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Gaokao Chinese practice questions

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Question 1Chinese language and usage

The idiom 守株待兔 (jyutping: sau2 zyu1 doi6 tou3; 'guarding a tree-stump waiting for a hare') warns against which kind of behaviour?

  1. Foolishly relying on luck or a one-off windfall instead of effort Correct answer.
  2. Working diligently and never giving up
  3. Planning carefully for the future
  4. Helping others without expecting reward

Explanation

守株待兔 comes from a Han Feizi 韓非子 story: a farmer saw a hare die by running into a tree stump, then abandoned farming to wait for more hares. It mocks people who cling to a chance success and refuse to work, expecting luck to repeat itself.

Question 2Chinese language and usage

Identify the 病句 (beng6 geoi3, defective sentence) error type in: 「為了避免交通意外不再發生，政府加強了宣傳。」 ('In order to avoid traffic accidents not happening again, the government stepped up publicity.')

  1. 搭配不當 (improper word collocation)
  2. 成分殘缺 (missing sentence element)
  3. 邏輯矛盾／否定不當 (logical contradiction / wrong negation) Correct answer.
  4. 語序顛倒 (wrong word order)

Explanation

避免 (avoid) already carries a negative sense, so adding 不再 (no longer) creates a double negative that reverses the intended meaning - logically the sentence says they want accidents to keep happening. The fix is 「避免交通意外再發生」, removing 不.

Question 3Chinese language and usage

The idiom 畫蛇添足 (waak6 se4 tim1 zuk1, 'drawing a snake and adding feet') means to:

  1. Ruin something by adding what is superfluous and unnecessary Correct answer.
  2. Add a finishing touch that perfects a work
  3. Work quickly and efficiently
  4. Copy someone else's idea

Explanation

From a Warring States story, a man who finished drawing a snake first kept showing off by adding feet, and so lost a wine-drinking wager. The idiom means spoiling something by adding unnecessary, superfluous detail.

Question 4Chinese language and usage

The 成語 (sing4 jyu5, idiom) 「破釜沉舟」 (po3 fu2 cam4 zau1, 'break the cauldrons and sink the boats') means to:

  1. Retreat and preserve one's strength
  2. Cut off all means of retreat and fight with total resolve Correct answer.
  3. Cook a lavish feast before battle
  4. Sail away to avoid conflict

Explanation

The idiom derives from 項羽's order to smash cooking pots and sink the boats after crossing a river, leaving his soldiers no way back and forcing them to win or die. It means committing fully with no retreat possible.

Question 5Chinese language and usage

Choose the sentence with CORRECT modern Chinese 語法 (grammar) and no 病句 error:

  1. 通過這次活動，使我明白了團隊合作的重要。
  2. 這次活動讓我明白了團隊合作的重要。 Correct answer.
  3. 經過這次活動的舉辦，令我們大家所有人都得到了成長。
  4. 由於這次活動，所以我懂得了道理的重要性的問題。

Explanation

Option 1 is grammatically complete: subject (這次活動) + 讓 + object (我) + predicate. The others all show 病句 errors - chiefly 主語殘缺 (the 'through...causes...' pattern 「通過…使…」 deletes the subject) and redundant wording (大家所有人, 的問題).

Question 6Chinese language and usage

The 成語 「杞人憂天」 (gei2 jan4 jau1 tin1, 'the man of Qi worrying about the sky') describes:

  1. Needless, groundless worry about things unlikely to happen Correct answer.
  2. Genuine concern for real dangers
  3. Careful long-term planning
  4. Worrying on behalf of others selflessly

Explanation

The idiom comes from a tale of a man in the state of Qi who feared the sky would collapse and could not eat or sleep. It mocks baseless, excessive anxiety over improbable disasters - what English calls 'crying that the sky is falling'.

Question 7Chinese language and usage

What does the 量詞 (loeng6 ci4, measure word/classifier) error in 「我買了三個書」 reveal, and what is the correct classifier for 書 (books)?

  1. No error; 個 is correct for books
  2. 個 is wrong; the correct classifier is 本 (三本書) Correct answer.
  3. 個 is wrong; the correct classifier is 張 (三張書)
  4. 個 is wrong; the correct classifier is 條 (三條書)

Explanation

Books take the classifier 本 (bun2), so the correct form is 三本書. 個 is a generic classifier but is incorrect for bound volumes; misusing classifiers is a common 病句/用詞 error tested in HKDSE.

Question 8Chinese language and usage

The idiom 「亡羊補牢」 (mong4 joeng4 bou2 lou4, 'mend the pen after a sheep is lost') conveys that:

  1. Taking remedial action after a loss can still prevent further damage; better late than never Correct answer.
  2. It is always too late to fix a problem
  3. One should never own livestock
  4. Prevention is impossible

Explanation

The full saying is 「亡羊補牢，未為晚也」 - after losing a sheep, mending the fence still saves the rest. It teaches that correcting a mistake, even after some loss, is worthwhile and prevents worse outcomes.

Question 9Chinese language and usage

The 成語 「井底之蛙」 (zeng2 dai2 zi1 waa1, 'a frog at the bottom of a well') describes a person who is:

  1. Wise and far-seeing
  2. Brave and adventurous
  3. Narrow-minded with limited experience and a restricted view of the world Correct answer.
  4. Generous and open-hearted

Explanation

From 莊子, the frog in a well thinks the small patch of sky it sees is the whole sky. The idiom mocks a person of narrow outlook and limited experience who mistakes their tiny world for the whole.

Question 10Chinese language and usage

Read: 「他不但沒有責怪我，反而安慰我說不要緊。」 The connective pattern 「不但…反而…」 expresses what kind of relationship between the two clauses?

  1. 並列 (coordinate, equal items)
  2. 因果 (cause and effect)
  3. 遞進與轉折 (progression contrary to expectation) Correct answer.
  4. 假設 (hypothetical condition)

Explanation

「不但…反而…」 signals that, contrary to what one might expect (blame), the opposite happened (comfort). It combines negation of the expected with a reversal, conveying 出乎意料 (against expectation). Recognising such 關聯詞 (connectives) is tested in grammar and comprehension.

Question 11Chinese language and usage

The 成語 「畫龍點睛」 (waak6 lung4 dim2 zing1, 'paint the dragon, dot the eyes') means to:

  1. Spoil a work with needless additions
  2. Add a crucial finishing touch that brings the whole to life Correct answer.
  3. Draw realistic animals
  4. Waste time on trivial details

Explanation

Legend says a painter who added eyes to his dragons made them fly off the wall. The idiom means adding the vital final stroke - a key word, sentence or detail - that makes the whole work come alive. It is the positive counterpart of 畫蛇添足.

Question 12Chinese language and usage

Which word correctly fills the blank to form a standard idiom describing extreme diligence: 「廢___忘食」 (so absorbed one forgets to sleep and eat)?

  1. 寢 (cam2, sleep) Correct answer.
  2. 話 (waa6, speech)
  3. 話 repeated
  4. 錢 (cin4, money)

Explanation

The idiom is 廢寢忘食 - 'neglect sleep (廢寢) and forget meals (忘食)' - describing total devotion to work or study. 寢 means to sleep/rest.

Question 13Chinese language and usage

The 成語 「一鳴驚人」 (jat1 ming4 ging1 jan4) describes someone who:

  1. Makes noise constantly
  2. Frightens others on purpose
  3. Stays quiet/unremarkable for a long time then suddenly achieves a stunning success Correct answer.
  4. Fails repeatedly in public

Explanation

From the story of King Zhuang of Chu (a bird that 'does not cry, but once it cries, it startles everyone'), 一鳴驚人 describes a person who is obscure for a while and then accomplishes something astonishing in one stroke.

Question 14Chinese language and usage

Which sentence correctly uses 「的、地、得」 - the three structural particles distinguished in modern Chinese grammar?

  1. 他高興得跳起來，臉上露出燦爛的笑容，慢慢地走過來。 Correct answer.
  2. 他高興的跳起來，臉上露出燦爛地笑容，慢慢得走過來。
  3. 他高興地跳起來，臉上露出燦爛得笑容，慢慢的走過來。
  4. 他高興得跳起來，臉上露出燦爛地笑容，慢慢得走過來。

Explanation

得 follows a verb to introduce a complement (高興得跳起來 = so happy he jumped); 的 links a modifier to a noun (燦爛的笑容); 地 links a modifier to a verb as an adverbial (慢慢地走). Option 0 applies all three correctly.

Question 15Chinese language and usage

The 成語 「南轅北轍」 (naam4 jyun4 bak1 cit3, 'shafts south, tracks north') means:

  1. Travelling efficiently to a destination
  2. Going on a long journey for pleasure
  3. Acting in a way that is directly contrary to one's stated goal Correct answer.
  4. Following others blindly

Explanation

The idiom tells of a man heading to the southern state of Chu but driving his cart north. It means one's actions run completely opposite to one's intended aim - the harder you try the wrong way, the further you get from your goal.

Question 16Chinese language and usage

Read: 「李教授的演講深入淺出，連門外漢也聽得明白。」 The phrase 「深入淺出」 (sam1 jap6 cin2 ceot1) means the speaker:

  1. Spoke in a confusing, complicated way
  2. Stayed only on shallow topics
  3. Explained profound ideas in a simple, accessible way Correct answer.
  4. Spoke too quietly to be heard

Explanation

深入淺出 means to grasp a subject deeply (深入) yet express it simply and clearly (淺出), so that even a 門外漢 (layperson) can understand. It is high praise for a teacher or writer.

Question 17Chinese language and usage

Which connective correctly completes a conditional sentence: 「___ 你努力溫習，___ 一定能取得好成績。」?

  1. 雖然…但是…
  2. 因為…所以…
  3. 只要…就… Correct answer.
  4. 不但…而且…

Explanation

「只要…就…」 expresses a sufficient condition: 'as long as you study hard, you will surely get good results.' It correctly links the condition (努力溫習) to the guaranteed outcome (取得好成績).

Question 18Chinese language and usage

The 成語 「對牛彈琴」 (deoi3 ngau4 taan4 kam4, 'playing the lute to a cow') means to:

  1. Perform music skilfully
  2. Speak to / explain something to someone who cannot understand or appreciate it Correct answer.
  3. Train animals patiently
  4. Waste money on instruments

Explanation

The idiom mocks the futility of addressing fine words or reasoning to someone incapable of appreciating them - 'like playing the lute to a cow'. It can also gently criticise the speaker for misjudging the audience.

Question 19Chinese language and usage

The 成語 「水落石出」 (seoi2 lok6 sek6 ceot1, 'water recedes and rocks emerge') means:

  1. A flood is coming
  2. Rocks are being mined
  3. A drought has occurred
  4. The truth comes fully to light once obscuring factors are removed Correct answer.

Explanation

When the water level drops, the rocks beneath become visible. The idiom means that the full truth of a matter eventually becomes clear once the things hiding it are gone - the facts 'surface'.

Question 20Chinese language and usage

Which sentence shows a 用詞不當 (improper word choice) error?

  1. 經過三年努力，他終於實現了當醫生的理想。
  2. 我們應該珍惜光陰。
  3. 他改正了自己的缺點。
  4. 這次比賽，他發揮了優異的水平。 Correct answer.

Explanation

水平 (level) is not something one 發揮 (brings into play); the correct collocation is 發揮…實力/水準, or one would say 表現出優異的水平. 發揮了優異的水平 is a 搭配不當 (improper collocation), a type of 用詞不當. The other three sentences pair their verbs and objects correctly.

Question 21Chinese language and usage

The 成語 「胸有成竹」 (hung1 jau5 sing4 zuk1, 'having a complete bamboo in one's chest') means to:

  1. Be anxious and unprepared
  2. Grow plants indoors
  3. Eat bamboo shoots
  4. Have a well-formed plan and full confidence before acting Correct answer.

Explanation

The idiom comes from a painter who, before drawing bamboo, already had its complete image in mind. It means having a clear, ready plan and confidence in advance - being fully prepared to handle a task.

Question 22Chinese language and usage

The 成語 「飲水思源」 (jam2 seoi2 si1 jyun4, 'when drinking water, think of its source') teaches that one should:

  1. Conserve water carefully
  2. Explore rivers and springs
  3. Drink only clean water
  4. Remember and be grateful to those who helped you or the origin of your good fortune Correct answer.

Explanation

飲水思源 means that when enjoying a benefit (drinking water) one should remember where it came from (the source) - i.e. be grateful to those who made one's success or comfort possible. It is a common theme in 品德情意 (moral/affective) writing.

Question 23Chinese language and usage

Which sentence contains a 語序不當 (improper word order) error?

  1. 他把功課做完了。
  2. 我們討論並通過了這項建議。
  3. 這個問題我們研究了反覆多次。 Correct answer.
  4. 她仔細地檢查了試卷。

Explanation

In 「研究了反覆多次」 the adverbial 反覆 (repeatedly) is misplaced after the verb; correct order is 「反覆研究了多次」. This 語序不當 (word-order) error places the manner adverb wrongly. The other sentences have correct, natural ordering.

Question 24Chinese language and usage

The 成語 「鍥而不舍」 (kit3 ji4 bat1 se2) - which appears in 荀子《勸學》- describes:

  1. Giving up easily
  2. Resting frequently
  3. Acting carelessly
  4. Persevering without stopping; carving on without giving up Correct answer.

Explanation

From 勸學 (「鍥而不舍，金石可鏤」), 鍥而不舍 means to keep carving without ever stopping - i.e. to persevere with unflagging effort. Xunzi uses it to argue that sustained effort can engrave even metal and stone.

Question 25Chinese language and usage

The 成語 「精益求精」 (zing1 jik1 kau4 zing1) means to:

  1. Be satisfied with mediocrity
  2. Imitate others closely
  3. Work less to save energy
  4. Strive for ever greater excellence even when already good Correct answer.

Explanation

精益求精 means that when something is already excellent (精), one still seeks to make it even better (益求精). It expresses a pursuit of continuous improvement and the highest standards.

Question 26Chinese language and usage

The 成語 「事半功倍」 (si6 bun3 gung1 pui5) means:

  1. Doubling the effort for half the result
  2. Getting twice the result with half the effort (high efficiency) Correct answer.
  3. Working all day with no rest
  4. Failing despite great effort

Explanation

事半功倍 means achieving double the effect (功倍) with half the effort (事半) - i.e. great efficiency, usually thanks to a good method. Its opposite is 事倍功半 (twice the effort, half the result).

Question 27Chinese language and usage

Which pair of words are 近義詞 (jan6 ji6 ci4, near-synonyms) but differ in 褒貶 (positive vs negative connotation)?

  1. 美麗 (beautiful) and 漂亮 (pretty)
  2. 巨大 (huge) and 龐大 (enormous)
  3. 高興 (happy) and 快樂 (joyful)
  4. 果斷 (decisive, positive) and 武斷 (arbitrary, negative) Correct answer.

Explanation

果斷 and 武斷 both relate to making quick decisions, but 果斷 (decisive) is praise (褒義) while 武斷 (arbitrary, dogmatic) is criticism (貶義). Choosing the right connotation is a common 辨析近義詞 task. The other pairs are similar in connotation.

Question 28Chinese language and usage

The 成語 「不恥下問」 (bat1 ci2 haa6 man6) - alluded to in 韓愈《師說》- means:

  1. Feeling ashamed to ask questions
  2. Not being ashamed to ask those of lower status or learning Correct answer.
  3. Refusing to answer questions
  4. Asking only superiors for help

Explanation

不恥下問 means feeling no shame in asking those below oneself in rank or knowledge. It praises humility in learning, a value reinforced by 師說's argument that 「道之所存，師之所存也」 - wherever the Way is, there is one's teacher.

Question 29Chinese language and usage

Read: 「他做事一向小心翼翼。」 The reduplicated phrase 「小心翼翼」 (siu2 sam1 jik6 jik6) describes acting:

  1. Recklessly and carelessly
  2. Lazily and slowly
  3. Quickly and impatiently
  4. With great caution and care Correct answer.

Explanation

小心翼翼 means to act with extreme caution and care, attentive to every detail. The 翼翼 reduplication intensifies the sense of carefulness. It is a common descriptive idiom in narrative and descriptive writing.

Question 30Chinese language and usage

The 成語 「雪中送炭」 (syut3 zung1 sung3 taan3, 'sending charcoal in the snow') means:

  1. Giving a luxurious gift to a rich friend
  2. Showing off one's wealth
  3. Making things worse for someone in trouble
  4. Offering timely help to someone in urgent need Correct answer.

Explanation

Sending charcoal (for warmth) during snowy cold means giving help exactly when it is most needed. The idiom praises timely aid to someone in difficulty. Its opposite, adding to another's trouble, is 落井下石.

Question 31Chinese language and usage

Which sentence contains a 成分殘缺 (missing-element) error?

  1. 經過老師耐心的講解，使我終於明白了這道題。 Correct answer.
  2. 老師耐心的講解讓我終於明白了這道題。
  3. 我終於明白了這道題。
  4. 這道題我終於明白了。

Explanation

「經過…講解，使我明白」 has no subject for 使 - the prepositional phrase 經過… cannot serve as the subject, so the sentence lacks a 主語 (subject), a 成分殘缺 error. Removing 經過 or 使 fixes it (e.g. option 1).

Question 32Chinese language and usage

The 成語 「捨本逐末」 (se2 bun2 zuk6 mut6) means to:

  1. Focus on the fundamentals first
  2. Save the best for last
  3. Finish a task from start to end
  4. Neglect the essential and chase the trivial; get priorities backwards Correct answer.

Explanation

捨本逐末 means abandoning the root/essential (本) and pursuing the branch/trivial (末) - getting one's priorities inverted by focusing on minor matters while ignoring what truly counts.

Question 33Chinese language and usage

The 成語 「川流不息」 (cyun1 lau4 bat1 sik1) is best used to describe:

  1. A river that has dried up
  2. A still, motionless lake
  3. A sudden, brief shower
  4. A continuous, unceasing flow - e.g. of traffic or people Correct answer.

Explanation

川流不息 likens something to a river flowing without pause - used for an endless, continuous stream of people, vehicles, or events. For example, 馬路上車輛川流不息 (traffic flows ceaselessly on the road).

Question 34Chinese language and usage

The 成語 「望梅止渴」 (mong6 mui4 zi2 hot3, 'gazing at plums to quench thirst') means:

  1. Eating fruit to stay healthy
  2. Using imagination or empty hopes to comfort oneself when the real thing is unavailable Correct answer.
  3. Growing plum trees in a garden
  4. Drinking plenty of water

Explanation

From a tale of Cao Cao telling thirsty troops that plums lay ahead - making their mouths water and easing their thirst - the idiom means consoling oneself with imagination or false hopes when one cannot actually get what is wanted.

Question 35Classical Chinese reading

In 孟子《魚我所欲也》(Mencius, 'Fish is What I Desire'), the author uses 魚 (jyu4, fish) and 熊掌 (hung4 zoeng2, bear's paw) as a 比喻 (bei2 jyu6, metaphor/analogy) for which pair of concepts?

  1. Wealth (富) and poverty (貧)
  2. Life (生) and righteousness (義) Correct answer.
  3. Knowledge (學) and ignorance (愚)
  4. Loyalty (忠) and filial piety (孝)

Explanation

Mencius opens by saying he desires both fish and bear's paw but, if forced to choose, takes the bear's paw. This is an analogy (比喻論證) for 生 (life) and 義 (righteousness): both are desirable, but when they conflict one should 捨生取義 - give up life to keep righteousness.

Question 36Classical Chinese reading

In 韓愈《師說》(Han Yu, 'On the Teacher'), the famous opening 「師者，所以傳道、受業、解惑也。」 defines a teacher's three functions. Which is NOT one of them?

  1. 傳道 (transmit the Way / moral truth)
  2. 受業 (impart knowledge / studies)
  3. 解惑 (resolve doubts)
  4. 賺錢 (earn money) Correct answer.

Explanation

Han Yu defines a teacher by three duties: 傳道 (transmit the Way), 受業 (impart academic learning), and 解惑 (resolve students' doubts). 賺錢 (earning money) is unrelated and never part of the definition; the essay actually criticises the social shame attached to seeking teachers.

Question 37Classical Chinese reading

The 虛詞 (heoi1 ci4, function word) 「之」 in the classical sentence 「水陸草木之花」 (the flowers of water, land, grass and trees) functions as which part of speech here?

  1. A verb meaning 'to go'
  2. A possessive/attributive particle equivalent to modern 「的」 Correct answer.
  3. A first-person pronoun
  4. A sentence-final exclamatory particle

Explanation

Among the many uses of 之, here it is the structural/attributive particle linking a modifier to a noun, equivalent to modern 的 - so 水陸草木之花 means 'flowers of water, land, grass and trees'. This 虛詞 usage is heavily tested in Paper 1.

Question 38Classical Chinese reading

In 范仲淹《岳陽樓記》(Fan Zhongyan, 'Record of Yueyang Tower'), the celebrated maxim 「先天下之憂而憂，後天下之樂而樂」 expresses which ideal?

  1. A scholar-official should worry before all others and rejoice only after them, putting the people first Correct answer.
  2. Withdrawing from society to enjoy nature in solitude
  3. Pursuing personal wealth and pleasure above all
  4. Avoiding all political responsibility

Explanation

Fan Zhongyan's line means 'be the first under heaven to worry about its troubles, and the last to enjoy its pleasures'. It expresses the Confucian ideal of the 士大夫 (scholar-official) prioritising the welfare of the people and state above personal interest.

Question 39Classical Chinese reading

In classical Chinese, the 實詞 (sat6 ci4, content word) 「兵」 in 「收天下之兵，聚之咸陽」 (gather the weapons of the realm and collect them at Xianyang) most likely means:

  1. Weapons / arms Correct answer.
  2. Soldiers
  3. Strategy
  4. Borders

Explanation

兵 is a classic 一詞多義 (polysemous) content word: it can mean soldiers, weapons, or warfare depending on context. Here 收...兵 + 聚之 (gather and collect) shows physical objects, so 兵 means 'weapons/arms', as in 賈誼《過秦論》.

Question 40Classical Chinese reading

Which writer authored 《六國論》, one of the HKDSE 12 set texts, arguing that the six states fell because they 「賂秦」 (bribed Qin with territory)?

  1. 蘇洵 (Su Xun) Correct answer.
  2. 蘇軾 (Su Shi)
  3. 歐陽修 (Ouyang Xiu)
  4. 王安石 (Wang Anshi)

Explanation

《六國論》is by 蘇洵 (Su Xun, father of Su Shi and Su Zhe). Its thesis is 「六國破滅，非兵不利，戰不善，弊在賂秦」 - the six states fell not from weak arms but from the policy of appeasing Qin with land. It is a 借古諷今 (using the past to criticise the present) argumentative essay.

Question 41Classical Chinese reading

In 荀子《勸學》(Xunzi, 'An Exhortation to Learning'), the line 「青，取之於藍，而青於藍」 (blue is taken from the indigo plant, yet is bluer than indigo) is used to argue that:

  1. Learning can transform and elevate a person beyond their original state Correct answer.
  2. Nature cannot be improved by humans
  3. Colours are merely illusions
  4. The student can never surpass the teacher

Explanation

This 比喻論證 (analogy) shows that dye drawn from the indigo plant becomes even bluer than the plant itself - just as a person, through 後天學習 (acquired learning), can improve and surpass their original nature. It supports Xunzi's thesis that learning must never stop.

Question 42Classical Chinese reading

In 《論語》(論仁、論孝、論君子), Confucius says 「己所不欲，勿施於人」. What principle does this express?

  1. Do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire (the principle of 恕, reciprocity) Correct answer.
  2. Reward others as you wish to be rewarded
  3. Always obey your superiors
  4. Seek profit before righteousness

Explanation

「己所不欲，勿施於人」 means 'do not do to others what you would not want done to yourself'. It embodies 恕 (shu, reciprocal consideration), a core Confucian virtue and a practical extension of 仁 (ren, benevolence).

Question 43Classical Chinese reading

In 諸葛亮《出師表》(Zhuge Liang, 'Memorial on Sending Out the Army'), the overarching purpose of the memorial is to:

  1. Advise the young emperor 劉禪 to 親賢臣、遠小人 (draw near worthy ministers and keep petty men at a distance) while expressing loyalty before a northern campaign Correct answer.
  2. Resign from office
  3. Declare war on a neighbouring kingdom for personal glory
  4. Request a large salary increase

Explanation

出師表 is Zhuge Liang's memorial to Liu Shan before the Northern Expedition. He urges the emperor to 親賢遠佞 (favour the worthy, shun the petty), recommends trustworthy officials, and pours out his loyalty to the late ruler 劉備 and the Shu-Han cause - 動之以情，曉之以理.

Question 44Classical Chinese reading

In 柳宗元《始得西山宴遊記》(Liu Zongyuan, 'Record of My First Excursion to West Mountain'), the author's feeling upon truly experiencing West Mountain is best described as:

  1. Boredom and disappointment
  2. A sense of spiritual liberation and union with nature, transcending worldly cares Correct answer.
  3. Fear of the wilderness
  4. Eagerness to return to political office

Explanation

Written during Liu's exile, the essay records how only on West Mountain did he feel his spirit truly freed - 心凝形釋，與萬化冥合 (mind stilled, body released, merging with all transformations). It expresses 超脫世俗 (transcendence of worldly cares) and oneness with nature.

Question 45Classical Chinese reading

In 莊子《逍遙遊》(Zhuangzi, 'Free and Easy Wandering', excerpt), the dialogue between 惠子 and 莊子 about the giant gourd and the unwieldy tree illustrates which Daoist idea?

  1. The pursuit of wealth and fame
  2. 「無用之用」 - the usefulness of the seemingly useless; freeing the mind from conventional notions of utility Correct answer.
  3. Strict adherence to ritual and law
  4. The supremacy of military strength

Explanation

Huizi complains that a huge gourd and a gnarled tree are 'useless'. Zhuangzi replies that their 'uselessness' by conventional standards is precisely their value - 無用之用. The passage urges breaking free of fixed, utilitarian thinking to achieve 逍遙 (free and easy wandering of the spirit).

Question 46Classical Chinese reading

In 司馬遷《廉頗藺相如列傳》(Sima Qian), the episode 「負荊請罪」 (carrying thorns to ask for punishment) shows which quality of 廉頗 (Lian Po)?

  1. Cowardice in battle
  2. Greed for wealth
  3. Willingness to admit fault and reconcile, putting the state above personal pride Correct answer.
  4. Disloyalty to the king

Explanation

After learning that 藺相如 yielded to him for the sake of Zhao's safety, the proud general 廉頗 bared his back, carried a bundle of thorns, and went to apologise - 負荊請罪. It shows his courage to admit wrong and his loyalty to the state over personal pride.

Question 47Classical Chinese reading

The classical 虛詞 「而」 in 「青，取之於藍，而青於藍」 functions as which type of conjunction?

  1. 順承 (sequential 'and then')
  2. 修飾 (manner modifier)
  3. 轉折 (adversative 'yet / but') Correct answer.
  4. 並列 (coordinating 'and')

Explanation

Here 而 marks 轉折 (contrast): dye is taken from indigo, YET it is bluer than indigo (而青於藍). The 而 introduces a result that runs against expectation, so it means 'yet/but'. 而 is a high-frequency multifunction 虛詞 in Paper 1.

Question 48Classical Chinese reading

The word 「明日」 in classical Chinese (e.g. 「明日，徐公來」) most precisely means:

  1. A bright day
  2. Tomorrow relative to now
  3. The next day / the following day Correct answer.
  4. A famous day

Explanation

In classical narrative, 明日 means 'the next day / the following day' relative to the events being narrated, not 'tomorrow' relative to the speaker's present. Mapping classical time words to the right reference point is a common comprehension trap.

Question 49Classical Chinese reading

In 蘇軾《念奴嬌·赤壁懷古》(Su Shi, 'Charm of a Maiden Singer: Meditation on the Past at Red Cliff'), the line 「大江東去，浪淘盡，千古風流人物」 chiefly expresses:

  1. Delight in a fishing trip
  2. Reflection on how the great river of time sweeps away heroes of all ages, evoking the vastness of history Correct answer.
  3. Anger at a personal enemy
  4. Joy at a wedding

Explanation

The opening of this 豪放詞 pictures the mighty Yangtze flowing east, its waves 'washing away' the heroic figures of a thousand ages (千古風流人物). It sets a grand, melancholic-yet-expansive tone for 懷古 (meditation on the past) at Red Cliff.

Question 50Classical Chinese reading

The classical word 「走」 in 「棄甲曳兵而走」 (throwing away armour, dragging weapons, and 走) means:

  1. To walk slowly
  2. To leave politely
  3. To run / flee Correct answer.
  4. To march in formation

Explanation

In classical Chinese 走 means 'to run/flee', not 'to walk' as in modern Chinese. 棄甲曳兵而走 depicts defeated soldiers fleeing - abandoning armour and dragging weapons. This 古今異義 (classical-vs-modern meaning shift) is a frequent comprehension point.