GP_All JCs 2007 Mid-year GP Comprehension & Essays

8/9/2019 GP_All JCs 2007 Mid-year GP Comprehension & Essays

1/131

AJC

Mid-Year

07

PAPER

1

1.

To

what

extent

should

parents

be

held responsible

for

their

children's

actions?

2.

Art

has

no

place

in

today's

modem

wodd.

Comment.

3.

Should

the

State

interfere

in

what a

person

wants

to

do with

his body?

4.

"The

road

to

hell

is';ften

paved

with

good

intentions".

Discuss.

5.

Examine

the view

that

when

fighting

a

war,

we should

not

be

concerned

about

principles.

6.

Freedom

of

choice

-

is

this always good?

7.

Shorrld

young

people

in

your

country

be

fearful

about

the

future?

L

The

need for ethical standard among scientists

is

greater

today.

Comment.

9.

Shopping

is_a

national

pastjme

for

Singapore.

How

far

should

this trend

be

encouraged?

10.

Small

businesses

cannot

survive

in

toclay,s

world

ot big

players.

Do

you

agree?

11.

Break

the

rules.

How

much

would you

advocate

this?

12.

To

what

extent

should

the

problems

of a country

be

the world,s

concern?


2/131

AJC Mid-Year

07

INSERT

ctTrEs

Passage

l:

Peter

Hallwrites

..-.

Freud

famously

said that

after 30

years

researching

the

feminine

soul, he'd

never

answered

his

real

question:

what

does

a

woman want?

We

urbanists

could

likewise

confess

that we've

failed

to

answer

our

conundrum:

what makes

cities

tick? Why

do

cities

have

brief

golden

ages,

but

then

languish?

Why are

Athens

or

Florence

or Vienna

no

longer

qeative

powerhouses?

Why have

Manchester

and

Berlin, once

workshops

of

the

5

world,

given

way

to

Guangzhou

and

Shanghai?

Why

do

some

citjes seem

to

retain,

or

regain,

their

power?

Some

of

us think

the

answer

ljes

in

number

crunching-as

with

economist

Richard

Florida,

author

of

''fhe

Flight

of the Creative

Class,,'who

iound

that concentrations

of

gay

people

correlated

with

urban

creativity.

The

problem

js

that

even

jf

this approach

works io;one

city 10

at one

lime,

it

may not

work

for

others.

The

other

method is

to

use

history,

to

ask

how

precisely

it

was

that

great

cities

came

to

be

great.

Here,

the

danger

js

that

you

may

end

up

with

a

series.of

unique

one-off

explanations. The

challenge

ts

to-RnO

if

tneri,s

anyihing thbstories

have in

common_

And they

do.

Look

at

creative

cities at

their

zenith:

plato's

Athens,

Michelangelo,s

Florence,

Shakespeare's

London,

Mozart,s

Vienna.

All were

economic

lea;ers,

cities";t

the

heart

of

vast

trading

empires, places

in frenzied

transition,

magnets

for

talented

people

seeking

fame

and

fortune.

Outsiders

made

these

places

what

thjy were:

ntnens;i

vJrstn

ot

green-

card

holders,

the

noncitizen

Metics;

the

Jews

in

.190d

Vienna;

fo.ergn

inists

in

paris

::":.19

tl"-TT

tge.

They

were

a

patrons

because

many

had made-monet

from

rrade,

::_ye

as

anrsts.,

tney

occupied

a

speciat

marginat

position:

not

at

the

hean

of courfly

or

anstocratrc

estabtishments.

yet

not

entirely

shut

out

either

And

thus

they

absorbed

and

reflected

the

huge

tensions

between

conaervahve

and

radrcar

rorces

thZt

ihreateneo

to

divide

these societies.

20

It was

the

same,

but with

sub

e

differences,

in

the

great

manufacturjng

cities..

Consider

lvlanchester

in

1780,

ctasgow

in

1850.

Detroit

in ig.to-,

Silicon

Vafley

in f-S6d

n;

;"i"

1L:"-

ylP:t

:']:t""ilJi9

bassage;

egalitarian places

open

to

tate'nt,

Jt-improving

ano

sen-eoucattng,

engaged

in

learning

and

innovation

through

networks

that

were

at

once

competitive

and

cooperative.

There

are astonishing

pa..Gls

between

L;ncashire

in the

1780s

and

t790s.and

Siticon

Va

ey

in

the

1960s

anO

tne

tgZOs.

tn

Uottr,

one

innovation

30

Droughr

ronh

another

in

great

chains

of

creativity.

places

like

these flourished

not

because

of

physical

circumstance,

but

because

their

peopre

demonstrated

""iejtionat

innou"tive

energy.

What

are-the

2'tslcentury

equivalenls?

They

are the

great

global

megacity

regions

li:"1"9^r"9 llli,o-"."r 19

mr

ion

people

around.

cities

ritJLondJn.

ruew

i"ork

ind

-Hong

as

Kong.

here

too

ts

huge

innovative

power,_charging

through

the

cores

of

the

great

centraj

cities

but also

diffusing

out into

neighboring

places

ihrough

elaborat;

networks

of

information

exchange.

This

information,

generaGd

and

exchangid

and

reprocessed,

forms

the

raw

material

of

the

new

urban

economic

drivers.

This

nelpei

to

establish

lhe

advanced

services:

finance

and

business

services;

command

and

contror

tunctions-

uotr-li

+o

governfient

and

private

business;

creative

and

cultural

industries

like

the media,

higher

education

and

health

care. And

these,

in

turn,

generate

a vast

array

of

consuimer

services----entertainment,

personal,

and hospitality:which

simuttaneously

cater

to

the


3/131

disposable incomes of affluent residents and

to

business and leisure

tourists.

Ihus,

great

cities

thrive if they do

a

good

job

of information

processing

and

knowledge

creation. lncreasingly,

there

is

a winner-takes-all rule: top

places

and

their

regions

grow

at

the

expense

of smalle. minnows

in

the

pond.

Success breeds

success, aided by

builFin

self-reinforcing advantages

like a

major

jnternational

airport. One additional

factor

asserts

itself

in a

world where

information

is a

homogeneous traded

commodity:

the English

language. The

great

English-speaking metropoles, London

and

New

York,

increasingly

dominate the

global

information

economy, attracting

firms, investment, capital and

talent.

But

cities and

their

people

have surprised

us

before.

The

21st century,

experts agree, will

be

the

Asian

century.

China, for

sure-lndia,

most

probably-will

win

back

the

foremost

positions

they occupied in

the

pasl

history of

civilization.

Thear

past

record

and

present

achievement

both suggest

that they are

powerfully placed

in the

great

race

to

marry artistic

creativity

and

technological innovation,

despite China's

language disadvantage.

Their

return

will

come through

the

creative

power

of their

great

cjties*Shanghai,

Beijing,

perhaps

l\,4umbai-rapidly

rising in the

global

hierarchy

to challenge today's teaders.

Adapted

from Peter

Hall's'How

Cities become

Great,'.

(Newsweek

International)

Passage

2: George

Yeo

wntes

Economically,

the

world

is

breaking

up

from

empires and big

natjen- siates

to small

states,

provinces

and

city-regions.

Small states,

each with

a

population

of

less than i0

rnillion,

make

up two- thirds

of the members

of

the

United Nations. lncreasingly,

it

is

at the

level

ol

city-regions

that

competition

for human

talent and

,nvestments

takes

place.

All

over

the

world,

institutions

that

evolved

in response

to the needs

of

an

earlier

period

of

industrialization

are

no longer

adequate.

Smaller,

more responsive

units

of organization

are

required.

A

pattern

of

competition

and cooperation

among

city-regions

will appear,

not

unlike

the

pattern

in Europe

before

the

age

of

nation-statea,

with

international

organizations

Iike

the old Hanseatic

League

providjng

loose

coordination.

ln this

age of city-regions,

Singapore,s

experience

as a

city-state becomes

usefulto

others.

lndeed,

we are

somewhat

surprised

by

the

jnterest

in Singapore

by big

nations

such

as

China

and

lndia and

by

distant

places

like

South

Africa,

Kazakhsian

and

the new

Palestinian

state.

Their

interest

reflects

the increasing

fragmentation

of the world

into city-

regions,

each of a size

and scale

comparable

to

that

of Singapore

and

its

3 million

people.

China,

for

example,

is

now

divided

administratively

into

aity-

regions, each

of

about 2

milljon

to

10

million

people.

These

city-regions

have

considerable

autonomy.

Each

must

sojve

probiems

ol

urban

planning,

housing,

tratsportation,

road congestion,

education and

policing

while

attracting

investments

and

creating

jobs.

Singapore,

as an independent

city-state,

has

advantages

over city-regions

that are

parts

ofnalion-states. The greatest

advantage

is

our ability

to

control

the

movement

of

people

into

Singapore.

lnstead

of

indiscriminate

urban

drift, we

select migrants

based

on talent,

income

and

other criteria.

Without

this,

Singapore

would

be like

many other

fast_growing

cities

in the Third

World,

with

high

crime rates,

traffic

congestion,

slums,

prostitution,

drug

addiction

and severe

pollution.

ln

this

new world,

a

new

balance

between

rights

and

duties, independence

and

interdependence,

competition

and

cooperation

wjll

have

to

be found.

The ideas

of

democracy

and socialism

will

have to

be

reinterpreted

East

Asia

wjll

make

a major

contribution

to

this

reinterpretation,

not because

East

Asians are wjser.

Almost

1S0

yeirs

of war

and

revolution

have brought

untold

suffeting to the

region.

yet

precisely

beiause

the

destruction

has

been

so

complete, reconstruction

has been made

much

easier.

Singapore,

like

most

of the

countries

of

East Asia,

is

in a relatively youthful phase

of

2

45

50

55

10

15

20

25

30


4/131

development.

lnstitutions are still flexible. A

can-do spirit,

sometimes

bordering on

foolhardiness. fills the air.

Westeln

liberals

oflen

sneer at

Asian forms

of democracy

which

are still relatively

young.

Westem

democracies

prioritize

individual rights, unlike the

Asian model of

group

solidarity

However,

Western liberals often forget

that a

democracy without

group

solidarity

can

become

a

game

where

wealth is

redistributed from

the

rich

to the

poor

in

the form of

aid

and from

the

disorganized

citlzens

to the

organized

bureaucracy.

Wjthout strong

moral

underpinnings supported by the entire community, resentment from the rich

and

poor

alike

will

inevitably

result.

Democracies

which see only rights without obligations

eventually

destroy themselves.

Thas is

the

precise

reason for Singapore's version of socialism- ln many

ways, Singapore

is

socialist,

especially

in its enormous

subsidy

of housing, health and education.

Socialism

works

when

jt

strengthens

group

responsibility.

lt is

dysfunctional

when

it leads

to

individual

iresponsibility.

lnstead

of

tl^re

Westem social

security

systems similar

to

that of

the

unbreakable

communal

iron rice bowls

in

Maoast

China,

Singapote deliberately

works

our

welfare

policies

through

the family.

The

objective

is

to strengthen

the family net,

not

weaken

it.

Treatment

of

minorities

is another

aspect of an evolving

Eagt Asian democracy

that

bears

40

45

watching.

ln

a winner-take-all,

one-man-one-vote

situation,

minorities

will

revolt

against a 50

dominant majority.

Other

ways

must be found

to

ensure

fair

minorjty

representation.

Singapore created

Group

Representation

Constituencies,

which

forced

all

major

political

parties

to

field

a multiracial

slate

of

candidates

in

parliamentary

elections.

ln

lndonesia,

pancasila

democracy

conscjously

plays

down

Javanese dominance.

ln

the Association

of

Southeast

Asian Nations, considerable

importance

is

given

to consensus-building.

ln East

Asia

today, institutions

are still

plastic.

lvlajor

experiments in

democracy

and 55

socialism are

being conducted.

Some

will succeed,

others will fail.

lf

Western influence

had

not

affected

every facet

of

life

in

Asia,

this enormous transformation

would not

have

been

possible.

ln

the

same way,

the

rise

of industrial

Asia will

eventually have

far- reaching

effects on the rest

of

the world,

inctuding

the West.

Adapted

from

ceorge

yeob

"ln

Asia

and Eisewhere,

Smaller Will

Be

the Better

Way to Govern,l

(

nt ern

ati

o n al

H

e ratd

Trib u ne

)


5/131

Queslions

on Possoge

I

1.

According to

paragraph

1,

what is the

key

question

that urbanists have

failed to answer?

Use

your

own words

as

far as

possible.

2.

ln

your

own

words

as

far as

possible,

a)

identify

two

possible

methods from

paragraph

2

used

to

find out

why cities thrive.

b)

explain

the

problem

with these

methods.

t3l

3.

From

paragraph

3, state

in

your

own words

as fal

as

possible

three

characteristics

that

creative

cities have in

common.

I3l

trl

4. Explain

in

your

own words

as

far as

possible

what

the author

means

by

the

.special

marginal

position"

(line

2'l)

that outsiders

occupy.

tlj

5. Why

does the author

use the word 'astonishing, (line

29)

to describe

the

parallets

between

Lancashire

and the Silicon

Valley?

t1l

6.

Explain what

the author means

by 'a

winner-takes-alt'

(line

46).

baggage (line

27)

drivers

(line

39).....

From

Passage

2:

bordering

(line

32)

plastic

(line

55)

I2l

According

to

paragraph

7, what

are the factors

that led

the author

to believe

that the

21st

century

will

be

the Asian century?

Use

youl

own words

as

far

as

possible.

I2l

Queslions

on

Possoge

2

S According

to the writer,

why should

singapore

be

surprised

by

the sudden

interest

from big

nations

(tine

11-12|?

Iil

9

summarize

the factors

which conhibute

to

singapore's

success.

using

material

from

paragraphs

3-7,

write

your

summary

in no more

than

120 words.

Use

your

own

word;

as

far

as

possible.

singapore's

success

depends

on...

t8l

10 Give

the meaning

of each

of the

io|owing

words

as ihey

are used

inthe

passage.

you

may write

the

answer

jn

a word

or short

phrase.

From Passage

1:

zenith

(line

15)

t5l

11. Both althols

discuss

factors

contributing

to

a cityls

success. How

far

do

you

agree with

their views?

How

far

do

you

think

Singapore

is a

great

city?

lllustrate

your

arguments

by

referring

both to

what

you

have

read

in the

articles

and

to

your

own

experiences.

I8l

4

E


6/131

AJC

Mid-Year 07

Paper

2

Answer Scheme

Questions

on Passage

I

1.

According to

paragraph

1,

what

is

the key

question

that urbanists

have failed to

answer?

Use

your

own words

as

far

as

possible.

[1]

2. ln

your

own words as far as

possible,

a)

ldentify two

possible

methods from

paragraph

2 used

to

find out why cities thrive

l2l

Stalisiics ol

populalion

) 1m

Refer back

io

lhe

past

>

1

m

b)

Explain the

problem

with these methods

[1]

Finding

pasi

records ) orn

Simiarities between cities would be

imposslble

lo find ) 0m

Allhough

it is

suiiabe for

a

cily al lhat

period,

j?)

may noi be suitable

for

olhe6

(0)

Too

many

dislinci reasons/

d

ffcjlies would

have

difi reasons )

(0)

3. From

paragraph

3,

state

in

your

own

words

a9

far as

possible

three characteristics

that creative

dties

have

in

common

[3]

Lifted Paraohrased

L3-7 Why

do cities have brief

golden

ages

(1/2),

but then

languish('1l2)?

OR

Why do some cities seem

to

retain

(1/2),

or regain

(1/2),

thei.

power?

They failed to

identify the reasons tor

a

city's rise

(1/2)

and

fall

(1/2).

OR

They failed to identify the reasons for

a

city's ability to maintain

(112J

ot

te-

establish

theirdominance/success

('112).

Lifted ParaDhrased

..number crunching..

..

use of history....

Analysis

of statistic$

or data/ trend

('l)

Study/ examination of

past

events/ history

(1)

Lifted Paraohrased

...even

if

this approach works for one city

at one time.

it

may nol work for

others

..

Because

it

is

difficult to find similadties

between cities

OR

The results cannot

be

applied

to

all

citjes

OR

The methods cannot be used to draw

conclusions.

Lifted

ParaDhrased {Anv 3\

(L16-

'18)All

were economic

leaders,

cities

at

the heart

of

vast trading empires,

places

in frenzied transition, magnets

for

talented

people

seeking

fame and fortune.

Each is

an

economic power

('l),

a centre

forlrading

activities

(1).

These cities

experience franiic

('l12)

development

(1/2)

and

draw

skilled

personnel (1)

in search of

reoutation and wealth.

Excellent economic stalus

(12)

Crucial stalus

forlrading

(O)

Crcalive

people

11)

Arts

people (0)


7/131

Lifted

Paraphrased

L21-23

:

not

at

the

heart of

courtly

or

aristocratic

establishments,

Yet

not

entirely

shut out either.

Outsiders

seem

to occupy

a

unique

peripheral role

among

the

nobility

-

socializing

within their

midst but

not being

entirely

accepted

by

them.

OR

Outsiders

are not

part

of

the

aristocrats

(1/2)

but

were welcomed

bV them

anyway

(1i2)

4.

Explain

in

your

own

words

what the

author

means

by

the

'special

marginal

position"

(line

21) that

outsiders

occupy

['1]

X noi aboul

physical location

5 Whv does

the author

use

the

word

'astonishing'

(line

29) to

describe

the

parallels

beMeln

Lancashire

and

the Silicon

Valley?

[1]

(L46-47)

lncreasinglY,

there

is

a

winner-takes-all

rulei

too

olaces

and

their

regions

glg {q ]he

expense

of smaller

minnows

in

the

pond.

7.

Accordrng

to

paragraph

7,

whai

are lhe

factoB

that

led the

author

to believe

that

the

21e century

wtll be

the

Aslan century?

(2m)

Questions

on

Passage

2

8.

According

to

the

writer,

why

should

Singapore

be

surprised

by the

sudden

interest

I

I

ifted

ParaDhrased

lrnferredl

-CGxbt

ahiost

two

centuries

apart

(1/2),

so

they

should

be

vastly different.

Yet they

share

many

srmilarities.

(1/2)

6.

Explain

what

the author

means

by'a

winner-takes-all"

(line 46)i2m)

Cities

who

have

managed

to

get

ahead

in the

race

(1/2)

\, ill

expand

or develop(1i2)

,

leaving

no chance

to

losing crties

to calch

up/

hinder

the

gro$4h of others/

monopolise

the

Lifted

(L54-55)Their

PAg

record

and

present

achievement

both

suggest

that

they are

PgllglbllY

plA 9d

in the

great

race

to

tr4ry

adistic

creativitv

and

technoloaical

innovation

What

they

have done

prevlously

(1/zJ ano

now

r112) demonstrates

that they

have the

capablldy

irlzj

to

orawl comb,ne

the

merits

/

origrnal

ideas

rn

the arts

and

science

(1/2)

,.^-

'.i^

nari^nc

/li^a

11-12

Lifted

Paraphrased

Because

even

significantly

larger

nations

(1/2)

and

those

who

arctaraway

\112\

ate

observinq

us.

(L11-12)

... bY

g

nations

such

as

China and

lndia

and

by distant

places

like

South

Africa,

Kazakhstan

and

the

new Palestinian

state

@rhesurprlseof

thew

ter


8/131

9. Summarize

the

facto.s

which

contribute

lo

Singapore's

success

usinl

materiattrom

paragraphs

3-7, write

your

summary

in no more

than

120

words

I8l

1

t

Lifted

Paraphrase

..independent

city-state..

The sove.reign

nature

of

Singapore

as opposed

to

other city-states

who are

subjected

to the

sovereiontv

of

the

country.

...

our ability

to control

movement

of

people

into

Singapore.

(120-21)

w-ave

trict immtgration

rules

3

lnstead of indiscriminate

urban

drift, we

select

migrants

based

on

talent,

income

and

other

criteria...

And

we

grant

entry

only to eligible

applicants/

based

on criteria

of

ability/

merit

4

...

relatively youthful

Phase

of

development

(L31)

ln

terms

of

progress, Singapore

is

still

in its

budding

period.

,

5

..flexible

(132)

And

hence, Singapore

is

willing

to accept

changes

6

..can-do

spirit

(132)

And

remains

adventurous/

gung-ho/

willing

to

ky

7 ....a

democracy

without

grouP

solidarity...

(136)

Singapore's

success

is also

attributed

to

their

people

working

towards

a

common

goal

bond

(0)

8

strong

moral underpinnings

(L38)

while being

guided by the same

set

(1/2)

of

values(1/2)

that

are

firm/ unwavering/

unchanging/

firm

(1/2)

9

...Singapore's

version

of

socialism...

(L41)

...works

our welfare

policies

through

+h- {.mih, /l 1a\

Singapore

has

a

peculiar

brand

of socialism

(1t2)

which strengthens

group

responsibility

('112)

through

strengthening

the family

net

(1/2)

10 ...minorities

will

revolt

(L50)

......ensure

fair

minoraty

reoresentation.

(L51)

Singapore

ensures

stability

(1/2)

through

ensuring that all

minority

groups

participate

in

the oolitical

svstem.

('112)

Total

of

11 marks


9/131

10.

Give the meaning

of

the following words as

ihey are used

in Passage

1

and Passage

2 You mav write

vour

answer

in one word or

a short

phrase. (5m

1t2 0

zenith

(P'1,

line15) highest

maru

peaU

prime/

most

successful

period

of

time/ acme/ apex/

oinnacle

high

poinu

furthesu

top

baggage

(line27)

burden

/

encumbrances

something

that

holds

you

back/

obstacle

weight

driver

(line39)

catalysu impetus/

propeller/

propellant

(idea

of

force

must

be there)

force

bordering

(P2,

line

32)

extreme

proximity/

elmost

like/..close

to/ edoino

resembling

plastic (line

55)

malleable/

subject

to change/

plianv

flexible

'1

1) Both authors

discuss factors

contributing

to a

city's success

How

far

do

you

agree

with their

views? How

far

do

you

think

Singapore

is a

great

city?

lllustrate

your

arguments

by referring

both

to

what

you

have read

in the

articles

and

to

your

own

experiences.

Question requirements:

fl Make

a stand for

both

questions

Cite both

Singapore,

as

an ind€pendent

ciry-state,

has advantages

over

city-regions

thal

arc

parts

ofnalion

_

states

(Ll9-

20)

Economic

leadcrs

(Ll6)

Our

ability

to

controlthe

movement

ofpeople

into

Singapore

(L20-21)

.

lnstead

of

ind

iscriminate urban

drift,

we select

migrants

based

on

talert,

income and

ollrer criteria

(L2t-22\

2.

Citics

at

the heart ofvast

rradin8

empires

(1,16-17)

lmplicd:

Iow crime

rates,

little traffic

congestion,

no

slums,

prostitulion

and

drug addiction

arc not serious

problems, no

pollulion

(23-24)

3.

Places in frenzied

transition

(Ll7)

In a

relatively

youthful

phase

ofdevelopment

(1,3l

-12

Ll7-18

Magnets

for talented

people

seeking

fame

and fortune

lnstitutions

are

still

flexible

(L32)

),

institutions

are

Outsiders

made thcse

places

what they

were

(Ll


10/131

.

ioutsiders]

occupied

a special marginal

position:

not at tho heart

of courtly

or arislocratic

establishments,

yet

not

entirely

shut out

either'

.

They absorbed

and reflected

huge t€nsions

belween

conservative

and

radical

forces

that

threalencd to

divide these societies

stillplastic

(L55)

6.

Manufacturing

cities

Places

without

arisiocratic

baggage

(L27)

A

can-do-spirit,

somelimes

bordering

on

foolhardiness,

fills

the

air

(32-31)

7.

Egalitarian

places

open to

talent

(L27)

Singapore's

version

ofsocialism

-

.

enormous

subsidy

ofhousing,

health and

education.

(L42)

.

Strengthens

goup

responsibilify

(L47)

.

Works

wclfare

policies

through

the

family

strengthen

the

family

net

(47-48)

8.

Sell

improving

and

self-educating

(L28)

.

engaged

in leaming and

innovation

through

networks

that

were at once

conpetitive

and

coopcrative

.

l lroir

peoplc

demonslratcd

exceptional

innovative

energy

Treatment

of minorities:

.

Ensute fair

minority

representation

through

GRCs

(52)

9.

Huge innovative

power,

charging

through

the corcs ol

the

great

central

cities but

also

diffusing

out into

the

neighbouring

places through

elaborate

networks of

'nibrmation

exchangc

(L36-38)

]0

Advanced

services:

finance

and business

scrvice,

command

and control

lunctions

both

in

government

and

privatc

business;creative

and

cultoral

industries

like

the

media, higher

education

and health

care.

(1,39-

42\

tl

Vasl array

of

consumer

s€rvices

cntertaiDmenl,

personal and hospitality

-

which

cater

to the disposable

incomes

ofaffluent

residenls and

to business and

leisure

tourists.

(L,l2-44)

t2

Creat

cities

thrive

ifthey

do a

goodjob olinformation

processing and knowledge

creation.

(L45-46)

ll

'fhe

Englisb

lang.rage.

The

great

English

speaking

metropoles

increasingly

dominate

the

global

information

economy,

attracting

fi rms,

investment,

oapital

and

tal€nt

((L49-51)

14

Marry

artistic

creativily

and technological

innovation

(L55-56)

a


11/131

Passage

1:

RE:

'magnets

for talented

people"

(Line

17)

EV/ EX: Agrees

to this being

an important factor

for

success.

Student can

discuss the

importance

of

foreign

talent in cosmopolitan

cities

in the world

today.

But any

'attractive' city

may

very well attract

the'wrong

people'

and

hence lead

to the

problems raised

by

Yeo (L23-24

-

high

crime

rates....).

Singapore

has

done

well

in

preventing

such

problems

from

occurring

through

their

stringent

immigration

policies

Foreiqn t;lent

plays

a

major

role in ensuring

Singapore's

success

Through

tilling

up

of

jobs

that

the educated

Singaporeans

do not

want

(eg.

Nursirg

or labourers)

to

plugging

ihe

gap

left

behind by the

aging

population,

Singapore

has managed

to maintain

ecoiomic

development

at a

sufficient

level

and till today

remains

a

"magnet

for talented

people".

Our attractiveness,

thus,

is

testament

of

our

success

Other

points

discussed:

l\reritocracy

Multiculturism

Hall

(impt

of

creativity)

-

lnnovation

/ eg. Spring Singapore;

creative

community

Singapore's emphasis on lifelong learning

in

relation

to

Hall's view

in para

4

("engage

in

learning")


12/131

cJc

Mid-Year

07 Paper

1

1.

How far

do

you

agree that terrorists

should

be

pitied,

not hated?

2.

An

effective

government

requires

a

free

press.'

Do

you

agree?

3.

"Human

life and

dignity

are sacrosanct."

Do

you

agree thatthis

principle

is overemphasised

today?

4.

Environmental

conservation

is more important

than

economic

developmeni

today.

Discuss.

5.

"

Women

do

not need equality

today. Men do."

What

are

your

views?

6.

'Globalisation

privileges

the

rich more than

the

poor.'

How far is

this

true?

7.

To

what

extent

should the decision

to

get

marrie'd be

an individual

choice?

L Do

people

rely

too

much

on

medical

science for

the

ills of

life?

L

Should

extreme

sports be banned?

10.

"The

stumbling

block

for

young

people

is

their sense

of

hopelessness.'

To

what extent

is this

true

with regard to

Singaporean

youth

today?

11.

Are

museums

still

important

in

modern society?

12.

Why write?

END OF PAPER

,/tr


13/131

CJC Mid-Year

07

Paper

I

(Version

2)

l)

"Singapore's

education

system

has failed

to address the needs

of

our

young

people."

How

far do

you

agree with

the

statement?

.

Essays

should

evaluate

the extent

to

which

policies,

curriculum,

teaching

strategies etc havg catered

to what young

people

require

or

want out

of

life

or

find

necessary or useful in

life

(these

wants must

bejustified).

.

Weak

students

who merely list the failings

of

the

education system

without

linking

it

to the

needs

oflhe

yonng people

will

not

pass.

r

For

balance,

essays

should

examine

both the

successes

and failings of

the

Singapore education system in relation

to what the

young people

require.

2)

"lndividuals

must do more to reduce environmental

danage."

Discuss.

.

Keywords: MUST DO MORE.

Answers should analyse the necessity of

individual

efforts

in conserr'ing the

environment.

.

Answers

should evaluate and

assess

what is cunently

being

done before

deciding if more shouid be

done

or

what more

should

be done

in

the

near

future.

.

Students

need

to

evalllale the

extent to

which

the

individual can

effect any

change in

the

conservation of

the

environment.

Students

may

consider

individuals linking up

with

olher

$oups

to increase

their influence

and

ability

to cut down on environmental

damage.

.

A balanced

essay

should have

a

comparative analysis

ofthe

efforts

ofthe

individual in

relation

to

the

govemment

and other environmenlal

groups.

For

example,

through

govenment lobbies and

not voting for

political

parties that do

not

support

or

cncourage

envircnmental

conservation.

How much

influence do

parents

still

have

on

the

lives

oftheir

children?

.

Students

need to

compare and

conhast the degree ofcontrol/

sway

parents

have

on thc lives

of

their children

in

ateas

such as studies,

work,

leisure

and character in

relation to

parents

ofthe

previous

generatiot

.

Better essays

should

provide

justification

lor their

stand

by citing reasons

such

as changing societal

values, disintegralion

of

families,

changing

nalule

of

work,

mass

media

influences,

inlbrmation technology,

alcohol

irnd

drugs, educational

changes etc.

.

A

weak

essay

will

simply list

thc

positive,r ncgative things

parents

do

and

avoid

the discussion

ofparenlal

issues

in relation

10

changes ovcr

time

"Advefiisements

aro manipulative

and

misleading."

Discuss.

.

Students should evaluate

the

degree

to

which

advertisements

exploit

consumers

by

playing

on their minds

and

providing inacourate

information

.

lt

is necessary to

identiry

and evaluate the

techniques

of

persuasive

advertjsing and

give

specific examples

as theirjustification.

r)

4)

IJ


14/131

5)

6)

7)

For balance, students should

show

how

advertisements

can

be honest as

well

as inlbrmative of new products

and

services

available or relay impoflant

information

and

policies

to the

masses.

Weak

essays will

merely

list

advertisements

that are

deemed to

be misleading

without

justificalion

or analysis or

make

a

simplistic comparison

between

persuasive and

informative advertising.

Are

youths

loday complacent

about the future?

.

Students should

evaluate

if

the atl.itudes

of

youths

today

reflect

overconfidence,

smugness

and

a

lack

of worry

about

the

challenges of the

fuhlre.

.

They should compare and

contrast

youths

oftoday

with

previous generations

of

young

people

in

lerms

of

their

attitude /

behaviour.

Thc 'Future'

should

encompass

political,

environmental,

economic and social

scenarios.

.

Specific

examples

oI

youth complacency include poor voter

turnout, politicai

apathy,

lack

of

community/environmental

awareness and

social

indifference.

Examples

slrould not only come

from

Singapore.

.

A

wearl

essay

will

limit itselfto

personal

anccdotes.

Assess

the

impact

ofmodeln

methods olltransport

on societies.

.

Students

should

examine

thc ways modern

methods

of

transport

like

Mass

Rapid

Transit,

cars, aeroplanes,

buscs, even energy-saving modes

oftransport

havc

changcd societies and

weigh both

the

positive

and negative

effects

of

these

changes.

.

Sludents

should

consider

the economic, social,

political,

cultural

and

environmcntal

impact

and

also

its

effects on the

lifestyles

ofindividuals.

.

Weak

students

wiil

be

purely

descriptive

of the different

modes

of

transport

and

their

advantages and

disadvantages.

With

globalization,

talent is becoming more

mobilc.

ls this

a

positive

trend?

.

Students must

show an

unde$tanding

of

global

compctition for

the best and

the brightest.

They

should evaluate

if such a

phenomenon

is positive

for

the

individual

and the nations

that

gain

and

lose

the

'lalent'.

r

Examples

of

negative elfects

would

be loss

of cultue,

palriotism

and

family

values. Positive eflects

could

include

the

acquisition

of new

knowledge,

expertisc

and

better opportunities,

leaming

of

new

cultures

and

countrics

becoming m.rre cosmopolilan.

.

Good

arswe$

would consider the

effects ofa reverse

bmill

drain

and assess i1.

Other

arguments can

be that

of

the rise

of a

common intellectual pool,

a

common language,

a

common culture

that may result

fiom

the

mobility.

They

should

also

give

a

global perspective

and

a range

ofexamples.

r

Weak

answers

may

just

iist some

consequences of

the

movement

of

talent

without

much evaluation


15/131

8) Can

television

promote

healthy

lifestyles?

.

Students

have

to discuss

the

potential

of

television

to

actively

or

indirectly

encourage

a

healthy

way ofliving.

.

Students

should

look

at

programmes that

actively

promote healthy

living and

representations

of

healthy

or

unhealthy

living

(smoking, drinking,

bad

eating

habits) in the

content

of

the

programmes

.

Healthy

lifestyles

would largely

refer

to

a

way

of life

that leads

to

physical,

fitness,

mental

alertness

the

idea

of

a sound

mind

in a sound

body through

active

participation

in

areas

such as

spofis, travel,

yoga and

dance.

.

Weak ossays

may

just

list

the

vaious

types

ofhealthy

programmes to

justif

the

stand.

Account for

the

phcnomenon

ofviolence

in

schools

today.

.

Students

must

give

an cxplanation/

reasons

for

the occurrence

of

violence

in

many schools

in

the

world

today

(E.g America

gtur

cultuc

and

easy

accessibility

to

guns. Japan, Singapore,

Korea

unhealthy

pressure

on

young

people

to

stay

ahead

of

the

pack which

manifests

itsclf

in lu

d

ways).

.

Good

essays

will evaluate

and

explore

the

underlying

causes

behind

rccent

tends

of violence

in

schools

causes

by looking

at

changes

in

the

l'amily'

society

and school.

lor

example

they

should

look at the

underlying

reasons

behind

thc increase

in

bullying

incidents

in

schools

today

.

Weak

Essays

will

merely

list examples

of

violencc

that

maybe

narow,

isolated

and

anecdotal.

10)

Will

newspapers

become

obsolele

in the near

future?

.

Students

should

evaluate

if the

newspapers

will

remain

viable and

suNivc

in

coming

Yeals.

.

Studenls

should

show an

unde$tanding

that thc

newspaper

as

an

industry

may

not be economically

viablc

due

to

the

ioss of

advertising

rcvenue

as

they

are

curcntly

tlueatened

by

newer

forms ol

mass

media

like

the

internet

ncws

websites,

sms

news

updates,

l-tc and an

emerging

younger

population

thal

want

their

inlomation

fast, accessible

and in bite

sizes.

o

Weak

scripts

may list

the

pros and cons

of

newspapers

without

linking

i1

to

whether

newspapers

would

be

phased

out in the

coming

years'

ll)"Singaporc

has

not done

enough

to

foster

entrepreneurship

"

How far

do

you

agree

with

this statement?

.

Answers

must

evaluate

the extent

to

which

schemes

and

policies

by

the

govemment,

govemment-linked

bodies,

national

organizations

and

corporations

have

effectively

encouraged

or

curtailed

the

growth

of

private

enterprise

(i.e. individuals

setting

up

their

own

business

ventures

and taking

risks)

in

Singapore.

e)


16/131

.

It

is necessary

for

students

to

give specific

examples

of

national

initiatives

to

develop

the

entepreneu

al

spirit

in

Singapore

e

g'

A*Star,

SME

funding,

MOM

policies,

educational

policies, role

of

EDB.

Answers

must

assess

whether

or not

such

initiatives

have been

successful

in developing entrepreneuship.

.

Students

may evaluate

the

examples

oflocal

successful

entrepreneurs

such

as Oli,"ia

Lum,

Sim

Wong

Hoo.

Adam

Khoo'

Ceorge

Quek

in

rheir

justification.

.

Weak

Essays

will

merely

provide

a list

of local

initiatives

without

assessing

its effectiveness

in

fostering

entrepreneurship'

12)

Assess

the influence

ofpop

music

on society

today

.

A

requirement

would

be

the

evaluation

of

the exlent

and

nature

of

the

effects

ofpop

music

on modem

society

by considering

its

impact

in

any of

the following

rclevart

aleas:

social,

moral,

psychological,

political'

economic

and

cultural

.

Stud€nts

should

justify

the

social,

political

'

effects

of

pop

music

by

citing

specific

eiampies

of the

impact

of

pop

starc

such as

Michael

Jackson,

Elton

John,

Bon Jovi,

Stephanie

Sun'

.

Better answers

should

have

a wide

range

of

examples

and cover

different

countries

and

cultues

in relation

to effects

on

the

different

segments

of

society

such

as

children

and

youth.

o

Weak

answers

will

merely

list

the

positive

and

negative

effecfs

of

pop

music

without

evaluating

the

degree ofinfluence'

/(

l.


17/131

CJC

Mid-Yeqr 07

Poper

2

Lewis Thomas

writes...

Everyone must

have had

at

least one

personal

experience

with a computer

error by this time

Bank balances are suddenly

reported

to

have

jumped from $379

into

the

millions, appeals

for

charitable

contributions

are mailed

over and over

to

people

with

crazy-sounding

names

at

your

address, department

storcs send the

wrong bills, utility

companies

write that

they're

tuming

everything

off,

that

sort of

thing.

lf

you

manage

to

get

in

touch

with someone

and

complain,

you

then

get

instantaneously

typed,

guilty

letters

from

the

same

computer, saying,

'Our

computer

was in error, and

an adjustment

is being made in

your

account.'

These

are supposed

to be the

sheerest,

blindest accidents.

l\,4istakes are

not

believed

to

be

part

of the

normal

behaviour

of

a

good

machine.

lf

things

go

wrong,

it must be

a

personal,

human

error,

the

result

of

fingering,

tampering, a

button

getting

stuck,

someone

hitting the

wrong key.

The computer, at

its

normal

best,

is

infallible.

I

wonder

wheiher

this can be

true.

After all, the

whole point

of

computers

is that

they

represent

an extension

of

the human

brain, vastly

improved

upon

but

nonetheless

human,

superhuman

maybe

A

good

computer

can think

clearly and

quickly

enough

to

beat

you

at

chess,

and some of

them

have even been

programmed to write obscure

verse

They

can do

anything

we can do,

and

more besides.

It is

not

yet

known

whether a

computer

has

ils own

consciousness,

and it

would

be

hard to

find out about

this. When

you

walk into

a

computer laboratory

and stand

listening,

it is easy to

imagine

that

the faint,

distant noises

are

the

sound

oi

thinking

But

real

thinking,

and

dreaming,

are other matters.

On the

other hand,

the evidences

of something

like an oncorscious,

equivalent

to ours,

are all

around,

in

every

mail. As extensions

of

the human

brain,

they have been constructed with

the

same

property

of

error, spontaneous,

uncontrolled,

and rich in

possibilities.

lvlistakes are

at

the very

base

of

human thought,

embedded

there,

feeding

the

structure like

root nodules.

lf we were not

provided

with

the

knack

of being

wrong,

we could

never

get

anything useful

done.

We think our

way along

by

choosing

between

right and

wrong

alternatives,

and the

wrong

choices

have

to

be made as

frequently as

the

right

ones

We

get

along

rn

life

thrs

way. We are

built to

make

mistakes,

coded for error'

We

learn, as

we say, by

'trial

and error'.

Why do we

always

say

that? Why

noi 'trial

and

rightness'

or'trial and

triumph'?

The

old

phrase

puts

it that

way

because

that is'

in real life,

thg way

it

is

done.

A

good

laboratory,

like

a

good

bank

or a

corporation

or

govemment' has

to run like

a

computer.

Almost

everything

is

done

flawlessly,

by

the

book,

and

all

the

numbers

add

up to

the

predicted sums.

The

days

go

by.

And then,

if

it is

a

lucky

day, and

a

lucky

laboratory,

somebody

makes

a

mistake; the

wrong buffer,

something

in one

of the blanks,

a decimal

misplaced

in

reading counts,

the warm

room

off

by

a

degree

and a half'

a

mouse

out

of

his

box, or

just

a

misreading

of the day's

protocol. Whatever,

when

the

results come

in,

something

is obviously

screwed

up, and then

the action can

begin.

The

misreading

is

not

the important

error;

it opens the

way. The

next step

is the

crucial one

lf

/7

'10

15

20

25

30

35


18/131

10

the

investioator

can

bring

himsell

to

say,

'But

even

so,

look

at thall',then

the

new

finding'

40

;;il;i;,

i";"Jt

io"r

snatctring

what

is

needed'

for

prosress

to be

made'

is

the

move

based

on the

error.

Whenever

new

kinds

of thinking

are

about

to

be

accomplished'

or

new

varieties

of

music'

ir] i"

r'r"i

i"

u"

an

argument-beforehand

With

hto

sldes debaling

in the

same

mind

;i"r.a-nn;;;s,

in;;

ia

an

imiable

understandrng

thal

one

is.nghl

and

the

other

wrong

sooner

45

lifrt""|.

tiJir'ing

is settled,

but there

can

be

n; action

at

all if

there

are

not

the two

sides

and

;;.-;;;;""1.

ir'e

hope

is in the

facultv

oi

wrongness

the

tendency

towatd

error

The

i"o*,i,ii"

r""p

"",""i?ounrtin"

of

info';ation

to

l;nd

lightlv on

the

wrong

side

represents

the

highest

of

human

endowments

It

may

be

that this

is

a uniqueiy

human

grft

p--"'hap" eu"n

"jl?'31:9-li

our

genetic

50

instru&ions

Other

creatures

do

not

seem

to

hlve

DNA

sequences

for

making

mistakes

as a

iJin"

p"rt

oic"irv

ri"ing,

certainly

not

for

programmed

error

as

a

guide

for

action

We

are

at

our human

finest,

dancing

with our

minds,

when

therc

are

more choices than two

iorn"t,r*"tn"*

are

ten,

even

twe;ty

different

ways

to

go,

all

but.one,

bound

to

be

wrong'

;;i i;;

;il;"t"

of

selection

in

such

situations

can

lid

us onto

totally

new

ground

This 55

,ri""""

i"

i"i[J

"-ptoiaiion

anc

is based

on

human

fa

ibility.

tf we

had

only

a single

center

;;;;r;;;;;;;t

of

responding

onll,

wl"en

a

correct

decision

was to

be

made

rnstead

of

ir," i,,-nf"

ot aiterent.

credulous,

easrly

conned

clusters

of

neuro'les

thal

provlde lor being

irr"iiriii"t"'

oi"J

"]

"v".

rp

ir"",

down

dead

ends.

out

rnto

blue

sky.

a'ong

wrong

turnings.

#,Hffi;

;; ililonl

lw

tn"

*ul,

*e

are

todav

stuck

rast

60

The

lower

animals

do not

have

this

splendid

freedom

They

are

limited'

most

of

them

to

"il"oiui"-.f"ffiOiriiy

Cats,

for

all

their

good side

never

make,mrstakes

ltrave

never seen

a

r"jli-t,

"r""i"1ll

"i

blundering

cat

dogs

are sometimes fallrble'

occasron-ally,able

to

make

"n"i.i"g'

;;"ii;itt"kes,

out

iney

get

ihis

way

bv

trying

to

mrmic

their

masiers

Fish

are

n"rr""""i"

""",vtni"g

tney

oo

tnoiv.iuai

cells

in

a tissue-are

mindless

machines'

perfect

in

65

their

performance,

as absoluteiy

inhuman

as bees

We should

have

this

in mind

as

we

become

dependent

on

more

complex

computers

for the

arfanoement

of

oul affalrs

Cive

the comouters

iheir

heads

l say:

let them

go

thelr

way

lf

we

il;i5;;i;'a;

;;:,

,ulning

;ui

h""a"

td

one

side

and

wincins

while

the.work

proceeds' the

.nsqih,lrlies for the fulure

of manklnd'

ano

computerkind

are

limitless

Your

average

good

70

::;"";J;;.;;

;;r."r"iion"

in

"n

;nt,"nt

which

would

take

a

liretime

of slide

ru'es

for anv

;

"::t;;i

J-

*n'rt

-""

"""r0

gain from

the

near

infinity

of

precise'

mechine-made

rn,slomoutat,on

wnicn

is

now so

easrly

withrn

our

grasp.

we

would

begin

the

solving

of some

;i'":'i"";;"i ;;;i;ti iiot

r*-iti"t-"e

should

we

so

about orsanizins

ourselves for

"*i"f

fNins

on a

planetary scale,

now

that

we

have

beco-me'

as

a

plain

fact

of

life

a

single

75

""-i.,,.n"'"

w.

"ln

ussume.

as

a

working

hypothesis.

that

allthe

right

ways

of

do;ng

thrs

are

;ilr[#L

w-h"i

""-"""4,

in""

tor mivrng

ahead

is

a sel

of wrong

alternatrves

much

il'^o. :nrt

more interestinq

than

the short

list;t

mistaken

courses

that

any

of us

can

think

up

;;;i;;

w;

";;;,

in

iuli

in inrin,t"

r,"t

"nd

when

rt

is

printed

out

we

need

the

computer

to

ffi'#ii;i;il;il,lli""oot,

tn"

"6*r

"av

to

go

lf

it is a brs

enoush

mistake'

we

could

80

fhd ourselves

on

a

new

level'

stunned,

out

in

the

clear'

ready

to move

agaln

Adapted

from

To

Et

is Human

by

Lewis

Thomas

11

12

13

14

/&


19/131

1 . From

paragraphs

1

and

2,

why would

one be surpdsed

at

the examples

of computer

error? Use

your

own words

as far as

possible.

[2m]

2.

From

paragraphs

3 and

4,

how

are computers and humans different

in

the

way

they

'think'?

Use

your

own

words

as

far

as

possible. [4m]

3.

From

paragraph

7,

Why

do

we

always

say'trial

and

error'and not'trial

and rightness'?

Use

your

own

words

as

far as

possible.

[2m]

4.

Explain the

paradox (apparent

contradiction)

in

the sentence,

'What

is needed,

for

progress

to be made,

is

the move based on the error.'

(lines

41-42)

[2m]

5. Explain the meaning

ofthe

following

phrases

in

your

own words as far as

possible.

a)

'We

are built

to make mistakes, coded for

errof

(line

28)

ll

ml

b)

'give

the computers

their heads'

(line

68)

[1m]

6. Why is

making mistakes beneficial

to

society? Summarise

in

no

more

than

130

words,

using

material from

paragraphs

6

to12. Use

your

own words as far as

possible.

[6m]

7. From

paragraphs

12 and 13, why does the writer draw attention to the

'absolute

infallibility' of

'lower

animals'

(line

6'1-62)? Use

your

own words as far as

possible.

[2m]

8.

From

paragraph

14,

what

is needed for mankind

to

move ahead

(line

77)?

Use

your

own

words

as

far

as

possible.[3m]

e.

ervc

u

re

'

Icd|r

19

vr u

rv ruluwl r9 wvr

us ds

rEy

drv ulcu

nr

urc

PdJJdgE

r vu

'ldy

w

rc

your

answer in one word or a short

phrase.

[5m]

(a)

blindest

(line

8)

(b)

embedded

(line

24)

(c)

tendency

(line

47)

(d)

endowments

(line

49)

(e)

stipulated(line50)

10.

The writer argues

in

favour

of the

benefits of error-making.

To what extent should

your

society be more tolerant of

people

making mistakes? Justify

your

answer

with reference

to

the ideas in the text and

to

your

own ideas and experience.

iTml

tq


20/131

Lifted

Possible

reDhrase

lvlistakes are

not believed to

be part of

the

normal behaviour

of a

qood

machine.

Computers

are

not

expected/

lt

is

typical

of

comDuters to

make anv blunders

/ slips.

I1l

If

things

go

wrong,

it

must be a

personal,

human error.

lf errors were made,

it

would be assumed

that

it

is a

result of human incompetence,/

miscalculation/ oversioht.

Ill

Bonus mark

The computer errors

described are of

an

extreme nature.

/

Computers should be

efficient but

enors

are almost

absurd,

bizarre in nature.

Ill

CJG

Mid-Year 07

Paper

2

Answer Scheme

'L

From

paragraphs

I and 2, why, according to

the

writer, would one

be

surprised

at

the examples

of computer

eiroi?

UsG

ygua

own

words

as tai

as

possible.

[21

2.

From paragraphs

3

and 4,

how are humans and

computers different

in the

ways

they'think'?

Use

your

own words

as

far as

possible.

t41

A

good

quickly

0m.

It is not

yet

known whether

a

computer

has

its own

consciousness,

and

it

would be

hard to

find

out...

3.

why

do

we, according to

the

writer in

paragraph

and

not'trial

and rightness'?

Use

your

own

words

a)

Computers can think

more logically

/

supercede

humans while still

maintaining

the essence oi human

thought.

['l]

b) Computers

can also work

faster

/

process

ideas faster.

[1]

Computers have

improved functions. 0m

NB: Answers

for a) and b) must

be

pniasec

in

inc COmF,aiai;ve

ioiin,

ic

[' s:

logically,

fastg ,

etc in order to

get

the

full

mark. Answers without the

comparative

(eg

computers are

logical and think fast)

7,

always

say'trial and erro/

as

tar

as

possible.

t2l

computer can

think

enough

to

beat

you

at

clearly and

chess,

Possible reohlase

Computers are

programmed

to respond

in

a mechanical

manner and lack awareness.

t1l

Human beings on the other

hand have

genuine

cognitive

and imaginative

capacities.

['1]

(it

is

easy

to imagine that

the

faint

distant

noises

are the sound

ofthinking.)

But

realthinking

and dreaming

are other

matters

J6


21/131

Lifted

Possible reohrase

-.because

that is,

in real

life,

the

way

it ls

done.

We

use

that expression

as ii captures

most

accurately

what

we

experience

when

we

try

to accomplish

or

achieve something.

[1]

Unacceptable

lift:

real life

Reality

[1/2m]

Part

of

life Ilml

We don't

often

get

it correcu

succeed

on

our first attempt.

OR We

become

more

proficienU

competenV

skilled

through

experimentation

and unsuccessful

attempts. I1l

Lifted

Possible

rephrase

for

progress to be

made

It

would

be expected

that to

advance/improve,

no mistakes

would

have

been made

/ or

one would

only

move

forward.

not back.

l1l

the

move based

on

the error

lnstead

what

is implied

here

is that

advancements

are

made

only after

a fault

or blunder

has been

committed.

[1]

4. Explain

the

paradox

(apparent

contradiction)

in

the sentence'

'\lvhat

is

needed;

for

progress

to be

made,

is the

move

based on

the

error''

(lines

4142)

121

5,

Explain

in

your

own

words

as

far as

possible what the

writer

means

by

the

phrases:

a)

"We

are built

to

make mistakes,

coded

for

erlor"

(line

28) tl]

Human

beings

are engineered/

created

and

predisposed/ biologically

programmed

to

commit

blunders.

Not

perfect

/

imperfect

by

nature

[0m]

b)

give the computers

their

heads

(line

68) ttl

-Computers

should

be

given

autonomy/

allowed

independent

functioning/

operations

I,

Vocabulary:

t51

1m

0.5m

0m

Blrndest

(line

8)

-Purely

by

chance/

luck.

-Entirely

unintentional

-Totally lacking

in

perception

/

judgement

/

reason/foresight

-

unexpected

/

unforeseen

/

unpredictable

accidental

Embedded

(line

24)

Deeply

entrenched

rooted

hidden

2


22/131

lnclination

Propensity

Naturalleaning

SubconsciouslY

favouf

Tendency

(line 47)

cifts

Natural

capacities

Natural abilities

Endowments

(line

49)

Dictated/

sPecified/

laid down/

set down

as an

essential

part

Set

down

explicitly

Stipulated

(line

50)

6.

Why

can

making

mistakes

be

130

words,

using

materialfrom

possible.

beneficial

to society?

S'ummarise

in

no

more

than

paragraphs

6 to

l2 Use

your own

words

as

far

as

t6l

Possible

rePhrase

errors are

the

foundation

of

human

cognitive

activity/

critical

reflection

[1]

\rlGtirkes

are

at

the

very

base

of

human

ihought...

(line

24)

We could

nol

achieve

anything

or

engage

in any

productive

activity.

[1]

t we

were

not

proviOed with

the

knack

of being

wrong,

we

could

never

get

anything

useful

done.

(lines 25-26)

We tearn,

as

we saY,

bY'trial

and

error'

. in real

life,

the

way

it

is

done.

(lines

29-31)

We

neconre

wiserl

more

informed/

make

better

judgements by

making

errors

['1]

unacceDtable

lift:

learn

tvtGtaGiire

a

catatvsv

impetus

for

chanqe,

lest

we become

too

complacenv

mech-anical/

seemingly

perfect

[1]

Almost

everything

is done

flawlessly.

something

screwed

up,

and

then the

action

can

begin

(lines 33-38)

conceptual

ground/

have

new

perspectives/ dlscovenes

/

lnnovation

and

lll

istakes

allow

us

to

break

new

Tfre

miweading

is not

the

important

error; it opens the

way

the new

finding...

(lines

39-40)

OR

The

capacity

to

leap actoss

mountains

of rnformatron

to

land

....highest

of

human endowments

(lines

49-50)

new

perspectives/

discoveries.

['1]

Unacceptable

lift:

progress'

error

io

mike

advancements

based

on

these

f,at is

neeoed,

for

Progress

to

be

made,

;s

the move

based

on the

error'

(lines 41-42)

one Dersoective

against

the

ihere

has

to

be

an

arqument

l1


23/131

beforehand

({ine

44)...

there

can be

no

action

at

all

if

there are

not the two

sides,

and the argument.. (lines

45-46)

other,

it

leads

paradoxically

to

a

creative

tension.

[1]

8.

the richness

of selection

in

such

situations

can lift

us onto

totally new

ground.

(lines 55)

Mistakes give

us diverse

and manifold

options

['l]

9.

lf we

had only

a single center

in our

brains,

capable

of responding

only

when

a correct

decision

was

to

be

made,

instead

of the

jumble

of

different,

credulous,

easily

conned

clusters

of

neurones that

provide

for

being flung

off

into blind

alleys,

up

trees,

down

dead

ends,

out inio

blue

sky,

along

wrong

turnings, around

bends,

we could

only

stay

the way we

are today,

stuck fast.

(lines

57-60)

without

which we

become

stagnanv

intellectually

static.[1]

Lifted

Possible

rephrase

lndividual

cells in

a

tissue

are mindless

machines,

perfect

jn

their

performance,

as

absolutely inhuman

as

bees

-Animals

do

not make

errors because

-their

actions

are biologically/ genetica

y

predetermined

/ diciated bv

instinct.

I1l

Sometimes

there are

ten, even

tlventy

difFerent

ways

to

go,

all but

one bound

to

be

wrong,

and

the richness

of selection

i;

such

situations can lift

us onto totally

new

ground.

This

process

is

called exploration

and is based

on human

fallibiliiv

-Human

beings

on the

other hand have

the

capacity

for reflective

choice which

could

resLrlt

in making

errors.[1]

Acceptable

lift: lower

animals

7.

From

paragraphs

12

and

13, why does

the

writer

draw attention

to the

,absolute

infallibility'

of

'lower

animals'

in

line

62?

Use

your

own

words

as

far

as

possible.

t21

according

to the

writer,

what is

needed

for

mankind

to

Use

your

own

words

as

far as

possible.

t31

10. The

writer argues in

favour

of

the benefits of error-rnakingr

To

what extent

8.

F.om

paragraph

14,

move

ahead

(line

77)?

Lifted

Possible

reohrase

A

set

of

wrong

aiternatives

much

longer

and

more

intercsting

than the short

list of

mistaken

courses that

any of us can think

up

right now

lvlankind

would need

to accept

the

unlimited array

of

faulty

[1]

but stimulating/

engaging

options

{llthat

the computer

can

generate and

pay

less attention

to

the

restricted

number

of errors

that humans

can

anticipate.

lf it is a big

enough mistake,

we could find

ourselves

on a new

level, stunned,

out

in

the clear, ready

to move again.

lf

the relevant

computer

error

is

substantial/ massive

enough,

[1/2mj

it

would elevate

us to the next

paradigm/

plane/

intellectual

horizon

from which

mankind can

progress.

I1/2ml

Unacceptable

lift: level

should

your

society

be

more tolerant

of

people

making mistakes?

Justify

youl


24/131

answer

with reference to the

ideas

in

the text

and

to

your

own ideas and

exPerience.

[4

More tolerant:

'pts

in summary

are relevant but

must

be

contextualized.

*pt

of discrim

bet

good

and bad students

-

diflerentiate bet mere blunders

and

productive

ertors.

*compadson with other more tolerant societies

is in order.

Singapore

has not tapped the

potential

of

making

productive

errors

-

essentially

intolerant

of

genuine

errors which we either condemn

or draw into

mainstream culture.

-Would

encourage entrepreneurship

and risk-taking.

-Creativity

vs

conformity

(following

Documents

GP_All JCs 2007 Mid-year GP Comprehension & Essays