Explorers -or Boys Messing About?

Question 1

what type of text is ‘Explorers -or Boys Messing About?’

Answer 1

Newspaper article

Question 2

what is the purpose of the text ‘Explorers -or Boys Messing About?’

Answer 2

To criticise and ridicule the two ill prepared and arrogant men described in the text.

Question 3

what tone is used in the text ‘Explorers -or Boys Messing About?’

Answer 3

• ironic tone
• satirical tone(humorous criticism)
• humorous tone

Question 4

what are the key ideas in the text ‘Explorers -or Boys Messing About?’

Answer 4

ill prepared men who are spoilt and arrogant when being overly ambitious by trying to fly a small helicopter over Antarctica before they are rescued by naval ships and ridiculed by journalists.

Question 5

what are some structural features in the text ‘Explorers -or Boys Messing About?’

Answer 5

• The headline highlights a past incident involving the same men to initially highlight their irresponsibility
• several paragraphs used to highlight the time taken and how difficult the process was to rescue them
• refers to both opinions but shows a largely biased opinion against the two men
• quotations from other experts to add credence to the writers view.

Question 6

what are some language features used in the text ‘Explorers -or Boys Messing About?’

Answer 6

• use of expert opinions to discredit the men
• infantile imagery (the title, “adventure” makes the trip less serious, the extents of the rescue)
• contrasting verbs between the plosive vocab of ‘plunged’ and ‘plucked’ to stress the men’s incompetence and then ‘deciphered’ and ‘dispatched’ when talking about the rescuers
• cinematic imagery to mock the men
• factual language used ironically to stress incompetence
• emotive language to amplify the dangerous situation
• inverted commas used to ridicule them