Queen’s College

Half-yearly Examination 2016-2017

English Language I
General English
Secondary 1 Date: 3rd January, 2017
Class: _________ Time: 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
Class Number: _______ Maximum Mark: 90

Instructions
1. Write your class and class number in the spaces provided on the Answer Sheet.
2. Answer ALL questions on the Answer Sheet provided.

Section A Reading Comprehension (22 marks)

Passage 1 (10 marks)
Your sister shows you a letter she has received from a family friend who lives in South Korea. Read the letter
and answer the questions.

Dear Candice,

1 How are you? In your last letter, you told me that 4th April was Children’s Day in Hong Kong. Did
you know that Children’s Day is also celebrated here in South Korea? It is on 5th May, and it is
special because it marks the start of our summer holidays. You may be surprised to learn that this
5 day is for both parents and children. We say a big ‘thank you’ to parents for taking care of us all year
round.

2 Korea’s Children’s Day was created in 1922 by Bang Jung-hwan, a children’s author, as a way to
honour the young. He saw that elderly people in Korea were being respected, but he was
determined that children should also be treated fairly. Bang believed children were the future of the
10 nation. He spent much of his life travelling around the country as a storyteller, reading stories to
each child he met along the way. Children loved Bang Jung-hwan just as much as he loved children.

3 These days we look forward to 5th May as much as Christmas Day! Our parents often take us out
to zoos, cinemas or amusement parks. I had a wonderful time with my family this year. Mum and
Dad took me to an amusement park, and bought me a gift. Guess what it was? A new tablet
15 computer! I have to share it with my brother, but that’s okay.

4 Did you get any presents on Children’s Day?

Kim Sung-hae

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I. Read the following statements. Write ‘T’ if the statement is True, ‘F’ if the statement is False and
‘N’ if the statement is Not Mentioned. (4 marks)

1. Children’s Day is celebrated later in Hong Kong than it is in South Korea.

2. In South Korea, the celebrations also mark the start of the summer holidays.
3. Bang Jung-hwan has two lovely sons.
4. Kim Sung-hae is unhappy about getting a new computer.

II. Answer the following questions using short answers.

1. In line 3 of paragraph 1, what does the underlined word ‘it’ refer to? (1 mark)
2. Which word in paragraph 2 has the opposite meaning to ‘youthful’? (1 mark)

III. Choose the best answer. Write the letter only. (1 mark)

1. According to paragraph 2, Bang Jung-hwan _____.

A. was an only child
B. painted in his spare time
C. read stories to children
D. travelled all over the world

IV. Match each quote in the left column with the speaker (A-C) in the right column. Write the letter only.
(3 marks)

1. ‘I want you to share this new _____ A. Bang Jung-hwan

computer with your brother.’

2. ‘Children’s Day was great in _____ B. Kim Sung-hae’s father

Hong Kong this year.’

3. ‘We should treat children fairly.’ _____ C. Candice

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Passage 2 (12 marks)
Read the following article about Olivia Chow.

1 Olivia Chow’s story is truly remarkable. Born in Hong Kong in 1957, she moved with her family to
Toronto, Canada, when she was only 13 years old. Chow started life in her new home as a poor
immigrant. However, she is now an important politician.

2 Chow’s family was not always poor. In Hong Kong, they lived comfortably in Happy Valley.
5 However, they decided to up sticks and make economic sacrifices because China was politically
unstable at the time.

3 When they arrived in Canada, they were hopeful of a bright future. However, they found life
difficult. Chow was young, but as she was the only English speaker in her family, she had to do a lot
for them. For example, she had to open bank accounts. She also had to work while going to school
10 because her parents could not get good jobs.

4 As Chow grew older, she decided to help other people in need. While attending college, she
volunteered to help new immigrants to Canada. Then, at a hospital fundraising campaign in 1985,
she met Jack Layton, a politician and her future husband. He inspired her to have a career in politics
to help even more people.

15 5 The rest is history. During Chow’s career, she has helped improve many public services, such as
making Canada’s emergency 911 hotline service multilingual—not bad for a poor immigrant from
Hong Kong!

I. Choose the best answer. Write the letter only. (2 marks)

1. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in paragraph 3 of the article?

A Olivia was the only English speaker in her family.
B Olivia’s family knew life would be difficult in Canada.
C Olivia worked while going to school to help her family.
D Olivia helped with things such as opening bank accounts.

2. Which of the following is the best title for the article?

A ‘From Hong Kong youngster to Canadian politician’
B ‘The importance of knowing English in Canada’
C ‘Think twice before you give up your comfortable life’
D ‘Why doing volunteer work is good for others and you’

II. Use ONE word to complete each blank. (2 marks)

Olivia Chow moved to 1) _____, Canada in 1970 — 13 years after her 2) _____.

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III. Answer the following questions using short answers.

1. Find an expression in paragraph 2 that means ‘move’. (1 mark)

2. Why did Chow’s family decide to move from Hong Kong to Canada? (2 marks)

3. Who does ‘He’ in line 13 refer to? (1 mark)

IV. Put the events in the correct sequence. Write ‘1’ to ‘4’ in the correct spaces. (4 marks)

_________ Olivia took part in a hospital fundraising campaign.

_________ Olivia and her family lived comfortably.
_________ Olivia opened bank accounts for her family.
_________ Olivia moved from Hong Kong to Canada.

Section B Vocabulary (5 marks)

Complete the sentences with the appropriate vocabulary items (from Longman Elect Units 1-4) in their
proper forms.

1. My aunt launched her first b_____ selling her own designs after taking a fashion course in Tokyo.

2. People gather in churches to p_____ the Lord.

3. What did you do for e_____ while you were staying there - just watch TV?

4. The e_____ of his scream sounded in the cave for a few seconds.

5. Sit up straight. Please don’t s_____.

Section C Tenses (13 marks)

Complete this article using suitable forms of the verbs in brackets.

It was already 9:30 pm and Janet was still checking the firm’s monthly accounts.

“The end of the month 1) _____ always (be) a hectic time for us poor accountants,” she 2) _____ (moan) to
her two colleagues. Angus 3) _____ (nod) his head in agreement.

“4) _____ (be) either one of you hungry?” he asked. “It’s well past dinner time. Why don’t we go down to
Italio and order a pizza?

“I’m too tired to walk to the restaurant,” said Janet. “I’ll skip dinner.”

“You stay here, Janet, and we 5) _____ (bring) you a large slice of pizza and hot coffee,” said Stephen.
Janet agreed readily.

Time passed and she was so engrossed in her work that she did not notice the security guards going past
the office.
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‘By the time the men return, I must have finished these books,” she thought.

Meanwhile, the guards were patrolling the offices and locking up for the night. Earlier they 6) _____ (see)
Angus and Stephen and had concluded that there 7) _____ (be) no one in the building. When they
8) _____ (switch) off the lights, Janet jumped up in shock.

“I hope the guards 9) _____ (not leave) yet,” cried Janet as she struggled to find the phone in the dark. She
10) _____ still _____ (dial) the control room number when the lights came on and Stephen 11) _____ (rush)
in. “Janet, are you alright?” he asked. “We told the guards that you 12) _____ (be) still up here.” Janet
almost 13) _____ (sob) with relief. She decided she wasn’t going to stay late alone in the office ever again.

Section D Pronouns (10 marks)

Complete the following letter by using suitable subject pronouns, object pronouns, possessive adjectives or
reflexive pronouns.

Dear Joshua

Thank you for your letter and the lovely photograph. Did you take it 1) _____? Your new kitten looks lovely.
Can she take care of 2) _____?

A couple of years ago, we had a cat. He was very silly and didn’t know how to wash 3) _____ so we had to
bathe him 4) _____. He became very troublesome because he hated bathing and he often hurt himself
trying to escape. Sometimes, if I picked him up, he hurt 5) _____ with his claws too! It was rather painful.

How’s your collection of trading cards? 6) _____ is becoming bigger and bigger. Now I have more than 600
cards – I counted 7) _____ this morning. I hope I can collect another 600!

There’s no school today so 8) _____ have to study by ourselves at home. I hope school opens again
tomorrow since it’s really boring working at home by 9) _____. I don’t know why our school closed. I think
it was because some of 10) _____ classmates had stomach ache. I feel a bit unwell too. I think I’ll lie
down for a few minutes.

Please write to me again soon.

Love
Jane

Section E Articles (15 marks)

Complete the following article by using correct articles ‘a’, ‘an’ or ‘the’. If no article is needed, put a ‘X’.

I am from Winchester, Hampshire. Winchester is 1) _____ city in 2) _____ United Kingdom. I live in
3) _____ town called Taunton which is on 4) _____ River Tone. I live in 5) _____ house in the countryside.
6) _____ street is called "Hudson Street" and the house is old - more than 100 years old! I am 7) _____
English lecturer at 8) _____ college near 9) _____ centre of town. I like books, music and taking
photographs. I usually have 10) _____ lunch at college. I usually go home by 11) _____ car. We have
all kinds of food in 12) _____ England. I like 13) _____ Polish food very much. Sometimes, I go to
14) _____ Polish restaurant in Bath. 15) ______ restaurant is called "Magda's". Polish food is delicious!

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Section F MC Cloze (10 marks)
Read the following article. Choose the best answer. Write the letter only.

Who was the first man to fly? 1) _____ to a Greek myth, it was a craftsman and inventor called Daedalus.
The story describes 2) ______ Daedalus and his son, Icarus, flew away from King Minos’ prison 3) _____
the island of Crete. Using wax and feathers, Daedalus made wings for 4) _____ and Icarus which looked
exactly 5) _____ a bird’s. Before they set 6) _____, Daedalus told his son not to fly 7) _____ close to the
sun, but Icarus did not 8) _____ his father’s advice. The sun melted the wax in his wings 9) _____ Icarus
fell into the sea and 10) _____.

1. (a) Similar (b) According (c) Next (d) Related

2. (a) that (b) as (c) how (d) if
3. (a) in (b) at (c) on (d) of
4. (a) himself (b) he (c) them (d) him
5. (a) as (b) like (c) at (d) after
6. (a) on (b) away (c) to (d) off
7. (a) much (b) too (c) so (d) enough
8. (a) listen (b) pay (c) do (d) take
9. (a) but (b) although (c) and (d) because
10. (a) was killed (b) had killed (c) killed (d) did kill

Section G Forming Questions (5 marks)

Look at the underlined words in the replies and form appropriate questions.

Example: Who was outside the classroom?

The assistant principal was outside the classroom.

1. _______________________________________?
Beth is sad because her dog is sick.

2. _______________________________________?
Agatha came back to Hong Kong by plane.

3. _______________________________________?
Grandpa usually goes to bed at 8 o’clock.

4. _______________________________________?
I had dinner with my family last night.

5. _______________________________________?
I prefer the red pen.

Section H Proofreading (10 marks)

Please refer to the Answer Sheet.

End of Paper
6
 Queen’s College
Half-yearly Examination 2016-2017
English Language I
General English
Answer Sheet

Secondary 1 Score: _____ / 90

Class: _________ Date: 3rd January, 2017
Class Number: _______ Time: 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.

Section A Reading Comprehension (22 marks)

Passage 1
I. 4 marks

1. 2. 3. 4.

II. 2 marks

1. _______________________________________________________________________

2. _______________________________________________________________________

III. 1 mark

1.

IV. 3 marks

1. 2. 3.

Passage 2

I. 2 marks

1. 2.

1
II. 2 marks

1. 2.

III. 4 marks

1. _______________________________________________________________________

2. _______________________________________________________________________

3. _______________________________________________________________________

IV. 4 marks
Put the events in the correct sequence. Write ‘1’ to ‘4’ in the correct spaces.

_________ Olivia took part in a hospital fundraising campaign.

_________ Olivia and her family lived comfortably.
_________ Olivia opened bank accounts for her family.
_________ Olivia moved from Hong Kong to Canada.

Section B Vocabulary (5 marks)

1. b___________________________ 2. p__________________________

3. e___________________________ 4. e__________________________

5. s ___________________________

Section C Tenses (13 marks)

1. 2. 3.

4. 5. 6.

7. 8. 9.

10. still 11. 12.

13.

2
Section D Pronouns (10 marks)

1. 2. 3. 4.

5. 6. 7. 8.

9. 10.

Section E Articles (15 marks)

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

11. 12. 13. 14. 15.

Section F MC Cloze (10 marks)

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Section G Forming Questions (5 marks)

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

(continued on P. 4)

3
Section H Proofreading (10 marks)
Read the article below. There is ONE mistake in each numbered line. Corrections must be done as follows:

Wrong word: Underline the wrong word and write the correct word above it.
Missing word: Mark the position of the missing word with a ‘ ^ ’ and write the missing word above the ‘ ^ ’.
Extra word: Delete the extra word with a ‘X’.

Example: easier
1 These days, it is much easily for us to travel to other countries than ever before.

Example: of
2 However, there is a big difficulty that most^us face when we meet people in

Example:
3 other countries – we cannot communicate with them. × English is the
Although the

4 most widely known language, but there are places where it is still not spoken.

5 Therefore, wouldn’t it be nice if there was one language that could be understand

6 by anyone anywhere the world?

7 Well, in theory at least, there is such a language, Esperanto, artificial language

8 that was created 1887 as the world’s first truly international language. Actually,

9 a few artificial language have already been created, but only Esperanto has had any

10 successful. Its supporters claim that it is about four times easier to learn than other

11 languages. Spelling and pronunciation is both easy. If you hear a word, you can

12 spell it without some any difficulty. The grammar has also been designed to be as

13 simple possible. There are only sixteen basic rules, with no exceptions, which means that

there are no irregular verbs. There are also six verb endings.

End

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 Queen’s College
Half-yearly Examination 2017-2018
English Language I
General English
Secondary 1 Date: 2nd January 2018
Class: _________ Time: 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
Class Number: _______ Maximum Mark: 90

Instructions
1. Write your class and class number in the spaces provided on the answer sheet.
2. Answer ALL questions on the Answer Sheet provided.

Section A Reading Comprehension (30 marks)

Passage 1 (17 marks)

When in Rome …
Mind over money – no tipping, please.
Japan Money matters can be a sensitive issue, especially when it comes to tipping. In this country,
the people working in the service industry, such as servers at restaurants, do not expect customers
to pay any money beyond what they are charged on the bill, because service fees have been included
5 already. In fact, they may get upset if you do leave a tip behind. The no-tips rule is just one example of
the many ways you can violate a code of etiquette even when you think you are behaving in a polite
manner.

Mind your hand gestures, please.

Korea The Korean way to gesture for someone to follow you or to come close is to flip your hand
10 over so that your palm faces down (with your fingers pointing to the floor), and make a digging
motion towards your body. People in other countries often make a ‘come here’ gesture with their
palm facing up. However, Koreans may get upset and feel offended if you gesture to them in that way.
In any case, they are likely to be confused, so play it safe and point your palm downwards.

Oops! Mind your head, please.

15 Thailand The Thai people are known for their friendliness, patience and big smiles. In general, they
are quite tolerant, and they react to bad behaviour calmly. However, they can get very upset and
angry if their heads are touched, or if something is passed over their heads. Violent fights have been
caused this way. If you want to get along and make friends in Thailand, respect people’s personal
space, especially around the head.

20 Mind your chopsticks, please.

China Chopsticks first started life as a cooking utensil in ancient China around 4000–5000 years ago.

1
 The earliest chopsticks were probably made from twigs and used to reach into bubbling hot water
or smoking heated oil. It wasn’t until 400–500 AD that chopsticks finally managed to make their way
to the dinner table. The use of chopsticks to pick up food is a common practice in Asia, but many
25 foreign visitors find it extremely challenging. The fact that chopstick etiquette varies from country to
country further complicates matters. Take two countries as an illustration, in Japan, it is terribly rude
to leave your chopsticks crossed on your plate or bowl, while in China, you should not stand your
chopsticks in a bowl of rice.

Passage 2 (13 marks)

Cate’s life
Eating, flying, climbing and swimming in Down Under
DAY 1
‘Come on, you said you’d try this!’ said Dad, pushing a big piece of kangaroo meat in my face. I shut
my mouth tightly. This happened at ‘Food from Down Under’ in Sydney, a restaurant recommended
in Dad’s guidebook. It’s extremely well-known among tourists and locals for its native food. This
5 morning we cuddled koalas and fed kangaroos at a wildlife park. How could Dad eat them?

DAY 2
We got up early in the morning for a hot air balloon ride just before sunrise. It got a bit chilly. Luckily,
we came prepared and were well bundled up in thick coats. Once back on solid ground, we headed
back to the city to continue our sightseeing. Guess what was my favourite? The famous Sydney
10 Opera House, which sat like a seashell on the harbour! The Sydney Harbour Bridge was my love. I
love heights, and it felt great to climb up to the top of the bridge. When we were up there, the view
was just so breathtaking. All of us were so wowed by the appealing nighttime scenery.

DAY 3
Before we left for Cairns, we decided to explore Bondi Beach, a tourist hotspot. Not wise! It was cold
15 and rainy when we got there. Luckily, it was all blue skies and sunshine when we touched down at
the airport later in the afternoon.

DAY 4
The sunny weather in Cairns was just perfect for our Great Barrier Reef outing. We snorkelled in the
clear water and admired the colourful fish and coral reefs. Then we relaxed on a glass-bottomed
20 cruise boat. Mum reminded us not to take the natural beauty for granted. ‘Many sea creatures have
gone extinct thanks to climate change,’ she explained. I just hope some will still be around on our
next visit.

2
All questions carry ONE mark unless otherwise stated.
The questions marked with an asterisk (*) have to be answered in complete sentences.
Answer the following questions using information from Passage 1. (17 marks)
1. Complete the saying, ‘When in Rome…’.
2. *Do you think, ‘When in Rome…’ is a good title for the passage? (2 marks)
3. All the 4 sub-headings start with the word, ‘Mind’. What does the word mean?
4. Find a word in the sub-headings that means ‘movements’.
5. *What is a ‘tip’ (line 5)? (2 marks)
6. When you are in Korea, how would you move your hand if you want a Korean to follow you?
7. Study the dialogues below. Decide in which country each of the conversations is taking place, and the
custom each is linked to. (4 marks)

A: What soft, curly hair your baby has. Can I A: Great service! How much should I tip the
touch it? waiter?
B: Sorry, I don’t think that’s a good idea. B: Nothing – we don’t do that here.

Country: ____________________ Country: _____________________

The custom: ______________________________ The custom: _____________________________
_________________________________________ ________________________________________

8. In Thailand, which part of their body is most important to them?

9. In the paragraph of China, find a phrase of 4 words that means ‘reach’.
10. Who find it difficult to use chopsticks to eat?
11. Draw a picture to show what is not done with chopsticks in China.
12. Based on the text, which of the following pictures shows what you should not do with your chopsticks
when you are in Japan?
A B C D

Answer the following questions using information from Passage 2. (13 marks)
13. Which country do you think is also known as ‘Down Under’ (line 3)?
14. What is the meaning of ‘native’ (line 4)?
A local
B special
C foreign
D famous

3
15. Name all the wildlife mentioned in the Day 1 section.
16. Find a phrase in the Day 2 section that means ‘had on warm clothes’.
17. What is ‘like a seashell on the harbour’?
18. ‘wowed’ (line 12) means …
A worried
B shocked
C impressed
D surprised
19. ‘When we were up there, …’ (line 11), ‘up there’ refers to ...
20. *How did Cate get to Cairns? Explain with evidence from the text. (2 marks)
21. *What is ‘Not wise!’ (line 14)? (3 marks)
22. ‘thanks to’ (line 21) can be replaced by …
A because
B because of
C despite
D in spite of

Section B Vocabulary (15 marks)

Complete the passages with appropriate vocabulary items, in their proper forms, from Units 1-4 of
Longman English EDGE. (10 marks)

I am a detective. My colleague gave me the (1) n__________, Sherlock, to (2) e__________ me because I
had not solved a case for 5 years. Every day I just (3) i__________ petty thieves and gangsters after they
were (4) a__________ by the police. Every day I asked the same questions and wrote similar reports.
But I got lucky today!
When we arrived at the scene of a case of (5) a__________, the old garage still smelt of petrol and burnt
rubber. We carried out (6) i__________ immediately to find out who set fire to the cars. I saw a half burnt
(7) k__________ paddle with some blood on it. It was used to hit the (8) j__________ who worked late
cleaning the repair shop. The owner of the repair shop was a water sport (9) e_________ and we heard
from the staff that he wanted to buy an expensive speed boat for his hobbies.
So, the cleaning man saw him start the fire in order to get the insurance money.
I was right! The (10) m__________ was solved and I am now proud of my name, ‘Sherlock Ho’!

Complete the passage with appropriate vocabulary items, in their proper form, from Units 1, 4, 5 and 10 of
Reading Explorer. (5 marks)
Chris Wong did well in primary but has been lazy since he went up to secondary school.
He is often scolded by his teachers for not paying (11) a__________ in class, always (12) a__________ at
school late and skipping club (13) a__________ to play basketball. Before it is too late, he decides to turn
a new leaf and (14) a__________ himself. He is going to work very hard to (15) r__________ his goal – to
come first in class!

4
Section C Tenses (15 marks)
Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verbs in the brackets. The negative form may also have to be
used.
ENGLISH DAY CAMP
This year, our school organised a new activity: English Day Camp. Instead of (1) (catch) a plane to the UK,
we (2) (take) 30 students to a campsite close to the school, and (3) (give) them plenty of sports and
activities to choose from. During the day camp, they (4) (can speak) only in English, even when they had a
break. Teachers checked and made sure that everyone (5) (keep) to the rule all the time. In fact, when
everyone else (6) (break) the rule, no one wanted to be the odd one out! It was great to see the students
(7) (chat) happily.

Comment from a student

In the past, I (8) (have) many chances to practise my English at school. During class, I was often too
nervous to talk, or (9) (answer) my teacher’s questions. I found that my spoken English (10) (improve) as
quickly as I wanted it to. But recently, our school held an ‘English Day Camp.’ It was really amazing. We
spoke English all day long. I (11) (remember) shouting for the ball in English during a Camp football
competition. The instructions for making the Camp dinner (Fish and chips!) (12) (be) also in English.
Everything we did was fun – and in English! Motivation is really important when it (13) (come) to learning
a language. I hope this activity (14) (continue) to be organised, and it would be best if the English Day
Camp (15) (become) the English Weekend Camp.
Roger Lee

Section D Articles (5 marks)

Complete the news report with ‘a’, ‘an’ and ‘the’. Put a X as answer if no word is needed.
At about 9 pm today, two men were involved in (1) robbery at (2) jewelry shop on (3) Nathan Road. They
were both masked when they ran into (4) shop and pointed their guns at one of (5) staff. (6) police believe
they are from (7) Mainland China as they spoke Putonghua. The staff was asked to hand them all (8)
jewels. They got away with (9) loot of more than (10) million dollars.

Section E WH-questions (5 marks)

Complete the conversation below with WH-question words or phrases.
Amy and Jack are having dinner at a restaurant.
Waiter: (1) would you like your steak, sir?
Jack: Medium. And you, Amy?
Amy: Well done, please. I can’t stand any rawness in meat. (2) is for dessert today?
Waiter: Just ice-cream. We have green tea and peach. (3) flavour would you like to have?
Amy: I’ll have peach, please. Thank you. Jack, (4) time do we have to eat? (5) will the concert start?
Jack: Plenty of time. It won’t begin until 8 o’clock.

5
Section F Prepositions (13 marks)
Complete the article about cycling with appropriate prepositions. Put a ‘X’ if one is not necessary.

Cycling
There are various Olympic cycling events, including road races and track races. These were first held (1)
the 1896 Olympics, which were the first one (2) the modern Olympic Games.

In Olympic track races, cyclists race (3) an oval track (4) sloping sides called a ‘velodrome’, which measures
(5) 400 metres (6) length. Unlike road races, which are normally longer (7) track races, track racing cyclists
use bicycles (8) special fixed-wheels and no brakes. In fact, they have only one gear which means cyclists
must pedal the whole time!

Cycling is a popular activity (9) Hong Kong because it is fun and a great way to work out. However, many
people think Hong Kong is not a bicycle-friendly city since we only have a few cycle parks and paths, and
these become very crowded (10) weekends. As a result, cyclists often have to ride (11) busy roads. It is,
therefore, all the more important to wear a helmet (12) protection while cycling. Cyclists should also
watch out (13) traffic and pedestrians to ensure safety!

Section G Proofreading (7 marks)

Refer to the Answer Sheet.

End of Paper

6
 Queen’s College
Half-yearly Examination 2018-2019
English Language I
General English
Answer Sheet

Secondary 1 Score: ______ / 90

Class: _________ Date: 7th January, 2019
Class Number: _______ Time: 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.

Section A Reading Comprehension (26 marks)

Passage 1
I. 2 marks

1. 2.

II. 15 marks

1. _______________________________________________________________________

2. _______________________________________________________________________

3. i) _________________ ii) __________________ iii) __________________

iv) ________________ v) __________________

4. ________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

5. ________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

6. Brave: (i) ________ Humble: (ii) ________ Selfless: (iii) ________

Passage 2

I. 2 marks

1. 2.

II. 4 marks

1. 2. 3. 4.

1
III. 3 marks

1. 2. 3.

Section B Vocabulary (14 marks)

1. r__________________ 2. o____________________ 3. w____________________

4. g__________________ 5. e____________________ 6. s____________________

7. r__________________ 8. p____________________ 9. d____________________

10. s_________________ 11. m___________________ 12. n___________________

13. p__________________ 14. o___________________

Section C Tenses (10 marks)

1. 2. 3.

4. 5. 6.

7. 8. 9.

10.

Section D Parts of Speech (10 marks)

1. 2. 3.

4. 5. 6.

7. 8. 9.

10.

Section E Modal Verbs (6 marks)

1. 2. 3.

4. 5. 6.

2
Section F Articles (10 marks)

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Section G Wh-questions (4 marks)

1. 2. 3. 4.

Section H Proofreading (10 marks)

Read the article below. There is ONE mistake in each numbered line. Corrections must be done as
follows:

Wrong word: Underline the wrong word and write the correct word above it.
Missing word: Mark the position of the missing word with a ‘ ^ ’ and write the missing word above the
‘ ^ ’.
Extra word: Delete the extra word with a ‘X’.

1. How often do you know about starfish, worms and crayfish?

2. If a starfish loses one of its arm, it grows another one.

3. If someone cut off a worm’s tail, it grows back. If a crayfish loses its leg, it can

4. make another one. These animals belong to a special group animals that can grow

5. some parts of their body back if they lose them.

6. How far can a worm grow another tail? If it loses a tail, it may only take a few weeks to

7. grow another! How many difference body parts can a worm replace? Some worms can replace

8. their heads and tails, and some can even make a new worm! However, when we will lose an arm

9. or a leg in an accident, we can grow another one. Scientists are very interested in animals

10. that can replace their body parts. One day, we may able to grow a new arm or leg – but how long

do we need to wait?

End

3
 Queen’s College
Half-yearly Examination 2018-2019
English Language I
General English
Secondary 1 Date: 7th January, 2019
Class: _________ Time: 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
Class Number: _______ Maximum Mark: 90

Instructions
1. Write your class and class number in the spaces provided on the Answer Sheet.
2. Answer ALL questions on the Answer Sheet provided.

Section A Reading Comprehension (26 marks)

Passage 1 (17 marks)
Read the following magazine article.

Heroes of the Thai Cave Rescue

1 The tenth of July 2018 was a joyous day for the Wild Boars football team in northern Thailand, their
families and the whole world. The 12 boys and their 25-year-old coach were all brought out of danger from a
cave complex called Tham Luang, after being trapped there for over two weeks.
2 The selflessness and cooperation of many heroes made this impossible mission a success. Saman Gunan,
5 who was 38 and a past Navy Seal officer in Thailand, and Dr Richard Harris from Australia were among those
heroes.
3 Officer Gunan, a highly trained diver, volunteered to take part in the rescue work. His only goal was to
bring all the boys back home using his skills and experience. The brave man dived and swam through the
narrow water passages in Thailand’s longest cave to deliver oxygen tanks to the boys repeatedly. On 6 July, he
10 lost his life since he ran out of air for himself in the water.
4 His death brought sadness to not only his family but also the rescue team and the public. At his funeral, the
hero’s wife told the media that she was very proud of her husband, who loved helping others and doing charity
work.
5 On 5 July, Dr Richard Harris from Australia, also known as Harry, received a phone call from some British
15 expert divers. They needed Harry’s experience in cave diving and medical knowledge. He immediately cancelled
his holiday plan and embarked on his journey to save the trapped boys.
6 The Australian rescuer dived through the cold and dark passages. He checked the health conditions of the
boys, who were very hungry and weak. The doctor stayed deep inside the cave with the boys for three days.
Finally, Dr Harris, together with the other rescuers, successfully saved the whole football team. He was also the
20 last person out of the danger.
7 Harry, sadly, found out about the death of his father back in Australia as soon as the mission was over. He
was as calm and kind as always. When speaking to reporters, the hero simply said that he was ‘lucky’ to have
his useful skills. He also stressed that the success was a result of ‘the hundreds of people involved.’
1
 8 Dr Harris’ comment was true and touching. He and Officer Gunan were doing their best together with
25 other rescuers, including those from China, the US, the UK and the Thai navy. Behind the scenes, a lot of
villagers in the area and volunteers from other parts of Thailand joined hands to offer help. For example, they
cooked and washed the uniforms for the rescue team. The villagers also donated money and supplies to
support the rescue effort. We must pay our respects to hundreds of unsung heroes!

I. Choose the best answer. Write the letter only. (2 marks)

1. Officer Saman Gunan took part in the rescue mission because he _____.

A. was working as a navy diver when the accident happened

B. was a strong diver and wanted to test his ability
C. wanted to save all the boys from danger with his diving experience
D. was asked to do so by the Thai government

2. In paragraph 7, Dr Harris’ explanation for the success of the rescue mission shows that he is _____.
A. proud of himself
B. surprised that it succeeded
C. sad that he did not do enough
D. respectful towards others

II. Answer the following questions using short answers.

1. How many people were trapped in the cave in total? (1 mark)

2. What does ‘They’ in line 15 refer to? (1 mark)
3. Find words or phrases in paragraphs 3-5 that mean the same as the following: (5 marks)
i) participate in
ii) paths
iii) gave up
iv) started
v) over and over again
4. According to the magazine article, do you think the boys trapped in the cave were in a good health
condition? (1 mark) Why or Why not? (1 mark)
5. Give THREE examples the villagers did to help during the rescue mission. (3 marks)
6. Officer Gunan and Dr Harris showed that they were brave, humble, and selfless people. Which of the
actions match these qualities? Write the letter only. (3 marks)

A. always helping others B. rescuing people in a C. praising other rescuers

dangerous place and volunteers

Brave: (i) _____ Humble: (ii) _____ Selfless: (iii) _____

2
Passage 2 (9 marks)
Read the following travel blog.

Tina’s Blog

My Taiwan Trip Saturday, 5 August; posted at 10:00 p.m.

__________________________________________________________________________________
1 I’ve just got back from a great trip with my friend, Maria. Someone in her company said Taiwan
is an excellent place to visit, so we decided to go there for a week’s holiday.

2 When we arrived in Taipei, we felt really tired. Therefore, we didn’t do anything special or talk to
anyone on the first day. We just sunbathed and read our books by the pool. Nobody disturbed us in
5 our quiet hotel and we were able to recharge our batteries.

3 On the next day, we were ready to do some sightseeing. Our first stop was the National Palace
Museum. The museum, surrounded by beautiful gardens, has the largest collection of Chinese art
treasures in the world. Beautifully displayed works of art of over five thousand years old
took my breath away!

10 4 Popular eating and shopping district Shilin was another highlight of our trip. We walked around,
buying souvenirs from the market stalls. But soon, the smell of tasty food made our mouths water.
No one can visit Shilin Night Market without buying something to eat!

5 From the busy Taipei, we went to Yushan Mountain. It was wonderful to be in the fresh air. A
wooden hut with nothing in it was our home for two nights. Our guide, Chan, woke us up at 4 a.m.
15 for an energetic hike up to the mountain top. It was terribly early, but the views were worth it. I took
numerous photos, but there was something wrong with my camera’s memory card. None of the
photos came out. What a disaster!

6 Our trip to Taiwan was an unforgettable experience. It was too brief and I’m already planning a
return trip!

I. Choose the best answer. Write the letter only. (2 marks)

1. In line 9, “took my breath away” means _____.

A. rested and got back your energy
B. felt amazed
C. felt tired
D. felt pleased

3
2. ln line 11, “made our mouths water” means _____.
A. wanted to eat something
B. wanted to buy souvenirs
C. wanted to get a good price
D. unpacked our luggage

II. Read the following statements. Write ‘T’ if the statement is True, ‘F’ if the statement is False and
‘NG’ if the statement is Not Given. (4 marks)

1. Tina and Maria’s hotel was busy and noisy.

2. Tina and Maria bought postcards at the National Palace Museum.
3. Tina forgot her camera when she went to Yushan Mountain.
4. Tina wants to go back to Taiwan again.

III. Find words in paragraph 5 which are the opposite in meaning to: (3 marks)

1. lazy
2. very few
3. polluted

Section B Vocabulary (14 marks)

(i) Complete the sentences with the appropriate vocabulary items (from Longman Edge Units 1-4)
in their proper forms.

1. The children in our family are always polite and r_____ to their elders.
2. Don’t be o_____ when you are swimming; you may swim out too far.
3. Ryan is very w_____ so everyone enjoys chatting with him.
4. Grandma is g_____ when she gives us red packets at Chinese New Year.
5. The popularity of Marvel comics will e_____ for many years.
6. Who is s_____ the exam in the school hall? Mr Chan.
7. Margaret made a r_____ to lose all the weight gained during the Christmas period.
8. Three p_____ were injured when the car skidded.
9. There was no bath with our room – a major d_____ for anyone returning from a long walk and in need
of a good soak.

(ii) Complete the sentences with the appropriate vocabulary items (from Reading Explorer
Units 5 and 10) in their proper forms.

10. It took the climbers five hours to reach the s_____ of Mount Everest.
11. “Be prepared” is the m_____ of the Boy Scouts.
12. Some teachers devote too much time to helping their slower students and n_____ the brighter ones.
13. Gardening is my uncle’s favourite p_____. He thinks it’s fun.
14. The programme gives students the o____ to learn more about the history of Hong Kong.

4
Section C Tenses (10 marks)
Complete the passage below by using suitable forms of the verbs in brackets.

Last month, I 1) _____ (apply) to graduate school. I 2) _____ (think) about doing this for a long time, and I
finally did it. Before I sent in my application, I 3) _____ (call) the school because I wanted to talk to the head
of the department about the programme I was interested in. She 4) _____ (work) hard on her department’s
budget when I called, but she said she could talk to me for a few minutes.

Today 5) _____ (be) Thursday. I 6) _____ (sit) at my desk trying to concentrate on my writing now. Worrying
about my application 7) _____ (make) me crazy. I must think about something else. Suddenly, the doorbell
8) _____ (ring). It’s the postman. Oh! I’m in! I made it! I was accepted! I 9) _____ (dream) about this for a
long time. I 10) _____ (be) in school for another two years. That’s a long time, but also a fruitful one.

Section D Parts of Speech (10 marks)

Complete the passage below by using suitable forms of the words in brackets and prepositions so that the
words will fit into the passage in both meaning and grammar.

Mr Wong, a 75-year-old man, had a (e.g.) serious (seriousness) problem with his breathing system. His son
suggested that he should go to see a doctor in Shenzhen because the medical fees were lower there.
Mr Wong agreed and they prepared (e.g.) for the trip.

When they arrived 1) _____ Lo Wu MTR Station, his son suddenly realized that he had left the cash for
hospital bills at home. He immediately took the train back and left the old Mr Wong at the train station.

While Mr Wong was waiting for his son, a man approached him and asked him for 2) _____ (direct) to a
restaurant. Mr Wong did not know where the restaurant was so the man gave him a piece of paper with the
address of the restaurant on it. The man asked Mr Wong if he could help him find the way to the restaurant.
3) _____ (reluctant), Mr Wong agreed.

When they reached a narrow street, the man suddenly took out a knife and asked Mr Wong to give him all
his money and valuables. Since Mr Wong had no money with him, the man got 4) ____ (anger) and beat
him 5) _____ (violent) until he fell 6) _____ the ground. Mr Wong was 7) _____ (serious) injured.

8) _____ (Luck) a woman passed by the narrow street and found Mr Wong. The woman called the police
who then instantly informed Mr Wong’s son. Mr Wong was sent to the emergency room. He suffered
9) _____ a fractured bone in the incident, so he had to stay in hospital. His son thanked the woman and
offered to buy her a 10) _____ (cost) dinner. She gladly accepted it and since then, she became one of
their close family friends.

5
Section E Modal Verbs (6 marks)
Look at the Advice Column in the latest newsletter of ABC Fitness. Choose the best answer.

Dear Dr. Slim,

I have heart disease. I wonder if I 1) _____ (can / ought to / should) do exercise. I also want to know what
physical activity I can take up. 2) _____ (Could / May / Must) you recommend some?

Doubtful

Dear Doubtful,

In my opinion, everyone can enjoy the benefits of regular exercise regardless of his/ her age, sex and body
condition. Of course, people suffering from acute illness 3) ____ (should / might / can) be more careful
when doing exercise. As I don’t have much information about your current health condition, I am afraid I
4) ____ (need not / cannot / must) recommend any physical activity to you. I think you should consult your
doctor. For your reference, my patients who also have heart disease go jogging or do Tai Chi in the
morning. You should ask your doctor if you 5) ____ (will / can / may) take up these activities. No matter
what physical activity you do, you 6) _____ (can / may / must) stop the activity immediately when you feel
unwell.

Dr. Slim

Section F Articles (10 marks)

Maria is making a wall display about two people that her classmates admire. However, there are some
articles missing from the descriptions. Help her to complete the descriptions with ‘a’, ‘an’ or ‘the’. If no
article is needed, write a ‘X’.

People We Admire Most

Mother Theresa (1910-1997)

Mother Theresa was born in 1) _____ Albania but went to India when she was nineteen and later became
2) _____ nun. One day, she decided to help 3) _____ poorest people in India and moved to Calcutta.
In 1950, she founded the Missionaries of Charity. She and other nuns helped many poor and sick people
there till her death. She won 4) _____ Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 for her work.

Anne Frank (1929-1945)

Anne Frank was 5) _____ Jewish girl. During World War II, she and her family lived in hiding in 6) _____
Amsterdam, Holland for almost three years. She could not go to 7) _____ school but she spent her time
studying at home and writing 8) _____ diary. She wrote it between 1942 and 1944, until her family
members were arrested. The diary was later published and has been 9) _____ inspiration to young people
all over 10) _____ world.

6
Section G Wh-questions (4 marks)
Jack is interviewing his friend Nobi for the school magazine. Complete their conversation with the correct
‘Wh-question words’.

Jack: Hi, Nobi. 1) ____ is Diwali?

Nobi: Diwali is an important Hindu celebration which means the Festival of Lights.

Jack: 2) _____ month is Diwali in?

Nobi: It is in October or November.

Jack: 3) _____ do Hindus celebrate Diwali?

Nobi: We celebrate it by lighting candles, having fireworks displays and exchanging presents.

Jack: 4) _____ are lights important?

Nobi: The lights beat the darkness, just like good overcomes evil.

Section H Proofreading (10 marks)

Please refer to the Answer Sheet.

End of Paper

7
 Queen’s College
Half-yearly Examination 2020-21
English Language I
General English
Secondary 1 Date: 6 January 2021
Class: _________ Time: 8:30 – 9:30 a.m.
Class Number: _______ Maximum Mark: 100
(To be converted to the base of 107)
Score: / 100
ANSWER SHEETS

Part A: Reading Comprehension (30 marks)

I) Text 1 (15 marks)
1. _____________________________________________
2. i) ______________________________________________
ii) ______________________________________________
iii) ______________________________________________
3. _________
4. a) _____________________________________________
b) _____________________________________________
c) _____________________________________________
5. i) __________________ ii) __________________ iii) __________________ iv) ___________________
6. _________
7. __________________ and __________________
8. _________
9. _________
10. _________________________________________________________________________________
II) Text 2 (15 marks)
11. _____________________________________________
12. _________________________________________________________________________________
13. __________________
14. __________________
15. _________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________

1
16. Blacken the appropriate circles.
T F NG

i)   
ii)   
iii)   
17. _________________________________________________________________________________
18. _____________________________________________
19. _________________________________________________________________________________
20. _________________________________________________________________________________
21.
Paragraph 1 _______
Paragraph 2 _______
Paragraph 3 _______
Paragraph 4 _______

Part B: Tenses (12 marks)

1. _____________ 2. _____________ 3. _____________ 4. _____________

5. _____________ 6. _____________ 7. _____________ 8. _____________

9. _____________ 10. ____________ 11. ____________ 12. ____________

Part C: Oxford Anthology (11 marks)

I)
i) h_____________ ii) t_____________ iii) h_____________

iv) t_____________ v) r_____________ vi) r_____________

II)
Sports terms
i) brick ______
ii) love ______
iii) cap ______
iv) nutmeg ______
v) hat-trick ______
2
Part D: Multiple choice questions (12 marks)
1. ______ 2. ______ 3. ______ 4. ______ 5. ______ 6. ______
7. ______ 8. ______ 9. ______ 10. ______ 11. ______ 12. ______

Part E: Open cloze (11 marks)

1. _____________ 2. _____________ 3. _____________ 4. _____________

5. _____________ 6. _____________ 7. _____________ 8. _____________

9. _____________ 10. ____________ 11. ____________

Part F: Vocabulary (10 marks)

1. h_____________ -r_____________ 2. d_____________

3. c_____________ 4. a_____________

5. v_____________ 6.e_____________ a_____________

7. u_____________ 8. d_____________

9. s_____________ 10. i_____________

Part G: Proofreading (14 marks)

Raymond wrote a letter to the school social worker Dan telling him about his problems. Below is a letter
of reply from Dan, but it is full of mistakes. Correct the mistakes by underlining the wrong word in
each numbered line and writing the correct word on the right. You do not need to add extra words or
delete words. The first one has been done for you as an example.

Hi Raymond

Thanks for your letter and I’m grad you told me about your problems. I know that e.g. glad
1) school can be very stressed, especially if you feel under pressure to do well. It’s natural ________
2) to feel overwhelmed at time. But don’t worry, as I’m here to help you. ________

3) I understand that doing well in school is important, but my advise is that you try to gain ________
4) some balance in your life. You don’t have to felt like a failure just because you failed ________
5) this one test. It’s really not an end of the world! You could try speaking to the teacher ________
6) to make sure you understand which went wrong. ________

7) You should try to put fewer pressure on yourself. Remember that not all the learning ________

3
8) you do at school happens in a classroom. Extra-curricular activities are an excelent way ________
9) of broadening your education, and making friends help you work out who you are, ________
10) what you are like, and what you want to be like as you grow up. Even I were you, I’d ________
11) definitely explore other interests and take time to find out what you enjoy inside of ________
schoolwork.

12) My suggest is that you keep studying because it’s important, and I can see you value ________
13) your educate. However, you should also try to find some time to let other people into ________
14) your life. Balance don’t easy to achieve. Don’t give up if it doesn’t happen right away! ________

Take care!

Dan

THIS IS THE LAST PAGE OF THE ANSWER SHEETS.

4
 Queen’s College
Half-yearly Examination 2020-21
English Language I
General English

Secondary 1 Date: 6 January 2021

Class: _________ Time: 8:30 – 9:30 a.m.
Class Number: _______ Maximum Mark: 100
(To be converted to the base of 107)

QUESTION PAPER

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Answer all questions on the ANSWER SHEETS.
2. Do not turn over the question paper until you are told to do so.

1
 Part A: Reading Comprehension (30 marks)

I) Your classmate has brought an email from his cousin Mandy to show the class. Read the email and
answer the questions that follow.

Text 1

From: Mandy <mandy_chan@gmail.com>

To: Chris <chris_ll@hotmail.com>
Date: 19-11-2020
Subject: Amerikamura

5 Konnichiwa, Chris!

How are things in Hong Kong? Is the weather still cool and
overcast? Since arriving in Osaka, the weather has been clear and
fair, with loads of sunshine — ideal for going sightseeing, visiting
theme parks and going on city tours.

10 I’m having a wonderful time in Osaka! Right now, I’m sitting in a

small cafe in Sankaku Koen (“Triangle Park”) in Amerikamura
(“American Village”). Are you looking at the photo attached to
this email? Uncle Sam — a famous cartoon character
representing the US Government — is pointing at you from a
15 poster on a wall. In the old days, his pointing meant, “I want you
to join the army!” But now, in Amerikamura, it means, “I want
you to be keen on American culture!”

Uncle Sam’s pointing is working because Amerikamura is overflowing with American culture — from
McDonald’s to clothing shops selling grunge and hip-hop fashions to cinemas showing the latest
20 Hollywood blockbusters. Taylor Swift and Katy Perry play loudly in the shops — a crazy mixture of
American pop. The American flag is hanging everywhere, and there’s even a big model of the Statue of
Liberty rising above Triangle Park.

American culture is very trendy among youths in Osaka — the same way Japanese culture is very
fashionable among young people in Hong Kong. This morning, I met a Japanese girl in a shop selling
25 “Jinglish” T-shirts — shirts with a blend of Japanese and English sayings on them. She told me that
Amerikamura is where kids go to find the American Dream.

As I’m writing this email, I’m also eating a huge American-style hamburger with a side of French fries —
except the hamburger is made from octopus! As you know, trying local cuisine isn’t usually my favourite
thing to do, but my guidebook makes octopus burgers sound delicious ...

30 Anyway, my battery is getting low, so I should sign off. Let’s go out for hamburgers — made from beef,
not octopus  — when I get back. I can’t wait to tell you more about Amerikamura and Osaka, and show
you all the cool photos I’ve taken with my new digital camera.

Sayonara!

Mandy

2
Answer the following questions about Text 1. (15 marks)
1. What do you think “Konnichiwa” (line 5) means? (1 mark)
2. What three holiday activities has Mandy done in Osaka? (1 mark)
3. Which of the following is NOT true about Mandy? (1 mark)
A. She is able to translate “Sankaku Koen.”
B. She is enjoying her holiday.
C. She is visiting her Uncle Sam in Osaka.
D. She is writing the email in a cafe.
4. Look at how the pronouns below are used and briefly explain what they refer to in lines 10–17. (3 marks)
Pronoun Line Reference
a) you line 14 ___________________
b) it line 16 ___________________
c) I line 16 ___________________

5. Complete the following summary of Paragraph 4 by filling out each blank with ONE word. The missing
words may or may not appear in the email. (4 marks)
According to Mandy, you can see different aspects of American (i) in Amerikamura, including food,
clothing and movies. Also, you can hear pop songs from (ii) like Taylor Swift and Katy Perry, and the
(iii) of the United States can be seen everywhere. Moreover, you can even see the Statue of Liberty without
going to New York, because there is a (iv) of the landmark in Amerikamura.

6. According to lines 23–26, Hong Kong youth _____. (1 mark)

A. also have a keen interest in a Japanese culture
B. are very different from young people in Osaka
C. know more about America than Osaka youth do
D. share Osaka youth’s fondness for American culture

7. What two words does “Jinglish” (line 25) come from? (1 mark)

8. Which of the following pictures best shows the main ingredient in the dish that Mandy is eating? (1 mark)
A. B. C. D.

9. According to lines 27–29, why does Mandy decide to try the food? (1 mark)
A. It is a popular dish in Hong Kong.
B. It is an extremely healthy meal.
C. It is described as delicious in the menu.
D. It is recommended by her guidebook.

10. Why does Mandy have to stop writing the email? (1 mark)

3
 II) Your cousin Bobby is back in Australia. He has sent you an email. Read the email and answer the
questions that follow.

Text 2
Dear Tom
Thank you so much for your suggestions, some of which we had time for this time, and some of which we’ll
have to save for our next journey across the ocean!
Our first tourist adventure was going “glamping” in Tin Shui Wai, which was an incredible experience from
5 start to finish. We have gone camping in Australia before, of course, but I’ve never encountered this kind of
luxury in nature! Next, we made our way to the Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark and spent time exploring
and clambering over those amazing rock formations. The Hong Kong Science Museum was my personal
favorite though. I think that I must absorb information better when I’m having fun, because I can recall just
about everything I learned about science and technology there. Maybe I have a future as a scientist, but only
10 if I work in a really entertaining laboratory!
Hong Kong has such an impressive public transport system. The Octopus card makes short jaunts around the
city very convenient. It was easy to hop between different types of transport, such as the MTR, buses, ferries,
trams and minibuses. In Melbourne, we also have those kinds of public transport, as well as our own
“smartcard” called the Myki. In addition, we have a bike share programme. If you join the programme, you
15 can access over 600 bikes in the city for up to 30 minutes each time. That’s usually enough to get where you
need to go, and sometimes it’s faster than being in a car because you can breeze through the traffic jams.
Perhaps that idea would work in Hong Kong as well.
I’m looking forward to the day that you can visit me in my home country. I’ll show you around all the best
sightseeing spots! I have to pay you back for the Hong Kong suggestions.
20 Cheers
Bobby

Answer the following questions about Text 2. (15 marks)

11. What does “which” refer to in line 2? (1 mark)
12. Does Bobby plan on returning to Hong Kong? Use evidence from the text to support your answer. (1 mark)
13. Use ONE word to complete the following sentence. (1 mark)

Camping in Australia is less ________________ than “glamping” in Hong Kong.

14. Find a word in paragraph 2 that means “climbing.” (1 mark)

15. What was Bobby’s favorite activity in Hong Kong? Why was it his favorite? (2 marks)
16. According to the article, decide whether the following statements are True (T), False (F) or the information
is Not Given (NG). (3 marks)

Statements T F NG
i) Bobby did not like “glamping” in Hong Kong.   
ii) Bobby thought the rock formations at the Geopark were incredible.   
iii) Bobby spent an entire day at the Hong Kong Science Museum.   
4
17. Why did Bobby like the Octopus card? (1 mark)
18. Who does “we” refer to in line 13? (1 mark)
19. What is Melbourne’s version of the Octopus card? (1 mark)
20. What does Bobby mean when he says he has to “pay you back” (line 19)? (1 mark)
21. Match the main ideas to the paragraphs in the email. Write A–E in the spaces provided. One of the options
is NOT used. (2 marks)
Main ideas
Paragraph 1 _______ A. How we get around
Paragraph 2 _______ B. The places we visited in Hong Kong
Paragraph 3 _______ C. Expressing gratitude
Paragraph 4 _______ D. My favorite campsite
E. Offering to be a tour guide

Part B: Tenses (12 marks)

Complete the following passage by using the most appropriate forms of the given verbs. Use the passive
voice where necessary.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930) 1) (born) in Edinburgh and 2) (study) medicine at Edinburgh
University. While he 3) (engage) in medical practice at Southsea on the south coast, he 4) (begin)
writing stories to supplement his income. In 1887, he 5) (publish) the first long Sherlock Holmes story,
A Study in Scarlet. Four years later, when his short stories about the detective 6) (release) in Strand
magazine, he 7) (give) up his career as a doctor, though he later 8) (receive) a knighthood for
organizing medical services during the Boer War in Africa (1899–1902).

Although Conon Doyle 9) (create) Sherlock Holmes more than a hundred years ago, this character
10) (remain) as popular as ever, and the stories about him still 11) (appeal) to readers today. Even
though the social background of London 12) (change) completely, many people are still fascinated by
this character, thanks to the tons of movies and TV shows revolving around this classic detective.

Part C: Oxford Anthology (11 marks)

I) Complete the following sentences using words from Units 1, 2 and 5 of Oxford Anthology. Fill out each
blank with ONE word and the first letter of each missing word has been given. (5 marks)

1. In “The Canterville Ghost,” Sir Simon de Canterville often scared away anyone who dared to live in his
mansion. However, he could not do the same to the new family. After trying to i) h the parents
unsuccessfully, he decided to ii) t the youngest members by preparing his most iii) h look. Yet he
was scared away by the twins instead and he finally left the mansion.

5
2. In the poem “From zero to hero,” the speaker works as a part-time IT iv) t and his job is to solve
computer problems.
3. According to the article “Coding for beginners,” even v) r coders can learn how to write the “Hello,
World!” program after one lesson.
4. According to the magazine article about Dmitri Karenin, who lives in Russia, it is still dark and cold when
he gets up in the morning, and he is vi) r to get out of bed.

II) Based on Unit 21 of Oxford Anthology, match the terms about sports on the left with the meanings
on the right. Write the letters (A-E) in the spaces provided. (5 marks)

Sports terms Meanings

i) brick _______ A. A term used in tennis that means “nil” or “zero”
ii) love _______ B. A term usually used in football that means passing the ball between a
player’s legs
iii) cap _______ C. A badly missed shot in basketball
iv) nutmeg _______ D. The achievement of scoring three times in one match
v) hat-trick _______ E. A term that refers to a player being selected to appear in an international-
level game

Part D: Multiple choice questions (12 marks)

Choose the best options to complete the poster below. Write the letters in the spaces provided.
Gourmets unite!

Have a soft spot for delicious food? Depressed by eating ready meals every week? Don’t want to go to the
restaurant alone? Want to join a group of people with (1) interests?

Well, then stop sitting on the sofa eating junk food! Join the Bon Viviant Club!

We have gatherings every Friday, (2) 7 pm to 10 pm, in an outstanding restaurant chosen by fellow club
members after a vote.

We will send out the name of the restaurant (3) the gathering, so you know what can be expected.
However, we will not tell you about the menu (4) the last minute! After the meal, we go to a (5) dessert
restaurant selected by our chairperson. She is known for having (6) sweet tooth!

Wine list
A meal without wine is like a day without sunshine. We have a (7) selection of fine wines. We can (8) say
each pairing of food and wine is simply perfect.

Special discount
As a privileged Club member, you can enjoy (9) 10% discount in any of our associated restaurants. And our
network is ever (10) !

Join now! Submit your application (11) emailing to apply@bonviviant.hk.com (12) January 8.

The Bon Viviant Club – for true friends of food – and drink!

6
 1. A. same B. similar C. alike D. like
2. A. since B. at C. from D. for
3. A. from B. after C. due to D. before
4. A. until B. at C. in D. on
5. A. heavenly B. legend C. famously D. greatly
6. A. an B. the C. a D. No article is needed
7. A. extraordinary B. wide C. broadly D. board
8. A. hardly B. proud C. pride on D. proudly
9. A. an B. the C. a D. No article is needed
10. A. expanding B. grown C. grows D. developed
11. A. by B. for C. of D. before
12. A. by B. at C. since D. until

Part E: Open cloze (11 marks)

Complete the following passage by filling out each of the blanks with only ONE word.

Many people drink diet sodas as part 1) their diet. They believe these drinks are healthier 2) fizzy
drinks. However, 3) to a new study, “diet” versions of sugary drinks can be as bad for our heart 4) fizzy
drinks that are loaded with sugar. The researchers 5) conducted the study said people should avoid diet
sodas and other artificially sweetened beverages if they want to look 6) their health. They said the artificial
sweeteners in diet drinks are not healthy. Dr Guy Mintz, a heart specialist, said, “The belief that artificial
sweeteners are a safe substitute 7) sugar is fake news.” He added, “Artificial sweeteners have been
associated 8) weight gain, insulin resistance, and diabetes.”

The research is published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Researchers looked at health
data from over 100,000 people in France. Participants in the study recorded 9) diet, activity level, and health
status every six months. The researchers said, “Higher intakes of... artificially sweetened beverages were
linked to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, suggesting that artificially sweetened beverages might
10) be better than sugary drinks.” They added, “Water, water, and more water should be the beverage of
choice. Given childhood obesity, 11) sweetened or artificially sweetened beverage should be a staple in
children’s diets.”

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Part F: Vocabulary (10 marks)
Complete the following sentences by using the vocabulary items from Units 3 and 4 of Long Edge 1A
Textbook.

1. Yesterday, my parents and I went to the new amusement park. My father and I went on many h -r rides
but my mother just went to the cafeteria and waited for us.
2. Although I am not a detective, I can see a lot of clues in this case. If my d are correct, I can tell you who
spoiled the painting.
3. He was seen breaking and entering the celebrity’s house last night, and now he has been caught and c with
burglary.
4. After watching that horror movie, I’ve completely lost my a and I’ll skip dinner tonight.
5. We are in a remote village and there are no clinics or hospitals in the immediate v . So if you are sick,
you need to go to the city center to seek medical help.
6. Thanks to the e a of James Bond, many movies based on this character have been produced over
the past decades.
7. My trip to Spain last year was certainly one of my most u experiences; I can still remember vividly all
the nice people I met along the way and their faces have been etched on my mind.
8. The actress wore glasses and a wig as a d , but some people still recognized her and asked her for her
autograph.
9. The Lion King was one of the most s shows I’ve ever seen. I especially liked the elaborate costumes
and captivating music.
10. It is still not clear what caused the serious accident that resulted in dozens of deaths and injuries. Therefore,
many government officials are calling for an i into it.

Part G: Proofreading (14 marks)

Please refer to the ANSWER SHEETS.

END OF PAPER