VCE English Exam Revision Practice Exams Book A

VCE English Exam Revision Practice Exams Book A

ENGLISHWritten examination

Wednesday 31 October 2018 Reading time: 9.00 am to 9.15 am (15 minutes) Writing time: 9.15 am to 12.15 pm (3 hours)

TASK BOOK

Section Number ofquestions

Number of questionsto be answered

Marks

A – Analytical interpretation of a text 20 1 20B – Comparative analysis of texts 8 1 20C – Argument and persuasive language 1 1 20

Total 60

• Students are to write in blue or black pen.• Students are permitted to bring into the examination room: pens, pencils, highlighters, erasers,

sharpeners, rulers and an English and/or bilingual printed dictionary.• Students are NOT permitted to bring into the examination room: blank sheets of paper and/or

correction fl uid/tape.• No calculator is allowed in this examination.

Materials supplied• Task book of 14 pages, including assessment criteria on page 14• One answer book

Instructions• Write your student number on the front cover of the answer book.• Complete each section in the correct part of the answer book.• If you choose to write on a multimodal text in Section A, you must not write on a text pair that

includes a multimodal text in Section B.• You may ask the supervisor for extra answer books.• All written responses must be in English.

At the end of the examination• Place all other used answer books inside the front cover of the fi rst answer book.• You may keep this task book.

Students are NOT permitted to bring mobile phones and/or any other unauthorised electronic devices into the examination room.

© VICTORIAN CURRICULUM AND ASSESSMENT AUTHORITY 2018

Victorian Certifi cate of Education2018

2018 ENGLISH EXAM 2

SECTION A – continued

SECTION A – Analytical interpretation of a text

Instructions for Section ASection A requires students to write an analytical interpretation of a selected text in response to one topic (either i. or ii.) on one text.Your response should be supported by close reference to the selected text.If your selected text is a collection of poetry or short stories, you may write on several poems or stories, or on at least two in close detail.If you choose to write on a multimodal text in Section A, you must not write on a text pair that includes a multimodal text in Section B.In the answer book, indicate which text you have chosen to write on and whether you have chosen to answer i. or ii.Your response will be assessed according to the assessment criteria set out on page 14 of this book.Section A is worth one-third of the total marks for the examination.

Text list

1. After Darkness ......................................................................................................................Christine Piper

2. Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity .................. Katherine Boo

3. Burial Rites ..............................................................................................................................Hannah Kent

4. Extinction ............................................................................................................................. Hannie Rayson

5. Frankenstein ........................................................................................................................... Mary Shelley

6. I for Isobel................................................................................................................................Amy Witting

7. In Cold Blood .......................................................................................................................Truman Capote

8. Island: Collected Stories.................................................................................................. Alistair MacLeod

9. Like a House on Fire .............................................................................................................Cate Kennedy

10. Measure for Measure ..................................................................................................William Shakespeare

11. Medea ........................................................................................................................................... Euripides

12. Old/New World: New & Selected Poems ...........................................................................Peter Skrzynecki

13. Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood ................................................................................. Marjane Satrapi

14. Rear Window .................................................................................................. directed by Alfred Hitchcock

15. Selected Poems ..........................................................................................................................John Donne

16. Stories We Tell ........................................................................................................directed by Sarah Polley

17. The Golden Age ....................................................................................................................... Joan London

18. The Left Hand of Darkness ..................................................................................................Ursula Le Guin

19. The Lieutenant ...................................................................................................................... Kate Grenville

20. The White Tiger..................................................................................................................... Aravind Adiga

SECTION A – continuedTURN OVER

3 2018 ENGLISH EXAM

1. After Darkness by Christine Piper i. ‘Dr Ibaraki is weak-willed, motivated only by fear and insecurity.’ Do you agree?

OR

ii. “Time heals all wounds, you’ll see.” Is this view endorsed by Piper’s After Darkness?

2. Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity by Katherine Boo i. ‘Life in Annawadi is more about avoiding loss than about gaining profi t.’ Discuss.

OR

ii. ‘The women of Annawadi are at once the backbone and the victims of their society.’ Do you agree?

3. Burial Rites by Hannah Kent i. ‘Agnes is as disturbing as she is courageous.’ Do you agree?

OR

ii. ‘In Burial Rites, although Tóti’s task is to guide Agnes, she has more impact on him.’ Discuss.

4. Extinction by Hannie Rayson i. ‘All the characters in Extinction are motivated by self-interest.’ To what extent do you agree?

OR

ii. “There is always a last one, isn’t there?” How does Extinction explore the idea that life is fragile?

5. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley i. ‘The pursuit of knowledge brings only unhappiness to Victor and his monster.’ Do you agree?

OR

ii. ‘The world of Shelley’s novel is characterised by “injustice and ingratitude”.’ To what extent do you agree?

6. I for Isobel by Amy Witting i. How does Witting use other literary texts to tell Isobel’s story in I for Isobel?

OR

ii. ‘The choices Isobel makes in her life are based on self-preservation.’ Do you agree?

2018 ENGLISH EXAM 4


7. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote i. ‘Capote leaves the reader feeling that justice has been done.’ Do you agree?

OR

ii. Is Capote’s depiction of dangerous crime overly sentimental?

8. Island: Collected Stories by Alistair MacLeod i. ‘MacLeod portrays the island way of life as one of comforting familiarity and uncomfortable

isolation.’ Discuss.

OR

ii. “It is not that easy to change what is a part of you.” To what extent is this idea refl ected in MacLeod’s stories?

9. Like a House on Fire by Cate Kennedy i. ‘The characters in Like a House on Fire struggle to deal with change.’ Discuss.

OR

ii. ‘Although many of Kennedy’s stories paint a sad picture of the world, there are moments of hope.’ Discuss.

10. Measure for Measure by William Shakespeare i. ‘Human folly and foolishness are at the heart of Measure for Measure.’ Discuss.

OR

ii. “Courage, there will be pity taken on you. You that have worn your eyes almost out in the service, you will be considered.”

Discuss the role of pity in Measure for Measure.

11. Medea by Euripides i. ‘Disloyalty is the greatest crime in this play.’ Discuss.

OR

ii. “Do you imagine I would ever have stooped to fl attery of this man without having some profi t, some scheme in mind?”

Do you agree that the characters in Medea are never honest?

SECTION A – continuedTURN OVER

5 2018 ENGLISH EXAM

12. Old/New World: New & Selected Poems by Peter Skrzynecki i. ‘Skrzynecki’s poetry explores the connection between landscape and personal identity.’ Discuss.

OR

ii. “and Time’s revenge hardly seems bitter at all.” How does Skrzynecki’s poetry confront the inevitability of ageing and death?

13. Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi i. “Always keep your dignity and be true to yourself.” To what extent does Marji follow her grandmother’s advice?

OR

ii. How does Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood explore what it means to live in fear of persecution and oppression?

14. Rear Window directed by Alfred Hitchcock i. ‘Jeff’s fascination with looking at others stops him from truly looking at himself.’ Do you agree?

OR

ii. How does Hitchcock create an atmosphere of suspicion in Rear Window?

15. Selected Poems by John Donne i. ‘In his poetry, Donne seeks to balance the physical and spiritual aspects of humanity.’ Discuss.

OR

ii. How does Donne explore his relationships in his poems?

16. Stories We Tell directed by Sarah Polley i. ‘The truth about the past is often hard to pin down.’ How does Stories We Tell reveal the family’s story?

OR

ii. “To save all hurt, why not leave things as they are?” Why does Sarah not “leave things as they are”?

17. The Golden Age by Joan London i. ‘In London’s novel, to have a sense of belonging means everything.’ Discuss.

OR

ii. ‘At the Royal Perth Hospital and the Golden Age, Frank struggles with more than just polio.’ Discuss.

2018 ENGLISH EXAM 6

END OF SECTION A

18. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula Le Guin i. ‘The characters in The Left Hand of Darkness have more in common with each other than they

realise.’ Discuss.

OR

ii. “I thought that your presence, your mission, might prevent our going wrong, give us a new option entirely.”

To what degree was Genly Ai’s mission a success?

19. The Lieutenant by Kate Grenville i. ‘Rooke is an observer rather than a participant.’ Do you agree?

OR

ii. ‘In The Lieutenant, the struggles in the colony arise from fear.’ Discuss.

20. The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga i. Why is Balram called “the white tiger”?

OR

ii. ‘Both “Men with Big Bellies, and Men with Small Bellies” are resistant to change.’ Discuss.

7 2018 ENGLISH EXAM

SECTION B – continuedTURN OVER

SECTION B – Comparative analysis of texts

Instructions for Section BSection B requires students to write a comparative analysis of a selected pair of texts in response to one topic (either i. or ii.) on one pair of texts.Your response should analyse how the two texts present ideas and/or issues, and should be supported by close reference to both texts in the pair.If you choose to write on a multimodal text in Section A, you must not write on a text pair that includes a multimodal text in Section B.In the answer book, indicate which text pair you have chosen to write on and whether you have chosen to answer i. or ii.Your response will be assessed according to the assessment criteria set out on page 14 of this book.Section B is worth one-third of the total marks for the examination.

2018 ENGLISH EXAM 8

SECTION B – continued

Pair 1 Tracks by Robyn Davidson and Into the Wild directed by Sean Penn

i. Compare how Tracks and Into the Wild explore the limits of human endurance.

OR

ii. “… being alone got awfully boring … I needed people, wanted them.” (Tracks) “Happiness only real when shared” (Into the Wild) How do the two texts demonstrate the importance of companionship?

Pair 2 Invictus directed by Clint Eastwood and Ransom by David Malouf

i. Compare how the two texts explore the idea that it is essential to know your enemy.

OR

ii. Compare how the social and cultural differences explored in these two texts are overcome.

Pair 3 Stasiland by Anna Funder and Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell

i. Compare the ways in which fear dominates the characters in Stasiland and Nineteen Eighty-Four.

OR

ii. “Even with one informer for every fi fty people, the Stasi had the whole population covered.” (Stasiland)

“Under the spreading chestnut tree / I sold you and you sold me –” (Nineteen Eighty-Four) Compare how the two texts portray the idea of betrayal.

Pair 4 Joyful Strains: Making Australia Home by Kent MacCarter and Ali Lemer (eds), and The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri

i. “For the fi rst time in my life, I was alone and had to make my own way in the world.” (Joyful Strains: Making Australia Home)

“He was teaching me how to live alone.” (The Namesake) Compare how the two texts explore loneliness.

OR

ii. “… it was the cost of migration that one had to pay.” (Joyful Strains: Making Australia Home) “Like pregnancy, being a foreigner, Ashima believes, is something that elicits the same curiosity

from strangers, the same combination of pity and respect.” (The Namesake) Compare what the two texts say about how the experience of migration challenges families.

9 2018 ENGLISH EXAM

END OF SECTION BTURN OVER

Pair 5 The Crucible by Arthur Miller and Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague by Geraldine Brooks

i. ‘In The Crucible and Year of Wonders, the leaders of the communities are misguided.’ Compare how this idea is explored in the two texts.

OR

ii. “The magistrate sits in your heart that judges you.” (The Crucible) Compare the role of judgment in the two texts.

Pair 6 Bombshells by Joanna Murray-Smith and The Penelopiad: The Myth of Penelope and Odysseus by Margaret Atwood

i. “It’s hope, and hope only, that keeps us afl oat.” (The Penelopiad: The Myth of Penelope and Odysseus)

Compare how the two texts explore this idea.

OR

ii. “Never look ‘quite right’, never look ‘put together’, never look ‘well groomed’. Always dreamt I’d scoff at women who just threw themselves together. Now I am one.” (Bombshells)

“Divine beauty is such a burden.” (The Penelopiad: The Myth of Penelope and Odysseus) Compare how the two texts regard physical beauty.

Pair 7 Black Diggers by Tom Wright and The Longest Memory by Fred D’Aguiar

i. “You should enjoy every moment of your childhood. Plenty of time for the truth later.” (Black Diggers)

“I literally saw the boy surrender to that whip …” (The Longest Memory) Compare how the two texts portray innocence.

OR

ii. “They painted my colour back on the day I got off that boat.” (Black Diggers) “Chapel, I wish you were white or I black.” (The Longest Memory) How does skin colour shape the experiences of the characters in the two texts?

Pair 8 I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai with Christina Lamb, and Made in Dagenham directed by Nigel Cole

i. ‘It is when individuals are tested that their best qualities are seen.’ Compare how the two texts present this idea.

OR

ii. “Our men think earning money and ordering around others is where power lies. They don’t think power is in the hands of the woman who takes care of everyone all day long, and gives birth to their children.” (I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban)

“What if your husbands saw you? What would they say?” (Made in Dagenham) Compare how Rita and Malala act in defi ance of men’s expectations.

2018 ENGLISH EXAM 10

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11 2018 ENGLISH EXAM

SECTION C – continuedTURN OVER

SECTION C – Argument and persuasive language

Instructions for Section CSection C requires students to write an analysis of the ways in which argument and language are used to persuade others to share a point(s) of view.Read the background information on this page and the material on pages 12 and 13, and write an analytical response to the task below.For the purposes of this task, the term ‘language’ refers to written, spoken and visual language.Your response will be assessed according to the assessment criteria set out on page 14 of this book.Section C is worth one-third of the total marks for the examination.

TaskWrite an analysis of the ways in which argument and written and visual language are used in the material on pages 12 and 13 to try to persuade others to share the points of view presented.

Background information

Material unavailable


SECTION C – continued



END OF SECTION CTURN OVER



END OF TASK BOOK

Assessment criteriaSection A will be assessed against the following criteria:• knowledge and understanding of the text, and the ideas and issues it explores• development of a coherent analysis in response to the topic• use of textual evidence to support the interpretation• control and effectiveness of language use, as appropriate to the task

Section B will be assessed against the following criteria:• knowledge and understanding of both texts, and the ideas and issues they present• discussion of meaningful connections, similarities or differences between the texts, in response to

the topic• use of textual evidence to support the comparative analysis• control and effectiveness of language use, as appropriate to the task

Section C will be assessed against the following criteria:• understanding of the argument(s) presented and point(s) of view expressed• analysis of ways in which language and visual features are used to present an argument and to

persuade• control and effectiveness of language use, as appropriate to the task

This trial examination produced by Insight Publications is NOT an official VCAA paper for the 2019 English written

examination. The Publishers assume no legal liability for the opinions, ideas or statements contained in this trial examination.

This examination paper is licensed to be printed, photocopied or placed on the school intranet and used only within the

confines of the purchasing school for examining their students. No trial examination or part thereof may be issued or passed

on to any other party, including other schools, practising or non-practising teachers, tutors, parents, websites or publishing

agencies, without the written consent of Insight Publications.

Copyright © Insight Publications 2019

YEAR 12 Trial Exam Paper

2019

ENGLISH

Written examination Reading time: 15 minutes

Writing time: 3 hours

TASK BOOK

Section Number of

questions

Number of questions

to be answered

Marks

A – Analytical interpretation of a text

B – Comparative analysis of texts

C – Argument and persuasive language

20

8

1

1

1

1

20

20

20

Total 60

Students are to write in blue or black pen.

Students are permitted to bring into the examination room: pens, pencils, highlighters, erasers,

sharpeners, rulers and an English and/or bilingual printed dictionary.

Students are NOT permitted to bring into the examination room: blank sheets of paper

and/or correction fluid/tape.

No calculator is allowed in this examination.

Materials supplied

Task book of 16 pages, including assessment criteria on page 16

Instructions

Write your name on each of your answers.

You must complete all three sections of the examination.

If you choose to write on a multimodal text in Section A, you must not write on a text pair that

includes a multimodal text in Section B.

All answers must be written in English.

At the end of the examination

Place all answer books inside the front cover of one of the used answer books.

Students are NOT permitted to bring mobile phones or any other unauthorised electronic devices

into the examination room.

2019 ENGLISH EXAM 2


THIS PAGE IS BLANK

3 2019 ENGLISH EXAM


Copyright © Insight Publications 2019 TURN OVER


Instructions for Section A

Section A requires students to write an analytical interpretation of a selected text in response

to one topic (either i. or ii.) on one text.

Your response should be supported by close reference to the selected text.

If your selected text is a collection of poetry or short stories, you may write on several poems

or stories, or on at least two in close detail.

If you choose to write on a multimodal text in Section A, you must not write on a text pair

that includes a multimodal text in Section B.

In your answer book, indicate which text you have chosen to write on and whether you have

chosen to answer i. or ii.

Your response will be assessed according to the criteria set out on page 16 of this book.

Section A is worth one-third of the total marks for the examination.

Text list

1. After Darkness ........................................................................................ Christine Piper

2. All the Light We Cannot See ................................................................. Anthony Doerr

3. Behind the Beautiful Forevers................................................................ Katherine Boo

4. Extinction ............................................................................................... Hannie Rayson

5. Frankenstein ............................................................................................. Mary Shelley

6. In Cold Blood ........................................................................................ Truman Capote

7. Island: Collected Stories .................................................................... Alistair MacLeod

8. Like a House on Fire ............................................................................... Cate Kennedy

9. Measure for Measure ................................................................... William Shakespeare

10. Nine Days .................................................................................................... Toni Jordan

11. Old/New World: New & Selected Poems ............................................ Peter Skrzynecki

12. Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood .................................................. Marjane Satrapi

13. Rear Window ................................................................... directed by Alfred Hitchcock

14. Selected Poems ............................................................................................ John Donne

15. Station Eleven............................................................................. Emily St. John Mandel

16. Stories We Tell ........................................................................ directed by Sarah Polley

17. The Golden Age ......................................................................................... Joan London

18. The Left Hand of Darkness .................................................................. Ursula Le Guin

19. The Lieutenant ........................................................................................ Kate Grenville

20. The Women of Troy ........................................................................................ Euripides

2019 ENGLISH EXAM 4

Copyright © Insight Publications 2019 SECTION A – continued

1. After Darkness by Christine Piper

i. ‘In Piper’s novel, patriotism is a destructive force.’

Discuss.

OR

ii. ‘Dr Ibaraki is not entirely to blame for the failures of his relationships.’

Do you agree?

2. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

i. ‘The characters live in a world in which it is difficult to tell right from wrong.’

Discuss.

OR

ii. “Some people are weak in some ways, sir. Others in other ways.”

‘All the characters have weaknesses but only a few have genuine strengths.’

Discuss.

3. Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo

i. “Maybe then something good could happen.”

‘The people of Annawadi find positives as well as negatives in their lives.’

Discuss.

OR

ii. ‘Although the text portrays the lives of those on the margins of society, its

messages are relevant to all.’

Discuss.

4. Extinction by Hannie Rayson

i. “You want your whole life to be different. Stand for something.”

Do any of the characters “stand for something”?

OR

ii. ‘The audience is left feeling there is little hope that the environment can be

saved.’

Do you agree?

5 2019 ENGLISH EXAM



5. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

i. ‘It is not the Creature that is terrifying, but Frankenstein’s rejection of his own

creation.’

Discuss.

OR

ii. Frankenstein declares, “nothing can alter my destiny”.

‘Shelley depicts a world in which individuals have little control over their fate.’

Discuss.

6. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

i. ‘Although Capote portrays Smith and Hickock as guilty, he also presents them

as victims of an uncaring society.’

Discuss.

OR

ii. “After rain, or when snowfalls thaw, the streets, unnamed, unshaded, unpaved,

turn from the thickest dust into the direst mud.”

What role does the physical setting play in this narrative?

7. Island: Collected Stories by Alistair MacLeod

i. “There was nothing physical of it [the island] that was, in strict reality,

formally theirs.”

‘In these stories, a sense of belonging comes from experience, not from

ownership.’

Discuss.

OR

ii. ‘Family ties connect these characters across place and time.’

Discuss.

8. Like a House on Fire by Cate Kennedy

i. ‘In these stories the characters experience moments when they could choose to

change their lives, yet they remain trapped in unfulfilling circumstances.’

Do you agree?

OR

ii. “Peeled. That’s how you feel, when it happens. Flayed.”

How does Kennedy create a sense of lives under pressure?

2019 ENGLISH EXAM 6

Copyright © Insight Publications 2019 SECTION A – continued

9. Measure for Measure by William Shakespeare

i. ‘In this play, the marriages result more from the need to preserve honour than

from true love.’

To what extent do you agree?

OR

ii. “Give me your hand and say you will be mine …”

‘The characters in Measure for Measure are more interested in taking than

giving.’

Discuss.

10. Nine Days by Toni Jordan

i. ‘Despite their experiences of loss, the characters find ways to make life

meaningful.’

Discuss.

OR

ii. ‘Jordan suggests that, despite changes in society, the challenges in people’s

lives stay much the same.’

Do you agree?

11. Old/New World: New & Selected Poems by Peter Skrzynecki

i. ‘These poems show the connections as well as the differences between the new

worlds and the old ones.’

Discuss.

OR

ii. How does Skrzynecki convey the complex feelings and perceptions of his

speakers?

12. Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi

i. ‘Satrapi’s use of a child’s perspective highlights the regime’s brutality and

injustice.’

Discuss.

OR

ii. ‘Marji’s parents provide her with moral guidance in a corrupt world.’

Discuss.

7 2019 ENGLISH EXAM



13. Rear Window directed by Alfred Hitchcock

i. ‘The gap between appearances and reality is central to this film.’

Discuss.

OR

ii. ‘Hitchcock leaves the audience feeling that Jeff’s actions have been

vindicated.’

Do you agree?

14. Selected Poems by John Donne

i. ‘Happiness and sadness are equally important in Donne’s poetry.’

Discuss.

OR

ii. “It sucked me first, and now sucks thee, / And in this flea, our two bloods

mingled be”

How does Donne’s playfulness with language and ideas contribute to the

impact of his poetry?

15. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

i. ‘Relationships are the source of hope for the future in this novel.’

Discuss.

OR

ii. How does Mandel explore the best as well as the worst of our world?

16. Stories We Tell directed by Sarah Polley

i. ‘This film ultimately delivers a positive message about love and forgiveness.’

Discuss.

OR

ii. ‘Diane lacks her own voice in this film, yet the audience gains a strong

understanding of her.’

Discuss.

2019 ENGLISH EXAM 8

Copyright © Insight Publications 2019 END OF SECTION A

17. The Golden Age by Joan London

i. “You can’t just switch a feeling off …”

‘The characters in The Golden Age struggle to be true to their feelings.’

Discuss.

OR

ii. How does The Golden Age explore what it means to face and overcome

adversity?

18. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula Le Guin

i. ‘Genly Ai is the only character who learns to overcome his distrust of the

“other”.’

Do you agree?

OR

ii. How does Le Guin use an alien setting to explore issues in her own society?

19. The Lieutenant by Kate Grenville

i. ‘Mathematics and astronomy give Rooke a sense of meaning and purpose in

life, but no answers to the moral dilemmas he faces.’

Discuss.

OR

ii. How does Grenville explore the use and abuse of power?

20. The Women of Troy by Euripides

i. ‘Euripides condemns the exploitation of women by the men who have power

over them.’

Discuss.

OR

ii. ‘The values of dignity and respect are central to this play.’

Discuss.

9 2019 ENGLISH EXAM




Instructions for Section B

Section B requires students to write a comparative analysis of a selected pair of texts in

response to one topic (either i. or ii.) on one pair of texts.

Your response should analyse how the two texts present ideas and/or issues, and should be

supported by close reference to both texts in the pair.

If you write on a multimodal text in Section A, you must not write on a text pair that includes

a multimodal text in Section B.

In your answer book, indicate which text pair you have chosen to write on and whether you

are answering i. or ii.


Section B is worth one-third of the total marks for the examination.


Copyright © Insight Publications 2019 SECTION B – continued

Pair 1 Tracks by Robyn Davidson and Charlie’s Country directed by Rolf de Heer

i. Compare how these texts explore the relationship between journeying and

connecting to place.

OR

ii. Compare how the two texts demonstrate the value of the natural world.


i. “We have to surprise them with compassion, with restraint, and generosity.”

(Invictus)

How do the two texts show the importance of compassion and generosity?

OR

ii. Compare the ways in which fatherhood is portrayed in the two texts.

Pair 3 Stasiland by Anna Funder and Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

i. Compare how the two texts explore the idea that memory is a vital part of

identity.

OR

ii. “In the GDR people were required to acknowledge an assortment of fictions as

fact.” (Stasiland)

“Very well, sometimes that meant we kept things from you, lied to you. Yes, in

many ways we fooled you.” (Never Let Me Go)

Compare how the texts portray the use of lies by authorities to conceal and

distort the truth.

Pair 4 Reckoning by Magda Szubanski and The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri

i. ‘It is important to understand the past in order to move into the future.’

How do these two texts explore this idea?

OR

ii. “Now I can truly be myself.” (Reckoning)

“And yet these events have formed Gogol, shaped him, determined who he is.”

(The Namesake)

Compare how the two texts explore the idea of identity.


END OF SECTION B


Pair 5 The Crucible by Arthur Miller and Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks

i. “Stay here, and here we will be for one another.” (Year of Wonders)

Compare how these two texts explore the value of loyalty.

OR

ii. ‘There is light even in the darkest times and places.’


Pair 6 Photograph 51 by Anna Ziegler and The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood

i. Compare the ways in which female characters in these texts overcome the

limitations placed on them by social expectations.

OR

ii. Compare how these texts demonstrate the value of wit and ingenuity.


i. Compare how the two texts explore the idea that people are fundamentally

changed by traumatic experiences.

OR

ii. “They won’t forget you mate. You’ve fought for the King for Country.” (Black

Diggers)

“He lost a son in deference to authority.” (The Longest Memory)

Compare how the two texts portray the motives and actions of those in power.

Pair 8 I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban

by Malala Yousafzai with Christina Lamb and Made in Dagenham directed by

Nigel Cole

i. Compare how these texts explore the idea that people need to make sacrifices

in order to bring about change.

OR

ii. “Equal pay? What were you thinking, Monty?” (Made in Dagenham)

Compare what these texts say about resistance to social progress.

.



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SECTION C – continued



Instructions for Section C

Section C requires students to write an analysis of the ways in which argument and language

are used to persuade others to share a point(s) of view.

Read the background information on this page and the material on pages 14 and 15, and write

an analytical response to the task below.

For the purposes of this task, the term ‘language’ refers to written, spoken and visual

language.


Section C is worth one-third of the total marks for the examination.

Task

Write an analysis of the ways in which argument and written and visual language are used in

the material on pages 14 and 15 to try to persuade others to share the points of view presented.


Iconic live-music venue The Salty Boot – colloquially known as ‘the Boot’ – is

being forced to close down, due to pressure from new local residents of the inner-

city suburb of Metropolo in Melbourne. These new residents say the venue is too

noisy and this has become a problem for the increasing number of people moving to

the popular area. A group of musicians, music fans and longstanding local residents

are campaigning against the closure. Vince D’Angelo, a local rock musician, is

speaking at the campaign rally.

A flyer for the rally – created by cartoonist and long-time supporter of The Salty

Boot, Roisin McCrae – is included at the end of the speech.


Copyright © Insight Publications 2019 SECTION C – continued

D’Angelo: Ladies, gentleman, music fans.

It’s with a heavy heart that I stand before you today.

Behind me is our beloved Salty Boot, which, if those naysayers and complainers get their

way, will call last drinks this afternoon, and retire that old sound system.

The new gentrified neighbourhood we find ourselves in has spoken, and, by their thinking,

The Salty Boot no longer fits with the suburb’s trendy aesthetic, or its new reputation for

quiet inner-city living. This is despite the fact that a recent survey by a renowned firm has

indicated that the majority of people living in Metropolo, and over 80% of Melbourne

residents, want the Boot to remain open.

The Salty Boot is too loud. It’s too colourful. And, most offensive of all, it’s too proud of it.

Come next week they’ll start the process of changing this glorious building into a boutique

hairdressing salon, a flat-pack furniture emporium or, more likely, a hip cafe.

And some might say, so what? A loud and filthy pub? Good riddance.

But they don’t know this place like we do.

When I look at the dirty facade behind us, I see much more than a filthy pub – I see a home.

And I know many of you feel the same way.

This is the place where I heard live rock-and-roll for the first time, played my first ever gig on

a rusted bass guitar, ordered my first beer and spent many a night in the company of good

friends. It was my refuge when things were tough, and the only place I ever felt like I could be

who I wanted to be.

The Salty Boot, as any of you can attest, is a special place, full of life, love and, of course,

great music, and it deserves to be preserved – for my sake, for yours and for this city’s.

For the last 40 years, The Salty Boot has supported emerging artists. It welcomed us, and let

us perform when no other entertainment venue would. Without the Boot, many of us,

including myself and the internationally acclaimed musician Trombone Jackson, would not

have become the famous and successful musicians we are today.

Say goodbye to the Boot, and we say goodbye to more than the building, or to chicken parmas

that taste like tyre rubber.

Say goodbye to the Boot, and we’re one step closer to living in a world of cool nothingness,

where band t-shirts belong on walls, where street art is commissioned for tidy sums and music

is for working out to, rather than really feeling.

Say goodbye to the Boot and we’re three quarters of the way to boring, headed for Plainsville.

Where will people go to forget about the drudgery of everyday life, to bliss out to the sound

of a soaring guitar? Where will they go to find the freedom to be themselves, to let it all hang

out? And where will they go to see and hear some of the incredible musicality and creativity

our city has to offer?

This wasn’t on the menu at my local hipster cafe, last time I checked.

But there’s also the next crop of music fans to think about. The disappearance of the Boot

would be a tragedy for me, sure, but what about my kids? What about a whole generation who

will never get to experience the magic of this place firsthand?

What about aspiring musicians who may never be able to advance their careers, because they

have nowhere that will allow them to perform and demonstrate their potential? How many

future Trombone Jacksons could remain undiscovered?


END OF SECTION C


As an aging rocker, I’ve watched friends and colleagues change over the years: from watching

gentrification in our suburbs with disgust, to leading the charge for gentrification themselves.

We had all the benefits of letting loose at The Salty Boot, but now that we’re older, more

delicate, our generation wants to shut it down.

Because it’s too loud. Too loud!

I don’t know about you, but when I was a youngster we turned it up to eleven. We drank and

screamed and danced all night long, we made art and rock-and-roll – but let these kids do the

same?

Absolutely not.

Those of my generation had their fun, and now they’re out to ensure that the only thing

approaching expression and creativity our children can appreciate is latte art.

Well, folks, I for one am not going to let them pull the plug on this one.

I’m not prepared to say goodbye just yet – and I don’t think you are either.

Show your support. Sign the petition to keep our Salty Boot dark, dingy and dirty – and as

loud (and proud) as it wants to be.

Thank you.



Assessment criteria

Section A will be assessed against the following criteria:

knowledge and understanding of the text, and the ideas and issues it explores

development of a coherent analysis in response to the topic

use of textual evidence to support the interpretation

control and effectiveness of language use, as appropriate to the task

Section B will be assessed against the following criteria:

knowledge and understanding of both texts, and the ideas and issues they present

discussion of meaningful connections, similarities or differences between the texts, in

response to the topic

use of textual evidence to support the comparative analysis


Section C will be assessed against the following criteria:

understanding of the argument(s) presented and point(s) of view expressed

analysis of ways in which language and visual features are used to present an argument and

to persuade


The above criteria are official VCAA Examination Assessment Criteria © VCAA, reproduced with kind

permission of the VCAA.

END OF TASK BOOK

Neap Trial Exams are licensed to be photocopied or placed on the school intranet and used only within the confines of the school purchasing them, for the purpose of examining that school’s students only. They may not be otherwise reproduced or distributed. The copyright of Neap Trial Exams remains with Neap. No Neap Trial Exam or any part thereof is to be issued or passed on by any person to any party inclusive of other schools, non-practising teachers, coaching colleges, tutors, parents, students, publishing agencies or websites without the express written consent of Neap.

Copyright © 2019 Neap ABN 49 910 906 643 58 Pelham St Carlton VIC 3053 Tel: (03) 9639 4318 Fax: (03) 8610 0090 EngU34_TB_2019

Trial Examination 2019

VCE English Units 3&4Written Examination

Task BookletReading time: 15 minutes

Writing time: 3 hours

Section Number of questions

Number of questions to be answered Marks

A – Analytical interpretation of a text 20 1 20

B – Comparative analysis of texts 8 1 20

C – Argument and persuasive language 1 1 20

Total 60

Students are to write in blue or black pen.

Students are permitted to bring into the examination room: pens, pencils, highlighters, erasers, sharpeners, rulers and an English and/or bilingual printed dictionary.

Students are NOT permitted to bring into the examination room: blank sheets of paper and/or correction fluid/tape.

No calculator is allowed in this examination.

Materials supplied

Task booklet of 14 pages, including assessment criteria on page 14

One answer booklet

Instructions

Please ensure that you write your name and your teacher’s name on the front cover of the answer booklet.

Complete each section in the correct part of the answer booklet.

If you choose to write on a multimodal text in Section A, you must not write on a text pair that includes a multimodal text in section B.

You may ask the supervisor for extra answer booklets.

All written responses must be in English.


Place all other used answer booklets inside the front cover of the first answer booklet.

You may keep this task booklet.

Students are NOT permitted to bring mobile phones and/or any other unauthorised electronic devices into the examination room.

Students are advised that this is a trial examination only and cannot in any way guarantee the content or the format of the 2019 VCE English Units 3&4 Written Examination.

VCE English Units 3&4 Trial Examination Task Booklet

2 EngU34_TB_2019 Copyright © 2019 Neap

SECTION A – ANALYTICAL INTERPRETATION OF A TEXT


Section A requires students to write an analytical interpretation of a selected text in response to one topic (either i. or ii.) on one text.


If your selected text is a collection of poetry or short stories, you may write on several poems or stories, or on at least two in close detail.

If you choose to write on a multimodal text in Section A, you must not write on a text pair that includes a multimodal text in Section B.

In the answer booklet, indicate which text you have chosen to write on and whether you have chosen to answer i. or ii.

Your response will be assessed according to the assessment criteria set out on page 14 of this booklet.


Text list

1. After Darkness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Christine Piper

2. All the Light We Cannot See. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anthony Doerr

3. Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity . . . . . . . Katherine Boo

4. Extinction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hannie Rayson

5. Frankenstein . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mary Shelley

6. In Cold Blood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Truman Capote

7. Island: Collected Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alistair MacLeod

8. Like a House on Fire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cate Kennedy

9. Measure for Measure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .William Shakespeare

10. Nine Days . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Toni Jordan

11. Old/New World: New & Selected Poems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Peter Skrzynecki

12. Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Marjane Satrapi

13. Rear Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . directed by Alfred Hitchcock

14. Selected Poems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . John Donne

15. Station Eleven . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Emily St. John Mandel

16. Stories We Tell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . directed by Sarah Polley

17. The Golden Age . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joan London

18. The Left Hand of Darkness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ursula Le Guin

19. The Lieutenant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kate Grenville

20. The Women of Troy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Euripides


Copyright © 2019 Neap EngU34_TB_2019 3


i. ‘Tomakazu Ibaraki’s strengths also lie at the heart of his personal tragedy.’

Discuss.

OR

ii. “I could have done something more. Not just for him. For all of them.”

‘It is excessive pride that impedes Ibaraki’s ability to act with compassion and humanity.’

Do you agree?


i. ‘All the Light We Cannot See suggests that power can come in many forms.’

Discuss.

OR

ii. ‘All the Light We Cannot See demonstrates the importance of human connections, even amidst the violence of war.’

Do you agree?

3. Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity by Katherine Boo

i. ‘Boo suggests that it is still possible to retain a sense of hope in Annawadi.’

Discuss.

OR

ii. ‘An uncaring society lies at the heart of Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity.’

Do you agree?


i. ‘In Extinction, morality and truth are flexible concepts.’

Discuss.

OR

ii. ‘The audience feels the most sympathy for Andy Dixon.’

Do you agree?


i. “… I must form my own friends and be my own protector.”

‘Victor’s lack of insight exposes the dangers of isolation.’


OR

ii. “Was man, indeed, at once so powerful, so virtuous, and magnificent, yet so vicious and base?”

‘Shelley’s novel effectively demonstrates both the strengths and limitations of humanity.’

Discuss.




i. “No rest for the wicked, I guess.”

‘Dick and Perry embody all the worst qualities of what it means to be an American in the 1950s.’


OR

ii. ‘Capote’s writing sentimentalises the justice system.’

Discuss.


i. ‘MacLeod’s stories present change as both challenging and inevitable.’

Discuss.

OR

ii. ‘In MacLeod’s stories the younger generation experience fewer struggles because they are more accepting and adaptable.’

Do you agree?


i. ‘The stories in Like a House on Fire focus on the beauty and tragedy of its characters.’

Do you agree?

OR

ii. ‘Kennedy argues that family is the most important idea’.

Discuss.


i. “Unhappy Claudio, wretched Isabel,

Injurious world, most damnèd Angelo!”

Who suffers the most in Measure for Measure?

OR

ii. Is justice achieved at the conclusion of Measure for Measure?


i. “Every time you see someone, you never know if you’re seeing them for the last time.”

‘It is Kip’s fear of loss that heightens his devotion to his loved ones.’

Discuss.

OR

ii. ‘Nine Days explores the idea that conflict can have far-reaching consequences.’

Discuss.




i. In what ways does the poetry of Skrzynecki explore ‘life’s big lessons’?

OR

ii. “My own life ebbed / like receding water”.

‘A sense of loss pervades the poetry of Skrzynecki.’

Discuss.

12. Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi

i. ‘Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood shows that Marjane takes little or no responsibility for her actions.’

Do you agree?

OR

ii. “To die a martyr is to inject blood into the veins of society.”

‘The struggles of the Strapi family arise from their fear of the changing ideologies of their homeland.’

Discuss.

13. Rear Window directed by Alfred Hitchcock

i. ‘Through solving the murder mystery, Jeff also resolves some of his concerns about relationships.’

Discuss.

OR

ii. ‘The set of Rear Window reinforces the film’s concern with the impact of isolation.’

Discuss.


i. “… love doth every day admit / New growth …”

In what ways do Donne’s poems explore the changing experience of love?

OR

ii. ‘In Donne’s poetry love and doubt coexist.’

Discuss.

15. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

i. ‘Memory and its distortions are the primary source of conflict for characters in the novel.’

To what extent is this true of Station Eleven?

OR

i. ‘To survive is a curse.’

To what extent does the novel make this assertion?



16. Stories We Tell directed by Sarah Polley

i. “She was a woman of secrets.”

To what extent does Stories We Tell suggest that it is possible to know the real Diane Polley?

OR

ii. ‘Stories We Tell explores the continuing impact of the past on the present.’

Discuss.


i. “You’ll do everything you really want … you’ll see.”

To what extent do the characters in The Golden Age succeed in doing what they really want?

OR

ii. What lessons does The Golden Age suggest can be gained from the experience of hardship?


i. “My landlady, a voluble man, arranged my journey to the East.”

To what extent is gender an influencing factor in the events of the text?

OR

ii. ‘Le Guin depicts conflict as the defining feature in The Left Hand of Darkness.’

Do you agree?


i. “He was nothing but skin, speaking to another skin, and between the skins there was no need to find any words.”

‘The Lieutenant reveals both the power and limitations of language.’

Discuss.

OR

ii. ‘Despite the growth he experiences, Daniel Rooke never stops being an outsider.’

Do you agree?


i. “… to die is better than a life of agony.”

Does The Women of Troy support this view?

OR

ii. ‘Euripides shows us that small causes can have great effects.’

Discuss.

END OF SECTION A



SECTION B – COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF TEXTS


Section B requires students to write a comparative analysis of a selected pair of texts in response to one topic (either i. or ii.) on one pair of texts.

Your response should analyse how the two texts present ideas and/or issues, and should be supported by close reference to both texts in the pair.

If you choose to write on a multimodal text in Section A, you must not write on a text pair that includes a multimodal text in Section B.

In the answer booklet, indicate which text pair you have chosen to write on and whether you have chosen to answer i. or ii.





Pair 1 Tracks by Robyn Davidson and Charlie’s Country directed by Rolf de Heer

i. Compare how Tracks and Charlie’s Country demonstrate the importance of identity.

OR

ii. ‘Tracks and Charlie’s Country reveal the profound effects of prejudice.’

Compare how this idea is explored in the texts.


i. Compare how Invictus and Ransom demonstrate the healing power of shared experiences.

OR

ii. Compare how the texts explore what it means to live according to one’s values and beliefs.

Pair 3 Stasiland by Anna Funder and Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

i. Compare how both texts honour the dignity of human life.

OR

ii. Compare how the texts explore the contradictory nature of memory as fragile yet powerful.


i. “At times he feels as if he’s cast himself in a play, acting the part of twins.” (The Namesake)

‘Attempts to reconcile two or more lives always end in failure.’


OR

ii. ‘Our struggle for identity is inextricably linked with what we do not have.’

Compare how this is argued in both texts.



Pair 5 The Crucible by Arthur Miller and Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague by Geraldine Brooks

i. Compare the impact of despair on faith in the two texts.

OR

ii. Compare the ways in which the women in both texts develop strength and influence.

Pair 6 Photograph 51 by Anna Ziegler and The Penelopiad: The Myth of Penelope and Odysseus by Margaret Atwood

i. “If you can’t go through an obstacle, go around it.” (The Penelopiad: The Myth of Penelope and Odysseus)

Compare how the characters in the texts deal with the problems they face.

OR

ii. Compare the ways in which women are ultimately presented as resiliant in the two texts.


i. “I was … whatever anyone else chose to call me.” (The Longest Memory)

Compare the ways in which identity is explored in the texts.

OR

ii. Compare how racial discrimination is presented in both texts.

Pair 8 I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai with Christina Lamb, and Made in Dagenham directed by Nigel Cole

i. “She began praying with the Holy Quran in her hand … reciting verses over and over for hours.” (I am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban)

“Cos it was a matter of principle. You had to stand up.” (Made in Dagenham)

Compare the ways these texts explore the importance of having faith in one’s beliefs.

OR

ii. “Malala will be as free as a bird.” (I am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban)

“… in a free vote, the girls agreed to the new grading structure.” (Made in Dagenham)

Compare how the two texts explore the idea of individual freedom.

END OF SECTION B



THIS PAGE IS BLANK



SECTION C – ARGUMENT AND PERSUASIVE LANGUAGE


Section C requires students to write an analysis of the ways in which argument and language are used to persuade others to share a point(s) of view.

Read the background information on this page and the material on pages 12 and 13, and write an analytical response to the task below.

For the purposes of this task, the term ‘language’ refers to written, spoken and visual language.


Section C will be worth one-third of the total marks for the examination.

TASKWrite an analysis of the ways in which argument and written and visual language are used in the material on pages 12 and 13 to try to persuade others to share the points of view presented.


The following article by L Mee, former marathon runner, appeared in The Weekly Tribune.



EXTREME SPORTS – WHY?Most people love a challenge. It is arguably human nature to stretch one’s physical, mental and emotional strengths to the limit. People have always surmounted barriers in order to invent, explore and innovate, often at significant personal cost. Generally, the rewards have enriched individuals and society. In the sporting arena, records have been set, challenged and broken, resulting in enhanced reputations for the winners and an opportunity to reap significant financial rewards.

As opportunities to build personal monetary fortunes have increased, greater challenges have evolved to cater to a seemingly unstoppable thirst for sensational achievements. It no longer seems sufficient to strive for a hole-in-one on the golf course, or an individual or team trophy in the swimming pool or sports arena, let alone on the athletics track. As far as team sports are concerned, many players have forsaken lofty team ideals for individual challenge and glory. This trend is encouraged by media hype about ‘star’ and ‘marquee’ players, whatever the latter term actually means. Yet these developments pale into total insignificance when the question of extreme sports is explored. In recent years, huge chains of equipment and clothing stores supplied by mammoth international manufacturing networks have sprung up all over the place to provide the apparent ‘necessities’ called for by challenging – some might say ridiculous – activities.

It is true that challenging activities such as mountaineering have been around for at least a couple of centuries, but in recent times, climbing a peak or two a year has become ‘old hat’ and the goal has to be climbing the top ten peaks in the shortest time! Such attempts require a significant logistical effort to transport personnel and equipment to various remote locations at great expense. Certainly, mountaineering has never been a budget sport but the modern mountaineer needs to be a millionaire (or at least have a millionaire sponsor!).

And consider the challenge of the marathon. Until recently, marathons have mostly been run on urban courses in major global cities such as Boston, New York, London, Berlin. But these are now regarded by many as mere lead-ups to the ‘real’ challenges, where courses are situated in desert, polar or alpine regions, which present the additional obstacles of extreme weather conditions and difficult terrain. The ultimate goal is to compete in multiple locations in a single year. Again, these feats require expensive and complex arrangements. The runner ‘only’ needs a pair of shoes and a Lycra outfit but the organisers require an army of officials, transport options and catering facilities, not to mention first-aid personnel.

Extreme climbing and running are two examples but I could add trekking, skydiving, scuba diving and kite surfing as just a few expensive and environmentally costly activities, which seem to expand in number all the time. What may seem, on the surface, to be thoroughly healthy and praiseworthy efforts to keep fit and excel, accrue huge financial and environmental costs.



So, why do people feel the need to take part in these activities, some of which are downright dangerous and all of which are expensive? I can see that there is a good deal of ego and pursuit of personal satisfaction involved. But do participants consider the obvious fact that enterprises that support and supply the necessary components of their activities constantly create a demand for updated equipment and more extreme challenges? Of course, the equipment and travel aspects of extreme sports are the answer; the manufacturers and providers create demand rather than simply responding to enthusiasts’ needs. There are huge profits to be made in the production of equipment and provision of travel but there are also costs in terms of resources. Just think about the raw materials needed to produce all the gear! Imagine the mountains of metals, plastic and synthetic fabrics that are dumped when participants move on to the next new challenge! And who meets the cost? On a worldwide basis, even the business of disposing of outdated equipment must run into the billions of dollars.

Call me a spoilsport, if you will, but where is the necessity in taking up an extreme sport when moderate sports can provide just as much satisfaction with less personal pain, not to mention less cost to the environment?

END OF SECTION C



Assessment criteria


• knowledge and understanding of the text, and the ideas and issues it explores

• development of a coherent analysis in response to the topic

• use of textual evidence to support the interpretation

• control and effectiveness of language use, as appropriate to the task


• knowledge and understanding of both texts, and the ideas and issues they present

• discussion of meaningful connections, similarities or differences between the texts, in response to the topic

• use of textual evidence to support the comparative analysis



• understanding of the argument(s) presented and point(s) of view expressed

• analysis of ways in which language and visual features are used to present an argument and to persuade


END OF TASK BOOKLET

©2019 Ser4ENGEx2019

Published by QATs. Permission for copying in purchasing school only.

NAME: ____________________________

VCE® ENGLISH

Written Practice Examination

Reading time: 15 minutes Writing time: 3 hours

Section Number of

questions

Number of questions to

be answered

Marks

A – Analytical interpretation of a text 20 1 20

B – Comparative analysis of texts 8 1 20

C – Argument and persuasive language 1 1 20

Total 60

• Students are to write in blue or black pen.

• Students are permitted to bring into the examination room: pens, pencils, highlighters,

erasers, sharpeners, rulers and an English and/or bilingual printed dictionary.

• Students are NOT permitted to bring into the examination room: blank sheets of paper and/or

correction fluid/tape.

• No calculator is allowed in this examination.

Materials supplied

• Task book of 19 pages, including assessment criteria on page 19.

• Answer book or paper provided by your teacher.

Instructions

• Write your student name on the front cover of the answer book.

• Complete each section in the correct part of the answer book.

• If you choose to write on a multimodal text in Section A, you must not write on a text pair

that includes a multimodal text in Section B.

• You may ask the supervisor for extra answer books.

• All written responses must be in English.


• Place all other used answer books inside the front cover of the first answer book.

• You may keep this task book.

Students are NOT permitted to bring into the examination room mobile phones and/or any other

unauthorised electronic devices.

QATs VCE®English Practice Written Examination Units 3 and 4


Published by QATs. Permission for copying in purchasing school only. 2



Section A requires students to write an analytical interpretation of a selected text in response to

one topic (either i.or ii.) on one text.


If your selected text is a collection of poetry or short stories, you may write on several poems or

stories, or on at least two in close detail.



In the answer book, indicate which text you have chosen to write on and whether you have


Your response will be assessed according to the assessment criteria set out on page 20 of this

book.


Text

1. All the Light We Cannot See…………………………………………………………………….Anthony Doerr

2. After Darkness...................................................................................................................Christine Piper

3. Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity.............. Katherine Boo

4. Extinction..........................................................................................................................Hannie Rayson

5. Frankenstein....................................................................................................................... Mary Shelley

6. In Cold Blood ..................................................................................................................Truman Capote

7. Island: Collected Stories................................................................................................Alistair Macleod

8. Like a House on Fire......................................................................................................... Cate Kennedy

9. Measure for Measure............................................................................................. William Shakespeare

10. Nine Days…………………………………………………………………………………………….Toni Jordan

11. Old/New World: New & Selected Poems...................................................................... Peter Skrzynecki

12. Persepolis...........................................................................................................................Jonathan Cape

13. Rear Window....................................................................................... Alfred Hitchcock (Director)

14. Selected Poems...................................................................................................................... John Donne

15. Stations Eleven…………………………………………………………………………...Emily St John Mandel

16. Stories we Tell...............................................................................................Sarah Polly (Director)

17. The Golden Age................................................................................................................... Joan London

18. The Left Hand of Darkness.............................................................................................. Ursula Le Guin

19. The Lieutenant…………………………………………………………………………………….Kate Grenville

20. The Women of Troy……………………………………………………………………………………..Euripides






i. ‘All the Light We Cannot See explores the potential of science to improve humanity.’

Do you agree?

OR

ii. ‘The novel All the Light We Cannot See suggests that what is most important is not

always what can be seen.’

Discuss.


i. How does Piper create Tomokazu’s reluctance to confront his past?

OR

ii. “I hadn’t exercised the very quality that makes us human: our capacity to understand each

other.”

‘The characters in After Darkness have the capacity for conflict and the capacity for

empathy.’

Discuss.

3. Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity by

Katherine Boo

i. Despite their marginalisation, Behind the Beautiful Forevers depicts women as having

some degree of freedom and power.

Discuss.

OR

ii. How does Behind the Beautiful Forevers reveal the problems of poverty, inequality and

powerlessness in Annawadi?





i. How does Hannie Rayson explore the idea of emotion being central to our human

fallibility in Extinction?

OR

ii. Rayson’s play is about our propensity as humans to make questionable decisions despite

our moral convictions.



i. In Frankenstein, human nature is portrayed as a corruption of the ‘palaces of the nature’

Discuss.

OR

ii. “Yet you, my creator, detest and spurn me, thy creature, to whom thou art bound by ties

only dissoluble by the annihilation of one of us”.

Human rejection turns the creature into a monster.



i. Truman Capote chooses not to depict the events of In Cold Blood as a narrative about

victims and villains but as a recount of an event.

Do you agree?

OR

ii. “At the time, not a soul in sleeping Holcomb heard them – four shotgun blasts that, all

told, ended six human lives”.

In Cold Blood is Capote’s portrayal of the fall from innocence.

Discuss.





Stories for study: ‘The Boat’, ‘The Vastness of the Dark’, ‘The Golden Gift of Grey’, ‘The

Return’, ‘The Lost Salt Gift of Blood’, ‘The Road to Rankin’s Point’, ‘The Closing Down of

Summer’, ‘To Every Thing There Is a Season’, ‘Second Spring’, ‘Winter Dog’, ‘The Tuning of

Perfection’, ‘Vision’, ‘Island’.

i. In Island: Collected Stories MacLeod presents the idea that relationships are what

endures.

Discuss.

OR

ii. The portrayal of the landscape is the most significant element of MacLeod’s stories.

Do you agree?


i. ‘Like a House on Fire explores the assumptions the characters make about each other.’

Discuss.

OR

ii. How does Kennedy create tension in her short stories?


i. “How would you be/If He which is the top of judgment should/But judge you as you

are?”

‘Measure for Measure warns of the dangers presented by a government which lacks

mercy.’

Discuss.

OR

ii. ‘The Duke’s deceit and Angelo’s hypocrisy are equally dishonourable.’

Do you agree?





i. “There’s a sense of connection, I guess. An invisible thread.”

‘Nine Days is a novel about the connections between us all.’

Discuss.

OR

ii. ‘Nine Days demonstrates that individuals are strengthened by adversity.’

Do you agree?


i. “…we lived like birds of passage - / always sensing a change in the weather …”

Skyrzynecki’s poetry explores the notion that once you migrate from your homeland,

your life is always in transit regardless of where you settle.


OR

ii. Skyrzynecki’s poetry can be seen as a comment on the Australian landscape and our

relationship to it.

Discuss.

12. Persepolis by Jonathan Cape

i. Persepolis demonstrates the tragedy when the call of religious faith is transformed in the

demand for religious obedience.

Discuss.

OR

ii. Ultimately, the more significant revolution is Marji awakening to the reality of her world.

To what extent to you agree?




13. Rear Window by Alfred Hitchcock (Director)

i. In Rear Window, Alfred Hitchcock makes the audience complicit in L.B. Jefferies

voyeurism.

Discuss.

OR

ii. Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window is as much a snapshot of an era as it is about a murder.

Do you agree?


i. “One short sleep past, we wake eternally, And Death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt

die.”

How does Donne explore death in his poems?

OR

ii. ‘Donne uses imagery that is characteristic of his style as a metaphysical poet.’

Discuss.

15. Stations Eleven by Emily St John Mandel

i. ‘There is more to life than just survival.’

Discuss with reference to Emily St. John Mandel’s Station Eleven.

OR

ii. How does Emily St. John Mandel show that memory is vital for humanity?




16. Stories we Tell by Sarah Polly (Director)

i. “Whatever we do, we must not put any blame on Diane for those events that took place in

1978” – Michael Polley

All of the characters in Stories We Tell talk about Diane with great love.

Discuss.

OR

ii. Is Stories we Tell more than a film about Polley’s search for her biological father?


i. Are Meyer, Ida and Frank Gold really “a lucky family”?

OR

ii. ‘The Golden Age shows that relationships between mothers and their children can be

problematic.’

Discuss.


i. The use of multiple perspectives in The Left Hand of Darkness undermines the distinction

between storytelling and truth.

Discuss.

OR

ii. “Light is the left hand of darkness

and darkness the right hand of light.”

The Left Hand of Darkness is a novel which explores BOTH opposition and unity.






i. “Rooke had seen that there were people with a power of personality that gave them

effortless authority.”

How does Grenville depict Daniel Rooke’s qualities?

OR

ii. ‘Tagaran shows Rooke that friendship can be based on more than a shared language’

Discuss.


i. “Can you still think it right to kill me?/Could you do such a thing with any justice?’

Helen is right to reject blame for the war; Menelaus is most responsible for the

destruction of Troy.

Do you agree?

OR

ii. While the play focuses primarily on the suffering of the women of Troy, it ultimately

suggests that war causes misery for all participants.

Discuss.

END OF SECTION A






Section B requires students to write a comparative analysis of a selected pair of texts in response

to one topic (either i. or ii.) on one pair of texts.

Your response should analyse how the two texts present ideas and/or issues, and should be

supported by close reference to both texts in the pair.



In the answer book, indicate which text pair you have chosen to write on and whether you have



book.



TURN OVER




Pair 1 Tracks by Robyn Davidson and Charlie’s Country by Rolf de Heer

i. Compare how Charlie’s Country and Tracks explore identity and belonging.

OR

ii. Compare how Charlie’s Country and Tracks explores the relationship between the

individual and nature.


i. “I was thinking about how you spend 30 years in a tiny cell, and come out ready to

forgive the people who put you there.” (Invictus)

Compare how history is used to frame both Ransom and Invictus.

OR

ii. Compare the way Invictus and Ransom shows us that leaders must challenge entrenched

attitudes to implement change.

Pair 3 Stasiland by Anna Funder and Never Let Me go by Kazuo Ishiguro

i. Compare how Stasiland and Never Let Me Go demonstrate that justice can never be

achieved as long as society accepts oppression.

OR

ii. “The Wall persists in Stasi men’s minds as something they hope might one day come

again, and in their victims’ minds too, as a terrifying possibility”. (Stasiland)

“There have been times over the years when I’ve tried to leave Hailsham behind, when

I’ve told myself I shouldn’t look back so much. But then there came a point when I just

stopped resisting”. (Never Let Me Go)

Compare how these texts explore the impact of the past.


TURN OVER





i. It is impossible to escape the past.

Discuss with reference to Reckoning and The Namesake.

OR

ii. Compare how the two texts explore the complex relationships children have with their

parents.

Pair 5 The Crucible by Arthur Miller and Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague by

Geraldine Brooks

i. Compare how hysteria and fear disrupts society in The Crucible and The Year of

Wonders.

OR

ii. “There was something in her that could not [...] see the distinctions that the world

wished to make between weak and strong, between women and men, labourer and lord.”

(Year of Wonders)

Compare how the two texts explore gender and power.

Pair 6 Photograph by Anna Ziegler and The Penelopiad: The Myth of Penelope and

Odysseus by Margaret Atwood

i. Compare how the two texts show the challenges faced by women in achieving their

goals.

OR

ii. Compare the representations of power in the two texts.


TURN OVER





i. Compare the ways the two texts explore the ramifications of racism on both individuals

and society as a whole.

OR

ii. “Memory is pain trying to resurrect itself.” (The Longest Memory)

“That’s the thing, the bits left behind, they’ll come out, they must.” (Black Diggers)

It is impossible to escape your memory.

Discuss how the two texts explore this idea.

Pair 8 I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by

Malala Yousafzai with Christine Lamb, and Made in Dagenham directed by Nigel Cole

i. ‘Progress can be measured by the social position of the female sex.’

Compare how the texts explore the connections between class, gender and power.

OR

ii. Both I am Malala and Made in Dagenham show that injustice is rarely fought alone.

Discuss.

END OF SECTION B

TURN OVER




THIS PAGE IS BLANK






Section C requires students to write an analysis of the ways in which argument and language are

used to persuade others to share a point(s) of view.

Read the background information on this page and the material on pages 16 to 17 and write an

analytical response to the task below.

For the purposes of this task, the term ‘language’ refers to written, spoken and visual language.


book.

Section C will be worth one-third of the total marks for the examination.

Task Write an analysis of the ways in which argument and written and visual language are used in the

material on pages 16 to 18 to try to persuade others to share the points of view presented.


A school community has been debating whether to ban students using mobile phones during

school hours as concerns grow over their distracting influence and their effect on learning. As

part of the debate the school gave parents the opportunity to offer their opinion on the issue. Two

parent opinions were subsequently posted on the school website.




It’s time to teach not text!

https://news.rutgers.edu/cellphone-distraction-classroom-can-lead-lower-grades-rutgers-study-

finds/20180723#.XLUhKeszYWo

Let me get straight to the point. Mobile phones are a modern day curse! Board a train, sit in a

cafe and most frighteningly observe a class in any high school for that to be so plainly obvious.

Students are texting when they should be working. They record their teachers and post it online

and they use social networking sites to bully their classmates. John Flynn, Principal of our

neighbouring school Breston Secondary College, says that his school has had enough. "Mobile

phones crept up on education and it has clearly been nothing short of a nightmare”. Flynn, with

the strong support of the whole school community, has banned students from using their mobile

phones during school hours on school premises and according to the figures I have seen, the

results in terms of improved behaviour and learning have been dramatic.

If students want to bring them in because of parents' fears for their safety getting to and from

school, Breston provides lockers where they can be kept. But if they are seen in school, they

confiscate them. Speaking to parents and students from the school it appears that despite some

initial resistance they have accepted the policy. Students still feel safe and it has produced a

much better learning environment.

I understand that this is a hot issue with many points of view but that doesn't mean a ban is

wrong. Indeed, a recent online poll on social media showed a three-to-one vote in favour of a

ban. A statement by Michael Shaw, the Director of State Education stated that mobiles in schools

were disruptive, which prompted the poll.

https://news.rutgers.edu/cellphone-distraction-classroom-can-lead-lower-grades-rutgers-study-finds/20180723#.XLUhKeszYWo

https://news.rutgers.edu/cellphone-distraction-classroom-can-lead-lower-grades-rutgers-study-finds/20180723#.XLUhKeszYWo




Shaw has supported Flynn's decision, but he admitted he has no power to impose a ban.

Therefore, it is up to our school community to decide best practice and that is to place a ban on

mobile phones during school.

If there is anybody who should logically have the greatest say on this issue it is the teachers who

are confronted with these distracting devices every day. The Association of Australian Teachers

also supports the ban. In a recent survey, 46% of its members identified mobiles as a cause of

disruption and indiscipline, and teachers are particularly concerned by students taking

photographs and video in lessons and posting material online, causing untold distress and

trauma.

Despite the debate and the various opinions, it is clear there is a problem. Gradually a clear

consensus is emerging. That consensus is that classrooms are for teaching and not texting, and if

the rules are clear parents will support a ban on mobile phones on school premises during school

hours.

James Lincoln - Concerned Parent

Not another panic

Remember television? It’s that rectangular plastic thing that probably sits in the corner of a room

in your house gathering dust. Those of us older people nostalgically recall how it gloriously

brought the rest of the world into our lounge rooms and how you teenagers developed a certain

sentimental attachment to it as you watched endless repeats of Finding Nemo and countless

hours of Play School.

Well, it wasn’t always that way. In the 1950’s television was given the derogatory label, The

Idiot Box. The name stuck for a number of reasons. Television had been a non-interactive and

non-responsive device, a wasteland that would intoxicate viewers and leave them numb,

mindless beings. We all needed to be saved from this evil distraction.

Television was just the latest stop on the long road of techno panic. In ancient times Greek

philosopher Socrates pondered that the invention of writing would weaken the essential power of

memory. When, in the fifteenth century, Johanes Gutenberg invented the printing press, some

considered the mass production of books the equivalent of handing a candle to a baby. In

1877, The New York Times wrote a ferocious attack against Alexander Graham Bell’s telephone

for its invasion of privacy. More recently, the 1990s and 2000s saw a hysterical fear over violent

video games turning teenage boys into potential cold-blooded killers. Get the picture?

So here we are again faced with the latest unholy technology that threatens our young: mobile

phones.

Whether it is their distracting and addictive qualities or that they lure young people into a false

world, where they no longer have the skills to cope with real issues, mobile phones are the latest

evil. They are doing harm to vulnerable young people unable to resist their evil charms.




Sound like some double standards to you?

Teachers often take notes, mark rolls or complete some research on their phones as part of their

teaching practice. In fact, most working people benefit from having their mobile phones on

them. They can access their emails, call clients, read the news, use software applications, and

more. Students need to learn how to use their mobile phones responsibly.

Students know they shouldn’t use their phones in school to play games, or listen to music, or text

their friends. They know phones should be used responsibly and for educational purposes. They

just need to be taught to do the right thing. It may take time and it may be frustrating but banning

mobile phones outright is simply giving up on the overwhelming majority of young people who

do the right thing.

I have spoken to many educators who argue that students who need to research and communicate

for educational purposes can use mobile phones, as miniature computers. They claim that this is

particularly important because mobile phones are not only portable, but they give computer

functions accessibility to students with limited financial and technological resources. For some

students, a basic smartphone with a range of applications maybe the only digital resource

available.

As Jonathon Werner, associate professor at The Education School recently stated, 'Modern day

students need to gather data, investigate topics in depth, compose, create and record media. They

also need to create and communicate with peers and experts, both inside and beyond the

classroom. There is no better tool to achieve this than the modern mobile phone.’

In my experience the skills secondary schools teach students in the responsible use of technology

are essential. They can only be fully appreciated when you observe what young people are

capable of once they reach the tertiary sector.

There were distractions before mobile phones; there will be other ones in the future, so banning

them will not stop the problem. I urge our school community to seriously consider teaching

appropriate usage rather than outright banning. It will be far more successful and beneficial to

the next generation of students completing their education in our wonderful school.

Sarah Pearson – Parent, Lecturer, The School of Media

END OF SECTION C

TURN OVER




Assessment criteria


• knowledge and understanding of the text, and the ideas and issues it explores

• development of a coherent analysis in response to the topic

• use of textual evidence to support the interpretation

• control and effectiveness of language use, as appropriate to the task.


• knowledge and understanding of both texts, and the ideas and issues they present

• discussion of meaningful connections, similarities or differences between the texts, in

response to the topic

• use of textual evidence to support the comparative analysis



• understanding of the argument(s) presented and point(s) of view expressed

• analysis of ways in which language and visual features are used to present an argument and

to persuade


END OF TASK BOOK

Documents

VCE English Exam Revision Practice Exams Book A