Bahasa Inggeris notes, unit 2
Life's Great Mysteries
Textbook English Download B1+ Student's Book Form 5 (KSSM, Hamilton House / KPM 2020), pages 17-28
What this chapter covers
- I can read a long article, find what a pronoun refers to and answer multiple-choice questions by predicting the answer first (2.1)
- I know the vocabulary of mysteries, such as evidence, theory, myth, inherit, investigate, observe and disappear, and words like haunted, spooky, bizarre and ridiculous (2.2)
- I can choose between the past simple and the past continuous, including the interrupted-action pattern (2.3)
- I can use used to, would, be used to and get used to, and I know the difference in meaning and form (2.4)
- I can use phrasal verbs and commonly confused words (odd/rare, last/latest, prizes/prices, affects/effects) correctly (2.5)
- I can listen for the type of answer and complete notes with a word or short phrase (2.6)
- I can compare ideas with comparatives and superlatives and give a preference in a speaking task (2.7)
- I can write a lifelike story that uses feelings, speech, the five senses and time expressions (2.8)
This unit is about mysteries: haunted houses, legends and unsolved puzzles. It builds the skills you need for SPM English: reading long texts, using the past simple and past continuous, using used to, would and be/get used to, listening for gaps, comparing ideas aloud and writing a story that feels real.
2.1Reading a long article
The unit text, "A house of mystery", is about Sarah Winchester, a rich widow who built a huge house in California that never seemed to be finished. The questions test the main kinds of reading skill: reference (what does "it" mean?), reason (why did something happen?), detail and inference.
| Fact from the article | Detail |
|---|---|
| Why did she build? | A medium told her that ghosts of people killed by Winchester rifles were haunting her family. As long as she kept building, she would stay safe. |
| How long did she build? | Thirty-eight years, around the clock, even at weekends and holidays. |
| Strange features | Stairs up to the ceiling, doors opening onto walls, secret passages. |
| Size at her death | 160 rooms, 2,000 doors, 10,000 windows, 47 staircases, 13 bathrooms. |
| Habits | Never slept in the same bedroom twice running; visited the Blue Room each night; rang a bell at midnight and 2 a.m.; wore one of 13 special robes. |
Answer in your own words first. Read the question, think of the answer, then look at A to D. If your answer is there, check it in the text. This stops the options from tempting you.
Common traps: an option that uses words from the text but says something different; an option that is true but does not answer the question; an option that is too strong ("all", "never", "always").
What does "it" refer to in "Did she know that it would last for the rest of her life?" (the strange obsession awaited her).
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"It" refers to the obsession (building the house), the thing that awaited her in California. It does not refer to travelling or to California.
2.2Vocabulary of mysteries
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| evidence / prove | facts that show something is true / to show it is true | You need evidence to prove the theory. |
| theory | an idea that tries to explain something | There is a theory about the house. |
| myth / legend | an old traditional story, often not true | My favourite Greek myth is about Icarus. |
| investigate | try to find out the facts | The police investigate a crime. |
| observe / discover | see and notice / be the first to find | We observed a strange light. |
| inherit | receive from someone after they have died | Sarah inherited the gun company. |
| obsession, medium, victim, passage, incident | strong passion; person who contacts spirits; person who suffers; narrow corridor; an event | Building became her obsession. |
Adjectives for strange things
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| haunted | visited or lived in by a ghost |
| spooky | frightening |
| bizarre | very strange |
| ridiculous | silly or stupid |
| remarkable | wonderful, amazing |
| unusual | different from what is normal |
Choose the best word: "Don't be ______. There are no ghosts in this room." (spooky / ridiculous / remarkable)
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ridiculous (silly). Spooky means frightening and remarkable means amazing.
2.3Past simple and past continuous
| Past simple | Past continuous (was/were + -ing) |
|---|---|
| an action that started and finished at a stated past time | an action in progress at a stated past time |
| past routines, habits and states that are no longer true | two actions in progress at the same time |
| actions one after another (telling a story) | background description in a story |
| They investigated the crime two years ago. | An action interrupted by another: We were talking about our theory when we observed a strange light. |
Examples
The historian was reading at five o'clock last night. (in progress at a stated time)I was watching a spooky programme while my brother was doing the laundry. (two actions at once)
Dean opened the door, went inside and walked up the stairs. (one after another)
State (stative) verbs such as know, want, believe and like are not normally used in a continuous tense. Write "Tom wanted proof", not "Tom was wanting proof". In a question about a finished past event, use did: "Did they solve the mystery in 1990?"
When two actions meet, the long background action takes the past continuous and the short interrupting action takes the past simple: "While Tom was looking for proof, he found a key."
Choose the correct form: "Lara (read / was reading) a book of myths while Tyler (surfed / was surfing) the Net."
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Lara was reading ... while Tyler was surfing ... Both actions were in progress at the same time.
2.4Used to, would, be used to, get used to
| Form | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| used to + base verb | past habit or state that is no longer true | Molly used to enjoy mystery novels, but now she doesn't. |
| would + base verb | past habit only (not states) | The ghost would disappear when anyone took a picture. |
| be used to + -ing / noun | it is familiar and normal | We are used to hearing strange sounds in the attic. |
| get used to + -ing / noun | becoming familiar | He is getting used to living near a cemetery. |
Questions and negatives with used to: "Did you use to believe in werewolves?" and "We didn't use to like horror stories". Drop the -d after did.
After be/get used to use the -ing form: "I am used to get getting up early." Use would only for repeated actions, never for states: "She would have used to have long hair."
Same words, three meanings
She used to live alone. (she does not any more)She is used to living alone. (it is normal for her)
She is getting used to living alone. (it is starting to feel normal)
Fill the gap: "I have lived by the sea for years and I am used to ______ (wake) to the sound of waves."
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waking. Be used to is followed by -ing.
2.5Phrasal verbs, confused words and time expressions
| Phrasal verb | Meaning |
|---|---|
| leave behind | go without someone or something |
| bring back | return with |
| pass away | die |
| dig up | take out of the ground |
| fall for | be tricked by |
| read up on | study a subject by reading |
| Confused pair | Difference |
|---|---|
| odd / rare | odd = strange; rare = not often found |
| last / latest | last = final; latest = most recent |
| strength / power | strength = physical force; power = special ability or control |
| prizes / prices | prizes = awards; prices = what things cost |
| shade / shadow | shade = shelter from the sun; shadow = dark shape made by a body |
| affects / effects | affects = verb (influences); effects = noun (results) |
Time expressions: at times (sometimes), time and time again (repeatedly), have the time of your life (enjoy yourself very much), no time like the present (do it now), be just like old times, time waits for no man (time passes and cannot be stopped).
Choose: "The new law ______ everyone who drives." (affects / effects)
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affects. A verb is needed here; effects is a noun.
2.6Listening: completing notes
The listening text is a talk about the legend of Robin Hood, an outlaw who was said to live in Sherwood Forest around 1300 and to steal from the rich to help the poor. For gap-fill tasks:
- Read the sentences before you listen and decide what kind of word is missing (a number, a place, a plural noun, an adjective).
- Write one word or a short phrase, exactly as you hear it.
- Check spelling and that the gap sentence makes sense and fits the grammar.
- Listen for dates, directions (to the north of) and durations (for over 700 years).
Sentences with "passed down" often need a noun like stories or songs; sentences with a date need a year. Predict first, then listen.
2.7Speaking: comparing and choosing
In a speaking task you compare several options, discuss the advantages of each and then choose the best. Use comparatives and superlatives.
| Function | Language |
|---|---|
| Saying what you think | I think that ... / I feel that ... / I would say that ... / I don't believe that ... |
| Comparing | ... is more interesting than ... / ... is not as useful as ... / ... is less expensive than ... |
| Choosing the best | The most useful idea is ... / Personally I would prefer to ... |
Grammar traps: "more better" is wrong, say "better"; use than with the comparative and as ... as for equal; "less" goes with the opposite meaning, "least" with the superlative. Discuss every option before you choose.
2.8Writing: a lifelike story
A story is built from description, action and people. The unit shows how to make characters seem real.
- Speech and thought: use a verb of speaking plus an adverb: she whispered nervously, he shouted excitedly, they sighed happily.
- Feelings: astonished, desperate, exhausted, relieved, terrified, confused, frustrated, miserable.
- Five senses: what the character sees, hears, smells, tastes and touches.
- Time expressions: the next day, just then, suddenly, after that, much later.
| Paragraph | Content |
|---|---|
| 1 | Set the scene and explain the given sentence |
| 2 and 3 | Action and description |
| 4 | Ending |
The story is 140 to 190 words. It must begin with the given sentence and include every point in the task (for example a message and a surprise). Check tenses: mostly past simple, with the past continuous for background.
Complete: "'Thank goodness I've found it!' said Jan. 'I'm so ______.'" (relieved / terrified)
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relieved. Terrified means very frightened.
Summary
- Predict the answer before looking at the options; watch for look-alike and too-strong options.
- Past simple: finished events, habits, sequence. Past continuous: in progress, background, interrupted.
- Used to + base = past habit or state; would + base = past habit only; be used to + -ing = familiar; get used to + -ing = becoming familiar.
- Learn the phrasal verbs and confusable pairs: affects/effects, prizes/prices, shade/shadow.
- Stories: given sentence, all points, feelings, speech, senses, four paragraphs, 140 to 190 words.