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Moving Class

Hari Rabu tanggal 18 Februari 2009 kemarin, kami melakukan study banding penerapan "Moving Class" di SMA Negeri 7 Yogyakarta. Kenapa SMA Negeri 7 Yogyakarta? Karena menurut shohibul hikayat sekolah tersebut mulai tahun ajaran ini telah menerapkan Moving Class....


BTW, ini sepenggal cerita dari perjalanan kami. Sesampai di sana, kami sangat terpesona dengan sambutan hangat tuan rumah yang kental banget dengan budaya Yogyakarta. Kami disambut dengan ramah dan plus tamah tentunya.
Setelah basa basi sejenak, mulailah kami di beri paparan tentang berbagai program yang telah mereka lakukan kaitannya dengan pelaksanaan program Moving Class tentunya. Dari mulai Kepala Sekolah, Waka Kurikulum, Waka Humas dan Pengelola ICT Bp. Bandono, MM, dengan segala kesabaran dan ketulusan beliau-beliaunya mau berbagi dengan kami yang datang jauh-jauh dari Kebumen.
Kamipun diberi kesempatan untuk melihat-lihat ruang kelas dan pelaksanaan Kegiatan Belajar Mengajar (KBM).
Namun ada sedikit ganjalan bagi kami, yaitu kami tidak bisa melihat/masuk kedalam ruang/kelas Sejarah, yang menurut mereka satu-satunya kelas yang telah di set sesuai dengan kharakteristik mapel tersebut. Padahal kami benar-benar sangat berharap hal itu, agar nantinya kami punyai gambaran yang lebih real....
Anyway, terimakasih banyak kami sampaikan kepada seluruh civitas akademika SMA Negeri 7 Yogyakarta atas segala yang telah di berikan kepada kami. Semoga apa yang kami dapatkan, nantinya benar-benar bisa kami terapkan di sekolah masing-masing and keep your spirit. Good Luck!

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2.23.2009 0 komentar

Try Out Test of English

I. READING SECTION
In this section of the test, you will have the chance to show how well you understand written English. Some texts and questions will be given in this section. Read them carefully and answer the questions!

Text 1 for questions number 1 to 4

Yogyakarta: Two children in Yogyakarta died of dengue fever at Sardjito Hospital Monday, raising to 12 the number of deaths caused by the disease in the last four months. “They were very ill when they arrived. We did our best.” The head of the hospital’s pediatric ward, Ida Safitri, said on Tuesday.
Sardjito spokesman Trisno Heru Nugroho said there had been a significant increase in the number of dengue fever patients at the hospital in recent months. In January, 69 patients were treated at the hospital, 88 in February and 102 in March.

1. What kind of text is it?
a. Descriptive d. Report
b. Narrative e. Anecdote
c. News item
2. What’s the purpose of the text?
a. To amuse the reader d. To persuade the reader
b. To inform the reader e. To describe the reader
c. To entertain the reader
3. What caused the death of two children in Yogyakarta based on the news?
a. Yellow fever d. A harmless illness
b. Dengue fever e. A serious illness
c. An unidentified illness
4. How is the total victims caused by that disease?
a. 10 people d. 15 people
b. 12 people e. 16 people
c. 14 people

Text 2 for questions 5 to 8

Gold is a precious metal. Gold is used as ornaments or as money.
Gold is found in many places, but in a small supply. It is often found on the surface of the earth. Since gold is a heavy substance, it is sometimes found loose on the bottom of rivers. The gold is found together with sand and rocks, and must be separated from them. It is simple to search for this type of gold.
It is not usually necessary to drill for gold, but when a layer of gold is located deep below the surface of the earth, it is possible to drill a hole into the ground. Engineers have developed modern process for removing gold from rocks.
Since gold is not very hard, it is sometimes melted and added to other substances for making rings, coins, and art objects. It will be priced forever because it is beautiful, rare, and useful.

5. The best title of the text above is ….
a. Gold d. Rare Ornaments
b. Type of Gold e. Removing Gold from Rocks
c. Previous Metal
6. The following are associated with gold, EXCEPT ….
a. useful d. expensive
b. precious e. unnecessary
c. beautiful
7. The text above is mainly intended to … about gold.
a. discuss d. elaborate
b. classify e. document
c. describe
8. “It will be priced forever because …” (Paragraph 4)
The underlined word means ….
a. valuable d. wonderful
b. worthless e. eye catching
c. interesting

Text 3 for questions 9 to 13

I personally think that reading is a very important activity in our life. Why do I say so? Firstly, by reading we can get a lot of knowledge about many things in the world such as science, technology, sport, arts, culture, etc written either books, magazine, newspaper, etc.
Secondly, by reading we can get a lot of news and information about happening in any parts of the world which can’t we see directly.
Another reason, reading can give us pleasure too. When we are tired, we read books, newspaper or magazine on the entertainment coloumn such as comedy, short story, quiz, etc. to make us relaxed.
The last, reading can also take us to other parts of the world. By reading a book about Irian Jaya we may feel we’re really sitting in the jungle not at home in our rooms.
From the facts above, it’s obvious that everyone needs to read to get knowledge, information and also entertainment. Or in summary we can say reading truly important in our life.

9. Why is reading very important in our life? Because ….
a. by reading we can get a lot of friends, relatives, experience, etc.
b. by reading we can get little knowledge but a lot of entertainment
c. by reading we are always relaxed
d. by reading we are always happy
e. by reading we can get a lot of knowledge, news, information and entertainment
10. If we want to get knowledge, what should we do?
a. Buy a lot of books d. Sell and buy many expensive books
b. Borrow a lot of books e. Read a lot of books and other printed materials
c. Look for newspaper and magazine
11. What does the text tell us about?
b. The description of reading d. The disadvantages of reading
c. The function of reading e. The purpose of reading
d. The importance of reading
12. What is the social function of the text?
a. To tell a story d. To give information
b. To describe the reader e. To persuade the reader
c. To entertain the reader
13. The text above is in the form of ….
a. report d. analytical exposition
b. explanation e. hortatory exposition
c. discussion

Text 4 for questions 14 to 16

Sanyo’s coffee san

Sanyo’s coffee san is the only 10-cup coffee maker with a coffee grinder built in. so you get freshly ground coffee every time. Just pour in whole beans, set the timer, and a perfect pot of coffee will be waiting for you tomorrow morning.

14. What does the text about?
a. Coffee d. Coffee grinder
b. Coffee maker e. Bean
c. Coffee pot
15. What is the purpose of the text?
a. To explain how to make coffee d. To report something
b. To review a product e. To explain how to do something
c. To describe a thing
16. How many cups can you make with that product?
a. 2 d. 10
b. 3 e. 15
c. 5

Text 5 for questions 17 to 18
English Speaking Club

There will be a program to develop our speaking skills next Sunday. We’ll practice guiding tourists in Prambanan Temple. Please enroll soon since there are limited seats.

Departure Time : 08.00 a.m.
Fee : Rp. 20.000,-
Contact Person : Salsa, Biyan

Chief,
Naila Zahwa Dzakiyya

17. Which statement is true about the announcement of the English Speaking Club?
a. Salsa and Biyan are supervisors of the program
b. The implementation of the program is on Sundays
c. Each participant has to pay Rp. 20.000,- to the chief
d. The aim of the program is to guide foreign tourists
e. The participants will guide foreign tourists in Prambanan Temple
18. “Please enroll soon since there are limited seats.”
The underlined word means ….
a. record d. register
b. answer e. subscribe
c. appeal

Text 6 for questions 19 to 23

Everyone has a favourite teacher, someone who we feel a special connection with. In primary school, my favourite teacher was Mrs. Salami. I was not such a good pupil, but just looking at Mrs. Salami made me feel that I was going to learn.
Mrs. Salami was 45 years old and rather short about 1.50 meters. Since I’m short too, I always feel a bit nervous with tall teacher who tower menacingly over me. It was reassuring to be around Mrs. Salami. Also, I always enjoy the fragrance of the herbs that she grew in our classroom.
On the top of her round head, Mrs. Salami always wore a colorful headscarf with an intriguing design. This, plus her warm smile, brightened the lesson in her classroom. However, the best part of her face was her kind eyes that said to her students, “I care deeply about you.”
Mrs. Salami usually wore bright long sleeve blouse that went well with her coffee-color skin. She did not wear much jewelry, just a simple Casio watch on her left hand and a ruby red ring on the ring finger of her right hand. The other ‘decoration’ on her hand came from types of ink from whiteboard markers and other sources.
On most days, Mrs. Salami wore loose-fitting pants. Finally, on her feet, she often had brown closed-toe shoes with just a slightly raised heel that made a peculiar ‘clip-clop’ sound as she walked. The low-heeled shoes made it easy for Mrs. Salami to walk briskly around the classroom to help us when we were doing group activities.
I can still feel her friendly touch on my shoulder as she stood listening carefully to our group or explaining something that none of us could figure out.

19. The type of the text above is ….
a. descriptive d. explanation
b. narrative e. exposition
c. discussion
20. What is the purpose of the text above?
a. To tell what happened with Mrs. Salami d. To entertain the reader with Mrs. Salami
b. To describe how Mrs. Salami looks like e. To report about Mrs. Salami’s life
c. To tell someone how to make favourite teacher

21. The Identification of the text can be found in paragraph ….
a. 3 d. 1
b. 4 e. 2
c. 5
22. The text tells us about ….
a. The favourite teacher d. The favourite teacher’s characteristic
b. Mrs. Salami and her characteristic e. The favopurite teacher and Mrs. Salami
c. Mrs. Salami’s life
23. “On top of her round head, Mrs. Salami always wore a colorful headscarf with an intriguing design.”
The underlined word means ….
a. very exciting d. very surprising
b. very amazing e. very wonderful
c. very interesting

Text 7 for questions 24 to 28

Long time ago a remote village, in central China was inhabited mainly with farmers and hunters.
One day, a poor farmer lost his entire livestock to flood. He prayed to God for help or his family would die of starvation.
Few days later, an old man with long grey beard, passed by his house took pity on him. He gave him a goose and said “I don’t have any expensive thing to give you and hope this goose will help you to ease your hardship.”
A week later to almost surprise the farmer found and egg in his yard. This was no ordinary egg. It was a golden egg. He was suddenly overcome with joy.
Thereafter, his livelihood had rapidly improved but the farmer had forgotten his earlier hardship. He became lazy, arrogant and spendthrift.
Strangely, the goose only laid one golden egg every six months. The greedy farmer lost his patient and slaughtered his goose thinking there were plenty of golden eggs inside its stomach.
Though he very much regretted for his foolishness, it’s already too late.

24. What did the story teach us?
a. It thought us to pray to God for help d. It thought us not to be lazy or arrogant
b. It thought us foolishness did not pay e. It thought us not to forget a good deed
c. It thought not to be greedy and contended with what we had
25. What is the communicative purpose of the text?
a. To share an amusing story with other d. To persuade the reader to read the story
b. To describe how the farmer got rich e. To entertain the reader with an interesting story
c. To inform readers about the farmer and the goose
26. Which of the statement describe his downfall?
a. He prayed for God’s help or his family would die
b. He did not believe the old man
c. A week later to his utmost surprised he found a golden egg
d. He lost his patient and slaughtered his goose
e. He forgotten his hardship and became lazy, arrogant and spendthrift
27. Which part of the story is orientation?
a. One day, a poor farmer lost his entire livestock
b. Few days later an old man, with long grey beard, passed by his house took a pity on him
c. A week later to his utmost surprise the farmer found an egg in his yard
d. Long time ago, a remote village, in central China, was inhabited mainly with farmers and hunters
e. Strangely, the goose only laid one golden egg every six months
28. Which of the following statement is not true according the text above?
a. The goose only laid one golden egg every six months
b. The farmer had forgotten his previous hardship
c. The farmer found an unordinary egg in his yard
d. He prayed to God for help or his family would die because lack of food
e. The greedy farmer lost his patient and killed his goose

Text 8 for questions 29 to 32

If you want to make ice tea, first prepare a half glass of tea, one or two spoonful sugar and ice. Next step is put the sugar into the glass of tea, stir it well. After that, add some pieces of ice into the glass and stir it again and the ice is ready to serve.


29. If we want to make ice tea we need to prepare ….
a. ice, sugar, coffee, glass d. ice, salt, sugar, tea
b. ice, tea, chocolate, water e. sugar, tea, coffee
c. tea, water, sugar, ice
30. After putting the sugar into the glass, … it for about two minutes.
a. make d. serve
b. add e. prepare
c. stir

31. …. the ice into the glass and shake it well!
a. drop d. buy
b. put e. sell
c. send
32. What is the communicative purpose of the text?
a. To explain how to make ice tea d. To persuade the reader to make ice tea
b. To describe how ice tea is made e. To describe the way ice tea is
c. To explain the process involved in making ice tea

Text 9 for questions 33 to 40

My Day at the Beach

Last week my friends and I were bored after three weeks of holidays, so we rode our bikes to Smith Beach, which is only five kilometres from where I live. When we arrived at the beach, we were surprised to see there was hardly anyone there. After having a quick dip in the ocean, which was really cold, we realized one reason there were not many people there. It was also quite windy.
After we bought some hot chips at the takeaway store nearby, we rode our bikes down the beach for a while, on the hard, damp part of the sand. We had the wind behind us and, before we knew it, we were many miles down the beach. Before we made the long trip back, we decided to paddle our feet in the water for a while, and then sit down for a rest. While we were sitting on the beach, just chatting, it suddenly dawned on us that all the way back, we would be riding into the strong wind.
When we finally made it back home, we were both totally exhausted! But we learned some good lessons that day.

33. What is the purpose of the text above?
a. Retell events for the purpose of research d. Retell events for the purpose of persuading
b. Retell events for the purpose of explaining e. Retell experience for the purpose of entertaining
c. Retell events for the purpose of informing or entertaining
34. When did the writer go to the beach?
a. Yesterday d. Now
b. Last week e. Then
c. Three weeks of holidays
35. What is the name of the beach?
a. John d. Omaha
b. Brown e. Smith
c. Alpha
36. Which is not true based on the story?
a. The writer and his friends went to the beach because they were boring
b. They bought some hot chips
c. It needed to ride about 5 kilometres to reach the beach
d. They were facing windy road
e. Many people were at the beach when they got there
37. Who are the participants in the story?
a. The readers d. Smith
b. The people e. The writer and his friends
c. The hot chips
38. How did the story end?
a. Embarrassing d. Happy
b. Annoying e. Funny
c. Sad


39. How is the generic structure of the text above?
a. Orientation-events-evaluation d. Orientation-events-reorientation
b. Twist-events-reorientation e. Goal-material-steps
c. Orientation-twist-reorientation
40. Which of the following word belongs to temporal sequence?
a. Arrived at d. After
b. Three weeks e. Was
c. Hot chips

II. Give the following dialogues or questions with the correct forms of response or answer!

41. Complete the following dialogue with the statement expressing SYMPATHY.
Axl Rose : When my brother and I were going to school, a car hit him. He broke one of his legs.
Sharon : Oh, … I hope he’ll be well soon.

42. Complete the following dialogue with the statement expressing OFFERING HELPING.
Shop assistant : Good evening, Ma’am ….
Miss. Nai’la : Good evening. I will have a birthday party. Can you show me some long evening dresses?

43. Husband : My car’s battery is very weak.
Wife : Why don’t we get a new one.
Husband : I think we should, but I wish I could recharge the battery.
The underlined expression means that he … recharge the battery.

44. Complete the following dialogue with the statement expressing UNCERTAINTY.
Salsa : Our class is going to Tanah Toraja.
Will you join us, Biyan?
Biyan : ….

45. Complete the following dialogue with the statement expressing HOPE/EXPECTATION.
Verentsya : Do you think the Indonesian football team will play in the World Cup next year?
Dzacky : ….

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Ponari: Sebuah Renungan


Ditengah kebosanan kita (bahkan muak kali!) dengan berita-berita yang terkait dengan Pemilu, khususnya iklan-iklan para Calon Anggota Legislatif yang berperan bak seorang bintang pilem, kita dikejutkan dengan berita tentang Ponari "Si Dukun Cilik"


Yah, kemunculan Si Dukun cilik yang tiba-tiba menyeruak dalam kehidupan kita, ternyata benar-benar telah mampu menyedot begitu banyak perhatian kita. Dari mulai rakyat jelata sampai yang bukan jelata (Sich siapa ya yang bukan jelata?)
Sebetulnya gerangan apa yang sedang terjadi dengan masyarakat kita ya? Ketika ribuan bahkan puluhan ribu masyarakat kita berdesak-desakan antri untuk mendapatkan mukjizat dari batu-nya Si Ponari. Logika kita kandas disana. Kita dibuat terheran-heran dengan semua fenomena tersebut. Dokter, Paramedis dan "Si Sakit" yang sering memerlukan waktu lama untuk mengobati sebuah penyakit, terhenyak dengan kejadian tersebut.
Kita dibuat tercengang ketika harus menyaksikan bahwa ada sebagian dari calon pasien Si Dukun, yang dengan penuh keyakinan mengambil air dan tanah di sekitar rumah Ponari.
Dan ketika Aparat yang berwenang melarang Si Dukun untuk berpraktikpun, ternyata tidak mampu menghentikan laju dari para pencari kesembuhan tersebut, bahkan ketika MUI mengeluarkan fatwanyapun hal tersebut tetap berjalan.
Sehingga dalam hal ini siapakah yang salah? Apakah Ponari yang salah? Ataukah mereka yang datang untuk mencari kesembuhan atas penyakit yang dideritanya?
Cukupkah pemerintah, melalui aparat sebagai kepanjangan tangannya, hanya mengeluarkan segala larangan ini dan itu? Kayaknya enggak tuch...! Pemerintah harusnya bisa bersikap lebih arif lagi dalam mensikapi hal tersebut. Sudah cukupkan fasilitas kesehatan yang disediakan oleh pemerintah untuk rakyatnya? Sudah terjangkaukah layanan kesehatan yang diberikan oleh pemerintah bagi masyarakat kecil khususnya? Kalau melihat fenomena Ponari (dan mungkin ada banyak Ponari-Ponari yang lainnya yang tidak terekspose) maka jawaban dari pertanyaan-pertanyaan tersebut adalah ....... belum kale!

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Pisang Dempet


Kemaren pagi di kantor ada temen yang bawa setandan pisang (udah masak tentunya!). Kalau di tempat kami orang menyebutnya pisang susu, ndak tau kenapa disebut seperti itu, apa karena bentuknya atau enak aja untuk nyebutnya begitu. Tapi bukan itu yang akan aku ceritain disini.
Yang menarik perhatianku adalah pas aku mo ambil tuh pisang, kulihat ada pisang yang aneh. Ya, aneh. Anehnya kenapa? Karena pisang itu double alias dempet. Mungkin bagi kebanyakan orang hal kayak gitu sudah biasa dan bukan hal yang aneh lagi. Tapi bagiku hal tersebut benar-benar aneh sehingga membuatku memikirkan beberapa hal. Yang aneh dari pidang itu adalah

Yang pertama, saat aku melihat pisang itu aku langsung teringat akan kebesaran Allah SWT. Begitu sempurna dan lengkap segala ciptaan-Nya.
Keberadaan pisang itu mengingatkanku pada apa yang pernah diomongin sama anak lelakiku, Abigael Dzacky Abiyan atau yang biasa kami panggil Biyan. Dia pernah ngomong ke aku, "Pak kenapa Allah memberi kita dua mata dan dua telinga, kenapa tidak satu saja? dan kenapa mulut kita hanya satu, bukan dua?" Dia bukanya minta jawaban dariku, tapi dia sendiri yang menjawabnya. Menurutnya bahwa Allah memberi kita dua mata itu berarti bahwa kita harus lebih banyak belajar dengan melihat, demikian juga dengan telinga kita yang dua harusnya lebih banyak kita gunakan untuk mendengar dibandingkan dengan mulut kita yang cuma satu. Intinya, menurut dia bahwa kita harus lebih banyak melihat dan mendengar daripada berbicara. Hi guys, jangan serius banget bacanya donk! Enjoy aja. Ok.
Kembali ke pisang dempet tadi. Apa gerangan maksud Allah menciptakan pisang yang seperti itu? Kalau ada temen-temen yang emang punya pendapat atau jawaban dari pertanyaan tersebut tolong kasih tau aku ya? Karena sampai detik ini aku hanya tau satu jawaban, yaitu bahwa pisang dempet ternyata mempunyai khasiat yang sangat manjur. Apa sich khasiatnya. Khasiatnya yaitu bisa untuk ngobatin orang yang sedang lapar. Pasti dijamin manjur kalau makan pisang dempet. Gimana gak manjur orang makan 2 pisang.

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2.22.2009 1 komentar

Merokok Haram!

Hari ini kita dikejutkan dengan keluarnya fatwa dari MUI (Majelis Ulama Indonesia – red). Fatwa tersebut meng-HARAM-kan merokok bagi anak-anak dan merokok ditempat-tempat umum. Begitu fatwa tersebut diumumkan, kita langsung disuguhi dengan berbagai reaksi, terutama reaksi-reaksi keras yang cenderung menentang fatwa tersebut.

Disini aku bukannya mau ngomong setuju atau tidak setuju dengan fatwa tersebut, tapi aku akan coba melihatnya dari sudut yang berbeda. My first point of view adalah apakah MUI memang perlu untuk mengeluarkan fatwa tersebut? Menurutku kayaknya khok nggak urgent banget gitu lhoh! Why? Sebagai contoh, Miras (Minuman Keras) yang jelas-jelas haram dan dilarang aja ternyata kita saksikan peredarannya bagaikan cendawan di musim hujan. Terlepas dari dampak yang ditimbulkan fatwa tersebut, baik dari dampak sosial, ekonomi, dan lain sebagainya, aku melihat bahwa fatwa tersebut nantinya tidak akan efektif. Khok bisa! Kita ambil asumsi gini aja: misal fatwa tersebut nantinya sudah diberlakukan, yang jadi pertanyaan: siapa yang akan jadi pengawas terhadap pelanggaran tersebut? Karena kelihatannya MUI jalan sendiri. Apa mungkin nantinya MUI juga berfungsi sebagai layaknya pak Polisi? Kayaknya nggak mungkin khan!

Next, aku setuju bahwa anak-anak dilarang merokok, tapi aku pikir itu tidak cukup hanya dengan dikeluarkannya fatwa tersebut. Yang terpenting adalah bagaimana menciptakan suatu kondisi dimana anak-anak tidak bisa mendapatkan barang tersebut (rokok – red), terutama bagaimana menutup akses mereka sebagai pembeli. Bisa nggak kita membuat aturan yang melarang siapapun penjualnya untuk tidak melayani anak-anak yang beli rokok (aku yakin kalau bikin aturan Indonesia jagonya, tapi bukan jago dalam melaksanakan aturan!!).

And then, bagaimana dengan larangan untuk merokok di tempat-tempat umum? Apakah itu tidak melanggar HAM. Kenapa kita tidak mencontoh negara-negara lain dengan menyediakan fasilitas/ruang khusus bagi perokok, kayak smoking area gitu. Sehingga kita bukan cuma melarang doang tapi sekaligus kita memberikan suatu space tersendiri bagi keberadaan mereka.

Akhirnya, itu hanyalah my opini yang mungkin bisa jadi nambahin masukan bagi siapa-siapa saja, semoga bisa jadi renungan untuk perbaikan kita di hari berikutnya dan apabila Anda punya opini ataupun komentar, please give it to me!

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1.29.2009 0 komentar

"Idola Cilik" Sebuah Fenomena ......

Acara Idola Cilik (IC)yang disiarkan oleh RCTI kayaknya begitu menyita perhatian pemirsa stasiun TV tersebut, khususnya anak-anak. IC adalah kombinasi "reality show" dan pertunjukkan pencarian bakat.




Unfortunately, bukannya memberikan kesempatan bagi siapapun yang punya bakat dan kemampuan untuk dipromosikan sebagai seorang idola, aku pikir ada beberapa kelemahan dalam acara IC ini.

Kadang-kadang, pemenangnya tidak ada jaminan punya kualitas sebagai penyanyi yang bagus karena pemenang hanya ditentukan oleh pilihan pemirsa melalui SMS. Kebanyakan dari pemilih tersebut tidak mempertimbangkan komentar/penilaian dari komentator terhadap penampilan peserta karena mereka lebih fokus pada penampilan fisik dan kepribadian dibandingkan dengan kemampuan bernyanyi sang peserta.

Sebagai akibatnya, setelah kompetisi itu berakhir, hanya beberapa dari pemenang yang mendapatkan kesempatan untuk menjadi penyanyi profesional. Kok bisa gitu? Karena mereka tidak punya kemampuan lebih untuk menjadi penyanyi yang profesional. Lebih-lebih lagi, kebanyakan dari mereka hanya punya sedikit pengalaman dalam dunia hiburan, sementara untuk menjadi penyanyi yang profesional memerlukan proses dan waktu yang lama.

Kemudian yang harusnya mungkin jadi keprihatikan bagi kita bersama adalah bahwa dalam kompetisi tersebut kita melihat bahwa anak-anak tersebut dipaksa untuk membawakan lagu-lagu dari penyanyi dewasa yang jelas-jelas kurang sesuai atau bahkan tidak sesuai dengan umur dan kepribadian mereka. Sehingga kalau kita cermati disana ada sebuah pemaksaan penghayatan yang berakibat pada performance mereka. Demikian juga adanya pemaksaan penggantian beberapa kata dari syair lagu yang mereka bawakan dengan maksud (mungkin) menyesuaikan dengan umur mereka, misal kayak kata "kekasih" diganti dengan "sahabat", dsb.

Mengapa para peserta IC tersebut tidak membawakan lagu anak-anak saja, semisal kayak: Lihat Kebunku, Kupu-Kupu yang Lucu, Naik Delman, dsb; yang saya yakin lebih sesuai dengan usia dan karakter mereka. Kalau toh tidak bisa totally, ya minimal ada pilihan bagi mereka untuk membawakan satu lagu pop dan satu lagu anak-anak. Khan gitu!

Pendapatku, kayaknya pemenang IC harusnya tidak ditentukan berdasarkan kepopuleran peserta saja, but kualitas bernyanyi peserta harus jadi the first priority.

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Prediksi Soal Ujian Nasional

PREDIKSI SOAL UJIAN NASIONAL BAHASA INGGRIS
TAHUN PELAJARAN 2008/2009

Listening Section (no 1 – 15)

In this section of the test, you will have chance to show how well you understand spoken English. There are three parts for this section, with special direction for each part.


Part I
Question 1 to 5
Directions: In this part of the test, you will hear some dialogues or questions spoken in English. The dialogues or questions will be spoken two times. They will not be printed in your test book, so you must listen carefully to understand what the speakers say.
After you hear a dialogue and the question about it, read the five possible answers and decide which one would be the best answer to the question you have heard. Now listen to a sample question.

You will hear
Man : How about exercising tomorrow morning?
Woman : Alright. Pick me up at six.

You will also hear
Narrator : What will the man do?

You’ll read in your test book:
A. Do exercise at six.
B. Go with six women.
C. Take exerciese alone.
D. Leave the woman alone.
E. Come to the woman’s house.

The best answer to the question is “Come to the woman’s house”. Therefore, you should choose answer (E).

1. A. Hobbies. D. Daily activities.
B. Spare time. E. Collecting stamps.
C. Part time job.

2. A. The librarian. D. The location of the library.
B. The Broad Street. E. The function of the library.
C. The books in the library.

3. A. His pride. D. His agreement.
B. His advice. E. His intention.
C. His curiosity.

4. A. Reading books. D. Writing some articles.
B. Doing many activities. E. Reading books and writing some articles.
C. Doing all sort of things.

5. A. Inability. D. Disagreement.
B. Uncertainty. E. Dissatisfaction.
C. Impossibility.

Part II
Question 6 to 10
Directions: In this part of the test, you will hear several questions or statements spoken in English. The questions and responses will be spoken two times. They will not be printed in your test book, so you must listen carefully to understand what the speakers say. You have to choose the best response to each question or statement.
Now listen to a sample question:
You will hear:
Woman : Good morning, John. How are you?
Man : ….
You will also hear
A. I am fine, thank you
B. I am in the living room
C. let me introduce myself
D. My name is John Travolta

The best answer to the question “How are you?” is choice (A), “I am fine, thank you”. Therefore, you should choose answer (A).

6. Mark your answer on your answer sheet.
7. Mark your answer on your answer sheet.
8. Mark your answer on your answer sheet.
9. Mark your answer on your answer sheet.
10. Mark your answer on your answer sheet.

Part III
Question 11 to 15
Directions: In this part of the test, you will hear several monologues. Each monologue will be spoken two times. They will not be printed in your test book, so you must listen carefully to understand what the speakers say.
After you hear a monologue and the questions about it, read the five possible answers and decide which one would be the best answer to the questions you have heard.

11. A. The water is stinky. D. There is no more water.
B. The water tastes bed. E. The water is contaminated.
C. The colour is not good.

12. A. His cat. D. Food.
B. His pet. E. Fish.
C. Bread.

13. A. Bones. D. Fish and bread.
B. Soft food. E. Milk and bread.
C. Steamed rice.

14. A. To the mall. D. To some antique shops.
B. To the market. E. To the department store.
C. To the boutique.

15. A. Poor. D. Luxurious.
B. Rich. E. Unfamiliar.
C. Unhappy.

This is the end of the listening section.

READING SECTION
In this part of the test, you will have the chance to show how well you understand written English. Some texts and questions will be given in this section. Read them carefully and answer the questions.

Text 1
This text is for question 16

Biyan : Hi, Abi! Don’t you want to watch our school team? It will be a real big
match.
Abi : Certainly I’m planning to see the game. But … What about the weather? Do you
think it will be fine?
Biyan : I do hope so.

16. What are the speakers talking about?
A. Planning to watch the game. D. Spending their spare time.
B. Going to spend holiday. E. Attending their school team meeting.
C. Talking about the weather.

Text 2
This text is for question 17

Mrs Salsa : I’d like to send these two letters. One is to Surabaya by special
delivery Express Mail and the other one to England by airmail. How much
do I have to pay for the stamps?
Abigael : Okay, first, I will weigh them. The one to Surabaya costs you three
thousands rupiahs and the other one twenty thousands rupiahs. So both of
them are twenty three thousands rupiahs.

17. The dialogue likely occurs ….
A. at a post office D. at a school
B. at a supermarket E. at a bookstore
C. at a tailor

Text 3
This text is for questions 18 to 20

WHY WAIT FOR A BETTER JOB?
Get a great job now!

National air
Is hiring full-time representatives for Sales & Reservations. Talk to our employees and discover why we’re the best thing in the air. interviews on the spot! Bring your resume
OPEN HOUSE
National Air Headquarters Southeast
Regional Airport Thursday, June 15
7:30 P.M.

18. What is the advertisement about?
A. Hiring full-time representatives for sales & reservations.
B. Meeting full-time representatives
C. Waiting for a better job.
D. Talking to employees about a great job.
E. The best thing in the air.

19. Where will the event be held?
A. On the plane. D. At the regional office.
B. At the owner’s house. E. At southeast region.
C. At their headquarters.

20. “Talk to our employees and discover ….” (line 5)
The underlined word means ….
A. drivers D. trainers
B. tailors E. workers
C. lawyers

Text 4
This text is for questions 21 to 25

The great ship, Titanic, sailed for New York from Southampton on April 10th, 1912. She was carrying 1316 passengers and a crew of 891. Even by modern standards, the 46,000 ton Titanic was a colossal ship. At that time, however, she was not only the largest ship that had ever been built, but was regarded as unsinkable, for she had six teen water tight compartments. Even if two of these were flooded, she would still be able to float. The tragic sinking of this great liner will always be remembered, for she went down on her first voyage with heavy loss of life.
Four days after setting out, while the Titanic was sailing across the icy waters of the North Atlantic, a huge iceberg was suddenly spotted by a look-out. After the alarm had been given, the great ship turned sharply to avoid a direct collision. The Titanic turned just in time, narrowly missing the immense wall of ice which rose over 100 feet out the water beside her. Suddenly, there was a slight trembling sound from below, the captain realized to his horror that the Titanic was sinking rapidly, for five of her six teen water tight compartment had already been flooded! The order to abandon ship was given and hundreds of people plunged into the icy water. As there were not enough life-boats for every body, 1500 lives were lost.
Taken from Developing Skills, L.G. Alexander

21. What does the text talk about?
A. A huge iceberg. D. The Titanic crew.
B. The Titanic as colossal ship. E. The Titanic passengers.
C. The loss of the Titanic.

22. “She was carrying 1316 passengers ….” (paragraph 1)
What does the underlined word refer to?
A. The great ship Titanic. D. The reader.
B. Southampton. E. The passengers.
C. The writer of the text.

23. The paragraph 2 mainly tells ….
A. how the Titanic lost D. Where the Titanic sailed.
B. What the Titanic was E. Why the Titanic damaged
C. How many passengers

24. How many people was the Titanic carrying?
A. About 1,500 passengers. D. on April 10th, 1912.
B. 46,000 passengers. E. For New York from Southampton.
C. 1316 passengers and a crew of 891.
25. “ …, a huge iceberg was suddenly spotted by a look-out.” (paragraph 2)
The underlined word is similar to ….
A. very sharp D. very interesting
B. very small E. very big
C. very narrow

Text 5
This text is for questions 26 to 30
Not Very Musical

As we had a long walk through one of the markets of New Delhi, we stopped at a square to have a rest. After a time, we noticed a snake-charmer with two large baskets at the other side of the square, so we went to have a look at him. As soon as he saw us, he picked up a long pipe which covered with coins and opened one of the baskets. When he began to play tune, we had our first glimpse of the snake. It rose our of the basket and began to follow the movements of the pipe. We were very much surprised when the snake charmer suddenly began to play jazz tunes and popular modern songs. The snake, however, continued to dance slowly. It obviously could not tell the difference between Indian music and jazz.

26. Where did the event take place?
A. In the zoo. D. In a street.
B. At a square. E. In New Delhi.
C. In a market.

27. What does the text tell about?
A. A snake show. D. The Indian songs.
B. Modern songs. E. Jazz music.
C. A snake charmer.

28. “…, he picked up a long pipe which covered with …” (line 4)
The closest meaning to the italic word is ….
A. agreed D. took
B. bought E. discussed
C. looked

29. What will happen if the snake charmer plays different music? The snake will ….
A. refuse to move D. obey the owner
B. dance more quickly E. keep on dancing slowly
C. dance in different way

30. “… , so we went to have a look at him .” (line 3)
What does the underlined word refer to?
A. A snake. D. A dancer.
B. A snake-charmer. E. A visitor.
C. A jazz player.

Text 6
This text is for questions 30 to 35

IRRIGATION
All plants need water to grow. They get this water from the soil. In some place nature supplies all the water is needed. But in other places people must find ways to supplement nature’s supply. The system of supplying water to ensure proper growth of plants and to increase the yield of crops is called irrigation.
The use of irrigation is one of the most important agricultural practices ever developed. Only about 15 percent of the world’s farmland is irrigated. But the irrigated land produces a much larger percentage of the world’s food supply.
Irrigation is practiced on every continent except Antartica.
Irrigation is used to supplement rainfall. Even in humid areas, irrigation is needed to grow certain crops. For example, rice field must be flooded until harvest time.

31. The main purpose of irrigation is ….
A. to absorb water D. to obtain water for a reservoir
B. to grow certain crops E. to store water
C. to make plants grow

32. Where do the plants get water from?
A. The soil. D. Flood.
B. Humid area. E. River.
C. Rainfall.

33. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the text?
A. Irrigation is needed to river.
B. All the world’s farmland uses irrigation.
C. In the rainy season we use irrigation.
D. Nature supplies all the water everywhere.
E. Irrigation is used in addition to rainfall.

34. Paragraph 2 is about ….
A. The use of irrigation D. How to grow certain crops
B. The world’s food supply E. How to produce crops
C. How to irrigate rice fields

35. Irrigation is practiced on every continent except ….
A. America D. Australia
B. Asia E. Antartica
C. Africa

Text 7
This text is for questions 36 to 40

If you want to advance in your career, you will have to take some careful decisions about which jobs you take. Evaluate a job offer for the value it has to your career. It may mean sacrifices at first. You may have to move to a different region or different country to get a job that is right for you. You may have to work late hours, at least temporarily. You might even have to take a lower salary for a job that offers you the experience that you need. But you should never accept a job if it is not related to your career goals.
Accepting a job that is not within your career path will not give you the training or experience you need or want. You will find yourself frustrated in such a position and consequently will not perform your best. This will have an effect on the people around you, who will, not feel as if you are being part of the team. The best advice is to think carefully before accepting any position and make sure the job is want to have.

36. What must we do if we want to advance in our career?
A. We have to make some careful decisions.
B. We have to choose a different region.
C. We must have an experience.
D. We must make sure the job.
E. We must take a lower salary.

37. What is NOT mentioned as a sacrifice for a valuable job?
A. Moving. D. Law salary.
B. No benefits. E. Career goals.
C. Bad hours.

38. What is the writer’s best advice?
A. Take the first job offered. D. Think before accepting a job.
B. Consider changing careers. E. Accept a job without thinking before.
C. Don’t work with other people.

39. “You may have to work late hours, at least temporally.”
The closest meaning of the underlined words is ….
A. over time D. punctual
B. on time E. careful
C. in time

40. “The best advice is to think carefully before ….” (paragraph 2)
What does the opposite mean of the underlined word?
A. diligently D. dangerous
B. hardly E. carelessly
C. harmlessly

Text 8
This text is for questions 41 to 45

Trust Line cordially invites you to attend a morning seminar to learn how you can predict the trends that will assist your clients with success of their investment.
To reserve a seat, fill out the attached card and mail it with your registration fee.
Don’t miss this chance to learn about the resources that drive successful fiduciary service management firms.
For further information, please call 6769980.

41. How can you join the seminar?
A. Present this letter. D. Call 6769980.
B. Send a short form and payment. E. Learn about the resources.
C. Send your business card and request.

42. Where do you find the invitation like at the text?
A. Radio D. Television
B. Computer E. Schedule
C. Newspaper

43. What is the purpose at the morning seminar?
A. To reserve a seat. D. To miss the success of the investments.
B. To fill out the attached card. E. To learn how you can predict the trends.
C. To mail card with registration fee.

44. “… to learn how you can predict the trends ….” (paragraph 1)
The closest meaning to the underlined word is ….
A. manage D. estimate
B. observe E. receive
C. produce

45. “Trust Line cordially invites you ….” (paragraph 1 line 1 )
The underlined word is similar to ….
A. friendly D. interestingly
B. smoothly E. slowly
C. beautifully

Text 9
This text is for questions 46 to 50

Meeting can waste a great deal of time. But you can make your meeting run more smoothly by following a few simple rules. First, have an agenda. This will help keep you focused on what is important. Next, decide who needs to be involved. More people mean less efficient discussion. Finally, keep the discussions moving. Thank each speaker as he or she finishes and move on the next speaker. This encourages people to make their remarks brief. And don’t forget: what happens after a meeting is more important than what happens during the meeting. The skills used then are more professional and less procedural. So no matter how ell you run a meeting, it’s the work that gets done after the meeting that is important.

46. What is the purpose of meeting agenda?
A. To keep the speaker organized. D. To keep focused on important items.
B. To allow free discussion. E. To make their remark brief.
C. To send to others in advance.

47. How should you receive other people’s comments at the meeting ….
A. Try to keep others from talking D. Respond in detail to all comments
B. Thank them and move on E. Make the meeting run well
C. Give them as much time as they want

48. The writer states that?
A. Meetings should be held more frequently.
B. All meeting should be in the morning.
C. No one should receive credit for their work.
D. The real work is accomplished after the meetings.
E. The meeting is important.

49. This encourage people to make their remarks brief.
The underlined word is similar to ….
A. accompanies D. employs
B. finishes E. manages
C. motivates

50. “This will help you focused on what is important ….” (line 2)
What does the word “This” mean?
A. Waste a great deal of time. D. Decide their ideas.
B. Have an agenda. E. Encourage people.
C. Make a meeting run.

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1.12.2009 2 komentar

... and let's make our life be balance

Pernahkah kita berpikir mengapa burung bisa terbang ….
Ya …. Karena burung punya DUA sayap
Trus gimana seandainya burung itu hanya punya SATU sayap?
Dapatkah burung itu terbang?
Gedubrak …. pastilah burung itu terjatuh dengan bebasnya ketanah!


Ilustrasi tadi berlaku juga dalam kehidupan kita
Bahwa kita sebagai manusia sangat memerlukan keseimbangan dalam menjalani hidup ini
Karena keseimbangan itulah yang akan mampu menjadikan hidup kita bias lebih bermakna bagi diri kita dan bagi orang lain

So ….
Harus bagaimanakah kita agar kehidupan ini bisa seimbang?
Berlakulah seperti burung dengan dua sayapnya
Sayap yang satu adalah sayap kesangsian …..
Sangsikan tentang segala sesuatu
Sangsikan tentang semua yang kita dapat, dari siapapun dan dari manapun
Karena dengan rasa sangsi itu akan membuat kita selalu berpikir kritis dan tidak menerima apa adanya
Karena dengan rasa sangsi itu akan membuat kita selalu ingin belajar dan belajar
Karena dengan rasa sangsi itu akan membuat kita selalu ingin menjadi lebih dan lebih

Sayap yang kedua adalah sayap kerendahan hati (bukan rendah diri lho)
Dalam hidup ini kita harus mampu untuk berendah hati mengakui bahwa kita masih kurang
Berendah hati bahwa kita masih kurang segalanya
Berendah hati bahwa kita masih membutuhkan orang lain
Berendah hati mengakui bahwa masih banyak orang lain yang lebih dari kita
Karena hanya dengan rasa rendah hati itulah kita akan bisa dan mau menerima masukan dari orang lain
Karena hanya dengan rasa rendah hati itulah kita akan bisa dan mau menerima kritik dari orang lain

Ketika rasa sangsi dan rendah hati itu telah tiada dalam diri kita
Maka bersiaplah kita untuk hidup dalam keterpurukan
Keterpurukan dalam lubang yang kita gali sendiri dengan pondasi rasa keangkuhan dan kesombongan diri




Anda Membutuhkan Dua Sayap untuk Belajar

Untuk menjalani hidup ini dengan sempurna, kita harus terbang dengan dua sayap, yaitu kesangsian atau bersikap skeptis dan keterbukaan atau bersedia menerima hal-hal baru tanpa syarat. Ya, kita membutuhkan dua-duanya. Cobalah mencapai tempat hanya dengan salah satu sayap itu, apa yang akan terjadi? Kita terbang dalam lingkaran yang semakin mengecil dan akhirnyabrak!kita jatuh. Gunakan keduanyanya secara bersama-sama dan kitapun akan membumbung tinggi. Kadang-kadang kita lebih menyukai salah satu sayap disbanding yang lain, atau kita tidak bias menggunakan keduanya secara memadai untuk meloncat dari pagar tempat kita bertengger. Maka kitapun segera tersesat dalam menjalani hidup kita sebagai manusia.

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1.03.2009 0 komentar