Buddhist Yip Kei Nam Memorial College

Secondary 3
Assignment 2
English Language (GE)

Name: ____________________________ ( ) Class: __________

Date: ____________________________ Marks: __________

QUESTION-ANSWER BOOK

________________________________________________________________________________

Instructions:

1 There are 13 pages in this Question-Answer Book.

2 There are 3 sections in this paper.

3 The full mark is 100.

4 Time allowed is 60 minutes.

5 Answer ALL questions in this Question-Answer Book.

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Reading (30 marks)
Text 1

Read the following song lyrics.

The Path Forward

by Alice Fong
1 Is medicine my destiny to fulfil?
Will I hold forceps and a scalpel?
To keep hearts beating,
And make sure lungs are breathing?

5 2 They say that if you choose a job you love,

You’ll never work a day in your life,
So as I stand here at a crossroads,
The decision is causing me strife.

3 Or maybe I’ll search the stars

10 For cosmic wonders and the bizarre.
To explore deep space will be my objective,
And giving humans a new perspective.

4 They say that if you choose a job you love,

You’ll never work a day in your life,
15 So as I stand here at a crossroads,
For people my age, the decision is rife.

5 Perhaps I want to be more hands-on.

Making cars fast enough for the Autobahn.
To be able to make engines purr,
20 Is that the career that I prefer?

6 They say that if you choose a job you love,

You’ll never work a day in your life,
So as I stand here at a crossroads,
About my path, I am thinking twice.

25 7 After all, I will stick with what I know,

Writing songs and performing shows.
What’s better than pleasing fans,
Who sing along and wave their hands?

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Text 2

Read the following article.

Discovered online
1 The path to success for musicians used to be much different. To escape performance in small,
sweaty venues with just a handful of fans, bands would do their best to get a demo recording into the
hands of a record executive. They were lucky enough if this individual even listened to the
recording, let alone liked it. It felt as though your future was held in the hands of a few, distant
5 record executives and producers. Things are a bit different now. A lot of bands, particularly girl
bands and boy bands, are hand-picked and trained by record companies. But there’s another route,
too, in which musicians can take success into their own hands. More and more talented musicians
are finding their audience online.
2 Perhaps the most famous example of this phenomenon is Justin Bieber. Talent manager Scooter
10 Braun came across Bieber’s YouTube videos of cover songs. In these home videos, a boy with
scruffy brown hair was singing with an angelic voice. Though they weren’t Bieber’s own songs,
Braun could immediately sense the star quality of this young singer. At the age of just 14, Bieber
was launched into an international career, and has since sold approximately 140 million records.
3 DJ Switch (Erica Tandoh) is another example. DJ Switch won the Ghana’s annual DJ Awards
15 when she was just ten years old. While this earned her recognition nationally, it wasn’t until the
BBC posted an interview with her online that the wider world fell in love with her talent, skill and
charm. Along with her music, DJ Switch became famous for her powerful presence and quirky
antics (she has been known to ride a pony onto stage, for example). After her video went viral, DJ
Switch was invited to perform for world leaders at a Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation event. DJ
20 Switch is looking forward to a different career, though, as a gynecologist, which she wants to pursue
in order to help women.
4 PSY, the South Korean singer, rapper and songwriter, was already well-known in his home
nation. However, that level of fame was overshadowed when the YouTube video of his song
‘Gangam Style’ took the Internet by storm. PSY’s music video was the first-ever YouTube video to
25 reach one billion views, and it now sits over three billion. This viral video led to an American
contract with Scooter Braun, the same talent manager that discovered Justin Bieber.
5 There are many other examples, including Alessia Cara, Carly Rae Jepsen, The Weeknd and Ed
Sheeran. Starting one’s career online is clearly a winning strategy, but why? From a record
company’s perspective, signing an Internet sensation is a fairly safe bet. The musician’s popularity
30 has already been tested. In addition, before the musician releases their first EP, they have a loyal
following that is likely to spend money on their music.
6 From the artist’s perspective, too, there are many advantages. Compared to organizing local
concerts or going to open mikes, posting a video online is relatively easy. All you need is a
microphone and a smartphone or laptop. And where a concert may only have a dozen attendees, who
35 are mostly friends or family, online videos have the potential to reach millions, or even billions. This
doesn’t mean that finding fame online isn’t a struggle. There are countless videos of aspiring
musicians online, and only a fortunate few will be discovered.
7 One thing is certain: the way that musicians build their careers has changed dramatically. Now,
a person can become famous from the comfort of their own living room. The Internet has already
40 changed how we discover new musicians. Only time will tell how much further technology will
change the music industry.

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Write your answers in the spaces provided. For multiple-choice questions, choose the best answer and
blacken one circle only.

Text 1

1 The song is about … (1 mark)

A having difficulty making decisions
B choosing a job that suits your skills
C choosing a job that you will love
A B C D
D finding a way to love your job
2 Match the verses (1, 3 or 5) to the profession that Alice Fong is referring to. Write the verse number next
to each profession. (3 marks)

Profession Verse Nos.

i) astrophysicist
ii) mechanic
iii) surgeon

3 Find a word in verses 1–2 that means the opposite of ‘ease’. (1 mark) ______________________
4 i) Find an example of a metaphor in the chorus (verses 2, 4 and 6). (1 mark)
_________________________________________________________________________________
ii) Explain the meaning of the metaphor. (1 mark)
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
5 Complete the summary of verse 4. Use ONE word to complete each blank. Make sure your answers are
grammatically correct. (3 marks)

One career that Alice is interested involves (i) ____________________ the stars. Alice’s goal, if she
chose this career, would be the (ii) ____________________ of deep space. She would also hope to
allow people to look at their existence in a new (iii) ____________________.

6 An Autobahn is … (1 mark)
A a popular type of race car
B a magazine about practical cars
C a national park in a foreign country
A B C D
D a highway where people drive very fast
7 What is Alice Fong’s current profession? Use information from the text to justify your answer. (2 marks)
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

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Text 2

8 What does ‘this individual’ (line 3) refer to? (1 mark) ____________________________

9 According to paragraph 1, what are two routes to becoming a successful musician today? (2 marks)
i) ________________________________________________________________________________
ii) ________________________________________________________________________________

10 Which of the following is NOT true about Justin Bieber’s home videos? (1 mark)

A They were of low quality.

B They were popular with teen girls.
C They featured Bieber’s original songs.
A B C D
D They had millions of views.

11 Why did Scooter Braun decide to help Justin Bieber? (1 mark)

____________________________________________________________________________________

12 Based on the information in paragraph 3, decide whether the following statements are True (T), False
(F), or the information is Not Given (NG) (2 marks)

Statements T F NG

i) DJ Switch became famous when someone posted an online video of her

riding a pony on stage.

ii) DJ Switch aspires to become a doctor who specialises in treating the medical
conditions of women.

13 What does ‘his home nation’ (lines 23–24) refer to? (1 mark) ___________________________

14 Use ONE word to complete each blank. Make sure your answers are grammatically correct. (2 marks)

‘Gangam Style’ was the (i) ___________________ video on YouTube to be (ii) ___________________
one billion times.

15 What are TWO reasons that it is less risky for record companies to sign a musician who is popular
online? (2 marks)

i) ________________________________________________________________________________

ii) ________________________________________________________________________________

16 According to the text, what equipment does one need to make an online music video? (1 mark)

____________________________________________________________________________________

17 Find a word in paragraph 6 that means the same as ‘possibility’. (1 mark) _____________________

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18 According to paragraph 6, what is one disadvantage of trying to find fame through online videos?
(1 mark)

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

19 Find an example of alliteration in paragraph 6. (1 mark) ____________________________

20 What is the tone of this text? (1 mark)

A academic
B pessimistic
C argumentative
A B C D
D informal

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Vocabulary (20 marks)
Part 1 (10 marks)
Your friend wrote a short story about an unusual job interview. Help her complete the story using the correct
form of the words from the box below.

able to work under pressure alibi culprit ex-convict scavenger hunt

accountant blackmail CV jet lag touch down

A very strange job opportunity

When I saw an online job ad for a detective’s assistant yesterday, I sent in my (1) _________________
right away. To my surprise, I was invited for an interview! Sadly, the interview was arranged in
London, but I booked a ticket anyway for a shot at this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. My plane left at
11.30 p.m. and (2) ___________________ at 4.45 a.m. My interview started in five hours.

By that time, I was feeling the effects of (3) ___________________. It was hard to keep my eyes
open. I knocked on a large wooden door, and Detective Langiston opened the door. He explained
detective work was like doing a/an (4) ________________________. You had to find and solve clues.

‘Now, I have a test for you,’ he said. ‘I’m going to use a stopwatch, because I want to see if you are
(5) ______________________________________.’ He started the timer. ‘All right. I am now being
(6) ___________________. Someone wrote to me saying that they know I am not paying my taxes.
They want me to send them £20,000, or they will turn me in to the authorities. I thought it was my last
assistant, but she has a/an (7) ___________________. She was on holiday in Italy when the letter was
sent, and the letter came from within the UK. So, who do you think is the (8) ___________________?’

‘Well, who knows about your tax evasion?’ I asked.

‘Oh, just me, my assistant and the person who does my taxes each year.’

‘Your (9) ___________________?’ I asked.

Detective Langiston looked shocked. ‘Of course … She is a/an (10) ___________________. She was
caught for bribery previously. Well … the good news is, now that I know it wasn’t my assistant,
I don’t need to hire anyone! Thanks for your time!’

‘And the bad news for you,’ I replied, ‘is that you’re going to jail for tax evasion.’

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Part 2 (10 marks)
You are writing a blog entry about beauty in the world of entertainment. Complete the blog entry using the
correct form of the words from the box below.

comedian make-up artist pop concert romance time travel

drone oppose receptive second-rate vain

It seems to me that beauty plays too big of a role in the film and music industries. Recently, I went to
a/an (1) ___________________. The boy band members all looked amazing, and had great fashion.
However, their vocals and instrument skills were (2) ___________________. They kept making
mistakes! Also, the performers seemed unbearably (3) ___________________, as they kept fixing
their hair on stage. There was a/an (4) ___________________ who came out between songs to powder
their faces and fix their eyeliner. There was even a/an (5) ___________________ flying around and
taking close-up shots of the boy band, so the audience members could see the handsome faces of the
members. I strongly (6) ___________________ the idea that appearance is more important than talent.

Similarly, I went to watch a/an (7) ___________________ film the day before. It was about a man
who returned to the ancient time through (8) ___________________ and fell in love with a princess.
Once again, the actors were all beautiful people, but their acting skills left something to be desired!

The only performance I’ve seen recently that bucks this trend were some (9) ___________________
telling jokes at a local club. They were all hilarious, and appearance didn’t matter at all. The audience
was (10) ___________________ not because of their looks, but because of their talent. What a relief!

Posted at 9.15 p.m.

Grammar (50 marks)

Part 1 (6 marks)

You are writing a description of your beauty routine in the morning. Complete the description by underlining
the correct words in brackets.

My morning routine

(1) (Although/Despite) waking up early is difficult for me, I try to get out of bed by 6.45 a.m. I start
with a quick shower. While I’m in there, I use a special acne wash on my face. (2) (None/Nobody) of
my friends have perfect skin, but mine is especially problematic. My doctor prescribed me the wash
and told me that I (3) (shouldn’t/not should) pick at the pimples, since that can leave scars.

After my shower, I moisturize my skin, put on deodorant, and brush my teeth. I always take my time,
(4) (though/in spite of) my sister’s complaints about how long I stay in the bathroom. I also put
(5) (anything/something) in my hair, such as gel or mousse. (6) (Though/In spite of) it is very simple,
my morning routine makes me feel happy and ready for the day.

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Part 2 (6 marks)

You are writing a review of a virtual reality performance you experienced. Complete your review using
words from the box below.

doesn’t it if only prefer … to wish would it would rather … than

An immersive concert
‘Art Inside’ is a new virtual reality programme that allows you to see world-class performances from
the comfort of your living room. Sometimes it feels like we’re living in the future,
(1) ___________________? I was able to try this new programme for an Italian opera. I was excited
about this because I (2) _________________ opera ______________ most other types of performance.
I put on the goggles, and suddenly found myself in the Teatro dell’Opera in Rome, Italy. I could look in
different directions to see the opera singers, musicians, and even other audience members. Although,
I have to say, I (3) _________________ have the place to myself ______________ share it with others!
The performance was stunning. I was captivated by the singers’ outstanding voices for the entire show.
I (4) ___________________ the image quality had been better, but the sound quality was excellent.
Still, I would rather see an opera in person than through a pair of goggles. (5) ___________________
we all had a chance to see performances like that in person … But that wouldn’t be possible for
everyone in the world, (6) ___________________?
In short, the ‘Art Inside’ programme is simply your best option of watching arts performance at home.

Part 3 (7 marks)

You are writing a diary entry about your first job interview. Complete the diary using the correct form of the
verbs in brackets.

Dear diary,
My first job interview was a complete disaster! While I was getting ready in the morning, I realize that
I (1) ______________________ (spill) coffee on my best shirt the day before. If I had checked over
my outfit the night before, I (2) ______________________ (do) laundry!
I had to change again and run for the bus. When I got to the stop, the bus I was supposed to take was
just shutting the doors, and I couldn’t get on it! If I (3) ______________________ (arrive) five
minutes earlier, I would have caught it! Another bus finally came, and I took it to the office building.
Inside, I asked the receptionist, ‘I wondered if group interviews for the internships (4) _____________
still ______________________ (hold) in the conference room now?’ She told me that all of the group
interview sessions were over, and asked me to wait for a moment. She came back and told me that the
manager was willing to give me a one-on-one interview.
Ms Cheung invited me into her office. I dared not (5) ______________________ (sit) down, until she
literally ordered me to! When she asked me questions, I stumbled over my words and said ‘um’ a lot.
I (6) ______________________ (not speak) so nervously if I had arrived earlier and prepared properly.
Unless I prepare properly for the next job interview, I (7) ______________________ (not get) a job or
internship anytime soon!

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Part 4 (5 marks)

You are a reporter for your school newspaper. You are writing an article about the annual charity talent
competition that took place last night. Use your notes to report what different people said.

‘Everyone enjoys feeling amazed by magic tricks.’ —Danielle Leung

‘I am feeling very nervous, so I’m sorry if my voice shakes.’ —Billy Wong
‘Is Billy secretly a professional singer?’ —Peter Ma
‘I won’t vote for anyone tonight, because I enjoyed all the acts equally.’ —Jessica Nguyen
‘Just an hour ago, I was the class clown. Now I’m finally the school comedian.’ —Lisa Li

The annual Centennial Secondary Talent Competition took place last night. A total of 15 performers

took to the stage, performing a wide variety of acts. The event raised $8,200 for charity.

The first performer was Danielle Leung, who put up a stunning magic act. She did a number of card

tricks which left the audience feeling wowed. After the performance, Leung said (1) ______________

_________________________________________, so she wasn’t at all surprised that the performance

went over well with the audience.

Another popular performer was Billy Wong, who sang Perfect by Ed Sheeran. Before he started,

Wong said (2) ______________________________________________________________________

___________________. However, he need not have worried. After the performance, audience member

Peter Ma asked (3) __________________________________________________________________.

When it came to the time for voting, a lot of audience members were having a hard time. Student

Jessica Nguyen said (4) ______________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________. However, in the end,

stand-up comedian Lisa Li took home the grand prize. As she accepted the award, she said

(5) _______________________________________________________________________________

and ______________________________________________________________________________.

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Part 5 (8 marks)

You are writing a travel blog entry. Complete the blog entry using the correct form of the words from the box
and rewrite the underlined sentences using participle phrases.

float exhaust open-mind terrify

Visiting the Highlands of Peru

I arrived in Lima in Peru after a long flight. I was feeling (1) _______________, but still very excited
to be at the beginning of my adventure.
The next morning, I woke up at 5 a.m. (2) I hoped to get a good seat on the sightseeing bus. I arrived at
the terminal two hours early. (3) Other passengers arrived exactly on time because they were not
worried about the bus filling up. To be honest, it was a bit (4) _______________ to wait at a bus
terminus by myself in an unfamiliar place, but nothing bad happened. And, as it turned out, the bus left
30 minutes late. I learned my lesson!
Finally, I was on my way to Lake Titicaca, one of the highest lakes in the world. (5) Lake Titicaca is
nestled in the Andes Mountains. It was a sacred site of early Incan civilization. The lake was beautiful
and clear. There are also a number of ruins around. Some indigenous people still actually live on
(6) _______________ reed islands in the lake. Their culture was wonderful to learn about.
Later, I had a meal at a local restaurant, and there was cuy on the menu, which is guinea pig! At first,
I didn’t want to eat it, but I was trying to be (7) _______________ as I travelled. So, I took a leap and
ordered it. (8) I put the first bite in my mouth, and I was surprised at how tasty it was. I can see why
it’s a delicacy.
I’ll post more updates tomorrow!
Posted at 16.50

(2) ____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

(3) ____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

(5) ____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

(8) ____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

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Part 6 (5 marks)

You are the editor of your school magazine. One of the writers submitted an editorial about appearance. You
are making suggestions for the editorial. Rewrite the underlined sentences using inversion.

Remember what matters

We’ve all heard the saying ‘Beauty fades’. However, in secondary school, it can be hard to remember
that there are things more important than how you look.
(1) I did not care about my appearance until I reached secondary school. Suddenly, everyone seemed to
care whether I had spots, how good my hair looked, or whether I was wearing the right fashions.
(2) People rarely compliment you on your accomplishments or ideas.
Beauty doesn’t last forever, though. (3) Beauty is not only temporary, it is a distraction to what really
matters. We spend our time looking at beauty blogs when we could be studying or volunteering. We
notice our peers outfits instead of their wonderful personalities. We look in the mirror instead of at our
actions. (4) We can be truly happy only when we focus less on our looks.
(5) My father told me that if he had known how little appearance really mattered, he would have
focused more on his grades. Let’s take that as a lesson, and try to remember what really matters.

(1) ____________________________________________________________________________________
(2) ____________________________________________________________________________________

(3) ____________________________________________________________________________________

(4) ____________________________________________________________________________________
(5) ____________________________________________________________________________________

Part 7 (6 marks)

You are writing a short story about a prison break. Complete the short story by underlining the correct
words in brackets and writing the correct form of the words in brackets.

Escape!
Sam dug at the prison wall with a spoon. He did it quietly (1) (so that/so as to) prevent
himself from being noticed by other prisoners.
At his trial, the judge had told Sam that he had to try (2) _______________ (hard) than before to be an
upstanding member of society. Sam talked about this and laughed to himself. Why should he change
his behaviour when he could forge documents of anyone (3) _______________________ (successful)
in Hong Kong? Sure, he slipped up once, but he planned to get back to his life of crime soon. If he was
to be honest, he felt (4) _______________ (bad) about being caught than he felt about the crimes he
committed.
Sam hid the dirt under his mattress (5) (so/so that) nothing would look out of place. During the day, he
hung a poster over the hole.
He’d stayed in jail this time about (6) _______________ (long) he ever had. It was time to break out.
Unfortunately for Sam, just then, a flashlight shone on his work …

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Part 8 (7 marks)

You are writing an email to your friend about a job opportunity. Proofread your email. Underline your
mistakes and write the correct words on the lines on the right. Add any missing words and commas with a ‘^’.

Dear Liz,

I saw a job posting that I think is perfect for you! Have you ever
considering being a barista? 1 ____________________

Café Lux the most respected café in Central, is hiring three new 2 ____________________
employees. In my opinion, this is a great fit for your skills. You’re
friendly, so you’ll be good at customer service. You’re skilled in
numbers, so using the cash register won’t be a problem at all. Plus,
no one know how to make a coffee as well as you do! 3 ____________________

If you don’t get the job, I am very surprised. 4 ____________________

Both my sister and my brother works two days a week. They 5 ____________________
convinced me to do the same to save money for school.

By next month, I will saved $30,000 for university. Thirty thousand 6 ____________________
dollars sound like a lot of money, but I want to save even more 7 ____________________
before next September. It will make me feel good to know that I
have the financial means to pursue my dreams.

END OF PAPER

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