LAHORE GRAMMAR SCHOOL

English Language Holiday Homework 2023

Grade IX

Table of Contents:

Section 1: Comprehension

Section 2: Composition

Section 3: Directed Writing

Section 4: Extended Response to Reading

Section 5: Summary Writing

Section 6: Student vs Chatgpt : comparison review

Section 1: Comprehension

Passage 1

Read the following passage carefully and then answer all the questions on the Question Paper.

Barry Stone, the writer, describes a trip to Kamchatka, a remote area of Russia.

Russia’s Far East

Alexey, our park ranger, released the safety catch on his shotgun, and moved a hand toward the flare
gun on his belt—always the preferred option when confronted by an adult bear and the threat of
danger. We didn’t intend to come between the mother and her cub, but the river in which they’d been
gorging themselves on salmon moments earlier had separated them. Its glacial current was carrying the
cub downstream and past our huddled group of 16 intruders. Now, through no fault of our own, we
were in the one spot humans should never be. When the mother bear raised herself to a height of two
metres and looked straight through us in search of her cub, our many cameras clicked as one. This was
despite there being nothing between us and death, except for just a few metres of Kamchatkan scrub
and Alexey’s powerful rifle.

Fortunately this story had a happy ending. Kamchatkan brown bears are nowhere near as aggressive as
their cousins, the American grizzly, and feed almost exclusively on the region’s plentiful supplies of
salmon, supplementing their diets with pine nuts, berries, and the occasional rodent. According to
Alexey, only one in every hundred encounters here ends in a bear attack. That said, having spotted
maybe 150 bears over the last three days, I was probably overdue for a mauling. But who dwells on
statistics when they’re having the time of their life? The Kamchatka Peninsula is in the Russian Far East,
a little over two hours’ flying time from Tokyo. It hangs off the end of Siberia like a fish tail, with the Sea
of Okhotsk on one side and the Bering Sea on the other. How many bears live here?

Nobody knows. Estimates range from as few as 8,000 to more than twice that number. Gathering
information about bear populations (or anything else for that matter) in such a huge and unpopulated
region isn’t easy.

Remote Kurilskoye Lake is the largest breeding ground for red salmon in Eurasia. From the comfort of
our lodge on its shores, we watched bears chase one another over open meadows, mother bears
feeding their young, and cubs nestling with siblings. We saw them strolling along the perimeter of the
electric fence, and we watched as 650-kilo adult males barged their way through crystal-clear rivers in
their hunt for salmon.

If you’re after real nature, then it’s hard to beat Kamchatka. Every encounter was wild, spontaneous and
thrilling (and even potentially fatal, like the time a bear lumbered out from behind a bush as we
collected driftwood along the lakeshore for the evening bonfire). When our first pair of sea eagles
appeared overhead showing off two-metre wingspans, one with a full-grown salmon hanging limply
from its claws, the birdwatchers among us went into a frenzy. Where were you supposed to point your
binoculars in this place? Up? Down? Sideways?

Kamchatka is not easy to get to. Even though it is attached to the mainland, it might as well be an island,
as the terrain is so impenetrable that no road has ever been built and more than half of Kamchatka’s
400,000 residents live in the capital. In an area that has a population of fewer than one person per
square kilometre, and where almost a third of the land is designated a wilderness reserve, once you
leave the city, it won’t be long until you’re at one with nature.

And what nature! More than 300 snow-dusted volcanoes, of which 29 are active, protrude from the
harsh landscape. It has been called the Land of Fire and Ice. Mount Koryaksky, just 28 kilometres from
the capital, looks positively menacing. It’s a ‘Decade Volcano’, one of just 16 in the world constantly
watched because of their eruptive history and proximity to significant population centres. Koryaksky last
erupted in 2009, when it ejected an enormous ash plume into the sky—which is as good a reason as any
to get out of town.

Read carefully the passage Russia’s Far East in the Reading Booklet Insert, and then answer all

the questions on this Question Paper.

Question 1

(a) From paragraph one (Alexey, our park ranger…), give two reasons why the writer and his

companions were in danger from the bear.

• .................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

• .................................................................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................................................[2]

(b) What is surprising about the way that the ‘intruders’ reacted when the mother bear stared

straight at them (line 5)?

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

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...............................................................................................................................................[2]
(c) Why is it difficult to gather information about the size of the bear population in Kamchatka

(paragraph three: The Kamchatka Peninsula…)?

...................................................................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................................................[1]

(d) Using your own words, explain the reactions of the birdwatchers when they saw the sea

eagles (paragraph five: If you’re after…).

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................................................[2]

(e) (i) Give one fact about Mount Koryaksky from the final paragraph.

.......................................................................................................................................[1]

(ii) What is suggested by the word ‘Decade’ in line 39?

...........................................................................................................................................

.......................................................................................................................................[1]

(f) By referring to the whole passage, give two ways in which the ranger and the visitors are

protected against bears.

• .................................................................................................................................................

• .............................................................................................................................................[2]

(g) Using your own words, explain what the writer means by the words in italics in the following

phrases:

(i) ‘I was probably overdue for a mauling ’ (lines 14–15)

...........................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................[2]

(ii) ‘the terrain is so impenetrable ’ (line 33)

...........................................................................................................................................

.......................................................................................................................................[2]

(iii) ‘looks positively menacing ’ (line 39)

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.......................................................................................................................................[2]

(h) Re-read paragraphs one to five (Alexey, our park ranger… to …Sideways?).

The writer uses the following phrases to describe the behaviour of the bears.

Choose three of the following phrases and then explain how each one of them helps you to

gain an impression of the bears’ behaviour:

• ‘gorging themselves on salmon’ (line 4)

• ‘strolling along the perimeter’ (lines 23–24)

• ‘barged their way through crystal-clear rivers’ (lines 24–25)

• ‘lumbered out from behind a bush’ (lines 27–28).

Phrase: .................................................................................................

Explanation: ..............................................................................................................................

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Phrase: .................................................................................................

Explanation: ..............................................................................................................................

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Phrase: .................................................................................................
Explanation: ..............................................................................................................................

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Passage 2

Read the following passage carefully and then answer all the questions on the Question Paper.

Johnny Langenheim, the writer, describes a visit to the remote Solomon Islands.

The Wild Side of the Solomon Islands

We rise on a great South Pacific wave, and there it is: a spinner dolphin within arm’s reach of my perch
at the front of the speedboat. And it’s not alone. Thirty or more of the creatures are darting and leaping
in front of me now, each one seeming to return my grin as we head for the wild western side of
Tetepare. Beyond us stretch 1,600 kilometres of ocean – all the way to Australia’s Queensland coast. But
for now, I’m unaware of this, mesmerised instead by the silvery flash of the dolphins as they pilot us
toward shore.

Even though Tetepare – at 120 square kilometres – is the largest uninhabited island in the South Pacific,
it is not widely known, just like the Solomon Islands’ nation to which it belongs. Having gained
independence only in 1978, the Solomons today are a sleepy backwater, with most of their half-million
people engaged in farming and fishing. Yet a closer look at this chain of nearly 1,000 islands turns up
unexpected treasures.

How fitting, then, that the promise of treasure gave the country its name. In 1567, Spanish navigator
Alvaro de Mendaña set out from Peru on a quest for the mythical continent of Terra Australis, source of
King Solomon’s gold. What he found instead were the Solomons, where he set up camp on the island
now known as Santa Isabel. De Mendaña and his crew spent several months scouring the area for riches,
but left empty-handed. The name, however, stuck.

The Solomon Islands’ real treasures are their ecosystems – both terrestrial and marine – which offer
close encounters with nature that you don’t have to share with dozens of other cameratoting tourists.
This is the easternmost corner of what is known as the Coral Triangle, an area rich in reef-building
corals. So it’s hardly surprising that the Solomons’ developing tourism industry is based almost
exclusively on diving. Most people head to Western Province – a mosaic of volcanic islands fringed by
coral reefs, lagoons, and bone-white beaches which creates the essential image of the South Seas.

The jumping-off point for most diving holidays in the Solomons is the provincial capital of Gizo, an
unremarkable stretch of concrete shop fronts and offices with a lively fish market. Head out from here,
however, and things get seriously beautiful. Even the popular, mid-range diving resort called Fatboys,
just 10 minutes away by boat, has a castaway feel to it, not to mention a world-class reef right under its
jetty.
Only a few visitors get as far as Tetepare, however. And this is the true appeal of the place: its
remoteness, coupled with the abundance of creatures that thrive there in the absence of people. My
guide is Allen Bero from the Tetepare Descendants’ Association (TDA). He and its 3,500 other members,
all descendants of the original inhabitants, are the present-day custodians of the island.

Leaving the dolphins behind, we close in on Tetepare’s coastline, etched in sharp relief against a pale
blue sky. Whereas most of the Solomons’ forests have been aggressively cleared, Tetepare retains the
largest stretch of undisturbed lowland rain forest in the country. The waters around the island are also
protected. ‘Back in the 1980s, some of the landowners wanted to log Tetepare – but most of us
disagreed,’ Bero explains. ‘We opted for conservation instead.’ Supported by international conservation
groups, the TDA now monitors the numerous species that abound here – they have an incredibly
difficult job.

Tetepare is a nesting site for the endangered green turtle as well as the critically endangered species of
turtles, such as leatherbacks, which lay their eggs on the island’s black-sand beaches. Placid dugongs
graze on sea grass in the lagoon, while huge coconut crabs forage by night. The world’s largest skink (a
type of lizard) and 73 species of bird, including pygmy parrots, can be found on the island, while sharks,
dolphins and myriad reef fish inhabit the surrounding waters.

Read carefully the passage The Wild Side of the Solomon Islands in the Reading Booklet Insert

and then answer all the questions on this Question Paper.

Question 1

(a) From paragraph one (We rise…) give two details about the writer’s state of mind.

• ................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

• ................................................................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................................................. [2]

(b) From paragraph one (We rise…) to paragraph two (…unexpected treasures), give two details

about Tetepare’s location.

• ................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

• ................................................................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................................................. [2]

(c) How did the Solomon Islands get their name (paragraph three: How fitting…)?
...................................................................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................................................. [1]

(d) Explain, using your own words, why the writer believes the ecosystems of the Solomons

are so special (paragraph 4: The Solomon Islands’ real…).

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................................................. [2]

(e) From paragraph five (The jumping-off point…) give one fact the writer provides about Fatboys

and one opinion he has of the resort.

Fact: ..........................................................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................................................. [1]

Opinion: ....................................................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................................................. [1]

(f) Explain, using your own words, what the TDA did in the 1980s and what the TDA does now

(paragraph seven: Leaving the dolphins…).

The 1980s: .......................................................................................................................... [1]

Now: ..................................................................................................................................... [1]

(g) Explain, using your own words, what the writer means by the words in italics in the following

phrases:

(i) ‘both terrestrial and marine’ (line 17)

...........................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................... [2]

(ii) ‘a mosaic of volcanic islands fringed by coral reefs’ (lines 21–22)

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...................................................................................................................................... [2]

(iii) ‘the abundance of creatures that thrive there’ (line 30)

...........................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................... [2]

(h) Re-read paragraph two (Even though…), paragraph five (The jumping-off point…) and

paragraph seven (Leaving the dolphins…).

The writer uses the following phrases to describe the scenery and atmosphere of the islands.

Choose three of the phrases and explain how each one of them helps you to gain an

impression of their atmosphere:

• ‘the Solomons today are a sleepy backwater’ (line 9)

• ‘an unremarkable stretch of concrete shop fronts and offices with a lively fish market’

(line 25)

• ‘has a castaway feel to it’ (line 27)

• ‘etched in sharp relief against a pale blue sky’ (lines 34–35).

Phrase: .................................................................................................

Explanation: ..............................................................................................................................

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Phrase: .................................................................................................

Explanation: ..............................................................................................................................

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Phrase: .................................................................................................

Explanation: ..............................................................................................................................

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Passage 3

Read the following passage carefully and then answer all the questions on the Question Paper.

Isabel Esterman, the writer, describes a visit to the ancient sites of the Nile Valley in Egypt.

Up the Nile in Style

As the sun dips low across the Nile and the Sahara desert beyond, the sandstone columns around me
blush pink and orange. Lengthening shadows sharpen the lines of the murals carved into their stone.

More than 3,000 years ago, when the Karnak temple complex stood newly built above the city of
Thebes, it must have been truly breathtaking. The 134 columns of the Great Hall, their tops shaped like
lotus blooms and papyrus buds, supported a vaulting roof that allowed shafts of light to stream onto the
gleaming marble floor and reflect on the faces of the statues lining the chamber. The pharaoh and his
priests would enter the sanctuary to pray to the god Amun-Ra, while ordinary citizens worshipped in the
courtyard outside.

Standing in the Great Hall today, its roof long since collapsed, I can’t help thinking I prefer the temple as
it is now: crumbling, evocative, silent. A thin stream of visitors trickles through the site, but every time I
leave the main walkway, I find myself alone, free to wander in solitude among the ruins and search for
hidden places where faint traces of the original colours have managed to cling to millennia-old plaster.

Karnak is the first major site on a week’s cruise through Upper Egypt, and its emotional power catches
me by surprise. Egypt is like this, I’ve learned. Over-saturated by Hollywood images of pyramids and
temples, I had expected these ancient monuments to be underwhelming.

I couldn’t have been more wrong. As with my visit to see the Sphinx, which proved aweinspiring despite
the fast-food restaurant across the road, here in Karnak I found the temples magnificent and
mysterious. Nothing I had seen or read about them prepared me for the wonder of actually setting foot
on these stones.

The following morning, after crossing to the Nile’s west bank on an excursion to the Valley of the Kings, I
was astonished yet again. As we drove along an empty desert road I felt keenly the starkness and the
desolation that led the ancient pharaohs to believe that their mummified bodies would find eternal rest
in these rocky heights.

In the Valley of the Kings, pharaohs could arrange to be buried so deeply that modern archaeologists,
with all the latest technology, have still not located the tombs of at least five major rulers who are
believed to rest in the hillsides.
 A pharaoh would begin work on his tomb from the moment he became ruler, enlarging and decorating
it until his death. Thus, the tomb of the valley’s most celebrated occupant, the boy king Tutankhamen, is
in fact one of the smallest. Tutankhamen was just 18 when he died, and his mummy, still on view within,
seems almost impossibly slight. The wall paintings are beautiful and detailed, depicting in vibrant colours
scenes from the Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead. But they are just that: paintings. Typically, the walls
would have been carved in meticulous detail before being painted.

King Tutankhamen’s coffin alone was made from more than 110 kilograms of pure gold, and more than
7,000 statues, ritual objects, household items and jewels were discovered. If this was the grave of a
minor king, on the throne for a mere decade, it is staggering to imagine what a tomb like that of Ramses
IV, cut 70 metres into the heart of the rock, must have contained. Or that of Ramses III, who ruled for 55
years.

Stripped bare some 3,000 years ago, they are still splendid. Every inch of the walls is decorated with
scenes from Egyptian mythology: gods standing in judgement, beheaded enemies, three-headed snakes
and other dangers the pharaoh would encounter on his journey to the underworld.

Read carefully the passage Up the Nile in Style in the Reading Booklet Insert and then answer

all the questions on this Question Paper.

Question 1

(a) (i) What time of day is being described in paragraph one (As the sun…)?

...........................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................... [1]

(ii) Which phrase tells us the time of day?

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...................................................................................................................................... [1]

(b) By referring to details from paragraph three (Standing in the Great Hall today…), using your

own words, explain what the writer likes about the temple as it is in the present day.

...................................................................................................................................................

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(c) Using your own words, explain why the writer had expected to find Karnak ‘underwhelming’

(line 17).

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...................................................................................................................................................

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.............................................................................................................................................. [2]

(d) What does the use of the word ‘despite’ suggest about the writer’s response to the existence

of a fast-food restaurant (line 19)?

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...............................................................................................................................................[2]

(e) Using your own words, explain what the writer means by saying ‘But they are just that:

paintings’ (line 34).

...................................................................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................................................. [2]

(f) Using your own words, explain what the writer means by the words in italics in the following

phrases:

(i) ‘thin stream of visitors trickles’ (line 11)

...........................................................................................................................................

.......................................................................................................................................[2]

(ii) ‘I felt keenly the starkness’ (lines 23–24)

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...................................................................................................................................... [2]

(iii) ‘almost impossibly slight ’ (line 32)

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.......................................................................................................................................[2]
(g) Re-read paragraph three (Standing…millennia-old plaster) and paragraph five (l couldn’t…

these stones).

The writer uses the following phrases to describe the atmosphere of the ancient ruins.

Choose three of the following phrases and then explain how each one of them helps you to

gain an impression of this atmosphere:

• ‘crumbling, evocative, silent’ (line 11)

• ‘I find myself alone, free to wander in solitude’ (line 12)

• ‘ traces of the original colours have managed to cling to millennia-old plaster’ (lines

13–14)

• ‘I found the temples magnificent and mysterious’ (lines 19–20).

Phrase: .............................................................................................

Explanation: ..............................................................................................................................

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...............................................................................................................................................[2]

Phrase: .............................................................................................

Explanation: ..............................................................................................................................

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Phrase: .............................................................................................

Explanation: ..............................................................................................................................

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Section 2: Composition

Write the following topics.

Word limit: 350 to 450

Descriptive Writing

1 (a) Describe a small group of people relaxing, and then the moment that destroys the atmosphere

of calm.

&

(b) Describe a party in full swing, and then what the place is like when all the visitors have gone

home.

Narrative Writing

2 (a) Write a story called ‘The Path that led to Nowhere’.

&

(b) Write a story that involves your attempt to cook a meal for others.
Section 3: Directed Writing

Directed Writing – Task 1

In the following newspaper report (Text A) , the writer explains how students of different ages in a local
high school are taught in classes together.

Big Changes in Local High School

Just three years ago, a local secondary school, Green College, was under threat of closure. Student
numbers had fallen drastically and the school was judged to be ‘no longer viable’. As a last ditch attempt
to keep it open, the Principal adopted some radical changes to the structure of classes.

Mrs Perez, the Principal, explains how she transformed the school’s fortunes. ‘I’d heard about vertical
grouping, where different age groups are taught in classes together,’ she says. ‘It’s sometimes called
family grouping and there are plenty of good models in primary school systems all over the world.’ It’s
not uncommon, either, for very small schools in remote areas to have different age groups taught in the
same class. For these villages that may be the only education on offer, but Mrs Perez and others
promote the idea more positively. They claim many educational and social benefits, including better
behaviour and higher academic achievement.

To make the new system work, Mrs Perez chose only her best, most flexible staff to teach reorganised
classes in which children from 11 to 16 were taught together. She had to reassure parents that teachers
would be retrained to ensure that they adapted their lessons for different ages. This created some
resentment amongst highly experienced staff who had to ‘unlearn’ many of their methods and ideas
about teaching. ‘There were teething problems,’ she admits. Parents were afraid that their children
would not be able to follow demanding courses and would not achieve the grades needed for university
places. Older students felt that younger children would demand more of the teacher’s attention and Mrs
Perez had to answer some difficult questions in the meetings she held to explain the idea. Although she
remains enthusiastic about family grouping, the age range in each class has narrowed a little, now that
the threat of closure has passed, so perhaps there are limits to its benefits.

A proud Mrs Perez introduces Emilia, a student at Green College who has recently secured a place at her
chosen university to study engineering. Her parents took the risk of moving her to the college,
concerned that at her previous school she had felt bullied and not adequately challenged academically.
‘I was very small and shy for my age and the older kids intimidated me. My classmates were all the same
age but that’s all I had in common with many of them,’ she says. ‘Here, we all know each other,
whatever age we are, and we feel protective of the younger ones. They look up to us as role models – a
nice feeling for us! – but they’re not scared of us and we learn a lot about responsibility and tolerance.’
She recalls one project which involved all the students in her class, from 11 year olds to 16 year olds.
‘We planted a woodland garden in the school grounds over a number of weeks. I worked with a really
smart 11-year-old boy, researching which trees would suit the soil type and the position, how tall they
would grow and in which sequence to plant them to allow woodland flowers to develop beneath the
canopy. My friend Ahmed opted to help the younger kids to plant flower seeds and learned a lot about
children as well as plants. He’s just applied to a teacher training college.’

Emilia is obviously an articulate and bright student who may well have succeeded at any school, but she
says exams and academic standards are taken very seriously at Green. ‘We don’t take risks with
children’s futures,’ Mrs Perez adds. ‘Exam students are given extra tuition separately and throughout
the school the teachers tailor each child’s learning to suit their ability as well as their age.’

The college is now looking to admit a small number of carefully selected adult learners who can join
classes for a year or so to inspire and encourage them to continue their education. In some countries the
system of teaching children of different ages together is known as ‘family grouping’, but surely children
learning alongside adults the same age as their parents or even grandparents is a step too far? Mrs
Perez adamantly disagrees. ‘Some adults who under-achieved in conventional schools have shown a
keen interest in how we work here. Systems which break down barriers between children and adults are
good for the whole of the community, not just schools. Our students are all learners, after all, whatever
their age.’

Task:

Imagine that your school has plans to introduce family or vertical grouping.

Write an article for your school magazine giving your views on the topic, based on Text A.

In your article you should:

• identify and evaluate the ideas expressed in the article about family or vertical grouping

• give your views about how you think it would affect students of different ages.

Base your article on what you have read in Text A, but be careful to use your own words.

Address both the bullet points. Write about 250 to 350 words.

Up to 10 marks are available for the content of your answer, and up to 15 marks for the quality of
your writing.
Directed Writing Task 2

Read the article below (Text B) , written by Paul Lifschultz, a retired teacher who lives in England, for an
international magazine.

Whatever happened to common courtesy?

I was reminded only yesterday, by two seemingly insignificant incidents while out shopping in a nearby
town, that politeness and good manners just aren’t what they used to be. In one shop, the two young
shop assistants behind the counter carried on their conversation, including some lurid details about a
recent night out, while I handed over my goods to be processed through the till. Not one word was
addressed to me, the customer who presumably helps to keep these two employed, and there was
barely a pause in their discussion as they took my money and shoved my purchases unceremoniously
into a bag. Only half an hour later, I stood behind another customer in a supermarket queue who
conducted a discussion on her mobile phone throughout the whole transaction, ignoring the smile and
greeting of the checkout assistant completely. You see, it isn’t just another ‘customer care’ course for
shop staff that is needed – neither staff nor their customers show each other the polite consideration
that keep the wheels of civilised life in motion.

Perhaps I live in a particularly discourteous part of the world, or maybe life in big towns and cities is too
frenetic these days for the niceties of polite behaviour. From my experience in many countries across
the globe, people living in fast-moving, over-crowded cosmopolitan cities no longer observe the
everyday courtesies that their many and various cultures would have expected of them just a decade
ago. Nobody offers their seat on a train or bus to an older person these days and I pity any frail or
elderly person unfortunate enough to get in the way of the busy go-getters on city streets. Nobody even
says ‘Excuse me’ before pushing their way past others any more and a polite ‘Good morning’ to a fellow
passenger on a commuter train is met with suspicion in many big cities. Maybe it’s these same city
manners (or complete lack of them!) that have leaked into smaller towns and villages like mine, turning
an ordinary shopping trip into a depressing experience.

Adults are as guilty as young people of discourteous behaviour, if the increasing number of ‘road rage’
incidents is anything to go by, for example. However, if we don’t expect children to behave courteously
as a matter of course we can hardly expect them to become civilised adults. My teenage grandchildren,
as delightful as they are, rarely find themselves reprimanded for rudeness although they constantly
interrupt others, even adults, and talk over them. They seem to have the utmost confidence that their
views count for much more than anyone else’s and are incapable of hearing an opposing view without
shouting it down. The rowdiness of young people we see so often in public these days isn’t really the
outrageous, almost criminal behaviour older people often claim it is – it’s merely a failure to understand
the rules of common courtesy. Young children are routinely allowed to dictate to their parents the meals
they’re prepared to eat, teenagers think nothing of answering their phones during family occasions and
parents don’t even expect a ‘please’ or ‘thank you’ once a child’s age reaches double figures. Teachers
report that the constant incivility of pupils towards each other, and especially towards the adults in the
classroom, is very dispiriting. It seems that individual self-expression and the pursuit of one’s own goals
are considered far more important than small kindnesses which simply make the world go round more
smoothly.

Of course, in some sectors of society, politeness is considered a valuable business skill. Perhaps it’s true
that we buy more from polite salespeople or we complain less when confronted with a skilfully
courteous Complaints Manager. Even in personal matters, we are likely to be much more easily duped
by a cheat with good manners. In a world where ordinary, everyday courtesy seems to have
disappeared, there’s power in politeness. However, this kind of fake sincerity, taught in countless
business seminars the world over and deployed as a tactic, is not what I consider real courtesy. Having
said that, for the rude shop assistants I encountered yesterday, it might be a start!

Task :

Write a letter to Paul Lifschultz, giving your views on what you have read in the article.

In your letter you should:

• identify and evaluate the arguments in the article

• explain how far you agree with Paul Lifschultz’s attitude.

Base your letter on what you have read in the article (Text B) , but be careful to use your own words.

Address both the two bullet points.

Begin your letter, ‘Dear Mr Lifschultz….’

Write about 250 to 350 words.

Up to 10 marks are available for the content of your answer, and up to 15 marks for the quality of
your writing.
Section 4: Extended Response to Reading

Passage 1: The Island Visit

In this passage, a journalist describes the occasion when the mayor of a large city in a wealthy foreign
country returns for the first time to visit the small island he left when he was a baby.

The car bringing the big city mayor – a fine limousine borrowed for the occasion – stopped at the
entrance to the village. Its occupant got out, amid the clamour of applause, flashing of lenses and clash
of the band, into a confused mass of policemen, journalists, inquisitive spectators, infinite numbers of
cousins, shepherds, women, and in fact the whole 4,000 inhabitants of the island who were waiting for
him. The village boys crowded round. Pushing and yelling to each other, they shouted, ‘Let’s touch the
car; then we’ll become rich and famous too!’

The car had only just arrived and had already become a relic, a thing holy and miraculous, which if
merely touched promised pathways to paradise. Immediately his press officer had announced it, the
mayor’s visit was, for islanders, a fabulous adventure, a mythological occurrence. I don’t know how
conscious he was of this, or the real reasons for his journey – an affectionate curiosity to become
acquainted with his own native place and pay homage to the memory of his parents, a quest for
popularity, a wish to do something that would please his electors, or some combination of these things?
If he’d been born in a large town, his journey would be no more than ordinary political news. Instead,
the whole tale unfolded under full media glare.

Seasoned journalists had already made an assault several days beforehand on all possible means of
transport from the mainland. With beginners’ luck, I’d found myself unexpectedly on an extra plane in
which it happened the esteemed mayor himself was travelling. We’d arrived at the island’s airport to
the first troop of officials, photographers and a great quantity of the mayor’s more persistent cousins,
come from all parts to greet their illustrious relation. The mayor was immediately dragged off into the
whirl of the official reception. Beset by some of the shyer members of the mayor’s clan who’d taken me
for an intimate friend of their grand relation and who, displaying their identity cards and documents,
begged me to introduce them to him, I’d got into my taxi with some difficulty.

At first, the road had passed along the most splendid coastline floodlit by sunshine. Men and women
worked at vegetable gardens and fishing nets, a cinematic panorama of agile forms in action. Endless
fleets of painted carts, perambulating shops gaily decorated, rolled along the road navigating the sea of
people. A cart beyond repair lay beached belly-upwards at the roadside, its intricately-carved
merchandise laid out like entrails in the sun. Beyond, the road turned inland toward the mountains, the
landscape changing to immense bare moorlands, solemn and desolate. Sheep blocked our road ahead.
Their ancient shepherd leaned on his staff and regarded us quietly. The history of the mayor’s village to
date had been merely prehistoric.
Like detectives in some large-scale inquiry, journalists questioned door-to-door with a sort of mania.
They wanted everyone’s names, ages, jobs and family details, and of course their degree of relationship
to the mayor. One old woman, a daughter of one of the witnesses to his birth, assured me, ‘The mayor
was born here, in this very dwelling. I gave the family some cheese to eat on their voyage.’ She added,
‘They were poor and hadn’t any money.’

A journalist with a moustache interrupted at this moment, demanding like an examining magistrate,
‘What do you hope the mayor will do for you?’

‘Anything is possible,’ said the old woman. ‘Many things are needed: a hospital, a school.’ She answered
just to satisfy the journalist, in reality not asking for, hoping or expecting anything.

It was difficult now to get near the action owing to the great buzzing crowd paying faithful homage. On
broad strips of cloth was written, ‘Welcome in your nice country’. How many eyes, how many hands,
how many countless individual tasks paused to hear the visitor speak from a purpose-built platform
overlooking the street!

He spoke humbly about his nativity, his father and mother, saying, ‘I’m the son of a poor shoemaker
who left without a coin in his pocket.’

‘This all goes to show that it is possible,’ he concluded.

Everybody was happy.

Finally, it was announced that the mayor would give a considerable sum to his eldest cousin’s old
people’s charity and a larger sum still to the commune in order that public baths and a commemorative
statue might be constructed in the village.

I couldn’t help wondering at the divine uselessness of such gifts.

Task:

Later the same month, after a tour of the island, the mayor returns to his home country just in time for
his re-election campaign to begin. He writes a letter to a cousin about his visit to the island.

Write the letter.

Answer the following three questions only:

• Tell the cousin about the island, its people and their way of life. What impressed the mayor and why
he decided to visit?

• What kind of reactions did the visit receive from the media and the islanders?

• The mayor’s speech and gifts to the islanders have been criticised recently and his motives questioned.
What exactly are people’s criticisms and how does the mayor defend himself against each of them?
Base your letter on what you have read in Passage A, but be careful to use your own words.

Address each of the bullet points. Begin with the first bullet point.

Write about 250 to 350 words.

Up to 15 marks are available for the content of your answer, and up to 10 marks for the quality of
your writing.
Passage 2: A Moorland Lesson

In this passage, the narrator describes a journey across a moor (an expanse of uncultivated land) which
taught a valuable lesson. The narrator’s brother and sister usually live in the city but on this occasion
choose to accompany the narrator across the moor.

Although I have lived happily on the moor all my life, I know that its charm is not universally
appreciated. My brother and sister enjoy living and working in the city, preferring a life of busy streets,
chatter-filled restaurants and dizzying skyscrapers to my isolated world. I love the moor’s grand views,
the vast range of wildlife and the whirling wind that makes your skin tingle. All around you are expanses
of purple heather and sunburst yellow gorse, two plants that are characteristic of any wild landscape.
Raw beauty of this sort demands total respect. One February I discovered why.

We were emerging from a particularly cold winter; a few courageous wild flowers could be seen making
a tentative appearance. I even cleaned my car to share in the joyful mood filling the moorland. My
brother and sister were visiting me that weekend. We had all been invited to a friend’s birthday party in
a neighbouring village and, determined to enjoy the sudden improvement in the weather, they hastily
agreed to dress in lightweight cotton rather than our warmer winter clothing. As the sun was beginning
to set, I drove my ancient car with its erratic heating system over bumps and potholes, to meet the main
road across the moor and tried to ignore the chorus of complaints from my passengers.

The skies promised rain, but I was sure we could reach my friend’s house before the weather became
too threatening. It was when I saw the ‘Road Closed’ sign blocking our way that I remembered a letter I
had received previously, stating that the main road would be closed for essential repairs. As I took the
road indicated by the brightly-coloured diversion sign, I felt a twinge of unease. This minor road was
unfamiliar to me. I had travelled down it only a handful of times in bright daylight, never when the
evening sky scowled with such ominous intent. I then recalled that my map, torch and blanket were
nestling cosily on the kitchen table next to my water bottle, high visibility jacket and petrol can. I had
removed these essential items from the car in order to clean the interior and, in my haste to get to the
party, had forgotten to return them. Our original route took us past my local petrol station where I had
intended to fill up with fuel, but I was now travelling along a strange road and had little idea of where, or
even whether, I would find somewhere to do so. Peering nervously at the fuel gauge, I realised with
horror that finding a petrol station had become my priority.

It started to rain heavily but worse was to follow as, worryingly, this soon turned to sleet and then snow.
My flimsy shirt offered little protection as the temperature began to plummet. We shivered as we
continued our slow progress along unfamiliar roads. Then the inevitable happened. With a spluttering
cough, my car shuddered to a halt: it was out of petrol. Worse still, none of our phones could get a
signal. Feeling thoroughly miserable, we prepared ourselves for a long, cold night, overwhelmed by the
prospect of finding our way through the lace-like labyrinth of moorland roads.
The insistent blaring of a car horn brought me sharply back to the present, followed by a gentle tapping
at my window.

It was my neighbour.

‘You look as if you need some help,’ she grinned as she handed us three welcome woollen blankets.

Using her sturdy tow rope, I attached my car securely to hers and soon arrived at the party, a little
warmer and definitely much wiser.

Task:

Imagine that you are either the brother or the sister of the narrator. You have been asked to write an
article for a magazine, describing your experience on the moor.

Write your magazine article.

In your magazine article you should:

• describe the sights and sounds of the moor and your responses to them

• explain what happened when you travelled to the party and your reactions to this

• explain what you have learned from the experience and what advice you would offer to anyone as a
result.

Base your magazine article on what you have read in the passage, but do not copy from it. Be careful to
use your own words.

Address each of the three bullet points.

Write about 250 to 350 words.

Up to 15 marks are available for the content of your answer, and up to 10 marks for the quality of
your writing.
Section 5: Summary Writing

Passage: Avocados in Andalusia

In this passage, the writer describes how and why avocados are grown in Andalusia, a region in southern
Spain.

The traditional orchard in Andalusia used to contain, almost exclusively, an assortment of orange and
lemon trees, but times and tastes are changing. Now you are equally likely to see rows of avocado trees.
The reason for this change is chiefly commercial: avocados are a valuable crop. Avocados are sub-
tropical; they require a frost-free climate and are, therefore, well-suited to the hot summers and mild
winters of Andalusia. The high winds experienced regularly in Andalusia, however, can limit avocado
production as they can affect pollination, dehydrate the flowers and reduce humidity. Adequate
hydration is central to the successful cultivation of avocados so crops must be watered at least once
every four days to prevent the tree’s shallow roots drying out. Andalusian farmers employ traditional
methods to water their orchards, still using the system of irrigation channels constructed over ten
centuries ago.

‘Hass’ is the preferred avocado variety as it is the only one that is largely disease-resistant. Avocados
provide one crop a year but are prone to ‘biennial bearing’ which means that if a tree yields a good crop
one year, it will produce little the following year. Another concern for farmers is the decline in the bee
population. They rely on bees to help with pollination as avocado trees are only partly self-pollinating.

The fruit matures on the tree and only ripens once it is picked. After harvesting, the ripening process
usually takes one or two weeks. This means that all avocados do not need to be harvested at the same
time but can be left on the tree (sometimes for several months). This can be useful for farmers who are
trying to get the best prices for their produce. Nonetheless, if the fruit remains unpicked for too long, it
falls to the ground and is worthless commercially.

Green-skinned and fleshy, avocados are also a valuable source of nutrients and monounsaturated fats
which can help to lower cholesterol and improve heart health. They are a welcome addition to many
dishes. The benefits of avocados are not felt by all, however: avocado skin and leaves can be harmful to
grazing animals like goats, donkeys and horses.

Task:

Write a summary about what the passage titled Avocados in Andalusia tells you about avocadoes and
the farming methods involved in growing them.

You must use continuous writing (not note form) and use your own words as far as possible. Your
summary should not be more than 120 words.

Up to 10 marks are available for the content of your answer and up to 5 marks for the quality of your
writing.
Section 6: Student vs Chatgpt : comparison review

1)Student vs Chatgpt: Comparison review

a)Students are tasked with supplying a topic relating to the theme of friendship to
ChatGPT which will then generate a story for them. They will proceed to compose their
own story on the same topic, employing all elements of narrative writing.

Once completed, students will compare their story with the one generated by ChatGPT
and undertake the task of writing a review that thoroughly examines the differences
between the two narratives.

Particular emphasis should be placed on:

i) Elements of narrative writing :

Strong characterization

Clear plot structure

Satisfying resolution

ii) Language elements:

Sentence structure

vocabulary

grammar

Punctuation

Spelling

b) Reflect & Evaluate

Students have to write a reflection on their experience of using chatgpt:

I) Identify areas where they could use ChatGPT to improve their story writing skills
ii) Also what they could possibly do better than ChatGPT.