Insert
The source that follows is:
- Source A: 19th-century prose fiction
- The Black Cat by Edgar Allan Poe
An extract from a work first published in 1843.
This extract is taken from The Black Cat by Edgar Allan Poe, where an unreliable narrator addresses the reader and begins to describe unsettling changes in his behaviour and home life, introducing a tense Gothic mood and the disturbing significance of a black cat.
Source A
1 We had now reached the summit of the loftiest crag. For some minutes the old man seemed too much exhausted to speak. “Not long ago,” said he at length, “and I could have guided you
6 on this route as well as the youngest of my sons; but, about three years past, there happened to me an event such as never happened to mortal man—or at
11 least such as no man ever survived to tell of—and the six hours of deadly terror which I then endured have broken me up body and soul. You suppose me a very
16 old man—but I am not. It took less than a single day to change these hairs from a jetty black to white, to weaken my limbs, and to unstring my nerves, so that I tremble at the least exertion,
21 and am frightened at a shadow. Do you know I can scarcely look over this little cliff without getting giddy?” The “little cliff,” upon whose edge he had so carelessly thrown
26 himself down to rest that the weightier portion of his body hung over it, while he was only kept from falling by the tenure of his elbow on its extreme
31 and slippery edge—this “little cliff” arose, a sheer unobstructed precipice of black shining rock, some fifteen or sixteen hundred feet from the world of crags beneath
36 us. Nothing would have tempted me to within half a dozen yards of its brink. In truth so deeply was I excited by the perilous position of my companion, that I fell at full length
41 upon the ground, clung to the shrubs around me, and dared not even glance upward at the sky—while I struggled in vain to divest myself of the idea that the very foundations of the mountain were in danger
46 from the fury of the winds. It was long before I could reason myself into sufficient courage to sit up and look out into the distance.
51 “You must get over these fancies,” said the guide, “for I have brought you here that you might have the best possible view of the scene of that
56 event I mentioned—and to tell you the whole story with the spot just under your eye.” “We are now,” he continued, in that particularizing manner which
61 distinguished him—“we are now close upon the Norwegian coast—in the sixty-eighth degree of latitude—in the great province of Nordland—and in the dreary district of Lofoden. The mountain upon
66 whose top we sit is Helseggen, the Cloudy. Now raise yourself up a little higher—hold on to the grass if you feel giddy—so—and look out, beyond the belt of vapor
71 beneath us, into the sea.” I looked dizzily, and beheld a wide expanse of ocean, whose waters wore so inky a hue as to bring at once to my mind the
76 Nubian geographer’s account of the Mare Tenebrarum. A panorama more deplorably desolate no human imagination can conceive. To the right and left, as far as the eye
81 could reach, there lay outstretched, like ramparts of the world, lines of horridly black and beetling cliff, whose character of gloom was but the more
86 forcibly illustrated by the surf which reared high up against its white and ghastly crest, howling and shrieking forever. Just opposite the promontory upon whose apex we were placed, and at a distance of some five or six miles out at sea, there was visible
91 a small, bleak-looking island; or, more properly, its position was discernible through the wilderness of surge in which it was enveloped.
96 About two miles nearer the land, arose another of smaller size, hideously craggy and barren, and encompassed at various intervals by a cluster of dark rocks.
101 The appearance of the ocean, in the space between the more distant island and the shore, had something very unusual about it. Although, at
106 the time, so strong a gale was blowing landward that a brig in the remote offing lay to under a double-reefed trysail, and constantly plunged her whole hull out of sight,
111 still there was here nothing like a regular swell, but only a short, quick, angry cross dashing of water in every direction—as well in the teeth of the wind as otherwise. Of foam
116 there was little except in the immediate vicinity of the rocks. “The island in the distance,” resumed the old man, “is called by the
121 Norwegians Vurrgh. The one midway is Moskoe. That a mile to the northward is Ambaaren. Yonder are Islesen, Hotholm, Keildhelm, Suarven, and Buckholm. Farther off—between Moskoe and
126 Vurrgh—are Otterholm, Flimen, Sandflesen, and Stockholm. These are the true names of the places—but why it has been thought necessary to name them at all, is
131 more than either you or I can understand. Do you hear anything? Do you see any change in the water?”
Questions
Instructions
- Answer all questions.
- Use black ink or black ball point pen.
- Fill in the boxes on this page.
- You must answer the questions in the spaces provided.
- Do not write outside the box around each page or on blank pages.
- Do all rough work in this book. Cross through any work you do not want to be marked.
- You must refer to the insert booklet provided.
- You must not use a dictionary.
Information
- The marks for questions are shown in brackets.
- Time allowed: 1 hour 45 minutes
- The maximum mark for this paper is 80.
- There are 40 marks for Section A and 40 marks for Section B.
- You are reminded of the need for good English and clear presentation in your answers.
- You will be assessed on the quality of your reading in Section A.
- You will be assessed on the quality of your writing in Section B.
Advice
- You are advised to spend about 15 minutes reading through the source and all five questions you have to answer.
- You should make sure you leave sufficient time to check your answers.
Section A: Reading
Answer all questions in this section. You are advised to spend about 45 minutes on this section.
Question 1
Read again the first part of the source, from lines 1 to 5.
Answer all parts of this question.
Choose one answer for each question.
1.1 Who had now reached the summit?
- the narrator/speaker without the old man
- the old man and the narrator/speaker
- the old man without the narrator/speaker
[1 mark]
1.2 After the narrator and the old man reach the summit of the crag, what happens before the old man begins to speak?
- The old man is silent for a short time due to exhaustion
- The narrator calls out in excitement about the view
- The old man immediately starts giving directions
[1 mark]
1.3 When does the old man begin speaking?
- at once
- at length
- at first
[1 mark]
1.4 According to the old man, what could he have done for the narrator/speaker?
- guided the narrator/speaker
- carried the narrator/speaker
- warned the narrator/speaker
[1 mark]
Question 2
Look in detail at this extract, from lines 1 to 20 of the source:
1 We had now reached the summit of the loftiest crag. For some minutes the old man seemed too much exhausted to speak. “Not long ago,” said he at length, “and I could have guided you
6 on this route as well as the youngest of my sons; but, about three years past, there happened to me an event such as never happened to mortal man—or at
11 least such as no man ever survived to tell of—and the six hours of deadly terror which I then endured have broken me up body and soul. You suppose me a very
16 old man—but I am not. It took less than a single day to change these hairs from a jetty black to white, to weaken my limbs, and to unstring my nerves, so that I tremble at the least exertion,
How does the writer use language here to present the old man’s experience and its effects on him? You could include the writer’s choice of:
- words and phrases
- language features and techniques
- sentence forms.
[8 marks]
Question 3
You now need to think about the structure of the source as a whole. This text is from the start of a story.
How has the writer structured the text to create a sense of foreboding?
You could write about:
- how foreboding intensifies from beginning to end
- how the writer uses structure to create an effect
- the writer's use of any other structural features, such as changes in mood, tone or perspective.
[8 marks]
Question 4
For this question focus on the second part of the source, from line 21 to the end.
In this part of the source, the contrast between the huge cliff and the guide calling it 'little' makes him seem incredibly brave. The writer suggests that the guide's past experience was so terrible it has changed his whole idea of danger.
To what extent do you agree and/or disagree with this statement?
In your response, you could:
- consider your impressions of the guide's perception of danger
- comment on the methods the writer uses to present the guide and the dangerous cliff
- support your response with references to the text.
[20 marks]
Question 5
A national sports magazine is inviting creative entries from young writers about memorable moments in sport.
Choose one of the options below for your entry.
-
Option A: Write a description of a swimming pool before opening from your imagination. You may choose to use the picture provided for ideas:
-
Option B: Write the opening of a story about facing a long-held fear.
(24 marks for content and organisation, 16 marks for technical accuracy)
[40 marks]