2023 NYJC EOY_P2_insert

This document consists of 4 printed pages. NANYANG JUNIOR COLLEGE JC1 END-OF-YEAR EXAMINATION 2023 GENERAL PAPER 8881/02 PAPER 2: INSERT Friday 22 September 2023 1 hour 30 minutes READ THIS INSTRUCTION FIRST This insert contains the passages for Paper 2.

2 1 2 3 4 5 6 Passage 1: An author writes about the negative aspects of being under pressure. Most of us have never competed in the Olympic Games, but we know what it is like to work under pressure. It is not uncommon for people to push past their limits — or at least their perceived limits — in order to deliver in a high- pressure situation. The outcomes that people are able to achieve when up against a deadline lead many to say, “I work better under pressure." However, the idea that the looming deadline, last -minute scramble, or superhuman effort improves performance is a fallacy — and a destructive one at that. There is no evidence that we work better under pressure. In fact, working consistently under pressure and stress can erode our mental health and well-being. Unfortunately, prioritising our mental health is not normalised, especially at the highest levels. That conversation is changing. When four-time gold medal gymnast, Simone Biles, dropped out of the competition at the 2021 Olympic Games after experiencing immense stress, her actions showed the world what it looks like to speak up, take action and take care of your mental and physical health. Perhaps most of all, Biles showed what it looks like to know yourself and to really understand how your own performance works. Performance pressure has typically been seen as a necessary part of performing at a high level. We tell people that in order to excel, they have to learn to deal with pressure — and that the way they handle it would make or break their career. We never talk about whether the pressure would make or break them. People are taught and coached to succeed. Far fewer have been taught how to fail and bounce back. In the process of prioritising success, we are told that we only need to push ourselves physically in order to perform. But the connection between mind and body has been proven. So, why are we not talking more about the mind-performance connection? Interest in the social science of performance and well -being is not new. During the Industrial Revolution, employers focused on maximising productivity — factories were a dangerous place to be. Henry Ford is best known for revolutionising the assembly line, but that was not his only contribution to the modern workplace. He also standardised the (shorter) 40-hour work-week and increased employees’ weekly wages. Incredibly, when work hours went down and pay rates went up, efficiency and productivity skyrocketed. The insight about worker well -being and productivity