Example Bank 2 - Year 2013 Compiled

7/27/2019 Example Bank 2 - Year 2013 Compiled

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2013 J2 GP | Home-Based Learning Lesson

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Example Bank 2 Year 2013

In this time spent at home, do make constructive use of your time to work on your example banks in preparation for the A levels! As you are wellaware by now, you need to have a good range of examples as you may sometimes (1) end up not doing a topic you studied for or (2) becauseyou need such examples for AQ. So, at the same timethat youre doing research for your chosen topics, you need to also have some generalexamples on hand. (The categories here do not overlap with the categories given in the JC1 holiday homework last December.)

Instructions:1. Below are 30 categories which you are to fill in using online research. [Relaxyou will not be required to complete all 30 in one lesson!]2. For each category, you are to find 3concrete examples.3. As far as possible, ensure that these 3 examples are from different regions (Scandinavia, Asia, Western/Eastern Europe, North/South

America). Categories where one example should be from Singapore will be indicated with: 1 from Sg.4. Please complete the research for at least 10 categories (your choice) by the end of ____________ (Date). Instructions for submission

format will be given by your respective tutors.5. Please ensure that you have completed the research for all 30 categories by the end of ________________ (Date).

* This should be an individual effort.

1 Countries lauded for theirsuccessfuleducation systems and why

1. Finland

Whatever it takes is an attitude that drives not just Kirkkojarvis 30teachers, but most of Finlands 62,000 educators in 3,500 schools

from Lapland to Turkuprofessionals selected from the top 10percent of the nations graduates to earn a required masters

degree in education.Many schools are small enough so that teachers know everystudent. If one method fails, teachers consult with colleagues totry something else.Finland provides three years of maternity leave and subsidizedday care to parents, and preschool for all 5-year-olds, where theemphasis is on play and socializing. In addition, the statesubsidizes parents, paying them around 150 euros per month forevery child until he or she turns 17. Ninety-seven percent of 6-year-olds attend public preschool, where children begin some

academics. Schools provide food, medical care, counseling andtaxi service if needed. Student health care is free.http://www.smithsonianmag.com/people-places/Why-Are-

Finlands-Schools-Successful.html#ixzz2cQ2gzeLe

2. South Korea

In South Korea, virtually every form of opportunity, from marriage

prospects to job prospects, depends on which high school you

got into and which college you went to. Employees are not even

considered for management positions unless they have college

degrees, and promotion in the management ranks depends more

on which college you went to than on your business

experience. The social prestige of college graduates is very

much a function of the ranking of the college attended. Parentsstatus in the society depends importantly on which high schools

and colleges their children are able to get into. Childrens failure

to achieve high education goals reflects not just on the child, but

on their parents as well. And, not least, in this society, children are

obligated by law and custom to provide for their parents in their

old age, and so, when parents look at their children, they are also

looking at their retirement fund, and the ability of that retirement

fund to take care of them in their old age depends more than in

any other country on success on their high school and college

entrance exams. For all these reasons, parents work very hard to

assure their childrens success in school and children work hard in

school to please their parents.

http://www.ncee.org/programs-affiliates/center-on-international-education-benchmarking/top-performing-countries/south-korea-overview/
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/people-places/Why-Are-Finlands-Schools-Successful.html#ixzz2cQ2gzeLehttp://www.smithsonianmag.com/people-places/Why-Are-Finlands-Schools-Successful.html#ixzz2cQ2gzeLehttp://www.smithsonianmag.com/people-places/Why-Are-Finlands-Schools-Successful.html#ixzz2cQ2gzeLehttp://www.ncee.org/programs-affiliates/center-on-international-education-benchmarking/top-performing-countries/south-korea-overview/http://www.ncee.org/programs-affiliates/center-on-international-education-benchmarking/top-performing-countries/south-korea-overview/http://www.ncee.org/programs-affiliates/center-on-international-education-benchmarking/top-performing-countries/south-korea-overview/http://www.ncee.org/programs-affiliates/center-on-international-education-benchmarking/top-performing-countries/south-korea-overview/http://www.ncee.org/programs-affiliates/center-on-international-education-benchmarking/top-performing-countries/south-korea-overview/http://www.ncee.org/programs-affiliates/center-on-international-education-benchmarking/top-performing-countries/south-korea-overview/http://www.ncee.org/programs-affiliates/center-on-international-education-benchmarking/top-performing-countries/south-korea-overview/http://www.smithsonianmag.com/people-places/Why-Are-Finlands-Schools-Successful.html#ixzz2cQ2gzeLehttp://www.smithsonianmag.com/people-places/Why-Are-Finlands-Schools-Successful.html#ixzz2cQ2gzeLe


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3. Canada

Ontario public schools follow a model embraced by top-performing hospitals, businesses, and organizations worldwide.Specifically, they do five things in concert -- focus, buildrelationships, persist, develop capacity, and spread qualityimplementation.

In practice, this meant refocusing the way Ontario schoolsdelivered education. Like many school systems, Ontario had toomany "top" priorities. The Ministry of Education selected three--literacy, math, and high school graduation--with a commitment toraise the bar for all students and close achievement gapsbetween all groups. There are other goals, of course, but thesethree are non-negotiable and take precedence because theyleverage so many other learning goals.

Focus and persistence ensure that these priorities are not going tobe discarded along the way. The history of education innovationshas generated a "this too shall pass" mindset among teachers.One of our colleagues calls this phenomenon "the law ofinnovation fatigue." Any attempt to create a high-leveragepriority (like the three adopted by Ontario) requires that theeducation system as a whole commits to them long-term.

But priorities don't mean anything if you don't develop therelationships necessary to enact them. The provincial governmentset out to develop a strong sense of two-way partnerships andcollaboration, especially between administrators and teachers,and in concert with teachers' unions. This required providingsignificant leeway to individual school districts to experiment withnovel approaches to reaching the province's three maineducational goals, and focusing significant reform efforts oninvestments in staffing and teacher development.

By focusing on teacher development, Ontario was also able toraise teacher accountability. Decades of experience have taughtCanadian educators that you can't get greater accountabilitythrough direct measures of rewards and punishments. Instead,what Ontario did was to establish transparency of results andpractice (anyone can find out what any school's results are, andwhat they are doing to get those results) while combining this withwhat we call non-judgmentalism. This latter policy means that if ateacher is struggling, administrators and peers will step in to helpher get better. (There are, however, steps that can be taken if asituation consistently fails to improve.)

The final element of the strategy involves identifying andspreading quality practices. Most education systems are looselycoupled to say the least -- behind the classroom door, teachersare islands unto themselves. In such isolated systems, twoproblems emerge. The first is that good ideas do not get around;they remain trapped in individual classrooms or schools. The otherproblem is that poor teaching can remain entrenched, becausegood practices are not being disseminated. A big part of theOntario strategy has been to break down the walls of theclassroom, the school, and even the district by increasingcommunication, cataloging and sharing best practices, andfostering a culture of teamwork. To that end, the Ministry ofEducation guides local school districts in developing more

collaborative professional environments, while also acting as aclearinghouse for innovation and best practices.

http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2012/05/what-america-can-learn-from-ontarios-education-success/256654/
http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2012/05/what-america-can-learn-from-ontarios-education-success/256654/http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2012/05/what-america-can-learn-from-ontarios-education-success/256654/http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2012/05/what-america-can-learn-from-ontarios-education-success/256654/http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2012/05/what-america-can-learn-from-ontarios-education-success/256654/http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2012/05/what-america-can-learn-from-ontarios-education-success/256654/


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2 Countries with poor education systems andwhy

1. Indonesia

The answer, as is often the case with developing countries stillfinding their feet as a democracy, appears to be corruption.Even more tragic. The funding is there but it ends up in thepockets of corrupt civil servants and not in classrooms.East 101s recent investigation highlighted some shocking facts

about the Indonesian education system including:

Only a third of Indonesian studentsin a country where 57 millionattend schoolcomplete basic schooling.Education experts say less than half of the countrys teacherspossess even the minimum qualifications to teach properly andteacher absenteeism hovers at around 20 percent. Manyteachers in the public school system work outside of the classroomto improve their incomes.Indonesian Corruption Watch claims there are very few schools inthe country that are clean of graft, bribery or embezzlementwith 40 percent of their budget siphoned off before it reaches theclassroom.http://www.aliquidfuture.com/indonesias-education-system-is-one-of-the-worst-in-the-world-according-to-a-recent-report/

2. South Africa

Quality of education is a direct correlation with a nations nationalwealth and overall quality of life. The countries that providethe worst basic educations in the world also struggle to furnishother basic needs for their citizens and are in upheaval, strife, andextreme poverty. Education has to be secondary in thesecountries where drinking water is scarce and basic infrastructure,such as roads and electricity, are widely non-existent.http://www.buzzinbiz.com/worlds-worst-countries-for-basic-education/

3. Somalia

Quality of education is a direct correlation with a nations national

wealth and overall quality of life. The countries that providethe worst basic educations in the world also struggle to furnishother basic needs for their citizens and are in upheaval, strife, andextreme poverty. Education has to be secondary in thesecountries where drinking water is scarce and basic infrastructure,such as roads and electricity, are widely non-existent.http://www.buzzinbiz.com/worlds-worst-countries-for-basic-education/

3 Countries with strict censorship laws (foronline & traditional media)

1. North KoreaOnly a few hundred thousand citizens in North Korea, representing

about 4% of the total population, have access to the Internet,which is heavily censored by the national government. The NorthKorean network is monitored heavily with only two websites beinghosted under a domain name. All websites are under governmentcontrol, as is all other media in North Korea. Naturally, blogging isnot allowed and all content is uploaded or approved by theNorth Korean government.http://listverse.com/2010/10/02/top-10-countries-that-censor-the-internet/

2. BurmaCensorship of printed and audiovisual media. There is minimalinternet penetration in civil life and any that exists is heavilymonitored by the government, which filters emails and blocksaccess to human rights groups and opposition group sites.

3. CubaCuba has the lowest ratio of computers per inhabitant in LatinAmerica, and the lowest internet access ratio of all the Westernhemisphere. Citizens have to use government controlled access
http://www.aliquidfuture.com/indonesias-education-system-is-one-of-the-worst-in-the-world-according-to-a-recent-report/http://www.aliquidfuture.com/indonesias-education-system-is-one-of-the-worst-in-the-world-according-to-a-recent-report/http://www.aliquidfuture.com/indonesias-education-system-is-one-of-the-worst-in-the-world-according-to-a-recent-report/http://www.buzzinbiz.com/worlds-worst-countries-for-basic-education/http://www.buzzinbiz.com/worlds-worst-countries-for-basic-education/http://www.buzzinbiz.com/worlds-worst-countries-for-basic-education/http://www.buzzinbiz.com/worlds-worst-countries-for-basic-education/http://www.buzzinbiz.com/worlds-worst-countries-for-basic-education/http://www.buzzinbiz.com/worlds-worst-countries-for-basic-education/http://listverse.com/2010/10/02/top-10-countries-that-censor-the-internet/http://listverse.com/2010/10/02/top-10-countries-that-censor-the-internet/http://listverse.com/2010/10/02/top-10-countries-that-censor-the-internet/http://listverse.com/2010/10/02/top-10-countries-that-censor-the-internet/http://listverse.com/2010/10/02/top-10-countries-that-censor-the-internet/http://www.buzzinbiz.com/worlds-worst-countries-for-basic-education/http://www.buzzinbiz.com/worlds-worst-countries-for-basic-education/http://www.buzzinbiz.com/worlds-worst-countries-for-basic-education/http://www.buzzinbiz.com/worlds-worst-countries-for-basic-education/http://www.aliquidfuture.com/indonesias-education-system-is-one-of-the-worst-in-the-world-according-to-a-recent-report/http://www.aliquidfuture.com/indonesias-education-system-is-one-of-the-worst-in-the-world-according-to-a-recent-report/


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points, where their activity is monitored through IP blocking,

keyword filtering and browsing history checking. Only pro-government bloggers and government employees are allowed toupload content to the internet.

4 Countries with the most media freedom (foronline & traditional media)

1. Finlandhttp://www.siliconindia.com/news/general/10-Countries-with-Maximum-Press-Freedom-nid-146734-cid-1.html

2. Netherlands

3. Norway

5 Recent examples of how social media hasbenefited mankind (politics/ security/environmentally/ socially/ culturally)

1. Arab Spring (keep government in check)Being capable of sharing an immense amount of uncensored andaccurate information throughout social networking sites hascontributed to the cause of many Arab Spring activists. Throughsocial networking sites, Arab Spring activists have not only gainedthe power to overthrow powerful dictatorship, but also helpedArab civilians become aware of the underground communitiesthat exist and are made up of their brothers, and others willing tolisten to their stories.http://www.policymic.com/articles/10642/twitter-revolution-how-the-arab-spring-was-helped-by-social-media

2. Africa's new generation is using social media to push for

change ( voice for the minority)Today Africans can be proud to see thatdespite limited accessto the internet (still a long way off for many villages and districts)and limited freedom of expression and information,social mediaisrevolutionising Africa. Egyptians rewrote history this year whenthey used social networks to bring down their president. Kenyantechnology developers and bloggers are using technology to puttheir country on the world map; East Africa is getting connectedwith the arrival of fibre optics.Africa's "cheetahs" are changing their continent by investing seedcapital in small businesses such as agricultural programmes, orhelping young women to develop small businesses, and socialentrepreneurs are bringing their voices to the world stage. ( The

Guardian)

http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/poverty-matters/2011/jun/17/social-media-transforming-communication-africa

3. How new media bring Burma to the eyes of the world

The images of Buddist monks in their saffron robes pitted againstthe junta's brutal military police are upsetting - and sadly familiarto anyone who has followed recent Burmese history.Yet there is one thing that makes this situation different - theadvent of the internet and video-capable mobile phones meansthat the eyes of the world are on Burma more than ever before.

http://www.theguardian.com/media/organgrinder/2007/sep/27/

newmediabringsburmatothe

6 Recent examples of how social media hascaused harm to mankind (politics/privacy/environmentally/ socially/culturally)

1. Impact on beauty and image ( The trend towards being thin)

2003, Teen magazine reported that 35% of girls 6-12 years oldhave been on at least one diet and 50to 70% normal girls believethat they are overweight.

2. Wiki leaks

In 2013, release of private and confidential information by BraddManning who downloaded more than 700,000 classifieddocuments from US military servers and passed them to Wikileaks.

Eg. The embassy cables alsosaid that the US is running a secret

intelligence campaign targeted at the leadership of the UnitedNations, including the secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, andrepresentatives from China, Russia, France and the UK. Theclassified directive, from 2009, demanded details about thecommunications systems used by top UN officials, including
http://www.siliconindia.com/news/general/10-Countries-with-Maximum-Press-Freedom-nid-146734-cid-1.htmlhttp://www.siliconindia.com/news/general/10-Countries-with-Maximum-Press-Freedom-nid-146734-cid-1.htmlhttp://www.siliconindia.com/news/general/10-Countries-with-Maximum-Press-Freedom-nid-146734-cid-1.htmlhttp://www.policymic.com/articles/10642/twitter-revolution-how-the-arab-spring-was-helped-by-social-mediahttp://www.policymic.com/articles/10642/twitter-revolution-how-the-arab-spring-was-helped-by-social-mediahttp://www.policymic.com/articles/10642/twitter-revolution-how-the-arab-spring-was-helped-by-social-mediahttp://www.theguardian.com/media/social-mediahttp://www.theguardian.com/media/social-mediahttp://www.theguardian.com/media/social-mediahttp://www.theguardian.com/global-development/poverty-matters/2011/jun/17/social-media-transforming-communication-africahttp://www.theguardian.com/global-development/poverty-matters/2011/jun/17/social-media-transforming-communication-africahttp://www.theguardian.com/global-development/poverty-matters/2011/jun/17/social-media-transforming-communication-africahttp://www.theguardian.com/global-development/poverty-matters/2011/jun/17/social-media-transforming-communication-africahttp://www.theguardian.com/media/organgrinder/2007/sep/27/newmediabringsburmatothehttp://www.theguardian.com/media/organgrinder/2007/sep/27/newmediabringsburmatothehttp://www.theguardian.com/media/organgrinder/2007/sep/27/newmediabringsburmatothehttp://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jul/30/www.theguardian.com/world/2010/nov/28/us-embassy-cables-spying-unhttp://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jul/30/www.theguardian.com/world/2010/nov/28/us-embassy-cables-spying-unhttp://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jul/30/www.theguardian.com/world/2010/nov/28/us-embassy-cables-spying-unhttp://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jul/30/www.theguardian.com/world/2010/nov/28/us-embassy-cables-spying-unhttp://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jul/30/www.theguardian.com/world/2010/nov/28/us-embassy-cables-spying-unhttp://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jul/30/www.theguardian.com/world/2010/nov/28/us-embassy-cables-spying-unhttp://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jul/30/www.theguardian.com/world/2010/nov/28/us-embassy-cables-spying-unhttp://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jul/30/www.theguardian.com/world/2010/nov/28/us-embassy-cables-spying-unhttp://www.theguardian.com/media/organgrinder/2007/sep/27/newmediabringsburmatothehttp://www.theguardian.com/media/organgrinder/2007/sep/27/newmediabringsburmatothehttp://www.theguardian.com/global-development/poverty-matters/2011/jun/17/social-media-transforming-communication-africahttp://www.theguardian.com/global-development/poverty-matters/2011/jun/17/social-media-transforming-communication-africahttp://www.theguardian.com/global-development/poverty-matters/2011/jun/17/social-media-transforming-communication-africahttp://www.theguardian.com/media/social-mediahttp://www.policymic.com/articles/10642/twitter-revolution-how-the-arab-spring-was-helped-by-social-mediahttp://www.policymic.com/articles/10642/twitter-revolution-how-the-arab-spring-was-helped-by-social-mediahttp://www.siliconindia.com/news/general/10-Countries-with-Maximum-Press-Freedom-nid-146734-cid-1.htmlhttp://www.siliconindia.com/news/general/10-Countries-with-Maximum-Press-Freedom-nid-146734-cid-1.html


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passwords and personal encryption keys used in officialcommunications.http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jul/30/bradley-manning-wikileaks-revelations

3. Social media-related crime reports up 780% in four years

http://www.theguardian.com/media/2012/dec/27/social-media-crime-facebook-twitter

7 Recent examples of presssensationalism/Inaccuracies and subsequent impact on thesociety involved. [When, where?]

Genocide in Darfur

The latest sensationalist claim has been genocide in Darfur. The

international media has carried a number of reports alleginggenocide and ethnic cleansing in Darfur. This has been

despite the fact that such claims have been challenged byseasoned aid groups such as Mdecins Sans Frontires, and onlyreally advanced by a politically opportunistic Bush Administration.The international medias coverage of the Darfur conflict has

been self-evidently lacklustre. The very dynamics of the conflicthas not even been adequately analysed or reported. Mostcoverage has taken at face value rebel claims that they arefighting against underdevelopment and marginalisation in Darfur.As we have seen this has been challenged by fiercely

antigovernment critics such as Ghazi Suleiman. Neither Turabisname, nor the Islamist involvement, has featured much in mediacoverage of the conflict.

http://www.espac.org/darfur/the-media-and-darfur.asp

8 Examples of war atrocities committed in thelast century: examine different types and theimpact [from different wars/conflicts]

Japanese war crimesOccurred in many Asian countries during the period of Japaneseimperialism primarily during the World War 2. Examples includemass killings and rape.

Soviet War Crimes

Mass rapesFollowing the Red Army's capture of Berlin in 1945, Soviet troopsraped German women and girls as young as eight yearsold.Estimates of the total number of victims range from tens ofthousands to two million.After the summer of 1945, Soviet soldiers caught raping civilianswere usually punished to some degree, ranging from arrest toexecution.The rapes continued, however, until the winter of 194748, when Soviet occupation authorities finally confined troops tostrictly guarded posts and camps.

Germany

Poison gas was introduced by Imperial Germany, and wassubsequently used by all major belligerents in the war against

enemy soldiers, in violation of the 1899 Hague Declaration onProhibition on Asphyxiating Poisonous Gases by Projectiles andthe 1907 Hague Convention on Land Warfare, which explicitlyforbade the use of "poison or poisoned weapons" in warfare.

9 Recent notorious criminals (should be fordifferent types of crime); their crime &punishment [Not from Sg please]

Gunman turns 'Batman' screening into real-life 'horror film'The suspect in the mass shooting at an Aurora, Colorado, movietheater screening of the new Batman film early Friday hadcolored his hair red and told police he was "the Joker," accordingto a federal law enforcement source with detailed knowledge ofthe investigation.At least 12 people were killed in the rampage and 58 wereinjured, one fewer than earlier reported. Of those injured "nearly

everyone was shot," Aurora Police Chief Dan Oates said Fridaynight, adding that a handful of people were hurt in the resultingchaos.

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/07/20/us/colorado-theater-shooting
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jul/30/bradley-manning-wikileaks-revelationshttp://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jul/30/bradley-manning-wikileaks-revelationshttp://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jul/30/bradley-manning-wikileaks-revelationshttp://www.theguardian.com/media/2012/dec/27/social-media-crime-facebook-twitterhttp://www.theguardian.com/media/2012/dec/27/social-media-crime-facebook-twitterhttp://www.theguardian.com/media/2012/dec/27/social-media-crime-facebook-twitterhttp://www.espac.org/darfur/the-media-and-darfur.asphttp://www.espac.org/darfur/the-media-and-darfur.asphttp://edition.cnn.com/2012/07/20/us/colorado-theater-shootinghttp://edition.cnn.com/2012/07/20/us/colorado-theater-shootinghttp://edition.cnn.com/2012/07/20/us/colorado-theater-shootinghttp://www.espac.org/darfur/the-media-and-darfur.asphttp://www.theguardian.com/media/2012/dec/27/social-media-crime-facebook-twitterhttp://www.theguardian.com/media/2012/dec/27/social-media-crime-facebook-twitterhttp://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jul/30/bradley-manning-wikileaks-revelationshttp://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jul/30/bradley-manning-wikileaks-revelations


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Jerry Sandusky

Prior to November 2011, Jerry Sandusky was one of the mostcelebrated figures in the history of Penn State sports. Roughlyseven months later, he was stripped of his glory and convicted asadistic child molester.

On June 22, 2012, Sandusky, 68, was convicted of 45 of 48 criminal

counts related to the alleged assault of 10 boys over a 15-yearperiod. The allegations led to the ouster of the late Penn StateUniversity president and longtime coach Joe Paterno, who died inJanuary.

Prosecutors said Sandusky was a "predatory pedophile" and a"sick, disturbed man," who targeted "the most vulnerable kids, kidsin need."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/27/top-12-crime-stories-of-2012_n_2360373.html#slide=1918394

Adam LanzaOne of the worse mass shootings in US history occurred two weeksbefore Christmas 2012.

On Dec. 14, 20-year-old Adam Lanza forced his way into SandyHook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., and gunned down27 people, including 20 children.

The gunman was wearing dark clothing, a mask, a bulletproofvest, and was carrying three guns. A fourth was later found insidehis vehicle.

Investigators said Lanza fired his weapon at least 100 times.

Several others were injured during the mass shooting, and Lanzatook his own life before police could confront him. In theaftermath, police discovered Lanza had shot and killed his ownmother before storming the elementary school.

A motive for the shooting is still under investigation, and 28people's lives have been lost in a tragedy that no one will likelyever completely understand.

10 Family-friendly policies that have been proveneffective in increasing fertility rates(Hint: 1 eg should be from a Scandinaviancountry)

Sweden and Norway

Nordic governments employ a range of policies designed to helpcouples have more children. These governments have a long

history of social policies aimed at helping people balance theirwork and family life. This is part of what is known as the "Nordicmodel".In Sweden, each parent is entitled to 18 months leave, which ispaid for by the government. Public day care is heavily subsidisedand flexible work schedules are common - women with childrenof pre-school age are entitled to reduce their working hours.Women's participation in the work force is high. In Norway,mothers are entitled to 12 months off work with 80% pay or 10months with full pay. Fathers are entitled to take almost all of thatleave instead of the mother. Fathers must take at least four weeksleave or else those weeks will be lost for both parents. The leave isfinanced through taxes, so employers don't lose out.Birth rates per woman: Norway: 1.81, Sweden: 1.75

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4837422.stm

Ireland
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/27/top-12-crime-stories-of-2012_n_2360373.html#slide=1918394http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/27/top-12-crime-stories-of-2012_n_2360373.html#slide=1918394http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/27/top-12-crime-stories-of-2012_n_2360373.html#slide=1918394http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4837422.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4837422.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4837422.stmhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/27/top-12-crime-stories-of-2012_n_2360373.html#slide=1918394http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/27/top-12-crime-stories-of-2012_n_2360373.html#slide=1918394


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Ireland has the highest fertility rate in the EU, despite the fact thatchild care is seen as underdeveloped and expensive.Mothers get 26 weeks maternity leave plus 14 weeks parentalleaveBirth rate: 1.99

UK

New mothers currently get six months' paid leave and the optionof six months further unpaid leave. The first six weeks are at 90% ofpay and the next 20 at 102.80 per week. New fathers areallowed two weeks' paid leave at a maximum 102.80 a week.The government offers free early education places. Children fromthe age of four get free part-time places at nurseries - some threeyear olds also get places.Parents of children under the age of six have the right to ask theiremployers for more flexible working hours. Although employersdon't have to agree with the request, they have to show theyhave considered it carefully.Birth rate: 1.74

11 Worlds best cities to live in and why [NB: citiesNOT countries]

Toronto- The cosmopolitan hub, which consistently rates amongthe world's most livable cities, has been a popular destination forimmigrants for the past several decades. The city is also Canada'seconomic center and home to the world's seventh-largest stockexchange by market capitalization. Its economy makes up almosta fifth of Canada's gross domestic product. Another key factorbehind Toronto's high ranking is the personal safety of its residents.Toronto is among five Canadian cities that dominate NorthAmerica's personal-safety ranking. Tied with Vancouver, Montreal,Ottawa and Calgary, Toronto is considered the 17th-safest placein the world, more than 35 times safer than its closest U.S.counterparts -- Chicago, Honolulu, Houston and San Francisco --according to the Mercer report.

Wellington, New Zealand-The city is the world's southernmostcapital and has the most educated population in the country,with more than one-third of its residents holding a bachelor'sdegree or higher.Incomes in Wellington are above average forNew Zealand. More than 40% of households have annual incomesof more than $66,000. The city also has a great climate, with 2,000hours of sunshine every year, compared with an average of 1,500hours in London and 1,850 hours in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Vienna-Viennahas won the title of the world's best city for qualityof life since 2009. It is one of three capital cities around the worldto make the top 10 list. The city is Austria's largest by population, aswell as the cultural, economic and political center of the

nation.Vienna's ability to transform old infrastructure into moderndwellings won the city a United Nations urban-planning award in2010 for improving its residents' living conditions. Under amultimillion-dollar program, the city refurbished more than 5,000buildings with nearly 250,000 apartments. Vienna is also the world'sNo. 1 destination for conferences, drawing 5 million tourists a year-- equivalent to three tourists for every city resident.

12 Worlds worst cities to live in and why Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea-Rapes, Murders, and HIV arejust a few of the daily tragedies that befall this enclave at theedge of the map. Here, even riding in cars is a dangerous activity.Gangs called Raskols are known to rob vehicles transportingforeigners at gunpoint.

West Point, Monrovia, Liberia-West Point, a peninsular slum juttingout into the Atlantic, is home to a special breed of disgustingsqualor. Home to 75,000 Monrovians, it is one of Africa's mostnotorious and crowded slums. Cholera is at an epidemic level,
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drug use is rampant, teenage prostitution is a commonality, andtoilets are scarce. In fact, since it costs money to useneighborhood toilets, many Monrovians in West Point just crap inthe streets or on the beach.

Kandahar, Afghanistan-Kidnappings, suicide bombings, and othercriminal activities have turned it into an absolute monster of adestination. War has a way of creating this sort of generallawlessness. Having a 28% national literacy rate does not helpmatters.

13 Famous artists/architects, their famouswork & how much it costs (1 from SG, 2 fromoverseas. Artwork must be recognised and/orexpensive)

Pinnacle@Duxtonthe first 50-storey public housing project inSingapore- designed by local architects Khoo Peng Beng andBelinda Huang (Husband & wife). Their entry to the Duxton PublicHousing Design competition caught the architectural worlds

attention by beating 201 international submissions in 2002.

The Card Players is a series of oil paintings by the French Post-Impressionist artist Paul Cezanne. One version of The CardPlayers was sold in 2011 for a price estimated at $250 million,making it the most expensive work of art ever sold

Tan Swie Hia- The sale took place at the 2012 Poly AutumnAuction's Modern and Contemporary Chinese Art Evening Sale onSunday, and places Tan, who is also a Cultural Medallionrecipient, in the record books as the first Singaporean artist to sella piece above the million-dollar mark at auction. S$3.7 million

14 Famous literature/books/novels that havecaused significant impact on societies,created much debate or influencedbehaviour / trends.

15 Latest examples of technology which havebenefited us in work / use of space/relationships/ privacy/ security

Urine-powered cellphone-British researchers at the Bristol RoboticsLaboratory (BRL), a joint venture between the University of theWest of England and the University of Bristol, have created a fuelcell that uses bacteria to break down urine and, in the process,generate electricity. Though the device produces just enoughpower to make one cellphone call, researchers believe they areon track to create more powerful fuel cells

NASA research investigating the nutritional value of algae led tothe discovery of a nutrient that had previously only been found inhuman breast milk. The compound, which is thought to beimportant to eye and brain development, has since found its wayinto 95 percent of the infant formula sold in the United States

16 Latest examples of technology which have

hurt us in work/ use of space/ relationships/privacy/ security

Internet (Search engines, social media) invades our privacy as it

is used for data harvesting and monitoring. Could potentially posea threat to us. E.g. during the Mumbai Taj Mahel siege, terroristgoogled the identity of their hostages, found one of them to beIndias second wealthiest businessman and killed him.

Technologies making many jobs safer, easier, and moreproductive were also reducing the demand for many types ofhuman workers.Most recently, industrial robots like Rethink Robotics Baxter (see

The Blue-Collar Robot, May/June 2013), more flexible and farcheaper than their predecessors, have been introduced toperform simple jobs for small manufacturers in a variety of sectors

17 Latest medical developments that havehelped to treat what disease (technology/gadget / medicine)

DNA sequencing currently proceeds at a pace five times that ofmoores law. Technoloy has enabled us to to reprogram DNA,

which undoubtedly leads to great advances in medicine.Recently, researchers genetically altered the H5N1influenza virus
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to be more potent so as to advance our understanding ofinfluenza and prepare vaccines.

The Artificial Cardiac Pacemaker is a medical device that useselectrical impulses, delivered by electrodes contracting the heartmuscles, to regulate the beating of the heart. Implanted into thepatients that suffer high risk of sudden cardiac death, the deviceallows for wireless communication for doctors to monitor the heart

rate and give the patients heart a shockwhen required.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids -Researchers have found that these fattyacids provide protection against cardiovascular disease,including abnormal heart rhythms, hypertension, high triglyceridelevels, heart disease and stroke. They also potentially prevent age-related macular degeneration, certain cancers, inflammatorybowel disease (IBS) and autoimmune diseases (such asrheumatoid arthritis).

18 Latest scientific developments that havebenefited energy usage/ understanding ofthe world

19 Ethical conflict in scientific research (eg withreligion/ distribution / sanctity of life)

Conflict between religion and Human cloning.

Cardinal OMalleys view on Human cloning treats human beings

as productsmanufactured to order to suit other peoples wishes.

A technical advance in human cloning is not progress forhumanity but its opposite.

In 2006, a primate researcher at the University of California, LosAngeles (UCLA) shut down the experiments in his lab after threatsfrom animal rights activists. The researcher had received a grantto use 30 macaque monkeys for vision experiments; each monkeywas anesthetized for a single physiological experiment lasting upto 120 hours, and then euthanized.The researcher's name, phonenumber, and address were posted on the website of the PrimateFreedom Project. Demonstrations were held in front of his home

20 Laws implemented to ensure ethical research/ use of / fair distribution of technology orscience (eg privacy, internet, stem cell). [1egfrom Sg]

SG mandates the need for informed consent to participation inresearch, respect for privacy, safeguarding confidentiality, andminimising harm to research participants. It also requires a properregard for religious and cultural diversity

Widespread prohibition of reproductive cloning in the world withthe exception of a few countries. They however have very strictguidelines.E.g. The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union(2000) prohibits the reproductive cloning of human beings

21 How globalisation has benefited and hurt

countries economies & traditions

Economic impact: Brain drain. While many developed countries

will benefit economically from globalisation, developing countriesmight lose out if the demand for skilled labour from other countriesdecreases the domestic labour pool.Evidence: The UNDP estimates that India loses $2 billion a yearbecause of the emigration of computer experts to the U.S. Indianstudents going abroad for their higher studies costs India a foreignexchange outflow of $10 billion annually.

Point: Increasing rich-poor divide in Singapore.Evidence: Singapore has the second highest income gapbetween the rich and the poor, as indicated by the Ginicoefficient, among the 38 countries with very high humandevelopment, according to the 2009 United NationsDevelopment Report. Singapore, according to the 2009 UNreport, had a Gini coefficient of 42.5, exceeded only by HongKong (43.4) among the countries with very high humandevelopment.

22 Examples of NGOs and IGOs and what theydo. [environment, economics, health]

Environmental: Greenpeace. Greenpeace is a non-governmentalenvironmental organization with offices in over forty countries and
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_California,_Los_Angeleshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_California,_Los_Angeleshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macaquehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primate_Freedom_Projecthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primate_Freedom_Projecthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primate_Freedom_Projecthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primate_Freedom_Projecthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macaquehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_California,_Los_Angeleshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_California,_Los_Angeles


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focuses its campaigning on world wide issues such as globalwarming, deforestation, overfishing, commercial whaling, geneticengineering and anti-nuclear issues.

Health: The International Red Cross and Red Cresent Movement isan international humanitarian movement with approximately 97million volunteers, members and staff worldwide which wasfounded to protect human life and health, to ensure respect forall human beings, and to prevent and alleviate human suffering.

Social: The United Nations. Founded in 1945, the UN is the singlelargest IGO in the world. The UN Charter, the treaty establishingthe UN, lists its main purposes as maintaining international peaceand security, developing relations among nations, working tosolve international issues, promoting human rights, and being acentral place for harmonizing the actions of nations.

ASEAN. To accelerate the economic growth, social progress andcultural development in the region through joint endeavours inthe spirit of equality and partnership in order to strengthen thefoundation for a prosperous and peaceful community ofSoutheast Asian nations. Aims to promote regional peace andstability through abiding justice and the rule of law in the

relationship among countries of the region and adherence to theprinciples of the United Nations Charter

23 Recent examples of countries in crisis & why:civil unrest, health, pollution, crime wave,famine [1 for each category]

Civil unrestLibya (violent rebellion across the country, rebel forces control

eastern regions; large numbers of army and diplomatic

defections; UN resolution passed to enact no-fly zone in Libya to

defend rebel-controlled areas; Allied airstrikes currently hitting air

defense targets controlled by Gaddafi forces, which are largely

composed of mercenaries)

Health crisisAfrica.Of the 36 million people with HIV/AIDS in the world, 25million are in sub-Saharan Africa. In certain African countries, morethan a quarter of the adult population are infected with HIV, andlife expectancy is projected to decline dramatically in the next 10years. Countries like Africa are unable to afford the essentialmedicines. These countries already have a lot of problems on theirhands.

Pollution

Crime wave

FamineIn Niger. The county has been struck by excessive severe food

crises in recent years that resulted in depletion of household assetsand high indebtedness. In addition, large numbers of refugeesand returning national migrant workers from Mali and Libyaplaced an increased demand for food.

24 Recent significant acts of terrorism [when,where, how, by who, number of casualties]

Boston Marathon bombing. Happened on April 15 2013. Multiplebombs exploded near the finish line of the marathon. At least 3killed and more than 170 were injured.

August 2013. Chemical weapon attacks have killed hundreds onthe outskirts of Damascus. Rockets with toxic afents werelaunched at the suburbs of the Ghouta region as part of a majorbombardment on rebel forces. More than 1000 were killed in theattacks

25 Innovative &/or cost-effective policies/measures taken (by individuals orgovt) to reduce environmental harm

Environmental taxes. Economic instruments may beable to achieve a given level of environmental protection atlower cost, by providing incentives forpolluters to choose the most cost-effective abatementmechanisms and by encouraging the greatestabatement effort from those polluters for whom it is least


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expensive

26 Ineffective policies/measures taken(by individuals or govt) to reduceenvironmental harm.

27 Most generous philanthropists [1 from Sg, 2 inthe world]

Bill gates. Gates is one of the best-known entrepreneurs of

the personal computer revolution. Gates has pursued a numberof philanthropic endeavors, donating large amounts of money tovarious charitable organizations and scientific research programsthrough the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, established in 2000.

Gan Eng Seng was a Chinese businessman and philanthropist whowas one of the early pioneers of Singapore. He is known for hisgenerosity to many charitable causes in Malayaand Singaporeduring the British colonial era. Some of his most recognisedcontributions were the setting up of Gan Eng Seng School, theThong Chai Medical Institution, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, and the EeHoe Hean Club.

Oprah Winfrey. As of 2012, Winfrey had also given over 400

scholarships to Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. Winfrey

was the recipient of the first Bob Hope Humanitarian Award at the

2002 Emmy Awards for services to television and film. To celebrate

two decades on national TV, and to thank her employees for their

hard work, Winfrey took her staff and their families (1065 people in

total) on vacation to Hawaii in the summer of 2006.

In 2013, Winfrey donated $12 million to the Smithsonians National

Museum of African American History and Culture

28 Examples of treaties/measures/internationalaid given (by NGOs, IGOs or countries) to

alleviate global poverty and theeffectiveness.

29 Famous athletes and their achievements [1from Sg]

Ang Peng Siong. A swimmer from Singapore who once held theworld no.1 ranking in the 50m freestyle.Michael Phelps.Phelps also holds the all-time records for Olympic goldmedals (18, double the second highest record holders)Olympic goldmedals in individual events (11), and Olympic medals in individual eventsfor a male

Michael Jordan. Greatest basketball player of all timeJordanwas one of the most effectively marketed athletes of hisgeneration and was considered instrumental in popularizing theNBA around the world in the 1980s and 1990s.

30 Going, going, gone: things that are goingextinct / recently gone extinct.

3 examples of dying languages: what? where? How manyspeakers left?

1) Apiaka is spoken by the indigenous people of the samename who live in the northern state of Mato Grosso in Brazil.The critically endangered language belongs to the Tupilanguage family. As of 2007, there was one remainingspeaker.

2) Pazeh is spoken by Taiwan's indigenous tribe of the samename. Mrs. Pan Jin Yu, 95, was the sole known speaker as of2008.

Tolowa, the language of the Tolowa Native American tribe, isspoken by a few members located in the Smith River Rancheria. asovereign nation, nearCrescent City, Calif. Tolowa is part of theAthabaskan language family. One speaker remained as of 2008.

3 examples of insects/animals endangered by environmental

factors: what, where, why?1) Amur Leopard. Only 40 left in Russias far east. Due to threats

facing the species include habitat loss due to logging, roadbuilding and encroaching civilization, poaching (illegalhunting) and global climate change.


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2) Northern Right Whale. Only 350 still swim the Atlantic. Due tothe whaling days of the 19th century, almost drove species toextinction

3) Leather Back Sea turtle.The leatherbacks problems includetheft of its eggs by humans, illegal hunting and nesting-habitat loss due to beach development, and the erosion ofbeaches due to global climate change

3 examples of trends/habits/gadgets made redundant bymodernization or newer technology : what, why?

1) Discs in general. Creation of MP3s to replace CDs andDownloads have made DVDs less appealing to use.

2) Cables seem to be on the way out, although it took sometime doing so. Wireless soundbars are replacing thetraditional home entertainment cables; network storage isbecoming wireless

Documents

Example Bank 2 - Year 2013 Compiled