General Paper:Questions and answers

2009 - 2010

ANSWER:“...FURTHERMOST EDGE” (1) “OF THE ATLANTIC...” (1)

Write down an expression from paragraph 1 which shows how remote the island of Barra is.

Look at Paragraphs 1 - 5

1.

ANSWER:OBSCURE OR UNCLEAR IN MEANING (2)

“...you’d read the cryptic words ‘Unfold Your Imagination’...” (paragraph 2)

Tick (P) the box beside the best definition of “cryptic”. Tick (P) Written in a special fontObscure or unclear in meaningWritten on a burial placeVery difficult to read

2.

(a)

ANSWER:“(BUT) WOULD YOU BE ANY THE WISER?” (2)

Write down an expression from Paragraph 2 to support your answer.

(b)

ANSWER:“...(MANY) WITH JAWS DROPPED...” (1) “BOTTLES OF IRN BRU SUSPENDED EN ROUTE TO MOUTHS...” (1)

What evidence is there in Paragraph 3 to suggest that the audience was engrossed in the film?

3.

ANSWER:“ANGST” / “SUFFERED” / “DRAMA”. ANY ONE (2)

Write down one word from Paragraph 4 which supports the idea that Iain MacColl experienced difficulty in bringing “the most talked-about film of the year to the island”.

4.

ANSWERS:(I) THE STORM (1) CANCELLED THE FERRY (HE WAS TO BE ON) (1)(II) THE NEXT FERRY (1) WOULD BE TOO LATE/DIDN’T GIVE HIM ENOUGH TIME (TO SET UP) (1)

ACCEPT ALSO THAT HE COULDN’T (EVEN) GET AN ALTERNATIVE CROSSING (I.E. THE FREIGHTER FROM OBAN) (1)

Explain fully the two causes of MacColl’s “struggle” (Paragraph 6).

Look at Paragraphs 6 - 10

5.

ANSWER:BECAUSE IT’S INFORMAL/SLANG/JARGON/A SPECIALIST TERM OR USAGE/QUOTING WHAT MACCOLL HAD CALLED IT. ANY ONE (2)

Why has the writer used inverted commas round “gig” (Paragraph 8)?

6.

ANSWER: THEY’D HAVE TO HURRY (1) TO FIND A WAY TO GET TO BARRA IN TIME (1)

“The race was on.” (Paragraph 9)

Explain what the writer means by this.

7.

(a)

ANSWER:HE MAKES IT A PARAGRAPH ON ITS OWN/A SINGLE SENTENCE/A SHORT SENTENCE. ANY ONE (2)

How does the writer make this statement stand out?

(b)

ANSWER:HE MAKES IT ONE LONG SENTENCE (2)

How does the writer’s sentence structure in Paragraph 10 emphasise the extent of the “diversion”?

8.

ANSWER:HE PLACES THE WORDS ‘WEATHER PERMITTING’ AT THE END OF THE SENTENCE OR PARAGRAPH/HE USES A DASH TO SEPARATE THEM FROM THE REST OF THE SENTENCE OR PARAGRAPH/HE USES AN EXCLAMATION MARK (AT THE END) ANY ONE (2)

Identify any one technique the writer uses in Paragraph 10 to emphasise the importance of the weather to their journey.

9.

ANSWER:“...BEATING HEART...” / “...MOVING HEAVEN AND EARTH TO SHARE HIS LOVE OF CINEMA...” EITHER (2)

Write down an expression from Paragraph 11 which shows how important Iain MacColl is to the “Screen Machine”.

10.

Look at Paragraphs 11 - 13

ANSWER: IT’S THE BEST PART (1) OF REGIONAL SCREEN SCOTLAND/THE DEVELOPMENT AGENCY (1)

What do the words “jewel in the crown” (Paragraph 12) suggest about the Screen Machine?

11.

ANSWER:THE AUDIENCE/PEOPLE LEAVE THE CINEMA (1) LAUGHING/ENJOYING THEMSELVES (1)

(a) What makes MacColl feel “I’ve done my job” (Paragraph 15)?

12.

Look at Paragraphs 14 - 16

ANSWER:HE DRESSED UP (1) AND DANCED (FOR/WITH THE AUDIENCE) (1)

How did he achieve this when he showed “Mamma Mia!” ?

(b)

ANSWER:IT LETS PEOPLE FORGET (1) THEIR TROUBLES (1)

Using your own words as far as possible, explain what Iain MacColl means when he says “...the essence of cinema is escapism.” (Paragraph 15)

13.

ANSWER:PEOPLE TREAT HIM/BLAME HIM (1) AS IF HE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE (MAKING OF) FILM (1)

In your own words, describe what can happen to MacColl if the films he shows don’t “...meet with full approval.” (Paragraph 16)

14.

ANSWER:REFERENCE TO “WELL ORGANISED” / “ORIGAMI-STYLE” / “FEAT (OF ENGINEERING)” / “MAGIC” / “MINIATURE, BUT FULLY FLEDGED” ANY ONE (2)

“Right, I’d better make a cinema.” (Paragraph 19)Give one example of the writer’s choice which conveys a sense of wonder at, or admiration for, MacColl’s “operation”.

15.

Look at Paragraphs 17 - 19

ANSWER:ANSWERS SHOULD REFER TO SIZE (IT SHOWS HOW BIG THEY ARE) (1) AND SHAPE (BEING CIRCULAR, OR HAVING SPOKE-LIKE PARTS) (1)

What is appropriate about the comparison “...film... Reels looking like cartwheels.” (Paragraph 19)?

16.

ANSWER:IT BRINGS THE ISLAND PEOPLE TOGETHER / IT GIVES PEOPLE SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT / IT’S A GOOD PLACE TO GO WITH FRIENDS / IT’S NICE TO DRESS UP FOR ANY THREE (2) ANY TWO (1) ONLY 1 (0)

In this section, the writer interviews some teenagers about the cinema.Give three reasons they state for liking the cinema.

17.(a)

Look at Paragraphs 20 - 23

ANSWER:THEY MAKE IT MORE AUTHENTIC / CONVINCING / PERSONAL / GIVE IT AUTHORITY / GIVE IT IMMEDIATE APPEAL / PROVIDE DIFFERENT VIEWPOINTS (2)

How do these interviews improve the article?(b)

ANSWER: MARK ON MERIT

PROBABLE RESPONSES INCLUDE:REFERENCE TO THE FILM (HARKING BACK TO THE OPENING ETC) / THE PARALLEL APPROACH OF THE FINAL TWO PARAGRAPHS / PROVIDING A SUMMATION OF IAIN MACCOLL’S WORK IN BRINGING THE FILM TO THE ISLAND,ETCTHERE SHOULD BE A REFERENCE (1) AND AN EXPLANATION / COMMENT (1) BUT WATCH FOR CONDENSED ANSWERS

Show how the final two paragraphs provide an effective conclusion to the article.

18.

ANSWER:“FRAME” IS (A TERM) ASSOCIATED WITH FILM (1) AND MACCOLL WOULD BE “IN THE FRAME” (I.E. IN TOUBLE – “THEY’D CRUCIFY ME...”) IF HE DIDN’T MANAGE TO GET THE FILM TO BARRA (1)

Look again at the article’s title and introduction.

Explain two ways in which the title relates to the content of the article.

19.

(a)

Think about the passage as a whole.

ANSWER:VARIOUS POSSIBILITIES HERE, BUT MOST ARE LIKELY TO FOCUS ON THE DRAMA AND TENSION (1) OF THE RACE TO GET TO BARRA IN TIME (1)

What features of this “story of dedication and triumph” might have made the writer feel it was “almost worth a film in itself”?

(b)

END OF QUESTION PAPER

NOW FOLLOW MY INSTRUCTIONS TO LABEL THE PYRAMID.

FOR THE LABELS, YOU NEED TO THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU NEED TO REMEMBER IN AN EXAM.

Draw a pyramid or triangle shape in your books.