GP Tuition: Sample GP Examination Paper – HCI
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Here’s a sample of GP Essay Paper (Paper 1) shared by our ex – HCI student who attended our GP tutorials:
1. Why does water shortage constitute such a global threat and what needs to be done to confront the problem?
2. Globalisation is a runaway train out of control and heading for imminent disaster. Do you agree?
3. Can sport unite the world?
4. Discuss the possible advantages and disadvantages of having a world government.
5. Are human rights a luxury that poor countries cannot afford?
6. Discuss the causes and consequences of modern society’s growing obsession with celebrities?
7. Discuss two important changes, one social and the other political, that have taken place over the past two decades in your country.
8. Discuss the importance of any two of the following virtues in maintaining a healthy and harmonious society: i) Mercy, ii) Trust, iii) Integrity, iv) Charity.
9. ‘Tolerance is a wonderful thing, but some things are intolerable.’ In your view, what should your society be more tolerant of and what should it still refuse to tolerate?
10. Is it true that our environmental problems are so incredibly huge and complex that it is impossible for an ordinary individual to make a difference?
11. The two curses of modern life: leisure without rest and work without satisfaction.’ To what extent are these two ‘curses’ evident in your society?
12. People should be worried about some of the latest developments in genetic engineering? Do you agree?
HCI General Paper Tuition – Sample Model GP Essay Answer
Here is a full length sample answer to the following GP essay question:
Q7. Discuss two important changes, one social and the other political, that have taken place over past two decades in your country.
My country, Singapore, has indeed seen many ups and downs for the past ten years. Over this decade, Singaporeans have witnessed many social changes are constantly and a less restricted life than before. In this time, the Government and the citizens moulding Singapore to be an attractive place for the locals and foreigners to live in. In my opinion, the growing affluence amongst the people and the more open-minded Government today are the most important changes that brought Singapore to what she is now a successful society with a high standard of living.
The growing affluence among Singaporeans has brought about many positive and negative impacts on the society. The people are more educated, well read, and have a better knowledge of global issues as compared to society ten years ago. Today the people are more demanding of better services and it is something that the Government cannot ignore. In the recent news articles, many breastfeeding mothers sought the right to breastfeed in public. Such a thing would not occur often in 1994, but today these mothers know their right to breastfeed in public and the Breastfeeding Mothers’ Support Group (Singapore) will go all out and fight for their rights. Their voice is so powerful that even the Esplanade management had to apologise to these breastfeeding mothers for a “miscommunication” on their part when one of the security officers at the Esplanade told a breastfeeding mother to leave the grounds.
These breast-feeding mothers also signal a change in Singapore’s predominantly Asian society – the women are more liberated and vocal, unafraid to voice their displeasure, and are more daring to try out new challenges. The growing affluence amongst women in Singapore has contributed a lot to the society. Many more women are in the higher ranks of the companies’ hierarchies. Madam Ho Ching, wife of Singapore’s First Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, is especially capable in her own right. Her directorship in Temasek Holdings has led the company to greater heights, raking in billions every year. Ms Olivia Lum of the Hyflux Company had many brilliant ideas to purify water at a lower cost a very crucial factor that the Government just exactly needs. Today, her company is making millions for processing NEWater (purified water) for Singapore exclusively. Recently, the Chinese Government voiced their interest in her company to treat water and increase the arable supply of drinking water in China. Ten years ago, when Ms Lum was not a household name, the conservative Chinese Government might not even set their eyes on a company led by a chairwoman. In local schools, female students are doing just as well as their male peers and can be equally vocal when it comes to class discussions. This is how far women have come from the past decade of a conservative Asian society to a more liberal Asian society with influences from the Western society.
Of course the growing affluence of people has also backfired on the society itself. One particularly worrying trend is the falling birth rate. Singaporeans on average are having 1.2 babies per year, a far cry from the replacement level of 2.1 babies that are needed to sustain the economy in the future. More people are tying the knot later and place their careers before family. This is understandable because money an important factor to survive in Singapore. The growing affluence amongst the citizens also showed that they are less susceptible Government to propaganda. Take the baby issue again, for instance.
No matter how many incentives the Government is is willing to give out, Singaporeans are not “obeying” the Government’s three-child policy. They prefer a smaller family because it is less expensive to sustain. Back in 1994, when the two child policy was still on, the birth rate of Singapore was above the replacement level. In schools, students are now more aware of Government propaganda, which is especially prominent in Social Studies, a mandatory subject for students at the secondary level to take at GCE O-Levels. The students just take some of the issues with a pinch of salt and usually know how to differentiate between the accurate and the misleading contents.
In the political arena, the Government is getting more open-minded, a style of leadership which our current Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong is at ease with. A decade ago, Singaporeans were still adjusting to PM Goh’s style of leadership as the former PM and current Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew’s autocratic style of leadership lurked in the background. Today, PM Goh’s leadership has reaped in a lot more benefits to improve the society. As recent as 2000, the ruling People’s Action Party’s (PAP) Constitution was amended to allow the Government to lift the whip. Prior to that, no Ministers of the PAP is allowed to criticise the party’s policies and decisions. Now, there are backbenchers and Ministers to question the Government’s intended policies during Parliamentary Sessions. As there are more frequent “Meet the MP Sessions” (sessions where Ministers of Parliament meet up with their constituents for the latter to air their grievances), these MPs are able to understand the situation of their constituents and constituencies better and feedback them to Parliament. In last year’s transport fee hikes, several MPs criticised the Transport Ministry’s support of the price hike. Even though the proposed fee hikes were implemented, the Minister for Transport Yeo Cheow Tong relented and did not brush these criticisms off. “We will be more considerate in the future” was his reply.
There are open discussions between Ministers and students today for the students to air their views on Singapore’s policies. There were not many avenues for students to do this a decade ago, and it is certainly a sign that the Government is taking serious notice of the potential leaders of Singapore. Since 2001, there is a Pre-University Seminar for Junior College Students yearly to share their views on a particular topic with a Minister of State. On the television, students have engaged in friendly discussions with DPM Lee. Although critics of the Government would find this superficial, I believe this is a positive sign of progress that Singapore has come so far over the last ten years in the political scene.
Over the last decade, the Singapore Government is aware that they have to listen to the people often, especially so today. Even the much revered SM Lee admitted that this will be one of the greatest changes and challenges his son, DPM Lee, will have to face when he takes over the helm from PM Goh on August 12 this year. The growing affluence of the people might have made the Government less autocratic (and less of a “Nanny State” as well), and it is certain that these two important changes over this decade will have an impact on the future of the Singapore society. I am sure that the affluence of Singaporeans will be comparable to our western counterparts ten years from now!
Comment from GP tuition teacher: Good discussion, with concrete examples.
More answers and essays (Paper 1) exam skills in our GP tuition revision guide, especially for HCI GP tutoring students.
How to get to HCI?
Hwa Chong Institution (Junior College) is located at 661 Bukit Timah Road, S269734. The nearest MRT is Tan Kah Kee or TKK MRT (DT8) station on the Downtown Line (DTL).
Busy HCI students can sign up our GP revision course, if time is not suited for one-on-one lessons or small group GP classes.