Insert
The source that follows is:
- Source A: 19th-century prose fiction
- Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev
An extract from a work first published in 1862.
This extract is from Ivan Turgenev’s Fathers and Sons: Bazarov and Arkady meet Thenichka and her baby on Arkady’s father’s estate. Bazarov charms the child, derides sentiment, mocks cello-playing, and criticises the farm, revealing tensions over marriage, nature, and emerging nihilist beliefs.
Source A
1 And, approaching Thenichka, he doffed his cap. "Allow me to introduce myself," he said with a polite bow. "I am a friend of Arkady's, and a perfectly harmless individual."
6 Rising from her seat, Thenichka gazed at him in silence. "Oh, and what a fine baby!" he continued. "Pray do not disturb yourself. Never yet have I cast upon a child an evil spell. But why are his cheeks so red? Is he cutting teeth?"
11 "Yes," replied Thenichka. "He has now cut four of them, and the gums are a little swelled." "Then let me see them. Do not be afraid. I am a doctor."
16 With that he took the baby into his arms, and both Thenichka and Duniasha were astonished at the fact that it made no resistance, showed no fear. "I see," he continued. "Well, everything is going right with him, and he will
21 have plenty of teeth. Nevertheless, should he in any way ail, please let me know. Are you yourself well?" "Yes, thank God!"
26 "'Thank God,' say I too, for health on the part of the mother is the chief point of all. And you?" he added, turning to Duniasha. The latter, ultra-prim of demeanour in the drawing-room, and ultra-frivolous of behaviour in the kitchen, answered with a giggle.
31 "Well, you look all right. Here! Take your hero back again." He replaced the baby in Thenichka's arms. "How quiet he has been with you!" she exclaimed under her breath.
36 "Always children are quiet with me," he remarked. "You see, I know how to handle them." "And they know when people are fond of them," put in Duniasha.
41 "True," assented Thenichka. "Though it is seldom that Mitia will go to any one's arms but mine." "Would he come to me?" ventured Arkady, who, until now standing in the
46 background, at this moment came forward towards the arbour. But on his attempting to wheedle Mitia to his arms, the infant threw back its head, and started to cry--a circumstance which greatly perturbed Thenichka. "Another time--when he has come to be more used to me," said Arkady
51 indulgently. And the two friends departed. "What is her name?" asked Bazarov. "Thenichka--Theodosia," replied Arkady.
56 "And her patronymic?" "Nikolaievna."
61 "Bene! What I like about her is her total absence of shyness. True, that is a trait which some might have condemned in her, but I say, 'What rubbish!' For why need she be bashful? She is a mother, and therefore justified." "I agree," said Arkady. "And my father----"
66 "Also is justified," concluded Bazarov. "No, I do not agree in that respect."
71 "You do not altogether welcome a superfluous heir?" "For shame, Evgenii!" cried Arkady heatedly. "How can you impute such motives? What I mean is that my father is not justified from one point of view. That is to say, he ought to marry her."
76 "Oh, ho!" said Bazarov quietly. "How high and mighty we are getting! So you still attribute importance to the marriage rite? This I should not have expected of you."
81 For some paces the friends walked on in silence. Then Bazarov continued: "I have been inspecting your father's establishment. The cattle look poor, the horses seem broken-down, the buildings have a tipsy air, the workmen manifest a tendency to loaf, and I cannot yet determine whether the new steward is a
86 fool or a rogue." "You are censorious to-day?" "I am; and the reason is that these good peasants are cheating your father--
91 exemplifying the proverb that 'The Russian muzhik will break even the back of God.'" "Soon I shall have to agree with my uncle in his opinion that you think but poorly of Russia."
96 "Rubbish! The Russian's very best point is that he holds a poor opinion of himself. Two and two make four. Nothing but that matters." "And is nature also rubbish?" queried Arkady with a musing glance at the
101 mottled fields where they lay basking in the soft, kindly rays of the morning sun. "Nature is rubbish--at least in the sense in which you understand her. She is not a church, but a workshop wherein man is the labourer."
106 At this moment there came wafted to their ears the long-drawn strains of a violoncello, on which a sensitive, but inexperienced, hand was playing Schubert's Erwartung. Like honey did the voluptuous melody suffuse the air.
111 "Who is the musician?" asked Bazarov in astonishment. "My father." "What? Your father plays the 'cello?"
116 "He does." "At his age?"
121 "Yes--he is only forty-four." Bazarov burst out laughing. "Why do you laugh?" asked Arkady.
126 "Pardon me, but the idea that your father--a man of forty-four, a paterfamilias, and a notable in the county--should play the 'cello!" And he continued laughing, though Arkady, for all his reverence for his
131 mentor, failed to accomplish even a smile.
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.
This extract is from a nineteenth-century novel set at Arkady’s family home.
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 What does the speaker do with his cap?
- Doffs his cap
- Keeps his cap on
- Adjusts his cap slightly
[1 mark]
1.2 What does the speaker do and say when first addressing Thenichka?
- Removes his cap, bows politely, and says he is Arkady's friend who means no harm.
- Keeps his cap on, stays silent about himself, and avoids any courteous gesture.
- Speaks sternly, orders Thenichka about, and claims to be an official.
[1 mark]
1.3 What physical gesture accompanies the speaker’s introduction?
- A polite bow
- A firm handshake
- A formal salute
[1 mark]
1.4 Which best describes the speaker's initial manner towards Thenichka?
- Courteous and reassuring towards Thenichka, with a formal introduction.
- Domineering and fault-finding towards Thenichka, giving orders.
- Detached and silent towards Thenichka, avoiding any direct interaction.
[1 mark]
Question 2
Look in detail at this extract, from lines 6 to 15 of the source.
6 Rising from her seat, Thenichka gazed at him in silence. "Oh, and what a fine baby!" he continued. "Pray do not disturb yourself. Never yet have I cast upon a child an evil spell. But why are his cheeks so red? Is he cutting teeth?"
11 "Yes," replied Thenichka. "He has now cut four of them, and the gums are a little swelled." "Then let me see them. Do not be afraid. I am a doctor."
How does the writer use language here to show the visitor’s manner and the way the baby’s condition is discussed? 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 novel.
How has the writer structured the text to create a sense of alienation?
You could write about:
- how alienation deepens throughout the source
- 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 61 to the end.
In this part of the source, where Bazarov laughs at Arkady’s father playing the cello, he comes across as surprisingly cruel. The writer suggests that for all his intelligence, Bazarov lacks kindness and sensitivity towards others.
To what extent do you agree and/or disagree with this statement?
In your response, you could:
- consider your impressions of Bazarov and his cruel behaviour
- comment on the methods the writer uses to portray Bazarov and his laughter
- support your response with references to the text.
[20 marks]
Question 5
A podcast about exploring Britain is seeking creative writing from listeners for a special episode.
Choose one of the options below for your entry.
-
Option A: Describe a long and winding road from your imagination. You may choose to use the picture provided for ideas:
-
Option B: Write the opening of a story about a journey that takes an unexpected turn.
(24 marks for content and organisation, 16 marks for technical accuracy)
[40 marks]