LCH1005 English for Academic Studies (Business) I

Mid-term Test Notes & Sample Questions (Key)

(35% Individual)

Date Monday, 30 October 2023

Time 19:30 – 21:30

Format There are THREE sections in the Mid-term Test.

Section A Short Questions (40%)

Section B Proofreading (20%)
Section C Essay Writing (40%)

Scope LCH1005 Weeks 1-7 Topics

Venue To be confirmed later

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 SAMPLE TEST QUESTIONS

Section A (40%) – Short Questions (Marks may vary among questions, depending
on their nature and format.)

Question 1
Read the following italicized sentence, and its source information. Then answer
Question 1 in complete sentences.

Source Information (online)

Author: Charles Huxely Article Title: Management of Time in the College Context

Journal Title: Time Management Journal Volume: 8

Journal Issue Number: 2 Date: 2017

Page Number: 36‐43

Paraphrase the above text in ONE sentence of 30 words or less and include a parenthetical
in‐text citation in APA style.

According to the study, more than half of the students constantly worked part‐time,
although the majority said schoolwork asked too much of them (Huxely, 2017).

Question 2

Read the following conclusion of an essay. Then answer Question 2 in

complete sentences in complete sentences.
1To conclude, group work can benefit college students by enabling them to learn from
each other, doing more in less time, and keep each other motivated. 2For college students
who are used to completing assignments alone, it is high time that they harness the power
of group work. 3They will likely find an improvement on their GPA within a short time. 4
[Final Sentence]_ .

Write a final sentence (Sentence 4) for the conclusion by giving a

suggestion or a recommendation.

Schools should promote the benefits of group work and conduct workshops on group
work strategies and skills for their students.

2
 Question 3
Read the following paragraph and its source information.

What factors should a student consider when evaluating information sources? First, the student
should consider the reputation of the author. Is the he or she a respected authority in the field,
or a completely unknown person? Not every author’s name is readily recognizable, so the
student should check into an author’s background to see if he or she is associated with a well‐
known university or college. Second, the student should consider the publisher of the work.
University and academic presses publish high‐quality material that has been peer‐ reviewed by
experts in the field before publication. On the other hand, many other sources, especially
those on the Internet, are collections of individual people’s ideas which may or may not be
reliable. Finally, the student should consider whether the information is the latest available. Many
lecturers require their students to use current sources, which often means those published
within the last ten years.

Source Information (printed)

Author: Martha J. Hopkins Book Title: Evaluating Sources in Research
Edition: 2nd Year: 2015
Publisher: Shorewood City: Hong Kong
Page: 15

Summarise the paragraph in ONE sentence with a narrative citation in APA style.
The summary should have no more than 30 words (in-text citation included):

Hopkins (2015) says that in assessing information sources, a student should check
whether the writer is well known, who the publisher is and if the material is up to date.

Question 4
Read the following paragraph.

We are intrinsically motivated when we do something “for the fun of it,” or for no other reason
than to perform the behaviour. We sing in the shower, not because we expect applause or
because we are trying to earn money, but merely because we like to do it. We do crossword
puzzles, paint pictures, and look at the sunset because it is intrinsically rewarding to do so.
With intrinsic motivation, we don’t expect any external reward. Extrinsic motivation, on the
other hand, refers to situations in which we act because we expect some external reward. We
may show up at the office not because we enjoy work, but because we need the money to
make ends meet. We may go to school to please our parents. We may be exceptionally nice to
a particular individual because we want something from that person.

Write a title for the paragraph: Difference between Intrinsic Motivation and Extrinsic
Motivation

3
Question 5
Below are the main ideas of three body paragraphs. Develop a thesis statement based on
the three main ideas provided.

Body paragraph 1: Teenagers may suffer from physical problems if they are addicted to
online games.

Body paragraph 2: Teenagers may also face social isolation if they are addicted to online
games.

Body paragraph 3: Last but not least, teenagers may have a lot of conflicts with their family
if they are constantly addicted to online games.

Teenagers’ addiction to online games can lead to many problems including physical
problems, social isolation and family conflicts.

Question 6
Read the following paragraph. Then answer Question 5 in complete sentences.
1 [Topic Sentence]_ . 2The first structural part
is the topic sentence. Here the writer tells you the topic that the paragraph is going to
3

cover as well as his or her opinion, attitude or idea on the topic. 4This opinion, attitude or
idea of the writer is also known as the “controlling idea” of a topic sentence. 5The second
structural part comprises the supporting materials of the paragraph. 6In a well‐developed
paragraph, the supporting materials usually provides three to four relevant points which
lend support to the controlling idea of the topic sentence.
Add to the start of the paragraph a topic sentence (Sentence 1) which contains
a topic and a controlling idea.

There are two structural parts to a paragraph.

4
Section B (20%) – Proofreading
Answer ALL questions in the space provided in this Question-Answer Book.

Read the following paragraphs, where there are five grammatical mistakes related respectively
to subject‐verb agreement, verb tenses, verb forms, sentence fragments, comparative
forms, connectors and parallel structure. Then answer Question 6 by correcting the
mistakes individually in four steps: (1) state the “Sentence Number,” (2) t y p e the “Words
Involved,” (3) name the “Type of Mistake,” and (4) provide the “Correction”. Each part
carries 1 mark.

1Research in education had revealed that college students who Example:

Location of Mistake
proactively engage themselves in group work generally Word Group 1
Words Involved
attain higher GPAs than their counterparts who did not. had
Type of Mistake
2However, over 90 percent of college students seldom harness Verb tense
Correction
the potential of group work. 3Most of them do not realise has

that work with fellow students can benefit them immensely. Location of Mistake
Word Group 3
Words Involved
work
Type of Mistake
gerund
Correction
working
4With a group, what needs to be done can be shared. 5After Location of Mistake
Word Group 5
all, there are only so many hours in a day, and there are a Words Involved
There are a limit
limit as to what one student can tackle alone, no matter how Type of Mistake
Subject‐verb agreement
hardworking he or she is. 6But this is not so with a group, Correction
There is a limit
where what needed to be done can be divided up among Location of Mistake
Word Group 7
members. 7This enables the group as a whole to accomplish a Words Involved
More short
lot more than otherwise, and often within a more short time
Type of Mistake
Comparative form
too.
Correction
shorter

8Besides, when different students are good at different things. Location of Mistake
Word Group 8
9Each member can bring to a group his or her forte, be it Words Involved
when

5
reading comprehension, critical thinking, analysis, Type of Mistake
Sentence fragment
organizational skills, or research. 10Each member will Correction
Different students are good
contribute effectively to the group by doing what he or she at different things.

is best at. 11However, a group can work a lot more effectively

than individuals.

12Finally, a group can serve as a morale booster in different Location of Mistake

Word Group 14
ways. 13Group learning is more enjoyable than an individual Words Involved
To feel
because group members can cheer and support each other, Type of Mistake
Verb form
especially during test and exam periods. 14In addition, the Correction
feel
need to meet and study regularly with a group also makes

members to feel compelled to keep up with their study

instead of putting things off until it is too late. 15In other words,

working in a group makes a student stay motivated.

6
Section C – Essay Writing (40%)

Read the following two topics of a five-paragraph essay. Choose ONE of the topics below, and
you ONLY need to write any TWO Body Paragraphs in around 350 words.

NO secondary data and APA documenting are needed, and reasonable figures and evidence may
be created. Your OWN WRITING is the only thing we allow and will mark in this section.
Excessive words may not be read and marked.

Topic B1
Introduction
Have you ever specially visited a shopping mall solely because of its festive
decorations? Nowadays, malls in Hong Kong are so much willing to pour money
into decorations and seasonal promotions at Mid-Autumn Festival, Christmas,
Lunar New Year, Easter, etc. During special seasons, locals and foreign visitors
are used to spending a half day in the malls for photos, small gifts, shopping, and
food. Indeed, the well-decorated malls and special sales at festivals provide
positive effects to Hong Kong economy because they help increase retailers’
revenue, provide more job opportunities, and attract tourists to Hong Kong.

Topic B2
Introduction
Today, many people prefer to rent an apartment from someone’s house during
their travel, say via Airbnb. In the meantime, some people still enjoy having a
stay at the hotels. Many vacation rentals are equipped with kitchens, giving
guests the opportunity to save money during their travels by cooking in-house
rather than dining out for each meal. This essay will contrast the differences
between the operation models of vacation rental apartments and hotels in terms
of market strategies, ownership and business characteristics.

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B1 Sample Answer
Firstly, festive celebrations can significantly boost retailers in Body paragraphs 1 & 2
malls. Beautiful decorations attract people who love taking  Start each paragraph with a
topic sentence that echoes a
photos and posting them on social media, driving them to
controlling idea and relates to
visit the shopping malls. The joyful atmosphere in malls the thesis statement,
easily draws people together to take photos. For instance, indicating how the paragraph
during Christmas, malls are adorned with Christmas trees will develop.
and white decorations, while on Valentine’s Day, heart-  Provide relevant supporting
ideas, along with further
shaped ornaments and messages of love are found
explanations, illustrations, or
everywhere. Apart from taking photos, people will also eat clarifications to prove the
and shop in the malls, generating extra income for the shops point made in the topic
and restaurants. Restaurants may offer special festive menus, sentence.
and shops may sell festive-themed merchandise, generating  APA documentation is not
necessary for this exercise.
additional revenue. Furthermore, special seasonal sales can
attract people to spend money on various items. Sale prices  In this exercise only, when
providing specific evidence in
make people feel like they are saving money, causing them to the essay, you may invent
spend more than they need, which can provide extra revenue sensible supporting materials
to retailers in the shopping malls. Finally, festive celebrations such as statistics, names of
people or organizations,
may also attract tourists to visit the malls, providing an
incidents, and cases. No marks
additional source of revenue for the local economy. Overall, will be deducted for creating
festive celebrations can provide a significant boost to such unreal evidence for this
retailers in malls, generating additional revenue through test exercise. (Note: You
should not invent evidence in
increased foot traffic and seasonal sales.
any other academic writing or
context.)

Moreover, festive celebrations offer numerous job  Business ideas are highly
encouraged in this test
opportunities in the labor market. To decorate the shopping exercise, although it is not a
malls for the festivities, designer houses are invited to design compulsory requirement.
the decorations, and workers are hired to put up the designs  Make effective use of different
for the escalators, windows, corridors, concourses, and more. connectors to ensure the
coherence of your writing.
Given the number of malls in Hong Kong, the festive season
creates a significant number of jobs and work opportunities
Language and Writing Style
for Hong Kong people, especially on part-time contracts. For
instance, in addition to mall decorations, event planners and  Ensure that your writing is
free of grammatical, spelling,
production teams are hired to organize festive events and and punctuation errors.
performances. Restaurants may offer special festive menus  Vary your language by using
and require additional staff to handle the increased demand. synonyms or different
Delivery services may also see an increase in demand for expressions to avoid repetition
festive gifts and food. Finally, the entertainment industry may of ideas (for example, using
both 'decorations' and
benefit from festive celebrations through the organization of 'ornaments').
festive shows, concerts, and events, creating job  Use different sentence
opportunities for performers, stagehands, and event structures, such as simple,
planners. To sum up, festive celebrations can provide a compound, and complex
significant boost to the local economy and create numerous sentences, to add variety to
your language.
job opportunities across various industries.

8
B2 Sample Answer
Vacation rental apartments and hotels differ in terms of Body paragraphs 1 & 2
ownership and management. Vacation rental apartments are  Start each paragraph with a
topic sentence that echoes a
often privately owned and managed by the owners themselves
controlling idea and relates to
or small businesses. For example, a homeowner may decide to the thesis statement,
rent out their property on a short-term basis when they are indicating how the paragraph
away on vacation. They may handle everything from advertising will develop.
the property to managing guest bookings and cleaning the  Provide relevant supporting
ideas, along with further
property between guests. Small businesses may also manage
explanations, illustrations, or
vacation rental apartments, often specializing in a specific clarifications to prove the
location or type of property. These businesses may have a point made in the topic
smaller staff and be more hands-on in their approach to sentence.
managing the properties. In contrast, hotels are often part of  APA documentation is not
necessary for this exercise.
larger chains or franchises with centralized management and
standardized operations. For example, a hotel chain like  In this exercise only, when
providing specific evidence in
Marriott International may own and operate hotels in various the essay, you may invent
locations worldwide. These hotels are typically managed by a sensible supporting materials
team of professionals who oversee all aspects of the hotel's such as statistics, names of
people or organizations,
operations, from guest services to maintenance and
incidents, and cases. No marks
housekeeping. This centralized management allows for greater will be deducted for creating
consistency and standardization across all hotels within the such unreal evidence for this
chain, but it may also result in a more impersonal experience for test exercise. (Note: You
should not invent evidence in
guests.
any other academic writing or
context.)

In addition to ownership and management, vacation rental  Business ideas are highly
encouraged in this test
apartments and hotels have different marketing strategies to exercise, although it is not a
attract their target customers. Vacation rental apartments often compulsory requirement.
rely on word-of-mouth advertising and online platforms such as  Make effective use of different
Airbnb to reach their target market. They may also use social connectors to ensure the
coherence of your writing.
media to share photos and information about their properties
and engage with potential guests. Vacation rental apartments
Language and Writing Style
target independent travelers seeking a personalized and private
experience. They often create unique and personalized  Ensure that your writing is
free of grammatical, spelling,
experiences for their guests, providing local recommendations and punctuation errors.
and tips for exploring the area. On the contrary, hotels target a  Vary your language by using
broader range of travelers and often use a variety of advertising synonyms or different
channels to reach their target market. They may use online expressions to avoid repetition
travel agencies such as Expedia or Booking.com, social media of ideas (for example, using
both 'decorations' and
platforms, and traditional advertising such as billboards and 'ornaments').
print ads to promote their brand and attract guests. Hotels aim  Use different sentence
to provide a more standardized and consistent experience for structures, such as simple,
guests, with a focus on amenities and services such as room compound, and complex
service, housekeeping, and front desk support. For example, a sentences, to add variety to
your language.
hotel chain like Hilton may offer loyalty programs and
promotions to attract business travelers and families.