U2

History Contents

2.1

Practising skimming and scanning reading skills Learning more about backward reference in a text Learning about advertising and promotional language Introducing vocabulary to do with the history of Hong Kong

Pre-reading

You are going to read a very short history of Hong Kong, which also mentions events in China that affected Hong Kong. How much do you know already? Write these events from Hong Kong and China’s history opposite the correct dates in the table below. One has been done for you. The British acquire Hong Kong Island The Ming Dynasty The ‘Cultural Revolution’ (in China) The Qing Dynasty The Handover – sovereignty of Hong Kong returns to China The British acquire Kowloon The Han Dynasty The British are granted a 99-year lease of the New Territories The Bronze Age The Japanese occupy Hong Kong The Stone Age The ‘Great Leap Forward’ (in China) 1½ million BC to 3000 BC 3000 BC to 1200 BC 206 BC to 220 AD 1368 to 1644 1644 to 1912 1842 1860 1898 1941 to 1945 1959 to 1961 1966 to 1969 1997

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The British acquire Hong Kong Island

2.2

Reading practice

Read this passage and answer the questions.

A very brief history of Hong Kong

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

People have lived in the territory of present-day Hong Kong since at least the 4th millennium BC. They left evidence of their everyday life and culture in the late Stone Age and the Bronze Age, such as tools, decorated pottery, ornaments and rock carvings. People from the north arrived during the Han dynasty (206 BC-220 AD); and remains from this period include a brick tomb, Lei Cheng Uk, located in present-day Shamshuipo. For centuries after this, Hong Kong remained an unimportant outpost of the Chinese empire, but links with the mainland were always maintained. Mandarins from the Chinese capital occasionally visited the area, Ming plates have been found, and a Qing dynasty fort still stands at Tung Chung. Nonetheless, Hong Kong Island, with its lack of fertile land and fresh water, remained a thinly populated island before the 1840s, used mainly by fishermen and sometimes as a shelter for pirates. Britain did not show any interest in Hong Kong until the 1840s. In the nineteenth century, all foreigners trading in southern China, including the British, were based in Canton (Guangzhou). However, when the British started to import large quantities of opium into China in the 1830s, relations between Britain and China deteriorated. (The drug had been illegal in China since 1799.) In June 1840 war broke out. In the course of the war, British sailors occupied Hong Kong Island, which was passed to Britain by the Treaty of Nanking (1842). War broke out again in 1856, and ended in 1860 with the Convention of Peking, under which the Kowloon peninsula also became British. On 9 June 1898, China granted Britain a 99-year lease of the New Territories. As Hong Kong gradually became established as a trading port, the number of residents increased dramatically, through immigration from China. Between 1851 and 1931 the population rose from 32,983 to 878,947. The Japanese invaded in 1941, and from 1941 to 1945 the territory was occupied by the Japanese army. During the years of occupation, the economy was destroyed, and many people fled to China. After the war, this trend was reversed, and Hong Kong’s population rapidly increased, with further waves of immigrants from the mainland during the late 1940s and early 1950s. Many of these new arrivals were from Shanghai, bringing with them manufacturing and entrepreneurial skills, which they used to set up industries making clothing, plastic products, toys and electronics. During the 1950s, Hong Kong developed as a major manufacturing centre, exporting to countries all over the world. The colony remained largely unaffected by the social and economic disruption in the 1950s and 1960s of Mao Tse Tung’s ‘Great Leap Forward’ and ‘Cultural Revolution’ across the border. However, in the 80s and 90s as China’s economy opened up under Deng Zhao Ping, economic ties between Hong Kong and the mainland became stronger. To reduce costs, many Hong Kong manufacturers moved their factories across the border, and Hong Kong companies started to invest heavily in Chinese infrastructure (especially roads, railways, power generation, telecommunications and property). In the final two decades of the twentieth century, Hong Kong developed as a powerful financial and communications centre, attracting investment from Japan, Britain and the US. By the 1997 ‘handover’ (the return of sovereignty to China), Hong Kong had become firmly established as the top financial and trading centre for South-east Asia, a position which it maintained despite the region’s recession in the late 1990s. In recent years the local economy has received a further boost from the continuing massive economic growth of the mainland.

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Now answer these comprehension questions. 1. What evidence is there that Hong Kong was inhabited in pre-historic times (the Stone Age and the Bronze Age)?

2. In line 4, what does ‘this period’ refer to?

3. According to the passage, very few people lived on Hong Kong Island until the nineteenth century. (Tick the appropriate box.) True

False

Not stated

4. Which word in paragraph 2 means ‘got worse’?

5. In line 16, what does ‘which’ refer to?

6. What was the cause of the war between China and Britain which started in 1839? The trade in 7. What was the result of the war?

8. Which of these definitions is the correct one for ‘waves’ in line 25? wave n. 1. a moving ridge of water esp. in the sea, e.g. The tsunami was a huge wave which crashed on to the beach. 2. a movement of the hand as a signal, e.g. He waved goodbye as the train left the station. 3. the way in which heat, light, electricity, magnetism and sound moves, e.g. radio waves 4. a large group of people or things moving together like waves, e.g. waves of tourists visit the island every year 5. a curved shape in a person’s hair e.g. her hair has natural waves

8.

9. What does the phrase ‘new arrivals’ in line 26 refer to?

10. Write down two of the products that Hong Kong became famous for in the 1950s and 1960s. a) b)

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11. According to paragraph 4, why did Hong Kong manufacturers set up businesses in China in the 1980s and 1990s?

12. What happened to Hong Kong’s economy in the 1980s and 1990s?

13. According to the passage, how did the Asian recession affected Hong Kong’s international trading position? Hong Kong’s position .... A. improved. B. got worse. C. stayed the same. 13. 14. The writer’s purpose in this passage is to .... A. inform. B. persuade. C. entertain. D. apologise.

2.3

14.

Vocabulary — matching exercise

Match these words from the passage with the correct definitions. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

tools pottery ornaments /«øÄnWmWnts/ rock carvings bronze /brÅnz/ dynasty /dˆnWstˆ/ or /daˆnWstˆ/

a) b) c) d) e) f)

bowls, plates, cups and pots family of emperors and the period when they lived items used for making things, e.g. needles, saws pictures and patterns cut into rocks metal made from copper (Cu) and tin (Zn) personal decorations, e.g. jewellery

7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.

archaeological /»åÄkˆW«lÅdΩˆkl/ tomb /tuÄm/ fort fertile land /«f±Ätaˆl/ mandarin /«mændWrˆn/ pirates /«paˆrWts/

g) h) i) j) k) l)

room where dead people are buried to do with studying found items from the past criminals who rob ships Chinese civil servant land which is good for farming small castle

13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18.

opium /«W¨pˆWm/ invaded /ˆn«veˆdˆd/ fled deteriorated /dˆ«tˆWrˆWrreˆtˆd/ entrepreneurial /ÅntrWprW«n±ÄrˆWl/ disruption /dˆs«r√pßn/

m) n) o) p) q) r)

entered another country with an army got worse business-minded disorder ran away addictive drug

19. 20. 21. 22. 23.

ties /taˆz/ invest /ˆn«vest/ infrastructure /«ˆnfrWstr√ktßW/ sovereignty /«sÅvrWntˆ/ recession /rˆ«seßn/

s) t) u) v) w)

political rule and control period of no economic growth links spend money (on a business project) basic services needed by a country (e.g. roads)

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2.4

Reading skills — words/phrases which refer back to something earlier in the text (referents)

Questions 2, 5 and 9 in the reading passage asked you to identify the earlier points/ideas that some words and phrases in the text refer back to. These questions test whether you can follow the links in meaning between different parts of a sentence, and between sentences. A. Referents There are four types of ‘referent’ (words/phrases that refer back): pronouns, synonyms, paraphrases and noun phrases. Pronouns The most common link is between a pronoun (e.g. me, she, it, this, these. those, whose) and an earlier noun. Usually, the pronoun refers back to the nearest noun, but not always. For example: People have lived in the territory of present-day Hong Kong since at least the 4th millennium BC. They left evidence of their everyday life and culture…. Synonyms Synonyms provide another form of link. (Synonyms are words or phrases having exactly the same meaning.) For example: As Hong Kong gradually became established as a trading port, the number of residents increased dramatically, through immigration from China. Between 1851 and 1931 the population rose from 32,983 to 878,947. Paraphrases A paraphrase is similar to a synonym. The difference is that with a paraphrase, the two words or phrases have the same meaning in this particular context, but they cannot always be used as substitutes for each other. For example: Hong Kong’s population rapidly increased, with further waves of immigrants from the mainland during the late 1940s and early 1950s. Many of these new arrivals were from Shanghai… Noun phrases The most difficult link to follow is a noun phrase which refers back. Sometimes the noun referred to is a long way back in the text. For example: When the British started to import large quantities of opium into China in the 1830s, relations between Britain and China deteriorated. (The drug had been illegal in China since 1799.)

B. What referents can refer back to Referents commonly refer back to a noun (opium) or a short noun phrase (the number of residents). However, sometimes they refer back to a more complicated idea, which could be contained in a clause, or even in a whole sentence. For example: During the years of occupation, the economy was destroyed, and many people fled to China. After the war, this trend was reversed,… In this example, this trend refers to the idea that during the Japanese occupation there was a trend for many people to flee to China.

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2.5

Practice with backward references

Write down the word or phrase in the text of Exercise 2.2 to which the following referents refer. Referent

Word/phrase referred to

this (line 4) its (line 9) which (line 17) them (line 26) which (line 27) the colony (line 30) the mainland (line 33) their (line 34) a position (line 40) the region (line 41)

2.6

Advertising, promotional, and commercial language

Advertisements and promotions are designed to do two things: first, to attract our attention; and second, to make us want to buy what they are advertising. When businesses want us to buy something, they use language in special ways. We can see this kind of language in many places — on posters, in advertisements in magazines, newspapers and on TV, and in promotional leaflets and brochures. The difference between promotional and factual language Both the texts below are about history museums. One text contains factual information about a museum. It is taken from the ‘listings’ section of a newspaper, which lists basic details of all the shows, attractions and events that can be enjoyed each week. The other text is an advertisement produced by a museum. It is taken from a magazine and it is actively encouraging readers to visit the museum. Read the two texts, and identify which one is factual and which one is promotional. How do you know which is which? Note down two points about language which identify the promotional one. The Hong Kong Museum of Medical Sciences is housed in the first medical laboratory built in Hong Kong, (1906). It became a museum in 1996. The museum aims to educate the public about Hong Kong’s medical history, by exhibiting materials relating to the local development of medicine. The museum also presents special activities and distributes publications on medical history topics. Location: 2 Caine Lane, Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong Opening hours: 10:00a.m – 5:00p.m. (Tuesday to Saturday) 1:00p.m-5:00p.m. (Sundays, public holidays) Admission is HK$10.00 for adults, and $5 for concessions (the disabled, full-time students, and the elderly).

Hands on History at the

Hong Kong History Experience Have you ever wanted to travel back in time? Come and see how people lived 100, 200, 1000, 2000 — even 3000 years ago! z Eat a fabulous Tang Dynasty Banquet! z Dress up as a Sung Dynasty warrior! And we can arrange a fantastic birthday party for your kid in a replica Han Dynasty Tomb!! Open daily 10.00am – 6pm. Adults $50; Kids only $25! For parties: contact Lisa Fung on 2334 5678!

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Promotional language — examples Advertisers use several techniques to get us interested, as we can see in these examples from the advertisement for the Hong Kong History Experience: 1. They speak to us directly as ‘you’, e.g. ‘Have you ever wanted…’. 2. They talk about their business as ‘we’, e.g. ‘We can arrange…’. 3. They order us to do what they want, ‘Come and see how people lived...’ 4. They use questions, ‘Have you ever wanted to travel back in time?’ 5. They use incomplete sentences, and lots of exclamation marks, ‘Kids only $25!’ 6. They often include a catch phrase, e.g. “Hands on History”. 7. They use positive adjectives and phrases to talk about themselves: ‘fabulous Tang Dynasty Banquet’. 8. They start sentences with And, Or, Yes, Well, etc. ‘And we can arrange a fantastic birthday party…’

2.7

Promotional language — practice

Underline examples of advertising language in this museum advertisement. The Hong Kong Police Museum Haven’t you always wanted to look through real evidence about interesting crimes? Well, we let you do just that! Located in the former Wan Chai Gap Police Station, our museum follows the history of the Hong Kong Police Force from 1844 to today. z Fascinating exhibits: guns, fake money and the head of a tiger that killed a policeman in1915! z Triad Societies: their activities and rituals! z The illegal drugs trade: replica drugs, drug smoking equipment, a heroinmanufacturing laboratory! Location: 27 Coombe Road, The Peak, Hong Kong. Tel: 2849 7019 Transport : Bus No. 15. Opening Hours : Wednesdays to Sundays : 9 a.m.— 5 p.m. Tuesdays : 2 p.m. — 5 p.m.

2.8

1. They speak to us directly as ‘you’ 2. They talk about their business as ‘we’ 3. They order us to do what they want 4. They use questions 5. They use incomplete sentences, and lots of exclamation marks 6. They use positive adjectives and phrases to talk about themselves 7. They start sentences with And, Or, Yes, Well, etc.

Reading practice — scanning

Read the information about different museums below, and answer the questions. 1. Hong Kong Railway Museum This small, pretty museum is a ‘must’ for all railway fans. Located in the old Tai Po Market railway station, which first opened in 1913, it looks just like a traditional Chinese temple. The museum’s exhibition of Hong Kong’s railway history includes photographs, old coaches, samples of track and a full-size model of an electric train compartment.

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2. Hong Kong Heritage Museum The museum provides exhibitions on the history, art and culture of the ordinary people of Hong Kong. There are six permanent galleries and six galleries for temporary exhibitions. The permanent galleries include: z New Territories Heritage Hall z Children’s Discovery Gallery z Cantonese Opera Heritage Hall It also houses a popular cafe and museum shop.

Location: 13 Shung Tak Street, Tai Po Market Open: Mon, Wed — Sun (including Public Holidays): 9am — 5pm. Closed: Tue. Transport: Minibus 25K from Tai Po Market KCR Station, or bus 271 from Tsim Sha Tsui Tel: 2653 3455

Location: 1 Man Lam Road, Shatin Telephone: 2180 8188 Open: daily (except Tuesdays) from 10am. Closed:Tuesdays, except public holidays. Admission: Thursday—Monday Adults $10; Concessions $5; Wednesday: free. Transport: By KCR to Tai Wai, Sha Tin or Che Kung Temple stations; numerous bus lines.

3. Hong Kong Racing Museum Find out about the amazing success story of horse-racing in Hong Kong! z Beginning in the 1840s, we trace the sport’s history through to today’s state-of-the-art, hitech racecourses — and the phenomenal sums of money that are bet each week! z Learn about famous trainers and jockeys, what makes a champion horse, and how the Sha Tin Racecourse was built on reclaimed land.

4. Sam Tung Uk Museum Sam Tung Uk Museum offers a fascinating insight into Hong Kong’s past. Sam Tung Uk means ‘three rows home’, and is a restored 200-year-old rural walled village home.

Open: Tue—Sun & Public Holidays: 10am—5pm. Race days: 10am—12:30pm. Closed: Mon. Location: 2/F Happy Valley Stand, Happy Valley, Hong Kong Island. Tel: 2966 8065 Transport: MTR to Causeway Bay Station; Bus 37B, 75, 90, 97, 590A.

The 2,000-square-metre museum includes a furnished ancestral hall, two rows of side houses, an exhibition hall and a lecture hall. It houses displays of traditional furniture, handicrafts and agricultural equipment. Open: Mon, Wed—Sun (including Public Holidays): 9am—5pm. Closed: Tuesday. Location: 2 Kwu Uk Lane, Tsuen Wan, New Territories. Tel: 2411 2001 Transport: MTR to Tseun Wan.

1. On which day are most museums closed? 2. In which museum can you get something to eat and drink? 3. Which passage is written in an advertising style of language? 4. Which two museums are located in old buildings? True

5. 6. 7. 8.

False

Not stated

It’s cheaper to visit the Heritage Museum on a Wednesday. The Railway Museum is free. The Racing Museum has displays about both the past and the present. You can see antique chairs and tables at the Sam Tung Uk Museum.

9. Write down one example of positive language used in each description. One has been done for you. Hong Kong Railway Museum

a ‘must’

Hong Kong Heritage Museum Hong Kong Racing Museum Sam Tung Uk Museum 10. A tourist wants to find out what it was like to live in a New Territories house in the old days. Which museum would you recommend? Give a reason for your answer.

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COMPOSITION 2.9

Task 1 (short task)

Formal invitations — writing invitations, writing acceptance letters, writing polite refusal letters Write a letter to an invitation to a guest speaker, asking him/her to come and talk to a school club to which you belong. Write 100 – 150 words (not including your address, the date, the greeting or the close). Model answer — invitation letter Read the model answer to Task 1, and insert these missing words. could

give

grateful

hearing

behalf

in

held

kind

Then read the notes on page 23. Model invitation letter St Anne’s School 32 Coast Road Wah Fu Hong Kong 10 September 200Dear Mr Jones I am the secretary of the History Club at St. Anne’s School. On (1) of the Club, I would like to invite you to (2)

a talk on the

subject of ‘Life in Hong Kong’s Walled City’. Our Club members are very interested (3)

the Walled City

and we know you are an expert on the subject. We would therefore be very (4)

if you could find the time to come and talk to us about it.

The History Club’s meetings are (5)

at the school every

Monday in term time, starting at 5.30. If it is convenient, we would appreciate it if you (6)

talk to us at one of our meetings in October or November

this year. enough to write to me at the

Please would you be (7)

school, or telephone me on my mobile, number 9076 3211. I very much look forward to (8)

from you.

Yours sincerely

Alice Chan (Alice Chan, Secretary of the St. Anne’s School History Club)

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Notes on this composition The Plan 1. Set out the address and the date correctly (Note: in the examination itself you will be told not to use your own address, or your school’s address. You will be given an address to use, or you will be told not to write the address.) 2. Write the greeting 3. First paragraph — say who you are and why you are writing. 4. Second paragraph — give reasons for your invitation. 5. Third paragraph — give or suggest a date, time and place of the event. 6. Fourth paragraph — give details about how you can be contacted. Say you look forward to the person’s reply. 6. Close 7. Sign your name (Note: in the examination itself, you will be told not to use your own name. You will be given a name to use.) Write down your role in the Club. Useful phrases Polite requests I would like to invite you to… We would be very grateful if you could… We would appreciate it if you could… Please would you be kind enough to… Other phrases On behalf of …. Give a talk on a subject Be interested in a subject Be an expert on a subject Find the time to do something If it is convenient… I look forward to hearing from you Yours sincerely Tips for writing an invitation Use formal language Use polite request phrases

2.10

Composition practice — Task 1

Now write your own invitation letter, using the notes below. Follow the format of the model answer. Write 100 — 150 words. You are: the Secretary of the Computer Club at your own school You are writing to Dr Andy Chan, who is an expert on designing websites You want him to talk about designing websites Suggest a suitable time, place, date

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2.11

Task 1 (short task) — accepting and refusing invitations

Read the two model answers below (accepting and refusing an invitation) and insert the missing words. Model answer — accepting an invitation accept

possible

looking

let

for

on

suit

available

Dear Alice Chan Thank you very much (1)

your invitation to talk to St. Anne’s School

History Club about the Walled City. I enjoy talking to students about this topic and I am very happy to (2)

your invitation.

Monday 1 st October at 5.30pm would (3) (4)

me very well. Please

me know how long you would like me to talk. I also need to

know what equipment will be (5)

. For example, I would like to

project photographs stored on my laptop on to a screen, if (6) You can contact me about these details (7) I am very much (8)

. my mobile, 9945 6782.

forward to meeting your Club members on

October 1st. Yours sincerely

Peter Jones. Model answer — refusing an invitation interested

regards

unable

call

unfortunately

must

Dear Alice Chan Thank you very much for your invitation to talk to St. Anne’s School History Club about the Walled City. (1)

, I am afraid that I am (2)

to

accept. At that time I will be very busy writing a book which (3)

be

completed by the end of November. If you are still (4) (5)

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in hearing about the Walled City next year, please me in January on my mobile, number 9945 6782.

Please send my best (6)

to the members of your History Club.

Yours sincerely

Peter Jones

2.12

Composition practice — Task 1

Now write your own reply letter, EITHER accepting OR refusing the invitation, using the notes below. Follow the format of the model answer. Write 100 – 150 words. Accepting You are: Dr Andy Chan, an expert on designing websites You are writing to the Secretary of the Computer Club Thank the secretary for the invitation, and accept it. Give a reason for accepting. Confirm a date for the talk. Check details of equipment. Give information about how you can be contacted Close by saying that you are looking forward to the event

Useful phrases Thank you very much for your invitation… I am very happy/pleased to accept your invitation (date/time) would suit me very well Please let me know… I also need to know… You can contact me on… I am very much looking forward to… Refusing You are: Dr Andy Chan, an expert on designing websites You are writing to the Secretary of the Computer Club Thank the secretary for the invitation, and refuse it. Give a reason for your refusal. Suggest the possibility of a talk some time in the future. Give information about how you can be contacted Close by sending your best wishes to the Club members

Useful phrases Thank you very much for your invitation… Unfortunately, I am afraid that I am unable to accept If you are still interested… Please contact me in (month) on (phone number) Please send my best wishes/regards to the members of the — Club

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2.13 Task 2 (long task) Complete ONE of these tasks. Write about 250 words. 1. Write a description of a real historical event as if you had taken part in it. Tips for this composition Write in the first person ( I did this… I saw that…. etc.) The setting z Set the scene in the Past Continuous Tense. z Introduce yourself. Describe your surroundings and who you were with. z Use the Past Simple Tense. z Use adjectives to make the scene real. z Describe how you felt before the event. The event z Describe the event in the Past Simple Tense. z Use short sentences to describe exciting events. z Use dialogue to make the events seem real. z Describe how you felt during the event. After the event z Describe the consequences of the event. z Describe how you felt after the event. 2. What was the most important event in the history of Hong Kong? Tips for this composition Paragraph 1 — Introduction Briefly say what you think the most important event is, and give the main reason. Use the Past Simple to describe what happened and the Present Simple to give your reason. Paragraph 2 Explain the background to the event. Paragraph 3 Describe the event, and the consequences of the event. Paragraph 4 Summarise why you think the event is so important.

2.14

Vocabulary checklist

Check that you understand these new words and phrases which have not been highlighted in vocabulary exercises in this unit. acquire /WkwaˆW/ agricultural /æ˝rˆ«k√ltßWrWl/ border Cantonese Opera champion concession (for cheap tickets) exhibit /ˆ˝«zˆbˆt/ gallery handicraft heroin /«herW¨ˆn/

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high-tech immigrant immigration invade invest investment invasion jockey lease manufacturer manufacturing

outpost permanent phenomenal /fW«nÅmˆnl/ power generation reclaimed land ritual shelter state-of-the-art telecommunications temporary /«temprWrˆ/ trade