English Language

End-of-Year Holiday Homework 2012

Abu Bakar Bin Othman

{education}
art.I - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/expateducation/8076313/The-International-Baccalaureate-versus-Alevels-which-one-will-help-your-child-shine.html

art.II - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2030670/The-International-Baccalaureate-backlash-Scores-privateschool-pupils-ditched-A-levels-fail-university.html

The debate about the abstract benefits and practicality when one chooses to lie his loyalty to the International Baccalaureate (IB) or the A-levels has been a hot one. After much critical evaluation of these two articles, it has lessened my ambiguity of the better track. On a personal note, I love learning about how the world and its people works and I would love to learn as much as possible about it- and the IB offers just that. It is known to offer a broad-based, yet rigorous, curriculum that aims to cultivate inquisitive, knowledgeable and caring young people that will mould a better world tomorrow. Contending this course is the A-levels, an intensive study course that goes deeper into the subject rather than the IBs modus operandi that goes broader. While this appealing o ffer seems to promise me a stronger hold onto a study, I would choose the IB instead. Universities around the world have begun to recognise the IB learners worth and this may be due to the all-rounded education it provides. As opposed to the A-levels which allows students to choose their major studies more flexibly, the IB demands that its students take a balanced diet of knowledge with a combination of the arts and the sciences. This appeals to me as I appreciate the artistry of the world as I do solving the mysteries of the world. Bringing this topic into the local context, Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) offers this prestigious programme and has been accredited with a multitude of accolades such as being the best IB school in the world. Hence my keen interest into going this school. Should I be enrolled into this elite academy, not only does it promises me a bright future, but also a globalised and cultivated mind. 1 Obsolete (adjective) - no longer produced or used; out of date - the disposal of old and obsolete machinery Hindsight (noun) - understanding of a situation or event only after it has happened or developed - with hindsight, I should never have gone Covet (verb) - yearn to possess or have (something) - he won the coveted Booker Prize for fiction Spectrum (noun) - / a band of colours, as seen in a rainbow - // used to classify something, or suggest that it can be classified, in terms of its position on a scale between two extreme or opposite points - self-help books are covering a broader and broader spectrum Registrar (noun) an official responsible for keeping a register or official records - the registrar of births and deaths

{information and communication technology [ICT]}

art.I Is Google Making Us stupid? by Nicholas Carr <excerpt>
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/07/is-google-making-us-stupid/306868/

art.II - http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/02/19/us-internet-survey-idUSTRE61I5CW20100219
The Internet has successfully managed to integrate itself with the human lifestyle in the way we think or work. Both a blessing and a curse, it has subconsciously shaped the human mind. The ubiquity of knowledge coded into the world wide web has simplified the process of finding and learning this knowledge. However, like Nicholas Carr, I agree that the internet has taken away some of our metacognitive skills such as critical, indepth reading and concentration span. The simple process of finding information on the net by a simple click on Google search has cultivated a penchant for skimming texts to quickly find the relevant information. Through personal experience, it has helped me to determine relevant knowledge in my studies efficiently. Unfortunately, it has also a negative side-effect; the development of a habitual, superficial processing of knowledge. Reading is not just as pleasant as it was before the golden age of the internet. I constantly find myself reading obliviously and as a result, have to reread the chunk I have read. While I think that the internet should not be disassociated from our lives, I believe that striking a right balance which would be capping off the number of hours we spend behind the screen is the best solution. That way, we can both gain knowledge instantly on the internet as well as read critically on ink-and-paper, concluding in a win-win situation.

{culture & lifestyle}

art.I taken from Mental Floss (April 2009 Issue) <excerpt> http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/24392 art.II - http://www.tremeritus.com/2012/12/26/singaporeans-least-happy-least-emotional-charitable-in-the-worldwhy/

These two articles shed light on the societal happiness countries all around the world experiences based on aspects such as quality of life, life satisfaction and many more. I was surprised when I found that Vanuatu was the happiest country in the world. A third-world country? Happiest? Why? were some of the questions that popped into my head upon this remarkable discovery. Singapore being ranked one of the bottom in the Happy Planet Index made me realise that being in a first-world country does not equate to happiness. Honestly, I feel that there is not much to appreciate about Singapore; but then again, this is the reason why Singaporeans do not feel happy. On the other hand, the Vanuatuan lifestyle and culture contrasts sharply from Singapores. They maintain close contacts with their family, playing with their friends with whatever they have and to make the best out of every situation. With a life expectancy of around 30 years old, they know how to spend their short years well and that is to be happy. Singapore has much to learn from this country. We have to make the best out of little-red-dot and spend whatever years we have well. We should exercise courteous, public actions such as giving up those reserved seats for the elderly. It is those little things that make us happy, that makes Singapore a much happier place. 1

{science, research & technology}

art.I http://sciencefocus.com/feature/health/who-owns-space art.II taken from bbc knowledge asia edition vol.4 issue 9
Since young, my insatiable keenness in exploring the mysteries of space has been keeping me glued to science tabloids touching on the topic of outer space. These two articles deal with pioneering humanly activities in the vacuum. Article 1s ownership of l unar property and article 2s exploitation of natural resources of asteroids represents the financial benefits we could gain from expanding our territories beyond the atmosphere. Exploitation of the asteroids resources could mean a sustainable source of energy for a greener tomorrow. Simultaneously, this spells out a reverse for current predicaments such as global warming. Also, ownership of lunar property could mean human colonisation on Earths only natural satellite. Despite the prospect of a moon city being quite unfeasible now, so was the obsolete vision of the internet being ubiquitous. Through these initiatives, I believe that the interdisciplinary knowledge of science us humans possess can be further expanded if we learn more of these celestial bodies and space. If life was to be found out there, we can research about the biology of these out-of-the-world life forms with the technology we have. Possibly in the future, we may receive the first contact of extraterrestrial life if we reach out to them! Honestly, I would love to become a scientist concerned with the study of astrophysics; to become one of those few lucky people to see the other worlds beyond ours! 1

{work & career}

36-pay-cut.html

art.I http://sg.news.yahoo.com/some-s%E2%80%99poreans-grossly-underpaid--professor-lim.html art.II http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2082124/Lee-Hsien-Loong-Singapores-Prime-Minister-earn-1-7mSingapore, despite being only 710km2, is being a governed by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, a politician who earns $1.7 million. Whats shocking is that he has taken a 36% pay cut in response to the public outcry over his affluent earning of SGD$2.2 million! Not only that, he currently holds the highest paid politician internationally, dwarfing earns of the likes of American President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron. All at the same time, many Singaporean workers are still being underpaid for their hardwork which deserves more than that. This salary inequality can only be matched to that of the United States (USA), but even so, the USA is a country much bigger than ours with a population of 300 million. In Singapore, many people like myself find it disheartening to see the rich and the poor live side-by-side. I am truly dismayed by amount Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong earns for leading Singapore when its citizens are being underpaid, including senior citizens who probably are trying to make ends meet because of the lack of support from their children due to Singapores ageing population. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, in my opinion should take a further cut in his pay and the money could be well channeled into these unfortunate workers or charities to help the poor. Also, I feel that I should contribute more to the community, especially those who are in the lower stratum of society. If no one is there to help these people, then we are delegated to be their pillars of strength. We should not wait for change to happen but instead we should make that change to happen. I truly hope for a more equalised Singapore so all of its citizens can benefit from the working population, deterring the chances of spotting beggars all around Singapores public places. This would not reflect the countrys honest development to other countries in the world to model after, but also our leaders responsible character and our own sense of moral support. 1