Common grammatical problems

Rule of thumb: You will usually use the present tense unless you are discussing examples or a situation in the past

1) One of the problems is

2) the media, the government, the Internet, the United States

3) in the past, there was

4) aid (help) vs Aids (disease)

5) Note the spelling of these words - sarcasm, argument, definitely, portray, athlete,
advertisement, enthusiastic, satisfied, perseverance, dependent

6) has taken, has seen, has become (use the participle form!)

7) Only singular (no 's'!) - equipment, research, proof, evidence

8) will come, shall see, can do (after 'will, shall, can, must', the word is in the basic form, no 's')

9) youth/youths? - Use 'young people'!

10) sport/sports? - Use whatever is given in the question! (sports refer to the different games)

11) (Especially for AEP students!) art/the arts - USUALLY, 'art' refers to painting & drawing, but in some cases, dance/poetry/music can also be seen as art. Look at the question, if it is too narrow to just look at drawing and painting, you should include the other forms of art as well

Measures against terrorism

Here's a review of some anti-terrorism laws/measures:

Patriot Act (USA) - increased the ability of law enforcement agencies to search telephone and e-mail communications and medical, financial and other records; and enhanced the discretion of law enforcement and immigration authorities in detaining and deporting immigrants suspected of terrorism-related acts.

United Nations Security Council Resolution - place barriers on the movement, organization and fund-raising activities of terrorist groups. UN member states were encouraged to share their intelligence on terrorist groups in order to assist in combating international terrorism. UN member states to adjust their national laws in accordance to existing International conventions on terrorism.

'Shoot to kill' tactic (UK) - used in dealing with suspected terrorists and suicide bombers. Justification -> a head shot is the only way to disable the bomber without risking detonating their explosives.

Internal Security Act (ISA) - confers on the government the right to arrest and detain individuals without trial

Terrorism (Suppression of Bombings) Act (Singapore) - those suspected of terrorist bombing offences can be extradited (given up to another country) even in the absence of an extradition treaty between Singapore and the other country. It also gives Singapore the power to prosecute a foreigner who conducts a terrorist bombing here.

Airport security (in various countries) - Liquids, aerosols and gels must be in containers with a maximum capacity of not more than 100ml each.

Notable Terrorist Attacks
2001 - Sept 11
2002 - Kidnapping and murder of journalist Daniel Pearl
- Bali bombings of foreign holidaymakers
2004 - Madrid train bombings
2005 - London bombings of double-decker bus and London Underground trains
- Bali bombings of holiday resorts
2007 - Foiled attempts in London's West End and car ramming into Glasgow International Airport London
These are just some of the more famous ones, largely linked to the Al Qaeda. But there are many attacks every year by various terrorist groups (e.g. Palestinian terrorist attacks in Israel, attacks by Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka)

Famous women...

This just came in on the news:
Argentina's first lady (i.e. the wife of the present President) Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner is the first woman elected president in Argentina. She will take over her husband in Dec.

Other famous women:
Hilary Clinton - New York Senator, candidate for 2008 presidential elections
Angela Merkel - 1st female German Chancellor
Condoleezza Rice - US Secretary of State
Indira Ghandi - former Prime Minister of India
Aung San Suu Kyi - pro-democracy activist, advocate of non-violent resistance in Myanmar
Mother Theresa - an Albanian Roman Catholic nun who gave her life to charity work in India and won the Nobel Peace Prize
Ho Ching - CEO of Temasek Holdings
Olivia Lum - CEO of Hyflux Group

This should be enough for an AQ about women....I'm sure you have more e.g. of your own

some last words...

I realised that SAJC already has the outline for the "S&T solves environmental prob" question so I shall not do another one. Just note that for this qn, it might be best to show that although S&T can give us many tools to better tackle environmental problems, we cannot rely solely on S&T to solve them because it must come together with changes in mindset and lifestyles.

I can't think of very much else to give you...just some ideas that came up from my consultations today:

1) Exaggerated/Overrated questions (e.g. the benefits of globalisation are overrated)
- such questions basically state that the benefits of globalisation are not as great as they seem. So if you agree that the benefits are overrated, you need to show me how the problems can often be more significant than the benefits
- so for such questions, it might be better to use the layering style (e.g. discuss benefit -> however, there are also problems that may overshadow the benefit)

2) AQ
- for questions that are not about your society, it may be better to just say 'for example, in Singapore...' rather than say 'in my society, Singapore,...'. This is to prevent the marker from thinking that you didn't understand the question
- of course, if the question is about your society, then you MUST say 'in my society Singapore'

3) Read compre questions carefully! If there are different parts to the question (e.g. prelim question about 'dangerously confused', the 2 parts are 'dangerous' and 'confused'), make sure you answer all the different parts

Till the next set of last words...

The Dreaded A-levels

Ha, this is the all too familiar post again. Was thinking of putting it up one day before the exams but think it's too risky, so here it is....same list as prelims with minimal changes. Go through it one last time...

Compre (read AQ lead-in before answering the questions):
1) Use Your Own Words As Far As Possible = Use Your Own Words EVERYWHERE. This is a clue that the answer is from the passage, at least a part of the answer can be directly paraphrased from the passage

2) Explain what the writer means by "..." = Paraphrase all the words in "..."

3) Summary = Read the question, highlight points, circle key words, count number of points (give 2 more than what is required, e.g. 8+2), paraphrase, paraphrase...But if you really can't, just put down the point and move on, come back to paraphrase it later. Don't waste time staring at it.

4) Clues = these little people are helping you everywhere...the : and ; and -- and (..) , as well as terms with positive or negative connotations

5) Metaphor = Introduce the lovely 'Just as....' and explain the literal and metaphorical meaning

6) Irony/Paradox = How can you explain a contradiction without the help of 'yet', 'but' or 'however'??? (Dilemma - 2 choices and the writer is not sure which to choose "The writer is unsure whether he should do.... or ....")

7) Tone & Attitude = Remember that page in 'Just do it' (page 101!!!)? Tear it out, burn it and drink it! Spell sarcasm correctly!!

8) 3 mark question = 3 or 6 points. Duh?! Why give only 3 when there are 6 in the passage?

9) Vocab = if 'essential is 'very important', why throw away half a mark and write 'important' just to save some ink?

10) Inference Questions = erm...are there any rules? Hopefully they will be simple!

11) Explain the purpose of/why the writer uses (word, italics, inverted commas etc) = "He wants to emphasise/highlight...". If the question is about

12) Common sense question = hmmm....USE YOUR BRAINS!

AQ:
1) Pls READ the questions and ANSWER them LOGICALLY!

2) Stand = This means to give a clear answer to the question(s) in your first sentence. Don't waste time on a lengthy intro.

3) Quote = The writer of passage 1 says that "...." : Quotes must be related to the lead-in. Don't leave the quotes hanging in mid-air, make sure you make references back to the key idea of the quote. Always quote from all the passages given to you!

4) Agree/disagree with writer = explain whether he is realistic/idealistic, superficial/logical, naive or reasonable....pls refer to 'The Dreaded Application Question (2)"!

5) Relevance to your society = meritocracy, Asian society, pragmatic, global citizens....refer to the Singapore issues handout.

6) Balance = try to give a balance if you have time. Layer your argument or give a point that is different from your stand and show how a minority may behave this way.

7) Evaluation = Ask yourself why, why, why....and give implications if necessary. You should have both evaluation and e.g., don't just give one and not the other

8) Effectiveness of measures = look through your prelim answer key

9) Requirements = give yourself sufficient time to fulfil all requirements (include discussing points from both passages). Use the words from the question to help the reader know which part of the question you are answering


Essay:
1) Question types = Absolute questions (no extent pls), appeal & drawbacks questions....all these are simple types as long as you know the topic. Other types include - inclusive-exclusive (remember the egg?), 'far too much' (discuss whether there are problems or whether its unnecessary)...look through your review lecture & the essay cheatsheet

2) PRESM, Level Analysis = these are your best friends especially for 'appeal/drawback' or 'significance' questions

3) Para development = every para should have topic sentence, elaboration, example, concluding statement...this is the 101th time, I'm getting naggy! Give general trends (increase/decrease) if you really can't think of specific e.g.

4) Balance = most questions need a balance. If you can, tackle the general public's assumption or the view that is different from yours first and attack that view. OR choose whatever method to balance that makes the most sense. There is no hard and fast rule. Most importantly, remember your stand and don't contradict yourself. Don't say "However, I agree to a small extent that technology is always good"Even if you are writing a paragraph supporting your own argument, you can always put in a sentence or two to acknowledge some opposing views that critics have.

5) Intro & Conclusion = Don't give one line intro or conclusion! Revise the worksheet (and every other worksheet I've given you!) Intro should be a 2-pronged one, giving both the opposing view and your ultimate stand (e.g. Although technology certainly brings benefits, it is an exaggeration to claim that it always benefits us)

6) A higher level = think of different groups of people who may have different experiences, think of the impact of globalisation/media/science, think of words that may have more than its superficial meanings (e.g. is image only about a person's appearance? Is travelling only about the usual tourism?)

7) How, Why, So = always think of reasons and implications - this is what makes up your evaluation for both essay and AQ (ask yourself 'why' a few more times!). If you are suggesting measures, you should consider effectiveness as well.

8) Lecture notes & Sample essays = READ them! Read for inspiration, examples and likely points

9) PLAN (max 1/2 hour) & check Spelling, Punctuation, Expression & Grammar

10) This should be point no. 1 but I'm putting it at the end for emphasis: CHOOSE YOUR QUESTION CAREFULLY AND MAKE SURE KEYWORDS APPEAR THROUGHOUT THE ESSAY!

Section 377A

I guess this is the most famous law in Singapore these days. Some people have been asking whether this is something worth knowing about and whether it can be used in essays/AQ. Well, here are some quick facts:

What is Section 377A?
- Criminalises gay sex (i.e. crime for men to have sex with each other, whether in private or in public)
- online campaign urging the Government to repeal a law criminalising gay sex has collected more than 2,200 signatures.

What can we learn from the debate
- Increased liberalisation and tolerance/acceptance of alternative lifestyles -> 10 yrs ago, 9 out of 10 Singaporeans frown on homosexuality. Today, only 7 out of 10 do so
- Ability to have civilised debate and dialogue over sensitive issues. But there is quiet acceptance of government's decisions because it is deemed as the best for society, readiness to conform to ensure stability
- The final decision to keep the law shows that we are ultimately still a conservative society that upholds traditional family values

Confusion
Even though gay sex is banned, the Government’s position is that it would not actively enforce the law and that it allowed gays in the civil service. So what is the message we are sending? Are we for or against it?

Famous gays in Singapore
Alex Au - gay activist
Otto Fong - a gay teacher in RI who went public

Arguments for keeping Section 377A
- Singapore is still a conservative society that believes in the family as its basic building block. This is defined as “one man, one woman marrying, having children and bringing up children within that framework of a stable family unit” -> Singaporeans not ready to change/ compromise their family values
- PM Lee acknowledged that homosexuals should be entitled to their private lives and are free to pursue their social activities but drew the line at allowing these individuals to promote their lifestyle to others (slippery slope for moral values if law is scrapped - rock institution of marriage, adoption by gay couples etc)
- But PM Lee states that the law will not be proactively enforced against homosexuals
- Singapore had to maintain a balance between upholding a stable society with traditional, heterosexual family values, and giving gays space to live their lives. (e.g. of Otto Fong who continues to teach in RI, gay films/clubs/websites allowed)
- This doesn't mean that they will be discriminated before the law but a result of society's choices. Once you have different groups that live in a society, you have to accept that there will be some restrictions on behaviour. In criminalising acts, we consider the wrongfulness of the act, the harm caused and how it affects the good of society

Arguments for repealing (taking away) Section 377A
- MP Charles Chong compared it to bar-top dancing, will not be a slippery slope -> arguments against allowing bar-top dancing claimed that it will lead to rowdy behaviour but we have permitted bar-top dancing for some years already and these have not come true.
- MP Baey Yam Keng argued that repealing Section 377A does not mean promoting homosexuality. Compared it to how we don't make smoking and drinking illegal although we do not condone them

Reaction from gay community
- feels that this debate was a milestone for a community that has hitherto been kept in the shadows. Will continue the dialogue because it understands that it is only through civilised debate and discussion that society can gain better knowledge and understanding of differing opinions
- look towards heightening the gay community’s visibility such as through volunteer work, support groups and events like IndigNation which include arts exhibitions and poetry readings
- This will help Singaporeans understand gays better, and be more comfortable among them

3 more days...counting down...

3 more days to go!
Anyway, I'll be in school on Mon and Tues for last-min questions.

Will be putting up whatever I can here over the next 2 days (will put up the "S&T solves envt problems" outline tmr) so you can check here for any last min advice. If you are feeling overwhelmed by all the info, it's ok, it's not compulsory to read everything, just absorb whatever you can.

I'll station myself outside the staffroom on Tues after Computing paper in the morning and after Physics paper in the afternoon. I'll answer any last questions and will be revising some skills with whoever is interested. So you can drop by if you aren't too tired after the exams.

I'll also be outside the hall on Wed morning if anyone needs to shake my hands to pass on some "GP power" and extra common sense (ha!). I'm hoping my presence will help...

Of course, will be praying for all of you (and 0620 as well, if any of you read this). Short of taking the exam for you, this is the best I can do!

Till then, make sure you start regulating your biological clock and start sleeping early so that you are alert enough to brainstorm and plan your essays on Wed.

All the best to those taking exams on Mon and Tues!

Essay & outline: Dangerous world, Science & ethics

1 sample essay and 1 outline:

1) Do you agree that we live in a dangerous world?
Some people have asked me to predict what will come out for the exams. I really can't tell since ANYTHING can come out. But by logical deduction (i.e. your paper was set around 2004, post 911 and SARS period), so I thought this question is a good revision for some of the problems in the world around that time. I'm not spotting questions, just want to use this question to remind you of some important ideas
Outline

Anyway, it may be safer to just revise some issues about terrorism (e.g. measures to deal with terrorism, see your mid-yr exam and common test 3) and maybe how we deal with the spread of diseases such as SARS and Bird Flu. You should also recall that I mentioned that issues about religion and its related concerns (e.g. fanaticism, consumerism) were also hot topics around that time so may be worth revising.

2) ‘It is not the business of science to deal with ethical issues.’ Discuss.
A number of people tried this rather difficult question and I thought this one was pretty well-written with interesting e.g.
Sample essay

Answer for Just Do It Pg 109 Q6a

Somebody asked me for the answer to this qn so here it is...

A Level 2000
Q6a)"...more and more individuals detached, self-contained and uninvolved". Explain in your own words as far as possible how, in para 9, the author suggests this consequence of Capitalism may be avoided in the future.

Ans: This is actually a paraphrasing qn. Since the quote talks about individuals becoming detached from society, you need to find where the writer discusses how humans can participate more actively in society
So the answer comes from the sentence, 'we shall slowly construct a new code of behaviour which recognises that the human being as an individual is also a social being, and the individual's duty to society and society's duties to the individual have to be held in continual balance.'
The paraphrased answer will be: This consequence of Capitalism may be avaoided if we can create another set of guidelines/rules for our manner/conduct which acknowledges that human beings as a person is also part of the community, and that the person's responsibility to the community and the community's obligations to the person have to be kept in constant equilibrium

IMPORTANT! Cheatsheet for Essay Question Types

I've been seeing people who are starting to get a little confused about question types and what to do. Here's a summary of some of the more common ones. If you come across any others, pls let me know and I'll add on.
Pls especially note the difference b/w absolute questions and relative questions. Many of you still think that 'most important' is an absolute phrase. IT IS NOT!

Essay Question Cheatsheet

IMPORTANT! Pls try these compre questions!

PLEASE TRY THESE QUESTIONS AND READ THE COMMENTS!
You should have realised by now that some of the A-level compre questions are not phrased in a direct manner. I've picked out some questions from the 'Just Do It' book for you to note and practise. These are either questions that are phrased in a rather interesting manner or commonsense questions that you should learn how to identify. Pls check your answer and read through my comments for the questions

Unit 4
A-level 2002 - Q7
A-level 2003 - Q1, 3, 4, 6

Unit 5
A-level 1999 - Q2b
A-level 2000 - Q5, 6
A-level 2003 - Q5
A-level 2004 - Q2, 3

Answers

How to find important notes for the A-levels

Some of you keep missing out stuff that I put up on the blog so I've tried to make it easier for you.
Any important outlines or handouts that I've put up after the prelims have been labelled 'a-levels 07', so if you are wondering if there's anything important that you've missed, you can just click on the label 'a-levels 07' on any post and all the relevant posts will appear.
Hope this helps...

On a lighter note...

I shouldn't be encouraging you to spend too much time on the computer...but thought some jokes might brighten your day :)

Let's see if you are left- or right-brained...
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22556281-661,00.html

Some jokes playing on stereotypes...see if you can get them
An English teacher wrote the words, "Woman without her man is nothing" on the blackboard of her Year 10 class and directed the students to punctuate it correctly.
The young men wrote: "Woman, without her man, is nothing."
The young women wrote: "Woman! Without her, man is nothing."

Obedience
It seems that Reagan and Gorbachev arranged a competition to determine whose nation had the bravest troops. The two leaders arrived, at the designated hour, on a plateau in Finland high above the water. Each was accompanied by a battalion of crack troops, smartly uniformed. The leaders shook hands.
Reagan went first. He addressed his battalion of Marines:
"Private Jones! Front and center."
Private Jones saluted and briskly marched to the front of the ranks, facing his commander.
"Private Jones! March to the edge of the cliff." Private Jones saluted and briskly marched to the very edge of the cliff.
"Private Jones! Jump!"
Jones just stood there, unmoving.
"Private Jones! I said jump!"
The man's knees started to shake, but he was otherwise motionless.
"Private Jones! This is your Commander-in-Chief. I ORDER YOU TO JUMP!!!"
Private Jones wailed out: "I can't! I have a wife--and a family!"
The MPs (military police) arrived and escorted Jones away for court martial. Reagan backed off in disgrace. It was now Gorbachev's turn.
"Comrade Dmitrivich! Front and center."
Comrade Dmitrivich saluted and briskly marched to the front of the ranks, facing his commander.
"Comrade Dmitrivich! March to the edge of the cliff."
Dmitrivich saluted and briskly marched to the very edge of the cliff.
"Comrade Dmitrivich! Jump!"
Dmitrivich jumped off the cliff. By some miracle, he is snagged on a branch and he lands on a crag some 50 feet below the top of the cliff. Dmitrivich is badly injured, but still alive and conscious. He is carried away on a stretcher.
As Dmitrivich is carried passed Private Jones, Jones cannot resist asking him:
"Dmitrivich! How could you do it? How could you jump?"
Dmitrivich answered: "I had to! I have a wife--and a family!"

New York, Central Park. Young girl is attacked by agressive pitbull. Everybody is watching but one man runs up to them and kills the dog. Policeman who saw it all walks up and says:
- You're a hero. Tomorrow, every newspaper will write: brave inhabitant of New York saved the life of a child! - But I'm not from New York...
- Never mind. It'll be: Brave American saved a child!
- But I'm not from USA... - So, where are you from? - I'm from Palestine Next morning newspapers wrote: Islamic terrorist murdered American dog.
(this is not meant to be racist...it's a reminder about stereotypes and how the media has the power to influence readers through the way they depict events and people)

MARY : John says I'm pretty. Andy says I'm ugly. What do you think, Peter?
PETER : A bit of both. I think you're pretty ugly.

Teacher : "What do you call a person who keeps on talking when people are no longer interested?"
Pupil : "A teacher". (I agree :))

Teacher : "Sam, you talk a lot !"
Sam : "It's a family tradition".
Teacher : "What do you mean?"
Sam : "Sir, my grandpa was a street hawker, my father is a teacher".
Teacher : "What about your mother?"
Sam : "She's a woman".

Tom : "How should I convey the news to my father that I've failed?"
David: "You just send a telegram: Result declared, past year's performance repeated" .

Patient : "What are the chances of my recovering doctor?"
Doctor : "One hundred percent. Medical records show that nine out of ten people die of the disease you have. Yours is the tenth case I've treated. The others all died".

Teacher : " George Washington not only chopped down his father's cherry tree, but also admitted doing it. Now do you know why his father didn't punish him ?"
One Student: " Because George still had the axe in his hand."

Definitions of common Words (Pls don't use these in the exams!)
Atom Bomb: An invention made to end all inventions.
Boss: Someone who is early when you are late and late when you are early.
Cigarette: A pinch of tobacco rolled in paper with fire at one end & a fool on the other.
Classic: A book which people praises, but do not read.
College: A place where some pursue learning and others learn pursuing.
Committee: Individuals who can do nothing individually and sit to decide that nothing can be done together.
Compromise: The art of dividing a cake in such a way that everybody believes he got the biggest piece.
Conference: The confusion of one man multiplied by the number present.
Doctor: A person who kills your ills by pills, and kills you with his bills.
Etc.: A sign to make others believe that you know more than you actually do.
Experience: The name men give to their mistakes.
Father: A banker provided by nature.
Lecture: An art of transferring information from the notes of the lecturer to the notes of the students without passing through "the minds of either".
Optimist: A person who while falling from Eiffel tower says in midway "See I am not injured yet."
Opportunist: A person who starts taking bath if he accidentally falls into a river.
Pessimist: A person who says that O is the last letter in ZERO, Instead of the first letter in word OPPORTUNITY.
Politician: One who shakes your hand before elections and your Confidence after.
Smile: A curve that can set a lot of things straight
Tears: The hydraulic force by which masculine will-power is defeated by feminine waterpower.
Yawn: The only time some married men ever get to open their mouth.

Anagrams (Use the letters in one phrase to form another phrase)
George Bush -- He bugs Gore.
Dormitory -- Dirty Room.
The Morse Code -- Here Come Dots.
Slot Machines -- Cash Lost In 'Em.
Snooze Alarms -- Alas! No More Z's.
A Decimal Point -- I'm A Dot In Place.
Eleven plus two -- Twelve plus one.

Connectives and other useful words...

Here's a list that may be useful for AQ/essay...

Connectives

If Ms Peh can do it, so can you!

Today, I took part in a 5km run. To some of you, it's probably no big deal, but to an old lady like me (ha, there are times when I'll admit I'm relatively old) who hasn't run long distances since I was your age, it's pretty scary (was half-hoping I'll get rained in)! And guess what, and I'm boasting here, I finished the race without stopping (applause all round pls!)! It's an achievement ok, 'cos I was rather lazy and didn't train much and today's the first day I ran the entire length without stopping.

Ok, so what's my point? Well, all of you are running the A-levels race here (and I agree it's worse than 5k, trust me, I've been through it before and am running it now with you again). If you don't pace yourself or stop halfway, you are going to lose the momentum and find it difficult to pick it up again. So give yourself sufficient rest and keep at a steady pace, don't study in spurts or as and when you like it.

Also, even if you are like me and have been lazy and not pushing yourself hard enough, you still have 1.5 weeks to push yourself further. It's never too late (erm, I hope!) so gear up now and start running!

I was tricked by the organisers at the last lap of the run...they put a sign that told us we had only 50m more to go when actually it was almost 400m. I picked up speed when I saw the sign and nearly died running (heh) but had no choice but to push myself to the end. So it is for the exams. Once the exams start, you need to push yourself all the way to the finish line, even if you feel that you have no energy left. Don't give up in the middle of the exams, even if you think you've not done well for earlier papers, just move forwards. It's possible!

So keep yourself healthy and continue to peservere! Think of your final goal...and how much rest and fun you can have if you just finish this last lap.

I was able to run without stopping for the first time 'cos my friend kept encouraging me to go on. So, I'm your running partner in this race and will be cheering you all on ok! You can do it!

Btw, another motivation for myself to keep running is so that I can put up this post. So hope you are all motivated :)

Ha, in case anyone's doubting my participation, here's evidence...haha just need to show off

Some facts and figures and major events

I've compiled some lists of environmental and S&T events (since many of you seem to like these topics), as well as some stats and world conflicts.
These lists are not meant to make you panic...if there are stuff on the lists that you don't know, it's ok. But if you think they are important enough, it will be good to look up what they are (Google them or check wikipedia) or check your lect notes 'cos many of the e.g. are from there as well.

Cheatsheets (no, they are not meant for you to bring into the exam hall. Cheatsheets means quick notes)

Another sample + guidelines for ACJC essays

Here is a sample for the essay "Do you agree that environmental conservation can only be successful if it is economically driven?"
I've also given some key points and things to note for some of the questions for the ACJC paper.

Sample
ACJC guidelines

Sample essay for ACJC paper

Here is a sample essay for one of the questions from the ACJC prelim paper "Has Man lost sight of the purpose of Science?". I'll put up another sample for the environment question soon, as well as suggested points for some of the other questions.

Essay

Download compre answers before they are removed!

Pls download the answers to the prelim compre papers of other schools before they are removed on Tues (copyright issues). The inserts and answer booklet will still be available but you should print out the answers so that you can read the AQ answers.

Compre papers of other schools up on litespeed

I've put up the compre papers of other schools on litespeed because it's easier to put up there than here. It's the first time I'm using the workbin so pls go try it and let me know if you have problems accessing it.

Pls read the passages and the AQ questions and answers. Most AQ answers also give you some points if a similar topic comes out in essays.

We are going to do the AJC and RJC papers during our regular timed practice. So if you want to try more full papers, I'll suggest you try the SAJC, NJC and TJC papers. They have pretty good questions.

NY Prelim Essay outlines available on Litespeed

The prelim essay outlines are available already. It is compulsory for you to read through the outlines because these questions were designed to simulate the A-levels.
Pls especially note some of the more do-able questions, those you should read even if you didn't do the questions. These questions are easy enough to tackle if they come out in the exams.

Q1 - environment question. Quite basic as long as you realise that 'living in harmony' means having mutual benefits

Q2 - simple topic on paper qualifications. Read this to remember that for 'too much' questions, you should discuss the negative implications if you want to agree

Q3 - It's not exactly a very difficult question but pls have sufficient e.g. of the complex relationship between science and religion

Q4 - Read this to see how to handle a 'necessary evil' question so you can handle it if the topic is on something other than war

Q5 - Pls read through this! It's not a difficult question and is also asked by other schools. There are a number of suggested points that you can use. Note that you need to know the problems of the poor and have a variety of e.g. (see poverty lect) to do this question

Q6 - Don't do! But do read through this because it is actually a possible AQ question.

Q7 - Read this to learn how to answer a 'waste of time' question

Q8 - Pls read this! This is a simple question type and can be used for any topic. But you need to go beyond the obvious and discuss political/economic and social importance.

Q9 - This was quite difficult because it's about unwholesome values, not just a censorship question

Q10 - Many people did this question so pls read to know where you went wrong. It's actually a philosophical question!

Q11 - I've gone through this in class before because it's a possible AQ question. Not something that you should try for essay but pls read because it's a highly possible AQ question!

Q12 - This is also a relatively simple question. But you need to show how countries are brought together, not just the benefits of sport or how people are brought together

Clarifications for consultations

I have extended my consultation schedule so if you've been unable to find a time to consult me, you can try again.
Some people are wondering whether to sign up for consultations or what to do when they see me. Here are some suggestions:

1) Pls come prepared with completed essays/outlines/compre/questions. It is quite time-consuming for me to mark on the spot so I suggest you give me your work at least 2 days before your consultation so that I have the time to look through and mark them


2) If you still don't understand why you failed your prelim paper, pls bring them and I'll go through them with you. If you scored 3 or less for summary, you should look at the summary points given in the answer and try to paraphrase them again

3) If you don't need to see me regularly, you can always do essays and leave them in my pigeon hole for marking (but pls sms me to let me know). You can do a few essays, accumulate your questions and see me once or twice to answer all your questions.


4) If you need me to look through your summary and AQ for the compre practices, pls pass them to me after the sessions. I will return them to you with comments

5) Try extra compre papers. The prelim papers for other schools will be up on litespeed tomorrow

Outlines for other JC prelims + more info for essay consultation

Here are the outlines for the questions from other schools. I have yet to read through all the outlines so if you come across anything that you don't understand, pls let me know so that I can clarify.
Outlines:
IJC
MJC
SAJC
TJC
YJC

For those seeing me for consultation, after the MJC essay, pls look at the questions from the following schools. Pls do the full essay and give it to me at least 2 days before your consultation:
Week 5 - ACJC
Week 6 - VJC
Week 7 - TJC