Cho Hyeni

Asking, Giving, and Refusing Help VIII C

2013-03-19T15:41:00.003-07:00

check this video!! this video is from my students in eighth grade at Mts Al hasanah. they live in dormitory because this school is one of boarding schools in my city, Bengkulu Indonesia :) check this out

Group 1
http://youtu.be/hFfLS4s3ZOk

Group 2
http://youtu.be/WuWkRK6H9CM

Group 3

http://youtu.be/iugpJRTibTE

group 4
http://youtu.be/dLSDeC-h_yc

group 5

Access to Clean Water: A Problem for Indonesia

2012-05-30T23:12:00.000-07:00

Access to clean water is one of Indonesia's biggest

problem. According to the Millennium Development

Goals (MDGs) Report 2007, published by the National

Development Planning Board, piped water is accessible

to 30.8 per cent of households in the country's cities

and 9 per cent in its villages. Such fi gures show the

limitations of the municipality's water service provider,

PDAM.

Lack of investment in clean water is one reason

PDAM gives for its limited outreach. Based on a

government statement, to meet the MDGs target by

2015, Indonesia needs Rp43 trillion (US$4.6 billion)

in clean water funding. The government currently

provides Rp500 billion.

In order to close the funding gap, the government

expects private investment in drinking water

infrastructure.

The need for clean water funding is something that

cannot be covered by private investment. In Indonesia,

most PDAM utilities have small scales of economy and

are therefore unattractive to investors.

There is no evidence to suggest private investors

will improve the effi ciency and effectiveness of water

services, whereas the government has a duty to do so.

Increasing public funding for clean water

infrastructure is the most rational approach for

Indonesia. This effort should begin with an analysis

of the needs of locals. This should be done through a

democratic and participatory process.

There are resources and mechanisms the government

could employ to increase clean water funding, such as

state and local budgets, grants, government bonds and

community-public partnership.

In order to use a grant system, the government

should improve its proposal management and clearly

focus on real needs in order to widen clean water

services.

PDAM could use existing funds more effi ciently.

if it could reduce leakages from 40 per cent to 20 per

cent, it would have more disposable funds to invest

in infrastructure. PDAM should use cost recovery

principles, as long as costs are not passed on to

consumers. Cost recovery principles should also be

supported by a proper subsidy mechanism.

Bond investing is a traditional lending instrument

for public services. The mechanism needs conditions,

such as strong capital structure at local level.

A few of mechanisms in place now do help the

poor access clean water at affordable prices. The most

important thing is to make sure the mechanisms run

properly and that the needs of people at the local level

are met through appropriate funding.

Source: Developing English Competencies for Grade XI of Language Programme

Helping Children Discover Their Own Identity

2012-05-29T17:48:00.000-07:00

Children of today's advanced world are different
from those in the past. With easy access to modern
technology, chil dren of today are able to learn
everything they encounter in their life, including
world-class information. In terms of knowledge of the
world, one must admit, they seem to surpass children
brought up in the era when techno logical equipment
was still traditional.

The rapid growth of children's cognitive, physi cal
and social adaptations is an indication of how they
can be easily shaped by the modern vicinity. This is a
critical period when children are begin ning to try to
discover their own true identity.

Parental guidance is necessary to assist them in
leading to the correct path. To do this, intervention,
however, is not always mandatory if parents are
upbeat that their offspring can handle the conundrum
they are facing on their own. Self-reliance, in any
occasion, needs to be stressed.

What parents need to do is to respect the changes
going on within their child's world, and respond
appropriately to their changing needs. Here a close
monitoring rather than control taking is essential.
This may sound like ideal advice; yet not all
parents may agree with this. A parent who was raised
in a democratic family atmosphere will certainly
pass down the freedom he/she had enjoyed during
childhood to his/her offspring. On the other hand,
those who were brought up in a conservative and
authoritative family will inculcate traditional values
to their children, restricting them by tightly abiding to
what the parents believe to be the correct norms.

Clearly, a parent's family back-ground will, exert a
considerable infl uence in helping his/her children to learn
both formally and informally. It is more likely that parents
will consistently follow the mind-set they adopted from their
father or mother if they think that it is benefi cial. Today's
parents, how ever, need to be aware that not all values and
norms that their parents implanted in them during their
childhood are compatible with modern reality. Things
have changed consider ably, and parents should take this
into account.

It might, for example, be felt less relevant to impose
traditional control over their children's conduct about
what they need to do to attain academic achievement.

However, most parents still cling to this, acting as if
they are omni scient and know perfectly what is best
for their children.

In guiding children in search of true identity,
it is important for today's parents to listen and
accommodate all feedback from their chil dren. Though
it seems too diffi cult for some conservative parents to
implement this, it is essential to a child's development
into an emo tionally mature adult.

Parents also should not exercise too much authority
so as to overprotect their children to develop their
potential to the fullest. Parental intervention, if it is done
in an improper man ner, can do more harm than good.

If not in accord with children's interests, parents'
excessive intervention is seen by chil dren as something
that inhibits rather than facilitates their academic
excursions. Parents may probably not realize that their
children simply want them to stay in the background
and to provide whatever support and resources they
need to venture out into the world.

This does not imply that intervention is not
necessary. At the very young age when the infl u ence
of a peer group is extremely powerful, parents need
to intervene by setting a strong measure to help their
children resist the pressure to behave in ways that do
not meet family standards.

The best way parents can aid their children is by
successfully discovering their true identity and growing
up to be an emotionally mature adult is to take a fl exible
approach. Parents need not always rigidly follow and
impose certain norms and values, which are imbued with
their family tradition during their childhood, on their
children. Understand ing children from the way they see
the reality is surely a far more rewarding experience.

Evaries Rosita–Contributor/Jakarta

Little Peachling

2012-05-29T03:44:00.000-07:00

Many hundred years ago there lived an honest old woodcutter and his wife. One fi ne morning the old man went off to the hills with his billhook, to gather a faggot of sticks, while his wife went down to the river to wash the dirty clothes. When she came to the river, she saw a peach fl oating down the stream; so she picked it up, and carried it home with her, thinking to give it to her husband to eat when he should come in.

The old man soon came down from the hills, and the good wife set the peach before him, when, just as she was inviting him to eat it, the fruit split in two, and a little puling baby was born into the world. So the old couple took the babe, and brought it up as their own; and, because it had been born in a peach, they called it Momotaro, or Little Peachling.

By degrees Little Peachling grew up to be strong and brave, and at last one day he said to his old foster parents:

"I am going to the ogres' island to carry off the riches that they have stored up there. Pray, then, make me some millet dumplings for my journey."

So the old folks ground the millet, and made the dumplings for him; and Little Peachling, after taking an affectionate leave of them, cheerfully set out on his travels.

As he was journeying on, he fell in with a monkey, who gibbered at him, and said: "Kia! Kia! Kia! Where are you off to, Little Peachling?"

"I'm going to the ogres' island, to carry off their treasure," answered Little Peachling.

"What are you carrying in your girdle?"

"I'm carrying the very best millet dumplings in all Japan."

"If you'll give me one, I will go with you," said the monkey.

So Little Peachling gave one of his dump lings to the monkey, who received it and followed him. When he had gone a little further, he heard a pheasant calling: "Ken! Ken! Ken! Where are you off to, Master Peachling?"

Little Peachling answered as before; and the pheasant, having begged and obtained a millet dumpling, entered his service, and followed him.

A little while after this, they met a dog, who cried: "Bow! Wow! Wow! Whither away, Master Peachling?"

"I'm going off to the ogres' island, to carry off their treasure."

"If you will give me one of those nice millet dumplings of yours, I will go with you," said the dog.

"With all my heart," said Little Peachling. So he went on his way, withthe monkey, the pheasant, and the dog following after him.

When they got to the ogres' island, the pheasant fl ew over the castle gate, and the monkey clambered over the castle wall, while Little Peachling, leading the dog, forced in the gate, and got into the castle. Then they did battle with the ogres, and put them to fl ight, and took their king prisoner. So all the ogres paid homage to Little Peachling, and brought out the treasures which they had gathered. There were caps and coats that made their wearers invisible, jewels which governed the ebb and flow of the tide, coral, musk, emeralds, amber, and tortoise shell, besides gold and silver. All these were laid before

Little Peachling by the conquered ogres. So Little Peachling went home laden with riches, and maintained his foster parents in peace and plenty for the remainder of their lives.

Source: Developing English Competencies for Grade XI of Language Programme

Most Firms Ignore Waste Treatment

2012-05-28T06:10:00.000-07:00

Only 26 percent of a total of 2,173 medium and large-scale enterprises in the city regularly submit samples of their liquid waste for assessment, the Jakarta Environmental Mana gement

Agency has said. The remaining 1,602 enterprises failed to deliver reports of the liquid waste they produced as set out in gubernatorial decree No. 299/1996. The decree requires all enterprises pro ducing liquid waste to treat the waste before disposing of it into rivers. It also requires fi rms to send samples of the treated waste to the agency every three months.

The companies on the list include hotels, apartments, office buildings, restaurants, hospitals, and industrial plants. The above fi gures do not include regis tered small-scale enterprises such as commu nity markets, small workshops and small offi ces which amount up to at least, 15,845 concerns.

Worse still, out of 571 companies which have sent their samples to us, only 35 percent, or 199 companies, comply with the decree and send us the samples every three months. The rest submit the samples every four months, six months, or even only once a year. No wonder the quality of our river water is getting worse.

High levels of pollution in the city's 13 rivers is suspected of being behind the red tide phenomenon, which killed thousands of fish in Jakarta Bay in May.

The real issue here is whether the agency has the political will because the adminis tration has ignored the existing Law No. 23/1997 on the environment.

The law authorises all environment mana gement agencies to control the liquid waste treatment of any enterprises.

The law gave the administration the power to censure transgressing companies and the city could close companies down if they conti nue to ignore existing regulations.

The law says companies found to be polluting the environment with liquid waste are given six months to improve their treatment facilities. If they fail to meet the deadline, the agency has the power to close the waste treatment facility, the area of production causing the waste, or the entire production process.

Source: Developing English Competencies for Grade XI of Language Programme

Teddy Bear Time

2012-05-26T03:02:00.003-07:00

When a visitor to Bearborough last year forgot to put on her watch, she asked some local bears the time and she got some strange answers.

"Half past three," the bear who sells fruit and vegetables said, glancing up at the Town Hall clock.

"A quarter to nine," the bear in the bakery replied, looking at the clock high on the church.

"Nine minutes after fi ve," the bear who sells ice cream on the corner of the main street said, peering at the clock in front of the train station.

You have probably guessed that all the clocks in Bearborough were wrong. That was because old Mr Minim, the only clock mender in town, had become a little shaky on his legs. Although fi t and well in every other way, he simply could not face climbing up a ladder to mend clocks high up. As you can imagine, the clocks really were a problem. The trains were never on time, and the shopkeepers didn't know when to open their shops.

Then, one day, Bearborough had two very special visitors. They were bears called Alfred and his friend Jumble-who was an elephant! Now most bears in Bearborough had never seen an elephant before, so they all gathered round. And the elephant, pleased to show off his size and strength, wrapped his trunk around each of the little bears in turn and lifted them up high, squealing with excitement.

"Excuse me, Jumble," said Mr Minim, tapping him lightly on the toe with his walking stick. "Could you lift a grown-up bear, like me, for example?"

In seconds, Mr Minim found himself dangling above the crowd, yet he felt as safe as if he was standing on fi rm ground.

And that is why, if you visit Bearborough these days, all the clocks are exactly right, for Jumble visits every twelve months, and Mr Minim always says that's the highlight of his year!

Taken from My Treasury of Five Minute Stories, 2000

Miss Mole Catches a Ghost

2012-05-24T20:38:00.002-07:00

Quite often Miss Mole would look after the young ones who lived in the woodland, when their parents went out in the evening.
"I just love baby-sitting," sighed Miss Mole, as she gazed at the little animals, "you're all such darlings!"
"But we're not babies," grumbled the fieldmice twins, "we're almost grown up!"
"Well you'll always be babies to me," giggled Miss Mole, as she gave them all a great big hug.
But one evening when Miss Mole was baby-sitting, something very strange happened ...

All the little animals had walked over to Miss Mole's house just before dark. They were laughing and joking
and making lots of noise as they went along. All of a sudden one of the rabbits heard a strange sound. Then one or two of the little animals saw something move near the top of the trees.
"What was that?" gasped a baby badger as he grabbed one of the squirrels.

Then, as the wind rustled the leaves on the tree ... they all saw it ... a spooky white thing fl ying through the
branches!
"It's a ghost!" screamed a small hedgehog. And everyone ran as fast as they could and landed on a heap at Miss Mole's front door.
"Whatever is wrong?" cried Miss Mole as she opened her door, and in fell all the little animals.
"We've seen a ghost!" sobbed the rabbit. "It's chased us all the way through the wood, and now it's up in
that tree!"
Miss Mole put on her extra strong glasses and took a good look.
"Goodness me," she gasped, "there it is!"
Right then and there, brave Miss Mole reached for her longest broom and pulled something out of the branches above.
"Here's your ghost," laughed Miss Mole. "It's a plastic bag. I lost it on my way back from the woodland
supermarket!"
All the little animals breathed a big sigh of relief as Miss Mole took them inside and closed the door.
"Gather round and I'll tell you a story," she said kindly.
"As long as it's not a ghost story," whispered the baby badger.

soure:Developing English Competencies for Grade XI of Language Programme

beauty shopping center

2012-05-24T02:32:00.000-07:00

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The Queen of the Adriatic

2012-05-23T05:47:00.001-07:00

Venice is a city in northern Italy. It is the capital of region Veneto. Together with Padua, the

city is included in the Padua-Venice Metropolitan Area. Venice has been known as the “Queen of

the Adriatic”, “City of Water”, “City of Bridges”, and “The City of Light”. The city stretches across

117 small islands in the marshy Venetian Lagoon along the Adriatic Sea in northeast Italy.

Venice is world-famous for its canals. It is built on an archipelago of 117 islands formed

by about 150 canals in a shallow lagoon. The islands on which the city is built are connected by

about 400 bridges. In the old center, the canals serve the function of roads, and every form of

transport is on water or on foot.

You can ride gondola there. It is the classical Venetian boat which nowadays is mostly

used for tourists, or for weddings, funerals, or other ceremonies. Now, most Venetians travel by

motorised waterbuses (“vaporetti”) which ply regular routes along the major canals and between

the city’s islands. The city also has many private boats. The only gondolas still in common use

by Venetians are the traghetti, foot passenger ferries crossing the Grand Canal at certain points

without bridges.

You can see the amusing city’s landmarks such as Piazza San Marco, Palazzo Contarini del

Bovolo, Saint Mark’s Cathedral or villas of the Veneto. The villas of the Veneto, rural residences

for nobles during the Republic, are one of the most interesting aspects of Venetian countryside.

They are surrounded by elegant gardens, suitable for fashionable parties of high society. The city

is also well known for its beautiful and romantic view, especially at night.

Soure: Interlanguage: English for Senior High School Students XI

The Four Friends

2012-05-22T06:33:00.000-07:00

One day, a Mama Ostrich returned home from gathering food for her two dear chicks. She

looked and looked for them but could not fi nd them anywhere. Imagine her alarm when she

discovered lion tracks around her two-footed chicks’ tracks! Fearful but determined to fi nd her

babies, she followed the lion tracks.

The tracks led into the woods and fi nally ended at the den of Mama Lion. In the opening

through the cave there lay her own dear chicks in the arms of Mama Lion. The Mama Lion did not

want to give the chicks back. She said they were her cubs. Then she challenged Mama Ostrich.

She said to Mama Ostrich that if she can make an animal to look her in the eye and tell her that the chicks are not her cubs, she will give them back to her. Mama Ostrich agreed and set out to

her friends to ask for help.

She told all the animals that there is an important meeting and that they should come.

Then, when she came to mongoose she told him the story and he said that he had an idea. The

Mongoose told her to make a hole under an anthill, as a second exit. Then, Mama Ostrich did

just what the mongoose had told her to do.

The next morning, the entire animals gathered near the anthill. Then, Mama Ostrich told

them the story and asked one of them to stare the Mama Lion in her eyes and say that the chicks

were not her cubs. The animals wanted to help her but they didn’t want to risk their life. One by

one they said that the chicks were her cubs. Mama Ostrich was disappointed that her friends

would not help her.

When it was the mongoose’s turn he said, “Have you ever seen a mama with fur has babies

that have feathers? Think of what you are saying. Mama Lion has fur! The chicks have feathers!

They belong to the ostrich!” having said that, Mongoose jumped down the hole under the anthill,

and escaped out the other end.

At once, Mama Lion jumped after him, and when she did so the two ostrich chicks were

freed. Mama Lion could not escape from the anthill and had to stay there for a long time.

Taken from: Interlanguage: English for Senior High School Students XI

Sydney the Metropolitan City

2012-05-21T06:39:00.000-07:00

Sydney is the most populous city in Australia, with a metropolitan area population around

4.12 million. It is the state capital of New South Wales and is the site of the fi rst European colony

in Australia. The city is Australia’s largest fi nancial centre.

Sydney is located on Australia’s south-east coast. The city is built around Port Jackson, which

includes Sydney Harbour, leading to the city’s nickname, “the Harbour City”.

This city is a major international tourist destination famous for its beaches and twin landmarks: the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. The metropolitan area is surrounded

by national parks, and contains many bays, rivers and inlets.

Sydney also has many shopping centres and retail outlets throughout the city. The Queen

Victoria Building on George Street also contains many shops. Many of the large regional centres

around the metropolitan area also contain large shopping complexes.

Sydney has several museums. The biggest are the Australian Museum (natural history and

anthropology), the Powerhouse Museum (science, technology and design), the Art Gallery of New

South Wales, the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Australian National Maritime Museum.

Sydney’s Central Business District (CBD) extends southwards for about 3 kilometres (1.25 mi) from Sydney Cove. It is the point of the fi rst European settlement in the area at the southern

end of the bridge known as “The Rocks”. It is densely concentrated with skyscrapers and other

buildings including historic sandstone buildings such as the Sydney Town Hall and Queen Victoria

Building are combined by several parks such as Wynyard and Hyde Park.

Source: Interlanguage: English for Senior High School Students XI

Thanksgiving Day

2012-05-20T06:52:00.000-07:00

Thanksgiving or Thanksgiving Day is a celebration

of harvest, thankfulness for peace, and

the attempt of Native Americans. It is celebrated

in late autumn. In the past, Thanksgiving was

celebrated for their rich harvest in New England.

In North America, however, it was originally held to

thank God for their survival in the new land which

was not easy for them. However, in Canada, it had

been celebrated as in New England. Thanksgiving

now is celebrated in United States of America and

in Canada. Thanksgiving festivals are held every

fourth Thursday of November in the U.S and on the second Monday of October in Canada. It is

usually celebrated in four to fi ve days in the North America and for three days in Canada.

It is celebrated through families and friends gathering to eat and give good luck. Turkey is the

main dish in the thanksgiving dinner. Thanksgiving parades are also usually held.

In Thanksgiving homes are decorated with wreaths, fresh and dried fl owers. Lamps are lighted

to brighten the environment. Tables are decorated with best china and antique silver dishes to

mark the occasion.

Taken from: Interlanguage: English for Senior High School Students XI

Why Does the Cock Eat the Millipede?

2012-05-19T05:42:00.001-07:00

Long ago the cock had a pair of beautiful horns

on his head. But at that time there was a dragon who

was prevented from ascending into heaven because he

lacked a pair of horns. And so he offered the millipede

as a guarantor, and borrowed the horns from the

cock!

When the millipede came for the horns, he said to

the cock: "When you want your horns back, you must

call out at dawn: 'Give me back my horns!' and they will

be returned to you at once. You need have no occasion

to be concerned in the least."

The kind cock knew how difficult it was to

ascend to heaven, so, reassured by the good security

the millipede offered, he loaned his horns without

hesitation, just twisting them right off his head. He

also thought to himself that when the dragon returned

form his visit to heaven, they could sit down and have

a good conversation; he would ask the dragon to tell

him how things were in heaven, and if it really was

beautiful there, as he had always heard. If it was true,

he might consider going there himself someday, he

thought.

So, next morning at daybreak (for the dragon's visit

was scheduled to be brief), the cock called out loudly:

"Give me back my horns!" But, even though he repeated

this demand ten times over, there was no sign at all

of either the dragon or the horns. Worried, the cock

promptly went off to complain to the millipede, who

soothed him, saying: "If the dragon has not returned

the horns this morning, then he will certainly do so

tomorrow. At the very latest, the day after that. Just

learn to be a little patient and your horns will soon be

back on your head, just as before."

The cock did wait several days, but although he

called out every morning at sunrise: "Give me back

my horns!" They never did reappear. The cock was

extremely annoyed at this deception and loss, as you

can well imagine, therefore he ordered all the members

of his family to eat millipedes on sight.

Even so, the cock has not yet given up hope of

getting his horns returned. He ordered his descendants

always to call out at the break of day: "Give me back my

horns!" He still hopes that the dragon may hear him!

Taken from The Asian Animal Zodiac, 1998

School Uniform, another Good Lesson

2012-05-18T03:57:00.001-07:00

School uniform is special clothes worn by all students of a particular school. The uniform of
a school may differ from others. Why should schools use uniforms? Below are some reasons.
The Government Should Build More Boarding Schools. 155
First of all, Notre Dame’s Department of Sociology produced
a study in 1998 concerning school uniforms. Their fi ndings using
10th grade students showed that uniforms have no direct effect
on “substance abuse, behavioural problems or attendance.” It also
claimed a negative effect on student achievements for those students
considered ‘pro-school’.
Secondly, uniform helps to create a strong sense school ethos and
a sense of belonging to a particular community. As such it promotes
discipline and helps to drive up academic standards, which is why a
uniform is often adopted by schools which are being reopened with a
fresh start after being classifi ed as failing.
Finally, uniform acts as a social leveller, under which all students
are equal in the eyes of the school and of each other. In institutions without uniform students are
often competitive and worry endlessly about their appearance and the clothes they should wear.
Pupils without expensive designer clothes and trainers may be singled out as social outcasts, or
stigmatised as being from poor backgrounds. For these reasons many parents prefer uniforms
as they save them money on buying clothes for school wear.
Considering the fi ndings, schools should implement the uniform as their identity. The
government should also publish some kind of rule which makes uniform compulsory for
schools.

Pssst! Want to Buy a Fake Ferrari?

2012-05-16T22:41:00.000-07:00

ROME: Italians are used to buying

bogus Gucci bags or Rolex watches to

look stylish but police found a new

height of craftsmanship and cunning

when they broke up a ring selling fake

Ferrari cars for a fraction of the real

price.

Police accused 15 people of building

the blood red sports cars and selling

them to car fanatics on a budget, most

of whom knew they were buying a

counterfeit classic.

Car body workers who police

called "very able" cobbled together

components. They used body parts

from other makes of automobiles,

such as chassis, roofs, hoods, trunks

and doors.

The body parts were modifi ed to

look like Ferrari clas sics such as the 328

Gtb, which went out of production in

the late 1980s.

Some of the cars sold for about

20,000 euros, about a tenth of the going

price for some versions.

We were listening to a lecture on

psychic phenomena in our Comparative

Religions course. Our instructor told

us about a woman who contacted

police working on a missing persons

case. "She gave them eerily detailed

instructions on where to find the

detectives did find the body just as she

body," the instructor said. "In fact, the

had described. Now, what would you

call this type of person?"

While the rest of us pondered the

question, a sheriff's offi cer taking the

class raised his hand and replied, "A

suspect."

Kyai Jegod

2012-05-15T22:53:00.001-07:00

Once upon a time there was a king
who ruled Mataram Kingdom. His name is
Amangkurat IV. He was the grandfather of
Sultan. He often meditated in a nearby forest,
called Garjitawati.
One day, when a gardener was gathering
grass for his cattle in the forest, he looked for
some water because it was so hot. He found a
small pond and when he was going to drink some water from it, a dragon came out of the underwater,
but it was so friendly to him. The dragon said that if Sultan wanted to build his palace, it
was supposed to be located in that forest. Then it disappeared.
Then Sultan started to build the palace in that forest. He demanded strong and old woods
and the forest where those woods lied was said to be home of genies and spirits. His lumberjacks
could not nd anything to eat and the only thing they could have were some rice and water for
three days, or sometimes they could not have anything.
Then Sultan ordered that the main pole in the palace’s hall had to be built from special
wood, which would give strong impression. One night, a servant who was sleeping in the forest
heard loud and deep voice. The voice introduced itself as Kyai Jegod. The servant saw that Kyai
Jegod was an old, tall, and massive tree. He said that he would voluntarily let himself be cut to
make the main pole so that he could stay inside it forever.
The servant told it to Sultan and Sultan let Kyai Jegod stay inside it forever, while Kyai Jegod
became the protector of that palace since then.

I’m Delighted to Hear That.

The Chipmunk That Ran Away

2012-05-15T06:20:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time, there was a nervous little chipmunk. She was always afraid

that something bad happened to her.

One day, she heard a little noise. It was really only an apple that fell to the ground.

But the little Chipmunk was afraid and said “The sky is falling in.” Then she ran

away as fast as she could go.

Soon she met an old brother Chipmunk, who asked, “Where are you running

to, little Chipmunk?”

And the little Chipmunk answered, “The sky is falling in, and I am running

away.”

“The sky is falling in?” said the old brother Chipmunk. And he told the story

to his brother chipmunk, until at last there were a hundred brother Chipmunks

shouting, ”The sky is falling in.”

Soon the larger animals heard what the Chipmunks were saying. The Deer,

Unit 8 - Long, Long Time Ago, There Was ... 127

the Sheep, the Pig, the Camel, the Tiger, and the Elephant began to say, “The sky

is falling in.”

Then the wise Lion heard all the noise and wanted to know what was

happening. He stopped all the animals and asked, “What are you saying?” The

brother Chipmunks said, “Oh we heard it from that little Chipmunk!” And the

Lion said, “Little Chipmunk, what made you say that the sky was falling in?”

And the little Chipmunk said, “I saw it there near the tree.”

“Well,” said the Lion, “Come with me and I will show you how something”.

“Now get on my back.” The Lion took her on his back, and asked the animals to

stay where they were until they returned. Then he showed the little Chipmunk

that the apple had fallen to the ground. This made the noise that had made her

afraid. The little Chipmunk said, “Oh, I see. The sky is not falling in.”

The Lion said, “Let’s go back and tell the other animals.”

So they went back. At last all the animals knew that the sky was not falling in.

(Source: Dit. PSMP, 2006)

Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves

2012-05-15T03:51:00.000-07:00

Ali Baba was such a poor man that he had only one shoe for his two feet. Even the mice in his house were hungry.
One day, his wife said, "We have no food in the house. No rice. No potatoes. Go and collect leaves in the forest so that I can make a soup."
Ali was a lazy man. He looked for leaves for about ten minutes and then he climbed a tree to sleep. He was afraid of wolves. When he woke up, he was surprised to see forty thieves on forty horses. They stopped in front of a big rock.
"Open Sesame!" shouted the leader.
A door on the rock opened. The thieves carried sacks full of gold into the cave. When they had finished, the leader shouted.
"Close Sesame!" and the door closed. As soon as the thieves had disappeared Ali Baba jumped down from the tree, said, "Open Sesame" and went into the cave.
There were shelves all around the walls. The shelves were full of sacks. And the sacks were full of gold. Ali took a sack home with him.
Unfortunately, one of the thieves saw Ali's footprints on the sand. He followed them to Ali's home. He took out his knife and made a cross on the door.
"Now I shall know which house it is," he said.
He rode off to get the other thieves. But Ali had seen the thief.
He and his wife took brooms and swept away the footprints. Then he made crosses on every door at the street. When the forty thieves arrived they had their knives between their teeth. But they couldn't fi nd either Ali – or the gold. And Ali and his wife lived happily ever after.
Taken from Addison–Wesley Kids 4, 1990

On School Discipline

2012-05-14T06:38:00.004-07:00

Being on time is a beautiful social ethic and one of great importance, as it creates effi ciency in systems and implies respect for one another. However, it is one of the many values that a school must inculcate into its students overtime.

Discipline is not something that must be slapped onto a child like handcuffs. Inner discipline, one that comes from within due to an understanding of the set rules and regulations, is the highest form of behaviour. Most excellent schools try to instill this with a loving environment.

Why, even adults arrive late to meetings, work, etc–admittedly shamefaced. Here, we are talking about children. Latecomers should not be shut out. They can be given warnings, most of which are enough to make them want to reach school on time. If this fails, talk to the parents. By closing its gates, the school is behaving cruelly and coldly–treatment to which we prefer not to expose our children.

Every school has a responsibility to implement educational concepts in the appropriate context, not just those schools that follow international standards and are generally unaffordable for the majority. Good schools create competitive students who can organise themselves effectively in society so that everyone gets a quality life as a result of ethics and values imbibed into students for as long as 12 years.

Children are precious, and are dependent on adults for guidance and we must not take advantage of this. Understanding them is the key, and to this end, both parents and schools must work hand in hand without playing the blame game.

What Is Thunder and Lightning?

2012-05-07T05:56:00.002-07:00

Lightning is a sudden, violent fl ash of electricity between a cloud and the ground, or from cloud to cloud. A lightning fl ash, or bolt, can be several miles long. It is so hot, with an average temperature of 34,000° Centigrade, that the air around it suddenly expands with a loud blast. This is the thunder we hear.

Lightning occurs in hot, wet storms. Moist air is driven up to a great height. It forms a type of cloud called cumulonimbus. When the cloud rises high enough, the moisture freezes and ice crystals and snowfl akes are formed.

These begin to fall, turning to rain on the way down. This rain meets more moist air rising, and it is the friction between them which produces static electricity. When a cloud is fully charged with this electricity, it discharges it as a lightning fl ash.

Taken from Peter Haddock Ltd., Ref.083

Labour Thanksgiving Day

2012-05-04T07:48:00.002-07:00

There is a holiday called Labour Thanksgiving Day (Kinrô kansha no hi) in Japan. It is a national holiday in Japan and it takes place annually on November 23. It is held as an occasion for commemorating labour and production and giving one another thanks.

Events are held throughout Japan in this holiday, such as Nagano Labour Festival. The event encourages thinking about the environment, peace and human rights. It is not unusual for early grade elementary students to create drawings for the holiday and give them as gifts to local kobans, or police stations.

Labor Thanksgiving Day is actually the modern version for an ancient rice harvest festival known as Niiname-sai , believed to have been held as long ago as November of 678. Traditionally, it celebrated the year’s hard work; during the Niiname-sai ceremony, the Emperor would dedicate the year’s harvest to kami (spirits), and taste the rice for the fi rst time.

The modern holiday was established after World War II in 1948 as a day to mark some of the changes of the postwar constitution of Japan, including fundamental human rights and the expansion of workers rights. Currently Niiname-sai is held privately by the Imperial Family while Labour Thanksgiving Day has become a national holiday.

Taken from: Interlanguage: English for Senior High School Students XI

Around Bali

2012-04-26T06:06:00.005-07:00

Bali, the fabled "Island of the Gods", has been enchanting visitors for centuries with its rich cultural traditions and spectacular pano ramas. From lofty, misty enshrouded volcanoes and cool mountain lakes down through terraced rice fi elds to a golden strand lapped by azure waters, every square inch of Bali offers a fresh and unforgottable image.

No less enchanting are its people, some 2.7 million souls whose artistry and piety are recog nised throughout the world. Balinese Hinduism, a complex fusion of Indian cosmo logy, Tantric Buddism and homegrown mytho logy, is the primary faith of Bali's inhabitants, and so deeply woven into the fabric of their daily lives that the line between the spiritual and the material is blurry at best.

The shoppers among you will fi nd Bali a treasure house of handicrafts and fine works of art. The Balinese are incredibly gifted artists and craftsmen, and their material creations are imbued with the same sense of wonderment with which they regard their universe.

Stone and wood carvings, traditional and modern paintings and intricately designed jewerly in gold and silver are readily available in shops and galleries throughout the island.

As for recreation, there is no shortage of options. Nature walks, horseback riding, diving, surfing, bungy jumping and white water rafting await the adventurous here.

Taken from Hello Bali, 2000

Goldilocks And The Three Bears

2012-04-24T20:14:00.000-07:00

Once there were three bears that lived in a house in the woods: a papa bear, a mama bear, and a baby bear. One morning they decided to take a walk before breakfast to let their porridge cool.

A little girl named Goldilocks lived with her mother nearby. Goldilocks took a walk through the woods and found the bear’s house. She smelled the porridge in the kitchen and went inside. Goldilocks tasted the porridge in each bowl and finally ate up the porridge in the small bowl.

Then she sat on a big chair, but she didn’t like it, because it was hard.

Afterwards she sat on the small chair, and it was just right. But while she was sitting on it she broke it. After eating the porridge, Goldilocks felt full and sleepy, and then she went upstairs. There she found a small bed. She lay down on it and fell asleep.

While she was sleeping, the three bears came home. When they went into the kitchen, they got very surprised. Someone had tasted their porridge, even eaten up baby bear’s porridge, while they were taking a walk. Moreover the poor baby bear was upset when he found that his little chair broke into pieces. When they went upstairs, they found out that Goldilocks was sleeping. Baby bear cried out,

“Someone has been sleeping in my bed and here she is!”

Goldilocks woke up when she saw the three bears; she jumped out of bed and ran out of the house to her home. Never again did she make herself at home in anyone else’s house.

(Source: Dit. PSMP, 2006)

School Uniform, another Good Lesson

2012-04-23T06:03:00.001-07:00

School uniform is special clothes worn by all students of a particular school. The uniform of a school may differ from others. Why should schools use uniforms? Below are some reasons.

First of all, Notre Dame’s Department of Sociology produced a study in 1998 concerning school uniforms. Their fi ndings using 10th grade students showed that uniforms have no direct effect on “substance abuse, behavioural problems or attendance.” It also claimed a negative effect on student achievements for those students considered ‘pro-school’.

Secondly, uniform helps to create a strong sense school ethos and a sense of belonging to a particular community. As such it promotes discipline and helps to drive up academic standards, which is why a uniform is often adopted by schools which are being reopened with a fresh start after being classifi ed as failing.

Finally, uniform acts as a social leveller, under which all students are equal in the eyes of the school and of each other. In institutions without uniform students are often competitive and worry endlessly about their appearance and the clothes they should wear.

Pupils without expensive designer clothes and trainers may be singled out as social outcasts, or stigmatised as being from poor backgrounds. For these reasons many parents prefer uniforms as they save them money on buying clothes for school wear.

Considering the fi ndings, schools should implement the uniform as their identity. The government should also publish some kind of rule which makes uniform compulsory for schools.

Taken from: Interlanguage: English for Senior High School Students XI

Home Schooling

2012-04-22T06:52:00.000-07:00

Home schooling is an education system which provides child’s main education programme at home. Home schooling takes the place of full-time school attendance and, in the United States and Canada, it usually meets state requirements for compulsory education.

Although home schooling could achieve the objectives of compulsory education, there are some points that should be noticed from the home schooling.

First, the idea of taking our children’s education on home schooling can be a bit intimidating. Since our country is so large and the people are from so many different kinds of backgrounds, students need some kind of social glue to make them stick together and to give them a sense of unity in spite of all the differences. They will not get such a unity when they are in home schooling. They will get the sense of unity when they are in the compulsory public schools since it is the easiest and best places to make this glue.

Then, the home schooling may not be able to prepare children to fi t into the mass society, which means, among other things, believing what most people believe and liking what most people like. Or it may not be able to help children to fi nd a set of values with which they could resist and reject at least many of the values of the mass society.

Recognizing the lack of home schooling in the case of children’s socialization opportunity, we should afford them abundant social opportunities.

We can have active home school support groups. We can hold ongoing park days, meetings at the zoo, the science museum, book clubs, history clubs, language clubs, home school scouting troops and many more options to provide them opportunities to socialize with others.

Source: Interlanguage: English for Senior High School Students XI