Sri UCSI Secondary School

Technical Testing
Form 4
English
Duration: 30 minutes

Questions 1-5 are based on the following passage.

1 Scientific research can have the most unexpected results. Many new discoveries in
science have been accidental. The research would have been for a particular objective, but the
results often point to other unknown facts. This is because scientific research involves the
two steps of collection of data and the analysis of data.

2 The sperm whale is one sea animal that travels practically all over the globe. Logic 5
dictated that analysing the health of the sperm whale would give a good reading of the health
of the oceanic environment.

3 There are over 350,000 sperm whales left in the ocean. Tissue samples taken from
almost a thousand of them showed a high level of man-made pesticides in these masters of
the oceans. This was indeed a shocking find. 10

4 Would you believe that when you throw away your ‘flip-flop’ (also known locally as
Japanese slippers) it could end up in Kenya? It is a fact. Kenya’s geographical location results
in ocean currents carrying rubber slippers and plastic bottles from beaches as far away as
Malaysia, Indonesia and Japan right onto its beaches. Some enterprising people have now
made an industry of recycling the flip-flops collected from the beaches. The fact not to be 15
missed is that there is enough ‘raw material’ to support a whole industry. Scientific analysis
has also shown that just the presence of the very large numbers of flip-flops and plastic
bottles prevent turtles from laying eggs on the beaches. Making matters worse, hatched
turtles are also prevented from reaching the ocean.

5 It is estimated that 6.4 million tonnes of plastic are discarded in oceans every year. 20
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch was first discovered in the Pacific Ocean in 1977. Since its
accidental discovery, scientists are alarmed to find that it keeps growing. Can you imagine?
There are plastic bottles, soap boxes, toothbrushes and other kinds of discarded plastic things
lying in the ocean thousands of miles from the nearest beach! Plastic takes hundreds of years
to disintegrate. Yet, the world is obsessed with this material. Today, we use plastic in nearly 25
everything that we use. Much of this is unnecessary. Umbrella handles, small bottles of soda
pop and food packets are just three examples of the unnecessary use of plastic.

6 Electronic waste or e-waste refers to discarded electronic or electrical devices.

Electronic scrap may contain contaminants such as lead, cadmium, beryllium and brominated
flame retardants. Recycling and disposal of e-waste involves significant risks to workers and 30
communities. The world produces about 50 million tonnes of e-waste each year. Yet, when
we need to throw away a damaged television or any other electrical appliance, do we know

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 where it can be discarded? Do we know anybody who is willing to take it for recycling?
Sadly, the answer is a resounding ‘no’!

7 One of the most surprising pollutants that man produces is food. Food? How can food 35
be a pollutant? A study showed that here in Malaysia, nearly 4% of the waste in an urban
landfill is unconsumed food. The percentage looks deceptively small. In reality, this
translates to 1000 tonnes of food that is wasted each day. The percentage for landfills in rural
areas was hardly half a percent. This shows that people in urban areas tend to buy food that
they are not sure they will eat. Pollution by discarded food is indirect, being caused in the 40
manufacturing process.

8 There is an urgent need to raise awareness of unnecessary waste. At the same time,
we need to be aware of intelligent and responsible waste disposal. This may involve a bit of
learning to live with inconveniences.

9 It is high time that we started to have personal shopping bags. It is also high time that 45
we started to insist that the provisions that we buy come in paper packaging. It may sound a
bit illogical. Yet, that was the way our grandparents bought all their dry provisions. In fact,
even fish and meat used to come wrapped in paper (after first being wrapped in leaves).

10 It is about time that there was a time-table for the collection of e-waste either by
appointed contractors or the authorities themselves. Even if scheduled for once a month, our 50
landfills can be saved from ‘e-contamination’. It is up to each one of us to be a part of the
solution than to be the righteous and indignant complainant.

(Adapted from Reader’s Digest)

1. From paragraph 1, what are the two important steps in scientific research? (2 marks)

2. From paragraph 2,
(a) Why is the sperm whale a good indicator of the oceanic environment? (1 mark)

(b) What was the shocking find about the sperm whales? (1 mark)

3.(a) From paragraph 4, what is the other name of the flip-flop rubber slippers? (1 mark)

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(b) (i) What makes the flip-flop recycling industry possible in Kenya? (1 mark)

(ii) What animal is adversely affected by the overabundance of discarded flip-flops? (1 mark)

4 (a) From paragraph 5, why is plastic dangerous to the environment? (1 mark)

(b) From paragraph 7, how is food a pollutant? (1 mark)

5. “It is up to each one of us to be a part of the solution than to be the righteous and indignant
complainant.” (Line 51-52)

Based on this statement, state a characteristic of responsible behaviour with regards to

reducing pollution. Give a reason to support your answer. (2
marks)

Character :
Reason :

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