Showing posts with label Cape. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cape. Show all posts

Listening Comprehension Tips


Pre-Writing: Planning

  1. Read the questions carefully to understand what you are being asked to do.
  2. Listen actively. Keep your purpose for listening in mind by referring to questions.
  3. During the first reading jot down notes on significant devices of the passage based on the questions.
  4. During the second reading, check to see if your jottings from the first reading are supported by the entire passage.
  5. Give the answer the question asks for.
  6. Write your answers in complete sentences
  7. Use your summary writing skills. A long answer is not necessarily a better answer.

Writing

1. A main idea should not be a purpose. It should read:

"The main idea of the passage is that..." NOT "The main idea of the passage is to tell..."

2. When commenting on the effectiveness of a device used by the writer, you are to tell how the use of the device helps the writer to achieve his purpose for writing. 

Weak Answer: "The writer uses a metaphor to describe the beauty of the sunset and how night fell." or "The writer uses a metaphor to bring his point across."

Better Answer: "The writer uses a metaphor to convey his admiration for the magnificent sunset and to show how suddenly night fell upon the landscape."

Post-Writing

  1. Check your responses against the questions on the exam to ensure that you have answered all the parts of each question with exactly what has been asked.
  2. Edit your work to get rid of grammatical errors, expression errors and unclear sentences.

Good Luck!

Main Point vs Purpose

MODULE ONE (1): Gathering & Processing Information
The purpose of this post is to clear up a mistake that is often made on the exam. The main point of this post is that there is a marked difference between the main point (main idea) of a piece and the purpose for writing a piece and you will be tested on whether you can make that distinction. The main point can never be the same as the purpose and vice-versa. Hence, your responses should reflect that you recognize this fact.

Main Point/Idea
The main point of a piece is the same as the topic/thesis statement. It refers to those words/sentences that capture the essence of the overall piece of writing. The thesis/topic statement is generally found in the first or last sentences of the introductory paragraph.However, sometimes it is not stated and has to be inferred from the passage A good thesis statement does two (2) things. First, it tells about an essay's topic. Second, it presents the writer's attitude, opinion, idea or point about that topic. Let us look at some examples:

Example One: 'From King Leopold's Ghost, by Adam Hochschild, 1998'
When the Atlantic slave trade began decimating the Kongo, that nation was under the reign of a ManiKongo named Nzinga Mbemba Affonso, who had gained the throne in 1506 and ruled as Affonso I for nearly forty years. Affonso's life spanned a crucial period. When he was born, no one in the kingdom knew that  Europeans existed. When he died, his entire realm was threatened by the slave-selling fever they had caused. He was a man of tragic self awareness, and he left his mark. Some three hundred years later, a missionary said, "A native of the Kongo knows the name of three kings: that of the present, that of his predecessor , and that of Affonso."
Ask yourself:
a. Who/what do you think the paragraph is about? (Topic)
b. What is the writer's attitude, opinion etc about it?

Discussion: Even though this is an excerpt of the piece, already you should be able to tell that that the main point/idea of the piece is that 'When the Atlantic slave trade began decimating the Kongo, that nation was under the reign of a ManiKongo named Nzinga Mbemba Affonso, who had gained the throne in 1506 and ruled as Affonso I for nearly forty years.' Let us try another one:

Example Two: 'Adapted from Daniel Pendick, Courtesy of  WNET.ORG (http://www.pbs.org/wnet/savageearth/tsunami/index.html)
             Though it's true that tsunamis are ocean waves, calling them by the same name as the ordinary wind-driven variety is a bit like referring to firecrackers and atomic warheads both as "explosives." Triggered by volcanic eruptions, landslides, earthquakes, and even impacts by asteroids or comets, a tsunami represents a vast volume of seawater in motion -- the source of its destructive power.
            On the open ocean, tsunami waves approach speeds of 500 mph, almost fast enough to keep pace with a jetliner. But gazing out the window of a 747, you wouldn't be able to pick it out from the wind-driven swells. In deep water, the waves spread out and hunch down, with hundreds of miles between crests that may be just a few feet high. A passenger on a passing ship would scarcely detect their passing. But in fact the tsunami crest is just the very tip of a vast mass of water in motion, as a tsunami can travel great distances with little loss of energy. The 1960 earthquake off the coast of Chile generated a tsunami that had enough force to kill 150 people in Japan after a journey of 22 hours and 10,000 miles.
            As the waves in the tsunami reach shore, they slow down due to the shallowing sea floor, and the loss in speed is often accompanied by a dramatic increase in wave height. Tsunamis also flood in suddenly without warning. Tsunami waves usually don't curve over and break, like Hawaiian surf waves. Survivors of tsunami attacks describe them as dark "walls" of water. Impelled by the mass of water behind them, the waves bulldoze onto the shore and inundate the coast, snapping trees like twigs, toppling stone walls and lighthouses, and smashing houses and buildings into kindling. 
            The contours of the seafloor and coastline have a profound influence on the height of the waves -- sometimes with surprising and dangerous results. During the 1993 tsunami attack on Okushiri, Japan, the wave "runup" on the coast averaged about 15 to 20 meters (50 - 65 feet). But in one particular spot, the waves pushed into a V-shaped valley open to the sea, concentrating the water in a tighter and tighter space. In the end, the water ran up to 32 meters (90 feet) above sea level, about the height of an 8-story office building.

Discussion: In this example taken from the May 2011 CAPE Paper 2, the main point may actually be located in the last sentence of the introductory paragraph. Therefore, the main point is that 'a tsunami represents a vast volume of seawater in motion - the source of its destructive power.'

Purpose
The purpose of a piece of writing is generally evidenced by the type of discourse used (See post on Evaluating types of discourse. )The second example, speaking about tsunamis) evidences mixed discourse types. It utilizes elements of exposition, description and narrative. Readers receive indepth information about tsunami wave formation as well as true to life accounts or anecdotes of tsunami attack. This combination of discourse types aids the writer's purpose which is to alert or educate readers about the destructive power of tsunamis. 
Further Reading on 'Purpose': Chapter 10, Writing in English -Hazel Simmonds-McDonald et al

Mistakes to Avoid on  Examinations
Avoid stating the main point and the purpose as the same thing. They may be similar in content but how you state it in your responses should be clearly different:
The main point is that....
The purpose is to....
NOT the main point and the purpose is to...
You will score 0 marks if you respond in this way. The examiner will not be able to tell whether or not you recognize the difference between the two concepts.

Study Skills - SQ4R Method

S-Survey
Surveying the material involves looking at topics, sub-topics,charts, graphs, maps and summaries before any in depth reading is done. It is what is also known as skimming.

Q-Question
This involves coming up with questions that you would like an answer for. As you read you should be coming up with answers for your formulated questions.

R-Reading
This involves reading each subsection in an effort to answer your formulated questions.

R-Recite
At this stage you should attempt to orally recall all the points you have read.

R-Relate
Write down what you have learnt in your own words making note of any personal associations.

R-Review
At this stage you will go over what was learnt in a particular chapter. This may be done with the aid of review questions.

Literary devices commonly used in Paper 1B -Listening comprehension

INSTRUCTIONS:
This paper consists of FOUR questions. You will be given 5 minutes to read through the questions in this paper. The examiner will then read to you an extract from a piece of communication. You will be given 20 minutes to respond in writing to the questions. The extract will be read twice. You will be allowed to make notes while you listen to the extract.

Write down these questions on Havana & proceed to the clip:
1. State the MAIN idea of the extract in ONE sentence of no more than 20 words. (3 marks)

2. Identify FOUR details about Havana which support the claim that 'the years have taken toll on its architectural riches'. (4 marks)

3a. Identify TWO literary devices used in this extract. (2 marks)

3b. Give ONE example of EACH literary device you have identified in 3a. (2 marks)

4. State FOUR details of the physical setting presented in this extract. (4 marks)








A. CONTRAST
The two widely differing elements are contrasted using a common value to convey further information about one or both elements. The differences between them often intensify either their positive or negative qualities. They frequently will be opposites. For example the warmth of the Caribbean with the cold winter of the United States (comparison point temperature). Contrasts also can be metaphorical.

B. IRONY
Irony is the contrast between what is expected or what appears to be and what actually is. For example, ‘A clumsy ballet dancer.’
Verbal Irony (sarcasm is the tone of voice/writing)
The contrast between what is said and what is actually meant. For example, He did an excellent job of making a mess.
Irony of Situation
This refers to a happening that is the opposite of what is expected or intended. For Example: The wedding of a son causes a marital breakdown for the parents.

C. DEVICES OF COMPARISON
 METAPHOR 
Compares by stating the element is the item of comparison e.g. The lawyer’s claws were out and he would not stop until they drew blood,
ANALOGY
Extends a metaphor to compare a situation or particularly to explain a complex item by using a familiar item to structure the explanation. E.g. Exam preparation is like baking a cake all the ingredients must be used and preparations thorough before baking. Firstly the ingredients: study which is lightened with periods of recreation, physical health, managing stress. (The analogy would continue for several paragraphs even)

SIMILE
Compares two unlike objects using like, as, resembles, looked as though etc. e.g. His exam worries even after the event were as if a rat was gnawing at his brain.
PERSONIFICATION
Compares non-human, inanimate elements OR abstract concepts to using HUMAN qualities e.g. The building stared down at him daring him to enter OR Justice is never kindly but it is ruthlessly fair. If the qualities are not human then the comparison is a metaphor e.g. A beast of a car.
ALLUSION
Making reference to familiar classical, biblical, historical or other well known cultural events. For example: Writers often allude to Anansi-like cunning.

D. DEVICES OF EMPHASIS 
HYPERBOLE
Exaggerates qualities of an element or an overstatement (sometimes for comedic effect). For Example: I am so hungry I could eat a cow.
REPETITION
Uses repetition of either words, phrases or even a whole sentence. For Example: What if I do not make it, what if I cannot pass, what if I fail?
DEVICES USING SOUND
Alliteration – The repetition of initial consonant sounds –barely blowing by
Assonance – The repetition of similar vowel sounds- grows below grounds
Onomatopoeia - the word sounds like the sound- the hooting of the owls, the drip of water.

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