Comprehending
100 marks
 Object of the “Comprehending” section:
- To read 2 or 3 extracts
- To answer one A question and one B questions that
follow the text (but not the same text).
- This means you can limit your reading to just two
texts...
Quick tips!
 Read the questions before reading the texts
 Read the texts once through – each.
 Once read, choose the A and B questions you will
answer (not from same extract!)
 Underline key phrases in your questions –
misunderstanding the question is a common error.
 Use the PQE method when answering.
 Make a Point
 Add a Quote
 And Explain the above in your own words (your own
opinion)
Using PQE
E.G.
I think Harry Potter is a brave young and resilient boy.
Although at only twelve years of age he suffers
upheaval when he moves from his Uncle’s home to live
in a school of witch-craft and wizardry, he is tough
enough not to dread it and finds warmth in the
welcome.
“Mr Potter – we’ve been expecting you”.
From this I feel that Harry feels immediately that he
belongs here and can face anything that lies ahead.
1. POINT
I think Harry Potter is a brave young and resilient
boy. Although at only twelve years of age he suffers
upheaval when he moves from his Uncle’s home to
live in a school of witch-craft and wizardry, he is
tough enough not to dread it and finds warmth in
the welcome.
2.
“Mr Potter – we’ve been expecting you”.
QUOTE
From this I feel that Harry feels immediately that
he belongs here and can face anything that lies
ahead.
3. YOUR PERSONAL
EXPLANATION
 If the text is visual spend time observing the dominant
image. Make notes of what appears in the foreground
and the background.
 Remember you will not understand every word in the
text – don’t worry, focus on the gist!
 Be aware of time! Observe the marks allocated to each
question and divide time accordingly.
If asked to discuss...
 STYLISTIC FEATURES
Focus on:
 Language of persuasion
 Descriptive skill
 Information
 Humorous anecdote
 Decorative language (metaphor, simile,
alliteration etc)
Is asked to discuss
 VISUAL IMAGES
 Ask yourself:
 Do they capture what was written in the extract?
 Do they add more description?
 Do they add some description, allowing the text to
build on it further?
 Do they effectively capture the theme of the extract?
 It is clear from this article that Lara Marlowe is a passionate, independent woman who cherishes
cats as much as humans. She seems to be an intense and emotional character with a strong sense
of justice. She is fiercely loyal to her cat, Spike.
Marlowe’s passionate nature comes across in the first sentence, which is decisive and dramatic: ‘I
have venerated cats since early childhood’. Her independent streak is evident as she states that
she could live without people and possessions but ‘a cat is indispensable’. When Marlowe states
the purpose of the article, we see her keen sense of justice. She simply ‘could not allow her
(Boland’s) attack on the feline species... to go unanswered’. Marlowe is very emotional when it
comes to cats and experiences ‘betrayal’ and ‘disappointment’ when people whom she loves or
admires express distaste for cats.
Later in the article, Marlowe says that, like her cat, she zig-zags ‘between boundless energy and
exhaustion’. This suggests a person of extremes and might explain why her love of cats is so
intense. Some people may find her attachment to Spike the cat a little eccentric, although catlovers would definitely identify with her passion for the feline species.
Marlowe enjoys a cosmopolitan and stimulating lifestyle, living in places as diverse as
Washington, Beirut and Paris, while learning Arabic along the way. Despite her somewhat
unsettled existence, home is an important aspect of her lifestyle. Marlowe enjoys her creature
comforts – the feather duvet, the fireside in winter – as long as they are shared with Spike. Her
ability to uproot and resettle in different parts of the world implies that she is independent,
adventurous and ‘chronically restless’.
Solitude is a part of her lifestyle too. She enjoys reading and watching the birds from her terrace
with Spike. She compares herself to the 8th century Irish monk and scribe who also loved his cat,
Pangur-Ban. Like the monk, she works alone at home but the constant presence of Spike means
that she is never really alone.
In conclusion, Marlowe is an intense and passionate cat-lover whose lifestyle is a curious blend
of travel and solitude.
Marlowe uses persuasive, emotive language when she speaks of her cat, Spike, and this is very
engaging. Her passion and conviction are evident in her firm, dramatic statements: ‘There are people
and possessions I could live without. But a cat is indispensable’. Marlowe expresses her emotions
forcefully. Rosita Boland is described as ‘a cherished friend and colleague’, but her ‘attack’ on the feline
species provokes a sense of betrayal and disappointment in Marlowe. Similarly, her love of Spike does
not need to be explained by logic or argument: ‘I cannot explain why reading is more pleasurable with
a cat sitting in teapot mode... but it is so’. Cats simply make life better and we should accept this.
Marlowe’s descriptive skill is also a very appealing aspect of this article. Her vivid descriptions of
Spike’s physique and personality bring him to life for the reader. We can easily visualise him as he
‘purred triumphantly from the top of the sofa and rolled on his back’ or as his ‘haunches quiver as he
prepares to leap’. By the end of the article, the reader feels very well acquainted with Spike, the ‘goodtime cat’, who constantly enriches the author’s life.
Marlowe uses language of information to good effect as she reminds us that ‘the ancient Egyptians
worshipped cats’ and ‘medieval man burned them as witches’. Her writing is well-informed as she can
point to the role of cats in art and literature, citing Hemingway, Baudelaire, Foujita, Steinlen and Joyce.
Humorous anecdotes also add to the article’s appeal as Marlowe shares moments from everyday life
with the reader – the thinking cat, Feyrouz, who enjoys Arabic lessons, Spike walking on the keyboard,
the visitor whose status is quickly diminished when Spike hisses at them.
All of the above stylistic features combine to make Marlowe’s article engaging and
entertaining
Images 1 and 2 capture some, but not all, of the different characteristics attributed to cats by Marlowe
and others in the text.
Image 1, Juliet Manet with Cat, captures the bond between human and cat, which is central to
Marlowe’s argument. Just as cats have enriched Marlowe’s life, we can see that the relationship between
the girl and her cat is mutually beneficial. The body language of the cat as he luxuriates in the child’s
lap and tilts his head back suggests a very pleasurable existence. The child’s arms encircle the cat
protectively, just as Marlowe feels very protective towards Spike and all cats. The child’s facial
expression is serene and she appears to be deep in thought. No doubt the cat has a calming influence
on her.
The image also recalls Victor Hugo’s words, ‘God invented the cat to give man the pleasure of petting a
tiger’.
Image 2, Summer: Cat on a balustrade, indicates the mystery of cats, which eludes us. The cat’s body is
relaxed but his brow is furrowed and one can only imagine what he is contemplating. Or is he gazing at
something specific? This gaze intrigues, just as Baudelaire was intrigued by the gaze of his own cat.
The image points to Marlowe’s conviction that cats are definitely thinking creatures. It also captures
Joyce’s belief, ‘They understand what we say better than we understand them.’
However, these images do not capture the full range of characteristics that Marlowe attributes to cats.
The humour and mischief of cats is absent from these pictures. The ‘boundless energy’ and chronic
restlessness of Spike is nowhere to be seen. Nor do we see the predatory nature of cats as they hunt
birds or go ‘mousing’. The famed curiosity of cats is also absent as we do not see a cat sniffing in corners
or poking its head into unknown places as so many cats do.
To conclude, these images do not effectively capture the full range of characteristics that are attributed
to cats by Marlowe and others.