NSC English HL Comprehension: SECTION A: COMPREHENSION

QUESTI

Question

SECTION A: COMPREHENSION

QUESTION 1: READING FOR MEANING AND UNDERSTANDING

Read TEXTS A and B below and answer the questions set.

TEXT A

THE AGE OF INTIMACY FAMINE

1 Like most humans, I want intimacy. But as a developmental psychologist, I consider intimacy a fundamental human need. Intimate moments are often the touchstones of a rich human experience. Yet, millions of people worldwide are isolated and lonely, woefully lacking in the meaningful and diverse social experiences that help support emotional and physical health.

2 As modern life has grown more distanced through technological innovation, our opportunities for deep, intimate moments have dwindled. The pandemic has only exacerbated this trend, sending many of us deeper into our online worlds.

3 This has left many of us starving. We have entered an intimacy famine.

4 Though the pandemic might have accelerated our feelings of social deprivation, we were already on this course, staring at our phones as if they held the answer to our woes. And, ironically, perhaps they do.

5 My phone is probably the most demanding entity in my world. I have taught my students that responsiveness is one of the crucial elements of parenting and one of the most important things we can offer a nurtured relationship. Hence, through my responsiveness to my phone's demands, I have nurtured it as well. But it is not only my responsiveness that has sustained our relationship. I carefully wipe its screen to remove smudges (social grooming). I get it with me everywhere – in either my purse, hand or pocket (skin-to-skin bonding). I get nervous if I cannot find it (separation anxiety).

6 This relationship has not gone unnoticed by my students or their parents. Since 2016, researchers around the world have turned their attention to the ways in which technology interferes with relationships. They have posited that emotional connectivity is needed to interact with their phones when their humans in their lives, and this same conflict inadvertently, in turn, relates to lower levels of quality in family bonding.

7 Why might this happen? Many experienced relationship researchers choose to investigate the phenomenon as a casual agent of self-isolation. Even if it is not the phone itself that causes harm, it becomes an easy scapegoat for the conditions which isolate us.

8 Sociologists have shown that as social creatures, humans are able to thrive when around one another. A lack of social experiences moves us away from this. So it is not surprising that the more we indulge our isolation with technology, the less we feel connected and supported by our human relationships.

9 The concept of intimacy famine refers to this loss of emotional connection, presenting a wider picture of how loneliness creates difficult emotional barriers in our relationships.

10 Ultimately, if the pandemic has taught us anything, it is that the relationships we nurture – whether human or otherwise – are vital to our emotional health. In an age of digital existence, we have to be reminded of the necessity of exploration, connection, and bonding outside of our phones - for our good and for the good of those around us.

SECTION A: COMPREHENSION QUESTION 1: READING FOR MEANING AND UNDERSTANDING Read TEXTS A and B below and answer the questions set - NSC English HL - Question 1 - 2022 - Paper 1

Worked Solution & Example Answer:SECTION A: COMPREHENSION QUESTION 1: READING FOR MEANING AND UNDERSTANDING Read TEXTS A and B below and answer the questions set - NSC English HL - Question 1 - 2022 - Paper 1

1.1 Intimacy is the basis of human experience and supports emotional and physical health. What is the impact of emotional isolation?

1.2 People prefer to engage on virtual/digital platforms. How has technology changed face-to-face encounters?

1.3 How does the absence of intimacy affect individuals as highlighted in the text?

1.4 Describe the parent-child relationship with technology as discussed in the text.

1.5 Discuss the nuances in relationships affected by technology.

1.6 What is the paradox of connectivity and intimacy?

1.7 What does the author suggest about the need for approval in human relationships?

1.8 Summarize the conclusion of the article regarding relationships.

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