ACSI 2023 Y5 Promos Paper 1

Anglo - Chinese School (Independent) TERM 4 FINAL EXAMINATION 2023 IB DIPLOMA PROGRAMME YEAR 5 (IBDP I) ENGLISH A LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE STANDARD LEVEL PAPER 1 Wednesday 13 SEPTEMBER 2023 1 hour 15 mins INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES • Do not open this examination paper until instructed to do so. • Write a guided analysis of Text 1 or Text 2. • Use the guiding question or propose an alternative technical or formal aspect of the text to focus your analysis. • The maximum mark for this examination paper is [20 marks]. This question paper consists of 5 printed pages. [Turn over

2 Write a guided analysis of ONE of the the following texts. 1. The following text is an article written by Ronald Bergan for The Guardian Online, published under the obituary section. ___________________ The Singin’ in the Rain actor, who rose to fame with her youthful exuberance in 1950s musicals, had a prolific and ambitious career and resilience to match Ronald Bergan Thu 29 Dec 2016 02.00 GMT When Debbie Reynolds, wearing a skimpy pink flapper’s dress, burst out of an enormous cake at a Hollywood party in Singin’ in the Rain (1952), she simultaneously bur st into screen stardom. 5 In fact, it was the sixth film appearance of Reynolds, who has died aged 84, but her first starring role. The casting of the inexperienced 19 -year-old was a risk taken by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, the co -directors of the cl assic MGM musical about the early days of talkies. The gamble paid off, but not without some sweat and strain. 10 “There were times when Debbie was more interested in playing the French horn somewhere in the San Fernando Valley or attending a Girl Scout meeting,” Kelly recalled. “She didn’t realise she was a movie star all of a sudden.” Reynolds herself admitted later: “I was so confused. It seemed dumb to me ... reporting to the studio at 6am, six days a week and shooting till midnight. I didn’t know anything about show business. 15 “I learned a lot from Gene,” she added. “He is a perfectionist and a disciplinarian – the most exacting director I’ve ever worked for … Every so often, he would yell at me and make me cry. But it took a lot of patienc e for him to work with someone who had never danced before. It’s amazing that I could keep up with him and Donald O’Connor. This little g irl from Burbank sure had a lot of spirit.”

3 Debbie Reynolds and Gene Kelly in a publicity shot for Singin’ in the Rain, 1952. Photograph: Allstar/MGM 20 25 Daughter of Maxene (nee Harmon) and Ray Reynolds, she was born Mary Frances Reynolds in El Paso, Texas. Her father was a railroad mechanic and carpenter, who lost his job at the height of the Great Depression. After living from hand to mouth for a while, the family moved to Burbank, California when her father got a job with the So uthern Pacific railroad. While at high school, Reynolds entered and won the Miss Burbank beauty contest. One of the requirements was “talent”, which she fulfilled by lip-syncing to a record of Betty Hutton singing I’m a Square in the Social Circle, which earned her a Warner Bros contract. (It was Jack Warner who gave her the name of Debbie.) But after a bit part in the Bette Davis co medy June Bride (1948), and playing June Haver’s bubbly young sister in The Daughter of Rosie O’Grady (1950), she took up a contract with MGM, where she flourished, on and off, throughout the 50s and early 60s. 30 35 Aside from performing, Reynolds had many other interests. In 1991, she bought a hotel and casino in Las Vegas, where she displayed part of her extensive collection of vintage Hollywood props, sets and costumes. But after her marriage to the real -estate developer Richard Hamlett ended in 1996, she was forced to declare bankruptcy the following year. She later reopened her museum in Hollywood. Reyn olds was also an indefatigable fund - raiser for The Thalians (a charitable organisation that provides mental health services from pediatrics to geriatrics in Los Angeles). - How does the writer convey a positive impression of the actress?

4 2. The following text is an infographic published by Carousell on their blog, under the category of sustainable fashion. ______________________ - How does the creator use text and image to convey their intended purpose?

5 Disclaimer: Content used in IB assessments is taken from authentic, third -party sources. The views expressed within them belong to their individual authors and/or publishers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the IB. References: 1. Bergan, Ronald. “Debbie Reynolds Obituary.” The Guardian, 29 Dec, 2016. Available at: www.theguardian.com/film/2016/dec/29/debbie-reynolds-obituary-singin-in-the- rain-actor. [SOURCE ADAPTED] 2. Lin, Jiajun. “Where do clothes do to die?”. Carousell, 20 Apr, 2017. Available at: https://blog.carousell.com/fashion/sustainable-fashion/where-do-clothes-go-to- die/