Literature
Who wrote “Hamlet”, “Romeo and Juliet”, and “The Tempest”
William Shakespeare
This is annual street parade held in Malaysia and Singapore as part of the Chinese New Year festivities, usually in celebration of the birthdays of Chinese deities or in some cases with the procession of the Goddess of Mercy (Guanyin).
The Chingay Parade
What goals did the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development make, adopted by all United Nations (UN) members in 2015
Sustainable Development Goals (abbr. SDGs)
What measures have HCI, specifically the principal, done to resolve the SATS catered food problem?
The school board has been working with SATS to create a recipe more suitable and edible for students.
State the first dynasty to have ruled Ancient China. (in traditional Chinese histography)
Xia Dynasty
In Julius Caesar, out of the main four characters (Julius Caesar, Cassius, Brutus, Mark Antony), only this character survives at the end of the play.
Mark Antony
What was bound feet seen as in late imperialist China
Bound feet were considered a status symbol and a mark of feminine beauty.
What is a carbon tax?
Emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are changing the climate. A carbon tax puts a price on those emissions, encouraging people, businesses, and governments to produce less of them.
Why did Japanese PM, Sanae Takaichi, call for a Snap Election
It was a bid to strengthen her power and revive the sagging fortunes of her party.
Which empire orchestrated the invasion and subsequent sack of Singapore in 1398? (BONUS 100 Points if you know which monarch ruled that empire at the time)
Majapahit Empire
Bonus: Vikramavardhana
In October 2019, then-Education Minister Ong Ye Kung cited and criticised this local poet and playwright for his poem Singapore You Are Not My Country and faced much backlash. This poet has written plays such as Cooling-Off Day and Hotel and poems such as The Merlion.
Alfian Sa’at
Seppuku is a form of Japanese ritualistic suicide by disembowelment. It was originally reserved for samurai, but was also practiced by other Japanese people during the Shōwa era (particularly officers near the end of World War II). List 3 possible reasons why Seppuku is done, and by who. Each reason is 100 points.
1. It was done by samurai who were about to fall into the hands of their enemies and likely be tortured.
2. Voluntary seppuku was often committed to restore honour for a misdeed or a failure
3. Some samurai also chose to end their lives by seppuku after their daimyo (feudal lords who controlled most of the country) died.
4. Obligatory seppuku, was used as a means of capital punishment for disgraced samurai who had committed acts of treason or violent crimes.
5. Obligatory seppuku could be requested by the victor of a conflict as a term of surrender and subsequent peace. In such cases, the leader(s) of the losing side were compelled to commit seppuku, thus removing all further political and military opposition to the victor.
What is the term for a regenerative economic model designed to eliminate waste and pollution by keeping products, components, and materials in use at their highest value for as long as possible
Circular Economy
Why does Trump want Greenland? Explain how these reasons can be linked to national benefit. Each reason + explanation is 100 points.
1. Strategic and Military Importance (National Security)
Greenland sits between North America, Europe, and the Arctic, making it a critical military location. The U.S. already operates Thule Air Base, which is vital for missile early-warning systems, space surveillance, and Arctic defense. As Arctic ice melts, new air and sea routes open, increasing military competition—especially with Russia and China. Control or stronger influence over Greenland would allow the U.S. to secure the Arctic flank, monitor adversaries more effectively, and prevent hostile powers from gaining a foothold close to North America.
National benefit: Strengthens U.S. homeland defense and preserves military dominance in the Arctic.
2. Economic and Resource Interests
Greenland contains large reserves of rare earth elements, uranium, oil, gas, and other minerals essential for modern technologies such as electronics, renewable energy, and military equipment. Currently, China dominates rare earth supply chains. Trump viewed Greenland as a way to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign—especially Chinese—resources.
National benefit: Enhances economic security and protects critical supply chains needed for industry and defense.
3. Geopolitical Competition with China
China has shown interest in investing in Greenland’s infrastructure and mining sector as part of its broader global expansion. Trump’s proposal reflected concern that Chinese economic influence could translate into political or strategic leverage in the Arctic.
National benefit: Prevents strategic rivals from expanding influence near U.S. territory and preserves American global leadership.
4. Long-Term Territorial and Strategic Vision
Trump often framed the idea as a “real estate” deal, but historically, U.S. territorial acquisitions (e.g. Alaska) have yielded major strategic and economic returns. Greenland fits into a similar logic: high upfront cost, long-term national gain.
National benefit: Positions the U.S. for future geopolitical, economic, and environmental shifts in the Arctic.
By the late Middle Ages and into the early modern period, this African island became a powerful centre of trade and culture under significant Omani influence. It served as a key node in the Indian Ocean trade network, exporting spices, ivory, and slaves, and its governance was eventually transferred to the Sultanate of Oman, which moved its capital there in the 19th century. Name the island.
Zanzibar
Based on the title, explain how the context of modern Seoul might be relevant to the 2007 Nobel Prize-winning novel The Vegetarian by Han Kang.
: Any two of the following:
How does cultural threat perceptions predict violent extremism (200 pts) and give a case study/example to demonstrate this process. (200 pts)
Cultural threats are shown to activate a desire for definitive answers and solutions. This desire is referred to as a "need for cognitive closure" (NFC). When individuals perceive their culture as threatened, they seek to reduce uncertainty and ambiguity by adopting rigid, clear-cut beliefs and solutions.
NFC mediates the association between perceived cultural threats and violent extremist outcomes. This means that cultural threats do not directly cause extremism but rather increase NFC, which then, in turn, contributes to greater endorsement of extremist views and violent behavioral intentions. The research highlights that threatening situations can decrease cognitive capacity and flexibility, leading people to become more closed-minded and seek dogmatic beliefs and hostile worldview defenses.
Example: Use https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2213874120 or google
Progress towards achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 is currently "way off track," with only about 15–18% of targets on track and many others stalling or reversing. Explain what is stopping our world and stakeholders from achieving the SDGs (each reason is 100, only have to name 4)
1. Financial resources: The UN estimates that more than $5 trillion per year will be needed to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) targets by 2030, which cannot all come from governments. While the impact investment market is growing rapidly (and was estimated at $1.15 trillion in 2022), such investors have been remarkably passive. A recent study found that while 93% of impact investors said they aligned their objectives with the SDGs, only 48% aimed to achieve any of the 169 specific targets, and only 11% actually engaged with communities, customers, workers, and other stakeholders to understand the impact they were having or not having. Such investors often rely on high-level targets to gauge the impact of their investments, but these can vary dramatically in quality and can actually make things worse.
2. Greenwashing by private firms: Despite some high-profile engagement in Sustainable Development Goals by people like Paul Polman, former CEO of consumer goods giant Unilever, much corporate engagement with the SDGs has “so far been largely superficial – often used to support their reputations through greenwashing and social washing rather than meaningful attempts to make positive social change”. While there has been a lot of talk about the SDGs from these firms, there are few specific commitments to meet them and the SDGs are not part of the companies’ core strategies. The SDGs, said that research, are looked at “as a scheme with non-committal implications”.
3. The marginalisation of the state: Most social innovation debate in both theory and practice has focused on the social and private sectors, so the role of government intervention has been marginalised – with the state often being seen as part of the problem rather than part of the solution.
4. Pressure for social sector to scale: The social innovation community has too often sought to replicate in subsequent initiatives organisations and practices rather than replicating the results of successful projects – and “our experience of third sector organisations suggests that this is not working”.
5. Interventions: While some issues such as climate may call for centralised regulation and control, many other cases (especially in low-income countries) call for a different approach that is more locally accountable. As social innovation ideas and practice are being more widely adopted around the world, “there is the danger of a onesize-fits-all approach to social innovation, rather than exploring practises drawn from other times, places and cultural contexts”, the CCSI says.
Explain why the 2025-2026 Iranian protests happened (each reason = 100 pts)
1. Iran's economy experienced sharp inflation, a devalued currency, and an energy deficit, culminating in repeated electricity and gas disruptions and apologies from Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian. Iran had also suffered from major declines in global influence such as with the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, a major ally. In the final months of 2025, Iran's economy experienced an unprecedented surge in exchange rates, a sharp depreciation of the Iranian rial with the US dollar reaching approximately 145,000 Iranian tomans.
2. In Iran, water scarcity is caused by high climatic variability, uneven distribution of water, over exploitation of available water resources, and prioritization of economic development. It is further exacerbated by climate change. Water scarcity can be a result of two mechanisms: physical (absolute) water scarcity and economic water scarcity, where physical water scarcity is a result of inadequate natural water resources to supply a region's demand, and economic water scarcity is a result of poor management of the sufficient available water resources.
3. Economic analysts cited government monetary and fiscal policies, economic mismanagement, chronic budget deficits, and the continuation of international sanctions as key contributing factors. These conditions directly affected trade guilds, particularly businesses dependent on imports. Severe exchange-rate volatility left many merchants unable to price goods, secure supplies, or continue economic activity.
4. A key reason is political repression and lack of political freedom. Iran’s political system concentrates real power in unelected institutions such as the Supreme Leader and the Guardian Council, limiting meaningful political participation. Elections are tightly controlled, independent media is restricted, and dissent is often met with arrests, censorship, and violence. Over time, this has created deep frustration, as many citizens feel they have no legal or peaceful way to influence decisions that affect their lives.
5. Social and cultural restrictions, particularly on women, have played a central role. The 2022 protests were sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini after her detention by the morality police for allegedly violating hijab rules. For many Iranians, especially women and young people, strict dress codes and moral policing symbolise broader state control over personal freedom. As a result, protests expanded from outrage over a single incident into a wider movement demanding dignity, autonomy, and social rights.
6. A further factor is the generational divide within Iranian society. Iran has a young population, many of whom did not experience the 1979 Islamic Revolution and do not strongly identify with its ideological goals. This younger generation is more connected to global culture through the internet and social media and holds higher expectations for personal freedom, economic opportunity, and social mobility. When these aspirations are blocked, frustration turns into open protest.
7. International sanctions have indirectly contributed to unrest. While sanctions are imposed by foreign powers, many Iranians blame the government for failing to mitigate their effects or pursue policies that improve living conditions. Sanctions worsen inflation, weaken the currency, and reduce employment opportunities, amplifying existing dissatisfaction and feeding protest movements.
The Fall of the Western Roman Empire, a decisive loss of control of Western Europe to Barbaric Migrant Kingdoms, occurred in 476 when the Germanic King Odoacer deposed the Last Western Roman Emperor, Romulus Augustulus. What nation formed in Italy preceding this event and who was it founded by?
The Ostrogothic Kingdom under Syagrius
Based on the backdrop of the novel in both London and Paris between 1755 and 1793, suggest how the well-known first sentence of The Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens: ‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.’ might be interpreted.
This is done by all teams, and the team with whatever sounds best to Kayden gets 500 points
Whatever sounds best to Kayden Lee Kai En
Human sacrifice was a common practice in many parts of Mesoamerica. The rite was not new to the Aztecs when they arrived at the Valley of Mexico, nor was it something unique to pre-Columbian Mexico. The meaning of sacrifice in Aztec society is debated, so give two main theories on the sacrifice’s meaning and reasoning (each theory 250 pts)
1. Aztec mythology taught that the world had already been destroyed four times, each era ending in catastrophe. The present age, known as the Fifth Sun, existed only because the gods had sacrificed themselves at Teotihuacan to set the sun in motion. However, the sun god Huitzilopochtli required constant nourishment to continue his daily journey across the sky and his eternal struggle against darkness. Human blood and hearts were believed to contain teyolia, a vital life force that fed the gods. Without sacrifice, the sun would stop, plunging the world into chaos and destruction.
2. A New York anthropologist has suggested that Aztecs sacrificed human beings atop their sacred pyramids not simply for religious reasons but because they had to eat people to obtain protein needed in their diet. He argues that cannibalism, which may have begun for purely religious reasons, appears to have grown to serve nutritional needs because the Aztecs, unlike nearly all other civilizations, lacked domesticated herbivores such as pigs or cattle.
Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) is shorthand for an investing principle that prioritizes environmental issues, social issues, and corporate governance. List:
- How ESG became popular (100 pts)
- What data is reported for ESG in companies, so that investments can be made (200 pts)
- Criticisms about ESG (100 pts)
(100 pts) ESG grew in popularity in the early 2000s as society became more concerned about environmental deterioration and social issues, such as unsafe labor practices and human rights violations. Additionally, investors increasingly believe companies that perform well on ESG are less risky, better positioned for the long term and better prepared for uncertainty.
(200 pts)
The European leaders are in absolute shock and outrage after learning that Trump wanted to invade Greenland. List Trump’s responses to different European leaders after they expressed their opinions. (give 3 responses for 500)
1. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre: Trump publicly shared a letter/text he sent to Støre complaining that Norway didn’t give him the Nobel Peace Prize, and claimed this justified a shift from pure peace priorities. In his message Trump argued that Denmark “cannot protect” Greenland from Russia/China and questioned the legitimacy of Danish sovereignty. Trump used the exchange to frame U.S. claims over Greenland as tied to security interests and U.S. contributions to NATO.
2. French PM Emmanuel Macron: Trump publicly released Macron’s private message — breaking diplomatic norms — portraying Macron’s concern as part of a broader debate. On social media and in press interactions, Trump threatened punitive tariffs on French wine and champagne to pressure Macron politically. He used the leaked exchange to depict Macron’s leadership as confused over Greenland while amplifying his own strategic framing.
3. NATO General Mark Rutte: Trump shared Rutte’s private message to his own followers as proof of “allies’ support.” He used the NATO connection to justify his push for control of Greenland as a security imperative — arguing the alliance should back U.S. strategic interests after U.S. military and diplomatic efforts.
4. Danish leaders (PM Mette Frederiksen & Greenland PM Jens-Frederik Nielsen): Dismissed Greenland’s PM by claiming he didn’t know who he was and minimising his concerns as irrelevant. Accused Denmark of failing to protect Greenland from Russia/China, using that to justify his push. Threatened tariffs on Denmark and other European NATO allies until they “do the right thing” regarding Greenland.
(for more responses search on google)This political gathering of Mongol leaders, necessitated by the death of a Great Khan in 1241, prompted the withdrawal of Mongol forces from Eastern Europe. Name the political gathering (200 pts) and explain how the gathering prompted the withdrawal (300 pts)
Kurultai? (200 pts)
The Kurultai was a grand political council of Mongol princes, generals, and clan leaders, convened to decide major state matters, most importantly the election of a new Great Khan. After the death of Ögedei Khan in 1241, Mongol custom required all senior members of the ruling elite to return to Mongolia to participate. This obligation overrode ongoing military campaigns, as legitimacy and unity of the empire depended on collective consent at the Kurultai. Consequently, leading commanders such as Batu Khan halted their successful invasion of Eastern Europe and withdrew their forces west of the Carpathians. Without the presence of these commanders, continued expansion risked internal rivalry, succession disputes, and fragmentation of authority. Thus, political necessity—rather than military defeat—directly caused the Mongol withdrawal from Eastern Europe. (300 pts)