New Straits Times_Article from Andrew Choo

AS major exams draw near and students race against time to prepare themselves, many questions will plague teenage minds, such as “Would I be able to score straight As?” “Would what I read come out?” “What if I study ABC but DEF comes out?!” Andrew Choo tells DEBORAH TEE, 17 and MANPREET KAUR, 15, about the sort of help students can get in these dire times.

Andrew Choo is best known as ‘the man who provides excellent exam tips!’ It all started in 1986, when a little boy said to him, “Andrew, you have to help me study for my exams.” Andrew replied jokingly, “If I help you study, you’d be guaranteed to get all As.” And the little boy, taking him seriously, gave him an idea that would change Andrew’s life forever. “If you can guarantee me all As, why don’t you set up a tuition centre and you can be successful!” Andrew hadn’t thought of it before, and when the little boy said it, epiphany struck! It didn’t sound very much at first, but after seven sleepless nights, he made the decision that had his career taking off.

He first started out as a home tutor, and after receiving praises as well as encouragement from many, he set up his first tuition centre in 1993. Being a visionary, he wasted no time afterwards in expanding his business by setting up an online site in the year 2006.

The first sentence to come out of Andrew Choo’s mouth when we sat down to interview him was - “We are not selling soalan bocor, we are only selling spotted questions.” It is true that he has been giving tips but one should not consider these essential tips as “soalan bocor” or leaked questions as they are actually predicted or forecasted questions.

His predictions for the recent PMR trial examination were so accurate that he received a call from the Ministry of Education saying they would have to carry out investigations on him. Andrew Choo sells these predictions or what he calls “special tips”. The price range is from RM140 to RM230. “If you order the tips earlier, you will get them cheaper”. These ‘tips’ will normally be sent out 10 days before the examination. Whoever ordered the PMR ‘tips’ would probably have received them last week. For those who are sitting for the SPM examination this year, don’t fret, as you will be receiving the tips before the examination as well! According to Andrew, they can only spot or predict what questions will be asked, the rest of the effort has to come from the students.

You must be wondering, how he gets these ‘tips’? Well, firstly, you may clear your doubts about Andrew Choo being linked to anyone in the Ministry of Education. What he actually uses is simple mathematics - there is a special trend and pattern to look out for when spotting questions. For example, based on the topics in the syllabus, 30% to 33% of it would not be appearing at all. Out of the remaining 60%, 30% consists of past year questions and the other 30% is what Andrew focuses on. Pure technique!

Andrew doesn’t do all the predictions himself, the ‘tips’ are actually the result of teamwork. “We select the teachers who assist us in spotting the questions’’. As he quotes, “You don’t need to cook Maggi mee, we will make the Maggi, you just need to pour some water only”.

Andrew’s seminars are also a hit with exam students. He recently conducted a PMR seminar at Universiti Malaya and the response was amazing! It was actually a full house.

The online notes he provides students with, are the same notes he gives to his tuition students and those who attend his seminar as well. “We minus all the nonsense, and it’s a very handy book” is how Andrew describes the concise notes. In 2007, the accuracy of his ‘tips’ was low and Andrew received a lot of blame but since 2008, the accuracy of his ‘tips’ is very high! Many students from Selangor, log in to his online website www.andrewchoo.edu.my to get tips for their trial examination. “When the students find out that the tips are accurate, they feel confident”. He added that many schools are buying his tips. “If school A orders the tips, School B will surely order it also!” If you would like to get your hands on the state papers for free, be sure to visit his website!

His advice to students is to print out all the trial papers, circle all the answers and only read the ones you don’t understand well. “You don’t have to study for 8 hours but you must study smart for an hour, provided you don’t forget what you have studied,” he added.

So, to all of you ‘exam students’ out there, don’t forget to log in to his website to get all the exam papers for FREE! Plus, if you are interested, you may still purchase the tips for SPM and PMR! Details are all on his website!
All the best for your examinations!

Read more: Spotting Questions http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/SpottingQuestions/Article/#ixzz12lWD7E3h

Sample Composition with corrections 1

Essay : Leisure Time

Everyone has different ways of spending his or her free time. As for me, I usually do reading when I have free time. Most of the time, I read alone. I think because of through reading, I can find out how beautiful this discover the beauty of the world. is.

When I was young, my parents were always busy working.; Therefore, they bought me a lot of books to keep me company accompany me. Through reading, I have made friends with the Three Little Pigs, Snow White, Red Riding Hood, and so on. Since then, reading is has become an important part of my life. Books, magazines, or newspaper are very handy to carry around with. The smallness of sizes and the lightweights of reading materials made it very convenient for me to put them into my handbag. so various that I can pick up any size of them with me at anytime. Besides, Moreover, I can read whenever and wherever I choose to. at anytime, Even just a shred during an interval of time, like waiting for a bus or at break time at in school or at work.; Some people even use time to read while they are in the toilets. In short, I can enjoy reading no matter when or where.

In addition to the convenience, reading also enriches my life, brings gives me a lot of fun, and releases me from the my pressures of modern living. I live in Taiwan and I'm an elementary school teacher. While reading books on of travel, like “Lonely Planet” for example, I would got to know what about other countries are like and what their cultures and customs too. ; also, I can also get to would know about other peoples' stories through reading their biographies. Besides, while reading, When I am immersed in a novel for example, I share can experience the same feelings, such as excitement, sadness and happiness, with the characters in the books. I went to the Hogwarts with Harry Potter, fell in love with Romeo and Juliet, and decoded secret ancient codes with The Da Vinci Code; all of which brought me enormous pleasure. such a good time. With Through reading, I can forget all about this material set aside all the cares of this material world and just dive into the world books provide. Reading relieves me from the burdens of the life, and serves as an outlet for my frustrations.

I usually do reading alone when I have free time. Reading alone doesn't make me antisocial. mean that I don't like to read with others., It is just because most of time, I'm I happen to be alone when I have free time. In short, doing reading when I'm free can broaden my horizons, mind make me happy, and help me relax.


After Correction

　

Everyone has different ways of spending his or her free time. As for me, I usually do reading when I have free time. Most of the time, I read alone. I think through reading, I can discover the beauty of the world.

When I was young, my parents were always busy working. Therefore, they bought me a lot of books to keep me company. Through reading, I have made friends with the Three Little Pigs, Snow White, Red Riding Hood, and so on. Since then, reading has become an important part of my life. Books, magazines or newspaper are very handy to carry around with. The smallness of size and the lightweight of reading materials made it very convenient for me to put them into my handbag. Moreover, I can read whenever and wherever I choose to. Even during an interval of time, like waiting for a bus or at break time in school or at work. Some people even read while they are in the toilets. In short, I can enjoy reading no matter when or where.

In addition to the convenience, reading also enriches my life, gives me a lot of fun, and releases me from the pressures of modern living. I live in Taiwan and I'm an elementary school teacher. While reading books on travel, like “Lonely Planet” for example, I got to know about other countries and their cultures and customs too. I can also get to know about other peoples' stories through their biographies. When I am immersed in a novel for example, I can experience the same feelings, such as excitement, sadness and happiness, with the characters in the books. I went to the Hogwarts with Harry Potter, fell in love with Romeo and Juliet, and decoded secret ancient codes with The Da Vinci Code; all of which brought me enormous pleasure. Through reading, I can set aside all the cares of this material world and just dive into the world books provide. Reading relieves me from the burdens of life, and serves as an outlet for my frustrations.

I usually do reading alone when I have free time. Reading alone doesn't make me anti-social. It is just because most of time, I happen to be alone when I have free time. In short, doing reading when I'm free can broaden my horizons, make me happy, and help me relax.

　

Corrected and explained

　

Everyone has different ways of spending his or her free time. As for me, I usually do reading when I have free time. Most of the time,(“the” is necessary here) I read alone. I think because of (You are not wrong, but I just thought “through” is a better word) through reading, I can find out how beautiful this (“discover” is a much more emotional word than “find out”. “Beauty of the world” sounds better) discover the beauty of the world. is.

When I was young, my parents were always (emphasize “always” to give it a stronger feel) busy working.; Therefore, they bought me a lot of (“a lot of” gives tells the reader more than just buying “books”) books to keep me company (You are not wrong, but try “keeping me company” as a variation) accompany me. Through reading, I have (“have made”, “have eaten”, “have taken”) made friends with the Three Little Pigs, Snow White, Red Riding (Don't forget the “Riding”) Hood, and so on. Since then, reading is has become (“Has become” stresses the fact that it was never before) an important part of my life. Books, magazines, (No “,” when you have the “or”) or newspaper are very handy to carry around with. (emphasize that you want to “carry them around”) The smallness of sizes and the lightweights (“sizes and weights” is not wrong, but sounds like an expression used in your science books) of reading materials made it very convenient for me to put them into my handbag. (Make your description more graphic, like “putting in your handbag” so the reader will try to picture or imagine what you are doing) so various that I can pick up any size of them with me at anytime. Besides, Moreover, (meaning besides) I can read whenever and wherever (meaning anytime and anywhere) I choose to. at anytime, Even just a shred during an interval (Not “shred of time” but “interval of time”) of time, like waiting for a bus or at break time at in school or at work.; Some people even use time to read while they are in the toilets. In short, I can enjoy reading no matter when or where.

In addition to the convenience, reading also (“also” because it is an additional point you are making) enriches my life, brings gives (“bring” is not wrong.) me a lot of fun, and releases me from the my pressures of modern living.(Pressure from what? Why not tell the reader it is from modern living) I live in Taiwan and I'm an elementary school teacher. While reading books on of travel, like “Lonely Planet” for example (“Lonely Planet” is a popular book about travel), I would got to know what about other countries are like and what their cultures and customs too. ; also, I can also get to (“get to know” as in trying or attempting to find out about something) would know about other peoples' stories through reading their biographies. Besides, while reading, When I am immersed (“immersed” as in very indulged or very focused in doing something) in a novel (Novel, why not tell what you are reading) for example, I share can experience (“share's is alright, but experience is a feeling of been into something physically. A more powerful way to describe your feelings) the same feelings, such as excitement, sadness and happiness, with the characters in the books. I went to the Hogwarts with Harry Potter, fell in love with Romeo and Juliet, and decoded secret ancient codes with The Da Vinci Code; all of which brought me enormous pleasure.(“enormous” means “big or huge”) such a good time. With Through reading, I can forget all about this material set aside all the cares of this material (or all the woes of this world. Meaning the worries or concerns) world and just dive into the world books provide. Reading relieves me from the burdens of the life, and serves as an outlet for my frustrations.(An “outlet” is a “channel” and in this context, it means to vent your anger, or frustrations)

I usually do reading alone when I have free time. Reading alone doesn't make me antisocial.(“Antisocial” means not wanting to be around people or doing things that others disapprove of, socially) mean that I don't like to read with others., It is just because most of time, I'm I happen to be (“Happen to be” means “by chance” like “I happened to see him at the department store) alone when I have free time. In short, doing reading when I'm free can broaden my horizons, (Your “horizons” are the things you know, or your knowledge base, so to speak) mind make me happy, and help me relax.

　

Sample Composition with corrections 2

An Unforgettable Experience

It happened many years ago, when I was a little girl. I can neither remember the beginning nor the end , but whenever I think of the scene, my tears flowed freely (1) down my cheeks.

When I was young, my family led a poor life in country (2). That evening (3), the weather was very bad, it rained cats and dogs (4). Just at the evening (5), my families (6) were on our way home. Dad held me on his back, Mom held my elder brother’s hand, and held the only umbrella for Dad and me. Dad gave his overcoat to my elder brother. As you know (7), the road of country is difficult for people to walk, especially in rainy days. However, they waded (8) together like this (9) in the rain. But I wasn’t comfortable either. I was fat at that time, perhaps it was hard for Dad to hold me for such a long time, for he had almost fallen down (10) for several times (11). In order to decrease the weight to Dad, tried to hold myself-----just in mind, though it sounded funny and did nothing (12).

When we arrived home, the inner of our house was raining (13) too. Rain dropped from the bad roof everywhere. Mom put bowls and tubs at the right places for rain. Then she put me and my elder brother on dry places of bed (14). I fell asleep soon. When I opened my eyes, I found Dad and Mom were sleeping in chairs, they caught a bad cold.

This is the earliest memory in my mind, and luckily, it is nothing but my parents’ love, I touched parents’ great love (15) for the first time. Though the evening went away (16), and now we live a happy life, I won’t forget the rain we lived through together, the evening will stay in my mind forever.

Comments:

The basic ideas of this composition are very clear and well-written. It is well-organized and easy to read. However, there are many small mistakes that could be improved. As with most students' compositions, more specific details would have also made it much better.

(1) "whenever I think of the scene, my tears flowed freely down my cheeks" "Whenever" means anytime, which could also be now or in the future, so we should use "flow" rather than the past tense.

(2) "in country" This should be "in the country".

(3) "That evening" "That" refers back to a previously mentioned evening, but the writer didn't mention an evening before. It would be better to write "One evening".

(4) "it rained cats and dogs" Many students rely too much on old, worn-out phrases. Good writing is fresh and includes concrete details. The writer could try something like this: "It had rained hard all day and the old, dirt roads were flooded with water".

(5) "Just at the evening" This should be "In the evening".

(6) "my families" We all have only one family. "My family and I" or "All the members of my family and I" would be better.

(7) "as you know" This phrase is very rarely used and should be reserved for a time when we truly want to emphasize that our readers are aware of a certain fact. In this case, I actually do NOT know that country roads are all difficult to walk on.

(8) "waded" It sounds as though the water was very deep. If that was true, the writer should have already told us "the water covering the road was more than 50cm deep", or something similar. If it is not true, then the writer could write "walked through the heavy rain".

(9) "together like this" "Like this" refers back to a way of walking, but the writer described the country road in the previous sentence, not how they were walking.

(10) "he had almost fallen down" This should be "he almost fell down". We only use "had fallen" if we want to emphasize a previous time when he almost fell. For example, "He had almost fallen down several times before, so now his steps were especially careful".

(11) "for several times" We do not need "for" in this case.

(12) "just in mind, though it sounded funny and did nothing" I have no idea what this means! What is "in mind"? Whose mind is it in? What sound was made? What could it have done if it hadn't done nothing? The whole sentence is very confusing.

(13) "the inner of our house was raining" This sounds as though there were rain clouds inside the house, perhaps with lightning and thunder! Of course, the inside of the house was probably only full of rain water.

(14) "put me on dry places of bed" This should be "put me on a dry spot on the bed".

(15) "I touched parents' great love" "Touch" is not the right word. Maybe "realize", "understood" or possibly "came in touch with" would better express the writer's feeling.

(16) "the evening went away" Evenings do not go away. We could say "the evening ended" or "the evening came to an end".

Revised Composition:

My First Unforgettable Evening

It happened many years ago, when I was a little girl. I can neither remember the beginning nor the end , but whenever I think of the scene, tears flow freely down my cheeks.

When I was young, my family led a poor life in the country. One evening we were visiting some relatives and the weather was very bad. It rained so hard that the roads were flooded with water. On our way home that evening, my Dad carried me on his back. My Mom held my elder brother’s hand, and held an umbrella for Dad and me. Dad gave his overcoat to my elder brother. As you can imagine, many country roads are difficult to walk on. This road was especially bad after the rain. However, we trudged together through the mud and the rain for more than an hour.

Though I was on my Dad's back, I wasn’t comfortable either. I was fat at that time and it may have been hard for Dad to hold me for such a long time. He almost fell down four or five times. In hopes of decreasing my father's burden, I tried to "carry" myself, through force of will alone. That may sound funny, but I was just a kid. Of course, I achieved nothing.

When we arrived home, the inside of our house was covered with rain water. The rain had come through our leaky roof and puddles were everywhere. Mom put bowls and tubs all around the house to try to catch the rain. Then she put me and my elder brother to bed, carefully placing us on the remaining dry spots. I fell asleep soon. When I opened my eyes, I found Dad and Mom were sleeping in chairs, both having caught bad colds.

This is my very earliest memory, and luckily, it represents nothing but my parents’ love. I realized the depth of my parents’ great love for the first time. Though the evening has long since passed, and now we live a happy life, I won’t forget the rain we lived through together. The rain, that evening, and especially my parents' love, will stay in my mind forever.