Braes High School : English Department
Standard Grade Homework record
Pupil’s Name: ______Teacher’s Name: ______
Homework No. / Due date / PossibleScore / My Score / Parent / Carer Signature
1 / 8
2 / 6
3 / 7
4 / 4
5 / 6
6 / 7
7 / 4
8 / 6
9 / 7
10 / 7
11 / 7
12 / 8
13 / 9
14 / 6
15 / 7
16 / 5
17 / 8
18 / 6
19 / 8
20 / 7
21 / 6
22 / 8
23 / 9
24 / 5
25 / 7
26 / 5
27 / 7
28 / 6
29 / 6
30 / 5
TOTALS / 197
% Correct:
HOMEWORK 1
EXTRACT:
Life on the Rocks
At low tide the rocky beach is silent, apparently deserted by the animals that live there. But life is all around, sitting perfectly still or tucked out of sight – safe from the sun’s rays, drying winds and eagle-eyed gulls.
Brightly coloured seaweed and hard-shelled creatures struggle for space, gripping the rocks tightly to avoid being washed away. When the tide is in, marine life need not worry about drying out, but as the tide ebbs, they must be able to adapt or find ways to escape.
QUESTIONS:
1. Write down one word from the first sentence that tells us that the beach only seems to be deserted. [1]
2. What three things can threaten creatures living on the beach at low tide? [3]
3. What does the phrase ‘struggle for space’ tells us about number of creatures living on the beach? [1]
4. Explain what the word ‘ebbs’ means? [1]
5. Write down two single words that tell us how creatures survive when the tide ebbs. [2]
HOMEWORK 2
EXTRACT A:
Now there are some situations in which it is difficult for schools to succeed. In cities, for instance, where housing is bad and “problem families” abound, there is probably no purely educational remedy.
QUESTIONS:
1. Quote an expression that shows the writer himself has no clear solution to the problem.[1]
2. Explain the use of inverted commas in “problem families.”
[1]
3. What do you think the writer means by the term “problem
families”? [1]
EXTRACT B:
Perhaps I was over-sensitive because I had been more than two years in the ranks myself, and had stood sweating while pinkish young men with one painfully new pip on their shoulders had looked at me.
QUESTIONS:
1. Quote a word which shows this was a difficult experience for the soldiers. [1]
2. a) What do you think a “pip” is? [1]
b) Give a reason for your answer. [1]
HOMEWORK 3
EXTRACT:
Then he saw Laidlaw.
Laidlaw was walking up Turnbull Street towards the station . Harkness had had Laidlaw pointed out to him, although they had never met. He recognised the deceptively tall figure, deceptive because the width of the shoulders acted against the height, making him seem smaller than he was, and the very positive features that gave the face clear definition, even at a distance. The most striking thing about him was something Harkness had noticed every time he had seen him – preoccupation. You never came on him empty. It was hard to think of him walking casually, always towards definite destinations.
QUESTIONS:
1. a) How does the author make the first sentence stand
out? [2]
b) Why does he do this? [1]
2. In what way is Laidlaw “deceptively tall”? [2]
2. How does the writer help you understand what
“preoccupation” means? [1]
3. Quote an expression which suggests that Laidlaw always
had a purpose or something to do. [1]
HOMEWORK 4
EXTRACT:
Submission in the human animal is much the same as in other animals. In extreme cases it takes the form of cringing, crouching, grovelling, whimpering and attempts to protect the most vulnerable part of the body. The uniquely human element added to this display is verbal pleading for mercy.
A cornered human driven to these extremes is a pathetic sight, but that is precisely the point. In order to survive, he must present himself as so insignificant and weak as to be hardly worth attacking. The display says: “This is how pitiful I’d look if you attacked me, so why bother? I’m there already.” It presents a picture of instant defeat and therefore avoids the pain of actually being defeated.
QUESTIONS:
1. a) Explain clearly, in your own words, two ways in which humans behave like other animals when threatened. [2]
b) What, according to the author, is the one significant
difference between human and animal behaviour. [1]
2. In order to survive, the human has to look “pathetic.”
Explain why. [1]
HOMEWORK 5
EXTRACT A:
Every evening when Marvin Macy came swaggering into the café, Cousin Lymon was at his heels and, strangely enough, Miss Amelia did not turn Marvin Macy out. She even gave him free drinks and smiled at him in a wild, crooked way.
QUESTIONS:
1. a) Quote a phrase which makes you aware that Miss
Amelia is not acting as expected.[ 1]
b) Quote another expression which continues this idea.
[1]
2. What does the word “swaggering” suggest about Marvin Macy?[1]
EXTRACT B:
Saturday was bitterly cold, and the skies were grey and blurred with the threat of snow. I was dallying home from the store that afternoon, curling up my chilled fingers in my mittens, when I saw a couple of kids playing Chinese tag out in front of Paula Brown’s house.
QUESTIONS:
1. Quote two phrases which build up the image of the cold.
[2]
2. What does the word “dallying” suggest about the
narrator? [1]
HOMEWORK 6
EXTRACT:
Speaking as someone who used to smoke, I am pleased that you have decided to try to stop. I have gained a lot of benefit in health and money from stopping and I hope we can help you do the same.
I enclose our news-sheet with some information on the health risks of smoking and some ideas on how to give up.
We can go beyond the printed leaflet and offer you individual advice on stopping smoking. Fill in the enclosed smoking questionnaire and return it to us (post free) in the envelope provided. We will then send you advice based on what you say on how best we think you go about giving up smoking. Then you can fill in the smoking diaries enclosed. When you have filled it in for a week then send it in and we will offer advice on how best to succeed.
QUESTIONS:
1. The reader wants to appeal to a smoker. How does he try to attract the attention of smokers in this extract? [3]
2. What do you think he means by “smoking diaries”? [2]
3. What help will be offered to smokers if they respond? [2]
HOMEWORK 7
EXTRACT A:
“What did you learn in school today?” asks Linius of Charlie Brown in the now famous ‘Snoopy’ cartoon strip.
“I learned,” replies a disgruntled C.B., “that what you sign up for and what you get are two different things.”
QUESTIONS:
1. Quote one word which suggests dissatisfaction with education. [1]
2. Explain Charlie’s (C.B.) complaint in your own words. [1]
EXTRACT B:
He turned his attention to the contents of the cupboard. There were a number of teddy bears and things which he treated with stiff detachment, and quantities of board and counter games.
QUESTIONS:
1. a) Quote the phrase that shows his reaction to the teddy bears. [1]
b) Suggest a reason for his reaction. [1]
HOMEWORK 8
EXTRACT A:
Mr. Puddy was a widower, a morose, fattish man. He had known better days. Indeed from the way he referred to it, he seemed to derive a gloomy satisfaction from the fact that he had come down a bit in the world. He was, as a matter of fact, still coming down.
QUESTIONS:
1. “He had known better days. “ What does the writer mean
by this? [1]
2. Quote an expression which shows his reaction to his fall
from ‘better days.’[1]
EXTRACT B:
Sergeant Croft was sweating from the labour of making the stretcher alone: when he was finished, all the difficulties of the patrol were nagging at him again. And deep within him his rage was alive again, flaring. Everything was wrong, and Roth played with a bird, while nearly half of the platoon stood about watching.
QUESTIONS:
1. Croft is in a terrible temper and the above paragraph suggests several reasons for this. In your own words, write down 2 of these reasons. [2]
2. “His rage was alive again.” Identify this figure of speech and explain its effectiveness. [2]
HOMEWORK 9
EXTRACT A:
Ridges stood up in a fury, advanced towards Croft. “What you doin’?….why’d you do that to the bird?”
Goldstein, shocked and genuinely horrified was gaping at him. “How can you do such a thing? What harm was that bird doing you? Why did you do it? It’s like…like…” He searched for the most outrageous crime. “It’s like killing a baby.”
QUESTIONS:
1. Two soldiers react to the killing of the bird. In your own words describe how each man felt about what had been done. [2]
2. How is sentence structure used to convey the men’s shock?
[2]
EXTRACT B:
It was greatly to Mr. Puddy’s credit that in all his ups and downs he had contrived to dress respectably.
QUESTIONS:
1. What is the effect of the word contrived”?
[2]
2. Explain what the writer means by “ups
and downs.” [1]
HOMEWORK 10
EXTRACT A:
The prisoners were thrust out of the room. Howard moved in a daze; it was incredible that this thing should be happening to him. It was what he had read about, what was supposed to be happening in concentration camps. Nicole and the children were bundled into a downstairs room; the door was slammed on them, and they were left alone.
QUESTIONS:
1. a) What does the writer’s use of the word “thrust” suggest about how the prisoners were treated? [2]
b) Quote another similar example. [1]
2. “Howard moved in a daze.” What does this suggest about his reaction? [1]
EXTRACT B:
As I switched on the engine I had difficulty dragging my thoughts back to the job in hand; because I had seen something chilling there, a momentary but vivid impression of frantic effort, despair, blind terror.
QUESTIONS:
1. Explain clearly in your own words what “blind terror”
means. [2]
3. Explain what the writer means by “ I saw something chilling here.” [1]
HOMEWORK 11
EXTRACT A:
Pierre asked in French: ‘Are we going to have our dinner here, Miss?’
Nicole replied dully: ‘I expect so, Pierre.’
Ronnie said: ‘What are we going to have for dinner?’
She put an arm round his shoulder. ‘I don’t know,’ she answered mechanically. ‘We’ll see when we get it.’
QUESTIONS:
1. What does the word ‘dully’ tell us about how she is
feeling? [1]
2. Quote another expression which conveys the same idea and explain how it does so. [2]
EXTRACT B:
So engrained is this idea relating smallness to the underdog that it actually affects the chance of success. Recent surveys reveal, for example, that bishops are taller on average than other clergymen; university principals are taller than college principals; and sales managers are taller than salesmen.
QUESTIONS:
1. Express in your own words the main point revealed by “Recent surveys...” [2]
2. Explain what the term “underdog” means. [2]
HOMEWORK 12
EXTRACT:
The Fox
The fox is probably the most intelligent of all quadrupeds. It is allied to the dog, and closely resembles the wolf, the hyena, the coyote, the dingo and the dhole, or wild dog of India. Its chief points of difference from the others are the sharper muzzle and the shorter legs in proportion to the size of the body. Its tail or ‘brush’ is also larger, and its ears more erect.
The fox has eyes, which contract in strong light and expand in darkness. This enables the animal to hunt at night. It excavates its own lair by burrowing much like a rabbit, but frequently it is a thief in this respect as it steals burrows from other animals and converts them into its own ‘earth’. The cunning and slyness of the animal is shown by the number of exits to its lair. As many as ten bolt holes from a fox’s earth have been counted.
QUESTIONS:
1. Name four differences between the fox and the dog. [4]
2. How do a fox’s eyes react to light? [1]
3. Write down two words used to describe a fox’s den. [2]
4. Explain what a bolt hole is. [1]
HOMEWORK 13
EXTRACT:
So that was it. He had been dumped. Some time ago the humans he loved and trusted had opened their car door, hurled him out into an unknown world and driven merrily away. I began to feel sick- physically sick- and a murderous rage flowed through me. Had they laughed, I wondered, these people, at the idea of the bewildered little creature toiling vainly behind them?
I passed my hand over the rough hairs of the head. I could forgive anybody for robbing a bank but never for this. “Come on, little fella,” I said, lifting him gently, “you’re coming home with me.”
QUESTIONS:
1. What do “hurled” and “merrily” suggest about the dog’s owners? [2]
2. What were his reactions when he realised what had happened to the dog? [2]
3. a) Quote an expression which creates sympathy for the