What Goes Around Comes Around

After much thought, Mr Lee decided to give it a try. He had almost lost everything. Even his wife of fifteen years has left him. All his friends and relatives have stopped returning his calls. He saw the advertisement when he was finishing his last pack of instant noodles. All the money he had to his name amounted to RM15. This should last him for another two days, if he doesn’t spend it all on gambling. He had absolutely no idea what would happen after that. He was truly at the end of his tether.

He picked up the few remaining coins on the table and stepped out of the house to make that call at a phone booth. Someone picked up after three rings.

“Thank you for calling Loo See Fer Credit Service. How may I help you?”

“Um…I need financial assistance.”

“Please hold the line. Your call will be transferred to one of our representatives.”

He waited.

“This is May Fisto speaking. How may I help you?”

“I need cash.”

“Hold the line and leave your name and address. What you need will be delivered to you in an hour, at six minutes past six. Just make sure that you’re home when he arrives.”

“What about the terms and conditions?”

“The agent will explain everything to you.”

“Okay.”

“Is there anything else that we can help you with?”

“Um, no, that’s all for now, thanks.”

“Well you have a good day too now. Goodbye.”

Me Lee walked back to his house and waited in the living room for the representative’s arrival. He would have loved to watch some television, but the power was cut two weeks ago. So he just sat there and stared at the ceiling. Soon, he dozed off. The knocking on the door woke him up. He looked at the clock and saw that it was exactly six minutes past six. He got up from the sofa and walked to the door. When he opened it, a man in a dark-coloured suit was standing there. The man was carrying a silver briefcase, which was handcuffed to his left hand.

“Hi, Mr Lee. I’m Mr Bee Sel Bab, the representative of LSF Credit Service. May I come in?”

“Oh yes, sure, please.”

Once Mr Bee was in the house, he headed for the sofa and promptly sat down. Then he placed the briefcase on the coffee table and unlocked the handcuffs.

“Look Mr Bee, I would love to offer you a drink, but there’s nothing here that-”

“Don’t worry about that. Let’s get down to business shall we?”

“Okay.”

The representative opened up the briefcase and inside it was a box. It was slightly bigger than a mobile phone. In the centre of the box was a button.

“This, Mr Lee, is the answer to your prayers. When you need the cash, all you have to do is press this button here, and a significant amount of cash will be delivered to your doorstep.”

“Is that it? What are the terms and conditions?”

“Except for one, there is none. Mr Lee, after you have pressed this button, someone will die.”

“I’m sorry but I don’t quite understand what you are saying here.”

“It’s very simple. When you need money, you press this button. After you press the button, the money will be delivered to you within an hour, and someone will die.”

“And will this someone be someone that I know, someone close to me? A loved one, a relative or a friend?”

“No, not at all. This someone will definitely be someone that you do not even know. A complete stranger, and not even an acquaintance.”

Mr Lee found this very reassuring and promptly signed the agreement. After the representative left, Mr Lee sat down and thought for a long time. He kept thinking about how someone will die if he presses the button. What if it’s a young child who’s full of potential? At first, he wanted to return the box to the credit company. Then, he reasoned to himself that perhaps it would be some poor, crippled beggar who would die, instead of an innocent child. The more he thought about this, the less worried he became. He thought about tomorrow and all the possibilities that were waiting for him in the casino. Then, he pressed the button.

As promised by the representative, a large sum of money was delivered to Mr Lee within a hour. After handing over the money, the representative took the box back.

“What will happen next?”

“The box will be reconfigured and given to someone else who needs it.”

“And who would this someone be?”

“It will definitely be someone that you don’t know, Mr Lee. A complete stranger, and not even an acquaintance.”

Sample Essays

I will be burning the midnight oil and have several essays for you ready by tomorrow at the latest. Please check back for updates.

Answers for Set 2, Paper 2

Answers for Set 2, Section B (Information Transfer)

16. Top Glow

17. Dissolves fat naturally

18. Like Baby Skin Lotion

19. Makes your skin soft

20. Naturo Drink

21. Herbal remedies.

22. On the face.

23. Acne Aid, Like Baby Skin Lotion and Anti-Wrinkle Cream.

24. Within thirty days.

25. Because it is guaranteed to prevent graying and baldness.

Answers for Set 2, Section C (Comprehension)

26. (a) She was someone who was about to start her training for the competition for the disabled from all over the country.

(b) Because her life was lonely/Because she led a lonely life.

27. (a) “one long nightmare.”

(b) Her handicap.

28. (a) Her cousin.

(b) Her cheerfulness and sincere politeness.

29. (a) Her friends.

(b) She was never absent from the stadium where the group trained.

30. She faced the challenges of being handicapped and poor by being optimistic, independent, determined and hardworking / She faced the challenges with optimism, independence, determination and diligence.

Note: I will post the model answer for Question 31 in a short while. Please check back.

Answers for Set 2, Section D

32. (a) “If you can wait and not be tired by waiting.”

(b) It means that we must keep trying even if we have failed many times./It means that we must be determined and persevere even after we have failed countless times.

(c) Yes, because all the advice given, such as being humble, patient and determined, are still useful for us to meet the challenges of living in the modern age.

33. (a) (i) On Monday evening, January 18^th.

(ii) The Minister of Public Instruction and Madame Georges Ramponneau.

(b) She was very excited.

(c) To impress everyone at the ball with my beauty and my wealth.

Answers for SET 1 Comprehension and Summary Questions

26. (a) Because they want phones with sharper colour screens, digicams, as well as more polyphonic ringtones.

(b) Most of them are left in the drawer while others are sent to the garbage bin.

27. (a) (i) They are full of pollutants.

(ii) Older phones use nickel-cadmium batteries which contain cadmium, a toxin and suspected carcinogen.

(b) “engrossed.”

28. (i) If they are totally unusable, they are sent to the centre’s ‘scrap metal bin’ to be sold for their weight.

(ii) If they can be used, they are sent to the shop to be repaired.

29. They can be used as a fuel replacement for oil/They can be turned into plastic benches and fences. (Please state only ONE use)

30. We can educate the public by informing them about the dangerous toxins in mobile phones and how to dispose their phones correctly in order to protect the environment.

31. Unused mobile phones pose a threat to the environment by adding to the growing volume of toxic waste in our country’s landfills. Because mobile phones are full of dangerous pollutants, the possibility exists for the toxins in the phones to be released into the air and ground water. Furthermore, if not stored in the correct conditions, old and unused phone batteries may leak and release toxic chemicals into homes. Old mobile phones are recycled by donating them to charities, reselling or shredding them into scrap. When the phones are scrapped, the metal and plastic components are separated. The metals are sold to metal refineries where they are melted and purified for reuse, while the plastics are turned into fuel replacement for oil or turned into plastic benches and fences. (129 words)

Directed Writing for SET 1

I will write out the complete essay if I can find the time. In the meantime, try writing this out yourself.

Section A: Directed Writing

There are seven points given. Regroup these points into four parts:

Part 1: interesting ways of exercising, meaningful use of free time

Part 2: builds character, develops leadership qualities, encourages sportsmanship

Part 3: helps to get scholarship

Part 4: make more friends

Part 1

1. Co-curricular activities allow us to find interesting ways of exercising.

Provide examples of “interesting ways of exercising.” You can think about the student clubs in your school that offer interesting ways to exercise. Exercising does not include playing chess or sitting in front of the computer. Exercising must refer to physical activities. Possible examples are martial arts or “wushu”, yoga, taichi or jungle-trekking.

2. Taking part/Participating in co-curricular activities builds character, develops leadership qualities and encourages sportsmanship.

Explain and elaborate on “character”, “leadership qualities” and “sportsmanship”. You can talk about how co-curricular activities can help you to become a more independent and responsible person. In addition, talk about how you can learn to get along better with others. As for “sportsmanship,” you can talk about how these activities can teach you about the spirit of competition and also teach you how to handle success and failure.

3. Participating in co-curricular activities helps us to get scholarships.

Mention the fact that participation in co-curricular activities is one of the entry requirements to university. For the students who excel in sports, they have an opportunity to obtain a scholarship. Explain the benefits of a scholarship, for instance, your parents can save a large sum of money and you can feel proud of yourself.

4. Participating in co-curricular activities can help us to make more friends.

To elaborate on this point, explain how you will have an opportunity to meet students from all walks of life. Also explain how you can learn about their different cultural and religious backgrounds. Finally, mention the benefits of meeting more friends. For instance, how this can help to foster better national and racial harmony in the country.

"If"

This is my translation of "If." Please use a dictionary or email me if there are any parts which you do not understand. I will be posting more shortly.

1.
If you can/You must

• stay and remain calm when everyone around you is not calm and also blaming you for their problems
• remain self-confident even when everyone does not have confidence in you and try to understand why they do not have confidence in you
• be patient and avoid becoming frustrated
• tolerate other people for lying to you but yet do not lie to others
• tolerate other people for hating you but yet do not hate others
• be humble/modest and avoid being arrogant

2.

If you can/You must

• imagine but yet avoid letting your imagination control you
• think but yet avoid making thought your only purpose in life
• treat success and failure as the same thing
• tolerate people who manipulate what you have said into something that is used to take advantage of other people
• be strong and tolerate losing all the things which are the most precious to you, and then trying very hard to find them again

3.

If you can/You must

• be brave/daring/bold and dare to lose and take risks, and start all over again without complaining
• be determined and persevere even after you have failed countless times

4.

If you can/You must

• socialise with people from all walks of life and still continue to be yourself and avoid letting others influence you
• avoid being hurt by your enemies and your friends
• care for others but not become overbearing and care too much
• work hard and make full use of your time and effort

then you will be able to master life and become a strong person.