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1. Exam Date
Wednesday 7 November 2012
REVISION GUIDE
Understanding and Producing Non-
Fiction Texts (Higher)
You will need the
Higher insert to
accompany this
guide.

2. Section A: Reading
Exam Tip:
• Read question 1, then read source 1 and then answer question 1.
Read question 2, then read source 2 and then answer question 2.
Read question 3, then read source 3 and then answer question 3.
Read question 4, skim read both texts and the answer question 4.
• Underline/annotate the texts as you read them.
You will...
•Read 3 non-fiction texts (sources 1, 2, and 3)
•Answer 4 Questions.
•Spend up to 1 hour and 10 minutes reading the
texts and answering the questions.

3. Question 1
• This question will always require you to respond to Source 1 only.
• It is worth 8 marks. You should spend 10-12 minutes answering this
question.
• Aim to write about 5-8 different bits of information.
• You must find and summarise information in your own
words, using short quotations as evidence.
This is not a language question, therefore you do
not need to analyse the language.
Complete the tasks
on the next page...

4. Read Source 1, the online travel article called Rafting on the Grand
Canyon by Elisabeth Hyde.
1. What do you learn from Elisabeth Hyde’s article about where she
has been and what she has been doing? (8 marks)
In this article, we learn that Elisabeth Hyde and her family spent
almost two weeks rafting down the “Colorado River through the Grand
Canyon” in North America. Every day, she spent “five to eight” hours in
the water in a 6m raft and when she wasn’t rafting down the river, she
was “eating, sleeping or bathing” in the area surrounding the river. We
also learn that she enjoyed being there as she described it as “one of
the most spectacular environments on earth”.
Additionally, we learn that Hyde and her family, were not there alone...
3. Continue and complete this response by adding an additional 4-6 points. Remember to...
Use mostly you own words.
Include short relevant quotations.
Write about where Elisabeth Hyde has been and what she has been doing.
Interpret meaning from the words Elisabeth Hyde has used.
Short
embedded
quotation
Where she
has been
What she
has been
doing
Student’s
own words
Interprets
meaning
Begins by using the wording in the exam question
1. Read source 1 of the insert.
2. Read the student’s response and comments to the question below.
Adding
connective

5. Question 2
• This question will always require you to respond to Source 2 only.
• It is worth 8 marks. You should spend 10-12 minutes answering
this question.
• This question requires you to analyse and comment on the
presentation features mentioned in the question (usually these
will be the headline, sub-headline and images) and how they link
to the main text (the rest of the article).
• You should aim to make 2-3 comments for each presentation
device.
• Presentation features includes the language used in the headlines
and sub-headlines.
Useful phrases
The headline says “...” which suggests...
The phrase “...” in the sub-headline implies...
The size and colour of the .... in the image may make readers feel...
This links to the idea in the main text that....
Look out for...
•Individual words/phrases
•Colour
•Juxtaposition
•Size
•Number of image(s)
•Detail within the image(s)
Complete the tasks
on the next page...

6. Now read Source 2, the article and the picture which goes with it called
Fearsome Tyrannosaurus rex Sue may have died of a sore throat by Ian
Sample.
2. Explain how the headline, sub-headline and picture are effective and
how they link with the text. (8 marks)
Firstly, the headline is effective as the big bold letters will immediately
draw in readers’ attention, however when they begin to read the
headline, the contrast of the words “fearsome” and “died from a sore
throat”, may intrigue the reader as the idea that such a “fearsome”
dinosaur could have been killed by something as minor as a sore
throat, may seem puzzling. Readers’ curiosity will be satisfied when
they read the whole text and learn that the T-rex’s death was caused by
a “common parasite that infects the mouth and throat” causing
starvation.
Another effective presentation feature of this article is the sub-
headline...
3. Continue and complete this response by adding an additional 4-6 points. Remember to...
Keep your response structured.
Focus on the effect of individual words in the sub-headline.
Make 2-3 comments on the sub-headline and 2-3 comments on the image.
Explain how the sub-headline and the image links to the main text.
Focuses on
individual
words
within the
headline
Comments
on the
presentation
of the
headline.
Links the
headline to
the main
text.
Structured
response
1. Read source 2 of the insert.
2. Read the student’s response and comments to the question below.
Effect on
the reader

7. Question 3
• This question will always require you to respond to Source 3 only.
• This text will be literary non-fiction (eg. A biography extract)
• It is worth 8 marks. You should spend 10-12 minutes answering this question.
• You should aim to write 4-5 PEE paragraphs.
• You must comment on the use of language to present ideas within the text.
• Avoid vague responses. This is when you do not explain how or why. For example:
“This makes the reader want to read on.”
Complete the tasks
on the next page...
Useful phrases for PEE paragraphs:
Point: One of the ways...
Evidence: The is shown by the words “...”
Explanation: This suggests... Readers may feel...

8. Now read Source 3, Everest The Hard Way, which is an extract from a non-
fiction book.
3. Explain which parts of Pete Boardman’s story of the return to Camp 6
you find tense and exciting. (8 marks)
On of the parts the story which is particularly tense is when Pete is
waiting for his companion, Mick to arrive. Pete says that they will wait
“ten minutes more” which enables him to “shift some of the responsibility
to the watch”. This suggests that they are getting impatient of waiting
(probably for fear of their own safety) and rather than making the
decision themselves to leave Mick behind, they make time decide for
them. This is a tense moment for readers as they may begin to wonder
where Mick is? Will he return to the camp on time and, significantly, is he
still alive?
Another tense part of the story...
3. Continue and complete this response by adding an additional 4-6 points. Remember to...
Keep your response structured (sequencing/adding connectives).
Use Point, Evidence and Explanation.
Interpret meaning behind the language.
Short, rele
vant
quotation
to support
point
Explains how
tension is
created.
Structured
response.
Inferences/ interpretations of the language
1. Read source 2 of the insert.
2. Read the student’s response and comments to the question below.
Effect on
the reader

9. Question 4
• This question will always require you to
respond to two out of the three texts.
• It is worth 16 marks. You should spend
20-22 minutes answering this question.
• You must compare two texts by
analysing the effects of the writer’s use
of language.
Key Language Devices
Facts and statistics
Opinions
Emotive
Anecdote
Rhetorical questions
Personal pronouns (you/we)
Rule of three
Imagery (similes etc)
Formal/informal/slang
Technical jargon
Punctuation for effect
Sentence structure
Complete the tasks on
the next page...
Connectives
Similarities: Similar to... Similarly... Just like... Equally...
Differences: In contrast... However... Unlike.... On the other hand...

10. Now you need to refer to Source 3, Everest The Hard Way and either Source 1 or
Source 2.
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)
Both sources 1 and 2 immediately engage their reader's attention by starting with a
short simple sentence. In source 1, “Just two rules!” leads readers to be intrigued
to know what these rules are. The word “just” highlights the fact that there are
only two rules , when readers would expect there to be many more rules as rafting
is a dangerous activity, this implies that these two rules must be important. This is
further emphasised by the exclamation mark which highlights the importance of
these rules. The short sentence “A decision was needed” at the start of Source 3
has a similar effect of creating intrigue for the reader as they will want to know
what decision will be made and why. Again emphasis is used here, but this time, by
the word “needed” which suggests desperation.
Both texts use language to create a sense of excitement about their experience...
4. Continue and complete this response by adding an additional 4-6 similarities/differences. Remember
to...
Keep your response structured (sequencing/adding connectives).
Use Point, Evidence and Explanation.
Develop and analyse the effect of the language.
Identify similarities and differences between both texts.
Short, rele
vant
quotation
to support
point
Developed
analysis.
1. Read source 2 of the insert.
2. Read the student’s response and comments to the question below.
Effect on
the reader
Point made is
linked to the
question
Uses
comparison
connectives to
signal
comparison.

11. Section B: Writing
Exam Tip:
• Complete the long writing task first! If you run out of time, you will have
gained more marks on this task than the short writing task.
You will...
•Respond to 2 Questions.
1. Short writing task (16 marks)
2. Long writing task (24 marks)
•Spend up to 1 hour and 5 minutes planning, writing and checking your
responses.
•25 minutes on the short task.
•35 minutes on the long task.

12. Persuade&Argue
Emotive language
(Appealing to
readers’ emotions
eg. guilt)
Anecdote
(A brief account of
the writer’s personal
experience)
Facts & statistics
(True statements/
percentages etc)
Opinions
(A personal belief,
often stated as
fact)
Rule of three
Addressing readers
directly (2nd person
pronoun) (you, your)
Hyperbole
(Deliberate
exaggeration for
effect)
Superlatives
(Stating that
something is the
‘greatest’ or the
‘worst’ etc.)
Imperatives
Instructions or
demands eg.
‘stand up’ ‘go to
the...’
Alliteration
Eg. ‘Sea, surf
and sun’
Flattery Repetition
(Words or phrases
repeated
Rhetorical
questions
Quotations
from experts
Explanation
Facts & statistics
(True statements/
percentages etc)
6 Ws (who, what,
where, when, why,
how)
Rhetorical
questions
Opinions
(A personal belief)
Anecdote
(A brief account
of the writer’s
personal
experience)
Descriptions
(adjectives,
adverbs, smiles
etc).
You will gain marks for your ability to engage your reader in a way that suits the purpose.
Informal or formal? Humorous or serious?
This will depend on who you are writing for (audience).

13. You will gain marks for organisation and structure
Topic Sentence
(Possibly with an adding connective)
In addition... Another point is... As well
as...
Supporting Evidence
(Possibly with an
illustrating connective)
Evidence
•Facts
•Opinion(s)
•Examples
•Anecdote
Connectives
For example...
This is shown by...
Such as...
Explanation
(Possibly with an
illustrating
connective)
Connectives
This means that...
Significantly...
Therefore...
Consequently...
As a result of
this...
Explanation
•Give reasons
•Describe
•Explain the
impact of your
evidence.
Close
Links back to the main idea in the topic sentence.

14. Use all of these types of sentences
• Minor sentence (1-2 words
sentence)
• Complex sentence
(remember to use
comma(s))
• A sentence containing a list
• Compound sentence
• Simple sentence
• Question
;
Semicolon
:
Colon
-
The Dash
‘b’
Inverted
Commas
...
Ellipsis
?
Question Mark
!
Exclamation Mark
( )
Brackets
A*
A
B
C
D
TIP: Use an illustrating, emphasising or qualifying connective in
every full paragraph. This will help you to develop and extend
your paragraphs. (see p. 118 of your contact book)
You will gain marks for using a range of sentences and punctuation

15. Section B: Writing
1. Primary purpose of Writing to Explain
5. Write a brief article for a website of your choice telling your readers about an
interesting or unusual journey or travel experience you have had. Explain why
it was memorable.
(16 marks)
This main purpose of this task is to explain. However, to make
this writing lively and interesting to read, you will also need to
describe the journey (the people involved and place(s) you
visited) and possibly entertain your reader.
Practice these skills by answering the writing question above.
• Aim to write about 3 paragraphs.
•Spend no longer than 25 minutes.
•Plan before your write.

16. Section B: Writing
2. Primary purpose of Writing to Argue (but could be persuade)
6. Your school or College is inviting entries for a writing competition. The topic is
“Dangerous sports, activities and pastimes are selfish, often put others at risk
and should be discouraged.”
Write your entry arguing for or against this view.
(24 marks)
Practice these skills by answering the writing question above.
• Aim to write about 4-5 paragraphs.
•Spend no longer than 35 minutes.
•Plan before your write.

17. Spend 5 minutes...
• Checking your writing (spelling
and punctuation).
• Make any necessary changes.