Lower Secondary Chinese · Hong Kong's historic streets
During Hong Kong's colonial era and its early development, the city developed many distinctive streets. Each street became famous for selling a particular type of goods, reflecting the history, culture, and economy of the city.
Sadly, with urban redevelopment and changing times, these once-vibrant streets have gradually disappeared. All that remains today are memories and fragmentary historical records.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Location | Sheung Wan |
| Famous for | Selling zek6 tau4 (cloth bolts) |
| Peak period | Late 19th to early 20th century |
| Reason for fading | Urban redevelopment and the decline of the cloth trade |
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Location | Yau Ma Tei |
| Famous for | Commoners' night market, dai pai dong stalls, fortune-tellers |
| Peak period | Mid-20th century to the present |
| Cultural identity | Cantonese opera singing, street food, grassroots culture |
Wing On Street was famous for selling zek6 tau4. The term refers to a whole bolt of cloth. In each shop, rolls of cloth were displayed on wooden racks along three sides. Strips of wood held up the fabric, the front of the shop was piled with bolts in great variety, and the street became the most distinctive one in Sheung Wan at the time.
| Method | Example | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Illustration by example | Wing On Street and Temple Street are given as concrete examples | Helps readers recognise the streets concretely |
| Descriptive explanation | Descriptions of layout, goods, atmosphere | Creates vivid mental images |
| Classification | Grouping streets by the type of goods sold (cloth street, food street) | Introduces topics in an organised way |
| Comparison | Past vibrancy versus today's quiet | Highlights the changes of an era |
The text combines spatial order and temporal order:
The text uses a "general–specific" structure:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| zek6 tau4 足頭 | zek6 tau4 | A whole bolt of cloth (Cantonese) |
| 庶民 shù mín | shù mín | Ordinary people, commoners |
| 別具特色 bié jù tè sè | bié jù tè sè | To have a distinctive style |
| 式微 shì wēi | shì wēi | To decline, to fade |
| 鼎盛 dǐng shèng | dǐng shèng | At the peak of prosperity |
| Street | Area | Speciality |
|---|---|---|
| Wing On Street 永安街 | Sheung Wan | Cloth bolts |
| Temple Street 廟街 | Yau Ma Tei | Night market, dai pai dong |
| Yuen Po Street 雀鳥花園 | Mong Kok | Bird market |
| Fa Yuen Street 花園街 | Mong Kok | Sneaker Street |
| Ladies' Market 通菜街 | Mong Kok | Women's fashion and accessories |
| Portland Street 砵蘭街 | Yau Ma Tei | Jade market |
| Seafood / Dried-goods Street 海味街 | Sheung Wan | Dried seafood, ginseng and bird's nest |
| Antiques Street 古董街 | Sheung Wan | Antiques around Man Mo Temple |
Apply the three-step method to this passage:
Temple Street lies in Yau Ma Tei and is one of Hong Kong's most famous night markets. Every evening, the street is filled with a great variety of stalls — dai pai dong food stalls, fortune-tellers, Cantonese opera singers — attracting many residents and tourists who come to experience the atmosphere of Hong Kong's grassroots culture.
Note: time (evening), place (Yau Ma Tei), speciality (night market, stalls)
Cut: "a great variety of stalls", "attracting many residents and tourists", "experience the atmosphere of Hong Kong's grassroots culture" (all decorative)
Summarise: Temple Street is a famous night market in Yau Ma Tei, with various stalls in the evening. It represents Hong Kong's grassroots culture.
"For example, Wing On Street is famous for selling cloth bolts, while Temple Street is famous for its night market." Which method of explanation is mainly used?
Answer: B. Illustration by example (Wing On Street and Temple Street are concrete examples)
What does "zek6 tau4 足頭" mean?
"Zek6 tau4" is a Cantonese term referring to a whole bolt of cloth.
In Wing On Street, the cloth shops sold bolts of fabric, hanging them in rolls on wooden racks.