Assignment for Grade 10

Descriptive and Recount Text

I. Read these following texts and answer the questions briefly.

Text 1
Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal, an epitome of love, is actually a mausoleum. Standing majestically on the
banks of River Yamuna, the Taj Mahal is synonymous to love and romance. Taj Mahal
was constructed by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in the memory of his beloved wife
and queen. The name “Taj Mahal” was derived from the name of Shah Jahan’s wife,
Mumtaz Mahal, which means crown of palaces.
Taj Mahal represents the finest architectural and artistic achievement. The
mausoleum was constructed of pure white marble. The white marble is inlaid with
semi-precious stones (including jade, crystal, lapis lazuli, amethyst and turquoise)
that form the intricate designs. Its central dome reaches a height of 240 feet (73
meters). The dome is surrounded by four smaller domes. Four slender towers, or
minarets, stand at the corners. Inside the mausoleum, an octagonal marble chamber
adorned with carvings and semi-precious stones house the false tomb of Mumtaz
Mahal. Her actual remains lie below, at garden level.
Taj Mahal shows shades of magnificent beauty at different time during the day. At
dawn when the first rays of the sun hit the dome of this epic monument, it radiates
like a heavenly pinkish palace. At daytime, when the sky is bright and clear, the Taj
looks milky white. At a moonlit night when the full moon rays fall on the glistening
white marble, the cool moon rays reflect back from the white marble and give the
Taj Mahal a tinge of blue color. It’s simply breath-taking! With such beauty, no
wonder that Taj Mahal becomes one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
Questions:
1. What is Taj Mahal actually?
2. Why did the king construct Taj Mahal?
3. How are the materials and architectural design of Taj Mahal?
4. Where was the queen actually buried?
5. When do you think is the best time to see Taj Mahal? Why do you think so?
Text 2
Meeting My Idol
Afgan has always been my favourite singer. I had always been thinking of how I
would feel when I met him. Then I was suddenly hit by lightning when I found out
Afgan was coming to town for a concert in a local auditorium. A day before the
concert, there would be a meet-and-greet event at a local radio station. Feeling
excited, I packed all my Afgan’s CDs to get his signature at the event.
On that bright and sunny Saturday morning, the radio station was full of Afganism
(that’s how Afgan’s fans are called). They sat on the chairs prepared inside the radio
 station’s lobby. Some stood in rows in the front yard of the radio station. A spot
inside a lobby was prepared with a mini stage for Afgan’s singing performance and a
table for Afgan to sign Afganism’s memorabilia. Finally, after about 40 - 50 minutes
wait, Afgan showed up from inside the radio station. He smiled and waved to all
Afganism who had been waiting excitedly saying, “Good morning. How are you all?”
The crowd went crazy. The shouts sounded like a mix of “Fine, thank you” and
screams of Afgan’s name.
Then, he started the event by singing his hit single “Dia Dia Dia”. Afganism went even
crazier; they sang along with him throughout the song. Of course, I did too. I couldn’t
take my eyes off this amazing singer who had released three albums. When he was
finished with the song, the host announced that it was time for autographing the
memorabilia. I prepared my CDs and began to stand in the line. When I arrived at the
table, I was speechless.
It was unreal just seeing him that close. I thought it was really cool seeing him like
that because he really just felt like a normal person, which was awesome. He asked
my name so that he could write it on the CD to say “To Mia, Love Afgan”. He was
also very friendly, so I didn’t feel too nervous when I had a chance to take pictures
with him. He was just an amazing person. That was one of the best days in my
personal life history.
Questions:
6. How did the writer feel when she knew that Afgan was coming to town?
7. When and where was the meet-and-greet event?
8. How did the fans react when Afgan sang his hit single?
9. How did the writer feel when she finally got the turn to get Afgan’s signature?
10. What is the writer’s opinion about the meet-and-greet event?

II. Writing Skill

1. Think of a place you like to visit or a favourite place that you have visited, it can
be tourism object or your favourite part of your house. Then please write a
descriptive text about the place.
2. Think about an interesting activity that you did recently and please write a
recount text according to your experience.