Exam Buster

Writing
Study Tip
• When you have to do any type of written questions, always try to use your own words and avoid repetition by
using synonyms.

Reading and correcting

1a Read this student’s summary about English highwayman* Dick Turpin. There is too much
repetition of the same words. Using the synonyms below, try to improve the text by changing
the highlighted words.

arrested executed however began

Your money or your life?
Dick Turpin was an English highwayman who was born in 1705. At first he worked as a butcher* but, by the early
1730s, he had started stealing* animals. He then started attacking and robbing* stagecoaches*. In 1737, Turpin
shot* and killed a man who tried to capture him. Turpin escaped* but he was captured two years later. At his trial*
he was found guilty* of stealing horses, not of murder*. His punishment was to be hanged*. He was hanged in York.

Study Tip
• Another way to make your written work flow better and avoid repetition is to use a mixture of real names and
pronouns.

1b Read this student’s summary about the Australian bushranger* Ned Kelly. There is too much
repetition of Ned’s name. Replace some of them with correct pronouns to make the text better.
Bushranger – an Australian outlaw*
Ned Kelly was born in the mid 1850s in Australia. As a young man Ned was often in trouble with the police
and involved in stealing animals. Then, in 1878, when the police were looking for Ned, Ned shot and killed
three policemen. It took two more years before the police caught Ned and Ned’s gang. In the final shoot-out*
Ned and Ned’s gang (the Kelly Gang) wore metal armour. Ned was hanged in 1880. Some people think Ned
was a cold-blooded* murderer, other people think Ned was an Irish-Australian hero who fought against the
tyranny of the Anglo-Australian elite. There are lots of songs, books and films about Ned’s life.

Writing
2 Use the cues to write a summary of the life of American outlaw, Billy the Kid.
Teenage outlaw
Billy the Kid born America 1859 / poor family / never knew father / mother died when Billy 14 / first worked hard
to earn money / but got into bad company / soon Billy an outlaw in a violent society / killed several people (nobody
knows how many) / Pat Garrett killed him / died aged 21 / Billy: a cold-blooded murderer or defender of weak?

Words to remember
bushranger: guardia forestale highwayman: bandito stagecoaches: diligenze
butcher: macellaio murder: omicidio started robbing: iniziò a derubare
cold blooded: a sangue freddo outlaw: fuorilegge started stealing: iniziò a rubare
escaped: fuggì shoot out: sparatoria to be hanged: essere impiccato
guilty: colpevole shot: sparò trial: processo