Context

Paper 1a

What type of writing is this? Match the following texts with the items in the list of different types of writing.

A I refer to your editorial of June 15 ('Save the old'), and wish to express my strong support for your proposal to increase social welfare payments to the growing number of poor old people in Hong Kong.

B I intend to present you first with three strong arguments in favour of this statement. I think you will soon agree with us that facts, logic and morality are all on our side, and that any arguments to the contrary are simply tricks.

C The plot is completely unoriginal. I cannot begin to count how many times we watched inspiring dance teachers change the lives of troubled office workers, high school students, prisoners and social dropouts. All I can say in favour of this version is that the dancing is brilliant and the acting good.

D As soon as he touched the door it swung open. Someone had been there before him. The room was too dark for him to see anything. He walked over to the window, skirting the large desk which he remembered stood in the centre. He pulled open the curtains, turned and for a moment froze as he found himself looking at Guy's head, quite separate from his body, sitting in a pool of blood on the desk.

E The lamb was tired of being bullied by the wolf. He decided it was time to do something about the situation. He would go to King Lion and ask for his help. He went to tell Donkey his plan. Donkey was not sure it was a good idea, but he agreed to go along with him for company.

F May you have a lovely day,

Full of fun and happy play.

May the sun come out to shine

And everything be really fine.

May the dogs bark and the cats meow

Special greetings all for you!

G Chop the onions and brown in the frying pan. Add the chicken pieces, turning them a few times. Add the prepared sauce to the pan and simmer for 15 minutes.

H Compaq laptop, Presario 2800 (Pentium 4), good condition. Any reasonable offer considered.

I Quiet average-looking non-smoking accountant (31) seeks female companion for walks, cinema visits, dining and friendship. She must be sincere, kind, medium height and weight, and financially independent. Box R56.

J Head east from the city to visit the large zoo. If animals do not interest you, take a cab and go up the mountain to visit the impressive temple with fantastic views of the city. Just below the temple there is an excellent jade factory, but be ready to bargain as the prices first asked are for careless tourists only. A fine waterfall is also worth a visit. Ask your driver to include it in the ride.

K He watched in amazement as she leapt up onto the wall, ran along it and then seemed to fly into the air to land on the roof of the main hall. At that moment guards ran into the courtyard to ask how he was. He assured them he was safe. It was a mystery, however, why the strange visitor had not hurt him. He learned she had knocked the front entrance guards unconscious and then fought Tao in the outer yard, defeating him with her kick jumps. 'I think she was using the Snake Style taught only in East Monastery on Tai Shan, but I am not sure. It all happened so quickly. But why did she come if it was not harm you? I don't understand.'

L My advice to you is to avoid going to your girlfriend's home for a few weeks. Make excuses to meet her outside. If she says her family is asking to see you, arrange a large family dim sum meeting. In this way her sister should realise that you are not interested, and perhaps she will have time to reflect on how bad her behaviour has been.

M With the help of Jupiter, this should be a good time for trying new things and taking business risks. Success and profit are likely to follow. More care, however, is needed with family matters. Avoid arguments for the next two weeks unless you want serious problems.

N I just had a long talk with an old friend. We used to be so close, but I don't know what has happened. Where has all the trust gone? I guess it is part of getting older, but at primary school friends seemed to be forever. I never feared a friend would let me down. I suppose things changed around form 3. Then I found some friends two-faced. Life is pretty hard, but perhaps you all know that and I was the naive one.

O Storms lashed the east coast of Malaysia last night. Heavy rains caused floods in some villages and many houses were damaged by strong winds. Three men were reported lost when their fishing boat sank. Government relief efforts were proceeding despite the difficult conditions.

1 Agony Aunt Letter

2 Birthday Card

3 Blog

4 Classified Ad

5 Debate Speech

6 Detective Novel

7 Fable

8 Film Review

9 Guide Book

10 Horoscope

11 Letter to the Editor

12 Lonely Hearts Ad

13 Martial Arts Novel

14 News Article

15 Recipe

Answers:

a. 11/ b. 5/ c. 8/ d.6/ e. 7/ f. 2/ g. 15/ h. 4/ i. 12/ j. 9/ k. 13/ l. 1/ m. 10/ n. 3/ o. 15