HOW I MET MYSELF – THEMES & MORAL VALUES

Themes Moral Values (Lessons Learnt) Characters involved

1. Determination / Perseverance / We must be determined / persevered / John Taylor
Persistence (Tidak berputus asa / persistent to achieve what we want.
mempunyai keazaman yang tinggi)
2. Family Love We must love our family. John Taylor,
Andrea Taylor

SAMPLE QUESTIONS

The following are the novels studied in the literature component in English Language
1. Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne
2. How I Met Myself by David A. Hill
3. The Railway Children by Edith Nesbitt

SAMPLE QUESTION 1:
Based on one novel above, write about a character that shows determination (perseverance / persistence).
Provide evidence from the text to support your answer.

Paragraph 1 - Based on ‘How I Met Myself’ by David A. Hill, a character that showed determination was John
Introduction Taylor. (DO NOT WASTE TIME WRITING THE SYNOPSIS OF THE STORY!)

Paragraph 2 Simple answer Advanced answer

Give the first  A man ran into John at Felka
reason as to utca.
why John  The man looked like John.
Taylor was  John Taylor was determined
determined. to follow and find the man.
 John followed the man to
Zsolt’s café. (chapter 3, page 4)
 He looked for the man in the
café. (chapter 3, page 5)
 He could not find the man.
 A man ran into John at Felka utca.
 The man looked like John.
 John Taylor was determined to follow and find the man.
 He followed the man to Zsolt’s café in Gergely utca.
(chapter 3, page 4)
 He looked for the man in the café. (chapter 3, page 5)
 He asked the café owner if anyone came in before him.
(chapter 3, page 5)
 He checked the toilet. (chapter 3, page 5)
 He could not find the man in the café.

Paragraph 3 Simple answer Advanced answer

Give the  He did not give up.  He did not give up. He went to Felka utca after work
second reason  He went to Felka utca and every day. He waited at number 7 Felka utca. He hoped
as to why Gergely utca after work every to meet the man again. (chapter 4, page 8, 9)
John Taylor day.  He went to each flat at Felka utca. He checked all the
was  He hoped to meet the man names beside the doorbells for each flat. (chap 4, page 9)
determined. again. (chapter 4, page 8, 9)  He went to the café in Gergely utca every night. The man
 The man never showed up. never showed up. (Chapter 4,5 page9,12)
 He went to Felka utca with  He went to Felka utca with Andrea. He asked the
Andrea. housekeeper whether she knew any man who looked like
 They could not find any man him. The housekeeper said she did not know. (chapter 6,
who looked like John. (chapter page 15)
6, page 15)  Even though his search was in vain, John did not lose
hope.
*in vain – not successful
*lose hope – give up

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Paragraph 4 Simple answer
Give the third  John Taylor was determined
reason as to to know why he met the man.
why John  He learnt that the man who
Taylor was looked like him was his
determined. doppelganger.
 His doppleganger wanted to
give John a message.
 He met his doppelganger on 18
January from his diary.(chapter
9, page 26)
Paragraph 5 Simple answer
Give the  18 January was an important
fourth reason date.
as to why  John read many old
John Taylor newspapers.
was  On 18 January 1945, a mother
determined. and her child died in an
explosion in Gergely utca. The
mother’s name was Mrs Szabo.
(chapter 11, page 33, 34, 35)
 He met with Mrs Fischer.
 John got a lot of information
from Mrs Fischer.
 Firstly, John learnt about Janos
Szabo.
 Secondly, Janos had a wife and
daughter. His wife was Andrea.
His daughter was Kati. They
died in an explosion in Gergely
utca. (chapter 12, page 40, 41)
 Thirdly, she told John that his
face looked like Janos.
 John found out that “Janos
Szabo” meant “John Taylor”
(chapter 15, page 46)
 John and Janos were born on
23 October. (chapter 15, page
48)
Paragraph 6 Simple answer
Conclusion John was a determined man.
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Advanced answer
 John Taylor was determined to know why he met the
man in Felka utca.
 He always dreamt about the meeting incident.
 He did lots of reading about life after death. He learnt
that the man who looked like him was his doppelganger.
He learnt that a doppleganger wanted to give a message
about danger or to give advice. This made John wanting
to find the truth. (chap 7, page 19)
 From his diary, he found out that he met his
doppelganger on 18 January.(chapter 9, page 26)
 He went to number 7 Felka utca with Andrea on the
second 18 January. John met the same man again but
Andrea did not see anything. (chapter 10, page 31)
 John did not understand what had happened. However,
he was determined to find the answer.
Advanced answer
 John was determined to find out about any related
incident that happened on 18 January.
 He went to the Budapest City Library. He read many old
newspapers. He learnt about a mother and her child who
died in an explosion in Gergely utca. The explosion
happened on 18 January 1945. The mother’s name was
Mrs Szabo. (chapter 11, page 33, 34, 35)
 John felt that this incident might relate to his problem.
 Upon learning about Mrs Szabo, he went to Gergely utca.
He met the housekeeper and Mrs Kovacs. However, they
did not know any Szabo Family. (chapter 12, page 37)
 He went to Felka utca. He met a man named Mr Szabo.
Mr Szabo moved to Felka utca in 1956. So, he was not the
right Szabo. John did not give up. (chap 12, page 37, 38)
 Then, he met with Mrs Fischer. Mrs Fischer told John
about Janos Szabo. Janos had a wife and daughter. They
died in an explosion in Gergely utca. Janos’s wife and
daughter were called Andrea and Kati. Mrs Fischer told
John that his face looked exactly like Janos. (chap 12,
page 40, 41) (chap 15, page 46, 47)
 John discovered that “Janos Szabo” was the Hungarian
name for “John Taylor”. (chapter 15, page 46)
 John went to the Public Records Office. He found out that
he and Janos were born on 23 October. (ch 15, page 48)
 John was shocked with the similarities that he had with
Janos Szabo, his doppelganger. He was afraid that
something bad would happen to his family.
Advanced answer
John’s determination helped him to solve the mystery of his
doppelganger. He believed that every cloud has a silver lining.
His doppelganger saved Andrea and Kati from a terrible
explosion.
*every cloud has a silver lining – setiap masalah ada
penyelesaiannya
SAMPLE QUESTION 2:
Based on one novel above, write about how a character tries to solve his or her problems.
Provide evidence from the text to support your answer.
Paragraph 1 - Based on ‘How I Met Myself’ by David A. Hill, a character who tried to solve his problems was John
Introduction Taylor. His problem started when a man ran into John. The man looked like John. This incident
troubled John.
Paragraph 2 Simple answer
State the first  Firstly, John did not tell
problem & Andrea about this incident.
how he tried  He wanted to find the truth by
to solve it. himself.
 He always came home late.
(chapter 5, page 12)
 Andrea was unhappy.
 She thought that John had
another woman.
 They argued with each other.
 Finally, he shared his problems
with Andrea.
Paragraph 3 Simple answer
State the  Secondly, John had problem to
second find out who was the man.
problem &  He learnt that the man was his
how he tried doppelganger.
to solve it.  He learnt that a doppleganger
wanted to give a message.
 He met his doppelganger on 18
January.(chapter 9, page 26)
 John told Paul Harris about the
doppelganger incident.
 Paul believed John. Paul asked
John to be careful because bad
things could happen. (chapter
8, page 23)
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Advanced answer
 Firstly, John did not tell Andrea about this incident.
 He wanted to find the truth by himself. After work every
day, he waited at Felka utca and the café. He hoped to
meet the man again. He always came home late. (chapter
5, page 12)
 Andrea was unhappy. She thought that John had an affair
with another woman. They argued with each other.
(chapter 5, page 12)
 John felt guilty because he lied to Andrea. Finally, he
shared his problems with Andrea. Andrea felt happy to
learn the truth. She agreed to help John to go to number
7 Felka utca. John was happy because Andrea wanted to
help him. (chapter 5, page 13,14)
Advanced answer
 Secondly, John had problem to find out who was the
man.
 He always dreamt about meeting the man.
 John was determined to find the answer.
 He did lots of reading about life after death. He learnt
that the man that he met was his doppelganger. He
learnt that a doppleganger wanted to give a message
about danger or to give advice. This made John wanting
to find the truth. (chap 7, page 19)
 From his diary, he found out that he met his
doppelganger on 18 January.(chapter 9, page 26)
 He met Paul Harris in Swindon, England. Paul was John’s
best friend at school. (chapter 8, page 22)
 John told Paul about the doppelganger incident. Paul
believed John. Paul asked John to be careful. Paul told
John that bad things could happen. (chapter 8, page 23)
 On the second 18 January, he went to number 7 Felka
utca with Andrea. John met the same man again but
Andrea did not see anything. (chapter 10, page 31)
 John did not understand what had happened. However,
he was determined to find the answer.
Paragraph 4 Simple answer
State the third  Thirdly, John became too
problem & obsessed with his
how he tried doppelganger story.
to solve it.  He always argued with
Andrea.
 However, he wanted to find
the truth.
 John read many old
newspapers.
 On 18 January 1945, a mother
and her child died in an
explosion in Gergely utca. The
mother’s name was Mrs Szabo.
(chapter 11, page 33, 34, 35)
 He met with Mrs Fischer.
 John got a lot of information
from Mrs Fischer.
 Firstly, John learnt about Janos
Szabo.
 Secondly, Janos had a wife and
daughter. His wife was Andrea.
His daughter was Kati. They
died in an explosion in Gergely
utca. (chapter 12, page 40, 41)
 Thirdly, she told John that his
face looked like Janos.
 John found out that “Janos
Szabo” meant “John Taylor”
(chapter 15, page 46)
 John and Janos were born on
23 October. (chapter 15, page
48)
Paragraph 5 Simple answer
Conclusion John’s determination helped to
solve his problems.
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Advanced answer
 Thirdly, John became too obsessed with his
doppelganger story. He neglected his family. He always
argued with Andrea. However, he still wanted to find
the truth.
 He went to the Budapest City Library. He read many old
newspapers. He learnt about a mother and her child who
died in an explosion in Gergely utca. The explosion
happened on 18 January 1945. The mother’s name was
Mrs Szabo. (chapter 11, page 33, 34, 35)
 John felt that this incident might relate to his problem.
 Upon learning about Mrs Szabo, he went to Gergely utca.
He met the housekeeper and Mrs Kovacs. However, they
did not know any Szabo Family. (chapter 12, page 37)
 He went to Felka utca. He met a man named Mr Szabo.
Mr Szabo moved to Felka utca in 1956. So, he was not the
right Szabo. John did not give up. (chap 12, page 37, 38)
 Then, he met with Mrs Fischer. Mrs Fischer told John
about Janos Szabo. Janos had a wife and daughter. They
died in an explosion in Gergely utca. Janos’s wife and
daughter were called Andrea and Kati. Mrs Fischer told
John that his face looked exactly like Janos. (chap 12,
page 40, 41) (chap 15, page 46, 47)
 John discovered that “Janos Szabo” was the Hungarian
name for “John Taylor”. (chapter 15, page 46)
 John went to the Public Records Office. He found out that
he and Janos were born on 23 October. (ch 15, page 48)
 John was shocked with the similarities that he had with
Janos Szabo, his doppelganger. He was afraid that
something bad would happen to his family.
Advanced answer
John’s determination helped him to solve his problems. He
believed that every cloud has a silver lining. His doppelganger
saved Andrea and Kati from a terrible explosion. (every cloud
has a silver lining – setiap masalah ada penyelesaiannya)
SAMPLE QUESTION 3:
a) Based on one novel above, write about a theme in the novel. Provide evidence from the text to support your
answer.
b) Based on one novel above, write about a lesson learnt from the novel. Provide evidence from the text to
support your answer.

Paragraph 1 - a) Based on ‘How I Met Myself’ by David A. Hill, a theme in the novel is family love. In this novel,
Introduction John and Andrea Taylor were responsible, loving and caring towards their family.

b) Based on ‘How I Met Myself’ by David A. Hill, a lesson learnt from the novel is we must love our
family. In this novel, I learnt to be responsible, loving and caring from John and Andrea Taylor.

Paragraph 2 Simple answer Advanced answer

State how  Andrea was a responsible,
Andrea loving and caring wife and
showed his mother.
responsibility,  Firstly, she cooked nice soups
love and care. for John.
 Secondly, Andrea was worried
when John always had bad
dreams.
 Andrea wanted to help John.
Andrea and John went to
number 7 Felka utca. They
wanted to find out about the
man.
 She was a good and
responsible mother to Kati.
 Next, she wanted John to
spend his extra time with her
and Kati. She did want John to
spend time on the
doppelganger story.
 Andrea was a responsible, loving and caring wife and
mother.
 Firstly, she cooked nice soups for John.
 Secondly, Andrea was worried when John always had bad
dreams. She was afraid because she did not understand
what was happening to John.
 Thirdly, after John had told her about his problems,
Andrea wanted to help him. She wanted to be
supportive. Andrea and John went to number 7 Felka
utca. They wanted to find out about the man. They asked
two housekeepers about the man. But both were not
helpful. John was happy that Andrea was with him.
 She was a good and responsible mother to Kati. She
looked after her. She played with her. She took her out
for a walk.
 Next, she wanted John to spend his extra time with her
and Kati. She did want John to spend time on the
doppelganger story.
 When she heard the explosion, she went with Kati to look
for John. She was afraid he was in the café.

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Paragraph 3 Simple answer
State how  John was a responsible, loving
John showed and caring husband and
his father.
responsibility,  He shared his problems with
love and care. Andrea. (chapter 5, page
13,14)
 John took Andrea and Kati to
Swindon, England to spend
Christmas with his family. (ch
8, pg 21)
 Then, he took them to spend
New Year with Andrea’s family
in Hungary. (ch 8, pg 24)
 One day, John saw Andrea’s
note. She had gone to help
Szolt in his café. He went to the
the café. (ch 16, pg 50, 51)
 The café was destroyed. There
was an explosion. John and
other people cleared all the
stones and wood. (ch 17, pg
53)
 John was very sad. He thought
that Andrea and Kati had died
in the café.
 When he found Andrea and
Kati still alive, he held them
closely. (ch 18, pg 56)
Paragraph 4 Simple answer
Conclusion John and Andrea Taylor showed
good examples about family love.
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Advanced answer
 John was a responsible, loving and caring husband and
father.
 When John met his doppelganger for the first time, he
did not tell Andrea the truth. Finally, he shared his
problems with Andrea because he loved Andrea so much.
(chapter 5, page 13,14)
 John took Andrea and Kati to Swindon, England to spend
Christmas with his family. (ch 8, pg 21)
 Then, he took them to spend New Year with Andrea’s
family in Hungary. (ch 8, pg 24)
 At Andrea’s house, Andrea reminded John to spend more
time with her and Kati. So, he tried to be better. (ch 8, pg
24)
 The next year in August, John took Andrea and Kati to
England again. John took them to the sea. John and
Andrea played with Kati in the water. They played on the
beach too. (ch 8, pg 44)
 In the same year, they went to England again for
Christmas. Then, they spent New Year with Andrea’s
parents. (ch 8, pg 45)
 One day, John saw Andrea’s note when he came back
from work. She had gone to help Szolt in his café. He was
worried about them. He rushed to number 7 Felka utca.
Then, he went to the café. (ch 16, pg 50, 51)
 When he reached the café at Gergely utca, the café was
destroyed due to an explosion. John and other people
cleared all the stones and wood. (ch 17, pg 53)
 John was very sad. He thought that Andrea and Kati had
died in the café.
 He blamed himself because he did not tell Andrea about
what he had seen in his dreams. He also did not tell
Andrea what he had found out from Mrs Fischer. He felt
that he had killed Andrea and Kati.
 He felt regret because he was too interested about the
doppelganger story. He forgot to think about the two
people he loved the most. He felt hopeless. (ch 17, pg 55)
 When he found Andrea and Kati still alive, he held them
closely. (ch 18, pg 56)
Advanced answer
John and Andrea Taylor teach us to appreciate our family.
Family is the most important thing in the world. Love and
tolerance make a family.