A Road Accident

A Road Accident

            Road accidents are reported in newspaper and on 
television every day. There are more frequently caused by 
reckless drivers rather than faulty vehicles. Last Saturday, 
while I was travelling from Penang, I witnessed a serious 
accident. The scene of the accidents was vivid in my mind.

            A motorcyclist was following behind was carvery closely. 
He was so impatient that he was trying to overtake my car 
even near a sharp bend. At that critical moment, there was 
an oncoming car. The taxi driver swerved to the roadside and 
I got a terrible jolt. It was too late for the motorcyclist to avoid 
the car. His motorcycle ran against the bumper of the car and 
smashed its windscreen. The motorcyclist somersaulted over the 
car and was found lying in a pool of blood. It was a scene to chill 
the flesh! The car driver, who was cut by the flying glass, was in 
a state of shock. All that happened in split second and fear 
overwhelmed us.

            The taxi driver stopped his taxi and I quickly ran to the 
nearest to the nearest telephone booth to inform the police and 
the hospital. From a distance I could see some people trying to 
help the injured motorcyclist and the car driver. They carried them 
into one of the onlooker’s car and sent them to the hospital for 
treatment. Meanwhile the taxi driver tried to control and directs 
the traffic. 

           Soon the police arrived and they promptly took some measurements and evidence. After that they moved the damaged 
car and the motorcycle to the roadside to ease the traffic congestion. 
They also took down the evidence provided by witnesses and 
onlookers. Some sweepers were clearing the debris and the blood 
stains on the road.

            When the taxi finally continued the journey, I silently 
thanked God for my narrow escape. I learned a good lesson 
that impatience and recklessness would bring harm and danger. 
I was happy to see that Malaysians are public-spirited and they 
render help to others readily. Since then I remember and follow 
the saying ‘more haste less speed’ and ‘prevention is better than 
cure’. I believe good road manners and roads safety campaigns can 
help to reduce the number of road accidents which cause injuries, 
loss and lives and properties.

DESCRIPTIVE – EVENT  [Hari Raya Celebration]

One of the biggest celebrations in Malaysia is Eid or more commonly known as Hari Raya Aidilfitri or Hari Raya Puasa. Hari Raya literally means 'Celebration Day'. It is celebrated by Muslims on 1 Syawal of Muslim Calendar after a month of fasting.

Shopping malls and bazaars are usually filled with people days ahead of Hari Raya, which creates a distinctive festive atmosphere throughout the country. This is the time when my mother and I will do our last minute shopping for clothes and delicacies. Then, we will return to our home town to celebrate the festival.

The night before Hari Raya is filled with the sounds of the takbir in the mosques. Just like in many parts of Malaysia, especially in the rural areas, I will lit oil lamps and place them outside and around my grandmother’s home. My brothers, together with my cousins, will light traditional bamboo cannon or firecrackers which are notoriously loud and can be very dangerous. My mother and aunts will be busy preparing special dishes like ketupat, dodol, rendang and other delicacies to serve on the next day. My favourite is definitely lemang which is a type of glutinous rice cooked in bamboo.

On the morning of Hari Raya, we will wear our traditional clothing, baju kurung. Before heading to the mosque for prayer, we will greet one another and ask for forgiveness for sins which we may have committed. Once the prayer is completed, it is common for many Muslims to visit the graves of loved ones. During this visit, we will clean the grave, recite Yassin, and also perform the tahlil ceremony. All these are done as a means to ask God to forgive both the dead and the living for our sins. The rest of the day is spent visiting relatives or serving visitors. Hari Raya is a very joyous day for me and other children as we will be given token sums of money, also known as "duit raya", from our parents or elders.

I truly enjoy the Hari Raya celebration which is a really unique festival. It is more than a religious celebration as it fosters closer relation in a family as well as the neighbourhood. 

NARRATIVE   [An Unforgetable Experience]

          May 25 2011 was a day I will never forget. It was the day when my family suffered a tragedy. The day began like any other day and we all got ready for school while my father got ready to go to work. We all had breakfast together, enjoying our favourite banana pancakes and hot chocolate, before leaving the house. My sister and I got on our school bus while I saw father got into his car to get to work, leaving my mother doing her usual house chores.

          At 10.00 a.m., I was having a Mathematics lesson when a teacher came and told me my father was at the canteen waiting to take me home. I could sense something bad had happened. Fearing the worst, and thinking of all kinds of bad things that could have happened, I met my father who had already fetched my sister. Her face was white as a sheet.

          ‘Our house was burnt down and mom is in the hospital,’ explained my father sadly. His voice shook as he spoke. I was so shocked.

          We rushed to the hospital and the doctor told us that mom was all right. We thanked God that nothing serious had happened to her. She only suffered minor injuries. However, we lost everything in the fire, our computer, furniture, books and clothes. I found my piggy-bank in the ashes and the coins were still inside. That was all I had left. My father comforted us by saying that the house could be built and the things inside could be bought.

          ‘Mother is all right and that is the most important thing,’ he said. That is why May 25 is a day I will never forget.    [underlined the past tense]

DESCRIPTIVE - PEOPLE

1. My Best Friend.

Nora is my best friend in school. She is a ……………………………… girl with ………………. She and I first met at kindergarten and we became great friends. She is kind.. ………………………………………….. We ……………….are classmates and we …………………… to school together every morning.

Nora …………………….. to joke and play games. She …………………………… near my house. In the evenings, we usually …………………….. at my house. We …………………. in the garden and ……………………. story books. She is good ……………….. Mathematics. So, whenever I find difficulties in my Mathematics homework, I would ask her to ………… me. Sometimes, when my parents …………….. out in the evening, she …………………….. over to ………………….. me company and we ……………………….. television together. That way I do not feel lonely.

I hope Nora and I will be in the same class again next year. I like her very much and she is my best friend.

[To me, she is my role model. When I grow up, I want to be like her. That would certainly make my parents very happy – to have a daughter who is not only successful, but also respectful to everyone.] - CONCLUDE

[2011/ 2010/ ..]

2. My Best Friend.

A best friend is the first person who comes in when, out of the door, the whole world has gone. There are lots of people who you make friendship with, but it is very hard to find a true and honest friend. But I am very lucky that I have a best friend with whom I can share my feelings and divide grief with. His name is Johan. He is very …………………………, and I am very happy to have him as my best friend. He is very ……………………………, and an ………………………………… person.

First, Johan has all those friendly habits that we seek in a friend such as friendly behavior and respectfulness. He is very …………………………… and friendly person. For example, to be more respectful person, if anybody comes to his house, he welcomes him or her to come in and ask to have a seat and then he ask him or her to have something to drink very nicely. He is also ……………………. person. For instance, he helps his parents in their work such as mowing the lawn and cleaning the house. He also helps his mother preparing the dinner and helps her in washing the dishes.

………………………., Johan is a hardworking and a very punctual person. He likes doing his work on time. For example, he always does his homework and gives it to the teacher whenever it is due. He always attends his classes and prepare for his tests and quizzes. And to keeps his grade up in all classes, he studies hard for tests and quizzes. On the other hand, he works a part time job, so he could make his pocket money. But also sometimes he works overtime on the weekend to makes more money for his future studies for college.

Finally, Johan is a very honest friend. He is very well mannered and organized person. He loves the truth and hate lying.

3. My teacher

If it was not for her, I would not have progressed this far. To most of us, primary school education is fun and joyfulness but to me it was a painstaking experience. All my classmates would be scoring full marks or close to it but my score would be barely reaching the pass mark. I had several tuition teachers but none of them was like her. She was my turning point in my life. Her patience and faith she had on me made me preserve. No matter how long I took to absorb the facts, she neither give up nor lost her patience on me. Once it took me about 3 hours to observe the pattern in term of reading the clock. She never lost it. She was very innovative, as she gets hold anything nearby and use it as a teaching tool just to get me understand and have a good grasp of what she had taught. She was always kind and genuine. 

Apart from tutoring, she had other commitments. Even till today, I admire her time management. She had to look after her family, her career and she was also upgrading herself, even in her forties. It inspired me. She had an everlasting thirst for knowledge. Ever since then it is my passion to attain all-rounded education. Despite her hectic schedule, she gave her best in tutoring. It is from her I learn to strive for the best and give the best in whatever I do.

I am sure I can be the one who could make a difference in someone else life. It’s my passion and desire.

DESCRIPTIVE – PEOPLE  [LOCATE THE SIMPLE IDEAS/ GOOD IDEAS]

The Person I Admire Most

          The person I admire most is none other than my aunt, Mak Su Midah. She is my mother’s youngest sister. I love Mak Su Midah because she is a responsible and understanding person.

          Mak Su Midah stands 161 cm, with a petite, slim figure. She has fair complexion, smiling eyes and lustrous, black, shoulder-length hair. Her face is as smooth as silk, and she has rosy cheeks and pink lips. Being a successful businesswoman, she holds herself very well and has the charm and grace to go with it. Mak Su Midah owns a chain of bakeries in Johor Bahru. She is a person who always puts her best foot forward and she is planning to expand her business to other major cities like Melaka, Seremban and Singapore.

          As a single mother, Mak Su Midah always works hard to provide for her three sons. Although she is busy with her business, she always finds time to spend with them. She makes sure they have dinner together. During school holidays, Mak Su Midah would also take some time off to take her sons for a vacation. Her sons are doing very well in school as they are very disciplined and focused. Mak Su Midah is a good role model not only to me, but also to her sons.

          Although she is very successful, Mak Su Midah is very humble, modest and respectful to everyone. She is also supportive towards her siblings and never fails to help anyone who is in trouble. Sometime ago, my father was in a financial distress and Mak Su Midah stepped up and helped him to solve his problem. I have learnt to be like her in this respect. She always says that helping others brings her joy.

          Mak Su Midah is also always understanding and supportive towards me. As a young child, I used to play with her and I even broke her favourite vase, but she was very patient with me and never lost her temper. Besides that she always encourages me to study hard and reminds me to stay focused. She is like a friend to me and also the favourite aunt of all her nephews and nieces.     [CONCLUDE?]