Short Story "A Conversation with My Father"
HKDSE English Paper 2
Sample questions on Learning English through Short Stories
Compiled by Melinda Lo
I : Question types:
A. on reading and appreciating short stories
1. A student at your school has posted this blog on the Intranet for your school:
Write a letter in response to this, either agreeing or disagreeing with Keith. Do not give an address and sign your letter ‘Billy Ho.’
2. ‘The best way to improve one’s English is to read short stories.’ Do you agree or disagree with this statement?
Write an article for your school magazine expressing your viewpoints on learning English through short stories.
3. Your English teacher, Miss Thomson, wants to interest students in short stories. She has asked you to think of ways to get students interested in them.
Write a proposal to your teacher explaining what kinds of short stories would appeal to students nowadays (think about the kinds of story plots, characters, central themes and conflict they would like). Give advice to Miss Thomson on how she should promote books of short stories to students, for example, by developing a website, a poster, a trailer or a Podcast.
4. You are the chairperson of the school English Club. Your club wants to organize a creative writing class for Secondary 1 students. The aim of the class is to teach them how to write short stories and help them improve their English.
Write a proposal to the school principal, explaining how the class will be conducted. Tell the principal what the students will learn and how they can benefit from the short stories writing class.
5. ‘Students can learn better English from reading short stories than doing grammar exercises.’ Write an essay in which you either strongly support this statement or strongly disagree with this statement. Provide at least three reasons to support your opinion.
6. Your school has been putting
Sample questions on Learning English through Short Stories
Compiled by Melinda Lo
I : Question types:
A. on reading and appreciating short stories
1. A student at your school has posted this blog on the Intranet for your school:
Write a letter in response to this, either agreeing or disagreeing with Keith. Do not give an address and sign your letter ‘Billy Ho.’
2. ‘The best way to improve one’s English is to read short stories.’ Do you agree or disagree with this statement?
Write an article for your school magazine expressing your viewpoints on learning English through short stories.
3. Your English teacher, Miss Thomson, wants to interest students in short stories. She has asked you to think of ways to get students interested in them.
Write a proposal to your teacher explaining what kinds of short stories would appeal to students nowadays (think about the kinds of story plots, characters, central themes and conflict they would like). Give advice to Miss Thomson on how she should promote books of short stories to students, for example, by developing a website, a poster, a trailer or a Podcast.
4. You are the chairperson of the school English Club. Your club wants to organize a creative writing class for Secondary 1 students. The aim of the class is to teach them how to write short stories and help them improve their English.
Write a proposal to the school principal, explaining how the class will be conducted. Tell the principal what the students will learn and how they can benefit from the short stories writing class.
5. ‘Students can learn better English from reading short stories than doing grammar exercises.’ Write an essay in which you either strongly support this statement or strongly disagree with this statement. Provide at least three reasons to support your opinion.
6. Your school has been putting
References: Chan, G (2010) Teach & Practice for the HKDSE Paper 2 Writing. Pilot Duncan, J & Sutton, Martin (2010) Progression for the HKDSE Paper 2Writing Esser, D (2010) Performance Plus for the HKDSE Paper 2 Writing 5’. Pilot Esser, D & Chan, G (2010) Learning English through Short Stories’ Jones, H. (2010) Star Summit – Short Stories’. Star “Life is a handful of short stories, pretending to be a novel.” - Anonymous