November 2012
Paper One
The NOVEMBER 2012 question PAPER
Answer all the following questions.
The passage on the opposite page is an internet essay, ‘How fair is Fairtrade?’, by Brendan O’Neill.
The separate Resource Material is a newspaper article, ‘Going for Gold’, by Liz Jones.
Look at the first page of the newspaper article ‘Going for Gold’ in the separate Resource Material.
1. According to Liz Jones, what are the conditions like in the mine and village of San Luis?
You must use evidence from the text to support your answer. [10]
Now look at the second page of the newspaper article.
2. How does Liz Jones try to show that the village and mine at Santa Filomena are examples of the benefits of
Fairtrade? [10]
You must use evidence from the text to support your answer.
Now look at the internet essay ‘How fair is Fairtrade?’ on the opposite page.
3. What does Brendan O’Neill think and feel about Fairtrade?
You must use the text to support your answer. [10]
To answer the next question you will need to refer to both texts.
4. What do these two texts say about the impact of Fairtrade on people in developing countries?
Organise your answer into two paragraphs, using the following headings:
• what Liz Jones says;
• what Brendan O’Neill says.
You must make it clear from which text you get your information.
What type? Key words?
Look at the first page of the newspaper article
‘Going for Gold’ in the separate Resource
Material.
1. According to Liz Jones, what are the
conditions like in the mine and village of San
Luis?
You must use evidence from the text to support
your answer. [10]
A1
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Going for Gold?
Just make sure it’s Fairtrade
Often I have nights when I complain that I’m so tired I feel as though I’ve been working down a mine
all day. Like most people, I have no concept of how hard some people – mostly in developing
countries and mostly female – work to bring us luxury goods. But now that I am in a gold-mining
village called San Luis in the middle of the desert in Peru, I’m beginning to get the idea.
Mine shafts are given female names but it’s forbidden for women to enter them, which is why
women are relegated to the back-breaking work of grading rubble on the surface. When I get
permission to enter one of the mine shafts – called ‘Diana’ – I have no idea how anyone could work
there. Dark, dusty and sometimes wet, it keeps making me think of the Chilean gold miners who
were trapped for 69 days. The only light is from my helmet, and there are steep, dark drops to
seams below us in the mountain. I suffer both vertigo and claustrophobia.
Over the past few years, we have become familiar with the term ‘blood diamonds’, gems mined by
workers in terrible conditions that are sold to fund the arms trade. But we know little about where
the rest of our jewellery comes from. There are no big chunks of gold in these mines, just gold dust
that has to be extracted by crushing rock into powder before it is treated with mercury and cyanide.
In San Luis, there are opencast mines next to where children play. Houses are made of old sacks.
The miners are on desperately low wages, there is no crèche and there are no safety rules for the
handling of chemicals and dynamite. Child labour is common. ‘My children are thin and small,’ says
Yessica, the wife of a miner and a mother of two. I find it hard to believe that anyone involved in this
industry is poverty stricken when gold sells for over £1,000 an ounce. But of course, these miners
receive just a fraction of the price the gold brings in the West.
Q.1 According to Liz Jones, what are the conditions
like in the mine and village of San Luis? [10]
This question tests knowledge and use of text and inference / interpretation. It also tests
appreciation of language.
0 marks: not worthy of credit.
Give 1 mark to those who make unsupported assertions or simple comments with
occasional reference to the text. These answers will struggle to engage with the
question and/or the text.
Give 2-4 marks, according to quality, to those who make simple comments with
reference to surface features of the text or show some awareness of implicit
meaning. These answers may be thin or tending to be unselective in their choice of
textual material.
Give 5-7 marks, according to quality, to those who select appropriate material from the
text to reach a valid response. These answers should show understanding and some
cohesion. Better answers should be making inferences.
Give 8-10 marks, according to quality, to those who select appropriate material from the
text to reach a well-considered and detailed response. The best answers should be
thorough as well as perceptive, covering a range of points with insight and accuracy.
Evidence?
the work is ‘back-breaking’
the mine is ‘dark, dusty and
sometimes wet’ (credit if
separated)
there are ‘steep, dark drops’
she feels ‘vertigo and claustrophobia’
she talks of ‘terrible conditions’
children play near opencast mines
houses are made of old sacks
no crèche
no safety rules for handling
dangerous materials
(chemicals/cyanide)
What is it like?
conditions are harsh and tough
in the mine
it is cramped
it is dangerous
it is scary
it is unregulated
the village is basic and povertystricken
conditions are appalling
Reward valid alternatives.
Example answer
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Liz Jones says that conditions in the mines and the village of San Luis are appalling and
dangerous. The mines are ‘dark, dusty and sometimes wet’ and that she suffers from
‘vertigo and claustrophobia’ creating the impression that the mines are tightly packed and
unpleasant; the ‘steep drops’ suggest that they are also dangerous. This is further
emphasised by the absence of ‘safety rules for the handling of chemicals and dynamite’ She
describes the work as ‘back-breaking’ and conditions as ‘terrible’ and highlights the lack of
safety when she says that ‘children play next to open cast mines’. Conditions in the village
aren’t much better. Jones describes how the houses are ‘made of old sacks’ which
demonstrates the poverty of the people. As ‘child labour is common’ we also get the sense
that there is no social justice creating poor conditions for children. This is also highlighted by
the description of ‘thin and small’ children who are unhealthy and undernourished, implying
that living standards are impacting negatively on the next generation.
• Now look at the second page of the
newspaper article.
• 2. How does Liz Jones try to show that the
village and mine at Santa Filomena are
examples of the benefits of Fairtrade? [10]
• You must use evidence from the text to
support your answer.
A2
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However, I am also in Peru to see the first Fairtrade gold extracted from the Peruvian mines. The village
of Santa Filomena, home to 3,000 people and situated in a remote mountain area, is one of only nine
places in the world producing Fairtrade gold, and it is almost too good to be true.
The difference between Santa Filomena and the neighbouring village of San Luis, which is not Fairtrade,
is enormous. Fairtrade miners earn £250 a month and an extra 5% for being environmentally-friendly.
Santa Filomena straddles a river and this means the mine is wet, which can be hazardous, causing rock
falls. However, while the big mining companies will blow up a mountainside, the Fairtrade miners
respect the environment. To be rated ‘Fairtrade’, the dangeous chemicals used to treat the gold in the
mines are not allowed to enter the eco-system.
In Santa Filomena, there are shops, a health clinic, sick pay, maternity leave and rapidly improving
sanitation. There is no running water but there are proper wooden houses instead of slums. There is a
crèche and a school.
I speak to Paulina, 25, who toils sorting rubble and who has invited me to her home to meet her
children, Jennifer, nearly 3, and Shamel, 5. Her husband is also a miner. Paulina came here to find work
and her house is two rooms, with a tiny stove and a coop of chickens outside. What does she want her
children to be when they grow up? ‘I don’t want them to be miners. But now there is a way out – at
least they get to go to school,’
she says.
Each week, the gold is carried up the mountain by the miners and then driven to La Paz where it is
refined and exported. A lump is placed in my hands. It’s big and heavy and worth about £30,000.
Fairtrade gold means some of the poorest people in the world, working in a very dangerous industry,
have protection and a future.
Liz Jones
Markscheme
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Q.2 How does Liz Jones try to show that the village and mine at Santa Filomena are examples of
the benefits of Fairtrade? [10]
This question tests knowledge and use of text and inference / interpretation. It also tests
appreciation of language.
0 marks: not worthy of credit.
Give 1 mark to those who make simple comments with occasional reference to the text, or copy
unselectively. These answers will struggle to engage with the question and / or the text.
Give 2-4 marks, according to quality, to those who make simple comments based on surface
features of the text and / or show awareness of more obvious implicit meanings/persuasive
methods. These answers may be thin or tending to be unselective in their choice of textual
material.
Give 5-7 marks, according to quality, to those who make valid comments based on a selection of
appropriate detail from the text. These answers will probably rely on spotting factual content.
Better answers may show some awareness of persuasive method and/or language, although they
may rely on spotting key words and phrases.
Give 8-10 marks, according to quality, to those who explore the text in detail and make valid
comments / inferences. The best answers should combine specific detail with overview and show
understanding of persuasive methods and / or language.
‘How’ is partly a matter of content/structure and partly a matter of language/tone. Look for a clear
sense of ‘how’ as opposed to simply ‘what’. The best answers take the ‘extra step’ to analyse the
detail rather than spotting it.
2. Persuasive content
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Facts and opinions
Arguments used
Use of examples
Use of statistics and figures
Use of quotations from experts, celebs etc
Anecdotes to add realism
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How she shows the benefits
(techniques)
• she uses contrast /
comparison
• she uses a lot of facts and
examples
• she uses the specific
example of Paulina and her
family
• she uses quotation
• she is honest / balanced
• she lists benefits
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big mining companies will blow up a mountain but Fairtrade
respects the environment
she claims that the difference between it and San Luis is
‘enormous’
she suggests that the wages are good (£250 a month plus a 5%
bonus for being ‘environmentally-friendly’)
dangerous chemicals are not allowed to enter the eco-system
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she uses the example of Paulina
she has two rooms, a stove and chickens
her children get an education and a possible way out
Paulina is positive and optimistic
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the article claims that these miners have protection and a future
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she says it is ‘almost too good to be true’
there are facilities such as shops and a health clinic
a crèche and a school
there are benefits such as maternity leave and sick pay
there are proper wooden houses
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evidence
Sample answer
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Firstly, Jones asserts that the conditions in SF are ‘too good to be true’, suggesting that the benefits
are almost other-worldly. She uses the emotive word ‘enormous’ to emphasise the ‘difference’
Fairtrade makes. This is supported by facts and figures such as ‘£250 a month’ and ‘an extra 5% ‘ to
make the improvements more tangible and to reinforce her argument.
Jones also contrasts Fairtrade with ‘big mining companies’ who ‘ will blow up a mountainside’
drawing attention to the damage that would have been caused if the mine was not Fairtrade.
Whilst ‘blow up’ sounds violent and dangerous, the phrase ‘respect the environment’ draws our
attention to the good attitudes of Fairtrade miners.
Furthermore, Jones lists the benefits such as ‘shops, a health clinic, sick pay’ and ‘proper wooden
houses’ to emphasise the unending benefits of Fairtrade.
The emotive anecdote from ‘Paulina’ also makes the points seem more convincing as she is
overwhelmingly positive about her experience and has more than basic living standards – ‘two
rooms....and a coop of chickens outside’. Liz Jones uses Paulina’s own words on the emotive topic
of her children’s future – they go to school so ‘now there is a way out’ to strengthen this village as
an example of the benefits of Fairtrade.
Jones ends the article with emotive language summarising her main points of the benefits, that
‘some of the poorest people in the world’ now have ‘protection and a future’.
Overall, she convinces us of the benefits using a mixture of facts, statistics, comparisons and
emotive language.
• Now look at the internet essay ‘How fair is
Fairtrade?’ on the opposite page.
• 3. What does Brendan O’Neill think and feel
about Fairtrade?
• You must use the text to support your answer.
A3
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How fair is Fairtrade?
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The Fairtrade label is increasingly common. But while shoppers seem keen to pay a little over the odds for Fairtrade
products, I have to ask how effective it really is in helping farmers in developing countries.
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Fairtrade products are popping up everywhere. Gone are the days when you had to trek to an off-the-beaten-track
shop to buy a chocolate bar or a woolly jumper. Now you just need to visit the High Street. Topshop sells Fairtrade
tunics, bubble tops and racer-back vests. Marks and Spencer works with more than 600 Fairtrade cotton farmers in
developing countries, using their cotton to produce chinos, jeans and a host of fashion items. Sainsbury’s sells
Fairtrade coffee and chocolate, and recently announced that the only bananas it will sell in future will come from
Fairtrade producers.
There are more than 2,500 product lines in the UK that carry the Fairtrade mark. Last year we spent £290 million on
Fairtrade food, furniture and clothing. The aim of Fairtrade is clear – to get a better deal for producers in developing
countries. In order to win the Fairtrade tag, companies have to pay more than the market price for their products.
This means producers have extra money to invest in education for their children and other social needs.
But I am not totally convinced that Fairtrade is a good idea. By focusing just on getting a fair price, the Fairtrade
movement doesn’t encourage mechanisation so workers are forced to continue doing back-breaking work and don’t
escape poverty.
So how fair is Fairtrade? Is it just about getting workers in developing countries to accept their situation by giving
them, at best, just a little bit more? I suspect that Fairtrade can end up being a trap for workers in developing
countries, making them dependent on charity-minded shoppers in the West. I worry that these workers can become
prisoners of our shopping habits as they depend on us paying higher prices for their goods.
We all want to be charitable to people who are less fortunate than we are, but I would also ask how a few extra
pennies a day from Fairtrade can be celebrated as an outstanding achievement for the poor. I recently read about
some Fairtrade farmers in Peru who were being paid about £2 a day for working from 6am to 4.30pm. This is more
than they normally earn, but not much more. We are surely right to be concerned that the Fairtrade movement is
focusing on increasing wages by fairly small amounts rather than really changing poor countries through
development and modernisation. Perhaps Fairtrade is more about flattering Western shoppers than changing the
lives of people in developing countries. It appeals to our vanity and makes us feel good about ourselves but really
does little to improve the lives of the poor.
It seems to me that Fairtrade is not the best way out of poverty for everyone.
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Q.3 What does Brendan O’Neill think and feel about Fairtrade? [10]
This question tests knowledge and use of text and inference / interpretation. It also tests appreciation of language.
0 marks: not worthy of credit.
Give 1 mark to those who make simple comments with occasional reference to the text, or copy unselectively. These answers will
struggle to engage with the text and/or the question.
Give 2-4 marks, according to quality, to those who make simple comments based on surface features of the text, and / or show
awareness of more straightforward implicit meaning. These answers may be thin or tending to be unselective in their choice of textual
material.
Give 5-7 marks, according to quality, to those who select appropriate detail from the text to show clear understanding of the writer’s
position / argument.
Give 8-10 marks, according to quality, to those who select appropriate detail from the text to sustain a valid interpretation. These
answers should be thorough as well as perceptive, covering a range of points accurately and coherently.
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Thoughts and feelings?
he feels that Fairtrade is ‘increasingly common’
he thinks its aims are clear, and admirable
he is not convinced it is really a good idea
he thinks it does not address mechanisation
it allows poverty and back-breaking work to continue
it can be a trap for workers
they can become dependent on ‘charity shoppers’/prisoners of the well-intentioned
he thinks a few pennies extra is not a great success or achievement
he thinks Fairtrade just gets small amounts of extra money for the poor
it doesn’t change anything
it is more about ‘flattering’ Western shoppers
it makes us feel good about ourselves
it doesn’t really improve the lives of the poor
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Reward valid ALTERNATIVES
Comparative question
• To answer the next question you will need to
refer to both texts.
• 4. What do these two texts say about the impact
of Fairtrade on people in developing countries?
• Organise your answer into two paragraphs, using
the following headings:
• • what Liz Jones says;
• • what Brendan O’Neill says.
• You must make it clear from which text you get
your information. [10]
This question tests the ability to select material appropriate to purpose, to collate material from different sources and make
cross-references.
0 marks:
not worthy of credit.
Give 1 mark simple comments with occasional reference to the text, or copy unselectively. These answers will struggle to
engage with the question and/or the text.
Give 2-4 marks, according to quality, to those who make simple comments based on surface features of the text and / or
show awareness of more straightforward implicit meanings. These answers may be thin or tending to be
unselective in their choice of textual material.
Give 5-7 marks, according to quality, to those who see a range of valid points and organise the answer clearly and
appropriately.
Give 8-10 marks, according to quality, to those who see a wide range of valid points and organise the answer clearly and
appropriately.
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Jones:
she takes a positive view / it is good
living conditions are better (wooden
houses and improving sanitation)
working conditions are safer (not
handling dangerous chemicals)
there is sick pay and maternity leave
health care
there are better facilities (shop, crèche
and school)
wages are better / escape grinding
poverty
people have protection and hope / a
future
O’Neill:
the impact is not so clear
it helps a little in terms of wages
they can invest in educating their children (and
other social needs)
it leaves (even traps) the people in poverty
it makes them dependent on the Western
shoppers
they become our ‘prisoners’
it stifles real modernisation and development /
stuck with “back-breaking work”
he is less convinced / more sceptical
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Reward valid alternatives