HCI 2023 Prelim P2 Insert

HWA CHONG INSTITUTION C2 PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION Higher 1 Candidate Name CT Group Index Number INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES This 2-page Insert contains the passages for comprehension. Please detach it and fil l in your particulars in the boxes above. You will have to submit this Insert separately at the end of the examination. Passage 1: Tess Lamare argues that a belief in serendipity is no longer relevant. 1 Sir Isaac Newton, blessed by an apple when formulating his laws of gravit y, enjoys a reputation as one of mankind ’s greatest minds but was one of the most difficult to work with. In the same vein, Greek polymath Archimedes figured out his principle of buoya ncy in a ‘Eureka!’ moment. Indeed, the list of serendipitous discoveries in science is long, but modern resear chers used to precise methods and collaborating, look at serendipity with jaundiced eyes. In their experience, those who spot an abnormality under controlled conditions are the ones who make m eaningful revelations. 5 2 Fervent supporters of serendipity dismiss those who mistrust serendipity as i ncapable of latching onto the opportunities on offer in the achievement of their goals. They claim thi s flagging faith in serendipity has blunted the competitive edge which helped mankind survive crises . Unlike astute individuals such as Ikea ’s founder, Ingvar Kamprad, who capitalised on a moment of epiphany – using flat-packed furniture to reduce transport costs – the general public is too timid to weather the storms of life by leveraging serendipitous breaks and taking bold action. 10 3 It is ludicrous to think of serendipity playing any real part in our liv es given the hectic pace and demands of modern lifestyles. Thankfully, we have replaced unproductive chance with purposeful design. Take for example our use of search engines where we can locate whatever we want in minutes. We do not want to waste time trawling through the internet to discover what else we could be interested in, not when artificial intelligence allows us to delight in ta ilored experiences all of the time. 15 4 There are a number of reasons why a reliance on serendipitous encounters is n o longer popular. Our desire for immediate gratification has dampened our willingness to engage in c hance-taking in our relationships since digital tools enable us to acquire social circles with little effort. In decisions like finding a lifelong partner, we should not trust databases even if they can match us to our supposedly right partners in seconds. What if we have forgotten to key in a critical requirement? What if our supposed soulmate is using a fake profile? Life sho uld be a tapestry of happy outcomes brought about by careful planning. 20 25 5 Furthermore, those who place their faith in serendipity are not as cheery as they make themselves out to be. Participants in a research project ‘Do the Ha