Unit 1 · Dealing with Stress | HKDSE English Notes

📍 Unit 1 Overview

This unit explores how teenagers handle stress from studies, relationships, and family. It builds practical communication around expressing feelings, giving advice, and reporting what others said.

Five core skills covered:

Reading — Podcast transcripts (Reading 1) + newspaper advice columns (Reading 2)
Grammar — Modal verbs for advice / Type 2 Conditional / Reported Speech
Listening — Recognising paraphrased information
Vocabulary — Four themed word lists (feelings, coping, study habits, others)
Values — Staying positive + empathising with others

🎯 Grammar toolkit at a glance

Grammar focus	Function	Typical DSE item type
Modal verbs (should / ought to / must / have to)	Advice / obligation	Cloze, error correction, email writing
Type 2 Conditional (If + past simple, would + bare infinitive)	Hypothetical situations / advice	Cloze, error correction, situational dialogues
Reported Speech (statements / questions)	Reporting what others said	Sentence transformation, listening cloze

🎙️ Reading 1 — Dealing with Stress (Podcast Transcript)

📖 Summary

Host Zak interviews Diana about teen stress and coping strategies. Diana previously wrote a well-received article on the topic for her school magazine.

Diana:

You ought to try spending time in nature. In my article, I suggested doing tai chi in a quiet place like Po Lin Monastery on Lantau Island, or hiking to Long Ke Wan Beach in Sai Kung. Both are also great for listening to the wind in the trees or the sound of waves.

Zak:

Yikes! I'm feeling stressed just thinking about making such long journeys. It's so inconvenient. And isn't tai chi for oldies? I prefer to sit quietly at my computer and make a list of what is worrying me.

Diana:

If I were you, I would give it a try! It takes less time than going on long hikes!

💎 Three focal points from Reading 1

1. Key vocabulary in context

handle (v) — to deal with something difficult → handle the problem / handle stress
strategy / strategies (n) — a plan designed to achieve a goal → coping strategy
wind down (phr v) — to relax after a period of activity → wind down after work

2. Topic sentence (main idea)

"We teens face all kinds of stress — from studies to relationships to family. That's why we feel frazzled most of the time."

Teenagers deal with academic, social, and family pressure, leaving them constantly exhausted.

3. Poetry focus: Give Yourself a Hug by Grace Nichols

"Give yourself a hug / when you feel unloved / when people put on airs / to make you feel a bug…"

Values corner: Be positive — Appreciate what you have.

When you feel unloved or ignored, learn to give yourself a hug. Self-love is the foundation of resilience.

Place-name mnemonic: Po Lin & Long Ke
Diana recommends two quiet spots: Po Lin Monastery on Lantau (great for tai chi) and Long Ke Wan Beach in Sai Kung (great for hiking + ocean sounds).

📰 Reading 2 — Young Times "Can we talk?"

A newspaper advice column. Unhappy Teen writes to columnist Alex, who replies with empathy and practical suggestions.

📨 Letter 1 (reader's question): Unhappy Teen

"I'm feeling depressed. I'd like some help.
The first problem is I'm falling behind at school, but I can't figure out why. No matter how hard I try, I fail. Why can my classmates do so well without needing to make any effort?
Then, to make things worse, my mum is getting really strict. Last night, when she saw me on my phone, she asked me who I was messaging. Then she made me switch it off and said I should focus on my studies and not waste time messaging. Why is she like that?"

📬 Letter 2 (Alex's reply)

"I'm sorry to hear about your problems and I hope I can help.
First, you must believe you can excel too. My advice is to work out what kind of learner you are. Here are the three most common kinds:
• Number smart — Draw charts and graphs and arrange notes under numbered headings.
• Word smart — Make detailed flashcards and extensive notes.
• Picture smart — Add pictures to notes and use diagrams for organisation.

One other piece of advice — you must stop comparing yourself with others!
Regarding your mum's reaction, I'm sure she's doing this out of love. If I were you, I would try talking to her and letting her know your feelings. You can work out some rules together."

⚠️ Two main ideas in Alex's reply:

About schoolwork: identify your learning style (Number / Word / Picture smart) + stop comparing yourself with others
About family: mum is acting out of love → try to communicate, set rules together, stay calm

📝 Comprehension 2 — Matching phrases to functions

Function	Example
A. Asks for advice	"If you were me, what would you do?" (L1, line 13)
B. Ends with hope	"I hope you find this advice helpful." (L2, line 31)
C. Gives advice for the first problem	"My advice is…" (L2, line 10)
D. Gives advice for the second problem	"If I were you, I would…" (L2, line 26)
E. Introduces the first problem	"The first problem is…" (L1, line 3)
F. Introduces the second problem	"Then, to make things worse…" (L1, line 7)
G. Requests help	"I'd like some help." (L1, line 2)
H. Shows empathy	"I'm sorry… I hope I can help." (L2, lines 2-3)

Letter structure mnemonic: Request → Problem 1 → Problem 2 → Ask; Empathy → Advice 1 → Advice 2 → Wish
L1 (Unhappy Teen): Request + Problem 1 (school) + Problem 2 (mum) + Ask
L2 (Alex): Empathy + Advice 1 (find learning style) + Advice 2 (talk to mum) + Wish

💎 Values corner: Be empathetic
Alex starts with "I'm sorry to hear about your problems" before offering advice. Empathy builds trust before solutions.

📐 Language Focus 1 — Modal Verbs for Advice and Obligation

📋 Comparison of four modal verbs

Modal verb	Meaning	Example	Negative form
should	Should do (advice, stronger)	You should count your blessings.	shouldn't
ought to	Should do (advice, similar to should)	You ought not to dwell on the past.	oughtn't to
must	Strong obligation (speaker is certain)	You must listen to the doctor's advice.	mustn't
have to	External obligation (rules or circumstances)	You have to arrive before ten. It's a new rule.	don't have to

⚠️ should vs. have to — the key difference:

should: personal advice (I think you should…)
have to: external rule (School rules say we have to…)

📝 Common situations and natural suggestions

Situation	Natural suggestion
Has no friends and feels lonely	You should join some school clubs.
Goes online before bed and feels tired	You mustn't go online before you sleep. You should go to bed earlier.
Parents think they are worthless	You oughtn't to think that way.
A friend is being cyberbullied	You must tell a teacher.

Mnemonic: "Should suggests, Must commands, Have-to is enforced."
• should / ought to → advice (you could do this)
• must → strong command (you must do this)
• have to → external rule (school / company / family rule)

📐 Type 2 Conditional Sentences — Hypothetical Situations

If + simple past, S + would + bare infinitive

📖 Three essential rules

Structure: the if-clause uses the simple past; the main clause uses would + bare infinitive
Clause swap: the if-clause can come first or second; place a comma after it when it leads
Advice pattern: use If I were you / him / her… — always were, never was

💎 Model sentences

• If my parents knew about this, they would be very angry.
• My parents would be very angry if they knew about this. (clauses swapped)
• If I were you, I would ask a friend for help. (golden advice pattern)

⚠️ Must-know details:

If-clause leads → add a comma
If-clause trails → no comma
The verb be is always were, even with I/he/she → If I were you…

📝 Practice set — four students, four suggestions

Student	If I were…, I would…	If they didn't…, they would…
Jo: always fails Maths	If I were Jo, I would ask my teacher for help.	If I didn't ask for help, I would never improve.
Raj: overweight	If I were Raj, I would do more exercise.	If I didn't exercise, I would become very unhealthy.
Ling: frequent headaches	If I were Ling, I would see a doctor.	If I didn't see a doctor, I would never get better.
Dan: parents took phone	If I were Dan, I would talk to my parents.	If I didn't talk to them, I would never get it back.

Mnemonic: "Past + would = a dream world"
Type 2 describes imagined, untrue situations (If I were you → you can never be me → pure hypothetical).

📐 Language 3 — Reported Speech (II): Reporting Questions

When turning questions into reported speech, follow nine clear rules.

📋 Yes/No questions vs. Wh- questions

#	Rule	Yes/No question	Wh- question
1	Use a reporting verb	asked / wondered / wanted to know
2	Yes/No → use if / whether	asked if / whether…	—
3	Wh- → keep the wh-word	—	asked what / when / why…
4	Change pronouns / possessives	I → he/she, my → his/her, our → their
5	Subject before verb	Are you → he was
6	Drop do / does / did	Did you → I had
7	Shift tense one step back	simple present → simple past
8	Change time words	today → that day, yesterday → the day before
9	Remove quotation marks; use a full stop	"? → .

💎 Two worked examples

Yes/No question:
Direct: "Do you feel stressed right now?" the social worker asked me.
Reported: The social worker asked me if / whether I felt stressed right then.

Wh- question:
Direct: "When did your workshop on happiness finish yesterday?" Mum asked me.
Reported: Mum asked me when my workshop on happiness had finished the day before.

⚠️ Tense shift quick-reference:

Direct tense	Reported tense
simple present (do/does)	simple past (did)
simple past (did)	past perfect (had done)
present perfect (have done)	past perfect (had done)
will	would
can	could

Mnemonic: "Nine small steps from question to report."
1 verb → 2 if or wh- → 3 keep wh-word → 4 change pronouns → 5 subject-verb order → 6 drop aux → 7 tense shift → 8 change time → 9 drop "?" mark.

📐 Reported Speech with Modal Verbs — How Modals Shift

📋 How modals behave in reported speech

Direct	Reported	Rule
should	should	No change
ought to	ought to	No change
would	would	No change
could	could	No change
might	might	No change
must	had to	Always changes (past obligation)
will	would	Shifts
can	could	Shifts

💎 Three must-memorise examples

• "Should I tell Miss Poon?" Nancy asked.
　→ Nancy asked if / whether she should tell Miss Poon.
• "Must we go now?" Jason wondered.
　→ Jason wondered if / whether they had to go then. (must → had to)
• "When can we leave?" the girls asked.
　→ The girls asked when they could leave. (can → could)

⚠️ DSE trap: must always shifts
must is the only modal verb that changes form in reported speech: must → had to.
Example: "Must I finish it today?" → He asked if he had to finish it that day.

🎯 Practice — the Laughter Yoga interview

Chris interviews Kelvin about a laughter yoga group, then reports back to Sonia. Convert the direct questions into reported speech:

Direct (Chris asks Kelvin)	Reported (Chris tells Sonia)
"Have you been doing laughter yoga for a long time?"	I asked him if he had been doing laughter yoga for a long time, and he told me that he had been a member of the group for nearly four years.
"What programmes does your group offer?"	I asked him what programmes his group offered, and he told me that they also offered courses to train trainers.
"Why do they run such courses?"	I asked him why they ran such courses, and he told me that they wanted to train up more voluntary trainers.

Mnemonic: "must becomes had-to; everything else stays or shifts by type."
should / ought to / would / could / might → unchanged
will → would, can → could
must → had to (the single exception)

📐 Language Roundup — A Survey on Happiness

📋 Survey on Happiness — two parts

Part 1 — Personal happiness index

Are you an optimistic person?
Do you often compare yourself with others?
How often do you spend time in nature?
When did you last have a good laugh with your family or friends?

Part 2 — Giving advice to friends

If your friend told you that his/her parents were unreasonably strict, what advice will you give?
If your friend wants to start smoking, what would you say to convince him/her not to?
If your friend keeps complaining about everything, what would you say?

💎 Sample report fill-in

A survey was conducted last month to find out how happy students at our school were. The survey was divided into two parts. In Part 1, students were asked ¹_____ and ²_____. For the first question, less than one third of respondents said 'yes' and more than three quarters of them answered 'yes' to the second question. We also asked students ³_____ and ⁴_____.

Analysis: the subject is "a survey" (singular third person), so we need was conducted / was divided / were asked — passive voice.

💡 Integration: how Unit 1 skills work together

Part 1 uses comparatives (less than one third, more than three quarters)
Part 2 uses Type 2 Conditionals (If your friend…, what would you…)
The report uses the passive voice (was conducted, were asked)
Advice uses modal verbs (should, ought to, must)

🎧 Integrated Listening — Listening for Stated Information (II)

💎 Listening skill: spotting paraphrases

Speakers rarely repeat note-sheet words word for word. They paraphrase — using synonyms, rephrasings, or indirect descriptions.

What you see on the notes	What you actually hear
Audience	"And who are we presenting to for this workshop?"
Roles of a mentor	"Basically the mentor looks after two main things."
Suggestions for layout of PowerPoint slides	"Any comments on the presentation, I mean the way it looks…?"
Course length	"Each one lasts for ten sessions."

📋 Stress Management Camp — note sheet template

Section	Note
Activity	Stress Management Camp
Dates	(fill in from listening)
Venue	(fill in from listening)
Participants	(fill in from listening)

⚠️ Listening cues:

Hearing "the place where we hold the camp" → write venue
Hearing "around 30 students from Form 4" → write 30 Form 4 students
Hearing "from 15th to 17th October" → write 15-17 Oct

Three listening strategies for paraphrases:
1️⃣ Switch sentence form — statement ↔ question
2️⃣ Switch synonyms — big → large → huge
3️⃣ Switch phrasing — "who are we presenting to" = "audience"

📝 Vocabulary Bank — Four themed word lists

🎭 1. Adjectives to describe feelings

Word	Part of speech	Meaning	Example
confused	adj	unable to think clearly	I'm confused about the instructions.
frustrated	adj	feeling annoyed at not being able to do something	I'm frustrated with my Maths grade.
overwhelmed	adj	feeling unable to cope with everything	I'm overwhelmed by all the homework.
depressed	adj	low and sad for a long time	I feel depressed about my exam results.
grateful	adj	feeling thankful	I'm grateful for my family's support.
frazzled	adj	completely exhausted	After a long day, I feel frazzled.
optimistic	adj	expecting good things to happen	She has an optimistic attitude.
pessimistic	adj	expecting bad things to happen	Don't be pessimistic about the future.
stressed	adj	under pressure	I feel stressed before exams.
worthless	adj	feeling useless	I feel worthless when I fail.

🧘 2. Ways to cope with stress and unhappiness

Expression	Part of speech	Meaning
count your blessings	exp	appreciate what you have
embrace change	exp	welcome change willingly
don't dwell on the past	exp	don't keep thinking about past problems
have a good laugh	exp	laugh heartily with others
engage in physical activities	v phr	take part in exercise or sport
make a list	v phr	write down items in order
meditate	v	sit quietly and focus the mind
stop comparing yourself with others	exp	cease measuring yourself against peers
spend time in nature	v phr	spend hours outdoors in natural places
wind down	phr v	gradually relax after activity

📚 3. Good study habits

Expression	Part of speech	Meaning
avoid distractions	v phr	stay away from things that break your focus
don't cram for your tests	v phr	don't try to learn everything the night before
form a study group	v phr	create a small team to study together
review your notes after class	v phr	look through notes again once class ends
set study goals	v phr	decide what you want to achieve before each session
space out your revision	v phr	spread revision across multiple sessions
work out a study plan	v phr	design a schedule for studying

🔑 4. Other high-frequency vocabulary

Word	Part of speech	Meaning
act of kindness	n phr	a single kind action
agony aunt	n phr	a columnist who answers readers' personal problems
be in sb's shoes	v phr	imagine yourself in another person's situation
convince	v	persuade by reasoning
deadline	n	a point in time by which something must be done
drive sb nuts	v phr	annoy someone greatly
fall behind	phr v	fail to keep up with progress
figure out	phr v	think through and understand
handle	v	manage or deal with
look forward to	phr v	feel pleased about something in the future
mentor	n	an experienced adviser
peer	n	a person of similar age or status
stress management	n phr	techniques for coping with stress

Mnemonic: "Feel — Cope — Study — Other: four pillars of Unit 1."
Master these four word lists and your DSE Writing Part B response on handling stress will draw on rich, varied vocabulary.

⚠️ Common DSE Pitfalls

🚫 Trap 1: Wrong verb form in Type 2 Conditional

❌ If I was you, I would…

✅ If I were you, I would… (always were)

🚫 Trap 2: Forgetting to shift tense in reported speech

❌ He asked me if I am happy.

✅ He asked me if I was happy. (simple present → simple past)

🚫 Trap 3: Forgetting that must becomes had to

❌ She said she must go.

✅ She said she had to go. (must shifts in reported speech)

🚫 Trap 4: Keeping question word order inside reported speech

❌ He asked where is she.

✅ He asked where she was. (subject + verb order, no inversion)

🚫 Trap 5: Mixing up should and have to

❌ You have to talk to your teacher. (when giving advice)

✅ You should talk to your teacher. (advice)

You have to arrive before 8 a.m. (rule)

🚫 Trap 6: Adding "to" after a modal verb

❌ You should not to go…

✅ You shouldn't go… (modals are followed by the bare infinitive, no "to")

🚫 Trap 7: Forgetting to change time expressions

❌ He said he went there yesterday.

✅ He said he had gone there the day before.

Other shifts: today → that day, tomorrow → the next day, now → then, ago → before

💯 Unit 1 self-assessment checklist

By the end of Unit 1 you should be able to:

✅ Use modal verbs (should / must / have to) to give advice to friends
✅ Use Type 2 Conditionals for hypothetical advice (If I were you…)
✅ Convert direct speech into reported speech accurately (statements and questions)
✅ Recognise must → had to in reported speech
✅ Identify paraphrases when listening
✅ Show empathy in writing before giving advice

📘 Unit 1 · Dealing with Stress