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Name: ................................................................. Register no: .......................... Class: ................

NGEE ANN SECONDARY SCHOOL

Building Character Expanding Minds Shaping Lives

Preliminary Examination 2006

Secondary Four Express/ Five Normal Academic

Ngee Ann Secondary School Ngee Ann Secondary School Ngee Ann Secondary School Ngee Ann Secondary School
Ngee Ann Secondary School Ngee Ann Secondary School Ngee Ann Secondary School Ngee Ann Secondary School
Ngee Ann Secondary School Ngee Ann Secondary School Ngee Ann Secondary School Ngee Ann Secondary School
Ngee Ann Secondary School Ngee Ann Secondary School Ngee Ann Secondary School Ngee Ann Secondary School
Ngee Ann Secondary School Ngee Ann Secondary School Ngee Ann Secondary School Ngee Ann Secondary School

English Language (1127)

Paper 1

Wednesday Duration:
16 August 2006 1 h 45 min

Additional Materials
Nil
Instructions to Candidates:
1. Write your name, register number and class at the top of this page.
2. This paper consists of 2 sections.

3. Submit Section One separately from Section Two.

After checking of answer scripts

Checked by Signature Date

Student

DO NOT TURN THIS PAGE OVER UNTIL YOU ARE TOLD TO DO SO.
This Question Paper Consists of 3 Pages (including Cover Page)

Section One [30 marks]

You are advised to write between 350 and 500 words on one of the following topics.
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At the head of your composition, write the number of the topic you have

chosen.

1. Should students date when they are still studying in secondary school?

2. Write about an occasion when a surprise you gave caused great unhappiness to
the recipient.

3. ‘The best lessons on life are learnt in school.’ Do you agree?

4. Describe your ideal homeland and explain why you think it is quite impossible to
find it on Earth.

5. Hypocrisy.

Section Two [30 marks]

Begin your answer on a fresh page.

You are advised to write between 250 and 350 words for this section.

You should read the information carefully and plan your answer before beginning
to write.

You are a student leader and have been appointed the Chairman of the Speak Good
English Movement (SGEM) Committee. You have been asked to read a newspaper article
on the standard of English in the country and then give recommendations on how to
improve the standard of English in the school.

The following is the newspaper article:

Many argue that learning of English by Singaporeans is adversely affected when they
study a second language in school or speak dialect at home. But do they realize that the
reverse is also true and the reality is worse than they think? Many Chinese Singaporeans
speak a ‘language’ that is neither Mandarin nor English, and not even Singlish. This
strange tongue they speak can only be called ‘Chinglish’. Here is an example: ‘Principal
de office de air-con hen cold hen cold.’ (The air-con in the principal’s office was very
cold.) The shocking thing is that well-educated people, sometimes even teachers, speak
this way.
The most worrisome thing is they think it is a perfectly normal way to speak. You
hear people speak Chinglish in the street, on buses and trains, and on television. Some
are even proud of their Chinglish. They think it is a display of bilingual ability.
But often, such a mind is like two dictionaries of different languages, where certain
words are found only in one and certain words only in the other.
If you speak to them in pure Mandarin or English, they may stare at you as if you are
an alien just arrived from another galaxy.
When one tries to learn more than one language, there is bound to be interference
in one by the other.
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To some Chinese their second language is Mandarin, but to others it is
English. Now it seems for many, both are second languages and their first language is
Chinglish.
I believe everyone can learn to speak properly in any language. All it takes is a
humble realization of one’s needs, determination to learn and the right environment.

(Adapted from a letter by Ee Teck Ee to The Straits Times Forum on 3 July 2006)

You have also conducted a survey on the students in the school and here are your
findings:

• 80% of the students speak Chinglish or Singlish in school

• 75% of the students feel comfortable when their friends speak Chinglish or Singlish
• 80% of the students find it difficult to learn standard English because of the use of
Chinglish or Singlish
• 80% of the students feel that there should be more lessons on standard spoken
English
• 90% of the students think that there should be more activities to promote the use of
standard English
• 90% of the students feel that more standard English expressions should be taught
in class

Write a report to the Principal, telling him about the current state of spoken English in
the school and the students’ experiences with ‘Chinglish’ users. Suggest steps that
could be taken by teachers and students in the school to improve the standard of
English.

Your report must cover the content in the article and the bulleted points.
Set your report out correctly, in clear, accurate English and in a formal tone.

-The End-