A Mock Test for Form One English: Valerie Bloom's River is....

Well, I would assume you have read Valerie Bloom's lively poem called, "The River".

She has described the river from its source to its mouth in such colourful language.

So we shall have a small revision of what is the 'River' according to her.

Fill in the blanks.


1.In stanza 1, she describes the river as a thing in motion all the time. She compares it to a

 i. ..............................
ii................................
iii..............................

Why? Valerie explains that this is because it does not choose.................place to set up camp.

2. In stanza 2, the river is moving from one side to another. It curves as it bends. This is apparently obvious more at the lower contours where the river has less strength. So she calls it a ...................... as it moves in twists and turns  through the valley and hill.

3.In stanza 3, the river is now called a .................because it buries its treasure under its bed.

4. In stanza 4, Valerie starts describing the noises made by the river. She says the river gurgles and hums. What does she compare it to? Is it the sounds of a ................sucking his ..................?

5. In stanza 5, the poet says that apart from gurgling and humming in stanza 4, the river is also a ..............who likes to dance. His song can be heard in the nearby ...................................

6. In stanza 6, there is now a change in tone. The poet says that a river can be dangerous. She calls the river, a ........................ When the river is enraged, it gobbles up trees and anything in its path including ........................you!


Tick the correct spelling

7. Someone who like to keep things in big quantities is more than a mere collector. We call that person a

a.    horder
b.    hoarder
c.    .hoardder
d.    haorder

8  We need to bite and chew our food. We should avoid swallowing or ................it up.

a.    gobblering
b.    grobbling
c.     gobling
d.    gobbling

8. The poet says that the river is a monster when it is hungry and .................

a.   waxed
b.   vexed
c.    hexed
d.   wexed

9. The river cannot stay in one place. It moves around. One of the words the poet uses to describe this action is that of a

a.  wonder
b. wanderer
c.  wanderrer
d.  wanderler

10. As a winder, the river ...............and turns.

a.  twiz
b. twists
c. twissts
d  tuists

Bolehland and Chickens

It can only happen in Bolehland Malaysia.

Acting on a tip that the chickens sold in some supermarkets up north were not halal, JAKIM together with Domestic Trade officers and members of the press went to a chicken processing factory in Negeri Sembilan to find out about its slaughtering method.

A face-off with the factory owner caused him to shutter down the factory trapping JAKIM and the investigating entourage inside.

However, one of the reporters managed to escape and  a rescue police party from nearby Rembau quickly came by help defused the situation. The halal certification for the factory has been suspended.

What a way to go, Malaysia Boleh!

Excel: A Struggle to Remember

My, my it has been a year or more that I last did a performance report for an agency.

So, I am back at it again.

There are things that are advantageous this time around. For one, the template is accepted and all I need is to do a fresh analysis comparing the 2009 figures with the year before it.

After reviewing the first report, I suddenly realized that I needed a refresher in EXCEL to be able to do the charts and tables once more. This will take sometime for sure for an 'old goat' like me.

Anyway, persevere I must as the first draft must be completed soon. Moreover, I have to get back to my counterpart at the agency to request him to provide me some more  reports and fact sheets that are required.