Read the extract and answer the following questions-
Extract:
RUSH hour crowds jostle for position on the underground train platform. A slight girl, looking younger than her seventeen years, was nervous yet excited as she felt the vibrations of the approaching train. It was her first day at the prestigious Royal Academy of Music in London and daunting enough for any teenager fresh from a Scottish farm. But this aspiring musician faced a bigger challenge than most: she was profoundly deaf.
(The Sound of the Music)
Question (i)
What is the name of the prestigious music school that the girl was going to?
- (a) The Royal Academy of Music
- (b) The Royal College of Music
- (c) The Royal Conservatory of Music
- (d) The Royal School of Music
Answer:
Answer as written by the student:
(a) The Royal Academy of Music
Step-by-step explanation:
- To answer this question, we need to identify the name of the prestigious music school that the girl was going to based on the information given in the extract.
- We can use clues from the extract to infer what the name of the music school was.
- We can see that the name of the music school was mentioned in the extract as the Royal Academy of Music. The extract says that it was her first day at the prestigious Royal Academy of Music in London.
- We can conclude that the name of the music school was the Royal Academy of Music .
Question (ii)
Why was the girl nervous yet excited on her first day? Answer in about 40 words.
Answer:
Answer as written by the student:
The girl was nervous yet excited on her first day because she was going to a prestigious music school in a big city, which was a big change from her previous life on a Scottish farm . She also faced a bigger challenge than most students because she was profoundly deaf.
Step-by-step explanation:
- To answer this question, we need to explain why the girl was nervous yet excited on her first day based on the information given in the extract and our prior knowledge.
- We can use clues from the extract and our prior knowledge to infer what she felt and thought on her first day.
- We can see that she was nervous because she was going to a prestigious music school in London, which was daunting enough for any teenager. She probably felt anxious about meeting new people, fitting in, and performing well. She also faced a bigger challenge than most students because she was profoundly deaf, which made it harder for her to communicate and learn music.
- We can also see that she was excited because she was going to a prestigious music school in London, which was a great opportunity for her. She probably felt happy about pursuing her passion, learning new skills, and exploring a new place. She also felt the vibrations of the approaching train, which showed that she could sense sound in other ways than hearing.
- We can conclude that she was nervous yet excited on her first day because she was going to a prestigious music school in a big city, which was a big change from her previous life on a Scottish farm. She also faced a bigger challenge than most students because she was profoundly deaf.
Question (iii)
Read the following descriptions (a)-(c) and identify which one correctly corresponds to this extract.
- (a) A biography is a story of a person's life written by another person.
- (b) A memoir is a story of a person's life written by that person.
- (c) A fiction is a story that is made up or not based on real events or people.
Answer:
Answer as written by the student:
(a) A biography is a story of a person's life written by another person.
Step-by-step explanation:
- To answer this question, we need to identify which type of literary genre or category is used in this extract.
- We can use clues from the extract and our prior knowledge to infer what type of genre or category it is.
- We can see that this extract is a story of a person's life, which means that it is either a biography or a memoir. It tells us about the girl's background, challenges, and aspirations as a musician.
- We can also see that this extract is written by another person, not by the girl herself. It uses third-person pronouns such as "she" and "her" to refer to the girl . It also uses words such as "was" and "had" to indicate past tense, which shows that it is not written from the girl's perspective or experience.
- We can conclude that this extract is a biography because it is a story of a person's life written by another person.
Question (iv)
Fill in the blanks with suitable words.
The girl was _________ deaf, which means that she could not hear any sound at all. She felt the __________ of the approaching train, which means that she could sense the movement or shaking caused by the train. She was going to a __________ music school, which means that it was well-known and respected for its quality and standards.
Answer:
Answer as written by the student:
The girl was profoundly deaf, which means that she could not hear any sound at all. She felt the vibrations of the approaching train, which means that she could sense the movement or shaking caused by the train. She was going to a prestigious music school, which means that it was well-known and respected for its quality and standards.
Step-by-step explanation:
- To answer this question, we need to fill in the blanks with suitable words based on the information given in the extract and our prior knowledge.
- We can use clues from the extract and our prior knowledge to infer what words fit in the blanks.
- We can see that the word that fits in the first blank is profoundly because that is how the extract describes the girl's deafness. The extract says that she was profoundly deaf. We can also use our prior knowledge to infer that profoundly means very deeply or extremely.
- We can also see that the word that fits in the second blank is vibrations because that is how the extract describes what the girl felt from the train. The extract says that she felt the vibrations of the approaching train. We can also use our prior knowledge to infer that vibrations mean rapid back and forth movements or oscillations.
- We can also see that the word that fits in the third blank is prestigious because that is how the extract describes the music school that the girl was going to. The extract says that it was her first day at the prestigious Royal Academy of Music in London. We can also use our prior knowledge to infer that prestigious means having a high reputation or esteem.
- We can conclude that the words that fit in the blanks are profoundly, vibrations, and prestigious.
