HONG KONG DIPLOMA OF SECONDARY EDUCATION EXAMINATION

ENGLISH LANGUAGE PAPER 1(Term Paper 1)

Question-Answer Book

Time allowed: 1 hour 30 minutes(20% of the subject mark)

INSTRUCTIONS

(1) Write your Candidate Number in the space provided on this page.

(2) There are two parts in this paper. Answer ALL questions in Part A. In Part B, you should choose EITHER Section 1 (easier) OR Section 2 (more difficult).

(3) Write your answers clearly and neatly in the spaces provided in this Question-Answer Book. You are advised to use a pencil to write your answers.

(4) For multiple-choice questions, you are advised to blacken the appropriate circle with a pencil so that wrong marks can be completely erased with a clean rubber. Mark only ONE answer to each question. Two or more answers will score NO MARKS.

(5) Supplementary answer sheets will be supplied on request. Write your Candidate Number and fill in the question number box on each sheet and fasten them with string provided.

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All Rights Reserved 2009

SS1A‧Paper 1 (Reading)／Term Paper 1 1

Marker’sUse Only

Examiner’sUse Only

Marker No. Examiner No.

Part Marks Marks

A

B1

B2

Total

Candidate Number

PART A – This is the compulsory part. Answer all questions in this part.

Read the following newspaper article and then answer questions 1-36 in the Question-Answer Section. (53 marks)

Albert Einstein- a genius and very human

F Kelly explores the background of the father of modern-day physics.

SS1A‧Paper 1 (Reading)／Term Paper 1 2

Term Paper 1

1 The saddest day of his life was when the atomic bomb he helped develop was dropped on Japan. He saw it as the evil fruit of his and others’ genius. As a child, he was a slow learner. His primary school report noted that he ‘would never amount to much’. These descriptions are about Albert Einstein, one of the most brilliant minds of modern times.

2 Einstein was born on 14 March 1879 in Germany to very worried parents because his head was abnormally big. The young Einstein found learning to speak quite difficult. He showed no signs of genius in his early childhood. But all this began to change when Einstein was five. The young boy was given a compass and he was fascinated. He found that no matter which way he turned the compass, its needle always pointed in the same direction. From then on, the child spent all his time to find out how it worked and what natural forces contributed to this. His life-long interest in science had begun.

3 The young Einstein continued to show a strong interest in things which were very different from those of his football-kicking classmates. He eagerly gobbled up science theories and mathematics equations that would have been difficult for a teacher. His parents then started to wonder if their child was gifted. However, their hope was dashed with Einstein finding secondary school life mundane and a bore.

SS1A‧Paper 1 (Reading)／Term Paper 1 © Aristo Educational Press Ltd. 2009

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4 Einstein eventually dropped out of secondary school and was sent to Switzerland to complete his education. After graduating, he entered the Federal Polytechnic in Zurich. While he was there, Einstein often skipped lectures which he considered to be a waste of time.

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5 Einstein graduated in 1900 with a diploma in mathematics and physics. The best job he could find was as a tutor. In 1902 he moved to the Swiss Patents Office in Berne to work as a technical expert. He got married a year after, and had two sons and a daughter. He later divorced his first wife and married his cousin.

6 Einstein was at his peak performance during his years in Berne. From 1905 to 1915 Einstein spent most of his time at the Patents Office dreaming of scientific ideas, and he published his ground-breaking paper on relativity in 1905. When asked how he managed to develop such brilliant ideas, Einstein stated that he was inspired by music. He played the violin and the piano throughout his life.

7 In 1909 he was invited to join the University of Zurich as an associate professor. When he gave his notice to the Director of the Patents Office, the director remarked, ‘Don’t be foolish – who ever would offer you a job as a professor?’

8 From Switzerland, Einstein moved to Berlin, Germany. In August 1914, World War I began. Life after the war was difficult, but some good news came Einstein’s way when he was awarded the 1921 Physics Nobel Prize. Meanwhile, life was getting harder still as an extreme political group, the Nazi Party, came to power in post-war Germany. In 1933, Einstein and his family moved to settle in the US.

9 Then World War II broke out in 1939. Einstein was convinced that Nazi Germany would develop an atomic bomb, so he urged the US to develop its own. When the atomic bombs were dropped on Japan in 1945, Einstein, feeling responsible for the deaths and devastation they caused, said, ‘Why ... why did it have to come to this?’ This was a bitter blow from which he never truly recovered. He died in 1955, a hurt and unhappy man.

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QUESTION-ANSWER SECTION

Each question carries ONE mark unless otherwise stated.

Part A (53 marks)

Answer questions 1-36 using information from the newspaper article about Einstein on pages 2-3. Write your answers in the spaces provided. For multiple-choice questions, choose the best answer and blacken ONE circle only.

1. Look at the expression ‘evil fruit’ used in paragraph 1, line 2 of this article. Decide which of the definitions below is closest in meaning.

A. terrible result B. clever productC. bad side effectD. terrible reason

2. F Kelly is most likely a _________.

A. scientistB. reporterC. teacherD. banker

3. What does ‘this’ in line 12 refer to?

4. What can ‘gobbled up’ in paragraph 3, line 14 be replaced by?

A. ateB. drankC. studiedD. ignored

5. What can ‘mundane’ in paragraph 3, line 17 be replaced by?

A. ordinaryB. interestingC. unfamiliarD. uncommon

6. Based on the information given in paragraphs 3 and 4, how would you describe Einstein’s behaviour towards his teachers?

A B C D

A B C D

A B C D

A B C D

A. lovingB. respectfulC. disrespectfulD. understanding

7. Find words in paragraphs 4 and 7 which could be replaced by the following: (3 marks)

a. missed

b. asked

c. silly

8. Name 3 countries mentioned in the newspaper article. (3 marks)

9. According to the text, when did Einstein’s interest in science begin? (2 marks)

10. Complete each summary by underlining the correct options. One has been done for you as an example. (6 marks)

primary school

Einstein showed ( little / great ) interest in mathematics at an early age, and his parents wondered if he was extremely ( clever / ordinary ).

1900 Einstein ( dropped out of / graduated from ) the Federal Polytechnic in Zurich, and got a ( teaching / government ) post. He then became a ( patent / technical ) expert. He published his famous relativity paper in 1905.

1921 In 1921, Einstein ( lost / won ) the Physics Nobel Prize. He moved to the United States in 1933, following the ( fall / rise ) of the Nazi Party in Germany.

11. Find words in paragraphs 3 and 4 which mean the opposite of these words: (2 marks)

a. easy

A B C D

b. begin

12. What is the tone when the Director of the Patents Office said, ‘Don’t be foolish – who ever would offer you a job as a professor’?

A. angryB. bitterC. annoyedD. jeering

13. The style of the article is ...

A. poeticB. formalC. informalD. humorous

14. What is the writer’s main purpose in writing this article?

A. to criticiseB. to informC. to analyseD. to entertain

15. Who is the target audience for this text?

A. scientistsB. the general publicC. the governmentD. physics students

16. What important event happened to Einstein in 1905?

A B C D

A B C D

A B C D

A B C D

Einstein as a student

Primary school

School report:

17. Complete the following mind map about Einstein as a student with information from the text. One answer has been completed to help you. (4 marks)

18. How many of the following are mentioned in the article? Mark each picture with a tick (√) in the box if it is mentioned and a cross (x) if it is not. (4 marks)

Federal Polytechnic in Zurich

Graduated in:

Achievements/qualifications:

Reason for dropping out:

school was boring

Where he completed his secondary

education:

A

C

B

D

Two friends are discussing F Kelly’s article. Complete their conversation with suitable words or expressions from the box below. Use each answer ONCE only. The first one has been done for you as an example. (9 marks)

A. just like B. don’t you thinkC. tell what D. his sons ended upE. a top F. sad thatG. was surprised H. think you were asI. then divorced J. me too

Have you read the article on Einstein?

I G by his lack of interest in

school. I thought that he would have

been ( 19 ) student.

( 20 ) . In fact, it must have been

quite a shock for his former teachers to

see him become a world-famous

scientist, ( 21 ) ?

Definitely. I think it

shows that you never can

( 22 ) someone is

really capable of.

For a genius he had many flaws, ( 23 )

ordinary people do. I wonder what ( 24 )

doing. I think it would be hard to have such a

brilliant parent. You would be under lots of

pressure to be just as brilliant.

Right, because everyone would

(25) clever as your father,

and expect equally great

achievements.

It’s (26) he had such a lot of regrets

about some of his work when he died.

Actually, he lived quite a troubled life.

He was married, (27) , became a

political refugee and all of this was

followed by his devastation at the

dropping of the atomic bomb.

Writing in Response: an emailBelow is a draft email written by your friend Tom Chan to tell his cousin about the article. Read the choice of words and expressions given and help Tom Chan to express his opinions on the article by underlining the best option as shown in the example. (9 marks)

What ( makes / generates / gives ) a genius?

Hi Amy

Did you read the article about Einstein in today’s Hong Kong Post? It’s very well written!

I have to say that I found it quite (28) ( information / informs / informative ). I’d no idea

that Einstein (29) ( was / had / would ) found school so difficult. This was not because he

was (30) ( weak / clever / incapable ), (31) ( but / furthermore / and ) because he was so

clever!

Having (32) ( achieved / succeeded / got ) all that he did, it must have been difficult

for him to be forced to (33) ( stay / live / move ) to the US and leave all his work behind in

Berlin.

To learn that Einstein was as human as the rest of us is (34) ( quiet / quite / quit )

humbling. I hadn’t previously thought of him as having the same common failings

that many people have, as I believed geniuses are in some way (35) ( below / above / over )

such flaws.

If you haven’t yet read this article, I would highly recommend it. It’s definitely a

(36) ( good / best / better ) read!

Regards

Tom

PART B – Choose EITHER Section 1 (easier) OR Section 2 (more difficult).

Section 1Here are some comments posted on a Hong Kong website from people in Hong Kong. Read them carefully and answer questions 37-45 in the Question-Answer Section.

(31 marks)

My Summer Break

Hong Kong has seen many changes in the last 50 years and our society has changed a great deal. This is shown in how young people now spend their time during the long summer break.

What did you do when you were a student during the long summer break? What do students nowadays do?

Share your views with us. Send your comments and personal stories to our website.

A. I love the summer break, even though I’m busier in the break than I am at school! On Mondays I’ve got English and piano lessons, on Tuesdays it’s Scouts and badminton. Wednesday is a light day with only swimming, Thursday brings dancing and tennis, Friday is drawing and Saturday is horse riding and mathematics. Sunday’s less as busy – once my morning Putonghua class is over, I’m free to go out with my friends.

Tom, Sha Tin

B. As far as I remember, my summer break followed a routine: six days of non-event. My stress levels would start to rise when Sunday came! On that day, parents would expect their children to race on ahead of them and grab a table in the crowded teahouse. In those distant days, teahouses were mainly for family gatherings.

After going to church, my entire family would go for Chinese tea (‘yum cha’). Every time, my brother and I had to race ahead to occupy a table in the teahouse. I always found this very embarrassing. We waited behind tables watching people eat, and moved quickly into their seats as soon as they had finished. Even today, when I walk into a teahouse I begin to feel anxious! Jon, Wan Chai

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C. During the summer break I try to catch up on sleep and spend time with my family and friends. I go hiking, take day trips to the New Territories or to Macau, and simply enjoy the things I can’t do during term time. My summer break is a time to relax and try new things, rather than worry about my studies. Jane, Sheung Wan

D. I make sure my kids are fully occupied during their summer break – in fact they end up busier than they are during term time! They take part in different courses, ranging from language learning to photography to performing arts. There’s no need for them to be computer addicts or couch potatoes sitting in front of the TV all day. Helen, Tai Po

E. Last summer, my parents told me they’d enrolled me in a survival training course! I was terrified. To my relief, they weren’t talking about how to survive in a jungle. Instead, it was about learning how to prepare a simple meal and how to do housework and other household chores. It was great fun! There were lots of other boys on the course, and we had a blast cooking huge dinners – and then even more fun arguing about who to do the washing up! David, Causeway Bay

F. When I was a child, I used to spend my summer break hiking. I’d set out early in the morning, and would spend the day chatting with my friends. Those days were the best days of my childhood! Nowadays, people spend most of their time playing computer games and chatting online. They hardly talk to their family and friends in person anymore! a grandfather, Fan Ling

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QUESTION-ANSWER SECTION

PART B – Choose EITHER Section 1 (easier) OR Section 2 (more difficult).

Section 1 (31 marks)Answer questions 37-45 using information from the web postings on pages 11-12. Write your answers in the spaces provided. For multiple-choice questions, choose the best answer and blacken ONE circle only.

37. What months of the year is the website discussing?

A. December – January – FebruaryB. March – April – MayC. June – July – August D. September – October – November

38. Read message ‘B’ carefully and decide if the following are true (T), false (F) or not stated (X). Put appropriate symbols in the boxes below. (4 marks)

A. The writer lives at home with his parents.

B. The writer has an elder brother.

C. The writer finds going to teahouses stressful.

D. When the writer went to the teahouse as a child, it was seldom busy.

39. Look for words or expressions in message ‘B’ which are the opposite in meaning to: (3 marks)

a. relaxation

b. drop

c. recent

40. Where does the writer of message ‘C’ enjoy visiting? (2 marks)

41. Which words or expressions in message ‘E’ mean the same as the following: (3 marks)

A B C D

a. frightened

b. tasks

c. big

42. In message ‘E’ (lines 31 – 33), which of the following two items did David learn about? Indicate your answers by underlining the TWO items below. (2 marks)

cooking / craftwork / household tasks / living in a jungle / hiking / war games

43. What can ‘I’d’ in message ‘F’, line 35 be replaced by?

A. I wouldB. I hadC. I wouldn’tD. I hadn’t

44. Read the following replies, matching each one with ONE of the messages on pages 11-12. Use each letter once only. The first is given to you as an example.

(4 marks)

A B C D

Where’d you go for your survival training? It sounds great fun!Calvin, Sha Tin

How can you keep up? I can’t imagine going to class on Sunday during the summer break. I’d be exhausted.

Ken, Tai Po

You know, if you manage well, a little time spent on the computer or watching TV is not such a bad thing for your children.

Peter, Choi Hung

Not worrying about our studies is the best part of the summer break! Mary, Fortress Hill

My family also goes to one on Sundays, but I don’t mind because we always pre-book our table!

Kevin, Tin Hau

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Section 2Read the following poem excerpt and the article (on pages 21-22). Then answer questions 46-60 in the Question-Answer Section. (44 marks)

The Channel Swimmer – Marriott Edgar (an excerpt)

Would you like to hear a wild tale of adventureof a hero who tackled the sea,

A super-man swimming the ocean, Then hark to the tale of Joe Lee.

For in swimming baths all round the countryJoe were noted for daring and strength; Quite often he’d dived in the deep end,

And thought nothing of swimming a length.

So they wrote him, c/o Workhouse Master,

Joe were spending the summer with him, And promised him two Christmas puddings

If over the Channel he’d swim.

“Though many have tackled the ChannelFrom Grisnez to Dover that is,

For the honour and glory of EnglandI’ll swim from Dover to Gris-niz.”

His wife strapped a mascot* around him,The tears to his eyes gently stole;

‘Twere some guinness corks she had collected And stitched* to an old camisole*.

He entered the water at daybreak,A man with a camera stood near,

He said “Hurry up and get in, lad, You’re spoiling my view of the pier.”

*mascot: something that is thought to bring luckstitched: sewedcamisole: a piece of women's underwear for the upper half of the body

On and on through the darkness he paddledTill he knew he were very near in

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By the way he kept bumping the bottomAnd hitting the stones with his chin.

Was it Grisniz he’d reached? … No, it wasn’t, The treacherous tide in its track

had carried him half-way to Blackpool*And he had to walk all the way back.

* Blackpool: a seaside town in England

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QUESTION-ANSWER SECTION

Section 2 (44 marks)Answer questions 46-60 using information from the poem by Marriott Edgar on pages 17-18 and the article on pages 21-22. Write your answers in the spaces provided. For multiple-choice questions, choose the best answer and blacken ONE circle only.

Answer questions 46-51 based on information from the excerpt of the poem on pages 17-18. (15 marks)

46. Who are the four people mentioned in the poem? (4 marks)

a.

b.

c.

d.

47. Number the following events (2-4) in chronological order. The first one has been done for you as an example. (3 marks)

Joe reached the shore.

1 Joe swam regularly in public swimming pools.

Joe set off from Dover.

Joe was asked to swim the Channel.

48. Look through verses 2 and 6 of the poem, for words or expressions to match these definitions: (2 marks)

a. (adj) bravery

b. (n) a structure with one end built on land and the other end in the sea

49. Look at how the pronouns below are used and briefly explain what they refer to in the poem. (2 marks)

PRONOUN LINE REFERENCE

him line 10

she line 19

50. Joe wanted to swim from (a) ___________ to (b) ___________. (2 marks)

(a)

(b)

51. Would you swim across the Channel if you were Joe? Why? (2 marks)

Section 2 (cont’d)Read the following article and answer questions 52-60 in the Question-Answer Section.

(29 marks)

Reaching for new heights

1 Mountaineering – a sport that tests mental and physical strength, has a long history that could date back to Roman times.

2 It has not always been a popular sport though. By the 17th century, few people were keen about mountain climbing. The fact that the mountains were also associated with evil spirits and strange creatures was no help to the big picture. In 1760 Horace-Benedict de Saussure, a wealthy Swiss scientist, decided to revive the sport. 3 Horace-Benedict offered an attractive reward for the first person to get to the top of Mont Blanc, making the sport of mountaineering a fashionable pastime once more. Some 25 years after, Jacques Balmat and Doctor Michel-Gabriel Paccard would claim the award. Their success helped encourage a rising number of professional and amateur climbers to spend considerable amounts of time and effort scaling new heights.

4 In 1857 a group of moutnainners founded the first official climbing organisation, the Alpine Club in the UK. E S Kennedy, a British mountaineer and author, was chairperson of the club. The organisation laid down clear safety standards for the sport. Similar organisations were set up worldwide. The world governing body of mountaineering and climbing, the Union Internationale des Association d’Alpinisme, was established in 1932.

5 New challenges for mountaineers have been created over the years. The 7+2 Challenge is one of them. To complete it, one has to successfully climb the highest peaks on the seven continents, as well as the two poles. On Thursday 5 January 2006, the Hong Kong adventurer, Chung Kin-man became the oldest person to complete the 7+2 Challenge by reaching the South Pole. He was one of the only ten people in the world to have completed this task, and was the first and only Hong Konger to have accomplished this challenge. To acknowledge his achievements, the HKSAR Government awarded him the Medal of Honour.

6 According to Chung Kin-man, the day he reached the South Pole was the happiest day of his life. He had been working on the 7+2 Challenge since 1982, and it took him five attempts to finally conquer Mount Everest.

7 Chung Kin-man is the founder of the Hong Kong Mountaineering Training Centre – a sports centre which offers basic climbing courses. His friends had tried to talk him out of his attempt to conquer Mount Everest. They thought he was too old at nearly fifty years of age. He insisted on attempting it, because he strongly believed ‘where there’s a will, there’s a way!’

8 For people interested in mountaineering, the Hong Kong Mountaineering Training

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Centre is the place to go. There, one can borrow climbing equipment or buy rock-climbing boots and helmets at reasonable prices.

9 Although rock climbing is a dangerous sport, its potential risks are relatively low if safety measures are taken. These include consulting weather forecasts, keeping gear in good condition, and always making sure that experienced climbers are on hand during a climb.

10 Whether climbing Mount Everest or the cliffs at Shek O, mountaineering offers the opportunity to be in close contact with nature, while putting one’s physical and mental strength to the test. Thus, it is easy to see why interest in mountaineering and rock climbing continues to grow.

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QUESTION –ANSWER SECTION

Section 2 (cont’d)Answer questions 52-60 using information from the article on pages 21-22. (29 marks)

52. What are the professions of the people featured in this text? (4 marks)

NAME PROFESSION

Horace-Benedict de Saussure

E S Kennedy

Chung Kin-man

53. This text is about …

A. myths and legendsB. the 7+2 ChallengeC. mountaineeringD. famous people in Hong Kong

54. List TWO of Chung Kin-man’s mountaineering achievements. (2 marks)

A B C D

55. Look at how the words and expressions are used in the article. Decide which of the options is closest in meaning and blacken ONE circle only. (3 marks)

Paragraph/line Word/expression Meaning

ara 2 / line 6 revive return go back in time renew interest in

para 7 / line 30 attempt try lesson peak

para 9 / line 38 on hand at rest available holding hands

56. Look at how the words/expressions below are used and briefly explain what they refer to in the article. (3 marks)

Words/expression

Paragraph/line Reference

It para 2 / line 3

this task para 5 / line 22

There para 8 / line 34

57. Here is a list of suggested alternations for a slightly different version of the article. Fill in each gap with ONE word. Refer to the paragraph and line number specified for the specific ideas. One has been done for you as an example. (3 marks)

para 3 / lines 7-8 Mountaineering became once again because of

the attractive reward.

para 5 / line 17 Over the years, mountaineers have tried to up with

new challenges for the sport.

para 8 / line 34 Climbing equipment are available on loan at the Centre.

para 9 / line 37 You should the weather forecasts before going on a

rock-climbing trip.

58. Why did Chung Kin-man’s friends ask him not to climb Mount Everest?

59. Look for words and expressions from paragraphs 3 and 9 which are the opposite in meaning to: (2 marks)

a. punishment

b. safety

60. Which person on pages 17-18 and 21-22 (the poem and the article) would you attribute the following to? Justify your answers by quoting one sentence or phrase from the text. Some have been done for you as examples. (10 marks)

A: ‘I’ll swim the Channel for the honour of my country.’

B: ‘I’ve set aside a big sum of money for this award.’

C: ‘I was told to pass on the note to Joe while he was staying with me that

summer.’

D: ‘An official climbing organisation is needed to set good standards for the sport,

and ours will be the first of its kind.’

E: ‘I believe I can overcome the age barrier if I’m willing.’

F: ‘We’ve done it, Jacques!’

Most likely speaker Supporting sentence/phrase

A

B Horace-Benedict de SaussureHorace-Benedict offered an attractive reward for the first person to get to the top of Mont

Blanc

C

D

E

F

END OF PAPER