2007 APA example questions

43 Pages·2012·2.95 MB·English

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THE KING JOHN SCHOOL

ENGLISH / ENGLISH
LANGUAGE Unit 1
REVISION GUIDE
Nov 2012

th
Wednesday 7 November 2012 PM

Higher Tier Edition
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Exam Times

English / English Language Unit 1 - 2 hours 15 min

Wednesday 7th November 2012 PM

Exam Overview

Section A - Reading Section B - Writing
Time: 1 hour Time: 1 hour

Three non-fiction sources

Questions: Questions:
1) What do you learn from…? 5) Writing to inform or describe
(8 marks) (16 marks)
2) Presentational features 6) Writing to argue or persuade
(8 marks) (24 marks)
3) Writer’s thoughts and feelings
(8 marks)
4) Compare two writers’ use of
language
(16 marks)

Total: 40 marks Total: 40 marks

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Section A – Reading

The Skills
You will have to practise the following skills to succeed in the exam:
 Close reading  Getting to the point
 Skimming and scanning  Making detailed comments
 Choosing quotations  Evaluating your work
 Identifying key words  Timing yourself
 Interpreting questions
You have learnt how to do these in lessons, so you need to practise as much as
you can.
Biggest tip
If you do nothing else, practise. You can find many examples of the sources used
in the exam, you can make up the questions easily and you can even just
practise individual skills from the list. Make up questions or challenges for each
other if it’s easier. Your teachers will always be happy to have a look at it and
give you advice.

IMPORTANT – Before you attempt to answer any of the questions in
this section you MUST read all three sources through at least once
– you’ve been given an extra 15 minutes to do this so you might as
well make the most of it. Before you answer Question 1, read Source
1 again; before you answer Question 2, read Source 2 again; before
you answer Question 3, read Source 3 again AND before you attempt
to compare two sources, you’ve guessed it, read them again!

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Question 1 (8 marks)
For this question you are being asked to retrieve and interpret information
from the source. You will need to read the source carefully and ensure that you
have identified and understood each line of argument in full. You can do this
by summarising the contents of each paragraph in the margin as you read, and
highlighting the key quotations. Remember to look for more than one
argument or issue in the source as writers very rarely just stick to one point.

The following format might help…

From the extract I have learned that…
I know this from the quotation ‘_________’ which is about…
Another thing that I have learned is…
This is shown in the phrase, ‘____________’ which reveals that …

Marking your answer:
Band Question 1 Checklist:
Marks
4 7 – 8  You have fully understood the text and answered
the question perceptively
 You have fully engaged with the content and style of
the text by commenting on the arguments within it
 You have included the most appropriate quotations
3 5 – 6  You have clearly understood the text and have
begun to interpret it
 You have engaged with the text by mentioning the
arguments within it
 You have included relevant quotations
2 3 – 4  You have understood some of the text
 You have tried to engage with the text by explaining
what it’s about
 You have included some relevant quotations
1 1 – 2  You have only just understood the point of the text
 You have mentioned a couple of the issues
discussed in the text
0 0  You’ve either written nothing or you’ve written
something that has nothing to do with the question!

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Question 2) (8 marks)
For this question you are being asked to comment on features of layout and
presentation. The question will tell you exactly which ones but they could
include: headlines, pictures, charts and graphs or website conventions.

Anatomy of an Image – How to talk about pictures
Anatomy of an Image

1. Literal
message: What
does the picture
contain?

Two men –one European and one Asian, they appear to
be in their 30s, they are smiling, laughing, they are
Anatomy of an Image
dressed casually with hats to protect them from the sun;
the background is mostly obscured.

2. Interpretive

message: What
do the items in
the picture
connote?

Older readers will recognise these men as Edmund
Anatomy of an Image
Hillary and Tenzing Norgay –they may have seen the

image before. Younger readers will realise the men are
happy and perhaps that they are famous.
3. Stylistic

message: What
is implied by the
style of the
picture?

The framing removes most of the background -the two
men share the frame almost equally. The image is a

black and white photo implying that it was taken quite
Anatomy of an Image
some time ago.

4. Linguistic
message: What words

are used?

This caption informs readers about who is in the picture

–the words ‘after their historic ascent’ imply that most
people will have heard of it. TIME LIFE are the owners of
the image.
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Presentational Devices

Term Definition
Bold print Makes important writing stand out
Broadsheet Newspaper aiming to inform and report rather than entertain –
traditionally larger than a tabloid. For e.g. The Guardian, The
Telegraph, The Times etc.
Bullet points Marked with a small symbol, they make short sentences stand
out
Colours Sometimes used to add another layer of meaning to text. For
example, blue if often associated with cold or water, green is
often associated with environmental issues, red is often
associated with love and romance.
Columns Used to break up the page and make it look more interesting –
actually fools the eye into thinking there’s less to read
Font styles Different styles used to make the text look more interesting
Frames and To form groups of information or make something seem
borders important
Graphs and charts Used to back up information in the text, often in a dramatic way
Headlines In newspapers these are important to grab the reader’s attention
Logo An image or word that is associated with a company or
newspaper for example.
Pictures They are used to back up a story and can be emotive and
dramatic – see ‘Anatomy of an Image’
Pull-quotes A quotation taken directly from the main text but reprinted in a
larger font (and often bold text) to emphasise the importance of
the phrase
Short paragraphs So as not to put readers off – they hold the reader’s attention
Slogans Catchphrases attached to a product, often using alliteration,
repetition, puns and questions
Strapline A secondary headline, usually found directly above or below the
main headline, adding detail or explanation. Written in smaller
font, sometimes in italics or bold
Subheadings Signposts to important parts of the text
Text size Important information is in large print. For e.g. Terms and
conditions are often smaller
Topic sentence The first sentence of the story, linked to the headline, saying
who, when, what, where the story is about – sometimes in bold
Website features These include banner headings, menus, hyperlinks, advertising
etc. and show the multipurpose nature of a website.
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Marking your answer:
Band Question 2 Check list:
Marks
4 7 - 8  You have analysed the presentational devices in
detail
 You have cleverly linked the presentational devices
to the content of the main text (if appropriate)
 You have included the most appropriate quotations
and references
3 5 – 6  You have clearly understood the effects of the
presentational devices
 You have linked the presentational devices to the
content of the main text (if appropriate)
 You have included relevant and appropriate
quotations and references
2 3 – 4  You seem to have understood the purpose of some
of the presentational devices
 You have tried to explain your ideas
 You have tried to link the presentational devices to
the content of the text (if appropriate)
1 1 - 2  You have made a couple of simple comments about
the presentational devices such as ‘it’s colourful’ or ‘it
grabs the reader’s attention’
0 0  You’ve either written nothing or you’ve written
marks something that has nothing to do with the question!

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Question 3 (8 marks)
For this question you are being asked to comment on the writer’s thoughts
and feelings. The source will always be an example of literary non-fiction such
as: a memoir, biography, travel writing, and other types of non-fiction book. This
requires you to ‘read between the lines’, looking at how the writer goes about
revealing what they were really thinking or feeling at the time.

Marking your answer:
Band Question 3 Check list:
Marks
4 7 – 8  You have perceptively interpreted the writer’s thoughts
and feelings from the text
 You have included the most appropriate quotations to
support your interpretation
3 5 – 6  You have clearly understood and begun to interpret
the writer’s thoughts and feelings in the text
 You have included relevant quotations to support your
answer
2 3 – 4  You have explained some of the writer’s thoughts and
feelings
 You have included some relevant quotations to
support your answer
1 1 – 2  You have made simple comments about the writer’s
thoughts and feelings that do not show much
‘interpretation’
0 0  You’ve either written nothing or you’ve written
marks something that has nothing to do with the question!

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Question 4 (16 marks)
For this question you are being asked to compare two of the texts (including
source 3) and to explain how the writers have used language and why the
writers have used language in this way for these pieces of writing. You’ll
need to include quotations to show what you mean, you’ll need to mention
literary techniques that have been used and you’ll need to write in detail.

PQC – a reminder
All questions about language need to be written in point, quotation, comment
format. Here’s a reminder of what to do for each section:

POINT – make a statement that answers the question in some way. Each of
your points should contain a different idea. If you’re really stuck, try rephrasing
the question, but don’t do it all the time as it’s not a very sophisticated way of
writing.

QUOTATION – Choose the best quotation, not just the first one you come
across. Make sure the quotation is not too long. You must copy it exactly and
use quotation marks. (If you can remember, try to call them quotations, not
quotes – some examiners get a bit stroppy about it, and you want to keep on
their good side don’t you?)

COMMENT – Your comment should explain how the quotation answers the
point. You must make sure you refer to the quotation or your answer will be
vague. If it helps, you can start with ‘This shows…’, or ‘This suggests…’, but
don’t overdo it, as your answer can get very repetitive!
Try this way of structuring a comment to ensure it is focused:
1. Pick out key words (you don’t always need to do this if your quotation is
very short).
2. If relevant, refer to the technique used, e.g. ‘The simile “fell like rain”
suggests that…’
3. Explain the effect of the quotation or key words.
4. Suggest why the writer has used these words.
5. Try to integrate your P, Q and C so they flow smoothly. You can also do
PQCQC if you’re feeling confident and have more than one thing to say
about a point – your work will be less repetitive and the examiner will be
impressed!

Language Devices Task

Remind yourself of the ways in which a writer uses language to engage the
reader by completing the tables on pages 10, 11 and 12.
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Language Devices

Term What is it? What is it used for? Example?
A describing word. To help build up a picture of a person, a
place, a feeling or an event. ‘Bold’,
Adjective ‘powerful’, ‘determined’, ‘successful’ and
‘driven’ are all adjectives but what type
of person do they make you imagine?
A word or phrase that To help build up a full idea of what’s
gives information about happening. Adverbs tell you when,
an action (or verb). where, how often and in what way the
Adverb
action took place. There are three
adverbs in the following: ‘Michael ate
noisily at the table every evening.’
The repetition of words To draw attention to a particular sound
Alliteration beginning with the same and/or movement, to intensify meaning,
letter. or to bind words in a sentence together.
The repetition of similar Like alliteration, to draw attention to a
or identical vowel sounds particular sound and/or movement, to
Assonance in words which follow intensify or emphasise something, or to
each other. connect words in a sentence.
An idea or feeling that is To hint to the readers that there is a
Connotation often associated with a bigger theme or idea behind the words.
specific word or phrase.
Where a conversation is To develop characters or to make the
included in the text. reader feel empathy (to share
Dialogue
someone’s feelings) with the people
involved.
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