Secondary 3

English Language (General English)

Mid-year Assessment 1

Name: Class:

Date: Marks:

QUESTION-ANSWER BOOK
___________________________________________________________________________

Instructions:

1 There are 12 pages in this Question-Answer Book.

2 There are 3 sections in this paper (Reading, Vocabulary, and Language).

3 There are 100 marks in this paper.

4 Time allowed is 60 minutes.

5 Answer all questions in this Question-Answer Book.

Reading (35 marks)

 Text 1 (20 marks)

Read this promotional article about a new product in the year 2050.

Read the article given below and answer the questions.

Have you ever wished for food to be generated instantly when you wanted it? Thanks to the new Food Creator from
DigiFoods, your wish will now come true! At DigiFoods, we have created the best food particlizer you can ever get
your hands on. Food Creator is a user-friendly device that can be operated as easily as your microwave to create the
most delicious food out of thin air. Through years of research and hard work, we have mastered the art of generating
5 food particles and designing your favourite food by combining cutting-edge artificial intelligence, 3D printing,
subatomic particle generating technology, and advanced food technology.

So how does it work? DigiFoods Food Creator® consists of an AI-powered computer where the input food data is
uploaded and processed; a particle generator where the food particles are generated; and a microwave-shaped 3D
printer where the output, in the desired food form, is created. You just need to choose the desired food from the
10 options available in the food menu software and wait for the specified time for the food to be created – the
maximum time to create a food item is 20 minutes. Once you hear a long beep from the output device, you can open
the door of the device and there it is! Your yummy burger, dessert, or steak is ready to be served and eaten.

We have different food menus stored as modules that can be bought from the DigiFood s kiosks at your nearest
convenience store. The menus include Chinese, continental, Thai, Indian, Mexican, and many other exotic cuisines.
15 These modules also come with customisations that can be adjusted according to individual tastes and dietary
restrictions. The modules can be bought on a monthly subscription or you can opt for the yearly subscription of the
mega menu which comes with a 20% discount. If you have a Wi-Fi connection, you can also buy the food menus
from our online store, [Link]/store, and download them to your Food Creator. It’s as easy as that! Our
online offer comes with a 20% discount as well.

20 Who will benefit from the Food Creator? Food Creator is for everyone.

Are you a foodie bored with your mother’s cooking? Do you crave for gourmet food from the comfort of your
home? Food Creator will satisfy your cravings by generating the tastiest food for you, the moment you wish for it.
Not just that, it will help your family members concentrate on the things they wish to do instead of spending time in
the kitchen cooking.

25 Are you running a restaurant business with a varied customer base interested in different cuisines? Food Creator will
help you instantly create the most delicious food your customers wish for. The best part is that you don’t need to
spend a fortune to employ speciality chefs for each type of cuisine.

Are you a charity working to feed kids in war-torn countries struggling for food? With Food Creator, they won’t be
starving anymore. With just one of our devices you can feed an entire village by hitting the community food button
30 on your computer. We have already started feeding children in an African village as part of our charity initiative.

Food Creator is certified by the National Food Security Agency and the food created by the device is quality
checked and approved by Worldwide Food Labs.

And we know that your money is important. You might think that this revolutionary food technology solution is
expensive. You will be surprised to hear that the device costs just US$299. That is less than the price of a tablet
35 computer.

So what are you waiting for? Order your DigiFoods Food Creator® today and get ready to generate your most exotic
food instantly. Never let your food cravings go unsatisfied again

Write your answers in the spaces provided. For multiple choice questions, choose the best answer and blacken
the circle next to the corresponding letter.
1 The output device of Food Creator looks like __________.
○ A. a printer
○ B. a tablet computer
○ C. a microwave
○ D. a personal computer

2 If the monthly subscription fee of a food module is US$10, the annual subscription fee is
__________.
○ A. US$100
○ B. US$120
○ C. US$299
○ D. US$96

3 Find a word from the article that is closest in meaning to the word “make a choice.”
○ A. process
○ B. opt
○ C. subscribe
○ D. customise

4 What is the only input needed to start the food creation process?

5 How long can it take to generate food using Food Creator?

6 Find a word from the article that means ‘a small booth or counter from which various things are
sold’.

7 What is the benefit of buying the food menu online?

8 What do you need to spend on apart from the price of Food Creator to create food?

9 How can you be sure that the food created by Food Creator is edible?

10 Give three situations where Food Creator will be useful. (3 marks)

 11 Complete the following summary based on Text 1. Fill in each blank with one word only. You
should make sure your answers are grammatically correct. (5 marks)

The brand-new DigiFoods Food Creator® is unlike anything you have seen before. It is a
(1) _____________________________________ food technology solution. It is less
(2) _____________________________________ than a tablet computer. It can be used to instantly create many
(3) _____________________________________ cuisines such as Mexican or Indian food. One device can feed
children in an entire (4) _____________________________________ . It is the best device to satisfy everyone’s
food (5) _____________________________________.

Complete the worksheet.

According to the article, decide if the following statements are True, False or the information is Not
Given. Blacken ONE circle only for each statement.

1 Food Creator are recommended by doctors to patients with dietary ○ True

restrictions ○ False
○ Not given

2 Food Creator can be bought on a subscription basis. ○ True

○ False
○ Not given

3 The purpose of the article is to get you to buy a new product. ○ True
○ False
○ Not given
Text 2 (15 marks)

You are writing to the editor of Hong Kong Daily about your views on an article about teenage students
and stress that was published last week.

Read the letter below and answer the questions.

Ryan Zhou,
Kowloon True Bright School,
Timberland Road,
Kowloon.

The Editor, 8th Oc tober, 20_

Hong Kong Daily,
228 Queen’s Road
Hong Kong

Dear Sir,

I am writing to you to express my opinion regarding the article you published last week about stress.
In your article, many people have the view that students are less stressed than adults because students
don’t have any financial burdens. But that is not true. Extreme stress is a critical issue that we
experience in our day-to-day life as students.

We undergo a lot of stress: exam pressure; peer conflicts; social life; family obligations; and even the
pressure to look good and maintain a good body shape – these are just a few things that make our
everyday life stressful. Many of us even have eating disorders due to stress. Some of our friends have
taken to drugs or tried to take their own lives in an attempt to escape stress. The hormonal changes
during adolescent years make us very vulnerable, with nobody understanding what we go through.

We feel overwhelmed and depressed because of stress. Most of the time we feel very tired, but we
can’t sleep well. As a result, our health is also negatively affected. We fear that difficulties in
handling stress can lead us into significant short- and long-term mental, physical, and emotional
health problems and anxiety disorders.

We need help in addressing stressful situations immediately. We need people who can understand the
cause of the stress to listen to us. We need better support at home and school, at the community level
and in our interactions with healthcare professionals. I would like to see our parents, teachers, and
other adults playing a serious role in assisting students like us get a handle on stress by modelling
healthy stress management behaviours. We need your help now.

Sincerely,

Ryan

Write your answers in the spaces provided. For multiple choice questions, choose the best answer
and blacken the circle next to the corresponding letter.

1 Which of the following is NOT a symptom of being stressed out?

○ A. having eating disorders
○ B. feeling depressed
○ C. maintaining a good body shape
○ D. having anxiety disorders

According to Ryan, what are some things that students do to get away from stress? You can
2
choose more than one answer. Tick the boxes.
  A. commit suicide
 B. buy nice clothes
 C. sleep a lot
 D. take drugs

3 What are the reasons for students feeling stressed out? Name two things. (2 marks)

4 What is the general perception of adults regarding students’ stress?

5 According to Ryan, in what ways can adults help students deal with stress? Name two ways. (2
marks)

Complete the worksheet.

According to the letter, decide if the following statements are True, False or the information is Not
Given. Blacken ONE circle only for each statement.

1 Ryan thinks that everybody understands teenage students. ○ True

○ False
○ Not given

2 Drug abuse and suicidal tendencies are increasing among students due ○ True
to stress. ○ False
○ Not given

3 Students need help with addressing stressful situations immediately. ○ True

○ False
○ Not given

4 Hormonal changes make teenagers feel tired all the time. ○ True
○ False
○ Not given

5 Teenage stress is not related to mental health. ○ True

○ False
○ Not given
Complete the following sentences by choosing the most suitable words from the passage.

Hormonal changes during (1) _____________________________________ and various other factors contribute to the increase
in stress level of teenage students. The students feel (2) _____________________________________ and depressed as a result
of stress. Parents need to support teenagers in (3) _____________________________________ stressful situations before it is
too late.

Vocabulary (15 marks)

Part 1 (5 marks)

Read the sentences and complete the sentences with correct forms of the words in the word box.

appealing intriguing frazzle absurd innovative

1. The kids looked (1) _____________________________________ after the school athletic meet.

2. Claiming that your cow was abducted by an alien is completely (2) _____________________________________ .

3. Apple’s (3) _____________________________________ design and technology were responsible for the worldwide
popularity of their products.

4. Nothing is so (4) _____________________________________ as a hot cup of coffee on a cold winter morning.

5. The movie’s (5) _____________________________________ trailer made me want to watch it when it releases.
Part 2 (10 marks)

Read this article about space cities.

Complete the article with the words and phrases in the word box.

shuttle remarkable overpopulation gravity on cloud nine

scientist optimistic effective planet advanced
technologies

(1) _____________________________________ has prompted human beings to think of an alternative place apart
from the earth to live in. (2) _____________________________________ have always dreamt of expanding civilisation
into space and have been making designs for building entire space cities on other (3)
_____________________________________ or on the moon. The space (4) _____________________________________ was so
named because it was supposed to make numerous trips between space and the earth. Scientists are (5)

_____________________________________ about finding a solution for the main challenge for space travel, that is,
transport. Rockets are not an (6) _____________________________________ mode of transportation because the
basic physics doesn’t work. A possible solution for this challenge is space elevators, where the
vehicles climb out of (7) _____________________________________ along a cable anchored to the equator. In recent
times, there has been a rapid rise in interest in (8) _____________________________________ . Chinese scientists
were (9) _____________________________________ when they teleported a photon to the earth’s orbit for the first
time in 2017. These (10) _____________________________________ advancements in technology have given us the
hope that our aspiration to create space cities can soon come true.
Language (50 marks)

Part 1 (10 marks)

Read the sentences. Change the direct speech into reported speech.

1. The boy said, “It gives me great pleasure to be here this evening.”

2. "Does he know James?" she wanted to know.

3. "The convention will begin at six o'clock tomorrow," Sally told us.

4. Donald said, “I completed the written test yesterday.”

5. "Where is your cousin?" Robert asked him.

Change the following sentences to passive voice.

6. Everyone must submit the assignment by 5 p.m.

7. People could send in application forms by email or by fax .

8. We will give customers a refund if the goods are defective.

9. Workers are putting up posters near the entrance.

10. Nobody could find the treasure of Captain Hook.

Part 2 (10 marks)

Fill in the blanks with the correct forms of the words given in the word box.

fall multiply eat find roam

trade kill escape turn adopt

The inhabitants of Cityville enjoyed (1) _____________________________________ good food. But soon they found that the
city was infested with mice. Eating all the fruits, vegetables, and even rice, they were creating havoc in the
city. The nearby cities stopped (2) _____________________________________ with Cityville due to the infestation. People
started (3) _____________________________________ sick. Trying (4) _____________________________________ a solution for this issue,
the people approached the wise man in the city. The wise man said, “I have a solution . You can get some cats
(5) _____________________________________ the mice”. The next morning, some young men brought a number of cats into
the city. The mice had no way of (6) _____________________________________ from the cats that
(7) _____________________________________ around the city in search of food. Most of the mice got killed and the
remaining fled the city. Now the cats kept (8) _____________________________________ and soon there were too many of
them. This became the next issue. The people approached the wise man again. The wise man suggested
(9) _____________________________________ the cats into pets. The citizens listened to his advice. Each household agreed
(10) _____________________________________ one cat as their pet. Everyone was happy and peace was restored in Cityville.

Part 3 (20 marks)

You are writing about your friend Thomas, who travels a lot. Choose the best tense form of verb to
complete each blank and circle the correct letter.

Meet my friend Thomas! He 1 to most places around the globe. He was only one year old when he
first 2 in an aeroplane! His mother is British and his father is Greek. Thomas 3 in Greece,
but he 4 in Australia. His family 5 there for five years before they 6 to Canada.

At this moment, Thomas 7 his parents in Vancouver. He 8 in Toronto now, but 9

his parents regularly for the past few years. After visiting his parents, he 10 to fly to Bonn tomorrow,
for a one-day meeting with his company's German partner. Thomas 11 for Bennet Associates for the
last three years. His work 12 a lot of travel. This year he 13 over 65,500 miles for his job.
By the end of next year, 14 over 260,000 miles! Thomas 15 with his parents earlier this
afternoon when his colleague from Toronto called to let him know that Bennet Associates 16 to
merge with Darwin & Co. in the United States. The two companies 17 for the past two months. Now
Thomas needs to rush back home. He 18 Toronto by this time the day after tomorrow.

I am glad I don’t have a life like Thomas. If I 19 Thomas, I 20 stressed out by all this
travelling.
1 A has travelling 2 A fly 3 A have born 4 A
 was growing
up
B have travelled B flew B were born B grew up
C has travelled C were flying C was born C has grown up
D goes D was flying D born D grows up

5 A had been 6 A was watching 7 A visited 8 A had living

living
B has living B watching B is visiting B living
C are living C were watching C visits C lives

D is being D has watching D visiting D has living

living

9 A visiting 10 A has gone 11 A has been 12 A requiring

working
B had visiting B went B has working B had required
C is visiting C goes C have worked C requires

D has been D is going D had worked D have required

visiting

13 A have flied 14 A has been 15 A were talking 16 A has decided

travelled
B flying B will travel B was talking B have decided

C has flew C has travelled C talked C have been

deciding

D has flown D will have D talking D deciding

travelled

17 A have been 18 A was reached 19 A am 20 A would

negotiating

B is being B will have B will be B would be

negotiating reached

C has C reached C were C wouldn't be

negotiated

D has D will have D wasn't D will be

negotiating reaching
 Part 4 (10 marks)

A player is narrating the situation during the team meeting of a football team. Proofread the passage.
There is one mistake in each numbered line. Underline the words or phrases that are incorrect and write
the correct words above them. Mark the position of missing words with a ‘^’ and write the missing words
above them. Cross out unnecessary words.

1 “Working hard! And we will reap the benefits,” the coach says and we nod in agreement. We are

2 more excited than anxious about going into the Citywide Cup finals because we have got use to

3 the pressure, having played many finals this season. We have won the Citywide Cup two years back if

it was not for the last-minute goal by Mike Chow of Western United. It took us a very long time to

4 get used to the reality that we lost that final. Doubtfully Lakeshore Club, our opponents this year,

5 is a good team; but we have been the best team this season. There is the reason why we are so

6 confidence. Our Captain expresses concern about the controversy that we have not included

7 Carlos Chong in the team. “You need worry about that. I have already briefed the media,” our coach

8 says. “We let’s play the 4-4-2 formation this time. That will strengthen our defence,” goalkeeper

9 Shane Lim suggests. “Stop to worrying, we will decide after Lakeshore Club announces their player list,”

10 the coach says with a smile. “Believe yourselves,” he continues, “and we will win this time!”

END OF PAPER