SAMPLE
ESSAYS (1)
Lv 5**
C:7
L:7
O:7
2012 DSE Q9
Q: Your school magazine is going to include a special feature on
mental health. Recently, one of your friends was suffering
from depression. Write an ARTICLE for the school magazine
<1> about your friend’s depression and <2> how he/she overcame it.
<3> Give advice to others on how to help fight depression.
3 THINGS TO INCLUDE IN YOUR ESSAY:
<1>:
-why did your friend suffer from depression?
-what problems did your friend encounter?
<2>:
-seek help from the professionals
-moderate exercise
-join more extra-curricular activities
<3>: (can actually overlap with <2> )
-practice medication techniques (yoga, deep breathing, meditation)
-eat a healthy diet
-join a support group for depression
Face it Bravely! ------ The Key to Fighting Depression
There is only one thing more staggering than Hong Kong’s
mind-blowing economic metamorphosis in the past few years,
and it is the still widespread ignorance about the problem of
depression. It is an omnipresent phenomenon that people in
Hong Kong suffer from depression, not to mention that the
number of people suffering from it has been exponentially
increasing. Probably one of the contributory factors to this
deplorable trend is the exorbitantly fast pace of life of Hong
Kong residents given that Hong Kong is an international
metropolitan city. However, under no circumstances should we
overlook the fact that the relatively low awareness about
maintaining mental health among people further aggravates the
problem. After much deliberation in the long run, it is my firm
conviction that comprehensive strategies should be put forward
in order to tackle the thorny problem as it will undeniably bring
a myriad of far-reaching impacts to the community ranging from
residents having declining quality of life to enterprises
suffering from shrinking workforce and diminishing productivity
if we let the problem become a vicious circle by looking on with
folded arms. In this article, I will give three pieces of advice to
all of you on how to fight depression and share my friend’s
experience.
There are actually numerous solutions that can fight against
depression. Among all these, the first recurring to my mind is to
set achievable goals. When you are depressed, you may feel like
you cannot accomplish anything. Setting daily achievable goals
plays a vital role in re-establishing your self-esteem and
boosting your confidence. A flawless illustration of the
viewpoint is that my friend, Jane, was at first plagued by the
problem of depression and overcoming the problem was
insurmountably difficult for her. Yet, after consulting a host of
social workers and psychologists, she tried to set daily
attainable and feasible goals like doing 30 to 60 minutes of
aerobic exercise every day, engaging in advanced studies and
attending extra-curricular activities such as Dance Generation’s
Hip Hop course, Hong Kong’s Triathlon Association’s training
course, to name but a few, in order to nurture her talents in
various aspects. After several weeks, she has successfully
developed a positive sense of self and reconstructed her
self-assurance. With this in mind, setting goals and
accomplishing them is irrefutably a good way to alleviate the
problem of depression as it not only enables you to have a higher
sense of achievement and satisfaction, but also helps unleashing
your potentials.
It is also beyond dispute that having enough rest and doing
moderate exercise plays an indispensible role in fighting
depression. Nowadays, it is a ubiquitous phenomenon that people
attach inordinate importance to students’ academic results. As
a result, adolescents are often overburdened with exceedingly
high expectations and workload pressure. Students are so
focused on acing their exams so as to gain recognition from
their peers and teachers. They have hectic schedules with a
vast number of tutorial classes and they always burn the
midnight oil. Hence, it is self-evident that they lack time for
relaxation and entertainment. From my point of view, having at
least 60 minutes of rest every day is an effective solution to
mitigate the problem of depression, and having not enough
relaxation is tantamount to undermining students’ physical and
mental health. I am not justifying that you should certainly not
be snowed under with homework, tutorial classes, and strive to
pass the public exam with flying colors, but giving zero
entertainment and rest to yourself is equally detrimental to
your personal growth. Apart from having enough rest, doing
moderate exercise serves as a catalyst to accelerate the
progress in overcoming depression. My friend, Jane, not only
participated in yoga class and Hip Hop course, but also insisted
on doing HIIT workout every day at home. She claimed that
exercise is a distraction for her that can get her away from the
cycle of negative thoughts that feed anxiety and depression. In
fact, exercising makes you feel happier and there are actually
some medical proofs. Regular exercise helps you ease
depression in releasing feel-good brain chemicals like
endorphins, and also in reducing immune system chemicals that
can worsen depression. The fact that regular exercise helps
people maintain their physical health is universally acknowledged,
yet, we should not overlook the fact that it is also crucial to
keep people mentally healthy.
Last but not least, seek appropriate treatment and help from
the professionals if you need! Depression can leave a person
feeling lethargic, unmotivated, or hopeless. In severe cases,
depression can lead to suicidal ideation. Unfortunately, stigma
surrounding depression inhibits many people from seeking
treatment as an individual with depression may be viewed as
flawed or weak. Nonetheless, seeking professional assistance
and treatment can help you identify the source of depression
and it is the only way that will successfully address your crux of
problem. Jane had feelings of inadequacy and grief, but she had
completely no idea what the underlying reasons that
contributed to her depression were. After finding help from
various professionals, she figured out that it was actually the
tremendous pressure resulting from not being capable of
achieving outstanding academic results that got her extremely
depressed.
All in all, it is of paramount importance to maintain good
mental health as you will not have a healthy body if you do not
take good care of your mind. It is patently obvious that it is
worth giving the thumbs-up to the idea that we should fight
depression and other negative emotions bravely. It is earnestly
hoped that the government departments can make a concerted
effort to ignite the public awareness of keeping good mental
health, instead of adopting a wait-and-see approach, as the
problem of depression in society is so acute that the
government must take prompt action to eradicate it. As an
individual, we should value ourselves and make every endeavor to
keep ourselves healthy, both physically and mentally.
Useful vocabs & sentence patterns:
1. There is only one thing more staggering than Hong Kong’s
mind-blowing economic metamorphosis in the past few years,
and it is the still widespread ignorance about the problem of
depression/animal abuse/compensated dating… (introduction
to the issue)
2. Omnipresent phenomenon (常見現象)
ANY ALTERNATIVES?? :o
(1)
Ubiquitous phenomenon
(2)
All-present phenomenon
(3)
Universal phenomenon
3. Exponentially increasing (rapidly increasing)
ANY ALTERNATIVES?? :o
(1)
Explosively increasing
(2)
Skyrocketing
(3)
Escalating
4. Exorbitantly=Extremely
5. Under no circumstances should we overlook the fact that…
(可用此句引出下個 argument)
6. Aggravate(惡化)
ANY ALTERNATIVES?? :o
(1)
Exacerbate
(2)
Compound/Complicate
(3)
Inflame
7. Thorny (=serious)
ANY ALTERNATIVES?? :o
(1)
Acute
(2)
Insurmountable
(3)
Severe
8. A myriad of…(一定要跟 countable nouns!!!!!!)
ANY ALTERNATIVES?? :o
(1)
A host of
(2)
A multitude of
(3)
A vast number of
9. Ranging from AAA to BBB (and CCC)
e.g. Nowadays, children are not capable of dealing with daily situations,
ranging from washing clothes to cooking food by themselves.
10. Let the problem become a vicious circle (令問題變成一個惡性
循環)
11. Vital
ANY ALTERNATIVES?? :o
(1)
Indispensable
(2)
Essential
(3)
Crucial
12. Boosting
ANY ALTERNATIVES?? :o
(1)
Bolstering
(2)
Uplifting
(3)
Enhancing
13. A flawless illustration of the viewpoint is that… (引出例子)
14. (be) plagued by=affected by
e.g. Hong Kong is now at a tight corner plagued by crucial competitors
from nearby countries.
15. Irrefutably (無可否認地)
ANY ALTERNATIVES?? :o
(1)
Indisputably
(2)
Undoubtedly/Unquestionably
(3)
Evidently
16. Alleviate (mitigate)=減輕
Extra: 停止問題再發生
(1)
(2)
(3)
Stamp out
Eradicate
Grapple with
17. AAA not only….., but also……….
+ problem
18. It is beyond dispute that….
ANY ALTERNATIVES?? :o
(1)
It is an irrefutable/indisputable/undeniable fact that…
(2)
It is patently obvious that…
(3)
It is self-evident that…
19. Exceedingly/Extremely/Significantly/Tremendously
20. Tantamount to=Equivalent to
e.g. To leave a dog home alone is tantamount to cruelty.
21. Undermine
ANY ALTERNATIVES?? :o
(1)
Impede
(2)
Threaten
(3)
Impair
22. I am not justifying that…., but……… (useful in argumentative
essays to make your viewpoints more convincing)
e.g. I am not justifying that we should spend a long period of time
watching TV and be addicted to it, but not giving any
entertainment time for yourself is equally detrimental to your
personal growth.
23.
AAA serves as a catalyst to accelerate the progress in
(….ing)
e.g. Watching TV for 30 to 40 minutes every day serves as a
catalyst to accelerate the progress in stimulating our
creativity.
24.
Lethargic (having no energy to do anything, similar to
unmotivated)
25.
The crux of the problem/The heart of the problem/The
core of the problem
26.
(be) of paramount importance=very important
ANY ALTERNATIVES?? :o
(1)
Vitally important
(2)
Of substantial/enormous importance
27.
It is earnestly hoped that……(useful in endings esp for
Letter to the editor/argumentative essays)
28.
A and B should make a concerted effort to…(共同努力)
ANY ALTERNATIVES?? :o
(1)
Make unremitting efforts
(2)
Make sustained endeavors
Lv 5**
C:7
L:7
O:7
2016 DSE Q4
Q: It has recently been reported that some parents in Asian countries are
installing apps on their children’s mobile phones that monitor their
activities to ensure that they use these devices responsibly. Write a
letter to the Young Post stating whether you agree with these parents’
actions or not. Justify your position with three reasons.
BRAINSTORMING:
AGREE:
-help parents keep their children away from the social media sites that are
exposed to cyber bullying, sex and porn.
-help limit the number of hours their children spend on their phones
~>help them establish good study habits at home
-track the child’s location anytime ~> protect them from dangerous
situations encountered outside home
DISAGREE:
-severely harm the child’s privacy
-children might feel that their parents don’t trust them ~> pose risks to
the relationship between parents and child
-there are limitations for tracking and monitoring apps (not possible to
protect children from all risks)
Dear Editor,
Recently, the issue of whether parents should install apps on
their children’s mobile phones that monitor their activities to
ensure that they use these devices responsibly has aroused
wide concern among various circles and provoked a stir among
the locals. The advocates put forward the idea that installing
these apps is a sign of good parenting, while the skeptics
including some psychologists and privacy experts insist that
such acts can harm parent-child relationships. Divergent as the
arguments are, it is my firm belief that parents should not
monitor what their children do online by installing apps.
There is no shortage of reasons for my stance. Among all
these, the first recurring to my mind is that humans need
privacy, even children. No one should feel that everything they
are doing is being monitored, particularly when they haven’t
done anything wrong. It is understandable that some parents
are worried about their kids doing bad things on the Internet,
but it is an undeniable fact that parents stalking their kids by
installing apps on their children’s mobile phones fails to address
the fundamental problem and it is certainly not an effective and
long-term solution. According to the research conducted by the
University of Hong Kong, children whose parents constantly
stalk what they do, looking over their shoulder and reading
every message and Google search, are the ones who have a
higher tendency to rebel. They will grow sick of having no
privacy and overprotective parents, and they will be much more
likely to attempt bad things outside their parents’ watch. In
view of this, isn’t it preposterous for some advocates to uphold
the claim that it is necessary to install the apps in order to
monitor and safeguard the kids given that they haven’t done any
inappropriate things? I am not justifying that children should
not be educated not to overuse their phones and be instilled
correct concepts of online safety, but spying on the kids using
apps that severely harm the children’s privacy is equally
detrimental to their personal growth.
Alongside harming the kid’s privacy, under no circumstances
should we overlook the fact that installing such apps on
children’s mobile phones poses risks to the relationship between
parent and child. If a parent does not tell the child they are
being monitored, and the child finds out, this is likely to be
experienced as a breach of trust. One of the widely recognized
features of trust is that it takes time to build, but can be easily
broken and once broken can be extremely difficult to rebuild.
After installing the apps, parents can spend hour upon hour
examining photos on Instagram or Facebook of their children
and checking every single messages of their children with their
friends. It is patently obvious that the adolescents may suffer
from depression or anxiety, not to mention they may also
develop hatred towards their parents. For sure, there is no
foolproof way to prevent your children from getting into trouble.
In fact, it will probably happen no matter what you do. But
respecting the children and giving them some degree of privacy
will allow the parents to forge a much stronger relationship with
their children based on mutual trust, instead of them seeing
their moms and dads simply as evil dictators who they must work
to avoid. It is beyond dispute that mutual respect is a
contributory factor to the enhancement of cohesion among the
family members. In light of this, it is self-evident that parents
should not monitor their kids by installing apps on their mobile
phones.
Last but not least, it is of paramount importance that we
notice the fact that there are numerous limitations for tracking
and monitoring apps. Companies that make the apps trade on an
assumption that it is possible to protect children from all risks
and that the way to do this is to watch every move so as to avert
or intercept potential harm. Yet, it goes against the growing
body of evidence that shows that children are losing the very
skills they need to navigate the world and deal with the genuine
risks they will encounter. This is not to say that parents should
blindly trust their children and neglect their responsibility to
protect them from danger. On the contrary, every child needs
to be better educated and supported in working out how to
safely negotiate their way around social media, online gaming,
email and texting, which is, with no doubt, the most
comprehensive and long-term solution to mitigate the existing
problem of online safety.
Judging from the above well-documented analysis, it is my
firm conviction that parents should not install apps on their
children’s devices to monitor their activity, instead, we should
give the thumbs-up to the idea that parents should foster more
in-depth communication with their children and infuse correct
concepts of using the mobile devices appropriately into them. It
is earnestly hoped that parents will not install apps that monitor
their children anymore as it not only infringes on their beloved
children’s privacy, but also damages the parent-child
relationships.
Yours faithfully,
Chris Wong
Chris Wong
Useful vocabs & sentence patterns:
1.
…has aroused wide concern among various circles
ANY ALTERNATIVES?? :o
(1)
Has sparked heated discussion
(2)
Has hit the headlines
(3)
Has been in the limelight
2. …has provoked a stir among the locals
ANY ALTERNATIVES?? :o
(1)
Has engendered/triggered a stir among the locals
(2)
Has stirred up much controversy
3. Fundamental problem
ANY ALTERNATIVES?? :o
(1)
Underlying problem
(2)
Intrinsic problem
(3)
Root problem
4. Isn’t it preposterous for s.b.(the critics/advocates) to
uphold the claim that…. (useful in making your viewpoints
more convincing)
Alternative approach ~write a CA!~
Some critics may counter my stance, asserting that……(their argument). This argument is
reasonable on the surface, but upon closer examination, it does not make much sense.
5. Instill/infuse correct concepts of (sth) into (sb)
e.g. It is hoped that schools can add moral education lessons into the
school curriculum, which can instill correct concepts of sex into
students’ minds.
6. Foolproof (involving no risk/harm)
ANY ALTERNATIVES?? :o
(1) Infallible
(2) Unfailing
(3) Unerring
7. Forge/Frame/Shape a strong relationship
8. A contributory factor to…
e.g. Allowing filming in the city centre serves as a contributory factor
to the local economy in terms of visitors.
9. Avert (=avoid)
ANY ALTERNATIVES?? :o
(1) Intercept
(2) Obviate
(3) Ward off
10. It goes against the growing body of evidence that shows
that…(useful to make your viewpoints more convincing)
Mention the argument from the opposite side -> (Rebuttal)
Yet, it goes against the growing body of evidence that shows
that…
11.
Foster/stimulate/promote more in-depth communication
12.
Judging from the above well-documented analysis,…(useful
in endings)
ANY ALTERNATIVES?? :o
(1) Taking all aspects into account,…
(2) All in all/To sum up,…
(3) Taking all perspectives into consideration,…
Lv 5**
C:7
L:7
O:7
Q: The English Debate Team is going to join a debate competition
organized by Sing Tao Daily. The motion is “Computer Programming
should be made a compulsory subject in secondary schools in Hong
Kong.” Write a letter to the editor regarding the issue.
Dear Editor,
Recently, the issue of whether computer programming should
be made a compulsory subject in secondary schools in Hong Kong
has aroused wide concern among various circles and provoked a
stir among the locals. The advocates put forward the idea that
making computer programming a compulsory subject can help
the adolescents to be innovative, while the skeptics insist that
the skills learnt in the lessons are completely useless for the
young people in the future. Divergent as the arguments are, it is
my firm conviction that the benefits of computer programming
lessons far outweigh the drawbacks, and I am prone to support
the idea that computer programming should be made a
compulsory subject in secondary schools in Hong Kong.
There is no shortage of reasons for my stance. Among all
these, probably the first recurring to my mind is that making
computer programming a compulsory lesson plays a vital role in
cultivating the students into well-rounded individuals. It is
unanimously agreed that computer programming lessons enhance
students’ computational thinking, which is the ability to
communicate their thoughts in a structured and logical way. This
type of thought process is like the step by step instructions
that are coded into a computer. It is also the process of
thinking up and then solving problems in a methodical way.
Considering that it has already become a ubiquitous phenomenon
that the adolescents lack a myriad of life skills and the ability
to solve problems independently with the prevalence of
over-protective parents, we must not turn a blind eye to the
problem and it is beyond dispute that we should take full
advantage of the computer programming subject, which serves
as an indispensable role in strengthening the problem-solving
skills of students. To put it simply, computer programming
lessons help develop students’ computational thinking and equip
themselves with a wide range of life skills, which in turn allowing
them to tackle problems encountered in diverse daily life
situations in a stepwise manner and in a rational way. Yet, these
are only slight reasons for my stance.
Apart from the aforementioned benefits, it is irrefutable
that making computer programming a compulsory subject in
secondary school curriculum is advantageous to the students’
personal growth in long term. Given that technology advances in
a significantly rapid rate, the current generation of children will
need to be literate in technology in order to grab the limelight
in such a competitive job market. After several years, not
knowing how to code will be comparable to not knowing how to
read. Most jobs require the knowledge of basic IT skills, while
even retail and fast food jobs require the use of technology and
computers. Under this line of thinking, it is patently obvious
that computer programming should be made compulsory so as to
allow students to have better job prospects in the future.
Furthermore, what is also worthy of our attention is that
computer programming lessons help unearth students’ potentials,
which is conducive to students’ personal development. Under the
exam-oriented education system, it is an omnipresent
phenomenon that students suffer from exceedingly high
workload pressure, and those who are not academically inclined
may consider themselves as ‘losers’. They lose their confidence
and self-esteem gradually, which is undeniably detrimental to
their personal growth. Making computer programming a
compulsory subject can exactly eradicate the existing thorny
problem, as it provides an alternative pathway for students to
experience success and helps churn out more IT talents. In
other words, it is effective in bolstering students’ confidence,
reinforcing their self-esteem and cultivating their self-worth
when they find their potentials in the ICT aspect.
Alongside facilitating the personal growth of adolescents,
under no circumstances should we overlook the fact that making
computer programming a compulsory subject can help leverage
the diversity of our future workforce, which helps boost the
local economy. According to the research conducted by the
Hong Kong Government, over 50% of our working population is
serving in the financial, investment and insurance sector, and
over 30% of the population is serving in the retail and service
industry, while only 2% of the workforce is working in the
computer industry. In view of this deplorable trend, it is
self-evident that the government should make sustained
endeavors to diversify the workforce population in order to
minimize the likelihood of economic depression and to balance
the current working population. Making computer lessons
compulsory serves as a catalyst to accelerate the progress in
sharpening Hong Kong’s competitive edge as more IT talents can
be cultivated and more people will apply for jobs like coding
specialists, which are highly sought-after and in huge demand in
the current job market.
Judging from the above well-documented analysis, making
computer programming a compulsory subject imposes
far-reaching impacts on both students and society. It is
earnestly hoped that schools will introduce computer
programming lessons into the school curriculum. It is also hoped
that the local government can make unremitting efforts to help
develop the ICT industry in a multi-pronged approach, so that
Hong Kong can thereby be widely recognized as an international
metropolis in return.
Lv 5**
C:7
L:7
O:7
PP Q6
Q: There is talk of certain schools removing PE lessons from the
curriculum so students can concentrate more on academic
subjects. Write a letter to the Secretary of Education
expressing your views on the proposal.
Dear Sir/Madam,
Recently, the issue of whether schools should remove PE
lessons from the curriculum so students can concentrate more
on academic subjects has aroused wide concern among various
circles and has provoked a stir among the locals. The advocates
put forward the idea that removing PE lessons can effectively
churn out more talents while the skeptics insist that PE lessons
should not be removed in order to cultivate more well-rounded
individuals. Divergent as the arguments are, it is my firm
conviction that PE lessons should not be removed.
There is no shortage of reasons for my stance. Among all
these, the first recurring to my mind is that exercising during
PE lessons is a natural way to let students loosen up and let go of
stress. Under the exam-oriented education system, students
and teachers attach inordinate importance to academic results.
In a bid to gain recognition from peers and teachers, students
are so focused on acing their exams and it is an irrefutable fact
that they are overburdened with significantly high expectations
and workload pressure. Parents’ relentless insistence on
straight A’s and daily hours of music mandatory practice
further aggravates the problem and it undeniably makes the
children suffer from tremendous pressure. I am not justifying
that students should not strive to pass their exams with flying
colors, but not providing moderate exercise in PE lessons to
students is equally detrimental to their personal growth.
Considering the fact that the suicide rate in Hong Kong is
exponentially increasing, it is of paramount importance that
they should be given the opportunity to relieve their stress and
relax in order to stop this deplorable trend. According to the
research conducted by the University of Hong Kong, exercise
reduces the levels of stress hormones by 20% in your body. At
the same time, it stimulates production of endorphins, and it is
unanimously agreed that endorphins are natural mood lifters
that can keep stress and depression at bay. Under this line of
thinking, isn’t preposterous for some advocates to uphold the
claim that it is necessary to remove PE lessons from the school
curriculum in order to let them focus on their academic
subjects given that doing sports plays a vital role in maintaining
students’ mental health and cardiovascular fitness?
Alongside facilitating the physical and mental health of the
adolescents, under no circumstances should we overlook the
fact that keeping PE lessons plays an indispensable role in
cultivating more well-rounded individuals. It is patently obvious
that it has become a ubiquitous phenomenon that local students
keep regurgitating facts and catering answers specifically to
marking schemes, and the presence of exceedingly rampant
tutoring industries with star tutors striving to let students be
fully equipped with exam skills further adds fuel to the problem.
With the prevalence of over-protective parents, it is apparent
that students nowadays lack a myriad of essential life skills like
resilience, ability to cope with adversity, leadership skills and
cooperation skills. Yet, team sports like dodge ball, football,
volleyball in PE lessons teach students teamwork and
problem-solving skills. Students can fight for a common goal
with a group of players and coaches may also teach them how to
build teamwork and effectively communicate to solve problems
when playing team sports. In addition, the regular exercise that
comes with playing sports can boost students’ confidence,
establish their self-esteem and reinforce their self-assurance.
As students’ strength, skills and stamina increase through
playing sports, their self-image will improve as well. With the
renewed vigor and energy that comes from physical activity,
students may be more likely to succeed in tasks off the playing
field as well as on it. All in all, doing sports in PE lessons is
definitely beneficial to students’ personal development.
Last but not least, the presence of PE lessons in school
curriculum can help nurture sports talents. Schools can raise
their competitiveness as they can take full advantage of their
students’ skills in playing ballgames or track and field events to
achieve awards and to polish their reputation. With the
one-shot examination system in Hong Kong, many students are
arguably exam-savvy. Yet, does that mean that the aggregate of
those scholastically superior kids is a more dynamic economy, a
more creative population, a superior society? The presence of
PE lessons serves as a catalyst to accelerate the progress in
unearthing students’ potential in playing various kinds of sports,
thus bolstering their confidence and cultivating their
self-worth. It is beyond dispute that keeping PE lessons in the
school curriculum helps leverage the diversity of our future
workforce as students’ potential and talents in sports can be
discovered and unearthed.
Judging from the above well-documented analysis, keeping PE
lessons in the school curriculum imposes far-reaching and
positive impacts on both schools and children. It is earnestly
hoped that PE lessons will not be removed from the school
curriculum and the government will make unremitting endeavors
to ignite the public awareness of the importance of doing sports,
so that Hong Kong can thereby be widely recognized as an
international metropolis in return.
Yours faithfully,
Chris Wong.
Chris Wong