C ontents
1 Let’s go shopping!
(p.2)Listening for comparisons and preferences
(p.4)
• Scanning
(p.7)• Poster and leaflet
Popular Culture (p.8)Blog entry
(p.10)Starting and ending a presentation
(p.12)2 Know more about the neighbourhood
(p.14)Identifying facts and opinions
(p.16)• Skimming
(p.19)• Descriptions
Social Issues (p.20)Informal email
(p.22)Starting and ending a discussion
(p.24)3 Mystery stories
Short Stories (p.26)Listening for keywords
(p.28)• Recognising literary devices
(p.31)• Poem
Poems and Songs (p.32)Story
Short Stories (p.34)Expressing ideas and opinions
(p.36)4 Lovely pets
(p.38)Listening for the use of literary devices
Poems and Songs (p.40)
• Summarising
(p.43)• Book reports
(p.44)Speech
(p.46)Giving an explanation with elaboration
(p.48)5 Sports
Sports Communication (p.50)Listening for main ideas
(p.52)• Making inferences
(p.55)• Article
(p.56)Informal letter
(p.58)Engaging the audience
(p.60)
6 Understand teen problems
(p.62)
Making inferences
(p.64)• Working out the meaning of unfamiliar
words
(p.67)Letter of advice
Popular Culture (p.70)
Agreeing and disagreeing with others
(p.72)7 Wonderful people
(p.74)Listening for descriptive information
(p.76)
• Identifying what pronouns refer to
(p.79)
• Biography
(p.80)Formal letter
Workplace Communication
(p.82)
Making suggestions
(p.84)
8 Nature and the environment
Social Issues (p.86)
Integrated skills
(p.88)• Identifying the sequence of events
(p.91)• Film review
Popular Culture (p.92)Article
(p.94)Keeping a discussion going
(p.96)Glossary
(p.98)Exam Strategies Mock Papers
Mock Paper 1 — Pre-HKDSE Examination
Mock Paper 2 — Territory-wide System Assessment
Answer Key
Unit Theme Listening skill Reading skill & text type Writing text type Speaking skill
sample
1 Let’s go shopping!
(p.2)Listening for comparisons and preferences
(p.4)
• Scanning
(p.7)• Poster and leaflet
Popular Culture (p.8)Blog entry
(p.10)Starting and ending a presentation
(p.12)2 Know more about the neighbourhood
(p.14)Identifying facts and opinions
(p.16)• Skimming
(p.19)• Descriptions
Social Issues (p.20)Informal email
(p.22)Starting and ending a discussion
(p.24)3 Mystery stories
Short Stories (p.26)Listening for keywords
(p.28)• Recognising literary devices
(p.31)• Poem
Poems and Songs (p.32)Story
Short Stories (p.34)Expressing ideas and opinions
(p.36)4 Lovely pets
(p.38)Listening for the use of literary devices
Poems and Songs (p.40)
• Summarising
(p.43)• Book reports
(p.44)Speech
(p.46)Giving an explanation with elaboration
(p.48)5 Sports
Sports Communication (p.50)Listening for main ideas
(p.52)• Making inferences
(p.55)• Article
(p.56)Informal letter
(p.58)Engaging the audience
(p.60)
6 Understand teen problems
(p.62)
Making inferences
(p.64)• Working out the meaning of unfamiliar
words
(p.67)Letter of advice
Popular Culture (p.70)
Agreeing and disagreeing with others
(p.72)7 Wonderful people
(p.74)Listening for descriptive information
(p.76)
• Identifying what pronouns refer to
(p.79)
• Biography
(p.80)Formal letter
Workplace Communication
(p.82)
Making suggestions
(p.84)
8 Nature and the environment
Social Issues (p.86)
Integrated skills
(p.88)• Identifying the sequence of events
(p.91)• Film review
Popular Culture (p.92)Article
(p.94)Keeping a discussion going
(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 S ports
Sports Communication5
A. Label the sports in the pictures with the following words or phrases. Write the correct letters in the boxes.
A. baseball B. bungee jumping C. canoeing D. skiing E. American football F. rugby G. snowboarding H. trampoline
I. boxing J. sky diving K. water volleyball L. gymnastics
Vocabulary
A
D
G
J
B
E
H
K
C
F
I
L
sample
51 Unit 5 • Sports
B. Look for the following words in the word search puzzle. The words are placed horizontally, vertically and diagonally.
swing opponent rule court judge train dangerous injury pass exciting jump
E S R H D P S E N J K S
E X T L P O O W R W A S
A D C O U R T R I V M P
C R U I T Z A R X N R W
S U I N T G Q U A E G L
I L R O B I N J U R Y R
B E N P E V N M J P U D
P A S P A S W G E A T S
J U M O T R A P N S R K
D D A N G E R O U S A X
J I G E D R N P M Y I P
O U P N H P E U J H N V
O P D T O P O L U T X E
P O L G L D C A M E M T
R U J U E D K R P E T E
C. Match the two columns to make sentences that make sense.
1. Sports like badminton and tennis • • A. many people find them exciting to watch.
2. Some people say some extreme sports are so dangerous
• • B. they should be banned.
3. One rule in rugby is that • • C. you aim to injure your opponent.
4. Boxing is one of the few sports in which • • D. are played on a court.
5. If you want to succeed in a sport • • E. you jump off a fixed object like a bridge or cliff.
6. In some sports, like gymnastics, a judge • • F. you have to train very hard.
7. In BASE jumping • • G. awards points.
8. Extreme sports can be dangerous but • • H. common to many sports.
9. Pulling a muscle is an injury • • I. your bat and try to hit the ball.
10. In baseball you swing • • J. you cannot pass the ball forward.
sample
Descriptive information can be expressed in various ways. Adjectives, of course, are often used in descriptions. Here is an example of adjectives being used to describe things.
The first hand-held mobile phone came onto the market in 1983. It was heavy, weighing over a kilo, big, being 23 cm long and expensive, with a price tag of around $4,000.
Martin Cooper was the leader of the team who developed it.
We also use adjectives to describe people, both their appearance and their personality.
Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple, was a highly successful entrepreneur with an
unbelievable imagination. He had an amazing ability to produce high-tech products that people loved. He was passionate in his quest for perfection. When he was younger he always looked a bit chubby but later in life he became very slim, even gaunt looking.
Verbs may be used in descriptions.
The Simon Personal Communicator is generally considered to be the first smartphone.
It appeared in 1994. On it you could make and receive phone calls, and send and receive faxes and emails. It came with several apps like a calendar, address book and calculator.
Listen to what these people describe and fill in the blanks. Track 24
1. We learn that Stephen Hawking uses a (i)
and that he is a (ii) .
2. He is describing a (i) , which contains (ii) .
3. Ed Stafford, a (i) explorer, is (ii) for
walking the entire length of the Amazon River.
4. The first folding bed doubled up as a (i) with
(ii) and (iii) . It was very convenient.
5. Picture below depicts Benjamin Franklin.
Listening
S k i l l : L i s t e n i n g f o r d e s c r i p t i v e i n f o r m a t i o n
E x e r c i s e
A. B. C. D.
Speakers can use descriptive language to set up a scene. For example, ‘Everybody in the room was glued to the TV as Armstrong climbed down from the landing module to become the first person on the moon.’
Reminder
sample
77 Unit 7 • Wonderful people
Your teacher is giving a lecture about Charles Lindbergh to the class.
Listen to the lecture and answer the questions. The lecture 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. Track 25
1. In 1927 Lindbergh flew across the Atlantic (i) and
(ii) .
2. Barnstormers .
A. performed stunts with their planes B. had few accidents
C. earned a lot of money A B C D
D. did a lot of walking
3. Orteig offered his prize in (i) . Some pilots who tried to fly across the Atlantic
were (ii) .
4. What was the runway like when Lindbergh took off?
5. How did Lindbergh navigate?
6. Physically Lindbergh was (i) and (ii) .
7. The Lindberghs suffered a tragedy when their son . A. was kidnapped and was only returned a few weeks later
B. was killed in a car accident
C. was murdered A B C D
D. died of cancer
8. The Lindberghs moved to Europe .
A. to escape the media attention
B. because they were scared of the kidnapper
C. because the kidnapper escaped from prison A B C D
D. because Mrs Lindbergh was from Europe T a s k 1
Skill
Skill
Skill HKDSE
HKDSE
Skill
sample
Lucy and her classmates are working on a project about unusual sports.
Listen to the conversation and complete the notes. The conversation 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 18
Task 2
HKDSE
Unusual sports
Bossaball
Main idea of the sport:
It is a cross between (1) and (2) ,
played on an inflatable (3) . Other information:
There is a (4) on either side of the net.
Club swinging Main idea of the sport:
You (5) two clubs over your (6)
and around your (7) .
Other information:
You are judged on the level of (8) and how you
execute your (9) .
Fireball football Main idea of the sport:
It is like regular football except that the ball is (10) . Other information:
It is played by students in (11) . Tossing the caber
Main idea of the sport:
It involves throwing a long, (12) pole so that it falls on the (13) end and falls
(14) you.
Other information:
You have to be very (15) in order to toss a caber.
sample
55
Writers sometimes do not state something directly. Instead they leave clues from which you infer what they are talking about. You can infer the meaning of words, attitude, mood and tone of the writer. This is sometimes called reading between the lines. Here are two examples.
If you read ‘Baseball? The games go on forever and most of the time nothing is happening’, you can infer that the writer does not like baseball even though he does not specifically say so. Or if a mother says, ‘Every time I go into Tom’s room he’s watching sport on the Internet. No wonder his test results are so bad’, you can infer that she thinks Tom spends too much time watching sport.
Read the texts and circle the correct answers.
1. All that money spent on two tennis courts. How often will they be used?
This person thinks .
A. it was a waste of money B. it was a good use of the money
2. I went to the new gym yesterday. So much equipment. I could hardly move when I woke up this morning.
This person .
A. injured herself in the gym B. overdid it in the gym
3. No goals, neither goalkeeper was troubled. What a bore. I left before the end.
This person just .
A. watched a game of football B. played a game of football C. watched a game of rugby D. played a game of rugby
4. Living where I do I can only surf when I go on holiday. On the other hand it’s great for skiing and hiking.
This person lives .
A. near the ocean
B. near the ocean and the mountains C. near the mountains
Reading
S k i l l : M a k i n g i n f e r e n c e s
E x e r c i s e
Unit 5 • Sports You can also use your prior knowledge to make inferences.
Reminder
sample
Your teacher has recommended a film to the class. You are reading a review of the film in a newspaper.
Read the film review and answer the questions.
T a s k
It’s 8:30 in the morning. Paul is in the kitchen. We learn later through flashbacks that it had rained very heavily the day before for twelve hours straight. Suddenly the whole house starts to shake. Just before the bookcase comes crashing down, Paul manages to dive under the desk. This is the start of Earthquake And More, the incredibly exciting, if somewhat far-fetched new film directed by James Murray.
The camera then takes us outside where we are witness to the devastation caused by an immensely strong earthquake — buildings collapsing, petrol stations exploding, cars falling into ravines that were not there thirty seconds before.
Paul, who we learn is a fire chief, arrives at the fire station just after we see a fire start in a twenty- storey hotel. Fighting that blaze and getting the people out are Paul’s main concerns until we see another part of town nestled at the bottom of a mountain. At first it’s just a few rocks that come rumbling down but you know what’s coming next. A gigantic landslide that destroys anything in its path.
And then time stands still and in slow motion we become aware of some severe aftershocks. People are petrified. The camera pans over the destroyed buildings and out to sea where in the distance we see an enormous wave, a tsunami, heading to shore. Buildings are swept away, boats and cars deposited here, there and everywhere.
The scenes of destruction are totally realistic and I recommend seeing the 3D version. You feel as if you are in the middle of everything. Once havoc is wreaked the film takes on a more human quality and we follow several people as they try and get through the rest of the day, looking for loved ones and helping where they can. The acting is top notch and the computer graphics are simply amazing. I won’t spoil the film by saying what happens next but suffice it to say it’s not what you expect.
This Week’s Films
Earthquake And More
Popular Culture
sample
93
Write the correct answer. Choose the best answer and blacken the circle.
1. ‘Far-fetched’ in paragraph 1 means .
A. interesting B. realistic A B C D
C. unlikely to happen D. loud
2. Complete the summary of paragraph 2 by writing ONE word to fill in each blank. You should make sure your answers are grammatically correct, paying attention to tenses, plurals, etc.
When Melanie arrived on the scene there was (i) everywhere. Many buildings had (ii) , cars had been swallowed up in recently created
(iii) and a petrol pump had (iv) .
3. Paul goes to the hotel fire because he is a . 4. Initially what does Paul focus his attention on?
5. Put the following events in the correct sequence. Number the events (1–5).
Paul dives under the desk.
The earthquake hits.
A fire starts in a hotel.
It rains heavily.
The bookcase falls over.
6. What happens just before the tsunami hits?
7. Which of the following natural disasters occurs in the film?
Put a tick (3) next to all that apply.
(i) earthquake (ii) tsunami (iii) volcano (iv) landslide
8. How does the film end?
A. There is a tsunami. B. People are looking for loved ones. A B C D C. There is a typhoon. D. We don’t know.
HKDSE
HKDSE
Skill HKDSE
HKDSE
Unit 8 • Nature and the environment
sample
When you write a story, first think of who the audience is and make sure the story is appropriate to that audience. It is also important to know the setting of the story.
Structure of a story
Writing
T e x t t y p e : S t o r y
• Title
Give your story an appealing title which is related to the topic.
• Setting and characterisation
Describe the time, place and characters in the story.
• Background / The beginning
Tell readers what happened and establish a conflict or problem faced by the characters.
• The middle
Develop the problem until it reaches the climax which is often the most exciting part of the story.
• The end
End your story after the conflict is resolved.
Here is an example.
As regards grammar, stories are usually in the past tense but they can also be written in the present tense if you are describing what is happening now. Try to use some connectives, e.g.
but, so, because, to make the story flow.
You can use adjectives and adverbs to make the story come alive.
Reminder
Setting A long time ago there lived the Dark Knight who protected people in his village by killing monsters.
Conflict/Problem He killed so many monsters that he angered the Master of the Hell, who decided to get rid of the Dark Knight by using a curse.
Resolution/Ending To her surprise, the reindeer changed back into the Dark Knight. The girl and the Dark Knight got married and the Dark Knight continued to protect the villagers.
Climax The curse changed the Dark Knight into a reindeer who could only run but could not talk. One day when a girl was feeding the reindeer, she found its eyes filled with tears. She gave it a kiss to comfort it.
Short Stories
sample
35
A Lesson to Learn Once upon a time
You have entered a story-writing competition organised by the English Club at your school.
Read the poster and write your story.
You may use some of the ideas from the poster below and/or your own ideas in your writing.
Complete the story in about 130 words.
T a s k
Annual Story-writing Competition
Theme: Be considerate
Unit 3 • Mystery stories
Setting
Conflict/
Problem
Climax
Resolution/
Ending
Objectives:
• To cultivate creativity among students
• To provide a chance for students to practise their story-writing skills Requirements:
• Write a story of no more than 130 words based on the theme above.
• Create an original story with fictional characters OR rewrite the ending of any one of your favourite stories.
• Promote moral values — the good (e.g. angels) always win and the evil (e.g.
monsters) will receive punishment.
Prizes:
Winner — A gold medal and a $500 book coupon
First runner-up — A silver medal and a $300 book coupon Second runner-up — A bronze medal and a $100 book coupon
poor life, effort, beg, reward, magic, keep a promise, greedy, cheat, fortune, impress, unwise, satisfy, regain
Useful vocabulary
sample
To elaborate means to give further information about something. The further information can be examples, reasons or statistics. You can either simply provide the information or use a phrase indicating that you are going to elaborate. Here is an example of the former.
Our pet dogs need exercise to stay healthy. A walk in the park is good exercise.
The second sentence is an example to elaborate what exercise dogs can do. Here are some phrases you can use before elaborating.
Phrase Example
Let me elaborate. Quite a number of people keep pets in Hong Kong. Let me elaborate on that. Dogs and cats are the most common pets found in Hong Kong. Fish and birds are also popular.
Let me explain. I never buy an animal from a pet shop and let me explain why. Most animals sold in pet shops come from mass-breeding facilities and they are often crammed into small cages.
What’s more. And what’s more, animals in pet shops are often without adequate food, water, or ventilation.
Let me give you some details.
Anyone who wants to adopt a pet should approach the SPCA. Let me give you some details. Their website is www.spca.org.hk.
Match the elaboration in the right column with the appropriate points in the left column.
1. Rabbits are sometimes described as naughty pets.
• • A. Let me explain. Most of them like chewing on the cage bars which makes an annoying noise.
2. Guinea pigs are beneficial to humans.
• • B. They are famous for chewing electrical cords in order to trim their teeth. What’s more, some even attempt to open the cage door with their bouncy limbs.
3. Hamsters can be a nuisance to their owners.
• • C. Let me elaborate. They are good security guards because they bark to scare away strangers who attempt to approach their owners.
4. Dogs make good pets. • • D. Because they are often used in medical research.
Speaking
S k i l l : G i v i n g a n e x p l a n a t i o n w i t h e l a b o r a t i o n
E x e r c i s e
This skill applies to both an individual presentation/response and a group discussion.
Reminder
sample
49
The Animal Welfare Club is going to publish an article about animal adoption in the online school newspaper. You are reading a page on the SPCA website.
The following is the web page.
T a s k
HKDSE
You and three other committee members of the Animal Welfare Club are talking about what should be included in the article. You will be given 5 minutes to prepare. The time allowed for the group discussion is 4 minutes. You may want to talk about:
• the advantages of animal adoption
• animals that are commonly adopted
• the adoption process
• anything else you think is important
Unit 4 • Lovely pets
Our various Homing Centres have a variety of animals of all ages waiting for adoption. These animals include: dogs, cats, guinea pigs, rabbits, chinchillas, hamsters and terrapins and on occasion other exotic animals such as snakes, lizards and hedgehogs. Before deciding on which type of animal to adopt it is really important to stop and think about the best match for you and your lifestyle.
Find out what keeping one of these animals entails, and how it will affect the daily running of your life. Then run through the Adoption Checklist, just to make sure that you have considered all the ins and outs of taking on the responsibility of a pet, and are able to give it the quality of life that it deserves. After all, their lives are in your hands and you don’t want to let them down!
Source: Copyrighted from www.spca.org.hk/en/services/which-pet-for-you.
