Insert
The source that follows is:
- Source A: 19th-century prose fiction
- The Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian Andersen
An extract from a work first published in 1843.
This extract is taken from a dreamlike episode where a child drifts into vivid visions of Danish towns and history: voices greet him, kings and churches appear, and fantastical creatures speak, blending geography with imagination as he hears promises of prosperity before waking.
Source A
1 "Little Tuk! little Tuk!" cried a voice; it was the voice of a young sailor boy. "I am come to bring you greeting from Korsör. Korsör is a new town, a living town, with steamers and mail coaches. Once people used to call it a low, ugly place, but they do so no longer.
6 "'I dwell by the seaside,' says Korsör; 'I have broad highroads and pleasure gardens; and I have given birth to a poet, a witty one, too, which is more than all poets are. I once thought of sending a ship all round the world; but I did not do it, though I might as well have done so. I dwell so pleasantly, close by the port; and I am fragrant with perfume, for the loveliest roses
11 bloom round about me, close to my gates.'" And little Tuk could smell the roses and see them and their fresh green leaves. But in a moment they had vanished; the green leaves spread and thickened--a perfect grove had grown up above the bright waters of the bay,
16 and above the grove rose the two high-pointed towers of a glorious old church. From the side of the grass-grown hill gushed a fountain in rainbow-hued streams, with a merry, musical voice, and close beside it sat a king, wearing a gold crown upon his long dark hair. This was King Hroar of the springs; and hard by was the town of Roskilde (Hroar's Fountain). And up the hill, on a
21 broad highway, went all the kings and queens of Denmark, wearing golden crowns; hand in hand they passed on into the church, and the deep music of the organ mingled with the clear rippling of the fountain. For nearly all the kings and queens of Denmark lie buried in this beautiful church. And little Tuk saw and heard it all.
26 "Don't forget the towns," said King Hroar. Then all vanished; though where it went he knew not. It seemed like turning the leaves of a book.
31 And now there stood before him an old peasant woman from Sorö, the quiet little town where grass grows in the very market place. Her green linen apron was thrown over her head and back, and the apron was very wet, as if it had been raining heavily.
36 "And so it has," she said. And she told a great many pretty things from Holberg's comedies, and recited ballads about Waldemar and Absalon; for Holberg had founded an academy in her native town.
41 All at once she cowered down and rocked her head as if she were a frog about to spring. "Koax!" cried she; "it is wet, it is always wet, and it is as still as the grave in Sorö." She had changed into a frog. "Koax!" and again she was an old woman. "One must dress according to the weather," she said.
46 "It is wet! it is wet! My native town is like a bottle; one goes in at the cork, and by the cork one must come out. In old times we had the finest of fish; now we have fresh, rosy-cheeked boys at the bottom of the bottle. There they learn wisdom--Greek, Greek, and Hebrew! Koax!"
51 It sounded exactly as if frogs were croaking, or as if some one were walking over the great swamp with heavy boots. So tiresome was her tone, all on the same note, that little Tuk fell fast asleep; and a very good thing it was for him.
56 But even in sleep there came a dream, or whatever else it may be called. His little sister Gustava, with her blue eyes and flaxen ringlets, was grown into a tall, beautiful girl, who, though she had no wings, could fly; and away they now flew over Seeland--over its green woods and blue waters.
61 "Hark! Do you hear the cock crow, little Tuk? 'Cock-a-doodle-do!' The fowls are flying hither from Kjöge, and you shall have a farmyard, a great, great poultry yard of your own! You shall never suffer hunger or want. The golden goose, the bird of good omen, shall be yours; you shall become a rich and happy man. Your house shall rise up like King Waldemar's towers and be richly
66 decked with statues like those of Thorwaldsen at Præstö. "Understand me well; your good name shall be borne round the world, like the ship that was to sail from Korsör, and at Roskilde you shall speak and give counsel wisely and well, little Tuk, like King Hroar; and when at last you
71 shall lie in your peaceful grave you shall sleep as quietly--" "As if I lay sleeping in Sorö," said Tuk, and he woke.
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 Who is identified as the voice at the start?
- the voice of a young sailor boy
- the voice of Little Tuk
- the voice of the town
[1 mark]
1.2 From where is the greeting said to come?
- from Korsör
- from a new town
- from a living town
[1 mark]
1.3 According to the young sailor boy, what change has occurred in people's opinion of Korsör?
- People used to think poorly of Korsör, but now people view Korsör more favourably.
- People used to admire Korsör, but now people consider Korsör worse than before.
- People's opinion of Korsör has not changed; people still see Korsör in the same way.
[1 mark]
1.4 Which statement best summarises the message the young sailor boy brings about Korsör?
- The town is now regarded more favourably than it was before.
- The town has recently changed its name.
- The town has been cut off from travel and communication.
[1 mark]
Question 2
Look in detail at this extract, from lines 6 to 15 of the source:
6 "'I dwell by the seaside,' says Korsör; 'I have broad highroads and pleasure gardens; and I have given birth to a poet, a witty one, too, which is more than all poets are. I once thought of sending a ship all round the world; but I did not do it, though I might as well have done so. I dwell so pleasantly, close by the port; and I am fragrant with perfume, for the loveliest roses
11 bloom round about me, close to my gates.'" And little Tuk could smell the roses and see them and their fresh green leaves. But in a moment they had vanished; the green leaves spread and thickened--a perfect grove had grown up above the bright waters of the bay,
How does the writer use language here to make Korsör and its setting feel vivid? 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 enchantment?
You could write about:
- how enchantment unfolds 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 old woman from Sorö turns into a frog, the image is quite unsettling. The writer suggests that the depressing town she lives in has made her bitter and strange.
To what extent do you agree and/or disagree with this statement?
In your response, you could:
- consider your impressions of how the hyena behaves
- comment on the methods the writer uses to present the hyena
- support your response with references to the text.
[20 marks]
Question 5
A digital arts festival is collecting short creative pieces for its online showcase.
Choose one of the options below for your entry.
-
Option A: Describe a massive digital hoarding towering over a city square from your imagination. You may choose to use the picture provided for ideas:
-
Option B: Write the opening of a story about a hidden message.
(24 marks for content and organisation, 16 marks for technical accuracy)
[40 marks]