History Practice Paper 2- Compare and Contrast Skill

Name: ___________________ ( ) Class: _______________ Date: _________________

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Read this carefully. It may help you to answer some of the questions.

Many Chinese became victims of Japanese atrocities. The Japanese perceived the Chinese as
a threat to their rule. This was because when Japan invaded China in 1937, they met with
strong Chinese resistance, including those from outside of China. Before the outbreak of war,
the Chinese community in Singapore led by tycoon Tan Kah Kee, called for a boycott of
Japanese goods and contributed funds to the anti-Japanese war effort in China. Some even
returned to China to join in the fight against the Japanese.

Source B: Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew’s speech at the unveiling ceremony of memorial to
civilian victims of Japanese Occupation on 15th February, 1967.

We meet not to rekindle old fires of hatred, nor to seek settlements for blood debts. We meet
to remember the men and women who were the hapless victims of one of the fires of history…

This piece of memorial represents an experience, which in spite of its horrors, served as
reminder in building a nation out of the young and unestablished community of diverse
immigrants. We suffered together. It told us that we share a common destiny. And it is
through sharing such common experiences that the feeling of living and being one community
is established.

If today as we remember these lessons of the past, we strengthen our resolve and
determination to make our future more secure then these men and women for whom we
mourn would not have died in without a purpose.
http://libguides.nl.sg/syonanto
Source C: A view expressed by Chinese woman, Madam Wong Len Cheng, aged 71 who
saw the sight of the Japanese killing her brother.

I lived in constant fear. I witnessed my brother being killed by a Japanese soldier

who had stolen his bicycle. My brother had in turn taken someone else's bicycle but
was caught. The soldier rained blows on him. My brother vomited blood for a few
days and then died.

Another nightmarish memory of the Occupation was the severed heads, which the
Japanese troops, planted on Singapore bridges to scare the populace. It was a
constant reminder of what could happen to me. I remembered seeing at least three
heads on bridges and, on one occasion, a headless body not too far away from my
home.

http://ourstory.asia1.com.sg/war/headline/torture2.html#distrust

(a) Study Sources B and C.

How similar are these two sources? Explain your answer. [6]

Compare and Contrast Skill:

L1 /1 : Provenance for similarities/ differences

L2 /2 : Explains how sources are different in its content (no content matching)
L3 /3 : Content match- either similarities or differences, supported by source evidence
L4 /4 : Content match- BOTH similarities AND differences
L5/5-6: Tone AND Purpose (feeling + action) explained

Answer:

L1/1 Source B is a speech by the Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, a government body
and Source C is an abstract taken from an interview with a Chinese woman, a
civilian. Both are Chinese and have gone through the Japanese Occupation. /Both
are talking about the Japanese Occupation. / Both are survivors of the Japanese
Occupation.

L2/2 Source B talks about Prime Minister reminding the citizens to learn from the war
and move on towards a better future, letting go of hatred and anger as we
commemorate the casualties who have died during the war . Since the people
have suffered together, they should stick together and through shared experience
to move forward to build the country that belongs to us.

Source C talks about how the Japanese Occupation has haunted her even after the
war ended. She has so much fear as she recalls how ruthless the Japanese soldiers
were during the killing as her brother was one of the victims.
L3/3 Both Sources B and C are sharing about their feelings on the Japanese
Occupation after the war. / A recollection of the Japanese Occupation. / A
 recollection of those who died during the war.
From Source B, “We meet to remember the men and women who were the
hapless victims of one of the fires of history…” He said that the war is part of our
past and he feels that we should remember the victims who died in the war.

Source C, also recalls of the past where she saw “my brother being killed by a
Japanese soldier” and “My brother vomited blood for a few days and then died.”
She too was a survivor like Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, who went through the
war. Both were mourning over those who died during the war.

L4/4 L3 + However, the two sources are different because Source B, a source from the
government body encourages people to move on and learn from the mistake, and
no point just being angry as seen in “We meet not to rekindle old fires of hatred,
nor to seek settlements for blood debts” He feels that there is more important
things like nation-building “we remember these lessons of the past, we strengthen
our resolve and determination to make our future” so that “men and women for
whom we mourn would not have died in without a purpose”. Whereas for Source
C, the woman still feels hatred and fear even after the war has ended a long time.
It is more personal and the memories of the past during the Japanese Occupation
are still clear in her mind. The Japanese Occupation still incite fears in her that
she cannot get over it.

L5/5-6 L4 + Source B clearly shows an encouraging tone to motivate the people to use
the history as a learning point, to build a nation where no one can divide us as
long as we stand united. The purpose of the source is for the citizen to find a
common identity, as seen in “through sharing such common experiences that the
feeling of living and being one community is established” so that “these men and
women for whom we mourn would not have died in without a purpose”.
Source C shows a more fearful tone. A recollection of the negative impression
that she stills have of the Japanese being ruthless and warlords. The purpose of
this source is to remind people how much our ancestors have suffered/ been
through under the Japanese Occupation that we should not take our prosperity
and stability for granted.