Higher English

1. Higher English RUAE SKILLS

2. Reading for U, A & E

3. For revision:

4. 1) SHOWING UNDERSTANDING • IN YOUR OWN WORDS questions • You will be asked to identify the writer’s ideas and explain the points that are being made. • Where possible you should always use your own words

5. 1) SHOWING UNDERSTANDING You must: • Identify the section of the passage referred to • Decide what the writer is telling you • Write it in your own words (you can use more or less words if necessary)

6. EXAMPLES Green tea is exceptionally good for you. It helps to boost your immune system, improves your complexion and it is suggested to have stress-busting properties. In your own words, explain why the author suggests green tea is good for you. 3

7. EXAMPLES Green tea is exceptionally good for you. It helps to boost your immune system,improves your complexion and it is suggested to have stress-busting properties. In your own words, explain why the author suggests green tea is good for you. 3

8. ANSWERS • The author suggests that green tea is good for you because: • It helps prevent illness. • It helps your skin remain clear. • It is relaxing.

9. Although the tiger would rather avoid confrontations with humans, it may attack them under certain circumstances – if a human has trespassed into its territory, or if he is seen as a threat to a female’s cubs. The onset of old age and consequently diminishing hunting skills may also encourage a tiger to attack humans. Using your own words, explain why tigers may attack humans. 3

10. Although the tiger would rather avoid confrontations with humans, it may attack them under certain circumstances – if a human has trespassed into its territory, or if he is seen as a threat to a female’s cubs. The onset of old age and consequently diminishing hunting skills may also encourage a tiger to attack humans. Using your own words, explain why tigers may attack humans. 3

11. Answers Tigers may attack humans because: • The person may have entered the tiger’s area of land. • If the tiger sees the person’s presence as a danger to its young. • When a tiger gets older it is no longer as good at hunting and humans may seem like an easier target to prey upon.

12. I had a brilliant summer: swam in the ocean, ate exotic food, saw beautiful monuments, danced the night away and, of course, got an excellent tan. In your own words explain what the author did during her summer holiday. U 5

13. I had a brilliant summer: swam in the ocean, ate exotic food, saw beautiful monuments, danced the night away and, of course, got an excellent tan. In your own words explain what the author did during her summer holiday. U 5

14. Answers During her summer holidays she: • Went swimming in the sea. • Ate unusual foreign food. • Went sightseeing. • Enjoyed clubbing/discos when it got dark. • Returned home several shades darker.

15. The start to our summer holiday was a disaster. Firstly, we misplaced our passports right before the flight and had to scurry around trying to locate them and then we became embroiled in a lengthy traffic jam and wondered whether we’d arrive at the airport in time. When we actually arrived at the airport, the flight was delayed, Finally – to top it all off – when we arrived in Spain we were informed that our baggage had been damaged. Never again! Explain in your own words why the beginning of the author’s summer holiday was unpleasant. 4

16. The start to our summer holiday was a disaster. Firstly, we misplaced our passports right before the flight and had to scurry around trying to locate them and then we became embroiled in a lengthy traffic jam and wondered whether we’d arrive at the airport in time. When we actually arrived at the airport, the flight was delayed, Finally – to top it all off – when we arrived in Spain we were informed that our baggage had been damaged. Never again! Explain in your own words why the beginning of the author’s summer holiday was unpleasant. 4

17. ANSWERS we misplaced our passports right before the flight They lost their passports we became embroiled in a lengthy traffic jam They were caught in a solid queue of vehicles the flight was delayed Their plane took off later than scheduled. our baggage had been damaged The airline company had broken their luggage

18. Exams are very stressful times for students, but they often don’t consider how nerve-wracking it can be for teachers too. We spend countless hours trying to ensure they are prepared and are in a position to do their best and we therefore feel their success or failure as strongly as they do. Their performance is also personally important to us as we see it as a reflection on our teaching ability. However, unlike the students, we have no control over how they perform in the final exam and so the wait is an agonising one in which we can do nothing more productive than worry. Explain in your own words why exams are stressful for teachers. 3U

19. Exams are very stressful times for students, but they often don’t consider how nerve-wracking it can be for teachers too. We spend countless hours trying to ensure they are prepared and are in a position to do their best and we therefore feel their success or failure as strongly as they do. Their performance is also personally important to us as we see it as a reflection on our teaching ability. However, unlike the students, we have no control over how they perform in the final exam and so the wait is an agonising one in which we can do nothing more productive than worry. Explain in your own words why exams are stressful for teachers. 3U

20. We spend countless hours trying to ensure they are prepared and are in a position to do their best They devote a lot of time instructing their pupils, arming them with enough knowledge to answer well. Their performance is also personally important to us as we see it as a reflection on our teaching ability. They see the students results as a demonstration of their competency as teachers. we have no control over how they perform in the final exam Teachers have no influence over the students’ work on the day.

21. I always loved spending time with my granddad. He would entertain us with silly stories, feed us sweeties when he thought no-one was looking and – best of all – he would take us to the swing park and push us so high we thought we’d be sick. In your own words, explain why the writer enjoyed spending time with her grandfather. 3U

22. entertain us with silly stories Tells them ridiculous tales feed us sweeties when he thought no-one was looking Gave them secret treats would take us to the swing park and push us so high… Played with them in the playpark

23. The oil industry is integral to Aberdeen’s recent financial boom as it provides the city with jobs in the industry itself. This ensures that more Aberdonians can secure employment and the city as a whole has more expendable income. Also, the wealthy foreign visitors spend their money in the city’s shops, which injects yet more money into the city. In your own words, explain why the oil industry is important to Aberdeen. 3U

24. The oil industry is integral to Aberdeen’s recent financial boom as it provides the city with jobs in the industry itself. This ensures that more Aberdonians can secure employment and the city as a whole has more expendable income. Also, the wealthy foreign visitors spend their money in the city’s shops, which injects yet more money into the city. In your own words, explain why the oil industry is important to Aberdeen. 3U

25. ‘provides the city with jobs in the industry itself’: Creates employment within the oil industry. ‘that more Aberdonians can secure employment’ which means that more people from Aberdeen can find jobs ‘the wealthy foreign visitors spend their money in the city’s shops’ ‘rich tourists spend their cash in retail establishments’

26. 2) LINKING Link Function Questions Showing that you understand how a writer has made their argument flow from one idea to another. Being able to identify how the highlighted sentence performs a linking function.

27. How to answer: • QUOTE the word or words in the link sentence which refer to the previous paragraph/topic. • EXPLAIN IN YOUR OWN WORDS what that topic was. • QUOTE the word or words referring to the new paragraph/topic. • EXPLAIN IN YOUR OWN WORDS what the new topic is.

28. Link Question Examples

29. EXAMPLES The passengers had to change aircraft due to their plane needing maintenance work.  However, some of them were not satisfied.  They accused the company of providing poor service. She was of average height with glossy hair, bright blue eyes and a winning smile.  As well as her beauty I also admired her intelligence.  She was the smartest girl in the class.

30. He worked hard when he was young, always putting in long hours.  After so many backbreaking years he wanted to take it easy.  In his old age he spent most of his time fishing. When the sun sank down it was a luxury to sit in the perfumed air and forget that there was any world but these enchanted islands.  It was such ecstasy to dream until reality gave you a bite.  A scorpion bite.  Then the first duty was to get up out of the grass and kill the scorpion; and the next to bathe the bitten place with alcohol and the next to resolve to keep out of the grass in the future.

31. When more coal was needed, men dug tunnels into the earth from the quarries.  This was dangerous work, because the earth was always falling into the tunnel.  Later they dug deeper and this brought greater difficulties and greater danger.  Water seeped into the bottom of the pits, poisonous and explosive gases collected, and taking the coal to the surface was hard work.  Slowly the dangers were overcome.  Miners became more skilful at supporting the roofs of the tunnels, and engineers began to use steam engines to pump the water out.  They lit fires at the bottom of pit shafts to drive out the foul air; and Sir Humphrey Davy invented a lamp which would not set fire to explosive gases.

32. ANALYSING LANGUAGE: WITS • Word Choice • Imagery • Tone • Sentence Structure

33. Word Choice Word Choice Questions require you to explain the EFFECT of words chosen by the writer: • The word(s) will often imply or suggest something (connotations). • The words may have a particular tone (critical, questioning, angry, ironic, humorous, etc.) • The words may be used to indicate a contrast. • The effect might be to create a sound using alliteration, assonance or onomatopoeia.

34. Word Choice To answer WORD CHOICE questions you should follow this formula: • Describe what the word usually means. (The denotation) • Describe what it suggests IN THIS CONTEXT. • Why is it effective?: • Why has the writer chosen to use this word • What is the effect or the connotation?

35. Example: Pharmaceutical companies felt the need to create recognition of social phobia as a distinct clinical entity and so create the need for a potential antidepressant to treat it. Why would the pharmaceutical companies choose to call shyness ‘social phobia’? Answer: The word ‘phobia’ suggestsa persistent or irrational fear of something that can affect your life in a detrimental way. In this context the pharmaceutical company are using the word to suggest that shyness has a more diagnosable, medical label – a serious fear of society. By doing this, they can then create a cure for it which will be of financial benefit to them.

36. TheFormula 1 cars flashed by the spectators in a continual progression. (2 separate answers) • How does word choice help to describe the speed and quantity of the cars? • 2. They race towards a rubbish truck as it empties its load at a vast landfill on the edge of the city; hauling away bin liners that overflow with household waste. • Explain how the writer’s word choice helps to show that the job is tiring. (3 separate answers)

37. ‘flashed’ usually means a quick burst of light In this context it suggest that the cars were moving so fast you could hardly see them It is effective because it explains that the cars passed with such great velocity you could hardly see them. ‘continual’ usually means never ending In this context it suggests a long line of many cars It is effective because it suggests there were so many cars passing it was like a never ending line of them.

38. 3. He shapes the metal oven trays with an electric saw to form the body of a violin and engineers cellos from oil barrels. The necks of his string instruments are sculpted from old strips of wood, called palé. • How does the word choice give the impression that Gómez is a skilled maker of musical instruments? (2 separate answers) • 4. When the car stopped she opened the door and hazarded a foot out on to the gravel - in a pointy crocodile shoe - as if she were testing the atmosphere. • How does word choice explain the manner in which she exited the car?

39. Imagery These questions will ask you to comment on simile/metaphor and personification.

40. Imagery There are three stages to this question: Identify and quote the image Analyse the image Comment on its effectiveness in the passage.

41. Example: Her hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall

42. Her hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall – which picture do you think of?

43. How would you answer the question? Her hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall In what way is this simile effective?

44. How would you answer the question? The simile: “Her hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall” is effective because… Just as a waterfall falls freely in an undulating pattern with plenty of water, so her hair is thick and long, falling in waves down her back. This helps me to understand how hair is thick and flowing, hanging loose down her back.

45. They clung onto their flapping blackbirds of umbrellas in the strengthening wind.

46. They clung onto their flapping blackbirds of umbrellas in the strengthening wind. How are these two images similar?

47. Blackbirds are large and in a strong wind they would be tossed around in the air with their wings flapping. In this context they are used to describe the umbrella flapping about in the wind, blowing in all directions. It is effective because it helps me to understand the man is not in control of his, probably, broken umbrella.

48. Bargain hunters swarm around the sale table like bees round nectar…

49. Bargain hunters swarm around the sale table like bees round nectar… How are these images similar?

50. How would you answer the question? Bargain hunters swarm around the sale table like bees round nectar… In what way is this simile effective?