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 did Xiao Chun choose the trip to China?2
How to answer. Two marks means two reasons, and the second one only comes out when she answers his objection — keep listening after the first line.
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the answer itself
On that trip she can stay with a student's family instead of a hotel, and staying in a hotel would mean she hardly speaks any Chinese all day.
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MALE小春，学校两个活动你为什么选去中国的那个？
FEMALE因为去中国的那个可以住在同学家里，不住旅馆。
MALE住在别人家不是很麻烦吗？
FEMALE可是住旅馆的话，我一天说不了几句中文。
Words from this text选xuǎnto choose住在…家里zhù zài…jiā listay at someone's home麻烦má fantroublesome说不了几句shuō bu liǎo jǐ jùcan hardly say a few sentences
Note and table completion2 marks · phone message
Complete the table below in ENGLISH.2
How to answer. One mark per row. Both details are given twice over — the old one first, then the new one. Write the new one. Answer in English.
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the answer itself
New departure time — 8am Saturday (not Friday evening). Luggage — one bag each, and it must not be too heavy.
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FEMALE去中国的同学请注意。飞机的时间改了，不是星期五晚上，是星期六早上八点。还有，学校说行李不能太重，一个人只能带一个包。
Words from this text改了gǎi lehas been changed行李xíng liluggage太重tài zhòngtoo heavy只能带zhǐ néng dàican only bring
Multiple choice1 mark · dialogue
What surprises the female speaker?1
- ☐ A. Students eat lunch in the classroom.
- ☐ B. Students sleep in the classroom after lunch.
- ☐ C. Classes start at seven in the morning.
- ☐ D. Students are not allowed outside at lunchtime.
How to answer. Tick one box. Every option repeats something you will hear, so listen for the part she reacts to, not just what is mentioned. Her repeated question tells you where the surprise is.
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FEMALE小方，你们学校的同学中午做什么？
MALE吃完饭以后，很多人在教室里睡二十分钟。
FEMALE在教室里睡觉？我们学校下课以后大家都去外面。
MALE因为我们早上七点就上课了，所以中午要休息一下。
Words from this text中午zhōng wǔat midday睡shuìto sleep下课以后xià kè yǐ hòuafter class休息一下xiū xi yí xiàhave a short rest
Summarise the main points3 marks · announcement
Summarise what the students are told to do.3
• …………………………………………………………………………………………
• …………………………………………………………………………………………
How to answer. One of the three marks is for the summarising itself — putting it in your own words rather than writing down every word. The bullets tell you how many points to make: two bullets, two points. He marks them with 第一 … 第二 … 第三.
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the answer itself
Be at the school gate by 6:30 the next morning and do not be late; phone home once they arrive to say they have got there; and be back where they are staying before nine each evening.
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MALE明天就要出发了，有三件事请大家记住。第一，早上六点半在学校门口等，别迟到。第二，到了以后先给家里打个电话，说你到了。第三，每天晚上九点以前回到住的地方。
Words from this text出发chū fāto set off别迟到bié chí dàodon't be late到了以后dào le yǐ hòuonce you arrive以前yǐ qiánbefore (a time)
Opinion and feelings3 marks · dialogue
How does Xiao Hai feel about living with the family? Support your answer with reference to the text.3
How to answer. Three marks and 'support your answer', so give her feelings AND the detail that shows them. Her feelings change during the conversation — an answer with only the first one cannot reach full marks.
Model answer — open after you have written yours
the answer itselfevidence from the textwhy it matters
At first she was a little frightened because they spoke fast and she often could not understand. It is much better now, because once they realised, they slowed down. In the evenings the whole family sits in the living room talking and she sits with them and listens: even though she does not speak well, she does not want to go back to her room.
Transcript — open only after you have answered
MALE小海，住在他们家你觉得怎么样？
FEMALE刚开始有一点怕。他们说话很快，我常常听不懂。
MALE现在呢？
FEMALE好多了。他们知道我听不懂，就说慢一点。
MALE那你晚上做什么？
FEMALE他们一家人晚上都在客厅坐着说话，我也坐在那儿听。虽然我说得不好，可是我不想回房间。
Words from this text刚开始gāng kāi shǐat first听不懂tīng bu dǒngcan't understand慢一点màn yì diǎna bit more slowly虽然…，可是…suī rán…，kě shì…although …, still …
Compare two speakers4 marks · dialogue
Compare and contrast the two speakers' views on using English while they are in China.4
How to answer. 'Compare and contrast' asks for both what they share and where they differ — an answer with only the difference cannot reach full marks. Note each speaker in a separate column; each gives a reason, and those reasons are your evidence.
Model answer — open after you have written yours
the answer itselfevidence from the text
Both agreed at the start to use only Chinese, and both admit there are words they do not know. They differ in what they do at that moment. He switches to English because it is faster than standing there when someone is waiting behind him, and he is afraid that if he gets it wrong people will not understand. She works around the missing word by saying it another way and letting them follow slowly, and gives evidence that this works: last week the person she was speaking to taught her the word.
Transcript — open only after you have answered
FEMALE小南，昨天在商店你为什么用英文？
MALE我想说中文，可是那个词我不会，客人在后面等。
FEMALE我们说好了，来了以后一句英文都不说。
MALE话是这么说，可是我不会的时候，说英文比站在那儿快多了。
FEMALE我也有不会的词。我就说别的话，慢慢地让他们听懂。上个星期我这样说，那个人还教了我那个词。
MALE你说得对，可是我怕说错，别人听不懂会不高兴。
Words from this text说好了shuō hǎo lewe agreed一句…都不yí jù…dōu bùnot a single …话是这么说，可是…huà shì zhè me shuō，kě shì…that may be so, but …怕说错pà shuō cuòafraid of getting it wrong
Predict and justify5 marks · dialogue
Is the family likely to host the student? 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 the family likely to'. Five marks, so justify it: track what happens to each of the father's objections, and listen to what he says at the end, which is not an objection at all.
Model answer — open after you have written yours
the answer itselfevidence from the textwhy it mattersties it together
Yes. The father raises three practical objections and each is answered immediately: the spare room is taken, but her brother has offered to move to her old room; nobody can drive them to school, but the visitor can take the bus with her; and the family eats simply, but the food was the same when she stayed with him in China. His last line is not another objection — he notes that the family hosted her last year and never called it any trouble, which argues for saying yes, so they are very likely to host him.
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FEMALE爸爸，五月他们学校的同学要来，我们家可以住一个吗？
MALE两个星期？家里只有一个空房间，你弟弟正在用。
FEMALE弟弟说他可以住我以前的小房间。
MALE那早上谁送他们去学校？我七点就走了。
FEMALE他们跟我一起坐公共汽车。
MALE吃饭呢？我们平常吃得很简单。
FEMALE他在中国也是这样吃的。我住在他家的时候，他妈妈没有做特别的菜。
MALE……你去年住在他家，人家没有说麻烦。
FEMALE对啊。所以我想请他来。
Words from this text空房间kòng fáng jiānspare room正在用zhèng zài yòngis using it at the moment平常píng chángusually / ordinarily特别的tè bié despecial
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 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 numbers she opens with, the question she puts to the audience, the two objections she raises before you can, her own story, and how she ends.
Model answer — open after you have written yours
the answer itselfevidence from the textwhy it mattersties it together
She opens with two numbers that do not match — twenty-six in the class, four who went — then repeats 四个人 on its own and turns it into a question to the audience, so they supply the reason themselves. She then raises the two objections her classmates actually make. To 'my Chinese isn't good enough' she answers with her own experience, told as a change over time: in the first week she did not dare say a word, but in the second the grandmother of her host family asked her every morning what she wanted to eat and she had to reply, and her teacher noticed the difference when she came back. To 'it's too expensive' she gives a concrete answer: the school pays half and the rest can be paid in four instalments. She closes on the contrast between three years of classroom Chinese and never once using it, then gives one clear action with a limit that creates urgency — twenty places, sign up at the office today.
Transcript — open only after you have answered
FEMALE同学们，去年我们班有二十六个人，只有四个人去了中国。四个人。你们说，为什么？有人跟我说，我的中文不好，去了也听不懂。我去年也听不懂。第一个星期我一句话都不敢说。可是第二个星期，我住的那家人的奶奶每天早上问我吃什么，我就得回答她。回来以后，老师说我说得比以前快多了。还有人说太贵。学校今年帮我们出一半的钱，剩下的可以分四次交。我们在这里学了三年中文，一次也没有用过。今年有二十个名字可以写。请你们今天就去办公室报名。
Words from this text你们说，为什么？nǐ men shuō，wèi shén me？what do you think — why?一句话都不敢说yí jù huà dōu bù gǎn shuōdidn't dare say a word比以前快多了bǐ yǐ qián kuài duō lemuch faster than before报名bào míngsign up / register