Sample Narrative Essay Learning something new can be a scary experience.

One of the hardest things I'veever had to do was learn how to swim. I was always afraid of the water, but I decided thatswimming was an important skill that I should learn. I also thought it would be good exerciseand help me to become physically stronger. What I didn't realize was that learning to swimwould also make me a more confident person.New situations always make me a bit nervous, and my first swimming lesson was noexception. After I changed into my bathing suit in the locker room, I stood timidly by theside of the pool waiting for the teacher and other students to show up. After a couple of minutes the teacher came over. She smiled and introduced herself, and two more students joined us. Although they were both older than me, they didn't seem to be embarrassedabout not knowing how to swim. I began to feel more at ease.We got into the pool, and the teacher had us put on brightly coloured water wings tohelp us stay afloat. One of the other students, May, had already taken the beginning classonce before, so she took a kickboard and went splashing off by herself. The other student,Jerry, and I were told to hold on to the side of the pool and shown how to kick for thebreaststroke. One by one, the teacher had us hold on to a kickboard while she pulled itthrough the water and we kicked. Pretty soon Jerry was off doing this by himself, travellingat a fast clip across the short end of the pool.Things were not quite that easy for me, but the teacher was very patient. After a fewmore weeks, when I seemed to have caught on with my legs, she taught me the armstrokes. Now I had two things to concentrate on, my arms and my legs. I felt hopelesslyuncoordinated. Sooner than I imagined, however, things began to feel "right" and I was ableto swim! It was a wonderful free feeling - like flying, maybe - to be able to shoot across thewater.Learning to swim was not easy for me, but in the end my persistence paid off. Notonly did I learn how to swim and to conquer my fear of the water, but I also learnedsomething about learning. Now when I am faced with a new situation I am not so nervous. Imay feel uncomfortable to begin with, but I know that as I practice being in that situationand as my skills get better; I will feel more and more comfortable. It is a wonderful, freefeeling when you achieve a goal you have set for yourself Descriptive Essay: My Favourite Tv Programme The television (TV) is part and parcel of many households. Therefore, watchingtelevision is a culture of todays modern society. It is a favourite past-time of many people,cutting across the culture, creed, gender and age. I must admit that I too enjoy sitting glued to the TV as mum often laments. Since I watch TV whole day long, I don t blamemum. However, whenever I watch my favourite TV programme she doesn t complain. Infact, she often sits together to watch it, the National Geographic . The National Geographic is a well-known documentary programme, focusing mainlyon the ever-changing world, on Mother Earth and on nature and peoples and creatures thatcolour it with. Just the press of a switch and a button and Hey Presto!, the whole world isbrought before me, for me to savour its beauty and wonders. Personally, I am often awedand amazed with them.I like this programme because it is very educational. It is a window to the world. Bywatching it, I can travel, explore and discover the four corners of the world. I havetrekked up the highest peak and conquered Mt. Everest. I have dived down the deepesttrenches. I have walked through the wilderness and be amongst the wild beasts, big andsmall. Thus, this programme has helped to expand my horizon and improve my knowledgeand experience. I can proudly say I am no more a frog in the well.I also enjoy watching the National Geographic because it is entertaining, interestingand stimulating. I never imagined that such an educational programme can be veryenjoyable. I get a chance to enjoy the kaleidoscope of sights, sounds and colours of theworld and its different peoples, all in the comfort of my own home.In addition to that, this programme is of very high quality and it is produced by ateam of experts, all are authorities in their own field of interest. The photographic footage isextremely breath-taking and inspiring. Besides, the narration is very accurate, informative,vivid and descriptive. Thus, I have never felt restless, distracted or bored watching thisprogramme.The National Geographic is my favourite programme as it has helped me to grow and mature. I have watched

it since I was a seven-year-old innocent child. Now, I am moresensitive and aware of the world and Mother Earth. I learn to be more appreciative of Mother Earth and its beauty and wonders. I am more concern about the preservation and conservation of the world not only now but also for posterity. In short, the NationalGeographic has converted me into a more responsible citizen of the world and a caretakerof Mother Earth.It is a touching and heart-warming TV programme and I will not hesitate torecommend it to others so that they too have a chance to savour amazing moments andappreciate and care for the one and only world we live in

Argumentative essay: Public exams should be abolished. Do you agree? Public examinations play an important role in a students life in Malaysia. In his eleven yearsof schooling, a student has to sit for three major public examinations, the UPSR, PMR and SPM.These examinations are taken seriously by all parties involved, especially students because theresults are used for a wide range of purposes ranging from placement of students to awarding of scholarships. Despite these advantages, I strongly believe that public examinations should beabolished as they have several drawbacks.To begin with, public examinations to some extent merely test a students ability tomemorise and regurgitate facts. Blooms taxonomy of learning ranks these skills as lower orderthinking skills. Higher order thinking skills such as application and inference are often neglected.Students with excellent memory do well in such examinations while those with poor memorisingskills do poorly. Thus, it is not surprising that many students with poor recall skills loathe subjectslike History and Biology. Another case in point is the Moral Education paper, which requires studentsto memorise moral values. This is not a valid test as it tests only a students knowledge of values, notthe practice of these values. An A in this paper does not guarantee that the student is a morallysound and virtuous individual. And what about the student who gets an E? Are we suggesting thathe is not a morally upright individual?Another reason why I am not in favour of public examinations is that they are not the bestway to identify a students strengths or weaknesses. This is because these examinations test onlycertain skills. Allow me to illustrate my point. The language papers, for example, test a studentsreading and writing skills only and even so, the range of sub-skills tested is limited. An A in thesesubjects does not reflect a students competency in all areas of the language. For all you know, hemay be an incompetent speaker. Or for that matter, does a C mean a student is about average in allthe language skills? Do these grades tell us where a students strengths and weaknesses lie? Another major drawback is that teaching in schools today is largely influenced by publicexaminations. Teachers teach to prepare students for exams and not for life. As such, many of ourstudents are illprepared to face the challenges of the real world. This also goes against the grain of our National Philosophy of Education where the emphasis is on character building and thedevelopment of human capital. All parties involved are to be blamed for this as they are moreconcerned with student achievement and not student development. At the end of the day, parentswant straight As for their children, principals want excellent performances from their students andteachers, and the list goes on.Finally, in their quest for excellent academic results, school becomes a bore and a chore.Students are overwhelmed with homework, extra classes and tuition, and teachers are overworked,leaving both parties with little or no time for relaxation. Thus, it is not surprising that studentschoose to ignore co-curricular activities. They see these as a waste of precious time. Parents too, areaffected by the emphasis on academic achievement. Some go to great lengths to secure privatetuition for their children, hiring only the best.Thus, we can conclude that public exams take the fun out of learning. We cannot deny thefact that public examinations enable us to assess thousands of students using a similar instrumentbut the question one needs to ask is who eventually benefits from such a system? What happens tostudents who are not able to master testtaking skills? Is academic excellence the only indicator of success as suggested by the public examination system? In a world which is changing rapidly, weneed to prepare our students for the many challenges they will have to face as they will form thebackbone of our nation in the years to come. Taking into consideration the flaws of the public examsystem, it is clear that we should seriously consider other means of assessing students and do awaywith public exams Expository Essay: How To Make A Simple Birthday Cake

Have you ever wanted to make a birthday cake for a loved one?Well, here is how tomake a simple birthday cake. All you'll need is a little time, love, and a few items from thegrocery store.You will need a boxed cake mix (the favourite of the birthday person), shortening,eggs, oil, flour, and birthday candles (the number will depend on the age of the birthdayperson.)When you get home, you will need to gather a few items: a large mixing bowl, alarge cake pan, an electric mixer or a large mixing spoon, a spatula, and measuring cups andspoons.First, you will need to wash your hands and work area. Read through the directionson the cake box to be sure you have everything you need. Then, gather all of yourequipment and food items in your work area, organize it according to the order you will usethem in making your cake. Be sure to preheat your oven to the appropriate temperaturebefore you begin.Next, put the dry cake mix into your large mixing bowl. Then, put the prescribedamount of water, oil, and eggs into the mix. Then, with the electric mixer or mixing spoonmix the batter until it is smooth and free of clumps. Next, grease the large cake pan with the shortening. If you wish, you can wrap your fingers with wax paper to keep them fromgetting greasy. Then, flour the pan lightly. If you do this over the garbage can it will be easierto clean your work area later. Next, pour the cake batter into the cake pan, using the rubberspatula to scrape all of the batter off of the sides of the bowl. Be sure the batter is level inthe pan so it will rise evenly. Next, place the cake on the top rack of the oven and bake forthe amount of time specified on the box, the time is usually around thirty minutes. Whilethe cake is baking clean up you work area.After the cake is done remove it from the oven. If you push a toothpick to thebottom and it comes out clean it is done. Turn off the oven and let the cake cool.After the cake has had ample time to cool, you are readyto spread the icing on the cake. If you use a spatula, rather than a knife, the icing will spreadeasier and will be less likely to ruin the cake. When the icing is on the cake, place theappropriate number of birthday candles on it, you are ready to present your simple birthdaycake.There you have it, a birthday cake that someone will be glad to devour. This cakeis easy to make, but still shows someone you care. Be sure to prepare it with love, and yourloved one will appreciate it Argumentative essay:Public exams should be abolished. Do you agree? Public examinations play an important role in a students life in Malaysia. In his eleven years of schooling, a student has to sit for three major publicexaminations, the UPSR, PMR and SPM. These examinations are taken seriously byall parties involved, especially students because the results are used for a widerange of purposes ranging from placement of students to awarding of scholarships.Despite these advantages, I strongly believe that public examinations should beabolished as they have several drawbacks. To begin with, public examinations to some extent merely test a studentsability to memorise and regurgitate facts. Blooms taxonomy of learning ranks these skills as lower order thinking skills. Higher order thinking skills such as applicationand inference are often neglected. Students with excellent memory do well in suchexaminations while those with poor memorising skills do poorly. Thus, it is notsurprising that many students with poor recall skills loathe subjects like History andBiology. Another case in point is the Moral Education paper, which requires students to memorise moral values. This is not a valid test as it tests only a students knowledge of values, not the practice of these values. An A in this paper does notguarantee that the student is a morally sound and virtuous individual. And whatabout the student who gets an E? Are we suggesting that he is not a morally uprightindividual?Another reason why I am not in favour of public examinations is that they arenot the best way to identify a students strengths or weaknesses. This is because these examinations test only certain skills. Allow me to illustrate my point. The language papers, for example, test a students reading and writing skills only and even so, the range of sub-skills tested is limited. An A in these subjects does not reflect a students competency in all areas of the language. For all you know, he may be an incompetent speaker. Or for that matter, does a C mean a student is aboutaverage in all the language skills? Do these grades tell us where a students strengths and weaknesses lie?

Another major drawback is that teaching in schools today is largely influencedby public examinations. Teachers teach to prepare students for exams and not forlife. As such, many of our students are ill-prepared to face the challenges of the realworld. This also goes against the grain of our National Philosophy of Educationwhere the emphasis is on character building and the development of human capital.All parties involved are to be blamed for this as they are more concerned withstudent achievement and not student development. At the end of the day, parents want straight As for their children, principals want excellent performances from their students and teachers, and the list goes on.Finally, in their quest for excellent academic results, school becomes a boreand a chore. Students are overwhelmed with homework, extra classes and tuition,and teachers are overworked, leaving both parties with little or no time for relaxation.Thus, it is not surprising that students choose to ignore co-curricular activities. Theysee these as a waste of precious time. Parents too, are affected by the emphasis onacademic achievement. Some go to great lengths to secure private tuition for theirchildren, hiring only the best.Thus, we can conclude that public exams take the fun out of learning. Wecannot deny the fact that public examinations enable us to assess thousands ofstudents using a similar instrument but the question one needs to ask is whoeventually benefits from such a system? What happens to students who are not ableto master testtaking skills? Is academic excellence the only indicator of success assuggested by the public examination system? In a world which is changing rapidly,we need to prepare our students for the many challenges they will have to face asthey will form the backbone of our nation in the years to come. Taking intoconsideration the flaws of the public exam system, it is clear that we should seriouslyconsider other means of assessing students and do away with public exams