UFS111 (Reading, Vocabulary & Grammar 2) - 3rd Vocabulary Entry

1. Play the clip and listen to the narration.
2. Please find the following:
• 5 Nouns that has more than 1 syllable
• 5 Verbs
• 5 Adjectives
• 5 Past Perfect
3. Provide meaning for each of the words.

UFS201 (English for Specific Use) - 2nd Vocabulary Entry

1. List all the ADJECTIVES found in the Short Story (The Magical Forest by Kamal Aiman).
2. Give the meaning of the adjective (in English, of course...).

UFS201 (English for Specific Use) - 2nd Reflection Topic

1. Read the short story and imagine yourself as Sara in the story.  
2. Continue the story and create an ending in about 250 words.
3. Post the continuation into your blog. 

Magical Forest
By Kamal Aiman

It is said that most of our life is a series of images. They pass us by like towns on the highway. At least that is how Sara feels... Her parents had just finalized their divorce; her mum gets the big mansion up at the big apple and her father gets sole custody of her... They were cruising along the highway in their dingy old SUV to their new country house that ’dad’ purchased out of sheer luck a few weeks ago. Sitting at the passenger’s side, Sara stared out the window and thought to herself: “How did it come to this?”... And tears came trickling down her pink already almost auburn cheek.

The tyres from the SUV went into a screeching halt as her father pulled over in front of the driveway. Sara was so caught up in her thoughts that she hadn’t realized they have arrived at what would seem to be the rest of her life now. She heard her father muttering something and as she regains full consciousness, she finally caught what her father said – a faint sound of “Welcome”. Sara managed to muster up a weak forced smile and pushed the door to the SUV open. Her eyes widened; and for once, after 3 weeks they were gleaming with excitement, it was as though all her troubles in the world were lifted.

She ran to her father who was now already a few feet away from her screaming at him: “This isn’t just a cottage dad!!! It’s a vineyard” The man in his mid age black T and brown leather jacket turned around, shock at the blatantly screaming of what he thought at first to be a wounded mare but soon realized that it was his daughter. He smiled at her and whispered into her ear. “This is our life now Sara... just you and me... Us against the world, nothing else matters”. Upon hearing these words, Sara threw her arms around her father wrapping them around him so tight kissing him on the cheek and uttered the words “I love you dad”.

After a few days of unpacking and staggering of furniture, the house looks beautiful and ready to be lived in. It was time to explore the place a little; feeling adventurous Sara packed her lunch and set up on foot to discover the rest of the fifty acre vineyard surrounding their house. The air was fresh, cool and comforting as compared to the big apple. The ambience and scenery was so different as compared to the sky scrapers and big buildings with billboards everywhere... Munching on her lunch and enjoying the view she presses on further uphill along the vineyard.

It was now close to four o’clock in the evening and Sara has decided to call it a day. The soles on her shoes look worn out due to excessive walking; her water bottle is quarter to empty and her stomach is already humming tunes of hunger. So she turned around and decided to head back home. Upon reaching that decision, she felt all her muscles tighten slowly... She felt a gush of pain as her calves’ cramp up and moving slowly on to her thighs. It was a feeling of a cold winter’s night, only this time she could feel her muscles turning into ice.

Suspended and unable to move, Sara tried her best to put one leg in front of the other, but she failed miserably. As she tries and tries, a bewildering smell of Vanilla and chocolate filled the air... It smells like her mum’s favourite chocolate mousse only this one’s sweeter. In her mind she thought: “Oh my god, what is happening to me? First I can’t move, and now I’m smelling things” Her eyes were rolling in their sockets to see if anyone is around to help her... but there weren’t any... So she tried screaming; but to her dismay- she can’t. “What is happening to me? Am I dreaming?” Sara stood in the middle of the jungle puzzled... not knowing what to do. The smell of chocolate and vanilla is now mixed with a tinge of pineapple and strawberry. “I am going bonkers!!!” Just as soon as she let the thought of that escape her mind a very small person dress in green appeared in front of her. She was shock as this person appeared out of nowhere... her eyes bulge open wide and her jaw dropped. “Yup, I am definitely dreaming... dreaming of little people in green!!!” Now this small person has a pair of big eyes, sharp pointy nose and his face was shaped like an apple. He has thick beard and bushy eye brows, all of which is coloured in silvery grey. He was wearing what would seem to be a very old pair of green jacket and worn out green khaki pants.

What made Sara uncomfortable was that since the moment he has appeared he hadn’t said a word... Instead he was examining Sara just as Sara was examining him. His big round eyes made their way down her already non moving body which is frozen in a peculiar position. He made a grumble and fussed over something but quickly continued examining Sara again. At one point she could have sworn he was looking through her bag pack and made feeble comments about the leftovers from lunch. Finally he said something which made Sara almost laughed hysterically: “Seow, how’re yer doing lassy? Seems ter me that yer in a bit o a pickle ere, yer can’t move can yer? My name is Odin, i am ter be yer guardian lassy!” After saying that he snapped his fingers and Sara immediately fell onto the ground... “I know yer have many questions fer me, they will be answered soon enough.” He pulled Sara by the arms and nudged her towards a very big oak tree a few feet away from them, snapped his fingers again mumbled some incantations and pushed Sara into the tree saying “Trust me”. At this point Sara didn’t know what to feel, scared or shock or happy... but she did it anyway, she went through the tree and again her jaw dropped and her stomach clenched... What is this place? Odin appeared seconds after her and smiled while saying: “Welcome to the magical forest me dear”.

The sky was clear and filled with sunlight all over... The water was so fresh that you can almost taste the sweetness of the morning dew. The flowers were made by beds and beds of roses and lilacs and lilies... It was really a place of serenity and peace. At least that was what Sara feels anyway... So, the next few hours were spent explaining to Sara on what the forest is really about: “Yer see lassy, this place has always been here ever since I could remember. It has always been a place fer people to heal their wounded soul or to find answers and I think yer really need some of those right now”. Sara smiled... “I am a leprechaun by the way... yer see the way this forest works is that it will be here when yer need it but do not want it, but when yer want it and no longer need it that is when everything goes away... hopefully by then yer fully healed lassy!”

Over the next few months Odin has really been a great friend to Sara. Showing her around the forest, showing her things she has never seen before. He lets her experience all the wonders in the world within the forest itself... healing her soul one day at a time. One fine day, as always Sara and Odin had just finished their talk by the river across a bed of lilies and Odin said to her: “Lassy, yer’ve come a long way since the first time I met yer... and I regret ter say, this is it fer me and the forest dear.”

UFS111 (Reading Vocabulary & Grammar 2) - 3rd Reflection Topic

Title:  The Lost World

• Write an entry of at least 250 words about the similarities and differences between Machu Picchu and Chichen Itza.
• Elaborate at least 5 similarities and 5 differences between the two places.
• Which of the two is your favorite? Give at least 5 elaborated reasons.

UFS201 (English for Specific Use) - 1st Vocabulary Entry

Find 10 idioms, find the meaning of each of the idioms and create 2 sentences for each of the idioms.

UFS201 (English for Specific Use) - 1st Reflection Topic

Write your opinion in about 200 words about the meaning of "a picture is worth a thousand word".  Do you agree? why? Do you not agree? why?

UFS111 (Reading Vocabulary & Grammar 2) - 2nd Vocabulary Entry

1. Identify 10 new or difficult words that has more than 3 syllables from the article given. 
2. Give the meaning or definition of the words
3. Create 2 sentences for each word.