English Literature
Argument and counterreading
- 1.
Original invented extract: 'When the library closed, Sima took no books. She copied the borrowers' names onto a scrap of cloth. At home she read them aloud to her son. He asked for the stories. Tomorrow, she said, and began with the first name again.' Explain the contrast between books and borrowers' names.
[2 marks] · no calculator - 2.
Original invented extract: 'When the library closed, Sima took no books. She copied the borrowers' names onto a scrap of cloth. At home she read them aloud to her son. He asked for the stories. Tomorrow, she said, and began with the first name again.' What does returning to the first name suggest about structure?
[2 marks] · no calculator - 3.
Original invented extract: 'When the library closed, Sima took no books. She copied the borrowers' names onto a scrap of cloth. At home she read them aloud to her son. He asked for the stories. Tomorrow, she said, and began with the first name again.' Construct a two-sentence thesis supporting the view that Sima protects a community, with close evidence.
[3 marks] · no calculator - 4.
Original invented extract: 'When the library closed, Sima took no books. She copied the borrowers' names onto a scrap of cloth. At home she read them aloud to her son. He asked for the stories. Tomorrow, she said, and began with the first name again.' Develop a counterreading that Sima's preservation is incomplete.
[3 marks] · no calculator - 5.
Original invented extract: 'When the library closed, Sima took no books. She copied the borrowers' names onto a scrap of cloth. At home she read them aloud to her son. He asked for the stories. Tomorrow, she said, and began with the first name again.' Evaluate the claim that 'Tomorrow' expresses hope rather than evasion.
[4 marks] · no calculator - 6.
Original invented extract: 'When the library closed, Sima took no books. She copied the borrowers' names onto a scrap of cloth. At home she read them aloud to her son. He asked for the stories. Tomorrow, she said, and began with the first name again.' Write a short conclusion weighing 'preservation is an act of resistance' against 'preservation cannot replace living stories'.
[4 marks] · no calculator
Marking points are indicative, not an official mark scheme. Accept equivalent valid methods and supported interpretations that address the task; award each mark once without requiring the model wording.