Management development institute of singapore

MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE OF SINGAPORE

IN TASHKENT ___________________________________________________________________________
SIDI/Passport No. : _____________________________________________
Course : Foundation year
Module : English Advanced-Academic Writing (Paper 2)-Set 3
Examination : Main Exam (English Advanced)
Date / Time : 03 June 2020
Duration : 60 minutes
Total Marks : 70
INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES For Office Use Only

Section	Marks
Writing Task 1 (Summary Writing)	/30
Writing Task 2 (Essay)	/40
Total	/70
Lecturer’s Name
Lecturer’s Signature

This paper consists of a cover page and 7

numbered pages.

1. 
   This paper carries 70 marks and is divided into 2 parts:
   

1. 
   Writing Task 1 carries 30 marks.
   

2. 
   Writing Task 2 carries 40 marks.
   

2. 
   Answer ALL questions on this question paper.
   
3. 
   To be submitted through Turnitin within 24 HOURS.
   
4. 
   Late submissions will be awarded a mark of zero.
   
5. 
   Turnitin will be used to assess for plagiarism and collusion.
   
6. 
   Do not copy and paste answers or share answers.
   
7. 
   University procedures for Unfair Practice will be implemented as normal.
   
8. 
   In-text citations and referencing must be used where appropriate.
   
9. 
   Your answer must be submitted in a Word document only.
   

PART II: WRITING (70 MARKS)
SECTION A: SUMMARY WRITING (30 MARKS)

You should spend about 20 minutes on this section.

BUILDING BLOCKS

1. 
   The transition from print books to e-books shows how one technologically advanced device replaces another. Print books may be under threat from the rise of e-books, but they have a firm hold on a particular group: children and toddlers. Their parents are insisting this next generation of readers spend their early years with old-fashioned books even though they are passionate down-loaders of books onto Kindles, iPads, laptop computers and smartphones. They admit to their double standard, saying they want their children to be surrounded by print books, to experience turning physical pages as they learn about shapes, colours and animals. Parents strongly agree that the feel and texture of paper pages filled with colourful illustrations are far more superior to the static dimensions of a computer screen.
   

2. 
   Parents also say they like cuddling up with their child and a book, and fear that a shiny gadget might be a distraction. Reading forges connections between parents and children, even in the middle of the night. Many are also convinced that it is good for brain development. And if their toddler is going to throw up, a book may be easier to clean than an expensive tablet computer.
   

3. 
   “It’s intimacy, the intimacy of reading and touching the world. It’s the wonderment of her reaching for a page with me,” said Leslie Van Every, 41, a loyal Kindle user in San Francisco whose husband reads on his iPhone. But for their three-year-old daughter, Georgia, conventional books, stacked and strewn around the house, are the only option.
   

4. 
   As the adult book world turns digital at a faster rate than publishers expected, sales of e-books for titles aimed at children younger than eight have barely moved. They represent less than five per cent of total annual sales of children’s books compared to more than 25 per cent in some genres of adult books.
   

5. 
   Many print books are bought as gifts for children because the delights of an Amazon gift card are meaningless for six-year-olds. Children’s books are also a bright spot for brick-and-mortar stores, since parents often want to flip through a whole book before buying. The bookstore’s weekly storytimes – where real books are paged through – are more popular than ever. A study commissioned in 2010 by Harper¬Collins found that books bought for three- to seven-year-olds were frequently discovered at a local bookstore – 38 per cent of the time.
   

6. 
   According to publishers, they are gradually increasing the conversion of print picture books into e-books even though it is time consuming and expensive. With the entry of new devices from Barnes & Noble and Amazon, there is an increase in the demand for children’s e-books, however, many parents still prefer print.
   

7. 
   That is the case in the home of Ari Wallach, a technology-obsessed New York entrepreneur who reads on Kindle, iPad and iPhone. But the room of his twin girls is packed with only print books. “I know I’m rather old-fashioned about this, but there’s something very personal about a book, something that’s connected and emotional, something I grew up with and that I want them to grow up with. It is not possible to get such an experience from even one of 1,000 files on an iPad. I recognise that when they are my age, it’ll be difficult to find a conventional book,” he added. “I feel that learning with books is as important as learning to eat with fork and spoon.”
   

8. 
   And Matthew Thomson, 38, an executive at Klout, a social media site, says that the sound effects of a tablet such as an iPad become a distraction for his five-year-old son, Finn. Before going to bed, if Thomson gets the iPad to read a story, Finn wants to play “Angry Birds” first. So, reading concentration is reduced.
   

9. 
   Some parents are reluctant to make the switch even for school-age children. Alexandra Tyler and her husband read on Kindles, but for their son Wolfie, seven, he prefers print. “Somehow, I think it’s different,” she said. “When you read a book, a proper kid’s book, it engages all the senses.”
   

10. 
    Technophiles, however, believe e-books can compete. CNET says the iPad “can do a lot more than just display static pages. It can read stories aloud; it can enrich a classic tale with touch-powered extras; and it can even render pages in 3D.” It describes Alice in Wonderland as a “lavishly illustrated form of the classic tale that incorporates animation like no other e-book to date.”
    

11. 
    Sounds extraordinary, but it seems more like a movie than a book – watching extravagant digital dramatizations of stories is not reading. The American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP) wants parents to ban television and computers for kids under two because they just cannot comprehend what is going on yet. After age two, two hours of screen time should be the maximum. Should e-books count in this calculation?
    

Using materials from the reading passage above, Building Blocks, write a one-paragraph summary of about 100 words on why parents prefer print books to e-books for their children.


TOTAL FOR SECTION A: / 30
Summary:

In the past, conventional books were deemed as the primary source of know-how. However the emergence of e-books led people to believe that paper books will be at stake in the future. Nevertheless this viewpoint is rather ungrounded owing to the fact that most parents perceive paper books to have irreplaceable features that e-books cannot supersede. The physical possession of a book, feeling its pages let us feel the true connection with the book itself. Even though e-books may be convenient to read due to its technological features and it is possible to listen to stories, many parents believe that it is not comparable with reading the paper book. Furthermore, readers may easily be distracted by pop-ups and games on tablets while reading e-books. Hence, parents prefer their children to read conventional books to avoid any nuisance during the process of reading.

Number of words ( 142 )

SECTION B: GUIDED WRITING (40 MARKS)

You should spend about 40 minutes on this section.

You should write at least 250 words.
The 21st century provides opportunities for us to make positive changes to many areas of our lives. To what extent do you agree with this statement? Support your essay with specific reasons and examples.

Essay: The 21st century is marked by manifold innovations mainly owing to progress in technology. Although there are some drawbacks of technology-focused world, I would argue that this trend is to bring more affirmative changes. Admittedly, the high tech developments have transformed the lives of people upside down opening up a new myriad of capabilities that humanity can take advantage of. Artificial intelligence has made human lives way more convenient and efficient in terms of daily as well as business routines. Technology has lifted a heavy burden from human beings’ shoulders as it fulfils most of mundane or laborious tasks in factories as well as aids in household chores. Added this, high tech products enable people to stay connected simultaneously facilitating the exchange of know-how the easiest way it is possible. In the past, social relationships were limited by physical factors such as geographical distance and low mobility, but nowadays one can get acquainted with the whole world via surfing the internet. Finally, accompanied by technological development health care and education, two areas of governmental priority, have been tremendously improved. Physicians now can better diagnose and treat their patients consequently countless lives have been saved and the overall quality of life continues to improve over time. With regard to the education, technology provides boundless access to learning meaning that every person can have educational opportunities due to massive amount of know-how available online. However, there are some negative implications as a result of widespread application of technology. The spread of the internet, for instance, has inflicted considerable damage to the wellbeing of human beings. Obesity as a result of sedentary lifestyle accompanied with poor eyesight and damage to posture are all the negative repercussions from excessive technology use. What is more, technological advances accelerate industrialisation which is a culprit for present-day environmental catastrophes. Numerous factories, huge traffic and deforestation are only some of the industrial activities that ruin or ecosystem. Overall, technology will continue to evolve impacting the lives of people for better however there are some drawbacks that will appear and human beings should try to minimize these negative effects.

TOTAL FOR SECTION B: / 40 Number of words ( 351 )

TOTAL FOR PART II: / 70