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Saturday, February 22, 2014

Analisa Lagu Adele Yuk...

Jangan pernah menganggap bahwa menganalisa lagu barat tidak bisa membantu meningkatkan kemampuan bahasa Inggris. Karena dengan menganalisa lagu, kita bisa sekaligus mempelajari 3 skill sekaligus, Listening, Reading, dan Writing.

Sekedar pemanasan, mari kita simak cerita di bawah ini :)

Begini ceritanya.... Sudah berbulan-bulan tuh tetangga dengerin lagu itu-titu saja... "Lagu apa sih?" Saya jadi penasaran... Setelah diselidiki ternyata memang lagu ini "tenar" banget!!! Waduh... ketinggalan informasi nih soal lagu barat terbaik saat ini. Ya, pasti sobat sudah sering sekali mendengar lagu berbahasa Inggris yang satu ini. Someone Like You-nya Mba Adele; hehehe si Mba Adele ini umurnya hampir 24 tahun ternyata. Lahir di Tottenham, London, pada tanggal 5 Mei 1988..

Bagi sobat yang belum mendengar suara mautnya mba Adele ini, silahkan Klik tombol play di bawah ini ya...

Someone Like You by Adele

Nah, jika sudah denger tuh lagunya mba Adele, sekarang saatnya belajar menganlisa lagu Someone Like You..

Bait Pertama

Bait pertama berisi kalimat majemuk bertingkat (complex sentence). Dengan pola kalimat : Subject + Verb + Object (Noun Clause)

I heard
That you're settled down
That you
Found a girl
And you're
Married now
Jika diuraikan, bait pertama tersebut menjadi lebih panjang, yaitu seperti di bawah ini :

I heard that you're settled down
I heard that you found a girl
I heard you're married now

Tulisan bergaris bawah di atas dinamakan "noun clause" berfungsi sebagai object kata kerja "HEARD". Penggunaan "That Clause/Noun Clause" sebagai object sangat umum digunakan dalam kalimat; biasanya dalam bahasa Indonesia "That" kategori "Noun Clause" ini bermakna "Bahwa"


Bait Kedua

Bait kedua ini lebih rumit dari bait pertama. Ada dua klausa (1) That Clause = Noun Clause dan (2) Adjective Clause. Pola kalimat masih sama : Subject + Verb + Object (Noun Clause)

I heard
That your dreams came true.
Guess she gave you things
I didn't give to you

Jika diuraikan, bait di atas menjadi seperti di bawah ini :

I heard that your dreams came true
I guess she gave you things I didn't give to you

Tulisan bergaris bawah adalah Object. Pada baris pertama bait kedua ini berpola sama seperti bait pertama. Berbeda dengan dengan bari kedua "I guess she gave you things I didn't give to you", klausa berwarna biru "I didn't give to you" adalah adjective clause yang menjelaskan kata "things"

Bait Ketiga

Jika pada bait pertama dan kedua berisi kalimat pernyataan (statements), berbeda dengan bait ketiga ini yang berisi kalimat pertanyaan (questions) [baca: kalimat pertanyaan]

Old friend
Why are you so shy?
Ain't like you to hold back
Or hide from the light

Kalimat pada bait di atas tidak mengalami banyak perubahan meski ada unique omitting pada baris ketiga. Jika diuraikan bait di atas menjadi :

Why are you so shy, old friend?
It is not like that you hold back or hide from the light

Bait Keempat

Bait keempat di bawah ini adalah bagian paling menarik; khususnya pada baris pertama. Penentuan pola kalimat menjadi sangat penting. Salah sedikit, makna kalimat bisa menjadi rancu....


I hate to turn up out of the blue uninvited
But I couldn't stay away, I couldn't fight it.
I had hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded
That for me it isn't over

Pada baris pertama, untuk bisa memahami maksud kalimat I HATE TO TURN OUT OF THE BLUE UNINVITED, kita perlu mengetahui struktur kalimatnya, di bawah ini :

I = subject
hate to turn up = verb
out of the blue = adverbial
uninvited = adverbial

Tidak ada masalah pada baris kedua. Sedang baris selebihnya adalah kalimat majemuk "complex" yang jika dijabarkan menjadi seperti di bawah ini :

I had hoped that you would see my face.
I had hoped that you would be reminded
I hope that it is not over for me..

Bait Refrain / Chorus

Pada bagian Ref / chorus ini di awali dengan imperative sentence "Never mind" dan selebihnya adalah sebuah percakapan..
 

Never mind
I'll find someone like you
I wish nothing but the best for you too
"Don't forget me," I begged
"I'll remember," you said
"Sometimes it lasts in love
But sometimes it hurts instead."
Sometimes it lasts in love
But sometimes it hurts instead,
Yeah.

Makna kalimat "I wish nothing" adalah "I don't wish anything" sehingga penerjemahan menjadi sangat mudah. Sedang kata BUT bermakna "hanya" [baca: but bermakna "kecuali"]

You know how the time flies
Only yesterday
It was the time of our lives
We were born and raised
In a summer haze
Bound by the surprise
Of our glory days
Ups... SELEBIHNYA MENYUSUL, ada keperluan dunia nyata... OFF dulu dari dunia maya....;)

Friday, February 21, 2014

Contoh Descriptive Text - 6 Obyek Wisata Afrika

Kemarin ada salah satu sobat meminta diterbitkannya contoh descriptive text tentang Afrika. Oke lah, sekedar berbagi "kemudahan", mari kita baca dan pahami beberapa contoh teks descriptive tentang obyek wisata di Afrika saja (Kan sama-sama di Afrika :) Nah bagi sobat yang sudah tahu apa itu descriptive text; silahkan analisa beberapa komponen teks deskriptif ini ya....

Lalu bagaimana dengan yang belum paham? He.. baca saja penjelasan tentang descriptive text hingga benar-benar telah menguasainya :) Jangan sampai pensiun untuk membaca; karena dengan membaca kita bisa mengenal lebih jauh hakikat diciptakannya manusia.. Ups, kok jadi ngelantur.. xixixi

CHECK THESE OUT.. Yuk kita simak contoh descriptive text tentang 6 obyek wisata di Afrika di bawah ini.. (Klik saja untuk menuju contoh teks yang ingin dibaca)

  1. Contoh Descriptive Text - Abu Simbel di Mesir
  2. Contoh Descriptive Text - Gunung Kilimanjaro di Tanzania
  3. Contoh Descriptive Text - Air Terjun Victoria di Zambia
  4. Contoh Descriptive Text - Piramida di Mesir
  5. Contoh Descriptive Text - Bukit Pasir Sossusvlei di Namibia
  6. Contoh Descriptive Text - Tebing Fish River di Namibia

CONTOH DESCRIPTIVE TEXT - ABU SIMBEL

Abu Simbel is one of the beautiful place I ever visit. It is an archaeological site comprising two massive rock temples in southern Egypt along the Nile about 290 km southwest of Aswan. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of "Nubian Monuments" which run from Abu Simbel downriver to Philae.

The larger temple at Abu Simbel, generally known as the Temple of Ramses II, is dedicated to Ra-Harakhty, Ptah and Amun, Egypt's three state deities of the time. It features four large statues of Ramses II in the facade. The smaller temple, referred to as the Temple of Nefertari, is dedicated to the goddess Hathor, personified Ramesses's most beloved wife Nefertari ( the pharaoh had some 200 wives and concubines total).

The Temple of Ramses II at Abu Simbel is generally considered the grandest and most beautiful of the temples commissioned during the reign of Ramses II, and one of the most beautiful in Egypt. The facade is 33 meters high, and 38 meters broad, and guarded by four statues, each of which is 20 meters high. They were sculptured directly from the rock in which the temple was located before it was moved.

All statues represent Ramses II, seated on a throne and wearing the double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt. The statue to the left of the entrance was damaged in an earthquake, leaving only the lower part of the statue still intact. The head and torso can still be seen at the statue's feet.

Several smaller figures are situated at the feet of the four statues, depicting members of the pharaoh's family. They include his mother Tuya, Nefertari, and some of his sons and daughters. Above the entrance there is a statue of a falcon-headed Ra-Harakhte, with the pharaoh shown worshipping on both sides of him. Below the statue there is an ancient rebus, showing the prenomen or throne name of Ramesses: Waser-ma'at.

The facade is topped by a row of 22 baboons, their arms raised in the air, supposedly worshipping the rising sun. Another notable feature of the facade is a stele which records the marriage of Ramesses with a daughter of King Hattusili III, which sealed the peace between Egypt and the Hittites.

The interior of the temple has the same triangular layout that most ancient Egyptian temples follow, with rooms decreasing in size from the entrance to the sanctuary. The first hall of the temple features eight statues of the deified Rameses II in the shape of Osiris, serving as pillars. The walls depict scenes of Egyptian victories in Libya, Syria and Nubia, including images from the Battle of Kadesh. The second hall depicts Ramesses and Nefertari with the sacred boats of Amun and Ra-Horakthy.

The sanctuary contains four seated statues of Ra-Horakhty, Ptah, Amun and Ramesses. The temple was constructed in such a way that the sun shines directly on all four statues during two days of the year, February 20 and October 20. These dates are allegedly the king's birthday and coronation day respectively, but there is no evidence to support this. Due to the displacement of the temple, it is widely believed that this event now occurs one day later than it did originally.

The Temple of Nefetari is located north of the Great Temple of Ramses II. It was carved in the rock by Ramses II and dedicated to Hathor, the goddess of love and beauty, and also to his favorite wife, Nefertari, for "whose sake the very sun doeth shine." The façade is adorned by six statues, four of Ramses II and two of Nefertari. Most unusually, the six are the same height, which indicates the esteem in which Nefertari was held.

The entrance leads to a hall containing six pillars bearing the head of the goddess Hathor. The eastern wall bears inscriptions depicting Ramses II striking the enemy before Ra-Harakhte and Amun-Ra. Other wall scenes show Rameses II and Nefertari offering sacrifices to the gods.

Beyond this hall, there is another wall with similar scenes and paintings. In the farthest depths of the temple is the holy of holies, where a statue of the goddess Hathor stands. This is, indeed, a most awesome sight to the visitor; for here one finds the great artificial dome that bears the man-made mountain behind the Temples of Abu Simbel. It shows the great work of Ramses II.

CONTOH DESCRIPTIVE TEXT - GUNUNG KILIMANJARO

Kilimanjaro, with its three volcanic cones, Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira, is a dormant volcano in Kilimanjaro National Park, Tanzania and the highest mountain in Africa at 5,895 metres or 19,341 feet above sea level (the Uhuru Peak/Kibo Peak).

Kilimanjaro rises from its base, and approximately 5,100 m (16,732 ft) from the plains near Moshi. Kibo is capped by an almost symmetrical cone with scarps rising 180 to 200 m on the south side. These scarps define a 2.5 km wide caldera. Within this caldera is an inner crater, the Reusch Crater. This inner crater was named after Dr. Richard Reusch. The name was conferred by the government of Tanganyika in 1954 at the same time it awarded Reusch a gold medal on having climbed Kilmanjaro for the 25th time. Reusch climbed Kilimanjaro 65 times and helped to establish the exact elevation of the crater. Within the Reusche Crater lies the Ash Pit. The Reusche Crater itself is nearly surrounded by a 400 feet (120 m) high dune of volcanic ash.

In the late 1880s the summit of Kibo was completely covered by an ice cap with outlet glaciers cascading down the western and southern slopes, and, except for the inner cone, the entire caldera was buried. Glacier ice flowed also through the Western Breach.

An examination of ice cores taken from the North Ice Field Glacier indicate that the "snows of Kilimanjaro" (aka glaciers) have a basal age of 11,700 years. A continuous ice cap covering approximately 400 square kilometers covered the mountain during the period of maximum glaciation, extending across the summits of Kibo and Mawenzi. The glacial ice survived drought conditions during a three century period beginning ~2200 BCE.

The period from 1912 to present has witnessed the disappearance of more than 80% of the ice cover on Kilimanjaro. From 1912-1953 there was ~1% annual loss, while 1989-2007 saw ~2.5% annual loss. Of the ice cover still present in 2000, 26% had disappeared by 2007. While the current shrinking and thinning of Kilimanjaro's ice fields appears to be unique within its almost twelve millennium history, it is contemporaneous with widespread glacier retreat in mid-to-low latitudes across the globe. At the current rate, Kilimanjaro is expected to become ice-free some time between 2022 and 2033.

CONTOH DESCRIPTIVE TEXT - AIR TERJUN VICTORIA

The Victoria Falls or Mosi-oa-Tunya (the Smoke that Thunders, and note that the 'i' is silent) is a waterfall located in southern Africa on the Zambezi River between the countries of Zambia and Zimbabwe.

It is claimed to be the largest. This claim is based on a width of 1,708 metres (5,604 ft) and height of 108 metres (354 ft), forming the largest sheet of falling water in the world. The falls' maximum flow rate compares well with that of other major waterfalls.

For a considerable distance upstream from the falls, the Zambezi flows over a level sheet of basalt, in a shallow valley bounded by low and distant sandstone hills. The river's course is dotted with numerous tree-covered islands, which increase in number as the river approaches the falls. There are no mountains, escarpments, or deep valleys which might be expected to create a waterfall, only flat plateau extending hundreds of kilometres in all directions.

The falls are formed as the full width of the river plummets in a single vertical drop into a transverse chasm 1708 metres (5604 ft) wide, carved by its waters along a fracture zone in the basalt plateau. The depth of the chasm, called the First Gorge, varies from 80 metres (260 ft) at its western end to 108 metres (354 ft) in the centre. The only outlet to the First Gorge is a 110 metres (360 ft) wide gap about two-thirds of the way across the width of the falls from the western end, through which the whole volume of the river pours into the Victoria Falls gorges.

There are two islands on the crest of the falls that are large enough to divide the curtain of water even at full flood: Boaruka Island (or Cataract Island) near the western bank, and Livingstone Island near the middle — the place that David Livingstone first saw the falls from in Zambia. At less than full flood, additional islets divide the curtain of water into separate parallel streams. The main streams are named, in order from Zimbabwe (west) to Zambia (east): Devil's Cataract (called Leaping Water by some), Main Falls, Rainbow Falls (the highest) and the Eastern Cataract.

CONTOH DESCRIPTIVE TEXT - GIZA PYRAMIDS

The pyramids of Giza are the only surviving Ancient Wonder of the World and one of the most famous tourist attractions in the modern world. They are some of the oldest sacred sites in our index and certainly among of the most impressive. (The Great Sphinx of Giza has a separate article.)

Although it is clear the pyramids were used for the burial of pharaohs, the construction, date, and possible symbolism of the Giza pyramids are still not entirely understood.

This mystery only adds to the attractiveness of these ancient wonders and many modern people still regard Giza as a spiritual place. A number of fascinating theories have been offered to explain the "mystery of the pyramids," one of which is summarized below.

Giza is the most important site on earth for many New Age followers, who are drawn by the pyramids' mysteries and ancient origins. Since 1990, private groups have been allowed into the Great Pyramid, and the majority of these have been seekers of the mystical aspects of the site. But even the most skeptical visitor cannot help but be awed by the great age, grand scale and harmonic mathematics of the pyramids of Giza.

CONTOH DESCRIPTIVE TEXT - BUKIT PASIR SOSSUSVLEI

The sand dunes of Sossusvlei in the Namib Desert are often referred to as the highest dunes in the world. Various arguments are laid out to support this claim, but all miss the point, which is that Sossusvlei is surely one of the most spectacular sights in Namibia. Located in the Namib Naukluft park, the largest conservation area in Africa, and fourth largest in the world - the sand dunes at Sossusvlei are just one excellent reason to visit Namibia.

The best time to view Sossusvlei is close to sunrise and sunset; the colours are strong and constantly changing, allowing for wonderful photographic opportunities. The midday heat is intense and best spent in the shade while sunset also offers excellent photo opportunities at Sossusvlei.

'Vlei' is the Afrikaans word for a shallow depression filled with water, and the name 'Sossusvlei' should strictly only be applied to the pan that lies at the place where the dunes close in, preventing the waters of the Tsauchab River from flowing any further - that is, on the rare occasions that the river does flow as far as this. During exceptional rainy seasons, Sossusvlei may fill with water, causing Namibians to flock there to witness the grand sight, but normally it is bone dry. This particular 'vlei' is actually a more-or-less circular, hard-surfaced depression that is almost entirely surrounded by sharp-edged dunes, beyond which lies a formidable sea of rolling sand, stretching in unbroken immensity all the way to the coast. However, the name 'Sossusvlei' nowdays applies to the whole area - an area that encompasses the great plain of the Tsauchab River together with the red dunes that march along like giant sentinels to south and north of the plain.

The second attraction of the area is Sesriem Canyon, which is only a few kilometres from the campsite, the entrance gate, and main Nature Conservation office. The canyon derives its name from the fact that early Afrikaner trekkers had to use six ('ses') leather thongs (a thong is a 'riem') so that their buckets could reach the water far below. The canyon begins as an almost imperceptible but nevertheless deep cleft in level, stony ground, and then widens until it finally flattens out onto the plain. Because it is so deep and sheltered, it often holds water well into the dry season - an invigorating sight in such a barren and stark environment.

CONTOH DESCRIPTIVE TEXT - TEBING FISH RIVER

The Fish River Canyon in Namibia is reputedly the second largest canyon in the world (the larges being the Grand Canyon). There is a lot of debate as to whether or not this is indeed the second largest canyon in the world, most of the arguments seem to hinge on how one actually measures the 'size' of a canyon. Regardless of its ranking in the world of big canyons the Fish River is absolutely magnificent and breathtaking in its immensity. The Fish River Canyon probably formed about 500 million years ago. However was not only created by water erosion, but through the collapse of the valley bottom due to movements in the earth's crust.

The canyon is part of a nature conservation park. The gate to this park is at Hobas campsite and from here it is a further 10 kilometres to the main viewpoint for the canyon which offers a stunning views. When you arrive at the canyon, as you have no idea it is there. It drops vertically by half a kilometre, out of a flat arid plateau without any warning. As with most rivers in Namibia the Fish River is generally dry however in the raining season (January to April) the river can become a raging torrent.

Selesai !!!! Sebenarnya masih banyak obyek wisata indah lainnya di Afrika; namun setidaknya dengan 6 contoh descriptive text tempat-tempat Indah di Afrika di atas, kita jadi mengerti bahwa keindahan harus tetap dilestarikan.....

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Asking For Repetition, Gimana Sih?

Asking for repetition, apa sih? Jangan ribut, ini adalah materi speaking & conversation yang sangat mudah dipahami. Biasanya, materi percakapan bahasa Inggris ini diajarkan ketika sobat duduk di bangku sekolah menengah pertama.

"Asking for repetition" secara harfiah berarti meminta pengulangan. Jika dijabarkan lebih lanjut "Asking for repetition" bisa diartikan sebagai permintaan seseorang untuk mengulangi penjelasan atau jawaban dari orang lain. Meminta orang lain untuk mengulangi penjelasan atau jawaban bukan berarti kita tuli dan tidak mendengar apa yang diucapkan orang lain; akan tetapi "asking for repetition" lebih menekankan bahwa kita ingin mendengarkan jawaban atau penjelasan dengan lebih terang lagi.


Contoh Asking Repetition

Untuk memahami cara dan bagaimana contoh asking for repetition, mari kita baca dialog di bawah ini :

Rina : Hello Dewi. Look at my new purse. I made it by myself.
Dewi : Hello, Rina. Hey, that's nice. Isn't that your old purse? The one that we bought one year ago?
Rina : Yeah, that's right.
Dewi : How did you do that?
Rina : Sorry, What did you say?
Dewi : How did you do that, Rina?
Rina : Oh, well, first, I just added some colorful buttons. Then, four-five glittery beads. Finally, I gave my magic finishing touch, he.. he..

Lihat kalimat bergaris bawah di atas, Rina meminta Dewi untuk mengulangi ucapannya karena Rina merasa kurang mendengar apa yang diucapkan Dewi. Mudah bukan?

Dengan menggunakan ungkapan "Asking for Repetition", dialog bahasa inggris bisa menjadi lebih hidup. Tapi, jika kita sering menggunakan ungkapan ini, bisa-bisa kita dianggap tuli. Jadi, cobalah lebih jeli mendengarkan percakapan kawan kita. Gunakan jika memang kita tidak jelas mendengar percakapan orang lain saja, oke...

Banyak cara untuk meminta seseorang agar mengulang pernyataan / pertanyaannya. Dan berikut adalah beberapa ungkapan asking for repetition yang umum diucapkan oleh native speakers.



Ungkapan
Makna
Formal
Could you repeat again, please?
Would you be louder, please?
Sorry, what did you say?
Bisakah anda ulangi lagi?
Bisakah anda katakana lebih keras?
Maaf, apa yang tadi anda katakan?
I'm sorry, I couldn't understand you...
I'm sorry, I didn't get that...
I'm sorry, I didn't catch that....
What did you say?
Pardon?
What's that again?
Say that again?
What?
Huh?
Maaf, gue ga paham..
Maaf, ane ga paham…
Maaf, saya ga denger..
Apa kamu bilang?
Maaf?
Apa tadi?
Katakan lagi?
Apa?
Huh?

Sebenarnya masih banyak lagi cara mengungkapkan "asking for repetition" jika sobat memiliki banyak kosakata bahasa Inggris. Caranya, ya dengan menambahkan sedikit-sedikit apa yang sobat dengar. :)

Dengan contoh-contoh ungkapan "asking for repetition" di atas, apakah sobat masih mempunyai kendala menguasainya. Jika masih, berarti sobat perlu lebih intensif lagi berlatih percakapan dengan kawan sobat. Nanti jika sudah mahir, jangan sering-sering menggunakan ungkapan di atas, takut dianggap tuli :)
 

Sunday, February 16, 2014

Dongeng Keong Mas - Bahasa Inggris

Sehari lalu, ada komentar dari pembaca blog ini yang secara tidak langsung "meminta" dipublikasikannya dongeng Keong Mas versi bahasa Inggris. Oleh karena itu, alangkah tidak adil jika cerita rakyat Keong Mas berbahasa Inggris tidak diterbitkan, mumpung masih diberi kesempatan untuk saling berbagi...

Langsung saja, ini dia dongeng Keong Mas (A Gold Snail) dalam bahasa Inggris, selamat membaca...

Once upon a time, there was a couple living in a palace. They were Prince Raden Putra and Dewi Limaran. Prince Raden Putra's father was the king of the kingdom.

One day, Dewi Limaran was walking around in the palace garden. Suddenly she saw a snail. It was ugly and disgusting.
"Yuck!" said Dewi Limaran and then she threw it away into a river.
She did not know that the snail was actually an old and powerful witch. She could transform herself into anything. The witch was angry to Dewi Limaran. The witch put a spell on her and changed her into a golden snail. The witch then threw it away into the river.
The golden snail was drifting away in the river and got caught into a net. An old woman was fishing and used her net to catch some fish. She was surprised to see a golden snail in her net. She took it and brought it home. When the old woman woke up in the morning, she was surprised that the house was in the good condition. 
The floor was mopped. And she also had food on the table. She was thinking very hard.
"Who did this to me? The person is very kind." It happened again and again every morning.
The old woman was very curious. One night she decided to stay up late. She was peeping from her room to know who cooked for her. Then, she could not believe what she saw. The golden snail she caught in the river turned into a beautiful woman. The old woman approached her.

"Who are you, young girl?"
"I am Dewi Limaran, Ma'am. A witch cursed me. I can change back as a human only at night," explained Dewi Limaran.
"The spell can be broken if I hear the melody from the holy gamelan," continued Dewi Limaran.

The old woman then rushed to the palace. She talked to Prince Raden Putra about her wife.

Prince Raden Putra was so happy. He had been looking for his wife everywhere.
He then prayed and meditated. He asked the gods to give him the holy gamelan. He wanted to break the witch's spell. After several days praying and meditating, finally gods granted his wish. He immediately brought the holy gamelan to the old woman's house. He played it beautifully. And then amazingly the golden snail turned into the beautiful Dewi Limaran.

The couple was so happy that they could be together again. They also thanked the old woman for her kindness. As a return, they asked her to stay in the palace.