HKDSE ENG Paper 1 / 1

Paper 1 –Typical Reading Questions

Knowing the question types is the first step to success with Paper 1. These series of articles describe in detail
about 30 most common question types in the Reading exam and the skills to tackle them.

1. Introductory sentence question

Beware of clues hidden in introductory sentences.
Passage:
Read the following magazine article.……………………………………………………………………
Question: Who is the author’s target audience?
A . editors
B: policemen
C: pilots
D. the general public
Comment: Magazine article is, of course, intended for the general public. An introductory sentence can
help you get important information about a message.
Skill: NEVER skip the introductory sentence of a passage. Hiding a clue in the introductory sentence is a
common trick often used by exam writers in public exams. True, the introductory sentence is not part of the
passage, but it is part of the exam! (試卷的每個字都是考驗！:小心「開頭鬼」)

2. Ending words question

Always be alert to clues hidden in ending words.
Passage: Here are some comments extracted from a forum:
A. Who would have thought that a well-respected priest would have sexually assaulted an under-aged girl
in a MTR station? There are bad sheep everywhere. - Big Cat (Kwun Tong)
B. I know of a primary teacher who got four and half years for molesting his students in school. He
deserved the imprisonment. - C.O. (Shatin)
Question 1What type of content does the website feature?
A. fiction
B. poems
C. history
D. comments
Question 2 Where does the writer of message ‘B’ live?
A. MTR
B. school
C. Kwun Tong
D. Shatin
Comment: NEVER skip the ending words of a passage, even if the words are just a name, as in the case of
this example. (:提防「臨尾香」。)
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3. Reference question (1)

Some reference questions require you to find out the nouns to which pronouns refer.
Passage
Roe Morgan was never boring. He encouraged us to aspire to things we possibly hadn’t thought of
doing. He seldom used textbook in his English lessons, but chatted about his travels, wife, football, study
skills and other subjects in which we are interested.
Question
What does ‘us’ refer to in line 33?
Students of Roe Morgan
Comment:What is the antecedent (前述詞) of the pronoun ‘us’? You cannot find it out from the
passage! Read the words preceding ‘us’, but you cannot find anything useful. Read the words that follow
‘us’, you will find the words ‘his English lessons’ to be a useful clue. Roe Morgan is a teacher, and ‘us’
refers to his students.  Don’t just write ‘students’. Write ‘students of Roe Morgan’.
Skill: 有些 pronoun 沒有前述詞，要從上下文(context)理解，通常我們會首先往上文找線索(因為 pronoun
的前述詞通常在 pronoun 的上文出現)，但題目好可能「陰你」，上文根本沒有 pronoun 的前述詞，在
這種情況下，你便要往下文追縱線索，或者從其他角度理解原文(上文或下文)，不要自限於在上文找
前述詞這一招(雖然是應該用的第一招)。不要「獨孤一味」/「懶漢式應試」/「逃避用腦」，做人、
考試、思考都不妨「靈活多變」，最好「機變百出」。

4. Reference question (2)

Passage: Congress is working on the economic recovery package. Environmentalists considers that it is a
pivotal opportunity to invest in green jobs and clean energy infrastructure, which will give our economy a
jump start and invest in the fundamentals of a new, clean energy America. Call Congress today and
tell them to green the economic recovery.
Question:
In the paragraph, ‘them’ refers to …
A. environmentalists
B. opportunity
C. Congress
D. Americans
Comment: The pronoun ‘them’ can be used to refer to (individual members of) an organization. Option A
and Option D are two distracters which are in plural.
Skill: 這一題考的其實是你是否懂得 Congress(國會)可以是單數(指國會)也可以是眾數(指國會各議員)。
若你根據簡單的 skill，認為 them 是眾數代名詞，所以只能代表在形式上是眾數的 A. environmentalists
或者 D. Americans，你這樣就錯了，因為文義明顯表示 them 指 Congress，而 Congress 可以是眾數，
Congress 才是對的選項。3 和 4 都是「陰濕」題。所謂防人之心不可無，不要以為出題老師是茹素
的善男信女！
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5. Elimination question
You may need to use elimination (排除法) to tackle some questions, especially those which require you to
choose an option ‘which is NOT’.
As a therapist, I think that the most helpful coping method is simply reassurance. Reassure yourself that
you will be OK and that you can tolerate the feelings you are experiencing.
Few things in life (if any) are permanent. This includes the stressor you are experiencing.
Remembering that the moment will eventually pass can be profoundly helpful.
Besides, be honest with yourself and search the actual source of your anxiety.
Then, take action to solve the problem. Unfortunately, not all problems are solvable. Learning to manage
uncertainty and lack of control is another important part of coping and treatment.
Lastly, learning some quick relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing and mediation, can be great ways
to cope with anxiety.
Question
According to the article, there are several ways to cope with anxiety. Which of the following is NOT
mentioned?
A. Reassure yourself
B. Identify the source
C. Talk to someone
D. Remember it will pass
Comment: In order to answer this question, you need to look at all paragraphs to find out what was NOT
mentioned.
Eliminate Option A (Reassure yourself). It is obviously a distractor because the passage contains exactly the
same words ‘Reassure yourself’ in paragraph 1.
‘Identify the source’ in Option B is paraphrased from ‘search the actual source of your anxiety’, and you can
rule it out.
Option C is a reasonable way to cope with anxiety but it is NOT mentioned in the article.
You may have chosen Option D (Remember it will pass), which is in fact a distractor if you pay attention to
this sentence in Paragraph 2: ‘Remembering that the moment will eventually pass can beprofoundly helpful.’
Skill: (1) 用排除法答 which of the following is NOT 的題目時，留意有些選項可能從原文改寫，即按照
原文仍是對的，所以要排除。(2) 如果文中沒有提及，即使選項看來「合理」或「符合常識」，也不
要選。
6. Idiomatic usage question
Passage: We are organising a donation to the Salvation Army. They are interested in receiving the
following items, which will then be sent to families in need:
 books;
 shoes; and
 electrical equipment.
Should you have items to donate, please bring them to Mary Lee. Alternatively, do you have a blog or do
you know of cool ways to help us spread the word?
Question: In the above passage, ‘the word’ refers to…
A. the Salvation Army. B. news of the donation. C. books. D. a blog.
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Comment 1: The idiom ‘spread the word’ means ‘tell people about something’. Here ‘spread the word’
means ‘spread news of the donation’.
Comment 2: Paper 1 總有一些有關習語(idiom)的題目。認識習語既有助閱讀理解，亦有助寫作表達，
有些習語也有趣。例 1：如 We are not on the same wavelength (我地「唔對嘴形」／話不投機)。例 2：
She is full of beans (佢好似「上左鏈」／生龍活虎)。例 3：She is riding for a fall if she keeps talking to her
boss so rudely. (如果她和主管說話時老是這樣無禮，她是在「撩鬼攞命」／自討苦吃)。例 4：You
are dicing with death when you abuse drugs. (你濫用藥物是在「玩命」／冒生命危險)。例 5：The tuition
schooljumped the gun by enrolling students on some courses before they got a license. (補習學校還未取得
執照就「偷步」／違規搶先為部分課程收生)。

7. Global question (1) – specific information

Passage:
Beijing has in many people’s eyes leap-frogged New York and London both: it’s grittier, has more
character, and now has a financial district of its own. It has a high culture that other cities lack and has more
rock music than – well, all you need to say is that it has rock music.
But I’ve always been a big believer that Hong Kong is so sui generis that it would overcome anything fate
could throw at it.
It certainly seemed unlikely that a city like Shanghai that is both literally and figuratively built on sand
could overtake it in terms of its finance industry or general international standing any time soon. The fact
that it has managed to rise again from the ashes of the Asian financial crisis and SARS seemed to prove the
point, as did the Shanghai corruption scandal last year.
Question:
Name five cities mentioned in the article.
Comment: A global question requires you to locate specific information in a whole passage. This question
states expressly what it requires you to locate (five city names). This is straight-forward because you know
what city names are! However, you have to search such city names from a long paragraph or from the
whole passage. This is the challenge.
Skill: Move your eyeballs to scan the passage globally for anything which looks like a city name! : The
exam writer trades length for your marks (長得令你難找，用長度換你的分數。)
Familiarize yourselves with exam writers’ requirements:
‘In line 3’ means all that you need to read is line 3 only, e.g. a vocabulary question.
‘In paragraph 3’ means you need to read a whole paragraph. ‘In message C’, means you need to read a
message, usually of several lines. ‘In the article’, ‘in the passage’ and ‘in the poem’ requires you to scan the
whole article/passage/poem to locate some specific information.
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8. Global question (2) – non-specific information

Passage:
As a teacher, I seldom yell at my students, no more than a few times in the last ten years. This is because I
do not think that yelling can get my students to behave better. Instead, yelling at kids is abuse. Frequent
yelling at kids can have traumatic effect and can damage them. That is what I experienced when I was
a student. Disobedience is the behavior which most provokes me to yell. Nevertheless, I immediately
regretted it after I yelled at a disobedience student last year.
Question:
Based on the information given, what type of relationship does the writer have with his teacher?
A. His teacher never yelled at him.
B. His teacher seldom yelled at him.
C. His teacher frequently yelled at him.
D. His teacher sometimes yelled at him.
Comment: Some questions require you to locate non-specific information in a whole article or several
paragraphs to determine which option is correct. After reading the question, you may not know exactly what
information you need to locate, but the word ‘yell’ (which appears in all four options) is a clue. Look for the
word ‘yell’ or its synonyms/related words in the passage. (第 7 和 8 例都要你在較長的數段甚至整篇文章
找資料，而要你找的資料有些是很明確的(例如第 7 例的找城市名稱)，但有些問題會要求你找並不明
確的資料(例如第 8 例)，即是說，你看了題目卻難以肯定要找甚麽，對這種題目，只能在題目找出
keyword，然後在文中找相同或近義的詞，若仍未能得到答案，看前句和後句。)
Skill 1: To tackle a non-specific information question, (i) identify the key word/expression in the question,
and (ii) locate it or its synonym in the passage.
Skill 2: A sentence like ‘That is what I experienced when I was a student’ may not give you a complete idea
by itself. Read the preceding or succeeding one or two sentences, or both.

9. ‘Best describes’ question

Text: Read the following school newsletter and then answer all questions.… I want to imagine what I would
have said if I had seen the student’s father one day earlier ...
Question: Which of the following best describes the author’s job?
A. education B. performing arts C. journalism D. catering
Comment: ‘Best describes’ questions require you to (1) identify an option which relates mostly closely to a
salient point in a passage, and (2) make simple inferences. The clues ‘school’ and ‘student’ are more
closely associated with/related to the option ‘education’ than with other options. (1. 看了題目 Which of the
following best describes the author’s job?，你是否仍不太肯定你要在 passage 找些甚麽資料來選擇正確
答案？拆解方法：你要先看題目的四個選項，然後在 passage 找出某一／某些和選項最相近的突出點，
再用簡單的推論驗證。:「辨認親戚。先從外貎判別，再用 DNA 分析！」2. 這種題目的另一難點是
你要搜索資料的範圍好像遍及整篇文章。下一段也是談這個方法，只是用英文寫出。)
Skill: The above ‘best describes’ question is also a global question, which means a questions requiring you
to search through the whole passage for some unspecified information. To tackle a global ‘best describes’
question, you may (1) read all four options first; (2) skimthe passage (see below for skimming skills); (3) go
back to the options, and identify a likely option based on the general understanding you derive
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from skimming the passage; and (4) think if a reasonable inference can be made between the option and the
words/expressions in the passage.
Examples of related words:
wisdom, insight, intuition, genius, inner knowing, muse, perception (例如選項中有 wisdom 這個字，文中
有 genius 這個字，genius 的上下文便可能包含答案。)
又例如，classroom→teacher，或者：journalist→newspaper，又或者：evidence (證據)→surmise (推測)；
更或者：flash flood(突如其來的洪水)→disaster relief(救災)
Further tips for tackling global questions and making inference:
Use skimming to identify main ideas. (讀頭句、尾句，每段頭幾個字，目的是找出全文的主旨).
Use scanning to find specific words/phrases/numbers (移動眼球「掃」過全文) to gain a general
impression. Then, when you see four options in a question, you can (i) first guess/determine the option likely
to be correct, and, if you are not sure, (ii) locate the relevant expression (or its related words) in the article
to verify your preliminary guess.

10.Rewriting question
Question: Who are the three individuals mentioned in the poem?
Poem: The Little Boy Found (←poem title, always read it. It gives you an idea on what the poem is
about.) I was lost in the lonely fen (沼澤)
Led by the wandering light,
Began to cry; but my father, ever high,
Appeared in white. He kissed me and by the hand led
And to my mother brought,
Who in sorrow pale, through the lonely dale,
Her little boy weeping sought. WILLIAM BLAKE (name of poet)
Answer:
William Blake, his father and mother.
Comment: ‘Individuals’ means ‘persons’.  Find out three persons. Persons are usually personal
nouns.  Find out all personal nouns. They are ‘I’, ‘my father’, ‘my mother’, ‘little boy’ and
‘William Blake’. ‘Her little boy’ refers to ‘I’. ‘William Blake’ also refers to ‘I’. The three persons are
‘I’, ‘my father’, and ‘my mother’.
Skill 1: Before scanning a long passage, decide what you are required to find, e.g. several nouns, adjectives,
verbs, phrasal verbs, etc.
Skill 2: Answer sensibly and grammatically. Rewrite if necessary. Don’t blindly copy ‘I’, ‘my father’, and
‘my mother’. ‘I’ refer to ‘William Blake’. William Blake’s father is not your father! Therefore, change ‘my
father’ and ‘my mother’ to ‘his father’ and ‘his mother’.
Attention: The most important clue ‘William Blake’ is given only in thelast two words. (: 收尾鬼)
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11.Style question
Passage:… Well, why not? The boss needs someone to yell at, doesn’t he? OK, let’s do it a different
way ...Singapore? Hah! Tolerant, unfettered Singapore, yeah, right.
Question: The style of this article is
A. ultramodern.
B. old-fashioned.
C. formal.
D. informal.
Comment: ‘Ultramodern’ is the option which is most unlikely correct. (What is ‘ultramodern’!? Such
ill-defined word cannot be the right option.) And ‘OK’, ‘Hah’, ‘yeah’ and ’right’ cannot be ‘old-fashioned’
or ‘formal’ style.
Skill 1: See ‘big’ from ‘small’. Understand styles (through simple words/expressions). (:以小見大，以簡
破繁。從單詞和短語辨別 style。)
Skill 2: Elimination method (排除法) is useful in tackling many question types. First eliminate the answer
that seems most unlikely. Then eliminate the second most unlikely, and so on.

12. Inference question (1)

Passage:… The boss needs someone to yell at, doesn’t he? …
Question: According to the passage, the writer and his boss…
A. sometimes disagree.
B. always agree.
C. seldom agree.
D. are in a very harmonious relationship.
Comment: This question tests your inferencing skills. Suppose that you have identified the words ‘needs
someone to yell at’ as a clue. From these words, can you infer that the author and his boss (B) ‘always
agree’ or they have (D) a ‘harmonious relationship’? Of course not! (「老闆要向人大吼」當然不表示雙方
「總是意見相同」或「關係良好」) Can you infer that they (C) ‘seldom agree’? No, because the author does
not say that his boss always or often yells at him (「老闆要向人大吼」只表是老闆會這樣做，沒有說到
做的頻率，所以不表示老闆一定「總是」或「經常」向人大吼，所以不能認為老闆和作者「很少意見
相同」，但可以認為老闆和作者「有時意見不同」，即 A，因為老闆一年向人大吼一次也算「有時意
見不同」). Can you infer that they (A) ‘sometimes disagree’? Yes, because the boss needs someone to yell
at means that the boss does sometimes (but not necessarily often) yell at the author, and that means (A)
‘sometimes disagree’.
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More practice: Ask yourself whether it is reasonable to infer B from A?

To infer B from A Reasonable?Yes/No
To infer ‘agree’ from ‘yell at’ No
To infer ‘disagree’ from ‘yell at’ Yes
To infer ‘respect’ from ‘dignified’ Yes
To infer ‘none’ from ‘ignored’ Yes
To infer ‘scarce’ from ‘shortage’ Yes (留意 scarce (adj)和 shortage (noun) 的詞性
不同，你很容易看走眼。這是題目「陰你」的
方法。如果是 scarcity 和 shortage，題目便較容
易。請看下文的第 13 例，prepared (past
participle)和 readiness (noun)也是詞性不同。)
To infer ‘tiredness from ‘a sweat-drenched Yes
shirt’
To infer ‘she was from ‘when talking to Yes
very her lady-friends,
genteel’ she referred to me
as Mr. Lee’
To infer ‘she was a from ‘the No
beauty’ transformation
improved her
looks’
To infer ‘the author from ‘When called No (The sentence shows that the author does not
loves her upon to enjoy my love his wife. He was called upon (被動) to do it
wife’ promotion from and heexperienced bitternessin doing so, although
lodger to lover, it may or may not be onlybitterness!)
did I experience
only bitterness
and distaste?’

13.Inference question (2)

Passage: Francis Wong included music in his standup show. Once the audience reaches a sufficient state
of readiness, he jumped onto the stage.
Question: Francis Wong included music in his standup show because…A. it attracted more audience.
B. the standup show was part of a concert.
C. the music made the audience reach a state of excitement.
D. the music prepared the audience for his show.
Comment: Always base your choice on information from the text. Never guess the answer from common
sense. Options A and C are reasonable or logically fit, but NOT supported by the text. Option B is NOT
mentioned in the text. You may infer ‘prepared’ from ‘readiness’.
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14.True-false-not stated question

Passage: Questions set off a processional effect that has an impact beyond our imagining. Questioning our
limitations is what tears down the walls – in business, in relationships, between countries. All human
progress is preceded by new questions. What new question could you ask yourself to come up with new
answers that can improve your life today?
Question: Based on the information in the following passage, decide if the following are true (T), false (F)
or not stated (X).
a. Questioning our limitations can tear down the walls. →T
b. All new questions are preceded by human progress. →F (It’s the other way round. 調轉講就對。)
c. A new question can always have a new answer. →X (The message does not state so. 原文沒有這樣說。)
d. The writer encourages the reader to ask himself new questions. →T (The ending question is intended to
encourage reader to ask question.)
e. If we do not ask questions, we cannot improve our life. →X (The message does not state do. 原文沒有
這樣說。)
Comment: If an option which is considered ‘true’ by common sense but is not stated in the passage, it is ‘not
stated’.
Skill: Use the information given and NOT your common sense to tackle true-false-not stated questions.

15.Fill in the blanks with given words

Question:
Complete the following conversation with the words / expressions given.
1. held up
2. How soon
3. are
4. several
A: We have tried ________ different wireless networks, but the results ________ the same.
B: ________ would they be re-tested? A: I’m afraid we are still trying to fix up the problem. I think this
may be ________ for a while.
Answer:
A: We have tried (4) several different wireless networks, but the results (3) are the same.
B: (2) How soon would they be re-tested?
A: I’m afraid we are still trying to fix up the problem. I think this may be held up for a while.
Comment: Is it grammatical to say: We have tried held up (No!) OR We have tried How soon (No!) OR We
have tried are (No!) OR We have tried several…? (Yes!).
Skill: Use grammar knowledge. If an option cannot fit a blank grammatically, don’t consider it. If there are
more than one grammatically correct choice, use the option which can make a sensible answer. (做選填題，
先看填進選項後文法對不對，不對就不用考慮。如在文法上可以接納的選項超過一個，就看哪一個選
項在意義可以接納。)
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16.Fill in the blanks with words searched from a passage

Passage
Since you have two hands, you may wonder which one to use forspeed-reading1. Most people find the left
hand the logical choice for guiding the eyes through text. English text flows from left4 toright5, and from the
top to the bottom of a page. The left hand more efficiently6 follows this pattern than the right hand.
Moreover, this leaves the right hand free for turning7 pages. Since pages in a text turn from right to left, this
is the natural method to use: the left hand guiding2 the eyes, the right hand turning3 the pages.
Question
Here is a slightly different version of the above paragraph. Fill each gap with ONE word.
When we do speed-reading1, we use the left hand to guide2 the eyeballs and the right hand to turn3 the
pages. This is because English text flows from the left4 to the right5, and when we read a page, we read
from the top to the bottom. The left hand can follow this pattern more efficiently6. Besides, the right hand
can turn7pages more efficiently since pages in a text turn from right to left.
Skill 1: The order of answers in fill-in-the-blanks questions are always different from their order in the text,
as shown in the superscript (上角文字). (Passage 有關答題的內容順序，和你要填上的答案順序通常有點
差異，譬如，內文五個點的順序是 ABCDE，但試題裡需要填上的順序可能是 ACDEB，這種鬼叫亂
序鬼)
Skill 2: Rewrite to be grammatical correct (將內文的內容搬到空格時，只有小部分可以照抄，通常要改
一點來符合文法。): (1)guiding the eyes →to guide the eyeballs; (2) turning the pages →to turn the pages;
(3) the right hand free for turning pages →the right hand can turn pages more efficiently.

17.Rephrasing question
Passage: Wages are falling.
Question: People are happy because of __________________________________.
Answer: People are happy because of falling/lower wages.

Passage: I am proud to be Indian.

Question: The writer is proud of ________________________________________.
Answer: The writer is proud of being Indian.

Passage: They met when she was a teenager. They got on well immediately and he asked her
out. They went out together, fell in love, and then got married three years later.
Question: They decided to get married after three years of_______________.
Answer: They decided to get married after three years of going out together.
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Passage:
My name is Michelle. Ever since I was a little girl I’ve wanted a family. I always thought I would be
married with a child by the age of 30. I have a good life and a good career. But now I’m 38 and I’m worried-
I really want a child. Time is running out fast for me. I had a partner for 4 years and we thought we would
marry and start a family. But he fell in love with someone else and we broke up So here I am-nearly 40,
single, and afraid I’ll end up without a family. At the moment I don’t want a man in my life. I think I’m
better alone. But I still want a child. Should I have a baby on my own? I could get pregnant by some
scientific technology. Life would not be easy but I earn enough money and my mother and sister live near
me. They could help with the baby. I talked this over with my friend, Angel. She thinks I’m mad and
accuses me of being selfish. She thinks two parents should bring child up in a family. I know she’s right but
I don’t want to end up growing old alone. And I don’t want to lose out on something I want most in my life.
What should I do? What do you think?
Question:
Complete the questions in this conversation about Michelle. Use each verb in the box in the correct
form. You may need to use a pronoun.
accuse of end up talk over lose out

a. Did Michelle ________ with anyone?

Yes, she discussed it with Angel. And Angel told her that she’s wrong and she’s being selfish.
b. Why did Angel ________ being selfish?
- Because she feels Michelle is thinking about herself more than the baby.
c. So is Michelle afraid of ________ old and lonely?
- That’s right.
d. So is she really going to ________ if she doesn’t have a child?
- Perhaps. She has always wanted a family.
Answer:
a. talk it over (留意原文是 talked this over，現在變成 Did Michelle talk it over。另外，原文是主人翁
角度，所以用 it，你答題時是第三者角度，「這件事」變了「那件事」，所以用 it。)
b. accuse her of (留意原文是 accuses me of，現在變成 Why did Angel accuse her of，和 a 一樣，都是
因為 did 作怪)
c. ending up (留意原文是 end up，給你的答案也是 end up，但因為問題裡有 afraid of，afraid of 的
of 是介系詞，只能接名詞，所以你要將 end up 改成 ending up，即 afraid of ending up)
d. lose out (這條只頇照抄給你的答案，不用改任何東西)

(Adapted from BBC English OK! Phrasal Verbs)

Skill: Rephrase the text to give grammatical answers.
HKDSE ENG Paper 1 / 12

18.Information-picture matching question

Passage:
Football is a very popular competitive team sport. The object of this game is to score more points than the
other team. You can score points various ways like carrying the ball over the goal line, or running with the
ball over the goal line. The ball is an oval shaped ball.
Baseball is played with a bat and a small hard ball. The team with the most points wins the games. Points are
calculated by how many players have crossed home plate.
Basketball is played with a large round ball and a hoop or a basket. The object of this game is to get the ball
into the hoop more times than the other team.
Soccer is played with a ball that is round and big and two goal nets, one on each end of the field. The object
of this game is to score more points than the other team. You score points by kicking the ball into your
opponent's goal net.
Question:Which of the following things are mentioned in the passage? Mark each activity which is
mentioned with a tick (), and a cross if it is not (x).

(x) (note: it is a badminton and bat)(羽毛球和羽毛球拍，但羽毛球拍的英文 bat 不是文中所指的 bat！)

()(note: It is a baseball bat(棒球棍).) (棒球棍才是文中所指的 bat！)

()(note: It is a basketball and a basket.)

HKDSE ENG Paper 1 / 13

()(note: It is a football(橄欖球), the oval-shaped ball mentioned.)

(x)(note: It is a volleyball (排球).)

(x)(note: It is a water polo (水球).)

請再看一次，粗體是提示 (clue)：
Football is a very popular competitive team sport. The object of this game is to score more points than the
other team. You can score points various ways like carrying the ball over the goal line, or running with the
ball over the goal line. The ball is an oval shaped ball.
Baseball is played with a bat and a small hard ball. The team with the most points wins the games. Points
are calculated by how many players have crossed home plate.
Basketball is played with a large round ball and a hoop or a basket. The object of this game is to get the
ball into the hoop more times than the other team.
Soccer is played with a ball that is round and big and two goal nets, one on each end of the field. The object
of this game is to score more points than the other team. You score points by kicking the ball into your
opponent's goal net.

19.Matching
Question:
Match each of the sentences on the right with a suitable response on the left.
1. Let’s give her some water.
2. So do I.
3. Tell me, and if I die laughing, I’ll forgive you.
4. Yes, I’m going to make two.
5. There are many mosquitoes here
6. It’s water. It always runs from a tap.
7. Exactly.
A. Damn! I’ve been bitten again.
B. The old woman is thirsty.
C. What runs but never walks?
D. Everyone should be inquisitive.
E. Are you going to make any birthday wish Jenny?
F. I like Chrissie Chow.
G. I have a joke which will make you laugh your
head off.
HKDSE ENG Paper 1 / 14

Skill: This question is a bit tricky because it places the response first (on the left). Therefore, after you notice
the examiner’s trick, you should read the sentences on the right first and select a suitable response on the left.
Here are some tips for tackling matching-type questions. (這一條陰你的地方是將對話的回應放先，即將
回應放到左邊。如你能在配對時發覺這點，你應改變戰略，先看右邊，再為右邊的每題在左邊找配對。)
(1) Look for the same words (or inflexions) on both sides,
e.g. make→make; runs→runs;laugh→laughing. (找相同的字和字的變形) (2) Look for related words on
both sides, e.g. thirsty→water; mosquitoes→been bitten(搜索相關字) (3) Look for grammatical matches,
e.g. I like Chrissie Chow.→So do I. (看穿文法姻緣) (4) Look for matches that make sense, e.g. I Everyone
should be inquisitive .→Exactly. (精靈鬼)
請再看一次，粗體是提示 (clue)：
Match each of the sentences on the right with a suitable response on the left.
1. Let’s give her some water. A. Damn! I’ve been bittenagain.
2. So do I. B. The old woman is thirsty.
3. Tell me, and if I die laughing, I’ll forgive you. C. What runs but never walks?
4. Yes, I’m going to make two. D. Everyone should be inquisitive.
5. There are many mosquitoeshere E. Are you going to make any birthday wish Jenny?
6. It’s water. It always runs from a tap. F. I like Chrissie Chow.
7. Exactly. G. I have a joke which will make you laugh your
head off.
Answer key: 1.(B); 2.(F); 3.(G); 4.(E); 5.(A); 6.(C); 7.(D)

20.Poem related-word question

Question:
What is the relationship of the two main characters of the poem?
Poem:Infant Joy‘I have no name:
I am but two days old.’
What shall I call thee?
‘I happy am,
Joy is my name.’
Friends are we. Sweet joy befalls thee! WILLIAM BLAKE
Answer: They are friends.
Comment: You cannot find the words ‘relationship’ and ‘characters’ in the poem. But the word ‘friends’ is a
word related to the word ‘relationship’. Skill: If you cannot find the question words in the text/poem, look
for a related word.
HKDSE ENG Paper 1 / 15

21.Chronological question
Poem:Nurse's Song
When the voices of children are heard on the green
And laughing is heard on the hill,
My heart is at rest within my breast
And everything else is still.
``Then come home, my children, the sun is gone down
And the dews of night arise;
Come, come, leave off play, and let us away
Till the morning appears in the skies.''
``No, no, let us play, for it is yet day
And we cannot go to sleep;
Besides, in the sky the little birds fly
And the hills are all covered with sheep.''
``Well, well, go & play till the light fades away
And then go home to bed.''
The little ones leaped & shouted & laughed
And all the hills echoed.
WILLIAM BLAKE
Q: Number the following items in chronological order.
__ The children shouted and the hills echoed.
__ The nurse asked the children to go home.
__ The children said it was yet day.
__ The nurse heard the children’s voices and felt peacefully.
__ The children went to bed.
Answer:
4 The children shouted and the hills echoed.
2 The nurse asked the children to go home.
3 The children said it was yet day.
1 The nurse heard the children’s voices and felt peaceful.
5 The children went to bed.
Comment: Either the events are not arranged in chorological order in the text itself, or the events are printed
in a wrong order in the question and you are asked to rearrange them. (做時序題，你要心中有數：(1)原文
裡事件的時序可能是顛倒的(例如先說生下孩子才說一男一女如何認識)，(2)問題裡事件的時序被顛倒
排列) (:顛倒八門陣)
HKDSE ENG Paper 1 / 16

22.Chronological question
Poem:
Nurse's Song

When the voices of children are heard on the green

And laughing is heard on the hill,
My heart is at rest within my breast
And everything else is still.
``Then come home, my children, the sun is gone down
And the dews of night arise;
Come, come, leave off play, and let us away
Till the morning appears in the skies.''
``No, no, let us play, for it is yet day
And we cannot go to sleep;
Besides, in the sky the little birds fly
And the hills are all covered with sheep.''
``Well, well, go & play till the light fades away
And then go home to bed.''
The little ones leaped & shouted & laughed
And all the hills echoed.
WILLIAM BLAKE

Question:
What is the tone of the poem?
A. joyful
B. disparaging (輕蔑的)
C. regretful
D. depressed
Skill: To answer a general comprehension question, (i) scan the text (if you haven’t) to get the gist from the
reading material; and (ii) answer the question based on the general sense you get from scanning.
HKDSE ENG Paper 1 / 17

23.‘What does it mean’ questions

Poem:
Nurse's Song
When the voices of children are heard on the green
And laughing is heard on the hill,
My heart is at rest within my breast
And everything else is still.
``Then come home, my children, the sun is gone down
And the dews of night arise;
Come, come, leave off play, and let us away
Till the morning appears in the skies.''
``No, no, let us play, for it is yet day
And we cannot go to sleep;
Besides, in the sky the little birds fly
And the hills are all covered with sheep.''
``Well, well, go & play till the light fades away
And then go home to bed.''
The little ones leaped & shouted & laughed
And all the hills echoed. WILLIAM BLAKE

Question:
Refer to the poem, what does ‘at rest’ in line 2 mean?
A. death
B. at ease
C. worrying
D. not doing anything
Comment: If you do not know the meaning of ‘at rest’, try to guess it from the context. Read the preceding
or succeeding lines / words. The line reads: ‘My heart is at rest within my breast’. Refer to the options. It
doesn’t seem like the poet is dead (A) (because he then said ‘Then come home, my children’ in line 5), or
worrying (C) (because he wrote ‘laughing is heard’ in line 2 and ‘the little ones (children) leaped and
shouted and laughed’ in line 15) or not doing anything (D) (because he asked the children to go home in line
5). If the poet’s heart is at rest, he is likely to be at ease (B).
Skill: Tackle ‘what does it mean’ questions by guessing contextual meanings from the three lines preceding
and following, or even from lines further away.
HKDSE ENG Paper 1 / 18

因為考評局傾向在 HKDSE 出「詩題」，所以上數輯都是有關詩的題目，現在談談讀詩題要注意的三

點，其中，第(1)和(3)點是考評局的「陰濕點」 (將答題資料放在最不起眼和看似無關的地方，例如開
頭和結尾。這種手法不單用在「詩題」，在 blog 的節錄等也如此；在 data file 有時又會「陰濕地」將
較多資料不成比例地放在最短的一個部分。)。
Below are three points of attention in reading an exam poem and answering the questions on it.

To tackle poem questions, (1) pay attention to the poem title, which will give you an idea regarding what the
poem is about; (2) pay attention to the poet’s name, which usually appears after the poem, since some
questions may be set on it; (3) know when to pause in your reading. See below.
How to read a poem
1. Read the title of the poem (usually printed at the beginning of the poem).
2. Don’t stop your reading by the line. Identify the sentences and independent clauses by stopping
your reading at the periods, exclamation points, question marks, and semicolons.
For example, when you read the following verse (詩節), don’t just stop after finishing ‘I was lost in the
lonely fen (沼澤)’, but read the following as a unit: ‘I was lost in the lonely fen (沼澤) - Led by the
wandering light, - Began to cry;’ (i.e. read until you reach the semi-colon (;)); and then read ‘but my father,
ever high, Appeared in white’ (i.e. read until you reach the full-stop (.)) as a unit.
I was lost in the lonely fen (沼澤)
Led by the wandering light,
Began to cry; but my father, ever high,
Appeared in white.
3. Read the name of the poet (usually printed at the bottom of the poem)