UNIVERSITY EXAMINATIONS

Oct/Nov 2020

ENG1503
ENN103F

Academic Language and Literacy in English

English for Academic Purposes

100 Marks
Duration 3 Days

This paper consists of six pages.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. This portfolio consists of THREE questions. Read the instructions under

each section carefully.
2. Choose only ONE question.
3. When you have completed your answer, save it as a .pdf file.
4. In the case of any cheating or plagiarism no mark will be allocated. NO
LATE EXAMS WILL BE ACCEPTED.
5. Remember to include your Honesty Declaration when you submit your
portfolio. Use the myAdmin portal to submit your portfolio.
6. The examination will take place on the Online Assessment tool on the
myExams platform as per instruction provided.
7. Access myExams at https://myexams.unisa.ac.za/portal
8. Upload your completed portfolio using the eAssessment platform.

CONFIDENTIAL
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DECLARATION REGARDING PLAGIARISM

Name and Surname:

Student Number:
I declare that this portfolio is my own original work. Where secondary material has
been used (either from a printed source or from the internet), this has been carefully
acknowledged and referenced in accordance with departmental requirements. I
understand what plagiarism is and am aware of the department’s policy in this regard.
I have not allowed anyone else to borrow or copy my work.

Signature:
Date:
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RESEARCH-BASED ESSAY
Choose ONE of the topics below (1.1, 1.2, OR 1.3) and write an essay of 500
words in length in response to it. Provide your own examples or draw from your
own experiences to support your arguments. In addition, cite at least four academically
valid sources in the essay. Please take note of the following:
 Your essay should include an introduction, supporting paragraphs and a
conclusion.
 Each paragraph should include a topic sentence.
 Your writing should adhere to formal academic writing conventions.
 Adhere to the stipulated word count of about 500 words.
 Proof-read and edit your essay.

TEXT A
Political trust has been declining in most societies. This decline is very significant in
many new democracies, but a moderate decrease can be observed in established
democracies, too. Let us take a look at the confidence in some political institutions
among the mass publics during the last two decades. Legislative bodies, either
parliament or congress, depending on the case, are common components of
democratic rule. Still, confidence in these legislative institutions has declined in
many new democracies, a decline that is particularly sharp in the first survey taken
after regime change. According to data displayed in Table 1, in 19 out of 21 new
democracies, confidence in the legislative institutions was lower in 2001 than at the
time the country was first surveyed. In 12 of those 19 countries, an especially large
decline in confidence was observed in the first survey taken immediately after the
country adopted a democratic form of government. In many cases, trust in
parliament or congress was higher under the non-democratic government,
suggesting that most individuals may have placed a higher value on an institution
for what it meant instead of for what it was. In practice, deadlocks and inefficient
legislative procedures may have raised citizens’ suspicion and dissatisfaction in the
newly democratic settings, leading to political crises in some of them, as was the
case of Peru under Fujimori, and Russia under Yeltsin.

Excerpt from “The Individual Bases of Political Trust: Trends in New and Established
Democracies” by Gabriela Catterberg and Alejandro Moreno

1.1 Democracy as a concept is believed to be a profitable phenomenon for everyone

in society. However, there seem to be an apparent increasing decline of trust in
democracy from other sectors of society. Write an argumentative essay in which you
argue whether democracy is profitable to everyone in society or not. Use the following
pointers to marshal your argument:

 Inequality
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 Poverty
 Quality education
 Social justice
 Economy
[50 marks]

OR

TEXT B
Matthew S. Harrison & Kecia M. Thomas (2009): “The findings suggest that skin
tone plays a considerable role in the favorability of a Black applicant; indicating
that skin color is more salient and regarded more highly than one’s educational
background and prior work experience.”

Lupita Nyong'o: "Colourism "is the daughter of racism".

Figure 1
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Figure 2

1.2 Considering the comments in Text B and the two pictures above (Figures 1 and
2), write an essay of 500 words in which you discuss the role that the media plays in
perpetuating colourism in society.

(50 marks)
OR
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TEXT C
Will Toys Ever Go Beyond Blue and Pink?
KATHARINE SCHWAB
MAY 5, 2016

Walking into a toy store, it doesn’t take long to see the differences between girls’
and boys’ toys. Pinks and purples and frills and bows dominate some aisles; others
are filled with blues and greys and greens, or trucks and tiny soldiers. It’s a color-
coded minefield that can affect children’s development in pernicious ways,
suggesting what they should like to do and who they should aspire to be before
they’ve had the opportunity to figure that out on their own.
Today, toys are more divided by gender stereotypes than they were 50 years ago,
thanks to broader marketing shifts in the industry and worldwide. Meanwhile, the
Internet has given gender-neutral and non-stereotypical toys a chance to find buyers
outside of big-box retailers, providing new options for parents who want their
children to be able to play with toys based on their interests rather than their gender.

Adapted from: https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2016/05/beyond-

blue-and-pink-the-rise-of-gender-neutral-toys/480624/ Date Accessed: 2020,
September 2.

Statement: “Pink is girls and blue is for boys…Girls should play with dolls and boys
should play with cars”.
1.3 With reference to Text C and the statement underneath it, write an essay of 500
words in length where you argue for or against gendered stereotypes in little boys
and girls.
You should include 5 credible sources in your argument.
(50 marks)
TOTAL = [100 Marks]

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UNISA 2020