GCSE

ENGLISH AS A
SECOND LANGUAGE
9280
Teacher Guidance pack – READING
For teaching from September 2016 onwards
For GCSE exams in May/June 2018 onwards
 INTERNATIONAL GCSE ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE (9280)
TEACHER GUIDANCE PACK - READING

INTRODUCTION
This document is designed to help you prepare students for the Reading paper of the OxfordAQA International
GCSE English as a Second Language qualification.

It is broken down into four sections.

Teaching guidance
Practical ideas for how you might approach teaching the Reading element of our ESL curriculum
Exam advice
Guidance on preparing students for the Reading paper
Reading example responses
Genuine student responses to past Reading exam questions, with commentaries written be a senior examiner,
explaining the mark awarded
Assessment practice
Some exam-style tasks you might want to try with your students to help them hone their exam technique

Hopefully this document will help you feel supported while preparing your students for the Reading paper, clear
about how the mark scheme will be applied and confident in the accuracy of your own marking – as well as giving
your students the opportunity to practise their skills.

You can find similar documents for the other three elements of the curriculum (Listening, Writing, Speaking) on the
OxfordAQA website.

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TEACHER GUIDANCE PACK - READING

TEACHING GUIDANCE FOR THE READING PAPER

APPROACHING UNSEEN TEXTS
The Reading paper requires students to read and comprehend texts they haven’t seen before. It is therefore vital that
they feel fully prepared to engage with any text they may encounter. Students can struggle with words and phrases
that are new to them, so reading exercises are an ideal way for them to expand their vocabulary and increase their
confidence.

Reading texts aloud helps students engage with the language and hear new vocabulary in context. At the start of the
course, you may choose to do most of the reading yourself but, as your students gain confidence, they can start to
take over. Try to encourage everyone to use the right tone and emphasis, as this will aid understanding, particularly
for weaker students. Where students don’t understand something, they can raise their hands to ask a question.

To help students and they build their English vocabulary, you might want to consider these strategies:
Repeat particular words, sentences or sections that students are finding difficult
Use cognates (words in different languages that derive from the same source) and synonyms to explain
unfamiliar words
Create a vocabulary list of important or challenging words from reading texts used in class
Use a range of reading sources to highlight and practice correct English grammar
Get students to summarise texts in their own words to demonstrate full understanding – this can be done
orally to help students with their spoken English or written down to help them prepare for the Writing paper
Target specific types of word when reading a text:
o Words critical for comprehending the text
o High-frequency words that feature common prefixes, suffixes and root words
o Multiple-meaning words
o Idioms
o Slang
o Figurative language

It is also important that students have strategies for when they encounter a word they don’t recognise in a text. In
particular, students should practice using context clues to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words – then look up
those words to check.

GENRE, PURPOSE AND AUDIENCE

It can also be helpful to discuss with students the genre, purpose and potential audience for a text before reading so
that they can engage with it in context. Constructing questions about the reading for students to answer before they
read the text for the first time enables students to make predictions about the text and encourages them to read
critically.

Where does the text come from? Is it an excerpt from a magazine, book or online journal and what can you
derive from the text knowing where it came from?
What can you determine from the title of the piece and what else has been written on this topic? What do
you already know about this topic?
Who is the intended audience of the piece and what tone of writing should you have?

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TEACHING GRAMMAR
Teaching grammar in the context of reading can include taking students through several levels:
The teacher reads aloud a text containing a repetitive grammatical structure.
Students then complete a gap-fill exercise, inserting the correct grammar where required, based on the way
the teacher read the text.
Students then reads sentences or sections from the text which contain the target grammatical structure,
using the examples to determine the grammar rule which applies.
The teacher follows this task by giving students a written passage with errors in the grammar and they must
find and correct the errors.
Students utilise what they have learnt about a target grammatical structure to also produce writing and
speaking examples that incorporate it.

IDENTIFYING PURPOSE AND INITIAL UNDERSTANDING OF A TEXT

After the first reading of a text, students need to gain an understanding of its main purpose and, from that, an initial
working understanding of the text. After they have finished reading they can answer questions that connect the
earlier steps of the reading process with their understanding of the text:
Did any of your predictions about the text and its title turn out to be true?
Did anything surprise you?
What is the author’s opinion about what they are writing about?
What kinds of support does the author provide to make their case?
What style does the writing have and is it effective? Why?

IDENTIFYING AUDIENCE
Give your students descriptions of books along with short biographies of fictional audiences. Students have to match
the audiences to the books. You can replace book descriptions with job descriptions, passions, hobbies, etc.

PROVERBS AND IDIOMS

Proverbs and idioms can be studied together whilst encouraging students to find the matching proverbs and idioms
in their own language. If a proverb or idiom has the same meaning but is explained by using different words, then
encourage the student to translate this proverb or idiom into English therefore improving their comprehension.

DIFFERENTIATION
Most classrooms will have a mix of students, with a range of abilities. There are many ways in which you can
differentiate in your class to ensure accessibility for all students.

You can set the same assignment for your class, but with different expectations. For instance, if you are asking your
students to read a text, you may supply a version with simpler language (or definitions of more complex words) for
weaker students. You could also consider how you deliver the content, talking slower or using gestures and visual
cues.

You may also consider placing students in groups according to their reading ability during independent working.

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EXAM ADVICE FOR THE READING PAPER

The best way for a student to prepare for the Reading exam is to read, and to read widely. In particular, students
should read the kind of texts they will encounter in the exam:

newspapers, opinion articles, and travel writing

any reading based around the assessment themes
advertisements and public information bulletins – anything which gives specific information to the reader
text of a speech – both persuasive speeches and speeches which give out information or advice
any non-fiction text which challenges the students to practice the skills listed in the Assessment Objectives.

Along with these texts, show your students texts that have been used in previous exam papers and the questions
that accompanied them, so they can see the kind of tasks they will encounter in the exam.

MODELLING
Modelling an answer to exam question is a particularly effective way for students to understand exam technique. This
can be done by you as a teacher writing an exam response in real time, talking through your thinking process as you
go.

You can also ask students to look at an exemplar response, highlighting what the candidate did well and what
mistakes they made.

Lastly, when students write an answer, encourage them to point out and highlight where in the text they found the
evidence for their response and ow they worked it out. This can – where relevant – include discussion of the context
of the text, sentence-level understanding, cognates, grammar, negatives, etymology, prefixes, suffixes, tense
indicators and conjugations.

DISTRACTORS
Some exam questions contain distractors or words that may change the meaning of a sentence. These questions
may require inference skills to find the right answer, so encourage students to spot the distractors, and discuss the
words that can trip them up. For example: never, neither, but, nor, whereas only, except, however and object
pronouns. The word ‘not’ can be a particular stumbling block.

One strategy is to encourage students to circle or underline words like these so that they’ll be less likely to escape
their notice.

When practising multiple-choice questions in class, one technique is to get students to cover up the answer choices
with a piece of paper as they read the question. When they have their initial answer, they can remove the paper to
see if it is one of the options.

If students are unsure of the correct answer, they should start by eliminating all the answers which are definitely
wrong. Even if students narrow it down to only two possible answers then this obviously has a better chance of
success that one out of four or five answers.

INFERENCE
In more challenging questions, the answer may not be given directly in the text, instead students have to piece
together hints from what is written.

For these questions, students should highlight the key words in the question that direct them towards the information
they need to find. They can then scan the text looking for keywords, synonyms or transition words that match the
words they have highlighted. For instance, if a question begins with a ‘why’ students should look for phrases or
words such as ‘because’, ‘for the reason that’, ‘so’, ‘as a result’, etc. Teachers should familiarise students with their

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knowledge of conjunctions, prepositions, and adverbs that express that what’s about to come next (or what came
just before):
first, second, third, …, then, next, after that, finally
therefore, as a result, consequently
although, however, but, while, even though
additionally, furthermore, moreover
if, as long as, unless, until.

One question type that many students find challenging is when they are asked: In your own words explain what this
phrase means? For these questions, students should look at the key words within the text and come up with
synonyms for those words. If they are struggling with a word means, they should use context clues from the
surrounding text to help them.

FORMING A RESPONSE
The design and layout of the exam gives a good indication of how students should approach responding to each
question.
Use the number of marks available to inform how writing is expected
If a question asks students to give a list, they may use key phrases from the text rather than full sentences.
If they are asked to give evidence from the text to support an answer, use short quotations rather than copy
our large chunks of text.

It is also important that students do not spend too much time on a particular passage or question. If they are finding
something challenging, they can always move onto the next question/passage and come back later to the one they
are stuck on.

Students should also be reminded that they should forget what they know about a topic and only focus on the
information in the text they are given – the exam is testing their English ability, not how much they know about a
particular topic. As such, when building exam technique, it can be useful to get students to highlight where in the text
they are getting their response and write the question number next to their highlighting to make sure their answer is
coming from the text, not their own knowledge of the subject matter. Students wouldn’t necessarily have time to do
this in the real exam but it gets them in the habit of ensuring their answer is relevant.

CHECKING
Students should always give their answers a final check before the end of an exam. One way is to read their answer
‘aloud’ in their head to make sure the English makes sense.

Remind students that they are marked for reading only, so they need not worry about their writing style as long as
what they are intending to communicate makes sense and doesn’t change their answer to a different meaning.

In practice papers, checking also gives students the opportunity to highlight and make note of new vocabulary,
chunks of language and structures they have encountered. (Not only is this good practice for the Reading paper,
students can also incorporate this new vocabulary into their preparation for the Speaking and Writing papers.)

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READING EXAMPLE RESPONSES

Mark awarded: 1

Correct response given. Note that,

because this is the Reading paper, the
response does not need to be in a full
sentence or grammatically accurate, so
long as the meaning is clear.

Mark awarded: 1

Please note that Exemplar 2 for Q7 is

grammatically correct. We are awarding
communication and clarity not writing
skills so therefore Exemplar 1 still
contained the key word and was
awarded the mark.

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Marks awarded: 2

The candidate gives three

answers here and not the
requested two. Therefore, the
examiner will mark the first two
included in the response. As
leaving home and ‘lived in a
tent’ were correct answers the
candidate scored 2 marks.

Marks awarded: 2

This candidate clearly writes

less, yet the two ‘things’ are
stated clearly so 2 marks were
awarded.

Marks awarded: 1

This proved to be a challenging

question for candidates. A small
percentage of students
managed to show an
understanding of both ideas in
the phrase ‘like a huge, dripping
tree’ of the grandfather being
both very big and that water was
running off him.

Marks awarded: 2

This candidate achieved full

marks as they explain both
ideas within the response.

Marks awarded: 1

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Mark awarded: 1

Both candidates gained full

marks. The examiner’s report
stated the question was well
answered, though some
students lost a mark by writing
‘he gave a little away’ instead of
‘he gave little away’ as this
totally changed the meaning of
the response.

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TEACHER GUIDANCE PACK - READING

READING ASSESSMENT PRACTICE

The following assessment task is designed to reflect the skills students will be expected to demonstrate in the
Reading paper as well as the basic the format and structure of the real exam. The mark scheme is in line with the
mark scheme used by the examiners for the real paper, presenting acceptable answers, indicative content and levels
of response guidance.

READING PAPER GUIDANCE

This paper tests a range of skills through different question types, such as retrieval of single pieces of straightforward
information, collation/identification of several pieces of implicit or explicit information, and explanation of phrases
(including figurative language).

LOCATING INFORMATION
This type of question is used across the paper (eg Q1 and Q2). The multiple-choice questions include options that
appear in the text, so one of the key skills is to work through the possible options and carefully read them in the
context of the text. Careful reading of the text and the question is essential. For instance, in Q2 it would be easy for
students to misread the question and assume the question is focused on Jun (rather than Lian). Also, be aware that
some questions require some processing. For example, Q1 requires students to know that ‘third’ links to ‘three’ in the
choices offered in the multiple-choice grid.

LOCATING INFORMATION
Some questions (eg Q8) require students to find more than one piece of information, either from one section or the
whole text. These questions require an open response, with students writing their own answer in their own words in
the space provided. One of the skills here is to track information across the text.

INFERENCE
Q8 also tests inference – the ability to ‘work out’ information from clues in the text. The question asks for evidence
that the UK has a large music industry, so students have to infer this idea from statements such as the show ‘has
millions of viewers’, ‘global companies sponsor pop acts’, ‘ZX82 performed to thousands of people’, etc.

MAIN POINT
Identifying the main point of a paragraph tests the skill of working out the dominant idea in a small section of writing.
In Q3, options B and C contain information that appears in the paragraph, but the overriding content in the paragraph
is best described by option A. As an activity with students, you might find it useful to look at each sentence in the
paragraph and see how it relates to option A.

MAIN PURPOSE
Identifying the overall purpose of a text is a key skill and is the final question on each individual text. This is because
once students have read the text fully and answered the other questions, they should be in a better position to
identify the main purpose.

Each of the options in Q6 suggest two strands – ‘to thank’ and ‘to tell’ – with the challenge for students being to
correctly identify the wider purpose. As with main point tasks, you will notice that each of the incorrect options (A and
B) contain information found in the text. A useful follow-up activity with students is to go through the whole text and
identify sections/sentences that relate to the three options, so that they can see how option C is the dominant idea.

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EXPLAINING LANGUAGE
For many students, this is the most demanding question type in the Reading paper as it requires the ability to
decipher meanings, some of which can be metaphorical. When students are unable to decipher particular words on
their own, they can use the context of the sentence (and the surrounding sentences) to help them. For instance, Q11
asks students to explain what ‘On the surface, it seems appealing’ means. There are 2 marks available which means
two ideas need to be explained – in this case ‘on the surface’ and ‘seems appealing’. Looking at the sentences
surrounding this phrase, they contrast the excitement of Chi-won’s life with its intensity. This context can help
students decipher the given phrase. Remind students that the number of marks allocated to the question (either 1,2
or 3) indicates the number of ideas in the phrase they need to explain.

READING PAPER INSTRUCTIONS

Answer all questions in English.
Cross through any work you do not want to be marked.

Information
The marks for questions are shown in brackets.
You must not use a dictionary.

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READING ASSESSMENT EXAMPLE QUESTIONS

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 Text 1 Email

Read the first part of this email from Jun to her former teacher.

Answer questions 01 to 03.

1 Dear Mrs Yang

I hope you are well. I am now finishing my third year at university in Canada. Are you still
teaching at my old school? I have happy memories of your lessons. You were very
helpful when I was studying maths. Your teaching was responsible for my success. I am
very grateful for everything you did.

2 Do you remember Lian? She was my best friend at school. She went to England to study
biology, but we are still in touch on social media. At the end of the year, I am going to see
her. She is staying in Canada after her studies. She is getting married and is hoping that
lots of friends from home can come.

Write the correct letter in the box for questions 01 to 03.

0 1 How many years has Jun been at university?

[1 mark]

A one

B two

C three

1
0 2 What is Lian studying?
[1 mark]

A Maths

B Biology

C English

0 3 What is the main point of paragraph 2?

[1 mark]

A To inform Mrs Yang about what Lian has been doing.

B To inform Mrs Yang about Lian’s marriage.

C To inform Mrs Yang about the use of social media.

1
 Read the second part of the email.

Answer questions 04 to 06.

3 This year will be very tough. I have lots of revision to do before my final exams. I have
bought some books to help me and I am trying to find a tutor to help me study in the
evenings. I find it easier to work when my house is quiet. Some of my friends listen to
music when they study. I find that impossible!

4 In the future, I want to be a maths teacher in an American school. I love the subject and
I want to help young people. I am hoping to complete my teacher training at the same
Canadian university, but if that’s not possible I will go to university in my home city.

Thanks for all of your help.

Jun

Write the correct letter in the box for questions 04 to 06.

0 4 Read the following statements.

Which statement is correct?

[1 mark]

A Jun has some books to help her study.

B Jun has found a tutor to help her.

C Jun listens to music while studying.

1
0 5 Where does Jun want to train to be a teacher?
[1 mark]

A America

B Canada

C Her home city

0 6 What is the main purpose of Jun’s email?

[1 mark]

To thank Mrs Yang and tell her about different countries

A

To thank Mrs Yang and tell her about Lian’s studies

B

To thank Mrs Yang and tell her about plans for the future
C

1
Text 2 Make Me a Star

Read the first part of this article about a type of music.

Answer questions 07 to 10.

1 Make Me A Star is one of the most well-known TV music shows in the UK. It started in
2018 and is very popular with teenagers and young adults, and has millions of viewers.
But it’s more than just a music show – it’s a highly visual affair with stunning dance
routines, bright clothing and features young people who are desperate for stardom. Unlike
other music shows, it showcases many styles of music, including hip hop, jazz and rock.

Many young people in UK and beyond want to be famous. They want to appear on the
2
show and be part of an industry that gives them opportunities to perform to thousands of
people, just like the pop band ZX82 did at Wembley Arena in 2019. There are plenty of
other rewards on offer, such as sponsorship by very well-known global companies, and
the admiration of countless fans.

3 There are many talent agencies that train these would-be stars to audition for the show.
But the training can be exhausting. First of all, they have to apply to an agency, and
if they’re chosen, they then undergo many months of training before they even apply to be
on Make Me A Star. The agency gives them a place to live, provides with dance and rap
classes and teaches them how handle interviews with journalists. They also have to
attend college too. It’s not easy.

0 7 Give one example of a genre of music featured on the TV show.

[1 mark]

0 8 Give two pieces of information that show how large the UK music industry is.
[2 marks]

1
0 9 How long is the training process?
[1 mark]

1 0 Which of these statements best describes the main point of paragraph 3?

Write the correct letter in the box.

[1 mark]

A To explain how tough the training process is

B To give advice about becoming a music star

C To describe the different agencies involved

1
 Read the second part of the article.

Answer questions 11 to 14.

4 Omar is an aspiring pop singer. He’s 17 and is an incredibly busy young man. On
the surface, it seems appealing. But on closer inspection, his life seems very intense.
On weekdays, he spends six hours after college taking rap and guitar lessons. On
weekends and every holiday, his daily practice begins at 9am and continues until 11pm
at night. Although it is physically and mentally draining, Omar cannot afford to stop; he
knows how hard it will be to achieve his dream of music stardom. He knows there are at
least ten thousand other would-be music stars in the UK.

5 Many parents are reluctant to encourage their children to be stars. They know how
hard it is and also that it is unlikely their kids will achieve their dreams. Omar says his
parents are supportive, but would like him to get a stable job. ‘One day,’ he says, ‘I will
be a great success and I will repay my parents a thousand times over.’ I asked him how
much the training costs, but he wasn’t quite sure. I have since found out it costs the
equivalent of almost 1000 dollars per month. But the dream is addictive and I, for one,
hope Omar makes it.

1 1 In paragraph 4 the writer says, ‘On the surface, it seems appealing’.

Explain in your own words what this sentence means.

[2 marks]

1 2 Read paragraph 4.

Which two statements are correct?

Write the correct letters in the boxes.

[2 marks]

A Omar practises for seven hours every day

B There are lots of aspiring music stars in the UK

C Omar is learning how to play guitar

D On a Sunday, Omar spends time relaxing

1
1 3 Read paragraph 5.

Which two statements are correct?

Write the correct letters in the boxes.

[2 marks]

A Omar is grateful for the support of his parents

B Omar tells the writer how much training costs

C Omar’s parents would prefer him to be a teacher

D Omar is confident that he will succeed as a star

1 4 What is the main purpose of the text?

Write the correct letter in the box.

[1 mark]

A To persuade readers to train as music stars

B To describe the training process of being a star

C To explain the feelings of Omar’s parents

Text 3 Seeking refuge

Read the first part of the article.

Answer questions 15 to 19.

1 Nobody would want to be a refugee. They are the people who have to leave their
homeland because of things beyond their control. The United Nations estimates that
there are 26 million refugees worldwide.10 million of those are children. Surprisingly,
Venezuela is the country where the second largest amount of refugees emanate from.
In my role as a journalist, I spent a year listening to the stories of refugees to understand
their lives. I also talked to various people about what could be done to help.

2 One account that I will remember as long as I live was given by Farid. There are many
reasons why people are forced to leave their homes, including persecution, human rights
abuses, violence and conflict. In Farid’s case, it was war. Farid, his wife and his four
children left Syria in 2013. They are lucky to be alive. They have witnessed awful things,
but are grateful to be living in a small, one room apartment in Turkey. Farid and his family
were shot at. He shows me the scars where the bullets grazed him. He was lucky.

3 Many of the refugees I talked to said the same thing: that they were willing to take the risk
of crossing the sea because they had no choice. One woman, Jamalia, said she couldn’t
return to her home in Syria because there was no home – the family house and business
had been destroyed, leaving nothing behind. ‘Our options had run out’, she told me. So
with her parents and brother, she travelled across the Mediterranean on a small boat. If
she stayed, she might have died. But it was also possible that she might have died
crossing the sea.
1 5 Read paragraph 1.

Which statement is correct?

Write the correct letter in the box.

[1 mark]

A The majority of refugees around the world are from Venezuela.

B Very few refugees are children.

C The United Nations has roughly calculated the number of refugees.

1 6 What is the main point of paragraph 2?

Write the correct letter in the box.

[1 mark]

A To describe life in Syria

B To describe Farid’s new apartment

C To describe the experiences of Farid and his family

1 7 From paragraph 2, list three things that cause people to become refugees.
[3 marks]

2
1 8 Read paragraph 3.

Which statement is correct?

[1 mark]

A Jamalia lived in Syria.

B Jamalia travelled across the sea on her own.

C Jamalia’s school was destroyed.

1 9 In paragraph 3, Jamalia uses the phrase, ‘Our options had run out’.

Explain in your own words what this phrase means.

[2 marks]
 Read the second part of the article.

Answer questions 20 to 24.

4 But should developed countries help refugees? People have a range of opinions on the
matter. I spoke to Aaron from a leading aid charity and he explained that some people
think that developed countries suffer from the influx of refugees. It is certainly true that
countries like France and Germany suffer from housing shortages, but they still
welcome displaced people. Many countries do welcome refugees – they see it as a
basic humanitarian act and provide shelter, food and medical care. Turkey is the country
that has welcomed most refugees, followed by Columbia, then Pakistan.

5 Accepting refugees does not help solve the initial problem however. And it may make
things worse. The journey to a new land is a major risk, and for some, their new life isn’t
as they imagined it. Refugees can often find themselves living in refugee camps with
basic facilities where disease spreads easily and there are limited food supplies. Talking
to refugees and seeing some of their living conditions made me realise that nobody
would willingly take such a risk. In this game of chance, no one wins.
2 0 In paragraph 4, the article describes attitudes towards refugees.

Which four things does the writer mention?

Write the correct letters in the boxes.

[4 marks]

A France is less welcoming of refugees.

B Some people in England have a negative view of refugees.

Some people think refugees cause problems for developed

C
countries.

D All refugees need urgent medical care.

E There are not enough houses in France and Germany.

F Many people leave Pakistan to seek refuge.

G Turkey accepts the most refugees of all developed countries.

H Many countries provide medical care to refugees.

2 1 In paragraph 5, the writer says their new life ‘isn’t as they imagined it’.

Explain in your own words what this phrase means.

[1 mark]

2 2 In paragraph 5, list two problems associated with living in a refugee camp.

[2 marks]

2
2 3 In paragraph 5, the writer says, ‘In this game of chance, no one wins’.

Explain in your own words what this sentence means.

[2 marks]

2 4 Which statement best describes the whole article?

Write the correct letter in the box.

[1 mark]

A It describes the problems faced by refugees

B It argues that countries shouldn’t accept refugees

C It explains the best ways to help refugees

Text 4 Returning to Latvia

In this article, Andris Jansons describes returning home to Latvia.

Read the first part of the article.

Answer questions 25 and 26.

1 As the plane landed, I realised that my two-year solo adventure had ended and a new
one – possibly – was about to begin. Being a solitary traveller is rewarding, but also
isolating. Before I set off on my adventure, I was nervous and unsure of myself, but I
can honestly say that travelling has given me confidence. When you only have
yourself to rely on, you find out just how much you can do. I’d say as well as
discovering the world, I discovered a lot about myself, and I’m much more capable
than I thought I was.
2
For two years I have journeyed around the world and seen many sights. I’ve watched
whales in Greenland and spent the night in the rainforest in Borneo. They were
priceless moments. The experiences I enjoyed most were in capital cities. There you
can feel the scale of the world. Paris is beautiful and Moscow is place of deep
mystery. I do regret not visiting Rome. But now I am returning home to Latvia. And it
feels like a very, very long time since I’ve been home.

2 5 In paragraph 1, the writer says ‘Being a solitary traveller is rewarding, but

also isolating.’
[3 marks]
Explain in your own words what this sentence means.
2 6 In paragraph 2, where does the writer say he has visited on his travels?

List four places.

[4 marks]

4
 Read the second part of the article.

Answer questions 27 to 31.

3 The plane arrived at Riga and I was suddenly aware I had landed in the land of my
birth. I’d never thought of Latvia in that way before. I had to hire a car to make the long
drive home. It felt strange to be inside a car again, even more to be driving it. The light
was different and the scenery seemed odd – as if it wasn’t real. I as drove away from
the airport a bizarre nervousness crept over me.

In many ways, it seemed like decades since I left home, said goodbye to my mother,
4 and set off on my adventure. Yet in some ways, it seemed like yesterday. We had
agreed to stay in contact by letter, which seems very old-fashioned, but I knew
communicating by phone would be unreliable, and I knew how much my mother
distrusted phones. She loves writing letters and would send them to various post offices
in capital cities for me to collect. I was always a thrill to receive a letter. They were
pretty dull in some ways – just accounts of what was happening at home - but I loved
them.

2 7 In paragraph 3, the writer landed ‘in the land of my birth.'

[2 marks]
Explain in your own words what this phrase means.

2 8 In paragraph 3, the writer describes things he found strange.

List three things he found strange.

[3 marks]

3
2 9 What is the main point of paragraph 4?

Write the correct letter in the box.

[1 mark]

A To give advice about different ways to stay in touch.

B To describe the contact he had with his mother.

C To explain how he received her letters

3 0 In paragraph 4, the writer says his mother ‘distrusted phones’.

Explain in your own words what this phrase means.

[1 mark]

3 1 Read paragraphs 3 and 4.

Which two statements are correct?

Write the correct letters in the boxes.

[2 marks]

A He didn’t enjoying reading his mother’s letters.

B The writer drives his own car home.

C It is a long journey from the airport to his home.

D His mother sends her letters to different post offices.

3 2 Read the third part of the article.

Answer questions 32 to 35.

5 I’d travelled many miles on my adventures, but the journey home seemed to take an
age. As the car made its way along the motorway, I listened to songs from my
childhood on the radio. A surge of joy came over me. I sang along and found myself
feeling happier than I’d been for a long time. I looked out of the window at the beauty
of green scenery and marvelled at the deep blue of the lakes. I was struck for the first
time how pretty Latvia was. I hadn’t really thought of it that way before.

6 Home is a small village called Laudona. It was as quiet as I remembered it. I parked
the car and walked up the short path to my old house. The leaves on our apple tree
were lush and green, and a curl of smoke escaped from the chimney. I stood for a
moment and looked at the old wooden door. It needed painting. I could do that
tomorrow. And then the door opened. ‘Welcome home, son,’ said my mother.

In paragraph 5, the writer says, ‘A surge of joy came over me’.

What does this phrase mean?

Write the correct letter in the box.

[1 mark]

A He felt an overwhelming sense of happiness.

B He felt a mixture of sadness and happiness.

C He felt happy, but knew it wouldn’t last.

3 3 From paragraph 5, list four things he did as he drove home.

[4 marks]

4
3 4 From paragraph 6, list two things he noticed outside his house.
[2 marks]

3 5 Which statement best describes the whole article? Write the correct letter in the box.
[1 mark]

A It suggests that being at home is better than travelling the

world.

B It suggests that travelling the world is better than being at

home.

C It suggests travelling and being at home are both rewarding.