O-LevelEnglish LanguageReading for Meaning1123/12 · Oct/Nov 2024 · Q116 Marks

Read Text A, The puma, in the insert and answer Question 1 and Question 2. Question 1

(a)In paragraph 1, what evidence is there that Laura knew very little about wild cats before she arrived at the sanctuary?[1]
(b)Using your own words, explain what Laura means when she describes the bus journey as 'rumbling along in a rickety bus'. (line 3)[2]
(c)From paragraph 2, identify two reasons why it is difficult for Laura to see through the bus window.[2]
(d)Explain what Laura is thinking when she asks the bus driver ‘Seriously?' (line 7)[1]
(e)In paragraph 3, how does Laura feel about being in the jungle when she first arrives? Give two details from the text to support your answer. Laura's feeling details •[3]
(f)Identify two things the monkey does to make Laura think that he is 'challenging' her. (line 15)[2]
(g)(i)In paragraph 5, when a huge black boar suddenly appears, Laura notices something surprising about her. What is surprising about the boar?[1]
(g)(ii)Why does the boar run away from the man?[1]
(h)Explain using your own words Laura's different feelings about working at an animal sanctuary in South America. Give three details from anywhere in the text to support your answer.[3]

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (Oct/Nov 2024). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

[1] (she / I) did not know what a puma looked like
[2] (The bus is: travelling) slowly / slow / making a noise / rattly / loud
shaky / bumpy / moving all over / unsafe / old /in a bad condition / uncomfortable
[2] grimy / dirty / dusty / unclean (glass)
(streaks in the) condensation / (window / it is) steamed / misted / fogged (up)
[1] this is not what she expected (to find at her destination) / cannot believe it / is unsure (this is the right place) /he is joking (about this being her stop)
[3] Reward any sense of Laura feeling uneasy or overwhelmed or scared however expressed. (1)
e.g. uncomfortable / cannot cope / lost / panicky / frightened
'struggle to breathe' / 'smells hot'
'looming' / 'vastness' / 'jungle is everywhere'
(jungle is 'speaking) no language I've heard before'
'wave my arms wildly' / 'whimpering' / 'spinning on the spot'(2)
[2] sits on a sign (that says 'no monkeys on the road')
stares / looks (at her) / watches (her)
[1] carrying / has a (red) sock / called Rita / has a name
[1] (the boar) has stolen / taken / wants to keep the sock / prize / (the boar) does not want to be caught
the man is chasing / running after / wants to catch her / the man wants his sock / the prize
[3] 1 inexperienced / confused / clueless / useless
'I don't know that monkeys can make jokes or be depressed' / 'I don't even know what a puma looks like' /'I stare at her dumbly' / ‘Right. Not house cats then' / 'You walk pumas?' / she knows nothing about animals
2 out of her comfort zone / in alien environment / lost
'I don't. I don't turn up in places like this' / 'I don't know anything about this place' / this is not the sort of place she's used to
3 foolish / it's not been well thought-out / regret
'I'd picked up a leaflet' / 'For no reason other than a desperate lack of purpose' / not 'a person who makes good decisions'
4 unconfident / self-doubt / hesitant / unsure
'I'm not sure if I'm the sort of person she wants' / 'I might change my mind' / she thinks she doesn't suit the job
5 hopeful / she wants to change / to be a new person / to find direction / a focus
seeks 'transformation' – to be a 'person who makes good decisions', 'what to do with her life' / to gain 'perspective' in life
6 excited
Mila's smile 'is thrillingly contagious' / 'I'm running. I've never run like this'
7 scared / shocked / worried / anxious / nervous
'I'm nodding, dazed' / A puma. Me' / 'You walk pumas?' / 'I'm trying to look unruffled' / 'one huge question pounding my brain' / 'I stay very, very still, transfixed' / 'I'm not sure if I'm the sort of person she wants'
8 fear / tension has gone / a sense of change / confidence / brave /
'I've never run like this' / 'Some fear, the top layer blows away'
Accept: happy