Alice in Wonderland

Questions to ponder upon throughout the reading of the text.

1. Discuss Alice’s treatment by the different characters she encounters in the books. Why do you think they act they way they do, and what does their behaviour say about Alice?

Different characters act differently to Alice. They act like that because their own characteristic. Their behaviour to Alice say that she must try to adapt to new world to survive in another world. We can say the new world is the adulthood. Some people do not know how to live in the mean world. So, we must try harder to adapt to new world.

2. What is the significance of Alice’s fluctuations in size and shape in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland?

The fluctuations in size and shape show that sometimes we need to get older to do certain things. But sometimes we need to get younger. For instance, for the workers. Maybe sometimes they want to be a child, just relaxing and eating, without worrying the problems.

3. Throughout the story, there are occasional oblique references to death. What purpose do these references serve in the stories, and why might Carroll include them?

Alice frequently makes references to her own death without knowing it. Childhood is a state of peril in Carrol's view: children are quite vulnerable , and the world presents many dangers. Another aspect of death is its inevitability. Since the Alice books are at root about change (the transition from childhood to adulthood, the passage of time), mortality is inescapable as a theme. Death is the final step of this process of growth.

4. What role does the garden play in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland?

The most beautiful garden imaginable. Alice sees this garden, with bright flowers and fountains, through the tiny door soon after she arrives in Wonderland. She longs to get out into the garden, but she is unable to do so until after she leaves the Mad Tea Party. The garden is part of the realm of the King and Queen of Hearts.

5. Discuss the significance of the Queen of Hearts in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

Nasty, brutal, and loud, the Queen delights in ordering executions, although everyone seems to get pardoned in the end. The people of Wonderland are terrified of her. Although Alice initially thinks she is silly, she grows frightened of her. In the end, however, a giant-size Alice is able to stand up to the Queen's temper and her threats.

Working Retired

There are only a few magic numbers in American civic life.You can vote(and get drafted)at age 18.You can drink at 21.You can become president at 35.You can retire at 65.
But on that last one-do Americans really want to?Now that so many Americans are living healthfully until 85,fewer and fewer actually retire at 65.Today there are 5 million people 65 or older in the U.S. labor force,almost twice what there were in the early 1980s.And that number is about to explode.
Some people are working past 65 because they have to:Health care costs are rising,and Social Security payments-at an average of about $1,000 a month-don't cover what they used to.But the bigger trend in Senior Work is the fact that Americans love -and now that we're living longer,we want to work longer too.We just can't get enough.My friend and mentor Harold Burson,the co-founder of the global PR firm Burson Marsteller,where I am CEO,just turned 86,and comes to work every day,bursting with ideas.
On average,Americans work over 1,800 hours per year,substantially more than most workers around the world.Although we get fewer vacation days per year than other Western countries(13 days,compared to 28 in the UK,and 37 in France),we let more than twice as many go unused.And really,what's a vacation to us these days without our BlackBerry?In 2006,almost a quarter of us (23%) checked our work e-mail and voice mail while away-up from just 16% in 2005.A lot of us love to work.
In fact,the impulse to work is so basic that the Fourth Commandment is to take off one day a week.Not working for a day is right up there with not murdering,not committing adultery,and not stealing.We tend to assume that most people want off-waiting all week for the Friday afternoon whistle so they can stream out of work.To be sure,many jobs are terrible-even life-threatening-and people reasonably can't wait to get home.But as work overall has become more managerial,consulting,and software-oriented-and as manufacturing jobs have been on the decline-a lot of people have changed their attitude toward work,and the number of workaholics has skyrocketed.How many times have you heard the old saying that no one ever lay on his deathbed wishing he had spent more time at the office?And yet,a lot of people are doing just that.The sandwich generation is going to be in for a shock when they call their 70-year old parents at the office and find they are just too busy to babysit their grandkids.
Add to America's general obsession with work the fact that it is now the baby boomer generation who is nearing 65,and it becomes clear that the traditional idea of "retirement"-with its gold watch,rocking chair,and golf course-is just about ready for retirement itself.
Boomers reinvented youth in the 1960s and economic success in the 1980s;they are not to do their senior years by someone else's formula.According to a 2005 survey by Merrill Lynch,more than 3 in 4 boomers say they have no intention of seeking a traditional retirement.Rather they look ahead to their 20 more years (when Social Security was created in 1935,a 65 year old could expect just 13 more years)_and they say Bring It On.Some want to keep their health insurance,or have enough funds for the extra years-but more of the boomers surveyed said they wanted to keep working in order to stay mentally and physically active and to stay connected to people.

1. What do the magic numbers of 18, 21, 35 and 65 represent in American civic life?

Certain activity at certain age. The Americans can vote at age 18 .They can drink at 21.You can become president at 35. They can retire at 65.

2. Why do some people work past 65?

Because they can live healthy until reach 85 and the health care costs are also high nowadays. So they need to work to gain some money to pay for the costs.

3. What does the phrase " bursting with ideas"when he comes to work at the age of 86 implies about Mr. Harold Burson?

He still can provide useful ideas to the company eventhough he is old.

4. Give examples to show that American employees are workaholics by choice?

On average, Americans work over 1,800 hours per year,substantially more than most workers around the world. Although they get fewer vacation days per year than other Western countries(13 days,compared to 28 in the UK,and 37 in France), they let more than twice as many go unused.

5. What is the tone of the writer when he mentions that "not working for a day is right up there with not murdering,not committing adultery and not stealing"?

All people need a day break in a week.

6. What example is given to show that the grandparents of the present generation do not fit with the traditional stereotypical image of grandparents in the past?

The sandwich generation is going to be in for a shock when they call their 70-year old parents at the office and find they are just too busy to babysit their grandkids.

7. Explain in your own words the sentence"it becomes clear that the traditional idea of "retirement" - with its gold watch, rocking chair, and golf course - is just about ready for retirement itself."

Many people nowadays choose to work eventhough they reached the retirement age because they will get a lot of benefits to them in particular in finance and health.

The advertisements above were put up to promote movie-viewing by a group of cinemas.

1. What is the underlying message of the advertisements to encourage more people to go to the cinema to watch movies?

The movie is one of the fantasy worlds and totally different from real life. We can expect anything unusual to happen in movies.

2.How is the idea of fantasy as seen in the romantic movie "Titanic" and the idealized version of whales in the movie " Free Willy" contrasted with the slogan "reality sucks" of the print advertisements?

The advertisements show what can be happen actually in real life. The idea of fantasy like in "Titanic" and "Free Willy" is only the imagination of man.

3.What is the stereotypical image of wild animals in captivity and love cruises?

It means the killer whale will eat you and the tern will ruin your love cruise. Real life is completely different from fantasy.

Classifying Thinkers

We don't really know how to define intelligence. However, this does not discourage some people from categorizing others according to their intelligence or lack of it. In his essay, "Thinking as a hobby," author William S. Golding does exactly this. Golding divides people into three categories: grade-three thinkers, grade-two thinkers, and grade-one thinkers.

According to Golding, 90 percent of the population represents the largest category, called grade-three thinkers. These people are docile. They follow orders and they obey other people's wishes. They never learn to think for themselves and cannot distinguish truth from lies. A dictator could take control of them and make them do whatever he wanted, as if they were sheep. The resulting mob would be brutal and ugly.

Grade-two thinkers, Golding's second category, are less likely to be influenced by a dictator. These grade-two thinkers, who make up 9 percent of the population, see corruption in the world. For example, grade-two thinkers may question the honesty of religion or political institutions,but they fail to find new ideals to believe in.

The remaining 1 percent of the population are what Golding calls grade-one thinkers. They not only see corruption, but they also know how to seek truth. Their lives are defined by beauty, wisdom and knowledge. Such thinkers are creative and imaginative geniuses, like Mozart, Michelangelo, and Einstein, who opened new worlds in music, art and science.

One wonders in which category Golding would place himself. Surely not among the "sheep"! Golding may prefer to believe that intelligence prevents people in the top tenth percentile of the population from following political dictators, but the number of doctors, teachers, lawyers, and writers in many countries who were willing supporters of Hitler, Stalin, and Mao shows that this belief is incorrect. In fact, sometimes the common sense and compassion of the ordinary man is all that stands between civilization and barbarism. As one of the so-called sheep, I say bah to Mr. Golding!


Answer the Questions:

1. Circle the thesis statement. How does Golding classify people?

2. Underline the topic sentence of each body paragraph.

3. How does the author describe 90 percents of the population? The remaining 9 percent? The final 1 percent?

90% of the population is grade - three thinkers. They are docile, just follow the orders and obey other people's wishes. The second category consists of 9% is grade - two thinkers, who may question the honesty of religion and political institutions, but they fail to find new ideals to believe in. And the remaining 1% is grade - one thinkers. They are just like the second group but they know how to seek truth.

4. Underline the examples used in the third body paragraph to describe "Grade-one thinkers."

5. What is the writer's opinion of Golding's essay? In which paragraph do you find this opinion?

The writer said that the Golding's belief is incorrect. We can read it in the last paragraph.

6. What support (facts, examples) are used in the conclusion to argue the writer's point of view?

Many teachers, doctors, lawyers and writers in many countries who were willing supporters of Hitler, Stalin and Mao show that Golding' belief is completely wrong. In fact, sometimes the common sense and compassion of the ordinary man is all that stands between civilization and barbarism.

What does the cartoon have to say about teenagers and their lives?

1. How does the teenager feel about exam tension?

Eventhough he burned the midnight oil, he cannot escape from exam tension. It is true that many students will revise their knowledge a night before the exam. But, when they want to answer the question on exam's day, they get nervous and some of them are unable to cope with the exam tension. He can solve this problem if he well-prepared for the exam earlier..

2. In what way is there a communication gap between the teenager and his parents?

His parents in particular his father is not understand about the teenager's life. He only asking about the teenager's school and not asking about his social life. Maybe his son is having a bad day. So parents should alert to the changes of the personality of their children..

3. What point is the teenager trying to get across to his father in this cartoon?

The teenager is trying to say that his father has limited knowledge about technology. Eventhough the internet connection is down, his father does nothing much.

Word Collocation

Both options make sense.Underline the one which forms a common collocation

1. Many small houses and huts were (flooded away/washed away) when the river bursts its banks.

2. Poor farming methods are responsible for soil (devaluation/erosion )in many areas of Saharan African.

3. During the earthquake,many people were( buried/covered )alive.

4. The forest fire left a wide area of the mountainside blackened and (ablaze/smouldering).

5. Villagers are hoping for rain this month after nearly a year of (dry weather/drought.)

6. Before the hurricane struck,many people were (evacuated/shifted) to higher ground.

7. Thousands of children in the famine-striken area are suffering from (malnutrition/undernourishment).

10. Heavy snow has fallen in the mountains and many villages have been (blocked out/cut off) for the past two days.

11. The Aids (epidemic/plague) is having serious effects in some countries.

12. Many small islands in the Indian Ocean are threatened by rising sea (waters/levels).

Word Collocation

Which word completes each set of collocations or fixed phrases?

a) an instrument panel
a panel of experts
a control panel
a wooden panel

b) a secret ballot
a secret agent
keep it a secret
meet in secret
the secret of success

c) take stock of the situation
it's out of stock
the stock exchange
the stock market


d) a time sheet
a time zone
only time will tell
long time no see
for the time being


e) a child minder
child abuse
child care facilities
a child prodigy
behaving like a child

Phrasal Verbs

verb + preposition/s
eg. : run down
run out of
run into

1. Guess who I ran into at the club!
2.She's always running down her husband.
3.I need to go to the market.I've run out of oil,meat and rice.

Put in a suitable preposition in each space.

1. Hundreds of people turned on in the rain to see the celebrity.
2.Most of my time is taken up with answering the phone.
3.Don't be put of by the price,a cool $ 20,000.
4.Something funny is going on.
5.I think she made up the whole story!
6.Not many people turned up for the last lecture.
7.Don't worry,you can count on me.

Tagline for the Advertisement

Grandma!! Why you look so different today??
Do you shave today's morning??