English past paper 2010

Dear Zach,

I just had my amazing day at a gorilla sanctuary and I thought it would be a good idea to tell you what happened, so that you can visit here next time. It was a whole new experience seeing gorillas right in front of my eyes. They were so adorable and interesting.

The first chimp I saw was named Max and he was wearing a nappy. Have you ever imagined a gorilla wearing a nappy? For me, it was unexpected, so I was so amused by the first sight. What's more is that they are intelligent, so they can communicate with people. Max was really curious about everything and we could see the trust between him and Mark, who he stays with all the time. Chimps are just like babies. They play with children's toys, cling onto people and love being hugged. They are full of emotions. They get jealous when their caretaker takes care of other chimps and they love getting the attention. Oh, did you know that chimps don't go bald when chimpanzees do?

I met two people there and they were Mark, who I mentioned before and Madame Yvette. They were both working in the gorilla sanctuary, and they were both passionate and open minded. We could see that they care a lot for their chimps, looking at how they treat chimps just like their own babies. However, they were different at times. Mark was rather calm and quiet when Madame Yvette was bright and active. They were both great at care taking the chimps.

While I was having a great time in the sanctuary, I heard a depressing news. They told me that hunters kill the mother chimp and take away the baby to sell it as a pet to villagers. It is rare for the baby chimp to be rescued and sent to the sanctuary and even if they do, they arrive in bad physical wounds and their stomachs are full of earth they consumed due to the dearth of food. Because these chimps are sensitive, the babies who experience the mothers' death, are traumatised and can even lead to them dying of grief, refusing to eat. There were twenty-seven rescued chimps but only four are still alive. The sanctuary needs our help to provide better care and cure for the chimps including food supply and medical supply. I have entered my name for being the constant volunteer and I am planning to make donations overtime. Don't you want to join me? It is going to be an enormous help for the baby like chimps and caring care takers.

Just consider what I suggested and I will be waiting for your answer! See you soon!

Love,
Lary

First language English past paper

Interview with Signor

Interviewer: Some people say you are an eccentric man whose behaviour is odd at times. Are they right?

Signor: I guess some people can take it that way, but I don't think my behaviour is odd. It's just what a great conductor should do. We need to have fixed rules and I'm just following my daily routines. I get so frustrated whenever something stops me from continuing what I want to do. I mean, we all have our own daily routines right? We can go to high class restaurants to eat curry and enjoy riding our limousine, don't we? For me, I get bored of the perfection and wealth and I need my ears to get used to the noises before concerts, so I take a taxi despite the inconvenience. I don't see how that is eccentric. If that is, that means all the people around the world are weird. I can't stand my plans or my daily routines being ruined. That is just being organised, isn't it? I can't find anything wrong in this.

Interviewer: Oh, I see. As you always stick to your plans, how did today's concert go? I heard that there was an unexpected happening that took place. Can you explain about that?

Signor: It wasn't a big problem for me, it was just a mistake caused by a new time keeper. It wasn't my fault, the time keeper told me the time late, so I didn't have any time to get ready and be prepared just like I normally do before I conduct a stage. Just like any other great conductors, I need to prepare for myself to be prefect as I always do.

Interviewer: Oh, I'm sorry if it disturbed you. Anyway, why do you like conducting? 

Signor: I have always loved music since I was a little kid and I always liked leading others and helping them get in the right way. As a young boy, I wanted to be a general but as I grew up, I was in love with the music and decided that I want to live my life with melody and rhythms, and I found this interesting profession called conductor which is somehow like general of a musical concert. I think I have a good leadership and I manage my feelings quite decently. I also love entertaining people. The performers also love me, and I love being a small part of a magnificent team.

Interviewer: So, it can count as you achieving your past dreams! I have the last question for you. Since you have worked as a conductor for a long time, do you think that the time has come for you to retire from conducting?

Signor: No, not at all! The more experience you have, the better you conduct. If I can, I wouldn't mind dying working as a conductor. Why would you want to stop it when so many people come to look at your concerts and they praise you, give you all the attention and more? I love getting the attention I get because I am the most important person in the music hall. If I retire, I think I will die of depression from not getting what I want and what I want to do. I know I have a lot of money and I am successful, but now, it's not my goal to earn money or experience, but interact with people and keep on being famous. I love the fame given to me. That is the most precious thing I could ask for in my whole life. 

Interviewer: Okay, Mr. Signor, thank you for your passionate interview and your amazing answers!

Signor: No problem. It has been a great honour to be interviewed.

Interviewer: It has been a pleasure to interview you and thank you so much for your time. I appreciate it very much. 



Corrections are in blue.

First Language English

Paper 1 Reading and writing (Core)

0500/11

2. Your class is planning a trip to Europe and will be staying near Efteling.You have written to your cousin  who lives in the area asking for details about the park and if it would be suitable place for your class to visit. Write the letter your cousin sends in reply. 

Dear Sarah,

I just checked your letter and you are wondering if Efteling is a suitable place for your class to visit, right? You should definitely consider visiting Efteling! As you know, I stay right next to Efteling and I have seen a lot of people going there, so it is certainly a tourist attraction.

I, myself have been to Efteling and it is an eccentric theme park! There are talking litter bins and a lot of creative creations which will catch your attention. It is not as artificial as other theme parks because of the wood and flowers surrounding it. The rides are not only for the kids but some of them are even thrilling for adults as well, so I guess children your age will enjoy riding them.

If you're planning to stay in Efteling for a night, I recommend hotel Golden Tulip Efteling as it provides its own entrance to the park which makes it more convenient and less time consuming. The rooms are also large and comfortable which are suitable for group trips.

If your trip is in winter, you can enjoy the huge ice rink which is safely designed and your friends who don't like skating can also spend their time cozily with hot drinks in 'apres-ski' bar. There is also an indoor winter wonderland which provides a lot of activities like snowball throwing stalls and snow slides.

At night, you will be amused by the spectacular sight of lightings and festivals by musicians and entertainers. It is opened until 8, so you can have fun without being chased by time. Rain is not a problem in Efteling as there are a lot to do under cover.

On the other side, the decorations and some rides might be a bit childish for you if you want an educational trip. It would be more to the fun side than learning something. But, I think its worth the time and you should relax and have some exciting memories with your friends, so I'm happy to recommend this theme park to you.

Anyway, take care and let's meet up anytime soon! I hope you can have the best trip with your friends!

Love,
Ye Un

English past paper

First Language English

Paper 1 Reading Passage (Core)

1. h) Parents would particularly like the fact that Efteling is less artificial than other theme parks, there are clever details like talking litter bins which keep children interested and also teach them that rubbish should go in the bin. There is also a comfortable hotel where they can stay with large playing area and because of its own entrance to the park, guests can get some priorities for some rides. It is also a place where they can take their children during winter time with huge, safe, indoor skating rink with bars where parents can have hot drinks while waiting for their children. Efteling also provides good value of money because it stays open until 8pm, which is enough time for enjoying the rides in the park. There is plenty to do under cover in case it rains, so rain wouldn't be a problem in enjoying the theme park.

First Language English for Cambridge IGCSE

pg. 74

Before the Sun

 by Charles Mungoshi

Intense blue morning
promising early heat
and later in the afternoon,
heavy rain.


The bright chips
fly from the sharp axe
for some distance through the air,
arc,
and eternities later,
settle down in showers
on the dewy grass.


It is a big log:
but when you are fourteen
big logs
are what you want.


The wood gives off
a sweet nose-cleansing odour
which (unlike sawdust)
doesn't make one sneeze.


It sends up a thin spiral
of smoke which later straightens
and flutes out
to the distant sky: a signal
of some sort,
or a sacrificial prayer.


The wood hisses,
The sparks fly.


And when the sun
finally shows up
in the East like some
latecomer to a feast
I have got two cobs of maize
ready for it.


I tell the sun to come share
with me the roasted maize
and the sun just winks
like a grown-up.


So I go ahead, taking big
alternate bites:
one for the sun,
one for me.
This one for the sun,
this one for me:
till the cobs
are just two little skeletons
in the sun.

Analysis (my opinion) 

In the first stanza, the poet is referring blue morning to the young age and afternoon as the old age. As a young child, you dream about your future and you look forward for that, but as you grow older, you realise success is not easy to gain. You might think some experiences are useless and unimportant, but everything that you have experienced turns out to be a benefit later in the future and they help you settle down.

As a young fourteen year old,  you like to face challenges and adventure and look for difficulties instead of running away from them. After the hard challenge, you can feel the sweet sense of accomplishment and doesn't do harm to anybody unlike trying to finish a challenge the easy way or by cheating.

The achievement after sacrificing your free time and hobbies, can build up and even though it might be weak and not stable at first, later contributes to living triumphant life. It is very competitive and the latecomers don't get what they want.

The sun here might represent parents or other adult as it just watches the poet enjoy his maize instead of joining him so that he can have more. Parents try to do whatever the child wants and give them everything until nothing is left just like the two little skeletons left after finishing the maize. They give up their own time for the sake of their children. Children usually don't realise the sacrifice and just enjoy what they get just like the poet enjoying the maize which was meant for the sun.