Paper 1a
Read the following letters to the newspaper, and decide the tone of each letter and its main theme. Then choose a suitable title for each letter.
A Dear Sir, your report on the number of unmarried women now in Hong Kong made me stop and think about the arguments for and against marriage. On the one hand, it is clear that to fall in love is a very natural process, and that then to settle down with one's love and build a life together full of sharing and companionship is very attractive. One can get great joy from having children, and also gain more security that one will not be alone in old age. Marriage, in fact, gives one a sense of purpose and fills one's days with meaning.
On the other hand, getting married and having children means a great deal of sacrifice. Married people have to give up their independence and cannot just do what they want. If there are children, a great financial sacrifice is needed. In return, many parents suffer from difficult, ungrateful children, who do nothing for them later on in life. I wonder what your readers think on this important issue.
1 Is the tone . . .
a) excited b) neutral c) angry d) pessimistic?
B Dear Sir, I refer to yesterday's article ('Lonely single children') on the problems faced by the many children these days without any brothers and sisters. The article brought back to me all the joys of being one of the five children. What fun our crowded room was with us sharing bunk beds and fighting to use the bathroom or work desk. How I liked wearing my elder brothers' old clothes and of course, they always protected me and never pushed me around or placed mean tricks on me. What pleasure I got from helping look after my younger sisters. Trying to stop babies crying is a lovely way to spend one's time. Okay, I am being very one-sided, but really cannot feel too sorry for those single children in their nice rooms, getting all that attention.