HONG KONG DIPLOMA OF SECONDARY EDUCATION EXAMINATION
English Language Paper 1
Sample Paper
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Reading Passages
INSTRUCTIONS
Write all your answers in the Question-Answer Book.
2.
DO NOT write any answers in this booklet because they will not be marked.
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Part A- This is the compulsory part. Answer all questions in this part.
Read the following article and then answer questions 1-38 on pages 2-6 of the Question-Answer
Book.
(56 marks)
Switching Bodies
45 [4] The Anna-Tess conflict comes at full blast
when the family spend the night at a Chinese
restaurant, where Anna reveals she wants to
miss her mother’s rehearsal dinner so her band
can play at a competition that could be their
50 big chance. This leads to a heated argument,
overheard by a small Chinese woman who
encourages the pair to take a couple of fortune
cookies that forces them into each other’s body.
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children might hear themselves say ,”If
they’re like this now, what will they be like as
teenagers?” Generally, it is a commonly-held
5 view among adults that adolescence is something
nasty which happens to young people. This
image is, of course, newsworthy, and the mass
media – when they are not milking teenagers for
their money – thrive on portraying ‘rebellious
10 youth’ with its drug-taking, promiscuity and
hooliganism. To make matter worse, by the
time a family reaches its teen years, with all
the prospective pains of adjustment, parents
are usually moving towards their own identity
15 problems within their ‘mid-life crises’.
band Anna’s in, which her mother dislikes and
Tess’s upcoming wedding to a man named
Ryan, which Anna is not ready for emotionally.
40 Anna lives a life that has been completely
m i s r e a d b y h e r m o t h e r, w h o , a s a b u s y
psychiatrist with an overwhelming number
of patients, seems to have lost touch with her
daughter and her needs.
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[1] On an ‘off’ day, many parents of young
[2] Despite the fact that many a family lives
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through the teen years with harmony, there is no
doubt that there can be periods of considerable
conflict between the two generations, peaking at
20 the age of 15 among girls and tending to be at its
most prominent at 17 and older with boys. The
areas of most frequent disagreement seem to be
those of dress, hairstyle, and the time of coming
in at night. Research indicates that conflict seems
25 more likely in autocratic and lax families than
in democratic ones, where at least the attempt is
made to come to a reasonable compromise on
appearance and time-keeping.
[3] How can the so-called ‘generation gap’
30 be filled up? One solution is empathy, that is
trying to see from the other’s perspective. A
vivid illustration of this is a film called ‘Freaky
Friday’, which depicts a typical parent-teenager
relationship. This time, Anna, a rebellious
35 teenager, and her stuffy mother Tess, don’t get
along. The main source of irritation is a rock
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[5] After their bodies have been switched, Anna
55 and Tess are forced into each other’s roles and
experience the other’s real-life situations. At
lunch, the two go to the restaurant and talk to
Pei-Pei, the daughter of the woman that gave
them the fortune cookies. Furious at her mother’s
60 meddling but unable to directly help them, PeiPei advises them to read the fortunes in the
cookies, as when the fortunes come true, they
will swap back. The fortunes says, “A journey
soon begins, its prize reflected in another’s
65 eyes. When what you see is what you lack, then
selfless love will change you back.”
[6] The theme emerges when Anna and Tess
are forced to walk a day in each other’s shoes
and start seeing the world in each other’s eyes
70 – literally. The mother discovers that being a
teenager isn’t as easy as it once was, and the
daughter decides that being a single mother isn’t
a piece of cake she thought it would be.
[7] The film comes to the climax when Tess asks
a realization of selfless love. And the way
to achieve this is trying to see from the other’s
perspective. The fortunes has made it clear:
85 It takes a journey, not an outward one but an
inward journey to reflect one’s thinking and
doing. The prize of such a journey is gaining
the ability to see in another’s perspective. Only
empathy and selfless love can put an end to all
90 conflicts and restore harmony. After all, what so
many conflicting parent – teenager relationships
need is a body-swapping experience.
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75 Anna to have Ryan postpone the wedding, so
that Anna won’t have to go through marrying
him in her mother ’s body. Instead, Anna
proposes a toast where she accepts Ryan. There
is an earthquake and Anna and Tess switch back
80 into their own bodies.
[8] Obviously the spell must be broken by
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Part B- Answer EITHER Section 1 (easier) OR Section 2 (more difficult).
Section 1
A Teen Website has posted what teens speak out about their parents. Read the stories below and
answer questions 39 – 56 on pages 7-10 of the Question – Answer book.
(46 marks) Parent-Teen Relationship
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Among all types of relationship, parent-child relationship is definitely one of the most precious
and important one. Like it or not, your parents are going to be a part of your life for a long
time. Ten years from now, your friends won’t be around. They’ll go their separate ways. Not so
with your parents. The fact is that you’ll probably live with one or both of them until you’re 18
or 19, and then, depending on the nature of your relationship, they will either be a great source
of support or a real pain in the rear for the next several decades. Below are seven teenagers
who share their experiences with their parents and let’s see what kind of parents they have.
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A.
When I was small, my father was really nice and stuff, but not anymore. I have one little brother and an
older sister. My sister and I are just one year apart. My father always compares me with my sister. My sister
10 is really smart. He always tells me, “You’re not capable enough. Why can’t you be more like your sister?”
He tells me I’m not university material. But it’s fine. I’m sort of used to it. Last week, when we were at my
grandma’s house, my father said to my uncle, “Susan looks like me, but her brain doesn’t look like mine, her
sister’s does, “My father’s forehead protrudes a little bit and so does my sister. He always says that people
with bigger foreheads are more intelligent. I’m really disheartened. I doubt whether my father loves me or
15 not.
Susan, 15
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My parents constantly rag on me. I can’t seem to do anything right. Me and my dad don’t see eye to eye. He
thinks that I could do better in school even though I got six As and two Cs. He is still not satisfied with it. I
call this the never-satisfied syndrome. All he could say to me was, “Get your grades up.” It seems he’s blind
to my merits. This really made me mad. I tried to point out all the good stuff I was doing but he turned a deaf
20 ear to my words. I really want them to be proud of me, but I can’t seem to satisfy them. I feel disappointed.
Eric, 16
C.
When I was young, my parents embarrassed me so badly that I tried to look for a hole to hide myself in. I
was born In Italy, where my mom picked up on some Italian traditions. On each Parent’s Day she would
show up at my school with her big hair and a big dish of Italian pizza. While delivering the pizza to other
parents, she would sing a medley of Italian folk songs in her operatic voice. My teachers and classmates
25 always got a big kick out of it. But I found the situation very embarrassing. I hid under my desk—dying! My
dad was even more embarrassing. Once we went to a movie together, and when he got tired, he’d wad up his
coat for a pillow and take a nap in the aisle. Oh, Jesus! How embarrassed I was when his snoring got louder
and louder!
Steve, 15
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D.
My growing up was full of negative messages from my parents. I was not allowed to do this or that, and the
30 word I heard most was “NO”. When I was small, I was not allowed to watch the Superman TV show because
it was too violent. When I started schooling, my mom escorted me every school day. At 13, I was not allowed
to go out alone. When I finally got the right to go out with my friends, my parents always wanted to know
exactly where I had been and whom I had been with. They even set a strict curfew for me—not allowed to go
out after dinner. Worst of all, they were nosy and didn’t respect my privacy. I felt frustrated because they
35 didn’t trust me. I would rather have parents who ignore me then parents who are overprotective.
Peter, 18
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My parents didn’t get along so well. When I was thirteen, my parents had been picking at each other. I
remember I was always awakened by the sound of my mother yelling at my father. They fought a lot and had
a lot of arguments. Though they made up usually, it scared me anyway. Things get worse when you add a
little alcohol to the mix. My father started drinking. Perhaps he was not happy with mum always arguing with
40 him and insulting him before the children. One night while I was sleeping, I heard mother yell something
about “Don’t you leave without saying goodbye to the kids.” I was completely shocked as my father left the
house without uttering a word. I cried most of the night and was in a daze the next day at school. But, when
I came home, my dad was back. He explained that he just needed some time and space to think. I think my
mum did, too.
Kitty, 17
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45 The day before my senior year in high school, everything changed. I came home from school to discover that
my dad had left my mum and me. The note he left read “That’s the way it goes. Bye.” I knew for sure that
“the way”he meant was a long period of arguments and fighting between he and mum, and it finally led to
their divorce. It made me feel like something was missing. I didn’t realize it was the divorce that was causing
that feeling. I was frustrated, mad, and sad for a long time, but I eventually got used to the idea. I realized
50 that I wouldn’t want them to be together if they weren’t happy. I felt alone because I didn’t think other people
understood what I was going through. At first, I was really mad at my big brother who chose to live with my
dad. I regret holding that against him because now we are practically best friends. All in all just try to make
the best of it and take it one day at a time.
Lindsey, 17
G.
I was a rotten teenager. Not that spoiled type, but a manipulative, lying, acid-tongued monster, who could
55 make things go my way. However, for the most part, and on the outside, I was a good kid, a giggly, pug-nose
tomboy who liked to play sports and who thrived on competition. Since I was perceptive enough to get some
people to bend my way, it amazes me how long it took to realize how I was hurting so many others. I also
managed to sabotage, time and time again, the most precious relationship in my life: my relationship with
my mother. Even today, almost 5 years since the birth of the new me, my former behaviour astonishes me
60 each time I reach into my memories. Hurtful comments that cut and stung the people I cared most about.
Acts of rebellion and anger that seemed to rule my every move – all to make sure that things went my way.
Yet despite all those, what I now call, “bulldozer behaviour tactics”, my mother still stays close to me, she
still loves me, regardless of what I have done. This is my first encounter with unconditional love, and I feel
grateful to her.
Sarah, 18
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Section 2
Read the following poem by L.Raine and the article and then answer questions 57-76 on pages 11-14
of the Question-Answer Book. (50marks)
Will You Listen
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Mum and dad why don’t you listen to me?
When I ask you to lend me your ears
you start giving me advice.
When I ask you to listen to me,
you turn a deaf ear to my words.
When I ask you to empathize with me,
you just tramp on my feelings
and tell me I shouldn’t feel that way.
Mum and dad you have failed me and
have me grounded plus
no Saturday match, no computer games,
no phone calls, no pocket money
and no way to have your mind changed.
Mum and dad will you be all ears?
Don’t talk or nag—just hear me.
All I ask is that you listen.
Advice is nonsense, for it’s for your good
but not for mine;
it’s cheap, for 20 cents will get
you both Ann Landers and Dr Solve-It-All
in the same newspaper.
Mum and dad don’t you trust me?
I’m not powerless nor helpless,
I can do for myself.
When you do something for me that
I can do for myself,
you make me fear and feel inadequate.
Mum and dad will you accept that
I feel what I feel
regardless how irrational it may be?
Stop trying to convince me how bad
my behaviours are;
what I prize is understanding not reprimanding.
Mum and dad will you listen to me,
just as God does to our sincere prayers?
A silent listener who doesn’t give advice
or try to fix things;
He just listens and lets you
work it out for yourself.
So please listen,
and make me feel loved.
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L.Raine
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Staying Connected
crashing sounds, Nisha Kadir went to check on
her 14-year-old son, Irfan. Not finding him in
his room, she looked out of the window and was
5 surprised to find him sitting precariously on a
ledge atop their three-storey house in Singapore.
For the past few months, Irfan had been withdrawn
and silent, and his grades had been dipping despite
extensive tuition classes. “I don’t know where I’ve
10 gone wrong, but he has become a total stranger to
me.” Says Nisha.
[2] Like Nisha, many parents feel helpless when
[5] “There is a ‘pull-push’ factor for parent-
teen relations,” says Carol Balhetchet, the
director of the Youth Services at the Singapore
45 Children’s Society. “Teens who grow up with
family problems tend to push their parents out
of their lives and gravitate towards the pull of
their friends.” According to Gordon Neufeld,
a Canadian developmental psychologist, these
50 teens become peer-oriented. “They become
more difficult to parent, harder to teach, more
aggressive, less mature and emotionally
hardened,” says Neufeld.
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their teenager refuses to fall into line. Alternating
between hostility and sullen silence, the teen may
15 frustrate all attempts at communication. Even socalled“good” teenagers may disengage from their
parents and develop a separate life with their allimportant friends. As such, many parents give up
trying to stay close.
secondary school and fewer conflicts in the teen’s
personal relationships. Teens who feel insecure
in their connection to their parents have a higher
40 risk of drug abuse, aggressive and delinquent
behaviour—even suicide.
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[1] Awakened one night last year by strange
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20 [3] “That could have damaging results.” says
Mumbai psychiatrist Dayal Mirchandani. “When
the parents withdraw prematurely, the child
withdraws even further, and the bond between
them is weakened.”
25 [4] But isn’t it natural and healthy for teens to
pull away from their families? Apparently not.
New research suggests that teenage children need
their parents as much as younger children do,
especially during the vulnerable 13-to-16 years.
30 The National Longitudinal Study on Adolescent
Health concluded that being “connected” to
family members protects teens against high-risk
behaviours like unprotected sex and drug use.
Other documented benefits of a strong parent-teen
35 connection include fewer weight-related concerns
and eating disorders, a smoother transition to
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[6] So how do parents stay connected to a teen
55 who seems to crave nothing but distance from
them? Here are some strategies that parents and
parenting experts have found to bring parents and
teens closer together:
[7] Fix the relationship first—Chan Kam Weng,
60 the father of five was livid when his telephone
bill soared to $200 one month. He had found that
his son, the 17, had been making long midnight
telephone calls to a girlfriend. Afraid that his
lack of attention had led his son to mix with the
65 wrong crowd, Chan had a serious talk with his
son and made him realize that his calls would
cost so much. His son started reducing them
after the hearty talk.” Our privileged children
have no inkling of their parents’ hardships. ”says
70 Balhechet. “In the rush for a better life, many
parents forget their children need their guidance
and time.”
[8] Maintain family rituals—Family rituals such
[10] Learn to compromise—Teoh Hsien-Jin, a
as eating dinner together shouldn’t end when the
75 child reaches13, says C.J.John, the head of the
department of mental health at the Medical Trust
Hospital in Kochi, India. “Rituals help in bonding
and providing a sense of security,” he says. A
caveat: “Time spent with family can be much
80 more rewarding if it’s understood that arguing is
not allowed,” says psychiatrist Mirchandani.
consultant clinical psychologists said he had a
90 client who complained that her 17-year-old didn’t
talk to her any more because she wouldn’t let
him use her car. “Saying ‘no’ only strengthens
his desire to drive. Why not get him professional
driving lessons so he knows the safety rules,” says
95 Teoh. Compromising helps parents determine and
tackle the real problem so it doesn’t get entangled
with other emotional issues.
[9] Find common ground—when asked how she
[11] It took a long talk to help Nisha and her son
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to unlock their horns. “Irfan and I are closer
100 now.” says Nisha. “He saw that I was really
concerned about him and was ready to listen to his
problems.”
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stays connected to her two teenage children, Nasha
Abdullah, a travel agent from Kuala Lumpur says,
85 “We never got disconnected in the first place. I
always try to bond with them through a common
interest. Music is one that serves as a bridge.”
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END OF READING PASSAGES
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