INSTITUSI LATIHAN

JABATAN TENAGA MANUSIA

KEMENTERIAN SUMBER MANUSIA
MALAYSIA

ASSIGNMENT SHEET
CLUSTER NAME

COMMON SUBJECT SEMESTER 2

NUMBER AND
TITLE OF MODUL

BI 1121 TECHNICAL ENGLISH 1

LEARNING
EXPERIENCE

LE2

WRITING SKILLS

1.1

USING ABBREVIATION

1.2

GRAPHIC ORGANISER

1.3

MAKING NOTES

NUMBER OF
RELATED TASK

DEVELOP STUDENTS CONFIDENCE AND FLUENCY IN ENGLISH BY

USING THE FOUR MAJOR SKILLS SUCH AS LISTENING, SPEAKING,
READING AND WRITING SO THAT:TERMINAL
PERFORMANCE

1. APPLY READING SKILLS TO CAPTURE AND

OBJECTIVE (TPO)

GUESSING FROM CONTEXT.

2. APPLY LISTENING AND WRITING SKILLS TO
INTERPRET AND TAKING NOTES USING
APPROPRIATE LEVEL OF ENGLISH.
3. APPLY SPEAKING AND COMMUNIATION SKILLS
TO INTERPRET AND TAKE NOTES USING
APPROPRIATE LEVEL OF ENGLISH

ENABLING
OBJECTIVE (EO)

WRITE A TECHNICAL SUMMARY BY USING

APPROPRIATEELEMENTS SUCH AS ABBREVIATIONS, GRAPHICS
ORGANIZER, AND NOTE TAKING SKILL FROM THE GIVEN TEXT SO
THAT INFORMATION CAN BE DELIVERED EFFECTIVELY.

LE2: WRITING SKILLS

Part 1: Using Abbreviation
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Exercise 1
Choose the answer that correctly completes the sentence.

1. The _______ conceded his defeat graciously before an audience of approximately

twenty million viewers.
A. PRES.
B. President
C. PRES
D. Pres.

2. I trust my child's _______, Suzanne Smith, to offer good advice about child rearing.
A. Doctor
B. Dr.
C. Doctor.
D. doc.

3. _______ are included in the Dow Jones average.

A. I.B.M. and GM
B. IBM and GM
C. I.B.M. and G.M.
D. IBM and G.M.

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4. The professor explained that the abbreviation "_______" is not appropriate in formal
writing.
A. etc
B. ETC
C. ETC.
D. etc.

5. A religion is monotheistic if only one god is worshipped ( _______ Christianity).

A. EG,
B. eg,
C. E.G.,
D. e.g.,

6. Mary-Louise was working toward her Bachelor of Arts degree.

A. BoA
B. Bas
C. B.A.
D. b.a.

7. Can we schedule the meeting for Thursday?

A. Th.
B. Thurs.
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C. Thur.
D. Thy.

8. Allison's father had a Doctor of Philosophy degree in English.

A. Ph.D.
B. PHD.
C. PhD
D. DPh

9. Kelsey was trying to complete her report as soon as possible.

A. A.S.A.P.
B. asap
C. ASAP.
D. ASAP

10. Which abbreviation do you use when you want someone to reply to an
invitation?
A. PS
B. RSVP
C. PTD
D. VPS

11. Which abbreviation do you use when you want to add something at the end of a
letter?
A. PS
B. PM
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C. PTO
D. ASAP

12. Which abbreviation do you use when you want someone to do something
quickly?
A. RSVP
B. ASAP
C. VIP
D. KSVP

13. In an email sent to more than one person, use 'Bcc' when you don't want to
display the second address.
A. True
B. False

14. Which abbreviation is used for times in the morning?

A. AM
B. PM

15. Which abbreviation is used for times in the afternoon and evening?
A. PM
B. AM

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Exercise 2

What does each abbreviation stands for? Write the full word or words on each line.

1. Rd.
2. Hwy.
3. tsp.
4. min.
5. gal.
6. in.
7. Mr.
8. Jr.
9. ft.
10. sq.
11. sec.
12. St.
13. Ave.
14. Ct.
15. Dr.

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PART 2: GRAPHIC ORGANISER

Exercise1
Read the passage below and by using graphic organiser write a note on,

the advantages of participating in sports

the disadvantages of participating in sports

SPORTS

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Sports are activities carried out for pleasure or exercise. Playing games like tennis and
football or taking part in athletics are sports activities.
One of the main reasons for encouraging students to take part in sports is that it is good for
health. In sports, especially outdoor activities, fresh air is taken into the lungs, resulting in
greater oxygen flow into the heart. With improved blood circulation, other organs of the body
function well. Muscles get toned, excess fat is burnt and impurities are excreted through the
sweat glands. All this, together with a good diet, makes a healthy body.
The second advantage is that sports participation instills discipline and develops leadership
qualities among students. For example, students must attend the various practices and training
programs punctually. If they are late, they are usually reprimanded and soon they realize that
obeying orders is important. In addition, students involved in sports activities are elected as
captains, secretaries and to other positions. Students holding these positions usually develop
leadership qualities.
Thirdly, sports participation helps students to release stress and tension. The increasing
amount of homework and the fear of failure at examinations do not allow students to relax.
Taking part in sports allows them to unwind. After a game or workout at the gymnasium, the
students feel much better and are ready to study after a good bath. This way of releasing stress
is healthy unlike some methods many students resort to, for example smoking, loitering in
shopping complexes or taking drugs.
On the other hand, there are disadvantages of participating in sports. It often leads students
to neglect their homework, studies and even family. When students are over-enthusiastic,
driven by great interest or the desire to win at competitions, they tend to spend more and more
time away from home. Eventually, this eats into the students study time and time spent with the
family. This, in turn, may lead to poor academic performance and a breakdown in family
communication. This is certainly not to be encouraged.
Furthermore, exposure to sports means students are prone to injuries like torn tendons, sore
muscles, sprains and even fractures. Injured students have to stay away from school for some
time, causing them to miss lessons and, consequently, fall behind in their studies.
Finally, it involves a lot of expenses. Students need to spend money on equipment like
tennis rackets and track shoes. They may also want to wear sports outfits which their friends
have. In addition, transport to and fro for practices and pocket money for refreshments means
more money has to be spent. This money can be put to better use by buying more books or
food.
In conclusion, we can say that moderation is the key to success in anything. Therefore, if
participation
in sports is kept in moderation it should not pose a danger or a threat to the
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student. However, if the student is over-enthusiastic, then the disadvantages could turn out to
be very real.
FajarBakti Bridge to Success, 1995

Exercise 2
Read the passage below and by using graphic organiser write a note on the suggestions
given by Mahes to promote laughter therapy at the office.

Work-related stress is a common problem among employees. It can result in feelings of

depression, frustration and demotivation. Stress management therapist, Mahes Karuppiah
recommends laughter therapy to deal with this problem. Mahes says that laughter helps to
reduce levels of cortisol, a stress hormone that weakens the immune system.
Studies have found that a good laugh session can lead to a sense of wellbeing and
optimism. It can also reduce blood pressure, increase circulation and relax the muscles. Mahes,
who began using laughter as therapy four years ago says laughter is the easiest and most
practical way to manage stress. It is also inexpensive as everyone possesses the natural ability
to laugh. You dont have to learn how to do it or buy equipment to help you laugh; it is in you. If
you look at children, they laugh at the simplest things while adults are finding it difficult even to
smile.
Mahes says employees who are facing pressure and stress usually cannot cope with
their work. This drags down their productivity and may even compel them to come up with
excuses not to come to work. If you start work at the age of 25 and retire at 55, you would be
spending 30 years of your life at the office. And you work about nine hours or more there every
day. So, if you are unhealthy and unhappy during this period which is the prime time of your life,
you have wasted the bulk of your life with these emotions.
To make the office a fun place, she suggests the establishment of a laughter club at
each company. Get a few people together every morning and have a laughter therapy session
for about 15 minutes. All the laughter club members should try to identify and remove negative
feelings such as guilt, anger, fear, jealousy and ego, she says.
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According to Mahes, there are a few types of laughter therapy. Among them are putting
a pen between your teeth to simulate a smile and the Ho, Ho, Ha, Ha, which involves laughing
while clapping your hands. You dont need to listen to a joke or look at something funny. You
can do it as a form of exercise just like aerobics. It is said that laughter is like internal jogging. It
keeps the mind and body fit.
There should also be a laughter room in every office, she says. Youve heard of
people screaming to release their tension. Why not have a laughter room where instead of
screaming, they can laugh? Employees can use the room to practise laughter exercises, watch
a funny video or sit there and just laugh their frustrations away. The cost of having this room is
small. And in return it will help boost morale among the workers, reduce absenteeism and
increase productivity.
Another suggestion is to have a Public Announcement or P.A. system in the office so
that someone can tell a joke of the day or just begin laughing. Laughter is contagious. Once you
get someone to laugh, soon everyone in the room will be laughing or smiling as well. Post funny
jokes or cartoons on a bulletin board, as long as they are not lewd or offensive. Employees can
rotate the postings every week. The best joke or cartoon should be declared the Humour of the
week. This is the cheapest way to bring fun into the office.
According to a study by David Abrams of California State University in the United States,
people who have fun on the job are more creative and productive, are better decision-makers
and get along better with co-workers. So, start the day with a laugh and you ll find the saying
Laughter is the best medicine is really true.
(Adapted from The New Straits Times, July 2003)

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PART 3: NOTE TAKING

Exercise 1 (Listening Note Taking)
Listen to the following excerpt of a talk. Now write the key words or phrases you hear in
the blanks provided in each sentence.
Shanti :

Dr. Hamid, over last few years, may people have begun to take a risk of Hepatitis
so seriously. What exactly are the risks of this disease?

Dr. Hamid:

Well, Hepatitis B is a highly infectious disease that can easily be spread through
the body fluids of the carrier. The risks posed by this disease are rather alarming,
as it is responsible for over 80% of the incidences of liver cancer. In fact, these
diseases result in two million deaths annually.

Shanti :

What about Hepatitis A, Doctor? Is it dangerous as Hepatitis B?

Dr. Hamid:

Well, Hepatitis A is definitely more common in Malaysia but I would say that it is
not as dangerous as Hepatitis B. The disease is usually transmitted through
contaminated foods and drinks. It is more prevalent in areas where sanitation is
poor.

Shanti :

What can one do to avoid getting this disease?

Dr. Hamid:

Well, the obvious protection is vaccination. In fact, it has been included in the
pediatric vaccination program for children. Vaccinations provide protection against
the disease and in some cases, booster is recommended after 10 years.

Shanti :

How does a person know that he is suffering from hepatitis?

Dr. Hamid:

Okay. The obvious symptoms of both Hepatitis A and B include fever, aches and
pains, vomiting and chills, and sometime a flu-like symptoms like sore throat, nasal
congestion and headache.

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1. Hepatitis B is a __________________________ disease which is spread through.

2. This disease is responsible for more than____________________ of liver cancer
cases and it result in __________________ death annually
3. Hepatitis A is transmitted through _________________ and ________________.
4. Hepatitis B can be prevented by ______________________________________.
5. This disease is common in areas with ___________________________.The symptoms
of Hepatitis A and B fever, ________________,
6. __________________, and ________________ may also be present.

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Exercise 2
Listen to the following excerpt of a talk. Now write the key words or phrases you hear in
the blanks provided in each sentence.
Good morning to the principal, teachers and my fellow students. I am the president of
the Junior Environment Club of our school and I have been invited to give a speech on how to
keep our school clean.
First and foremost, we should keep our classrooms clean. We must sweep our
classrooms every day and always keep our waste paper baskets empty. We must also
remember to wipe the windows daily. We should not litter everywhere in our classrooms.
Rubbish must be thrown into waste paper baskets. We should not let rubbish overflow the waste
paper baskets as it will be an eyesore.
In addition we must remember to flush toilets after using them. It is very unhealthy to
leave toilets not flushed as they will emit a stench. We must not throw objects into toilet bowls.
This will cause the toilet bowls to clog. We should also keep the sinks clean by not throwing
tissues and rubbish into them. After all, we are the ones who use the toilets so
we should not dirty them.

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Besides this, we should also put all used plates and glasses in proper places such as in
basins provided in the canteen. We should not leave food scraps everywhere as it will attract
flies. Moreover used plates and glasses should not be left on the canteen tables. In this way we
can help to keep the canteen clean.
That is all I have to say this morning. I hope that all of you will cooperate and keep our
beloved school clean. Thank you.

(Adapted from Penerbitan Pelangi)

1. We must sweep our classrooms every day and always keep our
______________________ empty.
2. We must also remember _____________________daily.
3. In addition we must remember to ______________after using them.
4. We should also keep the _______________ by not throwing tissues and rubbish into
them.
5. we should also put all used ____________________ in proper places such as in basins
provided in the canteen.
6. Moreover used plates and glasses should not be left on the __________________.

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Exercise 1 ( Reading- Note Taking)

Read the following passage and make the best notes as you can.
Note-taking is a technique of recording important information for future
use. Before you begin to take notes, you need to clarify your purpose.
Ask yourself why you are taking the notes.
Good notes should be as brief as possible without missing any
important points, and they need to be accurate. You can use the title
of the passage or the chapter to help you anticipate the main ideas of
the text. When you read a text, you need to draw out the main idea
and supporting details of a paragraph.
Good notes should have a clear organizational pattern. When you take notes, you should write
them down with your own words, and the ideas in your notes should relate to one another. That
is to say, your notes should be arranged into an appropriate form e.g. a list, a diagram, a table,
etc.
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Good notes need to indicate the source where the information comes from. You need to
jot down the name of the author, the date of the publication, the title of the book or journal, the
name of the publisher, the volume number in case of an article, and the page number(s), etc.
exactly as they are written. If you want to comment on what you are reading, keep your ideas
separate from those in the text. You may draw a box around them.

Exercise 2
Read the following text and make notes.
HOW CHILDREN FAIL

Most children in school fail.

For a great many this failure is avowed and absolute. Close to forty per cent of those
who begin high school drop out before they finish. For college the figure is one in three.
Many others fail in fact if not in name. They complete their schooling only because we
have agreed to push them up through the grades and out of the schools, whether they know
anything or not. There are many more such children than we think. If we 'raise our standards'
much higher, as some would have us do, we will find out very soon just how many there are.
Our classrooms will bulge with kids who can't pass the test to get into the next class.
But there is a more important sense in which almost all children fail: except for a handful,
who may or may not be good students, they fail to develop more than a tiny part of the
tremendous capacity for learning, understanding, and creating with which they were born and of
which they made full use during the first two or three years of their lives.
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Why do they fail?

They fail because they are afraid, bored, and confused.
They are afraid, above all else, of failing, of disappointing or displeasing the many
anxious adults around them, whose limitless hopes and expectations for them hang over their
heads like a cloud.
They are bored because the things they are given and told to do in school are so trivial,
so dull, and make such limited and narrow demands on the wide spectrum of their intelligence,
capabilities, and talents.
They are confused because most of the torrent of words that pours over them in school
makes little or no sense. It often flatly contradicts other things they have been told, and hardly
ever has any relation to what they really know - to the rough model of reality that they carry
around in their minds.
How does this mass failure take place? What really goes on in the classroom? What are
these children who fail doing? What goes on in their heads? Why don't they make use of more
of their capacity?
This book is the rough and partial record of a search for answers to these questions. It
began as a series of memos written in the evenings to my colleague and friend Bill Hull, whose
fifth-grade class I observed and taught in during the day. Later these memos were sent to other
interested teachers and parents. A small number of these memos make up this book. They
have not been much rewritten, but they have been edited and rearranged under four major
topics: Strategy; Fear and Failure; Real Learning; and How Schools Fail. Strategy deals with the
ways in which children try to meet, or dodge, the demands that adults make on them in school.
Fear and Failure deals with the interaction in children of fear and failure, and the effect of this on
strategy and learning. Real Learning deals with the difference between what children appear to
know or are expected to know, and what they really know. How Schools Fail analyses the ways
in which schools foster bad strategies, raise children's fears, produce learning which is usually
fragmentary, distorted, and short-lived, and generally fail to meet the real needs of children.
These four topics are clearly not exclusive. They tend to overlap and blend into each
other. They are, at most, different ways of looking at and thinking about the thinking and
behaviour of children.
It must be made clear that the book is not about unusually bad schools or backward
children. The schools in which the experiences described here took place are private schools of
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the highest standards and reputation. With very few exceptions, the children whose work is
described are well above the average in intelligence and are, to all outward appearances,
successful, and on their way to 'good' secondary schools and colleges. Friends and colleagues,
who understand what I am trying to say about the harmful effect of today's schooling on the
character and intellect of children, and who have visited many more schools than I have, tell me
that the schools I have not seen are not a bit better than those I have, and very often are worse.

How children fail by John Holt, Pitman, 1965

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