2023 MGS SS PRELIM ANS KEY

Section A Suggested Answer (MGS Prelims 2023) 1 Study Source A. Do you think the cartoonist supports the American healthcare system? Explain your answer, using details of the cartoon. Suggested Answer Success Criteria The American cartoonist does not support the American healthcare system (A) as he is mocking it. (A- using the tone/ sarcasm in the source) Source A sho ws the “poor, the black, and nursing home resident ” as “COVID fatalities” with “underlying conditions.” The cartoonist is critical of the limitation of the American healthc are system in responding to the pandemic. The high rate of deaths amongst the po or, African Americans, and nursing home residents was due to not getting their underlying medical conditions treated and being exposed to the virus infect ion. America’s market-based approach is mainly based on private health insurance coverage that does not work well for lower-income individuals who cann ot afford to get themselves insured and thus cannot access affordable healthcare. ● ATQ ● Evidence (Describe the source) ● Explanation 2 Study Sources B and C. How different are the sources? Explain your answer. [6] Suggested Answer Success Criteria Sources B and C are different in their pandemic-response strategies. Source B, Singapore adopted a more stringent lockdown/top-down approach (CC)to control the spread of the pandemic but (CW) Sweden ’s pandemic-response strategy focuses more on a less stringent/open/bottom-up approach (CC). So urce B states that “the disruptions caused by containment measures have been especially stressful for low-paid workers. They had to forgo wages —or jobs—in order to care for their children when schools or childcare centres closed, and when they or their family members fell sick. ” (EV) This shows that Singapore relies on a government- dictated lockdown to contain the spread of the virus in the earlier pha se. (EXP) However, Source C states that “it focused on voluntary measures ” (EV) This shows that it was dependent on the people to want to act on it or not. ● ATQ ● Common Criteria ● Comparison word ● Evidence x2 1 best line ● Explanation x2 Both (CW) sources are similar (A) in showing that the COVID-19 pa ndemic has worsened socio-economic inequalities. (CC) Source B states that “Staying safe comfortably, working from home and getting paid: these are marks of privilege, and out of reach for many lower-income families who lived in overcrowded conditions and faced mental health issues. Similarly, (CW) Source C states that “The pandemic has exposed social inequalities within Swedish society ” between the healthy and the sick, the employed and unemployed. This reveals that the pandemic has exposed the rich-poor divide and made lower-income households , the sick, and unemployed even more vulnerable. Or Both (CW) sources are largely similar (A) in providing a balanced trea tment of the importance of individual r