A windfall
Paper 3
Part A
In this part you will have five minutes after you have been given the question to prepare your ideas and jot down some notes to help remember what you want to say. Be careful not to write down too much because then you will seem to be reading out something you have prepared. This is not allowed. The discussion must be as natural as possible. After the five minutes is up, you will hold a discussion with two or three other candidates. The discussion will last six minutes. A good performance involves correct pronunciation, suitable intonation, sensible body movement, clear ideas, attention to what other candidates say, contributions of a reasonable length (not one or two words only, nor long speeches), well-chosen vocabulary, good grammar, and appropriate use of conventional phrases, such as 'Excuse me, can you please repeat that?', 'Let's move on' and 'I agree'.
If a local family had a sudden windfall (the arrival of some unexpected money) of HK$200,000, which of these do you think would be the best way to use it?
You may want to talk about
how useful the idea is
how enjoyable the idea is
how long the pleasure of each idea will last
anything else you think is important
Ideas
(Note some ideas down, and if you do not think you have enough, look at ours.)
A car could give great convenience
They could visit parts of Hong Kong they had not been to before.
Cars cost a lot to run.
Parking can be a big problem.
Hong Kong has very good public transport.
Private cars are quite polluting.
It would not be very exciting to just put the money in the bank
Interest rates are low.
Everyone needs savings for special expenses like medical bills, education and retirement.
You feel safer when you have some savings.
Everyone in the family will gain from a nicer and more comfortable home
The money should be spent on things that will last. New furniture can be used for many years.
Family holiday
As the money is a windfall, they should spend it on something they could not do otherwise.
The holiday will bring the family together. They will spend time together and have wonderful experiences.
The holiday will soon be over.
Its memories will last for years.
It can broaden everyone's horizons.
Opening the discussion
A good discussion needs some organisation. The first speaker - probably a strong candidate who wants to show some leadership - needs to suggest ways the conversation might be held, but this must be done in a non-bossy way.
In this case you could start by discussing principles: should this money be used for everyday things or for a really special project?
Should the aim be careful spending or a once-in-a-lifetime bit of fun? ('Can I suggest we talk about our objectives in using this windfall? Should we aim for something sensible or something really special?')
You also need to decide if you will talk about the pictures one by one, or will each of you give your choice and reasons. ('Can I start? I think we need to decide how to organise our discussion. Shall we go through the pictures one by one, or follow the suggested topics and discuss usefulness and so on? Which method do you all prefer?')
Summing up
'The savings idea is the most sensible, but the holiday seems the most exciting and memorable.'
'So we agree that redecorating the home would bring most pleasure in the end?'
'We have considered points for and against each idea, but we do not think there is a correct choice. It depends on each family and their likes and dislikes.'
Part B
In this part the examiner will ask each candidate a question connected to the discussion.
Sample questions:
Which of these do you think your family would choose?
Can you suggest another way of spending the money?
If you chose the holiday, what place would you most want to visit?
Answer the question with some comments.
'We would not want a car as there would be nowhere to park it. Our home is quite nice already - I think we would have a little holiday and save the rest.'
'I don't really know if it is enough but I have always dreamed of owning a boat for sailing around Hong Kong at the weekend.'
'That's easy - I want to see everything in Disney World in Florida. I want to go on
all the rides, meet all the cartoon characters and see all the science wonders at Future World.'
