Higher'English' Close&Reading&& Homework&Booklet&1&

Transcription

1 Higher'English' CloseReading HomeworkBooklet1

2 This booklet contains 7 articles drawn from sources of quality journalism. You will be required to complete one passage every two weeks. It is imperative you complete it on time and remember to bring it as you will be peer-marking your answers in class. The activities associated with each passage are designed to: Expand your vocabulary Familiarise you with the styles and structures of quality journalism Improve your ability to summarise and paraphrase (put into your own words) a writer s argument Familiarise you with close reading formulae It would be useful to have access to a quality dictionary at home to complete the vocabulary builder tasks, however, you could also use

3 Close'Reading'Formulae UNDERSTANDING'QUESTIONS' Thistypeofquestionisdesignedto checkyouunderstandthe meaning,languageandideasofthe passage. Understandingquestionsare markedwitha(u)code. Own Words (U) Find the correct lines. Check number of marks. Re-write in your own words. Check you haven t copied key words from the passage. Quote (word/phrase/expression) (U) Context (U) Find the correct lines. Check whether the question asks for a word or phrase. Write down exactly as it is in passage. Find 2 words or phrases from the surrounding sentence(s) that clarify the meaning. Explain what clues they give you about the word s meaning. Write down the word s meaning Link (U) Summarise what the previous section is about. Quote words from the link sentence which refer back to this. Summarise what is being said in the section following the link sentence. Quote a word or phrase from the link sentence which introduces the next section. Summarise (U) Identify the key points / issues from the relevant section. Change these points into your own words. Bullet point if appropriate. Check the marks available as a guide to how many points you are required to summarise.

4 ANALYSIS'QUESTIONS' Thistypeofquestionisdesignedto checkyoucanidentifyspecific literarytechniquesbeingused. Youmustalsoanalysethem(break themdown)andevaluatehow theyaddtothereader s understandingofthepassage s meaning. Word Choice (A) Quote the word and give its basic meaning Give the word s connotations (associated ideas) Explain how the word s connotations develop the reader s understanding of the passage Imagery(A) (Simile, Metaphor, Personification) Contrast (A) (2 opposing ideas, words, images...) Identify the type of image Quote it Say what is compared to what Use just as... so too Say what the comparison adds to the reader s understanding of the passage. Pick out one side of the contrast and summarise it. Support with a quote. Pick out the other side of the contrast and summarise it. Support with a quote. Sentence'Structure:' Youmaybeaskedtocommenton: Punctuation Sentencelength Sentencetypes Sentencepatterns Tone (A) Identify the tone. Quote words or phrases that create this tone Analyse how those words/phrases create the tone. Sentence Structure (A) Identify the feature of structure being used. Comment on the effect of the structure on the reader s understanding of the passage. ''''''''''''Tone'Bank Informal; Humorous; Light Hearted; Whimsical; Gently Mocking Sarcastic; Mocking; Ironic Formal; Questioning; Outraged; Angry; Critical; Sinister Nostalgic; Reverential; Reflective; Awed Disappointed; Uncertain; Doubtful

5 ' ' EVALUATION'QUESTIONS' Evaluation (E) Thistypeofquestioncanaskyou toconsider: Howwellaparagraphorlineactsas anintroductionorconclusion. Howatitlerelatestothepassage. Howananecdote,image,illustration orothertechniquehelpsconveythe writer soverallargumentorattitude. Thereisalsoafinalquestiononboth passagesworth5marks. Question on Both Passages [Write your answer as developed bullet points.] The key to answering these questions is to identify an appropriate feature or technique and show how it relates to the writer s purpose, attitude or overall line of argument. Check if the question is about areas of agreement or disagreement. Identify at least 3 overall areas on which the passages agree/disagree. Bullet point these areas, then add further explanation to each bullet point by identifying specific ideas, images, anecdotes, illustrations, statistics or analogies which support these areas of agreement/ disagreement. When developing your bullet point, you may quote or paraphrase from the passages.

6 Order'of'the'Articles The articles are arranged in ascending order of difficulty. After marking each passage in class check where you lost marks. Seek out support, extra practice or advice on those question types you have most trouble with. Article Order The Biggest Loser (Exemplar) 1) A dog is for life, not just Crufts 2) Nightclubs Are Hell 3) If Chickens Are So Smart 4) Well Grrroomed 5) McDonalds I m Not Lovin It! 6) No Passes? 7) Being There - Edinburgh How'to'tackle'the'articles:' 1. Read the passage through. Focus on understanding the main topic of the passage and the key points made. 2. Using a dictionary if necessary, complete the Vocabulary Challenge. You should also look up the meanings of any other words you don t know. This will help you answer the close reading questions which follow (and improve your overall vocabulary!) 3. Identify each question s type is it an own words question, a context question, a link question, an imagery question? 4. Use the appropriate formula to answer each question. Refer back to the passage using line references where given.

7 The'Biggest'Loser' ITV'snewweight.lossgameshowhastobecrueltobekindbutdoesitreallyneedafitness instructorwho'dgladlyholdaguntooursquashyheads? Grace'Dent,'guardianonline,'8'Jan'2011 ' Don'tgivePaddysympathy!He'shaditallhislife,that'swhyhe'shere!"fitnessinstructor AngieyellsonweightPlossgameshowTheBiggestLoser'(Mon,9pm,ITV1).Paddy,21stone, clingstothegymwallsnivellinghottearsdownhisplumpcheeks,flappinghishandtosignal 5 thatanoxygenmaskmightbeneeded.paddywasorderedtocycle13milesonaexercise biketoburnoffsomeofthefatwhichwilleventuallykillhim;howevernowhe'sjust weeping,thinkingthismeanshe'llbefreetoleave.sadly,angiedoesn'tbuyit.paddy'sheart maybeencasedinaninchpthicklayerofpuffpastry,butangie'sheartisastonepcoldlump ofgranite., "Backonthebike!"Angiescreams.IfITV1permittedAngietocarryagunshewould probablyhavepepperedtherunningmachinewithbulletsbeforeplacingittopaddy's squashyforeheadtoaugmentherpoint.paddydecidestogetbackonthebike.inthe ongoingwarofangieversusthebiglazypeople,it'shardtodecidewhosesideyou'reon.in thefollowingsevendays,paddyandtheother13contestantswilllosemoreweightthan theycouldeverpossiblyhaveimagined.theirlivestransformed.eighteenpstonezandela can'ttakeherfivepyearpoldtotheparkasshe'sknackeredsimplybystandingup.janetthe policeofficeris17stone,shelikesherjobbutwouldhavetroublecatchingandarrestinga tortoise.markweighs31stone.doctorsscanhimandtellhimgravelythathisheartnow actuallysitsinthewrongplacehaving"slippedroundacornerinhischest".thebiggest Loser'smethodologymaybeharsh,wethink,butatleastitgetsresults.ButthenAngie appearssquawkingatthegangtologeverymouthfuloffoodonhercomputersoshecan peerandsneeratit. Angieseemsconvincedthatherchargesarebasicallyoverlytheatrical,skilledwitha lifetime'sexperienceofwrigglingoutofexercise.shemayhaveapoint."ican'tdragyouto 25 thegym,"shescowlsas19pstonejoanneliesinherroompointingatherpoorlyfoot.angie wouldclearlyloveto"drag"joannetothegym,butlegalboundariespreventhergrabbing

8 contestantsbytheearsorrammingthemwithaforkplifttruck.laterjoanneandher24p stonehusbandpaulhobbleintothegymmidpsessionclearlyexpectingthismightbethebig "wholeteamrunforagrouphugtocelebrateovercomingadversity,inslowpmowith 30 backingtrackyouraisemeupbyjoshgroban"moment.instead,angiemouthstocamera: "Ohyougotoutofbed,wow."LatertheinmatesadmitthatAngiedragsanenergyfrom themtheyhaveneverexperiencedbefore.cheekbonesbegintoemergefromundercheeks. Peopleshrinkwithintheepisode. AttheweighPin,DavinaMcCallistheperfectantidotetoAngie'spoison.Whatmostpeople missaboutdavinaisshe'sgotthatpixiepdustoprahqualitywitheverydaypeople."letme holdyourhand,"davinasays,hoppingoffherpodiumandwanderingovertothescales, envelopingthefingersoflaura,an18pstoneteenager."ifeellikei'msuffocatingunderallof thisfat,"laurasays.herteenyearshavebeenspenthiding.iplannednottowatchreality TVin2011;however,TheBiggestLoserisabitlikeatubeofThaisweetchilliPringles.Now I'vebrokenthesealandhadone,Imayaswellsnaffletheentirepacket.

9 'Questions' 1.'Vocabulary'Challenge!' Findthewordinthepassagewhichmatchesthesedefinitions.Writeitinthetable. Youhavebeengivenaparagraphreferencetohelp. DICTIONARY'DEFINITION' Verb:towhinetearfully(paragraph1) Verb:(pasttense)tosprinkleliberally(paragraph2) Adverb:seriously;solemnly(paragraph2) Noun:asystemofmethodsandprinciples(paragraph2) Verb:ascornfulorcontemptuouslookofdisgust (paragraph2) Noun:peopleorthingscommittedtosomeone scare (paragraph3) Noun:distress,hardship(paragraph3) Noun:somethingthatcounteractstheeffectsofa posion(paragraph4) Noun:asmallraisedplatform(paragraph4) Verb:stealortakeforyourself(paragraph4)

10 2.In'your'own'words,summarisethefourmainpointstheauthormakesinthearticle.(4U) 3. Paddy,21stone,clingstothegymwallsnivellinghottearsdownhisplumpcheeks, flappinghishandtosignalthatanoxygenmaskmightbeneeded (lines3p5).commenting onwordchoiceandsentencestructure,howdoesthewritercreatesympathyforpaddy?(4 A) 4. Angie sheartisastonepcoldlumpofgranite (line8p9).howeffectiveisthisasanimage ormetaphor?(2a) 5.In'your'own'words,explainwhy IntheongoingwarofAngieversusthebiglazypeople, it shardtodecidewhosesideyouron. (lines12p14).(2u) 6.Lookagainatlines20P22.Withclosereferencetothetext,commentonthewriter suse ofword'choiceinbuildinganeffectivepictureofangie scharacter.(3u) 7. Angieseemsconvincedthatherchargesarebasicallyoverlytheatrical,skilledwitha lifetime'sexperienceofwrigglingoutofexercise. (Lines23P24).Howdoesthissentenceact asalinkbetweenparagraphs2and3?(2u)' ' 8. Attheweighin,DavinaMcCallistheperfectantidotetoAngie spoison (line34).using' your'own'words,explainhowdavinaandangiediffer?(1u) 9.In'your'own'words,explainwhy thebiggestloserisabitlikeatubeofthaisweetchilli Pringles (line39).(2u) ' TOTAL' '30'marks'

11 A'dog'is'for'life,'not'just'Crufts' Edward'Collier,'guardian.co.uk,'Saturday'12'March'2011'' Thejokegoeslikethis.Howdoyoutellwhichlovesyou,yourpartneroryourdog?Answer lockthembothinthebootofyourcarforanhourandseewhichispleasedtoseeyou. Thisweekend,Britain'sannualcaninelovePinbegins.Crufts,whichbillsitselfas"the greatestdogshowonearth",runsoverfourdaysatbirmingham'snec.apparentlythisis 5 watercoolerstuff,andnotjustforbreedersofpedigreepooches. AlthoughIgrewupwithdogsandcats,Ialwaysinstinctivelythoughtofmyselfasa"dog" person.catsarefine,don'tgetmewrong,buttheydon'treallygivemuch.ifi'mshellingout forfinestoffalincoldjelly,iwantsomebangformybuck.whenthey'renotoutterrorising thelocalbirdpopulation,mostcatsareeithersleepingordiggingtheirclawsintoyour 10 gonads.despitetheiroccasionaltendencytobite,dogsboastloyalty,affectionand retrievingdeadgameprominentlyontheircvs. Itwasn'tuntilIwasinmiddleagethatIactuallythoughtofacquiringmyownhound.My siblingshaveseveral myyoungerbrotherseemstohaveanewoneeverytimeiseehim. MyparentsPinPlawareenthusiasticNewfoundlandowners,whichisfineformyfatherPinPlaw 15 whoissixfoottwo;adifferentmattertoseemymotherpinplaw,adiminutivefigure,with twoelephantinenewfiesstrainingattheleash.idosometimeswonderwhethershe shouldn'thaveaskateboard. ThreeyearsagomywifeandIstarteddiscussinggettingadog.Theinitialcatalystwas regularlyseeingadogwithwhichmywifebecamesmitten.idorecallbeingjustas 20 enthusiasticasshe;notdifficult,really,wheniwouldbeatworkduringthatpartoftheday whenthedogwouldmostlybeawake.finallywesettledonamake sorry,abreed and nosoonersettledthanwewereapropernuclearfamily(twochildrenandadog). ForallthatLollyisalovelyanimaltolookat,oneofherdownsideswasdetectableearly:it emanatedfromtheendoppositeherface.intwowords housetraining.atthetimewe 25 hadthebuildersin,sotheoccasionalmistakewasfine,sinceitwasinevitablyonafloorthat wouldshortlybemakingfriendswithaskip.butwhenthebuildershadpackedupandgone home,thenoxiousleavingsremained,andittookatleastayeartobringtheseunder

12 control.she'snowprettygood,butiwillneverforgetcomingdownstairstofindthatlolly hadgoneonadirtyprotest,usingherterrierdiggingskillstospatterthewallsinasmelly 30 pebbledash. Anotherearlyargumentforshippingherofftothegluefactorywasherpredilectionfor chewingexpensiveelectricalitems.likegoodowners,wegaveherdoggychews,all contemptuouslyignoredinfavourofthetvremote,severaltelephonesandtheiron.yes, theiron Dogsneedwalking,andLollyisnoexception.Herdailyperambulationhasbroughtherinto contactwithagroupofdogswithwhichshecavorts,andit'salsoprovidedasupportgroup formywife.sheandtheotherdogwalkersmeetinthefieldbehindthepark,swapping horrorstoriesofcanineatrocities thefoodstolen,thefoodhoickeduponthecarpet,the shoes/clothes/books/cushionschewedanddiscarded,thevet'sbills.lastyearafriendinthe village,blissfullydogless,madeinquiriesaboutthedesirabilityofjoiningtheclub."don'tdo it!"theyallcried.goodfriendisnowruefulownerofseriallybonkersspaniel,thelatest memberofwhatothervillagerscall"thehooligans". Iknowdogscanandshouldbetrained,andintruthLollyiswellPbehaved aslongasyou don'tcounteatingandlaterregurgitatinghorseexcrement.she'sveryaffectionatewitha sweetnature,doesn'tbark,putsupwithouryoungestson'sbrandoftoughlove,and doesn'tcostmuchtorun.however,shedoeshaveoneabidingattributewhichi,forone, cannotgetbeyond.shesmells.reeks.honks.likeasackofrottingbadgers,shealertsyou toherpresenceminutesbeforeherincessantshakingandscratching.we'vetried everything dailybaths,neverbathing(notus,her),andeverydietarycombinationapart fromstarvation. TheEnglishareanationofdoglovers,andIwouldcountmyselfone.It'sjustthatIfindthat Iratherpreferotherpeople's;likegrandchildren,youcanhandthembackwhentheyget tiresome.adogis,astheysay,forlife,andsometimeslifereallymeanslife.

13 Questions' 1.'Vocabulary'challenge!' Findthewordinthepassagewhichmatchesthesedefinitions. Youhavebeengivenaparagraphreferencetohelp. DICTIONARY'DEFINITION' Adjective:todowithdogs(paragraph2) Noun:theinternalorgansofananimalusedasfood (paragraph3) Adjective:verysmall(paragraph4) Adjective:hugeorclumsy(paragraph4) Noun:apersonorthingthatcausessomethingto happen(paragraph5) Verb:(pasttense)tocomefromasource(paragraph6) Noun:aspeciallikingforsomething(paragraph7) Noun:awalkorastroll(paragraph8) Noun:somethingextremelybadorwicked(paragraph8) Verb:bringswallowedfoodupagaintothemouth. (paragraph9)

14 2.In'your'own'words,summarisethemainpointstheauthormakesinthearticle.(4U) 3.Lookingatline8,explainhowthewriter sword'choicehelpsusunderstandhisattitudetowards cats.(2a) 4.In'your'own'words,explainwhytheauthor smotherfindsitdifficulttowalkhernewfoundland dogs.(2u) 5.Fromparagraph5,quotethewordthattellsustheauthor swifewasbesottedwiththedogthe familyregularlysaw.(1u) 6.Showhowthecontexthelpsyouunderstandthemeaningoftheword noxious (line27).(2u) 7. Anotherearlyargumentforshippingherofftothegluefactorywasherpredilectionforchewing expensiveelectricalitems. Showhowthisline(line31)actsasalinkbetweenparagraphs6and7. (2U) 8.In'your'own'words,explainthereasonsthedogownerstoldtheirfriendnottogetadog(lines37P 41)(4U). 9.Inline45,thewritersayshisdog putsupwithouryoungestson sbrandoftoughlove.inyour ownwords,explainhowthewriter ssontreatsthedog.(1u) 10.Lookatline47.Howeffectivedoyoufindtheauthor suseofimageryindescribinghowawful Lollysmells?(2A) TOTAL' '30'marks'

15 Nightclubs'are'hell.'What's'cool'or'fun'about'a' thumping,'sweaty'dungeon'full'of'posing'idiots?' Charlie'Brooker,'The,Guardian,'Monday'13'August'2007'' IwenttoafashionableLondonnightclubonSaturday.NotthesortofsentenceIgettowriteveryoften, becauseienjoynightclubslessthanienjoyeatingwool.butaglamorousfriendofminewasthereto"doa PA",andshe'dinvitedmeandsomecuriousfriendsalongbecausewewantedtoseepreciselywhat"doinga 5 PA"consistsof.Turnsoutdoingapublicappearancelargelyentailssittingarounddrinkingfreechampagne andgenerallyjust"beingthere". Obviously,at36,Iwasmorethanadecadeolderthanalmosteveryoneelse,andsubsequentlymayaswell havebeensmearedheadtotoewithpus.peopleregardedmewithacombinationofpityanddisgust.to completethecircuit,ispentthenightwearingtheexpressionofamanwakinguptochristmasinaprisoncell. 10 "I'mtoooldtoenjoythis,"Ithought.AndthenrememberedI'vealwaysfeltthiswayaboutclubs.AndImean allclubspfromthecheesiestdownmarketsickbuckettothecoolestcuttingpedgeharkpatpusestablishment.i hatedthemwheniwas19andihatethemtoday.ijustdon'thavetopretendanymore. I'mconvincednooneactuallylikesclubs.It'saconspiracy.We'vebeentoldthey'recoolandfun;thatonly "saddoes"dislikethem.andnooneinourpatheticlittleprepapocalyptictimebubblewantstobelabeled"sad" 15 Pit'slikebeingofficiallydeclaredworthlessbythestate.Sowemusteragrinandgooutonthetowninour millions. Clubsaredespicable.Cramped,overpricedfurnaceswithstickywallsandthelatestidiotthemetunes thumpingthroughthehumidairsoloudyoucan'tholdaconversation,justbellowinanitiesatmegaphonep level.andsincethesmokingban,themaskingaromaofcigarettesmokehasbeenreplacedbytheoverbearing stenchofsweatandhairwax. 20 Whybotherwithclubs?"Becauseyoumightpull,"istheusualresponse.Really?Ifthat'stheonlywayyoucan findapartnerppreeningandjiggingaboutlikeadesperateanimalpyoushouldn'tbeattemptingtobreedin thefirstplace.what'syournexttrick?inventingfire?peoplelikeyouaregoingtospincivilisationintoreverse. You'reamoron,andsoisthathaircutyou'retryingtoimpress.Whynotjuststayathomepunchingyourselfin theface?inviteafewfriendsroundandmakeanightofit.it'llbemorefunthanaclub.

16 25 Anyway,backtoSaturdaynight,andapartfromtheagegap,twootherthingsstruckme.Firstly,everyonehad clearlyspentfartoolongperfectingtheirappearance.iusedtofeelintimidatedbypeoplelikethis;nowisee themaswalkinginsecuritybeacons,slavestotheperceivedjudgmentofothers,trappedwithinaselfp perpetuatingcircleofcrushingstatusanxiety.i'dstillsecretlyliketobethem,ofcourse,butatleastthesedays Icantemporarilyerectaveneerofdefensive,sneeringsuperiority.I'veprogressedthatfar. 30 Thesecondthingthatstruckmewasfrightening.Theywereallphotographingthemselves.Infact,that'sall theyseemedtobedoing.standingaroundinexpensiveclothes,snappingawaywithphonesandcameras.one poseafteranother,asthoughtheyneededtoprovetheirownexistence,rightthere,inthemoment.crucially, thisseemedtobethereasontheywerethereinthefirstplace.therewasverylittledancing.justpoutingand flashbulbs. 35 Surelythisisanewdevelopment.ClubshavealwaysbeenvapidandawfulandboringandblahPbutIcan't rememberclubbersdocumentingtheireverymomentbefore.nottothisdementedextent.it'snotenoughto pretendyou'rehavingfunintheclubanymorepyou'vegottopretendyou'rehavingfuninyourflickrgallery, andyourfriends'flickrgalleries.anunendingexhibitioninwhichamillionterrified,tryptoophardimbeciles attempttooutpcooleachother. 40 Mindyou,sinceinabout20years'timethesesamepeoplewillbestandingwaistPdeepinskeletons,inanarid postpnuclearwasteland,clubbingeachothertodeathinafightforthelastremainingglassofwater,perhaps they'rewisetoenjoythesecarefreemomentswhiletheylast.evenifthey'reonlypretending.

17 Questions' ' 1.'Vocabulary'challenge!' Findthewordinthepassagewhichmatchesthesedefinitions. Youhavebeengivenaparagraphreferencetohelp. DICTIONARY'DEFINITION' Adjective:happeninglaterorafter(paragraph2) Adjective:justbeforedisasterandtotaldestruction(paragraph4) Noun:unimportantortrivialwordsorideas;silliness.(paragraph 5) NounPanodourarisingfromspices,plants,cooking,etc., especiallyanagreeableodour;fragrance.(paragraph5) Noun:aguidingorwarningsignal,asalightorfire.(paragraph7) Adjective:somethingthatcanmakeitselfgoonindefinitely. (paragraph7) Noun:athinlayerusedtocoverordisguise(paragraph7) Adjective:lackingorhavinglostlife,sharpness,orflavour. (paragraph9) Adjective:crazy;insane;mad(paragraph9) Adjective:beingwithoutmoisture;extremelydry;parched. (paragraph10)

18 2.In'your'own'words,summarisethefourmainpointstheauthormakesinthe article.(4'u) 3.Lookatlines12P14.Howdoesthecontexthelpyoutoworkoutthemeaningof theword conspiracy?(3'u) 4.Lookagainatlines16P19.In'your'own'words,explainthereasonsthewriterhates clubs.(3'u) 5.Whatisunusualaboutthewriter suse'of'the'word aroma todescribethesmell ofcigarettesmoke(line18)?(2'a) 6.Lookagainatlines20P24.Howdoesthewritercreatethisaggressive,sarcastic tone?(2'a) 7.Lookagainatline21.Howdoestheauthor suseofsentence'structurehelpus understandmoreabouthisfeelingsaboutclubbers?(2'a) 8. Anyway,backtoSaturdaynight,andapartfromtheagegap,twootherthingsstuck me. Howdoesthisline(line25)actasalinkbetweenparagraphs6and7?(2'U) 9.'Quotethewordfromlines25P28thattellsusthewriterfeltinferiortoclubbersin thepast.(1'u)' 10.'Write'down'the'wordfromlines35P39thattellsustheclubbersareactuallynot havingagoodtime.(1'u)' TOTAL'a'30'marks' '

19 If'Chickens'Are'So' Smart,'Why'Aren't'They' Eating'Us?' WilliamGrimes,TheNewYorkTimes,January12,2003 ThewrathofPETA,theanimalrightsgroup,hasnowbeenturnedonKFC,thefriedP chickenchain.aftertwoyearsoffailednegotiationsaimedatforcingkfcto introducemorehumanepracticesintotheraisingandslaughteringofchickens,peta announcedlastweekthatitwassteppingpupthefightbylaunchinganaggressive, 5 hardphitting,worldwide''kentuckyfriedcruelty''campaign,distributingposters, stickersandleafletsthatfeatureacartooncolonelsandersgrinningwickedlyashe slicesopenalivebird. PETAPorPeoplefortheEthicalTreatmentofAnimalsPwantsKFCamongother thingstokillitschickensusinggasratherthanslittingtheirthroats,toincreasetheir livingspaceandtoprovideperchesandsheltersforthebirds.''kfchasshortp changedthechickens,leavingusnochoicebuttoturnuptheheat,''saidbruce Friedrich,PETA'sdirectorofveganoutreach.''McDonald's,BurgerKingandWendy's respondedtoconsumerpressure;kfcwoulddowelltofollowtheirlead.''yum Brands,theparentcompanyofKFC,insistedthatitsanimalwelfareprogramhad broughtaboutimprovementsinthewayitssuppliersraisedandkilledtheirchickens. OneclaiminthePETAcampaignissuretocatchtheattentionofanyonewhohas everhadclosedealingswithachicken.''chickensareinquisitiveandinteresting animals,''thecampaign'spressreleasebegins,''andarethoughttobeatleastas intelligentasdogsorcats.'' 20 Chickens,withorwithoutthe11secretherbsandspices,mayhavesplendid qualities,butnotmanypeoplewouldputintelligencehighonthelist.myown experience,abriefbutintenserelationshipwithalargeblackaustralorpthattookup residenceonedayinmybackyardinastoria,queens,inclinesmetotakeasunny viewofchickens.myhen,whoseactivitiesichronicledin MyFineFeatheredFriend

20 25 impressedmeasaselfpstarter,gopgetter,earlyriser,eternaloptimistandallparound goodsport.shehadacertainwilyintelligence,alwaysmanagingtokeepmeatarm's lengthwithoutactuallybreakingintoafull,panicpstrickenrun. Shealsoseemedtohaveasenseoffun,aswellasadark(dareIsaybrooding?)side. Inaplayfulmood,shewouldsneakuponthemostnervouscatintheyardand cackleunexpectedly,propellingthevictimintoathreepfootverticalleap.achicken cannotrubitshandstogetheringlee,butthisonegaveeverysignofwantingto.at othertimesiwouldcatchitstaringattheglassofmybasementwindow,pondering thestrangecreaturegawpingbackather.staringopenpmoutheddoesnotcountas genius,idecided. ''I'vespentallmylifearoundchickens,andI'veseennoinstanceofanythingI'dcall intelligence,''saidedwinjemison,whosellschemicalstochickenproducers.''alla chickenwantsistobethesameeveryday,toeathisfillandbecomfortable.ithink that'sasignoflowintelligence.''however,thishonourisnotlimitedtochickens;mr. Jemisondidadmitthat,whenitcomestostupidity,itisthedomesticturkeywhois unsurpassed.whilechickenscansurvivearainstormoutside,turkeyswilllook skywardanddrownastheirthroatsfillwithwater. Whilethisevidencemayseemtosuggestthatalltypesoffowllackanyrealsavvy, scientiststakeabrighterviewofthechicken.chrisevans,whostudiesanimal behaviourandcommunicationatmacquarieuniversityinaustralia,rejectsthe usefulnessofcrosspspeciescomparisons,andindeed,ofintelligenceasauseful conceptwhendealingwithanimals.buthecanmakeastrongcaseforthechickenas abirddeservingrespect.chickensexistinstablesocialgroups.theycanrecognize eachotherbytheirfacialfeatures.theyhave24distinctcriesthatcommunicatea wealthofinformationtooneother,includingseparatealarmcallsdependingon whetherapredatoristravellingbylandorsea.theyaregoodatsolvingproblems. ''AsatrickatconferencesIsometimeslisttheseattributes,withoutmentioning chickens,andpeoplethingi'mtalkingaboutmonkeys,''mr.evanssaid. Perhapsmostpersuasiveisthechicken'sintriguingabilitytounderstandthatan object,whentakenawayandhidden,neverthelesscontinuestoexist.thisisbeyond

21 55 thecapacityofsmallchildren.evenso,mr.evansconceded,''idon'tthinkan argumentbasedonchickenintelligenceisgoingtogoanywhere.'' Mr.FriedrichofPETAinsiststhatsocialrelationsamongchickensaremore developedthanthoseamongcats,andnearlyasdevelopedasthoseamongdogs. Forexample, hesays,''whenjesuswaslookingforawaytoexpressgod'slovefor 60 man,heusedtheexampleofahen'sloveforherbrood: HowoftenhaveIdesiredto gatheryourchildrentogetherasahengathersherbroodunderherwings (Luke 13:34) Still,theMensachickenmightbeahardsell.SamRudy,aBroadwaypressagentwho grewupcollectingeggsonthefamilyfarminpennsylvania,grantsthatchickenshave anundeniablecraftiness.butafteryearsspentindailystrugglewithhenswho peckedhishands,heremainsskepticalaboutthebrainoftheaveragechicken.''i don'tthinkthere'sauniversityscholaramongthem,''hesaid. Mydaughter summeditupbeautifullytheotherday.iwastryingtoexplainhowchickensare actuallysmarterthanwegivethemcreditfor.shelistenedpatientlytoallmy argumentsandevidencebeforerespondinginthemostuniquely,brilliantly,cuttingp rightptopthepheartpofpthepmatter,childplikeway: Well,ifchickensaresosmart,why aren ttheyeatingus?

22 Questions' 1.'Vocabulary'challenge!' Findthewordinthepassagewhichmatchesthesedefinitions. Youhavebeengivenaparagraphreferencetohelp. DICTIONARY'DEFINITION' Noun:Anger,oftenviolentorextreme(paragraph1) Adjective:showingkindness,mercyorcompassion (paragraph1) Adjective:curious,questioning(paragraph3) Verb:wroteabout,recorded(paragraph4) Adjective:cunning,slyorcrafty(paragraph4) Adjective:thebest,withoutrival(paragraph6) Noun:intelligenceorunderstanding(paragraph7) Noun:Qualities,characteristicsorfeatures(paragraph7) Adjective:curiousorinteresting(paragraph9) Adjective:Unconvinced,doubtful.(paragraph10)

23 2. Inyourownwords,summarisethemainpointsofthearticle.(4U) 3. a)explainin'your'own'wordswhatpetawantkfctochangeabouttheir business.(1u) b)quotetwowordsorphrasesfromthefirstparagraphwhichemphasise howhostilepetaistowardskfcand/orwhichsuggestthattheyare attacking KFCinaforcefulway.(2A) 4. a)namethefeatureofsentence'structureusedinfirstlineofparagraphtwo. (1A) b)explainwhythisfeaturehasbeenused.(1a) c)quoteanotherexampleofthissentencestructurefeaturebeingusedfor thesamereasonlaterinparagraphtwo.(1a) 5. a)inline24,whyis MyFeatheredFriend ininvertedcommas?(1u) b)quoteanotherexampleofalliterationfromthesameparagraph.(1u) 6. a)readparagraphs4and5. Explainin'your'own'wordsanyonethingthewriternoticedwhichmight suggestchickensareintelligent.(1u) b)explainin'your'own'wordsanyonethingthewriternoticedwhichmight suggestchickensarenotintelligent.(1u) 7. Whilethisevidencemayseemtosuggestthatalltypesoffowllackanyreal savvy,scientiststakeabrighterviewofthechicken. (line42.43) Showhowthissentenceactsasalinkbetweenthepreviousparagraphsand thosethatfollow.(2a) 8. Inparagraph9,thewriterparaphrasesMr.Friedrich scomparisonof chickens,dogsandcats.putthesethreeanimalsinorderofintelligence startingwiththemostintelligent.(1u) 9. Whyisacolonusedinline60?(1A) 10. Whyisthefinalparagraphaneffectiveconclusiontothewholearticle? Choose2answers.(2E) A B C D E Itliststhemainpointsofthearticle Itendsonaseriousnote Itendsonahumorousnote Itrefersbacktothetitle Itanswersthequestionaskedinthefirstparagraph TOTAL'a'30'marks'

24 Well'Grrroomed' Will'Smith,'Intelligent'Life,'Spring'2011' Tacklinghislatestchallenge,BritishcomedianWillSmithtriesdoggrooming. Iamrubbingablueberryandvanillafacialscrubintoabeard.Notahumanbeard I steerclearoframblers,wizardsandgeographyteachers butthebeardofashihtzu calledgizmo.theonlyreasonthisdoesn tstrikemeasoddisthat,asadoggroomer ataluxury petspa inlondon,i vealreadygivenanirishsetterablowpdry Humanspashaveneverhadmuchappealforme.Spend 50onan aromatherapymassage?i dratherrollaboutonsomemarblessniffinganair freshener.yetthestaffandanimalsatharrods newsalonseemsohappythati m actuallyhavingagoodtime. Peopletendtosneeratdoggrooming.Butwe dbeoutragedifsomeonesaid Idon twashmychild shair.there snoshampoointhewild. Dogsarecoveredin hair,whichgetsmattedwithfood,eyegunk,mucusanddirt.sotheyneedtobe groomed.likepwise,youmayfindtheideaofacaninefreshpbreathtreatment unnecessary.butonlyifyou veneverhadadogbreatheonyou.theirmouthsare likelandfillsites. MyfirsttaskwashelpinggetAlfie,theIrishsetter,intoalargemetaltrough. WhichofhisendsshouldIhold?Ihavetwofearsconnectedtodoggrooming:being bittenandbeingurinatedon.sincei vebeengivenanapron,ioptforhisstern.my fearsproveunfounded.alfiemaylooklikeafilmstar,withabarnetasglossyas AngelinaJolie s,buthehasamuchlessdemandingtemperament.plus,hebelongs tothespa smanager,stephanie,soheisusedtoweeklygrooming.what snotto like?insteadofbeingbathedlikeanemperor,hecouldbepointlesslychasingastick roundadampfield. Isoakhimdownwithashowerattachment,thenuseascrunchietorunina shampooselectedtobringouttheredinhiscoat.youmightthinkthatoncerinsed, he djustbelefttoshakehimselfdry,butinfactdryingisafourpstageprocess.a brushwithaseeminglymagical watermagnet toweldrawsofftheexcess,followed byarubwithatraditionaltowel.thencomes TheBlaster.Atwingeof disappointmentthatthisisnotnamedafterhansolo sfavouritesidearmissoon seenoffbythesensationofaimingapowerfuljetofairatawetdog.

25 Afterwhooshingamistofwaterfromhiscoat,wecarryAlfietoaspecial table.itsheightcanbeadjustedtosuitallcustomers,fromguineapigstothose,like Alfie,who dmakedecentmountsforahobbit.heishappytositinthewarm currentsfromtwolargemobilehairdryerswhileicombtheremainingdampoutof him.heputsanoccasionalpawonmyshoulder,butifeelhe sexpressingkind thoughts: Thankyou,trustedgroomer, ratherthan Run,orbeeaten! Shopperscooandahhontheothersideofthespa sviewingwindowwhilei drytheoutsideofalfie sgreatfloppyears.theniliftthemuptocleantheinsides. AnIrishsetterhasanearlikethefaceofThePredator:therearesomebitssimilarto ahuman s,butthey reallbacktofront.eventuallyiworkoutwhichfoldleadstothe actualearholeandstarttodelve,wipingaroundtheinsideswithmoistenedcotton wool.itcomesoutthickwithstygiansmearsofearwax.idecidenottoruinthe magicbybrandishingtheseattheglass.wouldangelinajolie sbeautytherapist displaythestubblywaxstripsfromherclient snewlysilkenlegs,wavingtheminthe faceofanyonenearby? I mthenaskedtogivethefrenchbulldogpuppy snailsamanicure.withpink nailvarnish.i mnotsosureaboutthis.whatadvantagecoulditpossiblygivehim?if Iwereinprison,I davoidamanwithpinknailsmorethanamanwithtattoos;he d havetobeseriouslytoughtocarryitoff.crazyeven.soperhapspinknailswillgive thislittlecreaturearep MadDog McPuppy? whichwillseehimsafelythrough themeanstreetsoflondon.eitherway,it snotdifficultapplyingthevarnish.the mainstressiswonderingif,oncehe sgrowntofullstrength,hewillremembermy faceandhuntmedowninvengeance. Myfinaltaskistheshihtzufacial.GizmoturnshisfaceupindelightasIwork thescrubmixintohislongsilkybeard.helookssocomicalthatican tgetannoyed whenheshakeshimselfoffandsoaksmyunpapronedfaceandshoes.bothdogand ownerseemthrilledwiththeresults.whywouldn ttheybe?ashihtzuhasabeard, andbeardsneedwashing.ifyoudon tbelieveme,takealookatthenearest rambler,wizard,orgeographyteacher.

26 Questions' 1.'Vocabulary'challenge!' Findthewordinthepassagewhichmatchesthesedefinitions. Youhavebeengivenaparagraphreferencetohelp. DICTIONARY'DEFINITION' Noun:hillwalkers(paragraph1) Noun:attraction,interest(paragraph2) Verb:tocurlyourlipandlookonsomethingnegatively (paragraph3) Noun:therearendofaship(paragraph4) Noun:moodorpersonality(paragraph4) Adjective:withoutreason,notbasedonfact(paragraph4) Noun:asuddensharptwitch,painorpang(paragraph5) Adjective:smooth(paragraph7) Noun:theseekingofjusticethroughinflictinginjury, harmorhumiliation,revenge(paragraph8) Adjective:humorous,amusing,funny.(paragraph9)

27 2.In'your'own'words,summarisethemainpointstheauthormakesinthearticle. (4U) 3.Whichwordinthearticle ssubtitleindicatesthattheauthorhastriedother unusualjobsbeforethisone? (1U) 4.Parenthesiscanbeusedeithertoaddextrafactualdetailortoincludeanamusing commentfromtheauthor.whyhasparenthesisbeenusedinthefirstparagraph? (1A) 5.Lookatparagraph3. a)quotethesimileused. b)howdoesthissimilesupportthepointthewriterismakinginthis paragraph? (2A) 6.Whydoesthewriteruseacoloninparagraph4? (1A) 7.Inparagraph4,thewritermakesacomparisonbetweenthedogandafilmstar suchasangelinajolie. a)whattypeofimagery/figureofspeechdoesheusetomakethis comparison? (1A) b)inyourownwordsasfaraspossible,explaininwhatwaythedogissimilar toafilmstarsuchasangelinajolie. (1A) c)inyourownwordsasfaraspossible,explaininwhatwaythedogis dissimilartoafilmstartsuchasangelinajolie. (1A) 9.Whyarethewords TheBlaster ininvertedcommas? (1U) 10.Whydoesthewriteruseacoloninparagraph6? (1A) 11.Lookatparagraph7. a)whichwordsuggeststhatthedog searholeislargeanddeep? (1A) b)quoteanywordthatsuggestscleaningthedog searisunpleasant. (1A) c)explainhowthecontexthelpsyouworkoutthemeaningoftheword brandishing usedinline42. (2U)

28 12.Thinkaboutthepassageasawhole. a)whichoneofthesebestdescribesthepurposeofthearticle: A' To'persuadethereaderthatpetgroomingisimportant. B' To'entertainamusethereader. C' To'criticisepetgroomingservices. D' To'promoteadvertisepetgroomingservices. E' To'instructthereaderhowtogroomadog. (1E) 13.Thinkingaboutthepassageasawhole,giveonereasonwhy WellGrrroomed is aneffectivetitle. (1E) TOTAL' '30'marks' ' '

29 McDonald's'tasty'treats'for'yummy' mummies?'sorry,'i'm'not'lovin''it.' Jan'Moir,'dailymail.co.uk,'22nd'February'2010' Let'sstartoffwithaLittleTastersTikkaSnackWrapwithspicychickenandshredded lettuceinasoftflourtortilla.openatoneend,thisminipsandwichlooks,howcani putit,likeaseveredbigtoewrappedinatinybathtowel.completewithsalad garnish.isthereawoollytomatointhere,buriedalongsidethenailbed?oh,ido 5 hopenot.thetasteexperience?asexpected.letmeputitanotherway.weareina LondonbranchofMcDonald's,notdiningattheRitz,solet'sjustgetonwithit. TheSnackWraphasthattraditionalMcDonald'ssavourysquelch:theunmistakable fastfoodmouthfulwhensoftmeatproteinandchemicaldressinghitsthepappy breadbuffers.yetithassomethingelse,toopanewsparkly,powderychemical 10 undertow,asiftikkapspicedmagicdusthadbeensprinkledoverthepale,white chicken. Thoughyoumighthavebetterluckthanmeatactuallygettingyourhandsonone. 'Youwantasalad?'askedmyserver,asifIhadjustrequestedagrilleddodoburger withunicornribsontheside.yes,please.'youmeanabowlofsalad?'yes.'we've 15 runout.' TheSnackWraps,healthierbreakfastofferings(porridge,lowPfatblueberrymuffins, fruitbags)andabiggerrangeofchickenitemswereallintroducedlastyear.sales neverreallyrecoveredfollowingtheoutbreaksofmadcowdiseaseinthenineties. JohnGummer,thethenAgricultureMinister,publiclyforcePfeedingburgerstohis daughtertoassureusbeefwassafewasnothelpful.andpublicsentimentinbritain hadalsobeenturnedagainstthechainbythelongprunning'mclibel'trial,inwhich thefirmspent 10millionsuingtheactivistsDaveMorrisandHelenSteelforwhatit saidweredefamatoryclaimsmadeinleafletsthecoupleproducedabout McDonald's.Elsewhere,negativityamongBritishconsumerswasenhancedbySuper SizeMe,MorganSpurlock's2004filmthatdocumentedthedrasticeffectan exclusivelymcdonald'sdiethadonhisphysicalandpsychologicalwellpbeing.in short,weremainunconvinced. Sowhatwastobedone?First,theMickeyDmarketingmachinesoughttoreassure middlepclassconsumersthat,forexample,the81millioneggsusedinitsegg

30 30 35 McMuffinsandelsewherecomefromhappy,freePrangehens.Andinpromotional literatureandonitswebsite,mcdonald'salsourgesitspickynewconsumersto inquireabouttraceabilityandsourcinginthefashionablefoodieway('askwhere yourlettucecomesfrom').thereisevenakindlyattemptathomespunhospitality:'if youwantmorelettuce,thenpleasejustask!'whatifyourwantmoreburger?it doesn'tsay.isthatfigleaforganic?itdoesn'tsaythateither. YetitisgoingtotakemorethantheintroductionofsemiPskimmedorganicmilkand carrotstickstoconvincetheyummymummiestoflocktotheirlocalbranches.well, McDonald'shasthoughtofthat,too.Morehalfofits1,200Britishoutletshavebeen sprucedupaspartofa'repimaging'programme.thewipepclean,primarypcoloured plasticofoldhasbeenreplacedbymoodyhuesandsofterlines.consumerscantuck intotheirlittletastersandbigtastysinaclean,brightwipfipenabledinterior,a spacedottedwithwaxypleafedpotplants,peapgreenpaintandabstractwallartthat looks,frommyview,likegiantneonthumbprints.therearepinkroomdividers, fashionablegiantwhitelampshadesandsubtlelighting.eventhetraditionalfibrep glassseats,famouslyboltedtothefloorinamannerthatsuggestedvisitingtimeon deathrow,havegone.theyhavebeenreplacedbymockpleatherpseudofootstools andreplicaarnejacobseneggchairs.thereareevenvasesdottedaround,each containingasinglewhiterose. Nutritionallyspeaking,itmightbemoreadvantageoustotossyourBigTastyintothe nearestbinandeattheroseinstead,butyoucan'tsaythatmcdonald'sisn'ttrying. Lookingaroundwhiledunkingabagofpotatowedgesintoaplasticcoffinofsour creamandchive'dip',itfeelsasifihavebeentransportedtothesetofa1982 Wham!video.Thisfeelingofdisplacedunrealityisheightenedbyanotherbizarre andpointlessmcdonald'sclaim.'wecantraceallourpotatoesbacktotheirsource,' itboasts.ithinkthatmeansithasgotaspade. YetisMiddleBritainreadytobeconvincedbytheboasts,fancyseatsandhealthy eatingclaimsofthisnotoriousconsumergiant?fornomatterhowmanycoatsof paintitapplies,mcdonald'swillneverbeabletoriditselfofthegiveawaysmellof salty,fryinggreasethatemanatesfromeveryoutlet.andwhileicouldnever 60 recommendthenewchickentoasteddelisandwichpthatbread!it'slikeeatinga savouryplimsollptherewillalwaysbesomethingweirdlyalluringinthebouncy charmsofthefiletpopfish.madewithohpsosustainablehoki,halfasliceof

31 processedcheeseandasmearoftartaresauce,itseemssomehowplikeeverythingi tastedptopracticallythrobwithsugar. 65 Hereisthetrulyterrifyingthing.PrevioustomytriptoMcDonald'sthisweek,Ihad notsetfootinsideoneofitsestablishmentsforsixorsevenyears.yetthenextday,i hadasudden,piercingdesireforanothertriptomcdonald's.whatonearthdoesit putinitsstufftomakeconsumers,youngandold,feelthisway? OooPoo,I'mstillnotlovin'it.Butsometimestheymakeithard.

32 Questions' 1.'Vocabulary'challenge!' Findthewordinthepassagewhichmatchesthesedefinitions. Youhavebeengivenaparagraphreferencetohelp. DICTIONARY'DEFINITION' Noun:decorationtoaccompanyfood(paragraph1) Noun:overallfeeling,attitude(paragraph4) Adjective:negative,criticalorslanderous(paragraph4) Adjective:simple,homelyandfamiliar(paragraph5) Noun:colours,shades(paragraph6) Adjective:fake,false(paragraph6) Verb:madegreater,increased(paragraph7) Adjective:wellknownfornegativereasons(paragraph8) Verb:comesfromasource(paragraph8) Adjective:attractive,enticing.(paragraph8)

33 ' 2. In'your'own'wordssummarisethefourmainpointstheauthormakesinthe article.(4u) 3. Identifythesimileusedinthefirstparagraphandexplainhowithelpsyou understandtheauthor sattitudetowardsthetikkasnackwrap(2a) 4. Fromparagraph2quotetwowordsandexplainhowtheirconnotationsmake thesnackwrapsoundunpleasant.(2a) 5. Summarisebrieflythethreefactors,mentionedinlines16P27,whichhave hadanegativeimpactonthepopularityofmcdonald s.youmayusethe wordsofthepassage.(3u) 6. Inlines38P48,theauthordescribesMcDonald s RePimagingprogramme whichupdatedtheinteriordecorationinitsrestaurants.quotetwowordsor expressionsfromtheselineswhichshowthecontrastbetweenmcdonald s interiordesignbeforeandafterthechanges.(2a) 7. HowdoesthewriterconveyherdislikeofeatinginMcDonald sinlines51p 53?Youmaycommentontheuseofmetaphororpunctuation.(2A) 8. Identifytheimageusedinlines59P62andshowhowithelpsyouunderstand whytheauthorfindsthebreadusedinthechickentoasterdelisandwich unpleasant.(2a) 9. Hereisthetrulyterrifyingthing. (line65).byreadingtotheendofthe passage,explaininyourownwordswhatitisthatthewriterfinds truly terrifying.(2u) 10. Whichofthesewordsbestdescribestheauthor soveralltoneinthisarticle: A Positive B Critical C Nostalgic D Sympathetic (1E) TOTAL' '30'marks'

34 No'Passes?' Brian'Cathcart,' Intelligent'Life 'Magazine,'Summer'2009' Generalknowledge,fromcapitalcitiestokeydates,haslongbeenamarkerofan educatedmind.butwhathappenswhenfactscanbegoogled?briancathcart conferswitheducationalistsinabidtofindtheanswer. OnedaylastyearadaughterofEarlSpencer(whoisthereforeanieceofPrincess Diana)calledataxitotakeherandafriendfromherfamilyhomeatAlthorpin NorthamptonshiretoseeChelseaplayArsenalatfootball;shetoldthedriver StamfordBridge,thenameofChelsea sstadium,buthedeliveredtheminsteadto thevillageofstamfordbridgeinyorkshire,nearly150milesintheopposite direction.theymissedthegame. Suchstoriesarebecomingcommonplace.AcoachPloadofEnglish schoolchildrenboundforthehistoricroyalpalaceathamptoncourtwastedan entiredaybattlingthroughcongestedcentrallondonastheirsatpnavledthem stubbornlytoanarrowbackstreetofthesamenameinislington.asyrianlorry driveraimingforgibraltar,atthesoutherntipofspain,turnedup1,600milesaway intheenglisheastpcoasttownofskegness,whichhasagibraltarpointnearby. Twocomplimentarythingsarehappeninginthesestories.Oneisthatpeople aredisplayingawoefulignoranceofgeography.inthecaseofstamfordbridge,one driverandtwopassengersspentwellovertwohoursinacarwithoutnoticingthat insteadofpassingnorthamptonandswiftlyenteringthebuiltpupsprawloflondon, theirviewcontinuedtobelargelyoffieldsandforests,andtheywereseeingsigns fornottingham,doncasterandthenorth.theyshouldhaveknown. Theotherismoresubtle.Everybodyinvolvedinthesestorieshasconsciously handedoverresponsibilityforknowinggeographytoamachine.withthesatpnavon board,theybelievedthattheydidnotneedtoknowaboutnorthorsouth,spainor England,leafySurreyorgridlockedIslington.Thatwasthemachine sjob.likean insurancecompanywithitscallcentre,oralocalcouncilwithitsbincollections,they confidentlyoutsourcedthejobofknowingthisstuff,oroffindingitout,tothatlittle computeronthedashboard. Hereisanotherstory.AformerwinneroftheBBCquizshow Mastermind recentlytookpartinapubquizwhichcamedowntoatiebreakerbetweenhisteam andagroupofyoungpeoplewhowererelyingonblackberrys.anyonefamiliarwith

35 quizzesthesedaysknowsthatthiscanhappen,whetheritisunderthetableor outsideinthesmokers zone;thecombinationofwirelessinternetaccessand Googleissimplytoopowerfulforsometoresist.Inthiscase,happily,virtue triumphedandtheteamledbythemastermindchampionwon.thenafterwardsa youngwomanfromthelosingsidecameoverandaskedinbaffledtones: Howdid yougetthat? Soattunedwasshetotheideathatansweringquizquestionswasa tasktobeoutsourcedtotheinternetthatsheseemednottounderstandtheideaof generalknowledgethatwaskeptinthehead. Isthiswhereweareheading?AGooglesearch,onceyouhavekeyedinthe words,takesabroadbanduserlessthanasecond,andtheprocesswillonlyget quicker.asforthoselaboriouskeystrokes,voiceprecognitiontechnologywillenable ustobypassthem.andsoonprettywelleverybody,fromschoolchildrentodrinkers inpubs,willbeonlineprettymuchallofthetime.inthatcontext,perhapsthereis nolongeranypointinkeepingfactsinourheads.ifyouwanttoknowwhowrote Skellig,orwhetherNorwayisamemberoftheEuropeanUnion,orwhatCary Grant srealnamewas,youaskyourlaptoporyourphone. Notonlyhasthewebledtomomentsofoutrageousignorance,butalmostto thedeathofgeneralknowledgeitself.andwemaybepowerlesstostopit,forno amountofpiouscomplainingwillmakeadifference,anymorethanthe governmentsofthe1960scouldstopthetideofpopradio,ortheparliamentsof todaycanstoptheepidemicofchildren scomputergames.butbeforewedespair, perhapsweshouldaskourselves:arethingsreallyasbadastheyseem? Hereisaquestion:shouldschoolchildrenbetaughtthecapitalofColumbia?You maywellbesayingyes,butdavidfann,whochairstheprimaryschoolscommittee ofthenationalassociationofheadteachers(naht),isquitesuretheanswerisno. Theyjustdon tneedtolearnoffthecapitalcitiesoftheworld, hesays. The capitaloffrance,yes,butnotthecapitalofcolumbia.theywillbemuchbetteroff learningtouseatlasesasaskill. Thisisaneducationalversionoftheoldsaying aboutdevelopmentaid:giveamanafishandhecaneatforaday;teachamanto fishandhecaneatforalifetime.teachchildrentouseanatlas,orsomeother resource,andtheywon tjustbeabletofindthecapitalofcolombia;theycanfind thecapitalsofvanuatuandgreenlandtoo,andanywhereelsebesides. Sofactsareinretreatinoureducationsystem.IcouldfindnoPonetodispute theideathatyoungpeoplegenerallylearnfewerofthematschoolthantheir

36 parentsdid.take,forexample,a15pyearoldboyimetwholamentedthe narrownessofthehistorycurriculum it salltudorsandhitler.it sashamewe don tgettocovermoreofhistory andwhoprovidedvividproofbysuggesting thatthefamouseventthatoccurredin1066wasthegreatfireoflondon.(i supposehehadthreeoutoffourdigits!) Fromthisexample,itmayseemlikethetechnologyagehasledtoawideP spread dumbingdown,butinfact,ifyoulookelsewhere,youwillfindthatgeneral knowledgeisinmuchbettershapethanyoumightimagine:whowantstobea MillionaireandTheWeakestLinkaretwoofthemostwatchedshowsontelevision. UniversityChallenge,stillgoingstrongmorethanadecadeafteritwasrevivedby thebbc,isinrudehealth,andmastermindisalsostilldoingwell.hundredsof quizzesandquizpbasedpuzzlespopupdailyinnewspapers;thereisanabundanceof onlinequizzingwebsites;pubquizzeslurehundredsofthousandsofpeopleinto competitionsupanddownthecountryeverysingleweek,andtheboardgame TrivialPursuithassoldmillions.Indeed,despitethedecliningpresenceoffactual informationinoureducationsystem,theextraordinarypopularityofthequiz suggeststhatgeneralknowledge apoolofinformationsharedwithinacultureand atime ispotentenoughtosurviveanythingtheageofmasspcommunicationcan throwatit.

37 Questions' 1.'Vocabulary'challenge!' Findthewordinthepassagewhichmatchesthesedefinitions. Youhavebeengivenaparagraphreferencetohelp. DICTIONARY'DEFINITION' Adjective:frequent,regular(paragraph2) Adjective:poor,dreadful,shameful(paragraph3) Adjective:lessobvious,understated,morecomplexto understand(paragraph4) Verb:contractoutworktoanotherorganisation (paragraph4) Adjective:confused,puzzled(paragraph5) Adjective:requiringconsiderabletimeoreffort (paragraph6) Adjective:falselysincereorearnest,moral(paragraph7) Adjective:argueagainst,challenge(paragraph9) Noun:agreatmany,alargenumber(paragraph10) Adjective:powerful,strong(paragraph10)'

38 2.Inyourownwords,summarisethemainpointsofthearticle. (4U) 3.Showhowthesentence Suchstoriesarebecomingcommonplace (line7)actsas alinkbetweenparagraphs1and2. (2A) 4.QuotetheexpressionwhichshowsthewriterbelievedtheMastermind champion steamdeservedtowin. (1U) 5.Inthisparagraph,thewritersuggeststhattheriseoftheinternetisunstoppable andwillleadtothedeathofgeneralknowledge. Quoteoneofthetwometaphorsusedinlines46P50andexplainhowithelpsyou understandthewriter spoint. (2A) 6.a)Inthisparagraph,DavidFannarguesthatthereisadifferencebetweenfacts andskills.whichdoeshethinkismostimportant? (1U) b)summarise,inyourownwords,davidfann sargumentaboutthedifference between knowledge and skills (1U) 7.Explainwhattheword lamented means,andshowhowthecontexthelpedyou arriveatitsmeaning. (2U) 8.Whyarethewords dumbingdown (line70)ininvertedcommas? (1A) 9.a)Whatdoesthephrase inrudehealth (line73)mean? (1U) b)quoteaphrasefromthesamesentencewhichhelpsyouworkoutitsmeaning. (1U) 10.Thewriterclaimsquizzesarecurrentlyexperiencing extraordinarilypopularity. Howdoesthesentencestructureoflines74P78emphasisethepopularityofquizzes. (2A) 11.Thinkaboutthepassageasawhole.Thewriterusesparagraphstostructurehis article.however,healsousesaparagraphbreak(ablanklineorgap)tomakea strongerdivisionbetweenparagraphs7and8.thinkingaboutthemain'topicofeach half,suggestwhyhedecidedtosplitthearticleatthispoint. (2E) TOTAL'a'30'marks'

39 Being'There:'Edinburgh' Jackie'Hunter,'Intelligent'Life'Magazine,'Summer'2009' Totheoutsideworld,it safestival,acastle,auniversity,atinofshortbreadandadroneof bagpipes.tojackiehunter,it shome,andit smoreaboutcopingwiththeweather. Ontheshort,steeplycurvingstreetwhereIlive,theneighbourhoodshopsofferan unexpectedlysophisticatedandvarieddisplayofgoods:betweenmyfrontdoorandthe pubonthecornerit spossibletobuyyohjiyamamoto sartfullycutmenswear,cherryp redrubbershoesbyviviennewestwood,tomdixonarmchairsandingomaurerlights, Gothictattoos,apiercednipple(ortwo),quirkyScandinaviankitchenwareandevena tubbypbelliedwoodpburningstove,oneofwhichwouldnicelywarmmycrow spnestflat, whereonwindynightsthesashwindowsrattlelikeaboxofcutleryaseasterlygales blastinoffthenorthsea. ItiscertainlynottheclichédimageofanEdinburghthoroughfare Robert Burns sportraitonashortbreadtin,buskersandtheirdeathlessdroningbagpipes,tiny shopspeddlingkilts,haggis,souvenirfudge,saltirefridgemagnets,ceramicscottiedogs, tartanscarveswoveninchinaandlifelessprintsofvasthighlandglens.no tofindall that,imustwalkpastthepubandroundthecornerontotheroyalmile.thisisacity wherethetweemeetstherugged,whereancientsitsbenignlynexttomodern,and wheregeorgianelegancegrandlyrisesabovethelingeringwhiffofmedievalsqualour. AdaptingyourpersonalsenseofstyletoEdinburgh smanyidiosyncrasiesand paradoxesisnoeasytask.once,intheearlydays,icomplainedtoacolleagueaboutthe difficultyofdressingappropriatelyfortheedinburghweather.shesaidnothing,but pulledopenthebottomdrawerofherdesk.insidewasstashedatelescopicumbrella, tightsofvaryingthickness,ashawl,walkingshoes,awhitetpshirt,sunglasses,hiking socks,acagoule,ahatandahairdryer.thesedays,myowndeskissimilarlystockedand asmeticulouslycheckedasahotelproomminipbar. SincemovingtoEdinburghafter16yearsinLondonIhaveresortedtosome questionableoutfitswhencaughtoutbythecapriciousmaritimeclimate:ashabby greenwaxjacketwornwithhighpheeledsandals,awintercoatoverasummerdress, glovesinjune.theweatherpatternschangefastandwithoutwarning.eveninsummer, slatepgreycloudcancloakaceruleanskyinamatterofminutesandsendforthicy bladesofwindoraneerieseamist(knownlocallyasthehaar)thatstickstotheskin.on suchfoggydaysicometoexpectchills,highhumidityandwindpwhippedhair,allat once.there snothingtobedonebutconsultthedeskdrawer.