GRADE 12 PRACTICE PAPER 1 (TERM 2) (2)

SECTION A: COMPREHENSION
QUESTION 1:
TEXT A:

Beyond 'He' or 'She': The

Changing Meaning of Gender
and Sexuality
Katy Steinmetz, Mar 16, 2017
1 Hyperindividual, you-do-you young
people are overturning the convention
that when it comes to gender and
sexuality, there are only two options for
each: male or female, gay or straight.
These aspects of identity — the sense of
being a man or a woman, for instance, and whom one is drawn to physically or
romantically — are distinct, but they are related, and together, they are
undergoing a change, as an increasing number of people say they are not one or
the other but perhaps neither or maybe both.
2 As many transgender people fight for equal status as men and women in society,
others say their feelings about gender do not fit in either of those boxes and
might change over time. Young people are pointing to the middle in terms of
sexual attraction too, with one survey finding that nearly a third of young
Americans see themselves somewhere between 100% heterosexual and 100%
homosexual.
3 Expressions of gender and sexuality that go beyond this-or-that are nothing new,
but they are increasingly moving from the margins to the mainstream. Facebook,
with its more than 1 billion users, now has about 60 options for users' gender.
Influential celebrities, including Miley Cyrus, have come out as everything from
flexible in their gender to "mostly straight."
4 Some of the laws that organise society around two categories of people are also
starting to be challenged. A law introduced in California in January would add a
third gender option on identification documents like driver's licenses and birth
certificates: male, female or non-binary. Cities across America are passing laws
that require single-user bathrooms to be marked as gender-neutral or "all-
gender."
Please turn over

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5 According to a survey commissioned by the LGBTQ advocacy organisation
GLAAD, and shared exclusively with TIME, 20% of millennials identify as
something other than strictly straight and cisgender (someone whose gender is
in line with the sex they were assigned at birth). These are people who may be
sexually curious about members of their own gender, or who may reject the
notion that they have a gender in the first place. "In older generations, people
were often told what feelings to have," says Sara Oswalt, an associate health
professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio. "The college students I'm
working with today really say, 'It is okay for me to be me, whatever that is.’”
6 The Internet and social media, which many young people do not remember life
without, have increased early exposure to different types of people and made it
easier for young people to find themselves — and each other. However, older
Americans were more likely than younger people to say they were uncomfortable
with those who "do not conform to traditional ideas about gender" and that
LGBTQ people who "blend in" deserve more respect.
7 Unlike sexual orientation, the identity breakdown regarding gender seems newer
to many people — and in some ways tougher to unpack. With gender, there is
one's anatomy but also other traits, from facial hair to chromosomes that may or
may not "match" those body parts. Then there is gender identity (sense of self),
gender socialisation (how people are expected to act) and gender expression
(how a person dresses or styles their hair and so on).
8 As it becomes more common to be non-conforming — and as slang spreads at
lightning speed online — the list of labels people use has grown. In one large-
scale survey released in 2016, respondents were asked to write in the term that
best fits their gender, and researchers received more than 500 unique
responses.
9 Others who have identities they describe as fluid or changeable say the
pushback, surprisingly, even comes from some older gay and transgender
people, who have long fought convincingly for equality with arguments that one's
gender or sexual orientation does not change. Over one-third of LGBTQ
students report being cruelly under physical attack at school and are at
increased risk for destructive violence and attempted suicide, especially when
their families also painfully reject them.
10 Still, the more people come out, the more others may ultimately be emboldened
to think beyond whatever they may have been told about who they ought to be
— and how they can express it.
Adapted from: http://time.com/4703309/infinite-identities-gender-sexuality-young-people/

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TEXT B

http://edenpoliticalcartoons.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/GenderKids.jpg

QUESTIONS: TEXT A

1.1 State, in your own words, the point the writer is making in paragraph 1. (2)

1.2 Provide an outline of the argument presented by the writer in paragraph 2. (2)

1.3 Refer to paragraph 3.

Explain the role that social media and celebrities like Miley Cyrus play in
expressions of gender and sexuality. (2)

1.4 Refer to paragraph 4.

How are the laws that organise society around male and female challenged in
America? (2)

1.5 Refer to paragraphs 5 and 6.

Suggest why the attitudes of the millennials and the older generations towards
gender identity and sexual orientation differ. (3)

1.6 Refer to paragraph 7.

Critically comment on the aspects of gender that make it ‘tougher to unpack’
than sexual orientation. (3)

1.7 How does the language (diction) used in paragraph 9 indicate the writer’s
attitude towards LGBTQ students? (3)

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1.8 Is the writer justified in saying, “…the more people come out, the more others
may ultimately be emboldened to think beyond whatever they may have been
told about who they ought to be — and how they can express it.”?
Substantiate your answer by making close reference to paragraph 10. (3)

QUESTIONS: TEXT B

1.9 Complete the statement below. Choose the answer and write only the letter
(A-D) next to the question number (1.9) on your answer sheet.
The overall tone of TEXT B is …
A serious
B jokey
C defiant
D persuasive (1)

1.10 How does the image support the headline ‘THE NEW SEXUAL SCIENCE’?
(2)

1.11 “Wanna trade? / Dunno, let’s wait and see.”

Discuss the impact this dialogue is intended to have on the reader. (3)

1.12 Both TEXT A and TEXT B present an objective view regarding gender
identity. Do you agree with this statement? Justify your response with close
reference to TEXT A and TEXT B. (4)

TOTAL SECTION A: 30

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SECTION B: SUMMARY

QUESTION 2: SUMMARISING IN YOUR OWN WORDS

TEXT C provides insight into children’s attitudes when playing with counter-gender
toys. Summarise, in your own words, how children are affected when they play
with counter-gender toys.
NOTE: 1. Your summary should include SEVEN points and NOT exceed
90 words.
2. You must write a fluent paragraph.
3. You are NOT required to include a title for the summary.
4. Indicate your word count at the end of your summary.
TEXT C
What happens to children’s attitudes when they play with counter-
gender toys?
by Philip Perry
Generally speaking, boys and girls all over the world are taught gender roles not only
through media, but also play. Researchers at the University of Kent in the UK, led by
developmental psychologist Lauren Spinner, investigated this in a recent experiment. They
tried to answer the questions: what toys is each sex “supposed” to play with, and how does
this affect the child?
Dr. Spinner and colleagues recruited 82 kids between ages four and seven and showed
them pictures from children’s magazines. In them, a child played with a toy either stereotypic
or counter-stereotypic to their gender. Afterward, each child was allowed to select a toy to
play with. They were offered several gender-specific options, such as a jet fighter, a baby
doll, a tea set, and a tool kit.
Those who viewed the counter-stereotypic picture were more open to the idea of girls and
boys wanting to play with toys for the opposite gender. What did not change, was the
children’s own toy preferences. Overwhelmingly, children preferred more gender-typed toys
than counter-gender ones.
“Results revealed significantly greater gender flexibility around toy play and playmate
choices among children in the counter-stereotypic condition compared to the stereotypic
condition,” write the study authors, “and boys in the stereotypic condition were more
accepting of gender-based exclusion than were girls.” This suggests that with more
exposure to counter-stereotypic images, children may be more open to playing with a variety
of different toys or playmates.
“Children can overcome their anxieties about playing with other-gender children,” Dr.
Spinner told the New York Times, “if you can get them to understand there are a lot of
similarities in what they like to play with, rather than focusing on the gender of the child.”
So should we allow children to choose toys from the opposite sex or push them toward toys
oriented to their own? Dr. Spinner and colleagues suggest encouraging children to play with
toys from both genders because it allows them to develop a range of skills. For instance,
while boys’ toys tend to build spacial and tactile skills, girls’ toys tend to build communication
and social skills. So it seems those parents who encourage more open-mindedness about
gender may be helping children build a greater range of skills, while those more rigid about
gender may be inadvertently limiting them.
[Adapted from http://bigthink.com/philip-perry/what-happens-to-childrens-attitudes-when-they-play-
with-counter-gender-toys?]

TOTAL SECTION B: 10

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SECTION C: LANGUAGE STRUCTURES AND CONVENTIONS
QUESTION 3: ANALYSING ADVERTISING

Study the advertisements (TEXTS D and E) below and answer the set questions.

TEXT D
Text in small font reads as follows:

WHAT IT IS, IS BEAUTIFUL

Have you ever seen anything like it? Not
just what she’s made, but how proud it’s
made her. It’s a look you’ll see whenever
children build something all by themselves.
No matter what they’ve created.
Younger children build for fun.
LEGO® Universal Building Sets for
children ages 3 to 7 have colourful bricks,
wheels, and friendly LEGO people for lots
and lots of fun.
Older children build for realism.
LEGO Universal Building Sets for children
7-12 have more detailed pieces, like gears,
rotors, and treaded tires for more realistic
building. One set even has a motor.
LEGO Universal Building Sets will help
your children discover something very,
very special: themselves.

QUESTIONS: TEXT D

3.1 What is the advertiser’s intention in the sentence, “What it is, is beautiful’? (2)

3.2 Account for the inclusion of the description of the LEGO sets for different aged
children in the text of the advertisement. (2)

3.3 Comment on the effectiveness of the image used in this advertisement. (3)

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TEXT E

QUESTION: TEXT E

http://www.milleraa.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/PinkBlue-Charlie-850x450.jpg

[In the original advertisement, the left side of the picture is shaded pink and
the right side is shaded blue, but the word PINK is printed in blue and the word
BLUE is printed in pink.]

3.4 Comment on the presentation of the phrase “LOOK PAST PINK AND BLUE”
and the position of Charlie in the frame, as advertising techniques. (HINT:
read the description below the advertisement.) (3)

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QUESTION 4: UNDERSTANDING OTHER ASPECTS OF THE MEDIA

Study TEXT F and answer the set questions.

TEXT F: CARTOON

http://justinspoliticalcorner.tumblr.com/post/140260551222/

[In the original cartoon, the background to frame 1 is red while that of Frame 2
is white and the table on which the lunchboxes rests is purple. In Frame 1, the
words “ISN’T!” and “OK!” are also in red font.]

4.1 Refer to Frames 1 and 2.

Discuss how the parents’ reaction in Frame 1 is different from that of the
children in Frame 2. (2)

4.2 Refer to Frame 2.

What does the boy’s speech reveal about his attitude about his friend, Jane?
(2)

4.3 Refer to Frame 1.

Critically discuss the effectiveness of any ONE technique used by the
cartoonist to illustrate the parents’ reaction. (3)

4.4 In your view, is Frame 2 an effective conclusion to the cartoon? Substantiate

your response by a close study of the visual and verbal elements in this
frame. (3)

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QUESTION 5: USING LANGUAGE CORRECTLY

Read TEXT G, which contains some deliberate errors, and answer the set questions.

TEXT G

Beyond 'he' and 'she': The rise of non-binary

pronouns
by Avinash Chak, BBC News

Image copyright: KIT WILSON

1 In the English language, the word "he" is used to refer to males and "she"
to refer to females. But some people identify as neither gender, or both –
which is why an increasing number of US universities were making it easier
for people to choose to be refered to by other pronouns.

2 Kit Wilson's introduction when meeting other people is: "Hi, I'm Kit. I use
they/them pronouns." That means that when people refer to Kit in conversation,
the first-year student at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee would prefer them
to use "they" rather than "she" or "he".

3 As a child, Wilson never felt entirely female or entirely male. They figured they
were a "tomboy" until the age of 16, but later began to identify as "gender-queer".

4 "Neither end of the [male/female] spectrum is a suitable way of expressing the

gender I am," Wilson says. "Sometimes I feel 'feminine' and 'masculine' at the
same time, and other times I reject the two terms entirely."

5 Earlier this year, Wilson asked friends to call them "Kit," instead of the name they
(Wilson) had grown up with, and to use the pronoun "they" when talking about
them. Sharing one's pronouns and asking for others' pronouns when making
introductions is a growing trend in US colleges.

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6 For example, when new students attended orientation sessions at American
University in Washington DC a few months ago, they were asked to introduce
themselves with their name, hometown, and preferred gender pronoun
(sometimes abbreviated to PGP).

7 "We ask everyone at orientation to state their pronouns," says Sara Bendoraitis,
of the university's Center for Diversity and Inclusion, "so that we are learning
more about each other rather than assuming."

[Adapted from: BBC News Magazine, 7 December 2015]

5.1 Correct the error of tense in paragraph 1. (1)

5.2 Correct the spelling error in paragraph 1. (1)

5.3 Differentiate between the use of the colon in the title of the passage and in
paragraph 2. (2)

5.4 Identify an example of a compound noun from paragraph 3. (1)

5.5 Identify the part of speech of the underlined word in paragraph 4. (1)

5.6 Write down the abbreviation of “For example” in paragraph 6. (1)

5.7 What is the function of a pronoun? (1)

5.8 Correct the Americanism in paragraph 7. (1)

5.9 State the function of the apostrophe in paragraph 7. (1)

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TOTAL SECTION C: 30

GRAND TOTAL: 70

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