Crack the Question
Researchers originally believed an ancient settlement was abandoned because of drought. Later evidence showed that rainfall had remained normal and that repeated earthquakes had damaged the settlement.
Question: Identify two pieces of evidence that challenge the drought theory.
1. Rainfall had remained normal.
2. Repeated earthquakes had damaged the settlement.
Summary focus: Reasons residents are dissatisfied with living in the city. Which detail should NOT be included?
A. Housing costs have increased.
B. Roads are heavily congested.
C. The city was founded in 1762.
D. Public transport is unreliable.
C. The city was founded in 1762. It does not explain residents' dissatisfaction.
A wildlife writer describes the scientists' successful experiment as “an extraordinary achievement”. What attitude towards the scientists is suggested?
Admiring / impressed / enthusiastic.
“Maya scrutinised the map before choosing the narrow mountain path.” Use your own words to explain what “scrutinised” means.
Examined / looked at very carefully.
“Rain hammered the rooftops, forcing families to retreat indoors.” What does “hammered” suggest about the rain?
It suggests the rain was extremely heavy and repeatedly struck the roofs with force, like blows from a hammer.
A rare bird is described as a “forest dweller”. Use your own words to explain what “forest dweller” means.
An animal/bird that lives in an area with many trees. Must explain both forest + dweller.
Summary focus: Problems caused by mass tourism. The text says: “Thousands of visitors arrive each morning. Streets become overcrowded, local buses are packed and residents struggle to travel to work.”
Which two distinct problems could be selected for the summary?
Any two distinct problems: overcrowded streets; overcrowded public transport; residents have difficulty travelling to work.
The writer says: “Predictably, the self-appointed experts immediately complained.” What attitude towards these experts is suggested by “self-appointed experts”?
Dismissive / sceptical / mocking / critical. The writer questions their authority or expertise.
“The journalists documented every stage of Maya's journey.” Identify a word from the sentence which suggests the same idea as “recorded information about”.
documented
“The storm stalked towards the village.” What image does “stalked” create, and what does it suggest about the storm?
It creates the image of a predator stealthily approaching prey, making the storm seem deliberate, threatening and dangerous.
A newly discovered animal is described as having “only faintly resembled” a modern wolf.
A student answers: “It looked like a modern wolf.”
Why would this probably receive only 1/2 mark?
It explains resembled = looked like, but misses faintly = slightly / only a little.
Candidate A: 12 relevant ideas, 154 words, two examples and one repeated point.
Candidate B: 9 distinct relevant ideas, mostly own words, 116 words.
Which candidate has used the stronger summary strategy? Give reasons.
Candidate B:
(1) stays within 120 words, (2) avoids repetition, (3) uses mostly own words, (4) selects distinct ideas, (5) is more concise.
“The proposal is undoubtedly ambitious, although its enormous cost cannot simply be ignored.” Which BEST captures the writer's attitude?
A. Completely enthusiastic
B. Completely opposed
C. Supportive but cautious
D. Neutral
C. Supportive but cautious. The writer recognises its ambition while acknowledging concerns about cost.
“Only local newspapers had covered the expedition.” A student says “covered” means “placed something over it.” Why is this incorrect? What does “covered” mean here?
The student ignored the context. Here, covered = reported on / wrote about the expedition.
“Black clouds swallowed the horizon.” Explain how “swallowed” makes the approaching storm seem threatening.
“Swallowed” suggests something being completely consumed/disappearing inside something larger. The clouds appear powerful, overwhelming and unstoppable, consuming the visible sky.
After years of slow growth, electric-bike use suddenly increased across the city. The writer describes this as an “explosion” in electric-bike use. Why does the writer use “explosion” rather than “increase”?
“Explosion” suggests a sudden, dramatic and very large rise, rather than a gradual increase.
A student writes: “Cloning is expensive. It costs a lot of money. The financial cost of cloning is extremely high.”
What summary-writing mistake has the student made, and what should they do instead?
Repetition. All three sentences express the same idea. State it once concisely.
“Critics have once again rushed forward with their familiar complaints. Admittedly, their concerns about privacy deserve attention. Nevertheless, abandoning such promising technology would be remarkably short-sighted.”
What is the writer's overall attitude towards the critics? Use two details.
Critical/dismissive but willing to acknowledge a valid concern. “familiar complaints” is dismissive; “deserve attention” acknowledges privacy concerns; “short-sighted” strongly criticises rejection of the technology.
A: Identify a word from the text which suggests “examined very carefully”. B: Use your own words to explain what “scrutinised” means. Student answers: A: looked at carefully / B: scrutinised. Explain exactly what the student has done wrong.
The methods are reversed. A requires the writer's exact word — scrutinised. B requires own words — examined/looked at very carefully.
“The storm stalked towards the village. Black clouds swallowed the horizon while the trees trembled beneath the first savage gust.” Choose ONE powerful word or phrase and explain its meaning, connotations, image and effect.
Answers vary. Example: “trees trembled” — literally shook; trembled is associated with fear, personifying the trees as frightened creatures and making the approaching storm seem powerful and terrifying.
The writer describes the city's underground railway as “a restless metal giant that never truly slept”. Explain what the writer suggests about the railway through this phrase.
“Restless” = constantly active; “giant” = huge/powerful; “never truly slept” = operates/remains busy almost continuously.
Source: “The process requires costly specialist equipment. Laboratories are expensive to maintain, and each attempt demands considerable financial investment.” Which is the better summary?
A. The process needs costly specialist equipment, laboratories are expensive to maintain and every attempt requires considerable financial investment.
B. Cloning is financially demanding.
Explain your choice.
B, because it compresses overlapping information into one concise point. However, students should avoid over-compressing genuinely distinct ideas elsewhere.
“The scientists deserve admiration for their persistence, and their results are undeniably impressive. Yet celebrating the experiment as a complete solution would be premature. Serious questions about cost, animal welfare and long-term success remain.”
Assess the writer's attitude towards the experiment. Use three details.
Admiring but cautious. “deserve admiration” praises scientists; “undeniably impressive” shows approval; “premature” / “serious questions remain” shows reservations about treating it as a complete solution.
“The politician dismissed the journalist's question with a brisk wave before reluctantly acknowledging that mistakes had been made.” Explain in your own words what “dismissed” and “reluctantly acknowledging” mean in this context.
dismissed = rejected/treated as unimportant/refused to seriously consider. reluctantly acknowledging = unwillingly admitting/accepting that something was true.
“The storm stalked towards the village. Black clouds swallowed the horizon. Trees trembled beneath savage gusts before rain hammered the rooftops and transformed the narrow streets into furious rivers.” Choose the THREE most powerful words/phrases you would analyse. For each, explain why it offers strong opportunities for analysis.
Answers vary if justified.
Strong choices: “stalked” → predator imagery; “swallowed the horizon” → consuming/overwhelming image; “hammered” → violent repeated impact; “furious rivers” → anger/uncontrollable force; “trees trembled” → fear/personification. Award for precise justification, not matching one fixed set.