Passage 1

Malaysians are indeed a lucky lot. The country is rich in mineral resources and the soil is fertile.
Despite the floods during monsoon seasons, they are never the devastating kind that is seen in other
parts of the world. There are no volcanoes and there hardly has ever been a serious earthquake. The
geographical position meant even that the tsunami that struck 14 countries and claimed over
300,000 lives in a matter of hours gave the country a miss.

The able leadership that the country has seen has helped Malaysia move away from the sole
dependence on primary commodities and agriculture. Where rubber used to mean Malaya, today,
the master-stroke that led to the development of oil palm estates has made her one of the major
exporters of the commodity palm oil. Scientific approaches have helped her move to the forefront of
palm oil production, research and development. In fact, today she is sought after for the knowledge
and know-how in this field.

The policy of Foreign Direct Investment has helped the country grow richer. Political and social
stability and an educated workforce make her more desirable for the investor. Investment in
infrastructure, including a network of modern highways, airports, ports and railway lines have made
travel and transportation nicely efficient. Investments in telecommunications and information
technology have successfully erased the isolation of rural communities.

Manufactured exports such as electronics, electrical machinery and appliances, chemicals and
chemical products, wood products, textiles and cloth highlight the producer friendly atmosphere
that has successfully been established for the investor. Non-manufactured exports such as palm oil,
crude petroleum, Liquefied Natural Gas, timber, cocoa and rubber show the diversified
opportunities made prevalent.

It is the manufacturing sector that has helped the Malaysian economy grow. In fact, manufactured
goods make up almost four-fifths of all exports. Investments in downstream activities have meant
that the palm oil, timber and rubber industries have seen a growth in oleo-chemicals, latex
catheters, surgical gloves and wooden furniture.

The nation's own petroleum giant has moved beyond developing just the country's oil and gas
reserves to be an active participant in oil field activities around the globe. Logically enough, the
brand promotion of Petronas has given it recognition throughout the business world.

Malaysia's own car industry has seen her transformation from importer to exporter. From the
modest start with a single model which was a rehashed version of a Japanese model, the country has
now forged ahead with the potential to expand all over the world. The greatest testimony of her
success is the dedication and seriousness with which this industry is approached.

The greatest strength of Malaysia is the respect and tolerance with which the populace treat each
other and each day. Malays, Chinese and Indians make the major colours of the country's diaspora.
The peace with which they live brings up many lessons for the international community. The major
festivals of three religions are celebrated in a free spirit of inter-religious appreciation. The localised
ethnic communities also get their due recognition.
Answer the following questions using complete sentences

1. From paragraph 1, what natural disaster gave Malaysia a wide berth ?

2. (a) Which commodity was Malaya famous for ?

(b) What commodity is Malaysia famous for ?

3. (a) From paragraph 4, what does the export of manufactured products point to ?

(b) To your own knowledge, what are the two greatest manufactured products from Malaysia ?

4. (a) From paragraph 7, in your own words explain the phrase "from importer to exporter."

(b) What are the three main festivals celebrated by the three main communities in Malaysia ?

5. What characteristic among Malaysians is worthy of emulation by the international community ?

Characteristic : ____________

Reason : ____________

6. Based on the passage, write a summary of :

• The factors that make Malaysia a successful country.

• The good benefits that peaceful co-existence means for the world.

ESSAY 1

A long night

Write a story in which the character had to go through a whole night without sleep.

Little Susie had been complaining about a stomachache for the whole day. The family doctor did not
think that it was serious and sent her home. However in the evening her condition got worse and
Carrie, her mother, was very worried.

At nine in the night, Carrie decided that they should go to the hospital and see a doctor there. So here
husband took her and Susie to the hospital. At the hospital, the doctor examined Susie and diagnosed
her as having acute appendicitis. He arranged for immediate surgery. Things moved quickly and the
hospital staff got Susie ready for the operation.

They wheeled Susie into the operation theater while Carrie waited outside. Her husband returned
home to be with their other two children who were waiting for news of their little kid sister.

An hour later, Susie was wheeled out of the operation room. The doctor assured Carrie that the
operation was successful. There was no complication. Carrie was so relieved. Thank goodness she
decided to come to the hospital.

Carrie's husband came back to the hospital to see if things were okay. He was also very relieved. As
there was nothing else that he could do, he returned home to look after the children. Carrie remained
in the hospital with Susie. The hospital provided a reclining chair for Carrie to sleep on but sleep was
impossible. She was just too concerned for Susie.
The next morning dawned bright and cheery. It had been a long stressful night, but everything turned
out well.

appendicitis an illness in which the appendix is infected and painful and usually
needs to be removed in an operation

complication an extra medical problem that makes it more difficult to treat an

existing illness

English Conversation

The numbers didn't add up !!!

Max These are just some rough ideas I have. Maybe we can try this out.
Michelle Good points, Max. But we should take a look at the figures Dan got for us. Dan,
what are these figures based on ? And how solid are they ?
Dan The figures are based on first quarter's profits. I believe they are very solid.
Michelle But these figures do not support Max's argument. And I noticedthe numbers
didn't add up. Anyway, I want you to go over these numbers once again. We
can't use them before they prove to be right.
Dan Got it. I'll go through all the materials again.
Michelle OK, guys. We've been sitting for 3 hours. We'd better get up and stretch our
legs. We'll discuss it further later today.

Explanation :

If a situation does not add up, there is no reasonable or likely explanation for it.

Example : Why would she disappear the day before her holiday? It just doesn't add up.

Give me the rundown !!!

Renee We need to book a meeting room. But the meeting rooms are almost booked out.
I'm still working on that.
Michelle Please try your best to get us a room. Your know we cannot reschedule the
rehearsal.
Renee I'll do my best. And I'll make sure all the presentation slides are ready on the
computer.
Michelle Good. And don't forget to give me the rundown on the rehearsal.
Sam No problem. Renee and I will see to it.
Michelle Then that concludes our meeting today. Let's roll.

Explanation :

Rundown - A detailed report

Example : Here's a rundown on/of the activities of our ten biggest competitors.

Cut-throat competition !!!

Michelle Now if you'll take a look at this line graph, you'll see the sales of our new item
PUR083 has been going up substantially this quarter. And if you'll refer to the
numbers on page ten in your handouts, you'll find out the profits have increased
by 25 percent. The statistics show that sales could stand out in the third quarter
even more.
Lindsay However, what I'm concerned about is our competitors. They are still out there
and even stronger than ever. Do you think we need to pursue an aggressive
approach in order to remain competitive in the global market ?
Michelle I don't think so. The price of our product is very competitive on the market. And
we are well-known for supply goods of high quality. I don't believe we should get
involved in the cut-throat competitionas they do.
Lindsay I'm impressed by your briefing. Now go and get in touch with Topcraft Co.
Michelle Noted. I'll get right on it.

Explanation :

Cut-throat competition - Destructive competition, not worrying about any harm caused

Example : The advertising world can be a very cut-throat business.