2012 PDF

UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL EXAMINATIONS
International General Certificate of Secondary Education

* 2 5 5 2 4 0 1 0 6 8 *
FIRST LANGUAGE ENGLISH 0500/12

Paper 1 Reading Passage (Core) May/June 2012
1 hour 45 minutes
Candidates answer on the Question Paper.
Additional Materials: Reading Booklet Insert
READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS FIRST
Write your Centre number, candidate number and name on all the work you For Examiner’s Use
hand in.
Write in dark blue or black pen. 1(a)
Do not use staples, paper clips, highlighters, glue or correction fluid.
DO NOT WRITE IN ANY BARCODES.
1(b)
Answer all questions.
Dictionaries are not permitted. 1(c)
The number of marks is given in brackets [ ] at the end of each question or 1(d)
part question.
1(e)(i)
1(e)(ii)
1(f)
1(g)(i)
1(g)(ii)
1(g)(iii)
1(h)
Total
This document consists of 6 printed pages, 2 blank pages and 1 Insert.
DC (SM) 47466/4
© UCLES 2012 [Turn over
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Question 1 For
Examiner’s
Read carefully the passage A New Tutor in the Reading Booklet Insert and then answer all Use
the questions.
(a) From paragraph one (The consul’s home …), give three details about the consul’s flat.
• ........................................................................................................................................
• ........................................................................................................................................
• .................................................................................................................................... [3]
(b) Re-read paragraph one (The consul’s home …). Choose three phrases used by the
writer which convey the rich and colourful nature of the area in which the consul lived.
Explain how each of these phrases brings the area to life for the reader.
Phrase: .................................................................................................
Explanation: .....................................................................................................................
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Phrase: .................................................................................................
Explanation: .....................................................................................................................
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Phrase: .................................................................................................
Explanation: .....................................................................................................................
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(c) Explain, using your own words, how the consul set out to test Gerald’s knowledge of
French.
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© UCLES 2012 0500/12/M/J/12

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(d) Which word in line 15 tells you that the consul was friendly by nature? For
Examiner’s
• ............................................................ [1] Use
(e) Explain, using your own words:
(i) how the consul reacted in lines 18–19;
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Explain, using your own words:
(ii) what Gerald’s two thoughts were immediately following the reactions of the consul.
• .................................................................................................................................
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• .................................................................................................................................
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(f) When he saw the consul fire the gun, what was Gerald thinking about why the consul
did this? Give one explanation (lines 29–31).
• ........................................................................................................................................
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[Turn over for Question 1(g)]
© UCLES 2012 0500/12/M/J/12 [Turn over

4
(g) Explain, using your own words, what the writer means by: For
Examiner’s
(i) ‘frantic haste’ (line 22) Use
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.............................................................................................................................. [2]
(ii) ‘incessant fusillade’ (line 33)
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(iii) ‘humane service’ (line 42)
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(h) Re-read the whole passage. Write a summary of Gerald’s thoughts and feelings about
the Belgian consul.
Write a paragraph of about 50–70 words.
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[Total: 30]
© UCLES 2012 0500/12/M/J/12

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Question 2 For
Examiner’s
Imagine you are Gerald Durrell. You return home and talk with your mother about your first lesson Use
with your new tutor. During the conversation your mother asks the following:
• Tell me about your journey to your tutor’s house.

• What did you do in your first lesson today?
• What were your impressions of your tutor?
Write the words of the conversation between Gerald and his mother.
Begin your conversation:
‘Mother: Tell me about your journey to your tutor’s house.

Gerald: Well, it was interesting …’.
You should base your ideas on what you have read in the passage, but do not copy from it.
You should write between 1 and 1½ sides, allowing for the size of your handwriting.
Up to 10 marks are available for the content of your answer, and up to 10 marks for the
quality of your writing.
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6
For
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[Total: 20]
© UCLES 2012 0500/12/M/J/12
7
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© UCLES 2012 0500/12/M/J/12

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Copyright Acknowledgements:
Reading Passage © ADAPTED; Gerald Durrell; My Family and Other Animals ; Penguin Books; 1956.
Permission to reproduce items where third-party owned material protected by copyright is included has been sought and cleared where possible. Every
reasonable effort has been made by the publisher (UCLES) to trace copyright holders, but if any items requiring clearance have unwittingly been included, the
publisher will be pleased to make amends at the earliest possible opportunity.
University of Cambridge International Examinations is part of the Cambridge Assessment Group. Cambridge Assessment is the brand name of University of
Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES), which is itself a department of the University of Cambridge.
© UCLES 2012 0500/12/M/J/12


Paper 1 Reading Passage (Core) May/June 2012
READING BOOKLET INSERT
1 hour 45 minutes
This Insert contains the reading passage for use with all questions on the Question Paper.
This document consists of 3 printed pages and 1 blank page.
DC (SM) 47467/3
2
Read the following passage carefully and then answer all the questions on the Question Paper.
Gerald Durrell, an author and animal lover, spent part of his childhood in the 1930s on the Greek island
of Corfu. In this passage he describes the Belgian consul in Corfu, who was one of his private tutors.
A New Tutor
The consul’s home was situated in the maze of narrow, smelly alleyways that made up the
old quarter of the town. It was a fascinating area, the cobbled streets crammed with stalls that
were piled high with gaily-coloured bales of cloth, mountains of shining sweetmeats, ornaments
of beaten silver, fruit and vegetables. The streets were so narrow that you had to stand back
against the wall to allow the donkeys to stagger past with their loads of merchandise. It was a 5
rich and colourful part of the town, full of noise and bustle, the screeches of people bargaining,
the cluck of hens, the bar king of dogs, and the wailing cry of the men carrying great trays of
fresh hot loaves on their heads. Right in the very centre, in the top flat of a tall, rickety building
that Ieant tiredly over a tiny square, lived the Belgian consul. He was a sweet little man, whose
most striking attribute was a magnificent beard and carefully waxed moustache. 10
The first morning I arrived he welcomed me into a living-room whose walls were decorated with
a mass of heavily-framed photographs of himself. In order to test the extent of my knowledge of
French the consul sat me down at the table, produced a fat and battered French dictionary, and
placed it in front of me, open at page one.
‘You will please to read this,’ he said, his gold teeth glittering amicably through his beard. 15
He twisted the points of his moustache, pursed his lips, clasped his hands behind his back, and
paced slowly across to the window, while I started down the list of words beginning with ‘A’.
I had hardly stumbled through the first three when the consul stiffened and uttered a suppressed
exclamation. I thought at first he was shocked by my accent, but it was apparently nothing to
do with me. He rushed across the room, muttering to himself, tore open a cupboard, and pulled 20
out a powerful-looking air rifle, while I watched him with a certain alarm for my own safety.
He loaded the weapon, dropping pellets all over the carpet in his frantic haste. Then he crouched
and crept bac k to the window, where, half concealed by the curtain, he peered out intently .
Then he raised the gun, took careful aim at something, and fired. When he turned round, slowly
and sadly shaking his head, and laid the gun aside, I was surprised to see tears in his eyes. 25
He drew a great length of silk handkerchief out of his breast pocket and blew his nose violently.
‘Ah, ah, ah,’ he intoned, shaking his head sadly, ‘the poor little fellow. But we must work …
please to continue with your reading, mon ami. ’
For the rest of the morning I toyed with the exciting idea that the consul had committed a murder
before my very eyes, or, at least, that he was carrying out a blood feud with some neighbouring 30
householder. But when, after the fourth morning, the consul was still firing periodically out of
his window, I decided that my explanation could not be the right one. It w as a week before
I found out the reason for the consul’ s incessant fusillade , and the reason was cats. In this
part of town, the cats were allowed to breed unchecked. There were literally hundreds of them.
They belonged to no one and were uncared for, so that most of them were in a fr ightful state, 35
covered with sores and all of them so thin that it was a wonder they were alive at all. The consul
was a great cat-lover, and he possessed three large and w ell-fed ones to prove it. But the sight
of all these starving, sore-ridden animals stalking about on the roof-tops opposite his window
was too much for his sensitive nature.
‘I cannot feed them all,’ he explained to me, ‘so I like to make them happy by shooting them. 40
They are better so, but it makes me feel so sad.’
© UCLES 2012 0500/12/INSERT/M/J/12

3
He was, in fact, performing a very necessary and humane service, as anyone who had seen the
cats would agree. So my lessons in French were being continuously interrupted while the consul
leapt to the window to send yet another cat to a happier hunting g round. After the repor t of the
gun there would be a moment’s silence in respect for the dead, and then the consul would blow 45
his nose violently, sigh tragically, and we would plunge once more into the tangled labyrinth of
French verbs.
© UCLES 2012 0500/12/INSERT/M/J/12

4
BLANK PAGE
Reading Passage ADAPTED; Gerald Durrell; My Family and Other Animals ; Published by Penguin Books, 1956; Reproduced with
permission of Curtis Brown Group Ltd, London on behalf of the Estate of Gerald Durrell. © Gerald Durrell, 1956.
Permission to reproduce items where third-party owned material protected b y copyright is included has been sought and cleared where possible. Every
reasonable effort has been made b y the publisher (UCLES) to tr ace copyright holders, but if any items requiring clearance have unwittingly been included, the
publisher will be pleased to make amends at the earliest possible opportunity. University of Cambr idge International Examinations is part of the Cambr idge Assessment Group.
© UCLES 2012 0500/12/INSERT/M/J/12


Paper 2 Reading Passages (Extended) May/June 2012
2 hours
Additional Materials: Answer Booklet/Paper
* 8 1 9 9 9 8 8 1 5 4 *
If you have been given an Answer Booklet, follow the instructions on the front cover of the Booklet.
Write your Centre number, candidate number and name on all the work you hand in.
Write in dark blue or black pen.

Dictionaries are not permitted.
At the end of the examination, fasten all your work securely together.
The number of marks is given in brackets [ ] at the end of each question or part question.
This document consists of 5 printed pages and 3 blank pages.
DC (LEO) 45439/5
2
Part 1
Read Passage A carefully, and then answer Questions 1 and 2.
Passage A
Detective Muller goes to meet with a wanted criminal, Sorensen, at a summer house he has broken
into in a remote location.
The Rendezvous
When Muller reached the Faro bridges, the sky sank heavily to the earth, and the rain drummed
cascades against the windshield. Violent wind gusts shook the van and shrieked in the loose side
windows. He reduced his speed, leaned over the wheel and stared out at the road sailing before him.
His back was stiff from tension and sweat crawled in his armpits, while an awareness grew in him that
no doubt it was already too late. Sorensen had insisted not only that Muller should come alone, but
that there would be no one at the house after four pm. This was the date and time when Sorensen had
disappeared ten years before, from a house where he was holding hostages in a burglary, and Muller
still didn’t know how Sorensen had become invisible and had evaded the police surrounding the place.
Then the rain stopped, and the blurred landscape flattened down to a pale gleam on all sides. At
the next exit, Muller turned off the highway and continued with a map opened on the steering wheel
along a potholed road past dead country towns and clumps of weather worn, abandoned houses.
Twice he misread the map and wound up in muddy tractor ruts. He turned, cursing, with spinning
wheels, found his way back to the main road, and after another eternity with the pedal to the floor
between deserted grass stretches and wide fallow fields, he was finally close to the place. He stopped
beneath a couple of wind-blown, gnarled trees in what seemed to be a breeding ground for loneliness
at the end of the earth. Behind him the woods drew a thin dark line on the horizon. To the right he
glimpsed the white buildings of a distant farm, and far off, over black stripes of earth and shining
meadows, stretched a row of slender wind turbines, their blades rotating synchronously in the sky.
He turned off the engine. It was not quite four. He had found the house, and most likely he had been
spotted a few minutes earlier. There was no rush now, and five minutes of meditation for mental
preparation could perhaps give the criminal time to feel in control of the situation and react calmly,
unlike last time. Muller held his breath and counted slowly to five to quieten his pulse. Gusts of wind
whispered against the van, sighed through the treetops, and quivered the tall grass restlessly back
and forth on the edge of the road. The sky was fog grey, with dark puffs of cloud over the land and
a pink strip of light, like a long pencil stroke, between the dike and the sea. It would soon be dark,
increasing his danger, and the possibility that Sorensen would escape once again. A bird of prey hung
low, vibrating, over the field: a bad omen.
Muller got out and smacked the van door shut with a dull metallic sound that was immediately carried
off on the wind. Before him was an open, flagstone terrace with a sofa swing and four rain-soaked
garden chairs not taken in for the winter and looking forlorn. The house itself lay on the outer edge
of a growth of trees, half hidden behind high elms. It was well kept and freshly painted in a vivid red-
yellow ochre. The thatch roof had been replaced within the past year, and the near-withered hollyhocks
in faded colours told of a busy working couple’s nostalgic dream of a peaceful country idyll. Muller
cautiously approached, and took his time following the muddy, rutted driveway that went around the
back of the house and continued on a narrow path in among the trees. The Skoda was parked far back
behind the bushes so it could not be seen from the road.
Even though Muller was prepared to meet his quarry, he felt afraid. He forced himself to stand exposed
in full sight only three metres from the living room’s glinting grey windows. His nerves were on edge. A
violent shudder ran through him. His mouth went dry, and his hands flew up instinctively in defence as
the heavy flap of a flock of pheasants burst up close by him in a low arch and noisily vanished behind a
screen of swinging hogweed. For a split second he caught an almost imperceptible movement of bulky
shadow behind the glossy windowpanes. He was being watched. After an agonising wait, the front door
opened.
© UCLES 2012 0500/22/M/J/12
3
1 A senior officer asks Muller to give an account of his meeting with the criminal the previous day.
He asks Muller the following three questions only:
• Why did you take the reckless decision to go alone to meet Sorensen?
• What was your physical and mental state before the meeting?
• What happened in the next few minutes after the door opened?
Write the words of the interview.
Base your interview on what you have read in Passage A. Be careful to use your own words.
Write between 1½ and 2 sides, allowing for the size of your handwriting.
[Total: 20]
2 Re-read the descriptions of:
(a) the landscape in paragraph 2, beginning ‘Then the rain stopped...’;
(b) the house and surroundings in paragraph 4, beginning ‘Muller got out...’.
Select words and phrases from these descriptions, and explain how the writer has created effects
by using this language.
[Total: 10]
[Turn over for Part 2]

4
Part 2
Read Passage B carefully and re-read Passage A.

Then answer Question 3, which is based on both passages.
Passage B
This passage describes the characteristics of detective fiction.
Whodunit?
The most widespread type of detective novel is the ‘whodunit’, where the author shows great ingenuity
in providing clues about the culprit and method of the crime but only revealing the outcome at the end of
the book. In tales such as these, the primary concern of the plot is to ascertain the truth, and the usual
means of achieving this is through a complex and mysterious process combining logic, observation
and inference. The crime itself is secondary to the efforts taken to solve it and to the wisdom of the
detective.
In such books, the local police are always incompetent and either busy pursuing false leads or grateful
to be able to call in the celebrated detective or investigator, who has a string of previous successes to
his or her name. Whether an amateur sleuth, a private investigator or a police inspector, they are always
strong personalities with a tendency to be eccentric, with peculiar social habits or striking features of
dress or taste – in cars or music for instance. Because the investigator is never the first on the crime
scene, he or she must ignore all the obvious evidence they are presented with and begin from first
principles.
The detective makes his or her exhaustive enquiries – usually with the help of a reliable number-
two figure – by interviewing everyone who is a witness or who could be involved, and the reader is
presented with a series of false suspects. The relationships between the possible suspects cause
complications in the investigation, as characters try either to protect their friends or to satisfy their
grudges against their enemies. Sometimes forensic reports or written testimony turn out to be crucial
to the gathering of proof. After a reconstruction of the crime and a final twist in the plot, either the least
likely candidate turns out to be the criminal, or the most likely suspect, dismissed by the reader early
on as being too obvious.
It is itself a mystery why this type of fiction (which began in the nineteenth century) remains so popular
in the modern world of mobile phones, databases, Interpol and DNA, all of which have made crime
detection more efficient and scientific. People do not regularly stumble across corpses in real life, so
why is there such a fascination with such an implausible genre, and one which exists in many cultures,
settings and languages, from Botswana to Sweden to the USA? Fans do not seem to mind that
authenticity is lacking, and that often the detective is only able to solve the case because of fortuitous
coincidence or confession.
And of course the fearless detectives always live to solve another case, no matter how dangerous
their opponent; and they always get their man – or woman. The name of the game is suspense, and
the engagement of the reader in solving the clues and avoiding the distractors deliberately placed to
deceive during the unravelling process. Readers don’t care who did it, only that they should be able to
say that they had guessed it all along. They look forward to the final moment of satisfaction when all is
revealed; a detective novel with the last page missing would cause serious upset, and a book reviewer
who gave away the ending would be very unpopular indeed!
© UCLES 2012 0500/22/M/J/12

5
3 Summarise:
(a) how detectives are portrayed in fiction, as described in Passage B;
(b) the detective’s observations and feelings during his journey and arrival, as described in
Passage A.
Use your own words as far as possible.
You should write about 1 side in total, allowing for the size of your handwriting.
[Total: 20]
© UCLES 2012 0500/22/M/J/12

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© UCLES 2012 0500/22/M/J/12

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© UCLES 2012 0500/22/M/J/12

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Passage A © ADAPTED: Flemming Jarlskov; The Judge ; Gyldendal; 2008
© UCLES 2012 0500/22/M/J/12


Paper 3 Directed Writing and Composition May/June 2012
2 hours
* 7 9 3 1 5 6 3 7 0 1 *
Answer two questions: Question 1 (Section 1) and one question from Section 2.
All questions in this paper carry equal marks.
This document consists of 4 printed pages.
DC (RW) 43307/3
2
Section 1: Directed Writing
1 Read the claims of an environmental organisation in the box below and the press statement from
an airline pilots’ association on the opposite page.
Write a school magazine article with the title ‘What is the real truth about air travel?’
In your article you should:
• identify and evaluate the different views on global warming and air travel
• use your own ideas to support your comments.
Base your ideas on what you have read in the box below and the press statement. Be careful to
use your own words.
quality of your writing. [25]
CLEAR THE AIR!
• People living near airports suffer from aircraft noise, traffic congestion and air pollution.
• Air travel is the world’s fastest growing source of greenhouse gases, which contribute to
global warming.
• Aviation generates nearly as much carbon dioxide annually as that from all human activities
in Africa.
• A passenger taking one long haul flight can produce as much carbon dioxide as a motorist
driving for a whole year.
• Air traffic has been expanding since 1960; it is expected that the number of people flying will
virtually double over the next 15 years.
• Only a tax on aviation fuel or emissions would reduce air traffic.
• Air travel has been proved to be more polluting than rail travel over short distances.
• Advances in telecommunications have reduced the need to travel on business.
• What you can do:
¾ fly less frequently, whether for business or pleasure
¾ take a train as an alternative to domestic or short haul flights
¾ support the domestic tourist economy and plan holidays in your own country.
© UCLES 2012 0500/32/M/J/12

3
Aviation and the Environment – the Truth at Last!
Air travel became, some time ago, the scapegoat for global warming, but new research challenges
the myth that air transport is the major cause of growing carbon dioxide emissions. A report published
today exposes the ‘half truths and untruths’ told by those who attack air travel and make passengers
feel guilty about taking a flight.
We accept that the planet has a problem, and that something certainly has to be done about the
rising level of carbon dioxide emissions, and we will play our part. But we cannot and will not accept
the false accusation that the airline industry is the most culpable one with regard to air pollution and
environmental damage.
Long distance high speed trains are more polluting than planes for long journeys over 800 kilometres,
and European ships emit significantly more carbon dioxide than European planes, yet no one is calling
for restrictions on train travel or an end to ocean cruises. And no one is calling for any dramatic cut back
in car travel, which is the biggest polluter of all the existing forms of transport. In fact most countries
have recently embarked on road building programmes!
World air travel actually accounts for only two to three per cent of global carbon dioxide emissions,
according to the International Panel on Climate Change. Although air travel is still increasing in
popularity (despite the carbon footprint campaign), even by 2050 it will still only produce less than six
per cent – a tiny amount compared to the big polluters. The airline industry has already taken measures
to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 50 per cent, and technological advances currently being developed
will allow us to cut them even further through reducing fuel consumption and employing alternative
fuels. It would not therefore be appropriate for governments to take measures to restrict air transport at
this time. The damage done not only to our industry but to tourism, and especially to the economies of
developing nations, would be enormous and irreversible.
Our message to all air travellers is to stop feeling guilty about flying, since your carbon footprint would
almost certainly be greater if you travelled by another means of transport. Making savings in the home
can more than compensate for the damage to the environment of a plane trip abroad. This is too
important an issue to be reduced to slogans used by campaigners and politicians to further their own
interests. We are tired of the aviation industry being an easy target just because it happens to be a
highly visible one. The attacks must stop now so that we can all focus attention on the real causes of
the problem which threatens to destroy the planet.
[Turn over for Section 2]

4
Section 2: Composition
Write about 2 sides, allowing for the size of your handwriting, on one of the following:
Argumentative/Discursive Writing
2 (a) If you were offered the chance to learn everything about your future, would you take it? Argue
why you would or would not want to know what was going to happen to you. [25]
OR
(b) Do you believe that individuals who are wealthy enough should be expected to fund good
causes? [25]
Descriptive Writing
3 (a) Describe children playing with a grandparent. [25]
OR
(b) Describe a time when you felt homesick. Where were you at the time, and what were your
thoughts and feelings? [25]
Narrative Writing
4 (a) Write a story called ‘The Rock’. [25]
OR
(b) ‘The lady, her face barely visible through the thick lace veil, turned the card over to reveal…’.
Begin or end a story with these words. [25]
© UCLES 2012 0500/32/M/J/12

* 3 2 9 3 2 1 3 5 3 1 *

Paper 1 Reading Passage (Core) October/November 2012
1 hour 45 minutes
Candidates answer on the Question Paper.
Additional Materials: Reading Booklet Insert
DO NOT WRITE IN ANY BARCODES.
For Examiner’s Use
Dictionaries are not permitted. 1 (a)
The number of marks is given in brackets [ ] at the end of each question or part 1 (b)
question.
1 (c)
1 (d)
1 (e)
1 (f)
1 (g)(i)
1 (g)(ii)
1 (g)(iii)
1 (h)
1 (i)
Total
This document consists of 7 printed pages and 1 blank page and 1 insert.
DC (RCL (DF)) 48305/2

2
Question 1 For
Examiner’s
Read carefully the passage A Walking Holiday in Costa Rica in the Reading Booklet Insert Use
and then answer all the questions.
(a) Why were the writer and her companions visiting Costa Rica?
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.................................................................................................................................... [1]
(b) What two reasons does the writer give for the sense of panic she refers to in paragraph
one?
• ....................................................................................................................................
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• ....................................................................................................................................
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(c) What do we learn about the writer’s feelings towards the spider from the phrase
‘deliciously creepy’ (line 23)?
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(d) Which word in paragraph six tells you that the roads in Costa Rica were not in good
condition?
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(e) Give three things from paragraph eight which the writer enjoyed about the Eco Termales
Hot Springs resort.
• ....................................................................................................................................
• ....................................................................................................................................
• ............................................................................................................................... [3]
© UCLES 2012 0500/12/O/N/12

3
(f) Explain, using your own words, how the scenery changed as they approached For
Nicaragua. Examiner’s
Use
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(g) Explain, using your own words, what the writer means by:
(i) ‘my limited vocabulary’ (line 10);
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(ii) ‘our heads literally in the clouds’ (line 40);
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(iii) ‘determined to stay hidden’ (line 50).
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[Turn over for Question 1(h)]
© UCLES 2012 0500/12/O/N/12 [Turn over

4
(h) Re-read paragraphs three to seven. Choose three short phrases which the writer uses For
to suggest her excitement at what she saw in Costa Rica. Examiner’s
Use
Explain how each of these phrases helps to convey her sense of excitement at what she
saw.
Phrase: ....................................................................
Explanation: ...................................................................................................................
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© UCLES 2012 0500/12/O/N/12

5
(i) Re-read paragraph four to the end of the passage. Write a summary of what you learn For
about volcanoes in Costa Rica. Examiner’s
Use
Write a paragraph of about 50 to 70 words.
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[Total: 30]
[Turn over for Question 2]

6
Question 2 For
Examiner’s
Imagine you have just returned from your trip to Costa Rica. Use
Write an article about your visit for a newspaper.
In your article you should include:
• the interesting variety of the scenery and the wildlife

• the challenges and rewards for visitors
• reasons why people would enjoy visiting Costa Rica.
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© UCLES 2012 0500/12/O/N/12
7
For
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[Total: 20]
© UCLES 2012 0500/12/O/N/12
8
BLANK PAGE
Reading Passage © ADAPTED; Mary Novakovich; A walking tour in Costa Rica; www.gutenberg.org.
© UCLES 2012 0500/12/O/N/12


Paper 1 Reading Passage (Core) October/November 2012
1 hour 45 minutes
This Insert contains the reading passage for use with all questions of the Question Paper.
DC (RCL (DF)) 48304/3

2
Read the following passage carefully and then answer all the questions on the Question Paper.
A Walking Holiday in Costa Rica by Mary Novakovich
It was hard to avoid a slight sense of panic in the arrivals lounge at San Jose airport.
Scores of taxi drivers swarmed round us, making it difficult to find our guide who
was to look after us during our walking holiday. I know it’s a typical scene in many
airports, but the lateness of the hour and the unfamiliar warmth of the night were
having an unsettling effect. 5
Finally, I spotted Juan Carlos, who quickly took charge and deposited us in the Hotel
Buena Vista in nearby Alajuela. Daniel, the waiter, ignored the late hour and gave
us a free fruit drink. “You’ll want to drink this while you’re in Costa Rica,” he said.
“We call it Refresco, because it freshens you up.” I speak the barest minimum of
Spanish, so the addition of “dos Refrescos, por favor” to my limited vocabulary was 10
very useful.
We also learnt the Costa Rican catchphrase “pura vida”, meaning pure life. Costa
Ricans say pura vida to mean “hello”, “cheerio”, “that’s great” – whatever you like.
It’s one of the many beguiling things about this small country. Costa Rica is full
of bewildering contrasts with some of the most unreasonably beautiful and bizarre 15
scenery I’ve ever seen.
Alajuela was only a stopover, so we set off the next day to Lake Arenal, home to
one of the country’s many volcanoes. But we had a few mini-wonders to experience
along the way first. There was the small café in Mirador Cinchona, for example,
which is a lookout post over a vast garden that resembles a compact rainforest, 20
complete with toucans, hummingbirds and a huge waterfall in the distance. It also
had a pet spider, a tarantula, whose six-year-old minder offered us a chance to hold
it. I was the only one to take her up on it. It felt deliciously creepy.
Back on the road, Juan Carlos braked abruptly and skidded over to the kerb. “Sloth!”
he called out. We scrambled out of the car and looked excitedly up in the trees. 25
Sure enough, a three-toed sloth was making its leisurely way down the tree. What a
delight!
After another few hours over Costa Rica’s potholed roads, we made it to the Arenal
Observatory Lodge. Arenal last had a major eruption in July 1968, when 80 people
died, and new mountains were created by lava flow. The volcano is still active, and 30
on a clear day you can see steam blowing out of it; on clear nights, a stream of red
lava can be seen flowing down. It would have been an astonishing sight had it not
rained solidly for the two days we were there.
Our first walk was through cloud forest to the crater of neighbouring volcano Cerro
Chato. It’s a steep enough climb when the weather is dry, but the relentless rain 35
had turned the terrain into rivers of mud. The forest lushness could not be hidden
completely, however, and now and then a flash of vivid orange ginger lilies would
appear. The reward for climbing a kilometre to the top should have been a view of
Cerro Chato’s lake, but we had to make do with the admittedly rare experience of
eating our packed lunch with our heads literally in the clouds. 40
© UCLES 2012 0500/12/INSERT/O/N/12

3
Juan Carlos had promised us hot springs, a bonus that comes with staying in a
volcanic region. The most famous in the area is Tabacon Grand Spa Thermal
Resort, which is expensive and usually overcrowded. Instead we soothed our
aching muscles in the smaller Eco Termales Hot Springs in La Fortuna, which has
four large pools descending into each other. Mercifully, it had stopped raining long 45
enough for us to lie in the steamy water and watch the bats swoop madly as dusk
fell. There was a restaurant, too, which served an extremely good version of the
Costa Rican national dish casado: rice and spicy refried beans with various extras
such as chicken and beef, palm heart salad and fresh fruit juice.
I had thought that Arenal was determined to stay hidden during our stay, but the 50
volcano emerged from the clouds long enough to show off about two-thirds of itself.
The views we missed seeing at the lodge were made up for on the road out of Arenal
and around its enormous lake. We saw not only the lake itself, but also groups of
howler monkeys hanging about in trees and gangs of cuddly coatis venturing out
into the road. 55
Near the Nicaraguan border we were struck by an abrupt change of scenery: the
lush rainforest turned into hot, dry savannah with more volcanic mountains in the
distance.
© UCLES 2012 0500/12/INSERT/O/N/12

4
BLANK PAGE
Reading Passage © ADAPTED; Mary Novakovich; A walking tour in Costa Rica; www.gutenberg.org.
© UCLES 2012 0500/12/INSERT/O/N/12

* 3 9 3 5 1 8 0 4 0 3 *

Paper 2 Reading Passages (Extended) October/November 2012
2 hours
Candidates answer on the Question Paper
Write your Centre number, candidate number and name in the spaces provided.
DO NOT WRITE ON ANY BARCODES.
Answer all questions in the space provided. If additional space is required, you should use the lined pages at
the end of this booklet. The question number(s) must be clearly shown.
The Insert contains the reading passages for use with all questions on the Question Paper. The Insert is not
required by the Examiner.
For Examiner’s Use
Question 1
Question 2
Question 3
Total
This document consists of 10 printed pages, 2 blank pages and 1 Insert.
DC (SJF) 58178/3
2
1 Julia, during her recovery, fully explained her experience to her parents. For
Examiner’s
A reporter for a newspaper interviews Julia’s parents and asks the following three questions Use
only:
• What made you choose to visit the rainforest in Ecuador with your daughter, Julia?
• How did Julia’s 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.
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© UCLES 2012 0500/22/O/N/12

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© UCLES 2012 0500/22/O/N/12
5
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[Turn over for Question 2]

6
2 Re-read the descriptions of: For

Examiner’s
(a) the rainforest and its wildlife in paragraph 1, from ‘The family was trudging…’; Use
(b) Julia’s 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 between 1 and 1½ sides, allowing for the size of your handwriting.
Up to 10 marks are available for the content of your answer.
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© UCLES 2012 0500/22/O/N/12

7
For
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8
3 Summarise: For
Examiner’s
(a) what the Kalahari expedition offers a traveller, as described in Passage B. Use
(b) the challenges and potential problems faced by visitors to the rainforest, as described in
Passage A.
Aim to write no more than one side in total, allowing for the size of your handwriting. Write
your response on the lines provided on page 9.
© UCLES 2012 0500/22/O/N/12

9
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10
Additional Page For

Examiner’s
If you use the following lined page to complete the answer(s) to any question(s), the question Use
number(s) must be clearly shown.
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© UCLES 2012 0500/22/O/N/12
11
Additional Page For

Examiner’s
If you use the following lined page to complete the answer(s) to any question(s), the question Use
number(s) must be clearly shown.
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© UCLES 2012 0500/22/O/N/12
12
BLANK PAGE
Passage B © Woodsmoke: Bushcraft and Wilderness Survival, Expeditions, Kalahari: www.woodsmoke.uk.com; December 2011 (adapted).
© UCLES 2012 0500/22/O/N/12


Paper 2 Reading Passages (Extended) October/November 2012
2 hours
This Insert contains the reading passages for use with all questions on the Question Paper.
You may annotate this Reading Booklet Insert and use the blank spaces for planning. This Insert is not
required by the Examiner.
DC (AC) 66559/5 R
2
Part 1
Read Passage A carefully, and then answer Questions 1 and 2 on the Question Paper.
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 Julia’s 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 world’s 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 Julia’s 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 mother’s 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, ‘Don’t 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, Julia’s 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 family’s trip tried to persuade them to leave Kapawi and return to a hospital in
the nearest city hundreds of miles away. But as Julia’s 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.
© UCLES 2012 0500/22/INSERT/O/N/12
3
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
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.

&RQWHQWUHPRYHGGXHWRFRS\ULJKWUHVWULFWLRQV
© UCLES 2012 0500/22/INSERT/O/N/12

4
Passage B © Woodsmoke: Bushcraft and Wilderness Survival, Expeditions, Kalahari: www.woodsmoke.uk.com; December 2011 (adapted).
© UCLES 2012 0500/22/INSERT/O/N/12


Paper 3 Directed Writing and Composition October/November 2012
2 hours
* 7 3 9 6 3 7 1 8 7 5 *
Answer two questions: Question 1 (Section 1) and one question from Section 2.
All questions in this paper carry equal marks.
This document consists of 4 printed pages.
DC (LEO) 50290/3
2
1 Read the magazine article opposite about a street child called Emmanuel who has achieved
educational success.
You are Sister Jean. Write a letter to persuade local businesses to donate money to expand
the work of the Archway Children’s Centre.
In your letter you should:
• explain the work of the Centre and why it is necessary

• use Emmanuel’s story to support your appeal
• give reasons why local businesses should support the Centre.
Base your letter on what you have read in the magazine article. Be careful to use your own words.
Begin your letter, ‘Dear Local Business...’.
Up to 10 marks are available for the content of your answer and up to 15 marks for the
[25]
© UCLES 2012 0500/32/O/N/12

3
Child rescued from the streets gets top award
Among the winners at a recent awards ceremony, one 16-year-old student stood out as an inspiring
example of how education can transform lives. Emmanuel, a student from an international school in the
region, won the top award for Art and Design. Yet just ten years earlier, Emmanuel had faced a difficult
and uncertain future living on the streets.
Owing to difficult family circumstances, Emmanuel ran away from home when he was just six years old.
His parents were not able to look after him because of illness and lack of money. Initially, he begged on
the streets of the capital, which exposed him to many dangers and risks of disease. His life changed
forever when one day, by chance and in the hope of a meal, he found himself in the Archway Children’s
Centre.
‘It was June 1997, and from that moment my life changed,’ says Emmanuel. ‘Before that, I had been
in a dark room, searching for a way out. But then I found a door; that door was the Archway Children’s
Centre. No one opened it for me. I opened it myself. Suddenly, after so many years of darkness, it felt
as if someone had switched on all the lights.’
The Centre is dedicated to empowering street children aged between 7 and 17 years old. It provides
them with shelter, medical treatment, and clothing, as well as education and numerous other services.
Their vision is of a country in which all children can enjoy their basic rights to survival, development,
protection and participation in society. They believe that every child has a talent and a need for it to be
discovered and nurtured.
The Archway provided primary school education for Emmanuel, and gave him shelter at the home. At
school he discovered a talent for painting that was fostered by Sister Jean, the Centre’s founder. With
her help, he secured a scholarship to continue his secondary education locally. Emmanuel explains:
‘Sister Jean recognised that the international school was the only place where I could develop my
artistic potential. There I had inspirational teaching and encouragement to aim high.’
Following his outstanding examination result in Art and Design – in addition to good grades in other
subjects – Emmanuel is now hoping to pursue a career as an illustrator. Sister Jean is searching for
a scholarship to enable him to go to art school abroad to continue his studies. He intends to return to
his home country at the end of his course to teach Art to local children, as well as to produce his own
design work.
Emmanuel is passionate about the Archway Children’s Centre, and wants to help other children who
are living on the streets in order to show his gratitude for all that the Centre has done for him. With this
in mind, he contributed his story to a book published to raise money for the Centre and to show how
lives can be transformed through education. The stories are all written and illustrated by the Centre’s
children.
The number of street children in his country is rising dramatically, and it is estimated that there are
3,500 in the capital alone. Emmanuel says: ‘Without the Centre’s founder and my own efforts, my
artistic talent would never have been discovered. I was not only helped to overcome my difficulties, I
was given a complete rescue package. I hate to think what would have happened to me, where I would
be now, if chance had not directed me to the ever-open door of the Archway. Many of the children who
were begging with me on the street were not so lucky and they became criminals or the victims of
crime. Whoever buys the book is helping to rescue more street children, and opening the door so that
they can step into the future. One day, I want to be able to say that I helped other street children to find
out what they are good at. I hope to help them shine.’

4
Write about 2 sides, allowing for the size of your handwriting, on one of the following:
2 (a) ‘Having lots of rules is better than having lots of freedom.’ Argue for or against this statement.
[25]
OR
(b) Do you think that the existence of zoos can be justified nowadays, when it is possible to visit
animals in their habitat or to see them on television? [25]
Descriptive Writing
3 (a) Describe the best meal that you ever had with a group of people, including details of the place
and the atmosphere. [25]
OR
(b) You arrive at an airport or railway station to discover that there is a long delay. Describe what
you see and hear, and your thoughts and feelings while you are waiting. [25]
Narrative Writing
4 (a) You see someone in a crowd whom you recognise but you can’t think why. On noticing you,
the person moves away, and you instinctively follow. Write the story. [25]
OR
(b) Write a story which begins with someone hearing an eerie and unidentifiable noise. [25]
© UCLES 2012 0500/32/O/N/12

MARK SCHEME for the May/June 2012 question paper

for the guidance of teachers
0500 FIRST LANGUAGE ENGLISH

0500/12 Paper 1 (Reading Passage – Core), maximum raw mark 50
This mark scheme is published as an aid to teachers and candidates, to indicate the requirements of
the examination. It shows the basis on which Examiners were instructed to award marks. It does not
indicate the details of the discussions that took place at an Examiners’ meeting before marking began,
which would have considered the acceptability of alternative answers.
Mark schemes must be read in conjunction with the question papers and the report on the
examination.
• Cambridge will not enter into discussions or correspondence in connection with these mark schemes.
Cambridge is publishing the mark schemes for the May/June 2012 question papers for most IGCSE,
GCE Advanced Level and Advanced Subsidiary Level syllabuses and some Ordinary Level
syllabuses.
Page 2 Mark Scheme: Teachers’ version Syllabus Paper
IGCSE – May/June 2012 0500 12
Note: All Examiners are instructed that alternative correct answers and unexpected
approaches in candidates’ scripts must be given marks that fairly reflect the relevant
knowledge and skills demonstrated. Nonetheless, the content must be clearly related to
and derived from the passage.
Question 1
This question tests Reading Objectives R1–R4 (30 marks):

• understand and collate explicit meanings
• understand, explain and collate implicit meanings and attitudes
• select, analyse and evaluate what is relevant to specific purposes
• understand how writers achieve effects.
(a) From paragraph one (The consul’s home…), give three details about the consul’s flat.
[3]
• In the middle of/in the/old quarter/maze of alleyways.

• The top flat.
• In a rickety building.
• Overlooking a (tiny) square.
1 mark for each detail up to a maximum of 3.
(b) Re-read paragraph one (The consul’s home…). Choose three phrases used by the
writer which convey the rich and colourful nature of the area in which the consul lived.
Explain how each of these phrases brings the area to life for the reader. [6]
• Maze of narrow, smelly alleyways.

• Crammed with stalls piled high with gaily-coloured bales of cloth.
• Mountains of shining sweetmeats.
• Ornaments of beaten silver.
• Donkeys [ ] stagger past.
• Full of noise and bustle.
• Screeches of people bargaining…hot loaves on their heads.
• Tall, rickety building.
• Leant tiredly over a tiny square.
(Do not credit ‘rich and colourful’ (in the question).)
(1) Award 1 mark for each phrase identified up to a maximum of 3, and a further mark for a
clear explanation of the effect. E.g. the phrase ‘maze of narrow, smelly alleyways’ = 1
mark. An explanation such as ‘this suggests that the area is full of cramped streets in
which it was very easy to get confused and lost’ would qualify for the second mark.
Some candidates may produce better explanations than this. If the same explanation is
given for more than one phrase, then reward each quotation, but give only 1 mark
in total for explanation.
(2) Accept part of any of the phrases above. It is necessary for the candidate to give at least
two words to count as a phrase. Be prepared to award references to phrases other than
those above for which convincing explanations are given.
(3) If a phrase not mentioned above is chosen, it is possible for the response to be awarded
1 mark if the explanation is convincing.
(4) Paraphrase of chosen phrase = 0 for explanation. Explanation must also be
predominantly in candidate’s own words.
© University of Cambridge International Examinations 2012

(5) If two of the above phrases occur in the same section of the response, then award 1
mark for each (selection). However, there must be clear evidence that both phrases
have been explained for both explanation marks to be awarded. (Be careful not to award
4 marks in total for selection in such cases.)
(6) It is fully acceptable to award an holistic mark for this question (e.g. a total of 5 out of 6)
especially when a partial understanding of the effects of some of the chosen phrases is
implied.
(c) Explain, using your own words, how the consul set out to test Gerald’s knowledge of
French. [2]
• He gave him a copy of a French dictionary.

• He told him to start reading the words from the beginning.
1 mark for each clear explanation in own words up to a maximum of 2.
(d) Which word in line 15 tells you that the consul was friendly by nature? [1]
• Amicably.
(e) Explain, using your own words:
(i) how the consul reacted in lines 18–19. [2]
• He drew himself up straight (stiffened).

• He muttered an unclear exclamation (suppressed).
• He gave an excited expression/noise/sound (exclamation).
1 mark for each clear explanation in own words, up to a maximum of 2.
(ii) what Gerald’s two thoughts were immediately following the reactions of the
consul. [2]
• He thought he was angry because of his pronunciation.

• He was not responsible.
1 mark for each point clearly identified in own words, up to a maximum of 2.
(f) When he saw the consul fire the gun, what was Gerald thinking about why the consul
did this? Give one explanation (lines 29–31). [1]
• He was committing a murder.

• He was engaging in a feud with a neighbour.
1 mark for either of the above points.

(i) ‘frantic haste’ (line 22) [2]
• Desperate hurry.
(ii) ‘incessant fusillade’ (line 33) [2]
• Continuous volley/firing of shots.
(iii) ‘humane service’ (line 42) [2]
• Action for the good of others.
NB: The definitions above contain the essence of an answer. However, accept that
candidates may respond in different ways, e.g. at greater length.
For each of the 3 phrases give 2 marks for a clear explanation in own words; 1 mark for
a partially correct explanation up to a maximum of 6 marks.
(h) Re-read the whole passage. Write a summary of Gerald’s thoughts and feelings about
the Belgian consul.
Write a paragraph of about 50–70 words. [7]
1. He thought he was sweet (and welcoming)/friendly

2. He noticed his moustache and beard/of striking/unusual appearance.
3. He thought he was conceited.
4. He thought he was shocked by his French accent.
5. He was afraid that he was going to shoot him.
6. He thought he was committing murder.
7. He thought he was taking part in a feud.
8. He was surprised to see tears in his eyes.
9. He realised that he had a sensitive nature.
10. He thought that his actions were humane/those of an animal/cat lover.
1 mark for each point up to a maximum of 7. Tick each point to be credited. No penalty for
‘lifting’.
[Total: 30]

Question 2

• select, analyse and evaluate what is relevant to specific purposes
AND Writing Objectives W1–W5 (10 marks):

• articulate experience and express what is thought, felt and imagined
• order and present facts, ideas and opinions
• understand and use a range of appropriate vocabulary
• use language and register appropriate to audience and context
• make accurate and effective use of paragraphs, grammatical structures, sentences, punctuation
and spelling.
Imagine you are Gerald Durrell. You return home and talk with your mother about your first
lesson with your new tutor. During the conversation your mother asks the following:
• Tell me about your journey to your tutor’s house.
• What did you do in your first lesson today?
• What were your impressions of your tutor?
Write the words of the conversation between Gerald and his mother.
Begin your conversation:

‘Mother: Tell me about your journey to your tutor’s house.
Gerald: Well, it was interesting…’.
General notes on the task
The most successful responses are likely to show a clear appreciation of what Gerald found interesting
about the area in which the consul lived; of his thoughts and feelings during the lesson and of his response
to the consul’s character (e.g. his concern for the cats and his sadness at having to kill them) and, perhaps,
show some appreciation of his vanity – the many photographs of himself. Less successful responses are
likely to lift sections of the original and do little more than repeat details that are already there and
concentrate on repeating details from the passage without going beyond the more obvious details.
Look for and credit an attempt to write in an appropriate register.

Marking criteria for Question 2
(a) READING (Using and understanding the material)
Use the following table to give a mark out of 10.
Band 1 9–10 Uses and develops several ideas, both factual and inferential, from the
passage. Consistently refers to what made the journey and the lesson
interesting and shows a clear appreciation of the consul’s character.
Band 2 7–8 Refers to several details from the passage and shows some
understanding of what made the journey and the lesson interesting.
There is an attempt to give an appreciation of the consul’s character.
Band 3 5–6 Repeats some details from the passage about the area and the lesson.
Shows limited understanding of the consul’s character. Focuses on the
question and passage, but uses material simply and partially.
Band 4 3–4 There is some relevance to the question with a tendency to retell the
passage rather than focus on the requirements of the question. The
response is likely to contain much repeated detail from the passage with
little relation to the requirements of the question.
Band 5 1–2 May retell the passage or give occasional relevant details. There may
be examples of misunderstanding or lack of clarity in attempting to use
the passage.
Band 6 0 Very little/no relevance. General misunderstanding of task and passage.

(b) WRITING (Core tier)
Band 1 9–10 Sentences are fluent and there is a fairly wide range of vocabulary.
Overall structure is good and sentences generally follow in sequence.
Most full stops are correct and errors are infrequent and minor. An
appropriate register is established.
Band 2 7–8 Sentences are correct, though relatively simple. Vocabulary is adequate
and correctly used. Structure is generally sound. There are some
sentence separation errors and quite frequent other errors, although
minor. There are some hints of an appropriate register.
Band 3 5–6 Sentence structures and vocabulary are simple, but meaning is never in
doubt. The order is reasonable. Error may be frequent, but it does not
blur meaning. There may be an inconsistent attempt at an appropriate
register.
Band 4 3–4 The response is very simply written and there are occasional examples
of blurred meaning. The structure can usually be followed. Some error
is serious, affecting meaning. The response may be over-dependent on
lifted material.
Band 5 1–2 The response is difficult to understand. The extent of grammatical error
seriously impedes meaning. The response may be almost entirely lifted
from the original.
Band 6 0 The answer cannot be understood.
Add the marks for Reading and Writing to give a total mark out of 20 for Question 2.
[Total: 20]



0500/22 Paper 2 (Reading Passages – Extended),
maximum raw mark 50
examination.
syllabuses.
Note: All Examiners are instructed that alternative correct answers and unexpected approaches in
candidates’ scripts must be given marks that fairly reflect the relevant knowledge and skills
demonstrated. Nonetheless, the content must be clearly related to and derived from the
passage.
Question 1

• select, analyse and evaluate what is relevant to specific purposes.

and spelling.
A senior officer asks Muller to give an account of his meeting with the criminal the previous
day. He asks Muller the following three questions only: Why did you take the reckless decision
to go alone to meet Sorensen? What was your physical and mental state before the meeting?
What happened in the next few minutes after the door opened?
Write the words of the interview.
Write between 1½ 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.
[20]
General notes on likely content
Candidates should select ideas from the passage and develop their own, supporting what they write
with details from the passage and judging the appropriate content and tone for a formal interview.
Bear in mind the difference between objective facts and literary descriptions in the passage, and that
the structure and language of the passage require modification.
Look for a clear and balanced response, well sequenced and in the candidate’s own words.

Responses might use the following ideas:
A Why did you take the reckless decision to go alone to meet Sorensen?
• I didn't have time to get permission

• I thought you wanted him caught
• He's too dangerous to risk losing
• Sorensen insisted I go alone
• I knew he'd disappear if I took anyone with me
• He trusts me because of our previous encounter
• I know him and how he thinks
• If was my fault we lost him ten years ago and I wanted to make amends
• I didn't want anyone else to get hurt
• I thought he'd give himself up quietly, since he arranged the meeting
B What was your physical and mental state before the meeting?
• I didn’t trust Sorensen but hoped he would behave calmly

• I was on time and knew Sorensen was there
• I felt vulnerable and knew he was watching me
• I was afraid he might disappear again
• I was taking my time approaching the house
• I wasn’t sure what to expect and was apprehensive
• I was aware that no one could come to my aid/remoteness of the place
• I calmed myself down before leaving the van
• I waited for Sorensen to make the first move
C What happened in the next few minutes after the door opened?
This section must be answered with inference based on evidence; any interpretation grounded
in the passage can be accepted. The interview with the superior officer could be the
consequence of either a positive or negative outcome.
The sense of foreboding in the passage, references to the previous history between the detective
and the criminal, and the risk of going there alone suggest that the outcome was not a successful
one.
Alternatively, the fact that Sorensen had told the detective where he was and had arranged the
meeting could imply that this time he was ready to turn himself in and that the detective’s fears
were groundless. The possibilities are that:
• Sorensen was calm/in an excited state

• Sorensen was armed and used his weapon, or surrendered it
• Sorensen came out and gave himself up/there was a struggle
• Sorensen spoke or the detective spoke
• Sorensen ran for his car and got away/didn’t get away
• Sorensen didn’t come out, because he had gone/never been there/it was somebody else
• No one came out, so after a while detective went in and arrested Sorensen/discovered he
had left by the other door
• The detective had been lured into a trap/others arrived; how did he escape?
• The detective did/didn’t return to the police station with Sorensen in custody

Marking Criteria for Question 1
A CONTENT (EXTENDED TIER)
Band 1: The response reveals a thorough reading of the passage. A wide range of ideas are
13–15 applied. There is sustained use of supporting detail, which is well integrated into the
response, contributing to a strong sense of purpose and approach. Developed ideas are
well related to the passage. Good use is made of the tense atmosphere and dangerous
situation. All three bullets are well covered. A consistent and convincing voice is used.
Band 2: There is evidence of a competent reading of the passage. Some ideas are developed,
10–12 but the ability to sustain them may not be consistent. There is frequent supporting detail.
The response answers all three bullets, though perhaps not equally well. An appropriate
voice is used.
Band 3: The passage has been read reasonably well, but the response may not reflect the
7–9 range or complexity of ideas in the original. There may be some mechanical use of the
passage. Supporting detail is used occasionally. Opportunities for development are
rarely taken and ideas are simply expressed. There is uneven focus on the bullets. The
voice is plain or lacks immediacy.
Band 4: Some brief, straightforward reference to the passage is made. There is some evidence
4–6 of general understanding of the main ideas, although the response may be thin or in
places lack focus on the passage or the question. One of the bullets may not be
addressed. The voice is not sustained and/or appropriate.
Band 5: The response is either very general, with little reference to the passage, or a
1–3 reproduction of sections of the original. Content is insubstantial, or there is little
realisation of the need to modify material from the passage.
Band 6: There is little or no relevance to the question or to the passage.

0

B QUALITY OF WRITING: STRUCTURE AND ORDER, STYLE OF LANGUAGE (EXTENDED

TIER)
Band 1: The language of the response has character and sounds convincing and consistently
5 appropriate. Ideas are firmly expressed in a wide range of effective and/or interesting
language. Structure and sequence are sound throughout.
Band 2: Language is mostly fluent and there is clarity of expression. There is a sufficient range of
4 vocabulary to express ideas with subtlety and precision, and to give an indication of the
personality of the character. The response is mainly well structured and well sequenced.
Band 3: Language is clear and appropriate, but comparatively plain and/or factual, expressing
3 little opinion. Ideas are rarely extended, but explanations are adequate. Some sections
are quite well sequenced but there may be flaws in structure.
Band 4: There may be some awkwardness of expression and some inconsistency of style.
2 Language is too limited to express shades of meaning. There is structural weakness and
there may be some copying from the passage.
Band 5: There are problems of expression and structure. Language is weak and undeveloped.
1 There is little attempt to explain ideas. There may be frequent copying from the original.
Band 6: Sentence structures and language are unclear and the response is difficult to follow.
0

Question 2
This question tests Reading Objective R4 (10 marks):
Re-read the descriptions of:

(a) the landscape in paragraph 2, beginning ‘Then the rain stopped…’;
(b) the house and surroundings in paragraph 4, beginning ‘Muller got out…’.
effects by using this language. [10]
This question is marked for the ability to select evocative or unusual words and for an understanding
of ways in which the language is effective. Expect responses to provide words that carry specific
meaning, including implications, additional to general and to ordinary vocabulary.
Mark for the overall quality of the response, not for the number of words or phrases chosen bearing in
mind that a range of choices is required to demonstrate an understanding of how language works,
and that these should include images. Do not take marks off for inaccurate statements; simply ignore
them. It is the quality of the analysis that attracts marks.
The following notes are a guide to what good responses might say about the selections. They can
make any sensible comment, but only credit those that are relevant to the correct meanings of the
words in the context and that have some validity. Alternative acceptable explanations should be
credited.
(a) the landscape in paragraph 2
The general effect is one of remoteness and hostility, as if the landscape and weather are against the
detective. The flat, dead and treacherous landscape is presented as if it is a painting, in muted
colours of grey and brown.
blurred: the rain on the windscreen has obscured his vision, and made the lansdscape look out of
focus, adding to his alienation.
flattened down: the power of the wind and rain is evident in the reduction of everything in the
landscape to the horizontal; this is a sustained image in the passage and suggests the difficulties for
humans/the detective in such an environment.
pale gleam on all sides: a threatening, enclosing, metallic effect; ‘pale’ is part of the
colourlessness/drabness.
dead country towns (image): stronger than ‘empty’ or ‘deserted’, ‘dead’ links with crime/murder.
weather worn, abandoned: suggests that people were driven from their homes by the hostile
climate.
deserted grass stretches: the impression is given of wide open spaces, with no habitation and
therefore no human presence to come to one’s aid; ‘deserted’ picks up on ‘abandoned’; ‘stretches’ is
a horizontal image and links to ‘flattened’, and to ‘line’ and ‘stripes’ later.
wide fallow fields: meaning bare, uncultivated; adds to idea of vastness and barrenness/bleakness
of location and atmosphere
wind-blown, gnarled (‘gnarled’ = image) trees: once again nature seems too fierce to be withstood
and the personification of the trees suggests human victims; ‘gnarled’ is associated with horror and
evil.

a breeding ground for loneliness (image): image ironically depicts a place able to generate only
emptiness, nothingness; draws attention to detective being alone.
the end of the earth: suggests extent of isolation and being trapped; technically correct as land turns
into sea beyond the dike.
the woods drew a thin dark line (image): drawing image (recurring in paragraph 3 with ‘long pencil
stroke’) emphasises distance; woods personified as if landscape in control.
black stripes of earth: evokes wintry lack of vegetation; related to ‘strip’ and ‘stroke’ and adds to the
recurring imagery of the horizontal.
shining meadows: draws attention to the wetness/muddiness of the land and the gleaming metallic
effect already mentioned.
their blades rotating synchronously: there is something mechanically sinister about the turbines,
which uniformly obey the power of the wind and are indifferent to humans and their fate.
(b) the house and surroundings in paragraph 4
The overall impression could be that the house is a victim of the season and its owners/present
occupant; or that some aspects of its exterior contrast ironically with the general landscape and with
the dangerous situation.
looking forlorn (image): the ‘rainsoaked’ furniture is personified to evoke the pathos of
abandonment.
half hidden behind high elms: evokes a feeling of a secret hide-out in the woods, which the trees
are protecting against interlopers.
freshly painted: this is ironic in the context of the surroundings, and of the situation of being
occupied by a criminal, and forms a contrast with the grim and colourless description of the landscape
and terrace.
vivid red-yellow ochre: this surprisingly bright colour is in strong contrast to the landscape and the
sombre situation; it makes the house seem incongruously cheerful in the context.
near-withered hollyhocks in faded colours: in contrast to the garish house, the garden is losing
colour/dying and merging into the terrain around, intensifying the autumnal mood.
nostalgic dream of a peaceful country idyll: this phrase is in ironic contrast to the weather,
landscape and nature of the rendezvous.
muddy, rutted…narrow path: in paragraph 2 he got stuck in the ‘muddy tractor ruts’, so this
repetition and use of assonance stresses difficulty of the terrain, formed by a combination of the
dominant landscape elements of earth and water; reinforces dullness of colour palette; ‘narrow path’
through trees has connotations of someone vulnerable being led towards something dangerous.

Marking Criteria for Question 2:
READING
Band 1: Wide ranging discussion of language with some high quality comments that add
9–10 meaning and associations to words in both parts of the question, and demonstrate the
writer's reasons for using them. May give an overview of the paragraph’s combined
effect, or comment on language features additional to vocabulary. Tackles imagery
with some precision and imagination. There is clear evidence that the candidate
understands how language works.
Band 2: Reference is made to a number of words and phrases, and explanations are given
7–8 and effects identified in both parts of the question. Images are recognised as such
and the response goes some way to explaining them. There is some evidence that
the candidate understands how language works.
Band 3: A satisfactory attempt is made to identify appropriate words and phrases. Literary and
5–6 linguistic devices may be correctly identified in the context of the meanings of the
words. The response mostly gives only meanings of words and any attempt to
suggest effects is basic or very general. One half of the question may be better
answered than the other.
Band 4: The response provides a mixture of appropriate choices and words that communicate
3–4 less well. The response may attempt to identify devices but not explain meanings.
Explanations may be few, general, slight and/or only partially effective. They may
repeat the language of the original or do not refer to specific words.
Band 5: The choice of words is sparse or rarely relevant. Any comments are inappropriate and
1–2 the response is very thin.
Band 6: The response does not relate to the question. Inappropriate words and phrases are
0 chosen or none are selected.

Question 3


and spelling.
Summarise:
(a) how detectives are portrayed in fiction, as described in Passage B;
(b) the detective’s observations and feelings during his journey and on arrival, as described in
Passage A.
Write about 1 side in total, 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. [20]
A CONTENT
Give 1 mark per point up to a maximum of 15.
(a) How detectives are portrayed in fiction (Passage B)
1 wise/observant/logical/perceptive/intelligent
2 have experience/previous success/fame/are celebrated
3 have a strong personality
4 are eccentric + habits/tastes/interests
5 never first on the crime scene
6 ignore previous evidence
7 make extensive and exhaustive enquiries/interviews everyone (must be plural)
8 have a deputy figure
9 do not use technology/modern crime-detection methods
10 often rely on coincidence/confessions
11 are never afraid/are fearless/brave
12 are never killed
13 are always successful (do not accept often/usually)

(b) The detective’s observations and feelings (Passage A)

14 racing against time/worry about delay/physical symptoms of stress
15 fear of getting lost or getting stuck/reaction to road conditions
16 adverse weather/wind and rain
17 anxiety/isolation in such an environment
17a negative visual features of the landscape (e.g. vast, flat, deserted, silent, colourless)
18 worry about criminal's past behaviour/elusiveness/possible escape
19 it was getting dark/approach of evening/dark or grey clouds
20 bird of prey a bad omen
21 panicked reaction to flock of birds (not just arm movement without reason)
22 he was aware of figure/exposed to the view from the window/felt vulnerable
22a description of exterior of house and its surroundings (e.g. garden furniture, Skoda)
23 fear/danger: didn’t know what to expect/had to steel himself/possible violence
Examiners should decide whether candidates have understood a point and have expressed it
sufficiently clearly for it to be rewarded. Be aware that there will be a variety of expression, and be
prepared to give the benefit of the doubt in borderline cases.
Note: The basic points are those in bold – the rest of each answer is to contextualise and to help you
judge whether the point has been understood.
B QUALITY OF WRITING: CONCISION, FOCUS AND WRITING IN OWN WORDS
Band 1: Both parts of the summary are well focused on the passage and the question. All points are
5 expressed clearly, concisely and fluently, and in own words (where appropriate) throughout.
Band 2: Most points are made clearly and concisely. Own words (where appropriate) are used
4 consistently. The summary is mostly focused but may have an inappropriate introduction or
conclusion.
Band 3: There are some areas of concision. There may be occasional loss of focus or clarity. Own
3 words (where appropriate) are used for most of the summary. Responses may be list-like or
not well sequenced.
Band 4: The summary is sometimes focused, but it may include comment, repetition, unnecessarily
2 long explanation or lifted phrases. It may exceed the permitted length.
Band 5: The summary is unfocused, wordy or overlong. It may be answered in the wrong form (e.g.
1 narrative, commentary, or as notes). There may be frequent lifting of phrases and
sentences.
Band 6: Excessive lifting; no focus; excessively long.

0
It is important that candidates follow the instruction about writing a side in total for the summary,
allowing for the size of the handwriting. The guidelines are as follows: large handwriting is
approximately five words per line, average handwriting is eight/nine words per line, and small
handwriting is eleven and more. Typed scripts consist of approximately 15 words per line.
Note: A few candidates will copy the passage word for word or write in note form. These
candidates will be penalised.



0500/32 Paper 3 (Directed Writing and Composition),
maximum raw mark 50
examination.
syllabuses.
demonstrated. Nonetheless, the content must be clearly related to and derived from the
passage.
Question 1
This question tests Writing Objectives W1–W5 (15 marks):

and spelling.
AND aspects of Reading Objectives R1–R3 (10 marks):

Read the claims of an environmental organisation in the box below, and the press
statement from an airline pilots’ association, on the opposite page. Write a school magazine
article with the title ‘What is the real truth about air travel?’. In your article you should
identify and evaluate the different views on global warming and air travel, and use your own
ideas to support your comments. Base your ideas on what you have read in the box below
and the press statement. Be careful to use your own words. Write between 1½ and 2 sides,
allowing for the size of your handwriting. Up to 10 marks are available for the content of
your answer, and up to 15 marks for the quality of your writing. [25]

Responses may use the following ideas:
A Airline industry’s opinions on global warming and air travel
• for long journeys, high speed trains, ships and cars are worse, yet more roads being built
• airline industry has already cut emissions and will cut fuel consumption in future
• developing countries need tourism and therefore air travel for economic development
• more effective carbon footprint reductions can be made in the home
• airline industry is targeted only because of its high visibility/real causes being ignored
B Why campaigners want reduction in air travel
• too much noise, traffic and pollution near airports

• air travel affects climate change/fastest growing source of greenhouse gases
• air traffic expected to continue expanding and number of passengers to nearly double
• air travel more polluting than cars or rail over short distances
• not necessary for businesses because of telecommunication advances
C Points which could be used in evaluation and own views (including implicit points)
• air travel not significant in overall amount of carbon dioxide given out by vehicles
• the world depends on tourism, especially many poorer countries, so it would not be fair to
destroy their economies by encouraging people to stay in their own country
• rail travel is not always a substitute; the service can be unreliable or more expensive
• not all business meetings can be conducted by video conferencing
• unfair that people should be made to feel guilty for going somewhere exotic on holiday
• even the campaigners and politicians rely on getting places quickly by air
Accept other relevant ideas derived from the passage and relevant to the question as a basis for the
article.

The question is marked out of 10 for Reading and 15 for Writing.
Use the following table to give a mark out of 10 for Reading.
Band 1 9–10 Gives a thorough, perceptive, convincing evaluation. Reads effectively

between the lines. Shows understanding by developing much of the
reading material and integrating it into a response to the task.
Band 2 7–8 Some evidence of evaluation, engaging with a few of the main points with
success. Uses reading material to support the argument. Occasionally
effective development of ideas in the material.
Band 3 5–6 Reproduces a number of points to make a satisfactory response. The

response covers the material adequately, but may miss opportunities to
develop it relevantly or at length.
Band 4 3–4 Selects points from the passage rather literally and/or uses the material
thinly. Does not combine points into a connected response.
Band 5 1–2 Parts of the response are relevant, though the material may be repeated or
used inappropriately.
Band 6 0 Response does not relate to question and/or too much unselective copying
directly from the material to gain a mark in Band 5.
First variant Mark Scheme
Use the following table to give a mark out of 15 for Writing.
Band 1 13–15 Consistent sense of audience; authoritative and appropriate style. Fluent,
varied sentences; wide range of vocabulary. Strong sense of structure,
paragraphing and sequence. Virtually no error.
Band 2 10–12 Sense of audience mostly secure; there is evidence of style and fluency;
sentences and vocabulary are effective. Secure overall structure; mostly
well-sequenced. Writing is mainly accurate.
Band 3 8–9 Occasional sense of audience; mostly written in correctly structured

sentences; vocabulary may be plain but adequate for the task; mostly quite
well structured. Errors minor.
Band 4 5–7 Inconsistent style; simple or faultily constructed sentences; vocabulary

simple; basic structure. Frequent errors, including sentence separation.
Band 5 3–4 Inappropriate expression; the response is not always well sequenced.
Serious errors in sentence structure/vocabulary/grammar/punctuation.
Band 6 1–2 Expression unclear; flawed sentence construction and order. Persistent
serious errors interfere with the conveying of meaning.
Band 7 0 Problems of expression and accuracy are too serious to gain a mark in
Band 6.

Questions 2 (a), 2 (b), 3 (a), 3 (b), 4 (a) and 4 (b).
Give two marks:

• the first mark is out of 13 for content and structure: see Table A
• the second mark is out of 12 for style and accuracy: see Table B
2 (a) If you were offered the chance to learn everything about your future, would you take
it? Argue why you would or would not want to know what was going to happen to you.
[25]
OR
(b) Do you believe that individuals who are wealthy enough should be expected to fund
good causes? [25]
Descriptive Writing
3 (a) Describe children playing with a grandparent. [25]
OR
(b) Describe a time when you felt homesick. Where were you at the time, and what were
your thoughts and feelings? [25]
Narrative Writing
4 (a) Write a story called ‘The Rock’. [25]
OR
(b) ‘The lady, her face barely visible through the thick lace veil, turned the card over to
reveal…’. Begin or end your story with these words. [25]

COMPOSITION TASKS: TABLE A – CONTENT AND STRUCTURE
ARGUMENTATIVE/ DESCRIPTIVE TASK NARRATIVE TASK

DISCURSIVE TASK
Band 1 • Consistently well • There are many well- • The narrative is

11–13 developed, logical defined, well-developed complex and
stages in an overall, at ideas and images, sophisticated and may
times complex, describing complex contain devices such
argument. atmospheres with a as sub-texts,
range of details. flashbacks and time
• Each stage is linked lapses. Cogent details
to the preceding one, • Overall structure is are provided where
and sentences within provided through necessary or
paragraphs are soundly devices such as the appropriate.
sequenced. movements of the
persona, the creation of • Different parts of the
a short time span, or story are balanced and
the creation of the climax carefully
atmosphere or tension. managed. Sentence
There is no confusion sequences are
with writing a story. sometimes arranged to
Repetition is avoided produce effects such as
and the sequence of the building up of
sentences makes the tension or providing a
picture clear to the sudden turn of events.
reader.
Band 2 • Each stage of the • There is a good range • The writing develops
9–10 argument is defined of images with some interesting
and developed, interesting details features, but not
although the which contribute to a consistently so.
explanation may not sense of atmosphere. Expect the use of detail
be consistent. and some attention to
• These are formed into character or setting.
• The stages follow in a an overall picture of
generally cohesive some clarity, largely • Writing is orderly and
progression. consistent and the beginning and
Paragraphs are mostly effective. There may be ending are satisfactorily
well sequenced, occasional repetition, managed. The reader
although some may and opportunities for is well aware of the
finish less strongly than development or the climax even if it is not
they begin. provision of detail may fully effective.
be missed. Sentences Sequencing of
are often well sentences provides
sequenced. clarity and engages the
reader in events or
atmosphere.

Band 3 • There is a series of • There is a selection of • A straightforward but

7–8 relevant points and a relevant ideas, cohesive story with
clear attempt is made images, and details, identification of features
to develop some of which satisfactorily such as character and
them. These points are address the task. An setting.
straightforward and attempt is made to
logical/coherent. create atmosphere. • While opportunities
for appropriate
• Repetition is avoided, • The description development of ideas
but the order of the provides a series of are sometimes
stages in the overall points rather than a missed, overall
argument can be sense of their being structure is competent,
changed without combined to make an and some features of a
adverse effect. The overall picture, but developed narrative are
sequence of the some ideas are evident. Sentences are
sentences within developed successfully, usually sequenced to
paragraphs is albeit straightforwardly. narrate events clearly.
satisfactory, but the Some sentences are
linking of ideas may well sequenced.
be insecure.
Band 4 • Mainly relevant points • Some relevant ideas • Responds relevantly to

5–6 are made and they are are provided and the topic, but is only a
developed partially occasionally series of
with some brief developed a little, chronological events
effectiveness. perhaps as a with occasional
narrative. There are references to character
• The overall argument some descriptive and setting.
shows signs of details, but the use of
structure but may be event may overshadow • Overall structure is
sounder at the them. sound, but there are
beginning than at the examples where
end, or may drift away • There is some overall particular parts are
from the topic. There structure, but the too long or short. The
may be some writing may lack climax is not
repetition. The direction and intent. effectively described
sequence of sentences There may be or prepared. Sentence
may be occasionally interruptions in the sequences narrate
insecure. sequence of sentences events and
and/or some lack of occasionally contain
clarity. irrelevances.

Band 5 • A few relevant points • Content is relevant but • A very simple

3–4 are made and may be lacking in scope or narrative; it may
expanded into variety. Opportunities consist of nonsensical
paragraphs, but to provide development or confusing events.
development is very and detail are
simple and not always frequently missed. • Unequal or
logical. inappropriate
• The overall structure, importance is given
• There is weakness of though readily to parts of the story.
sequencing overall and discernible, lacks form Paragraphing is
within paragraphs. and dimension. inconsistent. Dialogue
Paragraphing is Paragraphing is may be used
inconsistent. inconsistent. The ineffectively. There is
Repetition and an reliance on identifying no real climax.
inability to sustain events, objects and/or Sentence sequences
relevant argument are people sometimes are used only to link
obvious. leads to a sequence of simple series of events.
sentences without
progression.
Band 6 • A few points are • Some relevant facts are • Stories are incoherent
1–2 discernible but any identified, but the and narrate events
attempt to develop overall picture is indiscriminately.
them is very limited. unclear and lacks Endings are absent or
development. lack effect.
• Overall argument only
progresses here and • There are examples of • The shape of the
there and the sequenced sentences, narrative is unclear;
sequence of sentences but there is also some of the content
is poor. repetition and muddled has no relevance to the
ordering. plot. Sequences of
sentences are
sometimes poor,
leading to a lack of
clarity.
Band 7 • Rarely relevant, little • Rarely relevant, little • Rarely relevant, little
0 material, and presented material, and presented material, and presented
in a disorderly in a disorderly in a disorderly
structure. Not sufficient structure. Not sufficient structure. Not sufficient
to be placed in Band 6. to be placed in Band 6. to be placed in Band 6.

COMPOSITION TASKS: TABLE B: STYLE AND ACCURACY
Writing is consistent, stylistically fluent, linguistically strong and

Band 1 11–12 accurate; has sense of audience.
Look for:
• appropriately used ambitious words
• complex sentence structures where appropriate.
Writing is mostly fluent, sometimes linguistically effective and largely

Band 2 9–10 accurate; may have some sense of audience.
Look for:
• signs of a developing style
• some ability to express shades of meaning.
Writing is clear, competent (if plain) in vocabulary and grammar;

Band 3 7–8 errors perhaps frequent, but minor.
Look for:
• mostly correct sentence separation
• occasional precision and/or interest in choice of words.
Writing is clear and accurate in places, and uses limited vocabulary

Band 4 5–6 and grammar; errors occasionally serious.
Look for:
• simple sentences
• errors of sentence separation.
Writing is simple in vocabulary and grammar; errors are distracting

Band 5 3–4 and sometimes serious, but overall meaning can be followed.
Look for:
• definite weaknesses in sentence structures
• grammatical errors such as incorrect use of prepositions and tense.
Writing is weak in vocabulary and grammar; serious, persistent

Band 6 1–2 errors; meaning is blurred.
Look for:
• faulty and/or rambling sentences
• language insufficient to carry intended meaning.
Band 7 0 Writing is difficult to follow because of inadequate language

proficiency and error.

CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL EXAMINATIONS
MARK SCHEME for the October/November 2012 series

0500/12 Paper 1 (Reading Passage – Core), maximum raw mark 50
Mark schemes should be read in conjunction with the question paper and the Principal Examiner
Report for Teachers.
Cambridge will not enter into discussions about these mark schemes.
Cambridge is publishing the mark schemes for the October/November 2012 series for most IGCSE,
GCE Advanced Level and Advanced Subsidiary Level components and some Ordinary Level
components.
Page 2 Mark Scheme Syllabus Paper
IGCSE – October/November 2012 0500 12
Note: (1) All Examiners are instructed that alternative correct answers and unexpected
approaches in candidates’ scripts must be given marks that fairly reflect the
relevant knowledge and skills demonstrated. Nonetheless, the content must be
clearly related to and derived from the passage.
(2) For responses requiring two or three separate points, reward the marks if two or
more correct answers are written in the same space and ignore subsequent
incorrect responses.
(3) Words underlined in the answers are required for the full mark to be awarded.
Question 1

• Understand and collate explicit meanings
• Understand, explain and collate implicit meanings and attitudes
• Select, analyse and evaluate what is relevant to specific purposes
• Understand how writers achieve effects.
(a) Why were the writer and her companions visiting Costa Rica? [1]
• They were on a walking holiday.
(b) What two reasons does the writer give for the sense of panic she refers to in
paragraph one? [2]
• It was late.
• She was disturbed by the (unfamiliar) heat.
• (Surrounded by) taxi drivers.
• Could not find the guide.
1 mark for each reason up to a maximum of 2.
(c) What do we learn about the writer’s feelings towards the spider from the phrase
‘deliciously creepy’ (line 23)? [2]
• The spider was literally creeping over her hand.

• She found it pleasant.
• She found it unsettling/scary/strange.
Reward answers which attempt to explain the oxymoron.

2 marks for a clear explanation; 1 mark for partial understanding e.g. ‘She found the
experience creepy but enjoyable.’
(d) Which word in paragraph six tells you that the roads in Costa Rica were not in good
condition? [1]
• Potholed (roads).
© Cambridge International Examinations 2012

(e) Give three things from paragraph eight which the writer enjoyed about the Eco
Termales Hot Springs resort. [3]
• It was not as expensive/overcrowded.

• Four (large) pools
• (They could relax/soothe aching muscles in) the warm/steamy water/hot springs.
• The rain had stopped.
• (They could watch the) bats.
• There was good/enjoyable (local/national food)/a good restaurant
1 mark for each point clearly made, up to a maximum of 3.
(f) Explain, using your own words, how the scenery changed as they approached
Nicaragua. [2]
• It changed suddenly.
• From fertile, moist forest (allow ‘lush rainforest’)
• To dry/open (grass)land/prairie/savannah.
Do not accept reference to ‘more volcanic mountains’ or ‘desert’. N.B. The question refers to
‘scenery’ so do not credit statements about the weather/climate.
2 marks for a clear explanation in own words; 1 mark for partial understanding or for direct lift
of ‘The lush rainforest... savannah.’ Verbatim lift of all of the final paragraph = 0.
(i) ‘my limited vocabulary’ (line 10) [2]
• The small number of (Spanish) words that I knew.
(ii) ‘our heads literally in the clouds’ (line 40) [2]
• We were sitting high up amongst real/actual clouds.
(iii) ‘determined to stay hidden’ (line 50) [2]
• (As if it) intended to remain covered by clouds.
(An understanding that the mountain is the subject/being personified is necessary for a
fully correct answer. N.B. 'two thirds in cloud' is a lift and unacceptable.)
NB: the definitions above contain the essence of an answer. However, accept that
candidates may respond in different ways, e.g. at greater length.
For each of the 3 phrases give 2 marks for a clear explanation in own words/1 mark for a
partially correct explanation, up to a maximum of 6 marks.

(h) Re-read paragraphs three to seven. Choose three short phrases which the writer uses
to suggest her excitement about what she saw in Costa Rica.
Explain how each of these phrases helps to convey her sense of excitement about
what she saw. [6]
• Full of bewildering contrasts.

• Deliciously creepy (N.B. explanation should focus on the sense of excitement)
• Most unreasonably beautiful and bizarre scenery I’ve ever seen.
• A few mini-wonders to experience.
• Scrambled out of the car…looked excitedly.
• What a delight!
• Flash of vivid orange ginger lilies.
• Admittedly rare experience...
• Would have been an astonishing sight (N.B. Explanation must show an awareness of
the conditional force of the phrase)
(1) Award 1 mark for each phrase identified up to a maximum of three, and a further mark
for a clear explanation of the effect. E.g. the phrase ‘flash of vivid orange ginger lilies’ =
1 mark. An explanation such as ‘this suggests the excitement the writer feels at the way
the unexpected beauty of hidden nature is suddenly revealed’ would qualify for the
second mark. Some candidates may produce better explanations than this. If the same
explanation is given for more than one phrase, then reward each quotation, but
give only 1 mark in total for explanation.
(2) Accept any part of the phrases above. Be prepared to award references to valid phrases
other than those above for which convincing explanations are given.
(3) If a phrase not mentioned above is chosen, it is possible for the response to be awarded
1 mark if the explanation is convincing.
(4) Paraphrase of chosen phrase = 0 for explanation. Explanation must also be
predominantly in candidate’s own words.
(5) If two of the above phrases occur in the same section of the response, then award 1
mark for each (selection). However, there must be clear evidence that both phrases
have been explained for both explanation marks to be awarded. (Be careful not to award
4 marks in total for selection in such cases.)
(6) It is fully acceptable to award an holistic mark for this question (e.g. a total of 5 out of 6)
especially when a partial understanding of the effects of some of the chosen phrases is
implied.
(i) Re-read paragraph four to the end of the passage. Write a summary of what you learn
about volcanoes in Costa Rica.
Write a paragraph of about 50 to 70 words. [7]
1. There are many of them.
2. Eruptions have killed people/80 killed(in the last eruption).
3. They are still active/last eruption was in 1968.
4. You can see red lava flowing from them
5. New mountains are created by (the lava/eruptions).
6. You can see steam blowing from them.
7. They are in (the midst of) deep forest.
8. Hot springs (are often found with volcanoes).
9. They are often hidden/two thirds covered by clouds.
10. They are also found in the savannah/near the Nicaraguan border.
Give 1 mark for each of these points up to a maximum of 7. Tick each point to be credited.
No penalty for ‘lifting’.
[Total: 30]

Question 2

• Understand and collate explicit meanings
• Understand, explain and collate implicit meanings and attitudes
• Select, analyse and evaluate what is relevant to specific purposes

• Articulate experience and express what is thought, felt and imagined
• Order and present facts, ideas and opinions
• Understand and use a range of appropriate vocabulary
• Use language and register appropriate to audience and context
• Make accurate and effective use of paragraphs, grammatical structures, sentences,
punctuation and spelling.
Imagine you have just returned from your trip to Costa Rica.
Write an article about your visit for a newspaper.
In your article you should include:
• the interesting variety of the scenery and the wildlife

• the challenges and rewards for visitors
• reasons why people would enjoy visiting Costa Rica
Up to 10 marks are available for the content of your answer, and up to 10 marks for the quality of
your writing.
General notes on the task
The most successful responses are likely to show a clear appreciation of what the writer found
interesting about Costa Rica and show an understanding of both the challenges and rewards offered
by a visit there. Less successful responses are likely to lift sections of the original and do little more
than repeat details that are already there or concentrate on repeating details from the passage
without providing convincing or appropriate reasons for visiting the country.
Look for and credit an attempt to write in an appropriate register and which shows an awareness of
the required genre/format.

Marking criteria for Question 2
(a) READING (Using and understanding the material)
Uses and develops several ideas, both factual and inferential, from the passage.
Consistently refers to what the writer found interesting and develops convincing
Band 1 9–10
reasons for making a visit to the country while showing a clear understanding of
the challenges and rewards.
Refers to several details from the passage and shows some understanding of
what the writer found interesting. There is an attempt to produce convincing
Band 2 7–8
reasons for making a visit to the country with some understanding of the
challenges and rewards.
Repeats some details from the passage about Costa Rica. Shows incomplete
understanding of what the writer found interesting and suggests not entirely
Band 3 5–6 convincing reasons for making a visit to the country without really understanding
the challenges. Focuses on the question and passage, but uses material simply
and partially.
There is some relevance to the question with a tendency to retell the passage
rather than focus on the requirements of the question. Is likely to contain much
Band 4 3–4
repeated detail from the passage with little relation to the requirements of the
question.
May retell the passage or give occasional relevant details. There may be
Band 5 1–2 examples of misunderstanding or lack of clarity in attempting to use the
passage.
Band 6 0 Very little/no relevance. General misunderstanding of task and passage.

(b) WRITING (Core tier)
Sentences are fluent and there is a fairly wide range of vocabulary. Overall
structure is good and sentences generally follow in sequence. Most full stops are
Band 1 9–10
correct and errors are infrequent and minor. An appropriate register is
established.
Sentences are correct, though relatively simple. Vocabulary is adequate and

correctly used. Structure is generally sound. There are some sentence
Band 2 7–8
separation errors and quite frequent other errors, although minor. There are
some hints of an appropriate register.
Sentence structures and vocabulary are simple, but meaning is never in doubt.
Band 3 5–6 The order is reasonable. Error may be frequent, but it does not blur meaning.
There may be an inconsistent attempt at an appropriate register.
The response is very simply written and there are occasional examples of
Band 4 3–4 blurred meaning. The structure can usually be followed. Some error is serious,
affecting meaning. The response may be over-dependent on lifted material.
The response is difficult to understand. The extent of grammatical error seriously

Band 5 1–2 impedes meaning. The response may be almost entirely lifted from the original.
Band 6 0 The answer cannot be understood.
Add the marks for Reading and Writing to give a total mark out of 20 for Question 2
[Total: 20]


0500/22 Paper 2 (Reading Passages – Extended),
maximum raw mark 50
components.
demonstrated. Nonetheless, the content must be clearly related to and derived from the passage.
Question 1
This question tests Reading Objectives R1-R3 (15 marks):

AND Writing Objectives W1-W5 (5 marks):

and spelling.
Julia, during her recovery, fully explained her experience to her parents.
A reporter for a newspaper interviews Julia’s parents and asks the following three questions
only:
What made you choose to visit the rainforest in Ecuador with your daughter, Julia?
How did Julia’s 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.
Up to 15 marks are available for the content of your answer, and up to 5 marks for the quality
of your writing. [20]
Candidates should select ideas from the passage and develop their own, supporting what they write
with details from the passage and judging the appropriate register for the genre and context. Bear in
mind the difference between copying facts and giving opinions. Look for a clear response, well
structured and in the candidate’s own words. Reward responses which show understanding of the
family’s motives for going to the rainforest, and what they gained from the experience.

Candidates might use the following ideas:
A1: What made you choose to visit the rainforest in Ecuador with your daughter, Julia?
• A remote/inaccessible/isolated place
• unique/unspoilt/extraordinary/magnificent scenery/other rainforests being destroyed
• amazing biodiversity/abundance of wildlife
• opportunity to develop biological knowledge
• to see and experience an ancient traditional culture/meet the Achuar people/one of the last
indigenous groups to remain isolated
• learn from Achuar people’s knowledge of the rainforest and medicinal use of plants
A2: How did Julia’s accident happen, and what did she do to survive?
• sudden tropical storm/sudden torrential rain/flash flood

• the ground transformed into thick mud/rapids formed
• Julia swept away/impossible to hold onto her
• used her survival training/knew she must keep awake
• imagined her parents telling her not to give in/refused to give in
• kept moving even though the journey was torturous
• knew a stream might lead to a village and tried to follow it/got into the stream
• when she stopped she stayed close to the stream (which helped villagers find her)
A3: What are your thoughts and feelings towards the Achuar people and their way of life?
• grateful that they found Julia/knew the terrain

• impressed by their ability to nurse her back to health
• touched by their kindness and generosity/being made welcome
• fascinated by their knowledge of the medicinal secrets of the rainforest
• appreciative of their community spirit/harmonious/peaceful existence
• admiration for their having managed to preserve their traditional culture

A CONTENT (EXTENDED TIER)
Band 1: The response reveals a thorough reading of the passage. A wide range of ideas is
13–15 applied, showing full understanding of the family’s experiences, and the parents’
points of view after the events. There is sustained use of supporting detail, which is
well integrated into the response, contributing to a strong sense of purpose and
approach. Developed ideas are well related to the passage. All three bullets are well
covered. Consistent and recognisable voices for the parents are created.
Band 2: There is evidence of a competent reading of the passage. Some ideas are
10–12 developed, but the ability to sustain content may not be consistent. There is
frequent supporting detail. The response answers all three bullets, though perhaps
not equally well. An appropriate voice is used.
Band 3: The passage has been read reasonably well, but the response may not reflect the
7–9 range or complexity of ideas in the original. There may be some mechanical use of
the passage. Supporting detail is used occasionally. Opportunities for development
are rarely taken and ideas are simply expressed. There is uneven focus on the
bullets. The voice is plain or lacks enthusiasm.
Band 4: Some brief, straightforward reference to the passage is made. There is some
evidence of general understanding of the main ideas, although the response may
4–6
be thin or in places lack focus on the passage or the question. One of the bullets
may not be addressed. The voice is not sustained or appropriate.
Band 5: The response is either very general, with little reference to the passage, or a
reproduction of sections of the original. Content is insubstantial, or there is little
1–3
realisation of the need to modify material from the passage.
Band 6: There is little or no relevance to the question or to the passage.

0

B QUALITY OF WRITING: STRUCTURE AND ORDER, STYLE OF LANGUAGE (EXTENDED

TIER)
Band 1: The language of the response has character and sounds convincing and
consistently appropriate. Ideas are firmly expressed in a wide range of effective
5
and/or interesting language. Structure and sequence are sound throughout.
Band 2: Language is mostly fluent and there is clarity of expression. There is a sufficient
range of vocabulary to express ideas with subtlety and precision, and to give an
4
indication of the personality of the character. The response is mainly well structured
and well sequenced.
Band 3: Language is clear and appropriate, but comparatively plain and/or factual,
expressing little opinion. Ideas are rarely extended, but explanations are adequate.
3
Some sections are quite well sequenced but there may be flaws in structure.
Band 4: There may be some awkwardness of expression and some inconsistency of style.
Language is too limited to express shades of meaning. There is structural weakness
2
and there may be some copying from the passage.
Band 5: There are problems of expression and structure. Language is weak and
undeveloped. There is little attempt to explain ideas. There may be frequent copying
1
from the original.
Band 6: Sentence structures and language are unclear and the response is difficult to follow.
0

Question 2
This question tests Reading Objective R4 (10 marks):
Re-read the descriptions of:
(a) the rainforest and its wildlife in paragraph 1, from ‘The family was trudging...’
(b) Julia’s walk through the rainforest in search of her parents in paragraph 4, from ‘Hours
later...’.
effects by using this language.
Write between 1 and 1½ sides, allowing for the size of your handwriting. [10]
This question is marked for the ability to select evocative or unusual words and for an understanding
of ways in which the language is effective. Expect responses to provide words that carry specific
meaning, including implications, additional to general or ordinary vocabulary.
Mark for the overall quality of the response, not for the number of words or phrases chosen, bearing
in mind that a range of choices is required to demonstrate an understanding of how language works,
and that these should include images. Do not take marks off for inaccurate statements; simply ignore
them. It is the quality of the analysis that attracts marks.
The following notes are a guide to what good responses might say about the selections. They can
make any sensible comment, but only credit those that are relevant to the correct meanings of the
words in the context and that have some validity. Alternative acceptable explanations should be
credited.

(a) the rainforest and its wildlife in paragraph 1, from ‘The family was trudging...’
Credit responses which show the rainforest is inhospitable but also thrilling and beautiful.
trudging: implies effort and exhaustion when walking

thick knots/tangles of roots: shows the impenetrable nature of the rainforest
steaming: suggests extreme heat/humidity/boiling water
hissing: suggests the jungle is alive/threatening sound (snake)
(image) stole their air: makes the jungle seem hostile/dangerous/suffocating
outraged hoops and screams: suggests the monkeys are angered by intruders/are using
noise to intimidate/own the jungle
(image) splashed the canvas: like in a modern/abstract painting, the birds are very bright/a
variety of stunning colours
(image) flecked green onto patches of blue sky: birds are like spots of paint used as
contrast colour
(b) Julia’s walk through the rainforest in search of her parents in paragraph 4, from
‘Hours later...’
Credit responses which show how Julia's experience proves that the rainforest is difficult,
frightening and painful.
deep darkness: total lack of light gives effect of being submerged/disorientation

staggered: unable to walk straight/upright because of pain
(image) screaming jungle: the jungle sounds threatening, noisy and alive
(image) snaked, twisted and snared: the foliage seems as if moving/deliberately catching
hold of Julia; the alliteration sounds evil/snake image (shape not sound)
torturous journey: shows how agonising her walk is/things are inflicting pain on her
(image) angry whirr of swarms of insects: auditory image emphasising huge number of
insects, and how close they are; sounds like a helicopter
(image) as large as model aircraft: insects seem unreal, impossibly large and threatening
(image) orbited her constantly: insects are inescapable; they surround her like satellites
dive, attack and bite: triple aggressive verbs; the insects are focusing on her as a target
creatures gravitated: unpleasant wildlife is drawn to her like a magnet; she cannot escape

READING
Band 1: Wide ranging discussion of language with some high quality comments that add
meaning and associations to words in both parts of the question, and demonstrate
9–10
the writer's reasons for using them. May give an overview of the paragraph’s
combined effect, or comment on language features additional to vocabulary.
Tackles imagery with some precision and imagination. There is clear evidence that
Band 2: Reference is made to a number of words and phrases, and explanations are given
7–8 and effects identified in both parts of the question. Images are recognised as such
and the response goes some way to explaining them. There is some evidence that
Band 3: A satisfactory attempt is made to identify appropriate words and phrases. The
5–6 response mostly gives meanings of words and any attempt to suggest and explain
effects is basic or very general. One half of the question may be better answered
than the other.
Band 4: The response provides a mixture of appropriate choices and words that
3–4 communicate less well. The response may correctly identify linguistic devices but
not explain why they are used. Explanations may be few, general, slight or only
partially effective. They may repeat the language of the original or do not refer to
specific words.
Band 5: The choice of words is sparse or rarely relevant. Any comments are inappropriate
and the response is very thin.
1–2
Band 6: The response does not relate to the question. Inappropriate words and phrases are
chosen or none are selected.
0

Question 3
This question tests Reading Objectives R1-R3 (15 marks):

AND Writing Objectives W1-W5 (5 marks):

• make accurate and effective use of paragraphs, grammatical structures, sentences,
punctuation and spelling.
Summarise:
(a) what the Kalahari expedition offers a traveller, as described in Passage B
(b) The challenges and potential problems faced by visitors to the rainforest, as described in
Passage A.
Use your own words as far as possible. Aim to write no more than one side in total, 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. [20]

A CONTENT
Give 1 mark per point up to a maximum of 15.
(a) What the Kalahari expedition offers a traveller (Passage B)
1. vastness of landscape/stunning panoramas/good photographs

2. thrill when you hear a lion roar
3. learn desert survival skills/master art of bush travel
4. the art of tracking/looking for traces of animals
5. wildlife encounters/abundant wildlife
6. visits to Bushman rock sites
7. getting to know the lives of San Bushmen/engaging with bush people
8. a guide who knows the tribe well/is trusted
9. introduction to San arts and crafts (music/dance)
10. chance to use/make traditional weapons
11. sleep in the bush/cook on open fire
12. go hunting
13. support the San community
(b) The challenges and potential problems faced by visitors to the rainforest (Passage A)
14. dense undergrowth/tangles of roots/staying balanced

15. extreme noise/too noisy to be heard
16. heat/humidity/difficulty breathing
17. darkness/limited visibility
18. insects biting/attacking (in the air)
19. tropical rain storms/torrential rain (sky)
20. flash floods/thick mud/mini-rapids/being swept away (ground)
21. easy to get lost/unfamiliar terrain
22. leeches (in the water)
23. injury or sickness/far from hospitals
Examiners should decide whether understanding of a point has been expressed sufficiently clearly for
it to be rewarded. Be aware that there will be a great variety of expression, and be prepared to give
the benefit of the doubt in borderline cases.
Note: The basic points are those in bold – the rest of each answer is to contextualise and to help you
judge whether the point has been understood.

B QUALITY OF WRITING: CONCISION, FOCUS AND WRITING IN OWN WORDS
Band 1: Both parts of the summary are well focused on the passage and the question. All
5 points are expressed clearly, concisely and fluently, and in own words (where
appropriate) throughout.
Band 2: Most points are made clearly and concisely. Own words (where appropriate) are
4 used consistently. The summary is mostly focused but may have an inappropriate
introduction or conclusion.
Band 3: There are some areas of concision. There may be occasional loss of focus or clarity.
3 Own words (where appropriate) are used for most of the summary. Responses may
be list-like or not well sequenced.
Band 4: The summary is sometimes focused, but it may include comment, repetition,
2 unnecessarily long explanation or lifted phrases. It may exceed the permitted length.
Band 5: The summary is unfocused, wordy or overlong. It may be answered in the wrong
1 form (e.g. narrative, commentary, or as notes). There may be frequent lifting of
phrases and sentences.
Band 6: Excessive lifting; no focus; excessively long.

0
It is important that candidates follow the instruction about writing a side in total for the summary, allowing
for the size of the handwriting. The guidelines are as follows: large handwriting is approximately five
words per line, average handwriting is eight / nine words per line, and small handwriting is eleven and
more. Typed scripts consist of approximately 15 words per line. A response is considered long if it
goes up to 11/4 pages; overlong if it reaches 11/2 pages; excessively long if more than 11/2 pages.
Note: A few candidates will copy the passage word for word or write in note form. These candidates will
be limited in the mark they can achieve.


0500/32 Paper 3 (Directed Writing and Composition),
maximum raw mark 50
components.
demonstrated. Nonetheless, the content must be clearly related to and derived from the passage.
Question 1
This question tests Writing Objectives W1–W5 (15 marks):

and spelling.
AND aspects of Reading Objectives R1–R3 (10 marks):

Read the magazine article about a street child called Emmanuel who has achieved
educational success. You are Sister Jean. Write a letter to persuade local businesses to
donate money to expand the work of the Archway Children’s Centre.
In your letter you should explain the work of the Centre and why it is necessary, use
Emmanuel’s story to support your appeal and give reasons why local businesses should
support the Centre.
Base your letter on what you have read in the magazine article. Be careful to use your own
words. Begin your letter, ‘Dear Local Business…’
Up to 10 marks are available for the content of your answer and up to 15 marks for the quality
of your writing. [25]

Candidates may use the following ideas:
A the work of the Centre and why it is necessary

• saves children from dangers of street life
• prevents children from becoming involved in crime
• gives them a future
• changes lives
• nurtures talents
• provides full range of shelter and support
• believes children have right to a place in society
• number of street children on the rise
• published book raises awareness and money for the trust
B Emmanuel’s story
• turned up independently aged six
• showed early talent for painting
• adapted to international school education
• excelled in Art and other exams
• wants to become an illustrator
• intends to return to his country
• committed to helping others develop artistic skills
C reasons for businesses to support Centre (inference)

• dependent on financial support from local community
• children with talent and dedication need further education beyond the scope of the Centre
• there are many other young adults like Emmanuel deserving help
• businesses benefit from publicity gained from supporting worthy causes
• commerce has a moral obligation to help the underprivileged
• businesses benefit from increased educational and skills levels in the local community, from
which they can recruit
Accept all other relevant ideas derived from the passage and relevant to the question as a basis for
the letter.

The question is marked out of 10 for Reading and 15 for Writing.
Use the following table to give a mark out of 10 for Reading.
Band 1 9 – 10 Gives a thorough, perceptive, convincing evaluation. Reads effectively

between the lines. Shows understanding by developing much of the reading
material and integrating it into a response to the task.
Band 2 7–8 Some evidence of evaluation, engaging with a few of the main points with
success. Uses reading material to support the argument. Occasionally
effective development of ideas in the material.
Band 3 5–6 Reproduces a number of points to make a satisfactory response. The

response covers the material adequately, but may miss opportunities to
develop it relevantly or at length.
Band 4 3–4 Selects points from the passage rather literally and/or uses the material thinly.
Does not combine points into a connected response.
Band 5 1–2 Parts of the response are relevant, though the material may be repeated or
used inappropriately.
Band 6 0 Response does not relate to question and/or too much unselective copying
directly from the material to gain a mark in Band 5.
riant
Mark Scheme
Use the following table to give a mark out of 15 for Writing.
Band 1 13 – 15 Consistent sense of audience; authoritative and appropriate style. Fluent,

varied sentences; wide range of vocabulary. Strong sense of structure,
paragraphing and sequence. Virtually no error.
Band 2 10 – 12 Sense of audience mostly secure; there is evidence of style and fluency;
sentences and vocabulary are effective. Secure overall structure; mostly well-
sequenced. Writing is mainly accurate.
Band 3 8–9 Occasional sense of audience; mostly written in correctly structured

sentences; vocabulary may be plain but adequate for the task; mostly quite
well structured. Errors minor.
Band 4 5–7 Inconsistent style; simple or faultily constructed sentences; vocabulary simple;
basic structure. Frequent errors, including sentence separation.
Band 5 3–4 Inappropriate expression; the response is not always well sequenced.
Serious errors in sentence structure/vocabulary/grammar/punctuation.
Band 6 1–2 Expression unclear; flawed sentence construction and order. Persistent
serious errors interfere with the conveying of meaning.
Band 7 0 Problems of expression and accuracy are too serious to gain a mark in
band 6.
First variant Mark Scheme

Questions 2 (a), 2 (b), 3 (a), 3 (b), 4 (a) and 4 (b).
Give two marks:

• the first mark is out of 13 for content and structure: see Table A
• the second mark is out of 12 for style and accuracy: see Table B
The maximum overall mark for the Composition is 25. Write the total clearly at the end as follows:
C7 + S10 = 17 (C standing for ‘content and structure’, S for ‘style and accuracy’).
2 (a) ‘Having lots of rules is better than having lots of freedom.’ Argue for or against this
statement. [25]
OR
(b) Do you think that the existence of zoos can be justified nowadays, when it is possible to visit
animals in their habitat or to see them on television? [25]
Descriptive Writing
3 (a) Describe the best meal that you ever had with a group of people, including details of the
place and the atmosphere. [25]
OR
(b) You arrive at an airport or railway station to discover that there is a long delay. Describe what
you see and hear, and your thoughts and feelings while you are waiting. [25]
Narrative Writing
4 (a) You see someone in a crowd whom you recognise but you can’t think why. On noticing you,
the person moves away, and you instinctively follow. Write the story. [25]
OR
(b) Write a story which begins with someone hearing an eerie and unidentifiable noise. [25]

COMPOSITION TASKS: TABLE A – CONTENT AND STRUCTURE
ARGUMENTATIVE/ DESCRIPTIVE TASK NARRATIVE TASK

DISCURSIVE TASK
Band 1 • Consistently well • There are many well- • The narrative is complex
11 – 13 developed, logical defined, well-developed and sophisticated and
stages in an overall, at ideas and images, may contain devices such
times complex, describing complex as sub-texts, flashbacks
argument. atmospheres with a and time lapses. Cogent
range of details. details are provided where
• Each stage is linked necessary or appropriate.
to the preceding one, • Overall structure is
and sentences within provided through • Different parts of the story
paragraphs are devices such as the are balanced and the
soundly sequenced. movements of the climax carefully
persona, the creation of managed. Sentence
a short time span, or sequences are sometimes
the creation of arranged to produce
atmosphere or tension. effects such as the
There is no confusion building up of tension or
with writing a story. providing a sudden turn of
Repetition is avoided events.
and the sequence of
sentences makes the
picture clear to the
reader.
Band 2 • Each stage of the • There is a good range • The writing develops
9 – 10 argument is defined of images with some interesting
and developed, interesting details features, but not
although the which contribute to a consistently so. Expect
explanation may not sense of atmosphere. the use of detail and some
be consistent. attention to character or
• These are formed into setting.
• The stages follow in a an overall picture of
generally cohesive some clarity, largely • Writing is orderly and the
progression. consistent and beginning and ending are
Paragraphs are mostly effective. There may be satisfactorily managed.
well sequenced, occasional repetition, The reader is well aware
although some may and opportunities for of the climax even if it is
finish less strongly development or the not fully effective.
than they begin. provision of detail may Sequencing of sentences
be missed. Sentences provides clarity and
are often well engages the reader in
sequenced. events or atmosphere.

Band 3 • There is a series of • There is a selection of • A straightforward but

7–8 relevant points and a relevant ideas, cohesive story with
clear attempt is made images, and details, identification of features
to develop some of which satisfactorily such as character and
them. These points are address the task. An setting.
straightforward and attempt is made to
logical/coherent. create atmosphere. • While opportunities for
appropriate
• Repetition is avoided, • The description development of ideas
but the order of the provides a series of are sometimes missed,
stages in the overall points rather than a overall structure is
argument can be sense of their being competent, and some
changed without combined to make an features of a developed
adverse effect. The overall picture, but narrative are evident.
sequence of the some ideas are Sentences are usually
sentences within developed successfully, sequenced to narrate
paragraphs is albeit straightforwardly. events clearly.
satisfactory, but the Some sentences are
linking of ideas may well sequenced.
be insecure.
Band 4 • Mainly relevant points • Some relevant ideas • Responds relevantly to the
5–6 are made and they are are provided and topic, but is only a series
developed partially occasionally of chronological events
with some brief developed a little, with occasional references
effectiveness. perhaps as a to character and setting.
narrative. There are
• The overall argument some descriptive • Overall structure is sound,
shows signs of details, but the use of but there are examples
structure but may be event may overshadow where particular parts
sounder at the them. are too long or short.
beginning than at the The climax is not
end, or may drift away • There is some overall effectively described or
from the topic. There structure, but the writing prepared. Sentence
may be some may lack direction sequences narrate events
repetition. The and intent. There may and occasionally contain
sequence of sentences be interruptions in the irrelevances.
may be occasionally sequence of sentences
insecure. and/or some lack of
clarity.

Band 5 • A few relevant points • Content is relevant but • A very simple narrative;
3–4 are made and may be lacking in scope or it may consist of
expanded into variety. Opportunities nonsensical or confusing
paragraphs, but to provide development events.
development is very and detail are
simple and not always frequently missed. • Unequal or inappropriate
logical. importance is given to
• The overall structure, parts of the story.
• There is weakness of though readily Paragraphing is
sequencing overall and discernible, lacks form inconsistent. Dialogue
within paragraphs. and dimension. may be used ineffectively.
Paragraphing is Paragraphing is There is no real climax.
inconsistent. inconsistent. The Sentence sequences are
Repetition and an reliance on identifying used only to link simple
inability to sustain events, objects and/or series of events.
relevant argument people sometimes
are obvious. leads to a sequence of
sentences without
progression.
Band 6 • A few points are • Some relevant facts are • Stories are incoherent
1–2 discernible but any identified, but the and narrate events
attempt to develop overall picture is indiscriminately. Endings
them is very limited. unclear and lacks are absent or lack effect.
development.
• Overall argument only • The shape of the
progresses here and • There are examples of narrative is unclear;
there and the sequenced sentences, some of the content has
sequence of sentences but there is also no relevance to the plot.
is poor. repetition and muddled Sequences of sentences
ordering. are sometimes poor,
leading to a lack of clarity.
Band 7 • Rarely relevant, little • Rarely relevant, little • Rarely relevant, little
0 material, and material, and presented material, and presented in
presented in a in a disorderly structure. a disorderly structure. Not
disorderly structure. Not sufficient to be sufficient to be placed in
Not sufficient to be placed in Band 6. Band 6.
placed in Band 6.

COMPOSITION TASKS: TABLE B – STYLE AND ACCURACY
Band 1 11 – 12 Writing is consistent, stylistically fluent, linguistically strong and

accurate; has sense of audience.
Look for:
• appropriately used ambitious words
• complex sentence structures where appropriate.
Band 2 9 – 10 Writing is mostly fluent, sometimes linguistically effective and largely

accurate; may have some sense of audience.
Look for:
• signs of a developing style
• some ability to express shades of meaning.
Band 3 7–8 Writing is clear, competent (if plain) in vocabulary and grammar; errors
perhaps frequent, but minor.
Look for:
• mostly correct sentence separation
• occasional precision and/or interest in choice of words.
Band 4 5–6 Writing is clear and accurate in places, and uses limited vocabulary and
grammar; errors occasionally serious.
Look for:
• simple sentences
• errors of sentence separation.
Band 5 3–4 Writing is simple in vocabulary and grammar; errors are distracting and
sometimes serious, but overall meaning can be followed.
Look for:
• definite weaknesses in sentence structures
• grammatical errors such as incorrect use of prepositions and tense.
Band 6 1–2 Writing is weak in vocabulary and grammar; serious, persistent errors;
meaning is blurred.
Look for:
• faulty and/or rambling sentences
• language insufficient to carry intended meaning.
Band 7 0 Writing is difficult to follow because of inadequate language

proficiency and error.

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UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL EXAMINATIONS

International General Certificate of Secondary Education

FIRST LANGUAGE ENGLISH 0500/12

READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS FIRST

This document consists of 6 printed pages, 2 blank pages and 1 Insert.

© UCLES 2012 0500/12/M/J/12

(e) Explain, using your own words:

(i) how the consul reacted in lines 18–19;

Explain, using your own words:

[Turn over for Question 1(g)]

© UCLES 2012 0500/12/M/J/12 [Turn over

(ii) ‘incessant fusillade’ (line 33)

(iii) ‘humane service’ (line 42)

Write a paragraph of about 50–70 words.

© UCLES 2012 0500/12/M/J/12

• Tell me about your journey to your tutor’s house.

Begin your conversation:

‘Mother: Tell me about your journey to your tutor’s house.

© UCLES 2012 0500/12/M/J/12 [Turn over

© UCLES 2012 0500/12/M/J/12

© UCLES 2012 0500/12/M/J/12

FIRST LANGUAGE ENGLISH 0500/12

READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS FIRST

This document consists of 3 printed pages and 1 blank page.

© UCLES 2012 0500/12/INSERT/M/J/12

© UCLES 2012 0500/12/INSERT/M/J/12

© UCLES 2012 0500/12/INSERT/M/J/12

FIRST LANGUAGE ENGLISH 0500/22

READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS FIRST

Answer all questions.

This document consists of 5 printed pages and 3 blank pages.

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

Write the words of the interview.

2 Re-read the descriptions of:

(a) the landscape in paragraph 2, beginning ‘Then the rain stopped...’;

[Turn over for Part 2]

© UCLES 2012 0500/22/M/J/12 [Turn over

Read Passage B carefully and re-read Passage A.

This passage describes the characteristics of detective fiction.

© UCLES 2012 0500/22/M/J/12

(a) how detectives are portrayed in fiction, as described in Passage B;

Use your own words as far as possible.

© UCLES 2012 0500/22/M/J/12

© UCLES 2012 0500/22/M/J/12

© UCLES 2012 0500/22/M/J/12

Passage A © ADAPTED: Flemming Jarlskov; The Judge ; Gyldendal; 2008

© UCLES 2012 0500/22/M/J/12

FIRST LANGUAGE ENGLISH 0500/32

READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS FIRST

This document consists of 4 printed pages.

Section 1: Directed Writing

In your article you should:

CLEAR THE AIR!

© UCLES 2012 0500/32/M/J/12

Aviation and the Environment – the Truth at Last!

[Turn over for Section 2]

© UCLES 2012 0500/32/M/J/12 [Turn over

3 (a) Describe children playing with a grandparent. [25]

4 (a) Write a story called ‘The Rock’. [25]

© UCLES 2012 0500/32/M/J/12

FIRST LANGUAGE ENGLISH 0500/12

READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS FIRST

DC (RCL (DF)) 48305/2