June 2011

Read Passage A carefully, and then answer Questions 1 and 2.

Passage A
Climbing the Nose of El Capitan
Dean Potter is a famous rock climber whose speciality is speed. He often refuses to use any climbing
equipment, relying only on his agility and lack of fear. This is Rob Buchanans account of watching Dean
and his partner ONeill climb one of the most difficult mountain faces in America.
Three, two, one, go! Dean Potter punches a button on a plastic wristwatch looped around his climbing
harness. His partner leaps at the rock before him, jamming freshly taped fingers into a slender crack. Above
them, soaring into an azure sky, is the great, granite, curved wall of the most famous climb in Yosemite
Valley (or indeed the world): the Nose of El Capitan. Climbers either fear or loathe it, but all of them respect
anyone who has the ability to negotiate its incredibly difficult layout. After a gruelling vertical climb of over
2,000 feet, the rock face begins to curve out above the climbers indeed like the underside of a large nose
and they must attempt to overcome this overhanging shelf in order to get to the top.
Potter often climbs without the benefit of ropes or protection, but on this late autumn day their goal is speed,
so the two are carrying hardware. Still, by any sane standard, theyre ridiculously underequipped: no packs,
no shirts, no food and no water. A single 200-foot length of rope between them, plus a handful of springloaded devices to be placed in cracks for protection, are their only concessions to safety. Even Potters
climbing harness is minimalistic: a homemade thing fashioned from 11/16 inch webbing and stitched
together with dental floss.
Potter doesnt wait for his partner to reach the safety of the permanent metal peg at the top of the first
stage, but instead starts climbing straight away. This is a risky procedure, but its the fastest way to climb.
Five minutes later, the two are already 200 feet up, and my neck is sore just from watching them. As I back
away from the Nose to get a better view, I hear it a horrible scrabbling of hands and feet on rock, followed
by a desperate yell: Falling! Looking up, I see ONeill dropping through space, arms flailing, legs splaying
like a manic puppet out of control. Suddenly, he jerks to a stop. This puppet now looks as though someone,
out of pity, has cut all of his strings except one, and he hangs there, stunned, after plunging more than 25
feet. I cant believe he hasnt hit the bottom.
Theres a moments silence. Potter has arrested his partners fall by holding on to the rope from his position
70 feet below. The bass boom of his voice echoes off the great sounding board of El Capitan.
Go! he yells. Get back on it! Go! Go! Go!

Three hours and twenty four minutes, I mutter to myself as I look at my watch in disbelief.
Incredible!
Read carefully Passage A, Climbing the Nose of El Capitan, in the Reading Booklet Insert and then
answer Questions 1 and 2 on this Question Paper.
Question 1
Imagine that you are the reporter, Rob Buchanan. You interview Dean Potter after the climb and ask the
following questions:
Incredible! How did you manage to climb the face so quickly?
How do you answer people who say that what you do is foolish?
Can you tell us about your relationship with your climbing partner, ONeill?
Write the words of the interview.
Base your interview on what you have read in Passage A and be careful to use your own words.
Write about 250 to 350 words.
Up to 15 marks are available for the content of your answer, and up to 5 marks for the quality of your
writing. [Total: 20]
Question 2
Re-read the descriptions of:
(a) ONeills fall in paragraph 3;
(b) Dean Potter in paragraph 5.
Select four powerful words or phrases from each paragraph. Your choices should include imagery. Explain
how each word or phrase selected is used effectively in the context.
Write about 200 to 300 words.
Up to 10 marks are available for the content of your answer.

The intensity is startling. Potter is normally a very calm person, slow talking and sometimes painfully shy.
One man who knows him well, his promotions manager, calls him a gentle giant. In Patagonia, he has a
different nickname: Tarzan. Potter says thats because of the monosyllabic way he speaks Spanish when
hes on an expedition in Argentina. Maybe, but the name seems to capture a lot of Potters other qualities
too. With his wide-set brown eyes, prominent and slightly battered-looking nose, tumbling mane and barrel
chest, he could be the original Tarzan come back to life: a brooding inhabitant of the wild who is
occasionally roused to fantastic bouts of action and daring stunts.
Whether propelled by Potters war cry or his own desire to get back on solid ground, ONeill surges his way
upward, simultaneously pulling himself hand over hand and walking up the cliff.
Tiny, distant figures now, Potter and ONeill swarm up the face. Sometimes they almost seem to be
running, gaining speed with each step, springing past obstacles that every rock climber knows by heart. A
little before noon they reach the final wall, rhythmically snapping their metal clips to the last string of metal
pegs placed by Warren Harding on his laborious 45-day first ascent completed in 1958. A minute later they
disappear over the top.

Passage B
Paintballing a birthday treat?
Recently, for my birthday, my teenage children ceremoniously handed me an ordinary envelope and urged,
Open it quick! A postcard-sized coupon dropped out, and on it was an invitation to Come Along and Blast
Your Cares Away!, accompanied by a cartoon drawing of a person in combat uniform, armed with a large
rifle. The image unsettled me. Had my offspring signed me up for the army as a birthday treat? I looked at
their laughing faces as the eldest declared, Its a mornings paintball session, Mum! Dont worry. Dad will
explain everything on the way to the venue this afternoon. I was soon to discover what this birthday treat
was all about, and pretended to play along enthusiastically with everyone elses excitement.
Dont worry, Ive already checked this place out, my husband said, once we were in the car. Paintball is
good fun, but its also a game of action and skill. Families, friends and even work colleagues are organised
into teams. Each team has a different colour paint to fire at their opponents, and the object of the game is a

make-believe battle where everyone tries to hit the other side whilst avoiding getting hit themselves. The
winner is the last person standing.
What else could I be doing on my birthday? I thought, as we sped on.
Arriving at the paintball site, a sprawling area of woodland with a log cabin used as an office, we were
ushered in and had to fill out medical forms which checked we were fit and healthy. Special provisions
would be made for those with asthma but paintballing provided ample time for resting and to catch our
breath. Then we were given our protective clothing and headgear, which included an eye mask. Our guide
told us, Every manufactured paintball mask must be made to withstand a paintball travelling at least 300
feet per second thats about 205 miles per hour so you dont have to worry. I was already wondering
how much a paintball travelling at that speed would hurt the rest of my body and began to regret my earlier
bravado. Reading my thoughts, my husband started quoting details of the sport that were pinned to the
wall.
Listen to this, Zena. The paintballs arent like bullets, they are gel capsules made of gelatine and food
colouring and they are completely edible. There are paintball eating contests all the time at tournaments
and events.
Great, if we get hungry we can lunch on a yellow one, I replied, still unconvinced.
Once we were ready, we were quickly introduced to our instructor, Ravi, who was an enthusiastic mine of
information. It is my job to guarantee that you have an enjoyable and safe experience, he began.
Paintball has regulated itself. We have developed rules and guidelines, and all paintball facilities in the
world adhere to them strictly. You must keep your masks on at all times, including the introductory session
inside. You must make sure that your marker, which is what we call the rifle, is shooting under the legal
speed limit, as we shall demonstrate later. Our company and players also ensure that the equipment is in
good shape and well maintained. I must have looked worried because he turned and said, Some people
associate this sport with war games but, believe me, its really enjoyable out there and the only danger you
might encounter is falling over a tree root! There are more injuries reported from basketball and baseball
than from paintball in any given year. Once you get out there you will become totally immersed in a friendly
fight. Go on and enjoy yourself youll be surprised! With that he led us to the indoor demonstration area.
Two hours later, I emerged smiling, my overalls spattered in bright crimson and my face a healthy glow. I
felt like a child who had been out playing in the countryside and was now, reluctantly, being called in for
supper.

Read carefully Passage B and then answer Question 3(a) and (b) on this Question Paper.
Question 3
Answer the questions in the order set.
(a) Notes
What are the reasons for considering paintballing to be a safe sport, as described in Passage B;
Write your answer using short notes.
You do not need to use your own words.
Up to 15 marks are available for the content of your answer.

(b) Summary
Now use your notes to write a summary of what Passage B tells you about the reasons for considering
paintballing to be a safe sport as described in Passage B;
You must use continuous writing (not note form) and use your own words as far as possible
Your summary should include all 15 of your points in Question 3(a) and must be 200 to 250 words.
Up to 5 marks are available for the quality of your writing.

October 2011
Read Passage A carefully, and then answer Questions 1 and 2.
Passage A
In this extract Redmond OHanlon describes a journey into the jungle by canoe. James, a poet, has been
eventually persuaded to accompany Redmond.
Into the heart of Borneo
At midday we climbed into our dugout canoe and set off up-river towards the interior. After about ten miles
the fields gave way to well-established secondary forest, and then the primeval jungle began.
The river seemed to close in on us: the 60-metre-high trees crowded down the slopes of the hills, almost to
the waters edge, an apparently endless chaos of different species of tree, every kind of green, even under
the uniform glare of a tropical sun. Parasitic growths sprouted everywhere, ferns fanned out from every
angle in the branches, creepers as thick as legs gripped each other and tangled down to the surface of the
water, their tips twining down in the current like river-weed.
The river itself began to twist and turn too, the banks behind us appearing to merge together into one vast
and impenetrable thicket, shutting us in from behind. At the same time, the trees ahead stepped aside a
meagre pace or two to let the river swirl down ahead. The outboard motor set on a wooden frame at the
stern of the canoe pushed us past foaming little tributaries, islets, shingle banks strewn with huge rounded
boulders, half hidden coves scooped round by whirlpools. Here the river was clear, deep green from the
reflection of the trees. We really were voyaging upriver! I thought it was an optical illusion, but the canoe
was actually climbing up a volume of water great enough to sustain an almost constant angle of ascent,
even on the stretches of water between the jagged steps of the rapids.
We stopped by a pile of driftwood to hide a drum of petrol to be retrieved a few days later on the return
journey. A monitor lizard, reared up on its front legs, watched us for a moment with its dinosauric eyes and
then scuttled away between the broken branches. A Brahminy kite, flying low enough for us to hear the rush
of air through the primary feathers of its wings, circled overhead watching us, its flecked brown belly white
in the sun. Then the bird soared away, mewing its shrill call.
Further up, the rapids became more frequent and more turbulent and, at each one, heavy waves of water
would crash over and into the boat. James, sitting opposite me on the boards in the centre of the canoe and
facing upstream, was reading his way through the poems of the 18th century writer Swift, a straw boater on
his bald head, his white shirt buttoned at the neck and at the wrists.
Some of these poems are pretty feeble, James would mutter, displeased.

dissolved oxygen, and that some piece of programming, vital to the production of a future poem, was in
progress.
James!
An eye opened.
What is it?
Just this if you do see a log floating upriver, let me know. Crocodiles?
Well, not the one that attacks you. Not up here. But an old book I read said we might see the freshwater
species. The four-and-a-half-metre one with the one-and-a-half-metre snout and all those teeth.
Really, Redmond, said James, raising himself on an elbow and looking about, youre absurd!
Question 1
Imagine that you are James. Write an entry in your journal, intended to be read by members of your
family when you get home.
In your journal entry you should:
explain how you feel in this environment
comment on your relationship with Redmond
express your thoughts about the next few days of this adventure.
Base your journal on what you have read in Passage A. Be careful to use your own words.
Begin your journal entry: Sometimes, I wonder what Im doing here.
Write about 250 to 350 words.
Up to 15 marks are available for the content of your answer, and up to 5 marks for the quality of your
writing. [Total: 20]
Question 2
Re-read the descriptions of:
(a) the trees and the undergrowth in paragraph 2, beginning The river seemed ;
(b) the monitor lizard and the Brahminy kite in paragraph 4, beginning We stopped by .

Quite so, but er James?

Yes?
Rapid 583/2, Green Heave, strength six-out-of-ten, is approaching.
With a second or two to spare, James would shut his book, mark his place with a twig, slip it neatly under
the edge of the tarpaulin, sit on it, shut his eyes, get drenched, open his eyes, squeeze the water from his
beard with his right hand, retrieve his book and carry on reading.
Every 450 metres or so, a lesser fish-eagle would regard us with its yellow eye, flying off only as we drew
almost level, flapping gently just ahead of the canoe to the limit of its territory.
James, his huge head laid back on the hump of our kit under the tarpaulin, was having one of his five
minute snoozes. The vein on his right temple was throbbing, a sure sign that his brain was awash with extra

Select words and phrases from these descriptions, and explain how the writer has created effects
by using this language.
Write about 200 to 300 words.
Up to 10 marks are available for the content of your answer.
Part 2
Read Passage B carefully. Then answer Question 3
Passage B
In this passage the writer explains why animal life in the rainforest is not what one might expect.
Animals of the Amazon forest
When I tried to think of all the animals I wanted to see, those old travellers tales kept flooding into my
thoughts, the tales of weird and dangerous creatures everywhere in the forest. But reality is not like this. In

the forests, most animals are small. The problem of moving through trees when danger threatens has
prevented any really large animals surviving for long within the forest proper, particularly anywhere far from
water. Most animals are highly camouflaged, which creates a problem of its own: how does each recognise
its mate? Moving around in daytime would make the camouflage useless, so most animals stay motionless
during the day and only move about at dusk. Then it is more difficult to be seen, but they can be heard.
That is why the forest is hushed by day but noisy with recognition signals by night.
On my first afternoon I walked through the Amazon forest, along an overgrown trail which would eventually
return to the river. I reached a fork in the path and, as the way to the right seemed to move towards higher
forest, I followed it. It was not far from a stream, and knowing that there was more likelihood of seeing
animals a bit larger than insects the closer to the water I got, I trod carefully and stared intently into the dark
middle distance. My intentness was rewarded. Something about 50 centimetres long darted out from the
right and raced ahead of me into the dark forest. It was a rodent, a paca, unmistakable with its brown flanks
spotted with white. I must have walked close to its daytime hide-out and frightened the creature. Pacas are
right to be fearful, for their meat is very tasty and they are hunted by Indians for food.
I looked around me and saw hundreds of trees, a few of the many millions in the forest. I had seen just one
paca. That, I thought, would be that, for the rest of the walk. The chances of seeing anything larger were
exceedingly slim. The reason for this lies in the extraordinary adaptations that all creatures have been
forced to evolve to survive in this waterlogged forest.
What would be simple ground beetles in other parts of the world here have comb-toothed claws to cling to
tree leaves, since heavy rain and flooding demand a means of escape upwards into the trees. In the
Amazon, birds whose Old World relations spent a long time on the ground are adapted to perching and
have long, curved claws to ensure a solid grip on the branches. Frogs, which in other lands hatch out as
tadpoles in ponds, find no such still waters here and instead lay their eggs in the bromeliad flowers. Here
there is the only fully aquatic marsupial in the world, the water opossum, with webbed feet for swimming
(the females pouch somehow protects her young as she swims).
Then there are the monkeys, which seem more at home in the trees than monkeys anywhere else indeed
many never come down to the ground at all. They are different from Old World monkeys and some have
developed an amazingly useful fifth limb, a prehensile tail. On the underside is a patch of sensitive skin, like
the palm of the hand, which turns these animals into super-acrobats of the trees.
Deforestation is a growing problem in the forest as habitats are being removed at a startling rate. This is
particularly difficult for tree-dwelling creatures as logging has caused a catastrophic decline in the number
of dense forest areas. Flooding is more likely due to surfaces becoming unprotected by canopies which
further affects animals used to living in the rainforest land closer to the river banks which are now bursting
on regular occasions. Some animals have begun migratory patterns during the rainy seasons, an
adaptation enforced by human involvement in their environment.
Question 3
Read carefully Passage B and then answer Question 3(a) and (b) on this Question Paper.
Answer the questions in the order set.
(a) Notes
What are the problems that animals have in living in the Amazon rainforest and the ways in which they
adapt themselves, according to Passage B?
Write your answer using short notes.
You do not need to use your own words.

Up to 15 marks are available for the content of your answer.

(b) Summary
Now use your notes to write a summary of what Passage B tells you about the problems that animals have
in living in the Amazon rainforest and the ways in which they adapt themselves;
You must use continuous writing (not note form) and use your own words as far as possible
Your summary should include all 15 of your points in Question 3(a) and must be 200 to 250 words.
Up to 5 marks are available for the quality of your writing

June 2012
Part 1
Read Passage A carefully, and then answer Questions 1 and 2.
Passage A
The following are two extracts from a diary written by Adam, the last person living in a doomed fishing
village located on a narrow strip of land.
29th October
As I start my diary it is with a heavy heart. This community used to be thriving, but storms have destroyed
almost everything I hold dear. My father told me that 80 years ago this place was alive with fishermen, boatbuilders and their families. Everyone met in the hall to hear music and tales of the sea, and there was a little
chapel and a fish market. Since that time, the fishing trade gradually declined until few of us were left.
Living on this narrow spit of land was always dangerous, and many houses were made only of wood and
plaster. They went first, taken by those terrible storms. Then floods came and people left, buildings were
demolished and their remnants slipped beneath the shingle.
You may ask why I still live here. My cottage has two storeys and is stronger than most. Mind you,
I have to keep both front and back doors open when the sea laps over the quayside, and my walls never
dry out. But I love it here. The view of the sea when I wake is an addiction. When kind to me, the water lies
like a flat pond as far as the eye can see, and gives me the sensation of perfect peace.
Theres no one else here, you see. The feeling of solitude is immense, but it is also as if I am the monarch
of all I survey.

have broken through, making me a stranded sailor on my tiny piece of land, waiting to be swept into the
depths. It is a romantic idea that appeals to me.
Tomorrow will I still be a survivor? The word satisfies my desire to be a hero, at least in my own mind.
When this storm is over, I will again hear my favourite music, the singing of the sea and of the gulls, and I
shall be at peace.
Question 1
Imagine you are a newspaper reporter working in the nearby town. Write a report using this headline:
Lone fisherman survives storm of the century
In your report you should include the following:
what happened to the fisherman and his surroundings
why he refused to leave his home
how this will affect his way of life in the future.
Base your report on what you have read in Passage A. Be careful to use your own words.
Write about 250 to 350 words.
Up to 15 marks are available for the content of your answer, and up to 5 marks for the quality of your
writing. [Total: 20]
Question 2

This afternoon, a heavy bank of cloud hangs out to sea. It has no anger yet, but is full of menace as if it is
waiting to roll steadily ashore. I have seen such a sight only once before. I feel an atmosphere of tense
stillness. No breeze, no sound. But my eye is fixed on that terrible bowl of blackness, as the light around me
begins to fail. In a way, I love to watch this. It awakens my imagination as I experience the power of the
elements and realise how small I am on the great canvas of nature.

Re-read the descriptions of:

(a) the appearance of the cloud and the atmosphere before the storm, in paragraph 4, beginning This
afternoon . . .;

I also remember another storm, that caught us unawares as we were hauling the boats and the heavy,
sodden nets up the shore. Fishing is no easy life, but even then we could still make a living when the
herrings were plentiful. A sudden, monstrous wave smashed into our village on the spit and we had no
defence. I was fortunate and managed to grab hold of a jutting rock, but several of the boats, our livelihood,
were swept out to sea. That was 15 years ago.

Select words and phrases from these descriptions, and explain how the writer has created effects by using
this language.

I suppose I have stayed here through stubbornness. I love to feel that I shall conquer, shall outlive these
storms. Ive sat here many times waiting for the ocean to wreak havoc. Two years ago, the last two
dwellings other than mine disappeared under the water, and I was left to my solitary routine, going out each
day in my boat, praying for a good catch.

Read Passage B carefully then answer Question 3, which is based on the passage.

30th October
I predicted this storm and it is the most magnificent I have ever known. It has unleashed a swirling mass of
water that no person could withstand. I have attempted to confront this tempest, but it beats me into a
crouching apology of a man. The rain smashes itself against my little house like a demented hail of
shrapnel. I shout at the top of my voice in defiance, but the elements drown me out. Behind the sheets of
rain, I see the frenzied waves rearing their heads against me. Although I am afraid, the sight of such a
monstrous sea always excites my very being.
How can I write this at such a chaotic moment? Inside my house, there is a raised corner and a chair and
table which belonged to my children. Oh yes, they are safe enough; they moved to the sanctuary of the
nearby town, at the end of what used to be a road, but is today a narrow rocky track. By now the sea may

(b) the rain and the wind in paragraph 7, beginning I predicted . . ..

[Total: 10]

Passage B
The Amazing Oceans
When you paddle in the sea or throw stones into it as far as you can, you probably do not stop to consider
how amazing the oceans are. One incredible fact is that the sea covers 70 per cent of the Earths surface.
Most of us remember the height of Mount Everest as 8,848 metres, but the deepest trench in the Pacific
Ocean is a remarkable 10,924 metres. Also, no one has ever reached the bottom of the waters in which the
Bermuda islands are formed. No wonder that, equipped with their awareness of the vastness of the oceans,
the so-called developed nations dump their waste, much of it toxic, in our precious waters.
They are precious partly because of the amazing and as yet largely undiscovered ecosystems that exist in
these strange worlds. Scientists make new discoveries daily, such as spiders as large as dinner plates, and
creatures that create their own light in dark waters or need no light at all. These are barely credible, but the
mysteries of the deep are such that sailors have always reported creatures that are the stuff of fiction: huge
whales, giant squids and sea dragons.

You do not need to use your own words.

We all like to hear unusual facts. Did you know that the largest of all animals is the blue whale, that weighs
as much as 30 elephants, or that there is enough gold suspended in the sea to give every inhabitant of the
world four kilograms? Perhaps these facts are difficult to believe, but they remind us of the immensity and
the power of the sea that surrounds us all.
It is because of the power of the sea that people have been astounded by its mythology, for example the
stories of the Bermuda Triangle. The coincidental disappearance of planes and ships in an area of the
Atlantic in the twentieth century led to media stories that gripped the world, until statistics eventually proved
them to be false. The disappearance of the merchant ship, the Mary Celeste, is an event that borders on
both fact and fiction. However, the sea has such immense power that apparently stable vessels can
disappear without warning. In recent years monster waves caused by the convergence of strong winds and
fast currents have been frequently reported. Ships are built to withstand waves of 15 metres, but waves of
25 metres and more have commonly occurred, and tales have been told of waves the size of ten-storey
buildings.
Equally strange is the suddenness with which the surface of the sea can change to one of stillness. In olden
days, sailing boats were becalmed when the wind dropped, and the poet Coleridge describes the
experience in the lines, As idle as a painted ship / Upon a painted ocean.
The Beaufort Wind Force Scale, a description of specifications and equivalent speeds for use at sea,
describes a calm sea like a mirror, but its description of a storm is something that would amaze even
seasoned sailors. The Scale states that the surface of the sea takes on a white appearance. The tumbling
of the sea becomes heavy and shock-like.
Every day the sea gives up remarkable secrets, and we must do more to prevent the destruction of our
aquatic environment. The unique beauty of coral reefs is a case in point, but under the sea there also lie
magnificent Roman cities that hold the key to our understanding of the past. We must remember that the
oceans hold the clues to our lives on earth and to our history. They are our heritage, and our duty is to
preserve and maintain them for the generations still to come.
The sea, remarkably, is still evolving as human interference and developing species affect its natural
balance. This fascinating changeability also means that it is one of the few environments the few
environments that man has conquered with less than 0.05% of the worlds population calling the ocean
home. A vast landscape, the sea is not only unconquered but also still being discovered by mankind with
new amazing revelations occurring every year.

Question 3
Read carefully Passage B and then answer Question 3(a) and (b) on this Question Paper.
Answer the questions in the order set.
(a) Notes
What are facts about the sea, and its amazing features, according to Passage B?
Write your answer using short notes.

(b) Summary
Now use your notes to write a summary of what Passage B tells you about the sea, and its amazing
features as described in Passage B;
You must use continuous writing (not note form) and use your own words as far as possible
Your summary should include all 15 of your points in Question 3(a) and must be 200 to 250 words.
Up to 5 marks are available for the quality of your writing.

October 2012
Read Passage A carefully, and then answer Questions 1 and 2.
Passage A
In this passage Julia and her parents are visiting the remote Kapawi jungle in Ecuador, South America.
The family was trudging in single file through the dense undergrowth. As they sweated they waved
sticks at buzzing flies, while trying to stay sure-footed over the thick knots and tangles of roots below.
Accompanied by an effortlessly agile local guide, they could barely breathe as the jungle, steaming
and hissing, stole their air. They stopped in a clearing and took countless photographs; above, howler
monkeys broke into outraged hoops and screams, and tropical birds higher still splashed the canvas of
the jungle with bright colours or flecked green onto patches of blue sky.
Despite the humidity and terrible discomfort, they were thrilled to have finally arrived in this remote and
extraordinary place. Only accessible by plane, Kapawi is one of the last places on Earth where you
can experience the rainforest in all its glory. The opportunity to observe the incredibly rich biodiversity
and abundance of wildlife, as well as 500 species of birds, was irresistible for Julias biologist parents.
Even more fascinating for Julia was the opportunity to meet the Achuar community, who have lived in
harmony with this rainforest for generations. They were one of the last indigenous groups to remain
totally isolated, until the 1970s, and continue to preserve their traditional culture. Julia and her parents
knew that the worlds rainforests are being destroyed, and conservation like that found in Kapawi is
sadly rare. The family felt privileged to experience this wonderful place and its people.
The guide suddenly signalled to Julias father that they should turn back, as a slight trickle of rain
filtered its way down through the jungle canopy. They wondered why, not realising that this was tropical
rain, and dangerous. Within seconds it became a violent storm, with torrential rain beating down, and
a dark and sweltering atmosphere. The ground transformed into a wave of thick mud that made them
lose their footing, and mini-rapids formed, capable of sweeping a body away on a strong current, down
into the belly of the jungle. This was a flash flood and in a split second Julia felt the sensation of being
pulled from her mothers side, sliding, crashing, and then nothing.
Hours later, lying in deep darkness, with an injury to her head and concussion, Julia knew that she must
force herself up. All her survival training told her not to succumb to sleep. She had to find her parents.
She imagined their voices, telling her over and over again, Dont give in. Shouting was hopeless in this
screaming jungle, and she staggered with the effort of moving. The dense foliage, above and below,
snaked, twisted and snared her at every step of her torturous journey. The angry whirr of swarms of
insects, some as large as model aircraft, orbited her constantly, ceasing only to dive, attack and bite.
There was a stream up ahead which she thought might lead to a village, but her elation was short-lived.
As she waded through dark, knee-high water, more creatures gravitated towards her, and leeches
attached themselves to her legs. Delirious with exhaustion and pain, she curled up on the bank of the
stream, and waited, hoping to be rescued.

***
The moment they reached a village, Julias parents raised a desperate alarm. The villagers, knowing
the rainforest intimately, spread out in their search for the yellow-haired one. Her decision to stay close
to the stream helped them find her, but they were horrified by her appearance: a patchwork of deep
scratches, welts and sores marked her pale skin, and her fair hair was now dark, soaked and knotted.
They encouraged her to eat, but this made her feel ill, and so she refused food.
The organisers of the familys trip tried to persuade them to leave Kapawi and return to a hospital in
the nearest city hundreds of miles away. But as Julias parents watched the Achuar nurse her back to
health, they realised they had nothing to fear. These villagers know all the secrets of the rainforest,
and have an encyclopaedic knowledge of the medical uses of every tree and plant. Their harmonious
lifestyle, community spirit, and generosity were all Julia needed to recover. The family had found what
they had always been looking for.

Read carefully Passage A, , in the Reading Booklet Insert and then answer Questions 1 and
2 on this Question Paper.
Question 1
1 Julia, during her recovery, fully explained her experience to her parents.
A reporter for a newspaper interviews Julias parents and asks the following three questions
only:
What made you choose to visit the rainforest in Ecuador with your daughter, Julia?
How did Julias accident happen, and what did she do to survive?
What are your thoughts and feelings towards the Achuar people and their way of life?
Write the words of the interview, beginning with the first question.
Base your interview on what you have read in Passage A. Be careful to use your own words.
Write about 250 to 350 words.
Up to 15 marks are available for the content of your answer, and up to 5 marks for the
quality of your writing. [Total: 20]
Question 2
Re-read the descriptions of:
(a) the rainforest and its wildlife in paragraph 1, from The family was trudging;
(b) Julias walk through the rainforest in search of her parents in paragraph 4, from Hours
later.
Select words and phrases from these descriptions, and explain how the writer has created
effects by using this language.
Write about 200 to 300 words.
Up to 10 marks are available for the content of your answer.
Passage B
Many people are looking for an adventure holiday. This advertisement, taken from a website,
offers travellers the opportunity to visit the Kalahari in Namibia, Africa.
Discover the true meaning of safari as you walk with the San Bushmen deep in the arid sunlands of the Kalahari. Our two-week expedition is not your average safari, its an experience
whether its being awestruck by the staggering vastness of the landscape, that instinctive
trickle of fear when you hear your first lion roar, or simply basking in the steady heat of the
African sun.
But lets not get ahead of ourselves! Your adventure will begin in the rugged Erongo
Mountains, a wild and rocky landscape of steep escarpments on the southern edge of the
Skeleton Coast wilderness.
This immersion phase enables you to acclimatise and learn how to move safely and easily
through the African bush. As well as learning desert survival skills, the art of tracking and
protocols for wildlife encounters, we will trek to undiscovered, ancient, bushman rock-art
sites, far from the tourist trail, that few people have ever seen.

From the Erongo Mountains we will journey into the Kalahari, to the remote Nyae Nyae flatlands near the border with Botswana. This area is a paradise for naturalists and
photographers, with its abundant wildlife and stunning panoramas. We will spend as little
time as possible in vehicles; no drive-through game parks, no secured observation hides and
no gated lodges only you, the people and nature. Our guide and good friend Werner
Pfeifer has a close relationship with the San Bushmen who live here; it is their trust in him
that allows us to gain an exclusive insight into their lives, which is simply not available to
others.
We have been visiting the San with Werner since 2003 and can guarantee that you will
cherish your time with these wonderful, welcoming people. You will learn from their
extensive knowledge of the bush, and become immersed in their exceptionally skilful and
resourceful way of life. These tribal people are among the last bushmen in Namibia who are
permitted to hunt using traditional weapons, and who have retained much of their specialised
ancestral knowledge and hunter-gatherer culture.
This expedition is a hands-on, survival-skills training course, and you will be expected to
tackle a range of physical challenges. You will sleep in the bush, under twinkling stars or
canvas tents, cook over open fires, and experience the sunset dances and music in the
company of the San people. During this time you will learn how to prepare your own
traditional hunting weapons with bone, sinew and hide, and will receive training in expedition
skills.
Camping under giant baobab trees, next to sun-scorched desert pans of powdery white
sand, you will enjoy the privilege of going hunting with the men at dawn, searching for a
quarry of small antelope, porcupines and springhares. You will relax or work on crafts during
the heat of the day, and go on tracking excursions in the late afternoon twilight as the sun is
dropping, when your San teachers will show you how to look for the spoor of elephant,
hyena, lion, leopard and cheetah. Our mission is to give you the skills, knowledge and
confidence to create your own independent expedition, to feel self-reliant as you begin to
master the art of bush travel. You can be confident that your visit will support the San
community and their determination to maintain their ancestral heritage.
One of the most incredible parts of your visit will be that not only are you introduced to this
community but you are also made an honorary member of their community for life and will be
welcomed back with open arms. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and you will be doing
what few have had the privilege to do before which makes this a trip offering remarkable and
rewarding, original and individual experiences.
Read carefully Passage B and then answer Question 3(a) and (b) on this Question Paper.
Question 3
Answer the questions in the order set.
(a) Notes
What does the Kalahari expedition offer a traveller as described in Passage B?
Write your answer using short notes.
You do not need to use your own words.
Up to 15 marks are available for the content of your answer.
(b) Summary

Now use your notes to write a summary of what Passage B tells you about what the Kalahari
expedition offers a traveller, as described in Passage B;
You must use continuous writing (not note form) and use your own words as far as possible
Your summary should include all 15 of your points in Question 3(a) and must be 200 to 250
words.
Up to 5 marks are available for the quality of your writing.

June 2013
Read Passage A carefully, and then answer Questions 1 and 2 on the Question Paper.
Passage A
This story, set in Alaska during the gold rush of the 1890s, tells of the experience of Tom
Vincent, who
does not realise the power of the elements.
Out in the cold
When travelling, a companion is considered desirable. In the Klondike, as Tom Vincent
found out, a companion is essential. Never travel alone is a saying in the north. He had
heard it many times and laughed, for he was a sturdy young fellow, with faith in himself and
in the strength of his head and hands.
It was a bleak January day when he learned respect for the frost. He had left Calumet Camp
on the Yukon River to go to Cherry Creek, where his party was prospecting for gold. The
frost was sixteen degrees below zero, and he had nearly fifty kilometres of lonely trail to
cover, but he did not mind. In fact, he enjoyed it, swinging along through the silence, his
blood pounding warmly through his veins, and his mind carefree and happy.
He had set off at seven a.m., and by eleven had covered half the distance. Seated on a
fallen tree, he unmittened his right hand, reached inside his coat and fished out a biscuit. He
had barely chewed the first mouthful when his numbing fingers warned him to put his mitten
on again. This he did, surprised at the bitter swiftness with which the frost had bitten. He
could feel himself beginning to chill, so he leaped to his feet and ran briskly up the trail. This
made him warm again, but the moisture he exhaled crusted his lips with ice crystals and
formed a miniature glacier on his chin. Now and again sensation abandoned his face, and he
rubbed it till it burned with the returning blood.
After an hour, he rounded a bend and came upon one of the most formidable dangers of
northern travel. The creek itself was frozen solid, but from the mountain came the outflow of
several springs. These never froze, being protected from the frost by the blanket of snow,
and the water formed shallow pools, their unbroken surface giving no warning of the lurking
danger beneath. The instant he broke through, Tom felt the cold water strike his feet, and he
struggled to the bank. He was quite calm and collected. The only thing to do was build a fire.
For another precept of the north runs: Travel with wet socks down to seven below zero; after
that build a fire.

burn his hands? Burned hands were better than dead hands. When he came upon more
twigs, he got his last match into place on his palm and forced his nerveless fingers down
against it. At the second scratch the match caught fire, and he knew that if he could stand
the pain he was saved. The blue flame licked the flesh of his hands, though he could not feel
it.
An anxious five minutes followed, but the fire gained steadily. Then he set to work to save
himself. Alternately rubbing his hands with snow and thrusting them into the flames, he
restored their circulation sufficiently to be able to get dry socks and boots out of his pack. He
cut away his moccasins and bared his feet, rubbing them too with snow. He rubbed until his
burned hands grew numb. For three hours he worked, till the worst effects of the freezing
had been counteracted.
All that night he stayed by the fire, and it was late the next day when he limped pitifully into
the camp at Cherry Creek.
Question 1
You are Tom Vincent advising recent newcomers to Calumet Camp.
Write the words of your talk to the newcomers.
In your talk you should:
tell the newcomers about your recent hazardous walk
explain the skills and knowledge needed to survive in this environment
share what you learned about yourself from this experience.
Base your talk on what you have read in Passage A. Address all three bullet points. Be
careful to use your own words.
Begin your talk: My name is Tom Vincent and I have something important to tell you!
Write about 250 to 350 words.
Up to 15 marks are available for the content of your answer, and up to 5 marks for the
quality of your writing. [Total: 20]
Question 2
Re-read the descriptions of:

It is impossible to build a fire wearing heavy Alaskan mittens, so Tom bared his hands,
gathered a number of twigs, and knelt down to kindle his nest of fire. From a pocket he drew
out his matches and a strip of thin birch bark. He separated one match from the bunch and
scratched it on his trousers. The bark burst into bright flame, which he carefully fed with the
smallest twigs, cherishing it with the utmost care, gently nurturing it. His feet had started to
grow numb, but the fire, although a very young one, was now alive.
However, at the moment he was adding the first thick twigs to the fire, a grievous thing
happened. The pine boughs above his head were burdened with months of snowfall, and
collecting the twigs had disturbed its balance, causing an avalanche which blotted out his
fire. He realised how great his danger was and immediately started to rebuild it, but his
fingers were now so numb that he could not bend them, and when he lit a match it burnt his
fingers and he had to drop it.
He stood up, now desperate. He could not feel his feet, although his ankles were aching
painfully, and he feared that frostbite had set in. His hands were worthless. If only he had a
comrade to start the fire that could save him! He was thinking quickly. What if the match did

(a) the intense cold in paragraph 3, beginning He had set off;

(b) the lighting of the fire in paragraph 5, beginning It is impossible.
Select four powerful words or phrases from each paragraph. Your choices should include
imagery. Explain how each word or phrase selected is used effectively in the context.
Write about 200 to 300 words.
Up to 10 marks are available for the content of your answer.

Passage B
George Orwell describes his experience as a volunteer soldier in the Spanish civil war of the
late
1930s.
Life in a trench
Firewood always firewood. Throughout that period there is probably no entry in my diary
that does not mention firewood, or rather the lack of it. We were nearly a thousand metres
above sea-level, it was mid winter, and the cold was unspeakable. The temperature was not
exceptionally low, but even if it was not really cold, I assure you that it seemed so.
Sometimes there were shrieking winds that tore your cap off and twisted your hair in all
directions; sometimes there were mists that poured into the trench like a liquid and seemed
to penetrate your bones; frequently it rained, and even a quarter of an hours rain was
enough to make conditions intolerable. The thick skin of earth over the limestone turned
promptly into a slippery grease, and as you were always walking on a slope, it was
impossible to keep your footing. On dark nights I often fell half a dozen times in twenty
metres; and this was dangerous, because it meant that the lock of ones rifle became
jammed with mud. For days together, clothes, boots, blankets and rifles were more or less
coated with mud. I had brought as many thick clothes as I could carry, but many of the men
were terribly underclad, and most of them had only one blanket.
So firewood was the one thing that really mattered, but there was practically none to be had.
Our miserable mountain had not even at its best much vegetation, and for months it had
been ranged over by freezing militiamen, with the result that everything thicker than ones
finger had long since been burnt. When we were not eating, sleeping, on guard, or doing
chores, we were in the valley behind the position, scavenging for fuel. All my memories of
that time are of scrambling up and down the almost perpendicular slopes, over the jagged
limestone that knocked ones boots to pieces, pouncing eagerly on tiny twigs. Three people
searching for a couple of hours could collect only enough fuel to keep the dug-out fire alight
for about an hour. The eagerness of our search turned us all into botanists. We classified,
according to their burning qualities, every plant that grew on the mountain-side: the various
heathers and grasses that were good to start a fire with but burnt out in a few minutes; the
wild rosemary and other tiny bushes that would burn when the fire was well alight; the
stunted oak tree that was practically unburnable.
Of course, we were all permanently dirty. Our water, like our food, came on mule-back from
Alcubierre, and each mans share worked out at about a litre a day. It was beastly water,
hardly more transparent than milk. Theoretically it was for drinking only, but I always stole a
pannikinful for washing in the mornings. I used to wash one day and shave the next; there
was never enough water for both. It was of course impossible to take ones clothes, and
especially ones boots, off at night; one had to be ready to turn out instantly in case of an
attack. It was too cold for lice as yet, but rats and mice abounded. My socks were
permanently soaked and my feet ached from the weight of water. The food was always
infested with some form of creature or insect that grubby hands dug out before serving,
leaving traces of grime around bowls.
Read carefully Passage B and then answer Question 3(a) and (b) on this Question Paper.
Question 3
Answer the questions in the order set.
(a) Notes
The hardships of the living conditions, as described in Passage B;
Write your answer using short notes.
You do not need to use your own words.

(b) Summary
Now use your notes to write a summary of what Passage B tells you about the hardships of
the living conditions, as described in Passage B;
You must use continuous writing (not note form) and use your own words as far as possible
Your summary should include all 15 of your points in Question 3(a) and must be 200 to 250
words.
Up to 5 marks are available for the quality of your writing.

October 2013
Read Passage A carefully, and then answer Questions 1 and 2.
Passage A
A French professor tells of how he and his friend, and a sailor called Ned, fell into the Pacific
Ocean in 1850 when their ship was hit by a huge creature. They at first believed it to be the
legendary whale they were searching for on behalf of the International Marine Society.
The monster of the deep
My first concern was to look for the ship. I glimpsed a black mass disappearing eastward, its
lights fading in the distance. I shouted for help, swimming desperately toward the ship. My
clothes were weighing me down. I was sinking! Then I found and seized the arm of my loyal
friend.
What about the ship? I asked.
As I jumped overboard, I heard the helmsman shout, Our propeller and rudder are
smashed by the monsters tusk!
Then the ship can no longer steer, and we are done for!
Having concluded that our sole chance for salvation lay in being picked up by the ships
longboats, we had to take steps to wait for them as long as possible. I decided to divide our
energies so we wouldnt both be worn out at the same time: while one of us lay on his back,
the other would swim and propel his partner forward.

incredibly, it seemed to be made of riveted plates. No doubts were possible! This animal, this
monster, this natural phenomenon that had puzzled the whole scientific world, that had
muddled and misled the minds of sailors, was an even more astonishing one made by the
hand of man! There was no question now. We were stretched out on the back of some kind
of underwater boat that took the form of an immense steel fish.
Just then, a bubbling began astern and the boat started to move. We barely had time to
hang on to its topside, which emerged about 80 centimetres above water. It was imperative
to make contact with whatever beings were confined inside the machine. I searched its
surface for an opening, but the lines of rivets were straight and uniform. We would have to
wait for daylight to find some way of getting inside this underwater boat, and if it made a
dive, we were done for!
In the early hours, the vessel picked up speed. We could barely cope with this dizzying rush,
and the waves battered us at close range. Our hands came across a ring fastened to its
back, and we all held on for dear life.
Finally, the long night was over. From inside the boat came noises of iron fastenings pushed
aside. One of the steel plates flew up, and a few moments later, eight sturdy fellows
appeared silently and dragged us violently down into their fearsome machine.
This brutally executed capture was carried out with lightning speed. My companions and I
had no time to collect ourselves. I dont know how they felt about being shoved inside this
aquatic prison, but as for me, I was shivering all over. With whom were we dealing? Surely
with some new breed of pirates, exploiting the sea after their own fashion.
Read carefully Passage A, The Monster of the Deep and then answer Questions 1 and 2
Question 1

The monster had rammed us at 11 in the evening. I therefore calculated on eight hours of
swimming until sunrise. The dense gloom was broken only by the phosphorescent flickers
coming from our movements. I stared at the luminous ripples breaking over my hands,
shimmering sheets spattered with blotches of bluish grey. It seemed as if we had plunged
into a pool of quicksilver.
An hour later, I was overcome with tremendous exhaustion. My limbs stiffened in the grip of
intense cramps and paralysing cold. I tried to call out. My swollen lips wouldnt let a single
sound through. I heard my friend cry Help!. Ceasing all movement for an instant, we
listened. His shout had received an answer. I could barely hear it. I was at the end of my
strength; my fingers gave out; my mouth opened convulsively, filling with brine

You are the professor. Write a report for the marine society after your release from the
submarine.
Your report should explain:
how you and your companions fell overboard and came to be on the submarine;
how you feel about the discovery of the truth about the monster;
your concerns about the captain and the existence of such a vessel.
Base your report on what you have read in Passage A. address all three bullet points. Be
careful to use your own words.

Just then something hard banged against me. I clung to it and was pulled back to the
surface.
I fainted Then someone was shaking me vigorously.

Write about 250 to 350 words.

Up to 15 marks are available for the content of your answer, and up to 5 marks for the
quality of your writing. [Total: 20]

Ned! I exclaimed. Were you thrown overboard by the collision?

Question 2

Yes, professor, but I was luckier than you and immediately able to set foot on the gigantic
whale as it surfaced. I soon realised why my harpoon got blunted and couldnt puncture its
hide. This beast is made of plated steel!

Re-read the descriptions of:

I hoisted myself to the summit of this half-submerged creature that was serving as our
refuge. I tested it with my foot. Obviously it was some hard, impenetrable substance; not the
soft matter that makes up the bodies of our big marine mammals but a bony carapace, like
those that covered some prehistoric animals. The blackish back supporting me was smooth
and polished with no overlapping scales. On impact, it gave off a metallic resonance and,

(a) the sea in paragraph 6, beginning The monster had;

(b) the vessel in paragraph 11, beginning I hoisted myself.
Select four powerful words or phrases from each paragraph. Your choices should include
imagery. Explain how each word or phrase selected is used effectively in the context.
Write about 200 to 300 words.

Up to 10 marks are available for the content of your answer.

Passage B
This passage is about Tanya Streeter, the record-breaking freediver.
No Limits
In 2002, Tanya Streeter achieved a world record for No-Limits freediving. It was a 3-minute
26-second dive of 160 metres off the Turks and Caicos islands. No-Limits is the most
extreme form of diving, where the diver descends on a weighted sled and returns to the
surface using an air bag. The following year she broke another record by diving to 122
metres on a single breath of air and returning to the surface without aid. Between 1998 and
2003 Tanya broke nine world records two of which still stand in every category of
freediving.
Freediving pushes the human body to extremes and there is no scuba equipment involved.
The water pressure gets more intense the deeper one goes, compressing lungs to the size
of lemons. It feels as though you have an elephant sitting on your chest, says Tanya. The
heart slows to 15 beats per minute.
During ascent the lungs expand again, and this rapid change can bring on a blackout. How
deep humans can dive and survive is still a mystery to doctors and scientists, as the limits
keep being pushed further.
She explains that it is not only a physical achievement but a mental one. The diver learns a
lot about him or herself on that long, dark dive, and I think thats where the real achievement
lies, in that degree of selfdiscovery. Once you conquer something you thought was
impossible, it changes your life.
She would be happy for her other records to be broken, but points out that this sport is
extremely expensive, and she believes that this is the great barrier for those who want to
attempt to beat them.
Sponsors are hard to find, but they are necessary for the correct training and safety
measures to be put in place. She herself has spent a fortune; it took 17 training dives and 14
divers to ensure her safety before her No-Limits world record attempt. Sponsorship did also
allow her to work with eco-friendly brands that she had admired for a long time.
Tanya had a bond with the sea from an early age as she was born and raised on Grand
Cayman, in the Caribbean. She would spend hours in the ocean, and when that wasnt
possible, she stayed in the pool until her hair turned green from the chlorine. Through this
sport she learned to control her breathing and to discipline her body. She would dive with
local spearfishermen, who noticed her talent and encouraged her to try freediving. It gave
her a sense of independence; one feels more alone and self-reliant than in any other sport.
She thinks that humans have a natural affinity with water, starting before birth, and that
freediving is a way of demonstrating this. The local spearfishermen also became close
companions; a collection supportive friends and colleagues as she tested her own limits,
something she would have been without if it were not for freediving.
She has always used her fame to fight for the oceans she loves so much. When asked how
she feels about the deluge of bad news, from global warming to dying coral, she says,
Awareness is the key.
I honestly believe that if more people realised how their daily activities affect the oceans, and
therefore the planets health, they would make small changes that could make a big
difference. She has also been able to meet several heads of state and speak with them
about the preservation of the natural environment and not only raise awareness but also
influence decision makers.

She is even an apologist for sharks. She has freedived with many different species, from
extremely docile ones to reef and tiger sharks. She believes that theres no substitute for
education. I learned
so much about sharks and their behaviours and my personal experience is that they are
completely fascinating. She has also enjoyed diving with humpback whales and dolphins,
other species of
freedivers and breath-holders. And her sport takes her to the most stunningly beautiful
places in the world as well as some places she had always dreamed of visiting, like the
Great Barrier Reef.
Read carefully Passage B and then answer Question 3(a) and (b) on this Question Paper.
Question 3
Answer the questions in the order set.
(a) Notes
What are the attractions and benefits of freediving, as described in Passage B;
Write your answer using short notes.
You do not need to use your own words.
Up to 15 marks are available for the content of your answer.
(b) Summary
Now use your notes to write a summary of what Passage B tells you about the attractions
and benefits of freediving, as described in Passage B;
You must use continuous writing (not note form) and use your own words as far as possible
Your summary should include all 15 of your points in Question 3(a) and must be 200 to 250
words.
Up to 5 marks are available for the quality of your writing.

June 2014
Part 1
Read Passage A carefully, and then answer Questions 1 and 2 on the Question Paper.
Passage A
In this passage an 18-year-old back-packer receives a surprise visit from her parents while she is a
long way from home.
An Unwelcome Appearance
In September, Sacha Wilkie breathed a sigh of relief when she waved goodbye to her parents in the
airport before the 15-hour flight signalling the start of her gap year before university; her mother, in
particular, was too controlling. Yes, Sacha promised to phone and email regularly, but she could be
economical with the truth.
By February, however, the novelty had worn off. There had been great times, but everything had proved
expensive, so Sacha was unable to go on many of the tempting mini-excursions on offer. She was,
therefore, grateful to find a top bunk bed in a dormitory at Sammys Place, a hostel in a city on her
itinerary. A few weeks cheap living in a run-down area might avoid the shame of returning home early.
Luckily, Sacha had persuaded her mother to top up her bank account on the pretext that she wanted
to do a sub-aqua course. In fact, she needed the cash simply to live. A chaotic and over-crowded
information board in the common room of the hostel displayed some scrawled notices of work available
to back-packers. She just needed to acquire the right visa, but Jed, the so-called manager, said he
would help her get one.
The busy travelling season was imminent, however, and Sammy said she could do a few hours work a
week there, like laundry and mopping floors. Sacha didnt much relish the prospect of this, but noticed
that the other part-time workers didnt really exert themselves. Maybe she could make enough to buy a
share in one of the old cars that were advertised in the hallway. In any case, there were always notices
about lifts on offer to exotic, distant locations, requiring only a contribution to fuel costs. At the very
least, shed be able to afford to go on some of the bus tours which picked up people at the hostel each
day.
Her dormitory was actually rather unpleasant. The bunks with thin, worn mattresses were crammed
together. There was no shade on the light bulb which flickered spasmodically. Although everyone was
meant to take turns doing basic cleaning and emptying bins, this rarely happened. The window frame
seemed welded shut, its surface encrusted with years of dead flies. The surface of the sink in the corner
looked like a relief map, with river-like cracks meandering from tap to plug hole and mini-mountain
ranges moulded from toothpaste.
A great thing about Sammys Place, however, was the cheap internet access. When shed first arrived,
a fortnight before, shed been able to catch up on emails home and update her blog.
One Saturday night Sacha was really enjoying herself. After a long session chatting online with her
friends back home, she rummaged through the free-food box in the fridge and found some pasta sauce
only a few days out of date. Having eaten, she crammed some bulging pots of yogurt back into the
box, deposited her plate in the overflowing sink, then wandered out to the courtyard where a newly
arrived Norwegian had loaded up some cool music on the sound system. Jed, who was meant to be on
reception, joined the gathering and soon the place was throbbing with music and laughter.
Later that evening, Sacha suddenly became aware that her parents had appeared in the courtyard.
Her initial shock was replaced in quick succession by shame, guilt and annoyance. Mrs Wilkie hurled
her luggage to the floor, and with eyes blazing drew back her shoulders in readiness for battle. In
a thunderous voice she demanded to know, Whos in charge? Why is there no-one at reception?
Her mothers laser eye soon pin-pointed Sacha, who was trying to shrink back into the shadows, and
she launched herself across the space to demand, What on earth are you doing in a place like this?

I thought you were staying somewhere decent! She wheeled around and commanded, You young
people should be in bed! Its late.
The events of the next two hours were a blur to Sacha. The room in that same hostel which her parents
had booked from home over the internet was dirty, her mother caught the heel of her shoe in the
threadbare carpet, and a pillow was brought down to reception held aloft between thumb and forefinger
for fear of disease. Mrs Wilkie was assured that the overwhelming smell of gas was normal, and was
probably from a neighbouring establishment. She insisted that Sacha and Jed clear the kitchen sinks
and take out the leaking rubbish bags, not realising that there were no tea towels and nowhere outside
that was free of rats.
Finally, recognising that this sorry state of affairs could not be remedied, Mrs Wilkie made Sacha pack
her things and ordered a taxi to take them all to a luxury hotel. End of gap year! thought Sacha,
miserably.
1 Imagine you are Mrs Wilkie.
Write a letter to the Public Health Department of the city, demanding that Sammys Place be shut
down.
In your letter you should write about:
your concerns about the conditions at the hostel
the mis-management of the hostel
the likely consequences of allowing the hostel to stay open.
Base your letter on what you have read in Passage A. Address all three bullet points.
Be careful to use your own words.
Begin your letter:
Dear Public Health Officer
I am writing to alert you to a health and safety hazard .
Write between 1 and 2 sides, allowing for the size of your handwriting.
Up to 15 marks are available for the content of your answer, and up to 5 marks for the
quality of your writing.
2 Re-read the descriptions of:
(a) the dormitory in paragraph 5, beginning Her dormitory was actually rather unpleasant ;
(b) Mrs Wilkie in paragraph 8, beginning Later that evening, Sacha suddenly became aware .
Select words and phrases from these descriptions, and explain how the writer has created effects
by using this language.
Write between 1 and 1 sides, allowing for the size of your handwriting.
Up to 10 marks are available for the content of your answer.
Part 2
Read Passage B carefully, and re-read Passage A. Then answer Question 3,
which is based on both passages. Answer on the Question Paper.
Passage B
In this passage the writer describes some developments in youth hostelling.
International Youth Hostels
In 1912 Richard Schimmann created the first permanent youth hostel in Altena Castle, Germany, with
the aim of giving poor city youngsters opportunities to breathe fresh outdoor air. The young people were
to run the hostel themselves as much as possible, doing chores to keep down costs and build their
character, as well as being physically active outdoors. One feature of most hostels until very recently
was that they shut down in the middle of the day. Nowadays, prescribed chores beyond washing up
after self-catered meals are rare.
Schimmanns idea of hostels rapidly spread overseas and today Hostelling International is an

organisation of more than 90 Youth Hostel Associations (YHA) with over 4,500 hostels in more than
800 countries. There are also many independent hostels.
Some HI (Hostelling International) hostels cater mostly for school-aged children, for example through
school trips, whereas others are targeting the needs of those wanting to travel and experience new
cultures. This is particularly true in major cities and popular tourist destinations where HI hostels
can be very large. The Pakistan YHA is starting a scheme called Hostelling for Citizenship; young
people from rural areas will be selected to visit historic cities and meet their counterparts from other
regions, their board paid for by the Government. There are many other hostels world-wide that provide
accommodation for outdoor pursuits like hill-walking, windsurfing and bike touring. Such hostels are
likely to be smaller and in more remote, even isolated, locations.
In response to competition and a change in the type of traveller using them, some hostels called
boutique have trendy interiors. Some have chefs who produce unusual meals, whilst others have
artwork in the rooms. Mobile hostels are becoming popular; these have no fixed location and might be
a campsite or a temporary building; they often sprout up at large festivals and events like the Football
World Cup.
Even established hostels may occupy unusual buildings, some of which allow for special activities. On
the rugged California coast, about 25 miles south of San Francisco, sits a fog signal and light station.
Built in 1875 and now restored, it is used as a hostel to attract visitors who want to enjoy the unique
marine environment, especially the annual migration of the grey whale. One castle in Scotland was
built for a duchess and the original guests were wealthy, influential people. It has a large art collection,
particularly of Italian marble statues. In Ireland is a hugely spacious hostel dug into the hillside. The
30-metre structure is aligned to the dawns and dusks of both the summer and winter solstices, when
sunbeams light up the central hall. Guests stay in dormitories circling the round hall, which is used for
yoga and meditation. An old tea plantation in Malaysia has a farmstay hostel where guests are able to
learn specialist agricultural techniques.
In the early 20th century, accommodation was always in dormitories where possessions were stowed
under the bunks. Today there are private rooms with free internet access and safety deposit boxes
available. Hostelling has indeed undergone a transformation.
Question 3
Answer the questions in the order set.
(a) Notes
Why travellers might use youth hostels and the benefits of staying in a youth hostel, as
described in Passage B;
Write your answer using short notes.
You do not need to use your own words.
Up to 15 marks are available for the content of your answer.
(b) Summary
Now use your notes to write a summary of what Passage B tells you about Why travellers
might use youth hostels and the benefits of staying in a youth hostel, as described in
Passage B;
You must use continuous writing (not note form) and use your own words as far as possible
Your summary should include all 15 of your points in Question 3(a) and must be 200 to 250
words.Up to 5 marks are available for the quality of your writing.