ISSUE 07 20th March – 26th March 2011

CURRENT AFFAIRS 2011

1. A record 9.0-magnitude ____________, which spawned a towering ___________, battered Japan's

northeast coast on 11 March, leaving more than 21,000 people dead or missing. Damage to houses and
roads is estimated at least at 16 trillion to 25 trillion yen, while _____________ leaks at the troubled
Fukushima Daiichi power plant have caused widespread public anxiety. In the midst of this devastation
that has left the country in a crisis situation, Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan addressed the nation
and called on them to come together to deepen the bonds that unite them – a phrase, "ittai," which is to
become one body, as they face the most serious crisis yet since World War II. The Japanese have been
praised for being ____________ and calm, and these qualities, analysts say, are neither cultural nor
religious, but a historically created social morality based on a response to the community and social order.

Link/ Contrast/ Compare this with:

• Other natural disasters and how people reacted in those situations e.g. Haiti Earthquake in 2010,
Iceland Volcano Eruption, Pakistan flood crisis etc
• Evaluate the impact of this crisis on Japan’s economy and the world at large

2. In a show of strength marking the first anniversary of the sinking of one of its warships, South Korea
launched a major ______________ drill near the tense land border with North Korea. The show of force
came a day after the North's military threatened to fire back in retaliation for a planned launch of leaflets
by anti-Pyongyang activists near the disputed Yellow Sea border. The defectors plan to launch leaflets
that would contain news of Arab uprisings and call for the ____________ of the North's regime. This year,
South Korea has been staging a series of drills alone or together with US troops to test its
____________________ and tensions between the two nations have risen since the North shelled a
border island on 23 November, killing four people. The South, which has remained technically at war with
its nuclear-armed neighbour since their conflict 60 years ago, says its drills are _____________.

Link/ Contrast/ Compare this with:

• The different conflicts that are happening in the world today – reasons for them, solutions to solve
them?
• Collaboration with other countries – evaluate the effectiveness and the problems associated with it

3. France's data privacy regulator, the National Commission for Information Freedom (CNIL), imposed a
record fine of 100,000 euros (US$142,000) on ________ for having collected private information while
compiling its panoramic Street View service. Although the Street View service provides panoramic views
of city streets, its arrival in Europe in 2007 sparked controversy over __________ concerns. ________
admitted in 2010 that its specially equipped cars taking the photographs were also picking up ________
data and had inadvertently captured unencrypted private data including passwords and e-mails. Google
apologised for having collected private data and asserted that deleting the data had always been their
priority and were happy the CNIL had given them permission to do so.

Link/ Contrast/ Compare this with:

• Evaluate the impact of technology on privacy and security issues
• Other technological debacles in history – evaluate their impact on mankind

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ISSUE 07 20th March – 26th March 2011
4. Almost nine in ten Singaporean respondents are willing to switch to more suitable jobs, according to a
survey conducted on Singapore’s workers by recruitment firm Kelly Services. More than _____ in ten
Singaporean respondents are even prepared to relocate to another country or continent in order to secure
their preferred position. Gen Y (aged 18-29) and Gen X (aged 30-47) workers are more footloose than
their baby boomer (aged 48-65) counterparts, including being more willing to travel across the globe for
the right job. The survey says the overwhelming factor preventing people from moving abroad for a job is
"family and friends," (59 per cent), followed by the cost of moving (20 per cent), language barriers (nine
per cent), and cultural differences (six per cent). The desire to move to a different continent, on the other
hand, is to get _______________ rather than setting up ____________________ , with 58 per cent
prepared to stay for three years or less. The findings are part of the Kelly Global Workforce Index which
obtained the views of about 97,000 people in 30 countries, including 900 in Singapore, and suggest that
the market for talent is becoming ________.

Link/ Contrast/ Compare this with:

• How do we encourage Singaporeans to remain rooted while seeking employment overseas?
• Consider the pull and push factors with regard to one’s decision to relocate for work or
permanently.
• Why are the younger generations more receptive to relocating for work?

5. All new Singapore citizens must go through a three-component mandatory programme known as
_____________________________________________ – which must be completed in two months –
before they get their pink IC. The programme includes a lesson at the Parliament House on governance
and the rule of the law, as well as a tour to the URA Centre and National Museum. A second component
is a meeting with grassroots leaders and new citizens who have settled in. Participants will also have to
go through a mandatory online course called the e-journey, which comprises five sections, covering
Singapore's history, national symbols, and key policies. After going through each section, participants will
then have to take a quiz. While members of the __________________________________ are sceptical
that a quiz can accurately assess or ensure the long-term ______________ of new citizens as integration
can neither be forced nor happen overnight, the National Population and Talent Division intends to give
the process a nudge forward, by creating a structure for new citizens to integrate. If the programme is not
completed in two months, participants may have their in-principal approval _____________, and will have
to re-apply for citizenship.

Link/ Contrast/ Compare this with:

• What are some other programmes or schemes to integrate foreigners in Singapore?
• Evauate the effectiveness of such programmes.

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ISSUE 07 20th March – 26th March 2011

6. Making use of the clue given, source for the picture which you think best fits the clue and insert the picture
in the box below. The picture is to be accompanied by a short write-up explaining the significance of the
event and/or person.
The clue for this week’s issue is:
“I have a dream!”

-Insert picture here-

Write-Up

Source of picture:

Brief background information of incident/person:

The significance behind this incident/person and the issue(s) raised: