World Language and Culture: Chinese (Mandarin) (Grades K–12)
Subtest 2 Sample Items
1. Use the information below to complete the exercise that follows.
Imagine that you are a Chinese teacher at a secondary school. A teacher from a Chinese-speaking region will be spending the year at your school as part of an exchange program for teachers. Write in Chinese a brief guide for the visiting teacher in which you describe local shopping resources (e.g., supermarkets, gift stores, school stores). You may wish to include, but are not limited to, the following topics:
- a description of specific shopping resources available to the teacher;
- an explanation of why the teacher might find these resources useful; and
- directions about how the teacher could find more information about shopping resources.
Your response must be written in Chinese characters (Traditional or Simplified). Proper names may be written in English.
2. Use the information below to complete the exercise that follows.
Imagine that you are sending a letter in Chinese to a good friend who lives in a Chinese-speaking region. In the letter, describe an interesting cultural event (e.g., a play, a festival, a film, a sporting event) you recently attended. In your letter, you may wish to include, but are not limited to, the following topics:
- a description of the event;
- a narrative of what you did at the event; and
- an explanation of why you found the event to be particularly interesting.
Your response must be written in Chinese characters (Traditional or Simplified). Proper names may be written in English.
3. Read the instructions below. You will have 1 minute to study these instructions. Then, when you are told to do so, begin to respond in Mandarin. You may take up to 2 minutes to complete your response. You will be told when the 2 minutes are up. You may begin studying the instructions now. You will be told when to begin speaking.
(PAUSE 1 minute)
Imagine that you are staying in a hotel in a Chinese-speaking region and have lost the key to your hotel room. Speaking in Mandarin, explain your problem to the clerk at the hotel's front desk. You may wish to include, but are not limited to, the following information:
- an explanation of how you lost your key;
- an apology for losing your key;
- a request for help getting a new key or gaining access to your room; and
- a question about possible fees or other consequences for replacing your key.
You now have two minutes to complete your response. Begin speaking in Mandarin now.
(PAUSE 2 minutes)
Two minutes are over now.
4. Read the instructions below. You will have 1 minute to study these instructions. Then, when you are told to do so, begin to respond in Mandarin. You may take up to 2 minutes to complete your response. You will be told when the 2 minutes are up. You may begin studying the instructions now. You will be told when to begin speaking.
(PAUSE 1 minute)
Imagine you are talking with a Mandarin-speaking friend about a memorable experience you had while traveling locally or in another area. Speaking in Mandarin, tell your friend about this experience. In your response, you may wish to include, but are not limited to, the following topics:
- a narrative of your experience; and
- a description of why the experience was memorable.
You now have two minutes to complete your response. Begin speaking in Mandarin now.
(PAUSE 2 minutes)
Two minutes are over now.
Answer Key