Feature Article

Section A

Text 1

Study the webpage below and answer Questions 1-4.

Source: the website of the Canadian International School, http://www.cis.edu.sg/page.cfm?p=398
Section A (5 marks)

Text 1

Refer to the webpage (Text 1) for Questions 1 – 4.

1 This webpage has a headline that reads “An Intimate Learning Environment in Lush, Green Surroundings”. Give two reasons why this headline might attract parents who are considering enrolling their children in the school.

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2 Study the photograph used at the top of the webpage. What key characteristic of the school do you think the picture is meant to illustrate?

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3 In what way does the layout of the website help it achieve its intended purpose?

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4 Study the text on the page, and identify one feature that you feel sets the Canadian International School apart from other schools. Briefly explain why this feature differentiates it from other schools.

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Possible Responses to Text 1 Questions 1 – 4

1. This webpage has a headline that reads “An Intimate Learning Environment in Lush, Green Surroundings”. Give two reasons why this headline might attract parents who are considering enrolling their children in the school.

Reason 1: The ‘intimate learning environment’ suggests a small classroom size where each child gets more attention from the teacher
Reason 2: The ‘lush, green surroundings’ suggest a healthy, natural outdoors setting conducive to play and discovery.

2. Study the photograph used at the top of the webpage. What key characteristic of the school do you think the picture is meant to illustrate?

Possible key characteristics:
i) the students in the picture are of different ethnicities, and this could be highlighting the rich diversity of the school population. ii) the students seem to be attending a music lesson in a specialized room, with what appears to be a qualified instructor. This could be highlighting the quality of the school’s programs. iii) the music lesson shown in progress could be highlighting the emphasis on a balanced curriculum, focusing not just on academic subjects but on the arts and other fields as well.

3. In what way does the layout of the website help it achieve its intended purpose?

Possible responses: (since the objective is most likely to entice parents to enroll their child in the school)
a) the clean and uncluttered layout makes it easy for parents to navigate the website and locate the information they want, giving parents a good impression and suggesting the school’s management is also as well-organized
b) the clean and uncluttered layout with the use of well-taken photographs and the schools’ logo prominently displayed at the top gives it professional look that inspires confidence in the credibility of the school’s programs and staff

4. Study the text on the page, and identify one feature that you feel sets the Canadian International School apart from other schools. Briefly explain why this feature differentiates it from other schools.

Possible features identified:
i) In the first paragraph, it is stated the school offers ‘learning and sporting facilities in an intimate environment’. The deliberate mention of both ‘learning’ and ‘sports’ suggests that the school has a curriculum that is not just focused on academic subjects and results, and strives to develop students holistically. It is often said that our education system generally emphasizes academic results more than other areas of development (hence this is how the school differentiates its programs from other schools). ii) The word ‘intimate’ (offers learning and sporting facilities in an intimate environment) also suggests a smaller class size, which allows for more attention from the teacher in class and closer monitoring. Most Secondary schools in Singapore face an average class size of about 30 plus to 40, which some consider less than ideal. iii) The school’s physical design, which incorporates an ‘inviting, open and airy environment’, as well as easy access to the different learning and sporting facilities, and ‘spacious, air-conditioned classrooms’, promotes a ‘unique sense of environmental harmony’. It is clear that the design of the school and the provision of top-notch facilities (including ‘cutting-edge’, ‘age-specific’ classrooms outfitted with the latest in educational technology) is very student-friendly and sets it apart from the average school.
Any other reasonable answers should be accepted.