MATSEC SEC Chinese (Mandarin) cheat sheet

Question types: 判断对错 (true/false), 选择题 (multiple choice with three options), 填空 (fill in missing words or numbers), 连线 (match speaker to statement).

Numbers and times are the most common dictated detail: 半 (half), 一刻 (quarter), 差五分 (five to), 两点半 (2:30), 上午/下午, 星期几, 几月几号 - write digits, not characters, unless told otherwise.

Measure words and classifiers change meaning: 个, 位, 只, 条, 张, 件, 本, 辆, 双, 杯, 份 - a wrong classifier signals a wrong noun in matching items.

Tone and negation traps: 不 and 没(有) negate; 别 = don't; 差点儿 = almost; 一点儿也不 = not at all. Listen for the final particle 吗/呢/吧 to decide question vs statement.

Discourse markers cue the answer: 但是/可是/不过 introduce the real point; 所以/因为 give reason; 先…然后…最后 orders events; 除了…以外 adds or excludes.

In dialogues, the second speaker usually answers the question - the answer belongs to speaker B, not A; in monologues the topic sentence comes first and details follow.

When a word is missed, keep listening: later sentences often restate the same information (paraphrase), and one lost item must not stop the whole passage.

For fill-in items, check grammar of the blank: a verb needs an object, a time word needs 在/从/到 before it, and numbers must agree with the classifier used.

Skim first for genre and topic (通知, 广告, 日记, 故事, 说明文), then read the questions and scan for the keyword - answers are usually in one or two adjacent sentences.

Question stems to recognise: 根据短文…, 作者的意思是…, 下面哪句话是对的/不对的, 这段话主要讲什么, 画线词的意思是什么.

Main-idea items are answered by the first or last sentence of the paragraph; detail items by a specific sentence; inference items by combining two sentences, never by outside knowledge.

Distractor patterns: a true statement not asked about, a reversed cause/effect, an over-general word (都, 总是, 一定, 所有), and a number or name swapped from the passage.

Cohesion signals locate the answer: 因为…所以, 虽然…但是, 不但…而且, 如果…就, 只有…才, 一…就; the clause after the conjunction carries the point.

Vocabulary-in-context: guess from the radical (氵 water, 讠 speech, 忄 feeling, 扌 hand action) and from the parallel structure on either side of the word.

Time-order narratives: mark 以前/后来/先/再/终于 and build a timeline; questions about 最后 (finally) or 第一次 (first time) depend on sequence, not on the longest sentence.

For notices and advertisements, the decisive details are date, price, place, opening hours and 条件 (conditions such as 免费 for 学生 only).

Typical tasks: 短文/日记 (about 100 characters), 书信 or 电子邮件 (greeting, body, closing), 看图写话, and 续写 - match format to the task before writing content.

Letter frame: 亲爱的… / 您好！ opening; 此致 敬礼 or 祝好 closing; signature and date at the end. Email uses 主题 (subject) plus the same body conventions.

Paragraph logic for narratives: 时间 + 地点 + 人物 + 事情 (起因 → 经过 → 结果) + 感受; one paragraph per stage keeps the composition readable.

Sentence variety scores marks: include at least one 因为…所以, one 虽然…但是, one 不但…而且 and one question or exclamation; avoid repeating 很 and 然后.

Character accuracy matters more than rare vocabulary: use words you can write; a misspelt common character costs more than a simple correct sentence gains.

Punctuation rules: full stop 。, comma ，, question ？, exclamation ！, colon ：, quotation 「」or “”; each occupies one square in grid paper and never starts a line.

Length control: count squares - too short loses content marks, too long risks errors; aim for the stated minimum plus about 20%, and finish the ending even if the middle is short.

Connectives that raise coherence: 首先, 接着, 后来, 最后, 因此, 另外, 总之 - place them at the start of a clause, followed by a comma.

Aspect particles: 了 = completed action or change of state; 过 = past experience; 着 = continuing state; 正在/在…呢 = action in progress. Position: verb + 了/过/着, never before the verb.

的/地/得: 的 before a noun (我的书), 地 before a verb as adverbial (慢慢地走), 得 after a verb introducing a complement (跑得很快).

Complements: 结果 (吃完, 听懂), 趋向 (进来, 出去, 起来), 可能 (吃得完 / 吃不完), 程度 (好极了, 累得很) - the 得/不 slot marks ability or result.

Comparison: A 比 B + adjective (+ 一点儿/得多/多了); A 没有 B 那么 + adjective; A 跟 B 一样 + adjective; 不如 = not as good as. 比 never takes 很 before the adjective.

把 and 被: 把 moves a definite object before the verb with a result (我把作业做完了); 被 marks passive, often with 让/叫/给 (书被他拿走了). Neither takes a bare verb without a result or particle.

Question forms: 吗 (yes/no), 呢 (and…?), 什么/谁/哪儿/怎么/为什么/几/多少 (wh-words stay in the answer's position), 还是 (choice), 是不是/对不对 (tag).

Common confusions: 二 vs 两 (两 before classifiers), 几 vs 多少, 会 vs 能 vs 可以, 想 vs 要, 又 vs 再, 才 vs 就, 有点儿 vs 一点儿.

Character work: learn by component - phonetic part hints sound (清 qīng, 请 qǐng, 情 qíng, 晴 qíng), semantic part hints meaning (氵, 讠, 忄, 日); stroke order follows top-to-bottom, left-to-right, outside-in, then seal the frame.

Format: a short reading-aloud passage (朗读), a picture or topic description, and a question-and-answer interaction with the examiner; pronunciation and fluency are marked separately from content.

Tones carry meaning: mā 妈 / má 麻 / mǎ 马 / mà 骂; mark third-tone sandhi (nǐ hǎo → ní hǎo) and the neutral tone on particles 了, 吗, 呢, 的, 得.

Initials to drill: z/c/s vs zh/ch/sh vs j/q/x; final traps: -n vs -ng (an/ang, en/eng, in/ing), ü after j/q/x written u (ju, qu, xu).

Reading aloud: pause at 。and ，, keep a steady pace, do not stop to self-correct a single character - finish the sentence, then continue.

Picture description frame: 时间 → 地点 → 人物 → 动作 → 感受, with at least three full sentences and one connective (因为, 所以, 但是, 然后).

Interaction strategies: ask for repetition with 对不起，请再说一遍; gain time with 让我想一想; if a word is missing, paraphrase (那个东西…/就是说…) instead of switching language.

Self-introduction set: 姓名, 年龄, 学校, 家庭, 爱好, 学习中文的时间, 将来的计划 - prepare these as complete sentences, not single words.

Fluency markers that examiners notice: correct 了/过, correct measure words, use of 也/都/还/才, and a clear closing sentence (谢谢，我说完了).