VOCABULARY BUILDER
PRONUNCIATION PRACTICE
READING
Task 1: Reading Comprehension
As you know on every 10 November we all celebrate Heroes
Days. Why do you think the Heroes Day took that special date to
commemorate our heroes’ sacrifice? Discuss with your partners
and come to a conclusion why the date has become special. After
that, read through the passage and check whether your conclusion
is the same as the reason stated in the text.
On 10 November, Indonesia celebrates Hari Pahlawan or
Heroes Day in remembrance of the Battle of Surabaya which
started on that very date in the year 1945. The bloody battle took
place because Indonesians refused to surrender their weaponry
to British army. British Army at that time was part of the Allied
Forces. The defiant Bung Tomo is the well-known revolutionary
leader who played a very important role in this battle.
It all started because of a misunderstanding between British
troops in Jakarta and those in Surabaya, under the command
of Brigadier A.W.WS. Mallaby. Brigadier Mallaby already had an
agreement with Governor of East Java Mr. Surya. The agreement
stated that British would not ask Indonesian troops and militia to
surrender their weapons.
However, a British plane from Jakarta dropped leaflets all
over Surabaya. The leaflet told Indonesians to do otherwise on
27 October 1945. This action angered the Indonesian troops and
militia leaders because they felt betrayed.
On 30 October 1945, Brigadier Mallaby was killed as he was
approaching the British troops’ post near Jembatan Merah or
Red Bridge, Surabaya. There were many reports about the death,
but it was widely believed that the Brigadier was murdered by
Indonesian militia. Looking at this situation, Lieutenant General
Sir Philip Christison brought in reinforcements to siege the city.In the early morning of 10 November 1945, British troops
began to advance into Surabaya with cover from both naval and
air bombardment. Although the Indonesians defended the city
heroically, the city was conquered within 3 days and the whole
battle lasted for 3 weeks. In total, between 6,000 and 16,000
Indonesians died while casualties on the British side were about
600 to 2000.
Battle of Surabaya caused Indonesia to lose weaponry which
hampered the country’s independence struggle. However, the
battle provoked Indonesian and international mass to rally for
the country’s independence which made this battle especially
important for Indonesian national revolution.
Task 2: Answer the following questions briefly based on the text above.
2. When did the battle take place?
3. Where did it happen?
4. What caused the battle? Draw a diagram that shows chronologically the events that led to the battle.
5. What do think about the Indonesian military power compared to that of the British army at that time?
6. What made the Indonesians dare to face the British army military aggression?
7. Did the Indonesian lose or win the battle? Why do you think so?
8. How did the battle influence the national revolution at that time?
9. Who was the prominent figure in the battle? What did he do?
10.Indonesia had gone through many battles. Why do you think the date of the Battle of Surabaya is used as a momentum to commemorate our hero’s contribution?
11. Describe in one word the Indonesians who defended their city at that time.
12. Do you think that the information in the text is clear?
13. Have you read other texts that tell about similar events? What are they?
TEXT STRUCTURE
Recounts record a series of events in the order in which they
occurred. There are several types of recounts, for example, diaries,
letters/postcards, journals, autobiographies and biographies, or
anything related to histories (historical recounts). In this chapter, you are studying historical recounts. Do you know how a historical
recount is told or written? Similar to other types of recounts,
historical recounts usually start with orientation, followed with a
series of events, and ends with a reorientation. The orientation
part include information about who, what, when, and where. The
series of events are presented in the order they really happened.
The recount ends with a reorientation which states personal
comments about the events.
Now, together with your partner, complete the following
sentences that show how The Battle of Surabaya happened.
faith in God and people’s dream strengthened them to keep on
fighting against the aggressors.
instruction to surrender their weaponry to them.
out of the city. Luckily, the people depended on no one for their
food.
______________ to the battle ground, some of which include
weaponry and logistical support.
will _________me. I can be really angry, and that can mean that
there will be no more collaboration between us.
support the beginning of bike-to-school program. They all came
riding their bicycles.
movement only for a while. The heroic spirit had spread out
and inflamed others to continue fighting for the country’s
independence.
from the aggressor.
of our national heroes. We pray together and I usually go to the
library to read again the biography of General Sudirman and
then pray for him. He is my favorite hero.
solutions. Our responsibility is to do our best, and leave the
rest to God.
the rampant corruption and demanded the corruptors in that
institution to be arrested.
father died last month. Priski _______ that because she knows
that education is important for her future. She ________ her
mother earns money by making some snack that she sells in
the school canteen every day.
GRAMMAR REVIEW
them with am/is/are (present) or was/were (past).
hot.
please?
death to defend the city.
and messy.
it reminds me of the 1945 freedom fighters. ____ it expensive?
Surabaya joining the militia to fight against the British army.
the lobby of the hotel five minutes ago.”
about us now. They know we _______always busy with good
activities and never think of using drugs. When we met them
last year, they ________ pessimistic.
change them into the simple past or present tense according
to the context of the sentences.
LISTENING
SPEAKING
to? You can make a new recount text based on the boy’s
experience, treating it as if it were your own experience.
after staying overnight in the village. Tell your imaginary
experience based on the last part of the story. Do that in
groups of four students. Follow the instructions below:
one sentence.
(The first sentence should serve as the orientation).
containing the next event.
does the fourth student.
to make up the group’s own story.
the activity.
of the class.
halves. Each half opposes the other half. Now do the following
things:
of the chosen words.
sentences based on the words that you chose. Those who can
make communicative sentences get score. Each communicative
sentence will get 100. Don’t forget to count the minutes used
to make it. You can decide the length of time for making one
sentence.
time.
WRITING
battle of Surabaya. If you choose that, read the passage again and
the task on text structure on page 124, then close the book. Now
try to rewrite the chronology of the events in the Battle of Surabaya
using your own words.
You can also rewrite the experience of the boy you listened to
(LISTENING on page 129), or the one your group created (SPEAKING
task 3 on page 130), or write your own experience. The experience
can be a real or an imaginary one.
text to help you write the recount text:
