English B: Higher Level

1. 1.

   Read the text “The suitcase”. An extract from an original novel: The suitcase had been packed for three weeks. It stood by the door like a patient dog, and every time Nadia passed it she felt it watching her. Her mother had folded everything twice: winter coats for a country where, she had been told, it rained sideways; a jar of za’atar wrapped in a school jumper; a photograph of the olive tree, face down, as if it might be less painful that way. On the last night Nadia opened the case and turned the photograph over. She did not cry. She simply looked at the tree until the light changed, and then she closed the lid, more gently than she had closed anything in her life. (a) Identify the simile in the second sentence and explain what it suggests about Nadia’s feelings. (b) What does the detail of the za’atar wrapped in a school jumper suggest? (c) Why might the photograph have been placed “face down”? (d) What is the significance of Nadia turning the photograph over? (e) Explain how the final sentence conveys emotion without stating it directly.

   [5 marks] · no calculator

   Syllabus placement evidence: Language B guide: Paper 2 receptive skills (reading). Experiences (HL): HL reading of an original literary text.

   Worked explanation

   1. For each part, find the exact words that support your interpretation, quote them briefly, and explain their effect rather than paraphrasing the plot.
   2. Model answers: (a) “like a patient dog”: the suitcase seems to wait and watch her, suggesting the departure is unavoidable and constantly on her mind. (b) The family is carrying pieces of home and everyday life (food, school) into the new country; tradition is protected by the ordinary. (c) To reduce the pain of seeing it; looking at home is too painful. (d) She chooses to face her loss and remember rather than avoid it; a moment of acceptance or farewell. (e) The gentle closing of the lid shows deep sadness and care through action rather than description of feelings (“She did not cry”).

   Common mistake: Retelling what happens instead of naming the technique, quoting it briefly and explaining its effect on meaning.

   Marking points

   • (a) “like a patient dog”: the suitcase seems to wait and watch her, suggesting the departure is unavoidable and constantly on her mind.
   • (b) The family is carrying pieces of home and everyday life (food, school) into the new country; tradition is protected by the ordinary.
   • (c) To reduce the pain of seeing it; looking at home is too painful.
   • (d) She chooses to face her loss and remember rather than avoid it; a moment of acceptance or farewell.
   • (e) The gentle closing of the lid shows deep sadness and care through action rather than description of feelings (“She did not cry”).

   Examiner tip: “Show, don’t tell” is a frequent focus of HL literary questions: explain what an action reveals about a character’s emotion.

2. 2.

   Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “Read the text “The suitcase”. An extract from an original novel: The suitcase had been packed for three weeks. It stood by the door like a patient dog, and every time Nadia passed it she felt it watching her. Her mother had folded everything twice: winter coats for a country where, she had been told, it rained sideways; a jar of za’atar wrapped in a school jumper; a photograph of the olive tree, face down, as if it might be less painful that way. On the last night Nadia opened the case and turned the photograph over. She did not cry. She simply looked at the tree until the light changed, and then she closed the lid, more gently than she had closed anything in her life. (a) Identify the simile in the second sentence and explain what it suggests about Nadia’s feelings. (b) What does the detail of the za’atar wrapped in a school jumper suggest? (c) Why might the photograph have been placed “face down”? (d) What is the significance of Nadia turning the photograph over? (e) Explain how the final sentence conveys emotion without stating it directly.” Their response addresses only this point: “(a) “like a patient dog”: the suitcase seems to wait and watch her, suggesting the departure is unavoidable and constantly on her mind.” Evaluate the response against the complete 5-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks.

   [5 marks] · no calculator

   Marking points

   • Recognises credit for the stated point: (a) “like a patient dog”: the suitcase seems to wait and watch her, suggesting the departure is unavoidable and constantly on her mind.
   • Checks this criterion, crediting equivalent work already shown or identifying what is missing: (b) The family is carrying pieces of home and everyday life (food, school) into the new country; tradition is protected by the ordinary.
   • Checks this criterion, crediting equivalent work already shown or identifying what is missing: (c) To reduce the pain of seeing it; looking at home is too painful.
   • Checks this criterion, crediting equivalent work already shown or identifying what is missing: (d) She chooses to face her loss and remember rather than avoid it; a moment of acceptance or farewell.
   • Checks this criterion, crediting equivalent work already shown or identifying what is missing: (e) The gentle closing of the lid shows deep sadness and care through action rather than description of feelings (“She did not cry”).

   Examiner tip: Check each criterion, including equivalent work already shown. Do not demand an extra step merely to rewrite an equivalent answer. Do not award the same idea twice or infer work the learner did not show.

3. 3.

   Read the text “Gap years: privilege or preparation?”. A feature article: [1] Supporters of the gap year describe it as a pause that makes students more independent and more certain of what they want to study. Critics reply that the classic gap year (volunteering abroad, backpacking across a continent) is a luxury available mainly to families who can afford it. [2] Both sides have a point. Research on student outcomes is mixed: some studies link a structured year out to higher motivation at university, but the benefits seem to depend on what students actually do. [3] A growing number of young people are redefining the idea altogether. They stay at home, work part-time, and use the time to learn a skill or care for relatives. These “quiet gap years” rarely appear on social media, yet they may develop exactly the maturity that universities say they value. (a) What two benefits do supporters claim? (b) Explain the critics’ objection. (c) According to paragraph 2, what do the benefits depend on? (d) What is a “quiet gap year”? (e) What is the writer implying in the final sentence?

   [5 marks] · no calculator

   Syllabus placement evidence: Language B guide: Paper 2 receptive skills (reading). Experiences (HL): comprehension of an original theme-related text.

   Worked explanation

   1. Read each question, then scan the matching paragraph for the exact detail; keep answers short and use the text's words where a quotation is requested.
   2. Model answers: (a) More independence and more certainty about what to study. (b) The traditional gap year is expensive, so it is mainly available to wealthier families (a privilege). (c) What students actually do during the year (a structured year). (d) Staying at home, working part-time and learning a skill or caring for relatives, without the travel. (e) That less visible, home-based gap years may be just as valuable as, or more valuable than, glamorous ones, even if they get less attention.

   Common mistake: Copying a long section of the text or answering from general knowledge instead of giving the precise detail, word or short quotation the question targets.

   Marking points

   • (a) More independence and more certainty about what to study.
   • (b) The traditional gap year is expensive, so it is mainly available to wealthier families (a privilege).
   • (c) What students actually do during the year (a structured year).
   • (d) Staying at home, working part-time and learning a skill or caring for relatives, without the travel.
   • (e) That less visible, home-based gap years may be just as valuable as, or more valuable than, glamorous ones, even if they get less attention.

   Examiner tip: Questions about implication need you to state what the writer suggests but does not say directly; begin with “The writer suggests that…”.

4. 4.

   Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “Read the text “Gap years: privilege or preparation?”. A feature article: [1] Supporters of the gap year describe it as a pause that makes students more independent and more certain of what they want to study. Critics reply that the classic gap year (volunteering abroad, backpacking across a continent) is a luxury available mainly to families who can afford it. [2] Both sides have a point. Research on student outcomes is mixed: some studies link a structured year out to higher motivation at university, but the benefits seem to depend on what students actually do. [3] A growing number of young people are redefining the idea altogether. They stay at home, work part-time, and use the time to learn a skill or care for relatives. These “quiet gap years” rarely appear on social media, yet they may develop exactly the maturity that universities say they value. (a) What two benefits do supporters claim? (b) Explain the critics’ objection. (c) According to paragraph 2, what do the benefits depend on? (d) What is a “quiet gap year”? (e) What is the writer implying in the final sentence?” Their response addresses only this point: “(a) More independence and more certainty about what to study.” Evaluate the response against the complete 5-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks.

   [5 marks] · no calculator

   Marking points

   • Recognises credit for the stated point: (a) More independence and more certainty about what to study.
   • Checks this criterion, crediting equivalent work already shown or identifying what is missing: (b) The traditional gap year is expensive, so it is mainly available to wealthier families (a privilege).
   • Checks this criterion, crediting equivalent work already shown or identifying what is missing: (c) What students actually do during the year (a structured year).
   • Checks this criterion, crediting equivalent work already shown or identifying what is missing: (d) Staying at home, working part-time and learning a skill or caring for relatives, without the travel.
   • Checks this criterion, crediting equivalent work already shown or identifying what is missing: (e) That less visible, home-based gap years may be just as valuable as, or more valuable than, glamorous ones, even if they get less attention.

   Examiner tip: Check each criterion, including equivalent work already shown. Do not demand an extra step merely to rewrite an equivalent answer. Do not award the same idea twice or infer work the learner did not show.

5. 5.

   You spent time living with a family in another country as part of an exchange. Write a text reflecting on how the experience changed your view of your own culture. Choose one of these text types: diary entry, blog post, speech to students considering an exchange. Write 450–600 words.

   [6 marks] · no calculator

   Syllabus placement evidence: Language B guide: Paper 1 productive skills (writing), criteria A–C. Experiences (HL): HL writing task on a prescribed-theme context.

   Worked explanation

   1. Decide the text type first, then list what the task requires: the audience, the purpose and every content point. Plan one paragraph for each main idea and aim for 450–600 words. For this task: describes specific moments from the exchange that challenged the writer’s assumptions. reflects with depth on how the writer now sees their own culture differently.
   2. Check each line of the self-check list against your draft: two content points (criterion B), clear linked paragraphs (B), the conventions of your chosen type and a consistent register (C), and accurate, varied language (A).

   Common mistake: Writing a generic essay that ignores the stated audience, purpose and text type, which limits criteria B and C however accurate the language is.

   Marking points

   • Content (criterion B): describes specific moments from the exchange that challenged the writer’s assumptions.
   • Content (criterion B): reflects with depth on how the writer now sees their own culture differently.
   • Message (criterion B): ideas are developed with specific details or examples and organised in clear, logically linked paragraphs.
   • Conventions (criterion C): uses features of the chosen type, e.g. date and introspective voice for a diary; title, anecdote and reader engagement for a blog; audience address, structure and advice for a speech.
   • Register (criterion C): reflective and personal, with nuance suitable for the chosen audience.
   • Language (criterion A): varied vocabulary and a range of accurate simple and complex structures; any errors do not obstruct meaning.

   Examiner tip: Reflection at HL means explaining why something changed your thinking, not only that it did. This checklist is a self-review aid; the real paper is marked with criteria A (12), B (12) and C (6), and a response that ignores audience, context and purpose can score zero for B and C.

6. 6.

   Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “You spent time living with a family in another country as part of an exchange. Write a text reflecting on how the experience changed your view of your own culture. Choose one of these text types: diary entry, blog post, speech to students considering an exchange. Write 450–600 words.” Their response addresses only this point: “Content (criterion B): describes specific moments from the exchange that challenged the writer’s assumptions.” Evaluate the response against the complete 6-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks.

   [6 marks] · no calculator

   Marking points

   • Recognises credit for the stated point: Content (criterion B): describes specific moments from the exchange that challenged the writer’s assumptions.
   • Checks this criterion, crediting equivalent work already shown or identifying what is missing: Content (criterion B): reflects with depth on how the writer now sees their own culture differently.
   • Checks this criterion, crediting equivalent work already shown or identifying what is missing: Message (criterion B): ideas are developed with specific details or examples and organised in clear, logically linked paragraphs.
   • Checks this criterion, crediting equivalent work already shown or identifying what is missing: Conventions (criterion C): uses features of the chosen type, e.g. date and introspective voice for a diary; title, anecdote and reader engagement for a blog; audience address, structure and advice for a speech.
   • Checks this criterion, crediting equivalent work already shown or identifying what is missing: Register (criterion C): reflective and personal, with nuance suitable for the chosen audience.
   • Checks this criterion, crediting equivalent work already shown or identifying what is missing: Language (criterion A): varied vocabulary and a range of accurate simple and complex structures; any errors do not obstruct meaning.

   Examiner tip: Check each criterion, including equivalent work already shown. Do not demand an extra step merely to rewrite an equivalent answer. Do not award the same idea twice or infer work the learner did not show.

7. 7.

   Complete each sentence with a suitable conditional form of the verb in brackets. (1) If I (know) how hard the first month would be, I would have prepared better. (2) If she hadn’t missed the train, she (never / meet) her future business partner. (3) Unless the visa (arrive) by Friday, we will have to cancel the trip.

   [3 marks] · no calculator

   Syllabus placement evidence: Language B guide: Paper 2 receptive skills (reading). Experiences (HL): language use in a theme-related context.

   Worked explanation

   1. Sentences (1) and (2) describe unreal past situations: if + past perfect, would have + past participle.
   2. “Unless” means “if not” and, for a real future condition, takes the present simple: arrives.

   Common mistake: Choosing an answer from the word next to the gap instead of the grammatical structure and meaning of the whole sentence.

   Marking points

   • (1) had known.
   • (2) would never have met.
   • (3) arrives.

   Examiner tip: Third conditionals are ideal for reflective writing about experiences, but check that both halves of the sentence match in time.

8. 8.

   Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “Complete each sentence with a suitable conditional form of the verb in brackets. (1) If I (know) how hard the first month would be, I would have prepared better. (2) If she hadn’t missed the train, she (never / meet) her future business partner. (3) Unless the visa (arrive) by Friday, we will have to cancel the trip.” Their response addresses only this point: “(1) had known.” Evaluate the response against the complete 3-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks.

   [3 marks] · no calculator

   Marking points

   • Recognises credit for the stated point: (1) had known.
   • Checks this criterion, crediting equivalent work already shown or identifying what is missing: (2) would never have met.
   • Checks this criterion, crediting equivalent work already shown or identifying what is missing: (3) arrives.

   Examiner tip: Check each criterion, including equivalent work already shown. Do not demand an extra step merely to rewrite an equivalent answer. Do not award the same idea twice or infer work the learner did not show.

9. 9.

   Read the text “The first shave”. An extract from an original memoir: My uncle insisted on teaching me, though I could have learned from a video in three minutes. He laid out the brush, the bowl and the razor as if setting a table for an important guest. “Short strokes,” he said. “Never against the grain. And never in a hurry.” I cut myself twice. He did not laugh; he pressed a square of tissue to my chin and waited. Years later I understood that the lesson was not really about shaving. It was the last time he would treat me as a boy, and the first time he would treat me as someone who could be trusted with something sharp. (a) Why does the narrator mention that he “could have learned from a video in three minutes”? (b) Explain the comparison “as if setting a table for an important guest”. (c) What does the uncle’s reaction to the cuts show about him? (d) Explain the narrator’s realisation in the last two sentences. (e) Identify the rite of passage described and explain why it matters to the narrator.

   [5 marks] · no calculator

   Syllabus placement evidence: Language B guide: Paper 2 receptive skills (reading). Experiences (HL): HL reading of an original literary text.

   Worked explanation

   1. For each part, find the exact words that support your interpretation, quote them briefly, and explain their effect rather than paraphrasing the plot.
   2. Model answers: (a) To show that the practical skill was easy; the uncle’s insistence means the occasion had a deeper value. (b) The uncle treats the moment with ceremony and respect, as something special and important. (c) He is patient and caring; he does not humiliate the boy. (d) The lesson marked a transition: the end of being treated as a child and the beginning of being trusted as an adult (“something sharp” suggests responsibility). (e) The first shave; it matters because it symbolises becoming an adult and being trusted by an older family member.

   Common mistake: Retelling what happens instead of naming the technique, quoting it briefly and explaining its effect on meaning.

   Marking points

   • (a) To show that the practical skill was easy; the uncle’s insistence means the occasion had a deeper value.
   • (b) The uncle treats the moment with ceremony and respect, as something special and important.
   • (c) He is patient and caring; he does not humiliate the boy.
   • (d) The lesson marked a transition: the end of being treated as a child and the beginning of being trusted as an adult (“something sharp” suggests responsibility).
   • (e) The first shave; it matters because it symbolises becoming an adult and being trusted by an older family member.

   Examiner tip: Link literary details to the theme of the topic (here, rites of passage); HL questions reward that conceptual connection.

10. 10.

    Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “Read the text “The first shave”. An extract from an original memoir: My uncle insisted on teaching me, though I could have learned from a video in three minutes. He laid out the brush, the bowl and the razor as if setting a table for an important guest. “Short strokes,” he said. “Never against the grain. And never in a hurry.” I cut myself twice. He did not laugh; he pressed a square of tissue to my chin and waited. Years later I understood that the lesson was not really about shaving. It was the last time he would treat me as a boy, and the first time he would treat me as someone who could be trusted with something sharp. (a) Why does the narrator mention that he “could have learned from a video in three minutes”? (b) Explain the comparison “as if setting a table for an important guest”. (c) What does the uncle’s reaction to the cuts show about him? (d) Explain the narrator’s realisation in the last two sentences. (e) Identify the rite of passage described and explain why it matters to the narrator.” Their response addresses only this point: “(a) To show that the practical skill was easy; the uncle’s insistence means the occasion had a deeper value.” Evaluate the response against the complete 5-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks.

    [5 marks] · no calculator

    Marking points

    • Recognises credit for the stated point: (a) To show that the practical skill was easy; the uncle’s insistence means the occasion had a deeper value.
    • Checks this criterion, crediting equivalent work already shown or identifying what is missing: (b) The uncle treats the moment with ceremony and respect, as something special and important.
    • Checks this criterion, crediting equivalent work already shown or identifying what is missing: (c) He is patient and caring; he does not humiliate the boy.
    • Checks this criterion, crediting equivalent work already shown or identifying what is missing: (d) The lesson marked a transition: the end of being treated as a child and the beginning of being trusted as an adult (“something sharp” suggests responsibility).
    • Checks this criterion, crediting equivalent work already shown or identifying what is missing: (e) The first shave; it matters because it symbolises becoming an adult and being trusted by an older family member.

    Examiner tip: Check each criterion, including equivalent work already shown. Do not demand an extra step merely to rewrite an equivalent answer. Do not award the same idea twice or infer work the learner did not show.

Original, unofficial practice questions from SubjectScout — not official past-paper questions or complete syllabus coverage.