HKCEE Speaking Task 2

Part A - Group Discussion ( Children Left Home Alone )

Your group is working on a presentation topic on a recent social issue regarding the children being left home alone without supervision by adults. You will talk about the problem, and discuss possible causes and solutions.

Spend three minutes writing down the ideas you have regarding the social issue. You may want to talk about:

* possible causes of the problems: why do you think it is a problem to the society in Hong Kong?
* ways to solve the problem
* Things to do to help the parents and children
* anything else you think is important

Try to imagine you are participating in the small group discussion which will last for about five minutes. Make sure you have a keen interest in helping one of the parties that may invovle in the social issue. Take a position. In other words, you'll discuss the question from the viewpoint of: parents, children, government, or the general public. So, you won't get lost in the discussion.

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Part B Individual Response

Each individual candidate will be asked to response to a question based on the items discussed. You need to think of ideas for a one-minute response speech after the group discussion.

Possible questions are:

1. Apart from money, what other helps do parents need?
2. Who do you think are responsible for the problem? What should they do to help solve the problem?
3. What are the possible reasons for parents leaving their children alone at home?
4. How can people in Hong Kong help to ease the problem?

Good luck and enjoy your preparation for the coming exams!

By the way, you may want to go to the link below to see the official movie for the HKCEE Oral Exam for more information.

http://www.hkeaa.edu.hk/DocLibrary/HKCEE/CE_Eng_Speaking_Exam_2008_final.wmv

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Language that may help you with the discussion.

Asking for an Opinion
What do you think of .........?
How do you feel about .....?
What’s your opinion of ........?

Giving an Opinion
In my opinion, .........
Personally, I think that ........
It seems to me .........
As far as I’m concerned, .........

Agreeing

(a) That’s right. (b) You’re right. (c) I think so, too. (d) I agree with you.
(e) I definitely agree. (f) I completely agree with you.

Expressing Reservations
Yes, but.....
Possibly. but.....
Yes, but the problem is....

Disagreeing
I don’t really agree with you.
I’m not sure I agree with you. The reason is that.....
Yes, that may be true, but.....

Getting Attention
To indicate that you want to speak, you can use nonverbal signals such as leaning forward or raising your hand. You can also gain the attention of the group members during a pause by saying :
May (could) I ask a question?
May (could) I say something here?
May (could I make a suggestion?
or :
I have a question I’d like to ask.
I have a point I’d like to make.

Interrupting
If you feel that a interruption would be appropriate, you can wait for a pause in the conversation and then say :
Excuse me, but........
Pardon me, but........
Excuse me for interrupting, but.......
Sorry to interrupt, but........

Keeping Your Turn
Excuse me, I’d just like to finish this point.
If you could wait for a second, I’m just about to finish my point.
Could I please just finish my point?

Continuing after an Interruption
Anyway, .......
As I was saying, ........
In any case, .......
Going back to what I was saying,......
As I was saying, .........


Emphasizing a Point
It seems to me that the real issue is.......
I think the basic cause is......
As far as I can see, the main problem is......
In my opinion, the basic problem is......
in my opinion, the main thing is.....
As I see it, the most important point is....
I feel that the most important consideration is.....

HKCEE Speaking Practice Task

Part A - Group Discussion (School Sports)

Your school wants to do something to promote sport activities and your group has been asked to design a poster by the principal.

Discuss with your group what you will suggest and why.

You may want to collect ideas on:

• different kinds of student's favourite sports
• how you can collect ideas and find out what the students want
• how the poster will attract the reader
• anything else you think is important

Try to imagine you are participating in the small group discussion which will last for about six minutes. Make sure you have a keen interest in expressing your viewpoint. But remember you must take a position so you'll have a stronger mood to contribute in the discussion.

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Part B Individual Response

Each individual candidate will be asked to response to a question based on the items discussed. You need to think of ideas for a one-minute response speech after the group discussion. Possible questions are:

1. What kinds of sports do you think you would definitely want to include it in the poster? Why?
2. Is it better to have more pictures or words? Why?
3. What do you think is the most popular sport among Hong Kong teenagers? Support your opinion with evidents.
4. When do you think is the best time of the year to promote sport activities to students? Why?

Good luck and enjoy your preparation for the coming exams!By the way, you may want to go to the link below to see the official movie for the HKCEE Oral Exam for more information.http://www.hkeaa.edu.hk/files/wmv/ce07_eng_p4_video.wmv

Boost Health by Eating Right Fruit

Blood, circulatory system, heart diseases:
Anemia ─ grapes, oranges, tomatoes, apples, strawberries, cherries
─ mangosteen high cholesterol, walnut
Hypertension ─ Avocado, banana, watermelon, grapes, oranges, tomatoes, apples, walnuts, persimmons, pears, peaches
Arteriosclerosis, vascular ─ fat of apple, avocado, walnuts, oranges, tomatoes, strawberries, banana
Stroke ─ apple, persimmon, pineapple, kiwi
Heart ─ Apple, Avocado, kiwi, pears, watermelon, pineapple, walnuts, bananas
Diabetes ─ Avocado, pears, tomatoes, guava, loquat, peach, watermelon

Respiratory system, trachea, lung disease:
Bronchitis ─ grapes, apples, strawberries, cherries, pears, pineapple, loquat, persimmon
Asthma ─ grapes, peaches
Tuberculosis ─ pears, peaches, loquat, papaya

Digestive system, gastrointestinal and liver diseases:
Ulcer ─ Avocado, bananas, pears
Gastritis ─ Avocado, apples, grapes
Enteritis ─ pineapple, bananas, apples, grapes, tomatoes, guava
Diarrhea ─ Apple
Stomach ─ papaya
Indigestion ─ pears, strawberry, loquat
Hemorrhoids ─ apples, persimmons, peaches, bananas, figs
Liver ─ strawberries, plums, apples, grapes, bananas, oranges
Urinary system diseases:
─ cystitis watermelon, peaches
Urethral calculi ─ watermelon, kiwi
Incontinence ─ peaches, plums
Urethritis ─ peaches, grapes
Kidney disease ─ watermelon, apples, pears, grapes, pineapple, oranges, cantaloupe, strawberries, peaches, kiwi,
Avocado
Endocrine system diseases:
Hyperthyroidism ─ persimmon, apple
Endocrine disorders ─ avocado, apples, kiwi, grapes, peaches, cantaloupe, papaya
Eyes, ears and throat diseases:
Tinnitus ─ mangosteen
Tonsils ─ pears
─ hoarseness grapes, loquat
Night blindness ─ Orange

Bones, arthritis, skin diseases:
Post-operative wound healing ─ strawberry fast
Back pain, low back pain ─ kiwi, watermelon, pears, citrus
Shoulder peach ─
─ grape fracture
Arthritis ─ grapes, loquat
Gout ─ kiwi, pineapple
Bonesetter ─ papaya contusion
Skin ─ papaya, strawberries, apples, tomatoes, walnuts

Oral diseases:
Oral inflammation ─ pears, oranges, pomegranates
Dental disease ─ strawberries, oranges, plums

Others:
Cancer ─ kiwifruit, papaya, lemon, pineapple, grapes
─ cold strawberries, mango, pineapple, loquat, lemon, orange
Pregnant women ─ antiemetic pears, apples, persimmons
Pregnant women after childbirth to restore ─ Avocado, apples, walnuts
To increase strength, prevent aging ─ Apple, Avocado, bananas, walnuts
─ grape poor appetite
The promotion of growth ─ Avocado, apples, pears, bananas, strawberries, cantaloupe, watermelon

Apple Juice Apple
Juice: gastrointestinal conditioning, and promote kidney function, prevention of hypertension
Grapefruit juice Grapefruit
Juice: lower cholesterol, prevent colds and gingival bleeding
Strange Fruit Kiwi Fruit
Juice: rich in vitamins C, Qingre Sheng Jin, only吐泻
Mango mango juice
Juice: to help digestion and to prevent seasickness and vomiting sore throat
Pineapple Pineapple juice
Juice: swelling wet and scared, help digestion, relieve sore throat
Papaya Juice: Moistening Lung Xiaozhi to help digest protein
Watermelon Juice Water Melon Juice: heat diuretic, lowering blood pressure
Carrot carrot juice
Juice: stimulating bile secretion, and cholesterol, increased flexibility in the intestinal wall, to appease nervous celery juice Celery Juice: added strength, relieve anxiety, stress
Banana Banana juice Juice: to increase energy, strong muscles, nourishing lung intestines, blood flow
Grape juice Juice: regulation of heart rate, blood and soothe the nerves, strengthen the kidneys, liver function, helps digestion

Lemon juice Lemon Juice: rich vitamin C, cough phlegm, toxins will help rule out the possibility
Orange Juice orange juice : Nourishing the stomach, strengthening blood vessels, can prevent heart disease, stroke, colds, flu and bruises

Hami melon juice Cantaloup Juice: dry cooling solution,生津止渴
Strawberry Juice Strawberry Juice : Zhixie diuretic, strong nerves, blood added
Pear juice Pear Juice : To maintain the heart, the normal operation of vessels to remove toxins
Coconut juice Coconut Juice : The prevention of heart disease, arthritis and cancer, a strong skin, moisture Zhike

Loving family, on the first of their health!!
Asparagus is a great treasure-house of folic acid】 girls should eat more!!
Asparagus dishes Westerners in Japan,
To get on the good versus the cost of the asparagus will allow us to imagine
To the point of a high-end restaurants off Kobe steak,
To one of the excellent fresh asparagus,
Really enjoy life. Perhaps you do not know,
In addition to delicious, asparagus, where the nutritional value?
Would like to begin with folic acid
In recent years the study of folic acid caused a lot of attention to the medical profession,
For example, women who plan to become pregnant, eat more folic acid to prevent neural tube birth defects in babies. It was also found that it can prevent heart disease, cancer,
"Became the very high-profile nutrients asparagus contains very rich folic acid,
5 asparagus contains approximately 100mcg Of folic acid, has already reached the daily recommended amount of 1 / 4, So we can eat more asparagus to add folic acid to achieve the effect of gestational age is not only women should eat more, Most people can eat asparagus anti-cancer anti-aging anti-cardiovascular disease.

Chief Executive Donald Tsang delivered his policy address on 10 October, 2007. He declared an offer of 12-year free education for all children. Classes will also become smaller, with fewer students.

Write an article of about 250 words for your school magazine. Write and discuss what you think about the 12-year free education and the smaller class policy implemented in Hong Kong.

Dear Editor,

I would like to express my opinions regarding the 12-year free education and the smaller class policy implemented in Hong Kong.

I agree with our Chief Executive, Mr Tsang, who delivered his policy address on 10 October, 2007. He declared an offer of 12-year free education for children and the smaller Classes. I think this policy can improve our education system and will be beneficial to Hong Kong students. The main reasons are as follows.

The 12-year free education can reduce the pressure of the high study cost to the low-income families. There is a chance for their children to continue their study in the school without a financial problem. For the low-income families, their children can’t always receive the higher education because of their financial problem. The 12-year free education also encourages people to keep studying in the school to increase their own competitiveness in their future.

Smaller Classes is a great idea for taking care of the specific students who need to deal with their study problems. With the smaller classes, teacher can easily recognize his students and he has sufficient time to solve their problems during the lessons. Because smaller classes give teachers more quiet time to focus on helping weaker students. They will have more times helping them to improve their study level.

However, this offer of 12-year free education and the implementation of the smaller classes will increase the financial burden our government. If someone doesn’t treasure the education opportunity, it will waste our tax money and the policy will become a failure.

In my conclusion, I believe that free education can ensure that children would gain more knowledge, thus they become more competitive for taking the jobs. They can also learn better and study more from the teachers in smaller classes.

Practice Paper - Set 6

To: Mr Chan, Chief Executive Officer
From: Mary Wong, Managing Director of Hong Kong Amusement Park
Date: 4 May, 2008
Subject: Service of Hong Kong Amusement Park

Introduction
I am writing in response to your request for a report on the management of the service of Hong Kong Amusement Park . I have also included my suggestions for improvements.

Findings
A questionnaire survey was conducted in April, 2008 to collect guests' opinions on the service of the park. 500 questionnaires were sent out to the respondents, of which 400 were returned. Site visits were paid to 4 theme parks between 20 and 27 of April, 2008 to collect opinions. The major findings are listed below.

Respondents
Nearly two thirds (65%) of the respondents had visited the park twice this year. One fifth (20%) of them had visited the park more than twice this year. The remaining 15% of them had visited the park once this year.

Results
Questionnaires
As for the problems of the service of the park, nearly three quarters (70%) of the respondents reported that the admission fees was expensive. There were no discounts for students. More than a half (55%) of the respondents noticed that there were inadequate washrooms. Two-fifths of them said that there were too many visitors, and there were long queues. Nearly one third (33%) of the respondents said that there was a lack of cartoon characters. A quarter of them said that there were not enough restaurants.

Site Visits
During the site visits of the four theme parks, it was found that the parade was fantastic. Staff was well-trained. However, the area was too small. The price was too high.

Conclusion
It is obvious that the service of the park is inadequate. Thus, suggestions for improvement are needed.

Recommendation
I would like to make the following recommendations for your consideration.

• We should reduce the admission fee and provide discounts for students.
  
• We should increase the washrooms.
• We should make more cartoon characters.
• We should restrict the number of people entering the park because there are always long queues
  
• We should also increase the number of restaurants.
  

I would be grateful if the above recommendations could be considered.

Regards

Raymond
Raymond Chien
Leisure Activities Officer

Practice Paper – Set 5

To: Ms Liao, Manager
From: Raymond Chien, Leisure Activities Officer
Date: 2 October, 2007
Subject: Management of Public Swimming Pools

Introduction
I am writing in response to your request for a report on the management of the public swimming pools. I have also included my suggestions for improvements.

Findings
A questionnaire survey was conducted in August, 2007 to collect citizens' opinions on the management of the public swimming pools. 1000 questionnaire were sent out to the respondents, of which 880 were returned. The major findings are listed below.

Respondents
Nearly three quarters (74%) of the respondents went swimming once a week. About a quarter (23%) went swimming two to six times in a week. Only a small number (3%) went swimming almost everyday between May and September in the public swimming pool.

Results
Nearly all (94%) of the respondents found that the admission fees were reasonable. As for the hygienic standard, more than a half (58%) of the respondents were satisfied with the hygienic standard in pool deck area; while 42% of them were satisfied with the hygienic standard in changing room.

As for the areas that need to be improved, about two-thirds (62%) of the respondents said that there were insufficient leisure pools. one fifth of them reported that the beach chairs were rusty. A minority (13%) said that there was no kiosk. Very few (5%) reported that life guards were not around.

Conclusion
It is obvious that the management of the public swimming pools is inadequate. Thus, suggestions for improvement are needed.

Recommendation
I would like to make the following recommendations for your consideration.

• We should build more leisure pools
  
• We should increase the hygienic standards in both changing room and pool deck area.
• We should also replace the beach chairs with the plastic chairs.
• We should build kiosks in some public swimming pools
• We should make sure there are life guards in the swimming pools all the time.
  

I would be grateful if the above recommendations could be considered.

Regards

Raymond
Raymond Chien
Leisure Activities Officer

Practice Paper – Set 4

To: Mr Peterson, Chief Executive Officer
From: Charles Wong, Public Relations Officer of KCR
Date: 28 May, 2008
Subject: Design of Train Compartments

Introduction
I am writing in response to your request for the report on the design of train compartments. I have also included my suggestions for improvements.

Findings
A questionnaire survey was conducted in April, 2008 to collect passengers' opinions on the design of all the train compartments. 2000 questionnaire were sent out to the respondents, of which 1800 were returned. Site visits were also made to 2 British-made compartments to collect further data about the design. The major findings are listed below.

Respondents
About three quarters (76%) of the respondents took KCR daily. A small number (14%) of the respondents took KCR twice a week and the remaining 10% of the respondents took KCR once a week.

Results
About four fifths of the respondents said that KCR was fast and stable. About three quarters of them reported that the KCR fare was reasonable.

As for the areas to be improved, three quarters of the respondents said that the train compartments were too bright. More than half (60%) said that the ventilation was poor. It was hot and stuffy in summer. Two fifths of the respondents said that the ventilation was poor. It was hot and stuffy in summer. Two fifths of them reported that the seats were uncomfortable. A quarter of the respondents said that the compartments were noisy when traveling at high speed.

Three problems were found during the site visits. The floor was slippery. The TV system was too noisy. The route map was user-unfriendly.

Conclusion
To conclude, a majority of respondents are satisfied with the design of KCR compartments. However, some improvements can still be made.

Recommendation
I would like to make the following recommendations for your consideration.

• As it is too bright in the train compartments, we must reduce the brightness of the lights.
  
• We should also improve the ventilation and adjust the temperature in summer.
  
• We should redesign the seats and make them more comfortable.
• We should reduce the volume of the TV system.
• We should make the route maps more user-friendly.
  

I would be grateful if the above recommendations could be considered.

Regards

Charles
Charles Wong
Public Relations Officer of KCR

Practice Paper – Set 3

To: Mr Wong, Chief Executive Officer
From: Richard Leung, Academic Director of ZAFT Tutorial Center
Date: 2 May, 2007
Subject: Daily Operation of ZAFT Tutorial Centers

Introduction
I am writing in response to your request for the report on the daily operation of ZAFT Tutorial Center. I have also included my suggestions for improvements.

Findings
A questionnaire survey was conducted in March, 2008 to collect students' opinions on the daily operation of ZAFT Tutorial Centers. 1000 questionnaire were sent out to the respondents, of which 865 were returned. Center visits were also made to all ZAFT tutorial centers to collect further opinions about the service. The major findings are listed below.

Respondents
Nearly three quarters (70%) of the respondents had been studying in ZAFT Tutorial Center for half a year. One fifth of the students had been studying there for more than a year. A small number (10%) had been studying with us for only a month.

Results
Majority (80%) of the respondents said that they liked the teaching equipment, it was of high-tech. Half of the respondents said that the promotion was persuasive and attractive. Two fifths of the respondents liked their tutors and said that they were professional and stylish.

As for the areas that need to be improved, majority of the respondents said that the class size was too big. There were 80 students per class. About three thirds of them reported that there were not enough assignments. Nearly half (45%) said the promotion staff was impolite. Nearly one third (30%) of the students reported that the school was too high.

Conclusion
To conclude, a majority of respondents are satisfied with the tutorial centers. However, some improvements can still be made.

Recommendation
I would like to make the following recommendations for your consideration.

• We should reduce the class size from 80 to 50 per class
• We should provide more assignments for students
• We may consider reducing the school fee next year.

I would be grateful if the above recommendations could be considered.

Regards

Richard
Richard Leung,
Academic Director of ZAFT Tutorial Center

Practice Paper – Set 2

To: Mr Fung, English Teacher
From: Tony Chan, Chairperson of Student Union
Date: 26 April, 2008
Subject: Service of School Canteen

Introduction
I am writing in response to your request for a report on the service of the school canteen. I would also like to make recommendation for improvement.

Findings
A questionnaire survey was conducted in February, 2008 to collect students' opinions on the service of the school canteen. 700 questionnaire were sent out to the respondents, of which 600 were returned. Interviews were also made with 50 students to collect further opinions about the canteen. The major findings are listed below.

Respondents
Half of the respondents were studying Business Service and Management. The other half were studying Information and Communications Technology. Among them, two thirds were students of Year 1, and one third were students of Year 2.

Problems
About three quarters of the students reported that there were not enough food choices. There were no nutritious food and vegetarian menu. Slightly more than half (55%) of students said there were insufficient tables and chairs. Nearly half of the students said the service was poor and there were long lines for food orders. One fifth of the students said the standards of hygiene were low.

During the interviews students said that the canteen was too crowded in lunch time. There was rubbish everywhere.

Conclusion
It seems obvious that the school canteen service is inadequate. Thus suggestions for improvement are needed.

Recommendations
To improve the situation, the following recommendations are made for your consideration.

• School canteen should increase food choices, they should add some nutritious food and vegetarian menu.
• They should provide more tables and chairs
• They should also shorten the waiting time for food order.
• They should improve the standards of hygiene and collect rubbish more frequently.

I would be grateful if the above recommendation could be accepted.

Regards

Tony

Tony Chan
Chairperson, SU

Practice Task - Set 1 Key

To: Mr Ricky Chan, Manager
From: Winnie Wong, Assistant Manager
Date: 15 April, 2008
Subject: Service of the QQ Supermarket

Introduction
I am writing in response to your request for a report on the service of the supermarket. I have included some recommendations for improvement.

Findings
A survey was conducted進行in mid-March 2008 to collect customers’ opinions on the service of the supermarket. 300 questionnaires were distributed to the customers分發300問卷, of which其中260 were returned 260人交回. The major findings 主要結果are listed below.

More than a half of the customers said they spent $500 to $1000. About a quarter of them spent less than $ 500. The remaining customers spent more than $1000 in our supermarket each month.

Two fifths of the customers thought that checkouts were always busy. They had to wait for long time to pay for goods. More than half of the customers (58%) reported that they never have a trolley to use during rush hours. About two thirds (66%) said they couldn’t get goods on top shelves. A quarter of the customers (25%) complained that the floor was wet, and tissues were on the floor. A small number of (9%) of the customers said there were no telephones.

Conclusion
To conclude, it is obvious the service of QQ Supermarket was inadequate. Thus, suggestions for improvement are needed.

Recommendations
To improve the situation, the following recommendations are made for your consideration.
-We should increase the number of checkout counters, so customers will not wait for a long time to pay.
- We should also buy some more trolleys to use during the rush hours.
- We should lower the top shelves, so customer can easily reach the top shelves for goods.
- We should keep the floor dry and clean.

I would be grateful if the above recommendations could be accepted.

Regards
Winnie Wong
Assistant Manager

Report Writing Practice Task - Set 1

Situation

You are William/Winnie Wong, the Assistant Manager of the QQ Supermarket. The Manager, Mr Ricky Chan, has asked you to conduct a survey on the service of the supermarket. Below are some details about your survey and the results you have collected.

Date of survey – mid-March, 2008

Method – Questionnaire, 300 sent to customers

Number of respondents – 260

RESULTS

1. How much do you spend in our supermarket each month?

Less than $500	25%
$500 - $1000	52%
More than $1000	23%

2. Are you pleased with the service of our supermarket?

Yes	65%
No	35%

3. What problems have you noticed about our supermarket?

Checkouts	40% (wait for long time to pay for goods)
Trolleys	58% (never have a trolley to use during rush hours)
Shelves	66% (can’t get goods on top shelves)
Toilets	25% (floor wet, tissues on floor)
No telephones	9%

Write a report on the survey to the Manager. You should do the following:

- Use the information above. You may also add your own ideas.

- Give some recommendations.

Use an appropriate memo report format.