Day 1: See pandas at the park. Day 2: Eat snacks at the market.

B

The two speakers eventually decide to go hiking together this weekend. They first considered basketball but rejected it because the female speaker's hand was still sore from her last game. They settled on a mountain outside the city instead, drawn by its scenery, and arranged to meet at the school gate at 8am on Saturday.

The speaker provides three main reasons. Firstly, during class many students secretly look at their phones rather than listening attentively to the teacher, which disrupts learning. Secondly, after class everyone plays on their phones instead of talking with friends, weakening social interaction. Thirdly, some students even use phones to cheat in exams, which is a serious academic-integrity issue. He concludes that schools should therefore not allow students to bring phones to school.

Yes, the female speaker's parents would likely be happy about her decision to study music at university. Although her mother initially disagreed and wanted her to study medicine, she was eventually convinced after the female speaker explained her lifelong love for singing and playing the piano, and that her music teacher had recognised her talent. Her father has always supported her, saying that as long as she is happy, that is enough. Both parents are therefore now on board with her decision.

The male speaker offers four key pieces of advice for staying healthy. Firstly, he recommends exercising for at least half an hour every day, suggesting accessible activities such as jogging or walking. Secondly, he advises going to bed before 10:30pm because lack of sleep causes tiredness. Thirdly, he suggests drinking less milk tea and drinking more water instead. Finally, he advises eating meals on time and avoiding fast food. Together, these recommendations cover physical activity, sleep, hydration, and nutrition for a balanced healthy lifestyle.

Initially, the female speaker is firmly against part-time work, viewing it as a waste of time and believing that studying at home is more productive. Her attitude begins to shift when the male speaker points out the non-monetary benefits that part-time work helps develop communication skills with different people and time-management ability and she acknowledges he has a point, although she still worries about her studies being affected. Finally, after he suggests working only on weekends for a few hours and reminds her of her desire to buy a new computer, she becomes enthusiastic and asks him to enquire whether the café is hiring for her too.

The speaker uses a range of persuasive techniques to motivate the audience to protect the environment. She begins with a rhetorical question 'if one day our city had no clean water and no fresh air, how would we live?' to immediately engage the audience and prompt reflection on the urgency of environmental issues. Inclusive pronouns are used throughout 'the responsibility of each of us' to create a sense of shared responsibility. Listing combined with parallelism 'one person using one less plastic bag, ten people means ten less, a hundred people means a hundred less' builds momentum and demonstrates the cumulative power of individual action. The simile 'like a single drop of water small in itself, but thousands upon thousands of drops can become a great river' vividly illustrates how small contributions accumulate into significant impact. Three-part parallelism 'drive less, take more public transport; use fewer plastic bags, use your own bags; waste less food, buy only what you eat' provides concrete, actionable steps. Finally, high-modality language 'we must act now' creates urgency and compels the audience to take immediate action.

The author watched a television program about the Terracotta Warriors and was so impressed that she felt she had to see them in person.

The author first visited the Terracotta Warriors Museum, where she was amazed that each figure was unique in appearance and facial expression. The tour guide explained that they were made for China's first emperor. She also visited the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, which has over a thousand years of history, and rode a bicycle on the city wall to see the whole city. She particularly enjoyed eating street food at the Muslim Quarter, including lamb skewers and cold noodles.

The author very effectively conveys the value of experiencing history firsthand through a combination of personal reflection and vivid description. She explicitly contrasts her prior knowledge from textbooks with the reality of seeing historical sites in person, stating 'seeing them with my own eyes felt completely different'. This direct comparison powerfully illustrates that firsthand experience provides a deeper, more meaningful connection to history. The author's description of the Terracotta Warriors further reinforces this: she highlights the individuality of each figure 'some looked young, some looked older, and each had a different expression' details that could not be fully appreciated through a textbook alone. Her emotional response, exclaiming 'ancient people were truly amazing', demonstrates genuine awe that only personal encounter could produce. Furthermore, the experiential nature of cycling on the city wall and tasting local food at the Muslim Quarter adds sensory dimensions to her understanding of Chinese culture that go beyond historical facts. The fact that she is already planning her next trip to China to visit the Bund in Shanghai suggests that firsthand experience has ignited an ongoing curiosity, further underscoring its transformative value.

Tianyu is a Year 12 student who is planning to study at university overseas next year. He is asking the online forum for advice because his parents do not fully agree with his plan to study abroad.

Tianyu acknowledges that both Yuting's and Kaiwen's arguments have merit. He agrees with Yuting that studying abroad builds independence and broadens horizons, but he also accepts Kaiwen's warning that unprepared students face many difficulties. His final position is balanced and undecided he plans to discuss the matter further with his parents.

Yuting strongly supports studying abroad, drawing on her own positive experience in Australia where she improved her English, made international friends, learned about different cultures, and became more independent. She encourages Tianyu to 'bravely step out', confident that he will gain a great deal. Tianyu, by contrast, holds a balanced and uncertain attitude. While he initially wants to go abroad, he openly acknowledges both the benefits Yuting raises and the risks Kaiwen highlights, and ultimately defers the decision to further discussion with his parents. Yuting relies on personal anecdote and projects firm conviction, while Tianyu weighs multiple perspectives and shows much less certainty.

Yuting's argument is largely persuasive through her effective use of personal experience, parallel structure and high-modality language. She uses her own study-abroad experience in Australia as concrete evidence, detailing specific gains: improved English, international friendships, cultural understanding, and practical life skills such as cooking and doing laundry. This personal anecdote makes her argument credible and relatable. She employs parallel structure to list her gains 'not only did my English improve a lot, but I also made many foreign friends' which builds a cumulative sense of benefit. Her listing of new experiences 'learning many new things, such as different study methods and ways of life' concretises the abstract claim of broadened horizons. Her concluding exhortation, 'bravely step out, you will definitely have many gains', uses the imperative mood and high-modality language to project confidence and inspire action. However, her argument is one-sided she relies solely on her own positive experience without addressing potential challenges such as homesickness, financial cost or cultural adjustment, which Kaiwen raises persuasively. Overall, Yuting's argument is convincing in its use of personal evidence, parallel structure and encouraging tone, though a more balanced approach would make it stronger.