VJC 2024 H1EC Prelim 8843 QP (23 Aug) Print

VICTORIA JUNIOR COLLEGE JC2 PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION 2024 HIGHER 1 ECONOMICS 8843/01 Paper 1 9 September 2024 3 hours No additional materials are required. READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS FIRST An answer booklet will be provided with this question paper. You should follow the instructions on the front cover of the answer booklet. If you need additional writing paper, ask the invigilator for a continuation booklet. Answer all questions. The number of marks is given in brackets [ ] at the end of each question or part question. This document consists of 8 printed pages. [Turn over

2 Victoria Junior College 8843/01/PE/24 Answer all questions Question 1: Inequality and sustainability in the age of AI Figure 1: Average selling price of Graphics Processing Units, 2019 – 2022 (US$) Source: PCgamer.com, 13 September 2022 Extract 1: Are GPU prices set to rise again in 2023? Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) prices are always a contentious issue. During the COVID- 19 pandemic, GPU prices rose dramatically as production was slashed, shipping was delayed, and supply chains were disrupted. T hose forced to stay home also decided to buy better gaming and crypto -mining hardware. Since then, prices have dropped, although the introduction of GPUs starting from a high US$1,600 per unit has somewhat warped the market. There are now reports that GPU prices are set to wobble once more. Adapted from makeuseof.com, 15 August 2023 Extract 2: Nvidia claims breakthrough in semiconductor production speed Nvidia says it has unlocked a way for the tech industry to produce next -generation semiconductors used in the production of GPUs at a faster rate with less energy costs. The GPU maker has developed a way to streamline a key part of the semiconductor production process known as lithography. Lithography essentially involves using light to create the intricate patterns on a silicon wafer to form the microscopic transistors. Nvidia is introducing “cuLitho,” a software library the company says can speed up computational lithography up to 40 times. A small portion of an Nvidia H100 enterprise GPU currently takes two weeks to process using existing technology. With cuLitho, a chip maker would only need a single eight- hour shift. Source: pcmag.com, 21 March 2023 Extract 3: Researchers on the way to creating alternative to GPUs Computer scientists from Rice University, along with collaborators from Intel, are developing a more cost-efficient alternative to GPU. The new algorithm is called “sub-linear deep learning engine” (SLIDE), and it uses general -purpose central processing units (CPUs) instead of 0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 Q1 2019 Q2 2019 Q3 2019 Q4 2019 Q1 2020 Q2 2020 Q3 2020 Q4 2020 Q1 2021 Q2 2021 Q3