COMPREHENSION VIII

 English Language JSS1 First Term 

WEEK TEN

THEME: READING

COMPREHENSION

PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVE

Students should be able to;

1. Read passages
2. Recall salient points in a given passage
3. Review the passage

CONTENT

Read the following passages and answer the following questions

CORRUPTION

The fight against corruption has intensified with the setting up of Transparency International ( TI ) and its chapters in many countries across the world. A non-governmental organization based in Berlin, Transparency International was founded in 1993 by a group of individuals who had become increasingly aware of the devastating effects of corruption on human development and its distorting effect on trade and investment. The group aims to stamp out corruption.

Corruption deepens poverty by distorting social and economic development and disrupting the provision of essential public services. It also hurts democracy by undermining the principles of fair play and justice. Instead of' contracts being awarded on the basis of fair competition relying on price, quality and innovation, they are awarded as a result of competitive bribery. The consequences are (lire. Investors keep away and trade suffers.

TI defines corruption as the use of public office for private gain. Decisions are made not for public benefit but for private interests. Costs incurred are high and prestigious projects are favoured over cost-efficient development projects. Access to basic social and economic rights such as education, medical care, adequate shelter and clean water are jeopardized. The environment is threatened and human rights abuse flourishes. When corruption increases, regimes become more secretive, less tolerant of dissent and more fearful of the loss of power.

TI believes that the stamping out of corruption is not the responsibility of anyone agency but the responsibility of all parties concerned. Every section of society must pitch in because corruption affects everyone, especially the poor. The government, non-governmental organizations, members of society as well as the local and international business communities must work together if corruption is to be combated at all levels. As a first step, TI ropes in governments to set up chapters in countries. The function of each national chapter is to seek consensus and bring about systematic reform at both national and international levels. The media is also brought into the picture as one of the primary aims of each chapter is to raise public awareness. TI does not believe in broadcasting names or attacking individuals but on building systems that combat corruption.

TI publishes a quarterly newsletter and an annual Corruption Perception Index. The index ranks countries from the cleanest to the most corrupt, based on the perception of the international business community, risk analysts and the general public. In 1998, some 85 countries participated and Denmark topped the list as the country seen to have the least level of corruption. In 1999, 99 countries participated and again Denmark took the top spot. Malaysia was ranked 29th and 32nd respectively over the two years. In response to criticisms that the Corruption Perception Index had tended to put unfair emphasis on developing countries, another ranking system was devised. This is the Bribe Payers Index (BPI) which was introduced in 1999. This survey attempts to gauge the tendency to bribe senior public officials by major corporations. The survey ranks Sweden as the country least likely to offer bribes while China occupies the bottom spot at number 19. Malaysia is ranked 15th.

The Malaysian chapter of Transparency International is known as the Kuala Lumpur Society for Transparency and Integrity and at present is headed by Tunku Abdul Aziz. The society believes that any attempt to redress the deteriorating scenario in Malaysia must be based on a long-term plan. First, the public must be aware of their constitutional rights and ensure that these rights are not taken away from them. Then they should assert their right to good governance. To ensure that there is greater accountability in both the public and private sectors, there is a need to institute more checks and balances. Information should also not be withheld but made available to the public so that they will be better informed to make decisions.

To stamp out graft, there are some who believe that the penalties and consequences that will befall the culprits if found guilty of corruption should be made known to all. At the same time, a sense of outrage must be developed in people so that they get angry at corruption because it is about injustice, dishonesty and the impoverishment of many for the benefit of a few. Nurturing such an attitude can only begin at home. If what makes a person incorruptible are the values he holds on to -- personal, ethical and religious -- then the home exerts a mighty influence on inculcating these values in individuals.

The graft must be stamped out. It is insidious and evil and in time to come, will affect every level of society. It is time for people to stand up and act in a concerted manner to rid society of this menace. Otherwise, there is every possibility that corruption becomes a way of life undermining justice and fair play and all that is good in society.

1. What is a good title for this passage?

(A)    Helping the Poor

(B)    Fighting Corruption

(C)    Corruption

 (D)   Ensuring Basic Human Rights

1. How does corruption deepen poverty?

(A)    Cost-efficient development projects are not carried out.

(B)    Money is channelled away to fund more prestigious projects.

(C)    The poor are totally ignored.

(D)    Basic amenities are not provided to the poor.

                         

2. How is the role of Transparency International crucial in the battle against corruption?

(A)  It gets people in different countries to join its organization.

(B)    It gets governments to agree to set up a branch in their country.

(C)    It has global support.

(D)   It declares the finds of a survey showing levels of corruption.

                        4. What inference can be drawn if countries are not willing to have a TI chapter set up in their region?

                (A)    That their governments are clean and corrupt-free

                (B)    That their governments are corrupt

                (C)    that there is something to hide

                             (D)   That the countries are not willing to subject themselves to any laws.

        5.     One of the most powerful 'tools' that can ensure success in the efforts of TI is

                (A)    the government machinery

                (B)    the mass media

                (C)    the masses

                (D)    the Corruption Perception Index

        6.     As far as the Malaysian chapter of TI is concerned, the head of the chapter urges Malaysians to take note of ______ points.

                (A)    one

                (B)    two

                (C)    three

                (D)    four

        7.     What is the effect of letting the public be aware of the penalties and consequences if found guilty of corruption? It instils in every one                         

                (A)    the fear of punishment of caught

                 (B)   anger towards the guilty

                (C)    a sense of share if found guilty

                (D)    the complacency to do nothing

Read and answer the following question

DRUG ABUSE

Jay Tee, 30, has been a drug addict since he was a teenager. He has tried to kick the habit many times; going in and out of rehabilitation centres. He managed to stay clean for a month before suffering a

relapse. There are many drug addicts like Jay Tee. Why are they into it in the first place? It doesn't matter if you are white or black or Asian or Latin, every race has their share of drug abuse problems.

Some people say that it is due to the perception of drugs being "bad and illegal" and therefore something so irresistible that you just have to try it. Somehow, teenagers are more curious to discover the "forbidden fruit". Some manage to kick the habit early but there are many others who are trapped.

For many teenagers, drug abuse is a mere escape. They use drugs to get out of their misery, pain, confusion and loneliness. Some teenage drug addicts grow up without guidance from their parents, and so they resort to drugs. Some are physically or mentally abused and drugs become the only thing that they are able to count on. Many succumb to drug addiction because of the need to feel like they belong. They try drugs to please their friends or to be part of a group. Many teenage drug abusers are also low achievers in schools and have low self-esteem.

There are also teenagers who claim that they were first exposed to different kinds of drugs at parties and discos. These drugs were distributed freely the first few times and they kept coming back for more. As a result, many of them became addicted even before they knew it. In certain cases, these teenagers might resort to committing crimes to support their expensive habit.

One effective tool in the fight against teen drug abuse is communication. Troubled teens need some form of an outlet from the problems or depression they are facing. Parents should take time out from their busy schedules to spend time with their children and listen to their problems. Communication, however, should go beyond words. Parents should show their children that they really care. Adequate parental supervision has also been found to be a deterrent to drug use in youth. Parents should know who their children's friends are and what is going on in their social lives. School counsellors should also play an active role in providing information on drug abuse and also provide emotional support.

One common belief is that drug abusers should be able to stop taking drugs if only they are willing to change their behaviour. However, drug addiction is a disease that affects the brain and because of that,

stopping drug abuse is not simply a matter of willpower. Drug abuse can affect a person's self-control and ability to make sound decisions, and at the same time send intense impulses to take drugs. Through scientific advances, we now know that the abuse of drugs leads to changes in the structure and function of the brain and at the same time, we also know that drug addiction can be successfully treated to help people get over their addiction and resume productive lives.

At the end of the day, the best way to prevent drug addiction is by educating teenagers about it. The more they learn about the bad effects, the less their excuses to take it. This may even dissuade them from using it.

                 1.    From paragraph 1, who does 'they' refer to?

                 2.    From paragraph 2, what is the reason cited for teenage drug addiction?

                 3.    From paragraph 3,

                (a) what are teenage drug abusers escaping from?

                (b) give two other reasons for drug abuse among teenagers.

                (c) give two characteristics of teenage drug abusers.

         4.    From paragraph 5, name one way in which parents could help their troubled children.

         5.   In your own words, explain why stopping drug abuse is not simply a matter of willpower.

THEME: WRITING

LETTER WRITING (INFORMAL)

PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVE

Students should be able to;

1. Identify the format of an informal letter
2. Write an informal letter

CONTENT

An informal letter is a letter that is written in a personal fashion. You can write them to relatives or friends, but also to anyone with whom you have a non-professional relationship, although this doesn't exclude business partners or workers with whom you're friendly. There are different ways to carry out this type of letter depending on which country you're in.

How Do You Start an Informal Letter?

1. Address

Your personal address should be the first thing you write in your letter. It should be located at the top right corner of the page since you do not always know if someone has your address if they want to reply. Remember also to fill in your country of residence if you are sending the letter abroad.

2. Format

Number and street name

City, state and postal code

Country

Example

1000 S. Grand Avenue

Los Angeles, CA 90015

United States

3. Date

The date is usually located below your own address. The most common way to write the date includes the month, day and year. Sometimes, only the month and day are sufficient. In English, the names of months are always capitalized, but there are some differences in formatting between American English and British English. See the table below for examples of each.

An informal letter can be written in nearly any way you choose, but there are a few organizational guidelines you can follow if you are unsure of what to write or how to format your letter. The perfect informal letter consists of three sections:

4. Opening
5. Body text
6. Closing

There is one final part of an informal letter that doesn't need to be listed here: the signature, which consists of no more than a farewell remark and your name. Learn about each of the three main parts of an informal letter below.

1. Opening

The first step is addressing your reader. But how do you address someone in English?

This is fairly straightforward and is usually not as important as it would be with a business or formal letter. There are still a few things that you should know in terms of addressing someone properly in an informal latter.

First, British English does not employ the use of a period after abbreviated titles, but American English does.

• Mr Johnson (British English)
• Mr. Johnson (American English)

Secondly, if you are sending a letter to a married woman, the correct abbreviation is "Mrs," and if you are sending a letter to a non-married woman, the correct abbreviation is "Ms."

• Mrs. Johnson is the wife of Mr. Johnson
• Ms. Johnson and her fiancé will be married this summer

Choosing whether or not to use a title depends on how well you know the person to which the letter is addressed. If you are on very friendly terms, simply use their first name. The way in which you greet your reader is up to you. The examples below showcase some common greetings.

Dear Richard,

Richard,

Hi Richard,

Be sure to never forget the comma after the name.

Examples of Opening Sentences

Finally, you've reached the part of the letter where you begin to write. Here, let your imagination run free. If you need some ideas to get started, some sample opening sentences are included below. Your opening should be casual and not as stiff as it would be if you were writing a professional or formal letter.

• How are you?
• How have you been?
• How is life treating you?
• How are the kids?
• I hope you are doing well.
• I hope you, Mike, and the kids are having a great time in (location).

2. Body

The contents of your letter should be written in a personal and friendly tone. However, it's important to adjust your use of language to the person you are writing to. A good way of assessing how you should write is to think about how you would interact with the person you are writing to in real life. Also, keep in mind that the people of England and America are fond of exchanging social niceties.

For example, they like asking a few polite questions "How are you?" or "How was your holiday?" In general, they are not as direct as most Europeans.

Subjects to Include in the Body

• State your reason for writing
• Expand on what you mentioned in the first paragraph
• Ask about the person you are writing to
• Make some concluding remarks
• Invite the person to write back

3. Closing

The closing is where you summarize your letter and say goodbye to the reader. The examples below offer some ideas of what to write in the closing section of your informal letter.

Examples of Closing Sentences

• I am looking forward to seeing you.
• I can't wait to see you soon.
• I can't wait to hear from you.
• I am looking forward to hearing from you soon.
• I hope to hear from you soon.
• See you soon.
• Send my love to...
• I hope you are doing well.
• Give my regards to...

4. Signature

In terms of signing off, the choice is yours and you have a lot of freedom here. Below are some commonly used sign-offs that maintain a friendly, informal tone. After you've chosen one that fits the overall tone of your letter, simply sign your name.

Examples of Signatures

• Best wishes,
• Best,
• Kindly,
• Kind regards,
• Best regards,
• Lots of love,
• Love,

THEME: SPEECH

CONSONANTS /p/ and /b/

PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES

Students should be able to;

1. Identify consonant /p/ and /b/
2. Explain how and where they are produced
3. Give examples of words containing the consonants

CONTENT

The main difference between /b/ and /p/ is that /b/ is a voiced sound, whereas /p/ is just produced by the puff of air. Also, /b/ is pronounced with less air released than /p/, and this can sometimes be a more useful distinction as it is difficult to feel the vocal cords vibrating when making the /b/ sound.

Elementary

big pig

buy pie

by pie

bye pie

Pre-Intermediate

bay pay

bear pair

bet pet

bill pill

bin pin

bore poor

bought port

cub cup

Intermediate

band panned

base pace

bat pat

bear pear

beer pier

belt pelt

berry perry

bit pit

blade played

bland planned

blank plank

blaze plays

bored pawed

braise prays

bride pride

bull pull

but putt

butter putter

lib lip

pub pup

robe rope

tab tap

Upper-Intermediate

banned panned

bare pare

beak peak

beat peat

bee pee

bitch pitch

bleed plead

blot plot

board pawed

bore pour

braise praise

breast pressed

burr per

cab cap

rib rip

Advanced

bah par

batty patty

bead peed

beak peek

beep peep

beet peat

bi pi

bier peer

blade plaid

blaster plaster

bleat pleat

bloom plume

blunder plunder

blush plush

boar paw

boar pour

boo poo

braise preys

brat prat

brawn prawn

breech preach

brick prick

brig prig

brim prim

burr purr

butt putt

tribe tripe

THEME: GRAMMATICAL ACCURACY

ADJECTIVES

PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES

Students should be able to;

1. Define adjectives
2. Construct sentences using the comparative and superlatives degrees of adjectives

CONTENT

Adjective change in form when they show comparison.

• Positive Degree: An adjective is said to be in the positive degree when there is no comparison.
• Comparative Degree: An adjective is said to be in the comparative degree when it is used to compare two nouns/pronouns.
• Superlative Degree: An adjective is in superlative degree when it is used to compare more than two nouns/pronouns. We use the article 'the' before the superlative degrees.

Formation of Comparative & Superlative Degrees of Adjectives

Adjectives usually form their comparative and superlative degrees:

1. 1. by addition of '-er' and '-est' to the positive degree

POSITIVE  COMPARATIVE   SUPERLATIVE

bright        brighter     brightest

black        blacker       blackest

bold          bolder       boldest

clever        cleverer     cleverest

cold          colder        coldest

fast            faster       fastest

great        greater       greatest

high          higher       highest

kind          kinder       kindest

long          longer       longest

rich            richer       richest

small        smaller       smallest

strong       stronger    strongest

sweet        sweeter     sweetest

tall              taller       tallest

thick          thicker      thickest

young       younger    youngest

2.by addition of '-r' and '-st' to the positive degree ending in 'e'

POSITIVE  COMPARATIVE   SUPERLATIVE

brave                 braver       bravest

fine                      finer       finest

large                   larger      largest