A BROKEN PROMISE Why is this mathematics exercise tougher than usual? It is taking me forever to finish it even though I started at eight oclock. Now it is already 10 oclock and I am not even halfway through. I kept glancing at my computer at the corner of my room. It looked so inviting, making me unsure whether to continue my homework or to just stop and go online. It look me exactly two seconds to make up my mind. I am going online! Obviously from my decision, you know that I am an internet freak. I am willing to do anything (including procrastinating my mathematics homework, even though I know very well my teacher is Mr. Fitzgerald, or more popularly known as Mr. Fitz the Bald. May God help those who dare to mess up with him!). O.K., so I am a self-confessed internet addict but at least I am computer literate! I absolutely adore computers but my greatest love has got to be the Internet Relay Chat (IRC). This is because it gave me a sense of freedom and exhilaration, unlike anything I have experienced before. You can be a supermodel, an astronaut or the local zoo keeper and no one would even know the difference. When I sat in front of the monitor and clicked on the IRC programme, a short but unique name caught my eye. Neo. I said hi and introduced myself. I was ecstatic when Neo answered and turned out to be a great conversationalist and we hit it off immediately. We chatted about everything and I felt as though I had known him since the dawn of time. It never occurred to me to get back to my homework and by the time I did, it was already too late. Realizing this, I dreaded the next day because that was when I had to brace myself for the impact of Mr. Fitz the Balds blashing. I could picture him now, nostrils flared, sweat trickling down his forehead, the gestures of his hand animating his words, eyes that shine with a wild black fire and a head shinier than usual (sometimes you can even see his veins becoming visible and that makes his complexion become a weird shade of red). God, please help me! The next day was a living hell. Everybody was mad at me and I was mad at myself. I just wanted to shout it out to the world, I am a victim of modern civilization!. Then, to relieve my stress, I went out online and Neo was there. He asked me about my day and I told him how I overslept and missed the bus to school, how Mr. Fitz the Bald punished me in front of the whole class and how the class shunned and threw a cold glaring look at me because they had to complete ten exercises which were due the following day just because I failed to complete my work. He just listened to me and was very understanding and supportive. He even sent me a bouquet of virtual flowers to cheer me up and I was touched. It was the beginning of a beautiful friendship. We continued to be friend for a whole month without even knowing how the other looked like but this teeny-weeny fact did not bother me at all. But then, one day Neo told me he would really like to meet me because he felt as if were friends faceless voices. I tried every trick in the book but I could not dodge his request. He noticed my effort and he demanded why I was acting that way. I could not explain why and so I finally gave in. our meeting was set, he was supposed to wear a navy blue shirt, khakis and brown leather shoes. When he described what he was going to wear, I ealized that he must be quite rich to dress so elegantly. As for me, I was just going to settle on a red blouse and my faded blue jeans. We agreed to meet in front of Starbucks coffee house at two oclock, two days from now. Surely you must be wondering why did I not want to meet him. I was afraid that if he knew how I looked like, he would not have interest in being my friend anymore because I was not like other normal teenagers, so vibrant and full of life. When others ran, I lagged behind because my artificial leg could not stand much pressure. The truth is, I was not born handicapped but lost my leg on a mountain expedition last year. I was helping my friend up the ravine but I slipped and fell. I was alive but my right leg was severely injured and had to be amputated. That is why I now have a prosthetic leg. I have felt wonderful it was to be normal and it makes the pain much harder to bear. My old life which full of physical activities, seemed like a passing wind, never to come again. I was not fit anymore to join my friends and that threw my confidence out of the window. I was afraid Neo would not accept me. The next day, my mind was occupied with thoughts of him and his reaction. So, to ease my mind, I made him promise not to judge me by my appearance but by my inside me. I did not tell him the truth because I wanted to know if he was sincere in his friendship. When the moment finally came, I was ready for anything. When I arrived, I noticed a fine looking young man that fits Neos description. When I said fine looking, I was not kidding. He came with his friend, so before I approached him, I studied him first. He was athletically built and tall with mocha coloured skin. His hair was neat and it looked as though it was woven from the hues of midnight sky. His eyes, brown and alert but with certain mysterious glint. It made him looked arrogant and egoistical. I could see that he was so anxious and restless that even his friends comforting words could not help to soothe him. Slowly, I walked up to him and introduced myself. I smiled at him but I could see that he was shocked to see my condition and he failed to hide it. He babbled something indecipherable. He asked how I was and we chatted a little but he seemed restless, I looked at him knowingly and then he glanced at his wristwatch. He excused himself and said that he had to go. Neos friend looked at him in disbelief but Neo ignored his glance. Neo promised to call me later then he hurriedly left. It happened so fast and before I realized it, he was gone. Neo had failed the test. He could not handle the truth, so it was better to let him go. There was no sense in postponing the inevitable. I knew he would never call me again. I knew that our first meeting was also our last. There would be no next time. He had broken his promise and maybe it was true that broken promise lead to broken hearts. Even though I have been through similar situations before, it still hurts. But I will still keep trying because I believe that even when the darkest moments dawns, it comes with the promise of a new day. I just have to move and live with the fact that sometimes, people are not what they seem to be. Thanks to Neo, I know it now. So, as I sat at the corner of the table at Starbucks, looking out the window, I saw a group of teenage girls giggling as if laughing at a secret joke. How I envy them! I looked at them as they passed by and then I reflected on what had happened. I looked down at my coffee and saw my reflection. Then suddenly a tear trickled down my cheek and fell into the coffee, obscuring my reflection.

Copy the BEST Traders and Make Money :http://bit.ly/fxzulu

1,. THE RAILWAY CHILDRENInteresting CharacterBased on the novel you have read, write about an interesting character. Give reasons and examples to support your answer.Model AnswerI read the novel, The Railway Children by Edith Nesbit. In this novel, I find that Bobbie is a very interesting character.I find her interesting because, she is a brave girl. This is shown when there was a landslide. Half of the hillside crashed down onto the railway line. The train was in danger. The children used the girls red petticoat to make six flags to warn the train. The train came down the track too fast. Bobbie ran onto the railway line waving two flags. The train stopped twenty metres away from Bobbie. Here, it is very clear that Bobbie is a brave girl and I am sure not many children her age would do this.She is an interesting character because she is very loving. This is shown when Mother was ill. The children did not have money to buy the things listed by the doctor. Bobbie and her siblings got help. She loved her mother very much and got all the things in the doctors list for her mother with the help of the old gentleman. The old gentleman gave all the things in the list and some extra things.Bobbie has many good qualities and that is why I find her interesting. We should make her our role model.2. Helping Somebody / Being Kind to SomeoneThoughtfulness is the key to happiness. Based on the novel you have learnt, describe an event that shows thoughtfulness.Model AnswerI read the novel, The Railway Children by Edith Nesbitt. In this novel, there are many events which show thoughtfulness. One of them is when the children asked to have cakes on Thursday.They wanted to make a birthday tea for Perks. Peter wanted to ask everybody in the village to help them give Perks a nice birthday. On Thursday, the children went around to collect presents the people had promised. At three oclock, the children took the presents and the pram to Perks house. When Perks came home and saw the pram and the presents, he was angry. He thought people would laugh at him for being poor and needing their things. Bobbie explained that the people wanted to give him the presents because they liked him. Perks calmed down. He was glad that his neighbours thought so kindly of him. By being thoughtful, the children had made Perks happy.In this event, Bobbie and her siblings had made Mrs Ransome happy. They found out that Mrs Ransome was not happy because no one remembered her birthday and she did not want to join them and give Perks a birthday present. The next day, Bobbie and Phyllis gave Mrs. Ransome roses and a handkerchief for her birthday. Old Mrs Ransome thanked them for the roses. She gave them apples for Perks. By being thoughtful, the children had made a lot of people happy and this definitely proves that thoughtfulness is the key to happiness.3. An Interesting EventQuestion : Based on the novel you have read, write about an interesting event. Give reasons for your choice.Tips:1. State the event2. Describe the event3. Give at least 2 reasonsModel Answer:I studied the novel The Railway Children by Edith Nesbit. An event which I find interesting is when Bobbie and her siblings saved the train.One day, the children took a walk along the top of the hill beside the railway line. Suddenly, they heard a noise and saw half the hillside crashed down onto the railway line below. The children realised that the 11.29 a.m train was in danger. They used the girls red petticoat to make six flags to warn the train. The train came down the track too fast. Bobbie was afraid that it would not see them. She ran onto the line waving two flags. The train stopped just twenty metres away from Bobbie.I find this event interesting because the children have shown their bravery to save the train. They were not afraid instead they were willing to risk their lives to save the train and the passengers in it. Bobbie was brave enough to run onto the track when she realized the train would not stop. This act should be praised.Another reason is their team work. They worked together to save the train; tore the girls red petticoat and made six flags to warn the train. Here, I could see that they cooperated to accomplish their mission, that was to save the train.This interesting event makes the story more interesting. Reading about the childrens courage and the adventure they went through is definitely exciting.4. Moral Values : Bravery and KindnessBased on the novel you have read, write about the moral values you learnt from this novel. Give examples to support your answer.Tips State at least 2 moral values Give an example for each moral value stated Describe and elaborate the examplesNote: In order to earn Band A marks, you should have detaileddevelopment of the examples or events.Model Answer:I read the novel, The Railway Children by Edith Nesbit. I have learnt a lot of moral values from this novel such as, being brave and kind.The first moral value is being brave. The best example in this novel is when the children saved the train. One day, the children took a walk along the top of the hill beside the railway line. Suddenly, they heard a noise and saw half the hillside crashed down onto the railway line below. The children realised that the 11.29 a.m train was in danger. They used the girls red petticoat to make six flags to warn the train. The train came down the track too fast. Bobbie was afraid that it would not see them. She ran onto the line waving two flags. The train stopped just twenty metres away from Bobbie. This event has shown how brave the children were and they should be sampled by other children.The second moral value is being kind. One good example of such is when The children asked to have the cakes on Thursday. They wanted to make a birthday tea for Perks. Peter wanted to ask everybody in the village to help them give Perks a nice birthday. On Thursday, the children went around to collect presents the people had promised. At three oclock, the children took the presents and the pram to Perks house. When Perks came home and saw the pram and the presents, he was angry. He thought people would laugh at him for being poor and needing their things. Bobbie explained that the people wanted to give him the presents because they liked him. Perks calmed down. He was glad that his neighbours thought so kindly of him. By being kind, the children had made Perks happy.The children have shown good moral values in this novel and they should be taken as role models.

THE RAILWAY CHILDREN

SYNOPSIS

Roberta ( Bobbie), Peter and Phyllis lived in London with their loving parents. They were happy and contented. One day, two strangers came to their house and took their father away. After this sudden event, the children and their mother moved to a small house in the country. There was a railway line near their new house. The children became friends with the people who worked at the railway. They enjoyed waving to the passengers on the 9.15am train. An old gentleman who travelled on the train always waved back at them. This gentleman became their friend. The children had several adventures with the railway. They stopped the train when a landslide covered the tracks. They also saved a boy who was hurt in the train tunnel. The children often thought of their father . Then Roberta( Bobbie ) found out why their father was taken away. She wrote to the old gentleman for help. With his help, their father finally returned to the family.

Character : Roberta @ Bobbie

ResponsibleEvidence: She takes charge and gets her siblings to think of a way to get their mother the things the doctor said she must have when she is ill. BraveEvidence: She runs onto the railway track to stop the train when a landslide covers the railway line. Determined Evidence: She is determined to gethelp so that she can help her fatherwho is in jail. She tells the oldgentleman about him and with thegentlemans help, her father finallyreturns to the family.

Themes1 1.The importance of family loveBobbie and her siblings have loving parents. After their father is taken away, Mother is very sad but she does not tell the children and the children do not ask questions so that their mother will not be upset.The children always work together to solve problems, for example when their mother is ill and needs special food and when they have to save the train.

2 2.Facing lifes challenges with courageThe children and their mother face problems bravely. Mother does not show how sad she is and works hard to provide for the children.When a landslide covers the railway tracks, the children act with courage to save the train from a terrible accident.

Moral Values We learn about: 1.Family love and loyalty The children show their love for their mother by not asking questions about their father. They are loyal to their father and never forget him. 2.Kindness and compassion The station master lets Peter go when he learns that the family is too poor to buy coal.

3.Bravery The children are brave to confess that they have taken the coal and they also tell their mother that they asked a stranger to get the things the doctor asked them to get for her.The Railway Children : Interesting Event

Question : Based on the novel you have read, write about an interesting event. Give reasons for your choice.

Tips:1. State the event2. Describe the event3. Give at least 2 reasons

Model Answer:

I studied the novel ' "The Railway Children " by Edith Nesbit. An event which I find interesting is when Bobbie and her siblings saved the train. One day, the children took a walk along the top of the hill beside the railway line. Suddenly, they heard a noise and saw half the hillside crashed down onto the railway line below. The children realised that the 11.29 a.m train was in danger. They used the girls red petticoat to make six flags to warn the train.The train came down the track too fast. Bobbie was afraid that it would not see them. She ran onto the line waving two flags. The train stopped just twenty metres away from Bobbie. I find this event interesting because the children have shown their bravery to save the train. They were not afraid instead they were willing to risk their lives to save the train and the passengers in it. Bobbie was brave enough to run onto the track when she realized the train would not stop. This act should be praised. Another reason is their team work. They worked together to save the train; tore the girls' red petticoat and made six flags to warn the train. Here, I could see that they cooperated to accomplish their mission, that was to save the train. This interesting event makes the story more interesting. Reading about the children's courage and the adventure they went through is definitely exciting.IMPORTANT EVENTS IN THE RAILWAY CHILDREN

1.WHEN MOTHER FALLS ILL ( CHAPTER 3 )Mother falls ill. Peter fetches Dr Forrest. The doctor gives the children a list of food that their mother needs. Mother says they have no money to buy the things on the list.The children write a message on a white sheet for the old gentleman on the 9.15 train. It tells him to look out for something at the station. Phyllis gives the old gentleman a letter. The letter explains what happened to the childrens mother and asks the old gentleman for help to get the things on the doctors list.That evening, Perks delivers a large box to the childrens house. Inside the box are all the things in the list plus some extra things and a letter from the old gentleman.

2.SAVING THE TRAIN ( CHAPTER 5 )One day, the children took a walk along the top of the hill beside the railway line. Suddenly, they heard a noise and saw half the hillside crashed down onto the railway line below. The children realised that the 11.29 a.m train was in danger. They used the girls red petticoat to make six flags to warn the train.The train came down the track too fast. Bobbie was afraid that it would not see them. She ran onto the line waving two flags. The train stopped just twenty metres away from Bobbie.

3.A BIRTHDAY FOR PERKS ( CHAPTER 6 )The children asked to have the cakes on Thursday. They wanted to make a birthday tea for Perks. Peter wanted to ask everybody in the village to help them give Perks a nice birthday. Not everyone was kind. Old Mrs Ransome said no one remembered her birthday so she did not want to help but many gave them all kinds of things to Perks. The next day, Bobbie and Phyllis gave Mrs. Ransome roses and a handkerchief for her birthday.On Thursday, the children went around to collect presents the people had promised. At three oclock, the children took the presents and the pram to Perks house. When Perks came home and saw the pram and the presents, he was angry. He thought people would laugh at him for being poor and needing their things. Bobbie explained that the people wanted to give him the presents because they liked him. Perks calmed down. He was glad that his neighbours thought so kindly of him. The children stayed for tea.

There are a few more important events, identify them.NOTE: You must remember the important events in the novel. This is because you need to support your answer with examples and the examples are the events. For example, the question on the character you like best. If you choose Bobbie as the character you like best because she is brave, to support your reason you need to give evidence ( or event in the novel ). The evidence in the novel can be "when she and her siblings saved the train".Posted byRynnYusufat6:08 PMCHARACTERS1.The three children have some common character traits.

Loving,obedient,thoughtful,kind,helpful,hardworking,brave,clever,imaginative,loyal,polite, well-mannered, independent, adventurous and unsure of what is wrong and right.i.Roberta @ BobbieShe is the eldest child in the family and she is twelve years old. She is portrait as responsible, brave, determined, devoted, loving, understanding and sensitive.ii.PeterHe is the only boy in the family and the second child. He is 10 years old. His ambition is to become an engineer. Peter is a proud boy, brave, clever, resourceful and generous.iii.PhylissBeing the youngest in the family she always tries to be good. She is a loving daughter and get upset easily.2.Mother

No name is mention in the story. She has to take care of the family after her husband was taken away. She loves reading books to her children and she writes stories to provide for her family. She is a loving and devoted mother. She is also a protective, brave, patience and strong lady. She is describe as comforting, positive, kind, proud and dignified too.3.The Old Gentleman

This gentleman rides on the 9.15 train every morning. He has white hair and looks kind. He knows the government people. He is Jims grandfather. He has the character of a friendly, kind, polite, helpful and generous old man.

MINOR CHARACTERS1.Father

He is a tall man and white-faced. He works with the government. He is a wonderful father that never gets angry and are always ready to play with his children. Sadly, he was accused of being a spy and was arrested and jailed.2.Perks

Perks works as a porter at the railway station. He is a nice and friendly man. He is kind and polite but he dislikes being pitied by others. He is good at doing his job.3.The Station Master

He is a kind and friendly man too. He agrees to let Peter go after he arrested him for stealing the coal.4.Jim

He is the boy with the red t-shirt that broke his leg during the paper-chase. Jim is the old gentlemans grandson. The children mother nurses him to health after the incident.5.The train driver and Jim, The fireman

They help Bobbie when she gets stuck on their train and help her mend Peters broken toy engine.6.The villagers and other peopleDr Forest : the village doctor, Mrs Viney: the family helper, Mrs Perks: Perks wife and Ruth the family maid in London.

THEMES1.The importance of family love and loyalty2.Taking challenges with courage3.Facing challenges in life4.Growing up to be a well-mannered child5.The importance of friends6.The importance of community

MORAL VALUES1.Family love and loyalty2.Kindness and compassion3.Bravery4.Selfless acts

MESSAGES1.Family members must love and protect each other2.Community support is vital3.Facing challenges in life

POINT OF VIEWThe story is from the third person point of view

LANGUAGE AND STYLEThe writer uses simple and direct language to tell this story. Here are some of the examples:1.Direct speechWake up! she said. Were in the new house, dont you remember? page 82.Simple descriptionThere was a large kitchen with a stone floor, but there was no fire, and the room was cold.3.Simileit was like a terrible dream (page 40)4.Personification I wonder if the railway misses us5.ContrastThe tunnel was dark after the sunshine outside(page 46)6.SymbolismThe railway is a symbol of hope : The railway brings their father back to them in the end (page 57)7.Red is a symbol of dangerThe children make flags from red petticoats to warn the train of danger ( page 29)8.Repetition for emphasisWell, I wont know, I wont know ( page 24)