History. Does, and should the past matter? I think it does, and should.

I first became intrigued by the past when I visited Egypt many years ago. The towering pyramids of Egypt fascinated me, but not as much as the beliefs of afterlife that lay as the foundation of these wonders of the world. In this issue, I share with you my journey into secret passageways inside these pyramids, revealing what (or who) lies beneath.

History teaches us about how quirky humans can get. Read the story about the young Chinese maiden who had to bind her feet, enduring unbelievable pain, at the tender age of six – just so that she would be able to find a rich suitor a few years later. In our article on spittoons, find out what old ladies in China, robust cowboys in North America and fine ladies in Europe had in common.

The past holds great lessons for us, too. From Adolf Hitler, we learn how a leader should not be, and from Mother Teresa and Mahatma Gandhi, we learn about the true virtues of humankind. Of course, history is after all ‘his-story’, a version of the past according to one person or a group of people. It is naturally prone to be biased. That is why learning about history is a great lesson on learning to be a critical thinker. Do not believe everything blindly. Instead, learn to question to unveil the true reality for yourself.

This issue also finds inspiration from “a true giant of history” (US President Barack Obama, 2015) and Singapore’s highly-respected founding father, the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew. Take a leaf or two from this visionary leader’s life as you read about the values that governed him.

I hope you love the read.

Did you know that the romantic Valentine’s Day has its origins in blood and violence?

Would it surprise you to know that throwing tomatoes, oranges and even eggs at one another is considered a way to celebrate?

And, has it ever occurred to you that the many religious celebrations in the world may not be as different as they seem? Welcome to our issue of festivals and celebrations!

We explore the many fascinating festivals and celebrations around the world, while we make you wonder if such festivities do little more than waste resources and help the greeting card companies.

And this time, in Wanderlust, we take you to the Witches’ Market in Bolivia, South America, where our traveller experiences a Harry Potter scene of sorcery.

Join the read, and paint the town red!

This time around, we are all about the arts.

The arts is synonymous with creativity, what with its different artistic expressions of artwork, dance, music, theatre and language. The arts is also, as you will read, a powerful reflection of the cultures and lifestyles of the people from all over the world. Even the first understanding of the lifestyle of early man was derived from cave paintings.

Despite apparent differences between artistic expressions of different countries, if you were to look a little deeper, you will realise that the South Indian Bharatanatyam dance and the Spanish Flamenco may just have a thing or two in common. The question of whether Asia would be able to match up to the West one day in the vibrancy of the arts scene is also something that you would ponder with us.

From Mozart’s soothing classical music to Elvis’s get-up-and-dance rock ‘n’ roll to 50 cents’ rhythmic-beat rap, learn about the evolution of music over time. Read also about how the English language has evolved over time as an interesting story awaits you about power play and its impact on the culture and language of people. Speaking of language, you will read about the rags-to-riches writer behind the magic in the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling.

And in Wanderlust this issue, our travel writer takes you to La Isla De Pascua, or Easter Island, a deserted land that holds a mystical story to tell.

Enjoy the read.

You snap your fingers and your favourite music fills the living room. You sit at the dining table, and Cherry, your humanoid (robot) domestic helper, chirps, “Please enjoy your meal, champ!” as ‘she’ serves your food. You say, “Start work” and your dining table transforms into a touchscreen. Your aunt walks in, saying, “Your uncle and I have just informed our gynaecologist that we want our baby to have brown eyes like me, but be athletic like your uncle.” You smile, and yawn, and your dining chair instantly becomes a massage chair, giving you a deep and point-focused massage as you close your eyes in bliss.

What a life, you say? This could be the future we may be looking at, in 30 to 40 years (or even earlier). From the commercialisation of the Internet some 18 years ago, to smart mobile phones and social networks like Facebook, Twitter and Ask.fm to the most recent Google Glass, technology has transmuted the lives of humans. Andnew technologies are constantly being invented, even as you read this, challenging the human boundaries. In fact, the scientific technology for creating domesticated humanoids and the medical technology to pre-select the characteristics of an unborn baby have already been developed. What remains, really, is the commercialisation of these technologies.
Therein lies the controversy. Each new technology that is introduced can be both beneficial and detrimental to us, at the same time. With social networks, come not only ease of communication but also cyber-bullying. Super-intelligent robots in our homes, schools and work places provide us with great comfort and efficiency, but creativity and the ‘human touch’ could be in great danger of becoming extinct in the human race, not to mention the domination of sloth.
Selecting the kind of baby we want may seem rather progressive and fascinating, but would that be an act of playing God?

Enjoy the journey, and go back to the future with this issue.

Food, Food, Glorious Food!

This issue is a tribute to all you food lovers, and we, the iThink editorial team, count ourselves in on this too.

You will ﬁnd a spread of colourful, mouth-watering pictures and equally tantalising words about all-time food favourites and exotic food varieties. Be prepared to be more than a little taken aback by some shocking food favourites of different lands, as you trot the globe with us.

You will discover how little you know about plain old rice, and how gastronomically delightful rice can get. We also take you on a roller coaster ride of a teenager who learns about how food is not just about ﬁlling the stomachs, but about ﬁlling the hearts as well. 

We feature scoops of controversies about food too: the age-old question of whether vegetarian diets are indeed the best diets to follow, the ﬂavourful clash between organic and traditional food products and the dying hawker trade.

And, don’t forget to take a peek at the ﬁery cook-offs, like Gordon Ramsay’s hawker challenge and Singapore’s wok-stars reality television show.

This, and much more… this is truly a delightful issue.

One Direction and Bruno-Mars. Bill Gates and Cristiano Ronaldo. Superman and Ironman.

What do they have in common? They are people whom we admire, even aspire to be. They are our heroes and idols. Some fans, in their delusional states, go as far as putting them on a pedestal and believing they would do no wrong. 

Find out why we can be idol-crazy and test yourself on how much you know about the accolades your favourite teen idols have earned. Read about how some idols fall from grace, as one teenager discovers, and be ready to be startled by some of the unfortunate turn of events in the lives of popular stars.

Get a fresh perspective on heroines as we explore the changing role of heroines in the movie-world and learn about how Superman was not just a hero in his reel life but also in his real life. 

Be amazed by freedom-ﬁghter heroes who fought relentlessly for justice to prevail and journey with us to the fascinating land of heroes, the fantasy world where hobbits, drawfs and elves co-exist.

Let this issue inspire you as it jets you to the enigmatic world of Idols & Heroes.

Of tops, marbles and zero-point, of Warcraft and Starcraft and of soccer and hockey, this issue introduces you to the world of games.

We explore how some games have failed to stand the test of time and how some sportsmen have failed the test of life; how children’s toys are beyond just child’s play and how online games make some go beyond just play.

You will reminisce about the memories of childhood possessions and be awed by how true human strength can make the impossible, possible.

Tickle your brains with our pictorial idioms and our astounding (and even comical) information bites; and get some tips from our fashion guru on the wardobe must-haves for tweens.

With all this and more, this issue promises to leave you wanting. Enjoy the read!

Whether you are at the starting or middle point of teenhood, there is no denying that this period of your life is one of much excitement and much confusion. It is a time when you ﬁnd yourself, your identity and individuality.

That’s why we have decided that this inaugural issue of iThink will focus on teen identity matters, matters very close to your heart. From tattooing and body piercing to bullying and peer pressure to teen-parent tensions and stolen identities, you will ﬁnd many articles that you can identify with. In this issue, we also take a closer look at the identity crisis of the modern Asian teen who is bombarded with both Eastern and Western inﬂuences. 

We offer you light moments too, with our in-house fashion guru providing invaluable fashion tips in ‘Fashionista Says’, fascinating bites of information scattered throughout the various sections and tickling moments in our ‘Tickle-Tickle’ jokes!

We hope you will enjoy reading all the great articles here. And, remember to ﬁnd yourself and discover much more while you are at it!

Issue 8

Issue 7

Issue 6

Issue 5

Issue 4

Issue 3

Issue 2

Issue 1

The iThink magazine is a most interesting read to boost the language and critical thinking skills of the upper- secondary students (and high-ability lower-secondary students). With an engaging mix of thought-provoking articles and lighter stimulating reads, iThink is the one-stop solution to making reading both a leisure and an intellectual pleasure to students. 
Content in each issue is organised according to a theme, which could range from a Food Issue to that of Science and Technology, and History and Art. We provide an in-depth exploration of issues that relate to the theme, accompanied by thought-provoking questions, word banks and sources for further reading or viewing (YouTube video links). In each issue, you will also find regular articles on travel (Wanderlust) by our ever-wandering travel writer, a life story of at least one inspirational person (Inspire-Aspire), a discussion on common language errors (Ask GRAMMAr), student essays with comments by the editor (Model Me & Tweak Me) as well as a smattering of trivia and pictorial idioms, making for a more enriching reading experience. Student worksheets at the end of the magazine serve as a good workout for the students.
Any student who appreciates an engaging take on language education and critical thinking would love an issue of iThink.


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