Are you depressed?

by people

1. Do you have little pleasure or interest in doing things? 2. clinically : according to medical science and examination of

2. Do you feel hopeless or down? patients 临床诊断 E.g. ~ dead

3. Do you have trouble sleeping, either sleeping too much or not at 3. intense : extreme and forceful or (of a feeling) very strong

all? E.g. ~ cold, ~ flavor, ~ pain

4. Do you feel tired or have little energy? 4. prolonged ( prəˈlɒŋd ) : continuing for a long time

5. Do you overeat or have a poor appetite? 5. encompassing ( ɪnˈkʌm.pəs ) : to include different types of

6. Do you feel like a failure or have you let people down? things

7. Do you have trouble concentrating? 6. psychiatrist ( saɪˈkaɪə.trɪst ) : 精神病医生

8. Do you have any harmful thoughts towards yourself? 7. dismissive ：showing that you do not think something

is worth considering 表现轻视

8. hereditary （ həˈredɪtri. ） ： passed from the genes of

If you have said ‘YES’ for 2 or less questions, it is highly unlikely you
a parent to a child
are suffering from depression.
9. agitation ( ædʒ.ɪˈteɪ.ʃən ) : worry and anxiety
If you have said ‘YES’ for 2-4 questions, it is likely you have mild
10. despondent : unhappy and with no hope
depression. You have nothing to worry about if you have mild
11. confrontational : causing or involving angry disagreement
depression and it is something you can easily snap out of with the

right help and support.

If you said ‘YES’ 5 or more times, it is highly likely you are extremely

depressed.

Summary

( 15 marks )
Vocabulary : The suicide death of SHINee lead singer, Kim Jonghyun, on
1. bring something to the fore : to make something become noticed Monday (Dec 18) has cast the spotlight on the pressure K-pop
artistes face. But it has also brought depression, clinically known

as major depressive disorder, to the fore. Depression is a
common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how
you feel, the way you think and how you act.
In Singapore, depression is one of the top three mental
health disorders, indicated in the National Mental Health Survey
conducted in 2010 by the Institute of Mental Health (IMH). The
2010 survey showed that depression affected over 57,000 adult
men and about 102,000 adult women during their lifetime. This
equated to 5.8 per cent of the adult population in Singapore that
has suffered from depression at some time in their lives.
The mental condition is more than feeling sad or gloomy.
"Sadness and melancholic feelings are usually temporary, and not
as intense or prolonged in their symptoms," said Dr Adrian Wang,
consultant psychiatrist from Gleneagles Medical
Centre. However, depression is all-encompassing. "It envelopes
the person and affects his mood, thinking, energy and physical
functioning," he said.
While the pressure of fame appears to point to the 27-year-
old K-pop singer's source of depression, fans may never know the
precise cause as the psychiatrist the singer saw was
reportedly dismissive of his condition. There are different forms
of depression and some are hereditary, and can occur in some
families, generation after generation, according to IMH. Life
events can bring on depression too, such as the loss of a job,
retirement, divorce, death of a loved one or moving to a new
house. Social circumstances (ˈsɜː.kəm.stɑːns ) are other
reasons; being lonely or lacking a social life can make people more
vulnerable to depression.
Although it is a mental issue, depression has also been
associated with chronic physical illnesses such as cancer, stroke,
arthritis or heart disease. The 2010 National Mental Health
Survey revealed that nearly half of the people with depression
35
had at least one chronic physical illness. Supporting that
observation is a local study on depression in diabetics - it showed
that 31 per cent of diabetics have the mental condition,
according to IMH.
‘Besides persistently feeling sad or gloomy, there are other
40
common symptoms of depression to look out for,’ said Dr Wang.
These include a loss in the following areas: Interest in activities
previously enjoyed, appetite, weight, sleep (or on the contrary,
sleeping more).
Other signs include an inability to concentrate, indecisiveness
45
(ˌɪndɪˈsaɪsɪvnəs) , feelings of worthlessness and guilt as well as
recurrent thoughts of death. If a person experiences five or
more of those symptoms for two weeks or longer, he is likely to
be depressed, according to IMH.
"However, for some people, the symptoms may be hidden,"
50
said Dr Wang. Like Jonghyun, these individuals may appear fine
but may feel despondent or even suicidal ( ˌsuːɪˈsaɪdl ) .
"They may be putting up a brave front because they do not want
others to worry about them, or may feel ashamed of their sad
55 feelings which they (wrongly) think of as a sign of weakness," said
Dr Wang.
"Even mental health professionals find it hard to
differentiate between someone with serious suicide intent, and
someone who is just crying for help," said Dr Wang. All suicidal
60 gestures should be taken seriously. "If you receive such a
message, you should check on the person, and at least notify his
family or loved ones, so that they can keep an eye on him," said
Dr Wang.
There is no need to give advice or solve the individual's
65 problem immediately. Being there and showing that you care is a
good start. "Offering a listening ear and being good company to
 do things with are more important than giving proper advice," said Depression is a medical illness that negatively affects how
Dr Wang. "Listen in a non-judgmental way. If you want to offer
you …
advice, begin by instilling in the person a sense of hope," he said.
"Work towards some short-term solutions first, so that the
person does not feel so overwhelmed by his problems."
Suggested answer:
If the person insists he is not depressed - even if you believe Depression is a medical illness that negatively affects how you
he is - do not be confrontational. "Give him time, listen and tell
feel, the way you think and how you act. 1 Some people suffer from
him you are available if needed" said Dr Wang. Another way to
help the depressed person, said Dr Wang, is to help the individual depression because of hereditary. 2 Others may have depression with
have a daily routine. Check in on him from time to time to
life changes. Besides, 3 they feel lonely or lack a social life. On the
encourage him.
other hand, 4 some people experience depression during serious

physical illnesses. There are some common symptoms of depression. 5

One of them is persistently feeling sad. 6 They may also lose interest

in activities which they previously enjoyed, 7 less appetite and weight.

8
Some even suffer from insomnia or sleep too much. 9The worst thing
31 Based on the passage given, write a summary on:
is they have recurrent thoughts of death. 10A person is likely to be
 the causes of depression, and
depressed if he experiences five or more of these symptoms for two
 the symptoms of depression
weeks or longer.
Credit will be given for use of own words but care must be taken
( 131 words )
not to change the original meaning.

Your summary must:

 be in continuous writing ( not in note form )

 use material from line 12 to line 44

 not be longer than 130 words, including the 10 words given

below

Begin your summary as follows:

SPM English

Paper Two
 Questions 22-25
Complete the sentences below based on the information given.
22 Dementia is normally suffered by elderly people .

23 Vascular dementia can be prevented by taking care of

Questions 16-21
Based on the information given, complete the diagram below. .
the heart and blood vessels
Types Alzheimer’s Disease Vascular Dementia
Cause 16 Probably due to 17 Occurs when blood
24 Dementia is becoming more prevalent now because
abnormal structures that flow to the brain
cause nerve cell death decreases and cells are .
the number of elderly people in our society now is higher
starved of oxygen and
nutrients 25 Doctors prescribe medication for dementia patients only for

no sleep problems and to slow down memory loss .

Two 18 memory loss which disrupts day-to-day
symptoms activities
Cure 19 Slower planning and problem-solving capacity
20 No cure presently

Prevention
21 Vascular dementia can be lowered by physical,
mental and social stimulation but not Alzheimer’s
 1. Do you have little pleasure or interest in doing things?

2. Do you feel hopeless or down?

3. Do you have trouble sleeping, either sleeping too much or not at

all?

4. Do you feel tired or have little energy?

5. Do you overeat or have a poor appetite?

6. Do you feel like a failure or have you let people down?

7. Do you have trouble concentrating?

8. Do you have any harmful thoughts towards yourself?

If you have said ‘YES’ for 2 or less questions, it is highly unlikely you

are suffering from depression.

If you have said ‘YES’ for 2-4 questions, it is likely you have mild

depression. You have nothing to worry about if you have mild

depression and it is something you can easily snap out of with the

right help and support.

If you said ‘YES’ 5 or more times, it is highly likely you are extremely

depressed.

Are you depressed?


Summary
( 15 marks )
The suicide death of SHINee lead singer, Kim Jonghyun, on
Monday (Dec 18) has cast the spotlight on the pressure K-pop
artistes face. But it has also brought depression, clinically known
as major depressive disorder, to the fore. Depression is a
5 common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how
you feel, the way you think and how you act.
In Singapore, depression is one of the top three mental
health disorders, indicated in the National Mental Health Survey
conducted in 2010 by the Institute of Mental Health (IMH). The
2010 survey showed that depression affected over 57,000 adult
men and about 102,000 adult women during their lifetime. This
equated to 5.8 per cent of the adult population in Singapore that
has suffered from depression at some time in their lives.
The mental condition is more than feeling sad or gloomy.
"Sadness and melancholic feelings are usually temporary, and not
as intense or prolonged in their symptoms," said Dr Adrian Wang,
consultant psychiatrist from Gleneagles Medical
Centre. However, depression is all-encompassing. "It envelopes
the person and affects his mood, thinking, energy and physical
functioning," he said.
While the pressure of fame appears to point to the 27-year-
old K-pop singer's source of depression, fans may never know the
precise cause as the psychiatrist the singer saw was
reportedly dismissive of his condition. There are different forms
of depression and some are hereditary, and can occur in some
families, generation after generation, according to IMH. Life
events can bring on depression too, such as the loss of a job,
retirement, divorce, death of a loved one or moving to a new
house. Social circumstances are other reasons; being lonely or
lacking a social life can make people more vulnerable to
depression.
Although it is a mental issue, depression has also been
associated with chronic physical illnesses such as cancer, stroke,
arthritis or heart disease. The 2010 National Mental Health
Survey revealed that nearly half of the people with depression
had at least one chronic physical illness. Supporting that
observation is a local study on depression in diabetics - it showed
that 31 per cent of diabetics have the mental condition,
 according to IMH.
‘Besides persistently feeling sad or gloomy, there are other
common symptoms of depression to look out for,’ said Dr Wang.
These include a loss in the following areas: Interest in activities
previously enjoyed, appetite, weight, sleep (or on the contrary,
sleeping more).
Other signs include an inability to concentrate,
indecisiveness, feelings of worthlessness and guilt as well as
recurrent thoughts of death. If a person experiences five or
more of those symptoms for two weeks or longer, he is likely to
be depressed, according to IMH.
"Work towards some short-term solutions first, so that the
person does not feel so overwhelmed by his problems."
If the person insists he is not depressed - even if you believe
he is - do not be confrontational. "Give him time, listen and tell
him you are available if needed" said Dr Wang. Another way to
help the depressed person, said Dr Wang, is to help the individual
have a daily routine. Check in on him from time to time to
encourage him.

"However, for some people, the symptoms may be hidden,"

said Dr Wang. Like Jonghyun, these individuals may appear fine
but may feel despondent or even suicidal.
"They may be putting up a brave front because they do not want 31 Based on the passage given, write a summary on:
others to worry about them, or may feel ashamed of their sad
 the causes of depression, and
feelings which they (wrongly) think of as a sign of weakness," said
55 Dr Wang.  the symptoms of depression

Credit will be given for use of own words but care must be taken
"Even mental health professionals find it hard to
differentiate between someone with serious suicide intent, and not to change the original meaning.
someone who is just crying for help," said Dr Wang. All suicidal
Your summary must:
gestures should be taken seriously. "If you receive such a
60 message, you should check on the person, and at least notify his  be in continuous writing ( not in note form )
family or loved ones, so that they can keep an eye on him," said
 use material from line 12 to line 44
Dr Wang.
 not be longer than 130 words, including the 10 words given
There is no need to give advice or solve the individual's
below
problem immediately. Being there and showing that you care is a
65 good start. "Offering a listening ear and being good company to
do things with are more important than giving proper advice," said
Begin your summary as follows:
Dr Wang. "Listen in a non-judgmental way. If you want to offer
advice, begin by instilling in the person a sense of hope," he said. Depression is a medical illness that negatively affects how
you …

SPM English

Paper Two
Questions 16-21
Based on the information given, complete the diagram below.
Types Alzheimer’s Disease Vascular Dementia
Cause 16 17

Two 18
symptoms 19

Cure 20

Prevention
21
Questions 22-25
Complete the sentences below based on the information given.
22 Dementia is normally suffered by .

23 Vascular dementia can be prevented by taking care of

24 Dementia is becoming more prevalent now because

25 Doctors prescribe medication for dementia patients only for

Novel – Captain Nobody, Dean Pitchford

Chapter 1 In which nobody eats breakfast

Newton Newman When he was a junior, he scored the winning

 The protagonist [prəˈtæɡ.ən.ɪst ] of the story. point for Fillmore

 A small, skinny and freckled 10-year-old boy

 Has an elder brother who is a famous football star

Character Trait Evidence

Caring He offers to make breakfast for his family

every morning.

Understanding He realises that his brother had been busy

the week before the Big Game, and does not

mind if his brother does not speak to him Mr Newman

properly.  Father of Newton and Chris

Responsible He helps his absent-minded mother to find  works as a supervisor at a building company and is constantly on
her misplaced things or remember what she his mobile phone
has said to other people.

Character Trait Evidence

Chris Newman Workaholic He is constantly attending to calls on his
 The elder brother of Newton Newman mobile phone.
 A famous football player of Fillmore High School He spreads his working documents on the

breakfast table and only has time for coffee

Character Trait Evidence Ignorant He ignores the breakfast that Newton has
Skilled He delivered Fillmore High School’s first prepared for the family or the newspaper
victory against Merrimac when he was a article that Newton wants to show.
sophomore
 Paper Two

Mrs Newton

 Mother of Chris and Newton

 works as a real estate agent

Character Trait Evidence

Absent-minded She constantly forgets where she places her

things such as keys of documents.

She is unable to recall their neighbour’s pre-

planned menu for the pre-game barbecue

cookout and has to rely on Newton.

Workaholic She is constantly on the phone even during

breakfast.

Irresponsible She does not prepare breakfast for the

family.

SPM English
Questions 16-21
Based on the information given, complete the diagram below.
Types Alzheimer’s Disease Vascular Dementia
Cause 16 17
24 Dementia is becoming more prevalent now because

25 Doctors prescribe medication for dementia patients only for

Two .

symptoms
Cure

Prevention

Questions 22-25
Complete the sentences below based on the information given.
22 Dementia is normally suffered by .

23 Vascular dementia can be prevented by taking care of

.
 He offers to make breakfast for his family

every morning.

He realises that his brother had been busy

the week before the Big Game, and does not

mind if his brother does not speak to him

properly.

He helps his absent-minded mother to find

her misplaced things or remember what she

has said to other people.

Chris Newman

 The brother of Newton Newman

 A famous football player of

Character Trait Evidence

He delivered Fillmore High School’s first

Novel – Captain Nobody, Dean Pitchford
victory against Merrimac when he was a
Chapter 1 In which nobody eats breakfast
sophomore.
Newton Newman
When he was a junior, he scored the winning
 The of the story.
point for Fillmore.
 A small, skinny and 10-year-old boy

 Has an elder brother who is a

Character Trait Evidence

  Works as a

Character Trait Evidence

She constantly forgets where she places her

Mr Newman things such as keys of documents.

 of Newton and Chris She is unable to recall their neighbour’s pre-

 Works as a at a building company and is planned menu for the pre-game barbecue

constantly on his mobile phone cookout and has to rely on Newton.

She is constantly on the phone even during

Character Trait Evidence breakfast.

He is constantly attending to calls on his She does not prepare breakfast for the

mobile phone. family.

He spreads his working documents on the

breakfast table and only has time for coffee.

He ignores the breakfast that Newton has

prepared for the family or the newspaper

article that Newton wants to show. I had a Black Dog

1 2 3

4 5
6

Mrs Newton

 of Chris and Newton

 7 8 9

28
29 30

10 11 12

31 32

13 14 15

33

16 17
18

199 20 21

22 23 24

25 26 27
I had a Black Dog

10 My biggest fear was being found out. I worried that people

 might judge me. hanging around all the time. I would say THAT’S IT!!! and
19 Eventually, I became quite good at self-medication which attack him with whatever I thought might send him running.
never really helped. 25 Black Dog had made me believe that if I ever told anyone
6 Black Dog liked to ruin my appetite. about him. I would be judged. The truth is, being emotionally

genuine with close friends and family can be an absolute life

15 He liked to wake me up with very repetitive, negative saver. Letting the dog out is far better than keeping him in.
thinking. 14 Black Dog thought nothing of taking my love and burying my
23 I discovered that there are many different breeds of Black intimacy 亲密.
Dog affecting millions of people from all walks of life. The 31 … if you take the right step, Black Dog days can and will pass.

Black Dog is an equal opportunity mongrel. 杂种狗

12 Black Dog could make me say negative things. 3 He could make me look and feel older than my years.

26 I learnt not to be afraid of Black Dog and taught him a few 20 I began to feel totally isolated from everything and everyone.
tricks of my own.
21 Black Dog finally succeeded in hijacking my life. When you 7 He chewed up my memory and my ability to concentrate.
lose all joy in life, you can begin to question what the point of

it is. 5 Activities that brought me pleasure suddenly ceased to.

8 Doing anything or going anywhere with Black Dog required

superhuman strength. 22 Thankfully this was the time I sought professional help and
30 The most important thing to remember is that no matter had got a clinical diagnosis. This was my first step towards
bad it gets … recovery and was a major turning point in my life.
2 Black Dog could surprise me with a visit for no apparent 显而 4 When the rest of the world seemed to be enjoying life, I
易见 reason or occasion. could only see it through the Black Dog.
17 As the years went by, Black Dog got bigger and he started 28 Black Dog is fat and lazy, he would far rather you lie on your

bed and feel sorry for yourself. He hates exercises mostly

 because it makes you feel better. When you feel like moving down became easier than getting up again.

is when you should move the most. So go for a walk or run and 13 Black Dog could make me irritable 易 怒 and difficult to be

leave the mutt 笨蛋 behind. around.

32 I wouldn’t say that I am grateful for having Black Dog in my 29 Keeping a mood journal can be very useful. Getting your

life but he has been an incredible teacher. He forced me to thoughts on paper is highly liberating 令人感到自由自在 and

re-evaluate and simplify my life. He taught me rather than often insightful. Working out some sort of symbol for ranking

running away from problems, it’s better to acknowledge ad how you are feeling each day, is a good way to keep track of

even embrace them. the Dog.

16 Having a Black Dog in your life isn’t so much about feeling a 27 Black Dog feeds on stress and fatigue 疲 劳 , the more

bit down, sad or blue. At its worst, it’s about being devoid 缺 stressed you get the louder he barks. So, it is important to

乏 of feeling altogether. learn how to quiet your mind.

Looking back, Black Dog had been in and out of my life since 9 If Black Dog accompanied me to a social occasion, he would

1 my early twenties. Whenever he made an appearance, I felt sniff out 发现 what confident I had and chase it away.

empty and life just seemed to slow down. 33 Black Dog may always be part of my life but he will never be

24 I learnt that there are many different ways to treat Black the beast that he was. We have an understanding. I’ve learnt

Dog. I also learnt that there is no quick fix. Medication can that through knowledge, patience, discipline and humour, the

be a necessary part of the treatment for some; others may worst black dog can be made to heel.

need a different approach altogether.

11 Because of the shame and stigma associated with Black Dog,

I became champion at fooling everyone, both at home and at If you are in difficulty, never be afraid to ask for help. There is

work. Keeping up an emotional lie takes an incredible amount absolutely no shame in doing so. The only shame is missing out on life.

of energy. It’s like trying to cover up epilepsy 癫 痫 , a heart

attack, or diabetes.
18 But more often than not, he would come out on top. Going