http://www.aristo.com. hk ARISTO EDUCATIONAL PRESS LTD. Developing Skills Paper 1 Book 4 (Set A) Next Next Previous Previous Home Home Exit Exit 1 Developing Skills PAPER I (Set Developing Skills PAPER I (Set A) A) Part A Reading Part A Reading Skills Skills Part B Writing Part B Writing Skills Skills Short Short Task Task Extended Extended Task Task Part C Practice Part C Practice Paper Paper Paper Paper 1A 1A Paper Paper 1B 1B Recognising synonyms and paraphra Recognising synonyms and paraphra ses ses Unit 6 Sport Unit 6 Sport Summarising a t Summarising a t ext ext
One common type of question in HKCE English Language examination is the general theme question. The question asks you to sum up the key points and identify the subject or main topic of the entire passage.
To find what the text is about, use your skimming skills:
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go through the text quickly and note which topics the writer mentions often.
read the title carefully, as it may be a good clue to the subject.
read the first and last paragraphs, as the subject or main topic is often found in them. Writers often start and conclude the article, letter, etc. by referring to the main topic.
Once you have decided on the subject or main topic, you need to look for any subtopics. These are specific aspects of the subject that the writer wants us to consider.
For example, if the subject of a text is extreme sports, there may be one or more sub-topics: particular extreme sports the dangers what makes people do them safety equipmentand so on.
Now that you know what the subject of the text is, and what the sub-topics are, you need to get an overall grasp of the whole article, letter, essay or narrative.
To do this, ask yourself these questions:
What arguments are presented? Are any conclusions reached? What are the writer’s opinions? What is being described?
A good pair of training shoes ensures injury-free jogging. Shoe manufacturers offer us more sports shoe options than ever before, but so much choices only make shopping for a suitable pair more difficult!
So, how do we choose the best training shoes for jogging?
The shoes should be comfortable, with excellent cushioning, flexibility and shock absorption. To check for cushioning, put both shoes on. Then jump up and down on a hard surface. The shoes should feel elastic and comfortable. Next, test for flexibility: make sure that the shoe bends easily as you run. The upper of the shoe should not be too stiff. Leather is the best material, but it is expensive; so nylon is often used instead. Canvas is not a good material for the serious jogger, since it gives little support for the feet.
4. What material is the best, and what is the worst, for the ‘upper’ of a jogging shoe? ____________________________________________________________________________________ p.113p.113
The three aspects are cushioning, flexibility and shock absorption.
Leather is the best and canvas is the worst material for the ‘upper’ of a jogging shoe.
5. The title of this article does not tell you clearly what the subject is. Choose an alternative title which is more direct.A. Don’t run before you can walkB. Trendy gear for the joggerC. How to choose a shoe for joggingD. Sports shoes – the choice is yours.
6. Write a one-sentence summary of the passage in about 11 words.
Writers often use synonyms (words with similar meanings) and paraphrases (phrases which are different ways of saying the same thing). They do this for two main reasons:
1. to avoid repetition2. to make clear the meaning of an unfamiliar or
Extreme sports like rock climbing and snowboarding are getting more and more popular all over the world. However, these dangerous but exciting activities can also be life-threatening. Many young people die in accidents as a result of performing these risky sports.
The underlined phrase these dangerous but exciting activities is a paraphrase of extreme sports. It helps readers understand what extreme sports means by giving another description of it using familiar words.
The words dangerous and risky are synonyms, words with a similar meaning.
2. question asking about the meaning of a word/phraseFor example:
In paragraph XX, ‘risky’ means ……A. extremely exciting.B. dangerous.C. time consuming.D. demanding as a way of life.
The correct answer, B, is indicated by the use of themore familiar word dangerous in the sentence before.Dangerous and risky are synonyms as they are usedhere.
It will help you to recognise synonyms and paraphrases if you pay attention to the following:
Synonyms and paraphrases can often be found between commas (,) or after dash (-).Extreme sports, or action sports, have become a favourite with television audiences.
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Synonyms and paraphrases are often introduced by such expressions as or, in other words, that is, which means, which is also called, and also known as.
The best way to get better at recognising synonyms and paraphrases is to build up your vocabulary through reading.
Read the following text on rock climbing. Then study the table below the text. There are 6 pairs of synonyms in the table. One half of each pair is taken from the text on rock climbing. Find the matching synonym and write the corresponding code in the spaces provided. Look carefully at the context of each of the six words taken from the passage. This will help you to choose the right synonym. Follow the example.
The Training Centre has run training courses for rock climbing for nearly twenty years. These courses are popular with young people here. Both theory and practice are covered in the courses, which consist of three levels of expertise.
For the beginner, the recommended clothing includes rubber-soled boots and thick socks, as well as loose-fitting trousers. To protect the head, wear a crash helmet. The dangers of rock climbing are not great so long as sensible safety measures are followed. No experienced climber would ever neglect these.
On the famous sporting arenas of the world - the basketball courts, the baseball diamonds and the soccer fields - one name stands out. Victory! Almost all the big names in the sports world are wearing the sports clothes introduced only last year by Victor, the brilliant young designer from Rome.
The same sports gear is now a popular favourite as well. For the past twelve months, people across the United States have been choosing Victory! - a new line of trendy sports clothes for the young and fashionable athletes who want up-market, stylish sportswear.
And what about Asia? There are millions of sports fans here who like to keep up with fashion, and to follow their sporting idols, the sportsmen and sportswomen they most admire. No wonder Victor has been eyeing the Asian market. He hopes to tap into the huge number of customers who are eager for such high-end, more expensive products.
Victor should stop just looking at the Asian market, and take advantage of all those keen consumers before someone else does.
Advertisements and other kinds of promotional materials are around us everywhere. If you become familiar with the language they use, you will understand them better, and be able to handle them confidently when you see them in the reading or writing section of tests or exams.
PART B WRITING SKILLSPART B WRITING SKILLS
Responding to advertisements and other promotional materials
We can say that there are two basic kinds of advertisements:
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Non-commercial - for information Commercial - to sell goods or services
But even the most commercial ads give some information, and non-commercial ones are often selling something. Both are trying to persuade the reader. So they are not so different.
You should be familiar with typical examples of ads and other promotional materials. And it is excellent preparation for many of the tasks in the HKCE English Language examination.
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The language and layout of typical examples of commercial and non-commercial ads are often different.
2. Come Canoeing! Summer programme of water sports offered by the Committee on Watersport Development. OPEN to all school-age students at attractive rates.
Commercial or Non-commercial? _________________
You can choose from: • canoeing; Beginners or Intermediate • water skiing; Beginners only • kayaking; Beginners, Intermediate or Advanced • surfing; Intermediate or Advanced
Contact the CWD or visit our website at www.cwd.gov.hk for full details.
For so many reasons: • open air • healthy activity to build strong muscles • fitness habits to last a lifetime • meeting and making friends• training hand-eye coordination
Sport - the choice for a healthy lifestyle. Visit our website at www.sportspromotion.org.hk and check out all the possibilities.
You should break up a written description in a logical way. For example:
Paragraph 1 Introduction - explain who you are writing about
Paragraph 2 Appearance Paragraph 3 Clothes - what the person usually wears, or what he or she is wearing at that moment Paragraph 4 Personality, behaviour, habits
The most common type of sentence in a description is a statement.
But to make your written descriptions more interesting, you should also: use a few exclamations and questions. vary the length of your sentences. use a variety of sentence structures.
Take a look at this description and name each type of sentence: write S for statement, E for exclamation and Q for question beside each sentence. One has been done for you as an example.
Finally, write out the shortest sentence that is used.
She was dressed in an old-fashioned gown of some dark red material.
*And were those real pearls around her wrinkled neck?
No doubt they were. *You are frequently told not to begin a sentence with ‘and’ or ‘but’, but all the best English writers do so. Just don't do it too often. The shortest sentence that is used:________________________
What do these Japanese names mean? Give short answers only. (3 marks)1. Kokugikan: __________________________________ __________________________________
7. Siu Keung says ‘Sumo wrestling is almost like a religion’. Which two pieces of evidence can you find in the blog to support this? Give short answers only. (2 marks) ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The fighting ring is a kind of holy place. (1 mark) Salt and Japanese rice wine were used to bless it many times. (1 mark)
What happens at a sumo wrestling stable every day? Give short answers only. (4 marks)4. 5 am ____________________________________________ 5. 7 am ____________________________________________6. noon ____________________________________________ 7. early afternoon ____________________________________________
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Junior wrestlers get up/rise for training (1 mark)
Senior wrestlers get up/rise for training (1 mark)
All ranks/wrestlers eat a large lunch/ hot-pot (1 mark)
Read the following article and then answer questions 1-14. For multiple-choice questions, choose the best answer for each question and write the appropriate letter in the box provided. For other questions, write your answers in the spaces provided. (23 marks)
1. According to paragraph 1, which of the following statements are TRUE?1. Hong Kong got its first gold medal in Atlanta.2. Hong Kong athletes have joined the Olympics si
nce 1952. 3. Lee Lai-shan is the eldest child in her family.4. Lee Lai-shan shared her victory with all the Hon
g Kong people. 5. Lee Lai-shan felt calm at the victory ceremony.
A.A. 1, 2 and 3 1, 2 and 3 B.B. 1, 2 and 4 1, 2 and 4 C.C. 1, 4 and 5 1, 4 and 5 BB
2. According to paragraph 2, which three qualities contributed to San San's success? Answer in complete sentences. (3 marks) ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The three qualities that contributed to San San's success were hard work (1 mark), commitment (1 mark) and courage. (1 mark)
8. Look at the word ‘train’ in line 35. Now look at the dictionary entry for ‘train’ below. Which meaning corresponds to the meaning in line 35? Write the correct number in the box provided.
train [N] 1 a series of railway carriages. 2 a number of vehicles moving in a line. 3 a series of connected events, thoughts, etc. [V] 4 teach (a person or animal) a particular skill or type of behaviour through regular practice and instruction. 5 be taught in such a way.
9. The following is part of a profile summarising San San's Olympic experience. Based on the text, complete the profile. Three have been done as examples. (6 marks)
The sentences below are possible summaries for paragraphs 3, 4 and 5. From the five sentences (A-E) below, choose the most suitable sentence for each paragraph and write the letter in the space provided. (3 marks)
14.Imagine you have just read another article entitled ‘A poor picture of Hong Kong athletes’ in which the writer criticises the poor results of Hong Kong athletes in international games.
Based on the passage about San San, how would you respond to this other, negative article about Hong Kong's athletes? Explain it in complete sentences.________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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I am still optimistic towards the future of Hong Kong athletes (1 mark) because overcoming difficulties and failures are part of their daily lives (1 mark). San San’s example showed that Hong Kong athletes could win in international games. (1 mark) Explain!
Your school sports club is raising funds by selling trendy sports jackets. An advertisement for the jacket will appear shortly in your club newsletter, and will also be posted throughout the school. As the publicity secretary, it is your job to write the copy (the words) to go with the illustration in the ad. Write about 40 words in total.
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PAPER 1B WRITING (1½ hours)PAPER 1B WRITING (1½ hours)
Material: 100% water-resistant polyester Style: with or without hood; elastic at waist and
cuffs*; front zip and zipped pockets Sizes: small, medium, large, extra large Colours: silver, black Special feature: school badge on collar Price: $30 small and medium sizes
$40 large and extra large sizes
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*on a jacket, the cuffs are at the ends of the sleeves.
Made of ____________________________, with elastic __________________ for comfort. Our trendy jacket comes in 2 _______ and 4 ______. Other styling points: __________________________________________________________________________Special features: _____________________________________
Price: Only _____________________________ Contact person:____________
100% water-resistant polyesterwaist and cuffs
colourssizes
Jacket has front zip and zipped pockets, hood or without hood.
There is a school badge on the collar.
$30 for small and medium sizes $40 for large and extra large sizes Chris Wong
2. encourage all the students in the school to buy a jacket. You can use these points or think of other ones on your own:• show support for your school• look good • make sport an important part of your school life • join the sports club - it's free • don't be left out
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3. Tell the readers how to buy a jacket. You can name a contact person, an e-mail address and any other details you think are important.
You have already written part of the statement. Complete it in about 80 words.
Fellow students! We all know that sport is a healthy activity, right? So we need a strong sports club in our school to encourage all students to take part. However, we need funds to be effective.
That's why _______________________________ ! we need your support
What we need the money for :First, ________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________
Why you should buy a jacket: It is good to buy a jacket because __________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
How to buy one: To buy a jacket you need to ___________________________________________________________________
it is attractive, trendy and comfortable. The jacket will also remind you of the importance of sports in your school life.
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visit the Sports Club counter in room 111 and ask for Chris.
Write about 250 words on ONE of the following topics: 1. Describe a sports star you know about and admire. 2. You are writing a short story. One of the characters in
the story is a keen athlete. Introduce the character to your reader and give a description of the athlete.
For topic one, you may make use of the outline, words and phrases below when you write your composition:
Outline
Introduce your favourite sports star:• give his or her name• say what his/her sport is• mention his/her nationality and what team he/she plays for if this is relevant• write about any outstanding recent or past successes
Describe your star’s:• appearance – body size and shape, height, build• colouring, complexion, hair, eyes• face and features, expression• voice• manner
Write about the personality (character) of your sports star.
Mention your star’s personal view of life, sports, etc. [importance of good sportsmanship/playing fair, being a good role model, gratitude for opportunities, pride in representing one's country]
Write a conclusion: say why you admire this sports star.
___________ is my favourite sports star. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Lee Lai-san She is a windsurfer and is called the ‘Queen of Wind’. Lee was born in 1970 in Cheung Chau. She grew up in Hong Kong and started windsurfing at a very young age.
His/Her greatest achievement so far has been ______ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
In appearance, he/she is _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
dark because of long hours of outdoor exposure during training. Lee is not particularly well-built and muscular, but she shows toughness and determination in her eyes.
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the first gold medal she won for Hong Kong in the Olympic Games. In the 1996 Atlanta Games, Lee beat her opponents from all over the world and stepped on the highest position of the podium. It was the first time the Hong Kong flag flew higher than others.
He/She is a ___________________________ person. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Lee's success did not come as luck. Injuries and failures are unavoidable for athletes. She has accumulated her skills and experiences through prolonged training and participation in various competitions. She has remained focused on her career in windsurfing even after she gained fame at the 1996 Atlanta Games. This shows Lee is faithful to her goal.
[Name] is my sporting hero/I admire him/her/[name] because _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Lee Lai-sanheroine_______________________
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athletes in Hong Kong have the ability to compete in world-class competitions. Lee has encouraged Hong Kong athletes so that they will never look down on themselves. Her famous words are ‘Hong Kong athletes are not rubbish’.
she has strong motivation to perform at her competitive best. She shows professionalism in her career and offers proof to everyone that Hong Kong athletes can aim high.
For topic two, you may make use of the outline, words and phrases below when you write your composition:
Outline
Introduce a character in your story: • give his or her name • say what his/her sport is • mention his/her nationality and what team he/she plays for if this is relevant • write about any outstanding recent or past successes
Describe your character’s: • appearance - body size and shape, height, build• colouring, complexion, hair, eyes • face and features, expression• voice • manner
Mention your character’s personal view of life, sports etc. [importance of good sportsmanship/playing fair, being a good role model, gratitude for opportunities, pride in representing one's country]
Write a conclusion: say why you chose this character to be in your story.
One of the characters in my story is a famous sports star. _______________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
His name is Chris Wong. He is a famous table tennis player. Wong retired at the age of 30, and is now the coach of the Chinese National Table Tennis Team.
His/Her greatest achievement so far ______________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
In appearance, he/she is ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
has been to win gold medals twice in the Olympic Games and to become World champion three times. Wong joined the National Team at the age of seven, and performed exceptionally well. He started representing China when he was fourteen.
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not outstanding. Wong is only 1.6 m tall. Though he is short, he has strong legs. He can respond and move quickly. Some people call him ‘Flash’ because that word best describes his movement.
_____________ is a ____________ person. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
He shows strong sympathy for children because of his own background. Not long after he entered the National Team, his parents died in a coal mine explosion. Wong became an orphan and the Table Tennis Team became his home. The relationship between Wong and his coach, River Chen, was like that of a father and a son.
I choose ____________ to be a character in my story because ____________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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table tennis his life. He tries his best at every competition and practice session. When he was in training and official practice hours ended, Wong stayed behind and continued to practise alone.
he is serious in everything, and has set a fine example for young people to follow. He is now the coach of the National Team and many team members regard him as a great coach.
Write about 250 words on the following topic:Write about 250 words on the following topic:
You work as the Creative Director of an advertising company. A well-known international sportswear company has approached you to create an advertising campaign for them to promote a new sportswear series in Asia. They want a leading athlete to act as the spokesperson and be featured prominently in the campaign.
Select a male or female athlete for this role and write a proposal to the sportswear company stating your reasons for your choice. You should give a description of the athlete you have selected in the light of his/her suitability as a spokesperson for the new sportswear line.
