Sentence Examples

http://sentence.yourdictionary.com/

In learning, to understand a word's meaning you need more than a definition. Seeing the word in a sentence example can provide more context and relevance. Good resource.

Chinese Compositions: 作文网

http://www.zuowen.com/
小学到高中作文库。可按年级和题材分类。
Rich collection of Chinese compositions ranging from Primary levels to Secondary levels.

Top Primary Schools in Singapore

Published by theAsianparent.com in February 2012, the table below shows the top 21 primary schools in Singapore. It ranks the top primary schools by the number of MOE awards that primary schools have received as an indicator of the school’s success.

 

Name of school	SEA	SDA	SAA	ODA	BPA
Raffles Girls’ Primary School	X	X	XXX		XXX
Rulang Primary School	X	X	XX	X	XXX
St. Hilda’s Primary School	X	X	XXX		XXX
Ai Tong School		X	XXX		XX
Catholic High School		X	XXX	X	XXX
CHIJ St. Nicholas Girls’ School		X	XXX		X
Chongfu School		X	X	X	XX
Gongshang Primary School		X	XXX	X	X
Henry Park Primary School		X	XXX		X
Kong Hwa Primary School		X	XX		X
Kuo Chuan Presbyterian Primary School		X	XX		X
Maris Stella High School		X	XX		X
Methodist Girls’ School		X	XXX	X	X
Nanyang Primary School		X	XXX		XX
Pasir Ris Primary School*		X	XXX	XX	XX
Pei Chun Public School		X	XXX		X
Radin Mas Primary School		X	XX		X
Rosyth School		X	XX	X	X
Tampines Primary School		X	X	X	X
Tao Nan School		X	XXX		X
Temasek Primary School		X	XX		XX

 

Read more: http://sg.theasianparent.com/primary-schools-rankings-%e2%80%93-top-21/2/#ixzz2qGX1kEga

Top Secondary Schools in Singapore by Cut-off-points (COP)

Below shows a ranking of top secondary schools in Singapore by their PSLE aggregate score (2012)

Name of School	COP 2013	Highest Score
NANYANG GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL	265	280
RAFFLES INSTITUTION	263	284
RAFFLES GIRLS’ SCHOOL (SECONDARY)	263	280
HWA CHONG INSTITUTION	261	277
NATIONAL JUNIOR COLLEGE	259	272
RIVER VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL	256	282
DUNMAN HIGH SCHOOL	256	278
CHIJ ST. NICHOLAS GIRLS’ SCHOOL	253	275
METHODIST GIRLS’ SCHOOL (SECONDARY)	252	267
CEDAR GIRLS’ SECONDARY SCHOOL	251	272
TEMASEK JUNIOR COLLEGE	251	270
SINGAPORE CHINESE GIRLS’ SCHOOL	251	260
ANGLO-CHINESE SCHOOL (INDEPENDENT)	249	261
CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL	249	261
BUKIT PANJANG GOVT. HIGH SCHOOL	246	274
VICTORIA SCHOOL	246	268
ANDERSON SECONDARY SCHOOL	246	265
NAN HUA HIGH SCHOOL	245	265
ST. JOSEPH’S INSTITUTION	245	262
CRESCENT GIRLS’ SCHOOL	244	269
CHIJ SECONDARY (TOA PAYOH)	243	251
ANGLICAN HIGH SCHOOL	242	262
ST. MARGARET’S SECONDARY SCHOOL	241	251
NAN CHIAU HIGH SCHOOL	240	266
CHUNG CHENG HIGH SCHOOL (MAIN)	239	258
FAIRFIELD METHODIST SCHOOL (SECONDARY)	239	251
COMMONWEALTH SECONDARY SCHOOL	238	251
SWISS COTTAGE SECONDARY SCHOOL	237	256
TANJONG KATONG GIRLS’ SCHOOL	236	271

Source: http://singaporelearner.com/2013/11/21/list-of-top-secondary-schools-2013-in-singapore-by-cut-off-psle-aggregate-score-2012

How to score A or A* in PSLE Science

The following article is sourced from EPH website:

http://www.eph.com.sg/edutips.php?id=25

http://www.eph.com.sg/edutips.php?id=26

 

As the examinations draw near, parents and pupils would understandably be nervous. For those who are having difficulty in Science or wonder how to improve in the subject, here are some tips to achieve your ideal grade in the subject.

 

Good Study Habits

Adopting good study habits will motivate you in learning Science. Pay attention in class and revise what you had learnt in school at home. Submit your homework on time and practise more questions on your own during your free time. Always clarify any doubts immediately with your teacher. Practise questions that are more challenging so that you can learn more than what is required. Be curious. Always inquire how things work around us.

 

Learning Science can be interesting and amazing if you can understand the different concepts behind it.

 

Examination Preparation
Examination preparation should start as early as possible. It is important to familarise yourself with the examination format so that you know what is expected.  Practise past year papers to familarise yourself with the examination format and the trend of the questions asked during the examination. Memorise important keywords and facts that are useful in the various topics and are commonly used in answers. Make mindmaps or revision cards to help you memorise the words.

Examination Techniques
There are two types of questions in the PSLE Science examination. They are multiple-choice questions and open-ended questions.

Read all the instructions carefully before attempting the questions. Attempt those questions that you have confidence in answering first. Remember not to leave any questions unanswered, especially for the multiple-choice questions. Check all your answers to minimise spelling errors. Write legibly and neatly so that you will not be penalised for untidy handwriting. Be concise in answering the questions; know which keywords are required for the answer. Do not panic if you cannot answer some questions. Attempt them again after you have finished those questions you can answer.
Time allocation for each question is important. Do not spend too much time on multiple-choice questions as open-ended questions usually require more time for thinking and answering. Take note of the marks allocated for each open-ended question too. Do not spend too much time on questions that are worth only a few marks.

MCQ Questions

• To tackle multiple-choice questions, first, identify those factual questions that require you to recall the facts you have learnt. These questions are straightforward and you can usually answer them immediately without looking at the other options.

Example:  Which of the following is not found in an animal cell? (1) Nucleus (2) Cell wall (3) Cytoplasm (4) Cell membrane The answer is (2). This type of question requires you to recall the learnt facts learnt and should be answered quickly.

• Questions that have more than one answer can be tackled by using elimination.

Example:   Which of the following processes made up the water cycle? I.                   Radiation II.                Collection III.              Evaporation IV.              Precipitation V.                Condensation (1) I, III and IV only (2) II, III and V only (3) II, III, IV and V only (4) I, II, III, IV and V   Radiation is a process of transferring heat and it has nothing to do with the water cycle.   Hence, by understanding that option I is not the correct answer, we can eliminate (1) and (4). The difference between (2) and (3) is the additional option of precipitation. Precipitation includes rainfall, which is part of the water cycle. Hence, the answer is (3).   By doing elimination, we do not have to study each option thoroughly and this reduces a lot of time in answering the question.

Open-ended Questions

• For open-ended questions, circle the keywords in each question to help you to focus on what is being asked. It is important that you understand the question.

Example: What are the products formed during photosynthesis? To answer such a question, first, identify the keywords. The keywords are ‘photosynthesis’ and ‘products’.   When you see ‘photosynthesis’, you should recall what this word means. Photosynthesis is a process whereby plants make food in the presence of sunlight. The question is asking about the products of photosynthesis. This means that you have to provide more than one answer to the question.   Recall that food (sugar) is made in plants and oxygen is given out during photosynthesis to replenish the air. Hence, the answers are sugarand oxygen.

• Note the question terms used in the question. This will help you understand what answer is required of you in order to score full marks for that particular question.

Example: When a magnet is placed near object X, object X does not move. When the magnet is placed near object Y, object Y moves away from it. (a)  Explain why object X does not move when the magnet is placed near it. (b)  State the possible materials that can be used to make object Y. For (a), the question term used is ‘Explain’. ‘Explain’ means that you have to give reasons for the observation stated.   The observation is that object X does not move. Object X does not move because it is neither a magnet nor an object made of magnetic material. If object X is a magnet or a magnetic material, it will either be attracted to or be repelled by the magnet.   Thus, the correct answer is ‘Object X is made of a non-magnetic material, hence it is not affected by the magnet.’   For (b), the question term used is ‘State’. State means that you only need to write short answers, meaning a few words or short phrases.   Since object Y moves away from the magnet, object Y is also a magnet. Magnets are made of or can be made by one of the four types of magnetic materials. Hence, the answer for (b) is ‘Iron, steel, nickel or cobalt’.

• It is always good to be concise in your answer. Using the correct keywords in your answer will help you score the marks allocated.

Example: 50 cm3 of air is being pumped into a 30 cm3 container. (a)  What is the volume of air inside the container? (b)  Explain your answer in (a). For (a), the question asks about the property of air (gas). Recall that air does not have a fixed volume and a fixed shape and so the volume of air inside the container is 30 cm3 instead of 50 cm3. For (b), the question is asking for a reason. As mentioned earlier, air does not have a fixed volume and a fixed shape. We can only see the shape of the air changing when it is being transferred from one container to another of a different shape. Hence, we cannot write ‘Air does not have a fixed shape’ as the answer.   Air does not have a fixed volume, hence its volume changes from 50 cm3 to 30 cm3. Writing ‘Air does not have a fixed volume’ as the answer is not wrong, but there is a better word to use for this question. The keywords are ‘can be compressed’ or ‘compressible’. Air does not have a fixed volume and hence it can be compressed.   The concise answer to this question would be ‘Air can be compressed’ or ‘Air is compressible’.

 

Do note that constant revision is also essential in preparing for the examination. Hopefully, with these tips in mind, you will find that Science is not as difficult as you might think and will be on your way to achieve your ideal grade.

 

Written by: Tan Chiang Heng

How to Handle Comprehension Cloze

The following article is sourced from EPH website:

http://www.eph.com.sg/edutips.php?id=22

 

The Comprehension Cloze in the PSLE is an estimated 200-word long passage, excluding the 15 blanks that you have to fill in. This section constitutes a considerable 15 marks out of 95 marks for Paper 2. Thus, it is imperative that you do well in this section to attain an ideal grade in the subject.

The passage is usually an information report about, for example, an animal, or it could be a narrative. In a short sentence, there is usually one blank while a longer sentence could contain two to three blanks. However, you will notice that the first and the last sentences of the passage are complete sentences and do not have any blanks for you to fill in. This is because the beginning and the ending serves to paint a fuller picture of what the passage is about and will be helpful towards your understanding of the passage.

 

Before you even attempt to fill the blanks in, take some time to read through the entire passage once. Read through it again if you need to. Why do you have to do this? This is because you need to know what the passage is about. This is called understanding the context. Contextual clues play a very important role to getting the correct answer.

 

Take the example below:

 

The robber had short hair unlike his accomplice, whose _____ hair gave others the impression that he was a woman.

 

Is your answer ‘long’?

 

If it is, then you have most likely used contextual clues to obtain your answer.

 

‘Unlike’ provides the clue that the accomplice has to have hair that is different, in this case, the opposite of the description of the robber with short hair. Also, ‘the impression that he was a woman’ helps to paint a picture of the accomplice with hair that makes him look like a woman.

 

 

You will also notice that the clues come from the same sentence that the blank occurs. However, this may not happen all the time. Clues can sometimes be found in preceding or proceeding sentences, or even in other paragraphs. Thus, if you encounter a blank which you do not know the answer, refer to the lines or paragraphs before and after it to see if you can find any clues to help you obtain your answer.

 

There may be some blanks that you cannot find a suitable word for. Do not spend too long a time trying to think of an answer. Time is too precious to mull over a blank. Go on to the next one. After you have reached the last blank, go back to those that you had difficulty with and try to fill them in. Avoid leaving any blanks unfilled. After this, read through the entire passage to check if it makes sense and if it is grammatically sound.

 

To be confident in successfully handling this section, it helps to read widely. Reading just your favourite novel is not enough. Do widen your reading material to the newspapers, the encyclopaedia or even comics. As long as it is print, you never know when the information will come in handy. Sometimes, the context could be familiar because you have read it somewhere before. Thus, you would be able to make use of the vocabulary at the back of your mind.

How to do well in PSLE Oral Examination

The following is sourced from EPH website:

http://www.eph.com.sg/edutips.php?id=24

 

The Oral Examination is something which every child in Singapore’s education system has to undergo. Over the years, there has been a growing emphasis on the oral component of the language examinations. Besides just excelling in the written components of the examination, pupils are expected to be proficient speakers of the languages they are studying. This is reflected in the allocation of marks for English Language and Chinese Language in the PSLE examination, where the oral component constitutes 15% and 25% respectively of the total assessment. Thus, doing well in the oral examination is integral towards achieving a good grade in the subject.

 

Let us look at the various components of the oral section of the examination and see how one can excel in it.

 

Reading Passage

The first section is usually the reading passage. Pupils have about five minutes to prepare for this. They should make ample use of this time.

 

For the English Language oral examination, they can go through the passage to see when they should pause, as well as when they should emphasise certain sections. If they also encounter any unfamiliar words, this is the time when they should practise the pronunciation. If pupils really do not know the pronunciation, they can make an intelligent guess through the spelling of the word. It is good to read aloud the passage at least twice so that they will be familiar with it. When reading aloud to the examiner, do not be nervous. Read slowly and clearly. It is important to pronounce the words as clearly as possible so that the pupil can be understood even if the examiner does not have the passage in front of him or her.

Be confident in your delivery.

 

For the Chinese Language oral examination, grading of the reading is based on 3 factors: 

• Accuracy
• Fluency 
• Pitch

The key to scoring well for this section requires the pupil to read the passage accurately and fluently, with the right pitch.

 

Pupils who read the passage quickly seldom score well. Why is this so?

 

Firstly, the accuracy of their pronunciation and fluency of the language will be affected. Secondly, the examiner would not be able to understand the pupil. Hence, it is important for pupils to read at the right pace and pitch. However, some pupils still have the tendency to read the passage at a fast pace. The main reason behind this could be their inability to pronounce certain words in the passage. The common misunderstanding among pupils is if they read fast enough, the examiner would not be able to spot the mistakes they make in pronunciation.  However, the fact is, not only can the examiner spot the mispronunciations, he or she can also possibly give you a lower score for the lack of fluency and pitch in reading the passage. Thus, pupils should read the passage in a clear tone even if they encounter words which they cannot pronounce.

 

Picture Discussion

The next section is the picture discussion. Pupils will be presented with a picture and asked to describe it. They will be given an initial prompt as well as additional prompts if the pupils appear to have trouble talking about the picture.

 

Pupils should first give a general description of the entire scene, like the venue of the picture. They can move on to describe the physical appearance of the characters in the foreground and their thoughts and actions. Pupils can also give a reason behind why the characters are performing certain actions. They are encouraged to present their personal opinions as well.

 

For example, the character might be littering in a bus stop while chasing after a bus. The pupil could make an assumption that the character is chasing after a bus and thus committed the offence unknowingly. However, it is wrong to litter in public regardless of the reason. They can then move on to the characters in the background.

 

It will be good if pupils can link certain characters or things in the picture together to give a more coherent discussion about the picture. Do try to discuss the picture in a systematic manner like in a clockwise manner instead of just talking about the characters in a haphazard manner. Try to talk about everything that is given in the picture and do not ignore certain things or characters.

 

To do well in this section, pupils have to be organised in their description and should be able to explain and interpret the various situations in the picture. Pupils will also score well if they use a wide variety of sentence structures with appropriate vocabulary.

 

Conversation

For this section, pupils will be given a topic to talk about. This topic is usually related to the picture. Pupils will also receive additional prompts if they appear to have difficulty talking about the topic. Pupils should treat this section like they are having a conversation with someone familiar, like their parents or elders. Do not think of it as a question-and-answer session with the examiner.

 

When you are asked about a topic, take a moment to organise your thoughts. Try to answer all aspects of the topic in a comprehensive manner.

 

For example, if you are asked about your favourite hobby, do not just give a one-word answer. Explain to the examiner the reason why it is your favourite hobby, how you got started on it as well as how often you spend time on it.

 

Pupils will do well if they elaborate their ideas with varied sentence structures and respond confidently without much prompting from the examiner.

Hopefully, with the use of these pointers, pupils will be able to face the oral examination more confidently and therefore do well in this section of the examination.

Written by Adrian Lee and Eric Pang

How to inculcate interest in the Chinese Language

 http://www.eph.com.sg/edutips.php?id=27

An article written by Eric Pang, published by EPH on how to inculcate interest in Chinese Language in your child. It advises on the role parents can play in inculcating the interest. One of the suggestions - "When choosing a storybook, parents should always remember to let their child decide the choice of book. It is better to read a story that interests a child than to read a story that will benefit a child."