elite's nss exam 5-star series(reading mock papers) (1)

HKDSEE-ENG LANG PAPER 1 - 1

INSTRUCTIONS

1 Write your candidate number in the spaces provided on

this page.

2. Stick your barcode label in the space provided on

this page.

3. There are two parts in this paper. Answer ALL ques-

tions in Part A. In part B, you should choose EITHER

Section 1 (easier) OR Section 2 (more difficult).

4. The reading passages are in a separate booklet.

Write your answers clearly and neatly in the spaces

provided in this Question-Answer Book. Use a pen-

cil to write your answers. Answers written in the

margins will not be marked.

4 For multiple-choice questions, blacken the ap-

propriate circle with pencil. Wrong marks must be

completely erased with a clean rubber. Mark only ONE

answer to each question. Two or more answers will

score NO MARKS.

5. DO NOT take away the Reading Passages booklet. It

will be collected separately at the end of the

examination.

6. Supplementary answer sheets will be supplied on request.

Write your candidate number, fill in the question number

and stick a barcode label on each sheet and fasten them

with string INSIDE this Question-Answer Book.

Candidate Number

ELITE EXAM 5-STAR SERIES

HONG KONG DIPLOMA OF SECONDARY EDUCATION

EXAMINATION

Marker’s

Use Only

Examiner’s

Use Only

Marker No. Examiner’s No.

Part Marks Marks

A

B1

B2

Total

Please stick the barcode label here.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE PAPER 1

QUESTION-ANSWER BOOK

Sample

TIME ALLOWED: 1 hour 30 minutes

(20% of the subject mark)


Each question carries ONE mark unless otherwise stated.

Part A (56 marks)

Answer questions 1-38 using information from the passage on page 2 of the Reading Passages booklet. Write

your answers in the spaces provided. For multiple-choice questions, choose the best answer and blacken ONE

circle only.

1. Look at the expression ‘subject of much speculation’ in line 2 . Decide which of the definitions below is

closest in meaning.

A. object of scientific enquiry

B. issue that is highly argumentative

C. topic that involves a lot of guesswork

D. question of good judgment

2. Which of the following is most concerned about happiness?

A. historian

B. sociologist

C. criminologist

D. educationist

3. Complete each description about happiness by underlining the correct option. One has been done for you

as an example. (5 marks)

4. Find words in lines 1 - 12 which could be replaced by the following: (4 marks)

a. practical judgment __________________________________

b. be plentiful __________________________________

c. really __________________________________

d. help develop __________________________________

5. Based on the information given, which of the following is true.

A. Parents are happier because they have children.

B. People who have no religion are happier.

C. University students are happier than uneducated people.

D. Friendship can make people happier.

Answers written in the margin will not be marked.

Ans

wer

s w

ritte

n in

the

mar

gin

will

not

be

mar

ked.

Ans

wer

s w

ritte

n in

the

mar

gin

will

not

be

mar

ked.

Money and happiness is (questionably/unquestionably)

correlated, however, the association is (convincing/

unconvincing).

Research finds out that one’s happiness is (connected/

disconnected) with how old one is. One’s average level of

happiness remains (constant/unsteady) throughout one’s life.

Prettiness may bring (benefits/harm) to people, but happiness

and attractiveness is (highly/hardly) unrelated.

A B C D

A B C D

A B C D



Ans

wer

s w

ritte

n in

the

mar

gin

will

not

be

mar

ked.

Ans

wer

s w

ritte

n in

the

mar

gin

will

not

be

mar

ked.

6. Find expressions in paragraphs 2-5 which mean the opposite of the phrases below: (2 marks)

A. fall below ______________ ______________

B. be surprisingly unsteady ______________ ______________ ______________

7. Name 5 factors that may contribute to happiness.

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

8. What does ‘it’ in line 6 refer to?

________________________________________________________________________________

9. Name three factors which are found to be unrelated to happiness:

________________________________________________________________________________

10. The style of this article is:

A. formal

B. informal

C. poetical

D. literary

11. What is the writer’s main purpose in writing the article?

A. to complain

B. to explain

C. to entertain

D. to proclaim

12. Who is his target audience/reader?

A. a student

B. a friend

C. the general public

D. the poor people

13. What can ‘key’ in line 8 be replaced by?

A. opener

B. solution

C. answer

D. result

A B C D

A B C D

A B C D

A B C D



Ans

wer

s w

ritte

n in

the

mar

gin

will

not

be

mar

ked.

Ans

wer

s w

ritte

n in

the

mar

gin

will

not

be

mar

ked.

14. Explain why health may not produce happiness? (2 marks)

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

15. Based on the information in this article, can you list out the characteristics of a happy person? (3 marks)

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

16. Why do you think the information about happiness in this article is reliable?

________________________________________________________________________________

17. What are the areas of strength and weakness of the following factors in promoting happiness? (4 marks)

Factor Areas of strength Areas of weakness

Parenthood ____________________________________

____________________________________

____________________________________

____________________________________

____________________________________

____________________________________

Beauty ____________________________________

____________________________________

____________________________________

Love and Marriage ____________________________________

____________________________________

____________________________________



Ans

wer

s w

ritte

n in

the

mar

gin

will

not

be

mar

ked.

Ans

wer

s w

ritte

n in

the

mar

gin

will

not

be

mar

ked.

18. How many of these factors are mentioned in the article? Mark each picture with a tick ( )in the box if

it is mentioned and a cross ( ) if it is not. (5 marks)

A. B. C.

D. E.

Two friends are discussing the article about the determinants of happiness. Complete their conversation with

suitable words or expressions from the box below. Use each answer ONCE only. The first one has been done for

you as an example. (11 marks)

A. seems to B. done by

C. aren’t a bit D. it’s a bit

E. to be F. did you get

G. afraid that H. the same with

I. got it from J. is it only

K. would be L. how about

It’s (26) _________ money. Attractive people may

enjoy some advantages but they (27) _________ hap-

pier than unattractive people.

Oh, I’m (28) _________ many people

(29) _________ disappointed to hear all of these

latest findings about happiness.

I (22) _________ a scientific journal. It says it is

the result of empirical analysis (23) _________

social scientists.

Anyway, (24) _________ surprising as most

people think money promotes happiness. Hey,

(25) _________ beauty?

Do you know that money is found _________

unrelated to happiness? It (19) _________ con-

tradict commonsense thinking.

Oh, really. Where (20) _________ that piece of

information? Is it reliable? (21) _________

guesswork?

E



Ans

wer

s w

ritte

n in

the

mar

gin

will

not

be

mar

ked.

Ans

wer

s w

ritte

n in

the

mar

gin

will

not

be

mar

ked.

Writing in Response: Letter to the editor of a newspaper

Below is a draft letter written by your friend P. Yip in response to the article. Read the choice of words and

expressions given and help P. Yip to express his support for the viewpoint of the article by underlining the best

option as shown in the example. (9 marks)

He feels (aspired / satisfied / inspired) with his result.

The article about the determinants of happiness is a piece of wisdom much needed today. Though it is

(30) convincing / contrary / conflicting to popular beliefs, it is a good (31) reminder / warning / suggestion to

those who think that money can (32) produce / provide / boost their happiness.

Moreover, it also reminds people to pay (33) detention / concentration / attention to those factors that are really

(34) contented / associated / undertaken with happiness, such as love, marriage and work. People who don’t like

to work but always dream of getting rich would be very (35) disgusted / delighted / disappointed to read this

article. I hope they can (36) direct / change / advise their view of happiness and start working hard.

As a whole, I appreciate the wisdom of this article. It helps make our society become less (37) materialistic /

monetary / financial but more (38) contradictory / spiritual / broadening.

P. Yip, Tsim Sha Tsui



Ans

wer

s w

ritte

n in

the

mar

gin

will

not

be

mar

ked.

Ans

wer

s w

ritte

n in

the

mar

gin

will

not

be

mar

ked.

Part B

Choose EITHER Section 1 (easier) OR section 2 (more difficult).

Section 1 (46 marks)

Answer question 39-56 using information from the stories shown on pages 3 of the reading passages booklet.

Write your answers in the spaces provided. For multiple-choice question, choose the best answer and blacken

ONE circle only.

39. How did the people in the stories get their money?

A. They got it by earning.

B. They got it by winning.

C. Some got it by earning whereas the others by winning.

D. Some got it by winning whereas the others by inheriting.

40. Which part of the world did these stories take place?

A. the West

B. the East

C. the Middle-east

D. the Poles

41. What types of content does these stories feature?

A. historical record of rich people

B. advice about how to use money

C. scientific information about money

D. comments and personal stories

42. Read Story A carefully and decide if the following are true (T), false (F) or not stated (X). Put appropriate

symbols in the boxes below. (3 marks)

A. Carol King got more friends after she had won the lottery. _______

B. Carol King became a drunk. _______

C. Carol King was estranged from her family.

43. Which word best describes Carol’s life after winning the lottery?

________________________________________________________________________________

44. Which words in Story A mean the same as the following? (4 marks)

A. handling ____________ ____________

B. made unfriendly ____________________________

C. poor ____________________________

D. ended up ____________ ____________

45. What does the expression ‘struck it rich’ mean in Story A?

________________________________________________________________________________

A B C D

A B C D

A B C D



Ans

wer

s w

ritte

n in

the

mar

gin

will

not

be

mar

ked.

46. Look at how ‘pool’ is used in Story A and decide which of the definitions below is closest in meaning.

A. a small area of still water in a hollow place

B. a common supply of money, goods, workers etc

C. a type of American billiards

D. a sort of betting

47. What can ‘eventually’ in line 6 be replaced by?

A. similarly

B. surprisingly

C. finally

D. subsequently

48. Complete the sentence below: (2 marks)

According to Story A, people who become rich suddenly can go ____________________ when they

____________________ extravagantly.

49. Look for words or expressions in Story B which are the opposite in meaning to: (3 marks)

a. negative influence ____________ ____________

b. contact with ____________ ____________

c. to be mean ____________________

50. Name two illegal things that Jack Nicholson had committed: (2 marks)

He had committed ____________________and ____________________ .

51. What does the expression ‘under the influence’ in line 11 mean?

___________________________________________________________________________________

52. In Story C, which of the following items do the Johnsons and the Thompsons differ from each other?

Circle more than one answer if appropriate.

Profession / age / income / wants / life satisfaction / marital harmony

53. Look at how ‘chain’ (line 21) is used in Story D and decide which of the definitions below is closest in

meaning.

A. a series of connected metal rings

B. a series of connected things or people

C. a group of shops/stores owned by the same company

D. a thing that restricts one’s freedom or ability to do something

A B C D

A B C D

A B C D

Ans

wer

s w

ritte

n in

the

mar

gin

will

not

be

mar

ked.



Ans

wer

s w

ritte

n in

the

mar

gin

will

not

be

mar

ked.

Ans

wer

s w

ritte

n in

the

mar

gin

will

not

be

mar

ked.

54. What are the TWO good things that John Robbins (Story D) and Bill Gates (Story E) have done? (4 marks)

a. John Robbins

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

b. Bill Gates

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

55. Read the following comments, matching each with ONE of the messages on pages 3 of the reading

passages booklet. Use each letter ONCE only. The first is given to you as an example: (5 marks)

I support the conclusion – money can make you happy if you spend it by helping others.

I wonder if he would feel happier by giving money than earning it. He must have known

that it is more blessed to give than to get.

I hate the person who smothered the child with lots of money. This is definitely not love

but harm.

I appreciate such a person. If I were him, I would not close down the business. But I think

he knows how money should better be used.

So money is a relative concept. It is not how much money you have but how much desire

you get.

I think friends should give advice rather than go away.

Fe.g.


56.

Com

plet

e th

e in

form

atio

n su

mm

ary

belo

w.

Iden

tify

the

wri

ters

’ con

cept

of

mon

ey a

nd h

appi

ness

. D

ecid

e if

the

vie

ws

expr

esse

d ab

out

mon

ey a

nd h

appi

ness

are

gene

rall

y po

siti

ve o

r ne

gati

ve.

Quo

te O

NE

pie

ce o

f evi

denc

e to

just

ify

your

res

pons

e. W

rite

dow

n O

NE

cha

nge

men

tion

ed in

eac

h of

the

stor

ies.

Som

e of

the

deta

ils

have

bee

n co

mpl

eted

to h

elp

you.

(13

mar

ks)

Answers written in the margin will not be marked.A

nsw

ers

wri

tten

in th

e m

argi

n w

ill n

ot b

e m

arke

d.

Ans

wer

s w

ritte

n in

the

mar

gin

will

not

be

mar

ked.


Stor

yW

rite

rs’ v

iew

of

mon

ey a

nd h

appi

ness

Supp

ortin

g qu

ote

from

the

stor

y

Neg

ativ

e

Gen

eral

opi

nion

exp

ress

edC

hang

e m

entio

ned

in th

e st

ory

A B C D E

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

_

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

_

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

_

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

_

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

_

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

_

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

_

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

_

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

_

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

_

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

_

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

_

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

_

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

_

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

_

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

_

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

_

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

_

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

_

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

_

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

_

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

_

Happin

ess

com

es

wh

en y

ou

know

how

to

use

the

mon

ey y

ou

hav

e al

trui

stic

ally

.

Car

ol f

iled

for

bank

rupt

cy.

Th

e T

ho

mp

so

ns w

an

t

mor

e ex

pens

ive

luxur

ies

and e

xpe

rien

ces.

He

ded

icat

ed h

is t

ime

to

philan

thro

py.

His

lif

e w

as

much

more

desp

era

te t

han

befo

re.

They

end

up

feel

ing

poor

er.



Ans

wer

s w

ritte

n in

the

mar

gin

will

not

be

mar

ked.

Ans

wer

s w

ritte

n in

the

mar

gin

will

not

be

mar

ked.

Section 2 (50 marks)

Answer question 57-76 using information from the poem on page 4 and the article on page 5 of the reading

passages booklet. Write your answers in the spaces provided. For multiple-choice questions, choose the best

answer and blacken ONE circle only.

57. Name any FIVE of the performers portrayed in this poem? (2 marks)

a. _________________ b. _________________ c. _________________

d. _________________ e. _________________

58. Which performer plays with the people? How do you know?

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

59. How do the people celebrate in the carnival? (3 marks)

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

60. What is the tone of the poem?

A. amusing

B. melancholy

C. reflective

D. depressed

61. Which stanzas have the same rhyme?

___________________________________________________________________________________

62. In stanza 1, line 3, what does ‘jubilations’ mean?

___________________________________________________________________________________

A B C D



Ans

wer

s w

ritte

n in

the

mar

gin

will

not

be

mar

ked.

Ans

wer

s w

ritte

n in

the

mar

gin

will

not

be

mar

ked.

63. Look through ALL the verses of the poem, for words or expressions to match these definitions? (3 marks)

a. _______________ (v) to behave so as to try to get people to admire you

b. _______________ (adj) ordinary

c. _______________ (v) be on one’s guard

64. Which word is used to imply that a change is made very fast?

___________________________________________________________________________________

65. What sorts of sound are heard in the carnival? (2 marks)

___________________________________________________________________________________

66. How do the people look like?

___________________________________________________________________________________

67. What kinds of games are played in the carnival? (2 marks)

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

68. How is this poem related to the happiness study explained in Part A? (2 marks)

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

For question 69-75, please refer to the article on page 5 of the reading passages booklet.

69. In line 71-72, it is said that “between 1957 and 1998, from 35% to 33%: we are twice as rich and no happier.

Try to draw TWO LINES on the graph below to illustrate the above sentence. Note that the starting points

for income (*) and happiness (+) are given. (2 marks)

$ 20000

$ 18000

$ 16000

$ 14000

$ 12000

$ 10000

$ 8000

$ 6000

$ 4000

$ 2000

$ 0

100%

90%

80%

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%

+

�



Ans

wer

s w

ritte

n in

the

mar

gin

will

not

be

mar

ked.

Ans

wer

s w

ritte

n in

the

mar

gin

will

not

be

mar

ked.

70. This article is mainly about the _______ society.

A. British

B. American

C. Indian

D. Canadian

71. According to paragraph 1, what should the American dream be in its original form?

___________________________________________________________________________________

72. Look at how the words below are used in the article. Decide which of the options provided is closest in

meaning and black ONE circle only. (3 marks)

73. Look at how the pronouns below are used and briefly explain what they refer to in the article. (2 marks)

74. Here is a list of alternations for a slightly different version of the article. Fill each gap with ONE word.

Refer to the paragraph and line number specified for the specific ideas. Some have been done for you as

an example. (4 marks)

Para 1 / line15-18 Although it is impossible to reach the happy lifestyles of the rich, most people still

imagine that they might have the chance to live the good life of the rich.

Para 2 / line 19-26 A survey result indicated that many university students consider becoming very

well off financially as very important. Obviously, in their mind, what _________ is

money.

Para 5 / line 37-39 When the basic human needs of the very poor people are _________ , more money

does promote their happiness.

Para 7 / line 62-64 The American society is now twice as rich when compared with 1957, and the things

people can buy have been _________ .

Para 10 / line 97-100 Contrary to popular belief, it is found that increased happiness does not _________

escalating wealth.

Line Word Meaning

36 evaporateschanges into vapour

ceases to exist

becomes unimportant

84 hedoniclucky

tough

happy

87-88 even-keeledsteady

uncertain

mature

A B C D

PRONOUN PARAGRAPH / LINE REFERENCE

it Para 2 / Line 23It refers to ______________________________

_______________________________________

they Para 6 / Line 49It refers to ______________________________

_______________________________________


Ans

wer

s w

ritte

n in

the

mar

gin

will

not

be

mar

ked.

Ans

wer

s w

ritte

n in

the

mar

gin

will

not

be

mar

ked.

75. What is the meaning of ‘diminishing returns’ and how does it relate to money and happiness? (3 marks)

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

76. Which person on pages 4-5 of the reading passages booklet would you attribute the following to? Justify

your answers by quoting one sentence or phrase from the text. Some have been done for you as examples.

(14 marks)

D: “If you spend it right, you will surely feel happy!”

A: “My problems can’t be solved by the money I have!”

B: “I have lots of money, yet I don’t find a bit happiness in my life!”

C: “we are grateful for our ability to adapt to increasing wealth.”

E: “What money can buy is not happiness but problems!”

F: “See what they become, here we go!”

G: “We are going to perform the famous musical:the Beauty and the Beast Mime.”

H: “Thanks for your applause, we’ll try some more difficult feat

for your enjoyment.”


Most likely Speaker Supporting sentence / phrase

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

John John could never remember being happy.

END OF PAPER

INSTRUCTIONS

1 Write all your answers in the Question-Answer Book.

2. DO NOT take away this booklet. It will be collected separately at the end of the examination.

3. DO NOT write any answers in this booklet, as they will not be marked.

ELITE EXAM 5-STAR SERIES

ENGLISH LANGUAGE PAPER 1 – VOL.1

Reading Passages

Sample

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Part A - This is the compulsory part. Answer all questions in this part.

Read the following passage and then answer questions 1-38 on pages 2 - 6 of the Question-Answer Book.

(56 marks)

The Determinants of Happiness

[1] What exactly makes a person happy? Thisquestion has been the subject of much speculation.Commonsense hypotheses about the roots ofhappiness abound. For example, you have no doubtheard that money cannot buy happiness. But do youbelieve it? A television commercial says, “If you’vegot your health, you’ve got just about everything.”Is health indeed the key? What if you’re healthy butpoor, unemployed, and lonely? We often hear aboutthe joys of parenthood, the joys of youth, and thejoys of a simple, rural life. Are these the factors thatpromote happiness?

[2] In recent years, social scientists have begunstudying what factors are related or unrelated tohappiness. Below are the results of empirical analysisof the determinants of happiness:

[3] First are the unimportant ones:

[4] Money – There is a positive correlation betweenincome and happiness, but the association issurprisingly weak. Admittedly, being very poor canmake people unhappy, but once people ascend abovethe poverty level, there is little relation betweenincome and happiness.

[5] Age – Age and happiness are consistently foundto be unrelated. Age accounts for less than 1 percentof the variation in people’s happiness. In short,people’s average level of happiness tends to remainremarkably stable over the life span.

[6] Gender – Like age, gender accounts for less than1 percent of the variation in people’s happiness.

[7] Parenthood – Children can be a tremendoussource of joy and fulfillment, but they can also be atremendous source of headaches and hassles.Apparently, the good and bad aspects of parenthoodbalance each other out, because the evidence indicatesthat people who have children are neither more orless happy than people without children.

[8] Intelligence – Intelligence is a highly valued traitin modern society, but there is no association foundbetween IQ scores and happiness. Educationalattainment also appears to be unrelated to happiness.

[9] Physical attractiveness – Good-looking peopleenjoy a variety of advantages in comparisons tounattractive people, but the available data indicatethat the correlation between attractiveness andhappiness is negligible.

[10] Second are the somewhat important ones:

[11] Health – Good physical health would seem tobe an essential requirement for happiness, but peopleadapt to health problems. Good health may not, byitself, produce happiness, because people tend to takegood health for granted.

[12] Social activity – Humans are social animals, andpeople’s interpersonal relations do appear tocontribute to their happiness. People who aresatisfied with their friendship networks report above-average levels of happiness.

[13] Religion – People with heartfelt religiousconvictions are more likely to be happier than peoplewho characterize themselves as non-religious.

Third are the very important determinants including:

[14] Love and marriage – Romantic relationshipscan be stressful, but people consistently rate beingin love as one of the most critical ingredients ofhappiness. Although people complain a lot abouttheir marriages, the evidence indicates that maritalstatus is a key correlate of happiness.

[15] Work – Although less critical than love andmarriage, job satisfaction is strongly associated withhappiness.

[16] From the above analysis, we can see that manycommonsense notions about happiness appear to beinaccurate.

40

45

50

55

60

65

70

16

Part B – Answer EITHER Section 1 (easier) OR Section 2 (more difficult)

Section 1Here are some stories about people when they have a lot of money, how do they deal with the money they have? Canthe money they have make them happy? Read them carefully and answer questions 39-56 on pages 7 - 10 of yourQuestion-Answer Book. (46 marks)

Can money buy happiness?

A.In 1971, Carol King struck it rich. She became the winner of what – at that time – was the largest lottery pool in GreatBritain, totaling about 3 million (roughly $33 million Hong Kong dollars). Carol was very happy. She told anyonewho would listen that she intended to spend her money. However, Carol had a difficult time coping with her newcircumstances, and became increasingly estranged from her friends. Her old friends left her, fearing that people wouldsay they went about with her because she had money. Her life became a series of drinking and shopping sprees that,ultimately, made her penniless. Carol filed for bankruptcy and eventually wound up working as a stripper and drinkingheavily.

B.The American Jack Nicholson won $314 million in the Powerrich Lottery in 2000, and hoped to make a positive impacton society by starting a charitable foundation. Jack’s granddaughter died of a drug overdose after he lavished moneyon her, and he was sued by a gambling casino for bouncing checks. Two years later, Jack had two arrests for drivingunder the influence, had been the victim of multiple burglaries, was estranged from his wife, had been arrested forattack, and had to close down his foundation. His life was much more desperate than before. Jack did not seem to findhappiness with his lottery win.

C.There were two young couples in which both the wife and husband were professors in universities. One couple, calledthe Johnsons, earned a combined income of $90,000 a year, and the other couple, the Thompsons, earned $200,000 ayear. The Johnsons were quite satisfied with their income, and felt it was adequate to their wants and needs. However,the richer Thompsons, making more than twice the money of the first couple, constantly felt strapped for cash andfrequently argued over finances. The problem is that the Thompsons want more expensive luxuries and experiences,and thus end up feeling poorer.

D.Have you heard about the fascinating story of John Robbins, the heir of Iva Robbins, the founder of the immenselysuccessful ice-cream chain Baskin - Robbins. Rather than following in his father’s business footsteps or cashing in onhis millions, John broke ranks and moved to a simple cabin in Canada. He became disillusioned with the dairy and beefindustries and wrote an influential pro-environment book called Diet for a New America. In recent times, John hasworked with his son, Ocean, to form a large environmental organization for youth, and a program to help wealthypeople use their money in meaningful ways.

E.Bill Gates is the richest man in the world. Years ago he resigned from the post of being the chairman of MicrosoftCorporation and dedicated his time to philanthropy. He founded the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and donatedmore than HK $24 billion to support charitable projects in the areas of global health and learning. The profits of histwo books, Business@ the Speed of Thought and The Road Ahead, have been donated to charities that support the useof technology in education.

F.Can money buy happiness? The answer lies in how the money is used – for selfish spending or altruistic giving.

Money can be more than a crude material concern: it can be a vehicle for helping others and feeling good about youself.

5

10

15

20

25

30

17

Section 2

Read the following poem and article and then answer questions 57-76 on pages 10-14 of the Question-Answer Book.

(50 marks)

Happy Carnival

Folks come for the celebration.

Carnival starts with congratulation.

Festival, fun, and jubilation.

Friends skip along in circulation!

Kids play balloons and booms.

Watch out for whooshes and zooms.

Clowns with red-nosed faces,

playing catches and chases!

Teddy bear girls and puppet show boys,

bringing lots of cheers and noise.

Joyful dads are playing with toys,

dancing mums in clown convoys!

Coconut shies and skipping game.

Monster masks with funny names.

Hide-and-seek and slapstick fun,

cops and robbers on the run.

Here come the poppers and streamers,

along with pop song screamers.

Magicians pick up sweets and cakes,

Puff! they become slimy trick snakes.

Claps and hails for the limbo dancers,

cheering rocking horse prancers.

Musicians play banjos and cellos,

Acrobats wear bells that jingle.

Parade under dazzling sunshine,

artists perform musical mime.

Let’s join some pranksters play,

leapfrog on a sun-drenched day.

Everyone shows off a painted face,

dresses up as aliens from space.

Joy and fun are commonplace,

happy carnival for the human race.

5

10

15

20

25

30

18

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

55

60

65

70

75

80

85

90

95

100

[1] Could money buy you happiness? Most would deny it.However, when a different question is asked – “Would a littlemore money make you a little happier?” Many will nod yes.There is some connection between wealth and well-being.When they are asked how satisfied they were with 13 aspectsof their lives, including friends, house, and schooling,Americans expressed least satisfaction with “the amount ofmoney you have to live on.” What would improve their qualityof life? “More money”, was the most frequent response to aUniversity of Michigan national survey, and the more thebetter. In one Gallup Poll, one in two women, two in threemen, and four in five people earning more than $75,000reported they would like to be rich. Thus, the modernAmerican dream seems to have become life, liberty, and thepurchase of happiness. Although most people realize that theseemingly happy lifestyles of the rich are beyond their reach,they do imagine the good life that they might have when theybecome rich.

[2] A survey of nearly a quarter million university studentsindicated that those agreeing that a “very important” reasonfor their going to college was “to make more money” rosefrom one in two in 1971 to three in four in 1998. Theproportion who consider it “very important” that they become“very well off financially” rose from 39% in 1970 to 74% in1998. Among 19 listed objectives, this was number one. Itmeans that for today’s young Americans, money matters.

[3] Does being well off indeed produce happiness? Would peoplebe happier if they could live a upper-class lifestyle? Would theybe happier if they won lotteries? “Whoever said money can’tbuy happiness isn’t spending it right,” declares an ad.

[4] There is some tendency for wealthy nations to have morehappy people, for instance, the Swiss and Scandinavians aregenerally prosperous and satisfied. However, among nationswith a gross national product of more than $8,000 per person,the correlation between national wealth and well-beingevaporates.

[5] In poor countries such as India, where low income threatensbasic human needs more often, being relatively well off doespredict greater happiness. However, in affluent countries,where most can afford life’s necessities, affluence matterssurprisingly little. In the United States, Canada, and Europe,the correlation between income and personal happiness isvirtually negligible. Happiness tends to be lower among thevery poor. However, once when one reaches a comfortablelife, more money provides diminishing returns on happiness.In other words, people who go to work by bus are just ashappy as those who drive to work in their own Benz.

[6] Even very rich people are only slightly happier than theaverage American. Although they have more than enoughmoney to buy many things they don’t need and hardly care

about, 4 in 5 of the 49 super-rich people responding to a surveyagreed that “Money can increase OR decrease happiness,depending on how it is used.” Some were indeed unhappy.One fabulously wealthy man called John could neverremember being happy. One woman named Mary reportedthat money could not lesson the misery caused by herchildren’s problems.

[7] If enduring personal happiness generally does not rise withpersonal wealth, does collective happiness go upward with arising economy? Are Americans happier today than in 1940,when two out of five homes lacked a shower or bathtub, and35% of homes had no toilet. Compared with 1957, today’sAmericans are part of the doubly affluent society, with doublewhat money buy. Americans today own twice as many carsper person, eat out more than twice as often, and often enjoymicrowave ovens, big screen colour TVs, and homecomputers. So, believing that it is “very important” to be verywell-off financially and having seen their affluence go upwardlittle by little over four decades, are Americans now happier?

[8] They are not. The number of people reporting themselves“very happy” has, if anything, declined slightly between 1957and 1998, from 35% to 33%: we are twice as rich and no happier.Meanwhile, the divorce rate doubled. Teen suicide tripled.Reported violent crime nearly quadrupled. Depression rateshave soared, especially among teens and young adults.Compared with their grandparents, today’s young adults havegrown up with much wealth, slightly less happiness, and muchgreater risk of depression and assorted social pathologies. “Themore people strive for money the more numerous their problemsand the less robust their happiness,” added Richard Ryan.

[9] Our human capacity for adaptation helps explain the abovephenomenon. The influence of adaptation on happiness wasidentified by well-being researchers in the 1970s. It wassuggested that most people experience “hedonic” neutralityover the years, with only occasional spikes and valleys. Thatis, with the exception of a few potent events that temporarilyraise and lower happiness, people tend to be relatively even-keeled where happiness is concerned. Tough times bring usdown and joyous occasions are uplifting, but we quickly adaptto both. In a society in which everyone lived in 4,000-square-foot houses, people would likely be no happier than in a societyin which everyone lived in 2,000-square-foot houses. “Thanksto our capacity to adapt to ever greater fame and fortune,yesterday’s luxuries can soon become today’s necessities andtomorrow’s relics,” added David Myers.

[10] It is hard to avoid a startling conclusion: Our becomingmuch better off over the last four decades has not beenaccompanied by one iota of increased happiness. So far ashappiness goes, economic growth has provided no apparent

boost to human happiness.

Who is Happy?

19

End of Reading Passage

20

Model Answers for Sample

Part A (Questions 1-38; 56 marks)

1. C 1.

2. B – see para.2 2.

3. unconvincing 3.disconnected 4.constant 5.benefits 6.highly 7.

4. a. commonsense 8.b. abound 9.c. indeed 10.d. promote 11.

5. D 12.

6. a. ascend above 13.b. remain remarkably stable 14.

7. friendship / social activity, religion, love, marriage and work (in any order) 15.

8. It refers to the notion that money cannot buy happiness. 16.

9. age, gender, intelligence 17.

10. A 18.

11. B 19.

12. C 20.

13. C 21.

14. a. People adapt to health problems. 22.b. People take good health for granted. 23.

15. a. A happy person has a network of friends. 24.b. A happy person is religious.c. A happy person is being in love. 25.d. A happy person is married.e. A happy person has a satisfactory job. 26.

(Any three points)

21

16. It is reliable because it is the results of empirical analysis. (line 15) 27.

17.

28.29.

30.

31.

18. A 32.B 33.C 34.D 35.E 36.

19. A 37.

20. F 38.

21. J 39.

22. I 40.

23. B 41.

24. D 42.

25. L 43.

26. H 44.

27. C 45.

28. G 46.

29. K 47.

30. contrary 48.

31. reminder 49.

32. boost 50.

33. attention 51.

Factor Areas of strength Areas of weakness

Parenthood ____________________________________

____________________________________

____________________________________

____________________________________

____________________________________

____________________________________

Beauty ____________________________________

____________________________________

____________________________________

Love and Marriage ____________________________________

____________________________________

____________________________________

a source of joy and

fulfillment

a source of headaches and

hassles

good-looking people enjoy

a variety of advantages

romantic relationships can

be stressful

22

34. associated 52.

35. disappointed 53.

36. change 54.

37. materialistic 55.

38. spiritual 56.

Part B – Section 1 (Questions 39-56; 46 marks)

39. C 1.

40. A 2.

41. B 3.

42. A – F 4.B – T 5.C – X 6.

43. sprees 7.

44. a. coping with 8.b. estranged 9.c. penniless 10.d. wound up 11.

45. It means to find sudden wealth. 12.

46. D 13.

47. C 14.

48. bankrupt 15.spend 16.

49. a. positive impact 17.b. estranged from 18.c. lavished 19.

50. drink-driving 20.attacking others 21.

51. It means experiencing the effect of people or things 22.

52. income, wants, life satisfaction 23.

53. C 24.

23

54. a. (i) form a large environmental organization for youth. 25.

(ii) form a program to help wealthy people use their money in meaningful ways. 26.

b. (i) founded the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to support charitable projects in the area of global health and learning. 27.

(ii) donated the profits of his two books to support the use of technology in education. 28.

55. E 29.B 30.D 31.C 32.A 33.

56

Part B – Section 2 (Question 57-76; 50 marks)

57. Any five of the following:Clowns ; puppetteers ; pop song singers ; magicians ; limbo dancers ; 1.horse prancers ; musicians ; acrobats ; artists 2.

58. Clowns play with the people – they play catches and chases with them. 3.

59. Any three of the following:. They skip in circle.. They play balloons and booms. 4.. They play with toys. 5.. They dance. 6.. They play games.. They paint their faces.. They dress weirdly.

Story Writers’ view of money and happiness Supporting quote from the story

Negative

General opinion expressed Change mentioned in the story

A

B

C

D

E

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

Happiness comes when you

know how to use the money you

have altruistically.

Carol filed for bankruptcy.

The Thompsons want

more expensive luxuries

and experiences.

He dedicated his time to

philanthropy.

His life was much more

desperate than before.

They end up feeling poorer.

selfish spending would

make one’s life miserable.Her life became a series

of drinking and shopping

sprees.

Sudden wealth may be

a curse than a blessing. negativeJohn did not seem tofind happiness with

his lottery win.

What makes one unhappy

is his insatiable desire for

more wants.negative

positive

positiveAltruistic giving can make

one happier.

John has worked with

his son ...... meaningful

ways.

He broke ranks and

moved to a small cabin

in Canada.

He resigned from the post

of being the chairman of

Microsoft Corporation.

34. 35.

36. 37. 38.

39. 40.

44. 45. 46.

41. 42. 43.

24

60. A 7.

61. Stanza l and 8 8.

62. It means great joy. 9.

63. a. watch out 10.b. commonplace 11.c. show off 12.

64. puff 13.

65. cheers, noise, claps, hails, singing, music, jingle. (any four) 14. 15.

66. They paint their face and dress like aliens from space. 16.

67. Any two of the following:. coconut shies. leapfrog game 17.. skipping games. hide – and – seek 18.. cops and robbers

68. a. This poem is about social activity. 19.b. And social activity is found to be a factor that can promote happiness. 20.

69.

21. 22.

70. B 23.

71. It should be life, liberty and happiness. 24.

72. ceases to exist 25.

happy 26.

steady 27.

$ 20000

$ 18000

$ 16000

$ 14000

$ 12000

$ 10000

$ 8000

$ 6000

$ 4000

$ 2000

$ 0

100%

90%

80%

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%

+

�

25

73.

28.

29.

74.

30.

31.

32.

33.

75. It means achieving less although spending more efforts. 34.

This concept applies to money and happiness as the more money one gets, 35.

the less happy he will become. 36.

76.

PRONOUN PARAGRAPH / LINE REFERENCE

it Para 2 / Line 23It refers to ______________________________

_______________________________________

they Para 6 / Line 49It refers to ______________________________

_______________________________________

they become very well off financially.

the very rich people.

Para 1 / line15-18 Although it is impossible to reach the happy lifestyles of the rich, most people still

imagine that they might have the chance to live the good life of the rich.

Para 2 / line 19-26 A survey result indicated that many university students consider becoming very

well off financially as very important. Obviously, in their mind, what _________

is money.

Para 5 / line 37-39 When the basic human needs of the very poor people are _________ , more money

does promote their happiness.

Para 7 / line 62-64 The American society is now twice as rich when compared with 1957, and the

things people can buy have been _________ .

Para 10 / line 97-100 Contrary to popular belief, it is found that increased happiness does not _________

escalating wealth.

matters

threatened

double

accompany

Most likely Speaker Supported sentence / phrase

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

John John could never remember being happy.

Mary

David Myers

An ad

Richard Ryran

Magicians

Artists

Limbo dancers

Mary reported that money could not lesson the

misery ...... problems.

Thanks to our capacity to adapt to ever greater

...... fortune.

whoever said money can’t buy happiness ...... right

The more people strive for money ...... their

happiness.

Magicians pick up sweets and cakes ...... snakes.

Artists perform musical mime.

claps and hails for the limbo dancers.

37. 38.

39. 40.

41. 42.

43. 44.

45. 46.

47. 48.

49. 50.

26

Part A - This is the compulsory part. Answer all questions in this part.

Read the following passage and then answer questions 1-38 on pages 2 - 6 of the Question-Answer Book.

(56 marks)

The Determinants of Happiness

[8] Intelligence – Intelligence is a highly valued traitin modern society, but there is no association foundbetween IQ scores and happiness. Educationalattainment also appears to be unrelated to happiness.

[9] Physical attractiveness – Good-looking peopleenjoy a variety of advantages in comparisons tounattractive people, but the available data indicatethat the correlation between attractiveness andhappiness is negligible.

[10] Second are the somewhat important ones:

[11] Health – Good physical health would seem tobe an essential requirement for happiness, but peopleadapt to health problems. Good health may not, byitself, produce happiness, because people tend to takegood health for granted.

[12] Social activity – Humans are social animals,and people’s interpersonal relations do appear tocontribute to their happiness. People who aresatisfied with their friendship networks report above-average levels of happiness.

[13] Religion – People with heartfelt religiousconvictions are more likely to be happier than peoplewho characterize themselves as non-religious.

Third are the very important determinants including:

[14] Love and marriage – Romantic relationshipscan be stressful, but people consistently rate beingin love as one of the most critical ingredients ofhappiness. Although people complain a lot abouttheir marriages, the evidence indicates that maritalstatus is a key correlate of happiness.

[15] Work – Although less critical than love andmarriage, job satisfaction is strongly associated withhappiness.

[16] From the above analysis, we can see that manycommonsense notions about happiness appear to beinaccurate.

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

55

60

65

70

4a

4b

8

4c

4d

2

16

3

6

9 3

9

3

6

17

17

Note - free answer for the following questions

1, 10, 12, 13, 18, 19-29, 30-38

9

17

3

3

14a

14b

7

7

5/15

7 15

7

15

15

17

7

15

Location of the answers

[1] What exactly makes a person happy? Thisquestion has been the subject of much speculation.Commonsense hypotheses about the roots ofhappiness abound. For example, you have no doubtheard that money cannot buy happiness. But do youbelieve it? A television commercial says, “If you’vegot your health, you’ve got just about everything.”Is health indeed the key? What if you’re healthy butpoor, unemployed, and lonely? We often hear aboutthe joys of parenthood, the joys of youth, and thejoys of a simple, rural life. Are these the factors thatpromote happiness?

[2] In recent years, social scientists have begunstudying what factors are related or unrelated tohappiness. Below are the results of empirical analysisof the determinants of happiness:

[3] First are the unimportant ones:

[4] Money – There is a positive correlation betweenincome and happiness, but the association issurprisingly weak. Admittedly, being very poor canmake people unhappy, but once people ascend abovethe poverty level, there is little relation betweenincome and happiness.

[5] Age – Age and happiness are consistently foundto be unrelated. Age accounts for less than 1 percentof the variation in people’s happiness. In short,people’s average level of happiness tends to remainremarkably stable over the life span.

[6] Gender – Like age, gender accounts for less than1 percent of the variation in people’s happiness.

[7] Parenthood – Children can be a tremendoussource of joy and fulfillment, but they can also be atremendous source of headaches and hassles.Apparently, the good and bad aspects of parenthoodbalance each other out, because the evidence indicatesthat people who have children are neither more orless happy than people without children.

27

Part B – Answer EITHER Section 1 (easier) OR Section 2 (more difficult)

Section 1Here are some stories about people when they have a lot of money, how do they deal with the money they have? Canthe money they have make them happy? Read them carefully and answer questions 39-56 on pages 7 - 10 of yourQuestion-Answer Book. (46 marks)

Can money buy happiness?

A.In 1971, Carol King struck it rich. She became the winner of what – at that time – was the largest lottery pool in GreatBritain, totaling about 3 million (roughly $33 million Hong Kong dollars). Carol was very happy. She told anyonewho would listen that she intended to spend her money. However, Carol had a difficult time coping with her newcircumstances, and became increasingly estranged from her friends. Her old friends left her, fearing that people wouldsay they went about with her because she had money. Her life became a series of drinking and shopping sprees that,ultimately, made her penniless. Carol filed for bankruptcy and eventually wound up working as a stripper and drinkingheavily.

B.The American Jack Nicholson won $314 million in the Powerrich Lottery in 2000, and hoped to make a positive impacton society by starting a charitable foundation. Jack’s granddaughter died of a drug overdose after he lavished moneyon her, and he was sued by a gambling casino for bouncing checks. Two years later, Jack had two arrests for drivingunder the influence, had been the victim of multiple burglaries, was estranged from his wife, had been arrested forattack, and had to close down his foundation. His life was much more desperate than before. Jack did not seem to findhappiness with his lottery win.

C.There were two young couples in which both the wife and husband were professors in universities. One couple, calledthe Johnsons, earned a combined income of $90,000 a year, and the other couple, the Thompsons, earned $200,000 ayear. The Johnsons were quite satisfied with their income, and felt it was adequate to their wants and needs. However,the richer Thompsons, making more than twice the money of the first couple, constantly felt strapped for cash andfrequently argued over finances. The problem is that the Thompsons want more expensive luxuries and experiences,and thus end up feeling poorer.

D.Have you heard about the fascinating story of John Robbins, the heir of Iva Robbins, the founder of the immenselysuccessful ice-cream chain Baskin - Robbins. Rather than following in his father’s business footsteps or cashing in onhis millions, John broke ranks and moved to a simple cabin in Canada. He became disillusioned with the dairy and beefindustries and wrote an influential pro-environment book called Diet for a New America. In recent times, John hasworked with his son, Ocean, to form a large environmental organization for youth, and a program to help wealthypeople use their money in meaningful ways.

E.Bill Gates is the richest man in the world. Years ago he resigned from the post of being the chairman of MicrosoftCorporation and dedicated his time to philanthropy. He founded the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and donatedmore than HK $24 billion to support charitable projects in the areas of global health and learning. The profits of histwo books, Business@ the Speed of Thought and The Road Ahead, have been donated to charities that support the useof technology in education.

F.Can money buy happiness? The answer lies in how the money is used – for selfish spending or altruistic giving.

Money can be more than a crude material concern: it can be a vehicle for helping others and feeling good about youself.

5

10

15

20

25

30

45 39

48

44b

44c 48 44d

40

44a

43

42b

42a

49a

49c

50

5049b

3949

3939

52

52

52

52

52

39

40

54a 54a

54b

54b

3940

41

Note - free answer for the following questions:46, 47, 51, 53, 55, 56.

28

Section 2

Read the following poem and article and then answer questions 57-76 on pages 10-14 of the Question-Answer Book.

(50 marks)

Happy Carnival

Folks come for the celebration,

carnival starts with congratulation.

Festival, fun, and jubilation,

friends skip along in circulation!

Kids play balloons and booms,

watch out for whooshes and zooms.

Clowns with red-nosed faces,

playing catches and chases!

Teddy bear girls and puppet show boys,

bringing lots of cheers and noise.

Joyful dads are playing with toys,

dancing mums in clown convoys!

Coconut shies and skipping game,

monster masks with funny names.

Hide-and-seek and slapstick fun,

cops and robbers on the run.

Here come the poppers and streamers,

along with pop song screamers.

Magicians pick up sweets and cakes,

Puff! they become slimy trick snakes.

Claps and hails for the limbo dancers,

cheering rocking horse prancers.

Musicians play banjos and cellos,

Acrobats wear bells that jingle.

Parade under dazzling sunshine,

artists perform musical mime.

Let’s join some pranksters play,

leapfrog on a sun-drenched day.

Everyone shows off a painted face,

dresses up as aliens from space.

Joy and fun are commonplace,

happy carnival for the human race.

5

10

15

20

25

30

59

59

63a

5857

65

59

59

63c 59 66

66

63b 61

76G

67

57

57

65

76h

57

57 65

65

57

57

57 65

76F

64

67

67

6767

Note - free answer for the following questions:60, 62, 68.

61

59 61

29

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

55

60

65

70

75

80

85

90

95

100

[1] Could money buy you happiness? Most would deny it.However, when a different question is asked – “Would a littlemore money make you a little happier?” Many will nod yes.There is some connection between wealth and well-being.When they are asked how satisfied they were with 13 aspectsof their lives, including friends, house, and schooling,Americans expressed least satisfaction with “the amount ofmoney you have to live on.” What would improve their qualityof life? “More money”, was the most frequent response to aUniversity of Michigan national survey, and the more thebetter. In one Gallup Poll, one in two women, two in threemen, and four in five people earning more than $75,000reported they would like to be rich. Thus, the modernAmerican dream seems to have become life, liberty, and thepurchase of happiness. Although most people realize that theseemingly happy lifestyles of the rich are beyond their reach,they do imagine the good life that they might have when theybecome rich.

[2] A survey of nearly a quarter million university studentsindicated that those agreeing that a “very important” reasonfor their going to college was “to make more money” rosefrom one in two in 1971 to three in four in 1998. Theproportion who consider it “very important” that they become“very well off financially” rose from 39% in 1970 to 74% in1998. Among 19 listed objectives, this was number one. Itmeans that for today’s young Americans, money matters.

[3] Does being well off indeed produce happiness? Would peoplebe happier if they could live a upper-class lifestyle? Would theybe happier if they won lotteries? “Whoever said money can’tbuy happiness isn’t spending it right,” declares an ad.

[4] There is some tendency for wealthy nations to have morehappy people, for instance, the Swiss and Scandinavians aregenerally prosperous and satisfied. However, among nationswith a gross national product of more than $8,000 per person,the correlation between national wealth and well-beingevaporates.

[5] In poor countries such as India, where low income threatensbasic human needs more often, being relatively well off doespredict greater happiness. However, in affluent countries,where most can afford life’s necessities, affluence matterssurprisingly little. In the United States, Canada, and Europe,the correlation between income and personal happiness isvirtually negligible. Happiness tends to be lower among thevery poor. However, once when one reaches a comfortablelife, more money provides diminishing returns on happiness.In other words, people who go to work by bus are just ashappy as those who drive to work in their own Benz.

[6] Even very rich people are only slightly happier than theaverage American. Although they have more than enoughmoney to buy many things they don’t need and hardly care

about, 4 in 5 of the 49 super-rich people responding to a surveyagreed that “Money can increase OR decrease happiness,depending on how it is used.” Some were indeed unhappy.One fabulously wealthy man called John could neverremember being happy. One woman named Mary reportedthat money could not lesson the misery caused by herchildren’s problems.

[7] If enduring personal happiness generally does not rise withpersonal wealth, does collective happiness go upward with arising economy? Are Americans happier today than in 1940,when two out of five homes lacked a shower or bathtub, and35% of homes had no toilet. Compared with 1957, today’sAmericans are part of the doubly affluent society, with doublewhat money buy. Americans today own twice as many carsper person, eat out more than twice as often, and often enjoymicrowave ovens, big screen colour TVs, and home computers.So, believing that it is “very important” to be very well-offfinancially and having seen their affluence go upward littleby little over four decades, are Americans now happier?

[8] They are not. The number of people reporting themselves“very happy” has, if anything, declined slightly between 1957and 1998, from 35% to 33%: we are twice as rich and no happier.Meanwhile, the divorce rate doubled. Teen suicide tripled.Reported violent crime nearly quadrupled. Depression rates havesoared, especially among teens and young adults. Comparedwith their grandparents, today’s young adults have grown upwith much wealth, slightly less happiness, and much greaterrisk of depression and assorted social pathologies. “The morepeople strive for money the more numerous their problems andthe less robust their happiness,” added Richard Ryan.

[9] Our human capacity for adaptation helps explain the abovephenomenon. The influence of adaptation on happiness wasidentified by well-being researchers in the 1970s. It wassuggested that most people experience “hedonic” neutralityover the years, with only occasional spikes and valleys. Thatis, with the exception of a few potent events that temporarilyraise and lower happiness, people tend to be relatively even-keeled where happiness is concerned. Tough times bring usdown and joyous occasions are uplifting, but we quickly adaptto both. In a society in which everyone lived in 4,000-square-foot houses, people would likely be no happier than in a societyin which everyone lived in 2,000-square-foot houses. “Thanksto our capacity to adapt to ever greater fame and fortune,yesterday’s luxuries can soon become today’s necessities andtomorrow’s relics,” added David Myers.

[10] It is hard to avoid a startling conclusion: Our becomingmuch better off over the last four decades has not beenaccompanied by one iota of increased happiness. So far ashappiness goes, economic growth has provided no apparent

boost to human happiness.

Who is Happy?

Note - free answer for the following questions:69, 72, 75.

73

70

74

74

76C

76E

76B

76A

70

74

7070

70

71

76D

74

73

70

Features of the book

• It is based on the latest HKDSE exam format.

• It comprises 40 exercises.

• Comprehensive and consolidate practice of various essential listening skills

required in Paper 3 part A.

• Design based on the latest HKDSE exam format.

• Five audio CDs are included (all listening materials are recorded by native

speakers).

• Detachable detailed answers and tapescript book is provided.

• Locations of answers to each question are clearly marked on tapescript for easy

reference.


• It is based on the latest HKDSE exam format.

• It comprises 30 exercises with 90 tasks.

• It covers a variety of situations.

• It consists of a variety of written forms such as article, report, table, letter, email

and blog entry.

• Complete answers with areas of content are provided.

• Locations of answers to each task are clearly marked on both tapescript and

Data File for easy reference.

• Three audio CDs are included (all listening materials are recorded by native

speakers).

• Detachable detailed answers and tapescript book are provided for easy

reference.

This Developing Listening Skills Practice for HKDSE English Language Paper 3 (Focus

on Skills Required for Part A and Part B) is specially designed to prepare students of S4

to S6 familiarize with essential skills they will need to score highest mark in the HKDSE

English Language Paper 3.

DEVELOPING LISTENING SKILLS PRACTICE FOR HKDSE

ENGLISH LANGUAGE PAPER 3

(Focus on skills required for Part A and Part B)

ELITE’S NSS EXAM 5-STAR SERIESELITE’S NSS EXAM 5-STAR SERIESELITE’S NSS EXAM 5-STAR SERIESELITE’S NSS EXAM 5-STAR SERIESELITE’S NSS EXAM 5-STAR SERIESELITE’S NSS EXAM 5-STAR SERIES HKDSE English Language Paper 3Listening and Integrated Skills (Vol. 1 & Vol. 2)

ELITE’S NSS EXAM 5-STAR SERIES is written according to the new Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary

Education (HKDSE) exam format. It is specially designed to help senior secondary student to master the

skills they need to achieve success in the HKDSE English Exam.


♦ ELITE’S NSS EXAM 5-STAR SERIES HKDSE English Language Paper 3 Listening and

Integrated Skills comprises two volumes (Vol. 1 & Vol. 2).

♦ Each volume consists of six mock papers based on the format of the new HKDSE English

Language examination to help senior students practise more effectively for the HKDSE.

♦ Each mock paper is specially designed to prepare students of S4 to S6 to familiarize

with essential listening skills they need to score highest mark in the HKDSE English

Language Paper 3.

♦ 6 audio CDs are provided. All listening materials are recorded by native speakers.

♦ Detachable detailed answers and tapescript book is provided.

♦ Location of answers to each question are clearly marked on tapescript for easy reference.

elite's nss exam 5-star series(reading mock papers) (1)

Documents