TJC 2026 Prelim P1

GENERAL PAPER 8881/01 Paper 1 25 August 2026 1 hour 30 minutes 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 answer paper ask the invigilator for a continuation booklet. Answer one question. Note that up to 20 marks out of 50 will be awarded for your use of language. All questions in this paper carry equal marks. This document consists of 2 printed pages. TEMASEK JUNIOR COLLEGE 2026 JC2 PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION Higher 1

2 Answer one question. Answers should be between 500 and 800 words in length. 1 ‘Technological advancements have made people more fearful about the future.’ How far do you agree? 2 Assess the view that fiction exists only to entertain. 3 ‘We expect too much from governments.’ Do you agree? 4 How far are sporting pursuits given adequate support and recognition in your society? 5 ‘Migration is the solution to demographic challenges.’ Discuss. 6 Evaluate the claim that the state should not regulate the media during times of crisis. 7 Is forgiveness the best way to deal with injustice? 8 ‘A city without soul.’ How true is this of your society?

Temasek Junior College 2026 Prelim GP Paper 1 1 2026 JC2 PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION GENERAL PAPER Paper 1 Markers’ Report Q1. ‘Technological advancements have made people more fearful about the future.’ How far do you agree? Strengths • Stronger responses made clear links between technological advancements and fear by explaining why they would make people more fearful about the future, rather than merely describing the advantages and harms of these technologies. • More perceptive responses recognised that whether technological advancements would make people more fear about the future depends on how safely they are used, regulated and managed, supported by appropriate examples. • More insightful responses presented a balanced and nuanced judgement by recognising that technological advancements can bring both fear and hope for the future. They gave convincing reasons , supported by strong examples, to explain why technological advancements could cause greater worry, anxiety or fear about their potentially more negative effects on people in the future, or why they could give people greater hope for the future. Weaknesses • Students often described the past or present benefits and harms of technological advancements without clearly linking them to fear about the future, leaving the explanation at the level of identifying positive or negative effects. • Responses that disagreed with the view that technological advancements would increase fear about the future were especially likely to simply describe the advantages brought about by advancements, without explaining how these benefits would reduce or remove fear about the future. • Many students gave limited attention to the keyword ‘future’, with some making only a token mention of the word without adequately addressing it. They often focused on how technological advancements cause or reduce fear in the present, without considering whether and why these effects would continue into the future. • Examples of technological advancements were sometimes too general, inaccurate or inappropriate, with weaker responses often referring to generic technologies such as 'medical technology' instead of citing concrete examples by name, such as CRISPR. This lim ited the depth, precision and credibility of their arguments because generic examples made it difficult to explain specifically how a technological advancement could affect people and why it would cause greater fear or hope about the future. • Some responses had overly lengthy introductions which took up too much time and space, leaving students unable to develop their arguments fully or complete the essay. A. QUESTION ANALYSIS technological advancements • improvements and innovations in technology (e.g. AI, robotics, biotechnology, automation, digital platforms , surveillance technology ) that transform how people in societies live, work, communicate, and function

Temasek Junior College 2026 Prelim GP Paper 1 2 have made people more fearful • heightened people's anxiety, dread, worry or concern about the actual or potential loss of safety, autonomy, and control over their lives the future • the time and conditions that lie ahead for individuals and society, including expected changes in society, work, and daily life shaped by current technological, economic, and social trends How far do you agree? • the extent of agreement with the claim in the question, supported by evaluation and balanced reasoning and a clear overall judgment B. SUGGESTED APPROACH Background information • Technological advancements have become a powerful force shaping the future of society, transforming economies, healthcare, governance and everyday life at an unprecedented pace. While they have improved living standards, expanded access to information and enabled solutions to compl ex global challenges, their rapid development has also made the future increasingly uncertain. As new technologies create possibilities once unimaginable, they also introduce risks and disruptions that may be difficult for societies to anticipate, regulate or manage, making the future more uncertain and fearful. Possible stand • While technological advancements offer the prospect of greater human capability and solutions to many future challenges, they also create uncertainty over the consequences of increasingly rapid and powerful change. Concerns about economic disruption, digital insecurity, surveillance, misinformation and the erosion of ethical boundaries as technology advances beyond established moral and regulatory frameworks have made the future less predictable and more daunting, leading to greater fear about the future. (POB) With the enduring aim of solving humanity’s problems to make life better, it cannot be denied that technological advancements have given people some reason to feel reassured about the future by strengthening humanity’s ability to overcome longstanding socio-economic challenges. • By making healthcare, education and economic opportunities more accessible, technological innovation has fostered confidence that problems which have persisted for generations may increasingly be solved. Successful breakthroughs provide tangible evidence t hat humanity can actively shape outcomes that once seemed inevitable, reducing uncertainty about whether future challenges can be controlled. This strengthens optimism that scientific progress will continue to improve quality of life and equip future generations to overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges. • One illustration can be seen in healthcare, where technological advances are making longstanding problems increasingly manageable. The 2024 rollout of the R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine, recommended by the World Health Organisation in countries such as

Temasek Junior College 2026 Prelim GP Paper 1 3 Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, has strengthened confidence that one of humanity’s oldest and deadliest diseases can eventually be brought under control. Its significance extends beyond malaria: by demonstrating that deeply entrenched threats can be reduced through innovation, it reassures