Cambridge International AS Level

ENGLISH GENERAL PAPER 8021/21

Paper 2 Comprehension May/June 2024
INSERT 1 hour 45 minutes

INFORMATION
 This insert contains all the resources referred to in the questions.
 You may annotate this insert and use the blank spaces for planning. Do not
write your answers on the insert.

This document has 8 pages. Blank pages are indicated.

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Material for Section A

Background
Connor is a student at Seabreeze High School, a coastal school in Daytona Beach,
Florida. He is a part of the AICE program as well as being a rower and competing
on the weightlifting team. Connor is deciding on which college he will attend after
his senior year. Connors eventual goal is to become a fighter pilot for either the
U.S. Air Force or Navy. He needs to find the college that gives him the best chance
of becoming a pilot. Connor has found three colleges that can lead to a fighter
pilot career:

College A United States Air Force Academy

Acceptance 12 Percent
Rate
Test Scores SAT Math: 618-760 ACT: 29-34
SAT Reading: 590-730
Average GPA 3.8

Student to 8 Students : 1 Full-Time Staff

Faculty Ratio
Cost $0
Location Colorado
% of 40%
graduates that
become
fighter pilots

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College B United States Naval Academy

Acceptance 8 Percent
Rate
Test Scores SAT Math: 600-720 ACT: 26-32
SAT Reading: 600-700
Average GPA 3.66

Student to 8 Students : 1 Full-Time Staff

Faculty Ratio
Cost Free

Location Maryland

% of 37.5%
graduates
that become
fighter pilots

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College C Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Acceptance 72 Percent
Rate

Test Scores SAT Math: 570-670 ACT: 23-29

SAT Reading: 570-660

Average 3.75
GPA

Student to 18 Students : 1 Full-Time Staff

Faculty
Ratio
Cost $35,156 Annually

Location Florida

% of 6.5%
graduates
that
become
fighter
pilots

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Additional Information
1. Connor’s current high school GPA is 4.5 weighted, 4.0 unweighted.
2. If Connor goes to an in-state school he can use bright futures to help with the
cost.
3. Connor wants to attend an out of state school.
4. The Air Force academy is located next to ski resorts.
5. The Naval Academy has a rowing program.
6. Connors current SAT score is 1240, however he plans to retake the test
several times.
7. Connors current ACT score is 26, however he plans to retake the test several
times.
8. Out of the 3 campuses, Connor finds the Air Force’s more appealing.
9. Connor wants to get into the best college possible without selling himself
short.
10. Connor’s favorite sport in skiing
11. Both the Naval and Air Force Academy require 5 years of service after
graduation.
12. Embry-Riddle has a rowing team.
13. Connor enjoys being on the water.
14. Connor would enjoy to keep rowing in college, however it isn’t a necessity.
15. Embry-Riddle is in the same town where Connor grew up.

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Section A
Read the material for Section A in the insert before answering the questions in Section A.

1 (a) Considering the advantages and at least one disadvantages, explain why Connor
might choose the US Naval Academy.
Answer in continuous prose, using your own words as far as possible.

The Naval Academy offers free college as long as Connor serves 5 years in the Navy

which is his goal anyway. The Naval academy also offers a rowing program which he

would enjoy to continue in college, and this school is out of state which is another

one of his preferences. Connor also meets the minimum GPA and test score

requirements, which he can improve to guarantee he is accepted. However, Connor

prefers the Air Force’s campus better, and the Naval academy doesn’t offer skiing,

which he would most likely prefer over rowing. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________

[10]

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(b) Explain two disadvantages of Connor choosing the US Naval Academy.

The Naval Academy doesn’t have any ski areas since its located in Maryland, and

although it has a rowing program, Connors favorite sport in skiing which would make

the Naval Academy less ideal. Connor also wants to get into the best school possible,

and although the Naval Academy has the lowest acceptance rate, its GPA and Test

Score requirements are lower than the Air Force. Since he can achieve the

requirements of the Air Force, he wouldn’t want to settle for the Naval Academy. _ _

__________

[4]

(c) Explain two disadvantages of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

Connor wants to go to an out of state school, and since Embry-Riddle is located where

he grew up, it makes the location a disadvantage. Also, the percent of graduates that

become fighter pilots is less than 10% at Embry-Riddle compared to the other

colleges with rates near 40%._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____

[4]

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(d) Which one piece of the additional information provided might Connor have
regarded as the least relevant in deciding which college to attend.
Justify your choice.

The 13th additional information, stating that Connor enjoys being on the water, is least

relevant, because it isn’t as important as facts such as GPA and sport preferences. This

one fact wouldn’t be a deciding factor in choosing a college, therefore it is least

relevant. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

[2]
(e) Now more than ever, colleges are looking at other measures of a student’s
performance over their GPA.
In your opinion, state why these colleges don’t trust GPA to reflect a student's abilities.

In high school, GPA’s have become ‘inflated’, meaning that As are given out to

everyone, and sometimes a grade doesn’t reflect a student's ability to learn, but

rather their ability to cheat. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______

[2]

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(f) Some people are eager to graduate high school and attend an out of state college,
while others prefer to stay local, and attend a college in a city where they’ve lived their
entire lives.
Give three reasons which you think might motivate someone to stay local when choosing
a college.

A person usually spends less when attending an in-state school, they are closer to

their family and community, and they don’t have to adapt to a new lifestyle or

environment since they have been there for most their lives. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________

[3]
*Works cited on following page

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Works Cited

“College Reality Check – College Reality Check.” Collegerealitycheck.com, 19 Jan. 2024,

collegerealitycheck.com/. Accessed 19 Jan. 2024.

“College Scorecard.” Ed.gov, 2007, collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Accessed 19 Jan. 2024.

“College Search & Match with Our College Finder | CollegeData.” Www.collegedata.com, 2024,

www.collegedata.com/college-search. Accessed 19 Jan. 2024.

Xie, Emily. “What Are the Best Sites for Comparing College Costs?” FAFSA: The How-to

Guide for High School Students, 9 Nov. 2021, understandingfafsa.org/what-are-the-best-

sites-for-comparing-college-offers/. Accessed 19 Jan. 2024.

“USAFA EDU.” United States Air Force Academy, 2016, www.usafa.edu/. Accessed 19 Jan.

2024.

“United States Naval Academy :: Leaders to Serve the Nation :: USNA.” Usna.edu, 2019,

www.usna.edu/homepage.php. Accessed 19 Jan. 2024.

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. “University | Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.”

Erau.edu, 2020, erau.edu/. Accessed 19 Jan. 2024.

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