Story: Goodbye (Part 2)

“We’re very sorry for what has happened, Ma’am,” Winda apologized to Shanti’s mother, Mrs. Diah.
“No, you didn’t make any mistakes.” Mrs. Diah caressed Winda’s hair.
“But… it wouldn’t have happened if we hadn’t held a party for Shanti,” uttered Heru sadly.
“She passed away not because of the party, Heru,” replied Mrs. Diah.
“But….” Dewi interrupted.
“Did Shanti ever tell you about her disease?” Mrs. Diah asked.
“Her disease?” Dewi was curious.
“What do you mean, Ma’am?” Winda wondered.
“All right, I’ll tell you all about it.” Mrs. Diah took a deep breath and began to tell the story,”Around three months ago, Shanti and I went to see a doctor because Shanti often complained about her head and her sight. From the medical examination, the doctor concluded that she suffered from a brain cancer.”
“Cancer?” Heru was shocked.
“Yes. And the doctor predicted that Shanti wouldn’t live long.” Mrs. Diah’s eyes were wet. Teardrops rolled down.
“Did Shanti know about her illness?” asked Winda.
“Yes, she did.” Mrs. Diah wiped her tears. “But… as you all know Shanti is a tough girl. She didn’t want other people to know about her real condition. She did everything as if nothing had happened. She kept studying hard. She went to school in the morning and gave private English and mathematics lessons to Junior High School students in the afternoon. She ever said,’Life is so short, but meaningful. That’s why, I must make good use of it as well as I can.’ She helped me much in my daily activities.”
“What a girl!” said Heru.
“Yeah, I’m very proud of her. Since her father passed away a year ago, she has helped support the family by teaching Junior High School students. She realized that the pension money I received from her father wasn’t enough to satisfy our daily needs. Let alone, her younger brother and sister need money for their schooling.”
“She’s a great girl!” Dewi praised and admired Shanti. “We are very sorry, Ma’am, we couldn’t attend the funeral ceremony yesterday. It was because…it was hard to say goodbye and to see Shanti leave this world. She has left us for good. We all have lost her, Ma’am.

“Yes, that’s right.” Winda sobbed. “Let us hope and pray that Shanti rests in peace there.”

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English Quiz

Ingin menilai penguasaan Anda terhadap idiom dan peribahasa Inggris? Cobalah menjawab pertanyaan-pertanyaan berikut dan menangkan kesempatan untuk mendapatkan buku saya yang berjudul English Provebs and Quotations (Penerbit Dioma Malang). Saya akan memberikan satu buku secara gratis kepada satu orang pemenang.

Pertanyaan 1-8 berkenaan dengan idiom.

Question 1

She is so pig-headed. The underlined words mean ………..

a. stubborn b. hard work c. like animal d. reasonable

Question 2

Sorry I didn’t do it on purpose. The underlined words mean ……..

a. intention b. intentionally c. right away d. carefully

Question 3

A: I’m sorry I can’t treat you today because I’m broke.

B: No problem. We can …………

a. get the sack b. go Dutch c. pass out d. let the cat out of the bag

Question 4

Susan and her sisters take turns using the computer because there is only one computer in their house. The underlined words mean ………..

a. decide b. do alternately c. try hard d. reject

Question 5

Tomi got the sack last week. So, he tries to land a new job. The underlined words mean…..

a. got a low salary b. felt unsatisfied with his current job c. retired d. was fired

Question 6

To run a business well, we must take several economic and non-economic factors into account. Take into account means ……….

a. consider b. seek c. talk over d. explore

Question 7

She ……after hearing the bad news about her husband.

a. called on b. passed out c. cut corners d. made up her mind

Question 8

The two tribes agreed to ………….. after a two-year war.

a. pass out b. brush up on c. take into account d. bury the hatchet

Pertanyaan 9-15 berkenaan dengan proverb.

Question 9

Honesty is the best ……….

a. friend b. policy c. experience d. character

Question 10

Make …… while the sun shines.

a. roof b. money c. umbrella d. hay

Question 11

A bird in the hand is worth two in the ……..

a. bush b. tree c. cage d. market

Question 12

Cut your …… according to your cloth.

a. paper b. shirt c. coat d. hair

Question 13

Man proposes, God ……..

a. disposes b. punishes c. blesses d. grants

Question 14

When the cat is away, the ……. will play.

a. dogs b. mice c. fish d. monkeys

Question 15

Don’t count your ….. before they are hatched.

a. money b. eggs c. chicken d. ducks

Ketentuan partisipasi dalam kuis:

1. Peserta adalah pemilik blog di blogspot.com dan berdomisili di wilayah Indonesia. (Bagi yang lain tetap diperbolehkan untuk ikut menjawab tetapi tidak akan dipilih sebagai pemenang.)
   
2. Peserta memberikan jawaban pada Comments yang ada di bagian bawah posting (bukan pada shoutbox!) dengan mencantumkan nama lengkap dan URL blog-nya.
3. Kuis ini ditutup pada 31 Januari 2008 dan pemenang akan diumumkan pada 1 Pebruari 2008.
4. Jika terdapat lebih dari satu peserta yang menjawab dengan benar, pemenang akan dipilih berdasarkan siapa yang lebih dahulu memberikan jawaban. (Tidak ada sistem undian!)
5. Contoh format jawaban adalah sebagai berikut:

Jawaban Kuis:

1. A

2. B

dst….

Nama Lengkap : Hendro Darsono

Blog URL : http://henson1609.blogspot.com

Selamat berpartisipasi! Good luck!!!

Story: Goodbye (Part 1)

Goodbye
By Hendro Darsono


“Where are you going to take me, Win?” asked Shanti curiously.
“To my house,” replied Winda shortly.
“What for?”
“I wanna show you my lovely Persian cat.”
“Your Persian cat? Hey, since when have you been interested in a cat? You always say you don’t like any pet.”
“Well, I just wanna feel how you feel. You look after several kinds of cats. I don’t know how a cat can give you a great pleasure.”
“For me a cat is a nice, smart, attractive and faithful friend.”
“We’ve arrived, Shan,”said Winda when her car entered her house yard. “While I’m parking this car into the garage, you can get into my house first. The door isn’t locked.”
“Okay, Win.”
“Surprise!!!”
Shanti was startled and got mixed up. She found her classmates in the living room. “Hey, wh…what is it?”
“Happy birthday, Shanti.” Shanti’s best friend Dewi hugged and kissed her.
Winda entered the room and hugged Shanti. “Happy birthday, my best friend. Two weeks ago—beyond your ken—our class discussed to hold a party for you. We do it only for you because you’re so special. You’re a girl of many achievements. You’re not only clever but also active in our school organization. You’re the best student and also an exemplary student who really become a role model for all of us. You’ve created a good atmosphere in our class.”
“C’mon, don’t make me flattered.”
“No, you deserve it!” Winda said smilingly.
“All right, guys. Now let’s sing a happy birthday song for our beloved friend, Shanti.” Heru, Shanti’s other best friend, led everybody to sing.

Happy birthday to you.
Happy birthday to you.
Happy birthday, dear Shanti.
Happy birthday to you.

Everybody clapped their hands. Then Heru lit the eighteen candles standing on the beautiful birthday cake prepared for Shanti. “Now it’s time for you to blow the candle, Shanti.”
“Before blowing the candle, don’t forget to close your eyes and make a wish,” Dewi suggested. “People say if we can put out the candle in one single blow, our wish will come true.”
“All right, I’ll do it.” Shanti closed her eyes for a moment and then blew the candles. “Phuh…!” Everybody clapped their hands.
“What was your wish, Shanti? “ Dewi wanted to know. “Did you make a wish in order that you can have a gorgeous boyfriend?”
“No, no. I just prayed that God gives me happiness… here and hereafter.”
“Only that?” asked Heru.
“Yes.”
“Okay Shanti, now you can cut the birthday cake.” Winda handed Shanti a knife and Shanti used it to cut the cake.
“The next surprise, Heru.” Winda squinted at Heru.
“Sure.” Heru went to take three boxes wrapped with glossy and colorful paper. “These are the birthday presents from our class.”
“Oh, you’re all so kind to me.”
“Unwrap the boxes one by one, Shanti. Starting from the smallest one,” said Dewi.
“Oh… cool! This T-shirt is so cool! It suits me.”
“Next … this one. Please open it!” Heru handed Shanti the bigger box.
“What is it? Ah… some English books.” Shanti took a look at the books one by one. “Energize Yourself! by Vera Pfeiffer, Working with Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman. And these ones… oh novels! Silent Honor by Danielle Steele and If Tomorrow Comes by Sidney Sheldon.”
“We know you’re crazy about reading. Hopefully, you’ll like them,” said Heru.
“Absolutely!”
“Now the last one. It’ll be a great honor if Your Majesty would like to open it,” Winda said jokingly.
“This box is so big. And there’s a hole on each side.”
“Oops! Don’t take a peep. Just unwrap it,” exclaimed Winda.
“Okay, okay.” Shanti unwrapped the box carefully. “Oh my God! A cat! A Persian cat!” She held the cat in her arms. “I love it!”
“Give a name, Shanti,” uttered Dewi.
“Uhm… well, since this cat comes from Persia, I’ll name it ‘Percy’.”
“Hmm… what a good name!” Heru said.
“Guys, now let’s give Shanti a little time to say something about her birthday.”
“That’s a good idea, Winda,” Dewi agreed.
Shanti took her position and began to speak,”Well… first of all, I’d like to thank you so much for your attention to me. I’ve never thought before that you’re gonna hold this kind of great and unforgettable party. Today is my eighteenth birthday. I don’t know for sure whether or not I still can celebrate my next birthday. The proverb says,’Man proposes, God disposes.’ I’m really touched to the core by your kindness, guys.” Winda gave tissue paper to Shanti and Shanti used it to sweep teardrops trickling down on her pinkish cheek. “Yeah…our class is very different from others. We have a strong bond of friendship… and solidarity. That’s why, other classes are jealous of our class. Guys,” Shanti furthered,”in this happy occasion, please let me remind you that next month we’ll sit for final exams. We’re now in the third year of Senior High School. Let’s help one another in our study. I hope our class will be the best again. And above all… these final exams will become a stepping-stone to reach our future. Uhm… I think that’s all. Once again, thank you so much for what you’ve done to me.”
“I think this party isn’t complete without poetry reading,” Heru said. “Shanti is the winner of the poetry reading contest in this city.”
“Yeah, you’re right, Heru,” Dewi seconded Heru’s idea.
“Yeah, c’mon Shanti, show your ability.” Everybody urged Shanti.
“All right, all right.” Shanti didn’t want to let her friends down. “If that’s what you want, I’ll do it. So, what poem should I read?”
“It’s up to you,” said Winda.
“Okay, I’ll read a poem by Christina Rosetti who lived in 1830-1894.” Then Shanti began to read the poem….

A BIRTHDAY

My heart is like a singing bird
Whose nest is in a water'd shoot;
My heart is like an apple tree
Whose boughs are bent with thick-set fruit;
My heart is like a rainbow shell
That paddles in a halcyon sea;
My heart is gladder than all these,
Because my love is come to me.

Raise me a dais of silk and down;
Hang it with vair and purple dye;
Carve it in doves and pomegranates,
And peacock with a hundred eyes;
Work it in gold and silver grapes,
In leaves and silver fleur-de-lys
Because the birthday of my life
Is come, my love is come to me.

The party continued with some kinds of entertaining programs. Everybody sang, danced, and played an interesting game designed for a birthday party. Then they enjoyed the meal. When the party was about to end, something happened.
“Oh… my head!” shanti sighed.
“Hey, what’s wrong with you, Shan?” Winda approached her.
“My head is so dizzy,” Shanti complained. “This earth… looks like turning… upside down.”
“Do you need aspirin?” asked Winda anxiously.
“No. I think… I… I….”
“Shanti… Shanti…!” Dewi cried out. “She’s unconscious!”
“Let’s take her to the hospital!” said Heru.
Shanti was brought to the hospital. In the hospital she regained her consciousness. But she needed more medical treatment and had to be hospitalized. Shanti, in fact, suffered from a serious disease and the medical team wasn’t able to cure it. Five days later Shanti passed away.

* * * * *

Tongue Twister (3)

Pronounce this tongue twister several times!

Betty Botter bought some butter,
but she said "this butter's bitter!
But a bit of better butter will but make my butter better"
So she bought some better butter,
better than the bitter butter,
and it made her butter better

Puzzle: Black and White

Kali ini saya akan memberikan teka-teki dalam bahasa Inggris kepada Anda. Bagi yang tahu jawabannya, silahkan menuliskan jawabannya dalam Comment.

Here we go....

This is the name of a thing. It is white when it is dirty and it is black when it is clean.
So, can you guess what it is?

Answer Key: Latihan Peribahasa Inggris

Sudah dapat jawaban untuk latihan melengkapi peribahasa Inggris yang diberikan bulan lalu? Kalau sudah, silahkan mencocokkan jawabannya di bawah ini!

1. Birds of the same feather flock together.
   
2. A good example is the best sermon.
3. Too many cooks spoil the broth.
4. A man without ambition is like a bird without wings.
5. Honesty is the best policy.
6. Haste makes waste.
7. A rolling stone gathers no moss.
8. Every cloud has a silver lining.
9. Easy come, easy go.
10. A little leak will sink a great ship.
11. Bad news travels fast.
12. A stitch in time saves nine.
13. Practice makes perfect.
14. Don't count your chicken before they are hatched
15. Experience is the best teacher.
16. It is no use crying over the spilt milk.
17. Silence is gold.
18. Knowledge is power.
19. Killing two birds with one stone.
20. Make hay while the sun shines.

Idiom: Rain Cats and Dogs

Rain cats and dogs : hujan sangat deras
The children can't play outside because it is raining cats and dogs.
= Anak-anak tidak bisa bermain di luar karena hujan sangat deras.

Note:
Idiom ini saya persembahkan buat Mas Nataluddin yang katanya sekarang lagi hujan deras di daerahnya.

Simple Future Tense

Simple Future Tense digunakan untuk mengungkapkan suatu kegiatan atau peristiwa yang akan terjadi atau berlangsung di waktu mendatang.

Keterangan waktu (adverbs of time) yang dapat digunakan antara lain adalah:
tomorrow : besok
tonight : nanti malam
next week : minggu depan
next month : bulan depan
next year : tahun depan
soon : segera


Kalimat Positif (Positive Sentence)
S + shall/will* + V1
* shall digunakan untuk subjek I dan We, sedangkan will bisa digunakan untuk semua subjek.
Contoh:
Hasan will study abroad next year.
= Hasan akan belajar di luar negeri tahun depan.
My mother will make a birthday cake for me tonight.
= Ibu akan membuatkanku bolu ulang tahun nanti malam.

Kalimat Negatif (Negative Sentence)
S + shall/will + not + V1
Contoh:
Hasan will not study abroad next year.
My mother will not make a birthday cake for me tonight.


Kalimat Interogatif (Interrogative Sentence)
Shall/Will + S + V1
Contoh:
Will Hasan study abroad next year?
Will my mother make a birthday cake for me tonight?

Catatan:
Simple Future Tense juga dapat dibentuk dengan menggunakan 'to be going to' terutama untuk kegiatan yang sudah direncanakan sebelumnya (prior plan).

Rumus: S + am/is/are + going to + V1
Contoh:
Budi is sick and we are going to visit him this afternoon.