Ms Goh's GP blog

From Paragraph 2:
2. According to the writer, how has moral hypochondria become a hindrance to science? Use your own words as far as possible. [3 ½]

Lifted Phrases Paraphrased Answers
• Disturbed the development of our institutions (l.12)
• Public [has] reacted with blind, irrational fear (l.14)
• [no] clear, considered, decisive action (l.18)


• setting up of taboos around emotionally charged words and symbols (l.19)


• development of our institutions becomes hazy and possibly perverted when panic takes over (l.20) • Hindered / obstructed our progress in science [ ½ ]
• The people have responded with unreasonable / illogical terror [ ½ ]
• A lack of obvious action that has been deliberated over [ ½ ]
• fear that overcomes or overpowers
[ ½ ]
• Words and signs with certain connotations are suddenly deemed unacceptable/ creation of sensitive issues around certain terms [1]
• The progress of science has grown to be unclear and even warped / twisted [ ½ ]

Comments

• This question was very badly answered and most students did not seem to understand the meaning of the phrase ‘moral hypochondria.’
• One problem that was apparent was that many students wrote lengthy and irrelevant material from the paragraph, essentially copying and rephrasing things that they did not understand. The average student spent at least 3 lines devoted to the Russians, Congress and professors at the University of California. Students should realize there is a difference between examples given to substantiate a position and the statements that delineate the position.
• Lifting was extremely common for the phrase involving the setting up of taboos. Less than 1/10 of students managed to get more than 2 ½ marks for content here.
• Lack of length in answers (many answers were only 3 lines) also deflated the number of marks awarded for language use.
• Many students did not understand the meaning of the word taboo or misspelt superstition.
• In general, the way students answered this question regarding taboos and the real objective regarding our institutions betrays the fact that most did not understand what the passage was talking about. Students tended to score mostly by noting that our institutions were interrupted in their development and the public reacted with fear.




From paragraph 1
5. Identify and explain the irony pointed out by the writer [2]

Lifted Phrases Paraphrased Answers
• science and technology have had a beneficial impact on our lives (l.1)
• labour-saving/cut down time on actual physical labour (l.3-4)
• but has increased considerably the mental effort that modern occupations require (1.6)
• gives rise to stress, strain and fatigue (l.7) • science and technology have brought positive effects on society
• they reduce time and effort spent on manual work
• however, greater concentration is necessary when working today
• resulting in tiredness and tension or psychological disorders. Despite this most people prefer to do mental rather than physical work

Comments:

• There are two ironies in this answer. 1) greater tiredness and tension and 2) the fact that despite this, people prefer to do mental rather than physical work. Only one irony would suffice although some students put two.
• Lifting. An explanation of the first part of the answer, but lifting the second part of the answer and vice versa results in the loss of a mark.
• Students put down the fact that mental effort was increased. This stands to reason and is not ironic.
• The idea that mental work is more satisfying is not ironic.
• Some students quoted directly from the text, which can only be taken as lifting. This should be avoided at all costs.
• Some students had the wrong noun, verb agreement. For example science and technology has brought instead of have brought.

Mark Scheme for Qn 5: 2 (content) + 2 (lang) = 4 marks (total)
Marked by Mr Bernard Walker

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