Candidate Number

Please stick the barcode label

here.

OXFORD ESSENTIAL

A
HKDSE PRACTICE PAPERS SET 1
ENGLISH LANGUAGE
PAPER 1 PART A
QUESTION-ANSWER BOOK COMPULSORY

Write your Candidate Number in the space provided on this page.

Read Texts 1–2 and answer questions 1–19. (34 marks)

Text 1
1 For each word given below, find a word which has a similar meaning in the specified classified ad.
 (3 marks)
i) ‘talk’ (Classified Ad 1) interact

ii) ‘work periods’ (Classified Ad 2) shifts

iii) ‘sales’ (Classified Ad 3) retail

2 Which of the classified ads do the following statements refer to? Select ONE classified ad for each
statement. If the statement does not match any ad, select ‘X’. (4 marks)
Answers written in the margins will not be marked.

Answers written in the margins will not be marked.

Statements
Ad Ad Ad
This ad …
1 2 3 X
i) mentions salary details.

ii) states the educational qualifications required.

iii) indicates long-term job prospects.

iv) offers employees a choice of working hours.

3 Some of the comments below are from the companies in the classified ads. Match each comment with a
classified ad in Text 1. (3 marks)
i)
We provide food for employees at a reduced cost.

A Ad 1
B Ad 2 A B C D
C Ad 3
D Does not match any ad

ii)
We consider the impact on the environment when sourcing new products.

A Ad 1
B Ad 2 A B C D
C Ad 3
D Does not match any ad

Answers written in the margins will not be marked.

Go on to the next page

SET 1-DSE-ENG LANG 1-A–1 3 © Oxford University Press
 iii)
We offer unpaid internships to students.

A Ad 1
B Ad 2 A B C D
C Ad 3
D Does not match any ad

4 Which job would be most suitable for someone who wants to work full-time and regular hours, but has
never worked in a supermarket before?

Job 1 // Cashier

Text 2
5 Do you think unmanned stores will generate higher profits for their operators? Provide evidence from the
text to support your answer.
Yes, they improve slim profit margins in the retail business by reducing staff costs. //
Answers written in the margins will not be marked.

Answers written in the margins will not be marked.

Yes, they will generate higher profits because operators can reduce staff costs / hire fewer staff.

6 According to paragraphs 1–3, are the following statements True (T), False (F) or Not Given (NG)?
 (3 marks)

Statements T F NG
i) You can buy something to eat at BingoBox.

ii) There are not many companies like BingoBox.

iii) Take Go stores use facial recognition technology.

7 What does ‘which is only available to employees for now’ (line 10) imply?
It implies that Amazon Go will be available / open to everyone / the public in (the) future. //

It implies that Amazon Go will not always be for employees only.

8 What does ‘a flurry of tech companies’ (lines 10–11) mean?

A There is a limited number of specialist tech companies.
B Tech companies are panicking and working inefficiently. A B C D
C There are a lot of tech companies working busily.
D Tech companies have little competition.

9 Order the following steps in the development of unmanned stores. Number the steps (1–4). The first step has
been done for you.
Unmanned stores:
Amazon opened the Amazon Go store, which does not have cashiers. 2

Other similar stores opened. 4

Amazon announced it would open its first unmanned store. 1

Only Amazon employees can use the Amazon Go store. 3

Answers written in the margins will not be marked.

SET 1-DSE-ENG LANG 1-A–2 4 © Oxford University Press

 10 Which two technologies are NOT mentioned in paragraph 5 as methods of payment in unmanned stores?
Write the letters for the two technologies in the boxes below. (1 mark)
A B C D E

Technology  B   and technology  D .

11 Complete the summary of paragraphs 5–7 by writing ONE word in each blank. You should make sure that
your answers are grammatically correct. (5 marks)

Unmanned stores use a variety of (i) technologies in order to gather customer data. They
use this data to better understand their customers’ likes and habits, and to organize their operations and
efficiently // effectively //
inventory more (ii) optimally . The (iii) management of unmanned
Answers written in the margins will not be marked.

Answers written in the margins will not be marked.

stores is also easier and more straightforward, especially for fast-moving products. BingoBox has been
praised, but it has also received (iv) criticism . The downside of such stores is that
they require extra steps to (v) purchase // buy items, making them less convenient than
regular shops.

12 Select the option that best completes the sentence to show the meaning of ‘take off’ (line 23).
Unmanned stores will … traditional stores.
A overtake
B become successful and rival A B C D
C lose customers to
D offer cheaper products than

13 According to Anderson Chen, unmanned stores might be unattractive to shoppers if …

A they charge too much for their products.
B their technology is unreliable. A B C D
C they are less consumer-friendly than traditional stores.
D they are hard to find.

14 What does ‘it’ (line 31) refer to?

DeepBlue Technology // Quixmart (technology)

15 Which two steps are required for customers at Take Go stores to make their purchases? (2 marks)
i) They need to use their palms to enter the store. // Their palm print needs to be recognized for entry.

In
any
ii) The payment / purchase is automatically debited from their linked payment account(s). // order

They need to link a payment method to their account(s) to allow automatic / direct debit.

Answers written in the margins will not be marked.

Go on to the next page

SET 1-DSE-ENG LANG 1-A–3 5 © Oxford University Press
 16 Find a word in paragraph 13 which has a similar meaning to ‘exceed’.

surpass

17 What does ‘there is no “one-size-fits-all” model’ (line 39) mean?

A Some businesses will need to expand their use of technology.
B Technology becomes more useful as a company expands. A B C D
C A single strategy will not be effective for all businesses.
D Companies must consider how much technology costs.
Answers written in the margins will not be marked.

Answers written in the margins will not be marked.

18 What are the advantages of unmanned shops? Find ideas mentioned in paragraph 16 and match them with
the examples given in the column on the right. (2 marks)

Idea mentioned in paragraph 16 Examples

(e.g.) U
 nmanned stores are all about removing Customers can pick up and pay for
friction. products themselves with minimal human
intervention.

i) Unmanned stores increase productivity. Businesses can earn the same amount of
money with fewer staff.

ii) Unmanned stores minimize time in-store. Customers can do their shopping more
quickly than in traditional stores.

19 Do you agree that unmanned stores are ‘unlikely to replace the shiny shopping malls and luxury boutiques’
(lines 46–47)? Explain your answer.
Yes, because when you shop for luxury goods, it is an experience, not just a trip to the mall. // Yes, because
people enjoy spending time in luxury boutiques. // No, because everyone is getting busier and busier, and
soon we will not have time to shop in traditional stores. // No, because time and price are more important
to shoppers than what the inside of a shop looks like.

END OF PART A

Answers written in the margins will not be marked.

SET 1-DSE-ENG LANG 1-A–4 6 © Oxford University Press

 Candidate Number
Please stick the barcode label
here.

OXFORD ESSENTIAL

B1
HKDSE PRACTICE PAPERS SET 1
ENGLISH LANGUAGE
PAPER 1 PART B1
QUESTION-ANSWER BOOK EASY SECTION

Write your Candidate Number in the space provided on this page.

Read Texts 3–5 and answer questions 20–37. (34 marks)

Text 3
20 Find a word in paragraph 1 which can be replaced by ‘pierce’.

puncture

21 According to paragraph 1, what are the four characteristics of mosquito bites?

Mosquito bites / The (raised) bumps (on the skin) can be itchy, large, red and sore.

22 What/Who does ‘them’ (line 7) refer to?

Answers written in the margins will not be marked.

Answers written in the margins will not be marked.

humans // people bitten by mosquitoes

23 Based on the information in Text 3, complete the summary by writing ONE word to fill in each blank. You
should make sure that your answers are grammatically correct. (4 marks)

Sometimes, mosquitoes bite our (i) skin in order to feed on our blood. Mosquito
itching // itchiness // redness //
bites can cause (ii) swelling // soreness . (iii) Scratching a mosquito bite may
spread // transmitted //
cause an infection. Serious diseases can be (iv) carried by mosquitoes, including
malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever and the West Nile virus.

Text 4
24 What does ‘I just put some Kwan Loong Oil on the bites when they became itchy, as usual’ (lines 4–5)
imply?
A Sally Chua is concerned about her condition.
B Sally Chua has lots of medicines at home. A B C D
C Sally Chua has sensitive skin.
D Sally Chua does not generally worry about her health.

25 Complete the following sentence using the information in paragraph 2.

Sally Chua became worried when she noticed (that) red spots (started / began appearing) on her skin

 .

Answers written in the margins will not be marked.

Go on to the next page

SET 1-DSE-ENG LANG 1-B1–1 7 © Oxford University Press
 26 According to paragraph 2, what are the symptoms of dengue fever? Tick (✓) three boxes. (3 marks)
Symptoms

i) fever ✓

ii) dizziness

iii) headache ✓

iv) red spots on the skin ✓

v) sore throat

27 Explain why Sally Chua was not admitted to hospital.

It was / She had a mild case of dengue fever and there was no specific treatment / she simply had

to take painkillers, drink lots of fluids and rest / stay at home.

28 What does ‘get over it’ (line 12) mean in this context?
A to become well again
Answers written in the margins will not be marked.

Answers written in the margins will not be marked.

B to succeed in communicating an idea A B C D
C to finish something difficult
D to stop being so sensitive

29 Complete the following summary of Sally’s attitude to dengue fever now with a word or phrase found in
paragraph 4. (4 marks)

Sally finds it scary that there is no dengue fever (i) vaccine . To avoid getting
reinfected, she regularly wears insect (ii) repellent . She has got into the
(iii)  habit of spraying herself every time she leaves her flat. Although this product
doesn’t have a nice (iv) smell , it is better than getting dengue fever again.

Text 5
30 In paragraph 1, Danny says he is familiar with the symptoms of dengue fever. Which two new symptoms
made him concerned? (2 marks)
Symptom 1: having no energy // (he) had no energy
In any order
Symptom 2: feeling sick every time he ate // (he) felt sick every time he ate

31 According to paragraph 1, are the following statements True (T), False (F) or Not Given (NG)? (4 marks)

Statements T F NG

i) Danny jogs for 30 minutes every morning.

ii) Danny always finds mosquito bites very itchy.

iii) Danny had to wait a long time to get a doctor’s appointment.

iv) Danny’s doctor sent him to hospital.

Answers written in the margins will not be marked.

SET 1-DSE-ENG LANG 1-B1–2 8 © Oxford University Press

 32 Find a word in paragraph 2 which has a similar meaning to ‘catch’.

contract

33 What does ‘it’ (line 9) refer to?

the second (dengue fever) virus // the second dengue fever infection

34 This flow chart shows the development of a dengue fever infection described in paragraph 2. Fill in each
blank with a word or phrase from paragraph 2. (3 marks)

A second dengue fever infection strikes.

Answers written in the margins will not be marked.

Answers written in the margins will not be marked.

The first virus (i) confuses the body.

The body’s (ii) defence / defense systems are not as effective.

The symptoms are much (iii) more severe .

35 According to paragraph 2, find THREE symptoms Danny had the second time he was infected.
He had pain behind his eyes. // His liver became enlarged. // He felt exhausted the whole time /
Any three
all the time. // His gums started bleeding. // His body became hot and achy.

36 When Danny says ‘I now wear training tights when I go jogging’ (line 15), he means …
A he has bought more expensive clothes for exercising.
B he now likes jogging in gym tights. A B C D
C he has changed what he wears when he exercises.
D he only jogs when the weather is cool.

37 According to paragraph 3, which three precautions against mosquito bites does Danny now take? (3 marks)
i) He wears long sleeves and trousers (as much as possible).

ii) He wears training tights when he goes jogging. In any

order
He reports areas of stagnant water to the local authority. // If / When he sees an area of stagnant
iii) water (where mosquitoes could breed), he reports it to the local authority.

END OF PART B1

Answers written in the margins will not be marked.

SET 1-DSE-ENG LANG 1-B1–3 9 © Oxford University Press

 Do not write on this page.
Answers written on this page will not be marked.

SET 1-DSE-ENG LANG 1-B1–4 10 © Oxford University Press

 Candidate Number
Please stick the barcode label
here.

OXFORD ESSENTIAL

B2
HKDSE PRACTICE PAPERS SET 1
ENGLISH LANGUAGE
PAPER 1 PART B2
QUESTION-ANSWER BOOK DIFFICULT SECTION

Write your Candidate Number in the space provided on this page.

Read Texts 6–7 and answer questions 38–57. (34 marks)

Text 6
38 Who/What does ‘They’ (line 3) refer to?
the (seven) mosquito bites (on her body)

39 When the writer says ‘some of whom had much more skin on show than me’ (line 4), she means …
A she dresses conservatively.
B her friends felt very hot. A B C D
C she expected her friends to be less attractive to mosquitoes.
D she expected herself to be less attractive to mosquitoes.
Answers written in the margins will not be marked.

Answers written in the margins will not be marked.

40 Find a word in paragraph 1 which has a similar meaning to ‘unharmed’.

unscathed

41 Find ONE metaphor for people who often attract mosquitoes in paragraph 1.

(a) mosquito magnet

42 According to paragraphs 2–3, are the following statements True (T), False (F) or Not Given (NG)?
 (4 marks)

Statements T F NG

i) Mosquitoes use smell to check a person’s blood type.

ii) Mosquitoes can sense cholesterol on our skin.

iii) People who exercise regularly may get bitten more often.

iv) Mosquitoes only rely on their sight to find their target.

43 Find a word or phrase in paragraph 3 which means ‘aim for’.

home in on

44 According to paragraph 4, why do some people avoid using DEET insect repellent?
They are not keen on / don’t like the idea of enveloping themselves in / spraying themselves with chemicals.

Answers written in the margins will not be marked.

Go on to the next page

SET 1-DSE-ENG LANG 1-B2–1 11 © Oxford University Press
 45 The pronoun ‘these’ (line 23) refers to natural alternatives to chemical insect repellent / DEET (such as

citronella and eucalyptus) // citronella and eucalyptus .

46 Find a word in paragraph 4 which can be replaced by ‘very common’.

rife

47 What methods can we use to avoid getting bitten by mosquitoes? Find ideas mentioned in paragraph 4 and
match them with the examples given in the column on the right. (2 marks)

Idea mentioned in paragraph 4 Examples

I wear a pink shirt

(e.g.) Wear pastel colours or white.
and white trousers.

i) Spray yourself with insect repellent. I use Off! every day.

ii) Use natural insect repellent / alternatives to chemical insect repellent I apply oil
Answers written in the margins will not be marked.

Answers written in the margins will not be marked.

containing special
(such as citronella and eucalyptus). // Use citronella or eucalyptus. herbs to my skin.

48 Why does the writer say she will be ‘dressed in white from head to toe’ (line 25)?
Mosquitoes are (most) attracted to dark colours / are less attracted to pastel colours / light colours /

white. // She wants to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes / keep mosquitoes at bay.

Text 7
49 What does ‘many cases likely go unreported’ (line 6) imply?
A Doctors often do not recognize the symptoms of dengue fever.
B The actual number of dengue fever cases is probably much higher. A B C D
C Dengue fever infection rates are likely to increase further.
D Communication between health care providers is often poor.

50 Find a word in paragraph 2 which has a similar meaning to ‘carried’.

transmitted

51 Based on the information in paragraphs 1–2, complete the summary by writing ONE word to fill in each
blank. You should make sure that your answers are grammatically correct. (6 marks)

found // contracted //
Dengue fever is commonly (i) caught // spread in the tropics and subtropics.
spread // growth //
The (ii) circulation of the disease is rapid and worrying. It affects about
(iii)  91 // ninety-one more countries today than it did in 1970. Dengue fever is transmitted
ingesting // swallowing //
by mosquitoes. After (iv) catching // contracting the virus via blood from an infected person, the
mosquito then passes the virus on when it bites other people to feed on their blood. The virus never
(v)  leaves the mosquito and it can (vi)  spread // transmit // carry the disease for
the rest of its life.

Answers written in the margins will not be marked.

SET 1-DSE-ENG LANG 1-B2–2 12 © Oxford University Press

 52 According to paragraph 3, which of the following is NOT affected by dengue fever? Put a tick (✓) in
the box.

✓
Answers written in the margins will not be marked.

Answers written in the margins will not be marked.

53 Given that there is ‘no specific treatment for dengue fever’ (line 18), why do people suffering from dengue
haemorrhagic fever need to be hospitalized?
Their symptoms are much more serious. // They could die from the disease. // They are bleeding in different
parts. // Their health needs to be monitored carefully / They require special medical attention / supervision.

54 In paragraph 5, identify one advantage and one disadvantage of getting dengue fever. (2 marks)

Advantage: You are likely to have immunity to the type of dengue fever you were infected with / contracted.

You will develop a more severe form of dengue fever if you get infected with / contract a
Disadvantage: different type of dengue fever / strain of the dengue virus from the last one.

55 Why does the writer believe that ‘removing all sources of standing water’ (line 33) can help eradicate
dengue fever?
Doing so prevents female mosquitoes from laying eggs / giving birth to / creating more mosquitoes. //
Standing water creates a breeding ground for (female) mosquitoes. // It helps eliminate / remove mosquito
breeding grounds.

56 Which of the following best describes the intention of the writer of Text 7?
A to educate health professionals
B to provide information to the public A B C D
C to encourage health departments to do more
D to explain the history of the dengue virus

Answers written in the margins will not be marked.

Go on to the next page

SET 1-DSE-ENG LANG 1-B2–3 13 © Oxford University Press
 57 Based on the information in Texts 6 and 7, match the speaker on the left with the statement which best
represents their thoughts listed on the right. Write the letter (A–F) on the line next to the speaker’s name.
Answers written in the margins will not be marked.

Answers written in the margins will not be marked.

ONE of the statements is not used. Each letter can be used ONCE only. (5 marks)

Speakers Answers Statements

i) Lisa Tam D A ‘It’s important to stay home so you don’t infect
other people.’
ii) Lisa Tam’s friend B
B ‘I’m not sure why I didn’t get bitten at all.’
iii) British Skin Foundation C ‘There has been a worrying increase in dengue
E
official fever infection rates.’
D ‘In the future, I will do everything I can to
iv) World Health Organization
avoid getting bitten.’
official C
E ‘Some people are much more prone to mosquito
v) Female Aedes aegypti bites than others.’
mosquito F F ‘Actually, I’m a victim of the dengue virus too.’

END OF PART B2

Answers written in the margins will not be marked.

SET 1-DSE-ENG LANG 1-B2–4 14 © Oxford University Press