Name: ___________________ ( ) Class: 9_____ Date: ____________________

Pui Kiu College

2022 – 2023 G9 English Language
Module 1: Study abroad (OATA U1)
Newspaper Clipping 1

Having a gap year abroad

A group of parents have taken their children out of mainstream education
for a year to provide them with alternative, experiential learning.

[1] Twelve-year-old Colin might never have expected it, but his current
school year is undoubtedly the most adventurous of all. Instead of
attending Form One classes like his peers, he is set for diverse learning
experiences in the company of five other children of similar ages.

5 [2] Their parents are among a few who have embraced the concept of the gap year, usually
associated with secondary school graduates who spend a year exploring other experiences
rather than progressing straight to further studies.

[3] They have decided to take their children out of normal schooling for a year to give them a
much-needed respite from the high-pressure environment. In place of a packed curriculum
1 and cut-throat competition in the local system, they have banded together to provide an
0 alternative, experiential education for their children instead. Each is paying HK$5,000 a
month for a coach to guide and accompany their children in a year-long journey.

[4] Colin spent his first week navigating around various neighbourhoods with the other
children. The group ventured in search of landmarks, such as a pre-war pawn shop in Wan
1 Chai, the Hong Kong Museum of History in Tsim Sha Tsui East, and the much-hyped
5 escalators linking Central with the Mid-Levels. They were given a small allowance each day
for lunch and transport, so they had to resort to public transport and affordable food.

[5] “He was very happy and excited about the trips, being able to visit different places every
day,” says Colin’s mother. “The trips helped boost his self-confidence and trained him in
2 useful life skills, such as problem solving and decision making. They asked different people
0 on the
streets for directions, and had to decide what advice to take and how to get there.”

[6] In the past, Colin had been very indifferent at school. That is a major reason his mother

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 obtained permission from a secondary school head to defer his Form One enrolment to next
September.

2 [7] “My son used to find learning super-boring. He was withdrawn and rather shy at school. I
5 hope to help him pick up the motivation again and improve on his weaknesses in the coming
year,” Colin’s mother adds.

[8] Designed by the parents and the coach, the gap year programme combines outdoor
activities, games and puzzles, with tutorials in Chinese, English and Maths. There will also be
3 regular discussion sessions at a family centre that has offered space to the experimental
0 group, along with theme-based online research at home.

[9] As a freelance education consultant, Colin’s mother feels a strong need to bring balance
into students’ lives, sparing them the onerous homework load and incessant drills. In her
view, the new 3+3+4 academic structure has exacerbated pressure on schools to ensure that
3 their students excel in the Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) exam, rather than catering
5 to different learning needs.

[10] At present, there are three direct subsidy schools that provide non-mainstream
education but they are unknown to most parents. Some parents might have switched
schools for their children if there had been better publicity about alternative curriculums.
4 But whichever school they attend, building confidence is key to the growth of every
0 youngster.

[11] “I hope he will be more ready, especially emotionally, for the competition, and able to
face up to the learning challenge positively in the next academic year,” says Colin’s mother.

Part A. Reading Comprehension

1. Use the information given in the news article and match the following speech bubbles with the
possible speakers. Write the letter of the speech bubble on the line next to the person given.
(3 marks)

A. These kids are brilliant. Despite their age, they are brave
enough to talk to strangers asking for directions.

B. The programme is awesome. I’ve never thought that it can be so

much fun and challenging. Tsz-lok

C. I discussed with the coach what to include in the programme. I hope

my boy will find the activities interesting.
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 (i) Colin (ii) A passer-by (iii) Colin’s mother
2. What does the underlined word ‘They’ in paragraph 4 mean? (1 mark)

3. Read the following statements. Decide whether the information is True (T), False (F) or Not
Given (NG) according to the news article. Blacken ONE circle only for each statement.
(3 marks)
T F NG
(i) There are too few schools offering alternative curriculums.
(ii) The gap year programme that Colin has joined includes
outdoor activities only. (L29)
(iii Colin’s mother needs to pay for his son’s gap year
) programme, which lasts for twelve months. (L11-12)

4. Find one word in the news article which has the same meaning to… (3 marks)
(i) risked going somewhere that might be dangerous or unpleasant (paragraph 4)

(ii) unwillingly or reluctant to communicate with others (paragraphs 6-7)

(iii) refraining from causing something unpleasant on someone (paragraph 9)

5. Find one word in the news article which has the opposite meaning to… (3 marks)
(i) identical (paragraph 1)

(ii) decline or weaken (paragraph 5)

(iii) considered normal and accepted by most people (paragraph 10)

Answer Questions 6 to 9 in COMPLETE SENTENCES.

6. According to paragraphs 3 and 4, what made Colin’s mother decide to let her son have a gap
year? (2 marks)

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7. In what ways has the gap year programme changed Colin positively? (3 marks)

8. According to the news article, is it common for primary school graduates to take a gap year?
(2 marks)

9. Would you prefer taking a gap year to continuing your studies in Pui Kiu College after your
Grade 9 graduation? Explain your answer. (2 marks)

Mark: / 22

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Part B Vocabulary
Match each vocabulary item with its meaning. Also, write its word family.
Word Ans Meaning Example Word family
+ Parts of Speech
+ line number
1. diverse (adj.) A. in which people compete New York is one of the most
(line 3) with each other in an culturally _____________ 
aggressive and unfair cities in the world.
way
2. embraced (v.) B. to go somewhere even The word “culture”
(line 5) though you know it _____________ both artistic 
might be dangerous or and sociological aspects of
unpleasant a society.
3. gap year (n.) C. very different from each Some students choose to --
(line 5) other and of various work in high-tech industries
kinds during their _____________.
4. respite (n.) D. to make something The trip was a welcome --
(line 9) increase, or become _____________ from the
better or more successful pressures of work.
5. cut-throat E. to form a group in order At the root of the problems --
(adj.) to achieve something with the old system was 
(line 10) _____________ competition.
6. banded F. to accept an idea, a Local people have ________  --
together (phr. proposal, a set of beliefs, ______________ to fight the
v.) etc, especially when it is company’s plans.
(line 10) done with enthusiasm
7. experiential G. to achieve something, As it turned out, they had all --
(adj.) often because there are the problems one would
(line 11) no other choices reasonably expect, given
their _____________ reality.
8. ventured (v.) H. having or showing no The scouts would
(line 14) interest in somebody/ _____________ ahead if
something there was room enough to
walk, and return ashen-faced.
9. allowance I. a year that a young If you are entitled to sickness --
(n.) person spends working _____________ , you must
(line 16) and/ or travelling, often claim it from your employer.

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 after leaving school

10. resort to J. a short break or escape He says he is praying for  --

(phr. v.) from something difficult rain, but isn't yet _________
(line 17) or unpleasant __________ a rain dance.
11. boost (v.) K. an amount of money that The new resort area has --
(line 19) is given to somebody _____________ tourism.
regularly or for a
particular purpose
12. indifferent L. based on or involving Her father was quite friendly,
(adj.) experience but her mother seemed
(line 22) somewhat cold and
_____________ .
13. enrolment M. the act of officially I have tried to give
(n.) joining a course, school, an indication of the
(line 23) etc; very varied actual
pattern of _____________ in
schools.
14. defer (v.) N. to delay something until The punishment was --
(line 23) a later time _____________ until after
her baby was born.
15. withdrawn O. never stopping Mike was silent and --
(adj.) (line _____________ that evening.
25)
16. freelance P. to be very good at doing Jamie's trying to earn a living --
(adj.) something as a ______________ 
(line 32) photographer.
17. onerous (adj.) Q. not wanting to talk to To disqualify one of the  --
(line 33) other people; extremely prosecutors with three weeks
quiet and shy to trial would be an
______________ burden.
18. incessant R. an amount of money that The _____________ rain has --
(adj.) the government pays to meant that many matches had
(line 33) help to reduce the cost of to be cancelled.
a project or service
19. exacerbated S. to provide the things that Howe's unkind remarks 
(v.) a particular type of have _____________ racial 
(line 34) person wants, especially tensions in the community.

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 things that you do not
approve of

20. excel (v.) T. working independently I didn't exactly ___________ --

(line 35) for different companies
rather than being
employed by one
company regularly
21. catering to U. the attention that is
(phr. v.) given to
(line 35) somebody/something by
a newspaper, television,
etc.
22. subsidy (n.) V. difficult to do or needing
(line 37) a lot of effort
23. publicity (n.) W. to make something
(line 39) worse, especially a
disease or problem
academically and I left school
as soon as I had the chance.
Most perfume ads --
_____________ male
fantasies.
Housing _____________,
food supplements, and
health care will decline to 
levels that no longer can
alleviate the pain.
It’s important to gain good
_____________ for the
school.

Fill in each blank with suitable vocabulary from the table above. Pay attention to the word form.

1. I think we can solve this problem without ____________________ legal action.

2. Since we are running out of time, we agree to ____________________ the discussion of these
issues until the next meeting.
3. The country is ethnically ____________________, indicated by its four language groups.
4. There has been a sharp increase in the number of printed advertisements in the MTR stations in
hope of ____________________ the sales of the new football boots.
5. The course fees must be paid in full at the time of ____________________ by new
participants.

6. Seeing high profits, many greedy people are digging for money by setting up tutorial schools,
which leads to a more ____________________ competition in society.
7. Miss Chan noticed how ____________________ May had become. Thus, she actively
encouraged May to participate in the class activities, hoping that she could enjoy the time being

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 with her peer.
8. They ____________________ for protection when facing their enemies in the battlefield.
9. I have never ____________________ abroad ever since I was born. Therefore, I am planning
to take a ____________________ and go backpacking in India.

10. Teaching is a profession that does not only require knowledge from textbooks like different
teaching and learning theories, it also involves ____________________ knowledge in which
you can only get it from teaching practice.
11. As a mother of three, Sally is still learning how to look after her children. She thinks the duties
of motherhood and parentings are ____________________ and difficult.
12. After the birth of her baby boy Keith, Cindy has decided to go ____________________ from
home so that she can have more time to care for him. A regular job will surely occupy too much
of her time.
13. I was given a monthly ____________________ of $500 from my college while I was an
exchange student in the UK three years ago.
14. If you ____________________ in English and Putonghua, you have fulfilled one of the criteria
in being the student ambassador for the Multicultural Day next month.
15. She has been working for 15 hours without a ____________________ and insists on having all
the work done before she goes home.
16. I was woken up by the ____________________ traffic noise in the streets nearby this morning.
I think the annoying noise had lasted for an hour!
17. John and Peter had an argument on some minor changes on the proposal late night. John’s
aggressive reaction greatly ____________________ the situation and no conclusion has been
drawn up till now.
18. They have done a lot of city-wide surveys of reading interests so they can publish novels which
____________________ the mass market.
19. The government has decided to abolish the ____________________ to farmers. The angry
farmers took to the streets and protested against this decision.
20. There was a great deal of ____________________ surrounding the disappearance of the son of
the business tycoon Mr. Lee Ka Ching.
21. Because I am not a football fan, I show ____________________ to the fact my husband met a
popular football player yesterday.
22. Handball has become more widely ____________________ by our schoolmates nowadays. We
have around 50 handball players in A, B and C grade now.

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