NHHS Prelim 2025 SS QP

CANDIDATE NAME CENTRE CLASS INDEX NUMBER NUMBER HUMANITIES 2260/01 2261/01 Paper 1 Social Studies 2263/01 25 August 2025 1 hour 45 minutes No Additional materials are required. READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS FIRST Write in dark blue or black pen. An answer booklet will be provided with this question paper. You should follow the instructions on the first cover of the answer booklet. Please begin your response to each question on a fresh page of the answer booklet. If you need additional answer paper, ask the invigilator for a continuation booklet. Write the question number in the box provided in the answer book. The total mark for this paper is 50. Section A Answer all questions. Section B Answer both 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 and 4 blank pages. S 2 3 8 6 NAN HUA HIGH SCHOOL Preliminary Examination

2 NAN HUA HIGH SCHOOL 2260/2261/2263/01 PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION SECTION A (Source-Based Case Study) Answer all questions. Exploring Citizenship and Governance Study the Background Information and the sources carefully, and then answer all the questions. You may use any of the sources to help you answer the questions, in addition to those sources you are told to use. In answering the questions , you should use your knowledge of the topic to help you interpret and evaluate the sources. 1 Study Source A. Why did the Land Transport Authority make this statement? Explain your answer. 2 Study Sources B and C. How different are they? Explain your answer. [6] 3 Study Source D. How useful is this source as evidence about the support provided by the government to transition to electric vehicles? Explain your answer. 4 Study Sources E and F. Does Source E prove Source F wrong? Explain your answer. [7] 5 ‘Sufficient support is provided for the full transition to electric vehicles.’ Using the sources in the case study, explain how far you would agree with this statement. [6] [6] [10]

3 NAN HUA HIGH SCHOOL 2260/2261/2263/01 PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION Turn over Is a full transition to electric vehicles achievable? BACKGROUND INFORMATION Read this carefully. It may help you to answer some of the questions. Electric vehicles (EVs) are vehicles powered entirely or partially by electricity, typically using rechargeable batteries instead of internal combustion engines. Unlike conventional vehicles that run on petrol or diesel, EVs produce lower amounts of carbon emissions, making them a cleaner alternative for the environment. Switching to EVs can significantly reduce carbon footprint, improving air quality and helping to slow global warming. However, this transition is not without its challenges. Electric vehicles are generally more expensive than traditional fuel- powered heavy vehicles, which can be a barrier for many consumers and businesses. In addition, EVs require a reliable and accessible charging infrastructure to be practical for daily use, especially over long distances. To accelerate the adoption of EVs, greater support is needed—this includes subsidies or incentives to lower purchase costs and investments in public charging stations. Study the following sources to find out whether a full transition to electric vehicles is achievable.

4 NAN HUA HIGH SCHOOL 2260/2261/2263/01 PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION Source A: A statement by Singapore’s Land Transport Authority The Land Transport Authority (LTA) is pressing on with our vehicle electrification efforts. There are around 52,000 heavy vehicles in Singapore today, which contribute to about 31% of land transport’s emissions. With more commercially ready electric heavy vehicle models available in the market, it is now timely to push for the decarbonisation efforts for this segment to support Singapore’s overall land transport decarbonisation. To support decarbonisation of heavy vehicles, LTA will introduce the Heavy Vehicle Zero Emissions Scheme (HVZES) and Electric Heavy Vehicle Charger Grant (EHVCG). These initiatives aim to narrow the gap in ownership cost between an electric heavy vehicle ( eHV) and an internal combustion engine heavy vehicle, and to support the deployment of eHV chargers in Singapore. Source B: A cartoon published in an American newspaper

5 NAN HUA HIGH SCHOOL 2260/2261/2263/01 PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION Turn over Source C: Posted on the website of Norway’s EV Association on Norway’s EV policy The overall signal from the majority of political parties is that it should always be economically beneficial to choose zero and low emission cars over high emission cars. This is obtained with the ‘polluter pays’ principle in the car tax system. High taxes for high emission cars and lower taxes for low and zero- emission cars. For a long time, taxes on polluting cars have partly financed incentives for zero-emission cars without any loss in revenues. The purchase tax for all new cars with emissions is calculated by a combination of weight, carbon dioxide and oxides of nitrogen emissions. The tax is progressive, making big cars with high emissions very expensive. For the last few years, the purchase tax has been adjusted gradually to have more emphasis on emissions and less on weight. Source D: A comment by a user on Reddit, an online forum EVs are not very practical for H ousing Development Board dwellers. The EV charging lots are usually hogged by inconsiderate grab drivers and taxi drivers, who continue to park for long periods after their cars are done charging. How do I even find the time to charge my car? Either you are a slave to the car and charge it frequently when a lot is available, which usually isn’t, or you are a shift worker who gets to charge it during irregular hours. Cost savings from charging are high, but I wonder how much I am really saving in the long run. Companies keep making EVs more and more expensive. The r oad tax is also ridiculous! What happened to the government’s support for EVs? They are not helping EV owners cope with the cost! Source E: An article by Channel News Asia, a news channel from Singapore The Rakuten Insight survey found that 35 per cent of respondents felt there was a lack of charging stations here. Such sentiment was unsurprising, given that landed properties - the only type of residence where one can install a personal charging station - make up less than 5 per cent of homes here. This effectively means that the vast majority of Singaporeans who drive an EV would have to rely on common charging stations - an experience that can vary depending on each driver’s circumstances and usage needs. Compounding the problem is that the growth in charging stations has lagged behind the gr owth of EVs, going by figures since 2020. In 2024, Singapore had about 15,300 charging points for 26,225 EVs.

6 NAN HUA HIGH SCHOOL 2260/2261/2263/01 PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION Source F: A statement on Tesla’s website. Tesla is an American company that manufactures and sells electric vehicles. To accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy, we are making it as easy as possible for drivers to own and charge an EV. That’s why we’re opening our fast -charging network to allow more EV drivers to charge at over 15,000 Supercharging stal