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Level 3 exemplars and comments Paper 1 Question 1

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Comments

The candidate showed a general understanding of the demands of the question.

S/he merely made some simple comparisons of the highest and lowest levels of acceptance in each

column and identified the Japanese as being the ethnic group with the highest level among all contexts.

S/he attempted to point out two factors (cultural differences and the language), but did not explain fully

how individuals’ aspirations for the future would be affected. Vague attempts were made to link cultural

and language differences to the difficulty for ethnic minorities in finding jobs.

The answer in Part (c) was superficial with little organisation. S/he gave a brief description of the

existence of different ethnic groups in schools, but failed to offer a convincing and supported argument.

S/he made limited use of some points of relevance in the sources in response to the question, especially

in Part (c).

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Question 2

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Comments

The candidate was able to interpret the cartoon to show the wealth gap between rich and poor in China.

S/he compared the bottom income group and the top income group within rural areas, as well as the

bottom income group and the top income group within urban areas.

S/he made a rough comparison of the data between urban and rural areas.

S/he was able to link up poverty reduction and its environmental impact by mentioning how the

increasing of industrial production leads to water and land pollution, but the explanation was thin on the

whole.

The stance was not clear for either supporting or opposing arguments.

The source was referred to in a very limited way in answering the question.

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Question 3

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Comments

The candidate showed a general understanding of the requirements of the question.

A brief comparison of the two places in the two graphs was provided, though s/he tended to describe the

dimensions of quality of life in the two places separately.

S/he identified and explained why the two dimensions of quality of life should be given priority by

using the sources.

S/he suggested and explained one way by which Hong Kong could raise its level of satisfaction with

quality of life in the political and social dimension, but did not explain fully. The explanation of the

other way, to improve housing conditions, was much more superficial.

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Level 3 exemplars and comments Paper 2 Question 1

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Comments

The candidate showed a general understanding of the demands of the question.

S/he explained much about a globalized industry and identified some environmental impacts of

manufacturing industry. However, he/she failed to explain the environmental impacts in detail and relate

them to ‘fast fashion’.

S/he presented his/her stance clearly. S/he provided some reasons for his/her views briefly, mainly with

reference to the characteristics of ‘fast fashion’, indicating a limited understanding of a globalized

economy.

Only a brief justification for the arguments was provided.

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Question 2

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Comments

The candidate was able to name a few factors from different perspectives, namely peer influence, effects

of the mass media, and young people’s curiosity.

There was some elaboration with examples, such as on the mass media used by young people

(Instagram and Snapchat), and flavoured e-cigarettes as provided by the source, etc.

However, some elaborations were incomplete. For example, in the first point of Part (b), the following

required better explanations: how could e-cigarettes enhance peer recognition and self-esteem? Why is

the ‘degree of influence’ of the internet ‘so high’ that the ‘young people will believe the advertisement’?

Why are the different flavours of e-cigarettes so attractive to young people?

The candidate attempted to explain a few disadvantages of a sales ban and suggested ‘education as an

alternative’. However, little attempt was made to compare the two. A very brief comparison was found

at the end of the script.

The first disadvantage of a sales ban (‘illegal sale’) was well-explained, but the second point (‘interest

of e-cigarette companies’) did not seem to be relevant to the question.

The point on education was also presented as a suggestion to the government rather than being

compared with a sales ban.

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Question 3

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Comments

The answer showed understanding of the requirements of the question.

The candidate was able to provide generally reasonable elaborations of the impact on a few aspects of

quality of life in Part (a).

The elaboration and explanation of the quality of life as a whole, however, were far from sufficient,

especially regarding the economic aspect.

An attempt was made to explain briefly how positive and negative impacts might be brought about by

technological innovation to traditional culture. However, s/he was unable to provide justifications for

the arguments, especially regarding the negative impacts. For instance, s/he failed to relate the use of

smart phones to the disappearance of family values.

S/he also missed the crux of the question, which is an evaluation of how technological innovation may

change or preserve traditional values.