MUET 8 March 2017
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6&7
Unlock your writing potential
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student essay and teacher analysis
Baby oil Apply baby oil on skin to repel mosquitoes
Mosquito menace
Medicated oil Drip medicated oil on strips of cloth and hang them up in rooms Cloves Place crushed cloves in lemongrass water Use halved limes studded with cloves
By MAWAR MUSTAFA LAST year, in the wake of dengue outbreaks and the Zika virus threat, there were numerous news reports dedicated to the subject. StarMetro, on Sept 9, 2016, reported that mosquito phobia had resulted in the proliferation of tips online on how to keep mosquitoes away. Some bloggers and social media users opted for a greener way. They turned to common household items and food ingredients, instead of using mosquito coils, insecticides and other commercial repellents. Apart from being easily available (either in the house or at neighbourhood sundry shops), these ingredients are inexpensive and environmentally friendly. For instance, one of the tips involves burning the leftover coffee grounds from your coffee pot. However, do these tips really work or are they just old wives’ tales? The infographic on the right illustrates some of the popular tips to keep mosquitoes at bay.
Coffee Burn used coffee grounds
Camphor Burn camphor indoors
Mosquito bite preventive measures
Forest Research Institute head of herbal development product programme Dr Nor Azah Mohd Ali said plants such as lime, cloves and lemongrass would produce essential oil components with mosquito repellent qualities. “But in their natural state, the repellent qualities are short-term. “A lime studded with cloves will only be effective at the spot where it is placed, not the whole room. And it will not last through the night. As for claims that baby oil can prevent mosquito bites, unless it contains citronella (an active ingredient in mosquito repellents), it will only act as a buffer at best, not a repellent,” said Dr Nor Azah. On coffee grounds as effective agents for chasing away mosquitoes, Nor Azah explained that smoke from any type of burning activity would do the job as well.
– Adapted from StarMetro, Sept 9, 2016
IteM
Method of Usage
effectIveness
Used coffee grounds
Burn the coffee grounds
As effective as any smoke-producing burning activity
Baby oil Cloves Limes Short-term, will not last the whole night; only effective where it is placed, not the whole room
Cut into halves and stick cloves into them
Limes
Short-term, will not last the whole night; only effective where it is placed, not the whole room
Place crushed cloves in lemongrass water
Cloves
Apply on skin
Baby oil
Burn the coffee grounds
Used coffee grounds
Method of Usage
IteM
ACTIVITY 1 Based on the information provided in the adapted passage and the infographic above, complete the table. Fill up the columns with ways of keeping mosquitoes away, and the extent of their effectiveness. The first one has been done for you.
Make the most of infographics
Effective only as a buffer; not effective as a repellent unless it contains citronella As effective as any smoke-producing burning activity effectIveness
ANSWERS: ACTIVITY 2 Of the tips given above, which have you tried? Did it work for you? Do you know of someone who has tried out any of these tips? In groups of four, discuss your experiences in trying out the tips found on blogs or social media. List down the tips that worked and the tips that didn’t. For the ones that didn’t, discuss the possible reasons. Suggest how you would improve on the tips. ACTIVITY 3 Dengue and Zika outbreaks are hard to control because they are spread by Aedes mosquitoes, which thrive in our hot and humid weather. Our surroundings also provide many breeding grounds for the mosquitoes to multiply rapidly. Thus, it is the responsibility of every Malaysian to keep his surroundings clean and mosquito-free. This infographic shows a few possible breeding places for mosquitoes. Discuss with a friend ways in which we can eliminate the opportunities for mosquitoes to breed.
Mosquito breeding grounds in and around the house Plant pots and trays, clogged drains and gutters, neglected inflatable pools, rubbish, canvas sheets, etc.