Close Reading
Intermediate II
General Advice
Read the whole passage through first
before attempting Questions
Use bullet points for answers
Remember you may be able to start
answers with ‘Because…’
Revise and learn techniques off by
heart
Be aware of marks available for each
question
‘In Your Own Words’ Questions
Qin Shi Who? My reaction entirely. I had heard of
the Terracotta Army, of course. I had even seen
some of them when a vanguard of warriors came
to London in the 1980s. But I couldn’t have told
you who Qin Shihuangdi (pronounced Chin Shur
Hwang Dee) was. Even if you’d said he was the
First Emperor of China, I’d have had only the
haziest recollection of what you were talking
about.
1. Looking in the opening paragraph (lines 1–5)
for your answer, explain in your own words
what the writer’s original “reaction” to the name
Qin Shihuangdi was.
Answer
He had never/barely heard of
him/puzzlement (1)
Qin chariots had an improved design of
smaller wheels with more spokes that
provided greater stability and durability.
The width of axles was made uniform, a
seemingly small innovation with massive
repercussions: the chariots could ride
relatively smoothly down the same ruts in
the road and so avoid churning up the
entire highway.
2. Explain in your own words two of the
consequences of the improvements Qin
made to his war chariots (see lines 24–
26).
Answer
Glosses of:
“stability” e.g. firmness/solidity/strength/
steadiness/balance
“durability” e.g. toughness/long-lasting
quality/sturdiness/resilience
“chariots could ride relatively smoothly” (down
the same ruts in the road) e.g. progress (in
channels/grooves/furrows) was easy/easier
“avoid churning up the entire highway” e.g. road
was not made uneven/less smooth/harder to
make progress on/not so damaged
Any two (2)
The first Emperor survived at least three
assassination attempts in subsequent
years, incidents that served to tighten his
grip on every aspect of life. He created a
surveillance culture in which neighbours
were expected to spy on each other and
lived in fear of terrible punishments for
failing to do so or for breaking the many
laws. One of the most miserable
punishments, which very often proved to
be a death sentence, was to be dispatched
into the wilderness to toil on the
construction of the wall Qin Shihuangdi
had ordered to be built along the northern
frontier of the empire.
3. Explain in your own words any two
ways in which Qin managed to “tighten his
grip on every aspect of life” (line 34).
Answer
Glosses of
“surveillance culture”/”spy” people
watched/observed one another
“terrible punishments” severe
reprisals/penalties
“Many laws” multiplicity of
regulations/edicts/rulings/instructions
Any two (2)
Linking Questions
Remember to use the ‘winning
formula’
Quote and explain how it links back
Quote and explain how it links
forward
Watch out for linking words- ‘But,’
‘However,’ ‘Although,’ ‘And,’ etc.
Be aware of the amount you are
expected to write for a linking
question
The First Emperor’s imprint on the lives of the
inhabitants of his far-flung kingdoms was seen
further. He unified the script, demanding that all
states write the pictographs of ancient Chinese in
the same way. So, although the words might be
pronounced differently in different parts of the
empire, once they were written down everyone
who could read could understand each other, a
particular advantage for traders. Some of the
pictographs are recognisable in the language
today, and the principle of a single written
language that can be spoken in different ways
remains.
But for the First Emperor, establishing complete
control over his empire was not enough. He
wanted to rule forever. If he couldn’t have
immortality in this world, the next best thing
would be to rule in the nether world. We knew
about his tomb mound because the ancient
sources referred to it, and it has always been
there.
4. Explain how the sentence “But for
the First Emperor, establishing
complete control over his empire was
not enough.” (lines 56–57) works as
a link between paragraphs at this
point.
Answer
“establishing complete control over
his empire” refers back to preceding
ideas (relating to dominance) (1);
“was not enough” prepares us for
upcoming reference (to other things
he wanted to do or have) (1);
“But” introduces contrast = 1
Not being forgotten was particularly crucial.
The apartheid regime had tried to “vanish”
black people. Feeling abandoned and isolated,
people turned to Dickens as someone who
understood their plight.
But there were not enough books to go round.
Few of the crate loads of Shakespeare, Hardy
and Dickens shipped from Britain reached the
townships. Instead, they came to Soweto in
parcels from charities. They were read by
candlelight, often out loud, shared in a circle,
or passed from hand to hand.
“But there were not enough books to go
round.” (line 29)
5. Explain how this sentence provides a link
between paragraphs at this point.
Answer
“books” refers back to Dickens in previous
paragraph (1);
“not enough” anticipates the idea of
paucity/scarcity developed in the rest of
the paragraph (1)
Less precise answer, e.g. one without
selective quotation from the link sentence
=1
Appropriate comment on the function of
“But” = 1
“But,” said Solomon, scratching one of the small
fly-bites that were troubling all of us, “if we could
return here in 50 years, this village would be
different. There will be streets, electricity, and
proper buildings. As Ethiopia modernises, places
like this will be made more comfortable for
people. Hamed Ela will probably be a big town.”
And that is where Solomon was wrong. As
Ethiopia modernises, the Afar will leave their
desert home. They will drift into the towns and
cities in the highlands. Their voracious herds of
goats will die. Their camels will no longer be of
any use. The only remembrance this place will
have of the humans it bred will be the stone
fittings of their flimsy, ruined stick huts, and the
mysterious black rock burial mounds that litter
the landscape.
6. Explain why the sentence “And
that is where Solomon was wrong”
(line 30) is an effective link between
the paragraphs contained in lines 26
to 35.
Answer
“(And) that” refers back to his words
in the previous paragraph (about
progress/ growth/improvement) (1)
“was wrong” leads to (the rebuttal
contained in) the rest of the
paragraph (1)
less well explained/less selective = 1
Comment on linking function of
“And” = 1
Structure Questions
Think about:
Sentence length- short/long/
minor/simple/complex
Punctuation- parenthesis/ ellipsis/
inverted commas/ colons etc.
Lists
Repetition- words, phrases
Contrast and balance in sentences
It also came from people such as the
activist Steve Biko, whose own mentor,
the Brazilian educator Paulo Freire, spent
a lifetime working with forest people who
had no formal education, teaching them to
“name the world their own way”.
That is what the youth of Soweto
wanted—a future in their own words. And
they got it. (end of paragraph)
7. Explain how any aspect of the
structure of the paragraph in line 59
contributes to its effectiveness.
Answer
The long and short sentences (1)
contrast (1)
OR the dash (1) produces a
(dramatic) delay (1)
OR the brevity of the second
sentence (1) produces impact (1)
OR the introduction of the second
sentence with “And” (1) produces
impact (1)
But as that new way of living arrives—as we retreat
from the wild places, and the fences of national
parks go up; as we cease the exploitation of
animals, and the cow, the camel, the sheep, the
chicken and the pig become items in modern
exhibition farms, where schoolchildren see how
mankind used to live; as our direct contact with
our fellow creatures is restricted to zoos, pets
and fish tanks; and as every area of natural
beauty is set about with preservation orders and
rules to keep human interference to a minimum—
will we not be separating ourselves from our
planet in order, as we suppose, to look after it
better? Will we not be loving nature, but leaving
it?
8. (a) Identify any feature of
sentence structure the writer uses
effectively in this paragraph.
(b) Show how your chosen feature
helps to clarify or support the
writer’s argument.
Answer
(a) Use of parenthesis
OR use of semi-colon
OR repeated use of (clauses starting with) “as” listing
OR use of (negative) question(s)
Any one (1)
(b)
Feature
Effect
Use of parenthesis
Helps identify/isolate/specify (1) what the
“new
way of living” is (1)
Semi-colon construction
ways OR use of “as”
OR listing
Gives idea of multiplicity and/or variety of
(1)
we are moving away from wilderness (1)
Use of (negative) question(s)
Creates doubt in reader’s mind (1)
And/or questions wisdom of what we are doing (1)
And/or implies agreement with sense of argument (1)
Any two effects
NB marks in (b) are for analysis, not for identification of feature.
And flight attracts our eyes, lifts our heart
with joy and envy. Flight, to us
earthbound creatures, is a form of
magic—one of the great powers attributed
to decent wizards and witches throughout
history is the ability to fly, from the
persecuted sorcerers of the Dark Ages to
the players of the game of quidditch.
9. The writer refers to “wizards and
witches throughout history” (lines 51–52).
Explain by referring to either word
choice or structure how the rest of the
sentence continues this idea.
Answer
Word choice:
“(persecuted) sorcerers”/“players of the
game of quidditch” (1) continues idea of
wizards (1);
OR “Dark Ages” / “sorcerers” and
“quidditch” (1) reprise the idea of
“throughout history” (1).
Structure:
“from … to” construction (1) reprises the
idea of “throughout history” (1).
And then it happened. Bam!
Gone.
From the tail of my eye, I saw what I took to be a
kestrel. I turned my head to watch it as it
climbed, and I waited for it to go into its hover,
according to time-honoured kestrel custom. But it
did nothing of the kind. It turned itself into an
anchor. Or a thunderbolt.
No kestrel this: it crashed into the crowd of
martins, and almost as swiftly vanished. I think it
got one, but I can’t swear to it, it was all so fast.
10. Identify two techniques used in lines 10 and
11 which help to convey the idea of speed
described in the next two paragraphs (lines 12–
17).
Answer
Very short sentences; single
word/very short paragraphs;
colloquialism; monosyllable(s);
exclamation mark; (idea of) minor
sentence; onomatopoeia.
Any two. (2)
Technique Questions
Imagery-simile
-metaphor
-personification
Sound Techniques-alliteration
-assonance
-onomatopoeia
Tone- learn approximately 10. e.g.
sarcasm, formal, informal,
humourous, ironic, angry, hopeful
etc.
Irony
I was going through Monken Hadley
churchyard and there were lots (note
scientific precision) of house martins
whizzing round the church tower.
11. Explain what is odd or ironic
about the expression “note scientific
precision”
Answer
The writer uses “lots” (1) which is
not precise/scientific (1).
From the tail of my eye, I saw what I took to be
a kestrel. I turned my head to watch it
as it climbed, and I waited for it to go into its
hover, according to time-honoured kestrel
custom. But it did nothing of the kind. It turned
itself into an anchor. Or a thunderbolt.
12. Why is the comparison of the bird to a
“thunderbolt” (line 15) an effective image or
metaphor?
(1 mark)
Answer
It changed its shape/resembled/
adopted the shape of an
anchor/looked like an anchor.
OR
It descended vertically/swiftly.
Either for (1)
Qin Shi Who? My reaction entirely. I had
heard of the Terracotta Army, of course. I
had even seen some of them when a
vanguard of warriors came to London in
the 1980s. But I couldn’t have told you
who Qin Shihuangdi (pronounced Chin
Shur Hwang Dee) was. Even if you’d said
he was the First Emperor of China, I’d
have had only the haziest recollection of
what you were talking about.
13. The first paragraph (lines 1–5) is
written in a chatty style. Identify one
expression or feature from these lines
which contributes to this chattiness, and
explain why it does so.
Answer
Question (and response)
Verbless sentence(s)
(throwaway effect of)“of course”
Informality of abbreviated verbs
(Helpful) explanation of pronunciation
Use of 2nd person
Humour of (facetious) capital letter at “Who”
Informal use of initial “But”
Terminal preposition (“about”)
(1)
Makes it more informal/
friendlier/less intimidating
OR
is a feature of conversation/
dialogue/engagement
(1)
“Africans are not dustbins,” declared some
of the June 16 placards; and “Beware of
Afrikaans, the most dangerous drug for
our future.” By the following year, the
language had been withdrawn from
classrooms as unworkable. And so, thanks
to the influence of a long-dead British
author, the sacrifices of Hector Pieterson
and many other Africans have proved to
be not entirely in vain —which Dickens
himself would surely applaud.
14. Look at the placard text “Beware of
Afrikaans, the most dangerous drug for
our future”. (lines 60 – 61) Explain why
this expression is an effective image or
metaphor.
Answer
Just as drugs are harmful (in the
long term) (1)
So Afrikaans has a (long-reaching)
deleterious (harmful) effect on the
lives of the Sowetans (1)
Those who call themselves environmentalists
celebrate this. “Leave nothing and take nothing
away,” read the signs at the gates of nature
reserves. Practical advice, perhaps, but is there
not something melancholy in what that says
about modern man’s desired relationship with
nature? Will we one day confine ourselves to
watching large parts of our planet only from
observation towers?
15. What is the tone of the two sentences in
lines 52–55? (1)
Answer
Sad/pessimistic/gloomy/resigned/reg
retful/concerned
(1)
The tomb itself may never be opened
because of the sensitivities of disturbing
the Emperor, although some
archaeologists hope that improved
technology may one day allow some form
of exploration.
16. Show fully how the writer introduces a
tone of doubt when he writes about the
prospects for opening the tomb (lines 60–
62).
(2)
Answer
He uses “may” (1); twice (1); he
uses “some archaeologists” (1);
he uses “hope” (1); he uses “one
day” (1); he uses “some form” (1);
Any two points. or one point (1) +
correct analysis (1)
Context Questions
You must show HOW you worked out
the meaning of a specific word using
the words surrounding it.
1. Define the word
2. Quote a word/ expression nearby
3. Explain how the nearby word/
expression helped you to work out
the meaning.
I have no argument against the
international development movement that
wants to see the Afars in clean houses
with running water and electrical power,
and schools, and a clinic nearby—away, in
other words, from their gruesome desert
life. All this is inevitable.
17. Explain how other words in lines 56–
58 help us to work out the meaning or
sense of “gruesome desert life”.
If they are “away from” (pleasant
things such as) clean houses/running
water/ power/schools/adjacent clinic
(1)
Then the expression must mean a
harsh/spartan/unpleasant/horrible/
ghastly existence (1)
Golf always seems to me a trivial game, but
every one of its legion of addicts will tell you that
it all comes back to the pure joy of a clean strike
at the ball: making it defy gravity. Making it
climb like a towering snipe. Making it soar like an
eagle, at least in the mind of the striker, as it
reaches the top of its long, graceful parabola.
18. (a) What does “trivial” (line 34) tell us about
the writer’s attitude to golf? (1)
(b) Explain how an expression later in this
sentence makes it clear that the author is aware
that others do not share his opinion. (2)
Answer
(a) (He thinks) it is a waste of
time/worthless/pointless/
unimportant.
(b)“legion” (1) suggests it has many
devotees (1)
OR “addicts” (1) suggests( the intensity
of) the hold of the game (1)
OR “pure joy” (1) conveys (the intensity
of) the pleasure of the game (1)’.
Word Choice Questions
I only began to grasp this a few months ago
when I travelled to Xi’an to visit the First
Emperor’s mind-boggling mausoleum, home to
his Terracotta Army. “This is one of the people
who changed the world,” said Neil MacGregor,
director of the British Museum. “There are
terribly few historical figures whose achievements
lasted like that. This is really one of the great,
great figures in human history.”
19. Show how any one feature of Neil
MacGregor’s word choice (see lines 12–15)
makes it clear that he thinks of Qin as someone
special.
Answer
changed the world (1) suggests large extent of
influence (1)
terribly few (1) conveys near-uniqueness (1)
(whose achievements) lasted like that (1)
suggests permanence of influence (1)
Really (1) intensifies (1)
“great” (1) shows attitude of high regard (1)
repetition of “great, great” (1) emphasises (1)
Example (1) plus analysis (1)
At the beginning of this month I was
in a hellish yet beautiful place. I was
making a programme for Radio 4
about one of the world’s most
ancient trade routes.
20. What is surprising about the
writer’s word choice in the first
sentence?
(2)
Answer
There is a contradiction (1) in
“hellish yet beautiful” (1)
An infinity of stars blazed above. The mysterious
lake was close, and when the wind changed you
could smell the sulphur blowing from a range of
bubbling vents of gas, salt and super-heated
steam. On the horizon fumed the volcano,
Hertale. With not a blade of grass in sight, and all
around us a desert of black rocks, the Danakil is
a kind of inferno.
21. Explain what the word “fumed” (line 22)
suggests about the volcano, apart from having
smoke coming from it. (1)
Answer
Idea of personification − eg that it
was angry/threatening/badtempered
If market forces don’t kill the trade, the
conscience of the animal rights movement will,
for the laden camels suffer horribly on their
journey. The day is coming when camels will go
down there no more. In fifty years the Danakil
will be a national park, visited by rubbernecking
tourists in helicopters. Camels will be found in
zoos. Goats will be on their way to elimination
from every ecologically fragile part of the planet.
22. Explain fully the appropriateness of the word
choice of “rubbernecking tourists in helicopters”
(line 41).
(2)
“rubbernecking” suggests
insensitivity/ghoulishness
“tourists” suggests
invasiveness/superficiality
“helicopters” suggests intrusive
modernity OR detachment OR
(financial) contrast
From the tail of my eye, I saw what I took
to be a kestrel. I turned my head to watch
it as it climbed, and I waited for it to go
into its hover, according to time-honoured
kestrel custom. But it did nothing of the
kind. It turned itself into an anchor. Or a
thunderbolt.
23. What is the author suggesting about
the bird when he says “It turned itself into
an anchor” (line 14)?
Answer
It changed its shape/resembled/
adopted the shape of an
anchor/looked like an anchor.
OR
It descended vertically/swiftly.
Final Advice
Do not repeat the question in your answer
Write in your own words as much as
possible
Remember you can start answers with
‘Because…’
Manage your time and be aware of the
‘half-way mark’
Know your techniques and question types