Poi english meaning

THE latest Malaysian University English Test (MUET) has been given the thumbs up by language experts. Penang Matriculation College English language senior lecturer Mawarni Mustafa said the equal distribution of maximum scores for each component in the revised format is a good improvement. Mawarni Mustafa “From a language learning perspective, this drives home the message that all four skills of the language are equally important, ” said Mawarni, who is also a MUET specialist writer for The Star’s Newspaper-in-Education (NiE) pullout. She added that it shows a shift in approach to English language learning in Malaysia. “Ten years ago, many Malaysian English language teachers were very much focused on developing reading and writing skills because these were the skills that could be easily tested in public examinations, ” she shared. She hopes that with the new format and the ruling that makes it compulsory for all students pursuing first degrees in Malaysian public ... » Learn More about New CEFR-aligned English syllabus

ESSAY writing is a language task commonly treated as mundane homework for most students. But for Form Six students Carrie Ann Lim Yi Wen and Shalina Shamsul Bahri, it has become an exciting undertaking ever since they discovered a writing platform in The Star’s Newspaper-in-Education (NiE) pullout for secondary schools. It all started in 2019 when Carrie Ann, through her mother’s “keen eye for detail”, came across call-outs in The Star newspaper asking Form Six and pre-university students sitting for the Malaysian University English Test (MUET) to submit essays in response to the writing tasks provided. Without hesitation, the St. John’s Institution, Kuala Lumpur, student took up the challenge. Two years on, the 20-year-old has since seen her essays published three times – the latest of which was featured in this year’s first NiE publication, rolled out last Wednesday. It was due to her active participation that her classmates like Shalina were inspired to also submit their ... » Learn More about Form Six buddies shine in essay writing

IT must now be said. The skeptics and Sinovac naysayers have been right all along. The Chinese vaccines against Covid-19 — be they Sinovac or Sinopharm — have low effectiveness rate and can reasonably be refused by prospective vaccinees on the grounds of efficacy and safety. According to The Associated Press, China’s top disease control official has admitted to the weakness of Chinese coronavirus vaccines. Gao Fu, the director of the China Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), says the effectiveness of the Chinese vaccines is low, and the government is considering mixing them to get a boost. Chinese vaccines “don’t have very high protection rates,” he said at a conference in the southwestern city of Chengdu on Saturday. The official admission seems incongruous with the current primacy of President Xi Jinping as Chinese leader. Mr. Xi has been unbending and unyielding on his policy decisions even when they turn out to be duds as with his missteps in claiming all of the ... » Learn More about From the horse’s mouth: Chinese vaccines have low effectiveness

SINGAPORE - Covid-19 vaccines protect people from the symptoms and more severe forms of the disease but are not designed to fully prevent them from being infected, experts said yesterday, following the case of a migrant worker who tested positive despite having both doses. They said inoculation was vital because although those who have had the jabs may still catch the virus, they are much less likely to get seriously ill than unvaccinated patients. The migrant worker, who was reported on Sunday (April 11) to have tested positive, received his first dose on Jan 25 and his second on Feb 15, the Health Ministry said. Finding someone who records a positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test result does not mean a failure of the vaccine, said Professor Ooi Eng Eong from the Duke-NUS Medical School, who is also developing a self-replicating mRNA vaccine with Arcturus Therapeutics. The primary goal of vaccination is to prevent the Covid-19 disease, not infection, Prof Ooi said. ... » Learn More about Covid-19 vaccines are vital but aren’t designed to fully prevent infection, say experts

A year ago, amid the chaotic background of a global pandemic, medical student Ian Soh launched an international movement that gathered youths from around the world to combat misinformation on Covid-19. The movement, dubbed #moreviralthanvirus has since reached more than 1.5 million people across the world and attracted the attention of the World Health Organisation (WHO). “One year ago, the world was chaotic. You heard about doctors being on the frontline trying to treat patients. “As a medical student and a young adult, I didn’t really know what I could do to help, ” said Soh. “The movement was initially launched to unite medical students to help correct misinformation in a way that is relevant to the local context of their respective countries. “There was a lot of medical jargon in the media and I thought as medical students, we would be able to break down the complex terms into simple words that people could understand. “As mentioned by WHO deputy director-general Dr ... » Learn More about Movement works to localise Covid-19 medical jargon

WHILE some people are looking to help, especially in times of dire need like during this Covid-19 pandemic, they may not know how or where to start. Many local non-governmental organisations (NGOs) always welcome any extra hands they can get for their numerous charitable activities. SOLS Health Established in 2014 under SOLS 24/7 Foundation, SOLS Health is a community mental health centre in Kuala Lumpur that offers accessible individual, family and community services with an emphasis on trauma-informed care and combating the stigma around mental health in Malaysia. It needs volunteers for projects, centre management, human resources and research as well as advocacy teams. SOLS Health research and advocacy director Dr Arman Rashid said: “Volunteering was not only about helping communities we serve, but also improving our own mental health with a renewed sense of purpose, meaning and motivation during the Covid-19 pandemic.” The NGO recently embarked on a collaborative ... » Learn More about NGOs on lookout for volunteers in various roles

SIX years ago, a group of six friends decided to start a charity foundation to feed the poor. They started off with helping old folks homes, associations and temples by preparing 1,000 food packs and rice for distribution twice a year. “We received plenty of support from the community to help the needy. “We also worked with corporations, asking them to invite their staff and family members to experience doing charity work, ” said Datuk Derrick Hooi, a representative of Persatuan Kebajikan Enam Sahabat (Six League) based in Taman Desa, Kuala Lumpur. “During the first year, we supplied 200 food packs and essential items and after that, we capped it at 1,000.” He said it was only last year that the non-governmental organisation (NGO) was registered as Six League, as it had operated on an ad hoc basis prior to that with no official name. “We did not really think about registering as an NGO because it was too troublesome to appoint a chairman and execute other formalities. ... » Learn More about League of do-gooders

CAIRO: For Ramadan this year, Magdy Hafez has been longing to reclaim a cherished ritual: Performing the nighttime group prayers called taraweeh at the mosque once again. Last year, the coronavirus upended the 68-year-old Egyptian’s routine of going to the mosque to perform those prayers, traditional during Islam’s holiest month. The pandemic had disrupted Islamic worship the world over, including in Egypt where mosques were closed to worshippers last Ramadan. “I have been going to the mosque for 40 years so it was definitely a very, very, difficult thing,” he said. “But our religion orders us to protect one another.” Still, “It’s a whole other feeling, and the spirituality in Ramadan is like nothing else.” Egypt has since allowed most mosques to reopen for Friday communal prayers and for this Ramadan it will let them hold taraweeh, also with precautions, including shortening its duration. Ramadan, which begins this week, comes as much of the world has been hit by an ... » Learn More about Muslims navigate restrictions in the second Ramadan amid COVID-19 pandemic

SCREENGRAB from Netflix NEW YORK — The success of the French crime series “Lupin” on Netflix, riding on the heels of hit Spanish show “Money Heist,” may hint at a waning of US dominance on the small screen as ambitious European, Latin American and South Korean players kick down the doors on streaming platforms. “Ten years ago, 90 percent of creativity was in the United States,” said Pascal Breton, founder and head of the Federation Entertainment production company. “There were some good little local creatives, but it didn’t travel.” But the increase in internet speed, the rise of on-demand television and the example given by American pay channels, led by HBO, have pushed their counterparts abroad to bet on TV shows, having mainly relied on cinema and sport in the past. “Spiral,” (originally “Engrenages”), “Carlos”, or “Braquo,” all produced for Canal+, highlighted a growing global appetite for non-anglophone TV productions and series. They were followed by shows from public ... » Learn More about Netflix’s ‘Lupin’ marks rise of international TV content

In this file photo actress Carey Mulligan attends the 2020 Sundance Film Festival – “Promising Young Woman” Premiere at The Marc Theatre on January 25, 2020 in Park City, Utah. – Carey Mulligan attended the 2020 Sundance Film Festival of “Promising Young Woman,” but in 2021 the stars will be staying at home. This year, due to the pandemic, Indie film extravaganza Sundance, beginning January 28, will take place largely online. Photo by Dia DIPASUPIL / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP LOS ANGELES — In normal years, the Sundance Film Festival kicks off in late January with Hollywood’s award season already in full swing. Producers, stars and journalists meet in the spectacular Utah mountains to swap last-minute Oscar tips, and catch a first glimpse of the next year’s batch of contenders. This year, due to the pandemic, everything has been turned upside-down. Indie film extravaganza Sundance, beginning Thursday, will take place largely online. And with the Oscars delayed to their ... » Learn More about Sundance enters uncharted waters in unique Oscar season