O Level Preparatory Course
Visual Texts
Questions to ask every time you see a visual text:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Who is this for? Students, children, jobseekers, public etc. [be specific]
What is this for (i.e. purpose)? To educate, to inform, to warn, to sell etc.
How effective is this…? Must ask, “Effective for what?”
How does the designer of the visual text hope to achieve his effect? By usage of pictures /
words, appealing to emotions (greed, guilt, fear, vanity…) etc.
Look for the biggest words / pictures
Note any contrasts
Function(s) of the pictures, relevance to the text
Section A
1. It is from the Land Transport Authority.
2. It is intended for motorists.
3. Firstly, slowing down to allow buses to exit the bus bay lets the buses move on in their
journey faster. Secondly, stopping when buses are leaving the bus bay prevents collisions.
Thirdly, not staying in the box prevents a vehicle from blocking a bus from exiting, hence
promoting a safer and better traffic flow.
[Need to infer from the instructions how they would promote the safer and better traffic
flow.]
4. It tells us that the traffic advisory is compulsory by law.
Bonus question:
How effective are the diagrams to illustrate the purpose of the advisory?
 They illustrate clearly where motorists must stop or slow down to let buses exit the bus
bay.
Section B
5. i. “The clouds became thicker”.
ii. “The air was incredibly close and sticky”.
6. It is because it was on Tick Island that they were all bitten by ticks, suggesting that the
island was full of them.
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[PK: Why is Tick Island named “Tick Island”? confirmation: “we had all been bitten”]
7. i. It was the violent squall.
ii. The three men already knew what to do upon seeing the weather and they were
already in the process of putting the tarpaulin up.
[Why no need to talk? Because they already know. What do they already know?]
8. It is unusual as water is liquid and is not usually described as a wall which is solid. The
phrase is effective as it shows that the boat is stopped by the storm from continuing their
journey.
[What does the wall symbolise? A wall stops things from moving on.]
9. i. torrents
ii. din
10. i. Firstly, the author spotted the tree trunk in the water and was trying to warn Father
Antonio to watch out for it and steer the boat to avoid it. Secondly, he gesticulated
because it was too noisy in the storm for shouting to be heard.
[Why would he need to gesticulate and not simply speak or shout out?]
ii. He understood the author’s attempted warning to avoid the tree trunk in the water.
11.
Rubber bags are waterproof and they protected the cameras from the rain.
Mooring the boat to them prevents the boat from floating away.
12. startled
13. For this part:
 Look at the requirements very carefully.
 Look for a word, a phrase or an action that corresponds to one of the given options.
 If there is ambiguity, choose the most logical one.
i. discomfort
[“air close and sticky, clothes clung to the wet bodies” + “all bitten”]
ii. excitement
[sailing into the storm]
iii. discouragement [“all felt cold and dispirited]
iv. relief
[storm was over + “grinned cheerfully”]
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Section C
14. i. It is the smoke from the forest fires that blots out the sun.
ii. They are the farmers and cattle owners who burn the land for crop-growing and cattlerearing.
[need to be specific! Just “farmers and cattke owners” is not enough]
iii. They are concerned because the burning is damaging the environment and destroying
the precious resources.
[“dangers to the earth’s environment” + “foolish waste of precious resources”]
15. i. (how does your answer address the “indestructible”?)
Previous  the jungle was able to recover quickly to grow trees faster than humans
can cut down (trees). [infer from “powers of recovery”]
Now  Modern machinery can cut down trees faster than they can re-grow and the
burning strips areas bare permanently.
ii. Whole areas larger than some countries have been stripped bare permanently and
some of these areas have been flooded by dams.
16. i. The loss of the rainforests also causes the disappearance of the great variety of plant
and animal life in them. Additionally, the scientific benefits the rainforests can bring are
also lost.
[look for the subject – “loss”  “disappearing” + “lost” + “vanish”]
ii. Forests maintain the delicate balance of the world’s weather systems. Their
destruction will accelerate global warming and bring dramatic changes to our climate.
[subject of the qn: “affect”  “seriously upset” + “bring dramatic changes”]
… and so the delicate balance of the world’s weather system would be seriously
upset.
17. It is to show that the world’s weather systems are so sensitive [delicate] that slight
changes [additional weight] will upset them tremendously.
18. It is “the blazing torches of the jungles”. [imagery]
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19. Summary
Idea (understand the idea)

Visualise (picture it in your mind)

Re-express (think of synonyms and phrases)

Play LEGO (construct the sentence)
Req: summarise ways the destruction of vast areas of rain forests affects Brazil and the world.
Points:
-
Forests contain an astonishing variety of animal and plant life which is slowly but surely
disappearing (l. 19-20)
-
The forest vanish, and with them the rich variety of their animal life and the great
treasure-house of plants (l. 22-3)
-
The scientific benefits the forests can bring are also being lost to doctors and farmers (l.
23-4)
-
Many of the plants contain chemicals that can help medical science and agriculture,
providing new treatments for diseases or controlling insects that do immense damage to
crops (l. 25-7)
-
Natural chemicals are better than artificial ones, which can have dangerous effects on
animals and people (l. 27-8)
-
World’s weather systems would be very seriously upset (l. 33-4)
-
Burning also accelerates the warming up of the earth’s upper atmosphere (l. 34-5)
-
Will add to the harmful gases that [vehicles] are pouring into the air we breathe (l. 37-8)
Re-express
-
Forests contain an astonishing variety of animal and plant life which is slowly but surely
disappearing.
Contain – have, hold, include, full of
Astonishing – amazing, astounding, lots of
Variety – diversity, assortment, range
Animal and plant life – flora and fauna
Slowly – gradually, little by little, bit by bit
Surely – certainly, definitely, for sure, indisputably, indeed
Disappear – vanish, cease to exist, die out, perish
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Word for word  Forests hold an amazing assortment of animal and plant life which is
gradually but certainly vanishing. [word for word is not wrong, but it does not work all
the time.]
When fires destroy vast areas of rain forests in Brazil, lots of animals and plants
gradually but certainly perish. (where is the “slowly but surely”?)
-
The scientific benefits the forests can bring are also being lost to doctors and farmers (l.
23-4)
Scientific – [copy it]
Benefit – advantages, gains,
Can bring – produce, result in, get, derive
Lost – unable to get, lose out, miss out
People miss out the scientific gains derived from forests.
-
Many of the plants contain chemicals that can help medical science and agriculture,
providing new treatments for diseases or controlling insects that do immense damage to
crops (l. 25-7)
Many – a lot of, plenty, scores of, lots of, numerous, loads of
Contain – have, include, are full of
Chemical – ingredients, substances, elements, compounds
Help – assist, aid, improve, benefit, facilitate
Provide – give, grant, offer, present, supply
New – fresh, innovative, the latest
Treatment – cure, therapy, remedy
Disease – malady, illness, sickness, problem, ailment
Control – destroy, kill off, remove, eliminate, check, contain, rein in
Insect – bugs, pests
Do – cause
Immense – tremendous, a lot of, huge, vast, massive, enormous, great
Damage – harm, spoil, destruction
Crops – harvest, yield, produce
Lots of the plants possess substances that medical science can use for medicines against
illnesses and for agriculture to protect against pests.
Humankind also lost numerous substances found in the plants which supply new cures for
maladies as well as destroy pests.
-
Natural chemicals are better than artificial ones, which can have dangerous effects on
animals and people (l. 27-8)
Natural – [leave it]
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Artificial – man-made, synthetic
Better –
Can have –
Dangerous – unsafe, hazardous, perilous, precarious
Effects – results, consequences, outcomes
Natural compounds are superior to man-made ones as the latter may produce unsafe
outcomes.
-
World’s weather systems would be very seriously upset (l. 33-4)
World – global, the Earth’s,
Weather system – climate
Very – extremely, tremendously, severely
Seriously – gravely, badly, dangerously
Upset – distressed, in disarray, in turmoil, disturbed
Global climate would be distressed gravely.
-
Burning also accelerates the warming up of the earth’s upper atmosphere (l. 34-5)
Burning – forest fires
Accelerate – speed up, quickens, increase, hasten
Warming up of the earth’s upper atmosphere – global warming
Forest fires quicken global warming.
Forest fires worsen global warming at a faster pace.
-
Will add to the harmful gases that [vehicles] are pouring into the air we breathe (l. 37-8)
Add – increase combine
Harmful gases – vehicle emissions
Pour – (a lot of volume) huge, a lot of, lots of
Breathe – inhale
Which will combine with the voluminous vehicle emissions we inhale.
Usage of connectors
Connectors make the text flow smoother. Also, if the paragraph has less than 80 words, use
connectors as fillers to hit the 80 words.
Similarly, furthermore, moreover, additionally, in addition, besides, next, then, plus…
However, in contrast, on the other hand…
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Therefore, finally, so…
Get a separate notebook for your summary workings to avoid messing up your book.
Edit
When fires destroy vast areas of rain forests in Brazil, lots of animals and plants perish
gradually, but certainly. People miss out the scientific gains derived from forests, such as
losing numerous substances found in the plants which supply new cures for illnesses as well
as protection against pests. Natural ingredients are superior to man-made ones as the latter
may produce negative side-effects. Additionally, global climate would be distressed gravely.
Forest fires worsen global warming at a faster pace, and their smoke combine with the
voluminous vehicle emissions we inhale.
(80 words)
~~~~~
Supplementary Practice
Visual Texts
Question 1
a. They are the people who live in HDB flats. (Housing Development Board – public
housing)
Why: The background shows HDB blocks, suggesting that the flat dwellers are the
targeted audience.
b. i. They remind me of war / fighter planes in a bombing / an attack formation.
Why: The picture of the mosquitoes shows them in fighter plane bombing formation.
ii. It [the depiction of the mosquitoes in attack formation] emphasises that they are
extremely dangerous / that they are coming to attack us.
Why: An attack formation is for attack! (Fighter planes also fly in other, noncombative formations)
iii. We are at war with Aedes mosquitoes / We are about to be attacked / We are in
danger.
Why: If we are not at war / about to be attacked, why would the ‘fighter planes’ be in
attack formation?
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If your initial interpretation of the depiction is wrong? = everything wrong!!
c. This is to emphasise the main point of the handbook cover, which is that Aedes
mosquitoes pose a great danger to us OR It is to alert / warn us that we are in great danger
because of the pending attack by Aedes mosquitoes.
Why: (i) A ‘DANGER’ sign is usually to warn of a danger, (ii) When words are printed in
larger fonts, they are usually for emphasis, or to draw attention + link to the previous
answers that we are about to be attacked.
d. Aedes mosquitoes may already be in our homes / may have already arrived in our homes /
may already be attacking us / may already be at our doorstep.
Why: Activate PK. What do we understand by the phrase itself? The phrase itself suggests
that danger is near. Link it to the context (danger = mosquitoes).
Question 2
a. They are the people who are going away for a holiday / They are the people who are
vacating their homes to go away for holidays / They are the people whose homes will be
vacant (or empty) when they go overseas for holidays.
Why?: “before you vacate your home for holidays” + picture of a lady with luggage.
b. It is to get the reader to take the prevention of mosquito breeding as part and parcel of the
preparations every time they leave home for a holiday.
Why: A travel checklist is a list of things to do / prepare before you leave.
c. These steps are of the utmost priority / These steps are the most important.
Why: Items at the top of a list are usually of top priority.
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