Select details for an information-transfer task
Find exact details in a practical Chinese text and place each one in the right note or form field.
Section Paper 1 · Reading and Writing
Exam scope and assessment notes
This original online sequence is a starter, not the complete approximately 130 guided learning hours or a Cambridge coursebook. Chinese-language examples, scripts, character forms, register and pronunciation guidance need review by a qualified Mandarin teacher before publication. Browser speech synthesis is not Cambridge audio and may not provide exam-quality Mandarin; it cannot reproduce the invigilator-controlled recordings. StudyForA practice and speaking self-review do not award Cambridge marks. The centre must conduct, assess, record and submit the Component 3 Speaking test for external moderation. Full-length timed papers, official examiner marking and a complete reviewed vocabulary-in-context progression remain outstanding.
Before you begin
Work on paper. Try each question before revealing help, and explain why your method works.
Quick readiness check
Which approach best supports this Mandarin task?
What you will learn
- R1: identify and select relevant information.
- Scan notices, schedules and messages for names, times, places, prices and conditions.
- Keep every detail attached to the correct person or event.
Read the fields before the text
Paper 1 Exercise 1 asks you to transfer information into a form or notes template. Read each field first: a date, contact method and meeting place are different kinds of answer.
In an original example, «活动在星期六上午九点于图书馆举行» says the event is on Saturday at 9 a.m. at the library. A tidy answer transfers those three details without adding a finishing time.
Check conditions and units
Words such as «只», «每», «以前» and «以后» can change the scope of an answer. Keep a number with its unit and read the whole clause around a match.
Exam questions and reading passages print both simplified and traditional forms. You may choose either form for written answers; practise recognising common differences rather than mixing forms accidentally.
Sources for this lesson
Pause and explain
A note asks for the return date. Which part of a notice should you copy?
Worked example
Read «报名者须在星期三下午五点前把表格交给王老师». What deadline and person are named?
Show the worked solution
- Find the time phrase and the deadline marker «前».
- Locate who receives the form.
- Put each detail in its matching field.
Answer The form is due before 5 p.m. on Wednesday and should be given to Teacher Wang. «前» means before, so the deadline is not after 5 p.m.
Try a topic test
Choose Easy, Normal or Difficult. Save your answers and open worked review after finishing.
Test this topic →From guided practice to a new situation
Write your answer and reasoning first. Use a hint only if you are stuck. The model solution is for self-checking; your written work is not automatically marked.
A club note says «星期五下午三点在体育馆集合，带水和运动鞋». Record the day, time, place and two items.
Give me a hint
Separate schedule details from the packing list.
Compare my reasoning
- Find «星期五».
- Find the time and location.
- Copy both requested objects.
Friday at 3 p.m.; meet at the sports hall; bring water and sports shoes. The note gives no finish time.
Look for these in your work
- Captures the day and time
- Names the venue
- Lists both objects
A message says «林老师周二不在办公室，请把申请交给陈老师；周三她会回复». Who receives the application, and when is a reply expected?
Give me a hint
Track which teacher is linked to each action.
Compare my reasoning
- Identify who is absent on Tuesday.
- Find who receives the application.
- Find the reply day.
Give the application to Teacher Chen; a reply is expected on Wednesday. The text does not say that Teacher Lin will personally reply.
Look for these in your work
- Assigns the correct recipient
- Finds the response day
- Does not infer the responder
A travel form requests departure time, platform and number of bags. From «列车七点二十分从三号站台出发，每位乘客可带两件行李», fill the three fields.
Give me a hint
Match each field to its phrase and preserve the unit.
Compare my reasoning
- Locate the departure time.
- Find the platform number.
- Record the baggage allowance per passenger.
7:20; platform 3; two pieces of luggage per passenger. «每位» means the allowance applies to each traveller.
Look for these in your work
- Matches every field
- Keeps the per-person condition
- Preserves the baggage unit
Common mistakes
- Leaving out a deadline qualifier
- Putting a place in the person field
- Changing the stated unit or time
What can you explain now?
A note asks for the return date. Which part of a notice should you copy?
Compare with the explanation
The date linked to returning the item
Match the requested field to the exact phrase in the source.
After trying it yourself, choose your next review. This is your self-assessment.
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Make it stick
Before leaving select details for an information-transfer task, explain one strategy from memory and identify a detail you still need to practise.
If you needed the solution, close it and solve the problem again from a blank page. A correct answer is stronger when you can explain the reason for each step.