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Cambridge IGCSE

FIRST LANGUAGE ENGLISH 0500/12

Paper 1 Reading February/March 2024
INSERT 2 hours

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• This insert contains the reading texts.
*9911806247-I*

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

Text A: Could a wolf ever adopt a human?

A new ‘Jungle Book’ movie is in cinemas. Originally inspired by ancient Indian fable texts,
the tale of Mowgli, an orphaned boy raised by the jungle’s animal inhabitants, is once again
delighting audiences.

The movie’s story never fails to win viewers over thanks to its fantastic take on a human
living among animals in the wild, leaving cinema-goers wondering if there’s any truth behind 5
a boy being raised by wolves. There are various mythological whisperings about babies
being reared in this way, including Tarzan – looked after by great apes – and Romulus and
Remus, the supposed founders of Rome, who were also said to have been nurtured by
wolves. So is there any evidence or science behind such tales?

Of other similar stories drifting around, perhaps the most intriguing is that of a boy named 10
Ramu found in a forest in 1976, who, just like Mowgli, was raised by Indian wolves – or so
it seemed. He even had claw-like nails. But Ramu’s story soon began to unravel, with people
spotting parallels to other published stories. Ultimately, Ramu’s tale could not be confirmed.

But the key here is not whether children can survive in the wild – they can – but whether
animals of a different species would want to protect someone who isn’t one of their own. 15
Chimpanzees, with their remarkable social traits, are seen as the closest living evolutionary
cousins to humans, though this doesn’t necessarily mean they’d adopt a human child. They
certainly show empathy and kindness, but they’re also documented as engaging in violence
to defend their territory. Nevertheless, chimpanzees do adopt orphaned chimps, both in
captivity and in the wild. 20

And there are plenty of cases of animals befriending members of other animal species –
cats nursing baby squirrels, even a pod of sperm whales caring for a bottlenose dolphin.
Researchers note that ‘instinctive adoption’ (when a creature adopts a member of its own
species) happens most often, ensuring DNA that’s similar is passed on to the next generation.

There’s a little less scepticism floating around the Internet than usual when it comes to tall 25
tales like Mowgli’s – people like to believe that an animal might adopt an alien-looking,
resource-swilling human infant. Perhaps a young human could be adopted by a wild animal
if they contributed something useful. We just haven’t seen verifiable documented evidence
of it just yet.

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

Text B: How is the wolf perceived?

The writer of this article has been living alongside a pack of wolves for a number of years, studying and
protecting them.

For many people, their understanding of wolves is a mixture of fact, fiction and half-truths.

Ridiculous tales told to children (such as a ‘big bad wolf’ who eats a grandmother whole)
have corrupted the imagination of generation after generation. In folklore, the wolf’s native
pack-hunting talents – social planning, coordination and surprise – have been interpreted
as undesirable human characteristics such as deception and trickery. 5

Classic horror films portray werewolves fanged and bloodthirsty by the light of the full moon.
Oh dear! Misleading stereotypes still resurface in popular culture and music today, with
wolves constantly portrayed as dangerous threats. People are taught to fear the wolf, so
many still believe that wolves pose a perpetual threat to human life, ignoring evidence to the
contrary. 10

For some cultures the wolf is an animal of great wisdom, revered as a spiritual guide; this
is often distorted by modern wolf enthusiasts to make wolves seem otherworldly and unreal.
Their view holds the wolf in great esteem, but often does so at the expense of recognition
of its place in our ecosystem.

Scientists, such as biologists, ecologists and zoologists, study how humans affect wolves 15
and vice versa, which is very important for the conservation of this species. But scientists
can’t get too close to the wild animals without dramatically influencing and altering natural
pack behaviour. Much research is therefore conducted remotely with the use of technology
such as camera traps, ‘howl boxes’ and tracking devices such as radio collars. The body of
knowledge produced by scientists continues to expand and enrich our understanding of 20
wolves. But studying wild wolves remotely or from a great distance has limitations in what
can be observed, making it very difficult to develop an understanding of the nuances of the
wolf’s character, individuality, devotion to its family, and capacity for communicating emotion
and needs. For example, pups ask adults for regurgitated food by licking their muzzles. If
there is food around, an adult may growl at pack members to keep them away until they 25
have finished eating. Mistakenly, people often interpret this language as being vicious and
evil.

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

Text C: In the company of wolves

The writer is a journalist who is reviewing an unusual stay at Aurora Park in the north of Norway.

I drive past piled-up snow and stop by the darkened log cabin. No one comes out of
‘Reception’. I check the park’s website on my phone: ‘Experience Arctic nature up close.
Live amongst our rare semi-wild wolves at the ultra-exclusive Wolf Lodge. Revel in the unique
feeling of being watched by curious amber eyes; be part of a new story for these marvellous,
mythical, misunderstood creatures ’ 5

I extinguish the car lights and step out into the freezing air just as a snowplough comes up
the road, driven by my ‘devoted host’ and ‘wildlife expert’, Head Keeper, Stig Hansen.

‘Follow me in your car,’ Stig says softly. ‘At the top, when we get out, don’t make sudden
movements or noises.’

The snowploughed track leads us between two reassuringly high fences trimmed with electric 10
wire. I leave the car by a gate in the fence, beyond which a tunnel leads up to a brightly lit
lodge on a small snowy hill. The purpose of that tunnel, I know, is to access the lodge without
the inhabitants of the enclosure accessing me.

Then the howling starts: a long primeval cry that reaches deep into the mind, evoking shivers
of excitement. An answering howl draws Stig’s attention, ‘Sometimes I think there are not 15
just ours out there.’

From the edge of extinction wolves are making a comeback in Europe, bringing with them
a cascade of biodiversity and environmental health. Stig’s team monitors wolves living in
some of the largest enclosures among animal parks in the world. His wolf visits were
established to ensure better welfare for wolves in captivity, and to offer humans a unique, 20
life-changing experience. Many wolves in captivity, unfamiliar with people, are fearful, and
live in stressful conditions. Many people fear wolves. The wolves at Aurora Park are
accustomed to human contact and enjoy human company as part of their natural environment.

Dedicated animal keepers guide you into the enclosure, where you will meet these
extraordinary creatures of fairy tales face to face. That’s why I am here: to join a group 25
staying the night inside the wolf enclosure in this secluded valley and, hopefully, make
contact. I say hopefully as no matter the eye-watering expense of the experience, wolves,
it seems, are not to be relied upon.

‘Be very slow and steady,’ Stig reminds us, lighting the fire to prepare supper. ‘Wolves can
get excited. We don’t allow under-18s to meet them. If the wolves knock you over, keep calm 30
and wait for the keepers to move them away.’

From inside the plush mountain lodge, I’ve been promised a view of the Northern Lights. I
peer out of the large viewing windows. As my eyes adjust to the night, I see a green glow:
at first just smudges that grow, forming a cosmic phantom that flutters, swirls and moves
mysteriously across the vast sky. Surfacing from the depths of the darkness we hear a 35
sudden, vicious wolf-fight. ‘Siblings working out their hierarchy,’ says Stig casually. ‘We don’t
interfere.’ We finish dinner in eerie silence, gazing at a shimmering white moon – silhouetted
against it are the swift shadows of running wolves.

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Next morning, emboldened by a hearty breakfast, Stig and I venture out and immediately
spot the wolf pack loping eagerly towards us. They jump up excitedly, licking our faces. Two 40
of them have a snarling stand-off over who should lick me first but then agree to lick my
camera instead. Apart from that one moment, it’s all remarkably non-threatening. We stroll
to a low snow-covered hill where they do a bit of a howl and hold a wrestling contest. Only
when I drop my phone is there a sudden intimation of what can happen. They are instantly
curious and pushy, flooded with predatory instincts and the power of the pack. Moving slowly, 45
I retrieve my phone and retreat to a respectful distance. Cute they may be, but cuddly toys
they are not.

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