Insert
The source that follows is:
- Source A: 20th-century prose fiction
- The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle
An extract from a work first published in 1902.
This extract is from Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Hound of the Baskervilles, where Holmes reconstructs the plot against Sir Henry, explaining Stapleton’s schemes with the warning letter, the old boot, and the hound’s keeper, showing how strange clues, properly examined, illuminate the case.
Source A
1 His wife had some inkling of his plans; but she had such a fear of her husband—a fear founded upon brutal ill-treatment—that she dare not write to warn the man whom she
6 knew to be in danger. If the letter should fall into Stapleton’s hands her own life would not be safe. Eventually, as we know, she adopted the expedient of cutting out the words which would
11 form the message, and addressing the letter in a disguised hand. It reached the baronet, and gave him the first warning of his danger. “It was very essential for Stapleton to get some article of Sir
16 Henry’s attire so that, in case he was driven to use the dog, he might always have the means of setting him upon his track. With characteristic
21 promptness and audacity he set about this at once, and we cannot doubt that the boots or chamber-maid of the hotel was well bribed to help him in his design. By chance, however,
26 the first boot which was procured for him was a new one and, therefore, useless for his purpose. He then had it returned and obtained another—a most instructive incident, since it
31 proved conclusively to my mind that we were dealing with a real hound, as no other supposition could explain this anxiety to obtain an old boot and this indifference to a new one. The more outré and
36 grotesque an incident is the more carefully it deserves to be examined, and the very point which appears to complicate a case is, when duly considered and
41 scientifically handled, the one which is most likely to elucidate it. “Then we had the visit from our friends next morning, shadowed always by Stapleton in the cab. From his knowledge of our rooms
46 and of my appearance, as well as from his general conduct, I am inclined to think that Stapleton’s career of crime has been by no means limited to this
51 single Baskerville affair. It is suggestive that during the last three years there have been four considerable burglaries in the west country, for none of which
56 was any criminal ever arrested. The last of these, at Folkestone Court, in May, was remarkable for the cold-blooded pistolling of the page, who surprised the masked and solitary burglar. I cannot
61 doubt that Stapleton recruited his waning resources in this fashion, and that for years he has been a desperate and dangerous man. “We had an example of his readiness of resource that morning when
66 he got away from us so successfully, and also of his audacity in sending back my own name to me through the cabman. From that moment he understood that I had
71 taken over the case in London, and that therefore there was no chance for him there. He returned to Dartmoor and awaited the arrival of the baronet.”
76 “One moment!” said I. “You have, no doubt, described the sequence of events correctly, but there is one point which you have left unexplained. What became of the hound when its master was in
81 London?” “I have given some attention to this matter and it is undoubtedly of importance. There can be no question that Stapleton had a
86 confidant, though it is unlikely that he ever placed himself in his power by sharing all his plans with him. There was an old manservant at Merripit
91 House, whose name was Anthony. His connection with the Stapletons can be traced for several years, as far back as the school-mastering days, so that he must have
96 been aware that his master and mistress were really husband and wife. This man has disappeared and has escaped from the country. It is suggestive that Anthony is not a common name in England, while Antonio is so in all Spanish or Spanish-American countries. The man,
101 like Mrs. Stapleton herself, spoke good English, but with a curious lisping accent. I have myself seen this old man cross the Grimpen Mire by the path which Stapleton had marked
106 out. It is very probable, therefore, that in the absence of his master it was he who cared for the hound, though he may never have known the purpose for which the beast
111 was used. “The Stapletons then went down to Devonshire, whither they were soon followed by Sir Henry and you.
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 What did the wife know about the husband's plans?
- Limited awareness of the husband's plans
- No awareness of the husband's plans
- Full knowledge of the husband's plans
[1 mark]
1.2 What was the fear founded upon?
- His plans
- Brutal ill-treatment
- Some inkling
[1 mark]
1.3 Why does the wife not write to warn the man?
- The wife feared the husband because of brutal ill-treatment
- The wife had no inkling of the husband's plans
- The wife could not discover the man's address
[1 mark]
1.4 Who is the person feared?
- The man
- Her husband
- His wife
[1 mark]
Question 2
Look in detail at this extract, from lines 6 to 15 of the source:
6 knew to be in danger. If the letter should fall into Stapleton’s hands her own life would not be safe. Eventually, as we know, she adopted the expedient of cutting out the words which would
11 form the message, and addressing the letter in a disguised hand. It reached the baronet, and gave him the first warning of his danger. “It was very essential for Stapleton to get some article of Sir
How does the writer use language here to show the secrecy and danger around the warning letter? 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 end of a novel.
How has the writer structured the text to create a sense of revelation?
You could write about:
- how revelation unfolds 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 16 to the end.
In this part of the source, Holmes reveals Stapleton’s history of other crimes like burglary. The writer suggests that he is a desperate and dangerous man in his own right, not just because of the hound.
To what extent do you agree and/or disagree with this statement?
In your response, you could:
- consider your impressions of Stapleton's history of other crimes
- comment on the methods the writer uses to portray Stapleton as a dangerous man
- support your response with references to the text.
[20 marks]
Question 5
For a retiring teacher's memory book, students have been asked to contribute short creative pieces.
Choose one of the options below for your entry.
-
Option A: Describe a well-used desk from your imagination. You may choose to use the picture provided for ideas:
-
Option B: Write the opening of a story about a moment that changes someone's view of their work.
(24 marks for content and organisation, 16 marks for technical accuracy)
[40 marks]