Ujian Topikal 1 Tingkatan 5

Passage 1

A very good afternoon to you, my beloved students,

I'm glad so many of you turned up for this afternoon's talk. At this moment, all your thoughts
and activities are geared towards doing well in your SPM examination. Once the SPM exams
are over, some of you may feel lost. The purpose of my talk is to explain the options which
are open to you after you have sat for your SPM exams.
What you do after your SPM exams depends very much on whether you want to further your
studies. For those who want to stop schooling after SPM, it is important for you to pick up
some skills that will enable you to get a job. Some of you may want to enrol yourself for
practical courses like tailoring and hairdressing. Others may want to become apprentices in
electrical shops and car repair shops. Some may choose to have a career in the fast food line.
As for those who prefer to work in offices, it is essential for you to be computer literate.
Many offices are computerised. You need to learn word processing skills and perhaps, book
keeping as well. When you have formal training, you can get better pay for your services.
From an informal survey I did among the Form Five students in this school, I found that the
majority of you want to continue your studies after your SPM. Many options are open to you.
You can join a twinning program. This program enables you to complete one or two years of
tertiary education in Malaysia and the rest in a university overseas. Many private colleges
cater for this segment of the student population. For example, Inti, Metropolitan, Stamford,
and KDU. One of the selling points of twinning programs is that you can get a degree of your
choice in a shorter time. It is like a short cut which bypasses STPM. Well, go ahead if your
parents can support you.
What about the rest of you who do not want to get a degree overseas? If you want to get a
degree from a local university, you can either choose to do your STPM or apply for a place in
the Matriculation or Diploma programs. If you opt for Matriculation or Diploma programs,
you do not need to go through STPM. I know many of you feel that it is futile to go through
two years of STPM and later not qualify for a place in local universities. I've heard groans
that it is difficult to score in STPM. Well, a grown-up baby no longer solely depends on milk.
As you move from Form Five to Form Six, you cannot depend on memorizing to score. In
fact, STPM is a very well-coordinated pre-university education program. It would stand you
in good stead regardless of whether you get your tertiary education in Malaysia or overseas.
For those of you who are not able to make it to a university, don't lose heart. STPM is part of
a foundational education for everyone. In these years, you develop critical thinking skills
which prepares you for working life. At the end of the two years, you get a certificate which
entitles you to a higher salary scale than an SPM-holder.
SPM is a stepping stone to other achievements in life. Ponder upon what I've said and be
clear about what you want to do after SPM. A clear goal is like a lighthouse in a storm.
Thank you.

Answer the following questions using complete sentences

1. Why would some students feel lost after the SPM exams are over ?(1M)
2. How do practical skills help SPM-leavers looking for jobs ?(1M)
3. How do most of the Form Five students feel about stopping their studies after their SPM ?
(1M)
4. Why do some students prefer twining programs to a tertiary education in a local
university ?(1M)
5. Give two ways in which students can get a degree without going through STPM.(2M)
a)
b)
6. Why do most students do badly in STPM ?(1M)
7. According to the passage, why is STPM worth taking ? Give two reasons to support your
answer.(2M)

Passage 2
A large bull once lived in the jungles of Teluk Anson (Teluk Intan) with a large herd of
elephants. The herd often went for a stroll to the edge of the jungle, close to the old Port Weld
- Taiping railway line. It was not an exceptionally busy railway line - only a slow locomotive
ran the track once daily, transporting goods and people to and from the port. One fateful day,
as the elephants ambled across the tracks, as they probably had done a million times over,
they failed to notice the goods train chugging down the tracks until the very last moment. In a
desperate attempt to save the family, the bull rushed to the tracks and stood his ground,
between the oncoming train and the herd.
The train rammed right into the elephant, the impact toppling the train. He managed to save
the herd but sacrificed his life in the process. The British were so touched by the story of the
elephant's sacrifice that they erected a monument where he lay as a remembrance to him and
his family. The forgotten plaque still stands by the side of the now abandoned track - the only
reminder of heroism beyond imagination. The elephant's skull was transported to Kuala
Lumpur and can now be seen at the National Museum, standing as an emblem of
unconditional love for his herd and social dedication to each member of his group.

Elephants were once common throughout Africa and Asia, but they dwindled severely during
the 20th century, largely due to the massive ivory trade. While some populations are now
stable and growing, poaching, conflict and habitat destruction continue to threaten the
species. The largest land mammal on earth, the African elephant, weighs up to eight tons. It is
distinguished by its massive body, large ears and a long trunk, which it uses as a hand to pick
up objects, a horn to trumpet warnings, an arm raised in greeting or a hose for drinking water
and bathing.
Asian elephants, however, are much smaller in size. Their ears are straight at the bottom,
unlike the large fan-shaped ears of the African species. Only some Asian male elephants have
tusks, whereas all African elephants, including females, have tusks. Elephants are either left
or right-tusked, and the one they use more is usually smaller because of wear and tear. The
Asian elephant has four toes on the hind foot and five on the forefoot; the African elephant
has three on the hind foot and five on the forefoot.
Led by a matriarch, elephants are organised into complex social structures of females and
calves. Male elephants prefer to live in isolation. A single calf is born to a female once every
4 to 5 years after a gestation period of 22 months - the longest of any mammal. The calves
stay with their mothers for years and are also cared for by other females in the group.
Whether African or Asian, elephants need extensive land to survive. They roam in herds and
consume hundreds of pounds of plant matter in a single day, so they require vast amounts of
food, water and space. Thus, these large mammals often compete with humans for resources.
In Malaysia, elephants estimated at below 3 000 in total now, have been facing extinction for
years. The biggest threat to the elephant population here is the massive clearance of the
rainforests. Elephants used to have many thousands of square kilometres of rainforests where
they could roam freely. Now, with roads, villages, cities and oil palm plantations taking over
their homes, the elephants' natural migration path has been limited or destroyed. Moreover,
their keen sense of smell leads them into trouble sometimes. Unable to resist the delicious
roots of young palm trees, they sneak out into plantations at night to raid the nurseries,
uprooting every tree in sight.
Often, the wild elephants are also entrapped in the middle of approaching development. In
such situations, these frightened beasts bulldoze acres of freshly planted crops. Often, the
plantation owners, tired of having to foot the bill for the damage, call the Department of
Wildlife and National Parks to remove the elephants. Being strictly protected under the
Protection of Wildlife Act of 1972 under the endangered species listing, culling of elephants
is prohibited. The rangers track them down, capture and translocate the elephants to larger
tracts of jungle areas, like the Kuala Gandah Elephant Conservation Centre where they can
roam in peace.
Answer the following questions using complete sentences
1. (a) From paragraph 1, why did the bull rush to the railway tracks in front of the oncoming
train ?(1M)

(b) From paragraph 2, what did the British do to preserve the memory of the brave bull ?
(1M)
2. From paragraph 3,
(a)what is the main reason for the significant decline in elephant population last century ?
(1M)

(b) state one use of the elephant's trunk(1M)

3. From paragraph 4, why is one tusk smaller than the other in elephants ?(1M)
4. (a) from paragraph 5, why are male elephants not included in the social structure of
elephants?(1M)
(b) From paragraph 6, why do elephants often compete with humans for resources ?(1M)
5. From paragraphs 7 and 8,
(a) state one trait that causes elephants to run into trouble and the result of this trait.
(1M)
Trait : _______________________________.
Result : ______________________________.
(b) why do you think culling of elephants is prohibited ?(1M)
6. Based on the passage given, write a summary on the features and the habits of
elephants, and why they are endangered in Malaysia and elsewhere.(15M)
Begin your summary as follows :
Elephants have drastically declined in numbers due to ivory trafficking ...

Answers
1.They do not have a clear goal to work towards.
2.Having practical skills makes it easier for them to find better paying jobs.
3.Most of them feel that they'd rather continue with their studies.
4.They can study for a degree as they like, and complete it in a shorter time.
5.The two ways are: (i) They can join a twinning program after SPM and get a degree from a
foreign university. (ii) They can join the Matriculation or Diploma program in a local
university after SPM.
6.They used the wrong method of studying for the STPM exams.
7.STPM equips a person with the necessary knowledge and skills for his future use. (i) It
gives one a comprehensive academic groundwork for tertiary education. (Ii) it trains one to
think critically and thus be better quipped for working life.
Answers
1.(a) He suddenly saw the oncoming train and stood between the train and the herd to
save his herd from being run down by the train.
(b) They erected a monument by the side of the now abandoned track as a remembrance
to the elephant and his family.
2.(a) The massive ivory trade caused the significant decline in elephant population last
century.
(b) It is used as a hand to pick up objects / a horn to trumpet warnings / an arm raised in
greeting / a hose for drinking water and bathing. ( Choose any one )
3.One tusk is used more and becomes smaller through wear and tear.
4.(a) Male elephants prefer to live in isolation.
(b) As elephants roam in herds and consume huge amounts of plant matter every day,
they require vast amounts of food, water and space.
5.(a)
Trait : They have a keen sense of smell.
Result : They sneak out into plantations at night to get the delicious roots of young palm
trees and raid the nurseries, uprooting every tree in sight.
OR
Trait : They are easily frightened by changes, such as development.
Result : When frightened, they bulldoze acres of freshly planted crops, causing severe
losses to plantation owners. ( Choose any one )
(b) These elephants are endangered species.
6.Elephants have drastically declined in numbers due to ivory trafficking, poaching,
development and habitat devastation. They have huge bodies, large ears and trunks used

as hands, horns, raised arms or hoses. African elephants are bigger with tusks but lesser
toes than their Asian counterparts. The females and calves move in herds but the bulls
favor living alone. Calves are born after 22 months and looked after by the other
females. Elephants need great quantities of food, water and land to survive. But
threatened by deforestation and development of land by humans, they cannot roam
freely. Led by the smell of young palm roots, they destroy nurseries. Development also
causes many frightened elephants to raze newly planted crops, so they have to be
trailed, caught and relocated to sanctuaries for safety.