Unit 1: Understanding and producing non-fiction texts (60% of GCSE)
Overview of the exam

2 hours 15 minutes

3 non-fiction texts to read

4 reading questions

2 writing questions
Reading

Question 1: information retrieval (8 marks/12 minutes)

Question 2: presentational devices (8 marks/ 12 minutes)

Question 3: inference (8 marks/ 12 minutes)

Question 4 language comparison (16 marks/ 24 minutes)
Writing

Question 5: writing to inform, explain, describe (16 marks/ 25 minutes)

Question 5: writing to argue, persuade (24 marks/ 35 minutes)
Key terminology:
1
Key terminology:

Rule of 3

Tense

Adjectives

First/second/ third person

Adverbs

Verbs

Personal pronouns

Rhetorical question

Imagery

Repetition

Captions

Personification

Subheading

Simile

Heading

Metaphor

Logo

Irony

Font

Facts/statistics

Main image

Tone

Secondary image

Simple sentences

Photograph/illustration/

Complex sentences

computer generated image
narrative
Q1: Information retrieval
8 marks/ 12 minutes
Track the text, ensuring that you locate information from different parts of the text.
Make a range of different points supporting your ideas with relevant quotations making
inferences about the quotations
DON’T focus on or worry about language analysis in this question
Make connections between information in the text
Example question: What do you learn from Geoffrey Lean’s article about the issues
of rainfall and flooding in Britain?
Skills
Mark Band 4
‘perceptive’ ‘
•
offers full and detailed evidence that the text is understood;
•
engages with the text appropriate to format; interprets
information in a perceptive way; focus on what the reader
detailed’
7 – 8 marks
learns
•
offers relevant and appropriate quotation to support detailed
understanding
•
makes perceptive connections between events, people and ideas
in the text
Throughout the article, the reader learns that Britain’s issues with rainfall
may not be as expected. In the first paragraph, we learn that, in fact, we have
less water than ‘largely desert nations in the Middle East and North Africa’. In
addition to this, the article claims that the ‘South East of England has less
water per head’ than these places. The article reveals that, as a result of this,
there is predicted to be ‘permanent water rationing in the South East by
2025.’
Not only are there issues with lack of rainfall, there are more obvious,
expected problems, related with Britain being a ‘notoriously soggy nation’. This
is particularly in a problem in ‘the North and West’. We learn that ‘successive
governments have neglected flood defences’ and that ‘flooding is twice as
frequent as it was 100 years ago’. Shockingly, the cost of flood damage could
rise to ‘more than £25 billion by 2080’.
Although the article is predominantly negative, we learn that ‘water
companies ‘and ‘local councils’ are taking some measures to improve issues with
water.
2
Q2: Presentational devices
8 marks/ 12 minutes
You must ensure that you discuss all presentational features that are mentioned in the
question – to ensure you do this do one paragraph for each e.g. Picture, heading etc.
When analysing headlines don’t focus on how they look but on the particular words that
have been chosen to be included and how they might link to both the text and the
picture
Try wherever possible to link presentational devices to key quotations from the text
Example question: Explain how the headline, sub-headline and picture are effective
and how they link to the text.
Skills
Mark Band

offers a detailed interpretation of the effect of the headline
4

presents a detailed explanation and interpretation of what the
‘perceptive’
‘detailed’
picture shows and its effect

7 – 8 marks
links the picture and the headline to the text with perceptive
comments

offers appropriate quotations or references to support comments
The headline, large and in bold catches the eye and gives a quick and succinct summary
of the article. It tells us about the ‘new life’ found, such as the ‘rare stingray’ ‘black
coral’ and ‘bamboo coral’. The use of the word ‘new’ in the title would immediately grab
the readers’ attention as it suggests that the article contains information about
something unknown, something just discovered. It also says about the ‘Rainforests in
the deep’ in the title, which summarises the huge undersea mountains which measure
half a mile high and 15 miles wide. It also allows us to soon find out about the
underwater canyons.
The picture is eye catching and colourful. It gives us an interesting few pictures
to learn what the underwater coral look like which are surprisingly colourful for
organisms that are kilometres under the ocean. It shows us their shape and the
strangeness of them shows us why scientists are so interested in them. The other
illustration, computerised, gives us a cross-section of the ocean. The colours are once
again eye-catching and allow us to get a scaled idea of how deep the marine life are and
how all the mountains are. It also shows us how a tiny amount of the ocean is actually
protected.
The title allows the reader a quick summary of what is to be presented in more
depth in the article, whilst the illustration provides some colour and actual evidence of
some life. They both complement an interesting article.
3
Q3: Inference
8 marks/12 minutes
Make a range of points based on evidence from different places in the text
Make sure that you infer when commenting on quotations rather than repeating
quotations in your own words
Read the question carefully and keep your answer focussed – don’t go off on a tangent.
Example question: What are some of the thoughts and feelings Mansur has during
the journey?
Band
Description
Mark Band 4
•
makes perceptive inferences from the text
‘perceptive’
•
shows a perceptive engagement with, and interpretation of,
‘detailed’
7 – 8 marks
character, place and context
•
employs appropriate quotes to support detailed understanding
focus on thoughts and feelings expressed in the text are
detailed with perceptive comments
In the first part of the extract, Mansur is very happy because he is going on a journey
with his friends and his beloved ‘cassette’. The cassette is playing loudly and because
he has eaten lots of sugary food, Mansur feels free and happy, and to emphasise this
he yells, ‘Here I come!’ to the village he has not seen since he was a little boy.
Mansur then feels a sense of beauty and admiration when he passes a plain against the
‘mighty snow-clad Hindu Kush Mountains’. However, when they drive past some of
the war-torn villages, Mansur is shocked and ‘stares in silence’. He can’t think of
anything to say.
When Mansur tries to see his Mother’s village, he can’t tell because they are all ruined
and desolate, and so he feels sadness and grief for the villages. He remembers the
happier times before the wars, when he was just a little boy. He remembers the fields
and flowers and comparing them now to ‘mines’ and ‘weeds’ he feels very disappointed
and upset.
When he hears a description of where he is but a few years ago, when it describes
happy, bright, fresh picture of the place, he feels an ironic grief because that is the
total opposite of what Afghanistan was really like at the time.
4
Q4: Language Comparison
16 marks/24 minutes
You will be given 1 specified text (usually source 3) and you will then have to choose one
of the other two texts to compare it with
Choose the text that you can say most about in terms of language
Spend 5 minutes (no more) noting down your ideas about how language is used similarly
of differently (depending on the question)
Use the rest of the time to write up your comparison
Aim to fill at least 2 pages minimum in your answer booklet
Use accurate language terminology, well-selected supporting quotations (not too long!)
and detailed analysis of the effects of the language choices in each text.
Make lots of comparisons: scientific/ factual versus descriptive language, choice of
person and the effect, use of adjectives, words that create particular tones, sentence
structures etc.
Example question: Compare the different ways in which language is used for effect
in the two texts. Give some examples and analyse the effects.
Band
Mark Band
Description

4
‘perceptive’
content of the texts

‘detailed’
13-16
offers a full and detailed understanding and interpretation of the
shows a detailed and perceptive appreciation, interpretation and
analysis of how the

writers have used language differently to achieve their effects
and to attain impact

offers full, relevant quotation in support of ideas with appropriate
and perceptive

comments

focuses on comparison and cross-referencing between the texts
throughout the response
5
Compare the different ways in which language is used for effect in the two texts. Give
some examples and analyse what the effects are.
In the 3rd text ‘Everest the hard way’, the first sentence sets the tone of the piece straight
away. The tone is serious, tense, and dramatic.
Similarly, the first sentence of the 1st text ‘Rafting on the Grand Canyon’ also sets the tone- a
light hearted feel good tone. Two completely different tones, but both established by the
language used in the first sentence. In source 1, by using humour in the first sentence, ‘just
two rules...stay in the boat, stay in the boat’ the writer Hyde creates a light hearted effect,
However, in source 3, using the short sentence, ‘a decision was needed’ makes Boardman’s piece
fast moving from the beginning. The word ‘needed’ creates a sense of urgency and dramatic
consequences.
Language is used for effect throughout the rest of both pieces as well. Source 1 has a more
mainstream audience, perhaps travel readers or extreme sports enthusiasts. This means that
the language has to be approachable and diverse, not too specific, or people won’t understand
it. So Hyde uses words like ‘gear’ to describe the equipment she used and a ‘Disneyland-like
experience’ so as to appeal to a wider range of people and not just people who have been, or
know a lot about, river rafting.
Source 3, however, uses many more words specific to sport like the ‘South Cal’, or the ‘runnels
of ice’. The language is different because the audience is different. The audience for source 3
would probably be people who are interested in survival, mountaineering or extreme sports and
situations. So Boardman uses more sports specific words.
Another example of language used for effect would be where Boardman uses the words ‘it was
a miracle’. By using these words he makes the situation seem extremely helpless, except by
some unknown miracle worker. This creates a serious and almost jubilant effect, as it puts the
story in a happier light, as Boardman and Sherpa now have someone helping them.
Finally, source 1 uses the words ‘white knuckle, roller coaster ride...’ These words create the
image of her experience and the emotions she had being similar to riding a roller coaster, and
being so scared that you hold on until your knuckles go white. Because Hyde’s purpose for
writing is different to Boardman’s she can use less formal and much more light hearted
language. This explains her humorous analogy of river rafting.
In conclusion, I think that in source 3, Boardman’s language is much more serious, and dramatic
due to the tone of his piece, his audience and his purpose for writing (to re-call). In
comparison, Hyde’s language is much more relaxed and easy going as her tone is light hearted
and entertaining, her audience is much wider and less specific, and because her purpose is not
only to recall her experience but to entertain the reader.
6
Q5: Writing to inform, explain, describe
25 minutes/ 16 marks
You should spend 5 minutes planning your ideas before you begin writing a response
Read the question very carefully to ensure you understand what you are being asked to
do (consider the PAF)
Remember informative texts usually use linguistic techniques (e.g. Rhetorical question,
facts/statistics/opinions, specialist vocabulary etc.)
Ensure you leave yourself a few minutes at the end to check through your work for silly
errors.
Example question: Write a brief article for a website of your choice telling your
readers about an interesting or unusual journey or travel experience you have had.
Explain why it was memorable.
Band
4
8-10 marks
‘convincing’
‘compelling’
Communication
 communicates in a way which is convincing, and increasingly
compelling
 form, content and style are consistently matched to purpose and
audience, and becoming assuredly matched
 engages the reader with structured and developed writing, with an
increasingly wide range of integrated and complex details
 writes in a formal way, employing a tone that is appropriately serious
but also manipulative, subtle and increasingly abstract
 uses linguistic devices, such as the rhetorical question, hyperbole,
irony and satire, in a consciously crafted way that is increasingly
sustained
 shows control of extensive vocabulary, with word choices becoming
increasingly ambitious
Organisation of Ideas
 employs fluently linked paragraphs and seamlessly integrated
discursive markers
 uses a variety of structural features, for example, different paragraph
lengths, indented sections, dialogue, bullet points, in an increasingly
inventive way
 presents complex ideas in a coherent way
You are also rewarded a mark out of 6 for spelling, sentence structure,
punctuation:
Band 3
5-6 marks





7
uses complex grammatical structures and punctuation with success
organises writing using sentence demarcation accurately
employs a variety of sentence forms to good effect including short
sentences
shows accuracy in the spelling of words from an ambitious vocabulary
uses standard English consistently
5. Write a letter which you hope will be published in your local newspaper. Inform readers
what leisure facilities are available for young people and families in your area and explain
how you think they could be improved.
Dear Guardian,
I wonder if you are aware of our town’s wonderful leisure facilities and what they are doing for
the area. Young people can now have swimming lessons in order to promote the sport and even
some Appleton Olympic swimmers for 2020! Families are now encouraged to participate in
tennis lessons, keeping the whole family fit and healthy and enabling them to work up more of a
sweat than they do on the Wii tennis game. It also nurtures the idea of competitiveness, which
is needed in the world of sport, instead of school sports days in which no one loses or wins. You
might also be interested to know that our new fitness classes are taking off with every yummy
mummy in town turning up for ‘Wednesday night Zumba’.
But unfortunately, our new and exciting classes don’t have a new and exciting facility. I’m sure
we’ve all noticed the dwindling charm of our local leisure centre and have risked landslides of
tiles not to be late for the ‘lad’s karaoke class’ which we know is punishable by laps for the little
ones.
So people of ______, are we going to stand by while our town is left in the lurch by our
decaying gym? Are we going to ruin ____________ chances of taking home Gold in the 2020
Olympics? Or are we going to do something about it?
Dedicated gym bunnies and concerned parents, we need to petition the council for a
refurbished leisure centre, even if we only manage to achieve a new changing facility that
doesn’t leak before you get into the shower. Think of our children’s future, do we really want to
be another obese town statistic? Then take your children to Friday night football or Tuesday
gymnastics to increase attendance for the gym to achieve more attention, and if we want a
warmer pool with a more sufficient heater, donate! Raise money through car washes and bake
sales because our children need our help! Or maybe we can achieve ‘Overweight Town of the
Year’, it is your choice!
Examiner Feedback
Communicates in a way which is convincing and compelling; manipulative and subtle in tone;
consciously crafted: ‘every yummy mummy in town’ and ‘dedicated gym bunnies’; extensive
vocabulary: ’promote the sport’ and ‘nurtures the idea of competitiveness’ and ‘dwindling
charm’. Variety of sentence forms used to good effect: ‘But unfortunately our new and
exciting classes don’t have a new and exciting facility’; accuracy in sentence demarcation;
accuracy in spelling of ambitious vocabulary: ‘dedicated’, ‘refurbished’; rushed ending.
(15/16)
8
Q6: Writing to argue/persuade
24 Marks/35 Minutes
You should spend 5 minutes planning your ideas before you begin writing a response
Read the question very carefully to ensure you understand what you are being asked to
do (consider the PAF)
Remember that you should include a range of language techniques (e.g. Rule of three,
direct imperative, repetition, rhetorical question etc.)
Ensure you leave yourself a few minutes at the end to check through your work for silly
errors.
Example question: ‘Life is too easy for young people today. They lack challenges and
don’t have to fight for anything.’
Write an article for a magazine of your choice which persuades your readers that this
statement is either right or wrong.
Band
4
13-16
marks
‘convincing’
‘compelling’
Communication
 communicates in a way which is convincing, and increasingly
compelling
 form, content and style are consistently matched to purpose and
audience, and becoming assuredly matched
 engages the reader with structured and developed writing, with an
increasingly wide range of integrated and complex details
 writes in a formal way, employing a tone that is appropriately serious
but also manipulative, subtle and increasingly abstract
 uses linguistic devices, such as the rhetorical question, hyperbole,
irony and satire, in a consciously crafted way that is increasingly
sustained
 shows control of extensive vocabulary, with word choices becoming
increasingly ambitious
Organisation of Ideas
 employs fluently linked paragraphs and seamlessly integrated
discursive markers
 uses a variety of structural features, for example, different paragraph
lengths, indented sections, dialogue, bullet points, in an increasingly
inventive way
 presents complex ideas in a coherent way
You are also rewarded a mark out of 8 for spelling, sentence structure,
punctuation:
Band 3
6-8 marks





9
uses complex grammatical structures and punctuation with success
organises writing using sentence demarcation accurately
employs a variety of sentence forms to good effect including short
sentences
shows accuracy in the spelling of words from an ambitious vocabulary
uses standard English consistently
6. ‘Life is too easy for young people today. They lack challenges and don’t have to fight for
anything.’
Write an article for a magazine of your choice which persuades your readers that this
statement is either right or wrong.
‘Challenge or no challenge’
‘Life is too easy for young people today. They lack challenges and don’t have to fight for
anything.’ Are you having a laugh? Teenagers lately are put under so much stress and have so
many challenges to fight against, so I disagree with this statement entirely!
Have you looked at what grades universities are asking for? If you get a B then you’re probably
at the bottom of the pile of candidates to consider. This shows how much more difficult it has
become to get into university and into your desired courses. It is ridiculous. I am 15 myself at
the moment and am choosing my options for A-levels. It is so confusing. It’s a life changing
decision according to the teachers. ‘If you pick the wrong A-levels for what you want to be when
your older then you’ll have no chance!’ That was something a teacher muttered to me the other
day, and if we get a ‘C’ in any GCSE’s nowadays then life is officially over. You’ll be working in
McDonalds for your ENTIRE life so be prepared for fatty burgers and salty chips every single
day! And people think teenagers ‘lack challenges’ You must be joking.
Also it states we ‘don’t have to fight for anything’...everything in this world is a competition now.
In fact your whole life may as well be a competition. You’re up against a girl to become the lead
role in a theatre production and you have to give it your all otherwise you won’t get the role.
Nothing is easy in life for teenagers! Out teenage lives and whatever we do now will probably
make us who we are when we grow up. ‘If you don’t achieve at least 5A*’s in your exams then you
probably won’t be a primary school teacher when your older’. That’s what someone told me. It’s
extremely scary! If you step wrong in your teenage life then it could have an effect on
everything else that you do later on in life.
Teens and children get so much peer pressure, especially in high school. Drugs, alcohol,
cigarettes. Do I really need to say anymore? If you go to a party now but don’t get drunk then
your considered strange and a wimp. So yeah, life is extremely easy for us teenagers!
The main thing that people say is that we lack ‘challenges’- we certainly don’t lack challenges in
our life. Bullying? No, that’s not a challenge is it? But it is! With all the latest technology and
gadgets a lot more people feel safe behind a screen and they feel so much more confident and
can say anything to you, so to stand up for yourself and stop people from bullying you then that
takes an enormous amount of courage! So challenges are hitting us teenagers from every single
angle and I don’t understand why anybody thinks are lives are easy now! So remember, will you do
something with your life? Accept the challenge and make it work for you? Prove everyone wrong
and say ‘yeah we do have challenges but we’re strong enough to work with them and get our
grades etc to be where we want to be when we’re older. Go for it.
10
Examiner Feedback
Communicates in a way which is convincing and compelling; assuredly matched to purpose
and audience:’ are you having a laugh?’ and ‘you must be joking’; uses humour/ irony as a
device; integrates complex material: ‘a lot more people feel safe behind a screen’; uses
complex grammatical structures; accurate sentence demarcation; variety of sentence forms
are used to good effect: ‘Bullying? No, that’s not a challenge, is it? But it is! (23/24)
11
London 2012 Olympics will inspire future generations says Lord Coe as official
slogan is unveiled
London 2012 will create a “symphony of inspiration” for future generations, organising committee
chairman Sebastian Coe promised today as the capital marked 100 days until the start of the
Olympics.
Coe was speaking at the unveiling of the
London 2012 slogan, "Inspire a Generation",
and a series of initiatives intended to drum up
interest as the Games countdown gathers
pace.
As well as the slogan, details of 22 live sites
across the UK that will host big-screen
coverage, and confirmed that the Red Arrows
display team will fly across the UK on July 27, the day of the opening ceremony.
To mark the 100 days landmark an Olympic ring flower display was unveiled at Kew Gardens. The
display of violas, which added a municipal touch to proceedings, is visible from the Heathrow flightpath and intended to welcome visitors to the Games.
The slogan mirrors the central theme of London’s successful bid, to inspire young people into sport
and build a legacy in the UK. How successful that aim has been is a matter of significant debate, with
former Olympic minister Tessa Jowell among those questioning the success of government initiatives
today, but Coe said the sentiment was at the heart of Games planning.
“I hope there is no surprise in the motto,” he said at a media event at Kew Gardens. “It is the
heartbeat, the very DNA of this organisation. It is also a rallying cry to the athletes to come to the UK
and perform at their very best
“The achievements of every one of those Olympians and Paralympians will create a symphony of
inspiration. Every day I tell my teams that for the athletes the Games have been the focus of half of
their young lives, and we cannot let them become a victim of our shortcomings.
“With 100 days to go to the start of the Games, millions of people are getting ready to do the best
work of their lives and welcome the world this summer,” he said.
“There is a groundswell of support and excitement, not just in the UK, but internationally as the final
countdown to the London 2012 Olympic Games begins. Whether it’s the competing athletes or
people getting ready to join their communities in supporting Torchbearers on the streets of the UK,
the whole world is getting ready for London. Expectations are high, and we won’t disappoint.”
London 2012 chief executive Paul Deighton said the live sites will be visited by more than 500,000
people a day during the Games.
Coe also planted an oak tree grown from an acorn taken from a tree planted in the 1890s at Much
Wenlock in Shropshire during a visit by Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympics.
Q1: what do you learn about the reasons behind the Olympic slogan and the
activities that are being planned in the run up to the Olympic Games?
12
Oscar Pistorius stays on track to compete at
Olympics and Paralympics
• South African sprinter wins 200m at Paralympic World Cup
• British competitors also put in strong performances
Oscar Pistorius won the 200m in Manchester with a time of 22.08sec, less than half a second
off his personal best. Photograph: PA Wire
Oscar Pistorius moved a step closer to his Olympic dream on Tuesday with a commanding
performance at the BT Paralympic World Cup in Manchester.
Pistorius, the only athlete set to compete in both the Olympics and Paralympics this summer,
continued his dominance of the sport, winning the men's T42/43/44 (amputee) 200m.
In blazing sunshine at the Manchester Regional Arena – one of the key stopping posts before
this summer's contests – Great Britain put in a series of strong performances. The sprinter
Graeme Ballard set a world record in the 100m and won the 200m with a lifetime best, while
the wheelchair sprinter and Guardian diarist Hannah Cockroft won her 100m sprint with
seconds to spare.
Pistorius put in a time of 22.08, less than half a second off his personal best of 21.80.
"Everything went according to plan. It was neat but I felt I should have gone a bit quicker,
maybe it wasn't my best day out on the track but I really enjoyed the competition," he said.
Pistorius still hopes to compete at the Olympics for South Africa in the 400m and 4x400m
relay, before going on to compete in the 100m, 200m, 400m and 4x100m at the Paralympics.
He admitted that he felt under pressure at the prospect of being the summer's most talked
about athlete. "I'm very blessed to be in the position I'm in. I've got pretty high expectations
of myself and the events I will be participating in," he said. "There is a lot of pressure but I
have a great team behind me. With them behind me I will be able to focus on what matters."
Q2: Explain how the headline, sub-headings, picture and caption are
effective and how they link to the text. (8 marks)
13
How becoming the greatest ever Olympian changed my life
In our first extracts from Michael Phelps' new autobiography, he reveals how he won eight golds in
Beijing
The notion of eight golds was always a means to an end. It was never about chasing fame or fortune
or celebrity. If I could go one better than the great Mark Spitz and the seven golds he won at the
Munich Olympics in 1972, those eight medals might do what nothing else could.
They could help to make real my biggest dream: to elevate swimming's place in the American sports
landscape, and to make it an every-year sport instead of a once-every-four-years sport. I never set
out to be the second Mark Spitz. I only wanted to be the first Michael Phelps.
Baseball is great, basketball so cool, football so fine; I love the NFL. But in other countries,
particularly Australia, swimming has the same cachet that baseball, basketball and football have in
the United States, with packed houses and passionate fans. Why can't it be like that in the United
States?
It can.
A jumble of emotions washed over and around me after winning my eighth gold. I felt gratitude and
relief and joy, just sheer joy at the moment, at the culmination of a journey filled with twists and
turns and ups and downs. I felt profound humility at learning how I had become a source of
inspiration for so many back home, everyone who said I offered renewed proof that America and
Americans could still take on the world with courage and grit, could still triumph.
No matter where Americans were in the world, I'd been told, they were watching and cheering; that
was special. Back home, I'd heard, bars were erupting in cheers when I'd won. I'd heard that my
races had been shown on jumbo video screens at Major League Baseball and NFL games, on one of
those big screens in Times Square.
I looked into the stands, for my mom, Debbie, and my sisters, Whitney and Hilary. When I found
them, I walked through a horde of photographers and climbed into the stands to give each of them a
kiss, with the memories of what we'd overcome flooding over me. Mom put her arm around my
neck and gave me an extra hug.
When I was in grade school, I was diagnosed with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD.
A teacher said I'd never be successful. Things like that stick with you and motivate you; I flashed back
to that with my family there in the stands. I started crying. My mom started crying. My sisters
started crying.
I knew I would find my coach and long-time mentor, Bob Bowman, around the pool deck. He had
trained me, punished me, motivated me, inspired me, and proven to me the connection between
hard work and success. Bob's philosophy is rather simple: We do the things other people can't, or
won't, do. Bob's expectations are simple, too. It's like the quote he had up on the whiteboard one
day at practice a few months before the Games. It comes from a business book but in sports it's the
same: "In business, words are words, explanations are explanations, promises are promises, but only
performance is reality." Bob is exquisitely demanding. But it is with him that I learned this essential
truth: Nothing is impossible.
Q3: What are some of the thoughts and feelings Michael Phelps had after winning eight
gold medals at the Bejing Olympics?
14
Language comparison question:
Q4: Now refer to Source 3, ‘How becoming the greatest ever Olympian changed my
life’ and either Source 1 ‘London 2012 Olympic slogan’ or Source 2 ‘Oscar Pistorius
stays on track to compete at Olympics and Paralympics. You are going to compare the
two texts, one of which you have chosen.
Compare the ways in which language is used for effect in the two texts. Give some
examples and analyse the effects (16 marks)
Writing: Section B
Q5:
Write a letter which you hope will be published in your local newspaper. Inform
readers what exercise and sporting opportunities are available for young people
and families in your area and explain how you think they could be improved. (16
marks)
Q6: It is estimated that the Olympic Games will cost Britain in excess of £11bn.
Some people think that this is a waste of money and that they money would be
better spent elsewhere.
Write an article for a magazine of your choice which persuades your readers that
this statement is either right or wrong. (24 marks)
15
Notes
16