Sample essay and exercises
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- The narrator was born without limbs, which caused their father distress and made their mother refuse to look at them. They experienced bullying in school for their disability. - As a child, the narrator attempted suicide due to feeling hopeless about their life without limbs. However, they later changed their thinking and accepted their condition. - Despite obstacles, the narrator graduated from university and learned new skills like swimming and skydiving. They became a motivational speaker and now own two successful companies.
Sample essay and exercises
- 1. Zulaikha_Anis smkap 2018 “No. It shouldn’t be this way!” cried my father while my mother was weeping over her disappointment. Covering his mouth with one hand while opening the door with another, he dashed out of the labour room. I could never imagine making him feeling nauseous looking at me for the very first time. The fact that his first newborn was very much different than other babies made him vomit and his wife was in dire misery. She even refused to look at me when the nurse held me to her. I was an awfully disgusting being. When I was born, I was nothing except a mass of body without limbs; no arms, no legs. In fact, that is how I look up to this day except for some noticeable changes in height and size. My head seemed to be the only part that made me similar to other babies, which I am always grateful of. At least in class when the teacher was counting heads, I would be counted in as a person too. Having two tiny toes attached to my chicken wing sized foot enabled me to write. I was eventually sent to a mainstream school where I experienced terrible emotional breakdown being a laughingstock; a bully target who could just sit still in his wheelchair waiting for the next bully to act with countless nasty words. I remember trying to commit suicide when I was eight. If I managed to drown myself that day, I would be all free from the agony of having to live without limbs. Life at that moment was of no use, I pathetically thought. Hopeless. Cold. Completely empty. Until then, I was not sure of where did it all started. What I did remember was my thought that life should not be all that bad. Things started to change so much when I accepted the way my life was. Despite my disabilities, I finished school and even successfully graduated from the university. I tried and discovered I could do things that normal people are capable of doing. I learned to swim,surfand I did skydiving. I conquered the high sky! Above all, nothing beat the feeling of being able to speak in front of people without having to mind and be fearful of what they were seeing. They saw my physical imperfections while I saw my life being displayed as a lesson to them. I was no way perfect and I would never be so but getting thousands and even millions pairs of eyes looking at me made me appreciate life better than before. My speechwas about how my thought changed the way I viewed my life and reacted on its circumstances. Up to this day, I had travelled to many parts of the world delivering motivational speech to people. “My doctors never thought that I’d be able to walk but today I’m walking”, I said. So it is not about how we fall, it is indeed about how we get up every time we fall. Life was pointless back then but today, as I own two companies that managed to employ dozen of people, I always believe that everycloud has a silver lining. We just have to step out and try to do things for we never know who we may inspire along the way. It is not life without limbs. It is life without limits! ‘Every cloud has a silver lining’ Write your experience facing difficult time before you succeeded in something.
- 2. Zulaikha_Anis smkap 2018 Every cloud has a silver lining means difficult time will not last forever. Good time will come later. I experienced a hard time in life too. I was born as a disabled. My mother did not want to see my face while my father was leaving the ward because he disliked my physical condition. I have no arms and no legs. I did not look like other babies. I only have a head, a body, foot and two tiny toes. I was very sad. My friends bullied me at school because I was disabled. I sat in a wheelchair. When I was eight, I tried to kill myself because I was depressed. I gave up on life. Suddenly, I thought I could not be sad all the time. I should be thankful to God that I was still alive. Thus, I changed my way of thinking and way of life. I became a positive person. I studied hard, finished school and graduated from the university successfully. Besides, I learned to swim, surf and skydiving! Days passed by as I became good at public speaking. I shared my story with others when I gave motivational talks. That made me travel to many places. Thus, was not afraid to face the public anymore. As a speaker, I speak to motivate people. “My doctor said I could never walk but today, I am walking,” I said to the audience. I am very happy with my life now because I have my own companies and workers. Because of my disabilities, I experienced hard time in the past. Today, I am still disabled but I love my life.
- 3. Zulaikha_Anis smkap 2018 Exercise 1: Rearrange the words to get the correct proverbs. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Exercise 2: match the meaning provided with the proverbs in Exercise A by writing the letters in the brackets. 1. What you do is more important than what you say ( ) 2. If you are determined enough, you can find a way to achieve what you want ( ) 3. It is better to do something late than to not/never do it at all ( ) 4. Great thing requires more time ( ) 5. It is better to do something carefully in advance than to sufferlater ( ) 6. Family relations and bonds are closer than other relationships ( ) 7. A friend who helps at difficult time is a true friend ( ) 8. Being honest is always good and fruitful ( ) A. policy the is best honesty : ___________________________________ B. is will a there way a when is the : ___________________________________ C. need is indeed in a friend a : ___________________________________ D. built day in a not was Rome : ___________________________________ E. late never better than : ___________________________________ F. sorry than safebetter be : ______________________________________ G. is than water thicker blood : _____________________________________ H. speak louder words than actions : ____________________________________
- 4. Zulaikha_Anis smkap 2018 Exercise 3: Fill in the blanks with suitable proverbs that we have discussed. 1. Every time Hani has a problem, she always gets advice and support from her best friend, Sara. Sara said that she will always be by Hani’s side no matter how bad the problem is because ______________________________________________________ 2. Maria’s mother never agreed to let her study abroad. After four years, Maria finally called her to come to her graduation day. Her mother was very happy that she accepted Maria again. In the end, ________________________________________________________ 3. Although Johan came from a poor family, he never begged for food or money from others. He worked hard doing many jobs like washing dishes at the restaurant, lawn mowing and washing cars to help his family. He said _______________________________________ 4. We should not keep our problems to ourselves. Share the problems with someone we can trust to ease the burden because ____________________________________________ 5. Jeffry is a quiet boy but he always finishes his homework successfullyon time. Ourteacher said that his ________________________________________________ 6. Zack trained hard the whole weekdays for two years before he was selected to be in the national football team. This really reflects the saying _____________________________ 7. I did not want to continue my studies at the college anymore because it was too late. My friends graduated when I was on my medical leaves but my mother said _______________________________. At least, I would have a degree too although it would take time.
- 5. Zulaikha_Anis smkap 2018 Exercise 4: Fill in the table below with words from or related to the video. The video will be played twice. Past Tense Verb Present Tense Verb Adjective
- 6. Zulaikha_Anis smkap 2018 Exercise 5: Fill in the blanks with suitable nouns, adjectives, verbs or adverbs. 1. Write the proverb AS INTRODUCTION Every cloud has a silver lining. It means _________________ time will not last forever. Good time will come later. I ________________ a hard time in life too. I was born as a _______________. My mother ________________ not want to see my face while my father was ________________ the ward because he ________________ my physical condition. 2. BODY PARAGRAPH I I have no ________________ and no legs. I did not look like other ________________. I only have a head, a body, foot and two ________________ toes. I was very ________________. My friends ________________ me at school because I was disabled. I sat in a wheelchair. When I was eight, I tried to ________________ myself because I was depressed. I gave up on life. 3. BODY PARAGRAPH II Suddenly, I ________________ I could not be sad all the time. I should be ________________ to God that I was still alive. Thus, I ________________ my way of thinking and way of life. I became a ____________ person. I studied hard, finished school and ________________ from the university _________________. Besides, I learned to ________________, surf and skydiving! 4. BODY PARAGRAPH III Days passed by as I became ________________ at public speaking. I shared my story with others when I gave ________________ talks. That made me ________________ to many places. Thus, I was not ________________ to face the public anymore. As a speaker, I speak to ________________ people. 5. LEAVING LONG LASTING IMPRESSION in closure “My doctor said I could never ________________ but today, I am walking,” I said to the audience. I am very ________________ with my life now because I have my own companies and workers. Because of my disabilities, I experienced hard time in the ________________. Today, I am still disabled but I ________________ my life.