IGCSEGrade 10 E2 LExam Guidance

_Answering reading questions
A short text reading question

( Essential information
What you have to do: from a short text, pick out details to answer questions. Your
answers should be single words and phrases - they do not need to be
full sentences.
The kinds of text: advertisement, brochure, leaflet, guide, report, manual,
instructions.
To go one step further: find extra details.
The reading skills you will use - the ability to:
1 skim and scan to find details.
( A short text reading question: step by step
liiiill Skim read the text

This will give you a quick idea of how the information is organised. Do not worry
too much if there are words you do not understand - you may not need them for
the answers anyway!
You learnt and practised the skill of skim reading in Chapter 1 on pages 10-1 3).
Jijjfj Read all the questions through

This will give you a quick idea of the information you will need to find.
Jij:j:fj Find the detail

Answer the questions one at a time, and find just the information you need. Use
the scanning skills you practised in Chapter 1. In Chapter 3 you also learnt about
using the question words (who, what, why, where, when, how) to help you decide
what kind of information is needed. Remember that the answers are to
be found in the text in the same order as the questions.
Now that you understand what to do, and the order in which to do it, you
are ready to do a complete set of reading questions, in the style of an !GCSE
examination paper.
Checklist for success

v" Skim read the text and read the questions before you start writing.
v" Underline key words in the questions to help you focus on the information
you are looking for.
v" Scan the text to find the details you need.
v" Keep your answers brief and concise.
Chapter 13 Answering reading questions

( Practice reading question 1
Read the following extract from a leaflet, which gives the events
taking place in the town of Melton this week. Then answer the
questions below.
The List: a guide to what's on where in Melton

MUSIC Rock ON! returns to your local Community Theatre. This is a great talent show where you
can hear the latest sounds from local groups such as Future Sound, The Lazy Bones and The Crazy
Antics. It starts at 9pm on Saturday, for one night only. Make sure to phone and reserve a place so
you don't miss out! Phone 01334 671 298 to book.
THEATRE We are really lucky to be able to go and see Romeo and Juliet written by William
Shakespeare, performed by the Sydney Touring Company. As usual from this company, you can
expect some spectacular lighting effects in a highly imaginative production. But this production
is simply out of this world - literally! It's set in the future on the planet Venus. We don't think you'll
have ever seen anything like it before! There are plenty of opportunities to see it. It runs every
night this week at 7pm, with an afternoon performance at 3pm on Wednesday.
FOOD Why not have a meal out with a difference at Gnashers? This is a modern restaurant
specialising in vegetarian dishes which appeal to everyone. There is an unmissable opening offer
- buy one meal, get a second meal at half price. You can find it at 278 High Street, Melton Town.
ALPACAS Why not take the family to Melton Zoo this weekend? Special attraction for the
holidays: rides on alpacas for the under-5s. Show this advert at the gate to get the special discount
of 50% on a family ticket. This offer is only available this week, during the school holidays.
ART Exhibition of art by Daniel Hargreaves, a portrait artist who has started producing water
colour landscapes which have won critical acclaim. You can find it In Melton Town Hall until the
end of the month.
a) Give the names of two of the rock bands you could go to hear on Saturday. [1]
b) What is very unusual about the production of the Shakespeare play? Give two details. [2]
c) If you want to see the Shakespeare play this week, but cannot go in the evening, when
exactly would you be able to go? [1]
d) What is the name of the restaurant which has just opened in town, and what kind of food
does it offer? [1]
e) What exactly is the special deal offered by the zoo during the school holidays? (1]
f) What kind of paintings can you see in the town hall this month? [1]
g) Extended only: What does this artist normally paint pictures of? [1]
h) Extended only: How can you tell that the paintings are likely to be worth going to see? [1]
[Total: CORE - 7 marks]

[Total: EXTENDED - 9 marks]

A longer text reading question
What you have to do: select details from a slightly longer, more
demanding text to answer questions. Then write concise answers -
each one as a single word or phrase, not a sentence.
The kinds of text: a report, a newspaper article or a magazine article
which will include a graph or diagram of some kind.
To go one step further: find extra details and infer meaning,
i.e. understand what is implied but not actually written, for
example, draw conclusions or explain reasons.
The reading skills you need: the ability to
1 read closely for details
2 have a basic understanding of graphs and diagrams
3 understand what is implied but not actually written. E
( A longer text reading question: step by step
liU:11 Skim read the text

Find out quickly what the text is about. Look at the subheadings or, if
there aren't any, focus on the first sentence of each paragraph to give
you an idea of how the information is organised.
lii=i:fj Read all the questions through

This will give you a quick idea of the information you will need to find.
lii=iil Find the detail

Answer the questions one at a time, and find only the information you
need. Use your skim reading skills to find the section of text that is likely
to contain the information you need. Then scan the section for any
key words. Remember that the answers are to be found in the text in
the same order as the questions. You learnt and practised the skill of
scanning for key words in Chapter 4, pages 70-71.
lii=iili Double-check the graphics

In this question you will have to show that you understand a graph or
other kind of diagram. Check that you have really understood how the
graph organises its information, and exactly what the question is asking
for. You learnt about understanding graphics in Chapters 4 and 7.

liU:1-J Check your answers
-
Top tip
Check that the information you have found is exactly what is asked for,
Your brain is like a movie
without any extra unnecessary information. camera - sweep over the
whole text to get the full
JiUl?I Read 'in between the lines' E picture, then focus in a
bit closer to get a sharper
You need to be ready to show that you have understood what is implied image, then zoom in
but not actually stated - usually in the last question. You learnt this skill for the close-up shot
and practised it in Chapters 1 and 7. - click! You've got the
information you need.
Now you understand what to do, and the order to do it in, you are
ready to do a complete set of reading questions in the style of an IGCSE
examination paper.
Checklist for success _.

V Skim the text and read through the questions. Underline key words in the
questions to help you focus on what you need to find.
V Read for detail, and underline the information you need for your answer.
V Check you give the right number of points in answer to the last question,
and that you have understood what was implied in the text. (!,;
V Check all your answers are as brief as possible and that they make sense .
( Practice reading question 2

Read the following newspaper article about the problems faced by
American beekeepers, and then answer the questions on page 252.
Richard Ford, a beekeeper in California, got the shock of his career last month when he
examined his bee boxes and found that about 50 million bees (half of all the bees he owns)
were missing. Standing in his almond orchard, Richard said, 'I have never experienced
anything like this.'
Other beekeepers in 24 states across the USA have Percentage of crops pollinated by
had similar shocks. Bees have been disappearing honey bees in the USA
alarmingly quickly and for no apparent reason. This 120-----------,
threatens not only the beekeepers' livelihoods but 100----------,
also the production of a variety of crops, including 804----+--
60-+----+--
the most profitable, Californian almonds. 404----+--
The inexplicable disappearance of so many bees

highlights the importance of honeybees in the
successful production of the fruit and vegetables
that feed people across the country. Although there
have been regional bee crises before, this is the first
Bees are not the only way that plants are
time there has been a national crisis. Bees are flying pollinated - but some plants are more
off in search of pollen and nectar and simply not dependent on bees than others, as this
returning to their colonies. bar chart shows.
Chapter 13 Answering.reading questions

Worried beekeepers met with researchers in Florida this month to try to find out what is
causing the problem and how to cope with it. They discussed a range of possible causes,
including viruses, a fungus and poor nutrition in the bees.
Another problem is that queen bees are spawning fewer worker bees and only living half
as long as they did a few years ago. This is thought to be because insecticides used to kill
mites that threaten bee colonies are also harming the queen bees.
Producing honey is not, in fact, the main way beekeepers earn money. They make much
more from renting out their bees to pollinate crops. Over the past ten years, the costs of
fuel, equipment and even bee boxes have doubled and then trebled, as has the cost of
controlling mites. In addition, the price of queen bees has gone up from $10 each three
years ago to $15.
a) What gave Richard Ford the biggest surprise of his career last month? [1]
b) In how many American states have beekeepers had the same experience as Richard? [1]
c) Give two reasons why beekeepers are alarmed at the sudden disappearance of so many
bees. [1]
d) Which valuable crop is under threat by the disappearance of bees? [1]

e) What is different in this new scare about the bees' disappearance? [1]
f) According to the bar chart, name two crops that are not likely to be seriously affected by
the disappearance of so many bees. [1]
g What are the bees looking for when they fly off? Give two details. [1]
h) Apart from the use of insecticide, give two possible reasons for the sudden loss of so
many bees, according to the experts in Florida. [2]
i) Give one negative effect of the insecticide intended to help the bees? [1]
j) How else do beekeepers earn their living, apart from selling honey? [1]
k) Extended only Give four reasons why beekeepers are finding it hard to keep their
businesses going. [4]
[Total: CORE - 11 marks]

[Total: EXTENDED - 15 marks]

Answering information transfer
questions
What you have to do: from a short text, pick out details. Write the
details exactly as you find them, transferring them onto a form of some
kind, following instructions carefully.
The kinds of text: factual accounts, for example, a short life story; an
account of a real-life scenario; forms of different kinds, for example,
application forms, competition entry forms.
To go one step further: find extra details and be prepared to
understand what is implied but not actually written, for example, draw
conclusions or explain reasons.
The reading skills you will use - the ability to:
1 skim and scan to find exactly the right details
2 follow form-filling instructions accurately
3 understand what is implied but not actually written
4 write clear and accurate sentences.
( Approaching the question step by step
1-iUil Get the general idea of the text and the task
Skim read the whole text quickly, including the form, to understand
what the text is about and how it is organised - this will help you later You have had practice at
with scanning to find the details you need. Then skim read the form, transferring information
so you can understand what sort of information you are going to and completing forms
in Chapter 2 on pages
have to look for.
31-33.
1-ii=J:fj Study the form carefully

Now look at the form again, and this time read it very carefully so you
-
Top tip
know exactly what information you need.
When you are asked
to give an address on
1-iUill Double-check instructions on the form a form, do not use
prepositions, such as in, or
You must make sure you know what all these instructions mean:
by, or near, for example:
circle delete (means cross out the one in the text: He lives in
tick which does not apply, so you are left Apartment12A, found at
with the right answer showing) the bottom of Rue Lazare
put a cross by in Paris, France.
underline use block capitals (means every letter
on the form you write:
must be a capital letter). ADDRESS: Apartment
12A, Rue Lazare, Paris,
These instructions may seem straightforward, but it is important to
France.
follow them accurately and correctly.
Chapter 14: Answering information transfer questions

Answering information transfer questions
JiUII find the exact details
Scan to find the exact information you need to copy and write. It might
help you to focus if you underline the word or phrase in the text when
you find it. Think of it like 'cut-and-paste' on a computer.
Here is an exercise to practise these four steps:
Read this paragraph then follow the instructions after it.

Marcella di Paola has always wanted to have a career on the stage
as a singer or dancer - or maybe even a combination of the two.
She started out at an early age, taking part in a local singing contest
and winning first prize at the age of only six. When she was 11 she
took ballet lessons at a special Dance School in her town, and took
several ballet exams. This lasted until she was 18. During this time, she
also took part in school plays. At the age of 19, in 2009, she managed
to get a place at the Royal Drama School in Rome. This is where she
is now, following a three-year course in Acting and Dancing. She
works hard, practising her dancing routines from 8am until 8pm
every day. She enjoys the physical challenge of dancing, and loves
the excitement of taking part in live performances, when she enjoys
the thrill of hearing audiences clapping and cheering for her. On the
other hand, she has to put up with antisocial hours as she has to work
late during the week and most weekends as well. Her email address
is [email protected] and www.dancespot.com/MarcellaD is
her webpage.
Imagine you are Marcella and you have to fill out this
application form for a place with a dancing company.
Full name (IN BLOCK CAPITALS)..................................................

Email address: ....................................................................................
Website address (if you have one): .............................................
Age of starting ballet lessons: .....................................................
Year of starting present course: ..................................................
Name of present place of education: ........................................
Length of current course (delete as necessary) 1 year /
2 years I 3 years I 4 years
Career aims (circle as necessary any that apply)
dancer actress singer teacher

Check your answers with a partner. Did you follow-the instructions
exactly? Did you use capital and lower-case letters correctly?
Hint: Check the website address especially carefully.
JiUilj Write one or two sentences correctly

Further questions may ask you to read information and then write about
it, usually within a set number of words, in one or two sentences.
Remember that you are writing, not as yourself, but as the person
described in the text. So, if you are asked for your opinion, you must
remember that you are supposed to be someone else - do not give your
personal opinion. This is not a piece of creative writing. Look for the
information in the text!
Jii3ilil Check
Make sure you have followed all the directions carefully. Check:
that you have written the correct number of sentences
that you have written no more than the set number of words (if there
is a word limit)
all grammar, spelling and punctuation.
If you make any mistakes in any of these things, you will lose marks
JiUill Get the length right

8
Now you have a chance to practise steps 5 and 6 and complete the last
section on Marcella's form. E
In this instance, for practice, you should aim to write between 12 and
20 words.
a) Imagine you are Marcella. Write one sentence explaining your
practice routine.
b) Write one sentence about your experience as a dancer before you
went to Drama school.
c) Write one sentence explaining what you enjoy about being a dancer
and what you find difficult about a dancing career.
Some hints:
First look at your answer to a).
Did you underline some of the sentence starting She works hard ... every
day? Did you remember to change the subject to I, and her to my? Did
you change the verb from practising to I practise? You could have written:
I practise my dancing routines from 8am until 8pm every day.
(13 words)
Now look at b).
Did you read the question carefully and write only about her dancing
experience? You could have written:
Between the ages of 11 and 18, I took ballet lessons and some ballet
examinations at a local Ballet School. (20 words)

Look at these example answers in response to b):
Marcella loved dancing at her ballet school and she took ballet
exams, too.
I always wanted to be a dancer and now I go to dancing school.
Ballet lessons for about 7 years ages 11 to 18 and exams in ballet
from 11 to 18 I have took lessons and pass exams in balet
None of these answers would have got any marks. Can you see why?
Discuss this with a partner.
Now look at c).

Did you start each sentence with a capital letter and end with a clear
-
Top tip
full stop?
Sometimes you can save
You could have written: words by replacing a
phrase with a single
I love the physical challenges of dancing and the excitement of live word. For example, 'she
performances, although I find the antisocial hours difficult. enjoyed the audience's
(20 words) clapping and cheering'
could become 'She
Look at these further example answers to c): enjoyed the audience's
Marcella loves practising every day and the excitement and the applause'. This technique
for saving words is really
clapping but she finds late nights at weekends and in the week useful when writing
very difficult summaries - see Chapter
5, pages 92-97.
Marcella loves the physical experience of dancing and the
excitement of hearing audiences clapping her and she hates the
unsocial hours.
/ love challenges, I hate lateness.
I adore the challenges of dancing and the audience's appreciation
but I hate late finishes to the working day.
Discuss with a partner whether you think any of them could have got full
marks. If not, why not?
1-jj:j:j:j Understand what is implied

If you are an Extended-level student, you may have to use some You learned about
inference to answer the last section. Be ready to show you can inference in Chapters 1
understand what is implied but not actually written down. \SJ and 7.
Imagine you are Marcella and write one sentence of between 12 and
20 words about how you are showing real determination to become a
successful dancer.
Practice information transfer question

You are now ready to do a complete information transfer question, just
like in your IGCSE exams.

v' Skim read the text and the form before you start to write.
V Read for detail and underline the key detail, the golden nugget, you want
to transfer.
V Copy it over carefully. Double-check that the spelling, capital letters or
punctuation are clear and exactly as in the text.
v' Read all the instructions very closely, for example, if the form asks for two
details, check that you give only two details, even if there are many others
in the text; if it asks you to circle the answer, circle it.
v' Make sure your handwriting is clear, and that capital letters are larger than
lower-case letters.
V Check that your answers make sense.
V In every section of the information transfer question, spelling and
punctuation mistakes will stop you getting the mark. You must check these
very carefully.
V Expect to use inference skills. V
Exercise 3
Kwame Annan was born in Kumasi, a city in the south of Ghana,
about 250 km north of the capital, Accra, on 30 August, 1995. He
still lives here, with his parents at 28, Royal Palm Road. The landline
number of his home is 00-233-51-896151. He played football every
day with his friends, in the streets, and on any patch of open ground
that he could find. At school, Kumasi Junior High, he was we/I-liked
and popular, and did reasonably well in his lessons, passing his
examinations so well that he received a scholarship to a private
international school, the Kumasi Academy. While studying here for
his A levels, his passion for football has developed even further. He
played for his school in regional matches and was noticed by the
trainer-manager of the national youth team. He played football
for this team during the 2012-2013 season, and was able to travel
to Europe, visiting Spain, Germany and France for the international
youth events. He made a great impression in this team and on his
return was offered the chance to play for the national youth team
for a further two years. He scored two goals during the final round of
the competition, and was given a special 'Man of the Match Award'
for his outstanding performance, although the team was only able
to be runner-up, which was a bit frustrating for the team. Now that
he has left school, he is part of the national team hoping to take part
in the new competition, the Africa-Asia Cup. This will take place in
Shanghai, China from 10 to 17October 2015. The plans are that they
will stay at the Imperial Hotel, 208 Pusan Road, Shanghai, arriving
at Shanghai International airport, two days before the start of the

tournament and then staying on for two days after it to do some

sight-seeing. They will be in China from the 8th to the 19th October.
He wants to become a recognised member of the adult national
team for Ghana, and hopes to become as famous as Michael Essien,
a fellow Ghanaian who played in France and England, and who won
the coveted 'African Footballer of the Year Award' for his amazing
football skills.
Imagine that you are Kwame. You have been sent a form to
complete by the manager of the Ghana Youth Team, so that he
can apply for visas for the team to travel to China, and also get
to know you a little better.
Fill in the form, using the information above.
Section A Personal details (BLOCK CAPITALS)
Full name: ............................................................................. .
Date of birth: .........................................................................
Home address (include town): .......................................
Home telephone number:: ..............................................
Name of last school attended: ........................................
Section B Travel history
Country of birth (delete as necessary):

Ghana other country in Africa
other country in Europe
Please circle any of these countries that you have

visited in the last three years:
United Kingdom Germany France
Belgium Italy Spain China

Section C Visit to China
Name of football competition: .......................................
City to be visited: .................................................................
Dates when you will be in the country: .......................
Name of hotel where you will stay: .....................
Hotel address: .............................................................

.....................................................................................................
EITHER Section D Core

In the space below, write one sentence about
what you achieved, and one sentence about
what caused you disappointment during the last
international tournament you took part in.
OR Section D Extended
In the space below, write one sentence saying
what you achieved and what caused you
disappointment during the last international
tournament you took part in. Your answer should
be between 12 and 20 words long.
[Total: Core - 14 marks]

[Total: Extended - 8 marks]

Answering a note-making question
What you have to do: from a short text, select details in order to make
notes and organise them under given headings.
The kinds of text: brochures, articles, reports or imaginative writing.
To go one step further: find some extra details, for example: under an
extra given heading.
The reading and writing skills you will use - the ability to:
1 select relevant details
2 recognise the difference between facts, ideas and opinions
3 find and organise related details.
Approaching a note-making question step by step
Jiiil Make sure you understand the task

A little extra time spent checking that you understand the task can
save you time and marks in the long run. First, use your skim reading
skills to get an idea of the text's content, what it is about and how it
is organised. Read the first sentence of each paragraph to help you do
this, if the text has no subheadings to help you. Then, carefully read the
headings that you are asked to use in the question, before going back to
the text to start selecting the details you need.
Jij:j:fj Find the related details

It is a good idea to use different colours to underline the information
you think you are going to need. If there are two headings, use different
colours to underline the two different kinds of information. Sometimes
the information you need will be all together in the text and you may
have to sort out the points. Other times the information will be spread
through the whole text. Make sure you put the detail under the right
heading!
Here is an exercise to practise these steps. It is similar to the kind of task
you might find on the examination paper. Remember, you are not to
write anything yet - you are just going to read and underline the points
you need. (You will need to have a copy of it so you can write on it.)
If you are an Extended-level student, there is an extra heading and some
extra points to find and you will need a third highlighting colour. Be
extra careful to put the detail under the right heading.
@
Read this speech which was read out at a school assembly and then
follow the instructions carefully.
Chapter 15: Answering a note-making question

Imagine you have to write an account for the weekly Parents' Newsletter.
Prepare some notes to use as the basis for your article.
JOIN OUR GREEN CLUB

We are a group of four students in Grade 12 here at Stock/ea High School. We have
decided that our school needs to play a much bigger part in helping to improve
the environment - not just in our school itself, but in the area around it.
It all started when we heard that the council had sent leaflets to everyone in the
town, explaining that the cost of collecting all the rubbish from households - the
wages, the transport costs, etc. - has doubled in the last two years. We thought
this was a shocking statistic. This is despite a 5% improvement in recycling used
cardboard boxes, newspapers and unwanted office papers. They said that people
are still throwing away plastic bottles, yoghurt pots, takeaway food containers
and other things like these, instead of recycling them, which adds to the landfill
problem because we are running out of places to bury it all. The situation is getting
out of control - it's like a monster on the loose!
It's not just how people deal with their household waste that's the problem. We
noticed for ourselves how the town is being spoilt by rubbish being discarded
without any thought for the consequences. It really makes us feel so unhappy and
ashamed. Why can't we all look after our town properly? The town centre is left filthy
after Saturday afternoon shopping - food wrappers, drink cans, cardboard cups,
newspapers ... that sort of thing. It's so unhygienic. The river flowing through our
town has got empty glass bottles floating in it; there are old rusty cans and even
a broken shopping trolley. The riverside walk should be a colourful and attractive
place to walk with your family, but now it's quite unsightly, and hazardous, too.
So we wanted to do something to improve matters. First of all we asked our Form

Tutor, Mr Hussein and our English teacher Mrs Heywood, if they would help us and
give support. We all know how keen they both are on the environment from their
classes. We were really pleased when they agreed. Unfortunately, as you know, Mrs
Heywood was taken ill and has been off school, so she has not been able to join us,
but she has sent us a good luck card.
Now we are asking all of you in Grade 9 and 10 to come and help. We intend to
have Saturday afternoon collections in the High Street, starting this weekend.
We plan to go round with black sacks and collect the empty sweetpapers, chip
packets and cans, and take them to the recycling centre. We are lucky because
some parents are going to supervise and drive us and take the heavier items. And
we will go down to the river in the afternoon and fish out all the broken bottles
and tin cans, and just generally clean it up and make it safe at the same time. If you
have some gardening tools, like shears, clippers, spades and rakes, be sure to bring
some with you. You'll need to wear old clothes, and be ready to get your shoes wet!
Wear boots if you have them. And bring some thick gloves, too, to protect your
hands. We also want to tidy up the footpaths, picking up any newspapers and
wrappings; we want to cut some of the overgrown branches - and get rid of some
of the weeds from the paths, which are difficult to walk down in places especially
for parents pushing prams or strollers.

Please come and help. The more of us there are, the quicker we can get the job
done. Meet us outside the Market Coffee Shop at 1 Oam. The weather forecast is
overcast - so it may be a good idea to bring a raincoat or anorak.
Make your notes under the following headings.
..
Core and Extended: Members of the Green Club going into town on Saturday
. ..........................................................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................................... .
..
Extended only: The problems the Green Club has seen in the town
. ..........................................................................................................................................................
.
..........................................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................................... .
......................................................................................................................................................... .
..
Core and Extended: Actions the Green Club will carry out this weekend
. ..........................................................................................................................................................
.
..........................................................................................................................................................
.
..........................................................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................................................

lii8ill Make your notes Top tip
Read the headings again carefully as you make your notes. Double-check Remember, you can
that each detail is one you really need. Remember, notes do not need to always neatly cross out
be full or proper sentences - save time and keep them brief. The bullet an answer and write in
points tell you how many points you need to make; the lengths of the the correct one if you
lines give you an idea of how long each one should be. Extended-level need to. Whiteout fluid
students will be expected to find more details than Core-level students. is not allowed in IGCSE
examinations.
Make sure you have not written the same point twice.
liUitl Keep the notes brief

Imagine you had to use paragraph 2 of the speech to produce a poster
to inform people about the facts of the situation in the town.

Here are one student's notes: .-
Top tip
You do not have to
use your own words
i) the cost of collecting all the rubbish from households - the for these notes, but
wages, the transport costs, etc. - has doubled in the last sometimes it can save
you space and time.
two years. We thought this was a shocking statistic
ii) despite a 5% improvement in recycling used cardboard boxes,
newspapers and unwanted office papers
iii) people are still throwing away plastic bottles, yoghurt pots,
takeaway food containers and other things like these,
instead of recycling them
iv) adds to the landfill problem because we are running out
of places to bury it all. The situation is getting out of
control - it's like a monster on the loose!
There is not enough room for all this. How can you cut it down?
Some hints
You can:
delete all the examples
miss out any unnecessary detail
omit any irrelevant opinions, emotions or comparisons
use one word which sums up a longer phrase.
And so i) becomes:
i) cost of household rubbish collections has doubled in two years
Look back and see what has been left out and why. Now reduce notes ii)
iii) and iv) in the same way.
Then, with a partner, compare your reduced notes and see if you can
make them even briefer. Each one should be between 7 and 10 words.
Finally, use steps 3 and 4 to complete your notes on the Green Club.

ti' Skim through the text first; then read the headings carefully before you start to
select the details you need.
ti' Read the headings carefully again as you make your notes. Double-check that
each detail is one you really need.
ti' You do not need examples, details and comments - unless you are asked for them!
ti' Remember, notes do not need to be in sentences - save time and keep them brief.
ti' The bullet points tell you how many points you need to make; the lengths of the
lines tell you how long each one should be.
ti' Check that you have not written the same detail twice.
ti' You do not need to use your own words for these notes.

( Practice note-making question
You are ready to do a complete note-making question, in the style of an
IGCSE examination paper.
Read the following magazine article about the Inuits. Then copy out and
complete the notes that follow.
The Inuits are a fascinating group of people who have always lived in the Arctic
region. They always used to be called 'Eskimos' by outsiders, but now are known
as 'Inuits', the name they call themselves, which literally means 'the people'. It is
really remarkable how they have spread from a small region, across such a huge
geographical area including many different countries from Greenland to Russia.
Today, for example, there are more than 40 000 Inuits living in Canada and over
55 000 in Greenland. But despite all these changes, they have amazingly managed
to maintain their own values, traditions and beliefs.
They hunt for their food, and traditionally eat sea mammals, such as seals, walruses
and whales and fish, such as salmon. They also hunt and eat birds such as geese
and ducks. Even today, their main food source is the sea, though of course they
can use more modern weapons such as guns, rather than the traditional spears
and fishing lines.
In the areas of the frozen north where the Inuit live, there are few building
materials. Obviously no trees grow there, so houses cannot be constructed from
wood; the ground is so hard frozen that no bricks can be made from mud or stone.
However, the Inuit discovered a skilful way of building out of the compacted
snow and ice around them. They hacked out large blocks of ice, and then cleverly
carved them into the right shapes to build a circular 'igloo', completely enclosing
them and protecting them from the snow and blizzards. In the summer, after the
ice had melted, the Inuit lived in tents made out of animal skins stretched over
a frame. To travel, the Inuit used sleds pulled by teams of dogs. Nowadays, the
traditions of igloo building and using dog sleds are still alive, but they are able to
live in more solid buildings, designed as more permanent homes. They can use
petrol-driven vehicles for transport.
Art is very important to the Inuit people. In ancient times they used stone or bone
to make sculptures and small figures that they believed had magical powers, as well
as useful everyday items such as pots and weapons. Nowadays, art is important for
a different reason. They produce beautiful rings, necklaces and brooches - still out
of out of bone or stone - to sell around the world and generate an income.
What does the future hold for the Inuits? Although Inuit life has changed so much
over the past century, many of their traditions show no sign of changing. Radio
and TV programmes using the Inuit language will ensure it continues into the
future. Inuit artists and film makers will produce films reflecting the Inuit values
and ways of life. The Arctic Winter Games, held every two years, will continue
to keep the Inuit sense of identity strong in the future. Perhaps, however, a more
negative aspect is that many younger Inuits will find themselves torn between

their cultural heritage and the demands of modern society. Many will have to
leave the traditional way of life behind as they seek ways of earning a living in
the cities of Canada and other industrialised countries.
Core students
Prepare some notes for a short article about the Inuits for a class Geography magazine.
Copy out the heading given below. Make your notes under this heading.
..
Inuit way of life in the past
Lived in the arctic
..

..........................................................................................................................................................
..
..........................................................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................................................

[1 mark each up to 7]
Extended students
Prepare some notes for a short article about the Inuits for a class Geography magazine.
Copy out the headings given below. Make your notes under each heading.
.
Inuit way of life in the past
Lived in the arctic
..

..........................................................................................................................................................
.
..........................................................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................................................
[1 mark each up to SJ
..
How present way of life is different from the past
..........................................................................................................................................................
.
..........................................................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................................................

[1 mark each up to 4]
[Total: 9 marks]

Answering a summary-writing
question e
What you have to do: a summary-writing question on the Core paper is
a test of writing skills. Using your notes from the note-making task, link
them together into a short summary following a given word limit.
The writing skills you will use - the ability to:
1 write clear sentences and punctuate correctly
2 use appropriate vocabulary
3 write in paragraphs, using a variety of grammatical structures
4 use words and phrases to link paragraphs.
( Approaching a summary-writing question Q

Let's look at an example of a summary-writing question, which uses the
notes you made for the note-making question in Chapter 15 (pages
260-63):
Write a summary of 70 words for the weekly Parents'
Newsletter. You have to tell the parents a) who in the Green
Club will be going into town on Saturday and b) the actions
the Green Club will carry out this weekend.
JiUil Understanding the task Top tip

In the note-making task you made your notes under the heading or Never be tempted to add
any ideas of your own
headings you were given. In the examination, there may be one, two, or when writing a summary.
even three of these headings. In the summary-writing task you have to Use only details from the
write a summary using these notes. You should never add any ideas of text, put into your own
your own at all - this is not a test of imagination (that comes in the later words.
writing questions - see Chapter 1 8). This is a test to see if you can:
organise your ideas
show that you have understood the text from the note-making
question by using your own words
write clear sentences with correct spelling and punctuation
use paragraphs
keep to a set word limit.
liia:fj Using the notes

Now you have a clear idea of what you have to do in the summary
writing task, you can make a start. The first step is to check that the
notes you made are properly organised. Read them through and check
that they are under the correct headings.
Chapter 16: Answering a summary-writing question

Let's go back to the Green Club's speech and the notes you were asked
to make in Chapter 15.
For practice, take the notes listed below and write them under the
correct headings:
The Green Club members (3 points)
Actions the Club will be taking this Saturday (5 points)
Note: there are four extra points here which you should not include.
Town centre is unhygienic and the river has empty glass bottles
floating in it
Meet at 10am
Grade 12 Form Teacher is called Mr Hussein and helps
Town centre spoilt and left filthy by rubbish discarded without any
thought for the consequences after Saturday shopping
Members are school students in Grades 9 and 10
Go down to the river in afternoon and fish out all the bottles and
tin cans
River - old rusty cans and even a broken shopping trolley in it
Four people studying at school in Grade 12 decided to do something
and get others to help
Riverside walk should be a pretty place but now is hazardous
Go with black sacks and collect empty wrappers and cans in the High
Street to improve this dire situation
Taking the empty food wrappers and cans to the recycling centre
Go to river and fish out bottles and cans
You should now have some well-organised notes and be ready to start
writing.
Jii4ill Using your own words

Remember that when you write a summary, you should try to use your
own words as far as possible. Obviously some of the basic key words will
be the same, but you should try to reword the text to show that you
have really understood it, and that you are not just copying it out word
for word. You did some work on vocabulary in Chapter 4 which will have
helped prepare you for this.
As a practice, look at the following words from the notes in Step 2. Write
down a word or a phrase that means the same as (is a synonym for):
a) unhygienic
b) filthy
c) discarded
d) fish out
e) hazardous
f) improve this dire situation.

Answering a summary-writing question
JiU:11 Write in paragraphs You learnt about and
You have learnt that you can organise your ideas by putting them practised the different
together in paragraphs. Each heading could become a topic sentence, ways of joining ideas
that is a sentence that introduces or sums up the paragraph. Then you and sentences in
Chapters 3 and 9.
have to link your ideas together. Do not write strings of short sentences
always joined together with and and but. Find some different ways of
joining the sentences instead.
For example, a one-paragraph summary of 'The Green Club members'
might be as follows:
The Green Club has members of all ages. Four people studying at
school in Grade 12 decided to do something and get others to help,
and the Green Club members are all school students in Grades 9 and
10 and the Form Teacher for the students in Grade 12 is called Mr
Hussein and he is helping.
This has a topic sentence, but is rather muddled and could be better
organised. There is an overuse of and. The details about Grade 12 appear
in two different places.
For practice, work with a partner to put the ideas in a better order and
have a better variety of sentence structures.
Jij:j:Jj keep to the word limit

Remember that there is a word limit. You must stay within the word
limit, so make sure you count your words.
Sometimes a few words will do the work of a long phrase or even a
-
whole sentence. Using shorter phrases can be a great way to write Top tip
concisely. You can be cunning and use synonyms (or re-wording), Writing concisely,
not just to show you have understood the text, but also to means writing in as few
save words. words as possible but
still getting the meaning
As a practice, find one word or a short phrase that means the across.
same as:
a) without any thought for the consequences
b) old rusty cans and even a broken shopping trolley
c) empty wrappers and cans
d) colourful and attractive.
Now write the practice task:
Write a summary of 70 words for the weekly Parents'
Newsletter. You have to tell the parents a) who in the Green
Club will be going into town on Saturday and b) the actions
the Green Club will carry out this weekend.
Write your summary, making sure you use only the notes that are
relevant to the question.

Afterwards, with a partner, work together to make your summary as
clear and concise as possible, following the five steps. When you have
--
Top tip
finished, count up your words and make sure you are within the word Remember to have a
limit. Cross out any unwanted words neatly. final read through to
check that it all makes
CheCkl i St fOr SUCCeSS ,'
sense after you have
made any alterations to
your summary.
v' Check your notes from the note-making question closely
and ensure that you have not noted the same detail twice -
you can neatly cross out an answer and write in the correct
one if you need to.
v' While you do not need to use your own words for the notes
in the note-making task, you should try to use your own
words for the summary-writing task.
v' When you finish your summary, check that you have not
used more than the set number of words or you may
lose marks.
( Practice summary-writing question

You are ready to do a complete summary-writing question, in the style of
an !GCSE examination paper.
You need to look at your answers to the note-making question - the
notes that you made about the Inuits (page 264-65) - and use these to
write your summary.
Use the notes you made in the note-making question to write

a summary of the Inuit way of life in the past.
Your summary should be no more than 70 words. You should
use your own words as far as possible.
[Total: 5 marks]

Answering a summary-writing
question
What you have to do: an extended-level summary-writing task involves
another text, slightly longer or slightly more complex than the one you
read for the note-making task. You have to pick out details and organise
them in order to produce a summary about one, two or three aspects
of this new text. You will be given a set word limit for your summary.
The summary-writing task is a test of the same reading skills as you used
in the note-making task, AND a test of writing skills.
The kinds of text: brochures, articles, reports or imaginative writing.
The re ading skills you will use: the ability to:
1 select relevant details
2 recognise the difference between facts, ideas and opinions
3 find and organise related details.
The writing skills you will use - the ability to:
1 write clear sentences and punctuate correctly
2 use appropriate vocabulary
3 write in paragraphs, using a variety of grammatical structures
4 use words and phrases to link paragraphs.
Approaching a summary-writing question

Let's look at an example of a summary-writing question, to see the steps
you will need to take.
Read the following email from Fathima to Wahida about her

new hobby, scuba diving. Write a summary about the benefits
and the costs of scuba diving.
Your summary should be about 100words (and no more than
120words).
You should use your own words as far as possible.
HiWahida
You asked me to tell you more about my new hobby, scuba diving.
Well, the first thing to tell you is that it's absolutely amazing - it's really
great and I'd really recommend it to you. It's quite a costly hobby, I
Chapter 17: Answering a summary-writing question \5)

admit- I've had to pay $100 to take my latest diving exam - but I get
out into the clean, fresh air and feel revitalised. It's just fantastic after
living in the city and breathing in all the car fumes. Not only that, it is
a very effective aerobic workout. It burns up those calories and keeps
me on top form physically. You get so captivated by all the wonderful
sights - the different coloured fish, the corals, the colourful sea plants
and sea anemones - that you don't stop to realise that you have been
using your arms and legs to keep you going forward. Last time we
went out, we saw a conger eel. It was beautiful and so enormous. I
was quite scared because they have rows of very, very sharp teeth
and it was my first instinct was to get away from it as fast as I could.
Then curiosity got the better of me, and the creature just ignored me
totally.
Of course, there are some other things to bear in mind. You have
to be fit to start with - you need a medical certificate of fitness
from a doctor before you can even start the training courses. I had
to pay around $50 for that. You may also need to fork out for extra
swimming lessons to bring your swimming skills up to scratch. And
the training courses are not cheap. Find a really good instructor -
that's essential, so you can be sure that you are learning all about
the safety regulations, all the dos and don'ts. There is a lot to learn,
and you have to pass some exams in diving. It is quite expensive too
- not just the training, I mean, you need to buy an oxygen tank, a
mask for your face , a special wetsuit and other bits and pieces. It all
adds up. But when you weigh it up, and consider the fact that you
learn so much about submarine flora and fauna, and have such fun
socialising with new people, well - I'd recommend it to you totally.
Come and join me soon!
Your good friend,
Fathima
JiUil Understanding the task

In the note-making task you prepared some notes under headings. For
the summary-writing task, you need to do exactly the same except there
are no headings or bullet points to help you find the relevant details; and
then you have to write a summary.
However, you are marked on the final summary - there are no marks for
any notes you might make in preparation. This means you must decide
if you will have time to make notes, or whether it will be enough just to
underline the key points in the text and write your summary from these.
Chapter 17: Answering a summary-writing question \!)

Remember, when preparing to write the summary:
-
Top tip
Skim read the text first, then read the question carefully before
you go back to the text and start selecting the details you need for Never be tempted to add
your notes. any ideas of your own
when writing a summary.
To save time, you could just underline the key points, perhaps using
Use only details from the
two different colours if there are two different aspects to the question. text, put into your own
Check that you have not identified the same detail twice. words.
Before you start writing the summary, you need to understand that you
should never add any ideas of your own - this is not a test of imagination
(that comes in the writing tasks - see Chapter 1 8). This is a test to see if
you can:
find and then organise related ideas
show that you have understood the text by using your own words
write clear sentences of different lengths and types, with correct
spelling and punctuation
use paragraphs and join your ideas in a variety of ways
keep to a set word limit.
Jid#j Finding and organising the related details

Although the summary-writing question may not mention paragraphs,
it is a good idea to use two paragraphs rather than just one if two sets
of related details are needed, as in this question. You could make notes
under the headings 'Benefits' and 'Costs'. To save time, let's use the
technique of underlining or highlighting the important points in two
different colours. After you have tried this, try the exercise which
follows for practice.
Which points have been highlighted in orange, and which in green - the
benefits or the costs?
HiWahida
You asked me to tell you more about my new hobby, scuba diving.
Well, the first thing to tell you is that it's absolutely amazing - it's
really great and I'd really recommend it to you. It's quite a costly
hobby, I admit- I've had to ay $100 to take my latest clivin exam
- but I get out into the clean, fresh air and feel revitalised. It's just
fantastic after living in the city and breathing in all the car fumes.
Not only that, it is a very effective aerobic workout. It burns up
those calories and keeps me on top form physically. You get so
captivated by all the wonderful sights - the different coloured
fish, the corals, the colourful sea plants and sea anemones - that
you don't stop to realise that you have been using your arms and
legs to keep you going forward. Last time we went out we saw a
conger eel. It was beautiful and so enormous. I was quite scared
Chapter 17: Answering a summary-writing question \51

because they have rows of very, very sharp teeth and it was my
first instinct was to get away from it as fast as I could.Then curiosity
got the better of me, and the creature just ignored me totally.
Of course, there are some other things to bear in mind. You have
to be fit to start with - you need a medical certificate of fitness
from a doctor oefore you can even start the training courses.
I had to pay around $50 for that. You may also need to fork out
for extra swimming lessons to oring your swimmin skills u
to scratch. And the training courses are not cheaA. Find a really
good instructor - that's essential, so you can be sure that you are
learning all about the safety regulations, all the dos and don'ts.
There is a lot to learn, and you have to pass some exams in diving.
It is quite expensive too -, not just the training, I mean, you need
to buy an oxygen tank, a mask for our face , a s ecial wetsuit and
other bits and pieces. It all adds up. But when you weigh it up, and
consider the fact that you learn so much about submarine flora
and fauna, and have such fun socialising with new eo le, well
- I'd recommend it to you totally. Come and join me soon! Your
good friend, Fathima
liia:11 Making and using notes

For practice, write out a list of the points you want to include. Check the
following:
Organisation: make sure that you organise your notes properly and
that you know which points will go under which heading. As in this
case, the related points may not all come together - you may have to
select them and then arrange them in a more logical order.
Relevance: make sure that you do not include unnecessary details,
opinions or feelings.
Keep it short: make sure that your notes are as brief as possible.
Compare your final list with a partner's.
Jii:fill Using your own words

Remember that when you write a summary, you should try to use your
own words as far as possible. Obviously some of the basic, key words
will be the same, but you should try to reword the text to show that you
have really understood it, and that you are not just copying it out word
for word.
Chapter 17: Answering a summary-writing question \!:)

As a practice, write down a word or a phrase that means the same as (is
a synonym for):
a) revitalised
b) aerobic workout
c) on top form
d) physically
e) captivated
f) fork out
g) submarine flora and fauna
h) socialising.
liiMl-i Write in paragraphs

Now that your notes are prepared, you are ready to link the ideas
together into paragraphs. Remember to give each paragraph a topic
sentence which sums up or introduces the paragraph. Try to make
the topic sentence of the second paragraph link back to the previous
paragraph in some way, so the whole summary reads smoothly.
Avoid writing strings of short sentences always joined together with and
and but. Find different ways of joining the sentences. You learnt about and
practised the different
You need to vary your sentence structures and write smooth-flowing ways of joining ideas
paragraphs, with effective linking words. For instance, when you are and sentences in
writing a list of costs, you could use paired phrases such as not only ... Chapters 3 and 9.
but also; or as well as . . . you have to remember that ... .
When you have written your paragraphs, work with a partner to see
if you can put even more variation into the way you have linked ideas
within the two paragraphs. You learnt about
different ways of linking
lihlilil Keep to the word limit ideas within paragraphs

in Chapter 5 on pages
You must be careful to keep to the word limit. So, be cunning and use 96-97.
synonyms (or re-wording), not just to show you have understood the
text, but also to save words.
As a practice, find one word or a short phrase that means the same as:
a) an oxygen tank, a mask for your face , a special wetsuit and other bits
and pieces
b) the safety regulations, all the dos and don'ts
c) the fish, the corals, the colourful sea plants and sea anemones
----------
Top tip
d) a medical certificate of fitness from a doctor.
Remember to have a
Now write the summary. final read through to
check that it all makes
When you have finished, count up your words and make sure you are
sense after you have
within the word limit. Cross out any unwanted words neatly. Afterwards, made any alterations to
with a partner, work together to make it as concise as possible, following your summary.
the five steps.

For further practice, using the notes you made for the tasks on the Inuits
in Chapter 15, page 265:
Write a summary on a) the facts about the Inuits in the past

and b) how the Inuits' present way of life is different from
the past.
Your summary should be about 100 words (and no more
than 120 words). You should use your own words as far as
possible.

V Skim read the text to get a general sense of how the
information is organised.
V Use the skimming and scanning skills (see Chapter 13) to
find the details you need.
V Use two different colours to underline the two different
kinds of information you need.
V Check that you have found exactly the right information -
read the instructions at least twice, carefully.
V If you have time, write brief notes under headings.
V Check for repetition in your underlining or notes.
V Check that you have not used any unnecessary words. Can
you reduce a phrase to one word?
V Use your own words as far as possible.
( Practice Exercise 5
You are ready to do a complete summary-writing question, in the style of
an !GCSE examination paper.
Read the article on pages 276-77 about left-handedness.

Write a summary about the difficulties facing left-handed
people and how those difficulties can be overcome.
Your summary should be about 100 words (and no more than
120 words).
You should use your own words as far as possible.
You will receive up to 6 marks for the content of your summary,
and up to 5 marks for the accuracy of your language.
Chapter 17: Answering a summary-writing question \!,i

I
Do left-handed people have the upper hand?

About one out of every ten people reading this article
is left-handed. That means that they prefer to use their
left hand rather than their right hand for everyday
activities such as writing or drawing. Over the years, many
superstitions and myths have evolved about left-handed
people - some positive and some negative. For instance,
the ancient Incas thought it was a sign of healing power.
Of course, nowadays we know that being left handed is
neither good, nor bad; it's just the way some people are.
Scientists are still trying to fathom out what it is that

makes some people left handed. It is known that babies
start showing a preference for the left or right hand even
when in the womb. From medical scans we can see babies
prefer to put just one hand near their mouth, eventually
even sucking that thumb, some weeks before being born.
Then, as the baby grows it has been observed that that
is the hand the child will go on to prefer in adult life.
Many left-handed people do face some inconvenience

in their everyday lives. Perhaps the most obvious one is
when writing English by hand. This is because in order
see what they are writing, they often curl their hand
around the top of the line where they are writing, which
will smudge the ink. Obviously writing in pencil can
get around this little problem. Avoiding spiral bound
exercise books and ring binders may be another way of
making life a little easier, as the metal rings can get in the
way of the left handed writer. No doubt 'lefties; as they
are sometimes called, welcome the use of computers
nowadays for essay writing. But even here, problems can
arise as the keyboards are designed for right handed
people, for example the number pad usually being on
the right hand side. Another common problem is the
use of scissors, which left-handed people find almost
impossible to use. In the kitchen, you may want to use a
potato peeler. This would be impossible for left-handed
people normally, but now we can all happily share the
chore, as left-handed potato peelers are on the market.
Scissors, cameras, fishing reels, golf clubs, even wrist
watches ... all items we want to use for our work or leisure,
originally designed for the right-handed person and
Chapter 17: Answering a summary-writing question \.!I

awkward for the left-hander, which can now be bought
especially adapted.
Musical instruments are another area where left

handed people may feel at a disadvantage, as they are
all designed for the majority of people, favouring the
right hand. Nowadays you can buy left-handed guitars
quite easily. No doubt Paul McCartney, perhaps one of
the most famous left-handed musicians, has helped
publicise these. Less well-known is that pianos have been
manufactured with the left handed person in mind, with
the deepest notes being at the top end, the right hand
end of the piano instead of on the left, as normal.
Is there any advantage to being one of the special few?

They will be pleased to hear that yes, there is - on the
sports field. In baseball and cricket, the left-handed
batsman can force the bowler to make errors. In soccer,
tennis and basketball, the left-handed player can take
his opponent by surprise with unexpected moves. We
can understand why so many successful sportsmen and
women are left-handed (and left-footed!) - John McEnroe
being just one example and Lionel Messi, the Argentian
footballer, another.
In any event, left-handers can be proud to be in the

company of such 'lefties' as Albert Einstein, Bill Gates -
and even the cartoon character Bart Simpson!
[Total: 11 marks]
Chapter 17: Answering a summary-writing question \!I

Answering long writing questions C, E
Two types of task: the first long writing task will always have
a different purpose and be in a different form from the second
writing task.
Writing questions involve: a short composition which describes,
reports or gives an opinion, using pictures and/or prompts as a guide.
CJ
The question includes information on purpose, format and audience
and there will be a set word limit.
Writing questions involve: a slightly longer composition in which
you develop your ideas further; adapt your style well to the reader and
purpose; use more sophisticated vocabulary and structures; use very
accurate grammar and punctuation. You will be given a set word
limit.
The writing skills you use - the ability to:
1. write to describe, inform or explain in response to pictures
2. write to express opinions in response to prompts
3. adapt your style according to the form, reader and purpose of
the writing
4. use a range of grammatical structures
5. use a range of vocabulary and spell accurately
6. use paragraphs correctly
7. use punctuation correctly.
( A long writing question to explain or describe

The first writing question asks you to produce a piece of writing to
explain or describe something, or to give an account of something.
You are asked to imagine you are in a particular situation and then you
are given some guidance about what to include in the writing. There are
usually some pictures to give you ideas. In this writing you have to be
clear and write something which the reader will enjoy.
Let's look at an example of this type of question.
The Grand Opening
Your school or college is about to open a large new building, and a special grand
opening event is planned.
Write an article for your school newsletter, telling people about the event and
inviting them to come.
Chapter 18: Answering long writing questions

In your article you should:
describe the new building and what it will be used for
explain what will happen at the opening event
invite people to attend and explain why they would enjoy it.
The pictures above may give you ideas, but you are free to use any ideas of your own.
Your article should be between 100 and 1 SO words (Core) or 1 SO and 200 words
(Extended).
e
You will receive up to 7 marks for the content of your letter, and up to 6 marks for the
style and accuracy of your language.
You will receive up to 10 marks for the content of your article, and up to 9 marks for
the style and accuracy of your language. t._!:)

Answering long writing questions
Jii3il Decide on the form, reader and purpose
Read the details of the task very carefully. The first things to check are:
What form of writing are you being asked for? Is it an article, a
speech, a letter, a blog?
Who is the reader - the person you are writing for? Is it a head teacher,
a close friend, an elderly relative, students your own age, young
children?
What is the purpose of the writing? Is it to inform? Is it to explain or
describe something? Is it to persuade? Is it to convince someone of
your opinion? Is it to give advice? Sometimes it may be a mixture of
several of these .
All these things will affect the style of writing, and the level of formality
you use. Aim for the highest marks by showing you can adapt your style You learnt about style
and degree of formality in
according to the form, reader and purpose of the writing.
your writing in Chapters 6
Before you write anything, underline the words and phrases in the and 12.
question that tell you the form, reader and purpose of the task. Then
discuss these with a partner and decide together how formal or informal
your writing should be.
Jij3:fj Use the pictures

In this question there are some pictures to help give you ideas - in this
case, for the kind of buildings a school/college would have.
In pairs, answer these questions:
-
What types of building do the pictures make you think of? Try to
Top tip
draw up a list of ten others types of building. You should try to come
Which one of these would you feel most able to write about? Why? up with your own ideas,
but make sure they
What other school/college buildings could you write about? Can are all relevant to the
you think of a building which would really interest you, perhaps one question. If you can't
where you could take part in your favourite leisure activity? think of your own idea,
If someone wrote about the opening of a big shopping mall, why then use one of the ones
suggested. They have
would this gain only a few marks for 'Content'?
been provided because
they could be successful,
lii3ill Use the prompts so there is nothing
wrong with using one of
Imagine you have decided to choose a new indoor swimming pool. You them. You can still show
may not know much about swimming, but at least you have seen an some individual thought
indoor swimming pool and can think what schools might use it for. in the details you add.
Now look at the three prompts. The question makes it very clear that in
your article for the school newsletter you should:
describe the new building and what it will be used for
explain what will happen at the opening event
explain why people would enjoy coming to the opening event.

Use these prompts as part of your 'concept map', just like the ones you
have worked on in earlier chapters. Draw a line out from each statement
to help organise your ideas.
Here is an example:
Indoor
l
Describing the
new building and what
it will be used for
modern/walls made
/7=
sculpture of
of blue glass a dolphin
school use
for lessons
water polo/swimming
competitions
If you need more room, you can use a piece of rough paper or find a
blank space on the page.
Now quickly do the same for the other two prompts. Under time
pressure in an examination you may be short of time - so spend no more
than five minutes sketching out your 'concept map'.
You can see now that all you will have to do later is develop these ideas
and combine them into clear sentences.
Sometimes you may be able to use the prompts to help you divide your
work into paragraphs - but some prompts may need more than one
paragraph.
Jil=UII Develop your ideas

When you write your sentences describing the indoor swimming pool
and what it will be used for, you must avoid just writing a list of points.
You need to develop your basic ideas.
Here are some suggestions to help you develop your descriptions:
Imagine you are there.
Add some details to make it sound realistic.
Use the senses of hearing, seeing, smelling, touching and tasting if it
seems appropriate.

So, these notes:
indoor swimming pool modern walls made of blue glass
sculpture of a dolphin
could become:
The new swimming pool is in a low-level building, set among

trees which have been planted especially . There is a dark blue
sculpture of a dolphin near the entrance to welcome you. Then
inside you will find an Olympic sized swimming pool - plenty of
space for people to splash around. The main walls are made of
blue glass, so that when you are inside, the light shines through.
It is so beautiful and it make you feel good just standing there!
To help develop explanations:

Try to imagine the situation clearly in your mind.
Give details to make the explanation convincing, for example, the
name of the famous sportswoman who might open the building; the
detail that the pool will be open to the public at weekends.
Give evidence/reasons to support ideas, for example, people who
attend the opening will get a special discount.
In pairs:
Compare the notes you made around the two other prompts.
Discuss how these could be developed. What extra details could you use?
1-ii:l:Jj Use paragraphs correctly

Here are some connective phrases you could use to link ideas within or
between paragraphs when writing to explain, describe or inform:
first of all after a while then before this happened
on the outside you can see . . . on the inside, however . . .
Add five more words or phrases to this list. Compare your suggestions with a
partner or in a group, and see how many words you can find together.
Links in the first paragraph
Here is one student's first paragraph:
New Swimming Pool Opening
I am writing to invite you all to the opening of an amazing new building at our college next
Saturday afternoon: a new indoor swimming pool. I've had a look around it and I can tell you
it is amazing! It looks fantastic from the outside. For a start, it is in a low-level building, set
among trees which have been planted especially. Then there is a beautiful, dark blue sculpture
of a dolphin near the entrance. Inside there is an Olympic-sized swimming pool - a huge space
for people to splash around. The main walls are made of blue glass so that when you finally
walk inside, the light shines through. It is so fantastic!

On your own, write down some of the words and phrases the student
has used to link the ideas in this paragraph.
Then work with a partner to identify the different ways the writer has
linked the ideas together within this paragraph so that it flows smoothly.
Some of the methods you could use are:
punctuation such as a colon(:), a semicolon (;) or a dash (-), to show
the link between the ideas at the start of the sentence and the ideas
in the rest of it
pronouns, for instance, it used to refer back to the previous sentence
relative pronouns, for example, which, this
connectives to show movement through time, for instance, for a
start . . . then . . .
Did you identify any of these?
( A long writing question including opinion or argument

The second writing question is usually a piece of writing which will
include giving an opinion about something, and arguing for or against
it. There may be some speech bubbles offering different points of view
on the subject, to give you ideas to get started. In this writing you have
to convince or persuade your reader.
Let's look at a possible second writing question.
There is a problem of too much traffic in your local town and the
town council is considering setting up a 'congestion charge'. This
means that anyone who wants to drive their car into the town
centre will have to pay a sum of money to do so. You decide to
write a letter to the council to give your views.
Here are some comments you have heard on the subject:
This will hit the poorest and weakest

people the hardest - it's just not fair!
I own a shop in the town centre and this change will

mean fewer customers for me.
This is a great idea - the town centre will be a safer place.
It will cut down the pollution and noise in the

town centre.
Write the letter to the council, giving your views on the topic.

Your letter should be between 100 and 150 words long (Core)
or between 150 and 200 words long (Extended).
The comments above may give you some ideas, but you are free
to use any ideas of your own.
You will receive up to 7 marks for the content of your letter, and
up to 6 marks for the style and accuracy of your language.
You will receive up to 10 marks for the content of your letter, and
up to 9 marks for the style and accuracy of your language. (;_)
,iU:11 Decide on the form, reader and purpose

As in first writing question, the initial things to check are:
What form of writing are you being asked for?
You learnt about style
Who is the reader - the person you are writing for? and degree of formality
What is the purpose of the writing? Is it to explain or describe in your writing in
something? Is it to persuade them to do something? Is it to convince Chapters 6 and 12.
them of your. opinion? Sometimes it may be a mixture of several of
these.
Before you write anything, underline the words and phrases in the
question that tell you the form, reader and purpose of the task. Then
discuss these with a partner and decide together how formal or informal
your writing should be.
Remember, all these things will affect the style of writing, and the level of
formality you use. To gain the highest marks you will have to show you
can adapt your style according to the form, reader and purpose.
Jii3:fj Understand the prompts - the speech bubbles

The prompts for the second writing task may be in the form of speech
bubbles. These may give different points of view about a topic, which
you can explore and develop in your writing.
The prompts in this example give different viewpoints on the issue of
whether or not the town should introduce a congestion charge. Unlike
the first writing task, there is no hint as to the content of each paragraph
- this is left entirely up to you. The question just says you have to write a
letter giving your views. So you will need to do some more planning in
this exercise, and decide what points to make in each paragraph.
In pairs, answer the following questions:
Look at the speech bubbles - which ones are in favour of the
congestion charge; which ones are against?
Who do you think would agree with these points of view - any
particular groups/types of people?
Which point of view do you agree with, on balance, and why?

Try to imagine what other people in the town might think, for
example: parents with young children; people in wheelchairs; the Top tip
elderly; shop owners. How could these ideas help you write your You should try to come
letter? Could you pretend to be someone else writing the letter? up with your own ideas,
If someone spent the whole letter describing the council as foolish but make sure they are
relevant to the question.
and the town centre as useless for shopping, why would this gain
Using a concept map
very few marks for 'Content'? or outline plan of your
letter before you start
1-ii=hll Use the speech bubbles writing should keep you
on the right path.
Let us imagine you decide to argue strongly against the plan to
introduce a congestion charge. You are probably going to use one or
both of the comments offering this viewpoint.
Use the comments as part of a concept map, just as you have in earlier
chapters. Draw lines out from the first speech bubble and add the ideas
which could develop this point of view. Here is an example:
This will hit the poorest and weakest people
I
the hardest - it's just not fair!
people from far away oare needed to oarry

need oare heavy items home
people with
pushohairs
poor public; elderly people find
transport it diffioult
people in wheelchairs
need to drive close to shops
If you need more space than is available around the bubble, use some
rough paper or a space on the page.
Now do the same for the other speech bubble which is against the
congestion charge.
What about the points which are supporting the charge? Do you think
they are true to any extent? You can use these ideas in order to support
your point of view. Here is an example:
This is a great idea - the town centre will

be a safer place.
people can use the

excellent pavements
there has been only one accident <:._
child ran into the road - parents must
look after their children

Now do the same for the other bubble supporting the congestion
charge.
In pairs, compare your notes and see if you can add any more ideas. Can
you think of any other reasons why you might be against the congestion
charge? What about you, personally. How would it affect you?
lii3:II Develop your ideas

When you write your sentences giving your point of view, avoid just
stating your viewpoints in a list. You need to develop your ideas.
To help develop a point of view:
Try to imagine the situation clearly.
View it from different angles, so you can refer to other viewpoints -
either to support your case, or to help you argue against them.
Offer details to support your points.
Give reasons for your opinions.
So, these notes:
people from far away need cars
cars needed to carry heavy items home
poor public transport
people in wheelchairs need to drive close to shops
elderly people find it difficult people with pushchairs

could become:
The congestion charge will be bad for the eeople who need the
council's support the most. Many people won't be able to afford
the charges. It will be very hard for people who live far away in
country areas, without buses or trains to get them into town.
They need their cars to get them into the town centre. Shopping Top tip
can be very heavy - how are they meant to carry heavy things Never simply copy out
such as televisions to the car parks on the outside of town? The the words in the speech
bubbles. If you want to
elderly and the sick will be very badly affected. They can hardly include the idea, you
be expected to walk all the way into town. The samgoes for must try to use your own
words as far as you can.
parents with heavy pushchairs and energetic young children.
They need the cars to get them into the centre as quickly as
possible.
Look at the example paragraph. Underline the reasons given for the
viewpoint, and the examples.

Now write two more paragraphs: one using the notes you made around
-
the other speech bubble against the congestion charge; one using the Top tip
notes in favour of the congestion charge to support your viewpoint. Spend no more than 5
to 7 minutes planning or
Jij:j:Jj Use paragraphs correctly sketching out your ideas.
Here are some connective phrases you could use to link ideas within or
between paragraphs when writing to give an opinion and offer a clear
line of argument:
after all this . . . as well as these points . . .
in addition, I think that . . . on the other hand . . .
another reason why . . . an alternative viewpoint . . .
some people think that . . . first of all . . . secondly ...
You can introduce your final paragraph with a phrase such as:
To sum up, I think that . . . On the whole, it is clear that . . .
In brief, you must agree that . . .
Having weighed up the arguments for and against . . .
Think of five more connecting words or phrases. Compare your
suggestions with a partner or in a group, and see how many words you
can find together.
Read the paragraph below. Try to identify these five linking devices:
a topic sentence introducing the main idea of the paragraph (there
may be two topic sentences, working together)
the word them used to refer back to the previous sentence
three separate words/phrases linking ideas and showing the
connection between them
the word also to make a link within the paragraph
one phrase to show how the final sentence is linked to the rest of the
paragraph .
I feel so passionately about this topic that I have decided
to write this letter to you. It would be very unjust to set up
a congestion charge for anyone driving a car into the town
centre. It will be especially unfair for the people who need
the council's support the most. Many of them won't be able
to afford the charges. For a start, it will be very unfair for
people who live in remote areas without buses or trains to
get them into town. They need their cars to get into the town
centre. Shopping can be very heavy - how are they meant to
carry heavy things to the car parks on the outside of town?
Secondly, older people will be very badly affected. They can
hardly be expected to walk all the way into town. Finally, the
same goes for parents with heavy pushchairs and energetic
young children (and we all know how difficult that can be).
They also need their cars to travel into the centre as quickly
as possible. In brief, this is all totally unfair.

Checklist for success -f:
V Read the question through carefully.

V Now read it again and underline key words or phrases
which tell you the form, reader and purpose, so you know
the level of formality to use.
V Look at any pictures/speech bubbles supplied. Remember,
these are just ideas you can use if you wish. If you can think
of your own ideas, so much the better. If you can't think
of your own ideas, it doesn't matter -you can still get full
marks using one or more of the ideas you are given.
V Make some very brief notes by each prompt - maybe use a
quick concept map - so that you have an idea about what
to include.
V You may be able to think of each prompt as one paragraph.
V Underline key words in the bullet points that you have
to use.
V Start writing!
V Leave a few minutes at the end to check your work.
( Practice writing question 1

Now you are ready to do a complete long writing question to explain or
describe.
You and some friends have decided to hold a charity event to raise money. You
want to make use of the school buildings, so need permission from the head
teacher.
Write a letter to the head teacher, explaining:
the charity you want to support and why
the building or other area in the school you would like to use and why
how you will make sure that the buildings will not be damaged in any way.
The pictures opposite may give you ideas, but you are free to use any ideas of your own.
Your letter should be between 100 and 150 words (Core) or 150 and 200 words
(Extended).
Do not write an address.


( Practice writing question 2
Now you are ready to do a complete long writing question including
opinion or argument.
Your local newspaper has a teenage magazine in it every weekend. There has been a
suggestion in the paper that parents should not allow children under the age of 16 to
play computer games at all. You have been asked to write an article giving your views
on the issue.
Here are some comments you have heard on the subject:
This is so unfair - we can learn a lot from playing computer games! 'I
( We need to relax and unwind - and computer

games are the best way to do it!
This is a great idea - young people need to do homework

in the evenings, not play stupid games.
Good. Perhaps they'll start talking to their parents more.
Write the teenage magazine article, giving your views on the issue.
Your teenage magazine article should be between 100 and 150 words long
(Core) or between 150 and 200 words long (Extended) and you should use your
own words.
The comments above may give you some ideas, but you are free to use any ideas of
your own.
Do not write in columns or add any pictures.
e
You will receive up to 7 marks for the content of your article, and up to 6 marks for the
You will receive up to 1 O marks for the content of your article, and up to 9 marks for
the style and accuracy of your language. @

Responding to listening
questions 8 E
In all listening questions, you have to listen carefully to one or more people
speaking, select details from what they say and then use them in some
way. You may be asked to:
simply listen out for a piece of information and then write it down as
briefly as possible
write information down in a different way, for example, on a form of
some kind
understand some information and then organise it in your mind to answer
a matching question, a multiple-choice question or a gap-filling question.
In the following pages we shall be looking at different sorts of listening
questions, one at a time.
Approaching shorter listening questions

What you have to do: listen to some short spoken extracts by
individuals, or brief conversations between two people, select details to
answer two questions, and then write concise answers - each one is a
single word or phrase, not a sentence. In fact, you should use no more
than three words for each answer. Each recording is played twice.
The kinds of text you will hear: travel announcements, answer phone
messages, brief dialogues.
To go one step further: all students answer the same questions.
The listening skills you use - the ability to:
1. listen carefully for details.

al Remember to make good use of every pause in the recordings .
al Underline key words in the questions to help you focus.
al Can you tell where the conversation is likely to be taking place and what kind of
language you will need to use?
al Can you tell what kind of detail you should be listening for, for example, is it a
weight? A time?
al Use the second playing of the question to check that you have selected the right
details.
al Check that your spelling is as accurate as possible.
al If you don't know the word, you can still have a guess by writing the sounds you hear.
Chapter 19: Responding to listening questions

Responding to listening questions
Practice listening questions 1-4
u
For questions 1 to 4 you will hear four short recordings. Answer each question
on the line provided. Write no more than three words for each detail.
You will hear each recording twice.
1 a) Where are the students going on their school trip?

.............................................................................................................................................................. [1]
b) At what time will the school bus leave to take the students on the trip?
[1]
2 a) What is the class about to make in the experiment?

[1]
b) How much of the white powder should the students use?

[1]
3 a) Why is Bernice unable to get to work on time today?

[1]
b) If her employers want to speak to her, how should they contact her?
[1]
4 a) What does the waiter give Ali so he can choose what to order?
[1]
b) What two fruits does Ali decide to have in his fruit juice cocktail?
.............................................................................................................................................................. [1]
[Total:8]
Approaching listening gap-filling questions

What you have to do: listen to a longer text spoken by a single person,
and select details to complete gaps in a form or chart. You must write
very concise answers - only one or two words in each gap. You will hear
the recording twice.
The kinds of text you will hear: speeches, radio talks, lectures.
The skills you need - the ability to:
1. listen carefully for details
2. understand exactly which detail you need to complete gaps in
a form.

Checklist for success t
ti Remember to make good use of every pause in the recordings.

V Underline any key words which might help you focus on the detail you
need.
V While the recording is being played, write in as many of the answers as you
can.
V Use the second playing to check that you have selected the right details.
V Check that you have used only one or two words to complete the gaps and
that what you have written makes proper sense.
V Remember to try to write down the sounds you hear if there is a word you
do not know which you think is the answer
Practice listening question 5
You will hear a radio talk about Josh Waitzkin, a young man who became
one of the world's leading chess players while still a school student. Listen .Iii)\
to the talk and complete the details below. Write one or two words only ()I

in each gap. You will hear the talk twice.
Chess master
Josh Waitzkin: career in chess
1. Chess titles: twenty-one times ........................... Champion and twice World Champion. [1]
Six years of age: started playing chess.
2. At 9: National Junior High Champion

Age 11: drew against Kasparov, the adult World Champion.
At 16: became ........................... Master. [1]
Josh's teaching about chess

3. Title of his first book about chess: ........................... Chess.
Title of educational ...........................:'Chess Starts Here'. [1]
4. Title of popular ........................... . ........................... about chess: 'Chessmaster'. [1]
S. Josh is ........................... to teaching chess and making his ideas available to

everyone. [1]
Josh's career in Tai Chi

6. Attracted to Tai Chi Chuan because of his interest in ........................... philosophy and
because he wanted to learn something new.
Won title of Middleweight World Champion in Taiwan in 2004. [1]

Josh's worldwide career as a speaker
7. Talks about:
how we learn
the mental attitude needed to ........................... .
psychology of competition. [1]
Latest book
8. Explains we have to take ........................... if we are to develop.
Book title.:The ........................... of Learning. [1]
[Total: Core and Extended - 8 marks]
Approaching listening questions:

matching speaker to statement
What you have to do: listen to six short extracts spoken by six different speakers about the same
topic. You are given a list of speakers and a list of statements that they could have said. You have
to match each speaker to the correct statement, based on what you hear in the recording. You will
hear the set of recordings twice.
The kinds of text you will hear: short monologues spoken by a variety of people of different ages.
1. listen carefully and understand ideas, opinions and attitudes
2. understand the connections between related ideas
3. understand what is implied but not actually stated, for example, feelings, intentions.
Checklist for success ,.:

II Use the pauses between the speakers in exactly the same way to prepare
yourself as you did for the earlier listening questions.
II Use your pre-reading skills, just as you did in Questions 1-5. Look at the
statements carefully. Make sure you really understand them, to prepare
yourself for the sorts of information or clues you need to listen out for.
II Underline any key words in the statements which might help you focus and
identify the clues you need to answer the question.
II After you have heard the six speakers for the first time, there is a short
pause. Use this time to think quickly and decide which speakers you will
really want to check or consider again.
t/ In the pause after the second playing, check that you have not put the same
letter down twice.
t/ Remember that one of the letters will not be used - there is an extra one to
make you think hard.
II Never leave a gap -you can always have a guess.

Practice matching speakers to statements: question 6
You will hear six people talking about sport. For each of Speakers 1 to 6, choose from
the list A to G, which opinion each speaker expresses. Write the letter in the box. Use
each letter only once. There is one extra letter which you do not need to use.
You will hear the full recording of all six speakers twice.
Speakerl D
Speaker2 D
Speaker3 D
Speaker4 D
Speakers D
Speaker 6 I -
A I enjoy sport because it keeps me fit and helps me make friends.

B I love my sport and want to play in international competitions.
C I am really lucky because I am earning my living doing the sport I love.
D I have always enjoyed sport but it is definitely just a hobby for me.
E I am sorry that I do not do as much sport now as I did when younger.
F I used to hate sport but now I am really keen and will never stop.
G I have never liked sport, not when I was young, and not now.

multiple-choice questions
What you have to do: listen to a discussion or conversation between
two speakers and then choose one correct answer out of three
possible answers.
The kinds of text you will hear: semi-formal discussions and conversations
between two speakers, sometimes with a host to introduce them.
1. listen carefully and understand ideas, opinions and attitudes
3. understand what is implied but not actually stated, for example,
feelings, intentions.

Responding to listening questions
Checklist for success _,-

II' Use the pauses in exactly the same way to prepare yourself as you did for
the earlier listening questions.
II' Use your pre-reading skills, just as you did before. Look at the questions and
their three possible answers very carefully. Make sure you really understand
them, to prepare yourself for the sorts of information or clues you need to
listen out for.
II' Underline any key words in the questions which might help you focus and
Practice multiple-choice questions: question 7 U

You will hear a radio interview with Liang Chen, a travel writer, about pearls and pearl
diving. Listen to the conversation and look at the questions.
For each question, choose the correct answer, A, B or C and put a tick (v')
in the appropriate box. You will hear the interview twice.

a) How can we tell that pearl divers have been at work for at least 2000 years?
A The divers have found 2000-year-old pearls D

B There is a 2000-year-old book that describes pearl diving D
C People have admired pearls for at least 2000 years D
b) What quantity of pearls do you need to give you about 4 good pearls?
A 2000 tonnes D
B 20 tonnes D
C 3 tonnes D
D 1 tonne D
c) Why were people willing to face death by diving down so deeply?
A They loved diving. D
B They thought the pearls were beautiful. D
C They knew the pearls were valuable. D
d) In Japan, why are women thought to be better than men at diving for pearls?
A their bodies are able to keep warm better D
B they are older than the men D
C they are more active than the men D
e) How does Ms Sakai feel now about her life as a pearl diver in the old days?
A sad D
B angry D
C proud D
f ) What did the divers use to help them dive down as quickly as possible?
A a heavy basket D
B an oxygen tank D
C a big stone D
g) Why do the women pearl divers in Toba dive nowadays?
A to find pearls to sell to tourists D
B to give tourists an idea of the past D
C to show tourists how people still risk their lives D
h) In the last hundred years, the number of pearl divers in Toba has
A gone down D
B gone up D
C stayed about the same D
[Total:8]
Core: end of test
Extended only
note-completion questions ( J
What you have to do: The question is in two parts:
a) Listen to a talk and then complete short notes.
b) Listen to a short conversation about the talk and complete short
sentences.
For this question you will only hear the talk ONCE, so you will need to
listen very carefully indeed.
The kinds of text you will hear:
a) a formal talk, lecture, presentation
b) an informal discussion based on the same topic.
To go one step further: only Extended students have to do this
question.

1. listen carefully and select exactly the right detail
2. understand ideas, opinions and attitudes
3. understand what is implied but not actually stated, for example, feelings,
intentions.

v" Use the pauses in exactly the same way to prepare yourself as you did for
the earlier listening questions.
v" Use your pre-reading skills, just as you did before. Look at the notes and the
sentences very carefully. Make sure you really understand them, to prepare
yourself for the sorts of details or clues you need to listen out for.
v" Underline any key words in the questions which might help you focus and
Practice note-completion questions: question 8

Part A
You will hear a talk given by a member of an Arctic exploration team about the
preparations they made for an expedition. Listen to the talk and complete the notes in
Part A. Write one or two words in each gap.
You will hear the talk ONCE.
Preparations for Arctic trip
Accommodation
Will be staying in special ........................... designed for survival in cold weather.
Safety
Prepared for attacks from ........................... ........................... .
Took for defence: flares, personal ..........................., a trip-wire fence and trained dogs.
Different kinds of ice

white ice: 6 to 12 inches thick - safe to walk on
........................... ice: 4 to 6 inches thick - could be safe
black ice: new and very thin - very dangerous
Return home
Not prepared for big changes

From smell of fresh air to different smells of city
From white snow to the bright colours

From silence to city sounds
Together: an ........................... on the five senses. [Total:SJ
PartB
Now listen to a conversation between two students about preparing for an
expedition, and complete the sentences. Write one or two words only in
each gap. You will hear the conversation ONCE.
Iii.'&\
I() f
Preparing for an expedition:
The Year Group Activity Expedition involves walking for a distance of ...........................
When you pack a rucksack it is a good idea to put the ........................... items in first of all.
It is important to try to make the rucksack weigh as ........................ as possible.
To prevent blisters, before using new boots for a long hike, do short walks first and
use ........................... ........................... .
On their expedition, the speakers are looking forward to it getting away from the hustle
and bustle of ............................
[Total:SJ

Responding to the oral assessment
test
A special note: Syllabus 0510 has what is called 'Oral Endorsement'.
This means that your performance in the oral test is shown as a separate
grade 1 (high) to 5 (low) on your certificate.
Syllabus 0511 has what is called a 'Count-in oral'. This means that the
mark you get is added in, and is included in your final grade on the
certificate.
What you have to do: have a conversation on a particular topic with an
examiner, who may or may not be your usual teacher. The whole test
lasts about 15 minutes, and will follow the same pattern for everybody,
everywhere in the world. The conversation is marked out of 30 marks.
The kinds of topic: based on a wide variety of topics considered to be of
interest to a broad range of people.
To go one step further: all students take the same test, normally
following all five prompts provided for each topic of discussion. If you
are aiming for a top-level grade you must use a variety of structures
accurately; use a range of words precisely to express subtle shades of
meaning; take an active part in helping to develop a conversation.
(LJ
The speaking and listening skills you use - in order to give an account
or description, or express opinions clearly in the test situation, you will
need to be able to:
1. understand how the topic card is designed
2. use your preparation time effectively
3. respond effectively in a conversation
4. develop the conversation with the examiner.
( What happens in the oral assessment

The oral assessments are all recorded. The centre can then send some
of the recordings to the exam board, where they will be checked
thoroughly to ensure fairness.
There are four steps in taking the test.
liiAA:11 An introduction by the examiner

The examiner will welcome you into the exam room, and explain very
briefly what will happen in the test. Then the examiner will read out your
name and candidate number for the recording.
Chapter 20: Responding to the oral assessment test

lii=hfj Non-assessed warm-up period of 2 to
3 minutes
The examiner will ask you a few questions about yourself, just
to help you relax and get used to the examination situation. This
section of the test is not marked in any way at all. At the end of the
warm-up time the examiner will tell you the topic you are going to
talk about. You cannot ask the examiner to change the topic - this is
decided by the examiner. You are not offered a choice of the topics
available to the examiner, but the examiner will do his or her best
to select one to match your interests.
Jiisill Preparation time

You will now have 2 to 3 minutes to prepare for the conversation.
We will be considering this in more detail. The recording will be
paused during this section of the test. You are not allowed to make
any written notes at all. If there are any words or ideas on the card
that you do not understand, you are allowed to ask the examiner
about them. You can also ask if there is anything you do not
understand about what is going to happen next.
Jid:11 An assessed conversation of about 6 to

9 minutes
This is the part of the test which will be marked. We will also
be considering this in more detail. The examiner may start the
conversation, or may invite you to begin. He or she is responsible
for making sure that you use all the prompts on the topic card.
You have to respond to the examiner and then help develop the
conversation for 6 to 9 minutes. You must not give a speech or a
monologue at any point. If you do, the examiner will stop you
and lead you back into a conversation.
( The assessment of the conversation ----------

When you are marked during the conversation, you will get a Top tip
separate mark for each of these three things: Practise having a
Structure - this means how well you can use a variety of well recorded conversation
structured sentences, with your ideas clearly grouped and with another person.
Get used to having a
organised. microphone between
Vocabulary - this means how well you can use a good range of you, and learn to
words and phrases to express exactly what you want to say. ignore it. You could use
Development and fluency - this means how well you can your mobile phone or
a laptop to help you
respond to the other person and move the conversation practise outside the
forwards. classroom.

Responding to the oral assessment test
( The oral assessment test: step by step
----------
Jidl Understand the topic card Top tip
It helps to understand how the topic cards are organised. As an example, There are five prompts,
look at this topic card: leading from the
personal, to the
Prompt 1 asks about you, personally - a chance to talk about yourself, to
general, to worldwide
give an account and/or give a description of when you have eaten fast food.
If you have never eaten any fast food, talk about other people or even films implications. You or the
examiner may lead the
or pictures where you have seen people eating fast food.
discussion onto a more
sophisticated level. To
do well, you must cover
all five prompts. But
Modern eating habits remember, the examiner
will help you do this.
Nowadays many of us eat fast food, ready prepared meals and
takeaways - so-called junk food.
Discuss the topic of modern eating habits with the examiner.
Please use the following ideas to help develop the conversation:
e times when you have eaten 'fast food; or seen other

people eating it
occasions when you have taken your time to eat, for-........--Prompt 2 again asks you

example, home-cooked meals at home to think about your own
experience - but this time you
reasons why takeaway meals are more popular have to think beyond yourself
- -
nowadays than ever before - in this case, to describe a
time when your family or

the idea that fast food is unhealthy food friends have eaten together
the suggestion that family life is being destroyed by - at home. If you do not do
this very often, think around
modern eating habits. the subject and talk about a
You are free to consider any other related ideas of your own. special occasion in the past, or
about people sharing meals in
Remember, you are not allowed to make any written notes. pictures or films.
-Prompt 3 is starting to move
away from personal aspects
of the subject - asking you to
Prompt 4 is now asking you to think about an idea - you should not think about the subject more
give an account or a description. Think carefully about how healthy (or widely. You could use people
unhealthy) fast food is. You are free to argue either for or against the you know as examples. Are
idea. You are being asked for your opinion, but make sure you support they typical and, if so, in what
it well. Use general knowledge, for example, too much fat is unhealthy: ways? If they are untypical,
comment on the amounts of fat/artificial colourings, etc. in fast food how do they compare with
or compare it with home-cooked meals. (You do not need to show any the majority of people?
scientific knowledge or statistics.)
Prompt 5 expects you to look at the issue from an even wider perspective.
It is not about you, your immediate family or neighbourhood: you are being
asked to consider the topic in relation to your country - even globally.
All the topic cards follow this pattern.

JiiM:fJ Use the preparation time effectively
The preparation time lasts between 2 and 3 minutes. It is very important to
make the best possible use of this time. Remember that you are not allowed to
make any written notes at all during this time. It would only slow you down if
you did, and you would do worse, not better in the assessed conversation.
You should read the card carefully. Check if there are any words, phrases or
ideas you do not understand, and ask the examiner for help if you need it.
Look at each prompt in turn, and think silently what you could include in
your response to it. What is your opinion or attitude to the topic?
For each prompt, start to think about the sorts of vocabulary you will
need to use.
2.1 Deciding what to talk about
For this practice exercise you are going to make notes, just so that you can
see the thought processes you will need to go through. Of course, in the test,
you are not allowed to write any notes and all this will be done silently, in
your head.
Look again at the sample topic card 'Modern eating habits' on page 302.
Work through each prompt and note down some ideas. Remember, you do
not have to agree with the statements on the card. You are being asked for
your personal opinions but, also remember, you will be expected to support
your opinions with reasons, details or examples. Copy the following chart
to complete the notes under each heading and add your own ideas.
Prompt Notes Useful vocabulary

I could ... Add five other words/phrases to
each lists
Prompt 1: times when you have Give an account of the time I ... Beef burger
eaten 'fast food', or seen other And the time I ... Pizza
people eating it Describe the time when I saw ... Delicious
And when I saw ...
Prompt 2: times when you Describe my family meal times at Special food
have taken your time to eat, for weekends when ... Table manners
example, home-cooked meals at Talk about a special meal - a Knives and forks
home birthday celebration ...
Prompt 3: reasons why takeaway Explain mothers and fathers long Working parents
meals are more popular nowadays working hours, for example ... Time pressure
than ever before Explain that pizzas are cheap and Convenience food
children like them because ...
Prompt 4: the idea that fast food Agree because fast fried food is Protein
is unhealthy food unhealthy - chips full of fat ... Saturated fat
Disagree because salads are a Obesity
form of fast food, for example,
as a side dish to a pizza ...
Prompt 5: the suggestion that Disagree because family eats Social breakdown
family life is being destroyed by and watches TV together, Conversation
modern eating habits for example ... Relationships
Say it's true because families do
not talk to one another as in
my grandparents' day ...

2.2 Working without notes
In the last exercise, you used notes to help you get started. Of course, in
the examination you are not allowed to make any notes. Here is another
topic card for you to work on.
Working for a living

Most people have to work to earn money and make a living for
themselves and their families.
Discuss the topic of 'Working for a living' with the examiner.
the job or career you might want to do in later life
another job or career you know you definitely do not want
to do
the reasons why someone you know, or have heard about,
really loves his or her work
which is more important: a good wage or job satisfaction,
and the reasons for your view
the idea that in the future there will be fewer jobs and what
this means for the world.
You are free to consider any other related ideas of your own.
Remember, you are not allowed to make any written notes.
Spend about 3 minutes looking at the five prompts in turn: around 30

seconds for each prompt. Ask your teacher to time you and let you know
when you should move on to the next prompt.
As you consider each prompt, imagine the kinds of things you could talk
about. Remember:
Prompts 1 and 2 will most likely expect you to give a personal account
or a description.
Prompt 3 will expect you to talk about more general matters and other
people's experiences or views, looking further outwards towards your
family or wider circle of friends, or even famous people you know about.
Prompts 4 and 5 will expect you to consider a suggestion, opinion or
idea, and give your own views, supporting it with reasons or examples.
They will ask you to consider the topic in a wide, even worldwide
context.
In pairs, tell one another what you would have said about each of the
prompts. If one of you is stuck for an idea, make suggestions or ask more
questions to help the other think of ideas.

Jii=l:11 Respond effectively in a conversation
The conversation will probably start with the examiner asking you
a question connected to the first prompt. A good way to keep the
conversation going is to make sure you answer the questions - but go
one step further and offer a little more, if you can.
Think of the conversation as a football. You have to keep it moving
between the two of you. As you are the one being tested, you have to
show how good you are at moving the ball onwards, with tiny pushes
and kicks, or a long pass to the other person. But never let it stop.
Remember, the examiner will be helping you keep the ball rolling, so
you're not on your own.
3.1 Effective responses
Look at the transcript below. The examiner and the student are talking
about receiving a large amount of money and what it would mean for
the student.
Remember that people do not talk in proper sentences all the time
- so there are a lot of pauses, and 'ers' as the student speaks. This is
quite usual. No one expects a perfectly formed paragraph and perfect
sentences in a conversation.
Examiner: How do you think a large amount of

money might help you personally?
Student: Well... not much really ... I think ... er
... that I'm fortunate right now ... er ...
and I think I've got everything I need
actually. I'll be travelling next year as
well ... er ... and I think a large amount
of money wouldn't really change
anything because I've got everything I
need.
Examiner: I like that. I mean, it seems you
appreciate what you have already.
Student: Yeah, I do ... er ... and ... er ... the only
thing I think I'd do with more money
would be ... er ... give it to charity ... er
... I mean or just not spend it anyway.
Looking at the transcript, find one place in the conversation where the
student:
answers a question, but then goes a step further to make the
conversation move on
picks up on a point made by the examiner and does not wait for an
actual question to continue the conversation
introduces a new idea into the conversation.

If you were the examiner, where would you take the conversation next?
Predict what the examiner might have said or asked. Top tip
Here is a more from the transcript of the conversation, towards the end. To keep a conversation
going, you do not need
to answer questions.
You can also pick up on
Examiner: So, do you think society could function if words, phrases or ideas
we didn't have any money at all in the and use them as a way
world? to respond and move the
conversation forward.
Student: That sounds like a very good idea ...
er ... it would be nice ... but I think
it's been proved that it doesn't work
... and I think people wouldn't work ...
they wouldn't ... people need to have
something back for their hard work.
3.2 Ineffective responses

If you are asked a question where you could just answer 'Yes' or 'No',
try to find a way to explain or give reasons for your answer. Avoid giving
short answers that stop the conversation.
Look back at the last transcript. What might a weaker response to this
question have been?
Jil3ill Develop the conversation

You now know that you need to keep the conversation active and
moving along - to keep that football on the move. So let's look at a few
of the ways you can do this, besides just answering any questions the
examiner asks.
4.1 Adding details to develop accounts/descriptions
Prompt 1 is usually about you and your own experiences. For instance,
the topic might be 'Living at home' and the examiner might start by
asking: 'Tell me about the house where you lived as a child.' You could
just give a simple answer:
I used to live in a flat in the city.
And then wait for another question. Of course, this is perfectly
acceptable, but you would not want to answer every question or prompt
with such a short comment. If you want to develop your response, you
could, for example:
offer some detail:
modern/old what it looked like from the outside
the room where you slept who lived there with you
add your thoughts or feelings about it:
happy memories hated it
liked it much more than where I live now...
give more details about your thoughts or feelings:
I liked it more than where I live now because . . .

tell a short anecdote (a short account of an event) to explain your
-
feelings: Top tip
I really liked it there. I have happy memories of when my brother and Remember, you must
I used to play hide and seek. One day, we . . . not give a speech or
presentation. The
As you can see, you do not need to add a lot - just enough to keep the assessment is in the
ball rolling. form of a two-way
conversation.
4.2 Using details to develop explanations
Sometimes you might be expected to give an explanation of one of
the prompts on the topic card. For instance, on the topic 'Living at
home', prompt 3 might be: 'how people can make a house feel like
a comfortable home'.
You could just give a simple answer:
By having nice furniture.
Again, this would be acceptable and the examiner could go on to ask
you more. But you could offer a little more detail yourself:
You need to have a good, comfortable place where you can relax and
unwind . . . I have some lovely soft cushions in my room, where I can
collapse at the end of a busy day. And my dad has his own special
chair so he can take a nap . . . none of us are allowed in it!
On your own and in pairs, look at the sentences below, which the
examiner might use for the second or third prompt on the topic card.
What else makes a house into a home?
How do you become a nurse/mechanic/engineer/teacher?
How do most people earn a living in your country?
What makes someone good at a sport?
Note down some ideas of how you could develop your responses to
these. Then share your ideas with a partner, before putting your notes
away and asking each other the prompts. Again, record yourselves and
see the timings. Be prepared to let the exchange of ideas turn into a
short conversation of no more than 2 or 3 minutes.
4.3 Using reasons to support opinions
When you and the examiner reach prompts 4 and 5, you will probably
be invited to offer your opinion about something. For example, the
examiner might introduce this prompt: 'What do you think of the idea
that governments should build more houses, even if it means destroying
----------
countryside?'
You could just give a simple answer:
I think they should because houses are important. Top tip
Just as when you are
This would be fine as a start, but the examiner will no doubt go on to ask writing, you can consider
'Why?' So you must be ready to support your opinion with reasons and alternative views in
examples - just as you learnt to do when writing to express an opinion. order to disagree with
In the preparation time, remember to think quickly about your point of them when speaking.
view on the set topic, and have a few reasons to support that opinion. This gives you extra ideas
to get you started.

In pairs, consider the following prompts asking for an opinion. In each
case, work together to note down ideas and complete the table. The first
one has been started for you. Can you add any ideas?
Remember that in the conversations you are not expected to offer facts
and statistics as you might do in an essay where you have had time to
look up information. Instead, you should use your general knowledge,
what you have experienced yourself, what you have read or seen or
heard about from others. This speaking task is not a test of knowledge!
What do you think My opinion Reasons for my Some people But I think
about the idea opinion might say that
that
Governments A shame but Shortage of houses, Environment is People are more
should build more necessary to build many people precious and important than
houses even if it houses. homeless and cannot be replaced. trees and flowers.
means destroying sleeping in the
countryside. streets.
Young people have
to live at home
longer.
Children being
brought up in
crowded places.
All armies should be
banned throughout
the world.
Everyone should
leave school at the
age of 14.
Animals should be
treated with the
same respect as
people.
Everyone should
be paid the same
wage, no matter
what their job.
4.4 Practise giving reasons to support your opinions

Now take it in turns to role-play the 'examiner' and the 'student'.
The person role-playing the examiner uses one of the prompts from
the table above to start the conversation. The student should not look
at any of the notes you made. Can you keep the conversation going
for 2 minutes?

Checklist for success .
al After the warm-up, and during the preparation time, read the
topic card carefully.
V Ask if there is anything on the card that you do not understand.
V Use your time effectively and think of some of the things you
are going to say.
V During the conversation, respond to the examiner's questions/
prompts with several ideas and sentences - not just single words
or phrases.
al During the conversation, use details and examples to develop
your accounts and descriptions .
V Use reasons and details to support your opinions.
V Respond quickly to any change in the direction of the
conversation.
( Practice oral assessment

Now you are ready to do an oral assessment task, in the style of an
IGCSE examination.
Daily life in the future

Many think that with all the advances in technology, everyone's
daily life in the future will be much better than it is now.
Discuss this topic with the examiner.
ways in which your daily life is easy because of modern

technology, e.g. transport, telephones
ways in which daily life could be made even easier for you
in the future, e.g. at home, at work
the attitudes of some older people to the fast progress

they have seen in their lifetimes
the suggestion that modern progress does not always

bring greater happiness
the idea that too much progress will be dangerous for

mankind.
You are free to consider any other related ideas of your own.
Remember, you are not allowed to make any written notes.

IGCSEGrade 10 E2 LExam Guidance

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

IGCSEGrade 10 E2 LExam Guidance

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

IGCSEGrade 10 E2 LExam Guidance

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

_Answering reading questions

A short text reading question

( A short text reading question: step by step

liiiill Skim read the text

Jijjfj Read all the questions through

Jij:j:fj Find the detail

Checklist for success

Chapter 13 Answering reading questions

The List: a guide to what's on where in Melton

[Total: CORE - 7 marks]

Chapter 13 Answering reading questions

( A longer text reading question: step by step

liU:11 Skim read the text

lii=i:fj Read all the questions through

lii=iil Find the detail

lii=iili Double-check the graphics

Chapter 13 Answering reading questions

Checklist for success _.

( Practice reading question 2

threatens not only the beekeepers' livelihoods but 100----------,

also the production of a variety of crops, including 804----+--

The inexplicable disappearance of so many bees

Chapter 13 Answering.reading questions

d) Which valuable crop is under threat by the disappearance of bees? [1]

[Total: CORE - 11 marks]

Chapter 13 Answering reading questions

( Approaching the question step by step

1-ii=J:fj Study the form carefully

Chapter 14: Answering information transfer questions

Read this paragraph then follow the instructions after it.

Full name (IN BLOCK CAPITALS)..................................................

Chapter 14: Answering information transfer questions

JiUilj Write one or two sentences correctly

JiUill Get the length right

Chapter 14: Answering information transfer questions

Now look at c).

1-jj:j:j:j Understand what is implied

Practice information transfer question

Chapter 14: Answering information transfer questions

Chapter 14: Answering information transfer questions

tournament and then staying on for two days after it to do some

Fill in the form, using the information above.

Section A Personal details (BLOCK CAPITALS)

Full name: ............................................................................. .

Date of birth: .........................................................................

Home address (include town): .......................................

Home telephone number:: ..............................................

Name of last school attended: ........................................

Section B Travel history

Country of birth (delete as necessary):

Please circle any of these countries that you have

Chapter 14: Answering information transfer questions

City to be visited: .................................................................

Dates when you will be in the country: .......................

Name of hotel where you will stay: .....................

Hotel address: .............................................................

EITHER Section D Core

[Total: Core - 14 marks]

Chapter 14: Answering information transfer questions