Cambridge IGCSE English Second Language

ENDORSED BY
\;.;1,;J CAMBRIDGE
~:J :Y lntcmarional Examinations
Cambridge
IGCSE
English
as a second language
John Reynolds
COMPANION i7 HODDER
CD EDUCATION
ENDDA SED BY
~ CAMBRIDGE
~}-;; International Exammations
Cambridge
IGCSER
English
as a second language
John Reynolds
i.7 HODDER
EDUCATION
AN HACHETTE UK COMPANY
il!l IGC'>E is the tegiste!'M tr:idemarl of Cambridge International Examinations
All the questions, example amwers and comments that ppear in this book and CD wete written by the author.
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ISBN978 1444 19 1622
Contents
Introduction
Your course
Chapter 1 Becoming a better reader

Assessment objectives
Reading with understanding
How should I read?
Practise your active reading skills 10
Chapter 2 Applying your reading skills

The reading passages 14
The reading questions 15
Types of texts 16
H ow to approach short-answer comprehension questions 16
Further practice in answering straightforward comprehension questions 20
Further practice in reading facrualjinformative texts 29
Chapter 3 Reading more complex texts

Note-making exercises 39
Information transfer 53
Exercises based on passages of imaginative writing 59
Chapter 4 Reading and summarising

Types of summaries 63
Some practical guidelines 63
Style matters 66
Example of a summary question 67
Practise summary writing 70
Chapter 5 Becoming a better writer

Assessment objectives for writing 78
Different styles for different purposes 79
Planning your writing 101
Improving your writing 104
Chapter 6 Listening and speaking skills

Assessment objectives lll
The listening test 112
Preparing for the test 11 3
Speaking assessment 114
Preparing for the test 11 5
Speaking coursework 119
Coursework 120
H ow are speaking tasks marked? 121
Appendix Tech nica l skill s
Writing in sentences 122
Paragraphs 122
Punctuation: commas 124
Punctuation: semicolons and colons 125
Punctuation: apostrophes 126
Punctuation: dashes and hyphens 127
Direct speech punctuation 128
Vocabulary work: homonyms, homophones and homographs 130
Spelling and vocabulary work 131
Language and usage practice 137
Misplaced modifiers and dangling participles 139
Idiomatic expressions 140
Further spelling and vocabulary practice 142
Error recognition 143
Index 144
Ac kn owledgements 145
Introduction
Cambridge IGCSE Second Language English is an internationally recognised
examination which assesses your ability to express yourself in English, both in
writing and in speaking. It also tests your understanding of a range of texts written
in English and how well you are able to listen to and understand someone who
speaks to you in English. As the title of the syllabus indicates, the examination is
designed for students whose native language is something other than English and
it is offered at both Core and Extended levels. Your teachers will advise you as to
which level of examination is more suitable for your present stage of development in
using English. The different chapters in this book and the associated prnctice tasks
will provide practice for both levels and all the types of task that you will find in the
examination papers.
The exercises throughout this book are intended to provide practice for both
Core and Extended candidates. H owever, a few exercises intentionally go beyond
the specific requirements of the Cambridge !GCSE Second Language examination
papers to allow teachers the oppormnity stretch smdents who are capable of
answering more challenging tasks. Such questions are indicated with the symbol 0-
Your co urse
An !GCSE Second Language English examination, such as that offered by
Cambridge, consists of six components, of which every candidate will be entered for
three. Details of these are given below.
Component 1
Component 1 is the externally-examined Core written paper testing reading and
writing skills.
The Core paper allows the award of grades C-G and lasts for 1 hour 30 minutes.
It consists of seven different tasks, testing both reading and writing. There will be
a range of reading passages and questions will include items such as form-filling
and briefreport and account writing. There are 70 marks available for this paper.
Component 2
Component 2 is the externally-examined Extended written paper testing reading
and writing skills.
The Extended paper allows the award of grades A-E and lasts for 2 hours. As
with the Core paper, there are seven different tasks testing a range of reading and
writing skills, but the material is of a more demanding level - although it consists
of similar types of writing. There are 90 marks available for this paper.
Component 3
Component 3 is the externally-examined Core listening test.
This is the Core tier listening test and lasts for about 30-40 minutes. It involves
candidates listening to a range of spoken (or recorded) passages of varied length,
understanding of which is tested by a range of tasks including gap-filling, short-
answer comprehension questions and multiple-choice questions. It is worth
30 marks and is externally marked.

INTRODUCTION
Co mpo nent 4
Component 4 is the externally-examined Extended listening test.
This is the Extended tier listening test and lasts for about 45 minutes. It also
involves candidates listening to a range of spoken (or recorded) passages of varied
length, more demanding than those for the Core tier; understanding is tested by
a range of tasks including gap-filling, short-answer comprehension questions and
multiple-choice questions. It is worth 40 marks and is externally marked.
Co mpo nent 5
This is a speaking test and is not tiered. It lasts about 10-15 minutes and is worth
30 marks. It is internally marked in the Centre and then externally moderated.
Candidates will engage in a short warm-up conversation with the teacher which is
followed by a discussion on a given topic.
Co mpo nent 6
This is a coursework speaking assessment that is an alternative to Component 5.
Candidates will complete three different tasks during their course which will be
set and marked by their teacher and then externally moderated. It is also worth
30 marks .
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Learning to read is one of the most important stages in anyone's development as it
opens up so many opportunities. So many things in everyday life depend on your
being able to read clearly. H ere are a few examples.
If you want to find out the latest news about your favourite film star or learn the
details of the latest match played by the sports team you support, you pick up a
newspaper and read what it has to say about these topics.
If you are on a long train or plane journey it is almost certain that you will have a
book, a magazine or an e-book to help you pass the time while you are travelling.
Even if you are someone who 'doesn't read books' it is highly likely that you will
have read the instructions or rules of the computer game that you are playing.
0
1 BECOMING A BETTER READER
Very often, you'll read something without even being aware that you are engaging
in the reading process. For example, you might check the departures board at an
airport or railway station or make sure that you put on the brakes of your bicycle
as you approach the road sign that says ' H alt'. lfyou are unable to read, these
necessary actions become either very difficult or impossible to achieve.
So, you understand how important a part reading plays in your life. Everybody who
is using this textbook has mastered the art of reading to a greater or lesser extent.
Why, then, you may ask yourself, is it necessary to have to read a book that tells you
how to become a better reader - if you can read already, what is there to improve?
And furthermore, why should you sit an examination which tests how well you can
read something that is written on the question paper?
Well, the answer to this last question is that you should think very carefully about
what yo u mean by 'reading'. ls it just a process whereby you decode words on a
page and then speak them aloud or to yourself? Or is it something more complex
than that? First let's look at the assessment objectives for reading.
R1 identify and retrieve facts and details
R2 understand and select relevant information
R3 recognise and understand ideas, opinions and attitudes and the connections
between related ideas
R4 understand what is implied but not actually written, for example gist,
relationships, writer's purpose/ intention, writer's feelings, situation or place.
Reading with understanding

Let's consider reading something aloud. Think about listening to members of
your class reading aloud from a textbook. Nearly all of them will have no difficulty
in recognising and pronouncing the words written on the page. H owever, some
0
How should I read?
will make those words sound more interesting than others. The ones who make
the words sound interesting are the ones who read with 'expression'. They will
emphasise certain words and phrases to suggest to the listeners that these are
important points. If you don't put expression into your voice, what you read tends
to become monotonous and the listeners soon become bored and lose interest in
the subject matter.
If you can answer the question as to why one person's reading is more interesting
than another's then you have understood a very important detail. To save you
wondering too much, the answer to the question is that the interesting readers are
those who have not just recognised the words but are attempting to gain a complete
understanding of what the writer's intended meaning is. By doing this they are able
to put much more expression into their reading.
Remember: reading without understanding is pointless. To do wdl, in so many
aspects oflife (including examinations in all subjects), it is essential that you think
about what you are reading and don't move on to t11e next sentence until you are
sure t11at you have as clear an understanding as you can of what is written on the
sheet of paper or video screen in front of you.
The main aim of this section of t11is book is to hdp you to improve your
understanding of the range of different types of text that you are likely to have to
read as part of your Cambridge !GCSE Second Language English course, and in
your life in general.
Comprehension
Comprehension is a word that means ' understanding' and questions in English
examinations t11at test your understanding are known as 'comprehension questions'.
They can take a variety of forms and can be based on a wide range of passages
of varying difficulty. However, what you should keep clearly in mind is t11at the
main purpose of all comprehension questions is to test how thoroughly you have
understood what you have read - and t11at includes the wording of the question as
well as the source material on which the question is based.
How should I read?

In order to read in the most efficient and effective way, especially when you are
sitting an examination, it is important to become familiar with certain techniques
t11at will help you to focus closely on gaining a clear understanding. The following
points will help you to achieve this.
Read the passage through from beginning to end, thinking carefully about the
meaning of each sentence. Don't just ignore unfamiliar words, but try to work
out what they might mean by looking at the rest of the sentence.
Ask questions to yourself as you read. For example, 'What does this word suggest
about the subject?' and 'Why has the writer included t11is particular detail? ' and
so on.
Once you have read the passage through, think back over it and try to get clear
in your own mind what the main points are. One effective way of doing t11is is
to have a clear awareness oft11e topic sentences of each paragraph. Remember, a
topic sentence is the sentence in any paragraph which contains t11e main idea of
that paragraph. It is very often the first sentence but a writer may sometimes place
it in another position for a particular effect.
0
lfyou are reading something as part of an examination paper, you should also
read the questions that have been set on the passage closely and make sure that
you underline or highlight the key words so that you can focus clearly on exactly
what is required in your answer.
It will also help your understanding, particularly in an examination, if you can
practise the skills of skimming and scanning.
Skimming means reading quickly through a passage in order to gain a clear,
overall view of what it is about.
Scanning is a refinement of this approach, as it means you are reading in
order to extract specific details which are relevant to the questions that you are
required to answer.
Before we look more closely at how to apply these techniques, tl1ere is one other
very important point to consider, and it is also one which is easy to overlook.
Identifying key words in a question

When answering comprehension exercises it is important to read through both the
passage and the q11estioni tl1at are set on it. A clear understanding of exactly what tl1e
question requires will help you to focus on those parts of the passage in which the
relevant points can be found.
When you are reading a question, you may find it useful to underline the key
words. For example, look at this question based on the passage 'A Whale of a Time
in Oz!' (pages 5-6).
Read carefully the passage 'A Whale of a Time in Oz!' and then make notes of what it tells you
about the behaviour of Southern Right Whales and why they were considered to be suitable for
hunting.
From your skimming of this question, you will pick up that tl1e passage is about
Soutl1ern Right Whales. The key words to underline as part of your scanning
process are the instruction make notn and then the specific details on which you are
to focus: be/Javio11r and wily they were considered to be suitable for bunting.
For this question you are being asked to identify facts about the whales and about
why they were hunted. You should, therefore, include only facts in your answer
and not opinions expressed by the writer. H aving a clear understanding oftl1is
difference will make it easier to keep your answer clearly focused on the question.
The passage has been printed with a teacher's commentary at the side, pointing
out key details that will help your understanding as you read.
With these points in mind, we \viii now look at the passage.
0
How should I read?
A Whale of a Time in Oz!

In search of the Southern Right Whale
'down under'
Thu first few paragraphs

..ettheS<ene. Although
you 111111 bet<iklng the
detailsinasu..elul
bado:;grournl informa~on,
you\\i llatwheawilfe A Southern Right Wha'e and calf
that the Sou thern Right
Whi!ledoesrotR'!Cl!ive Getting there wasn't easy. First there was a 500 kilometre flight from Adelaide on a tiny
amentionunrntheth ird
plane shaped Like a toothpaste tube. Then once we'd Landed we met up with Gary White, our
p.ir<igraph . Jlyouare
reddin\jacl iYe+j,yoow1ll expedition Leader, and his jeep. 200 kilometres along the Eyre Highwayweenteredthetreeless
immediat!!lynotic:e thls Nullarbor Plain, a semi-desert populated mainly by Aborigines.
<1ndbealertforftxthe1
informationwhic:hi5 Our destination was the head of the Great Australian Bight, where we were to spend two days
goingtofoUow watching whales. On the way Gary told us what we wanted to know:
fl.syoorwdthrough 'Sadly, over 25,000 whales had been killed before whaling ceased in 1930. By this time
thothirdaOOfoortli Southern Right Wh~Les were virtually extinct. They were known as ~Right" whales because they
p.ir<1gr<1phs,itislike!y were right for hunting in small Land-based boats. They came dose inshore floated when killed
lhatyouwiltOO"king
yourselfquestioossu::h
and bad thick blubber which produced the valuable whale oil when it was boiled down. This
u'Whllldothesudetdils meant that the poor whales were hunted down in vast numbers by money-making shipowners:
t~lusaboutlhewhales'
OOhaviour?' , 'Whatwas
'RightWhalesfeedonsmallcreaturesatornearthesurface,gentlyswimmingalongwiththeir
itaboutlhl'irlxihavD.Jr mouths half open, allowing the sea water to flow in. The water is pushed back out with their
whichmadethem'iOeasy tongues, leaving the food behind. Thankfully, they are now a protected species and numbers
tohuntr , andsoon have risen to nearlyaoo:
This was a dismal tale but it had a happy ending - the whales were now safe from murderous
whale hunters.

A5youmoYeoothrough Two hours before sunset we arrived at our destination. The crumbling limestone cliffs dropped
the pi1SS391', you \\~ I I find sheer into the deep blue of the bay. It was August, the height of the whales' breeding season.
thatitalternate1between
glvirgfactsabout!tle Every three years the whales come from their home waters in the Antarctic to their Australian
whales' behaviour and breeding grounds. Mature females weigh 80 tonnes. The females do not eat at all until they
details about the scene!)", return to the Antarctic. By this time they will have Lost 20 tonnes in weight.
.ir.d!hewriter'5pe1500al
responsetos.eeirigtho As the sun began to setbehjnd us we Looked out. but saw ... nothing. Then boom! Right in
whalesao; ttieyfrolic:in front of us the sea erupted as a huge whale burst from the surface, thrusting its body out of
thew.-iter. Thedeta ils the water and smashing down witha noise like a cannon firing. Again and again itsur:gedfrom
of t hescelle(')'aod the sea amajesticandthrillingsight.
thewrite1'5opinicms
maymakethepa5Si1gi! After a meal under the stars we talked some more. Gary told us that Large numbers of female
Flterestingbut)O.l'ihoo.Jld whales and their calves had been in the bay the previous week. The calves are six metres Long
005kimm ingoverthem
as they are not deta~s
at birth and theygrowtothreetimesthatlength.
~ilirnllycoonectedto
theqLJestions~you
This was Nature at its finest, awesome and strangely moving.'
are asking your5'! ~
Our final day began early. We packed up our camp, walked to the cliff edge and were amazed!
I counted 24 whales. Swimming parallel to the shore, very close in, was a Long procession of
ln9'-'fll'lill,thelanguage mothers and their calves. They floated past on the surface. Some swam side by side, others
iflwhidithepassa.geis
Lazily rolled over each other as they moved slowly along. They were enormous. As they expelled
wrlttenisnotdifficult
toundeffiandaodcan the air from their blow-holes, great spouts of misty waters shot upwards. This was Nature at its
bo readqu itee.isilyby finest awesome and strangely moving We were silent watchers pf a primeval wonderful sjght.
anavl'!"agestudellt. The How can people hunt such beautiful and truly amazing creatures?
\IOCatx.J\al)",foC'themost
p.irt, dol'Sootcoosistof All too soon we had to go. In October the whales would return home too, home to the Antarctic.
kxlgaJldcomplic:ated We said little. We'd been stunned by the size of Australia, climbed Ayers Rock and followed the
words . However, if1 the tourist trail. These would become distant memories, but our two days whale-watching would
la1t-Out-011eparagraph
remainaliveinourheartsforever.
thewriteruseswme
more complicated
-~~
He re,boththesenteocestructmesandthevocabularyammorn is actually rnquiring you to look for <Juuld conviflCe you that these
complk;i tOO . llisagoodide.JtoslowdoMiyourskimrlladingat arn referencl!'i to the Milef's feelings or opinioos. Th@y do not ha~e
tti is p<M nt and stop to comidef exiK:llywhat thewmds me.in . Do agre;itdealtodollllth thelrllaH!s tllem;elve1 , apartfromtel lin[1
tt1e5esentencl!'imntaininfonnatioo1elevi1nl tothequesticm71flhey us how ifrllre55ive they a1e, which is a point made elsewhere In the
do, then you need to(()()siderhowtlesttoputtheinformatioo into passagoi!nfWay. Youun:;afelypassOYerlhemandcootinul!tore.id
yoorow11wordstolhowareaderthat)'OOllaveuJlderstood. (Ufting thepassageltwillnotthentakeyouk>ngtolinish,astheremainiog
thesenteoceo;astheystaMandUanlferringthemdirectlyiotoyorn sentencl!'imaybeofge.neral interestinhelpingustounderstand the
anYNWwil l beasure'>ignthatyoodo not urdefstan<lthomf) writor~ feeli ng1butafl!nolfl!l!vanttothemi1leria l fofwhichyoua1e
Even If your understanding of the vocabulary u1ed in th!'Sll searching
senlericesilnotentirelyseaxe,)'OUl'il'.\'aren-ofwhatth~questkln
As you can see from this example, selectio n of details in your reading is vitally
important to working under examination conditions. You must have a clear idea
of what you are looking for and then focus on finding it and ignore any comment
or detail which is not rele\'ant to the question. The more swiftly you can select the
details t11at you actually need to answer the questions, t11e more time you will have
for expressing your understanding of them as clearly as you can.
0
How should I read?
Now let us look at how to apply skimming and scanning to a series of short-answer
comprehension questions. The passage that follows (on page 8 ) is about the early
history of the Eiffel Tower, one of the most famous landmarks in Paris. H ere is an
example of examination questions that might be set on this passage.
Read carefully the passage 'The Eiffel Tower' and answer the following questions.
a) WhywastheEiffelTov;eroriginaltybuilt?
b) What was its particular purpose?
c) What was the full name of the engineer in charge of the project?
d) What was the name of the engineer who actually designed the tower?
e) Which word in paragraph 6 tells you that the Eiffel Tower was not intended to be a permanent
feature of Paris?
f) How high was the tower when it was completed?
g) How long was the tower originally intended to last before it was taken down?
h) WhydidEiffelbecomearichman?
I) What evidence does the passage give to show that the Eiffel Tmver was a very well-made
structure?
J) Why was ii finally decided to leave the tower in position?
You'll notice that nearly all of these questions ask you to select factual details
from the passage. Once you've read the questions carefully, you will have a clear
understanding of the details you should be looking for as you start skimming and
scanning the text.
1 Skimming the text. You will notice that there is a title that makes dear what the
subject of the passage is; there is also a photograph that helps you to gain a dear
picrure of the tower (and may also help to explain what is meant by the phrase
'triangulated sections' ). The passage is written in short paragraphs and you
should use these to break down your reading so that you can appreciate particular
details.
2 Scanning the text. Once you have a clear understanding of the passage you can
select details that are directly relevant to the questions you have been asked and
ignore sections of the passage that are not related to these.
Now put these points into practice by trying to answer the questions before reading
through the commentary which follows the passage.
0
The Eiffel Tower

130+ and still standin g
The Eiffel Tower is one of Koechlin was a junior employee After the first year of opening
the most famous structures of the Eiffel Construction so much money had been
in the world. It was named Business, which specialised in raised from people visiting
after Alexandre Eiffel, whose the designing and building of the tower that the cost of
team of engineers designed it. bridges and viaducts all over construction was covered and
It cost 2ffHXXl to build in 1889
the world. One of his first jobs Eiffel became rich.
with most of the money being was to design the framework
Alexandre Gustave Eiffel
provided by Eiffel himself and for the Statue of Li berty.
conducted experiments on the
the French st ate.The Eiffel Tower
towe r such as using it as a giant
rises to a height of 985 feet and
pendulum, a pressure gauge,
for over forty years it was the
highest structure in the world. ll1e original idea was for the an instrument for measuring
tower to be dismantled after a air resistance and atmospheric
The top may be reached by twenty year period. However,it pressure. In 1898 it was
using lifts and stairs with the was so well built and engineered discovered that the tower could
first platform being 189 feet, that it was decided to leave it in also be used as a magnificent
the second being 380 feet and position. The various part s (of radio tower. Consequently the
the third at 906 feet above the which there were thousands) Eiffel Tower was saved.
ground.The structure is largely were so well engineered that
composed of triangulated not even one had to be returned
sections and this allowed the to workshops for alteration.
e ngineers to build the tower
so high.
It was originally looked upon
as a temporary structure, built
for the 1889 World's Fair. The
World's Fair coincided with
the centenary of the French
Revolution.
The Eiffel Tower was the
entrance arch to the World's
Fair and it was one of a number
of designs entered as part
of a competition. Alexandre
Gustave Eiffel's company won
the competition and so the
tower became known as the
Eiffel Tower. However, it was
Morris Koechlin, an employee
of Eiffel, who designed the The Eiffel Tower- the most famous landmark in Paris
thousand foot structure. Adapted fmmwww.tedlnologtstudent.com
0
How should I read?
Skim, scan and select

Now that you've had a chance to think about this, we can look more closely at how
to read the passage and questions in the most efficient and effective way in order to
ensure that you have the best chance of answering all the questions correctly.
Skim the text. Remember, this process should include both the questions and
the passage about the Eiffel Tower itself. You will notice that all the questions
begin with the words wiry, wlmt, which and bow. This suggests that these are what
are known as ' closed' questions, in other words, questions that require a definite
facrual answer taken from the passage as opposed to 'open-ended' questions
that will expect you to draw inferences or conclusions from what is written. You
should, therefore, focus your reading on looking for appropriate facts.
You will notice that there is a photograph with a caption accompanying the text.
This will help you to picture more clearly what is being described in the passage.
The passage has a title, followed by a smaller title and about half way through
there is a sub-heading. All of these features contain details that your eyes will take
in easily as you skim/scan the text and help to give you a clear, overall view of what
it is about. Remember, all of these fearures are helpful clues to your understanding
of what you read and you should make use of them whenever they occur.
Once you have read through both the questions and the passage, you should then
scan the text. In particular you should be searching for details directly relevant
to tl1e questions tl1at you are answering. You may find it helpful to underline or
highlight relevant sections of tl1e passage.
Next, select the precise detail(s) you intend to u se to answer each question.
Before writing down your answer, however, check these details against the
wording oftl1e question. This will help to ensure that you have answered exactly
what was written and not what you tho11ghtwas asked for.
Finally, write your answers. Remember, you should avoid anything that is not
relevant and include only the precise details required by tl1e question. lf you
can rephrase the points (without altering the facts ) so that tl1ey are in your own
words, you will make it clear that you have fully understood the answer.
Breaking down the questions and the text

As mentioned previously, the questions ask for factual details that are contained
in tl1e passage. The questions are straightforward and, in all cases, the answers you
give will be either right or wrong. Don't be lulled into a sense of false security,
however. The questions may be straightforward, but they \viii still trip up a careless
reader. Here are some examples of the sort of things tl1at might catch you out if
you are not careful.
Question a) asks wbythe tower was built-ifyou're not concentrating you could
easily misread this and think that it is asking you to say when it was constructed.
Question c) contains two possible traps for tl1e careless reader. Firstly, the question
asks for the name of the engineer 'in charge of the project' and not the name of
the engineer who designed the tower. Secondly, it asks for this person's full name.
An answer which simply puts ' Eiffel' would not gain tl1e mark.
Question e) is testing your understanding of vocabulary. It is important that you
quote the exact word in your answer and not the phrase in which it occurs (unless
you underline the actual word that answers the question ). lf you don't know
which word it is, you should try to work it out from the meanings of the other
words in the paragraph.
0
The answer to question h ) cannot be lifted directly from the passage. You need to
explain in your own words exactly where tl1e money came from that made Eiffel a
rich man.
Question j ) can be answered by referring to the final paragraph. However, in
order to pick out tl1e correct answer it is important to keep the key word 'finally'
in mind as you scan the text.
One point that you should quickly notice as you do the first read tl1rough of the
questions and text is that the questions do not refer to the whole passage. For
example, the second and fifth paragraphs contain some interesting infom1ation about
the tower and its designer, but none oftl1is is required to at1swer any oftl1e questions.
You should also notice that tl1e questions do not always follow the sequence
of tl1e text. For example, tl1e answer to question f ) comes before tl1e answer to
question a). It is, therefore, important to read the whole passage in order to
gain a clear overview of its content.
As you can see from tl1is example, it is extremely important to be able to select relevat1t
details quickly and accurately when working under examination conditions. As you skim
through the reading passages, you should always attempt to gain a clear understanding
of their overall content and then focus on identifying the key words in the questions, so
that you can then select the precise points that will provide your answers.
The examination papers will present you \vith a range of reading passages
comprising mainly non-fiction factual reading material. Some passages \viii be
similar in format to the one we have just looked at as an example, but in others the
information may be presented differently, for example as an advertisement, a leaflet,
a newspaper report and so 011. We will consider the different types ofreading you
may be required to do and the different types of question that may be set to test
your understanding oftl1em in later chapters.
Practise your active reading skills

Here are two more reading passages (on pages 11-13 ) on whicl1 to test your reading
skills. Practise reading through them and see how easily you can grasp tl1eir meaning.
You have not been given any questions to answer, but it may help you to gain a more
complete understanding if you think about the sort of questions tl1at might be asked
about each passage as you read through it. In fact, once you feel confident tl1at you
have gained a complete understanding of the material, you and a parmer could write
your own questions and tl1en swap them over to see how well you do!
The first passage is another straightforward piece of informative writing, giving
information about an exhibition recently shown in the National Museum of
Singapore and containing historical details about the ancient Roman town of
Pompeii which was engulfed by a volcanic eruption.
This passage does not contain any sub-headings or pictures as an aid to
understanding so, as you read through it, you should concentrate on trying to
identify the main points of each paragraph to provide you \vith the main details.
A useful tip when reading this type of writing is to assume that each new paragraph deals with an
important new point. If you can identify what we call the topic sentence in each paragraph, you
will have found a good 'hook' on 1,.vhich to hang your understanding. For example, in the second
paragraphofthispassagetheopeningsentenceisclearlythetopicsentence. ltstatesthemain
point of the paragraph and then the follo\\~ng sentences develop this point
Prac tise your act ive reading skills
Pompe11 exh1b1t1011 opens at the

National Museum of Singapore
The National Museum of Singapore transports visitors back 2CXXJ years in time to experience
life and death in the ancient Roman Empire. A new exhibition, Pompeii: Life in a Roman
Village 79 CE reveals daily life in a city steeped in legend and mystery.
Pompeii and its neighbouring cities were buried - and frozen in time - after the fateful
eruption of Mt Vesuvius on 24 August 79 CE. After being forgotten for nearly 1700 years,
the city was accidentally rediscovered by welk!igging shepherds in 1748. Since then, its
excavation has yielded extraordinary artifacts - from beds, lanterns, hairpins to an exquisitely
preserved 15-foot-long garden fresco from the House of the Gold Bracelet - and provided a
comprehensive portrait of the life of a city at the height of the Roman Empire.
Amazingly, archaeologists have also been able to piece together the final moments of the
people of Pompeii. By pouring plaster into cavities in the volcanic ash left by the victims'
bodies, archaeologists were able to create moulds of the final moments of life in this once-
thriving seaport. The exhibition features more than 250 artifacts uncovered from beneath
30 feet of volcanic material in this once-cosmopolitan city. The exhibition brings these
priceless artifacts, along with body casts of eight of the victims of Vesuvius' fury, to Singapore.
Many of the artifacts had never been on public display until 2007, induding a stunning
large-scale garden fresco, gold coins, jewellery, marble and bronze statuary, and other
dazzling examples of ancient Rome's artistry and craftsmanship.
The exhibition takes visitors through an average day in Pompeii; visitors walk a Pompeian
street complete with storefronts and ambient sound, see samples of focxl items carbonised
by the eruption, explore a home and garden setting from Pompeii, and see how the people
of Pompeii expressed their spirituality.
The shov...pieces of the exhibition are the bcxly casts, made from the cavities left in the
ash after the bodies of those buried decomposed. These figures are caught in their last
moments, shielding their faces, clinging to each other. Even a dog impression was preserved.
ldapted lromNchaook>gyNewsNfJ:worl(,MDaly, 180ciober 2010
Fact s a nd o pini o ns
It is important that you understand the distinction between facts and opinions.
Facts are objective details which can be supported by evidence. Opinions are
subjective views held by the writer and cannot, therefore, be proved as being either
right or wrong. For example, 'The Eiffel Tower can be found in Paris' is a fact
which can easily be proved; however, a statement such as, 'The Eiffel Tower is the
most beautiful building in Paris' is an opinion, as it is only the view of the speaker
and there is no evidence to prove that the Tower is more beautiful than any other
building in the city.
Now read the second example ofa piece of informative writing (on pages 12- 13 ).
Note, however, that the writer has also included some of his own thoughts and
opinions and not just presented the readers with factual details, as in the article
about the Eiffel Tower.
It is important that when you are scanning the passage, you have a clear
appreciation as to which questions require you to identify facts and which ask you
to show an understanding of the writer's thoughts and opinions. Be careful not to
confuse opinions with facts as you are reading.
Golconda Fort:
Hyderabad's time machine
The Golconda Fort transports you into a time warp.
Legend has it
The stories surrounding this beautiful fort are many. If you Like ancient tales, your best bet
are the tourist guides who swarm the entrance. They are full of stories that are intriguing,
magical and most probably both fanciful and true. Buttheyarestoriesthatwillsurelykeepyou
entertainedthroughoutyourlongclimbupthefort.
Here'sthetruestory.Golcondaor'GollaKonda'(shepherd'shill)isa13thcenturyfort,built
by the Hindu Kakatiya kings. According toa Legend, a shepherd boy came across an idol on
the hill. This Led to the construction ofa mud fort by the then Kakatiya dynasty ruler of the
kingdom around the site. In the 16th century, Golkonda wasthecapitalandfortresscityofthe
Qutub Shahi kingdom, near Hyderabad. The city was home to one of the most powerful Muslim
sultanates in the region and was the centre of a flourishing diamond trade.
The city and fortress, built on 400 ft high granite rock, has a number of royal apartments and
halls, temples, mosques, magazines, stables, etc. inside. Visitors enter through the 'Fateh
Darwaza'(VictoryGate)studdedwith giant iron spikes(topreventelephantsfrom battering it
down).
But that's just the facts. Legends and myths have always su rrounded this mystical fort.
Madhu Votteri, a practising conservation architect and author of 'A Guide To The Heritage
of Hyderabad', talks about a holy mad man who was believed to be the actual protector of
the Fort. 'Legend has it that Majzoob (holy mad man) stayed next to the Fateh Darwaza and
protected it. When Aurangazab was ready to conquer the fort, the presence of this mad man
never allowed his troops to infiltrate the gateway. Only when another Yousuf Saab, who was a
soldier in the Mughal army, made him move from there, was the fort conquered; says Madhu.
Prac tise your act ive reading skills
Ancient engineering
In fact, anyone who has seen happy tourists, clapping away merrily at the Darwaza will know
the story behind its brilliant acoustics, one of the many engineering maivels at Golkonda.
A handclapatacertain pointattheentrancecan beheardclearlyatthe'Bala Hissar'pavilion,
the highest point almost a kilometre away. This worked asa warning note to the royals in case
of an attack. Manywallsoftheinnerbuildings literally have ears. Whisper in one corner of the
hall with its great bare stone walls and empty windows, and you can be heard distinctly in
another.Thisonceenabledpeopletopetitionthekinginprivatewithoutrisktohissecurity
but nowadays just providesgreatamusementtotourists.
The gods are smiling

Madhu reveals thatthe Golconda Fort was unique because it held a Lot of religious value for
both the Hindus and Muslims. 1he Sri Jagadamba Maha temple atop Golconda is as famous as
the Fort itself. In fact there was much secularity during those times. Ibrahim Quli Qutub Shah
waspopularamongsubjectsandwasalso highly respected by Hindus. The two mosques in Naya
Qila are a sight to behold too. The mosque of Mustafa Khan has a unique roof in Mughal style,
while the Mullah Khayali mosque has beautiful Persian script engraved on its stones; she says.
There is also a Hindu temple on the way up. StoryhasitthatRam Das, a revenue official jailed
by Abul Hasan Tana Shah, for misusing state funds, carved images of Rama, Lakshman and
Hanuman on a rock surface in the cell.
Travelling tales
According to historians, a numberoftravellerscameinandoutofthefort. through the caravan
route although not all could enter the fort immediately as it took them a Lot of time and
money to make their way through the gates of the fortress. 'So they would create make-shift
settlements outside to live in; says Madhu.
Alsowithinthefortwasasarai(acaravanstationfortradersandtravellers)aspartofaPersianstyle
garden built during the reign of Ibrahim Quli Qutub Shah. Onestorygoesthatduring thereign of
Atxlullah QutubShah, heusedtohearawoman'svoiceasshesangfortravellersatthesarai, while
he sat kilometres away at Golconda Fort. Her melodious voice was carried by the breeze, reaching
theprince'searatthefort
Of gems and jewels

When the French traveller and jeweller Jean-Baptiste Tavernier reached Golconda in 16S3, he
found a fortress nearly two 'leagues in Length' and requiring a Large garrison forits defence.
It was a town where the king kept his treasure. It was also an international jewellery bazaar,
where traders from as far away as Arabia, Persia, Central Asia and Europe converged to barter
for precious stones under the shade of its vast banyan trees. The Great Mughal Diamond, said
byitsowner,theMughalEmperorBabur, tobe'equalinvaluetooneday'sfoodofallthepeople
in the world' came from mines around Golconda, as did the Koh-i-Noor and dozens of other
priceless gems. In fact, Marco Polo in his Book ofMaivels is said to have spoken wonderingly
of the Land of Golconda, identifying it as the mythical Valley of Diamonds in which, according
to 1he Arabian Nights'. Sindbad the Sailor had, centuries earlier, been cast down by a giant
bird. If you reached down into the soil your hand would be filled with diamonds the size of
eagle's eggs!
Adapted from 'Golconda Fort: Hyderabad's lime machine',
from the Timas of India, 9 January 2013
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An examination such as Cambridge I GCSE Second Language English will test your
ability both to read and understand material written in English and also to express
yourself in that language in writing and speaking. In this and the following two
chapters we will look more closely at the different ways in which your understanding
may be tested and provide opportunity for you to engage in answering some
practice exercises.
The reading passages

The content of some of the reading passages on which you are tested and many of
the questions set on these passages will be the same for both Core and Extended
candidates. However, there will be some additional questions on the Extended
paper which will require you to show an understanding of some of the ideas that
are merely implied in the passage, r.i.ther than being directly stated by the writer.
Questions such as these are referred to as inferential questions.
The Extended paper will also have an additional reading passage and questions to
those contained in the Core paper. There are four texts to read for the Core paper
(which lasts 1 hour and 30 minutes) and five for the Extended paper (w hich lasts
for 2 hours ).
Overall, the Cambridge IGCSE Second Language English Core tier reading
questions will expect you to be able to do the following:
understand straightforward texts such as notices, signs, timetables and
advertisements and identify and retrieve simple facts and details contained in these
texts
read and understand a range of more complex texts (such as letters, brochures
and fiction texts ) and select and organise relevant information contained in them
including ideas, opinions and attirudes expressed by the writer(s)
show some understanding of what is implied by the writer(s) but not directly
expressed in the text.
For the Extended tier reading questions you will be expected to do
the following:
read, understand, identify and select details, facts and important ideas contained in
a range of texts including notices, signs, magazines and newspapers
read and understand texts such as letters, brochures and more extended passages
of imaginative writing and select and organise appropriate information and details
contained in them
identify and understand opinions, ideas and attitudes that are both explicit and
implied in more extended texts and show an appreciation of the connections
between these ideas and so on.
The reading questions
The reading questions

Before we move on to look at how to approach some of the particular types of
questions that will be set, it will help to summarise the key points which will
ensure that you answer the reading questions as successfully as you can. Try
to keep the following points in mind when you set about preparing to answer
questions.
You have plenty of time to read the passages carefully; don't rush into writing
your answers until you have gained a clear understanding of what you have been
asked to read.
Remember that a careful reading and clear understanding of the questions is as
important as reading the passages. This will help to ensure that you are in the
best position to select those details that arc relevant to the question you are
answering.
Read each passage through carefully from beginning to end in order to gain a
general, overall understanding of it: it is important that you gain a sound overview
of what it is about.
Once you have achieved both an overview of the passage and a clear
understanding of what the questions require, then look closely at the relevant
sections of the passage on which the questions are based. It may help to
underline or highlight key points in the text so that you can easily find them
when writing your answers.
The next step is to produce your written answers to the questions. Remember,
it is important that what you write makes it clear that you have understood
exactly what the question requires. A reader can judge your understanding only
by what you have written, so don't leave out points which may seem obvious if
they are relevant - if you do not include a point, you cannot be given credit for
knowing it.
Make sure all the details you include in your answers are relevant to the question,
write your answers clearly and do not include irrelevant comments.
Use your own words as far as possible to demonstrate your understanding. If you
are asked to explain the meaning of a word such as 'exciting' remember tl1at an
answer which says 'something that makes you feel excited' cannot be rewarded as
you need to use a word such as 'thrilling' to show your understanding.
Remember: tl1e more marks a question is worth, tl1e more detailed your answer
should be. You may have to refer to more than one part of the passage to provide
a complete answer.
2 APPLYING YOUR READING SKILLS
Types of texts
The first t}pes of passages that we are going to look at are those which are likely to
be set for the earlier questions on both Core and Extended papers. Advertisements,
brochures, leaflets, guides, reports, manuals and instructions will all be used as a basis for
questions, although not all these t}pes of texts will appear in any one question paper.
Owing to the nature and content of these types of writing it is likely that, for
both tiers, the questions set on them will be quite straightforward and require you
to identify factual details contained in the passage. They will almost certainly be of
the short-answer type, rather than extended responses such as a summary. However,
there may be questions on the Extended papers that will expect you to interpret
some of the points that are not directly stated, for example by asking how tl1e words
used in an advertisement are aimed to appeal to a particular group of readers.
How to approach short-answer

comprehension questions
Short-answer questions are straightforward. They require brief, factual answers
to show that you have understood a particular piece of information in the text.
You should try to express your answers in your own words. Some questions will be
worth more than one mark. Remember: the more marks there are available for a
question, the more detailed and focused your answer should be. The way in which a
question is worded will give you some indication of the approach you should take in
your answer. H e re are some examples.
Questions which contain instructions such as 'Give two reasons' require
straightforward retrieval of details from the passage.
Questions which ask you to 'Explain' something, such as the writer's opinions,
require you not only to say what the opinions arc but also to make some comment
about them in your own words.
The passage and questions that follow are examples of those that might be set for
an examination. The comments which follow the questions contain details of points
needed for satisfactory answers.
Read the leaflet 'Safe as Houses?' and then answer the questions that follow,
before reading the comments for each question.
How to approach short-answer comprehension questions
Safe as Houses?
Every year many children aged five and under are killed because of accidents in the
home, and large numbers need hospital treatment. How can you make your child,
grandchild or any young visitor safer in your home?
In the kitchen
The main types of injuries in the kitchen are bums and scalds, often caused by children
pulling kettles full of boiling water aver themselves or tipping up pans on the cooker. Other
hazards include cups and teapots full of hot drinks, hot aven doors, and hot irons. Children
can also be at risk from slippery kitchen floors and from household chemicals.
In the bathroom
Children can be scalded by bath wa ter which is too hot, and they can also drown in the
bath - even in only a few inches of water. Some children often like to investigate toilets,
wtiich can be unhygienic or even uno.afe if some cleaning products have been used.
Slamming doors
\Mien children are playing together it's very easy for hands or fingers to get caught in doors.
Few of these injuries are serious but they're all very painful.
Falls down stairs
The under-twos are most at risk on the stairs because they try to crawl or walk up or dOVvTI
them before they're really ready to. Additional risks are caused by toys or other objects left
on the stairs, loose carpet or poor lighting.
Falls from windows
fts soon as a child is mobile, low windows, or windows with dimbable objects in front of
them, become a major hazard, especially on upper floors.
Fires and matches
Fire is the most common cause of accidental death in the home for children. Around half
these deaths are thought to be due to children playing with matches.
Medicines and chemicals
Some houses may contain a selection of medicines and household chemicals wtiich can be
very dangerous if swallowed by small children.
Near the house
Oiildren are also at risk near the house - partirularly if they're unsupervised. Keep garages and
sheds containing tools locked and take the same care with chemicals as you would in the house.
1 Whatarethemaininjuriesthatchildrencansufferin thekitchen?
This is a straightforward question requiring details from the second paragraph. The
answer is ' burns and scalds' and can be found in the first line of the paragraph. These
two words are all that is required for your answer. You might be tempted to add
'breaking bones from falling on a slippery floor' or 'poison from drinking household
chemicals' but if you've read through all the questions first (as you have been advised to
do), you will realise that these points answer a later question and aren't required here.
How to approach short-answer comprehension questions
2 In what other ways c.an children be injured in the kitchen?
As mentioned on page 18, this is the question where you can answer with the points
about slippery floors and household chemicals.
3 Givethreeitemsfoundin kitchensthatcancauseinjurytoyoungchildren.
This is another straightforward question and you have a choice of items to name.
The answer would be any three from: (boiling) kettles, pans (on tl1e cooker), cups
and teapots (containing hot drinks), (hot) oven doors and (hot) irons. Notice tl1at
the question only asks for the items and not how they can cause injuries, although
it would help to give a clear indication that you have understood the passage by
pointing out that tl1e kettles contain boiling water, the oven doors are hot and so on.
4 Which piece of information about the risk of young children drowning in the bath might some
people find surprising?
This is a slightly more inferential question as the answer is not directly stated.
H owever, if you read tl1e relevant paragraph carefully you will realise that the
answer is indicated by tl1e use of the dash before tl1e phrase 'even in only a few
inches of water'. This piece of punctuation draws tl1e attention of the reader to the
information tl1at follows and also draws your attention to the detail which is needed
fora correct answer.
5 Whattv.udangerstoyoungchildrencanbefoundintoilet5?
The answer to this question is 'the danger of contracting diseases from germs' and
'the risk of poisoning from tl1e cleaning products tl1at may have been used'. You
will note that tl1e answer depends on your knowing that the word 'unhygienic'
conveys the danger of contracting diseases tl1rough germs that breed in dirty places.
It would not be correct just to write the word 'unhygienic' as this does not directly
answer the question that asks for 'dangers'. Some people might be tempted to
answer that one of the dangers might be falling into the toilet and drowning, based
on the statement tl1at children like to 'investigate toilets', but tl1is is not specifically
stated in the passage and there are two much more obvious answers.
6 Whyareveryyoungchildrenatriskonthestairs?
It would not be enough to answer tl1is question by saying 'because tl1ey might fall
down the stairs'. The question clearly asks for a reason (Why? ), so the answer would
be 'because they try to crawl or walk on them before they are really ready'.
7 What precaution can you take to help prevent young children falling out of windows?
Again, this question requires you to make some inference. Although not directly
stated in tl1e passage, the answer is derived from the reference to 'climbable objects'
so the answer would be 'to make sure that there is nothing for the children to climb
on situated anywhere near a window'.
8 What else can cause dangers to children who are not being watched carefully by an adult ?
This is a slightly mo re tricky question as it depends on your knowing tl1e meaning

oftl1e word 'unsupervised' which is used in tl1e paragraph called ' Near the house' .
Once you have realised this tl1en the answer is straightforward: '{sharp) tools and
chemicals (kept in sheds)'.
9 What are the two most likely causes of danger to children under the age of five? Wha t reasons
canyougiveforyouranswer?
This question needs a little more thought as the answers are not clearly stated. One
danger would be ' fire', as that paragraph mentions that it 'is the most common
cause of accidental death in the home' {it may also help to bear in mind that no
other question has referred to tl1e ' Fire' paragraph, although you could not use this
as a reason to answer the question! ). The second cause would be kitchen objects
that can cause scalds and burns as tl1e passage refers to tl1ese as causing 'the main
types of injuries' .
Further practice in answering

straightforward comprehension
questions
Exercise 1
On page 21 , you will find anotl1er leaflet, this time one advising the public about
the problems that can arise from excessive noise. Read through it carefully and then
answer all the questions that follow.
Further practice in answering straightforward comprehension questions
Noise
Noise is a form of pollution which can be merely irritating, or cause physical or emotional
damage. For some people, the sound of music played very Loudly is annoying, while others
revel in it. Similarly, it may be enjoyable for some to drive a motor bike, while other people
find the noise anti-social.
Long-term exposure to loud noise can bring about stress which has physical signs such as an
increase in oxygen consumption and heart rate, possibly leading to effects on the heart and
circulation. Tiredness,irritabilityandsleepdisturbancesmayalsooccur.
Thephysicaleffectsofnoiseontheearscanbeserious.Prolonged,loudnoisecausesphysical
discomfort;itactually'hurtstheears'. And if it is too Loud or goes on for too Long, it, at first,
causes temporary
hearing loss, then
Excessive noise deafness, due to
can have a serious
permanent damage
effect on health, and
to the delicate
is associated with mechanism of
stress and anxiety.
the inner ear.
Very loud noise
Rock musicians
causes physical
performing in front
damage to the
of very powerful
delicate structures
speakers frequently
in the ear and may have permanent
result in deafness.
hearing damage.
Don't underestimate the

harmful effects of noise. It is
If used at too high a the form of poHution which has
volume, MP3 players can the most immediate effect on
cause severe heating people. It can cause severe
loss. Although the stress.
speakers are so tiny that
they can fit inside the ear, From The Environment and Health,
the sound they produce by Brian Ward, Franklin Watts, ald
is directed straight dcmn Wake Up to Wflat )t)i; Can Do for the
the ear canal and can Environment, DETR, 1989
cause damage if the
volume is tumed up too
high.
1 What word in paragraph 1 tells you that noi5e damages our environment?
2 From paragraph 2 give three effects on people who have been exposed to noise for a long time.
3 What long-term physical effect of noise is mentioned in paragraph 3?
4 Wh ich group of people is most prone to suffering this effect?
5 Whatisthereasongivenforthis?
Thenextfewquestionsrefertotheillustrationsandtheir captions.
6 Wh ich word in the caption under the picture of the child resting on his bed tells you that it is
wrongnottotaketheeffectsofnoiseseriously?
7 What reason is given as to why noise is such a great cause of stress?
8 Whydothespeakersof MP3 playerscausedamagetotheears?
9 Fromthegraphontheleftofthepage,whatsoundproducestheloudestnoise?
10 Whichsoundproducesasoundof85decibels?
11 From the whole passage (including the pictures) state four ways in which we might
unintentionally irritate other people \\~th noise that we make.
Both the passage about safety in the home and the one on the effects of noise arc
examples ofleaflets that have been produced in order to pass on information and
advice to the general public. You will have noticed that they are presented in such a
way as to make this information easy to understand at first reading. For this reason
they use sub-headings, short paragraphs and graphics to help communicate their
messages. Their content is almost entirely factual. As an additional task you could
look again at both passages and try to work out exactly who the audience is at which
they are aimed. For example, what is the likely age group of the readers? What are
their social circumstances? And so on. Make sure you can give reasons, based on
the content of the passages, for your conclusions. Once you have done this you
could tl1en consider how effective you think the passages are in communicating tl1e
information to tl1eir audience.
Exe rcise 2: Brochures

Another type of text on which the Cambridge !GCSE Second Language English
examination questions migl1t be set is a brochure. In some ways, brochures are similar
to leaflets as tl1ey contain a certain amount of factual information and use photographs
and other types of illustrations to support this. The overall appearance of a brochure
is known as the presentation. However, tl1e pmpose of most brochures is not only
to infonn their readers about a particular place, for example, but also to attempt to
persuade tl1e readers to visit tl1at place by creating an interest in it.
The example that follows is a brochure for a rather unusual theme park in India.
Read through it carefully and tl1en answer tl1e questions tl1at follow - tl1ere are a
range of different tasks for you to attempt. (The brochure has been translated from
its original language, so don't worry about the occasional expression which is not
quite in Standard English! )
IT'S SNOW ALL THE WAY
It's indeed a wonder world in India, the indoor area filled with plentyofsnowwhichisproduced
using stateofthearttechnology, the snow is as natural as found in nature. It has largest snow
areaof17000sqft.
Once you enter, the huge snow filled area with-5 degrees Centigrade Oh! What a fun to have
this chilling experience. Its thrilling environment with Polar Bears, penguins, Alpine Trees will
leaveyouspellbound.What'smore,you have the Igloo too.
The Cryozone of Snow World consisting of kids' snow play area, snow slide, snow merry-go-round,
snow sculptures, snow basketball Snow Mountain, snow volley ball snow dancing, ice hotel etc.
withsnowfallineverysession, thatwilltakeyourbreathaway,yes, becauseit'ssnowalltheway.
Protecting you from -5 C

Special warm jackets, gloves, socks and waterproof shoes will be provided.
Children below 2 feet(0.6 metres) in heightare strictly not allowed.
Wearing warm clothes is compulsory for entering snow area.
Persons with heart & asthma problems and pregnant women must enter the Snow Area on doctoi's
advice only.
Things to do
1 Pleasedeposityourcellphonesatcellcounter.
2 Please purchase camera/video camera permit ticket.
3 Entrystartshalfanhourbeforesessiontime.

4 Collect shoe bags and deposit your footwear and collect token. No valuables to be kept in
shoe bags.
5 Collectjackets, socks, gloves and shoes. While waiting, maintain queue.
6 Dressupandwaitforthebodytogetacclimatisedtolowertemperaturein lounge and later
in air lock room.
7 Enter into snow area as per your scheduled session time.
8 Temperature in snow area willbeOto-5(.
9 If you feel uncomfortable in chilling temperature you are allowed to go out to the exit
lounge and re-enter within your session time.
10 After the session. Please hand over your jackets, gloves, shoes and socks at respective
collectioncountersonexitside.
11 Return the token and collect your footwear bags.
Safety measures
Please walk slowly and carefully in snow area - some places may be slippery.
Please take care of your valuables, especially while removing jackets and gloves.
Management is not responsible for any kind of loss or injury.
Allridesatvisitors'risk.
12:30p.m. to01:30p.m.
02:00p.m. to03:00p.m.
03:30p.m. to04:30p.m.
OS:OOp.m.to06:00p.m.
06:30p.m. to07:30p.m .
OS:OOp.m. to09:00p.m.
Prices
NOTE:
1 FOR SCHOOL AND COLLEGE AUTHORISATION A LETTER IS REQUIRED FROM INSTITUTION.
2 MINIMUM 30 STUDENTS REQUIRED TO AVAIL SCHOOL AND COLLEGE PACKAGES.
(SnowWorld+RainForert+
LivingDead+Kalledo)
(SnowWorld+RainForert+
LivingDead+indoorracing
[4Laps]+Kalledo)
(OceanPark+SnowWorld)
Enquiry
SNOWWORLD:040-65990167 /68/69/70
9866699475
email:[email protected]
Special Packages for school, colleges, corporates & groups
Adapted from www.snowworldindia.net
1 State t hree things that you are told about the snow in Snow World India.
2 What is the temperature in Snow World?
3 From the information given in paragraphs 2 and 3, state two places in Snow World India where
people might live.
4 Suggest three activities offered by Snow Wortd India that would appeal to visitors. Say which age
group (young children, teenagers or adults) would be most likety to enjoy each activity you mention.
5 State four items that must be worn by visitors to the snow area
6 State two items that you must leave behind before you enter the snow area
7 Are you allowed to take a camera with you into the snow area? How do you know?
8 What must you do before you finally enter the snow area?
9 In the 'Things to do' section, which word means 'to get used to the temperature conditions'?
10 What are you advised to do if you find that you are getting too cold?
11 WhatareyouadvisedtodotoavoidlallingoverinthesnCM1?
12 How long does each session in the snow area last?
0 13 ~~':~:~:;:~ ~:~~~~o~V~~db~:i~ui~e~~~ ~~;i~:~~~i:tt:!~in how rt sets out to
Exe rcise 3
Your Year Group at school wishes to organise a visit to Snow World India. AI, a
senior snident you have been chosen to talk to parents to inform them about Snow
World and also to encourage them to let their son/daughter take part in the visit.
Make notes of what you will say in your talk under the following headings:
What there is to do at Snow World (remember, there is more than just the snow
area! ).
What visitors are required to do before they go and also while they are there.
H ow long the visit may last and how much it will cost per person.
Why srudents in your Year will enjoy the visit and why it could benefit their
education.
Exercise 4: Advertisements
Another type of text that uses both words and pictures and which also intends to
persuade readers to support its content is an advertisement. Advertisements usually
make great use of presentational features in order to capture the reader's attention
quickly and to communicate their message very dearly. One of the most common
forms of advertisements are those seen in magazines and newspapers aimed at
encouraging people to buy a particular product, ranging from washing powder to top
of the range automobiles. Even though these advertisements may appear to be giving
facrual information about the advertised product, their main purpose is to persuade
readers to buy it. They set out to persuade readers by appealing to their ambitions and
other feelings by implying that the product will improve the readers' lifestyle.
Examination questions are sometimes set on this type of advertisement and will
ask you to consider how the different features of the advertisement are intended
to appeal to the reader. H owever, it is more likely that questions in an examination
such as Cambridge IGCSE Second Language English will be based on a slightly
different form of advertising - t11e public information advertisement. This is a
text t11at has been created by either a government department or a charitable
organisation with t11e intention of making the general public aware of a particular
concern (for example, the need to conserve water or the plight of people made
homeless by natural disasters such as earthquakes ). It is also highly likely t11at such
advertisements will also be aimed at encouraging the readers to contribute money
towards supporting the cause that is advertised.
The following online advertisement is part of an online campaign run by a charity,
Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC), to make people aware of the plight of
these crearures and of ways in which individuals can help to protect t11em.
Read through the passage carefully and then answer the questions that follow.
Some require longer and more developed answers t11an for questions that might be
set for an examination, as they are intended to help you gain a better understanding
of how t11e writers of the advertisement are trying to persuade their readers to
support t11eir campaign. You may find t11at it helps to talk over these questions either
in your group or as a whole class discussion.
ADOPT A DOLPHIN NOW

And you will receive:
A woe adoption pack
A certificate of adoption
A woe cotton bag
Free magazine subscription
Dolphin updates throughout the year
She's beautiful. She's intelligent. Don't let her die.
Every two minutes another dolphin like Kesslet suffers a slow, agonising death, accidentally
trapped in fishing nets. Help end the suffering.
More than 300000 dolphins die in fishing nets e:very year.
You can help save dolphins around the world by adopting a UK dolphin for just 4 a
month. Adopt now.
woe, \Nhale and Dolphin Conservation, is the leading global charity dedicated
to the conservation and protection of whales and dolphins.
We defend these remarkable creatures against the many threats that they face through
campaigns, lobbyin& ad\lising governments, conservation projects, field research and rescue.
Our vision is a world where every whale and dolphin is safe and free - including the
dolphin you adopt
Meet the dolphins

The dolphins each have their own personalities - click on the dolphin you'd like
to adopt.
The dolphins of Scotland's Moray Firth are amazing but they face many threats. When you
adopt a dolphin you will build a special link with an individual and help us to protect the
whole population and give them a safer future.
Kesslet
Kesslet is a young mum who likes to hunt and play with her calf, Charlie. Kesslet is easy
to spot because of her curved dorsal fin. She is friends with lots of the local dolphins like
Rainbow and Moonlight and can be often seen travelling in groups of mums and youngsters.
Mischief
Mischief is a very friendly male dolphin who is always in a party mood! He is often seen in
big groups leaping around with friends such as Rainbow and Sundance. Mischief is also a
powerful hunter who can outrun even the biggest salmon. He is easily recognised by the big
nick in his dorsal fin.
Sundance
Sundance was first spotted in 1990 when he was a tiny calf and now he's a big adult
male bottlenose dolphin. Sundance is really sociable and he just loves to leap around with
friends - especially Moonlight. We think he may be dad to Moonlight's baby.
Rainbow
Rainbow was first spotted way back in 1989 when she was just a youngster. She now has
calves of her own including Raindrop who was born in 2005. She got her name because
of her 'bright and colourful' character! She has a nid:: in the centre of her dorsal fin, which
makes her easy to spot

Moonlight
Moonlight was first spotted in 1996 when she was very young. She now has calves of her
own, including Mellow Yellow. She is easy to identify by the twin notches near the top of
her dorsal fin. Moonlight loves to socialise with her best friend Rainbow. She's an amazing
hunter - especially Vv"hen she's in hot pursuit of lunch!
Spirit
Spirit was given her name due to her gentle and spirited nature. She has a calf called Sparkle,
Vv"ho was born in July 2007. She is often seen in the company of the other mums and their
babies. Spirit has two very sharp nicks in her dorsal fin which make her easy to recognise.
Why adopt a dolphin?

'I can thoroughly recommend adopting a dolphin with WDC. It's a fantastic way to support
their amazing work. Plus, you get to know an individual dolphin!' says Miranda Krestovinikoff,
WOC Patron and BBC TV Presenter.
Oil and gas exploration and production, large marina development, pollution, fisheries
and more are increasingly putting pressure on the dolphins and their home. By adopting
a dolphin, you will build a special link with an individual and help us to protect the Vv"hole
population. Extinction is forever - the Moray Firth dolphins cannot be replaced.
Vvtien you adopt a dolphin you will be helping to fund our work protecting dolphins around
the world induding:
Essential research - the more we understand about the dolphins, the better we can
protect them.
Political campaigns to ensure effective laws are in place to protect the dolphins and give
them a safer future.
Equipment such as binoculars, cameras and acoustic recorders to help with our research.
Further practice in reading factual/informative texts
1 What is this advertisement encouraging its readers to do?

2 State three things that are offered to readers to help per.;uade them to be involved in this activity.
3 How do you know that the dolphins referred to at the beginning of the advertisement (those
who are trapped in fishing nets) are not killed on purpose?
4 In what ways does the WDC try to protect dolphins from the dangers they face?
5 WhatfeatureofherappearancemakesKessleteasytoidentify?
6 Which two dolphins have a similar identification feature?
7 What fish would seem to be a favourite food of the dolphins?
8 WhattypeofdolphinisSundance?
9 Which dolphin is the mother of Sparkle and which is possibly the father of Mellow Yellow?
10 Statethreehumanactiviliesthatareathreattothedolphins'existence.
1 1 Explain, using your own words, what is meant by 'Extinction is forever'.
12 Give two ways in which WDC will use the money that people donate to them
O Questions requiring longer answers

1 Look closely at the first section of the advertisement (as far as the heading 'Meet the dolphins').
What effects are achieved by the use of short sentences and paragraphs? Consider also the use
of facts and other information given in this section. How does this help in persuading people
to support the campaign? In what ways do the use of bold type, the photograph and the
language and content of the final two paragraphs of this section help to encourage the readers
to support the charity?
2 Now read through the 'Meet the dolphins' section. What do you notice about the language
used bythe'Nfilerstodescribethedolphins? In particular, you should consider the use of the
second pe!Xln pronoun 'you' to address the readers. What do you think the writers are trying
to achieve by using words such as 'young mum', 'always in a party mood', 'just k:Nes to leap
around with his friends', 'with her best friend' and so on? Similarly, hmv do the descriptions of
the qualities of the individual dolphins help to gain the support of the readers?
3 Finally, look closely at the final section of the advertisement (Why adopt a dolphin?).
What effect do you think is achieved by the sub-heading being written as a question? The
advertisement also includes a comment in direct speech made by a TV presenter; how does
this help to persuade the readers to support the campaign? What do you think is the most
important message that is conveyed in this final section?
Further practice in reading factual/

informative texts
There are many different reasons for giving information and many different types
of texts that arc used for this purpose. Examinations testing your understanding of
written English may use any of these, but it is likely that they will only use those
which have a reasonable amount of written text rather than being entirely dependent
on the use of pictures and other graphical features. It is also worth keeping in mind
that in writing sections of the examination you may be required to write in a range
of different forms and so it is important to be familiar with the styles of the various
passages that we are using in this chapter in order to help you in your own writing.
Gi ving in stru cti o ns

Some of the most simple and popular texts for giving instructions are the recipes used
in cooking. It is important that these are as clear as possible so that those using them
produce a dish that is as close as possible to that of the chef who originally wrote the
recipe. However, the instructions in a recipe must also be sufficiently detailed to make
sure that when you use them you don't overlook certain key ingredients or processes.
Read the recipe for ' Curried Pasta with Cauliflower and Chickpeas' and then
answer the questions that follow.
Curried Pasta with Cauliflower and Chickpeas

I've atways loved the offbeat combination of pasta and curry, and my family al\.vays liked
it, too. The addition of chickpeas makes this a filling meal. This is a good dish to try out
on older kids and teens open to new adventures at the dinner table. Serve with a fresh
flatbread, a green vegetable (broccoli, green beans, or leafy greens) and a simple salad of
tomatoes and cucumber.
Serves: 4 to 6
8 to 1O ounces pasta twists (cavatappi, or cellantani), rotini (spirals), or medium shells
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, quartered and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced, optional
4 cups bite-sized cauliflower florets and stems
15- to 16-ounce can diced tomatoes (try fire-roasted)
2 teaspoons good-quality curry powder, more or less to taste
One 16- to 20-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen green peas
.;- cup dark raisins
2 tablespoons unbleached white flour
1 cup rice milk
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Cook the pasta in plenty of steadily boiling water until a/ dente, then drain.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a wide skillet or stir-fry pan. Add the onion and garlic and
saute over medium heal until golden.
Add the cauliflower, tomatoes, and curry powder, plus~ cup water. Bri~g to a ~immer,
then cover and simmer gently for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cauliflower 1s just
lender.
stir in the chickpeas, raisins, and peas.
Dissolve the flour in just enough rice milk to make a smooth paste. Stir into the skillet
with the remaining milk. Cook for 5 minutes longer. or until the liquid has thickened and
everything is well healed.
In a large serving bowl, combine the cooked pasta with the caulifla#er mixture.
Season with salt and pepper and toss together. Serve at once.
Adapted from The Vegetari.Yl Family Cookb:lok by Nava Atlas
1 Why does the author of the recipe say that adding chickpeas to this recipe is a good thing?
2 What group of people does the writer think would be a suitable group of people to try this
recipe out on and why?
3 What types of pasta could be used in this recipe? Give a brief detail about each type you
mention in your answer.
4 How many cooking utensils are needed to make this recipe?
5 According to the recipe, how long should it take to cook this meal?
6 Apart from following the cooking instructions, what else does the recipe suggest that you
should do to complete the meal?
7 Is it important to include garlic: in the meal? How do you knO'N?
8 There are some technical terms used in this recipe. Find out the meanings of the follm\~ng
words and then explain what they mean: florets, unbleached, a/ dente, skillet, saute, simmer,
combine, toss together.
9 What does the writer mean by an 'offbeat combination' in the introduction to the recipe? Why
is it likely to appeal to the people who are going to eat it?
10 Now that you've looked closely at this recipe, do you think that you would find it easy to follow
ornot?Givereasonsforyouranswer.
Here is another piece of informative writingaOOut food. This is not a recipe, however,
but an extract from a website for young teenagers which ofti:rs advice and information
aOOut various JX>PUlar fast foods, including details of which provide the healthiest options.
TI1e extract bdow is concerned simply \vi th providing some background information - it
may also help to explain why one of the most popular pizzas is known as the Margherita!
Read through the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow.
The history of the doughnut

Doughnuts have been around for centuries. Archaeologists found petrified ruins with burned
fried cakes with holes in them. They were found in the Southwestern United States. No one
knO'NS how these Native Americans prepared their doughnut
In the mid-19th century, the Dutch were credited with taking dough balls known as oily
cakes or olykoeks and then frying them in cooking fat The ones who really brought the oily
cakes to America were the pilgrims. The doughnuts were made with apples and raisins in
the centre. There was a problem though, v...tien the oily cakes were pulled from the kettle the
centre was hardly cooked. Inserting a filling that only needed to be warmed was the solution.
That is how the hole appeared in the middle of the doughnut. That is the history of the
doughnut.
The history of the hamburger

The hamburger was invented in New Haven, Connecticut in 1900. Louis Lassen, owner of
Louis' Lunch had a customer who wanted lunch and the customer wanted it in a hurry. So
the cook put the beef patty between two slices of bread. Louis' customers had a choice of
tomatoes, onions, or cheese on the burgers. That is the short history of the burger.

The history of the pizza

The pizza, as
the Italians
called it, was
created in
1889. Queen
Margherita took
an inspection
tour of Italy.
She found that
many people
wereeating
large pieces of
bread. She was
very curious
about this
strange piece of bread that people were eating. She ordered her guards to bring her a piece
of this bread. She absolutely loved ill She went back to her palace and ordered her chef to
make the bread. Her chef Rafaelle made it special with tomato sauce and Mozarella cheese. It
also had basil to represent the colours of the flag: red, wilite, and green. The queen absolutely
loved this special bread and decided to call it pizza. That is the amazing history of the pizza.
Franwww.thi'lk0'.1Jf'lltorg
1 Which of the three items of food mentioned in the text was the first to be invented and which
was the most recent?
2 According to the passage, who were the first people to cook doughnuts?
3 Why were doughnuts originally known as 'oily cakes'?
4 Whatwastheoriginalfillingofadoughnut?
5 Why was it decided to put a hole in the middle of the doughnut?
6 What was the name of the restaurant in which the hamburger was invented?
7 According to the passage why was the hamburger invented?
8 WhichfeatureofthepizzafirstinterestedQueenMargherita?
9 Explain fully the way in which the pizza was made to look like the Italian national flag
10 Whatevidencecanyoufindinthecontentofthispassageandthelanguagethatitusesthat
the website from which it is taken is aimed at younger children?
A useful tip when reading the type of writing that foll~ on page 33 is to as.sume that each new
paragraph deals with an important new point. If you can identify what we call the topic sentence
in each paragraph, you will have found a good 'hook' on which to hang your understanding. For
example, inthethirdparagraphofthepassagetheopeningsentenceisclearlythetopicsentence.
It states the main point of the paragraph and then the following sentences develop this point.
Spotting the topic sentences helps you to keep a tight control over your understanding of a writer'5
argument. Read through the passage and write dow"n the topic sentence of each paragraph. You
should find that this will help you to gain a clear understanding of the writer's main points.
Furth er p ractice in reading factual/informative texts
....................................................................................................
i Man is, pre-eminently, the animal who commnnicates, but until little more i
: than a hnndred years ago his thoughts could travel abroad no more swiftly !
i than the sailing ship or the running horse. ~
: The great change began when lightning itself became a messenger for :
: mankind. At first, the electric telegraph was regarded as a superfluous :
: novelty, but within a single lifetime engineers had spun a cocoon of copper !
: wires around the world. In 1886 was laid the first successful Atlantic cable. :
i From that moment, Europe and America were only seconds, and no longer ~
: days, apart. However, even when the telephone was invented in 1876 it :
: was not possible to speak across the Atlantic; the early submarine cables !
i could carry only telegraph messages. They were too sluggish to respond i
: to the hundredfold-more-rapid vibrations of the human voice. Although a :
: transatlantic telephone service was opened in 1927, it depended entirely on :
: radio, which meant that even at the best of times conversations were liable !
i to fadings and cracklings, and to eerie, Outer Space whistles and wails. i
: The first transatlantic telephone cable went into service in 1956. As a :
: result of the vastly improved service, there was an immediate jump in the !
! number of calls between Europe and America. More cables had to be laid !
i- first across the Atlantic and later across the still wider expanses of the ~
: Pacific. :
: By the dawn of the Space Age, therefore, the problem of inter-continental !
: telephone calls had been solved - but it had been solved so successfully :
i that it had raised yet more problems. The cables could carry only a limited ~
: number of conversations, and it seemed unlikely that they could keep up :
: with the rising demand. Moreover, just as the Victorian cables could not !
: cope with the telephone, so the submarine cables of the 1950s were unable :
i to deal with the latest miracle, television - and for very similar reasons. The ~
: electric signals involved in the transmission of TV pictures were a thousand :
: times too complex to be handled by a cable. A new breakthrough was needed !
i and the satellites provided it in the nick of time. i
~'''""''""'''""'''""''''!'.~:1:.~~!~.~~:';~s. !~~.~~~~;'.~.~~~.:~:.1::~:;~~?.~r0 ~~:.~~.'::!:.50~ 0 ~
The next passage is taken fr om a website aimed at teenagers and is a rep ort of a
recent astro nomical discovery. The questions that follow are intended both to test
yo ur understanding of the facts that it contains and also to hdp yo u to judge how
successful it is in making clear the ideas it contains to its particular audience .
Goldilocks and the 3 planets

Space Scoop: Astronomy News for Kids
'Goldilocks and the Three 667C has at least six plane ts Cool fact: Three really is the
Bears is !he tale of a picky orbiting around it. Of these. magic number fo r Gliese
little girl. G oldilocks doesn't three are sitting snugly in the 667C. Not only does it have
like he r porridge too sweet, Goldilocks Zone! Never before three 'G oldilocks planets
like baby bear, or too salty. like have there been this many orbiting it , but it is also part of
daddy bear. She doesn't like planets where liquid water a three-star system ! If there is
her beds too soft or too hard. can exist orbiting the same any life on one of it s planets,
She likes things in the middle, star. If we can find this many the othe r two sta rs would
like mummy bear: just right. 'G oldilocks' pl anets around appear in it s sky simil ar to the
every star, the n the number of full moon in ours - you can see
For this reason. we call the possibly life-bea ring plane ts them illustrated in this picture
area around a star whe re the in our galaxy is much larger below!
te mperature is 'just righf fo r than we thought. And so is the
water to exist. the 'Goldilocks possibility of finding alien life !
Zone'. ll1ese zones are not too
cold, so that the water freezes,
and not too hot, so that it boils
away. These are just the right
conditions for life to exist,
too! Take a look at this image
below; the blue stripe shows
where the Goldilocks Zone lies
in our Solar System. For hotte r
stars, the ha bit a ble zone lies
furth er from the star. and for
cooler stars, it is closer.
Now. astronome rs have
discovered a record-
breaking planet system in the
neighbourhood of our Sun. This picture is an artist's impression of a newly discovered alien world
A nearby star called 'Gliese orbiting around a star called Gliese 667C.
. .. . =
From!llawe.a-g
.a
w -
The blue stripe in this illustration shows where the Goldilocks Zone lies in
our own Solar System.
1 Whatis a 'solarsystem'?
2 What is meant by the 'Goldikx:ks Zone' ? Explain using your own words as far as possible.
3 Why i5 the temperature band within the 'Goldilocks Zone' of a planet described as being
'just right'?
4 What is the difference between the 'Goldilocks Zone' relating to our sun and that in sol ar
systemswithhotterorcoldersuns?
5 What might be the most important physical feature of planets within the 'Goldilocks Zone ' ?
6 What fact, in particular, makes the solar system of Gliese 667C especially interesting to scient ists?
7 What other excit ing possibility is suggested by the discCNery of the planets in the Gliese 667C
solar system?
8 Why do you think the writer of this art icle refers to the story of Goldikx:ks in the opening
paragraph?
9 How far do you think that the language used in this passage is successful in explaining the
scientific det ail s to the children at whom it is aimed? Can you find examples of words which
might be difficult for them to understand?
10 Do you find the pictures included in the article to be helpful in understanding the content or
not?Givereasonsforyouranswer.
The final passages for this chapter (on pages 35- 38 ) are two more examples of texts
that give information , both of which are concerned with telecommunications. The
first is an extract fro m a user manual for setting up a tele phone answering m achine .
It is, of course, extremely important that instruction manuals of this kind contain
only relevant and precise details as to what sho uld be do ne, but, at the sam e time,
they must cover every point exactly and in an order which can be clearly followed by
the non -expert user. For this reason it is likely that tl1ey will make use of numbered
or bullet points and simple illustrations. There is no place in tl1is type of instructional
writing fo r any other comments on the part o ftl1e writer.
Read through tl1e instructions carefull y and then answer the qu estion that follows .
Setting up your answering machine

Recording the greeting
This answering machine has pre-recorded greetings. However, you can record your rmn
greeting.
llle greeting must be between two seconds and four minutes long.
You can record only one greeting, and ii is used regardless of the answering mode
('normal' and 'announcement only' modes. See 'Selecting the answering mode').
lherefore, if you decicle to change the mode, make sure that you record a new greeting
to match the answering mode .
P~~
2 Piass ( GRET !NG J.
YoucanhearaVoicegu ldealld
alongconf.-mationbeep.
Aflerthe. ro~. , s~rtrecoI

3 Speakabout121nches(30cm}
'"'.
away from the microphone.
4 P111Ss<SET1RECltost~r6COfd ing.
Theanswen ngma<:111ne
automatical yieplaystherecoo:led
greeting .

Notes
If recording did not succeed, you will hear frve short error beeps. Start over the
procedure.
If a call comes in while you are recording a greeting, recording is cancelled. Start over
the procedure.
If you hear frve short error beeps while recording, the recording area may be full. In this
case, erase unnecessary messages.
Tips
If four minutes have passed in step 3, recording stops automatically.
To record the greeting from a touch-tone phone, see 'Operating from an outside
phone'.
Even if a power interruption occurs, your own greeting is not erased.
Pre-recorded greeting
Normal mode: 'Hello, I'm unable to answer your call right now. Please
leave your name, number and message after the tone.'
Announcement only mode: 'Hello, I'm unable to answer your call right now. Please call
again, thank you.'
Tips
If you wish to record your ovm 'announcement only' greeting, follow the above
sequence after setting the AUDIBLE INDICATOR switch to ANN ONLY. otherwise, the
'normal' greeting will be recorded.
You have to change the message each lime you change mode.
To check the greeting

Press GREETING to play back the greeting.
To change the greeting

Record a nr:m greeting. The nr:m greeting replaces the ok:I one.
To erase the greeting

Press ERASE while playing back the greeting.
The answering machine will answer a call with the pre-recorded greetings.
To go back to the factory pre-recorded greeting

Press ERASE while playing back the greeting.
This 'hill bring back the original greeting, but your r:mn greeting is erased.
Imagine that your grandparents have just bought their first answering machine. They are not very
technically-minded and although they have read the instructions, they find some of them rather
confusing. Theyhave,therefore,contactedyou, theirfavourrtegranck:hild, tohelpthemrecordthe
greetingthattheywishtouse
A5 they live some distance away from you, it is imix>rtant that you do not just do this for them
but that you instruct them on how this task should be done in case they need to re-programme
themachineatalaterdate. Onceyouhavereadtheinstructionsforyourself,wrrteadetailed
explanation of what needs to be done, in language that will be understood clearly by your
grandparents. You should not simply copy out the instructions in the original manual.
This final passage is an example of an online guide issued by a government

organisation in the UK, about what to do if your mobile phone is lost or stolen. It
presents its information in a range of formats and provides both information and
advice.
Read the text carefully and then answer the questions that follow.
Lost or stolen phone
"
I
Mobile phones now do so much more than simply make calls that many of us would be
completely lost without them.
Unfortunatelythousandsofphonesdogomissingeachyearandmanyofthesewillhavebeenstolen.
But if your phone does go missing you could be left witha much bigger headache than simply
havingtoreplaceyourhandset.
Notonlyaremanysmartphonesworth hundreds of pounds, butthievescanquicklyrackuphuge
bills on stolen phones.
You maybeliableforallchargesrunuponyourphonebeforeyou havereporteditlostorstolen
to your provider. Thisisusuallysetoutinthetermsandconditionsofyourcontract. Therefore,
it's important you contact yo ur provider as soon as possible to avoid facing high charges as
aresultofunauthoriseduse.
Protecting your phone

You should always treat your phone as carefully as you would your bank or credit cards. Make
sure that you always take care when using your phone in public, and don't let it out of your
possession.
Make sure you put a passcodeon bothyou r handsetandSIMtomakeitmoredifficultforthieves
to use.
There are a number of other steps you can take to keep your mobile safe and prevent against
unintentional use:
Make a record of your phone's IMEI number, as well as the make and model number. The IMEI
is a unique 15-digit serial number which you will need to get the phone blocked. You can
getyourIMEI number by keying #06# into your handset or by Looking behind you r phone
battery.
Consider barring calls to international and premium rate numbers (numbers which offer
services you are charged for through you r monthly phone bill or through credit on your
mobilephone)tolimittheusefulnessofyourphonetothieves.

Some mobile insurance policies may provide some cover for unauthorised use so it is worth
checking the terms and conditions of your existing policy, or when considering a new policy.
There are apps which can trace your phone if it is Lost/stolen and can wipe details from it
remotely-such asfindmyiphoneandfindmyphone for Android.
Register your phone with Immobilise, which isa database containing the details of millions
of mobile phones and other property.
The National Mobile Phone Crime Unit is also a useful source of advice on how you can protect
you rself from becoming a victim of phone crime.
What if your phone is stolen?

Contactyourproviderassoon as possible. It can then bar your SIM to stop calls being made
on your account. Your providercanalsostopanyoneelsefrom using your phone by blocking
its IMEi.
Remember, if you have mobile phone insurance, you may be obliged to Let them know within
a certain time frame too.
To report your phone lost/stolen
Orange 079731001SO(pay-monthly) +4479731001SO(pay-monthly)

07973100450(PAYG) +447973100450(PAYG)
084480902020(pay-monthly)
08448090222(PAYG)
08700700191(pay-monthly) +447836191191(pay-monthly)
08700776655(PAYG) +447836191919(PAYG)
Virgin Mobile
From www.ofcom.org.uk
1 What reason does the passage give for s;iying that we would be lost without our mobile
phones?
2 What two points make the theft of a phone such a serious problem?
l Whatshouldyoudoassoonasyoudiscoverthatyourphoneismissing?
4 What reasons are given in the passage as to why you should do this?
5 What two pieces of advice are given about how to keep your phone safe?
6 If you are the owner of a mobile phone, how else can you find advice about what to do if your
phoneisstolenfromthisarticle?
7 Explain, using your own words, what is meant by 'a unique 15-digit serial number'.
8 Why does the passage tell you to check carefully the details of your insurance policy?
9 Why should you contact
a) thewebsitefindmyphoneand
b) Immobilise?
10 How can you stop anyone else from using your phone?
@..__R_e_a_d_in_g
=--m
_o_r_e_c
_o_m
---'-p_le_x_t_e_x_t_s_
Some questions on the Cambridge IGCSE Second Language English paper will
be based on passages that are a little more complex than those we have already
considered. In this chapter we will be looking at some examples of such passages.
The important thing to keep in mind is that the way you approach reading and
answering the questions on these more complex passages is basically the same as
that described in the previous chapter. In all cases, you should read the passage
and the questions carefitlly and try to gain as complete an overview as you can of
what the writer is saying. With slightly longer passages, it is a good idea to gain an
understanding of the content of each paragraph (or group of related paragraphs)
before moving on to the next. Don 't forget to look for other clues that may help
your understanding, such as picrnres, diagrams, headings, sub-headings and so on.
The most probable reason for a passage to be more complex than those we have
already considered is because it may contain a wider range of ideas. For example,
instead of its being a straightfonvard informative or instructional piece of writing,
it may also contain the writer's own thoughts and opinions and, as a result, be less
straightforward. The type of passages that come under this heading are likely to be
taken from newspaper or magazine articles and you will be able to practise reading
and answering questions on some of these in the pages that follow.
Note-making exercises
For your Cambridge !GCSE Second Language English examination, it is likely that
the questions set on the more complex passages will require you to use them as a
basis for a note-making exercise and, at the Extended level, to follow up on your
note-making by writing a summary of the key points for a particular audience and
purpose.
When you first look at a notemaking task, it may seem to be very easy and not
to require very much work as it is likely that the space allowed for you to make your
notes will be quite small and you will be guided as to what you should write by a
series of bullet points.
However, in order to be successful in attempting this type of task it is important
that you focus your notes very precisely on exactly the requirements of the bullet
points. This means, of course, that you must have a very clear understanding of the
details that the bullet points are directing you towards, which means that you must
read the terms mentioned in the question very carefully.
As well as understanding the requirements of the question, it is also necessary that
you have a full understanding of the passage as a whole. You should then relate this
to the overall purpose of the notes and/or summary that you are writing. By doing
this you should ensure that you direct your response clearly towards the audience for
whom you are writing and that you focus on the precise reasons as to why you are
giving them this information. You may also need to select both fucts and opinions
from the passage - be careful that you don't confuse them; a fact is only a fact ifits
truth can be objectively proved.
So, as you can see, answering this type of question is a little more demanding
tl1an may at first appear and a successful response will require you to use your active
reading skills to the full.
3 READING MORE COMPLEX TEXTS
Rea ding pract ice

The passage that follows is taken from a newspaper article . It is a true account of a
remarkable sea rescu e of a lone sailor. You will see that it contains some graphical
and layout features which are typical of this type of writing . When you practise
reading this article, focu s on trying to get a clear picture of what actually happened
- the sequence of events - as in order to make the article more immediate and
dramatic, the writer has not described the events in a strictly logical sequence.
Remember, this is an opportunity to practise your reading skills - you are not
required to answer any specific questions abo ut the passage so it may help to work
in pairs to gain as clear an understanding of the episode as you can.
'It's a miracle'
The thud of a fist and Briton is saved from cruel seas
Report by Ian Burrell
of the windows had come out.
This caused wat er to be sucked
It was the thud of a fist on Trapped in darkness, with
in and out at a colossal rat e,
the hull of Tony Bullimo re's freezing waters lapping at
causing a kind of Niagara Falls,
overturned yacht that told him his fe et and buffe ted by 60 ft
but upside down.
he was not going to die. waves, he will have known only
too well that he was more than
The British yachtsman had spent
1000 miles fr om the ne arest 'This chap is
four days and four nights in an
air-pocket inside his capsized
land. not an ordinary
yacht, praying that he would be Faced with the danger of being person like you
saved. 1 started shouting, " I'm dragged down with the boat.
coming, I'm coming'" ," he said. most peop le would have been
or me.'
' It took a few seconds to get tempted to try and jump clear. ' I had to find myself a spot as
from one end of the boat to the high up as possible and put ne ts
Mr Bullimo re's sense o f calm,
other. Then I took a few deep around it so !hat I could crawl
developed from years o f solo in the re and lash myself in to
bre aths and I dived out .'
yachting, taught him otherwise. get out o f the water and to get
It was the cu lmination of one of He stayed with the yacht and away fr om eve rything."
the most dramatic sea rescues quickly took stock of the few
of all time. Mr Bullimore had straws available for him to Dr Howard Oakley, o f the
been stranded more than 1500 cling on to. Institute of Naval Medicine,
miles from the Australian coast said keeping a clear head and a
Yeste rday he describe d the sense of order were vital. Once
and 900 miles from Antarctica.
horrific conditions that he had he had decided to stay with the
The key to Tony Bullimo re's
endured. yacht, Mr Bullimore 's priorities
incredible feat of endurance
was an ability to remain calm 'Two-thirds o f the hull fill ed were to activat e the distress
and methodical in his thinking with water. The re was a ho le in be acon transmitte r and to
despite the most appalling the bo11om of the hull, in fa ct e nsure he was ge11ing enough
circumstances. really at the top, whe re one air. Pe rched in a makeshift
hammock, Mr Bullimore was li111.i)lli.! Through four days o f darkness

alone with his thoughts, with and solitude, he depended on
no thing visible to focus on. ll1is The yachtsman said that 'sheer de termination, a little
during the 'horrific, traumatic
is the kind of situation that water, a little chocolate' to
experience' he was 'hanging
makes people mo tion sick. sustain him.
on in the re and believing
Yet the discomfo rt of sea- some thing would happe n and But even Mr Bullimore was at
sickness could not break Mr just fighting.' his endurance limit.
Bullimore's remarka ble spirit.
' I o nly just made it. Because
'This chap is not an ordinary 'It was just o f weathe r conditi ons, I was
person, like you or me; said determination, deterio rating at a reasona ble
a clinical psychologist, Eileen rate; he said . 'When I knew
Kennedy. a little water, th at the rescue was actuall y
'The kind o f person who a little chocolate . going to happen, I fe lt
ecstatic.'
takes part in a solo yacht race hanging on
we lcomes challe nge and risk.' AdaptOOfroman!W"ticiein
in there.' lhe~t.1996
Example question
Before moving on to some practice exercises that yo u can answer yourself, we will
look at an example of a newspaper article and the type of qu estion that could be
asked about it.
Read the question and passage carefull y. As you read through you should also
consider the notes at the side, which suggest ways in which a reader might think
abo ut the passage in order to gain a full understanding of it.
You are about to take part in a class debate in which you are s.peaking against the motion 'The
technological inventions of the last twenty five years have been unquestionably of benefit to all
citizens'. In particular you wish to question the value of using and owning mobile (or cell) phones.
Read the article written by John Naish (on pages 42-43) and use ideas from it to support these
key points in your speech:
1 reasons why people think that we should all have mobile phones
2 reason s infavourofnothavingthem
3 the main points I would use to persuade the audience to agree with me.
Lrefuse to use a mobile

phone and I'm all the
Ohgood;that'S
tierpful . There'S
balUlieJJDI it By John Naish

a heading and it
o;eermtogiYeag.ood My technology obsessed friend ~
1ummaryofthemaif1 Richard rang my landline this week
ideas
to make final arrangements for his
~i~~hl~~r g: :b::~i~~~ ;~:: y~~~
1
t $fl
Nicepicturobutis
ttiereanywaythat
he asked, his voice dripping with 0 """
ltanl1Sllit1Mmt disbelie[ O 0
probably not, hut it 0
mighthelptOCOfflf'j
No, I explained patiently (once o
ttie ovl!fa~ tone of the again), r ve not got a mobile and
it 's not a matter of still ' or 'yet"
lfyoudon'tusea rm not ma king a stand against
mobile,you'retreat!'d progress I simply find lj fe and
asoddand~
oldfashjon!'d-why work gene rally far easjer without
sho!Jldthlsbe?There~ carrying what my 9Cl-something
apointforthefir;t aunt rather quaiptly calls a
bullet here
'port able telephone'.
So, thewriter'la Acgmling to oonvent10nal
journalist, but he
obviously manages to
wisdom as a journalist I should be
do his job soo:l!SSfutly permanently plugged jn to all the
withoutaphorie newest yersioru; of every available communjcations gadget sifting all the latest data
like a good little information drone 24 hours a dax seven days a week.
Thi1isap-0iflt!canuse I djd once own a mgbile It was baci in 1999 All it eyer broyght me was hassle -
lnthe 'against' list
a constant deluge of inte rruption from people calling for information they could
haye found out for themselyes (and would haye done so in pre-mobj]e days) or
to tell me things that I didn't really need to know.
I took the battery out , you should be free of brain, letting it relax,
told the newspaper I stressful work demaQds. think and recove r from
then worked for that the life in the information-
Sometimes, it seems
phone was broken and overloaded 21st century.
as though the re is no
said I would inform the m
escape. But there is. It At these times.. you will
when I'd re turned to the
just requires a bit of self- find me in my garden
airwaves. I never did. or walking in the hills
discipline. I need to be
Since then, ove r the years, near my landline during whe re I live, or riding a
people have developed office hours when I'm bike, or meditating, or
varying responses to my working from home. simply reading a book.
mobile-less state. At first, Or, at least, I need to be I mjght eyeQ be haying
they were condescending near the landline at the a lQng conyersatjon wjth
- why hadn 't I caught times when colleagues or a frje nd in a coffee bar
on yet? fri ends are likely to call. - if they're not checking
Thisreinfoo:esthvlOOa More recently they have I also need to be reliable their sman pbooe.
thatptlooesarevital become disbelieving so there wjll be QO
for people to manaqe In tmth though I am
thB'r lives - inthe
- how on earth do I last-minute excuses or not entirely agaipst
QJJJD!lg<l disappearances from me. hayjng a mobile - but
And I need my interne t Qnly if we could all use
This is ariolher good Io !he years since I
'against' point connection to work so them sensibly and wjth
dumped the mobile the
that I can access emails consideration for others'
Tlmexam~esinthe
yolume of jnterruptjQQ
wben rm at my desk anQ mental space anQ time.
ooxtpari19faphsare that people who do own
good ideas to use
read news websjtes anQ But until we learn to use
Qne have experienced
formyargumefltin journalsonline. these toys responsibly
bullet 3
has become ever greater.
It has rapidly taken up all However, during my the persQnal stress anQ
the hours of the day that mobile-free time, when pressure are just too hi gh
were once conside red I am off the electronic apriceformetopay.
personal tjme wheQ radar, I look after my Franth9~~.4Fetnay2013
Again (pgnultimate pMagrapll). two morn good points to use - tho sec:oml onv can be ~oped to mal:e the point
abouthowu1ingph(me1canberudeand11J11i-0Cial
The last paragraph sums up the wholv argument agairist - mobiles are only u'>llful if the IM?fl are in control of lhl'm
and oot sl<tY"5 to the phone I Mcbilvphono users must learn tocon5lclQfo!Nfpeopl11"sfevlings andpenonallrlledom.
dl!S?lethemaroybeoefitsthatthes.ephooe'ir.anoffur
Exe rcise 1
Here is another article taken from a newspaper. It differs from the previous passage
in that it is mainly concerned with conveying newsworthy information rather than
the writer's own opinions and attitudes.
Read through the article 'Women footballers bring new life to the beautiful
game and score with Twitter' carefully and then complete the following task.
0 ~~laan~a~~~~ ~~:~~t~=~~~~~ {~~~ ::~~~~;~:~~~te~::Yg~~~ ::'~e:~~e:;~~;n~~~

this they need to be convinced that there will be sufficient interest in the >part to make it
worthwhile doing so.
You have been asked to produce a report for the authorities in which you give reasons as to why
agirls'footballleaguewouldbesuccessfulinyourarea.
Make notes for your report, based on Tracy McVeigh's article, under the following headings:
evidence of the increased popularity of women's football
how the social media have contributed to this
the differences in attitudes of the public to men's and women's football
why setting up a girls' football league would benefit your community.
Women footballers bring

new life to the beautiful
game and score with Twitter
Tracy McVeigh
After years of feeling underrated and overlooked by mainstream football pundits and press,
women's football is coming into its own this season thanks to social media.
New research shows that the women's version of the game is now the third biggest team sport
in the UK in terms of participation, behind only men's football and cricket.
Its previous Lack of recognition is being overcome by fans turning to social networking to
follow the sport. The second ever season of the Football Association's Women's Super League
(WSL) kicks off on Sunday, and eight of England's top female footballers, one from each of
the top clubs, will take the unprecedented step of wearing their success on their sleeve by
displaying their Twitter account names on their kit.
The new semi-professional league, the top tier of women's football, was Launched by the FA Last
year as a platform to drive forward the women's game and the association claims that it will be
spending 3m on promotion in thefirstthreeyearsofthe league.
SincetheWSLLaunched,attendanceshaveincreased by more than 600,-o;viewingfiguresoflive
broadcast matches, at 450000, are on a par with those of the men's Scottish Premier League,
and the social media channels now attract more than 80000 followers. It has transformed the
player-fan relationship by making it a fully interactive league. Research commissioned for the
FA by Sport England Active People ahead of the 2012 season shows that the low profile of
women's football is what is driving fans to Twitter and Facebookfornews. Fansareuptoseven
timesasinteractiveasthoseofthe men's game.
Note~making exercises
The Fifa women's world cup was the most tweeted-about event in the world in July 2011 with
7196 tweets per second at its peak. It remains seventh in the list of the most tweets per
second,abovetheUefaChampionsLeaguein 11th position.
But the findings show that while there are 12 times as many news articles with mentions of
women's football per month, relative to the number of people who attend matches, men's
footballreceivesthreetimesas many headlines, relative to the number of fans who attend.
1t is understandable in a way; said England international and Arsenal Ladies midfielderSteph
Houghton. 'It's difficult because the men's game is so big and attracts so much money and
sponsorship and so it's always going to take priority:
'But with digital media we can really forge ahead. We don't need to struggle to get a few Lines
in a newspaper, we can do it for ourselves; fans can interact with players and find out about
fixtures and get really involved on match days-even if they are not at the game themselves:
Houghton, 23, has been selected as the FA WSL digital ambassador for Arsenal Ladies this
season. Each club in the league will pick one player who willweartheirTwitteraddress.
'Twitter and Facebookhave helped us massively, it'sjusttransformedthingsoverthe past year;
Houghton said.1t's really progressing the game. Our attendance figures have increased a lot.
We're doing a Lot of work in schools getting girls to play football breaking down any taboos
there might be, and we're seeing them get interested, and bring their families along where they
have such a good match day experience that they're coming back:
1 think that what's happening is that girls are enjoying playing. It's a lot more acceptable
and now we have a Women's Super League with hugely dedicated female role models - really
committed players who people can see are dedicated and training as hard if not harder than
any male players - that's all progressing the sport. And with social media there's no holding
women's football back:
From the Cbs61'V6f, 7 /l{:>ril 2012
Exe rcise 2
Read carefully the following article, which describes the experience of a diver
viewing the wreck of the Titanic as it rests on the seabed, then complete the
following task.
Imagine that you are the writer of the article. You have been invited to a local school to give a talk
about your experience of discovering the Titanic. Make notes for your talk in which you include
the appearance of the wreck of the Titank

your thoughts and feelings as you explored it
your views as to whether it should be brought to the surface or left where it is .
....................................................................................................
~ Our second view of the Titanic was breathtaking. As we glided across the ~
: bottom, out of the darkness loomed the vertical knife-edge of the bow - the :
~ great ship towered above us and suddenly it seemed to be coming right at ~
: us, about to run our little submarine down. Gently we brought the sub closer :
! until we could see the bow more clearly. It was buried more than sixty feet !
: in bottom mud. Both anchors still hung in place. !
~ Rivers of rust covered the side of the ship, some of it running the full length ~
! of the exposed vertical hull plating and pouring out over the bottom sediment !
: where it formed great ponds as much as thirty to forty feet across. The blood of !
! the great ship lay in pools on the ocean floor. Then, as we rose in slow motion :
~ up the ghostly wall of the port bow, our running lights reflected off the still ~
: unbroken glass of the portholes in a way that made me think of eyes gleam- :
! ing in the dark. In places, the rust about them formed eyelashes, sometimes :
: tears: as though the Titanic were weeping over her fate. Near the upper rail- :
! ing - still largely intact - reddish-brmvn stalactites of rust, the result of rust- :
~ eating bacteria, hung down as much as several feet, looking like long icicles. ~
~ These rust features turned out to be very fragile. If touched by 'Alvin' (that ~
~-~-~~-~~~..~~~.~~-~.~~~~.~-~.~.~~l:..~~-~~~~-~~.~~..~:..~~-~ .~~~~t~-~?.1..~~~.~~-~
....................................................................................................
l Olli' propellers, they disappeared in a cloud of smoke. And once the foamy l
i crust had been knocked away, the steel beneath appeared almost perfectly !
preserved, only slightly pitted. ~
Carefully I counted the portholes aft from the anchor to locate the position !
where the ship's name should be, but I could see nothing. !
Alvin rose farther, cleared the railing forward of No. 1 hatch, and we !
manoeuvred in over the Titanic's mighty forward deck. All at once I was !
forcibly struck by the sheer size of everything: giant bollards, the huge links ~
of the anchor chains, and even bigger shiny bronze-topped capstans. Until !
now the ship for me had been somehow ghostly, distant , incorporeal. Now !
it was very close, very real. ~
I strained to get a look at the deck's wooden planking just foll' feet !
below us. Then my heart dropped. Gone was any hope of finding much !
Titanic woodwork intact, her beauty unblemished by the years. Except for !
a few fragments here and there, the wood was replaced by thousands upon !
l thousands of small, white, hollow calcareous tubes one or two inches in ~
: length - the protective home of wood-boring molluscs. !
l I began to wonder whether the metal sub-deck would support us when !
l Alvin made her first landing. ~
!.......................................~~:.~~:.~:~.o.-:::.~:~~~.::t~0n0i~~-~:~~~-~:~'.:'.~.~:'.::::.g.g.:.!
Furth er pract ice exercises
The passages that follow are both written to give advice to tourists. The first is taken
from an online guide to Norway and contains information about the weather and
climate of the country. The information it contains is mainly fuctual and it is written
in an appropriate impersonal or objective tone.
This passage also makes use of a graphical element; being able to show an
understanding of how such features support the written content is a requirement of
some questions in your Cambridge IGCSE Second Language English examination.
The next two passages (on pages 50-52 ) were written by visitors to the Efteling
children's theme park in the N etherlands. They both describe the visitor's
experiences at the park and also give advice and information to other families who
may be considering visiting there in future.
When attempting to explain the function of the graphical fean1res (such as a
table or a graph ) it is important that you keep clearly in mind both the purpose
of the passage you are reading and the type of graphic that is supporting it. For
example, the passage about weather in Norway, which is giving factual information
to the readers, contains a map of the country and a table showing average daily
temperatures for diffe rent towns on the map at different times of the year. It
therefore clearly supports the information that has been written in the earlier part of
the article and provides a summary of it which the reader can take in at a glance.
The Efteling articles are supported by photographs of two of the features that
can be found in the park. You should consider whether the photographs are there
simply to make the article as a whole more attractive in its appearance on the page,
or whether they add to the content of the passage by providing information in a way
which is difficult to convey in words.
Read the passages carefully and then answer the questions that follow.
Seasons, weather and climate in Norway

Because of the Gulf Stream, Norway
has a friendlier climate than the
latitude indicates. Check our
weather report before you travel.
Weather forecast
Norway shares the same latitude as
Alaska, Greenland and Siberia, but
compared to these areas N01Way has a
pleasant climate.
Summer
Late June to early August is when
the weather is warmest and the days
are long and bright. Temperatures in
July and August can reach 25 C-30 C.
Al the same lime there is hardly any
humidity in the air.
Sea temperatures can reach 18 C
and higher, making swimming a popular
pastime.
The warmest and most stable weather usually occurs on the eastern side of the
southern mountains, including the south coast between Manda! and Oslo.
However, the summer weather can be wet and changeable, especially in Fjord
Norway, Central and Northern Norway.
Autumn
In the autumn the temperature drops slowly through September, making for good berry
and mushroom picking weather.
During autumn the land areas lose more heat than the sea, and eventually the coastal
areas have the highest temperatures. In September the outer part of the Oslofprd usually
has the highest temperatures. Later in the autumn, the warmest areas are usually found
on the coast of Rogaland and Hordaland.
Winter
In winter much of Norway is usually transformed into a snow-clad paradise.
The lower inland areas, both in the southern and northern parts of Norway, can have
very low mean temperatures in w inter. Temperatures can reach below -40 C in the inner
areas of Finnmark, Trams, Central Norway and Eastern Norway, even if this does not
happen each winter.
By contrast. the coastal areas have comparatively mild winters. HONSVer, gales, rain
and clouds can be frequent and heavy.
Spring
May to mid-June is when the scenery in Norway is at its most spectacular, with trees
and flowers waking to life, SOON in the mountains and melt water swelling the watertalls.
Spring is the season when the temperature differences between the southern and
northern part of the country are largest. This is also the lime of year when daytime and
night-time temperatures differ the most.
In early spring the coast of Western Norway usually has the highest mean
temperatures, but in May the highest temperatures are usually found in the southern part
of Eastern and Southern Norway.
The weather in spring can be very varied. There may be days when it is cold enough
to snow, and days when it is warm enough to sit outside in the sunshine. Spring months
can also be very windy.
Remember that the weather and temperatures can change quickly, especially in the
mountains. So whether summer or winter, autumn or spring - prepare yoursett for the
wilderness and bring good footwear and warm clothes.
Average daytime temperatures
From www.visitnorway.com
Imagine that you work for the Norwegian Tourist Board. You have received letters from two groups
of people who are planning to visit your country. Both are asking for your advice as to when they
should visit and which parts of the country would best suit their particular requirements.
Make notes for your replies to each group, as indicated below.
Group 1
This group consists of members of an outdoor activities club, based in Russia. They are very
interested in skiing, walking in the mountains and related activities. You should give them
information about:
the best time(s) of year to make their visit
the most suitable towns and areas of the country for them to visit
the activities that they could take part in and any other information that might be of
interest to them.
Group 2
This group consists of a family from Argentina who wish to visit Norway for a three-week holiday.
Thefamilyisinterestedinseeingasmuchofthecountryastheycaninthetimeavailableand
consists of six people: mother, father, two teenage children and two grandparents, who are in their
sixties but are both fit and active. You should give them information about:
the best time(s) of year to make their visit
the most suitable towns and areas of the country for them to visit
the activities that they could take part in and any other information that might be of
interest to them.
The two passages that follow describe visits made by families to Eftding Theme Park
in the Netherlands. The first passage was written in 2013 and describes a visit made
in the summer. The second passage was written several years earlier and describes a
visit made in the \vinter. Read both passages carefully and then answer the question
that follows.
V1s1t to Eftel1ng Theme Park
The Fairy Tale troo
One of our fun-filled outings as a family with young kids has been to Efteling Theme Park,
in the Netherlands. Efteling is one of the oldest theme parks in the world (rumour has it
that the Disney Parks have been inspired by Efteling). It is a fantasy-based theme park and
all rides and attractions are based on popular fairy tales, folklores, myths and legends. As
you enter the parking lot the building with its pointed cones beckons you with promises
and treats galore. Once you get inside, both children and adults are transported to a totally
charming landoffairy-talecharactersand interesting rides.
The park is based aver an area of 160 acres (about 0.6km2) and spread aver a natural
forest area with pine trees and many ponds and gardens which have been all used scenically
to create an old world chann making it very different from a modem theme park. \Miat I also
want to say is there is a fair bit of walking to do. One can take prams for little ones or can
even rent some push-cars for the older ones. You can also take a steam train from a quaint
station which takes you around the park and its attractions.
Efteling started in 1952 as a theme park for children and then kept adding further features
to become a park targeted at both adults and children. The entire park can be divided
into 4 realms broadly speaking - Fairy, Travel, Adventure and Other Realm (names make
more sense in Dutch, but presenting the English translations here) - based on the type of
attractions.
If you go with young ones, you are most likely to do the Fairy Realm in detail, which is
what we did in the half day we had there. Wander into the Fairy Tale Forest and encounter
fairy-tale characters - Rapunzel lowering her hair, the dancing red shoes, the houses of
Rumpelstiltskin, Snow White and the seven dwarfs, the Frog Kin& Sleeping Beauty, Long-.
Neck, etc. Most of these are houses which show the characters with all the props and the
attention to detail is really commendable. The most compelling of the lot was the Fairy Tale
Tree (Sprooltjesboom).lhe tree tells all those gathered around it fairy tales and you can
almost believe it's true as you see it moving its jaws. There are also these waste paper bins
called Holle Balle Gijs, based on the story of a very hungry boy, who keeps saying 'Paper
here, paper here', basically meaning don't litter.
Utter bin
A must-see is Efteling Museum which also tells us about the history of the Park, a pity most
of it is in Dutch. My personal favorite was the Diorama - a 30 miniature model of raitways,
houses, lives of the fairy-tale people. I also loved Villa Volta - a madhouse where you
experience bizarre things. Raveleijn is a live animation show, based on a fantasy book for
young children. There is a Steam carousel which is popular, too.
I would say that it's impossible to do the entire park in one day, or half a day. There is an
option to stay in the park in a hotel or outside in other hotels in KaastheLNel, which gives you
an option of starting early and exploring more. There are many options for food - also for
vegetarians. If you are ever in the Netherlands or Belgium, do plan to visit this park.
Adap!edfromlndi<rlMomsC'.onooct,2Jarooory2013
Cheesy ... but charming

by Sheryl Garratt
Soon after arriving at the Dutch theme park, Eftelin& we were in a boat on a man-made
waterway which is what you'd expect of a trip to Holland. Apart from the camels and the
crocodiles ...
An hour later, we were floating again, this time in the air in open-fronted cable cars. The
fairytale scenes before us on the Dream Flight were cheesy but charming, and beautifully
done: the smells and temperature changed as we moved from one set to another; fairies
perched in trees in a rainy wood full of goblins and trolls. My five-year-old son's favourite spot
was the Fairytale Fores~ featuring low-tech tableaux from various fairy stories.
These state-of-the-art rides are recent additions to a fairy tale-themed park that is almost
50 years old, set in the Brabant region near the Belgian border. Efteling's mature woods
make it less artificial than most theme parks, with clever details like talking litter bins to
keep little minds occupied and little legs walking. It's a great place to blow away the winter
cobwebs.
We stayed in the Efteling Hotel, well suited for diildren. It has a generous play area with
actors dressed as fairies and trolls. The family rooms were large and comfortable and the
hotel has its own entrance to the park, allowing guests to get to some of the more popular
rides before queues build up.
This is only the second year the park has opened during the winter months, as Winter'
Efteling. Although the majority of the rollercoasters and white-knuckle rides are dosed, and
can be seen only from the carriages of a steam train which diugs around the park, there is
plenty added on to compensate. There's a huge indoor skating rink, where small children
glide along holding on to chairs and parents can have hot drinks in the 'apres-ski' cafe. An
indoor winter wonderland playground provides huge inflatables, snowball-throwing stalls and
a snow slide that children can hurtle down on tyres.
On the crisp, clear winter days we were there, we were warmed up by frequent visits
to reasonably priced stalls selling hot chocolate and delicious hot snacks (from doughnuts
to French fries with mayonnaise) . However, there is plenty to do undercover including the
stomach-churning Bird Rok, an indoor rollercoaster, so even rain wouldn't have dampened
our spirits. We spent more than an hour in a building housing a glorious 150-year-old steam
carousel, an ornate miniature railway, a theatre where fountains danced to music and several
refreshment areas.
Adaptedl!001thea'JsQ'V9'",25NoYom00r2001
You have been asked by the Publicity Department of Efteling Theme Park to produce a pamphlet
aimed at families living outside of the Netherlands to encourage them to visit and to spend at least
onedayatthepark
Using the two passages on pages 50- 52, make notes of what your article will conta in. You
should include the follmving informat ion:
a brief summary of the history of the park and an overall description of its main attract ions
the features of the park that would be of interest to different members of a !amity- (for example
adults, young children, teenagers)
details of what the park has to offer at different times of the year and informat ion about
accommodation near the park.
Information transfer
One of the tasks you will be required to do for your Cambridge !GCSE Second
Language English examination is to read a piece of informative writing and then, to
show that you have fully understood what it says, use the information contained in it
to fill in a form designed for a specific purpose. This procedure is technically known
as information transfer, as you are selecting information from one article and then
adapting it to suit the requirements of a different form of writing.
Form-filling is likely to become an important part of your life as you grow older.
Many adults find it an annoying and confusing procedure and claim that it is one
of the things that they most hate doing. However, form-filling is not something
that you can avoid and if you approach it with the same care and concentration as
any other reading comprehension task you should soon discover that it is not as
daunting a process as you mig11t at first think.
The following points should be kept in mind when completing a form-filling exeocise.
It is essential that you read the questions on the form very carefully and ensure
that you give the precise details required to answer them. Remember, in real life,
the person who reads your form will have a great many others to read as well, most
probably in a very short period of time. It is, therefore, very important that you
provide the information required clearly, accurately and concisely. After all, one of
the main reasons for filling in a form is as the first stage in an application for a job or
for a place at a college or university - you don't want your future career prospects to
be spoilt by your form being rejected as it has been incorrectly completed.
Remember that you are expected to select details from whatever information
you are using to answer precisely tl1e questions on the form and that the person
reading the form will be expecting answers to those questions and notl1ing else.
For example, in an examination question, not all information contained in tl1e
scenario tl1at is given to you is likely to be needed to complete the form. Always
keep in mind tl1e purpose for which tl1e form is to be used and the role of the
person (the audience) who will be reading it.
Follow the instructions of tl1e form exactly: if you are told to indicate an option
by circling the correct one, then make sure that you obey this requirement. In an
examination form-filling exercise, it is quite likely tl1at failure to do so (for example
by crossing out an incorrect option rather than circling the correct one) could
mean tl1at you are denied a mark tl1at you could very easily have gained with a little
more care. Similarly, if you are told to fill in a date in tl1e Day Month Year order,
ensure that you do this and not in any other format such as Month Day Year.
A form-filling exercise may well require you to write one or two sentences at tl1e
end oftl1e form to elaborate on the information you have given. This sentence
will be marked for writing and you will lose marks if your sentence structure,
spelling and punctuation contain errors, as well as ifthe information tl1at you give
is incorrect or incomplete.
Remember, if a signature is required on tl1e form it should be recognisably tl1e
same name as tl1at oftl1e person who is filling out the form. When under pressure
of answering an exam question, it is very easy to sign your own name instead of
that given in the task on the question paper!
Finally, remember tl1at forms are intended to provide information in such a
way that it can easily and quickly be understood by the person reading it. It is
important that you fill in tl1e information neatly and legibly and make sure you
use capital letters for sections of the form, if you are instructed to do so.
Exerci se 1: Jo b appl icati o n

Read the information below and then use it to answer the question that follows .
....................................................................................................
~ Maria Amaya is 16 years old. She lives at 37 .. !
: Calle Ardiles in Buenos Aires. She has just l
! completed her Cambridge IGCSE examinations l
l and is looking for a temporary job for 6 weeks l
: during her summer vacation. She hopes to l
: gain good grades in her examinations and is l
! planning to return to school to study maths l
~ and sciences in the 6th Form, and then to go ~ !
: to university with the intention of reading for 1l
! a degree in physics. l
~ w~a~~a': ~~1:~al~~tnsf~:s a ~~~~~:~~r~\~~;~~
0
Il
! per; her mother, Constanza, a part-time teacher of English in a secondary l
! school; a brother, Diego, aged 14, and a sister, Julietta, aged 6. Maria is an l
: active sportsperson and is particularly keen on tennis, at which she has l
! represented her school and local area. She also helps to coach the Under l
! 12s at her tennis club. She is also a strong swimmer and holds advanced :
: life-saving certificates. Apart from sporting activities, she is very keen on l
! travelling to other countries and is a member of an outdoor activities youth l
!....................................................................................................!
group. She speaks English fluently.
While browsing the web looking for job possibilities, Maria saw the following
advertisement.
Wanted: active and

responsible young people
Aztec Holidays is looking for enthusiastic and hard-working young people to spend the summer
working in their Children's Club in Cancun in the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico. The work will
involvelookingafterchildren(aged5-12years)ofguestsattheresortandorganisingactivities
for them, using the facilities of the camp. There will be two 3-hour sessions each day, morning
and afternoon. No formal qualifications are required as full training will be given before you
commence work. Our club is run to the highest standards and we expect those who work there to
be fully committed to protecting and entertaining the children for whom they are responsible.
Accommodation and all meals will be provided at the resort free of charge and weekly pocket
money will be paid to all employees.
If you are active, imaginative, responsible, enjoy working with children and would like to be
part of our friendly team, complete the form below and return online without delay.
Maria decides this is exactly the job she has been looking for.
Imagine that you are Maria. Using the information on page 54, copy and complete the form
printed below.
Aztec Holidays Canc un: Em ployee Application Form

Position applied for....
Applicant name ...
Address ...
Telephone contact number/email address ...
Age on January 1st...

Dates available to work ...
Name{s} of next of kin/contact numbers (1n case of emergencies) ...
Educational qualifications...
Sporting interests ...
Languages spoken ...
Experience of working with children ...
In the space below, write two sen tences. In one state why you consider that you are
suitable for the position you have applied for and in the second sentence say what you
can offer Aztec Holidays.
Exerci se 2: Backst age t o ur

....................................................................................................
~ You are the Social Secretary of 'Outlook Youth' , a youth group in your local !
: area. One of your responsibilities is to arrange a variety of outings for the l
~ group members during the school holiday periods. Members of the group !
: are aged 14-18 and comprise both girls and boys. During the last two years ;
! you have taken part in visits to historical buildings, a theme park and a l
! zoo. Now, however, your members are interested in trying something a little l
~ more ambitious and it has been suggested that you arrange a visit to a large !
! theatre in the capital city of your country in order both to watch a perfor- ;
: mance and to take a guided tour of the backstage area. l
~ The theatre offers tailor-made tours to suit particular interests and this is !
: what particularly appeals about this activity. They also offer to arrange over- ;
! night accommodation for visitors at a suitable hotel or hostel. As you will be ;
! travelling to the city by train and it will not be convenient to return on the l
~ same day as the visit, you would wish to make use of this offer. In total, 21 !
! members of your group (including you) wish to take part in the visit (9 girls ;
: and 12 boys) ; the yonngest is 14 and the oldest is 17. Three members of the ;
L~~~..~i;:.~.:~:::~'.~~~.~~~.~~:.~~.:~~~:~.:~.:.~~::~:?.:~~: .......................i
The leaflet that follows gives general information abou t what is available as part of
the theatre tour and is followed by a task for yo u to complete.
Behind the Scenes

Backstage Tours
The theatre is a working building, producing around 20 new productions every year. Play
rehearsals, propconstructionandcostumemaking all happen on-site. Notwotoursareeverthe
same, so come and see what's happening behind the scenes today.
Tours run upto6timesa day Monday to Friday, twice on Saturday and once on a Sunday.
Times
Monday-Friday: 10.15a.m., 10.30a.m., 12.15p.m., 12.30p.m., 5.15p.m., 5.30p.m.
Saturday: 10.30a.m. and 12.15p.m.
Sunday: 12.30p.m. (on days when the building is open)
Each tour Lasts about lhr 15mins. As the theatre is a working building, please note that
starting times for Backstage Tours may vary and booking is advised.
Visitunseenandbackstageareas.
Handle props from previous productions.
Tryout some costumes.
Costume tours
Selected weekdays, 10a.m.
Seethe craft and skillofthetheatre'scostumeteam, including the cutting room, dye shop and
wig room. Eachcostumetourlastsapproximately2hrs.
In addition
Lunchand/orteacanbearrangedinthetheatrerestaurantaspartofthetour(atanadditional
cost per person).
Ifyouwishthetheatretoarrangeovernightbedandbreakfastaccommodationatanearbyhotel
or hostel for the night of your visit, please providedetailsofnumberofroomsrequired, etc.
Sped ally tailored backstage tours can be arranged bath for individuals and groups up ta 25 people.
Prices are dependent on the nature of the tour required and a quote for the cast will be provided
onreceiptoftheapplicationform.
Usethe informatiooaboutyourgroupand theBackstageTourstocopyandcompletethefollowing form

asaccuratelyas youcan,inordertobookthepreci5erequirementsneededforyourgroupto attendatour.
Behind the Scenes Tours: Booking Form

Name of organisation .. .
Contact narnelposition .. .
Address for communications ...
Telephone contact number/email address ...
Requested data/lime of visit. ..
Number in party/age range of party....
Do you wish to book a tailor-made tour?' Y/N

If YES, please indicate particular requirements in the spaces below:
Content of tour
Meals/refreshments requested
overnight accommodation?' YIN

In order for us to find the most suitable accommodation for your party, please indicate
maximum price per person per night...
My other requ irements (e.g. dietary, access arrangements, etc.)...
In the space below, write two sentences giving brief details about your party and what
you most want to gain from your visit. You should write between 12-20 words for each
sentence.
Pfease indicate by circling either Y or N

Exercises based on passages of imaginative writing
Exercises based on passages of

imaginative writing
So far, nearly all the passages we have considered have been of non-fiction writing,
aimed at providing information. To conclude this chapter, we will now consider two
exercises based on extracts from longer works of fiction.
In order to answer the questions that have been set on these you should follow
exactly the same approach as for the non-fiction passages. That is, you should read
the passage carefully and try to gain as clear an overview as you can of its content.
Next, make sure that you read and think about the questions and decide exactly
what t11ey are testing. As these are examples of imaginative writing, t11e questions
will focus not just on details of what happened in t11e story and what people did,
but are also likely to require you to give your thoughts and opinions about the
behaviour and personalities of the characters in t11e story, and so OIL
The first passage is an extract from t11e famous advennlfe story Treasure Island,
written by Robert Louis Stevenson. The story tells of the advenmres of a young boy,
Jim H awkins, and his adult companions as t11ey go to the Caribbean to search for
t11e legendary treasure of the pirate Captain Flint. At this stage in t11e story, Jim is
t11e prisoner of another group of pirates, led by t11e villainous, one-legged Long John
Silver, and the passage tells of the moment when they have finally discovered the
hiding place of the treasure. (The passage has been slightly adapted from the original.)
Read the passage carefiilly and answer the questions that follow .
....................................................................................................
i It was fine open walking here, upon the summit; our way lay a little down- i
' hill, for, as I have said, the plateau tilted towards the west. The pine trees, !
great and small , grew wide apart; and even between the clumps of nutmeg i
and azalea, wide open spaces baked in the hot sunshine. Striking, as we did, !
pretty near north-west across the island, we drew, on the one hand, ever !
nearer under the shoulders of the Spy-glass Hill, and on the other, looked !
: The first of the tall trees was reached, and by the bearings proved the wrong !
i one. So with the second. The third rose nearly two hundred feet into the air i
; above a clump of nnderwood - a giant of a vegetable, with a red column as !
!............................................................................................!':!':..!
....................................................................................................
; big as a cottage , and a wide shadow aronnd in which a company could have ;
! manoeuvred. It was conspicuous far to sea both on the east and west and !
; might have been entered as a sailing mark upon the chart. ~
! But it was not its size that now impressed my companions; it was the :
! knowledge that seven hnndred thousand ponnds in gold lay somewhere !
! buried below its spreading shadow. The thought of the money, as they drew !
~ nearer, swallowed up their previous terrors. Their eyes burned in their ~
! heads; their feet grew speedier and lighter; their whole soul was bonnd up :
! in that fortune , the thoughts of the lifetime of extravagance and pleasure, !
! that lay waiting there for each of them. :
; Silver hobbled , grnnting, on his crutch; his nostrils stood out and ~
! quivered ; he cursed like a madman when the flies settled on his hot and :
! shiny countenance; he plucked furiously at the line that held me to him :
! and from time to time turned his eyes upon me with a deadly look. Certainly !
~ he took no pains to hide his thoughts, and certainly I read them like print. ~
: In the immediate nearness of the gold , all else had been forgotten ; I could :
! not doubt that he hoped to seize upon the treasure, find and board the :
: HISPANIOLA nnder cover of night, cut every honest throat about that island, :
! and sail away as he had at first intended, laden with crimes and riches. !
i Shaken as I was with these alarms, it was hard for me to keep up with i
: the rapid pace of the treasure-hnnters. Now and again I stumbled, and it ?
! was then that Silver plucked so roughly at the rope and launched at me his :
! murderous glances. Dick, who had dropped behind us and now brought up :
; the rear, was babbling to himself both prayers and curses as his fever kept ;
! rising. This also added to my wretchedness, and to crown all, I was haunted !
! by the thought of the tragedy that had once been acted on that plateau, when !
! that ungodly buccaneer, Captain Flint, had there, with his own hand, cut !
i down his six accomplices. This grove that was now so peaceful must then ~
! have rung with cries, I thought; and even with the thought I could believe I !
! heard it ringing stUI. !
! We were now at the margin of the thicket. !
i The foremost of the pirates broke into a run. ~
! And suddenly, not ten yards further, we beheld them stop. A low cry !
! arose. Silver doubled his pace , digging away with the foot of his crutch like !
! one possessed ; and next moment he and I had come also to a dead halt. !
~ Before us was a great excavation, not very recent, for the sides had fallen ;
! in and grass had sprouted on the bottom. In this were the shaft of a pick :
! broken in two and the boards of several packing-cases strewn around. On !
! one of these boards I saw, branded with a hot iron, the name WALRUS - the !
i name of Flint's ship. ~
! All was clear to probation. The treasure store had been found and rilled; :
~ the seven hnndred thousand pounds were gone! ~
~ """"""""-~~: ~:.u.n:.~,~~~.~~:. ~:.':'~.~:~~:~.!~~~~::.~ ~

Exercises based on passages of imaginative writing
1 What feature of the landscape, mentioned in the first two paragraphs, marks where the
treasure is buried?
2 Which one word used in the first paragraph tells you that the weather conditions on the island
were very hot?
3 Why does the writer say that the third tree might have acted as 'a sailing mark on a chart'?
4 Describe in your own words the behaviour of the pirates as they approached to where the
treasurewasburied(paragraph3).
5 Give the two words used by the writer in paragraph 3 which state how the pirates hoped to
spendtheirlivesaftertheyhadfoundthetreasure.
6 What is the name of the ship on whic:h Long John Silver and the other pirates had travelled?
7 What did Jim Hawkins, the narrator, think that Silver intended to do once they had found the
treasure?
8 What caused Jim to stumble as the pirates raced tmvards the treasure? You should try to
identifytworeasonsforthis.
9 By referring closely to paragraph 5, explain, using your own words, what would seem to have
happenedwhenCaptainFlintandhismenburiedthetreasure.
10 Whatpiece ofevidencetoldthepiratesthattheywereintherightplac:etofindthetreasure?
Whatdidtheyfindandwhathadhappenedtothetreasure?
The second passage is taken from the opening chapter of Pollyanna, written by
Eleanor H . Porter, and tells of the preparations for the arrival of an oiphaned girl,
Pollyanna Whittier, at the house of her stern Aunt Polly, who is to be her guardian.
Read the passage carefiilly and answer the question that follows .
....................................................................................................
! Miss Polly Harrington entered her kitchen a little hurriedly this Jnne !
l morning. Miss Polly did not usually make hurried movements; she specially :
! prided herself on her repose of manner. But to-day she was hurrying - !
; actually hurrying. :
l Nancy, washing dishes at the sink, looked up in surprise. Nancy had been :
l working in Miss Polly's kitchen only two months, but already she knew that l
! her mistress did not usually hurry. !
: 'Nancy!' :
! 'Yes, ma'am,' Nancy answered cheerfully, but she still continued wiping !
l the pitcher in her hand. l
! 'Nancy,' - Miss Polly's voice was very stern now - 'when I'm talking to !
: you, I wish you to stop your work and listen to what I have to say.' ;
Nancy flushed miserably. She set the pitcher down at once, with the :
cloth still about it, thereby nearly tipping it over -which did not add to her l
composure. !
'Yes, ma'am; I will, ma'am,' she stammered, righting the pitcher, and turn- ;
ing hastily. 'I was only keepin' on with my work 'cause you specially told :
me this mornin' ter hurry with my dishes, ye know.' l
Her mistress frowned. !
'That will do, Nancy. I did not ask for explanations. I asked for your ;
attention.' :
'Yes, ma'am,' Nancy stifled a sigh. She was wondering if ever in any way !
she could please this woman. Nancy had never 'worked out' before; but a :
: sick mother suddenly widowed and left with three younger children besides !
1............................................................................................!':!':.J

....................................................................................................
; Nancy herself, had forced the girl into doing something toward their ;
! support, and she had been so pleased when she found a place in the kitchen !
; of the great house on the hill-Nancy had come from 'The Corners', six miles ~
! away, and she knew Miss Polly Harrington only as the mistress of the old :
! Harrington homestead, and one of the wealthiest residents of the town. That :
: was two months before. She knew Miss Polly now as a stern, severe-faced :
! woman who frowned ifa knife clattered to the floor, or ifa door banged- but :
~ who never thought to smile even when knives and doors were still. ~
: 'When you've finished your morning work, Nancy,' Miss Polly was saying :
! now, 'you may clear the little room at the head of the stairs in the attic, and :
; make up the cot bed. Sweep the room and clean it, of course, after you clear ~
! out the trunks and boxes.' :
! 'Yes, ma'am. And where shall I put the things, please, that I take out?' !
! 'In the front attic,' Miss Polly hesitated, then went on: 'I suppose I may as :
; well tell you now, Nancy. My niece, Miss Pollyanna Whittier, is coming to ;
! live with me. She is eleven years old, and will sleep in that room.' !
! 'A little girl-coming here, Miss Harrington? Oh, won't that be nice!' cried :
~ ~~~ct~~=~g of the sunshine her own little sisters made in the home at ~
; 'Nice? Well, that isn't exactly the word I should use,' rejoined Miss Polly, ;
! stiffly. 'However, I intend to make the best of it, of course. I am a good !
; woman, I hope; and I know my duty.' ;
L.............................................................:::~~l:.:~.a.~:.~'.::~:.~~~::~::J
Imagine that you are Nancy, Miss Polly Harrington's maid. It is the evening of the day described in
the extract above and you are about to write a letter to your mother and sisters. Make notes for
yourletterinwhichyoudescribeandgiveyourthoughtsabout:
Miss Polly Harrington and the house in which she lives
your work in the house and your thoughts about what you have to do and how you are treated
what happened when Pollyanna arrived and what you think about how she \\~II cope living with
Aunt Polly.
Once you have made your notes, you should then use them to write your letter. Begin the letter,
'My Dearest Mother .. .'
~~R
~ ea_d~in~g'--
a_n_
d _s_u_m_m
~a_r_
is_in_g=-~-
Writing summaries is one of the main tasks that you will be required to do in an
examination. Although it involves writing, it is your reading skills that will really
determine your success in the summary question. It is also important that you keep
a clear head when attempting the task.
Summary writing is tested at both Core and Exte nded levels in your Cambridge
IGCSE Second Language English examination (Components 1 and 2 ). The Core
question will be linked to the note-making task that comes before it and will require
you to write a summary of about 70 words, using the notes that you have made for
the earlier task.
The summary question at Extended level will require you to read a separate piece
of informative writing of about 300-350 words in length and to write a summary
of the main points relating to a particular aspect of the passage in about 100-120 of
your own words.
As you are no doubt aware, summary writing is a key skill which it is necessary
to acquire, not just to be able to do well in your school work and examinations; it
is also a skill that will be of great use to you in future life, for example as a student
at university or in most of the full-time jobs you may have once you have finished
your formal education. For this reason, although the advice and practice exercises
contained in this chapter \viii certainly help you to prepare for your Cambridge
I GCSE examination, they will also cover a wider range of approaches to meet the
requirements of other school subjects and future responsibilities.
Types of summaries
Summaries come in different forms. You may have to:
read one lengthy passage and summarise only the points contained in one or two
paragraphs of it
read one lengthy passage and summarise points related to a particular aspect or
aspects of it which occur throughout the passage
No matter what form the question takes, the basic principles of summary writing
remain the same. What is important is that you show evidence that you:
have understood what you have read
can select the relevant information
can express the information using your own words and in a shorter form than
in the original.
Remember that you will never be asked to summarise a passage unless it is possible
to do so by using fewer words than were in the original!
Some practical guidelines

Whether you are taking Component 1 or Component 2, your summary writing can
be improved if you keep the following points clearly in your mind. Summary writing
needs good planning and cannot be rushed. Most examination questions will give a
clear indication of the number of words that you should aim to write, for example:
'You should write 100- 120 words', although sometimes this might be expressed
4 READING AND SUMMARISING
as something like 'about a side of the examination answer booklet'. As you can see,
the writing itself will not take very long; the most important part of the process is
deciding w hat to include and what sho uld not be included - that's why your
active reading skills are essential.
It is important to organise your time efficiently when answering a summary
question and, as part of your preparation for an examination, you should look
closely at past papers and decide how long you have available to answer the
question. Remember that this time allowance includes reading the original passage
or passages, making notes of the relevant points and planning your answer. It is
important that you spend most of the time available on these aspects of answering
the question: if you have a clear understanding of what you are going to write for
your final version, the actual writing of it will not take very long at all.
Once you have this basic approach dearly in mind, you can begin the task with
confidence. Don't panic: remember, all the information you need to include will
be in the original passage(s), so all you have to do is identify the really important
points.
The following guidelines apply particularly to writing the type of summary based
on aspects of a single, lengthy passage. N ote-making is especially important- some
examinations (such as Cambridge IGCSE Second Language English Paper l )
require you to write a list of main points which will be credited with marks before
you write your final version of the summary.
Step 1: Read the question carefully

This is very important, as it is unlikely that you will be required to summarise
the whole of the original passage(s). The wording of the question will direct you
towards the points you should include. For example, the whole passage may be
about everyday life in Japan, but you may be asked to summarise only what it tells
you about going to school in that country. You must, therefore, keep the wording
of the question dearly in mind when reading the passage(s).
Step 2: Read right through the passage(s) once

This will allow you to gain a good, overall understanding of what the material is
about.
Step 3: Identify the information that is relevant

Refresh your memory of what the question asks you to do and then read through
the passage( s) again very carefully. At this stage you should underline or highliglit
on the question paper all the information that is relevant to the question. You must
be ruthless. Ignore anything that is not relevant, no matter how interesting you may
find it. It may help if you give your summary a title.
1 There may be some points in the original passage that are harder to find than others - the author
may have implied them rather than stating them explicitly. Your final summary will be more
successful if you are able to identify and include these implied points.
2 You can safely ignore: illustrations, quotations, long descriptions and strings of adjectives
Some practical guidelines
St ep 4: Ma ke notes in yo u r ow n wo rds
Now is the time to put pen to paper. You should make rough notes of the points you
have identified. At this stage, it is not necessary to use your own words but it is important
that each point is dearly identified so that the person reading your notes is absolutely
dear what is being referred to. Remember, if you are taking the Cambridge !GCSE Core
paper you will already have made your notes as the answer to a previous question.
Check that you have made each poin t only o nce: it's an easy mistake to include three examples
of the same point. Theauthoroftheoriginalpassageisallov;edtorepeatideas;youdon'thavethe
space to do so.
St ep 5: Co unt th e main points

Once you have noted all the main points, count up how many you have identified.
If you have identified 6-8 points and you are aiming to write a summary of about
120 words, then, as a rough guide, try to write about fifteen words for each point.
One of the main mistakes in summary writing is to use up too many words writing the early points,
so the summary becomes top-hea-.y and unbalanced. Remember that all points should be given
equal weighting.
St ep 6: Write th e summ a ry
Once you have written your notes, you should write them up as a piece of
continuous prose, trying to keep your expression as concise as possible. If your notes
are sufficiently detailed, this may only be a fine-runing job.
Remember, at tl1is stage, the use of your own words is important as this is the best
way of showing that you have understood the passage(s). Try to:
paraphrase (rephrase) parts of the text to which you refer
use synonyms - words with tl1e same meaning- instead oftl1e exact words from
the text.
This will make it very clear tl1at you understand what you have read.
An important word of warning- do n ot includ e

personal opinions
extra information or explanations
your own comments or opinions on the points made in the original text(s)
quotationsfromtheoriginalpassage{s).
The readers of your summary do not want to knov; your personal opinions about the topic;
instead, they want to know how well you have understood the original author's viewpoint
St ep 7: Fina l chec k
Once you have written your summary, read it through to check that it makes sense.
You may not have to count the number of words you have used, but if yo u know
that, for example, yo u usually write about eight words per line, then a quick count
up of the number oflines you have filled will give some indication of how many
words you have written.
Summary tasks require you to express your understanding concisely within a certain number of
words. It's a good idea to focus your mind on this requirement when writing your answer. It is
unlikety that a very long answer will gain the highest marks available for a question because you will
not have shown your ability to select the key points and to stick to them. If you write considerably
less than the suggested length it ismostprobablethatyou \\~II penaliseyour.;elf(and reduce your
score) because it is almost certain that you \\~II have left out some of the important points.
Style matters
In many summary questions, in addition to marks being awarded for the selection
of the correct points, further marks may be available for written expression, as is
the case with both Cambridge IGCSE Core and Extended papers. It is, therefore,
important that you take care with the quality of your writing as well as the content,
as these marks could have a significant influence on your overall grade. Remember,
the copying of chunks of material directly from the passage will not score highly -
this is because copying the text does not prove that you have understood it. It is
important that what you write shows that you have understood the text and can
interpret what you read.
W ritten ex pressio n: key po ints t o rem ember

When writing your summary, you should remember the following points in order to
achieve the highest marks for written expression.
The best answers will be concisely expressed, well organised and clearly focused
on the topic . They will show a good attempt to use your own words rather than
rely on those of the writer of the original. Written expression will be generally
accurate.
Middle range answers will show understanding of the passage, but are likely to do
so through selective lifting of language from the original. There will be an attempt
to sequence the points in a logical order; there are likely to be some inaccuracies
in written expression.
The least successful answers will contain a large amount of language copied
directly from the original, with the result that understanding of the key points
is not clearly communicated. Frequent and serious errors of expression will also
significantly obscure the communication of ideas.
Example of a summary question
Furth er advice
The bullet points below contain some important advice that should be followed very
carefully.
Concision of expression is something which typifies the very best summaries. This
can be achieved by making sure that you focus clearly on only the points stated in
the wording of the question.
One way of doing this is to make sure that you don't include any irrelevant
comments. For instance, a generalised introductory paragr.tph is not necessary and
simply uses up words unnecessarily.
Lifting (or quoting) whole phrases or sentences from the original will not give a
clear indication that you have understood the text.
A summary should be written using an objective, impersonal register; there is no
need to comment or to write in the first person - even if that is the way in which
the original has been written.

The passage that follows is taken from a maS3zine published in the UK and gives
advice as to how to deal with difficult neighbours. You should keep in mind when
reading it that the problems that arise, and the solutions suggested, apply to the UK
only and may not be appropriate for dealing with troublesome neighbours in the
country in which you live!
The example summary that follows the passage is a combination of the approach
required for both Core and Extended Cambridge !GCSE Second Language English
papers.
H ere is the question set on the passage.
Read the passage carefu lly and then

a) Make notes about:
i) theproblemsc.ausedbyneighboursmentionedinthepass.age
ii) the advice given about how to deal with these problems
b) Write one or two paragraphs of 100-120 words in total, in which you describe the problems
caused by some neighbours and explain how you should deal with them.
The passage has been annotated with the ~roblems higl1lighted in yellow and the
'iaviC highligl1ted in pink. These points are then listed in note form at the end of
the passage and are followed by an example of a written response to question b )
based on the key points.
Note: This passage is for example only as it is sliglnly longer than the sort of
passage that will be set for your examination.
A clash with a neighbour can make life hell. And if things turn sour between you and your
neighbour. you may not be able to gel away from the problem - unless you roove house.
For this report, we take the disputes which people have most often with neighbours and
explain Ila# to deal with each of them.
Noise next door can drive you mad. It could come from building work or from non-
stop, all-night parties. If you can't bear it any longer. contact the Environmental Health
Department of your local council. You'll need to prove that the noise stops you from
enjoying your property or that it is making you ill. You will need proof, so keep a diary.
Many house and car alarms seem to go off for no reason at any lime of the day or
night. If this is a problem, you can phone either the police or your local Environmental
Health Officer. There is a nfNI law which allows them to turn off a car alarm, and to enter
premises to disconnect an alarm which keeps going off.
If your neighOOurs have the builders in, you may have to put up with drills and cement
mixers. There is bound to be some disturbance; but if you cannot bear the noise, or it is
taking place at night, then you can take them to court lo make them stop work. This is
called taking out an injunction.
The parking place right outside your house is not part of your property. You have no legal
right to park there. However, you have a legal right to enter your driveway or garage.
Some local councils nON operate parking schemes for residents. If your neighbours are
always parking so you can 't get out, contact the Hi9t:!Y@ys Department of your local
council. It is in charge of traffic management and control. Call the police if you think your
neighbour's parking habits are illegal.
If your neighbour fences off some of your land or starts growing plants in what you
think is your garden then you have a problem. [v"guments aver land ownership are hard
to sorve. ~can be sorted out ln court but ttiis coulCI oost you a rot of~- You have
to decide just how much lime and money you are prepared to spend.
Many complaints are about rajlbours' building extensions. People who wish to build
extensions mu.st t'eJ0 plannhg perTrissicn The council rrust p..rt up a notice at the site or
'Mile to all those who may be affected. lr'oo have 21 days to OOjecl to the prq::iosal. Put yax
objectiOn in 'Nrith'J to the local~ ~t and try to get other people to do so, too.
We hope that the information above will be useful. Good luck!
Adapted from li\lhich? magazine
H ere are the key points set out as notes side by side in a table.
Cont a.ctE HO;keepa dlal)'

House/car alartn5 Cont l!Ct police orE HO
Bulldl11enoise(espe.-.:la llyat n~l!t) Takeout an lnjunctlon throlJ!lh tMcou rt5
ot>5tructlveparklll!l Conta.ct H ~hwaysDepa rtment
IHe!Jalpartltl!l Ca llthepolU
Notlflcatlon must~pul:>l15hed.Youhsve21daysto
ot>ject to thelocal Pla 1111lfl!lDepartment
Exa mple summary

If you are dirturl>ed by noire fro,., your nei9>-.bour you keep a diary of 1-<hen itoccurr
and report the ,.,atter to your Environ,.,ental /iealt>-. Depart,.,ent; if the ooire if at oi9ht,
for exa,.,p!e, fro,., buildin9 1o1ork, you can take your nei9>-.bourr to court and 9et a court
order to ,.,ake the,., rtop. You rhould contact t>-.e /ii9h1-<ayr Depart,.,ent if a oei9hbour
parkr io ruch a 1o1aythatyou can'tacceH your property or the police if their parkin9 ir
i!le9a!. lf nei9hbourf pvt up a fence that infrin9e r on your property you can take the,.,
to courtbutt>-.ir could be very expeorive. finally, if you are not happy 1-<ith a nei9>-.bour'f
planned buildin9 exteorion, you can object to t>-.e local P!al'll'lin9 Depart,.,ent1-<ithin 2.1
dayrofthepropora!bein9publirhed.
Practise summary writing

H ere are some further passages for you to use to practise writing summaries. In all
cases, you should read the passage and the question carefiilly, make notes in list form
and then use the notes to write your final summary.
You will have seen and possibly made notes on some of the passages already as
they were part of an exercise in an earlier chapter, but they are printed again here for
your convenience.
Exercise 1
Read the following passage carefully and then write a summary of what it tells you about the
building and design of the Channel Tunnel. (Note that the Channel Tunnel is also known as the
Chunnel.)
The Channel Tunnel

By Jennifer Rosenberg
In 1984, the French and British agreed that a LinkacrosstheEnglishChannelwould be mutually
beneficial. However, both governments realised that although the project would create much
needed jobs, neither country's government could fund such a massive project. Thus, they
decidedtoholdacontest.
ThiscontestinvitedcompaniestosubmittheirplanstocreatealinkacrosstheEnglishChannel.
As part of the contest's requirements, the submitting company was to provide a plan to raise the
neededfundstobuildtheproject,havetheabilitytooperatetheproposedChannellinkonce
the project was completed, and the proposed linkmustbeabletoendureforat least 120years.
Ten proposals were submitted, including various tunnels and bridges. Some of the proposals
were so outlandish indesignthattheywereeasilydismissed;otherswouldbesoexpensivethat
theywereunlikelytoeverbecompleted. The successful proposal planned fora tunnel made up
of two, parallel railway tunnels that would be dug under the English Channel. Between these
two railway tunnels would run a third, smaller tunnel that would be used for maintenance,
including drainage pipes, communication cables, etc.
Some trains that would run through --II!!:~

the Chunnel would carry passengers
only. Other trains, known as'shuttles',
would be able to hold cars and trucks.
This would enable personal vehicles
to go through the Channel Tunnel
withouthavingindividualdriversface
such a Long, underground drive. Also,
Large train terminals had to be built
at Folkestone in Great Britain and
CoquellesinFrance.
On 10 December 1993, the first test
run wascompletedthroughtheentireChannel Tunnel.Afteradditionalfinetuning, the Channel
Tunnel officially opened on 6May1994.
Adapted from About.com Guide
Exercise 2
Readcarefullythefollowingarticlewhk:hdescribeshowamansurvivedanattackbyablac:kbear.
Write a summary of what the p;15sage tells you about:
how the bear attacked and how the writer responded
thewriter'sthoughtsandfeelingsduringthisexperience.
A few years ago, I lived alone All the while,

in a tiny log cabin in the the bear
wilderness of Alaska for a book kept coming.
I was writing. One day, I was waving his
bathing in the river after a day nose around
chopping wood for the cabin in search of
I was building. I was happily my scent but
brushing my teeth when an unable to get
unexpected movement caught a really good
my eye upstream. I pulled sniff as I was
myself up on to a tree trunk downwind.
to take a closer look. And my This bought
heart jumped into my mouth. me valuable
time.
A huge black bear had waded
up to its shoulders into the I loaded my
river and was straining to get a rifle with a
bette r look at me. I saw it lift its shivering hand
vast head to sniff the air, then and readied
- catching a whiff of me - tum myself for Suddenly, however, he veered
and boWld out of the water at a whatever might come - which sideways and disappeared into
surprising pace. turned out to be a full -blown the scrub - and I lowered the
attack. rifle, light -headed with relief.
Initially, I felt relieved - until
But then I heard crashing
I saw that it was trying to Finally, this huge killer dropped
within the bush. He was now
outflank me along the shore, its to all fours and began to bound
coming at me through the thick
small, eager eyes fixed on me towards me along the river
undergrowth.
all the time. bank at full tilt.
Reluctant to shoot unless it
I was lucky enough to have As long as I live, I will never
was my only option, I began
been armed - although my forge t the sight of that powerful
shouting, making as much
gun was on the shore, far out animal charging towards me,
noise as possible in an attempt
of reach. Knowing it was my its nostrils flared and its teeth
to scare him off.
only chance of suivival, I crept bared. This bear moved with
slowly towards the shore, where the speed and agility of a cat And up to a point, it worked.
my rifle hung from an upturned - and I had only a couple of He slowed down and then
root. rounds with which to stop him. stopped unce rtainly, peering at

me from just a few yards away. for long enough to get off back into the bush. I felt
In that moment we were both that vital round. Neither of us like the most fortunate man
making a decision. moved. alive.
He was sizing me up before Forminutes.Three, maybefour FromtheOafyMal.26NOV9mber2009
making a final, probably fatal - it seemed like hours. And
lunge; I was trying to establish then, with a snort, he turned
whether I could keep my cool slowly round and lumbered
Exe rcise 3
O ~::~ =r~;~~~~n~;~~!eh~~~~:~l~~~s~:~~~~~~~~u0~~~ ~=~fS:~ailn~~~~t~~! and

helped to popularise the sport. (Note the wording of the question carefully -you are not required
to summarise the whole passage.)
Women footballers bring

new life to the beautiful
game and score with
Twitter
Tracy McVeigh
After years of feeling underrated and overlooked by mainstream football pundits and press,
women's football is coming into its own this season thanks to social media.
New research shows that the women's version of the game is now the third biggest team sport
inthe UK in terms of participation, behind only men's football and cricket.
Itspreviouslackofrecognitionisbeingovercomebyfansturningtosocialnetworkingtofollow
the sport. The second ever season of the Football Association's Women's Super League (WSL)
kicks off on Sunday, and eight of England's top female footballers, one from each of the top
clubs, will take the unprecedented step of wearing their success on their sleeve by displaying
their Twitter account names on their kit.
The new semi-p rofessional League, the top tier of women's football, was Launched by the FA Last
year as a platform to drive forward the women's game and the association claims that it will be
spending 3m on promotion in thefirstthreeyearsofthe league.
SincetheWSLlaunched,attendanceshaveincreased bymorethan600"1o;viewing figures of live
broadcast matches, at 450000, are on a par with those of the men's Scottish Premier League,
and the social media channels now attract more than 80000 followers. It has transformed the
player-fan relationship by making ita fully interactive League. Research commissioned forthe
FA by Sport England Active People ahead of the 2012 season shows that the Low profile of
women'sfootballiswhatisdriving fans to Twitter and Facebookfornews. Fans are up to seven
timesasinteractiveasthoseofthemen'sgame.
The Fifa women's world cup was the most tweeted-about event in the world in July 2011 with
7196 tweets per second at its peak. It remains seventh in the list of the most tweets per
second,abovetheUefaChampionsLeaguein 11th position.
But the findings show that while there are 12 times as many news articles with mentions of
women's football per month, relative to the number of people who attend matches; men's
footballreceivesthreetimesas many headlines, relative to the number of fans who attend.
1tis understandable in a way; said England international and Arsenal Ladies midfielderSteph
Houghton. 'It's difficult because the men's game is so big and attracts so much money and
sponsorship and so it's always going to take priority:
'Butwithdigitalmediawecan really forge ahead. Wedon'tneedtostruggletogetafewlinesin
a newspaper, we can do it for ourselves; fans can interact with players and find out about
fixtures and get really involved on match days-even if they are not at the game themselves:
Houghton, 23, has been selected as the FA WSL digital ambassador for Arsenal Ladies this
season. Each club in the league will pick one player who willweartheirTwitteraddress.
'Twitter and Facebookhave helped us massively, it'sjusttransformedthingsoverthe past year;
Houghton said.1t's really progressing the game. Our attendance figures have increased a lot.
We're doing a lot of work in schools getting girls to play football breaking down any taboos
there might be, and we're seeing them get interested, and bring their families along where they
have such a good match day experience that they're coming back:
1 think that what's happening is that girls are enjoying playing. It's a Lot more acceptable
and now we have a Women's Super League with hugely dedicated female role models - really
committed players who people can see are dedicated and training as hard if not harder than
any male players - that's all progressing the sport. And with social media there's no holding
women's football back:
From the Cb.saver, 7 ~12012
Exercise 4
Read carefully the passage that follows and write a summary of how advertising developed from
theseventeenthcenturytothepresentday.
Early advertising
Although word of mouth, the most basic (and still the most powerful) form of advertising,
has been around ever since humans started providing each other with goods and services,
advertising asa discrete form is generally agreed to have begun alongside newspapers, in the
seventeenth century. Frenchman Theophraste Renaudot (LouisXIII'sofficial physician) created
a very early version of the supermarket noticeboard, a 'bureau des addresses et des rencontres'.
Parisians seeking or offering jobs, or wanting to buy or sell goods, put noticesattheofficeon
ile de la Cite. So that the maximum number of people had access to this information, Renaudot
created La Gazette in 1631, thefirst French newspaper. The personal ad was born.

InEngland,Lineadvertisementsinnewspaperswereverypopularinthesecondhalfoftheseventeenth
century, often announcing the publication ofa new book, or the opening ofa new play. The Great
Fire of London in 1666 was a boost to this type of advertisement as people used newspapers in the
aftermath of the fire to advertise lost and found, and changes of address. These early ~neads were
predominantly informative, containing descriptive, ratherthan persuasive language.
Advertisements were of key importance, even at this early point in their history, when it came
to informing consumers about new products. Coffee is one such example. Coffee was first brewed
into a drink in the Middle East, in the fifteenth century. The Arabs kept the existence of this
vivifying concoction a secret, refusing to export beans (or instructions on how to grind and
brew them). Legend has it that Sufi Baba Budan smuggled seven beans into India in 1570 and
planted them. Coffee then spread to Italy, and throughout Europe, served at coffeehouses. The
rapid spread of coffee as both a drinkand a pattern ofbehaviour(coffeehouses became social
gathering places) is in no small partduetotheadvertising of coffee's benefits in newspapers.
When goods were hand-made, by local craftsmen, in small quantities, there was no need for
advertising. Buyer and seller were personally known to one another, and the buyer was Likely
to have direct experience of the product. The buyer also had much more contact with the
productionprocess,especiallyforitemslikeclothing (hand-stitchedtofit)andfood (assembled
from simple, raw ingredients). Packaging and branding were unknown and unnecessary before
the Industrial Revolution. However, once technological advances enabled the mass production
of soap, china, clothing, etc., the close personal Links between buyer and seller were broken.
Ratherthan selling outoftheirbackyardsto local customers, manufacturers sought markets a
long way from their factories, sometimes on the other side of the world.
This created a need for advertising. Manufacturers needed to explain and recommend their
products to customers whom they would never meet personally. Manufacturers, in chasing far-
off markets, were beginning to compete with each other. Therefore they needed to brand their
products, in order to distinguish them from one another, and create mass recommendations to
support the mass production and consumption model.
Newspapers provided the ideal vehicle for this new phenomenon, advertisements. New technologies
were also making newspapers cheaper, more widely available, and more frequently printed. They
hadmorepages,sotheycouldcarrymore,bigger,advertisements.Simpledescriptions, plus prices,
of products served their purpose until the mid-nineteenth century, when technological advances
meant that illustrations could be added to advertising, andcolourwasalsoan option.Advertisers
startedtoaddcopyunderthesimpleheadings,describingtheirproductsusingpersuasiveprose.
An early advertising successstoryisthatof Pears Soap. Thomas Barratt married into the famous
soap-making family and realised that they needed to be more aggressive about pushing their
products if they were to survive. He bought the copyright to a painting by noted Pre-Raphaelite
artist Sir John EverettMillais, originallyentitled'Bubbles'. Barratt added a barofPearsSoaptothe
bottom left of the image, and emblazoned the company name across the top, Launching the series
ofadsfeaturingcherubicchildren which firmly welded the brandtothevaluesitstillholdstoday.
Hetookimagesconsideredas'fineart' andusedthemtoconnotehisbrand'squality, purity(i.e.
untainted by commercialism) and simplicity (cherubic children). The campaign was a huge success.
Taken from Mediaknowall
Exercise 5
Read carefully the passage on page 75 about 'Noise' which you have seen before in Chapter 2.
You have been asked to give a talk to your class about the dangers that can be caused by excessive
noise. Make notes of the main points you \.\'Ould make and then write the words of your talk as a
summary of the passage.
Noise
Noise is a form of pollution which can be merely irritating, or cause physical or emotional
damage. For some people, the sound of music playedveryloudlyisannoying, while others revel
in it. Similarly, it may be enjoyable for some to drive a motor bike, while other people find the
noise anti-social
Long-term exposure to Loud noise can bring about stress which has physical signs such as an
increase in oxygen consumption and heart rate, possibly leading to effects on the heart and
circulation. Tiredness, irritabilityandsleepdisturbancesmayalsooccur.
Thephysicaleffectsofnoiseontheearscanbeserious.Prolonged,Loudnoisecausesphysical
discomfort; itactually'hurts the ears'. And ifit is too Loud or goes on for too long, it, at first,
causes temporary
hearing loss, then
Excessive noise deafness, due to
can have a sen"ous
permanent damage
effect on health, and
to the delicate
is assoa"ated with mechanism of
stress and anxiety.
the inner ear.
VB1Y loud noise Rock musicians
causes physical
performing in front
damage to the
of very powerful
delicate structures
speakers frequently
in the ear and may
have permanent
result in deafness.
hearing damage.
Don't underestimate the

ff used at too high a harrnf!.i effects of noise. It is
volume, MP3 players can the form of pol/ull"on which has
cause severe hearing ,/" the most immedl"ate effect on
loss . Mhough the people. It can cause severe
speakers are so tiny that stress.
they can fit inside the ea;
the sound they produce
is directed straight down From The Enviurment and Health,
the ear canal and can byBrianWard,FranklinWatts,and
cause damage if the Wake Up to What W:lu Cal Do for tf"B
volume is turned up too Environment, DETR, 1989
high.
Exe rcise 6
Read carefully the follo\\~ng passage about how to protect young children from pool accidents.
Imagine that you work for the local Heall~ an? Safety Department. and you have been asked to give
I a talk to parents about the dangers of swimming pools and what can be done to prevent them.
Make notes of what you want to say and then use them to write the words of your talk, as a
summary of the passage.
Protecting children from

pool accidents
A child's risk of drowning is much greater than most people reaHse, especially in
residential pools.
Poolsaregreatfun,terrificforcooling down on a hot day and forgetting aerobic exercise. But

theyarealsoaresponsibility.k.residentialpoolshaveproliferated,so,unfortunately,hasthe
opportunity for tragedy.
While in recent years there has been a decline in drownings among teenage boys in the United
States, most of whom succumb in natural bodies of water, there has been no comparable drop in
drowning deaths among young children, most of whom succumb in pools - usually the family's pool
A child's risk of drowning is much greater than most people realise.
Children under the age of five are 14 times as likely to die in a pool as in a motor vehicle. Of
those who survive near-drownings, many are permanently brain damaged.
Yet, whilethevastmajorityofparentstakecaretosecuretheiryoung children in car seats, far
fewertake comparable precautions around pools.
Instead of adopting proven safety measures to prevent pool accidents, too many parents,
grandparents and others who have residential pools rely on things like admonitions about
not going near the pool alone, the false security of swimming lessons and flotation devices
for toddlers, and their sincere but often misguided belief that they will watch closely and
constantly when a child is in or near the pool
A study revealed telling circumstances surrounding the pool-related deaths of young children.
Two-thirds occurred in the family pool and one-third in pools owned by friends or relatives.
Nearly half the children were last seen in the house and nearly a quarter were Last seen in the
yard or on the porch or patio; no one knew the youngsters had gone nearthe pool.
Only about one-third of the children were in or around the pool just before drowning. Finally,
morethanthree-fourthsofthechildren had been seen five minutes or less before being missed
andsubsequentlyfoundinthepool.
Thelessonstobelearnedfromthesestatisticsincludethefactsthatdrowningaccidentshappen
very quickly, in familiar surroundings and during very short lapses in supervision.
There are no cries for help to alert caretakers that a small child is in trouble in the water.
Theonlyeffectiveprotectionistoensurethatchildrencannotgetnearapoolwithoutbeing
accompanied by a responsibleandtrainedcaretakerwhoseattentionisnotdistracted by phone
calls, door bells, reading matter or the care of other children who are not in the pool.
Adopting proven safety measures is a better alternative to the false

secudty of swimming lessons and flotation devices.
While many communities have safety regulations governing residential pools, it is the pool
owner's responsibility to follow them. Regardless of local Laws, to minimise the risk of pool
accidentseveryownershouldadoptthese minimal safety standards:
Fence it in. A fence or comparable barrier completely surrounding the pool is the best
preventive, reducing the risk of pool drownings by about 70 per cent, an Australian study
showed. Itisjustasimportanttofenceinanabove-ground pool as an in-ground pool. since
a small child can easilyclimbtheladderand fall into the water.
Coverit.
Remain vigilant Children in or near pools must be watched constantly bya responsible and well-
informed caretaker. A moment's lapse can spell disaster. Never assume that a child who has taken
swimminglessonsorisusingaflotationdevicecansafelybeleftunattended,evenjusttoanswer
the door. For added securitywhenthecaretakeris not nearby in the water, children who are not
good swimmers could wear properly fitted flotation ...ests, which keep their heads above water.
Prepare for emergencies. In addition to the standard ladders or steps to help people climb out
ofpools,thereshouldbeacircularbuoyonarope,along-handledhookandarescueladderat
the poolside. A poolside telephone with emergency phone numbers posted next to it is both a
convenience and a critical safety feature. Anyone in charge of children playing in or near water
shouldbetrainedincardiopulrnonaryresuscitationandbepreparedtouseitthemomentachildis
pulled from the water. Waiting for emergency personnel to arri...e can doom a nearly-drowned child.
Observe other safety measures. Keep toys like tricycles and balls away from pools. Do not
permithorseplayinthewater. Children should notbeallowedtodunkeachother, push each
other into the water or yell in jest for help. Mark the pool's deep end and, preferably, use
a floating pool rope to denote where the water would be above the children's chins. Never
permitdivingattheshallowend or from the sides of the poolorintoanabove-ground pool.
From the New Straits Tmes, 5 July 1994
@ -B
_e_c_o_m
_in.. ;g::;.__a_b_e_t_te_r_ w_r_it_e_r___
Your Cambridge IGCSE Second Language English examination at both Core and
Extended levels will test your skills in writing English accurately as well as your skills
in understanding what someone else has written. Overall, an equal number of marks
will be allocated to the reading and writing tasks that you must complete.
At both levels, some of the marks for the summary question will be awarded for
how well you have expressed yourself in writing in English. In addition to this, there
will be two more questions on each paper for which the quality of your writing will
be assessed. At Core level, you will be expected to M"ite 100-15 0 words for each
of these tasks. At Extended level you will be expected to write 150-250 words for
each task.
At both levels, the two writing questions will require you to write in two different
registers: formal and informal. One of the questions is likely to be supported by an
illustration that may give you some ideas about what to write. This question will
also contain bullet points that will help you to structure your response. H owever, it
is important that you do not just repeat the details they give but develop the ideas.
A further question will present you with a situation {context ) and an audience for
your writing. This question will also contain some brief examples of comments that
will help you to think about what to write. In both tasks you should try to use a
vocabulary and tone that are suited to your audience.
There will be a range of possible types of writing including completing a form,
writing a postcard/short letter and a more extended piece of writing. The tasks will
require you to describe, report and give personal information. It is unlikely that
you will be expected to write argumentatively or to produce an imaginative piece of
writing such as a short story. H owever, in order to help you develop your writing
skills, in this chapter we will look at a wider range of genres than just those required
specifically for the examination.
Assessment objectives for writing

The writing questions in the examination will test your ability to:
W1 communicate clearly, accurately and appropriately
W2 convey information and express opinions effectively
W3 employ and control a variety of grammatical structures
W4 demonstrate knowledge and understanding of a range of appropriate vocabulary
WS observe conventions of paragraphing, punctuation and spelling
W6 employ appropriate register/style.
Whenever you write anything (either for an English examination or for any other
purpose) it is important to keep in mind that what you write may be read by
someone who has never met you and has no knowledge of your personality or
circumstances. It is, therefore, very important that you try to express yourself as
dearly as you can so that the reader can understand the ideas or information that
you are communicating. Whatever piece of writing you try, you need to think
about its purpose and decide what effect this has on your writing style. There are
two key questions to ask yourself before you start writing.
What is it for? In other words, what kind of writing piece is it (it could be
anything from a funtasy story to a business letter) and what do you want to say?
You should try to use different styles for different purposes.
Who is it for? Who are the readers for this piece of writing? You need to be able
to use different styles for different audiences.
Different styles for different purposes
Even when we think about just one

kind of writing task- a letter, for
example - the style will need to be wholslt
different depending on who the
for?
letter is for (a relative? a newspaper?
a friend?). When you write an
article you need to think about your
readers: ifit is for a group of young
people, for instance, you need to
think about how to make it clear
and interesting for them, not just
about what information you want
to include.
Remember: some examination
questions will tell you who the
audience is for your answer, but you shouldn't forget that as well as the given audience
there is another person, the examiner, who will be reading what you have written!

W ritin g t o info rm o r ex pl ain
One of the \\Tiring questions in your Cambridge !GCSE Second Language English
examination will require you to produce a piece of factual writing, for example to
inform or explain. With this kind of writing it is important to be as clear as possible,
whether you are explaining a situation, an activity or an interest, or providing
some instrnctions for carrying out a task. Make sure your writing is focused and
objective, dear and systematic.
Be foc used and object ive

Your purpose is to make the information dear to your readers, not to give them
your own opinion on the subject, so stick closely to the subject and don't be
tempted to add comments of your own.
Be clea r and systemat ic

The point of an explanation is that it should be simpler and clearer than the original.
Here are some techniques to help you achieve this.
Use vocabulary that is easy to understand.
lfyou are answering a directed writing question which is based on a passage that
is printed on the question paper, be careful not simply to repeat chunks of the
original text; instead, find simpler ways to express the same ideas so that you are
genuinely explaining them.
Use sentences that are not too long or complicated.
Make sure your punctuation is accurate and helpful so that readers can easily see
their way from one point to the next.
Use a new paragraph for every main point that you make: start the paragraph with
a 'topic sentence' to tell your reader what the paragraph will be about and use the
rest of the paragraph to develop the point.
5 BECOMING A BETTER WRITER
Examples of info rm ative wr itin g

The next two passages are examples of writing that informs and explains.
T he passage below is aimed at passengers travelling from Schiphol Airport in
Amsterdam in the Netherlands. It gives information as to how to check in for the
Dutch KLM Airline.
Read through it carefully and then look at the teacher's comments, which explain
the key features of this type of writing.
Theheadlngisde.irand
e;qilaimrnriciselythe
Checking in at the
purposeofthell'aflet.
airport
Unabletocheckin online?Thencheckinatone ofthe self-service check-inma chinesat
theairportandhand yourbaggageoveratoneofthebaggagedrop-offpoints.
Checking in
Thevocabularyus.edis Checking inonlineisthefastestandsimplestwayofchecking in. If you areunabletocheckin
directa.ndstraightfmw ard online.youcanstillcheckinatoneofourself-servicecheck-inmachinesattheairport. These
{not all travellers may
can befoundattheentrance to counters 14/15atAmsterdam Airport Schiphol.
lpNk Ern"j~o;h vmy IWll)
buttheus.eof 'you" and In just a couple of ea~ steps you can check in yourself and your travelling oompanjons.
'your"helpo;tocreate
As when you check in online you can chooseyourfavouriteseaton board.
aninformalandfril!ndly
"""
He<idingsa1eusWtohe~
This is how the self-service check-in machine works:
Stepl
take the readm lo\lic~lly
ttiroughthedled<.-in Insertyourpassportorfrequentflyercard. orenteryourticketnumberorbooking code. Your
process step by step bookingdetailswillappearonthescreen.
Againtheslmplicltyofthe Step2
processlsempha~and
allneces<;aryintolmdlion Select\IOur seat on the seating mao. You can also buy a seat in the Economy Comfort zone a
lsgjwninaconciseaod seatwjthextra legroom ora preferred seat Alternatively you cantreatyoyrselftoan upgrade
ea1ilyundet5tandilble to World BusinessCLass 1 Alljttakesisa credit card to make the change.
Step 3
Printyourboardingpass.
Step4
Doyouhavecheck-inbaggage?Simplyhanditoveratthenearestbaggagedrop-offpoint.and
proceedtothegate.Haveagoodtrip!
Ifyouarealreadycheckedin,youcanalsousetheself-servicecheck-inmachinestoprintyour
boarding pass. They are available round the clock at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. At most other
airports, the self-service check-in machines are available for checking inand printing boarding
passes at Least two hours before flight departu re.
Check-in for flights to Asia

You can alsouseourself-servicemachinesin Chinese, Korean and Japanese. These Languages
arealsospokenbyourassistantsatthegate.Theyaregladlyavailablefortranslationofall
announcements made, and to help you with any questions before boarding.
Check-in desks
Adia.gramisusedto
reinfo:ethewriltlffi
inlormatiooandtohelp
toen5llreth.ltp.1ss.en!Jt'fl
knowwhernthey
"'"''""'
0Ven1ew of Amsterdam /lJrporl Schiphol's departure terminals

Thelnlormatioriis
completed y,~thdeta~s You can alsocheckjn atthecheck-jn desks for flights depaiting thesamedgy The check-in
ofhowtochec:klnfor
Pfill!!lglITTnotwaotiog
desks at Amsterdam Airport Schipholare open from S:OOa.m. from Tuesday to Thursday and from
to us.I' the automatic 4:30a.m. from Friday to Monday. Our check-in desk staff a re also happy to help you should you
only have a question .
Baggage drop-off point

Ifyouhavealreadycheckedin,youonlyneedtohandoveryourcheck-inbaggageatoneofthe
baggagedrop-offpointsattheairport.Thesecanbefoundattheentrancetocounters12/13
at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. Most airports accept your baggage up to 2 hours before your
flightdepartsonthedayofdeparture.
You will be issued a baggage claim tag for every bag that you check in. Makesuretosavethese
tagsuntilyouhavereceivedyou r baggageatyou r destination.
From www.ktn.com
Exercise 1
Re-read the information on pages 80--81 about how to check in at Schiphol Airport and then
attempt the following task.
Your grandparents are planning to fly from Schiphol to visit friends living in Japan. They a re not
very experienced in travelling by plane and have asked you , as someone who flies frequently, for
advice on how they should check in. They have a computer at home.
Write a lette r to your grandparents in which you inform them about the check-in procedure.
Your letter should be about 150 words long. You should use the information in the leaflet but
use your own words and do not copy from it. Remember to write in a tone appropriate to a letter
to close relatives. You do not need to give your address
Exerci se 2
The tasks which follow this passage will help you to prepare for the informative
writing tasks that you will come across in your Cambridge !GCSE Second Language
English examination, although they are not actual examination questions. You will
also find that you will need to use your skills in making notes and summarising to be
able to answer them successfully.
Read the article below, which provides information for new users ofTwitter and
then answer the questions that follow.
If you want to take the lWitter plunge, but you're nervous to make the first step,
follow our simple guide to getting started
Twitter is a social networking service that allows you to send out short text messages
up to 140 characters to your friends and followers. It's a great way to spread news and
engage and communicate with a group of people.
Twitter gives you the opportunity to connect with people and places you admire.
There are 10 million Twitter users in the UK. many of which tweet on the move via
their smartphones. Twitter provides a running commentary to live events and goes into
overdrive for major occasions such as concerts, television series finales and sporting
ftxlures. Major news stories explode on Twitter and in the last year we have seen key
world events unrolling in live tweets.
Get started
The first hurdle is to decide on your name cr Twitler handle, write a short biography and
upload a photQJraph. If you have a blog, it's worth keeping your names consistoot. If you're
tweeting for business then create a specific handle. Once you've signed up, get your Twitter
legs by sending out your first tweet - you can aNlays go back and change your picture and
biography. start by 'hTiting a tweet or click reply to a tweet from a friend to start chatting.
PhotQJraphs and links are a great way to get the conversation rolling. You can follcw
discussions without having to tweet and there are lots of people who use it in this way.
Who to follow?
Who you follow is completely down to personal taste. Twitter gives you the opportunity
to connect with people and places you admire. Start by following your friends and family
members, then add your interests such as the handles for television programmes, events,
and your favourite brands. In addition, Twitter will recommend people for you to follow.
Generally, the more you tweet the more followers you gain. Popular celebrities have
large followings running into milions. II might take a while for you to reach this level of
followers though!
Safety tips
Remember that Twitter is in the public domain
so as a rule of thumb don't say anything on
Twitter that you wouldn't say in public. Be careful
sharing personal information and if you receive
any unwanted tweets you can quickly block the
follower. There's lots more inf01TI1ation on safety
in Twitter's help centre.
Twitter is a light-hearted. friendly place and a
fun way to connect with people and places you
enjoy and admire. Tweet about what you love
and you'll attract like-minded followers.
If you found this feature helpful, please tweet
it to your friends.
Glossary of Twitter terms

From the school gate to the OOHS room, the words tweets, trends and hashtags are
regularty dropped into everyday conversation. Get to grips with the terminology with our
jargon-busting guide.
l'w"eet: A 140-character message.
Feed: lhe stream of tweets you see on your homepage. It's the easy way to read
updates from the people you follON.
Retweet (RT): You can 'retweel' a message if you like it, find it funny or newsworthy and
want to share it with your followers. The tweet is marked with RT.
@m ention: The @mention is a way to communicate with another user in a tweet
{e.g. @hodderbooks). @mention is public and anyone can access conversations by
clicking on the @name.
Direct M essage (DM): A private, 140-character message between two people. You
may only OM a user who follows you.
Hashtag (#): The # symbol, called a hashtag, is used to mark keywords or conversation
in a tweet The hashtag is a discovery tool that allows you to participate in a wider
conversation or others to find your tweets. Click on the hashtag and you will see all the
latest tweets on that topic - including tweets from people you don't follow.
Trends: A snapshot of the most popular conversations happening on Twitter at that
moment You can choose to vie# trends in your local area, UK or worldwide.
From www.tascomagazin&.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Task 1
Your favourite auntie, who is 62 years old, has decided that she wants to become a user of Twitter.
She has a reasonable understanding of modern technology and owns a PC and a cell phone. She
has asked you for advice on how to set up and use a Twitter account. Write a letter to her in which
you explain what Twitter is and how she should get started with using it. The tone of your letter
should be both informative and friendly. Plan your letter by making a list of the main points that
you will use before you start to write.
You sho uld u se yo ur own wo rd s as fa r as possible and not just co py w h ole ph rases
from t he articl e.
Task 2
As an experienced user of Twitter, you have been asked by a youth group to which you belong to
talk to parents of younger members (13/14 years old) of the group to explain to them and give
them information about what Twitter is, in order to help them decide whether they should allow
their children to be involved in using the service. Plan your talk by making a list of the main points
thatyouwillusebeforeyoustarttowrite.
Yo u should u se yo ur own words as fa r as possible and not just co py w hole phrases from
th e articl e.
Remember that for both of the tasks you must use only the information contained in the
article above. You should not use any other knowledge that you may have, even if you are
an experienced user of Twitter!
W riting t o persuade
When you are writing factually, it is important that the main purpose of what you
write is to convey facts and details as clearly and straightforwardly as you can.
H owever, not all the writing you will do in preparation for your Cambridge !GCSE
examination will require you to write in this way. It is very likdy that one of the
questions will require you to present an argument or to persuade your readers to
share a particular point of view.
When writing to persuade, you should try to use language in a slightly different
way. It is likely that it will be more complex and emotively-toned, witl1 vocabulary
chosen to influence your readers' feelings and not just to convey facts to tl1em.
Although it is important tl1at you should use facts and statistics to back up your
argument, it is likely that you will adapt the facts in order to try to make your
argument as convincing as you can, rather than simply allowing tl1e readers to make
up their own minds about them.
Writing to argue or persuade needs to be convincing and logical. Here are some
useful techniques.
Decide what you want to persuade your reader to believe. Which viewpoint are
you going to put forward?
Make 'for and against' lists: one list of the facts and ideas which support your
viewpoint, and another list oftlmse which do not.
Note: You can change your chosen viewpoint at tl1is planning stage, but don't
change it as you are writing!
State your chosen vie\\l'Oint simply at the beginning.

For each main point that you make to support your viewpoint, give evidence
and examples to back up your case - use the text if your answer is in response
to one.
Be balanced -your argument \viii be at its most convincing if you make points for
both sides but prove that your own chosen viewpoint is the better one. Use your
'for and against' lists.
Use paragraphs to help you make your points clearly. Start a new paragraph for
each main point that you make and use the rest of the paragraph to give your
evidence. This will mean that your paragraphs are of roughly similar lengths.
Use persuasive phrases such as: 'It seems clear to me that ... ', 'The text shows
that ... ', 'This example indicates tl1at ... ' .
Use linking phrases to move between the two sides of the argument, such as:
'Nevertheless, ... '; 'On the other hand, ... '.
Rhetorical questions are a good way to get your reader on your side: these are
questions which have an obvious answer, and the answer supports your point of
view! For example, if you were arguing against animal experiments, you could ask:
'Would you like your own pets to have shampoo squirted into tl1eir eyes?' If you
were arguing in favour of animal experiments, you could ask: 'Your little brother is
dangerously ill - would you rather he had drugs whose safety had been tested on
animals, or no dn1gs? '
Finish by restating your viewpoint, perhaps saying also that, although you can see
the otl1er point of view, you are convinced that yours is the right one.
Exa mple of arg umentative/pers uasive writ ing

The article that follows is an example of a piece of argumentative writing and was
produced by a 14-year-old school student. In it tl1e writer is attempting to argue in
favour of wearing school uniform.
Read through the article carefully and then look at the teacher's comments.
....................................................................................................
The\\riteP.;vlewpoiritl1
clearlystall'dhere
l Well I thjnk we should wear school uniforms. l
l Firstly, because it gives a sense of uniformity. When wearing the same l
l clothing, we all look as if everyone is equally the same and those who are ~
l poor would feel like they have 'fitted-in' to their studying environment. !
l Some others, even the rich people, may want to find some way to fit into !
l society, so perhaps this would he one way of doing so. !
l Secondly, you don't have to choose your outfit every day. Although I do ~
l understand, some may say 'What about Saturdays and Sundays when you !
l don't have to go to school?' My response would he 'well, at least you don't !
l have to choose for the majority of the days in the week'. So it minimises !
l those 'time-consuming' decisions on choosing an outfit (by choosing an ~
l outfit, I mean that some people can he a little picky on choosing their outfit, !
l especially those who want to look better and rise above their ranks). !
Apracticai&ampl11is l Thirdly, it gives identification. For example if you are from XYZ people !
giventosu~ortthe
statl'!Tll!fll
l in the streets or anywhere else can easil y identify that you are (insert your ~
l ~So, if you are lost when you are on a school excursion, teachers, !
l passers-by can easily identify you. !
l Now, I understand that some uniforms can he a little uncomfortable, !
lnthi1s.octionthewritl!f l especially for the unfortunate ones. That can't be solved, unless certain ~
givesromidNalionto l schools allow you to adjust your uniforms. !
thoargumentsofpeopkl
opposed to wearing
l Next you can't sh ow off your personality. I do agree with this, and it is !
llrliformbutalso1tilteos l somewhat important in certain societies. However, I do believe schools are !
rl.'.lsoosforthinkin!l l as much concerned with education as well as with making lifelong leaders ~
othl'rWise
l and wearing clothing that expresses one's personality may cause jealousy, !
l which may affect a student's education and chance to lead in the future. !
This;iimeeffl!Clivl'ly l fwthermore :?Qill9 roay {ia)'. 'those who are poor can't afford their !
linkslhi1paragraptiwilll
l uniforms'. Certain countries have special funds provided by the ministry !
!l ,.. '"" ~ .~..

whathasgone!wfore
~
to allow them to purchase the unifonns. For those countries which don't,
-hl "'""~'" " " , . ' " - '' hl ~. !
I
i.............................................................................................~.~j
I
....................................................................................................
~ uniform to wear. I don't believe that a school \vill not treat each of their stu- ~
! dents equally. (If they do then I am sorry for you.) !
~ Speaking from where I am, my school and other neighbolll'ing schools do ~
! not treat everyone unequally. Everyone is given the opportunity to study !
! well or to lead, it's up to the students whether they want it or not. :
! Some of you would say 'Hey, those schools of a higher rank (those requir- :
~ ing good grades to enter) would bully the ones who wear uniforms of a lower ~
! rank school!' The truth is, even if you wear or do not wear yolll' uniforms, !
! you still get bullied either way. The percentage may be different, but it 's :
! very close to being equal. For example, if you wear a uniform, and you do !
~ something stupid which gives the opportunity for bullies to bully you it 's ~
! the same as if you wear something that is old and tattered , or even not up !
! with the cUITent fashion, you'll still get bullied , won't you? :
! One of the major reasons for p eople to oppose this is out of a sense of :
parilgraphcontaimam.w ! freedom or fairne ss. Yes, I do understand this. However, sometimes there :
milinpointwhicllisthm
~ are things in life that you are restricted to, such as laws and rules and regu- ~
dw"""'
! lations which keep you in shape. As a student, I agree, I do feel that I don't !
: have my freedom - the tie I have to wear makes me feel like I'm a dog on a :
~ leash - but I have started to realise that certain restrictions do help us. For ~
! example, wearing ties seemed to be a bore, a tradition I used to hate, but now :
! I realise that it was to help us as it shows a sense of formality, discipline and !
! respect to oneself and others. :
~ Lastly, some people say, 'It 's just a piece of clothing. How does it help ~
! at all? It's generally USELESS'. I do agree it's just a piece of clothing, but :
! I do believe there is a meaning for it , a significance, even if it may be a :
! hidden meaning. It shows that we are united, we are together as a school. :
~ Olli' dignity, Olli' potential is actually all the same despite our differences ~
Affietarical que1tion
l1usedto1upport~ ! in status. Unity is better than separation, two heads are better than one. !
writ1.>r~viewpoint ! Don't you agree? !
Thisparagraptlll:'ltilte1 ! Just some last words. I'm only a 14-year-old student. I may not understand !
!hewrll!>r~ vfewpoint ~ all the ar:guments hut these are my thou ghts in fa your of school uniform at ~
anda~a(kfl0\\1edges
thatother;ffii!yttlink
! this moment in time and I realise that there are many s pecific and powerful !
diffeimtlyandthis
! reasons tg wear or .uot to wear uniform But remember, this is just a debate. I !
lsanoogoir.gtopic ! don't mean to offend, or say that 'There can only be one right answer. Which !
ofdisrussion. lti!an ~ is Yes'. I just want to share my views and that's that. I would like to hear ~
effoctivernnclu1iontothe
~ yolll' views as well. That's all for now from me. :D ~
artide
~ .....................................................................~::::::::::::i~.::!:i.~:f~::: .~
Exe rcise 1
1 Re-read the article on pages 85--86 and then make a list of the points against wearing
school uniform that the writer makes. Add any further points of your own that you can think
of to the list.
2 Now use these notes to write a letter to the writer of the original article to convince her/him
that wearing school uniform is not a good thing. (This should be a friendly letter and you should
make up a name for the person to whom you are writing.)
Exerc ise 2
The tasks that make up this exercise require you to practise a range of skills that
will help you to prepare for the questions in the Cambridge IGCSE English Second
Language examination. Your teacher will advise on how best to approach the
tasks and whether you should attempt all or just some of them. You may wish to
complete the work as a group exercise with each member of the group working on a
different task.
Printed on pages 87-90 are four articles (A- D ) concerning endangered animals.
Passage A is a blog written by a secondary school student and states some general
points about why we should be concerned with protecting threatened species.
Passages B-D are concerned specifically with one seriously endangered species, the
Asiatic lion, and contain a range of information about the animal.
Read all four articles carefully before completing the tasks that follow.
Passage A
You're in a city, walking around town Like any other day, and you don't come across a single
person. Havetheyalldied?Where have they gone? Friends, family, just disappearing? ls the
quote'Iflwasthelastpersonintheworld'funnyanymore?Thisiscalledextinction. Thousands
ofspeciesarethreatened-animalsyouwould neverknowareendangered,alongwiththousands
more. Animals Like the polar bear, tigers, birds of all kinds, pandas, monkeys, elephants, and
evenbutterfl.iesaredealingwithlosingtheirown kind. Thesethingsareimportantandshouldn't
betaken lightly.
Many endangered animals are dying because they can't survive without having their habitats
likeforeststhatprovidefoodandshelter.Whydoesthishappen,isthereareason?Thesethings
are happening because industries and businesses cut down the forest for making resources and
to gather wood for building, but they are taking away animals' natural habitats. In addition,
littering, oil spills in the ocean, global warming, taking animals out of their habitats for zoos
or to make them pets all cause extinction. This is killing the animals and is not acceptable.
Animals have a right to be here just as much as we do.
When an animal dies, it ruins our ecosystem. How? Let's say bees became extinct; nothing
would collect the pollen. It would get over produced, making it bad for the air and making
people sick. Along with tigers - if tigers were gone, they wouldn't be hunting antelope and
other animals any longer, which would result in these animals over populating. The world needs
animalsforreasonslikethis.
Peopledisagreewithanimalsbecoming extinctbecausetheythinkthereisa natural reason for
this, but fortunately that's not the case at all They're dying because we are killing them. That
just shows you, ifwedon'ttakeaction now, they might not be here one day. They have a right
to be here. More should be done to protect them. Ifitseemssoeasytotaketheirlivesthen it
should be easy to save them.
From jade4402.edubbgs.org
Passage B
Endangered Species: The As1at1c Lion

Scientific name: Pan thera feo persica
Croup: Mammals
Status/ date listed as endangered: ENUS FWS: 2 June 1970
Area(s) where listed as endangered: Turkey to India
The Asiatic lion is a subspecies of the lion found in Senegal east to Somalia, East Africa, Angola,
northern Namibia and from Kalahari east to fv1ozambique and northern Natal. Asiatic lions are
generally smaller than African lions, and the most noticeable difference is the long fold of skin
running along the Asiatic lion's belly that is rarely found on the African lion. Adults can reach up
to 1.8 metres in head and body length, their tails reaching up to 1 metre in length. Females
are smaller than males. The males can weigh up to 250 kilos and the females can weigh up
to 180 kilos. Their fur is tan in colour and is a great camouflage in the light-coloured savanna
grasses. The mane of the males varies in colour from light to dark brOVvTI or even black, and it is
generally shorter than that of the African lion making their ears more visible.
The Asiatic lion prefers grassy plains, savanna, and open 1NOOdlands as its habitat Like
African lions, they are very social and live in groups called 'prides'. Asiatic lion prides are
smaller than African lion prides, and males prefer to associate with the pride wtien mating
or during hunting. They are nocturnal creatures, and most of the day is spent resting. Asiatic
lions prey on medium to large mammals, such as deer and gazelles, and young elephants,
rhinos, and hippos. Breeding can occur year-round and females give birth to one to five cubs
after a gestation period of 100 to 119 days.
Asiatic lion populations have suffered due to sport hunting in the 1800s (until it was
outlawed) and habitat loss due to the clearing of jungle forest for extracting wood and
human settlement. The Gir, a national park and lion sanctuary, has been successful in
stabilising one of the last remaining wild populations. Also, the species does well in captivity
and some are found in zoos.
FromGlem. C.R. 2006. 'Ewth"s Endoogoo:d Creatures Asiatic Lion Fa::ts' {Online). kcms9d 9117/2013 at
http://earfhsendangerod.cooi
Passage C
Critically endangered
lion now found
only in India
The Asiatic lion always tell the difference seen applying strategies
(Panlhera leo persica) is between an African male that would do any army
a subspecies of the lion lion and Asiatic male lion commander proud.
now found only in India. because their ears are
ll1e prey is mostly killed
always visible, whereas
Asiatic lions once by a quick, powe rful bite
on an African lion they
ranged fr om the to the spine or with the
are always hidden by the
Medit erranean to India, help of a classic choke
covering most of West grip, with the strong jaws
Asia where it was also Asiatic lions are also of the lion cutting off air
known as the Persian slightly smalle r than !heir supply to the lungs.
lion. African cousins, although
Seemingly there is
the largest Asiatic lion on
Their numbe rs range only one known wild
between 250- 300. record was an imposing
population that can
2.9 m in length.
be found in Gir Forest
Their main prey species
Though they have a less National Park in India.
consist of nilgai, chital,
well developed mane,
sambhar, goats, buffaloes It is critically endangered
Asiatic lions have thicker
and occasionally also and the re are fears about
elbow tufts and a longer
other smaller animals. inbreeding. However,
tail tuft.
the chances of seeing one
Compared to its African
Lions, unlike the liger, are in !he wild (in the Gir
counterpart , the males
comnumal and hllllt in Forest National Park )
of the Indian lion have
groups. They collectively are seemingly good.
a scantier mane and a
stalk their prey and Fromwwf.panda.rrg
characteristic skin fold at
have been commonly
the belly. In fact you can
Passage D
k
Only 200 or so Asian lions exist in the wild. A former royal reserve, India's Gir Forest is the
last home of this lion subspecies.
Nearly all wild lions live in sub-Saharan Africa, but one small population of Asian lions
exists in India's Gir Forest. Asian lions and African lions are subspecies of the same species.
Asian lions once prowled from the Middle East to India.
Now, only 200 to 260 of these magnificent animals
survive in the wild. The Gir R:lrest's dry teak woods
1Nere once a royal hunting ground. Today they are a
"'
r. .........
'
~~:::.:~ea~~it:n~~n~i~~~~al~o~~~~V:r~ ~:~.ly C
Lions are the only cats that live in groups, called prides. Size relative to a 61f (2m) man
Prides are family units that may indude up to three males,
a dozen or so females, and their young. All of a pride's lionesses are related and female cubs
typically stay with the group as they age. Young males eventually leave and may establish
their oVvTI prides by taking over a group headed by another male.
Only male lions boast manes, the impressive fringe of long hair that encirdes their heads.
Males defend the pride's territory. They mark the area with urine, roar menacingly to warn
intruders, and chase off animals that encroach on their turf.
Female lions are the pride's primary hunters. They often work together to prey upon large
mammals.
After the hunt, the group effort often degenerates to squabbling over the sharing of the kill,
with cubs at the bottom of the pecking order. Young lions do not help the pride hunt until
they are about a year old. Lions will hunt alone if the opportunity presents itself, and they
also steal kills from hyenas or wild dogs.
From www.natbnaJgoog:afi'lic.ccm
Complete the following tasks using information from the articles contained in
passages A-Don pages 87-90.
Note: The tasks will test not only your writing skills but also your summary
writing and general comprehension.
1 Write a letter to the Editor of a magazine aimed at teenagers. In your letter you should give
details about the Asiatic lion, why you consider it is important that it should not be allowed to
become extinct and suggest ho\\' people of your age can help in saving it.
2 By using details from all of the articles on pages 87~90, write the words of a web-page aimed
at pre-teenage children in which you give information about the Asiatic lion and explain what is
meantby'anendangeredspecies'.
3 You listen to a radio phone-in in which one of the callers says that 'if some species of animals die
out, it's their problem and is simply the way things are. There's nothing we c.an do about it.' You
strongly disagree with this and call the number to make your feelings known .
Write the words of what you will say when your call is answered and explain carefully your
reasons for disagreeing with the previous speaker. (It is important to make notes of the key points
of \.\+lat you intend to say before writing your answer.)
O 4 f~rud~~~rut~~~~~n! ~m:~~~~~1~~~-t~! :/i:~i:ei~C:~;~::tt==~=~5~c~f ~~~aflet

plight of seriously endangered species and to encourage its readers to support your organisation
in a variety of ways. (Remember that not everyone who reads the leaflet may hold the same views
as you and your friends, so it is important to use facts and details to support your arguments.)
Writing a letter
You may be asked to read some information and write a letter in response. The
following are just three examples of the type of letter you might be asked to write:
a letter giving information or advice to a friend or relative
a letter to a magazine or newspaper, commenting on the material and giving your
reaction
a letter explaining or apologising for a problem.
As with any piece of writing, remember to think about the audience and the purpose.
\Vho are you writing to? This will help you to decide how formal your letter
needs to be. Ifit is a letter to a friend, for instance, it can be in a chatty style and
you can use some informal, colloquial language. For example, instead of'I fed I
must express my views on ... ' it would be more appropriate to say ' I must tell you
what I thought about ... '.
\Vhat are you writing for? ls it to inform, to make a request, to complain, or to
explain a particular point of view? The answer to this question will have an effect
on how you write. For example, if it is a letter to a company then your points
must be clearly ordered and written in a systematic, logical way. One important
point: even if your letter is making a complaint about a situation or disagreeing
with someone else's opinion, it should never be abusive or rude.
It is likely that the question will provide you with an outline of the content of your
letter but it is important that you adapt this in such a way that it is interesting to
the reader and focused clearly on the specific requirements of the task.
How should your letter be set out?

Although the layout of a letter may not be as important as the content, you should
follow certain guidelines. Study the layouts for a personal letter and a formal letter
~~~l~7~~:r:-is3~e~~; ~:~; ~:~::ea~~;~~~~~~~~~~~:n~~:;t::.our letter out -

A persona l letter to a fr iend or re lative
7 Hillside Close
Anytown
Pvtyouraddrnssatthotop
right-tiandcomer,m'lh Blankshire
lhltdatoundenieatllit ABl 2YZ
1 November 201 3
Dear Claire
Useaniftmmalending With love from

A forma l letter
Putyou1addrl!~i1\&ol!
7 Hillside Close
toprighl hl nc!COfoor.
Anytown
Blanks hire
ABl 2YZ
Putthe11<1me~ncladdr~s
ofthepef'iOflyOl!a!t'
Mr Brown
wr!tingtoontheleft- Head of Leisure Services
halldskleofttlepage Blank.shire Council
Council Offices
Anytown
Blank.shire
AB4 6)Q
2 November 2013
ttyoudon'tknowthe
rl<UTl{'ofthepero;on)'O\J
Dear Mr Brown
arewritingto,stilft '(){lar
Sir/Madam
Jlyouusedthepero;on's
riameatthestartofthe
letter, elldwith'Yours
linme!)o" ttyoustarted
theletter'DearSir/
Mildam'. oodwith 'Yool5
faithfulfy' . ttyooknow
thOP4111l)'O'Jilrl!\\Titing Yours sincerely
toquitll~l.youcwld
11ndyoortott11rmore
informitlly:'Withbe51
wi:l.l"llH',lorexampie
Exa mples of lette rs

Read these two letters about an incident in a mini-market. The first is an example
of how not to write a letter of apology; the second is much more appropriate in
content and tone.
DeacMcrAcenrky,
NoparagrapMngandthl' My pacentr ha>1e ..,ade ..,e ...,cite thir le1tertho y9b I don'ttbink it's fe;c. Yov r>iovld
rnntenti1ootordurod ~the pecron ...,ho le~the fixtvce ftickin9 ovt into tJoe aide of tJoe rJoop. Yov can't
bla..,e Mionie for ercapi.,9 ...,lien I dropped hec ar rhe doern't k.,o.,... any beftec and yov
Thl!tmeofthek>tterisall can't bla..,e ..,e for cJoarin9 a~er her. And you baye to admjt jt jr a bit silly to 11vt o!I
~ - ltisllO!apologetic
those e99r tbece. They're jvrtarkit19 to be kt1ocked 0>1er, aren't they. Yov ree, Minoie
hut ~isaimplilning
irn'tvred to liaVil'l9 a !ac9e rpace to rvn acovnd in and I cov!dn'tsTop hecfco.., cvnt1in9
The(oo!entofhlette r off a.,d did ..,Y besTto sTop Joer by fhovtin9 ovtto Joec. dny.,...~ ba!f the tcov'el ~ .,...Qf
lsdMortedasOlg.itries yow dioppecf They djd.,'tlook "'1bece the~. S"o tJoey bv..,ped into eacJo otJoec.
toshtltthebjame
I tJoov9Mit1-ar fvfllly l.Ylien Mr Lee, a teaclier at ..,Y rcJooo!, 9ottcapped a9ainrtthe tif!f
of ve9etabler and they all collapred 01'! hi..,. I ..,eon yov liave to lav9h, don'tyov.
Givenlhil t thisisa
formallettef, the900ing Yovcr,
lsinmlfectltshouldbe
'Your1sincerely'
DeorMrrArenrky,
Thelettefstilrtsbyqetting I 1-'ou!d like to opolo9ire for the unfortunate incident that I coured in your ,.,ioi-
1traigtittothepoinl
,.,arket loft Tiwrrdoy. I ho'Je talked it o'Jer 1-'ith ,.,Y porentr 1-'ho ho'Je ru99erted that I
1-'rite to you to e)l'ploin hol-1 it happened.
Adewlopmentpara9raph I ad,.,itthot it 1-'or ,.,Y fault in brin9in9 ,.,Y pet ,.,oure, MiMie, into your rliop in tlie
cle ar lyexp~nsexil{lly
firrt place. 5he l-lar in a bo)I' or I l-lar takio9 lier to ,.,y frieod'r lioure or rlie l-lar 9oio9
wllathappened
to look o~er Minnie for ,.,e 1-'liile I 1-'or """"Yon a rchool trip. Unfortunately, or I
opprooclied tlie ,.,eat counter, I bu,.,ped 09oinft one of your li)l'turer, dropped the bo)I'
and Minnie er coped. 51ie retoff 1-'itli ,.,e beliind her. Ar rlie rca,.,pered around, ,.,any
:~;~;i~:~:~~~;~f:;~=:~er:: ::r::"~~e9:~:{i ~~;::~~= :;:~~;;:~c~u;r:::~; ~o"Y

0
the floor and broke. People rtorted to rlip o'Jer, and in no ti,.,e at all tliere 1-'llf total
dirorder. I e'Jentual!y ,.,ano9ed to recapture Minnie 1-'lio hod rtopped to eat ro,.,e ro~
fruitthotonotliercurto,.,erhoddropped.
Thethi1dpara~ilf*i Altliou9liitl-'orreollyjurtonocciden1;l reoliredtJ-.otitir,.,yrerpooribilityto
neatlyrourid1offthe
lotterwlthamturntothe
opolo9ireandtoofferto poyfortlieda,.,09e. My porentrlio'Je9enerourlyroidtliey
1-'ill lend ,.,e tlie ,.,oney 1-'hicli I con pay back o'Jer 1-'hotl-'ill probably lio'Je to be a
'Jerylon9periodofti,.,e.
Thelettefstilfled\\11ha Yourrrincerely,
riame,50 theendiogi1
correct Ol90Mirlikin
W riting imaginativel y t o entertain yo ur rea ders

The writing tasks that are set for the Cambridge !GCSE Second Language English
examination are likely to ask you to write informatively or persuasively. You will not
be asked to write a short story or any piece of imaginative fiction under examination
conditions.
H owever, it is very likely that as part of your English course at school your teacher
will ask you to write imaginatively at some point. In this section we will look at
some of the techniques required for writing imaginatively, some examples of writing
of this type and some tasks that you can use to improve your skills. All of this will
help to develop your ability to write English fluently and, as a result, will help when
you are answering the writing tasks in the examination.
We will look at two specific types of imaginative writing: the first consists of two
examples of imaginative descriptive writing and the second is a piece of fiction, a
complete short story. Before we look at these passages, however, here are some general
points to consider as to what helps to make a good piece of imaginative writing.
Ti ps for writ in g im ag inative ly

If you are writing an imaginative piece - narrating a story, for example - you will not
have to structure your piece in the same logical, argued way as for an informative or
persuasive piece. However, it is still important that your writing has a clear structure.
Perhaps most importantly, you need to know how your story will end before you
start (see the section on planning on pages 101- 103 ). You might want your e nding
to be a surprise to your readers, but it shouldn't be a surprise to yo u! The beginning
is important, too. For a story yo u can eitl1e r:
start by setting the scene - this is fine, but don't give too much time/space to it,
keep it to one short paragraph
go straight into the story, for example with a line of dialogue.
A good piece of imaginative writing is varied and inventive. Here are some ideas on
how to make sure your skills in this area are clear to the reader!
Use some words which are abstract and colourful.
Use descriptive vocabulary: adjectives, adverbs.
Use imagery, for example, 'she grinned like a crocodile'.
Use exclamations and/or words that convey their meaning tluough sound.
(These might be dramatic, for example, 'Thud! ', 'Crash! '; or tl1e y might just be
well-chosen words that convey the exact sound yo u have in mind, for example,
'tinkling', ' rustled ' .)
Your paragraphs should vary in length. An occasional very short paragraph can make
a strong impact. Some paragraphs might even be just one word long, such as ' Help! '
Your sentences should also vary in length - this is a good way to have an effect on
your reader's feelings. For example, if you have just been setting a frightening scene,
a short sentence such as 'We waited.' or even just 'Silence.' can be very effective.
Imaginative descriptions
Passage A is taken from the novel The 11Jird Policeman by the Irish writer H ann
O 'Brien. In this extract the narrator describes breaking into an old, apparentl y empty
house in order to find a black box which he hopes contains som etl1ing valuable. Read
the e.'Xtract carefull y and then carefully read the comments.
Passage A
....................................................................................................
~ I opened the iron gate and walked as softly as I could up the weed-tufted ~
! gravel drive. My mind was strangely empty. I felt no glow of pleasure and !
~ was unexcited at the prospect of becoming rich. I was occupied only with ~
! the mechanical task of finding a black box. :
Thedloia!oltheactive : The front-door was closed and set far back in a very deep porch. IM :
yertJ 'whiwed ' andthe
ad)ectiYe 'gfitty' prodtJ<:e
: wind and rain had whipped a coatjn g of gritty dust against the panels and :
aclearpictureinthe ~ deep into the crack where the door opened, showing that it had been shut ~
reade(1miJldofthe ! for years. Standing on a derelict flower-bed, I tried to push open the first !
physic<l!ilppl'ilrilfKeofthe
willdowafldhowstJOngly
! window on the left. It yielded to my strength, raspingly and stubbornly. I !
thedustisstudtoit. ! clambered through the opening and found myself, not at once in a room, :
~ but crawling along the deepest \vindow-ledge I had ever seen. After I had ~
emphaSisetlledjflkutty ! jumped noisily down upon the floor , I looked up and the open window !
thenarralofhasin ! seemed very far away and much too small to have admitted me. !
opening the window.
'R.l1plf191y'r.uggeststhe
! The room where I found myself was thick with dust, musty and empty !
IOUf1dasthewindow ~ of all furniture. Spiders had erected great stretchings of their w eb about the ~
ueaksopenatld ! ~ I made my way quickly to the hall, threw open the door of the :
' 'il\lbbomly'lmpliesthat ! room where the box was and paused on the threshold. It was a dark morning !
itl1phy1k.Jllytly\rigto
preYentthishappening
! and the weather had stained the windows with blears of grey wash which :
~ kept the brightest part of the weak light from corning in. The far corner of ~
Thisphrasedesot>estlle
thi:kspide11' web5that ! the room was a blur of shadow. I had a sudden urge to have done with my :
M.'l"thefimfJ<Ke. Notic:e ! task and be out of this house forever. I walked across the bare boards, knelt !
howthewrlt>'fsuggests ! down in the corner and passed my hands about the floor in search of the :
ltleirltrmgthandgi<lesthe
~ loose board. To my surprise I found it easily. It was about two feet in length ~
~~iltl>fforCPt,,.
makirigthe~.Ktiwly ! and rocked hollowly under my hand. I liftect it up laid U asjQ.e and struclr; :
theilljectoftheYl'ib ! ~ I saw a black metal cash-box nestling dimly in the hole. I put my !
'e!l!Cted' andulir\gthe ~ hand down and crooked a finger into the loose reclining handle but the ~
Yerbilnoun '1tfet<hing;'
rathefthan1imptfsayirig : match suddenly flickered and went out and the handle of the box, which :
'spide15' w>b5'itretclled ! I had lifted up about an inch , slid heavily off my finger. Without stopping :
<Kmlllhl!fi>place' ! to light another match, I thrust my hand into the opening and, just when it :
Again, rather than limply ~ should be closing about the box, something happened . ~
1aying ' tlwc0<nerolthe
room .,.,<11 in sMdoW' the
wrlterull'Sametaphor
' was~ blurofshado.,.,,
~~~=.~~~.~~:~.:::i=:~.~:.::::~.~~~~e: ~
A5 lhe moment of disrnwuy of tlrn box bocomes closer, tile lllfiter u~ a short ll'!ltooce of 11 words containing
whlchlllilke<;the
lhrei1activeYerbstobu ildupextitemmt
description mor~d irect
anda!so1uggest1that The last two words of this pari19fapll ~<M'lhe reader in SkJSPffill' and wailing to readoo to find out what
theshildol\ i1aphysic:al, happen~ next
throateningprnsefl{e
In this passage, the writer is describing surroundings that are mysterio us and a little
creepy. The comments on the highlighted words and phrases give some suggestions
as to how he uses language to achieve these effects.
The second passage is taken from A High Wind in Jamaica by Richard H ughes
and describes a morning in the Caribbean when a group of children are riding to
a place called Exeter Rocks on ponies, to spend the da y escaping from the heat.
The weather is exceptionally calm and extremely hot - it is, in fact, building up to a
hurricane .
Read the passage carefull y and then answer the questions that follow, which
refer to the highlighted sections. Tr y to make your answers as detailed as you can
as gaining a clear understanding of how the writer achieves his effects will help to
develop your own descriptive writing skills.
0 Passag e B
....................................................................................................
~ The sun was still red a nd large: the sky aOOve cloud less and like blu e glaze l
! poured over baJWg clay (ll but close over the ground a dirty grey haze l
~ hovered. As they followed the la ne towards the sea they came to a place l
! w here, yesterday, a fair-sized spring bad bubbled up by the roads ide. Now it l
! was dry. But even as they passed some water splashed out, and then it was l
! dry again, although gurgling inwardly to itself (2) But the group of children l
~ were hot , far too hot to speak to one another: they sat on their ponies as l
! loosely as possible, longing for the sea. l
! The m o rning~ W The heated air grew quite easily hotter, as if l
! from some enormous furn ace from w hich it could draw at w ill. ~ l
~ only shifted their stingi ng feet wh en they could bear th e soil n o longer eyen l
! the insects were too lethargic tg pipe the basking lizards bid themselves and
! ~ W It was so still you could have heard the least buzz a mile off. Not
! a naked fi sh would \vi llingly move bis tail. The ponies advan ced because
~ they must. The children ceased even to think.
! They all very nearly jumped out of their skins for close at hand a crane fa
! bird like a stork! bad trumpeted once desperntely Th en the brnken sj lence
! closed dgwn as flawless as before They perspired twice as violently as a
! result of the sudd en noise. (5) Their pace grew slower and s lower. It was no
~ fas ter than a procession of snails w hen at last they reached the sea.
! Exeter Rocks is a famous place A bay of th e sea alm ost a perfect semi-
! i;; i t :1 ~ gl!~ rd e d by the reef: l!belving whit!i! sands to span the few f t .frnm
~ ~~~ ShJ;t~frO~eki~j~~;-rnt1di~;W~~;~ f:!haIl!/JB:; Ai:la ~~rrO~V~~a;k

0
! in the rock:? leading the water into a small pool or miniature lagoon right
! inside their strongb.gld There it was safe from sharks or drowning that
~ the child ren mea nt to soak them selves all day lik e turtles in a pen. Th e
! water 9[ the bay was s mooth an d unnrnvi.ng yet perfei;; tly pure and clear:
! nevertheless the swell m uttered a m ile away on the reef The water w ithi n
! th e pgol itself cou ld not reasonably be s moother. No sea-breeze thought of
~ stirring No bi rd trespassed on the beayy air (6)
....................................................................................................
From A IlighWind in Jamaica by Ric hard Hughe
1 ldentifythesimileusedbythewriterinthisdescription.Explainitasfullyasyoucanbysaying
wha t it suggests to you and say how it helps you to picture clea rly the cloudless sky.
2 What is meant by the word 'gurgling' ? With 'Nhat sort of people a nd what particu lar actions do
youusuallyassociatethisword? Whatdoesit suggest toyou aboutthe springin therocks?
3 What does this word suggest to you about the heat of the morning ? The word 'advanced' is
often used to describe the a ct ions of an army on the march. How does this help you to picture
thedescriptionof the scene ?
4 Expla in fully what the bullocks and lizards are doing. How does the switch to describing the
actions of other living creatures, apart from the children a nd their ponies, help you to understand
theextremeheatofthe day?
5 Explain in your o.vn words 'Nhy the children are perspiring so heavily. What effect does the write r
produce by refe rring to the sound made by the crane? Why do you think he uses the words
'trumpeted' and'desperately'todescribeit ?
6 Now read through the final paragraph carefully. Quote and comment on words a nd phrases
contained in it tha t are used to give the impression that Exeter Rocks is a peaceful a nd secure
place. What arethe features that you thin k migh t lead to its be ing 'a famous place'? As
mentioned in the introduction to this passage, a hurricane will shortly occur; can you find any
suggestions in both this paragraph and the passage a s a whole, that something unexpected and
highlydangerousisabout toha ppen?
W riting imag inati ve ly: fi cti o n

Writing stories can be one o f the m ost enjoyable fo rms of writing that yo u can
undertake. H owever, writing a su ccessful story requires a lot of tho ught and
planning - yo u need to consider exactl y how your original idea will develop and
how it will end. As well as this, yo u need to establish the main character(s) and the
setting of the story clearl y and convincingly from t11e very beginning - at all times it
is important to keep yo ur readers in mind and to keep as king yo urself whet11er what
yo u have written will make sense to them. Yo u will find that writing a short story
involves a lot of work and t11is is one reason why it is not always a good idea to try
to write a story whe n you have a limited time to do so, such as when you are taking
part in an examination !
The story that follows has been included here for yo u to read and enjoy and as an
example of how an experienced writer can involve her readers by quickl y establishing
t11e situation and characters from t11e very beginning . As yo u read through it, think
a bout t11e way in which it is structured and how the writer does not over-complicate
or confuse matters by including too many details or plot developments . N ote that
t11e story is written by an Am erican writer and is set t11ere.
!"iliiiii"Is"A."GHOST INMY CiosETl

0 0
l By Deb Brainard l
l There is a ghost in my closet. Should I tell my Mom and Dad? No, they l
; wouldn't believe me. I told them about the monsters under my bed an d :
: they said there were no monsters under my bed. But I knew they were there. !
: They would just leave w henever Mom or Dad would show up. !
l The first night I saw my ghost in my closet I was scared, but I knew I l
; couldn't wake up Mom and Dad, they would just get mad at me, so I dec ided !
: to talk to my ghost in my closet. My ghost looks like my Grandmother, Nellie. :
i.............................................................................................!.'.~.i
....................................................................................................
; I had only met her once when I was 4 years old. I am now 8 and I can still ;
! remember it. I remember Grandma's homemade bread and pie and how the :
; smell of them was all through the house; it was so nice and made you feel ~
! all warm inside. :
! Grandma was a short woman about 5 feet. She had salt and pepper hair :
! and she wore it in a bun at all times. She also had this flowery, ruffie apron :
~ on. Grandma loved to cook and she was a good cook. Everyone loved to eat ~
: her cooking. And she always wore red lipstick too. :
! I asked my ghost, 'Are you Grandma Nellie?' and she just stared at me !
: with a blank stare. So I woke up my sister Nikki who shared a room with me :
~ and asked her if she could see the ghost in the closet. She said she could and ~
: asked the ghost if she was Grandma Nellie. At first the ghost just stared at us :
! blankly and then answered us , 'Yes, I am Grandma Nellie. I was surprised :
! that you could see me.' She was looking at us with a smile now and she :
~ spoke very softly. She said she was here to look after us as long as we needed ~
! her. I said that I hear lots of noises outside my window at night and is that :
: ghosts too? She said, no, that it was different animals, woodchucks, cats and :
! bats, and there was no need to be afraid. I asked Grandma, how long would :
; she be in our closet , and she said for as long as she feels she is needed. ~
! Well, we spent many nights talking with Grandma. She told us how to :
! make homemade bread and cherry pie and how to crochet. We had tea parties :
! together and sang songs \vi th her. She told us stories of her life, and sang to :
~ us until we went to sleep. We just loved having Grandma in the closet. ~
! Grandma had a beautiful voice, we loved hearing her sing, and she spoke :
: so softly and was so gentle. One night we had fallen asleep listening to :
: Grandma singing and it seemed we had been asleep for a long time when :
: she woke Nikki and me up. :
; 'Missy, Missy get up!' ~
! I woke up. 'What, Grandma? ' :
: 'Get Nikki and Billy and wake up your Mom and Dad and leave the door :
~ open and I will get your cat and dog out. You must go, go now.' ~
: 'Why?' :
~ 'The back porch is on fire! Go get out, go now.' ~
: So I did. I woke up Mom and Dad, and Nikki grabbed Billy, and we went to :
~ the tree we were told to go to if there was a fire. Mom and Dad joined us and ~
! asked us how we knew there was a fire in the house. We said that Grandma :
: Nellie told us. And true to her word, she had Sassy our cat and Rip our dog :
! at the tree with us. Dad was a volunteer fireman, and we lived right across :
; from the fire barn, so he went in and got the fire truck and set off the alarm ~
! for more help to come. They managed to put the fire out and save the house. :
! We lived with my Mom 's Mom and Dad, Grandma Evelyn and Grandpa :
! Wayne, for a few months before we moved back into the house. :
~ We didn't see Grandma Nellie much after that. But we were sure glad we ~
; had a ghost in our closet and that it was Grandma Nellie. ~
~''''''''''""''""'''""'''""'''""'''""'''"''''""'''""'''"'~~~=:~:::::/0a:~:::"..~
Planning your writing
Pract ice t asks: w ritin g imag in ati ve ly

1 Write the opening paragraphs of a mystery or ghost story. You should concentrate on describing the
setting for your story, for example, the place where it is set (for instance a building, the countryside
or a town), time of day or night, weather conditions and one mysterious character. You should not
attempt to write a complete story but simply try to create a suitably intriguing atmosphere.
2 'The Misfit'. Write a story about someone who does not fit in with the society around hinYher.
You should concentrate on describing the person in order to bring him/her to life. You should try
not to make the story itself too complicated.

St ructurin g a piece of w ritin g
The way in which you structure a piece of writing depends on the pmpose of the
piece and the audience it is being written for.
A structure is likely to go wrong if you don't plan the whole piece of writing
before you start. Most importantly, you must know what the end is going to be. If
you are writing an argumentative or informative piece, you need to be clear how you
are going to balance the argument with points for and against, or how you are going
to give one piece of information more prominence than another. If you are writing
an imaginative piece, you need to know how you are going to introduce characters
and how you are going to describe them, how you are going to create atmosphere
and setting, how the plot is going to develop and how your ending is going to work.
On page 107 you will find some conm1ents about paragraphing. Paragraphing is always
important but the way you use paragraphs depends on the puipose of your writing. For
instance, an infom1ative piece will nom1ally be divided into paragraphs of roughly equal
length, as it needs to have a clear and balanced structure. In an imaginative or descriptive
piece the length of the paragraphs will probably be more varied, as t11e diflCrent clements
of the narrative will have different degrees of importance.
Generally speaking, t11e structure should always have the following three parts.
1 Introduction: in a factual piece, this should state briefly what t11e subject oft11e
piece is and - if appropriate - what opinion you are putting forward on this topic.
In an imaginative piece, you may choose to set t11e scene or to go for a more
dramatic/immediate start.
2 Main body of explanation/argument/narrative.
3 Conclusion/story ending.
Practical ways t o pl an yo ur w riting

When writing under examination conditions many students are so concerned about
finishing in time t11at it is quite obvious they do not plan their writing. This matters,
because well"planned writing will almost always score more highly than writing
that has not been planned. Whet11er you are doing a piece of writing in response
to a text you have read or a piece of continuous writing for an essay or coursework
assignment, it is essential that you plan what you are going to write. There are various
methods you can use. Spider diagrams and lists, as explained in t11e following pages,
are two possibilities, but you may find another met11od t11at works best for you.
Spi der d iag ra ms

Note: The essay topic used in t11ese examples, 'A lot of our life is spent doing useless
things. Is this true?' is more complex t11an anything that you \vill be set in your
Cambridge !GCSE Second Language English examination. H owever, the advice

about planning will help you in preparing for the examination and it is likely that your
teacher may ask you to write something like this as a class or coursework assignment.
Stage 1
Write your topic in the middle of the page and around it write down all the things
that you might write about.
At this stage, don't stop to think too much - just write down any relevant ideas
that come to mind.
w!iywa,,~time
"leeping?
Stage 2
The next stage is to decide ifthere are things that need to be discarded , and how
to order the points that are being kept.
There are a number of points about education (linked by pink lines on the
diagram below).
There are a number of points about personal life (linked by blue lines ).
The idea about space exploration is probably going to be discarded.
Number the points to give them an order; each numbered point will be a
paragraph or part of a paragraph in your composition.
1 At this stage, don't be afraid to cross things out.

2 If you find that two of your ideas are closety linked, you should probabty combine them
3 Remember that ii is not just a case of putting forward one side of the argument - the points
being made need to be answered.
Stage 3
The order of the composition now looks like this.
A lot of our life is spent doing useless things. ls this true?
Para 1 General statement about the importance of education ( 1)
Para 2 However -subjects we are made to study are a waste of time. (2) Why
learn history? ( 3) Why bother to learn to do calculations in our heads -
calculators! (4 )
Para 3 Why do examinations in subjects which are of no importance? (5 )
Para 4 General statement about doing things we don't \vant to do. (6 )
Para 5 Being pestered to keep our rooms tidy. (7 ) Doing jobs around the house
we don't want to. (8 ) Being made to look smart when we want to be
comfortable. (9 )
P ara 6 We watch television when we can't think of anything else to do. (1 0 )
We spend time with people we don't like (perhaps relatives) because we
have to. ( 11 )
Para 7 Why can't someone invent something which means we don't have to waste
time sleeping? ( 12 )
What we want to do is to party. ( 13 )
Para 8 Conclusion
What is important in life? What is unimportant?
This might not be how your plan would look in terms of content and ideas. However,
it shows you how you might go about planning.
Why not take the topic title above and do your own plan? You could then go on
to write the essay.
Lists
Instead of a spider diagram, you may prefer simply to put things down in a list. With
this method, it's important to look carefully at the whole list again before you start
to write.
Don't be afraid to change the order of your points.
Don't automatically think your first ideas are the best: check through the list and
discard/replace some points if you have second thoughts.
H owever you choose to plan, the crucial point is this: don't be afraid to spend
time on planning! If you have 30 minutes to do a piece of writing, you should
spend 5-10 minutes planning it. One of the reasons people don't plan is because
they panic about not having enough time. Look on the positive side: if you have a
very dear plan in front of you, you don't have to waste time worrying about what to
put next, so you will write much faster and more efficiently.
Improving your writing

Always keep in mind the key areas that you are being assessed on for any piece
of writing, whether it is a composition, a piece of directed writing or coursework.
The Cambridge IGCSE Second Language English syllabus states that you should
be able to:
communicate clearly, accurately and appropriately
convey information and express opinions effectively
employ and control a variety of grammatical structures
demonstrate knowledge and understanding of a range of appropriate vocabulary
observe conventions of paragraphing, punctuation and spelling
employ appropriate register/style.
Using St andard En g li sh
Languages vary. Each language differs according to the particular area where it is
being spoken, and a language as widespread as English has many different variations
and versions. There are two main kinds of variation:
accents, which are simply variations in the way the language is pronounced
dialects, which are more significant variations, each with its own words and
expressions.
The accent and dialect spoken in an area are often an important part of that area's
identity. It is a mistake to say that any particular dialect of a language is 'wrong'
although, in practice, people compare other dialects of English to the form that has
come to be known as Standard English.
'Standard English' is the form of English that is agreed to be generally accepted
for written English, and it is the form of the language taught to students learning
English. Your written work for any examination testing your English skills should
therefore be almost entirely Standard English. This means following some generally
recognised Standard English rules about:
spelling (althougl1 US spelling is not penalised in some international
examinations)
punctuation
paragraphing
While written English - for learning pmposes, at least - should conform to Standard
English, the same does not apply to speech. It would be impossible, for example, to
speak in complete sentences all the time - and where are the paragraphs? In speech,
language is much less planned and more narural. So, when you arc writing in an
English examination, don't write as you speak unless you are writing some words
that were spoken or are meant to be spoken, for example:
when you are quoting someone
when you are writing direct speech
when you are writing a script.
Spelling
Some people not only convince themselves that they can't spell but think that,
because they can't spell, everything they write is a failure.
The first point to make is that spelling is not the most important thing in the
world. !fit is a problem for you, look at ways in which you can deal with it. Lack of
confidence can make a problem seem worse than it really is. There is no such person
as a perfect speller. Everyone makes mistakes from time to time. H owever, some key
strategies can help to improve your spelling, as explained below.
How to improve your spe llin g

Look at words. People who read a lot see words and absorb them. lfyou come
across a word that you find difficult, pause for a moment and look at it. Look at
the shape of the word. After a while you will find that you recognise the word
more easily and you can automatically think of its shape.
Draw up a list o f common words. Some words occur more frequently in
your writing than otl1ers. Draw up a list of these words and spend a few minutes
each day or every other day reading the list, covering it up and practising writing
the words.
Learn some spelling rules. Altlmugh tl1ere are a lot of words that break
rules, nevertheless you can learn rules about spelling which are helpfol.
' I before E except after C' for example, helps you spell correctly a whole
variety of words that have this letter combination. Find a book on spelling
and look up tl1e rules. Don 't try to learn tl1em all at once; just try to learn
one or two at a time.
Say word s out loud rathe r than just staring at the paper. It won't always
mean that you spell them correctly but, if you write down what you hear,
the chances are that tl1e word will be recognisable and it might jog your
memory.
Use a dictionar y to check your spelling rather t11an as the firs t s tep.
D on't be discouraged if you can't find the word straight away. Remember,
for instance, that some words, such as 'know' and 'gnome', have silent
first letters.
Make s ure you copy o ut names correctly. If you are doing a piece of directed
writing and there are proper names in the stimulus material, or if you are
responding to a piece ofliterarure, there is no excuse for getting tl1e spelling of
names of people or places wrong.
Remember that vocabulary is more important than spelling. Don't let
uncertainty about spelling frighten you away from using challenging and
interesting vocabulary. It is better to use interesting vocabulary with the
occasional spelling error than to 'dumb down' your writing, using only very
simple words tl1at you know you can spell.
Most importantly, remember to check what you have written. One of the
things to check is your spelling. You will probably not correct everything, but
increasingly you will find that you can spot your own mistakes.
Punctuation
The first question you should ask yourself when you are thinking about pwictuation
is, 'What is it for?' Punctuation is all about making life easier for the reader. In
particular, it indicates to the reader where he or she needs to pause. There are
four puncniation marks that indicate a pause and each indicates a different length
of pause.
The shortest pause is the comma. A comma allows you to group words within a
longer sentence so that the reader can see the idea developing. If you can, read
what you have written out loud. You will find that you namrally pause, and each
time you do, put a comma.
The longest pause is a full stop. You put full stops at the ends of sentences. They
indicate that the point is complete and finished. Remember that you can't turn
simple sentences into more complex ones just by using commas instead of full
stops. H owever short the sentence, once the idea is complete you need to put a
full stop.
In some ways the semi-colo n is the most difficult of the pause marks to
use. When you are reading, look out for semi-colons to see where writers have
used them. Read through this book and you will see that we have used semi-
colons in several places. If you write a sentence in two balanced halves, and
you want to keep the ideas of the two halves together rather than separating
them into two sentences, use a semi-colon. The pause is a little longer than a
comma and, by using it, you will be saying to the reader 'This is one idea which
has two ha! ves'.
The last of the four pause marks is the colon. You use a colon most frequently
to introduce a list of items. It allows a substantial pause before the list but
doesn't separate everything completely, as a full stop would. (You start a list with
a colon and then often use a semi-colon or a comma between the different items
on the list. )
Other punctuation marks have specific jobs to do and we will mention two of
them here.
A question m ark is a specialised full stop- in fact, part of it isa full stop. It is
used at the end ofa sentence tl1at is in tl1e form ofa question. It is a signal to tl1e
reader that a question has been asked, and that either the next sentence will be in
the form of an answer or the reader will be required to think out the answer for
him - or herself.
An exclamatio n mark is also used in place of a full stop. It is used at the ends of
very short sentences, sometimes one-word sentences, where the writer wants to
draw attention to something or pull the reader up short.
You must also know how to punctuate direct speech.
You put speech marks around the words that are acmally spoken.
Other puncmation marks, such as full stops, commas and question marks, go
inside the speech marks.
Every time speech shifts from one speaker to another, you start a new line.
Remember these points and you won't go far wrong. Don't forget that the purpose
of punctuation is to help the reader. Write a paragraph with no punctuation at all
and see how difficult it is to read. If you read it aloud, you will notice that you
naturally add the punctuation.
Using paragraphs
A paragraph is a collection of sentences that go together to make a section of a
piece of writing. The sentences are all about the same idea.
A paragraph normally begins with a topic sentence which tells you what the
paragraph is going to be about. The other sentences then develop the ideas.
You could say that paragraphing is a sort of punctuation. A sentence is a group
of words that go together to make a sensible whole; a paragraph is a group of
sentences that do the same thing.
Make sure not only that you use paragraphs, but that you use them correctly.
Sometimes it's easy to forget about paragraphing when you are writing
quickly in the examination and concentrating on what you want to say. It's
important to read through your work to make sure that:
you have started a new paragraph often enough
you have started the new paragraphs in sensible places.
Example of clear paragraphing

The short article which follows on pages 108- 109 is written in nine paragraphs. You
will see that each paragraph or group of paragraphs develops a different point.
Elsewhere we have talked about structure. Clearly the paragraphing has given this
short article a very good structure.
lfthepieceyouarewritingi5foraleaflet,advertorpamphlet,Ofiswmeotherkindofpublicity
material,you\\~llneedtouseotherdevicesaswellas,orinsteadof,paragraphstodivideyourtext
into 'bite-sized' chunks that are quick and easy to follow. For example, you might use:
several short sub-headings, Of
bulletpoints, liketheonesbeingusedhere!
Wheelchair rugby, popularly known as 'murderball', is one of the most exciting

events of the Paralympic Games . The passage which follows is an extract from an
article about this sport and focuses on Kylie Grimes, the only female member of the
UK Team in the 2012 Games.
Murderball: Spiked
wheelchairs.
Crashes galore.
By David Jones
Theorn>-o;enteoce
Ofll'niflgpar<qaph Among all the uplifting time, he r fortunes had she try 'murderbalr, in
dearlyestablishe1the biographies in these undergone an astonishing which the chair is designed
pointofthea1tidedod
-"
Games, Kylie's is transformation that no differently.
in1tant!yl'!lg~the
particularlyinspirational. money could buy.
She started by playing for
Aged 18, she was a sporty It came when, having Kent Crusaders, one of
student who travelled attempted wheelchair just ten teams in the UK,
the country competing in racing and found it too and showed such tactical
equestrian event s. The n, painful to sit in !he required awareness and raw
Thl!o;econddndthird one night , while attending position, her therapists courage as a defensive
par<tgraph~ supply
a party at a friend's home, at the Aspire Centre for player that within only
precisl!d!lt!il1a1to
thorauseofK)'lfe'S she dived into the shallow spinal injuries in Stanmore. two years she was selected
dlsabilityallditsresult1; indoor swimming pool Middlesex, suggested for the Paralympic squad.
theftnal!i!!nlllOl:eof - and her life changed
thothirtlparagriiph
prol'idll!la!inktothe
in an instant. Striking
morepo!iitivepicturn her head on the bott om,
presented by the rest she snapped her spine
Gftheartide
and was paralysed from
the neck down. Even
her arm movements are
limited, and it seemed
unlikely she would ever
participate in sport again.
She at first made an
attempt to sue the owner
of the house where
the party was held for
Paragrdph14andS 6 million compensation,
prol'idoasummaryof
Kytie'Scareeruptothe
claiming the re should
prese11td.iywtiensll9 have been a warning
i1abouttocompetein sign beside the pool.
thl!2012Paralympic: but she lost the case.
G.>m~
Nevertheless, by that
Wheelchair rugby is
practised in over twenty
countries around the world.
l'ar.-igtaphs&-ammist
cl a ser'es of carmeots
abot.C:t"efd."J...gl\te(s 'Kylie was hooked on and she was sometimes Having watched her
streogthsfromKylle'5 the sport as soon as she thrown out of her chair. yesterday. I have no
roothe!:This~ saw it ,' says her mother, But now I don't worry doubt of it. Kylie is also
11\iOOfpmp!!dM!on
twsituatim.nl<M Karen. 'She has always because, as she says, she clearly something of an
~amoo;plr.'D!lal been a great team- has already broken her exhibitionist - she has
~tolhe.wtidv. Tlle player, and from the neck - so there's not dyed her hair bright red
vert5hortParac:,aph8
effectiwlyernp'oa~
moment she was injured much worse that can for the Paralympics and
Kyil>~determhltDn.-ifll she never looked back, happen. is there?' had a Union Jack etched
{armitmontto~spat only forward . She told 'She knows she'll be hit into a shaven section of
me: 'Mum, it 's not about her scalp.
what I can't do - it 's just as hard as the men,
Thefinalparagra~
retum'itolhe11'fite.n and she wouldn't have it FromtheD:lfy Mal,
perspective.-indthl! about what I can do." ' 5Saptembef2012
situdtionillgeneral. but any other way.'
.-ilsoincludesspeclfi{ 'At first I was nervous
det;Jitsabout Ky1il'~ when I watched her,
<1ppearar1rn\\tiidlleaves
~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~.................................................... ........,
Tenses
Quite often students get tenses confused, swapping from present tense to past tense
and back again, especially in stories. When you are writing, think carefully about the
tense you are writing in -if you are writing in the present tense, then stick to it. You
might want to flash back occasionally to remind your reader of something in the
past, but make sure that you come back to the present after the flashback. If you are
writing in the past, then stick with the past tense.
Controlling and choosing language

Your ability to control and choose how you use language is also important. You can
demonstrate your ability by:
using a variety of sentence strnctures to produce different effects
using a variety of vocabulary which is appropriate for what you are writing.
In an examination, you will also need to show evidence of your ability to:
structure/organise a piece of writing
M'itealetter
M'ite informatively.
The evidence for this will often be in the way you organise and develop your
writing.
Last but not least .

Make sure your handwriting can be read easily. If only one word in three is
clearly legible, the reader will gain only a partial understanding of what you are
trying to say. Try to see it from the reader's point of view- the person marking your
examination paper can only award marks for what he or she can read!
If you are the sort of person whose brain works faster than your pen, then when writing an
examination task it may be a good idea to concentrate on writing neatly. The effort involved in
doing this helps to slow down your thought processes, giving you time to organise and express your
ideas clearly.
Note: Further, more detailed information about English usage (grammar,

punctuation, spelling and so on) can be found in the Appendix (pages 122-43 )
along with exercises to help your understanding.
@..__L_is_t_
e_n_
in~g~a_n_d..__
sp ~e_a_k_i_
n=g _s_
k_il _
ls~
Assessment in oral work (speaking skills) is a compulsory element of many English
examination syllabuses, including Cambridge !GCSE Second Language English.
However, as well as being tested in your examination, speaking and listening are
bound to be an integral part of your English lessons, and being able to speak in
English and understand what is said to you in reply are hugely important skills. It's
also worth remembering that if you write a script for your written papers, you will
produce a better piece if you have thought about how to speak interestingly and
communicate clearly.
In Chapter 5 we looked at the skills involved in writing for different pmposes and
for different audiences. Similar skills are needed for speaking. lfyou are a high court
judge about to sentence someone to ten years in jail, you are going to speak rather
differently from someone who is talking to a group of friends about whether to go
to the cinema or to go shopping. Even in school, you adapt your speaking style to
different situations - perhaps without really thinking about it: you are bound to find
yourself in a mix of formal and informal situations, talking with adults and with your
peers, talking about school work and your leisure time, and so on.
The following pages refer specifically to the Cambridge !GCSE Second Language
English syllabus, but much of the advice and suggested tasks are appropriate for any
examination syllabus that tests speaking and listening skills. In Cambridge !GCSE
Second Language English botl1 your listening and speaking skills will be assessed
as separate elements of the examination. Components 3 (Core) and 4 ( Extended)
are part of the external examination and test your listening skills. Component 5 (a
short examination conducted witl1in your school - as opposed to an externally set
examination) and Component 6 (coursework tasks) test your ability to speak English
competently. In total, listening and speaking comprise 30% of the available marks
for the examination if the examination taken is the Countin oral - 0511 ( 15% for
each skill ). However, for other syllabuses where tl1e oral is separately endorsed, the
listening paper counts for 30%.
Before we look more closely at the format and content of these components, it is
important to have a clear understanding oftl1e assessment objectives against which
you will be assessed
Assess ment obj ective 3: Li st e ning

l 1 identify and retrieve facts and details
l2 understand and select relevant information
l3 recognise and understand ideas, opinions and attitudes and tl1e connections
between related ideas
L4 understand what is implied but not actually stated, for example gist,
relationships between speakers, speaker's purpose/intention, speaker's
feelings, situation or place.
Assess ment obj ective 4 : Spea kin g

S1 communicate clearly, accurately and appropriately
S2 convey information and express opinions effectively
S3 employ and control a variety of grammatical strucmres
S4 demonstrate knowledge of a range of appropriate vocabulary
6 LISTENING AND SPEAKING SKILLS
SS engage in and influence the direction of conversation

S6 employ suitable pronunciation and stress patterns.
It is important to keep in mind that the assessment objectives contain all the criteria
for achieving the highest grades in the examination - you will still be graded even if
you don't fulfil them all completely.
The listening test

The disc that accompanies this book contains some exercises that you can use to
practise for the listening component of the Cambridge !GCSE Second Language
English examination. The follO\ving paragraphs will describe in some detail what the
listening test is likely to comprise and contain some advice as to how to approach it,
in order to achieve the best result of which you are capable.
You are not permitted to use dictionaries for either the Core or Extended
paper.
At Core level, Paper 3 lasts for about 30-40 minutes and consists of seven
questions in total.
Questions 1-4 are based on four short recorded extracts of people speaking - for
example, snippets of a conversation/dialogue or in the form of something like an
answer phone or voice mail message. There \viii be two short questions on each
extract (requiring answers of no more than two or three words each) and you \viii
be played each extract twice.
Question 5 requires you to fill in gaps in a form or some similar form of writing
that is printed on the question paper. You will be played a recording of a short talk
(that you will hear twice) and then asked to fill in the gaps on the piece of writing
using appropriate information given in the talk. In total, 8 marks are available for
this section of the paper.
Question 6 (which is worth 6 marks in total) requires listening to a recording of
six people giving their opinions on a topic; you will then be required to match
statements printed on the exam paper \vith the speakers who expressed the
particular views. There \viii be seven statements to choose from , so remember that
one of them will not be relevant. Again, the recording will be played twice.
Preparing for the test
Question 7 (8 marks in total) is based on a recording of a discussion between

two speakers plus a host who introduces the discussion. You will be required to
answer eight multiple-choice questions (each with three options) which test your
understanding of what was said in the discussion. A5 with the other tasks, the
recording will be played twice.
At Extended level, Paper 4 lasts for about 45 minutes and consists of eight questions
in total.
Questions 1-7 are the same as the equivalent questions for the Core paper.
Question 8 is worth 10 marks in total. You will be required to listen to a
recording of a talk and then to complete some short notes on the content of
this talk. The notes may be in the form of bullet points or filling in gaps in a
notebook, for example. The second part of this question involves listening to a
short discussion relating to the talk and then showing understanding of what was
discussed by answering some short sentence completion tasks.
All recordings will be played through twice.
Preparing fo r the test

As with other elements of your English examination, it is not possible to revise
for your listening paper in the same way that you might do for a subject such as
geography, for example. It is, therefore, especially important that you train yourself
to practise the skills required throughout the years leading up to your Cambridge
!G CSE examinations.
Fortunately, listening is something that you are required to do in every school
lesson that you attend so you will have had plenty of experience practising this
activity. However, it is very important that you don't take your ability to listen
to what is being said for granted. We have deliberately used the word activity
earlier in this paragraph as, in order to do well in your Cambridge !GCSE listening
examination, you must listen actively. This means that you should concentrate fully
on what is being said by the people on the recording and not let your mind wander.
(You may find it helps to close your eyes or to make sure that you focus them on a
fixed point - the sheet of paper in front of you, for example- so that you are not
distracted by what other people in the room are doing. ) Remember that what you
are being tested on is your ability to identify and select key facts relating to the
subject matter of the recording to which you are listening.
Remember - the examination will require you to apply your reading skills as well
as your listening ones, as it will be necessary to read the material on the question
paper as well as hearing what is being said on the recording. In order to gain a good
grade in the examination you must ensure that you understand clearly exactly what
each question is asking for, as well as concentrating closely on the precise detail of
t11e talk t11at will provide the answer to that question.
Many of the questions in t11e listening examination will require straightfonvard
retrieval of facts and details contained in the talks. However, as most questions are
wort11 only one mark you must ensure t11at you have selected exactly the right detail
to answer each question. Again, this is a skill t11at you are likely to be practising in
all the lessons you attend - teachers talk and give information about t11eir particular
subject and you, as the srudent, will be taking notes of what t11ey say and selecting
and identifying the important points that they are making. You may even find that
if you view every lesson as an opportunity to prepare for your English listening
examination, your performance in all of your school subjects will benefit!
There is one final point to note: assessment objective IA refers to the need to
'understand what is implied but not actually stated'. The ability to show that you are
capable of doing this is likely to be one of the requirements for a top grade mark.
Understanding what is implied will not be something that you need to do for some
of the more straightforward recorded passages, but you should always be alert to
the fact that, in some cases, the speakers can suggest an attitude about a topic by
the way they emphasise or pronounce certain words and even by the pauses they
make at key points when they are talking. Again this is something that you can train
yourself to do by giving close attention to what your teachers say and how they say
it. You can also practise this skill by listening to speakers on the radio or television as
part of your preparation for the examination.
Speaking assessment
Your speaking skills will be assessed either by a speaking test (Component 5) or
through coursework (Component 6).
The speaking test \vill take place at some point before the main examination
period and \viii be conducted in your school/college by an examiner who will be
a member of the school's English department or an external examiner. In total the
test will last for about 15 minutes. You \vill be given a speaking test card which
suggests a topic for the discussion you will have \vith the teacher/examiner. (The
school \viii have been sent a number of these cards containing different suggested
topics, so not every candidate in the Centre \viii talk about the same thing. )
When you first arrive for the examination, you \viii be able to take part in a short
'warm-up' conversation with the teacher/examiner - this will not form part of the
final assessment.
Once the teacher/examiner has given you your topic card, you \viii be given two
to three minutes to read through the card and to think about what you might say
about the topic. You are not allowed to make any notes or to use dictionaries.
When you have had a chance to think about the topic, the conversation/
discussion with the teacher/examiner will begin. This will last for about six to
nine minutes and this is what you will be assessed on.
Your test will be recorded by the teacher/examiner, as your Centre must

send samples of the tests to the Examination Board so they can be externally
moderated.
In your speaking test you will be judged on the structure of your conversation, the
range and appropriateness of the vocabulary that you use and how well and fluently
you develop your ideas. The conversation must be entirely in English.
To achieve a top grade in the test, you should demonstrate that you are clearly
and consistently in control of the structures of your speech and that your
vocabulary is sufficiently wide, varied and precise to be able to accurately convey
shades of meaning and to express some quite complex ideas.
In addition it is important for you to sustain and develop the conversation at some
length and to engage fully with the teacher/examiner by being able to respond to
any changes in direction tl1at he/she may introduce into the conversation. Your
pronunciation should be clear and accurate.
The points made in the previous two bullets describe the performance expected
from top-grade candidates and indicate what you should be aiming towards.
H owever, candidates witl1 more limited English speaking skills will still score some
marks and achieve a grade in tl1is component of the examination if: they tl1ink
carefully about what they want to say; express it as clearly as they can witl1in the
vocabulary range of which tl1ey are confident; and ensure that tl1ey listen carefully to
and respond relevantly to the points made by the teacher/examiner.
Remember that tl1is is a timed examination; do not be too worried if the teacher/
examiner calls a halt to the test just as you tl1ink the conversation is becoming really
interesting - it is important that all candidates are allowed equal time!

This section contains some ideas as to the sort of topics tl1at could feature on tl1e
test cards. One way of preparing for tl1e examination would be to follow tl1e advice
provided and to practise discussing the topics with a friend or family member.
The di sc ussio n
The discussion in your speaking test will take the form of a conversation with the
teacher/examiner about the topic on tl1e test card. The teacher/examiner will
not take an aggressive stance but will encourage you to expand positively on the
ideas you suggest. In order to make the best impression, it is important to use the
preparation time to think carefully about the topic. It is important that you pay
careful attention to any questions tl1at you are asked by the teacher/examiner: your
listening skills are important as well as your speaking ones!
The conversation should last about six to nine minutes and the comments made
by the teacher /examiner will allow you to express yourself as fully and as fluently as
you can.
So me suggested to pics fo r pract ice

The topic of tl1e conversation will be given to you on tl1e test card, so you will not
have had the opportunity to prepare for it in advance of the examination. However,
you can be confident that the topics on tl1e cards will have been carefully chosen to
ensure tl1at they are suitable for students of your age group and that they will allow
you and your classmates sufficient opportunity to devdop your ideas fully on the
subject, assisted by some prompting from the teacher/examiner if required.
The topics suggested below reflect the sort of subject matter that might appear
on the test cards and, as suggested earlier, will provide you with something to
practise with when you prepare for the examination. Remember: these topics are
for practice - there are suggestions for thinking about what you might say and how
you might approach the topics. Although it is unlikely that you will have the time to
prepare your points in the same detail when you are taking the actual test (when you
have only two or three minutes to do so ) doing so in practice should make it much
easier for you to focus your ideas quickly under examination conditions.
Do you have a hobby?

You might collect stamps; you might go ballroom dancing every week; you might
breed fish; you might have a pet boa constrictor which has to be fed on small live
rodents; you might knit socks. The point about a hobby is that presumably it is
something you enjoy and find interesting. You should be able to interest other
people in it. By way of preparation, ask yourself the following questions.
Why did I start this hobby?

When did I start?
H ow much time do I spend on my hobby?
Why do I enjoy it?
H ow else might I make my hobby interesting for the teacher/examiner?
Then you can think about how to begin your part of the conversation. You might
do it in such a way that there are some obvious questions for the teacher/examiner
to ask as the discussion develops.
Do you travel much?

Many of you might be lucky enough to have travdled widely; you may have been to
places that you have loved; you may have been to places that you have hated. Either
way, you should be able to talk about them in an interesting way. Again, you need to
think about what you might say, and the following points might help.
Think of all the places that you have visited.

Group similar places together.
Pick out the places that you most liked.
Pick out those places that you didn't like at all.
Consider what was most important to you when thinking about a place - the
people, the buildings, the scenery?
lf you were to pick your favourite place, which would it be?
What do you want to do as a career?

You may have a very clear idea about what you want to do as a furure career, or you
may have a part-time job that will provide you with material for your discussion. Do
you babysit, work in a local shop, run your own website service? Some of you might
be hoping that your parttime job will expand into a future career; for others it may
just be a means of earning enough money to be able to go out with friends at the
weekend.
Some of you might have been sent on work experience by your school. Again,
through work experience you might have discovered your fun1re career path.
Alternatively, you might have been very bored or you might have hated every
moment of your experience. Even so, you \viii have learned something for the
fiin1re.
t
aschoolnewspoper
amemberofyourlocal
your headteacher community council
H owever you have gained your experience, whatever your ideas, ask yoursdfthe
following questions.
Do I know what I want to do as a career?
H ow did I get this idea?
Was I influenced by others rather than making up my own mind? ( For instance,
do you want to do the same job as one of your parents? )
Why am I sure I will enjoy this job?
H ow important is the salary to me?
Do I think it will be a job for life?
Are you passionate abo ut a part icu lar issue?

'I am a vegetarian! No one should eat meat. It is unnecessary and barbaric.'
'Animals should not be used to test products for us humans. The plight of animals
that are used to test cosmetics is disgraceful. Even testing medicines on animals
should not happen; use human volunteers.'
'All rubbish should be recycled. We are destroying our own planet with our
pollution. People who abuse our planet should be fined huge amounts. We have to
think of our children and grandchildren.'
'They are my favourite pop group. I would go to the ends of the earth to see
them. Their last record was the most exciting thing I have ever heard. I know some
people disagree with me but they simply don't have any soul.'
'School uniform should go!'
If you are asked to talk about an issue that you feel passionate about, you must be
able to talk without being overdramatic and you must have clear reasons to use to
convince your listener. If you start offby advocating that all school uniforms should
be burnt and the teacher/examiner argues against you, you will not do very well if
all you can do is keep repeating 'I hate it!' So decide:
What is my subject?
Why do I feel strongly about it?
What do I need to say to make sure the listener understands the subject?
What are likely to be the arguments on the other side and how will I answer them?
Is yo ur fam ily interest in g?

It is perfectly possible that your aunt is an astronaut. Your father might have been
an Olympic athlete. Your grandmother was possibly the first woman to sail around
the world single-handed. Your brother might be the world pie-eating champion.
In other words, there might be members of your family who have achieved
outstanding success. Ifso, there is little doubt that you could talk about them in a
fascinating way.
However, you might believe your family to be interesting for far more simple
reasons. Perhaps you have lived in a variety of countries and have had to adapt to
frequent moves. Perhaps you come from a very large family who are involved in a
wide range of activities, which means that your family life is a non-stop whirlwind.
Before you start discussing this topic, you must decide on your way into it.
Speaking coursework
Who or what am I going to talk about?

Would others find the person I am going to talk about interesting?
Are there things which I should keep private?
If the teacher/examiner asks me a question I don't want to answer, how am I
going to get out of it? (There is no problem with politely declining to answer a
question and moving on.)
Have you been fascinated by a book you have read, or a play or film
you have seen?
If you were given this topic, you would find it quite straightfonvard because the
first thing you would have to do is make sure that the teacher/examiner understood
what you were talking about. You would have to reiterate the plot of a novel,
however briefly; you would have to tell the story of a film or a play and say who was
in it, and perhaps why their performances were so good.
You may well find that you have to take the lead more than with some of the
other topics. One point remains central, though; you must not only be able to tell
the teacher/examiner what the book, film or play was about, but you must also be
able to explain, perhaps in some detail, why it was so special for you.
Does a particular person interest you?

A wide-open topic if ever there was one, and many of the points and ideas above
would lead you in. Your person might be a member of your family, it might be a
singer or an actor. It might be someone from history who fascinates you.
Choose your person.
Make sure you know about them in detail and can interest a listener.
Remember that the discus>ion \\~II develop from the way you interpret the topic on the test card. The
teacher/examiner will listen very c.arefulty to what you say and he or she may also have some ideas of
his or her own and will want to see what you think of them. In order to respond well, you need to:
e listenverycarefulty
take your time in answering thoughtfully.
Speaking coursework
Rather than entering you for the speaking test, your teachers may decide to assess
your speaking skills by the coursework option. Although this involves a different
method of assessment from the speaking test, the criteria on which you will be
assessed are exactly the same.
Coursework assessments can take place at any time during the year leading up to
the final examination period. The assessments will be introduced and conducted by
your teacher and, at the end of tl1e course, your teacher will submit your performance
in three of the coursework speaking tasks for the final assessment. (It is quite possible
that you will have completed more tl1an three tasks throughout the course so tl1at
your teacher can select tl1e best tl1ree. ) Some or all of the tasks will be recorded as a
sample must be sent to the Examination Board for external moderation.
The speaking tasks will be based on a variety of activities, including role play,
interviews, group discussions, debates and telephone conversations. However, it
is likely that you will have the opportunity to engage in other activities as well,
especially if your class consists of both First and Second Language Cambridge
IGCSE English candidates, as it is likely that teachers will need to run assessments
for both groups at the same time. The advice and suggestions contained in the
following pages are suitable for both First and Second Language candidates.
To build your confidence in speaking, record some practice pieces. You could start by reading
something out loud, just to get used to the sound of your own voice on the recording. Once you
have done this, make your practice as close to the situation you will face in the test as possible - in
other words, find a willing partner, do some preparation and then have a go! If you manage to do
this a few times then you \\~II feel much more confident when it comes to the test itself.
Coursework
If your school has decided to assess your speaking and listening skills by coursework, you
will be assessed by your teacher three times during the course in three different speaking
and listening tasks. These will involve a range of activities, most of which will involve
you and at least one other person. Suggested activities are listed below, although your
teacher may also suggest other equally suitable topics, such as an individual activity in
which you talk about a topic that is interesting or important to you.
Possibl e acti viti es

Role-play situations. These could be based on a book that you are studying. For
example, you may be asked to imagine that you are a character who has to make
an important decision and are put in the situation where you have to explain the
options open to you with other characters from the book.
Interviews. These are really another form of role play and are likely to be based
on real-life situations. You could be put in the position of someone who is
applying for a particular job or position (for example an interview for a place at
university). On the other hand, you might be asked to take the role of the person
conducting the interview, not the interviewee.
How are speaking tasks marked?
Telephone conversations. You will be give n a particular topic for the telephone
conversation. For example, you could be a customer making a call to a shop about
an item that you bought recently that isn't functioning properly. Alternatively, you
might be asked to play the role of the member of staff who answers the call. This
type of activity requires a particular type of speaking skill, as the person to whom
you are talking can respond only to what you say and how you say it as they are
not able to see you and the gestures that you might make.
Paired or group discussions. In which you and a partner or partners (either
classmates and/or the teacher) take part in a role play or an interview about
a topic of interest, for example an argument between neighbours or a mock
interview for a position of importance within the community.
Debates. In which you are part of a small group of students who are involved
in a discussion relating to a particular scenario. For example, a panel of experts
discussing the performance of a local sports team in an important game.
The suggestions given for practice topics on pages 115-19 could equally form the
basis of an individual activity if the teacher offers you the opportunity to do this.
What is certain is that your teacher will want to give you the opportunity to speak
and listen in a variety of contexts. It is worth thinking about the different purposes
for which we need to talk. We might need to:
explain
describe
narrate, read or recite
analyse in detail
imagine something and interest the listener in it
put some ideas together and then explore them, either with a partner or in a
group
discuss
argue (not in the sense of having a row but of putting forward your view)
persuade.
Remember that it is always your job to decide why you are talking and therefore
how you should speak.
Remember also that with coursework there is no need to be nervous, because if
things go wrong you and your teacher can always decide that you can have another
go later. But then, things won't go wrong!
How are speaking tasks marked?

For both the speaking test and coursework tasks your performance( s) will
be recorded and the recording sent to a moderator who is appointed by the
Examination Board. The moderator receives a number of recordings and compares
them with the standards that have been set. He or she will decide whether you have
been assessed at the right standard. lfhe or she agrees with your teacher's marks,
the results will simply be sent to the Examination Board; ifthe moderator doesn't
quite agree with your teacher then he or she might adjust your marks slightly.
Appendix: Technical skills
This chapter contains a variety of information about technical aspects of the English
language, such as parts of speech, puncniation, vocabulary usage and grammar.
There are also some prnctice exercises. We suggest that you look upon this chapter
mainly as a reference section, to reinforce points that you have almost certainly
covered during your earlier years of studying the English language in school.
Writing in sentences
A sentence is a group of words making a complete unit of sense; it contains a
finite verb and a subject of this verb; all sentences contain at least one main
clause. For example: 'You turn left at the crossroads.' A sentence that contains
just one statement like this one is called a simple sentence. Some sentences,
however, consist of two main ideas, joined by a conjunction, for example: 'You
tum left at the crossroads and then carry on for another 100 metres. ' This type
of sentence is known as a compound sentence. Finally, some sentences contain
a mixture of main and subordinate clauses. A subordinate clause, such as that
indicated in italics in the example that follows, is a group of words, containing a
verb, which is dependent on the main clause for its full meaning to be dear. For
example: 'You turn left at the crossroads and then carry on down for another
100 metres where you will find a signpost directing you to the bus station which is
in Garden Square facing the post office.' This is known as a complex sentence.
A sentence starts with a capital letter. The end of a sentence is indicated by a full
stop (or a question mark or exclamation mark). For example: 'You run1 left
at the crossroads. The crossroads are very busy so you should watch the traffic
carefully.' There are two distinct statements made in this piece of writing. Each
has a different subject and each contains a main clause with a finite verb. The
only punctuation stop which has sufficient force to separate two such distinct
statementsisafullstop.
One of the most common errors made by examination candidates in their writing is to use a comma
to separate sentences when a full stop, question mark or exclamation mark must be used.
Most skilful writers will use a mixture of all three sentence types in their work
and, in order to achieve good marks for the writing tasks in an examination, it is
important to show that you, too, can confidently vary your sentence structure.
However, remember that complex sentences are most effective for conveying
involved and complicated ideas. When you are writing something which is
intended to convey straightforward information or instructions, it is best not to
over-complicate your sentence structure.
Paragraphs
A paragraph is a collection of sentences, all related to the same point, in which
the key idea of the paragraph is explored and developed.
Whatever type of writing you are producing, it is important that you pay careful
attention to your use of paragraphs. These will provide the backbone of structure
necessary to make what you say dearly understood by the reader.
Paragraphs
Each paragraph should contain a topic sentence which expresses the main point
of the paragraph; the rest of the paragraph should develop and expand on this
idea. The topic sentence can come at any point in a paragraph, depending on the
effect you want to achieve.
Each paragraph should develop from the one preceding it and link narurally into
the one that follows, so that your writing shows a logical progression from one
point to the next.
When planning a piece of informative or instructional writing, it is a good idea
to do so by thinking of the topic sentences which will underlie your paragraphs,
and then organising them in the most logical order, before you produce your
final draft.
Se ntence exe rcises
1 Rei.vritethefollowing,insertingc.apitallettersandfullstopsasnecessary.
a) The teacher walked quietly into the room the boy at the front of the room did not notice and
continued \\~th his imitation of the teacher's way of speaking the rest of the class went silent
b) I really think that it is a good idea to read the instruction booklet on how to \\~re up this
piece of electrical equipment before you tum it on you might have a nasty accident if you
don't do so
c) Thisisthefastestcarinitspricebracketthatyoucanbuyitacceleratesfroml}..6(linfive
secondsyouwilllinditveryexcitingtodrive
d) A holiday in the Caribbean will give you the experience of a life-time the beaches are fantastic
you will meet the friendliest people on earth the food is delicious and original
e) My grandmother was a very happy woman she lived in the country all her life she never had
very much money she lived a simple life her garden and small farm p!Ov'ided her with all the
food she needed
2 Tum each of the following groups of simple sentences into one complex sentence, using any
method you think suitable.
a) Maria was feeling bored. She had been on holiday for three days. It had been raining all
week. She decided that she must get out of the house
b) Maria picked up the telephone. She dialled the number of her friend, Consuela. Consuela
answeredinasleepyandtiredvoice.
c) Consuela was pleased when she heard Maria's voice. She had been very depressed by the bad
weather. Now there might be a chance to do something interesting.
d) Maria suggested that they went into town. Her older brother was at home. She would ask
him if he would drive them in his car. They would call for Consuela in thirty minutes.
e) Consuela put down the telephone. She was very pleased with Maria's suggestion. She ran into
her bedroom. She needed to get ready quickly. She also wanted to eat some breakfast.
Parag raph exe rcises
Here are five topic sentences. Use each of them as the basis for a single paragraph of your own.
Remember that all ideas in each paragraph must relate to the topic sentence. You should try to
vary the position of the topic sentences so that not all of them are used at the beginning of a
paragraph
a) He mounted his bicycle and rode quickly away.
b) These are the reasons why I particularly enjoy visiting my grandmother.
c) lthadbeenrainingheavilywithoutstoppingforfivedays.
d) The Principal sat back in his comfortable chair and thought that the day had turned out better
than he had feared.
e) Thesearethemainreasonswhy _ _ _ _ _ _ ismyfavouritemoviestar.
(Fill in the blank with your favourite's name. )

APPENDIX: TECHNICAL SKIL LS
Punctuation: commas
Commas are an important punctuation device. However, it is very easy to misuse
them. They should be used only for specific purposes. The following list explains the
main occasions when commas should be used. You'll notice that six of these uses are
purely mechanical, while the other two require a little more care.
1 To separate words (especially adjectives) or phrases in a list or series (except for
the last two words, which are usually joined by 'and' ).
For example: ' Mr Anderson was a mean, cruel, badtempered, miserly and
thoroughly unpleasant young man. '
2 To mark off the name or title of a person being addressed.
For example: 'Mr Anderson, you've just dropped your wallet.' Or 'Excuse me, Mr
Anderson, could you please give me my money back?'
3 To mark off words or phrases in apposition (t11at is, words which are parallel in
meaning to others in the same sentence .)
For example: 'Mr Anderson, the shopkeeper, is a very rich man.'
4 To mark off words and phrases which have been added into a sentence, such as
however, therefore, nevertheless, moreover, on the other hand, etc.
For example: 'Make sure, however, that when you are talking to Mr Anderson,
you are always polite.'
5 To mark off phrases beginning with a participle when it is necessary to make a
pause in reading.
For example: 'Mr Anderson, seeing that my father was also a rich man, asked him
ifhe would like to have lunch.'
6 In conjunction with speech marks to indicate the beginning of a passage of direct
speech.
For example: ' Mr Anderson rose to his feet and said," ..
7 To separate an adjectival clause beginning with 'who', 'whom' or 'which' from the
rest of the sentence, when it is non-defining. This is a particularly tricky use of the
comma, but the following example will help to explain the point.
For example: ' Mr Anderson ordered that all the schoolchildren, who were in his
shop, should be punished.'
In this sentence, the clause 'who were in his shop' must be non-defining and,
therefore, means that all the children in the school happened to be in his shop
at that particular rime. However, ifthe commas were not there, the sense would
be that the Mr Anderson ordered that only the children in his shop were to be
punished. (Those who were at home or still in school were lucky! )
8 To break up a sentence into smaller parts and to help the reader to grasp the
meaning.
For example: ' Mr Anderson, bad-tempered and angry, stormed into the school
building, knocked on the Principal's door and then, before the Principal could
ask him what he wanted, launched into a tirade about the bad behaviour of young
people today.'
Punctuation: semi-colons and colons
Pun ctu ati o n exe rcise 1

Rei.vrite the following p;issage, inserting comma5 and full stops as necessary. Remember to change
letters to capitals too, if needed!
Mr Da 5i!va the Priocipol of tlappy Valley /ii9h 5chool lo'<lf oot a happy moo he hod
jvftreceived a commv11icatio11 from a very a119ry rich and pololerfvl moo oomed
Mr A11derro111o1ho 1o1a11ted him Mr Da ~ilva to pvoirh a 9rovp of children 1o1ho hod
beeo io Mr A11derfo11 15 rhop a~er 5chool k1101o1i119 that Mr Anderroo lo'afthe rort
of per50111o1J..o 1o1ovld not lisTeo to any E)(Cvfef ood 1o1J..o 110 matter J..01o1 many timer
aoyooe tried to per5vade him otJ..er1o1ire 1o1ov!d oever chan9e J..i5 miod Mr Da 5i!va
oevertJ..eleH felt that he ov9Mto try to pvt io a 9ood 1o1ord for the children in J..ir
rchool 1o1ho lo'ere J..e koelo' ootrea!ly 11av9hty jvsT hi9h rpirited relvctaotly he opeoed
hif door to Mr Aoderron 1o1hen he heard him approacJ.. aod 1o1ar jvftabovtto rpeak
1o1J..e11 Mr A11derfo11 5J..ovted 'Mr Da 5i!va it'5 time lo'e J..ad a talk'
Punctuation: semi-colons and colons

These two punctuation devices should not be confused. Each has specific purposes
and the ability to use them correctly and with confidence is one of the marks of a
skilled \\.Titer.
Semi-colons arc used for two main purposes:
To separate two main clauses when they could otherwise be joined by a
conjunction, such as 'and' , 'or', 'but'.
For example: 'Banning traffic from the town centre will make life safer for
pedestrians; it will also make the area much quieter.'
These two statements could also be joined by using 'and' ; however, the use of the
semi-colon gives the second half of the sentence equal force with the first.
To separate clauses or phrases in a list. ( Remember: single words in a list are
separated by commas. )
For example: 'The government must make up their mind about what should
be done : they can ban all traffic in the town centre at all times; they can ban
cars and lorries using the town centre on week days only; they can allow
commercial vehicles but ban private ones completely or they can leave things
exactly as they are.'
Colons are used for three main purposes. These are:
To separate two statements where the second expands on the meaning of the first.
For example: 'His heart sank as he approached the town centre: the traffic was at a
complete standstill and there was no indication that it would be moving again for
at least an hour. '
To introduce a number of items or options in a list.
For example: 'The government must make up their mind about what should be
done: they can ban all traffic in the town centre at all times; they can ban cars
and lorries using the town centre on week days only; they can allow commercial
vehicles but ban private ones completely or they can leave things exactly as
they are.
To introduce a speech or a quotation.
For example: 'Hamlet: To be or not to be, that is the question.'
Pun ctu ati o n exercise 2

Rewrite the following passage inserting semi-colons and colons as nec:es.sary.
Th<;> n.. o \<.'af rhioio9 itlo-'af a /lo<;> day. Yovrry al-!ok<;> dr<;>l-1 back ti.<;> cvrl"ai'lf i" l.ir
b<;>droom !ook<;>d l.appily attl.<;> 9!itt<;>rio9 f<;>a io ti.<;> dirtaoc<;> aod d<;>cid<;>d ti.at I.<;>
1--'ovld call l.ir fri<;>odr aod rv99<;>rftl.<;>y fp<;>ottl.<;> day at th<;> b<;>acl.. /i<;> thov9ht
abovt \<.'J..at h<;> \<.'ovld ha>J<;> to tak<;> 1--'ith him aod rtarl"<;>d to pack hir ba9 it l-!af oot
particvlar!y lar9<;> ro h<;> ko<;>l-1 that h<;> had to thiok car<;>fv!ly. fioal!y h<;> d<;>cid<;>d
oo th<;> follol-!io9 a bottl<;> of ic<;> cold \<.'at<;>r hir bathio9 cortv..,<;> a"d a to\<.'<;>) ro..,<;>
raodl-'ich<;>f for J..ir !vocJ.. a !ar9<;> bottl<;> of fV/'l lotioo hir bar<;>ba!! cap to prot<;>ct hir
l.<;>ad fro.., ti.<;> fVl'I a"d a pair of fv'l9!aH<;>f.
Punctuation: apostrophes
Apostrophes are used for two main purposes:
1 to indicate when a letter or letters have been left out of a word (omission)
2 to show possession.
The first of these uses is quite easy to understand; the second can be more
problematic.
Omission. One way of giving your writing a more informal or colloquial tone is
by con tract ing the form of some words.
For example: in speech, most people would not say something like, 'I do not think
that we will be able to go to the beach tomorrow. It is not a good day as there will
not be any transport available. ' Instead, they would use contracted forms of the
words in italics.
When you write such contracted forms, you must use apostrophes to show where
letters have been left out: ' I don't think that we'll be able to go to the beach
tomorrow. It isn 'ta good day as there won't be any transport available. '
Possession. In order to show possession ( that is, to show the owner of
something) when there is only one person or thing concerned, an apostrophe,
followed by the letter -s, is put at the end of the noun indicating the person or
thing that is the possessor.
For example:
Thegirl'sdre55
Boy The boy's book
H owever, ifthere is more than one possessor (and the plural form of the noun is
indicated by the letter -s) then the possessive is shown by adding an apostrophe
after the -s showing the plural.
For example:
The girls' dresses

The boys' books
'''
Punctuation: dashes and hyphens
Notes:
(i) When the plur.i.l of a noun is not formed by adding -s, then the possessive is
shown by -'s.
For example: 'The men's changing room'; 'The women's changing room';
'The children's playground'.
(ii) The only word which determines the position of the apostrophe is the noun
indicating the possessor. Whether one person possesses many things or many
people share the ownership of one thing, there is no deviation from the
apostrophe rule.
For example: 'The girl's presents' (one girl owning many presents) and 'The
teachers' staffroom' (many teachers, but only one room).
(iii) The apostrophe should be used in expressions such as 'a week's holiday', 'a
day's sickness', 'an hour's delay' .
(iv) The apostrophe is only used in the word it's when it is a contraction for it is.
For example: 'It's a hot day today.'
The apostrophe is not used on the possessive adjective its.
For example: 'The dog ate its bone.'

Rewrite the following sentences using apostrophes as required.
a) Katijas books were left in the schools dining room.
b) 'Whats the matter with the cat? It cant seem to find its food.'
c) 'Ive had at least a months wait for this letter; its about time something turned up.'
d) M rRajanscarwasm issingahubcap
e) The boys football had been lost among the gardens long grass
f) 'Whatsthisballdoinghere?ThisistheMayorsprivateproperty.'
g) The birds nests were blown out of the trees by the winds force.
h) 'Where are you going? Im not going with you; its too late.'
i) Both of the History teachers cars radiators were not working propertj.
j) Mrs Flemings sons house wasnt very close to his wifes place of work.
Punctuation: dashes and hyphens

These two punctuation devices should not be confiised. The das h is used for a
variety of purposes. I ts main use is to show where there is an interruption to the
inte nded structure of a sentence, for example when an afterthought is added or an
interruption occurs. In these cases, a dash is placed before and after the words that
are interjected - unless the interruption occurs at the end of a sentence, when it
will be concluded with the conventional device such as a fiill stop, question mark or
exclamation mark.
For example:
'She offered me some of her lunch - and very tasty it was too - before we went
back into lessons.'
'She offered me some of her lunch before we went back into lessons - and very
tasty it was too! '
Another time when a dash is used is to show when a word or sentence is not
completed.
For example:
'I 'll tell you who the murderer is; it was-' a single shot silenced him before he
could pronounce the name we had all been waiting for.
The police would not tell us who the suspect was; they refe rred to him as Mr] - .
Another use of the dash is to indicate a sudden dramatic end to a sentence.
For example:
' I'll tell you who committed the murder,' said the detective . ' It was - the mayor. '
A hyp hen is not really a punctuation mark at all; it is simply a way oflinking
compound words together (for example, as in 'the sea was a bluishgrey colour' ) or
as a sign that a word has been split into syllables when there is no space to fit the
complete word in at the end of a line of writing, for example ' eat-ing'. I n this case,
it is important that you place the hyphen between syllables and not between letters
at random (for example 'eati -ng').
Punctuation exercise 4
Here is an extract from a short story with all the punctuation removed . Put in the punctuation
(including dashes).
it1-1ar >1ery rlol--'ly I reca>1ered my memory of my e)l"perieoce yov belie>Je 001-1 roid
the old moo tJoattJoe room ir J..ovoted he rpoke no loo9er ar one 1-1Joo 9reetr on
iotrvder bvtar one l--'J..o 9rie>1er for a broken friend yer roid i tJ,,e room ir Joa voted
ood yov ho>1e reeo it ood \Ne 1-1Joo Joa>1e li>1ed J..ere a!I ovr li>1er Joow oe>ler reteyer
vpoo itbecovre l--'e Joow oe>ler dared ... tell vr ir ittrvly tJoe old eorl 1-1J..o no raid i
it ir not i told yov ro roid tJoe old lady 1-1itJ,, the 9laH io Joer J..aod it ir hir poor yovo9
covoteH l--'ho 1-1ar fri9hteoed it ir not i roid tJ..ere ir oeitJoer 9J..ortof eorl nor 9Joort
of covoteH io tJoat room there ir no 9JoorttJoere at a!! bvtl--'orre far \Norre l--'ell they
roid the l--'orrt of o!I tJoe tJ..io9r thot J..ovot poor mortal man roid i ood that ir io all if"r
ookedoeH Feor fear tJoatl--'ill not J..0>1e li9J..t nor rovod thot1-1i!I not bear l--'itJ,, reoroo
thotdeafeor and dorkeor ood 0>1erl--'helmr itfo!lo1-1ed me tJorov9Jo tJ..e corridor it
fov9hto9aiort me io tJ..e room i rtopped obrvpt!y tJoere l--'Of on ioterVal of rileoce my
Joaod l--'eotvptomybooda9er
From The Red Room by H.G. Wells
Direct speech punctuation

If you are using direct sp eech in your writing, it is important that you punctuate
it correctly and observe the appropriate conventions. H ere are tl1e key points to
remember:
Direct speech should be placed within either double (" ... "' ) or single (' ... ')
inverted commas (speech marks). It does not matter which form of speech
marks you choose to use, but once you have decided you must be consistent.
All passages of direct speech must be marked off from tl1e rest of the sentence in
which they occur by a comma.
The opening word of each piece of direct speech must begin with a capital letter.
You should start a new line for each new speaker.
Direct speech punctuation
lfyou quote someone else's words within a passage of direct speech, then these
words must also be enclosed within speech marks. If the original piece of speech
is indicated by double inverted commas, then forther quotations should be placed
within single inverted commas and vice versa.
If a single piece of direct speech consists of more than one paragraph, then the
opening set of inverted commas is repeated at the start of each new paragraph.
H owever, the closing inverted commas are not used until the very end of the
passage of speech.
Here are some examples of the three different patterns of direct speech and of how
they should be puncruated:
1 The teacher said, "I'm very pleased with the last piece of work you did for me."
2 "Thank you, Sir," I replied, "but I found it a very difficult as.signment. Will we
have an ything else like that in future ?"
3 " I'm sure you will," answered the teacher. "You need as much practice with this
topic as you can get."
In the first example, a comma is used after the introductory verb (said) and before
the words actually spoken, which begin with a capital letter.
In the second example, the words ' I replied ' break the direct speech and are
separated fro m the rest of the sentence by commas. The opening word of the second
part of this direct speech sentence does not have a capital letter, however, because it
continues a sentence that has already begun.
In the final example, the two pieces of direct speech, separated by 'answered the
teacher', are two distinct sentences. The opening word of the second sentence (You )
is, therefore, given a capital letter.

Punctuate the following passage, putting in paragraphs, commas, full stops, speech marks, capital
lettersandquestionmarksasnecessary.
tJ-.e clanroom 1-'<lf vnvfval!y qvietthe priocipo! ftrode to the front of tJ-.e room ood
ftood ottJ-.e teocher'f defk he 1-'oited for a miovte before Joe fpoke i 1-'ootyov al! to
liften very corefv!ly he foid io a qvietvoice fomeooe io J-.ere J-.of beeo very rvde to
a Vifitorto tJ-.e fcJ-.ool fomeooe fhovted the 1-'ord idiotottJ-.e mayor of J-.e 1-'olked
tJ-.rov9h tJ-.e ploy9rov11d i 1-'ootto kool-11-'ho itl-'of brion roifed J-.if hand yef boy
foid tJ-.e priocipol l-'of ityov it mi9ht J-.ave beeo me fir 1-'J-.ifpered brioo l-'J-.otdo yov
mean it mi9J-.tJ-.ave beeo me fvrely yov knol-1 if yov foid it or 11otbrio11 looked very
1-'orried i did coll ovttJ-.e 1-'ord idiot io tJ-.e p!oy9rov11d J-.e foid bvt i dido'tfee tJ-.e
moyortJ-.ere Joe mvft J-.ave tJ-.ov9M i 1-'<lf fJ-.ovti119 the 1-'ord at J-.im bvt all i 1-'<lf doi119
1
1-'<lf fJ-.ovti119 at myfelf 1-'e 1-'ere ployi119 foorl>aU ood i mined 011 opeo 900! tJ-.ot f tJ-.e
trvtJ-.fir
Vocabulary work: homonyms,

homophones and homographs
The Greek prefix 'homo-' means 'the same'. The exercises in this section are all
based on groups of words that have similarities.
Homonyms are words that have the same spelling and pronunciation, but
different meanings. For example, ' bit' as in a small item of something and 'bit' as
the past tense of the verb 'to bite'.
Homoph ones are words that have the same pronunciation but a different spdling
and different meanings, such as ' rain' (something wet that falls from the sky); 'rein',
a device for controlling a horse and 'reign', the action performed by a king or queen
in control of a country.
Homographs are words that have the same spelling but different pronunciations
and meanings, such as 'close', a verb meaning to shut, and 'close', an adjective
meaning near to.
Being able to distinguish between words in these different categories is an
important requirement in being able to write and speak English fluently.
Exe rcise 1: Ho m o ny ms
The following words all have at least two different meanings. Use each word in at least two
differentsentenceswhichmakethemeaningsclear:
bear, bow, fair, lap, lean, lie, page, pen, plain, train
Exe rcise 2: Ho m o ph o nes

Use each of the following pairs of words in sentences, making clear the differences in thei r
meanings:
allmved'aloud
ascent/assent
bare/bear
berth/birth
cereaVserial
flair/flare
freezetfrieze
higher/hire
hoarse/horse
pedaVpeddle
Exe rcise 3: Ho m og raph s

The following words have a different meaning, depending on how they are pronounced. Write two
sentencesforeachwordtoillustratetheirdifferentmeanings:
bow, desert, entrance, lead, live, minute, refuse, raw, \.\~nd, wound
Spelling and vocabulary work

Some English words are spelt differently depending upon what part of speech they
are. H ere are some examples:
practise practice
prophesy prohecy
*Effect can also be used as a verb with the meaning 'to produce or to bring
something about'.
Verbs
Verbs are words which express an action or a state of being and are central to tl1e
structure of a sentence; for example:
'The batsman struck the ball.'
'The sun shone.'
'The ugly duckling became a swan.'
In each of these examples the verb is in italics.
In tl1e first example, tl1e verb 'struck' is followed by the noun 'ball', which is
referred to technically as tl1e o bject of the verb. A verb which is followed by an
object is called a transitive verb.
In tl1e second example, there is no object in the sentence. A verb such as 'shone',
which is not followed by an object, is called an intransitive verb.
The verb in the third example, 'became', expresses a state ofbeing and not an
action. In this sentence, the subject of the verb ('duckling') and tl1e word following
it ('swan ') refer to the same tl1ing; the word following verbs such as ' become' is
referred to as tl1e complement of the sentence.
A finite or main verb is a form of a verb which expresses an action or state of
being which is complete in itself. It has tense (past, present or future ) and number
(singular or plural ); for example:
' I ran to school.'
' It is a cold day.'
' H e waits for me at the bus stop.'
'There are no clouds in the sky.'
All of these simple sentences make complete sense and it is the form of the verb
which ensures that this is so.
A finite verb can be in either the active or the passive m ood. In the active, the
subject of the verb performs the action (for example: 'The batsman struck the ball.'),
whereas if the verb is in tl1e passive form, the subject suffers the action of tl1e verb
(for instance: 'The ball was struck by the batsman.')
Not all forms of the verb convey a complete meaning and, tl1erefore, need
to relate to something else in the sentence. Such forms of the verb are known as
no n -finite. The most common non-finite parts of a verb are:
the infinitive ('to talk', 'to beat', etc .)
the present participle ('talking', 'beating', etc.)
the past participle {'talked', 'beaten', etc.).
When used in sentences, the infinitive functions as a noun; for example:

'He liked to eat.'
And the participles usually function as adjectives; for example:
'The talking parrot amused the children.'
'The beaten team left the ground as soon as they had changed out of their kit.'
One further non-finite part of the verb is the gerund or verbal noun. As the
alternative name suggests, the gerund is a part of the verb which functions
grammatically as a noun. In form it is the same as the present participle. For
example, the gerund of the verb 'to dance' is 'dancing'. It can be used in a sentence
as either the subject or the object of a verb. For example: 'Dancing is an activity
that can be enjoyed by all ages' and 'My grandparents enjoy dancing and so do I'.
Because it is a noun, it can be described by an adjective, as in ' Hip-hop dancing is a
very enjoyable activity'.
Although the gerund functions as a noun, it still retains its character as a verb. In
the following sentence, for example, the gerund 'banging' is both the subject of the
verb 'upset' (and, therefore, doing the work of a noun) and also has its own object,
'drum', and so keeps its verbal function: 'The child's continuously banging his drum
upset our concentration.'
Note: & the gerund is a noun, it must be accompanied by a possessive and not a
personal pronoun ( this is a common confusion and error of expression). There is a
significant difference between the following sentences: ' I don't like his dancing' (in
other words, it is the way he dances that is not liked, not the person himself) and
'I don't like him dancing' (this is grammatically incorrect, but ifit meant anything,
would mean, ' I don't like the person who happens to be dancing').
Subjunctive mood
As well as the active and passive moods, a verb can also be used in the subjunctive
mood. This is when a verb is used to express a condition that is doubtful, not factual,
or wishful. It is very often used in a sentence or clause introduced by the word 'if'.
The subjunctive mood is also used in subordinate clauses that follow verbs that
express feelings such as doubt, request or wish. For example, the verbs that most
commonly introduce a clause using the subjunctive are: ask, demand, determine,
insist, move, order, pray, prefer, recommend, regret, request, require, suggest,
and wish.
In Standard English usage there is no difference between the subjunctive and
normal form of the verb apart from in the third person singular of the present tense
and in the verb 'to be'. In the subjunctive mood, the normal present tense form of
the third person singular (for example, he runs, she catches) loses the final -s or -es
so that it takes the same form as the first and second person singular (for instance,
he run, she catch).
He recommended that she catch the earlier bus as it would be less crowded.
In this example, the verb 'catch' is in the subjunctive mood as it follows a wishful
statement and contrasts \vith the normal (or indicative) use of the verb 'to catch' as
in the sentence 'She catches the ball as it is thrown to her'.
The subjunctive form of the verb 'to be', however, is 'be' in the present tense and
'were' in the past tense for first, second and third person forms. For example:
Ifl were you, I would apply for the job without any hesitation.
In this sentence, the verb 'were' is part of the statement 'if ! were you', which is
a nonfactual condition (one person cannot actually become another), and so the
subjunctive is used. H owever, in a sentence such as ''\.Vhen I saw the advertisement,
I applied straightaway for the job.' a straightforward action taking place in the past
is described and so the straightforward past tense is used.
Pronouns
The term pronoun covers many words, and, in general, refers to words that can
take the place of a noun used earlier, such as 'he', 'she' and 'they' . There are many
different kinds of pronouns, however, and confusing their use can cause problems
when you are trying to express yourself in English. The list below is mainly for
reference purposes.
Demonstrative pronouns
These pronouns are used to demonstrate (or indicate). This, that, these and those
are all demonstrative pronouns, for example:
This is the one I left in the car.
In this example, the speaker could be referring to a mobile phone, for instance, in
which case the pronoun 'this' replaces the words 'mobile phone' .
Shall I take those?
In this example 'those' could replace, for instance, 'those apples'.
Indefinite pronouns
Unlike demonstrative pronouns, which point out specific items, indefinite pronouns
are used for non-specific things. This is the largest group of pronouns. All, some,
any, several, anyone, nobody, each, both, few, either, none, one and no one are
the most common. For example:
Somebody must have seen the driver leave.
('somebody' - not a specific person )
We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars. (Oscar Wilde)
I have nothing to declare except my genius. (Oscar Wilde)
Interrogative pronouns
These pronouns are used in questions. Although they are classified as pronouns, it is
not easy to see how they replace nouns. \Vho, which, what, where and how are all
interrogative pronouns. For example:
\V110 told you to do that?
Possessive pronouns
Possessive pronouns are used to show possession. As they are used as adjectives, they
are also known as 'possessive adjectives'. My, your, his, her, its , our and their are
all possessive pronouns. For example:
Have you seen her book?
In this example, the pronoun 'her' replaces a word like 'Sarah's'.
We use possessive pronouns to refer to a specific person/people or thing/things
(the 'antecedent') belonging to a person/people (and sometimes belonging to an
animal/animals or thing/things).
We use possessive pronouns depending on:
Number - singular (for example mine) or plural (for example ours)
Person - 1st person (for example mine), 2nd person (for example yours) or 3rd
person (for example his)
Gender - male (for example his ), female (for example hers).
Below are the possessive pronouns, followed by some example sentences. Notice
that each possessive pronoun can:
be subject or object
refer to a singular or plural antecedent.
plural
Look at these pictures. Mine is the big one. (subject My picture )

I like your flowers. Do you like mine? (object my flowers )
I looked everywhere for your key. I found Maria's key but I couldn't
find yours. (object your key)
My flowers are dying. Yours are lovely. (subject Your flowers )
All the essays were good but his was the best. (subject his essay)
Maria found her passport but John couldn't find his. (object his passport)
John found his spectacles but Maria couldn't find hers. (object her spectacles)
The hurricane damaged the house's roofbut the shed completely lost its.
(object its roof)
H ere is your car. Ours is over there, where we left it. (subject Our car)
Your photos are good. Ours are terrible. (subject Our photos)
Each couple's books are colour-coded. Yours are red. (subject Your books )
I don't like this family's garden but I like yours. (object your garden)
These aren't John and Lee's children. Theirs have black hair. (subject -Their
children)
Jolm and Lee don'tlike your car. Do you like theirs? (object their car)
Notice that the interrogative pronoun 'whose' can also be a possessive pronoun (an
inte rrogative possessive pronoun). Look at these examples:
There was $100 on the table and Maria wondered whose it was.
This car hasn't moved for two months. Whose is it?
Re lative pronouns
Relative pronouns are used to add more information to a sentence. \Vhich, that,
who (including whom and whose) and where are all relative pronouns. For
example:
Dr James Montgomery, who lecrured at the university for more than 12 years,
should have known the difference.
ln this example, the relative pronoun 'who' introduces the clause 'who lecrured at
the university for 12 years' and refers back to ' Dr James Montgomery'.
The man who first saw the comet reported it as a UFO.
In this example, the relative pronoun 'who' introduces the clause 'who first saw the
comet' and refers back to 'the man'.
Abso lute possess ive p ronouns

These pronouns also show possession. Unlike possessive pronouns (see above),
which are adjectives related to nouns, these pronouns are used by themselves. Mine,
yours, his, hers, ours and theirs are all absolute possessive pronouns. For example:
The tickets are as good as ours.
Shall we take yours or theirs?
Reciproca l pronoun s
Reciprocal pronouns are used for actions or feelings that are reciprocated. The two
most common reciprocal pronouns are each oth er and one another. For example:
They like one another.
They talk to each other like they're old friends.
Refl exive pronouns

A reflexive pronoun ends -self or -selves and refers to another noun or pronoun in
the sentence. The reflexive pronouns are myself, yourself, herself, himself, itself,
ourselves, yourselves and themselves. For example:
Paul bakes all the bread himself.
In this example, the reflexive pronoun 'himself' refers back to the noun 'Paul'.
Persona l pronouns
Personal pronouns represent specific people or things. We use them depending on:
Number - singular (for example I ) or plural (for example we).
Person - 1st person (for example I ), 2nd person (for example you ) or 3rd
person (for example he).
Gender - male (for example he ), female (for example she) or neuter

(for example it).
Case- subject (for example we) or object (for example us ).
We use personal pronouns in place of the person or people that we are talking
about. For example:
My name is Lee but when I am talking about myself I almost always use ' I' or
'me',not'Lee'.
When I am talking directly to you, I almost always use 'you', not your name.
When I am talking about another person, say John, I may start with 'John' but
then use 'he' or 'him ' .
Here are the personal pronouns, followed by some example sentences:
singular
plural
male/female/neuter they
Examples (in each case, the first example shows a subject pronoun, the second an
object pronoun):
I like coffee. John helped me.
Do you like coffee? John loves you.
He runs fust. Did Vikram beat him?
She is clever. Does Raja know her?
It doesn't work. Can the engineer repair it?
\Ve went home. Mei Ling drove us.
Do you need a table for three? Did Lee and John beat you at doubles?
They played doubles. Lee and John beat t11em.
When we arc talking about a single thing, we almost always use it. H owever, there
are a few exceptions. We may sometimes refer to an animal as he/ him or she/her,
especially if the animal is domesticated or a pet. Ships (and some other vessels or
vehicles ) as well as some countries are often treated as female and referred to as
she/her. Here are some examples:
Language and usage practice
This is our dog Bandit. H e's an Alsatian.

The Titanic was a great ship but s he sank on her first voyage.
My first car was a Mini and I treated her like my wife.
Thailand has now opened her border with Cambodia.
For a single person, sometimes we don't know whether to use he or s he. There are
several solutions to this:
If a teacher needs help, he or she should see the principal.
If a teacher needs help, he should see the principal.
W e often use it to introduce a remark:
It is nice to have a holiday sometimes.
It is important to dress well.
It's difficult to find a job.
Is it normal to see them together?
It didn't take long to walk here.
W e also often use it to talk about the weather, temperature, time and distance:
It's raining.
It will probably be hot tomorrow.
Is it nine o'clock yet?
It's 50 kilometres from here to Cambridge.
Language and usage practice

In this final section we are going to focus on a selection of points to do with the
use of English and, in particular, to consider some points relating to errors and
misunderstandings made by candidates in examinations.
Pronouns and agreement

Just to recap on a few main points: pronouns take the place of nouns that have
already been used - if you don't make use of pronouns then your expression will
sound stilted and awkward. However, it's important to keep in mind that pronouns
have to agree with the word they replace in number, gender and person. So, ifthe
original noun is masculine, singular and in the third person then the pronoun that
replaces it must have the same features. For example, it is correct to write 'Daniel
enjoyed his fast-food meal' as the pronoun 'his' agrees with the noun 'Daniel' in
all three aspects, whereas to write 'Daniel enjoyed their fast-food meal' would be
incorrect ( unless you mean that Daniel was eating the meal belonging to two or
more other people! ).
In this example, the error is easy to spot and most people would avoid making it
in the first place. H owever, other uses of pronouns can be more tricky. Consider the
following sentences:
1 All pupils must bring their sports kit to school tomorrow.
2 All the girls remembered to bring their kit.
3 No-one among the boys was in trouble for forgetting his.
Sentence 2 is correct as 'All the girls' implies that there was more than one girl
involved and so the pronoun 'their' is correct. In Sentence 3, the indefinite pronoun
' N oone' is singular (as indicated by the word ' one' ) and is correctly followed by the
singular verb 'was' and the singular personal pronoun 'his'.
1 lndefinitepronounssuchas no-one, nobody, none, nothing, everyone , everybody, anyone

andanybody areallsingularinmeaningandusage
2 Using the noun 'one' in a sentence also leads to pronoun errors. For example, the sentence
'One should be sure not to forget his sports kit tomorrow' is clearly incorrect; the problem lies in
the fact that the only word that can correctly replace the noun 'one' is also the pronoun 'one'
which means that the correct form of this statement is 'One should be sure not to forget one's
kit tomorrow'. This sounds extremely stilted and awkward (and \\~II become increasingly so in
subsequent sentences) so, unlessyouaretryingtocreateaparticulareffectinyourwriting,it's
better to avoid using 'one' whenever possible
Now let's consider this sentence:

Leah was delighted to see her grandfatl1er; she kissed him on the face.
In tl1e second part of the sentence, it is clear who does the slapping and who suffers
the slap as the two pronouns ('she' and 'him') are in the appropriate subject and
object cases. As you can see, altlmugh tl1e nouns ('Leah' and 'grandfather') do not
change whether tl1ey are subject or object, their respective pronouns do. Similarly,
pronouns change tl1eir form when they follow a preposition such as 'to'. For
example:
John had broken Leah's toy; he said sorry to her.
It would be incorrect to write he said sorry to she.
This situation, however, leads to another very common grammatical
misunderstanding. Consider the following: your English teacher will certainly
not approve if you begin a story with the words 'Me and my friends were going
downtown' as we all know that tl1e correct expression is 'My friends and I ... '.
H owever, it is important that you don't let this format cloud your use of pronouns.
The following sentence 'Lee apologised to my friend and I' is incorrect as it should
be 'Lee apologised to my friend and me'. (lfyou find tl1is confusing, think oftl1e
sentence 'Lee apologised to they', which is clearly wrong, as the object form of the
pronoun, 'us', should be used. ) It is important that you are always aware whether
a pronoun is functioning as tl1e subject or object in a sentence and give it the
correct form.
Avoid possible confusions

Finally, here are two more areas of confusion. 'Who' is tl1e subject case oftl1e
pronoun and 'whom' is the object. It can sometimes be very difficult to decide
which one of the two should be used. For example, is it correct to say 'Who are you
asking to the dance?' or 'Whom are you asking to the dance?' lfyou are in doubt, it
will help to recast the sentence in your mind: ' I am asking he' or ' I am asking him';
the latter using the object pronoun 'him' is clearly correct and so it is correct to use
'whom' in the original sentence. Similarly, in tl1e following choice 'Who/whom is
your favourite teacher?' Recasting the sentence 'She is my favourite teacher' makes it
clear that in tl1is case you should use the subject case 'who'.
Misplaced modifiers and dangling participles
It is particularly important that you try to avoid any confusion of meaning or

ambiguity when using pronouns. Consider the following statement:
Maria likes Yousry more than me.
The \\Titer of this sentence presumably means
Maria likes Yousry more than s/Je likes me.
but a reader might understand it as
Maria likes Yousry more than I do.
The only way to avoid a common confusion of this sort is to ensure that you include
words such as those in italics to make your meaning clear. Whatever you are writing,
always try to keep in mind how your readers may interpret your words.
Exercise
Now read the following sentences carefully and correct all pronoun errors that they contain.
1 None of the~ was able to complete their assignments by the due date.
2 No-one has convincingly given their reason for not doing so.
3 The association will begin making plans for its meetings next month.
4 Neitheroftheteacherswantedtogivetheirpupilspunishmentsforbeinglatetolessons
5 Each of the schools told their pupils to go home early on Friday.
6 Although I studied economics when I was at school, I've forgotten everything I learned
about them.
7 Every visitor to the theme park should be aware of the dangers they face.
8 If one knew what the most dangerous ride was, I would avoid it.
9 Neither of the boys remembered to bring their sports kit.
10 Both my sister and me love poetry but she likes it more than me.
Misplaced modifiers and dangling

participles
Modifiers are words, phrases or clauses that add description and detail to sentences.
They include adjectives, adverbs, phrases and clauses acting as adjectives or adverbs
and phrases or clauses introduced by participles or prepositions.
Remember that modifying clauses and phrases, especially those introduced by
participles, must be placed next to the word or words that they are describing;
carelessness in placing modifiers can lead to your saying something rather different
from that which you originally intended. The following sentence is an example:
Piled up in an untidy heap on the ground, I started to burn the garden weeds.
In this sentence, the modifying clause at the beginning grammatically relates to the
pronoun 'I' and suggests that the speaker has collapsed at the thought of the task
he is about to begin! However, with a little alteration, the intended meaning can be
made clear:
I started to burn t11e garden weeds, piled up in an untidy heap on the ground.
However, it's not just groups of words that can cause problems; apparently simple
and harmless single words can also seriously alter the meaning ofa sentence if you
are not careful about placing them precisdy. Consider tl1ese two pairs of sentences
and tl1eir exact meanings:
Joe ate only porridge for breakfast.
Joe ate porridge only for breakfast.
I almost stayed awake for the whole concert.
I stayed awake for almost the whole concert.
Remember, these may seem like trivial differences but they can seriously confuse a
reader who may not be aware of your intended meaning.
Exercise
Explaincarefullythedifferenceinmeaninginthefollowingpairsofsentencesandsaywhich
conta ins the writer's intended meaning.
a) While Joe was cooking the dinner, the dog chased the cat.
b) While cooking the dinner, the dog chased the cat.
c) Looking out of the window, the trees were swaying in the w ind.
d) Standing on the balcony, we could see the trees swaying in the wind
e) A!. I was walking across the road, a car splashed me with water.
f) Walkingacrossthero.ad,acarsplashedmewithwater.
g) He was staring at the girl wearing a red dress at the bus stop.
h) He was staring at the girl at the bus stop wearing a red dress.
i) He nearly lost his footing walking across the stepping stones
j ) He lost his footing nearly walking across the stepping stones
Idiomatic expressions
English, like most other languages, contains many expressions which have a
particular meaning to native speakers but which are almost nonsensical if taken
literally or if translated directly into another language. These are known as idiomatic
expressions and, in order to speak and write English convincingly, it is necessary
to be familiar with them. By their very nature, idioms are going in and out of
fashion and they also vary from one part of the world to another. In many cases
their origin has become obscure or forgotten. For example, it is quite common
to refer to someone whose behaviour is dangerous, because it is unpredictable
and irresponsible, as 'a loose cannon' . H owever, very few people now realise that
this phrase derives from the very real danger caused to sailors in earlier times by
a cannon on a sailing warship that had broken loose from its fastenings and was
rolling around uncontrollably as tl1e ship pitched and tossed on the high seas.
It is not possible to give an exhaustive list of English idioms here, but the ones
that arc contained in the exercise below should give a flavour of tl1e idiomatic
expressions which are in use in everyday English.
Idiomatic expressions
A word of warning - some idiomatic expressions very quickly become

unfushionable or turn into cliches; many of those contained in textbooks written
many years ago will almost certainly not be in common use now. For example, it
is now almost unheard of for an English teenager to ask a friend ifhe or she is 'in
the pink of health', although in textbooks written in the days of your grandparents
it would seem that nobody ever asked anything else! It is, of course, equally
likely that future generations will no longer use many of the expressions in the
following exercise.
Ex ercise
Match the idiomatic expression on the left with the correct definition on the right and then use
each one in sentences of your own to show your understanding.
Ex pression
Afeatherinyourcap Tohavesimilartastesandideastosomeoneelse
Fly off the handle A person who is good-natured but who lacks polished
manners and/or education
Asuccessthatitisnotlikelytoberepeated
Tohavedonesomethingtobeproudof
Letthecatoutofthebag Tospoilape=n'schanceofsuccess
Likeadogwithtwotails To deliberately ignore someone
A couch potato Tobeveryangryaboutsomething
Long in the tooth Peoplewhoareverysimilarinmanyways
Rough diamond Tellingpeoplenottointerfereinsomethingthatdoesnot
concern them
Sayingsomeonelookscompletelyinnocent,butiscapable
of doing unpleasant things
Todescribesomeonedoingthewrongthing,outof
incorrectormistakenideasorbeliefs
Butterwouldn'tmeltinyour Someonewhospendsalotoftimesittingandwatching
mouth television
Todomorethanwhatisexpectedofyou
Barkupthewrongtree Tobeeld:remelyhappy
T1ghtenyourbelt Tobesounenthusiasticastopreventotherpeoplefrom
enjoying themselves
Givesomeonethecoldshoulder Tomakesomeonefeellessconfident,bydoingorsaying
something that is unexpected
Speak the same language Tospendyourmoneycarefully
Takethewindoutof Torevealasecret,oftenwithoutmeaningto
Cook somebody's goose Someonewhoisabittoooldtodosomething

Aflashinthepan Togainanadvantageoverpeoplebydeceivingthem
Further spelling and vocabulary practice

As discussed previously, some English words are spelt differently depending upon
what part of speech they are. H ere are some examples.
practise practice
prophesy prophecy
Exercise 1
Write sentences of your o.vn containing each of the words in the list above to show the difference
intheirmeaningsanduse.
Note: 'Effect'canalsobeusedasaverb;checkitsmeaningbyusingadictionaryandthen use it
in a further sentence
Exercise 2
There are many commonly used words in English that sound sim ilar (even though they have
completely different meanings) and whose meaning and spelling are easily confused. There are no
easy rules for telling the difference, but it is important that you use them correctly in your writing
in order to show your command of the language to the examiner who is marking your work . The
most frequently used words are listed belo.v. Check their meanings and spellings carefulty and then
ensure that you are able to use them confidently in sentences of your own. Don't try to do them all
at once but make sure that you consolidate your awareness of them throughout the course.
accepUexceptlexpect allay/alley/ally
(Note:Thereisnosuchwordas'alot'I)
capitaVcapitol
cite.'sight/site
complement/compliment
formally/formerly
holyiWholly
Error recognition
pasUpassed peacetpiece
personal/personnel plainlplane
precedenUpresident principal/principle
quietlquite rainlreignlrein
righuriteiWrite stationary/stationery
there/their/they're
your/you're
Error recognition
Exe rcise
The following sentences all contain errors of some kind (mainly of usage, vocabulary or
punctuation). Work through them and rewrite them, correcting all the errors you can find .
Not e: Some of the sentences contain more than one error and there may be more than one way
of correcting some of them.
1 He was feeling very boring and decided that he should hold a party for his friends' .
2 Here is the books that you borrowed from me last week.
3 Me and my friend was hurrying to school when she tripped and fell .
4 Althoughhewashungry,buthestilldidn'teathissupperashedidn'tlikeit
5 She ran to help herfriendwhofalloffthes\\~ng .
6 'It wasn't I what done it, it was Daniel,' He shouted angrilly.
7 HeinferredtomethatDanielwastheculpril
8 laskedJanetogivethepresenttoJennyand I
9 Thisisanearlyu niqueilem
10 The teacher collected the childrens' books altogether.
11 When I was buying some pens in the stationary shop, the assistant complemented me on my
gcxxltaste
12 Diving into the fast-flO\\~ng river the girl's hat was rescued by her boyfriend
13 Don't kill yourself with work, let a computer do ii!
14 I think it would be morebetterifwewenton holiday next week.
15 Any of these two cars would be a gcxxl choice for a new driver.
16 Thisisthecorrectansvverofthequestion.
17 He had barely chased the thief for twenty metres before he caught him.
18 My father is the coach of our football team, he also works in a bank
19 Who'sbicycleisthatleaningagainstthefence?
20 In the boy's 100 metre heat, nobody managed to breach the qualifying time accept Kenneth
Index
informationtransfer 53-8
A informativewriting 10- 11 , 17-38,
R
advertisements 26-9 79-83 readingskills 1-13, 14-38
apostrophes 12&-7 recipes 29-30
assessment 2,78-9,111-19
B jobapplications 54-5
scanning 4,7,9
bookingforms 5&-8 semi-colons 106, 125
brochures 22-5 sentences 122: seea/sotopic
languagecontrol/choice 109 sentences
c leaflets 17-22,57
letters 91-5
skimming 4, 7,9
colons 106, 125 speakingcoursework 119-20
listeningcoursework 120 speaking skills 111, 114-2 1
commas 106, 124
listeningskills 111 speakingtest 114-19
comprehension 2-3
listeningtest 112- 14 spelling 105, 131, 142-3
coursework 119-21
lists 103 spiderdiagrams 101-3
StandardEnglish 104
D M summarywriting 63-77
dashes 127-8 examplequestion 67-9
manuals 35-6
directspeech:punctuationin 106, practical guidelines 63-6
modifiers 139-40
128-9 practicepassages 70-7
style 66-7
N summarytypes 63
errorrecognition 143 newspaperarticles 40-5
exclamationmarks 106 notemaking 39-52 T
tenses 109
0 topic sentences 3, 10, 32,
facts 9-10,11 online guides 37-8, 47, 48-9 79,107,123
factualtexts 17-38 opinions 11
fiction 59~2.99-100 v
form-filling 53-8 verbs 131-3
fullstops 106 paragraphs 10,107,122-3 vocabulary 130-7,142-3
persuasivewriting 83-91
H planningyourwriting 101-3
pronouns 133-9
w
homographs 130 websites 31-2,33-5
homonyms 130 punctuation 106-7, 124-9
writingskills 78-110
homophones 130
hyphens 127-8 Q
question marks 106
questions 9-10, 14-15
idioms 140-1 keywords, identification of 4-6
imaginative writing 59-62, 95-100 short-answer questions 16-29
improving you r writing 104- 10
inferentialquestions 14
Acknowledgements
The publishers would like to thank the following for permission to reproduce copyright material:
Text credits
p.8 'The Eiffd Tower', online article, adapted from www.teclmo/ogyst11dent.com/structl/eijfell.htm; p.11
'Pompeii exhibition opens at the National Museum of Singapore' from Archaeology News Network, Art
Daily (18 October, 2010); pp.12-13 from 'Golconda Fort: Hyderabad's time machine', online from
Times of India (9 January, 2013); p.21 Brian Ward, 'Noise' 1be Environment and Hea/tl; (Franklin Watts,
1989 ) and Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR); pp.23-25 'Snow
World India', website information, adapted slightly from www.snowworldindia.net; pp.26-28 'Adopt a
dolphin', website material, adapted, reproduced by permission of Whale & Dolphin Conservation (WDC)
UK; p.30 Nava Atlas, 'Curried Pasta witl1 Cauliflower and Chickpeas', from The Vegetarian Family
Cookbook, copyright 2004 by Nava Atlas. Used by permission ofBroadway Books, an imprint of the
Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House LLC. All rights reserved; pp.31-32 'The history
of the doughnut/hamburger/pizza', from http://library.thinkquest.m;g/05aug/00509; p.33 Arthur
C. Clarke, Voice Acro.n- tbe Sea (Frederick Muller/Harper & Row, 1958 ), reproduced by permission of
David Higham; p.34 'Goldilocks and the 3 planets', article from bttp.//1mawe.org/kids/1mawe1347,
reproduced by permission of Pedro Russo; pp.37-38 'Lost or stolen phone', online information from
Ofcom, http.//conmmers.ofcom.org.uk/2013/03//ost-or-sto/en-phone, Ofcom copyright; pp.40-41 Ian
Burrdl, 'Thank God .. .it's a miracle', the Independent ( 1998 ), reproduced by permission of ES I Media;
pp.42-43 John Naish, 'I refuse to use a mobile phone and I'm all the happier for it', online article from
Daily Mail (5 February, 2013 ), reproduced by permission of Solo Syndication; pp.44-45 Tracy McVeigh,
'Britain's women footballers use social media to promote game ignored by press', tl1e Observer {8 April,
2012 ) copyright Guardian News & Media, reproduced by permission of the publisher; pp.46-47
Robert Ballard, T71e Discovery of the Titanic (Orion, 1995 ); pp.48-49 'Seasons, weather and climate in
Norway' from www.visitnorway.com/uk/About-Norway/Seasons-and-c/imate-in-Norway, pp.50-51 'Visit
to Efteling Theme Park', adapted, bttp:// wivw.indianmomsconnect.com/2013/01/02visit-it-to-efteling-
theme-park/ (2 January, 2013 ), reproduced by permission ofVibha (Chatty Wren); p .52 Sheryl Garratt,
'Cheesy ... but charming', tl1e Observer (25 November, 2001 ) copyright Guardian News & Media Ltd
2001, reproduced by permission of Guardian News & Media Ltd; pp.59-60 Robert Louis Stevenson,
Treasure ls/and ( 1883 ); pp.61-62 Eleanor Porter, Pollyanna ( 1913 ); pp.68-69 Noisy neighbours, article
from Which?, the copyright in the Material is owned by Which? Limited and has been reproduced in
Cambridge I GCSE English as a Second Language book with CD witl1 their kind permission. The material
must not be reproduced in whole or in part without the written permission of Which? Limited; p.70
Jennifer Rosenberg, 'The Channd Tunnel', adapted, bttp.//history1900s.abo11t.com/od/1990s/qt/Channe/-
Ttmnel-Opens.lmn; pp.71-72 Guy Grieve, 'The day I survived a very grizzly bear attack' from Daily
Mail (26 November, 2009 ), reproduced by permission of Solo Syndication; pp.72-73 Tracy McVeigh,
'Britain's women footballers use social media to promote game ignored by press', tl1e Observer (8 April,
2012 ) copyright Guardian News & Media, reproduced by permission of Guardian News & Media Ltd;
pp. 73- 7 4 Karina Wilson, ' Early advertising' from bttp://www.mediaknowali.com/as_aleve//Advertising/
advertising.php?pageID-history, p . 75 Brian Ward, 'Noise' T71e Environment and Health (Franklin Watts,
1989 ) and Deparunent of tl1e Environment, Trans port and the Regions (DETR); pp. 76-77 'Protecting
children from pool accidents', the New Straits Times (5 July, 1994 ), reproduced by permission of the New
Straits Times Press (M ) Bhd; pp.80-81 'Checking in at the airport', information from www.klm.com/
trave//us_en/plan_and_book/special_offers/flight_offers/index.htm?WT.mc_id-1585961j307084l l38604450
12089378701785210; pp.82-83 Twitter article from Tesco online magazine from www.tescomagazine.com/
living/technology/a-beginners-guide-to-twitter.html; pp.85- 86 Online article about school uniforms from
wwwforandagainst.com/Wlry_Shou/d_Kids_Wear_School_Uniform; p.87 Jade's Blog, 'Should More be
Done to Protect Endangered Animals & Species?' from http.//jade4402.edublogs.org/2013/03/27/sho11/d-
more-be-done-to-protect-endangered-animals-specie>, p.88 'Endangered Species: The Asiatic Lion Asiatic
Lion Facts' Last Updated: January 1, 2006 Glenn, C. R. 2006. "Earth's Endangered Creatures -Asiatic
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Lion Facts" (Online), Accessed 9/17 /2013 from http://carthsendangered.com/proji/.c.asp?sp-239&/D-3,

reproduced by permission ofC. Renee Glenn; p.89 'Critically endangered lion now found only in India'
from bttp.//wwfpanda.org/abo11t_o11r_earth/teacher_reso11rces/best_place_species/rnrrent_top_lO/asiatic_
/ion_cfm, reproduced by permission ofWWF; p.90 'Asian lion' from bttp://animals.nationalgeograpbic.
com/animals/mammals/asian-/ion, reproduced by permission of National Geographic Creative; p.97
Fiann O'Brien, extract from The 111ird Policeman (Harper Perennial Modern Classics, 2007); p.98
Richard Hughes, extract from A Higb Wind in Jamaica (Vintage, 2002 ); pp.99-100 Deb Brainard,
'There is a ghost in my closet' online short story from www.storystar.com/pbp/rcad_story.php?story_
id 1580; pp.108-109 David Jones, 'Murderball', DailyMail ( S September, 2012), reproduced by
permission of Solo Syndication
Section 1 on the CD
pp.1-2 'Healthy eating for teens', article from www.nbs.uk/Livewcll/Goodfood/Pages/hea/tby-eating-teens.
aspx, el Crown copyright; pp.3-4 ' Hurricanes', article from www.wcatbcrwizkids.com/weather-hurricane.
htm; pp.5-6 Simon Stnith, 'Behind the timetable: a day in the life of an English teacher', article from www.
thcg11ardian.com/teachcr-network/tcacher-blog/2013/ju//31/teachcr-timctab/c-day-in-life-cnglish-teacher,
copyright Guardian News & Media Ltd 2012, reproduced by permission of the publisher; pp.13-14
Waheeda Harris, 'Exploring Northern Peru - the alluring Amazon rainforest' from bttp.//o.canada.
com/travc//exploring-nortbern-peru-the-aUuring-amazon-rainforest/ (September 3, 2013 ), Postmedia
News; p .15 Fred Mawer, 'Pare Asterix: leave the queues and hype behind', article from www.tclegraph.
co.uk/travcl/Jamilyho/idays/7851148/Parc-Astcrix-lcavc-tbc-queues-and-bype-behind.lmnl, reproduced by
permission ofTelegraph Media Group; p.16 'An Introduction to Sea Turtles', from w1vw.conservcturt/es.
org/seat11rt/einformation.php?page-ovcrview, reproduced by permission ofSea Turtle Conservancy
Audio on the CD
Track 5 Mary Bagley, 'Mount Vesuvius & Pompeii: Facts & History' from www.livescience.com/27871-
mormt-vcsuvir1s-pompeii.html, reproduced by permission ofWright's Media; Track 6 'Beekeeping',
adapted from ww1v.hobbyfarms.com/crops-and-gardening/beckceping-l 4945.aspx (i-5 Publishing LLC )
Permission for reuse of all Crown copyright information is granted under tl1e terms of the Open
Government Licence (OGL).
Photo credits
p.l t C Photos.com/Getty Images/Think.stock, b Getty Images/iStockphoto/fhinkstock; p.2 Andy
Chang- Fotolia; p.5 Getty Images/Jupiterimages/Thinkstock; p.8 Andrew Ward/Life File/
Photodisc/Getty Images; p.12 C BasPhoto - Fotolia; p.23 e http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/
File:India_-_Hyderabad_ -_061_- _Snow_World_%28392005 l 021 %29 .jpg/http://creativecommons.
org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en; p.27 WDC/Charlie Phillips; p.28 WDC/Charlie Phillips; p.32
e Erwin PurnomosidijGetty Images/Hemera/Thinkstock; p.34 t ESO/M. Kornmesser/http://
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/, bESO/UNAWE; p.45 Joern Pollex:/Getty Images;
p.40 Ralph White/Corbis; p.50 Efteling bv; p.51 Efteling bv; p.54 blackdovfx/Getty
lmages/iStockphoto/fhinkstock; p.57 M_a_y_a/Getty lmages/iStockphoto/Thinkstock; p.70
Herbert Ortner/http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Eurostar_3012_Waterloo.jpg/http://
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en; p .71 lightplay- Fotolia; p.76 Patrik Giardino/
Corbis; p.82 Robert Kneschke - Fotolia; p.85 1nichaeljung- Fotolia; p.88 e Mukesh Acharya -
Fotolia; p.90 Dyan_k/Getty Images/iStockphoto/fhinkstock; p.108 Mark Davidson/Alamy
t top, b bottom
Every effort has been made to trace all copyright holders, but if any have been inadvertently overlooked
the publishers will be pleased to make tl1e necessary arrangements at tl1e first opportunity.

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ENDORSED BY

Chapter 1 Becoming a better reader

Chapter 2 Applying your reading skills

Chapter 3 Reading more complex texts

Chapter 4 Reading and summarising

Chapter 5 Becoming a better writer

Chapter 6 Listening and speaking skills

Reading with understanding

How should I read?

Identifying key words in a question

A Whale of a Time in Oz!

Thu first few paragraphs

The Eiffel Tower

Skim, scan and select

Breaking down the questions and the text

Practise your active reading skills

Pompe11 exh1b1t1011 opens at the

The Golconda Fort transports you into a time warp.

The gods are smiling

Of gems and jewels

The reading passages

The reading questions

How to approach short-answer

2 In what other ways c.an children be injured in the kitchen?

This is a slightly mo re tricky question as it depends on your knowing tl1e meaning

Further practice in answering

Don't underestimate the

Exe rcise 2: Brochures

IT'S SNOW ALL THE WAY

Protecting you from -5 C

ADOPT A DOLPHIN NOW

Meet the dolphins

Why adopt a dolphin?

1 What is this advertisement encouraging its readers to do?

O Questions requiring longer answers

Further practice in reading factual/

Gi ving in stru cti o ns

Curried Pasta with Cauliflower and Chickpeas

The history of the doughnut

The history of the hamburger

The history of the pizza

Goldilocks and the 3 planets

Setting up your answering machine

Aflerthe. ro~. , s~rtrecoI

To check the greeting

To change the greeting

To erase the greeting

To go back to the factory pre-recorded greeting

This final passage is an example of an online guide issued by a government

Lost or stolen phone

Protecting your phone

What if your phone is stolen?

To report your phone lost/stolen

Orange 079731001SO(pay-monthly) +4479731001SO(pay-monthly)

Rea ding pract ice

hammock, Mr Bullimore was li111.i)lli.! Through four days o f darkness

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