A Comparative Study of the L2 Pragmatic Competence of University Students in Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland:The Contributions of Sociocultural Context and Linguistic Proficiency

This study investigates the differences in pragmatic competence between Hong Kong and Chinese mainland university students.Participants included 19 native speakers of English,115 Chinese mainland students,divided into those who had spent time abroad in an English-speaking country(CM A)and those who had not(CM NA),and 97 Hong Kong students,divided into those from an English-medium secondary school(Hong Kong EMI)and those from a Chinese-medium school(Hong Kong CMI).Linguistic proficiency was measured by a C-test,and pragmatic competence by a Metapragmatic Knowledge Test,an Irony Test and a Monologic Role Play.Group scores were compared using ANCOVAs to control for differences in proficiency.The results point to a continuum of pragmatic competence—EMI>CMI>CM A>CM NA—reflecting the groups’access to English in real-life contexts.The differences between the Hong Kong groups and the Chinese mainland groups were clearest in those tests measuring processing capacity(i.e.,Irony Response Time and the Monologic Role Play).CM A,but not CM NA,performed as well as the Hong Kong groups on measures of metapragmatic awareness.The results are discussed in terms of Bialystok’s(1993)distinction between analyzed representation and control of processing.

Using Five Music Instructional Methods to Illustrate the Social Constructive Music Teaching Framework in Hong Kong Primary Level Music Education

Music education under the frame name of arts education has been integrated into the primary and secondary education curriculums in Hong Kong for more than 20 years,starting from 2001,the year of launching the Learning to Learn curriculum for the reconstruction of the education system for the younger generation.Music education,embedded into the arts education,was therefore regarded as one of the key subjects to cultivate and uplift student holistic development,focusing on aesthetic skill training and moral growth development.This research was an exploration study of music teaching practices from two private international and two general public school music teachers at the primary school level.The value of this study rested on borrowing the idea of Shulman’s pedagogical content knowledge(PCK)principle to create a social constructivist music teaching framework from five commonly-used instructional methods,namely,Orff,Kodaly,Dalcrozes,Suzuki,and Gordon’s approaches.Based on the evaluations of these four case studies,hypotheses on the differences in the PCK were tested with the types of schools and found to be no difference.The preliminary results suggested that music teachers in private international schools had similar pedagogical approaches to music instruction to teachers in aided-public schools.Additionally,the modeling,guiding,and training approach was identified as a grounded teaching method for music education at the primary school level regardless of different types of schools.Other implications like the further development of the framework were discussed.

A detailed rock density model of the Hong Kong territories

We used the geological map and published rock density measurements to compile the digital rock density model for the Hong Kong territories.We then estimated the average density for the whole territory.According to our result,the rock density values in Hong Kong vary from 2101 to 2681 kg·m^(-3).These density values are typically smaller than the average density of 2670 kg·m^(-3),often adopted to represent the average density of the upper continental crust in physical geodesy and gravimetric geophysics applications.This finding reflects that the geological configuration in Hong Kong is mainly formed by light volcanic formations and lava flows with overlying sedimentary deposits at many locations,while the percentage of heavier metamorphic rocks is very low(less than 1%).This product will improve the accuracy of a detailed geoid model and orthometric heights.

Research on the Integration of Lingnan Culture into“Four Histories”Education for Hong Kong Youth

This study focuses on Hong Kong youth,recognizing them as a vital subject within the context of“four histories”education.From the perspective of the integration of Lingnan culture,it explores the rich resources of Lingnan culture,innovates the narrative system,and explores the path of positive guidance in history education.Responding to the demands of the times,it seeks to alleviate the pressing concerns of Hong Kong society,help Hong Kong youth break down prejudices,gain a comprehensive understanding of China,grasp the development context of modern China,recognize historical trends,undertake national responsibilities,and take on the mission of the times.

Emergy evaluation of the environment and economy of Hong Kong

An environment-economy systems analysis of Hong Kong has been carried out using a newmeasure emergy for evaluating its environmental resource basis and economy as well as its international e-conomic relations for recommending a sustainable development. Emergy is the total energy uf one kind re-quired directly and indirectly to form a resource, product or service. It provides a common basis for mea-surement of the value of environment and economy.A preliminary analysis of emergy contributions supporting the system of Hong Kong is presented inthis paper.

Evaluation of ENVISAT ASAR data for sea surface wind retrieval in Hong Kong coastal waters of China

The C-band wind speed retrieval models, CMOD4, CMOD - IFR2, and CMOD5 were applied to retrieval of sea surface wind speeds from ENVISAT （European environmental satellite） ASAR （advanced synthetic aperture radar） data in the coastal waters near Hong Kong during a period from October 2005 to July 2007. The retrieved wind speeds are evaluated by comparing with buoy measurements and the QuikSCAT （quick scatterometer） wind products. The results show that the CMOD4 model gives the best performance at wind speeds lower than 15 m/s. The correlation coefficients with buoy and QuikSCAT winds are 0.781 and 0.896, respectively. The root mean square errors are the same 1.74 m/s. Namely, the CMOD4 model is the best one for sea surface wind speed retrieval from ASAR data in the coastal waters near Hong Kong.

Application of Ecological Restoration and Sustainable Design Concept in Hong Kong Wetland Park

Wetland park has become an important content of urban landscape design in China, and it is urgent to explore the ways of ensuring scientifi c planning and design and successful implementation of the planning and design in the preparatory stage and the late habitat management and monitoring stage. Taking Hong Kong Wetland Park for example, this paper reviewed the successful design concepts and scientifi c management practices on the basis of sorting out its planning, construction, management and monitoring experience, to provide useful references for the planning, design and management of wetland park in other regions.

Occurrence and distribution of vibrios in fishes and shellfishes in coastal waters of Hong Kong

The summer occurrence and distribution of vibrios in the fishes and shellfishes in the coasal waters of Hong Kong were investigaed. A total of 69 strains of vibrios were isolated from all samples examined. The strains, along with 10 reference strains were classified with the technique of numerical taxonomy bared on 54 characters and 62 of the 69 strains fell into 5 major phena, identified as V. paraheamolyticus (30 strains), V. alginoloticus (23 strains), V. choloerae (3 strains), V. harveyi (2 strains) and V. fluinalis (4 strains). Among them, V.paraheamolyticus and V. alginolyticus were the predominant species in the fishes, shellfishes and the coastal waters of Hong Kong and comprised 43. 5 % and 33. 3 % of the total Vibrio spp. isolates respectively. Meanwhile, 3 strains of non-Ol V. cholerae were isolated from oyster and it was the first time to record V. cholerae non-Ol in seawater or from shellfishes in Hong Kong. These results highlighted the potential risks of food poisoning associated with raw or undercooked seafood.

Predicting Carpark Prices Indices in Hong Kong Using AutoML

The aims of this study were threefold:1)study the research gap in carpark and price index via big data and natural language processing,2)examine the research gap of carpark indices,and 3)construct carpark price indices via repeat sales methods and predict carpark indices via the AutoML.By researching the keyword“carpark”in Google Scholar,the largest electronic academic database that coversWeb of Science and Scopus indexed articles,this study obtained 999 articles and book chapters from 1910 to 2019.It confirmed that most carpark research threw light on multi-storey carparks,management and ventilation systems,and reinforced concrete carparks.The most common research method was case studies.Regarding price index research,many previous studies focused on consumer,stock,press and futures,with many keywords being related to finance and economics.These indicated that there is no research predicting carpark price indices based on an AutoML approach.This study constructed repeat sales indices for 18 districts in Hong Kong by using 34,562 carpark transaction records from December 2009 to June 2019.Wanchai’s carpark price was about four times that of Yuen Long’s carpark price,indicating the considerable carpark price differences inHong Kong.This research evidenced the features that affected the carpark price indices models most:gold price ranked the first in all 19 models;oil price or Link stock price ranked second depending on the district,and carpark affordability ranked third.

Lead Concentration in Hong Kong Roadside Dust after Reduction of Lead Level in Petrol

Samples of roadside dust were collected from 30 sites in Hong Kong.The total concentrations of 10 metals in the samples were analyzed,and the correlation coefficients among the metal contents and the annual average daily traffic(AADT)in 1986 were determined.Pb was found to have a significant correlation(P<0.01)with AADT.No correlation was found between Al, Ba,Cd,Cr,Cu,Fe,Mn,Ni,and Zn with respect to AADT.A general decrease in the level of Pb in roadside dust in the past few years has been observed since the reduction in the level of lead in petrol.1989 Academic Press,Inc.

Particle Swarm-Based Translation Control for Immersed Tunnel Element in the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge Project

Immersed tunnel is an important part of the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge(HZMB) project. In immersed tunnel floating, translation which includes straight and transverse movements is the main working mode. To decide the magnitude and direction of the towing force for each tug, a particle swarm-based translation control method is presented for non-power immersed tunnel element. A sort of linear weighted logarithmic function is exploited to avoid weak subgoals. In simulation, the particle swarm-based control method is evaluated and compared with traditional empirical method in the case of the HZMB project. Simulation results show that the presented method delivers performance improvement in terms of the enhanced surplus towing force.

Geochemistry and zircon U-Pb geochronology of the rhyolitic tuff on Port Island, Hong Kong： Implications for early Cretaceous tectonic setting

Early Cretaceous rhyolitic tuffs, widely distributed on Port Island, provide insights into the volcanism and tectonic setting of Hong Kong. In this paper we present petrological, geochronological and geochemical data of the rhyolitic tuff to constrain the diagenesis age and petrogenesis of the rocks, tectonic setting and early Cretaceous volcanism of Hong Kong. The first geochronological data show that the zircons in the volcanic rocks have U-Pb age of 141.1-139.5 Ma, which reveals that the rhyolitic tuff on Port Island was formed in the early Cretaceous （K1）. Geochemically, these acid rocks, which are enriched in large ion lithophile elements （LILEs） and light rare earth elements （LREEs）, and depleted in high field strength elements （HFSEs）, belong to the high K calc-alkaline to shoshonite series with strongly-peraluminous characteristic. The geochemical analyses suggest that the volcanic rocks were derived from deep melting in the continental crust caused by basaltic magma underplating. Based on the geochemical analysis and previous studies, we concluded that the rhyolitic tufts on Port Island were formed in a back- arc extension setting in response to the subduction of the Paleo-Pacific Plate beneath the Eurasian Plate.

Variability and Risk Analysis of Hong Kong Air Quality Based on Monsoon and El Nino Conditions

This study presents an exploratory analysis aimed at improving understanding of the variability of Hong Kong air quality associated with different climate conditions. Significantly negative correlations were found when Nifio 3 led particulate matter 〈10 p.m PM10） and NO2 by 2 3 months over the Hong Kong territory, while the other pollutants （e.g., Oa, SO2） showed modest correlations. A significant decreasing trend in visibility was observed during the autumn and winter, which has potential implications for the air-quality degradation and the endangerment of human health in Hong Kong. In an E1 Nifio summer, the visibility was relatively better, while visibility in other seasons was diminished. On the other hand, in La Nifia events, significant changes occurred in visibility in winter and autumn. Air pollution indices were less sensitive to the South China Summer Monsoon （SCSM）, but a relatively high correlation existed between the East Asian Winter Monsoon （EAWM） and air pollutants. Rainfall was lower during most of the strong EAWM years compared to the weak years. This result suggests that the pollutants that accumulate in Hong Kong are not easy to wash out, so concentrations remain at a higher level. Finally, based on the conditional Air Pollution Index （API） risk assessment, site-specific vulnerabilities were analyzed to facilitate the development of the air-quality warning systems in Hong Kong.

New Records of Freeliving Marine Nematodes from Hong Kong,China

Six species of new records collected from intertidal mangrove/non-mangrove and subtidal cave sediments during a mangrove ecological study (1998-2001) and a marine cave expedition (2002) in Hong Kong waters are redescribed. These include two enoplids: Anoplostoma viviparum in Anoplostomatidae and Trissonchulus janetae in Ironidae, two chromadorids:Paracomesoma dubium and Actarjania splendens in Comesomatidae, and two monhysterids: Parodontophora marina and Parodontophora c.f. danker in Axonolaimidae. Five of them are the first records from China. Ecological and taxonomic remarks are provided and discussed in comparison with the original descriptions.

Transport Accessibility and Spatial Connections of Cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area

Based on geographic information system(GIS) spatial analysis technology, the spatial pattern of raster grid transport accessibility for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay area was studied and the states of spatial connectedness were simulated using highway passenger transport, railway passenger transport, port passenger transport and aviation passenger transport data. The result shows that transport accessibility within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay area costs ‘one hour’ and the spatial distribution of accessibility in the area presents clear ‘core-periphery’ spatial characteristics, with Guangzhou, Foshan, Shenzhen constituting the core. The transport accessibility of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao is high. Average accessibility of urban nodes as measured by travel time is 0.99 h, and the areas accessible within 1.42 h occupy 79.14% of the total area. Most of the areas with the lowest accessibility are found in the peripheral area, with the worst accessibility being 4.73 h. Compared with the west-side cities, the economically developed east-side cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay area have higher connectivity with roads, railways, ports, and aviation transport. Guangzhou, Foshan, Zhuhai, Shenzhen, Hong Kong and Macao are closely linked. The higher the accessibility, the closer the intercity connectedness.

A Model for Analyzing the Transshipment Competition Relationship Between the Port of Hong Kong and the Port of Kaohsiung

The transshipment is an important issue in the current marine transportation. This paper constructed a mathematical programming model to elaborate the transshipment port selection for the shipping company. This model is tested by the data collected from the ports of Hong Kong and Kaohsiung. The results show that this model can be used to explain the transshipment competition relationship between the ports of Hong Kong and Kaohsiung well. A sensitivity analysis was also executed. The sensitivity analysis results showed that both the port of Hong Kong and Kaohsiung should decrease the charges of port and increase the effi- ciency of loading and discharging. Based on the sensitivity analysis results, some interesting conclusions and helpful suggestions were obtained for the managers of the ports of Hong Kong and Kaohsiung to improve their port management.

The Use of Plants and Wildflowers as Bioremediation for Contaminated Soils in the Hong Kong S.A.R.

Heavy metal contamination of the biosphere has increased sharply over the last century. Anthropogenic activities such as industrialisation and demographic growth can be considered as the main causes of it. Soil contamination affects every organism and poses major environmental and human health problems worldwide. The issue has been addressed in the past and a few methodologies have been developed in order to effectively clean up the contaminated areas. However, many of these remedies are very aggressive and can damage the soil. This paper focuses on the use of gentler techniques, which take advantage of the properties of several plants and wildflowers that absorb heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and their potential application in megacities such as Hong Kong.