Reading & Writing Task 1

The reading and review of one novel (fiction) + Identify its target audience and whom you would recommend it to.

The novel that I read was The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown. This book is about a Harvard symbologist Professor Robert Langdon who is summoned to give a lecture at the United States Capitol, with the invitation apparently from his mentor, a 33rd degree Mason named Peter Solomon. Solomon has also asked him to bring a small, sealed package which he had entrusted to Langdon years earlier. When Langdon arrives at the Capitol, however, he learns that the invitation he received was not from his mentor, but from Solomon's kidnapper, Mal'akh. Mal'akh contacts Langdon, charging him with finding both the Mason's Pyramid and the Lost Word, threatening Langdon with the death of Peter Solomon if he does not find the Lost Word and the Mason’s Pyramid.

Mal'akh is a Freemason with tattoos covering almost his entire body. He infiltrated the organization in order to obtain an ancient source of power, which he believes Langdon can unlock for him in return for Peter Solomon's life. As Langdon deals with the events into which he has been thrust, Mal'akh destroys the Smithsonian-sponsored laboratory of Dr. Katherine Solomon, Peter's younger sister, where she has conducted experiments in Noetic Science.

Mal’akh severely injures Katherine and places Langdon in a tank of breathable oxygenated liquid, from where in fear and panic of drowning, Langdon unlocks the code at the Pyramid's base for Mal'akh, who then flees with Peter Solomon to the Temple Room of the Scottish Rite's House of the Temple. Mal'akh, who turns out to be Peter's long-believed dead son, Zachary Solomon, forces the Word out of his father and tattoos it on his head on the last portion of unmarked skin on his body. Mal'akh then orders Peter to sacrifice him, as he believes that it is his destiny to lead the forces of evil. Director Sato, however, arrives at the Temple in a helicopter in time, which smashes the Temple's overhead glass panel and kills Mal'akh. Peter informs Langdon that the circumpunct Mal’akh had tattooed on his head is not the Word. Deciding to take Langdon to the true secret behind the Word, Peter leads him to the room atop the Washington Monument where Langdon realizes that the symbols on the pyramid's base spelled out the words Laus Deo which translate to Praise God.

I feel that the book is very interesting and it can capture the reader’s attention from the start till the very last word. The book has many unexpected twists, and reader’s can also gain new knowledge about the Freemasons and about Noetic Science from reading the book. I would recommend the book to people who enjoy other books by Dan Brown, such as The Da Vinci Code, or people who are looking for a mystery/thriller book.

Reading & Writing Task 3

The reading and review of one academic magazine (whole magazine) (eg: National Geographic, Time, Reader’s Digest, Present Perfect…) – Look at the visuals accompanying the articles and describe their purposes.

The academic magazine that I read was National Geographic. The National Geographic magazine has many pictures and illustrations related to the article, which help the reader to understand the article better as the reader is able to visualize it. I like the pictures in the magazine as they are interesting and the pictures make the magazine seem more colorful and lively. I would recommend this magazine to both children and adults, as the magazine is informative and has something for all age groups.

Reading & Writing Task 4

Review of 5 newspaper articles from “The Straits Times” or “Today” and talk about what you have learnt.

The first newspaper article that I read was from ‘The Straits Times’, and it is titled, ‘Girl, 9, gets to be a scientist for a day’. This article is about Losheni Meenakshi Sundaram, who has end-stage kidney failure. The Make-A-Wish Foundation, granted Losheni with its first ever ‘scientist for a day’ wish in Singapore. Losheni even received her very own lab coat, with her name embroidered on it in pink. Research scientist, Leong Meng Fatt, said that Losheni ‘asked very good questions’.  On Dec 26, Losheni will be getting a new kidney from her mother. I feel that Losheni is a very brave girl, who will go on to achieve great things in life. I also feel that her love for science, and her inquisitiveness are qualities that would help her be a great scientist in the future. This article teaches us not to take anything for granted and to treasure and appreciate what we do have.

The second newspaper article that I read, also from ‘The Straits Times’ is titled ‘Running gave him second wind’. This article is about 101 year old, Fauja Singh, who is a marathon runner. He started running marathons after the death of his fifth child, whom he was the closest to. He ran his first marathon in 2001 at the age of 89. Since then, he has done nine marathons. He achieved his fastest time at the age of 92 – 5 hours and 40 minutes. He will be running his last 10 km race in Hong Kong in February next year. I think that he is very inspirational, as he can run marathons despite being this old. Many people around the age of 70 and above have wheelchairs. I think that his willpower is also admirable because it should be very physically and mentally tiring to do marathons, especially at such an old age.

My third article, take from ‘The Straits Times’ is entitled ‘Radio Prank gone Wrong’. It is about two Australian radio hosts, who pretended to be Prince Charles and the Queen in a call to the hospital to get information on the pregnant Duchess who was hospitalized for a severe form of morning sickness. The nurse who first answered the call, Ms Jacintha Saldanha, died in a suspected suicide. Ms Jacintha, had passed the call to a colleague, who divulged the details of the Duchess of Cambridge’s acute morning sickness. Ms. Jacintha leaves behind a son, Jumal, 16, and a daughter, Lisha, 14. I feel very sad and I feel that the radio hosts should have not done such a prank. I hope that this incident will serve as a warning to others who may think that immature, childish pranks, such as these, would not have serious implications.

My fourth report, from ‘The Straits Times’ is titled ‘Students told they failed English test – a year late’. This article is about 34 foreign students who were told that they had failed an English proficiency test they had taken a year ago. They had forked out about $16 000 each to join an MBA programme and were already midway through the course. They assumed they had passed because they were made to pay $16 000 in fees before pursing their MBA. I feel that this is very unfair and it is not right to do, especially since they have spent so much money on fees, and living expenses. I also feel that those who are not allowed to continue their studies after failing the course a second time, should be given a refund of the money they had wasted.

My fifth report, from “The Straits Times’ is ‘S’pore pupils top tests, score higher in reasoning’. The test results reveal that weaker students are also doing better in two global benchmarking studies. The way Singapore students approached the questions in the most recent tests indicates that they are moving away from rote learning and applying higher-order thinking skills. I feel that this is good, and the government should continue to change their methods of teaching to ensure that all students improve.

Viewing & Listening Task 1

Watch a movie and complete a movie review cum recommendation on it.

The movie I watched is Stolen. It is about a former thief, Will Montgomery, who is released from prison for a bank robbery of $10 million. After getting out of prison, he decides to go and visit his daughter, Riley Simms, who he has not seen for 8 years. An old partner, who helped Will to steal the $10 million, is believed to be dead. However, he is not, and he kidnaps Riley, locks her in the trunk of the taxi, and demands his share of the $10 million he believes Will has. However, Will burned the money before being arrested. Since Will does not have the money, he has to rob another bank to get his daughter back. This movie is very interesting and I feel that the actors have portrayed the characters that they played very well. The movie is not predictable, and I enjoyed guessing what was going to happen next. I would recommend this movie to those who like to watch fast paced action and mystery movies. 

Viewing & Listening Task 2

Watch 5 news clips (eg: from either Channel 5 News, CNA News, BBC News) and do a summary of what you have seen / learnt.

The first news clip that I watched from channelnewsasia.com is ‘Residents complain of rat problem at Golden Mile Complex’. Residents of Golden Mile Complex have complained of rat problems on their premises, days after a similar incident was reported at AMK Hub. A resident interviewed by Channel NewsAsia said he has caught two rats in his home in a week. The resident, Mr Wong, said that he usually spots the rats around 5am or 6am. Golden Mile Complex's management had earlier sent out a circular to its residents saying that the rat problem could be due to unhygienic food preparation or disposal of food waste by shop operators or occupiers on the building's lower floors.

The second news clip that I watched is ’13 students wrongly issued eligibility forms remain uncontactable’. Of the 95 Normal (Academic) students wrongly issued eligibility forms for the inaugural Polytechnic Foundation Programme (PFP), 13 remained unreachable by phone as of Thursday, but emails and hardcopy letters to all affected students have been sent. The system had double-counted grades for subjects that the affected students had sat for at both the actual N-Levels and the school-based preliminary examinations, although each subject should only be counted once and only the better of the two grades should have been used.  As a result, the aggregate scores on some students' PFP forms were reflected as better than their actual aggregate scores. It also noted that the examination results themselves were correct and only the computed aggregate scores used to determine the eligibility was wrong in some cases. The PFP is a one-year programme that prepares eligible N(A) students for entry into the relevant Polytechnic Diploma course. N-level graduates under the PFP will not sit for the O-Levels. The programme admits the top 10 per cent of each year's N(A) cohort.

The third news clip that I watched was ‘Youth Vision for Singapore’. Being stress-free", having less competition and evolving as a gracious society, these were the themes of a dialogue session between polytechnic students and Mr. Lawrence Wong. 150 teenagers from Singapore's four polytechnics shared their vision for the future with Mr Wong on Thursday afternoon. Participants said they wanted a less competitive Singapore in 20 years' time, complete with a more gracious and open-minded society. Mr Wong however reminded them to be mindful of the consequences to their choices, pointing out the need to consider the broader environment. Some participants also suggested a four-day work week to encourage greater work-life balance. Mr. Wong admitted that the idea was enticing, but said businesses would suffer. Students echoed their displeasure at the disparities between polytechnic and junior college students in terms of transport fares and admission rates for courses as well as for local universities. Mr Wong responded by saying that the government is reviewing transport subsidies and urged the students to wait for the review to be completed before taking the issue further.

The fourth news clip that I watched was ‘Singaporeans are least positive’. A poll said Singaporeans are the least positive, after the same poll found Singaporeans to be the world's most emotionless people. Last year, international pollster Gallup measured positive emotions of 1000 people in 148 countries and areas using five questions. They asked people questions such as whether they experienced a lot of enjoyment the day before the survey, whether they felt respected, well-rested, laughed and smiled a lot, and did or learned something interesting. The poll found Singaporeans to be less positive than those in Iraq, Yemen and Afghanistan. 

The fifth news clip that I watched was ‘9 arrested for operating and gaming in illegal gambling den’. Police have arrested nine people for operating and gaming in an illegal gambling den at a shophouse along Geylang Road. Officers from Bedok Police Division raided the shophouse and arrested six men aged 46 to 59 and three women aged 32 to 36. Thirteen modified computers, four jackpot machines and cash amounting to about S$1,214 were also seized. The 58-year-old suspect and six others will be charged in Court on 24 December. Two female suspects will be charged in Court on 22 December. 

Viewing & Listening Task 3

 Listen to 5 installments of “BBC World News” (either radio or online) and do a summary of what you have heard / learnt.

The first installment of ‘BBC World News’ that I watched is ‘Obama: Tragedies must end’. It is about the shooting that occurred in Newtown, where 20 children and 6 women died by a lone man, who then took his life. President Barack Obama has said that the US must do more to protect its children in the wake of Friday’s shootings at the school in Newtown, Connecticut. President Obama also repeated a call for action against gun crime, saying that in coming weeks he would use ‘whatever powers’ his office held ‘in an effort aimed at preventing more tragedies like these’. I feel that the US needs to put in place gun laws to ensure that these tragedies cannot occur again.

The second installment of ‘BBC World News’ that I watched is ‘Mayan doomsday prophecy a big misunderstanding’. It is about the prediction that the world was going to end on 21/12/12. However, Graham Hancock says that the Mayans believed that the date was going to be ‘the hinge point’ of the emergence of a new and more enlightened age, not an ending point for civilization. The date 21/12/12 marks the Winter Solstice, symbolic in many cultures of the end of darkness, and the renewal of light. The date is to mark the ending of one cycle, and the starting of another.

The third installment of ‘BBC World News’ that I watched is ‘Australian toddler finds deadly snakes in wardrobe’. Kyle Cummings, who is three years old, found the eggs near his home and put them in a plastic container before tucking them away. A few days later, his mother found seven newly hatched eastern brown snakes in the container. The snakes, which are highly venomous, have been released into the wild. The snake’s fangs were only a few millimeters long that young age, so they would not be able to break skin, but they are just as venomous as adult snakes.

The fourth installment of ‘BBC World News’ that I watched is ‘Classical Music’s all in the mind’.  The World at One programme’s reporter, Neil Bowdler, went to meet Eduardo Miranda, professor in computer music at the University of Plymouth, to find out how people have very different reactions to classical music. They hooked up a person to the brain computer music interface with a cap on his head with electrodes plugged into it reading his brainwaves. The systems wired up so that the flashing symbols corresponds to the subject’s brain activity, so that when he is exposed to classical music, his brainwaves reacts in certain ways. This is all part of Mr Miranda’s effort to see how the brain reacts to music.

The fifth installment of “BBC World News’ that I watched is ‘US inventor demonstrates armored backpack shield’. Recent mass killings in the US have prompted one parent and inventor to devise an armoured shield that could fit in a student's backpack.Kerry Clark, who came up with the idea after the Virginia Tech shooting in 2007, claims that his invention can stop a bullet from 16 feet away. The panel is designed to stop rounds fired by handguns, but not by rifles. However, there are doubts about the effectiveness of his backpack shield and some sceptics argue that it is more likely to cause anxiety than offer comfort.