Insert
The source that follows is:
- Source A: 20th-century prose fiction
- Coming Up for Air by George Orwell
An extract from a work first published in 1939.
This extract is taken from a scene where a destitute man pawns his coat on a freezing night and, approached by a wealthy stranger, is unexpectedly offered work; it explores themes of poverty, dignity and compassion, contrasting harsh urban hardship with sudden, human generosity.
Source A
1 The dim lights of the old pawnbroker's shop flickered violently as the street door opened, letting in a gust of icy wind. The man who came with the wind closed the door with difficulty, approached the
6 low desk, took off his thin coat, shook the sleet from it and laid it on the counter. "As much as ye can," he said crisply. "'Tis me last!"
11 The broker measured the garment with a careless glance and tossed fifty cents on the counter.
16 "Come wanst more, me friend! 'Tis not enough for the illegant coat." Pathos did not appeal often to the old dealer, but this time it did. A vibration in the voice exactly fitted the mystery of something
21 buried deep in the subconsciousness. He questioned the other with a swift glance, hesitated, and by the coin laid another like it. The man nodded.
26 "'Tis little enough, but 'twill do." He took a pencil from the desk and with much effort wrote a few lines on a bit
31 of wrapping paper. Straightening, he fixed a steady gaze on the old face turned, not unkindly, to his. "We have known aiche ither more'n a bit. Ye know I'm not th'
36 drunkard nor th' loafer. I know ye aire a har-r-d man--ye have to be in this trade, har-r-d but square. I am off for good and all; 'tis for the sake of the gyrul and the
41 little man. She'll not go home till I lave her. Sind th' money and the line to the place it spells; 'twill pay her way home--they'll take her, without me; they
46 have said it. Will ye do it?" The old man looked away from him and was silent. "Yes!" he said, at length.
51 They waited and then shook hands, for no reason, after the fashion of men. "What have you been doing of late?" a voice broke in that was
56 clear-cut, sharp, and almost offensively authoritative. It came from a third man standing near, unnoticed. The coatless stranger regarded him steadily, his face
61 hardening. He saw a short, rotund figure, almost swallowed up in a fur coat now thrown open, a heavy chain across the prominent paunch, an enormous diamond above, a prominent
66 curved nose and sweeping black moustache. An elbow on the counter supported a jewelled hand that poised a fat black cigar with an ash half an inch long.
71 The eyes of the two men met, Celt and Hebrew. A moment of strained silence and something passed. What? Eternity's messages travel many channels. The
76 Irishman's resentment faded; his lips framed a slow, sardonic grin. "Me? Sure, I been searchin' for the Christ! Do ye mind that ye saw Him along
81 the way ye came?" "No," said the other simply. "He does not live in New York! You spoke of going for good. Where--without a coat--by the bridge
86 route?" "An' is't your business?" The Irish blood flared. "Perhaps," replied the Hebrew, coolly flicking the ash. And then:
91 "Wouldn't you rather put it off and take a job?" The red faded from the face in front of him, the pale lips parted in silence,
96 and one hand caught the counter. "If you would, come to my place, The Star Pool and Billiard Palace, four blocks above the Bridge, and I'll start you at twelve and a
101 half a week. One of my men skipped with forty dollars' worth of billiard balls yesterday--I am looking for them now. You can have his job. A man who will pawn his coat a
106 night like this for his wife and baby and don't get drunk won't steal billiard balls. It's a business proposition."
111 He drew from his pocket a fat roll of bills and peeled off a five. "Take this on account," he concluded, studiously avoiding the other's gaze. "It will loosen up things at home until to-morrow.
116 Here, take your coat along." From the door the Irishman rushed back, seized the garment, extended his hand,
121 but suddenly withdrew it. "Not now, sor," he stammered brokenly. "Sure, I can't say it! I'll say it ivery day I work for ye."
126 "Good! You're all right! Now hustle, my boy!" The woman in the room sat prone on the floor, her thin shawl sheltering
131 herself and wailing infant. Not an article of furniture remained, not even her little charcoal burner--it had been the last to go. The firm, quick footsteps in the hallway carried a message
136 that brought her face up and drew her eager gaze to the door. The man who stepped within carried an armful of packages. With her eyes riveted on these, her own arms tightened around the emaciated
141 form she held. "Maery!" said the newcomer gently. "Ye have been telling me I'd be finding the
146 Christ Child if I tried hard--I do remember ye said He always came to the pooer an' sick first; to the honest an' thrue! Ye knew, Maery, me girl! Sure, it's in the holy name of ye--the
151 faith. Well, I found Him to-night!" He stood silent, his lips twitching and his face drawn against an emotion that shamed him.
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.
Answer all questions about Source A, an extract set on a winter night in a New York pawnbroker’s shop and its aftermath.
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 Where does the man place the coat after approaching the low desk?
- On the counter
- On the low desk
- On a hook by the door
[1 mark]
1.2 What does the man do immediately before placing the coat on the counter?
- The man shakes sleet from the coat
- The man closes the door with difficulty
- The man approaches the desk
[1 mark]
1.3 What did the man approach?
- The low desk
- The street door
- The counter
[1 mark]
1.4 Where did the man lay the coat?
- On the counter
- On the low desk
- On the street door
[1 mark]
Question 2
Look in detail at this extract, from lines 26 to 40 of the source:
26 "'Tis little enough, but 'twill do." He took a pencil from the desk and with much effort wrote a few lines on a bit
31 of wrapping paper. Straightening, he fixed a steady gaze on the old face turned, not unkindly, to his. "We have known aiche ither more'n a bit. Ye know I'm not th'
36 drunkard nor th' loafer. I know ye aire a har-r-d man--ye have to be in this trade, har-r-d but square. I am off for good and all; 'tis for the sake of the gyrul and the
How does the writer use language here to present the man's plea and character? 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 end of a story.
How has the writer structured the text to create a sense of hope?
You could write about:
- how hope emerges by the end of 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 wealthy man in the fur coat at first seems arrogant and rude. The writer suggests that his appearance is misleading to show how kindness can come from surprising places.
To what extent do you agree and/or disagree with this statement?
In your response, you could:
- consider your impressions of the wealthy man in the fur coat
- comment on the methods the writer uses to present his surprising kindness
- support your response with references to the text.
[20 marks]
Question 5
A local transport group is collecting creative writing to be published in a booklet for bus passengers.
Choose one of the options below for your entry.
-
Option A: Describe a busy bus station from your imagination. You may choose to use the picture provided for ideas:
-
Option B: Write the opening of a story with the title 'The Last Bus'.
(24 marks for content and organisation, 16 marks for technical accuracy)
[40 marks]