A Complete Guide

MUET – A COMPLETE GUIDEISBN: 983 7439343 In this COMPLIMENTARY CD to MUET – A COMPLETE GUIDE, you will find these helpful sections: A. What is MUET? B. Specific Objectives of MUET C. Test Format D. Brainstorming Activities (Paper 2) i. ii. iii. Activity 1: Re-angling Your Thoughts! Activity 2: Looking at the Big Picture Activity 3: Improvising! E. Speed Reading (Paper 3 & 4) i. ii. Activity 1: How Fast Do You Read? Activity 2: Speed Reading F. Short Forms for Note-Taking i. ii. Activity 1: Creating Short Forms Activity 2: Using Short Forms G. Links to Interactive English Language Games © PEARSON MALAYSIA SDN. BHD. 2006 -1- MUET – A COMPLETE GUIDE ISBN: 983 7439343 A. What is MUET? • MUET is the Malaysian University English Test, an English competency test administered by the Malaysian Examinations Council. • • MUET is open to Sixth Formers who wish to enter university as well as to pre-university students. The MUET syllabus aims to equip students preparing for tertiary education with the appropriate level of proficiency in English. It also seeks to develop critical thinking skills. • Students’ level of proficiency is measured based on an aggregated score of zero to three hundred. Candidates are placed on an aggregated score range, which is based on six levels of proficiency, i.e. Levels One to Six, where Level Six signifies a ‘Very Good User’ while Level One denotes an ‘Extremely Limited User’. • • MUET tests the four main language skills of Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing. Below are the time allocated for and weightage of the four components of the test. PAPER CODE 800/1 800/2 800/3 PAPER Listening Speaking Reading Comprehension TIME ½ hour ½ hour 2 hours WEIGHTAGE (%) 15 15 45 © PEARSON MALAYSIA SDN. BHD. 2006 -2- MUET – A COMPLETE GUIDE ISBN: 983 7439343 800/4 Writing 1½ hours 25 B. Specific Objectives of MUET These are: • Listening and Speaking o To improve students’ listening, speaking and note-taking skills o To enable students to interact proficiently and efficiently in English in a variety of formal and informal situations o • To develop students’ ability to respond critically to information heard Reading Comprehension o To enable students to understand texts beyond the literal level o To enable students to understand the interconnectivity of text content from a variety of genres o • To develop students’ ability to respond critically to various texts Writing o To write accurately and appropriately for a particular purpose and audience o To organise materials logically, coherently and cohesively o To develop writing skills specific to academic genres such as formal essays, term papers, reports and summaries © PEARSON MALAYSIA SDN. BHD. 2006 -3- 2006 -4- . The © PEARSON MALAYSIA SDN. BHD. Paper 3: Reading Comprehension • Candidates answer 50 multiple-choice questions based on a cloze passage and texts which may be in the form of journals. One is to write a summary and the other is a piece of extended writing. • Candidates give their opinion on a given topic. A total of 15 multiple-choice questions are given. Paper 2: Speaking • Candidates perform two tasks: individual presentation and group discussion. agree and disagree with ideas presented and draw their own conclusions from the facts presented. Paper 4: Writing • Candidates are given two writing tasks.MUET – A COMPLETE GUIDE ISBN: 983 7439343 C. articles and reference from books. • Questions may involve information transfer from linear and non-linear forms. reports. Test Format Paper 1: Listening • • Candidates listen to recorded texts and answer questions based on these texts. and vice versa. justify or defend their point of view. it is simply a method that helps you learn to think out of the box.MUET – A COMPLETE GUIDE ISBN: 983 7439343 stimulus may be in the form of linear and/or non-linear texts. But instead of the usual mock discussions with classmates and friends. BHD. © PEARSON MALAYSIA SDN. D. There are many. 2006 -5- . This is of course the right way to go – you will need ample practice in thinking on your feet and coming up with ideas in just a few short minutes. why not try a different method of preparation? Care to know what this ‘different’ method could be? Well. many brain-galvanising exercises out there -.com) Getting lots of speaking practice is the norm in preparing for Paper 2 (Speaking) of the MUET. The following are three activities that challenge conventional and routine ways of thinking.look them up on the Internet.mftrou. Brainstorming Activities (Paper 2) (Adapted from Management for the Rest of Us at www. so that you will eventually be able to generate fresh ideas quickly. time-consuming. strongbig weak. e.g. small This will help you omit the words that do not fit your context. challenge yourself to come up with at least three more words that mean the opposite for each given word: E. little. petite. for each word. pint-sized. 2006 -6- . fast slow. or words that are used too often. big Then.g. puny. etc. small. etc. slow. Don’t worry if you find words with similar meanings creeping into your list. Keep going. Next. BHD.g. lethargic. etc. as these can generate more words that © PEARSON MALAYSIA SDN. strong.MUET – A COMPLETE GUIDE ISBN: 983 7439343 May these activities help you churn out fresh ideas for your presentations! Activity 1: Re-angling Your Thoughts! Make a list of common words. fast. e. sickly. inefficient. dull. weak. fragile. list the words of opposite meaning that immediately come to mind. 4. Key in your words here: Common words 1. Limit the time spent on this activity to 10 to 15 minutes in order to keep it fresh and focused. © PEARSON MALAYSIA SDN. 3. Opposite words 2. 2006 -7- . BHD.MUET – A COMPLETE GUIDE ISBN: 983 7439343 mean the opposite. 5. Bear in mind that ideas breed ideas and this helps to keep critical and analytical thinking going. 7. 8. 2006 -8- . © PEARSON MALAYSIA SDN. BHD. 10. 9.MUET – A COMPLETE GUIDE ISBN: 983 7439343 6. Activity 2: Looking at the Big Picture Look at these shapes and write down what you see. BHD. You may also have made a bigger leap and deciphered the combination of shapes as a winking bearded face or an imminent solar eclipse on a cloudy day! It doesn’t matter if you could or could not see more in these shapes – there are no right or wrong answers. 2006 -9- Look at the shapes again and see if you can come up with new descriptions the second time round.MUET – A COMPLETE GUIDE ISBN: 983 7439343 Your answer might have been: three coloured shapes OR OR OR a green circle with a diagonal line Key in your answer here: a red hexagon and a yellow thought bubble something else. You may have made a small leap in creativity and seen the top-left figure as a green ‘forbidden road’ sign. Just sift through them to see which you can work with and which you can’t. When you do. The main purpose of this activity is to guide you to look at things from a different perspective. you will trigger off an exciting new train of thoughts which will give you a multitude of ideas. Now you know the essence of effective brainstorming! © PEARSON MALAYSIA SDN. Have fun! . 2006 - .MUET – A COMPLETE GUIDE ISBN: 983 7439343 Activity 3: Improvising! © PEARSON MALAYSIA SDN.10 . BHD. If you were the Prime Minister of Malaysia. try coming up with some fresh ideas for these topics: Q1. BHD.g.11 .g. e. a belt. Similar to the television show Whose Line Is It Anyway?. post-it notes. Put them on your table and challenge yourself to come up with different uses for each. paper clip. 2006 - . anything. toy dog. what would you do to improve … a) The education system? Key in your answer here: b) National integration? © PEARSON MALAYSIA SDN. the principle of this activity is simple – improvisation! Now that your creative muscles have been warmed up.MUET – A COMPLETE GUIDE ISBN: 983 7439343 Collect any five items e. use the belt as a Japanese warrior’s headband or the paper clips as ear rings. MUET – A COMPLETE GUIDE ISBN: 983 7439343 Key in your answer here: c) The civil service? Key in your answer here: d) The mindset of Malaysians? (i.12 . civic consciousness. etc) Key in your answer here: © PEARSON MALAYSIA SDN. BHD.e. road ethics. work ethics. 2006 - . 2006 - . What would you do if you had a million dollars? Donate to charity Key in your answer here: Go jet-setting around the world Key in your answer here: © PEARSON MALAYSIA SDN. BHD.13 .MUET – A COMPLETE GUIDE ISBN: 983 7439343 Q2. BHD.MUET – A COMPLETE GUIDE ISBN: 983 7439343 c) Learn a new skill Key in your answer here: Invest. invest and invest! Key in your answer here: © PEARSON MALAYSIA SDN. 2006 - .14 . 2006 - . Ismail Jaya in Shah Alam in February 2006. If you are a person of high authority who could have done something to: • prevent the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre in New York on September 11. 2001. • deploy aid to the countries that were hit hard by the Tsunami disaster in December 2004 more efficiently. what would you have done? a) September 11 attacks Key in your answer here: SARS outbreak Key in your answers here: © PEARSON MALAYSIA SDN.MUET – A COMPLETE GUIDE ISBN: 983 7439343 Q3.15 . • prevent the massive flood that hit Taman Tun Dr. • contain the SARS outbreak in Asia in 2003 more effectively. BHD. BHD.16 . 2006 - .MUET – A COMPLETE GUIDE ISBN: 983 7439343 Tsunami disaster Key in your answer here: d) Shah Alam floods Key in your answer here: © PEARSON MALAYSIA SDN. Malaysians faced an overnight hike in fuel prices after the government decided to reduce petrol and diesel price subsidies.MUET – A COMPLETE GUIDE ISBN: 983 7439343 Q4. In February 2006. how would you deal with this situation? a) Optimise the use of public transportation Key in your answer here: b) Inculcate good spending habits Key in your answer here: © PEARSON MALAYSIA SDN. As a Malaysian who is affected by this move. BHD. 2006 - .17 . 2006 - .18 .MUET – A COMPLETE GUIDE ISBN: 983 7439343 c) Car-pool Key in your answer here: d) Plan your route before travelling Key in your answer here: © PEARSON MALAYSIA SDN. BHD. it is a little secret that isn’t really a secret to people who have to read a lot of text in a very short time. First though. Of course. Speed Reading (Paper 3 & 4) (Adapted from .www. BHD.co. and it is called … yes. © PEARSON MALAYSIA SDN.uk) Many students do not allocate ample time for editing and rewriting their summaries because they spend too much time on reading and rereading the passage and then writing out the summary.MUET – A COMPLETE GUIDE ISBN: 983 7439343 E. 2006 - . What does this mean? Only that they lose precious marks for careless mistakes in spelling. you guessed it: SPEED READING! The following are some handy tips on speed reading. try assessing your current reading speed by reading the following passage at your normal pace.19 . To solve this problem. grammar and punctuation. a very useful technique you can use for Paper 3 (Reading) and Paper 4 (Writing). you’ll need a stopwatch to time yourself.learning-tech. why not cut down on the time spent reading and understanding the text? Want to know how? Well. bone marrow. Thus a single donor can save the lives of a number of people. semen. liver. skin and heart valves. 600 kidneys. bone marrow and hair are examples of regenerative parts of the body and are therefore not considered as organs. According to the National Transplant Resource Centre in Kuala Lumpur. heart. What are the organs and tissues that are commonly donated? The commonly transplanted organs are kidneys. lungs and pancreas while transplantable tissues are eyes. heart and lung failure often die because they are unable to procure organs for transplantation. © PEARSON MALAYSIA SDN. 350 livers and 700 corneas annually in Malaysia. Patients suffering from liver.20 . This treatment often saves lives. What is an ‘organ’? An organ is defined as that part of a human body consisting of a structured arrangement of tissues which. What is Transplantation? It is an operation that involves the replacement of diseased and defective organs and tissues with healthy ones from donors. BHD. there is a demand for some 500 hearts. cannot be replicated by the body This means that blood.MUET – A COMPLETE GUIDE ISBN: 983 7439343 Activity 1: How Fast Do You Read? Time yourself as you read this passage. 2006 - . if wholly removed. bone. would constitute ‘tissue’ since the liver has the power of spontaneously regenerating itself. Sometimes a stranger who is not genetically related to the person who needs the organ or tissue selflessly comes forward to donate. on the other hand. Organs from cadavers include not only kidney and liver but also the heart.MUET – A COMPLETE GUIDE ISBN: 983 7439343 On the other hand. Generally. The liver. lung. for example. Afiq Muhammad Zaini in 1999. cornea and pancreas. The live donor is usually the spouse or a living relative of the patient. What are the sources of donation? Organs may be obtained from two sources: live donors and cadavers (corpses). The whole of a liver can be considered an ‘organ’ as the removal of it in its entirety will not allow the body to regenerate another one. Organs from live donors may be used for kidney transplantation and transplantation of a part of the liver. Current practice © PEARSON MALAYSIA SDN. liver. the heart. and the scarce availability of donors who are truly physically fit individuals. Generally. A segment.21 . BHD. Cadaveric donations are more common as this involves the donation of an organ of an individual after his death. straddles both aspects. organs from cadavers are preferred as the problems that crop up with live donors do not surface with cadaveric transplants. This was the case with Wan Hafizan Wan Ismail who donated part of his liver to Mohd. live donors are discouraged for various reasons: the fear of coercion to donate. 2006 - . kidneys. the fear of long-term complications for the live donor. pancreas and lungs are examples of non-generative parts of the body and can be regarded as organs. receives care from a health care team that is © PEARSON MALAYSIA SDN. In addition.MUET – A COMPLETE GUIDE ISBN: 983 7439343 The lack of organs for transplantation has led many Malaysians to purchase organs abroad. the potential donor. who may be in his last hours of life. Traditionally. The donor also has to be pronounced dead before any body part is removed. BHD. The organs procured for transplantation in these countries were often extracted from persons who had been executed or who were the victims of extreme poverty. death can also occur when there is a loss of brainstem function (the brainstem is the last part of the brain to die).” What is required? Before organs are recovered or harvested from cadavers. 2006 - .22 . a person was considered dead when he or she had no pulse or was not breathing. one from Russia). At the end of 1995. This concept of death is also known as ‘brainstem death’ or simply ‘brain death’. it was reported that some 6000 Malaysians had been to India and China to purchase kidneys for transplantation. the National Renal Registry of Malaysia (confined to kidney transplants only) registered 56 cases of commercial procurement of cadaveric kidneys (55 from China. the law requires that the consent of the donor has to be obtained before his death. To ensure there is no abuse. The brainstem is necessary for awareness (the upper brainstem) and for spontaneous reflexes such as respiratory (lower brainstem). It is clearly stated that consent must be obtained before transplantation is carried out (Guiding Principle 1). As at December 31 1995. The donor has to state in writing or orally to two witnesses that he is willing to donate his body or any specified part of his body for transplantation purposes. Guiding Principle 5 states that “the human body and its parts cannot be the subject of commercial transactions” and that the “giving or receiving of payment is prohibited. it was reported that there was a further 526 recipients of commercial transplants (not necessarily kidneys) mainly from India. however. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has produced a set of guiding principles on human organ transplantation. Today. or a 30-year-old gets another chance at quality life. BHD. He has pledged his kidneys and liver for transplantation. a liver. If more people were to pledge their organs after their death. “Timothy (21 years old) dies in an accident.MUET – A COMPLETE GUIDE ISBN: 983 7439343 separate from the team that has been charged with the duty of extracting organs after the patient dies. or a cornea will go a long way to ensure that a 10-year-old. A kidney.” © PEARSON MALAYSIA SDN. a heart. Appeal for donors The living need help from the dead. a lot of hope is given to people who are living half a life. His kidneys go to Pragasam and Chan. an 18-year-old.23 . 2006 - . His liver goes to Azian. 4 + 2 = 2. and this time. divide 901 by the number of minutes (e.4 = Average readers read texts word for word. Divide the number of 'leftover seconds' by 60 and add to the 24 number of whole minutes (e. 375 words per minute or wpm).g. Speed readers. Such readers also tend to skip back (consciously or sub-consciously) while reading and may even wander off a page. apply the four tips above as you read. the time it took you to finish reading the text. in minutes.4. /60 = 0. so to calculate the number of 901 words per minute. 2006 © something) Now.MUET – A COMPLETE GUIDE ISBN: 983 7439343 • • To work out your speed. Hence. on the other hand. • The text contained 901 words. Compare your new time against the previous time to check if there is an increase in speed.g. 0. answer the following questions to ensure that . you should: • • • • - have LESS fixations (you should take in words by groups make fixations quicker stay on the page (don't allow your eyes to wander off) only go forwards (don't skip back.e. then you divide 24 by 60 and add to the 2 i. are able to take in groups of words with each fixation and are constantly moving forwards while reading. BHD. • Remember or jot down your speed for later comparison. in order to improve your reading speed.4 minutes). you need to calculate. time yourself again. /2. if it took you 2 minutes and 24 seconds. even if you thought you .24 rather than by the word) missedPEARSON MALAYSIA SDN. After you’ve done that. Chan B. Sources D. An organ can be donated while not all tissues can be donated B.25 . An organ degenerates while tissue does not C. An organ can regrow while tissue cannot Key in your answer here: © PEARSON MALAYSIA SDN. who is the donor? A. Donors B. BHD. Patients C. Timothy D. Based on the information given in the box at the end of the passage.MUET – A COMPLETE GUIDE ISBN: 983 7439343 Activity 2: Speed Reading Read the passage again. Pragasam Key in your answer here: 2. What is the difference between ‘organ’ and ‘tissue’? A. An organ cannot regrow while tissue can D. Suppliers Key in your answer here: 3. Azian C. What specifically would you term Azian. Chan and Pragasam? A. 2006 - . then answer these questions. 1. Donations from live donors are accepted for the following reasons unless A. extract D. Organs skin kidney kidney liver bone heart bone lungs marrow Key in your answer here: 5. 2006 - . Organs kidney liver bone lungs B. they are blood relatives of the recipient D. The meaning of the word ‘procure’ in the text means A. Which of the following charts is correct? Human parts donated to people A. they might have complications after the surgery Key in your answer here: 6.26 . they are physically fit B. purchase Key in your answer here: © PEARSON MALAYSIA SDN. supply C. BHD. Tissues D. Tissues skin cornea bone lungs C.MUET – A COMPLETE GUIDE ISBN: 983 7439343 4. they are not forced to donate C. obtain B. his will and his wish B.MUET – A COMPLETE GUIDE ISBN: 983 7439343 7. his written and oral statement C. Why are there two teams of doctors attending the dying patient who has pledged his organs? A. The donor deserves the full attention of the doctors. One team is to care for the health of the donor and the other to transplant the organs. Two requirements are necessary before a dying patient can give up his/her organs. BHD. D. Key in your answer here: © PEARSON MALAYSIA SDN.27 . They are: A. C. This is to ensure that maximum care given to the dying donor remains objective. If the procedure of transplantation takes a long time. the other team continues the operation. his written or oral consent and the certainty that he is dead Key in your answer here: 8. B. his expression and the certainty that he is dead D. 2006 - . 28 . Short Forms for Note-Taking (Paper 2) The following is a brief list of short forms you can use for Paper 2 (Speaking).g. • That is i. you can use them to send SMSes too! 1) Linkers a) To show additional information is forthcoming • And & /n • Also oso • Another anthr • Moreover m/ovr • Furthermore fthrmor • Even though evntho • Firstly/secondly/etc 1stly/2ndly/etc • Finally 5nally b) To indicate a change of direction in sentence • Though tho • However hwevr • Although although • On the other hand OTOH • Nevertheless nvrdless c) To further develop an idea by illustrating • For example e. D 4. C F. Oh yes. 2006 - .MUET – A COMPLETE GUIDE ISBN: 983 7439343 Answers: 1. B 6. D 8. BHD. A 3.e. D 2. which requires you to take notes. C 7. C 5. • Such as sch as/sas © PEARSON MALAYSIA SDN. MUET – A COMPLETE GUIDE ISBN: 983 7439343 d) To show a cause-and-effect cqly thr4 AAR bcz/bcoz 2 4 r d wif btwn b4 aftr dat/tat thoz dis thz ws/wuz wr cn cld wil wld/wud shl shld/shud ech evry js/jz/juz sth/sumthg anyth/anythg evryth/evrythg whl whthr whnevr whrevr whcevr relationship • Consequently • Therefore • As a result • Because e) • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • To For Are The With Between Before After That Those This These Was Were Can Could Will Would Shall Should Each Every Just Something Anything Everything While Whether Whenever Wherever Whichever Others • © PEARSON MALAYSIA SDN.29 . BHD. 2006 - . Most of you who have reached a level of proficiency in the English Language are already familiar with the more basic punctuation marks such as capital letters. BHD. full stops and question marks. 2006 - . it is important to remember the rules of punctuation. They are explained as follows. There are about twelve different punctuation marks that are commonly used in writing.30 .MUET – A COMPLETE GUIDE ISBN: 983 7439343 • By the way • • • • • • What Where Which When Why How - btw/BTW wat whr whc wen y hw Sun Mon Tues Wed Thur Fri Sat 2day tmr/tomoro yday/ytday 2) WH questions - 3) Days in a week • Sunday • Monday • Tuesday • • • • • • • Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Today Tomorrow Yesterday Here is an example: In writing an essay or a report. © PEARSON MALAYSIA SDN. However. there are five punctuation marks which students are often confused about. it is imprt 2 rmbr d rules of punct. thr r 5 punct marks whc stu’s r oftn confusd abt. full stops & Q marks. lettrs. Lang. They r explained as fllws. Hwevr. BHD. Activity 1: Creating Short Forms Come up with your own set of short forms for words you use often. Key in your answer here: Words I Use All the Time My Own Short Forms © PEARSON MALAYSIA SDN.MUET – A COMPLETE GUIDE ISBN: 983 7439343 Answer: In writg an SA or a rport. 2006 - . Most of u who hv reached a level of prof in d Eng. Thr r abt 12 diff punct marks dat r commonly used in writg. r alrdy familiar wif d mor basic punct marks such as cap.31 . 32 .MUET – A COMPLETE GUIDE ISBN: 983 7439343 Activity 2: Using Short Forms Copy this text using the short forms you just learnt. © PEARSON MALAYSIA SDN. 2006 - . BHD. and it is the great activator. It gets people moving towards an objective. First is self-esteem. Forgiveness is the wisest choice. 2006 - . “Hope is the foundational quality of all change. That feeling of your own worth influences every facet of your life. Maintain these five attitudes in your life. BHD.33 . and will negatively influence your future unless you forgive him or her. The second attitude is love. said. The person who damaged your past is negatively impacting your present. That’s the way you feel about yourself. Faith is your attitude towards God. The fourth attitude is hope. The third attitude is faith. Love – real love – always thinks in terms of what is best for the other person.” The fifth attitude is forgiveness. the psychiatrist. which is your attitude towards your future. It will influence your attitudes toward your fellowmen and members of your family. Hope is the realistic expectation that something good is going to happen.MUET – A COMPLETE GUIDE ISBN: 983 7439343 Let’s look at five attitudes. which is your attitude towards others. Your ability to forgive others for any wrong-doing will have tremendous bearing on your future. Alfred Adler. which deals with your past. and you will be well on your way to the top! (Extracted from You Can Reach The Top by Zig Ziglar) © PEARSON MALAYSIA SDN. MUET – A COMPLETE GUIDE ISBN: 983 7439343 Key in your answer here: © PEARSON MALAYSIA SDN.34 . BHD. 2006 - . languagegames.abroadlanguages.ukstudentlife.htm www.english. BHD.orbislingua.english-online.english-at-home.com/courses/freegame/introduction.englishclub.com/ www.bellenglish.com/liason/Games/ owl.MUET – A COMPLETE GUIDE ISBN: 983 7439343 Bored with traditional exercises? Then try out some fun interactive English Language games from these links to improve your grammar and vocabulary: www.html www.com/al/la/english.org/games.nonstopenglish.35 .com/ www.com/ www.html www.asp www.htm www.com/ © PEARSON MALAYSIA SDN.uk/games/gamezone2.org/la/english.asp www. 2006 - .htm www.lapasserelle.bellenglish.edu/handouts/esl/eslstudent.world-english.com/games/games.com/ekai.html www.asp www.com/lm/exercices/games.com/ www.org/ www.purdue.onestopenglish.eslcafe.page.com/Ideas/Fun.org.manythings.eltweb.com/ www.htm www.englishpage.