Paper 2 Beacon Mock 2020: Sample Essays

Paper 2: Writing

Mock Exam 2020: Paper 2

Students’ Scripts
Question 1

(Script 1)

Dear Future Me,

How are you?

Well, I’m now busy preparing for my HKDSE exams. Do we still have HKDSE now? And
would you mind telling me the grades that I have got? Did I get a 5** for English? You know,
Mr Smith is my favourite teacher, and I don’t want to disappoint him. Anyway, HKDSE is like
a million years away from you now. Indeed, you and I are 30 years apart, and a lot of things
must have changed.

You know, I always want to become a writer upon graduation. Therefore, I spend a lot of time
reading to develop my writing ideas. I also spend a lot of time writing to polish my writing
skills. Did I manage to become one in the end? Meanwhile, I have always wanted to travel
around the world. However, as a secondary school kid, I didn’t have the time and money to do
so, and the only places that I have been to are Japan and Taiwan. But I have been saving up
and making plans, and I will be travelling around Europe after the HKDSE exams. What other
places have you visited? Did you go to the South Pole? Oh, I would love to go there and play
with the penguins!

Lastly, there is a reason I choose to write to you. You are now 48, halfway through your life,
and it may be a good time to look back and see what you have done. There’s still one last
chance for you to chase your dreams. Even if those above are no longer your dreams, I’m
pretty sure that you will have new ones. Do make use of your one last chance and turn it into
reality. I don’t want you to have any regrets as you leave the world.

Just one more thing. Did you manage to charm Mary? Mary and I have been hanging out all
the time, and I always believe that she has a crush on me. Is that true? And will she be my

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wife?

Yours,
Chris

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(Script 2)

Dear Future Me,

How have you been doing lately? With numerous mundane and arduous tasks every day, life as
a pupil barrister must have been dauting. But at the end, those who sow with tears will always
reap with songs of joy as you are finally called to the Bar and qualified as a barrister-at-law in
the Hong Kong courts. Congratulations! Have the tides of time worn off your pursuit of
becoming a human rights lawyer dedicated to advocating and advancing fairness and freedom in
Hong Kong and beyond?

Currently, I am sinking my teeth into revision for the HKDSE to push myself into the prestigious
law schools. Inspired by Amal Clooney’s courage and commitment to fight for the deprived
and powerless, I aspire to become a human rights lawyer that would be as zealous and fearless in
fighting uphill battles against tyrants and despots for whistle-blowers and the oppressed alike.
For that to be possible, I am burning midnight oil with the aim to pass the DSE with flying
colours.

Were you in my position at this pivotal juncture in my life, what advice would you give me on
how to enjoy life in university? As the first member of the family with a prospect in tertiary
education, I have always longed for guidance on college life which is otherwise unavailable.
What is the one activity or adventure that I cannot miss out on?

I wish that at the time you read this letter, you are still the Chris that I am striving to be!

Yours,
Chris

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Paper 2 Beacon Mock 2020: Sample Essays

Question 2

Dear Peter,

I want to begin by saying thank you. Peter, you have always been a great teammate and the
best footballer I’ve ever known. Having scored 16 goals in 12 games and voted as man of the
match in eight games, man, you will be the star player in any team. Indeed, you are one of the
key reasons behind our team’s promotion from Division 3 to 1 in just two seasons.

In addition to your amazing skills, Peter, you are also a very hardworking player. Even though
you are the best player of the team, you are always the first one to arrive for team practices, and
often stay behind to do some extra fitness exercises until late, so late that the security guards
have complained that they cannot leave on time. Besides, you are a very humble teammate. I
could still remember the time when you played down the praises given to you after your hat-trick
against our rival ABC Boys’ School. You repeatedly said that it was the team’s effort, not
yours, that secured the victory.

Your contributions to the team and your qualities have persuaded all of the senior team members,
myself included, to make you as the next team captain. All of us believe that you would set a
good role model for the rest of the team, and continue to lead the team to new heights.

I understand that you were very disappointed that you missed the winning shot yesterday.
However, it is just a friendly match, and we have games that are far more important, including
the Division 1 league games and the Hong Kong Secondary School Cup games awaiting us.
Yesterday’s game is hence a perfect opportunity for us to reflect and find out our weaknesses,
and prepare ourselves for the formal competitions.

Therefore, don’t focus too much on yesterday’s miss. Instead, take the experience as a lesson
and learn from it. As the star player of the team, I have full confidence in your abilities and
skills. However, if you want to become the ultimate player, you must learn to play under
pressure. Indeed, great players face no difficulty in scoring goals in decisive moments.
Remember Cristiano Ronaldo’s last-minute goal against Spain in the 2018 World Cup and
Marcus Rashford’s last-second penalty against Paris Saint Germain in the European Champions
League? Great players always remain calm, as they have confidence in their abilities and skills.

So, Peter, remember to stay calm and relaxed when playing in these decisive moments. You
are, after all, a very talented player, and should have no difficulty in scoring goals. Besides, we

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are playing football, our favourite sport, isn’t it?

And, just let me know if you want a chat. Just call or text me.

And, we will be having our usual team practice next Tuesday.

See you!

Yours,
Chris

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Paper 2 Beacon Mock 2020: Sample Essays

Question 4

(Script 1)

Opinions on the Government’s Plan to Build a New Public Estate in Tsuen Wan District

By Chris Wong
Legislative Councilor (New Territories West)

Earlier this month, the government proposed a plan to build a new public estate in Tsuen Wan
district. Nevertheless, Tsuen Wan district is a highly developed area, and there is no space to
accommodate a new estate. In response to this challenge, the government has proposed tearing
down Tsuen Wan Central playground or the space museum to make room. While it is evident
that none of us wishes to lose any of these public facilities, the unpalatable truth is that Hong
Kong is devoid of living places, particularly public housing. Having regard to the following
factors, I am of the view that sacrificing the playground is probably the lesser of two evils.

Firstly, there is only one space museum in Hong Kong, and the space museum in Tsuen Wan has
been the gateway to learning more about the cosmos for many generations of Hong Kong.
Indeed, the space museum has attracted over 6 billion visitors in total since its opening in 1979.
It would be unimaginable if we were to lose this piece of collective memory. Meanwhile, our
future generations could only resort to textbooks and videos to understand our universe. They
could no longer put their hands on meteorites or try to squeeze into a genuine space capsule.
Besides, many metropolia, including Chicago, New York, to mention but a few, all have their
own space museums.

In the meantime, there are more than 200 playgrounds for children in different parts of Hong
Kong. Indeed, Tsuen Wan district alone already has 14 playgrounds, meaning that children
could always find other places to play. Additionally, albeit the playground intended for
destruction is one of the largest of its kind in the city, many would agree that Tsuen Wan Central
playground, opened in 1960, is in dire need of repair. Nevertheless, with a size equivalent of
ten football fields, it is undoubted that the repair costs are high, not to mention that many of the
facilities inside the park are no longer favoured by children nowadays. Therefore, it may be a
good idea to turn the playground into a public estate and help solve the housing crisis in Hong
Kong. Meanwhile, I have already proposed to the government to use part of the land from the
playground as a multi-storey recreation facility, thereby allowing children, who have lost a
playground, to play badminton, table tennis and other sports within that facility.

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On the other hand, after taking a look at the two development plans submitted, I must admit that
the government has neglected the needs of the neighbouring communities when determining the
number of people to be accommodated in the new public estate. As shown in the drawings
provided, the government intends to construct ten 45-storey buildings within the playground,
providing accommodation for over 15,000 people. Not only does the development plan
aggravates the traffic problems within Tsuen Wan district, the ten buildings will also create a
wall effect within the community, thereby worsening air quality. Therefore, in a separate letter
to the government, I have urged them to reduce the number of buildings to six, and include a
multi-storey recreation facility as compensation to the children affected. I am also working
hard to persuade the government to lower the height of the buildings to 30 storeys.

With over 7 million people in around 1,100 square kilometres, it is unavoidable that Hong Kong
faces housing problems. I thus welcome the government’s new proposal to free up land for
more living spaces, and I urge the government to expedite its search for public housing land.

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(Script 2)

Long been acclaimed for its hustle and bustle as Asia’s financial hub, Hong Kong’s success is
built on its highly-skilled workforce and elitist education. Coming hand in hand with the
triumph and prosperity, however, is mounting stress on students across various age groups to
complete plentiful tasks while striving for excellence in assessments and exams. In light of the
issue, I am compelled to believe that in the quest for land to construct a new public estate in Tai
Koo, the only children’s playground should be preserved. This article first explores the
justification of keeping the children’s playground in lieu of the space museum, then attempts to
offer recommendations as to facilities that would best serve the demographic of residents in the
community.

First and foremost, flowing from the above, the children’s playground is a much-needed haven
for students of age 5 – 12 to take a break from the immense academic pressure. In particular, in
light of the scarcity of similar playing fields in the vicinity of the area, the playground is often
crowded with kids in the afternoon for a short yet much-needed retreat. On the contrary, in
spite of its educational purpose, the space museum fails to attract residents after one or two visits.
Worse still, owing to its location, it is not a popular sightseeing choice for tourists. As a result,
the occupancy rate of the museum has long been running on a loss for more than a year.
Arguably, the playground serves the community’s needs better.

In addition, the playground is the focal point of the neighbourhood. Not only is it a haven for
children, but it is also a place for housewives and elderlies to gather and socialise.
Consequently, its social importance transcends its original raison d’etre – it connects various
families within the district, establishing and strengthening communal ties. On the other hand,
the space museum cannot achieve the same. Furthermore, for the space museum to engage
more visitors, it should be relocated to tourist districts such as the Peak or Tsim Sha Tsui for
stronger synergy with other attractions nearby.

Turning to what new facilities can be included in the new housing project, the focus and calculus
should be the daily needs of the residents. In light of the limited communal space for exercising
for adults and adolescence alike, a gym or park with football and basketball courts would be
optimal for promoting a healthy lifestyle whilst strengthening tides within the neighbourhood.
Another facility that would benefit the district collectively is a children day-care centre as a lot of
residents in the area have extended working hours. Accordingly, a day-care centre would
release female workforce while encouraging couples moving in to have kids.

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All things considered, insofar as the daily needs of the dwellers of Tai Koo is concerned, the
children playground is indispensable. Indeed, in the course of urban planning, the relevant
authorities should prioritise residents’ fundamental needs.

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Question 5

Dear Mr Smith,

I have learnt from some teachers that the school is planning to punish two students that are
dating off-campus in their school uniforms. While I understand that it is against the school
rules for students to date, I believe that we may take this incident as an opportunity for us to
revisit and update our school rules. Indeed, it does seem inappropriate for us to ban
students from dating in this day and age.

To begin with, gone are the days when schools were responsible for students’ academics only.
Thanks to the rise of "holistic education", apart from academics, schools are now expected to
foster teenagers’ whole-person development, which involves the social, psychological
aspects, to name but a few, of one. This also why schools encourage students to take part in
extra-curricular activities, as these activities allow students to understand themselves better
and equip themselves with the necessary social skills. Dating, in the meantime, carries with
it the above functions. Indeed, students can learn to communicate with the opposite sex and
care for one another. Besides, as students grow up, they will start looking for their lifelong
partners. Dating, meanwhile, is an unavoidable step during the process.

Secondly, dating and academic results are not necessarily negatively correlated. Many
parents and teachers tend to believe that dating reduces the time allocated for studying,
thereby affecting one’s academic results. Nevertheless, the question here is only a matter of
time allocation. Even if students are not spending their time on dating, they could always
spend it on something else, such as playing computer games, hanging out with friends, to
name but a few. Alternatively, it is possible for students that are dating to work hard
together, or that they help one another out on their weaker subjects, which ultimately enables
both of them to improve academically.

On the other hand, it is never possible for the school to stop students from dating. Indeed,
the two students spotted are only the "tip of an iceberg", and that many more students have
been secretly holding hands during weekends, without having being noticed by teachers.
Indeed, with over 300 students and only 50 teachers, it is unfeasible and unrealistic for us to
spy on every student. Besides, during puberty, it is common for teenagers to become
towards the opposite sex, and it is natural for them to approach the opposite sex.

Therefore, rather than punishing the two students for violating the school rules, it is

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suggested that the school should make use of the opportunity to cancel its outdated school
rules. By abolishing the rule, I am confident that students will be more willing to approach
teachers if they face emotional problems, which, in turn, is beneficial to the student-teacher
relationship. Meanwhile, as teachers know the students that are in a relationship, they can
put an eye on these students and ensure that their academic results will not be negatively
affected.

Thank you and I am looking forward to your favourable reply.

Warm regards,
Chris Wong

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Paper 2 Beacon Mock 2020: Sample Essays

Question 6

(Script 1)

Can China have its Coca-Cola? Or, does it need one?

It is always quite ironic when we analyze China’s image in the eyes of foreigners. Indeed,
as the country continues to grow, China’s image dips further down. It is hence evident that
China’s image problem is not related to economic development, military strength, i.e. hard
power. Rather, the crux of the issue concerns China’s soft power.

Unlike military power which focuses on the capabilities of the military of the nation, soft
power is all about the ability to shape the preferences of others through appeal and attraction.
Therefore, instead of numbers that can be quantified easily, soft power can be anything. It
could be a brand. It could be a political system. It could be an ideology. All countries
have “soft power”. The US, for instance, is well known for its democratic system.
Companies such as Disneyland and Coca-Cola also demonstrate the soft power of the US.
Meanwhile, the Royal family of the United Kingdom, Mercedes Benz of Germany, sushi of
Japan, to name but a few, are all examples of “soft power”.

China, without a doubt, also has “soft power”. The Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the
giant panda, and many more, are all reflections of China’s “soft power”. Indeed, these are
probably the things that come into one’s mind when we mention the word "China", and they
do shape how one views the country. The Great Wall and the Forbidden City easily make
one realize that China has a rich historical heritage. The giant panda is associated with
peace. Therefore, China does have "soft power", and it is by no means a weak one.

However, it is also quite common for foreigners to associate China with negative terms such
as “dictatorship”, “uncivilized behaviours”, and in recent weeks, “Wuhan coronavirus”.
While the “Wuhan coronavirus” (COVID-19) is a tragedy that nobody wishes it to happen
and that the authoritarian regime in China is unlikely to change in the foreseeable future, all
Chinese people can do something to stop foreigners from crowning them with the term
“uncivilized behavior”. Indeed, it is always embarrassing to see Chinese people shouting in
shops and restaurants or spitting on the floor. The problem escalated as Chinese people
become rich and get to travel to all corners of the world, as this means that everyone, not just
tourists visiting China, will see how vulgar the Chinese are.

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Therefore, if the Chinese wish to reshape foreigners’ impression of China, please, act
accordingly. Otherwise, please don’t blame others for taking the Chinese as dirty and filthy
when you keep on leaving trash behind and spitting.

China’s situation actually reminds me of Japan in the 1980s. At that time, economic
development in Japan skyrocketed, and the Japanese got extremely rich. Like the Chinese,
they travelled around the world, made big purchases, and westerners often despised them.
It did take a while for the Japanese people to change their habits, and as we all know, many
people speak highly of Japan nowadays.

Therefore, it is just a matter of time before foreigners reverse their attitudes towards China.
However, in the meantime, all Chinese people need to improve their social etiquette.
Otherwise, the word “China” itself may just become another derogatory word.

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(Script 2)

Soft Power Key to China for Becoming a Real Superpower

Ever since China’s Reform and Opening Up two scores of years ago, the orient has witnessed a
dramatic upheaval – convertibles replaced bicycles, skyscrapers ousted bungalows and sandals
were substituted by up-market branded sneakers. Yet, how has the western world received this
economic and social revolution? Despite China’s unyielding pursuit for the bigger and better
hardware and living standard, it is still perceived to be a threat to the West, rather than a partner
to cooperate for betterment. I am compelled to agree with the learned opinion that the culprit is
China’s blunders in bolstering its soft power. Before I proceed to evaluate the edge of soft
power over conventional military and economic strength, it is apt at this juncture to consider the
definition and facets of soft power.

Defining soft power

Soft power refers to a nation’s cultural, ideological and institutional influence. To put it plainly,
it is a country’s ability to reach, speak to and win support of foreign populations. Naturally, it
is not dependent on the country’s military and economic clout but its international image. For
instance, Vatican establishes its global prestige not through the force of its symbolic Swiss
Guard but its influence as the Holy See of Christianity. Similarly, the Netherlands, Belgium
and Scandinavian states yield potent political leverage through actively promoting and
advocating peace, unity, fairness and justice on both continental and international platforms in
spite of their comparatively limited military strength.

Benefits over military power

Following from the above, one obvious advantage of soft power is that it transcends
geographical and intrinsic natural limitations. It allows countries to incite and effect organic
change in foreign institutions without the need of conflict or bloodshed. For instance, Ukraine
was willing to risk war with Russia to join the European Union and NATO under the influence
of ideologies of Western liberal democracies whereas Eastern Europe nations struggled to break
away from communism as Soviet ideological dominance was weakened by its invasion of
Czechoslovakia in the late 1960s.

Chinese soft power

With its substantial history and vibrant cultural kaleidoscope, it should be of no difficulty for
China to pick up the pace now in reinforcing its soft power. One approach is to promote its
dynamic delicacy tradition. China is famous for its “Eight Major Cuisines” and many

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foreigners are fascinated by Xiaolongbao and Peking duck. With gourmet being an alluring
introduction to Chinese lifestyle interesting to children and elderlies alike, traditional opera is
another attraction Westerners generally find exotic and intriguing. In particular,
“face-changing” has long been a popular icon of Chinese opera and drama, utilised as a gimmick
by chain hotpot brand “Haidilao”.

In conclusion, for China to defy international stereotypes, it is incumbent on its leaders to

recognise the importance of soft power and more importantly, that it originates from a country’s
heart and deeds rather than muscles. With that settled, maybe the next issue to discuss in future
would be how can China’s evolving say in the cyber space facilitate its attempt to bolster its soft
power.

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Question 7

Hi lads, it’s me, Chris Wong, your host of “Today with Chris”. In this week’s episode, I am
very honoured to have Kenneth Lau, a famous tutorial teacher at Lighthouse Education, as
my guest. Kenneth was my English teacher a long, long time ago, and it was so good to
have him on my show. We talked about what learning was like in the past, and as a general
practice of the show, I invited Kenneth to perform something he’s good at. Interested in
knowing what Kenneth has done? Head over to my YouTube channel and watch this
week’s episode! And if you enjoy the show, please like the video, subscribe to my channel
and turn notifications on!

Well, as you may all know, I don’t post things here on my Facebook page, apart from
reminders saying that I’ve just uploaded another video. But I have been reading the
comments on my previous video, and credits to #jaydenlam, I realized that yesterday’s
episode is my 1000th show. Time flies, it’s been nearly three years since I created the first
show. Besides, I never imagined that the show would be so successful and that I could
make 1,000 of these shows. So, I want to take this opportunity and thank you all for
making this possible. In particular, I want to thank those that have attended my shows in
person. You guys are the best audience I’ve ever had, and you help to make this show the
best show on earth!

I also think that this is a good opportunity for me to look back and find my favourite episode
and my favourite guest. Obviously, the first episode is my favourite one. After all, this
the start of everything. Without this episode, I am pretty sure that none of this would be
possible today. Meanwhile, I could still remember how I prepared for my first show. I
was the only guy at my team. I did all the editing, scriptwriting, lighting, aftereffects, and
so on. It was a tough job, but it also made me realize the essence of a good video. So, I
would say that my favourite show is my first one, and in fact, I still spend time rewatching it
these days!

And the answer to “who is my favourite guest” is also pretty easy – Dayo Wong, without a
doubt. As you all know, Dayo is a very successful comedian in Hong Kong. As a
comedian myself, I am a great fan of Dayo, and I was so excited when he agreed to appear on
my show. Even though I only got to chat with him for only 45 minutes, I already managed
to learn more about the skillset behind an excellent comedian. Meanwhile, he was very,
very funny.

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Lastly, my tips on how to be a humorous person (many people have been asking me this).
Well, to be honest, I think the most important thing is that you should try to be aware of
things that are happening around you. There are always funny things around us, and try
your best to spot and remember them. You will then have your jokes ready. And, one
more thing. Be optimistic. It is always difficult to make others happy if you aren’t.

So, once again, thank you so much for your support, and I’ll see you next week.

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