TK 2021 EL P2

Amended (after marking) 1 2021 SEC 4 ENGLISH PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION PAPER 2 SECTIONS A & B ANSWER KEY/MARKER’S REPORT General Comments: • Write legibly and clearly – it is not the marker’s responsibility to decipher your words or to give you the benefit of the doubt. • Answers lack specificity and precision – either they are too vague (there is no need to even read the passage for some answers) or are too imprecise (key details have been left out) • Candidates must read the questions carefully and pick out the key words which help them to figure out what the answers must be – it is obvious that some candidates did not understand the questions or what they were required to do (make use of Task - Key word-Focus [TKF] to prepare the questions before answering) SECTION A 1. The section Adopt begins with the words, “All the dogs and cats in our shelter deserve a second chance at happiness.” What effect is this intended to have on the reader? [1m] The reader will: • feel empowered/convicted as he can bring much joy to these animals/these animals have been through a lot and should be treated better so that he will be keen to adopt them. OR • feel pity/sympathy for these animals so that he will choose to adopt them. • Common errors included ‘empathise’, which is not possible from human to animal or vice versa, or vague responses like ‘feel bad’, ‘evoke emotions’ or ‘deeply touched’ (what emotions are triggered exactly?) • Negative emotions should be avoided, e.g. readers will feel guilty/guilt-tripped/emotionally blackmailed so that they will adopt … [These are very cynical and inappropriate responses.] • Many incorrect answers also stopped short of indicating what the readers should be moved to do, i.e. so that they would be moved to adopt these animals • Students also mixed up ‘pity’ and ‘pitiful’, not knowing the distinction

Amended (after marking) 2 2. Refer to the section headed Adopt. Which phrase tells us that the pet owner grows as a person from the experience of owning a pet? [1m] It is ‘change us for the better’. • The question asks for a phrase, which is an incomplete sentence. If the student includes the word ‘pet’ at the start of the sentence, it would make it a sentence. Read the question carefully and know the difference between a sentence and a phrase. 3. From the section Adoption Procedure, state how the measures written about are helpful to potential pet owners. [2m] (i) The bonding sessions help the pet owner the chance to find a suitable pet for his family. [‘bonding sessions’ must be included in the answer] (ii) The home visit gives pet owners the chance to share any concerns and be fully prepared for the new pet. [BOTH parts must be present for the mark.] … ensures that the home has been pet-proofed and the family is ready for the new pet … - EXCESS DENIED [Focus on how the pet owner benefits and NOT the pet] • This is a LITERAL question – students can simply copy and paste the relevant part for their answers. There is no need to use own words to answer the question. Those who tried to paraphrase tended to get it wrong. 4. Look at the photograph under the heading Adoption Procedure. What idea is the photograph trying to establish about pet owners? [1m] The photograph shows a woman cuddling with a kitten, which suggests that pet owners should be comfortable with animals/ love them dearly /affectionate to their pets/close companions to their pets/forge strong bonds (or close relationships)/treasure their pets. • State clearly that the pet owners must be loving and caring to their pets and not just ‘loving and caring’ • Avoid ‘not’ answers, e.g. pet owners should not afraid of animals SECTION B 5. At the beginning of the text, the public park is described as an ‘oasis of calm’. Explain how the language used tells the reader the park is very peaceful. Support your answers with three details from the text. [3m] The answer should focus on how the characters are feeling BECAUSE of how and what the park is like. (i) ‘a sense of serenity filled her up like a balloon’ suggests that Olivia was feeling extremely tranquil /calmness throughout her entire body/fully at ease , which highlights the serene environment. • ‘feeling relaxed’ is not the main idea of this metaphor • Avoid explaining a literary device with another literary device, e.g. ‘calmness filled up her body’

Amended (after marking) 3 (ii) ‘so relaxed he could feel himself melting through the gaps in the bench’ shows that Morton was so at ease that he seemed to be completely languid (loosen up completely)/so laidback that there was no tension in his body at all , which emphasises just how tranquil his surroundings were. • ‘relaxed’ should be in the answer • This is not meant to be taken literally – Morton did not lose control of his body or fall through the gaps. (iii) ‘the soothing gesture of a kindly friend’ shows that Olivia was comforted/welcomed/made to feel at ease by the gentle breeze in the park, thereby showing how the conditions at the park were restful/calm. • Again, the main idea is not about how relaxing Olivia felt but that she was made to feel at ease or welcome 6. In Paragraph 3, what is (i) unusual and (ii) effective about the phrase ‘red -handed innocent’? [2m] (i) It is unusual because ‘red -handed’ indicates that a person is caught doing something wrong while ‘innocent’ means that he has not committed any offence, hence they are not used together/contrasting in meaning. • Make sure to explain both parts of the oxymoron, i.e. ‘red-handed’ and ‘innocent’, in order to show how unusual the phrase is • Avoid vague responses, e.g. ‘red-handed’ is the opposite of ‘innocent’ without explaining, stating that ‘red -handed’ has negative connotations while ‘innocent’ has positive connotations without further explanation or ‘ red-handed’ is being caught for doing wrong while ‘innocent’ is being blameless/without guilt, but without pointing out that they should not be used together • Students generally did not know how to answer this fully (ii) It is effective because it emphasises the fact that the boy did not know the consequences of his actions/had no intention of harming/hurting Larry although he did throw the sand/did do something wrong. • Any suggestion that the boy was pretending that he had done nothing wrong or that he did not believe/think that he had done nothing wrong shows a misreading or lack of understanding of the text 7. In Paragraph 4, the writer says, “The boy looked at her in unblinking expectancy and in a state of sheer incomprehension. He was about Larry’s age but perhaps ten pounds heavier, a husky little boy with none of Larry’s quickness of thought and sensitivity in his face.” What words or phrases in the lines featured describe the boy? [3m]

Amended (after marking) 4 Again, take note of the question requirements – students can either pick a word or a phrase, but NOT a sentence. Description Word or phrase Great sense of anticipation ‘unblinking expectancy’ Intensity of the anticipation must be conveyed in the chosen phrase, so it is essential to include ‘unblinking’ in the answer while ‘expectancy’ is a synonym of ‘anticipation’ Lack of intelligence ‘none of Larry’s quickness of thought’ It is mandatory to include ‘none of’ to show the ‘lack’ of intelligence while the distractor is in the second part of the phrase – lacking ‘sensitivity’ has nothing to do with IQ but, rather, EQ and should not be included in the answer Not fully aware of what was happening ‘(sheer) incomprehension’ ‘sheer’ is optional as ‘incomprehension’ already suggests that the boy is not fully aware of his surroundings and circumstances 8. In Paragraph 5, the writer says that the man ‘seemed to envelope the whole bench’. In what way is this expression particularly effective? [1m] It is effective because it emphasi