SS Prelim 2021 - Catholic High

Name: Index Number: Class: CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL Preliminary Examination Secondary 4 (O-Level Programme) Humanities (Social Studies, Geography) Humanities (Social Studies, History) Humanities (Social Studies, Literature) Paper 1: Social Studies 2272/01 2273/01 2274/01 Additional Materials: Answer Booklet 30 August 2021 1 hr 45 mins Section A / 35 m Section B / 15 m Total / 50 marks This document consists of 7 printed pages. wendytb96

2 SECTION A (Source-Based Case Study) This section is compulsory for all candidates. 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 to answer the questions, in addition to those sources, which you are told to use. In answering the questions, you should use your knowledge of the issue to help you interpret and evaluate the sources. 1 Study Source A. What is the message of the cartoonist? Explain your answer. [5] 2 Study Source B. Why did the Prime Minister make the speech? Explain your answer. [6] 3 Study Sources C and D. Does Source D prove that the concerns raised in Source C are unjustified? Explain your answer. [7] 4 Study Sources E and F. Having read Source E, are you surprised by Source F? Explain your answer. [7] 5 ‘Vaccination is the best way to combat the spread of Covid-19.’ Using sources in this case study, explain how far you would agree with this statement. [10] wendytb96

3 [Turn over Covid-19 Vaccination: Public interest or personal right? BACKGROUND INFORMATION Read this carefully. It may help you to answer some of the questions. Since December 2019, the Coronavirus 2019 (Covid-19), a serious and infectious respiratory disease, has infected over 200 million people and caused over 4 million deaths. Governments worldwide have struggled to contain the spread of the disease as well as manage the severe economic and social impacts. Apart from mandating safe management measures such as the wearing of face masks, quarantining the sick and tightening borders, governments have also embarked on vaccination drives to immunise their population in a bid to achieve herd immunity*. Some organisations, particularly those working in the frontline sectors like healthcare, have made vaccination compulsory for their employees while some have pushed governments to introduce mandatory vaccinations. However, the anti-vaxxers** have questioned the efficacy of the vaccines and claim that it infringes on their personal rights. Read the following sources to find out whether the Covid-19 vaccination should be one of public interest or personal right. * Herd immunity is achieved when a majority of people in a population are immune to a virus or disease. It is achieved through vaccination or natural infection, leading to reduced transmission. **A person who is opposed to vaccination Source A: A cartoon published in an international newspaper in April 2021. wendytb96

4 Source B: An extract from the Prime Minister’s speech outlining Singapore’s strategy to deal with Covid-19 in the future, broadcast on 31 May 2021. Living with endemic* Covid-19 also means we do not completely close our borders. We need food, essential supplies, workers, business and other travelers to keep on flowing. We must stay connected to the world, with effective safeguards and border restrictions to keep ourselves safe. We will not be able to prevent some infected persons from slipping through from time to time. But as long as our population is mostly vaccinated, we should be able to trace, isolate, and treat the cases that pop up, and prevent a severe and disastrous outbreak. *regularly found among particular people or in a region Source C: Adapted from an article from the Straits Times published on 7 August 2021 in response to the government’s announcement of a differentiated strategy between the vaccinated and unvaccinated. The new strategy gives more privileges such as being able to dine-in and gather in larger numbers to the vaccinated. Is the Government being fair to them? After all, Covid-19 vaccination is not compulsory, unlike vaccination against diphtheria and measles. So, should it not be up to the individual whether to get vaccinated or to risk getting the disease? Why stop them from taking part in activities that others can? So yes, they are being discriminated against, even as the choice of being vaccinated remains with them. But instead of asking if this is fair to them, we should ask: Are these people being fair to the rest of the nation? People who are not vaccinated face a much higher risk of getting infected and spreading the disease. This could lead to an upsurge in cases, more clusters and many people falling sick. Unvaccinated seniors who become infected also face higher risks of falling seriously ill. Society has the right to protect itself against harm. Source D: Views from an Australian about vaccination and the pandemic, printed in an Australlian newspaper in July 2021. Vaccines are totally ineffective. This strategy to segregate society into different groups of vaccinated and unvaccinated is disgraceful, blatantly discriminatory and unconstitutional. The pandemic is a front for organisations and powerful individuals to advance their own agenda. It is fraudulent. These global parasites think they own the world and everyone else should obey them. The government has no right to treat us like second class citizens. I stand up against it, I don't submit to that and if it gets me into jail, so be it. I’m putting everything I got here because I don’t want my little grand-daughter to grow up in this crazy, oppressive world. wendytb96

5 Source E: A Straits Times interview with Singapore’s Ministry of Health’s Chief Health Scientist, Professor Tan Chorh Chuan, published on 17 November 2020. The estimates for herd immunity vary generally around 65% of the population. The government strongly encourages everyone who is suitable to have the vaccination because this would protect you and your loved ones with whom they are in close contact, and reduce the likelihood of spread in Singapore. Priority will be given to healthcare and front-line workers, as well as elderly and vulnerable patients. But rest assured we will have enough vaccines for everyone by the third quarter of next year. Achieving herd immunity against Covid-19 helps protect those who cannot be vaccinated because of their age or their medical conditions. Source F: Adapted from an article on a panel of experts’ view on herd immunity published in an international newspaper in August 2021. The Infectious Diseases Society of America estimated that the Delta variant* had pushed the boundary to achieve herd immunity to well over 80% and possibly close to 90%. Meanwhile, vaccine hesitancy and supply issues mean most countries won’t get close to even the original numbers. Regardless, the end may not come via herd immunity. Instead, the virus has a high likelihood of remaining entrenched globally, causing outbreaks that are hopefully mitigated partly by vaccinations, masking and other interventions. "Delta is not something we will be able to eradicate,” Hanage said. “However with sufficient immunity, ideally achieved by vaccination, we can expect it to become a much milder illness.” * The Delta Variant is a deadlier strain of the Covid-19 Virus which was discovered in December 2020. It is more infectious than the original virus and is responsible for the worldwide spread of Covid-19 this year. [Turn Over w