O-LevelEnglish LanguageReading for Meaning1123/12 · Oct/Nov 2025 · Q116 Marks

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

(a)In paragraph 1, what does Rex find amusing about the young bird's appearance when Rex first sees him?[1]
(b)Using your own words, explain what Rex means by the bird's 'squawks of protest'. (line 4)[2]
(c)(i)Identify one thing the bird does which is 'mischievous'. (line 8)[1]
(c)(ii)How does the bird's mischievous behaviour cause problems for the boys' parents?[1]
(d)From paragraph 3, give two features of the bird's upbringing that will make it difficult to return this bird to the wild. • •[2]
(e)Explain why Odin gives a 'petrified croak'. (line 22)[1]
(f)In paragraph 6, how do children visiting the centre feel about Odin? Give two details from the text to support your answer. children's feeling details[3]
(g)From paragraph 7, give two reasons why Julie is annoyed with Odin.[2]
(h)Explain using your own words how Rex's feelings about the bird change over time. Give three details from anywhere in the text to support your answer.[3]

Mark scheme

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

[1] (a) (his large) head (and enormous beak)
[1] (b) ('squawks') shrieks / screech / screaming / cries / croaks // loud / noisy / shrill // unpleasant sound / harsh noise // commotion / ruckus
[1] (b) ('protest') angry / annoyed / complaining / resisting / not cooperating / unhappy // trying to get away // does not want / like it
[1] (c)(i) stealing // takes (shiny) items / things from the neighbours
[1] (c)(ii) it annoys the neighbours // neighbours complain / are (increasingly) annoyed // (increasingly) annoyed neighbours
[1] (c)(ii) the parents / they are embarrassed / ashamed // parents / they have to apologise
[1] (d) has not learned to / cannot find own food // has been given food
[1] (d) has not learned to / cannot spot predators
[1] (d) has had no parents to teach (him) / learn (from) // has no parents to set an example / be a (role) model
[1] (d) was not kept wild // been treated like a pet // been in captivity (from an early age)
[1] (e) he is scared / terrified of the bird / raven // he feels threatened by the bird / raven
[1] (f) Feeling: scared / panicked / threatened / anxious / uncomfortable
[1] (f) Detail: jumps on / lands on people's / children's shoulders // 'peck (affectionately) at their ears'
[1] (f) Detail: 'disconcerting'
[1] (f) Detail: (children / they) 'squealed' / screamed
[1] (f) Detail: 'shouts of alarm'
[1] (f) Detail: 'dancing round, beak open' // 'beak open, eyes gleaming'
[1] (f) Detail: '(revelling in the) mayhem' // causes chaos
[1] (g) imitates / copies / mimics / masters Rex's / her husband's / his / my voice
[1] (g) confuses her // she is tricked / fooled / manipulated
[1] (g) she is busy // he wastes her time // my / his busy wife
[1] (g) he does it on several occasions / often / always
[1] (h) Rex feels amused: 'he was huge' / 'a comically large head' / 'out of proportion' / 'an enormous' beak'
[1] (h) Rex feels surprised / shocked / amazed: 'he was huge' / 'an enormous' beak / 'There was only one bird that could be' / 'our indestructible raven' / 'Most striking of all were his intelligent black eyes'
[1] (h) Rex feels impressed / fascinated / admiration: 'he was huge' / 'a bright red throat' / 'Most striking of all were his intelligent black eyes' / 'our indestructible raven'
[1] (h) Rex feels responsible / a professional interest / detached: 'My plan was to get the bird back into the wild' / hoped that 'he'd join the wild ravens', 'fly away to his own kind'
[1] (h) Rex feels worried / concerned / anxious / disturbed / uncertain / afraid: 'this one would be tricky' (to return to the wild) / has 'been in captivity' / has 'no parents to teach by example' / 'no fear of people' / 'Odin refused to leave' / 'a hopeless case' / ‘We'll never get rid of him' / 'a nuisance' / 'mischief' / 'behaviour was getting worse' / 'was never going to leave us' / 'imagined many birds had been killed, including Odin' / Odin 'perched precariously'
[1] (h) Rex feels frustrated / annoyed / challenged / tired (of him) / disappointed / discouraged: 'a nuisance' / 'Odin refused to leave' / 'a hopeless case' / 'We'll never get rid of him' / 'jumping out to land on people's shoulders' / 'revelling in the mayhem he was causing' / 'irritating' / 'imitating my voice' / 'behaviour was getting worse' / 'demanded serious measures' / 'mischief' / 'a delinquent bird' / 'cementing large concrete blocks' around the cage
[1] (h) Rex feels sad / upset / loss / misses him / pity / devastated: 'imagined many birds had been killed, including Odin' / 'made a brave start rebuilding the sheds' / 'mournfully' / 'avoiding the remains of the cage' / 'I mentioned wistfully it had housed our raven' / 'a bedraggled Odin' / 'shivering violently'
[1] (h) Rex feels hopeful / relieved / happy / affection / protective / caring: 'My plan was to get the bird back into the wild' / hoped 'that he'd join the wild ravens' / 'There was only one bird that could be' / 'called up in a hopefully endearing voice' / 'Odin come to Daddy' / 'scooped into my arms' / 'taken home'