Insert
The source that follows is:
- Source A: 20th-century prose fiction
- The Secret Sharer by Joseph Conrad
An extract from a work first published in 1910.
This extract is from The Secret Sharer by Joseph Conrad, where a young, isolated ship’s captain, alone on deck at night, discovers a mysterious swimmer clinging to the ladder; eerie phosphorescence and tense dialogue foreground secrecy, identity, authority, and an urgent moral choice.
Source A
1 Not from compunction certainly, but, as it were mechanically, I proceeded to get the ladder in myself. Now a side ladder of that sort is a light affair and comes in easily, yet my vigorous tug, which should have brought it flying on board, merely recoiled upon my body in a totally unexpected jerk. What the devil!... I was so astounded by the immovableness of that ladder that I
6 remained stock-still, trying to account for it to myself like that imbecile mate of mine. In the end, of course, I put my head over the rail. The side of the ship made an opaque belt of shadow on the darkling glassy shimmer of the sea. But I saw at once something elongated and pale floating
11 very close to the ladder. Before I could form a guess a faint flash of phosphorescent light, which seemed to issue suddenly from the naked body of a man, flickered in the sleeping water with the elusive, silent play of summer lightning in a night sky. With a gasp I saw revealed to my stare a pair of feet, the long legs, a broad livid back immersed right up to the neck in a
16 greenish cadaverous glow. One hand, awash, clutched the bottom rung of the ladder. He was complete but for the head. A headless corpse! The cigar dropped out of my gaping mouth with a tiny plop and a short hiss quite audible in the absolute stillness of all things under heaven. At that I suppose he raised up his face, a dimly pale oval in the shadow of the ship’s side. But even then I
21 could only barely make out down there the shape of his black-haired head. However, it was enough for the horrid, frost-bound sensation which had gripped me about the chest to pass off. The moment of vain exclamations was past, too. I only climbed on the spare spar and leaned over the rail as far as I could, to bring my eyes nearer to that mystery floating alongside.
26 As he hung by the ladder, like a resting swimmer, the sea lightning played about his limbs at every stir; and he appeared in it ghastly, silvery, fishlike. He remained as mute as a fish, too. He made no motion to get out of the water, either. It was inconceivable that he should not attempt to come on
31 board, and strangely troubling to suspect that perhaps he did not want to. And my first words were prompted by just that troubled incertitude. “What’s the matter?” I asked in my ordinary tone, speaking down to the face upturned exactly under mine.
36 “Cramp,” it answered, no louder. Then slightly anxious, “I say, no need to call anyone.” “I was not going to,” I said.
41 “Are you alone on deck?” “Yes.”
46 I had somehow the impression that he was on the point of letting go the ladder to swim away beyond my ken--mysterious as he came. But, for the moment, this being appearing as if he had risen from the bottom of the sea (it was certainly the nearest land to the ship) wanted only to know the time. I told him. And he, down there, tentatively:
51 “I suppose your captain’s turned in?” “I am sure he isn’t,” I said.
56 He seemed to struggle with himself, for I heard something like the low, bitter murmur of doubt. “What’s the good?” His next words came out with a hesitating effort. “Look here, my man. Could you call him out quietly?”
61 I thought the time had come to declare myself. “I am the captain.”
66 I heard a “By Jove!” whispered at the level of the water. The phosphorescence flashed in the swirl of the water all about his limbs, his other hand seized the ladder. “My name’s Leggatt.”
71 The voice was calm and resolute. A good voice. The self-possession of that man had somehow induced a corresponding state in myself. It was very quietly that I remarked:
76 “You must be a good swimmer.” “Yes. I’ve been in the water practically since nine o’clock. The question for me now is whether I am to let go this ladder and go on swimming till I sink from exhaustion, or--to come on board here.”
Questions
Instructions
- Answer all questions.
- Use black ink or black ball point pen.
- Fill in the boxes on this page.
- You must answer the questions in the spaces provided.
- Do not write outside the box around each page or on blank pages.
- Do all rough work in this book. Cross through any work you do not want to be marked.
- You must refer to the insert booklet provided.
- You must not use a dictionary.
Information
- The marks for questions are shown in brackets.
- Time allowed: 1 hour 45 minutes
- The maximum mark for this paper is 80.
- There are 40 marks for Section A and 40 marks for Section B.
- You are reminded of the need for good English and clear presentation in your answers.
- You will be assessed on the quality of your reading in Section A.
- You will be assessed on the quality of your writing in Section B.
Advice
- You are advised to spend about 15 minutes reading through the source and all five questions you have to answer.
- You should make sure you leave sufficient time to check your answers.
Section A: Reading
Answer all questions in this section. You are advised to spend about 45 minutes on this section.
Question 1
Read again the first part of the source, from lines 1 to 5.
Answer all parts of this question.
Choose one answer for each question.
1.1 What does the narrator proceed to get in?
- a side ladder
- a mooring line
- an anchor chain
[1 mark]
1.2 How does the narrator describe the ladder?
- a light affair
- a heavy burden
- a rigid frame
[1 mark]
1.3 What happens when the narrator tugs on the side ladder?
- The ladder stays firm and throws the narrator off balance.
- The ladder lifts easily and comes up at once.
- The ladder breaks and splinters under the narrator's hands.
[1 mark]
1.4 What was the narrator astounded by regarding the ladder?
- the ladder’s immovableness
- the ladder’s weight
- the ladder’s length
[1 mark]
Question 2
Look in detail at this extract, from lines 6 to 20 of the source:
6 remained stock-still, trying to account for it to myself like that imbecile mate of mine. In the end, of course, I put my head over the rail. The side of the ship made an opaque belt of shadow on the darkling glassy shimmer of the sea. But I saw at once something elongated and pale floating
11 very close to the ladder. Before I could form a guess a faint flash of phosphorescent light, which seemed to issue suddenly from the naked body of a man, flickered in the sleeping water with the elusive, silent play of summer lightning in a night sky. With a gasp I saw revealed to my stare a pair of feet, the long legs, a broad livid back immersed right up to the neck in a
16 greenish cadaverous glow. One hand, awash, clutched the bottom rung of the ladder. He was complete but for the head. A headless corpse! The cigar dropped out of my gaping mouth with a tiny plop and a short hiss quite audible in the absolute stillness of all things under heaven. At that I suppose he raised up his face, a dimly pale oval in the shadow of the ship’s side. But even then I
How does the writer use language here to create a sense of shock and mystery around the figure in the water? You could include the writer's choice of:
- words and phrases
- language features and techniques
- sentence forms.
[8 marks]
Question 3
You now need to think about the structure of the source as a whole. This text is from the start of a story.
How has the writer structured the text to create a sense of suspense?
You could write about:
- how suspense builds throughout the source
- how the writer uses structure to create an effect
- the writer's use of any other structural features, such as changes in mood, tone or perspective.
[8 marks]
Question 4
For this question focus on the second part of the source, from line 16 to the end.
In this part of the source, the man in the water is first described as a horrifying headless body. The writer suggests this shock is misleading, as the man turns out to be surprisingly calm and in control.
To what extent do you agree and/or disagree with this statement?
In your response, you could:
- consider your impressions of the man in the water
- comment on the methods the writer uses to portray the man in the water
- support your response with references to the text.
[20 marks]
Question 5
Next month, your school's eco club will publish a page of student creative writing on its website.
Choose one of the options below for your entry.
-
Option A: Describe a winter hedgerow beside a field from your imagination. You may choose to use the picture provided for ideas:
-
Option B: Write the opening of a story about two strangers whose lives are worlds apart.
(24 marks for content and organisation, 16 marks for technical accuracy)
[40 marks]