Cambridge International AS & A Level ENGLISH LANGUAGE Paper 2 Writing 9093/22 May/June 2023 2 hours You must answer on the enclosed answer booklet. *1665926896* You will need: Answer booklet (enclosed) INSTRUCTIONS • Answer two questions in total: Section A: answer Question 1. Section B: answer one question. • Follow the instructions on the front cover of the answer booklet. If you need additional answer paper, ask the invigilator for a continuation booklet. • Dictionaries are not allowed. INFORMATION • The total mark for this paper is 50. • The number of marks for each question or part question is shown in brackets [ ]. This document has 4 pages. Any blank pages are indicated. 06_9093_22_2023_1.10 © UCLES 2023 [Turn over 2 Section A: Shorter writing and reflective commentary Question 1 Your teacher has asked you to write the opening of a story called The Voice, about an answerphone message that someone received from a complete stranger. (a) Write the text for the opening of your story, using no more than 400 words. In your writing, create a sense of drama and suspense. [15] (b) Write a reflective commentary on your text, explaining how your linguistic choices contribute to fulfilling the task set by your teacher. [10] Section B: Extended writing Answer one question. EITHER Question 2 You have just returned from a one-week activity holiday for teenagers. Write a review of the holiday, which will be posted on a travel website. Write between 600 and 900 words. [25] OR Question 3 Write a descriptive piece about a busy office. In your writing, focus on the sound, light and movement inside the office to help your reader imagine the scene. Write between 600 and 900 words. [25] OR Question 4 You recently read a newspaper article which said that having a lot of possessions does not always make people happy. You decide to write an email to the editor, in response to this article, giving your opinion. Write between 600 and 900 words. [25] © UCLES 2023 06_9093_22_2023_1.10 Question 1A The Voice It was an ordinary Saturday evening when Dexter first heard the unapologetic ring break the crisp silence of his living room. The loud landline, like the rest of his mouldy home, found its origins in the 1980s. Every object, including the telephone, seemed to reflect the depressing atmosphere of the remains of familial relationships that once decorated the house. Dexter was surprised to hear the booming noise, mostly because nobody ever really called him anymore, but also partly because of a distant memory that told him his landline contract had been terminated. Not thinking much of it, Dexter ignored the call. However, curiosity eventually got the better of him and he decided to examine the strange article from the past. The moment that the blue enamel earpiece touched his cheek, he heard the words “You have one unanswered message”, and a final long, high-pitched beep… “Dexter Jones”, the whisper began, “on October the 17th, the bank on the corner of Shelby Street and North Avenue was robbed of a small glass paperweight. I am in possession of evidence that has connected you directly to this event.” Time appeared to slow down. Dexter felt as though he had been removed from his body. In awe, he watched himself collapse like a child watching a movie screen. “If you wish to maintain your freedom,” the voice continued, “meet me at the gas station across the road from the gym in Balfour tomorrow morning at nine o’clock. I will be wearing a pale yellow cardigan.” The line went quiet. The cold feminine voice that had delivered his fate was extremely disconcerting. The messenger almost sounded like an eerie, all-knowing, artificial intelligence but the unforgiving breaths between each concise sentence revealed her human identity. It wasn’t a particularly hot summer’s night and yet beads of sweat raced down his body, eager to be the first to reach the surface of the oak mantlepiece on which he was still leaning. Dexter was confused. He thought nobody had noticed the eclectic object he had slipped into his briefcase. He didn’t understand why it seemed so serious. And, if the woman was part of the police department, wouldn’t she have simply arrested him for committing a petty crime? Question 1B Question 4 To: max.kennedy@thelondonweekly.co.uk From: rameshrani@gmail.com Subject: Happiness Is Not For Sale Dear Mr Kennedy I am writing to you to discuss an article I read in the most recent publication of the The London Weekly, titled Happiness Is Not For Sale. As the son of a self-made man who emigrated from Pakistan to the UK in the 1980s, I feel a personal connection to the article because I have witnessed my father’s level of happiness as both a wealthy man, and a poor man. Although I agree with the premise of the article - that having many belongings does not necessarily make one happy - I do have a point of criticism: the article largely ignores the benefits of having many possessions. Firstly, I agree with the premise of the article because I am of the belief that we experience longterm, sustained emotions because of how we react to events and experiences rather than the events or experiences themselves. When my father was a child, he had very few possessions. Most of what he used was shared between himself and his siblings, and yet he and his family were incredibly happy. This is because he did not allow his lack of physical assets to overshadow the tremendous amount of love and support that existed within his community. The sentiment of his experience was largely reflected in the article I read, and I must commend The London Weekly on the number of personal interviews that were included in the text. However, in my experience, the quality of life my father lead increased significantly upon his gain in personal possessions. When he became financially successful, he was able to buy a new car for his mom who had been using the same rusting family van for 25 years. He was also able to send me and my sister to a wonderful school, a privilege he did not receive after having to drop out after finishing year 10 to support his family. He also collects car-themed Lego sets and gains a lot of joy from building them and hanging them in his garage in cubic Perspex frames. All of these purchases brought him great joy, and great personal satisfaction. It is because of this that I believe that having a lot of personal possessions significantly adds happiness to one’s life, even though I agree that they usually are not the most valuable source of happiness. Moreover, in my own privileged life, I have been helped by “retail therapy” on many occasions. I suffer from mild depression and as a result, I regularly attend therapy sessions and use antidepressants. Sometimes, the regular help I get isn’t enough and I experience an emotional low. If, after trying to improve my mood by binge watching every Hugh Grant romantic comedy, I don’t feel better, I find the only solution is to feed my addiction to fashion, and go on a shopping spree. Although this is usually only a temporary fix, it does help me to feel better, and I always experience a sprig of joy when I open my wardrobe and am met with a multitude of outfit options. In this instance, my happiness is proportional to the number of clothes I have - my own personal possessions. It might not be the emotionally deep and crowd-pleasing opinion to argue that having many physical possessions often makes people happy but it has been my experience that my life is more fun when I have more possessions because I have so much more with which to be entertained. Obviously it would be far better for me to fix the problems I face, but that takes time and effort, and most of the time I don’t have the motivation. I find that the more I fill up my home - even if it is with junk - the less I notice the emptiness within myself. Sometimes distracting oneself from unhappiness is the best way to get through difficult times and having lots of possessions helps one to do that. I hope that the next article I read in The London Weekly will give a more balanced view on whatever it is discussing by voicing multiple perspectives. Kind regards Ramesh Rani
