2. Order = Q3, Q1, Q2
Rough timings:
35-45 mins Q3
40-45 mins Q1
30- 40 mins Q2
2 Hours 120 mins
Some of you will be quicker or slower for different questions.
Know where you have problems and need to keep an eye on
the time….
First activity : Timing (The exam starts at 1.30pm)
Work out roughly what time it will be when you
should stop Q3 and go on to Q1 – write that time
on the front of your paper (start time + 45 mins
MAX). Some may be less. 25/30 mins bullets
10/15 mins summary.
Now work out what time it will be when you
should stop Q1 and go on to Q2 – write that time
on the front as well (start time + 1 hour 30 mins
max but aim for 80 mins – 35 Q3 and 40/45 Q1).
Keep an eye on the time and make sure you move
on when you should!
3. Question 3
Process:
- Read it carefully (do not be tempted to underline anything at this point or write any bullet points) You could put key
words or pictures by the side of each paragraph
- BUG question/simplify it
- Write the key words from the question at the top of each paragraph
- Underline things related to the question
- Select the best 15 (no more) and write those quotes onto the bullet point part of your paper. Take a guess if you can’t
find 15 as you have nothing to lose. Check that you are not repeating yourself and aim to write in full sentences.
- Use number or symbols to group your bullets (2-4 groups)
- Write it out in a boring factual way (Third person = He/She/They/Name) NOT I. Start with ‘In this article we learn that…’
- Use your own words and connectives to join sentences so it’s not too jerky
Tips:
Are you being precise enough? Your bullet points need to be fairly specific.
In the summary, show how the ideas link to the question (use ‘because’)? For example, if the
question asks ‘What is dangerous about walking in Alaska?’ and you say ‘It is dangerous to be on your
own.’ You have to spell it out. EG. ‘It is dangerous to be on your own because if you got into trouble
then you would have no one to help you.’
Say in your head the reason for underlining each one (is it answering the question?) e.g. The
Question is: What are the reasons not to believe in Yetis and Unicorns? In your head you are saying
(when you find a potential thing to underline) “this is a reason not to believe in yetis and unicorns
because...”
You can easily change adjectives (describing words) when creating the bullet point list in your own
words. EG. The intelligent monkey becomes… The clever monkey.
4. Question 1Process:
- Read the text (15 mins)
- BUG question (crucial) and GAP it (Genre = What format? Letter/speech/newspaper
report/interview… Audience = who for and who are you writing as? Purpose = why are you
writing?)
- Either create a grid with the bullets on the left and 5 ideas for each on the right OR look at
the first bullet point and find 5 things to say (write the number 1 by them on the text)
- Keep looking at the text but fill in the grid in your own words
- Once you have ideas for the first bullet point – write that first paragraph IN YOUR OWN
WORDS and IN CHARACTER
- Then go back and complete the grid or find 5 things for the second bullet point and number
them 2. Then write them up as a separate, second paragraph
- Repeat the same for the third bullet point/paragraph.
- Timing = 10 mins per bullet point = getting the info and writing it (length =approx. ½ a side of
A4 per bullet)
Tips:
• Really look at the whole text (bullet point 1 won’t be from the first paragraph!)
• Cover every bullet point (you are given 5 marks per bullet point and 5 marks for writing in your own
words and in character)
• Use the word 'because' when writing your response to bullet point 2 (explain things)
• Refer to thoughts and feelings in your response to bullet point 3 (imagine how people think/feel and
show this in your response)
• If there are statistics, numbers or names of people and places in the article, try to include them
somewhere relevant in your answer.
• Try to create the right voice. Who would play this person in a film? How would they talk? Sit? Walk?
• For A* - make it obvious who the audience is. EG. Newspaper report = our regular readers will know
that…
5. The grid looks like this:
Bullet Idea
local people believe about
‘beast’
-
-
-
-
-
own memories + experience
while driving across moor
-
-
-
-
-
your opinions on ‘beast’ +
locals AND predictions for
future.
-
-
-
-
-
6. Question 2Process (repeat for the second part of Q2)
- BUG question
- Circle the passages it asks you to look at
Take a passage at a time…
- Write what you are looking for from the question above the first passage
- Underline 4 phrases in that passage that answer the question (draw
links between these if aiming for 7 or more out of 10)
- Write these up using the format below (if it helps you).
The general effect of the language used creates the impression of/that …X The writer says ‘quote’ and
the word/technique means…By using this technique (name it if you can), this suggests that…(deeper
meaning). This idea of X is continued in the image ‘Quote 2’
Or alternative connecting phrases:
Like the X , the Z is …
This idea of X is extended/developed as the writer says…
The writer builds upon the image further by…
Tips:
- Always look for/learn: Onomatopoeia (crash), personification (the wind clawed at…), similes
(the grass was LIKE an ocean of green), metaphors (the grass WAS an ocean of green), the
senses (sight, sound, taste touch, smell), strong adjectives (horrible or gigantic), verbs (doing
words / ing/ed dashing, exhausted) and adverbs (ly… cautiously, frantically, rapidly)
- Timing: 15-20 mins per section (depends how long you have left)
8. Q3 answers
The reasons for not believing in the existence of unicorns and yetis
1 appeal / acceptability/how easy the idea is
2 similarity to / confusion with real animals
3 power of popular culture
4 ancient traditional belief
5 research not supportive of possibility
6 authors seek fame / commercial success
7 people want to believe
8 travellers keep the legend alive
9 there’s a lack of evidence
10 photo of footprint is inconclusive / not leading to a firm conclusion
11 ritual hair belonged to a goat
12 primate hand of unknown origin
13 mummified bodies fake / not traceable
14 apes formerly inhabited region /apes used to live there
15 little-known local animals
16 Sherpa stories
17 resembles a bear
9. Q3 answers
The reasons for not believing in the existence of unicorns and yetis
For the summary:
5 marks: All points are answering the question. All points are clear,
to the point and fluent (connectives), and in the candidate’s own
words throughout.
4 marks: Most points are made clearly and to the point. The whole
thing is in their own words. The summary is mostly focused but
may have a pointless introduction or conclusion.
3 marks: Some parts get to the point but there may be occasional
loss of focus or clarity. Own words are used for most of the
summary. Responses may be list-like or not well sequenced – lots
of short sentences and not grouped.
2 marks: The summary is sometimes focused, but it may include
comment, repetition, unnecessarily long explanation or using a lot
of words from the text.
1 mark: The summary is unfocused or wordy. It may be answered
in the wrong form (in first person, as a description, as a piece of
persuasion). They don’t use their own words much.
10. Write your score for Q3 at the front of
your paper
Q3:
/15 bullets
/5 summary
Total: /20
11. Question 1 answers
Bullet point 1: what the local people believe about the ‘beast’
• Livestock being destroyed by a non-native predator.
• The farming community is in crisis because of the beast.
• Predator does not resemble pony, boar or dog.
• Tracks identified by local experts prove it’s a puma.
• Video shows big cats roaming.
• Method of killing distinctively feline / scratch marks / no mess.
• Night sounds are those of a puma mating call (matches
recording).
• Unnatural behaviour of other animals prove existence of beast.
• Hair analysis wasn’t returned in order to prevent panic.
• It should be controlled but not killed.
12. Question 1 answers
Bullet Point 2: your own memories and your experience while
driving across the moor
• Reference to childhood memories and what she was
told.
• Saw large black cat moving smoothly and quickly.
• Cat was very strongly built.
• Cat had large and frightening eyes; stared at her.
• Cat had short rough coat and long curved tail.
• Journalist was frightened by the vision.
• Journalist thought she may have seen a phantom
creature.
13. Question 1 answers
Bullet Point 3: your opinions on the ‘beast’ and the locals, and
predictions for the future.
• The moor is a mysterious place and anything could be true.
• Locals are sceptical people therefore probably telling the truth.
• Locals will continue to believe until proved otherwise.
• There are always such myths in isolated areas.
• Continued sightings over long period suggest beast really exists.
• Large cat could have escaped from local zoo.
• Myth perpetuated down generations; children are told the story.
• Future investigations will / will not find satisfactory evidence.
• Light was poor so she may have seen some other animal / mistaken identity.
• She might have imagined seeing the animal because she had been thinking
about it.
• Economic crisis in the area so something needs to be done / official response
necessary.
• Farmers are carrying guns and there may be a tragic accident in future.
• Locals are over-reacting and creating hysteria: the battered sign.
14. Questions 1: answers (quality of writing)
5 marks: The language of the response sounds convincing and consistently appropriate.
Ideas are firmly expressed in a wide range of effective and/or interesting language.
Structure and sequence are sound throughout (it’s been put in a logical order)
4 marks: Language is mostly fluent and there it is clear. There is a decent range of
vocabulary to express ideas with subtlety and precision (some language hints at things
that are not obviously being said). The response is mainly well structured and well
sequenced.
3 marks: Language is clear but comparatively plain and/or factual, expressing little
opinion. Ideas are rarely extended, but explanations are adequate. Some sections are
quite well sequenced but there may be flaws in structure.
2 marks: There may be some awkwardness of expression and some inconsistency of
style (don’t stay in character/genre). Language is too limited to express shades of
meaning (very literal/obvious words). There is structural weakness and there may be
some copying from the passage.
1 mark: Unclear order and words. Language is weak and undeveloped. There is very little
attempt to explain ideas. There may be frequent copying from the original.
15. Write your score for Q1 at the front of
your paper
Q1:
/15 for responses to the bullet points
/5 for quality of writing
Total: /20
16. Question 2 Answers
the appearance of the beast in paragraph 3
The general effect is one of threat, as if there is something powerful
and alien watching the area.
large, black feline: gives the idea of size and danger; black cats associated with horror /
witchcraft
sinuous, fluid movement: these words suggest the elusiveness of snakes; that the
creature is at home in its environment
thick, sinewy shoulders / massive strength: these phrases give the animal a force which
belies its slinkiness and stress its potential violence
like that of engine pistons (image): this simile evokes the smooth mechanical nature of
the movement and the sheer power of the predator
great, yellow, black-slitted orbs: this description suggests a monster from a fairy tale or
horror story; yellow eyes with black slits are associated with the devil; ‘orbs’ makes the
eyes seem unnaturally large and round, alien and terrifying
pricked, tufted ears: ‘pricked’ indicates an alert animal, listening for danger; ‘tufted’
suggests a wild rather than a tame creature
coarse, raven-black coat: the texture and colour are unpleasant to touch and sight; the
animal is far from being domestic and cuddly; ravens have connotations of evil and
torture curved snake of a tail (image): continues the serpent metaphor of ‘sinuous’
victory salute (image): battle flags are introduced with ‘raising and waving’; the beast
seems conscious of its supremacy
spectral vision / supernatural manifestation: these phrases give the unwelcome feeling
of an unnatural and frightening creature which could not be captured
17. Question 2 Answers
the appearance of the farmer and his farm in paragraph 4
The overall impression is that the farmer is the product of his surroundings,
and that these are either threatening or decaying.
rickety, rotting footbridge: a fairy tale idea; emphasises decay and danger to
humans caused by the elements and possibility of something unpleasant lurking
underneath
battered sign: an indication of age, decay and neglect; caused by the elements
ominous: the sign is a reminder of the threat; warning is futile since beast can’t read
shiny: suggests red-faced and sweating, signs of stress and/or over-exposure to the
weather weather-beaten: associates him with the landscape; suggests he is at the
mercy of natural phenomena, just like buildings and trees.
tremendous whiskers: impressive because of their size; could be an indication of old
age / an allusion to a feline creature; gives him a cartoonish aspect
crusty hat...over-cooked pie (image): this rustic, domestic image is in surprising
contrast to the rifle, as if he has had to adopt a different and more vigilant persona
because of needing to be always on guard
stained oak table: although ‘stained’ can just mean coloured (as in varnished) here
it has the added connotation of years of use in a farmhouse kitchen; the place and
its owner are linked by the ideas of age, dirtiness and brownness (continuation of
‘crusty’ and ‘pie’ image)
18. Write your score for Q2 at the front of
your paper
Q2:
/10
Total: /10
19. Grade Boundaries for this paper (if you have
that grade already in your cwk and s&L) eg. If
you have a B in your cwk and s&l then you
need…
Grade
• E = 20/50
• D = 23/50
• C = 27/50
• B = 30/50
• A = 33/50
• A* = 37/50
