DSE Chinese Paper 1 Answer Tips: Reading Comprehension + Twelve Sample Essays + Vernacular Essays + Classical Chinese Essays

Why do candidates find the DSE Chinese paper difficult?

• I couldn’t understand the reading materials and wrote a long paragraph, but I couldn’t get any points.
• I don’t understand the skills and practice methods of the model essay.
• I can’t understand the classical Chinese part, and I can’t understand the paragraphs of the vernacular.
• There are too many questions in the Chinese reading paper. I don’t understand it after reading it, so I have to reread it again and again, so I can’t complete the questions within the time limit.

So, what part of the candidates is the main part of the DSE Chinese Paper 1 test?

• The students’ answering skills, whether they answer the questions accurately and whether they use appropriate words.
• Deep understanding of text.
• The application of basic Chinese concepts in reading materials, such as writing techniques and rhetorical techniques.
• Assess the candidate's ability to understand, analyze, feel, appreciate, and use different strategies.

DSE Chinese scoring standards

According to the information in 2024, in the public examination part, the DSE Chinese Reading Comprehension Paper 1, which accounts for the total score of 40%, is conducted in the form of a written test, and the test time is 1 hour and 30 minutes. Paper 2, which accounts for the total score of 45%, is also a written test and the test time is 2 hours and 15 minutes. The remaining 15% is from the reading report. The assessment content is divided into two parts, a written report and an oral report. The two parts together account for 15% of the total score.

Among them, the Chinese paper is divided into two parts: A and B. There are twelve sample essays in the Part A assessment, accounting for 30% of the total score. Part B will assess one classical Chinese article and one to two extracurricular vernacular articles, accounting for 70% of the entire paper. The assessment modes include question and answer, selection, form filling, filling, etc.

It can be seen that DSE Chinese Paper 1 is easier to score than Paper 2. Therefore, Paper 1 plays a key role in the overall score of the subject. Moreover, compared to the writing test, reading comprehension is a test that can improve performance in the short term through skills and practice. Therefore, improving your grades in the short term depends entirely on Paper 1, especially the twelve sample essays in Part A assessment.

time management

Volume 1, Part A: Twelve Sample Essays

Candidates are asked not to spend too much time here. Answers should be concise, to the point, and get to the heart of the issue. It is recommended to use 5-20 minutes to complete this part of the questions. If you spend too much time, you will be overwhelmed by the classical Chinese and vernacular texts that follow and will not have time to answer.

Volume 1, Part B: Classical Chinese

Some students did the classical Chinese part first, which is not a good idea. The types of questions in classical Chinese are relatively straightforward. All candidates need to do is find the answer in the original sentence and then translate it into vernacular. However, it is recommended to use up to 20 minutes to complete this part of the question, and remember to leave time for other questions.

Volume 1, Part B: Vernacular Chinese

Here’s the key point. Because the questions and reading materials for the vernacular essay are relatively long, it is recommended that the remaining 50 minutes be spent on the vernacular essay. Rather than answering a question in a lengthy manner, it is better to soak it in rain and dew.

Paper 1 Exam Skills and Study Key Points

Volume 1, Part A: Twelve Sample Essays

The 12 sample essays can be divided into the following four categories:

Biography

A biography can be written in the "first person" as the protagonist or written by someone else, and the third person can describe things related to the character. Simply put, biography mainly depicts the personality characteristics of a character through narrative events. For example:

• In Chinese history, there are few generals as admired as Guan Yu. As Liu Bei's sworn brother, Guan Yu is famous for his extraordinary martial arts and unwavering loyalty. He is nine feet tall, has a red face, a long beard hanging down his chest, and is powerful and domineering. People respectfully call him "The Beautiful Bearded Man".

Travel notes

The author usually expresses his emotions through what he sees and hears during his travels in the world, and uses scenes to bring out the author's ambitions and opinions. An example of travel writing using "The Story of Yueyang Tower" as a case:

• Fan Zhongyan wrote in "Yueyang Tower": "Don't be happy with things, don't be sad with yourself." Facing the beautiful Dongting Lake, he did not indulge in the scenery in front of him, but saw a more profound ambition in it - caring for the country. Major events, worrying about people's livelihood and well-being.

poetry

The author will choose to describe the scenery in his poems, and then use them to recall the past or look forward to the future to bring out his own feelings. Therefore, the most important thing in poetry is to know the "emotion" expressed by the author, and what scenery the author uses to bring out his own feelings in the poem. For example:

• "Niannujiao·Chibi Nostalgia" is the work of Su Liao, a famous figure in the Song Dynasty. The great river goes eastward, and the waves are swept away, and there are romantic figures throughout the ages. On the west side of the fortress, the humane road is Chibi, the Lang of the Zhou Dynasty of the Three Kingdoms.

essay

In an argumentative essay, the most important thing is to refer to the central argument, sub-arguments, argumentation process and arguments in the article. Candidates must understand the main points of the original author's argument. After clearly understanding the author's central argument, learn and practice how the author demonstrates the legitimacy of the central argument, and remember what examples the author chose to enhance the persuasiveness of the article. For example:

• In "The Theory of Six Kingdoms", "The six kingdoms were destroyed because of the disadvantages of the army and poor fighting, and the disadvantages were Qin Qing."
• The central argument is: the six countries were destroyed not because of military disadvantages or poor combat, but because they colluded with each other and competed to pay tribute, send gifts, and seek peace to Qin, thus losing their ability to be independent and the ability to cooperate to resist Qin. determination.

Volume 1, Part B: Classical Chinese

In 2018, the official has provided 12 sample essays and 8 recommended classical Chinese essays for candidates to review. Details are as follows:

Paper 2 Examination Skills and Study Key Points

writingIn paper two, the only question types encountered were "narrative", "lyrical" and "argumentative". So how can we get high marks for our articles?

For narrative and lyrical writing:

1. Based on the keywords in the question, come up with 1 to 3 suitable plots.
2. Think of a good quote and write it down.
3. What rhetoric can be transported?
4. How to sublimate an article? (Elevating the plot to a social or moral level is to open up the pattern.)

For argumentative essays:

• The overall requirement is that the article should be clear, logical, informative, and persuasive.
• Points of view require a clear position, well-organized, and relevant to the topic. Candidates can try 3 steps:

1. Introduction:Highlight the topic and draw the reader's attention.
2. This thesis:State each argument clearly (pay attention to logic).
3. in conclusion:The sentences should be strong and powerful and leave a deep impression on the readers.

Tips:

Candidates need to pay attention to semantic context and stylistic format. When writing, try to bring in real situational imagination, and use different attitudes and tones for different characters. The stylistic formats are divided into: article reviews, letters, and speeches. Candidates need to memorize the letter format, etc. (you can memorize these formats before the exam and don't waste time thinking).

Do candidates need to recite the original texts of the twelve model essays?

The answer is no, because it is not common to ask questions that require quoting the original text. If you do not know the content and ideas of the model essay, and have not mastered the answering techniques and techniques, please do not spend all your time memorizing the sentences in a short period of time. This is simply not possible. To no avail.

Here I’ll teach you a little trick. You might as well try to divide the 12 sample essays into three categories: argumentative essays, lyrical essays, and narrative descriptive essays, so as to facilitate the organization of the article structure and main content. Among the original twelve model essays, only poems are the only ones that need to be memorized. Candidates need to understand what the original author wants to express through the poem. For example:

Argumentative essay:

1. 1. 1. core argument: Identify and concisely express the main idea of the article, which is the central message the author is trying to convey.
      2. Sub-arguments: Outline the secondary ideas or arguments that support the main idea and how each contributes to an in-depth discussion of the topic.
      3. Arguments and Argument Methods: Pay attention to how the article uses evidence, logical reasoning, and other persuasive techniques to strengthen its arguments.

Lyrical essay:

• • 1. lyrical approach: Distinguish whether the article expresses emotions through specific events or scenes, and the characteristics of this expression.
    2. emotional expression: Understand how the author conveys personal emotions through events or scenes, and what this expression means to readers.

Narrative:

1. 1. 1. narrative structure: Clearly understand the narrative flow of the article, including the sequence and logical connections of event development.
      2. People and events: Analyze how the article shows the personality traits of different characters through events, and their role and development in the story.

In addition, it is better to make good use of the answering framework. Especially when I encountered questions about argumentation techniques. Obviously, the answer structure is generally "name of argumentation technique + how to use this argumentation technique in the content of the article + highlight the argument." In fact, when you thoroughly understand the basic definitions of different writing techniques and rhetorical techniques, as well as fully understand the answering framework and grasp the key contents of the article, you can get high scores without having to memorize them by rote. Of course, different questions have different answer frameworks, and candidates need to be flexible. It is impossible to get high scores by rote memorization.

DSE Chinese Language Examination Status in Recent Years

It can be seen from official data that after adding twelve sample essays to the assessment, the scores of candidates in Paper 1 of Chinese Paper have improved significantly. This is partly because the candidates obtained relatively high scores in Part A, so the scores of candidates in Paper 1 have improved significantly. Also high.

Statistics of previous examination questions

In 2022, two vernacular essays were tested. The length was not long, which shortened the candidate's answering time, but this is only for reference. By the way, this year's reading section tests "On Benevolence, On Filial Piety, and On Gentlemen" and "On Xiaoyaoyou". These two articles have been tested for 2 consecutive years, so candidates remember to look at the previous test questions, maybe during the actual test Can be of great help.

If it still doesn’t work, maybe you’re using the wrong method, please feel free to contact us.GETUTOR Hong Kong Tutor Association, to answer your questions and give you guidance at any time.