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Pri Compo : A Burglary
(Adapted from : NL’s)

Cloze Passage

Fill in each blank with the correct Vocabulary words or Descriptive Expressions from the box.

Snike was a plump man who was always cheerful and helpful. Everyone who knew him would never imagine that he had (1) ______________________________. He worked as a fruit-seller in the day and at night, he would be breaking into homes and shops to help himself to the money and valuables! Being an intelligent man who (2) _______________ himself well, he always succeeded at his crimes.

However, (3) ______________________________ changed everything.

Snike managed to (4) _______________ into a provision shop. Alas! He had forgotten to bring his torchlight. He did not want to switch on the lights as that would (5) ______________________________ – afterall, who would stay in a shop at three-thirty in the (6) ______________________________? In the (7) _______________ shop where there were sacks and boxes all over, Snike was (8) ______________________________ – tripping over every now and then, knocking into the shelves and sending packets of noodles, bottles of drinks and cans of food falling onto the floor!

Limei was awakened by the (9) _______________ below. “Everyone should be sound asleep,” she thought to herself. Checking on her children to ensure that they were (10) ______________________________ in the bedroom, she crept down the stairs to find out what was happening.

(11) ______________________________, in the darkness, she could make out a (12) _______________ moving about among the mess. She (13) _______________ her hand over her mouth to (14) ______________________________ that threatened to (15) ______________________________. Like (16) _______________, she tiptoed to her children’s room, locked the door, and called the police.

To her (17) ______________________________, the (18) _______________ law enforcers soon arrived. Snike was captured without difficulty as he had (19) _______________ over a huge sack of potatoes in order to escape!

“Ah Chai?” Limei exclaimed when she saw his face. Snike was actually the fruit seller whom she had known for the last ten years! His fruit stall was only two shops away!

Limei (20) ______________________________ and disappointment when the police led him into the car. “I would never have known,” she muttered to herself.

Answer

Snike was a plump man who was always cheerful and helpful. Everyone who knew him would never imagine that he had (1) a dark secret. He worked as a fruit-seller in the day and at night, he would be breaking into homes and shops to help himself to the money and valuables! Being an intelligent man who (2) disguised himself well, he always succeeded at his crimes.

However, (3) one fateful night changed everything.

Snike managed to (4) sneak into a provision shop. Alas! He had forgotten to bring his torchlight. He did not want to switch on the lights as that would (5) arouse suspicion – afterall, who would stay in a shop at three-thirty in the (6) wee hours of the night? In the (7) cluttered shop where there were sacks and boxes all over, Snike was (8) as clumsy as a bear – tripping over every now and then, knocking into the shelves and sending packets of noodles, bottles of drinks and cans of food falling onto the floor!

Limei was awakened by the (9) commotion below. “Everyone should be sound asleep,” she thought to herself. Checking on her children to ensure that they were (10) safe and sound in the bedroom, she crept down the stairs to find out what was happening.

(11) Much to her horror, in the darkness, she could make out a (12) silhouette moving about among the mess. She (13) cupped her hand over her mouth to (14) stifle the gasp that threatened to (15) escape her throat. Like (16) a mouse, she tiptoed to her children’s room, locked the door, and called the police.

To her (17) immense relief, the (18) dependable law enforcers soon arrived. Snike was captured without difficulty as he had (19) stumbled over a huge sack of potatoes in order to escape!

“Ah Chai?” Limei exclaimed when she saw his face. Snike was actually the fruit seller whom she had known for the last ten years! His fruit stall was only two shops away!

Limei (20) shook her head in incredulity and disappointment when the police led him into the car. “I would never have known,”she muttered to herself.

Teacher Sarah’s note:

N is an adorable little girl who’s been with me since she was in P1. She has problems with spelling and sentence structure so it hampers her compo-writing.

However, she is very creative and enthusiastic. Though she cannot pen down her ideas in the best way possible, she inspires me with what she has.

As a mustard seed, she has her potential and she is still growing. So step by step she is guided to grow in confidence and competence. While she could hardly write a sentence in the past, she can write four paragraph now. Tho’ seemingly behind her peers and still trying to meet the standards of her level, we can celebrate the progress she has made and encourage her to continue persevering. Slowly but surely, she will get there.

Personally, I just continue to be her writer while she weaves her stories, and at the same time, coaching her to write on her own.

For parents who are discouraged at times, please hear me and take heart with this sharing.

I know the pressure from the school system is very real. But you are the only one whom your child can really look to for hope and assurance, that everything will be well in spite of him/her being a late bloomer.

In order to be our child’s pillar, we need to deliberately. turn our eyes away from the demands of the system and bend down to meet our child at his/her level. Otherwise, we will also be ensnared in the race with others.

No doubt it is a painstaking and time-consuming process but I promise you, if we do this right, we can make a difference in, and to our child’s world.