BetterCertEnglishSeriesForm3.doc

Better Cert English Series (Form 3) Introductory Course
Student’s Edition
PREFACE

Published in 1985, the Better Certificate English Series has proved very popular with Hong Kong students and teachers alike. Feedback from users put it down to the following factors: the material was mostly current affairs, the questions were modelled upon the latest Certificate Exam questions, the answers and distractors were well-set.

Until now the series consisted of the Form 4 book and the Form 5 one. Strictly in line with the above factors, we have prepared this exercise book for Form 3 students.

Many of the passages have been selected for adaptation because the information inside, we consider, can easily be grasped by students. They are, however, not limited to local news. Some have a foreign background. The doze passages are accompanied by drawings and photos to help the students achieve a better understanding of the subject matter. Most of these doze passages drew heavily from community-related posters and brochures published by the GIS. For the usage section, we tried to add new language items used by educated native speakers of English. Most of them are very basic and set with the purpose of building up a sound base in grammar and usage skills.

We sincerely hope that this book is appreciated as a language book, and not merely used for drilling for a remote examination. It should not be. A Form 3 teacher has no business to instil in his students the need to do well in examinations. This book HAPPENS to conform to an examination format.

Thanks are due Mr Lau Yuk-kee, who read the entire typescript and made a number of useful suggestions.

A teacher’s edition with comments and notes has been prepared for teachers’ exclusive use.

Peter Chow

122

CONTENTS

Unit 1 Passage A - Prisoners climbing to the top
Passage B - Hero gets award
Part II USAGE - Light Rail Transit System

Unit 2 Passage A - Make sure of that December marriage
Passage B - It’s a busy line for Hong Kong’s mobile diallers
Part II USAGE - 50,000 for clues to killings/Hints on hill fire prevention

Unit 3 Passage A - The personal policeman
Passage B - Motel maids return box with money
Part II USAGE - Save fuel - save money

Unit 4 Passage A - Pet croc outgrows his bucket under the bed
Passage B - The ten-year secret of a female addict
Part II USAGE - See you on anti-shoplifting day

Unit 5 Passage A - Fake shark’s fin
Passage B - Nightmarish flight
Part II USAGE - Please give me a chance

Unit 6 Passage A - Youth killed after skating dispute
Passage B - Anniversary for man of steel
Part II USAGE - Walks for millions

Unit 7 Passage A - Fireman recalls saving a life
Passage B - Couple survived 66 days at sea
Part II USAGE - Don’t waste water

Unit 8 Passage A - US food lovers play with death
Passage B - Coats help dog beat winter cold
Part II USAGE - How to keep your building clean

Unit 9 Passage A - An uplifting experience
Passage B - Hazards of schoolbags
Part II USAGE - Is your child drug-free

Unit 10 Passage A - High rents force family to squat
Passage B - From riches to rags
Part II USAGE - Report child abuse

Unit 11 Passage A - Births at Ocean Park
Passage B - “Villain” in demand
Part II USAGE - Obey safety rules when using the lift

Unit 12 Passage A - Boy George fight to regain success
Passage B - AIDS patient walked the streets
Part II USAGE - Hygiene in preparing your food at home
UNIT 1
PART I
COMPREHENSION
PASSAGE A
Prisoners climbing to the top
Read this passage and then answer questions 1 - 10.
1 Like many students who took the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination, Ah Keung and Ah Hung were in their twenties. Both got very good results: two distinctions and two credits. But that was not all.
2 While other students prepared for the HKCEE at home or in school, Ah Keung and Ah Hung revised their books in the small cells of the Pik Uk Correctional Institution. They were prisoners.
3 “I really wanted to prove to my family that I could lead a kind of life different from the one I led before I was in prison,” said Ah Keung. “At that time I was very bored at school and was not interested in studying. Now I really enjoy studying and I hope to get a job in the commercial world after I leave the prison.” Ah Hung, on the other hand, wanted to become a teacher and help young prisoners like him.
4 Both of them had to work according to a strict timetable before the examination. In Pik Uk the lights-out time was 10 pm and they had to fit in as much study as they could before that. It means giving up a lot of recreational activities.
5 However, in the weeks leading up to the examination, prison officers relaxed the rule and allowed them to study until 11 pm. Tutors were available for many subjects except a few like Economics. Therefore Ah Keung, who is very interested in it, had to study that subject on his own, and finally got a credit.
6 Mr Chow is the education officer at Pik UK. He said this year’s results were very encouraging. The pass percentage for the 26 prisoners who took the examination was better than that of last year. Moreover, it was higher than outside the prison.
1. What was so special about Ah Keung and Ah Hung?
A. They both got distinctions.
B. They were about twenty years old.
C. They were older than most other candidates.
*D. They were prisoners who did well in a public examination.
2. To prepare for their studies, Ah Keung and Ah Hung....
A. gave up their part-time jobs in prison.
B. committed crime.
C. studied till 10 am.
*D. studied till 11 pm.

3. How did the prison department help their students in preparing for the examination?
*A. They gave them more time to study.
B. They decreased their workload.
C. They shortened their jail term.
D. There was a teacher for every subject.
4. Which of the following is not true of Mr Chow’s students?
A. Many of them passed the examination.
B. On average they got better results than students outside.
*C. They were not given any help in their studies.
D. They did better than last year’s students.
5. What was Ah Keung’s attitude towards studying before he became a prisoner?
*A. He hated it.
B. He liked it.
C. He thought it could help him find a good job.
D. He hated it but he still worked hard.
6. What was Ah Keung trying to show his family?
He was trying to show his family that....
A. he was not guilty.
B. he was a bad boy.
*C. he could change.
D. he was even worse in prison.
7. The phrase “strict timetable” in paragraph 4 tells us that Ah Keung and Ah Hung . . . .
*A. did not have much time for studying.
B. would be punished if they studied too hard.
C. were given less work because of their examination.
D. did not care about their exam results.
8. What do you think the work of the “tutors” in paragraph 5 is?
A. check if the prisoners are lazy or not
*B. help prisoners if they have problems in their studies
C. keep an eye on prisoners who want to cause trouble
D. mark the exam papers of their students

9. Why couldn’t Ah Keung and Ah Hung go on studying after ten?
*A. The lights were turned off.
B. They had to work.
C. They had to take part in recreational activities.
D. They had to watch TV.
10. Which of the following is not mentioned in the passage?
*A. whether Ah Keung and Ah Hung were awarded for their good results by the prison department
B. what the prison department thought of Ah Keung and Ah Hung’s results
C. what made Ah Keung and Ah Hung go to prison
D. where Ah Keung and Ah Hung studied for their examination

UNIT 1
PART I
COMPREHENSION
PASSAGE B
Hero gets award
Read this passage and then answer questions 11 - 19.
1 A construction foreman was yesterday given the “Good Citizen Award of the Year”. The award was presented to him by the Police Commissioner, Mr Jones. Presenting the award, Mr Jones said, “You are a very brave man. By capturing a dangerous killer you have set a good example to other Hong Kong citizens.”
2 The foreman, Mr Tam, single-handedly arrested the criminal a few months ago. He found a stranger in the house on Lamma Island when he returned home with his wife. The stranger had tried to steal things in the house. When he saw Mr Tam he tried to escape.
3 “My wife was very frightened and so was I. But all my fear disappeared when I tried to catch him,” said Mr Tam. In fact, he should think nothing of catching a thief - Mr Tam is a Karate black-belt holder.
4 He threw the thief on the floor with a karate blow. Then he took the thief to the police station near his home. Only later did he discover that he had caught a killer. Police record showed that the man he arrested had broken into a house on the island before and killed the owner.
5 Mr Jones concluded his praise for Mr Tam by saying, “With people like you Hong Kong will be a better and safer place to live in.” The award consisted of HK$10,000 and a five-day holiday to Korea. It would enable Mr Tam and his wife to have a good time.

11. The person caught by Mr Tam was ……
A. a good man.
B. a Karate black belt holder.
C. a bank robber.
*D. a murderer.
12. The praise of the Police Commissioner for Mr Tam includes every sentence below except ……
A. “You are brave.”
B. “You make Hong Kong a safer place.”
*C. “You should be promoted in your job.”
D. “Others can learn from your good example.”
13. The phrase “single-handedly” in paragraph 2 tells us that Mr Tam .…..
A. arrested the criminal with the help of his wife.
B. arrested the criminal with the help of the police.
C. used a gun to arrest the criminal.
*D. arrested the criminal all by himself.
14. When Mr Tam first saw the thief, ……
A. the thief wanted to attack him.
*B. he was afraid.
C. he hid behind his wife.
D. he felt no fear at all.
15. After being caught, the thief ……
A. tried to escape.
*B. was handed over to the police.
C. asked for forgiveness.
D. fell Mr Tam with a Karate blow.
16. The police discovered that the thief ……
A. was a newcomer to Lamma Island.
B. was a resident on Lamma Island.
*C. was connected with a killing on Lamma Island.
D. had broken into Mr Tam’s house before.

17. In paragraph 3, the writer says that Mr Tam “should think nothing of catching a thief”. What he means is ……
A. Mr Tam was endangering his life in doing so.
B. things happened so quickly that Mr Tam had no time to think.
C. Mr Tam should not be too proud though he had caught a thief.
*D. Mr Tam need not worry about doing it at all.
18. As a result of getting the award, Mr Tam ......
A. has some extra money to spend.
B. can enjoy a holiday in Korea.
C. and his wife can enjoy themselves.
*D. will be able to run his kung fu class.
Which of the above is not correct?
19. Which two words in the following have the same meaning?
A. award/Commissioner
B. award/arrested
C. award/example
*D. award/prize

PART II USAGE
Circle the best answer from the word(s) provided in the brackets.
The Light Rail Transit System, or LRT for short, has always (be, was, *been, are) part of the plan (in, *for, with, to) the new town of Tuen Mun. This system is one of the (modern, very modern, more modern, *most modern) of its kind in Asia. It is also safe to use. But users should obey certain safety rules when they (make, give, *take, go) a ride.
Remember:
Only cross the track (if, in, which, *where) there is a pedestrian crossing and look both ways (*before, after, during, until) you cross.
Never (walk, stand, *run, lie) on the track. It is (fill, *full, filled, some) of stones. Your feet may get (killed, hurt, injure, hurted).
Stand (behind, *after, on, before) the yellow line when you are waiting at the stop. And be careful about people standing behind you. Don’t (*let, make, allow, tell) them push you outside the yellow line, especially when a train (came, coming, *is coming, has come).
Never climb (*over, on, behind, under) or through the fences beside the tracks. You will be charged if you are seen and (catching, catch, catches, *caught). The (money, punish, *fine, fee) for this is $500.
(*Take, Be, Give, With) care when you are getting on and off the LRT. Some people had their foot trapped in the space (on, before, in front of, *between) a train and the platform before.
Don’t go beyond this sign. Only LRT staff are (allow, *allowed, allowing, being allow) to go beyond it.
Don’t block the entrance. You will (*cause, make, give, get) inconvenience to people trying to get on and get off. Move further (on, *down, past, in) the vehicle.
Don’t touch the (up, over, above, *overhead) lines. These lines are of a very high voltage. You may get a nasty electric (touch, fire, *shock, shake). In serious cases, you may be killed.

In each of the following questions, decide which of the choices given is the most suitable if inserted in the place(s) marked . . . .

42. The small elephant . . . . parents have been killed by hunters is now being cared in a zoo.
A. which
B. who
C. whom
*D. whose

43. .... in black pants and a white shirt, the waiter stands politely behind the customers and wait for their order.
A. Dress
B. Dresses
*C. Dressed
D. Dressing
44. On . . . . Hong Kong the tourist could not believe his eyes. It was so different from what it had been twenty years ago.
A. arrive at
B. arrived in
C. arriving at
*D. arrival in
45. Since they came to Hong Kong, the Vietnamese refugees . . . . in closed camps.
*A. have been kept
B. had kept
C. were kept
D. were keeping
46. Visitor: Can you tell me where Hong Kong Hotel is?
Receptionist: Go down the stairs and turn left.
Visitor: Thank you.
Receptionist: . . . .
A. No thanks.
B. You’ll be alright.
C. Keep it in your mind, please.
*D. You’re welcome.
47. Iris: What do you think of the taxi fare rise proposal?
Joe: . . . .
*A. As a taxi driver, I’m all for it.
B. No, I seldom take a taxi.
C. Taking a taxi is a waste of money.
D. No, I do not think it.

48. Nyree: . . . .
Salina: I don’t know. You can look up the TV programme book.
*A. Anything good on TV tonight?
B. What is your favourite TV programme?
C. I hope you don’t mind my turning on the TV.
D. Do you know why the TV screen has snowflakes?
49. MTR station announcer:
Passengers please . . . . the door.
A. mend
*B. mind
C. make
D. meet
50. My umbrella is not there and there is another one that is the same colour..... , someone has taken away mine and left behind his.
A. Generally
*B. Obviously
C. Perhaps
D. Completely
51. He did not think . . . . her, yet he married her.
A. good of
B. love of
*C. much of
D. beautiful of
52. As he fell, he . . . . grab the railing and therefore was not hurt.
*A. managed to
B. succeeded to
C. succeeded in
D. failed to
53. Sometime next year he . . . . to Canada to continue his studies.
*A. will go
B. going
C. goes
D. has gone

54. The sign reads:
Reduce . . . . now. Road works ahead.
A. travelling
B. d