2N1

Argumentative Essay

Introduction

· Make a stand

· Define what the theme is.

· Identify 3 reasons to support

Body paragraph x 3

· Point: Topic sentence

· Explain: How this reason supports your stand

· Examples: Provide specific examples

· Link back to the reason and your stand

Conclusion

· Repeat your stand, mentioning the three reasons you have provided.


Factual Essay

1. Introduction

Anecdotal or story

Factual or historical background

2. Body Paragraphs

· The body paragraphs are where you present your paper’s main points.

· Your body paragraphs should contain ample textual evidence, be correctly formatted, and have seamless transitions.

Formula: Topic Sentence + Evidence + Consequences/Impact

3. Conclusion

· Restate the main points

· Answer the question, “Who cares?”

· End with a punch

NEWS REPORT

Headline (Catch-phrase)

Byline: the person who wrote the news report

Lead paragraph: summarises the whole news report (5Ws1H)

Body: most important information to least important information

Comments: offer some first-hand account of the event/incident

Closing paragraph: concludes/includes any additional details

EYE WITNESS REPORT

To: ______________

Position: ______________

School: ______________

______________

______________

From: _______________

Position: _______________

Class: _______________

_______________

Date: ________________

Report on __________________

EMAIL

Sender’s Address

Date (DD Month YYYY)

Recipient’s Name

Recipient’s Position

Recipient’s Place of Work

Address for the Place of Work

Salutation

Subject matter to be underlined

Yours sincerely (if name is known/faithfully if name is unknown)

(Signature)

Sender’s Name

INFORMAL LETTER

Sender’s Address

Date

Salutation

Yours truly / Your niece etc.

(Signature)

Full Name

TERM 4 WEEK 3 - REVISION

What is the purpose of the poster/ website…

Always use a verb to describe the purpose. For example, the purpose is to…

inform

educate

raise awareness

encourage/ discourage


1.Citing pieces of evidence

How to identify such question types? When the question has the following key words:

-Identify a word/ phrase/ sentence

-Quote a word/ phrase/ sentence

-Pick out a word/ phrase/ sentence

-Which word/ phrase/ sentence in para 2 shows…

PHRASE ( 2 – 7 WORDS)

How to answer?

-Be precise in spelling (make sure you copy word for word and spelling is accurate)

-Be concise (excess denies!!!!)

-Use quotation marks (without which, zero marks will be awarded)

In Your Own Words Questions

How to answer such questions?

1.Locate the answer from the relevant paragraph/ line(s)

2.Identify key words/ phrases from the answer

3.Paraphrase the key words/ phrases with synonyms and words of the same meaning. Please do not use the same root word(s).

•IDENTIFY POSSIBLE PENALTY WORDS AND TRY TO REPLACE THEM


Global Question (Last question of Section B): 3-4 marks

How to answer such questions?

•DO NOT ANSWER USING YOUR OWN THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS!!!

1.Locate evidence from relevant paragraphs/text

2.Ensure that the evidence matches with what the view is.

3.Must be in quotation marks if they are directly lifted from the passage!


•E.g. I agree that exercise is important


•Evidence chosen “Exercise can help to improve physical wellness.”

•Wrong evidence chosen “Exercise can make one feel tired.”


1.Summary Question

v be mindful of the different part(s) of the question.

v ensure points address each required part (if there are more than 1 part to the question.)

v refer only to stipulated paragraphs (From Paragraph 2 to 4)

v check your language; use conjunctions to link points coherently


8 MARKS FOR CONTENT

Rule of thumb : APPROXIMATELY 10 WORDS PER CONTENT POINT

TERM 3 WEEK 10 - 28 AUG

LISTENING COMPREHENSION TIPS

READ THE QUESTIONS USING THE TIME PROVIDED

PAY ATTENTION AS THE SPEAKER IS SPEAKING

AS YOU LISTEN, TAKE DOWN NOTES AT THE SIDE OF THE QUESTIONS

TERM 3 WEEK 8 - 14 AUG

(Factual Writing)

The body paragraphs are where you present your paper’s main points.

Body paragraphs should contain ample textual evidence, be correctly formatted, and have seamless transitions.

Formula: Topic Sentence + Evidence + Consequences/Impact

TERM 3 WEEK 8 - 13 AUG (Factual Writing)

1. Introduction

What is the Function of an Introductory Paragraph?

· Get the reader’s attention

· Provide necessary background information

· Shape the reader’s perspective

· Present the thesis statement

1. Anecdotal or story

2. Factual or historical background

3. Say what is mistakenly believed to be true by many people

TERM 3 WEEK 7 - 7 AUG

Factual Writing Lesson 1 (Introduction)

1. Introduction

What is the Function of an Introductory Paragraph?

· Get the reader’s attention

· Provide necessary background information

· Shape the reader’s perspective

· Present the thesis statement

Approaches

1. Anecdotal or story

Picture a world without animals and all that is left is barren and wastelands. This is a highly possible reality if we do not start our efforts to save our environment.

2. Factual or historical background

The human body is made of trillions of cells. There are different cells for different functions.

3. Say what is mistakenly believed to be true by many people

Many people would think that sharks are responsible for a high number of human deaths. However, that is not entirely true.

TERM 3 WEEK 7 - 6 AUG

Demonstrating resilience

TERM 3 WEEK 6 - 2 AUG

Lose weight through games


Term 1 Week 7 Fun with language

DAILY NEWS BITES (13 FEB 2018)

WINTER OLYMPICS 2018

MOST HIGH-TECH OLYMPICS - USAGE OF DRONES

DISPLAY OF UNITY

For more exciting news and updates of Winter Olympics, visit https://www.pyeongchang2018.com/en/index

DAILY NEWS BITES (14 FEB 2018)

20 February 2018 - SINGAPORE BUDGET

21 February 2018 - Cyber Risks

HardwareZone Forum hit by security breach; 685,000 user profiles affectedSINGAPORE: Approximately 685,000 user profiles were affected when the HardwareZone (HWZ) Forum website was hit by a security breach, the site's owner SPH Magazines said in a news release on Tuesday (Feb 20).  A suspicious post on Sunday prompted an investigation to ascertain whether a security breach had occurred, the news release said. The probe showed that a senior moderator’s account had been compromised by an unidentified hacker, and used to access the user profiles since September 2017. "The hacker used the compromised credentials to impersonate the senior moderator to retrieve user profile data which comprised name, email address and user ID, and possible optional data fields," said SPH Magazines.  It added that the database of the online tech portal did not contain NRIC numbers, telephone numbers and addresses as these had been purged in line with the Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC) guidelines in July 2015.     As a matter of precaution, forum users were advised to change their forum account password, SPH Magazines said, adding that it has also engaged security consultants to conduct "a thorough review of the system". A police report has been lodged and PDPC has been informed, SPH Magazines said.  "SPH Magazines and HWZ sincerely apologise to HWZ users for this breach of security. We remain committed to protecting all personal data shared with us," the release added. 

22 February 2018 - Defence against Cyber Threats

Hacker awarded US$5,000 after finding 9 vulnerabilities in MINDEF systemsSINGAPORE: He used to hack online video games to win prizes when he was in secondary school. Now, this 30-year-old cybersecurity manager from Ernst & Young has been rewarded for being the top overall white hat participant in MINDEF's bug bounty programme.  The hacker, who wanted to be known only by his codename Darrel Shivadagger, reported nine out of 35 vulnerabilities that existed in MINDEF systems, one of which was rated a "high severity" bug. He was awarded US$5,000 (S$6,606) for his efforts.  "They (MINDEF) have systems in place that are actually quite sensitive,” Darrel said. “They actually warded off very intrusive attempts from me. I was able to find only client-side vulnerabilities. I couldn't really find anything major or server-side related.” Darrel was one of 264 white hat hackers from around the world who participated in the programme, including people from the United States, Singapore, India, Romania, Canada, Russia, Sweden, Ireland, Egypt and Pakistan. They were invited to try to penetrate systems - including the MINDEF’s public website, NS Portal and Defence Mail - for three weeks from Jan 15 until Feb 4. Of those who participated, 17 spotted vulnerabilities that were valid. Of the 35 vulnerability reports, 23 were classified as "low severity", 10 "medium" and two "high". None were rated as "critical". According to MINDEF, they responded to the hackers’ vulnerability reports within five hours on average. In total, MINDEF rewarded US$14,750 in bounties to the 17 successful hackers who participated.  MINDEF’s Defence Cyber Chief David Koh said that the exercise was a "useful and effective programme".  "We have started sharing our processes with other government agencies so that they understand exactly what has happened, understand the amount of resources that has been put into this."  MINDEF added that it will continue to explore other methods to evolve and improve its defences against cyber threats.

7 March 2018 - Fitness over Fat acceptance

20 MARCH 2018

Term 2 Week 2

27 March 2018

Grab-Uber Merger

Grab-Uber merger: Drivers worried about incentives, car rental contractsSINGAPORE: Hot on the (w)heels of Grab’s acquisition of Uber in Southeast Asia, many drivers are raising questions about the way forward with Grab becoming the biggest player in the local ride-sharing industry. While agencies such as the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and Competition Commission of Singapore (CCS) are ironing out the details and studying the impact of the deal, some drivers have expressed concern about their car rental contracts and incentives.    CAR RENTAL CONTRACTS UNCERTAIN Mr Mervyn Tan, an admin for a 28,000-strong Facebook group for Uber and Grab users, said he has seen a flurry of posts in the group with many drivers asking about their existing contracts with Uber’s car rental partner Lion City Rental since news broke on Monday morning (Mar 26). “Their number one worry above everything else is money. Everything related to money is what they worry about. Will they have a job after Apr 8? Are they able to get out of the contract?” said Mr Tan. On top of these questions, Mr Tan said that there are some drivers who may be stuck with a rented car and unable to join Grab because they were previously blacklisted. “For previous drivers under Grab who were terminated by Grab for whatever reason, they are not entertaining any applications from them. This was told to me by one of the drivers,” Mr Tan said. Uber driver Ian Liow is among those who are renting their cars from Lion City Rental, which stipulates in its rental contracts that drivers cannot use the car for private-hire services on platforms other than Uber. “But with Uber selling off its entire operations to Grab, legally wise, does it mean that any hirer who has a contract with Lion City Rental can therefore drive for Grab officially and legally? Uber and Lion City Rental have to come out to put the record straight,” Mr Liow said. Lion City Rental posted that it is “closed until further notice” on Facebook and has reached out to hirers through SMS saying that it will contact them in the coming days. https://www.facebook.com/LionCityRentals.com.sg/posts/767751750097122 “Since they have already taken the initiative to send out an SMS saying that they will initiate contact, we will see what they say. Clearly they have the obligation to answer to their hirers, especially those with contracts,” Mr Liow said. Member of Parliament Ang Hin Kee, who is also an executive adviser to the National Taxi Association, said that he is aware of these concerns. In a Facebook post, he said that “both the NTA and the National Private Hire Vehicles Association have shared drivers’ concerns with LTA and the CCS”. https://www.facebook.com/anghinkee/photos/a.558684750849178.1073741824.149772861740371/1900415880009385/?type=3&theater INCENTIVES MAY NOT BE AS ATTRACTIVE Another concern worrying drivers is whether the current incentives would continue after the merger. Currently, both companies have different reward systems to incentivize hirers in their fleet to ply the streets. “Uber’s side has Uber’s way of paying the drivers in terms of incentives, Grab also has their own way of paying incentives. If these two merge together right now, I’m not sure how the incentives are going affect us,” said a driver who goes by Mr Lim. “And because there will be more drivers now driving for Grab, they probably will reduce the incentive payment for every driver. So that may affect our total earnings going forward,” he added. NO CHOICE BUT TO JOIN Some drivers have lamented that they are left with no choice but join Grab. One driver who gave his name as Abu said that the two companies could have merged but kept both apps. “I have to follow the crowd, no choice. The corporations can merge and they could have kept the apps as they are. This would be a friendlier solution for both riders and drivers, keeping things as per normal but as one company,” said Mr Abu. “When the rumours were going around, my expectation was that Uber would remain as Uber the app,” he said. Those with the taxi driver's vocational licence might have the option of joining the taxi fleet but some drivers said they will not go back because of the high rental costs compared to those offered by Grab’s partner rental companies. Full-time Uber driver Timothy Lee, who also has the taxi vocational licence, said: “The ComfortDelGro app has fewer requests compared to Uber. How am I going to cover rental costs? It’ll be a vicious cycle again.” Other drivers have also said that the two-week transitional period until Apr 8 is insufficient for Uber drivers to register themselves with Grab. New Grab drivers will have to undergo a 30-minute online training video and quiz, and wait for at least five working days for the company to process their registration. New drivers will also have to learn how to use the Grab app. “For example, the Uber app doesn’t require us to manually key in ERP charges but the Grab app does. If you forget or don’t know how to do this, the drivers will end up paying for this extra charge,” a driver who goes by Shankar said. “This is something that’s clearly not very transparent or ethical on Uber’s side. I’m quite disappointed with them on this matter. They should have at least given more notice, like a three months’ notice which is more reasonable. There are so many issues to iron out,” Mr Liow said.

Term 2 Week 3

CYBER ATTACKS

Half of European flights face delays after computer failureBRUSSELS: European air travellers faced mass disruption on Tuesday (Apr 3) with up to half of all flights delayed after the system that manages air traffic for the continent broke down. Nearly 15,000 flights could be held up by the problem, acording to Eurocontrol, the Brussels-based agency in charge of managing Europe's skies. Several of the EU's biggest airports, including Amsterdam's Schiphol, warned of problems and advised passengers to check on their flights because of the computer breakdown. "Today 29,500 flights were expected in the European network. Approximately half of those could have some delay as a result of the system outage," a Eurocontrol statement said. "We very much regret the inconvenience caused to passengers across Europe today, however safety is our number 1 priority at all times. We are working hard to ensure the network returns to normal operations over the coming hours," it later tweeted. https://twitter.com/eurocontrol/status/981192849495601153Eurocontrol - which covers 41 countries including all 28 EU nations plus others in Europe including Ukraine, Turkey and Norway - said it hoped to have the system back up and running by late on Tuesday. It blamed a "failure of the Enhanced Tactical Flow Management System", which tracks and manages traffic demand across the continent, and said it had activated contingency plans which reduced European flight capacity by 10 per cent. The cause had been identified, it said, without saying what it was. Eurocontrol added that flight plans from before 1026 GMT were "lost" and asked airlines to refile them. "We have never had anything like this before," a Eurocontrol spokesman told AFP. 'VICIOUS CIRCLE' The breakdown comes a day after the Easter holidays when many travellers are on the move around Europe, and as commuters across France faced disruption from a massive rail strike in protest at President Emmanuel Macron's reforms. Several airports across the continent warned of problems, with Amsterdam's Schiphol saying that the "system failure" at Eurocontrol could have "possible consequences" for departures. Brussels airport said departures were limited to 10 flights an hour. The Belgian airport manages 650 flights a day, according to its website. Helsinki, Prague, Copenhagen and Dublin airports also warned of delays. Frankfurt airport, Germany's biggest and one of the busiest in Europe, said the effects were "limited" but added that planes from Brussels "might not be able to arrive". "We have delays at departures, but this is nothing dramatic. Punctuality is currently under 80 per cent," a spokesperson of Fraport, which runs the airport, told AFP. German air traffic control operator Deutsche Flugsicherung warned of a possible "vicious circle" of delays. "Since 2 pm this system, the network manager, has failed in Brussels. This is the system, the department, that controls the flight schedules," a spokeswoman said. "You work from experience, but things are going slower. But of course, a vicious circle can arise. If nobody takes off, nobody can land. We don't know how long it'll take," the spokeswoman added. The main airports in Paris and Rome, and the organisation that runs all of Spain's airports, said, however, they had no initial reports of disruption.
Singapore university accounts breached; stolen credentials used to access research articlesSINGAPORE: Four Singapore universities have suffered cyberattacks, the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA) and Ministry of Education (MOE) said in a joint statement on Tuesday (Apr 3). CSA and MOE said they received information about the breaches of at least 52 online accounts last week at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore Management University and Singapore University of Technology and Design. Based on investigations, the incident was a phishing attack where unsuspecting users were directed to a credential harvesting website.  The credentials were then used to gain unauthorised access to the institutes’ library website to obtain research articles published by institutes’ staff, CSA and MOE said.  There has been no evidence that sensitive information was extracted, and the incident does not appear to be linked to the Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) attacks on NUS and NTU last year, they added.  "Phishing is a prevalent cyber threat in Singapore. CSA advises users to be vigilant and not click on unfamiliar links or attachments. Users should also refrain from providing personal information on unknown sites. If users have inadvertently provided their personal information, they should monitor their email accounts for unusual activity," CSA and MOE said in the statement.  The authorities have been working closely with the universities on investigations and have advised them on incident response and the remediation measures to take, they said.  The institutions have been instructed to run a check on their networks and have also stepped up their vigilance. Users have been advised to change their passwords immediately, they added.  The breaches come amid charges by the US Treasury Department against a group of Iranians which was accused of hacking hundreds of universities worldwide on behalf of Iran's Revolutionary Guards. Court documents for the case allege that the hackers coordinated cyber attacks on university computer systems in 22 countries, including Singapore, at the behest of the Iran government.  Iran has called the accusations "false" and slammed US sanctions against 10 of its citizens and an Iranian company over their alleged involvement in the scheme.

Term 2 Week 4 - Demand and Supply

Term 2 Week 4 - Reason to sleep in


Term 3 Week 1

25 Jun - Welcome back to school

Importance of Grammar


Term 3 Week 1

26 June 2018 - Obike Ending Operations


Term 3 Week 2

3 July 2018 - Resilience of rescue workers

Term 3 Week 3 - 10 July

Revision for Class Test


To: Police Officer in charge of the case

From: John Tan

T1234567A

Date: 27 June 2018

Report on Accident involving a car and road cyclist

  1. Lead Paragraph
  • When did you see the accident? (time)
  • How did you see it? (what were you doing when the accident took place?)
  • Where did it happened? (location)
  • What did you see? (the accident)
  • Who are the people involved? (involved in the accident)

2. Physical Description of who was involved

3. What you saw/heard

4. What happened in the end? Who else was involved?

5. Contact Details


Written by: John Tan

Signature


Term 3 Week 3 - 12 July 2018

Pink - World's oldest colour

Term 3 Week 4 - Charcoal Food?


Term 3 Week 4 - 19 July 2018

Ninja Recruitment

Term 3 Week 5 - Cyber Attack in Singapore


Term 3 Week 5 - Summary Revision

Summary Revision Tips

  • Identify requirements for the summary question
  • Locate the right points that should be included in a summary answer

3Rs: Reduce, Rephrase & Replace

Reduce

- Exclusion of details, examples, elaboration, repetitions and quotations.

Rephrase

- Changing the sentence structure to shorten the sentences and make it more efficient

Replace

- Replacing phrases that are complex to simpler and shorter phrases or single word.

TERM 3 WEEK 6 - REVISION BEFORE SWCT

Visual Text ( Section A)

Who is the audience of the text?

What is the purpose of the text?

- To inform/raise awareness of a particular event to do what?

- To promote/advertise a certain product so that (target audience) will know or purchase

- To persuade (target audience) to do something or stop doing something

Section C : Summary

Identify the key points of the question? What is the question asking you to summarise?

Read carefully which part of the passage you should take the information from.

Each point should be approximately 10 words long

Find at least 8 points

Rephrase a few words from each point