Helen Liang Memorial Secondary School (Shatin)

Annual Examination 2019/2020

English Language I – Reading

Date: 6-7-2020 Max. Marks: 100

Time: 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Time allowed: 1 hr

Secondary 4 ( ) Name: _______________________________ Class No. ( )

Reading Passages Booklet (for Part A & Part B)

Instructions to Candidates:

1. Write your name, class and class number in the spaces provided on the cover page of this Reading
Passages Booklet.

2. Write ALL your answers in the Question–Answer Book.

3. Do not write any answers in this booklet because they will NOT be marked.

1
 PART A
Text 1
Read Text 1 and answer questions 1-29 on pages 2-6 of the Question-Answer Book for Part A. (49 marks)

Becoming a Cantopop star

1 Phyllis Chiu writes about the road to fame and fortune as a singer in Hong Kong

[1] I was surprised by the results of a singing competition I saw on TV the other day. The winner was not the
one with the most talent or best performance, but the one who looked the best. I guess that’s just how it works
here in Hong Kong and everywhere else – in show business it pays to look good. Being famous isn’t easy, but if
5 you want a shot at being a Cantopop star, you can follow this formula.

Get noticed
[2] A popular way to get noticed is to enter local singing competitions organized by music labels. Some artists
were noticed and shot to fame after winning singing competitions. Don’t worry though if you don’t win.
Second or third place is enough to get noticed and even to get a contract offer. Miriam Yeung, the Cantopop
10 sensation, only came in third when she first started.

Release two or three albums quickly

[3] Making an impressive entry into the world of Cantopop as a newcomer is hard. After all, not everyone can
be the next Joey Yung, so increase the chances of getting a hit song by releasing two or three CDs within the
first two years. Releasing CDs quickly will also buy more airtime on the radio, meaning more publicity.

15 Shameless self-promotion
[4] Thick skin is needed to survive in the entertainment industry. The ultimate goal is to become a household
name at all costs. Attend every single event your company assigns to you, and try to create headlines for
yourself. Exposure is key to success.

Improve yourself
20 [5] It’s important to keep improving for a long and successful career. Aside from taking singing lessons, it is
also a good idea to learn how to act. Most Cantopop stars will have small roles in local movies as a form of
promotion. This is an opportunity to earn some good reviews and stay in the news.

Volunteer for charities

[6] There’s nothing people dislike more than selfish pop stars. Helping others will help your career, because the
25 local media is less harsh on kind and compassionate artists.

Take good care of yourself

[7] Build a healthy image. Nobody wants to end up on the front page for the wrong reasons. Stay away from
drugs, cigarettes and alcohol. Smoking will not only affect your health, it will also affect your ability to sing.
Remember to exercise more. Avoid plastic surgery as there could be unknown side effects.

30 [8] You may need the looks to become a Cantopop star in Hong Kong, but that doesn’t mean the Hong Kong
music industry can’t recognise talent. Eason Chan may not be handsome by the music industry’s standards, but
he still has a huge fan base because of his constantly outstanding live performances. With enough talent and a
lot of hard work, it’s possible to succeed as a Cantopop star, so don’t give up hope!

END OF READING PASSAGE FOR PART A

2
 PART B
Text 2
Read Text 2 and answer questions 30-55 on pages 7-10 of the Question-Answer Book for Part B. (51 marks)

Don’t rush into being a model

Beware of crooks on the street pretending to be agents scouting for models

[1] Walk down any busy street in Hong Kong and somebody could tap you on the shoulder from behind. You
turn around and see this smiling person who would say you are the ideal girl for a modelling job. Their offer
may look like the start of a glamorous career, but you have to be careful. Some of these scouts are real
modelling agents, others have bad intentions. Some want models to pose for revealing photos, while others
5 cheat unsuspecting girls. These crooks have made recruitment difficult for agents who are seriously looking for
young models.

[2] But there are still ways to identify real modelling agencies. Karen Cheung Wai-chi, a manager at an A-class
modelling agency, says one simple method is to ask the agent to show a portfolio of the modelling jobs. ‘If the
agent claims that their models do magazine shoots, for example, you can ask for copies of those magazines,’
10 says Karen. ‘The photos are usually credited to the modelling agency, which can serve as proof of identity.’

[3] Karen has spent three years looking for part-time models for publicity events, shopping mall promotions
and magazine shoots. She now leads a small team whose work includes picking potential models from tens of
thousands of pedestrians on busy streets.

[4] Karen says street hunting is only one of the methods they use because the successful rate of finding the right
15 person is not very high. ‘The sharp rise in modelling scams in recent years has held most people back. Many
just shake their heads and walk away as soon as I tell them who I am,’ she says. A more common and effective
method is an open casting – an audition for a large group of aspiring models. ‘It’s convenient for both the
agency and people looking for modelling jobs. Applicants don’t need to worry about safety, and the agency can
select from a large pool of people,’ Karen says. In fact, recruitment sessions at tertiary institutions, modelling
20 contests and word-of-mouth searches are also effective.

[5] Police recently found shady job advertisements on the Internet which aimed at young models. Fake
modelling agencies persuade youngsters to pay for ‘training’ to boost their careers. Some victims have even
been forced into illegal activities, such as drug trafficking and selling counterfeit goods. Some agencies force
girls to sign an agreement to buy beauty products or attend fitness sessions. Karen says genuine agencies do not
25 ask applicants to pay for training. ‘We include the cost of training in our operating costs. If the agent asks you
to sign up for an expensive course at the beginning, it must be a scam.’

[6] Fake agents also ask girls to make a quick decision and visit their offices immediately. ‘Real modelling
agencies are much less aggressive,’ Karen says. ‘They’ll do nothing more than give you their business cards if
you tell them you are not interested. Fake ones tell you repeatedly how perfect you’d be as a model, and
30 encourage you to make a decision on the spot.’

Source: Lai Ying-kit, ‘Don’t rush into being a model’, Young Post, 6th July 2010.

END OF READING PASSAGE FOR PART B

END OF READING PASSAGES