2

Week 1 Interpreting Texts

A Types and features of text sources
Newspaper reports

A3 Local Daily News 1 April 2016

Charter on External Lighting launches

with over 4,000 properties and shops joining
The Charter on External Lighting is officially launched today.
Over 4,000 properties and shops have already signed up to the Charter
to switch off lighting installations with decorative, promotional or
advertising purposes during the preset time every night. Secretary for
the Environment Wong Kam-sing stated that the Charter could help
enhance merchants’ awareness of issues such as light nuisance and
energy wastage. Yet, he also admitted that the Charter was only carried
out on voluntary basis. If the signatories do not fulfil their pledge, the
authority will give advice to them.
Environmental groups pointed out that the Charter signatories
were mostly large corporations, while small and medium-sized
enterprises did not have much interest in joining the self-regulatory
Charter. Besides, the Charter does not regulate the lightness and angle
of spot lights, which will still disturb residents. They believed that the It is an objective report
government should take reference to the noise policies and regulate of the fact, but students
light pollution by legislation. need to pay attention
to the viewpoints and
stances of the individuals.
(Source: Adapted from various newspapers.)
 3

Editorials

Legislative Councillor: Organ donation should be

promoted through education
To boost the organ donation rate, the government earlier said that
it would consider to follow overseas practices and adopt an ‘opt-out’
mechanism for organ donation. That means as long as people do not
object to organ donation when they are alive, they consent to donate
their organs after death. The remarks have aroused controversy among
the public. I reckon such suggestion has undermined human rights, as
it forces people to donate their organs. This shows that such idea is still
immature in Hong Kong.
Traditional Chinese thoughts have rooted deeply in Hong Kong
people that they need to keep their completed corpses, so they are reluctant
to mandatory organ donation. Due to the low acceptance of such idea
among the general public in Hong Kong, if the government legislates As it is written by a
such proposal before getting consensus in society, it may receive negative specific person, it clearly
feedback and can hardly be supported by the public. To cope with the low reflects his / her stance on
organ donation rate, the government should start with education and change an issue and shows some
people’s traditional concepts so as to tackle the problem at its root. viewpoints which supports
his / her stance.
(Source: Adapted from various newspapers.)

Conversations

Pay attention to the views

of different stakeholders
/ parties on the issue to
understand their value
orientations.
4 Week 1 Interpreting Texts

B Skills of reading text sources

1. Consider the following newspaper report and answer the questions.

A3 Local Daily News 1 April 2016

Charter on External Lighting launches

with over 4,000 properties and shops joining
The Charter on External Lighting is officially launched today. Over 4,000 properties and shops
have already signed up to the Charter to switch off lighting installations with decorative, promotional
or advertising purposes during the preset time every night. Secretary for the Environment Wong Kam-
sing stated that the Charter could help enhance merchants’ awareness of issues such as light nuisance
and energy wastage. Yet, he also admitted that the Charter was only carried out on voluntary basis. If
the signatories do not fulfil their pledge, the authority will give advice to them.
Environmental groups pointed out that the Charter signatories were mostly large
corporations, while small and medium-sized enterprises did not have much interest in joining the
self-regulatory Charter. Besides, the Charter does not regulate the lightness and angle of spot lights,
which will still disturb the public. They believed that the government should take reference to the
noise policies and regulate light pollution by legislation.

(Source: Adapted from various newspapers.)

(1) Headline of the news report: Charter on External Lighting launches with over 4,000 properties and shops
joining

(2) What issue is the source related to?

Light pollution in Hong Kong

(3) Which stakeholder is involved in the issue as shown in the source?

The government, environmental groups, large corporations, small and medium-sized enterprises, the public

(4) What is the stance of each stakeholder on the issue?

a. Stakeholders supporting the Charter: The government, large corporations, some of the public

Content reflecting the stance:

‘the Charter could help enhance merchants’ awareness of issues such as light nuisance and energy wastage
• ‘ ’

b. Stakeholders holding a negative view on the Charter: environmental groups, small and medium-sized
enterprises, some of the public

Content reflecting the stance:

small and medium-sized enterprises did not have much interest in joining the self-regulatory Charter
• ‘ ’
the Charter does not regulate the lightness and angle of spot lights, which will still disturb the public
• ‘ ’
 5

2. Condsider the following editorial and answer the questions.

Legislative Councillor:
Organ donation should be promoted through education
To boost the organ donation rate, the government earlier said that it would consider to follow
overseas practices and adopt an ‘opt-out’ mechanism for organ donation. That means as long as
people do not object to organ donation when they are alive, they consent to donate their organs
after death. The remarks have aroused controversy among the public. I reckon such suggestion has
undermined human rights, as it forces people to donate their organs. This shows that such idea is
still immature in Hong Kong.
Traditional Chinese thinking has rooted deeply in Hong Kong people that they need to
keep their completed corpses, so they are reluctant to mandatory organ donation. Due to the low
acceptance of such idea among the general public in Hong Kong, if the government legislates such
proposal before getting consensus in society, it may receive negative feedback and can hardly be
supported by the public. To cope with the low organ donation rate, the government should start with
education and change people’s traditional concepts so as to tackle the problem at its root.

(Source: Adapted from various newspapers.)

(1) Headline of the editorial: Legislative Councillor: Organ donation should be promoted through education

(2) Who published this editorial?

A Legislative Councillor

(3) What issue is the source related to?

Controversy over the organ donation mechanism

(4) What is the commentator’s view on the issue?

a. The organ donation rate in Hong Kong is low because of the impact of traditional thinking.

Content reflecting the stance:

Traditional Chinese thinking has rooted deeply in Hong Kong people that they need to keep their completed
• ‘

corpses, so they are reluctant to mandatory organ donation ’

b. The feasibility of following overseas practices to introduce legislation in Hong Kong is low.

Content reflecting the stance:

if the government legislates such proposal before getting consensus in society, it may receive negative feedback
• ‘

 ’

c. Strengthening publicity and education by the government helps enhance the organ donation rate.

Content reflecting the stance:

the government should start with education and change people’s traditional concepts so as to tackle the problem
• ‘

at its root ’

6 Week 1 Interpreting Texts

3. Consider the following conversation and answer the questions.

(1) What issue is the source related to?

The impact of the construction of Shanghai Disneyland

(2) Different views on Shanghai Disneyland:

a. Who thinks Shanghai Disneyland would bring positive impact?   Wing-yee / Ka-fai

Content reflecting the stance:

(Shanghai Disneyland) has integrated with various Chinese elements. It must be special
• ‘ ’
This can help local economic development so it’s good for the locals
• ‘ ’

b. Who thinks Shanghai Disneyland would bring negative impact?   Wing-yee / Ka-fai

Content reflecting the stance:

tourists from all around China must flood into Shanghai after the launch. It must be very crowded in the park
• ‘ ’
‘the tourists’ consumption will push up the prices of local goods
• ‘ ’
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C Integrating text sources into the answer

When answering questions with text sources, students should cite the content of the sources to support their
arguments. However, merely copying the sources may lose a lot of marks. Most of the content in the original
text cannot directly respond to the question. Therefore, students should give additional generalization and
explanation so as to respond to the question effectively. Below are the four steps for answering questions
with text sources.

Step 1 Understand the question requirements

Understanding the question accurately is the prerequisite to getting high marks. Students
should understand the focus of the question and highlight the essential question words and
the aspects questioned.

Step 2 Find out the respective source content

Based on the question requirements, read each source carefully and highlight the key
sentences. Then generalize the main points in response to the questions.

Step 3 Conceptualize the source content

Transform the main points in the sources, such as background of the incident, stakeholders’
views, value orientations, stances, conflicts among stakeholders, together with own
knowledge, into knowledge and concepts of higher level.

Step 4 Identify the relationship between the sources and the question

Give further explanation based on the cited sources and highlight how the source content
responds to the question.
8 Week 1 Interpreting Texts

Consider the following source and answer the question.

SourceA

Federation of Trade Unions:

The government must set standard working hours
The absent of standard working hours will only encourage employers to request employees to
work over-time without compensation, in order to enhance the competitive power of the company
in the market. Employees can only endure it for their living, which directly harms their physical
and mental health. Their family lives will also be affected. The government would have to put more
resources to cope with social problems.
We only demand that employees can live a nine-to-five life and achieve a work-lifebalance
again, just like what we used to have in the past. Yet, employers always reckon that employees are
greedy and even claim that they will need to spend over billions of dollars on over-time allowances
every year after establishing standard working hours. However, if employers recruit enough
employees based on the actual workload, would they need to spend billions of dollars on over-time
allowances? The implementation of standard working hours only sets things right by restricting
employers’ harsh requirements on employees, such as cutting manpower and forcing them to work
over-time.

(Source: Website of the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions)

Question: According to Source A, what are the views of employers and employees on establishing
standard working hours respectively? (4 marks)

Step 1
Understand the question requirements
‘According to Source A, what are the views ... on establishing standard working hours respectively?’
reflects that the question requires students:
• To identify the stances of the stakeholders clearly
• To find out the impact of the measure on different stakeholders from the source and analyse whether the
impact is positive or negative, so as to understand the stakeholders’ views
 9

Step 2
Find out the respective source content
Argument 1: Argument 2:
As standard working hours has not yet been Employers think that after the implementation of
implemented, workers may need to work over-time
standard working hours, t h e y w i l l n e e d t o s p e n d
without compensation, which directly affects their
billions of dollars on over-time allowances every year,
physical and mental health. Their family lives are
also under influence. Therefore, they request for a which may affect the competitive power of the company
nine-to-five work-life balance.
in the market.

Step 3
Conceptualize the source content
Employees (Workers) demand the implementation Employers oppose to the implementation of standard
of standard working hours as this can help protect working hours as they believe that it will harm the
their rights.
operation of the company.

Step 4
Identify the relationship between the source and the question
If standard working hours is implemented, If standard working hours is implemented,
workers will not need to work over-time without employers must pay over-time allowances to workers
compensation. Employers will also lower their
who work over-time, which will increase the operating
requirements on workers’ working hours to cut the
expenditure on over-time allowances. Workers can expenditure of the company. This may lead to decrease
therefore enjoy a work-life balance.
in their competitive power in the market. They may even

encounter hardship in operation as they are unable to

afford the expenditure.

10 Week 1 Interpreting Texts

Now, students can write the answer in paragraphs.

Argument 1:
1
First of all, 2employees think that it is a must to implement standard 1 Transitional word

working hours as it brings benefits to workers. 3According to Source A, 2 Topic sentence to identify
that employees agree to the
because of the lack of standard working hours protection, workers are forced
implementation of standard
to work over-time without compensation. Their physical and mental health, working hours
as well as their family lives are also affected as a result. Implementing 3 Explain the argument by
standard working hours can lower employers’ requirements on workers’ pointing out the impact
working hours, so as to bring workers a work-life balance. 4
Therefore, of implementing standard
working hours on workers
employees demand the implementation of standard working hours
4 Concluding sentence

Argument 2:
1
On the other hand, 2employers think that the implementation of standard 1 Transitional word
2 Topic sentence to identify
working hours will harm the operation of the company, so they oppose to the that employers do not

suggestion. agree to the implementation

of standard working hours

3 According to Source A, employers oppose to the implementation of standard 3 Explain the argument by
pointing out the impact
working hours because they will need to pay billions of dollars on over-time of implementing standard
working hours on companies
allowances every year. With an increase in the operating expenditure, the competitive
4 Concluding sentence
power of the company may decrease. They may even encounter hardship in operation

as a result.

4
Therefore, employers do not agree to the implementation of standard working
hours.