Summary Writing Exercise
King Mahala’s Obsession with Gold
King Mahala was fond of gold more than anything else in the world. He treasured
his royal crown because it was made of that precious metal. If he loved anything
good or half as good, it was a little girl who played around her father’s feet so
happily. But the more Mahala loved his daughter, the more he desired wealth. He
thought the foolish man that he was, the best thing he could possibly do for his
beloved child was to bestow upon him the great pile of yellow shiny coins that had
been collected since the creation of the world.
So he gave all his thoughts and all his time to this one cause. If ever he looked for a
moment at the golden clouds of sunset, he wished they were gold and that they
could be safely squeezed into his strong box. (144 Words)
Main Points:
I. King Mahala was very fond of gold.
II. He loved gold for his daughter to whom he wanted to give all the gold in the
world.
III. He even wished the gold-coloured clouds of the sunset to be true gold.
Summary:
King Mahala was fond of gold and treasured his royal crown, but the more he loved
his daughter, the more he desired wealth. He decided to bestow upon her a pile of
yellow shiny coins that had been collected since the creation of the world.
(45 Words)
MAY/JUNE 2009
Main Points:
1. Sugar remained the English-speaking Caribbean’s premier export crop because of high prices
and preferential treatment.
2. Sugar has now become unviable since prices have declined because large global producers
have entered the market.
3. Sugar is important, however, because of its ecological impact and because it is a part of the
life of a significant part of the population.
4. Caribbean economies have to change because of the WTO ruling.
5. Change will not be easy because it requires money, modernization and retraining.
Summary
Although cane production was abandoned in some Caribbean countries, the industry has flourished in
others because of high prices and preferential trading arrangements with Europe. In Jamaica, sugar
plays a vital part in contributing foreign exchange, in preserving the natural environment by
preventing soil erosion and in providing a haven for animals. Recently, however, some Caribbean
sugar industries became less profitable as larger countries started to export sugar. In response to this,
some Caribbean countries have diversified. Europe’s decision to cut its preferred price, as directed by
the WTO, has led to new industries being established, but this kind of change is difficult since
European support is required as well as re-training of personnel to do other jobs. (117 words)
