HSC Chinese and Literature cheat sheet

Listening texts in the HSC Chinese and Literature course are played twice; the first pass is for gist and the second for detail, so note-taking must be rapid and selective.

Signposting words such as 首先 (firstly), 然而 (however), 因此 (therefore), 总之 (in conclusion) mark the structure and often the location of answers.

Numbers, dates, prices and times are frequent distractors: listen for qualifiers like 大约 (approximately), 左右 (around), 不到 (less than) and 超过 (more than) that alter the stated value.

Tone and attitude questions require attention to intonation and to evaluative lexis such as 遗憾 (regrettable), 值得 (worthwhile), 无奈 (helpless) rather than to content words alone.

Register shifts signal relationships: 您 and 请 mark polite/formal distance, while 你 and colloquial particles like 嘛, 呗, 吧 mark informal intimacy.

Answers should be recorded in the language of the question; responses in Chinese must be concise and use the speaker's own terms where the question asks for evidence.

Inference items ask what is implied, not stated: reject options that merely repeat wording heard in the recording without answering the question asked.

Common text types include announcements, interviews, conversations and radio segments; each has predictable opening and closing formulae that carry information.

Skimming establishes text type, purpose and audience; scanning then locates specific detail such as names, figures and dates needed for short-answer items.

Text types carry structural markers: 通知 (notice) gives time, place and action; 启事 (announcement) states the problem and contact; 广告 (advertisement) foregrounds persuasive adjectives.

Cohesive devices such as 不但…而且 (not only…but also), 虽然…但是 (although…but), 因为…所以 (because…so) map logical relations that questions frequently test.

Pronoun and ellipsis tracking is essential: 这, 那, 其 and omitted subjects refer back to earlier nouns, and misreading the referent causes wrong answers.

Vocabulary in context: infer unfamiliar characters from semantic radicals (氵 water, 讠 speech, 忄 emotion) and from parallel structures in the surrounding clause.

Questions asking for the writer's purpose require a verb of intention (to inform, to persuade, to warn, to request) supported by textual evidence, not a summary of content.

Comparison items require both similarities and differences to be stated; a response giving only one side loses marks.

When asked to explain in Chinese, paraphrase rather than copy long stretches of the source text; lifted sentences are not credited as explanation.

Text type conventions govern format: 书信 (letter) needs 称呼, body, 此致/敬礼 and signature; 日记 (diary) needs date, weather and first-person reflection; 演讲稿 (speech) needs 称呼, hook, argument and call to action.

Register must stay consistent: formal writing avoids 儿化 and slang and uses 您, 贵校, 敬请; informal writing may use 咱们 and sentence-final particles.

Cohesion is scored: use connectives (首先, 其次, 此外, 综上所述) and referential chains so paragraphs link logically rather than merely sit in sequence.

Paragraph function should be identifiable: introduction states purpose, body paragraphs each carry one idea with example or evidence, conclusion restates position or request.

Accuracy in 量词 (measure words), 了/过/着 aspect markers and 把/被 constructions distinguishes Band 5-6 from lower bands.

Audience and purpose determine lexis: a letter of complaint uses 投诉, 不满, 希望贵方… whereas a letter of invitation uses 诚邀, 期待您的光临.

Word-count requirements must be met within the prescribed range; planning for roughly 5-6 paragraphs supports the length expected in extended responses.

Idioms (成语) and set phrases earn credit only when used accurately; a misapplied 成语 damages expression more than plain wording would.

Analysis must address the question's key terms; a response that retells plot without answering the proposition earns limited credit regardless of length.

Evidence should be short and precise: a quoted phrase or a specific incident, followed by explanation of how it supports the thesis.

Character study requires attention to motivation, change across the text and the author's techniques of presentation, not merely description of personality.

Theme questions benefit from identifying how a theme is developed through structure, imagery, dialogue and contrast rather than asserted once.

Context matters: knowledge of the author's period, social setting and literary movement can strengthen interpretation but must be tied to textual evidence.

Comparative or evaluative prompts require a stated judgement and consistent criteria; hedging without a position weakens the critical response.

Technique terminology in Chinese includes 比喻 (metaphor), 象征 (symbolism), 对比 (contrast), 讽刺 (satire), 伏笔 (foreshadowing) and 第一人称叙述 (first-person narration).

Quotations should be accurate and brief; misquotation undermines credibility, and long block quotations reduce space for analysis.

A personal response must be anchored to the text: state the reaction, then identify the specific passage or feature that produced it.

Cultural knowledge earns credit when it explains meaning, for example 春节 reunion dinner, 孝 (filial piety), 面子 (face) or 关系 networks, not when merely listed.

Chinese rhetorical and cultural patterns include indirect refusal, 客气 formulae and 含蓄 (understatement); reading them literally can distort interpretation.

Historical reference points frequently relevant to prescribed texts include the May Fourth movement (1919), the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) and post-1978 urbanisation.

Responses should acknowledge the specificity of the text's cultural setting while relating it to the student's own context where the question invites comparison.

Evaluative language must be justified: claims such as 令人感动 (moving) or 发人深省 (thought-provoking) need a stated reason tied to textual detail.

Questions on values ask what the text endorses, questions or leaves unresolved; distinguishing author, narrator and character positions is essential.

Identify the text type before answering: announcement, dialogue, interview or broadcast each follows predictable structure and vocabulary.

Use the first listening for gist and the second for detail; jot only keywords, numbers and names.

Track discourse markers (首先, 然而, 因此, 总之) because they signal where key information sits.

Distinguish stated facts from implied attitudes; inference items rarely reuse the exact wording of the recording.

Note qualifiers (大约, 左右, 不到, 超过) that modify numbers and often create distractors.

Match register to relationship: 您/请 signals formality; 你 with 吧/嘛 signals informality.

Answer in the language requested and keep responses concise, using the speaker's own terms as evidence.

Skim for text type, purpose and audience; scan for names, figures and dates required by specific items.

Recognise format markers: 通知 gives time, place and action; 启事 states problem and contact; 广告 foregrounds persuasive adjectives.

Map logical connectives (不但…而且, 虽然…但是, 因为…所以) since questions test these relations.

Resolve pronouns and ellipsis (这, 那, 其, omitted subjects) by tracking the nearest preceding noun.

Infer unfamiliar characters from semantic radicals (氵, 讠, 忄) and from parallel clause structures.

Purpose questions need an intention verb plus evidence, not a content summary.

Comparison items require both similarities and differences; one-sided answers lose marks.

Paraphrase rather than copy long source sentences when the question asks for explanation.

Match format to text type: 书信 needs 称呼, body, 此致/敬礼, signature; 日记 needs date, weather, reflection; 演讲稿 needs address, hook, argument, call to action.

Keep register consistent: formal writing uses 您, 贵校, 敬请 and avoids 儿化 and slang.

Build cohesion with connectives (首先, 其次, 此外, 综上所述) and clear referential chains across paragraphs.

Give each paragraph one function: purpose statement, one idea with evidence, or restatement and request.

Control 量词, aspect markers 了/过/着 and 把/被 constructions to reach higher accuracy bands.

Choose lexis by purpose: complaint uses 投诉, 不满; invitation uses 诚邀, 期待您的光临.

Use 成语 only when certain of meaning and collocation; a misapplied idiom harms expression.

Answer the proposition directly; retelling plot without addressing the key terms limits credit.

Support claims with brief, precise evidence followed by explanation of its effect.

For character questions cover motivation, change over time and techniques of presentation.

Show how theme is built through structure, imagery, dialogue and contrast rather than asserting it once.

Tie any contextual knowledge (period, movement, social setting) back to textual evidence.

Evaluative prompts require a stated judgement and consistent criteria, not sustained hedging.

Use accurate technique terms: 比喻, 象征, 对比, 讽刺, 伏笔, 第一人称叙述.

Keep quotations short and exact; long block quotations displace analysis.

Anchor every personal reaction to a specific passage or feature that produced it.

Use cultural knowledge to explain meaning (春节 reunion, 孝, 面子, 关系), not as a list of facts.

Read indirect refusal, 客气 formulae and 含蓄 understatement as culturally patterned, not literal.

Relevant historical reference points include May Fourth (1919), the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) and post-1978 urbanisation.

Distinguish author, narrator and character positions when discussing values.

Justify evaluative language (令人感动, 发人深省) with a stated reason tied to the text.

Relate the text's cultural setting to your own context only where the question invites comparison.