Insert
The source that follows is:
- Source A: 19th-century prose fiction
- Ward No. 6 by Anton Chekhov
An extract from a work first published in 1892.
This extract is from Ward No. 6 and presents a character enthralled by a legend of a Black Monk; during a twilight walk he witnesses a mysterious figure, creating a dreamlike atmosphere and raising questions about perception, memory, and the boundaries between reality and imagination.
Source A
1 "All day--since early morning," he began, "my head has been taken up with a strange legend. I cannot remember whether I read it, or where I heard it, but the legend is very remarkable and not very coherent. I
6 may begin by saying that it is not very clear. A thousand years ago a monk, robed in black, wandered in the wilderness--somewhere in Syria or Arabia ... Some miles away
11 the fishermen saw another black monk moving slowly over the surface of the lake. The second monk was a mirage. Now put out of your mind all the laws of optics, which legend, of course,
16 does not recognise, and listen. From the first mirage was produced another mirage, from the second a third, so that the image of the Black Monk is eternally reflected from one stratum of the
21 atmosphere to another. At one time it was seen in Africa, then in Spain, then in India, then in the Far North. At last it issued from the limits of the earth's atmosphere, but never came across conditions which
26 would cause it to disappear. Maybe it is seen to-day in Mars or in the constellation of the Southern Cross. Now the whole point, the very essence of the legend, lies in
31 the prediction that exactly a thousand years after the monk went into the wilderness, the mirage will again be cast into the atmosphere of the earth and show itself to the world
36 of men. This term of a thousand years, it appears, is now expiring.... According to the legend we must expect the Black Monk to-day or to-morrow."
41 "It is a strange story," said Tánya, whom the legend did not please. "But the most astonishing thing," laughed Kovrin, "is that I cannot remember
46 how this legend came into my head. Did I read it? Did I hear it? Or can it be that I dreamed of the Black Monk? I cannot remember. But the legend interests me. All day long I thought of nothing else."
51 Releasing Tánya, who returned to her visitors, he went out of the house, and walked lost in thought beside the flower-beds. Already the sun was setting.
56 The freshly watered flowers exhaled a damp, irritating smell. In the house the music had again begun, and from the distance the violin produced the effect of a human voice. Straining his memory
61 in an attempt to recall where he had heard the legend, Kovrin walked slowly across the park, and then, not noticing where he went, to the river-bank.
66 By the path which ran down among the uncovered roots to the water's edge Kovrin descended, frightening the snipe, and disturbing two ducks. On the dark
71 pine trees glowed the rays of the setting sun, but on the surface of the river darkness had already fallen. Kovrin crossed the stream. Before him now lay a broad field covered with young rye.
76 Neither human dwelling nor human soul was visible in the distance; and it seemed that the path must lead to the unexplored, enigmatical region in the west where the sun had already set--
81 where still, vast and majestic, flamed the afterglow. "How open it is--how peaceful and free!" thought Kovrin, walking along the
86 path. "It seems as if all the world is looking at me from a hiding-place and waiting for me to comprehend it." A wave passed over the rye, and the light evening breeze blew softly
91 on his uncovered head. Yet a minute more and the breeze blew again, this time more strongly, the rye rustled, and from behind came the dull murmur of the pines.
96 Kovrin stopped in amazement On the horizon, like a cyclone or waterspout, a great, black pillar rose up from earth to heaven. Its outlines were undefined; but from the first it might
101 be seen that it was not standing still, but moving with inconceivable speed towards Kovrin; and the nearer it came the smaller and smaller it grew. Involuntarily Kovrin rushed aside and made a path for it.
106 A monk in black clothing, with grey hair and black eyebrows, crossing his hands upon his chest, was borne past. His bare feet were above the ground.
111 Having swept some twenty yards past Kovrin, he looked at him, nodded his head, and smiled kindly and at the same time slyly. His face was pale and thin. When he had passed by Kovrin he again began to grow,
116 flew across the river, struck inaudibly against the clay bank and pine trees, and, passing through them, vanished like smoke.
121 "You see," stammered Kovrin, "after all, the legend was true!" Making no attempt to explain this strange phenomenon; satisfied with the fact that he had so closely and so plainly seen not only the black
126 clothing but even the face and eyes of the monk; agitated agreeably, he returned home.
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 For how long has the speaker’s head been taken up with the legend?
- All day—since early morning
- All night—since midnight
- All afternoon—since midday
[1 mark]
1.2 Which of these does the speaker say the speaker cannot remember about the legend?
- Whether the speaker read it
- Whether the speaker wrote it
- Whether the speaker saw it
[1 mark]
1.3 What does the speaker say the speaker cannot remember about hearing the legend?
- Where the speaker heard it
- When the speaker heard it
- Who the speaker heard it from
[1 mark]
1.4 How does the speaker describe the legend’s qualities?
- Very remarkable and not very coherent
- Very simple and fully coherent
- Quite ordinary and mostly coherent
[1 mark]
Question 2
Look in detail at this extract, from lines 66 to 90 of the source:
66 By the path which ran down among the uncovered roots to the water's edge Kovrin descended, frightening the snipe, and disturbing two ducks. On the dark
71 pine trees glowed the rays of the setting sun, but on the surface of the river darkness had already fallen. Kovrin crossed the stream. Before him now lay a broad field covered with young rye.
76 Neither human dwelling nor human soul was visible in the distance; and it seemed that the path must lead to the unexplored, enigmatical region in the west where the sun had already set--
81 where still, vast and majestic, flamed the afterglow. "How open it is--how peaceful and free!" thought Kovrin, walking along the
86 path. "It seems as if all the world is looking at me from a hiding-place and waiting for me to comprehend it." A wave passed over the rye, and the light evening breeze blew softly
How does the writer use language here to present the setting and Kovrin’s mood? 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 revelation?
You could write about:
- how revelation 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 51 to the end.
In this part of the source, where the black pillar rises up towards Kovrin, it seems like a terrifying vision. The writer suggests that the monk is actually a friendly figure and not a monster at all.
To what extent do you agree and/or disagree with this statement?
In your response, you could:
- consider your impressions of the appearance of the black pillar
- comment on the methods the writer uses to portray the Black Monk's friendly behaviour
- support your response with references to the text.
[20 marks]
Question 5
An online journal about modern industry is asking for creative submissions.
Choose one of the options below for your entry.
-
Option A: Describe a product testing lab from your imagination. You may choose to use the picture provided for ideas:
-
Option B: Write the opening of a story about a rivalry between colleagues.
(24 marks for content and organisation, 16 marks for technical accuracy)
[40 marks]