DSE Reading Skills
AdvancedRead the questions first, then scan.
- Budget about thirty minutes per part; bank the easy marks before fighting hard items.
- Routine: read questions, circle keys, skim for gist, scan for evidence, infer the purpose.
- For inference, ask: what does the writer want me to feel, believe or buy?
文體小知識：Exam strategies.
§Text Passage
1The Internet has changed the way we learn. Students can find almost any fact in seconds with a simple keyword search, and no library visit is required. However, speed has a hidden cost: not all information online is true, because anyone can post anything without checking it first. A recent survey found that many Hong Kong teenagers cannot tell a genuine news report from an advertisement disguised as one. Critical thinking, not memorising facts, is now the most valuable skill a modern learner can possess.
2Skilled readers judge what they read with a few simple techniques. First, skim the whole article for a general impression, then scan for details such as dates, names and figures. Next, examine the source: who wrote the piece, when it was written, and whether the site shows an obvious bias. If several reliable websites agree, the claim is probably trustworthy. Try to infer the writer's hidden purpose — what does the author want you to feel, believe or buy? Finally, paraphrase each main point in your own words; if you cannot explain it simply, you have not truly understood it.
3These techniques are exactly what DSE examiners reward. In Paper 1, candidates must locate answers quickly, match keywords between questions and text, and infer meaning that is never stated directly. The passages are long, so time management matters: allow roughly thirty minutes per part, and never let one difficult question eat the time needed for three easy marks elsewhere.
4In short, the Internet has made information cheap, but understanding remains expensive. Whether you are scrolling social media or sitting the DSE, the habits are identical: skim for the gist, scan for evidence, check the source and infer the purpose. Teachers must keep teaching evaluation rather than memorisation, because facts change every day, but thinking skills last a lifetime.
§Sentence-by-sentence translation Sentence-by-sentence translation
The Internet has changed the way we learn.
互聯網改變了學習方式。
Students can find almost any fact in seconds with a simple keyword search, and no library visit is required.
學生只要用簡單的關鍵字搜尋，幾秒內幾乎找到任何資料，毋須親身到圖書館。
However, speed has a hidden cost: not all information online is true, because anyone can post anything without checking it first.
然而，速度是有隱藏代價的：網上資訊並非全部屬實，因為任何人都可以未經查證便發布任何內容。
A recent survey found that many Hong Kong teenagers cannot tell a genuine news report from an advertisement disguised as one.
最近一項調查發現，許多香港青少年無法分辨真正的新聞報道與偽裝成新聞的廣告。
Critical thinking, not memorising facts, is now the most valuable skill a modern learner can possess.
批判思考而非死記事實，才是現代學習者最寶貴的技能。
Skilled readers judge what they read with a few simple techniques.
善於閱讀的人會用幾個簡單技巧來判斷所讀的內容。
First, skim the whole article for a general impression, then scan for details such as dates, names and figures.
首先，略讀全文以掌握大致印象，然後尋讀日期、人名和數字等細節。
Next, examine the source: who wrote the piece, when it was written, and whether the site shows an obvious bias.
接着查證資料來源：文章由誰撰寫、何時發表，以及網站有否明顯偏頗。
If several reliable websites agree, the claim is probably trustworthy.
如果多個可靠網站的說法一致，該說法大致可信。
Try to infer the writer's hidden purpose — what does the author want you to feel, believe or buy?
試着推論作者的隱藏目的——他希望你感受甚麼、相信甚麼或購買甚麼？
Finally, paraphrase each main point in your own words; if you cannot explain it simply, you have not truly understood it.
最後，用自己的文字改寫每個重點；如果你無法簡單地解釋，就代表你尚未真正理解。
These techniques are exactly what DSE examiners reward.
這些技巧正是文憑試閱卷員所重視的。
In Paper 1, candidates must locate answers quickly, match keywords between questions and text, and infer meaning that is never stated directly.
在卷一，考生必須迅速定位答案、比對題目與文章的關鍵字，並推論從未直接說明的意思。
The passages are long, so time management matters: allow roughly thirty minutes per part, and never let one difficult question eat the time needed for three easy marks elsewhere.
文章篇幅長，所以時間管理十分重要：每部分預留約三十分鐘，切勿讓一道難題蠶食其他地方三道易題所需的時間。
In short, the Internet has made information cheap, but understanding remains expensive.
簡言之，互聯網令資訊變得廉價，但理解依然昂貴。
Whether you are scrolling social media or sitting the DSE, the habits are identical: skim for the gist, scan for evidence, check the source and infer the purpose.
無論你是在瀏覽社交媒體還是應考文憑試，習慣都一樣：略讀取其大意、尋讀找證據、查證來源、推論目的。
Teachers must keep teaching evaluation rather than memorisation, because facts change every day, but thinking skills last a lifetime.
教師必須繼續教授評估能力而非死記硬背，因為事實天天在變，思考技能卻終身受用。
1Summary 重點摘要
Read the questions first, then scan.
2Vocabulary cards Vocabulary
Fast read.
Search.
Guess.
Find.
Rephrase.
Key word.
Clock.
標記。
3Step by step Steps
- TimeTime allocation comes first: Paper 1 gives three passages in ninety minutes, roughly thirty per part. The rule is 'never let one difficult question eat the time needed for three easy marks': mark a stuck question, skip it and return after the rest. Wear a watch, check it after each part, and never let your progress slip behind the clock.
- ReadRead the questions first and circle keywords: dates, names, figures, proper nouns - know what you are hunting before you enter the text. Never read word by word from the first line to the last, or ninety minutes will not be enough. Check the question type and the marks too: a two-mark question usually needs two points.
- ScanSkim for the gist, scan for evidence - the two techniques work in pairs. Skimming sweeps each paragraph's first sentence and the turn words for the big picture in half a minute; scanning hunts the question's keywords and their synonyms in the text. Remember the passage rarely repeats the question's wording: price may appear as cost or fee.
- AnswerKeep answers short and in frame: fill-in answers must fit the grammar frame - singular or plural, tense, capitalisation; inference answers build step by step from clues, never from thin air; paraphrase in your own words, since copying the original scores zero. Check the word limit (three words means three or fewer) and write in the designated space.
- Infer three thingsInference questions ask three things: what does the writer want me to feel, believe, or buy? Use the adjectives, examples and tone of the text as evidence, linking them step by step to the answer. Never substitute your own general knowledge for textual inference; after every inference answer, point to the sentence that supports it.
- Paraphrase testParaphrasing is a test of understanding: if you cannot say it in your own words, you have not understood it. After each paragraph, retell it in one sentence - retellable means understood; if not, read again. This habit feeds directly into gist and paragraph-purpose questions, and in the exam the retelling can happen silently in three seconds.
- Same skillsSkim, scan, check and infer last a lifetime, far beyond the exam. Checking sources, comparing several websites and watching for bias online use exactly these skills - information literacy and reading technique share one root. Read news by its source and advertisements by their stance, and the exam becomes just one more application.
5Worked example Example
DSE Paper 1 gives you three passages in ninety minutes. Using the techniques in this article, design an answering routine and explain how to handle a question that traps you.
- Step 1: Read the questions first and circle key words — dates, names, figures — then skim for gist and scan for evidence.
- Step 2: Budget roughly thirty minutes per part; never let one difficult question eat the time owed to three easy marks.
- Step 3: Run the technique chain: skim → scan → check the source → infer the writer's hidden purpose → paraphrase to test understanding.
- Step 4: Trapped by a question? Mark it, move on, and return later.
- Step 5: In the final minutes, check spelling and make sure answers are paraphrased, not copied.
- Answer: The routine comes straight from the article. Read the questions first and circle dates, names and figures; skim each passage for its gist, then scan for evidence. Budget about thirty minutes per part and treat difficult questions as debts, not duties — one hard item must never consume the time owed to three easy marks. For inference items, ask what the writer wants you to feel, believe or buy, then paraphrase the point: if you cannot explain it simply, you have not understood it. If a question traps you, leave a mark and return later. In the final minutes, check spelling and make sure every answer is expressed in your own words. Information is cheap; understanding is expensive.
6Common mistakes Mistakes
7Quick check Quick check
Q1Time?
Q2First?
Q3Find answer?
Q4Inference?
Q5Paraphrase?
Q6Tip?
Q7How has the Internet changed learning?
Q8What is the problem?
Q9What is important?
8Recap Recap
- Budget about thirty minutes per part; bank the easy marks before fighting hard items.
- Routine: read questions, circle keys, skim for gist, scan for evidence, infer the purpose.
- For inference, ask: what does the writer want me to feel, believe or buy?
- Paraphrasing is the test of understanding: if you cannot explain it, you do not own it.
- Exam skills and internet literacy share one habit: check sources, compare sites, spot bias.