Sec1 History: Feedback for Timed Practice I (Bridge your gap!)

What does BCE stand for?

• Before Christian Era

• Before Christ

• Before Common Era

Answer explanation

Note that Before Christ are made up of two words. Hence BCE cannot stand for Before Christ (which is known as BC). BCE stands for Before Common Era. Remember that we changed from BC to BCE and AD to CE to denote that the calendar is for everyone (common to all) and not just for the Christians.

​ ​ Arrange the following events (from earliest to latest)

• 1965 CE: Singapore became independent

• 1819 AD: Raffles arrived in Singapore

• 2000 BC: Glass was invented

Answer explanation

Remember that AD means the same as CE & BCE means the same as BC. Thus, the event that will happen first is 2000BC. The second event will be 1819 (Raffles coming to Sg) and the third will be Singapore becoming independent (1965)

Which year comes first? 2000 BC or 1000 BCE?

• 2000 BC comes first

• 1000 BCE comes first

Answer explanation

Remember that since both BCE and BC means the years before Year 1, BC 2000 would be earlier than BCE 1000

Let us put your understanding of chronology to the test: Drag and Drop the following years in the timeline below:

​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ <--- ​ (a)   --- ​ (b)   --- ​ (c)   --- ​ (d)   --->

• BC 1976
• BCE 1289
• AD 2000
• CE 2023

Answer explanation

Remember this timeline!

Which of the following is the best inference to the question:

What can we infer from Source A about trade in Temasek in the 14th century?

• I can infer that there are many traders who liked to go to Temasek to trade.

• I can infer that Chinese junks sail to Temasek for trade and the pirates do not disturb them.

• I can infer that Temasek is a highly popular port.

• I can infer from Source A that trade in Temasek is bustling.

Answer explanation

Remember that your inference

(i) Cannot be a lifting or paraphrase of source evidence (See highlights)

(ii) You must address the question. Ie, whatever the question is asking, you must answer that. Since the question is asking about trade (subject matter is trade), the best answer would say how trade is (subject matter i trade). Therefore, while you have made right inferences about the traders or Temasek in other answers, that is not the best answer for a question that asks about trade.

Which sentence should you add as an explanation to the following answer?

I can infer from Source A that trade in Temasek is bustling (Inference that answers the question). Source A states "When junks sail to Temasek, the pirates allow them to pass undisturbed" and "But when they returned after trading, it was almost certain that some two or three hundred local pirates on their boats will attack the sailors" (Evidence from source)

• This means that trade is very busy and thus trade is bustling.

• This means that many junks were attacked which means that trade is bustling.

• This means that the traders must have bought a lot of goods after visiting Temasek which suggests that trade was busy which makes it bustling.

Answer explanation

Remember that when you are writing an explanation,

you are showing how you got your inference from the evidence.

Hence, the explanation is neither the inference nor the evidence.

It is the link that clarifies how you got your inference. This is often the hardest to get but sooner or later, you will get it!

Which do you think are the matching inference, evidence and explanation for Question 3?

• Inference

• This implies that the locals are literate as they can communicate in a language. The stone with carvings serve like a book

• Explanation

• I can learn from Source B that that the people of early Singapore are literate

• Evidence

• This can be seen from the picture of a stone with carvings with neat fonts and symbols that look like a written language.

Answer explanation

Remember that to write an inference answer, use IEE to do your self-check.

For evidence, when it is a picture, describe the picture. Do not just copy from the provenance.