AQA Sample Paper: GCSE English Language
Paper 2: Writers’ viewpoints and perspectives
Time allowed: 1 hour 45 minutes
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.
Source A: 21st century nonfiction
Article by Arthur C. Brooks, taken from The New York Times.
To be happier, start thinking more about your death
9th January 2016
Want a better 2016? Try thinking more about your impending demise.
Years ago on a visit to Thailand, I was surprised to learn that Buddhist monks often contemplate the photos of corpses in various stages of decay. The Buddha himself recommended corpse meditation. “This body, too,” students were taught to say about their own bodies, “such is its nature, such is its future, such its unavoidable fate.”
Paradoxically, this meditation on death is intended as a key to better living. It makes disciples aware of the transitory nature of their own physical lives and stimulates a realignment between momentary desires and existential goals. In other words, it makes one ask, “Am I making the right use of my scarce and precious life?”
In fact, most people suffer grave misalignment. In a 2004 article in the journal Science, a team of scholars, including the Nobel Prize winner Daniel Kahneman, surveyed a group of women to compare how much satisfaction they derived from their daily activities. Among voluntary activities, we might expect that choices would roughly align with satisfaction. Not so. The women reported deriving more satisfaction from prayer, worship and meditation than from watching television. Yet the average respondent spent more than five times as long watching TV as engaging in spiritual activities.
If anything, this study understates the misalignment problem. The American Time Use Survey from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that, in 2014, the average American adult spent four times longer watching television than “socializing and communicating,” and 20 times longer on TV than on “religious and spiritual activities.” The survey did not ask about hours surfing the web, but we can imagine a similar disparity.
This misalignment leads to ennui and regret. I’m reminded of a friend who was hopelessly addicted to British crossword puzzles (the ones with clues that seem inscrutable to Americans, such as, “The portly gentleman ate his cat, backwards”). A harmless pastime, right? My friend didn’t think so — he was so racked with guilt after wasting hours that he consulted a psychotherapist about how to quit. (The advice: Schedule a reasonable amount of time for crosswords and stop feeling guilty.)
While few people share my friend’s interest, many share his anxiety. Millions have resolved to waste less time in 2016 and have already failed. I imagine some readers of this article are filled with self-loathing because they just wasted 10 minutes on a listicle titled “Celebrities With Terrible Skin.”
Some might say that this reveals our true preferences for TV and clickbait over loved ones and God. But I believe it is an error in decision making. Our days tend to be an exercise in distraction. We think about the past and future more than the present; we are mentally in one place and physically in another. Without consciousness, we mindlessly blow the present moment on low-value activities.
The secret is not simply a resolution to stop wasting time, however. It is to find a systematic way to raise the scarcity of time to our consciousness.
Even if contemplating a corpse is a bit too much, you can still practice some of the Buddha’s wisdom resolving to live as if 2016 were your last year. Then remorselessly root out activities, small and large, that don’t pass the “last-year test.”
There are many creative ways to practice this test. For example, if you plan a summer vacation, consider what would you do for a week or two if this were your last opportunity. With whom would you reconnect and spend some time? Would you settle your soul on a silent retreat, or instead spend the time drunk in Cancún, Mexico?
If this year were your last, would you spend the next hour mindlessly checking your social media, or would you read something that uplifts you instead? Would you compose a snarky comment on this article, or use the time to call a friend to see how she is doing? Hey, I’m not judging here.
Some might think that the last-year test is impractical. As an acquaintance of mine joked, “If I had one year to live, I’d run up my credit cards.” In truth, he probably wouldn’t. In a new paper in the science journal PLOS One, two psychologists looked at the present value of money when people contemplated death. One might assume that when reminded of death, people would greatly value current spending over future spending. But that’s not how it turned out. Considering death actually made respondents less likely to want to blow money now than other scenarios did.
Will cultivating awareness of the scarcity of your time make you grim and serious? Not at all. In fact, there is some evidence that contemplating death makes you funnier. Two scholars in 2013 published an academic paper detailing research in which they subliminally primed people to think about either death or pain, and then asked them to caption cartoons. Outside raters found the death-primed participants’ captions to be funnier.
There’s still time to rethink your resolutions. Forget losing weight and saving money. Those are New Year’s resolutions for amateurs. This year, improve your alignment, and maybe get funnier in the process: Be fully alive now by meditating on your demise. Happy 2016!
Source B: 19th century literary nonfiction
Extract from a letter sent by Fyodor Dostoevsky to his brother on 22nd December 1849.
Brother, my precious friend! all is settled! I am sentenced to four years’ hard labour in the fortress (I believe, of Orenburg) and after that to serve as a private. To-day, the 22nd of December, we were taken to the Semionov Drill Ground. There the sentence of death was read to all of us, we were told to kiss the Cross, our swords were broken over our heads, and our last toilet was made* (white shirts). Then three were tied to the pillar for execution. I was the sixth. Three at a time were called out; consequently, I was in the second batch and no more than a minute was left me to live. I remembered you, brother, and all yours; during the last minute you, you alone, were in my mind, only then I realised how I love you, dear brother mine! I also managed to embrace Plescheyev and Durov who stood close to me and to say good-bye to them. Finally the retreat was sounded, and those tied to the pillar were led back, and it was announced that His Imperial Majesty granted us our lives. Then the present sentences. Palm alone has been pardoned, and returns with his old rank to the army.
I was just told, dear brother, that to-day or to-morrow we are to be sent off. I asked to see you. But I was told that this was impossible; I may only write you this letter: make haste and give me a reply as soon as you can. I am afraid that you may somehow have got to know of my death-sentence. From the windows of the prison-van, when we were taken to the Semionov Drill Ground, I saw a multitude of people; perhaps the news reached you, and you suffered for me. Now you will be easier on my account. Brother! I have not become downhearted or low-spirited. Life is everywhere life, life in ourselves, not in what is outside us. There will be people near me, and to be a man among people and remain a man for ever, not to be downhearted nor to fall in whatever misfortunes may befall me – this is life; this is the task of life. I have realised this. This idea has entered into my flesh and into my blood. Yes, it’s true! The head which was creating, living with the highest life of art, which had realised and grown used to the highest needs of the spirit, that head has already been cut off from my shoulders. There remains the memory and the images created but not yet incarnated by me. They will lacerate me, it is true! But there remains in me my heart and the same flesh and blood which can also love, and suffer, and desire, and remember, and this, after all, is life. On voit le soleil!* Now, good-bye, brother! Don’t grieve for me!
[…]
Write to me more often, write more details, more, more facts. In every letter write about all kinds of family details, of trifles, don’t forget. This will give me hope and life. If you knew how your letters revived me here in the fortress. These last two months and a half, when it was forbidden to write or receive a letter, have been very hard on me. I was ill. The fact that you did not send me money now and then worried me on your account; it meant you yourself were in great need! Kiss the children once again; their lovely faces do not leave my mind. Ah, that they may be happy! Be happy yourself too, brother, be happy!
But do not grieve, for the love of God, do not grieve for me! Do believe that I am no down-hearted, do remember that hope has not deserted me. In four years there will be a mitigation of my fate. I shall be a private soldier, – no longer a prisoner, and remember that some time I shall embrace you. I was to-day in the grip of death for three-quarters of an hour; I have lived it through with that idea; I was at the last instant and now I live again!
*Glossary
our last toilet was made = we put on clothes for the last time
On voit le soleil! = We see the sun! (French)
Section A: Reading
Answer all questions in this section.
You are advised to spend about 45 minutes on this section.
Q1. Read again the first part of Source A from lines 1 to 21.
Choose four statements below which are true. [4 marks]
Q2. You need to refer to Source A and Source B for this question.
Use details from both sources. Write a summary of the differences between the two writers’ experiences.
[8 marks]
Q3. You now need to refer to Source B only.
How does Dostoevsky use language to show how much he loves his brother?
[12 marks]
Q4. You need to refer to Source A and Source B for this question.
Compare how the two writers convey their different attitudes to life and death.
In your answer, you could:
[16 marks]
Section B: Writing
You are advised to spend about 45 minutes on this section.
Write in full sentences.
You are reminded of the need to plan your answer.
You should leave enough time to check your work at the end.
Q5. Write a speech to deliver in a school assembly about the importance of having a healthy lifestyle.
(24 marks for content and organisation
16 marks for technical accuracy)
[40 marks]
AQA Sample Paper: GCSE English Language
Paper 2: Writers’ viewpoints and perspectives
Mark Scheme
Q1. Read again the first part of Source A from lines 1 to 21. Choose four statements below which are true. [4 marks]
Q2. You need to refer to Source A and Source B for this question. Use details from both sources. Write a summary of the differences between the two writers’ experiences. [8 marks]
Level
Skills Descriptors
Level 4
Perceptive, detailed
7-8 marks
Shows a detailed understanding of differences between the two writers’ experiences
Offers perceptive interpretation of both texts
Synthesises evidence between texts
Selects a range of judicious quotations from both texts
Level 3
Clear, relevant
5-6 marks
Shows a clear understanding of differences between the two writers’ experiences
Begins to interpret both texts
Demonstrates clear connections between texts
Selects relevant quotations/references from both texts to support response
Level 2
Some, attempts
3-4 marks
Identifies some differences between the two writers’ experiences
Attempts some inference from one/both texts
Attempts to link evidence between texts
Selects some quotations/references; not always supporting (from one/both texts)
Level 1
Simple, limited
1-2 marks
Shows simple awareness of difference(s)
Offers paraphrase rather than inference
Makes simple or no links between texts
Simple reference or textual detail from one/both texts
AO1 content may include ideas such as:
Q3. You now need to refer to Source B only. How does Dostoevsky use language to show how much he loves his brother? [12 marks]
Level
Skills Descriptors
Level 4
Perceptive, detailed
10-12 marks
Shows detailed and perceptive understanding of language
Analyses the effects of the writer’s choice of language
Selects a range of judicious quotations
Uses a range of subject terminology appropriately
Level 3
Clear, relevant
7-9 marks
Shows clear understanding of language
Clearly explains the effects of the writer’s choice of language
Selects relevant quotations
Uses subject terminology accurately
Level 2
Some, attempts
4-6 marks
Shows some understanding of language
Attempts to comment on the effect of language
Selects some relevant quotations
Uses some subject terminology, not always appropriately
Level 1
Simple, limited
1-3 marks
Shows simple awareness of language
Offers simple comment on the effects of language
Simple references or textual details
Simple mention of subject terminology
AO2 content may include the effect of ideas such as:
Q4. You need to refer to Source A and Source B for this question. Compare how the two writers convey their attitudes to life and death. [16 marks]
Level
Skills Descriptors
Level 4
Perceptive, detailed
13-16 marks
Shows a detailed understanding of the ideas and perspectives
Compares ideas and perspectives in a perceptive way
Analyses how methods are used to convey ideas and perspectives
Selects range of judicious quotations from both texts
Level 3
Clear, relevant
9-12 marks
Shows a clear understanding of the ideas and perspectives
Compares ideas and perspectives in a clear and relevant way
Explains clearly how methods are used to convey ideas and perspectives
Selects relevant quotations to support from both texts
Level 2
Some, attempts
5-8 marks
Identifies some ideas and perspectives
Attempts to compare ideas and perspectives
Some comment on how methods are used to convey ideas and perspectives
Selects some quotations/references, not always supporting (from one or both texts)
Level 1
Simple, limited
1-4 marks
Simple awareness of ideas and/or perspectives
Simple cross reference of ideas and/or perspectives
Simple identification of how differences are conveyed
Simple references or textual details from one or both texts
AO3 content may include ideas such as:
And comment on methods such as: