PSLE#27 English Oral– Shop, Click, and Pick: The Smart Way to Receive Parcels
PSLEhacker Episode #27 - TREE Method
Date of News Article: 30 December 2021 (Based on the targeted completion of the 1,000 Pick locker milestone) Source: Adapted from Channel 8 News & The Straits Times (Smart Nation & Lifestyle)
Reading Passage:
In recent years, e-commerce has completely transformed the way Singaporeans shop. From groceries and school supplies to clothes and electronics, almost anything can be bought with a simple tap on a smartphone. However, this boom in online shopping brought about a common frustration: missed deliveries. When residents are at work or in school, delivery drivers often have to make wasted trips, which is both inefficient and bad for the environment.
To solve this, Singapore rolled out a massive network of smart parcel lockers across the island. The nationwide deployment of 1,000 parcel locker stations was accelerated and completed by the end of 2021. Today, operators like Pick Network have installed these self-collection lockers right at our HDB void decks, community clubs, and MRT stations.
These bright yellow lockers offer residents round-the-clock convenience. Instead of waiting anxiously at home for a delivery van, shoppers can now choose to have their parcels dropped off at a nearby locker. With this network, most residents are able to access a locker within an estimated five-minute walk from their homes. They simply receive a secure One-Time Password (OTP) or barcode on their phones and can retrieve their items at any time of the day or night.
Beyond convenience, this system is a big win for sustainability. By consolidating dozens of parcels into a single locker location, delivery trucks make far fewer stops and completely eliminate the need for repeated delivery attempts.
As Singapore continues to build its Smart Nation infrastructure, adopting these shared facilities is a meaningful and wise choice. By choosing to self-collect, we inculcate greener shopping habits and take a proactive step towards reducing our carbon footprint.
Word Count: 290 words
PSLE Oral Practice: Stimulus-Based Conversation (TREE Method)
Question 1: Visual Stimulus
“Look at the picture. What is this machine used for, and how does it bring convenience to HDB residents?”
Thought (T): This machine is a smart parcel locker used for collecting online shopping deliveries, and it brings immense convenience to residents.
Reason (R): Most people are at work or school during the day and cannot be home to receive their parcels. With over 1,000 of these lockers located right at our void decks, residents can securely collect their items at any time of the day or night using a code on their phones.
Experience (E): My parents often buy household items online. In the past, we frequently found “missed delivery” slips on our door, and my father had to byte the bullet to travel to the post office on weekends to queue up. Now, we simply stop by the void deck on our way home from school. Collecting the parcel ourselves gives a quick, fun-filled sense of accomplishment.
Ending (E): Therefore, installing these smart lockers is a wise choice that seamlessly integrates technology into our daily lives.
Question 2: Personal Opinion
“Do you or your family shop online often? What are some advantages and disadvantages of online shopping?”
Thought (T): Yes, my family shops online very frequently because it is highly efficient, though it does have some drawbacks.
Reason (R): The main advantage is that we can easily compare prices from many different stores and read reviews without having to travel to a crowded shopping mall. However, the disadvantage is that we cannot try on clothes or check the quality of the items before buying them.
Experience (E): Last month, my mother bought me a new pair of school shoes online. While it was cheaper, the size turned out to be slightly too small when it arrived, and we had to go through the hassle of mailing it back for an exchange. It taught us to be more proactive in checking size charts carefully.
Ending (E): As long as we buy responsibly and avoid overspending, online shopping is a fantastic tool that saves us time and effort.
Question 3: Solution-Based
“Besides saving time, how does using a shared parcel locker at the void deck help to protect the environment?”
Thought (T): Using a shared locker heavily reduces the carbon emissions produced by delivery trucks.
Reason (R): If a delivery driver has to go door-to-door to 50 different flats, and sometimes make a second trip because nobody is home, the truck burns a lot of fuel and creates air pollution.
Experience (E): By consolidating all the deliveries into one central locker bank at the void deck, the driver only needs to make one stop. In school, our teachers always inculcate the importance of reducing our carbon footprint to fight climate change. By choosing the self-collection option when we check out our online shopping cart, we are actively supporting greener logistics.
Ending (E): If everyone does their part to utilize these shared community facilities, we can drastically cut down on vehicle emissions in our estates.
Continue reading…………..
Theme: Smart Nation / E-commerce / Environmental Sustainability Visual Stimulus: A photo from a Channel 8 news broadcast showing a bright yellow “Pick” smart parcel locker located at an HDB void deck. The machine has multiple locker doors of different sizes and a touchscreen for users. The Chinese subtitle states that there are currently over 1,000 such lockers islandwide.
📖 Vocabulary List (Post #27)
E-commerce (Noun): Commercial transactions conducted electronically on the internet (online shopping).
Consolidating (Verb): Combining a number of things into a single, more effective or coherent whole.
Retrieve (Verb): Get or bring (something) back from somewhere.
Inefficient (Adjective): Not achieving maximum productivity; wasting or failing to make the best use of time or resources.
Logistics (Noun): The detailed coordination of a complex operation involving many people, facilities, or supplies (e.g., managing the delivery of parcels).
🌟 Idiom of the Day (Post #27)
“Round the clock”
Meaning: All day and all night; 24 hours a day.
PSLE Oral Usage: “The best part about the smart parcel lockers is that they provide round the clock convenience, allowing us to collect our items even at midnight.”