Festivals: 在……的时候 + who does what
Name the festival, set the time with 在……的时候 (zài … de shíhou -- at the time of …) and say who does what -- the time phrase comes BEFORE the verb: 春节的时候，全家人一起吃年夜饭。(Chūnjié de shíhou, quánjiā rén yìqǐ chī niányèfàn.) — the whole family eats the reunion dinner. Build up customs with 会 (huì -- tends to): 中秋节的时候，我们会吃月饼、赏月。Useful verbs: 庆祝 (qìngzhù -- celebrate), 放烟花 (fàng yānhuā -- set off fireworks), 赛龙舟 (sài lóngzhōu -- race dragon boats).
Opinion + reason (因为), compare with 比起……更
A Higher answer on music, film or sport must carry an OPINION plus a REASON. Frame it with 我觉得 (wǒ juéde) or 我最喜欢 (wǒ zuì xǐhuan) and give the reason with 因为 (yīnwèi): 我最喜欢的运动是篮球，因为打篮球又健康又好玩。(Wǒ zuì xǐhuan de yùndòng shì lánqiú, yīnwèi dǎ lánqiú yòu jiànkāng yòu hǎowán.) Compare two interests with 比起…… 我更喜欢……: 比起看电视，我更喜欢看电影，因为电影的故事更精彩。(Bǐqǐ kàn diànshì, wǒ gèng xǐhuan kàn diànyǐng.) — Compared with TV I prefer films, because the stories are more exciting.
Culture measure words + 过 for experience
Cultural nouns take specific measure words: 一部电影 (yí bù diànyǐng -- a film), 一场比赛 (yì chǎng bǐsài -- a match), 一首歌 (yì shǒu gē -- a song), 一本小说 (yì běn xiǎoshuō -- a novel). For an experience (have done) use 过 (guo), not 了: 我看过很多中国电影。(Wǒ kàn guo hěn duō Zhōngguó diànyǐng.) Show range: past 上个周末我看了一场足球比赛 (了, completed event), present 我现在很喜欢流行音乐, future 下次我想去看一场演唱会. 了 = completed event, 过 = experience, no marker = habit.
Drawn from real examiner reports.
Using 个 for every culture noun (一个电影 ✗)
Chinese has no plural inflection, so number + the CORRECT measure word + noun signals quantity, and cultural nouns take specific ones. ✗ 一个电影、一个比赛、一个歌 ✓ 一部电影 (yí bù diànyǐng), 一场比赛 (yì chǎng bǐsài), 一首歌 (yì shǒu gē), 一本小说 (yì běn xiǎoshuō), 一台钢琴 (yì tái gāngqín -- a piano). Learn each cultural noun with its measure word; never default to 个.
Precise English for 记者, 歌手 (not vague)
On a Reading text about culture, give the precise English word, not an approximation. ✗ leaving 记者 (jìzhě -- journalist) or 歌手 (gēshǒu -- singer) blank, or vague English like "topper of the class" ✓ supply the exact English noun. Learn media terms in both directions -- 演员 (actor), 导演 (director), 观众 (audience) -- so an answer is not lost on vocabulary.
Object/feeling, not the ACTIVITY asked
Read exactly which facet the question asks, and keep any negative. ✗ giving "TV" (an object) where an ACTIVITY was wanted, or FEELINGS about a class when its ACTIVITIES were asked ✗ "give up watching TV" for "give up NOT watching TV" -- the 不 flips the meaning ✓ answer the exact activity, keeping every 不/没. One wrong detail can negate the correct part.
Misreading a festival term (错别字)
Festival vocabulary carries similar-looking characters, and one wrong character changes the meaning. ✗ misreading a festival word into an unrelated term ✓ learn the fixed forms: 端午节 (Duānwǔjié -- Dragon Boat Festival), 赛龙舟 (sài lóngzhōu), 粽子 (zòngzi -- dumpling), 月饼 (yuèbǐng -- mooncake). Watch homophones: 在/再, 象/像, 做/作. Base a reading answer only on the text.
A bare like/dislike with no reason
Higher cultural-life tasks reward a JUSTIFIED opinion. ✗ 我喜欢音乐。(a bare statement, no reason) ✓ 我很喜欢流行音乐，因为听歌可以让我放松，我几乎每天都听。(Wǒ hěn xǐhuan liúxíng yīnyuè, yīnwèi tīng gē kěyǐ ràng wǒ fàngsōng, wǒ jīhū měitiān dōu tīng.) Always add a reason with 因为, and never answer an opinion question with a single word or a bare 是/不是.
Weak or missing connectives cap range
At Higher tier a string of short, unlinked sentences caps the mark for RANGE, even when each is correct. ✗ 我喜欢电影。电影很有意思。我常看电影。✓ join ideas with 因为……所以……, 虽然……但是……, 不但……而且……: 我很喜欢看电影，因为故事很精彩，不但可以放松，而且可以学到很多。Use at least one connective per developed answer.
The belief that 了 marks past tense
了 (le) marks COMPLETION or a CHANGE OF STATE, not past tense, and is NOT how you say you have EVER done something. For an experience use 过 (guo): ✗ 我看了那部电影 for "I have seen that film" (it means a completed viewing) ✓ 我看过那部电影 (experience). ✓ 我去过一次演唱会。No 了 on a habit: ✗ 我每天都听了音乐 ✓ 我每天都听音乐。Decide: event (了), experience (过) or habit (no marker).
Four-step routine for a cultural-life task
On a cultural-life task: STATE the fact with the right measure word (一部电影, 一场比赛); give an OPINION + a REASON (因为), never a bare like; DEVELOP with a connective (不但……而且……) across time -- past 看过, present 现在, future 下次; CHECK the exact facet (the activity, not the feeling).
Speaking: length, depth, ask a question
In Speaking, control length: too-short yes/no answers with no opinion cap the mark, while over-long answers waste time and stop you covering every question. Go in DEPTH on two topics in a theme, and when you ask a question use the right interrogative -- 什么, 什么时候, 谁, 多久.
Reading/Listening: base on the text, rubric
On Reading and Listening about culture, base every answer only on the text and learn festival terms precisely so you do not misread them (端午节, 赛龙舟, 粽子). Follow the rubric exactly -- a "choose three" item needs exactly three answers -- and give clear, unambiguous English.
This topic (Theme T1: Identity & Culture, T1.3) covers cultural life -- celebrations and festivals, reading, music, sport, and film and television -- and how to describe them and give opinions with reasons. It is central to the Paper 2 Speaking conversation and picture-based task and to Paper 4 functional and extended Writing, and it appears in Listening and Reading too. At Higher tier you must justify opinions with reasons and move across past, present and future time frames.
Festivals 节日 (jiérì)
| 汉字 | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 春节 | chūnjié | Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) |
| 中秋节 | zhōngqiūjié | Mid-Autumn Festival |
| 端午节 | duānwǔjié | Dragon Boat Festival |
| 元宵节 | yuánxiāojié | Lantern Festival |
| 庆祝 | qìngzhù | to celebrate |
| 年夜饭 | niányèfàn | New Year reunion dinner |
| 红包 | hóngbāo | red envelope (money gift) |
| 月饼 | yuèbǐng | mooncake |
| 粽子 | zòngzi | sticky-rice dumpling |
| 放烟花 | fàng yānhuā | to set off fireworks |
| 赛龙舟 | sài lóngzhōu | to race dragon boats |
| 团圆 | tuányuán | (family) reunion |
| 热闹 | rènao | lively, bustling |
Music, reading, film & TV 音乐、阅读、电影与电视 (yīnyuè, yuèdú, diànyǐng yǔ diànshì)
| 汉字 | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 音乐 | yīnyuè | music |
| 流行音乐 | liúxíng yīnyuè | pop music |
| 唱歌 | chànggē | to sing |
| 歌手 | gēshǒu | singer |
| 演唱会 | yǎnchànghuì | concert |
| 钢琴 | gāngqín | piano |
| 小说 | xiǎoshuō | novel |
| 杂志 | zázhì | magazine |
| 电影 | diànyǐng | film |
| 电视剧 | diànshìjù | TV drama |
| 演员 | yǎnyuán | actor |
| 精彩 | jīngcǎi | wonderful, exciting |
Sport & opinions 运动与看法 (yùndòng yǔ kànfǎ)
| 汉字 | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 运动 | yùndòng | sport, to exercise |
| 踢足球 | tī zúqiú | to play football |
| 打篮球 | dǎ lánqiú | to play basketball |
| 游泳 | yóuyǒng | to swim |
| 比赛 / 球赛 | bǐsài / qiúsài | match, competition |
| 球迷 | qiúmí | (sports) fan |
| 觉得 | juéde | to think, to feel |
| 有意思 | yǒu yìsi | interesting |
| 无聊 | wúliáo | boring |
| 放松 | fàngsōng | to relax |
Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) -- say it in Chinese with pinyin and use it in a short sentence
用中文写出四个和「文化生活」有关的词或短语（例如一个节日、一种运动、一种娱乐），并标出拼音。
Level-of-response questions with model answers and mark scheme rubrics.
写一写你最喜欢的一个节日。请说一说：你最喜欢哪个节日，过节的时候你和家人做什么，你觉得这个节日怎么样（给一个简单的看法）。请用中文（汉字）书写，约20-30字。（12分）
请从下面两个题目中只选一个来写，约80-110字，用中文（汉字）书写，语气轻松自然。题目一： 写一写你最喜欢的一个节日：你怎么过这个节，你和谁一起过，最近一次过节做了什么，以后你还想做什么。题目二： 写一写你的一个文化爱好（音乐、电影或运动）：你平时做什么，你是什么时候开始喜欢的，你为什么喜欢它，以后你还想做什么。请给出理由和看法，用到过去、现在和将来的时间。（20分）
这是一段口语对话（Conversation），主题是「文化生活」。老师扮演考官，会就下面的问题跟你（考生）交谈；你要用中文（汉字/口语）回答，尽量把答案说完整，给出简单的看法和理由。基础层级以现在的时间为主，也可以用一点点过去和将来。请准备用中文谈：（1）你平时喜欢什么音乐、电影或运动？（2）你最喜欢哪个节日，你们怎么过？（3）你上个周末做了什么文化活动？（4）以后你还想尝试什么新的爱好？（36分）
