Biograhpy

 C H A P T E R  1

Biography is the story of a person's life that is more complex than just a curriculum vitae and work data. Generally, biographies tell more about the feelings a person faces in dealing with an event or a person's life.

In the biography, it is explained about the life of a character from childhood until he grows up, even until he finally dies. All services, works, and things produced by a character are also clarified. The biographical text itself was composed not by myself. Life history text types include Short life history and Long life history.

Biographical structure

Orientation

Orientation provides the reader with background information on why the biography was written. The opening paragraph should answer the questions: who, what, where, when, and how.

Usually contains narrated biodata such as full name and place and date of birth. Some general information can also be presented in this section as an introduction to the characters.

2. Events

At the eventa stage is the stage of an event or events experienced by the character. Contains an explanation of a story in the form of problem solving, other processes, and various events that have been experienced by the character to lead him to a success. The events themselves are usually told in chronological order which refers to a certain time.

3. Re-Orientation (Closing)

This section contains the author's views on the characters told. Reorientation is optional so that the author can give his personal view of the characters being told. Reorientation also consists of a type of conclusion with comments about contributions which are then summarized in an interesting conclusion or storyline.

P a r t i c e 

Ki Hajar Dewantara

Ki Hajar Dewantara's first name is Raden Mas Soewardi Soeryaningrat. He was born in Yogyakarta on May 2, 1889. He comes from the Kraton family. There is something unique, when he was 40 years old, he changed his name to Ki Hajar Dewantara, the purpose of changing his name, he was able to mingle with the community in general.

In his education, he finished elementary school at ELS (Dutch Elementary School), then continued his education to STOVIA (Bumiputera Doctor's school), he did not finish school because of illness. Then as an adult he worked as a journalist in several newspaper media, including Sedyotomo, Midden Java, DeExpress, Kaoem Moeda and so on.

Apart from being active in journalism and writing, he is also active in several social and political organizations. In 1908, he was active as a propagandist for Boedi Oetomo to socialize and raise awareness of the Indonesian people. He often voiced the importance of national and state unity and integrity. Ki Hajar Dewantara's fighting spirit grew even more intense in the form of his struggle until in November 1913 he formed the Boemipoetra Committee to criticize the Dutch government who wanted to celebrate 100 years of Dutch freedom from French colonialism by withdrawing money from the colonized people.

His personality and struggles in the world of education are undeniable, considering that he was the founder of the Taman Siswa National College on July 3, 1922. His achievements in the world of education made him the first Minister of Education, Teaching and Culture, until the date of his birth, which is May 2, served as Education Day. National (Hardiknas).

C  H  A  P  T  E  R   2

Features of biographical text

There are several things that characterize the biographical text. These characteristics include the following:

• The biographical text must carry information based on the facts of the character being told in the form of a narrative.

• The biographical text brings a reality of the life experience of a character to solve problems until it finally succeeds so that it must be used as an example.

• The biographical text has a clear structure. The structure consists of orientation, problem, and reorientation.

P a r t i c e 

George Westinghouse

George Westinghouse was one of the most prolific inventors and businessmen of the Industrial Revolution. After serving in the Union Army and Navy, he patented several devices, particularly for railroads. He would eventually start the Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company to improve alternating current (AC) power generators.

Westinghouse's major contributions started with inventions revolving around railroad safety, most notably his compressed air brake system (patented in 1869) that functioned as a fail-safe to halt trains. Westinghouse's air brake was a replacement for the troublesome manual braking method and eventually became a standard of safety not only in America but also in Canada and Europe.

After establishing the Westinghouse Air Brake Company, Westinghouse turned to improve rail signaling devices through the formation of the Union Switch and Signal Company. He also invented a rotary steam engine, which helped derailed freight trains get back onto their tracks, as well as a "frog" device that allowed trains to travel across connecting rails

Westinghouse's interest in alternating current technology came after working on natural gas control and distribution projects, in which he invented a valve that helped take high-pressure gas and bring it down to low-pressure use. From that experience, he turned his attention to electricity, believing that a similar approach could distribute power for widespread use.

Confident that developing alternating current (AC) technology — converting high voltage to low through a transformer — was the way of the future, Westinghouse founded the Westinghouse Electric Company in 1886. It was a bold move, considering many heavy investors in the power industry, namely competitor Thomas Edison, were championing the direct current system.

Edison and his supporters waged a smear campaign against the AC system, telling the public that it was dangerous and a health hazard. The fierce competition between Edison and Westinghouse over electricity spilled into a legal battle called The Seven Years War. Still, Westinghouse had the upper hand and ultimately proved AC was the better technology: He not only bought Nikola Tesla's AC technology patents in 1888 and convinced Tesla to work for him, but he also laid out the case for its safety when, in 1893, he lit up the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago using his AC generator. Not long after, Westinghouse's company won the bid to build a large-scale generator system that would use the water power of Niagara Falls and convert it into electrical energy for multiple purposes.

Although Westinghouse's business empire prospered for years, a disastrous financial panic in 1907 forced the inventor to cut all ties to it by 1911. It was then that his health took a turn for the worse. Suffering from heart problems, he died on March 12, 1914.

C H A P T E R  3

Elements of the language rules of the biographical text

Conjunction

A conjunction is a word that functions as a link between one word and another. Conjunctions make a sentence effective and easy to read. For example, such as: therefore, however, even though it is, it is not only that.

Word reference

A word reference is a word that refers to another word that has been said before. This reference word is divided into several parts, including:

• Place reference. Example: Here, there, there.
• Refer people. Example: He, he, he, they, and his.
• References to objects or problems. example: this, that, and that.
• Occurrence, time and place

In the biographical text, there are words that have a function to show events, times, and places that have been or are being experienced by a character.

Verb

These verbs are divided into two parts, among which are based on form and based on type.

Form-based verbs

Verbs based on affixes

P a r t i c e 

Kang Chol Hwan was born into a loyal family that had once lived in the large Korean community of Japan. In Kyoto, his grandfather had been supporter of Kim II Sung, North Korean’s Great Leader since 1945. In 1961 the grandfather returned with his family to North Korea and had important government post.

Within months, however, he was complaining to friends that North Korea was not the country he had expected. He was shocked to see so much poverty, which he eventually came to blame on the government’s stifl ing left for work and never returned. One morning in July 1977, when Kang was nine, his grandfather left for work and never returned.

A few weeks later, seven plain clothes security guard stormed into Kang’s house “Your grandfather betrayed the fatherland,” one of them stated” You must be punished.”

Kang’s parents and grandmother sobbed as they forced to pack their belongings into two army trucks. The family was driven off, but Kang’s mother was left behind, “spared” because her own father was regarded as a revolutationary hero. That was the last Kang ever saw her.

1. What was a reason for Kang’s grandfather never returned to Kang’s house?

     A. A supporter of Kim II Sung

     B. Accused of betraying North Korea

     C. Regarded as a hero

     D. As an important person in Korea

     E. Force Kang’s family to leave their homeland

Ans : B

2. What is mainly discussed in the last paragraph?

     A. The last minutes Kang gathered together with his mother

     B. The day Kang ever saw his grandma and grandpa

     C. The moment Kang’s father was regarded as a hero

     D. The last day Kang’s parents and his grandma sobbed

     E. The sad moment when Kang’s parents meet grandma

Ans : A

3. Why did Kang’s grandfather disappear?

     A. He left for work and went somewhere else

     B. He returned to North Korea

     C. He was supporter of Kim II Sung

     D. He went to the government’s office

     E. He was kidnapped and punished by the security guards

Ans : E

4. A few weeks later, seven plain clothes security guards stormed into Kang’s house.

The underlined word has the same meaning as ....

     A. Destroyed

     B. Attacked

     C. Knocked

     D. Involved

     E. Knotted

Ans : B

The following text is for questions 5 .

I, Milton Friedman was born on July 31, 1921, in Brooklyn, N.Y., the fourth and last child and fi rst son of Sarah Ethel (Landau) and Jeno Saul Friedman. My parents were born in Carpatho-Ruthenia of the Soviet Union, They emigrated to the U.S. in their teens, meeting in New York. When I was a year old, my parents moved to Rahway, N.J., a small town about 20 miles from New York City.

I was awarded a competitive scholarship to Rutgers University. I graduated from Rutgers in 1932. I financed the rest of my college expenses by the usual mixture of waiting at tables, clerking in a retail store, occasional entrepreneurial ventures, and summer earnings. Shortly, however, I became interested in economics.

In economics, I had the good fortune to be exposed to two remarkable men: Arthur F. Burns and Homer Jones. Arthur Burns shaped my understanding of economics research, introduced me to the highest scientific standards, and became a guiding influence on my subsequent career. Homer Jones introduced me to rigorous economic theory, made economics exciting and relevant, and encouraged me to go on to graduate work. On his recommendation, the Chicago Economics Department offered me a tuition scholarship. As it happened, I was also offered a scholarship by Brown University in Applied Mathematics, but, by that time, I had definitely transferred my primary allegiance to economics. In 1976 I won the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics for my achievements in the fields of consumption analysis, monetary history and theory and for his demonstration of the complexity of stabilization policy. In 1977, at age 65, I retired from the University of Chicago after teaching there for 30 years.

5. Who influenced Milton Friedman on economic research?

     A. Sarah Ethel

     B. Jeno Friedman

     C. Arthur F. Burns

     D. Homer Jones

     E. Alfred Nobel

Ans : C