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GP Comprehension Skills

Disclaimer: These notes are based on my opinion on how the questions should be tackled. Do take it
with a pinch of salt, and practice to see how they are applied.

Answer in your own words means that the answer comes from the keywords in the
paragraph
If answer in your own words is not present, then you need to infer from the passage
o You should ask yourself what is the authors stand, why he is doing this, and why
does her feel about ___
If a question is worth 2 marks, look for 2-4 lifted sentences and rephrase them
The parts of a question are located in the same paragraph and so not usually overlap
For questions that ask you to explain a word/ phrase, you need to define (literal meaning)
the word/ parts of the phrase and then explain the context and what it implies.
There is a need to answer the question in the context when asked to explain phrases or infer
meaning
Take note of the perspective the question wants you to answer in
o Consumer
o Firms
o Government
o Victim
Look out for qualifiers to determine a change in stand or voice
When answering questions, dont rephrase the lifted sentence, instead infer what it means
and answer the question
For irony questions:
o Start with the expectations
o Use instead to show contrast with reality
o Do not use the same vocab for both parts. DO NOT:
It is wise but it is not wise...
It is significant but it is not significant
For metaphor questions:
o Use just as to show similarity between concepts
o Start with original meaning
o Relate to the meaning of the metaphor
If asked a how does A (e.g. a specific town) differ from B (e.g. another town) question
o No need give both sides
o Use Unlike B, A is
If the question was two parts, the first part asks the big picture, the second part is more
specific.
For questions that ask what, no need to explain the answer, just state.

Summary Skills

Watch out for questions that defines with paragraph range with an and instead of to

Done by Nickolas Teo Jia Ming

Under the point banding marking system, the summary should have 16 points in the
summary to rephrase

AQ Skills

A good AQ refers to ideas in the passage, has a clear stand, and uses own explanations and
examples
o Even if the question only states examples from your society, you can also bring in
your own experience.
For How far questions, you need to talk about both sides in the intro and rest of the AQ
The preamble tells the writers view. If both writers agree, do not say which writer you agree
with more
o Always address the point in the preamble in the AQ
o If no preamble is given, you need to look out for the writers main points/ idea of
each paragraph
Refer to the summary and the questions before it to get the writers main
arguments
Weigh the limitations of the two sides of the stand, and choose the side with less limitations
in the argument
The intro should
o Be 2-4 sentences long
o Show both sides of the argument, using qualifiers
o Show understanding of the question by paraphrasing the requirements (R1)
o Specify the society to be Singapore if need be
o Unpack the keywords by explaining their meaning
o Have a little foreshadow
o End off by clearly stating the stand and answering the question
The paragraphs should be optimistic if possible. Structure:
o Negative point
o Why the situation is not so bad
Limitation of drawback
Over generalization of situation
Safeguards that are in place and are successful
o Positive point
Every paragraph must clearly answer the question
To start a paragraph for evaluation marks
o I concede
o I acknowledge
o It is a fact that
o It is undeniable
o I think it is an over generalization to
Every sentence must either be an example, explanation, or evaluation
For the topic sentence of a paragraph, you need to give the main idea, use keywords, and
put forth your stand.

Done by Nickolas Teo Jia Ming

For an AQ paragraph, state your point/opinion, then quote, then explain your opinion, then
give an examples to evaluate the question
o When stating the point, make it clear by giving the area it applies in
o To agree with the writer, use
I concur
The view is accurate
o If possible, do a higher order paragraph, where you say how it might (not) apply in
some cases, but generally ____
o Use short quotes when quoting, not entire sentences
o Try to explain the meaning of the quotation with a short sentence
o Instead of quoting, you can sum up the main idea and then put the line reference
o Examples should not be identical to those used in the passage, but needs to be in
the field of the authors argument
o Example should be short, about 1 sentence, and link to how they are an example of
the argument
They show
The problem is evident in
o You can extrapolate your example to apply to the general society, but backup claim
with general evidence
They are only the tip of the iceberg
They are one of many people
To find quotes to apply, look for whether they
o Apply to the situation
Give examples to back this up
o Are an exaggeration
Either up play or downplay the effects or consequences
Omit certain viewpoints

Impact on consumers? Less educated? Rich? Governments?


Economy? Social stability?
Overly optimistic or pessimistic

Eradication of mankind

Total peace on Earth


o Use absolutes
Easily counter with examples
To evaluate the view, give your own opinion and use
o It seems to me
o I find it rather
o I believe that
o It is overly optimistic/ pessimistic
o I personal feel
You need to counter the counter argument, and you can use
o Government policy
o Public regulation
Singlish can be used with apostrophes and the meaning in brackets
o kiasu (afraid to lose out)
Done by Nickolas Teo Jia Ming

o kiasi (afraid to die)


o boh chap (Indifferent)
At the end of the paragraph, answer the question and restate point of argument
At the end of the AQ, conclude who you agree with more, or your stand, but you still must
concede the other side
Try to have an insightful statement, like
o What might happen/ consequences in the future
o Unintended consequences
o Personal wishes
o Idealistic, but still a good aim to strive for
Marking points
o R1
Stand
o R2
Quote from both passages
o R3
Own ideas and examples
o Ex
Explain choice of point/ argument
o Ev
Evaluate your point
o Eg
Give different examples

Vocab Skills

The answer should reflect the degree of the word


Inherent = intrinsic = innate = inborn
Reason = logical = rational
Asserts = claims = insists
Accountable = responsible
Morals = ethics = principles
Survival = self-preservations

Done by Nickolas Teo Jia Ming

GP Essay Skills
Disclaimer: These notes are based on my opinion on how the questions should be tackled. Do take it
with a pinch of salt, and practice to see how they are applied.

Key words to look out for


o Aspect of time
o Need for limitation of topic
o Need for other issues/ aspects
o Need to weigh sides
When tackling multi-requirement questions, tackle all requirements in the same
paragraph.
o Can focus on one requirement in a paragraph, but make a link with the other
requirements
o Mention the keywords of the requirements as a link
Essays should try to be multi-disciplinary, making links to areas such as
o Environment
o Science
o Diseases/ medicine
o Poverty
o Economic
o Social
o Education
Jargons like externalities should not be used
o More common business terms like comparative advantage may be used at
your own risk.
Tired clichs should not be used
o Singapore is a small red dot
o Since time immemorial
US, UK, UN, media are all plural, hence the world the should be used
o The UN
o The US
Discuss, comment, consider does not mean you need an absolute stand, but
instead should talk about the various perspectives
o There is no counter-counter argument, as it is just a different situation under
different conditions (another perspective)
To what extent, How far means that you should state the degree, not the presence
of the opposite effect.
o If they ask for negative impact, the thesis and concluding statement should
say big or small impact.
The focus should not be on whether it is positive, although you can
have on paragraph on it
o The higher order paragraph should not be used, rather a more argumentative
essay should be used (1 point per paragraph)
Why is the underlying assumption true
When is it less true

Done by Nickolas Teo Jia Ming

For Should intro, you should start by conceding the other side, while using vocab
and qualifies to avoid contradiction. Then state your argument that answers the
question, followed by the explanation to support your choice (foreshadow)
o Requires an absolute stand
o The higher order paragraph should not be used, rather a more argumentative
essay should be used (1 point per paragraph)
What is your view, means that you should look at both perspectives of why it is true
or not, and include your opinion
Best and The, means you should talk about how the issue has flaws and there are
better alternatives
Only, means you should talk about how other issues are present
More harm than good, means you need to concede that the issue has both qualities,
and weight which is more severe
o Use a higher order structure
___ more important than ___, means that you need to have three viewpoints, agree,
disagree and both equal.
Always has two main ideas
o When and why does ____ happen
o And exceptions to the rule, thus not always
o It also has a sense of time so theres a need to talk about the future.
The terms overly, too much, overrated implies that the claim is unreasonable
and unattainable. Hence they need to be challenged
Too much can also suggest that the activity is harmful, as it compromises other
activities
o Consider if the reliance is the new normal
The terms too reliant, over dependent implies that if ___ was removed, countries
will flounder, as they have a crutch mentality
Your intro should usually be positive, or at least neutral. No negative intro
Intro should include keywords define abstract or ambivalent terms, preferably
rephrased; provide a thesis statement which includes both sides, showing the point
of view with qualifiers
o Thesis statement should use exact keywords, while use vocab for topic
sentences
If you disagree with an absolute keyword, dont use it in the essay.
o Qualify your synonyms instead
Try to not use negative or positive unless its a key word.
o Use harmful, beneficial
Watch out for implications or consequences of chosen stand
o Are you suggesting to stop advancement
o Are you suggesting to not resolve the matter
Some questions have a fixed stand, especially those that use absolutes like
eliminated
o Poverty, hunger, gender inequality, prejudice and discrimination can never be
eliminated, as remnants will still remain
Poverty and hunger caused by uneven distribution of food/ resources
and lack of political will

Done by Nickolas Teo Jia Ming

Gender inequality, prejudice and discrimination are caused by


entrenched stereotypes, and peoples mind sets cannot be forced to
change.
Metaphor and figurative language helps (Compare your example/ situation to another)
Main types of answer structure
o Higher order (Usually for questions that requires a stand)
Counter argument
Why it is bad
Counter-counter argument
Why not so bad
Argument
Why it can be good
o Perspective (Usually for questions that do not require stand)
Just give perspectives of various sides
Consumers, women, elderly, conservatives, liberals etc.
o Alternating (Usually for questions with absolutes)
Argument of other side/ opposing stand
What it seems
Argument of your stand
Why is may not happen/ be true
Paragraph structure: Give a main idea, elaborate, and support with more than one
example from different categories
If main ideas cannot be thought of, use categories like SEEPS
o Social, Environmental, Economical, Political, Scientific
Never start or end a paragraph with an example. Start with thesis statement and end
with rehash of thesis statement
Your thesis statement should have
o Both sides of the argument
o Qualifiers for both sides
o Foreshadow the essay
o Answer the question using their keywords
It is not fair to say
It is not true that
Qualify your statements with:
o Largely
o Mostly
o In most areas
o According to conventional wisdom
o Generally
o In most cases
o There is concern regarding ____, however I do not think that it is fair to
o There is evidence that
o There is merit in the argument that
o It is true that ____, but it is more true that
o I do concede that
o I do acknowledge ____, but it cannot be denied that
o The general perception is

Done by Nickolas Teo Jia Ming

Critics/ detractors argue


Only use when it is a controversial topic. Else use the general
perception is
o It is not always true
o It is not necessarily true
o In some countries
o In rich, developed countries
o In poor, conservative countries
o To varying extent in different countries
o It is highly effective
o It has limited success
o Seems to suggest
o Gives the impression
o Too myopic
o Few and far between
o Events are an anomaly/ aberration
o Indeed, there are
When you change to counter argument or counter-counter argument, use qualifiers
like
o However
o On the other hand
o Nevertheless
When doing counter argument, show that its not your opinion, with:
o Other people
o Some people
o Optimists/ pessimists argue/ believe that
o Proponents of
After the counter argument, you need to show that its not a big deal as
o It is an isolated case
o There are other areas to consider
Your first point should tackle the underlying assumption
o The general assumption is ___, because
o Because of ____, society largely believes that
Use while to show contradiction against tradition
o While most people
o While common sense
o While tradition dictates
Common counter-counter examples include safeguards like
o Education to discern the cons
o Laws and regulation
o Awareness campaigns
Do not use hypothetical scenarios or examples
o Do not use if
Do not use absolute words
o Like all
o

Done by Nickolas Teo Jia Ming

Done by Nickolas Teo Jia Ming

GP talking points

For impact on world, you can talk about:


o Industrialisation
o Mass production
o Trade
o Globalisation
o Environmental damage
o Genetically modified food
Allergens
Super weeds
For rebellion, you can talk about:
o Governments
Ghandi (Fight for independence)
Jim crow laws (segregation of blacks)
o Tradition
President Lincoln (free slaves)
Nelson Mandela (fight against apartheid policy (segregation of white
and black Africians))
o Science
Galileo (revolve around sun vs churchs revolve around earth)
Einstein (Theory of relativity vs Newtons perception of fixed time and
space)
o Parents
Arranged marriage
o Convention
Hippies (protest against the American-Vietnam war)
For cartoons, you can talk about
o Earning money
Key part of the entertainment industry
o Medical uses
Teach mentally handicap
Laughter is the best medicine and help to speed up recovery
o Political uses
Influence publics opinions and thoughts
Hitlers Anti-Jew campaigns in the print media
o Social commentary
Chew on IT in The Straits Times
o Education
Inform about policy changes
Raise awareness of AIDS in India
Pass on moral values
o Entertainment
Stress-relief
o Religious uses
Spread religious morals to kids
For parents, you can talk about

Done by Nickolas Teo Jia Ming

Expected to inculcate values in children


Great burden on single parents
Effectiveness of parenting skills affected by external influences
Lack of time
Out of control factors
Generation gap
Conservative culture to not talk about certain topics
For children, you can talk about
o Rebel for the fun of it
Hippy movement in America
For discrimination, you can talk about
o Hindering progress (in life, jobs, etc.)
Discrimination against women
o Systematic discrimination
Indias Caste system
Brahmin caste highest, Dalit caste (Pariahs) lowest
Example of tradition hindering progress
o Apartheid system
Four groups in South Africa
Natives
Whites (Afrikaners)
Coloured
Asians
Non-white had segregated housing, education, medical care and
inferior service
Results in uprising, protests and trade embargo
o Affirmative action
Positive discrimination to elderly (Cheaper bus fare), handicapped
(Parking lots), children (reduced responsibility), minority races
(political representation).
o Protestants against Catholics in Northern Ireland
Bias towards protestants (housing, jobs)
o Blacks against Whites in America
US civil rights movement
Rose Parks refusing to give up seat
Martin Luther King fight for rights
o Gender
Bias against pregnant women due to additional cost incurred
Bias against female Wal-Mart workers, who are paid less and have
less advancement opportunities
Bias towards women for jobs with soft skills, like public relations,
customer relation officer, nursing or child care
Patriarchal society in less developed countries
Women are sold for money and food
43% of Afghan marriages involve under 18 girls
Women denied the right to drive and take public transport in
Saudi Arabia
Resolutions
o
o
o

Done by Nickolas Teo Jia Ming

UN Declaration of Human Rights


Ethnic integration policy in Singapore
Presidential Council for Minority Rights (PCMR) in Singapore
Bias towards women for child custody
91% of child custody cases are awarded to women, despite
their financial instability
For Embryonic stem cell, you can talk about
o Uses
Regenerative medicine
Tissue replacement
Capacity to improve Quality of Life
Stopping is akin to condemning future generations
o Drawbacks
Can cause tumours
Controversy over use of human embryos
violates the sanctity of life
o Resolutions
Adult stem cells
Induced-pluripotent cells
Regulation on use of embryos
Limited funding for embryo research
Moratorium (temporary ban) on reproductive cloning
Cause innovation for alternative methods
Cause black market for such services
For euthanasia, you can talk about
o Trade-off between QOL and prolonging life
o Pro-choice argument
Less pain
Dignified death
Less financial burden
If one has a right to live, he has a right to die
o Pro-life argument
Form of murder
Violates sanctity of life
Devalues human life
Prevent abuse by unfilial children and corrupt doctors
No clear definition of terminal illness
For power of the individual, you can talk about
o Rosa Parks
Defiance to give up bus seat sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott
which was a keystone in the Blacks civil rights movement
o Martin Luther King
Civil rights activist for the blacks
Nobel Peace Prize for his work to end racial segregation and
discrimination
o Mark Zuckerberg
Revolutionised the social media

Done by Nickolas Teo Jia Ming

Bill Gates
Played a key role in developing the personal computer
o Grameen Bank
Microcredit firm that spearheaded microcredit for less developed
countries
o Lybian coup
People banded together to fight oppression and change the country
o Innovations by scientists
For conflict, you can talk about
o Scope
Politics
Art
o Pros
Unification of the United States of America through the American Civil
War
Rights for blacks through non-violent protests like civil disobedience
Inspired great works of art
Pablo Picasso: Spanish civil war
Van Gogh: Inner conflict
Les miserable: French civil war
o Cons
Loss of lives
Protestors
Bystanders
Collateral damage of property
o Transcending conflicts
World Organisations
United Nations
Association of Southeast Asian Nations
Fighting against a common enemy
Collaboration efforts
Sending food aid
Sharing for technology
Holding join operations
For helping the poor, you can talk about
o Tied aid
Conditions for aid, like buying allegiance
May be necessary to prevent aid abuse
o Government corruption
Prevent aid from reaching the poor in need
For censorship, you can talk about
o Scope
Conventional media
Internet
Inflammatory remarks made by Campus Crusade against
Thailand
Movies
o

Done by Nickolas Teo Jia Ming

Public censor of others


Self-regulation
o Possible
Newspaper self-censor inflammatory reports
Responsible newspaper act in US
Wikileaks
o Impossibility
People still managed to leak out videos of the Arab Spring revolution
o Acceptable
Child porn
Information of rape victims
Military secrets
o Unacceptable
Growth of freedom of speech
Interconnectedness needed for globalisation and functioning of
economy
For Expensive art, you can talk about
o Scope
Visual arts
Design
Performing arts
Movie
Dance
Band
Music
Culture
Dance
Available to the masses
o Cost
High ticket prices
High museum upkeep
Cheap street performances
Jazz
Hip-hop
For Genetically modified food, you can talk about
o Health concerns
Accumulation of toxins from consumption of GMF over time
Allergic reactions
o Help towards third world countries
Increased yield
Get more income from sales
Can spend on education and other amenities
Increased nutritional value
Makes the country self-sufficient in food
GDP increase More resources
Can spend resources on other sectors like healthcare
o Why it is not a solution to global poverty
Expensive to buy seeds yearly
Done by Nickolas Teo Jia Ming

Only benefits rich farmers


For Genetic engineering, you can talk about
o Saviour siblings
Children treated as consumer goods
o Designer babies
Babies treated as consumer goods
Threat of a caste system
Genetic divide and discrimination
o Reproductive cloning
Playing God
o Therapeutic cloning
Acceptable
For Environmental tradeoff, you can talk about
o Need for DC to conserve environment
Through the Industrial Revolution, DCs have a headstart over LDC in
exploiting their own resources, allowing them to be more economically
developed
However, this rapid usage of resources threatens the sustainability for
future generations
Thus arising the need to balance environmental conservation and
economic development
o Resentment of LDC against DC for environmental policies
DCs, during the Industrial Revolution, rose to wealth due to their
polluting industries, exploiting their resources more efficiently than
LDC
Thus, current LDC argue that they too should be able to have such
polluting industries so allow them to gain wealth like the DC
However, the counter argument is that new green technologies allow
LDC to gain wealth without heavy reliance on polluting industries
China has been building eco-cities, with reduced coal usage, while still
rising as an Asian powerhouse
o Obstacles to LDC pursuing environmental protection
LDCs have to focus on economic growth to tackle poverty, like high
unemployment, low healthcare. High population growth.
They:
Clear forests for agriculture
Clear land for building accommodation for the high population
growth
Mine resources to fuel growth
Have poor waste management due to lack of focus.
No need to ratify Kyoto Protocol
o Successes in preserving environment
Montreal Protocol
Aimed to ban CFC and HCFC usage
Supported by 196 states
By 2005, production and consumption of ozone depleting
substances by 95%
Fighting deforestation in the Amazon forest
Done by Nickolas Teo Jia Ming

Actions by Brazilian government and World Wildlife Fund


Rate of deforestation reduced by 76.8% between 2004 and
2010
Record low rate of deforestation of 6000 square kilometre in
2010
Fighting global warming
EUs carbon trading system to reduce carbon footprint
Eco-cities
Tianjin City in China, with the help of Singapore
City of Melbourne in Australia
LDC can leap frog dirtier technologies
Green technologies are now available for LDC to generate
sustainable, clean energy
China Three Gorges Dam to generate hydroelectricity
India has the worlds largest wind power industry
DC have been investing a lot of resources into alternative
sources of energy
International pressure for LDC to be more green, as they join
in environmental summits
For Should LDC do tourism, you can talk about
o Assumptions
When LDC develop tourism, they neglect other areas
Tourism can only be done after basic needs are met
Tourism causes price hikes that makes it unaffordable for the poor
Limited trickle-down effect to the poor from the increased income
o Yes
Tourism development and basic need provision is not mutually
exclusive
Voluntourism
Diversify the economy to promote growth
Poor countries usually have natural resources, like caves, cultures,
temples, lakes, and should capitalize on these to promote incomes
Ecotourism
For Impact of tourism on environment, you can talk about
o Land clearance for tourism
Infrastructure construction like airport, hotels and theme parks
Resources like logs for construction.
Lakes and water sources drained to fuel golf courses, laundry services
o Tourists not responsibly managed
Huge food wastage at buffets
Pilfering of souvenirs from the environment
Coral
Exotic plants
Litter on sightseeing trails
coca cola trails, Rubbish trails
Measures taken
Leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but pictures to
reduce environmental damage
Done by Nickolas Teo Jia Ming

Guides keep watch and remind tourists not to litter or damage


the environment
For Technology is the solution, you can talk about
o Technology needs a skilled operator, cannot instantly adapt to situation like a
human
o Problems are complex and require more than one solution.
o Creation of jobs as there is a shift from the primary to secondary sector
Less unemployment
Greater income for the people
GDP increase
More stable incomes than agriculture, less dependent on factors like
weather
o Diseases
We are able to cure previously incurable diseases
Huntingtons disease through gene therapy
We have currently have promising developments that can develop
potential cures to todays incurable diseases
Designer drugs
However, prevention is better than cure
o Crime
Causes white collar crime
Fraud
Internet scams
Encourages vices
Pornography
Drugs
Helps combat crime
Tracing back to hacker source
Helps against violent crimes
Combat terrorism
Better airport screening
o Environment
Green technology
SingTel goes paperless billing
Safer mining/ oil extraction methods
Largely successful in minimising impact, but cannot solve
Early warning system
Good evacuation plans, like nation-wide warning system
Earthquake proof buildings
Systems to cut off electricity and gas supply during disaster
Fairly accurate weather prediction with satellite technology
o Medical
Cure previously incurable diseases
Help alleviate suffering of current incurable diseases, so that victims
can have an acceptable standard of living
Has promises of finding a solution of hereditary diseases
However, prevention is better than cure
o Cannot tackle heart-ware like
Done by Nickolas Teo Jia Ming

Hunger
Increased food production does not solve distribution problems
Corruption
Poverty
For Education is the solution, you can talk about
o Teaching farmers sustainable farming methods
Prevents over-farming
Maintains arable land
Income is sustainable
o Trade skills for LDC
Sewing
Pottery
Handicraft
For Goals of education, you can talk about
o Holistic development of an individual
Cultural
Political awareness
Respect for the past
Intellectual
Critical thinking
Power of innovation
Creativity
Literacy
Trade skills
Physical
Healthy lifestyle
Character
Moral values are essential
Part and parcel of any civilisation
For Education creating empty students, you can talk about
o No fulfilment
No passion for studies as students feel like robots, as they only
pursue grades
o No moral fibre
CIP is done in self-interest, for CIP hours for students portfolio
Students are not taught character
o Become self-centred
Become very academically driven, acting in self interest
Do not give up seats on buses
For Political will is the solution, you can talk about
o Laws
Prevent certain activities
o Incentives
WIS to encourage work
Tax rebates for charitable activities
For Government control, you can talk about
o Why it is needed

Done by Nickolas Teo Jia Ming

For economic, social and political stability


Laws, policies and censorship to maintain racial harmony,
reduce discrimination and prevent crimes
Singapores Film Act of 1981
Prevent showing of films that threatens racial
and political stability
Direct direction of growth
Allows progression to high-tier industries
Singapores 5-year plan to develop bio-medical
hub
Move from command economy to capitalist economy
Modern Chinas growth to be an Asian
powerhouse
o Why it is not needed
Excessive control
Dictatorship
Dictator tries to maintain power
Passes laws that may not be beneficial for the country
Harms economic progress and standard of living
Infringes human rights
Right to freedom of speech
For Government power, you can talk about
o How they have power
Able to control the direction of the economy
Singapore focuses more on R&D, with the government funded
projects to build Biopolis, spending about $570 million in total
o How they have limited power
Recent events give that impression
Overthrow of President Mubarak in Egypt
Arab Springs revolution where the people in various countries
like Syria stood up against the governments oppression
Government failed to stop the spread of the video of
the self-immolation of Mohamed Bouazizi, which
sparked the Arab Springs
Rise of democratic ideals
People fight for freedom of speech and for individual rights
They voice their opinion and pressure the government to take
certain actions
Pressure groups like animal rights and environmentalists
For Genetic screening, you can talk about
o Genetic cosmetics
Benefits rich who can afford such designer babies services
These designer babies get a head start in life
Further widens income gap
Leads to less genetic variation
Reduces humanities adaptability to new viruses or diseases
o Genetic profiling

Done by Nickolas Teo Jia Ming

Listing of all the genetic traits like susceptibility to addiction


Leads to genetic labelling as inferior and hence genetic discrimination
Marginalisation of people with inferior genes
Less education and employment opportunities
o Threat of misdiagnosis
Relatively new technology that has not been well-tested
Can cause unnecessary emotional duress
Can lead to mistreatment
o Allows detection of genetic defects
Like Huntingtons disease, leukaemia
Allows time for mental preparation of parents regarding their unborn
child
Allows time for treatment to be scheduled
In In-vitro Fertilisation
Allows for selection of embryos without genetic defects
Allows for Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD)
Allows for creation of saviour siblings
Siblings whos cells and organs are compatible for
transplant into the other sibling
o Safeguards
Information to be used only to inform and not abuse
Information for medical treatment purposes only
Strict, well-maintained confidentially laws
For Womens Rights, you can talk about
o Entrenched stereotypes
Patriarchal societies
Women seen as child-bearing objects
In developed countries, society accords to them more rights
Women are weaker than men
Despite being breadwinners, women are still expected to take care of
the house
o Entrenched cultural values
Women dare not voice out problems
Preference for males
Can perform physical labour better
More financially successful to care for parents
Seen as financial assets
o Presence of subtle discrimination
Earn less than men despite same employment rights
US women only earn 77 cents to a male dollar in 2008
Have less advancement opportunities
o Growing rights through legal reforms
Singapores womens charter 1961
Laws
Anti-workplace discrimination
o More women in power
Hillary Clinton
67th US Sectary of State
Done by Nickolas Teo Jia Ming

Aung San Suu Kyi


Banazir Bhutto
11th Prime Minister of Pakistan
Margret Thatcher
Prime minister of the UK, 1979-1990
Most aggressive politician in the UK parliament during her term
Not afraid to pass controversial policies to improve the UK
For Animal rights, you can talk about
o Animals should have rights as
All life is sacred
Buddhism
As a more developed species, it is our responsibility to not abuse
other species
There are growing alternatives to animal products
Synthetic leather
Mock meat
o Animals should have limited rights as
They are part of the natural order of the food chain
Darwin theory of natural selection
They are meant to be exploited by superior humans, for us to
use them for our self-preservation
It is impractical for animal use to be banned
Animal meat is a large part of the diet to certain cultures
Western fast-food chains mainly have meat in their
products
KFC
McDonalds
For advancements in medical treatment, it is imperative for
animal tests, to ensure that it is safe for human applications
For Income divide, you can talk about
o Consequences
Inequality can cause social tensions the undermine governments and
lead to populist policies that may harm the country
When electricity tariffs and bus fare increases, the poor suffer more.
o Statistics
In Asian economies, wealthiest 5% are accounting for 20% of the total
expenditure
Number of people living below the poverty line decreased by 430
million between 2005 and 2010
For Best of times, worse of times, you can talk about
o Politically
Era of peace
Disputes are largely resolved through sit-down talks
Nuclear disputes
Environmental disputes
Many countries have weapons of mass destructions
Threat of Mutually Assured Destruction still present

Done by Nickolas Teo Jia Ming

Economically
Unprecedented global corporation
UN, ASEAN, EU
Alleviated poverty
Number of people living below the poverty line
decreased by 430 million between 2005 and 2010
More people have access to education, employment and basic
amenities
Can work their way out of poverty trap
Unprecedented global trade
Access to a wider range of goods and services
International markets highly vulnerability
Economic collapse in one country triggers collapses in other
countries
Europe debt crisis
US growing debts
14 Trillion in debt
No one is immune to the international financial flu
o Socially
Greatest level of equality in history
Less discrimination
`Refer to earlier points
Greater womens rights
Refer to earlier points
o Environmentally
More efforts to stop ruthless exploitation of the environment
Rate of deforestation of Amazon forest reduced by 76.8%
between 2004 and 2010
Global corporation to maintain environment
World wildlife fund
UNCLOS
Toll of economic development reaches new heights
Destabilisation of weather patterns
Earlier, longer, colder winters
Later, shorter monsoon season
More floods and droughts
Mining scaring
Oil disasters
BP oil spill in 2010, largest marine oil spill disaster
o Scientific progress
We are able to cure previously incurable diseases
Huntingtons disease through gene therapy
We have currently have promising developments that can develop
potential cures to todays incurable diseases
Designer drugs
However, there is the problem of ethics
Refer to earlier points
For Gender equality unrealistic, you can talk about
o

Done by Nickolas Teo Jia Ming

Things being done


Womens charter
Education
Leglisation
o Equal rights and opportunities do not translate into a level playing field
Presence of subtle discrimination
Invisible glass ceiling for females
Cannot rise up the corporate ladder
Females underrepresented in politics in general
o Entrenched stereotypes
Still treated as mens property in conservative LDC
Sons are still more valued, as girls are seen as liabilities to be married
off
o Women in politics
Condoleezza rice
66th US Secretary of state
Tried to advise against US invastion of Iraq. But failed
o Discrimination against men
There is the prevalent assumption that women are weaker and
deserve more protection
Comes at the expense of men
Men have a hard time going into women-dominated jobs
o Sports
Innate biological differences
Men are stronger and more athletic than women
o Evaluations
Society should not hanker over equality, but embrace and difference
and find ways to complement them
It is still a desirable aim despite it being unattainable
For Mankinds problems, you can talk about
o Hunger
Green Revolution
India has managed to increase food production to the extent
that they have surplus food for stockpiling
Since 2002, there is sufficient food to feed every person on
Earth
However, political will is needed to distribute food, or
NGO
Else black markets will form
Food needs to be subsidies by NGO and government in starving
countries
Government can provide machinery and seeds
Possible though collectivisation
o Poverty
Industrialisation creates jobs
Provides higher, more stable income than agriculture
Increase in factor mobility as infrastructure is built
Government support needed
o

Done by Nickolas Teo Jia Ming

Provide retraining
Workfare Training Support Scheme to combat
structural unemployment
Teaches transferable skills that increase job
opportunities
Set minimum wage law of reduce worker exploitation
Build sufficient infrastructure to support growth of industries
Tackle inflationary prices
Provide subsidies for low income families like tax
rebates
Have a progressive tax structure
For Potential of youth, you can talk about
o Making mistakes
Though their mistakes, they still have time to learn and have a second
chance
They mature through life experiences
o Can rise is sports
Sportsmanship teaches moral values like integrity and perservence
For Punishment is the solution to crime, you can talk about
o Functions of punishment
Retribution
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a life for a life
To see justice done
Rehabilitation
Get convicts to reflect and repent so that they will not repeat
their crimes
Deterrence
Make the cost of getting caught for doing a crime great
Protection of society
To seal away dangerous individuals that would harm others in
society
o Alternatives
Political will
To create educational programs to change the heart and minds
of criminals so that they will not repeat their wrong-doings
Reform the police system to reduce corruption
Raise pay and consequences to deter bribes
Combat poverty to reduce the number of those forced by
circumstance to resort to crime
Rehabilitation schemes
Provide convicts a second chance in life, by helping them get a
job, so that they are less tempted to return to crime
Yellow ribbon project
Help convicts to reintegrate into society as they face the social
stigma that we pressurise them to return to crime
For Sports being unsporting, you can talk about
o What is sportsmanship

Done by Nickolas Teo Jia Ming

Fair play
Gracious in defeat
Integrity
Giving the utmost to push the boundaries of human limits
o Why it is seen as unsporting
Sportsman stoop to unscrupulous means in their bid for glory in the
competitive world of sport
Cheating with drugs
Floyd Landiss doping case at the 2006 Tour De France
where he too performance enhancing drugs
Sore losers
Malaysian fans shine lasers into the eyes of the
Singaporean goal keeper in an attempt to distract him
from saving the goal
Match fixing
Renault Formula 1 team at the 2008 Singapore Grand
prix staged a crash by Nelson Piquet Jr to let the main
driver, Fernando Alonso
Bribery of referees
o Why it is still sporting
Not all sports are competitive, hence there is less pressure to resort to
unsportsmanship behaviour
For Heritage trade-off, you can talk about
o Definition of heritage
Identity of nation
Essential for nations survival, else everyone will not help the nation in
times of need
War
Brain drain
o Reasons trade-off
Governments are pursing growth to remain competitive on the world
stage, harming both physical and non-physical heritage
Resources are exploited for economic growth
Coral reefs damaged from tourism and pollution
Amazon Rainforest used to provide timber for housing and
export
Monuments are damaged by tourist traffic
Underused heritage is not economically efficient
Old shop houses
Singapore kampong villages
o Possible to co-exist
While culture is prostituted, it can still generate money for its
preservation
The village rituals have lost their meaning, as they are
constantly performed for the entertainment of the tourist
Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus(CHIJMES) grounds were
slated for redevelopment, but now it is used for functions and
events to prevent the church from being torn down
Done by Nickolas Teo Jia Ming

For limits on science, you can talk about


o There should not be limits
Scientific imperative to explore the unknown
There should be no limits to discovery
For the betterment of mankind
o Why there should be limits
It is an idealistic aim
Science can be abused
Effects
Dystopian society
Destruction of mankind
Biological weapons
Chemical weapons
Nuclear weapons
Possible limits
Watchdogs
Treaty on the Non- proliferation of Nuclear Weapons
Signed by 190 parties
5 out of the 9 nuclear-armed states are included
Disarmament treaty
Unintended side effects
Debacles
Genetically modified food
Health risks
Disasters
Chernobyl
Mistakes
Gene Therapy to cure SCID
Increased risk of developing cancer
Possible limits
Labelling on GMF
Total ban of GMF
European Union
Regular checks to ensure compliance to standards
Thorough clinical trials to ensure safety
Scientific development is outpacing ethics
Limits should be in place to prevent humanity from going down
the slippery ethical slope
Embryonic stem cells
Violate sanctity of life
Reproductive cloning
Commercialise babies
Possible limits
Limited funding
Moratorium until society works out the legal and social
issues
Progress should depend on affordability of the project to the country

Done by Nickolas Teo Jia Ming

Money could be channelled for economic development


Millions of dollars was spent on searching for the Higgs
Boson, which could have been used to combat malaria
For pace of life, you can talk about
o Cause of fast pace of life
Hectic , competitive world
People must put in long working hours
Multi-tasking
Lack time for relaxation
Education systems places much stress on students with extra
lessons and co-circular activities
A student needs time to digest the lessons taught and
integrate the concepts into their understanding
Their calendar is packed with camps, remedial,
enrichment lessons and tuition
o Reasons to slow down the pace of life
People need to slow down and smell the roses and enjoy life
Some time should be spent on building relationships and bonds
Its the life in your years, not the years in your life
People should try to carve out a life worth living, instead of
being a robot
Overwork leads to increased susceptibility to illness and an early
grave
o Areas where the pace of life needs to be increased
Fight against poverty and corruption
Reactions to pandemics
Research into cures and vaccinations
Slowing down is akin to dooming future generations
o Optimal speed of life depends on
State of development
LDC need to increase their efficiency, and work harder for
economic growth to catch up with DC
People under corrupt governments need to increase
government pressure to speed up reforms
In DC, their GDP are quite high, which gives an adequate SOL.
Hence the focus should be on pursing a good QOL instead.
o However, sometimes even when we desire a slower pace of life, it is difficult
to do so.
People have aspirations and goals that require much time, effort and
money to fulfil. Hence they need to work hard to achieve their dreams
For countries like Singapore that lacks resources, we need to keep on
innovating, improving and adapting in order to survive. Hence we
cannot afford to become complacent.
For maths has little use, you can talk about
o Many fields of maths
Pure mathematics
Algebra
Calculus
Done by Nickolas Teo Jia Ming

Geometry and topology


Applied mathematics
Probability and statistical maths
Computational mathematics
Game theory
Mathematical physics
o Purpose of maths
It is to explore the abstract theoretical world
Most layman do not need a working knowledge of maths in their daily
lives, due to the aid of computers
Some professions require sufficient maths knowledge
Statisticians, economists, civil planners need to know statictical
maths
The theoretical work done today may not have a use, but may be
useful in the future
For tourists getting the local experience, you can talk about
o What both tourist and locals experience
Food
Monuments/ places of interest
o What they dont see
They see clean and green Singapore, but dont see the effort of
cleaners
They see Singapores harmonious multi-racial community, but dont
see the tensions
Cook curry day
They dont stay long, and cannot experience a typical daily life
Void deck culture
The old, poor people living in 1 room flats
Singlish
Kiasu mentality
For dependence on oil, you can talk about
o Over dependence on oil
Withdrawal symptoms if oil flow is cut off
People cannot get used to lack of transportation, less
electricity available
Global economic collapse if oil stopped flowing
How countries have no choice but to pay higher prices if OPEC
reduces supply
o Measures taken to reduce oil dependence
Green cities in Norway, where the percentage of energy from clean
sources outweighs oil
Hydroelectricity, thermal electricity, solar energy, wind energy
For control over fate, you can talk about
o People generally determine their own lives
We have the right and ability to determine parts of our live that are
within our control
People have to see and seize the opportunity to direct their lives

Done by Nickolas Teo Jia Ming

Bill Gates
Steve Jobs
Mark Zuckerberg
The success of nations is largely due to the hard work of the locals
and government
Singapore government diversifying the economy, making
policies that benefited the nation rather than populist policies
o For some people, their success is largely due to luck
Celebrities being born with good looks, and luck that they were
discovered
Britney spears
For organising major games, you can talk about
o Economics
Counties tend to spend over budget in preparation of major events
The Athens Olympics 2004 caused the government to greatly
overspend
Initial forecast of 4.5 billion euro
Actually spent 8.954 billion euro
Only 1.752 billion euro was received from sales of
tickets and advertisements, 7.202 billion came out from
the states pockets
However, this was due to improper planning, as countries can make a
profit, if they budget their spending wisely
Los Angeles Olympics 1984, earned a profit of US$250 million
Seoul Olympics 1988, earned a profit of US$300 million
Record profit for a government-run Olympiad
The over budget spending can also be justified by the long term
benefits from tourism
o Social
During preparation of event locations, there is much disruption to lives
during building construction.
There is also demolition of slums and relocation of squatters
Furthermore, some Olympic infrastructure become white elephants
The infrastructure built for the Athens Olympics were not reused
There was a lot of red tape that discouraged private firms from
requisitioning its use.
However, the big picture overshadows these short term costs
The cleaning and building of new infrastruction are of great
benefit to the locals
Governments with forsight and political will have opened the
infrastructure for private re-use or as a public attraction
Sydney Olympic villages were turned into residential
homes
Singapore used existing NUS dormitory to house
athletes during the 2010 Youth Olympics Games
Singapore used existing roads for the F1 night race
o Security
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The host country is open to external threats


Munich Olympics 1972 witnessed the massacre of 11 Israeli
athletes, by a terrorist group, Black September
British football hooligans
However, these incidents are few and far between, and it depends on
the precautionary measures taken by hosts cities
London Olympics 2012 had the biggest military build-up in
London since WWII
18200 troops, which is 8700 more than what they sent
to Afghanistan
British Commandos, the Royal Marines, are also
deployed
HMS Ocean, the largest ship in the Royal Navy, will be
docked in the Thames
Beijing Olympics 2008 was successful despite threats from the
Free Tibet Movement
During the European Cup, alcohol was banned to reduce the
occurrence of aggressive fans

Politics
Governments may sanction the use of performance enhancing drugs
for their athletes to win the competition
Government may use the games to make a political point
During the 1980 Moscow Olympics, the US boycotted the
event by not letting US athletes participate in it.
In retaliation, the Soviet Union boycotted the 1984 Los Angeles
Olympics, involving 14 Eastern Bloc (aka Communist Bloc
which includes former communist states of Eastern and
Central Europe)
For Attention to criminals and victims, you can talk about
o Victims
Need more
When the perpetrator is not found, more media coverage
should be given to enlist the help of the public
For traumatising crimes, like surviving a massacre, the
government should take steps to provide counselling. Extend
the coverage of treatment of prisoners to the victims
Enough
Rape and scandal victims want their privacy
Gag orders from the court for the safety of the family
o Criminals
Publicity
May hurt the criminals family and friends
Public has the right to know about the life and motive of the
criminal
Rehabilitation
Counselling services
Re-education
Punishments
o

Done by Nickolas Teo Jia Ming

Resources spent on debates on rights of criminals


Retribution by capital punishment against sanctity of life
and compassion.
For Research into expensive treatment, you can talk about
o No
Creates inequality between rich and poor
Rich can afford care and medicine to maintain health, live
longer, earn more, become richer
Money could be spend on other poor man diseases
Tuberculosis
Malaria
Malnutrition
o Yes
Scientific imperative to discover new ways to treat illnesses for the
benefit of mankind
Trickle-down effect, where in time the cost of treatment will drop
Patients expire, making it available to all
Competitors will improve the technology to lower costs
to out-compete others
Paracetamol
Government can provide financial assistance or insurance can cover
partial costs of treatment
Medical spin-offs, to get useful side effects
Viagra was initially meant to treat pulmonary hypertension
For The pen is mightier than the sword, you can talk about
o Sword more powerful
Ambitious rulers break treaties
Hitler
Stalin
Censorship by the government on the written word
Book burning
o Written language
Books against communism were censored and burned in communist
countries, as the government feared the power of the written ideas
within
Shows the power of the written word
The written word can motivate and galvanise people to take up the
sword
Mein Kampf by Hitler sparked the Holocaust
Das Kapital by Karl Marx sparked communist revolution
Martin Luther King Juniors I have a dream speech sparked
non-violent movement for equal rights
The written word can last though times, outliving wars, constantly
influencing peoples beliefs, and landscapes
Holy texts
Bible
The Vedas (Hindu)

Done by Nickolas Teo Jia Ming

Confuciuss Five classics


Classic of poetry
Book of documents
Book of rites
Classic of changes
Spring and Autumn annals
Charles Darwins On the Origin of Species
For importance of history, you can talk about
o Sense of belonging to nation
Essential for countrys survival
o To learn from pat mistakes to shape the future
o Tool to shape the young
Expose them to hardship of forefathers
o To assimilate new immigrants
For risk taking, you can talk about
o To get better returns
Nothing ventured nothing gained
Famous entrepreneurs like Bill Gates who founded Microsoft, had to
take a gamble on his investment, risking it on his vision to design a
computer that is suitable for everyone, allowing it to be the global
brand it is today.
o To stretch the human potential
The risk astronauts take leads to advancements in manned space
flight
Athletes also risk their health when they push themselves to try and
go past their limits
The risk they take during training has constantly redefined the
human limits
Usain Blot is the worlds fastest man with a 100 meter
sprint timing of 9.58 seconds. He currently holds the
record for 2 other track events, which are the 150 meter
sprint, 200 meter sprint, and has sustained multiple
injuries during his career
o For the collective good
Scientists risk life and limb when conducting research, that could lead
to improvements for mankind
Marie Curie, the first women to win a Nobel Prize in physics for
her work in radiology, which eventually claimed her life as she
died of anemia (when the body cannot produce new blood
cells essential for survival). Her work paved the way for works
with and safety when handling radioactive materials
o But needs to be a calculated risk, instead of being reckless
Substance abuse and unprotected sex are unnecessary risks
teenagers should not take
Criminal risk or extreme sports just for the adrenaline rush should not
be promoted
Skydiving
o Needs to be accompanied by responsibility and accountability
Done by Nickolas Teo Jia Ming

The risk of gambling can cause broken families, a mountain of debt


Singapore has the National Council on Problem Gambling to
combat this unnecessary risks

Done by Nickolas Teo Jia Ming

GP vocab
1. Entrenched privilege
a. The large amount of resources available to someone, as they are born into a
rich family
2. Slippery ethical slope
a. Easy for science to lose its ethics
3. Moral regression
a. Decrease in morals
4. Debilitating
a. Progressively weaker
b. QOL decrease
5. Degenerative
a. Progressively worse
b. Condition worsens
6. Moratorium
a. Ban for a limited period of time
7. Unscrupulous
a. Underhanded, ulterior motive
8. Ubiquitous
a. Existing everywhere
9. Leap the species barrier
a. Diseases transferring from animals to humans
10. Morally repugnant
a. Seen as morally wrong by society
11. Scientific imperative
a. To find out more about the unknown, to unravel mysteries
b. A powerful reason for any scientific research
12. Sentient
a. Capable of thought and has a conscious
13. Vocal minority
a. A small but influential group
14. Sine qua non
a. An indispensable condition
15. Folly of youth

Done by Nickolas Teo Jia Ming

GP fact sheet
Science and technology
1. Genetically modified food
a. Golden Rice contains the gene that produces beta-carotene, a precursor of Vitamin
A
b. Bt (Bacillus thuringinesis) corn, containing the gene coding for the Bt delta endotoxin,
has resistance against European corn borers
i. Affects the growth of the Monarch caterpillars
2. Important people
a. Stephen Hawking
i. Works in the field of Theoretical Physics
Discovered Hawking radiation, the radiation from black holes
Wrote a ground breaking book on cosmology, A Brief History of
Time
o Best seller that sold more than 10 million copies
ii. Awards
Honorary fellow of the Royal Society of Arts
Recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009
o High civilian honour in the US
Lifetime member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences
o The scientific academy of the Vatican
iii. Has a motor neuron disease, and uses a speech generating device due to
nearly total paralysis
b. Isaac Newton
i. Was a physicist, mathematician, astronomer, and other stuff
Laid down the three laws of motion
o First law
In the absence of a net force, an object at rest will
remain at rest, while an object in motion will
continue in motion in a straight line at a constant
speed
o Second law
=
The net force on a body is its mass times its
acceleration
o Third law
For every force, there is an equal and opposite force
He introduced universal gravitation
Developed Newtons law of cooling
Worked with Gottfried Leibniz to develop differential and integral
calculus

Done by Nickolas Teo Jia Ming

c. Albert Einstein
i. Works in the field of Theoretical Physics
Developed the special and general theory of relativity
His mass-energy equivalence formula is widely known
Had works on the Brownian motion, photoelectric effect
Over 300 scientific papers and over 150 non-scientific works
ii. Awards
Novel Prize in Physics in 1921 for photoelectric effect work
d. Claudius Galen
i. Father of anatomy

Society
1. Famous people
a. Gandhi
i. Led India to independence from the British, through non-violent civil
disobedience, on 15 August 1947
b. Rosa Parks
i. Act of civil disobedience in 1955, as she refused to give up her seat to a
white man.
ii. Catalyst of the Civil Rights movement
c. Martin Luther King Junior
i. A prominent figure in the African-American Civil Rights movement
ii. Led the Montgomery Bus Boycott
Meant to protest the policy of racial segregation on public transport
From 4 December 1955, to 20 December 1956 (381 days)
Blacks boycotted all form of public transport
Organized carpools, took non-motorized transport instead
d. President Lincoln
i. 16th president of the US
ii. Led America through the American Civil War
iii. Worked towards slavery by issuing the Emancipation Proclamation during
the Civil War in 1863
iv. Abolished slavery by helping to push the Thirteenth Amendment to the
United Sates Constitution through Congress in December 1968
e. Nelson Mandela
i. President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999
ii. Fought against the apartheid system in South Africa
Racial segregation in South Africa, with white superiority
Native, White, Coloured and Asian
Official abolishment of the Apartheid was in 1990 with the repeal of
the remaining Apartheid laws
However, the end is widely regarded as arising from the 1994
democratic general elections, with the African National Council (ANC)
winning 62.56% of the votes, and Mandela as president
Done by Nickolas Teo Jia Ming

2. Reformed laws
a. Jim Crow Laws
i. Racial segregation of the blacks in the US. From 1876 to 1965
Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed major forms of discrimination
against racial, ethnic, religious and national minorities and women
Voting Rights Act of 1965 outlawed the disenfranchisement (losing
the right to vote) of African-American in the US

Politics
Environment
1. Energy
a. Coal
i. Around 7 billion tonnes of coal is used yearly
ii. Since 2000, global coal consumptions has grown faster than any other fuel
iii. China, USA, India, Russia and Japan are the largest coal uses, accounting for
77% of total global coal use.
iv. Asia accounts for over 65% of global coal consumption, mainly due to China
and India
b. Oil
i. Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries
Algeria, Angola, Ecuador, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi
Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela.

The 12 countries aim to eliminate harmful, unnecessary fluctuations in oil


prices, while keeping oil prices high

ii. Oil disasters


Deepwater Horizon oil spill by BP in 2010
The Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded on April 20,
2010
11 workers killed, 16 others injured
It was capped on 15 July 2010
An estimated 53,000 barrels per day leaked from
the oil well before it was capped
A total of about 4.9 million barrels
Affect marine wildlife, fishing and tourism
210 kilometre square kill zone around the well
In late November 2010, large portions of the gulf
were closed off to shrimping, due to oil
contamination
By July 2011, Large stretches of coastlines, about
800 kilometres, in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama
and Florida were stilled contaminated by the oil spill
and closed off to tourists

Done by Nickolas Teo Jia Ming

In April 2012, scientists discovered many mutated


wildlife ranging from shrimps to fishes
Eyeless shrimps
Crabs with soft shells instead of hard
Clawless crabs
Fish with lesions
c. Clean energy
i. Microalgae, Project OMEGA (Offshore Membrane Enclosures for Growing
Algae)
Uses wastewater from cities
Produces at least 40 times more biofuel than soy, at around
2000-5000 barrels per acre pre year
Grows off the coast of a city
Does not compete for limited land
Has minimal impact on the environment
Plastic can be reused for farming
Can also be used to grow aquaculture at the same time

Art

Done by Nickolas Teo Jia Ming

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