Summer Reinforcement

Reading Section

Text A: Griet

My mother did not tell me they were coming. Afterwards she said she did not want me to
appear nervous. She need not have worried. Only she would notice the tightness along my
jaw, the widening of my eyes. I was chopping vegetables in the kitchen when I heard voices
outside, the kind of voices heard rarely in our house. I could hear luxurious carpets in them,
books and pearls and plenty of fine food. I was glad that earlier had scrubbed the front step
so hard. My mother's voice approached from the front room; they were coming to the
kitchen. I pushed the leeks I had been chopping into place, then set the knife on the table
and wiped my hands on my apron. My mother appeared in the doorway, her eyes flashing a
warning. Behind her, the woman had to duck her head because she was so tall, as tall as the
man following her. All our family, including my father and brother, were small.

The woman wore a hat from which tiny curls escaped and hung about her forehead like a
swarm of bees. She made an elaborate show of watching me hard, but could not fix her
attention on me. 'This is the girl, then,' she said abruptly. 'This is my daughter, Griet,' my
mother replied, icily. Realising she had been corrected, the woman turned to look at her
husband. A fold of her coat caught the handle of the knife I had been using, knocking it off
the table so that it spun across the floor. The woman cried out, swatting impatiently at her
curls several times.

'Catharina,' the man said calmly. He spoke her name as though he held honey in his mouth. I
stepped over and picked up the knife, placing it back on the table and setting a piece of
carrot back in its place. They both looked at me, his eyes grey like the sea and his
expression steady, in contrast to his wife's, which flickered like a candle. He looked at the
chopped vegetables, each type in its own section; as I always did, I had laid them out in a
circle, like a pie. 'Do you spend much time setting out the vegetables in a pattern before you
make the soup?' he asked. Thrown, I said that I did not. I did not want him to think I was idle.
From the corner of my eye I saw my sister, who was peering round the doorpost and had
shaken her head at my response. I did not often lie. I looked down.

After the guests left, my mother returned to where I was sitting by the vegetable wheel. She
was hunching her shoulders as if against a winter chill, though it was summer and the
kitchen was hot. 'You are to start tomorrow as their maid,' she said. 'You will live with them.
Don't look at me like that. You know we have to do this now that your father has lost his
trade.' I climbed the stairs to see my father. He was sitting near the window, where the light
touched his face. It was the closest he came now to seeing. He had been a tile painter,
painting blue soldiers, ships and children onto white tiles. One day the kiln had exploded,
taking his eyes and his trade. He had heard everything; his hearing had taken the strength
from his missing eyes. I could not think of anything to say that would not sound reproachful.
When I was ready to leave the next morning, my father shuffled out to the front step. I
hugged my mother and my sister before walking away from our house, carrying my few
possessions tied up in an apron. Neighbours nodded to me and watched as I passed: they
knew what happened to families when a man lost his trade. I knew they were compassionate
people - and here was young Griet working as a maid because her father had made the
family destitute. They would not gloat, however. They could easily find themselves in a
similar position.

Section A

Read Text A, Griet, in the insert and answer Question 1 and Question 2.

Question 1

(a) What was Griet's mother worried about?

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(b) Using your own words, explain what the text means by "the kind of voices heard rarely
in our house' (line 4).
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………………………………………………………………………………………………………...[2]

(c) Give two features of Griet's physical appearance which would indicate to her mother that
she was nervous or worried when the visitors came into the kitchen (lines 2-4).
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● ……………………………………………………………………………………………………[2]

(d) Give two details that show the 'elaborate show' (line 12) made by the woman with tiny
curls, when she stood in Griet's house.
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● ……………………………………………………………………………………………………[2]

(e) Explain why Griet's mother's eyes were 'flashing a warning' as she brought the couple
into the kitchen (line 8).
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(f) (i) How did the husband and wife each look at Griet in different ways (line 20)? (ii) Give
two details from the text to support your answer.
(i) ………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
(ii) ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….
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(g) (i) Griet's sister was peering round the doorpost and had shaken her head at her sister's
response to the man's question (line 25).

Why had she done so?

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(ii) How do you think Griet was feeling when she 'looked down'?
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(h) Explain using your own words Griet's parents' different feelings about her working as the
couples' maid. Give three details from anywhere in the text to support your answer.
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[Total: 16]
Question 2

(a) Read this extract from the text:

'One day the kiln had exploded, taking his eyes and his trade. He had heard everything; his
hearing had taken the strength from his missing eyes. I could not think of anything to say
that would not sound reproachful' (lines 33-35).

What does the writer want to suggest to us about the situation at this point in the story?
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(b) Explain why the writer uses the word 'swatting' rather than 'patting' in the expression
'swatting impatiently at her curls' (line 16).
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………………………………………………………………………………………………………...[1]

(c) What two impressions does the writer want to convey to the reader in the sentence: 'This
is the girl, then,' she said abruptly. This is my daughter, Griet,' my mother replied, icily.' (lines
13-14)?
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………………………………………………………………………………………………………...[3]
(d) Read this sentence from the text:

'She was hunching her shoulders as if against a winter chill, though it was summer and the
kitchen was hot...' (lines 27-29).

What does the writer wish to convey about Griet's mother's feelings by using the word
'hunching' to describe her position?
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………………………………………………………………………………………………………...[2]

(e) Identify one example fro the text below of how the writer uses language effectively to
convey the neighbours' reaction to Griet supporting her family by working as a maid:

'When I was ready to leave the next morning, my father shuffled out to the front step. I
hugged my mother and my sister before walking away from our house, carrying my few
possessions tied up in an apron. Neighbours nodded to me and watched as I passed; they
knew what happened to families when a man lost his trade. I knew they were compassionate
people- and here was young Griet working as a maid because her father had made the
family destitute. They would not gloat, however. They could easily find themselves in a
similar position." (Lines 36-41)

Explain the impression the writer creates in the example you have identified.

example: ……………………………………………………………………………………………….

explanation: …………………………………………………………………………………………...
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[Total: 9]
Read Text B and answer Question 3 on the question paper.

Text B: Cinema

One of the marvels of cinema is that it is the result of global endeavour. It has been said that
cinema, like the detective story, makes it possible to experience without danger all the
excitement which must be repressed in normal life. Since its inception at the end of the
nineteenth century, it has become a popular and inspiring art form all over the world.

A breakthrough in the production of moving images occurred in 1878 when, in order to prove
that a galloping horse lifts all four legs off the ground simultaneously, a racehorse was
photographed every thousandth of a second by several cameras along the racetrack. In
1889 came the invention of a camera which could take ten consecutive pictures per second
using celluloid film, followed the next year by the advent of the kinetoscope. This box-shaped
device showed a strip of film carrying images sequence; its drawback was that, as the film
was viewed through the top of the device, it could be used only by one individual at a time.
By the late nineteenth century, the possibility of cinema as we know it today was realised
with the invention of the film projector, which allowed films to be shown on a screen to many
people simultaneously. The fact that, for example, acrobats and sporting events like boxing
could be recorded meant that they could be shown repeatedly at no extra cost to the
producers. These early films lasted about a minute, and were flat, rather dull compositions,
but that in no way detracted from their popularity.

At first films were shown in theatres or by travelling showmen in temporary venues, but a
major development came with the building of permanent cinemas, the first of these being in
1905 in Pittsburgh, USA. By this time, although films lasted no more than a few minutes,
enough of them had been produced to create programmes lasting for half an hour; these
programmes could be changed weekly when the audience became bored. It is astonishing
that in the USA, by 1907, there were 4,000 cinemas, called 'Nickelodeons' after the first 3

Cinema films at first comprised moving images only, without sound, and to popularise them
they were often accompanied by live music, usually provided by a pianist, but sometimes by
groups of musicians. Where the entire story could not be portrayed by the film, narrators
were used to fill in the missing parts; in Japan, for example, narrators called benshi slotted
naturally into this role as they were descendants of an old oral tradition of story-telling. Later,
sound was added to these silent films, giving rise to the term 'talkies'; sound-on-disc played
back a pre-recorded sound to synchronise with the film, although the synchronicity was often
far from accurate. An improvement came with sound-on-film, an innovation where the sound
was actually recorded on to the film rather than played alongside it, although amplification of
the sound was often a problem.

Cinema continues to enjoy popularity in modern times, having been enhanced by improved
technology in, for example, sound effects and lighting. Sophisticated camerawork allows
audiences to see more clearly the emotions of the characters and to relate the situations
they see to their own lives. Films about specific issues and themes, such as civil liberties or
poverty, can be a force for good in the world by shaping the way societies and individuals
think. Bollywood - an informal name popularly used for the Hindi language film industry
draws on ancient Indian epics and Sanskrit drama; thus it can be seen that cinema can keep
heritage alive. The different genres of films produced – war, mystery, crime, romance –
cater for all tastes and provide relaxation and entertainment for all.

Read Text B, Cinema, in the insert and answer.

Question 3

(a) Summarise the stages in the development and rise in popularity of the cinema, and the
reasons for its continuing popularity today, according to Text B.

You must use continuous writing (not note form).

Use your own words where appropriate.

Avoid copying long sections of the text.

Your summary should be 150-180 words.

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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(b) Imagine you are a famous movie producer.

You are interviewed by a local news programme about why most people love watching films
in cinemas.

Give your answer to the interviewer's question, using information from the text.

Interviewer's question: Most local people enjoy watching movies in cinemas instead of on
television at home.

What is your opinion and why?

Your answer:
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 Writing Section

Read both texts, and then answer Question 1 on the question paper.

Text A: Permission to play: let’s make fixing things cool again

This text is about encouraging people to repair their broken belongings.

Yellowed kitchen appliances, dust-streaked radios, unresponsive DVD players: the table was
strewn with stuff that even a junk shop’s discounts couldn’t make enticing. Most of the
electronics were broken and all of them had outlived their usefulness. Maybe our
grandparents would have had a go at fixing objects but the number of children that day,
screwdrivers in hand, who crowded the table just to get a look inside this stuff, made me
hope we could revive old skills.

The participants of the event were a little different from those I usually cater for at iFixit, a
free online repair guide for everything from cracked mobile phones to oil changes for your
car. My company’s mission is to teach as many people as possible how to fix the stuff they
own, kids included.

And kids were just as eager to learn as we were to teach them. The venue was crowded and
noisy, but once they pried up the hood of a device, the world faded as pint-sized tech
explorers were let loose on intricate circuit boards and motors. One teenager spent two
hours working on an obsolete video player. It was amazing to watch the old relic whirr back
to life.

Kids are born tinkerers: they like to fiddle with contraptions, experiment with ‘What happens
if…?’ All they need is someone to put a device in one hand, a screwdriver in the other, and
ask, ‘Do you want to take this apart?’ and their eyes go wide with astonishment. After all,
their parents have been telling them not to take things apart their entire lives.

As adults, we enjoy our toys and gadgets too, though ours are more expensive so we keep
younger hands away. Give kids something to take apart and their faces light up with
excitement. Give adults the same device, and intimidation clouds their faces. That fear
comes from a lifetime of feeling like electronics are beyond us and we’re not qualified to
tackle them. There are all kinds of pressures on us to replace rather than fix.
Text B: Can we fix it? The repair cafes waging war on throwaway culture

The following text is about the ‘repair shop cafe’ movement.lessons.

HA vacuum cleaner, two laptops, an e-reader, a washing machine, hair clippers, three
chairs, a pair of jeans, and a remote-control helicopter. All broken.

OIt sounds like a pile of things that you’d stick in boxes and take to the rubbish tip. In fact,
it’s a list of things mended in a single afternoon by eager volunteers in just one of the many
repair shop cafes springing up.

This repair cafe is part of a burgeoning international network aimed at confronting a world of
‘stuff’, of fridges and dishwashers littering dumps in countries far from where they were
bought and the rubbish swilling through the oceans. There are now even TV programmes
showing how treasured objects are restored and fixed.

The hair clippers belong to William, who describes himself as ‘mechanically incompetent’.
He sits down at the table of Christine who volunteers at the cafe, where people can bring
household items to be fixed for free. In less than five minutes, Christine, a librarian, has
unscrewed and removed the blades, cleaned inside the machine, oiled the blades, and
screwed it all back together.

Today, the repairers will divert 24kg of waste from going to landfill. Some items can’t be fixed
on the spot but very little needs to be thrown away.

Some volunteers are drawn to repair cafes to combat this ‘throwaway culture’. The average
lifespan for a piece of clothing in many countries is 3.3 years. In some countries it’s less than
that.

Manufacturers design products to break down after a certain amount of time, and make them
difficult or expensive to fix. One repair cafe volunteer, Stuart Ward, explains, ‘Fixing items is
actively discouraged by many manufacturers. We believe in the right to repair. You own your
equipment; you should be allowed to take a screwdriver to it and play with it.’

‘Some repair cafes do the repair in front of the customer, not out in the back, not hidden,’
says the lead IT technician in one repair cafe. ‘It’s a matter of confidence, not magic.
Someone put it together, someone can take it apart.’
 Section A: Directed Writing

Question 1: The headteacher of your child’s school is considering setting up a repair café
run by volunteers in the school; the headteacher has asked for opinions from parents.

Write a letter to the headteacher giving your views as a parent.

In your letter you should:

• evaluate the ideas, opinions and attitudes in both texts
• give your views about whether or not a repair café is a good idea for students, staff and the
wider community.

Base your letter on what you have read in both texts, but be careful to use your own words.
Address both of the bullet points.

Write about 250 to 350 words.

Up to 15 marks are available for the content of your answer, and up to 25 marks for
the quality of your writing.

Section B: Composition

Write about 350 to 450 words on one of the following questions.

Up to 16 marks are available for the content and structure of your answer, and up to
24 marks for the style and accuracy of your writing.

Descriptive writing

2 Describe a journey through, on or over water.

3 Describe a group of people celebrating a special occasion.

Narrative writing

4 Write a story that involves a loss of confidence or belief.

5 Write a story with the title, ‘Leaving’