Grammar / Comprehension
How do we decide when to use 'a' vs 'the'?
'a' is used if it is non-specific; 'the' is used to specify something specific
What is the meaning of 'denote'?
to be an indication of something
Who are the 3 complex characters inside the novel?
Bruno, Gretel, Father
What is Singapore’s most ubiquitous social media platform?
Bonus 100 points: What percent of people in Singapore use it? (round to nearest 10%)
~90% of people in Singapore use WhatsApp
According to Dillon Loh, what are the 3 dark horses of the World Cup?
[18 May Edition]
Japan, Morocco, Norway
How to answer an irony question?
Answer must address how expectations and reality differs
What are the 2 meanings of 'deluge'?
1) a severe flood
2) to be overwhelmed with a huge quantity of something
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is based on history, but not historically accurate. The point is the moral story. What is this type of story called?
Fable
What social media platform do people in Singapore spend the most time on?
Bonus 100 points: How long do they spend on it in an average month? (round to nearest hour)
TikTok
Users spend an average of 34 hours and 29 minutes monthly on the platform.
Answer either one of the following questions:
1) What is Ren Faire SG?
2) Where was it held?
3) When was it held?
[9 February Edition]
1) Singapore's first renaissance fair
2) Fort Canning Park
3) January 31
What are the 3 steps to answering an IYOW question?
1) Find answer from passage
2) Identify key words / phrases from answer
3) Replace key words / phrases
Use 'effusive' (or any of its word forms) in a sentence.
Effusive: to express welcome, gratitude, approval or pleasure in a very enthusiastic and unrestrained manner
E.g. She effusively praised her friend for winning the competition.
How many times did the Fuhrer appear inside the book?
1
Who is Singapore's most decorated Paralympian?
Bonus 100 points: How many Olympic medals has she won?
Yip Pin Xiu
8 Olympic Medals (7 gold medals and 1 silver medal across five Paralympic Games)
What breed of dog won the World's Ugliest Dog Contest 2026?
[24 August Edition]
Pug
Is the below sentence grammatically correct?
The paintings which were displayed in the main gallery were sold, while those that were displayed in the lobby were donated to the school.
No.
'which' should be changed to 'that' because it is important to specify that it the paintings that were displayed in the main gallery that were sold, and not those displayed in the lobby.
What is the meaning of 'typify'?
- to be a good representative example of something
- to be symbolic of something
What happened to Father at the end of the text?
He was taken away by soldiers at the end.
Dolly Parton recently pass on, prompting the US to lower their flags to half mast.
Why is she such an influential figure?
Bonus 100 points: Name 1 other act involving the Empire State Building / UK Royal Family that is meant to pay tribute to her.
- She transformed country music into mainstream culture.
- Her philanthropy has had enormous reach (eg. Imagination Library)
What school's Cultural Dance CCA was spotlighted?
[26 January Edition]
Woodlands Ring Secondary School: the Cultural Dance CCA blends both Malay and Chinese Dance
Explain the difference between the 2 statements below:
I have lived in Singapore for five years.
I lived in Singapore for five years.
I have lived in Singapore for five years. --> still living in Singapore
I lived in Singapore for five years. --> no longer living in Singapore
Use 'introspect' (or any of its word forms) in a sentence.
Introspect: To examine one’s own thoughts and feelings about something
The experience prompted her to introspect about her choices and consider what she could have done differently.
Give 2 reasons why Bruno's and Shmuel's friendship is so significant.
(Think about how it impacts characters, conveys theme etc)
Any 2:
- It defies societal norms / challenges prejudice
- Their friendship results in Bruno's character development
- It highlights the innocence of childhood / how prejudices are taught and not intrinsic
- It emphasises how prejudice is unfounded and ridiculous
What is 'Punchtok'?
Bonus 100 points: How many views have such videos garnered? (+/- 5 million as of April 2024)
Women in New York City sharing accounts of being randomly punched in the face by men.
These videos have garnered over 70 million views
(Washington Post)
What is the name of the vessel that took people 406,771km into space, the deepest that anyone had flown before?
[20 April Edition]
Artemis II