O-LevelEnglish LanguageReading for Meaning1123/11 · May/June 2025 · Q116 Marks

Read Text A, Our family restaurant, in the insert and answer Question 1 and Question 2.

(a)From paragraph 1, give one reason why Hassan's grandmother decided to sell snacks from outside the train station.[1]
(b)Identify the two most successful items sold from the food stalls.[2]
(c)Using your own words, explain what the text means by 'Greatly encouraged'. (line 6)[2]
(d)From paragraph 2, give two things that Grandmother did to increase the number of customers after 'the snack bicycles became a commercial success.' (lines 4–5)[2]
(e)Explain what Hassan is feeling when he remembers that, 'The kitchen used to be the heart and soul of the old family business – always so full of life back then, filled with constant comings and goings.' (lines 17-18)[1]
(f)In paragraph 5, how did Hassan feel about being in the shanty town outside the family compound? Give two details from the text to support your answer. Hassan's feeling details[3]
(g)(i)Hassan's father noticed a change in the types of people living in the area. What was the change?[1]
(g)(ii)What did Hassan's father decide to do in response to the change?[1]
(h)Explain using your own words Hassan's different feelings and opinions about his mother. Give three details from anywhere in the text to support your answer.[3]

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (May/June 2025). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

[1] (a) it was busy // (there would be) lots of people / customers / crush / crowd (in the rush hour)
[1] (a) she wanted (it) to be a commercial success / make money
[1] (b) 'bhelpuri' // paper cones of puffed rice (with chutney, vegetables and herbs, spices)
[1] (b) milky tea
[1] (c) very / much / a lot / really / well / strongly / highly
[1] (c) motivated / inspired / confident / felt positive about / given hope
[1] (d) erected / established / opened a restaurant
[1] (d) employed Bappu / a cook
[1] (d) added dishes / added spicy prawns // included southern / traditional / new / more dishes // expanded menu
[1] (e) fondness // happy (memories) / pleasure // warm (feelings) // (a sense) of time passing // misses it // nostalgia
[1] (f) nervous / wary / unsure / overwhelmed / vulnerable / disturbed / unsafe / uncomfortable / dislike. ACCEPT: scared / threatened / it was dangerous
[1] (f) 'out of the (immediate) safety (of our family compound)'
[1] (f) 'sea of roof scraps' // roof tops stretch into distance (size)
[1] (f) 'notorious (shanty) town' // a place where bad things happen
[1] (f) 'hazy air' (of pollution)
[1] (f) 'roar of roosters' // loud noise of roosters (2)
[1] (g)(i) (people were) affluent / millionaires / rich(er) // professional / skilled / businesspeople (living there) // successful people
[1] (g)(ii) transform / change completely / update / upgrade / renovate the restaurant // increase size / seating capacity of the restaurant // made the restaurant more fancy / flashy
[1] (h) 1 she has influenced / inspired him/she is a role model / she is a good teacher
[1] (h) Textual detail for point 1: 'I cannot give her enough credit for what became of me' / 'I grew up watching her' work / involves him in preparing the food: 'stirring of the cauldron' / 'remarkable talent' / 'no dish finer than her pearl spot' / his 'benchmark'
[1] (h) 2 impressed / admiration / proud
[1] (h) Textual detail for point 2: 'remarkable talent' / 'no dish finer than her pearl spot' / '(capacity of) professional chefs / multitask'/ his 'benchmark'
[1] (h) 3 she is skilful / talented / efficient / professional / good cook/ she works hard
[1] (h) Textual detail for point 3: 'remarkable talent' / 'no dish finer than her pearl spot' / 'robust yet refined' / '(capacity of) professional chefs / multitask' / 'her tiny figure darting barefoot' / 'chopping, dipping, frying' / 'I would find mother working'
[1] (h) 4 love / close / a bond / affection / feels joy in her company
[1] (h) Textual detail for point 4: 'I grew up watching her' / 'we'd chat about my day at school' / involves him in preparing the food: 'stirring of the cauldron' / renames dish 'Hassan's Dry Chicken' after her son
[1] (h) 5 felt heard by his mother / grateful / appreciated her / she encourages him / she gives him opportunities / she had confidence in him
[1] (h) Textual detail for point 5: 'I cannot give her enough credit for what became of me' / 'at mother's suggestion' goes to the market with Bappu / 'Let him speak' / he is allowed to sit at 'the back of the restaurant' for the serious meeting with Bappu
[1] (h) 6 she is calm(ing) / sensible / cool/ peacemaker / made things go smoothly
[1] (h) Textual detail for point 6: 'always ready to calm Father down' / 'common sense' / 'sitting coolly' / 'the much-needed brake'
[1] (h) 7 she is key to the success / she is in charge / she works hard / she is wise / logical
[1] (h) Textual detail for point 7: 'our restaurant quickly established itself' / 'working on the accounts' / 'dispatching Bappu to the market' / 'Let him speak' / 'renamed by Mother 'Hassan's Dry Chicken' / 'her tiny figure darting barefoot'/ 'chopping, dipping, frying' / 'I would find mother working'