The following text is taken from a newspaper article about commercial products designed to help people sleep. Can't Sleep? There's an app for that My forays into the sleep-industrial complex really took off after the birth of my son. Being a new parent turns you into a sleep obsessive. My harried peers and I would swap tips on getting our infants to shut their eyes and stay that way for longer than an hour. And then came the products: white noise machines, swaddling blankets, aromatherapy oils. When the dratted soft toy that is meant to recreate the noises in the womb failed me, I scoured online forums searching for the good stuff. I became so fixated on sleep that by the time my son stopped waking every two hours at night, I had developed insomnia. Again, I turned to the internet to find a cure. Sleep consultants, pills, apps and meditation mantras all promised a solution – at a cost. Sleep is big business, particularly as mobile phones further distract and stimulate our minds. According to Euromonitor, the market research company, sleep aids are one of the fastest-growing categories in consumer health, worth about $2.2 billion globally in 2016. I tried three products to see if any of them actually worked for me. Bodyclock Luxe 750D by Lumie Bodyclock This Lumie 'dawn simulator' is a large, massively expensive alarm clock with a light that mimics the effect of sunrise and sunset, and a radio. It had one immediate advantage for me: removing the need for a mobile device in the bedroom. The interface is a bit complicated and sparked an argument the first day when my partner complained I had set the alarm too loud: I had to leaf through the manual to figure out how to turn it down. The feature I liked the best was the fake sunrise effect. This encourages you to rouse from slumber gradually rather than being assaulted by a beeping alarm, and I imagine it would be helpful during long northern hemisphere winters when you have to force yourself awake in darkness. I was more sceptical about the sunset feature, which dims the lights gradually at bedtime. As someone who reads in bed, I don't quite understand the point. I loved the thunderstorm, blackbird and white noise for relaxing but was less keen on the traffic and the ping-pong. And I would rather wake to the radio than a kitten purring or crickets chirruping. I don't think it would do much for my sleeplessness but it's a brilliant alarm clock. Rating: 4/5 Deep Sleep Pillow Spray by This Works Aromatherapy is appealing; it seems romantic and natural, and smells nice. Exhausted on a Friday evening, I sprayed this on my son's pillow. We lay down together, inhaling the lavender and chamomile. After 20 seconds, my son grew restless. 'Mummy, is it working?' Clearly not. Later, I applied it to my own pillow. Focusing on the smell and on my breathing was meditative. Later, my partner found me passed out. 'It worked then,' he said, raising an eyebrow. A few days later I tried it again in a fit of sleeplessness. An hour later, I was wide awake. Rating: 2/5 Sleepio by Big Health This app/website was devised by a neuroscientist specialising in sleep research and his ex-insomniac business partner. Based on cognitive behavioural therapy, it features advice dispensed by a cartoon professor with a calming accent. You fill out a sleep diary to identify which aspects of sleep you want to improve. Over six weekly interactive sessions, 'the prof' delivers tailored advice on subjects such as light exposure and exercise. Full disclosure: I didn't complete the programme due to time constraints. But I liked some bits, such as making a list of good things that had happened that day and writing a to-do list to nail down whirring worries before bed. However, accessing it through a mobile and laptop did nothing for my digital disengagement. Rating: 3/5
- (a)Comment on the language and style of the text.[15]
- (b)An advertising company produces a television advertisement for one of the gadgets mentioned in the text. Basing your writing closely on the material of the original article, and using 120 to 150 of your own words, write a section of the voiceover script for the advertisement.[10]
Mark scheme
Marking points from the official mark scheme (Oct/Nov 2020). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.
- [13-15] Perceptive appreciation of content and ideas. Fluidly relates content to structure, audience, purpose, genre, style; shows keen awareness of intentions of passage.
- [13-15] Analyses text with sensitive and discriminating awareness of how language creates effects. Moves with ease between part and whole in discussing specific examples of language use and the effect of the whole passage.
- [13-15] Strong structure; may be concise; quotation is used fluently, 'embedded' in the argument.
- [10-12] Shows consistent appreciation of content and ideas. Able to relate content to structure, audience, purpose, genre, style, main aims of passage.
- [10-12] Analyses text, with awareness of the effects created. Able to relate part to whole in discussing specific examples of language use and the effect of the whole passage.
- [10-12] Strong structure used to convey clear argument.
- [8-9] Shows steady engagement with content/ideas of piece. Shows general understanding of structure, audience, purpose, genre, style of passage.
- [8-9] Thorough analysis of passage is made, correctly identifying a range of features of language, giving examples, and showing ability to explain how they create effects with some relation of part to whole.
- [8-9] Clear structure, sustained focus.
- [6-7] Shows some engagement with content/ideas of piece. Shows general, overall understanding of structure, audience, purpose, genre, style of passage.
- [6-7] Appropriate points are made, correctly identifying some features of language use, giving examples, and showing some ability to explain how they create effects. May be a fragmented approach.
- [6-7] Clear structure; may be line-by-line; essay may drift in and out of focus.
- [3-5] Makes some relevant points about content. Shows some understanding of some aspects of the structure, audience, purpose, genre, style of passage; with some failures to identify key features and or misunderstanding.
- [3-5] Some relevant points made, identifying a restricted range of examples of language use. Some examples are not related to the effects created. Some examples may be listed without development; much generalisation.
- [3-5] Little structure; points may be rather disconnected.
- [0-2] Comments on content of passage; may be confused.
- [0-2] One or two points made about language of passage. May be unclear.
- [0-2] Expression breaks down at times. Very short work. Unstructured.
- [8-10] A perceptive recognition of context, audience and purpose supported by a good range of appropriate vocabulary and expression suitable for the task.
- [8-10] Responses at the top of this band will be persuasive and confident, supported by a consistent, and at best personal, engagement with context and purpose, using fluent and accurate expression accompanied by a strong sense of audience.
- [6-7] A clear and informed sense of purpose, context and relevance supported by a reasonable attempt to use language appropriate for the task.
- [4-5] An adequate attempt but marked by an inconsistent and uneven sense of purpose, context and style.
- [4-5] Generally sound expression and accuracy.
- [2-3] The beginnings of an answer, but limited by an inappropriate sense of style, purpose and language.
- [2-3] Expression and accuracy may be limited.
- [0-1] Confused and unfocused sense of purpose, context and audience. Wholly inappropriate language and style.
- [0-1] Work may be brief or fragmented and expression very limited.
Write your answer and get it marked
On Oracle Prep you can write or photograph your own answer and have it marked by AI against this mark scheme, with feedback on what you missed.
Sign up free →