Crescent Girls' Paper Answers

English Consultation Schedule - Friday 11th Oct

Dear Students,

This is the consultation session for the above date:
Time: 745am to 845am
Ang ZY
Hafizah
Sherly
Zoeferah \
Ryan
Ek Liang
Jian Wei
Boon Hui

845am to 945am
Lucas
Wee Kiat
Hong Rui
Vivien
Vanessa Toh
Ong Jiamin
Ke Lixuan
Yi Ting

Venue: 5B classroom

Are you self-aware when doing the exam?

The best way to do well in your English exam is to know what you are doing and whether you are doing it right. So these 2 weeks you will be learning to do self-checks when writing and doing your comprehension and summary.

Comments on Speech Situation Writing Practice

O levels 2010 Mark range is between 16 to 22 marks with the most common grade being 19 marks.

Here are the comments I have for this exercise:

Task fulfillment
1. Some students forgot to elaborate on how to organize the fund raising event. You should devote one paragraph to this since it is explicitly stated in the question as part of the task.

2. Most of you managed to get the tone correct and were generally quite persuasive as you made reference to the victims of the natural disaster being in grave need of extra funds from the Red Cross Society.

3. One key error is that you are making a speech to convince your committee members to support your preferred option of the two suggestions that have already been made. In other words, you did not spend time specifically "brainstorming:" to come up with the two ideas. Rather, it was a case of you seriously considering and weighing the pros and cons of the 2 options and then deciding on one of the options.

Elaboration of ideas 

1. In terms of ideas for elaboration, both choices could have been slightly better elaborated upon.

Here are some ideas on who this could be done.
Sale of student art work 
1. For the sale of student art work idea, it could be potentially a good idea if the type of art mediums is adequately wide. For instance besides water colours and oil paintings, there could also be ceramic works and pottery as well as installation art work.

2. To market the art work sale, the organisers would need to reach out to a target audience of people who can appreciate art and this could be done by collaborating with some of the art galleries who could be convinced to do a good deed by helping to publicise the event on their websites and to send email blasts to their customer database. This could help position the art gallery as not only being interested in making profits but also in assisting in raising money for a good cause. This would improve the corporate image of the art gallery and hence they would be willing to participate in helping to publicise the sale of student art work event.

3. The school could also contact their alumni who are already working and a number are professional and so they may be exposed to different art genres and hence they are more likely to purchase a piece of art work not only for a good cause but also be able to appreciate their aesthetics of the piece.

Food and fun fair 
1.  This was better elaborated upon. However, students could also improve on the ideas and language used.

2. To lower the cost of organizing the event, the committee would have to approach companies for sponsorship of ingredients or food products for the food stalls to cook and sell and to seek donations from companies so that the money can used to pay for the material used for the games stalls and to set up the tents needed to provide shelter from the sun and rain since part of the fair would be held outdoors.

Introduction and endings.
Most students did a good job and had read the notes beforehand. So this was encouraging. For a couple of you who did not end the speech well, it is definitely as case of you not referring to the notes and putting in the effort.

Grammar 
There were some subject verb agreement and tense errors but far less than in previous exercises. Some students also tended to make such errors while others had very few such errors. Overall , the improvement has been significant. Keep up the good work.  

Expository Non-fiction writing notes

Non-Fiction Writing

(a)    Structures for non-fiction writing. 

The structure of the essay depends on the question being asked of you. So depending on the
question, the essay could be in the form of:
1. Causes and consequences
2. 5Ws and 1H (Who, what,where, when,why, how) 
3. Pros and Cons/Advantages and Disadvantages
4. Compare and Contrast
5. Straightforward explanations

Note: If you are writing a single word essay e.g. "Power" as an argumentative or expository essay, you can actually choose any of the above structures. 

(b)   Example: Tell me about your ideal home OR Given the limited land available in Singapore, is it wise to set aside some areas as nature reserves? 

General Structure for writing an exposition
NB: The topic sentence is linked to the thesis statement as the topic sentence is an extension of the idea or statement in the thesis statement. You should target about 5 paragraphs for your essay.

Part of essay	What goes in	Remarks
Introduction	Thesis statement/Stand Definition of key terms Hook: Startling fact or statistic
The body paragraphs 2-3 paragraphs	Topic sentence Elaboration Examples that support the elaboration	Topic sentence is always linked to the Thesis statement.
	Topic sentence Elaboration Examples that support the elaboration
	Topic sentence Elaboration Examples that support the elaboration
Conclusion	Restate thesis statement Proverb/rhetorical question that leaves people thinking

b) Anatomy of a non-fiction essay  

1. Introduction

• Provide an attention grabber

-          Give a startling fact

-          A statistic

-          A rhetorical question

-          An “imagine this” scenario

• Thesis Statement. The thesis statement can come in different formats:

(1) State you stand or viewpoint on the given statement or topic being asked

(2) State in summary what the rest of your essay will be elaborating on.

Question: Choosing a career is one of the most important decisions to be made in life. What factors will affect your choice? 

Stand: The factors which will affect my choice for a career would be whether it can earn me a decent living and whether I have an interest and passion for the career. 

• Link sentence
  E.g. Allow me to explain.

2. Body of the essay can be written in the following structures

What you write in the body of the essay depends on the question. Some questions will ask you for:

-          Pros and cons

-          5Ws and 1H (Usually focusing on reasons – Why and How)

-          Classification

-          Causes and Consequences

-          Compare and contrast

Again, if you are faced with a single word essay, your essay can be written in any of the above format.
For example:
"Marriage" ( O Level 2005)

-          Pros and cons (of marriage)

-          5Ws and 1H (Usually focusing on reasons – Why and How) - (Why people get married. How people get married. Where and when do people get married.) 

-          Classification - Types of marriages ( You may even want to say that some people are "married" to their jobs or "married" to their cars. There are also arranged marriages between people and marriages or convenience)

-          Causes and Consequences - (The causes(why) of marriage and the consequences(outcome) of marriage.)

-          Compare and contrast - (Compare the marriage ceremonies and customs of the different races or religions)

How to elaborate
To elaborate logically, practice some self-questioning with regards to the topic sentence. For instance: How does canoeing open up a whole new world to you? What are some of the activities you will indulge in as a direct result of canoeing? What are the benefits of such outdoor activities? How will the person be feeling when he engages in such outdoor activities? Why will the person feel different after engaging in such activities? 

3. Conclusion

-          Begin your last paragraph with either: In conclusion…. or to conclude…..

-          Restate your stand/thesis statement/choice made

-          Leave the audience thinking about your writing/speech. End off with a saying/idiom or a point to ponder that is connected to the issue. [ Where applicable]

o   Use a proverb that is connected to the issue being discussed

o   Use a thought-provoking question.

o   A though provoking statement.

Examples
Example 1: In conclusion, teenagers can make take steps to save the environment and there are many initiatives which they can undertake to save Mother Earth. If we as the future generation do not take up this responsibility to save the world as we know it, then who will?

Example 2: In conclusion, power is indeed both a boon and a bane – when used wisely it can bring great benefit to mankind but when misused it can bring great pain and suffering. Someone once said that with great power comes great responsibility, I cannot be wholeheartedly agree with this statement. 

3. Model of an expository essay

Question: Think of a sporting activity which you greatly enjoy. Explain how you took up the sport and what are some of it benefits.

Introduction Para 1 .	A sporting activity that I enjoy very much is canoeing. A canoe appears to be nothing more than a small boat made of fiberglass with a deceptively simple design and appearance. However, the Canadian film maker, Bill Manson, described it as the simplest most functional, yet aesthetically pleasing object ever created. I soon discovered that a canoe is more than a means of getting from point to point. Who would ever have thought that such basic technology was capable of carrying a person from the modern world of stress to places of astonishing physical, mental and spiritual freedom? I have had many good experiences with the sport of canoeing and I have personally experienced the benefits it can bring in terms of spiritual renewal, the life skills it has taught me, its ability to relieve mental stress and how it can help turn the outdoors into a living classroom.	Thesis statement Definition of key issue Starling/Surprising fact or information. Thought-provoking question. Thesis statement (States all the key points that you will cover in the body of your essay/or your viewpoint on an issue)
Body Para 2	Like everyone else, I had to go through the learning curve at first: that is to say, I started off thinking canoeing was easy – just sit in the canoe and paddle, nothing to it – only to discover that my canoe banged the banks of the placid steams and zig-zagged across the lake in a most frustrating manner. I had to learn the basic strokes that enable the canoeists to keep a straight line – and in the required direction. Once I had learnt these basics, my canoe responded swiftly to the merest flick of the paddle.	Topic Sentence( Must be in line with thesis statement) Elaboration Examples that support the Thesis Statement.
Para 3	On my first canoeing holiday, I discovered that canoeing is more than a means of getting from place to place: it is a healthy, harmonious way of life. The Chinese poet and philosopher, Lao-Tzu, write about attaining a state of grace by “going with the flow” and that is literally what a canoeist does. When a finely crafted canoe is under way, it slices through the water with little or no resistance, supported by the very medium through which it travels. Before long, the canoeist feels connected to his boat, that it is part of him, like an extension of his body. The rhythmic canoe stroke, repeated thousands of times during a long day of canoeing induces a relaxed almost trance kike state. When performed correctly using the large back, shoulder and stomach muscles, the canoe stoke is not only a healthy exercise but is can be done hour after hour, day after day. The cadence induces steady, measured breathing, which in turn relaxes the body and releases the mind, freeing it to wander at will. In calm weather, the canoe seems to fly across the water. On bright days, the surface mirrors the sky, and it feels as if you are flying through the heavens. When the water either very shallow or very clear, you feel the elation of being suspended between earth and sky.	Topic Sentence( Must be in line with thesis statement) Elaboration and explanation with examples that support the Thesis Statement.
Para 4	Not all days are like this, though, and every canoeist has to face his share of headwinds and storms. On blustery days, an experienced paddlers uses mind and muscle to outwit the elements. He seeks out and takes advantage of whatever shelter he can find, altering his course to paddle in the less of islands and points that block the wind. Canoeing on stormy days requires sharp strategy, good planning and solid execution. Ironically paddling in inclement weather may offer the greatest relief from everyday cares, for when thrusting and parrying the wind and waves, fighting for every metre, you are immersed in the here and now. There is no room for thought save for the task at hand.	Topic Sentence( Must be in line with thesis statement) Elaboration and explanation with examples that support the Thesis Statement.
Para 5	Rapids also provide detachment form tension, since the sensation of quick, light motion on swift-moving water is exhilarating; You feel weightlessness, free fall and flight. Time seems to stand still as the canoeist focuses on negotiating one tricky manoeuvre after another. Just as important as the physical and mental benefits of canoeing are the spiritual benefit of being free to wander and explore wherever your imagination leads you. Using only essential and timeless paddling and camping skills, canoeist has unlimited freedom and range. Following ancient wilderness waterways leading away from the stresses of modern life, the canoeist enters a natural realm where time is measured not by the clock but by the sun’s slow transit across the sky. Where the slow pace of human-powered motion makes the world seem larger and more astonishing, where communication is face-to-face rather than by email or text massage.	Topic Sentence( Must be in line with thesis statement) Elaboration and explanation with examples that support the TS.
Para 6	In addition, canoeing can open up whole new worlds of activity for people, such as water-color painting, wolf-howling, canoeing building, wilderness first aid, forest identification, nature photography and white-water rodeo. The outdoors becomes the classroom for the canoeist willing to set of the search of exciting, unique and enriching outdoor experiences, seeing the world in a different light. Canoeists can travel the world in search of new experiences. Those used to lazily watching white-tailed tropic birds soar overhead might go to Canada to rivers and lily-filled bays of the flat-water lakes as they watch out for majestic Canadian Mammals. Families can enjoy family adventure packages, led by the most experienced wilderness guides, which combine family fun, safety and incredible beauty. A world of family adventure can be opened up by a canoeing holiday.	Topic Sentence( Must be in line with thesis statement) Elaboration and explanation with examples that support the TS.
Conclusion Para 7	In conclusion, the benefits of canoeing are boundless. I myself have discovered the many joys which canoeing can bring. So why not pick up that paddle and start launching a canoe too?	A simple conclusion that invites the readers to take up the challenge.

Notes on Narrative fiction writing

(A)   Overview
1. There are 2 parts to Paper 1 and Section One is a free writing section that requires you to write an essay of between 350 to 500 words.

(B)   Preparation - Months before

1. FW book/file: Have a free-writing preparations booklet or file. Choose several story lines you wish to write on. These should be sufficiently flexible to adapt to most stories. Draft these story lines into your free-writing book/file and share them with your teacher.

2. Practice & structure: Practise writing your essays from your 10-year series or workbook. Use the fiction structures taught to you as the skeleton to craft your story lines. [See later]

3. Word banks: Prepare vocabulary that will support your writing. This means looking at your various story-lines and building up the depth of vocabulary needed for each stage of writing. For instance if your story line contains description of places or people for the introduction, make sure you build up vocabulary to do describe this. Your characters or settings can always be similar despite different story titles. If your plot involves an accident or medical procedure then your vocabulary must be built up in these areas. All in all you would have to build 8 or more word banks of between 40 to 50 idioms, phrases and words each.

4. How to begin: Decide on a setting and theme for your writing. If you are passionate about outdoor adventure, then you can always set your story in the context of trekking, fishing or kayaking. If you wish to write about love and romance, then look up and learn words linked to these areas such as how you would describe the emotions associated with being in love.

5. Read with a purpose: When you read you may encounter words and phrases of two types, those that you know and those that you do not. For those which you are uncertain of, check up the meanings. Then decide amongst all that you have read, what you would like to use in your essays based on whether it helps support your story line ideas.

6. Have a thesaurus ready: A thesaurus helps you to uncover different ways of saying something. This will help you to uncover

(C)   Types of questions
1. Single word

a.       Fiction or non-fiction is possible.

b.      For fiction, the issue must permeate all aspects of the story or must be central to the storyline.

c.       Think broadly for the single word essay as to how you would weave the single word into the storyline to make it central. Someone who reads the story must get the sense of the usage of the single word as the main lynchpin of the essay.

d.      For example: Power [ 2009 O Levels]
A story line about a character who abuses power and this leads to the suffering of others and to his/her eventual downfall is a possible storyline but there are so many other possibilities. For instance, power can be written as stories woven around how powerful love can be or how powerful a kind act was because it changed the lives of others in a positive way.

2. Recount

a. An occasion/situation when one’s actions (Cause) à led to a situational change (Complication) à Sequence of events (Consequences)

b. Be very clear that the cause in question will be the complication of the story and the consequence is the sequence of events that will lead to the climax which is resolved at the resolution.

c. Examples
Write about how a serious accident [Complication and sequence of events] led to an area being made safer for those who work or live there.[Resolution]

Write about a time when your late arrival for a particular meeting or event [Complication] led to serious trouble [Sequence of events/climax/resolution].

(D) Structures for fiction writing
(i) Introduction

Types of introductions	Example	Language feature /grammar
Character [Taken from Catherine Lim’s short story collection “Little Ironies”]	Half-uncle was someone the bondmaids hated, for his utterly repulsive appearance and his sly ways. He was a thin, dry man with dirty teeth that he was continually picking and sucking on.	Adjectives for describing physical attributes
Action An introduction with an action sequence for a story entitled “Power”. The rest of the story tells of how a young man meets his eventual end because of his association with gangs OR how he chose a different path in “Heroes”.	Kim Seng ran as fast as his legs could carry him through the dark and dingy alley. His heart was thumping hard he sped past bags of garbage and trash cans strewn across his path. His pursuers were relentless and hot on his heels. He could hear the heavy pounding of their feet behind him. Less than a few metres ahead of him was a high fence. He realised that he had run into a dead end – a cul de sac. He felt for the dagger strapped to his chest, whipped it out and spun round in anticipation for a fight to the death. There was no one. His pursuers had disappeared into the night as quickly as they had appeared.	Verbs/ Adverbs
Dialogue A story which revolves round 2 down and out house mates who strike it rich at a lottery and how it changed their lives. “Power” “Flight” “Dreams”	“Ah Seng, look at this!” exclaimed Boon Hui as he tugged at Kimmy Tan Ah Seng’s T-shirt excitedly, “We’ve….we’ve…” “What are you muttering about? I’m trying to sleep. You know I was on night shift! Go bother someone else!” Protested Ah Seng as he pushed his house mate away and covered his head with his pillow. “We’ve won….we’ve won!” cried Boon Hui who was unable to contain his happiness any further, “We’ve won the lottery!”	Speech Marks/ Punctuation for dialogue/Different ways of expressing “say”.
Flash back A flashback style introduction for the essay “Marriage”.	Coco’s fingers trembled as she typed in the website address and hesitated for a moment before hitting the enter key. As the website loaded, she gazed blankly at the computer screen that starting filling up with a multitude of photos. The strains of Pachelbel’s Canon in D could soon be hear and tears started to well in her eyes as her gaze fell on pictures of herself and her then fiancée, Abel. These images caused a flood of memories to return and transported her back to the events of that fateful weekend 3 years ago.	Adjectives/verbs/adverbs
Setting/Scene An opening scene for an essay entitled “Heroes” and “Power”.	A lazy breeze caressed Ebenezer’s sunburnt face as he looked keenly across the horizon. The sea shimmered like diamonds as light danced and skipped across the tranquil sea in the late afternoon sun, reflecting off Ebenezer’s sunglasses. In the distance, a lone sea eagle hovered majestically overhead, drifting effortlessly in the shifting wind. “What a quiet afternoon.” Ebenezer thought to himself as he looked at his watch to see if his shift was over for lifeguard duty.	Adjectives focusing on places to create atmosphere and lighting. e.g. Seaside, busy mall or commercial area, performance area for a concert.

(ii) The body [Complication + sequence of events + climax]
1. Made up of 4 or more paragraphs and consisting of:
- Complication (1 paragraph)
- Sequence of events (3 paragraphs)
- The climax is woven into the last body paragraph

v  Complication/problem: what caused the series of actions to take place.
a. For example: In a story about how one pulled through a serious medical problem, the complication is when the illness was first diagnosed.
b. The complication can be signalled using language features like “Without warning” and “Suddenly”, “In a cruel twist”.
c. Spend a paragraph explaining how the complication came about.
d. The complication should be closely tied to the essay title. For instance, in the story entitled “Dreams”, the complication could be the opening of the integrated resorts which the main character who is a gambling addict had been looking forward to.

v  Sequence of events
a. This tells us how the story progresses from the start of the complication.

b. Elaboration should be based on asking the 5 Ws and 1 H. To elaborate simply building complex sentences out of simple SV structure sentences by adding time, place adverbials and adjectival phrases.
E.g. The cars drove down the road.
The red cars, which were owned by Mr Sim(Adjectival), raced down the narrow winding (What?) road that snaked through the city’s backstreets(Where?) at top speed(How?).

Climax
The climax is the point of highest tension in the story and the story can end differently depending on how the climax ends:

iii) The resolution & conclusion
Suggested approaches to end a story. 

1. A happy /uplifting ending with a moral or proverb

The sun was setting across Singapore’s Central Business District as Xue Ting gazed out of the window of her new 60^th floor office. As she looked across the Singapore River, she realised the weight of responsibility resting on her shoulders. She heard a voice from behind her and turned around. “With great power comes great responsibility,” It was Mr Kim her mentor. She smiled and could not agree more. It would now be a new dawn of change at Kim Seng Corporation. 

2. Painful/sad ending/Relief from pain
John’s body was riddled with needle marks from his years of drug abuse. He no longer had the strength to move a muscle as he lay on the ground in a heap.  He thought of his mother and the happier moments of his childhood. He could feel that lightness of being returning to him as he slowly drifted away in a deep slumber.

3. Last words of the character
Jill cradled Jun Eng in her arms as he gasped for breath. Her tears trickled down her cheeks and mixed with the warm blood which covered his crimson lips. Jun Eng struggled to speak, “Jill…I love you.” In his death, he had given life to the one he loved the most.

 (E) Analysis of a sample essay
Read the essay below and the following:
1. Identify the grammatical features such as
- tenses used
- subject-verb agreements
- punctuation for dialogue

Take note of wider range of verbs and adverbs used as well as idioms. Look at the sentence structures and identify the subject in each sentence. Can you recognise the various SV structures?

2. Take note of various parts of the narrative – the type of introduction, the complication, sequence of events, the climax and the resolution by highlighting them in the passage.

3. Can you think of several single word essay titles that may be suitable for the above story? How could the story be appropriately adjusted to ensure that the story matches the title?

Notice that you cannot use this story line in its entirety for all essays but the themes of “the military”, “punishment and suffering” and “anger” can be used to answer a wider array of questions.

Structure and approach	Write about a time when your late arrival for a particular meeting or event led to serious trouble. (GCE O Level Nov 2006 Paper 1 Section One)	Language used
Setting/Scene	Introduction The sun shone brightly overhead and I could hear nothing except for the drone of insects as I lay in the tall grass with my rifle next to me. This was yet another day at Officer Cadet School where I had already spent the last six months and was soon moving onto the last phase of my military training to become an army officer. I flicked the safety catch of my M-16 to the “fire” mode and strained my eyes to see if there was any movement ahead of me. The sun had suddenly hid behind a thick blanket of cloud and this gave me some reprieve from the searing afternoon heat. I peered at my wrist watch which showed that it was just after two in the afternoon. Suddenly, I saw my platoon leader give the signal for us to charge forward. In a flash, twelve men in camouflage uniforms poured forward with their rifles blazing, accompanied by the familiar “rat-tat-tat” of multi-purpose machine gun fire from the adjacent hill.	Tenses: Past tense Verbs/imperatives Adverbs Complex sentences Subject-verb agreements
Introduction of  a key character Complication	“Exercise cut!” shouted our instructors and it wasn’t long before we were picking up all the loose bullet cartridges that had fallen amongst the grass and dirt. Following this, we were to be head back to camp for an important lecture by our company commander, Major Tan Swa Kow who was also known by his nickname ‘Mountain Dog’ because of his ruggedness and uncanny ability to march long distances with little food or water. He was also a man with little patience and he had an extremely short fuse. On a previous occasion, he had woken the entire rifle company at three o’clock in the morning to share with us his marital woes. That evening, he was drunk and had just had a serious quarrel with his wife. As he apparently needed someone to talk to, he decided to assemble us at the parade square for this purpose. Perhaps he was disappointed with our gradual loss of interest in his plight and so we were soon made to run around the obstacle course till we collapsed from exhaustion for not showing him the necessary “care and concern” when he most needed it. Suddenly, I heard Jin Kiang, my buddy’s desperate voice, “Frank…Frank… I think I’ve lost my rifle magazine!” The frantic look at Jing Kiang’s face said it all. A lost rifle magazine meant at least a month in the military lock-up and probably an end to Jin Kiang’s dreams of becoming an officer. As the rest of the platoon was packing up and preparing to trudge back to camp, I informed the instructors of Jin Kiang’s situation and I was asked to search the area with him till the magazine was found. “Don’t even think of coming back to camp if you don’t find it!”My instructor reminded me sternly. The rest of the platoon began to trudge back to base for their meeting with the company commander while we continued to desperately look for the lost magazine. We were certainly going to be late for the lecture and we knew that the consequences would be dire for us.
Sequence of events Late for event/meeting Serious trouble	After half and hour of scouring the entire hill-top, we fortuitously found the rifle magazine partially hidden near a tree which Jin Kiang had been lying near. The magazine must have slipped out of his Skeleton Battle Order as he lay there for cover. Immediately, we ran as fast as our legs could carry us back to the camp gate. By the time we reached the sprawling parade square where the company commander’s lecture was held, we were completely out of breath. I glanced at my wrist watch. We were already forty-five minutes late! As we turned the corner into the parade square, Jin Kiang and I were greeted by the sight of the entire rifle company in a push-up position. Then the usual refrain from our company commander came as he muttered sarcastically, “Gentlemen. What can I say?” This was followed by a string of expletives in Hokkien, a Chinese dialect commonly spoken in Singapore. Later, he announced to the entire Company that Jin Kiang’s carelessness and the fact that we were late for his lecture had brought this terrible misfortune upon the entire company. I was to later learn that my Company mates had been in the push-up position for the last thirty minutes! The burning surface of the parade square’s rough tarmac were causing excruciating pain to the men’s palms. We were initially disallowed to join in the punishment that was being meted out as Major Tan wanted us to watch the process of the punishment and to reflect upon our mistakes.
Sequence of events   Serious trouble Climax	However, the real punishment was soon to begin. There were eight lamp-posts at the perimeter of the parade square which were numbered one to eight and one of our instructors explained in a booming voice that when he called out a sequence of eight numbers, we were to run with our rifles over our heads from where we were to the appropriate lamp-post and then back to the centre of the parade square before running to the next lamp-post in the correct sequence till all eight numbers were completed. The entire company did this several times and every time we got the sequence wrong, we had to repeat it from the beginning again. Jin Kiang and I were soon ordered to join in and I could not recall how many times we had to run from lamp-post to lamp-post as my mind was swirling after an hour of non-stop exertion. When our Company Commander was finally satisfied that he had inflicted the appropriate punishment for our misdemeanours, we got back into our rank and file. By then, we were drenched with sweat and completely drained by the heat that seemed to envelop us from all round. “Two weeks ago, some of you were disinterested in listening to me share about the problems I was having with my wife!” Major Tan barked. He then smiled sadistically to himself before continuing, “Today, I finally have your full attention.” His smile then melted away as he began sharing with us his personal woes that included his marital and financial problems and his disdain for most things in life – in particular for people who are late. His tone then changed when he spoke about the army. It was a tone filled with pride and words laced with praise rolled off his tongue easily. He waxed lyrical about the first time he fired a rifle and how the was felt intoxicated by the smell of fresh gunpowder. He shared of his first overseas training in the jungles of South-east Asia and how the sound of live ammunition buzzing in the air around him made his adrenalin pump. He spoke of the pomp and pageantry of military parades and of bygone days when military uniforms had to be starched till they could stand on their own. Like a man possessed, he rattled on, while the searing heat began to take its toll. Several of my Company mates promptly collapsed in a heap and were duly taken away by a waiting military ambulance for medical attention. Major Tan appeared to be oblivious to all this as he rattled on.
Resolution Conclusion	After what seemed like eternity, Major Tan finally concluded his “lecture” and he informed us that he felt much better after sharing with us his problems and about his fervent, if not fanatical love for the armed forces. In an almost fatherly voice, he left instructions with the platoon commanders to dismiss us immediately for dinner before he drove off hurriedly in his military jeep, apparently comforted by our willingness to offer our “undivided” attention this time around. Suddenly, the bugle sounded for day’s flag-lowering and everyone turned to face the flag-posts. As the last bugle note echoed across the parade square, we heaved a sigh of relief, knowing that our day’s ordeal had finally come to a close.