Performance Plus for the HKDSE — All-in-one Exam Practice (Vol.
2) (2nd Edition) Set 6 Paper 1
Part A
Q1 Question that requires interpretation
According to the introduction, one in five elderly Japanese are predicted to have
dementia by 2025. Option B is incorrect because the sentence does not mean that
25% of the entire Japanese population will have dementia by 2025. Option C is
correct because with one in five elderly Japanese are predicted to have dementia by
2025, the problem of dementia will become more serious.
Q2 Lexical question
Clue: ‘sales’ (line 2)
‘Rep’ is an informal word for ‘representative’.
Q3 Sequencing question
Students must pay attention to the clue, ‘Months earlier’ (line 2). Masashi Tsuda
had struggled to get to grips with his office’s new computer system months before
he forgot the number for his changing room locker.
Q4 Factual question
Q5 Open-ended question — short response
Alzheimer’s disease is a chronic neurodegenerative disease. Alzheimer is the most
common cause of dementia. The terms ‘Alzheimer’s disease’ and ‘dementia’ are
often used interchangeably. However, they have very different meanings. Dementia
is not a specific disease. It is an overall term that describes a range of symptoms
such as a decline in memory or changes in thinking skills. These symptoms affect a
person’s ability to perform everyday activities independently.
Q6 Question that requires interpretation
Masashi Tsuda’s wife reacted badly/negatively/sadly to the news. The evidence can
be found in the following lines:
Her plans were shattered in an instant (lines 7–8)
She lost 8 kg in weight and all her hair fell out (lines 8–9)
Q7 Question that requires advanced interpretation
Students have to invoke their background knowledge to answer this question
satisfactorily. Some people’s hair turns white when they are under a lot of stress
(although it could be an urban legend).
Q8 Open-ended question — long response
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Performance Plus for the HKDSE — All-in-one Exam Practice (Vol. 2) (2nd Edition) Set 6 Paper 1
The figures in paragraph 4 show that Japan has a burgeoning elderly population and
it is predicted that the dementia crisis will get worse. Other societies around the
world will be affected in the same way.
Q9 True / False / Not given question
iii) Masashi Tsuda first noticed a problem with his memory after a game of golf
when he forgot the four-digit number for his changing room locker. Earlier, he
struggled to get to grips with his office’s new computer system and, on another
occasion, his mind went blank as he was about to give a work presentation
(paragraph 1).
iv) Masashi Tsuda’s doctors initially thought that stress was the cause of his
moments of absent-mindedness (line 5).
Q10 Lexical question #G word meaning
Q11 Factual question
Q12 Factual question
Students are expected to extract the key phrases from the text to complete the table.
Do not give one mark if more than four words are used in each blank.
Q13 Open-ended question — short response
Q14 Open-ended question — short response
i) Clue: ‘put services for people living with dementia at the centre of its welfare
policy’ (line 20)
ii) Junko Yoshida knows that with the rising number of older people, dementia is
going to be a big challenge.
Q15 Question about English usage
Q16 Lexical question — synonym
Q17 Inference question
Matsudo currently has 11 000 people in nursing care with some form of dementia,
compared to 8000 just seven years ago. The number is expected to be 26 000
including the large number of people who have yet to be diagnosed dementia. It is a
social issue (an issue that directly or indirectly affects a considerable number of
individuals within a society) and it is an unfolding issue (by 2025, there will be
more dementia sufferers).
Q18 Lexical question — word meaning
Q19 Factual question
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Performance Plus for the HKDSE — All-in-one Exam Practice (Vol. 2) (2nd Edition) Set 6 Paper 1
Q20 Factual question
Q21 Inference question
i) Students have to invoke their background knowledge to answer this question.
Having the curtains drawn during the day is unusual and having a big pile of
uncollected newspapers in the mailbox is strange too. They are tell-tale signs
of a problem — that the resident is not at home or has not returned home for a
while.
ii) Students can infer the answer from the incident in paragraph 12.
Q22 Factual question
Q23 True / False / Not given question
i) Hiroyuki Yamamoto is a regular patroller. His age has not been mentioned in
paragraphs 12–13.
ii) Dementia supporters are trained to ask questions that will not alienate their
respondents.
iii) Although Hiroyuki Yamaoto is a regular patroller, there is no information in
paragraphs 12–13 to prove that he patrols his neighbourhood weekly.
Q24 Factual question
The figure shows that the patrol initiative has produced results (= effective).
Q25 Implicit reference question
Paragraphs 10–14 are about how dementia supporters help people suffering from
dementia. The reference words ‘the condition’ refer to physical or mental condition.
Q26 Question that requires advanced interpretation
People with dementia may have trouble forming thoughts and putting them into
their own words. Dementia supporters should be more tolerant and be good
listeners, while allowing sufferers to speak the best they can while taking time with
their thoughts.
Q27 Question about the most likely speakers
The highlighted words or phrases are clues to the answers.
Q28 Question that requires judgement and evidence
One in five elderly Japanese are predicted to have dementia by 2025 so this is a
problem that afflicts the whole of the country, not just one town (introduction).
Furthermore, according to the health ministry, 4.6 million people across Japan are
suffering from some form of dementia, with the total expected to soar to about 7.3
million people by 2025 (lines 11–13). Dementia is definitely not a problem only for
Matsudo, but it represents a growing national problem.
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