Section B [20 marks]

5 In Paragraph 1, the writer describes the open sea as looking like a ‘featureless, lifeless
expanse’. Explain how the language used in this paragraph makes the sea seem like
this. Support your answer with two details from Paragraph 1.

ANS:

‘no land in sight to break the monotony’ indicates that the view ahead is the
same and has no outstanding features.

‘the horizon itself separates two even shades of blue’ indicates that the sea is
indistinguishable from the sky (and both look the same).

X: ‘(the seemingly endless ocean) that stretches ahead as far as the eye can
see’. This relates to the vastness of the ocean and not necessarily to whether it
is featureless or not.

This question was not done well by most students, who all need to bear in mind and
remember the following:
[2]
The question asks for ‘two details’ (i.e. quotations), which both need to be explained
correctly in order to be awarded two marks (one mark for each correct quotation +
explanation). An ‘explanation’ cannot take place (i.e. cannot be an explanation in the
first place) if it uses the same words as those that appear in the quotation itself – or
even in the question (such as ‘featureless, lifeless expanse’). You cannot ‘explain’
something by copying and using the same words.

For example, one of the accepted quotations was ‘no land in sight, to break the
monotony.’ Here, both parts of the quotation needed to be explained by using different
words, such as:

‘no land in sight’ = no outstanding features.

‘to break the monotony’ = the view ahead is the same.

Any key part/word of the quotation that is not included in the explanation would result
in the answer not being awarded a mark – even though part of the answer may have
been correct.

Many answers did not receive any mark because of ‘Excess Denies’, meaning that
they were too long – in some cases, answers consisted of two (or even three)
quotations that may have been ‘correct’ and acceptable, if they had been presented
separately, but which were presented as one long, continuous quotation. Part of the
skill that is being tested here is the ability to recognise and identify precisely which
words are the ones that are essential, in order to make a quotation valid and
acceptable, as well as which ones or not – or belong in a separate quotation. Sadly,
quite a number of students ‘failed’ this test and ended up with no marks at all for this
question, as a result.

The key to understanding this question and what was needed, in terms of quotations
and explanations, were the words ‘make the sea seem like this’ (i.e. featureless and
lifeless). In other words, appearances – even though they may have been deceptive
and misleading. For example, quite a number of answers gave the following quotation
as one piece of evidence: ‘There were no birds at all circling around, not even the tell-
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tale diving swarm that will follow a school of baitfish. No fish broke the water.’ At first
glance this may seem like a ‘perfect’ answer, but after careful consideration it should
be clear that it is not, because the quotation is stating literally and directly that there is
no life – not that the ocean and the sky above it merely seem to be lifeless (which they
are not). Quotations should therefore have focussed on details that made the ocean
and sky above it appear to be lifeless (and featureless) – not literally so.

6 ‘This is a failure of perception’ (line 5).

Give one piece of evidence from Paragraph 1 that shows the impression of the open
sea as a ‘featureless, lifeless expanse’ is not accurate?

ANS:

The sudden (and unexpected) appearance of a whale.

(‘Then, just off to starboard, a 10 metre whale breached, gave gentle blow and [1]
rolled back into the water.’ Lines 10-11)

Most answers for this question were correct.

7 (a) In Paragraph 2, the fishing group ‘kept a sane schedule’ (line 14). What does this
description suggest about how the writer felt about their routine?

ANS: He felt it was a reasonable/fair/sensible/practical schedule. [1]

Other answers which would have been accepted were as follows:

Manageable; realistic; acceptable; bearable.

‘Normal’ was not accepted, as in order for it to be so the routine needed to be

compared to something else in order for it to be viewed as ‘normal’ – i.e. ‘normal’,
compared to what? What exactly is ‘normal’ here, anyway?

Answers needed to say what the writer’s feelings were about the routine – not what
they were not – for example, ‘not too bad’ etc.

(b) Identify one phrase of two words in Paragraph 2 that suggests some of the group
members felt the boat should have gone out to sea much earlier than 8 am.

ANS: ‘scandalously late’. (Line 15) [1]

Incredibly, quite a few answers here consisted of more words than two (some, as
many as 9!) even though the question clearly states that what was required, in terms of
an answer, was a phrase of just two words only.

A failure to follow simple instructions as this will inevitably result in lost marks.

Always do EXACTLY what the question tells you to do.

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8 Referring to Paragraph 3, explain what the writer thinks is impressive about the pace
of the pelicans.

ANS: They were moving/able to move at almost the same speed as the boat.

(The fact that he is impressed by the pelicans’ ability to almost keep pace with
the boat is indicated by: ‘That is saying something.’ Line 21)

X: They were moving fast/very fast (not specific enough; too vague). [1]

Some answers here stated that the pelicans were flying ‘as fast as the boat’, which is
not correct – the passage states clearly that they were flying at ‘almost’ the same
speed as the boat, which is not the same thing.

Answers which said the birds were ‘keeping up’ with the boat were accepted, as this
does not necessarily mean that they are moving at exactly the same speed as the boat
– but nearly so.

9 The writer says that catching a tuna ‘takes strength’ (line 29). Find two pieces of
evidence in Paragraph 4 which explain why strength is needed to bring in a tuna.

ANS:

(They) ‘hit your lures hard and fight mightily’. (Lines 26-27)

‘the reel hisses as the fish rip the line away’. (Line 28)

X: ‘They are big, strong, fast fish’. (Line 26) – merely describes the fish itself and
does not automatically explain why strength is needed to catch a tuna. [2]

For this question, just the quotations themselves would have been sufficient, as the
quotations are self-explanatory.

However, answers needed to refer to what happens/how the fish behaves/ what it
does when it is in the process of being caught in order to be acceptable. Simply saying
that it is a big, strong fish alone is not enough.

Similarly, ‘Bringing them in takes strength and patience’ merely repeats the words in
the question and does not explain anything. It simply says that strength is needed –
not why.

10 Identify one word in Paragraph 4 that suggests the writer was teased by some
members of the group about his poor fishing skills.

ANS: ‘mostly’. (Line 32) [1]

Most answers for this question were correct – as should have been the case.

11 In Paragraph 5, the writer claims that he felt like he was ‘pulling a refrigerator up from
the ocean bottom’ (line 40). Explain how this claim is supported with reference to three
pieces of evidence from Paragraph 5.

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ANS:

‘It immediately bent my rod almost in half’. (Lines 39-40)

‘My shoulder muscles were burning within seconds’. (Line 41)

‘strapped into a belt with a brace for my rod’ (line 42)

[3]
‘I thought my left arm was through for the week’. (Line 43)

Any THREE of the above

As with Question 9, quotations or paraphrases were sufficient to answer this question

– even though many answers also consisted of quite detailed explanations.

Answers needed to refer to what the writer did or experienced whilst he was catching
the fish – not just refer to its ‘muscular resistance’ or heavy weight.

12 ‘I thought my more experienced friends were a bit eccentric for wearing long trousers
during the day and wrapping their heads in scarves’ (lines 44-46). What happened to
the writer to make him change his opinion about his friends? Give two pieces of
evidence from Paragraph 6.

ANS:

‘my knees, (despite lashing on the sunblock), burned to lobster red’. (Lines 46-
47)
[2]
‘(The frames of) my sunglasses left (distinct) pale stripes along the side of my
(browned) head’. (Lines 47-48)

Answers for this question had to be specific, in terms of saying that it was the writer’s
knees that became ‘lobster red’ – not just say that ‘he’ became such.

The same for the second piece of evidence – all the underlined details in the answer
above had to be included in the answer, in order to receive a mark.

Paraphrased answers would have been accepted, as well as direct quotations.

13 In Paragraph 6, the writer uses the simile ‘looking like a beetroot’ (line 49). What does
this simile suggest about the writer’s appearance at the end of the first day?

ANS:

That his skin was very burnt/had been badly burned by the sun.

OR

That his skin was very red/purple. [1]

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Answers that stated the writer had been ‘tanned’ after his first day were not accepted.
He wasn’t merely ‘tanned’ at all – he had been badly burnt and so his skin ended up
red in colour, as a result of the severe burning, hence the comparison to a beetroot,
which is also dark red in colour.

Answers which said his skin was ‘dark’ or ‘brown’ were not accepted – he was red, not
brown, in colour.

14 ‘There is a certain knack to making it work’ (line 52).

Referring to Paragraph 7, explain in your own words what were two challenges the
writer and his friends faced each time they went out on their boat that could have
caused things not to ‘work’?

ANS:
[1]
1. Lifted: ‘There is not a lot of room’. (Line 51)

Paraphrased: Getting used to the confined conditions/limited space on the

boat.

2. Lifted: ‘It’s a lot of hours of being close together’. (Lines 51-52)

Paraphrased: Being able to spend long periods of time together comfortably

or harmoniously.

This was a question that was not well done by most students, who did not seem to
understand either the question itself or what was required, in terms of an answer.

First of all, the question only carries one mark, but two challenges are asked for in it.
This means that both ‘challenges’ have to be correct in order to receive the one mark –
if either ‘challenge’ is not correct, the whole answer would not have received any mark
– even if one of the ‘challenges’ was correct (no half marks).

Many students gave the following as their answer: ‘When to talk, when to be quiet,
when to lead and when to defer.’

It is not acceptable as an answer because these are not so much ‘challenges’ per se,
but more things to be learnt about being on a boat with other people for a long period
of time – in other words, what is the correct ‘etiquette’, in this situation.

A ‘challenge’ is a task or situation that tests someone’s abilities, one in which a failure
to meet or ‘pass’ such a test could result in (perhaps serious) problems or difficulties.
As such, the real challenges here were two-fold and were to be found in the previous
sentences to the one above: ‘Even on a large boat, such as the one we were on, there
is not a lot of room. It’s a lot of hours being close together.’

These are the real challenges faced by the writer and his friends, as if they are not
able to cope with the cramped conditions and the long periods of time spent together,
this could result in tensions building-up and eventually spilling over into
conflicts/disagreements, arguments etc. – or worse.

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Question 15 is on the next page

15 The structure of the text reflects the writer’s experiences at different stages during the
fishing trip. Complete the flow chart by choosing one phrase from the box to
summarise his experience at each stage of the fishing trip. There are some extra
phrases in the box you do not need to use.

The writer’s experiences during the fishing trip

Learning valuable lessons

Swimming with dolphins
Undergoing tests of muscularity
Having a surprise encounter
Sunbathing on deck
Setting out to sea bright and early
Eating grouper for lunch

Paragraph 1 (i) ANS: Having a surprise encounter

Paragraphs 2-3 (ii) ANS: Setting out to sea bright and early

Paragraphs 4-5 (iii) ANS: Undergoing tests of muscularity

Paragraph 6-7 (iv) ANS: Learning valuable lessons [4]

Many students did well for this question and got four marks, as a result.

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The options highlighted in red, above, were ‘distractors’, which are always included in this question
to ‘trap’ or ‘mislead’ students who have not read the passage accurately or carefully enough.

‘Swimming with dolphins’ was not correct as it was only the dolphins who were swimming
(alongside the boat), not the writer himself.

‘Sunbathing on deck’ was not correct because although the writer did become sunburnt, this was
not because he had actually been ‘sunbathing’, but because he had not taken proper precautions
to protect himself from the sun (unlike his friends, who knew better).

‘Eating grouper for lunch’ was not correct because although the writer does refer to grouper as ‘a
great delicacy’ in paragraph five, there is no indication as to precisely when or where he ate the
fish – whether it was for lunch on the boat, or at another time.

General Comments (Section B):

Many students did not seem to know how to spell the following two words:

‘suggests’ (no ‘s’ at the end)

‘manageable’ (no ‘e’ after the ‘g’)

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