406jaywalking!

2010-06-25T14:19:00.002+08:00

Omy, I finally rmbed the username and pass. Don't die don't die. (:

Esther

2009-12-06T19:35:00.003+08:00

Hi!
New blogskin I made.
I know it's flawed but be happy that I made one.
The background was ARGH!
And I used so much time for it.
Just shut your mouth even if you don't like it.
=DD

Esther

2009-11-08T22:02:00.006+08:00

Yo!

weird timing for this BUT...

there's going to be a CLASS OUTING!!

Organised by: Edward..?

Date: 13 Nov 2009, Friday (which is 2 days after our exam)

Place: Pulau Ubin

Activity: CYCLING

~~how cool can that be..?~~

Ah..haha.

Pls contact Edward if u are going.

Esther

2009-10-16T23:07:00.003+08:00

Hey Guys.
Have been a long time since i post something on our class blog.
Anyway, HAPPY GRADUATION!!!!!
See u guys during the 'O' levels!!!
And don't forget: study hard for our last lap!!!

Bye!!!

LG

2009-10-14T17:56:00.001+08:00

Update:

Graduation ceremony

time- 10.30am

venue- (^school) hall

attire- full school u + tie

hope to see everyone there!

Esther

2009-09-23T16:59:00.000+08:00

Stupid Melvin.

Here's the link.

http://www.freeexampapers.com/Dndex.php?d=TyBMZXZlbA==

Esther

2009-09-18T23:51:00.003+08:00

Hi 406-er.

Happy about the aircon?

Haha, but pleas don't forget abt the Os.

Some helpful links I found:

http://ray-revision.webs.com/

http://revision-notes.co.uk/GCSE/

For Ray-revision, click on "Resources 2009" and "Study aids" (at the left hand side)

Actually there are a lot of such links online.

Take SOME time to find them. =D

Lets play hard after Os. YAY!!

Esther

edit-tion

2009-08-26T20:59:00.002+08:00

Edited the html again!
Melvin's post was super messy.
BYE!

Esther

2009-08-22T18:41:00.003+08:00

Ok here's the next part : Viewpoint question.

1) The discovery of a new sea route to the East in the late 15th century was a setback for Venice. Do you agree? EYA.

I agree that the discovery of a new sea route to the East in the late 15th century was a setback for Venice. The discovery of a new sea route by the Portuguese was a setback as it destroyed Venice's trade monopoly. When Vasco da Gama sailed round the Cape of Good Hope, it led to a short-cut to India. The new trade route meant that the Portuguese and other Europeans could bypass completely the Venetian traders as they could buy their spices directly from India. So, this destroyed her monopoly and reduced her profits which Venice had been earning for centuries. This loss in trade monopoly meant that new trade rivals emerged through the English and Dutch. Venice was unable to compete with them as they had better ships and more financial resources. Losing trade meant that prosperity in Venice decreased tremendously. In this way, the discovery of a new sea route proved to be disastrous for Venice.

However, the discovery of a new sea route was not a total setback for Venice as this did not mean the end-all for trading activities in Venice. It was not a total disaster as Venice had alternatives to conduct trade. The Venetians had access to the overland trade route as the Portuguese did not want the overland trade route used by the Venetians to end completely. Despite the rise of Portuguese power, Venice was still able to play a major role in the East-West trade as the Portuguese officials were willing to allow Venetian traders access to Portuguese-controlled ports in return for money. Furthermore, the discovery of a new sea route was not a total disaster for Venice as she was plauged by even greater problems such as corruption, complacency and loss of territory.

Finally, I disagree that the discovery of a new sea route was a setback as even without the discovery of a new sea route, Venice would have fallen as she had too many internal problems such as corrupt and incapable leaders and a complacent society. As Venice had incapable leaders, they were not able to find other ways to prosper even if they had lose their trade monopoly to the other Europeans. Venice also lacked the ability to adapt to change when she faced external threats like wars and loss of territory. Again, the government was not able to provide solutions to their loss of trade problem - such as cutting a canal through the Suez to link the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea; then the discovery of the new sea route would not have been a setback at all. The greatest setback for Venice was not the discovery of a new sea route but it was her inability to adapt to change, to innovate in order to keep up with progress.

2) Did Venice's unique political system help or hinder Venice? EYA.

Venice's unique political system was a help to Venice because Venice had a very strong government. Venice had an exemplary political system - while European states practised feudalism, Venice was a republic as the leaders were elected and this was closest to modern day democracy. Election was based on nomination, balloting and voting to ensure that there was neither nepotism nor incompetent leaders. In the beginning, the leaders were forward looking and capable. Talented people were elected to serve in the government. Practical policies were implemented to respond to the demands of a changing environment eg paying pirates to stop harrassing its trading ships until they built up a strong navy. The Venetian government also accommodated the stronger powers to obtain trading privileges and asserted its power against the weaker ones. The Signoria was formed to check on power such that dictatorship was not allowed so as to secure the loyalty of the people.

Venice's unique political system was a hindrance to Venice because the government was corrupt and incompetent. By the 17th century, Venice lacked the ability to face her external threats and so crumbled very quickly internally due to corruption. To finance wars, the government obtained revenue from the salaries of the civil servants and imposed higher taxes. Poverty caused the poor nobles to vote for the rich who could pay them well. Corruption led to a small group of nobles who held office for fame and wealth rather than contribute to the well-being of Venice. Since political power was concentrated in about 100 men from 30 families, this led to abuse of power as they were only interested in perpetuating their power, prestige and wealth. There were no permanent competent navy and army leaders as no family was allowed to control the government. Incompetent military leaders were punished but Venice failed to realise that it needed to change its system of selected leaders. Venice also did not conscript its citizens into the army and so, relied to heavily on mercenaries for its defence. When Venice faced decline, she could not afford large mercenary armies.

Finally, Venice's political system was more a help than hindrance as it had the greatest impact on the rise of Venice as any society would need capable leaders if it were to rise and grow. It was the exemplary political system that made Venice grow to become a city of trade, wealth and power from the 9th to 15th centuries. The political system led to economic success and social stability. The fall of Venice was not only brought about by the political system but rather by external events sycg as wars with the Ottoman Empire. The complecent people were not able to adapt to new challenges and thus, lost Venice' supremacy.

____________________________________________________________________

Ok that should be all, anyway I really can't predict what will come out for viewpoint, but this is just the 2 essays I found. Good luck!

Melvin

2009-08-21T18:00:00.008+08:00

Ok lah! I know some of you are thinking that 'ahh that Melvin Tan hor, say will post SS notes SOON, where is it sia?!!'
LET ME TELL YOU, IN YOUR FACE, THAT HERE I AM POSTING IT NOW! =D

So anyway, Mr Rafi already told us what to study, and I will only post 1 of the chapters.
(Reason : 1 of the chapter wont come out for O levels, and the other one Mr Rafi gave us notes liao)

Hmm, I will be posting about both rise and fall, and also some viewpoint questions, so my guess is :

ONE OF THE RISE/FALL WILL COME OUT, and I not sure about viewpoint cause there are 21784527153712657643612743538641289 ways of asking.

Venice

1) Rise of Venice

i) Intro
From the 10th century, the Byzantine Empire began to show signs of weakening. Relations with Venice began to turn sour when Venice challenged the Byzantine's commercial dominance in the East. Venice used the opportunity of developments in Europe to expand its trade and territories. I agree/disagree that ________ is the most important factor in the rise of Venice. ________ and _________ played a part too.

ii) Factors

1) Leadership
Venice have capable leaders who are far sighted that contributed to the rise of Venice. First, there was Doge Pietro II Orseolo who brought peace by reconciling the feuding cities, negotiating treaties with major powers and subduing the pirates in Dalmatia. Next, Doge Enrico Dandolo, by directing the Fourth Crusade in the 12th century and capitalising on circumstances, weakened the Byzantine Empire and captured Constantinople. The brought recognition from the other states and helped Venice to control some of the important territories which had once belonged to the Byzantine Empire. Finally, Doge Pietro Ziani followed an expansionist policy and extended Venice's control over the Mediterranean Sea. All these boost Venetians trade, which increase profits from trade earnings for Venice. Hence, Venice prospered and rise of Venice.

2) Reforms in the Government
From the 12th century onwards, changes were made to the structure of government. One change was the creation of the Great Council, made up of men from the most powerful and influential families in Venice. This council had multiple roles to perform including the election of capable members to all councils and the passing of laws. It was later reorganised, with the formation of the Senate, in the 13th century so that it could focus on the more important duties. For example, it oversaw foreign relations matters, commercial challenges that were posed by Venice growth. To maintain a system of checks and balances of power held by the top officials, the Council of Ten was formed. It could even limit the power of the Doge and dealt with critical matters such as those concerning the internal security of the state. As a result of these governmental changes, Venice built up a system of government that was well prepared to meet the demands of the people and the growing city-state. Thus this was an important reason for the rise of Venice.

3) Trade Developments and Expansion
Venice displayed a highly positive and aggressive attitude towards trade. It was skilful at obtaining favourable terms of trade compared to its competitors, such as Genoa, and so had an edge over them. Furthermore, the Venetians showed an enterprising spirit which took them to distant unfamiliar lands in search of new routes and new items of trade as well as new markets. This helped Venice to grow in trade. Additionally, Venice made good use of advances in maritime technology (in the fields of navigation and weaponry). These gave Venetian vessels to voyage even in the winter time. Venice's superb ship-building skills led to the construction of vessels that were superior to those of their competitors. The armed Venetian great galleys were able to range further than before and so help expand its trade reach. Added to this was the state's efficient management system for all voyages made by Venetian ships. Thus, the strong, positive and aggressive attitude that Venice took towards trade, aided by innovations in maritime technology and an efficient system of management of trade, helped push Venice ahead of its rivals and to rise to prominence and wealth.

4) Industrial Development
These development were prompted by the expansion of Venice's trade. For instance, the state's ship-building industry, centralised at the Arsenal, kept pace with the demand for great galleys in the 13th century. The Arsenal became the backbone of Venice's maritime industry and power. As Venetians grew wealthier, ther began to demand for goods, such as glassware. This in turn led to the growth of manufacturing industries. New industries, such as the printing industry, also assisted in the rise of Venice by creating more jobs. This industrial development helped generate more employment which attracted even foreign talents to Venice. The industries helped create more wealth for Venice and in that way helped it to rise.

iii) Weighing the Factors
Without an effective political system, there would not be capable individuals in the role of leadership. However, without the cooperation of the Venetians, Venice would not have succeeded. The political system provided the infrastructure for Venice to flourish. The Venetian people themselves were adventurous people who went on explorations both on land and by sea. They discovered new markets like China and Greenland and these discoveries helped to generate business, fortune and venture for Venice. Capable leadership was therefore largely responsible for the success of Venice. Without them, there would not be sound economic and social policies. However, these leaders could only put their skills to good use if there was a sound political system. In addition, the personality of the Venetians themselves also contributed to the success of Venice.

2) Fall of Venice
i) Introduction
Venice faced a gradual decline from the 15th to the 18th centuries. While the Venetians prided themselves on their successes, they overlooked several events and developments unfolding in the region. They were not as responsive to these changing circumstances. I agree/disagree that ________ is the most important factor for the fall of Venice. However, there are two other factors : ________ and ________.

ii) Factors

1)Foreign Threats
Firstly, their involvement in the mainland was brought about by their desire to protect their territories and commercial interests. They did this by taking advantage of the rivalry among the mainland states. Venice constantly switched alliances with different opposing states. This was risky (as Venice could be attacked) and so Venice had to build up a mercenary army. Another threat was from the Ottoman Empire which competed with Venice for control of the Adriatic Sea. Venice had to use its precious galleys to fight the Ottomans. This disrupted its use of galleys for trading purposes. Also, to contain the Ottomans, Venice tried to strike a balance of power with the Ottomans and their European neighbours at the same time. This action caused its European neighbours to develop a deep hostility towards Venice. Venice's growing influence in the region made it unpopular among the various mainland states. This lead them to create a military alliance against Venice. It was known as the League of Cambrai. It fought wars against Venice and had some success in taking over some of Venice's territories. As a result of the many wars fought by Venice against its various foreign threats, Venice's resources were weakened. This force Venice to take the unpopular step of raising taxes to finance the employment of its mercenary armies.

2) Maritime Competition
In the 15th century, the Portuguese succeeded in pioneering a new sea trade route to the East. As a result, they destroyed Venice trade monopoly of the lucrative spice trade and greatly reduced the large profits which the Venetian traders had earned. However, Venice continued to function as a trade centre in the western Mediterranean Sea. Venice also expanded its trade to the North Sea. Further maritime challenges to Venice came from firstly, the Dutch and then the English who from the 17th century, began to centure to the East too to get their supplies, thus bypassing the Venetians. This affected Venice's position as an entrepot port. The Dutch and British had better-designed ships than the Venetians too. As a result of these maritime challenges, Venice imposed a protectionist policy. They imposed higher duties on foreign traders. This policy drove traders away from Venetian ports. Thus Venice lost some of its trading partners.

3) Political Challenges
Prosperity brought with it a weakening of the government. This gradually led to Venice's political decline. For example, the shrinking number of nobility as older families died, affected their appointment to the highest offices. Policies were created not to serve the interests of the city-state but the self-interests of the nobility. From the 16th century, a small group of rich nobles dominated the government. As a result, renewal of leadership became a challenge and corruption became inevitable. Due to the policy of rotations of duries, when there were no competent officers available to take over, power was handed to incompetent officers. This led to disastrous consequences for Venice in its wars against the Ottomans for example. There was also growing corruption in the government as poor nobles sold their votes at a high price. This meant that leadership was determined by wealth and not talent or capability. This led to incompetent leaders taking positions in the government. Due to its small population and many enemies, Venice became over-dependent on mercenaries to fight its wars. This was a costly decision as the loyalty of these troops was questionable.

4) Social Challenges
The Venetians became less prepared for war as they shifted their focus away from security matters. Having lived in peace and stability meant that they were more concerned about wealth than maintaining the security of the city-state. The nobles became more distant from the commoners and the gap between the rich and poor widened. Many wealthy nobles indulged in lavish parties and celebrations. Such complacency and indulgence slowed down and eventually stopped the progress of the Venetian society. With the people not committed to the cause of the city-state, Venice went into decadence leading to its decline.

iii) Weighing the Factors
In conclusion, the fall of Venice's trade could be attributed largely to the discovery of the new trade route as she no longer had a monopoly of the trade. However, even with the discovery, she could have continued to flourish if the Venetians did not become complacent and weak and her political system did not fail. The discovery of a new sea route was the trigger that caused the decline of the state. The effects of the new sea route revealed the lack of proper long term planning in Venice and the inadequate policies practised.

____________________________________________________________________

K I have done so far the factors part, next post then I post about viewpoint questions. :)

Oh ya, not forgetting to mention that this work is not done by me. I merely copy and paste different sources and merge into essays. Some from books, some from sites, and some from Mr Rafi which I can't even remember where I got them from! :P

2009-08-19T19:19:00.006+08:00

Hi.
I'm sure everyone received the parting gift from Mr Loh. ):
And maybe wondered about what the French words mean.
-Je pense à toi sans cesse.
It means "I will think of you always."
Sad.
Anw, prelims are 2 days away.
Jiayou!
Maybe we should put a countdown clock.
Lols.
Nvm, too lazy.
BYE!

Esther

2009-07-01T19:38:00.003+08:00

I've added the links for the home-based learning thing-y at the links. =P
Since no one wants to do the job and just by saying it, is not efficient.
And also for the sake of those who's deaf.
Opps, I'm not talking about "YOU"...
xP

(Anyone want new blogskins..? I was thinking of making a CLASS one. But let's consider first.)
Esther

ADD: I've also added Mr Rafi's SS website at the links section.

2009-06-23T19:32:00.003+08:00

Hi!
REMINDER!
PHYSICS TEST ON THE FIRST OR SECOND WEEK OF SCHOOL.
Topic on the hw that we were supposed to do.
(I doubt anyone will see this anw.)

Esther

2009-06-09T13:02:00.003+08:00

Hi JAYWALKERs.

Updates on all holiday assignments:
1. Eng assignment
book/movie review + TYS Nov 2006 paper 2

2. Phy assignment
see the entry posted by Mavis below for more
info

3. SS WS?
Ms Chua went to lit class to tell 406 students to get the
ws(i think its ss) from the class pigeon hole. Fret not, I think no one rmbed to
take it after lit lesson. Too emotional..?

4. Math WSsss, papersss
Practice Maths! =D

I think there's nothing else.
Enjoy your June holidays.
Bye!

Esther

PHysics holiday assignments (:

2009-06-04T21:55:00.003+08:00

YoYo~~1st time blog here ~~~ This is MAVIS (:

2009-05-31T14:38:00.002+08:00

Hi ppl!
I was wondering what time the Chi O lvl paper will start on Mon.
And I found the o lvl timetable.
Click here.
Ok, it's a long list.
But look closely, o lvl orals are on 2 Jul to 16 Jul.
That's really fast.
Anw, good luck for Mon ppl. ^__-

Esther

Class Photo '09

2009-05-27T21:35:00.002+08:00

HellOs.

since many of you guys are asking, i might as well upload our class photos here:)

F0RMAL SH0T

FUN SH0T

or else, you may wanna visit the deyi photography website:
http://picasaweb.google.com/deyiphotography

ciaos
darylene

2009-05-25T17:07:00.001+08:00

Hello~!

Just want to update on this important website,regarding to the Joint Polytechnic Admissions Exercise (JPAE).
For those who are keen to know more on JC direct school admission,you may look here.
Here's the MOE website,for you to navigate and explore :P

Oh,good luck everyone for your Chinese O'levels!
Remember this:
Look up for inspiration,
Look down in desperation
But don't look left and right for information =P

Bye!
Korin

2009-05-22T20:47:00.000+08:00

Hi, my fellow Jaywalkers.

The weekend's greeting us again!!

Well, I'm just here to keep the blog alive.

Just a reminder, it's one more week to our 'O' levels chinese paper.

Do your best, by then!!!!!!

Next Monday to Friday is INTENSIVE chinese lessons, so be prepared!!

kk, that's all.

stay lively!!

LG

2009-05-19T15:35:00.000+08:00

Hi.
Im here for a short entry..
I think most of us are dissapointed with our results.
But let's just work hard for 'O's.
Jiayou.

Oh yeah, just to say, Matthew took part in the Deyi Star 09 compeitition.
And he got into the finals. (or is it semi-final? opps.)
Great job anw!
Our class like no coordination loh.
Can't clap in tempo.
Lols.
Anw, nothing much to update.
So, Bye!

Esther

2009-05-12T19:49:00.000+08:00

Yo people, I hope you didn't flunk your Maths paper 1 (that badly..), cause humanities killed us 'to a larger extext'. :P

Anyway, for Paper 2, here is what expected to come out (high chances) for EMaths
1) Quadratic Eqn (Construct an eqn in x and show that it reduces to x^2 + 28x - 1500 = 0) [10 m]
2) Circles Properties (Anyway, given Hiew's character, most likely this is the 'killer question') [10m]
3) TOA CAH SOH + Bearing + Angle of Elevation/Depression + Sine/cosine rule + Area all combined and tested in 1 question. (Possible 'killer question' too) [10m]
4) Arc Length + Sector areas (I suppose they wont be stupid to set it in degree mode) [5-8m]
5) Cumulative Frequency (EVERYTHING, might be even overlapped to Probability, if suey still need to draw the curve out). [10m]

6) Standard Deviation, then compare their means, etc, say which one is better. [5m]
7) Probability [5m]
8) Matrices (THE CHEEM ONES that gives you word problems, then tell u to explain their significance of A x B etc) [10m]
9) Vectors! (Worst scenario, find the ratio of area of Triangle A to B) [6-8m]
10) Simple + Compound Interest / Profit and Loss / Instalments (might also overlap the US$ conversion to S$ etc) [10m]
11) DRAW Graphs [10m]

12) Statistics like drawing a Stem and Leaf diagram, then find Mean Median Mode etc. [6m-10m]
13) Sequences if you are suey, cuz if Hiew sets this, most likely it would be QUADRATIC equation (unless he is as nice as.. Me? :P) [4m]

Ok I know that these marks total up to 110, but you can't expect all 100% to be out mah, study more then. ^^

Secondly, tomorrow is Science (Physics) < [Bracketed for a clear reason] and I shall repeat what Zinc wrote the last time.
PHYSICS: chapter 1[measurement], chapter 3[dynamics], chapter 6[pressure], chapter 7[energy, work and power], chapter 11-16[waves current of electricity]

Enjoy the exams people! :D
Melvin

2009-05-11T18:52:00.001+08:00

Ok some notes I ripped from various sites.
There is Geography of
1) Natural Vegetation

http://www.mediafire.com/?myzmwzgo2zd
2) River and Coasts

http://www.mediafire.com/?mmnmzo2mnw2
3) Development

http://www.mediafire.com/?twkdztw2t5z
(In other words, there is no food development. And PS too all Lit and Hist students since I don't study them :P)

Next EMaths Paper 1 for tomorrow : http://www.mediafire.com/?ztmti4txyh5

Anyway, these notes are ripped from some websites, as long as you want to find, it's easy.
And these notes SHOULD NOT be served as a study guide, but SHOULD be used as a last minute check, to see how much you have know about the topics.
Good luck people for tomorrow's 130 marks! (80 + 50)

Melvin

2009-05-10T20:46:00.000+08:00

Hi.
Since I see that no one is updating...here I am am again.
I searched for some websites and found some links: (for all different subjects)
S-cool (GCSE)
BBC (FN is under Design and Tech, and named as Food Tech)
Aiyah, I lazy to find le lah.
I'm sure everyone can look for the links yourself right. =P
There are also some website links on the math TYS.
And some of them have tips on other subjects as well.

Tips when studying:

Find an open space with a clear table.
That place have to be quiet and not heaty, so that you can concentrate. (Like in the living room, in the late night, or switch on the aircon. But do this during weekends only.)
Place a glass of water near you, when you are revising. When you can't think, or want a short eye break, drink water.
Feel relaxed when studying, and feel like you want to study. When you are stressed or is very desperate to memorise, nothing will get in the brain AT ALL.
Oh ya, listen to music, with no lyrics and of a slow pace, to help you calm down. (recommend- Yiruma's music)
Write some short notes, like formulas on a paper card, to look at before going in to the exam hall.

Actually, just calm down and don't think
"Ah, sia lah, no time to study already."
"Ah, I'm gonna die! "
Ok, I myself always say that, but ... haha.

PS.: 4 more ^exam days til party. =D
Esther

2009-05-07T18:12:00.000+08:00

Ok, just here to spend my time.

Anyway, tomorrow will be having Mother Tongue (LISTENING Compre), everyone must remember to 'dig ear wax' wor. Tonight try to ask your lao ma or lao pa to talk to you more. :P

Secondly, regarding Amaths, I don't have any notes for anyone lah. Just remember to stay calm and try your level best to remember those formulae if you are stuck. And since Maths papers are usually damn long, if cannot do questions just skip. You wont die for skipping questions, but will die for stucking 2hours in that question.

Ohh and if you really don't know how to do the questions. Try to think of the first step you can take.

Like for MANY differentiation questions you can start dy/dx-ing.

Trigo you can look for clues like sin(20 + x) < Additional formulae
   sin 2x < Double angle formulae
   sin x + 2 cos x < R-formulae
   cos x + cos 3x < Factor-formulae
Algebra can't really help lah, but usually my steps is,
1) Try to think of the chapter that have the question
2) Use the methods (eg. Chapt 4 -> Polynomials, then f(x) it first)
3) Try at least one step, if still can't solve then ~~tear the paper~~ skip the question.

Remember, seize the 2 hours to chiong all you got.

Have fun
Melvin

2009-05-05T17:25:00.000+08:00

Ah~~~!
I FINALLY FINALLY log in to the class blog.
Miracle.
Anw, I'm here to post a link to Miss Maggie Chua's blog.
Have notes for Geography and Social Studies.
Click here.
Notes are under Assignments.

PS.: Good luck for MYE.
Esther

2009-05-03T21:26:00.000+08:00

Ok, I blogged 1 day in advance since I thought I would be ultra busy on Monday.
Anyway, regarding SS notes, I will just put on Globalisation (since you only need 1 chapter to survive for SA1). So long as you memorised everything from front to back, back to front, up to down, down to up, word by word, you can safely secure 23/25 for SEQ. The rest of SBQ is up to your experience of it nia, can't be helped, paiseh.

Globalisation always tests on these 4 types of questions only, but only 2 will come out lah..

1) Key Driving Forces of Globalisation
2) Adverse Impacts of Globalisation
3) Economic Impacts of Globalisation
4) Singapore Strategies

Introduction (Don't be lazy and summarise it, bitches.)
[Can be used for all 4 essays]

Globalisation is defined as the process by which people, their ideas and activities in different parts of the world become interconnected or integrated. This makes the world smaller, making people more interdependent than before. I agree/disagree that __________ is the (copy the question). However, there are two other factors; __________ and ___________.

1) Key Driving Forces of Globalisation

a) Improvement in Transportation

In the 20th century, major improvement in transportation technology includes the use of commercial jet aircraft, large ocean-going vessels and containerisation. There is increased mobility of goods and people as countries have built efficient and integrated transportation infrastructure such as airports and railways to facilitate this movement. Such improvement in transportation technology has 'shrunk' the world considerably in terms of time taken to get from one place to another. Due to this, people can travel around the world easily and more speedily. In this way, the world becomes more interconnected. Hence, improvement in transportation is one of the driving forces of globalisation.

b) Improvement in Communications

Satellite technology has made it possible for a message to be transmitted from one location to another part of the world almost simultaneously. Optical fibre systems have very large carrying capacity and they are able to transmit information at very high speeds. The invention of advanced communication technology such as the internet has enabled consumers to gather information about new products and places. Advances in communications enables knowledge and ideas to be shared by people across the globe. It has made communication among people in different locations faster and more convenient. In this way, the world becomes more interconnected. Hence, improvement in communications is one of the key driving forces of globalisation.

c) Transnational Corporations (TNCs)

TNCs set up their operations in different locations around the world to source for new markets to lower the cost of production. It also source for components from around the world before assembling the final product in another country. Their headquarters coordinate and control all these activities to ensure that manufacture of the final products meets the production goals and the demands of their markets. Many economists are involved in the production activities and marketing strategies of these TNCs. As many economists are bought into contact with one another and especially with the countries of origin of the TNCs, it has made economies around the world more interconnected and integrated.

WEIGH THE FACTORS

Singapore's key driving force of globalisation is developments in transportation and communications because speed means money saved and hence higher earnings. The fact that Singapore is small geographically means it needs to connect with the rest of the world via advanced communications networks in order to maintain a competitive edge in global trade. However, it is wrong to assume that developments in transportation and communications alone would be sufficient to sustain Singapore's drive as a global hub. This is because Singapore needs TNCs to establish regional headquarters that will help reduce the cost of operation. For example, Singapore has chosen to invest in China due to lower costs of production. Conversely, cities in China like Suzhou, Wuxi and Dalian have benefited from Singapore's expertise and capital. Therefore, Singapore's success at globalisation would depend on a combination of 'win-win' factors and not just advances in technology.

*2) Negative Impacts of Globalisation

a) Environmental Degradation

Many environmentalists have argued that globalisation can be a destructive force to the natural environment and have protested against it. When TNCs set up plants in different parts of the world, many of them use natural resources such as timber, oil and metals at a rapid rate. At the same time, developing countries are eager to gain the economic benefits that come with globalisation. Very often, the natural environment suffers because these developing countries are more concerned with economic development than environment protection. Emvironment degradation poses a serious problem to the countries as well as to the rest of the world, bringing about problems like global warming which has far-reaching consequences. Future generations will suffer as a result of the irresponsible actions of the present generation.

b) Widening Income Gap Between the Rich and Poor Countries

Globalisation has rapidly increased the income gap between the rich and poor countries. It has resulted in rapid development in many countries. However, it has also increased the spread of poverty in many countries. The developed countries (DCs) are experiencing rapid income growth as they own most of the manufacturing activities. On the other hand, developing countries often face trade barriers imposed by the DCs. They are not capable of producing quality goods, which command high prices and fetch large revenue. The situation of widening income gap poses a serious problem to the countries that embrace globalisation as it may adversely affect social cohesion. If not properly managed, it may lead to many other social problems such as an increase in crime rates.

c) Loss of Local Culture

Globalisation may also lead to a loss of local culture. Globalisation has resulted in global brands such as Starbucks and MacDonalds' dominating the consumer market in DCs. These corporations with their standardised methods of operation have outlets that are identical in appearance. In this way, these corporations have created a homogenous culture across the world and eroded the local culture. The loss of local culture poses a serious problem to the country because when the culture is eroded, it would be difficult to re-create. As such, the identity of the country is at stake.

WEIGH THE FACTORS

Weighing the factors, I feel that environmental degradation is the most serious problem caused by globalisation as the impact is the most pervasive as compared to the other two problems. This is because environmental problems such as deforestation and global warming are international issues that affect most people around the globe. It cannot be solved by just one country alone but the combined efforts of many countries. In addition, countries may not cooperate and situation might be worsened, and further generation may suffer more from the current environmental issues. The problem of widening income gap and loss of local culture affects only the countries concerned, and the people affected is limited to the country and not others. Hence, I conclude that the environmental degradation is the most serious impact of globalisation since the level of impact is the greatest of all the three impact. The other two only elevates the impact of environmental degradation.

3) Economic Impacts of Globalisation

a) Increased Competition among Nations

Governments are competing with TNCs to invest in their countries. They offer tax incentives, tax rebates and duty free trade in order to attract the TNCs. More and more of TNCs have shifted from Singapore, Taiwan and Korea to invest heavily in key cities in China. For example, in Dalian, has well-developed infrastructure to support industrial growth, for instance, the city has more than 10 banks and financial institutions. TNCs are always searching for lowering cost of production. At the moment, China has become an attractive country for foreign investors and poses a strong challenge to other countries in the region. Therefore, through economic impact of globalisation, there is increased competition among nations for TNCs.

b) Improvements in Standard of Living

With trade and foreign investment, it increases revenue. With free trade, this also lead to expansion of existing industries and establishment of new business to meet the increase in demand for goods and services. The population is then able to enjoy better quality products and services. For instance, the average household income for Singaporeans increased from $4940 in 2000 to $5400 in 2005. With revenue earned, the government can spend on quality public goods. Free trade has also allowed consumers to purchase a variety of foreign goods besides local goods. The increase in lifestyle choices leads to a better quality of life and hence standard of living has improved due to globalisation.

c) Widening Income Gap Between Rich and Poor Countries

Globalisation has rapidly increased the income gap between the rich and poor countries. It has resulted in rapid development in many countries. However, it has also increased the spread of poverty in many countries. The developed countries (DCs) are experiencing rapid income growth as they own most of the manufacturing activities. On the other hand, developing countries often face trade barriers imposed by the DCs. They are not capable of producing quality goods, which command high prices and fetch large revenue. The situation of widening income gap poses a serious problem to the countries that embrace globalisation as it may adversely affect social cohesion. If not properly managed, it may lead to many other social problems such as an increase in crime rates.

WEIGHING THE FACTORS (PS, I don't have any sources for this, so you have to depend on yourself :P Unless you want my crappy way of weighing)

*4) Singapore Strategies

a) Diversifying the Economy

Singapore needs to diversify its economy by diversifying into high technology activities like chemical engineering, pharmaceutical and life sciences. For example, A*STAR was set up to build up Singapore's research and development capability. Singapore also aims to be a regional hub for services such as tourism and education. Tourism has also been identified as a service industry to be promoted. Two Integrated Resorts (IRs) are being built in Marina Bay and Sentosa respectively. Diversifying the economy ensures that Singapore's economy remains stable in the event of downturn of one sector of the economy. A stable economy enhances Singapore's competitiveness in a globalising world.

b) Venturing Abroad

Singapore ventures abroad through regionalisation, which involves investing in nearby countries that have abundant land, lower labour costs and new markets. The Singapore government and Singapore-based companies aims to provide infrastructure, expertise and money to develop industrial parts for host countries. In return, host countries provide land and labour for Singapore companies. Venturing abroad helps to sustain Singapore's economic development as it opens up new markets and allow Singapore to overcome her physical limitations such as small land area.

c) Nurturing Growth of Small-Medium Enterprise (SMEs)

SMEs play an important role in Singapore's economy. Today, SMEs make up a large percentage of businesses here. For example, Polar Café, an SME, has been in business for 80 years. To ensure that SMEs can continue to contribute to Singapore's economy, there are many schemes catering to their needs. For example, new companies are granted tax exemption on their first $100000 income for up to 3 years. Nurturing growth of SMEs promotes Singapore's development as these local businesses will be able to generate employment for the country.

d) Expanding Market Reach Through Economic Cooperation

Singapore has a small domestic market due to its small population. These is a need to establish trade ties with countries around the world to help local companies sell their goods to a larger market. One example of economic cooperation is signing Free Trade Agreement (FTAs) with other countries. Some benefits of FTAs is that companies will enjoy cost savings as taxes are removed and companies will also be able to sell their goods in more countries and hence increased profits. Another example of economic cooperation is the setting up of Special Economic Zones (SEZs). Singapore and Indonesia signed a new economic agreement designed to draw more investment and boost economic growth in the area and this will make Singapore more competitive. Economic cooperation promotes friendly trade ties and this brings about sustained economic development as Singapore faces stronger economic cooperation.

e) Managing Resources Efficiently

As people are Singapore's precious resource, they should have the right skills and mindset to thrive in the globalising world. One way to develop people is to promote local entrepreneurship and technopreneurship. Giving recognition to outstanding local entrepreneurs who have struggled and succeeded is one way to inspire more entrepreneurs to achieve greater success. There is a need to attract foreign talent to meet manpower needs. Foreign talent has the advantage of bringing along overseas business contacts. There is a need to have proper planning for land use because of Singapore's limited land resources. With careful land use planning, high standard facilities for housing, transportation, recreation, commerce, defence and education can be built. It is critical to manage human resource efficiently as Singapore's economic viability is heavily dependent on its people. At the same time, environmental management ensures sustainable economic development.

WEIGHING THE FACTORS (I only weigh a,b and c hor, cause in SEQ only need 3 factors)

Diversifying the economy is the most effective strategy to ensure that Singapore stat competitive as it encompasses the whole economy and gives immediate impacts on both sectors - manufacturing and services. Venturing abroad and nurturing SMEs give more impact to the manufacturing sector. Furthermore, SMEs have not been totally successful as they face many problems and venturing abroad has resulted in many citizens losing their sense of rootedness as they have worked too long outside of their country.

DONE WITH EDITTING!
Melvin

P/S : *Quite important essays, cause they are usually more likely to be tested.

2009-05-03T20:55:00.001+08:00

first time here to blogg.. i will be posting on the things to study..
PHYSICS: chapter 1[measurement], chapter 3[dynamics], chapter 6[pressure], chapter 7[energy, work and power], chapter 11-16[waves current of electricity]

CHEMISTRY: acids, bases, salts, metals, atmosphere and environment, oxidation and reduction, chemical calculation, rate of reaction

AM: chapter 1 to 18

EM: Everything from sec1 to sec4

GEOG: section A[rivers and coast, natural vegetation], section B[food, development]

FN: carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals, digestion, planning healthy meals, food commodities, shop smart, sensory evaluation, key ingredients in a recipe

best of luck to everyone for MYE!!
tze yeng :)

2009-04-28T20:34:00.001+08:00

Deleted, since I don't know who deleted half of this post. Next time imma write on another file before posting here. Damn you, bastard.

Wait for SS notes on Monday bah!

Melvin

2009-04-26T17:37:00.000+08:00

HI ALL.... I First time touching down from the moon onto this blog... Dunno wan post wat....
Hmms. Since Exams coming, i gonna post some Tips, which i feel are useful???

1) STUDY HARD??? study soft also nvm... just get the concepts right and it will be okie!

2) GET ENOUGH REST!!!!! working day and night, then day and night, then day and night. will break down WAN!!! so lax a bit

3) Take interval eye breaks In the middle of your work! LOL.... Drink water or what, then will more refresh marhz

4) Revise over LONG AGo EXPIRED TOPICS to get a flashback. then at least still got rough idea.

5) STUDIED OVER THE TOPICs BUT DUN EVEN GET AN IDEA?? DUN be negative here if you really encounter this problems. Ask your Fellow Neighbourhood Teachers for help if really no choice or seek help from relatives if reliable.

Well. Best of luck!!!! all Jaywalkers. Hear from you guys soon..
Alec .

2009-04-23T16:52:00.000+08:00

Yo people. (LG is beside me now :P)

Today I'll be posting notes of Social Studies since Mr Rafi don't want us to 'throw his face'. (Aiya, we sure lose one mah, where got people so wu liao go memorise like no tomorrow sia, i doubt that person beside me << does too :P)

Anyway, this booklet consists of SEQs from Governance all the way till Globalisation (ps all, Venice died, so it's not in the book too.) Here it is :

http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?xoznlddjm1m

Secondly, I ~~stole~~ TAKE Mavis songs from imeem again, this time it's Korin's favourite song "Jie Mei" :P
Enjoy!

http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?imghrmlrzjd

8 more days till our first exam, study smart all :) I'll be posting about English Letter Formats few days before the English exam. Till then!

Melvin

P/S Si LG don't quote me. Copycat :P

2009-04-20T21:42:00.000+08:00

Hey Guys.

How are all of you guys??

Good??

So-so??

Not Good??

Well, 10 days to Mid-year EL paper.

16 more days to Mid-year exams.

I'm not scaring you guys here, but it's true.

Continue to study hard.

Gambette!!!

Don't forget to look out for useful websites that will be posted by Melvin!!

kk

bye

LG

2009-04-16T19:38:00.000+08:00

Ok, so I suddenly got that mood to blog again, as I was thinking of 长痛不如短痛. So as what I would do, I'll post another study guide/file/site/notes (Whatever you name it..)

As we all know (lah), that recently we have this oral that oral everywhere oral, so here's a file on
1) Guide to ENGLISH Oral
2) Collection of 2006 'O' Level Oral Papers from Day 1 to Day 10 (Yes, they change it everyday, 1 of them even came out in SA2 paper last year.)
   i) With Reading Passage
   ii) With Picture Discussion
   iii) With Conversation topics and questions asked by the teachers.

Here it is :
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?nhehh5jtjid

And another song of Mavis [drumrolling anyone?], Love³
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?dyznyttmztf

Ok thats all, mug hard like what LG said.

Bye all :)

Melvin

PS : /random Table of Glory is nice...

2009-04-12T23:51:00.000+08:00

Hi, dear 406 jaywalkers!!!
My 1st time posting but nothing to post.
HAHA.
Anyway, Mid-year exams only a veri, veri few weeks away.
So.......................MUST STUDY!!!!!
Do your best in EVERYTHING, and don't stress yourself out too much.
That's all.

BYE!!! =)

LG

2009-04-10T19:49:00.000+08:00

Hi all~
Just wanna update on this :P

Don't forget to do it~
Bye!
korin

2009-04-06T18:03:00.000+08:00

Hey peeps! Melvin here.

So somehow I've committed suicide by tagging Korin to add me to the 'sai gang of no reward' job and hence, here I am.

And as a '406 top student (I don't know how I got this title, I supposed KJ keeps calling until it rings in my head)', I would be posting about study notes for EMaths, AMaths, Physics&Chemistry, SS&Geog and DnT (WHAT?! I drop DT doesn't mean I don't know DT ok, it's only I hate the subject :X).

And as a part of Farmers Production, I will also be posting download links to download Mavis' songs (regardless of whether it is sang in CSS3 or she recorded it herself). So fans/friends of hers can just download from here. [MAVIS SEE I SO NICE. BLEH!]

So let's get started.

Hmm, today I shall do on AMaths notes, since Mr Loh is teaching us it (until I feel like puking whenever I see dy/dx, oops I'm out of point :X).
So here's the site, http://www.singaporeolevelmaths.com/2009/02/26/o-level-a-math-collection-of-differentiation-tips/
(Ohh anyway, I recommend this site, and if you want, you may subscribe to it for free. They will occasionally send you some message teaching you some topics, which is quite helpful if you have no tuition.)

And lastly, since this is my 1st post for 406, I'll post one of the better song of Mavis, 3-7-20-1. Here it is :
http://www.mediafire.com/?1zl2nj1toud

KORIN, NI BU YONG KE QI!
Good luck mugging while listening to Mavis' song! :D

-Melvin

406jaywalking

2009-04-05T20:24:00.000+08:00

Hi all,
It's a major change here as you can see~
First,my apologies for letting this blog die.It was because my comp crashed and I lost the username for this blog. The username was difficult to spell,and there were hyphens -_-

So, I asked Shao Beng and I found out the username.
Yay~

Okay and then I spent some time to fix ,update,relink the blog.Apologies if it is ugly,come and do it if you are so smart.

So,by the end of this,I was sick of it and I asked Alec to take over all these.
LOL look~ :

HA! :D
sabo-ed!

Back to my story.
I cannot possibly be the one to keep updating this.I have my own things to do too,right?
And those people who complain, well,why don't you all do something?!!!
I complain,but at least I think of a solution and do it!

So,I've formed the Crass brog blog group.
In layman terms,it is the people who will take turns to update this blog or what-so-ever.
(Lol I just saw Alec's msn,saying "WELCOME TO THE "WORK TILL U DIE NO REWARDS FOR IT" CLUB!!!!! to the new members )

Well,you might be wondering WHY go through all these trouble?Why not just leave the username and password here so that anyone can blog?

Firstly,
DO YOU THINK ANYONE will care?! Apologies for being harsh with my words,but this is what I am seeing and I'm just saying it.
For those faithful readers of this blog,I'm sure there is some of you out there who wants to have a say here.I remember leaving a post in the previous blog to tell those who want to blog,to inform me and I'll give them the username+password.

BUT! ONE YEAR has passed and it seems like everyone is SO busy that no one asked for it at all... And today when I looked at the old tag board,I saw ~~some~~ a handful of people saying that "Oh,this blog is dead", "when is it going to be updated?", "So sian...update please" etc.
HELLO~ why don't YOU come and do it!! -__- @$#&**#%&!! (yes,I'm picking on you,you Mimbo with that bimbo username!)

Secondly,
People might screw up the html codes and I'll have to fix it again.
You must be thinking,"I'm sure there is someone else to do it!"
OKAY... give me 3 names of people who will do it then!!

Thirdly,
People from I-don't-know-where can randomly come and type love or hate messages -_- Who knows.

By protecting the username and password, it will secure this blog.

Enough of my rantings,now I shall announce the people in-charge.

Me(korin)
Alec
Loong Guat
Tze Yeng
Melvin
Junji

DON'T LAUGH!
There will be more to come,because I'm gonna make them join.

By the way,the reason why I selected this blogskin is because our O'levels are coming SOON and we are like...racing with Time~!

Class blog is for classmates to update.
Geez,I really envy 409....
Bye!