of our flight instructors.

Now, the main reason why the British were short of pilots was because of dogfights. Dogfight is an army term for the aerial battle between two or more fighter planes. RFC viewed dogfights with a kind of carnal pleasure, a sort of battle of wits and skills in the sky.

One day, on the way back from a scouting mission, I decided to break the army's rules and fly out of formation. Why? It was a beautiful evening, with the dying sun casting its last vestiges of warmth and light over us. Mark and the two other pilots remained in formation, while I trailed behind. Not only did I break the rules, I was also careless. Flying at a low altitude like I did was always risky, but to do it out of formation was inviting trouble.

Then I heard it. The steady hum of a German Merschemist. Twisting around in my seat, I tried to see whether I was being toiled. Suddenly, the Nazi plane burst forth. From the clouds, guns a-blazing. Even as I put my Spitfire in full speed forward, I felt the bullets ripping into my wings.

With no other option on my horizon, I flew to a higher altitude, but failed to shake the German off. Desperate, I radioed for help. The cracking sound of Nazi bullets made my heart dance in my chest to a tune of fear.

Just as I was about to give up hope and condemn myself to a bloody end, Mark's plane appeared from my right. Without even a moment's pause, he flew his Spitfire in between mine and the Merschemist. Within the safety of my own plane, I heard the bullets slam into Mark's aircraft, and the answering music from his own guns.

I, too, turned my plane around and opened fire. Outnumbered two to one, the Nazi tried to beat a quick retreat, but it was too late. Our bullets hit his fuel tank, and the plane was engulfed in a sudden ball of fire.

Satisfied and ebullient, I radioed Mark and whooped in victory. His answer was somewhat reserved. "We made it," was all that he said.

When we landed our airplanes in the airfield, I noted in alarm that Mark's glass cockpit was cracked and splattered red. Without turning off the engine, I leapt out of my Spitfire and ran to Mark. His pallid form, slumped in the seat, told me what I needed to know.

Shocked and in denial, I staggered away from Mark's Spitfire. When the Commanding Officer said, "Good fellow, this Mark. He managed to land this plane before dying." something snapped within me. I fell to my knees and cried, my heavy sobs wrecking my body.

It was all my fault. I should have died today, not Mark. Not Mark. He had died to save me, a sacrifice not worth the price of his life. I had lost the person whom I most cared about in the world. If only I had been more careful, that wouldn't have happened.

**NOTE: writer anonymous. published for education purpose, strictly non-commercial

WELCOMING RAMADHAN 1432H

Alhamdulillah - Praise to Allah, for giving us another chance to live in this holy month of Ramadhan. May we have the strength not only to restrain ourselves from eating, drinking and doing things that will lessen the pahala (reward) of fasting, but also to seize the opportunities to practice all the good deeds as suggested by the Qur'an and the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him).

So what is Ramadhan to me? Let me just list down all the things related that I can think of. Some words are in the Arabic (or Malay) form so as to either maintain their authenticity or show my sheer laziness to translate them into English.

Niat, Iftar, Sahur, bazaar, thirsty, hungry, sleepy, bazaar, reciting the Qur'an, Lailatul Qadar, Tarawikh prayers, giving alms (sedekah), dates, 30 days, Eid, cold drinks, zakat, cheap sale, raya cookies

Let's seek Allah the Almighty's Blessing.