2024-DSE
A
ENG LANG Academix
HONG KONG DIPLOMA OF SECONDARY EDUCATION EXAMINATION 2024
COMPULSORY
ENGLISH LANGUAGE PAPER 1
PART A
Reading Passages
8:30 am - 10:00 am (1½ hours)
(for both Parts A and B)
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
(1) There are two parts (A and B) in this paper. All candidates should attempt Part A. In Part B, you
should attempt either Part 81 (easier section) OR Part 82 (more difficult section). Candidates
attempting Parts A and 82 will be able to attain the full range of levels, while Level 4 will be the
highest level attainable for candidates attempting Parts A and B1.
(2) After the announcement of the start of the examination, you should first write your Candidate
I Number and stick barcode labels in the spaces provided on the appropriate pages of the Part A
Question-Answer Book and the Part B Question-Answer Book which you are going to attempt.
(3) Write your answers in the spaces provided in the Question-Answer Books. Answers written in the
margins will not be marked.
(4) For multiple-choice questions, you are advised to blacken the appropriate circle with a pencil so
that wrong marks can be completely erased with a clean rubber. Mark only ONE answer to each
question. Two or more answers will score NO MARKS.
(5) Supplementary answer sheets will be supplied on request. Use separate suppiementary answer
sheets for Part A and Part B. Write your Candidate Number, mark the question number box and
stick a barcode label on each sheet, and fasten them with string INSIDE the relevant Question
Answer Book.
(6) No extra time will be given to candidates for sticking on barcode labels or filling in the question
number boxes after the 'Time is up' announcement.
(7) The two Question-Answer Books you have attempted (one for Part A and one for Part B) will be
collected together at the end of the examination. Fasten the two Question-Answer Books together
with the green tag provided.
(8) The unused Question-Answer Book for Part B will be collected separately at the end of the
examination. This will not be marked. Do not write any answers in it.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR PART A
(1) The Question-Answer Book for Part A is inserted in this Reading Passages booklet.
(2) Attempt ALL questions in Part A. Each question carries ONE mark unless otherwise stated.
Not to be taken away before the
@Academix end of the examination session
All Rights Reserved 2024
2024-DSE-ENG LANG 1-A1-RP-1
PART A READING
Read Text 1 and answer questions 1-19 in the Question-Answer Book for Part A.
Text 1
What makes humans different from apes?
[1] Human beings do not like to think 40 not be particularly 30 impressive. She
of themselves as animals. It is therefore would not invent for herself English, or
with decidedly mixed feelings that we re- Arabic numerals, or metal knives, or
gard the frequent reports that activities money. These are the products of col-
5 once thought to be uniquely human are lective cognition; they were created by
also performed by species: chimpanzees 45 human beings, in effect, putting their
who make and use tools, parrots who heads together.
use language, ants who teach. Is there
anything left? [4] When you look at apes and children
10 in situations requiring them to put their
[2] You might think that human be- 50 heads together, a subtle but significant
ings at least enjoy the advantage of be- difference emerges. We have observed
ing more generally intelligent. To test that children, but not chimpanzees, ex-
this idea, my colleagues and I recently pect that others who have committed
15 administered an array of cognitive tests, themselves to a joint activity will stay
the equivalent of nonverbal I.Q. tests, 55 40 involved and not shirk their duties. If
to adult chimpanzees and orangutans children want to opt out of an activity,
(two of our closest primate relatives) they know that they must excuse them-
and to 2-year-old human children. As selves. Humans can thus structure their
20 it turned out, the 15 children were not collaborative actions with joint goals
more skillful overall. They performed 60 and shared commitments.
about the same as the apes on the tests
that measured how well they understood [5] Another subtle but crucial differ-
the physical world of space, quantities ence can be seen in communication.
25 and causality. The children performed The great apes (chimpanzees, bonobos,
better only on tests that measured social 65 gorillas and orangutans) communicate
skills: social learning, communicating almost exclusively for the purpose of
and reading the intentions of others. getting others to do what they want.
Human infants, in addition, gesture and
30 [3] But such social gifts make all the talk in order to share information with
difference. Imagine a child growing up 70 others: they want to be helpful. They
on a desert island and somehow magi- also share their emotions and attitudes
cally kept alive. What would this child’s freely, as when an infant points out a
cognitive skills appear like as an adult, passing bird to its mother and squeals
35 with no one to teach her, no one to with glee. This spontaneous sharing of
imitate, no pre-existing tools, no spo- 75 information and attitudes can be seen as
ken or written language? She would a forerunner of adult gossip, which en-
certainly possess basic skills for dealing sures that members of a group can pool
with the physical world, but they would their knowledge and know who is (or is
1
not) behaving cooperatively. The free member of society. Human beings have
80 sharing of information also creates the evolved to coordinate complex activities,
possibility of pedagogy, in which adults to gossip and to play-act together. It is
impart information by telling and show- because they are adapted for such cul-
ing, and children trust and use this in- 110 tural activities, and not because of their
formation with confidence. Our nearest 80 cleverness as individuals, that human
85 primate relatives do not teach and learn beings are able to do so many exception-
in this manner. ally complex and impressive things.
[6] Finally, human infants, but not 115 [7] Of course, human beings are not
chimpanzees, put their heads together cooperating saints; they also put their
90 in make-believe play. This seemingly heads together to do all kinds of heinous
useless play activity is in fact a first deeds. But such deeds are not usually
baby step toward the creation of dis- done to those inside ’the group’. Recent
tinctively human social institutions. In 120 evolutionary models have demonstrated
social institutions, members typically what politicians have long known: the
95 give certain people special powers and best way to get people to collaborate and
duties; they create roles like president or to think like a group is to identify an
teacher or wife. Presidents and teachers enemy and charge that ’they’ threaten
and wives operate with special powers 125 ’us’. The remarkable human capacity for
and duties because, and only because, cooperation thus seems to have evolved
100 we all believe and act as if they fill these mainly for interactions within the group.
roles and have these powers. Two young Such group-mindedness is a major cause
children pretending together that a stick of strife and suffering in the world today.
is a horse have thus taken their first 130 The solution - more easily said than done
step not only on an imaginary journey, - is to find new ways to define the group.
105 but also toward becoming a functioning
2
2024-DSE
A
ENG LANG Academix
HONG KONG DIPLOMA OF SECONDARY EDUCATION EXAMINATION 2024
COMPULSORY
ENGLISH LANGUAGE PAPER 1
PART A
Reading Passages
8:30 am - 10:00 am (1½ hours)
(for both Parts A and B)
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
(1) There are two parts (A and B) in this paper. All candidates should attempt Part A. In Part B, you
should attempt either Part 81 (easier section) OR Part 82 (more difficult section). Candidates
attempting Parts A and 82 will be able to attain the full range of levels, while Level 4 will be the
highest level attainable for candidates attempting Parts A and B1.
(2) After the announcement of the start of the examination, you should first write your Candidate
I Number and stick barcode labels in the spaces provided on the appropriate pages of the Part A
Question-Answer Book and the Part B Question-Answer Book which you are going to attempt.
(3) Write your answers in the spaces provided in the Question-Answer Books. Answers written in the
margins will not be marked.
(4) For multiple-choice questions, you are advised to blacken the appropriate circle with a pencil so
that wrong marks can be completely erased with a clean rubber. Mark only ONE answer to each
question. Two or more answers will score NO MARKS.
(5) Supplementary answer sheets will be supplied on request. Use separate suppiementary answer
sheets for Part A and Part B. Write your Candidate Number, mark the question number box and
stick a barcode label on each sheet, and fasten them with string INSIDE the relevant Question
Answer Book.
(6) No extra time will be given to candidates for sticking on barcode labels or filling in the question
number boxes after the 'Time is up' announcement.
(7) The two Question-Answer Books you have attempted (one for Part A and one for Part B) will be
collected together at the end of the examination. Fasten the two Question-Answer Books together
with the green tag provided.
(8) The unused Question-Answer Book for Part B will be collected separately at the end of the
examination. This will not be marked. Do not write any answers in it.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR PART A
(1) The Question-Answer Book for Part A is inserted in this Reading Passages booklet.
(2) Attempt ALL questions in Part A. Each question carries ONE mark unless otherwise stated.
Not to be taken away before the
@Academix end of the examination session
All Rights Reserved 2024
2024-DSE-ENG LANG 1-A1-RP-1
Please stick the barcode label here.
Candidate Number
HKDSE 2024 ENGLISH LANGUAGE
PAPER 1 PART A QUESTION-ANSWER BOOK
Write your Candidate Number and stick a barcode label in the space provided on
this page.
Read Text 1 and answers questions 1 - 19.
1. Fill in the blanks with one word that best fits the paragraph.
Human beings do not like to think of themselves as (line 1). They
performed about the same as the apes on the tests that measured how well they
understood the physical world of (line 24).
2. Find a word in paragraph 2 that has similar meaning to ’cleverness’.
3. What does ”they” refer to in line 23?
A. human children
B. apes
C. human beings
D. cognitive skills
4. What does the phrase ’putting their heads together’ (line 50) mean?
A. to work together to achieve a common goal
B. to compete against each other
C. to think individually
D. to ignore each other
5. Give one piece of evidence from paragraph 3 that supports the claim that human
beings are able to do complex things because of their social skills.
6. Which word in paragraph 4 suggests that human infants are helpful?
Answers written in the margins will not be marked.
2024-DSE-ENG-LANG 1-A1-RP– 2 2 Go on to the next page
7. What is the author’s recommendation for understanding human intelligence?
A. to study human children in isolation
B. to compare human children with apes
C. to focus on individual intelligence
D. to ignore social skills
8. Decide if the statement is correct, incorrect, or is not stated based on the text.
Statement T F NG
(i) Human beings are more intelligent than apes.
(ii) Apes are able to teach and learn like humans.
(iii) Human infants are able to share information with others.
9. What does ’make-believe play’ (line 90) mean?
10. What is the purpose of the phrase ’in effect’ (line 45)?
A. to conclude an idea
B. to show cause and effect
C. to show a contrast in ideas
D. to support the previous point
11. Who or what does ”we” (line 51) refer to?
12. What are the ”products of collective cognition” (line 43) that the author men-
tions?
13. Fill in the blanks with two words that best fits the paragraph.
The great apes communicate almost exclusively for the purpose of getting others
to do what (line 67). Human infants, in addition, gesture and talk
in order to share with others (line 71).
14. With reference to paragraph 5, state ONE reason why human infants are able
to learn from adults.
Answers written in the margins will not be marked.
2024-DSE-ENG-LANG 1-A1-RP– 3 3 Go on to the next page
Please stick the barcode label here.
15. What does ’putting their heads together’ mean in the context of a make-believe
play (line 90)?
16. What is the cause of the ”remarkable human capacity for cooperation” (line
126)?
17. Find a word or phrase that has similar meaning to ’pedagogy’ in paragraph 5.
18. According to paragraph 7, the use of group-mindedness may have benefits as
well as cause harm. Complete the table below with a word or phrase taken from
paragraph 7 in each blank.
Issue Group-mindedness leads to
Anticipated benefit Group-mindedness allows for
Possible harm caused Group-mindedness can lead to
19. What is the tone of the author in paragraph 7?
A. critical
B. neutral
C. doubtful
D. supportive
END OF PART A
Answers written in the margins will not be marked.
2024-DSE-ENG-LANG 1-A1-RP–
4 4 Go on to the next page