Navigate Issue #1 - EJC GP 2018 1E

NAVIGATE Issue #1     Eunoia Junior College   English Department   General Paper   2018 JC1

Navigate Issue #1   Contents     Message from the JC1 GP Team 2 Application Question from Timed Practice 1 3 Response 1 3 Response 2 5 Essays and Paragraphs from Timed Practice 1 7 2 How far can an individual be held responsible for crimes against humanity? 8 3 Would it matter if all the performing arts venues in your society, such as 11 concert halls and theatres, were closed down? 11 5 ‘The book has no place in modern society.’ Discuss. 14 5 ‘The book has no place in modern society.’ Discuss. 17 8 How effective are international efforts to ease the problem of global ​ ​ hunger? 18 9 “No politician’s reputation can survive the judgement of time.” How true is ​ ​ this? 20 10 How important is it for people in your society to retain a sense of tradition? 22 11 ‘The key to good health is lifestyle rather than medicine.’ How far do you agree? 23 12 Can mathematics be seen as anything more than a useful tool in everyday ​ ​ life? 25     Eunoia English Department 1

Navigate Issue #1   Message from the JC1 GP Team   Dear Eunoians, "Good writing is clear thinking made visible." - Bill Wheeler Good writing in General Paper is about writing with a keen sense of purpose and audience. It is about writing to communicate your thoughts to your readers clearly and succinctly. In order for that to happen, you need to exert control over what you write and how you write it, you need to exercise discipline in deciding to prioritise what you would like your reader to read over what you would like to say. And we know this is not easy and in fact, it is probably the most demanding kind of writing you will undertake in junior college. This inaugural issue of Navigate is a collection of GP essays written by some of you, which we have collected for you - a publication by Eunoians for Eunoians. We sincerely hope that this collection of good writing will help you navigate the demands of good writing and inspire you to realise your fullest potential as a writer, whatever that potential may be. If good writing is clear thinking made visible, then the first step to scaling the summit may be to begin thinking critically and continually challenge yourself to reason logically every time you encounter any written material. And that begins with Navigate! All the best, Your GP Teachers ❤ Eunoia English Department 2

Navigate Issue #1   Application Question from Timed Practice 1   In response to GCE A Level 2012 Paper 2: In this article, Patricia O’Sullivan describes some current issues around the subject of food. How applicable do you find her observations to yourself and your own society? Response 1 This piece is notable for its thoughtful inclusion of many relevant ideas which are often well-elaborated. Note, however, its missing links to the context and the question requirements, as well as the lack of a clear, elaborated balance, the addition of which will result in a more cohesive piece. The author writes in Paragraph 3 about ​ how modernity has disrupted how we traditionally eat. ​ I found this claim palatable and applicable to my society. One key disruption is in terms of family structure, where men used to be the sole breadwinners and women [were] relegated to handle domestic affairs. But now due to the advancement of the feminist movement which advocates for the liberation of women and their right to exercise freedom outside the home, labour participation [of] women [in the workforce] has increased tremendously. This is particularly true for Singapore where the labour participation of women [has not been] spurred [only] by feminism but [is] largely due [also] to economic pressures and imperatives. Singapore as a small state needed a robust economy to ensure safety and security of its people. Having half the population [limited to the domestic sphere] meant lost economic potential and thus the government actively pushed for the inclusion of women in the workforce. Other economic factors such as the high cost of living in Singapore also pushed women into work[ing]. This meant that women oftentimes came back too tired from work to put themselves through the struggle of making dinner, resulting in families looking for other options. Fast food is seen as a good alternative because it is often easily accessible (fast food restaurants are everywhere) and as their name implies, it is rather efficient to get. All this translates into families not eating at home and turning to fast food options outside. Vague claim Quoting or referring to a specific claim is advisable, since it will provide a concrete aspect raised by the author to address in detail Identifies a relevant link between Singapore’s context and family structure Can be developed further The author also writes of how eating has become a much more complex and complicated affair in modern times compared to the days of the past in Paragraph 6. I find her claim to be palatable and applicable to my society. As the saying goes, “You are what you eat”. This is very true in the modern context because eating is no longer just about the taste and the food itself but also the range of wider ramifications. One’s actions [have] an impact on the world. When one takes a bite out of a hamburger, one indirectly supports the environmental degradation required to set up wheat fields and cattle farms, the cruel practices of industrialised meat farms, the unfair subjugation of animal rights for humanity’s pleasure and the exploitative corporate structures that run the fast food restaurant. As people get access to more information through the web, they gain awareness of the effects of their actions and consumers, and try to change their actions to fit their worldview. One example is how organic food has become an option that is favoured by many, because they are advertised to be produced under Quoting or referring to a specific claim is advisable Well-developed elaboration - implications and significance are made clear in a succinct and precise manner Eunoia English Department 3

Navigate Issue #1   conditions which are sustainable, do not harm the environment, and are also more healthy. Another is the increasing popularity of veganism where people give up eating animal produce to reflect their beliefs about animal rights. These are considerations that were unthinkable of in the past, because in the past there was greater scarcity. People could not afford to pick and choose food item[s] [with] a smaller carbon footprint simply because they would take any food they [could get] their hands on. (Owen Phua, 18-A4) Needs to reference the Singapore context more The links back to the question and context are missing Eunoia English Department 4

Navigate Issue #1   Response 2 This piece takes a very attentive approach to elucidating observations of both Singapore society and from the writer’s own experience, without being purely anecdotal. Many links are made between concepts that result in a thorough consideration of the situation in Singapore and its underlying reasons. The response can be improved by the addition of balance within paragraphs to result in a more complex understanding. O’Sullivan notes that one of the reasons for increasing levels of obesity is due to the rising popularity of the Western diet, causing traditionally healthy diets such as the Japanese and Chinese to [be] phased out. While this claim does sound logical, it is not entirely applicable to my society. In Singapor