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Section 5: Sample Selected-Response Questions
TX PACT: LOTE Chinese: Early Childhood–Grade 12 (714)

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This section presents some sample exam questions for you to review as part of your preparation for the exam. To demonstrate how each competency may be assessed, sample questions are accompanied by the competency that they measure. While studying, you may wish to read the competency before and after you consider each sample question. Please note that the competency statements do not appear on the actual exam.

The correct answer is provided for each sample exam question. The sample questions are included to illustrate the formats and types of questions you will see on the exam; however, your performance on the sample questions should not be viewed as a predictor of your performance on the actual exam.

Domain I—Interpretive Listening

Competency 001—Demonstrate literal comprehension of a variety of formal and informal oral messages in the target language from across the target-language-speaking world.

1. Listen carefully to the following dialogue; then answer the questions. You will hear the dialogue twice.

(PAUSE 20 seconds)

(one male speaker and one female speaker)

[Simplified]

??:???????????????????????

??:??????

??:????????????????????????????????

??:????????????????????????????????????????????????????,???????????,????????????????????????????????

??:??????

??:????????????????????????????????????????

??:??????????

??:???????????????????????????????,????????????????,?????,??????????????????,?????????????????????,???????

??:????????

??:???????,??????????????????????

[Traditional]

??:???????????????????????

??:??????

??:????????????????????????????????

??:????????????????????????????????????????????????????,???????????,????????????????????????????????

??:??????

??:????????????????????????????????????????

??:??????????

??:???????????????????????????????,????????????????,?????,??????????????????,?????????????????????,???????

??:????????

??:???????,??????????????????????

You will now hear the dialogue again.

(Repeat dialogue)

Now answer the two questions.

According to the dialogue, Xitang is the best choice to visit due to its:

  1. active nightlife.
  2. many tourist attractions.
  3. good weather and food.
  4. proximity to big cities.
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Option C is correct. This question requires the examinee to identify the main idea of an oral message. In this dialogue, the two individuals are discussing where to go for the weekend. The main focus of the discussion is on why the city of Xitang is a good location to visit due to its nice weather, good food, and interesting history.

Competency 002—Demonstrate inferential and analytical comprehension of a variety of formal and informal oral messages in the target language from across the target-language-speaking world.

2. Listen carefully to the following dialogue; then answer the questions. You will hear the dialogue twice.

(PAUSE 20 seconds)

(one male speaker and one female speaker)

[Simplified]

??:???????????????????????

??:??????

??:????????????????????????????????

??:????????????????????????????????????????????????????,???????????,????????????????????????????????

??:??????

??:????????????????????????????????????????

??:??????????

??:???????????????????????????????,????????????????,?????,??????????????????,?????????????????????,???????

??:????????

??:???????,??????????????????????

[Traditional]

??:???????????????????????

??:??????

??:????????????????????????????????

??:????????????????????????????????????????????????????,???????????,????????????????????????????????

??:??????

??:????????????????????????????????????????

??:??????????

??:???????????????????????????????,????????????????,?????,??????????????????,?????????????????????,???????

??:????????

??:???????,??????????????????????

You will now hear the dialogue again.

(Repeat dialogue)

Now answer the two questions.

The speakers most likely have which of the following relationships?

  1. teacher and student
  2. husband and wife
  3. tour guide and tourist
  4. hotel owner and customer
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Option B is correct. This question requires the examinee to infer the relationship between speakers in a conversation. This dialogue takes place between two people who clearly have a history of traveling together. Of the options given, the most likely relationship between the speakers is that of husband and wife.

Domain II—Interpretive Reading

Competency 003—Demonstrate literal comprehension of a variety of authentic materials written in the target language from across the target-language-speaking world.

3. Read the passage presented below in either Simplified characters or Traditional characters; then answer the two questions that follow.

[Simplified]

????,?????????????????????

????1954??????????,???????,?????????????????,??????????????,?????????????,????????????,??1980????1981?,????????????,???????????????

??,??????????,???????,??1991?,??????????????«??»,???????

??????????????????,???????????????????,???????????????????????????????????,?????????????????????????,???????????????????,????????????,???????

[Traditional]

????,?????????????????????

????1954??????????,???????,?????????????????,??????????????,?????????????,????????????,??1980????1981?,????????????,???????????????

??,??????????,???????,??1991?,??????????????«??»,???????

??????????????????,???????????????????,???????????????????????????????????,?????????????????????????,???????????????????,????????????,???????

According to the passage, Ang Lee had which of the following setbacks in his career?

  1. His lack of academic ambition during high school kept him from further study.
  2. His first films received negative reviews by movie critics.
  3. He initially focused too much on traditional Chinese culture.
  4. It took him several years to get his first opportunity to direct a film.
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Option D is correct. This question requires the examinee to identify supporting details in a passage. The author of this passage describes how Ang Lee had a six-year gap between graduating from New York University and making his first film.

Competency 004—Demonstrate inferential and analytical comprehension of a variety of authentic materials written in the target language from across the target-language-speaking world.

4. Read the passage presented below in either Simplified characters or Traditional characters; then answer the two questions that follow.

[Simplified]

????,?????????????????????

????1954??????????,???????,?????????????????,??????????????,?????????????,????????????,??1980????1981?,????????????,???????????????

??,??????????,???????,??1991?,??????????????«??»,???????

??????????????????,???????????????????,???????????????????????????????????,?????????????????????????,???????????????????,????????????,???????

[Traditional]

????,?????????????????????

????1954??????????,???????,?????????????????,??????????????,?????????????,????????????,??1980????1981?,????????????,???????????????

??,??????????,???????,??1991?,??????????????«??»,???????

??????????????????,???????????????????,???????????????????????????????????,?????????????????????????,???????????????????,????????????,???????

The author of this passage would most likely agree with the statement that Ang Lee's success is due to his:

  1. ability to make films with broad appeal.
  2. focus on one genre of films.
  3. humor and wit that are evident in his films.
  4. novel and unusual filmmaking techniques.
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Option A is correct. This question requires the examinee to analyze an author's assumptions, intent, perspective, or point of view. The author of this passage describes how Lee's movies address contemporary life and are popular among both audiences and critics. It is clear that the author feels that Lee's success comes primarily from the fact that his movies appeal to such a broad range of viewers.

Domain III—Language Structures

Competency 005—Understand the language structures of the target language.

5. When writing an address in English, the house number and street name appear before the city, state, and country. In Chinese, which of the following elements traditionally appears first?

  1. district
  2. city
  3. province
  4. country
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Option D is correct. This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of the sociolinguistics of Chinese. The custom in Chinese for ordering information in something like an address or date is to progress from largest scale to smallest scale. Thus, in the case of a mailing address, the country is the first element given.

Competency 006—Apply knowledge of the language structures of the target language.

6. Which of the following measure words correctly completes the phrase below?

? blank ?? / ? blank ??

  1. ? / ?
  2. ? / ?
  3. >?
  4. ? / ?
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Option B is correct. This question requires the examinee to analyze sentences in Chinese to determine grammatically correct words to complete them. The only appropriate measure word to use in a phrase involving the noun ?? / ?? is the measure word ? / ?. This is equivalent to the use of the word pair in the English phrase a pair of socks.

Domain IV—Cultural Understanding

Competency 007—Understand the geography and major developments in the history of the target-language-speaking world and their cultural impact.

7. Which of the following occupations was most highly valued in traditional Confucian China?

  1. merchant
  2. scholar
  3. farmer
  4. artisan
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Option B is correct. This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of major political, economic, social, and cultural trends and developments that have shaped and continue to shape the history and perspectives of the Chinese-speaking world. In ancient China, there were four occupations that were ranked in a hierarchy according to social status. Of the four occupations, the gentry/scholars were the most highly ranked in the hierarchy.

Competency 008—Understand the practices, products, and perspectives of target-language-speaking cultures and how they relate to one another.

8. Which of the following animals symbolizes long life in Chinese culture?

  1. tiger
  2. horse
  3. goldfish
  4. crane
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Option D is correct. This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of characteristic practices of daily life and customs in Chinese-speaking cultures and ways in which such practices reflect the perspectives of Chinese-speaking cultures. In Chinese culture, many objects, foods, and animals are considered symbols of more abstract concepts, such as luck, long life, fortune, or health. The crane is considered to be a symbol of long life due to the long life span of the bird itself. It is often seen in works of art and is incorporated into the myths and legends of Chinese culture.