Complete Exam Practice for AS Use of English (Third Edition) SET 1 SECTION B

ANSWER KEY

Set 1
Question 1 Model answer
Hong Kong is a small city with a huge population. Over seven million people live in a small piece of land of approximately 1,000 square kilometres. The Government has been reclaiming Victoria Harbour to create more land since the early 1900s. Most of the land on the northern side of Hong Kong Island from Causeway Bay to Sheung Wan has been reclaimed from the harbour. Some people complain that although there are many benefits to reclamation, the damage that has been done is irreversible. In this article, I will examine both sides of the issue. The first benefit from reclaiming the harbour is that there can be more land for parks and recreation purposes. Citizens living on east Hong Kong Island can enjoy and relax in Quarry Bay Park, Tai Koo Shing. Tourists and locals alike can admire the beautiful skyline of Central and Wan Chai as they walk along the waterfront promenade from Tsim Sha Tsui Star Ferry Pier to Hung Hom. All of these would have been impossible without the reclamation of the Victoria Harbour. The second benefit from reclaiming the harbour is that there can be more land for landmark buildings. Without landmark buildings in prominent locations in the city centre, the Pearl of the Orient would surely lose its lustre. Both Hong Kongs tallest office building, IFC2 in Central, and the tallest residential building The Waterfront in Tsim Sha Tsui, are built on land reclaimed from Victoria Harbour. With these and other landmark buildings along the harbour, Hong Kong attracts millions of tourists to admire its spectacular skyline. Now that I have looked at the arguments for reclaiming land from Victoria Harbour, I will examine the arguments against it. These involve water traffic in the harbour and the destruction of Hong Kongs heritage. The first drawback of reclaiming land from the harbour is that it makes water traffic in the harbour more dangerous. Even though ships and ferries travel slowly through the harbour, reclamation has made the water so rough that many passengers experience nausea and discomfort. Theres also an increased risk of accidents and collisions for boats in the harbour. The second drawback of reclaiming the harbour is that it destroys Hong Kongs cultural and natural heritage. Hong Kong obtained its Chinese name Fragrant Harbour because of the beauty of Victoria Harbour. If land is continually being reclaimed from the harbour, we will soon lose our most important asset. If the Governments proposals are passed, Victoria Harbour will become Victoria Channel. Just like Sheung Wan and Causeway Bay, the water from Kowloon Bay to Hung Hom will be reclaimed, making the harbour long and narrow. The issue of reclaiming Victoria Harbour has both supporters and critics. Supporters believe that reclamation projects will create land for parks and landmark buildings. Critics argue that the sea will be more dangerous and Hong Kongs cultural and natural heritage will be destroyed. After examining both sides of the issue, I personally have to agree with the critics. I believe that reclamation projects in Victoria Harbour should at least be minimised, if not completely suspended.

SET 1 SECTION B

Complete Exam Practice for AS Use of English (Third Edition) SET 1 SECTION B

ANSWER KEY

Question 2 Model answer

The Education and Manpower Bureau has introduced a number of changes to primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong. Not only are teachers and school administrators frustrated by the changes, many parents are unhappy too, particularly about those relating to the medium of instruction. Consequently, they have opted to send their children to international schools rather than Government schools. In my opinion, this trend is not beneficial to society, parents and students. The first disadvantage of this frend is that the competition for school places is becoming keener. There are approximately forty thousand international school places for primary and secondary students in Hong Kong. However, many corporations are finding it difficult to secure places for the children of their expatriate staff. This is because many of these places are being taken by local children who are returnees from foreign countries or whose parents distrust the education provided by local schools. The second disadvantage is that local parents have to pay high tuition fees for their children to attend international schools. The school fees range from six to twelve thousand Hong Kong dollars per month, which is very expensive. Besides, parents also have to pay for the extra-curricular activities and study trips, usually to overseas countries, that students in international schools participate in. This really gives the parents a huge financial burden. The third disadvantage is that local students may have a difficult time adapting. They have to use English in their lessons but their English may not be good enough. If they do not speak English at home, they may have difficulty communicating with their teachers and other students at school. Chinese students may form cliques and talk to each other in Cantonese. As international schools do not teach English grammar and vocabulary the way local schools do, Chinese students may not get the opportunity to study English intensively in school. At the same time, they may not receive adequate instruction in Chinese subjects. To summarise, enrolling children in international schools rather than Government schools has many disadvantages. Not only is the competition very keen, but parents have to pay a lot to enrol their children, and Chinese students may have difficulty adjusting to life in an international school. Therefore, I urge parents to consider carefully before sending their children to international schools.

SET 1 SECTION B

Complete Exam Practice for AS Use of English (Third Edition) SET 1 SECTION B

ANSWER KEY

Question 3 Model answer 1

Many children come into contact with computer and video games at a fairly young age. In some families, children as young as three already know how to play video games. Although playing these games with family members can strengthen family relationships, they can also desensitise users to violence. Some educators and social workers suggest that violent computer and video games may be a factor contributing to the increasing trend of bullying in schools. Critics of these games propose banning them for people under the age of eighteen. I strongly agree with them. My first reason is that some computer or video games contain unethical content. For example, in one popular game, the player takes the role of a criminal who was betrayed by his girlfriend in a robbery. He needs to commit a lot of crime to recover his status with the gangsters before getting his revenge on her. Some players say they get great enjoyment from this game because it allows them to act in ways that are impossible in real life. However, the moral of the game is wrong. These illegal and unethical acts are not defensible just because they are fantasies that happen in virtual reality. My second reason is that some games increase players urge to kill. In these games, players must kill robbers, terrorists, monsters or even policemen to complete their mission. Many players enjoy these games because they do not have to use their brain. They just rely on their instincts to automatically shoot anything that moves. Even if they are killed in the mission, they know that they will have another chance because it is only a game. In fact, the US army uses similar shooting games to train soldiers for combat. In other words, military experts agree that shooting games can desensitise players to violence and that is why they use them to train their soldiers. My third reason is that some games desensitise players to the consequences of violence. In fighting games, players select a character for themselves and an opponent to fight. The character must use all his or her skill to knock the opponent unconscious. Each character has his or her own style of fighting and signature moves. The most popular characters are those that are the most resilient or the most powerful. Some players even try to imitate the fancy kicks and punches of the characters in real life. This may be particularly dangerous for young children who cannot tell fantasy from reality. When young children imitate the fights in these games, they can easily injure themselves or others without realising the consequences. To summarise, there are so many negative effects of violent computer or video games on young people, particularly in providing unethical ideas, increasing players urge to kill and desensitising players to the consequences of violence. I strongly agree that violent computer or video games should be banned for people under the age of eighteen.

SET 1 SECTION B

Complete Exam Practice for AS Use of English (Third Edition) SET 1 SECTION B

ANSWER KEY

Question 3 Model answer 2

In recent years, video and computer games have become extremely popular among children and teenagers, and they are the second most popular form of entertainment after television. Unfortunately, violent video and computer games are reputed to have a negative effect on young children and teenagers. It is thought that these games desensitise users to violence and may be a contributing factor to the increasing trend of bullying in schools. Critics of these games have suggested banning them for people under the age of eighteen. Personally, I strongly disagree with this view. My first reason is that none of the accusations about how violent computer or video games make people act more violently have been proven. We have not heard of incidents in which players of violent video and computer games attacked or injured their friends under the influence of the games. My second reason is that computer and video games can be a powerful educational tool for teenagers and children. While playing the games, not only are they having fun and excitement from being a character in the virtual reality, they are also learning a set of important life skills. Lets take an example of a violent video game, such as Street Fighter. In this game, two players fight with the aim of killing each other! In a game like this, the attraction is not the fight itself but rather, the excitement of taking chances and never giving up. The players learn the important lessons of winning and losing, persisting, analysing, assessing possibilities and responding quickly. My third reason is that computer and video games are a relatively cheap and accessible form of entertainment and stress relief for youngsters. Instead of turning to real physical violence in school, players are given an opportunity to let off steam in the games. Young people can express their natural aggression without hurting anyone. While there is a concern that young people may imitate the dangerous acts that they see in their games, in fact, there is no real fear of this happening. Violence is usually so exaggerated in the virtual world that it becomes funny, and nobody, not even children, believe it is real. By comparison, some of the unethical ideas and violent scenes found in cartoons and childrens literature are far more dangerous. To summarise, computer and video games have been unfairly accused of desensitising users to violence. Instead, they can be a powerful educational tool for youngsters and provide a cheap and accessible form of entertainment. While I agree that children and teenagers should not be exposed to too much violence, I would also argue that it is not necessary to ban violent video and computer games for people under the age of eighteen. Instead, parental guidance and supervision will help to ensure that the content of a game is suitable for their children.

SET 1 SECTION B

Complete Exam Practice for AS Use of English (Third Edition) SET 1 SECTION B

ANSWER KEY

Question 4 Model answer

Dear Joseph How have you been lately? Have you been working hard on your preparation for the A-level exams? Your mother seems worried about you and has asked me to talk to you. I hope you understand that she cares about you and hopes that you would have a bright future. I understand the dilemma you are facing between preparing for the exams and enjoying your social life. I personally find it difficult to choose between the two especially when the books are so boring and other activities are so attractive. However, when I think about the one year of hard work I do now, compared to the thirty years of rewards ahead of me, I feel that my little sacrifice is worthwhile. As you know, globalisation has made the competition for jobs with good prospects more keen. Without a university degree and the knowledge gained from further education, Im afraid that it will be impossible to compete with others for a high-paying job with good prospects. Although I agree that all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, I believe there should be a suitable combination of study and play. I recently attended a workshop on time management skills. Perhaps I can give you some suggestions on how to balance your study and social activities. The first tip is to keep a detailed record of all activities you do every day from the time you wake up to when you go to bed. Do that for a week so that youll know what activities you do and how much time each one takes, including the time you spend on travelling, meals and so on. Then you will have a better idea of your daily schedule before you make any adjustments to it. My second tip is to draw up a timetable for yourself. Block out the time when you prepare for school every morning and attend school during the day. I suggest you limit your part-time job to a maximum of fifteen hours per week. You might consider working for two hours every day straight after school to help you relax your mind after a day of concentration. You could also do a few hours of work during the weekend, preferably between blocks of studying in the morning and evening. Not only will this give you some pocket money to spend, but it will also help your mind to relax between study sessions. My third tip is to limit your social activities to three nights a week and spread them out so that you will have a break between study and relaxation. Friday evening, Sunday evening and one other evening in the week, say Wednesday, may be a good idea. In spreading your activities out over the week, not only will you get a break from your study but you will also have something to look forward to, which will act as a source of motivation for you. I hope that you find my advice to be helpful. Try it out for a month or two, and let me know how it all turns out. Your friend Chris

SET 1 SECTION B