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04-11-2007, 12:17 AM
An english script excercise XD
Characters:
Cindy - Serena
Sharon - Penelope
Susan - Ms Owen
Emily - Alicia
Scene 1 - Serena types on the computer, the camera zooms in and we see that she has been typing " a Day in the Life of a Randwick Girl".
Scene 2 - In the quad, you see people rushing for their next class.
Narrator: It's not everyday that unusual things happen at Randwick Girls.
Penelope is hurrying for her class; she then accidentally bumps into Alicia, they both fall from the crash. (Medium shot)
Penelope: oh, I'm sorry, please excuse me, but do you know…
Alicia: Watch where you're going!
Alicia looks menacingly at Penelope and leaves.
Serena: Do you need help? You seemed a bit lost?
Penelope: Yes, I do. Could you please tell me where room 312 is? It's my first day here so I don't know anything about this school.
Serena: Sure, you just happened to be the in the same class as I am, so I'll go with you.
Penelope: Thank you so much. My name is Penelope, what is yours?
Serena: My name is Serena. Nice to meet you!
Scene 3 - In the classroom of 312, people are talking. Penelope and Serena walk in. Ms Owen looks up.
Ms Owen: Girls, you are late, hurry up and sit down. Now, everyone, we have a new student today called Penelope.
Everyone looks at Penelope.
Penelope: Hello, nice to meet you all
Sits down. People giggle, Alicia laughs out aloud.
Ms Owen: As I was saying, there will be a History assignment, I want every one of you to do your best and I want no excuses. This will go towards your yearly report. So please pay attention. I'm handing out the sheet now and coming to sort you into partners.
Penelope: Excuse me Ms Owen, can we also have extra information on "the Renaissance"? it should be one of the most important periods between the 14th and 17th centuries in Europe, and I think it would be relevant to add that.
Students all stop talking, and stare at Penelope: in disbelief, including Ms Owen.
Ms Owen: oh… sure you can Penelope. It might even gain you a few marks. Grins reluctantly. You can team up with Serena in this, good luck everyone!
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04-11-2007, 12:18 AM
Scene 4 - In the library, Penelope and Sharon are doing their assignments.
Serena: the whole Renaissance thing is so long! How are we going to fit it all in?
Penelope: It is long, but I think it is the most fascinating history period. You see, back then; King Henry III was not a great king…
Serena: Hold on, how do you know all this stuff, I mean, these are very detailed information, some of it is not even in the textbooks.
Penelope: Well… it's really hard for me to say, but, since you are the only person I can trust, please don't be shocked when I tell you.
Serena: Tell me? Serena looks confused, and then nods her head slowly.
Penelope: I'm from the past. Believe me, I'm not lying. I'm from the 17th century; I lived in England with my parents. We just moved to an old house, there was an old attic, which was locked. One day I got the key from my parents and decided to explore it. I don't know how to explain this, but I felt myself falling, and then when I landed, I was in the future.
Silence…
Serena: You are from the past? More silence… Well that would explain why you know all the history.
Emily barges in and stares at Penelope, she was hiding behind dome bookcases.
Alicia: From the past eh? Now this would be an interesting gossip to pass around.
Laughs and runs off
Penelope: oh no! She heard us talking! Now what's everyone going to think about me?
Serena: Don't worry; I don't think people will believe her anyway.
Scene 5 - Next day, people are going to classes, some are whispering and laughing when Emily walks into class.
Serena: I was right. They think Alicia has taken the history assignment too seriously!
Penelope smiles
Scene 6 - After school, Alicia stops and thinks out aloud.
Alicia: This is turning out completely opposite! Why are they laughing at me? It's ridiculous! She is from the past! I clearly heard it. Unless they were playing a joke on me… I wonder…
She walks home.
Scene 7 - Next day, Alicia sees Penelope and walk to her.
Alicia: Hey Penelope. I'm sorry about the things I said about you. I was being very stupid about it. I hope you can forgive me.
Penelope looks surprised.
Penelope: Oh… hmm, I think I can forgive that, I hope we can hang out sometimes.
Alicia: Sure, why not?
Serena: Hey guys! Are we friends now? That's good! Come on! Or we'll be late for class 3rd time in a row.
The three of them laughs, and then run for their classes.
Narrator: Well, there you have it. A nice happy ending. Predictable, but it was worth acting out. I hope you understand the consequences of bullying at school.
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04-11-2007, 12:19 AM
The book that I read is "Looking for Alibrandi" by Melina Marchetta.
This book is about a 17-year-old girl called Josephine Alibrandi and her life in year 12. It talks about the ups and downs of her life during a year of hectic HSC exams. The book goes through a range of issues relating to family, racism, rivalry, friendship, love and even death. As we read through the book, we find out more about Josephine and the people around her.
The plot is well written and easy to understand, it follows the main character through everyday events and other not so everyday events. These can vary from working at McDonalds to being threatened by a street gang. The plot also showcases Jozzie's different emotions, and makes the reader feel that you can relate to her.
The book was set in various places around Sydney, Josephine lived in Glebe while her boyfriend lived Newtown, and all the prestigious students from Josephine's school lived in the North Shore. There were also other places where Josephine regularly visited, such as the city, Darling Harbour and various Sydney beaches.
The main character, Josephine, or Jozzie, is a smart, pretty and outgoing girl who has a strong personality. She was born in Australia in a middle-class Italian family. When she was born, her mother was only 16, and no one knows who her father is, except for she and her mother. So Jozzie had a fair share of rude remarks made to her since she was a young age, they ranged from anything to being a wog to her illegitimacy. Jozzie had curly auburn hair and tanned skin. She went to a high-class catholic school, which she went to because she won the English scholarship. She did not have many close friends due to the fact that she did not seem to be able to fit in with the rest of the school; despite this I think she is popular, since they voted her vice captain. She was very ambitious in life; she wanted to study law in university and become a barrister.
There are many other characters in the book, including her mother (Christina) and her grandmother (Katia), who are both very strong characters, and very beautiful too. Her mother has a healthy relationship with Jozzie, while her grandmother tends to argue and fuss whenever Jozzie is around. If Jozzie did something wrong or make a mistake, her grandmother would blame Christina for being "a bad mother".
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04-11-2007, 12:20 AM
There is John Barton and Ivy, rich kids of the neighbourhood, both were high-class, attractive, intelligent, and had everything that life has to offer, Jozzie has a crush on John, but between her and Ivy a fierce rivalry exists. John, who became a close friend of Jozzie after they met during debating sessions, committed suicide due to pressures in life. John's father and grandfather were both politicians so John felt that he was pressured into being one as well. It was only after that incident that Jossie and Ivy started to become friends, since they were both John's friends.
There is Jacob Coote, Jozzie's Australian boyfriend. Their relationship grows as they struggle to work out their culture and class differences. Jacob isn't the smart and charming type of guy that Jozzie wanted (eg. like John Barton). He doesn't have great ambitions in life; he just wanted to become a simple mechanic. However, in the end it turns out that he is a sensitive person who really cares about his friends and family.
And there is Jozzie's dad (Michael), who suddenly appears in Josephine's life after 17 years of absence. At first they throw fireballs at each other, but as time passes they gradually gets to know each other better and find that the two of them has a lot in common. A good example of this is that Jozzie's dad is a barrister, exactly what Jozzie wanted to be!
The genre of the book is very broad, it can be described as drama, romance, family & racial issues. The author's style of writing is fluent, slightly comical and highly entertaining. The plot runs smoothly and has no loopholes in it. Things that happen in everyday life (eg. getting hassled by her grandmother) become another fascinating chapter in this book.
There were many different issues in this book; I choose the issue where John Barton committed suicide because he didn't know what to do with his life. John is Jozzie's friend; he is the captain of St Anthony College. He felt pressure from his father who was a politician. His father always put a lot of pressure on him by always wanting his son to win. His father wanted his son to be a winner, so he thought the pressure was good for him.
Just before the day John Barton committed suicide, he talked with Jozzie about what to do with their lives, and their career options-
"Just make your decisions and follow them through. That's what I've done. I've got my whole future planned out the way I want it to be and there is nothing anyone can do to take that away from me. The future is mine, to do whatever I want with it."
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04-11-2007, 12:21 AM
And right after he said all that, he took tablets and died the following day. I choose this issue because I feel strongly about teenage suicides. The advice that John gave Jozzie is generally good advice, but John took the easy way out instead of facing life (and his father). He was scared to live, even though he was popular, he had wealth and he had so much going for him. But the people most affected by his death were all the people he loved, his family, and his friends.
I think the point the author was trying to make was that suicide is a wasteful thing. And if it doesn't hurt you to die, it'll affect the people you love. I think that John shouldn't have thrown away his life like that. He had a lot of potential and if he had shared his feelings and emotions with his friends, he might not have done what he did.
John should have talked to his father about what he wants and doesn't want to do. Then his father might be more understanding and John might not have decided to suicide. It also shows that money and status cannot buy happiness, even if John Barton looked happy on the outside, he wasn't on the inside.
I thought that the ending of the book was somehow sad, with John's death and Jozzie breaking up with her boyfriend Jacob. But it was inevitable; all through the book the author hinted that John was unhappy. But it was a nice ending as well in a way. Jozzie becomes happy with her life, partly because John's death makes her realise that life is precious. Michael (Jozzie's father) and jozzie have a health and loving relationship, and Jozzie discovers a newfound respect for her mother and grandmother.
My favourite part of the book was the ending-
"You know, a wonderful thing happened to me when I reflected back on my year.
'One day' came.
Because I finally understood."
These are such ordinary words, but the author uses them to great effect. After a year of soul searching, Jozzie finally gets over her problems and failures, she comes into terms with who she really is, and tries to make herself a better person.
In conclusion I found myself absorbed into Jozzies everyday life, her problems, her ideas, the feelings she felt. It was mesmerising, the book contained so many issues and so many messages that the author wanted the reader to understand. Yet it did not feel like a lecture on life, because the author wrote the book in such an entertaining way. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Mainly because it's not an exaggeration of life and the events that happen to Jozzie are down to earth. They remind me that they could happen to anyone, anytime.
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04-11-2007, 12:21 AM
TANISHA Searle, aged 5, woke up in hospital on Monday morning with 55 stiches on various parts of her face. The reason for her mutilated state was that a dog mauled her on Sunday afternoon. The owner of the dog just happens to be Kay Cottee, who is the first women to sail solo around the world and the winner of the Australian of the year award.
Last Sunday, the five-year-old girl was having a picnic on the riverbank of Palmers Island, near Maclean, where the Searle family live, when a Hungarian viszla bit her repeatedly on the face when Tanisha was climbing up the riverbank. The owner of the dog, Kay Cottee, who lived next door to the Searles, was absent at the time of this horrific incident.
Tanisha is now facing plastic surgery and vision impairment after the terrifying ordeal. The doctors who did the stitching for Tanisha commented that she would have the scars for life.
Tanisha's very distressed mother Jacqui Bailey told the press today, that the Cottees had not even bothered to walk 3m and cross the fence to apologise.
When The Sun- Herald asked to speak with Ms Cottee, she declined to be interviewed. Instead, her husband Peter Sutton apologised on behalf of Ms Cottee.
"We admit that the attack had taken place and we are sorry it did," he said.
Mr Sutton also added that the dog was very well trained and was merely "frightened" when it attacked Tanisha. "It was just acting according to its reflexes," Mr Sutton explained.
However, Samuel Johns, the next-door neighbour of the Cottees, said the dog was not trained properly. He said, "It was neglected, nobody cared much for it. At night it was locked up in the tool shed and in the day it was left to run loose. "
According to Ruth Schnitzer, a Hungarian viszla dog breeder, the breed comes from a long line of hunting dogs. "They are not aggressive or vicious, but they need to be taken care of, and kept occupied," she said.
The dog is currently being restrained and kept by the Cottees at a secret location. Its fate is still unknown. Currently it's been issued with a dangerous dog order. The Maclean council will decide whether it will be destroyed or not.
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04-11-2007, 12:22 AM
Social worker: Cindy Zhu
Child being investigated: Selina D'arcey
Mother of child: Rose-ann D'arcey
Current caretaker of child: Alice Braddon
Witnesses of this case: Gordon, Ole Pa, Mr Faber, Sadie
I, a social worker for the New York State Welfare organization had been investigating the case of Selina D'arcey (Birth of date: 6/6/1952) for the past month. I found in my investigations that Selina is suffering from emotional and physical abuse from her environment.
Selina D'arcey aged 18, lives with her mother Rose-ann and her grandpa 'Ole Pa' in a suburban unit. Their living space is a single room which consists of 3 beds, a table, and a stove, with an extended bathroom. I have been to this room while trying to interview Ole Pa and I found the living conditions appalling and the general state of the unit unliveable. The room smells heavily of alcohol (due to Ole Pa's drinking habits), the air is always humid and hot (due to the bad filtration of clean air), and the carpet is mouldy while the bathroom is infested with rodents. Surely people living in such environments are at serious health risk?
Below is my interview with Selina after our organization removed her from the park on 2/3/1970. At that time it was clear that she was very distressed and suffering massive emotional damage.
Social worker: Why were you in the park?
Selina: I love the park, it is a peaceful environment to be in and I can get away from home.
Social worker: How were you treated at home?
Selina: That would depend on what day it is, some days Rose-ann would treat me allright and leave me alone. Ole Pa would go out to get shickered, he always does… (pause)
Social worker: So how were you treated on other days?
Selina: (long pause) Not very well, if I do something wrong Rose-ann would sock me, sometimes she did it for nothing.
Social worker: What would you have to do for that to happen, why would Rose-ann hit you for nothing?
Selina: Well, sometimes when I was ordered to tidy the room and I miss something Rose-ann would hit me and sware at me, she says I deserve it.
Social worker: What occupation does your mother take?
Selina: She works at the ladies and in the room down the hall with her clients.
Social worker: Has her clients ever troubled you?
Selina: (a minute of silence…)
Social worker: You do not have to talk if you don't want to, but we are only trying to help you.
Selina: That's what Gordon said…
Social worker: Who is Gordon?
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04-11-2007, 12:31 AM
[size=9]Selina then practically burst into tears and we were unable to continue our interview. However we were able to locate Gordon, who is a very close friend of Selina. Below is my interview with Gordon:
Social worker: How long have you known Selina?
Gordon: For about 2 month.
Social worker: Isn't it a bit strange that you formed such a close relationship with Selina?
Gordon: One might say so, but Selina needed all the help she can get, at home with her family she was been physically and emotionally abused. All these years Selina had never been to school, never taught to learn Braille and never treated properly as a human being, just tormented. Her mother is a prostitute and many years ago one of her clients rapped Selina. Also her mother and one of her mother's friends named Sadie planned Selina's future as a prostitute against Selina's will and power.
Social worker: Do you know a reason why Selina did not report these incidents earlier on.
Gordon: Selina is uneducated and she does not know that there is better life out there. That blind people can learn and study and that the crime committed against her is illegal and she can be put in a better home.
Social worker: Do you have any evidence that Rose-ann is physically and mentally abusing Selina? Because if you do we could help Selina by putting her in a better home with better care. After all, no one should be forced to live the life of a prostitute, especially underaged children.
Gordon: (pause) Yes, I can give evidence, and so can Selina's grandfather. Although he is not very keen for other people to be involved in his affairs.
Social worker: Yes, I know. He would not let me to interview him.
Gordon: (continuing) I have a friend called Alice Braddon who is also blind. And as you know already, she is currently taking care of Selina. I believe it's best if Selina stays with her and not go back to her mother.
Social Worker: That is for the State Magistrate to decide. But please tell me more about the day when we found Selina in the park. The passes-bys told me that they were chasing YOU away because you were hurting Selina. Is this true?
Gordon: No, it's all a big misunderstanding Selina fell on some rose bushes and I was helping her.
Social worker: Oh… I see. but why are with Selina in the park in the first place?
Gordon: She goes to the park to work for Mr Faber. She treads beads for him and I keep her company.
Social worker: Right… so does she have any other income?
Gordon: No, she doesn't have income, her mother gets the money she earns.
/size]
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04-11-2007, 12:32 AM
That concludes the interview with Gordon. On a side note Gordon is actually black, but he had developed a strong and unusual relationship with Selina. And when I interviewed Selina later to confirm the details Gordon gave I found that she's very fond of him.
I have also tried to interview Ole Pa and Rose-ann but I was denied entry. Ole Pa lives in the old 1 room unit but Rose-ann has moved in with her friend Sadie to a new apartment.
Here is a brief conversation with Sadie:
Social worker: Is Rose-ann here? I need to speak to her about her daughter.
Sadie: No, she has better things to do than deal with her no-good daughter. You can go back and tell them they can have her… her… daughter. Just when we thought she can join us and make some money she goes and hangs with that… that… nigger. Go away now, we don't want any trouble. (slams the door shut)
The following conclusions were made after my interview with Selina and Gordon:
Selina's mother Rose-ann works at the ladies bathroom by day and as a prostitute by night. While Ole Pa works at the Gents bathroom by day and goes out drinking by night. When Rose-ann interacts with her clients she uses a separate room in the unit down the hall. Although some years ago it is believed that Rose-ann used the same room Selina slept in and one of her clients sexually abuses Selina.
It is also believed that Rose-ann physically and psychologically abused Selina causing emotional damages and even thoughts of suicide at one stage. We have evidence from Gordon and Selina that Rose-ann forced Selina to take up prostitution as a carer. I strongly recommend that based on the facts Selina should be kept away from her mother until when she becomes an adult.
I believe Alice Braddon would be the current best caretaker for Selina. Alice can help Selina get back on her feet and go to school. However I would ask the Magistrate to enable Selina to receive the youth allowance as well as the disability allowance. This is essential as Selina is still under 23 and she does not have any skills to make a living on her own.
I would also ask for extra payments for counselling sessions as she is still in a fragile state of mind. There are many things that she needs to learn about the world, and with time and effort this can be achieved. But as long as she is living with the likes of Rose-ann this would be an impossible goal. So I hope you understand this situation and take good care of Selina's future.
End of Report
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04-11-2007, 12:33 AM
My Dearest Gordon,
I miss you. I have been thinking about you every night since the incident at the park. I have lain in my bed awake for hours trying to think about what had happened, and yet I don't want to because the memories are so painful. I can't remember much of that day, maybe it's because I don't want to. I'm really sorry about the things I said about you. I was confused, scared and I felt like I was caught in a thunderstorm.
I hope with all my heart that you are okay. My life was like a tunnel, and the further I went the darker it became, with no hope in sight. You were like the light at the end of the tunnel to me. You gave me the will to go on and the knowledge that someday I will get out of the tunnel, and find a better life on the other side. So Gordon, please, be my ray of hope and don't give up on me!
I felt ashamed of the way I behaved, you were the one thing that was ever really important to me, and I just could not accept the fact that you are black. I had hated black ever since I was young. It is the only colour that I ever saw after I was blinded, and I don't want anymore of it. I do not only hate black, I am also scared of it. I always hated being left in the dark all the time, I felt that I was all alone, and I hated that feeling. But I have changed now, I am not afraid of the dark anymore, because you, Gordon, had shown me that black is not something evil, and there is no difference between white and black people.
After that day in the park, the welfare authorities took me away from Rose-ann. I'm now under the care of your friend Alice Braddon. And she is typing up this letter for me, since I cannot yet read Braille, but I'm learning, and making good progress. You should hear some of the things I've been told! The first time I heard that blind people could actually go to work in offices like normal people I was thrilled! It was unbelievable!
I used to think that blind people were a burden on society taking up their time and energy. Which is what Rose-ann always said, that I was just a no good waste and of no use to anyone. But now I have decided that I will study and become a writer someday, and write books for blind people to read, to encourage them to get on with their lives.
I love school and I have learnt so much from it, I have made lots of friends here. I can't believe how nice people are to me! And there are not only blind people studying here, there are also deaf people, disabled people and lots of others who have problems. I feel happy here because I can truly fit in. Not standing aside like an outsider, which is the way I felt before I knew you.
Rose-ann now lives with Sadie in their new apartment. I miss her too, even if she did all those things to me, she is still my mother, and nothing can change that. Old Pa is now in a nursing home, he is currently being treated for cancer. I visited him a number of times, and I thought that he seemed to be happier than before.
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