Marking Scheme to UE (E) 1994

Task 1 1. Time limits for play (4 marks)

DO take a ten-minute rest in every hour of play.

DO avoid playing for more than three hours at a time.

DON'T play (for) more than an hour without taking a ten-minute rest.

DON'T play (for) more than three hours at a time.

2. Sitting position (4 marks)

DO sit as far away from the screen as possible.

DO sit (up) straight / avoid sitting badly / avoid sitting hunched (up) (for long periods)

DON'T sit (too) near the screen.

DON'T sit hunched (up) / sit badly.

3. Avoid stress (2 marks)

[given]

DON'T be too competitive (by setting yourself unrealistic targets).

DON'T set yourself unrealistic targets.

4. Keep physically fit and healthy

(4 marks)

DO play at least one outdoor sport regularly.

DO get plenty of exercise / take regular exercise.

DO play sports after school and at weekends.

DO (make sure you) get enough sleep.

DON'T forget to play at least one outdoor sport regularly.

DON'T forget to get plenty of exercise.

DON'T forget to play sports after school and at weekends.

DON’T forget to get enough sleep / let playing video games interfere with your rest.

5. Eat properly (4 marks)

DO eat well-balanced meals.

DO avoid too much cholesterol.

DO limit your fat intake to no more than 30% of your diet.

DON’T forget to eat well-balanced meals.

DON’T eat too many foods high in cholesterol.

DON’T eat too many fatty fats / eat too many foods containing fat.

6. Warning signs (6 marks)

Your wrists ache / Your elbows ache.

Your thumbs are sore.

You strain your elbow.

Your fingers feel numb.

Your back aches.

You feel disturbed by flicking lights.

Your eyes are sore. / You have eyestrain.

Marking Scheme to UE (E) 1994

Task 2 CONTENT (41 marks)

1. Introductory para - mention of Concerned Father’s letter

- mention of publication in Hong Kong Daily News [or your newspaper]

- mention of date the letter was published

2. Introductory para - mention of subject matter [video games installed in Youth Club]

- purpose of writing the letter [to refute the allegations / reassure Concerned Father or newspaper readers]

3. Parents unaware of installation

- all parents informed by the club

- mention of newsletter

4. ‘long hours’ - range of activities provided to prevent ‘long hours’ being spent

- guidelines being issued, which include time limits

5. ‘Small dark airless spaces’

- well-lighted and ventilated

6. Cholesterol problem

- admission of danger

- reference to one of the following:(i) ‘Computer Games can be a Health Hazard’ (ii) ‘Video Addicts Playing Deadly Game’(iii) ‘Games Cause Heart Problems’(iv) ‘Health Danger for Sports Dropouts’

7. Lack of exercise - mention of club’s range of activities providing exercise / club encourages exercise / offers coaching

- mention of guidelines [ play sport / keep physically fit and healthy ]

8. ‘play video games which provide no interaction at all’

- video games provide interaction

- supported by mention of ‘The Interactive Computer Game’ by G R & E Loftus or use of quotation / paraphrase from Loftus

9. Physical injury (broken arms)

- these machines withdrawn from use

- reference to article in Hong Kong Herald, 19.1.94, ‘Arm Wrestling Games Removed.’

10. Physical injury (muscular strain)

- acknowledgement that this can happen with overuse

- mention of at least one source

11. Physical injury (muscular strain)

- range of activities lessens risk of overuse

- guidelines provided on overuse

12. Epilepsy - denial that games cause epilepsy / explanation that they don’t

- mention of press article by Dr Leigh ‘Do Computer Games cause Epilepsy?’ in Outlook, 10.3.94 or Terry O’Leary ‘Warning: Play at Your Own Risk’ Hong Kong Herald, 7.2.94

13. Violent content of games

- games in club selected to avoid needless violence (as explained to parents in newsletter)

14. Violent crime rising

- acknowledgement that violent crime is rising

- mention of source [HK Action Against Crime Committee, Report No.6, 1993]

15. Violent crime rising

- link between crime and video games not established

- mention of greater willingness to report crime

16. Triad involvement - members carefully screened

- adult supervision

17. No benefit from

video games

- mention of benefits [problem solving/ infer rules and strategies/ improve hand-eye coordination/ attend to many processes at the same time]

- mention of Scriven Article [ ‘Rethinking the Role of Computers in Schools’, from ‘Computer as Energy, Rethinking their Role in Schools’ ]

18. No benefit from video games

-mention the Albert Chan thinks that video games have an educational value- mention of source [Education The Name of the Game, Daily News, 22.1.94]

19. ‘…the KLCC Youth Club will remove these games before it’s too late’

- games won’t be removed [may be implied]

20. Concluding remarks

- express hope that ‘Concerned Father’ / readers / parents will feel reassured

21. Yours faithfully [must be completely correct]

KWUN LAM COMMUNITY YOUTH CLUB

The Editor,

Hong Kong Daily News,

P.O. Box 13

Hong Kong.

-- September,09

Dear Sir,

I refer to the letter entitled “Keep Dangerous

Games Out” (Hong Kong Daily News, 22 Mar,

1994) in which your correspondent Concerned

Father complained about the installation of video

games in our centre. In this letter, I would like to

refute the allegations raised by him.

First, he said that he was totally unaware of th

e installation of video games in our centre. In fact, w

e did send newsletters to parents in Kwun Lam to inf

orm them of the installation and they should not be u

naware of the news.

Indeed, playing video games do let children act

ively participate in the fantasy world created by the g

ames. This interaction has been mentioned in the art

icle “The Interactive Computer Game” but not

keep them for long hours in small dark airless space

s. There are a range of activities provided at our cen

tre to prevent “long hours” being spent on video ga

mes alone and we have guidelines to advise childre

n not to play more than three hours at a time. Moreo

ver, the games machines are situated in well-lighted

and well-ventilated premises instead of small dark ai

rless spaces. So, it is in no way like the games centr

es in the streets.

Concerned Father also mentioned that playing

video games will raise the cholesterol level of the

player. This is true if the player lacks exercise and

has a poor diet. This is well said in “Video Addicts

Playing Deadly Game” (Daily News 3 Feb, 94).

However, as we advise our members to get

involved in the club’s range of activities such as

table tennis, badminton and volleyball and keep

physically fit and healthy in our guidelines, they

should not have cholesterol problems.

Concerned Father is right in saying that

wrestling machines broke two young men’s arms.

But these machines have been withdrawn from use

already (Hong Kong Herald, 19 Jan, 94). However,

it is true that overplaying may cause muscular strain

(Playful Territory Risking its Wrists”, Hong Kong

Herald, 7 Feb, 94) but with the range of activities

provided in our centre, we assume that the risk of

overuse is lessened. In addition, we have the

guidelines for the children on overuse.

However, Concerned Father was mistaken

about epilepsy. According to Dr Leigh’s problem

page, video games cannot cause epilepsy as

Concerned Father said. Of course, video games will

trigger off an epileptic fit if children already have

epilepsy (“Outlook” 10 Mar, 94).

Although the crime rate in Hong Kong is rising

(Hong Kong Action Against Crime Committee,

Report No. 6, 1993), the figures only reflect people’s

greater willingness to report crime. There is no

evidence to show that there is a link between video

games and crime. Moreover, the games in our club

have been carefully chosen to avoid needless

violence.

Another point I would like to remind Concerne

d Father is that the members of our club are carefull

y screened and there is adult supervision at all time

s. So parents should not worry that their children wi

ll come into contact with undesirable people.

More importantly, video games have educatio

nal benefits such as engaging children in problem s

olving, inferring rules and strategies and

improving hand and eye coordination according to t

he Scriven Article “Rethinking the Role of Computer

s in Schools”. Albert Chan also thinks that video ga

mes have a place in civic education in “Education th

e Name of the Game”, Daily News, 22 Jan, 94. Bec

ause of the existence of these benefits, we definitely

would not remove video games from our centre.

Finally, I want to express my hope that

Concerned Father as well as parents will feel

assured by my clarification about the installation of

video games in our centre.

Yours faithfully,

1. Nintendo Game Boy

Super Mario Land excellent

excellent

good

average

poor

(terrible

control mastering

play value

aim of game

sound

graphics

nil)

Marking Scheme to UE (E) 1994

Task 3

Example:

The best Nintendo Game Boy game is Super M

ario Land. It is excellent for control mastering an

d play value, good for aim of game, average for

sound, and has no terrible ratings, although it’s

poor for graphics.

[6 marks]

2. Arcade Game

Alleyway excellent

excellent

good

(average

poor

terrible

aim of game

control mastering

play value

nil)

graphics

sound

Example:

The best Arcade game is Alleyway. Even thoug

h it’s poor for graphics and terrible for sound it’s

excellent for aim of game and control mastering

and good for play value.

[6 marks]

3. The worst game overall

Gargoyle’s Quest (excellent

good

(average

poor

poor

terrible

terrible

nil)

sound

nil)

aim of game

play value

graphicscontrol mastering

Example:

The worst game overall is Gargoyle’s Quest. It’s

terrible for graphics and control mastering, poor

for aim of game and play value and its only favo

urable rating is good for sound.

[6 marks]