NiE Lit 2017 (Vol 463)

Vol 463

WEDNESDAY 12 APRIL 2017

Elementary Tale as old as time Intermediate Forces of destruction Earn Your Band 6 Protect children from abuse

Tel: 03 7967 1388 Fax: 03 7955 4039 thestar.com.my/education

Breaking free >3 Supported by the Ministry of Education

with

Take part in our photojournalism contest for a chance to win an all-expenses-paid trip to South Korea or Resorts World Genting. Open to secondary school students only. Turn to pages 5, 6, 7 and 8 for the contest template.

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-NiE ,

12 APRIL 2017

Elementary Fairy tales Note to the teacher

century learning skills

OUR children are riding the great wave of technology today. They now have facts and procedures at their fingertips.

Teachers have to equip their students with a new set of skills that allow them to thrive in today’s global economy.

The activities in The Star’s Newspaper-in-Education pullout combine literacy skills with content to build this set of skills.

The key below indicates the skills integrated into the activities in this pullout.

Critical thinking ● Identify ● Reason ● Measure ● Organise

Creative thinking ● Imagine ● Brainstorm

Tale as old as time DIFFERENT fairy tales exist in different cultures. Some have been turned into movies, plays and cartoons. A popular fairy tale that has appeared in many forms is the classic Beauty and the Beast. Here is one of the versions.

A wealthy merchant sets off on a journey. Before leaving, he asks his three daughters what gifts they would like him to bring back. Unlike the two older daughters who ask for expensive things, Beauty asks only for a rose.

During his return, the merchant becomes lost in a forest. As a storm rages, he seeks shelter in a magnificent castle. The next morning when he is about to leave, he sees a rose garden in the castle grounds.

Recalling his promise to Beauty, the merchant plucks a rose. Instantly, he is confronted by a ferocious-looking “Beast”. The merchant pleads for his life. He is set free only after he agrees to send one of his daughters to live in the castle. But his plan is to return after seeing his family.

When Beauty finds out about it, she decides to replace her father. At the castle, Beauty is treated as an honoured guest. She gets to know the Beast and finds him to be kind and generous. After some time,

NiE Activity 1

she becomes homesick and asks to visit her family.

The Beast agrees on condition that she returns after a certain time. When Beauty arrives home, her father is overjoyed. Her sisters, however, are envious of her fine clothes and jewels. They stop her from going back.

One night, Beauty has a dream of the Beast lying half dead in the rose garden. She rushes back to the castle and finds him seriously ill.

Stricken with grief, Beauty weeps over him and reveals her love for him.

As her tears fall on the Beast, he is transformed into a handsome prince.

He tells Beauty that he had been put under a spell which could only be broken by true love. Soon, Beauty marries the prince and they live happily ever after.

Critical thinking

Creative thinking

Problem solving

● Identify ● Reason

● Imagine

● Question ● Present

The story of Beauty and the Beast teaches us that it is not right to judge anyone by appearance. However, it is the way one speaks and acts that tells us a great deal about the kind of person one is.

In groups of four, look for pictures of three people in The Star. Cut them out and paste them on a sheet of A4 paper. Without reading about who they are, write a short description of what you think about each of them. After that, read up about them. Then, write a short description of who they are and their characteristics. Are there any differences in your descriptions before and after reading about them? What does that tell you? Present your work in class.

● Brainstorm

Picture of a person taken from The Star

Communicating ● Oral ● Written

Your description of the person BEFORE reading about him

Collaborating ● Listen ● Contribute respectfully

Your description of the person AFTER reading about him

● Connect ● Invent

NiE Activity 2

Problem solving ● Question ● Research ● Recreate ● Present

Communicating

Critical thinking

Creative thinking

Problem solving

● Identify ● Reason ● Measure ● Organise

● Imagine ● Brainstorm ● Connect ● Invent

● Question ● Present ● Recreate

What gifts do you think Beauty’s two older sisters had asked their father to bring home from his journey? In groups of four, look for pictures of two items in The Star that each of them could have requested for.

Communicating ● Oral ● Non-verbal ● Written ● Aural

Collaborating ● Listen ● Contribute respectfully ● Compromise ● Attain goals

Cut them out and paste them on a sheet of A4 paper and write a reason below each picture. Then, role-play the characters of the sisters reading out their wish lists in class.

EXAMPLE

● Oral ● Non-verbal ● Written ● Aural

What Beauty’s sisters could have wished for

Collaborating ● Listen ● Contribute respectfully ● Compromise

Reason

Everyone will admire how pretty I look when I go out in this.

At last I can be taller than Beauty!

● Attain goal nie editorial manager: SHARON OVINIS senior nie executive: ROWENA CHUA writer: DR MALLIKA VASUGI layout designer: SHOBA illustrator: HASSAN BAHRI To order The Star for NiE lessons, call: Sundarrajan 03-7967 1388 ext 1437 or 016-288 3682 We welcome feedback; write to: Star-NiE, Star Media Group, 15 Jalan 16/11, 46350 Petaling Jaya or e-mail us at: starnie@thestar.com.my

-NiE ,

Intermediate Poem

Forces of destruction

THROUGH different personas, the poem Poisoned Talk conveys the message that the environment is slowly but surely destroyed by pollution. The personas admit their role in, or claim responsibility for, the destruction. Some of these agents of destruction like the worm and the fish are also victims of industrial pollutants like acid soil and mercury.

Personification is a literary device where non-human objects are given human attributes and portrayed in a way that suggests they have the ability to act like human beings. In Poisoned Talk, non-human things like the wind and sulphur dioxide are personified and given “voices”.

NiE Activity

Critical thinking ● Identify

Problem solving ● Present

● Recreate

● Reason

Communicating ● Oral ● Written ● Non-verbal ● Aural

NiE Activity

Critical thinking ● Identify ● Reason

Problem solving ● Present

● Recreate

● Organise

Communicating ● Oral ● Written

● Aural

In groups of four, look for four non-human things (pictures or words) in The Star which you think are related in some way to environmental destruction. Cut them out and paste them on a sheet of A4 paper. Using personification, write five lines that may be said by each object concerning their role in environmental destruction. Take turns to present your work in class and prepare to ask and answer questions about your presentation.

Creative thinking ● Imagine ● Connect

EXAMPLE

● Invent

Who killed the river?

I, said the bottle, With my plastic skin It was my rubbish bin I choked it from within.

Collaborating ● Contribute respectfully ● Compromise

● Attain goal

Poisoned Talk Who killed cock robin?

I, said the worm, I did him great harm.

He died on the branch of a withered tree From the acid soil that poisoned me.

Who killed the heron?

I, mouthed the fish, With my tainted flesh I killed tern, duck and drake, All the birds of the lake.

Who killed the lake?

I, boasted Industry, I poisoned with mercury Fish, plant and weed To pamper men’s greed.

Who killed the flowers?

I, moaned the wind, I prowl unconfined, Blowing acid rain Over field, flood and fen.

Who killed the forest?

I ensured that it died, Said sulphur dioxide And all life within it, From earthworm to linnet.

– Raymond Wilson

ADVANCED

Creative thinking

Novel

● Imagine ● Connect ● Brainstorm

Group member 1:

Group member 2:

Group member 3:

Group member 4:

Collaborating ● Contribute respectfully

● Compromise

Minfong Ho’s Sing to the Dawn is about a young Thai village girl named Dawan who bravely overcomes her father’s objections, in her quest to pursue her studies in the city. In one part of the story, she passes through the marketplace to buy a lotus bud while on her way to the temple compound to see the chief monk. Here, she meets Bao, the flower seller who lets Dawan have one of her flowers for 10 cents. The following is an extract from the conversation between Bao and Dawan.

What is learning like for you?

Women whose achievements or positions are related to their formal education (from The Star):

“I’m going to the temple with this lotus, you see. I’m going to try to see the head monk today,” Dawan confided.

“Really?” The other girl lifted her eyebrows curiously. “It must be pretty important if you want to see the head monk.”

“Oh it is! It’s the most important thing that can happen to me,” Dawan whispered fervently.

“What can be so important to girls our age, Sister?” the flower girl retorted.

“It’s about my schooling,” Dawan explained hesitantly, ignoring her last remarks.

“Your schooling, huh! You go to classes?” There was a grudging curiosity in the girl’s voice.

“What’s it like anyway, learning… books and stuff?”

Brief description:

Paste picture here “Your schooling, huh! You go to classes?” There was a grudging curiosity in the girl’s voice. “What’s it like anyway, learning… books and stuff?”

If someone asked you that question, how would you respond?

What is learning really like for you?

In groups of four, discuss. Then, on a sheet of A3 paper, write down each of your opinions.

Next, look for pictures of two women in The Star whose achievements or positions are related to their formal education.

Cut them out and paste them on the same paper. Write a brief description of the women, their achievements and how it is related to their formal education.

12 APRIL 2017

Brief description:

Paste picture here

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-NiE ,

12 APRIL 2017

Unscramble the words to find the idioms: l Picture: pull the hat out of something do some great and wondrous thing immediately l Across: through one’s hat talk speak nonsense l Down: of a drop at the hat do something immediately and willingly with only the slightest amount of encouragement

©

Fill in the correct one from the list below: “Uncle Felix learned some amazing tricks from a famous magician,” Teddy said. “He can conjure up tricks 1) _____.”

“From where I’m sitting, Uncle Felix had better 2) _____ pretty fast! It looks as though the rabbits have taken over!”

Penelope observed. Penelope is suggesting that Uncle Felix do some great and wondrous thing immediately – from the looks of things, she’s not 3) _____!” a) pull one of those tricks out of the hat b) at the drop of a hat c) talking through her hat

RUN AFTER (1)

“Why did you lock poor Albert up to such a big iron ball?” someone asked Officer Mutt. “Because I got tired of running after him,” Mutt answered.

“Oh, look! There he goes now!” the person said with alarm. “Hadn’t you better run after him?” Mutt shrugged his shoulders. “It’s no use. No one can keep up with him.” Run after here means to chase someone with the hope of catching him or her.

Answers: Picture: pull something out of the hat Across: talk through one’s hat Down: at the drop of a hat Fill in: 1) b 2) a 3) c

Episode 10

By: Dean Pitchford Frantic, I lunged for my bedroom door.

I was thinking I could dress up in Chris’s old clothes and cheer up Mum before she left.

Newt, honey? I am going.

There’s pizza in the freezer.

Useless!

Lunged

A sudden forward movement or plunge; dived.

Tumbled

Mum! Wait till you see this!

Fell suddenly, clumsily.

I am Splendida the Queen of the Dungeon of Dreams.

The doorbell rang.

I struggled to my feet. Halfway down the stairs, I tripped over something and tumbled all the way down. The doorbell rang again.

It was JJ and Cecil. They looked amazing.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart I am The Wolf – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

A famous Austrian composer in the 18th century, he was a gifted musician and created many operas, concertos and some of the most famous classical music of all time.

Mozart! Of course!

Let me guess.

You’re a clothes hamper?

QUESTIONS

Describe JJ’s and Cecil’s Halloween costumes.

MUET 12 APRIL 2017

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Make the most of infographics

10 & 11

The dark side of the Net

By MAWARNI MUSTAFA

THE dawn of the computer age brought with it the birth of the Internet, which connects billions of people around the world.

This wondrous invention has enabled communication to progress at an unbelievably fast pace and has made it easier for people to

communicate with each other.

The Internet also acts as a gateway to a seemingly endless variety of information. At a glance, it would appear that the Internet is indispensable and brings us a lot of benefits.

However, as cliché as it may sound, too much of a good thing can prove to be harmful. On Dec 18, 2016, Sunday Star highlighted several

consequences of Internet addiction, with one horrific incident involving a son killing his own mother.

With a high volume of people getting online, many of whom exhibiting the tendency to spend long hours on the Internet, how do we know if a person is an Internet addict?

Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission advocacy and outreach senior director

Listening for a purpose

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Student essay and teacher analysis

Eneng Faridah Iskandar cautioned against a kneejerk reaction to this matter.

A person’s fondness for spending time on the Internet does not automatically make him an Internet addict. It only becomes a problem when a person’s behaviour changes or his work suffers.

The following infographic can help you recognise the specific behaviours of Internet addicts.

rning sign so Wa

rnet addi c t i on nte fI

Spends most of his non-school hours on the computer or becomes irritable when offline.

Lies about time spent online.

Complains of backaches, neck pain, headaches or dry eyes.

Neglects personal hygiene.

Rushes through meals.

ACTIVITY 1 From the infographic, which of the signs of Internet addiction are easier to spot and which are harder? In groups of four, choose three signs which you think are the easiest to identify and three which are the hardest. If you suspected someone to be an Internet addict, what would you do? Discuss with your friends and write down the steps that you would take.

Source: Malaysian Mental Health Association deputy president Datuk Dr Andrew Mohanraj (Published in Sunday Star, Dec 18, 2016)

ACTIVITY 2 Apart from the positive, the Internet also brings a host of negative effects such as cybercrimes.

In the following infographic, you will find suggestions for parents on keeping their children safe.

Read the points given and complete the task that follows.

Explore technology Get free parental control technologies that help set and enforce ground rules. These can limit the sites that can be accessed and the type of information that can be shared online.

Cyber Parenting How to keep your kids safe:

Have open dialogue Start the conversation early. Discuss appropriate online behaviour. Have ground rules about how computers, smartphones and gaming systems are used. Lead by example.

Educate Create awareness about issues like sexting, cyberbullying, online predators and privacy.

Instil responsibility Let kids know that if they behave responsibly, they’ll get more leeway. Or else, they may lose their Internet privileges.

Be a guide, friend and mentor Instead of supervising kids discreetly, help them create their online persona.

Sources: CyberSecurity Malaysia and Norton Cybersecurity Insights Report (Adapted from an article published in Sunday Star, Aug 14, 2016)

Match the following words from the infographic with their meanings. These words can be very useful when you are discussing the subject, whether during the Speaking tasks or when attempting an essay question in the Writing paper.

These words may also appear in your Listening or Reading papers.

WORD

MEANING

1. Enforce

a) Not likely to be seen or noticed by many people

2. Ground rules

b) Freedom to do something the way you want to do it

3. Sexting

c) The image or personality that a person presents to other people

4. Predators

d) A right or benefit granted as an advantage or favour

5. Mentor

e) To carry out effectively

6. Discreetly

f) To gradually cause someone to have (an attitude, feeling, etc.)

7. Persona

g) Basic rules about what should be done in a particular situation, event, etc.

8. Instil

h) People who look for other people in order to use, control or harm them in some way

9. Leeway

i) The sending of sexually explicit messages or images by mobile phones

10. Privileges

j) Someone who gives help and advice to a less experienced and often younger person

ACTIVITY 3 Imagine that you are a parent who would like to set ground rules with your children for safe computer and smartphone or tablet usage. What are the rules that you think will ensure your children’s safety? Discuss with your friends and complete the table below with at least five rules for each column.

Rules on using digital devices Computer

Smartphone/Tablet

1. e

2. g

ANSWERS:

3. I

4. h

5. j

6. a

7. c

8. f

9. b

10. d

MUET 12 APRIL 2017

Listening for a purpose

By PATRICIA WONG C.K. LISTENING is an input skill. As such, you need to build up a range of vocabulary as well as understand the pronunciation, structure, syntax and semantics of a language to know what the speaker is saying.

This learning process begins early in infancy and is lifelong. The teacher needs to use the correct vocabulary, pronunciation, structure and syntax, so that the foundation of that language is laid firmly in the long-term memory of the learner.

Every child has the innate ability to grasp the universal grammar. But if it is wrongly taught, it can become fossilised. When that happens, the learner needs to unlearn and then re-learn the correct form.

Even though listening for meaning is much easier than reading, listening follows some of the same processes as reading. In active listening, the listener needs to guess and predict what the speaker will be saying next. What is left unspoken can be inferred by the active listener.

Answering the MUET Listening paper Students taking the MUET are expected to have a big store of information or schemata in their long-term memory. This comes in handy during listening. Keywords will prompt the listener to jot down the important information.

Hence, in order to score in the Listening paper, read through the questions swiftly before the recording starts. This is to get your brain to retrieve the information connected with the topic.

Listen for transition words such as “next”, “but” and “lastly” to predict what is coming. Knowledge of idioms, phrasal verbs and clichés helps in understanding the texts. Being familiar with the format of the question will also be an added advantage.

There are three parts to the Listening paper. In Part I, the first three questions may require you to paraphrase information in three words. The next three may require you to interpret the sequence of a process, also in three words. These will be followed by the objective questions which you may find easier.

Part II comprises multiple choice questions. Most of these questions require inference skills. You will need to have a good grasp of the language to tackle the questions.

Part III tests your paraphrasing skills. It comprises three separate texts which would be repeated.

Now, go to this Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/niebrats) to listen to five audio recordings. As you listen, answer the sample question paper below.

Sample question paper Part I For Questions 1 to 3, write your answer in NOT MORE THAN THREE WORDS. 1. It is very common to read ...................................................................................................................... abuse in the news every now and then.

2. The Child (Amendment) Act 2016 would take ...........................................................................

3. The woman only escaped from the flat because the unemployed man ........................ ............................................................................... the door.

For Questions 4 to 6, write your answer in NOT MORE THAN FIVE WORDS. The sequence of the Paya Nahu child abuse incident At 1.25am on Nov 24, the police received a call to report a child abuse case.

At 2am, the police (4) ............................................................................................... woman that her daughter was abused by her boyfriend.

The police was told that her two-year-old son had been beaten to death.

The body was (5) .....................................................................................................................................

For Questions 7 and 8, circle the correct answers.

7. The Child (Amendment) Act seeks to A. punish the perpetrators harshly.

B. address the issues and aspects of child protection and welfare better.

C. take care of parents who do not know the law.

8. In child abuse cases, who would be the most likely culprits?

A. The mothers.

B. The fathers.

C. The parents.

Part II For Questions 9 and 10, circle the correct answers.

9. Richard Huckle was jailed for A. sexually abusing children.

B. kidnapping children.

C. trafficking children.

10. The danger of parents posting pictures of their children on social media is that A. child sex predators may access the images for evil intentions.

B. these pictures can be used to blackmail the parents.

C. parents may become the victims of scams.

For Questions 11 and 12, choose one letter A to F from the box below to complete each sentence.

A. B. C. D. E. F.

paediatrician browse the messaging platforms taken from social media bring their children to the supermarket paediatric colleagues post their children’s images on Facebook

11. Websites accessed by paedophiles contain pictures of children – half of which are ................................................

12. According to Dr Amar, parents who are professionals should know better than ..........................................................

For Questions 13 and 14, circle the correct answers.

13. Datuk Dr Amar Singh is a A. doctor who treats children.

B. hospice consultant.

C. paedophile.

14. What is Dr Amar’s message?

A. Don’t put pictures, selfies or wefies of your holidays with the family on Facebook.

B. Be aware that perverts may download children’s images from their parents’ Facebook accounts for evil intentions.

C. Don’t give mobile phones to your children to be used as communication gadgets.

Part III For Questions 15 to 20, write your answer in NOT MORE THAN FIVE WORDS. 15. According to Dr Sundramoorthy, the likely cause of death of the two-year-old boy was .........................................................................................................................................................................

16. Dr Sundramoorthy believed that policy makers should .............................................................. ............................................. to prevent domestic violence.

17. In the case of the death of the two children and their father, abuse ................................... ..................................................................... but nobody reported the matter to the authorities.

18. The woman could have phoned the police or ....................................................... but did not.

19. Child abuse in developing countries is widespread .......................................................................

At 6am, the police (6) ............................................................................................................................

20. The Convention on the Rights of the Child prioritised children’s ............................................

1. Stories of child / news of child 2. Perpetrators to task / abusers to task / criminals to task 3. Did not lock / forgot to lock 4. Was told by the 26-year-old 5. Wrapped in a blanket / inside a cooler box 6. Arrested both mother and companion 7. B ANSWERS:

8. C 9. A 10. A 11. C 12. F 13. A 14. B

15. Drug or alcohol abuse / substance abuse and violence 16. Address physical punishment on children / address vio lent punishment on children 17. Signs were clearly seen / was visible for years 18. Reported to relatives / neighbours 19. Due to high stress level / due to a stressful lifestyle.

20. Well-being and best interests.

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12 APRIL 2017 MUET

Audio script (To listen to the recordings, go to https://www.facebook.com/niebrats) Track 1 Voice 1:

Voice 2:

Voice 1: Voice 1:

This test consists of three parts: Part I, Part II and Part III. Each part comprises a recording. You will listen to each recording twice. Answer the questions as you listen. Circle or write your answers on the question paper. Answers comprising more than the specified number of words will be marked incorrect. You are given one minute to read all the questions when the test begins.

Part I. Listen to a news report. Based on the report, answer Questions 1 to 8.

Every couple of months or so, the story of violence against children rears its ugly head. The murder at Paya Nahu in Sungai Petani, Kedah, is another reminder that the Child (Amendment) Act 2016 should quickly be put in force so that perpetrators would be taken to task.

At 1.25am on Nov 24, a resident at Paya Nahu flats called the police to report a case of child abuse. The police arrived at 2am. A mother of a four-year-old girl told the police that her boyfriend had abused her daughter. The little girl had bruises all over her body and they looked serious.

She also told the police that her two-year-old son had been beaten to death. Police found the body of the toddler wrapped in a blanket inside a cooler box. The investigation stretched till 6am with the arrest of the mother and her companion. Her daughter was sent to the hospital for treatment.

It was reported that the man would lock the woman and her two children in their three-room flat every day before leaving. However, he forgot to do so on that fateful day. The 26-year-old woman, cradled her critically injured daughter and ran to her neighbour for help, telling her that she “cannot stand the 34-year-old unemployed man anymore”.

About a year ago, Sunday Star Says expressed hope that the Child (Amendment) Bill would help the Government ensure that children in Malaysia have better protection and welfare.

One key change is the replacement of the Coordinating Council for the Protection of Children with the National Council for Children, which will better deal with issues and aspects relating to children’s protection, care, rehabilitation, development and participation.

Parliament has passed the bill and the Child (Amendment) Act 2016 was gazetted in July. However, it is not yet in force. We shall see if it will lead to measures that effectively shield our children from the evil that men do.

(Adapted from Chilling and never-ending cases of child abuse, Sunday Star, Nov 27, 2016) You are now given one minute to answer Questions 1 to 8. (Pause one minute) You will listen to the recording again. As you listen, check your answers. (Repeat recording)

Track 2 Voice 1: Voice 2:

Voice 1: Voice 1:

Part II. Listen to a news report. Based on the report, answer Questions 9 to 14.

PETALING JAYA: Barely a year after convicted paedophile Richard Huckle was sentenced to jail, Malaysian parents seem to have forgotten, and remain blasé in their actions that continue to expose their children and families to this danger, said a paediatrician.

Senior consultant paediatrician Datuk Dr Amar Singh said many parents happily posted images of their children on social media such as Facebook and Twitter or use their child’s image as a profile image on messaging platforms, WhatsApp or WeChat.

“This provides a rich source of images of children for paedophiles to access and use. One Australian study found that 50% of all images used by websites frequented and maintained by paedophiles came from social media sites,” he said in a statement yesterday.

Dr Amar, who works at Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun in Ipoh, Perak, said even parents with a professional background have made few changes in their lives to protect their children.

“I see a significant number of my paediatric colleagues, who should know better, also behaving in the same unsafe way. As Malaysians, we are offering paedophiles a ‘supermarket’ of our children’s images to browse and access,” he said.

“The biggest danger will be the hardcore individuals who will use this easy access to identify children to target for actual physical contact and sexual abuse. This is easy given the largely unlimited access to social media many parents give to children via their handphones and easy Internet access,” he said.

According to Dr Amar, a study in Perak conducted among two-year-olds in 2015 showed that more than 60% had unsupervised access to the Internet via handphones or tablets and older children have even greater access.

“Are Malaysian parents ignorant or just plain careless? This includes medical professionals. The world is rapidly changing and we need to change to support our children. This fascination with sharing our images online, especially those of our children, must stop,” he said.

(Adapted from Parents still exposing kids to predators, The Star, Jan 13, 2017) You are now given one minute to answer Questions 9 to 14. (Pause one minute) You will listen to the recording again. As you listen, check your answers. (Repeat recording)

Track 3 Voice 1: Voice 2:

Voice 1: Voice 1:

Part III. Listen to a news report. Based on the report, answer Questions 15 and 16.

GEORGE TOWN: The lack of parenting skills coupled with possible drug or alcohol abuse could have led to the death of the two-year-old boy, says criminologist Assoc Prof Dr P. Sundramoorthy.

“The larger picture is that our society may lack proper knowledge about raising children and we resort to violence.

“The public might tolerate things like caning or slapping but from there, things can escalate to something much worse.

“It will be for the police to determine if drugs, alcohol or the mental health of the remanded couple played a role in this senseless murder,” he said.

Dr Sundramoorthy added that such factors could agitate people into reacting violently to any sort of irritating behaviour which, in this case, could be that of the two-year-old toddler.

“Policy makers need to address society’s acceptance of physically punishing children because it might sow the seed for such terrible crimes,” he said.

(Adapted from Poor parenting skills to blame, The Star, Nov 25, 2016) You are now given one minute to answer Questions 15 to 16. (Pause one minute) You will listen to the recording again. As you listen, check your answers. (Repeat recording)

Track 4 Voice 1: Voice 2:

Voice 1: Voice 1:

Listen to an excerpt of a Letter to the Editor by James Nayagam, the chairman of Suriana Welfare Society Malaysia. Based on the excerpt, answer Questions 17 and 18.

There were far too many signs that went unheeded concerning the case of two children and their father who were found dead. There were visible signs of long-term abuse yet nobody reported the matter to the authorities.

The incident shows how much we as a society suffer from social isolation, the state where people in urban dwellings keep to themselves and do not want to be involved in the affairs of their neighbours.

In the case of the family, they lived in an apartment where there were lots of neighbours around. Yet, according to the mother, she could not call the police because she did not have credit on her phone.

But she could have run to the neighbours or told someone, so why didn’t she? The children had scars, indicating that they were victims of abuse. Yet, why were the relatives, neighbours and even teachers unable to see these marks?

The mother appears to have suffered in silence at the hands of an abusive husband but lacked an avenue to voice her problems. It also looks like she had no moral support from relatives and friends.

(Adapted from Far too many signs that went unheeded, The Star, Oct 3, 2016) You are now given one minute to answer Questions 17 to 18. (Pause one minute) You will listen to the recording again. As you listen, check your answers. (Repeat recording)

Track 5 Voice 1: Voice 2:

Voice 1: Voice 1: Voice 1:

Listen to an excerpt of a Letter to the Editor by James Nayagam, the chairman of Suriana Welfare Society Malaysia. Based on the excerpt, answer Questions 19 and 20.

Research shows that child abuse is more prevalent in developed and developing countries and one of the contributing factors is the stress level of the parents. What is going to happen to the two surviving children?

According to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, their well-being and best interests must be prioritised. I hope they have been sent to hospital for medical care and investigation.

As for the public, we all must be vigilant and learn from this tragic event. We can start by talking to our neighbours. Let this tragedy or any form of child abuse never occur again.

(Adapted from Far too many signs that went unheeded, The Star, Oct 3, 2016) You are now given one minute to answer Questions 19 to 20. (Pause one minute) You will listen to the recording again. As you listen, check your answers. (Repeat recording) The test ends.

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MUET 12 APRIL 2017

Essay by KONG HAO WEI, 19 SMK Green Road, Kuching, Sarawak

STUDENT ESSAY AND TEACHER ANALYSIS

WINNING ENTRY RM75

Essay title: It is common to find abused children becoming abusive parents. Describe some ways to break this vicious cycle.

“Patricia Wong C.K. contributed this analysis in her personal capacity. The views and comments expressed therein do not represent the views and comments of Star Media Group Berhad (“STAR”). STAR makes no representations as to the accuracy, correctness, completeness, suitability and/or validity of any information contained in this analysis and readers are strongly encouraged to seek appropriate advice before relying on any information provided herein.”

INTRODUCTION Abuse of minors is not an emerging issue, but rather has been around since the dawn of time. However, it is rather peculiar that it is a seldom discussed topic. Part of the reason is that it is difficult to determine when a child is being abused, as child abuse comes in many forms, such as physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, as well as child neglect. It doesn’t help that child abuse is a sensitive topic that people would much rather avoid.

Research has found that the abused children are at risk of becoming abusive parents themselves, too, when they grow up and start their own family.

Thus, to prevent the abuse becoming a vicious cycle, may be broken some measures must be taken. Legal intervention, education and public awareness are some measures to halt the vicious cycle.

BODY First and foremost, legal intervention is efficacious in addressing child abuse.

Children should be protected by the criminal justice system, as they are unable to protect themselves. Malaysia has played its role by enacting the Child Act 2001, which focuses on providing protection and support in all circumstances, disregarding race, religion and background. If a child is abused, the legal department would upon complaint take legal actions, such as supervising the family for a period of time, providing rehabilitation programmes for the abusive parents as well as the abused children, and in dire cases, stripping the parents of their rights to the custody of the children and put them in welfare homes. These legal actions would be taken with the best interests of the children in mind Thus, to spare them from the shame and humiliation of the young children, it is best to keep such as keeping their names anonymous. Despite enacting the enactment of the Child Act 2001, Malaysia is not without its flaws. Caning caning is still considered an appropriate disciplinary action to discipline our children, and our child protection laws are weak and vague. Decisive laws must be introduced in order to provide our children with the necessary protection.

Another way is through education-parenting parenting education courses.

Education is an effective countermeasure towards against child abuse that stems from cultural illiteracy. The media and government agencies should educate parents about what is regarded as child abuse, as well as the its consequences of child abuse. This is very crucial, as a lot of abusive parents do not perceive their actions as wrong or over the top. The parents who were had been abused as children might think that their actions are justified as a means to discipline an accepted way of disciplining their children, as they had accepted it as the norm. For instance, a child who was had been exposed to caning since from young may regard it as normal, and use caning as a means to resolve misdeeds. The children should also be taught of their rights as humans, as well as how to deal with abuses. They should learn to call a hotline, and report mistreatments by their parents. To prevent sexual abuse, the school should teach their students that they have ownership of their own body, and that it is okay to say no when they feel uneasy they should guard themselves against strangers or family members who make them uncomfortable. They should know about the anatomy of their own body, and parts where it is inappropriate to let others touch and see it. A famous method to educate children about private areas is the swimsuit rule, whereby the body parts that are supposed to be covered by swimsuits are not to be exposed or touched. In short, education serves to enlighten both parents and children about the concepts of child abuse.

Last but not least, public awareness should help cease child abuse amongst cases in our society. Children who were abused Abused children would feel like they were a nuisance to their parents, and often felt like they did something wrong. They would and also feel embarrassed about it and refuse to tell anyone about their skeleton in the closet. There are also children who are threatened by their parents if they speak up for speaking up. They would get abused even more, get be abandoned or even be starved if they were to tell the truth. However, we cannot overlook the fact that fact that they are merely naive and immature children, and do not know how to speak for themselves. This is why the people around the neighbourhood should interfere when they witness such behavior any abusive behaviour from parents. The people who turn a blind eye to child abuses are actually encouraging the culture of abusing children. There is a social psychological phenomenon called the bystander effect, whereby people do not offer any means of help, with the mindset that other bystanders will help. Such deference of responsibility must be brought to light and be addressed, in order to promote an abuse-free society. In essence, the public must be made to be aware about the prevalence of child abuse, and how to put a stop to such ruinous acts together.

CONCLUSION All things considered, child abuse can be prevented by stopping the cycle of abuse. Abusive acts stunt the growth of children both physically and mentally. The children may grow up to distrust others, become selfdestructive such as inflicting injury on themselves, or even suicidal. We should create a haven for abused children to thrive and prosper, so that their future would be secure and filled with hope. We should voice out our opinions about child abuse, and not let child abuse go unpunished.

Review by PATRICIA WONG C.K

The writer goes straight to the point by stating the ways to break the vicious cycle. It would have been better if he had presented a few examples of widely-publicised child abuse cases.

The thesis statement is clear. It contains three points: ● Legal intervention ● Education ● Public awareness

Although this is a good point, the crux of the matter – how to break the vicious cycle – is not clearly addressed.

The focus is distorted towards the end. In your concluding sentence, you should reinforce the idea that legal intervention can deter parents from abusing their children.

Not clear. You need to give specific examples. Eg: “The parents who had been abused when they were children may think that their actions such as using canes or belts are an accepted way of disciplining their children, as they had learnt lessons from such punishment.”

You may rephrase it to: “Children who are vulnerable, scared and ignorant do not understand that the very people they trust to look after their welfare and security can betray that trust.”

The conclusion should have been more focused on how the vicious cycle can be broken using cause and effect. Eg: “When the law punishes abusive parents, it would raise awareness among others that children should be treated humanely.

Consequently, it would decrease the incidence of child abuse and lessen the chances of children growing up and resorting to violence when disciplining their own children.

OVERALL FEEDBACK: The writer views the issue objectively. There are relevant points in the essay with the second and third points better expounded than the first. The language and vocabulary used are appropriate for the topic. There is good organisation within the essay for the reader to navigate from the introduction and the content to the conclusion.