Cambridge O Level English Language Syllabus Code 1123
PAPER
READING BY SAIMA ABEDI
The workshop aims to:
discuss the paper pattern, types of comprehension
questions and making scheme codes.
provide an opportunity for hand on marking of
script.
provide a forum to share ideas and ask questions.
Paper 2: Reading
1 hour 45 minutes, 50 marks
This paper has two sections and candidates answer
on the question paper.
Section 1: Reading for Ideas (25 marks)
Candidates scan a factual communication (or communications) of approximately 700 words They identify and note down required information e.g. similarities and differences, or causes and effects, or advantages and disadvantages, or problems and solutions, or actions and consequences. 15 marks are allocated for content points. Candidates use these notes to write a summary of 160 words. 5 marks are allocated for language.
These will be short answer questions worth 5 marks.
Section 2: Reading for Meaning (25 marks)
Candidates read a narrative passage (e.g. report, article, story) of approximately 700 words.
They then answer short answer questions testing their ability to understand the language (both explicit and implicit meanings).
Assessment Objectives
R1 Understand explicit meanings, through literal and
vocabulary questions. (Passage 2)
R2 Understand implicit meanings and nuances of language,
through inferential questions and questions on writers craft. (Passage 2)
R3 Scan and analyse text, by identifying and summarising
required information, such as similarities and differences, or advantages and disadvantages, or problems and solutions, or causes and effects, or actions and consequences. (Passage 1) a sequence or argument, identify conclusion, distinguish fact from opinion, and give a personal response to a theme in a text. (Passage 2)
R4 Identify and respond to main ideas of a text, such as follow
Types of Comprehension Questions
Summary of content points (Passage 1) Writing own words in formal prose (Passage 1) Literal comprehension (Passage 2)
Inferential comprehension (Passage 2)
Vocabulary (Passage 2) Own Words questions (Passage 2) Appreciation of Writers craft (Passage 2) Quotation question (Passage 2)
Passage 1 (Factual/ Discursive)
1a Note Making Write at least 15 content points excluding the given examples. The student may write more than 15. Accept own words or lifting. However, own words are not
recommended as they may cause confusion while writing the
summary (which should in own words). Accept sentences or note form. However if they are sentences, they should not be entirely verbatim lift. Details should be deleted.
If written in phrase than the point should be sensible e.g. Extermination carried out.
Extermination carried out for reward.
If point is made in the wrong box OR out of the box, do not
award the mark.
If more than one content point appears under a single bullet
point award each content point if correctly made.
If content point being made depends on information contained
in another bullet point, withhold the mark unless clear contextual link is made between two adjacent points, for example, because / so / etc. Points should be in order but if not in sequence, they are
acceptable.
Spelling and grammatical errors are not penalised here.
1b) Summary Writing
Use notes to compose a piece of formal, continuous prose. Students may write the summary in one or two paragraphs.
Use of OWN WORDS is mandatory.
In USE OF ENGLISH, serious errors are penalized. At least 15 points should be used to compose the summary.
For example: Wrong verb forms. Serious tense errors. Serious errors of sentence structure, especially in setting up subordination. Omission or obvious misuse of prepositions. Wholesale misunderstanding over the meanings of words used. Serious errors of agreement. Ingrained weakness of punctuation, i.e. the habitual comma replacing the necessary full stop. Mis-spellings of a minor nature. Count as a serious error when the form of the word is severely mangled. Obvious slips of repetition or omission. Breakdown of sense.
Add the marks for OWN WORDS
and USE OF ENGLISH together and divide by two. Raise any half marks to the nearest whole number. Add this mark to the
Content mark and show as a total
in the right-hand margin.
Critical Skills
Short Question Answers: Write or distinguish Fact from Opinion
Identify Conclusion (T/F; Tick off the correct answer; write the conclusion)
Give Personal Knowledge/ Experience ( Do not quote any example from the passage)
Passage 2 (Narrative) Explicit Questions
Literal: The answer of such question is quite obvious. Furthermore, the key word in the question directs you towards the answer. Quotation: A single word or phrase from the passage is to be extracted. However, following instruction is very important here. A single word means single word. Vocabulary: Eight words will be given; only five words meaning ought to be written. Here, a synonym or description of that word within seven words is required. Yet the meaning should be according to the context.
Implicit Questions
Inferential: The reader is expected to think about the ideas given in the passage and drive a conclusion.
Your Own Words: The reader needs to look for the keywords in the passage and replace them using their synonyms. The number of marks tells the number of key words to be found. Writers Craft: Here the reader should mention the effect the writer wants to create through his words.
Marking Scheme Codes:
Underlined- necessary to mention e.g. Mothers / females
(Bracket) - not necessary to mention
e.g. (They are hungry because)
/ single slash- Another word/s
e.g. cleared for palm oil plantations / trees
// double slash- Another option
e.g. Their food (source) is destroyed // they have no / less food
Question & Answer Session
For further details: Visit CIE website and check marking scheme of 1123 for paper 2
