Read this extract, and then answer the question that follows it: He made plans for a long time, almost a week. Everything was worked out, except the time. He had to find the right day. But, to begin with, it was harder than he had anticipated to get the things together. He was a methodical planner, but he was feeling his way. Just because it was not the sort of thing he had ever done before, or would be expected to do, Kingshaw knew that he would be taken seriously. Though he was doing it for himself, only, he did not care what any of the others thought about it. It did not occur to him that he might fail, though he failed regularly at other things. For, at the very least, it would be a gesture, and they would understand it as such. It did not seem to him a strange, or ridiculous thing to be planning, and certainly not a lark. It was necessary, that was all. He was neither courageous nor frivolous. When he got hold of the things, he took them along to the room with the dolls, locking it behind him and removing the key, whenever he left. Though he was certain, now, that Hooper had discovered it. It had only been a question of time. One day, it rained without stopping, and Mr Hooper caught him, on a bend in the main staircase. 'Ah now, I have been looking for you!' Kingshaw stopped. His mother had said, 'You should be very, very polite to Mr Hooper. He has been so very kind to us already. He is anxious to take an interest in you, Charles, already he has been talking to me about your schooling and your future.' Her eyes had been very bright, and the bracelets went sliding up and down her arm. Do not spoil everything for me, she wanted to say, do not take away my chance. Kingshaw did not like this new eagerness and hopefulness about her, now that she was at Warings. She had changed a good deal. 'You are to be polite to Mr Hooper.' But there was never anything he could think of to say. 'Where is Edmund?' 'He might I don't know, I haven't seen him.' Mr Hooper stooped a little, and wore a very dark blue suit, and kept smoothing his hand back over the receding hair. He had a small, pursed mouth. 'Now I have found two things for you, this morning. I have found the draughts and a bagatelle board. The draughts are very unusual ones, very valuable, they were but I daresay you will not be interested in that kind of thing, you had better find Edmund and then I will bring the things to you. There is a table in the front sitting room, you can go there.' Kingshaw went slowly on, up the stairs. He thought, Mr Hooper can tell us to do what he pleases, because my mother is paid to work for him, and this is not our house. I shall have to go into the sitting room with Hooper and play draughts. 'Oh, how kind of you! What a good idea!' said Mrs Helena Kingshaw, smiling eagerly, in the breakfast room. ‘That is just right for a rainy morning. They have been so very unresourceful, these last few days, I cannot think but now they can get together over these games, and then we shall really see the friendship cemented. That is a clever suggestion of yours!' Joseph Hooper smoothed back the receding hair and felt more than ever satisfied with Mrs Helena Kingshaw. [from Chapter 4] How does Hill vividly portray Kingshaw's relationship with the adults at this moment in the novel?
✓ Correct Answer
The correct answer is —. This question tests the candidate's understanding of prose within the Literature in Englishsyllabus. The examiner's mark scheme requires...
📋 Examiner Report & Trap Analysis
Common mistake: 62% of candidates selected the distractor because they confused... The examiner specifically designed this question to test whether students can differentiate between... To secure full marks, candidates must demonstrate...
Unlock the Examiner's Answer
Sign up for free to reveal the correct answer, the official mark scheme breakdown, and the examiner trap analysis for this question.
Sign Up Free to Unlock →Join thousands of Cambridge students already using Oracle Prep