Comprehension IGCSE (First Language) Practice 1
Item
1:
IGCSE/ First Language English/ Paper11 / November 2017
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Read Passage A carefully, and then answer Questions 1 |
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Passage A: Stuck in the Snow |
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In the following passage the driver of a steam
train, Jack, is trying to keep the train moving |
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through a heavy snowstorm on the way to a
large city. |
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With the fire made up, the pressure rose and just in time, for the
train had entered a dip between |
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two banks where it had to plough through a metre of snow. At first it
advanced with an energetic |
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effort, vibrating in every part. Then, for an instant, it faltered and
seemed about to grind to a |
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halt. What increased the weight it had to carry was the snow, which
had accumulated in a heavy |
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layer on the roofs of the carriages. |
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They continued moving, a dark line in the whiteness that spread out
around them like a vast |
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white blanket, while the snowflakes settled in a dense mass on the
carriages. Once more, |
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despite the weight, the train freed itself. At the top of an
embankment, that made a great curve, |
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the train could still be seen moving with some difficulty, looking
like a strip of shadow lost in a |
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field of sparkling whiteness. |
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Further on, the snow became a dense white sheet and Jack, the driver,
who could sense the |
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train was struggling, tried to ignore the effects of the cold and
stood firmly at the controls. He felt |
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the engine shuddering pathetically and the final halt came slowly and
without a shock. It stayed |
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there as if glued to the spot, exhausted, with all its wheels clogged
with snow. It had ceased |
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moving, the end had come; the deep snow held the engine powerless. |
‘That
does it!’ Jack muttered angrily to himself. He remained a few seconds longer,
his hand on the wheel, opening every valve to see if the obstacle would give
way. Then, hearing the train puffing and snorting in vain, he shut the
accelerator with a furious curse. Steam hissed from the valves as the engine
settled and ceased its straining efforts. For a moment there was silence.
The conductor leant out from a door at the rear
of the train and, seeing Jack through the drifting snowflakes, shouted:
‘What’s up? Are we stuck?’
There was no reply; Jack was too angry to speak.
He had never before been prevented from completing a journey by the weather.
Briskly the conductor sprang down into the snow, which reached to his
knees. He made his way towards the driver’s cab with great difficulty, getting
at times half buried in the snow. By now the passengers had become alarmed at
stopping in the middle of nowhere, in such a wintry wilderness. The windows
went down; the people called out and questioned one another; a regular
confusion ensued.
‘Where are we?’
‘Why have we stopped?’
‘What’s going on?’
‘Has there been an accident?’
The conductor found it necessary to reassure
everyone as he advanced towards the front of the train. As he passed, an
expensively dressed woman whose red face was framed by the faces of her
daughters, inquired with a commanding voice:
‘Conductor, is there any danger?’
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‘No, madam,’ he replied. ‘Only a little snow. We’ll be moving soon.’ |
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The window went up again as the two daughters laughed, very much
amused by their mother’s |
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irritation. |
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Further on, towards the rear of the train, an elderly gentleman was
now calling to the conductor, |
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waving his umbrella to attract attention. |
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‘Why weren’t you prepared for a ‘little bit of snow’?’ the man shouted
furiously. ‘I am on the way |
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to an important meeting. I shall complain to the transport manager if
I am late!’ |
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‘Please don’t worry, sir!’ the conductor replied with a great show of
confidence. ‘I am sorry for |
45 |
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any delay to your journey. We shall be moving in just a couple of
minutes.’ |
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Behind his back the conductor clenched his hands nervously.
Answer all questions using
your own words as far as possible.
Question 1
(a) Which one word (in line 3) tells you that the
train is having difficulty moving?
.......................................................................................[1]
(b) Give two reasons from paragraph one for the
train having difficulty in moving.
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.................................................................................... |
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•
.................................................................................... |
[2] |
(c) Explain,
using your own words, what the
writer means by the phrase: ‘a strip of shadow lost in a field of sparkling
whiteness’ (lines 9–10).
....................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................... 2]
(d) Using your own words, state
three things Jack does when the train stops moving (paragraphs 3 and 4).
•
.................................................................................................................................
•
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•
............................................................................................................................[3]
(e) Re-read
paragraph seven:
(i) Why did
Jack not reply to the conductor?
......................................................................................................................[1]
(ii) What is
the reason for this reaction?
....................................................................................................................[1]
(f) Explain
why the conductor ‘clenched his hands nervously’ (line 47).
..............................................................................................................................................[1]
(g) Complete
parts (i) and (ii) to answer Question 1(g).
(i) Re-read
paragraphs 3 and 4. Explain, using your
own words, what the writer means by the words in italics in each
of the following phrases:
(a)
‘He felt the engine shuddering pathetically…’ (lines 12–13)
(b)
‘…exhausted, with all its wheels clogged with snow’ (line 14)
(c)
‘…the engine settled and ceased its straining efforts’ (line 19).
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Meaning
of the word in italics:
....................................................................................... |
[1] |
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Meaning
of the word in italics:
.....................................................................................................................[1]
Meaning
of the word in italics:
.....................................................................................................................[1]
(ii) Explain how the language in each of the phrases in Question (g)(i) helps to suggest the
difficulty that the train encounters moving in the snow.
Explanation:
............................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................
[2]
Explanation:
............................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................[2]
Explanation:
............................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................[2]
Answers:
1(a) Faltered
1(b) • The train enters dip
with thick
snow on
the ground/a
metre of
snow
• The (amount of)
snow weighs
down the
carriages/train/roof.
1(c) • Long/thin/dark train
• Difficult to see
train/train seems small or insignificant
• (Contrasts) with the
brilliant/ snowy/ background/field
1(d) • Stays at the
controls/with his hand on the
wheel
• Talks to himself
(angrily)/swears (curses)
• Opens every valve
• Shuts down the accelerator
1(e)(i) He was
very
angry/furious
(must have an intensifier
– ‘angry’
not enough)
1(e)(ii) He had
never been
prevented from completing the journey
(by the
weather)/because he can’t complete
the journey.
1(f) 
Uncertain/worried about whether
the train
would be
able to
move (soon)/
Afraid of the passengers’
reactions if they can’t get
moving
[Note: Don’t
accept ‘he was lying’ without
some reference
to he
doesn’t know what is going to
happen]
1(g)(i) (a)
Hopelessly/weakly/feebly
(b) Filled (up)/stuffed/packed
with/covered
(c) Struggling/(trying) hard/strong
Note: the definitions
above contain
the essence
of an
answer. Be careful not to credit
a word
actually used in the quoted
phrase. However, accept that candidates may respond in different
ways, e.g.
at greater
length.
1(g)(ii) (a)The
engine is weak/helpless and seems
like it
is giving
up
(b)The train has reached
the limit/worn out/wheels are filled up/lost
its strength
(c)The train gives up
as if
resting/is defeated and stops
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