How to use this set. Each recording already plays the text twice, as in the exam, with a pause between the readings. Answer the question first, and only then open the transcript to check what you missed. These 8 items are drawn from the bank for this topic — they are practice, not a whole paper, but each one matches the marks and text type of its kind of HSC question.
Reason: why did it happen?2 marks · dialogue
Why does Xiao Hao eat a hot breakfast every day?2
How to answer. Two marks, so give both reasons — one is what his grandmother believes, the other is what she does every morning. Listen past the first reason: the second one comes in his last line.
Model answer — open after you have written yours
the answer itselfevidence from the text
His grandmother says breakfast should be hot because cold food is bad for you. He used to buy bread but stopped, because she gets up at five every morning to cook for him.
Transcript — open only after you have answered
FEMALE小豪，你每天早上都吃热的早饭吗？
MALE对。我奶奶说早饭要吃热的，吃冷的对身体不好。
FEMALE可是买面包快一点。
MALE我以前也买面包。可是我奶奶每天早上五点起来给我做，所以我就不买了。
Words from this text热的rè dehot (food)对身体不好duì shēn tǐ bù hǎobad for your health以前yǐ qiánbefore / in the past所以suǒ yǐso / therefore
Note and table completion2 marks · announcement
Complete the table below in ENGLISH.2
How to answer. One mark per row. Read the table before the audio starts so you know you are listening for two days and what goes out on each. Answer in English, not Chinese.
Model answer — open after you have written yours
the answer itself
Tuesday — food waste. Friday — newspapers and bottles.
Transcript — open only after you have answered
FEMALE同学们请注意。从下个星期开始，我们学校的垃圾要分开放。星期二放吃的东西，星期五放报纸和瓶子。别的垃圾每天都可以放。
Words from this text请注意qǐng zhù yīplease pay attention从…开始cóng…kāi shǐstarting from …分开放fēn kāi fàngput out separately别的bié dethe other / the rest
Multiple choice1 mark · dialogue
Why has the grandmother stopped dancing in the park?1
- ☐ A. She has argued with her friends.
- ☐ B. Her foot is sore and the doctor told her to walk less.
- ☐ C. She would rather stay at home.
- ☐ D. The dancing group no longer meets.
How to answer. Tick one box. Three of the four options use words you will hear, but only one answers the question asked — listen for the reason, not just a familiar word.
Model answer — open after you have written yours
Transcript — open only after you have answered
MALE妈，奶奶最近怎么不去公园跳舞了？
FEMALE她的脚不舒服，医生让她少走路。
MALE那她在家不会没意思吗？
FEMALE不会。她现在每天下午跟以前跳舞的朋友在楼下聊天。
Words from this text不舒服bù shū funot feeling well少走路shǎo zǒu lùwalk less没意思méi yì siboring聊天liáo tiānto chat
Summarise the main points3 marks · speech
Summarise the changes for next year.3
• …………………………………………………………………………………………
• …………………………………………………………………………………………
How to answer. In a Summarise question one mark is for the summarising itself — for putting it in your own words instead of writing down everything you hear. The bullets tell you how many points to make: two bullets means two points. So here, 3 marks = 2 points + 1 mark for summarising. The speaker signals where the points are: 第一 … 第二 … 第三.
Model answer — open after you have written yours
the answer itselfevidence from the text
Classes move from Saturday morning to Sunday morning because many students play sport on Saturdays; two new teachers have been hired for the senior classes; and on the last Sunday afternoon of each month students can stay behind to cook Chinese food together.
Transcript — open only after you have answered
MALE各位家长好。明年我们中文学校有三个改变。第一，上课时间从星期六上午改到星期天上午，因为很多学生星期六要打球。第二，我们请了两位新老师来教大班。第三，每个月最后一个星期天下午，学生可以留下来一起做中国菜。
Words from this text改到gǎi dàochange to因为yīn wèibecause留下来liú xià láistay behind第一…第二…第三dì yī…dì èr…dì sānfirst … second … third
Opinion and feelings3 marks · dialogue
How does Xiao Jia feel about the meal? Support your answer with reference to the text.3
How to answer. Three marks and 'support your answer', so you need her feelings AND the detail that shows them. She has more than one feeling — about the food, about the way people ate, and about what the mother did. Do not stop at the first one.
Model answer — open after you have written yours
the answer itselfevidence from the textwhy it matters
She liked the food, though it was a little spicy. What she was not used to was not the food but everyone taking from the dishes in the middle, since at home each person eats their own food. She felt a little embarrassed when the mother noticed and put some food aside for her, but the family laughed and told her it did not matter.
Transcript — open only after you have answered
MALE小佳，昨天你在小安家吃饭，怎么样？
FEMALE菜很好吃，就是有一点辣。可是最不习惯的不是菜。
MALE那是什么？
FEMALE大家都从中间的菜里拿。在我家，每个人吃自己的菜。
MALE后来呢？
FEMALE小安的妈妈看见了，给我拿了一些菜放在旁边。我有一点不好意思，可是他们都笑了，说没关系。
Words from this text有一点辣yǒu yì diǎn làa little spicy不习惯bù xí guànnot used to (something)最…的不是…zuì…de bú shì…what was most … was not …不好意思bù hǎo yì siembarrassed
Compare two speakers4 marks · dialogue
Compare and contrast the two speakers' views on eating dinner together as a family.4
How to answer. 'Compare and contrast' means both what they agree on and what they disagree on — an answer that only gives the difference cannot reach full marks. Take notes in two columns, one per speaker. Each speaker gives a reason; use it as your evidence.
Model answer — open after you have written yours
the answer itselfevidence from the textwhy it matters
Both accept that waiting for everyone can mean a long wait — his family has waited until nine, and her father also finishes work late. They differ on whether it is worth it. He sees the meal as the one time in the day the family can sit and talk, and gives evidence: his sister only mentioned a poor exam result at the dinner table, something she would not normally raise. She separates eating from talking — in her family whoever is hungry eats first — and she argues you can talk at any time. He answers that when everyone is busy, nobody ever finds the time.
Transcript — open only after you have answered
FEMALE小凯，你们家每天都等所有人回来才吃晚饭吗？
MALE对。我妈妈说，一家人一天就这一次可以坐下来说话。
FEMALE可是有的时候要等到八九点吧？我爸爸下班很晚，我们是谁饿了谁先吃。
MALE我们也等到过九点。不过那天我姐姐考试考得不好，就是在吃饭的时候说出来的。平常她不会跟爸爸妈妈说这些。
FEMALE这倒是。可是我觉得吃饭是吃饭，想说话什么时候都可以说。
MALE话是这么说，可是大家都忙，最后就是没有人有时间说。
Words from this text等děngto wait下班xià bānfinish work这倒是zhè dǎo shìthat's true, actually话是这么说，可是…huà shì zhè me shuō，kě shì…that may be so, but …
Predict and justify5 marks · dialogue
Is the male speaker likely to get the dog tomorrow? Support your answer with reference to the text.5
How to answer. You must decide yes or no — listing what each speaker said is not an answer to 'is he likely to'. Five marks, so justify the decision: track how each of his reasons is answered, and listen to his last line, where his own plan gets vaguer. Her final condition tells you what happens next.
Model answer — open after you have written yours
the answer itselfevidence from the textwhy it mattersties it together
No. Every reason he offers is answered: his morning run would cover the early walk, but neither of them is home between 7:30am and 6pm, and the neighbour he was relying on is going to her daughter's for six months. His own position weakens as he goes, ending with a vague 'get it now and sort it out later', which she refuses. She does not say no outright but sets a condition — walk a friend's dog for a month first — and reminds him he wanted a cat last month, so the likely outcome is that he does not collect the dog tomorrow.
Transcript — open only after you have answered
MALE小晴，我在网上看到一只小狗，明天就可以去接。
FEMALE又来了。上个月你说要养猫。
MALE这次不一样，我想好了。我每天早上六点起来跑步，正好带它出去。
FEMALE白天呢？我七点半出门，晚上六点才回来。你不是也一样吗？
MALE楼下的阿姨说她可以帮我看着。
FEMALE阿姨下个月要去她女儿家住半年。
MALE那……先养着，以后再说？
FEMALE小狗不是东西，不能先放着。你要是真的想养，先去朋友家帮他们带一个月的狗。一个月以后你还想养，我就同意。
Words from this text又来了yòu lái lehere we go again正好zhèng hǎoas it happens / conveniently帮我看着bāng wǒ kàn zhekeep an eye on it for me你要是真的想…，我就…nǐ yào shì zhēn de xiǎng…，wǒ jiù…if you really want to …, then I'll …
Language and persuasion5 marks · speech
What makes this speech effective? Refer to both its content and its use of language.5
How to answer. 'Both content and language' means two things are being marked: what she says, and how she says it. For language, name the technique, quote the Chinese, and say what it does to the listener — naming it alone earns little. Listen for the question she asks and answers herself, the numbers, the one named classmate, the objection she raises before you can, and how she ends.
Model answer — open after you have written yours
the answer itselfevidence from the textwhy it mattersties it together
She narrows her case to one demand so the audience knows exactly what is being asked. Her evidence is her own: she counted at the canteen door for three days, and 37 of 100 students threw food away. She turns that figure on the audience with a rhetorical question — could all thirty-seven really dislike the food? — and answers it herself, blocking the easy explanation. She then makes the number concrete through one named classmate whose waste would feed his brother for a day. She raises the school's likely objection herself and answers it with the authority of the canteen staff and a solution that costs almost nothing. She closes on the contrast between what students learn about the environment and what they do at lunchtime, then asks for names, turning agreement into action.
Transcript — open only after you have answered
FEMALE同学们，我今天只说一件事：学校的午饭应该让学生自己决定要多少。上个星期我在餐厅门口站了三天。一百个同学里，有三十七个人把饭倒了。三十七个人，难道都不喜欢吃吗？不是的，是太多了，他们吃不完。我们班的小乐说，他每天倒的饭，够他弟弟吃一天。有人会说，学校已经很忙了，哪有时间问每个人要多少。可是我问过餐厅的阿姨，她说只要在窗口写“多”和“少”两个字，很容易。同学们，我们在课上学怎么保护环境，可是每天中午，我们把很多饭倒了。请大家在下面写上你的名字，我们一起去找校长。
Words from this text难道…吗？nán dào…ma？surely you don't think …?有人会说…，可是…yǒu rén huì shuō…，kě shì…some will say …, but …够…吃一天gòu…chī yì tiānenough to feed … for a day保护环境bǎo hù huán jìngprotect the environment