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 (1896) by H. G. Wells, in which a shipwrecked narrator on a remote island is stalked at night by a shadowy pursuer, creating suspense and hinting at the novel's themes of fear and blurred human-animal boundaries.
Source A
1 A twig snapped behind me, and there was a rustle. I turned, and stood facing the dark trees. I could see nothing—or else I could see too much. Every dark form in the dimness had its ominous quality, its peculiar suggestion of alert watchfulness. So I stood for perhaps a minute, and then, with an eye to the trees still, turned westward to cross the headland; and as I moved, one among
6 the lurking shadows moved to follow me. My heart beat quickly. Presently the broad sweep of a bay to the westward became visible, and I halted again. The noiseless shadow halted a dozen yards from me. A little point of light shone on the further bend of the curve, and
11 the grey sweep of the sandy beach lay faint under the starlight. Perhaps two miles away was that little point of light. To get to the beach I should have to go through the trees where the shadows lurked, and down a bushy slope. I could see the Thing rather more distinctly now. It was no animal, for it
16 stood erect. At that I opened my mouth to speak, and found a hoarse phlegm choked my voice. I tried again, and shouted, “Who is there?” There was no answer. I advanced a step. The Thing did not move, only gathered itself together. My foot struck a stone. That gave me an idea. Without taking my eyes off the black form before me, I stooped and picked up this lump of rock; but
21 at my motion the Thing turned abruptly as a dog might have done, and slunk obliquely into the further darkness. Then I recalled a schoolboy expedient against big dogs, and twisted the rock into my handkerchief, and gave this a turn round my wrist. I heard a movement further off among the shadows, as if the Thing was in retreat. Then suddenly my tense excitement gave way; I broke
26 into a profuse perspiration and fell a-trembling, with my adversary routed and this weapon in my hand. It was some time before I could summon resolution to go down through the trees and bushes upon the flank of the headland to the beach. At last I did it at a
31 run; and as I emerged from the thicket upon the sand, I heard some other body come crashing after me. At that I completely lost my head with fear, and began running along the sand. Forthwith there came the swift patter of soft feet in pursuit. I gave a wild cry, and redoubled my pace. Some dim, black things about three or four times the size of rabbits went running or hopping up from
36 the beach towards the bushes as I passed. So long as I live, I shall remember the terror of that chase. I ran near the water’s edge, and heard every now and then the splash of the feet that gained upon me. Far away, hopelessly far, was the yellow light. All the night about
41 us was black and still. Splash, splash, came the pursuing feet, nearer and nearer. I felt my breath going, for I was quite out of training; it whooped as I drew it, and I felt a pain like a knife at my side. I perceived the Thing would come up with me long before I reached the enclosure, and, desperate and sobbing for my breath, I wheeled round upon it and struck at it as it came up
46 to me,—struck with all my strength. The stone came out of the sling of the handkerchief as I did so. As I turned, the Thing, which had been running on all-fours, rose to its feet, and the missile fell fair on its left temple. The skull rang loud, and the animal-man blundered into me, thrust me back with its hands, and went staggering past me to fall headlong upon the sand with its
51 face in the water; and there it lay still. I could not bring myself to approach that black heap. I left it there, with the water rippling round it, under the still stars, and giving it a wide berth pursued my way towards the yellow glow of the house; and presently, with a
56 positive effect of relief, came the pitiful moaning of the puma, the sound that had originally driven me out to explore this mysterious island. At that, though I was faint and horribly fatigued, I gathered together all my strength, and began running again towards the light. I thought I heard a voice calling me.
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 Which direction does the narrator turn to cross the headland?
- Westward
- Eastward
- Northward
[1 mark]
1.2 After turning, what did the narrator face?
- the dimness
- the headland
- the dark trees
[1 mark]
1.3 How long does the narrator stand still before turning to cross the headland?
- About a minute
- Several minutes
- Half an hour
[1 mark]
1.4 What was the narrator still keeping an eye on?
- the dimness
- the headland
- the trees
[1 mark]
Question 2
Look in detail at this extract, from lines 6 to 10 of the source:
6 the lurking shadows moved to follow me. My heart beat quickly. Presently the broad sweep of a bay to the westward became visible, and I halted again. The noiseless shadow halted a dozen yards from me. A little point of light shone on the further bend of the curve, and
How does the writer use language here to build tension and show the night-time scene? 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 chaos?
You could write about:
- how chaos intensifies 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 narrator finally defeats the creature that was chasing him. The writer suggests that instead of feeling triumphant, the narrator is still horrified and just wants to escape.
To what extent do you agree and/or disagree with this statement?
In your response, you could:
- consider your impressions of the narrator after defeating the animal-man
- comment on the methods the writer uses to portray the narrator's horror and fatigue
- support your response with references to the text.
[20 marks]
Question 5
An online environmental journal is publishing a collection of writing by young people.
Choose one of the options below for your entry.
-
Option A: Describe the moment a powerful storm hits a seaside town from your imagination. You may choose to use the picture provided for ideas:
-
Option B: Write the opening of a story about facing a challenge alone.
(24 marks for content and organisation, 16 marks for technical accuracy)
[40 marks]