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SCMP Reporter

Do you know the difference between 'paradigm' and 'diagram'?

Paradigm (n) - a model or an example

A paradigm is a model which shows how something works, or a clear and typical example of something,

Diagram (n) - a drawing

A diagram is a drawing that shows how something works.

Diagram (v) - to draw

Asia is on the cusp of a 'new paradigm' as strengthening currencies attract a virtuous cycle of new investment and domestic consumption, says Lehman Brothers, which cites the domino effect of revaluations in China and Malaysia last month as evidence of the region's coming of age.

One is forced to ask the awkward question: who cares about James Bond any more? Which country would be proud to present him as a national paradigm? What kind of filmgoer still admires his combination of sadism, suavity and snobbish omniscience? There was always something very facile about the relentlessly one-dimensional Bond heroics, as its author Ian Fleming himself spotted.

Teachers, parents and children have in the past month taken to the streets to rally for small classes, convinced that if we're to have a paradigm shift in the way students are taught, the days of having as many as 40 students in one class should be numbered.

I used to ignore my teachers' advice about planning essay answers, thinking it a waste of valuable writing time. Then, in my English literature A-level, I was confused by the question and discovered the merit of planning. I used a spider-diagram on my answer sheet, with the central point of the question in the middle and my main points following from there, helping me towards full marks. Making a plan means that even if you run out of time, the examiner can see your main points. You're also less likely to ramble.

The Enneagram is a method of character analysis with nine personalities laid out in a circular diagram. The personality types are distinct, yet inter-related. Local psychologist Monica Wong Hiu-hung recommends the Enneagram as a good tool for Hong Kong students to get to know themselves.

One important thing the nuns emphasised was English and writing. I learned to diagram sentences and analyse grammar, things I still use today and which helped me to learn foreign languages when I had the chance later at West Sussex High School in New Jersey.

Task:

Fill in the blanks with the correct word: paradigm or diagram.

1. Mr Johnson spent a whole day producing a ____________ of the school's air-conditioning system.

2. The needs of today's young children cannot be met by an outdated educational ____________.

3. William Hung, the most famous American Idol reject, is a ___________ of a poor singer.

4. A simple ____________ would help illustrate how a refrigerator works.

5. The Venn ___________, which is made up of two or more overlapping circles, is used in mathematics to show the relationship between sets of circles.

6. He established a new _________ for our understanding of the causes of lung cancer.

Answer: 1. diagram 2. paradigm 3. paradigm 4. diagram 5. diagram 6. paradigm



Helpful tips on tricky words