I don't know where to begin at the moment. I friend of mine gave me a storybook and I started a few pages to realize that my reading was far slow than I imagined. When was the last time I actually read a book? I guess it was 3 years ago, when I just graduated.
As I am in the process of reading, I came across a novel written by a writer in Singapore. I was a chill through the spine reading that kind of novel, which describes revenge of a girl with HIV-positive to men being trapped by her attractiveness. The context of the novel is in Singapore, with all those familiar places and suddenly I was not of any interest to the novel whose context was in such a small world and my imagination was not really necessary. Although the topic was kind of social concern, I rather think this novel acts better as a warning than an aesthetic novel.
Then I decided to visit the homepage of author who wrote " The boat" I have read a great deal of news praising the author, probably because he is at least of the same origin of me, Vietnamese. My eyes became blur reading through his interview. I was not really a casual interview but still it was an interview and the vocabulary being used is higher than my English level. After at least ten years learning and using English, I am not yet familiar with this language. How to say? Wow it is a language whose vocabulary keep growing, and I am far behind the accepted level. After all those events in my life, I am now having six months for relaxation. I planned to learn Mandarin but on second thought, I must equip myself more with English.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
A day to remember
A phone ring can be a prelude of a series of unforeseen catastrophes while you're preparing the meal.
As you're having a mess at home, with burnt food, baby crying, broken cutlery everywhere, your husband's guests were not welcomed in the middle of this catatrophes.
Two drivers collided and started an argument, marking a beginning of all the trouble in Parramatta recently.
Precis:
When the learner drive stopped her car suddenly, the driver behind her braked so hard that the cake in his wife's hands flew across the windscreen onto the street. Seeing a flying cake, a lorry driver pulled up his vehicle as fast as he could, making all the beer bottles in the lorry slide backwards and the roads were soon filled with broken glasses, which caused a long traffic jam. It took the police almost an hour to resolve the troubles.
Composition:
A man loaded with parcels was looking for his car as quickly as he could to unload heavy parcels on his shoulder. He caught the sight of one exactly like his car and without considering much, he happily mistook it for his own. He fumbled around his pocket to search for the key with difficulty and became very annoyed to find out that the key didn’t turn. Assuming that something was wrong with the lock, he forced the key hard into the lock and finally broke the key. Reluctantly, the man had to drop his parcels on the ground to have free hands to shake the car doors strongly, hoping to break the lock. As he failed to do so, he became infuriated, walking around to pick up a big stone nearby and deliberately smashed the car's windows. He was too unfortunate when the real owner of the car saw him breaking his car's windows. The owner thought that the man was trying to steal his car, so he rushed towards him, shouting and stopping what he was doing, then called a policeman to report the case. The poor man was very astonished with what was happening, and was even more shocked when he was arrested, just before he had enough time to realize that it was not his car. When he realized that he mistook the car, he tried to explain to the police but it was impossible for them to believe such a story.
As you're having a mess at home, with burnt food, baby crying, broken cutlery everywhere, your husband's guests were not welcomed in the middle of this catatrophes.
Two drivers collided and started an argument, marking a beginning of all the trouble in Parramatta recently.
Precis:
When the learner drive stopped her car suddenly, the driver behind her braked so hard that the cake in his wife's hands flew across the windscreen onto the street. Seeing a flying cake, a lorry driver pulled up his vehicle as fast as he could, making all the beer bottles in the lorry slide backwards and the roads were soon filled with broken glasses, which caused a long traffic jam. It took the police almost an hour to resolve the troubles.
Composition:
A man loaded with parcels was looking for his car as quickly as he could to unload heavy parcels on his shoulder. He caught the sight of one exactly like his car and without considering much, he happily mistook it for his own. He fumbled around his pocket to search for the key with difficulty and became very annoyed to find out that the key didn’t turn. Assuming that something was wrong with the lock, he forced the key hard into the lock and finally broke the key. Reluctantly, the man had to drop his parcels on the ground to have free hands to shake the car doors strongly, hoping to break the lock. As he failed to do so, he became infuriated, walking around to pick up a big stone nearby and deliberately smashed the car's windows. He was too unfortunate when the real owner of the car saw him breaking his car's windows. The owner thought that the man was trying to steal his car, so he rushed towards him, shouting and stopping what he was doing, then called a policeman to report the case. The poor man was very astonished with what was happening, and was even more shocked when he was arrested, just before he had enough time to realize that it was not his car. When he realized that he mistook the car, he tried to explain to the police but it was impossible for them to believe such a story.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Saturday, May 3, 2008
25: The Cutty Sark
1. The Cutty Sark can still be seen in Greenwich.
2. Ships like the Cutty Sark carried tea and wool.
3. The race between the Cutty Sark and the Thermopylar lasted for 4 months.
Precis:
The Cutty Sark and the Thermopylae set out from Shanghai for a race to England. The Cutty Sark was lead by the Thermopylae at Java, but it attained the position later at the Indian Ocean. It was unfortunate for Cutty Sark as its rudder was torn a way in the storm.The temporary rudder did not easily fit, and reduced the speed of the ship. By the time Cutty Sark stopped at a port to have its rudder replaced, Thermopylae was already five hundred miles ahead. Although Cutty Sark arrived England one week after the Thermopylae , it was considered to win the race easily if there had not had so many delays.
2. Ships like the Cutty Sark carried tea and wool.
3. The race between the Cutty Sark and the Thermopylar lasted for 4 months.
Precis:
The Cutty Sark and the Thermopylae set out from Shanghai for a race to England. The Cutty Sark was lead by the Thermopylae at Java, but it attained the position later at the Indian Ocean. It was unfortunate for Cutty Sark as its rudder was torn a way in the storm.The temporary rudder did not easily fit, and reduced the speed of the ship. By the time Cutty Sark stopped at a port to have its rudder replaced, Thermopylae was already five hundred miles ahead. Although Cutty Sark arrived England one week after the Thermopylae , it was considered to win the race easily if there had not had so many delays.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Life on a Desert Island
The man's boat, which was damaged, was taking to Miami to have it repaired, but it sank on the way. The man loaded food, matches, tins of beer onto their rubber dinghy, and they rowed across the Caribbean Sea until they arrived at a tiny coral island. The man collected fresh water from the rain during their stay there, and they catched fish and lobster by their spear-gun. The ate like kings for five days before they were rescued by a tankers.
The men was taking their boat, which was damaged, to Miami to have it repaired, but the boat sank on the way. The men loaded food, matches and tins of beer on their rubber dingy before rowing across the Caribbean Sea until they arrived at a tiny coral island. The men collected freshwater from the rain and caught fish and lobsters by a spear gun during their stay there. They put it "eat like king" before they were rescued by a tanker five days ago.
Composition: Ship wreck
(When we were travelling to Miami, the ship suddenly collided with hard rocks on the sea and high wave capsized the ship. ) When we was travelling to Miami, our ship suddenly collided with hard rocks on the sea and the ship was capsized by high wave. Everyone was trapped underneath and was drowned. Fortunately, I could escape and clung to a plank, which was then washed up on island by sea wave.
Being exhausted after floating on the sea, I slept for a long time before waking up. I was too hungry and thirsty, so I decided to explore the island to search if there was any food or drink available. It was too scary to find out that the island was uninhabited. Luckily, I was able to find lots of fruit falling from the trees and fresh water spring was available on the island. I tried to hunt wild animals but I failed to catch anything with bare hands. After recovery from exhaustion and hunger, I rested well and spent days swimming and lying under the sun.
After two days of survival on the uninhabited island, I spotted a boat on the horizon, trying immediately to signal it with anything I got in hand, and shouted. Fortunately, someone on the boat saw me and they rescued me from the island.
Key structures:
If you had told me earlier, thing would have not been that bad.
If I were you, I would do it myself
You will be disappointed if you expect too much from the show.
You would change your mind if you knew how great the sales is.
Special Difficulties:
I wish you would do as you are told.
If only the weather would change
I wish she could see me now.
I wish I had more time to spare.
If only you would try a little harder.
I wished I hadn't said anything about it.
If only we could have gone to the party.
I wish you hadn't spent so much money.
Exercise:
It was silly of me not to buy that dress. I wish I bought that dress.
You are making a lot of noise. I wish you could be quieter.
It's a pity John's away. If only he was here.
He plays the piano so well. I wish I could play the piano as well as he did.
I never studied at all when I was at school. I wish I had studied when I was at school.
I am sorry I mentioned it to him. I wish I had not mentioned it to him.
The men was taking their boat, which was damaged, to Miami to have it repaired, but the boat sank on the way. The men loaded food, matches and tins of beer on their rubber dingy before rowing across the Caribbean Sea until they arrived at a tiny coral island. The men collected freshwater from the rain and caught fish and lobsters by a spear gun during their stay there. They put it "eat like king" before they were rescued by a tanker five days ago.
Composition: Ship wreck
(When we were travelling to Miami, the ship suddenly collided with hard rocks on the sea and high wave capsized the ship. ) When we was travelling to Miami, our ship suddenly collided with hard rocks on the sea and the ship was capsized by high wave. Everyone was trapped underneath and was drowned. Fortunately, I could escape and clung to a plank, which was then washed up on island by sea wave.
Being exhausted after floating on the sea, I slept for a long time before waking up. I was too hungry and thirsty, so I decided to explore the island to search if there was any food or drink available. It was too scary to find out that the island was uninhabited. Luckily, I was able to find lots of fruit falling from the trees and fresh water spring was available on the island. I tried to hunt wild animals but I failed to catch anything with bare hands. After recovery from exhaustion and hunger, I rested well and spent days swimming and lying under the sun.
After two days of survival on the uninhabited island, I spotted a boat on the horizon, trying immediately to signal it with anything I got in hand, and shouted. Fortunately, someone on the boat saw me and they rescued me from the island.
Key structures:
If you had told me earlier, thing would have not been that bad.
If I were you, I would do it myself
You will be disappointed if you expect too much from the show.
You would change your mind if you knew how great the sales is.
Special Difficulties:
I wish you would do as you are told.
If only the weather would change
I wish she could see me now.
I wish I had more time to spare.
If only you would try a little harder.
I wished I hadn't said anything about it.
If only we could have gone to the party.
I wish you hadn't spent so much money.
Exercise:
It was silly of me not to buy that dress. I wish I bought that dress.
You are making a lot of noise. I wish you could be quieter.
It's a pity John's away. If only he was here.
He plays the piano so well. I wish I could play the piano as well as he did.
I never studied at all when I was at school. I wish I had studied when I was at school.
I am sorry I mentioned it to him. I wish I had not mentioned it to him.
Not guilty
Comprehension and Precis
As the writer didn't have anything to declare, the Customs Officer made him open his suitcase for searching. The Customs Officer went through the case very carefully, and he finally found a small bottle, which he believed was a perfume bottle. The writer told him it was just a hair-oil mixture that he had made it himself. The Customs Officer did not believe him, so he encouraged the Customs Officer to try it himself. The unpleasant smell of the bottle finally convinced the officer that the writer was telling the truth, so he let the writer pass through the Customs.
Vocabulary:
troubled: worried
clearly: apparently, officially
packed: to arrange thing orderly in a suitcase or a bag.
dreadful: in such a mess (very bad, very low quality, or shocking and very sad)
cap: the cover of a bottle
nostrils: the two small holes of the nose
convinced: to persuade someone to believe that something is true
Composition:
When the Customs Officer asked the man to declare his valuable goods, the man said he had nothing to declare. The Officer asked the man to open his suitcase for him to examine. Although the case contained only clothes and towels, it was very heavy. This made the Officer suspicious, so he went through the suitcase carefully. The suitcase was soon emptied and when the officer was fumbling the suitcase, he found that there was something hard lying under the suitcase. The Officer examined the case with great care, and he saw a small separate compartment adjoining to the suitcase. As there was no way he could reach that compartment, he used scissors to cut the upper part and removed the bottom part of the case which contained a small package of diamonds . While the officer was looking at the diamonds, the man tried to pass the Customs. For a moment, he disappeared among the crowd at the airport, but he was soon catched up and placed under arrest.
Letter writing:
Key structures:
As the writer didn't have anything to declare, the Customs Officer made him open his suitcase for searching. The Customs Officer went through the case very carefully, and he finally found a small bottle, which he believed was a perfume bottle. The writer told him it was just a hair-oil mixture that he had made it himself. The Customs Officer did not believe him, so he encouraged the Customs Officer to try it himself. The unpleasant smell of the bottle finally convinced the officer that the writer was telling the truth, so he let the writer pass through the Customs.
Vocabulary:
troubled: worried
clearly: apparently, officially
packed: to arrange thing orderly in a suitcase or a bag.
dreadful: in such a mess (very bad, very low quality, or shocking and very sad)
cap: the cover of a bottle
nostrils: the two small holes of the nose
convinced: to persuade someone to believe that something is true
Composition:
When the Customs Officer asked the man to declare his valuable goods, the man said he had nothing to declare. The Officer asked the man to open his suitcase for him to examine. Although the case contained only clothes and towels, it was very heavy. This made the Officer suspicious, so he went through the suitcase carefully. The suitcase was soon emptied and when the officer was fumbling the suitcase, he found that there was something hard lying under the suitcase. The Officer examined the case with great care, and he saw a small separate compartment adjoining to the suitcase. As there was no way he could reach that compartment, he used scissors to cut the upper part and removed the bottom part of the case which contained a small package of diamonds . While the officer was looking at the diamonds, the man tried to pass the Customs. For a moment, he disappeared among the crowd at the airport, but he was soon catched up and placed under arrest.
Letter writing:
Key structures:
Friday, January 4, 2008
The loss of the Titanic
Words/Sentences to remember:
colossal: extremenly large.
liner: a large ship for carrying passengers in great comfort on long journeys.
set out: to start
look-out: a place where to keep watch or view landscape. A person stationed at a place to keep watch
Tremble: to shake slightly, usually because you're cold, frightened or emotional --> (n)
Below, the captain realized to his horror that the Titanic was sinking rapidly.
plunged: to cause someone or something to fall suddenly, and often a very long way forward, down or into something.
Comprehension and Precis:
While the Titanic was sailing, a huge iceberge was spotted by by a look-out. When the alarm had been given, the ship turned sharply and sailed just alongside with the iceberge. A slight trembling was heard from below, and the captain went down to find that the ship was sinking. Everyone jumped overboard when an order to abandon the ship was given, but 1500 people were drowned because there was not enough life-boats.
Vocabulary:
Colossals: extremenly large
regarded: was considered as
compartments: seperate parts of something
flooded: was filled with water.
float: move on the water surface.
avoid: to escape
narrowly: nearly
Composition: Abandon ship
Titanic was believed to be an unsinkable liner, as it was built with 16 water-tight compartments. Therefore, an order to abandon the ship was unexpected, and everybody on the ship was very unprepared for it.
The order, however, had an adverse effect, as panic and confussion began to spread throughout the ship. People didn't know what to do, and there were lines of people rushing in all directions to find their ways to escape. When the crew came up from below, they ordered to release all life-boats available on the ship. Life-boats were lowered and people squeezed to jumped overboard. As there were not enough life-boats for all people aboard, many struggled to get into lifeboats until they were all full.
When water flooded most of its water-tight compartments, Titanic sank rapidly, and many people left on the ship plunged into the icy water. Cries of despair was horrible when life-boats moved away. 1500 lives were lost.
Key structure:
At that time, she was the largest ship that had ever been built.
After the alarm had been given, the great ship turned sharply to avoid a direct collision.
Special Difficulties: See how new words can be formed by adding -er, -ist, -ness, -ion, -ity
1. He studied physics at university. He is a physicist.
2. He works in a mine. He is a miner.
3. Pasteur did a great service to humanity.
4. He is trying to make a good impression.
5. His paintings have been admired for their originnist.
He studied physics at university
colossal: extremenly large.
liner: a large ship for carrying passengers in great comfort on long journeys.
set out: to start
look-out: a place where to keep watch or view landscape. A person stationed at a place to keep watch
Tremble: to shake slightly, usually because you're cold, frightened or emotional --> (n)
Below, the captain realized to his horror that the Titanic was sinking rapidly.
plunged: to cause someone or something to fall suddenly, and often a very long way forward, down or into something.
Comprehension and Precis:
While the Titanic was sailing, a huge iceberge was spotted by by a look-out. When the alarm had been given, the ship turned sharply and sailed just alongside with the iceberge. A slight trembling was heard from below, and the captain went down to find that the ship was sinking. Everyone jumped overboard when an order to abandon the ship was given, but 1500 people were drowned because there was not enough life-boats.
Vocabulary:
Colossals: extremenly large
regarded: was considered as
compartments: seperate parts of something
flooded: was filled with water.
float: move on the water surface.
avoid: to escape
narrowly: nearly
Composition: Abandon ship
Titanic was believed to be an unsinkable liner, as it was built with 16 water-tight compartments. Therefore, an order to abandon the ship was unexpected, and everybody on the ship was very unprepared for it.
The order, however, had an adverse effect, as panic and confussion began to spread throughout the ship. People didn't know what to do, and there were lines of people rushing in all directions to find their ways to escape. When the crew came up from below, they ordered to release all life-boats available on the ship. Life-boats were lowered and people squeezed to jumped overboard. As there were not enough life-boats for all people aboard, many struggled to get into lifeboats until they were all full.
When water flooded most of its water-tight compartments, Titanic sank rapidly, and many people left on the ship plunged into the icy water. Cries of despair was horrible when life-boats moved away. 1500 lives were lost.
Key structure:
At that time, she was the largest ship that had ever been built.
After the alarm had been given, the great ship turned sharply to avoid a direct collision.
Special Difficulties: See how new words can be formed by adding -er, -ist, -ness, -ion, -ity
1. He studied physics at university. He is a physicist.
2. He works in a mine. He is a miner.
3. Pasteur did a great service to humanity.
4. He is trying to make a good impression.
5. His paintings have been admired for their originnist.
He studied physics at university
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