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Christ Church School (Int.)

CAMBRIDGE CENTRE NO. IN874
MOCK PAPER
Grade Subject Paper Date Marks Duration
IGCSE First 1 ---- 80 2 Hours
Language
Yr. 2
English
NAME
ROLL NO

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Read Text A, and then answer Questions 1(a)–(e) on the question paper.

Text A: Train hopping.

This passage is an extract from the autobiography of a writer who travelled round the USA by
train.

“The winter is already here, and promises to be a most severe one. Now, if you would like to rest
and grow fat during the coldest months, come with me to Michigan. You can there enter jails without
committing offence of any kind… no work to do, good food to be had, and tobacco daily supplied.
There is nothing else but begging before you” said Brum, warming to his subject, “but if you like to
enter with me those blessed havens of rest, you will become strong and ready for work when spring 5
arrives.”

This project did not seem to me to be very attractive. For one thing, it was a long journey to that part
of the country, and the weather being cold, we were forced to travel at night and sleep in the day. I
was certainly not a very pleasant companion at this time, being occupied so much with my own
dreams. At any rate, I decided to follow Brum’s suggestion. 10

We had a rough time in beating1 our way to Michigan. We were marched out of one town by the
marshal, where we were waiting to catch a train. This necessitated us either to walk three miles to
catch a train as it was on a grade2. To do this required an activity of which I hardly thought Brum to
be capable. The grade was long and before the train reached the top, its speed would be slackened
to about ten miles an hour. It was necessary to lie low, and out of sight, until the train appeared, and 15
then run beside it, so as to leap and catch the handle bar, the feet at the same time catching the
iron step. If either the hand or foot failed to do its duty, it meant a fall, and a very serious accident
or death.

I was the youngest and most active, and leapt the first part of the train. As soon as I was safe I
looked around, and had the pleasure of seeing Brum succeeding on the next car to him. When we 20
reached the next stopping place, we got together on the same car, to be prepared for any trouble
with the train’s crew. A brakesman3 passed over the top, shouted to us in a friendly manner and
treated our presence with the utmost indifference.

Glossary:
1beating: traveling without paying
2grade: gradient, slope
3brakesman: train guard or brake operator

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Read Text B, and then answer Question 1(f) on the question paper.

Text B: Life in the Cold

This passage describes the daily life of a man who decided to live in the woods in order to raise
money for the protection of trees.

The idea of living in the woods has been in my mind for years. When I was growing up I spent a lot
of time playing in the forest.

I sleep in a sleeping-bag under a tarpaulin tied between two trees, which keeps the rain off, but it’s
not very warm. At 6.30am I jump up and pack quickly. I take everything with me in my rucksack. I 5
have to sleep in my clothes because it is so cold, and I add another couple of layers when I get up.
Then I have to run for the bus and I get really hot. The journey to London can take two hours, but
at least I get to sit in comfort. My work at Sotheby’s, the famous auction-house, is split between two
places in London. I have to place bids for people who can’t be present at auctions. I stand next to
the auctioneer, acting as a second pair of eyes, making sure that bidding runs smoothly. Everyone 10
is very understanding at work, although I get teased relentlessly. They think I’m crazy.

Work starts at 9.00am, when I tend to have another breakfast at my desk, normally a full English
breakfast. I eat a very large amount at the moment because I use so much energy keeping warm
at night, and I’m so much more sensitive to temperature now. The heating at work is oppressive
and can make me feel ill when the room is too hot.
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Work finishes at 5.00pm, and I go to the gym. I went there a lot before winter, aware that I needed
to be as fit as possible for the cold months. I’ve been going less frequently recently; I’m just
concentrating on surviving. I get back to the woods around 8.30pm and change into my ‘wood’
clothes. I have three sets of clothes: a scruffy set for the wood, a casual set for travelling, and my
smart clothes for work. Trying to co-ordinate my laundry can be really difficult. I’m on public display 20
for my job, so it’s important to look the part, but I have found myself working in Hammersmith, only
to realise my clean clothes are in Bond Street, in the centre of the city. I often end up in the woods
with suits hanging from trees.

In the evenings, I sometimes go into town to see friends. Some nights I’m too exhausted, though.
Last weekend I slept thirty-two hours out of thirty-six. It is nice to have the woods to go back to, 25
especially when there’s a lot going on at work. With no phones or anything, I can just relax. But it’s
also nice, after a weekend of getting grimy, to go to work and be smart.

I have been ill a couple of times from not cooking meat properly, and being careless about filtering
water from the stream. I’ve also had bronchitis. But it’s an adventure. There’s something deeply
satisfying about being out here. If I can light a fire and cook meat, as people have been doing for 30
thousands of years, it strikes a chord. I get into bed about 10.00pm and only leave the fire burning
when it’s really cold. It isn’t scary, although I did get a shock once. I was in my hammock and heard
a loud gnawing noise. I had visions of axe murderers and quickly sat up. I realised, as I came
crashing to the floor, that it had just been the sound of a branch breaking.

Once I’ve drawn the sleeping-bag cord as tight as possible, I’m ready to sleep. I hear owls a lot, or
the odd visitor having a peek at the shelter.

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Read Text C, and then answer Questions 2(a)–(d) and Question 3 on the question paper.

Text C: The monster of the deep

A French professor tells of how he and his friend, and a sailor called Ned, fell into the Pacific
Ocean in 1850 when their ship was hit by a huge creature. They at first believed it to be the
legendary whale they were searching for on behalf of the International Marine Society.

My first concern was to look for the ship. I glimpsed a black mass disappearing eastward, its lights
fading in the distance. I shouted for help, swimming desperately toward the ship. My clothes were
weighing me down. I was sinking! Then I found and seized the arm of my loyal friend.

‘What about the ship?’ I asked. 5

‘As I jumped overboard, I heard the helmsman shout, “Our propeller and rudder are smashed by
the monster’s tusk!” ’
‘
Then the ship can no longer steer, and we are done for!’

Having concluded that our sole chance for salvation lay in being picked up by the ship’s longboats, 10
we had to take steps to wait for them as long as possible. I decided to divide our energies so we
wouldn’t both be worn out at the same time: while one of us lay on his back, the other would swim
and propel his partner forward.

The monster had rammed us at 11 in the evening. I therefore calculated on eight hours of swimming
until sunrise. The dense gloom was broken only by the phosphorescent flickers coming from our 15
movements. I stared at the luminous ripples breaking over my hands, shimmering sheets spattered
with blotches of bluish grey. It seemed as if we had plunged into a pool of quicksilver.

An hour later, I was overcome with tremendous exhaustion. My limbs stiffened in the grip of intense
cramps and paralysing cold. I tried to call out. My swollen lips wouldn’t let a single sound through. I
heard my friend cry ‘Help!’. Ceasing all movement for an instant, we listened. His shout had received 20
an answer. I could barely hear it. I was at the end of my strength; my fingers gave out; my mouth
opened convulsively, filling with brine…

Just then something hard banged against me. I clung to it and was pulled back to the surface. I
fainted… Then someone was shaking me vigorously.

‘Ned!’ I exclaimed. ‘Were you thrown overboard by the collision?’

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‘Yes, professor, but I was luckier than you and immediately able to set foot on the gigantic whale as
it surfaced. I soon realised why my harpoon got blunted and couldn’t puncture its hide. This beast
is made of plated steel!’

I hoisted myself to the summit of this half-submerged creature that was serving as our refuge. I
tested it with my foot. Obviously it was some hard, impenetrable substance; not the soft matter that 30
makes up the bodies of our big marine mammals but a bony carapace, like those that covered some
prehistoric animals. The blackish back supporting me was smooth and polished with no overlapping
scales. On impact, it gave off a metallic resonance and, incredibly, it seemed to be made of riveted
plates. No doubts were possible! This animal, this monster, this ‘natural phenomenon’ that had
puzzled the whole scientific world, that had muddled and misled the minds of sailors, was an even 35

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more astonishing one – made by the hand of man! There was no question now. We were stretched
out on the back of some kind of underwater boat that took the form of an immense steel fish.

Just then, a bubbling began astern and the boat started to move. We barely had time to hang on to
its topside, which emerged about 80 centimetres above water. It was imperative to make contact
with whatever beings were confined inside the machine. I searched its surface for an opening, but 40
the lines of rivets were straight and uniform. We would have to wait for daylight to find some way of
getting inside this underwater boat, and if it made a dive, we were done for!

In the early hours, the vessel picked up speed. We could barely cope with this dizzying rush, and
the waves battered us at close range. Our hands came across a ring fastened to its back, and we
all held on for dear life. 45

Finally, the long night was over. From inside the boat came noises of iron fastenings pushed aside.
One of the steel plates flew up, and a few moments later, eight sturdy fellows appeared silently and
dragged us violently down into their fearsome machine.

This brutally executed capture was carried out with lightning speed. My companions and I had no
time to collect ourselves. I don’t know how they felt about being shoved inside this aquatic prison,
but as for me, I was shivering all over. With whom were we dealing? Surely with some new breed
of pirates, exploiting the sea after their own fashion.

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