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SAINT ANDREW'S JUNIOR COLLEGE JC1 Com'mon Test



GENERAL PAPER

8806/1

PAPER 1

Monday

25 June 2007

1 hour 30 minutes

Additional materials: Writing paper

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES

Write your name, civics group and index number in the spaces provided on the answer paper.

Answer one question.

Write your answer on the separate writing paper provided.

If you use more than one sheet of paper, fasten the sheets together.

If you are unable to answer any question, send in a blank sheet giving your name, civics group, index number and the number of that Paper.

INFORMATION FOR CANDIDATES

All questions carry equal marks.

(Note that 20 marks out of 50 will be awarded for your use of language.)

This question paper consists of 2 printed pages.

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PAPER 1

Answer one question from this Paper.

Answers should be between 500 and 800 words in length.

1 No culture can retain its uniqueness in this globalised world. Do you agree?

2 Leisure has become such serious business that it is no longer fun. Discuss.

3 The pursuit of progress has left more destruction than good in its wake. Discuss.

4 "Singaporeans prefer to play it safe." Comment.

5 Religion breeds violence more than it fosters peace. Do you agree?

6 Custom and tradition serve little purpose in this modern age. Discuss.

7 Does compassion still have a place in today's society?

8 Is it true that the family is a dying institution?

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ST ANDREW'S JUNIOR COLLEGE JC1 COMMON TEST

GENERAL PAPER

8806/2

PAPER 2

Monday

25 June 2007

1 hour 30 minutes

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Additional materials: Writing Paper

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES

Write your name, civics group and index number in the spaces provided on the separate pieces of writing papers.

Answer all questions.

If you use more than one sheet of paper for a question, fasten the sheets together.

INFORMATION FOR CANDIDATES

The number of marks is given in brackets [ ] at the end of each question or part of question.

(Note that 15 marks out of 50 will be awarded for the use of language.)

The total time is 1 hour and 30 minutes.

This question paper consists of 5 printed pages, inclusive of this cover page.

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Passage A

Columblne' was a warning that the culture of carnage surrounding our children may have gone too far, and that the romanticized and sanitized visions of violence our children are being bombarded with by the media have become part of a toxic mix, turning some of them into killers. Rather than helping to shoulder some of the growing burden, the entertainment industry too often has chosen to go behind parents' backs, 5 targeting the sale of violent, adult-rated products directly at children. This greatly increases the odds that children will be exposed to materials that hundreds of studies have conclusively shown can be harmful to them.

2

The conclusions drawn on the basis of over 30 years of research contributed by American Psychological Association (APA) members - including the Surgeon-General's 10 report in 1972. the National Institute of Mental Health's report in 1982, and the industryfunded, three-year National Television Study in the 1990s - show that the repeated exposure to violence in the mass media places children at risk for increases in aggression, desensitization to acts of violence, and unrealistic increases in the fear of becoming a victim of violence, which results in the development of other negative 15 "characteristics", such as mistrust of others.

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Certain psychological facts remain well established in this debate. As APA member Dr. Rowell Huesmann stated before the Senate Commerce Committee, just as every cigarette you smoke increases the chances that someday, you will get cancer, every exposure of violence increases the chances that someday, a child will behave more 20 violently than they otherwise WOUld. Hundreds of studies have confirmed that exposing

our children to a steady diet of violence in the media makes our children prone to violence. The psychological processes here are not very mysterious. Children learn by observing others. Mass media and the advertising world would provide a window for

these observations. 25

4

Excellent children's programming (such as Sesame Street) that exists is to be commended and supported. Psychological research shows that what is responsible for the effectiveness of good children's programming is that children learn from their media environment. If children can learn positive behaviours via this medium, they can learn

the harmful ones as well. 30

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Generally speaking, most adults see advertiSing as a relatively harmless annoyance. However, advertising directed at children, especially at young children, that features violence, generates concern. The average child is exposed to approximately 20,000 commercials per year. This is only for television and does not include print or the Internet. Much of this is during weekend morning or weekday afternoon programming. 35 Most of the concern stems not from the sheer number of commercial appeals but from

the inability of some children to appreciate and defend against the persuasive intent of marketing, especially advertising featuring violent toys.

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A recent Federal Trade Commission report on the Marketing of Violence to Children heightens these concerns. As a result of the "Children's On-Line Privacy Protection Act", 40 the Federal Trade Commission has ruled that parents have a right to protect their children's privacy from the unwanted solicitation of their children's personal information.

We would argue that. based on the years of psychological research on violence prevention and clinical practices in violence intervention, parents also have the right to protect their children from material that puts them at risk. With these considerations in 45 place, the precedent for concern about children's health and safety is well established. Decades of psychological research bear witness to the potential harmful effects on our children and our nation if these practices continue.

An extract from a speech give by Joe Lieberman, U.S. Senator for Connecticut

1 In April 1999, two students at Columbine High School in Littleton. Colorado. shot and killed twelve students and one teacher. and injured twenty-three others, The boys then shot themselves. The incident renewed public interest in the issue of televised violence in the US.

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Passage 8

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Critics of media violence like to claim that over one thousand studies have proven that viewing television causes violent behaviour (some even say that three thousand such studies have been done). Based on these studies, sociologists and public health officials declare that media violence in general - including violence on television programmes, motion pictures, video games, and rock and rap music - entices teenagers to commit 5 violent acts. Even if it were scientifically valid to apply the findings of television violent studies to other media, these critics would still be wrong. In fact, fewer than one hundred studies have focused specifically on the causal link between television violence and real-life aggression. Moreover, contrary to the claims of the alarmists, these studies do

not prove that watching violent programmes causes teens to commit violent acts. 10

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Many of the studies on television violence have been done in laboratories. Typically, one group of children is shown a violent programme and another is shown a non-violent programme. Then both groups are tested on their aggressiveness. Some studies have found that the children who see violent programmes are more likely to behave

aggressively afterwards than those who view non-violent programmes. 15

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While these studies seem convincing on the surface, they are problematic for several reasons. Because they take place in laboratories, their results cannot be generalized to

the real world. It is also impossible to determine whether the aggressive behaviour observed is a reaction to the violent television show or attempt on the part of the child to meet the adult researchers' expectations. Finally, the aggressive behaviour seen in 20 these studies is a short-term response stimuli; it does not indicate that the child is on the path becoming a violent-career criminal.

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In addition to laboratory studies, correlational studies have been done to determine whether the two variables (television violence and real-life violence) are related. Rather than taking place in the laboratory, these studies collect information on young people's 25 viewing habits and on their behaviour. The main problem with correlational studies is

that even though a correlation may exist between children's watching violent television shows and behaving aggressively, this does not prove that the violent television programmes cause the violent behaviour. It could just as reasonably be argued that viewing violent television programmes is caused by the child's pre-existing tendency to 30 be aggressive. It is probably personality characteristics which make children more aggressive that cause them to prefer violent television programmes.

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In addition, the correlation between viewing violent television shows and behaving violently may be caused by a third variable, such as poor parenting. Some researchers have concluded that high television viewing is correlated with lax parenting; aggressive 35 behaviour in children is also correlated with lax parenting. Hence it is possible that the

real source of the problem is family management.

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To state that media violence has not been proven to cause real-life violence is not to defend media violence on artistic or aesthetic grounds. Television programmes, Hollywood films, rock and rap music, and other media do contain too much gratuitous 40 violence. Young people would be better off reading a good book than tuning in to the latest Hollywood action adventure film or the newest gangsta rap CD. However, blaming media violence as the cause of real-world violence is irresponsible.

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The nation's leaders have chosen to blame media violence because it is easy. By criticizing the media for airing too much violence, they give the impression that they are 45 doing something about the violence that pervades American society. In the process, they also deflect the public's attention from the real - more difficult - causes of teen violence: poverty, unemployment, racial discrimination, easy access to guns, and a lack

of legitimate educational and employment opportunities for inner-city youth.

Adapted from Scott Barbour, Teen Violence.

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Read the passages and then answer all the questions which follow below. Note that up to fifteen marks will be given for the quality and accuracy of your use of English throughout this Paper.

NOTE: When a question asks for an answer IN YOUR OWN WORDS AS FAR AS POSSIBLE and you select the appropriate material from the passage for your answer, you must still use your own words to express it. Little credit is given to answers which only copy words or phrases from the passage.

Questions on Passage A

1 Explain what each of the 3 words/phrases used by the author suggests about the violence that children watch:

a) romanticized (line 2)

b) sanitized (line 2)

c) bombarded with (line 3) [3]

2. In Paragraph 1, what does the author find objectionable about the entertainment industry's part to play in media violence? Answer in your own words as far as possible. [2]

3. Examine the choice of research evidence quoted in lines 10-12. Explain why

the evidence provided by the author is credible. [2]

4. How, in Paragraph 2, might children be affected by repeated exposure to media

violence? Answer in your own words as far as possible. [4]

5. According to the author in Paragraph 5, why does advertising directed at

children generate concern? [2]

Questions on Passage B

6.

What does the word "alarmists" (line 9) suggest about the critics of media violence? [1]

7.

What defence can be given to media violence on each of the following?

(a) artistic grounds (line 39) [1]

(b) aesthetic grounds (line 40) [1]

8.

In blaming media violence (line 44), certain characteristics of the nation's leaders are revealed. Suggest 2 such characteristics. [2]

9.

In Paragraph 7, the author gives what he considers to be the real causes of violence in American society. Explain in what way each of the following might result in aggressive behaviour among teens.

a) poverty and unemployment

b) racial discrimination [2]

10. Summarise why the studies conducted on media violence do not prove that watching violent programmes causes teenagers to commit violent acts.

Using material from the Paragraphs 2-5, write your summary in no more than 120 words. Use your own words as far as possible. [6]

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11. Question on Passages A and B:

Give the meaning of the following words as they are used in Passages A and B. You may write your answer in one word or a short phrase. [5]

From Passage A:

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(a) (b)

precedent (line 46)

prone (line 22)

From Passage B:

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(c)

gratuitous (line 40)

(d) pervades (line 46)

(e) deflect (line 47)

12. Lieberman supports the view that exposure to media violence contributes to violent behaviour while Barbour asserts that watching violent programmes do not necessarily cause teenagers to commit violent acts.

Which author do you find more convincing?

Justify your answer by referring to the arguments in the passages and using your own reasoning and experience. [4]

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