Paper 3 Listening and Integrated Skills

The examination format for Paper 3 can be shown as follows:

Paper 3

Part A Part B (1) Part B (2)

Compulsory (easy section) (difficult section)

Integrated listening, Integrated listening,

Listening tasks
reading and writing tasks reading and writing tasks

Highest level attainable:

Level 4

Highest level attainable:

Level 5**

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.
--,
· ,.strategies ,.__ _
1
· If the speakers repeat what
they have said or request
other speakers to repeat
something. those pieces
of information are often
important.
1;,Skill developmentl
You should practise
<ibtlreviations and symbols.
on your own s9 that you
can use Jhem efficiently in
exams.
Essential Listening Skills
Paper 3 Listening and Integrated Skills examination tests your ability to
complete various listening tasks, and select and combine data from both spoken
and written sources to complete various integrated tasks in about two hours.
Below are some crucial tips that can help you in the exam.
Listening for key words
During the exam, not every word in the recordings is relevant to the questions.
Instead, some are actually used to mislead or confuse you. So it is crucial for
you to judge what is relevant and what is not.
There are three types of key words in the recordings:
• Words that are repeated.
• Words which are spelt out for you. They are usually proper words, such as
the names of people and places.
• Words which show a change of idea or opinion. In the recordings, the
speakers sometimes make changes to what they have said earlier. Thus, pay
attention to these transitional and signalling words, such as but, however,
while and yet.
Listening for main ideas
Listening for main ideas requires you to process what you have listened to. Very
often, you need to use your own words to summarize the most important idea.
There are several things you should be aware of when listening for main ideas:
• The examples and detailed explanations provided should not be regarded as
the main ideas.
• You may need to generalize the content from the recordings by forming
some patterns or categories in order to find out the main ideas or focuses.
• You need to pay attention to the changes that the speakers make in the
recordings, especially signals like although, but, de5pite, however, etc.
Taking notes
When you listen to the recordings, it is often impossible to write down full
sentences, mainly because:
• the pace of the recordings may be quite fast.
• complete sentences arc too long.
To tackle this, you should learn how to take notes. The following table shows
two main ways to help when note-taking:
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Abbreviations (i.e. short forms)

I. Using the first letter of words HK (Hong Kong)

2. Using the first syllable ad (advertisement)

3. Using the first syllable+ the first letter of the second syllable opp (opposite)

4. Using the first syllable+ the first letter of the second syllable+ the govt (government)
last letter

5. Using the first letter of each syllable asap ( as soon as possible)

6. Using 'g' to replace 'ing' eatg ( eating)

7. Using special but commonly-used abbreviations e.g. (for example)

Symbols

because ·: he's lazy

therefore / so :. he failed in the exam

% percent 80% of HK kids like eatg fast food

& and Sam & Peter are my good fds (friends)

I or You can choose coffee/ tea

... increase / up / growth

• •1•
# of pp! (people) going to Jap (Japan)
decrease / down

..
# number

leads to / causes

is caused by
Smoking i+ lung cancer

Lung cancer • smoking

@ at Let's meet Cal MK (Mongkok) MTR station

about Joe's~ 30 yrs (years) old

> bigger than I more than Mary's income> my income

< smaller than / less than Macau< HK

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 Listening for names of people and places
Sometimes you will be required to write down the names of people or places,
such as filling in a questionnaire or an application form. Therefore, you need to:
• be familiar with the spelling and pronunciation of common names;
• pay attention to names that sound alike and are easily confused.

Sometimes, unusual names will be used. In that case, you will have to listen
carefully to see if the names are spelt out or repeated for you in the recordings.

Listening for addresses

You are sometimes asked to note down addresses. Below are some sample
formats of postal addresses and electronic addresses:

Postal addresses
Make sure you put the
address details in the right
sequence and learn the
Flat or House Number, • The details are arranged in ascending order.
terminologies commonly
Name of Building, • Words commonly used:
used in both postal and
electronic addresses. If
Street Number, Street Name, • Room I Flat/ Unit/ Block/ Number
not, you may lose marks. District, (No.) / Floor (/F)
Province I State, • Centre / Building / Plaza / Square /
Country, Post code (if any) Tower / Garden / Mansion
• Street/ Road/ Avenue/ Lane/ Drive

Electronic addresses

• Website: • Pay attention to the pronunciation of

http://www.happycity.net! some specific expressions for electronic
mydiary.html addresses:
Colon Underscore
• Email address:
Slash @ At
oliver_twist@coolmail.net
II Double slashes Dot
Hyphen
• When two or more words are put together
without any space in between, (e.g. 'happy
city' are put together as 'happycity'), we
call it 'all in one word'.
• Some common extensions:
.net/ .com/ .org / .gov
• Email and website addresses are usually
written in lowercase letters (i.e. small
letters).

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~Skill development/
jl f
To vniQ crnf~sini~
yo~~1f~lf%:1 ttje~Xtiry};•• ,
farni#(¼lize>yoursalfwitli ffu;J
expressions of nultl~ by
practi~•befori,!'ttle e~.
Listening for numbers and amounts
Numbers and amounts are often tested in this paper. It is therefore important to
pay attention to the ways in which they are used and expressed. There are many
different types of numbers and amounts, which can be categorized as follows:
0 (zero), 100 (a hundred), 1,000 (a thousand),
100,000 (a hundred thousand)
1st (first), 2nd (second), 3rd (third), 10th (tenth),
20th (twentieth), 100th (hundredth)
1/2 (a half), 1/3 (a third), 1/4 (a quarter), 1/5 (a
fifth), 1/8 (an eighth), 2/3 (two-thirds)
0.1 (zero point one), 0.01 (zero point zero one)
10% (ten per cent), 100% (a hundred per cent)
I :2 (one to two), 19: 1(nineteen to one)
60058444 = six double oh* five eight triple four
21113399 = two triple one double three double nine
* The number O can be said as 'oh' or 'zem '.
Listening for dates and times
In some listening tasks, you will need to write down dates and times. There are
two more common styles to express dates and times. They are the British and
American styles, and their differences are illustrated as below:
Date 10 July 2012, 10th July, 2012 July 10, 2012, 7/10/2012
10/7/2012
Time 2.00 2:00
A dot is used to separate the A colon is used to separate
hour and the minutes. the hour and the minutes.
Another style to write about time is to use the 24-hour clock, which is often
used for travel schedules, such as flight schedules.
07.00 Oh seven hundred hours 7.00 a.m.
12.00 Twelve hundred hours 12 noon
13.27 Thirteen twenty-seven 1.27 p.m.
24.00 Twenty-four hundred hours 12 midnight
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 Following instructions
When completing a listening task, you may need to follow instructions and write
the information in a particular way. There are two types of instructions, namely,
written instructions and spoken instructions.

Written instructions
Read the written You often need to read written instructions before completing tasks such
instructions carefully as filling in forms, tables, diagrams and schedules. When reading written
before the recording instructions, you should note what action you need to take, for example,
begins. Try to remember • Delete as appropriate
them so that you can
• Tick the box
respond to the spoken
• Write the information in BLOCK CAPITALS I LETTERS
information appropriately.
• Underline the information

Spoken instructions
The recordings may give you instructions on how to write the information
properly. The following are some common types of spoken instructions:
• Putting information in a certain place
e.g. Write it right over the heading
• Putting information in a certain way
e.g. Write 'Redhouse' as one word. Put the word in brackets.
• Changing information
e.g. Cross out the word and add the letter A.
• Marking information
e.g. I'll put an 'X' here and an asterisk next to it, followed by a dash.

Completing tables
Tables appear frequently in the exam and you are often asked to write
Pay attention to the information that you hear in a table. Tables are mainly used for:
headings as they can help • Presenting information
you better understand the • Listing programmes and itineraries
content of the table. • Showing results of research findings

Before the recording begins, ask yourself the following questions:

Demonstration
Column headings

• ~.· .·w.·•·
••
0
.~.-e..a.·d_·i.~_;_;_ j{ 1-----N_u_m_b_e_r_o_f_l_es_s_o_n_s__________________--1
Number of hours per lesson

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1;; Skill developm~-nt]
f!.Jways listen carefully for
words.and amounts that
cte~cdpe~rarts/ Charts,
e,g, ~,.onecfiffh,. 1>igl')teen
per•. ~e:ifr,.leachef a• 0
plateau, ri$ing, ®easoo,
etc.·•You c:tlli spotthese
wor<!s andcompretethe
task quickly witti practice.
y-axis •
Completing charts and graphs
In the exam, you may be asked to complete a graph or chart. These are usually
presented in three formats: pie charts, bar charts or line graphs. When you are
asked to complete graphs or charts, you may need to:
• label the axes / key of the graph or chart.
• write the information on the graph or chart.
Before the recording begins, you need to:
• study the chart or graph carefully.
• identify the information given and how the information is presented.
• note what the missing information is.
• predict the answers you need.
While listening to the recording, you need to listen for words and phrases that
describe:
rise, fall, increase, decrease, decline, remain the
same, grow
more than, fewer than, less than, the most, the least
percentages: 60%, 85%
unit of measurement: grams, kilograms, centimetres,
metres, dollars
x-axis, y-axis, information that describes the title
double, triple, half, one-third, the majority, the
minority
Demonstration
Percentage
Sex: It is called 'legend' or
80 tz:] Male 'key'. It shows the types of
D Female information of each bar,
and is usually put at the
60 bottom or the right-hand
• side of a graph / chart. •
....... ~.~,.--~·-•~·-·~•8"'~~--·•~*
40
20
oL.__=~J_..J< ~--L---l=L..L-..I:Z:::;i...J.._Team
China Japan Italy Russia
x-axis
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Below are some common types of charts and graphs:

Bar chart

No. of students preferring co-educational schools or single sex schools

No. of students
80
70
60
50
40
30
20 Key
10 Co-educational schools

0 Form Single-sex schools

Pie chart

The problems faced by Hong Kong teenagers in dating

Key
Lack of self-confidence
m Communication problem
Personality differences
Fear of rejection

Line graph

No. of students who think dating affects studies

No. of students
60
50
.. ... ~' •'

40
30
20
10 Key
-Boys
0 Form , ~·- ·• Girls
S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7

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The speaker may change
what he / she just said
to confuse you. Be calm
and patient to get the
speaker's final decision.
I'll ¢J'QS!l qut the 'p' and 'c'
in lower case and rewrite
them in upper case above
each of the letters.
Changing information
In listening tasks, you may need to make changes. This is because:
• the speaker changes information on certain issues deliberately.
• there is a slip of the tongue and the speaker has to make self-corrections.
For both situations, you may listen to hints of changing information and self-
corrections. Remember to listen to the ideas of the speakers carefully before
writing the answers.
The following are some common expressions indicating amendments:
• Add I Put ...
• Can you cross out ...
• Cross out ... and write ...
• Delete ...
• Instead of ...
• It should be written in ..., not ...
• Move ... to ...
• Tltat 's a mistake.
Demonstration
Sunshine Secondary School
p C
Yolleyba/lf).romotion 'mmpaign
Pro,gra r.,r.,es:
2
• Sharing session bv /;>(avers of Htf.1earvi
................i. ................
Then, concerning the first
programme, inste;id of saying
'a few', I want you to make
it more specific by using the
number '2' .... I'll deletce 'a
few' and put the number
............................................
above it.
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Listening for locations and directions
In order to read maps or floor plans and answer related questions well, it is
important to understand expressions that show directions and locations. Here are
some examples:

• Go forward I Go towards the front I Go

+ straight ahead

• Turn right I Take the right turn I Take a right

+ • Turn left I Take the left turn I Take a left

• At the top left-hand corner

• At the top right-hand corner

.e " • At the bottom left-hand corner

•!•

• At the bottom right-hand corner

•!•

O* • The star is next to I beside the circle .

• The star is between the circle and the square .

O*D I The star is in the middle.

• The star is above I on top of the circle .

* • The circle is below I under I underneath the
0
star.

There are some other words that show directions and locations.

east, south, west, north, north-east, north-west,

south-east and south-west

take the first / second / third turning on the left /

right

next, before, then, soon, after a while

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Listening for descriptions of people
You may be asked to identify the pictures of some people, or write down their characteristics in a listening
task. Therefore, you need to familiarize yourself with the meaning, spelling and pronunciation of words
which are often used to describe people.

Descriptions of people can focus on various aspects, such as physical appearance, clothing, feeling,
personality, occupation, etc.

Below are some examples of common vocabulary used to describe people's physical appearance and
clothing:

Physical appearance

well-built, medium, slim skinny, thin scar, beard freckles, wrinkles, long
muscular pimples chin

Others: Others:
fat/ plump, tall, short, etc. moustache, dimples, pointed nose, etc.

bald short hair wavy hair straight hair ponytail

Clothing

blouse, dress, shirt, suit, sweater, T-shirt

cardigan, coat, jacket

jeans, skirt, trousers

boots, high-heeled shoes, leather shoes, sandals, slippers, sports shoes

bracelet, necklace, earrings

belt, briefcase, hat/ cap, handbag, rucksack, scarf

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Listening for shapes and patterns
You will be given descriptions of objects when completing tasks that involve visual images (e.g. pictures,
photos, maps or floor plans). Two of the most common types of descriptions are concerned with shapes and
patterns. You should:
• be familiar with the meanings. spellings and pronunciations of common shapes and patterns;
• know how to draw common shapes and patterns, in case you are asked to draw them in the listening
tasks.

Shape

n.
0circle square
D
rectangle
D triangle
A
arc

adj. circular square rectangular triangular arched

oval cylinder cube arrow cross L-shaped

Pattern

..........
.........
.........
i. • • • • • • • • •

,. .........
'V,J\/'~(\~r'(p~\
·1\/\f1/\/\/V\/\.)
li.""*:t:*""*:r:*1,;i:,

/**********
.........
i. •••••••••
-,.,vVV\/\JV\/\,;
r1_f'-J\/\/\/\/\/\.J ·****'***'**'
i. • • • • • • • • •

II • • • • • • • • •
1/\/\f1JV1../\/\(\j
1./\/\/\/\/V\/V'v'
/\ /\ (' r "' /\ f\ /1. ·'
************
***********~
spotted / dotted striped grid/ checked waved/ wavy flowered / floral

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Listening for facts and opinions
You may be asked to note down facts and / or opinions while listening. Sometimes, you might even need to
distinguish between the two types of information.

Facts
Fact is a piece of information or knowledge based on real occurrences. It is about circumstances that exist or
events that have taken place. Fact is verifiable.

Note the following when listening for facts:

• Sometimes, you can hear expressions such as 'It is true/ for sure that ... ', 'It is a well-known fact that ... '
before factual statements.
e.g. It is well known that European children faced famine after WWII.

• Facts from authorities are considered more reliable and objective. Therefore, it is also typical to hear
expressions such as 'According to XXX authority, ... '
e.g. According to the government census, the U.S. population reached 299,921,677 in the year 2000.

• Adjectives in factual statements are usually non-gradable .

e.g. Mr Lau is dead. He died ten years ago.
X Mr Lau is very dead.
X Mr Lau is a little hit dead.

Opinions
As opposed to facts, opinions are subjective judgements or preferences. They often convey individual's
personal feelings or attitudes. We cannot check opinions' truthfulness against real occurrences as they are not
objective descriptions of the world.

Below are some common expressions used to voice personal opinions:

• From my point of view,
• I am convinced I believe /feel I maintain I think ...
• In my opinion,
• ... should I should not ...
• To my mind,

Also, gradable adjectives are more likely to appear in opinions.

e.g. I think Jenny is kind. And she is a beautiful woman.
I think Jenny is very kind.
And I think she is the most beautiful woman I've ever met.

One of the differences between facts and opinions is that facts can be verified with the question, 'Is it true or
not true?', but opinions cannot. For example, when you say something should or should not be done, there is
nothing true or untrue about it. You are merely seeing something as 'right' or 'wrong", and such judgement
will be an opinion, not a fact.

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 Listening for positive and negative
information and implied meanings
You may have to listen to opinions and judge the attitudes of the speakers
towards a certain matter. Tn other words, you may have to distinguish among
positive, negative or neutral opinions. To handle such tasks, you need to be
familiar with the following expressions:

• Absolutely • Bad • Maybe

• OK • I don't think so. • Perhaps
• Certainly • Not • Possibly
• Right • Not (really)
• Good • No
• Sure
• Great
• Yes

However, opinions may not always be expressed in such an explicit manner.

Sometimes, you may need to detect hidden or implied attitudes. Here are some
useful cues to help you recognize hidden attitudes and opinions .

.~·ptatt~/·tms. • I am glad I delighted to ... • That's confirmed then.

b~ ~~iesi~ fry ' • I think that will work. • That's wonderful.
ohs1ryg$f'tri•th$j;pe~~!:ir's • It's really kind of you ... • You've got a point.
intonation?

• I am afraid I can't ... • That's not a very good idea.

• I am sorry that ... • There's no way we can ...
• I don't believe that helps. • We can't make it.

• I'm not sure. • There's no guarantee.

• I can't confirm right now.

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 Listening for causes and effects
'Skm develoe,~e~t/
13e.fatn1Jiar:.v,ith.the.OOIMJ0!'1
Some tasks require you to find out the cause or effects of something. Sometimes,
the cause or effects are given to you directly; sometimes, the cause or effects are
mentioned indirectly.
-~i~~~~e."'s
aM.etfootanct.beoarefut•not Below arc some examples of common expressions that show cause and effect:
tomix!Jj'.ltheiltlq,

Since ... (cause), (effect) (effect) because . . . (cause)

(cause), so ... (effect) (effect) because of ... (cause)
(cause) causes ... (effect) (effect) due to . . . (cause)
(cause) leads to ... (effect) (effect) owing to ... (cause)
(cause) makes ... (effect)
(cause) results in ... (effect)
(cause). Therefore, ... (effect)
(cause). As a result, ... (effect)

Listening for comparisons

You may sometimes hear comparisons in a listening task. Speakers usually
make comparisons when they are describing people, objects, numbers, etc., or
when they are making decisions.

You may need to identify the right answers by comparing two or more subjects,
or write down information about the results of the comparisons. You should:
• pay attention to some common words or phrases which signal a comparison,
such as but, whereas, in contrast, while, however and in comparison.
• be familiar with common expressions of comparisons.

Below are some common expressions of comparisons:

• ... is different from ...

• ... is more than ...
• ... is fewer than ...
• ... is less than ...
• ... is (comparative, e.g. shorter, bigger) than I more (adjective) than ...
• ... is the (superlative, e.g. shortest, biggest) I the most (adjective).
• ... is less (adjective) than ...
• ... is the least (adjective).

• ... is as (adjective) as ...

• ... is similar to ...
• ... is the same as ...

61 © Athens Education
 Tackling the integrated writing tasks
In Part B of the examination, at least one task is a piece of extended writing.
You will need to select and combine data from the data file and the recordings
to finish the writing tasks. Since the writing tasks may be in various formats,
such as a report, an article or a proposal, learning their structures will help
you to write in the correct style. Below arc some common text types you may
encounter:

Article
An article is a piece of writing on a specific topic. It can serve different
purposes, such as providing information, describing an event, or discussing
a subject. Articles are often found in newspapers, magazines or even on the
Internet.

You may sometimes be given articles in the Data File. Hence, it is important
for you to be able to extract relevant information to complete the tasks from the
articles within the shortest time available.

While reading an article in the Data File, you should:

• read the title in order to have a brief idea of what the article talks about.
• skim through each paragraph. Read the topic sentence which is usually the
first sentence of the paragraph and tells you the main idea of that paragraph.
Then decide if that paragraph can give you information relevant to the tasks.

Demonstration

Title - - - t t - - - - - - - - - - - - ~ - Fight against shoplifting

Kwun Tong police, together with Kwun Tong District Board, have produced a videotape
on anti-shoplifting. The video is being shown to junior secondary school students in
Kwun Tong and Tseung Kwan O areas.

The video is modelled on real cases and tells the stories of two youngsters. One of them,
being influenced by his terrible peers, stole from a supermarket. He was arrested and
his future was ruined. In contrast, the other youngster resisted the temptation to steal
despite his friend's persuasion. He led a happy life at the end.
............ .... ..... The video aims to show students the serious consequences of shop-lifting if arrested,
Main body •- and hopes to prevent them from committing such a crime.

It is expected that the video will be shown to over 20 secondary schools in the next two
years. It is mainly targeting Sl to S3 students, since the drastic change from the primary
to secondary school setting seems to make them more negatively influenced from older
youngsters. The video will also be given to youth centres and district offices so that
people interested can borrow it.

K wun Tong Police is now producing another video about the dangers of being a triad
member and what students can do if being bullied. This video will be available this
August.

62 © Athens Education
Formal and informal letters
You may be asked to write letters. Before you write a letter, it is important to first decide whether you need to
write in a formal or informal style. The following table will help you to distinguish between the two styles:

• friends
• someone in authority
Recipient • family members
• someone we do not know
• people of our own age

Sender's and recipient's

usually necessary usually unnecessary
address

Informal punctuations not accepted accepted

Contractions not accepted accepted

Casual language not accepted accepted

Tag questions not accepted accepted

Ending the letter your first name + last name your first name

Useful expressions

• Dear Mr I Miss I Ms I Mrs + • Dear

the last name of the recipient • Hello
Way to address the recipient
• Dear Sir I Madam • Hey
• Hi

• How are you?

• How are you doing?
Greeting
• Long time no see
• What's up?

f"'[> ;I,i\ ;t,m;i/,\i"ii:{~,}i[~,>:'{'i'1' ,,'i'!!id ••

1 Bye
Keepfor
in now.
touch.
Concluding
• Talk to you later.
i'i!!'<.c;;;c,·>1 • Write back soon!

• Regards • Best wishes

Complimentary close • Yours faithfully • Love
• Yours sincerely • Take care

63 © Athens Education
 Letter of advice
A letter of advice is usually written in response to a request for help. Pay
attention to the following points when writing a letter of advice:
• Write in a friendly tone. Remember you are not giving orders.
• You may be given another letter with the sender stating his / her problems
and seeking advice. Identify the problems before you start writing.
• You can use sequence words so as to make your advice clearer, such as 'To
begin wi1h', 'Next', 'Lastly', etc.

A typical letter of advice has the following:

l. Thank the recipient for sharing his / her problems with you and express your
sympathy.
2. Summarize the problems.
3. Give suggestions to help solve the problems.
4. Give reasons and explanations to support the suggestions.
5. Express hope.

Useful expressions
• Good luck, and be positive.
• I am sorry to hear that ...
• I feel sorry for you because ...
• I hope you will.find the suggestions useful.
• I suggest thal I I advise you to I I think you should I It's a good idea to ...
• Try not to worry too much. I'm sure things will work out.
• Why don't you try ...
• You have mentioned the problem of ...

Demonstration
.
.. '""'" *"" ""'" ......... "" .. "". ..........

: Date
_,.,,.,_,.,.,._.,_,.,~~"'"'"""'"~~•~~~•*~"
:···L.
.
1
I

;······ .. ····················; 16September2012

: Salutation :7_ i+I Dear Lily,
. • • . • ., ,. •. ., ........ ,. .. .. . •.
.

; Opening Thank you very much for your letter. You have mentioned that you're searching for a
: • Express thanks summer job at the moment, but du not know what to be aware of. I understand your query
: • Bring up the problem as I have experienced this before. I would like to offer you some relevant advice.
.... .................. ..... .. .. .....
...... .... ...... .............. .
,. ",. "" ~" "" ,. ""
~,. ,.~ ., If a job offers a large salary or commission but requires little or no experience, ask
:Body : yourself, is this too good to be true'/ Another important tip is never give personal
: • Give suggestions and ! information. A trustworthy employer would not want this information in an interview.
explanations -
Before going to any interview, always find out some information about the company or
.
R•~·•~•-~ ... Q ~ .. ~ - .. ~•21>0~ .......... .
$
business. Scrutinize what the business does and evaluate whether it is legitimate or not.
: Ending Before signing any contract, read it carefully and make sure you understand it. Ask for
: • Summarize the clarification if you need to.
suggestion and express
~~-These are just a few things to keep in mind. 1 hope they are helpful.
hope
All the best,
David

64 @ Athens Education
 Letter of complaint
A letter of complaint is written to express discontent with a company or an
organization for its product, service or action. It is usually a formal letter, so
formal language should be used. You should use past tense when describing an
incident and be firm but polite.

Useful expressions

To make a complaint: To state your demand:

• I am writing to complain about ... • I demand ...
• I would like to make a complaint • I hope that you will take this
about ... complaint seriously.
• l expect you will take measures ...

To express dissatisfaction: To threaten further action:

• I was very upset about ... • If I do not receive a satisfactory
• 1 was extremely disappointed with ... reply.from your company, 1 will ...

Demonstration

Sender's address and date 7

,..,,.,. .. .,,..,.,..,,, .......... .,-e,,,.,.., .. ,,,.
- Flat B. 6/F Rose Court

. .
1
207 Siu Hoi Street
"""""""""""""'""""""""""'""""*"
KwunTong

!:;t~r:c;~'.: ::::::::::;::::: l
: Recipient's position and :
23 June 2012
-The Manager
Golden Flnwer Boutique
.;,.,. ........................................... ..
Salutation :·--- 705-706 Leighton Road
Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

; Subject heading (optional) : - ,._ Dear Sir I Madam,

~:::::::: '.: '.: '.:: '.::::: '.: '. '. '.:;L !___ : Re: Complaint ahQUt the loss of personal belongings
Opening
,__ [ am writing to complain about the loss of my handbag at your boutique on 21 June 2012.
• • State the date of the
incident and the One of your staff requested that [ leave my handbag at the front counter when [ entered
your boutique. She claimed that it was company policy and I willingly obliged. 45
.................... ., ............... .. -........... ..
complaint
minutes later, I returned to pick up my bag and it was gone. The shop assistant was
unable to locate it. I was shocked. When you secure your belongings in the care of any
Body establishment, you expect that those belongings remain untouched and safe. The fact that
• • Details of the my bag was somehow missing was a breach of trust. Shortly after the incident, T left my
complaint personal details with the staff member and was assured I would be contacted to arrange
" • Reasons for your immediate re-imbursemcnt. This occurred over a month ago and still I am yet to hear
.~,. •,.
dissatisfaction
. anything from your establishment. This is inexcusable and shows a lack of customer care.
. ".,""" "" *" •" e • " • •,. ~"

.
,.., •

i
... .. ~"" •• ,. .... ~.-~ •••••• •*•
I would like the Manager of your establishment to contact me to acknowledge the
Ending recipient ofmy letter. [ wnuld like them to explain why I haven't had any correspondence

..
• • Your demand
Action you will take if
i
from your establishment and more important, I would like to hear what steps you arc
taking to replace my bag. If I do not hear from you within five working days from
no satisfactory reply is sending this letter, I shall take this matter to the police.

j:::: t~:e~::: :: :: ::'.: :: :'. :: •~: Yours faithfully.

L.,5. 04-
Complimentary close, :
c11an Lee Shan
sender's signature and : 1

name in print " i

65 © Athens Education
 Letter of invitation
An invitation letter is written to invite somebody to go somewhere, such as a
function, or to do something, such as giving a speech. Since it is a formal letter.
use formal language and be polite.

Useful expressions
• We would like to invite you to ...
• It is our pleasure to invite you to ...
• Should you have any queries, please contact me at ...
• Please reply to us by ...
• We are looking forward to your reply.

Demonstration

Letterhead
.... .. ~- ............ ~•--··· ............. : j t

·.··•········. ·"·. .· l
....... ... ·~ ............ ....... .......... . ~ I t - - - - - - - - - - < Sycamore College
.-·-----~f 6 Tai Pa Street, Tsuen Wan, New Territories
.: Date* ...... .. "' ........ ,. ... .. .. .... ~..
$ ..... $ .. 30 June 2012
Miss Louisa Ma
: Recipient's na1ne, position Director
: and address Women•s Rights Front

l: ~~~~~~i~~:;:;::::::::::;:;: '.- ... ~!~::~;~a:'.r~e;ng Kong

: ............................. :-·--i._ M. M
.•. • .. .• . • • • • .. • .. • • .. • • • • •• . .. .• ear 1ss a,
j Subject heading
.................................
: Opening :
{···
: _ _......_ _ _ _ _ _ _..,._Re: Invitation to a speech competition
I am writing to invite you to be our guest of honour at our school's speech
competition. The topic will be 'Women's Rights in Hong Kong'. It will be held
; • State the invitation and : on 2 October 20 I 2.
j the details of the event ( {
__ _
As you are the Director of Woman's Rights Front, we believe you are an ideal
. ............ ,.~ .......... ................. ..
"'~••a•<>•e•.,,~ ... ~,..,~•••~~""'•"""" ,
guest for the competition. Furthermore, you would add valuable opinions to the
: Bo~ l participants, which will be of great benefit to our students.
: • Give reasons for :
. . ' We look forward to your reply. If you have any questions, please feel free to
(.... .i~~i.t'.~~. .r~~!:'.~~~.... \WI contact Miss Emily Lee at 9657 3348 .
.
.. " .. " " . . . . . . . . • ., & . . . ., . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . « .. .
. -
Yours sincerely,
: Ending :
: • State the deadline : Richard Fung
j
(
:
..
.
of reply and contact
information
.,
.... • .. •••••<>•t••••t•l"•••t••••••
.... ... ~•~•~4•·*"'"~·~~~ .......... ..
:

.
1 -···
Richard Fung
Principal

• Complimentary close.
; sender's signature, name :-
: and title

66 © Athens Education
 Memo
A memo (the short form of 'memorandum') is a document for sending messages
to members of the same organization. Memos are usually fairly formal in nature.

Useful expressions
• I would like to think about I invite I inform I ask I remind I request I convene ...
• Please remember I consider I think about ...
• The details are us follows:

Demonstration

Rosy Secondary School: Bowling Club

Memo
Sender
.. ....
..............
.......... ........
. . . . . . . .,,• • ..
""""""~"'~
.... ,. ...... a ..... r
From:
To:
Jennifer Tang
All committee members
.. : i Date: 21 March 2012
: Recipicnts(s), date and =7
j subject head L Re: Arrangements for Bowling Week
" ....... '"' ............ ., ... .,.,., .~., .. " Please spare some time for a meeting to talk about the Bowling Week next month. I
would like lo discuss three things: the activities to be organized during that week. the
.......... ...... .. ...... " .... * .... "~ .... ~·
. promotion strategies, and the design of a T-shirt for the function.
Main budy
• • Can be in paragraphs :- The details of the meeting are as follows:
or point form :
Date: 24 March 2012
Time: 4p.m.
Venue: Activity Room

Concluding paragraph Thank you for your attention. I look forward to seeing all of you in the meeting!
""'~*""'~ .... ~~~II•**•~ ..............
~""''"*'"*~ .... .. ~.~~•~~•~•,••·~ I Jennifer Tang
Name of sender 0-- Chairlady
and position in the
organization

67 © Athens Education
 Profile
A personal profile, also known as biodata or biography, is a short description
of someone's life, work, character, etc. It is often found in a newspaper or
magazine or on television or radio. It usually contains specific information about
a particular person, for example:
• Personal information (e.g. name, gender, age, height, weight)
• Background
• Career
• Achievements

Demonstration

Heading
• • Show the name of
the person you arc
describing
.
~_..,,..._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _..,.. Orlando Jonathan Blanchard Bloom

.:~e:: ~~:;~;~;~~c::~: : :!{ Orlando Bloom was born in Canterbury, Kent, United Kingdom on 13 January 1977. He
is 1.8 metres tall and his nicknames are Orly, Orli and OB.

Orlando knew from an early age that he wanted to be an actor. He participated in school
plays and loved watching films. After he realized that Superman was played by an actor,
he decided he could pretend to be other people, too. He liked dressing up and used to
Background walk around his hometown dressed in the style of the 1960s with clothes that he had
borrowed from a friend's mother. At the age of 16, he moved to London and joined
the National Youth Theatre, where he was trained as an actor. He graduated from the
Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London at 22. after a 3-year acting course.
-

.~:;;;;~~~.I.:~.......... · 11 Orlando has appeared in many films and TV shows. His films include Wilde (1998),
Black Hawk Down (2001), The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001, 2002, 2003) Pirates of
the Caribbean: The Curse nfthe Black Pearl (2003), The Calcium Kid (2004), Troy (2004),

·--~~-- .......... ~-- .. ~--~- ...... .

achievements : Elizabethtown (2005), Pirates ,if the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006), and Pirates
of the Caribbean: At World's F,ntf (2007).

Orlando is a fan of Manchester United. He likes to keep his personal life separate from
his career as a film star. He would rather spend time with his old friends than go to
celebrity parties.

68 © Athens Education
 Proposal
A proposal is a plan that provides suggestions or recommendations on a certain
subject. It usually contains details of the proposed actions, events or activities,
and is submitted by assistants to someone in a higher position.

Useful expressions

Introduction Recommendations
• Statistics I A recent survey has • We would like to organize I hold I
shown that ... arrange I carry out ...
• The school/ company I • We propose I suggest I recommend
department has decided that ... that ...
• This proposal is to suigest ... • We think I gather I suppose that ...
can I will help ...
Conclusion
• We sincerely hope that you can
consider ...
• We hope that you will accept I
approve our proposal.

Demonstration

Title of proposal Proposal for School-based Sports Acthities for the year 2012 -2013

Introduction
Introduction A survey comlucted earlier this year shows that our students have a relatively low
: • Explain the reason :- participation rate in sports activities. In order to promote a healthy lifestyle and raise
behind the proposal students' interests in exercising regularly, the Sports Club has decided to hold a series of
and the purpose sports activities in the coming academic year. This proposal has been compiled to suggest
activities that students would like to be organized.

Activities
We would like to propose the following events:

I. Table tennis and basketball training courses in November and February

These are the two strengths of our Learn members. We suggest that the school hold two
Main body training courses in November and February respectively and invite some professionals
• • Support each from outside the school to coach our students at the beginning. Our team members can
recommendation then take over and provide tutoring on a regular basis. The courses will hopefully help
:-
with a reason and students develop their interest in these easily accessible sports and provide room for
state its expected sustained practice.
................. .......................... ..
effects
2. Teacher-student sports match in May
We think that a sports event in which both teachers and students participate will be highly
attractive. We propose that a series of inter-class matches be held first. The winning team
will play against the teachers team towards the end of the event. The matches will involve

................................................. the whole school and will be able to help everyone relax before the exams .

: Conclusion :
: • A,k for consideration : I Conclusion

•
: and approval from :7 • L
We believe that the events suggested above will help promote sports in school and we
sincerely hope that you will kindly consider and approve our proposal.
.......... .......... ..
.: the.. ,.·superiors :
······~· .,

69 © Athens Education
 Report
Reports may be written for various purposes. One of the most common purposes
is to present survey results. It aims to provide the facts and findings obtained
in the survey. It sometimes offers recommendations based on those facts and
findings.

You should pay attention to the following when you write a report:

• Remember to put a title .

• Give each section a heading .
• Pay attention to the task instructions to find out what you need to include in
the report. Sometimes, you need to include the recipient and the date.
• Use simple and clear language.
• Write in an impersonal tone.
• Be familiar with common expressions used in a report, especially those
relating to numbers. Quote the figures or percentages accurately in the
report.

Useful expressions
• The survey was conducted on I from ...
• The purpose of the survey is to find out ...
• A total ofXXX responded.
• Based on the findings, we can conclude that ...

.......................................... .. ~-.
Demonstration

j Recipient ---11'.-'=========~========================,
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::·· ;
: : To: Mr Fiennes, Marketing Manager
j, ~r'.~~r. '. -~~~~-e:••••••••••••• f7- • From: Helena Ng, Marketing Assistant
: "·" • • • • • • • • .. • • • • • • ·""'" • • Date: 25 June 2012
: Date

................................................
1~[
r l t - - - - - • Report on Readers' Opinions of Heaven Travel Magazine
"• e t • I> I • ,o t • 1'" • • * • •"' •,.,." * ,o" •,. • •

Introduction

i: ;\i;;~::::::: :::::::::::::::: Owing to a rapid drop of sales of our magazine, a survey was carried out in May to find
out our readers' opinions of the magazine. It is hoped that their opinions can help us
; Introduction : improve our magazine. A total of 1,500 questionnaires were distributed and 1,350 of them
j• State the purpose of the i __ were collected afterwards.

..................................... ..
: report
"
:
Findings

.
.....................

: Main body
R ............ ~··· ~•f ~·
.
The majority of the readers (75%) thought that the content of the magazine was poor.
Only 4% of the readers thought the content was very good. Half of the respondents (50%)

........................ ~···· ............... said they were bored because the magazine always repeated the same topics. Almost one-
third of them (32%) said it put too much focus on European tourist attractions. Other
readers (18%) were not happy with the quality of photos in the magazine.

=
.. ~:~:1~:;~~· :;,~ ............ =_{
recommendations
Conclusion and Recommendations
The findings show that readers were dissatisfied with the content, the topics and the
photos of our magazine. Our magazine. therefore, should improve the content. We should
• • Summarize findings try to explore less-travelled tourist attractions. In addition, we should improve the quality
and give suggestions uf photos accordingly .
.................................... * .. ., •••

70 © Athens Education
 Review
A review 1s an article commenting on a certain piece of work. It gives an
evaluation of the work so that others can get a better idea about it.

There are different types of reviews, such as film, book, music, game and TV
show. You should note the following language features:
• Use of informal language
• Use of technical vocabulary related to the kind of review you are writing
about
• Use of adjectives and adverbs
• Use of simple present tense to describe the plot

Useful expressions
• ... is based on ...
• ... is highly ...
• ... is sirnilar to ...
• ... published I developed by ...
• ... successfully conveys ...
• I would I would not recommend it.

Demonstration

Name of the fiJm The Magic Remote Control

Director: Martin Armstrong

...................................... Cast:
Rating:
Michael Harrison, Hannah Hunter, Joe Miller
PG
: Details :-
............. ....................... . Duration: 107 minutes
Genre: Comedy
Language: English

Synopsis:
A workaholic accountant has long been overlooking his family in favour of his career.

.•....................
Main body
........ .
•
" .,.
One day he comes across a universal remote control that allows him to pause events or
fast-forward happenings in his life. When the remote begins creating its own memory
and choosing what to fast-forward, the character sees how much of his personal life has
• • Write a brief
passed him by and realizes the importance of spending time with his family.
summary on the
content of the work :- Commentary:

. . to be evaluated
Comment on the
work
The film successfully conveys the central message - 'Time is precious, so cherish your
loved ones.' The premise is highly interesting and the humour created by all the tricky
situations throughout the film is absorbing.

. .
• • " • • " • " • • •'"., •,.., e • • • • • • • • • • • • Harrison is able not only to make fun of others but also himself. Hannah Hunter is
Conclusion great. She has worked hard lo keep her optimism and this gives her character the perfect
Give an overall amount of warmth and energy.
opinion of the work ·~--•All in all, the film is funny and witty, with the major characters performing at their best.
Give

................ ....... ~···~-·~·-·.

reco1nmendations

71 © Athens Education
 Speech
A speech 1s a talk given to a group of people. You can give the audience
information about a particular subject or explain your viewpoint to them.

A speech typically has the following:

1. Start with greeting your audience.
2. Briefly say what you will talk about.
3. Tell the audience what you plan to say. In order to help people follow your
speech, you may:
• use you or we to make personal contact.
• use simple and short sentences.
• use contractions and questions.
• state some statistics, quotes or other facts to support your argument.
• organize your speech using numbered points such as first, second, lastly
and linking words such as but, thus, moreover, while.
4. Summarize your speech.

Useful expressions
• Good morning I afternoon,fellow students and teachers.
• Today, I'd like to talk about ...
• We can definitely make it with our participation.
• Thank you for your attention.

Demonstration
........................................
Greeting
• • Address the audience
, according to their • Principal, teachers, ladies and gentlemen,

;..... .•.. •........ ({

.................. 8 .............. .
I am very pleased to be here with you at the Celebration and Sharing Session of the
Excellent School Award. To the winning schools, I congratulate you on attaining the
Introduction : recognition of your contribution and commitment to education. It is a special honour for
• Scace the theme : _ the schools concerned.

Education in Hong Kong is going through a lot of changes to help better prepare young
people in meeting new demands today. We have seen encouraging results and a positive
impact on students through the hard work of teachers. Last Sunday, 20 language teachers
were honoured for excellence in teaching. We also heard from some of their students how
much they enjoy learning from their teachers who try their very best to make learning
Main body
applicable in their daily life.

We have achieved a lot over the past five years through the concerted efforts of teachers
and principals. I am confident that education in Hong Kong will improve and that Hong
Kong will develop into a regional educational hub.

I thank you all for your contribution in this process, and once again congratulate the
winners of this year's Excellent School Award. As the school year is coming to an end, I
wish you a relaxing snmmer holiday to re-charge and prepare for another fruitful school
year.

Thank you.

72 :D Athens Education