Holiday Homework

Junior Three

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Complete the holiday homework on lined papers (testpads). 

2. Write ONLY ANSWERS. 
3. Submit the homework when school reopens.

Name          : _Lap Yeong Herng__________ ___________(   31     

)  
Class (2021) : _J3Zhong_______________________

Class (2022) : _S1C1________________________

SECTION A: COMPREHENSION 
Read the following passages carefully and then answer the questions which follow them. For
each question, select the best answer from the options A, B, C and D.

                   Passage 1
      While the progress of scientific knowledge has driven out superstition from the minds of
most people, there are still people all over the world who are superstitious and their whole
life is governed by these beliefs. Some cling to the aged-old superstitions so firmly that no
reasoning or argument can shake their belief in them. This is due to their fatalistic outlook on
life. A superstition is an irrational fear of what is unknown or mysterious. It is founded on
ignorance and illiteracy.

There are numerous superstitions current in Asian and European countries. Some of
the more popular among them may be mentioned here. The belief in ghosts and witches, for
instance, is very widespread. Charms and amulets are worn as protection against evil spirits.
Certain hours are believed to be auspicious and certain hours inauspicious. A comet in the
sky is believed to herald the death of a great person. The hooting of an owl is supposed to be
ominous. And so is the whining of a dog in the dead of night. It is considered inauspicious to
travel towards the north on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and towards the south on Thursdays.
In many European countries number thirteen is considered unlucky, so that many hotels do
not contain rooms numbered thirteen. Some believe that if thirteen persons sit at a dining
table, one of them will die in a few days.

Omens, premonitions and portents exercise a considerable influence upon the daily
life of the people. A crow cawing on the roof of a house is a sure indication that some guest
will arrive. A man going out of a house for a set purpose, such as finding a job, or appearing
in an examination or seeking a favour will definitely be successful if he meets a sweeper at
the threshold of his house. It is thought inadvisable to drink water or milk when leaving the
house on an enterprise. An itching right palm indicates good luck. This rule has to be
reversed in the case of women.

Superstitions tend to do much harm. They rob a man of the power of initiative and the
spirit of enterprise by making him think that everything is predestined and pre-determined.
They arouse baseless fears and apprehensions in his mind. A superstitious nation can make
little progress. An effort should be made to enlighten people’s mind.

1.  Why do some people cling to age-long superstitions?

     A. Because they want to follow their grandparents
     B. Because they have a fatalistic outlook of life
     C. Because they don’t have strong faith in God
     D. Because they don’t believe in faith

2.  Which one of the following statements is incorrect?

     A. Superstition is an idea founded on unreasoning belief in magic
            
     B. Superstition is a practice based on witchcraft 
     C. Superstition is irrational fear of what is mysterious                         
     D. Superstition is founded on literacy

3.  According to paragraph 2, if 13 people sit at a dining table

     A. one of them will die before he finishes eating.                                
     B. none will live longer.
     C. one of them will die in a few days.          
     D. none will die a natural death.
4.  What is supposed to be ominous in paragraph 2?
     A. The hooting of an owl
     B. The whining of a dog during the day
     C. To travel towards the north on Thursdays
     D. To travel towards the south on Mondays

5.  In which paragraph does the writer speak about dreams as occasions for joy or sadness?
     A. In paragraph 2           B. In paragraph 3     C. In paragraph 4           D. Nowhere

6.  Which is correct according to paragraph 3?

     A. An itching left palm of a man indicates good luck
     B. If a man who goes out to find a job meets a sweeper in the street, he will be successful
     C. A crow cawing on the roof of a house means no guest will arrive
     D. An itching left palm of a woman indicates good luck

7.   Which is incorrect according to paragraph 4?

      A. Superstition robs a man of the power of initiative
      B. Superstition makes a man lose the spirit of enterprise
      C. Superstition arouses baseless fears                                     
      D. A superstitious man thinks that nothing is pre-destined

8.  A premonition is 

     A. a feeling of joy. B. a feeling of uneasiness.
     C. a feeling of easiness. D. a feeling of triumph.

9.  In the passage, the word ‘irrational’ can best be replaced with
     A. illogical           B. illiterate     C. unyielding         D. disputable

10. What does the word ‘apprehensions’ mean?

     A. dreariness           B. emotions     C. hostilities         D. anxieties

Passage 2

Pepper has been planted by Land Dayaks in the First Division and by Ibans in the
Second and Third Divisions, but the industry remains largely a Chinese preserve. Holdings
are small, averaging one-third of a hectare. Most are tended by full-time gardeners with
family assistance although temporary labour may be hired at harvest time. Less than 30% of
the small-holders depend entirely on pepper for their cash income. The majority earn
additional income from rubber holdings, fruit orchards, vegetable plots or fish ponds.

Pepper vines will grow on a wide variety of soils, but success depends on the soil
having good drainage, water-holding capacity, a friable structure, low acidity and sufficient
nutrient reserves. Planting is usually done on well-drained hill slopes, for the vines are
intolerant of excessive soil moisture. Forest on newly-opened land is felled and burnt, and all
stumps are removed before the cuttings are planted on specially prepared mounds of earth or
terraces.

Constant attention is required during the growing period: the vines are trained up
hardwood posts; clean-weeding is practiced; careful and regular pruning is undertaken to
maximize the fruiting area, and fertilizers are applied frequently. Indeed, the system of
cultivation practiced in Sarawak has been described as ‘probably the most intensive of any
pepper-producing country in the world.’

Harvesting begins in the third year, and yields reach a peak when the vines are five or
six years old. The main harvest months are from June to August and the work is laborious,
for the berries are picked by hand from ladders. For the production of black pepper, the
berries are collected just before they are ripe, placed in boiling water and then dried. For
white pepper, they are left until fully ripe when the hull has become partly separated from the
white centre. Then the berries are soaked in water. After the hull has been removed by
rubbing, the white seed is dried. Black pepper is easier and cheaper to produce and yields a
larger amount from a given quantity of berries; thus, the price margin between the two grades
must be sufficiently large to induce planters to produce white pepper.

The economically productive life of vines in Sarawak averages from ten to fifteen
years. There is, however, a general shortage of land in the main pepper areas and recently,
Chinese planters have pioneered land on several newly-opened roads, including those to
Simanggang and Ulu Oya; many of these newer gardens are very small. Consequently, the
average size of holdings is declining.

11.  The main pepper-growers of Sarawak are

       A. the Land Dayaks.   B. the Chinese.     C. the Ibans. D. the sea Dayaks

12.  The majority of the pepper-growers

       A. are immigrants.           
       B. do not depend solely on pepper for their cash income.
       C. employ full-time workers.                        
       D. have larger holdings.

13.  For pepper to grow well, the soil must have all of the following except       
       A. good drainage. B. low acidity.  
       C. excessive moisture.        D. sufficient nutrient reserves.

14.  Which of these is not carried out when the vines are growing?
       A. Removal of stumps                       B. Applying of fertilizers
       C. Weeding                           D. Pruning

15.  Vines produce the most pepper

       A. in the third year.                       B. in the fifth or sixth year.
       C. between the tenth and fifteenth years.           D. between June and August.

16.  The word laborious can best be replaced with

       A. tedious .                       B. effortless.                 C. simple.                   D. continuous.

17.  What advantages does black pepper have over white pepper?
       A. It fetches a higher price.   
       B. It can be harvested more easily and quickly.
       C. It is tastier and more popular.                       
       D. It doesn’t cost much money and effort to produce a higher yield.
18.  In the last paragraph, we learn that the average size of new pepper gardens
       A. is getting smaller.                     B. remains the same.
       C. is getting larger.                       D. remains uneconomically productive.

19.  According to the passage, the word ‘entirely’ mean?

       A. abruptly           B. cautiously                 C. visibly                   D. completely

20.  The phrase ‘depends on’ can best be replaced with

       A. concentrates on                       B. declares on
       C. elaborates on                                   D. counts on

SECTION B: FORMS AND FUNCTIONS 

Complete each of the dialogues by selecting the best answer from the options A, B, C, and D
according to the underlined function. 

21.  Murali         : What do you think of my new painting?

       Sathi            : _____________________________________
       To express admiration
       A. Did you paint it yourself? B. What does it represent?
       C. Wow! It’s fantastic! D. I don’t know what to say!
22.  Mr. Dikom  : I’m thinking of buying shares in that company.
       Mr. Phang   :  _____________________________________
       To discourage
       A. I think that’s a good idea.
       B. I don’t know much about the company.
       C. I don’t think that’s such a good idea.
       D. Do you have the money for it?

23.  Ghazali        : Who told her about the rumours going on about her? 
       Lalitha         : _____________________________________                 
       To admit
       A. I was the one who told her. B. She found out the truth later.
       C. She heard about them herself. D. I haven’t the faintest idea.

24.  Halimah      : Can you show me how to change the light bulb? 
       Oliver          : _____________________________________
       To instruct
       A. Of course. B. I don’t know how.
       C. First, you have to remove the old bulb. D. I’ll change it for you.

25.  Mr. Teng     : What do you think of Nigel? 

       Mr. Fong     : _____________________________________
       To compare
       A. I think he is quite fast. B. He is much faster than Ali.
       C. He is not fast enough. D. He can take part in the race.
SECTION C: CLOSEST IN MEANING 
Read the two situations below. For each question, select the best answer which is closest in
meaning to the statement underlined.

Situation A

Tee Nee : Are you going for the Cybercross Concert this evening? I asked Sheila but 
                          she gave me a likely story about having to clean her room. We all know she 
                          has a maid to do that!
Vee Nee : Of course I am! It is the talk of the town . I am curious to see what is going 
                          to be staged.
Tee Nee : I hope we can get the tickets. You’d better keep your fingers crossed .
Vee Nee : I think we should leave early so that we’ll be among the first in the line .
I’m 
                          sure there will be many people at the concert.
Tee Nee : Yes, I see eye to eye with you.

26.  a likely story

       A. some tales B. many excuses
       C. an unreasonable excuse D. an interesting story

27.  talk of the town

       A. tall story B. talking point  
       C. happening event      D. talk about a town

28.  keep your fingers crossed

       A. pray B. make a wish
       C. hope for good luck D. cross the thumb and forefinger

29.  in the line

       A. in the queue B. to reach there
       C. to stop by D. to purchase the tickets

30.  see eye to eye 

       A. satisfy           B. agree                 C. tolerate             D. disagree

Situation B: Melvin and Kelvin are talking to each other.

Melvin : Do you get along with the new boy in class? 
Kelvin : No, not quite. He is difficult to get across to …. hardly talks or smiles.
Melvin : Well, maybe he is shy. You know how hard it is to be a newcomer.
Anyway,   
                          we can always ask the teacher’s pet , Raoul, to find out more about the new 
                          boy.
Kelvin : What?! He gets on my nerves with his unending chatter.

31.  get along

      A. socialize B. discuss                 C. argue           D. play

32.  get across to

      A. go B. talk                     C. sell           D. rally

33.  teacher’s pet

       A. monitor B. teacher’s dog
       C. teacher’s favourite student D. principal

34.  find out

      A. gossip B. write                 C. know           D. say

35.  gets on my nerves

       A. pleases me B. entertains me       C. scares me         D. annoys me

SECTION D: STRUCTURE AND USAGE 

For each question, select the best answer from the options A, B, C and D to fit each
numbered blank.

Text 1
Just as air current flow from warm areas to colder areas, there are currents in the
oceans. These currents serve to transport ____(36)____ to the colder parts of the oceans.
____(37)____ do not always remain in exactly the same area. Sometimes they move about a
little. ____(38)____ once in a while, a current may break away and go spinning off by
itself____(39)____ far off lands. 
Just like the horizontal currents mentioned above, ____(40)____ are also vertical
currents in the ocean. These vertical currents are known as upwellings.  ____(41)____ the
surface waters move away from each other, more water from underneath comes to replace
them. As they do this, they ____(42)____ nutrient-rich water to the surface. Fish go where
the food is, so upwellings can make good ____(43)____ places. Upwellings usually occur
near coastlines, where winds blow surface water____(44)____ from the shore. On the other
hand, when the waters ____(45)____ blown back towards the ocean, downwelling can occur.
The surface water gets compressed against the shore and sinks towards the bottom.   

36.  A. hot           B. heat           C. hotter           D. heating

37.  A. It           B. Its           C. They           D. Them
38.  A. Each           B. Ever           C. Every           D. Alway
39.  A. in           B. by           C. to           D. of
40.  A. here           B. there           C. these           D. those
41.  A. Why           B. How           C. What           D. When
42.  A. bring           B. brings           C. brought           D. bringing
43.  A. fish           B. fishes           C. fished           D. fishing
44.  A. away           B. round           C. through           D. towards
45.  A. is           B. are           C. was           D. were

Text 2

     Alarming statistics revealed that one in four Malaysian adults suffers ____(46)____ high
blood pressure which is a direct causal factor for cardiovascular disease. This high incidence
is very much ____(47)____ to our sedentary lifestyle, work stress, intake of food high in fat
and sodium. Hypertension could ____(48)____ to heart failure, heart attack, stroke or even
kidney failure.

To prevent more deaths by hypertension, it would be necessary to ____(49)____ our

dietary habits and lifestyle. For a start, exercising regularly would help. Next, we could cut
down our consumption of ____(50)____ ‘bad’ food. A regular medical check-up is a
recommended measure especially for early prevention. Hypertension is a ____(51)____
killer, so we should not wait for symptoms before we seek treatment.
Salt, in fact, is an essential mineral for our body and we need 0.1 gm of it to function
well everyday. This does not ____(52)____ that we should be generously sprinkling salt onto
every dish we prepare in our kitchen to obtain the essential mineral. The truth is we could do
without salt entirely ____(53)____ we are strict herbivores.

Sufficient quantities of salt ____(54)____ naturally in meat, fish, poultry and dairy
products. Too much salt is known to be harmful and it is not allowed in processed infant food
in some countries. However, the problem begins ____(55)____ babies grow up and become
participants in adult food culture where salt  ____(56)____ an addictive flavouring. We
sprinkle salt onto fried chips; we even sprinkle it onto pineapple and star fruit to give that
added flavour. In almost every restaurant, there is always a ready bottle of table salt or kicap
____(57)____ hand.

Interestingly, taste can be deceiving when it comes to what it means by ‘salty’. A food
____(58)____  taste less salty than another, yet it may actually have a higher salt content.
Cornflakes may taste less salty than potato chips, but when the amount is compared,
cornflakes may contain more salt.

Unlearning the ‘salt’ habit is not impossible. The taste buds can be ____(59)____
taught to adjust to natural food within a span of three months. But more often than not, habits
die hard. For ____(60)____ ‘die hards’, manufacturers have come up with alternative, just as
for sugar.         

46.  A. in       B. for C. from D. against

47.  A. attribute         B. attributes C. attributing D. attributed

48.  A. lead         B. leading C. leads D. led

49.  A. changes         B. change C. changing D. changed

50.  A.  ⸻         B. a             C. an             D. the

51.  A. noticeable         B. cautious C. silent D. reasonable

52.  A. mean         B. means C. meant             D. meaning

53.  A. if         B. unless C. when D. although

54.  A. had found         B. has found             C. are found D. is found

55.  A. how         B. what             C. which D. when

56.  A. has become         B. is becoming             C. becomes D. became

57.  A. by         B. at             C. from D. off

58.  A. must         B. ought to C. may D. could

59.  A. successful         B. succeed C. success D. successfully

60.  A. these         B. this             C. those D. that

SECTION E: SUMMARY 
Based on the passage given below, write a summary of not more than 60 words on how to
avoid a repetitive stress injury. Your summary must be in continuous form and written in one
paragraph. Use your own words as far as possible and state in brackets the number of words
you have used.
      If you’re like a lot of children, you probably spend time sitting at the computer, doing
schoolwork or playing games; using a computer can be tough on your body. Sitting for a long
time in positions that aren’t natural for your body can strain your hands, wrists, back, and
eyes. Over time, this can result in pain and a kind of injury called a repetitive stress injury.

The way you sit is important. To sit square in your chair, put your behind in the centre
of the seat. Your legs should bend at the knees and rest on the floor. Most children are too
short to do this, so use a footrest or find a box or a stack of books to place under your feet.

When you type, sit so your elbows are bent at 90-degree angles (like an “L”). Your
wrists should be straight, not angled up or down so your fingers rest gently on the keys of the
keyboard. And if it feels like you have to stretch your fingers to reach the keyboard, move it
closer to you.
 Any time you’re using the computer, your eyes are hard at work. Be kind to them by
positioning the monitor 18 and 20 inches (46 to 51 centimetres) away from your face. At this
distance, you shouldn’t have to lean in to read what’s on the screen.

Position the screen at your eye level, with the top of the monitor itself level with your
forehead. This will keep you from having to lean your neck back (or bend forward) to see the
monitor. Your mom or dad can help you get adjusted. They can help you raise the monitor a
little higher by stacking a few books under it. You also can raise the height of the chair or sit
on a pillow or two.