Close Reading Core Skills

1
Close Reading Core Skills

• Higher

2
Learning Intention

• To explore the recommended approach to these
  question-types and attempt some examples
• To peer assess your answers

3
Success Criteria

• To emerge with a better understanding of
  questions regarding analysis of sentence
  structure and tone.

4
Close Reading

• Sentence Structure and Tone questions come under
  the Analysis umbrella in Close Reading
  questions. You can also look at these techniques
  in Language questions but we will come to that
  later

5
Close Reading

• Remember, this is just an introduction to the
  formulae. We will spend more time on Close
  Reading throughout the year. Your job just now is
  to understand how to answer the different types
  of question and to use the appropriate formulae.

6
2005 Passage

• To help us focus on Sentence Structure and Tone
  questions, we are going to look at the 2005 past
  paper and only focus on these types of questions.
  
• (N.B. you must keep a hold of this past paper as
  we will use it for further homework this week.)

7
Reminder

• Sentence Structure
• Give the example of sentence structure used (e.g.
  short / complex sentences, punctuation, word
  order, grammar).
• Say how the use of sentence structure adds to
  your understanding of the passage.

8
2005 Passage

• In pairs, work through Questions 2(c). Use the
  notes and guidance to help you answer them and
  write your answers in the response section.
• 2(c) allows you to look at word choice and
  imagery as well but focus your answer on sentence
  structure as far as possible.

9
2005 Passage

• Originally, such objects smashed into one
  another to build the earth 4.5 million years ago.
  After that, further comet impacts brought the
  water of our oceans and the organic molecules
  needed for life. Ever since then, impacts have
  continued to punctuate the story of evolution. On
  many occasions, comets slammed into earth with
  such violence that they nearly precipitated the
  extinction of all life. In the aftermath of each
  catastrophe, new species emerged to take the
  place of those that had been wiped out.

10
Swap answers. . .

• Technique openings of sentences with reference
  to Originally/After that . . .
• Explanation convey a sequence through time of
  effects caused on the planet by comet impact. (2)

11
Swap answers. . .

• 2) Technique Repetition of simple sentence
  structure (of the first three sentences)
• Explanation Contributes to the ongoing,
  repetitive, inevitable nature of the effects of
  comets on creation. (2)

12
Swap answers. . .

• 3) Technique structure of last two sentences
  (e.g. placing of all life and wiped out)
• Explanation could be seen as climactic,
  dramatically emphasising point.
• (2)

13
2005 Passage

• In pairs, work through Questions 3. Use the notes
  and guidance to help you answer them and write
  your answers in the response section.

14
Reminder

• Tone
• Identify the tone of the extract (NB The tone
  will NEVER be normal).
• Quote the words that help you identify this tone
  and explain how they do so.

15
Swap answers. . .

• The question has already identified the tone for
  you (humorous) so all you need to do is provide
  two techniques that create this tone.

16
Swap answers. . .

• Tone Humorous
• Quote use of lucky
• Explanation not usual scientific terminology,
  suggests a more flippant approach.
• 2) Quote dust settled
• Explanation literal/metaphorical ambiguity
  could be seen as humorous.

17
Swap answers. . .

• 3) Quote being thumped (on the head)
• Explanation unscientific terminology creates
  a humorous picture.
• 4) Quote thumped and conducive
• Explanation juxtaposition of colloquial and
  formal gives rise to humour.

18
Swap answers. . .

• 5) Quote not conducive to a long and happy
  existence
• Explanation ironic, understated, deliberately
  clichéd, contrast with thumped.
• 6) Quote any use of italics/inverted commas to
  suggest method of delivery.
• Explanation creates comic effect and emphasis.

19
Questions 5 and 14

• On your own, work through questions 5 and 14.
  Remember to use the appropriate formula, the
  guidance notes and the earlier examples of how to
  answer these types of questions.
• You have 15 minutes.

20
Peer Assessment

• Swap your answers with another person at your
  table and pay attention to the possible answers.
• If you are unsure of what mark to give then just
  ask

21
Q5

• Sentence Structure
• This question is making it easy for you as it
  tells you to look for punctuation and how it
  helps you to understand what he is saying.
• Use the specific advice to help you answer the
  question.

22
Q5
Colon introduces a list of questions
Semi-colons are used to separate items in a list.

• For more than two centuries the possibility that
  the earth might be struck by comets has been
  debated and three questions have been raised from
  the start will a comet again hit the earth
  might comet impact lead to the extinction of
  mankind is it possible that the flood legends
  from so many world cultures could be explained by
  past comet impacts in the oceans which triggered
  enormous tsunamis?

Question mark used at the end of a question.
23
Any two of

1. The mention of three questions followed by a
   colon leads to expectation that three questions
   (about the possibility/implications of comet
   impact?) will appear after the colon.
2. The use of two semi-colons to separate the three
   questions helps us to isolate each of the
   questions.
3. The use of the question mark at the end of the
   sentence helps to remind us of the fact that we
   are dealing with a series of questions.

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Q14 (Passage 2)

• Only focus on sentence structure features and
  read the specific advice, which deals with
  sentence structure.

25
Q14 (Passage 2)

• In the longer term the problem of being hit by
  an asteroid will be the amount of material that
  is injected into the Earths atmosphere. Within
  two or three days the surface of the Earth will
  be cold and dark. And it is the dark which will
  be the problem, because the plants will begin to
  die out. At best guess, we will probably lose
  about 25 per cent of the human population of the
  planet in the first six months or so. The rest of
  us are basically back in the Middle Ages. We have
  got no power, no communications, no
  infrastructure. We are back to hunter-gathering.

26
Possible Answers

1. Step by step account.
2. Sentences become shorter.
3. Builds up to a very short final sentence.
4. Goes from general to specific.
5. Accumulative negatives no power, no
   communications, no infrastructure.
6. Repetition of back.