Reading Tests: Year 9 : Reading Tests: Year 9 Main Points
N. Hayes
STARTER : STARTER Write down 3 things you find difficult about reading tests.
Past Paper Example : Past Paper Example “Estate Life”
ESTATE LIFE : ESTATE LIFE As I walk onto the estate, the first thing that assaults my eyes is the shell of a burnt out car, lying forlorn by the side of the road…
ESTATE LIFE : ESTATE LIFE Two children who can’t be more than six or seven are taking it in turns to throw stones through the hollow rectangle where the windscreen once was. It is awful.
ESTATE LIFE : ESTATE LIFE Walking on, I am saddened by the boarded up houses with streaks of black like scars down their brickwork. A radio booms out bass notes, and a baby cries somewhere.
Essay Question : Essay Question The writer describes the houses as having ‘scars’ in the first paragraph. What effect is this trying to create?
(3 Marks)
Top Tips : Top Tips The question refers to the houses, not the children or the car.
The word ‘scars’ is a key word.
We are looking for the effect – what does the choice of this word rather than any others make us think of?
What is the writer trying to do?
TASK : TASK You have 5 minutes
to write your ideas down.
POSSIBLE ANSWERS (The Scars on the houses…) : POSSIBLE ANSWERS (The Scars on the houses…) Are marks that don’t make them look very nice.
Are like wounds. The writer is trying to get across the feeling that the houses almost have feelings, like people.
Are marks that don’t make them look very nice. The writer wants us to know that the estate is not a very nice place to live.
Self – Assessment : Self – Assessment How do these responses compare to your own?
What mark out of 3 do you think you would get?
Marking Your Work! : Marking Your Work! Marks = houses unattractive.
Writer uses word WOUNDS to create a picture in mind of reader (imagery).
The writer compares houses to people (personification).
The writer wants us to know that the estate isn’t a very nice place to live.
Other Question Types… : Other Question Types… Find the phrase that shows Mrs Malone is very angry.
Explain how Mrs Malone felt at the end of the story.
Mrs Malone is referred to as ‘cold as ice’ in the third paragraph. Explain why the writer chose this phrase and what it tells us.
List 3 things Mrs Malone does to annoy her daughter.
Summary : Summary Questions vary in style and difficulty.
Look at the number of marks to help you tell how much to write.
Look for key words in the title.
Where suitable, use EVIDENCE (P.E.E Method) to back up your argument.
Homework / Extension Task : Homework / Extension Task Make a Top Tips bookmark.