2

Part 1

Read Passage A carefully and then answer Questions 1 and 2 on the Question Paper.

Passage A: Tiger Encounter

The following passage is set in Bandhavgarh National Park, India. The writer is describing a meeting
with an Indian tiger, one of the world's endangered species. The writer is accompanied by other visitors
and a guide called Anil.

It's early morning and the dappled sunlight is just breaking through the trees of the deep
Bandhavgarh forest. We're driving down a small dirt lane between Sera and Rajbera
Meadows, behind the massive plateau from which Bandhavgarh takes its name. Our road
is suddenly blocked by the massive grey bulk which is Gautam, the lead elephant used for
patrols, tiger monitoring, and tourist forays into the jungle. Sitting astride Gautam, is Kuttapan, 5
the renowned mahout, the keeper and 'driver' of the elephant. He has been at Bandhavgarh
for 24 years and knows more about its tigers than anyone. Kuttapan gets my attention and
points to something on the road. It's the distinct impression of a tiger's body which has
recently lain there. The imprint - torso, fore-paws and tail - lies clearly over any tracks or
disturbances which may have come in the night. 10

Off to the right we hear the distinct 'bleep-bleep' - the alarm call of the chital, or spotted deer,
announcing the presence of a predator. Kuttapan and Gautam go off to investigate and we
begin to drive around to intercept them on the other side of the forest. Not ten metres down
the road, we hear a loud 'varoom' - the call of the tiger - and we slide to a halt on the dusty
road. Walking directly towards us at a distance of 100 metres is a large male tiger. It is one 15
of the 3-year-old males known to share this territory with his brother.

We sit in stunned silence in open-topped jeeps. Some cameras continue to whir and click
and some knuckles begin to whiten as grips tighten on the seats and roll bars of the jeep.
The tiger continues his casual stroll directly towards us. About 20 metres from our jeep, he
walks into a small clearing off the road, turns to mark a tree with his scent, then comes back 20
out on to the road and walks past us, just a metre away from the jeep. Suspension of all
breathing is the easiest thing in the world at a moment like this.

When the tiger is about 50 metres past us, our reverie is broken by a commotion in the forest
across the road. Anil, our guide, whispers loudly, "Wolves!". There, propped up like little
statues in a clearing in the forest, are two Indian grey wolves. Rigid, alert, clearly in a state 25
of alarm and agitation, they begin yelping at the tiger. The tiger spins around on the road
and charges off into the forest after them.

We drive down the road to where we were originally going to meet Kuttapan and Gautam.
There, in an open clearing, stands the tiger, looking around as if to ask, "Where'd they go?".
We park the jeeps and watch a silent drama unfold. 30

As the tiger turns to walk away, out of the forest comes the larger of the wolves, probably
the male, and scampers up to within a few metres of the tiger. The tiger turns his head and
the wolf scampers back into the forest. The tiger continues to walk away down the road. Out
of the forest comes the larger wolf again and moves up cautiously to within what is apparently
a safe distance from the tiger. This time the tiger turns round and glowers at the wolf, probably 35
assessing the distance between them and the speed it would take to catch the wolf. They
stare at each other for a few seconds; the tiger is still, and the wolf is nervously pacing back
and forth. The muscles of the tiger begin to twitch and off goes the wolf into the forest again.
Finally, after one more of these encounters, the tiger moves some distance away and the

© UCLES 2015
 3

wolf disappears into the forest for one last time. We can only assume that the aggressive 40
and bold behaviour of the wolf meant he was protecting some cubs and wanted to be sure
the tiger was driven out of his territory.

The tiger, now left in peace, continues his stroll.

Part 2

Read Passage B carefully and then answer Question 3 on the Question Paper.

Passage B: 3,200 Left on Earth

Efforts to save the tiger from extinction will be stepped up this year after the World Wide Fund for Nature
(WWF) placed the animal at the top of its list of the most endangered species.

Conservationists say there are just 3,200 tigers left in the world as the future of the species is threatened
by poachers, destruction of their habitat and climate change. This means that the world population of
tigers has fallen by 95 per cent in the past century.

Tiger numbers have dwindled as a result of activities by humans. Demand for tiger skins, still regarded
as luxury items in some countries, has left them at the mercy of poachers who have increasingly targeted
the animals. The threat is compounded by the market for their body parts, which are considered to hold
medicinal properties in some cultures. Poachers also hunt many species which are the prey of tigers,
diminishing their natural food supply, and forcing them to attack farmers' livestock instead. At the same
time, destruction of forests for timber, agriculture and road building has forced tigers into ever smaller
areas where they are increasingly vulnerable. Climate change also poses a growing threat - 70 per cent
of the Bengal tiger's remaining habitat in the Sunderbans mangrove forest may be lost within 50 years
owing to rising sea levels.

The WWF said it intends to intensify pressure to save the tiger by classifying it as the most at risk on its
list of 10 critically endangered animals. It hopes to increase patrols and work with politicians to eradicate
poaching and prevent illegal trade of tiger skins and body parts. The wildlife charity aims to work with
governments to promote more responsible forest management. It also wants them to provide
compensation for farmers whose livestock are killed by tigers, to prevent them being hunted.

Of the nine main subspecies of tigers, three - the Bali, Caspian and Java tigers - are now extinct, and
there has been no reliable sighting of a fourth, the South China tiger, for 25 years. Only the Bengal,
Amur, Indo-Chinese, Sumatran and Malayan tigers remain but their numbers have been reduced to a
few hundred per species, apart from the Bengal and Indo-Chinese species.

To save the tiger, we have to save its habitat, which is also home to many other threatened species.
So, if we get things right and save the tiger, we will also save many other species at the same time.

© UCLES 2015
 2

Read carefully Passage A Tiger Encounter in the Reading Booklet Insert and then answer Questions
1 and 2 on this Question Paper.

Answer all questions using your own words as far as possible.

Question 1
(a) Using your own words, explain who Kuttapan is and why he is part of the expedition
(paragraph 1, 'It's early morning...').

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................................... [2]

(b) Using your own words, explain how the writer and his companions learn that a tiger was
recently present in the area (lines 7 - 10 'Kuttapan gets...the night.').

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................................... [2]

(c) Which six-word phrase in paragraph 2 tells you that the chital is warning of the danger of being
hunted ('Off to the right...')?

........................................................................................................................................... [1]

(d) What does the phrase 'knuckles begin to whiten as grips tighten on the seats...' (line 18) suggest
about the feelings of the people in the jeep?

........................................................................................................................................... [1]

(e) Using your own words, describe the behaviour and attitude of the wolves in paragraph 4
('When the tiger...').

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................................... [2]

© UCLES 2015
 3

(f) Re-read the following sentence: 'We park the jeeps and watch a silent drama unfold.' (line 30).
What does this sentence suggest about the behaviour of the writer and his companions at this
point?

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................................... [2]

(g) Which of the tiger's actions causes the wolf to run away (paragraph 6, 'As the tiger turns...')?

........................................................................................................................................... [1]

© UCLES 2015 [Turn Over

 4

(h) Complete parts (i) and (ii) to answer Question (h).

(i) Re-read the passage. Explain using your own words what the writer means by the word
in italics in three of the following phrases:

1. 'tourist forays into the jungle' (line 5)

2. 'The tiger continues his casual stroll' (line 19)
3. 'Suspension of all breathing is the easiest thing...' (lines 21-22)
4. 'scampers up to within a few metres' (line 32)

Phrase selected: 1, 2, 3 or 4 ...........................

Meaning of the word in italics:....................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................

Phrase selected: 1, 2, 3 or 4 ...........................

Meaning of the word in italics:....................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................

Phrase selected: 1, 2, 3 or 4 ...........................

Meaning of the word in italics:....................................................................................

................................................................................................................................... [3]

(ii) Explain how the words and language in each of the three phrases you have chosen
in Question (h) (i) help to suggest the behaviour of the humans or the animals.

You should refer to the whole phrase in your answer and not just the words in italics.

Phrase selected: 1, 2, 3 or 4 ...........................

Explanation................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................

Phrase selected: 1, 2, 3 or 4 ...........................

Explanation................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................

Phrase selected: 1, 2, 3 or 4 ...........................

Explanation................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................... [6]

[Total: 20]

© UCLES 2015
 6

Question 2

Imagine that you are Anil, the guide in Passage A. You have been asked to write an article for a local
magazine to give an account of your working life.

Write your magazine article.

In your magazine article you should:

• describe a typical day in your working life

• give your impressions of the tourists and visitors to the Bandhavgarh National Park
• explain what you find rewarding about working with animals in the park

Base your magazine article on what you have read in Passage A, but do not copy from it. Be careful to
use your own words. Address each of the three bullet points.

Begin your magazine article: 'Every day in Bandhavgarh National Park brings a new experience...'

Write about 200 to 300 words.

Up to 10 marks are available for the content of your answer, and up to 5 marks for the quality of
your writing.

..........................................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................................

© UCLES 2015
 8

Read carefully Passage B 3,200 Left on Earth in the Reading Booklet Insert and then answer Question
3 a) and (b) on this Question Paper.

Question 3
Answer the questions in the order set.

(a) Notes

What do you learn about why tigers are an endangered species and what is being done to try
to protect them, according to Passage B?

Write your answers using short notes Write one point per line.

You do not need to use your own words.

Up to 10 marks are available for the content of your answer.

Why tigers are an endangered species and what is being done to try to protect them.

1.........................................................................................................................................

2.........................................................................................................................................

3.........................................................................................................................................

4.........................................................................................................................................

5.........................................................................................................................................

6.........................................................................................................................................

7.........................................................................................................................................

8.........................................................................................................................................

9.........................................................................................................................................

10....................................................................................................................................... [10]

© UCLES 2015
 9

(b) Summary

Now use your notes to write a summary of what Passage B tells you about why tigers are an
endangered species and what is being done to try to protect them.

You must use continuous writing (not note form) and use your own words as far as possible.

Your summary should include all 10 of your points in Question 3 (a) and must be 100 to 150
words.

Up to 5 marks are available for the quality of your writing.

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................................... [5]

[Total: 15]

© UCLES 2015