HKDSE

ENG LANG

PAPER 1
PART A
HONG KONG DIPLOMA OF SECONDARY EDUCATION EXAMINATION
A
COMPULSORY

ALL-IN-ONE PRACTICE Vol. 2

Supplementary Mock Test
ENGLISH  LANGUAGE  PAPER  1
PART A
Reading Passages
1 hour 30 minutes
(for both Parts A and B)

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

(1) This paper consists of two parts (A and B). Students should attempt Part A. ln Part B, you
should attempt either Part B1 (easy section) OR Part B2 (difficult section). Students who attempt
Parts A and B2 will be able to attain the full range of levels, while Level 4 will be the highest
level attainable for students who attempt Parts A and B1.

(2) Write your Candidate Number in the space provided on the appropriate pages of the Part A
Question-Answer Book and the Part B Question-Answer Book which you are going to attempt
upon the announcement of the start of the examination.

(3) Enter your answers in the Question-Answer Book in the correct spaces provided. Answers
written in the margins will not be marked.

(4) Blacken the appropriate circle with a pencil to indicate your answer for multiple-choice
questions. Mark only ONE answer to each question. NO MARKS will be given to questions with
two or more answers.

(5) Supplementary answer sheets will be supplied upon request. You need to write your Candidate
Number and mark the question number box.

(6) Put down your pen and stop work altogether upon the ‘Time is up’ announcement. No extra
time will be given to students for filling in the question number boxes.

(7) The Question-Answer Books (for the compulsory Part A and for the Part B you attempted) will
be collected at the end of the examination.

lNSTRUCTIONS FOR PART A

(1) The Question-Answer Books for Part A is inserted in this Reading Passages booklet.

(2) Attempt ALL questions in Part A. Each question carries ONE mark unless otherwise stated.

© 雅集出版社有限公司　　保留版權
Not to be taken away before the
Aristo Educational Press Ltd.
end of the examination session
All Rights Reserved 2014

AIO (Vol.2) • Paper 1 • Supp MT (Reading – Part A) 1 ALL-IN-ONE (Vol.2)

PART A
Read Text 1 and answer questions 1-26 on pages 1-6 of the Question-Answer Book for Part A.
Text 1
Two cities – one running goal!
Running enthusiast Brooke Ruscuklic braves Shanghai’s streets
in preparation for Berlin Marathon
[1] My legs never fail to amaze me. I’ll be the first to
admit that they are not much to look at, being far too
short and rather muscular – but they are obedient.
When I decided to enter the 2010 Berlin Marathon, my
5 legs proved their worth by being as enthusiastic as my
mind, diligently supporting me through the endless
hours of pounding pavements during that hot Shanghai
summer.
[2] When I was told I was being relocated to Shanghai
10 I was thrilled, but I also had one major source of angst
nagging at me: would I be able to continue running?
When I voiced this concern to my running buddies,
they added to my fears by frequently saying it would be
impossible to run in China’s most crowded and
15 populous city, and instead recommended immediate
gym membership upon arrival. For me, heading indoors
to run treadmill-style would never be an option: it
would defeat my reason for running.
[3] Running for me is an outlet to relieve stress; it’s an
20 escape from my hectic work schedule. Running has
been and will continue to be a major part of my life.
Having begun as a hobby, it has in recent years morphed
into an all-encompassing passion that has taken me to
London, Melbourne and New York to compete in
25 marathons.
[4] Upon arriving in Shanghai and transforming from
‘Brooke’ to ‘Bu Hui Ni’, my initial concerns swiftly
disappeared. I hit the streets with the goal of having to
run 42.195 km in Berlin providing a constant source of
30 motivation. As I explored the streets of Xuhui and
Luwan with a map clutched in my sweaty hands and
money for a taxi home should I lose my way, I quickly
came to adore the challenges that running in this city
threw at me.
AIO (Vol.2) • Paper 1 • Supp MT (Reading – Part A)
35 [5] When running in cities, there are always barriers
to overcome. My runs on Shanghai’s streets proved to
be an endless source of adventure, entertainment
and physical satisfaction at being able to deal with
anything I encountered. Soon I developed an agile
40 running technique that enabled me to hurdle or
sidestep bikes, children, dogs, giant carts of vegetables
wheeled by tiny women, men sleeping on chairs in
the middle of the footpath, buckets of fish heads,
families of five walking and holding hands, and even
45 enthusiastic dance classes and badminton games taking
place!
[6] A second challenge I had to contend with was the
weather. However, I quickly realised that two litres of
water, a hydrating energy drink, energy gels and my
50 new running sunglasses were all that I needed. I had
read before moving to Shanghai that wearing sunglasses
enables the mind to trick the body into thinking it is
cooler than it actually is, thereby helping to maintain a
lower core temperature. Sunglasses were therefore a
55 wise and necessary investment for the conditions in
which I was training.
[7] My pleasure in running soon moved on to an
appreciation of the wonderful sights and smells that a
Shanghai run always seemed to offer. Being able to run
60 in a city crammed full of historical landmarks, such as
the Bund and the City God Temple, along with stunning
parks, seemed too good to be true. This, coupled with
the tantalising smells of fried potato and bread from
roadside vendors on Fuxing Lu, made each outing not
65 so much a run as a fragrant journey!
[8] Another nice surprise for me was that Shanghai
has several running groups who welcome ‘newbies’ to
their city, willingly taking them on great running
routes both in and outside the city. Going on runs
2
70 outside the city was an eye-opener and a welcome
break from the constant challenge of busy streets filled
with walkers – slow-walkers, wide-walkers and walkers
who stop without warning and cause sudden pile-ups!
At times, I even found that it was easier to run on the
75 road and dodge the traffic than to try and run on the
pedestrian-laden pavements of this busy metropolis.
As you can imagine, contending only with roadside
vegetation on long weekend runs away from the city
was a delightful change!
[10] I had a successful race at the Berlin Marathon,
and I attribute this entirely to my training in Shanghai.
90 For me, running is a metaphor for life – it’s the journey
that counts, not the destination, and I enjoyed every
step of my running journey towards accomplishing my
marathon dream!

80 [9] Compared to Shanghai, the conditions in Berlin

were vastly different. The Berlin Marathon boasted a
wonderfully flat and even running surface and mild
autumn temperatures, averaging between 10 – 20ºC. I
felt as light as a feather running in such conditions after
85 having trained in Shanghai’s humid and sweaty streets,
where average summer temperatures were in excess of
35ºC this year.

Source: adapted from Brooke Ruscuklic’s ‘Shanghai adventure a dry run for Berlin marathon’,
China Daily, 23 Nov 2010

END OF READING PASSAGE

AIO (Vol.2) • Paper 1 • Supp MT (Reading – Part A) 3

 This is a blank page.

AIO (Vol.2) • Paper 1 • Supp MT (Reading – Part A) 4

HKDSE
ENG LANG

PAPER 1
PART B1
HONG KONG DIPLOMA OF SECONDARY EDUCATION EXAMINATION
B1
EASY SECTION

ALL-IN-ONE PRACTICE Vol. 2

Supplementary Mock Test
ENGLISH  LANGUAGE  PAPER  1
PART B1
Reading Passages
1 hour 30 minutes
(for both Parts A and B)

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

Refer to the General Instructions on Page 1 of the Reading Passages booklet for Part A.

lNSTRUCTIONS FOR PART B1

(1) The Question-Answer Book for Part B1 is inserted in this Reading Passages booklet.

(2) Students who choose Part B1 should attempt all questions in this part. Each question carries
ONE mark unless otherwise stated.

© 雅集出版社有限公司　　保留版權
Not to be taken away before the
Aristo Educational Press Ltd.
end of the examination session
All Rights Reserved 2014

AIO (Vol.2) • Paper 1 • Supp MT (Reading – Part B1) 5 ALL-IN-ONE (Vol.2)

PART B1
Read Text 2 and answer questions 27-37 on pages 7-9 of the Question-Answer Book for Part B1.

Text 2

One small challenge, one giant step forward

[1] CarbonCut is delighted to announce the Carbon Challenge, six tasks running for half a year aiming to cut down on
greenhouse gas emissions.

[2] We are dedicated to providing a joyous and interactive platform for green lovers to meet and join hands in making
the globe a more sustainable place to live. Over the next six months, we will introduce one task each month for everyone
5 to challenge themselves to go that extra mile to do the right thing: Go Veggie, Local Produce Only, City Cycle, Cut Your
Energy Bill and more. These are the initial steps which we hope will evolve into lifelong habits and scale up from
individuals to communities.

[3] Simply register for an account with CarbonCut (remember to check the box for receiving updates and newsletters
before submitting your online application), make a pledge and join the challenge under the theme of the month anytime.
10 There is no specified time for engagement, though a seven-day span is the norm. After completing these steps, you will
gain instant access to the Carbon Challenge community, where you can connect with fellow participants, exchange tips
to help each other survive the challenge, and even win an energy monitor app. You can also tune in to our round-the-
clock live updates featuring our bloggers of the month, who have been bold enough to accept our merciless Ultimate
Challenge. [*Click here to read more.]

15 [4] To launch the event, we begin with a task with a most profitable return – cutting your electricity bill by 10% – a
win-win situation for all. While our members should readily meet the target, our special guest and blogger of the month,
Dr E. Morrison, who has to cut his in half, will have to draw sustenance from his urban survival skills.

[5] With Dr Morrison’s brilliant track record, we have every confidence in him to outperform the rest of us. Having
received a doctorate in Environmental Science, Dr Morrison lectured at several universities before becoming president
20 of a green foundation. Currently, he is working on his book about green living, which is due to be published in three
months. So stay tuned to find out how our hero fares.

[6] For the time being, do not forget to make your pledge and join in the action. Remember to tell us how you are getting
on with it. We would love to hear about your ups and downs along the way and are more than happy to offer advice. Also,
we would be immensely grateful if you could give us a push on social networking sites to boost this Carbon Challenge
25 of ours.

AIO (Vol.2) • Paper 1 • Supp MT (Reading – Part B1) 6

Read Text 3 and answer questions 38-49 on pages 10-11 of the Question-Answer Book for Part B1.

Text 3

E. Morrison

6 July 10.07 am A cool (looking) gizmo?

[1] Okay. I confess – I brought in outside aid to keep my consuming desire to maintain my winning record in the green
game in check. I dug out the gizmo that had lain dormant in my wardrobe for a week to record my family’s normal
energy consumption. I had tried not to peek at it, but I knew it was watching me and my family the whole time.

[2] To conclude the control week, I connected the gizmo to my notebook, which plotted me a graph like that of the
5 fluctuating stock market index. I had spent $24.82 for the week, which meant my target for the challenge was to keep the
consumption within $12.41 until the challenge’s end. For the benefit (and clarity) of my concerned green comrades, let
me just mention that my household had generated 94 kg of carbon.

[3] So much for the statistics. I settled the designer gizmo by a north-facing window, to ensure it could capture the
maximum possible sunlight. Only the size of a smartphone, it recharges in no time and has a battery life of 48 hours.

10 [4] Over his morning cereal, my tech-savvy son grabbed the opportunity to investigate it.

[5] ‘So it’s going to save us some bucks?’

[6] ‘Actually, it only pushes us to save some bucks.’

[7] ‘How?’

[8] ‘By alerting us. See, it’s a whopping $2 364 now.’

15 [9] ‘So we’re wasting $ 2 364?’

[10] ‘That’s just a projection – if we keep the coffee machine, the toaster, the air-conditioner, etc., on all the time,
we will have to pay this amount at the end of the year.’

[11] ‘It’s part of the bill, isn’t it? It’s plugged in.’

[12] ‘It’s also solar-powered, though it can’t be totally self-sufficient.’

20 [13] ‘So this is it?’ He squinted at it and said, ‘Point taken.’

6 July 2.29 pm Shall I shut down?

[14] The energy audit has left me pondering how to stick to my routines while reducing consumption.

[15] I decided there should be no more delay of my bookkeeping work. I turned on the household appliances and jotted
down the energy consumption rate as shown by the gizmo. I did a full load of laundry but this couldn’t alleviate my guilt
when the neon red display flickered and stopped at $6 882. I felt as though my flat had been struck by lightning and the
25 overloading current was flowing through my limbs. The rumbling spin of the washing machine pulled me out of my
trance – those white goods are always at the top of the energy-wasting list.

AIO (Vol.2) • Paper 1 • Supp MT (Reading – Part B1) 7

 [16] Cutting down on consumption doesn’t have to mean stopping my household (and myself) from functioning or from
maintaining a certain degree of material comfort, right? My washing machine’s got an energy star label and alternatively,
hand-washing my laundry might actually consume more water and man-hours. But of course, I have decided to switch from
30 baking to cooking, and from tumble-drying to hang-drying from now on (if the humidity were not almost 100%, like today).

COMMENT

Louisa Tam
6 July 3.09 pm

[17] If energy consumed equals energy wasted, human beings deserve to disappear completely from planet earth,
as we are the species eating up the most resources. Like you, I’m also trying to find an equilibrium between
environmental impact and efficiency.

6 July 6.43 pm Headache

[18] It was only when my son returned home that I realised what a mistake I had made. I paced restlessly, watching the
35 digits flash on the sleek screen one second, putting my ear to his door the next.

[19] I shouted outside his bedroom, ‘I’m sure you’ll give me a leg-up in this challenge, right?’ Silence. ‘You know I’m
going to write about you in my live blog?’ Silence until he turned the volume of his hi-fi up. I bet he had been recharging
his phone and checking his status updates with it, and at the same time watching the NBA play-off replay on his desktop.
Gusts of cool air rushed onto my feet from underneath his door.

40 [20] So now I’m giving him a public shaming here. Am I being mean? I didn’t expect to take this challenge on behalf of my
family, who didn’t pledge to do it with me.

COMMENT

earthsong
6 July 8:01 pm

[21] He should be able to enjoy himself with just one device. Certainly he needs some public pressure.

7 July 12.03 am Bill checked

[22] $2.84: obviously I’m over-budget. Have to seriously kill some watts in the remaining days. To begin, I’ll announce
some energy rationing tomorrow and have everyone comply with it.

END OF READING PASSAGES

AIO (Vol.2) • Paper 1 • Supp MT (Reading – Part B1) 8

HKDSE
ENG LANG

PAPER 1
PART B2
HONG KONG DIPLOMA OF SECONDARY EDUCATION EXAMINATION
B2
DIFFICULT SECTION

ALL-IN-ONE PRACTICE Vol. 2

Supplementary Mock Test
ENGLISH  LANGUAGE  PAPER  1
PART B2
Reading Passages
1 hour 30 minutes
(for both Parts A and B)

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

Refer to the General Instructions on Page 1 of the Reading Passages booklet for Part A.

lNSTRUCTIONS FOR PART B2

(1) The Question-Answer Book for Part B2 is inserted in this Reading Passages booklet.

(2) Students who choose Part B2 should attempt all questions in this part. Each question carries
ONE mark unless otherwise stated.

© 雅集出版社有限公司　　保留版權
Not to be taken away before the
Aristo Educational Press Ltd.
end of the examination session
All Rights Reserved 2014

AIO (Vol.2) • Paper 1 • Supp MT (Reading – Part B2) 9 ALL-IN-ONE (Vol.2) 

PART B2
Read Text 4 and answer questions 50-68 on pages 13-17 of the Question-Answer Book for Part B2.
Text 4
The fear and joy of missing out
[1] Fuelled by advancements in consumer electronics,
the last decade’s social media boom has cast upon
modern people a seemingly one-of-a-kind affliction
referred to as ‘FOMO’, an acronym for ‘fear of missing
5 out’.
[2] Social media, unlike traditional mass media, is
always on, real-time and co-written, and is therefore the
best brewing ground for FOMO. It rides the wave of
Modern Web 2.0 to focus on user-generated content;
10 chronicling life and publishing personal stories are no
longer the sole privileges of society’s notables. Social
media has also evolved from a linear (e.g. instant
tweeting on Tweeter) to a three-dimensional (e.g. instant
‘checking in’ on Facebook) mode, blurring the line
15 between real and virtual worlds.
[3] The result is that everyone is prompted to construct
another life out there, a life where individuals have
never before been so tightly-knit and put on show.
Imagine the scenario: on a Sunday morning you are
20 relaxing on your couch, flipping through your favourite
hardback, and you tap on your smartphone. Your news
feed is crammed with pictures of your friends at a
poolside party, donning cool shades and holding
refreshing glasses of drinks, which immediately makes
25 you a wallflower.
[4] A study by the University of Maryland finds that
social media services can conjure up the illusion that
there is always a party or gathering somewhere you are
missing out on. This is particularly true for adolescents,
30 and could stem from a fear of loneliness. John T.
Cacioppo, a neuroscientist at the University of Chicago,
contends that social networking can make people more
aware of disconnection, subconsciously magnifying
and exacerbating their feelings of it.
35 [5] And FOMO might be more than just teenage
angst. As stated by Jenny Giblin, a New York-based
psychotherapist, we are hard-wired to panic and, in this
AIO (Vol.2) • Paper 1 • Supp MT (Reading – Part B2)
particular case, sense our exclusion from a community
and the pleasures and privileges its members are
40 entitled to. The stress and dread originate from the
amygdalae, a pair of almond-shaped nuclei groups
located deep inside our brains, which control our
emotional reflexes, consolidate our long-term memory
and influence our decision-making. They function like a
45 siren, activating our defence mechanisms in case of a
threat.
[6] Giblin contends that those with lower self-esteem
are more prone to FOMO. If we are constantly
preoccupied with a sense of inferiority, a trigger like a
50 tweet or a social media update from a friend may set off
a chain reaction and cause our anxiety to spiral
irrationally, which could turn into a destructive habit
without the victim realising it.
[7] Giblin’s proposition, to some extent, also proves
55 that FOMO may work the other way round. From
empirical investigations by Andrew Przybylski, a
research psychologist at the University of Essex, it is
FOMO that drives people to social networking, and the
demographics associated with high levels of FOMO
60 are, to a large extent, the young or those suffering from
a low level of life satisfaction. To put it the other way:
if you belong to the upper echelons of society, you will
be the one everybody looks up to, checks up on and
gravitates towards; if you are marginalised, you are
65 likely to poke your head around people and events to
maintain your delicate social connections.
[8] What’s worse, the results suggest this behaviour
can become a vicious circle. As these victims divert
more time and effort from face-to-face interaction to
70 social media, they are likely to feel increasingly
secluded and fear missing out even more, which in turn
drives them to indulge further in this habit. ‘I think too
much time spent on social media can make us
perpetually somewhere else and alone,’ blogger and
75 survivor of FOMO, Glennon Melton says.
10
 [9] Irrespective of whether social media is a means or
a trigger, the agitation and yearnings behind FOMO, a
tech era phenomenon, are as ancient as human beings.
They have been incited and promoted throughout our
80 history by various media: from paintings of aristocratic
balls to digital photographs of all sorts of gatherings,
newspapers to news feeds, season’s greetings sent
through cards, to emails, and now status updates – all
intended to show the brightest side of people. In the
85 past, FOMO knocked on our door politely mainly
during festive seasons, but now it infiltrates our personal
sphere with an uninterrupted continuity.
[10] To survive the fearful dark sides of the information
explosion, a passive approach is to reduce our
90 dependence on gadgets and social media, through
limiting screen time and disabling notifications. Some
even opt to filter updates from friends, trim their friend
list and share less personal information. We are also
told to avoid upward social comparison, and to learn to
95 count our blessings by looking at the less fortunate.
[11] All these theories are built on the belief that ‘what
we don’t know won’t hurt us’, and therefore we won’t
feel FOMO, which is like burying our heads in the sand.
Even so, we will only be able to do so for a limited
100 period of time because, by nature, we crave connections
despite all their nuisances. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs,
as represented by a stratified pyramid, shows our
ascending levels of needs, with the apex layer being
self-actualisation and the lowest and broadest being
105 physiological needs like breathing and food. To reflect
the spirit of our time, netizens have jokingly affixed a
sixth layer at the base of the original model, naming it
‘Wi-fi’.
[12] But we can also make use of FOMO as a motivator.
110 There is no reason why we cannot have qualifications,
an ideal house, pals and parties similar to those our
friends have. Why do we drown ourselves in self-pity,
when in fact we can take action to prove we deserve
better?
END OF READING PASSAGE
AIO (Vol.2) • Paper 1 • Supp MT (Reading – Part B2)
115 [13] Most important of all, could we regain control of
our lives from the inside out, instead of being driven by
others’ doings and achievements? The tension and
brutality of social media means that we can see the
opportunity cost of our choices illustrated in immediate
120 vividness – if we prioritise a family yum-cha over a
boat trip, browsing pictures and live video clips of our
friends wakeboarding against an azure sky while we
quietly sip tea with our parents is more than likely to
turn us green with envy. The possibility of peeping into
125 the lives of acquaintances anytime to compare our lives
with theirs can remind us of all those possibilities we
have willingly or unwittingly let go.
[14] Anil Dash, a writer and entrepreneur, proposes the
latest revelation in this tech age, JOMO, the ‘joy of
130 missing out’, which is a state of maturity, of complete
understanding of the self and conviction in what we are
doing. He writes in his blog post, ‘There can be, and
should be, a blissful, serene enjoyment in knowing, and
celebrating, that there are folks out there having the
135 time of their lives doing things that you might have
loved to do, but are simply skipping.’
[15] There are different ways to embrace FOMO, but it
is essential that we acknowledge it is a human disposition
and learn to feel at ease with it. FOMO is just one of
140 many theories explaining the phenomenon of human
beings craving connections and aversion to loneliness.
‘Loneliness,’ Cacioppo argues, ‘isn’t some personality
defect or sign of weakness. None of us is immune to
feelings of isolation, any more than we are immune to
145 feelings of hunger or physical pain.’
[16] Once we understand the nature and the workings
of FOMO, we can come to terms with it. Still,
paradoxically, it will keep looming over us if we force
ourselves to stay away from gadgets and the Internet for
150 fearing the fear of missing out.
11
Acknowledgements

The authors and publisher would like to thank the following for permission
to reproduce their materials:

China Daily

Every effort has been made to trace copyright. In the event of any
accidental infringement where it has proved untraceable, we shall be
pleased to come to a suitable arrangement with the owner.

First published October, 2014