1. Higher Tier: Reading
In June 2011 (when you last took this exam) the
writing marks were SIGNIFICANTLY higher
than the reading.
In the Higher tier the average mark on the
reading paper was 28% compared to 60% on
the writing.
So we have work to do...!

2. Summary Question (Question 1)
• Read the first text – answer Q1 & 2
• Read the second text - answer Question 3
• This will ensure you don’t get muddled with
the texts and give your hand a rest!

3. Question 1 – Outline concisely =
Summary
In Question 1 you will be asked to outline an element of the
text.
(for example: outline concisely what makes the experience of flying in a Pitts Special so
exciting)
There can sometimes be MORE than one strand
(in which case you will need to make sure you address them all.)
This is not asking you to explore or explain what the writer has
written, just ‘WHAT’ the text says about the points in the
question.
Imagine it like this: you are an editor and have been
asked to rewrite the text without all the excess.

4. Question 1 – The rules...
– Your summary should be in your own words – of
course you will need to use some of the same
words as the original text but avoid lifting whole
phrases, particularly more literary ones like
similes or strings of adjectives.
– Never quote or mention the writer – you are the
writer.
– Cut out all examples and stick to the basic facts.
– Remember this is a summary and should be
shorter than the original text. But not too short.
About ¾ of a page is about right – over that and
it is probably too long , shorter than ½ a side and
it is probably too short.
– Do not include your own OPINION.

5. Step 1...
Note how many strands there are to the question – what points have you been asked to
outline?
Stuff the tiger – long live extinction
Referring closely to the article, outline concisely why extinctions of tigers is not
necessarily a bad thing.
one strand

6. Step 2...
Take the first strand and looking through the text highlight the points that help address
that. You should aim to highlight as few words as possible – remember this is a
summary.
Stuff the tiger – long live extinction
Referring closely to the article, outline concisely why extinctions of tigers is not
necessarily a bad thing.

7. Step 3...
Now put these into a BRIEF bullet point list. Are there any similar points that can be
combined into one or points that would go nicely together in a sentence? Draw
lines to link these.
Stuff the tiger – long live extinction
Referring closely to the article, outline concisely why extinctions of tigers is not
necessarily a bad thing.
Key points:

8. Step 4...
Now you are ready to write you answer. This should be in paragraphs – not note form
(remember: imagine you are asked to rewrite this...). Take your bullet points and
turn them into sentences.
TRY NOT TO LOOK BACK AT THE TEXT at this point – it will only encourage you to use the
phrases of the original text.
Stuff the tiger – long live extinction
Referring closely to the article, outline concisely why extinctions of tigers is not
necessarily a bad thing.
Before we tackle the summary, let’s look at the
mark scheme...

9. Question 1
Mark Scheme

10. What’s wrong...?
Jeremy Clarkson claims that he is not
particularly bothered if his children never get
to see a tiger.

11. What’s wrong...?
Scientists in the South American rainforest
discovered 24 new species. This is amazing
that as well some species becoming extinct,
new ones are always being found.

12. What’s wrong...?
Some species have already become extinct this
century. This has been blamed on various big
companies who are trying to “turn all of the
world into money and carbon dioxide.”

13. How would you summarise...?
As the population of China becomes more
wealthy, demand for illegal tiger parts is
booming. Up to 600m Chinese people believe
that tiger, claws and even penises will cure any
number of ailments, including arthritis and
impotency. And as a result, we’ve just been
told, for about the hundredth time, that if
nothing is done extinction looms.

14. How would you summarise...?
There’s an awful lot of sentimentality around
the concept of extinction. We have a sense
that when a species dies out we should all fall
to our knees and spend some time wailing.
But why? Apart from for a few impotent
middle-class Chinamen, or if you want a nice
rug, it makes not the slightest bit of difference
if Johnny tiger dies out. It won’t upset out
power supplies or heal the rift with Russia. It
is as irrelevant as the death of a faraway star.

15. How would you summarise...?
Between 1900 and 1919 eco-mentalists ignore
the fact that we lost most of the young men in
Europe and prattle on about the passing of
the passenger pigeon, the Carolina parakeet,
and the Tasmanian wolf.