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TEMASEK JUNIOR COLLEGE
MARCH COMMON TEST 2010

GENERAL PAPER
Paper 2 Suggested Answers


** This question paper is adapted from the 2009 VJC JC2 Common Test.

QUESTIONS ON PASSAGE A

1. Why has “the rise of a meritocratic elite” (line 1) bred resistance? [2]

LIFTED PARAPHRASE
 disorganise society (l. 3)



 debase education (l. 3)





 meritocracies were … unjust (l. 5)  It would result in chaos/instability/ destabilise society/ social disorder [1] and

 devalue/ undermine the quality/ meaning/ goals/ value/ purpose of education/cause the quality of education to degenerate [1].
(ok to use “education”)

 The system would also become unfair. [1]

Any 2 points.

Note: “Destroy the foundations of education” is not an acceptable answer and is a poor paraphrase of “debase education”


2. Why is the word “talent” (line 7) in inverted commas? [2]

LIFTED PARAPHRASE
 owed more to nature than nurture (l. 5–6)


 tantamount to rewarding them for having privileged parents (l. 7)
 The author suggests that the talent is not natural/ innate/ inherent/ inborn/ has been cultivated [1]

 and is the result of having a good family background/ a wealthy/ affluent family. [1]


3. Explain the meaning of the phrase “aristocracy of talent” (line 12) [1]
 People who have/ are gifted with special abilities/skills belong to/ are regarded as a select group/ elites/ a higher class/ have higher social status. [1]

Note: “talent” must be rephrased. If only “aristocracy” is rephrased (correctly), ½ mark to be awarded.
4. Why are there more “winners” (line 16) now than fifty years ago? [2]

LIFTED PARAPHRASE
 Back then, the meritocrats concentrated on spotting recruits for Oxbridge and the senior civil service. (l. 17–18)




 Since then, America and Europe have created a mass higher education system, and developing countries are determined to follow suit. (l. 19–21)  In the past, success was defined in very narrow/limited terms/ only the few people who had access to higher education had the chance to be successful/ few people had access to higher education and therefore success. [1]

 Today, higher education is accessible to everyone/ most people/ there are more places available for people to pursue higher education. [1]


5. Why are the problems of meritocracy seen as “self-correcting” (line 23)? [3]

LIFTED PARAPHRASE
 Many talented people not only create jobs and wealth. They turn their hands to philanthropy… (l. 23–24)



 The growing returns to education create incentives for people to get themselves educated, producing a better-trained workforce as well as upward mobility (l. 25–27)






 Multinational companies routinely promote local talent in the developing world, putting an ever more multi-ethnic face on the global talent elite (l. 28–30)  Those who have exceptional abilities do not simply generate employment and income but will also support worthy causes/contribute back to society. [1]

 The increasing benefits of education results in people becoming more motivated to improve their educational qualifications, thus creating more skilled professionals/a more proficient pool of labour and the chance to raise one’s social status/climb the social ladder/ increase one’s standing/position in society [1]

 Transnational firms regularly endorse/encourage talent in poorer countries/the third world, thus creating a more cosmopolitan/diverse group of international elites. [1]


6. Why is the success of advanced economies dependent on their ability to “mobilise their citizens’ brainpower” (lines 41–43)? [1]

LIFTED PARAPHRASE
 society can reward a wider range of talents (l. 36) … ample rewards for all sorts of specialised talents (l. 38)  There are more opportunities to make profits/ get higher-paying jobs based one’s creative/innovative abilities/ skills. [1]
QUESTIONS ON PASSAGE B

7. Identify and explain the two figurative expressions used in the first paragraph. [3]

LIFTED PARAPHRASE
 a roll of the genetic dice (l. 4–5)




 the race of life (l. 6)


Note: “brute bad luck” and “accidents of birth” are not figurative.

 A person’s fate/fortune/destiny/lot in life is seen as randomly determined, just as a random result occurs when dice are thrown. [1]

 Just like a race which participants compete to win/ strive/ struggle to complete, human existence is seen as a competition where we struggle to attain glory/win rewards/ attain our goals. [1]

Note: ½ mark for identifying each figurative phrase and 1 mark for explaining it. To get the full mark for explanation, students must explain both parts, ie. literal and figurative meaning.


8. Summarize the arguments against meritocracy, using only material from paragraphs 3 to 6. Write your summary in about 120 words, excluding the words provided. Use your own words as far as possible. [8]

Meritocracy is problematic because …

LIFTED PARAPHRASE
 Market is not going to reward just any kind of merit…selects the “right” kinds of abilities (l. 17–18) A  It is discriminatory in compensating/ awards unequal compensation for certain qualities/worth of an individual.
 comprise a narrow range of human characteristics (l. 23) B  Only a limited number of traits are worthy of consideration/ The range of traits valued is exclusive/ limited in scope.
 Some of them…not always morally admirable (l. 23–24) C  Several of these traits are ethically unsound/ may pose ethical problems.
 People don’t choose their abilities (l. 30) D  People are not able to determine/ decide what innate qualities they possess.
 Kennedy worked hard to develop his talent … it’s his energy and determination that deserve praise and reward. The difficulty here is how to know where one thing ends and another starts. (l. 34–36) E  and the problem is/ the trouble is how to distinguish between innate ability and effort.
 All this goes to show how difficult it is to pick out what, exactly, we mean by merit and desert (l. 39–40)
 concept of desert itself is a highly problematic one (l. 55–56)
 The often staggering rewards that some receive aren’t genuinely tied to performance (l. 65–66) F  Hence, the idea/ concept of reward becomes a debatable issue/ reward is not always fair.
 Principle of deservingness (l. 52)…likely to entrench undeserved privilege (l. 54) G  Meritocracy will result in the perpetuation of such unjust rights/ advantages.
Note: answer must include idea of “perpetuation”.
 “efficient” doesn’t mean “right” (l. 62–63) H  A pragmatic/ practical approach to meritocracy is not always best/ correct because
 May not be true that this is the most effective approach to harnessing talent (l. 63–64)
 inequality tends to bury talent and human worth (l. 64–65) I  one’s potential/talent is not maximized/ developed/ harnessed/ is wasted/ overlooked
OR
 this is not the most successful/ best/ most productive way to make use of people’s abilities/ skills.
** 1 mark each, max. 8 marks.
Note: allow the use of “talent” in students’ anwers.


9. Vocabulary
1 m ½ m 0 m
rash
(passage A, l. 9) a large number of instances in a short period, surge, outbreak, sudden spate/ slew/ wave wave, slew, spate

series, multitude, gush, breakout, rush, bout, throng, flurry, frenzy, outburst, influx

straining
(passage A, l. 11) stretch to the limit, taxing, weakening, placing tension on, overstretching, wearing out, stressing, putting stress on, fraying
stretching eroding, damaging, harming, worsening, pressure, pressurising,
broadly
(passage A, l. 31) widely, generally universally, largely, vastly, publicly
trepidation
(passage A, l. 46) uncertainty, apprehension, with anxiety, afraid, dread, fear, worry
hesitation, terror, horror
just
(passage B, l. 41) fair, merited, deserved, rightful unbiased, impartial, genuine, true
10. The writer of Passage A believes that meritocracy “offers all sorts of benefits” (line 43) while Chris Horner points out the drawbacks of meritocracy.

Which view do you subscribe to? How relevant are the writers’ views to your society?

Justify your answer by examining at least two issues, one from each passage. Support your discussion with specific examples from your own observations and experiences. [8]

R1 – Students must state their stand clearly without contradiction
R2 – They must decide the extent to which the benefits and drawbacks of
meritocracy are reflected in their society
R3 – Issues must be identified clearly. Justification provided should be sound,
directly relevant to the ideas from the passage and demonstrate mature
understanding of meritocracy and its implications.
R4 – Relevant examples must be provided. Link between examples and
issue/stand must be made clearly.

Note:
 If answer has R1+R2 only, max. 2 marks
 If answer has R1+R3+R4 (ie. R2 is not explicitly addressed), max. 6 marks if R1+R3+R4 are well addressed.


KEY IDEAS FROM PASSAGE A: Benefits of Meritocracy

Meritocracy allows more people to benefit through the provision of higher education to the masses  leads to economic prosperity. (l. 16–21)
 Those who do well in schools in education are awarded scholarships to pursue tertiary education. Hence, the emphasis on education by the government which invests heavily in education and aims to give every child a top-rate education. Parents also ensure that their children get a good education, and children themselves who work very hard to do well and win scholarships. (Edusave, MOE Financial Assistance Scheme, tuition grants, etc)
 This emphasis on providing quality education and rewarding people for their abilities/efforts has served the nation well  it has led to better employment opportunities and a motivated workforce in Singapore  one of the major factors for Singapore’s economic prosperity
 Singapore’s meteoric rise from a poor city with no natural resources to a world class economy was possible because of meritocracy.
 Talented leaders have also contributed to the political success of the nation.

It gives talented people the opportunity to create wealth and employment, for themselves and others and help the less fortunate. (l. 23–24)
 Those who have done well give back to society e.g. philanthropists like Lien Ying Chow who set up the Lien foundation which offers scholarships, education grants etc to students, bankers like Wee Cho Yau and entrepreneurs like Sim Wong Hoo who contribute to society.

People are more motivated to pursue higher education when they see that meritocracy rewards those who are educated  leads to better trained workforce and upward mobility (l. 25–27)
 Constant emphasis on skills upgrading  those who are motivated to do so are rewarded in terms of higher salaries, better job security
 This system has allowed for social mobility in Singapore – where those from poorer backgrounds can improve their lot and become successful in society with hard work and talent.
 Many examples of successful people from humble backgrounds who are now in top positions in the government and business – Olivia Lum (Hyflux), Sim Wong Hoo (Creative), Charles Chan (Larry Jewellry), Wong Kan Seng, Goh Chok Tong, etc.
 Meritocracy is important for racial and religious harmony in a multiracial society – people do not feel that ‘natural inequalities’ are a bar to achieving success.

Local talent, especially those in less developed countries, have a chance to develop through MNCs (l. 28–29)
 We also see talent going global and doing well abroad – Singapore imported talent – Li Jia Wei, Tao Li and Singapore’s own local talent – Ashley Isham, Siow Lee Chin, Ong Keng Sen etc

Meritocracy rewards a wider range of talents and all sorts of specialized talent (l. 36, 38)
 Not only are those who excel in academia are rewarded; those who are talented in other areas e.g. sport, music, art etc can also go far e.g. Fandi Ahmad, Abigail Sin, Stefanie Sun etc. Also Singapore Sports School, School of the Arts, etc.

Meritocracy leads to faster scientific progress. (l. 43)



KEY IDEAS FROM PASSAGE B: Drawbacks of Meritocracy

Equal opportunities do not lead to equality because the opportunities and rewards that one receives is largely determined by family background/ wealth. (paragraph 2, paragraph 4, l. 65–68)
 We measure merit based on academic credentials.
 However, it is also true that those who come from privileged backgrounds e.g. parents who are educated, wealthy, successful, and have important connections, have a head start in this race – ACS, RI – ‘Old Boys Clubs’, with extensive and wealthy networks.
 They go to the best schools, have access to resources, private tuition if necessary, wide exposure through travel etc. When they start work, they can be better off with the right connections. With their privileged backgrounds and upbringing, they are likely to be more confident, speak well and fare better in interviews.
 Data from a 2002 Youth Survey of nearly 1000 young people found that father’s educational background had a big role in determining performance. Parent’s socio-economic backgrounds and expectations were also crucial factors.
 Less educated parents who also had high expectations lacked the time, money or the know-how to help their children. Social mobility can be elusive.

Meritocracy rewards only a limited range of abilities/jobs – those which are seen as glamorous/ of a higher social status and which may not necessarily be desirable. (paragraph 3)
 Somewhat true that certain jobs are rewarded more highly than others.
 Singaporeans still have the perception that professions such as lawyers, doctors, etc are more deserving of higher rewards

Even rewarding for ability may not be fair because it is unclear whether the ability is due to upbringing and genes or due to one’s effort/ hard work. (paragraph 4)

While it is fair and just to sometimes reward unequally based on differences in people’s circumstances and needs, this can result in an entrenchment of undeserved privilege. (paragraph 5)
 Meritocracy creates talent elite – the best and brightest; these are picked and nurtured to become the top civil servants in Singapore. A significant portion of Ministers, for instance, come from a fairly narrow band of top schools.

 Gap between the rich and poor widens and such inequalities can breed resentment and envy in society, and a sense of inferiority, eg. uproar over ministerial salaries, Ho Ching’s appointment, etc.

Meritocracy can lead to inequality (through unequal rewards) and this is not the best way to harness talent, since those with worthy talent might not be noticed. (paragraph 6, l. 63–65)

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