1. English Department
KS4
Unit 1: Non-Fiction
Section A: Reading
Answer all questions in this section. You are advised to spend about one hour and
fifteen minutes on this section.
Read Source 1, the article Felix Baumgartner’s skydive pales in comparison with the moon landings.
1 What do you learn from the article about Felix Baumgartner’s skydive? (8 marks)
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3. English Department
KS4
Unit 1: Non-Fiction
Now read Source 2, the article Faster than a Speeding Bullet: Austrian skydiver leaps into the history
books.
2 Explain how the headline and picture are effective and how they link to the text. (8 marks)
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5. English Department
KS4
Unit 1: Non-Fiction
Now read Source 3, which is an extract from a non-fiction book.
3 Explain some of the thoughts and feelings Usain Bolt has about his chosen career. (8 marks)
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7. English Department
KS4
Unit 1: Non-Fiction
Now you need to refer to Source 3, Being the World’s Fastest Man and either Source 1 or Source 2.
4 You are going to compare two texts, one of which you have chosen. Compare the different ways
in which language is used for effect in the two texts. Give some examples and analyse what the
effects are. (16 marks)
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11. English Department
KS4
UnitDepartment
English
KS4
1: Non-Fiction
Source 1 Unit 1: Non-Fiction
Felix Baumgartner's skydive a barrel became the leap of choice for publicity-
conscious stunt people (first over the top was a
pales in comparison with the woman, in 1901). Yet amazing as such jumps were,
did they add to human knowledge and capacity? No
moon landings – the first powered flight by the Wright brothers,
which was much less spectacular, just off the ground
The Austrian's jump used the images of space in fact, changed the world in a way stunts do not.
exploration but this pseudo astronaut achieved The images of this leap look like exploration but
actually are mere entertainment.
only a daredevil publicity stunt by Jonathon Jones
The visual similarity between Baumgartner's record-
breaking publicity stunt and the feats of engineering
audacity that took human beings on to the surface of
the moon and then, even in the cash-strapped
1970s, built a landable and reusable spacecraft is
cruelly deceptive and fully intended by the sponsor.
Baumgartner's freefall is not the same as the public-
funded, state-sponsored efforts of an entire scientific
generation that not so long ago sent Neil Armstrong
on to the silver dust of the lunar surface. Look closer
and the visual image of this 21st century hero is not
so 20th century, after all. His helmet has the words
Red Bull on it, not a stars and stripes. Indeed, Red
When I was four and five and six years old we Bull logos and inscriptions are all over his space suit.
watched the moon landings on TV then waited
nervously for the splashdown and the astronauts' Seeing the earth from Baumgartner's helmet is
release from their seared capsule with its orange spectacular and sad: wondrous to see this orb as the
flotation bags bobbing on a white and blue sea. In astronauts saw it, amazing that he is so high he can
the same way millions of people watched Felix see the planet as a planet, but sad because he is
Baumgartner's astonishing fall through the empty sky plummeting back. All he has done is stretch gravity's
on YouTube. In his protective suit the Austrian elastic a bit further. What happened to breaking it
daredevil looked for all the world like some Apollo entirely?
astronaut of the 1960s. But did this daring deed truly
recreate the images of the space age, or only an The epic state spending that sent serious missions to
empty pastiche of them?
the moon is a thing of the past. As Baumgartner
prepared for his stunt, the space shuttle, relic of an
History always repeats itself, said Hegel. He forgot to age when in Apollo's wake space exploration
add, said Marx – the first time as tragedy, the second seemed destined to become ever better, was being
as farce. Not that Baumgartner's dive was farce. It ferried to its final resting place in a Los Angeles
was heroic, if not foolhardy. In terms of sheer mad museum. Today, private money pays for record-
bravery it was stupendous. But surely those breaking achievements that come nowhere near the
seductive, glorious, beautiful images with their optimism of Nasa's golden age. Is exploration still a
evocation of the great moments of space exploration marvel when James Cameron can buy his way into
are so appealing because they fill a void in our the record books?
collective heart, a void of aspiration and the belief in
progress that a daredevil's leap, however gallant, The digital age is not an age for astronauts. Google
cannot ever really match. the words "Moon landings" and one of the most
popular search phrases offered is "moon landings
In the end, Baumgartner's achievement is just a faked".
great stunt, with a commercial sponsor. It is in
essence the same as tumbling over Niagara Falls in
So in place of true exploration we idolise this
a barrel. People have always done brave things, and pseudo-astronaut: the man who fell to earth, with
in the early 20th century going over Niagara Falls in style.
11
Source 1
12. English Department
KS4
English Department
Unit 1: Non-Fiction
KS4
Unit 1: Non-Fiction
Source 2
Faster than a speeding bullet: Austrian
skydiver leaps into the history books
Supersonic skydiver Felix Baumgartner took falling head-over-heels. Speaking
to the skies on Sunday afternoon in a afterwards at a press conference, Mr
historic bid that saw him become the first Baumgartner said: “In that situation, when
human being to travel faster than the speed you spin around, it's like hell and you don't
of sound in freefall. know if you can get out of that spin or not.”
To the relief of everyone watching, including
his mother, Ava, Mr Baumgartner was able
to use his considerable skydiving
experience and regain control before
releasing his parachute.
Mr Baumgartner wore a specially designed
survival suit, similar to those worn by
astronauts, to keep his body intact against
the varying atmospheric pressures, with
three cameras attached to record his
descent. The risks in making such a jump
included the possibility of his blood boiling
and his organs exploding.
More than 8 million people watched the 43-
year-old Austrian – known as Fearless Felix Although the jump was thought by many to
– jump from a balloon 24 miles above the be a daredevil stunt, Mr Baumgartner’s
New Mexico desert and freefall from the team were keen to stress its high scientific
edge of space. relevance. Its success will help to inform the
development of new ideas for emergency
After a two hour journey up, it took Mr evacuation from airborne vehicles, such as
Baumgartner just under ten minutes to land spacecraft, passing through the
back on Earth, reaching speeds of up to stratosphere.
725mph, breaking the sound barrier at Mach
1.24 and smashing three world records in Baumgartner’s mentor, Joe Kittinger, now in
the process. The records he achieved were: his eighties, was the previous world record
The fastest freefall after reaching a top holder of the highest freefall jump. He
speed of 834mph (1,342km/h); becoming provided the younger man with advice and
the first human being to break the sound encouragement during the seven-year build-
barrier in freefall; in reaching 128,100ft up to his daring adventure. Mr Kittinger’s
above Earth, he exceeded the altitude for was the only voice Baumgartner heard in
the highest ever manned balloon flight – the the control room.
previous record was held by Victor Prather
and Malcolm Ross, who made it to “Felix did a great job and it was a great
113,720ft in 1961. When he landed in honour to work with this brave guy,” Mr
Roswell – famed for its UFO sightings – Mr Kittinger said. Mr Baumgartner said in the
Baumgartner dropped to his knees and end all his thoughts were about getting back
raised his arms in victory. alive: “When I was standing there on top of
the world, you become so humble, you don't
There were tense moments in the control think about breaking records. Sometimes
room early in the dive as Mr Baumgartner you have to go up really high to see how
began to spin laterally out of control, free- small you are.”
Source 2
12
13. English Department
KS4
English Department
Unit 1: Non-Fiction
KS4
Unit 1: Non-Fiction
Source 3
From the autobiography of Usain Bolt, the first man to hold both
the 100 metres and 200 metres world records.
USAIN BOLT – THE FASTEST MAN in the world. Never, ever do I get tired
of hearing that. If you lined up a hundred people and asked them who the
best basketball player in the world is, the best footballer, or the best cricketer,
it is unlikely they would provide the same answer. But ask any of them, ‘Who
is the best sprinter in the world?’ and there is only one answer – Usain Bolt.
Why? Because that is what it says on the clock. There can be no dispute or
argument. The record book say that over 100 metres flat race, the true
measure of human speed, I’m the fastest person that ever lived, completing
the distance, as I did at the World Championships in Berlin, in 9.58 seconds.
It is said that the population of the earth is 6.8 billion and that approximately
107 billion have lived on this planet since man came into being. It doesn’t get
any cooler than knowing you are the fastest of them all.
I chose to be a sprinter, not only because I was the fastest kid in school, but
also because I knew that politics couldn’t interfere. In team sports it can be
down to opinion whether you are the best. One coach might think you’re
good enough for his team, another might not, or the side could be picked on
friendship or family ties. But in athletics you are either the fastest or you
aren’t – opinion doesn’t come into it.
We had a grass track at the front of Waldensia Primary School, which is still
there, exactly as it was, with a two-foot dip at the end of the straight, and
when I first raced on it a guy called Ricardo Geddes would beat me. One day
the sports coach, Devere Nugent, bet me a lunch that I could beat Ricardo. I
like my food, so it was a big incentive. I won, enjoyed a nice meal, and never
lost to Ricardo again. Winning that race was my first experience of the thrill of
beating your closest rival, and from that day my motto has always been
‘Once I’ve beaten you, you won’t beat me again.’
Usain Bolt: Being the World’s Fastest Man
Source 3 13
