Read the extract and answer the following questions.
Extract:
She was thinking about the old schools they had when her grandfather's grandfather was a little boy. All the kids from the whole neighborhood came, laughing and shouting in the schoolyard, sitting together in the schoolroom, going home together at the end of the day. They learned the same things, so they could help one another on the homework and talk about it.
And the teachers were people...
The mechanical teacher was flashing on the screen: "When we add fractions 1/2 and 1/4..."
Margie was thinking about how the kids must have loved it in the old days. She was thinking about the fun they had.
(The Fun they had)
Question (i)
What is the main difference between Margie's school and the old schools?
- (a) Margie's school has a mechanical teacher, while the old schools had human teachers.
- (b) Margie's school is at home, while the old schools were in a building with other kids.
- (c) Margie's school teaches different subjects, while the old schools taught only fractions.
- (d) Margie's school is fun, while the old schools were boring.
Answer:
Answer as written by the student:
(a) Margie's school is at home, while the old schools were in a building with other kids.
Step-by-step explanation:
- To answer this question, we need to compare Margie's school and the old schools based on the information given in the extract.
- We can eliminate option A because both Margie's school and the old schools had teachers, but they were different types of teachers (mechanical vs human).
- We can eliminate option C because there is no evidence that Margie's school teaches different subjects than the old schools. The extract only mentions fractions as one example of what Margie's school teaches.
- We can eliminate option D because there is no evidence that Margie's school is fun or that the old schools were boring . In fact, Margie seems to envy the fun that the kids had in the old days.
- The correct answer is option B because it states the main difference between Margie's school and the old schools: Margie's school is at home, while the old schools were in a building with other kids.
Question(ii)
Why does Margie think that the kids must have loved it in the old days? Answer in about 40 words.
Answer:
Answer as written by the student:
Margie thinks that the kids must have loved it in the old days because they had more social interaction and learning support than she does . They could laugh and shout with their friends, sit together in a classroom, help each other with homework, and talk about what they learned.
Step-by-step explanation:
- To answer this question, we need to explain why Margie thinks that the kids had more fun in the old schools than she does in her school.
- We can use clues from the extract to infer what Margie values and misses in her school experience.
- We can see that Margie values social interaction because she mentions how the kids came, went, and sat together, and how they laughed and shouted in the schoolyard.
- We can also see that Margie values learning support because she mentions how they learned the same things and could help one another on homework and talk about it.
- We can conclude that Margie thinks that these aspects of schooling made it more fun and enjoyable for the kids in the old days than for her.
Question (iii)
Read the following descriptions (a)-(c) and identify which one correctly corresponds to this extract.
- (a) A flashback is a scene that interrupts the present action of a story to show something that happened earlier in time.
- (b) A foreshadowing is a hint or clue that suggests what will happen later in a story.
- (c) A setting is a description of where and when a story takes place.
Answer:
Answer as written by the student:
(a) A flashback is a scene that interrupts the present action of a story to show something that happened earlier in time.
Step-by-step explanation:
- To answer this question, we need to identify which type of literary device or element is used in this extract.
- We can eliminate option B because there is no hint or clue that suggests what will happen later in this story. The extract does not indicate any future events or outcomes for Margie or her school.
- We can eliminate option C because there is no description of where and when this story takes place. The extract does not specify any details about Margie's location or time period.
- The correct answer is option A because this extract is a flashback that interrupts
- the present action of Margie doing her fractions lesson to show something that happened earlier in time: her grandfather's grandfather going to an old school with other kids.
Question (iv):
If an actor were to enact this extract, what would he or she be required to focus on, while modulating his or her voice?
Answer:
Answer as written by the student:
If an actor were to enact this extract, he or she would be required to focus on expressing Margie’s emotions and thoughts while modulating his or her voice. He or she would need to convey Margie’s curiosity, wonder, envy, and longing for a different kind of school experience than hers. He or she would also need to contrast Margie’s voice with the mechanical voice of her teacher on the screen.
Step-by-step explanation:
- To answer this question, we need to think about how an actor would perform this extract as a scene in a play or a movie.
- We need to consider what the extract reveals about Margie's character and how she feels and thinks about her school and the old schools.
- We need to also consider how the actor would differentiate his or her voice from the voice of the mechanical teacher on the screen.
- We can use the following steps to answer this question:
- Step 1: Identify Margie's emotions and thoughts in this extract. For example, she is curious about the old schools, she wonders what they were like, she envies the kids who went there, and she longs for a different kind of school experience than hers.
- Step 2: Explain how the actor would modulate his or her voice to express Margie's emotions and thoughts. For example, he or she would use a tone of voice that shows interest, admiration, dissatisfaction, and desire. He or she would also use pauses, questions, exclamations, and contrasts to emphasize Margie's feelings and thoughts.
- Step 3: Explain how the actor would contrast his or her voice with the voice of the mechanical teacher on the screen. For example, he or she would use a voice that is natural, lively, and expressive, while the mechanical teacher's voice would be artificial, dull, and monotonous. He or she would also use gestures, facial expressions, and body language to show Margie's reaction to the mechanical teacher's voice.
