Program Intervensi Bahasa Inggeris SPM 2016

PROGRAM INTERVENSI BAHASA INGGERIS SPM 2017 SMKBS
SING TO THE DAWN SAMPLE ANSWERS
SET 1
33. The following are the novels studied in the literature component in English Language.
Dear Mr Kilmer - Anne Scraff
Sing to The Dawn - Minfong Ho
Captain Nobody - Dean Pitch
Choose one of the novels above and answer the question below.
Based on the novel that you have studied, do you think it is a good reading? Support your
answer with evidence from the novel.
[15 marks]
Sample answer:
The novel that I have read is Sing to the Dawn by Minfong Ho. This novel tells a
story of a young determined girl, Dawan who faces a lot of challenges in realising her dream
to get better education and improve her life to help her family and people. Based on the
novel, I really have to say that I like it that much as it is a very good reading and has many to
offer to the readers.
First and foremost, the main reason why the book is a good reading is due to the fact
that it is an inspiring story to begin with. The story talks about the struggle of a young Thai
girl, Dawan who faces a lot of daunting challenges in order to realise her dream to study in
the City. Throughout the novel, she bravely faces all the hindrance that comes her way,
especially from her brother, Kwai who was placed second in the school exam. This
determined girl shows no fear and is not affected by almost anything. She is also not
discouraged by the horrors of the City told by her cousin, Noi.
Apart from that, another reason worth-noted to vouch in this novel is because it offers
a lot of important lessons to be learnt. The novel teaches us not to give up on our dream.
With so many people going against her, it is impressive that Dawan is so adamant not to give
in to the surrounding pressure. From the novel, we know that her father is not happy with the
idea of letting her go to the town to further studies. He is persistent that education is only for
the boys and that Dawan should give up her place to her brother instead who came second in
the school exam. The novel also teaches us not to be afraid to make change. Despite being
warned by her cousin of the threats she may face in the City, she is not wavered at all. She
struggled against the odds to prove that girls also deserve to enjoy the same privileges the
boys do in response to the hostility shown by her brother and disapproval of her father.
Last but not least, the story relates closely to the issues that are taking place in the
society. Gender inequality is one of the main issues brought up in the novel. Such issue is
apparently palpable in the society. Dawan is determined to fight gender inequality which is
unfortunately apparent in her surroundings. Even her brother and father, the ones who are
close to her and the ones who are supposed to protect her do not support her at first. Even
her mother has no say in making decision and cannot give Dawan her full support because
she believes that it is not her place to say anything. Evidently in most part of the world,
gender inequality is still one of the most challenging issues and this is clearly portrayed in
the novel.
Based on the reasons stated above, I strongly believe that the novel Sing to The Dawn
written by Minfong Ho is a good piece of reading because apart from being an inspiring story
that teaches the readers a lot of things, it is also very much relatable to many of us. I would
also like to recommend this novel to my other friends and I think they will most probably
enjoy reading it too.
SET 2
Based on the novel that you have studied, describe a character you dislike the most? Support
your answer with evidence from the novel.
[15 marks]
Sample Answer:
novel, the character that I dislike the most is Vichai, Baos brother and also Dawans
classmate. There is more than just a single reason which makes him the least favoured
character in this novel.
First and foremost, the main reason as to why I dislike this character the most is due
to the fact that he is such a bad-tempered person. We can observe from this novel that Vichai
is rather quick with his temper and he simply cannot manage his anger. Instead, he gets mad
easily and resorts to violence when things do not go the way he envisages and wishes. Take
for instance When Bao allows Dawan to release a bird for free, Vichai immediately comes to
the market stall and hits her because of that mere reason. They both further argue and Bao
tries to free all the birds in a protest of how Vichai has aggressively reacted over the incident
making Vichai even more enraged. As if possessed, Vichai gets even more furious and tries
to hit Bao again. As a person who hates violence, this simply makes me feel annoyed and
completely abhor him.
Apart from being portrayed as a bad-tempered character, Vichai is also a
representative example of a materialistic individual which is why I dislike him even more.
He only cares for the money more than his own sister whom he should have loved more
dearly. In the novel, we know that he catches birds and puts them in cages so that he can ask
Bao to sell the birds. The people who come to the market will pay them to free the birds as a
means to make merit. Forget it if you expect him to thank Bao. He does not even express his
gratitude toward Bao let alone sharing what they earn. Besides that, he is very calculative
with the money and can tell at once if the money was short. He immediately turns furious
upon finding out the truth. This is most likely the reason why Bao describes her brother as
money-making bully and of course I couldnt agree more with Bao. This is just perfect to
describe how I dislike Vichai.
Last but not least, another glaring reason that I cant seem to overlook is that he is
downright selfish. What this character portrays is a perfect epitome of how surprisingly
selfish one can turn out to be. He only thinks of himself and never empathises with others. In
one of the chapters of the novel, we get to know why he is one because he forces Bao to sell
the birds that he has caught and takes all the money for himself. He refuses to share the
money earned even though Bao is the one who is doing all the selling. Not only that, he is so
full of himself and thinks that he is doing the right thing and refuses to listen to others as
well. He doesnt want to listen to Baos explanation and resort to violence when confronted
and provoked. Besides that, he does not make full use of the precious opportunity he is
bestowed with. He gets to go to school but instead of striving for a better future, he is
slacking away in his studies not trying his very best. Just imagine what Bao could have
shown had she been given the same chance. This just goes to show that he is one selfish
individual and is all the more reason why I do not like this character the most.
Based on the reasons stated above, I cant seem to find anyone else I would strongly
dislike other than Vichai. He is a true portrayal of how an individual can be materialistic,
bad-tempered and selfish at the same time and I vehemently believe that I am not the only
one who dislikes him. I really hope that readers can learn a lot from this novel especially
from the characters who have shown good qualities.
SET 3
Based on the novel that you have studied, describe how the issue of injustice is portrayed
throughout the novel? Support your answer with evidence from the novel.
[15 marks]
Sample Answer:
novel, there are a number of issues brought up and highlighted by the author. One of the
main issues that is clearly portrayed throughout the novel is injustice. To further clarify on
this significant issue, I shall focus on gender inequality and social class orientation
(bourgeois).
First and foremost, the issue of injustice is evidently depicted in a form of gender
inequality throughout this novel. Gender inequality is very dominant in this novel as we
continue on to observe how the society is illustrated by Minfong Ho. The obvious example is
how the female characters are denied the same rights and privileges enjoyed by their male
counterparts. For example, Dawan has no other choices but to accept the scholarship because
father once said that he would stop financing Dawan in the following year but insisted that
Kwai should go to school instead. He is willing to send Kwai to school as long as Kwai
wants to go on studying. Apart from that, Bao also doesnt go to school when her brother
Vichai gets to enrol. She is so excited to hear the stories from Dwan about school and is
extremely thrilled when she finally gets to meet Dawan and keeps praising Dawan for her
remarkable achievement. She used to stay at home babysitting, cooking and doing the
laundry that she gets too bored and decided to work outside to help her family. It is so sad to
think of the potentials that she could have shown in the stead of Vichai who is not making
full use of the opportunity.
Apart from being denied the same privileges and rights the boys enjoy, women are
also disregarded and their voices are kept unheard. In the society, the women have little
authority on what they wish to do and what they want in life. Her mother simply has no say
in making decision and cannot give Dawan her full support because she believes that it is not
her place to say anything. If that is not clear to make you see how injustice is taking place in
the story, do remember that Bao once claims that the girls have always had to stand aside and
let their brothers do all the challenging things. She further argues that when they get married,
they have to stand aside for their spouses. It will not just end there as they have to stand aside
for their children. It goes without any sayings that there is an issue of gender inequality in
this novel.
Another important issue that should not be overlooked when it comes to injustice is
how social class orientation plays a significant role in leading to this. Injustice and
oppression is rather palpably clear throughout the novel. Take for instance the landlord who
has been exploiting the villagers who use his land to cultivate paddy to win them their daily
bread. He suppresses and oppresses the villagers by making them handing him bags of rice
they have stocked. Dawans and Nois family are no exemption. They have to hand in big
pile of rice sacks to the landlord to pay for the land rent. They suffer because they are poor
and nothing much could be done so much so they have barely enough to last. Apart from
that, the army officer by the name of Mr Phrasphras has been prowling around the village
leeching on the villagers by taking sum of money from those who want their children/
spouses to be exempted from the army enlistment. The villagers cannot do anything but
agree to his terms because sending their children and spouses off to enlist in the army would
mean that fewer breadwinners are there for them to earn the living. Besides, the pay they get
from serving in the army is hardly enough to feed a cockroach. As a result, they are
threatened by this officer who has tied their hands and feet with his terms.
All in all, the issue of injustice is clearly one of the dominant issues that revolve
around this novel and there are just more than enough evidences as stated above to support
this argument. Unfortunately, this is also happening in the real life and I hope we get to learn
a lot from this novel to fix such issue.
SET 4
Education is the key to pave ways for a better future.

Based on the novel that you have studied, describe how this issue of is significantly brought
up in the novel? Support your answer with evidence from the novel.
[15 marks]
Sample Answer:
novel, the importance of education is evidently highlighted throughout the novel. Indeed,
education is the key to pave ways for better future and this issue is one of the main themes
brought up by the writer.
First and foremost, readers get to understand that education is undeniably a vital key
to raise awareness among the people so that they will realise that it is important to them. For
example, Dawan and Kwai realise the importance of education in improving ones life. It is
in fact due the education that they both receive that drives them to do their best to obtain the
scholarship. For Dawan and Kwai, education will ensure a brighter future not only for them,
but also for their family and their people. Both Dawai and Kwan share similar dreams which
are to learn and get better education so that they will be helpful in creating change for her
village. She also believes that she can be as good leader as anyone else would be if she gets
better education. The scholarship to study in the big City is very important to them because it
is the stepping stone for them to realise their dream.
Apart from that, education is seen as a golden ticket to develop the rural area so that
the gap that is there between the people here and the people in big City will not further
extend. Both Dawan and Kwai are really hopeful that they will get this ticket. They believe
that getting the scholarship comes with even bigger responsibility that is to come back, serve
the society and change the people. For Kwai, it means to be able to learn and bring back
home the technology so they can cultivate new crops, use better fertiliser or even open up a
hospital for the people. For dawan, getting the scholarship means that no more people will
look down on women and more door will equally be opened for them if she can prove that
she can do as good as the other male counterparts.
Last but not least, education is crucially significant to fix the misguided stigma in the
society whereby females are always regarded as less capable and that it is no use to make a
major difference to this. For instance, Kwai clearly stresses that her sister cannot make so
much changes and that she is not capable to lead people in times of crisis simply because he
was indoctrinated that a girl would never make a good leader after all. Their father is also not
happy to let Dawan go to the City to pursue her dream because he just does not see why she
needs to do so. Even the old monk is not helping in any ways. Nevertheless, Dawan wants to
prove that they are wrong and the only way for her to do that is to get better education.
Dawan is very optimistic and positive that she can be as good as Kwai would be in leading
the society if she is given the same chance and privilege and in this case, a chance to get
better education. She clearly knows that education is undeniably vital to change the status
quo in her society and fix the stigma and misguided notion that females are no better than the
males.
In a gist, education is indeed one of the key elements to pave ways for a much better
and brighter future. This is evidently portrayed as the story progresses and beautifully
depicted through the characters of this novel as aforementioned.
SET 5
Based on the novel that you have studied, describe a supporting character that has helped the
main character to realise her/his dream. Support your answer with evidence from the novel.
[15 marks]
Sample Answer:
novel, there is no doubt that Dawan is surrounded by a lot of great people who have helped
her in braving the challenges in life. One of the most notably important characters who have
helped Dawan to realise her dream is no other than her own grandmother.
First and foremost, her grandmother is always there to comfort and encourage her.
When everyone else is making her feel down, her grandmother is always there to give her
strength and never fails to support her. Upon knowing that Dawan is the winner for the
scholarship, she congratulates her warmly and tells Dawan that she is proud of her even
though Dawans parents are sceptical about the idea of letting their daughter go to the City
and study there. When Dawans father gets so mad upon accidentally knowing that Kwai has
actually been keeping quiet about his result, the scared Dawan is comforted by her
grandmother. Her grandmother makes her feel that she is not alone in facing all the
hardships.
Not only has her grandmother stood up for her, she also know what to do when it calls
for it and this has clearly helped Dawan along the way. even walks the talk and makes plan
for the poor girl. She is the one who suggests Dawan to see Noi and asks her what Dawan
should expect and know about the life of the City. She takes Dawan to Nois house to get
advice from her because Noi and her husband have both lived in the City before. She puts
Dawan before her even when knowing that Nois house is quiet far away from their house.
Furthermore, she is too old to walk as far as three kilometres in her condition under the hot
sun. Nevertheless, he doesnt even have to think twice to do so if that means getting more
support for Dawan to convince her father. Needless to say, she is Dawans back bone and has
helped Dawan in a lot of ways to reach for her dream.
Apart from the aforementioned reasons, her advice and words of wisdom is also one
of the reasons why Dawan plucks up the courage to confirm her decision. She advises Dawan
not to give up on the golden opportunity and to go according to her conscience and does
what she thinks are right for her. She also advises Dawan on how to survive when she is
away from her family and not to be timid if she is to face struggles in the City. When she
gives a lotus flower to Dawan, she wisely explains why she thinks Dawan is just like the
flower; all shut up tight, small and afraid of the outside but with good water and strong
sunlight, it will finally unfold petal by petal blooming fully. This has eventually appeased
Dawan and she finally is able to confirm her decision.
Therefore, based on the reasons provided above, I cant seem to find anyone else to
better describe the person who has meant the most to Dawan in her challenging journey to
realise her dream to study in the big City.
SET 6
The following are the novels studied in the literature component in English Language.
Based on the novel that you have studied, describe how the issue of injustice has affected the
society throughout the novel? Support your answer with evidence from the novel.
[15 marks]
Sample Answer:
to get better education and improve her life to help her family and people. Throughout the
novel, the issue of injustice is clearly depicted which in so many ways, has affected the
society.
First and foremost, the main impact that results from injustice in the society is how
the girls are denied the privileges and rights the other boys have enjoyed. In education for
instance, the girls are denied the right to pursue their studies as far as they wish to. Dawan
has no choice but to accept the scholarship because father once said that he would stop
financing Dawan in the following year but insisted that Kwai should go to school. He is
willing to send Kwai to school as long as Kwai wants to go on studying. Bao on the other
hand, does not get to go to school when her brother enjoys the privilege. She used to stay at
home babysitting, cooking and doing the laundry that she gets too bored and decided to work
outside to help her family. As a result, Bao thinks lowly of herself and feels like she doesnt
impact anyone in any ways because she is just a flower girl with no education. This is clearly
an evident of injustice that is prevalent in the novel and I personally think that this is also
happening in so many other places especially in the third world countries where women are
not encouraged to go far in education.
Another worth-noted aspect that we can observe from this novel is how injustice has
indoctrinated the society to think that woman is of less value and should not be regarded the
same way the men are. This has limited the rights for the women to speak up and stand for
their rights. In the society, woman has little authority on what they wish to do and what they
want in life. Her mother also has no say in making decision and cannot give Dawan her full
support because she believes that it is not her place to say anything. Kwai also stresses that
her sister cannot make so much changes and that she is not capable to lead people in times of
crisis simply because he was indoctrinated that a girl would never make a good leader after
all. Bao once claims that the girls have always had to stand aside and let their brothers do all
the challenging things. She further argues that when they get married, they have to stand
aside for their spouses. It will not just end there; they have to stand aside for their children.
Similarly, in real life, women face this glass ceiling effects where they can just see the
prospects that are out of their reach as if there is a barrier to get there.
Last but not least, another aspect of injustice that should not be overlooked is how the
society is severely affected by those who have the upper hands. For example, the landlord
has been exploiting the villagers who use his land to cultivate paddy to win them their daily
bread. He suppresses and oppresses the villagers by making them handing him bags of rice
they have stocked. Dawans family and Nois are no exemption. They have to hand in big
pile of rice sacks to the landlord to pay for the land rent. They suffer because they are poor
and nothing much could be done so much so they have hardly enough to last. Apart from
that, the army officer by the name of Mr Phrasphras has been prowling around the village
leeching on the villagers by taking sum of money from those who want their children/
spouses to be exempted from the army enlistment. The villagers could not not do anything
but agree to his terms because sending their children and spouses off to enlist in the army
would mean that fewer breadwinners are there for them to earn the living. Besides, the pay
they get from serving in the army is hardly enough to feed a cockroach. As a result, they are
milked out by this officer who has tied their hands and feet with his terms. This is also
another perfect portrayal of what is happening in real life where these people who have no
power have been oppressed, depressed and suppressed by their superiorities.
All in all, the society has been impacted badly in so many ways as a result of injustice
that is taking place in the society which can clearly be observed throughout the novel. I
personally think that the issue of injustice is like a virus that rampantly affects everyone in
the society and hopefully with many people like Dawan, we can see changes in the future.
SET 7
The following are the novels studied in the literature component in English Language.
Based on the novel that you have studied, how do you think you can emulate the main
character as a role model in your life? Justify your answer.
[15 marks]
Sample Answer:
to get better education and improve her life to help her family and people. The main
character of the novel, Dawan is indeed a perfect portrayal of a role model whom I can
emulate in life as she possesses a lot of good qualities.
First and foremost, she can be a good role model to the students because she has
shown that she is a very good one. She wants to go far in her studies and thus works hard to
realise her goals in life. She does well in her studies and even gets the scholarship to pursue
her studies in the big City, something that is not easy to achieve since only one student gets
this precious opportunity each year. Despite the fact that girls going to school is not
accustomed within her society, she defies that social stigma and proves that girls can also do
well in academic and go as far as they wish. For Dawan, getting the scholarship means that
no more people will look down on women and more doors will equally be opened for them if
she can prove that a female student can do as good as her other male counterparts. This is
definitely something that I can emulate in my life because she has shown that hard work will
finally pay off. I learn that I should do the best in my studies because education is very
important to determine ones future.
Apart from the aforementioned quality, as a sister, she has shown that she is indeed
the best one for Kwai which makes her a perfect role model for all. She does not give up on
Kwai even though she has been treated unfairly by her brother. Kwai is being selfish because
he believes that he can do much better in Dawans stead if he gets the chance while claiming
that he makes a better leader and that he should be the one going so that he can benefit a lot
of people. While arguing that Dawan cannot do much because she is only a girl and that she
cannot lead people in crisis, he further offends her saying that Dawan is only good at
studying. Most people would have retaliated but instead of arguing, Dawan stays patient and
puts up with her brothers behaviour. Besides, when she is injured because of Kwai, the only
thing that worries her is how to cover up for her brothers mistake as she is afraid that father
will get mad. In another instance, Dawan also leaves her umbrella to her brother when they
are caught in a heavy downpour. When she sets off for home leaving Kwai alone to reflect on
what he has done, she purposely leaves the umbrella because she thinks that Kwai may need
it more than her. Because of her constant patience, Kwai eventually admits that she is indeed
a caring and loving sister and he finally gives his full support for his sister. As a caring sister,
she has shown her concern towards her brother and she definitely loves her brother so much.
She is the kind of sister everyone would like to have and I have learned a lot from her
character.
Another worth-noted aspect that makes her a good role model that we should emulate
is the fact that she is a responsible person who shows maturity ahead of her age. As a
responsible figure, she thinks about her future, her family and her village people. She wants
to get better education so that she will be helpful in paving ways for changes for herself and
her village. She responsibly takes complete charge of herself without being influenced by
other people and she refuses to be affected by the hearsays people tell her because she knows
that she bears huge responsibility to change her life. Besides, she also knows how to handle
the situation she faces not like the other teenagers her age. She doesnt rebel and whine like
the other teenagers her age would normally react. She also knows what she wants in her life
and she follows her conscience in doing what she perceives the best and the right one for her.
This clearly shows that she is a responsible girl, unlike most of the teenagers nowadays who
do not have the sense of responsibility toward themselves and the people around them. For
this very reason, I am highly positive that she is one of the perfect role models we should
emulate because we can learn so many things from this great character.
In conclusion, it goes without any sayings that the main character of this novel,
Dawan has portrayed a lot of commendable qualities which are good examples for everyone.
I can emulate her as a good role model in so many ways and hopefully, we can learn a lot
from her.

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PROGRAM INTERVENSI BAHASA INGGERIS SPM 2017 SMKBS

SING TO THE DAWN SAMPLE ANSWERS

Education is the key to pave ways for a better future.

Dear Mr Kilmer - Anne Scraff

Sing to The Dawn - Minfong Ho

Captain Nobody - Dean Pitch

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