WRITING

DIRECTED WRITING: ARTICLE

 

You are concerned over the implications and long-term health effects of the haze. Write an article to the school newsletter based on all the notes below.

 

·         the reasons behind the haze

·         role of government and society

·         steps that can be taken

·         give relevant examples of:

·         health complications measures

·         roles of government and individuals

 

 

When writing the article you should remember:

-  to lay out the article carefully

- to use paragraphs

- elaborate on each point given. 

 

Haze: A Danger to Health

By: Ali Baba

 

The haze is a constant phenomenon faced by Malaysia and her neighbouring countries. The haze is basically pollution of atmosphere, which is clogged with pollutants and other substances from forest fires.

The haze is a direct effect of forest fire in Kalimantan and other parts of Indonesia due to slash and burn method of farming. The Indonesian authorities appear to have no power to control farmers from practicing such methods. The haze is further worsened by open burning practiced by most Malaysians. Open-field burning of rice straw by the rice planters and open burning of dried leaves and garbage done by the public are a few examples that done by Malaysian. Many are ignorant of the health effects of open burning.

During the haze, hospitals and clinic often report a dramatic increase in respiratory problems, lung infections and asthma attack. The Air Pollution Index (API) usually indicates the hazardous and dangerous levels of pollution during this period. The haze has long-term side effects. Prolonged inhalation of polluted air will result in serious lung infection which particularly affects the elderly.

The government must play its role to reduce the haze treat. It has to cooperate with the Indonesian authorities to stamp out forest fires. The culprits must be brought to justice, either through healthy fine or prison sentence. Constant vigilance would ensure the perpetrators do not repeat their offence.

The government should also raise the public awareness of the dangers of forest fire. Continuous campaign of the cause, solutions and steps-need-to-be-taken to reduce the haze need to be promoted through all types of social media like television, radio, newspaper and even via internet. The authorities should also provide assistance to farmers and introduce more sophisticated forest clearing methods.

In Malaysia, strict laws must be imposed to penalize those who practice open burning. On-going campaigns on the dangers of open burning should be intensified. Individuals have a role to play. They must participate in every campaign and stop burning. Students can advise their parents not to practice open burning.

Every individual has to remember that we do not own the world, but instead we lent it from our future generations. We must protect our world so that our grandchildren would have a healthy earth to live.

 

 

DIRECTED WTITING: REPORT – Report to The Principal

 

You are very disappointed by the conditions and services provided by your school canteen. You decide to write a report to inform your school principal about the poor conditions and services of the canteen. These would include:

• insufficient table and benches
• food and drinks not covered
• too little food counters
• dirty and clogged drains – smelly
• food – expensive and lacks variety
• inadequate food – late comers have nothing to buy, to eat
• cold food – not fresh
• rude canteen workers

 When writing your report, you should remember to include the following:

• give your report a title
• state who wrote the report
• use all the points given
• write in paragraphs
• elaborate on the points given 

 

To : Mr. Hasnan bin Jalal,
       The Principal,

       Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Permata
 
From : Malik bin Abdul

Topic: Report about the School Canteen

Date : 24 March 2013

 

I am writing this report is to draw your attention regarding the school canteen. Many of the students of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Permata are unhappy about the conditions at the school canteen. There were lots of complaints regarding this issue.

In the first place, there are insufficient tables and benches. Our school has a student population of over 1 000. There is only one period of recess time for all forms. More than 80 per cent of the students go to the canteen during recess to buy food and drinks. Unfortunately, there are only about twenty-five tables and fifty benches which can accommodate less than half the number of students. As a result, many students have to stand while eating.

The food sold at the canteen not only expensive but lacks of variety. The menu is the same every day. For the past five years, ever since the present canteen management took over, students go back to the same food.

The hygiene and preparation of food leave a lot to be desired. The food and drinks are not covered. They way canteen attendants dress speak volume about hygiene. With their lackadaisical attitude, the food they sell would one way or the other become contaminated.

My fourth complaint about the canteen pertains to the etiquette of the canteen workers. They are rude and arrogant. They often shout at students. The students are always on the receiving end of their bad moods.

We hope that conditions at the canteen will improve. The canteen should provide better amenities. There should also be a different menu everyday so that students will not have to taste the same food day in and day out. Cleanliness should be given top priority.

We hope that you will look into our complaints and take steps to remedy the situation. The students are prepared to boycott the canteen if their complaints go unheeded.

 

Reported by:

Malik

Malik bin. Mohd Jalil

 
DIRECTED WTITING: SPEECH/TALK

Your school is having a month-long ‘A Healthy Body Campaign’. As President of the Health Club of your school, you decide to give a speech on the ‘Tak nak Campaign’ recently launched by the government.

 

Tak Nak Campaign

 

A very good morning to our dear Principal, teachers and my fellow friends. I am the President of the Health Club would like to give a speech on the “Tak Nak Campaign.

Recently, our former Prime Minister, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi launched an anti-smoking campaign called “Tak Nak”. You can now see this short and rhyming catch phrase “Tak Nak” everywhere – on billboards, posters, TV ads, and sometimes I even hear it on the radio. Though some people have criticised our government for setting aside a staggering sum of RM100 million over 6 years for the campaign, it is nothing compared to the huge amounts that tobacco companies spend to promote smoking.

But in this war against smoking, money definitely talks; it is necessary for the Tak Nak Campaign to constantly remind us of the hazard of smoking because about 50 Malaysian teenagers light up for the first time every day. In fact, some of these youth progress steadily from this to regular use, with addiction raking hold within a few years. And this is despite the warning on every pack of cigarettes that states unequivocally “Smoking is dangerous to your health”.

What can the Tak Nak Campaign do to combat this? Their aggressive advertising creates media awareness among the public, especially among the fashionable young crowd, that smokers have yellowed teeth and suffer from shortness of breath and tells them that it is not cool to smoke. It is also not responsible of them to affect non-smokers with second-hand smoke.

Also, there is a succession of infomercials on TV and in the papers showing the debilitating effects of tobacco addiction on the body and gruesome statistics of smoke-related deaths. We are now familiar with the graphic pictures of damaged lungs on billboards which should scare people into not smoking. This works, as I know some of my friends are quitting now, or trying to reduce the number of cigarettes they smoke per week.

However, I feel any anti-smoking campaign is more effective if other people and organisations are actively involved too. Yes, the first step has been taken by the top, but sad to say, many of our politicians smoke themselves. Nearer to home, so do some of our parents and teachers.

These adults have to be good role models by not smoking themselves. If they do smoke, they should tell their children and students that they regret that they ever started, and then take steps to quit smoking as soon as possible. They must practise what they preach.

On a more positive note, I commend the Malaysia Amateur Athletic Union for its zero-tolerance of smoking because they know that smoking and health just do not mix. How can our sportsmen excel if they cannot stop smoking.

Dear teachers and students, thank you for your attention. Let me end my speech by reiterating that smoking is a bad habit, so make Tak Nak your mantra. If you have started smoking, say Tak Nak and quit! And if you haven’t started smoking, say know that smoking not only damages your health but you are also literally burning your money.

DIRECTED WTITING: FORMAL LETTER

Shaharudin Ali,

21 Jalan Murni 20,

Taman Murni,

80000 Bandar Baru Bangi,

Selangor Darul Ehsan.

____________________________________________________________________________________

The President,

Bandar Baru Bangi Council,

Kompleks Utama,

80000 Bandar Baru Bangi,

Selangor Darul Ehsan                                                                                                  16 JUNE 2013

 

Dear Sir,

Uncollected Rubbish and Clogged Drains

 

I am writing this letter is to attract your attention to the above title. As the representative of the community, I am calling to tell you that the 300 odd residents living in Taman Murni are extremely unhappy about the lackadaisical attitude of the local town council towards the uncollected rubbish and clogged drains in our area.

2. The rubbish in our area has not been collected for more than a week. The rubbish is supposed to be collected on alternate days but this has not been the case. The town council workers collect the rubbish according to their own whims and fancies. The uncollected garbage has attracted not only flies and mosquitoes but also wild dogs which had attacked the residents on several occasions. These stray animals also scatter the rubbish and make the roads dirty and smelly. As a result, residents have to bear the discomfort of stench from the garbage and risk their health.

3. We are also disappointed with the town council workers for not clearing the clogged drains which are filled with rubbish. The drains would usually overflow when there is heavy rain and the rubbish would then flow into the compounds of our houses. Besides, putting up with the unbearable stench emitted from them, the residents have to spend hours cleaning their compounds of rotten vegetables, food leftovers and other rubbish.

4. Due to dengue outbreak recently, we are really concerned about the residents’ health especially the children. Fogging service also was not done accordingly to the schedule. The fogging authority only did their job whenever a case of dengue aroused. They even were fogging the neighbourhood late at night that caused us to leave the residents. They need to consider the residents who have babies and also to those who need to wake up early in the morning for work. The fogging also caused the people to have breathing problem when we were not told the exact time of fogging.

5. We have made numerous appeals to the Municipal Council to look into our complaints but to no avail. We have been putting up with this predicament for more than a week. We hope the health authorities would do something to check these health hazards.

Thank you.

Yours faithfully,

Shahrudin

(SHAHRUDIN ALI)