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UK GCSE NOV 2008 : Higher Tier, English Paper 1

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General Certificate of Secondary Education November 2008 Paper 1 Higher Tier G2903 English [G2903] WEDNESDAY 5 NOVEMBER, MORNING TIME 2 hours. INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES Write your Centre Number and Candidate Number on the Answer Booklet provided. Answer all four questions. Answer the three questions in Section A and the one question in Section B. Spend one hour on Section A and one hour on Section B. INFORMATION FOR CANDIDATES The total mark for this paper is 60. Figures in brackets printed down the right-hand side of pages indicate the marks awarded to each question. 3832 Section A This section tests reading skills. Spend about 15 minutes reading the passage carefully. Answer all three questions. Danny had never been in a bank. He stood outside the Bank of Ireland with a knot of fear in his gut. Behind the impressive front and heavy doors was a world about which he knew absolutely nothing. Although the thought of going in there and asking a complete stranger for a loan crippled him with anxiety, he forced himself up the limestone steps. Looking in through the heavy glass door, he tried to figure out where exactly he should go when he got inside. A thin woman in a fur coat marched out past him, giving him a disapproving look. His throat tightened with nervousness and he felt the sweat in his armpits. Finally, he grasped the brass handle and pushed but even the glass door seemed reluctant to let him in. High, arched ceilings and glossy, mahogany counters gleaming with brass rails caused him to blink in awe. The sound of drawers opening and closing, the clinking of coins and the voices of people who belonged in this world swam round him. His heart was pounding and he swallowed hard. Which way now? Danny was so nervous that his eyes could not focus properly. To steady himself, he looked down at the floor. Beyond the stone slab engraved with Founded in 1812 , an oak floor, shining in front of him like a brown sea, looked as if nobody had ever actually walked on it. He glanced down uncertainly at his heavy boots but, as he dithered, the door was pushed open behind him and he had no choice but to move forward. Feeling that his legs might go from under him, he stepped on to the glossy floor and heard his tipped boots clatter noisily. He felt eyes turn in his direction. In here the men were all dressed in Sunday suits and the women in good shoes. His grandmother had always said that shoes told you a lot about a woman. If she was right, there were a lot of rich women in here! In his working pants and darned jumper, he felt shabby and wondered if he smelt of the farmyard. He should have changed his clothes before coming but he had made a snap decision as he was letting the cows out after milking. He had not thought about clothes or appearances: to him, such things did not matter. Now, he was not so sure. Oh well, he was here now! He looked around with determination. In front of the openings in the frosted glass panels, people waited to be served. At one opening stood a little woman in a long black coat. She did not look as off-putting as some of the others; indeed she looked like a countrywoman. Danny lined up behind her and was amazed to see her pulling out rolls of red twenty-pound notes from inside her long coat. These she pushed towards the girl behind the counter. It s hard to know who has the money in here, he thought. He looked around to see if there was anybody who might help him but they all seemed preoccupied with their own business. When the little woman finally moved away, a slim girl with long blonde hair looked out at him with mild curiosity. Can I see the manager? he gasped nervously. Have you got an appointment? she asked briskly. No, he gulped. Will I set one up for you? she inquired quite pleasantly. No, I want to see him now, Danny insisted. 3832 2 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 [Turn over That may not be possible, she told him. I can wait, he persisted. Danny was determined that he was not going to leave this bank without seeing the manager because if he went home now he might never work up the courage to come back again. It was a bank loan that had caused all the problems in the family. As a result of it, his father fought all his life with his relatives and would have nothing to do with the bank. His father had let everything run down so that the whole place was on the brink of ruin. Now Danny was determined to turn everything round and he had a plan. It was up to him to get the whole mess sorted out and to get things moving. Would you like to sit over there? the blonde girl asked him, pointing to a bench in the far corner. I ll see what I can do. Do your best, he implored her and she looked momentarily startled by his desperation. Your name? she inquired. Danny Conway. As he sat on the glossy wooden bench, he took a few deep breaths to try to stop his heart thumping. He remembered how Father Brady always told the team to breathe deeply if they were nervous before a match. If only that was all he had to worry about now! At least before a game all the lads were nervous together in here he was on his own and he was the odd man out. Everybody else seemed to know what he or she was about. There was no one else waiting in his corner. Was this where they put you if you were asking for a loan? Was he the only one looking for money? Did everyone know what you wanted if you were sitting here? Hopefully no one from Kilmeen would come in and see him waiting like a beggar. He looked up at the ceiling. Apart from a church, it had the highest ceiling that he had ever seen. Normally he would have been very impressed with a place like this but today it unnerved him. His grandfather had come to this very bank and got the loan that was to cause such bitterness. The shadow of that loan had poisoned lives and ignited a feud that had smouldered ever since. It had moved like a threatening monster in and out through his childhood. Danny swallowed hard as a wave of foreboding swept over him. Maybe it would be better to leave while he still could . . . Mr Harvey will see you now. The blonde girl broke in on his thoughts and led him towards the far end of the counter where she lifted a flap. As he followed the slim figure, he could feel a cold lump of apprehension in the pit of his stomach. He had to get this right; he had to convince this man that, at twenty-one, he was not too young and inexperienced to be trusted. From behind his wide, green-leather-topped desk, a large, dome-faced man gazed at Danny speculatively. Well, Mr Conway, what can we do for you? The pale man played piano notes on the desk. His hands were white and soft. Danny noticed that he filled the swivel chair in which he sat. I want to get a loan of a thousand pounds, Danny blurted out. It s not quite as simple as that, the large man looked steadily at him. I have all the details here, Danny told him, eagerly pushing his little notebook across the green expanse. It was dog-eared from being carried around in his pocket. Mr Harvey picked it up and gazed curiously at the rows of figures. These are all outgoing, he said gently. The bank is more interested in returns. And what you can offer as security for our loan. I have no security, said Danny bluntly. Then we are both wasting our time, Mr Harvey said evenly. But I need the money to get the farm going, Danny pleaded desperately. Where is this farm? Mr Harvey asked. 3832 3 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 [Turn over Kilmeen direction. Oh, the man said thoughtfully as if trying to remember something. My father died and I m running the farm now. Danny knew that he was gabbling but he felt that if he kept talking he just might say something to stop the smug man dismissing him. Do you own this farm? Well, in a way. You either do or you don t, the man told him briskly. It belongs to my mother and the rest of us. There s two brothers and three sisters and me. But it ll be mine when we get it all sorted out. Oh and where are they all? Two sisters in Dublin in school. The brothers in England and America, Danny said abruptly, wishing the man would stop asking awkward questions. So they would all have a claim on the farm? They would but . . . How did you ever expect to get a loan as you clearly are in no position to give the deeds of the farm as security for a loan? Mr Harvey asked in a puzzled voice. I was never in a bank before, Danny admitted, feeling his face go red. Oh, the bank manager swivelled in his chair, fingertips together. And how old are you, Mr Conway? Twenty-one, Danny told him. The man picked up the little notebook and closed it gently. I understand your position, he said not unkindly, but the bank cannot lend money without some security. He levered himself out of the chair and walked round the desk. He handed Danny the notebook. But I m honest and I work hard I d pay you back, Danny pleaded. I can appreciate all that, Mr Harvey looked down at Danny, but my hands are tied. He shrugged, picking up some papers. Slowly he returned to his chair and sat down, studying them. 95 100 105 110 115 Adapted from House of Memories by Alice Taylor, published by Brandon-Mount Eagle Publications,2005, ISBN 0863223451 3832 4 [Turn over 1 Spend about 10 minutes on this question. Use evidence from lines 1 26 to support your answer. How does the writer s description of the bank and its occupants create the sense of an unwelcoming place? 2 Spend about 15 minutes on this question. Use evidence from line 71 to the end of the passage to support your answer. What do you learn about Mr Harvey, the bank manager? 3 [8] [10] Spend about 20 minutes on this question. Use evidence from line 27 to the end of the passage to support your answer. How does the writer develop the reader s sympathy for Danny as he tries to deal with this awkward situation? Consider: the way the story is told from Danny s viewpoint the use of words and phrases. 3832 5 [12] [Turn over Section B This section tests writing skills: to analyse, review and comment. Write in a way that suits this type of task. The answer should be developed fully. You will be expected to write at least two sides in the answer booklet. Leave enough time to re-read your work so that you can make any changes you feel are necessary. 4 Consider the following statement and the issues it raises: Young people today need to lead more healthy lifestyles. The opinions below raise a series of points about the topic of healthy living. The examiner wants you to review the points that you consider to be important, along with ideas of your own. Analyse these in an extended piece of writing. Teenagers seem to live on a diet of chips and fizzy drinks. This must be harming their behaviour and learning in school. It s hard to make healthy eating choices in our school canteen! I simply can t get my son to leave his computer and take some exercise. When I was his age I was always outside playing football with my mates. My mum is always nagging me to eat more fruit and vegetables but she s overweight and smokes thirty a day. Who s she to talk? Remember to include your own ideas, comments and conclusions. [30] THIS IS THE END OF THE QUESTION PAPER 3832 6 [Turn over G291H8 3832 7 [Turn over Permission to reproduce all copyright material has been applied for. In some cases, efforts to contact copyright holders may have been unsuccessful and CCEA will be happy to rectify any omissions of acknowledgement in future if notified. S 10/07 891-004-1 [Turn over

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