Reading flashcards

Topic 1: Reading

How is 1123 Paper 1 Reading set out?

2 hours, 50 marks, 50% of the qualification. 80% of its marks are for Reading (AO1) and 20% for Writing (AO2). The two texts are in a separate insert; no dictionaries.

What do the Reading objectives R1 to R5 test?

R1 explicit meanings; R2 implicit meanings and attitudes; R3 analysing, evaluating and developing facts, ideas and opinions; R4 how writers achieve effects; R5 selecting and using information for a purpose.

What does Paper 1 Question 1 (Comprehension) require?

16 marks on Text A, a narrative of about 900 words. Explicit sub-questions ask you to locate and restate (R1); implicit ones need an inference grounded in specific detail (R2).

What does Paper 1 Question 2 (Use of Language) require?

9 marks, testing R4: quote briefly and explain the effect of the writer's word or phrase on the reader. A correct paraphrase of meaning alone does not earn the marks.

What does Paper 1 Question 3(a) (Summary) require?

A summary of Text B (about 550–600 words) in continuous prose of no more than 150 words: 10 Reading marks (R1, R5) and 10 Writing marks (W2, W3), awarded independently.

What happens to summary points written after the 150-word limit?

They are not credited. Bullet points and copied phrases also cost marks, so select the points first, then join them in your own words.

What does Paper 1 Question 3(b) require?

5 marks testing R2 only: a clear inference about Text B, grounded in its specific wording.

How do you check whether a point belongs in the summary?

Test it against the exact focus of the instruction, not just whether it is true of the text. An accurate point about something else earns nothing and wastes words.

What does a strong Use of Language answer look like?

A short quotation plus its effect in context, for example: the metaphor "the crowd was a river" suggests people moving as one uncontrollable mass, stressing the narrator's helplessness.

What do the command words identify, explain and summarise require on Paper 1?

Identify: name, select or recognise. Explain: set out reasons and say why or how, with evidence. Summarise: give the main points only, without incidental detail.

What is the effect of personification in a narrative?

Giving an object or place human qualities makes it seem alive or active, often making a setting feel threatening, sympathetic or watchful.

Why should you read the questions before the passage?

It focuses your first reading on what you actually need to find, rather than absorbing every detail equally.