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O-LevelLiterature in EnglishProseMay/June 2014Paper 1 Q3125 Marks

Read this extract, and then answer the question that follows it: Kingshaw leaped up, maddened by Hooper's voice, going on and on. He stood over him, yelling. ‘Shut up, Hooper, shut up. I'll kick you, I'll bash your head in, if you don't shut up, you needn't think I won't.' Hooper cringed back suddenly, caught by surprise. He half got to his knees, trying to move away. Kingshaw straddled him. 'Are you going to shut up now?' 'Yes. I ...' 'If you say anything else at all, I'll kick you. I could hurt you because you're ill, I'd win easily. Now shut up.' fear. 'You won't, you mustn't ...' Hooper began to cry again, loudly, out of Kingshaw watched him for a second, wanting to beat him. Then, abruptly, he turned and walked away. He was frightened by what he had done, and of the voice that had come out of himself. He had been ready to kick and punch Hooper, anything to stop him from whining and nagging and blaming. His own violence astounded him. He wandered off a little way into the clearing, kicking his feet against the tree roots, stirring up the leaves. Not far away, some animal grunted, and then yelped out a warning. After a bit, he went slowly back and lay down again beside the fire, staring into its red heart until his eyes smarted. He felt oddly numb, but himself again, calm. He wouldn't touch Hooper now. The fire sputtered and glowed. He felt safe with it. That and the water. He wasn't comfortable, though, because he'd given Hooper all the extra clothes, and twigs and dry bits of leaf were sticking into him, through his shirt and jeans. He said, 'Hooper?' Silence. 'Are you O.K.?' 'Shut up.' Kingshaw hesitated. He was ashamed of himself. He remembered how Hooper had screamed out ‘Mummy, Mummy'. That had surprised him more than anything. 'I wouldn't really have hit you' He knew he was letting whatever advantage he might have won leak away again, playing back into Hooper's hands. But he thought that whatever happened he had something, an inner strength or resolution that Hooper lacked. It would carry him through things. He felt that he no longer needed to run away, at least as far as Hooper was concerned. Their roles had not been reversed, but still, something had changed. Kingshaw felt aware of himself, and of his own resources. Aloud, he said, 'Look, you needn't worry, Hooper, we've both got to stay here till they come for us.' 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 Hooper lay absolutely still, beyond him in the darkness. But Kingshaw could feel him, listening. He tried not to think what would happen if nobody did come for them. 45 [from Chapter 8]

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The correct answer is . This question tests the candidate's understanding of prose within the Literature in Englishsyllabus. The examiner's mark scheme requires...

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About This O-Level Literature in English Question

This structured question appeared in the Cambridge O-Level Literature in English (2010) May/June 2014 examination, Paper 1 Variant 2. It tests the topic of Prose and is worth 25 marks.

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