English Language
IGCSE Style
Commissioned by The PiXL Club Ltd.
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1
Read Passage A carefully and then answer questions 1 and 2
Passage A: Big Cats: More Than Fantasy?
Dr Andrew Hemmings is a senior lecturer in Animal Science at the Royal Agricultural
University. He has been researching the idea that big cats may be roaming in the wild
countryside of the United Kingdom.
For many years there has been speculation about what may be stealthily roaming in the
undergrowth of the most remote parts of the United Kingdom. Often the material of rural
legends passed on through generations, the alleged sightings of big cats has more often
than not been cynically dismissed as embellished fantasy or pure hoax. Until now, that is. Dr
Andrew Hemmings, a senior lecturer in Animal Science, is determined to delve into the
unknown, mysterious depths of the big cat sightings. It will not be an easy task however, as
these animals are amazingly elusive.
Over the past year, Dr Hemmings has been conducting on going research into the big cat
phenomenon and has already identified the remains of some wild animals that may have
been eaten by creatures far larger than any of the country’s known carnivores. The project
has involved an analysis of twenty skeletal animal remains recovered from across
Gloucestershire and other nearby counties. The bones have been provided by volunteers,
farmers and landowners and were selected because they each had unusual teeth markings
on them or the circumstances of their death led people to a belief that these animals may
have been killed by a big cat. However, as dogs’ teeth can make similar indentations, more
analysis was conducted to look out for markings made by carnassial teeth, used for shearing
flesh and bone.
Out of the 20 remains recovered by Dr Hemmings and his team, 17 had insufficient markings
to make a judgement but in the remaining 3 cases the markings clearly indicate that big
cats, not domestic dogs, are responsible. Dr Hemmings now wants to build up the evidence
base before publishing his research and he seems satisfied that the evidence is tentatively
pointing in the direction of the big cat being more a reality than a myth. It will take more
time and more evidence in the form of fresher carcasses to create a plausible theory.
Big cat sightings have spawned legends for several years and so it is the general public, not
just scientists, who are fascinated with the idea that big cats are roaming unchecked in our
countryside. There are descriptions of big cats unhurriedly stalking their prey and then
moving every part of their sinewy bodies to ambush their unsuspecting victim, often
breaking the ribs of the prey animal as if it were made of delicate wire. Others describe that
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once the prey is dead, the big cat parades majestically, kinglike, around its submissive
subject; its long tail giving a victory salute to any mere mortal who may be watching. By the
time people arrive on the scene to investigate all that remains is a pile of skeletal remains
sheared of all flesh, an unnerving reminder of strength and power that taunts all who see it.
Despite such detailed descriptions there are more than a few cynics who believe that these
things are no more than an overexcited frenzy and a waste of emergency service time. The
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food conducted an official investigation into the idea
of ‘beasts’ and other unknown animals reported to be roaming around Britain in 1995 and
concluded there was no ‘verifiable evidence’ of any exotic felines loose in the country. Dr
Hemmings remains cautious but committed, “You can understand why these cats may gain
a foothold and establish themselves and reproduce. I don’t know whether they are out
there. I have an empirical mindset so would need to have proof. At the end of the day,
science needs a body”.
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1
Question 1
You are Dr Andrew Hemmings. Write your journal account about the recent developments
in the search for big cats in the United Kingdom.
In your journal you should comment on:



What evidence has been found so far in your search for big cats in Britain.
Your experiences and feelings as you have investigated.
Your hopes for the future of your investigation.
Base the journal on what you have read in Passage A and be careful to use your own words.
You should begin your journal with the words, “I think I am on the edge of an interesting
discovery”.
Up to fifteen marks will be available for the content of your answer, and up to five marks for
the quality of your writing.
(20 marks)
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2
Re-read the descriptions of:
(a)
The views people have about big cat sightings in paragraph 1, beginning “For
many years”
(b)
The big cats in paragraph 4, beginning “Big cat sightings have spawned
legends…”
Select words and phrases from these descriptions, and explain how the writer has
created effects by using this language.
(10 marks)
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(Turn over for part 2)
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Part 2
Question 3 is based on both Passage A and Passage B.
Read Passage B carefully, and then re-read Passage A.
Passage B
Why Are We So Obsessed With Scary Stories of Beasts and Monsters?
This passage is taken from an internet article looking into why human beings enjoy the
love of a good fright, especially the threat of beasts and monsters.
Why is it that the very thing that terrifies us is the very thing we crave? For generations,
children have sat around the glowing embers of campfires hearing stories of the ghastly, the
terrifying and the mysterious. Children clamour for the gory details of monster stories and
grown ups queue up for the latest thrilling horror filled blockbuster, but why? These very
past-times cause our hearts to pump faster, sweat to pour down our faces and our hairs to
stand on end. We report feeling on edge, stressed even, and complain about re-occuring
nightmares for days afterwards and yet we still yearn for the experience of being frightened.
Maybe we enjoy all feeling the same emotions, it brings us together as a community when
very little else does.
Some argue that it is beneficial for us to feel fear in a safe environment. When we hear tales
of monsters, aliens or vampires attacking human beings we can get carried away with the
danger in the story whilst all the time knowing deep down that we are not in real danger.
Through stories we can face some of our greatest fears of being chased, attacked and being
left defenceless. We especially enjoy watching or hearing about the hero who stands up to
the attacker and responds in remarkably brave ways because we know that, in the real
world, people run away more often than not. In Hollywood, heroes do what we wish we
would do in real life. In these films, the hero conquers and the enemy is defeated and we
feel a collective sense of relief that good can conquer evil and we are not all cowards. No
matter what fear we may have felt during the film, we leave our cinema seats with a sense
of courage and justice; the feel good factor that emerges after being scared witless, is
addictive.
Some people compare the love of being scared to the love of eating uncomfortably spicy
food. Many people avoid the foods that make your eyes water, your tongue feel on fire and
your brow to sweat and yet other people love them precisely because they do all of this.
Research has shown that often people who enjoy these experiences enjoy them because
they enjoy their body’s own negative response to the food they are eating. Rozin, who
conducted research into this area, suggests that the enjoyment comes from a sense of
mental domination over the body that is responding in a knee-jerk reaction. Interestingly,
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the same people who liked the spicy food experience also enjoyed frightening movies,
theme park rides and feeling their heart pound.
However, these theories can surely only be true if the danger is not real. How many people
would enjoy feeling really scared or really threatened by something that was happening in
their town or city? When there are sightings of unidentified dangerous animals on the loose
people stay in doors, fearing for their children’s safety. The rise of the urban fox has created
fear amongst many a city dweller who daren’t leave the doors or windows open in case an
unwelcome fox appears in their kitchen. Foxes and big cats seem weak and tame compared
to the beasts of Hollywood and yet it is in the former where the real fear lies.
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3
Summarise:
(a)
The reasons why people enjoy feeling fear, as described in Passage B;
(b)
The evidence for the existence of big cats, as described in Passage A.
Use your own words as far as possible.
You should write about 1 side in total, allowing for the size of your handwriting.
Up to fifteen marks will be available for the content of your answer, and up to five
marks for the quality of your writing.
(20 marks)
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