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Intermediate 2
Revision Pack
In this short pack there are suggested activities and revision exercises that you should complete over the Easter break. The pack is divided into sections. Target your weakest area first. Anything you do at home I will happily mark. Good luck!
Close Reading
You should know from our work in class the question types you require to practice. The first thing you should do is revisit your notes on how to answer each question types. After doing this you can complete the examples below for practice.
Understanding Questions
Answer the following questions using the formulas you have in your notes. Pay close attention to the number of marks allocated to each question.
Passage 1
If you hail from Glasgow you will have friends or relatives whose roots lie in the Irish Republic. You will have Jewish friends or colleagues whose grandparents, a good number of them Polish or Russian, may have fled persecution in Europe. You will eat in premises run by Italian or French proprietors. It is a diverse cultural heritage enriched no by a large and vibrant Asian population.
Question 1
What is the meaning of ‘diverse cultural heritage’? Show how the context helped you to arrive at this meaning. (2)
Passage 2
The ebb tide was sucking the sea out from the greedy moth of the bay for a few hours – when travellers could be piloted over the expanse, when urgent fishermen could race onto the sands with their horses and carts to trawl the seabeds, when the poor, like the women, could pick along the shifting margins; but the prodigious stridings of the ocean floor would soon be violently reclaimed.
Question 2
Explain in your own words, two things which could happen when the tide was out? (2)
Passage 3
Soon, south Britain was to be a complete Roman province, the townsmen speaking Latin and building for themselves those comfortable Roman houses with central heating. A Roman temple to the god Mithras has been excavated in the heart of London. But, unlike their easy victory in the south, the north of the country resisted the foreign invaders. Here the Romans were never able to do more than hold down the natives for short periods. There were no Roman towns, no country houses, no temples, only forts and camps where soldiers lived for a time.
Question 3
Show how the underlined sentence acts as a successful link. (2)
Passage 4
It will take more than a new logo on a letterhead and some nice TV spots to change the public’s perception of scientists. And the change has to come from scientists themselves.
Luckily, scientists are naturally great communicators—with each other. The sharing of information is culturally ingrained into scientists as with no other community.
They just don’t get out enough—or rather, they’re not allowed out. Science is hierarchical in a way that few other organisations are anymore. The voices that we hear tend to be either senior academics or PR hacks from large corporations.
Q. 4a): what fact about scientists should help them to improve their image? (2)
Q. 4b): what fact about scientists might make it difficult for them to improve their
image? (2)
Analysis Questions
Passage 1
The transaction seemed to fluster her, as if she might not have enough money to pay for the few things she’d bought. A tin of lentil sour. An individual chicken pie. One solitary tomato.
Question 1
How does the writer use words choice to emphasise that the woman has bought “few things”? (2)
Passage 2
…when he turned away from her she let out a thin wail that made him recoil from the phone. She had both her temples between her hands, as if afraid her head might explode. She let out another shrill wail. It ripped out of her like something wild kept prisoner for years.
Question 2
Quote a comparison from this section which shows how emotional or upset the woman was, and explain how effective you find it. (2)
Passage 3
Some years ago it was big corporations who had to acknowledge the power that individual consumers had over them. Now it’s scientists’ turn to feel that the public are turning on them. But they should beware of talking to slick admen about glossy campaigns, and here I speak as a slick adman. Scientists aren’t a brand to be packaged and given a superficial makeover. Because of modern politics, we all have highly developed spin detectors. We might tolerate a bit of hype from a shampoo. We won’t in a politician or public figure.
Question 3
Giving examples which support your answer, explain how the writer’s choice of words underlines his distrust of what he calls “admen”. (2)
Passage 1
The driver opened the back door of the taxi and my “aunt”, as we referred to her – really my mother’s aunt’s daughter – divested herself of her travelling rugs. She hazarded a foot out on to the gravel – in a pointy crocodile shoe – as if she was testing the atmosphere. She emerged dressed in a waisted black cashmere overcoat…
Q.1: What impression of the aunt do you get from the writer’s choice of words “divested”, hazarded” and “emerged” to describe her movements. (2)
Passage 2
Towards the end the boy’s stiffened arms would drop the vengeful rock on any frenzied latecomers; but even these avoided being crushed, with leaps that became increasingly leisurely. Their losses beneath the far-too-slow moving stone never amounted to more than a snippet of tail, or a tuft of hair. Around these measly trophies the boy organised pagan ceremonies.
Q.2: Explain what is unusual about the expression “measly trophies”. (2)
Passage 3
Ed the Duck interrupts when he shouldn’t, snatches what isn’t his, bangs and crashes and sulks and pouts (anatomically difficult for a duck), entirely undermining the parental/elder sibling authority of the presenter.
Q.3 : Comment on the effectiveness of the structure of these sentences in illustrating Ed the Duck’s “childish monstrousness”. (2)
Analysis Questions: Notes on Register (language)
The purpose here is to show that you are aware of whether the writer has
used formal or informal language, and the effect he gains by doing so.
Formal Language:
· Usually written;
· No contractions;
· Grammatically correct;
· More complex or technical vocabulary (JARGON);
· Impersonal tone;
· Tends to be factual;
· Often used for a more serious purpose.
Informal Language:
· Usually spoken, or a chatty (COLLOQUIAL) writing style;
· Uses contractions;
· Looser sentence structures, including SLANG or DIALECT words;
· Personal approach;
· More feelings;
· Often used for humour or to involve/directly address the reader.
Evaluation Questions
It is extremely important that you revise your notes on these questions. They are worth a lot of marks in the exam and are notorious for being answered poorly. You need to know:
· Steps to answering
· Correct ‘evaluative’ language to use (you have a word bank)
· What makes an effective conclusion/introduction
· The difference between ideas and style
An example of a strong answer:
Past Paper Example:
(QU) Bill Bryson is a very popular writer of travel books. Referring in detail to at least
two techniques he uses in his passage, explain why people might find his
writing enjoyable. (A/E) (4)
(ANS) People might find Bryson’s writing enjoyable due to his effective use of a humorous writing style. A technique that aids him in this is his use of word play, such as alliteration. The phrase ‘positively porcupine it’ not only creates a humorous image of a bear covered in arrows but also creates a humorous sound effect.
Another technique he uses is exaggeration (hyperbole). The image of someone ‘fighting a bear in a tree’ is humorous and over the top, but it does help him make a serious point about things to avoid doing whilst in the presence of a black bear. Therefore, his ideas and how he puts them across make his writing enjoyable to read.
Revision Quiz: Close Reading
1. In simple terms, explain how to answer an imagery question.
2. Explain what is meant by ‘connotations’?
3. Explain in simple terms how to answer a ‘link’ question.
4. Explain how to answer a word choice question.
5. List 4 possible features you might comment on in a sentence structure question.
6. What do you think are ‘language features’? List at least 5.
7. Explain what is meant by ‘evaluation’?
9. How should someone tackle a question that asks him or her to comment on ‘the writer’s ideas’?
10. Why do Understanding questions usually require you to ‘use your own words’?
11. What is parenthesis and why is it used?
12. How would you answer an imagery question?
13. How should a meaning in context question be answered?
14. Give a definition for sarcastic tone.
15. Give a definition for inversion.
Intermediate 2 English
Critical Essay Skills
Including Analysis
Prose- ‘A Warm Golden Brown’
In an answer on a short story, like ‘A Warm Golden Brown’, you should be using technical words like:
o author;
o characterisation;
o dialogue;
o setting;
o narrator;
o theme;
o symbolism;
o word choice;
o sentence structure;
o punctuation;
o simile;
o metaphor;
o tone
o climax;
o ending;
Here are some examples of how you could use these terms.
Example 1 / Daisy’s dialogue at this point shows us just how upset she is:‘ “I’m not a nigger… I’m British!” ‘
Here the author makes good use of an exclamation mark to show how hurt and angry Daisy is. This induces sympathy in the reader. We feel sorry for her at this point, as Ben’s racist words are totally unnecessary.
Example 2 / However, Ben does regret what he has said:
‘He sprang to his feet and timidly touched her thin brown arm.’
This shows that Ben really wants to make Daisy feel better. The word choice of ‘sprang’ shows he is quick to react.
Example 3 / At the climax of the story, Ben does eventually challenge his mother’s attitude to him playing with Daisy:
‘ “But why?” ’
This piece of dialogue is clever because it uses a questioning tone and is short and snappy.
Example 4 / The ending of the story is quite a twist in the tale. Although Mrs Preedy seems obsessed with Daisy’s skin colour, she goes about making herself darker:
‘She bent down and with slow careful strokes began to paint her
pale plump legs a warm golden brown.’
The tanning lotion is a symbol of how much of a hypocrite Mrs Preedy is. It also shows that racism is a shallow and ignorant attitude.
Activity 1: Choose at least 8 key quotes from the short story. Analyse them in the same way as above, ensuring that you use technical words from the list above.
Activity 2: Memorise you quotations and the key pieces of analysis required to explain them in your essay.
Activity 3: Essay writing. Choose a question from the list below and complete an essay under timed conditions.
1. Choose a short story which makes you feel sympathy for a character because of the problems he/she had to face.
Describe the characters problems and explain why you felt sympathy for him or her.
2. Choose a novel or short story which is enjoyable and effective.
Show how the writer creates an effective story and explain how it was enjoyable for you.
3. Choose a novel or short story in which there is a character you dislike.
Describe the character and explain why you disliked them.
‘Dulce et Decorum est’ Key Quotations and Analysis
‘Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,Knock-kneed, coughing like hags we cursed through sludge.’ / 1. Uses similes to ‘age’ the men
2. Alliteration creates harsh sound effect
3. Word choice shows conditions in trenches
‘… towards our distant rest began to trudge.’ / 1. Word choice emphasises how far they have to go
‘asleep… lame… blind… drunk… deaf…’ / 1. These metaphors highlight the men’s poor physical condition
‘ “Gas! GAS! Quick, boys!” – An ecstasy of fumbling,
Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time;
But someone still was yelling out and stumbling.’ / 1. Sentence fragments, exclamation marks and repetition create drama; also direct speech is used
2. Word choice shows how awkward the men and their masks were
3. ‘ing’ words create a sense of immediacy
‘As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.’ / 1. A metaphor is used to show the powerful motion of the gas
‘In all my dreams, before my helpless sight,
He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.’ / 1. The word choice shows that Owen is constantly haunted by the experience
2. ‘helpless’ shows a sense of guilt
3. The words in the list are strong, unpleasant, and are again in the present tense
‘If in some smothering dreams you too could pace
Behind the wagon that we flung him in.’ / 1. Word choice shows Owen can’t escape the memories – echo of how soldier died
2. Word choice shows the callous indifference of war; how soldier denied proper respect at death due to lack of time
3. Owen addresses the reader directly (using the second person), adding impact to the anti-war message, involving you in the horror
‘And watch the white eyes writhing in his face;
His hanging face like a devil’s sick of sin.’ / 1. Alliteration and word choice create a horrifically vivid image of the man’s dying moments
2. Simile creates a disturbing image, again highlighting the effects of the gas and creating a bleak mood
‘If you could hear at every jolt, the blood
Come gargling.’ / 1. Onomatopoeia creates an unpleasant sound effect, drawing the helpless reader into the scene
‘Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues.’ / 1. More negative similes are use to highlight Owen’s feelings about the injustice of war; the unspeakable horror of the death
‘My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory.’ / 1. Again the reader – or more specifically, those who glorify war – is addressed directly and in a way which shows sarcasm
2. Word choice creates sympathy for the soldiers and emphasises their youth
‘That old Lie: Dulce et decorum est
Pro patria mori.’ / 1. The use of a capital letter makes Owen’s anti-war message explicit; whole point of the poem; there is no glory or honour in war; if you had seen what the poet has, you would not perpetuate the myth
You should complete the same activity for ‘Brooklyn Cop’ if you intend to use it in the exam.