Theme 3 Revision: The Interconnected Contemporary World
BasicTheme 3 covers economic globalisation, technology and information literacy, sustainable development, and public health — revision threads them with 'interdependence' while sorting concept networks and confusion pairs.
- Theme 3's line: all four topics are interdependent — keep a holistic view
- Globalisation: organisations and the new economy; information literacy: discernment, ethics, law
- Sustainability: the UN definition and four practices; public health: the WHO's role and personal responsibility
文體小知識：全球議題說明文——複習課：以「互相依存」貫穿四大議題，整理概念網絡、圖像題解法與易錯對比。
§Text Passage
1Theme 3 centres on the interconnected contemporary world, with four topics: economic globalisation; technological development and information literacy; sustainable development; and public health and human health. Beneath the four issues runs one line — interdependence: economies as one another's markets and supply chains, information circulating instantly, ecosystems crossing borders, diseases spreading internationally. Hold this line and your answers keep a holistic view.
2The concept networks: for globalisation — international economic organisations (the WTO, the World Bank), multinational corporations, the international division of labour and the new economy, with China joining the WTO in December 2001; for technology and literacy — artificial intelligence, big data and cloud technology, the features of informatisation, digitalisation and intelligentisation, and the literacy to spot false information with ethics and law-abiding use; for sustainability — the UN's definition, low-carbon transport, waste management, biodiversity and stakeholder responsibilities; for public health — the WHO's role, the contributions of the country and Hong Kong, and personal responsibility.
3Common question angles: cartoons and pictures asking you to identify viewpoints and values on globalisation or technology; statistical graphs on environmental or health data; scenario questions applying information literacy, such as how to handle a message spreading online; suggestion questions proposing measures by stakeholder for environmental protection or epidemic prevention.
4Pitfalls: globalisation brings opportunities and challenges — never one side only; sustainable development is not environmental protection alone but a balance of environment, economy and society; public health is not the government's job only — healthy lifestyles and cooperation with anti-epidemic policies are also syllabus points; information literacy is not merely technical skill but discernment, ethics and law-abiding use.
1Summary 重點摘要
Theme 3 covers economic globalisation, technology and information literacy, sustainable development, and public health — revision threads them with 'interdependence' while sorting concept networks and confusion pairs.
2Vocabulary cards Vocabulary
The phenomenon of national economies being linked and interdependent through trade, investment and the division of production.
The relationship of mutual need and mutual influence — the common thread of Theme 3's four topics.
The international body coordinating trade rules and promoting cooperation; China joined in December 2001.
Firms operating production and sales across countries, driving global labour mobility and the international division of labour.
The shift from a manufacturing-led to a technology-led economy, changing personal consumption and employment.
The ability to discern false information and use technology responsibly, including ethics and compliance with the law.
Untrue messages spreading rapidly online, requiring source-checking and discernment.
The UN's definition: development that meets present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs.
The variety of species in ecosystems; protecting it is a key environmental practice.
The health of society as a whole, with responsibilities shared by government, international organisations and individuals.
3Step by step Steps
- Step 1: Threading the four topics with interdependenceThe key to revising Theme 3 is linking the four topics with 'interdependence': in globalisation, countries are one another's markets and supply chains, and shocks in one place affect the world; technology spreads information instantly, letting people in different regions communicate and act together; environmental problems cross borders, so climate and species protection need cooperation; infectious diseases travel internationally, so epidemic control needs coordination. Placing a single issue within this framework lifts the level of your answer — precisely the vision the assessment objectives demand.
- Step 2: The economic globalisation networkThe network: economies interdepend; the WTO and the World Bank coordinate international trade and promote cooperation, with China joining the WTO in December 2001; multinational corporations organise production and sales globally, driving labour mobility and the international division of labour, while financial markets open and integrate; the new economy shifts from manufacturing to technology, changing consumption and jobs and shaping the development of Hong Kong and the country. Organise answers as phenomenon, cause, influence, with examples at both personal and national levels.
- Step 3: Technology and information literacyThe topic has two parts: technology — artificial intelligence, big data and cloud storage are reshaping daily life, and information technology shows the features of informatisation, digitalisation and intelligentisation, with vast amounts of information spreading and updating within moments. Information literacy — false information abounds online, so discern accuracy and verify sources, and use technology with ethical conduct and in compliance with the law. Scenario questions often ask what to do with an online message: verify first, do not believe rashly, do not forward carelessly, and consult reliable sources.
- Step 4: Sustainable development essentialsThe core definition comes from the UN: development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Practices cover low-carbon transport systems, sustainable waste management, biodiversity protection, and responsible consumption and production. Promoting conservation is a shared duty of stakeholders: government and education bodies make policy and promote education; businesses act responsibly in production and operations; NGOs run projects and monitor; individuals start with daily habits. Suggestion answers work best by stakeholder, one measure with one reason each.
- Step 5: Public health essentialsThe frame: the World Health Organization coordinates and guides global public health affairs; the country contributes by controlling epidemics effectively, developing vaccines, assisting countries and regions lacking facilities, sending medical teams to support developing countries, and supporting the WHO; Hong Kong is known for its pathogen identification technology — during the 2003 SARS outbreak, the University of Hong Kong's microbiology team first identified the coronavirus as the pathogen — and continues to monitor emerging infectious diseases. Personal responsibility means healthy lifestyles and, during outbreaks, fulfilling civic duties and cooperating with government anti-epidemic measures.
- Step 6: Common question anglesTheme 3 questions make good use of visuals: cartoon questions ask you to identify viewpoints and values — for instance satirising pollution or overconsumption; describe the cartoon, state its message, then comment with what you have learned. Graph questions test data trends and causes; scenario questions place information literacy or personal responsibility in daily situations, testing application; suggestion questions ask for stakeholder measures. Each type has its rhythm — practise every one in full during revision so you can recognise and handle them instantly.
- Step 7: The confusion-pair checklistRun through the pitfalls: globalisation answers must cover opportunities and challenges together — one side only is one-sided; sustainable development balances environment, economy and society and is not mere environmentalism; public health stakeholders include government, international organisations and individuals, and personal responsibility is an explicit syllabus focus; information literacy covers discernment, ethics and law, not only technical skill; the WTO coordinates international trade rules while the World Bank is an international development finance institution — do not mix up their roles when citing them.
5Worked example Example
Data-response practice: Data 1 is a cartoon showing a virus spreading from one continent across the globe, with airports stepping up screening; Data 2 notes that a multinational corporation sources parts from many countries, produces in different regions and sells worldwide. Using the data and what you have learned, explain how the two items reflect the interdependence of the contemporary world.
- Read the question: 'how the data reflects interdependence' — explain each item, then draw the common thread
- Data 1: a virus crossing borders with screening everywhere shows public health knows no borders and needs international coordination
- Data 2: parts from many countries and global sales show the interdependence of production and markets under globalisation
- Conclude: health and economy alike are interdependent, requiring cooperation at personal, national and global levels
- Answer: The two items reflect interdependence in public health and in economics. In Data 1, a virus spreads from one continent across the globe while airports tighten screening, showing that infectious diseases respect no borders and that one place's outbreak can affect the whole world — hence the importance of international coordination through bodies such as the WHO. In Data 2, parts sourced from many countries, produced in different regions and sold globally show how globalisation interlocks production and markets, with supply chains linking economies. In short, the contemporary world is interdependent in both public health and economic activity, demanding cooperation at the personal, national and global levels.
6Common mistakes Mistakes
7Quick check Quick check
Q1What is the common thread of Theme 3's four topics?
Q2When did China join the World Trade Organization?
Q3How does the UN define sustainable development?
Q4What was Hong Kong's contribution to pathogen research during SARS?
Q5What is the individual's responsibility in public health?
8Recap Recap
- Theme 3's line: all four topics are interdependent — keep a holistic view
- Globalisation: organisations and the new economy; information literacy: discernment, ethics, law
- Sustainability: the UN definition and four practices; public health: the WHO's role and personal responsibility
- Visual questions in three steps: describe, state the message, comment with knowledge
- Confusion pairs: opportunities plus challenges; sustainability is not mere environmentalism; WTO and World Bank differ