What is 'Selected Reading Material'?
Mentioned in my earlier post 'Tips for Struggling Writers', students who have problems expanding content are often told to "read more widely".
'Selected Reading Material' are carefully selected resources to help struggling readers widen their knowledge in areas often useful in composition writing. i.e. what happens during a robbery, accidents, kidnap etc.
After reading and using the resources, students will have more relevant ideas to use in their composition assignments & examination!
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Read the following passage and take note of the underlined content.
DO NOT skip reading as it is important to see how the underlined content is used in the news article.
Trapped in a Lift!
For
almost an hour, they were trapped in a shopping mall lift, five storeys up, 13
people in all, including seven children.
In these hot and stuffy conditions, they waited as rescuers tried their best to prise open the lift doors that had become misaligned. A child cried and two had to urinate in plastic bottles, while an iPad was used to keep the rest occupied with games. The children were heading to classes at enrichment centres on the sixth storey.
Two people stuck in the lift claimed rescue efforts took a long time because security guards who arrived at the scene turned down their requests to contact the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF). The guards claimed that their lift technician was already on his way. But when he arrived, he too, was unable to perform the rescue. Everyone was finally rescued after the SCDF officers arrived to help the lift technician.
Mrs Pattterson was accompanying her children to their enrichment class at the sixth story when the lift suddenly jerked and stopped when it reached the fifth storey, then the lights went out.
"We (the passengers in the lift) immediately pressed the alarm button and a voice came over the intercom, but it was muffled and all we heard was 'wait', " recalled Mrs Patterson.
"After 10 minutes, all of us were sweating because the ventilator had stopped and the children were restless. Some also began complaining that they felt breathless," she added. Two men then used their hands to prise the doors open and managed to create a small gap.
Fortunately, the lift had stopped at the food court on the fifth storey. People were waiting for the lift, and when they saw that the lift had broken down, they attempted to communicate with the people trapped inside. Someone jammed a fire extinguisher between the lift doors to keep them open, allowing more ventilation. A foodcourt stallholder even held an electric fan outside the lift for almost half an hour to blow air into the lift through the narrow gap, while another passed them bottles of water to drink.
Finally, after almost an hour, the SCDF assisted the lift technician in opening the lift doors and everyone was rescued.
An ambulance and fire engine had been despatched to the shopping mall but luckily no one was injured or needed special medical attention.
Modified from 'Kids Stucked in Lift for an Hour', The New Paper, 08 Apri 2012.
Part One
After reading the above passage, can you answer the following questions? This is not a comprehension exercise. Think of answers which can be used as content for your composition!
1) Why were the people in the lift trapped for a long time before they were rescued?
2) How did the parents / adults feel when they were trapped?
3) How did the the children feel when they were trapped? How did you think they reacted when they felt that way?
3) How were the children entertained when they were trapped?
4) After 10 min, why did the people in the lift began sweating?
5) How did the people trapped in the lift manage to get some fresh air themselves? How did people outside the lift help them improve the ventilation in the lift?
6) How do you think the people who were trapped felt when they were finally rescued?
Part Two
Now, Let's try out the content on a sample question!
Although the setting of the reading material provided is at a shopping mall, the content can still be used for almost any other settings. Be flexible!
Here is a possible composition using content from the passage:
Mrs Ravi and her children had just returned home from a trip to the supermarket. They boarded the lift and were on their way up to their home on the twelfth floor when the lift suddenly stopped. The lights went out and the fan soon stopped too. Mrs Ravi and her children were trapped in the lift!
"Mommy! What is going on?" sobbed Mindy, "I am frightened!" When little Mark saw his older sister trembling in fear, he began to scream and shout. Mrs Ravi was very shocked to be trapped in the lift. However, when she saw that her children were even more frightened, she calmed down as quickly as she could. She hugged her children and tried to comfort them. When the children stopped trembling, Mrs Ravi took out her smartphone and called the emergency number. The operator assured them that help was on the way. In the meantime, Mrs Ravi launched some games to keep the children entertained. Then, she pressed the alarm button a few times and waited anxiously for help to arrive.
After a few minutes, the lift began to feel very stuffy as the ventilation fan was not working. Mindy and Mark complained that they felt breathless. Mrs Ravi tried to pry open the lift door but to no avail. Just as she began to panic, she heard shouts from outside, "Do you need help?" "Yes! We can't breathe!" she replied as loudly as she could. In a few minutes, the lift doors inched open with a loud screech and a tiny gap appeared between the closed doors. Mrs Ravi felt so fortunate as she breathed in a deep breath of fresh air.
After about thirty minutes, Mrs Ravi heard a loud screech and the lift door finally opened. "Are you alright?" A civil defence officer who had pried opened the door asked. His question was greeted by the children's applause and their beaming smiles. When the family emerged from the lift, they could see a fan blowing air towards the lift and a few of their neighbours greeting them. It turned out that Mrs Ravi's neighbours heard the alarm and quickly came to their aid. After forcing the lift doors, they held an electric fan at the gap to blow fresh air into the lift.
Mrs Ravi thanked the civil defence officers and her neighbours profusely. She felt so relieved that everyone was safe and sound and that no one was injured. She would always remember that fateful day.
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Can you identify the content from the earlier passage? Can you see how it builds up the content of the story?
How else can an average-ability writer improve on this piece of sample writing?
** To be continued soon...**
In these hot and stuffy conditions, they waited as rescuers tried their best to prise open the lift doors that had become misaligned. A child cried and two had to urinate in plastic bottles, while an iPad was used to keep the rest occupied with games. The children were heading to classes at enrichment centres on the sixth storey.
Two people stuck in the lift claimed rescue efforts took a long time because security guards who arrived at the scene turned down their requests to contact the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF). The guards claimed that their lift technician was already on his way. But when he arrived, he too, was unable to perform the rescue. Everyone was finally rescued after the SCDF officers arrived to help the lift technician.
Mrs Pattterson was accompanying her children to their enrichment class at the sixth story when the lift suddenly jerked and stopped when it reached the fifth storey, then the lights went out.
"We (the passengers in the lift) immediately pressed the alarm button and a voice came over the intercom, but it was muffled and all we heard was 'wait', " recalled Mrs Patterson.
"After 10 minutes, all of us were sweating because the ventilator had stopped and the children were restless. Some also began complaining that they felt breathless," she added. Two men then used their hands to prise the doors open and managed to create a small gap.
Fortunately, the lift had stopped at the food court on the fifth storey. People were waiting for the lift, and when they saw that the lift had broken down, they attempted to communicate with the people trapped inside. Someone jammed a fire extinguisher between the lift doors to keep them open, allowing more ventilation. A foodcourt stallholder even held an electric fan outside the lift for almost half an hour to blow air into the lift through the narrow gap, while another passed them bottles of water to drink.
Finally, after almost an hour, the SCDF assisted the lift technician in opening the lift doors and everyone was rescued.
An ambulance and fire engine had been despatched to the shopping mall but luckily no one was injured or needed special medical attention.
Modified from 'Kids Stucked in Lift for an Hour', The New Paper, 08 Apri 2012.
##################################
Part One
After reading the above passage, can you answer the following questions? This is not a comprehension exercise. Think of answers which can be used as content for your composition!
1) Why were the people in the lift trapped for a long time before they were rescued?
2) How did the parents / adults feel when they were trapped?
3) How did the the children feel when they were trapped? How did you think they reacted when they felt that way?
3) How were the children entertained when they were trapped?
4) After 10 min, why did the people in the lift began sweating?
5) How did the people trapped in the lift manage to get some fresh air themselves? How did people outside the lift help them improve the ventilation in the lift?
6) How do you think the people who were trapped felt when they were finally rescued?
Part Two
Now, Let's try out the content on a sample question!
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Here is a sample question for continuous writing:
Mrs Ravi and her children had just returned from a trip to the supermarket. They boarded the lift and were on their way up to their home on the twelfth floor when the lift suddenly stopped. Mrs Ravi and her children were trapped...!
Based on the above situation, write a composition of at least 150 words using the following points:
-Why the lift stopped moving
-What did Mrs Ravi and the children do when they realised that they were trapped
- What happened in the end
You may reorder the points and / or include your own.
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Although the setting of the reading material provided is at a shopping mall, the content can still be used for almost any other settings. Be flexible!
Here is a possible composition using content from the passage:
Mrs Ravi and her children had just returned home from a trip to the supermarket. They boarded the lift and were on their way up to their home on the twelfth floor when the lift suddenly stopped. The lights went out and the fan soon stopped too. Mrs Ravi and her children were trapped in the lift!
"Mommy! What is going on?" sobbed Mindy, "I am frightened!" When little Mark saw his older sister trembling in fear, he began to scream and shout. Mrs Ravi was very shocked to be trapped in the lift. However, when she saw that her children were even more frightened, she calmed down as quickly as she could. She hugged her children and tried to comfort them. When the children stopped trembling, Mrs Ravi took out her smartphone and called the emergency number. The operator assured them that help was on the way. In the meantime, Mrs Ravi launched some games to keep the children entertained. Then, she pressed the alarm button a few times and waited anxiously for help to arrive.
After a few minutes, the lift began to feel very stuffy as the ventilation fan was not working. Mindy and Mark complained that they felt breathless. Mrs Ravi tried to pry open the lift door but to no avail. Just as she began to panic, she heard shouts from outside, "Do you need help?" "Yes! We can't breathe!" she replied as loudly as she could. In a few minutes, the lift doors inched open with a loud screech and a tiny gap appeared between the closed doors. Mrs Ravi felt so fortunate as she breathed in a deep breath of fresh air.
After about thirty minutes, Mrs Ravi heard a loud screech and the lift door finally opened. "Are you alright?" A civil defence officer who had pried opened the door asked. His question was greeted by the children's applause and their beaming smiles. When the family emerged from the lift, they could see a fan blowing air towards the lift and a few of their neighbours greeting them. It turned out that Mrs Ravi's neighbours heard the alarm and quickly came to their aid. After forcing the lift doors, they held an electric fan at the gap to blow fresh air into the lift.
Mrs Ravi thanked the civil defence officers and her neighbours profusely. She felt so relieved that everyone was safe and sound and that no one was injured. She would always remember that fateful day.
#############################
Can you identify the content from the earlier passage? Can you see how it builds up the content of the story?
How else can an average-ability writer improve on this piece of sample writing?
** To be continued soon...**
