Illum.e 2014 O level Answer Key Paper 2 Comprehension

Markers’ Report:

Candidates were asked what idea the photograph is trying to establish. The photograph shows Jane Goodall shaking hands with a chimpanzee, and is intended to illustrate the link between humans and primates. Candidates found this a challenging question; and many described what they saw without making the generalisation or conveying that they understood the reason for its presence on the page.

The natural environment – The icon of the leaf/maple leaf

Human communities – The icon of the human hand

As evident from the text, ‘Shoots’ suggests that young people may seem small/insignificant when considered individually, but the collective effort of several hundreds and thousands of young people can make a significant impact in making the world a better place for all living things, so the name of the youth program is to highlight how the effort and participation of each individual youth is significant, especially when viewed collectively.

Markers’ Report:

The webpage uses the common feature of a direct quotation (here from Jane Goodall) in a side box to sharpen the point, and to answer correctly candidates needed to put that together with what was written about the programme in the third paragraph under the heading ‘Roots & Shoots’. Unsuccessful responses were often based on botanical ideas of growth and development which are not on the webpage.

‘thick as candy floss’ suggests that the fog was dense and did not allow light to pass through. This is clearly evident in the writer’s use of candy floss, a fluffy and dense lump of sugar threads, as a form of comparison. (X – massive)

‘muffled the fading sun’ suggests that the sun which was fading, provided little sunlight, and the fog made it worse by obstructing any little remaining light, thus providing the climbers minimal light, causing the lack of visibility on the mountain.

‘the world purpled down into absolute darkness’ suggests that whatever little light that remains became complete/total darkness, and it indicates the complete absence of visibility.

i. There were many plants and trees growing at the bottom of the cliff

ii. It was very dark at the bottom and it was hard to tell where the bottom of the cliff was

From text:

‘it was hard to be sure because of all the vegetation and the gloom that was pooling up at the base of the cliff.’

i. To rappel down the cliff with a rope

Vocab Inferential – ‘snapping away at the edge’

ii. It suggests that he felt increasingly uneasy/affected by his decision to rappel down the cliff with a rope. This was because the information that he read from the manual came into mind suddenly, and he started doubting (or becoming troubled with) the soundness/feasibility of his decision.

X the information that he read from the manual came into mind suddenly and this made him think that he made a wrong decision (this suggests that he was sure that he made a wrong decision – doesn’t convey the idea of being doubtful/troubled) -> as the phrase indicates, it is snapping away at the edge, rather than at the centre.

The style of the language he actually used in the previous sentence to warn his friends about the possible dangers of rappelling down was dramatic/exaggerated

X vague – not in preceding sentence

X blunt, forceful, direct

The writer used a long descriptive sentence followed by a short abrupt sentence. This is intended to shock the readers and to emphasise the extreme danger.  The longer sentence is used to describe the scene that the author was facing. The shorter sentence is used to state the immediate danger that the author could face.

The writer employs juxtaposition by using words and phrases with contrasting connotation in adjacent sentences. The author used words like ‘pastel pinks’ and ‘rose petal reds’ in the longer sentence to evoke a sense of optimism/hope for the author as he survived the night. The word ‘drop’ is then used in the shorter sentence to suggest a sudden movement and an immediate descent. The contrast reminds the readers that although the surrounding was very dreary, he was not out of danger yet.

It failed as the twigs they found were soaked through and difficult to light them up.

ai) They consulted the wilderness survival manual and carefully followed its instructions and they

decided to start a fire.

aii) They ripped the pages of the wilderness survival manual to use as fuel for fire.

Inference

b) the rescuers saw light from the fire that the climbers had made, and thus was able to locate the climbers and rescue them

Contextual clue from text: ‘rescue helicopters were clattering helplessly through the fog and darkness looking for them. Their lives depended on that fire… They started ripping out the papers to use as fuel. Success at last! So, the two were saved.

i) the writer’s story? - they followed the manual and it saved their lives as they did not rappel down the cliff. It would have cost their lives.

ii) the story of Deering and Angus? - They followed the manual but it did not help them to start the fire.

X used it to start a fire (NATQ – question is asking the effect of following the manual’s advice)

(ii) wise advice

(iii) trying to put theory into practice

(iv) a different approach

(i) Sports should be based on notions of ‘fair play’

(ii) Sports should be a balance between body and mind.

(iii) Sports should reflect a ‘spirit’ that values participation over winning

X in their view, the benefit of sporting performance lies not in the results achieved but in the extent to which it develops the understanding and values of the players (this is a linkback)

The word ‘shadow’ connotes a negative, evil feeling, and it is applied in the context of this phrase and discussion to refer to how technology dominates sports in a negative manner, and continues to threatens the more casual and enjoyable aspect of sports as a form of self-expression, empowerment and the celebration of good virtues.

X creates a negative influence over sports, making sports less attractive/enjoyable (not precise!)

From text: ‘Rather than being an activity that allows for freedom of movement and the expression of the individual’s physical potential, under the shadow of technology modern sport has become a highly disciplined endeavour in which performances are rewarded for their measurable outcomes rather than for any kind of inherent virtues.’

Lee: ‘But athletes seem to be injured more.’

I) One example is improved equipment such as clothes that help regulate body temperature so that participants do not suffer from conditions such as heat exhaustion. Another example is the use of sophisticated helmets to protect the players’ head.

ii) When technology such as complex protective equipment are used, athletes may feel invincible and thus are prepared to take more risks (1m), or may even use their safety equipment as weapons oN the sports field, possibly leading to greater rates and degrees of injuries (1m). (need to match probability in the quotation – ‘SEEM’)

Elusive - Mastering the sports that is difficult to achieve

Edge – is a slight advantage that an athlete has over the other

The writer has a condemnatory/contemptuous/disapproving/sarcastic/mocking tone

Yet modifying the body through physical activity is not confined to the elite athlete. Even casual participants are encouraged to submit their bodies to the tyranny of exercise equipment. A brief wander through any fitness centre reveals a profusion of machinery to adjust a body’s size, shape or capacity. At home also people are increasingly able to access and use the latest developments in food technology to follow diets which will help them to achieve their desired body shape. The latest dietary fads blare out from the television set or leap out of the pages of glossy magazines. Pedometers, heart monitors and iPods, which accompany even the most ordinary athletes on their daily run, are further evidence of the increasing use of electronic technology in everyday sport. In the twenty-first century, exercise and sport are not simply amusing diversions, but are serious undertakings, conducted with the expectation of physical modification achieved through discipline, hard work and, in many cases, the body’s capitulation to the rigours of the machine.

Elite Athletes

Ordinary People

While also adhering to dietary trends built on nutrition research