Answer in English, based only on the text
Paper 3 (Reading, AO3) sets ALL questions in English and you answer in English — you never produce Chinese (that is Paper 4), except the final translation. It mixes multiple-response items with short-answer items. Golden rule: base every answer ONLY on what the Chinese text says, not on what seems likely. Two passes — skim for GIST (大意, dàyì): who, where, when, what; then re-read for the exact DETAIL (细节, xìjié) asked. Gist first stops you lifting from the wrong sentence.
Own words, short; full sentences are risky
Two linked skills. First, some items test UNDERSTANDING, not word-finding — if the command says in your own words, re-express the idea, do not copy. Second, keep answers short: give only what is asked. A full sentence is risky — an extra clause that contradicts the text can NEGATE the correct part. Example: text 他每天看半个小时的报纸 (Tā měitiān kàn bàn gè xiǎoshí de bàozhǐ — reads the paper half an hour daily); asked how long, answer "half an hour", not the whole sentence.
Q10 translation -- render every element
Section B (Paper 3H) translates a short Chinese passage INTO English, about 7 marks, marked element by element — miss one, lose it. Read the whole passage first, then translate chunk by chunk, watching aspect 了/过, negation 不/没, measure word + number, comparison 比. Example: 去年夏天，我和妹妹一起去过一次上海。(Qùnián xiàtiān, wǒ hé mèimei yìqǐ qù guo yí cì Shànghǎi.) — Last summer my younger sister and I went to Shanghai once together. Every element (time, sister, 过+一次, together) must appear.
Drawn from real examiner reports.
Poor English loses marks you understood
Marks are lost from unclear English, not from failing to understand the Chinese. ✗ leaving 记者 (jìzhě) untranslated or guessing; ✗ writing "topper of the class" (not acceptable English) ✓ 记者 (jìzhě) — journalist / reporter; 歌手 (gēshǒu) — singer; "the top student in the class". Build clear English equivalents for common jobs, and re-read your answer so it says one clear thing.
Dropping a negative or comparative
Precision decides these marks. ✗ "give up watching TV" when the text said 放弃不看电视 (fàngqì bú kàn diànshì — give up NOT watching TV): the dropped 不 reverses the meaning. ✗ "be confident" where a comparison needed "be MORE confident". ✗ an object (电视, TV) where an activity (看电视, watching TV) was asked. Keep every negative (不/没), comparative (更/比) and activity intact.
Ticking the wrong number of boxes
On multiple-response items the count is a rule. When an item says choose three, ticking two (under) or four (over) both lose marks — over-marking is penalised, so never add a fourth to "cover yourself". Choose your best three only, using ONLY the options given. Watch negatives in the text (不喜欢) that mark distractors you must NOT tick.
Matching the action to the wrong person
Read WHOSE action the question asks about. An item may ask what the father hopes to do versus what he hopes his SON will do — attach each verb to the right subject. ✗ "the father will check the passport" when it was the immigration officer who checks it. Underline the subject the question names before you answer, especially where several people appear.
Shows/implies is not says
An inference question wants what the text SHOWS or implies, not the literal line. ✗ restating 天气很热，不用穿毛衣 (it is hot, no need for a sweater) word for word when asked what this SHOWS ✓ "the weather there is warm" — the implication. Restating the literal statement scores nothing on a shows/implies item. Underline the question verb — say, show or imply — before you answer.
One answer per mark -- no slashes
Give one clear answer per mark. Do not offer a choice with a slash: if you write A/B, only the text BEFORE the slash counts, and information in brackets ( ) is ignored — so the safe word must come first and stand alone. Never leave a Chinese word untranslated, and do not use pinyin (as a rule it is not accepted). One precise response, no alternatives.
Thinking a longer answer is always safer
Learners think writing more can only help, so they copy a whole sentence to be safe. On Paper 3 the opposite holds: one response per mark, and any unasked extra can CONTRADICT the text. ✗ for "How long does he read each day?" writing 他看半个小时，而且他不喜欢数学 (reads half an hour and dislikes maths) ✓ "half an hour". A full sentence is optional and risky; give exactly what is asked.
Gist first, then decode the command
Two opening moves. GIST: skim the text for who / where / when / topic before reading the questions. Then DECODE THE COMMAND: underline the question word and instruction — how long / in your own words / choose three / what does it show — so you answer the exact question asked.
Locate the subject, answer short and clear
Find the sentence that answers exactly the command, and check the SUBJECT before writing. Answer in minimum precise English: keep every negative (不/没) and comparative (更/比), one response per mark, no slashes or brackets, and never leave a Chinese word untranslated.
Translate Q10 element by element
For the Section B translation, read the whole passage, then render it chunk by chunk so every element appears — measure word and number, aspect 了/过, negation 不/没, comparison 比, each time phrase. Miss one and you lose that element. Re-read your English so it makes sense.
Multi-select -- exactly the stated number
Treat the number as fixed: choose EXACTLY the count stated (e.g. three), using only the options provided. Under- and over-marking both lose marks, and over-marking is penalised, so never tick a spare box. Eliminate the distractors the text negates (不喜欢, 没有) first.
This note is about how to answer the Reading paper (Paper 3, assessment objective AO3), not a single vocabulary theme. On Paper 3 you read Chinese texts and answer questions about them. The big surprise for many learners: all the questions are in English and you answer in English -- you never have to write Chinese on this paper, except in the final translation from Chinese into English.
Reading recognition: what does 记者 (jìzhě) mean in clear English?
Read this ORIGINAL invented snippet, then answer in English (as you would on Paper 3):
「小林今年十五岁，他最喜欢的科目是历史。放学以后，他常常去图书馆看书。」
(a) How old is Xiao Lin? (b) What is his favourite subject? (c) Where does he often go after school?
Level-of-response questions with model answers and mark scheme rubrics.
你最喜欢看什么书或杂志？请写几句话，介绍你喜欢看的东西，并说一个简单的看法（喜欢还是不喜欢，为什么）。请用中文（汉字）书写，约20-30字。（12分）
请从下面两个题目中选一个来写（只写一个），用中文（汉字）书写，约80-110字，语气轻松： （A）介绍你最近看的一本书或一篇文章：它讲什么？你喜不喜欢？为什么？（可以用过去的时间「了/以前」） （B）说说你平时喜不喜欢看书：你看什么、什么时候看，以后想怎么用看书来学中文。 请记住：只回答其中一个题目，用连接词把内容展开，说清楚你的理由。（20分）
这是一段口语话题对话（Topic Conversation），主题是「看书与阅读」。老师会问你下面这些问题，请你用中文回答，尽量说完整的句子，并给一个简单的理由或例子： （1）你喜欢看书吗？为什么？ （2）你平时喜欢看什么样的书？ （3）你上一次看的书是什么？（可以用过去的时间「了」） （4）你觉得看中文的书对学中文有没有帮助？ （5）以后你想不想多看中文的书？为什么？（约36分）
