1 You and your family
(p.2)Listening for people’s names
(p.4)• Identifying what pronouns refer to
(p.7)
• Memo
(p.8)Informal email
(p.10)Preparing for a presentation
(p.12)2 School life
(p.14)Listening for keywords
(p.16)• Skimming
(p.19)• Charts
(p.20)Speech
(p.22)Preparing for a discussion
(p.24)
3 You and your friends
(p.26)Listening for responses: positive, negative or neutral
(p.28)• Predicting
(p.31)• Review
Popular Culture (p.32)Letter of advice
Popular Culture (p.34)
Starting and ending a presentation
(p.36)4 Camping
(p.38)Listening for numbers
(p.40)• Scanning
(p.43)• Schedule
(p.44)Informal letter
(p.46)Starting and ending a discussion
(p.48)5 Hobbies and interests
(p.50)Listening for sequence
(p.52)• Recognising literary devices
(p.55)• Poem
Poems and Songs (p.56)Article
(p.58)Expressing ideas and opinions
(p.60)6 Let’s celebrate!
(p.62)Listening for times and dates
(p.64)• Identifying the topic of a paragraph
(p.67)
• Journal
(p.68)Story
Short Stories (p.70)Making suggestions
(p.72)7 All about Hong Kong
(p.74)Listening for the use of literary devices
Poems and Songs (p.76)
• Identifying facts and opinions
(p.79)• Pamphlet
(p.80)Formal letter
Workplace Communication (p.82)
Giving an explanation with elaboration
(p.84)8 Food paradise
(p.86)Integrated skills
(p.88)• Working out the meaning of unfamiliar words
(p.91)• Article
(p.92)Blog entry
(p.94)Agreeing and disagreeing with others
(p.96)Glossary
(p.98)Exam Strategies Mock Papers
Mock Paper 1 — Pre-HKDSE Examination
Mock Paper 2 — Territory-wide System Assessment
Answer Key
= Elective module covered = key vocabulary listed in Glossary = more challenging question Skill Skill = skills taught in that unit = HKDSE question type
C ontents
Unit Theme Listening skill Reading skill & text type Writing text type Speaking skill
sample
1 You and your family
(p.2)Listening for people’s names
(p.4)• Identifying what pronouns refer to
(p.7)
• Memo
(p.8)Informal email
(p.10)Preparing for a presentation
(p.12)2 School life
(p.14)Listening for keywords
(p.16)• Skimming
(p.19)• Charts
(p.20)Speech
(p.22)Preparing for a discussion
(p.24)
3 You and your friends
(p.26)Listening for responses: positive, negative or neutral
(p.28)• Predicting
(p.31)• Review
Popular Culture (p.32)Letter of advice
Popular Culture (p.34)
Starting and ending a presentation
(p.36)4 Camping
(p.38)Listening for numbers
(p.40)• Scanning
(p.43)• Schedule
(p.44)Informal letter
(p.46)Starting and ending a discussion
(p.48)5 Hobbies and interests
(p.50)Listening for sequence
(p.52)• Recognising literary devices
(p.55)• Poem
Poems and Songs (p.56)Article
(p.58)Expressing ideas and opinions
(p.60)6 Let’s celebrate!
(p.62)Listening for times and dates
(p.64)• Identifying the topic of a paragraph
(p.67)
• Journal
(p.68)Story
Short Stories (p.70)Making suggestions
(p.72)7 All about Hong Kong
(p.74)Listening for the use of literary devices
Poems and Songs (p.76)
• Identifying facts and opinions
(p.79)• Pamphlet
(p.80)Formal letter
Workplace Communication (p.82)
Giving an explanation with elaboration
(p.84)8 Food paradise
(p.86)Integrated skills
(p.88)• Working out the meaning of unfamiliar words
(p.91)• Article
(p.92)Blog entry
(p.94)Agreeing and disagreeing with others
(p.96)Glossary
(p.98)Exam Strategies Mock Papers
Mock Paper 1 — Pre-HKDSE Examination
Mock Paper 2 — Territory-wide System Assessment
Answer Key
= Elective module covered = key vocabulary listed in Glossary = more challenging question Skill Skill = skills taught in that unit HKDSE = HKDSE question type
Unit Theme Listening skill Reading skill & text type Writing text type Speaking skill
sample
UNIT 6
A. Here are different things related to festivals. Label the pictures with the following words or phrases. Write the correct letters in the boxes.
A. drum B. spectator C. kite D. dragon boat E. costume F. firework G. dancer H. stall I. parade J. lantern
Vocabulary
L et’s celebrate!
During a dragon boat race, the paddlers sit in pairs facing forward.
The steerperson either sits or stands at the back of the boat. A drummer sits at the front facing backwards.
Reminder
B. Read the text and fill in the blanks using the correct form of the words or phrases above.
(1) races do not just take place in Asia. You can see them in many countries. Some draw a large number of (2) who come to watch the excitement of racing to the sound of (3) . Often there are more than just the races. There are always (4)
where you can buy a variety of food and souvenirs. Some include a
(5) along the main street complete with marching bands and people wearing (6) . There may also be entertainers, such as
(7) .
At one race I attended a lot of people were flying (8) and in the evening beautiful (9) were lit. The day concluded with a (10) display, a mass of colour in the evening sky.
A C B
D
E
F G
I H
J
sample
63
1
2 3
4
5
6 7 8
9
DOWN
1. The crowds and the music give it a fantastic . 3. following ideas and methods that have existed for a long time 6. It is an old that dates back hundreds of years.
7. relating to the moon ACROSS
2. That festival is a big tourist .
4. It is a festival because it is connected to the church.
5. You can watch but you cannot . 6. Each year they the harvest.
8. being the only one of a kind 9. to go to (an event)
Clues
Unit 6 • Let’s celebrate!
C. Put the vocabulary below in the appropriate categories.
custom unique lunar atmosphere celebrate religious attraction traditional attend participate
Verb Noun Adjective
D. Solve the crossword puzzle with the help of the vocabulary above and the clues.
Two examples of a religious festival are Christmas and Easter.
Reminder
sample
In Part B of the HKDSE Paper 3 exam, you will be given a Data File. Some of the answers in the tasks can be found in the Data File and some in the listening. It is important that you make good use of the time allowed before the recording is played to read the rubrics of the tasks carefully in order to know whether you will find the answers in the listening and/or the Data File. You will need to use some of the skills that you have learnt in this book to answer the questions.
Read the encyclopaedia entry below and listen to the conversation. Track 29
Then answer the questions.
Listening
S k i l l : I n t e g r a t e d s k i l l s
E x e r c i s e
1. Superfoods are .
A. fruits and vegetables B. high in fibre A B C D C. full of nutrients D. high in omega-3 fatty acids
2. and are high in both vitamins and fibre.
3. Two fish considered superfoods are and .
4. Can you get the information in questions 1–3 from the reading, the listening or both?
Question From the reading From the listening Both
(i) 1
(ii) 2
(iii) 3
You can refer to the Exam Strategies for details of the HKDSE Paper 3 exam.
Reminder
Article Talk Read Edit View history Search
Superfoods
From The Free Encyclopaedia
These are foods that are low in calories but are packed with beneficial nutrients. However there is no generally accepted list of these foods although most people agree that it is mostly made up of fruits, vegetables, soy products, nuts
and eggs. Meat does not make it onto the list and only fatty fish such as wild salmon and sardines, which are high in omega-3 fatty acids, appear there. Many experts dismiss superfoods as a marketing gimmick and in some countries you cannot label a food as a superfood unless you can provide clear supporting medical evidence.
sample
89
Pamela is thinking of becoming a chef. She started reading the section in a cookbook about cooking
methods and then noticed that it was time for a weekly radio programme Food Today, on which the topic is also cooking methods.
Read the excerpt from the cookbook and listen to the radio programme. Answer the Track 30
questions in Part A and Part B. You now have 2 minutes to answer the questions in Part A and read the questions in Part B.
T a s k 1
Part A
Answer the questions according to the excerpt from the cookbook.
1. is a common way to cook a leg of lamb.
A. Steaming B. Roasting A B C D
C. Baking D. Simmering
2. To tenderise a tough piece of meat .
A. cook it in liquid B. cook it at 150°C A B C D
C. don’t add any liquid D. cook it for a short time
Part B
Listen to the radio programme. It will be played twice. Do as much as you can the first time and answer all questions the second time. You now have 30 seconds to read the questions.
3. There are at least different methods of cooking.
4. What TWO examples of grilling does Joseph give?
5. If you sear a piece of meat, the middle is .
Skill
Skill
HKDSE
There are many different methods of cooking and the method you use depends on what you are cooking and what result you want. Certain methods go with specific foods. For example you would never hear about steaming a leg of lamb or simmering cakes. The most likely thing you would do to a leg of lamb is roast it, while cakes are baked.
Cooking methods can be broken down into two categories, namely dry heat and moist heat. Dry heat cooking does not use any moisture, like water or stock. Cooking things in fat is considered dry heat, even though the fat is in liquid form. Dry heat cooking is done at higher temperatures, usually at least 150°C. Dry heat does not tenderise meat so you can only use it for certain cuts of meat. Moist heat cooking always involves some form of liquid such as water, stock or steam. Cooking temperatures are much lower, the maximum being 100°C, boiling point. Often moist heat cooking is done for a long time, especially when you want to make a tough piece of meat nice and tender.
Unit 8 • Food paradise
sample
Martin is doing a project about hobbies. He interviews some classmates.
Listen to the interviews and complete the notes. The interviews will be played twice. Do as much as you can the first time and answer all questions the second time. You now have 30 seconds to study the task. Track 19
Task 2
HKDSE
Person Hobby Other information
Joanne (1) In particular (2) because they make her
(3) , and (4) because
you can (5) from them.
Phillip (6) Previously he liked
(7) . He
stopped this because he
(8) .
He likes to go to
(9) .
Debra (10) She does not like
(11)
because it is
(12) .
She likes her hobby because
it is (13) .
One problem is that it is
(14) .
(15) In his interview Blake talks about various events. Put them in chronological order by writing the numbers (1–5) in the correct spaces.
Started playing the piano.
Hurt his wrist.
Won an award.
Started playing the oboe.
Started playing the violin.
sample
55 Unit 5 • Hobbies and interests
There are a number of literary devices that writers use to make their writing more interesting. Here are some of them.
Device Definition Example
hyperbole exaggerating or overemphasising something
She draws, like, fifty pictures a day. (She probably draws five or six.)
inversion often used in poetry and the word order is reversed
To bake cookies she loves to do.
rhetorical question
asking a question when you are not expecting an answer
Why does Max spend so much time on his computer?
rhyming when the word at the end of one line has the same sound as the word at the end of another line
Reading is how he spends most of his time
That’s how it is, it’s not a crime.
understatement when you represent something as less than it is
He is not a bad tennis player. (What the speaker really means is that he is actually very good.)
Read the following sentences and identify what literary devices they have used. Write the correct letters in the spaces.
A. hyperbole B. inversion C. rhetorical question D. rhyming E. understatement
1. Then on Sundays to the hills he would go.
2. Little Jimmy played so well. It was like watching a top professional play.
3. He reads comics every day.
A real waste of time if I may say.
4. He loves practising the violin. When does he have time to sleep?
5. Eric : Have you heard that Michael just broke the record?
Tony : Yes, he is an OK runner.
Reading
S k i l l : R e c o g n i s i n g l i t e r a r y d e v i c e s
E x e r c i s e
sample
Andy joined a camping trip organised by the Westfield Youth Club.
Read the schedule and the information and answer the questions.
T a s k
Westfield Youth Club
Summer Camp 23–27 July 20XX Camp Martin
Morning Afternoon Evening
20 July Wednesday
Briefing session for all attendees and parents at the youth club at 7 pm 23 July
Saturday
Bus leaves at 10 am.
Please arrive at the youth club no later than
9:30 am.
Arrive at Camp Martin.
Bring your own packed lunch. Set up camp
Orientation and safety
24 July Sunday
Hike through the forest or go kayaking on the lake
Play sports — volleyball and five-a-side football
Roast chickens on the fire
25 July Monday
Day trip to the beach Day trip to the beach Barbecue on the beach
26 July Tuesday
Learn crafts at the craft centre
Take part in all kinds of races and events, including tug of war and three-legged race
Singsong around the campfire
27 July Wednesday
Watch birds or learn life- saving at the lake
Take down the camp and pack
Bus leaves at 5 pm. You will be in Central by 7:30 pm.
29 July Friday
Review session for all attendees and parents at the youth club at 7 pm Group leader: Mike Lam (phone number: 3723 9833)
Should the weather be bad the trip will be cancelled and there will be alternate activities at the youth club.
sample
45 Unit 4 • Camping
Write the correct answer. Choose the best answer and blacken the circle.
1. How long was the camping trip?
2. Number the following activities in chronological order. Write 1–5 on the lines provided. The first one has been done for you.
Hiking Orientation Tug of war
Playing on the beach Bird watching
3. Which of the following could be seen in Camp Martin?
A. a river, a tennis court and a small football pitch B. a river, a small football pitch and a volleyball court
C. a lake, a small football pitch and a volleyball court A B C D D. a lake, a volleyball court and a tennis court
4. Match the person on the left with the statement on the right. Write the letter (A–D) on the line next to the description of the person.
Person Statement
(i) Molly, who is hiking mad (ii) Peter, who loves wildlife (iii) Joe, who hates singing
(iv) Pamela, who likes making things
A. Tuesday night was awful.
B. Wednesday morning was great.
C. Sunday was the best day.
D. Tuesday morning was fun.
5. Based on the schedule, decide whether the following statements are True, False or the information is Not Given. Blacken ONE circle only for each statement.
T F NG
(i) They had an orientation as soon as they arrived.
(ii) They had a barbecue on Monday.
(iii) There was a 400 m race on Tuesday.
6. Two days after the trip there was a of it at the youth club.
7. What might cause the trip to be cancelled?
Skill
HKDSE
1
Skill
Skill HKDSE
HKDSE
sample
In Unit 4 you learnt how to write an informal letter to friends or family members. A formal letter, on the other hand, is one you write in a business, government or legal setting. The language is more formal, for example you should avoid contractions and use fewer phrasal verbs.
Structure of a formal letter
Writing
T e x t t y p e : F o r m a l l e t t e r
Ms is commonly used nowadays as the female equivalent to Mr.
Like Mr, Ms does not indicate if the person is married or single.
Reminder
• Salutation/Greeting
In formal letters ‘Dear ’ is used, e.g. ‘Dear Ms Chan’. Note that Mr, Mrs, Miss or Ms is used rather than the first name. If the name of the recipient is unknown, it is common to say ‘To whom it may concern’.
• Subject line
Formal letters often contain a subject line (like in emails). It starts with Re: (which means about or regarding), e.g. ‘Re: Places to stay in Hong Kong’.
• Opening
Refer to previous contact like ‘I refer to your letter of 9 May’ and state the purpose of writing.
• Body paragraphs
Write the information that you want to tell the recipient. You may need more than one paragraph.
• Closing paragraph
Refer to enclosures or make a request.
• Complimentary close
‘Sincerely’ and ‘Yours sincerely’ are the standard ways to close a formal letter.
• Enclosures
If anything is enclosed with the letter, write the title or name of it below the signature, e.g. ‘Enc: The Cuisines of Hong Kong’.
Read the following sentences extracted from an informal letter to Norman Jones. Change them so that they are appropriate for a formal letter.
1. Hi Norman
2. Great to get your letter of 27 June.
3. So you’re going to be here for ten days in August.
4. I’ve put some leaflets in with this letter.
5. Best wishes E x e r c i s e
sample
83
Dear Holidays in Hong Kong,
I am the secretary of the Harlequin Women’s Club and we are planning a one week trip to Hong Kong in August. None of us have ever visited Hong Kong before. In fact it’s our first trip to Asia. We were wondering if you could give us some advice. Firstly where would be a good place to stay? Being a women’s club we would like to do some shopping while we are there. Which places would you suggest? Apart from some of the more common tourist places we were wondering if there are any places to visit that would get us away from the hustle and bustle of the city. We live in a very small town and sometimes find big cities a bit tiring.
Thank you in advance for any suggestions you could give us.
Sincerely,
Alice Sharpton
Unit 7 • All about Hong Kong
You are Michael Wu and you work for Holidays in Hong Kong. You receive the following letter from Alice Sharpton of the Harlequin Women’s Club who are planning a visit to Hong Kong later this year. Write a formal reply to Alice Sharpton.
You may use some of the ideas from the letter below and/or your own ideas in your writing. Some parts of the letter have been given to you. Complete the letter in about 130 words.
T a s k
attractions, hotels, price ranges, recommend, street markets, shopping malls, a wide range of, famous for, well known, outlying islands
Useful vocabulary
Dear ,
Re:
Thank you for your letter of 15 June.
I do hope you enjoy your trip.
Michael Wu
Holidays in Hong Kong
Workplace Communication
sample
The oral exam usually includes two parts — an individual presentation and a group discussion. Below are some useful expressions for starting and ending a presentation.
Starting a presentation
Greeting Good morning/afternoon, everybody.
Introduce the topic of the presentation I’m going to talk about…
Give some background information To start with, I’ll explain/describe…
Ending a presentation
Summarise So to summarise, I’ve explained / described /
talked about…
Signal the end of the presentation That’s the end of my presentation. Thank you.
Read the following script prepared by a student for her individual presentation. The topic is
‘My best friend’. Write the opening and closing for her.
Speaking
S k i l l : S t a r t i n g a n d e n d i n g a p r e s e n t a t i o n
E x e r c i s e
In the oral exam, you are NOT required to introduce yourself at the beginning of your presentation.
Reminder
As soon as we met each other Joanne and I knew that we would be friends. We noticed immediately that we had a similar sense of humour and then as we got to know each other we realised that we were interested in the same things. We are both competitive, especially when we play sports. We both want to win. We like it when we are on the same team, whether it is in sport or working together on a team for schoolwork.
sample
37
Making friends
Unit 3 • You and your friends
Your class teacher has asked you to give a presentation about how to make and keep friends.
Prepare a two-minute presentation about how to make and keep friends. You can use some ideas from the following mind map and/or your own ideas in your presentation.
T a s k
You may use the following or your own words to begin and end your presentation.
Good morning/afternoon, everybody. I’m going to talk about how to make and keep friends.
That’s the end of my presentation. Thank you.
Sports, clubs and other
activities Similar
personalities
Lead a
happier life Apologise after
arguments Similar interests
Companion Tolerance
Importance of friends
Keeping friends
Friends
