Insert
The source that follows is:
- Source A: 19th-century prose fiction
- The Island of Dr. Moreau by H. G. Wells
An extract from a work first published in 1896.
This extract is from The Island of Dr. Moreau by H. G. Wells. Prendick joins a hunt through dense undergrowth for a Beast Person who has broken 'the Law', confronting fear, pity, and the blurred boundary between human and animal.
Source A
1 Most of us now had lost the first speed of the chase, and had fallen into a longer and steadier stride. I saw as we traversed the open that the pursuit was now spreading from a column into a line. The Hyena-swine still ran close to me, watching me as it ran, every now and then puckering its muzzle with a snarling laugh. At the edge of the rocks the Leopard-man, realising that he
6 was making for the projecting cape upon which he had stalked me on the night of my arrival, had doubled in the undergrowth; but Montgomery had seen the manoeuvre, and turned him again. So, panting, tumbling against rocks, torn by brambles, impeded by ferns and reeds, I helped to pursue the Leopard-man who had broken the Law, and the Hyena-swine ran, laughing savagely, by my side. I
11 staggered on, my head reeling and my heart beating against my ribs, tired almost to death, and yet not daring to lose sight of the chase lest I should be left alone with this horrible companion. I staggered on in spite of infinite fatigue and the dense heat of the tropical afternoon.
16 At last the fury of the hunt slackened. We had pinned the wretched brute into a corner of the island. Moreau, whip in hand, marshalled us all into an irregular line, and we advanced now slowly, shouting to one another as we advanced and tightening the cordon about our victim. He lurked noiseless and invisible in the bushes through which I had run from him during that midnight
21 pursuit. “Steady!” cried Moreau, “steady!” as the ends of the line crept round the tangle of undergrowth and hemmed the brute in.
26 “Ware a rush!” came the voice of Montgomery from beyond the thicket. I was on the slope above the bushes; Montgomery and Moreau beat along the beach beneath. Slowly we pushed in among the fretted network of branches and leaves. The quarry was silent.
31 “Back to the House of Pain, the House of Pain, the House of Pain!” yelped the voice of the Ape-man, some twenty yards to the right. When I heard that, I forgave the poor wretch all the fear he had inspired in
36 me. I heard the twigs snap and the boughs swish aside before the heavy tread of the Horse-rhinoceros upon my right. Then suddenly through a polygon of green, in the half darkness under the luxuriant growth, I saw the creature we were hunting. I halted. He was crouched together into the smallest possible compass, his luminous green eyes turned over his shoulder regarding me.
41 It may seem a strange contradiction in me,—I cannot explain the fact,—but now, seeing the creature there in a perfectly animal attitude, with the light gleaming in its eyes and its imperfectly human face distorted with terror, I realised again the fact of its humanity. In another moment other of its
46 pursuers would see it, and it would be overpowered and captured, to experience once more the horrible tortures of the enclosure. Abruptly I slipped out my revolver, aimed between its terror-struck eyes, and fired. As I did so, the Hyena-swine saw the Thing, and flung itself upon it with an eager cry, thrusting thirsty teeth into its neck. All about me the green masses of the
51 thicket were swaying and cracking as the Beast People came rushing together. One face and then another appeared. “Don’t kill it, Prendick!” cried Moreau. “Don’t kill it!” and I saw him stooping as he pushed through under the fronds of the big ferns.
56 In another moment he had beaten off the Hyena-swine with the handle of his whip, and he and Montgomery were keeping away the excited carnivorous Beast People, and particularly M’ling, from the still quivering body. The hairy-grey Thing came sniffing at the corpse under my arm. The other animals, in their
61 animal ardour, jostled me to get a nearer view. “Confound you, Prendick!” said Moreau. “I wanted him.” “I’m sorry,” said I, though I was not. “It was the impulse of the moment.” I
66 felt sick with exertion and excitement. Turning, I pushed my way out of the crowding Beast People and went on alone up the slope towards the higher part of the headland.
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 was the pursuit spreading from?
- the rocks
- a column
- the open
[1 mark]
1.2 What change in formation does the narrator observe during the pursuit?
- The pursuit spreads from a column into a line.
- The pursuit narrows from a line into a column.
- The pursuit breaks apart into scattered groups.
[1 mark]
1.3 Who still ran close to the narrator?
- The Leopard-man
- Most of us
- The Hyena-swine
[1 mark]
1.4 At the edge of what is the Leopard-man mentioned?
- the open
- the line
- the rocks
[1 mark]
Question 2
Look in detail at this extract, from lines 1 to 15 of the source:
1 Most of us now had lost the first speed of the chase, and had fallen into a longer and steadier stride. I saw as we traversed the open that the pursuit was now spreading from a column into a line. The Hyena-swine still ran close to me, watching me as it ran, every now and then puckering its muzzle with a snarling laugh. At the edge of the rocks the Leopard-man, realising that he
6 was making for the projecting cape upon which he had stalked me on the night of my arrival, had doubled in the undergrowth; but Montgomery had seen the manoeuvre, and turned him again. So, panting, tumbling against rocks, torn by brambles, impeded by ferns and reeds, I helped to pursue the Leopard-man who had broken the Law, and the Hyena-swine ran, laughing savagely, by my side. I
11 staggered on, my head reeling and my heart beating against my ribs, tired almost to death, and yet not daring to lose sight of the chase lest I should be left alone with this horrible companion. I staggered on in spite of infinite fatigue and the dense heat of the tropical afternoon.
How does the writer use language here to describe the pursuit and the narrator’s experience? 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 middle of a novel.
How has the writer structured the text to create a sense of suspense?
You could write about:
- how suspense intensifies 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, where the narrator shoots the creature, this action could be seen as a final, cruel part of the hunt. The writer suggests it is actually an act of pity, to spare the creature from further torture.
To what extent do you agree and/or disagree with this statement?
In your response, you could:
- consider your impressions of Prendick's decision to shoot the Leopard-man
- comment on the methods the writer uses to present the shooting as an act of pity
- support your response with references to the text.
[20 marks]
Question 5
A science fiction fan club is producing a zine and has asked for creative submissions.
Choose one of the options below for your entry.
-
Option A: Describe a futuristic workshop where vehicles are repaired from your imagination. You may choose to use the picture provided for ideas:
-
Option B: Write the opening of a story about a machine that develops a mind of its own.
(24 marks for content and organisation, 16 marks for technical accuracy)
[40 marks]