Exemplar Answers with method shown. January 2013 AQA English Language
Read Source
1, the online newspaper article called Images bring life of lost Amazon tribe
into sharp relief by Dom Phillips.
1 What do you understand
about the Amazon tribe and the issues it faces?
(8 marks)
Advanced
Live
differently
Remaining
isolated
Remaining
alive (illnesses)
Firstly I
understand that the tribe are very advanced. This is shown in several ways,
firstly with the list of the many ingredients in their “vivid gardens”. Many of
the ingredients are known in the West and also used such as “pumpkins” etc. The
fact they have gardens shows that they care about nature, cultivate nature and
also if these are “vivid” then they take pride in their surroundings –similar
to our culture it could be argued. They also wear clothes made of cotton just as
we do too.
Secondly I
understand the tribe do have some different habits that our culture would
perhaps view negatively. They do not wash often as the writer uses litotes to
tell us: “They don’t have intimacy with water”, therefore some of their customs
are different.
One issue
that the tribe face is to remain alive as any contact with outside humanity
could prove fatal as we are told: “Illnesses such as the common cold can kill
up to 50% of its population”. This shows also that the tribe are not advanced
in their resilience to bacteria, germs and diseases and in this way are very
‘basic’.
Finally
another issue they face is to remain as they are: isolated. We are told their:
“isolation is increasingly threatened”, so their very way of life may not
continue unhampered for much longer.
Now read Source 2, the article and the picture which goes
with it called Slimezilla! Monster jellyfish armada threatens divers and
nuclear plants by Richard Lloyd Parry. 2
Explain how the headline and picture are effective and how they link to the text. (8 marks)
Provokes intrigue from the reader
Provokes disgust/ strong reaction (just like ice cream)
Pic is just like text – humans being hampered/ threatened by
jellyf
Firstly the headline is effective as it begins with “Slimezilla”
– this reference to slime is disgusting and evokes in the reader a strong
reaction and also harbours curiosity. It also links to Godzilla (referenced in
the text) – due to the similar sounding names. Also slime is again referenced
in the text thus linking the headline and text..
The pun in the title: “Monster jellyfish” again evokes a
strong reaction of fear and disgust in the reader and we wish to read on to
find out the threat posed by this ‘monster’ – or if it is simply large in size.
The title highlights the issues between the jellyfish and humans/ society as
does the picture which shows literally the jellyfish is much larger and
encompassing the human being who is precariously dangled above but looks like
he is in danger of being consumed. This also links to the text as we are later told
that humanity is at its mercy as we are told of its: “assault on a helpless
Japan”. SO just like the picture shows the human in danger from the huge
jellyfish, so humanity is in a perilous situation also due to the tyrant
jellyfish.
The tile provokes disgust in the reader towards the
jellyfish due to words such as slimezilla/ monster and threatens and this
disgust in continued in the article, heightening at the end as we are told of
the “vanilla and jellyfish ice cream” further evoking a feeling of illness in
the reader.
The title is also hyperbolic in nature as we are left to
wonder if the jellyfish really have the power to “threaten …nuclear plants”.
This content in the title intrigues the reader and makes them want to read on,
this links to the content as again hyperbole flows through the entire article
with phrases such as: “a huge jellyfish typhoon will hit the country”. Finally we are informed half way through that
indeed they do disrupt nuclear plants.
Now read Source 3, Bear Encounter which is an extract from a
non-fiction book written by Bill Bryson. 3
Explain the thoughts and feelings the
writer has during his encounter with the bear. (8 marks)
Firstly the writer feels scared. This is shown is shown when
we are told he “reached instinctively for his knife”. Clearly he thinks he is threatened and in
danger and must prepare for this.
Furthermore the writer thinks that he is going to be hunted
and eaten by the bear, this is shown when he describes the “ravenous bear”.
Clearly he thinks that the bear is desperate for food and that he will suffice
as a meal.
In addition the writer feels as if he is dealing with the
situation alone, this is shown when he physically moves his tent closer to his
relaxed partner: “it brought me a tiny measure of comfort to be nearer him”.
This shows he feels scared and alone, and needs to move closer to his companion
to assuage these feelings and thoughts.
Also the writer feels unprepared for this event which
terrifies him as he describes his knife as being good only for “buttering
pancakes”. Clearly this humorous aside shows that the writer feels vulnerable
and unprepared for a possible attack from the bear, and that he won’t be able
to defend himself.
Now you need to refer to Source 3, Bear Encounter, and either
Source 1 or Source 2. You are going to compare two texts, one of which you have
chosen. 4 Compare the ways in which language is used for effect in the two
texts. (16 marks)
Firstly Source 3 is a
descriptive piece in which the writer describes his encounter with what turned
out to be a bear. The description is
rich in humour and word choice which creates a negative portrayal of the bear.
Source 2 is an informative piece about the threat caused by jellyfish. It
contains hyperbole throughout and also, as source 3 does, portrays the animals
negatively.
Both sources use imagery to portray the animals as scary and
threatening to humans. Indeed both description are hyperbolic also. Firstly
source 3 describes the bear as having eyes “like eyes in a cartoon”. Just as
eyes in a cartoon glow and are huge in size, so too do the bear’s eyes stand
out obviously in the scene and are large and imposing. Clearly through this use
of language, the author is scared of the threat and size of the bear. Similarly
imagery is used in source 2 to portray the animals as scary. This time to show
the devastating consequences the jellyfishes arrival inland could have, the
image we are given is of a “jellyfish typhoon”. Just as a typhoon has
devastating consequences, is unavoidable and very obvious so the jellyfish
could have disastrous consequences for humanity and their arrival would not go
unnoticed. Hence portraying them as scary and very threatening to humanity,
just as the bear in source 3 thanks to imagery.
Humour is used in source 3 to highlight the unusual
situation the writer finds himself in, and it also then shows the lack of
safety felt by the writer. This humour is evident in the cartoon reference but
also in the description of his knife as: “wimpy” and good for “buttering
pancakes”, this use of humour and euphemism engages the reader and brings them
in to the passage.
Source 2 engages the reader, not necessarily through humour
but through evoking their disgust with repeated reference to slime. Repetition
of this word occurs throughout highlighting again and again the grotesque
nature of the jellyfish – it also reminds readers of childhood and does to some
extent bring in a light hearted tone – which is shared with source 3. Another
childlike reference, furthering the lighthearted tone of source 2 is the
reference to the children’s classic, albeit in a new flavour: “vanilla and
jellyfish ice-cream”. This is a childhood classic and once again reminds
readers of childhood but with a grotesque twist so also evoking their disgust.
