SA 4EB1 JUNE2020R

One mark for any one of the following:

• anything that could cause damage

• volcanoes

• fire

• earthquakes

• thunder

• lightning

• thunderstorms

One mark for any one of the following:

• clouds begin to form

• the wind began to pick up (a bit)

• lightning (did not stop)

• visible strikes every few seconds (for many, many hours)

• mesmerized by the insane lightning/mesmerized by the storm

• seeing a strike of lightning that started a fire

Reward responses that demonstrate how the writer presents her experiences of the weather.

Responses may include:

• the opening paragraph suggests that weather has had a negative effect on her: ‘I was scared of almost anything’, ‘I was terrified of thunderstorms’, ‘hiding inside the house’

• the use of ‘sparked’ (metaphor) suggests how sudden the change is

• the repetition of ‘more’ emphasises her enthusiasm

• the use of ‘further cemented’ suggests how strong her intention is

• the detailed description of the storm: ‘daylight fled’, ‘lightning started’

• the use of the short sentence: ‘And it did not stop’ for emphasis

• ‘many, many hours’ shows how long the storm lasted

• the use of ‘reluctantly’ shows how much she enjoyed herself

• the description of the second storm: ‘even stronger’, ‘very strong wind and rain’, ‘a very intense storm’

• the juxtaposition of ‘scared little kid’ with ‘weather fanatic’

• the use of the simile/idiom ‘like a kid in a candy store’

• the repetition ‘want more’, ‘see more’, ‘want to know more’, again emphasising her desire for knowledge

• the positivity of the end: ‘awesome storms’

• the writer adopts an informal style.

One mark for any one of the following:

• the village was transformed

• paths had disintegrated

• there was impassable mud

• the river was full

• they had to use boats to get around

• moving around was difficult

One mark each for any two of the following:

• activities became difficult/exhausting

• the yard changed into a treacherous pit/slippery mud

• every day she managed to lose a flip-flop

• every day she nearly fell over

• getting to the pond to bathe

• she was muddier after washing than before

• her trips to the latrine were nerve-racking

• she had to carry her water pot, umbrella and lantern

• she was sliding through the muddy morass

• her sari became muddy

• wading through deep swampiness

• leeches (hanging onto her feet and ankles)

Reward responses that demonstrate how the writer describes the monsoon and its effects.

Responses may include:

• the use of descriptive language to show how unpleasant it is to wake up to the monsoon rains: ‘steady drip’, ‘muddy’, ‘dampen’, ‘chilly’

• the reaction of the people: ‘huddled’, ‘shivering’, ‘predicting fever’

• the description of the compound: ‘completely still’, ‘strangely quiet’

• the repetition of ‘rain’ and its use in a short sentence, which reinforces how much rain is falling

• the reference to the time before the monsoon: ‘cool morning sunlight’ contrasts with the descriptions of the rain

• the use of language to show how the rain affects the area: ‘treacherous pit’, ‘most slippery mud imaginable’, ‘muddy morass’ (alliteration), ‘deep swampiness’

• the writer’s reactions: ‘exhausted and victorious’, ‘cursed’, ‘fantasised’, ‘prayed fervently’

• the negative impacts the monsoon has: ‘slow down’, ‘came almost to a standstill’, ‘little work’, ‘stay within the confines of their homes’, which suggests how limiting it is

• the positive contrast of how some local people cope: ‘piled high with village men in their best lungis’, ‘on a trip to Sylhet’

• the description of the boats: ‘painted cabins’, ‘great cloth sails’, ‘moving through the water lilies’, which is an attractive contrast to the descriptions of the monsoon.