Extended Response: Newspaper Report (June 2018) IGCSE First Language English

Passage A:

Fishing with Royer

The narrator and his friend Royer are going on their first fishing trip together in years. The two men have not seen each other since university, and have both married and had families in the meantime. Their proposed destination is White Cap River – the setting of Royer’s favourite childhood adventure story and somewhere neither has visited before.

 

People spend hours packing to go fishing, engaged in a kind of military manoeuvre, gear piled strategically and checklists in hand. On the eve of our campaign, I just made sure I’d packed a rod and reel, confident that comrade Royer would have invested heavily in a car‑boot full of flashy state‑of‑the‑ art equipment as always. On the morning of our departure, Royer, a little rounder than I remembered, pulled up at my house in a bottom-of-the-range soft-top sports car he’d borrowed for our trip. Surprised to find ample space for my gear, I unearthed a faded atlas from the car boot, innocently imagining the pleasures of the long drive ahead.

The sky, unseasonably cloudless and omen‑less when we set out, stretched out beyond the suburbs and responsibilities, moving into farming country and onto the highway. The camera lens of life was opening before my eyes, delivering more space and light, exposing an astounding panorama ahead. We coasted through rolling hills, past fragrant wild grasses surfed by the breeze. The car, echoing with tinny music, transported us back in time. ‘What a fine planet!’ I thought.

Unexpectedly, the road turned upward, clinging to the sides of a mountain. A series of hairpin bends afforded some impressive views of the valley below. Royer, now in the passenger seat, looked suddenly uncomfortable. He fidgeted and glanced the other way, emitting a strange yipping noise, until we descended in the afternoon back into the National Forest.

After a leisurely late lunch, we checked out a local fishing‑tackle shop. The lonely clerk appeared to be surprised by the sight of potential customers, but eventually freed himself from his chair. When I asked how far White Cap River was he looked quizzical, answering, ‘About 15 minutes from here to the old road into the canyon.’ He assured us that the fish there were likely to be in excellent shape.

‘And from there?’

‘Another hour.’

‘That can’t be right,’ disputed Royer, searching for his spectacles. ‘The canyon road’s only eight kilometres on my map.’

‘You got a four-wheel drive vehicle?’ asked the clerk.

‘Not exactly,’ I told him, glancing outside when he did.

‘Well, you’ll probably make it.’

We found the canyon road without trouble – fifteen minutes as the clerk predicted.

The road had trickled down to a ribbon of cement‑hard dirt, rutted and rough on the tyres. It wormed its way through forest land, slithering between the tall trees, obscuring our view. Royer, at the wheel, seemed utterly miserable, inching forwards cautiously, until we rounded one last bend, the trees fell away, and we were confronted by the magnificent pit of the great canyon below. Way at the bottom of this geological miracle, glittering like the tiniest trace of quicksilver, was the river

 

An hour away? More like six hours at the rate Royer was driving and yipping. He was sweating now. His face drained of blood.

His yipping got louder as the crumbling road downwards narrowed still further. In minutes, it was scarcely wide enough for one car, much less two should anybody come driving up from below – if anyone ever had survived the drive down. The cliffs were sheer. The phrase ‘margin for error’ was meaningless. In the end it was too much for him. He froze.

‘You drive,’ he said, breathing hard.

I replaced him. What else could I do? When you’ve known a man for 30 years you’d figure you’d be aware of his phobias, but I certainly never knew. I released the brake and moved forwards but Royer trembled so violently as the incline steepened, I caught his phobia like flu and almost yipped myself.

‘You want to turn around?’ I asked, redundantly.

‘Might be good,’ he said.

Instead, we spent our waning daylight hours and remaining fuel searching for a less dangerous route to the water, finding eventually an unmarked roadway winding downwards at an almost reasonable tilt. It stopped just in sight of the river, which we now saw was foaming with whitecaps so big that we’d need a serious boat to fish it. The sky was almost dark too.

We surrendered sheepishly to a miserable night in the car without blankets or proper food, wondering if we could possibly be those same bold fellows of our youth – back then nothing had seemed daunting.

In the morning, our failure didn’t sit well with us. Despite greying clouds overhead, once more we felt ourselves filling up with the oxygen of blind faith. Royer inflated our second‑hand dinghy

Question

You are a national news reporter. You have investigated events leading up to the rescue of the two men and have interviewed them to discover their views on what happened. Write your newspaper report of the incident. In your newspaper report you should comment on:

• details of the trip, where the men were going, what they were hoping to do and why

• how well‑informed, prepared and equipped they were to undertake the trip

• the difficulties they faced, the circumstances of their rescue and their state of body and mind.

Base your newspaper report on what you have read in Passage A, but be careful to use your own words.

Address each of the three bullet points. Begin the newspaper report: ‘Earlier today, two men had to be airlifted to safety … ’ Write about 250 to 350 words. 

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Sample Answer

Rescue from Risky Riverside

Earlier today, two men had to be airlifted to safety after embarking on a fishing trip that turned into a perilous adventure. The ill-fated expedition to White Cap River, intended as a reunion escape from urban living, quickly took a dramatic turn.

John and Royer, long-time friends who hadn't seen each other since university, were hoping to relive their youth by venturing into the rugged wilderness of the White Cap River area. Both men, accustomed to the safe urban environment, were seeking a real-life adventure, the kind they had only read about in stories. The prospect of exploring dense forests, challenging canyons, and casting their lines into the river for a big catch filled them with excitement. The long drive through open countryside was an indulgence they couldn't resist, offering breathtaking views and a chance to enjoy each other's company.

However, their enthusiasm led them to make a series of ill-informed decisions. They chose an unsuitable vehicle for the treacherous terrain, opting for a soft-top sports car instead of a reliable 4x4. Their lack of planning and equipment was evident as they embarked on their journey with only a rod and reel. They were completely unprepared for the journey: no strategic planning, checklists, and proper food. Their faded atlas was woefully inadequate, lacking the necessary details and updates for the terrain they were on.

To make matters worse, they had chosen the wrong time of year for their adventure, a fact that even the local clerk found surprising. The weather conditions in the area during this season were notoriously unfavourable.

“I was clearly unfit for this. Why did I agree to this?” said Royer after the rescue. “I was huffing and puffing as I struggled with the demanding terrain. Also, apparently I am afraid of heights!”

Their ordeal reached a climax when they realised they were hopelessly lost. With nightfall fast approaching, temperatures dropping, and Royer's condition deteriorating, they made a desperate call for help, leading to their dramatic airlift to safety.

The difficulties they faced were daunting: the gradient down was dangerously steep, sheer cliffs on either side, and it was impossible to climb back up. The conditions of the narrow road they were on were equally treacherous—rutted and bendy - with insufficient room to turn their vehicle around. Their car too ran out of fuel, forcing them to spend a harrowing night in the unforgiving wilderness. When they attempted to make it back up, the car couldn't cope with the gradient.

Their misadventure also brought them face to face with treacherous river conditions. Attempting to cross in a dinghy, they encountered White Cap waves that capsized their small boat, leaving them wet, cold, and physically uncomfortable. In the darkness, they were fortunate to survive (hungry and exhausted), realising that they could have easily lost their lives.

Today, these two friends narrowly escaped a catastrophe; their rescue serves as a reminder of the unforgiving nature of the wilderness and the importance of proper preparation for any adventure.

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