Last of the native Manchu speakers

Click HERE

I marked two scripts on the below qn recently....this article yielded another interesting point regarding the reservations govt have in reviving minority language....
there is the fear that in doing so, you are reviving their identity, and this might precipitate a separatist movement, leading to political instability......
Once they are into their own language, they may see themselves as different from the majority and hence want to assert their independence and break off from the group.


Qn:      Is there any value in preserving minority languages in the world? (Cam. 2012)

Crimes like rape need 'strict approach'

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Qn: To what extent do you agree that punishments must be well-deserved?

Singapore targeting private firms, not national sovereignty

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Qn: How effective is international cooperation in addressing problems of today?

FBI faces tough task in stopping 'lone wolf' extremists

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Note in the excerpt below on how the rules of the game have changed with the advent of the 'lone wolf' terrorists.....useful for qns with the word 'still'.....note also the closing BANG using a thought-provoking rhetorical qn that reinforces the stand....

"I think the FBI has an incredibly hard job, because this guy seems like a lone wolf," said Ms Caroline Fredrickson, president of the American Constitution Society.
This dilemma is not new, but it has become more acute in recent years. For years after the 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, the FBI used Al-Qaeda's rigid hierarchy against the terrorist group.
Government experts knew how plots were hatched and who approved them. They knew the terrorism pedigree of the key figures, and monitored travel to watch for people training in camps.
Today, however, ISIS encourages anyone to take up arms in its name. Travel and training are unnecessary ......... "It's the counter-terrorism equivalent of 'How do you prevent someone from robbing a liquor store?' " he said.


Qn: Can terrorism ever be eradicated?

Stop acting like a 'grandmother', India court tells censor

Click HERE
The title of this link is a good quotation for BANGING! Useful for censorship qns where artworks and films should be spared the scissors from the censors to preserve the artistic integrity of the work and to encourage creativity....
Compare this with a recent episode in Singapore where a same-sex kiss was cut from the staging of the Les Miserables in Singapore: (see HERE)

Chinese surgeon 'plans body transplant'

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A potential opening or closing BANG for ur essay, given the 'shock' factor...

But lest u dismiss it as Franken-science, realise that cutting up a person's body or even head(for brain surgery) was regarded with the same shock and horror when it was first suggested in the past.

The famed ancient Chinese physician Hua Tuo suggested cutting up (not down hor) the General Cao Cao's head to cure him (of his migraine?), but Cao Cao thought he was mad!!!  

Qn:    ‘Unlimited scientific research is the only way to make real scientific progress.’ Do you agree? (RI 2015)

Hue and cry over Chinese detergent ad

Click HERE for Article &  HERE for Video
Interesting example for racist ads....

for Qns on regulation of the media, esp advertisements and commercials....

Why the debate on unconditional basic income is relevant for Singapore

Click HERE
This writer would have scored an A*** for AQ, 'cos she's doing precisely that!!! she first considers an issue concerning or happening in another country (think of this as the compre passage) and then she goes on to talk about its relevance to Singapore (i.e. the AQ bit).
Every time you come across an article, other than imbibing the content (and language) there, you should also do what she did -- ask yourself what the situation would be like if it were to happen in Singapore. This will force you to consider the peculiar features of Singapore (that defines us as a society unique from others) that will cause the situation to turn out favourably or unfavaourably here...
The result is a fuller grasp and appreciation of the issue....instead of seeing it in only a single context....exploring an issue in multiple contexts, esp if it involves your own society (something u r most familiar with, I hope... ) will afford a fuller vision...

Sea of visitors at Underwater World before its closure

Click HERE
What caught my eye was actually this sub-heading that follows the title of this article:
Visitorship triple the daily average as slashed admission prices and nostalgia draw many

See if you can recall those points concerning nostalgia (which we discussed previously) here in this article....

Hooliganism rears its ugly head at Euro '16

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Qn: Hosting major sporting events creates more problems than benefits. Do you agree? (Cam. 2005)

Facebook, an echo chamber which warps our world

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for those who want to read further on echo chamber effect operating on the internet....

note the closing BANG using an imagery....

Useful Meritocracy stuff....

Click HERE
I'm refreshing some old but useful posts on meritocracy that I posted some time back...for those whom we did meritocracy recently, do give some of the stuff a read....