Exam q's Flashcards
(A passage to Africa)
In what ways does the writer use language and structure to show his reactions to the people he encounters in Somalia?
in the opening sentence the writer moves from the general nature of the people he meets to the specific and the reference to ‘the one I will
never forget’ hooks the reader
* the use of the number ‘a thousand’ tells the reader how widespread
the suffering is that the writer has witnessed
* the tricolon of negative adjectives: ‘lean, scared and betrayed’
emphasises his realisation of the people’s suffering
* in stating how ‘What might have appalled us when we’d started our
trip…no longer impressed us much,’ the writer shows how he has
become desensitised to what he observes
* the fact that some of the people are named personalises the account
and creates a connection between the writer and the subject
* the fact that Amina is searching for ‘wild, edible roots’ draws attention
to the lack of food and the description of the ‘dirt floor of their hut’
shows the family’s poverty
* the writer supplies Amina’s daughters’ names and ages which
highlights the shocking fact that young children are affected by the
famine
* the brevity and bluntness of the 3-word sentence, ‘Habiba had died’,
convey how this event was commonplace and seem to imply a lack of sensitivity
-he is brutally honest about his reactions, which include ‘revulsion’ to the people he sees and in so doing he admits he is breaking ‘a taboo’
* his final sentence is a direct address to the ‘nameless friend’, the noun expressing a degree of closeness, and the final clause ‘I owe you one’ with its colloquial phrasing expresses gratitude and a recognition of the influence that the man unwittingly had over the writer
(The Explorer’s Daughter)
How does the writer use language and structure to show her thoughts and feelings about watching the hunt?
the third paragraph provides a detailed explanation, using more factual language (‘mattack’, ‘tupilaks’), of why the Inughuit hunt the narwhal, moving away from the writer’s direct experience but providing a justification of the hunt and expounding on how the Inughuit benefit from the narwhal
* the writer returns to the hunt in the fourth paragraph, starting with a long complex sentence which moves from all the women to ‘each woman focusing on her husband’ and thus conveys the intensity of the experience for the observers
-the contrast between how she ‘urged the man on in my head’ but ‘my heart also urged the narwhal to dive’ with the repetition of the verb shows her conflicted and contradictory feelings
-despite the beauty of much of the description, the writer has a deep understanding of the ‘harshness of life in the Arctic’ for the Inughuit
* the final paragraph returns to a calmer tone, with phrases such as ‘I
understand’ and the use of the impersonal ‘one cannot afford to be sentimental in the Arctic’ contrasting with the immediacy and pace of the previous paragraph
-the men are always called ‘the hunters’, which both anonymises them
and emphasises how they are defined by this role
(A Game of Polo with a headless Goat)
How does the writer, Emma Levine, use language and structure in Text Two to
present Yaqoob and Iqbal?
-the noun ‘lads’ emphasises their youth, this if further reinforced by both Yaqoob and Iqbal being enthusiastic: ‘they loved the idea’ of joining in the race.
-Yaqoob seems quite impatient, as is shown when the writer describes
how his language grows ‘more colourful’ when other drivers cut in front of him
-At the end of the race, both Yaqoob and Iqbal are ‘nervous’, the adjective demonstrating their awareness of the possible danger of the situation
-the revelation near the end of the passage that Yaqoob does not have a driving licence ‘because I’m underage!’ shows his casual attitude and reveals just how young he must be; the exclamation mark helps to emphasise the writer’s shock which is shared by the reader
- both Yaqoob and Iqbal find the fact that he has been driving underage ‘hilarious’, the adjective displaying their immaturity
(Between a rock and a hard place)
How does the writer, Aron Ralston, use language and structure in Text Two to convey
the difficulties that he faces?
-the contrast of verbs in ‘Instead of the walls widening…or opening’ and ‘here the slot narrows’ serves to enhance just how unusually tight the space is
-explaining that the techniques that might be used to cross the gap are ‘Sometimes’ ‘possible’ suggests his uncertainty as to whether they will work in this instance
-the placement of the abstract nouns ‘Fear’ and ‘My only hope’ at the start of sentences shows how these are his primary thoughts
- the alliteration of the verbs in ‘I grimace and growl’ suggests that
he is almost animal-like in his response to the extreme pain
-the list of verbs ‘shove’, ‘heaving’, ‘pushing’, ‘lifting’ followed by ‘brace’ and ‘thrust’ emphasises the extreme physical effort he employs in trying to shift the stone
(The Explorer’s Daughter)
How does the writer, Kari Herbert, use language and structure in Text Two to create
tension and suspense?
-the visual imagery with its references to light in ‘glittering kingdom’ and ‘The evening light was turning butter-gold’ show how the writer was awed and overwhelmed by the beauty of the landscape. There is a dreamlike quality to the description reinforced by the metaphor of the ‘kingdom’
-the use of the adjective ‘essential’ to explain how the narwhal is necessary for ‘the survival of the hunters’ highlights the importance of the hunt to the community; this is reinforced further on in the passage with the adjectives ‘crucial’, ‘staple’ and ‘much-needed’, leading the reader to consider what the consequences of a failed hunt might be
-the danger that each man faces is emphasised through the fact
that he is ‘so brave’ and in a ‘flimsy’ kayak ‘miles from land’. The information that he has ‘only one harpoon’, that the narwhal are ‘huge’ and that the exercise is ‘foolhardy’ (as he ‘could easily be capsized and drowned’) conveys a sense of vulnerability
-the use of the tricolon of infinitive verbs urging the narwhal ‘to dive, to leave, to survive’, with its rhythm and rhyme, engages the reader in the writer’s powerful and conflicted feelings about the hunt and we want to know what the outcome will
Young and dyslexic? You’ve got it going on
How does the writer, Benjamin Zephaniah, use language and structure in Text Two to
interest and engage the reader?
-the tone throughout is confident and reassuring to those who might also be dyslexic and Zephaniah addresses them directly through the use of the second-person pronoun: ‘If you’re dyslexic and you feel that there’s something holding you back, just remember: it’s not you’. The colon causes the reader to pause before the final strong, brief statement
* the writer gives advice to the parents of anyone with dyslexia through the imperative ‘don’t think of it as a defect’ with its increased impact through the repeated ‘d’ sound, and offers the optimism of ’you may have a genius on your hands’
-the metaphor ‘the past is a different kind of country’ highlights
how attitudes have altered; this is further supported by the fact that, whilst he now realises he was being stereotyped, at the time he was ‘happy’ when the teacher told him, ‘‘We can’t all be intelligent, but you’ll end up being a good sportsperson’’
-the list of three negative phrases in ‘no compassion, no
understanding and no humanity’ emphasises how harshly the
writer was treated at school
From Beyond the Sky and the Earth
In what ways does the writer use language and structure to convey her impressions of Bhutan?
-the writer is surprised that ‘There are more signs of the outside world
than I had expected’ and states that they are ‘startling against the Bhutanese-ness of everything else’, suggesting how culturally different she finds the country
-the hotel’s ‘simple’ room sounds very basic and the food offered is
described using negative adjectives: ‘plasticky’ bread, ‘flavorless’ jam
-a positive view is conveyed by the well-travelled Canadians both
being ‘ecstatic’ about Bhutan but the writer initially seems ambivalent
as she is ‘hoping to pick up some of their enthusiasm’
the word ‘mountains’ is repeated six times in the second paragraph,
reinforcing the fact that this is the writer’s overwhelming initial
impression of the country - adjectives ‘giant’ and ‘great’ are juxtaposed with ‘little’ to give some idea of the height of the mountains
H is for Hawk
How does the writer use language and structure to interest and engage the reader?
- the description of the second hawk evokes fear and horror through such images as ‘like a Victorian melodrama’, ‘a madwoman in the attack’ (shades of Jane Eyre)
- the use of italics and repetition for ‘This is my hawk’, ‘This
isn’t my hawk’, ‘But this isn’t my hawk’ emphasise the
writer’s feelings of disbelief and dread - the reference to herself as the tragic figure of Medea gives
some idea of the lengths she might be prepared to go to and
gives a dramatic visual image to the reader
the use of comparatives: ‘younger’ and ‘smaller’ highlight key differences between the hawks and intensify the sinister impression of the second hawk: ‘smokier’, ‘darker’
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Chinese Cinderella
How does the writer use language and structure in Text Two to present her
relationships with her family and other people?
-the reference to ‘Four of us were playing Monopoly’ suggests that Adeline has friends but
they are not described in detail; only one is named which may suggest that the
friendships are not close
-Adeline is distracted whilst playing the game and the worry of leaving school is described
using the simile ‘throbbed… like a persistent toothache’ yet she does not confide her
fears to her friends
-Adeline’s thoughts that she is ‘Full of foreboding’ and ‘full of dread’ reveal that she is not looking forward to seeing her family and the repetition of ‘full’ shows that there is no room in her mind for anything else
-the fact that she wonders ‘who had died this time’ shows that she is only ever sent for if something terrible has happened and not because her family miss her or want to see her
-Adeline’s series of questions, ‘‘‘why are you taking me home?’’’, ‘‘‘Where are we?’’’ and ‘‘‘Where is everyone?’’’, demonstrate the distant relationship she has with her family as no one has contacted her in advance of her visit and none of the family are awaiting her arrival or come to meet her when she gets home, showing their lack of interest in her
-the two rhetorical questions that Adeline asks herself, questioning her father’s motives, show her lack of trust in him and fear that he might ‘trick me’; the move into the present tense emphasises the immediacy and strength of her feelings
-Father’s repeated use of the simple future tense ‘‘‘you will’’’ shows his traditional patriarchal attitude and implies that there will be no discussion with his daughter about what she wants to do; this is further reinforced when she says ‘he had it all planned out’
Explorers or boys messing about? Either way, taxpayer gets rescue bill.
How does the writer use language and structure in Text Two to show what people
thought about the actions of the two explorers?
-the title of the article with its use of a rhetorical question immediately suggests the
writer’s doubts about the two explorers
-the phrase ‘boys messing about’ infantilises the two men and implies a lack of professionalism
-an ‘Antarctic explorer’, who would be an expert in such an environment, claims their survival to be ‘‘‘nothing short of a miracle’’’ which shows his belief that they were unprepared for the hostile conditions
-Jo Vestey, Steve Brooks’ wife, is the person who describes them as ‘“boys messing about’”, which suggests a lack of respect or a lack of pride in her husband’s exploits
-the fact that ‘Experts questioned the wisdom of taking a small helicopter’ suggests that
the men were foolish amateurs; the writer returns to the idea of experts doubting the men’s good sense later in the article using very similar language: ‘The wisdom of the team’s latest adventure was questioned’
-the very expensive watch = they could pay for the cost.
-the article is very subjective but meant to be objective which shows bias and is meant to be a way of persuading the reader.
H is for Hawk
How does the writer, Helen Macdonald, use language and structure in Text Two to build up suspense and tension?
-foreshadowing is used when the man states, ‘‘‘Don’t want you going home with the wrong bird’’’
* the gradual reveal of what is within the box serves to build tension; it is not possible for the writer or the reader to tell what is in the box as the man ‘squinted into its dark interior’
* the onomatopoeic noun ‘thump’ is used to convey a sense of the power of the first bird, emphasised further by the use of italics and repetition of the word; the writer hears this sound before she sees the bird, which contributes to the suspense
-the tone of the extract becomes more measured and the pace slows at the start of the fourth paragraph, which serves to reflect the ‘calm’ professionalism of the man, although there is still an element of tension in the adverb ‘tautly’, used to express how the man speaks and the fact that there is ‘concern in his face
-the dark, Gothic images of the second hawk seen in the simile ‘like a Victorian melodrama’ and the metaphor (play on words) ‘A sort of madwoman in the attack’ insinuate something exaggeratedly menacing and sinister about the bird
The Danger of a Single Story
How does the writer, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, use language and structure
in Text Two to convey her thoughts and opinions?
-the use of the noun ‘danger’ in the phrase ‘‘‘the danger of the single story’’’ is unexpected and intrigues the reader
* the writer uses memories of her childhood and anecdotes from her later life to illustrate her ideas about storytelling
-juxtaposed and antithetical lists of images convey the differences between the characters in the stories she read and the life that she lived: ‘they played in the snow, they ate apples, and they talked a lot about the weather’; ‘We didn’t have snow, we ate mangoes, and we never talked about the weather’. The parallel structures of the sentences serve to further emphasise the contrast
* the single short sentence paragraph ‘She assumed that I did not know how to use a stove’ draws attention to the ignorant and limiting judgements about others that people unwittingly make
* the final single sentence paragraph offers the members of the audience words of wisdom and advice to ‘reject the single story’, and use of the first-person plural pronoun provides a strong link between them and the speaker
* with the idea that if we follow this advice we can ‘regain a kind of paradise’, the metaphor within the concluding phrase provides us with an image of innocence and purity.
Beyond the Sky and the Earth: A Journey into Bhutan
How does the writer, Jamie Zeppa, use language and structure in Text Two to interest the reader?
the analogy of ‘a giant child’ sculpting the landscape is used to engage the reader and further help them to imagine what it looks like
the powerful and precise verbs (some of which are alliterative), ‘gathering’, ‘piling’, ‘pinching’, ‘knuckling’, ‘poking’, are used to show how the landscape looks crafted
- the fact that Lorna and Sasha are ‘ecstatic’ about Bhutan having ‘traveled extensively’ leads the reader to expect that the country has a lot to offer
the writer confesses that she ‘is hoping to pick up some of their enthusiasm’ leaving the reader to wonder if this will happen and assume that she is not feeling much excitement at the start of her stay
- to the writer, Thimphu ‘looks very old’ and she is very surprised to learn that it is ‘actually new’; the use of the antonyms ‘old’ and ‘new’ highlights the difference between her assumptions and the reality
127 Hours: Between a Rock and a Hard Place
How does the writer, Aron Ralston, use language and structure in Text Two to interest
the reader in the events that he describes?
- the blunt statement ‘Instantly, I know this is trouble’ builds tension for the reader also, the simple sentence ‘Fear shoots my hands over my head’ shows the reader how the writer is no longer in control and emphasises his powerlessness at that moment
-* the use of measurements in the first paragraph, for example that the drop-off is ‘eleven or twelve feet high’ and that the slot is ‘a consistent three feet across’ helps the reader to picture the scene - the adjective ‘claustrophobic’ and the fact that ‘the slot narrows’ convey a sense of being enclosed and lead the reader to fear that the writer may become trapped
-the phrases ‘flaring agony’ and ‘searing-hot pain’, with their connotations of fire and flames, create compassion in the reader for the pain that the writer is experiencing
Chinese Cinderella
How does the writer, Adeline Yen Mah, use language and structure in Text Two to interest and engage the reader?
-Adeline is curious to know ‘who had died this time’, making the reader wonder why she assumes this to be the only explanation for the summons
* the chauffeur’s nonchalant and offhand attitude delays the revelation of why Adeline has been called home but leads to her trepidation increasing; she becomes ‘full of dread’ and ‘wondered what I had done wrong’, arousing the reader’s curiosity and concern
- the two rhetorical questions regarding her father’s motives show Adeline’s lack of trust in him and the reader is intrigued by her fear that it may be ‘a giant ruse on his part to trick me’
* the use of direct speech in the exchange between Adeline and her father demonstrates the power differential and the verbs and adverbs employed reveal how mercurial he is, as his mood can swiftly move from ‘he laughed approvingly’ to ‘he scoffed’
* after her father’s scathing dismissal of Adeline’s desire to study literature, the single-line paragraph ‘I waited in silence. I did not wish to contradict him’ creates suspense as the reader, with Adeline, awaits his decision
