HSC Chinese Continuers (NSW) cheat sheet

Personal identity in Chinese texts is often expressed through family roles (e.g., 独生子女, 孝顺) and generational expectations.

When describing daily routines, use time markers (先…然后…最后) and frequency adverbs (经常, 偶尔, 从不) to structure responses.

Adjectives for personality (e.g., 外向, 内向, 勤奋, 粗心) should be supported with concrete examples from the text.

The concept of 面子 (face) influences individual behaviour and communication style; recognise indirect refusals (e.g., 我再考虑一下).

Personal pronouns and kinship terms (e.g., 表哥, 堂妹) reflect precise family relationships; use them accurately in writing.

Health and wellbeing topics often involve 养生, 压力, and 平衡; link individual choices to physical and mental outcomes.

In listening tasks about personal experiences, note speaker attitude (e.g., 后悔, 满足) signalled by tone and evaluative words.

Chinese communities span mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, and diaspora populations; each has distinct cultural and linguistic features.

Festivals such as 春节, 中秋节, and 端午节 carry specific customs (e.g., 红包, 月饼, 龙舟) that may vary by region.

Traditional values like 集体主义, 尊老爱幼, and 和谐 are frequently referenced in community texts.

Regional cuisines (e.g., 川菜, 粤菜) and dialects (e.g., 粤语, 闽南语) illustrate diversity within Chinese-speaking communities.

Migration and diaspora topics include 唐人街, 华人社团, and 文化传承; recognise challenges of maintaining heritage language.

Education systems and filial piety expectations (e.g., 高考压力, 赡养父母) appear in community discussions.

In reading tasks about communities, distinguish between description of customs and the writer’s opinion about them.

Key modern themes: 科技发展, 环境保护, 城市化, 全球化, and 人口老龄化.

Technological change vocabulary includes 互联网, 人工智能, 社交媒体, 电子商务, and 移动支付.

Environmental issues are often framed with 可持续发展, 污染, 气候变化, and 节能减排; note cause-effect connectors (因此, 导致).

Urbanisation topics mention 农民工, 交通拥堵, 住房问题, and 城乡差距; compare rural and urban perspectives.

Globalisation affects cultural identity; look for terms like 文化融合, 传统价值, and 西方影响.

Ageing population discussions include 养老, 独生子女政策, and 社会保障; evaluate solutions presented in texts.

In writing tasks on change, use contrast structures (虽然…但是…, 一方面…另一方面…) to present balanced arguments.

Before listening, skim questions to predict context, speakers, and likely vocabulary.

Identify the relationship between speakers (e.g., 师生, 朋友, 亲子) from address terms and register.

Listen for discourse markers (但是, 所以, 其实, 不过) that signal contrast, cause, or correction.

Note numbers, dates, and times carefully; Chinese often gives dates in year-month-day order (年-月-日).

Distinguish main idea from supporting details; answers may require inference from tone or implied meaning.

When responding in Chinese, match the text type (e.g., 通知, 留言) and use appropriate polite forms.

In longer listening passages, track speaker attitude changes and reasons given for decisions.

Skim for gist (title, first and last paragraphs) before scanning for specific details.

Identify text type and purpose: 广告, 启事, 新闻报道, 书信, 日记, 评论 each has distinct conventions.

Recognise cohesive devices (e.g., 首先, 其次, 总之, 另一方面) to map argument structure.

Distinguish fact from opinion; evaluative language (e.g., 值得, 令人担忧, 显然) signals stance.

For inference questions, base answers on textual evidence rather than personal knowledge.

When responding in Chinese, paraphrase rather than copy long segments; use own words to show comprehension.

Pay attention to punctuation and formatting (e.g., 冒号 introducing lists, 引号 for quotes) that clarify meaning.

Plan before writing: identify audience, purpose, and text type (e.g., 书信, 日记, 演讲稿, 文章).

Use appropriate format features: 称呼 and 祝语 for letters, date and weather for diaries, formal opening for speeches.

Organise ideas with connectives: 首先, 其次, 此外, 然而, 因此, 总的来说.

Vary sentence structures: use 把, 被, 是…的, and 不但…而且… to demonstrate grammatical range.

For argumentative writing, state a clear thesis, support with reasons and examples, and acknowledge counterarguments (虽然…但是…).

Accuracy matters: check measure words (个, 位, 条, 张), aspect markers (了, 过, 着), and verb-object collocations.

In narrative writing, use time and sequence markers (当时, 后来, 突然, 终于) to maintain coherence.