Week 4 Summarize in not more than 120 words, describing how Sam became an alcoholic and later kicked

the habit. " I want some more beer ..." Sam turned around and saw a dirty, unshaven drunkard mumbling incoherently as he wobbled aimlessly along the road. Shaking his head, Sam continued his way back home. Sam did not bother to switch on the lights at home. Everyone must be asleep at this late hour, he thought. He tiptoed into Marie's bedroom and found her sleeping soundly, snugly tucked under her pink comforter. Sam bent over and kissed his beloved five-year-old daughter's forehead. "Thanks, dear. If it was not for you, I would never have turned over a new leaf," Sam whispered in gratitude, recalling the drunken man he saw a while ago. A year ago, after being retrenched from his computer company, Sam felt dejected and worried about how he was going to provide for his family. The situation worsened when he failed to secure a job after months of intensive searching. Soon, Sam began to indulge in alcoholic drinks to drown his sorrows. His savings which was used to sustain the family expenses during his retrenchment was tremendously depleted by his drinking habits. Soon his wife, Catherine, became the family's sole bread winner. Catherine's efforts to stop Sam from drinking were futile. Alcohol had transformed the once-gentle family man into a violent beast. Sam began to hit his wife when she refused to give him money for his drinks. Once Catherine tried hiding his drinking bottles, hoping to stop Sam from drinking. Sam was so agitated when he could not find his bottles that he locked Marie into her bedroom and threatened her into revealing the hiding place. The incident instilled terror in Marie and thereafter, she tried her best to avoid Sam. These traumatic incidents continued until the launch of the "stop Drinking" campaign by the government. Striking and persuasive posters were put up in the public to persuade alcoholics to kick their habit. None of them succeeded in bringing Sam to his senses except one. The poster illustrated an alcoholic man abusing his wife while their terrified daughter cried helplessly. The slogan accompanying the poster was: 'Will Your Children Be Able To Draw A Happy Family Again?'. Sam suddenly recalled a poster entitled 'Happy Family' drawn by Marie for school before he began drinking. As if released from a spell, he realized how irresponsible and abusive he had been. Overcome with guilt, he quit drinking totally. "Sam, why aren't you going to sleep?" asked a concerned Catherine. "I'm coming, Catherine," Sam replied with a smile as he headed for his room. Answer Sam became a drunkard after failing to find a job following his retrenchment. His savings was reduced so quickly that Catherine had to work to support the family. Despite Catherine's advice, he persisted hi drinking habits and even extorted money from her, hitting her when he refused to give in. He once locked up Marie in the bedroom, forcing her to reveal the whereabouts of his beer bottles which Catherine used to hide. The event instilled terror in Marie and thereafter she tried her best to avoid Sam. During the "Stop Drinking" campaign launched by the government, Sam came to his senses when he saw a broken family of a drunkard. From then on, he quit drinking.. ( 117 words )

turn over a new leaf dejected traumatic

to start behaving in a better way unhappy, disappointed or lacking hope If an experience is traumatic, it causes you severe emotional shock and upset

Week 5 Summarize in not more than 120 words, the purpose of snakes' bite, the venom's fatality and also

the remedy for such bites.

All snakes are hunters and predators, feeding on the animals and sometimes their eggs. Having no limbs, snakes cannot hold their preys down to bite; hence they usually swallow them whole. Poisonous snakes sometimes do immobilize their preys with their venom to make consumption easier. Most poisonous snakes are conspicuously colored to warn others off. One example is the redheaded krait which has a bluish-black body and scarlet head and tail. Snakes like the cobras, which have less outstanding body colors, display their fatality by lifting the front part of their body and spreading their hoods. It is truly a myth that poisonous snakes attack humans for food. Humans can never be their targets for food as we are normally too large for them to swallow. in cases where snakes do bite, these attacks are usually defensive ones and the venom injected is normally little or sometimes even none. The full, fatal dose of the venom is only released on smaller animals which the snakes can swallow easily. Besides helping in the killing and immobilizing of their preys, the poison also acts as digestive agents for snakes. Why then is the venom so deadly ? In general, there are three kinds of poisons in the venom, though in varying amounts, depending on the type of snake in question. Venoms usually contain substances that weaken the blood corpuscles and the lining of the blood vessels. Profuse bleeding, often a common result of snake-bites, is caused by the anticoagulants present in the poison which prevents blood clotting. The paralysis of the heart and respiratory muscles is performed by the nervous system attacking toxins. Though these bites are deadly, certain actions can be taken to slow down the spread of the venom, hence saving the victim's life. Attempting to incise and suck at the spot of the bite is more likely to be harmful than a cure. The poisonous venom usually travels fast into the body upon being released; hence sucking at the mouth of the wound will not help remove the poison, rather, incising the bite may lead the victim to great pain and further profuse bleeding. Instead, a broad, firm crepe bandage should be applied over the would and up the full limb to compress the tissues and prevent the spread of the venom. After which, the victim must be duly sent to the hospital for professional treatment. Answer Snakes attack larger animals like us when they are disturbed. These bites are not fatal as little or none of the venom is released. The full, deadly dose of poison is used to kill smaller animals for food. Snake venoms contain three types of poisons, usually varying in amounts There are substances that weaken the blood cells and walls of blood vessels; anticoagulants to prevent blood clotting, which results in profuse bleeding and toxins to paralyze the heart and respiratory muscles. When bitten by a snake, one should apply a broad bandage over the wound and up the limb to help compress the tissues and prevent the spread of the venom before sending the victim the hospital. ( 114 words )

immobilize incise crepe

not able to move to cut the surface of something carefully with a sharp tool a thin cloth with a wrinkled surface

Week 6 Summarize in not more than 120 words, how Bombay's existing situation contradicts its

flourishing economic status.

Bombay is often regarded as India's Capital of Hope. Often wondering why this is so, I made a fruitful trip down to the busy city, solving most of my queries. Bombay consists of seven islands, joined by land reclamation. Many Indians, especially those from the rural areas, regard Bombay as their paradise, since they could find work relatively easily here, as compared to their homelands. Being the pillar for revenue collection, Bombay's economic growth has far outperformed the other cities. In fact, its per capita (head) production of goods and services is about three times greater than that of Delhi India's second most prosperous city. Despite the economic boom, Bombay gives me an astonishing image of deterioration when I first stepped into the city. The ostentatiously dignified imperial buildings, erected by the British, are so overly populated that they look as if they are toppling over any minute. There are the 1950s kind of black and yellow taxis, which appeared as if brutally thrashed, lining up like ants trails, clotting up the small avenues. Amidst the dins of traffic jams, stood the oppressed-looking buildings of Benetton outlets, foreign car dealerships, croissant-serving outlets and so on. Though unemployment is not a significant problem in Bombay, housing is. A visit in Dharavi, a slum area in Bombay will help clarify our imagination. The Bombayites' so called "houses" are actually movable shacks, built from unwanted bits of tarpaulin, tin and cardboard. There are so many of them that a maze of alleys emerged, passable only when I walked sideways like a crab between them. Curious about the living conditions, I wondered around the maze, meeting groups of scantily clad kids and hungry, stray dogs. Popping my inquisitive head into one of the small huts, I was totally amazed by their living conditions. Estimating about twelve or more Bombayites living in each hut, these two-storey houses are usually partitioned by rough platforms with ceilings no higher than five feet from the ground. Furthermore, `these shacks look absolutely bare -- no furniture and I deduced that the inhabitants eat and sleep on the ground. In spite of the poor living conditions, many Indians still hope to migrate to Bombay. Interviewing a few of the newcomers, a majority of them said that they came to Bombay to find jobs. There are some who regard Bombay as buoyant floats, saving them from natural disasters and tyrannies in their homelands.
Answer Despite its economic boom, the conditions in Bombay are always chaotic. The existing buildings in Bombay are overly inhabited by the large population. With more immigrants flooding in, the emergence of slums is inevitable. The "houses" there, are actually shacks made from unwanted materials like tarpaulin and cardboard. These shacks flooded the streets, creating a maze, with spaces passable only if one walks sideways. The two stories, small huts, divided by rough platforms, often have low ceilings which are no more than five feet from the ground. These shabby huts are also barely furnished. Kids are usually seen running around with minimal clothes on them. Furthermore, traffic jams, usually caused by old, shabby taxis are common, daily sights there. ( 119 words ) pillar slum inquisitive a very important member or part of a group a very poor and crowded area wanting to discover as much as you can about things

Week 7 Briefly describe Uncle Chin's charcoal manufacturing process. Your account, which should be continuous, must not not be longer than 120 words. "Have you started the fire?" shouted my mum from the kitchen. "Yes!" I replied, feeling frustrated after having some difficulties in starting the fire with charcoal. It is the eve of the annual Dragon Boat Festival again and my mum is busy making dumplings. She has specifically chosen to cook the dumplings with charcoal, claiming that the rice will then be uniformly cooked and fragrant. I still prefer to use the gas cooker. "It's just more convenient and cleaner too!" grumbling helplessly, I stared at both of my soiled hands. Fanning the hot stove, I watched my mum lower down two strings of dumplings. "Stay put and watch over them. Mind the time too!" She instructed sternly, knowing what a fantastic daydreamer I am. Feeling bored only minutes after she had left, my mind starts to wonder about. Reminiscing the life back at home town, I recalled myself popping over at Uncle Chin's charcoal manufacturing factory frequently when I was a child. Being inquisitive, I would always ask Uncle Chin questions which sometimes were repetitive. What an irritating kid I had been? Charcoal was made by burning woods in a charcoal-kiln. Uncle Chin's charcoal kiln was about fifteen feet tall and it had an arched cross-sectional opening. Clay made, the top of the kiln was always covered with attap leaves. The daily charcoal-making work was well divided among the workers. Every morning, the workers took turns to collect mangrove woods from the nearby swamps. Upon returning, they sawed the wood into appropriate lengths to fit the kiln. Uncle Chin would then stack the pieces of woods vertically in the kiln. When the kiln was full, the fire would be started and the woods were burnt from the top, downwards, just like a burning joss stick. Staying by the kiln, Uncle Chin would explain that the fire must not be red hot; otherwise, the wood pieces would be reduced to ashes. Instead, a slow, greenish fire should be maintained for the wood to be sufficiently smouldered. "Uncle Chin, then, how do we maintain such an appropriate fire?" As usual, I would continue my endless questions. "It's all through experience..." With a grin on his face, Uncle Chin recalled how he was scolded by his teacher for not being able to judge the appropriate hotness of the fire. The aroma of the cooked dumplings brought me back to the present. "Oops! Time's up. Mum, the dumplings are ready?" I shouted in excitement, waiting to try one of the mouth-watering dumplings.

Answer Uncle Chin's workers took turns to collect mangrove woods for charcoal making at a nearby swamp every morning. After returning, they sawed the woody into smaller pieces. Then Uncle Chin would stack the woods vertically into a fifteen-feet tall, clay charcoal kiln. The charcoal kiln was used to make charcoal and it had an arched opening into which wood pieces were inserted. After all the piling, the stacked woods were burnt from the top, downwards. The fire cannot be too strong as the woods would be over burnt. Instead, a slow, greenish fire should be maintained so that the woods would be sufficiently smouldered. It all takes an experienced man to judge the appropriateness of the fire. ( 114 words ) dumpling a small ball of dough (= flour and water mixed together) cooked and eaten with meat and vegetables wanting to discover as much as you can about things to burn slowly with smoke but without flames

inquisitive smoulder

Week 8 Summarize in not more than 120 words, how Guo Rui compete with the paupers and how he failed. Now only one person was worried. Who? The landlord's stooge Guo Rui. I must find some way to wreck the co-op before these paupers set it on its feet, he told himself. I shall compete with the co-op and outdo it! My family has a donkey, three oxen, thirty sheep, four pigs, and over five acres of good land. With all my livestock and capital, I'm sure I can show these paupers where they get off. Part of his land lay next to some of the co-op's fields. He decided to sow the same crop and do whatever the co-op members did. Like them, he sowed an acre to maize. At first, both crops did pretty much the same. In summer, when the co-op manured its plot with sheep droppings, Guo Rui used pig-dung instead. But whereas the co-op's twenty-three families had plenty of hands to carry manure and spread it, only three of Guo Rui's family worked on the land. It was a long way, uphill and down, from his home to the field; and he and his sons were so busy carting manure that they had no time to spread it. That afternoon Guo Rui noticed that the co-op had just about finished, while he still had a good deal of dung to carry. He gritted his teeth and filled basket after basket to the brim. His two sons sweated under their loads till they felt that their backs would break; the donkey's legs nearly buckled under the weight; and Guo Rui himself panted as he staggered along. Though they worked with all their strength, they got only half their dung to the field by the time the co-op was spreading its last lot. Guo Rui dumped his load and went back for more without even stopping for breath. But before he reached the village the co-op members had knocked off and started home singing and chatting. Fuming inwardly, he decided to make one last trip. But his back was aching, his two sons were worn out, and however hard they beat the donkey it would not budge. They had to take lighter loads and stop every few steps to rest. At the end of this trip it was dark, so they left the dung piled by the field to spread the next day. When they reached home and sat down to supper, it started to thunder. Then for over an hour there was a downpour of rain. Guo Rui cursed and swore and could not sleep all night. First thing the next morning he and his sons dashed to the field. Their whole pile of pig-dung had been washed away -- into the co-op's land, too, which was lower than theirs. The maize there was green and sturdy after its soaking, thanks to all the dung, while Guo's by comparison was lank and droopy. In his rage, he sold two sheep and bought some chemical fertilizer in the town. When Du Hong saw this he asked, "Why don't we buy some fertilizer too?" "We must stick to our poor man's way," said Wang Guxing. "Let him fertilize his fields; we'll hoe ours well. Loosening the soil is as good as a dressing of dung. Take my word for it, a few extra hoeings will do more for the crop than his fertilizer." Guo Rui wasn't worried when he saw them hoeing. All you paupers can do is work your heads off, he thought. Just wait till you see what this fertilizer does to my maize! Little did he know that he applied too much. As the sun blazed down, the leaves of his maize started wilting. Father and sons made haste to water and weed the field, but it was too late. And when Guo tried to hire a laborer there were none to be found. Why not? Because all the paupers had joined the co-op, and the peasants working on their own had no time to spare. The co-op's maize grew tall and strong. By harvest time each cob was about a foot long, as plump as a pestle, and covered with symmetrical golden kernels the size of horses' teeth. Guo Rui's cobs were no longer than a fountain-pen, no thicker than a man's thumb, and only had a few scattered kernels. Answer Guo Rui sowed the same crop -- maize on the same land area as the paupers. When the paupers manured their crops with sheep droppings, he used pig dung instead. Assisted by his two sons only, Guo Rui could not finish carrying and manuring his crops as fast as the twenty-three families could. He left the manure piled at the fields but the rain washed it away into the co-op's fields at night. He then resorted to fertilizers, while the paupers started hoeing their land. Guo Rui over used the fertilizers and his crops wilted. He tried to employ someone to help weed and water the crops but was unsuccessful as all the paupers had joined the co-op. ( 114 words ) stooge a person who is forced or paid by someone in authority to do an unpleasant or secret job for them a very poor person a garden tool with a long handle and a short blade used to remove weeds and break up the surface of the ground

pauper hoe

Week 9 Make a brief account of not more than 120 words, describing the usefulness and/or harmfulness of

the various kinds of fungi mentioned in the passage.

Whenever we see stale bread or fruits turning mouldy, fungi are at work. When trees die and their dead trunks start to decompose, fungi are the masterminds. Most of us tend to associate fungi with the decomposition of dead plants or animals. In actual fact, fungi can also attack living things. The fungi that cause decay are known as the Saprobe. They are actually yeasts which feed on the dead remains of plants and animals. While they can be a nuisance in the kitchen, as they turn our food bad, Saprobe can also assist man. For instance, by breaking down the dead bodies of plants and animals, these leftovers are removed from the living world. In addition, yeasts can be used to make wine, beer and also as raising agents in bread. The parasitic fungi are the ones which feed on living things. The powdery mildew, downy mildew or rust are the few which attack plants. Usually, these fungi deposit themselves on the leaves or flowers of the plants. Their hyphaes (slender, feeding branches) then squeeze themselves into the gaps between the plant's cells and soak up their nutrients. After which, a hard, black fruiting body called the ergot is left in the flower replacing the seeds. The ergot contains toxins which causes serious illnesses if eaten. Despite its poisonous nature, the ergot contains active ingredients which when purified and used in small amounts, are treatments for migraine. Parasites attacking living animals, especially man, are rarer as most animals have their own immune system. In special cases like an AIDS patient, where his immune system is very weak, parasites may find their chance to attack. The most aggressive kind of fungi is the predatory ones. As the name suggests, they catch and feed on their preys, usually smaller than themselves. Some predatory fungi dwell in ponds to catch amoebae or rotifers. In capturing the amoebae, the fungi use their sticky hyphaes to hold down the creatures before feasting on them. To capture rotifers, the fungi usually hide among the algae, stretching out their sticky hyphaes again. An unaware rotifer which mistakes one of the hyphaes as the blob of the algae will grab it, only to find itself trapped and absorbed by the fungi. Some predatory fungi which live in the soil, set traps to capture victims like the nematodes. Thus we see that fungi are not only the ones which turn our food mouldy. Besides these, there are also other kinds. In addition we also understand that fungi, like most other living things, have their usefulness and harmfulness too. Answer Saprobe, also called yeasts, are fungi which turn our food bad. They also help to decompose dead remains of plants and animals and also acts as ingredients for wine, beer and bread. Parasitic fungi attack and suck the nutrients of plants, depositing an ergot in place of the seeds in the flowers after that. The ergot can cause illness when eaten raw but when purified and taken in moderate amounts, help cure migraine. Parasitic fungi seldom attack animals because of their defensive immune system. The predatory fungi which sometimes live in waters or on algae in ponds or even in the soil, set traps to capture their victims, usually smaller than themselves, before feasting on them. ( 116 words ) mould a soft green or grey growth which develops on old food or on objects that have been left for too long in warm wet air to cause to rot something or someone that annoys you or causes trouble for you

decompose nuisance

Week 10 Summarize in not more than 120 words, describing how one can organize and start a barbecue. Have you ever been to a barbecue? Many of us enjoy roasting meat over the fire but no one ever wonder who first started the idea of cooking meat in a fire. Perhaps, it is just in the human psyche that we sometimes feel the need to return to the primitive times, probably to relieve us of our urbanized life. That is why many people, regardless of age, love to hold barbecue gatherings. The idea of gathering round a fire and roast some meat just sounds fun. The meat may sometimes be half-cooked or not cooked at all (sounds horrible) but the joy of primitive cooking is there. The first step towards the preparation for a barbecue is to rent a barbecue pit which usually comes with the barest essentials. After all, we are supposed to return to the early time frame. Of course, during peak seasons like the school holidays, when the pits are fully booked, you may try digging one at the back of your garden. Next, get ready the wire netting, otherwise, you will find yourself roasting the meat on the hot charcoal. Skewers which are important for holding the meat pieces; utensils for picking up the food like forks and spoons, paper plates and cups must not be left out. Next comes the preparation of the most important part of the barbecue - the food. In fact, any kind of meat will be suitable. If meat pieces are bought, like chicken, beef or mutton, slice them into thin pieces before piercing in the skewers. Chicken wings are the best. Simply stretch the wings apart and push in the skewers. Following which, the meat is to be soaked in a mixture of spices for marination, giving them some flavor. An easier and faster way out would be to brush 'Maggie' barbecue sauce over them. Remember to order a few hundred sticks of satay too. A barbecue without satay will not be a barbecue. When everything is ready, start the fire with charcoal, one hour before the start of the feast. Once the fire is started, let it all burn till glowing embers are left. Then place the sticks of meat over the wire netting and there you are, the barbecue has begun. Do not worry about overcooking the meat. After all, the real joy behind the barbecue lies in the cooking not eating of the food. Just a piece of advice to beginners: Bring along some indigestion medicine. Answer Firstly, rent a barbecue pit. Bring a wire netting to hold the food over the fire, skewers to hold the meat pieces, utensils for picking up the food, paper plates and cups. Any type of meat will be suitable for the barbecue but chicken wings are the best. Simply pierce the skewers through the thin slices of meat or chicken wings. Next, marinate the meat either by soaking them in a spice mixture or coating them with 'Maggie' barbecue sauce. Order some satay too. Once the preparations are done, start the fire, one hour before the feast. Let the fire burn till glowing coals remain before starting to roast the meat. Beginners may need to bring along some indigestion medicine. ( 120 words ) psyche satay spirit A dish of southeast Asia consisting of strips of marinated meat, poultry, or seafood grilled on skewers and dipped in peanut sauce To soak meat, fish or vegetables in spiced vinegar, wine, or salt water

marinate