FIGHTERS LINE - Notes and Exercises

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Literature Component Form 3Poetry

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PREPARED BY

NO NAME SCHOOL

1 TOHARAH BINTI OMAR SMK TENGKU LELA SEGARA,

MARANG

2 FADHILAH BINTI ABDUL RAHIM SMK SULTAN SULAIMAN,

KUALA TERENGGANU3 HADIJAH BINTI ABDULLAH SMK PADANG KEMUNTING,

KUALA TERENGGANU


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FOREWORD

Teaching English nowadays gets more and more challenging. In our schoolsyllabus we also have to teach English Literature Component which consists ofpoems, short stories, plays and novel.

The teaching of literature is important because students have a chance tostudy the language as well as learn new cultures. It also provides the studentswith many examples of good sentence structures, correct usage of grammar andvocabulary. The teaching of literature would definitely help students to improve

their language skills. Therefore, a good introduction to literature can compensatefor the deficiencies of the linguistic approach in the area of grammar, vocabularyand syntax and it can augment the students' competence in English.

Moreover, literature exposes students to complex themes and exemplaryuses of language. Great novels such as The CurseandAround the World in 80Days can take students to foreign countries, exciting events and wonderful

journeys. These stories evoke certain dilemmas and powerful emotionalresponses which students can reflect.

I strongly believe that using literature to teach students can help them to

become more sensitive to some of the overall features of the English Language

and enhance their linguistics ability. The aim of this module is to simplify the

teaching and learning of the literature components for both the teachers and

students. I do hope the module will play a pivotal part in our English Language

classrooms.

Finally, I would like to thank all English teachers who are involved in the

publication of the module. Your excellent contribution is greatly appreciated.

ByEnglish Language Unit

Academic Management SectorTerengganu State Education Department

(Free circulation for educational purposes only)


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A Fighters Lines

By

Marzuki Ali

A Fighters Lines is a beautiful poem written by Marzuki Ali who was

born in Terengganu, Malaysia. He has been involved with writingpoems since 1960s up till today. He is keen on writing poems pertaining

to the wonders of his hometown and the development of its

surroundings. Most of them are focused on patriotism. He is actively

involved in Malaysian and Indonesian theatre. What is more interesting

about him is that many of his poems have been published by Dewan

Bahasa dan Pustaka, Kuala Lumpur.


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A FIGHTERS LINES(by Marzuki Ali)

I am old and worn

and have lost all my strength

sufferings

and the history fight for independence

have forced sacrifices

that know no name

or life

from the wheelchair of the rest of my days

I, body and energy crushed

see and cannot do much

these times are too big a challenge

for the remnants of my crippled years

the net of deceit spread everywhere

disturbs me

In the name of justice

Wake up and form ranks sons of our

ancestor

Be brave

And erect a wall of people

Stand up heirs of our freedom

I have no more voice

It is you now who should speak!


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SUMMARY - by Stanza

Stanza 4

The persona says nobody will listen to him because he is old and powerless

now. He demands that young people speak up for justice and freedom.

Stanza 3

The persona wants the younger generation to be brave and stand up for their

freedom. He wants them to unite and fight for justice. He tells them to protect

this country from threats and problems like corruption.

Stanza 2

The persona is in a wheel chair. Maybe, he was badly wounded and crippledwhen he fought for independence or he was very sick or ill. Now he is worried

about challenges and deceit in his country. That is deceit like cheating and

corruption everywhere. However, he can only sit and watch what is going on

around him. He cannot fight anymore because he is powerless. Nobody listens

to him.

Stanza 1

The persona is old, tired and weak. He was a soldier who fought for

independence and freedom. He has sacrificed and suffered a lot for his

countrysindependence.


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A FIGHT RS LIN S(By Marzuki Ali)

Elements of the Poem

SettingPlace : Independent country

Time : Post Independent period

PersonaAn old soldier who has fought for the

independence for his country

(Possibly the poet himself.)

ThemesPatriotism

An appeal for freedom and justice

Message Age may crush your ability but not your spirit. Society must be free of corruption. People should be united and fight for justice.

Moral ValuesPatriotism

Honesty

Tone MoodSerious & thoughtful

Language StyleFree verse

Direct, straightforward language

Literary devices: imagery, alliteration, metaphor, irony


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ACTIVITY 1READ THE FOLLOWING PASSAGE. FILL IN THE BLANKS WITH SUITABLEWORDS.

The former soldier sits in his................(1) and recalls the war he fought in. It

was a fight for ..............(2) for his country. During the war, he became ..........(3) and

crippled. Though crushed in body and..........(4), he feels strongly against

the.............(5) he sees around him. This has to put to an.................(6). It can only be

done if people join together as a...........(7) force and speak out. They have to work

together to bring about ..............(8) in their nation.

ACTIVITY 2ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS

1. Who wrote the poemA Fighters lines?.....................................................................................................................

2. Which words in the poem tell us the persona is weary and has been around along time?

..........................................................................................................................

3. Who is the persona in this poem?............................................................................................................................

4. Who is the persona addressing in this poem?.............................................................................................................................

5. What has the younger generation inherited from their forefathers?.............................................................................................................................


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ACTIVITY 3MATCH THE PHRASES IN COLUMN A WITH THE PHRASES IN COLUMN B

COLUMN A COLUMN B

1. The persona became crippled (a) free from colonial rule

2. To be worn out is to (b) in body and spirit

3. Our nation fought for (c) corruption among the

Independence to be nations leaders.

4. The persona feels crushed (d) united and courageous

5. The persona feels helpless (e) overcome it and be

for he successful

6. To face a challenge is to be able to (f) feel tired and weak

7. The net of deceit refers to (g) after fighting in the war for

Independence

8. To stand up for justice, (h) is old and crippled

people have to be


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ACTIVITY 4MATCH THE WORDS IN COLUMN A WITH THEIR MEANINGS IN COLUMN B

COLUMN A COLUMN B1. Crushed (a)broken down in spirit2. Suffering (b)compel3. Force (c)remains4. Sacrifice (d)distress5. Energy (e) cause anxiety6. Disturb (f)forefathers7. Remnants (g)corruption8. Deceit (h)act of forgoing our own needs or interests9. Erect (i)power10.Ancestors (j)build


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ACTIVITY 5FILL IN THE BLANKS WITH THE CORRECT ANSWERS.

1. The poem, The Fighters lines, is written by..............................................

2. The persona had fought for the .............................................of the country andhad seen a lot of................................... . He and his friends had made

......................................and lost count of the lives lost in the course of time.

3. The persona feels handicapped as he is now ....................................... and wornand is crushed in ........................... and energy.

4. However, he can see the problems which are affecting the country and they aretoo big of a .................................... for him simply because he is

....................................... and ............................ and cannot do much.

5. The social problem that is currently affecting society is the...................................that is everywhere.

6. The persona wants the youths who are ....................................... of the freedomhe and others had fought for to come forward in the name

of.........................................

7. The persona says that the youths should be........................................... , willing to................................ up and be united as a .................................

8. The persona says that the old have no more......................................... or say andit is the ............................ people who should speak out.


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ACTIVITY 6WRITE TRUE (T) OR FALSE (F) FOR THE STATEMENTS BELOW

1. The persona is an old man.

2. The persona wants the youth to sacrifice their lives.

3. The youth of today do not care for their country.

4. The persona is disturbed by the spread of poverty in the country.

5. The poem shows us that the old man pass his responsibilitiesto the young.

6. The persona has endured much suffering.

7. The word youin the last line of the poem refers to soldiers.

8. The main theme of the poem is patriotism.

9. The persona is angry with the young people.

10.The persona feels that the youths have done enoughfor their country.


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ACTIVITY 7

Match the sentence parts. Then rearrange the sentence in the correct order.

In the name of fairness, the persona calls upon us

________________________________________________________

He feels helpless because, although he can see what is happening

around him, ______________________________________________

He suffered much during his

__________________________________________________________

The persona is so weak that he has to

___________________________________________________________

The persona is a fighter who is old and

___________________________________________________________

speak up and make the necessary changes maintain our freedom dishonest practices spreading throughout the nation tired and lacking in strength countrys struggle for independence spend the rest of his days in a wheelchair and his energy depleted he cannot do anything about it cannot be named or remembered to rally bravely in support


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The persona has done his part and he wants us to stand up and act to

______________________________________________________________

His sacrifices are beyond description and

______________________________________________________________

It is now the younger generation who should

______________________________________________________________

His body is damaged

_______________________________________________________________

For the rest of his crippled life, the persona can only worry about the

_______________________________________________________________


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ACTIVITY 8Fill in the blanks with the correct words from the box.

energy challenges wheelchair young disturbed

fight bravely responsibility independence disorder

A Fighters Lines is a call of patriotism for young people to speak up. The

persona is a fighter who has struggled for the (1)_______________ of the country and

is now old and disabled. He is wheelchair bound and he feels tired physically and

crushed spiritually. He has suffered much in the (2) _______________ for

independence. Now, he looks sadly at his country that has won independence and

is (3) ___________________ by what he sees.

There is much (4) ____________________ that he sees in the country and hefeels pained. He feels that he cannot do anything about it because he does not have

the (5) ___________. Life for him is only from his (6) _____________________, and

therefore he appeales to the young people to wake up and do something.

The present times are hard times. The (7) _____________________ are big

and the persona can do nothing, trapped as he is in the wheel chair. The (8)

____________________ people are enjoying freedom only because people like the

persona sacrificed their lives for the country. Therefore it is the duty of the young

heirs of freedom to fight (9) __________________ and to form a united wall of people.

It is their (10) _____________________ to speak for the people. The baton has to be

passed on to the next generation.


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ACTIVITY 9Match the words in Column A with their synonyms in column B and identify the

location of the words in the poem. The first one has been done for you.

Column A Column B

1 Challenge A Fairness

2 Deceit B Self-government

3 Remnants C Difficulty (line 11)

4 Crippled D Forefathers

5 Justice E What is given up

6 Independence F Dishonesty

7 Sacrifices G Disabled

8 ancestors H What is left behind

ACTIVITY 10Read the poem and answer the questions.1. Why has the persona lost his strength?2. Why do his sacrifices have no name?3. Where is he going to spend the rest of his days?4. What disturb the persona a great deal?

5.

What are the two things he asks the young people to do?

6. What are the two phrases he uses to address the young people?7. What is the main theme of this poem?8. How can the people form a wall?9. What special quality must these people have?10.How do you feel after reading this poem?


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Answer Key

Activity 1

1. wheelchair2. independence3.

disabled4. soul/spirit

5. corruption6. end7. task8. justice

Activity 2

1. Marzuki Ali2. Old and worn3. He is probably a veteran soldier who

has fought for Independence

4. He is addressing the youngergeneration

5. They have inherited theirIndependence from their forefathers

Activity 3

1. b2. f3. a4. g5. h6. e7. c8. d

Activity 4

1. d2. a3. b4. h5. i6. e7. c8. g9. j10. f

Activity 5

1. Marzuki Ali2. independence, sufferings, sacrifices3. old, spirit/soul4. challenge, old, crippled5. corruption6. force, justice

7. brave/courageous, speak8. voice, young

Activity 61. T2. F3. F4. F5. T6. T7. F8. T9. F10.F

Activity 7

1. ... to rally bravely in support.2. ... he cannot do anything about it.3. ... countrys struggle for

independence.

4. ... spends the rest of his days in awheelchair.

5. ... tired and lacking in strength.6. ... maintain our freedom.7. ... cannot be named or remembered.8. ... speak up and make the necessary

changes.

9. ... and his energy depleted10. ... dishonest practices spreading

throughout the nation.

The sequence of the poem

8, 6, 2, 4, 1, 9, 3, 10, 5, 7

Activity 8

1. independence2. fight3. disturbed4. disorder5. energy6. wheelchair7. challenges8. young9. bravely10.responsibility


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Activity 9

1. C line 112. F line 133. H line 124. G line 125.

A line 156. B line 4

7. E line 58. D line 16

Activity 10

1. He is old and worn out.2. They are many and cannot be named

easily.

3. He will be stucked in his wheelchair.4. He is bothered by the dishonesty he

sees around him.

5. He wants them to wake up and form awall of people.

6. sons of our ancestors and heirs offreedom.

7. People should be honest and goodcitizens. They should love their

country and work for its success.

8. They must unite to form that wall.9. They must be brave.10. I think the poem is good and suits the

present times well. I like the poem.


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LEISURE

by William Henry Davies

What is this life if, full of care,

We have no time to stand and stare.

No time to stand beneath the boughs

And stare as long as sheep or cows.

No time to see, when woods we pass,

Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.

No time to see, in broad daylight,

Streams full of stars, like stars at night.

No time to turn at Beautys glance,

And watch her feet how they can dance.

No time to wait till her mouth can

Enrich that smile her eyes began.

A poor life this if, full of care,

We have no time to stand and stare.


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POETS BACKGROUND

William Henry Davies was born in Newport, Monmouthshire,Wales. After finishing school at the age of 15, he became an apprentice to a local

picture-frame maker.

After his apprenticeship, he travelled to America, to New York and thento Klondike.

He returned to England after losing a foot whilst jumping a train inCanada.

Upon his return in Britain he led a poor life, hard life living in Londonlodging houses.

He married Emma in 1923. His first poems were published when he was 34. His poems highlight natures beauty based and his observations on the

hardships in life.

He wrote two novels and autobiographical works. His best known novel is Autobiography of a Super-Tramp. He died in 1940.


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Couplet Description

1 What type of life do we have if we do not have the time to just relax

and do not take time to appreciate the things going on around us.

2 We should take the time to stand under a tree and do nothing just like

sheep and cows which graze in the fields. They are just standing andstaring at their surroundings.

3 Take the time to look around when we pass woods full of trees. Look

at the squirrels as they scurry around hiding their nuts in their nuts inthe grass.

4 The river or streams glimmer and shimmer in the sunlight like stars

at night. We will notice this only if we take the time to watch therivers or streams.

5 We have no time to appreciate the beauty of nature and the people

that is around us. If we look carefully, we can see how this naturalbeauty dances in the winds and under the sun or a beautiful dancerdancing gracefully.

6 Take the time to enjoy the smile of another person or the beauty of

nature. Watch how the smile starts from the eyes and spreads

gradually to the mouth.

7 We have a poor life if we really have no time to relax mentally or

physically.

SUMMARY OF THE POEM

The poem Leisure is about the need to find time for leisure in order to livea fulfilling life.

The persona highlights the busy lives of Man today which doesnt givethem much time to relax and enjoy nature.

The persona wants the reader to imagine what life would be if we donteven have time to enjoy the simple things in life, like watching wildlife,

observing streams sparkling in the sunlight and admiring the stars

twinkling at night.

The persona emphasizes again that a life without leisure is a sad life.


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ELEMENTS OF LEISURE

Setting -The time setting is present, any time of the day.

-The place is in a park, a garden, a field or in the Countryside.

Persona -The persona is a young person. -The persona uses the first person we. -The persona is a person who seems too burdened with study or work. -The persona is also likely to be someone who has gone through life and

can now reflect upon it.

Themes

-People today are too busy to appreciate nature. -Todays life is bogged down with work and worries. -Having a balance of work and play in life. -The need to balance our activities in life. -The need to take time to enjoy life. -The need to find time for rest or relax and put leisure time to good use.

Moral Valueso We should lead a balanced life.o We should spend time appreciating nature.o We need to take advantage of our free time to live a better lifestyleo We should use leisure time creatively to strengthen aour minds and hearts.o We should take note of the beautiful things around us.o

Do not be- blind to simple pleasures in life and you will be rich mentallyand spiritually.

o Appreciate people, animals and things however small and simple.o Everything we see, touch and hear make our life beautiful.

Personification

Beautys glance- personified as a woman who can dance and has a wide smile.


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ENRICHMENT EXERCISES

Task 1

Fill in the blanks with words from the box to understand the poem.

Study Leisure Time Unhurriedly

Hide shining cattle Unhappiness

The poem is about a persona who is overburdened with work or (1)________The

persona has come to realize that he will have to take a break from all his responsibilities and

find time for (2)___________

He realizes that (3)________________________ must be given for enjoying activities

or interests that need to be done (4)______________.He gives examples of how he has been

so pressed for time that he has had no time to just do nothing like the(5)_________________. He also has passed by woods quickly without stopping to see the

squirrels (6)________________ their nuts. One other thing he has no time for is the night

view of stars (7)_______

When seasons comehe has no time to neither enjoy them nor realize when they change.

The persona resigns to the fact that life will be full of worries and

(8)_________________ because he does not have any time to relax and enjoy life.

Task 2

Say if these statements about the persona are True (T) or False (F)

1. He has a lot of work to do. ( )2. He has not had time to relax. ( )3. He wants to live in the woods. ( )4. He is always in a hurry. ( )5. He has not enjoyed watching stars. ( )6. He realizes that he needs leisure time. ( )

Task 3

Match the words in the box to their meanings as used in the poem.

Leisure Care State Beneath

Glance enrich Poor Daylight

1. The time where you do not have to work; spare time ______________2. Something that makes you worried or unhappy. ______________3.

To look at somebody or something for a long time. ______________


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4. Under. ______________5. A quick look. ______________6. To improve the quality of something. ______________7. Of low quality or a bad position ______________8. During the day; when it is easy to see. ______________

Task 4

The poem is written in couplets with words that rhyme at the end of each line. List these

words.

Stanza 1:___________________________________,___________________________

Stanza 2:___________________________________,___________________________

Stanza 3:__________________________________,____________________________

Stanza 4:__________________________________, ____________________________

Stanza 5:__________________________________,____________________________

Stanza 6:__________________________________,____________________________

Stanza 7:__________________________________,____________________________

Task 5

Tick the values that are related to the good quality of life as suggested in the poem.

1. Preoccupied with work ( )2. Keeping busy ( )3. Managing time well ( )4. Moderation ( )5. Worrying about things ( )6. Admiring nature ( )7. Taking time to relax ( )8. Unhappiness with life ( )


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Task 6

Choose the best answer.

1.What do cows and sheep do in the field?A Graze the grass

B Mow the grass

C Pick up litter

D Stand and sleep

2.Which of the following animals are considered dairy animals?

A Cows

B Sheep

C Chicken

D Squirrel

3.Streams are full of stars because of the

A reflection of sunlight

B ripples in the water

C heavy rainfall

D lightning

4.According to the poem, Beauty can do the following except

A smile

B dance

C glance

D scream

5.The last line in the poem means we

A have no time to relax

B Have not set aside for work

C cannot stand on our own two feet

D should look around carefully before we relax

6.The main theme in the poem Leisure is

A work hardB Perseverance in work

C Relaxation is a part of life

D Take it easy for good health.


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Task 7

Answer all questions

1. What is the main idea in the first stanza?_______________________________________________________________

2. What point is the persona making when he mentions about sheep and cows?_______________________________________________________________

3. What do the streams look like under the hot sun?_______________________________________________________________

4. What are the two themes of the poem?_______________________________________________________________

5. What are the messages of the poem?_______________________________________________________________

6. Give reasons why we should take time to appreciate the beauty of nature?_______________________________________________________________

7. What is the significance of the poem in our life?_______________________________________________________________

8. What is Nature personified as?_______________________________________________________________


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PMR PRACTICE

Exercise1

1. What emotion is the persona expressing in the poem?_____________________________________________________

2. In the last line, the persona uses the words not time to stand and stare. What two actionsof people is he referring to when he says this?

(a)______________________________________________________________________

(b)______________________________________________________________________

Exercise 2

1. What does the persona means he says What is this life, full of care?________________________________________________________________

2. What two things does the persona suggest we should do?(a)_______________________________________________________________

(b)_______________________________________________________________

Exercise 3

1. What is the poets message in the poem?_______________________________________________________________________

2. Based on the poem, state what these lines mean?(a)streams full of stars

_______________________________________________________________________

(b)And stare as long as sheep or cows._______________________________________________________________________

Exercise 4

1. According to the persona, what kind of life do we lead today?_____________________________________________________________


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2. How is Beauty personified?___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Exercise 5

1.What does the phrase full of care mean?

_____________________________________________________________________

b. How long does the persona think we should stare at trees?

______________________________________________________________________

2.What does the persona emphasize in the poem?

________________________________ __________________________________

Exercise 6

1.a. What can we expect to see when we pass by the woods?

________________________________________________________________________

b.Why are the streams full of stars during the day?

________________________________________________________________________

2.According to the persona, what would make life worthless?

________________________________________________________________________

Exercise 7

1 a. What does the line No Timeto turn at Beautys glance mean?

b How does the persona describe a life without leisure?


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2 How does the persona view nature?

Exercise 8

1 a. State one example of how nature is personified in the poem.

b What does stand and stare represent?

2 How does the persona view nature?

Exercise 9

1 a. What does no time to stand and stare tell you about todays pace of life?

b. What do verses 5 and 6 to tell us about Mans attitude towards natures beauty?

c. What does the persona suggest we do for leisure?


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ANSWERS

Task 1:

1.study 2.leisure 3.time 4.unhurriedly 5.cattle

6.hide 7.shining 8.unhappiness

Task 2: 1.T 2.T 3.F 4.T 5.T 6.T

Task 3: 1.leisure 2.care 3.stare 4.beneath 5.glance 6.enrich 7.poor 8.daylight

Task 4:

Stanza 1: care, stare Stanza 2:boughs, cows Stanza 3:pass,grass

Stanza 4:daylight, night Stanza 5: glance,dance Stanza 6:can , began

Stanza 7: care,stare

Task5

managing time well, moderation, admiring nature, taking time to relax.

Task 61.A 2.A 3.B 4.D 5.A 6.C

Task 7

1. We are so engrossed in our everyday worries that we do not have time for leisure.2. These animals live in a simple world unlike ours.3. They look a sky full of stars.4. lack of recreational activities in life.

a. -Beauty of nature5. We should lead a balanced life and we should spend time appreciating nature.6. We can see squirrels hiding their nuts in trees and glimmer in the streams and stare at

the beauty of nature.

7. We are reminded that life is not about working all the time and we should have time torelax and enjoy the beauty of nature.

8. A beautiful woman.


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Answers:

Exercise 1

1. Regret/Disappointment2. (a) People being too busy to relax(b)People not appreciating the nature.

Exercise2

1. He means that our lives are full of worries and problems.2. (a)Learn to relax more.

(b)Learn to appreciate the beauty of nature.

Exercise 3

1. That we should relax more.2. (a)Sunlight being reflected in the streams.

(b)Relax like common animals? Not worry too much.

(REFERENCE:PELANGI TOP GEAR ENGLISH FORM 3-MATHILDA XAVIER)

Exercise 4

1. We lead a life full of care and worry.2. Beauty is personified as having feet that dance and mouth and eyes that smile.

(REFERENCE:ILMU BAKTI-Modulpentaksiranpmr 2012)

Ex 5: 1a.lot of responsibilities

1b.as long as sheep and cows

2.The need for a balance between work and play.

Ex 6 1.a.squirrels hiding their nuts in the grass

1b. Due to the reflection of the sunlight

2.not having time to relax

Ex 7 1a.No time to appreciate the beauty of nature

1b A poor life

2 The persona views nature as a source of relaxation

Ex8 1a.Nature is likened as a woman dancing in grace

1b The simple things in life2 concerned

Ex9 1a.Hectic

1b They are ignorant towards the beauty of nature

2 Observe nature/ the simple things in life.

Documents

FIGHTERS LINE - Notes and Exercises