5th Posting!!!

Electronic Malaysian English Competency Test - Reading Test (Set 1)

Score: 26 out of 35 - 74%
Time Taken: 37m 57s



ONLINE QUIZ

Online Quiz Results :: Kemahiran Asas ICT
Your Score : 33/39
Online Quiz Results Summary
Your #Attempts : 1
Total Class #Attempts : 571
Your Quiz Score : 33/39


Your Average Score/#Attempts: 33
Class Average:
Your Highest Score Ever : 33
Overall Highest Score:


Note: This may not be your final marks. Due to some of the subjective and semi-objective questions (short essay and fill in the blank)

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My Opinion on Online Tests

Hello everyone, we meet yet again. Anyway getting straight to the point, today in class we were required to take two online test. The first one was to test our language proficiency which consist of four passages and a number of multiple choice questions following after. Whereas the second one was more focused on testing our knowledge based on the computer and it was also multiple choice questions.

This is the first time that I’m actually taking an online test where later on we will be graded. As a vivid computer and internet user, I have always been taking polls or online quizzes on social issues, happenings and many more. But I must state that it is almost the same to online test except that in an online test you will be graded but in online polls and quizzes your jus given feedback. Though being something not completely new, I must say that it was interesting to take the online test and it was also a challenge.


But what surprised me the most was the ability of the online test to actually provide results such as details on the number of users attempts, total test takers attempts, user average score, class average score, users highest score ever and overall score. These results were immediate and accurate. On top of that, the security features of both these tests were good I must say, as we had to have our own passwords and pin numbers to access it. Take for example of the second test which is linked to the UKM website, we had to key in our pin number to access the test and later when we have done it, we had to key in our pin number again to access the results. This is extremely good if you ask me, as people will not be able to view our results.


Though online tests are accurate, fast and reliable, there is one factor that displeases me. Its the fact that we are timed and sometimes the time provided is not sufficient enough. When this scenario happens, usually the web site will just delete all the work you have done and you need to take the test all over again. Now imagine if it was a person who is not really computer savvy, would he or she have to retake the test umpteen times??? Here is where we can say that a manual test is better. We all know that if the same thing were to happen in a manual test, the examiner will still give you a couple more minutes to complete your test.

Hence, I think that online tests are generally good and like everything new, there is still room for improvement. Till we meet again, take care and good day to all.

4th Posting!!!

CONCORDANCE

This week we were required to work in pairs on the topic “ concordance”. My partner Faezah and I, read and later on discussed about the article “ Beyond Concordance Lines: Using Concordance To Investigate Language Development” by Arshad Abd. Samad of University Putra Malaysia (OTL -Pg 70)

The general idea that this article stated was regarding the EMAS corpus by researchers from University Putra Malaysia (UPM). The corpus was compiled in the year 2002 and it is an unedited corpus that contains written data in the form of 3 essays written by 800 students from 3 different educational levels which are Primary 5, Form 1 and Form 4 students. The main purpose of this article is to present the relevance of corpus data in investigating language development without having to analyze concordance lines.

Through this article it is obvious that different ages have different types of writing. In this article, the writter has differentiated all 3 groups of students writing into 3 main aspects. The first aspect is the language productivity. In this context, language productivity is defined as to how many sentences and words each group of students have used in their essays. Thus the results showed that there was an increase on the amount of words and sentences used by each level as they became older. This was probably due to the fact that as students become older they become more matured hence providing them the ability to expand ideas and thoughts.

The second aspect taken under study was the range of vocabulary by these 3 different educational levels, and yet again it showed an increase from the Primary 5 students till the Form 4 ones. It showed that the Primary 5 students used a common group of words proving that their vocabulary was narrow compared to the Form 1 and Form 4 students. This could also be due to the topic given because the Primary 5 students got a essay topic based on a few pictures given.

The last aspect was the sophistication of vocabulary used by all 3 levels. In this case. The Form 4 students had a wider range of vocabulary, the Form 1 students had an average level of vocabulary and the Primary 5 students had a common vocabulary.

To conclude, Corpus data can be analyzed to inform language educators on the language development besides improving language production as well as vocabulary range and sophistication.

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Article on the application of concordance.

The article on the application of concordance that Faezah and me picked is from www.bu.edu/celop/mll/tutorials/pdf-public/concordance.pdf . This is an article by John De Szendeffy. In this article the writer talks about what is concordance and how to use it. The writer also gave examples and web sites where concordance software’s can be downloaded. Moreover, there are also activities in this particular article.

Another article that we read can be found at www.calico.org/p-180-Concordance%20(62001).html . This is a article cum advertisement as the user wrote his feedback on the concordance software he used. He explained the features of this concordance program as below:

• What the program does:Here are some other features of this program (as noted in its documentation)
• Lets you browse through the original text and click on any word to see the concordance for that word
• Lets you edit and re-arrange a wordlist by drag and drop
• Lets you see the collocation counts for every word, up to four words left and right
• You can make wordlists containing all the words in a given text and sort these words in many different ways. Each word can be optionally accompanied by a count of the number of times it occurs, and by a note of the percentage of all words which it represents.
• You can make concordances - wordlists where each occurrence of each word is shown in an extract from the original text which includes the word. Contexts can be selected and arranged in many different ways.
• The program can make complete concordances to all the words in your text or concordance selected words of your choice.
• It can handle large texts and has very few intrinsic limits on their size. The size of input texts is limited only by the amount of available disk space on your computer and, to some extent, by the amount of free memory (RAM).
• While viewing the results, you can select the words you want to keep in your wordlist or concordance using powerful selection criteria.
• You can browse the wordlist, the concordance, and your original text at will, and all three are interlinked so that you can jump immediately to any item of interest.
• You can print the concordance, having selected which elements you want to appear in the printed version. There is good control over page layout and fonts, and there is a powerful print preview.
• You can save the concordance as a plain text file suitable for further editing, or as an HTML file for use with a web browser.
• Finally, you can turn your concordance into a Web Concordance - a series of files which are ready for deployment on the web and represent a wordlist, a concordance, and a source text hypertextually linked.
  

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Example of the applications of Concordance in translation.

The example of the application of concordance in translation can be found at http://www.ict4lt.org/en/en-mod2-4.htm%20under%20citation%201.3- under citation 1.3. A Parallel Concordance. In this example, the writer used the concordance application in translating French to English. The writer did a direct translation in order to show the exact use of concordance when it comes to translation.

3rd Posting!!!!

The Impacts Of Using ICT For Business

ICT or also known as Information and Communication Technology is a basic necessity in our globalize world today. But as we all know nothing god or man created is perfect, which brings me to my topic of discussion for today, whereby I think that the impacts of using ICT for business can be viewed upon in the positive and negative aspects.

Firstly, let us take a look on the positive impacts of using ICT for business. Through my understanding based on the journals that I have cited below, ICT has played a tremendous role in the business sector. It can help increase productivity in Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs). For example, instead of using man power, ICT has enabled us to use machines that can produce more output in a faster and shorter period compared to a normal human. Besides, ICT is even used in the marketing department these days whereby people can develop strategies of differentiation based on product innovations. In the real estate sector, ICT has made internal and external communication via e-mail more efficient. It has also made transaction cost lower and maximized accessibility as we are now able to order and pay online. Indirectly, ICT has transformed organizations into a borderless zone as customers, suppliers and partners can connect together with no boundaries. Moreover, ICT has also helped shorten the supply chain. For instance, traditionally in a supply chain there will be a factory, a warehouse, a distributor a retailer and a customer who are all involved in the purchasing and distributing process, whereas in the supply chain we find nowadays there are only two parties involved which is the factory and the customer, as now with the presence of ICT we can shop online (e-shopping). In a different aspect, ICT has also made investing easy as investors are able to invest in any assets all around the globe. Besides, stockbrokers are more at ease nowadays as stock exchange rates can be monitored via the Internet.

Now, let's take a look on the negative impact of using ICT for business. Firstly, ICT can cause unemployment as employees are investing in more machines compared to man and due to this factor, many countries have suffered economically. Besides, in the real estate field it is believed that if the ICT era continues, productivity will increase causing space requirements to decrease which will eventually lead to the lost of demands for real estates. Moreover, using ICT in the business sector is not advisable to consumers as they are not able to bargain online nor have a look at the actual product. Implementing ICT in business has also caused major competition in the business field internationally which eventually lead to bankruptcy as some regions are unable to cope with the drastic changes.

As a conclusion, ICT has its good and bad impacts when it comes to the business sector. Thus it all depends on how we actually look at it.

Below are the URL’s and the journal titles that I have used as reference:

www.ebscohost.com
(ICT usage and its impact on profitability of SMEs in 13 African countries)

www.emeraldinsight.com/1460-1060.htm
(ICT use in marketing as innovation success factor)

www.emeraldinsight.com/1463-578x.htm
(The impact of information and communications technology on commercial real estate in the new economy)

www.emeraldinsight.com/1741-0398.htm
(The effects of generalized competition and strategy on the business value of information and communication technologies)

www.ebscohost.com
(Drivers, Benefits and challenges of ICT adoption by Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) : A literature review)

www.sciencedirect.com
(Assessing the impact of e-business on supply chain dynamics)

2nd Posting!!!

COMPUTERIZED WRITING

Introduction

Hello everyone, we meet again but this time i'm going to talk about computerized writing. Computerized writing or also known as computer assisted writing is a form of writing that is done online via a computer. In my opinion, computerized writing is actually much more easier than normal writing. This is because, with computerized writing, it is actually easier for us to correct and improve our vocabulary and grammar as most online writing web pages offer an online dictionary and the spell check software. This really helps us in producing better quality essays. Besides, computerized writing also helps students to find essay topics, learn the format of certain essays and also how to draft an essay, all with just a click of a button.

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Example of computerized writing activity.

Name:____________________________________ Date:_____________________________________

“HONEY…. I Shrunk the Kids” You’ve suddenly become about an inch tall! What are the rewards and consequences to being this small? Tell the saga of your adventures as a really tiny person. How did you feel when I made you this tiny? Give details of your experiences. Were you able to return to your normal size? Remember to use Awesome Adjectives and Dynamic Descriptions to describe how your surroundings looked to you so that your readers will understand what it was like to exist as a miniature person in a gigantic world! ________________________________________________________________________

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Melissa Warren, 2003

Elaboration on the activity above:

The writing activity above is just an example of computerized writing activities. As you can see, the essay topic above is more of a creative writing essay for lower secondary or primary school students. After completing this activity students can actually post it up at their web site to share it and also so that people can give their evaluation on the essay. Thus for more information regarding computerized writing and also for more activities please do visit www.bristolvaschools.org and www.essay2review.com or www.linktolearning.com

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Examples of software.

A very common software known to all of us in computerized writing would be the word processor. Word processor or also known as Microsoft Words is a very useful software when it comes to writing. This is because it has various functions such as spell check, thesaurus, and also editing options. It makes online writing very much easier.

Besides softwares that are free like the word processor, there are also softwares that you can purchase online for a certain price. For example, just visit www.brighteye.com and you can find various 'texthelp' software products such as 'read and write gold', 'read and write standard', and 'read and write macintosh' which all have different functions when it comes to computerized writing.

For more free softwares that can be downloaded to assist you in computerized writing, please do visit www.download.com and click on educational software.

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How can one improve their writing using the computer?

We can actually improve our writing using the computer in many ways. Take for example, the word processor helps us organize our points and ideas, it also helps us check our vocabulary, grammar and spelling, it also enables us to do word counts faster and more efficiently. Most importantly we can get access to the thesaurus dictionary without actually purchasing it. In other words instead of being a tutor, the computer can actually be our workhorse if we know how to use it effectively. Besides, computers are also really helpful when you need to find information regarding a certain essay format or even on how to write a draft. All you have to do is go online and you can even learn how to write an essay from scratch. In short, these features actually improves ones writing via the computer. According to the "online and offline writing course" by Nuraihan Mat Daud and Ainol Madziah Zubairi, a conclusion was made that there are many advantages of online learning. For one, based on what i read, i think that students who apply online learning actually become independent learners as they are required to find information by themselves compared to offline learners.

Now the real question here is, does the computer help in improving ones writing? According to the "use of computer in an ESL writing class" by Suhaila Sulong and Ridwan Wahid, a research was done in a small university in the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Through this research it can be said that students actually improve their vocabulary and grammar when writing essays on the computer. Besides, students also find it much easier to write multiple drafts on the computer than doing it on a piece of paper. But overall, it is proven through this research that students actually produce better quality essays and they become better writers. Thus, through this research it can be said that the computer does help in improving ones writing.

My Advertisement

Online Games (Text Twist)

Looking for a new online game that can entertain you and also enhance your vocabulary while your at it???? Well… look no further!!! Just check out www.msn.com and then click on games. Once your there just go to free online games and look for the game called Text Twist. It’s a mind blowing and challenging game. You are given 6 letters and 2 minutes to create as much words as you can and when you have figured out the last word which consist of six letters thus you move on to the next round. This keeps on going until you fail to figure out any six letter words in any of the rounds. Well if you are confused then I suggest you start checking out this game NOW!!! And you will know exactly what I mean.

1st Posting - Computerized Reading

EXAMPLE OF READING COMPREHENSION TEXT

Reading Comprehension- History- Science
Name _______________________________ Date _____________________
©2004-2008 abcteach.com

LEAP YEAR
As February 29, 2008 approaches, some people may notice something unusual
about the date. Last year, there was no February 29th. In fact, there has not
been a February 29th since 2004. Why does February 29th occur only once in
four years? To understand this confusing arrangement, it is necessary to
understand the calendar that is currently used in the United States.
Nearly all modern societies use some kind of calendar to decide on the dates
and times of everything, from religious holidays to business meetings. The kind
of calendar used determines what makes up a week, a month, or a year. Some
societies use lunar calendars, which are based on the revolution of the moon
around Earth, and others use solar calendars, which are based on the
revolution of Earth around the sun. The United States, like much of the rest of
the world, uses a solar calendar.
The solar calendar used by most of the world today is known as the Gregorian
calendar. Named after Pope Gregory XIII, who introduced it in 1582, this
modern calendar is the end result of hundreds of years of fine-tuning. It was
developed from the Julian calendar, which was created in 46 BC by Julius
Caesar.
The Julian calendar was also a solar calendar, based on the time it takes for
Earth to travel one complete loop around the sun. In Julius Caesar’s time,
although astronomers believed that the sun revolved around Earth, they still
managed to make fairly accurate measurements of the length of a complete
cycle. A solar year, they calculated, was about 365.25 days long.
Julius Caesar, deciding that it would be difficult to add ¼ of a day onto each
year, ordered one extra day to be added every four years to the month of
February, creating what would be called “leap” years. This calendar was used
by the western world for over a thousand years.
Unfortunately, there was a problem with the Julian calendar. When Julius
Caesar ordered a leap year every four years, he was putting in too many extra
days. A solar year is not 365.25 days long, but in fact 365.24219 days. The
difference between the actual length of the solar year and the approximated
value is very small, but over several hundred years it began to add up. By the
1500s, spring holidays were starting to happen in the summer.
In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII came up with an idea of how to fix the problem. He
realized that there were too many leap years in the Julian calendar, so he
reorganized it into a more complicated system. In the new calendar, there is
still a leap year almost every four years, but there is also a new rule. If the year
ends in 00, it is only a leap year if the year’s number can be divided by 400. For
this reason, 1800 and 1900 were not leap years, but 2000 was.
The new calendar was so accurate that over the next several hundred years, it
was adopted by almost every country in the world. Over 400 years after its
introduction, the Gregorian calendar is currently in use world-wide.


QUESTIONS
Reading Comprehension- History- Science
Name _______________________________ Date _____________________
©2004-2008 abcteach.com

ANSWER THE QUESTIONS ABOUT LEAP YEAR
1. Which is the name of the calendar currently used in the United States?
a. the Gregorian calendar
b. the Julian calendar
c. the Lunar calendar
d. the Pope’s calendar

2. How many days are there in a solar year?
a. 365
b. 365.25
c. 366
d. 365.24219

3. When were leap years first used?
a. 46 BC
b. 1592
c. 1700
d. 1582

4. Which best describes the kind of calendar used today in the United States?
a. a solar calendar, based on the revolution of the moon around Earth
b. a lunar calendar, based on the revolution of the moon around Earth
c. a solar calendar, based on the revolution of Earth around the sun
d. a lunar calendar, based on the revolution of the moon around the
sun

5. By our modern calendar, which of the following years WILL be a leap year?
a. 2100
b. 2500
c. 2200
d. 2800

6. Which of the following best describes the reason for creating leap years?
a. The Earth revolves around the sun.
b. The solar year does not divide into an even number of days, and it
would be difficult to add ¼ of a day onto each year.
c. Astronomers calculated the approximate length of a solar year.
d. Pope Gregory XIII saw the problem with the Julian calendar.

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Elaboration on the reading comprehension text above:

Firstly, my partner Faezah and i decided to choose the text above because we thought that it was quite interesting. Looking at the reading comprehension text above we can say that this reading material is more suitable for high school kids.

We personally think that reading comprehension does indeed play an utterly important role in enhancing an individuals language skills. This is due to the fact that among all other reading materials, we seem to have come face to face with reading comprehension in an early stage of life.

Besides, reading comprehension is easy to understand and also enables us to read the text in order to find answers for the questions that follow later. In this way, students won't just read the text for the sake of reading it but instead the students have to understand what they are reading in order to answer the questions accurately. Reading comprehension can also be really helpful when it comes to spelling and vocabulary as it can improve your knowledge of both this fields.

For more information and examples on reading comprehension, please do take a peek at http://www.abcteach.com/

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EXAMPLE OF ''READING FOR PLEASURE'' TEXT

I Married a Ranger
By Dama Margaret Smith (Mrs. "White Mountain")

Chapter I: "OUT IN ARIZONA, WHERE THE BAD MEN ARE"

"So you think you'd like to work in the Park Office at Grand Canyon?"
"Sure!" "Where is Grand Canyon?" I asked as an afterthought.
I knew just that little about the most spectacular chasm in the world, when I applied for an appointment there as a Government worker.
Our train pulled into the rustic station in the wee small hours, and soon I had my first glimpse of the Canyon. Bathed in cold moonlight, the depths were filled with shadows that disappeared as the sun came up while I still lingered, spellbound, on the Rim.
On the long train journey I had read and re-read the Grand Canyon Information Booklet, published by the National Park Service. I was still unprepared for what lay before me in carrying out my rôle as field clerk there. So very, very many pages of that booklet have never been written—pages replete with dangers and hardships, loneliness and privations, sacrifice and service, all sweetened with friendships not found in heartless, hurrying cities, lightened with loyalty and love, and tinted with glamour and romance. And over it all lies a fascination a stranger without the gates can never share.
I was the first woman ever placed in field service at the Grand Canyon, and the Superintendent was not completely overjoyed at my arrival. To be fair, I suppose he expected me to be a clinging-vine nuisance, although I assured him I was well able to take care of myself. Time softens most of life's harsh memories, and I've learned to see his side of the question. What was he to do with a girl among scores of road builders and rangers? When I tell part of my experiences with him, I do so only because he has long been out of the Service and I can now see the humorous aspect of our private feud.
As the sun rose higher over the Canyon, I reluctantly turned away and went to report my arrival to the Superintendent. He was a towering, gloomy giant of a man, and I rather timidly presented my assignment. He looked down from his superior height, eyed me severely, and spoke gruffly.
"I suppose you know you were thrust upon me!"
"No. I'm very sorry," I said, quite meekly.
While I was desperately wondering what to do or say next, a tall blond man in Park uniform entered the office.
The Superintendent looked quite relieved.
"This is White Mountain, Chief Ranger here. I guess I'll turn you over to him. Look after her, will you, Chief?" And he washed his hands of me.


**For the continuation of Chapter 1 and all the other chapters, please refer to http://www.talewins.com/

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Elaboration on the ''reading for pleasure'' text above :

My partner Faezah and i, picked the novel above as our reading for pleasure material. What is reading for pleasure? Reading for pleasure can be defined as reading for no reason or just reading for fun.

We found out that people normally read for pleasure as a hobby or just to kill time. Pleasure reading materials aren't just novels, as it also includes story books, magazine's, comic's and all other materials used by individuals as a pass time. Reading for pleasure can be done online or manually which is by purchacing your own books.

How is reading for pleasure different from other types of reading? For one, reading for pleasure does not require you to seek information nor to complete any tasks. In short, reading for pleasure does not have to have any reason or motif at all.

For the continuation of the novel above and all the following chapters, please do visit http://www.talewins.com