TMJC 2021 J1 MYE GP Bulletin

1 General Paper Bulletin 2021 (JC 1) Welcome to the first issue of TMJC’s GP Bulletin for 2021! We bring you a selection of the essays written by your schoolmates during the recent JC1 Mid-Year Examination. We would like to express our thanks to the students who have contributed their essays. While these essays are not perfect or model essays, there is a lot of merit in them, and they are clear evidence that good quality writing is possible! While reading these essays, you may find some of the examples and points useful for application to other questions; do be judicious in using such information in a manner that is relevant to the question you are answering. Pay extra attention to the comments on the right column, which are based on some of the key criteria that essays are marked for. Lastly, you should not attempt to copy and hand them in as your own! All the best for the Year-End Examination! Editorial Team ___________________ Mdm Aslindah Mdm Sukhvinder Kaur Mdm Tan Soo Lin Mr Max Cheong Contents Q2: Advancements in science and technology give us hope for the future. Discuss.………………………. 2 Q6: ‘Too little is being done to promote the arts in your society.’ Do you agree?…….............................… 4 Q8: ‘Money is everything.’ Comment. ...………………………………………………………………………………. 7

2 Q2: Advancements in science and technology give us hope for the future. Discuss. (TMJC J1 MYE 2021) Sample Essay Marker’s Comments Science and technology are pillars that hold our society together. From the early 1800s to the 21 st century, science has come a very long way. Advancements in fields such as medicine, sustainable energy as well as the job market could only be dreamt of in the past. The people of the past thought of science as a marvel and believed it would bring society much prosperity in the future. Hence, I agree that advancements in science and technology give us hope for the future. Clear Stand: Clear stand is evident. Understanding of POC: Shows understanding of POC. There are allusions to dream coming to reality and how science promises prosperity and advancements in impactful areas of human life. Contextualisation: Significant areas to be discussed are mentioned and as a reader, we expect advancements in these areas and the impact to be fleshed out in the essay. That said, the reference to science and technology coming a long way is fleeting and can be further expanded to give a stronger sense of the leaps for mankind thus far, in preparation for the greater expectation for the future, which will be discussed in the essay. Suggestions for Improvement: See comment under ‘contextualisation’. Technology such as sustainable energy gives us hope for the future. The Earth has very limited natural fossil fuels that are depleting quickly as populations and the need for electricity grow. This has pushed countries around the world to look for more sustainable forms of energy. Nowadays, most countries have started to invest in nuclear power which is derived from particles and is just as effective, if not even more effective than non- renewable energy. Some have dams built for hydropower as well as windmills on coastal areas. This advancement has brought us hope for the future as they significantly reduce carbon emissions, releasing fewer greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. This is a strong effort to curb global warming and prevent sea levels from rising. The effects of global warming can be catastrophic as rising sea levels could submerge entire cities, including Singapore where the government has recently invested 3.8 million dollars to create seawalls that fight against rising tides. Global warming brings on extreme weather conditions like intense snowstorms or scorching heatwaves as seen in Texas. Sustainable energy that does not require fossil fuels, is like a light at t he end of a dark tunnel for the future generation, a hope that they would not have to witness the disastrous impact of global warming. Quality of Topic Sentences: A clear and significant area where science and technology play a key role is highlighted. Understanding of POC: Shows understanding of the POC. The reasons why the problem is expected to worsen are included and the role that science and technology play is also somewhat explained. Relevance of Examples: While there is mention of renewable and n on-renewable energy, dams, windmills and seawalls, because the question is on advancements in science and technology, further details on the advancements should perhaps be included. Some possible examples:  Finite space and the need for accessibility in megacities – Wufengshan double-deck road-rail suspension bridge over the Yangtze River in China’s Jiangsu province.  Need for alternative energy/resources – Tesla Solar Roof tiles, Livestock Water Recycling (nutrient recovery platform that concentrates nutri ents from livestock manure into crop fertilisers and transforming the rest into clean water).  Singapore-based startup EcoWorth Technology (developing for commercial use a small, black sponge called carbon

3 fibre aerogel that can clean waste water on a mass scale - the sponge absorbs 190 times its weight in waste, contaminants and microplastics). Contextualisation: There is understanding that the question is not just about ‘your society’, and a significant global problem with implications locally and abroad that are chosen. Suggestions for Improvement: See comment under ‘relevance of examples’. Advancements in the medical field have brought relief for the present generation and hope for our future. Today, we have cures and treatments for illnesses that did not even have a name in the past. Developments in equipment include the MRI machine that can give a doctor a 3D model of a patient’s brain. Advancements in screening and testing methods have allowed disease outbreaks to be regulated. The COVID -19 vaccination was developed within less than 18 months while in the past, vaccines took years to be ma de, tested and administered. To witness how fast technology and science have been able to completely change the medical field gives us hope for the future. People have started to live longer, fuller and healthier lives. Gone are the days where the elderly would stay confined in their house due to their chronic illnesses. This gives the future generation hope that when they grow old, they too will able to live well and be around their loved ones. Some incurable illnesses such as cancer might have cures as mu ch research is continually put into it. Every day, there are new medicines and new products for every illness, giving us hope that the future will only be brighter. Quality of Topic Sentences: Clear topic sentence at the beginning of the paragraph. Understanding of POC: Various impacts of medical advancements are explained, in disease prevention, development of certain equipment, and cures for diseases. Relevance of Examples: A range of examples are given. Contextualisation: There is consideration of various groups that will reap the benefits of these advancements, but to lend further depth to the argument, perhaps there could be reflection on the accessibility of these resources to different parts of the world, where the hope for the future may be brighter than others. Suggestions for Improvement: See comments under ‘contextualisation’. Developments in science and technology also give hope for future job seekers. As we move away from a labour-intensive economy, the demand for cyber-skills such as computing and data analytics has sky-rocketed. In Singapore alone, a study done by tech giant Amazon, estimated that by 2030, there will be a need for more than 1.2 million more digital workers, a fifty-five percent spike from the c urrent number of