A quick review on DSE (Hong Kong public examination for Secondary Students) History Examination keywords and answering templates.
Account for = Explain
Analyse/ Assess/ Evaluate/ Examine = Discuss
Comment on the validity/ Do you agree?
The statement is invalid. In this case, the statement is judged as a whole; when a part of the statement is proved wrong, the whole sentence is regarded as a fallacy
The statement is to some/ a large/ a small extent valid. In this case, the statement is divided in to several parts whose validity is assessed separately instead of collectively
Compare & Contrast = similarities (--> compare) + differences (--> contrast) + aspect
Arranging the arguments
in consecutive order (Argument A1B1, Argument A2B2)
in block form (Argument A, Argument B)
Conclude/ Infer/ Derive = highlight important nature + facts
Define = Determine the essential nature/ meaning of a given concept, usuall a controversial historical event or a historical concept
Elaborate = Explain
Explain
give reasons for the issues in question
clarify something
categorisation
linking up of events according to their causal relationship
assessment of relative importance
Justify = provide reasons to show the validity of something
Support your answer = produce reasons to establish an answer
Trace & Explain
historical development over an extended period of time
explanation on change & continuity
periodisation
Attitude = positive attitude/ negative attitude
View = indifferent, hostile towards the issue
Bias
Active bias: use evidence selectively to achieve their own purpose
Passive bias: when people only have access to some but not all information
Bias in favour of
Bias against
Bias due to difference of value
Bias due to the making of sweeping generalisation
Characteristic (peripheral)/ Nature (at the core)/ Main Feature
Fundamental changes = comparison --> slightly changes vs no changes
How useful/ Usefulness
Anti-government
Marginalise
Limitations
It was not clear from this source whether (point of view)
It was not clear (stakeholders) constituted the main force of
would treat such opposition, traditional of satire
How critical = assess the extent to which
How far = to what extent
How important
How reliable = reliable & limitation
How successful/ effective = the extent of success & failure remains debatable
Languages & Arguments
derogatory language
depict
aim at discrediting
Role = denote a function
To what extent
Example: To what extent is the contemporary would male-centered?
Focusing on "male-centered" only
Focusing on "male-centered" supplemented by some facts about the role of women, with or without comparison
Correlating the two forces, male charisma & feminism
Explaining, with substantiation, the extent to which the contemporary the two forces and traced their historical development
Notes
giving separate accounts
giving integrated accounts
combining the above two approached
Turning Point
Definition
a point that turns the course of history ( can be a year, an event, etc.)
a period of time preceding this point
a period of time after this point
Impact
There were changes
such changes were fundamental in nature & ushered in a new era
such changes took place after the point of time set by the question
With reference to the source/ Own knowledge
Is A the most important cause of Y
X to argue whether A is a cause of Y
>> How important A is in causing Y
most important (among other causes), as asked by the question
very important
important = other causes
less important than other causes
Relative importance
Same Genre
Time Span (was the factor important throughout the entire period set by the question? Or was it important for past of the period only?)
Causal relationship (Was the factor a cause or an effect)
Extent of impact (Was the impact of the factor so profound that it marked a turning point in history, caused changes on a regional/ global scale, etc.)
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