ENGLISH HOME LANGUAGE
PAPER 1
GRADE 12
NSC PAST PAPERS AND MEMOS
FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017
NOTE:
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INSTRUCTIONS TO MARKERS
Marking the comprehension:
SECTION A: COMPREHENSION
QUESTION 1: READING FOR MEANING AND UNDERSTANDING
1.1 Under normal circumstances, a major international event would attract a wide audience, showing how popular extreme sport has become./The jump was not the usual type of event to attract mass attention/People love to see how far boundaries can be pushed.
[Award 2 marks for any of the above alternatives.] (2)
1.2 It is an event that is unusual and defies logic.
[Accept synonymous words and phrases, e.g. strange/weird.] (2)
1.3 The rhetorical questions probe the core issues of why people engage in extreme sports.
OR
The rhetorical questions elicit a response from the reader./Encourage the reader to become directly involved.
Rhetorical questions elicit a response. [Award 1 mark only.] (2)
1.4 There is a contradiction in people’s response to danger: in order to survive, some will fight for their lives, but others will run away (fight-or-flight). Both groups see their actions as essential for survival. (3)
1.5 The repetition of 'more' supports the notion that human beings readily adapt to dangerous situations when they regularly participate in risky activities./ Human beings have an insatiable need for the thrill of danger. (2)
1.6 The writer uses a foreboding tone to reiterate how an individual's choices determine his/her destiny/fate.
[Accept synonyms for ‘foreboding’, e.g. ominous/harsh.] (2)
1.7 The direct speech creates a celebratory tone and it has dramatic effect. It makes the speaker's achievement more real. He feels reaffirmed. The reader is invited to identify with the positive experience and envision a sense of accomplishment. (3)
1.8 Taking risks is a life-changing experience and it allows the individual to reassess his/her value system. Facing death makes people surer of what they believe in/they become more spiritual and they see their own position among others and on the scale of eternity more clearly.
[Award a maximum of TWO marks for mere lifting.] (3)
1.9 There is a distinct link between the introductory paragraph and the conclusion of the text. In both paragraphs Felix Baumgartner's famous risky jump is mentioned. Paragraph 10 brings about cohesion in the text as a whole because it is thematically linked with the preceding paragraphs. The concluding paragraph creates a sense of anticipation in the reader; it suggests that the writer wants to challenge the reader to explore 'the limit'.
[Credit cogent alternative responses.] (3)
1.10 The child stares directly at the reader and draws the reader into the situation being focused on. The child appears to be vulnerable; this is intended to elicit sympathy/concern from the reader.
[Award 2 marks for two points or 2 marks for any single idea well discussed.] (2)
1.11 The emotive statement, 'Promise you will buy me …' introduces an innocent plea for safety by a vulnerable child. The use of personal pronouns like 'I', 'you' and 'me' makes the message more personal. The diction in Text B reinforces the message – the natural need for protection.
'A helmet when … promise me' emphasises the responsibility of the adult in promoting development in the child and protecting her from any possible injury and safe-guarding her future. The use of 'promise you will' and 'promise me' emphasise the child's trust in the adult.
[Award 3 marks for any three distinct ideas OR 3 marks for any two well discussed ideas.] (3)
1.12 YES
Text B is relevant to the information in Text A because it focuses on the natural need for protection in risky activities. This need is debunked in Text A. In Text B, an innocent child makes a plea to her parents or guardians for protection – the helmet. In Text A, the individual takes responsibility for his/her own risky action. In contrast with the girl in Text B, Text A presents the risk-taker as fearless and one who seeks an adrenaline rush, irrespective of the consequences. Text B is thus relevant in the sense that it highlights the importance of most-needed safety features when one participates in extreme activities.
NO
Text B is not relevant to the information in Text A; while Text A concentrates on extreme activities that are more risky than ordinary sporting codes, Text B focuses on a child's need for protection when he/she participates in sports. The child in Text B displays a natural need for protection and safety. In contrast with this, the adults in Text A are willing to compromise the natural need for safety by participating in life-threatening and extreme sports.
[Credit cogent alternative responses.] (3)
TOTAL SECTION A: 30
SECTION B: SUMMARY
QUESTION 2: SUMMARISING IN YOUR OWN WORDS
Use the following main points that the candidate should include in the summary as a guideline.
Any 7 valid points in paragraph-form are to be credited.
(Sentences and/or sentence fragments must be coherent.)
NO. | QUOTATIONS | NO. | POINTS |
1 | 'instead of pleasing others, simply expect to be treated with respect.' | 1 | You deserve to be treated with respect: expect it. |
2 | 'The real path to success can come only through your belief in yourself.'/'they are confident enough in themselves' | 2 | Self-confidence/Self assurance leads to success. |
3 | 'the only way to get what you want in life, is to say what you want and go after it.' | 3 | Verbalise your goals and commit yourself to achieving them. |
4 | 'trusting your own abilities, which you garner through risk-taking' | 4 | Risk-taking allows you to build confidence in your own abilities. |
5 | 'learn to grow from feedback rather than to shrink from it.' | 5 | Understand that constructive criticism promotes growth. |
6 | 'they do not fear to be brutally honest when necessary.' | 6 | Absolute honesty is beneficial. |
7 | 'to commit to what you believe in and to speak out.' | 7 | Do not fear to express your beliefs and thoughts. |
8 | 'You don't need to apologise for your existence' | 8 | Be unapologetic about your actions. |
9 | 'you need to be bold enough to make mistakes.' | 9 | Be courageous enough to accept that you will make mistakes. |
PARAGRAPH-FORM
NOTE: What follows is merely an example. It is not prescriptive and must be used very carefully.
You deserve to be treated with respect. Because self-confidence leads to success, it is imperative to verbalise your goals and commit yourself to them. Furthermore, risk-taking allows you to build confidence in your own abilities. However, understand that constructive criticism promotes growth. Moreover, successful people are self-assured and they know that absolute honesty is beneficial. They also never fear to express their beliefs and they are unapologetic about their actions. Lastly, it is imperative to be courageous enough to accept that human beings are not flawless. (86 words) |
Marking the summary:
The summary should be marked as follows:
NOTE:
TOTAL SECTION B: 10
SECTION C: LANGUAGE STRUCTURES AND CONVENTIONS
Marking SECTION C:
QUESTION 3: ANALYSING ADVERTISING
3.1 The advertiser emphasises the fact that this is a reputable brand. Its quality has stood the test of time. (2)
3.2 The illustration effectively conveys the advertiser's intention because attention is drawn to the superior and the unusual characteristics of the product. The watch's large size and unusual horizontal position accentuate its distinctive features. (2)
3.3 The inclusion of the statement was made for a specific reason – to identify a definite target market, viz. men. The statement in bold could be perceived as being sexist/stereotyped/biased in favour of men. It highlights the gender specific target market. The word 'engineered' reinforces the sense of the sophisticated and special qualities of the watch. (3)
3.4 The advertiser makes a personal appeal by using the second-person pronoun. Emotive words/phrases, e.g. 'gigantic', 'even more impressive', 'envious glances' reinforce the notion that this product is a cut above the rest. Jargon, e.g. 'Pellaton winding system', creates the impression that the watch is technically sophisticated.
The emotive diction and jargon could be perceived as elitist.
[Award full marks only if candidate gives a critical evaluation of the diction.] (3)
[Credit valid alternative responses.]
[10]
QUESTION 4: UNDERSTANDING OTHER ASPECTS OF THE MEDIA
4.1 The boy is marginalised to the far left of frame 1./He is voiceless./The speaker's tone and the girls' facial expression show hostility./The bold 'YOU' shows the speaker's domineering attitude.
[Award 2 marks for TWO valid points.] (2)
4.2 In frame 2, the boy's head is moving from side to side and this illustrates his reaction to the overbearing assault. Both girls are verbally abusing him. He is left completely confused.
In frame 3, the boy's slumped shoulders show that he is completely defeated. He is left depressed because he is rejected. The speech bubble illustrates his state of mind.
[Award 2 marks only if candidate makes reference to both frames 2 and 3.] (2)
4.3 The bold font effectively highlights the authoritarian/demanding/domineering tone. The use of several exclamation marks shows that the girls raise their voices and shout at the boy in unison. The repetition of the command, 'GO ON HOME' underlines how adamant the girls are.
[Award 3 marks for any three points OR 3 marks for any two well-discussed points.] (3)
4.4 The last frame is grimly ironic. The girls blame the boy for his dejection, while they are wholly responsible for his lack of humour. The girls take no responsibility for their abusive actions. They are utterly insensitive.
[Accept responses that discuss the nature and effects of bullying, with reference to the cartoon.]
[The explicit use of the word irony or its derivatives is not necessary for full marks.]
[Credit cogent alternative responses.] (3)
[10]
QUESTION 5: USING LANGUAGE CORRECTLY
5.1 B adjective (1)
5.2 It is a book/film title. (1)
5.3 I thought he was attractive/good-looking.
[Accept appropriate formal English synonyms.] (1)
5.4 perfect singing voice/flawless singing voice (1)
5.5 I thought that those crushes were incomprehensible (1), the ones to which one/you could assign no sense or meaning (1).
[Award 1 mark for the first and second pair of words respectively.] (2)
5.6 You will never meet someone who is the ideal crush object. (1)
[Accept ...someone that…]
5.7 would have together/would have had together
[If the candidate changes are to would be, the second verb must be would have had together.] (1)
5.8. stationery (1)
5.9 it exists
Crashes … they exist (1)
[10]
TOTAL SECTION C: 30
GRAND TOTAL: 70