National 5
Exam preparation
Reading for Understanding, Analysis
and Evaluation
Preliminary Examinations
In January you will have a practice run of the
exams you’ll sit in May.
The Preliminary exam will consist of:
• Answering questions on the MacCaig poetry
• Writing an essay on either the novel/short
story/play you’ve read in class
• Reading a NON-FICTION passage and
answering questions
Question types
The work you have been doing in poetry has been a
good start to developing your skills in
Understanding, Analysing and Evaluating but now
we’re going to look more closely at the different
types of questions you can expect in this section of
the exam. You can continue your revision by
attending the revision class on Wednesday lunch
time.
When you see the pencil you
should copy down the info on that
slide
• Answering questions using your own words
• Picking out and explaining why certain words
have been used
• Explaining why sentence types are effective
including linking
• Summarising points/ideas made by the writer
• Explaining effective imagery and use of language
• Identify and explain the tone/attitude of the
writer
This week – Answering questions in
your own words
This question can take on different forms but
the most common ones include:
• Finding the answer to the question in the
passage and then changing it into your own
words
• Summarising points that have been made in
the passage in your own words
Task 1: On the board there are sentences with very
similar meanings. Find and match them.
Niagara Falls is viewed
by thousands of
tourists every year
The grey clouds were
a warning of an
approaching storm
The still waters of the
Caribbean were teal in
colour
The coming storm was foretold
by the dark clouds
The turquoise Caribbean
waters were calm
It was a spacious room
with lit candles all over
Each year, thousands of people
visit Niagara Falls.
Candles flickered from many
areas of the large room
This is a skill you need to learn and it’s called
paraphrasing (putting things in your own words)
You want to try and keep the original meaning the
same but use different words/structures
• Uploading a video to YouTube can help exposure for
your business
• During his lifetime, the Berlin Wall was taken down
• During a cruise, you can check out the natural
scenery
• Symptoms of the flu include fever and nasal
congestion
Now you’ll see how you can use this skill in the exam
True, the iPhone 5S does have one major innovation in
the fingerprint sensor, a security feature which may
help make consumers more confident in banking and
shopping online.
Under the bonnet, it may also prove to be the fastest
smartphone on the market - for a few months until the
game of leapfrog continues. But in appearance - unless
you go for the gold version - you would be hard put to
differentiate it from the previous model.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-24034507
These paragraphs offer 2 advantages and 1 disadvantage of the new iPhone 5s.
In your own words explain what these are (3 marks)