DESCRIPTIVE

DESCRIPTIVE

Yogyakarta’s Becak

The government of Yogyakarta had decided to keep becak as a public transportation and also as an attraction point for visiting tourists. All becak are registered and the drivers are given trainings on traffic system and rules, also on language skills so they could communicate with foreign tourists. Nowadays you could see each becak in Yogyakarta has vehicle registration number plates just like motor vehicles such as cars or motorcycle.

Becak in Yogyakarta, like all becak in the island of Java, is a pedal-driven becak with the driver positioned at the back part of becak. The high seated position of the driver is often criticized as it requires extra effort for the driver to pedaled the becak. This critic is ignored because the driver’s high seat is regarded as a typical characteristic of Yogyakarta’s becaks.

Author         :  Tri Kartika Rina
Published by:  Unpublished
Historical Value: Despite its label as a descriptive text, it suggests a bit general things.

Sipiso-piso Waterfall

To reach the place from Medan, visitors can take a bus to Kabanjahe which is the capital city of Karo regency.  The journey lasts for about two hours. From Kabanjahe, take another bus to Tongging village.  This time the journey lasts only about thirty minutes.

Amazing! That is what you are going to say when you arrive at Tongging village. This village is so green. From this village you can also enjoy the view of Tanah Karo and Toba Lake, the biggest vulcanologic lake in the world. 

            Then, you should go down through hundreds of man-made steps to get closer to Sipiso-piso waterfall.  When you arrive at the down part, you can enjoy the beauty of the small green hills in front of you, and of course, the waterfall.  The sound of the falling water is very loud because the waterfall is 120 meter high.   The word Sipiso-piso in Karo language means knives.  It is because the falling water looks like blades of knife.

            Sipiso-piso waterfall has been visited by many domestic and foreign tourists.  Most of foreign tourists are from Malaysia, Singapore, French, and Netherlands.

Author         :  Nur Zaida
Published by: PT Penerbit Erlangga in ENGLISH ASSESSMENT TEST 2010
Historical Value: I have never been to this place -one day, I'll be there I believe. I wrote it based on an article or an inflight magazine.