HQ Society
Chinese in Context · Practice Resource
Set 2 · Processing & Responding · Composing · Oral
Aligned to the NSW HSC Chinese in Context syllabus. All texts are original to HQ Society: AI generated, then checked by practising NSW language teachers. Built for practice before the HSC, not for use as a school assessment task.
Practice resourceNot an examination paper100 marks
100marks
3sections
Written + Oraltwo papers
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Section I

Processing and Responding to Texts

50 marksQuestions 1–6aural & written texts

Questions 1–3 are based on aural texts (each recording is played twice in the exam) and Questions 4–6 on written texts. Each question tells you whether to answer in English or in Chinese. Try the question first, then open the transcript / model to check.

Familiarisation — listen first to get used to the voices
0:00 / 0:00
Female爸爸，我决定从明天起每天六点起床跑步。
Male好啊！那今天呢？
Female今天太冷了，明天的我会更坚强。
Male啊？

Question 1

4 marks

志明给了露西哪些建议，帮助她在新学校交到朋友？字数要求大约50个英文字。What advice does Zhiming give Lucy to help her make friends at her new school? Write approximately 50 words in ENGLISH.

0:00 / 0:00
Female志明，我在这个学校已经一个月了，可还是没什么朋友。同学们午餐都成群结队，我却常常一个人坐。
Male露西，别灰心。澳洲学生交朋友的方式跟中国不太一样。他们更喜欢通过共同的兴趣来认识人，比如运动队、辩论社、戏剧社。
Female可是我什么社团都没参加，怎么办呢？我又不太会运动，又比较害羞。
Male那你可以从图书馆志愿者或者中文俱乐部开始。重要的是要主动出击。在澳洲，没人会主动来找你，你必须自己迈出第一步。
Female谢谢你的建议。我以前总以为只要笑一笑、点点头就够了，现在才明白，澳洲的友谊是要靠主动去建立的。
✓ What scores marks
  • Answer in ENGLISH — the text is in Chinese, your response is in English.
  • State your point, then support it with a SPECIFIC detail from the text — paraphrased, not copied out in Chinese.
  • Cover every part of the question; give roughly one developed point per two marks.
✗ What loses marks
  • Translating the text line-by-line instead of analysing or answering the question.
  • A conclusion with no evidence from the text; answering in Chinese; missing part of the question.
How to structure your answerPoint / answer → a specific detail from the text to back it → make sure every part of the question is covered. Answer in English.
For this question
Top band: The stem asks WHICH suggestions Zhiming gives to help Lucy make friends — 哪些 cues a multi-point answer, so collect ALL of them: the shared-interests principle, the concrete clubs (sport, debating, drama), the start-small option for a shy student (library volunteer, Chinese club), and the make-the-first-move mindset. ~50 English words: cover every suggestion briefly rather than one suggestion at length.
Common slip: Retelling Lucy's PROBLEM (sitting alone, classmates in groups) instead of Zhiming's ADVICE — the question only rewards the suggestions. And don't stop at one club name: 'join clubs' without the shy-student pathway and the initiative point reads as 'some understanding' (2 marks).
Model answer
your pointevidence from the textwhat it shows
Zhiming explains that Australians usually make friends through shared interests, so he advises Lucy to join clubs such as sports teams, debating or drama. Because she is shy, she could start small as a library volunteer or in the Chinese club. Most importantly, she must take the initiative and make the first move herself.

Question 2

6 marks

你是学校商业社团的主席。根据广播的内容，写一份传单，向同学们介绍“校园创业市集”，并欢迎大家报名参加。字数要求大约130个汉字。You are the president of the school’s business club. Based on the radio broadcast, write a flyer introducing the ‘Campus Entrepreneurship Market’ to your fellow students and welcoming them to sign up. Write approximately 130 characters in CHINESE.

0:00 / 0:00
Male亲爱的同学们，大家好！我是学生会主席浩宇。告诉大家一个好消息：下个月的最后一个星期五，我们学校将首次举办“校园创业市集”。在这一天，十一、十二年级的同学可以组队申请摊位，售卖自己设计和制作的产品，比如手工饰品、烘焙点心、旧物改造的小物件，还可以提供服务，比如给同学画肖像、修理自行车。学校会提供桌椅和帐篷，每个摊位还能得到五十澳元的启动资金。市集结束后，我们将评选“最佳创意奖”和“最佳销售奖”。通过这个活动，大家不但能体验怎样计划、宣传和经营一个小生意，还能锻炼团队合作和与人沟通的能力。不想摆摊的同学也别错过，当天欢迎大家来逛市集，用零花钱支持同学们的创意！有兴趣的同学请在本月底前到学生会办公室报名，名额有限，先到先得！
approx. 130 characters characters, in Chinese
0 chars
✓ What scores marks
  • Write in the EXACT text type the prompt names (flyer / email / letter to the editor / speech) with its conventions — salutation, body, sign-off.
  • Synthesise the source text(s): draw the relevant ideas across from the stimulus into your own response for the new context, purpose and audience.
  • Hit the character target and use a range of language features / connectives (首先、其次、最后、不仅…而且).
✗ What loses marks
  • Copying chunks of the stimulus instead of re-purposing the ideas for the new task.
  • Wrong text type or missing its conventions; ignoring context / purpose / audience; well under the character count.
How to structure your answerCorrect text type with its conventions (salutation → body → sign-off) → re-purpose the source ideas for the new audience/purpose → hit the character target.
For this question
Top band: A flyer scores 6/6 when it recruits: punchy headline, the concrete programme details from the broadcast (last Friday of next month, the playground market, stall ideas, school-provided tables and tents, the fifty-dollar start-up fund, the creativity prize) and a deadline-driven call to action (到学生会报名). Note the stem asks you to INTRODUCE the market AND welcome sign-ups — cover both, and paraphrase the broadcast rather than copying its sentences.
Common slip: A prose summary of the broadcast with no flyer machinery — no headline, no 你/同学们 address, no call to action — loses the context/purpose/audience marks. Also don't drop the practical details (date, start-up fund, deadline): a flyer that only cheers 'creativity is great!' gives classmates nothing to act on, and ~130 characters leaves no room for padding.
Model answer
Grey labels show the structure · highlighted = key idioms / connectives / set phrases
Headline / hook校园创业市集，招募小店主啦！
What & when下个月最后一个星期五，操场将变身为创意集市：烘焙点心、手工艺品、旧物改造，或是为同学绘制肖像：只要有创意，就有属于你的摊位！
Support & incentives桌椅、帐篷由学校准备，每个摊位更有五十澳元启动金，“最佳创意奖”也在等你。
Widen the audience即使不摆摊，也欢迎前来选购，为同学们的创意助一份力！
Call to action + deadline名额有限，请在月底前到学生会报名。
Translation

Campus Entrepreneurship Market — young shopkeepers wanted! On the last Friday of next month, the playground becomes a market of ideas: baking, handicrafts, upcycled creations, or portrait-drawing for classmates — wherever there is creativity, there is a stall for you! Tables and tents are prepared by the school, and each stall receives a $50 start-up fund; the Best Creativity Award awaits. Even without a stall, come along, browse, and lend your classmates' ideas a hand! Places are limited — please register at the student council by the end of the month.

Question 3

8 marks

你是美玲。你住在新加坡的华裔朋友心怡最近不想继续学中文了。根据播客和博客的内容，给她写一封电子邮件，谈谈你的看法和建议。字数要求大约150个汉字。You are Meiling. Your Chinese-heritage friend Xinyi, who lives in Singapore, has recently decided she wants to give up learning Chinese. Based on the content of the podcast and blog, write her an email sharing your thoughts and suggestions. Write approximately 150 characters in CHINESE.

0:00 / 0:00
Text 3B – Blog post
中文，我和家人之间的一座桥

上周末爷爷从北京飞来悉尼看我们。他兴致勃勃地想跟我聊聊学校的事，可我憋了半天，只能用英文夹杂几个简单的中文词。爷爷的笑容慢慢凝固了。

那一刻我才意识到，我以为放弃中文只是“少学一门课”，其实我也放弃了和爷爷深入交流的钥匙。

现在每个周末我都和妈妈一起做中国菜、看中文电视剧，重新拾回那些被我遗忘的字词。中文不只是语言，更是我和家人之间的一座桥。

Female亲爱的听众朋友们，大家好。我是悉尼大学语言研究中心的李博士。今天我想和大家聊一聊一个普遍存在的现象：华裔孩子在澳洲长大，却渐渐失去了中文能力。最新研究显示，超过百分之七十的第二代华裔在初中以后就基本不再使用中文。原因很复杂：学校以英文为主，朋友圈说英文，连家里跟兄弟姐妹也用英文沟通。父母虽然焦急，却往往力不从心。有些家长无奈地说：“孩子小时候明明会说中文，怎么到了高中就只会用英文回答了？”我们的研究发现，中文不仅仅是一门语言，更是文化的载体。失去中文，意味着孩子可能与祖辈、与家族历史、与整个中华文化产生隔阂。我建议家长们：在家里多创造说中文的氛围、看中文电影、和孩子讨论时事，让中文成为生活的一部分，而不是周末补习班里枯燥的“功课”。
approx. 150 characters characters, in Chinese
0 chars
✓ What scores marks
  • Write in the EXACT text type the prompt names (flyer / email / letter to the editor / speech) with its conventions — salutation, body, sign-off.
  • Synthesise the source text(s): draw the relevant ideas across from the stimulus into your own response for the new context, purpose and audience.
  • Hit the character target and use a range of language features / connectives (首先、其次、最后、不仅…而且).
✗ What loses marks
  • Copying chunks of the stimulus instead of re-purposing the ideas for the new task.
  • Wrong text type or missing its conventions; ignoring context / purpose / audience; well under the character count.
How to structure your answerCorrect text type with its conventions (salutation → body → sign-off) → re-purpose the source ideas for the new audience/purpose → hit the character target.
For this question
Top band: Integration (8 marks): weave the podcast's research (Dr Li's seven-in-ten finding, language as the carrier of culture and family ties) with the blogger's story (the grandfather visit, the weekly cooking-and-TV routine that won her Chinese back) inside the same appeal. The email must fit its PURPOSE — persuading a friend in Singapore not to quit Chinese — so close with realistic, doable encouragement (做菜、看剧、一起坚持), not a lecture.
Common slip: Sequential treatment (all of Dr Li, then all of the blogger) caps the synthesis criterion; using only one source drops you to the 2–3 band. Also mind the relationship: 心怡 is a friend who is discouraged — guilt-tripping or teacher-register preaching misses the audience mark; empathy first, then evidence, then the invitation to persist together.
Model answer
Grey labels show the structure · highlighted = key idioms / connectives / set phrases
Salutation亲爱的心怡：
Open with the news + Dr Li's research (podcast)听说你打算放弃中文，先与你分享两件事。李博士的研究指出，七成华裔孩子升入中学后便不再使用中文；她提醒我们，失去的不只是语言，还有与长辈、与自己根源的联系。
Weave in the blogger's story一位博主的经历更令我难过：爷爷远道来看她，她却无法说出一句完整的中文，只能看着爷爷失望。
The way back (both texts)此后她每周陪母亲做菜、看中文电视剧，一点点找回了中文。
Personal appeal + close请别等到无话可说的那一天才后悔，我们一起坚持，好吗？
Sign-off美玲
Answers could include
  • # The cost of losing the language
  • Dr Li’s finding that seven in ten Chinese-heritage children stop using Chinese after entering high school, with causes across school, friends and even siblings.
  • Language as the carrier of culture: losing Chinese estranges young people from grandparents, family history and their roots — dramatised by the blogger watching her grandfather’s smile freeze when she could not hold a conversation.
  • # Keeping the language alive
  • The podcast’s advice to make Chinese part of daily life — films, family discussion, a Chinese-speaking atmosphere at home — rather than weekend homework.
  • The blogger’s weekly routine of cooking with her mother and watching Chinese television, reclaiming the language little by little; realistic encouragement suited to Xinyi.
Text 4 – Newspaper article
旅行的意义在哪里？

假期一到，机场里挤满了年轻的身影。有人三天跑了十个景点，拍下几百张照片。一项调查显示，超过六成的年轻游客承认，“拍照发帖”比“欣赏风景”更重要。

一位年轻游客不以为然：“打卡怎么了？照片就是我的旅行日记，分享快乐也是旅行的一部分。旅行本来就应该自由自在，想怎么玩就怎么玩。”

也有人选择慢下来。大学生林悦在一个古镇住了一个星期，每天跟当地人聊天、逛早市、看老街的日落。她说：“真正的旅行，不是到过多少地方，而是留下了多少记忆。”

世界那么大，怎么去看，每个人都有自己的答案。

Question 4

10 marks

读了报纸上的这篇文章后，致信报社编辑，回应文中关于旅行方式的讨论，说明你支持哪一种看法。字数要求大约160个汉字。After reading this newspaper article, write a letter to the editor responding to the article’s discussion of ways of travelling and explaining which view you support. Write approximately 160 characters in CHINESE.

approx. 160 characters characters, in Chinese
0 chars
✓ What scores marks
  • Write in the EXACT text type the prompt names (flyer / email / letter to the editor / speech) with its conventions — salutation, body, sign-off.
  • Synthesise the source text(s): draw the relevant ideas across from the stimulus into your own response for the new context, purpose and audience.
  • Hit the character target and use a range of language features / connectives (首先、其次、最后、不仅…而且).
✗ What loses marks
  • Copying chunks of the stimulus instead of re-purposing the ideas for the new task.
  • Wrong text type or missing its conventions; ignoring context / purpose / audience; well under the character count.
How to structure your answerCorrect text type with its conventions (salutation → body → sign-off) → re-purpose the source ideas for the new audience/purpose → hit the character target.
For this question
Top band: The stem asks you to respond to the article's DEBATE and say which view you support — so name both attitudes (the 打卡 traveller's freedom-and-sharing case, 林悦's slow immersive travel), concede briefly, then commit and defend with the article's own material (the sixty-percent survey, 林悦's live-like-a-local days). A concession before the counter-argument reads as critical engagement, not weakness. Full letter frame: 尊敬的编辑 … 此致敬礼 … 署名.
Common slip: Summarising the two views without ever landing on your own position fails 'respond personally and critically'. Equally, attacking 打卡 without acknowledging its appeal reads one-note — the top band engages BOTH views. Keep letter conventions intact and stay within ~160 characters.
Model answer
Grey labels show the structure · highlighted = key idioms / connectives / set phrases
Salutation尊敬的编辑：
Open + acknowledge the other view读了贵报关于旅行方式的文章，想谈谈我的看法。有人认为拍照打卡自由自在，我理解：记录与分享本是旅行的乐趣。
Turn — the cost of 打卡然而，当寻找角度占据了旅程，风景便只存在于手机之中了。
Your position with the article's evidence我更欣赏林悦的旅行方式：在一个地方小住几日，与当地人交谈，让平常的日子成为风景。
The principle旅行的价值，不在于到过多少地方，而在于留下了多少值得回味的记忆。
Practical close下个假期，不妨减半行程、放慢脚步，体验一次深度旅行。
Sign-off此致 敬礼！ 读者 子轩
Answers could include
  • Identify the different opinions voiced in the text: the young traveller who defends 打卡 (photos as travel diary, sharing as part of the joy, freedom to travel one’s own way) vs 林悦’s slow, immersive travel (living in one place, talking with locals) and her line 真正的旅行，不是到过多少地方，而是留下了多少记忆.
  • Engage the article’s evidence: the survey finding that over sixty percent of young travellers admit posting matters more than the scenery itself.
  • Respond personally and critically: take a position between the two attitudes, or argue for a balance; a concession before the counter-argument shows critical engagement.
  • Letter conventions: 尊敬的编辑 + 此致敬礼 + 读者署名.
Text 5 – Script of an interview
家明梁师傅，您的餐厅以融合粤菜和澳洲食材闻名。这条路是怎么开始的？
梁师傅我十岁从广州移民澳洲。母亲常说：“吃饭也是一种文化的传承。”她的厨房里总有家乡的味道，我从小耳濡目染。一次在鱼市场，我看着五颜六色的本地海鲜突然想：谁说粤菜的精髓离不开中国的食材？
家明您是怎么结合两种文化的？
梁师傅我用塔斯马尼亚的三文鱼做清蒸鱼，用本地的青芒果做凉拌，用粤菜的“煲”功夫炖澳洲羔羊。我的厨房就像一间“翻译室”，把中华的味道翻译成澳洲人熟悉的语言。十年前，我的客人只有两成是本地人；今天，十位客人中有七位不是华人。
家明您对未来有什么期待？
梁师傅孔子说：“有朋自远方来，不亦乐乎？”我希望每位客人都像远方来的朋友，尝到中华文化的灵魂。民以食为天，这碗饭，我会一直做下去。

Question 5

10 marks

梁师傅如何通过他的烹饪事业向澳大利亚社会宣扬中华饮食文化？从文中内容和语言技巧方面来回答。字数要求大约160个英文字。How does Chef Liang promote Chinese food culture to Australian society through his culinary career? In your answer, refer to both the content and language features used in the text. Write approximately 160 words in ENGLISH.

✓ What scores marks
  • Refer to BOTH the content AND the language features (idioms, simile, rhetorical question, listing) — name the device, quote the phrase, then say what it achieves.
  • Build an argument that answers the 'how' of the question, not just a recount; answer in English.
  • Tie each language feature back to the point it makes about the question's focus.
✗ What loses marks
  • Naming a technique without explaining its effect (两张皮), or retelling the plot with no analysis.
  • Ignoring the language-features half of the question and only covering content.
How to structure your answerFor each idea: content point + the language feature that carries it (name → quote → effect) → link back to the question. Answer in English.
For this question
Top band: The construct is HOW Chef Liang promotes Chinese food culture to Australian society — so tie every feature to the promotion: the 翻译室 metaphor (method), the two-in-ten-to-seven-in-ten statistics (proof), the fusion-dish 排比 (technique), the Confucius quotation (hospitality as culture). Identify → quote → explain-the-effect, in English, ~160 words. The subtle layer (味道 motif, the 这碗饭 pun) is what separates 9–10 from a sound 7–8 — but it is not required for a solid answer.
Common slip: Content-only paraphrase (he cooks fusion food, business improved) with no language features caps you at the lower bands; device-spotting with no link to promoting food culture is the 两张皮 trap. And don't spend all 160 words on one feature — the top band shows range with depth on each.
Model answer
Synthesised — one point per line, in your own words.
  • Content — the mission itself: local ingredients, Chinese craft — the fusion dishes prove promotion through adaptation, and the rising non-Chinese clientele proves it works.
  • Language — metaphor 厨房是我的“翻译室”: converting Chinese flavours into a language Australians understand is his whole method in one image.
  • Language — statistics and contrast 十年前两成本地客人 vs 今天十位中有七位不是华人: measurable evidence the promotion succeeds.
  • Language — parallel listing (排比) of the three fusion dishes (塔斯马尼亚三文鱼清蒸 / 本地芒果入沙拉 / 澳洲羊肉配广式煲技法): concrete technique of cultural fusion.
  • Language — famous quotation 孔子“有朋自远方来，不亦乐乎？”: hospitality framed as the essence of Chinese culture, welcoming every diner as that friend.
  • Language — rhetorical question 谁说粤菜的精髓离不开中国的食材？: the turning point that justifies fusion.
  • Discriminator layer (9–10): the widening 味道 motif (家乡的味道 → 中华的味道), the closing pun on 这碗饭 (the dish / his life's work), and the echo of his mother's words 吃饭也是一种文化的传承 in the final line.
Answers could include
  • ~ The following language features are used to show how Chef Liang promotes Chinese food culture to Australian society:
Text 6A – Principal's notice

亲爱的同学们：

本校将于下个月举办“职业探索周”。届时各行各业的成功人士将到校演讲，分享他们的职业心得。我们希望同学们能够开阔视野，深入思考：什么才是有意义的事业？是高薪？是社会贡献？还是个人热情？请大家踊跃参加，主动提问，把握这次难得的机会，为未来的人生方向打下坚实的基础。

Text 6B – Group chat messages
思源同学们，校长发的“职业探索周”通知你们看了吗？校刊要出一期“职业探索”特刊，正在向同学们征稿。我想投稿，题目是“什么才是有意义的事业”，可我还没什么思路。
欣欣我觉得有意义的事业不一定是高薪。我妈妈是社区护士，工资不高，但她每天帮助病人，眼睛里有光。我希望将来也能做让自己充满热情的工作。
大伟同意！“行行出状元”，只要热爱、专注、并能为社会贡献，任何行业都是有意义的。重要的不是职业的名声，而是你能否成为更好的自己。

Question 6

12 marks

你是思源。根据校长的通知和同学们的聊天记录，为校刊“职业探索”特刊写一篇文章，题目是“什么才是有意义的事业”。字数要求大约180个汉字。You are Siyuan. Based on the principal’s notice and the group chat, write an article for the school magazine’s Career Exploration special issue, titled ‘What makes a career meaningful’. Write approximately 180 characters in CHINESE.

approx. 180 characters characters, in Chinese
0 chars
✓ What scores marks
  • Write in the EXACT text type the prompt names (flyer / email / letter to the editor / speech) with its conventions — salutation, body, sign-off.
  • Synthesise the source text(s): draw the relevant ideas across from the stimulus into your own response for the new context, purpose and audience.
  • Hit the character target and use a range of language features / connectives (首先、其次、最后、不仅…而且).
✗ What loses marks
  • Copying chunks of the stimulus instead of re-purposing the ideas for the new task.
  • Wrong text type or missing its conventions; ignoring context / purpose / audience; well under the character count.
How to structure your answerCorrect text type with its conventions (salutation → body → sign-off) → re-purpose the source ideas for the new audience/purpose → hit the character target.
For this question
Top band: This is a school-magazine ARTICLE, not a speech: it needs a title, an engaging opening, a structured argument and an aphoristic close — no 大家好, no 谢谢大家. Synthesise both texts: the notice's three-question framework (高薪/贡献/热情) and the chat's voices (欣欣's nurse mother with 眼睛里有光, 大伟's 行行出状元), then land your OWN definition of a meaningful career. The回扣 of 眼里有光 in the closing line is the kind of structural echo the 11–12 band rewards.
Common slip: Writing it as a speech — greetings and 谢谢大家 — is a text-type error that costs context/audience marks (Set 1's Q6 was a speech; this one is print). The other slip is ignoring the stimuli: an essay on careers that never touches the notice's questions or the chat's examples caps at the middle band.
Model answer
Grey labels show the structure · highlighted = key idioms / connectives / set phrases
Title (article, not speech)什么才是有意义的事业？
Open from the notice's three questions校长在“职业探索周”的通知中向我们提问：是高薪，是贡献，还是热情？
Weave the chat's evidence欣欣谈到她当社区护士的母亲：收入平平，却日复一日地照顾病人，下班时“眼睛里有光”；大伟引用的“行行出状元”，也令我深以为然。
Your own definition在我看来，有意义的事业，是把热爱化为坚持：热爱赋予动力，贡献让人被需要，成长使人成为更好的自己。
Universalise无论医生还是清洁工，用心做好一件事，就是最好的回答。职业没有高低之分，人生却有宽窄之别。
Aphoristic close愿我们都能找到让自己眼里有光的事业。
Answers could include
  • Engage the notice's三问 (high salary? contribution? passion?) as the article's framework.
  • Synthesise the chat: Xinxin's mother the community nurse (low pay, shining eyes) as evidence that meaning ≠ money; Dawei's 行行出状元 and becoming a better self.
  • A personal definition of a meaningful career, with reasons.
  • Article conventions for a school magazine: title, engaging opening, structured argument, aphoristic closing (no speech greetings).
  • Language features: quotation from the chat, proverb 行行出状元, parallel structure, contrast between salary and meaning.
— End of Section I —
Section II

Composing Texts in Chinese

30 marksQuestions 7–8write in Chinese

Write extended responses in Chinese. Answer both questions — each has its own writing space and character target.

Question 7

10 marks

周末参加社区的户外活动后，你对澳大利亚人热爱体育和户外生活有了新的体会。写一篇日记，写下你的体会。字数要求100–125个汉字。After taking part in a community outdoor activity on the weekend, you have gained a new appreciation of how much Australians love sport and outdoor life. Write a diary entry about what you have come to appreciate. Write 100–125 characters in CHINESE.

approx. 100–125 characters, in Chinese
0 chars
✓ What scores marks
  • Open with the diary heading — date · day of the week · weather (e.g. “5月19日 星期一 晴”).
  • Write in a personal reflective voice; present a RANGE of ideas (the journey, growth, insight), coherently sequenced.
  • Reach the character target; a diary has no salutation and no signature.
✗ What loses marks
  • Forgetting the date / day / weather heading, or adding a salutation or signature.
  • One idea padded out instead of a developed reflection; well under length.
How to structure your answerDate · day · weather heading → a coherently sequenced personal reflection → no salutation / signature. Hit the character target.
For this question
Top band: The stem gives you a concrete occasion — you took part in a community outdoor activity at the weekend — so the diary should open from that scene (participated, not just walked past), then widen to what the lifestyle reveals (sport as life itself: beach, surf, school teams, all ages) and land on a personal 体会 with a forward-looking close. Diary header (date + 星期 + weather) first line, personal voice throughout, no sign-off.
Common slip: Describing sport in Australia as a detached report — the top band wants YOUR realisation (我以前总觉得…现在明白了) growing out of the day you took part. Missing the diary header or adding a signature are text-type slips; and keep 100–125 characters, which means one scene and one insight, not a survey of Australian sport.
Model answer
Grey labels show the structure · highlighted = key idioms / connectives / set phrases
Diary header3月21日 星期六 晴
The occasion — you took part今天参加了社区运动日，看到很多人跑步、打板球，连七十多岁的老爷爷都在游泳。
What it reveals about Australian life在澳大利亚，运动好像不是“锻炼”，而是生活本身。周末的沙滩上，全家人一起冲浪野餐；学校里，几乎人人都参加运动队。
The personal turn我以前总觉得学习最重要，现在明白了：健康的身体和阳光的心态，才是最好的起点。
Forward-looking close明天，我也要去试试冲浪！

Question 8

20 marks

社区中文学校举办青年征文活动，题目是“在现代澳大利亚社会，中国传统价值观对华裔年轻人仍然重要”。写一篇议论文，表达你的观点。字数要求200–250个汉字。A community Chinese school is holding a youth essay event on the topic ‘In modern Australian society, traditional Chinese values remain important for young Chinese-Australians’. Write an argumentative essay expressing your point of view. Write approximately 200–250 characters in CHINESE.

approx. 200–250 characters, in Chinese
0 chars
✓ What scores marks
  • Commit to ONE clear position and defend it — thesis, then three distinct arguments each with concrete evidence, then a synthesising conclusion (综上所述).
  • Use canonical connectors (首先 / 其次 / 最后) and substantiate each argument; a brief concession-then-refutation inside your stance is fine.
  • Write authentically for the competition audience; reach the character target with controlled, varied language.
✗ What loses marks
  • Fence-sitting (一方面…另一方面… with no stance), personal anecdotes about friends/family, or overused names (马云 / 乔布斯 / 比尔盖茨).
  • Asserting opinions with no evidence; a thin or missing conclusion; weak structure.
How to structure your answerThesis (one position) → 首先 / 其次 / 最后, each argument + concrete evidence → 综上所述 conclusion. Hit the character target.
For this question
Top band: Commit to a stance and argue three VALUES with lived evidence: 孝道 (family cohesion at festivals and in hard times), 勤俭 (independence in a high-cost economy), 尊师重教 (why study stays central) — each on the 首先/其次/最后 spine, closed with the 取其精华 concession that shows maturity without fence-sitting. The counter-stance (selective adaptation; some expectations clash with independence and equality; each generation defines its own values) is equally markable with equally concrete evidence.
Common slip: Keep the evidence on VALUES — heritage-LANGUAGE arguments (losing Chinese, talking to grandparents in Chinese) belong to Question 3 on this paper and earn nothing twice. And the usual essay traps: fence-sitting with no landed position, personal anecdotes as proof (我的朋友/我叔叔…), and stale celebrity names — all read as weak substantiation.
Model answer
Grey labels show the structure · highlighted = key idioms / connectives / set phrases
Opening — concede then commit有人说，老一辈的价值观已经过时了。但我认为，在现代澳大利亚社会，中国传统价值观对华裔年轻人仍然重要。
首先 孝道 warms the family首先，“百善孝为先”。孝道让我们的家庭更温暖：逢年过节陪伴长辈，困难时互相支持，这份凝聚力让许多朋友羡慕。
其次 勤俭 is practical today其次，勤俭节约在今天格外实用。物价越来越高，会计划、不浪费，让年轻人更早学会独立。
最后 尊师重教 pays off最后，尊师重教让我们把学习放在心上，这正是许多华裔学生学业出色的原因之一。
Concession + closing insight当然，传统不必照单全收，而要取其精华。把这些价值观带进现代生活，我们的根会扎得更深，路也会走得更远。
— End of Section II —
Oral

Oral Examination

20 marks2 questionsspeak in Chinese

In the oral exam you respond to a prompt by speaking in Chinese. Here you can practise speaking — there is no written answer field. Read each prompt, plan a stance and a few supported points, then say your response aloud and check the Marker’s view for what a strong monologue covers.

Oral Question 1

10 marks

有人说，名人参加公益活动只是为了自己的形象。请表达你对这个看法的意见。Some people say celebrities take part in charity only for the sake of their own image. Express your opinion on this view.

🎤 Practise speaking — respond aloud in Chinese.
✓ What scores marks
  • Take a clear personal stance on the prompt and develop it with reasons and your own experience / observation.
  • Structure the monologue: open with your position, give 2–3 supported points, then a reflective close.
  • Speak in fluent Chinese with a range of vocabulary and connectives; aim for the full speaking time.
✗ What loses marks
  • A list of disconnected sentences with no through-line, or drying up well short of time.
  • Staying abstract with no concrete personal example; thin vocabulary / repetitive structures.
How to structure your answerOpen with your stance → 2–3 developed points with a personal example → reflective close. Speak for the full time in fluent Chinese.
For this question
Top band: The claim is that celebrities join charity work ONLY for their image — the crux is motives vs results, so land a position and argue it: for the claim (publicity-timed donations, cameras and hashtags, brand sponsorship motives) or against it (a celebrity post can raise more in a day than a school in a year; role-model effects; motives can be mixed yet the help is real). The richest vein is the ordinary-people comparison — a taxi driver quietly sponsoring students for years vs a one-off televised donation — and the intercultural lift: the Chinese tradition of 做好事不留名 against Western celebrity philanthropy culture. Spine: 立场 → 两三个论点+例子 → 结论, ~3.5 minutes.
Common slip: Only 只是 makes the claim absolute — the cleanest refutation attacks the word 'only', but you must still commit rather than listing both sides symmetrically. And keep it concrete: an abstract sermon about kindness with no named example space (donations, campaigns, the quiet neighbour) leaves the substantiation criterion empty for three and a half minutes.
Answers could include
  • A clear, substantiated position (agree / disagree / partially agree).
  • Supporting the claim: publicity-timed donations, cameras and hashtags, image management, brand sponsorship motives.
  • Against the claim: results matter more than motives — a celebrity post can raise more in a day than a school in a year; awareness and role-model effects; motives can be mixed yet the help is real.
  • The ordinary-people comparison: quiet, sustained kindness (e.g. a taxi driver anonymously sponsoring students for years) vs one-off high-profile donations — which is the truer charity?
  • Structured monologue: opening position — two to three developed points with examples — conclusion (~3.5 minutes).

Oral Question 2

10 marks

有人觉得人工智能让年轻人更聪明，也有人觉得它让年轻人更懒惰。你的看法呢？Some feel artificial intelligence is making young people smarter; others feel it is making them lazier. What is your view?

🎤 Practise speaking — respond aloud in Chinese.
✓ What scores marks
  • Take a clear personal stance on the prompt and develop it with reasons and your own experience / observation.
  • Structure the monologue: open with your position, give 2–3 supported points, then a reflective close.
  • Speak in fluent Chinese with a range of vocabulary and connectives; aim for the full speaking time.
✗ What loses marks
  • A list of disconnected sentences with no through-line, or drying up well short of time.
  • Staying abstract with no concrete personal example; thin vocabulary / repetitive structures.
How to structure your answerOpen with your stance → 2–3 developed points with a personal example → reflective close. Speak for the full time in fluent Chinese.
For this question
Top band: Two views are given — AI makes young people smarter vs lazier — so state where you stand (either, or 'it depends on how it is used') and substantiate from study and daily life: personalised learning, instant answers and creative tools on one side; homework shortcuts, weakened deep thinking and memory, misinformation on the other. The strongest synthesis is tool-vs-crutch: those who master AI grow, those who lean on it stall. An optional intercultural note (attitudes to technology in education across cultures) adds range. Keep the 首先/其次/最后 spine and a reasoned conclusion.
Common slip: Do NOT build the answer on translation apps for learning Chinese — that example space belongs to Question 3 on this paper and markers are steered against recycling it. The other slip is arguing 'both are true' without a landing: 你的看法呢 demands YOUR verdict, even if it is a conditional one.
Answers could include
  • A clear position between the two views (smarter / lazier / it depends on how it is used), substantiated throughout.
  • The smarter case: personalised learning and instant answers; creative tools; accessibility; preparation for a changing world.
  • The lazier case: dependence and shortcuts in homework and writing; weakened deep thinking and memory; misinformation; less face-to-face interaction.
  • A possible synthesis: AI as tool vs crutch — those who master it grow, those who lean on it stall.
  • Concrete examples from study and daily life (homework, writing, navigation, recommendations) — steering note: avoid building the answer on translation apps for learning Chinese, which belongs to Question 3.
  • Intercultural angle (optional): different attitudes to technology in education across cultures.
  • Structured monologue: opening view — developed effects with examples — reasoned conclusion (~3.5 minutes).
— End of oral —
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