THE PRINCESS DIARIES

Meg Cabot
Harper Collins
Young Adult
ISBN: 0380814021
304 pages

As the hilariously funny tale called The Princess Diaries begins, Mia Thermopolis is just a regular high
school freshman at Albert Einstein High School. Well, as regular as you can be when you live in a loft in
downtown New York with your flighty artist Mom. And as regular as you can be when your best friend is
Lilly, a punky and spunky militant who produces her ownTV show.

As readers can guess from the title, this book takes the form of a diary, written by Mia. Over the pan of
a month, she relates her daily woes and embarrassments in heart breaking detail. As with most teenaged
girls, Mia thinks she is hopeless, looks-wise. She's tall --- 5’9" --- and klutzy, and not so gifted in the chest
department.

Then there is school. One of Mia’s biggest problems is the fact she is flunking Algebra and, to make matters
worse, her Mom has begun dating her teacher. Gross.

In the boy department, the cutest one in school has the locker next to hers, but doesn't even know Mia
exists, even as his snooty girlfriend Lana, a popular cheerleader, torments her. And to top it off, Mia is
developing some sort of weird crush on Michael, Lilly’s computer nerd brother.

Then one day, Mia finds out she is a princess. Okay, I know that doesn’t sound bad to most girls, but Mia
hates the idea instantly. How does this fairy tale come true? Her father is ruler of the principality of
Genovia and since Mia is his only child, she is next in line to the throne. Her dad sends in the big guns to
convince Mia that being a princess is what she is meant to do: her formidable grandmother comes to New
York to give Mia "Princess Lessons". And as the word spreads around Albert Einstein High School that Mia
is royalty, her life just gets more crazy.

The ending of The Princess Diaries is a twisty one and will leave you jonesing for more stories of Mia and
the rest of her friends.

Reviewed by Jennifer Abbots

1. Who wrote The Princess Diaries?

A. Mia Thermapolis
B. Jennifer Abbots
C. Meg Cabot
D. Albert Einstein
E. Lilly
2. What is the communicative purpose of the text above?
A. To criticise an art work, event for a public audience
B. To entertain and to deal with actual in different ways
C. To describe the story of the princes diaries
D. To present (at least) many different aspects of an issue
E. To explain the processes involved in the formation of sosiocultural phenomena
3. Which one is true based on the text above?
A. The Princess Diaries was written by Jennifer Abbots
B. Mia was a student in Albert Einstein High School
C. The Ending of The Princess Diaries is amazing
D. Mia was avoided by her friends
E. The princess Diaries is the title of movie
4. "Her father is ruler of the principality of Genovia ..." paragraph (5) The underlined word refers to ....
A. Lilly
B. Lana
C. Mia
D. Mia's teacher
E. Mia's mom
5. Who is the reviewer of the novel?
A. Meg Cabot
B. Albert Einstein
C. Mia Thermopolis
D. Jennifer Abbots
E. Michael
Read the following text to answer questions number 6 to 10.

CAPTAIN PHILLIPS

Captain Phillips is an upcoming 2013 American biographical action thriller film directed by Paul Greengrass
based upon the book, A Captain's Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALs, and Dangerous days at Sea, by Richard
Phillips with Stephan Tatty, and starring Tom Hanks. It is produced by Scott Rudin, Dana Brunetti, and
Michael De Luca. The film tells a biopic of merchant mariner Captain Richard Phillips, who was taken
hostage for several days by Somali Pirates when the container ship Maersk Alabama which sailed from
southern Oman drown along the coast of Somalia and then to Kenya was hijacked in 2009.

Captain Richard Phillips (Tom Hanks), a veteran merchant mariner, still lives in his native New England,
and he's a plainspoken family man full of anxiety about the economically bleak new world his kids are
facing. When his wife (Chaterine Keener) drops him off at the airport, we can see reverse her. The film
then cuts to Somalia, a land of dust and poverty, where the pirates are recruited for their mission as if
they were migrant farm workers lining up to be chosen for that day's labor. Greengrass doesn't have to
fill in much about the violent, chaotic breakdown of Somalia to let us know that these men have little
choice.

The film does not generate quite the same level of excruciating suspense as some of Greengrass' previous
triumphs, but it nonetheless holds us hostage as it proceeds. As for the four Somali immigrants, they are
remarkably effective in their first professional acting gigs.

6. What is the communicative purpose of the text above ....

A. To criticise about film Captain Phillips
B. To entertaint about film Captain Phillips
C. To give information about film Captain Phillips
D. To describe about film Captain Phillipss
E. To explain about film Captain Phillips
7. The text is a review of a ....
A. Song
B. Book
C. Novel
D. Painting
E. Movie
8. According to the text, Captain Phillips ....
A. Traveled from Somalia to Kenya to find a ship
B. Hijacked a container ship
C. Hijacked many ships in Somalia
D. Was a hostage by Somalia pirates
E. Was a sailor in Southern Oman
9. From paragraph two, we can see that Captain Phillips was .... about his kids.
A. Pleased
B. Happy
C. Doubt
D. Worried
E. Afraid
10. "level of excruciating suspense as some ...." (paragraph 3) synonym of the underlined word is ....
A. Certainty
B. Tension
C. Rejoice
D. Peace
E. Attractive

It was the dawn of science and technology. Anything seemed possible even the creation of life itself. Victor
Frankenstein becomes obsessed with this idea and works relentlessly to prove his theories; but the glory
he imagined becomes a living nightmare - not only for him, but for hos friends and family too.

Mary Shelley’s gothic horror story-frankenstein - was first published in 1818 and has been the inspiration
behind numerous stage productions and films - many of which strayed a long way away from her original
masterpiece. Classical comic presenting a full-colored graphic remains true to this classic tale, bringing the
original story to life which has never been created before.

This graphic novel is available in two versions: Original Text and Quick Text editions. The Original Text
stays faithful to Shelley's original text, while the Quick Text brings the story up to date by presenting the
text into a more simplified style so that the tale is accessible to all readers.

The quick Text edition will allow you to soak up a general feeling for characters and locations, while the
Original Text version will help you easily slip into the language in which the novel was written.

Even if you're not studying the original, this graphic novel is worth buying. It's a great story, and should
be one that everyone has the chance to read. Now, thanks to this release, even those who don't
particularly like to read too much are given the chance to find this tale and hopefully it may encourage
them to search out the original book too.

As with the previous classical comics, the presentation is first class. The best grade glossy paper really
helps to set this graphic novel head and shoulders above the usual comic book releases on the market.
Not only, that you also get a pretty comprehensive biography of Shelley; Mary Shelley's family Tree; a
feature that explains what life was like in the year of the book's release; and a brief
Look on how Frankenstein has been adapted to many different formats over the years.

11. The text is about ....

A. The quick text and original text of Frankenstein story
B. The simplify ed text of the updated horror story
C. The horror story written by Frankenstein
D. The original text of the author’s novel
E. The updated of classical horror story
12. The simple way to understand the story is to read ....
A. The original text
B. Classic comics
C. The quick text
D. The original book
E. The author’s biography
13. The main idea for the third paragraph is ....
A. Victor Frankenstein wrote his story with gothic horror style
B. There are two versions of the graphic novel to enjoy
C. The different versions of Frankenstein story is always an inspiration for drama and film
productions
D. The simplify ed novel has more interesting pictures for readers to understand
E. Mary Shelley had two different versions of Frankenstein story adapted for film
14. The original text of Frankenstein graphic story makes the readers ....
A. Understand the style of writing in its era
B. Curious about the historical background of story
C. Recognize the different life of Frankenstein story
D. Have the inspiration to put the story to a film and drama products
E. Remind the life of Mary Shelley, the author of Frankenstein
15. “... many of which strayed a long way away from ... “ (paragraph 2).
The underlined word can be replaced with
A. Wandered
B. Changed
C. Directed
D. Pointed
E. Avoided

‘Laskar Pelangi’: The Audacity of Hope

This is a movie adapted from a best-selling Indonesian novel. It took 40 days of filming on Belitung Island,
Bangka-Belitung province. Involving 12 local actors, it reportedly cost Rp8 billion. With all the efforts of
transforming Laskar Pelangi (Rainbow Warrior) into a moving picture, will it satisfy readers’ imaginations?

Laskar Pelangi, the novel, was written by Andrea Hirata in 2005, based on his own experiences. It is about
an inspiring teacher and her 10 students in the poverty-stricken Kampung Gantong in Belitung. The poor
condition of their school building does not dampen their high spirits and hopes for a better future.

Two years later, the novel became a phenomenon in Indonesia literature. With its humanistic touch,
Laskar Pelangi has sold more than 500,000 copies and has won the position of Must-Read Novel in every
corner of the nation’s bookshops and media review pages. It has finally overcome the domination of teen-
lit, chick-lit and even religious novels, the popular theme of today.

Andrea entrusted the fi lming of the story to the respected figures in the film industry, Mira Lesmana and
Riza, as producer and film director. In July 2007, Mira and Riri started the per-production, which took a
year to finish. Together with the scriptwriter Salman Aristo they decided to create a different scenario for
the film.

16. What is the main idea of the second paragraph?

A. ‘Laskar Pelangi’ is the story of poor people at the Bangka Belitung province
B. ‘Laskar Pelangi’ is the story of poor school children of the Belitung Island
C. ‘Laskar Pelangi’ is about poverty in Kampung Gantong in Bangka Belitung
D. ‘Laskar Pelangi’ is about an inspiring story towards a better life
E. ‘Laskar Pelangi’ is about Andrea Hirata
17. From the text above, we know that ....
A. The movie was played by poor children
B. Andrea Hirata is the producer of Laskar Pelangi
C. The novel of Laskar Pelangi as a phenomenal work of literature
D. People like the movie better than the novel
E. People like the novel better than the movie

My family of three went to see an early screening of the new Disney movie, ”Brave” yesterday, so I thought
I would write a quick “mommy” review of the movie.

Disney definitely breaks the standard “Disney Princess” mold with this movie as Princess Merida is a fun,
outgoing and wild girl that for once is not in search for the love of a prince. The characters in the movie
are entertaining and I loved the way that the Scottish culture comes out in the movie. I found myself
wishing for more music though, which is one of the things that I truly love about past Disney movies. I
would compare this movie more with “Shrek” than a movie like “Tangled”.

As to the age of the kids that would like this movie I would have to say maybe 5 years old and up. The
movie is not quite engaging enough for very young viewers, which was a little disappointing for our three
years old. There were parts of the movie that our daughter enjoyed, but it is engaging enough for younger
viewers in the audience and made them cry, so be forewarned of this if you are bringing children under
the age of five years old.

I’ve always been a big fan Disney movies so on a 5-star scale I would rate this 4-star movie. It’s definitely
not a favourite, but I give it four star for the relationship that build between Merida and her mother. I
think this offers a great lesson to appreciate your family and truly listen to each others need and concerns.

18. What does the writer think of the music in “Brave”?

A. Too much
B. Too little
C. Wild enough
D. Demonstrative
E. Very beautiful
19. What does the reviewer think of the movie?
A. It is definitely not the favourite
B. It has a good music composition
C. It is the same as the other Disney movies
D. It does not have any lesson for the children
E. It gives a bad impression of a mom and a daughter
20. How does the writer feel about the movie?
A. Amazed
B. Frustrated
C. Appreciative
D. Disappointed
E. Not worthy enough

It is probably one of the most important books I’ve ever read. Not for its heavy philosophy, practical
instructions, or memorable quotes; but for its simple message of how wonderful life can be when viewed
through the eyes of an innocent child.

Each story is only a page or two, a delightful narrative of how Totto-chan views the world, and how Mr.
Kuroyanagi inspires the children to explore, learn, feel, and have joy. There are several charcoal drawings
that capture the tenderness of the stories, making us feel a part of Totto-chan’s world.

One of my favorite vignettes is the story of losing her hat in the septic tank at the school and proceeds to
dig it out. The headmaster walks by, and after a few question to satisfy his curiosity, and hearing her
earnest explanations, he lets her continue with the simple instruction,”make sure you put it all back!”

Totto-chan, the Little Girl at the window is a celebration of childhood, learning and caring. We’ve enjoyed
reading one or two stories for bedtime off-and-on for a couple of years, and almost don’t want to finish
the book because it will mean there are no more stories. Totto-chan seems so real and loveable, and her
headmaster is a role model for parents and teachers.

The book is written by Tetsuko Kuroyanagi and translated by Dorothy Britton.

21. What is the text about?

A. A summary of children biography
B. The novel of Totto-chan
C. Children’s activities
D. A description of Mr. Kuroyanagi
E. The headmaster and teachers
22. Totto-chan, The Little Girl at the window is a story ....
A. Of an innocent children
B. Containing philosophy of life
C. That teaches us that life is actually wonderful
D. That motivates children to explore the world
E. That describes good headmasters and teachers
23. According to the text, who inspires the children enjoying their childhood?
A. Tetsuko Kuroyanagi
B. The teachers
C. The headmaster
D. Dorothy Britton
E. The Little girl
To Kill a Mockingbird
By Harper Lee
Warner Books
Reviewed by Rodman Phillbrick

I’ve never been to Alabama, but novelist Harper Lee made me feel as if I had been there in the long, hot
summer of 1935, when a lawyer named Atticus Finch decided to defend an innocent black man accused
of a horrible crime. The story of how the whole town reacted to the trial is told by the lawyer’s daughter,
Scout, who remembers exactly what it was like to be eight years old in 1935, in Maycomb, Alabama.

Scout is the reason i loved this book, because her voice rings so clear and true. Not only does she make
me see the things she sees, she makes me feel the things she feels. There’s a lot more going on than just
the trial, and Scout tells you all about it.

A man called Boo Radley lives next door. Very few people have ever seen Boo, and Scout and her friends
have a lot fun telling scary stories about him. The mystery about Boo Radley is just one of the reasons you
want to keep turning the pages to find out what happens in To Kill a Mockingbird.

To Kill a Mockingbird is filled with interesting characters like Dill, and Scout makes them all seem just as
real as the people in your own hometown. Here’s how Scout describes Miss Caroline, who wore a red
striped dress:”She looked and smelled like a peppermint drop.”

The large theme of the story is about racial intolerance, but Scout never tries to make it a”lesson,” it’s
simply part of the world she describes. That’s why To Kill a Mockingbird rings true, and why it all seems
so real.

24. Who is the writer of the Novel” To Kill a Mockingbird”?

A. Scout
B. Boo Radley
C. Harper Lee
D. Atticus Finch
E. Rodman Phillbrick
25. According to the reviewer, the book “To Kill a Mockingbird” is ...
A. Challenging
B. Reasonable
C. Interesting
D. Innocent
E. Irrational
26. “ .... Scout and her friends have a lot fun telling scary stories about him.” (paragraph 4) The
underlined word has similar meaning with ....
A. Joyful
B. Interesting
C. Challenging
D. Frightening
E. Amusing

A Beautiful Mind is a biographical movie about John Forbes Nash Junior, mathematical genius with hard
fate. At the beginning of this carrier he has made enormous contribution in the field of Game Theory,
which was a revolution in this mathematical area and almost brought international fame to the author.
The movie was filmed in 2001 by Ron Howard and today it is called modern classics: a true drama, making
you think and evoking emotions.
Such movie, telling us about the life of a famous person, are always difficult to assess, because any such
creations somehow pretend to be biographical ones. But in fact they are just a glance of one particular
producer on the life of another individual. Of course, much depends on the actor who will perform the
role of the protagonist and after watching A Beautiful Mind I will agree with this once again.

27. What is the text about?

A. The review of ‘A Beautiful Mind‘ movie
B. The movie of Jhon Forbes Nash’s biography
C. The Oscar winner in Modern Classic Drama
D. The contribution in the field of Game Theory
E. The story about the genius man in the mathematical area
28. Why is ‘Beautiful Mind’ is regarded as modern classics?
A. It revolutionizes the mathematical area
B. It tells about the life of current famous person
C. It makes the audience think and feel emotions
D. It tells the story about the role of the protagonist
E. It conveys Ron Howard’s feeling about his creation
29. What does the writer recommend to the readers?
A. To create a game theory
B. To create one’s biography
C. To learn mathematics seriously
D. To agree with the writer’s opinion
E. To watch the film titled ‘A Beautiful Mind’