30/8/2019

DHS 2018 Prelim P2

1 In the first paragraph, how does the author support his idea that ‘our innate fears are instrumental in
shaping our behaviour’ (lines 10–11)? Use your own words as far as possible.

The author supports his idea by

a) making reference to our predecessors,
b) for whom fear helped raise awareness of dangers such as the severe weather/harsh environment and animals,
c) so that they may prepare and react appropriately to stay alive.
d) The author also shows how people today naturally feel anxious
e) when they are looking at wild animals in cages despite not having encountered these animals before.
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2. Using lines 18–22, explain how religious leaders used fear to their own advantage. Use your own words
as far as possible.

Religious leaders exploited people’s fear

a) of being punished in the afterlife (‘eternal damnation’)
b) to restrict their actions/limit their autonomy (‘control our behaviour’)
c) and make the social order/statuses seem like they could not be challenged or changed (‘social
hierarchies appear immutable and incontestable’)
d) in order to promote their own self-interests (‘self-serving’)
e) and benefit them financially (filled… coffers, donate)

3. Explain why the author says that ‘Illiteracy and superstition’ (line 20) made our fears in the past more
intense. other phrases: distinctions/differences

Linguistic cues to denote clear pairs:

People then
a) could not read/were not educated (‘illiteracy’) and believed in the supernatural 1) In the past, fears….. Today, fears….
(‘superstition’),
b) so they could only rely on irrational/unscientific explanations or what religious authorities 2) While fears in the past were…. today, they are….
said, (effect of illiteracy and superstition)
c) which made them more fearful of being punished severely if supernatural forces were
angered.
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4. From paragraph 3, what two contrasts does the author make between fears in the past and fears
today? Use your own words as far as possible. You will need to examine how the 
material in the brackets relates to what 
comes before and after it.

a1: fear took the form of particular/certain/precise/exact/explicit/concrete/ clear dangers/risks

a2: while today, it is vague/imprecise/tenuous/ uncertain

The author is

direct
b1: fears were seen as superficial/meaningless/ pathetic
b2: but today they are seen as significant/given weight/ worth attention a) separating / distinguishing the content from the rest of the text / providing additional information (function)

to show

comparism
c1: fears used to be shared/communal/similar/felt by the majority
c2: but today, they are unique to each person/no longer shared amongst others b) an alternative point of view that balances out the cynicism of the previous view on fear today / a benefit that is
(accept specific to each person) in contrast to the negative portrayal of the ‘low-grade’ fears today / how such positivity does not fit with the
negativity of the rest of the paragraph. (context)

He is implying that

a) people’s expectations of the government are very high/unrealistic/bordering on the ridiculous (overly
high level of trust in the government as inferred from ‘miraculously)
because
b) these events are highly dangerous/very difficult problems/challenges to be resolved/overcome by
the government alone
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The author wishes to

classmates in school or even neighbours next door a) directly address the reader / include the reader / reduce distance / personalise the examples /
better connect when listing possible threats [function]

b) to emphasise his point that no one is safe / these threats can happen to anyone near you or
you/ anyone can cause harm / affects anyone at a personal level [context]

The author uses the three dots to highlight

a) A deliberately incomplete sentence/ unfinished list of details / the list goes on / endless list [function]

b) that shows how the fears we face are so pervasive/widespread/widely known/many in our lives that they
can emerge in any/all of our daily activities [context]
(accept: deeply entrenched)
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The text shows that humanity

a) is able to acquire lessons/knowledge/insights from the dangers/threats encountered,

b) as well as from obstacles/problems/hurdles/ failures encountered, and

c) created ways to analyse/ make choices / decide on how to reduce these threats.
[one overarching idea to encapsulate the different subpoints]
1-2 pts: 1m
3 pts: 2m
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