The Reading Paper!

1. The Reading Paper! 10th May 2007

2. The paper The reading paper lasts 1 hour and 15minutes. The first 15minutes are spent simply reading the booklet which will contain 3 texts. The texts will be new to you. They will have a linking theme, but will be written in very different styles. You will be tested on how well you understand the texts, and how well you can comment on their language, structure and purpose.

3. Reading time Use the time to read all the texts, then to number the paragraphs • This avoids the trap of looking in the wrong place for an answer – it also helps with the ‘put in order’ questions • Read every word – not just the texts. No word is wasted on a SATs paper! • Look at what the Purpose Audience and Text type of each text is – remember PAT.

4. Text types • You’ll need to work out if each texts purpose is too:. • persuade – adverts, charity leaflets • inform – reference books, travel guides • recall – newspaper reports, travel writing, • Entertain – novel, poetry. • Instruct – recipes, DIY manuals, directions • Explain – encyclopedias, textbooks.

5. Answering the questions Read every question carefully. Before you attempt to answer it – highlight the key words in the question. Then underline or circle where in the text you will find the answer. Remember if you look at the wrong extract or paragraph you will score zero marks!

6. The 5 mark questions! • Remember to get full marks you must fully explain how and why and author does something. You may have been taught to use Point Evidence Why (words) How. • To gain full marks you must also address all the bullet points. • The bullet points give you a clear structure to you answer – devote a paragraph to each bullet point!

7. A 5 mark question How does the writer entertain the reader? You should comment on : • The topics covered • The language used • The way frost is referred to as Jack Frost.

8. A level 7 answer Although this article basically aims to give the reader information and a bit of explanation about frost, it isn’t written in a dull or lifeless way. To begin with, the author gives us a bit of interesting information about the legend of Jack Frost, which she returns to at the very end. She also describes two different types of frost, which is fascinating. The language is very well chosen to entertain the reader. There are lots of powerful adjectives ‘intricate’ and ‘sparkling’ The author deliberately describes things in an interesting way, for example she says ‘valleys and hollows receive more visits’ instead of ‘You get a lot of frost in valley’s and hollows’. This brings the passage to life. The main way in which the author entertains the reader is by referring to frost as Jack Frost. Frost is not just a person, but an artist who deliberately creates pictures and sculptures. He is described as choosing different methods depending on the weather ‘if the air is moist.....then Jack Frost switches to the rime frost technique’. We imagine a person doing this, not just something in nature.

9. Raising your level!If you want to reach level 7... Read the question carefully and answer it exactly. If the question asks you to comment on a feature of the whole text, then make sure you give a spread of evidence from across the text. If several bullet point prompts are given, cover each one in your answer!

10. If you want to reach level 7... • Don’t just describe an effect by quoting the relevant part of the passage. Explain how the effect has been achieved and why it has been used – link this back to the purpose of the text!

11. If you want to reach level 7... • Think about the structure of the text – how does it help the writer achieve their purpose? – Do paragraphs get shorter to increase tension? Does each section start with a rhetorical question to gain the readers interest?

12. Top Tips! • Look carefully at the key words in the question. • ‘What’ questions are often asking you for information. • ‘How’ questions are often asking you to describe how language is used.

13. And remember..... P.E.W.H