2025 YIJC Prelim P2

©YIJC [Turn over YISHUN INNOVA JUNIOR COLLEGE JC 2 PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION Higher 1 GENERAL PAPER Paper 2 INSERT 8881/02 27 Aug 2025 1 hour 30 minutes READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS FIRST This Insert contains the passages for comprehension. This document consists of 4 printed pages.

2 Passage 1. An author discusses the challenges of digital interaction and the benefits of real community. 1 In a world where a swipe can summon strangers and a screen can simulate a smile, the paradox of our age becomes glaring: we are constantly connected, yet curiously alone. Technology has extended our voices across the globe, linking us in seconds. But conne ction is not the same as communion. Digital tools have indeed improved the efficiency of our interactions, yet such interactions do not fulfil our need for communion — one that revolves around a sense of belonging, mutual support, and shared interests. 5 2 The appeal of digital interaction is obvious. It is fast, borderless, and endlessly accessible, allowing for almost immediate responses in public engagement and global awareness. Still, its very speed can strip it of substance. Much of what we share online is brief and often curated, designed more for visibility than vulnerability. In these spaces, conversations may start easily but can end just as quickly. Offline, however, connections grow through rhythm and routine; seeing familiar faces at a community class, chatting after a neighbourhood meeting, or lending a hand during a local event. These in-person moments offer a kind of reliability that digital touchpoints rarely deliver. 10 3 Moreover, personal identity is more deeply shaped within real communities than in digital spaces. Online environments are like photo filters—distorting and reflecting only selected facets of who we are, often encouraging curated self-images and idealised portrayals rather than authentic connections. This constant pressure to present a perfect version of ourselves online often results in unrealistic personal expectations and social comparison, potentially leading to a disconnect between our online personas and true self. In contrast, physical communities resemble a garden where identity grows through seasons of shared experience. Through continuous and evolving interactions, these communities offer stable ground where individuals are recognised in both their struggles and achievements. Religious communities, volunteer organisations, and support groups provide a foundation of genuine belonging to nurture confidence and self -worth over time, something that online platforms cannot achieve with their fleeting affirmations of a curated online persona. 15 20 4 Professional growth, too, is most meaningfully nurtured within authentic communities. While digital networks undoubtedly provide convenience and broaden access to information and opportunities, they often fall short in cultivating the depth of trust and me ntorship that face-to-face interactions can offer (a stranger online would unlikely provide sincere and credible professional advice beyond cursory phrases). Unlike digital platforms, spaces such as co -working hubs, industry associations, and professional gatherings create fertile ground for collaboration, where ideas are exchanged not just through words but through shared context and being physically present. These environments encourage engagement that is reflective and adaptive – qualities that largely asynchronous online messages and algorithm -driven feeds rarely inspire. Ultimately, it is through sustained real -world interaction that individuals hone critical thinking and gain the kind of perspective we cannot get through digital interfaces alone. 25 30 35 5 At the societal level, strong and physically rooted communities can act as bulwarks against the strong currents of isolation and division that accompany rapid urbanisation and widening inequality. Although online movements can raise awareness, that is often as far as it goes. Meaningful change is frequently driven by neighbourhood initiatives and face -to-face activism. These communities strengthen public trust and promote safer, more engaged societies; likes and shares often do not translate to real-world action. True social change demands more than a trending hashtag. It requires sustained, collaborative effort, often rooted in real -world communities. On a larger scale, social movements from civil rights struggles to contemporary climate activism, have succ eeded because of shared spaces, collective resilience, and tangible solidarity. Organisations like Doctors Without Borders exemplify how meaningful, coordinated action, built on trust and sacrifice, can achieve what online petitions alone cannot. 40 45 6 Ultimately, community is about more than accessibility; it is about authentic connection, shared responsibility, and unwavering support. In an age where digital interactions are so convenient, we must intentionally choose to engage beyond the screen. After all, true connection lives in real life, not in notifications. 50

3 Passage 2. An author writes about the negative aspects of community. 1 Being part of a group feels comforting and safe —something we instinctively seek. Despite offering belonging and support, it is hardly the utopia we imagine. Today, the increasing focus on individualistic pursuits highlights the need to pay closer attention to the role of communities. Whether in the past or present, communities pressure individuals to conform; for those who do not fit in, this pressure can be stifling. This can manifest in the form of societal expectations regarding behaviour or explicit rules about traditions. For rural communities who continue clinging to outdated traditions, this can reinforce inequalities or prevent growth. Taken to the extreme, such communities silence dissenting voices, leading to poor decisions or even violence. 5 2 Today, it is easy to believe that with the rise of digital platforms, communities have become more inclusive and accepting. They are, after all, more diverse and more accessible. However, instead of reducing the pressures to conform and promoting a more to lerant environment, social media algorithms have in fact deepened polarisation through the creation of echo chambers. Over time, these online communities can often alienate others as people start to feel that their views are sidelined by stronger, opposing voices. Even finding common ground can become a challenge. 10 3 Furthermore, online groups often offer shallow connections that exacerbates loneliness. Technology appears to encourage and support constant interaction, as one can converse with their friends anytime and anywhere - yet such interactions lack depth, no matter how many ‘friends’ they have in these groups. The convenience of digital connections could result in misconstrued notions of quality relationships, and eventually eroding cohesion within society. 15 4 Whether physical or online, communities have inherent value. Subscribing blindly to community beliefs can cause us to lose sight of ourselves and hinder objectivity. The challenge today is to foster communities that celebrate individuality, encourage progress, and truly include everyone. 20

4 Passage 3. An author shares some personal experiences as part of a residential community. 1 Another invitation to a neighbourhood gathering arrived in my letterbox today , this time for a "community gardening initiative" at the next residents’ committee meeting. I found myself performing the same ritual: sighing deeply, pinning it half-heartedly to my cork board, and feeling that familiar mix of guilt and i