1.

ABOUT MYSELF
TOI
I am an eleven year old Indian girl. I come from a family of three. I have two elder
brothers. Both my parents are teachers. I am a primary six student at Fairfield Primary
School. My complexion1 is light brown and I have dark, short hair.
I am very hardworking and always try to get the best grades in class. I must get a good
education to fulfil2 my ambition3. My ambition is to be a nurse. I like to take care of the
sick and old.
I dislike outdoor activities and rarely participate4 in games. I enjoy doing things with
my hands, like painting, gardening and sometimes I try simple cooking. I spend my free
time in our small garden. I grow all kinds of plants in my garden. There are rose plants,
hibiscus5 and morning glory6 Sometimes I help my mother with the windows. I dust the
furnitures, iron the clothes and clean the windows.
My best friend is John. He lives in our neighbourhood. We go to the same school. On
Sundays John comes to my house to play with me.
My parents love me very much and give me the best of everything. I am a very happy
little girl.
1. complexion /k6m'plek~n/ (n) mau sac va ve t nhien cua da nc da
2. fulfil /f$l'f1l/ (v) thoa man, ap ng (mot nguyen vong, nhu cau v.v)
3. ambition /%m'b1~n/ (n) tham vong, hoai bao
4. participate /p@:'t1s1pe1t/ (v) tham gia vao (mot hoat ong)
5. hibiscus /h1'b1sk6s/ (n) cay dam but
6. morning glory /,m0:n17 '9l0:r1/ (n) cay bm bp hoa ta

2. MYSELF
TOI
If you ever see a tall and skinny Chinese boy with a mole1 on his chin, you will know
that it's me. My name is Fang Yaorong and I will be twelve on the first of June this year.
I wear thick glasses because I did not take proper care of my eye-sight when I was
young.
I attend school in the morning session2 at Ghim Moh Primary School. My school is
within a stone's throw3 of my house. Every morning, I walk to school with my
neighbour, John, who is also my class-mate.
My hobbies are playing football and assembling4 model aeroplanes. I am very proud of
my model aeroplane collection. Most of the models were given to me as presents over
the years. The rest were bought with the pocket-money I saved.
As the eldest child in the family, I always try to set a good example5 for my twin sisters.
My parents often praise me for being a obedient boy. When I grow up, I want to be a
doctor. I want to be able to cure6 patients. In order to fulfil my ambition, I must study
hard to go to the university.
1. mole /m6$l/ (n) not ruoi
2. session /'se~n/ (n) buoi
3. a stone's throw /6 st6$ns 8r6$/ (idm) mot khoang cach ngan
4. assemble /6'sembl/ (v) lap rap
5. to set example /set 19'z@:mpl/ (idm) lam gng, neu gng
6. cure /'kj$6 (r)/ (v) cha tr (mot chng benh v.v)

3. MY SCHOOL
TRNG TOI
I study in Secondary School. It is one of the best schools in Singapore. It consists of
several Roman style buildings. Our school has all the facilities1 of a modern school,
such as well furnished2 and airy class rooms, best laboratories,3 a big library with a
huge collection of books, a vast play ground and even a swimming pool.
Our school building is situated in the middle. There is motorway leading from the main
entrance. The playground is on the left of the motorway and a big garden on the right.
When you enter the building, the principal's4 room is on the left. They are all well
furnished. There are twenty classrooms. Our laboratories are well equipped. The school
library has an up-to-date collection of books on many subjects. Our librarian
and her two assistants are very helpful.
Our school, like others school, has prescribed5 a uniform for us. We have to wear white
trousers, white shirts and a black tie. The girls have to wear white shirts and skirts.
Our principal is very strict as he pays strict attention to behaviour, punctuality and
cleanliness. The most well-behaved and punctual student will be assigned as the class
prefect.6
Our principal is a strict disciplinarian.7 He accepts the help and advice of all teachers.
Though our principal is strict, he is fair and loving. He tries to find out the reason and
guides us. If one violates any rules, he will be punished. Our principal is very strict in
this aspect.
Our teachers are also very strict. They teach us with the utmost care, guide us with our
assessments8 and other preparations and help us in times of need.
I like my school very much and am proud to be a student of that school.
1. facilities /f6's1l6t1s/ (n) nhng tien nghi
2. furnish /'f3:n1~/ (v) trang b o ac, dung cu, v.v
3. laboratory /l6'b4r6tr1/ (n) phong th nghiem
4. principal /'pr1ns1pl/ (n) hieu trng
5. prescribe /pr1'skra1b/ (v) quy nh
6. prefect /'pri:fekt/ (n) lp trng
7. disciplinarian /d1s6pl1'ne6r16n/ (n) ngi tin va gi nghiem ky luat
8. assessment /6'sesm6nt/ (n) s anh gia

4. MY SCHOOL
TRNG TOI
There is a white three-storey building, surrounded by greenery,1 located at Simei Town
Central. That is Simei Primary School. That is also the place where I have schooled2 for
the last five years or so.
My school uniform is white. The boys wear a white shirt and white shorts while the girls
wear a white blouse and skirt. The uniform must always be worn with the school badge3
which bears our school motto4 "Nothing without labour" It means that we must be
willing to work to get our reward. We are also taught to be honest and polite all the
time.
Most of the teachers in my school are just and kind. However, there are some teachers
who show favouritism.5 As a result, the students who are favoured by these teachers are
very proud and like to bully6 the others. In general, however, we all treat one another
like siblings7 and live in harmony.
I am sad that I will have to leave my school at the end of this year. It has given me
knowledge, friends and happy moments. I will always remember my school and the fond
memories it holds.
1. greenery /'9ri:n6r1/ (n) tan la xanh hoac cac cay xanh
2. school /sku:l/ (v) ren luyen, ao tao
3. badge /b%d2/ (n) huy hieu
4. motto /'m4t6$/ (n) phng cham, khau hieu
5. favouritism /'fe1v6r1t1zm/ (n) s thien v
6. bully /'b$l1/ (v) bat nat, ha hiep
7. sibling /'s1bl17/ (n) anh ch em ruot

5. MY SCHOOL TUCK-SHOP1

My school tuck-shop is situated2 next to a block of classrooms. My classroom happens

to be the nearest to the tuck-shop and before each break, we can always smell the
aroma3 of appetizing4 food.
There are a number of food stalls5 in the tuck-shop and this gives us a wide choice of
food. They are the prawn noodles stall, the laksa stall, the porridge stall, the Malay food
stall, the Indian rojak stall and the beverages6 and snacks stall. You can tell by the
length of the queue7 in front of the rojak stall that it is the most popular stall. My
favourite is the laksa stall as the laksa is both delicious and cheap.
Usually, the tuck-shop is packed during peak hours8 like during lunch time and during
breaks. It is difficult to get a seat at these times. Therefore, we should be considerate
and vacate our seats once we have finished eating.
The food sold in the canteen is tasty and the standard of hygiene9 is high. The vendors
clean the tables and benches often and scrub the tuck-shop floor at the end of each day.
Sometimes, health inspectors come to check on the vendors' preparation of food too. As
a result, we do not have to worry that the food is not clean.
1. tuck-shop /t^k ~4p/ (n) ca hang ban banh, keo, v.v (nhng th ma tre em thch an)
2. situate /'s1tj$e1t/ (v) at cho, at v tr
3. aroma /6'r6$m6/ (n) mui thm
4. appetizing /'%p1ta1z17/ (adj) kch thch s ngon mieng, ngon lanh
5. stall /st0:l/ (n) quay hang
6. beverage /'bev6r1d2/ (n) thc uong
7. queue /kju:/ (n) hang (ngi, xe co, v.v) xep noi uoi nhau
8. peak hour /pi:k'a$6 (r)/ (n) gi cao iem
9. hygiene /'ha1d21n/ (n) ve sinh

6. MY TEACHER
CO GIAO TOI
The name of my teacher is Miss Lim Swee Lan. She is a very pleasant lady.
Miss Lim likes children very much. She herself has many brothers and sisters at home.
Most of them are going to school and she helps them in their lessons.
What she does for her own brothers and sisters she also does for the children in the
class-room. She does not get angry easily. If some pupils are slow to learn, she takes
great trouble1 to explain all the lessons slowly so that all the pupils can understand the
lessons well. Sometimes, she also brings certain things into the class-room to explain a
lesson. For example, one day she brought a toy ape2 to explain what an ape was. This
makes her lessons very interesting indeed.
Miss Lim, sometimes, also takes all her pupils out for a visit to some interesting places.
She believes that children could learn a lot by travelling. Last year she took our whole
class to Kuala Lumpur where we visited many interesting places such as the museum,
the zoo and the famous Batu Caves.3
I am indeed very proud of my teacher, Miss Lim.
1. trouble /'tr^bl/ (n) cong sc
2. ape /%p/ (n) kh khong uoi (gom co kh oc, hac tinh tinh, i i, vn)
3. cave /ke1v/ (n) hang ong

7. MY FAVOURITE TEACHER
CO GIAO YEU THCH NHAT CUA TOI
Everyone sat up expectantly.1 It was a maths2 period and all of us waited eagerly for
our maths teacher, Mrs Huang, to come into the class. She is very popular among us. In
fact, she is my favourite teacher.
Mrs Huang has short curly hair and wears thick glasses which makes her look stern.3
However, she is actually very approachable4 and is always ready to lend an ear to our
problems. She is motherly and cares very much for us. I remember once when I fell and
hurt my knee. Mrs Huang helped me to stop the bleeding and took me to the clinic.5 I
was very grateful to her.
I used to dislike maths when I was younger because I found it far too complicated.6 Mrs
Huang always makes maths lessons interesting and easy to understand. She is very
patient in explaining maths problems to us and always makes sure everyone
understands. Under her guidance, my maths has improved by leaps and bounds.7
I have grown to love maths and I always score high marks in my maths tests now. And
it's all because of my favourite teacher.
1. expectant /1k'spekt6nt/ (adj) mong ch, ch i (mot ieu tot ep) - expectantly /-l1/
(adv)
2. maths /m%8s/ (n) (= mathematics) mon toan hoc
3. stern /st3:n/ (adj) nghiem khac, khac nghiet
4. approachable /6'pr6$t~6bl/ (adj) than thien, de gan
5. clinic /'kl1n1k/ (n) tram xa
6. complicated /'k4mpl1ke1t1d/ (adj) rac roi, phc tap
7. by leaps and bounds /ba1 li:ps 6nd ba$ndz/ (idm) rat nhanh

8. MY CLASSMATES
BAN CUNG LP

Thirty-five unique individuals make up our interesting class. Of course, there are some
of us who are more popular than the others.
First, there is fat Steven. He is the joker1 of the class. He cracks2 all kinds of jokes,
even practical jokes. Once, he left an artificial lizard in the chalk box to scare our stern
science teacher, Miss Xiano. Her horrified3 expressions amused us so much that we
split our sides with laughter.4 However, the whole class was punished for that joke. In
spite of this, we still like Steven because he is always brave enough to own up5 to
playing tricks.
We also have a bookworm6 in the class. Xiaoming is a small boy with thick glasses.
Wherever he goes, he will have a book with him. He brings glory to the class by winning
the various language quizzes7 organized by the school.
The most respected person in our class is our monitor, Evelyn. She is helpful, friendly
and responsible. Without her, our class would be in chaos.8
The teachers who teaches us always say that we a mischievous9 but hardworking
bunch.10 I am proud to belong to my class.
1. joker /'d26$k6 (r)/ (n) ngi thch ua
2. crack /kr%k/ (v) ke (chuyen ua)
3. horrified /'h4r1fa1d/ (adj) hoang s, khiep s
4. to split one's side with laughter (idm) ci khong gi c, ci v bung
5. own up /6$n ^p/ (v) thu nhan, thu toi
6. bookworm /'b$kw3:m/ (n) ngi oc sach nhieu, mot sach
7. quiz /kw1z/ (n) cuoc thi o
8. chaos /'ke14s/ (n) s hon loan
9. mischievous /'m1st~1v6s/ (adj) nghch ngm
10. bunch /b^nt~/ (n) nhom, tap the

9. MY GOOD FRIEND
NGI BAN TOT CUA TOI
Chang is my neighbour. He is the same age as me. He is my best friend. He is also
studying the same school. We go to school together.
Chang comes from an educated family. His father is a school principal. His mother is
also a teacher. He is punctual, well educated, and has amiable1 manners. He is hard
working. He does his homework and does well in his studies. He is well dressed and
well behaved. All the teachers have a high opinion of him.
Chang has a well-built body. He is an early riser and jogs2 with me daily. He is gentle
but fearless. He takes part in all sports, scout,3 trekking4 and mountaineering activities.
He has a good heart. He is truthful, honest and obedient.
Chang is fond of pets. He has a pair of rabbits and parrots. He has two fish tanks
containing gold fish. He patiently feeds them and looks after them with care. He has
been trained by his parents to be neat and tidy. He has a room to himself. All his books
are neatly arranged on the shelves. His bed is always neat and tidy. He plays badminton
with me. He also plays the guitar. Though gardening is his favourite hobby, he is unable
to do so because he lives in an apartment. He makes his parents very proud of him in
examinations. He secures5 good marks and is usually top of his class in examinations.
He is very helpful and helps me in my lesson. He inspires6 me to work harder. He keeps
away from bad company.
Chang is a good son to his father. I am happy to have such a friend.
1. amiable /'e1m16bl/ (adj) t te, ang yeu, hoa nha
2. jog /d249/ (v) chay bo (tap the duc)
3. scout /ska$t/ (n) hng ao sinh
4. trek /trek/ (v) thc hien mot cuoc hanh trnh dai va kho khan (nhat la i bo)
5. secure /s1'kj$6(r)/ (v) at c (cai g) bang no lc
6. inspire /1n'spa16 (r)/ (v) thoi thuc, truyen cam hng

10. MY BEST FRIEND

BAN THAN NHAT CUA TOI
When I was in Primary Four, a new boy joined my class during the second semester. As
I was sitting next to him, I was asked to help him to get used to1 the new environment.
We hit it off2 instantlly. Two years have passed since. Now, we have become the best
of friends. That boy's name is Xie Zhiwei.
Zhiwei is much taller and skinner than I. He is also very agile.3 That is why he has
qualified4 for our school basketball team. He is also one of our school's best athletes. He
specializes in the hurdles5 and high jump events.
Though Zhiwei is very involved in sports and games, he is very disciplined. He always
finishes his homework on time. In fact, he has always been one of the top students in
class.
One major belief that both of us agree on is that friends should share their thoughts and
knowlege. This enables us to know each other very well. Thus, in spite of the fact that
he is an extrovert6 and I am not, we are still such close friends. I really treasure7 this
friendship and hope that it will last forever.
1. get used to /9et ju:zd t6/ (idm) quen vi
2. to hit it off (with s.b) /h1t 1t 4f/ (idm) an y, tam au y hp
3. agile /'%d2a1l/ (adj) nhanh nhen, linh li
4. qualify /'kw4l1fa1/ (v) co u t cach / kha nang / ieu kien
5. hurdle /'h3:dl/ (n) cuoc chay ua vt rao
6. extrovert /'ekstr6v3:t/ (n) ngi hng ao
7. treasure /'tre26 (r)/ (v) quy trong, tran trong, gi gn

11. A NEW FRIEND

BAN MI
When the school reopened after the mid-year school holidays, we had a new classmate.
Her name is Cheng Siew Hong and she has emigrated1 with her family from Hong Kong
to Singapore.
The class was excited and I was especially so because she happened to sit next to me.
My form teacher2 told us to make her feel at ease with us. Siew Hong is a cheerfullooking girl and an active athlete. She runs fast, swims well and even takes part in highjump competitions. Siew Hong and I soon became very good friends because of our
common interest in sports. We never run out of3 topics to talk about. We have lots of
fun together, both in class and out on the field. I help Siew Hong cope4 with the English
language while she helps me out with the Chinese language.
Since this was the first time she's been in Singapore, the class decided to bring Siew
Hong to some of the local tourist attractions like Sentosa and Botanic Garden. We also
brought her to Satay Club to let her try the tasty local specialities.5 With our help, Siew
Hong fitted into the class in no time. She is glad to join our class and we are glad to have
her as a new friend.
1. emigrate /'em19re1t/ (v) di c
2. form teacher /f0:m 'ti:t~6 (r)/ (n) giao vien chu nhiem
3. to run out of (sth) /r^n a$t 6v/ (idm) het sach, can sach
4. cope /k6$p/ (v) ng au, oi pho
5. speciality /spe~1'%l6t1/ (n) (ve mon an) ac san

12. A POPULAR PERSON IN YOUR OWN AGE GROUP

MOT NGI C YEU THCH TRONG TAP THE ONG TRANG LA
James Yap is a popular person not only in our class, but also throughout the school.
James is the kind of person who is talented1 as well as outgoing.2
Most students in the school know him as a champion swimmer. James always
represents3 the school in freestyle swimming and has won a lot of medals in
competitions. He is also a member of the water polo team. Last year, in the district
championship, James was the one to score the winning goal for our school team. He is
well-remembered by his schoolmates for this.
James is friendly with almost everyone, and he is known as the class joker. Sometimes,
before the teacher comes to the class, he would stand in front of the class and throw us a
riddle.4 His favourite riddle is the one which asks "do you know why..." Actually, he
never gives us time to answer. He would shout out the answer almost immediately, and
the class would burst out5 with laughter.
Even when James is called upon to answer a question by a teacher, his answer often
contains a joke or a remark which makes us laugh. Usually, because his jokes are funny
and not rude, the teacher would laugh along with us.
James also likes to organise outings and gatherings. Unlike some people who only invite
certain groups to these functions, James often organize them on a class basis. Once, he
organised a class outing to the zoo. Towards the end of the visit, to show our
aprreciation, James had arranged a special treat for our class teacher who was
accompanying us. It turned out that he had reserved6 for her the zoo's special offering tea with the orang utan7! Of course, the animal was tame8 and had been trained to sit
quietly with human visitors. We all, including the teacher, had a good laugh.
On another occasion, we had a class gathering at his house. James come from a rich
family, and lives in a bungalow with a big garden. Most of us already know about James'
background9 because he used to come to school in a chauffeur-driven car. When James
was in secondary three, he told his father that he preferred to take public transport. He
wanted to be more independent.
I suppose the fact that James is not affected10 by his talent, nor his wealth adds to his
popularity. But some students say that even though it seems that James leads such a
charmed life, he does not see eye to eye11 with his father about his future.
James' father owns a business and he would like James to work in the family business
after he graduates. But James is keen to pursue a career in sports or entertainment.
At this stage, it is still too early for this disagreement between James and his father to
develop into a real conflict.12 I hope, as an adult, James wil continue to make full use of
the talents that has made him such a popular boy in school.
1. talented /'t%l6nt1d/ (adj) co tai, co khieu
2. outgoing /'a$t96$17/ (adj) than mat va thoai mai
3. represent /repr1'zent/ (v) lam ngi ai dien cho (mot ngi, mot nhom)
4. riddle /'r1dl/ (n) cau o
5. burst out /b3:st a$t/ (v) ot ngot bat au (lam cai g)

6. reserve /r1'z3:v/ (v) ang ky trc

7. orang utan /0:r%7u:'t%n/ (n) con i i
8. tame /te1m/ (adj) a thuan hoa
9. background /'b%k9ra$nd/ (n) lai lch
10. affect /6'fekt/ (v) anh hng, tac ong
11. to see eye to eye (idm) cung nhn ve mot hng
12. conflict /k^n'fl1kt/ (n) cuoc xung ot

13. MY CLASS AND TWO OF ITS INTERESTING CHARACTERS

LP TOI VA HAI NHAN VAT THU V CUA LP
Prefects1 are driven crazy by our mischief, teachers are perplexed2 by the lack of
consistency3 in our work, but the principal is always impressed by our angelic4
behaviour everytime he enters our "little-home". It may seem, from this description, that
we are actors or professional deceivers. We are, however, a group of teenagers who
spend most of our time together in our cramped5 but cosy classroom.
Our school is an all-girl school. Thus where behaviour within the classroom is
concerned, we are completely uninhibited.6 It is no wonder that an observer can often
see unusual manifestations7 of peculiar behaviour. There are two particularly
interesting characters in my class who, I am sure, I'll remember for a long time.
The first one is "Hero" as we call her. She is a pretty girl, with dimpled8 rosy cheeks.
However, her build does not suit her lovely face. She has straight shoulders that swing
from side to side when she walks, and, mind you, she even walks like a man. She is tall
and has strong muscular9 legs. She has earned her title justly as she always defends us
when big boys from the neighbouring schools bully us. She even fights for us. She does
not have to worry about revealing too much of her legs while fighting as she perpetually
wears knee-length shorts under her skirt.
The funny thing is that none of the girls envy her beautiful face, instead, her masculinity
is the object of their admiration. Some girls will even slip little gifts into her bag. I have
heard that girls are having a crush10 on her. Well, whatever it is, I always feel that our
"Hero" will one day be a beautiful lady, admired and courted by many men.
The other character is a highly respected one. We call her our very own "Computer" as
she is so good at solving mathematical problems. While most of us spend hours trying to
solve a difficult sum, she does it while walking to the canteen during break. There was
one instance when she solved a problem that our Senior Maths teacher could not solve.
The most interesting thing about her is that she does not look intelligent at all. She does
not wear thick glasses which is typical of the intelligent ones in our school. She is also
not the quiet, inhibited and serious type. She mixes freely with all of us. In fact, her
closest friends are those who are weak in their studies. She chooses them to be her
friends ; and she never hesitates to help them with their problems with such clarity that
our maths teacher often uses her skill and help in the classroom to advantage. I think
"Computer" has great potential11 and one day she will make it to the ranks of the great
mathematicians and may even win a "Nobel Prize". As time and space does not allow
for a description of a few more characters in my class, I conclude with the satisfaction
that I have written about the two most interesting ones. I am sure these two will be
remembered by all of us for a long time.
1. prefect /'pri:fekt/ (n) lp trng
2. perplex /p6'pleks/ (v) lam kho x, lam boi roi
3. consistency /k6n's1st6ns1/ (n) tnh nhat quan, tnh kien nh
4. angelic /%n'd2el1k/ (adj) nh thien than, rat tot
5. cramped /kr%mpt/ (adj) (ve khong gian) chat hep

6. uninhibited /^n1n'h1b1t1d/ (adj) t nhien, khong b c che

7. manifestation /m%n1fe'ste1~n/ (n) s bieu lo, s the hien
8. dimple /'d1mpl/ (v) lum ong tien
9. muscular /'m^skj$l6(r)/ (adj) thuoc ve c bap - muscularity /m^skj$'l%r6t1/ (n) bap tht,
c bap
10. crush (on) /kr^~/ (n) s say me (ai/cai g) co tnh ngan ngui va tam thi
11. potential /p6'ten~l/ (n) kha nang, t chat, tiem lc

14. MY COUNTRY
AT NC TOI
My country is Singapore. Singapore is a small island lying to the south of the Malay
Peninsula. It has an area of 600 sq km and a population of about 2.6 million people.
Singapore is a multi-racial1 society, where Chinese, Malays and Indians live in harmony.
It is a tolerant2 society, in which no one is labelled, condemned3 or persecuted4
because he thinks differently, behaves differently or worships a different god.
Singapore is a clean city. Littering5 is an offence and people caught littering are
severely punished. Singaporeans take great pain6 to keep their city clean.
Tourism is one of the main sources of income to Singapore. Tourists from all over the
world flock to this paradise island. The various cultures and traditions of the people
fascinate the tourists. There are many places of interest in Singapore. The zoological
garden is one of the tourist attractions. Many different species7 of animals from all over
the world can be found here. The Bird Park is another place of interest. There are about
six hundred different species. The man-made waterfall is said to be the highest of manmade waterfalls. The Changi International Airport is one of the best airports in the
world.
Singapore is a fast developing country. It is a very popular country with hardworking
people.
1. multi-racial /,m^lt1 're1sl/ (adj) gom nhieu chung toc, a chung toc
2. tolerant /'t4l6r6nt/ (adj) co hoac the hien s dung th
3. condemn /k6n'dem/ (v) len an
4. persecute /'p3:s1kju:t/ (v) ngc ai, khung bo
5. littering /'l1t6r17/ (n) hanh ong vat rac ba bai
6. to take great pain /te1k 9re1t pe1n/ (idm) rat chu y e thc hien ieu g
7. species /'spi:~i:z/ (n) loai

15. MY HOME TOWN

TH TRAN QUE HNG TOI
I was born in a small sea-side town in Malaysia called Mersing. It is situated in the
south-east of Malaysia, near the South China Sea. It is a small town with a population of
about fifty thousand people. It is a peaceful and beautiful town.
The main occupation1 of the people there is fishing. The sea is their livelihood.2 Besides
fishing, tourism has also become quite popular. Tourists stop over3 at Mersing on their
way to the islands off Mersing. The most popular island is Pulau Tioman.
The population here is made up of Malays, Chinese and Indians. The majority of the
people are Malays. They are either fishermen or farmers. The Chinese are mostly
shopkeepers and restaurant and hotel owners. The Indians who are the minority4 are
either civil servants or rubber tappers.
The town consists of three streets of shops. There are three schools, a Chinese, a Malay
and an English medium schools. There is a hospital and a few private clinics, a cinema
hall, library and a big wet market by the sea. There are a number of hotels to
accommodate5 tourists who flock6 to Mersing to visit the Islands.
The people in my home town live in peace and harmony.7 I love the peace and quiet of
my little home town.
1. occupation /4kj$'pe1~n/ (n) nghe nghiep
2. livelihood /'la1vl1h$d/ (n) ke sinh nhai, sinh ke
3. stop over /st4p '6$v6 (r)/ (v) ngng chuyen i e lai au o mot thi gian
4. minority /ma1'n4r6t1/ (n) dan toc thieu so
5. accommodate /6'k4m6de1t/ (v) cung cap ni hoac phong cho ai
6. flock /fl4k/ (v) tu tap, tap trung
7. harmony /'h@:m6n1/ (n) s hoa thuan, s hoa hp

16. MY HOME
NGOI NHA CUA TOI
Of all the places in the world I judge my home to be a paradise.1 As the old saying goes,
"East or West, my home is the best". My home offers affection2 and security.3 I live
with my parents, my elder brother and younger sister.
I belong to a middle class family. My father is a supervisor4 in a factory and my mother
is a production operator5 in the same factory. We have a four-room flat in Bedok
Reservoir area. Our drawing-cum-front hall is decorated in a tasty6 manner. The
northern corner has a television deck. Some ten metres from that end, there is a
morgohany sofa set with an ornamented7 tea table in front.
Our kitchen is fully equipped with multi cabinets and a small store. A small dining table
with four chairs are placed near the sink.8 A big refrigerator stands silent in the corner.
Our home has been decorated with many memorable souvenirs which remind us of our
visits to different places. Our home has three bedrooms. The master bedroom is
occupied by my parents. I share the second bedroom with my younger sister. The third
bedroom is solely occupied by my brother. Sometimes, it is used as a guest room for our
relatives from Malaysia. They usually visit us during festival season. Ours is a small and
happy family where every member has consideration for the needs and comforts of the
others. All of us do our share of housework. Most mornings, the place looks busy as
everyone rushes about doing one's morning chores. We normally have a light and quick
breakfast. Every evening, my family will have dinner together. This is the time of day I
like best.
We keep our home neat and tidy. Everything is kept in order and in its place. I am very
proud of my home and I love it very much.
1. paradise /'p%r6da1s/ (n) ni ly tng hoac hoan hao thien ng
2. affection /6'fek~n/ (n) cam giac yeu thch, yeu men
3. security /s1'kj$6r6t1/ (n) s an ninh, s an toan
4. supervisor /'su:p6va1z6 (r)/ (n) ngi giam sat
5. operator /'4p6re1t6(r)/ (n) ngi ieu hanh
6. tasty /'te1st1/ (adj) co tham my, trang nha
7. ornament /'0:n6ment/ (v) trang hoang, trang tr
8. sink /s17k/ (n) bon ra mat

17. MY NEIGHBOURS
LANG GIENG TOI
We all have neighbours. Some neighbours are good while some are bad. Both my
neighbours are good.
The Lim family lives next door on our right. Mr Lim is a Post-Master and Mrs Lim is a
housewife. They have two adorable1 children. A boy and a pretty girl. Mr Lim is a very
helpful man. He helps to pay our telephone bills for us. Whenever we have any letters
or parcels to post, we give it to Mr Lim and he posts it for us. Mrs Lim takes great pride
in her garden. She grows all kinds of plants. Her garden is always full of bright coloured
flowers. She helps me with my garden. She has taught me a lot of things about
gardening. She is a good cook and loves baking delicious cakes for her family and
neighbours. The Lims are friendly, helpful and honest people.
The neighbours who live on our left are Mr and Mrs Rao. Mr Rao is a businessman. He
deals in2 carpets,3 and owns a big carpet shop. Mrs Rao is a school-teacher. They have
no children. Mr Rao is rarely at home. He is always away on business trips. We only see
him on Sundays. Mrs Rao loves children. She used to buy sweets and chocolates for the
children in the neighbourhood. On every Deepavalli eve,4 the Rao's hold a children's
party. And all the children in the neighbourhood are invited. We enjoy going to the
Rao's party. All kinds of cakes, sweets and ice-creams are served. At the end of the
party, presents are given to all the children.
I like both my neighbours. I feel very fortunate to have such good neighbours.
1. adorable /6'd0:r6bl/ (adj) rat ang yeu
2. deal in /di:l 1n/ (v) ban (cai g), buon ban (cai g)
3. carpet /'k@:p1t/ (n) tham
4. eve /i:v/ (n) ngay hoac em trc le hoi hoac ky ngh ton giao

18. NEW NEIGHBOURS

LANG GIENG MI

When I was waiting for the lift,1 I saw a girl of about my age dragging2 two big boxes of
household3 items to the lift. When the door of the lift opened, I helped her to drag one
of the boxes into the lift.
She thanked me and explained that her family had just moved into a flat4 in the block. I
was surprised when she moved the boxes into the flat next to mine.
I came to know later that my new neighbours are the Tan family. The girl whom I met in
the left is Debbie. Her elder brother is Desmond and the eight-year-old younger brother
is Danny.
Debbie and I soon became good friends. Though we do not attend the same primary
school, we hope to get into the same secondary school next year.
My mother gets along5 well with Mrs Tan. They exchange recipes6 and go to the
market together. In fact, the Tan family is very easy-going7 and they fit well into our
neighbourhood.
I am glad the Tan family lives next door. I hope we will always be neighbours.
1. lift /l1ft/ (n) thang may
2. drag /dr%9/ (v) keo le
3. household /'ha$sh6$ld/ (adj) dung trong gia nh
4. flat /fl%t/ (n) can ho
5. get along (with sb) /9et 6'l47/ (idm) hoa hp, an y
6. recipe /'res6p1/ (n) cong thc lam mon an
7. easy-going /'i:z1 ,96$17/ (adj) de dang trong c x, du dang, khoan dung

19. MY PET DOG

CON CHO CNG CUA TOI
Rosy is a dog which I have been keeping for the past four years. It was by sheer1
accident that Rosy came into my hands. Our neighbour, Mr. Jones, was a dog lover. He
had a good kennel2 in his house where he reared3 different types of dogs. Suddenly, he
got transferred from the town and he wanted to dispose4 some of the dogs he had. He
was talking about his problem to my father. Then I told my father that we could have
one of the puppies ; though reluctant, my father agreed. That was how Rosy came into
my possession.
Why it was named Rosy I can't say. It is an Alsatian. It is of medium height, grey in
colour with dark spots near her belly, a bushy and glistening5 eyes. It grew into a
beautiful and magnificent dog much to the envy of others.
Rosy can be seen about our house when she is not engaged in playing or when she is not
sleeping. She takes pleasure in sniffing6 about the corners when she has nothing particular
to do. She is as docile7 as a deer in our presence. When we are not at home she will be at
her mettle8 and no one can easily come near our gate or house. Though she doesn't bite,
she will bounce on the person baring her teeth so much so that she can paralyse9 any
intruder.10 She recognizes the postman as a friend and so does not do him any harm.
I give her spartan food. She takes some biscuits and milk in the morning, rice and curry
in the afternoon. Usually she is not given any food in the night. When we are at our
table, Rosy keeps company with me but she shows no eagerness to touch even a crumb
unless offered. So my father likes it. Rosy cries in a peculier way. It is between
barking11 and howling.12 Sometimes, she raises a cry like moaning.13 That means she
wants to go out for toilet.
Whenever I go out in the evening, she accompanies me. My friends are afraid of her
because she doesn't like silly mischievous boys. She shows her displeasure by barking
and that is enough to unnerve the boys. My father says, Rosy would soon become a
mother. Then I will have a litter of nice puppies.
1. sheer /~16 (r)/ (adj) hoan toan
2. kennel /'kenl/ (n) cui cho, chuong cho
3. rear /r16 (r)/ (v) nuoi nang, trong nom
4. dispose /d1'sp6$z/ (v) tong kh, vt bo (ai/cai g)
5. glistening /'9l1stn17/ (adj) long lanh
6. sniff /sn1f/ (v) anh hi, ngi, ht
7. docile /'d6$sa1l/ (adj) (ve ngi hay vat) de bao, de sai khien
8. be at one's mettle /'metl/ (idm) ay nhiet tnh, kh the
9. paralyse /'p%r6la1z/ (v) lam te liet, lam ra (v s)
10. intruder /1n'trud6 (r)/ (n) ke xam nhap
11. bark /b@:k/ (v) (ve cho) sua
12. howl /ha$l/ (v) (ve cho) hu, tru
13. moan /m6$n/ (v) ren r

20. THE CAT MELLISSA

CO MEO MELLISSA
Melissa is a glossy,1 midnight-black cat, arrogant2 as a tyrant3 of old, fierce4 as the
most ruthless savage,5 or affectionate6 as the most loving child. Whenever arrogance is
her role, she gives her whole heart to it. Roused from soft sleep and feeling a vague
need for a lap of milk or a mouthful of liver, she will move toward her dishes
unhurriedly and gracefully like a duchess.7 No calls to play, no rolling balls, no
tantalizingly8 twitched9 strings will divert10 her determined progress toward the
kitchen. From a gentle stroke11 along her back or a soft scratching under ears and chin,
she will ooze away as elusively as quicksilver. With tail at a proud angle and with
haughty dignity, she will quietly and persistently pursue her way.
Even when just fed, with drops of milk or flecks of beef upon her narrow, triangular
chin, she grows alert to the impertinent chatter of sparrows12 reminding her that hunting
is one of her dearest sports and a test of her greatest skills. Then the countless ages that
separate her from the forests and jungles of the Far East dissolve. Standing on the
doorstone of a twentieth-century house in the middle of a great city, she becomes again
the savage hunter. The dusty, feathery smell of the sparrows fighting for crumbs comes
to her sensitive nose. A few blades of grass and a discouraged city bush
may be Melissa's only cover. Nevertheless, she snaps her tail purposefully, steps off the
doorstone, and by a series of running, fluid steps reaches the bush. In these steps her
body elongates13 and her legs contract tensely holding her close to the ground. In the
shelter of the bush she watches fixedly her still unwary prey.14 Now by flattening her
ears, she gains great confidence, for all cats know that thus protected they become
invisible. Crouched15 and delicately poised16 for her deadly pounce, she moves not a
whisker.17 A tiny breeze ruffles the soft fur18 of her sides. The very tip of her long
graceful tail twitches with every passing decision to leap, to wait, to watch. Thus she
savors19 in anticipation the delightful instant when her steel claws20 will slide through
crisp feathers, clutch tender flesh, and hold her excitingly lively prey until she can
snatch21 it in her strong, razor-sharp teeth. Birds are too messy for her to eat except for
a mouthful or two to prove that she knows a toothsome morsel22 when she finds it. But
to catch--well, there is something Melissa can't explain ; every so often she just has to
prove that she is a good hunter.
Back inside her home, no more than minutes later in time but several aeons23 later in
civilization, Melissa looks for appreciation and affection. She is a great and skillful
hunter home safely and successfully from the chase.24 The descendant of ancient gods
in Egypt, still goddess in her own home, she unbends now to seek not only applause, but
also a chance to express her affection. She hunts a warm, secure lap that she can happily
knead,25 a pair of hands that are firm, soothing, and trained to tickle26 the right spots,
scratch27 others, and softly smooth the rest. Melissa raises sleepy eyes and a gently
prodding head to rub the length of her cheek and neck against the wrist behind her head.
The proud cat in search of food and the cruelly persistent sportsman have been
momentarily forgotten in the sleepy, gently purring28 companion.

1. glossy /'9l4s1/ (adj) nhan nhui, bong loang

2. arrogant /'%r696nt/ (adj) kieu cang, hach dch, ngao man - arrogance /-s/ (n)
3. tyrant /'ta16r6nt/ (n) bao chua, ke bao ngc
4. fierce /'f16s/ (adj) hung tn, d doi
5. savage /'s%v1d2/ (n) ngi man r / da man
6. affectionate /6'fek~6n6t/ (adj) (bieu lo s) tru men, au yem
7. duchess /'d^t~1s/ (n) n cong tc
8. tantalizing /'t%nt6la1z17/ (adj) (co tnh) nh, treu
9. twitch /tw1t~/ (v) giat giat, co rum
10 divert /da1'v3:t/ (v) lam oi hng, lam chuyen hng
11. stroke /str6$k/ (n) hanh ong vuot ve, au yem
12. sparrow /'sp%r6$/ (n) chim se
13. elongate /'i:l479e1t/ (v) keo dai ra
14. prey /pre1/ (n) con moi
15. crouch /kra$t~/ (v) thu mnh lai (e an nap)
16. poised /p01zd/ (adj) t the thang bang
17. whisker /'w1sk6 (r)/ (n) ria (meo, chuot, v.v)
18. fur /f3:(r)/ (n) long mao, long thu
19. savor /'se1v6(r)/ (v) thng thc
20. claw /kl0:/ (v) (co sc) cao xe bang mong hoac vuot
21. snatch /sn%t~/ (v) vo, chop
22. morsel /'m0:sl/ (n) mau, mieng
23. aeon /'i:6n/ (n) mot giai oan dai en mc khong the tnh c nien ky, van ky
24. chase /t~e1s/ (v) uoi theo, san uoi
25. knead /ni:d/ (v) xoa bop, am bop
26. tickle /'t1kl/ (v) mn trn, kch thch
27. scratch /skr%t~/ (v) gai
28. purr /p3:(r)/ (v) keu r r

21. MY SCHOOL SPORTS DAY

NGAY HOI THE THAO TRNG TOI
This year our school sports day was held on Friday. There were seven booths1 at the
sports ground. Our class planned in advance how to decorate our booth. We wanted to
win the first prize for the best decorated booth so I helped my classmates to decorate our
booth in a spectacular2 manner.
Around 1.30 pm, the sports day was declared open by the Guest-of-Honour - our local
Member of Parliament. All the students taking part in the sportsday lined up for the
march past. We marched3 past the stand where the Guest-of-Honour and our
headmaster stood to attention. As we marched past, he took the salute.4
The day started with track events5. There were 50, 100 and 200 metres races. There
was tremendous applause6 from the spectators which included teachers and parents.
Then the field events - tug of war,7 long jump, high jump, shot put8 and discus9 were
held. Every event drew cheers and applause from the spectators. The sports day turned
out to be grandest day of the year for the school.
The day went by very fast. I came in first in the long jump event, and second in the 100
metres race and shot put. At about five o'clock, our Guest-of-Honour gave away the
trophies10 to the winners. My class was overall runners-up. We were also awarded with
the first prize for the best decorated booth.
After that, to mark the end of the sports meet, there was another march past. The
national anthem11 was played to close the sports day.
We went home tired but happy.
1. booth /bu:5/ (n) rap, leu v.v dng tam thi khu ch, san van ong v.v
2. spectacular /spek't%kj$l6(r)/ (adj) ep mat, ngoan muc
3. march /m@:t~/ (v) i dieu hanh -(n) cuoc dieu hanh
4. salute /s6'lu:t/ (n) viec chao mng - to take the salute : chao ap le
5. event /1'vent/ (n) mon thi au (trong cac cuoc thi the thao)
6. applause /6'pl0:z/ (n) s tan dng nhiet liet (bang cach vo tay)
7. tug of war /t^9 6v w0:(r)/ (n) tro chi keo co
8. shot put /~4t p$t/ (n) mon nem ta
9. discus /'d1sk6s/ (n) mon nem a
10. trophy /'tr6$f1/ (n) (trong the thao) cup
11. national anthem /,n%~n6l '%n86m/ (n) bai quoc ca

22. SPORTS DAY

NGAY HOI THE THAO
Sports Day fell on the eighth of September. On that day, the school was beautifully
decorated with colourful flags. Parents were invited to watch their children participate in
the various events.
First, there was the lower primary students' telematches. Every class was divided into
four groups which competed1 against one another. They used balls, hoops,2 skippingropes and bean bags in the competition. The little children ran swiftly and we could
hardly tell who the winners were.
Next, we had more interesting events. The upper primary students competed in events
like hurdles, relay races,3 short distance races, high jump and long jump. There were
individual and team events. Every participant4 tried his best to win as many trophies as
possible for his class. However, there was bound to be some losers.5
The prize-giving ceremony marked the end of the exciting day. The winners were
cheered and carried on their classmates' shoulders. The losers showed good
sportsmanship6 by joining in the cheers and not sulking.7 Though we were very tired,
we had enjoyed ourselves tremendously.
1. compete /k6m'pi:t/ (v) ua tranh, ua tai, thi ua
2. hoop /hu:p/ (n) vong (bang go, kim loai v.v dung trong the thao)
3. relay race /,ri:le1 're1s/ (n) cuoc chay tiep sc
4. participant /'p@:t1s1p6nt/ (n) ngi tham gia
5. loser /'lu:z6(r)/ (n) ngi thua cuoc, ngi bai tran
6. sportmanship /'sp0:tm6n~1p/ (n) tinh than the thao
7. sulk /s^lk/ (v) gian doi, doi hn

23. TEACHERS' DAY

NGAY HIEN CHNG NHA GIAO
Teachers' Day falls on the the twentieth of November. Every year, our school will
celebrate this day by holding a concert1 specially for the principal and teachers. This
year was no exception.
On that day, the whole school proceeded to the hall after morning assembly. Every class
was involved in the concert. There were dances, sketches,2 mimes3 and songs. All the
performers4 did their best and the concert was a great success.
After the concert, we went back to our classes to have our class parties. My classroom
was transformed5 into a party hall. When our form teacher came into the class, she was
very surprised indeed. We had food, drinks and presents for her. Some of us even made
cards for her and she was very touched.6
At the end of the day, everyone was in a good mood.7 I felt that, as students, we should
thank our teachers for teaching us our lessons so patiently and cheerfully. What better
opportunity is there for us to show our appreciation than on Teachers' Day ?
1. concert /'k4ns6t/ (n) buoi hoa nhac
2. sketch /sket~/ (n) v hai kch ngan
3. mime /ma1n/ (n) kch cam
4. performer /p6'f0:m6(r)/ (n) ngi trnh dien, ngi bieu dien (trc khan gia)
5. transform (into) /'tr%nsf0:m/ (v) bien oi thanh
6. touched /t^t~t/ (adj) xuc ong, cam ong
7. mood /mu:d/ (n) tam trang

24. MOTHERS' DAY

NGAY LE CUA CAC BA ME
Yesterday was the second Sunday in the month of May. It was also Mothers' Day. My
sister and I woke up early to prepare breakfast for our mum. We had tuna fish1
sandwiches, scrambled eggs and coffee. Mum had a pleasant surprise when she woke up
to the small feast2 prepared for her.
After breakfast, we brightened Mum's day by giving her a big bouquet3 of flowers made
of crepe paper.4 It took us one whole week to make those flowers.
For the rest of the day, we were very obedient and did most of the household chores.5
In the evening, my mum was relieved of cooking dinner by my dad. After a delicous
meal, we had a cake-cutting ceremony to thank our mum for all that she has done for us.
I also presented Mum a very huge Mother's Day card. She was overjoyed.6
All of us were glad that Mum had a great day. However, I feel that Mother's Day is not
the only opportunity for us to show our love for our mothers. We should show our
mothers that we love them by respecting and obeying them every day of the year.
1. tuna /'tju:n6/ (n) ca ng Califoni - tunafish /'tju:n6f1~/ (n) tht ca ng nay
2. feast /fi:st/ (n) ba tiec
3. bouquet /b$'ke1/ (n) bo hoa
4. crepe paper /kre1p 'pe1p6(r)/ (n) giay kep (co gn nh nhieu)
5. chore /t~0:(r)/ (n) viec vat hang ngay
6. overjoyed /,6$v6'd201d/ (adj) rat oi vui mng

25. CHINESE NEW YEAR

TET NGUYEN AN
Chinese New Year is celebrated on the first day of the Lunar New Year. A month
before the New Year, the Chinese clean the house and paint the walls. New clothes are
bought for the occasion. A week before the festival, housewives bake special cookies1
and other delicious goodies.2
On the eve of the New Year, the whole family gets together for a reunion3 dinner.
Every member of the family should be present during the dinner. Many different kinds
of dishes are served during the dinner.
On Chinese New Year morning, the young members of the family pay their respects to
the elders. In return they receive "Hongbaos". Hongbao is a red packet containing
money. Then they go and visit friends and relatives. Some of our friends and neighbours
visit us.
Besides visiting friends and relatives, there is the Chingay procession4 to see. It is very
amusing to see the lion rising on its hind legs trying to get the "Hongbao" which is
suspended5 in mid-air. The drums and cymbals6 played for the lion dance performance
are deafening but rhythmic.7
On the fifteenth day, another grand dinner is held to mark the end of the festival. I
always enjoy myself greatly during the Chinese New Year.
1. cookie /'k$k1/ (n) banh bch qui
2. goody /'9$d1/ (n) thc an a thch (keo, banh ngot, v.v)
3. reunion /ri:'ju:n16n/ (n) s sum hop, cuoc hop mat
4. procession /pr6'se~n/ (n) am rc, am dieu hanh
5. suspend /s6'spend/ (v) treo l lng
6. cymbal /'s1mbl/ (n) cai chum choe
7. rhythmic /'r15m1k/ (adj) nhp nhang

26. MY DIARY1
QUYEN NHAT KY CUA TOI
I have a diary which has been with me for about half a year. It is a blue book given to
me by my dad as a new year present. He hoped that I would develop the habit2 of
writing in my diary and I am glad that I have not disappointed3 him.
It has become a habit for me to write in my diary every night before I go to bed. My
diary knows all that happens to me ; it's a silent friend who knows all my joys and
grievances.4
Whenever I am free, I will read my diary like I read a novel. This enables me to look
back objectively5at all the things that I have done. As a result, I am able to detect6 my
mistakes and correct them. Similarly, I will take note of the things which I have done
right and will try to do even better.
I feel that keeping a diary has made me a better person. My writing skill has improved a
lot. Besides, writing in my diary every night has trained me to be more disciplined and I
have learnt to spend my time wisely. Thus, I strongly encourage7 my friends to keep a
diary too.
1. diary /'da16r1/ (n) so nhat ky
2. habit /'h%b1t/ (n) thoi quen
3. disappoint /d1s6'p01nt/ (v) lam that vong
4. grievance /'9ri:vns/ (n) li keu ca phan nan, noi bat bnh, s phien muon
5. objective /6b'd2ekt1v/ (adj) khach quan - objectively (adv)
6. detect /d1'tekt/ (v) nhan ra, kham pha
7. encourage /1n'k^r1d2/ (v) khuyen khch, khch le

27. WHEN I AM ANGRY

KHI TOI GIAN D
Different people react1 differently when they are angry. They also react differently in
different situations. When I am angry, I will sulk, shout or cry, depending on who I am
angry with.
When my parents reprimand2 me for something which, I feel, is not my fault, I will shut
myself in my room. I will refuse to talk to anyone, even to my granny whom I'm very
fond of. Sometimes, I also throw things around and mess up3 the whole bedroom.
When my brother and I quarrel with each other, I will scream and shout at the top of my
voice. If I cannot beat him verbally, I will kick him. As a result, I usually end up crying
because he is much bigger and stronger.
When I am angry with a friend, I will not talk to her until she apologizes4 to me. My
stubbornness5 has caused me to lose a few good friends in the past.
I know that I am intolerable6 when I am angry. Therefore, I have been trying to
control7 my temper.8 However, I have not been very successful. I still need to put in
more effort.
1. react /r1'%kt/ (v) phan ng
2. reprimand /'repr1m@:nd/ (v) qu trach, khien trach
3. mess up /mes ^p/ (v) lam ba bai, lon xon
4. apologize /6'p4l6d2a1/ (v) xin loi
5. stubborness /'st^b6nn1s/ (n) s bng bnh, s ngoan co
6. intolerable /1n't4l6r6bl/ (adj) khong the chu ng noi
7. control /k^n'tr6$l/ (v) ieu khien
8. temper /'temp6(r)/ (n) kh chat, tnh kh

28. MY FAVOURITE HAUNT1

NI TOI THNG LUI TI
I live in a flat at East Coast. Every morning, my brother and I would go for a short jog
near the beach at East Coast Park. It has became my favourite haunt.
On Sundays before dawn, I will sit on the beach, watching the sun rise. It gives me a
very warm feeling as I always see hope in the beginning of a new day.
Whenever I am unhappy, I will climb up the rocks and listen to the soothing2 sound of
the waves splashing3 against the rocks. The cool breeze4 and fresh air clear my mind
and help me to sort out5 any problems I may have.
Sometimes, my good friends and I come to cycle at the cycling track. It is a lot of fun to
race one another down the lane. When we get tired, we will paddle6 in the sea.
Sometimes, we also swim in the sea and all of us get very dark indeed.
This is the place where I go to most frequently. I believe I will continue to do so as its
calm and beautiful scenery7 will always attract me.
1. haunt /h0:nt/ (n) ni thng c (ai) lui ti tham vieng
2. soothing /'su:517/ (adj) em du, du dang
3. splash /spl%~/ (v) ban, toe
4. breeze /bri:z/ (n) lan gio nhe va mat
5. sort out /s0:t a$t/ (v) giai quyet
6. paddle /'p%dl/ (v) cheo xuong
7. scenery /'si:n6r1/ (n) canh vat thien nhien

29. AN INTERESTING PLACE

MOT A IEM THU V
There is a very lovely place that I enjoy visiting. I am never tired of visiting it. My place
of interest is full of greenery, serenity1 and is a huge, beautiful garden of various
flowers. It has flowers, trees and shrubs2 of various kinds. This place is the Singapore
Botanical Gardens.3 It is located on the outskirts of the city.
The Botanical Garden is a lovely place to take strolls.4 In the morning, people frequent
the place to jog, walk or do other exercises. The air is fresh and it is very refreshing to
sit by the huge pond. Ducks and swans often swim by and it is quite common to see
people throwing in crusts5 of bread. There are also fishes in the pond.
At the Botanical Gardens there is a wide variety of plants and trees to see and many
interesting and exotic6 orchids7 are also grown there. You can see a clock made of
small plants. I love taking quiet walks there. The natural surroundings help me to relax.
I like going to the Botanical Gardens as it is a very interesting place.
1. senerity /s1'ren6t1/ (n) s yen tnh va thanh bnh
2. shrub /~r^b/ (n) cay bui
3. Botanical Garden /b6,t%n1kl '9@:dn/ (n) vn thc vat, vn bach thao
4. stroll /str6$l/ (n) s i tan bo, s i dao
5. crust /kr^st/ (n) vo banh
6. exotic /19'z4t1k/ (adj) ngoai nhap
7. orehid /'0:k1d/ (n) cay lan, cay phong lan

30. SINGAPORE SCIENCE CENTRE

TRUNG TAM KHOA HOC SINGAPORE
The Singapore Science Centre is located on a six-hectare site in Jurong. At the centre,
we can discover the wonders of science and technology in a fun way. Clap your hands
and colourful bulbs will light up. Start a wheel spinning and it will set off a fan churning.
It is a place to answer our curiosity and capture our imagination.
The centre features over four hundred exhibits1 covering topics like solar radiation,2
communication, electronics, mathematics, nuclear energy and evolution. It aims to
arouse3 interest in science and technology among us and the general public. The centre
is the first science centre to be established in South East Asia. It was opened in 1977 and
it now receives an average of
one thousand, two hundred visitors a day. The exhibits can be found in four exhibition
galleries.4 They are the Lobby, Physical Sciences, Life Sciences and Aviation. These
exhibits are renewed annually so as to encourage visitors to make return visits to the
centre.
Instead of the usual "Hands off" notices found in exhibition halls, visitors are invited to
touch and feel the exhibits, push the buttons, turn the cranks or pedals. This is an
interesting way to learn science even if you hate the subject. A Discovery Centre was
built for children between the ages of three and twelve. This new exhibition gallery was
completed in 1985. Lately this year a stone age exhibit was built. It shows us about the
animals and people which are extinct.5
1. exhibit /19'z1b1t/ (n) vat trng bay
2. radiation /re1d1'e1~n/ (n) s phong xa, s bc xa
3. arouse /6'ra$z/ (v) khi gi, thc tnh
4. gallery /'9%l6r1/ (n) phong trng bay nghe thuat
5. extinct /1k'st17kt/ (adj) tuyet chung

31. SHOPPING CENTRES

TRUNG TAM MUA BAN
Shopping is an enjoyable experience for the Singaporeans. All shopping centres are
crowded with people. This is because all the things one needs can be purchased1 in one
shopping complex.2 Singapore is blessed with so many shopping centres which have
supermarkets, departmental stores, restaurants and a chain of other retail shops
specialising3 in specific and general products. Singaporeans find it convenient as when
everything is available under one roof instead.
Singapore's major shopping complexes are situated in the Orchard area and others are
scattered4 over satellite5 towns and new town areas. The major advantage of shopping
in these complexes is that all items from foodstuffs to household utensils are available in
different brands from different countries. One has a variety of choices, the healthy
competition benefits everyone as quality products can be purchased at economical
prices. Supermarkets offer vegetables, fish, meat, cutlery,6 crockery,7 stationery8 and
textiles.9
The shopping complex provides various facilities to attract the customers. It provides a
clean environment with full lights, air conditioning and the products neatly displayed.10
Convenient car parks and additional facilities such as food stalls and fast food outlets are
also given.
The shoppers are not bothered by the rain or sunshine when they are in the shopping
centre. Shopping offers a few hours of relaxation from their daily routine jobs.
Singapore becomes a shoppers' paradise during the festival seasons especially during
Christmas, New Year, Chinese New Year, Hariraya.
1. purchase /'p3:t~6s/ (v) mua, sam, tau
2. complex /'k4mpleks/ (n) khu lien hp
3. specialise /'spe~6la1z/ (v) chuyen ve
4. scatter /'sk%t6 (r)/ (v) rai rac, phan tan
5. satellite /'s%t6la1t/ (n) ve tinh
6. cutlery /'k^tl6r1/ (n) dao, na, tha, v.v
7. crock /kr4k/ (n) chen, a, v.v lam bang at set nung
8. stationery /'ste1~n6r1/ (n) van phong pham
9. textile /'testa1l/ (n) hang vai det
10. display /'d1sple1/ (v) trng bay

32. AT THE BUS-STOP

TAI TRAM XE BUYT
Every morning, I wait at a bus-stop near my flat to take a bus to school. It is always very
crowded. While waiting for the bus, I usually observe1 the people at the bus-stop. Some
of them I have come to know by sight.
One person who caught my attention is a tall and thin man wearing thick glasses. He
always drops his files whenever his bus is coming. I guess that is because he is overanxious to board2 the bus.
Another person I have noticed is a shabbily-dressed3 old woman. Every morning, she
carries one big bag full of pieces of cloth to the bus-stop. Once, she came with two big
bags instead of one and she got stuck4 in the door of the bus. Luckily, the kind man with
the thick glasses helped her to free herself. However, he
dropped his files again while doing so.
There is also a rude school-boy who always pushes his way up the bus instead of
queuing up like the other passengers. This angers the other passengers. Once, he tried
pushing his way past the old lady with the big bag. To my amusement, he was almost
knocked down by the fat bag.
There are indeed interesting things to note at a bus-stop if only one is observant.
1. observe /6b'z3:v/ (v) quan sat
2. board /b0:d/ (v) len (tau, xe, v.v)
3. shabbily-dressed /'~%b1l1 drest/ (adj) an mac toi tan
4. get stuck /9et st^k/ (idm) b mac ket, b sa lay

33. A POPULAR PLACE IN MY TOWN

NI C YEU THCH TH TRAN CUA TOI
I live in Seremban, the capital of Negri Sembilan in Malaysia. Seremban is just about 60
km south of Kuala Lumpur, the nation's capital. Compared to busy Kuala Lumpur, living
in Seremban in very much less hectic and the residents have more time for relaxation.1
The most popular place where the residents2 go to for relaxation has to be the Lake
Gardens. Situated just beside the centre of town, it has two small lakes surrounded by
lush green vegetation.3 A jogging track4 through the vegetation circles the area. Just
beside the larger lake is a flower garden and an aviary.5
The flower garden contains many varieties of beautiful flowers. This place is the
favourite of shutter-bugs. One can always see people posing for pictures beside the
flowers. On Sundays the place is especially busy as brides and grooms flock to it to have
their pictures taken.
The aviary holds a modest number of birds. There are eagles, mynahs,6 parrots and
others. The last time I was at the aviary, there was even a peacock that would not show
his glory and a crane7 that stood so still that at first I mistook it for a dead tree.
Every morning before the sun rises, people start to go towards the Lake Gardens. The
Tai Chi brigade8 gets there first. These are usually senior citizens who practice this
ancient Chinese art to stay healthy and supple.9 Judging by the number of practitioners
of this art, I have to say it is very popular.
As the sun rises younger people can be seen jogging around the jogging track. Some just
walk briskly. Yet others just sit stroll leisurely on the grass taking in the cool morning
air.
After 4 p.m. the people come again. This time it is mainly young men and women who
come to jog or just exercise themselves. Some come to visit the flower garden and the
aviary together with their families.
This goes on till dusk and when night takes over, the Lake Gardens is virtually deserted
except for courting10 couples. Then peace reigns over the Lake Gardens until the next
morning when once again the place comes alive.
1. relaxation /ri:'l%kse1~n/ (n) s giai tr
2. resident /'rez1d6nt/ (n) c dan ( mot vung, v.v)
3. vegetation /ved21'te1~n/ (n) hoa co, cay coi
4. track /tr%k/ (n) ng hoac vong ua
5. aviary /'e1v16r1/ (n) chuong chim
6. mynahs /ma1n6/ (n) loai sao a ong Nam A, co kha nang bat chc tieng ngi
7. crane /kre1n/ (n) con seu
8. brigade /br1'9e1d/ (n) nhom ngi co to chc
9. supple /'s^pl/ (adj) linh hoat, mem mai, deo dai
10. court /k0:t/ (v) ho hen, to tnh

34. A PLACE OF GREAT NATURAL BEAUTY

MOT NI CO CANH SAC THIEN NHIEN TUYET EP
It was the hour when the sun's golden hue filled the horizon. I settled down comfortably
on a huge rock jutting1 out from the foot of a cliff. It was a moment of joy as I watched
the evening migration of the seagulls. I felt a strong urge to walk, and so I did. A strong
craving2 for freedom arose in me as I walked on that lonely but nevertheless beautiful
evening. My intention of visiting this place was to enjoy the peace and serenity that it
offered. At the same time I longed to catch glimpses3 of the familiar yet extraordinary
beauty of God's creation. Indeed, I found that moment excellent for relaxing the
stressful and tension filled minds of man who lives in this materialistic4society.
As I strolled along the beach, my rough feet touched the smooth white sand which
seemed to gleam5 under the thin and dim rays of the setting sun. It was so gentle that I
felt as if I was walking on a carpeted floor of a grand hotel. I looked ahead at the green,
calm sea and my little heart was touched.
The beauty of which I was then the witness, was beyond description. I only wished that I
was born an artist so that I could capture6 this wonder and preserve it in my paintings.
Walking on, I was visited by ecstacy7 when the naughtily noisy waves splashed on my
bare feet. Far along the other end of the beach were some fishermen busy preparing
their fishing nets and touching up their boats before they resume their daily work in the
open sea.
Feeling tired after the long walk, I stopped and sat on a fallen coconut tree trunk. Even
at this moment I could capture another aspect of the wonder of that evening. I was
enthralled8 by the neat rows of coconut trees standing upright as if mocking the fishermen
who were sweating and toiling9 to earn a living. The trees dancing and swaying10 to the
music of the rushing waves made my heart sing to the matchless rhythm.
As time passed, the sun was almost disappearing behind the horizon. Nevertheless,
there was still a group of young boys, naked, playing police and thief and making
sandcastles.11 They were happy in their innocence. The still evening air brought their
laughter over the sands and into my ears. Somehow, within me glowed the strong urge
to shout and tell the world the unsurpassable12 joy I was then feeling and to reveal my
pleasure and gratitude13 to God, the Creator.
Looking above me, at the clear blue sky, I could see tiny dots of stars beginning to
appear jointly in the darkening sky. Then, my eyes caught the most beautiful sight. The
beauty was inimitable. It was a group of long-necked swans gently flying over the
enormous ball of fire which was, a moment ago, shining in all its glory. The moon then
appeared, taking the place of the sun. It was difficult to grasp the idea that the moon's
brightness is but a mere reflection14 of the sun's light. This to me, pointed to the harsh
reality behind the beauty of man-made laws.
As it was already dark, the fishing boats were out of sight and the children have gone
home. Feeling lonely, I left the realm15 of all emotions, of love and trust and of life and
death, which is the beautiful beach. The beauty will remain engraved16 in my heart for
all eternity. This is the only place that narrates, on its own, the beauty of nature.

1. jut (out) /d2^t/ (v) nho ra, cha ra

2. craving (for) /'kre1v17/ (n) s khao khat manh liet
3. glimpse /9l1mps/ (n) cai nhn thoang qua - catch glimpse of sb/sth (idm) thoang trong
thay
4. materialistic /m6't16r16l1st1k/ (adj) thuoc chu ngha vat chat, thien ve vat chat
5. gleam /9li:m/ (v) anh len, lap lanh
6. capture /'k%pt~6(r)/ (v) nam bat lay
7. ecstasy /'ekst6s1/ (n) (cam xuc hay trang thai) cc ky sung sng hay hanh phuc
8. enthrall /1n'8r0:l/ (v) lam say am, lam me hoac
9. toil /t01l/ (v) lam viec cam cui / quan quat
10. sway /swe1/ (v) lac l, ong a
11. sandcastle /'s%ndk%sl/ (n) lau ai tren cat
12. unsurpassable /^ns6'p%s6bl/ (adj) khong the vt qua / troi hn
13. gratitude /'9r%t1tju:d/ (n) long biet n
14. reflection /r1'flek~n/ (n) s phan chieu
15. realm /relm/ (n) vng quoc
16. engrave /1n'9re1v/ (v) co an tng sau sac oi vi tr nh, tam tr v.v - khac sau, han
sau

35. A BUS RIDE

MOT CHUYEN I BANG XE BUYT
The bus finally arrived ! I quickly hopped1 onto it and chose a seat near the exit.
Glancing at my watch, I realized that I would be in good time to meet Susan at the
library. I then turned my attention to the rest of the passengers.
The rattle2 of the engine and the heat of the blazing3 sun had sent some tired students
on the bus into a deep sleep. I was amused to see them nodding like old men. One boy
was even snoring4 away ! The prim5 girl sitting next to him looked at him
disapprovingly. I wondered how she could bear the heat in her long back gown. She
alighted6 when the bus came to a beautiful mosque.7
Next to the mosque was a field where some boys were playing football. As the bus
moved on, the trees and tall buildings seemed to whiz8 by. At this rate, I would be early
for the appointment.
In a short time, the bus reached the library. I alighted and walked towards the library.
Construction work for an MRT station was underway nearby. Very soon, I would have
an alternative means of transport to the library.
1. hop (onto sth) /h4p/ (v) nhay nhanh vao (xe buyt, v.v)
2. rattle /'r%tl/ (n) tieng no (cua may moc, ong c, v.v)
3. blazing /'ble1z17/ (adj) chieu (sang rc)
4. snore (away) /sn0:(r)/ (v) th manh va to tieng khi ngu - ngay
5. prim /pr1m/ (adj) nghiem ngh, oan trang
6. alight /6'la1t/ (v) xuong xe
7. mosque /m4sk/ (n) thanh ng Hoi giao
8. whiz /w1z/ (v) chay veo veo

36. A CABLE-CAR1 RIDE

I XE TREO TREN DAY CAP
A ride in the cable-car is one of the most exciting and enjoyable experiences one can
have. The cable-car is really a carriage which hangs from a strong steel cable suspended
in the air. It moves along the cable with other cars on pulleys,2 the wheels of which are
turned by electric motors. The cars are painted in eye catching3 colours and spaced at
regular intervals.4 Each car can take up5 to six person. After the passengers have
entered a car, they are locked in from outside by an attendant. They have no control
over the movement of the car.
Before long, the passengers get a breath-taking6 view, through the glass windows, of
the modern city of Singapore, the bustling7 harbour, and the several islands off the
coast.8
In contrast to the fast moving traffic on the ground, the cars in the air move in a
leisurely manner, allowing passengers more than enough time to take in the scenery
during the brief trip to the island of Sentosa. The return journey is no less exciting than
the outward trip.
1. cable-car /'ke1bl k@:(r)/ (n) toa keo bang day cap
2. pulley /'p$l1/ (n) cai rong roc
3. eye-catching /a1 'k%t~17/ (adj) gay an tng va ang chu y bat mat
4. interval /'1nt6vl/ (n) khoang cach (gia hai hoac nhieu vat)
5. take up /te1k ^p/ (v) chiem (khong gian hoac thi gian)
6. breath-taking /'bre8te1k17/ (adj) rat hap dan, ngoan muc
7. bustling /'b^sl17/ (adj) nhon nhp, tap nap
8. off the coast /4f 56 k6$st/ (idm) ngoai khi

37. A SLOW TRAIN JOURNEY

MOT CUOC HANH TRNH CHAM CHAP BANG XE LA
There is only train plying1 from X to Y. I had no other choice. The line is a narrow
gauge.2 It passed through farming country and it mainly carried farm produce, although
passengers were often using it too. At every station on the way to be loaded3 and
unloaded involving much shunting4 which took a lot of time. Remember it took nearly
four hours for a distance of 60km.
I travelled once by that train. At first I could not believe that a train (in this age) could
go so slowly. I had to put up with5 it. The train moved at a snail's pace and one could
almost get down and get back on it. I did not try it because it was not safe for such
foolhardy experiments.
The train stopped to pick up baskets of eggs, hens, vegetables and other farm produce.
Naturally, those who travelled by this wonderful train were farm workers moving
either from one estate to another or going to town for a change. The train was not
clean. The familiar sights of newspaper and magazines were not found at the stations.
The stations on the way were manned6 by a skeleton staff, the station master and the
pointsman doing all the duties. There are only two trains for the whole day and life to
them is boring.
The journey was interesting for me and I got down whenever the train stopped to load or
unload. There was no milling crowd or colour I could see. There was not even a soft
beverage to drink. I could see how they shunted the wagons. It was intersting to see the
people who came to take their goods. There were all sorts of baskets, hampers and
baggages. Once the loading was done, the train would start again and go on.
Since the train ran through farming country, I could see farms all the way, with their
gardens, poultry, cattlesheds and granary.7 I couldn't see any tall building. I could see a
calf looking with fear at the steaming train ; a half naked boy goggling8 at the passing
train and people engaged in farming activities.
After a while, it all got very boring. Anyway, it was good to relax from a hectic9 city
life.
1. ply /pla1/ (v) (ve xe buyt, tau hoa, v.v) qua lai thng xuyen tren mot tuyen ng
chay tuyen
2. gauge /9e1d2/ (n) be ngang ng sat
3. load /l6$d/ (v) chat hang - unload /^n'l6$d/ (v) d hang
4. shunt /~^nt/ (v) lai (xe la, v.v) i t ng nay sang ng khac
5. to put up with /p$t ^p w15/ (idm) chu ng
6. man /m%n/ (v) cung cap (ngi) cho cai g
7. granary /'9r%n6r1/ (n) kho cha thoc hoac ngu coc
8. goggle /'949l/ (v) ging mat nhn
9. hectic /'hekt1k/ (adj) soi ong

38. ON A RAINY DAY

VAO MOT NGAY MA
This year, the summer season was unduly long and extremely hot compared to past
years. The average temperature was between 25 degrees to 34 degrees Celsius. Adding
to the misery, the water consumption1 was rising daily, sending an alarming hue and cry
from the authorities. The schools had re-opened. The scorching2 sun and the stifling3
heat made our school life uncomfortable.
One morning, just when the classes started, there was a sudden darkness. We saw
threatening black clouds gathered in the sky. There were vivid flashes of lighting too.
Suddenly, it started to rain. In the beginning, it was only a drizzle.4 But soon, the drizzle
turned into a heavy downpour.5
The rain continued for hours. We regretted not bringing our umbrellas. Some of my
classmates rushed out to play in the rain refreshing themselves with the cool air and
rain. The rain slowly receded6 and we all rushed out.
The plight of the bus commuters7 was of course pitiable. Buses were late and
overcrowded. Some of my friends decided to take a walk in the cool weather instead of
standing in the long queue.
Nearing home, I saw children playing with paper boats in the pool of water outside our
centre court yard.
It is exhilarating8 to watch pouring rain and even more exhilarating to play in it.
However, I was happy to be home and to be relieved of my wet clothes.
1. consumption /k6n's^mp~n/ (n) mc tieu thu, mc s dung
2. scorching /'sk0:t~17/ (adj) rat nong, nong nh thieu ot
3. stifling /'sta1fl17/ (adj) ngot ngat
4. drizzle /'dr1zl/ (n) ma bui, ma phun
5. downpour /'da$p0:(r)/ (n) tran ma nh trut
6. recede /r1'si:d/ (v) ngt dan
7. commuter /k6'mju:t6(r)/ (n) ngi i lam hang ngay bang xe la, xe buyt, o to v.v
8. exhilarating /19'z1l6re1t17/ (adj) han hoan

39. A RAINY MORNING

MOT BUOI SANG TRI MA
Outside the rain poured. It was so snug1 and comfortable in bed. I did not want to get up,
but unfortunately it was a Monday morning. I could see the light of morning coming
through my window and I knew I had to get up. Why can't today be Sunday ? I thought.
Then I would not have to get out of the warm bed. It was so pleasant there. However,
the rain did not care whether it was a Monday or a Sunday. So I reluctantly got up.
After going through my morning routine in the toilet, I felt a little more alive. The warm
bed was still inviting but I had to get ready to go to school. So I dressed up, picked up
my bag and descended2 the stairs to the dining room below.
My parents, sisters and brothers were already having their breakfast. I sat down and
helped myself. Everyone was quiet as we ate our breakfast. Anyway the noise made by
the pouring rain made conversation a bit hard and recently awakened people tended to
be on the quiet side. Anyway rain always made me hungry so I had a hearty breakfast.
Although the time showed seven, the sky was still not very bright. The dark clouds and
the pouring rain kept the sky looking drab3 and grey. My father said that we have to get
going, rain or not, or we would be late for school. My mother countered4 by saying that
it was better to be late than wet. My father relented5 and so we waited for a while in the
house for the rain to subside.
Fifteen minutes later, the rain slowed down sufficiently for my father to reverse out his
car. We all packed ourselves into it, all five children. We waved farewell to our mother
and soon we were on our way to school.
My father drove very carefully. He switched on the headlights and wiper.6 Soon the
screen misted up and he had to switch on the air conditioner.
On the way to school I saw other not-so-fortunate school children and adults walking
along the road or waiting for the bus. Each of them had some kind of raincoat on or
carried an umbrella. There were puddles7 of water on the road, by the side of the road,
in fact, everywhere. The rain had not stop and the drains were filled to the brim. Water
overflowed onto the road, making it hazardous8 for the users.
Anyhow we arrived at our schools without any mishaps.9 My sisters got out at the
convent10 while my brothers and I went further on to another school. The rain had
slowed to a drizzle so as soon as we got out of the car, we dashed to our classrooms. We
had to be careful not to slip. Anyway we made it to our classrooms. Some of my
classmates were already there. Some were soaking11 wet while others were slightly wet
like me.
The school bell rang but not even half the class was present. Even the teacher had not
come. So we sat down in the class and waited for the others to come. Meantime there was
nothing to do but to talk with each other and wished that we were all in our warm beds.
Outside it drizzled12 on.
1. snug /sn^9/ (adj) am cung va de chu
2. descend /'d1sent/ (v) i xuong (cai g)
3. drab /dr%b/ (adj) buon te, xam xt

4. counter /'ka$nt6(r)/ (v) phan cong, ap lai vi quan iem trai ngc
5. relent /r1'lent/ (v) giam bt s nghiem khac / kien quyet
6. wiper /'wa1p6(r)/ (n) ( xe hi) thanh gat nc
7. puddle /'p^dl/ (n) vung nc nho, nhat la nc ma ong tren ng i
8. hazardous /'h%z6d6s/ (adj) nguy hiem
9. mishap /'m1sh%p/ (n) viec rui ro
10. convent /'k4nvent/ (n) n tu vien
11. soaking /'s6$k17/ (adj) (cung soaking wet) t am, t sung
12. drizzle /'dr1zl/ (v) ma phun, ma lat phat

40. A DAY AT THE MARKET

MOT NGAY CH
Last Sunday, I woke up early to go to the market with my mother. After taking
breakfast, I carried my mother's shopping basket and we left for the market.
The market is only a few blocks away from my flat. When we reached the place, it was
already very crowded. I was surprised to see men in the market besides the housewives.
There were also a few children following their mothers obediently. The whole place
was very noisy. I could hear the stallkeepers and their customers bargaining1 loudly
over the prices of the goods.
There were many stalls in the market. First, we went to the vegetable stall to buy some
cabbages,2 carrots and tomatoes. Then we bought some pork3 from the butcher4 and a
salmon5 and some prawns6 from the fishmonger.7 After that, we proceeded to the
poultry8 stall to get a fat chicken.
Very soon, we found that we could hardly carry any more things. However, my mother
insisted9 that we buy some fruits before going home. Despite of being very tired, I was
glad that I had been of help to my mother.
1. bargain /'b@:91n/ (v) mac ca
2. cabbage /'k%b1d2/ (n) bap cai
3. pork /p0:k/ (n) tht heo
4. butcher /'b^t~6(r)/ (n) ngi ban tht
5. salmon /'s%m6n/ (n) ca hoi
6. prawn /pr0:n/ (n) tom pan-dan
7. fishmonger /'f1~m^796(r)/ (n) ngi buon ca
8. poultry /'p6$ltr1/ (n) gia cam (ga, vt, ngong, v.v)
9. insist /1n's1st/ (v) khang khang oi, co nai

41. FIRE DRILL

THC TAP CU HOA
Fire drills help students to be prepared mentally and physically when a fire breaks out. It
is held in all schools. My school is no exception.1
Yesterday, when we were attenting an English lesson, the school bell rang continuously.
The whole class did not know what was going on. Our form teacher, Miss Li, realized
that it was a fire drill and told us so. All of us got up from our seats immediately and
queued up in an orderly manner along the corridor.2 With the class register3 in her
hands, Miss Li led us to the field. We walked swiftly.4 At the field, we saw the other
classes and teachers gathering excitedly. Miss Li then took our class attendance, making
sure that everyone was present.
When everyone was at the field, our principal made a short speech. He said that we had
responded5 rather well to the fire drill. However, he felt that we could have done better.
Firstly we took quite a while to realize what the ringing of the bell meant. Secondly,
some students wasted time packing their books.
The fire drill had indeed been beneficial.6 If a fire ever broke out in school, we would
know what to do.
1. exception /1k'sep~n/ (n) ngoai le
2. corridor /'k4r1d0:(r)/ (n) hanh lang
3. register /'red21st6(r)/ (n) so ghi danh
4. swift /sw1ft/ (adj) nhanh chong, mau le - swiftly /-l1/ (adv)
5. respond /r1'sp4nd/ (v) phan ng nhanh chong
6. beneficial /ben1'f1~l/ (adj) co li, co tac dung

42. A WEDDING CELEBRATION

MOT LE CI
Weddings are grand affairs. Normally, it only occurs once - in - a - lifetime. It brings
about a bondage1 between a man and a woman. Recently I attended the wedding of my
classmate's sister. It was performed in a community centre auditorium.2 The auditorium
was converted into a fairyland. The stage was all illuminated3 with different colour
bulbs and decorated with pots of flowers, pots and other glittering decorations. A
magnificent platform was erected4 which held two throne5-like chairs for the bridge6
and the bridegroom.
The platform and the stage looked like the banquet hall of a fivestar hotel with its thick
red carpets and floral decorations. The cool fragrance7 was so strong that everyone felt
sleepy. There was a place by the side for music troops with their enormous music
instruments. They played loud and soft music. The wedding day was on Sunday. The
guests were very well dressed and added to the atmosphere.
The bridegroom party arrived in seven cars, they were welcomed by the hand. Dancing
was also arranged. They were pleased with the warm welcome. Two video and
cameramen, photographers were busy capturing the scenes with their equipment. The
bridegroom was escorted8 to the throne. The bridge followed in her glittering red dress,
escorted by her friends. They walked in a slow and doll-like pace. After some minor
ceremonies they were officially announced as man and wife.
The wedding was also an occasion for socialising. Many of my friends were there and
we had many happy moments. As one by one went to the stage to offer them best wishes
and presents, I also stood in line to offer them my best wishes with a present. Then I
went home taking with me the pleasant memories.
1. bondage /'b4nd1d2/ (n) s rang buoc
2. auditorium /0:d1't0:r16m/ (n) phong ln (cua nha hat, v.v)
3. illuminate /1'lu:m1ne1t/ (v) soi sang, chieu sang
4. erect /1'rekt/ (v) dng, dng len
5. throne /8r6$n/ (n) ngai, ngai vang
6. bride /bra1d/ (n) co dau - bridegroom /'bra1d9ru:m/ (n) chu re
7. fragrance /'fre19r6ns/ (n) mui thm de chu, hng thm
8. escort /1'sk0:t/ (v) ho tong, a i

43. A FASHION SHOW

CUOC BIEU DIEN THI TRANG
Fashion show is one of the ways of advertisement. This is to attract the attention of the
public and to educate them on the coming fashion. If it is put crudely, it is to brain wash
the public that these shows are held. Unlike the advertisement in the newspapers, a
fashion show has the glamour1 of music, colour, light and all theatrical effect. Since live
models2 are used, it becomes very realistic and the audience has got a chance to see,
discuss and criticise, and have some fun at the expense of the models. So there is no
denying3 the fact that the fashion shows have become the fashion of the day and they
have become pace setters of a fashion.
Thus recently I had an occasion to attend a fashion show organised by the Textile Mills
Association and the Garment Makers' guild.4 This was held in the City Hall on a Sunday
so that more people could attend. The Hall was very tastefully decorated. The stage was
set in such a way that the models could be viewed to advantage. The lighting was first
class with concealed5 lights and provision for colour lighting. Admission was by special
invitation ; otherwise the organizers could not control the crowd. Since my father received
an invitation, we went to the show. Some soft music was played to enliven6 the show.
The selected models were ones who had been taken for their attractive personality.
There were men's, women's and children's models. One by one they paraded7 on the
stage and when they came there and walked across the stage showing their dress to the
audience, some salesmen at the microphone would describe the fabric,8 the name of the
mill that had produced it and the name of the fashion. At the same time, printed forms of
the fashion was distributed to the audience.
Men wearing office dress, casuals, hunting dress, sports wear and dinner dress appeared
on the stage. The Olympic suit specially created for the coming Olympics was shown. A
team of athletes wearing the suit paraded on the stage. Women in all types of dresses
both oriental and accidental were there. The materials of which their dresses were made
varied from cotton to polyester. There were women wearing Indian sarees, Japanese
kimonos, bikinis and swim suit and Maxi's. There was also a model who was wearing a
casual dress made of paper. The announcer said that the paper dress was cheaper and
disposable and it could be used in the operation theatres and so on.
It was not all a show of the grown-ups. There were children between three and eight,
both boys and girls who presented the latest version of children's wear. Some of the
children who appeared on the stage were very smart and they enjoyed the fun.
What attracted me most was the beach dress which when worn could give a
camouflage9 effect. Besides it was said that the material was waterproof,10 non
smelling and light.
It was a delightful show and the audience had an enjoyable evening. The fashions book
which was for sale was in great demand. So there is no gain saying that I too enjoyed the
show very much.
1. glamour /'9l%m6(r)/ (n) sc quyen ru, sc me hoac
2. model /'m4dl/ (n) ngi mau thi trang

3. deny /d1'na1/ (v) phu nhan

4. guild /91ld/ (n) phng, hoi
5. conceal /k6n'si:l/ (adj) che khuat
6. enliven /1n'la1vn/ (v) lam song ong, lam soi noi
7. parade /p6're1d/ (v) (ve bieu dien thi trang) i qua lai (tren san khau e trnh dien)
8. fabric /'f%br1k/ (n) vai det
9. camouflage /'k%m6fl@:2/ (n) s nguy trang
10. waterproof /'w0:t6pru:f/ (adj) khong tham nc

44. A NIGHT MARKET

PHIEN CH EM
Two days before the Chinese New Year, there is always a night market in our place.
The night market is put up every year during this season.
It happened this year that I took my sister to the night market. When we arrived at the
market it was crowded. Slowly people increased and there was soon a very big and
noisy crowd.
At the market, there were many things on sale1 : toys, clothes, books, stationery, edible2
things, flowers, materials, kitchen wares, cosmetics3 and many other things. Stallkeepers were shouting at the tops of their voice trying to attract buyers. Customers were
talking and bargaining. Housewives were looking for things they wanted to buy.
My sister and I were moving from one stall to another stall. While we were looking at
the things, there was a big noise two stalls away. A fat woman was quarelling with a thin
stall-keeper about the price of some goods. They were shouting4 angrily at each other.
More and more people gathered to watch the quarrel.5 After a while the fat woman
threw back the thing and left.
After watching the quarrel we decided to go home. We were tired and our legs were
aching, but we enjoyed the visit.
1. on sale /4n se1l/ (idm) (ve hang hoa) co ban, san sang e ban
2. edible /'ed1bl/ (adj) (ve o an) co the an c
3. cosmetics /k4z'met1ks/ (n) my pham
4. shout /~a$t/ (v) la het
5. quarrel /'kw4r6l/ (n) cuoc cai lon

45. UNDERWATER DISCOVERY

KHAM PHA DI MAT NC
One Sunday, I managed to talk my uncle into1 bringing me along on a snorkelling2 trip.
My uncle is a diver and I have been taking swimming lessons under his instruction for a
few years.
We spent ten minutes warming up before we dived3 into the deep blue sea. I was
surprised to find myself swimming alongside sea creatures.4 Fishes of all shapes and
sizes swam by. There were also strange-looking plants and I was enchanted5 by the
beautiful underwater world.
I saw huge plants with numerous finger-like "petals",6 opening and closing restlessly.
Some small fishes swimming near the plant were caught amongst the "petals" as they
closed. I also saw a sea-horse swimming right in front of my eyes. I was very excited
and tried to grab it, but it was too quick for me. Then came a jelly-fish7 which looked
like a gigantic mushroom dancing gracefully in the deep sea-water. I avoided it as I did
not wish to be stung.8
I was reluctant9 to surface but my uncle insisted that it was time to go back. However, I
was very pleased with the beautiful and rare corals10 I had picked up. It was certainly an
exciting and fruitful trip.
1. to talk sb into /t0:k/ (idm) thuyet phuc ai
2. snorkelling /'sn0:k6l17/ (n) (hanh ong hoac mon the thao) bi lan di nc bang ong th
3. dive /da1v/ (v) lan
4. creature /'kri:t~6(r)/ (n) sinh vat, ac biet la ong vat
5. enchanted /1n't~@:nt1d/ (adj) b me hoac
6. petal /'petl/ (n) canh hoa
7. jelly-fish /'d2el1 f1~/ (n) con sa
8. sting /st17/ (v) (stung-stung) can, chch, ot
9. reluctant /r1'l^kt6nt/ (adj) mien cng
10. coral /'k4r6l/ (n) san ho

46. THE SINGAPORE AEROSPACE EXHIBITION

CUOC TRIEN LAM NGANH DU HANH KHONG GIAN SINGAPORE
The Singapore Aerospace Exhibition was held1 at the Changi Airport Terminal for four
days. The last two days were opened to the public. As Sunday was the last day, I went
with my friends to see the exhibition. Special buses were arranged from Tampines
interchange2 to the venue3 of the exhibition.
We all arrived there by 9 a.m and were shocked to see a very long queue of people at
the Changi bus stop. We has no other choice but to join in the queue. The sun was hot
and it was only at 10 o'clock that we were able to buy our entry tickets. There was a
drink stall which offered ice cold drinks and it was a great relief for us.
We went inside the first gallery.4 A big red strikerjet5 welcomed us. There were
officers everywhere guiding us. There were representative companies from all over the
world. Major companies such as Boeing, Lock-head, Rolls Royce and other European
companies monopolised6 the show. Equipment were neatly arranged. There were
catalogues everywhere. Hangars7 were converted into8 galleries. We were astounded9
to see the various types of aircrafts.
Starting from trainer single seater aircraft, there were planes, jets, small, medium and
big dragon size helicopters.10 We posed in front of the aircrafts and took many photos.
The next section was fighter aircraft, like F.16, F.18, Jaguars Mig 18, 21, 29... Each
aircraft had its own improvised system. We only partially understood the explanation
given by the officers.
We had to queue for a bus to see the passenger aircrafts which range from ordinary one
to the most luxurious one. There was a large crowd as these aircraft are familiar to most
people unlike the fighter jets and helicopters. At 3 pm the Singapore Air Force
performed the spectacular airshow over the Changi sea. On seeing the show our
tiredness disappeared. Determined to become pilots, we came home.
1. hold /h6$ld/ (v) (held-held) to chc
2. interchange /'1nt6t~e1nd2/ (n) giao iem
3. venue /'venju:/ (n) ni gap g
4. gallery /'9%l6r1/ (n) phong trng bay nghe thuat
5. strikerjet /'stra1k6d2et/ (n) may bay phan lc chien au
6. monopolise /m6'n4p6la1z/ (v) gi oc quyen
7. hangar /'h%76(r)/ (n) lan rong hnh khung dung e may bay
8. convert (into) /k6n'v3:t/ (v) chuyen oi thanh
9. astounded /6'sta$nd1d/ (adj) kinh ngac, sng sot
10. helicopter /'hel1k4pt6(r)/ (n) may bay phan lc

47. TRISHAW1 RIDER

NGI CHAY XE BA BANH
Trishaw riders can be seen in areas frequented by tourists, in particular around Little
India. A trishaw rider is no doubt a hardworking man. In Singapore trishaw riders are
source of attention to the visiting tourists from developed countries.
A trishaw rider is tactful2 and understands the temperament3 of tourists. He acts as
guide to the tourists. The nature of his work requires energy and strength. A trishaw
rider enjoys taking tourists around and acts as a host. The tourist feels relaxed and takes
in the city sights.
A trishaw rider has to ride his vehicle on the roads. He has to work in any weather. He
has to be ready to take the passenger to any destinations.4
A trishaw knows few joys and entertainment. All his joys rest with the service he renders5
to the passengers. The tourist brings home with him the memory of the trishaw rides.
1. trishaw /'tra1~0:/ (n) mot loai xe ap nhe co ba banh thong dung mien Vien ong
2. tactful /'t%ktfl/ (adj) kheo x, lch thiep
3. temperament /'tempr6m6nt/ (n) kh chat, tnh kh
4. destination /dest1'ne1~n/ (n) ni en
5. render /'rend6(r)/ (v) ap lai, tra lai

48. THE LIFE OF A FARMER

CUOC SONG CUA NGI NONG DAN
Mr. Lim is a farmer by profession and he is proud of being one. His holdings are small,
but he feels they are enough for him.
He owns a few hectares1 of good land, a ploughing machine2 and a small cottage.3 His
fields are fed with water from a stream. As a modern farmer he has a pumpset4 for
pumping water. So his fields are never allowed to go dry. He grows mainly paddy,5 in a
small patch of land he has the vegetable garden.
Usually he is an early riser. He starts his pump and waters his fields. He will be going
round to see whether water does not overflow. He may remove the weeds from among
the plants. He goes into the vegetable garden to see if there is any pick for the day. He
trims6 the hedges,7 digs8 the plots9 or dresses them up for the next planting. He is fond
of his flower pots of which he has a few. He takes pride in them.
After these morning rounds he takes his breakfast. It is his gossiping time. He meets
others and takes part in the village gossip. He cannot read, he learns about with morning
news. As is common nowadays, he discusses with his friend the day's politics.
Sometimes, the commission agent may come, and our friend will talk to him about the
market prospects.10
In the afternoon, after a wash and a lunch, he stretches himself for a mid-days siesta.11
He gets up and after a cup of tea, goes to the fields and sees everything is in order. Then
he takes a stroll in the nearly towns and makes some purchases for the house. That is
also the time for him to meet friends and exchange views.
He returns home and had an early dinner. He plans for the next day. Sometimes it may
be taking the grains to the market, it may be transplanting12 ; some other times it may
be taking the machine for repair. Thus he leads a simple life and he is contented.
1. hectare /'hekt@:(r)/ (n) (viet tat ha) n v o dien tch trong he met, bang 10.000m2
hoac 2,471 mau Anh
2. ploughing machine /,pla$17 m6'~i:n/ (n) may cay
3. cottage /'k4t1d2/ (n) nha tranh
4. pumpset /'p^mpset/ (n) he thong may bm
5. paddy /'p%d1/ (n) lua
6. trim /tr1m/ (v) xen, ta
7. hedge /hed2/ (n) hang rao (bang cay bui)
8. dig /d19/ (v) ao, bi
9. plot /pl4t/ (v) manh at nho, mieng at

49. FADLEY'S FAMILY

GIA NH FADLEY
My best friend is Fadley Noor. He is a short Malay boy with big eyes and chubby1
cheeks. We spend every day together, studying and playing at each other's home. I have
been to his home so many times that I know his family rather well now.
Fadley comes from a large family of nine. He has three brothers and one sister. Since
Fadley is the youngest in the family, his grandparents and parents dote on2 him.
Fadley's parents are hawkers.3 They sell "roti prata", "soup kambing" and other Malay
food in a hawker centre at Hill Street. Fadley's parents are very hardworking. They
wake up early each morning to go to the market and to prepare the food.
Fadley's brothers study in the neighbouring secondary school. They often join Fadley
and me in our games. His sister is pretty and has a winsome4 smile. She is seldom at
home as she works every day as salesgirl in Metro Grand.
Fadley's grandparents are very kind and generous old people. Whenever I visit them,
they will make some dessert for me.
I think Fadley is very lucky to have such a loving family.
1. chubby /'t~^b1/ (adj) mum mm, phung phnh
2. dote (on) /d6$t/ (v) qua cng yeu, yeu me man
3. hawker /'h0:k6(r)/ (n) ngi i chao ban hang
4. winsome /'w1ns6m/ (adj) quyen ru, hap dan

50. A HOUSE I WOULD LIKE TO LIVE IN

NGOI NHA TOI THCH SONG
I would like to live in a house by the sea where I can see the sun rise and set every day.
This is how I will want my house to be like : after passing the front gate, there will be a
lovely rose garden. Then, the big white house comes into view. When I walk through
the door, a white sitting room with a pink sofa set will greet me. Paintings of beautiful
flowers hanging on the walls will make the room look comfortable and fresh.
The three bedrooms will be on the second level. One is for my parents, one for my
brother and one for me. I will like my room to be painted pink. Above my bed, I will
hang a big picture of a ballerina1 dressed in white. The grey carpet on the floor will be
strewn2 with many cushions for me to lie on and enjoy a novel. I will do my homework
at my study table by the window though which I can see the stars at night.
On the highest level there will be an open space which overlooks the sea. It will be used
for barbecues3 in the evening.
No matter how fine this house may seem, it is just a dream. What is reality for me is a
three-room flat in Tiong Bahru.
1. ballerina /b%l6'ri:n6/ (n) n dien vien mua ba le
2. strew /stru:/ (v) (strewed-strewn) trai
3. barbecue /'b@:b1kju:/ (n) ba tiec ngoai tri, an thc an nng bang v kim loai tren
la lo thien

51. AN IDEAL HOUSE

NGOI NHA LY TNG
At first when I thought of purchasing a house, I wanted one that was neither too far nor
too near a town. If it was too far, I may feel lonely and then, there was the question of
transport. Finally, I chose an elevated, land enabling easy drainage1 and firm. The site
is spacious allowing ground for the house and a decent big garden. I wanted an elegant
look for the house I intended to build.
The house has four rooms with a well-furnished kitchen and modern bathroom facilities.
The living rooms are comfortable. The furniture has been chosen with great care. The
walls have been painted with soft colours to match the curtains, the materials of which
had been bought from the best textile manufacturing company. Each room is fitted with
a radio so that one can enjoy programmes from the bed. The drawing room is elegantly
furnished with sofas, chairs and a central table. The walls are lined with built-in
cupboards, a library to house well-chosen volumes2 by master novelists. There is a
niche3 for the television and the room can be used for viewing programmes. All the
rooms are airy and air-conditioned.
The kitchen is beautifully done up. It is fitted with electric grills and things can be
stacked neatly away in specially designed cabinets. It is provided with modern gadgets4
for grinding, pulverizing5 or cutting.
In front of the house there is an artificial6 pool with a fountain spray.7 One or two fish
tanks are kept in the big porch to add the beauty of the place. There is a garage at the
side of the house for my car, cattle and poultry. There I keep a few fowls8 of the high
breed like the white leg horn, Black Monorca, and Rhode Island from which I get a
supply of eggs and meat. I have two jersey cows in the shed which supply the milk for
the family. In the backyard there are a few fruit bearing trees. On the margin of the
house, there are some coconut trees. In front of the house there are certain bushes of
croton and exotic plants. The well-kept lawn with luscious green grass is very pleasing
to the eye. There is also a small playground for my children with a swing.
I have a couple of chandeliers in the drawing room showing rainbow coloured lights
whenever light falls on them. I could specially mention the marble Buddha I got from
Sian and a bronze Nataraja from India. There are a few selected pictures by masters in
gilded frames.
Thus I am surrounded by beauty and peace.
1. drainage /'dre1n1d2/ (n) he thong thoat nc
2. volume /'v4lju:m/ (n) (ve sach) quyen, tap
3. niche /ni:~/ (n) hoc tng
4. gadget /'9%d21t/ (n) thiet b hoac dung cu c kh nho o dung
5. pulverizing /'p^lv6ra1z/ (v) gia nho nh cam, tan thanh bot
6. artificial /@:'t1f1~6l/ (adj) nhan tao
7. spray /spre1/ (n) thiet b phun (nc, v.v)
8. fowl /fa$l/ (n) ga trong hay mai nuoi nha

52. A PERFECT HOUSE OF MINE

NGOI NHA HOAN HAO CUA TOI
I can now sit back and heave1 a big sigh of relief. The finished decor2 of my house is
worth every cent of my hard-earned money and every unit of my energy. Now, I can
simply enjoy the little paradise that I have created.
By observing the exterior,3 one will get the impression of a cottage in the country-side.
The stark4 white colour of the house is toned down by the rows of palm trees and shrubs
in the front lawn. The multi-coloured flowers greet me every morning as I sit on my
rocking chair and enjoy the fresh morning air.
Within the house, a similar condition prevails. The perpetual-open windows allow for
healthy ventilation5 and full view of the serene and beautiful garden. The living room
boasts of a dark mahagony6 sofa set which is complemented by parquet7 flooring. Just a
few metres away, I have created a "corner of peace" as I call it ; and this is for the
purpose of relaxation. I have placed a large durable rug, some cushions, some
magazines and books for leisure reading and a small, portable radio.
Contrary to the condition of informality of the areas I have mentioned, the dining area
portrays unmatched grandeur. The entrance to it consists of magnificient archways8 and
pillars which will remind one of the intricate Roman architecture. The windows are
deliberately drapped with dramatic purple-coloured velvet9 curtains done up with frills10
and tassles.11 To top them all, I have purposely chosen my furniture that bears an
Elizabethan air of supremacy.12 To complete the atmosphere, I have added a beautiful
chandelier13to brighten up the dining area. This part of my house is the source of my
pride especially on occasions when I have to entertain important guests.
The kitchen is another place of extreme importance. I have managed to come up with a
splendid arrangement of kitchen cabinets, refrigerator and cookers and an undoubtedly
perfect colour combination. Because this area is where food is prepared, I made sure
that I allowed for maximum hygiene. I have my oven and refrigerator built into the
cabinet. My cooker is next to the wash basin and my little portable waste basket which
comes with tight-fitting lid is directly below it. The kitchen also offers an extended table
attached to the cabinet that can be utilised as an informal dining area. The toilets, not to
be ignored, have also been scrupulously planned. To withstand continuous splashing of
water, I have chosen durable, tinted sliding doors. I have also thrown rubber mats on the
floor of the bathroom to prevent accidents such as slipping while bathing. In short, my
relatively small kitchen has great utility value.
Finally, I take pleasure in drescribing the bedrooms which I have enjoyed decorating.
The master bedoom has been furnished with a chrome-plated bed that comes with side
tables, a made-to-order-wardrobe that has an efficient storage system and a full length
mirror to give me the pleasure of looking at myself from head to toe. I have used a
range of fabrics from the Laura Ashley collection. The pale, muted blue flowery print
blends well with the plain blue textured wallpaper.14 The bed sheets, the curtains and
even the cushion covers are of the same Laura Ashley collection.
The guestroom, however, makes use of bright yellow as its main hue. There are two
single beds separated by a light yellow rug. The beds come with drawers for keeping
clothes neat and tidy. The drawers can also be converted into a bed when the need arises.

To conclude, I feel proud and happy that I was able to design15 and decorate my house
so well without the expertise16 and help of professional house renovators.17 The
emergence of my dreamhouse readily gives me the utmost pleasure and satisfaction.
1. heave /hi:v/ (v) thot ra - heave a sign of relief : thot ra tieng th dai khuay khoa
2. decor /'dek0:(r)/ (n) canh tr
3. exterior /1k'st16r16(r)/ (n) mat ngoai, ben ngoai
4. stark /st@:k/ (adj) gian d va khong to iem
5. ventilation /vent1'le1~n/ (n) s thoang kh, s thong gio
6. mahagony /m6'h496n1/ (n) go gu -(adj) co mau nau pht o cua go gu, mau banh mat
7. parquet /'p@:ke1/ (n) san go
8. archway /'@:t~we1/ (n) loi i co mai vom, cong to vo
9. velvet /'velv1t/ (n) nhung
10. frill /fr1l/ (n) diem xep nep
11. tassle /'t%sl/ (n) qua tua, num tua
12. supremacy /su:'prem6s1/ (n) uy the, quyen lc toi cao
13. chandelier /~%nd6'l16(r)/ (n) en chum
14. textured wallpaper /,tekst~6d 'w0:lpe1p6(r)/ (n) giay dan tng rap
15. design /d1'za1n/ (v) thiet ke
16. expertise /eksp3:'ti:z/ (n) kien thc hoac ky nang tinh thong trong mot lnh vc nao o
17. renovator /'ren6ve1t6(r)/ (n) ngi phuc che (mot cong trnh xay dng)

53. A THUNDERSTORM1
MOT CN MA GIONG
In the tropics2 we often have thunderstorms. They do not last very long, perhaps for an
hour or so, but they can cause havoc3 during that short time.
One evening, at about 6 o'clock, I was sitting in front of my house just relaxing and
doing nothing in particular. There were some white clouds blocking the blue sky. There
was no hint of rain. It was just a pleasant warm evening, very normal.
Then I heard a distant rumble4 of thunder. It was so faint that I thought I might have
imagined it. Gradually the rumbling became more distinct. I looked towards the sky and
still could not see any hint of rain. White clouds still dominate the sky.
The rumbling grew louder and louder. Very quickly the eastern sky turned black. The
speed at which the black clouds appeared astonished5 me. In a few minutes I could feel
cool wind blowing from the blackened sky. In another few minutes the whole sky was
engulfed6 by black swirling7 clouds. The wind increased in intensity. I could see the
trees bent precariously8 to one side as though they were going to fall over or get blown
away like feathers.
Suddenly I heard a very loud roar9 above the rumbling of thunder and the howling of
wind. The roar became louder and louder. It sounded like a gigantic train approaching
though it certainly was not one. The sound was quite unsettling. I looked in the direction
of the roar and saw a white curtain of approaching rain.
Next second it was upon us. The corrugated iron roof of my house rattled10 shakily as
the pouring rain crashed down upon it. I ran into the house. The storm was in full swing.
Flashes of lightning lit up the darkened sky followed by cracks of thunder as though in
reply. Some flashes of lightning came dangerously close to our house. The following
cracks of thunder were immediate and deafening. I saw my father utter a silent prayer.
My kid sister had her palms against her ears while safely enclosed in my mother's arms.
The fury11 of the storm was incredible. I looked out the window to see a white blur12 of
rain that cut visibility to a few feet. The rain came down at a large angle driven on by
the wind. The noise of rain on the roof was so loud that we could not even hear
ourselves talk, much less talk to each other. All we could do was to stay in the house and
wait for the storm to blow over. We also hoped that lightning would not strike us and the
wind would not blow the roof away.
So for about an hour the storm raged13 while we waited. Then as suddenly as it came
the storm rained itself out. Clear blue skies appeared and soon the black clouds
disappeared. The rain got less and stopped. The wind stopped blowing.
I stepped out onto the cool wet grass to breathe in the cool air. It was quite an
exhilarating feeling to do this immediately after a thunderstorm. Everything felt so fresh
and clean. It was as though the storm had just given the earth a thorough cleaning. Come
to think of it, it just might have done that.
After checking my house and finding no serious damage, I took a walk around the
neighbourhood to see what damage the storm had done to the trees and other houses. I
was sure I could see plenty of this.

1. thunderstorm /'8^n56(r)st0:m/ (n) bao co sam set va thng ma to

2. tropics /'tr4p1ks/ (n) vung nhiet i (vung nam gia hai v tuyen 23o27 ve pha Bac va
Nam ng xch ao)
3. havoc /'h%v6k/ (n) s tan pha
4. rumble /'r^mbl/ (n) tieng ong am am, ung ung
5. astonish /6'st4n1~/ (v) lam ngac nhien
6. engulf /1n'9^lf/ (v) (ve bien, la, may, v.v) vay boc (cai g) hoac lam (cai g) bien mat
7. swirl /sw3:l/ (v) cuon, xoay, cuon i
8. precarious /pr1'ke6r16s/ (adj) khong vng, nghieng nga, chenh venh - precariously /-l1/
(adv)
9. roar /r0:(r)/ (n) tieng gam, tieng rong, tieng am am
10. rattle /'r%tl/ (v) keu lach cach
11. fury /'fj$6r1/ (n) cn gian d ien cuong va manh liet
12. blur /bl3:(r)/ (n) vat xuat hien l m khong ro net
13. rage /re1d2/ (v) (ve cn bao, am chay, v.v) van tiep tuc hoanh hanh d doi

54. WATCHING A SUNSET BY THE SEA

NGAM CANH HOANG HON TREN BIEN
We arrived at the beach at about 6.30 in the evening. My cousin parked the car under a
tree and we all got out.
The smell of the sea was unmistakable. A gentle breeze blew. I stepped out of my
sandals onto the soft sand.
My cousin, two of our friends and I had come to the seaside just to watch the sun set. My
cousin assured us that we would not be disappointed for he had seen it setting before
and he said it was beautiful. We just had to see for ourselves.
We sat on the sand and gazed1 at the western horizon. White and grey clouds could be
seen but the sun was well hidden behind them. Nothing spectacular2 was happening and
I felt a bit of impatience rising. I waited.
Presently the white and grey clouds began to change colour. First they took on orange
hues.3 Then shades of red and yellow could be seen. In a short time the whole western
sky seem to be ablaze4 with a wild splash5 of gold, red, orange and yellow. I gazed at
the spectacle in wonder. What a magnificent6 sight it was.
I tried to focus on a particular part of the colourful scene but found that the colours
were constantly changing. They changed very slowly and subtly although the scene
appeared very still. A streak7 of gold here turned yellow and a splash of red there
dissolved8 into hues of orange. It was quite impossible to describe really this great
wonder of nature in action.
Shortly the hues became darker and hints of black were visible. The sun itself was
visible for a moment appearing like a huge egg yolk.9 Then it began to disappear into
the horizon. The shades of black became more obvious.
Finally I watched the sun slowly sink into the sea. However the sky remained reddish
even though the sun could no longer be seen.
Suddenly, everything was dark. The sun had set and night took over. I became aware of
mosquitoes attacking me. My cousin said it was time to go home.
We got into car. Indeed it had been a wonderful experience.
1. gaze (at) /9e1z/ (v) nhn cham cham vao ai / cai g
2. spectacular /spek't%kj$l6(r)/ (adj) ngoan muc, ep mat
3. hue /hju:/ (n) mau, sac thai hoac s chuyen mau
4. ablaze /6'ble1z/ (adj) ang chay, chay rc
5. splash /spl%~/ (n) mang mau sang
6. magnificent /m%9'n1f1snt/ (adj) trang le, long lay
7. streak /stri:k/ (n) vach, vet hoac dai nho, dai co mau sac hoac chat lieu khac vi chung
quanh
8. dissolve /d1'z4lv/ (v) tan bien i, phai m i
9. yolk /j6$k/ (n) long o trng

55. AN EVENING ON THE BEACH

MOT BUOI CHIEU TREN BAI BIEN
Night was falling. The setting sun's red rays lit up the sky above the western horizon. I
could see an oil tanker making its way across the sea just on the horizon.
Soon the sun disappeared below the horizon and the sky turned dark but my two friends
and I sat on the beach gazing at the place where the sun went down. Sunsets are
mesmerizing1 as we discovered. Only when the mosquitoes started coming in great
numbers were we brought back to reality.
We picked ourselves up and walked towards a small pile of wood that we had made
earlier. In the dark we could just make out shadows. My friends Francis had a
torchlight.2 He switched it on to show the way.
The night creatures were already busy with their activities. On our left where the land
was I could hear the shrill3 cries of the cicadas4 and other insects. On our right the
waves broke gently on the shore sending up sprays of phosphorescent5 surf.6
The sounds and sights of nature were wonderful. The noise of occasional traffic along a
road nearby was the only blemish to the otherwise perfect natural surroundings. The
three of us were perhaps the only other blemishes. We had the torchlight on and soon
we were going to light a bonfire.7
Nevertheless I proceeded to pour some kerosene8 onto the pile of wood and put a match
to it. Slowly but steadily the fire grew. Soon we were basking9 in the orange glow of the
bonfire. Salleh, my other friend, brought out the snacks and drinks from a bag. We had
come to the beach to relax and enjoy ourselves.
A bonfire can be mesmerizing too and so we spent a good two hours eating, drinking,
talking and singing around it. A number of people appeared and we invited them to
share in our little revelry. We did not know any of them, but it did not matter. All I knew
was that we enjoyed ourselves in the warm glow of the bonfire which was a far cry from
the cold stares of people on an ordinary street.
However all good things must come to an end. The fire slowly died down and darkness
regained its mastery. We said goodbye to our visitors and cleaned up the fireplace.
Then we walked along the shoreline towards where Salleh had parked his car a short
distance away. Crabs both large and small scurried away at our approach. A gentle
breeze rustled among the coconut palms. The black sky was full of glistening10 stars. It
felt good to be alive.
Finally we reached the car. We dumped our things in the boot and got into the car
ourselves. Salleh started the car and soon we were headed home after spending a
wonderful evening on the beach.
1. mesmerize /'mezm6ra1z/ (v) thu hut s chu y (cua ai) hoan toan
2. torchlight /'t0:t~la1t/ (n) en pin, en bam
3. shrill /~r1l/ (adj) (ve am thanh, giong noi, v.v) the the, inh oi, choi tai
4. cicada /s1'k@:d6/ (n) con ve sau
5. phospherescent /f4sf6'resnt/ (adj) phat ra anh sang lan quang
6. surf /s3:f/ (n) bot trang tren song anh vao b

7. bonfire /'b4nfa16(r)/ (n) ngon la to ngoai tri e ot rac hoac ot trong cac dp le hoi
8. kerosene /'ker6si:n/ (n) dau hoa
9. bask /b%sk/ (v) si (la), phi (nang)
10. glisten /'9l1stn/ (v) long lanh, lap lanh

56. THE SCENE IN MY TOWN EARLY IN THE MORNING

CANH TH TRAN VAO BUOI BAN MAI
Six o'clock in the morning and the town is already astir.1 Newspaper vendors with loads
of paper on their motorcycles make their rounds. Sometimes they can hardly be seen
because the newspapers cover their headlights. They take some risks riding around like
this, but I suppose they are used to it.
I am accompanying2 my mother to the Lake Gardens. She goes there every morning to
practise Tai Chi with a group of friends. It is a good idea because the air is so fresh and
cool in the morning. However it is still dark so I escort her there.
We walk under the street lights towards our destination. On the way we see people
already on their way to work. Some are in their cars. Some ride motorcycles and some
wait for their buses by the road. I can see some school children too. Some of them are
waiting near the yet unopened gate of their school. They are so early. I too have to go to
school but I do not have to go that early.
We pass a tea stall that have opened for business. I can see some dark figures huddled under
the stall. I guess these people are having their breakfast. I can see the stall owner "pulling"
a mug of tea. The stall is situated under the street lamp, so it is not completely dark. It is
clever of the owner to position his stall thus. He saves on having to light up his stall.
Our destination nears as we leave the road and enter a small footpath. This is a
shortcut3 to where my mother practises Tai Chi behind a government building. After
walking a short distance past some tall trees we reach our destination.
A group of about fifteen to twenty people are already there. I can see them limbering4
up in the light of the street lamps. They are mostly older men and women in their fifties
and above. They greet my mother. She begins to limber up too. As she is with her
friends I tell her that I am going home to get ready for school.
I retrace5 my steps past the trees and come onto the road again. At the tea stall I stop to have a
glass on ginger6 tea before going home. The eastern sky is beginning to light up. I can see
the first crack of dawn against the dark sky. Soon the sun will rise and the day will begin.
From somewhere among the trees I can hear a magpie-robin7 sing its sweet song. It is
so pleasant to hear it. Other birds start up too. Soon there is a chorus8 of twittering9 and
chattering10 all around me.
However I have to leave these beautiful sounds behind. I finish my drink and pay for it.
I walk toward my house to get ready for school.
1. astir /6'st3:(r)/ (adj) ra khoi ging, tr day
2. accompany /6'k^mp6n1/ (v) thap tung, ho tong
3. shortcut /'~0:tk^t/ (n) ng tat
4. limber (up) /'l1mb6(r)/ (v) lam nhng ong tac khi ong trc khi chi the thao, v.v
5. retrace /ri:'tre1s/ (v) tr lai hoac lap lai y het (mot hanh trnh, v.v)
6. ginger /'d21nd26(r)/ (n) cay gng, cu gng
7. magpie-robin /,m%9pa1 'r4b1n/ (n) loai chim ac la giong chim co o
8. chorus /'k0:r6s/ (n) dan hp xng
9. twitter /'tw1t6(r)/ (v) (ve chim choc) keu lu ru
10. chatter /'t~%t6(r)/ (ve chim, kh, v.v) hot lu lo, keu ch choe

57. THE SOUNDS OF NATURE HEARD IN MY AREA

AM THANH CUA THIEN NHIEN NI TOI
The best time to hear the sounds of nature is late in the night when most human
activities have stopped and nature is intimately present.
I have, on many occasions, stepped outside my house late at night. The very first thing
that strikes2 me is the immense2 stillness3 of nature. Stillness is not silence. Rather it is
a beauty that makes the environment seem so peaceful and perfect. Within the stillness
many sounds can be heard, but the stillness is not disturbed.4
The shrill cries of the cicadas are very evident. These sharp high-pitched5 sounds
pierce6 through the night, but as I said earlier, they do not disturb the peace. In fact they
are part of the peace.
On a distant tree, a night-jar makes its "tok, tok" sound. Somewhere else the bark of a
dog can be heard. Over by the stream, frogs sing out a croaking7 symphony.8 A breeze
springs up and whistles9 through the stately coconut palms. The leaves of the huge
angsana trees rustle in unison. All is peaceful, in perfect balance with one another. I
take in the wonder of nature. Even the buzzing10 of mosquitoes around my head seems
part of it all.
Suddenly a youth on a motorcycle whizzes by, shattering11 the stillness. My senses are
jolted12 for a moment. This unnatural sound is certainly out of balance with nature. But
as the sound of the motorcycle recedes into the distance, stillness reigns again.
Everything regains the balance.
I return to my house. Something inside me has been touched by the beauty of nature. I
feel good. I go to sleep with the beautiful feeling.
In the daytime it is not so easy to hear the sounds of nature, but they can be heard if I
am observant. Early in the morning just after the sun rises, the birds start to sing.
Magpie-robins, mynahs, spotted doves, sparrows and bulbubs all sing out their songs. It
is a bit strange but the other members of my family do not seem to hear them. Perhaps
their ears have been conditioned to hear only man-made sounds to the point the
unobtrusive sounds of nature cannot be heard any more. But I do hear them. The sounds
of nature are sweet and gentle, quite the opposite of man-made sounds.
To hear the sounds of nature in the midst of man-made sounds, all I have to do is to
listen without trying. Man-made sounds force their presence onto our ears. The sounds
of nature do not force, so we have to be attentive. They can be heard. The clicking13 of
a gecko lizard, the patter14 of rain on the roof, the roar of thunder, the howl of the wind,
the rustling15 of leaves - all are as alive as the ears that can hear them. I have ears that
can hear the sweet sounds of nature and I am glad for it.
1. strike /stra1k/ (v) co tac ong en (ai), gay an tng (vi ai)
2. immensely /1'mensl1/ (adv) mc o ln, het sc
3. stillness /'st1ln1s/ (n) trang thai tnh lang
4. disturb /'d1st3:b/ (v) lam nao ong, khuay roi
5. high-pitched /ha1 p1t~t/ (adj) (ve am thanh) bien o cao
6. pierce /'p16s/ (v) xuyen qua, choc thung

7. croak /kr6$k/ (v) (ve ech, nhai, v.v) keu om op

8. symphony /'s1mf6n1/ (n) ban nhac giao hng
9. whistle /'w1sl/ (v) chuyen ong nhanh vi tieng keu nh tieng huyt gio reo qua
10. buzzing /'b^z17/ (n) tieng keu vo ve
11. shatter /'~%t6(r)/ (v) pha v, lam tieu tan
12. jolt /d26$lt/ (v) lam xoc len
13. clicking /'kl1k17/ (n) tieng tac li
14. patter /'p%t6(r)/ (n) tieng lop op (cua ma, v.v)
15. rustle /'r^sl/ (v) keu xao xat, keu sot soat

58. THE SIGHTS, SOUNDS AND SMELLS ALONG A BUSY STREET

CANH VAT, AM THANH VA MUI HNG DOC THEO MOT NG PHO ONG NGI
I walk out of the well-lit, peaceful, cool air-conditioned comfort of the book shop.
Immediately I was hit by a blast of hot air from the street. Wow, the difference is so
great. Out on the five-foot way I break into a sweat.1
I walk down the five-foot way.
Next to the book shop are two sundry2 shops. The smell emanating3 from these shops
tingles4 my nose. The mixture of onion, garlic, dried fish, pepper and spices make a
potent combination. I hold my breath for a moment as I walk quickly past the sundry
shops. I always wonder how the people working inside the shops can stand the smell.
Perhaps they are used to it.
There are many people walking along the five-foot ways on both sides of the street. It is
about one o'clock in the afternoon and many office-workers are out for their lunch
break. So I see these smartly dressed men and women hurrying towards the eating
places further down the street.
The street has been made one-way some time ago to cater5 for the ever increasing
traffic volume. Lunch hour finds the street uncrossable. I want to cross to the other side.
I look at the traffic. One look tells me that it is too dangerous to do so. The cars and
motorcycles are moving at considerable speeds and they do not seem to be in the mood
to make way for any pedestrian.6 I decide to cross the street via the lights-controlled
crossing down the street.
On my way towards the crossing I pass many other shops. They were mainly shops
selling clothes, shoes and watches. Near the crossing is a supermarket. Throngs of
people can be seen at the entrance. A beggar sits on the steps, arms outstretched, eyes
leading for alms.7 I drop 20 sen into his unwashed palm. He also stinks8 of cheap liquor.
I reach the crossing. The lights are red so I wait with a group of people. Cars speed by
sending their obnoxious9 fumes into the waiting people. However no one flinches.10 A
bit of smoke is not going to prevent anyone from crossing the street.
Presently the cars screech to a halt behind the white lines across the road except for one
that makes a dash past even though the lights have changed to red for him. Some
pedestrians shake their fists, but no one is hit. The pedestrians are too seasoned to trust
the traffic lights completely.
I cross briskly with my group to the other side. The group from the other side cross over
to our previous side.
Once across I make a bee-line for the bus-stand. There are too many people trying to
crowd under the shade of the stand. There is no place for me. I stand under the sun.
The smell of food wafts over to the bus stand from the food stalls nearby. My stomach
growls in response. My bus comes. I board it with several other people. There are no
more seats available. So I stand on the aisle. Soon the bus picks up speed and leaves the
busy street towards home where my lunch awaits.
1. sweat /swet/ (n) mo hoi
2. sundry /'s^ndr1/ (adj) tap nhap, u th

3. emanate /'em6ne1t/ (v) toa ra, bat nguon t (cai g)

4. tingle /'t179l/ (v) co cam giac nga ran nh kien bo
5. cater /'ke1t6(r)/ (v) phuc vu, cung cap, ap ng
6. pedestrian /p1'destr16n/ (n) khach bo hanh
7. alms /@:mz/ (n) cua bo th
8. stink /st17k/ (v) boc mui nong nac va kho chu
9. obnoxious /6b'n4k~6s/ (adj) rat kho chu, kinh tm, ang ghet
10. flinch /fl1nt~/ (v) nao nung, chun bc, ngan ngai

59. THE SIGHTS, SOUNDS AND SMELLS ALONG A DESERTED COUNTRY LANE1
CANH VAT, AM THANH VA MUI HNG DOC THEO CON NG QUE VANG NGI
A cool breeze blows into my face. The air is fresh and clear. I hold my fishing gear in
my hand as I trudge2 down the country lane towards my favourite fishing hole.
The lane is a narrow one seldom used by four-wheeled vehicles. It is more like a wellused foot-path but I can see motorcycle tyre marks on the exposed earth. Anyhow at the
moment it is all very still except for the sounds of birds singing, insects screeching and
mosquitoes buzzing.
The mosquitoes are a real nuisance. I keep having to hit them as they alight on my body
to have a feed. There must be hundreds of them. Despite applying insect repellent3 on
my clothes, these tiny horde4 of winged blood-suckers5 still come.
Both sides of the lane are covered with thick undergrowth.6 Behind the undergrowth is
a rubber estate.7 Further back is the beginning of a virgin8 jungle. I can hear the distinct
sounds of this jungle even from a distance.
A bird takes flight from the bushes as I walk past it. It squawks9 noisily. I pause a
moment to watch it fly up and alight on the branch of a tree. It is a black bird with two
long tail feathers trailing along prominently as it flies.
Behind me a hidden magpie-robin breaks into its sweet melodious song. It is always a
pleasure to hear a magpie-robin sing. Its song has a refreshing whistle-tone to it. I
whistle in reply.
We have a lively whistling exchange for a minute until my lips become tired. Then I
admit defeat and leave the magpie-robin to sing on his own.
The smell of country air is very different from city air. There are no vehicle fumes here.
The only smell that can be considered a bit unpleasant is the smell of cow-dung. I spy10
some tell-tale greenish blobs11 along the lane. I tread12 carefully past them. Some cows
have gone by this lane just a bit before me. The dung is still wet. In fact I can smell
those fellows as well close by.
As if in direct response two bleary-eyed individuals appear before me. They look at me
waving their tails to chase the flies away. I look at them. They seem harmless so I walk
by. They watch me go as they chew on the grass in their mouths.
Finally I reach my fishing hole. It is about ten metres from the lane. I leave the lane and
head towards the pond. Gleefully I put down my fishing gear and prepare to have a
pleasant evening there.
1. lane /le1n/ (n) ng hep nong thon, gia cac b giau hoac b at ng lang
2. trudge /tr^d2/ (v) le bc
3. repellent /r1'pel6nt/ (n) chat thuoc e chong con trung
4. horde /h0:d/ (n) bay, lu, am
5. blood-sucker /bl^d 's^k6(r)/ (n) ong vat hut mau
6. undergrowth /'^nd69r6$8/ (n) tang cay thap, bui cay
7. estate /1'ste1t/ (n) khu at rong m mang nham mot muc ch cu the on ien
8. virgin /'v3:d21n/ (adj) nguyen sinh, nguyen s, nguyen si
9. squawk /skw0:k/ (v) (ve chim) keu quang quac

10. spy /spa1/ (v) quan sat, nhn, chu y en

11. blob /bl4b/ (n) khoi nho tron hoac om mau
12. tread /tred/ (v) giam, ap

60. THE SCENE AT A CROWDED FOOD CENTRE

QUANG CANH MOT TRUNG TAM BAN THC AN ONG NGI
My favourite food centre comes alive only at night, every night. During the day it is a
municipal1 council car park. At night food vendors2 are allowed to make use of the
place to sell their food. They have to pay a small fee to use the place, but I am sure they
can afford it.
With a couple of friends, I reach the food centre at about seven in the evening. The sky
is already darkening and the vendors have their portable fluorescent3 lights switched
on. I walk between two rows of food stalls.
The very first thing that strikes me is the mouth-watering smell coming from the satay
stall. Ah, I can see the satay seller half hidden in the clouds of smoke from his charcoal4
fire. There are many people seated around the tables behind him obviously enjoying the
very delicious satay. We are in luck. A group of people at a table is just leaving. So my
friends and I quickly occupy the table before some other people do.
The satay seller knows me for I often come to have some satay to eat. He nods his head
to acknowledge my presence. I wave in return. In a minute or two, a steaming plate of
satay is placed on our table, followed by some pieces of cucumber and onion. Our
gravy5 then arrives and we proceed to put the lovely pieces of meat into our mouths.
For five minutes or so I am oblivious of my surroundings. All I do is to eat and eat until
nothing is left on the plates. When all the food is finished we order glasses of sweet sugar
cane juice6 to drink. I finish off two glasses. How wonderful it is to have such food and drink.
We pay for the food and drinks and leave the satay stall. We decide to walk among the
stalls to have a look.
It is about seven thirty and the tables around the stalls are nearly filled with people.
Young and old, fat and thin, people of all shapes and sizes come here to enjoy in the
many varieties of food available. I see the mee seller feverishly at work trying to cope
with the orders for his mee. Some of his customers are already eating. Chopsticks and
spoons dig into the bowls of mee. Other customers wait patiently for their food.
Next to the mee stall is the tea stall. The fat man selling tea there is busy making teh
tarik. He pours the tea from one cup to another with practised ease. Not a drop is spilled.
Some passsers-by stop just to watch him pouring the tea. He pours the tea from even
higher. A small boy claps. The fat man is obviously very pleased. He grins happily.
I look around me. There are stalls selling rojak and mee goreng, sup kambing, sup ayam,
koay teow, popiah, chicken rice, fried rice, rice with fish, fruits, drinks etc,. The variety
is staggering. No wonder the place is so popular. The food is cheap and good. It is great
to be able to eat them. It is great that we have food centres like this in our country.
1. municipal /mju:'n1s1pl/ (adj) thuoc thanh pho hay th xa co chnh quyen a phng rieng
2. vendor /'vend6(r)/ (n) ngi ban
3. fluorescent /fl0:'resnt/ (adj) (en) huynh quang, (en) neon
4. charcoal /'t~@:k6$l/ (n) than cui
5. gravy /'9re1v1/ (n) nc sauce lam bang nc tht tiet ra khi xao nau
6. sugar cane juice /,su:96(r) ke1n 'd2u:s/ (n) nc ma ep
7. satay, mee, rojak, sup kamping, v.v. ten cac mon an cua ngi Thai

61. THE SCENE IN A SHOPPING COMPLEX

QUAN CANH MOT TRUNG TAM BUON BAN
In every large town now there are dozens of shopping complexes to cater for the ever
increasing population. These complexes contain a variety of shops. They sell shoes,
sports goods, clothes, computers, video and audio equipment, furniture, musical
instruments, cameras and films, food, drinks and many other things.
There is one shopping complex in my town that is frequented by many people. I would
say that it is the most popular one in town.
The moment I enter the shopping complex via its large entrance I virtually step into a
different world from the street outside. The air in the complex is distinctly cooler. The
air-conditioning is very effective. No wonder I see many youngster just loitering1 about
the place. It gets pretty uncomfortable outside under the scorching sun.
There are armed guards in uniform stationed near a couple of goldsmith shops.2 Two of
these guards look old and feeble.3 They must be retired army or police personnel. In the
event of a robbery I doubt they would be of any use. Judging by the bored look on their
faces, the shops might just as well have no guards at all.
On this ground floor of the complex there are many other shops. From where I stand
near the goldsmith shops I can see people crowding near a computer shop. An audio
tape shop blasts out the latest hits through two giant loudspeakers.4 A few metres away,
behind the receptionist's counter,5 a pretty girl seems to be speaking into a
microphone. I can hardly hear what she is saying. The music from the loudspeakers is
too loud.
There is also a supermarket on the ground floor. From afar6 I can see that it is just like
any supermarket. Shelves after shelves are stocked with cans, packets, bottles and tins
of common items like milk, beverages, sweets etc. The salesgirls7 seem very busy
stacking the goods onto the shelves. Shoppers seem very busy removing them from the
shelves.
I walk towards the elevator that is going up. I pause to let two persons before me get on
and then I get on too.
The first floor look similar to the ground floor except it has no supermarket. Instead
there are many video arcades.8 I can see figures of youngsters inside hunched9 over the
consoles feverishly working their fingers trying to beat the electronic machines. I used
to be just as crazy as they but I have got over the madness. The machines are addictive
and the addicts spend large amounts of money feeding them.
I proceed to the second floor via the elevator.
Again the air is filled with the sound of video games in progress. I walk past many
arcades and other shops. Here on the second floor there are less people. Most of the
shoppers are concentrated on the ground floor. That is where the bulk of the complex's
business is done. Up here there is more room for walking and browsing. The
shopkeepers also are friendlier. I walk leisurely around the whole floor.
I stop by at a music shop to have a look at the guitars on sale. They are too expensive
for me. I leave.
Next I wander into my friend's sports shop. I chat with him about the coming Thomas
Cup battle. He laments10 about the weaknesses of our team. He also laments about the

lack of customers in his shop up here on the second floor. He says he will move down if
he can find a place.
Finally I leave my friend's shop and descend straight down to the ground floor. I notice
the great difference in the number of shoppers compared to the higher floors. Perhaps
my friend does have a point.
Anyhow I had come to the shopping complex to cool down a bit. I feel very much better
now, good enough to go out under the scorching sun again.
1. loiter /'l01t6(r)/ (v) la ca, lang vang
2. goldsmith shop /'96$ldsm18 ~4p/ (v) tiem vang
3. feeble /'fi:bl/ (adj) yeu t
4. loudspeaker /'la$dspi:k6(r)/ (n) cai loa
5. receptionist's counter /r1,sep~6n1sts 'ka$nt6(r)/ (n) quay tiep tan
6. afar /6'f@:(r)/ (adv) xa, cach xa - from afar (idm) t mot khoang cach xa
7. salesgirl /'se1lz96:l/ (n) n nhan vien ban hang
8. arcade /@:'ke1d/ (n) khu vc co mai vom
9. hunch /h^nt~/ (v) cui xuong, khom xuong
10. lament /l6'ment/ (v) than van (ve cai g)

62. THE SCHOOL MID-MORNING BREAK

GI RA CHI TRONG BUOI HOC SANG
The lunch-bell peals.1 Pens and pencils are hurriedly pushed into their cases. Files click
shut, satchels2 snap and chairs desks get dragged aside. Scuffling3 feet race towards the
canteen.
The early birds are already seated on the benches, seriously eating away. An appetising
blend of aroma floats about the canteen, but it is the strong smell of hot mee soup that
pulls a large crowd to queue in front of its stall. The others discouraged by the long
queue head to other stalls after casting wishful glances at the huge steaming pot of hot
soup.
On the other side of the stall, helpers work feverishly to serve these hungry mouths.
Steaming bowls of soup, fried rice, fried chicken and sandwiches are passed in
exchange for coins that are tossed into tinkling4 money baskets. The change from notes
are thrust into ready palms that quickly pocket the jingling5 coins.
The canteen grows crowded. Orders are shouted above the constant drone of busy
hungry people. Someone starts banging6 the automatic drink dispenset. Finally,
something clicks, and his frustrated bangs are rewarded with a glass of thirst quenching7
drink.
People keep weaving8 their way through the crowd, cautiously carrying bowls of soup or
plates of hot curry. Some push through the crowd and get yelled at. The benches are
crowded and there is not a vacant seat left, so some people wait for others to finish their
food. The benches are filled with all kinds of people. Some literally plough through their
food, slurping9 away. Others eat slowly, licking every mouthful. Yet others sit very
complacently10 with their home cooked packets of "nasi bungkus" or home-made
sandwich loaves. Then there are the perpetual bookworms with a fork in their right
hands and a book propped up11 in the left. The weight watchers determinedly sit in a
corner nibbling12 at their crackers, sipping13 calorie free drinks and chatter and gossip14
to pass the time. Some of them group together and sing the latest hit tune with the
throbbing beats blaring out of mini cassette players. Occasionally a small group gathers
in a corner to try to recapture childhood thrills in a game of "chapteh" or marbles. These
games, however, do not last long as they are promptly booed15 at by the onlookers who
assume they are a "mature" lot. At the other corner hot debates on classroom projects
and homework assignments take place as usual.
The bell peals again to signal that the lunch break is over. Stomachs belch,16 dieters sigh
with relief, the bookworm who was so engrossed17 in his notes suddenly rushes to get
himself a quick drink. The crowd disperses18 immediately back to the classrooms. A cat
and a few birds appear quickly to scavenge19 the chicken and fish bones and crumbs20
felt behind on the table after yet another regular lunchbreak at school.
1. peal /pi:l/ (v) anh (chuong) tng hoi; vang/ngan/rung tng hoi
2. satchel /'s%t~6l/ (n) tui eo vai cua hoc sinh
3. scuffle /'sk^fl/ (v) au a, tranh gianh
4. tinkle /'t17kl/ (v) keu leng keng

5. jingle /'d2179l/ (v) keu leng keng, keu xung xoeng

6. bang /b%n9/ (v) am, anh, nen, ap (ram ram)
7. quenching /'kwent~17/ (v) (lam) het khat, a khat
8. weave /wi:v/ (v) len loi, luon lach
9. slurp /sl3:p/ (v) (nhai) nhop nhep, (hup) s sup
10. complacent /k6m'ple1snt/ (adj) t man, thoa man - complacently /-l1/ (adv)
11. prop (up) /pr4p/ (v) da, ta, chong,
12. nibble /'n1bl/ (v) can tng mieng nho: gam, nham
13. sip /s1p/ (v) nhap nhap, uong tng hp
14. gossip /'94s1p/ (v) tan gau, noi chuyen phiem
15. boo /bu:/ (v) bieu th s phan oi hoac che gieu (ai / cai g) bang cach la o
16. belch /belt~/ (v) (hi)
17. engrossed /1n'9r6$st/ (adj) mat me, b cuon hut
18. disperse /d1'sp3:s/ (v) giai tan
19. scavenge /'sk%v1nd2/(v) (ve thu vat hoac chim) ao bi thc an a bo i e an
20. crumb /kr^m/ (n) manh vun (banh m hoac banh qui)

63. THE SCENE IN MY SCHOOL AFTER THE BELL RINGS FOR DISMISSAL1
QUANG CANH TRNG TOI KHI CHUONG REO TAN HOC
The bell punctures2 the silence in the school like a pin punctures a fully blown balloon.
The whole school explodes3 with loud cries of joy.
I quickly stuff my books into my bag and head out of the classroom. The teacher has
already left. He is one of the first to leave. I am one of the last. We jostle4 and push to
get through the narrow door. Outside the classroom, the whole school is alive with
activity. Everyone has a smile on his or her face, and why not ? We are all going home
after six hours of slogging5 in school.
The younger children run towards their waiting buses or cars. The older ones walk
briskly. There is laughter in the air as we merrily make our way out of school. Some of
us have transport waiting for us. Some walk home. I am one of those who head towards
the bicycle shed to get our bicycles.
I wait for others to get their bicycles before I get mine. Then I mount up and slowly
make my way between other riders and pedestrians. The horde of children heading
towards the school's main gate is quite daunting.6 I have to be careful so that I do not
knock into someone. I have missed a couple of times. Otherwise I manage to keep going
although not as quick as I like.
I look around me. Like ants the children stream out7 of the classrooms towards the gate.
It is quite a sight watching this uniformed brigade. Someone shouts behind me. He asks
me to go faster or get out of his way. I indicate to him that I cannot possibly move faster.
He sighs. I move forward a bit.
There are some richer kids on motorcycles. They make a lot of noise on their machines.
Obviously they have modified their exhaust pipes to make as much noise as possible.
They press their horns incessantly adding to the discomfort of breathing in their bluish
exhaust smoke. A few heated words are exchanged.
Gradually, the stream of children peters8 out and movement becomes easier. The
motorcycles disappear out of the main gate first, raising tempers and clouds of smoke. I
pedal carefully in between those on foot. I stop to say something to a friend near the
gate. The rest of the traffic stream past me.
When we finish talking, I look around. The school is virtually9 empty. Almost everyone
has gone. Only a few children wait for their cars under the shade of the angsana tree.
Then the teachers begin to leave the school. Most of them have cars. I watch them come
out of the staff room and enter their cars. One by one they make their way out of the
school. Some of them smile or wave at me. I smile or wave back.
Finally everything is quiet around me. I say goodbye to my friend, give the bicycle a
push and soon I am on the road home.
1. dismissal /d1s'm1sl/ (n) s giai tan
2. puncture /'p^7kt~6(r)/ (v) am, choc thung
3. explode /1k'spl6$d/ (v) no tung, bung no (ot ngot)
4. jostle /'d24sl/ (v) chen lan, xo ay
5. slog /sl49/ (v) miet mai, cam cui

6. daunting /'d0:nt17/ (adj) lam nan long, lam s hai

7. stream (out) /stri:m/ (v) o ra thanh dong
8. peter (out) /'pi:t6(r)/ (v) bien mat dan
9. virtually /'v3:t~$6l1/ (adv) hau nh, gan nh

64. EVENINGS AT HOME

BUOI TOI TRONG GIA NH
On weekdays, evenings at home are pretty tame affairs. When the sun sets and it gets
dark there is nothing very much I can do outside. So I usually remain indoors.
Usually I complete whatever homework that has to be done. Sometimes there is no
homework so I fool around1 with my baby sister. She is a load of fun and energy and
there are a dozen things we can do together. She especially likes to read picture books
and play with coloured pencils as any two-year-old would. So we go through her
collection of pictures and colouring books. By eight in the evening, my mother would
come and get her ready for bed.
After the baby has gone to sleep, my mother, my father, my elder brother, elder sister, younger
sister and I would sit together in the dining room to have our dinner. My mother is a great cook
and we enjoy our food tremendously. My elder sister is already a good cook. So she helps
my mother with her cooking. I sometimes help out too, but I am not such a good one.
After dinner I wash up if it is my turn. The others adjourn2 to the living room. My father
usually watches television. My mother usually has unfinished household chores like
ironing clothes to do. So she does them. We, the children, sometimes watch television or
listen to the radio. At other times, when we feel like it, we sit down and play some board
games like Monopoly and Ludo.
At nine o'clock my elder brother locks up the main gate and other doors. He has the task
of making sure all the doors and windows are secure before we retire for the night. At
about nine thirty, we usually go to bed to have a good night's sleep. If we go to bed too
late, then it will be really difficult to get up on time for school next morning. I always
make sure I have enough sleep every night. If there is something really worth watching
on television then we may stay up a bit later. However my father insists that we all get
to bed by ten thirty at the latest. We are all in bed by the time regardless of anything
good on the television.
On weekends, evenings at home are a bit different from the usual. My elder brother,
who is already in Form Six, gets to go out with his friends for an evening in town. We,
the younger ones, are not allowed to go out unless we have good reasons to. Usually
then we stay at home.
Since the next day is a holiday, we do not bother3 to do any homework. We watch
television as there are better shows during the weekend. Also our father allows us to
stay up as late as we like as we do not have to get up early. At times we sit around our
father while he tells us stories. He has many stories to tell about his younger days. We
learn many things from what he tells us.
By midnight my elder brother will have to return from town as he is not allowed to come
home later than that. Sometimes he buys back some supper4 which we all share in
before going to bed. Finally, when the clock has gone past twelve we all go to bed.
1. fool around /fu:l 6'ra$nd/ (v) chong gheo, no ua
2. adjourn /6'd23:n/ (v) di sang (ni khac)
3. bother /'b456(r)/ (v) danh thi gian hoac chu kho lam g
4. supper /'s^p6(r)/ (n) o an toi, ba an toi

65. THE BEAUTY OF NATURE

VE EP CUA THIEN NHIEN
In the evening I sit in front of my house and feel the soft gentle breeze caress my face
and cool my body. The breeze is simply beautiful and nature gives it free to me.
Actually nature gives this free to everyone, but it seems that not everyone is aware of
this.
Sometimes the sky is immensely blue. White silvery clouds glide1 almost imperceptibly2
against it. The clouds are never the same as they change their shapes continuously.
These things are more beauty that I perceive around me.
Some days when the sky turns black with thick heavy clouds, a distance curtain of
falling rain can be seen. It appears as though some unseen hand is pouring water onto
the land to nourish3 it. The sight is beautiful and it makes me feel closer to the beauty of
the Earth.
After a thunderstorm, the air is crisp4 and cool. Birds come out and sing out their joy to
life. I sing too as I frolic5 on barefoot on the cool wet grass beside my house. The drogs
croak joyfully. Even the insects seem to buzz and shriek6 louder. I am sure they are all
singing about how beautiful life is. Indeed it is.
In the night the stars make their appearane. Millions of these twinkling7 jewels can be
seen in the black sky. How wondrous8 it is to gaze at the glory of the universe. No doubt
I am just a tiny part of it, but to be able to take it in through my senses makes it even
more wondrous.
At night the moon often makes its appearance. Sometimes it is round. Other times it is
crescent-shaped.9 Nevertheless its presence adds to the beauty of the backdrop of stars
in the far reaches of space. It is amazing that there are such things.
The little garden beside my house is filled with the things of nature. Little bees,
butterflies and other insects fly among the flowers in search of food. The flowers
themselves are brightly coloured with every possible combination of colours and hues. I
feast my eyes on the scene of immense activity and again witness the beauty of nature's
innumerable wonders.
1. glide /9la1d/ (v) (ve may) troi bong benh
2. imperceptible /1mp6'sept6bl/ (adj) khong the nhan thay c bang cac giac quan khong ro ret - imperceptibly /-bl1/ (adv)
3. nourish /'n^r1~/ (v) nuoi dng
4. crisp /kr1sp/ (adj) (ve khong kh) kho lanh
5. frolic /'fr4l1k/ (v) no ua vui ve
6. shriek /~ri:k/ (v) la het
7. twinkle /'tw17kl/ (v) nhap nhay, lap lanh
8. wondrous /'w^ndr6s/ (adj) ky la
9. crescent-shaped /'kresnt ~%pt/ (adj) co hnh li liem

VAN TNG THUAT

Tng thuat la ke lai nhng s viec co that va mi xay ra ma ngi viet trc tiep
chng kien, nham giup ngi oc hnh dung c dien bien cu the cua nhng s viec
o, ong thi truyen en ngi oc nhng y ngh, cam xuc cua mnh trong khi chng
kien s viec.
Nhng yeu cau chnh
Phai hoan toan ton trong s that (khong c h cau)
Neu c dien bien cua s viec (theo trnh t thi gian hoac khong gian)
Chon loc s viec, lam ro nhng s viec chnh, nhng chi tiet quan trong, lt qua
nhng s viec phu, tc bo nhng chi tiet ngau nhien, giup ngi oc va thay ca toan
cuc, va thay c chi tiet.
Biet ket hp ky nang ke vi mieu ta (ta canh, ta ngi), giup ngi oc thay c s
viec cu the, song ong, nh ang xay ra trc mat.
Trc tiep hoac gian tiep noi len y ngh, thai o, cam xuc cua ngi tng thuat.

66. A BURGLARY1
MOT VU TROM
It was a peaceful afternoon. I was doing my homework in my room when I heard a
strange grinding2 noise coming from next door.
Out of curiosity,3 I looked out of my window. I was shocked to see my neighbour's
metal gate lying on the ground and the door ajar.4 As no one else was at home, I called
up my father at his office. He told me to stay at home and wait for him to come back. I
went back to the window and peeped out.5 After a while, a burly6 man came out of my
neighbour's house with a big bag and quickly ran away.
Just then, my father came back with four policemen. I told them what I had seen.
Immediately, two of the policemen went after the burglar. The rest of us went into my
neighbour's house. The whole place had been ransacked.7 Drawers were lying all over
the place and the bedrooms were in a real mess. My neighbour happened to come back
at that time and she was most distressed8 to find her house broken into.9
The next morning, I saw the following headline in the newspaper : "Boy helps police
catch burglar". I felt really proud of myself.
1. burglary /'b3:9l6r1/ (n) vu trom
2. grinding /'9r1nd17/ (adj) tao ra tieng ken ket (nh the) do co xat
3. curiosity /kj$r1'4s6t1/ (n) tnh to mo
4. ajar /6'd2@:(r)/ (adj) (ve ca) he m
5. peep (out) /pi:p/ (v) lo, nhu len t t hoac mot phan
6. burly /'b3:l1/ (adj) khoe manh, lc lng
7. ransack /'r%ns%k/ (v) cp boc, cp pha; luc soat
8. distressed /'d1strest/ (adj) phien nao, au n
9. break into /bre1k 1nt6/ (v) ot nhap

67. A PICKPOCKET
MOT KE MOC TUI
I hate to travel on the MRT train in the evening because it is very crowded. I have to
compete with other students and adults going home from work for seats.
This evening, I just managed to squeeze1 into the train. There were no seats available,2
so I stood by the door and looked at the people around me, trying to forget my
discomfort. I looked at some of the passengers. One was sleeping, one was staring
blankly into space and another kept putting his right hand in and out of his pocket. This
last person has small shifty3 eyes and he kept looking around. I turned away
immediately when he caught me staring at him.
Out of curiosity, I looked at him again some minutes later. At that instant, I saw him
withdrawing4 his hand from a lady's handbag. In his hand was a purse ! Straight away, I
pointed at him and shouted, "Pickpocket! Pickpocket!" Everyone was alerted, including
the pickpocket.
As the pickpocket tried to get away, a few men quickly grabbed hold of him. He was
caught and sent to the police-station. I was praised for my quick action and was glad that
I had helped the lady get back her purse.
1. squeeze (into) /skwi:z/ (v) dan, ay mnh vao, chen lach, v.v qua mot khe hep hoac
mot khoang hep
2. available /6've1l6bl/ (adj) co san
3. shifty /'~1ft1/ (adj) gian giao, co ve khong lng thien
4. withdraw /w15'dr0:/ (v) rut (cai g) tr ve hoac ra xa

68. A ROBBERY
MOT VU CP
It happened on one Saturday evening. My mother and I went shopping to buy a gift for
my father. After much thought my mother decided to buy a gold ring.
We went to a goldsmith's shop. The Sales Assistant showed us a lot of gold rings in
various designs.1 My mother was enchanted2 by a ring with a sparkling3 diamond on it.
As we were admiring the ring, four men wearing ski-mask4 rushed5 into the shop. They
ordered all the people to stand up against the wall with their hands raised above their
heads. The four robbers were armed with guns. They were dressed in black and wore
gloves on both hands. One of the men placed a brief case on the counter and ordered
one of the Sales Assistants to empty the trays of jewelleries into the briefcase. The
Sales Assistant was shaking with fear, and quickly started to do what he was ordered to
do.
I notice that the burglar alarm was not far from where I was standing. I slowly moved
towards the alarm, and tried to reach it without being noticed. After much difficulty I
managed to get close to the alarm. I cautiously lifted my right leg and pressed the
button. The alarm started to ring loudly. The robbers panicked,6 they grabbed7 the
briefcase and rushed to a waiting car and drove away. I rushed out of the shop to see the
number of the car. I quickly memorised the number of the getaway car.8
A few minutes later the police arrived. I told them the number of the robbers' car. They
immediately informed headquarters to put up road blocks. They questioned us before
letting us go. Photographers took photos of the scene of the robbery.
Next day my father read in the papers that the robbers were caught and the stolen goods
recovered.
1. design /d1'za1n/ (n) mau ma, kieu mau
2. enchanted /1n't~@:nt1d/ (adj) b me hoac
3. sparkling /'sp@:kl17/ (adj) lap lanh, long lanh
4. ski-mask /ski: m@:sk/ (n) mat na trt tuyet
5. rush /r^~/ (v) xong ti, lao vao
6. panic /'p%n1k/ (v) (panicked) lam hoang s, lam hot hoang
7. grab /9r%b/ (v) tum lay, giat lay
8. getaway /9et6'we1/ (n) s chay tron, nhat la sau khi pham toi - getaway car : chiec o to
(dung e) chay tron

69. ROBBERY AT A LATE COLD NIGHT

VU CP GIA EM KHUYA
One late cold winter night, we heard the moan1 of an old lady from the nearby house.
The old lady was living alone with her ailing2 husband who is also bedridden.3 Her sons
were living in Australia. The old couple refused to leave their homeland and therefore
live alone. We left sorry for them and as neighbours we often help them in any way
possible. It seems on that cold winter night some burglars had entered their house
through the kitchen window which was not properly grilled4 and locked.
The burglars had overpowered5 the old people, tied them to the chair and cot
respectively, took away six hundred dollars and their jewels. The old lady managed to
free herself from the bonds6 and crawled7 to the corridor with a moan which we all
heard. Several people rushed over immediately and the men tried to untie the old man
and then to inform the police. The women were helping the old lady by applying cold
water to the bruises8 and rearranging the furniture. The rope was very tight and the old
man suffered bruises on his skin.
Two of us ran out to see if the culprits9 were still around. Soon we heard police sirens,10
two patrol11 cars screeched to a halt in front our house and we saw policemen running
up the stairs. The policemen made a thorough search and got statements from the old
people. The old people's monthly pension money and some of the jewels which they
valued were gone.
Messages were sent to their sons abroad. One week later one of their son returned to
Singapore and brought the old people to Australia. Despite the robbery the old couple
were reluctant to leave Singapore. Finally, they were persuaded12 by us to accept their
son's offer.
On the date of their departure, the old couple thanked all those who came to help them
in their hour of need.
1. moan /m6$n/ (n) tieng ren r, tieng than van
2. ailing /'e1l17/ (adj) om au, benh tat
3. bedridden /'bedr1d6n/ (adj) nam liet ging
4. grilled /9r1ld/ (adj) co li bao ve
5. overpower /6$v6'pa$6(r)/ (v) ap ao, che ng
6. bonds /b4ndz/ (n) day hoac xch troi tu nhan
7. crawl /kr0:l/ (v) bo, let, trn
8. bruise /bru:z/ (n) vet tham tm, vet bam dap
9. culprit /'k^lpr1t/ (n) ke pham toi
10. siren /'sa16r6n/ (n) coi
11. patrol /p6'tr6$l/ (n) hanh ong tuan tra
12. persuade /p6'swe1d/ (v) thuyet phuc

70. A DARING ROBBERY

MOT VU CP TAO BAO
The pilgrims1 never dreamt that it would happen. They were hopefully thinking of
reaching the place of worship2 before the day dawned.3 As the place of worship was
about 75 kilometres from their homes, they had left at 2.00 a.m. in the night. They were
about a dozen of them including men and women. Since they were going in their own
van4 they had many trunks5 and suitcases stuffed6 with valuables like costly clothing,
jewels and ornaments. They belonged to the rich, and were a bit showy.7
The road lay through a barren8 country covered here and there with hillocks.9 It was a
road that did not have any heavy traffic and that too in the early hours it was practically
deserted. The area was notorious for10 daring robberies as the hillocks gave the robbers
a good cover. The robbers heard the van on the road and they expected a good booty11
from it. The moon was not bright as the clouds were sweeping over its face and was
ideal for the gang to operate. The gang was made up of unemployed educated young
men who had grown desperate. It was master-minded by an old hand who had been
convicted12 several times.
The gang had placed big boulders13as road blocks and were hiding nearby. As soon as
the van came near, the driver saw the block. He could not negotiate14 the road this way
or that as it was completely blocked and so came to a screeching halt. When the male
occupants of the van got down to see what had happened, the gang pounced15 upon
them. They were told to keep their mouth shut. When the driver wanted to strike, he was
given a stunning16 blow by one of the robbers. The male occupants were then marched
to the foot of a hillock and were commanded to stand still or face severe consequences
to their person. While two or three of the robbers stood guard, others ransacked the van,
took out the trunks and suit cases, broken them open and poured out the contents onto
blankets and tied them up. The women were so stunned that they could not even cry out.
Their throats felt parched17 suddenly because of the shock they were in. With a flourish
the robbers left the place with their booty and disappeared into the night.
It was some time before the pilgrims recovered from the shock.18 The womenfold
began to wail.19 As it happened in such cases each one started complaining that the
others was to blame. The van driver lost no time in driving them to the nearest town
where they lodged20 a complaint with the police.
This was not the first time the police were getting reports about robberies in that part of
the country. The higher authorities swung into action immediately when they got a clue
from a tea shop in a neighbouring village. The net was spread and soon a few of the
gang were apprehended.21 Since they were habitual offenders, it was easy to bring
them to book. The press and the public appreciated the prompt22 action taken by the
police.
1. pilgrim /'p1l9r1m/ (n) ngi hanh hng
2. worship /'w3:~1p/ (n) hanh ong hoac nghi le th cung
3. dawn /d0:n/ (v) bat au sang, rang sang
4. van /v%n/ (n) xe tai

5. trunk /tr^7k/ (n) rng, hom

6. stuff /st^f/ (v) len, nhoi nhet chat (cai g vao cai g)
7. showy /'~6$1/ (adj) khoe khoang
8. barren /'b%r6n/ (adj) (ve at ai) can coi
9. hillock /'h1l6k/ (n) oi nho, mo at
10. notorious (for) /n6$'t0:r16s/ (adj) khet tieng
11. booty /'bu:t1/ (n) chien li pham
12. convict /k6n'v1kt/ (v) ket toi, ket an
13. boulder /'b6$ld6(r)/ (n) a cuoi
14. negotiate /n1'96$~1e1t/ (v) bang qua hoac vt qua thang li (mot chng ngai, v.v)
15. pounce /pa$ns/ (v) tan cong bat ng bang ot kch hoac nhay xuong
16. stunning /'st^n17/ (adj) gay choang vang, ieng ngi
17. parched /p@:t~t/ (adj) b khat kho
18. recover (from the shock) /r1'k6$v6(r)/ (idm) hoan hon
19. wail /we1l/ (v) keu gao, than khoc
20. lodge (sth with sb) /l4d2/ (v) trnh bay vi nha chc trach e c chu y giai quyet
21. apprehend /%pr1'hend/ (v) tom lay, bat gi
22. prompt /pr4mpt/ (adj) nhanh chong, ngay lap tc

71. KIDNAPPED !1
B BAT COC!
My chauffeur was sick and I was told to take a cab2 home. I decided to walk instead and
took the shortcut through a rubber plantation.
As I was walking, I noticed four men in dark glasses following me. I became frightened.
I started running and was horrified to hear footsteps close behind me. Suddenly, I felt
myself jerked3 back roughly. The next thing I knew, I was blindfolded4 and gagged.5 I
struggled wildly to free myself but to no avail.6 I was dumped7 onto some rough sacks.
Then I heard an engine start. The kidnappers must be driving me to their hideout !
In their hideout, the kidnappers called my father and demanded a ransom8 of one
hundred thousand dollars for my release. They warned him that my life would be in
danger if the police were notified. They also arranged to meet my father at a jetty9 at
three o'clock in the morning.
At the appointed time, the men brought me to the jetty. My father was there, waiting
anxiously. After collecting the money, the four men released10 me.
As the kidnappers were about to leave in a boat, the policemen, who were lying in
ambush,11 ran out to arrest them. After a short struggle, the four kidnappers were
caught. My family was thankful that I was safe and sound.12 I was glad that my father
had notified the police.
1. kidnap /'k1dn%p/ (v) bat coc
2. cab /k%b/ (n) xe taxi
3. jerk /d23:k/ (v) giat, ay, keo, v.v ot ngot
4. blindfold /'bla1ndf6$ld/ (v) bt mat (ai) bang bang vai v.v
5. gag /9%9/ (v) bt mieng
6. to no avail /6've1l/ (idm) vo ch, vo hieu
7. dump /d^mp/ (v) nem phch xuong, quang xuong
8. ransom /'r%ns6m/ (n) tien chuoc
9. jetty /'d2et1/ (n) e chan song, cau tau
10. release /r1'li:z/ (v) giai thoat, phong thch
11. ambush /'%mb$~/ (n) cuoc mai phuc, cuoc phuc kch
12. safe and sound (idm) bnh yen vo s

72. A KIDNAP
MOT VU BAT COC
One evening, I was alone at home, when a smartly dressed couple knocked on my door.
The woman smiled and asked me if she could see my parents. I told her that they had
gone out but would be back soon. I invited them into the house.
I was surprised when they suddenly grabbed me. They tied up my hands, gagged my
mouth and blindfolded me. I was huddled1 into a car and driven off to an unknown
destination. I was too frightened to do anything. After driving for about two hours the car
came to a stop. They dragged me out of the car and pushed me into a corner. When my
blindfold was removed, I found myself in a dark hut.2 I slowly moved towards the
locked door and I heard them saying that they were going to ask a ransom of $20,000
from my father in exchange for my return. When I heard this I was very frightened.
Finally I decided that I had to escape from these kidnappers. I looked around the dark
room. There was no means of escape except for a small window, which was locked. I
waited till the kidnappers had fallen asleep before I tired to open the window. I
managed to prise3 open the window with my penknife,4 which I carried in my pocket.
Quitely I slipped out of the house and ran as fast as my legs could carry me. Since it was
very dark I stumbled5 and fell a couple of times. Finally I reached the main road. I saw
a car approaching. I waved and stopped the car. I told the driver what had happened. He
took me to the nearest police station, and made a report. Then I led the police to the
place where I was held captive earlier. The kidnappers were arrested.
My parents were happy to see me safe and sound. The police officer praised me for my
courageous deed.
1. huddle /'h^dl/ (v) nhet vao mot cach lon xon
2. hut /h^t/ (n) tup leu, can nha tam b
3. prise /pra1z/ (v) nay, bay len
4. penknife /'penna1f/ (n) dao dp
5. stumble /'st^mbl/ (v) say, trt chan

73. A FIRE IN THE HOSPITAL

HOA HOAN TRONG BENH VIEN
I was visiting my friend Sally in the hospital. She had a bad fall a few days ago, and she
was being treated for shock and bruises. I was chatting with her when suddenly a shrill1
alarm went off2.
We saw the doctors and the nurses huddled together. Then a nurse or a doctor went to
speak to each patient. A doctor approached Sally's bed and told us that a fire had started
on the seventh floor of the hospital and the fire brigade had been summoned.3 He told
us to remain calm and we would get out of the building quickly.
However some of the patients started to panic and we heard some of them crying. We
also heard the siren of the fire engines. The head nurse announced that the stronger
patient would have to use the emergency stair exit, while the firefighters4 would use
special equipment to lift the injured patients through the windows.
A nurse helped to guide Sally down the staircase. The nurse asked me to help another
patient. I went to the next bed and helped guide a woman with a bandaged5 arm
towards the staircase.6 She was sobbing7 quietly. I assured her that since we were on
the fourth floor, we would escape without any andger.
When we reached the second floor, a group of policemen and firefighters rushed to
meet us. They led us to the gorund floor and out of the building.
The patients drew together, as though happy to see each other again. A nurse told us
that the fire was under control. All the patient had been saved ; and only a few suffered
minor injuries. The patients clapped for they were thankful for the courage and the skill
of the hospital staff, the firefighters and the policemen.
1. shrill /~r1l/ (adj) (ve am thanh, giong noi, v.v) rt len, nhc oc, choi tai
2. go off /96$ 4f/ (v) vang len
3. summon /'s^m6n/ (v) goi en, trieu tap
4. firefighter /'fa16fa1t6(r)/ (n) (cung fireman) lnh cu hoa
5. bandage /'b%nd1d2/ (v) quan bang
6. staircase /'ste6ke1s/ (n) cau thang gac
7. sob /s4b/ (v) (khoc) nc n, thon thc

74. A FIRE ACCIDENT I HAVE WITNESSED

MOT VU HOA HOAN TOI A CHNG KIEN
Fires are mainly caused by carelessness on the part of the occupants1 of a house,
factory, office or a shop. Sometimes, fire can be caused by electrical short circuit2 or
lightning.
Last week, I visited my friend in Jurong. There I had the opportunity to witness a
terrible fire which gutted3 almost the entire row of small factories. It was around 8 pm,
my friend and I were practising our guitars for the forthcoming music competition.
Suddenly, we were attracted by shouts and sirens. There were also cries of distress. We
rushed out of the house and saw a huge fire engulfing the factory situated some four
hundred metres from our block.
With horror filled eyes, my friend and I ran towards the place. We saw a plastic factory
on fire and the workers were helpless. By then, a big crowd had gathered and nobody
could do anything but to express sorrow. Within minutes of our arrival at the scene,
several fire engines arrived. It was a tragic4 event which I cannot easily forget. I saw
fear and panic everywhere.
The firemen were engaged5 in a heroic battle with raging6 fire. They seemed helpless
as the jets of water from the hoses were not able to control the fire. The firemen
struggled for nearly six hours before the fire was subdued.7 By then nearly four
factories were completedly gutted.
I will never forget this fire incident.
1. occupant /'4kj$p6nt/ (n) ngi mot ngoi nha, hoac s hu va c ngu tren mot tha at
2. short circuit /'s3:k1t/ (n) oan mach
3. gut /9^t/ (v) pha huy ben trong hoac o ac cua (nha ca, x nghiep, v.v)
4. tragic /'tr%d21k/ (adj) bi tham
5. engage (in) /1n'9e1d2/ (v) (lam cho mot ngi) tham gia vao mot viec
6. raging /'re1d217/ (adj) d doi
7. subdue /s6b'dju:/ (v) khuat phuc, chinh phuc

75. A EMBARRASSING1 MOMENT

GIAY PHUT BOI ROI
I could recall an event which happened four years ago. My father gave me a hundred
dollars, for the good grades I scored in my P.S.L.E.. To enjoy it, I invited some of my
closest friends to a restaurant for a meal.
At the restaurant, I asked my friends to order2 as much as they liked. The food was
delicious, the service was efficient and the food was served fast. All of us began to eat.
We ate, talked and laughed at the jokes we made in school.
After we had finished our food, the waiter brought us the bill. I opened my purse to take
out the money. To my surprise I found my money missing. Only then I realised that I
had left the money at home. I was in such a hurry that I had forgotten to put the money
in my purse. I wanted to borrow the money from my friends, but none of them could
help me. They had brought only enough money for bus fare.3 I told the waiter that I had
forgotten to bring my money. The waiter was very angry and told me to see the
manager. The manager was a kind gentleman. He allowed me to go home and get the
money, but I had to leave my identity card4 with him. I immediately telephoned my
sister and told her to bring the money to the restaurant. Ever since that day I have
stopped patronising5 the restaurant. I am afraid that some of the waiters might
remember my face. I was the most embrarrasing moment in my life.
1. embarrassing /1m'b%r6s17/ (adj) gay lung tung, gay boi roi
2. order /'0:d6(r)/ (v) goi mon an
3. fare /fe6(r)/ (n) tien xe, tien o, tien ve
4. identify card /a1'dent6t1 k@:d/ (n) the can cc, giay chng minh nhan dan
5. patronise /'p%tr6na1z/ (v) lui ti thng xuyen

76. A FRIGHTENING EXPERIENCE

MOT KINH NGHIEM ANG S
It was almost midnight. I was going home on a bus. There was only one other passenger
- a middle-aged man.
I leaned1 back on my seat and closed my eyes, enjoying the cool night breeze.
Suddenly, I felt a tap2 on my shoulder. I turned around and found the other passenger
grinning3 at me. The man looked rosy in the cheeks and reeked4 of liquor. He was
drunk !
Before I knew it, he started running his fingers through my hair. I was terrified. The
next moment, he sat himself beside me. The bus-driver seemed too preoccupied5 with
driving to notice what was happening.
The man looked angry suddenly and began to talk loudly. I was at my wits' end6 and
wished that I had not stayed out so late. Finally, I plucked up courage7 and rushed to a
seat near the driver so that he could help me should anything happen. Luckily the man
did not follow me.
After some time, the bus reached my housing estate. Before I alighted from the bus, I
stole a glance at the drunk man. He was fast asleep. I was thankful that I was not
harmed. However, I was badly frightened and made up my mind never to travel at late
hours without company again.
1. lean /li:n/ (v) trong t the nghieng, cui
2. tap /t%p/ (n) cai vo nhe, cai ap nhe
3. grin /9r1n/ (v) ci nhe rang, ci toe toet
4. reek /ri:k/ (v) co mui nong nac
5. preoccupy /pri:'4kj$pa1/ (v) thu hut tam tr ai
6. be at one's wits'end (idm) khong biet phai lam g
7. pluck up courage /pl^k ^p 'k^r1d2/ (idm) lay het can am

77. LOST IN A STRANGE PLACE

B LAC MOT NI XA LA
During my school holidays, I went to stay with my cousin's family in Penang for a week.
They live in a hut in a kampong.1
One fine morning, my cousin, Andy, and I went to fish in a stream near the outskirts2 of
the kampong. Andy caught a lot of fishes. I was not as lucky and decided to move
further upstream to try another fishing spot. I managed to catch many small fishes there.
When I went back to look for Andy, he was nowhere to be found. Thinking that he might
have moved downstream,3 I followed the stream to look for him.
After some time, I realized that I had lost my way. I began to panic when I could not
even find a public telephone to make a call. At that moment, I saw a signpost with a
Malay word "Polis".
"Perhaps it means 'Police'," I thought and ran quickly in that direction.
I was right. Ahead was a police-post. I told the policemen what had happened. They
listened patiently to my description of my cousin's kampong. Then one of the policemen
brought me back to my cousin's hut. How glad I was to find myself safe with my
relatives again. It was certainly horrifying to have lost my way in a strange place.
1. kampong /'k%mp47/ (n) ngoi lang
2. outskirts /'a$tsk3:ts/ (n) ngoai o
3. downstream /da$ns'tri:m/ (adv) xuoi dong upstream /^p'stri:m/ (adv) ngc dong

78. AN UNLUCKY INCIDENT

MOT S CO RUI RO
I am a healthy person and do not normally fall ill. My baby sister is often ill. My parents
and grandparents are all deeply concerned1 about her health and take great care of her.
She goes to bed early. We have to turn down the television and lower our voices so that
she gets a good night's sleep.
My uncle, my aunt and my two cousins came from Malaysia as our guests during the
school holidays. We had planned to have a small party followed by a movie by my
favourite actor, Sylvester Stallone. We were playing till 10 pm and my mother asked me
to take my cousins to my bed room.
Next day when my mother woke me up, I did not feel like getting up. I had a slight
headache. Mother felt my forehead and found that I was having a fever. How sad I was !
All our plans were upset.2 I did not like the pitiable stares of others, in particular, from
my cousins. My mother brought me milk and porridge.3 She asked my brother and my
cousins to leave me alone. She asked my cousins not to play the hi-fi stereo as I needed
complete rest.
It was indeed a boring time lying in bed. Little did I know that the day would be so long.
Soon my temperature started to rise and I felt hot and restless. My head started to get
heavy. It was really troublesome. To make matters worse my brother and my cousins
were preparing to go to the movie. The worst part was not being able to enjoy the feast
my mother was preparing for the guests. I was ordered to live on a liquid diet and pills
and tablets. In frustration I spent the whole day in bed.
Luckily, the temperature was back to normal. I promised myself that I shall not allow
myself to fall ill again.
1. concerned (about) /k6n's3:nd/ (adj) lo au, ban khoan
2. upset /^p'set/ (v) ao lon, xao tron
3. porridge /'p4r1d2/ (n) chao ac

79. INCIDENT IN A SLEEPLESS NIGHT

VIEC XAY RA TRONG MOT EM KHONG NGU
It was a hot night and I could not sleep, I got up and looked out of the window. The sky
was very beautiful to look at. There was half-moon in the west and many stars were
burning bright in the firmament.1
While being absorbed2 in this lovely night scence, I became aware of a moaning sound
from the next flat. I listened for a while. I thought at first that somebody there was
snoring or crying in his dream. But no, it was distinctly3 a moaning sound. It was soon
followed by other sounds. They were of people talking loudly. I could not make out4 as
to what they were talking.
The quarreling noise increased. Now and then, I could identify a voice that appeared to
be begging. Very soon, I heard the noise of blows and a shrill cry of a woman. Still I
hesitated to move out of my cozy5 bed to see what the matter was. The neighbour was
only an acquaintance of mine and at that hour of the night I was reluctant to go and
interfere.
While my thoughts were running along that strain,6 I heard a sudden crash, as though
something heavy had fallen. This was followed by a fearful shriek, and then silence
followed. I feared something horrible had happened. So, I went to the neighbour's door
and knocked at it. It was opened by my neighbour, who appeared a picture of dismay7
and bewilderment.8 After some excuses I enquired of him what the matter was.
He took me in and showed me a scene. There lay his wife curled up9 on her bed. One or
two chairs had been turned upside down. Things were in a disarray.10 The neighbour
showed me the chairs. After seating himself, he told me that his wife had been a
hysterical11 patient and would now and then create scenes in the night. The voices had
been theirs when he had tried to quieten her. She had pushed the chairs which had
caused the crash. And after shrieking, she lay down in a swoon.12 It was a frequent
occurrence. While I sought his excuse for disturbing him, he begged my pardon for
having disturbed my peace at night. I bade him goodnight and returned to my room.
1. firmament /'f3:m6m6nt/ (n) bau tri
2. absorbed /6b's0:bd/ (adj) thu hut s chu y hoan toan, me mai
3. distinct /d1'st17kt/ (adj) rieng biet, ro rang - distinctly /-l1/ (adv)
4. make out /'me1ka$t/ (v) hieu, nhan ra
5. cozy /'k6$z1/ (adj) am ap va thoai mai
6. strain /stre1n/ (n) tnh trang cang thang
7. dismay /d1s'me1/ (n) cam giac choang vang va mat tinh than
8. bewilderment /b1'w1ld6m6nt/ (n) trang thai boi roi, lung tung
9. curl up /k3:l ^p/ (v) cuon tron
10. disarray /d1s6're1/ (n) trang thai lon xon, mat trat t
11. hysterical /h1s'ter1kl/ (adj) vao trang thai cuong loan gay ra bi chng icteri
12. swoon /swu:n/ (n) tnh trang ngat i

80. AN AIR ACCIDENT

MOT TAI NAN MAY BAY
The air hostess announced that all passengers should fasten1 their seat belts and hold on
firmly to their chairs. She tried her best to assure us that everything would be all right.
However, her efforts at calming the panic-stricken2 passengers were in vain.
The passengers had themselves seen the sudden appearance of dark clouds and heard
the sound of heavy rain pattering3 ferociously4 on the aircraft so much so that children
and women were harshly thrown from side to side.
The aircraft was then zooming down almost perpendicular5 to the ground. Eerie,6
hysterical cries could be heard from almost every corner of the aircraft. The lights
suddenly went off and the aircraft spinned7 rapidly. Then, there was a tremendous
explosion that put a sudden end to the cries of woe.8 The aircraft had crashed9 in a deep
valley between two block mountains.
I woke up near a tree and was rudely reminded of the tragic happening by the terrible
sight of blood and badly disfigured, hardly recognizable bodies. There was not even the
slightest sign of life. The wreckage10 extended over a large area, the sight of which
made me feel sick. I was tortured by hunger, thirst and fear of death. I managed to carry
myself up and walk laboriously with my sore feet. The walk seemed to be endless and I
was then dizzy11 with exhaustion.
The sight of a small village on the hillslope12 made me rub my eyes in disbelieve. I saw
a woman fetching water from the well and I quickened my steps towards her. Before I
even reached her, I fell down unconscious. When I woke up, I found myself lying here,
on this very bed.
1. fasten /'f%sn/ (v) buoc chat
2. panic-stricken /,p%n1k 'str1kn/ (adj) trong trang thai hoang s, kinh hai
3. patter /'p%t6(r)/ (v) keu lop cop, ri lop op
4. ferocious /f6'r6$~6s/ (adj) d doi - ferociously /-l1/ (adv)
5. perpendicular /p3:p6n'd1kj$l6(r)/ (adj) vuong goc, thang ng
6. eerie /'16r1/ (adj) s hai
7. spin /sp1n/ (v) quay tron, lon vong
8. woe /w6$2/ (n) noi thong kho ln - a cry of woe : tieng keu khoc tham thiet
9. crash /kr%~/ (v) va, ung, am vao
10. wreckage /'rek1d2/ (n) manh vun, vat o nat
11. dizzy /'d1z1/ (adj) chong mat, choang vang
12. hillslope /'h1lsl6$p/ (n) sn oi

81. A FREAK1 ACCIDENT

MOT TAI NAN KY D
I sat on the back seat of the bus with a couple of friends. We were on our way to school.
It was early morning and the cool air hitting against my face was very refreshing.
Slowly the old amber-coloured bus made its way towards the main road that led to our
school. The driver stopped the bus at the junction2 as the lights were red. We waited for
the lights to change.
Suddenly the bus lurched3 to one side ! I literally saw school-children in front of me
float up in the air for a split-second. The next moment we were all either on the floor of
the bus or desperately clinging4 to our seats. I was one of the former. What happened ?
For a few seconds, there was pandemonium5 in the bus. I could hear screaming and
yelling. I tried to stand up but I found it difficult. Then I realized that the bus was aslant6
at such an angle that we were almost stacked7 against the right side of the bus.
Then we heard the bus driver shouting at us to get out. We scrambled out through all
available exits including the windows. Schoolchildren are pretty agile.8 So, soon all of us
were out of the bus.
We stood on the road and gaped9 at the sight before us. The bus had fallen into a huge
hole ! Well, most of the right front end of the bus anyway, for there right in front of us
was a huge hole of about 2 metres diameter and a metre deep !
The right front wheel of the bus was right smack in the hole while the rest of the bus
hung precariously at the edge.
Miraculously,10 except for a few bruises, none of us was badly hurt. The driver was
worst off. He lost a tooth when he hit his face against the steering wheel.
How did the bus fall into a hole while standing still ? The only answer must be that the
road underneath the bus must have given way.
Closer examination of the hole showed that it was actually part of an underground drain.
The collapsed part must have been weakened through prolonged use and it was just our
luck that it gave way when we were on top of it. What a freak accident it was!
Anyway, we waited patiently while a passerby called for a towtruck via his mobile
telephone. After half an hour it arrived and soon the bus was standing on firm ground again.
We climbed in and in a while we arrived at our school. We were late, but we had a good
reason to tell our teachers. As for the driver, he had to pay a visit to his dentist.
1. freak /fri:k/ (n) hanh ong hay s kien rat khac thng
2. junction /'d2^k~n/ (n) giao lo
3. lurch /l3:t~/ (v) nghieng hoac lan ot ngot
4. cling /kl17/ (v) bam chat vao (ai / cai g)
5. pandemonium /p%nd1'm6$n16m/ (n) s hon loan va huyen nao
6. aslant /6'sl@:nt/ (adv) theo mot hng xien hoac cheo qua
7. stack /st%k/ (v) xep thanh cum, chong len nhau
8. agile /'%d2a1l/ (adj) nhanh nhen, lanh li
9. gape /9e1p/ (v) ha hoc mom nhn cham cham
10. miraculous /m1'r%kj$l6s/ (adj) ky la, nh co phep than - miraculously /-l1/ (adv)

82. ACCIDENT IN THE LABORATORY

TAI NAN TRONG PHONG TH NGHIEM
After classes on Monday, we are passing near the chemistry laboratory when we saw a
strange figure1 running out of the chemistry lab. The stranger was tall with stooping2
shoulders. His hair was below his dirty shirt collar. The left leg of his dark blue jeans
was rolled up to his knees.
At first we thought that he was Mr. Tan, the laboratory assistant, but he was too shabbily
dressed to be Mr. Tan. While we were deciding who he was, we suddenly heard an
explosion in the lab. Without second thoughts, we rushed into the lab to investigate.3
We were greeted by thick black smoke when we opened the door of the lab. We
covered our mouths and noses with our handkerchiefs and with much difficulty, found
the source of the fire.
The three litre can of kerosene was undoubtedly the fire initiator.4 We took the little
pails5 at the corner of the lab to put out6 the fire. While we were struggling with this
little fire-fighting, we were rudely interrupted by a series of loud explosions behind us.
We turned around and to our horror we saw flames near the front door and also the
small fire exit by the left side of the lab.
We were trapped and the only way of escaping was through the narrow windows which
were barred7 with thick wire. We realized the hopelessness of the situation as we were
completely engulfed in thick fumes and smoke. The acid compartment8 of the cabinet
exploded and also caught fire. The smell was unbearable.
In between desperate gasps9 of breath, we shouted for help. In a few minutes we heard
the windows being broken. Then excited voices were heard outside. We could not see
even our own hands which were held in front of your eyes, let alone the crowd which
must have already gathered outside.
Our hearts beat vigorously as we waited patiently to be rescued. We controlled our
breaths and tried not to inhale much of the possibly poisonous fumes. Then, before we
realized it, we were pulled out of the lab, through the windows by fire-fighters.
Now that I'm feeling better, I can recall that my friends and I have seen the man,
possibly the culprit, loitering in the canteen outside during the break. We really hope
that the man can be traced10 and proper action be taken against him.
1. figure /'f196(r)/ (n) hnh dang con ngi
2. stoop /stu:p/ (v) khom xuong, gap xuong ve pha trc
3. investigate /1n'vest19e1t/ (v) kham pha va kiem tra (tat ca s kien ve cai g) e tm ra s that
4. initiator /1'n1~1e1t6(r)/ (n) ngi (vat) khi xng, khi au
5. pail /pe1l/ (n) cai xo
6. put out /p$t a$t/ (v) dap tat (ngon la, v.v)
7. bar /b@:/ (v) cai then (ca, cong)
8. compartment /k6m'p@:tm6nt/ (n) buong, ngan, gian
9. gasp /9%sp/ (n) s ht hi dai va nhanh
10. trace /tre1s/ (v) tm ra dau vet, truy nguyen

83. CLASS DUTY

TRC NHAT
Today, I went to school earlier than usual. When I stepped into the classroom, my two
classmates, Jason and Xiaoqiang, were already there. The other classmates had not
come in yet and this was the best time for us to do our class duty.
We divided our workload accordingly. I was put in charge1 of sweeping2 the floor, so I
stacked the chairs on the tables to make the job easier. After sweeping the floor. I took
down the chairs and arranged the tables. Meanwhile, Jason and Xiaoqiang dusted the
top of the cupboards with feather-dusters. They also used damp3 rags4 to wipe the
windows and the blackboard. After we had completed our jobs, the classroom looked
spick and span.
Besides the morning cleaning, the three of us also had to run errands5for our teachers
that day. We took turns to carry books for them. In between classes, we also made sure
that the blackboard was clean before the next teacher came in.
At the end of the day, our form teacher praised us for doing a good job. We were very
proud of ourselves. We felt that it was worth the effort to wake up a little earlier to do
our part for the class.
1. in charge /1n t~@:d2/ (idm) phu trach, chu trach nhiem
2. sweep /swi:p/ (v) quet (bui, rac, v.v)
3. damp /d%mp/ (adj) t, am t
4. rag /r%9/ (n) gie, gie rach
5. run errands /r^n 'er6nds/ (idm) chay viec vat

84. A WEEK BEFORE EXAMINATION

MOT TUAN TRC KY THI
Sundays are generally a fixed routine determined by the TV programmes. But the last
Sunday before the examinations was completely different. Of all the subjects, English
and Mathematics are the ones I fear most. I was determined not to waste the Sunday
before the exam and to spend the day on revision.1
I set the alarm clock at 4.30 am so that I can get up early and start my revision. But the
alarm did not ring and I got up very late. So I had to choose between English and
Mathematics for I was not worried about English. So I started on the Mathematics
problems, and I was stuck on my seventh problem. I was still trying to solve the problem
when I heard commotion2 at the front hall. My uncle has come with his family. My
room door burst open and my cousins came barging3 in. They sat in the side of the bed
and they started asking questions. My mother asked me to take my counsins to the
market. I went out in anger. It was almost lunchtime when I started again.
My cousins pestered4 me to take them around. I had no choice but to be obliged5 and
completely wasted all my time until the evening. I had some spare time after dinner. I
was still stuck with the seventh problem. In desperation,6 I threw away the book. The
sound must have jolted everyone and my uncle came in, sensing my inability, he
patiently explained the problem. I could not continue further due to shame and anger.
Thus the whole Sunday was totally wasted. Instead I could have watched television and
played with my cousins. I have lost both.
1. revision /r1'v12n/ (n) s on lai
2. commotion /k6'm6$~n/ (n) s chan ong, s huyen nao
3. barge /b@:d2/ (v) xong ba vao, xen vao mot cach tho lo
4. pester /'pest6(r)/ (v) lam phien, quay ray bang nhng oi hoi lien tuc
5. oblige /6'bla1d2/ (v) bat buoc, cng bach
6. desperation /desp6're1~n/ (n) trang thai tuyet vong

85. THE DAY I WAS SICK

NGAY TOI NGA BENH
I was completely drenched in the heavy downpour. When I reached home, I sneezed1
continuously and shivered2 with cold. That night, I felt weak and feverish.
The next morning, I did not go to school. My mother brought me to the doctor. He said I
had the flu3 and gave me an injection4 to speed up recovery. He also prescribed5 some
big white tablets for me. I was advised to drink more water, take more fresh fruits and
have plenty of rest.
When I reached home, I went straight to bed. I felt so weak that my mother had to carry
my meals and medicine to my bed. For lunch, my mother made me a light soup to go
with some bread. She also peeled an orange for me. After the simple but nutritious6
meal, I slept the whole afternoon away.
My best friend, Sufen, called me in the evening. She sounded concerned and asked me
to get better soon. She also told me some of the funny things that happened in school
that day to cheer me up.
That night, I felt much better. "Perhaps I can go back to school tomorrow," I thought
before falling asleep.
1. sneeze /sni:z/ (v) hat hi
2. shiver /'~1v6(r)/ (v) run (do lanh hoac s hai)
3. flu /flu:/ (n) (= influenza) benh cum
4. injection /1n'd2ek~n/ (n) viec tiem thuoc
5. prescribe /pr1'skra1b/ (v) ke toa (thuoc)
6. nutritious /nju:'tr1~6s/ (adj) bo, dinh dng

86. THE DAY I WAS LATE FOR SCHOOL

NGAY TOI TRE HOC
It was well past midnight but I was still up watching the World Cup Soccer Finals. My
mother was away on a tour, so I was free to stay up as late as I liked.
The next morning, even the two alarm clocks ringing loudly did not wake me up ! I
finally woke up from a nightmare in which my favourite football team was defeated. It
was already eight in the morning ! I jumped out of bed and quickly washed my face.
Then slipping into1 my school uniform, I ran out of the flat.
I ran to school as fast as my legs could carry me. In my haste,2 I tripped3 and fell,
bruising my knees. When I finally reached school, I was a sorry sight. Before I could
catch my breath to greet my teacher, she asked me, "Who won the World Cup Germany or Argentina ?" The whole class roared with laughter. Weekly, I apologized
for being late and added, "Germany won."
I was not allowed to sit for4 the class test because I was too late. I felt ashamed5 of
myself and resolved never to stay up so late again.
1. slip into /'sl1p 1nt6/ (v) mac vao that nhanh, mac voi
2. in haste /he1st/ (idm) mot cach nhanh chong voi vang
3. trip /tr1p/ (v) vap chan vao cai g va trt hoac nga
4. sit for /s1t f6(r)/ (v) tham d (mot k thi)
5. (be) ashamed (of) /6'~e1md/ (adj) cam thay ho then

87. THE HAPPIEST DAY IN MY LIFE

NGAY HANH PHUC NHAT TRONG I TOI
It was Prize-presentation1 Day. I was chosen to be the model student of the year on the
recommendation2 of my teachers and class-mates. I was happy that they thought so
well of me.
When I went up the stage to collect the prestigious3 medal and cash award, I was filled
with pride and joy. All my teachers and friends congratulated4 me warmly. My parents
beamed5 widely. They were very proud of me.
After the prize-giving ceremony, my parents brought me to a 'Toys-R-Us' shop. There,
they bought me a remote-controlled6 model aircraft as a reward for being such a good
student. I was overjoyed because I had wanted the model for a long time.
In extremely good moods, we proceeded to MacDonalds for dinner. We had Big Macs,
french fries, milk-shakes and my favourite, chicken Mcnuggets.
That night, I played with my model aircraft before going to bed. For once, my puppy
was allowed to sleep with since it was such a special day. Even the night was filled with
sweet dreams. It was probably the happiest day in my life.
1. presentation /prezn'te1~n/ (n) qua bieu / tang trong buoi le chnh thc
2. recommendation /rek6men'de1~n/ (n) s gii thieu, s e c
3. prestigious /pre'st1d26s/ (adj) co uy tn, em lai uy tn
4. congratulate /k6n'9r%t~$le1t/ (v) chuc mng
5. beam /bi:m/ (v) ti ci rang r
6. remote-controlled /r1,m6$t k6n'tr6$ld/ (adj) c ieu khien t xa

88. A DAY WHEN EVERYTHING WENT WRONG

NGAY MOI VIEC EU HONG
It was a bright and sunny day. Little did I expect it to be an unlucky one for me.
I went to school early because I was on class duty. I stepped into the classroom and was
surprised to find it spick and span.1 I was pleased that I did not have to clean the
classroom and went off cheerfully for the flag-raising ceremony. When I returned to my
classroom later on, my teacher scolded2 me for not cleaning the classroom. It was then
that I realized I had gone into the wrong classroom earlier on. My teacher put me on
duty again the next day as punishment.
Just then, the school dental nurse walked into the classroom. To my dismay, I was called
up for a dental check-up.
The dentist found a badly decayed3 tooth and pulled it out mercilessly.4 I was close to
tears. The dentist advised me to take porridge during recess. However, I ended up
scalding5 my tongue because I ate the hot porridge in a hurry.
After school, I missed the bus and reached home later than usual. In the kitchen, I found
a note from my mother saying that she had brought my brother to a funfair. They had
left without me after much waiting. What hard luck ! I would not want to live through
another such day !
1. spick and span /sp1k 6nd sp%n/ (idm) sach se va ngan nap
2. scold /sk6$ld/ (v) ray la, chi mang
3. decayed /d1'ke1d/ (adj) (ve rang) b sau an
4. merciless /'m3:s1l1s/ (adj) tan nhan, khong thng xot
5. scald /sk0:ld/ (v) lam bong (bang chat long soi hoac hi nc)

89. AN UNLUCKY DAY

NGAY KHONG MAY
I woke up with a pain in the back of my neck. I could hardly turn my head. I strained to
look at the clock on the table. It showed six fifty. My goodness, I must have overslept. It
looked like I would be late for school.
Quickly I ran to the bathroom only to find it occupied. I waited impatiently for another
five minutes before my sister appeared. I dashed1 into the bathroom to have a shower.2
My goodness, the water was freezing cold. Those who had their shower before me had
used up all the hot water. So I had no choice but to have a really quick cold shower.
After washing up I felt a bit better. I returned to my room to dress up for school. It
seemed to take such a long time to dress up when I had to hurry. Finally I managed to
and hurried downstairs to the kitchen to grab3 something to eat.
There was nothing but cold coffee and bread crusts left. My greedy brothers and sisters
had eaten everything. My mother told me it served me right4 for getting up late. I
sighed and got out of the house. I mounted5my bicycle and moved two metres before I
realised that I had forgotten my school bag. I dismounted and hurried upstairs to get it. I
moved another two metres after remounting the bicycle before I realised I had a flat6
tyre.
It was so infuriating.7 I wanted to scream. My neck hurt, I took a cold shower, had no
breakfast and now the tyre had to be flat. But I calmed myself, got down and pushed the
bicycle to a shop half a kilometre away.
As though expecting things to turn out wrong, I was not surprised to find the shop closed.
It was seven thirty. I was late for school but was too early for the shop to open. So I left
the bicycle in front of the shop. They would know that it was my bicycle.
I walked to the bus stand a stone's throw away and waited. The bus came at eight. I was
really late for school.
When I finally arrived at school, classes were in full session. In fact the first period was
over. The headmaster caught me coming late and gave me a terrific scolding, but I was
in no mood to argue. I just wanted to get to class.
I entered my class when the mathematics teacher was there. I received another scolding
for being late. Five minutes later I received yet another for forgetting to bring my
instrument box. Of all days, we were having geometry8 and I had no intruments. So I
spent the period watching the others do their sums.
The rest of the day in school was one big mess. I could not concentrate. I sort of9 went
through the lessons half-aware of them. When the bell finally rang to signal the end of
the day I was so glad to go home.
However that was not the end yet.
After lunch I wanted to take a nap, but I could not get to sleep because of the pain in my
neck. So I tossed and turned which made the pain worse. Finally I gave up and went into
the garden to relax.
Evening came and I did not even bother to go and play games. I just wanted to have
dinner and go to bed.
After what seemed to be a long wait my sister told me dinner was ready. I had a quick
dinner as I did not have an appetite. After dinner I rested for a while, had a shower and

then went to bed. It was not even nine yet but I was so glad to get into bed and let sleep
embrace me. It had been a hard day when nothing went right.
1. dash (into) /d%~/ (v) xong vao, lao vao
2. shower /'~a$6(r)/ (n) viec tam di voi hoa sen
3. grab /9r%b/ (v) co hoac lay (cai g) mot cach voi va
4. serve sb right (idm) ang i ai
5. mount /ma$nt/ (v) leo len, treo len dismount /d1s'ma$nt/ (v) leo xuong
6. flat /fl%t/ (adj) (ve lop xe) b xep
7. infuriating /1n'fj$6r1e1t17/ (adj) lam noi gian ien ngi
8. geometry /d21'4m6tr1/ (n) mon hnh hoc
9. sort of /s0:t 6v/ (idm) chng mc nao o

90. A DAY I SPENT IN STRANGE SURROUNDINGS

MOT NGAY TRONG MOI TRNG XA LA
I have a cousin, Brian, who is a writer for a newspaper in Kuala Lumpur. Last year
when I visited him, he told me that he had an assignment1 to write about life in a remote
village in the national forest reserve in Pahang. He challenged2 me, a city boy, to
accompany him and experience a day in totally unfamiliar surroundings.
We drove to a small town where we boarded a boat for the ride down the river. The boat
was a long one with just a few seats. Most of the passengers sat on the floor.
The journey was a thrilling adventure. The boat had to pass through a number of rapids,
and at certain points the boatman used a long pole to steer it. Brian and I were obviously
excited but the other passengers took it in a casual, even bored, way. To them, it was an
usual occurrance. "They have to take this journey every time they need to go to town.
Look at you, you have the MRT and you complain if the journey is longer than 40
minutes !" Brian teased3 me.
After three hours in the boat, we reached our destination. After getting off at the pier,
the first building that we saw was the village shop. Actually, it was a small shop
crammed with canned and dry food. Brian chatted with the owner and we found out that
the shop was also the only place in the village where people buy their stamps and
newspapers. However the postal service and the newspaper delivery came only once a
week.
He then showed us the direction to the headman's house. The headman's name was Tok
Kassim. When we found his house, he invited us in and told us stories about himself and
his village. Then he took us for a tour around the village. Since bicycle was the only
form of transport, people walked from place to place.
The village was very peaceful and green. The river was the focal4 place of the villagers.
We saw people fishing in the river and women washing their clothes there. But what
struck me most was the way the children enjoyed it. They swam in it, and they rode in
rafts5 which they put together from bamboo poles.
Tok Kassim recounted6 the time when his father and the other villagers rebelled
against British rule. The river was often the battlefront between the two opponents. He
talked about the river as though it was an old friend. He explained how it had seen them
through the worst of times like the starvation7 they experienced during the Japanese
occupation of Malaya, and how the river has helped them throughout their lives.
That night we had a wonderful dinner at Tok Kassim's house. Many of the villagers
came and brought some food. A neighbour even brought fresh money still attached to
pieces of honeycomb. It was one of the most natural food I have ever tasted.
The next morning, we left on the boat. During the journey, I thought about how strange
the life of this village and the surroundings seemd to me and my friends in Singapore.
Despite the simplicity of their lives, they are strong people who could weather bad
times.
But most of all, while we talk about "green" living, these people are quietly practising it.

1. assignment /6'sa1nm6nt/ (n) nhiem vu c giao

2. challenge /'t~%l1nd2/ (v) thach, thach thc
3. tease /ti:z/ (v) chong gheo, treu choc
4. focal /'f6$kl/ (adj) thuoc ve hoac v tr tieu iem
5. raft /r@:ft/ (n) be, mang
6. recount /r1'ka$nt/ (v) thuat lai, ke lai
7. starvation /st@:'ve1~n/ (n) s oi, s chet oi

91. A SMALL QUARREL

MOT CUOC TRANH CAI NHO NHAT
People these days are become quite quarrelsome. They have very little tolerance1 and
small incidents which should be accepted with a smile can make them lose their
tempers. Quarrelling have become more and frequent. I have personally witnessed a
quarrel.
My friends and I were at the park. There was also a small field for the children. I saw
two boys quarrelling over a ball. I tried to stop them, to my surprise I saw two ladies
approaching, I thought they were going to thank me for having stopped the boys from
quarrelling. Instead of thanking me and take their kids home, they started quarrelling
themselves. They started screaming at each other.
The passers-by were astounded and soon gathered around, none tried to stop them.
Instead some added fuel to the fire2 by their comments. Soon they seemed to be
exhausted by their verbal warfare and were about to exchange blows when suddenly
two policemen appeared.
The policemen refused to listen and in their authoritative manner, silenced the both of
them. The police questioned them about the fight. To everyone's surprise, they pointed
to me as the witness and alleged3 that one of the boys had taken the other's ball. The
policemen looked at me for an answer. I tried to explain that I was in no way concerned.
Suddenly one of the policeman pointed at the two boys who were now playing happily
and not paying much attention to what was going nearby. The two women were
ashamed of themselves and left immediately.
1. tolerance /'t4l6r6ns/ (n) s chu ng, s dung th
2. add fuel to the fire (idm) cham dau vao la, noi vo lam ngi ta phan ng manh me hn
3. allege /6'led2/ (v) tuyen bo (cai g) la s that nhng khong chng minh

92. A QUARREL AMONG FRIENDS

VU CAI CO GIA BAN BE
I saw John and Rajoo shouting at each other near the school field. A few students had
gathered around them. I walked towards them so that I could find out what was
happening.
John appeared to be more angry than Rajoo. He kept saying that his composition was the
better one, and that it was not fair. Whenever John shouted at him, Rajoo also lost his
patience and shouted back. He said that John was a bad loser.
After listening for a while, I gathered that the argument was about the prize for the best
English composition in class. Rajoo had won it. But John felt that his composition was
better and that Rajoo had won it because he was the favourite of Miss Chan, the English
teacher. Of course, Rajoo denied1 this and was angry at John for making the
accusation.2
Their argument grew louder and a student called Miss Chan to the scene. When she
arrived, she scolded them for making such a commotion, and asked them what was the
argument about. When they had finished explaining, she turned to John and told him that
his accusation was unfair.3 There were two other teachers besides Miss Chan who
judged the compositions. John's composition was a close second to Rajoo's.
Ms Chan added that they were both good students and that she was proud of them.
Rajoo's winning composition would appear in the yearbook representing the class. Since
John's composition was very good, she would try to include his in the yearbook as well.
Both boys seemed to accept Miss Chan's explanation. John then apologised to Rajoo for
shouting at him. Rajoo accepted his apology and offered his hand. John grasped4 it and,
with friendly smiles on their faces, they shook hands.
1. deny /d1'na1/ (v) phu nhan, t choi
2. accusation /%kju:'ze1~n/ (n) s buoc toi
3. unfair /^n'fe6(r)/ (adj) khong cong bang, bat cong
4. grasp /9r@:sp/ (v) nam chat lay (bang tay, v.v)

93. MY EXPERIENCE IN RIDING A BICYCLE

KINH NGHIEM CHAY XE AP CUA TOI
I have a memorable experience when I was five years old. My father bought for me a
medium sized learner's bicycle, with two side wheels. I was very happy. For a year, I
practised every morning and evening. But, after that I envied1 other boys who could ride
their bicycles without the two side wheels. I wanted to be able to ride a normal bicycle.
So one day, I asked my father to remove2 the side wheels.
At first, he hesitated,3 fearing I might fall and get myself injured.4 I was his only child.
But my mother persuaded and nagged5 him everyday. Finally, but reluctantly he
removed the side wheels for me. Initially, my father hold the seat, I had nothing to
worry about. As I started to pedal,6 the wheels responded beautifully, I was thrilled7
and I kept pedalling for quite a distance. Suddenly, I realised that my father was not
beside me. I pressed the brakes and I fell on my side. My father started laughing and
came running towards me. He helped me up and asked me to try again, I tried and
slowly I gained confidence. But I was only able to move straight.
Within a week of continuous practice, I was able to pedal without help. The feeling of
achievement was so immense that my heart was filled with pride and joy. In two weeks,
I was able to ride my bicycle with the other boys.
I had many falls, but they were worth it. Now I can ride my bicycle well and have no
fear at all. I am now eagerly looking forward to the day when I can ride my own
motorcycle.
1. envy /'env1/ (v) ganh t
2. remove /r1'mu:v/ (v) thao ra
3. hesitate /hez1'te1t/ (v) ngan ng, do d
4. injured /'1nd26d/ (adj) b thng, b ton thng
5. nag /n%9/ (v) quay ray (ai) lien tuc
6. pedal /'pedl/ (v) ap (bang ban ap)
7. thrilled /8r1ld/ (adj) xuc ong, hoi hop

94. MY FIRST AIR TRAVEL

CHUYEN DU LCH BANG MAY BAY AU TIEN CUA TOI
My first experience in air travel was at the age of nine. My father and mother were
planning the trip. When I asked them where we were going, they told me that we are all
going to Hongkong by flight. I was so excited and waited nervously for the day of
departure.
It was a Wednesday. My father had booked1 three tickets on the Singapore Airlines
flight to Hongkong. The flight was leaving at noon. We arrived at Changi airport around
10 a.m. to check in our luggage and confirm2 our seats. We completed the routine check
up and passed the brightly lit duty free shops to board our plane. The air hostess smiled
and said "hello" and directed us to our seats. It was a Bigtop aircraft and I occupied the
window seat. All seats were soon occupied and the air hostess demonstrated3 the
emergency procedures.4 In the meantime5 the aircraft started to move along the
runway. We checked whether we had fastened our seat belts. Then the aircraft started to
take off6 at high speed. As I looked through the window I saw the beautiful landscape,
houses, cars and ships became very tiny within minutes that we were airborne.
In about fifteen minutes we were invited to undo our seat belts. The air hostess served
us drinks. I looked outside and I could see nothing but clouds. In a short while, they
served a delicious lunch. The air hostesses were nice and polite. I was just simply
enjoying every moment of my first air travel. More than three hours passed before the
plane began to descend. We were asked to fasten our seat belts once again. Suddenly
the plane began to shudder7 mildly. My father told me it is due to air turbulence8 and
there was nothing to worry. In a few minutes I was able to see the magnificent view of
Hongkong's coastline and the sea. All of a sudden the building looked very near and in
no time the flight landed smoothly at Kai Tak airport. The plane finally parked at the
end of the runway and we disembarked.9
My first experience on a plane was a memorable one which I shall never forget.
1. book /b$k/ (v) mua trc (ve, v.v)
2. confirm /k6n'f3:m/ (v) khang nh, xac nhan
3. demonstrate /'dem6nstre1t/ (v) trnh bay va giai thch (cach van hanh cua cai g, v.v)
4. procedure /pr6'si:d26(r)/ (n) thu tuc
5. in the meantime /mi:nta1m/ (idm) trong luc o
6. take off /te1k 4f/ (v) cat canh
7. shudder /'~^d6(r)/ (v) lac, giat manh, rung len
8. turbulence /'t3:bj$l6ns/ (n) s nhieu loan (cua khong kh, nc)
9. disembark /d1s1m'b@:k/ (v) ri tau thuy hoac may bay

95. MY FIRST RIDE ON A HORSE

CHUYEN CI NGA LAN AU CUA TOI
My first ride on a horse dispelled1 forever whatever previous notions2 I had about riding
horses. I had thought that it was easy to ride a horse just like the cowboys on television.
I realised how wrong I was through a rather painful experience.
I was down in Australia visiting my relatives when they decided to take me horse-riding
one Sunday. I was thrilled. So we hopped into my cousin's car and headed towards one
of the many riding schools on the outskirts of Melbourne.
We managed to book five horses at a riding school. The man in charge asked whether
we knew how to ride a horse. Everybody said yes except me. I had never seen a live
horse before that time, let alone3 ridden one. The man asked me to mount the smallest
one.
I mounted up surprising myself at my ability. I thought I was already an expert. The man
gave me the reins4 and said, "Pull the reins to the right to turn right, pull to the left to
turn left".
I nodded confidently and took the reins. Next moment I lost the reins as the horse pulled
them from my hands. The silly horse had reached down to graze5 on the grass making
me lose my grip.6 The man laughed and returned the reins to me.
After a while, my cousins started to move their horses slowly towards a large field. My
horse followed. Initially I felt myself wobbling7 a bit but I kept my balance. This was
not going to be easy, I thought. How right I was !
Gradually the other horses picked up the pace. My horse followed suit. I felt my bottom
bump8 up and down against the saddle.9 Still it was manageable. Soon the bumping
became uncomfortable as the horses moved faster and faster.
Suddenly I saw my cousins begin to gallop10 their horses. I wanted to protest11 for I was
definitely losing control of my horse. Before any words left my mouth the silly horse of
mine began galloping too. I hung on for dear life12 as I was bounced up and down on the
saddle. However hanging on for dear life was not enough. I lost my right stirrup13 and
immediately began to slide down the horse's left flank.14 I clutched15 desperately on the
horse's mane16 but it was no good. The next moment I fell off the horse.
I landed with a mighty thud17 onto the ground. For a moment all I saw was white clouds
against blue sky. Then I realised I was lying flat on the ground. I picked myself up.
Except for being winded a bit, I was otherwise unhurt. I was lucky. I looked around and
saw fours riders and five horses galloping into the distance. They did not even know that
I had fallen.
I turned around and headed back to the riding school on foot. I had had my share of
riding that day. Before I reached the school I heard horses behind me. My cousins had
discovered my disappearance and promptly returned to look for me. They laughed
loudly at my misfortune but were glad that I was not hurt. They urged me to remount the
horse but I declined.18 I told them to carry on without me. Then I took the reins of my
horse and led it back to the school.
For the rest of the week I had to rest my sore bottom and aching muscles. My first ride
on a horse was certainly an unforgettable one.

1. dispel /d1'spel/ (v) xua tan

2. notion /'n6$~n/ (n) khai niem, y niem
3. let alone /let 6'l6$n/ (idm) khong ke, ng noi g en, huong chi la
4. rein /re1n/ (n) day cng
5. graze /9re1z/ (v) (ve gia suc, v.v) gam co
6. grip /9r1p/ (n) hanh ong nam chat, gi chat
7. wobble /'w4bl/ (v) lac l, lao ao
8. bump /b^mp/ (n) va cham hoac ap (bo phan cua c the)
9. saddle /'s%dl/ (n) yen nga
10. gallop /'9%l6p/ (v) (ve nga hay ngi ci nga) phi nc ai
11. protest /pr6'test/ (v) phan khang, phan oi
12. for dear life (idm) thuc mang
13. stirrup /'st1r6p/ (n) ban ap nga
14. flank /fl%7k/ (n) sn (vat hoac ngi)
15. clutch /kl^t~/ (v) gi chat lay trong ban tay
16. mane /me1n/ (n) bm (nga, s t, v.v)
17. thud /8^d/ (n) tieng thch, tieng uch
18. decline /d1'kla1n/ (v) t choi

96. A CRUISE1
MOT CUOC DU NGOAN TREN BIEN
It was a sunny day. My father drove the whole family to Clifford pier. We were going
on a cruise on board the Equator Dream. My brother and I were very excited as we had
never been on a cruise before.
The Equator Dream is a big ship with four storeys. It has a huge dining room and a
lounge.2 On the lowest level is a discotheque3 which my father said is not a suitable
place for children. On the highest level is a sun deck4 where most people will gather
during the day.
We cruised around Singapore. We were served a buffet lunch on board. Then, we went
up on the deck to enjoy the sunshine and the sea breeze. The scenery was beautiful.
In the evening, we were treated to a delicious Chinese meal. After dinner, we went to
the lounge to chat and laze about. Of course, we also went up on the deck again to look
at the captivating5 night scene of Singapore. We could see the lights on the island
flickering6 from afar.
Slowly, the lights became larger and brighter. The Equator Dream docked and we
disembarked at World Trade Centre. It had been an interesting trip and all of us went
home feeling satisfied and happy.
1. cruise /kru:z/ (n) chuyen dao chi tren bien
2. lounge /la$nd2/ (n) phong ngoi chi cong cong ( khach san, cau lac bo, v.v)
3. discotheque /'d1sk6tek/ (n) phong nhay disco, ni moi ngi nhay theo cac ieu nhac
pop tren a hat, v.v
4. deck /dek/ (n) boong tau
5. captivating /'k%pt1ve1t17/ (adj) quyen ru, me hoac
6. flicker /'fl1k6(r)/ (v) nhap nhay, lap loe

97. A CLASS EXCURSION1

CHUYEN I CHI CUA LP
It was a bright Saturday morning. The school holidays had just begun and my form
teacher, Mrs Zhang, had promised to bring the whole class on an excursion to the
Botanic Garden.
A bus was chartered2 to take us there. We assembled at school punctually and Mrs
Zhang did a head count before we boarded the bus. It was a long way to Botanic Garden
and we sang songs merrily on the way.
Soon, we reached our destination. It was a beautiful place. We made a short tour round
the garden and snapped3 some pictures of the whole class. We then found a spacious
piece of grassland and played some games there. Even Mrs Zhang joined in the fun.
When it was one o'clock, we unpacked the food we brought and tucked into4 the
noodles, sandwiches, fruits and barley drink.
In the afternoon, we went to listen to a choral performance by the National Junior
College choir at the garden. They sang very well.
All too soon, it was time to leave. However, we cheered when Mrs Zhang promised to
bring us on another excursion during the December holidays.
1. excursion /1k'sk3:~n/ (n) cuoc i chi ngan ngay cung vi mot nhom ngi
2. charter /'t~@:t6(r)/ (v) thue (mot phng tien van chuyen v mot muc ch ac biet)
3. snap /sn%p/ (v) chup nhanh (mot bc anh)
4. tuck into sth /t^k/ (v) an (cai g) mot cach ngon lanh, an ngau nghien

98. A PICNIC
MOT CUOC PICNIC
My father came from his office one day and told us that we were going to the nearby
island for a picnic. He asked us to guess the island. My brother and I shouted together
"Sentosa !" He gave us a smile. He then asked my mother to prepare food for the picnic.
My elder sister, younger brother and I started to plan for the trip. We were so excited
that we could hardly sleep that night.
My father took us in his car. He chose Saturday as the island will not be overcrowded.
We arrived at the World Trade Centre and took the cable car to Sentosa. We reached
Sentosa cable car station and took a monorail1 to the beach.
Soon after arrival my mother spotted a thick shady tree and spread out a large cloth
beneath the tree. She then arranged food and drinks on it. Unable to control our anxiety
we started pestering our father to take us for a swim. He gladly accepted, leaving my
younger brother in my mother's custody.2 We dashed into the blue waters.
The water was cool and refreshing, we splashed and frolicked in the water. Several
people bathing nearby gave cold stares. Sensing their irritation3 at our mischief my
father apologized to them and ordered us not to be too naughty.4 My mother was
cooling herself lying under the tree feeding my younger brother.
It was nearly an hour, we came out of the water fearing that we may get a sunburn. We
applied5 oil lotion over our body and we played in the water for another half an hour.
Meantime my mother had arranged our food and called us up to eat. We realised that we
had to stop playing and came out of the water half heartedly.
It was simly too hot by then and after lunch we felt too tired to continue laying. So we
helped our mother to pick up our things and prepared to go home.
1. monorail /'m4n6$re1l/ (n) ng xe la mot ray
2. custody /'k^st6d1/ (n) (quyen hoac nhiem vu) coi soc ai / cai g
3. inrritation /1r1'te1~n/ (n) s noi cau hoac chu
4. naughty /'n0:t1/ (adj) nghch ngm
5. apply /6'pla1/ (v) boi hoac phet (cai g len cai g)

99. AN EXCURSION TO NEARBY ISLANDS

CUOC I CHI EN NHNG HON AO LAN CAN
Excursions are a part of education. One day we had a pleasant surprise when our
teacher told us that we are going on an excursion to the nearby islands around
Singapore. The coming Sunday was chosen and we were asked to be at school around
6.30 am. We were very happy and waited eagerly for the day. In the meantime we
planned the programme for the trip.
On that day everyone were present as early as 6 o'clock. A bus had been arranged to
take us to the World Trade Center pier1 to take the launch for the islands. There was a
big crowd of holiday makers buying tickets. But our tickets had been arranged and one
launch had already been reserved for us. We all rushed in, I and my friends took seats
so that we can have a better view. My teachers cautioned us about the danger of leaning
on the boat's rail and looking over the sea. The boat left the pier around 8 am and we
enjoyed scenes of huge ships anchored at the harbour and some big tankers in the deep
seas.
The boat moved faster into the sea where it was rough. The boat started swinging from
side to side. The early morning breeze was so cool and very soon the boat berthed2 at
Kusu island, which is known for its Chinese temple. We then had our breakfast and
snacks and we wasted no time to explore3 the beach.
We left the island in an hour time and our next stop was St. Johns islands. The sea was
clear crystal blue and even at that time we saw many swimmers and some were resting
under the tree. Some holiday makers were watching us play and some were irriated by
our mischief. We finished our lunch there and our next stops were Pulau Pinane,
Sentosa and other islands. Our boat merely passed by the island and we were not
allowed to disembark as time was running short.
We returned to the World Trade Centre pier around 5 pm, and quickly the bus took us
home.
1. pier /p16(r)/ (n) ben tau, cau tau
2. berth /b3:8/ (v) (ve con tau) en ni buoc, tha neo
3. explore /1k'spl0:(r)/ (v) tham do, tham hiem

100. AN EVENING IN A LUXURIOUS1 BOAT

MOT BUOI TOI TREN CHIEC THUYEN SANG TRONG
A journey by boat is a pleasant experience, but think of a journey in the most luxurious
boat. I had a chance to enjoy such an experience.
My father and his friends decided to go on a cruise with the family. They collected some
money between them. The company also paid a share and they booked an evening in
the luxury boat named Sealiner. A cruise covering a round trip of Singapore with a
dinner and dance was arranged.
The invitation allowed for five members of each family. The boat was to leave around 5
p.m. sharp so we were asked to be at the pier before 4 p.m. Entrance was by invitation
only. People started gathering at the quay2 around 4 p.m. One by one, we were allowed
inside the boat. Before boarding we were asked to take a lucky number.
The boat left the quay exactly at 5 p.m. Light music was played and the guests were
asked to help themselves with the drinks. The boat sailed along the coast and we could
see Pulau Pinani, Sentosa and even Johore from the boat. Dance started at around 6 p.m.
and the youngsters danced to their heart's content. At about 7.30 p.m, the boat
anchored3 in mid sea, and everyone was asked to come to the top deck for a buffet
dinner. There were more than ten varieties of delicious food.
When the dinner was over, the boat started to sail again. In the meantime, the lucky
numbers were drawn. I won a prize of a hi-fi stereo cassette recorder for my lucky
number 12. It was the third prize. The boat arrived at the starting point around 9 p.m.
and we went home very happy.
1. luxurious /l^9'2$6r16s/ (adj) sang trong, long lay
2. quay /ki:/ (n) ke, ben cang
3. anchor /'%7k6(r)/ (v) tha neo

101. A JOURNEY BY CAR TO A DISTANT TOWN

CUOC HANH TRNH BANG XE HI EN MOT THANH PHO XA XOI
When considering the distance a train journey ought to have been preferred, but my
family decided this time to go by car. Our family friend offered his Sedan at our service.
The car was a well-maintained one and could stand the long journey. We wanted to
avoid the morning rush on the road and so we started early morning after having tea. All
our luggage was packed in and the four of us left. Besides ourselves there was of course
the driver.
Even before we were on the road the day was breaking. There was not much traffic on
the road, except for stray1 animals and the early risers. We sped along the road for
nearly 50 km. We stopped at a hotel where we had a hearty breakfast with hot rolls,
cheese, fried eggs and muffins. By the time we left the sun was up and the day was
becoming hot. We talked of many things, from the latest film to the forthcoming
election2 and many joke to cut the boredom.
Though we were a family we had different views and opinions on a number of things. If
one could swear by the hippie cult,3 another could equally speak about the value of
transcendental4 meditation.5 It is a wonder that such a disparate6 group could occur in
a family.
After sometime we switched over to the cassette player and enjoyed the song, hits of
some famous musicians. This invention is a great boon7 to a lonely traveller. Unlike the
record player, the cassette is handy and the tape has a longer space and can be erased
and recorded.
We stopped at a way side petrol kiosk for refuelling.8 The road we took was the
national highway and so travel was not particularly tedious. We drove past many
vehicles, lorries, buses, vans and trucks. One the way we saw a coconut vendor. It was
so tempting that we stopped for a few drinks. The cool, sweet drink was like ambrosia.9
As we were nearing our destination, we just stopped to get out of the car in order to tidy
up.10 After that we continued our journey till we reached our hotel where rooms had
been reserved. We were happy that we were able to cover such a distance in a car
without any event.
1. stray /stre1/ (adj) tha rong
2. election /1'lek~n/ (n) cuoc bau c
3. cult /k^lt/ (n) s sung bai hoac ngng mo oi vi ai / cai g
4. transcendental /tr%nsen'dentl/ (adj) tien nghiem
5. meditation /med1'te1~n/ (n) s suy ngam
6. disparate /'d1sp6r6t/ (adj) khac nhau, tap nham
7. boon /bu:n/ (n) moi li, li ch
8. refuel /ri:'fj$6l/ (v) tiep nhien lieu
9. ambrosia /%m'br6$z16/ (n) cao lng my v
10. tidy (up) /'ta1d1 ^p/ (v) sa soan te chnh

102. A DARING RESCUE

MOT CUOC GIAI CU DUNG CAM
It was a seven storeyed buiding that had caught fire. The lower floors were used for
offices and shops. In the three upper floors people were living with their families. There
were several families living in the flats.
The fire started in a paint godown1 on the first floor. How it all started nobody knew.
The fire was notice only when it began to rage. It was an ungodly2 hour when the fire
broke out. The fire was noticed first by a night watch man who raised an alarm. He
phoned up promptly for the fire service and police. It was sometime before the fire
engines came to the scene. By then the fire had spread to the other floors. Between fire
and smoke there were cries of anguish3 and despair. People were at first rescued with
the help of ladders and lifts. In the confusion4 that prevailed5 nobody knew who was
rescued. In such circumstances people tend to be very selfish.
The fire fighters though they had rescued all. Then suddenly a lady remembered that
her child who was sleeping in the cradle6 had not been rescued. One can understand her
anguish and pain. She began beating her breast and wailing7 thinking that her baby
would have perished8 by then in the fire. One of the firemen did not lose hope. He told
the lady assuringly that if the child was still alive he would go and surely save it.
He drenched himself with water, got up the ladder in spite of the warning given by his
colleagues. Walls were crumbling9 down and beams were falling and tongues of fire
were still to be seen. Worst of all there was a thick pall of smoke. The man managed to
get a foothold on a window. He got into the room and with great difficulty he was able to
locate the cradle. It was a miracle that the fire had not done much damage to the side
where the cradle was located. He took the screaming child and rolled it in a wet blanket
which he had brought. He quickly strode to the window and called his colleagues who
were waiting anxiously below with a foam mat. He threw the valuable bundle down. His
colleagues caught it with dexterity10 and the child was moved to a place of safety. No
words can explain the joy of the mother.
In the meantime the fireman slipped down the ladder. In spite of the precautions he had
taken, there were burns on his body. He was promptly taken to the hospital and given
proper treatment. In appreciation of his service the authorities rewarded a medal to him.
That was the proudest moment in the life of the fireman. Everybody was saying that he
was worthy to accept the Medal for his courageous act.
1. godown /'96$da$n/ (n) kho cha hang
2. ungodly /^n'94dl1/ (adj) rat bat tien, phien phc
3. anguish /'%79w1~/ (n) noi thong kho, s kho nao
4. confusion /k6n'fju:2n/ (n) s roi loan, s hon on
5. prevail /pr1've1l/ (v) ton tai hoac xay ra pho bien
6. cradle /'kr%dl/ (n) cai noi
7. wail /we1l/ (v) keu gao, than khoc
8. perish /'per1~/ (v) chet, thiet mang
9. crumble /'kr^mbl/ (v) v vun
10. dexterity /dek'ster6t1/ (n) s kheo leo

103. THE NATIONAL DAY PARADE1

CUOC DIEU HANH VAO NGAY QUOC KHANH
I could hear the fast beating of my heart as I put on the knee-high boots which
distinguished me from the other members of my group. As the drum majorette2 of my
school's brass-band, I felt responsible for the success of our performance in the National
Day Parade which is going to begin in ten minutes time.
As the huge clock at the Town Hall struck three o'clock in the afternoon of the ninth day
of August, we were commanded to take our positions at the Padang. Our Prime Minister
arrived followed by the President in his stately Rolls Royce. They took their positions at
the grandstand3 and the National Anthem was sung.
A pompous4 display of colours pervaded5 the padang. Then began the march-past in
earnest. One by one the contingents6 represented groups of government servants from
various departments. Then came the others such as the groups representing the Post
Office Savings Banks, the nurses, the flight stewardess from Singapore Airlines, student
teachers from Institute of Education and many more.
After these, I eyed a few groups of cadets7 in green. They marched smartly and in
perfect co-ordination. They were the few selected groups of National Cadet Corps
members who had won the interschool competitions. Following them were three groups
of National Police Cadet Corps members, the Girl Guides in their pleasant blue and the
Red Cross and St. Johns in white.
My heart beat even faster as I clenched8 my mace.9 The Buona Vista combined band
group was already half way through their performance. They were loudly applauded ;
and then a moment of suspense, as I gave the command for my group to move forward
to the performing ground. We made three formations and we were applauded by our
school mates who were sitting together visibly in their dark green uniform. Then came
my final performance. I threw my mace high into the air, positioned myself to a half
kneel and caught my staff majestically. The round of applause I received was
tremendous. After that, we formed our marching rows again and moved on in the
procession.
We had to march for another two kilometres to the dispersal area. As we marched, we
could sense thousands of pairs of eyes looking at us, observing and admiring. I was
elated10 and pleased with the performance that did us credit. I felt rightly proud for
having availed myself of the opportunity to represent my school in our country's most
auspicious11 occasion. I knew that my parents watching the procession over the
television, must have felt the same way too.
We reached the dispersal ground at exactly five-thirty in the afternoon. We waited for
the other contingents to arrive. The beautifully coloured floats came in last. We were
told that this year's procession had been a real success as hardly anybody could sense
any flaw. After our refreshments, we went home, feeling proud and happy, not to
mention, extremely exhausted.
1. parade /p6're1d/ (n) cuoc dieu hanh
2. drum majorette /dr^m 'me1d26ret/ (n) thanh vien cua mot oi mua gay dieu hanh

3. grandstand /'9r%ndst%nd/ (n) khan ai rong co cac day ghe ngoi cho khan gia trong
cac cuoc ua, bieu dien the thao, v.v
4. pompous /'p4mp6s/ (adj) khoa trng, pho trng
5. pervade /p6've1d/ (v) lan khap, tran ngap khap
6. contingent /k6n't1nd26nt/ (n) nhom ngi co ac iem chung tham d mot cuoc tap trung
7. cadet /k6'det/ (n) hoc vien trng s quan
8. clench /klent~/ (v) siet chat, bau chat, nam chat
9. mace /me1s/ (n) gay quyen
10. elated /1'le1t1d/ (adj) rat phan chan, rat hanh phuc, rat t hao
11. auspicious /0:'sp1~6s/ (adj) co trien vong

104. AN UNNECCESSARY ACCIDENT

MOT TAI NAN KHONG ANG CO
My friend, John and I were walking through the school grounds, near the outer fence at
09.30. Suddenly, I spotted1 an object which looked rather like a coloured rope. The
object moved when we got nearer to it.
Convinced that it was a snake, John insisted that we should move away from the place.
However, I wanted very much to report our find, but John feared that we might be
punished for being at a place where we shouldn't be found and what was more, when it
was during school hours.
The thought of somebody being killed by the snake or a possible reward if the snake had
escaped from the zoo made me insist on reporting it. I suggested that we should take it
to the police station but John disagreed saying that the police station was too far and that
we would miss our subsequent classes.
I then suggested that we hand the snake in to the gardener as his assistant knew a lot
about snakes. John agreed to this suggestion and John grabbed an old bucket2 while I
pushed the snake in with a stick. Then, John covered the bucket with a mat which he had
found, to prevent the snake from getting out.
We walked towards the gardener's house but unfortunately he spotted us first, with the
bucket and the mat in between us. Thinking that we had stolen these things from his
house, he shouted angrily at us. We tried to deny his accusations and warned him of the
poisonous reptile3 in the bucket. He refused to believe in what we say and so he
grabbed the bucket from our trembling hands.
Before we could do anything, the much-provoked reptile thrust its head out and bit the
gardener. He screamed in pain and released the bucket and I saw the terrible attacker
glide swiftly into the long grass by the gate. His cries brought his wife to the scene and
we asked her to hurry and call for a doctor.
While John stayed with the unconscious victim, I rushed to the office to inform the
police but no one was in. I left a message with the clerk and returned to the tragic scene.
I realized that we could have avoided the mishap if we had reported about the snake
immediately. We regret that this happened and we take this opportunity to express our
sincere apologies.
1. spot /sp4t/ (v) trong thay, nhan ra, phat hien
2. bucket /'b^k1t/ (n) cai xo
3. reptile /'repta1l/ (n) ong vat thuoc loai bo sat

105. AN UNUSUAL INCIDENT

MOT S CO KHAC THNG
A most unusual incident took place recently at the Times House grand hall. It was on the
occasion of our thirty-fourth anniversary and we had invited a guest speaker from the
Times House advisory1 committee2 to present to speech.
It was 2.30 p.m. and the huge crowd was already waiting at the huge, old and yet
reputable3 hall. Outside, it was drizzling and this caused some uneasiness among the
organizers as they have planned to have the reception out in the front lawn.
The speaker arrived on stage at 2.45 p.m. He began his speech promptly. The rain got
heavier and dark, a damp patch4 appeared on the ceiling directly above the speaker
who was then engrossed in his speech. Tiny drops of water began to fall from the patch
on the ceiling. The speaker pretended5 to ignore6 this but he couldn't do this for long as
the sudden downpour outside caused water to really fall down from the ceiling.
The speaker was drenched from head to toe. A few of the organizers rushed up onto the
stage. There was confusion on the stage as people tried to persuade the speaker to come
down. Before he could do so, the ceiling collapsed7 directly above him. The unfortunate
speaker was hurt very badly and was given first aid treatment on the spot. Panic in the
hall continued as the speaker was taken away.
While the commotion was continuing, a voice announced over the public address system
that the meeting which was scheduled after the reception was to be cancelled.
The relevant authorities are now still in the midst of their investigations of this
seemingly deliberate "accident". Police are still waiting for more information.
1. advisory /6d'va1z6r1/ (adj) (co chc nang) t van
2. committee /k6'm1t1/ (n) uy ban
3. reputable /'repj$t6bl/ (adj) co danh tieng ang tin
4. patch /p%t~/ (n) vet, mang, om ln
5. pretend /pr1'tend/ (v) gia v, gia bo, lam ra ve
6. ignore /19'n0:(r)/ (n) bo qua, l i
7. collapse /k6'l%ps/ (v) o, sap, sup

VAN KE CHUYEN
Ke chuyen ke dung mot cau chuyen e phan anh i song (hoac mot lnh vc, mot kha
canh cua i song), t o giup ngi oc hieu biet i song va t mnh rut ra mot thai
o, ngam ngh mot bai hoc ve t tng, tnh cam, ao c
Nhng yeu cau chnh
Phai co mot cau chuyen e ke. Cau chuyen co the n gian ch co mot tnh tiet, co the
phc tap vi nhieu tnh tiet. Dien bien cau chuyen phai t nhien, hp l, thu v, hap
dan.
Chuyen phai co nhan vat (co the la ngi, cung co the la loai vat hoac vat vo tri).
Tnh cach nhan vat c boc lo trong qua trnh dien bien cua cau chuyen, qua ngoai
hnh, hanh ong, c ch, li noi, y ngh cua nhan vat.
Cau chuyen co the hoan toan co that, co the do h cau, tng tng, nhng phai hp
ly, phan anh s that cua i song, phu hp vi quy luat cua cuoc song.
T cau chuyen phai toat ra mot van e bo ch trong i song, giup ngi oc t rut ra
mot e ngh ve cach song, mot bai hoc ve t tng, tnh cam
Ngi viet khong c t mnh xen vao cau chuyen, t mnh phat bieu cam ngh trong
khi ke (tr nhng chuyen ma ngi viet cung chnh la mot nhan vat) ma e cho cau
chuyen t noi len.

106. DAYLIGHT ROBBERY

VU CP NGAY
My neighbour Mrs Wu and her daughter Lily are rather vain.1 They are fond of wearing
expensive jewelleries and displaying them in public. Whenever any friends drop in2 to
visit them, Lily enjoys showing them her collection of jewelleries.
One afternoon as I was returning home from the library, I noticed a strange looking man
lurking3 outside Mrs Wu's house. I was curious to find out what he was up to. So I hid
myself behind a huge tree. When it was time for Mrs Wu to go for her stroll, the man
quickly hid himself behind some bushes. When she walked to the gate and was about to
open it, the man rushed up and pointed a knife at her. Mrs Wu screamed. When I saw
what was happening I quickly ran to get help.
I managed to stop a passing patrol car. When I told them what had happened, two burly
policemen followed me. Mrs Wu was slowly taking off her jewellery and giving them to
the thief. The two policemen overpowered and arrested him. Mrs Wu thanked me for
my help. She learned a good lesson. After that terrible incident she never wore her
jewelleries.
1. vain /ve1n/ (adj) t cao t ai, kieu ngao, hm mnh
2. drop in /dr4p 1n/ (v) tat vao tham
3. lurk /l3:k/ (v) nap (e ch i)

107. AN ACCIDENT
MOT TAI NAN
I was talking to a friend over the telephone when I heard the kettle1 singing. Calling out
to my six-year-old sister, Leela, I told her to turn off the switch.
Suddenly, I heard a loud crash and Leela yelling2 at the top of her voice. I immediately
rushed into the kitchen. I was horrified to see Leela holding the electric cord3 and sitting
in a puddle.4 The kettle was overturned on the floor. I realized that after turning off the
switch, Leela had tried to pull the cord out of the kettle. However, she must had pulled
so hard that the kettle fell.
I quickly carried Leela to the sofa. Frantically,5 I grabbed my father's hair cream and
applied it on Leela's scalded legs, hoping that it would help to soothe6 the pain. Just
then, our mother came back from the market. When she knew what had happened, she
quickly took Leela to the hospital.
Luckily, the doctor said that Leela was not seriously hurt. She would be fine after a few
applications of the cream he prescribed.
I felt very sorry for indirectly causing the accident. I apologized to my family and
promised to be more responsible in future.
1. kettle /'ketl/ (n) am un nc
2. yell /jel/ (v) la het, thet len
3. cord /k0:d/ (n) day gai, day ben
4. puddle /'p^dl/ (n) vung nc nho
5. frantic /'fr%nt1k/ (adj) lo lang va s hai tot o
6. soothe /su:5/ (v) lam au

108. AN ACCIDENT AT HOME

TAI NAN TAI NHA
John is my neighbour. He is a naughty and mischievous boy. He often comes to my
house to play with my skate board.1 I knew something would happen to him one day
and it really happened in my house one weekend.
One Saturday morning John came to my house to complete some homework. At that
time my parents were not at home. John saw my skate board. He begged me to allow
him to play with it.
At first I did not approve of it, but John persisted.2 He pleaded3 and pleaded. In the end
I gave in to him and he was happy. He played with the skate board and while he was
riding on the skate board, he accidentally tripped over a big piece of stone. To my horror
he knocked himself against the wall. His forehead was bleeding. I quickly telephoned
for the ambulance.
After a while the ambulance came and took John to the hospital. I was miserable
because John was in hospital with a bleeding forehead. When my parents came home, I
told them what had happened. Together we went to the hospital to visit John. John was
not asleep and his parents were there. John apologised for being naughty and promised
to be good in future.
1. skate board /ske1t b0:d/ (n) van trt
2. persist /p6's1st/ (v) kien gan, khang khang
3. plead /pli:d/ (v) van nai, nai n, cau xin

109. A BAD HABIT

MOT THOI QUEN XAU
When I was younger, I used to tell lies to make people panic and laugh at them.
However, an incident happened two years ago which made me kick the bad habit.
That afternoon, I thought I was alone at home. Taking out a big empty tin, I put it near
the door and burnt some papers in it. The smoke of the flames was blown out to the
corridor by the breeze. Hoping that the smoke would fool my neighbours, I started
shouting, "Fire ! Fire !"
I hid behind the door to see what the fierce fat lady next door would do. To my surprise,
I heard a loud "bang" coming from my bedroom, followed by my granny's cry. I rushed
into the room and saw her lying on the floor, holding her left arm and groaning1 in pain.
The fat neighbour heard the cry and came in. She immediately sent my granny to the
hospital. I went along. The doctor told us that my granny had fractured2 her left arm.
I felt very guilty. If not for my lie,3 my granny would not have jumped out of bed,
knocked against the table, fallen and fractured her arm. I was severely punished by my
dad. Since that incident, I have never told a lie.
1. groan /9r6$n/ (v) ren r
2. fracture /'fr%kt~6(r)/ (v) (lam cho cai g) gay hay ran nt
3. lie /la1/ (n) li noi doi

110. A BLACKOUT1
MOT LAN MAT IEN
We were all watching a humorous2 television programme and laughing gaily. The next
moment, it was pitch-dark. I was too surprised to open my mouth, but my little sister,
Alice, screamed shrilly.
My elder brother immediately told her to shut up.3 Our parents had gone for a show, so
big Peter was to take charge. He felt his way into his room to get his torch. Bang !...
"Ouch!" Peter must had knocked into his big chair. Soon, we saw a beam of light and
Peter came out of his room, rubbing his left knee.
He told us to follow him to the kitchen to hunt for candles4 and matches.5 We
rummaged6 through the drawers and found twelve small coloured candles and a box of
matches. I realized the candles were the ones used for my birthday a few days ago.
Together, we went back to the sitting-room and lit the candles. Peter arranged the
candles in a semi-circle on the glass table and they gave a warm and cheerful glow.
To while away7 the time, Peter told us a fairytale. However, before the tale ended, the
lights came on. We felt proud that we had handled the situation well and looked forward
to telling our parents about it.
1. blackout /'bl%ka$t/ (n) thi iem toi do mat ien
2. humourous /hju:m6r6s/ (adj) vui, hai hc, khoi hai
3. shut up /~^t ^p/ (v) im mom, cam mieng lai
4. candle /'k%ndl/ (n) nen, en cay
5. match /m%t~/ (n) diem quet
6. rummage /'r^m1d2/ (v) luc loi
7. while away /wa1l 6'we1/ (v) giet thi gi (khi ang ch i cai g)

111. A NARROW ESCAPE

THOAT NAN TRONG GANG TAC
I was in hot water.1 I could not stop my sister, Jill, from crying. We had been fighting
over which television programme to watch and in the course of the struggle, I had
accidentally twisted2 her arm.
Jill ran complaining3 to Mum. Mum was furious as this was not the first time we had
fought over trivial4 things. She scolded me harshly and went to fetch5 a cane. Cold
perspiration trickled6 down my forehead. I dreaded7 the thought of having to suffer the
painful strokes of the cane. I wished I had given in my sister earlier on.
I prayed for Dad to come home early to save me from Mum's wrath.8 Just then, the
doorbell rang. Jill went to answer it. We were surprised to see Aunt Polly at the door.
She had come to ask Mum to show her how to make "sambal chicken".
Mum then became busy entertaining Aunt Polly in the kitchen and forgot all about
punishing me. In the meantime, I apologized to Jill and applied some ointment9 on her
arm. Before long, we were on speaking terms again. Aunt Polly had certainly come at
the right time. What a narrow escape !
1. in hot water (idm) : trong tnh the cc ky rac roi
2. twist /tw1st/ (v) xoan, van, quay
3. complain /k6m'ple1n/ (v) keu ca, oan trach
4. trivial /'tr1v16l/ (adj) vat vanh, nho nhat
5. fetch /fet~/ (v) i va tm cai g em ve
6. trickle /'tr1kl/ (v) chay thanh mot dong manh
7. dread /dred/ (v) kinh s, khiep s
8. wrath /r%8/ (n) s phan no, cn tc gian tot bc
9. ointment /'01ntm6nt/ (n) thuoc m

112. COURTESY1 BEGETS2 COURTESY

LONG TOT LUON C EN BU
One afternoon, my cousin and I went for a movie. Before the movie started, I went to
the public washroom. It was very crowded. I joined the queue and waited patiently for
my turn.
When I was about to enter an empty toilet, the girl who was standing behind me asked
me if she could use the toilet first. Her face was pale and she seemed to be having a
terrible stomach upset.
"Sure!" I said without hesitation. I could tell from her face that she was very thankful.
After the movie, my cousin and I were supposed to3 meet my uncle at the airport. We
decided to catch a cab there. At the taxi-stand, I saw the girl whom I met in the
washroom. This time, she was ahead of me in the queue.
We started a friendly conversation while waiting for our cabs. My cousin and I began to
get worried when we had waited for quite some time and no cab had passed by. Finally
a cab came. We waved good-bye to the girl but she offered to let us go in the cab first.
We thanked her for being so considerate.4 She even helped us carry our shopping bags
into the cab. From this incident, I fully agree that "courtesy begets courtesy". It certainly
pays to be courteous.
1. courtesy /'k3:t6s1/ (n) hanh ong, thai o lch s
2. beget /b1'9et/ (v) gay ra (cai g), dan en ket qua la
3. be supposed to do sth /s6'p6$zd/ (idm) co nhiem vu, phai lam g
4. considerate /k6n's1d6r6t/ (adj) chu ao, y t

113. HONESTY IS THE BEST POLICY

THAT THA LA THNG SACH
One fine day, while I was on my way to school, I found a wallet.1 It was lying outside
the lift.
Opening the wallet, I found two hundred dollars and some coins inside. There were
some pieces of paper but no identity card. I was tempted2 to keep the money, but I
remembered what my teacher had taught us. She said, "It is wrong to take things which
do not belong to3 us." I scolded myself for harbouring4 such dishonest thoughts. Then,
instead of going to school, I went to report what I had found to the neighbourhood
police.
The policeman was very kind and listened to me patiently. As I was about to finish my
story, I was my neighbour, Mr Song, walk into the police-station. He looked surprised to
see me. After much explanation,5 we discovered that the wallet belonged to Mr Song.
What a coincidence6 !
My neighbour thanked me over and over again. The policeman praised me for being an
honest boy. He also called up my school to inform7 my principal of the incident. I am
glad that I had not kept the wallet. Indeed, honesty is the best policy.
1. wallet /'w4l1t/ (n) cai v (thng cua nam gii)
2. tempt /tempt/ (v) cam do
3. belong to /b1'l47 t6/ (v) thuoc ve
4. harbour /'h@:b6(r)/ (v) nuoi dng, ap u (mot y ngh, v.v)
5. explanation /ekspl6'ne1~n/ (n) s giai thch
6. coincidence /k6$'1ns1d6ns/ (n) s viec trung hp ngau nhien
7. inform /1n'f0:m/ (v) thong bao, bao cho biet

114. A LESSON LEARNT

BAI HOC E I
I was shopping for a wallet in a large shopping centre. Suddenly, a naughty thought ran
through my mind.
The counter where the wallets were sold was at a corner of the store. There was nobody
around me then. Stealthily,1 I put one of the wallets into my pocket. I felt guilt written
all over my face. As I was about to leave the shop, a pair of arms grabbed me by my
shoulders.
"We have to refer2 you to the police for shop-lifting,3" the man said. I was horrified.
My parents were notified and they were furious to learn what I had done. However, they
pleaded with the shop manager on my behalf.4
The shop manager finally decided to drop the charge against me. I truly regretted
stealing the wallet and promised to turn over a new leaf. He nevertheless referred the
case to my school principal. I was given a demerit5 point as punishment and my
teachers explained to me the seriousness of shoplifting.
It had indeed been a painful lesson. I resolve6 never to commit7 the same mistake
again.
1. stealthy /'stel81/ (adj) ron ren, len lut - stealthily /-l1/ (adv)
2. refer /r1'f3:(r)/ (v) gi en, a en, chuyen en
3. shop-lifting /~4p 'l1ft17/ (n) hanh ong an cap hang hoa trong ca hang
4. on one's behalf /b1'h%f/ (idm) nhan danh, thay mat
5. demerit /di:'mer1t/ (n) loi lam, khuyet iem
6. resolve /r1'z4lv/ (v) quyet tam, kien quyet
7. commit /k6'm1t/ (v) pham (sai lam, toi loi, v.v)

115. A GOOD DEED1

MOT VIEC LAM TOT
There is an overhead bridge in front of the block of flats where I live. An old lady sits
there selling sweets and peanuts. She told me that she had been abandoned2 by her
grown-up children. Out of sympathy, I buy a packet of peanuts from her whenever I
cross the bridge.
One day, as I was crossing the bridge, it started to drizzle. The old lady packed her
things and hurriedly went down the stairs. Before I could run forward to give her a
hand3 she missed a step and fell. By the time I reached her, she had already fainted4 I
was shocked to see her head bleeding. Unfortunately, there was no one around to help.
Thus, I left her and ran to the nearest telephone booth to call for an ambulance.
In the hospital, the doctor told me that the old lady would soon be well again as she had
not lost too much blood I was relieved. As her family would not care for her. I asked my
father for help. Soon, she was sent to live in an Old Folks Home.
I feel glad to have been of help to the old lady. I intend to visit her often at the Old
Folks Home.
1. deed /di:d/ (n) hanh ong, viec a lam
2. abandon /6'b%nd6n/ (v) bo ri
3. give sb a hand (idm) giup ai
4. faint /fe1nt/ (v) ngat i, xu i

116. A TREASURE1 HUNT

CUOC SAN TM KHO BAU
One afternoon, I received a letter which contained a map of the park near my house. A
big cross was marked at a corner. Right at the bottom of the piece of paper were two
rows of strange words:
frut eht rednu gid
evresed uoy tahw dnif lliw uoy
It must be a secret code2 ! After looking at it for a long time, I realized that the message
could be found if I read it backward. The secret message3 was :
Dig under the turf4
You will find what you deserve
Immediately, I ran to the park. I found the corner where the turf was and started digging
with a fallen tree branch. Soon, I saw a small box. In a state of great excitement, I
opened it and found a piece of paper. It said : Dig harder !
I shouted with frustration5 and started digging again. I began to perspire and I felt my
arms aching. I was about to give up when I spotted another box. Holding my breath in
excitement, I opened the box... and found another piece of paper. This time, there was a
picture of an idiot6 and the words : This is what you deserve. Hee ! Hee !
I was mad with anger. However, when I calmed down, I realized that I had indeed been
a fool, wasting one afternoon on dreams of getting rich without working for it.
1. treasure /'tre26(r)/ (n) (kho) vang, bac, a qu, v.v
2. code /k6$d/ (n) mat ma
3. message /'mes1d2/ (n) thong iep
4. turf /t3:f/ (n) lp at mat co co
5. frustration /fr^'stre1~n/ (n) s that vong, s nan long
6. idiot /'1d16t/ (n) ke kh dai, ngi ngu ngoc

117. A CASE OF MISTAKEN IDENTITY

MOT VU NHAN DIEN LAM
A strange incident happened to me one year ago.
It all started at a fast-food restaurant where I was having lunch with my friends.
Suddenly, a woman walked up to us and called, "Lisa". We all turned and looked at her.
I was surprised to find that she was talking to me. She even asked me why I did not go
home. When I told her that she had made a mistake, she became agitated1 and started
crying loudly.
At that moment, a man came up to her and tried to calm her down. Then, turning around,
he saw me and was startled.2 Gravely,3 he explained to me why his wife had behaved
that way. They had had a daughter who looked like me. She had been killed in a road
accident recently. His wife had not learnt to accept the mishap and that was why she
insisted that I was her daughter.
I felt sorry for her. Therefore, I decided to visit her often, hoping that it would help her
recover faster. My parents' supported my decision. Since that incident, I have been
visiting the couple weekly. They dote on me as if I were their daughter. I believe the
woman is getting better.
1. agitated /'%d21te1t1d/ (adj) b kch ong
2. startled /'st@:tld/ (adj) giat mnh, sng sot
3. grave /9re1v/ (adj) (ve ngi) trang nghiem hoac long trong - gravely /-l1/ (adv)

118. AN AMUSING INCIDENT

MOT VIEC BUON CI
It was April Fools' Day.1 My identical twin brother,2 Jack, and I thought of a
mischievous trick.3 As we were in different classes, we decided to exchange places and
pretend to be each other for a day.
I walked into Jack's class confidently4 and mingled5 with his friends. Nobody
suspected6 that I was not Jack. Only our parents could tell us apart. One of Jack's
classmates happened to celebrate his birthday that day and had brought a big ice-cream
cake to class. Of course, I took Jack's share of the ice-cream cake. What a treat !
Jack's classmates tried hard to make one another the biggest fool of the day. However, I
was careful not to be tricked. Jack's closest friends were surprised and remarked,7
"Jack is strangely alert today." I almost burst out in laughter but managed to keep a
straight face.
Pretending to be Jack seemed fun until Jack's teacher scolded me for failing a maths
test. It was so shameful ! However, instead of feeling angry, I felt sorry for Jack and
decided to help him with his maths in future.
At the end of the day, Jack and I told each other what happened. The next day, we
laughed at our class-mates for being fools not to smell a rat.8
1. April Fools' Day : ngay ca thang T (1/4), ngay moi ngi co quyen noi doi e ua vui
vi nhau
2. twin brother /tw1n 'br^56(r)/ (n) anh (em) sinh oi
3. trick /tr1k/ (n) tro bp, tro chi xo
4. confident /'k4nf1d6nt/ (adj) t tin - confidently /-l1/ (adv)
5. mingle /'m179l/ (v) hoa vao, tra tron
6. suspect /s6'spekt/ (v) nghi ng, ng vc
7. remark /r1'm@:k/ (v) nhan xet
8. smell a rat (idm) nghi ng co am mu, co s doi tra

119. A PRICELESS GIFT

MON QUA VO GIA
I have had this little wooden pencil case with me for about two years. It is the most
precious gift that I have because it was made for me by my late grandfather for my tenth
birthday.
My grandfather was a carpenter.1 After he retired,2 he continued to spend his time on
woodwork. He liked to work in the garden where it was cooler. I used to sit beside him
and watch him while he hammered away.3
One day, I could not find my grandfather in his usual place in the garden. After hunting
high and low,4 I found him in his room. His head was bent over a rectangular5 object
and his hands were busy carving6 something. As soon as he saw me, he hid the object
behind his back and smiled guiltily, like someone caught in a naughty act.
Just before my birthday, my grandfather fell sick. On the eve of my birthday, he passed
away.7
The next day, I found the wooden pencil case in his drawer. There were some words
carved on it : "Happy birthday to my beloved grandson". I was touched. So that was
what my grandfather had been so secretive about. Since that day, I have always
cherished8 the birthday gift from my grandfather. To me, it is a priceless gift.
1. carpenter /'k@:p6nt6(r)/ (n) th moc
2. retire /r1'ta16(r)/ (v) ve hu, ngh hu
3. hammer away /'h%m6(r)/ (v) lam (viec g) mot cach tch cc
4. high and low (idm) khap moi ni
5. rectangular /rek't%79j$l6(r)/ (adj) co hnh ch nhat
6. carve /k@:v/ (v) cham, khac
7. pass away /p%s 6'we1/ (v) qua i, khuat nui
8. cherish /'t~er1~/ (v) yeu thng, gn gi can than

120. A PLEASANT SURPRISE

MOT S BAT NG THU V
The door bell rang and I went to answer it. At the doorway stood a fair and pretty girl
with rosy cheeks.
"You Mona ? Me Yoko, you pen-pal1 from Japan," she said in broken2 English. I could
not believe my ears. What a surprise! Yoko explained, with difficulty, that her family
was stopping over in Singapore for two days before flying off to Australia for holidays. I
was glad that my elementary3 Japanese helped in our conversation.
I was also surprised to see the many beautiful presents Yoko had brought for me from
Japan. It included a kimono, a Japanese paper lantern,4 some beautiful badges with
faces of popular Japanese singers and lots of delicious Japanese foodstuff.
She also took me to Hotel New Otani where her family was staying in a suite.5 Her
parents, Mr and Mrs Tanaka, were very friendly and generous. They treated me to a
sumptuous6 Japanese meal in a cosy Japanese restaurant.
I took the Tanaka family on a brief tour round Singapore before inviting them to my
home for dinner. Meeting Yoko and her parents had certainly been a pleasant surprise.
1. pen-pal /'penp%l/ (n) (cung pen-friend) ban qua th t
2. broken /'br6$k6n/ (adj) (ve ngon ng) noi sai, khong troi chay
3. elementary /el1'mentr1/ (adj) c ban, c s
4. lantern /'l%nt6n/ (n) en long, en xach
5. suite /swi:t/ (n) day phong trong khach san
6. sumptuous /'s^mpt~$6s/ (adj) xa x, xa hoa

121. A PLEASANT DREAM

MOT GIAC M THU V
My story book entitled1 "Fairy tales" slipped off from my fingers and fell onto the
carpet. I felt too sleepy to pick it up.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang. I went to answer it and was surprised to see seven dwarfs2
standing at the door. One of them was holding a glittering shoe. When I put it on, I was
immediately transformed into a beautiful princess in a lovely gown.3 The dwarfs then
took me to the palace in a pumpkin-carriage to see the king.
The king gave me a warm embrace. "Cinderella, my daughter, you're finally home," he
said. "The maids4 will see to5 your every need." Jane, who was always quarrelling with
me in class, became very submissive6 as my maid. I tried on many beautiful dresses and
shoes and thought that I had never looked so pretty before. There were also many cooks
who prepared all my favourite dishes.
One day, I was riding my horse to visit a duke7 when I heard my mum saying, "Cindy,
hurry up! You'll be late!" She started shaking me so hard that I almost fell off8 my horse.
I woke up and found myself in my bedroom. It had only been a dream, but it was
certainly a wonderful start to my day.
1. entitle /1n'ta1tl/ (v) at ten, at ta e
2. dwarf /dw0:f/ (n) chu lun
3. gown /9a$n/ (n) ao dai cua phu n dung e mac trong cac dp ac biet
4. maid /me1d/ (n) ngi hau gai
5. see to /si: t6/ (v) cham lo (ai / cai g)
6. submissive /s6b'm1s1v/ (adj) ngoan ngoan, de bao, de phuc tung
7. duke /dju:k/ (n) cong tc
8. fall off /f0:l 4f/ (v) nga khoi, ri khoi (cai g)

122. AN UNEXPECTED MEETING

CUOC GAP G BAT NG
There was a tap on my shoulder. I turned around and was surprised to see Huiling. My
greetings were so loud that everyone stared at me. Only then did I realize that I was still
in the library. Hastily,1 we went out to the corridor to talk.
Huiling is my former neighbour. We used to be very close friends. We were in the same
class in school and attended the same church together. But since we shifted2 to new
HDB flats, we had drifted apart. Both of us were busy trying to adapt3 to our new
environment. Hence, we stopped writing to each other and lost contact.4
I never dreamt that I would meet her in the library. We were eager to know about the
well-being of each other's family. We loaded each other with questions. Sweet
reminiscences5 of the past also came to our minds. We reminded each other of the
games we had played - paper dolls and hide-and-seek. We also laughed as we recalled
how we both got scolded at the same time when we were naughty. What delightful
recollections !
After conversing for almost an hour, Huiling had to go because she had to meet a friend.
However, before we parted, both of us reached an agreement. We would make an extra
effort to renew and maintain our friendship.
1. hasty /'he1st1/ (adj) voi va, hap tap - hastily /-l1/ (adv)
2. shift /~1ft/ (v) chuyen i
3. adapt /%'d%pt/ (v) thch nghi
4. contact /'k4nt%kt/ (n) s tiep xuc
5. reminiscence /rem1'n1sns/ (n) hoi c

123. RECALLING MY FIRST DAY AT SCHOOL

NH LAI NGAY AU TOI I HOC
I am a Primary Six student in De La Salle School. I enjoy going to school because I have
many friends. However, I still remember how frightened and lonely I felt on my first
day at school.
That morning, my mother drove me to school. I felt frightened when I saw so many
students running about in the school field.
I joined a queue and was brought into Class 1A by my teacher, Mrs Devi. I was in tears
when my mother left. Many of my class-mates were also crying and Mrs Devi had a
hard time pacifying1 us. She played some games with us to make us talk about
ourselves. Soon, I got to know a few friends.
Suddenly, we heard a bell ringing loudly and we started packing our things. However,
Mrs Devi told us it was only a break2 and led us to the canteen. I was glad to see my
mother waiting for me with a bowl of prawn noodles.3 As I ate, I told her about my new
friends.
After recess,4 another teacher came into our class and we sang nursery rhymes.5
At the end of the day, I was no longer frightened or lonely. My parents were glad when
I told them I was looking forward to going to school the next day.
1. pacify /'p%s1fa1/ (v) lam nguoi
2. break /bre1k/ (n) s tam ngh
3. prawn noodle /pr0:n 'nu:dl/ (comp. n) m tom
4. recess /r1'ses/ (n) gi giai lao
5. nursery rhyme /'n3:s6r1 ra1m/ (n) bai th hoac bai hat danh cho tre nho

124. THINGS I REMEMBER DOING AS A CHILD

NHNG VIEC TOI A LAM KHI CON BE
I can't understand how and what I did when I was younger could interest anybody. Since
it has been asked I can try to recollect.1
My first recollection were about my living in my uncle's house. Those were the days
when family ties were strong and relatives mingled as often as possible. I was the first
grandson to come into the family, hence I was a favourite. I had nice things to eat and
children of my age could come to our house and play all sorts of childish games. We
used to dress in simple clothes.
The monthly ritual2 of being given castor oil3 by my grandmother has brought bad
memories even today. I used to rebel at it but my uncle and others would force the
cupful of heated castor oil down my throat of which half would have spilled on my body.
So the whole day would be spent purging.4 Modern children are never subjected to5
this awful ritual.
The next event I remember is going to school for the first time. It was a play school and
the teacher coaxed6 me to sit and learn the mystery of writing. We started writing on
sand. The child felt and the finger learnt. After all we spelt with the fingers. There were
very few books. Learning the tables in Arithmetic was common and the copy books
were universally used. There were not many of the aids of today in the classroom. The
teacher rarely used the board because rote memory was insisted upon. We were having
only indigenous7 games and since the school closed by 5 o'clock in the afternoon, games
were very rarely organized at schools. The day when the Inspector visited used to be
very important but I can't exactly remember the things that might have happened then.
My going to the high school was an event by itself. I was called as they say to fit myself
into the high school. My uncle took me to the school and presented me to the
Headmaster who was an august8 person. I almost shuddered when I stood before him
and looked like a liliputian.9 The Headmaster was the Gulliver who gave a dictation and
a few sums in arithmetic in which I did well. So I was admitted.
I never forgot the old teacher who pushed us through the complex ways of English
Grammar. He pumped it into our poor heads and those who were slow had a tough time.
Corporal punishment10 was not frowned upon in those days for they did not believe in
the dictum11. "Spare the rod and spoil the child12." With the cinema not in the
advent13, we spent our time between the home, the school and the play field.
We were not innocent either ; we had our share of pranks but we never broke the law.
One funny incident was that we drew the figure of the teacher on one side of the board
which could be rolled and the other side had some problems. We rolled the problem side
to the front - When the teacher came in and rolled the board to use the cleaner side he
had a shock to see his caricature.14 The class roared but nobody admitted who had
drawn that picture. One of the boys who was a bit timid gave the name. The furious
teacher thrashed the culprit but we boycotted15 the informer for a few days until he
tearfully apologised.
Now I look back on my young days with nostalgia.16

1. recollect /rek6'lekt/ (v) hoi tng, nh lai

2. ritual /'r1t~$6l/ (n) nghi le
3. castor oil /,k@:st6r '01l/ (n) dau thau dau (lam thuoc xo)
4. purge /p3:d2/ (v) uong thuoc xo
5. subject to /s^b'd21kt t6/ (v) buoc phai tuan theo (ai / cai g)
6. coax /k6$ks/ (v) thuyet phuc nhe nhang; do danh
7. indigenous /1n'd1d21n6s/ (adj) thuoc a phng, ban x
8. august /0:'9^st/ (adj) oai nghiem, ng be
9. liliputian /l1l1'pju:~n/ (n) ngi t hon
10. corporal punishment /,k0:p6r6l 'p^n1~m6nt/ (n) nhuc hnh; hnh phat the xac
11. dictum /'d1kt6m/ (n) tuc ng, cham ngon
12. spare the rod and spoil the child (idm) yeu cho vot, ghet cho chi
13. advent /'%dv6nt/ (n) s ti gan cua mot ngi, s kien v.v
14. caricature /'k%r1k6tj$6(r)/ (n) tranh biem hoa
15. boycott /b01'k4t/ (v) tay chay
16. nostalgia /n4'st%ld26/ (n) noi luyen tiec qua kh; niem hoai co

125. MY MOST PRECIOUS POSSESSION

TAI SAN QUY GIA NHAT CUA TOI
My most precious possession is a bullet.1 Well, to be more accurate,2 it is a bullet that
has been fired from a revolver.3 It no longer has the normal shape of a bullet. It looks
more like a twenty sen coin now. It became shaped like this after it hit a metal post in
the shooting range.4
Our possessions are usually what we intentionally went out to get. In the case of this
misshapen bullet it was not so. I never intended to get it nor think it would become my
most precious possession. Things sort of just happened without my trying.
It began one day about a year ago when my brother took me to the shooting range. He is
a keen member of the local gun club and sometimes I tag along with him when he goes
for shooting practice. It was on one of these occasions that I got this precious possession.
I was watching him shoot some targets5 with his 0.38 revolver when he asked me
whether I would like to have a go. I grabbed the opportunity. I had never fired a gun
before in my life and was always waiting for an opportunity like this. First he showed
me the safety procedure. Then he showed me how to shoot the pistol.6
So I followed his instructions and held the revolver in both hands. I took aim at a manshaped target some distance away and pulled the trigger.7 I heard a loud crack even
though I was wearing earmuffs. I saw the bullet hit a metal post way off the target. I
even heard a soft "ting" as the bullet struck the post and rebounded.8 My brother
reminded me to hold the gun more firmly so that the bullet went where I was aiming at.
I corrected myself and tried again. The second time I was more successful. I hit the
target. Feeling a bit more confident I fired the revolver until it was empty. Out of five
shots I hit the target with three. It was quite good for my first go at shooting.
My brother took the revolver back and continued his shooting practice. After the practice
we went over to the target to see how well he had done. He did not do too bad at all.
While we were examining the target my eyes came upon a tiny grey object on the
ground. Out of curiosity I picked it up. It was a flattened bullet, the result of the bullet's
collision9 with a metal post. I showed it to my brother. He said it was the first one I fired
that hit the metal post. I looked at it with disbelief. Here was the result of my first shot
with a pistol. How many people get to keep the first bullet they ever fired ? Perhaps I
was the only one.
So I decided to keep the bullet as a memento.10 It is still with me to this day.
1. bullet /'b$l1t/ (n) vien an
2. accurate /'%kj6r6t/ (adj) chnh xac
3. revolver /r1'v4lv6(r)/ (n) sung luc o quay
4. shooting range /'~u:t17 re1nd2/ (n) bai tap ban
5. target /'t@:91t/ (n) bia (e nham ban), muc tieu, ch
6. pistol /'p1stl/ (n) sung luc, sung ngan
7. trigger /'tr196(r)/ (n) co sung
8. rebound /r1'ba$nd/ (v) doi lai, nay lai
9. collision /k6'l12n/ (n) s va cham, s va vao nhau
10. memento /m1'ment6$/ (n) vat lu niem, ky vat

126. AN UNUSUAL BET1

CUOC CA CC KHAC THNG
Challenge2 is a word made familiar today whether it be breaking a record at the
Olympics or getting solar energy to work for us. Everything is a challenge. Betting is
also a challenge. Here one uses one's sense of speculation.3 From time immemorial
betting has been in vogue.4 Betting is for fun and profit is not uncommon. In gambling
betting is usual especially in horse racing and in international football. Sometimes there
are occasions of unusual betting. There was once a musician who was a tough guy.
When it came to a matter of challenge he would rather break than bend. So people who
knew him did not dare get into an argument with him. This man had a problem with his
roof which was leaking.5 The tiles had to be removed and replaced and some minor
repairs made. So he called a mason6 and discussed the problem. The mason agreed to
do the job provided he was given a certain amount by way of his wages. It was
exorbitant7 and there was a lot of higgling8 and both parties were stubborn, one
demanding a higher wage and the other for reducing it considerably.
In this zigzag9 affair the mason threw a challenger to the professional musician. He said
that the other might know something of music but he didn't know anything about a
mason's work and so couldn't do his job. The musician rose up to the challenge and said
that he would show the mason how well he could do the job.
The next morning the musician was seen on his roof. He had tucked up his loins, bared
his shoulders and was removing the tiles. His fingers which used to keep time10 now
lifted the tiles, which was a hard job indeed. But the musician would not back out. He
removed the tiles, cleaned the roof, replaced the tiles in their place with a professional
touch and applied cement and mortar11 to keep the tiles in their place. Thus he toiled
and moiled12 for three days and had done the job to the wonder of his neighbours who
were watching the man at his job. People who were at first pessimistic came forward
vociferously to congratulate him. They said he was indeed a nut13 and had showed that
he could do anything once he made up his mind. The mason admitted his defeat and
thence forward he became staunch admirer of the musician. He had lost his earnings by
throwing a challenge to a man who meant business.
1. bet /bet/ (n) cuoc ca o, cuoc ca cc
2. challenge /'t~%l1nd2/ (n) s thach thc
3. speculation /spekj$'le1~n/ (n) s suy oan
4. vogue /v6$9/ (n) mot, th ang thnh hanh
5. leak /li:k/ (v) ro r
6. mason /'me1sn/ (n) th ne
7. exorbitant /19'z0:b1t6nt/ (adj) (ve gia ca) cat co
8. higgle /'h19l/ (v) mac ca
9. zigzag /'z19z%9/ (adj) ngoan ngoeo
10. time /ta1m/ (n) (trong am nhac) nhp
11. mortar /'m0:t6(r)/ (n) va, ho
12. toil and moil /t01l 6nd m01l/ (idm) lam viec cam cui, lam quan quat
13. nut /n^t/ (n) ngi gan d

127. HONESTY PAYS IN THE END

CUOI CUNG TNH TRUNG THC LUON CHIEN THANG
We shall call him Mr.X. He was a brilliant young man, an all-rounder1 and was popular.
No wonder he chose to become a teacher and he did become one. He put himself to his
tasks with heart and soul and no wonder he became popular very soon. He could be seen
in the field, he would be called to address a students' audience, and he would be the
foremost in organizing any school function. Thus he became the favourite of the
Headmaster, and the envy of some of his seniors.
To mar2 his reputation something serious happened. It was the annual examination and
the question papers were being set. Naturally, Mr. X being the confident of the
Headmaster was helping the latter in collecting the question papers and sending them to
the press.
But suddenly like a bolt from the blue,3 two days before the Mathematics examination,
the question paper was out and it was in the hands of every boy. At first the news was a
whisper and then it became public. There was commotion in the school and the matter
reached the ears of the Headmaster. Indeed it was a shock to him and he could not rush
into any conclusion. He was a mature person but the teachers began to view Mr. X with
suspicion and, though they never blamed him openly, they spread rumours4 that Mr. X
had a hand in the pilfering5 of the question papers.
The rumour reached the ears of the Headmaster. Formally he spoke to Mr. X about the
leakage of the question papers and secretly arranged for a fresh set of papers to be also
printed through Mr. X. So on the day of the examination the new set of papers was
given to the surprise and shock of all.
Mr. X had been worried when his colleagues looked upon him with suspicion and the
boys too began talking about his alleged complicity6 in the leakage. The matter didn't
stop there. It had reached the ears of the management and so the Secretary wanted the
Headmaster to hold on enquiry into the conduct of Mr. X in this affair. Poor Mr. X had
been spending sleepless nights and wanted to clear his name.
Mr. X started enquiring from the boys how they had got the paper. But the clue was not
easily forthcoming as the boys refused to talk. Mr. X would not take defeat.7 After all
he was popular and there were a few boys who were devoted to him. So Mr. X caught
hold of one such boy and promised him complete secrecy and protection. The boy was
reluctant at first but at last began slowly yielding8 to persuasion. He told Mr. X how he
got hold of the copy of the question paper and also the modus operandi9 behind the
de bcle.10
It had all happened this way. The question paper packets had been sent by post to the
press to be printed. The packets were sent through the peon11 to the post office. One of
the boys who was poor in Mathematics and who wanted to pass bought the peon with a
bribe and got the question paper packets from him. He had it copied and then repacked
the original packet and posted it.
The boy with the question paper could not keep his secret contained. He circulated
copies of it to his intimate friends who in their turn gave it to other boys until every
student was having one copy of the Mathematics paper.

The information from the boy was passed on discreetly to the Headmaster who enquired
very tactfully. The boy who had actually master-minded the plan refused to speak the
truth, but the peon under threat of dismissal amitted his having parted with the question
papers to the boy. When confronted12 by the guilty peon, the boy could not hold his fort.
He had to admit his guilt. Mr. X was relieved and now he could go about his duties with
a clear mind.
His honour was restored by the management of the school as well as the public. Thus
honesty always pays.
1. all-rounder /'0:l ra$nd6(r)/ (n) ngi toan nang
2. mar /m@:(r)/ (v) lam hai, lam hong
3. like a bolt from the blue (idm) nh set anh ngang tai
4. rumour /'ru:m6(r)/ (n) tin on, li on ai
5. pilfer /'p1lf6(r)/ (v) an cap vat
6. complicity /k6m'pl1s6t1/ (n) s ong loa
7. to take defeat /te1k d1'fi:t/ (idm) chu that bai
8. yield /ji:ld/ (v) chu thua, au hang
9. modus operandi /,m6$d6s 4p6'r%nd1/ (n) cach lam viec, cach hoat ong
10. de bcle /de1'b@:kl/ (n) s that bai ot ngot va hoan toan
11. peon /'pj:6n/ (n) ngi lam cong
12. confront /k6n'fr^nt/ (v) oi au

128. RETELLING AN OLD STORY

KE LAI MOT CAU CHUYEN CO
The Master Swordsman
In old Japan, the ultimate1 weapon was the sword. It was a much respected weapon
often carried by a samurai2 and other people of Japan's violent past. There have been
many stories told about these skilful swordsmen and their incredible feats of valour.3
The following is about how a man became one of the most skilful swordsmen in Japan.
A brash4 young man approached a renowned master swordsman and beseeched5 the
master to teach him how to use the sword. The master refused and asked him to go
away, but the young man was very persistent. Finally the master relented6 and accepted
the young man as a pupil.
For the next two years the master forbade7 the young man to even touch a sword and
was given all sorts of chores to do. He had to cut firewood, fetch water, sweep the floor
and attend to the master's every need. The young man did everything as told but as time
went on he grew impatient.
One day he asked the master why he still never received any sword-fighting lesson. In
reply the master took a stick and hit him so hard that he had to run away.
From that day on the master would come up on him when he least expected it and beat
him with a stick. He could not fight back for the master was far better a fighter than he.
The beatings continued while he had to carry out his chores. But gradually he learned to
dodge8 and parry9 the master's blows. After a year of this harsh beatings he became
very adept10 in anticipating11 and avoiding the blows. Soon he could cope with anything
the master threw at him.
As his skill in avoiding the beatings increased he realised that this was the master's way
of teaching him how to deal with being attacked ! What a strange way the master used,
but it worked, for now he could handle any attack.
The master, on seeing that this young man had become so adept in avoiding being
attacked, then gave him a sword and taught him how to handle a sword properly.
After a short time the young man became very skilful in handling a sword. So the master
told him that it was time for him to leave. The young man knew now that the master had
first taught him to be humble12 by making him do all sorts of chores. Next he learned
how to cope with being attacked and finally he learned how to handle a sword. All these
things he learned without really realising it. So with a heart full of gratitude to the
master, he left and continued to be one of the greatest swordsmen Japan had ever
known.
1. ultimate /'^lt1m6t/ (adj) toi u, toi thng
2. samurai /'s%m$ra1/ (n) kiem s Nhat Ban
3. feat of valour /fi:t 6v 'v%l6(r)/ (n) hanh ong cao thng va dung cam
4. brash /br%~/ (adj) xac lao, l lm
5. beseech /b1'si:t~/ (v) cau khan, van nai
6. relent /r1'l6nt/ (v) bt nghiem khac, xieu long
7. forbid /f6'b1d/ (v) (forbade-forbidden) cam, khong cho phep

8. dodge /d4d2/ (v) ne tranh

9. parry /'p%r1/ (v) gat,
10. adept /'%dept/ (adj) thanh thao hoac tinh thong cai g
11. anticipate /%n't1s1pe1t/ (v) oan trc
12. humble /'h^mbl/ (adj) khiem ton, nhun nhng

129. AN UNFORGETTABLE CHILDHOOD INCIDENT

MOT S VIEC KHO QUEN THI TH AU
I was about four or five years old at that time. My family lived in a wooden house
bordering a coconut plantation. The coconut trees loomed1 tall and straight. Many
animals and insects could be found scurrying2 up and down the trunks. Occasionally we
could see flying lizards gliding from tree to tree.
Sometimes the older coconut trees would collapse whenever there was a storm. It was
with one of these fallen trees that I had a most unforgettable and painful experience.
My brothers, sisters and I were playing near the trunk of a tree that had fallen the
previous day. As young children we were very curious and wanted to have a close look
at it. I was more inquisitive3 than the others. Also I was more foolish. I climbed onto the
trunk and started to walk along it. It seemed fun and I had to show off how well I could
keep my balance.
The tree trunk was not totally straight. It inclined4 upwards near the fronds. Bravely I
walked up along the inclination. I felt very confident and sure. Higher and higher I
walked. By then I was so cocksure5 of my ability that I started to shake the trunk. That
was my undoing for the next moment down I came with a thud on the ground.
I felt excruciating6 pain and could not get up. I cried out. My elder brother tried to lift
me but he was not strong enough. So one of my sisters ran home and fetched my father.
My father came hurriedly and carried me back to the house.
He put me down on the sofa. I was still in great pain and I could not move my left arm.
My mother came and examined me. She said my elbow was dislocated7 and told my
father to take me to the hospital at once.
Quickly my father reversed out the family car, bundled me into it and drove quickly to
the hospital. My mother could not come for she had to look after my brothers and sisters.
What anxiety she must have felt.
Nevertheless we reached the hospital in double quick time and I was attended to by a
doctor in the emergency room. He carefully manipulated8 my arm and finally put the
elbow joint back into place again. All the time I was in a sort of a daze9 as the pain was
really terrible even after the doctor gave me a jab10 to lessen11 it.
I had to stay in the hospital for a couple of days for the injury to heal a bit. Fortunately
there were no bones broken. So after two days I left the hospital and was greeted
happily by my family. What an unforgettable but painful experience it had been. I
learned not to repeat the foolish climbing act again.
1. loom /lu:m/ (v) hien ra l m
2. scurry /'sk^r1/ (v) chay nhanh, chay thoan thoat
3. inquisitive /1n'kw1z6t1v/ (adj) to mo, hieu ky
4. incline /1n'kla1n/ (v) nghieng hoac doc ve pha cai g
5. cocksure /'k4k~$6(r)/ (adj) t phu en mc kieu ngao hoac chng tai gai mat
6. excruciating /1k'skru:~1e1t17/ (adj) (ve cn au the chat hoac tinh than) nhc nhoi, au buot
7. dislocate /'d1sl6ke1t/ (v) lam sai khp, lam trat khp
8. manipulate /m6'n1pj$le1t/ (v) ieu khien hoac s dung cai g bang tay co ky nang

9. daze /de1z/ (n) trang thai choang vang

10. jab /d2%b/ (n) mui tiem
11. lessen /'lesn/ (v) lam giam bt, lam du bt

130. AN ODD1 INCIDENT

S VIEC LA LUNG
It was very odd. There were no people on the bus, but the engine was running and their
belongings were there. But the bus stop was deserted.
I had just visited my aunt who lived in the countryside. The bus that would take us back
to town came only once every hour. I thought I would miss it so I ran all the way from
my aunt's house. But when I reached the bus stop, this strange sight confronted me.
Where were the driver and the passengers ?
There was a sandy field behind the bus stop and I went there to investigate. I saw
footprints2 on the sand which were probably made by the passengers. The footprints
were all leading to one direction - towards the centre of the field.
I plucked up my courage and ran towards it. As I was about to reach it, an unusual sight
caught my eyes. There was a big crater3 in the sand, and a bright light, as though from
an explosion, shone upwards. People stood at the edge of the crater, looking into it.
I continued to run towards it. Then I felt a hand grabbed my arm, and I screamed. "Hey,
don't be frightened. Don't run to the crater, or you will be like them," said the stranger. I
turned to face him, and saw that it was an old man whom I had seen in the village.
"Look at those people," the old man continued." If you look carefully, you can see that
they are not moving. They are frozen4 like statues5." He told me that when the bus was
about to leave, a glowing, bright object crashed into the field and formed the crater. The
pull of the light was so strong that everyone seemed drawn and rushed towards it. Even
the young children were not frightened by it. The old man could not keep up with the
rest of them because of his weak leg. He noticed that whoever looked at the object in
the crater became immovable, as though transfixed6 by it.
I asked the old man what should we do. I wanted to run back to the village for help.
"Wait," he said. "I think something is about to happen that will save them. The sky is
dark. I hope the gods will bless us with rain."
We waited for the rain to fall. I could not help7 stealing looks at those immovable
figures surrounding the bright light. It was very eerie.
Then it rained, followed by a heavy downpour. The old man and I watched an incredible
sight. The bright light grew weaker and disappeared, and at that moment, the people
started to come "alive" again. We approached them and they seemed not to have any
knowledge of what had happened to them. They were all busily talking about the crater,
and had no memory that some minutes of their lives had been frozen by an alien8 force.
I looked into the crater and saw that there was a smooth globe inside it. But when the
rain wiped out9 the light, it lost its power. The old man looked at me, and I nodded at
him. We both understood that we would not tell the passengers the truth about the
incident. They were better off not knowing, and besides they might not believe us,
anyway10.
1. odd /4d/ (adj) ky quac, la lung
2. footprint /'f$tpr1nt/ (n) vet chan, dau chan
3. crater /'kre1t6(r)/ (n) ho tren mat at do bom hoac thien thach ri xuong

4. frozen /'fr6$zn/ (adj) b ong cng; sng lai va bat ong

5. statue /'st%t~u:/ (n) bc tng
6. transfix /tr%n'sf1ks/ (v) lam chet ng, lam sng s
7. can't help + gerund khong the khong
8. alien /'e1l16n/ (adj) xa la
9. wipe out /wa1p a$t/ (v) xoa sach
10. anyway /'en1we1/ (adv) du sao i na

131. THE DISCOVERY OF A HUGE OIL FIELD1 HAS CAUSED MANY

CHANGES AND DISAGREEMENTS. WRITE A STORY
VIEC KHAM PHA MOT MO DAU LN A GAY RA NHIEU THAY OI VA BAT
ONG. HAY VIET MOT CAU CHUYEN
The day was winding down in the desert community2 in Saudi Arabia. Men were
resting, smoking their pipes and exchanging jokes. The women were sipping tea while
the children were playing in the sand.
Suddenly, Talib, one of the villagers and a Caucasian man were seen running towards
them. "We have discovered oil in our village. We'll be rich !" Talib shouted to the
villagers in an excited voice.
Everyone became excited and there was a lot of commotion. One of them told the others
to calm down so that Talib could explain the situation to them. They then sat around in a
circle while Talib explained that an American company represented by the Caucasian
man had been drilling for3 oil in their village. Today, they discovered, that underneath
the land, there was a huge oil field. The company wanted to develop it and would buy
the villagers' land for a great sum of money.
The Caucasian man mentioned the sums that the company was willing to pay. A few
people gasped with wonder. He then left, and the villagers started to argue.
A majority of them, especially the younger men, agreed with Talib that they should sell
their land and, with the money, start a new life. "After all, what do we have here ?" said
one young man. "Nothing except goats, sand and mud houses."
That remarks angered some of the people. Ben Ahmad, a respected member of the
community stood up and said that this was ancestral4 land which had supported them
and their ancestors for many generations. "How dare you look down on you
community," he continued. "Do not be blinded by money. Here we all care for each
other, and our culture must always remain strong." The whole room was silent for a
while. Then it was agreed that they would vote on5 the matter in a week's time.
From that time onwards, the oil field discovery was the main topic of conversation.
Some people started dreaming of moving to the city and buying a lot of gold. While
others could not bear to imagine leaving their beloved homes. People who wanted to
sell their land were constantly arguing with those who did not want to sell. Old friends
became enemies over the issue6.
Then the day of voting came. Those who had decided to sell their land outnumbered7
those who wanted to stay by a slim majority.
The American company quickly arranged the sale and purchase of the land, and soon it
was time for the villagers to leave. Since it would be their last time together, they put
aside their disagreements and bade each other farewell.
Two years later, Ben Ahmed came back to his old village to pay a visit. He could not
believe what he saw. Huge oil rigs8 had been built on the land. Instead of the music of
the desert wind and the rustle of the sand, pounding noises from the rigs fill the air. He
realised that the black oil is powerful that it could change so many lives.
1. field /fi:ld/ (n) khu vc khai thac, mo
2. community /k6'mju:n6t1/ (n) cong ong

3. drill (for) /dr1l/ (v) khoan (e tm cai g)

4. ancestral /%n'sestr6l/ (adj) thuoc ve hoac tha hng cua
5. vote (on) /v6$t/ (v) bo phieu cho mot van e g
6. issue /'1~u:/ (n) van e ang c ban en
7. outnumber /a$t'n^mb6(r)/ (v) ong hn (ai)
8. oil rig /01l r19/ (n) dan khoan dau la

132. A MISUNDERSTANDING
MOT S HIEU LAM
"If only he would listen to me," she sobbed1, "I could explain everything." May Ling
reread the note. Her son Raymond had left it on her dressing table. Raymond wrote that
he was leaving their home because he was disappointed in his mother. It had been only
six months since his father's death and he had seen his mother dating2 another man. He
felt that she did not care for him as well as his younger brother.
May Ling blamed herself. She remembered last night when Raymond was sulking in the
living room. She had asked him what was the matter. He started to mumble3 something
about a man, but did not continue. She tried to talk to him, but he became angry and left
the flat. But May Ling blamed herself even more for keeping the truth away from her
sons. She had wanted to surprise them, but it turned
out to be a disaster4.
Raymond had apparently seen her with Seck Whee. She had met him at the restaurant near
their home a couple of times. But there was nothing romantic about the meetings. Seck
Whee was a car dealer5 and May Ling wanted to buy a car for herself and her family.
May Ling thought that a car would help her with her errands as well as cheer up the
boys. They had missed their father badly. With the car, they could go to more places
together. Raymond had also obtained his driving licence and May Ling wanted to give
him the pleasure and the responsibility of looking after the car.
But she wanted to surprise them. The last six months, she had been very busy working
and saving for the car. She also spent the evening taking driving lessons as she and her
late husband never knew how to dirve. "I was wrong," she said to herself," I neglected
the boys. I should have explained to them what I was trying to achieve".
She had planned with Seck Whee to have the car delivered6 to them next month. They
were going to celebrate Raymond's nineteenth birthday at the restaurant near their
home. Seck Whee would then deliver the car to them when they were at the restaurant.
Now, because of the secret she kept, Raymond had left home. May Ling was
determined to find her son. She tried to think of all his favourite places, and somehow
she felt that he would be at the lake where he used to go fishing with his father.
She hurried to the place, and sure enough, she saw him sitting by the lake. May Ling
approached him. Raymond refused to listen when she first tried to explain. But when
she showed him the purchase contract for the car and explained the situation, his anger
cooled down.
May Ling was thankful that she was given the opportunity to mend the problem. She
hoped that they could rebuild their lives and be a happy family again.
1. sob /s4b/ (v) khoc (nc n)
2. date /de1t/ (v) hen ho
3. mumble /'m^mbl/ (v) noi l nh, noi lam bam
4. disaster /d1'z@:st6(r)/ (n) tai hoa
5. dealer /'di:l6(r)/ (n) ngi buon ban
6. deliver /d1'l1v6(r)/ (v) phat, giao

133. THE TRIAL1

PHIEN TOA
Andy felt his heart thumping as the policeman led him to the courtroom2. He looked for
his family and saw them sitting in the second row. The policeman told him to stand in
the dock3 with the other accused, his friend Beng Lee. When he was in the dock, Andy
felt that everyone in the room was staring at him.
The judge walked into the courtroom, and everyone stood up. Soon, the proceedings
started. Andy and Beng Lee were charged with shoplifting. They were caught trying to
leave a department store with a small radio which had not been paid for.
Beng Lee's lawyer told the judge that it was Andy's idea to steal the radio. Andy was
shocked to hear this. It was, in fact, the other way around. He never thought that Beng
Lee, his good friend, would make up4 such a lie to save himself !
Then Andy's lawyer stood up to address the court. He said that it was true that Andy had
accompanied Beng Lee to the department store that day. When they passed the counter
which displayed the radio, Beng Lee suddenly whispered5 that he was going to take it
and see if they could get away with it. Before Andy had a chance to react or protest,
Beng Lee snatched6 the radio. He also grabbed Andy by the arm and rushed him
towards the exit of the store. When they stepped out, the store's security guard caught
them and called the police.
When both lawyers finished addressing the court, the judge studied the papers in front of
him before he made a judgement.
Some minutes later, which felt more like hours to Andy, the judge announced his
decision. He said that Beng Lee had previously been convicted of two other offences of
shoplifting. For this offence, he would be fined7 and sent to a correction school so that
he could change his ways. As for Andy, the judge reprimanded8 him for mixing with
bad company. He said that Andy's school record had been good so far. Since Andy had
no previous criminal record, the judge imposed a fine on him, and he would be free. But
he had to report to a probation9 officer once a month to make sure that he would stay
out of trouble.
Andy was very relieved to hear this. He did not have to go to jail10, and could go home
after this terrible ordeal11.
But when he got home, things were not quite as before. His family seemed somewhat
uncomfortable with him. He knew that he had disappointed them by being involved in
such a situation. His mother was her usual loving self. She kept reminding him to use
this experience as a lesson, and to concentrate on his studies.
But Andy knew that not only his mother, but the whole family loved him. They had
given him so much support and hope throughout the ordeal. He realised that he had to be
a person of good character to make up for12 all the trouble he had caused. The court
trial was over, but the trial to win back his family's approval and trust had just begun.
1. trial /'tra16l/ (n) phien toa x
2. courtroom /'k0:tru:m/ (n) phong x an
3. dock /d4k/ (n) ghe b cao

4. make up /me1k ^p/ (v) ba ra, ba at

5. whisper /'w1sp6(r)/ (v) (noi) th tham
6. snatch /sn%t~/ (v) vo, chop lay
7. fine /fa1n/ (v) phat ai bang tien (n) so tien phat
8. reprimand /'repr1m@:nd/ (v) khien trach
9. probation /pr6'be1~n/ (n) an treo, thi gian quan che
10. jail /d2e1l/ (n) (cung gaol) nha tu
11. ordeal /0:'di:l/ (n) s th thach
12. make up for /me1k ^p f6(r)/ (v) en bu, bu ap cho (cai g)

134. "SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO TREAT PEOPLE UNKINDLY FOR THEIR

OWN GOOD." WRITE A STORY.
OI KHI CHUNG TA PHAI OI X VI NGI KHAC MOT CACH NGHIEM
KHAC V LI CH CUA CHNH HO. HAY MINH HOA BANG MOT CAU
CHUYEN
Hamid had grown up as a pampered1 boy. His father was frequently away on business
trips and his mother had spoiled him to make up for his father's absence. He did not have
to lift a finger in the house. His mother and the maid did everything for him. He always
got what he wanted and sometimes he was rude2 to people.
One day his father noticed how pampered Hamid had become. Even though he was
already 16 years old, he was still a spoilt child. During that same period, Hamid's
grandfather who lived in the countryside was there for a visit. He noticed the same thing
too. The two men agreed that Hamid should be more independent, and they felt that
spending his month-long school holiday in the countryside might help him.
When they told him about this plan, Hamid refused to go. But his father put his foot
down and told him that he had no choice in the matter.
When he arrived at the village, his grandparents who lived by themselves told Hamid
that he would have to help them with all the chores. They would be too busy to attend to
him. So Hamid had to be taught how to wash dishes and other simple household chores.
His grandmother told him not to scorn3 these skills. She said that if he were to go abroad
for studies, he would be able to take care of himself.
Hamid still looked down at the villagers as "country bumpkins." But he gradually
realised that they worked very hard. They spent long hours tending to the paddy fields.
At first, Hamid complained about all the bending and the physical work. He also could
not bear to be in the hot sun. But his grandfather told him not to be a "softie4", and
advised him to take it as a challenge.
The villagers also help each other to build and mend their houses. One day, they
gathered to help an old couple build an extension5 to their small house. Someone had
shoved6 a hammer and nails to Hamid and told him to pitch in. Hamid did not know
where to begin or exactly what to do. Some of the young boys noticed his confusion and
laughed at his ignorance. Hamid was angry. He had always laughed at these boys for
their lack of sophistication7. But now they were the ones laughing at him.
Hamid made a new friend, Malik. Malik helped his family, and even assisted other
children with their schoolwork. But he was still a good student who aspired8 to be a
doctor. This made Hamid feel ashamed because he always used the excuse of his
studies to avoid doing any errand for his parents.
The month went by and it was time for Hamid to return home. Hamid had hated the idea
of visiting the village when his family first brought it up. He thought they were being
cruel to him. He also thought that it was unkind of his grandparents to make him do all
those chores. But now he realised that his stay there had taught him to be independent,
self-reliant9 and useful to others.
1. pampered /'p%mp6d/ (adj) c nuong chieu en h hong

2. rude /ru:d/ (adj) tho lo, hon lao

3. scorn /sk0:n/ (v) khinh thng, coi khinh
4. softie /'s4ft1/ (n) (cung softy) ngi yeu t
5. extension /1k'sten~n/ (n) phan m rong
6. shove /~^v/ (v) nhet ba vao
7. sophistication /s6'f1st1ke1~n/ (n) s tinh te
8. aspire /6'spa16(r)/ (v) khao khat
9. self-reliant /self r1'la16nt/ (adj) t lc

135. THE JEALOUS REACTIONS OF ONE PERSON TO THE SUCCESS OF A FRIEND

PHAN NG GANH T CUA MOT NGI OI VI THANH CONG CUA BAN BE
"We used to go to school together, sit together, eat together from a plate, talk over the
telephone every night and even spend our weekends together," thought Diana as she
walked sulkily home from school. She was thinking a bout her closest friend Liza who
had suddenly decided to end their established1 friendship.
This was how it happened. Diana was a favourite among her teachers. She was very
much respected by her schoolmates. Diana, a very bright student who was always top in
standard was befriended by Liza, the school's best athlete. Everybody knew that both of
them were inseparable.
It so happened that a student from Primary Six needed to be chosen as the assistant
secretary of the school's sports department. She was to represent the students of primary
four, five and six at any meeting held in preparation of the school's coming sports meet.
The teachers had unanimously2 chosen Diana because of her popularity among the
other students. Besides, she could speak very well. Liza was not chosen because the
teacher thought that she would be very busy with her practice as she would be running in
a few events during the sports day.
When the choice was announced, Diana was cheered tremendously by the students.
However, Liza's face became pale, she excused herself and hurried away from the
assembly ground. Diana was not able to follow her as she was surrounded by the others.
When school was dismissed, Diana waited for Liza at the school gate. When she did not
turn up after half an hour, Diana went to look for her. Surprisingly she was nowhere to
be found.
Thinking that she must have hurried home to attend to some personal matters. Diana
walked home alone. That night Diana telephoned her friend to inquire about her.
However, Liza made up some excuses to hang up the telephone. Diana believed her and
readily excused her.
In school, the next day, Liza avoided Diana as much as possible. In class, she had to sit
beside Diana but she kept quiet all along. During the break, Liza went off to the canteen
without waiting for Diana. Diana saw her at the canteen, eating with another girl. Then
only did she realise that something must be wrong. She searched herslef to see if she
had done anything wrong. The more she thought the more her mind suggested to her the
possible reasons. At last she gave up and sat on a bench and ate her sandwiches.
As she was eating, two girls passed by and she overheard them talking. The mention of
her name made her strain her neck and try to catch a few words from their conversation.
What a shock she had when she finally pieced3 the information together Liza was
actually jealous of her position as the student's representative in the sport department.
Diana could not believe that such a trivial matter could cause this heart-aching break.
Diana thought about the matter again as she walked home. She decided that Liza had to
come to a self realization. She must realize that friendship should be cherished above
all. Diana felt that she should give up her new post if that would patch up4 the hole in
their relationship. But... that would only pamper Liza and would not make her realize
her folly.5 She continued her walk deep in thought.

1. established /1'st%bl1~t/ (adj) vng ben

2. unanimous /ju:'n%n1m6s/ (adj) nhat tr - unanimously /-l1/ (adv)
3. piece /pi:s/ (v) kham pha (cau chuyen, s that, v.v) t cac chng c tach biet
4. patch up /p%t~ ^p/ (v) han gan, va vu
5. folly /'f4l1/ (n) hanh ong, thai o ngu xuan

136. A VIVID1 DREAM

MOT GIAC M SONG ONG
I could not sleep. I kept remembering about the awful fright I had had that day. I kept
wishing that Aunt Mariam would not tell Mom that I had been to the huge, old house
down the hill.
I remembered walking down the winding2 path through the thick woods, hot tears
streaming down my cheeks. I kept thinking of Mom cooing3 softly down at my born
baby brother and then turning sharply to scold me for forgetting to do my chores. The
rain drops from the drizzle washed my tears. The ground was already wet as it had
rained earlier. I slipped many times as I made my way through the winding track to the
huge, burnt house.
I was panting4 by the time I reached the front gate of the house. It stood like an empty
sheel, black and burnt from that fire long ago. There was an eerie silence about the
place secluded5 from all sides by tall menacing6 trees. Only my heart throbbed7 away
as I recalled the village children telling tales of the house being haunted by a girl and
her brother who had died in the fire.
It was very dark inside. I groped8 around for a while to get used to the dark. The place
smelt of dampness and mildew9. I stood in the middle of the massive, empty hall and
stared at the dusty ruin and decay that had gathered. The place was full of dark,
shadowed corners covered with cobwebs. I noticed that the left wing of the house was
untouched by the fire. I made my way lightly through the debris10 toward the left of the
house.
This room was surprisingly bright. All around there were oil painted canvasses, some
hung, others covered with white sheets. I uncovered one to find a water colour painting
of a girl of about my age, standing pensively,11 grinning widely by a fountain. It was the
sad, wistful look in those expressive eyes that held my attention for a long while. Then
carefully I covered it. I was about to uncover another when a dark shadow crossed the
room.
I looked up sharply in the dim light. Holding my breath I moved back slowly without
turning around. I almost expected a vampire12 to come out among the shadows. There it
was again, huge black wings flapped towards me, screeding loudly. I lifted my sweaty
palms to cover my eyes, swung myself around and cowered on the floor.
Lightning flashed into the dimness of the dimness of the room, thunder cracked through
the walls. I got up slowly. Something must have hit my head when I swung round. There
was an awful lump13 at the side of my head ; it throbbed painfully.
Outside it was raining heavily and the wind howled loudly. There was something else
too. I smelt something strange. It was smoke !
The house was on fire again. From inside the room I could see tongues of red flares. I
looked around desperately. Lightning flashed again. Then before me was a rocking
horse and a cot14 on fire. I stood there not knowing what to do. Then the fire went out.
Before me was the burnt remains of the cot and as I gazed. I was horrified to see what
looked like the charred15 remains of a baby boy, black and lifeless.
I sat up, breathing hard, clutching my blanket. Looking around the familiar sights I
sprang out of bed to my parents bedroom. There he was, my baby brother sleeping

soundly ; but my parents were not there. I still smelt smoke and heard fire crackling. I
walked into the living room and there it was - the fire.
Across the road, the shophouses were on fire. I stood there, clutching my mother's hands
watching the firemen do battle with the blazing monster for a long while. Then my mom
carried me back to bed and tucked me into bed again.
1. vivid /'v1v1d/ (adj) song ong, manh me
2. winding /'wa1nd17/ (adj) uon khuc, ngoan ngoeo
3. coo /ku:/ (v) th tham du dang va em ai
4. pant /p%nt/ (v) th hon hen
5. seclude (from) /s1'klu:d/ (v) tach biet khoi
6. menace /'men6s/ (v) e doa, gay nguy hiem cho ai / cai g
7. throb /8r4b/ (v) (ve tim, mach, v.v) ap nhanh va manh hn bnh thng
8. grope /9r6$p/ (v) do dam, mo mam
9. mildew /'m1ldju:/ (n) nam moc
10. debris /'de1br1s/ (n) manh v
11. pensive /'pens1v/ (adj) co ve tram ngam, am chieu va buon ba - pensively /-l1/ (adv)
12. vampire /'v%mpa16(r)/ (n) ma ca rong
13. lump /l^mp/ (n) cai bu
14. cot /k4t/ (n) ging cui (danh cho tre nho ngu)
15. charred /t~@:d/ (adj) b chay sem

137. A MAD DOG

CON CHO IEN
The road up the hill is long and winding. There's hardly any traffic, in fact it seems to be
quieter than usual. Mrs. Foster takes a deep breath with a feeling of gladness and
satisfaction. "Thank goddness ! There doesn't seem to be many people camping out up
there", she thinks. She turns to her left to see the little boy sitting patiently beside her
with eyes open wide, eagerly looking at the uncommonly peaceful surroundings. The
little yellow Volkswagon moves slowly up the hill with Mrs. Foster driving and her little
boy Billy on the front seat next to her.
"When are we going to see daddy, mum ?" asks Billy.
"In three hours time honey, at noon. We're going to have lunch together, remember ?"
replies Mrs. Foster. Her son nods his head and continues to look at the scenery. They
have driven for almost two hours. Suddenly the car moves very slowly. Only then does
she realize she's running out of gas. She manages to drive up to the nearest gas station
and presses the horn several times. No one responds, so she decides to get out to look
for somebody in the station. The station is deserted but the doors are not locked.
"Strange", thinks Mrs. Foster. Suddenly there's a sound coming from behind her. She
turns to see only a dog staring at her. She pays no attention to it and starts to walk back
to her car. Grrrrrrrrrr! "There's something strange about the dog". Mrs. Foster says to
herself. Something strange that makes her hair stand. She decides not to turn around but
walk quickly to her car. She opens her car door and quickly gets in. As she slams1 the
door, the dog pounces on it with great strength that makes the car shake. Billy screams
and Mrs. Foster realizes that the dog is a mad dog.
She winds2 up her car windows and locks both door. Just then the dog rams3 her car
again, this time shaking it even more. She realizes that there's nothing she can do to get
out of the situation. Her car won't move and there's no way she can get out to make a
phone call. As she holds Billy in her arms, there's another bang. This time the dog is on
the front of her car looking dangerously at Mrs Foster and her son through the
windscreen4. It begins to hit and scratch the windscreen as if to reach to the frightened
victims inside the car. Billy's screams and cries only agitate the dog more and its
movements become more vigorous5 as it begins to hit harder and harder until the
windscreen cracks. To her horror Mrs. Foster realizes what the dog is up to, so she tries
to calm Billy down and it works. For almost two hours they sit there quietly, not even
daring to breathe properly. The dog lays itself down on the bonnet6 of the car and keeps
a watchful eye on any slight movements.
Suddenly there's a sound of a truck. Several men get out of it armed with rifles and shot
guns. The dog jumps down from her car and Mrs. Foster gives a sigh of relief. As she
closes her eyes, she hears a loud bang, a gun shot, followed by the cry of the fatally
wounded dog.
1. slam /sl%m/ (v) ong sam
2. wind (up) /wa1nd/ (v) lam cho cai g chuyen ong len bang cach quay tay quay, cuon,
v.v
3. ram /r%m/ (v) am vao, ung manh

4. windscreen /'w1ndskri:n/ (n) knh chan gio xe hi

5. vigorous /'v196r6s/ (adj) manh me, d doi
6. bonnet /'b4n1t/ (n) nap ay ong c cua xe co; capo

138. GRANDPARENTS
ONG BA
With faltering1 steps two loving figures walked, hand in hand. Affection was shining in
their eyes. Silhouetted2 by the morning sun, they painstakingly made their way towards
an empty bench. Beyond them, the sun shone bright but the sky was of a pale azure.3
They sat down close as if afraid of losing each other after what they had been through.
Occasionally smiling that little sad smile of his, the old man did not seem to mind the
wind teasing the last few strands4 of his white hair. He was drifting in his dreams. But it
was only a seconds before he looked subdued again lost in his own world. The old
woman too felt likewise.
Minutes passed in complete silence. Tears of misery trickled down slowly tracing the
strained lines on the face contorted5 with wrinkles. The only thing left for them was
their love for each other, which glowed like a flame that will never die.
"Damn it ! Can't you take care of yourselves ? Do you expect me to do every single
thing for you ? Look at that mess ! God ! Can't you see that I have my own family to
take care of ? Isn't it enough that you have wrecked6 my marriage. Why do you have to
do this to me ?"
The bitter words stung them but they couldn't do anything about it. They were too old.
All they could do was sit and stare at the empty space biting their trembling lips. They
hard come to accept the fact that they were a nuisance7 to their good daughter. As the
heart-rending words trailed on, they realised that they were the cause of her shattered8
marriage. They wanted to say they were sorry but she never gave them a chance.
She regarded them as a barrier to a happy life. She had wanted too much and had tried
to understand too litte. They struggled throught life just because they wanted her to be
happy and this was their reward for all the hardship they had endured in trying to please
her.
One day they were forced to packed up and leave for their new home. It was the home
for neglected parents. Life was unbearable there, looking at all the old people. They
were useless and lifeless as vegetables. They were dependent on others. They felt
ashamed but couldn't help relying on others. "They are so different from us. We don't
need others to spoon-feed us. But they do", they thought.
The old couple have come to accept the reality of life. This is their home now, and it is
going to be till the end of their days.
They held hands. He squeezed9 hers smiling, showing gaps where teeth had once been.
She smiled back assured that everything would be alright. In the solace10 of mutual love
and care they carried on their journey through life.
1. falter /'f0:lt6(r)/ (v) (ve di chuyen, i bo, v.v) ngap ngng, nao nung (do yeu sc hoac
s hai)
2. silhouette /s1lu:'et/ (v) in bong, roi bong
3. azure /'%26(r)/ (n) mau xanh da tri
4. strand /str%nd/ (n) mon toc
5. contorted /k6n't0:t1d/ (adj) nhan nho, van veo, nhan nheo

6. wreck /rek/ (v) pha hoai, lam hong

7. nuisance /'nju:sns/ (n) moi phien ha
8. shatter /'~%t6(r)/ (v) lam tan v, lam tieu tan
9. squeeze /skwi:z/ (v) bop, siet chat
10. solace /'s4l1s/ (n) s khuay khoa, niem an ui

139. THE DAY DAD DECIDED TO DO IT HIMSELF

NGAY CHA TOI QUYET NH T LAM LAY MOI VIEC
"Damn this stupid thing. Not again!", I heard mum say. Even without popping1 my head
inside the kitchen I knew that it was the dish-washer making trouble again. That was the
third time this month.
I hate it when the dish-washer breaks down, because I would end up doing the washing.
Mum had given up hope on the dish-washer. But is not dad ! He loves it when something
breaks down in the house. He is always out to prove that he is the handy man around the
house. After the amount of money he had paid to have the dish-washer repaired, I was
sure, he wouldn't believe in anymore repairs. I was wrong.
When he got home and found out about the dish-washer, he was all ready to try out2 the
new tool-set my uncle had bought for me recently.
He started working on the dish-washer soon afterwards. The first thing he laid his hands
on was the motor. God knows how he managed to get it out. This was preceded by a lot
of banging and hammering. My mum and I spent the evening in the living-room, away
from the noise. My mum did not quite mind the mess3 my dad was making, because the
dish-washer was not functioning well anyway, even before it decided to go on "strike"
that day for the third time.
Dad continued to work through the evening. He was engrossed with the dish-washer and
was not distracted4 by anything else.
While preparing dinner, mum and I tried our best to avoid directing our curious eyes to
my dad's working spot. But habit was so deeply ingrained5 that we found ourselves
turning our eyes on him. Believe it or not, it wasn't so bad. There wasn't much of a mess.
Just screws6 and spanners7 of different sizes lying around - apart from the dish-racks
and the motor. Dad gave us a mischievious grin.
We heard a couple of "ouches" and curses8 in the kitchen but did not approach him.
There were sounds of deafening hammerings. Suddenly, dad shouted for help. He
sounded desperate.
Mum and I rushed to him. We knew what was coming. It was a disaster! On the kitchen
floor was the motor which was somehow working on its own. The door was off its
hinges.9 Dad was surely for the dish-washer's lid was off too. I was not surprised. Dad
was capable of anything !
What did my dad have to say after all these ? "They do not make tools like they used to
anymore!" That's my dad.
The next best thing was to pull him away from the kitchen before he brought down the
wires, saying that the wires had caused the trouble. My mum then called the Electric
Company to collect the remains of the dishwasher. I went straight for the tools and
placed them back in the store room. I was not surprised the least, when we did not
receive any cash for the junk10 we sent away.
1. pop /p4p/ (v) lam (cai g) no bop
2. try out /tra1 a$t/ (v) kiem tra ai/cai g bang cach s dung ngi o/cai o th nghiem
3. mess /mes/ (n) tnh trang lon xon, ba bai

4. distract /d1'str%kt/ (v) lam roi tr, lam lang tr

5. ingrained /1n9re1nd/ (adj) an sau, tham can co e
6. screw /skru:/ (n) inh vt
7. spanner /'sp%n6(r)/ (n) c le
8. curse /k3:s/ (n) li chi rua, cau chi the
9. hinge /h1nd2/ (n) ban le
10. junk /d2^nk/ (n) o ong nat, o tap nhap t gia tr

140. BEING THE ODD ONE OUT

CON NGI LAC LONG
I took a final look at myself in the mirror before I put on my high heeled shoes. I thought
I looked presentable enough. My brother was furiously sounding the horn hurrying me
up. I went down the steps with difficulty due to my shoes. The minute I stepped into the
car, he sped off, not caring that my heart had leapt into my mouth.
He was to meet his friends for a barbecue. He hated to take me along on such occasions.
He said that I was a spoil-spon1 tagging along behind him. However, he had to bring me
because my mother insisted. She said that every time he needed to use my father's car at
night, he must take me along. Well, whether he liked it or not, he had to oblige. I was to
one who had to bear his deafening nags2 while we travelled to and fro in the car.
He stopped at the East Coast Park and told me to get down. I was nearly in tears
because I thought the barbecue was to be held at friend's house. If I had known that it
was to be at the beach, I would have at least put on my pants and flat sandals. I would
never dream of going to such an occasion in party skirt and high heeled shoes. Oh... why
didn't he inform me. Although I was very angry with him, I kept my peace. I knew better
than to say anything.
I hurried behind him towards the beach. When we reached the location, I was utterly
shocked to find that there was not a single female soul around. His friends stared at me.
I felt strange, although I still cannot interpret3 their stare. I looked down shyly, and my
eyes met my skirt. At that moment, I felt like tearing it to pieces.
The boys did not say anything to me. I realized that my presence was not welcome. I felt
amixed feeling of embarrassment and anger. Who should I blame ? I thought everybody
was to blame ; my mother, my brother and I. My thoughts was rudely interrupted by a
rough voice offering me a seat on an overturned pot. I thanked him and sat, looking at
the pitch black, moonless sky against the dark blue, calm waters.
I had been in the company of boys for a number of times but the occasions were never
as forbidding as this one. At home, my mother and I live among seven males. They are
my father, two of his brothers, my elder brother and three younger brothers. I love their
company.
I was again interrupted by the rough voice. This time he offered me some mutton4
cubes pierced in an iron skewer. Without thinking, I took it and began to eat. I shouted
in pain when the burning skewer5 touched my lips. My unsympathetic brother turned
around to look at me. Instead of doing something, he gave me a threatening look and
turned away. I heard him telling his friends that I was a spoil-sport.
I felt tears in my eyes but I would not permit them to fall.
I waited patiently till 11.30 p.m. At exactly 11.30 p.m. my brother signalled to me to go
the car. I walked away alone, without saying goodby to anybody. This time warm tears
really poured down my cheeks. I quickly wiped them away as I heard my brother
coming up behind me. Then, I realized that being the odd one out was indeed trying. I
thanked God that it was all over.
1. spoil-sport /'sp01l sp0:t/ (n) ngi pha am
2. nag /n%9/ (n) li ray la, ch trch lien tuc

3. interpret /1n't3:pr1t/ (v) giai thch, ly giai

4. mutton /'m^tn/ (n) tht cu a trng thanh
5. skewer /'skj$6(r)/ (n) cai xien (e nng tht, v.v)