2010 RI GP Common Test 2 Markers Report

Raffles Institution 2010 Year 6 Common Test 2 Markers’ Report. RI_Y6_GP_CT2_2010 1 1. Can having too much knowledge in today’s world be dangerous? Thiswasnotapopularquestion.Thosewhoattemptedthisquestiongaveratherparochial answersanddidnotscore. Inordertocomeupwithanin-depthanswer,onehas todefine‘toomuchknowledge’inthe contextofhowandwhyitis‘dangerous’. Needtodefineknowledge,andwhatismeantbydangerous. Dangerous-ignorance,misconceptions,informationthatcanharm,misapplication Studentscanrefertodifferenttypesof knowledge–thatgainedfromschool,fromlife experience,fromtheInternetas wellasscientificKnowledge,privateinformationetc… Anotherimportantwordtokeepinmindis‘today’sworld’.Whichworldareyoureferringto? Westernworld,Muslimworld(Afghanistan),India/Chinaetc…knowledge-basedeconomy? Whatonedoes withtheknowledgeisalsoimportant. As forstructure,onecouldtakeontheimpactknowledgehasonthepolitical,social,economic andscientificaspects Waronterrorism-dependingonwhomyouare,knowledgecanbedangerous.Toolittle knowledgeonterrorism canbeaproblem.Youunderestimatethestrengthofthesegroupsas howUSAhaddonebefore9/11.StudentscanalsodiscussthePatriotAct,wheretheUSAgovt hastherighttocertainprivateknowledgewithregardstothethreatofTerrorism.Isthis appropriateordangerous?Ontheotherhand,knowledgeinthehandsoftheseterroristgroups canbedeadly.Thustheneedtocurtailwhattheyknowandtopreventthespreadof knowledge onfundamentalbeliefs. Ontheotherhand,nothavingenoughknowledgecanbedangerousas itcanleadtocultural Ignorance–InmulticulturalsocietieslikeSingaporeorforthatmatterinaglobalworldtoday, beingignorantofotherracesandculturecanhavegreatbacklash.Forexample,racial antagonismbasedonignoranceandstereotyping.Historyhasshownhowignorancehasbeen usedasastrategyforpowerplay–egcolonialism,apartheidetc…wheretheWesternworldhad createdacultureofdependencyonthemselves bypromotingthemselvesastheexpertsinall fieldsfrompoliticstoculturewhilesuffocatingthe‘Other’asignorantandpoor. Povertyisassociatedwithlackofeducation=lackofknowledge.Thus knowledgeseemstobe theanswer tosomeproblems,egwomen’supwardmobilityisaresultofknowingtheirrights etc…,importanceofchildrenreceivingeducationisimportant,tobeknowledgeableabout safeguardingoneselffromillnessesanddiseases likeHIV,TBetc… Knowledgebasedeconomy-importanttokeepabreastwiththeworld.Risingeconomieslike IndiaandChina-needtobeknowledgeableabouttheseculturesinordertodobusinesswith themetc… Scientificknowledge–isimportant.Weneedtoknowhowscienceandtechnologyfunctionsand inordertomakeethicaldecisions,weneedtobeknowledgeable.Example,what’shappeningto theenvironment,medicalalternativesavailabletous.Asthisispartofourlives,weneedtobe

Raffles Institution 2010 Year 6 Common Test 2 Markers’ Report. RI_Y6_GP_CT2_2010 2 awareandnotsimplyleaveittotheexpertsandscientist.However,knowledgethatcancause harmmustbekeptclearof,eghowtomakebombs,destructiveweaponsetc…knowledgeon cloning(controversial). Adistinctionbetweenfactsandknowledge,betweenknowledgeandwisdommightbeuseful. Studentsconsiderwhetherchildrentodayare“too”knowledgeable,whethertheyareacquiring knowledgetooearly. Theycandiscusswhetheryoungpeoplemaybeschooledinacademicknowledgebutlack streetsmarts -Candiscusswhetherthedangersofbeingabletogeteasyaccesstoknowledgetoday. -Canconsiderwhetherknowledgeistooeasilyattainable,toofreelyavailable–eg.onthe Internet. Whatisitabouttoday’sworldwhichmakesitdangeroustohave“toomuch”knowledge? Limitedunderstanding?Lackofinsight?Ignorance? 2. ‘Tourism is all about exploitation.’ How true is this in your country? IT WOULD BE VERY HARD TO FAIL THIS ESSAY. It is of a relatively restricted theme in one spatialcontext. The context is typically Singapore but foreign students are encouraged to offer their own country’s perspectives. ‘Exploitation’ has obvious negative connotations but the competent student should be able to posit the merits of judicious exploitation of both human and natural resources for common benefit. Asense of beingexploited beingsuchabroadconcept,students shouldcomeupwiththeir own deductions and analyses of how people or other resources are being exploited, willingly or otherwise. This should be augmented by actual examples, not ‘suppose this happens…’ scenarios. Singaporecontext(notexhaustive): · Tourism is a major source of revenue; heavily geared towards a ‘hub status’ for anythingandeverything · FocusedonMICE(meetings,incentives,conventions&exhibitions)conceptof tourism; seehttp://www.mice4asia.comforelaboration · STBhasofficesinmanymajorworldcities · The reputation of Changi Airport and the iconic Singapore Airlines attracts all sorts of travelers,evenjusttotransithereforadayor two Yes,&criticisms: · Waste of funds on artificial cultural areas, especially those restored at high cost, e.g. Chinatown. At a cost of over $90 million in refurbishments, it hardly brought impact. Package-deal tourists are being routed there just to cater to the businesses there and justifytheinfrastructureandmaintenanceexpenses.Isthisexploitation?

Raffles Institution 2010 Year 6 Common Test 2 Markers’ Report. RI_Y6_GP_CT2_2010 3 · Unnaturally biased towards the Western & Japanese tourists; giving a subservient mentality (ironically, visitors from the Indian sub-continent are the biggest spenders in Singapore) · Exploiting tourist ignorance to artificially sustain trades like trishaw-pulling to give ‘culturalexperience’ · Exploiting gambling culture of the well-heeled East Asians to set up Integrated Resorts; exploitingtheignoranceand trustingnatureof citizenstopromotecasinoemployment as apromisingcareer,evenwithmajorreligiousandcultural/moralorganizationsagainstit No,thereareeffectivewin-winstrategiesforbothlocalsandtourists: · Ideaof‘cleanandgreen’city · Well-placedexchangerate(neitheraBritishpoundnoranIndonesianrupiah) · Promotionofmulti-lingualbehavior · Promotionofgoodsocialetiquette · Goodemployment prospects forlocals(not necessarilycasino jobs) andquality service for tourists (Singaporean service industry employees have won plenty of commendationsfromforeigners) · SuccessfulrunningofWTO,IMFmeetings,establishedonly F1NightRaceintheworld, upcomingYOG… 3: Can terrorism ever be eradicated? This is a fairly straightforward essay question, which implies that the problem of terrorism can never be eliminated. The best essays not only featured wide-ranging, deep knowledge on the topic, but skilful organisation of essay content as well. Thesis statements were confidently articulated, and convincingly supported with cogent arguments and ample examples. Weaker scripts were limited in discussion scope and characterised by difficulty in managing different strands of discussion. Some responses started off by stating that terrorism can only be eradicated if its root causes are addressed, and then went on to describe the (in) effectiveness ofcounter-terroristmeasures(withnoreferencetorootcauses),onlytoreturntobrieflydescribe poverty and social injustice as root causes of terrorism, before hastily concluding that terrorism cannot be eradicated because terrorism’s root causes have been ignored. There is a need for students to restrain from putting down copious facts and examples on the page, to confidently managecontent,guidedbyaclearmentalschema. Somepointers: A working definition of terrorism: ‘Terrorism is the unlawful use of force or violence againstpersons or property tointimidate or coerceagovernment, thecivilianpopulation, oranysegmentthereof,infurtheranceofpoliticalor socialobjectives.’(FBIdefinition) A sensible response to the essay question will be: while counter-terrorist measures can minimise the occurrence of terrorist attacks and curb the spread of extremist ideology, the uncompromising nature of terrorists, and enduring ideologies that fuel their cause maketerrorismdifficulttoeradicate. Some types of terrorism: state-sponsored terrorism (Abu Nidal Organisation), religious terrorism(Al-Qaeda,Hamas,AumShinrikyo),nationalistterrorism(IrishRepublican

Raffles Institution 2010 Year 6 Common Test 2 Ma