Practice paper with sample responses for WJEC unit 1

2. Summer 2016
0 Literature Unit 1 – 23rd May 2016 AM
0 Literature Unit 2b – 27th May 2016 AM
0 Unit 1 Language (reading)
7th June 2016 AM
0 Unit 2 Language (Writing)

3. Unit 1
Reading

4. Question 1 – search and find
0 This is one of the easier skills you have to master
for the exam. It is a basic comprehension skill.
0 You will be asked to locate and write down
information from Source 1. For example, you may
be asked ‘why are there no closed prisons in
Greenland?’. You would simply use your scanning
techniques to find the information in text 1 and
write down the answers.

5. Q.1 According to this article, why are there
no closed prisons in Greenland? [10]
This question tests reading and understanding text, selecting material appropriate to
purpose and interpreting writers' ideas and perspectives.
0 marks: nothing attempted or fails to engage with the question and/or the text.
Give 1 mark to those who make simple comments with occasional reference to the
text, or copy unselectively. These answers will struggle to engage with the text and/or
the question.
Give 2-4 marks, according to quality, to those who make simple comments based on
surface features of the text, and/or show awareness of more straightforward implicit
meaning.
Give 5-7 marks, according to quality, to those who select a range of valid points.
Better answers should have a clear focus on the question and a sense of coherence.
Give 8-10 marks, according to quality, to those who select and explain a range of
valid points.These answers should be thorough and coherent with some depth of
understanding and overview.

7. Some points that candidates may select:
• imprisonment never has been used/it is not a traditional form of punishment
• the Inuit do not believe in imprisonment as a matter of principle
• the really dangerous can be sent to Denmark
• it is a tradition to keep criminals within society rather than 'push them out'
• the environment is harsh and they need everyone to ensure survival
• according to Mille Pederson, the people do not believe in punishment
• they prefer rehabilitation and 're-socialising' criminals
• they do not believe that locking people up does any good
•Yoan Meyer says prisons are just factories for new criminals
• very few try to escape from the 'correctional institutions'
• the alternative to closed prisons is accepted by society and criminals
• their alternative works for them/very few re-offend

8. Question 2 and/or 3
0 How questions
0 Ask you to write about language and/or
presentational devices

9. Presentational devices
0 Pictures and illustrations. Some source materials in the exam will
have pictures on them. Remember, you are looking at newspapers,
magazines, web pages, charity leaflets – all of these will have
carefully chosen pictures on them.
0 Colour is another key feature that you can comment on in your
exam. If you are analysing the presentational features of an advert,
try to think about the colours and why they have been chosen.
o font size
o any capital letters used
o any bold type or italics or underlining
o bullet points
o the layout of the source material as a whole
0 Keep asking yourself, why have these devices been used? What is
the effect on the reader?

10. Language
0 Humour / sarcasm. A writer might poke fun at a topic or mock it to show
that they disagree with it.
0 Exaggeration. A writer might go over the top about the topic. This implies
that they like or don’t like something.
0 Repetition. A writer could repeat a statistic or a phrase to show they do or
don’t like something.
0 Rhetorical questions. This is a technique often used in writing an argument
and its function is to get the reader to agree with what the writer thinks.
0 Positive and negative adjectives. Words often carry positive and negative
meanings.
0 Emotive language. This is language that stirs up the emotions. If the writer
uses language like ‘unimaginable cruelty’ when discussing animal
experiments, they are probably not in favour of them.

11. Analysing language - tone
0 When analysing the language in a piece of text, think about
the tone. An easy way to remember about the tone is to ask
yourself, what tone of voice would be used to read out the
text? Would it be persuasive, informative, argumentative,
light hearted and so on.
0 Once you have established what the tone is, work out how
you know it is a persuasive or light hearted tone. What words
and phrases are used to set this tone? Think also about the
purpose of the text – is it to sell you something? Does the
tone match the purpose? It would be very odd to read a text
whose purpose was to inform you about global warming but
was using a light hearted, feel good tone!

12. 0 Look for any imagery in the text. Imagery is where the writer tries to
paint a picture in the reader’s mind to help them relate to what is
being described.
0 A common language technique to spot and comment on is the use of
the personal pronoun ‘you’ or ‘us’; commonly used by the writer to
make the text feel more personal to the reader, as if it is aimed
directly at them personally.
0 Quite often, rhetorical questions will be used for added emphasis, such
as ‘Do you think it’s right that.......’ or ‘Would you like that for your
children?’
0 Sometimes, colloquial language is used. This is the kind of chatty,
informal language that you would use with your friends.
0 Quotations, statistics and anecdotes are used often in newspapers and
magazines and sometimes in sales texts. They are used to add interest
and credibility to a text.
0 Remember – it’s not enough to identify these – you have to explain in
detail the effect on the reader.

13. Structural features
0 Sentences and paragraphs
Simple sentences suggest tension and speed. Short paragraphs are often
used in tabloid newspapers making them easier to read. Very short
paragraphs attract the reader’s attention.
Longer complex sentences are mainly used for description and are full of
detail. This is the same with long paragraphs. These are often used in
broadsheet newspapers.
0 Sentence moods
Declarative, interrogative, exclamatory or imperative
0 Punctuation
Look how it is being used – are they separating parts of sentences to draw
your attention to them?
Use of ellipses or parenthesis

14. Q.2 How does Lucy Jones try
to make her internet article
interesting for her readers?
[10]
Think about:
• what she says;
• how she says it;
• the use of headlines and pictures;
• the use of internet features

15. Q2-Mark scheme…
This question tests reading and understanding text, and selecting material appropriate to
purpose. It also tests how writers use linguistic, grammatical, structural and presentational
features to achieve effects, to engage readers, and to influence the reader.
0 marks: nothing attempted or fails to engage with the question and/or the text.
Give 1 mark to those who make simple comments with occasional reference to the text, or
copy unselectively.
Give 2-4 marks, according to quality, to those who make simple comments based on surface
features of the text and/or show awareness of more obvious implicit meanings and techniques
used to engage the reader, including presentational and website features.
Give 5-7 marks, according to quality, to those who make valid comments/inferences based on
appropriate detail from the text.These answers should be addressing the issue of 'how',
although they may rely on some spotting of key facts or quotations. Better answers will have a
clear focus on techniques used to engage the reader, including exploration of the effect of
presentational and website features.
Give 8-10 marks, according to quality, to those who explore the text in detail and make valid
comments/inferences. These answers should combine specific detail with overview and be fully
engaged with analysis of techniques used to engage the reader, including detailed exploration
of the effect of presentational and website features.

16. Lucy Jones uses a range of techniques in this article in order to make it interesting
and engaging for her readers.
The article begins with a dramatic headline which could exploit the potential readers
interest in crime and punishment. ‘Land where killers are free to go hunting’. This
plays on the double meaning in this headline implying that murderers are allowed to
carry on without fear of punishment. This sensational headline will immediately grab
the readers attention and compel them to read on.
The article begins by stating the traditional beliefs of the Inuit people who make up
‘80%’ of the population and highlights a totally different attitude to crime and
punishment. By using statistics the author adds credibility to the story. This can be
seen throughout the article as it concludes with the statement that ‘fewer than 1% of
criminals in Greenland re-offend.’
Jones describes in detail the alternative methods used in this country. She uses
quotes from officials ‘we take the convicts out hunting-even the murderers’. This
gives the article a more personal voice and the use of the qualifier ‘even the
murderers’ again makes the article seem more sensational.
• she uses irony and humour
• she uses 'personal experience'/a first hand account
headlines, pictures and internet features
• the pictures illustrate the treatment of prisoners
• the use of website features to illustrate and provide additional information.
(e.g. link to prison website, video clip, opportunity to comment on story).

17. Complete a response
0 Remember to use inference, comment on the writers
methods and the effect on the reader.
0 End your response with a brief overview.
10 minutes

18. Q.3 How does Florence Federal Prison make it difficult for
prisoners to escape or cause trouble? [10]

19. Q3- Mark scheme
This question tests reading and understanding text, and selecting material
appropriate to purpose.
0 marks: nothing attempted or fails to engage with the question and/or the text.
Give 1 mark to those who make simple comments with occasional reference to the
text, or copy unselectively.
Give 2-4 marks, according to quality, to those who make simple comments based on
surface features of the text and/or show awareness of more obvious implicit
meanings.
Give 5-7 marks, according to quality, to those who make valid comments/inferences
based on appropriate detail from the text.
Give 8-10 marks, according to quality, to those who explore the text in detail and
make valid comments/inferences. These answers should combine specific detail with
overview.

20. Some points the candidates may explore:
the design
• maximum security
• guard towers and a perimeter fence of razor wire
• steel doors and windows in the ceiling
• furniture is fixed and made of concrete
• cells are self-contained
• the cells are designed to prevent eye-contact
the regime
• 23 hours of solitary confinement each day
• no communal meals or work or recreation
• no socialising or contact with other prisoners
• handcuffs and leg irons, when outside
• an escort of three armed guards
• limited outside contact (one phone call each month and no visitors)
• no matches or lighters
the location
• it is remote and inhospitable (in the Rocky Mountains)
psychology
• three years of no trouble leads to a gentler prison

21. Question 4
0 Comparing texts
0 The format for this question varies between exams but it will
always ask to look at both texts and draw links between
them.
0 It is usually a search and find question – focusing on
similarities and differences.
THE KEY ISTO READTHE QUESTION
CAREFULLY!

22. To answer the next question you will need to
look at both texts.
Q.4 Compare and contrast what Lucy Jones and
Dermot Purgavie say about the
treatment of dangerous criminals. [10]

23. This question tests the ability to collate from different sources and make
comparisons and cross-references. It also tests the ability to develop and sustain
interpretations of writers' ideas and perspectives.
0 marks: nothing attempted or fails to engage with the question and/or the text.
Give 1 mark to those who make simple comments with occasional reference to the
texts, or copy unselectively.
Give 2-4 marks, according to quality, to those who make simple comments based on
surface features of the texts and/or show awareness of more straightforward implicit
meanings. Weaker answers could be a jumble of detail. Better answers should
make some clear, if obvious, comparisons and contrasts.
Give 5-7 marks, according to quality, to those make valid comments/inferences
based on appropriate detail from the texts. Better answers will show the ability to
cross-reference in an organised way.
Give 8-10 marks, according to quality, to those who make valid
comments/inferences based on a thorough and organised selection of appropriate
detail from the texts.
These answers should be coherent and insightful, ranging confidently across both
texts.
Q4- Mark scheme

24. In the two articles Lucy Jones and Dermot Purgavie have vastly different things to say about the
treatment of dangerous criminals in the countries they are writing about.This is reflected in the
tone and content of the two articles.
Jones’ article ‘Land where killers are free to go hunting’ describes a society were there are ‘no
closed prisons’ the implication being that the prisoners are kept as a useful part of society. This
idea of an open prison without walls contrasts massively with the opening of Purgavie’s article
‘Back to the chain gang’. Here the opening paragraph describes the ‘mirror-glass guard towers
and the coils of razor wire’ suggesting that Colorado prisons are very much closed.
Jones moves on to describe the belief in Greenland that they ‘achieve more by trying to re-
socialise people’ a belief which is reflected in the activities the prisoners are allowed to
participate in such as being taken ‘out hunting’. We can see from the article that punishment is
not the main focus of prison in Greenland.
Conversely in Purgavie’s piece he states that there is a ‘trend in America towards tougher and
tougher prisons’. In Florence Federal Prison there is no contact with the outside world and the
prisoners ‘get out of their cells for just one hour a day and then only in handcuffs and leg irons’
this implies that these prisoners are so dangerous even the guards do not feel safe around them.
In contrast the biggest complaint by a prisoner in Jones’ article is that ‘I have to ask permission
to do things’, a quote that fits well with the ironic tone of the article.
The other main difference in the approaches of these two institutions is their belief in the
validity of rehabilitation. Jones’ describes how dangerous prisoners in Greenland are
encouraged ‘to change their lives and return to society’ they believe this is something prison
does not do. In opposition to this the prisoners in Purgavie’s article are given ‘sensory
deprivation’ and there is no facility to help the prisoners rebuild their lives once they leave
prison.