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Week 3 Interpreting Data

A Types and features of data sources
Statistics tables

Hong Kong Population Projections (2014 – 2064)

Mid-2014 Mid- Mid- Mid- Mid- Mid-
View vertically and
(Base) 2024 2034 2044 2054 2064 horizontally to understand
Percentage of the change of data.
population Students can also
Aged 0 – 14 12% 12% 10% 9% 10% 9% compare the differences
Aged 15 – 64 73% 65% 60% 58% 55% 55% between each item
Aged 65 and over 15% 23% 30% 33% 35% 36% or analyse the overall
Median age 43.7 47.0 50.0 52.5 53.2 53.5 situation.

(Source: Census and Statistics Department)

Line graphs

People’s satisfaction with the HKSAR

government (1998 – 2016)

Pay attention to the items

on the X-axis and Y-axis
and identify the trend of
the data, values of the
items, the relationship or
the difference between
each item.
*As at May 2016

(Source: Public Opinion Programme, The University of Hong Kong)

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Bar charts

Disposal of total solid waste at landfills in 2005 – 2014

(By main waste category)

Pay attention to the items

on the X-axis and Y-axis
and identify the values of
the longest and shortest
bars in order to compare
the differences between
each item.
(Source: Environment Bureau)

Pie charts

Daily cigarette smokers

(By age started smoking cigarette weekly and sex)

S t u d y t h e p ro p o r t i o n
of each item in the
chart carefully and find
out the largest and
smallest proportions for
comparison. Students can
also compare the change
in proportion of the same
* Statistics of female smokers who started smoking before 10 years old are not
released due to large sample error, so the total amount may not equal to 100%.
item in different categories
or years.

(Source: Thematic Household Survey Report No. 59, Census and Statistics Department)
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B Skills of reading data sources

1. Consider the following statistic table and answer the questions.

Hong Kong Population Projections (2014 – 2064)

Mid-2014
Mid-2024 Mid-2034 Mid-2044 Mid-2054 Mid-2064
(Base)
Percentage of
population
Aged 0 – 14 12% 12% 10% 9% 10% 9%
Aged 15 – 64 73% 65% 60% 58% 55% 55%
Aged 65 and over 15% 23% 30% 33% 35% 36%
Median age 43.7 47.0 50.0 52.5 53.2 53.5

(Source: Census and Statistics Department)

(1) Title of the data: Hong Kong Population Projections (2014 – 2064)

(2) Vertically: Which age group has the highest percentage? How much does it take?

Mid-2014: Age group 15 – 64, 73%

Mid-2064: Age group 15 – 64, 55%

(3) Horizontally: What is the change in the percentage of population of each age group / median age?

a. 0 – 14: decreases from 12% in mid-2014 to 9% in mid-2064, a fall of 3%

b. 15 – 64: decreases from 73% in mid-2014 to 55% in mid-2064, a fall of 18%

c. 65 or above: increases from 15% in mid-2014 to 36% in mid-2064, a rise of 21%

d. Median age: increases from 43.7 years old in mid-2014 to 53.5 years old in mid-2064, a rise of 9.8 years and

about 22%

(4) What does the data show overall?

In time of constantly low birth rate, the labour force rate in Hong Kong will keep declining, leading to ageing population.
24 Week 3 Interpreting Data

2. Consider the following line graph and answer the questions.

People’s satisfaction with the HKSAR government (1998 – 2016)

*As at May 2016

(Source: Public Opinion Programme, The University of Hong Kong)

(1) Title of the data: People’s satisfaction with the HKSAR government (1998 – 2016)

(2) Item of the X-axis: Year

Item of the Y-axis: Percentage of satisfaction and dissatisfaction

(3) Trend of the data:

• People’s satisfaction with the HKSAR government dropped from 28.2 % in 1998 to
25.0 % in 2016, a fall of 3.2 %.

• People’s dissatisfaction with the HKSAR government rose from 27.6 % in 1998

to 51.4 % in 2016 , an increase of 23.8 %.

(4) What are the overall changes in the data? (Hint: Changes in the differences between satisfaction and
dissatisfaction)

In 1998, people’s satisfaction with the HKSAR government was 28.2%, slightly higher than their dissatisfaction of

27.6%. In 2016, their satisfaction dropped to 25.0% while their dissatisfaction increased to 51.4%, showing a higher

level of dissatisfaction than satisfaction. This reflects a negative net satisfaction, which highlights people’s mounting

dissatisfaction with the government.

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3. Consider the following bar chart and answer the questions.

Disposal of total solid waste at landfills in 2005 – 2014

(By main waste category)

(Source: Environment Bureau)

(1) Title of the data: Disposal of total solid waste at landfills in 2005 – 2014 (By main waste category)

(2) Item of the X-axis: Year

Item of the Y-axis: Tonnes per day

(3) Characteristics of the data:

a. Distribution of each category of solid waste in 2005:
Which category had the highest proportion? How much did it take? domestic wastes, 6,828 tonnes
Which category had the lowest proportion? How much did it take? special waste, 1,746 tonnes
b. Distribution of each category of solid waste in 2014:

Which category had the highest proportion? How much did it take? domestic wastes, 6,418 tonnes
Which category had the lowest proportion? How much did it take? special waste, 1,135 tonnes
c. What are the similarities and difference between the distribution of solid waste in 2005 and
2014?
For many years, domestic waste remained the highest proportion in the total solid waste. Besides commercial and

industrial waste, other categories of solid waste showed a declining trend, among which overall construction waste

dropped the most.

(4) What does the data show overall?

The total solid waste has maintained at the similar level, in which the proportion of domestic waste remained the highest.
26 Week 3 Interpreting Data

C Integrating data sources into the answer

When answering data questions, students must use the figures in the sources and describe the changes or
characteristics of the data. Besides, students should also calculate and integrate the data to indicate the direction
and level of changes. Students should make use of the wording below to highlight the changes of data:

rise fall   grow drop   increase decrease   

slightly drastically   continuously maintain at a certain level hover around
an increase followed by decline    sharply significantly    the highest / lowest point

Below are the four steps for answering questions with data sources.

Step 1 Understand the question requirements

Understanding the question accurately is the prerequisite to getting high marks. Students
should understand the focus of the question and highlight the essential question words and
the aspects questioned.

Step 2 Find out the respective source content

Based on the question requirements, read each source carefully and generalize the main points
in response to the question. The data sources can be analysed in the two aspects below:

Describing the trend of a single item Comparing different items

• Find out the increasing / decreasing trend • Pay attention to the difference among the
of an item during a period of time (such as items at the same point of the time, as well
comparing the first and the last figure) and as the changes in the difference between
the percentage of the increase / decrease; two items along with the shift of time (such
• Mark the special change of the single as larger or smaller);
item, such as the highest and the lowest • Distinguish the relationships between
points, or fluctuating and other situations. different items, whether they are in direct
proportion or inverse proportion;
• Compare the statistics in a table vertically
and horizontally and make appropriate
generalization when comparing.

Step 3 Conceptualize the source content and identify the relationship

between the sources and the question
Transform the key overall changes of data into knowledge and concepts of higher level.
Then give further explanation based on the cited sources and highlight how the source
content responds to the question.
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1. Consider the following source and answer the question.

SourceA

Energy consumption structures of the world and China (2014)

*The figures are approximates, so the total amount may not equal to 100%.

(Source: BP Statistical Review of World Energy)

Question: Identify and explain TWO features of China’s energy structure as shown in Source A.
 (4 marks)

Step 1
Understand the question requirements
‘Describe TWO features … as shown in Source A’ reflects that the question requires students:
• To find out the values of the longest and shortest bars from the data, or to compare different items in
order to show the features of the overall energy structure
• To explain clearly how the data reflect the features in the answer
28 Week 3 Interpreting Data

Step 2
Find out the respective source content
Argument 1: Argument 2:
China mainly uses coal, which takes 66% of the China relatively uses less clean energy (including natural
total consumption, while for other types of energy gas, hydroelectricity, nuclear power and other renewable
resources, each takes only less than 20%. For world
energy resources). These energy resources only consist
consumption, no singe type of energy consumption
exceeds 40%. Energy resources with higher of 17% of the total consumption, while highly polluting
consumption are oil, coal and natural gas, which are
fossil fuels consist of 84%.
33%, 30% and 24% respectively.
The world consumption of clean energy is 37% while that

of the highly polluting fossil fuels is 63%.

Step 3
Conceptualize the source content and identify the relationship between the source
and the question

The energy consumption of China is over-reliant The energy consumption of China is dominated by highly
on coal, revealing the lack of diversity in the entire polluting fossil fuels, and the consumption of clean
energy structure. If the coal supply is insufficient,
energy is far less than the world consumption. Large
it will lead to severe energy shortage in the whole
country. amounts of pollutants are created during extraction and

burning of coal and oil. This reflects that China’s energy

structure will lead to serious environmental pollution.

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Now, students can write the answer in paragraphs.

Argument 1:
1
First of all, 2the energy consumption of China mainly relies on coal, 1 Transitional word
revealing the lack of diversity in the entire energy structure. 3According 2T o p i c s e n t e n c e t o
identify that the energy
to Source A, coal consists of 66%, close to 70% in the energy consumption
consumption of China
structure of China. In contrast, the world energy consumption structure mainly relies on coal
is not solely dominated by coal, which consists of only 30% of the total 3 Explain the argument by
consumption. This reveals the proportion of coal consumption in China is pointing out the lack of
36% higher than that in the world. Coal consumption is also the highest diversity in the energy
consumption of China
among other energy consumption in China. When the energy consumption
4 Concluding sentence
structure of one country lacks diversity, if there is insufficient coal supply,
it will lead to severe energy shortage in the whole country. 4
Therefore,
it highlights China’s high reliance on coal and lack of diversity in energy
structure.

Argument 2:
1
Besides, 2
the energy consumption of China is dominated by highly 1 Transitional word
2T o p i c s e n t e n c e t o
polluting fossil fuels. Its application of clean energy far lags behind the whole identify that the energy

world. 3According to Source A, coal and oil consist of 84% in China’s energy consumption of China
is dominated by highly
structure, while cleaner natural gas, hydroelectricity, nuclear power and other polluting fossil fuels
3 Explain the argument by
renewable energy resources only consist of 17% altogether. On the contrary, clean
pointing out that China
energy resources consist of 37% in the world energy consumption, which is twice of consumes fewer clean
energy resources
that in China. Coal and oil are highly polluting energy resources. Large amounts of 4 Concluding sentence

pollutants are created during extraction and burning of coal and oil. This reflects that

China’s energy structure will lead to serious environmental pollution.

4
Therefore, as China consumes fewer clean energy resources and relies mostly on
highly polluting fossil fuels, this will lead to severe environmental pollution in the

end.