‭ he writer, Paul Theroux, travelled through Asia by train about 35 years ago.

In this‬
T
‭passage he describes his journey from the north of Pakistan as far as the city of‬
‭Lahore.‬

‭Text C: The Khyber Mail to Lahore Junction‬

‭ ashid,‬ ‭the‬ ‭conductor‬ ‭on‬ ‭the‬ ‭sleeping‬ ‭car,‬ ‭helped‬ ‭me‬ ‭find‬ ‭my‬ ‭compartment,‬ ‭and‬ ‭after‬ ‭a‬
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‭moment’s‬ ‭hesitation‬ ‭he‬ ‭asked‬ ‭me‬ ‭to‬ ‭have‬ ‭a‬ ‭look‬ ‭at‬ ‭his‬ ‭tooth.‬‭It‬‭was‬‭giving‬‭him‬‭aches,‬‭he‬
‭said.‬ ‭The‬ ‭request‬ ‭was‬ ‭not‬ ‭surprising.‬ ‭I‬ ‭had‬ ‭told‬ ‭him‬ ‭I‬ ‭was‬ ‭a‬ ‭dentist.‬ ‭I‬‭was‬‭getting‬‭tired‬‭of‬
‭people‬‭asking‬‭me‬‭so‬‭many‬‭questions:‬‭Where‬‭do‬‭you‬‭come‬‭from?‬‭What‬‭do‬‭you‬‭do?‬‭Married‬
‭or‬ ‭single?‬ ‭Any‬ ‭children?‬ ‭This‬ ‭nagging‬ ‭made‬ ‭me‬ ‭evasive,‬ ‭secretive,‬ ‭foolish,‬‭an‬‭inventor‬‭of‬
‭far-fetched‬‭stories.‬‭Rashid‬‭made‬‭the‬‭bed‬‭and‬‭then‬‭opened‬‭up,‬‭tugging‬‭his‬‭lip‬‭down‬‭to‬‭show‬
‭me a tooth rotted with decay.‬

‘‭You’d‬‭better‬‭see‬‭a‬‭dentist‬‭in‬‭Karachi,’‬‭I‬‭said.‬‭‘In‬‭the‬‭meantime,‬‭chew‬‭your‬‭food‬‭on‬‭the‬‭other‬
‭side.’‬

‭ atisfied‬ ‭with‬ ‭my‬ ‭advice‬ ‭(and‬ ‭I‬ ‭also‬ ‭gave‬ ‭him‬ ‭two‬ ‭aspirins),‬ ‭he‬ ‭said,‬ ‭‘You‬ ‭will‬ ‭be‬ ‭very‬
S
‭comfortable‬ ‭here.‬ ‭German-built‬ ‭carriage,‬ ‭about‬ ‭fifteen‬ ‭years‬ ‭old.‬ ‭Heavy,‬ ‭you‬ ‭see,‬ ‭so‬ ‭no‬
‭shaking.’‬

I‭t‬‭had‬‭not‬‭taken‬‭long‬‭to‬‭find‬‭my‬‭compartment.‬‭Only‬‭three‬‭were‬‭occupied‬‭–‬‭the‬‭other‬‭two‬‭by‬
‭army‬‭officers‬‭–‬‭and‬‭my‬‭name‬‭was‬‭on‬‭the‬‭door,‬‭printed‬‭large‬‭on‬‭a‬‭label.‬‭By‬‭this‬‭stage‬‭of‬‭my‬
‭travels,‬‭I‬‭could‬‭tell‬‭on‬‭entering‬‭a‬‭train‬‭what‬‭sort‬‭of‬‭a‬‭journey‬‭it‬‭would‬‭be.‬‭The‬‭feeling‬‭I‬‭had‬‭on‬
‭the‬‭Khyber‬‭Mail‬‭was‬‭slight‬‭disappointment‬‭that‬‭the‬‭trip‬‭would‬‭be‬‭so‬‭short‬‭–‬‭only‬‭twelve‬‭hours‬
‭to‬ ‭Lahore.‬ ‭I‬ ‭wished‬‭it‬‭were‬‭longer:‬‭I‬‭had‬‭everything‬‭I‬‭needed.‬‭The‬‭compartment‬‭was‬‭large,‬
‭well‬ ‭lighted‬ ‭and‬ ‭comfortable,‬ ‭with‬ ‭a‬ ‭toilet‬ ‭and‬ ‭sink‬ ‭in‬ ‭an‬ ‭adjoining‬ ‭room;‬‭I‬‭had‬‭a‬‭drop-leaf‬
‭table,‬ ‭well-upholstered‬ ‭seat,‬ ‭mirror,‬ ‭ashtray,‬ ‭chrome‬ ‭bottle‬ ‭holder,‬ ‭the‬ ‭works.‬ ‭I‬ ‭was‬ ‭alone.‬
‭But‬‭if‬‭I‬‭wished‬‭to‬‭have‬‭company‬‭I‬‭could‬‭stroll‬‭to‬‭the‬‭dining‬‭car‬‭or‬‭stand‬‭in‬‭the‬‭passage‬‭with‬
‭the army officers.‬

‭ othing‬‭is‬‭expected‬‭of‬‭the‬‭train‬‭passenger.‬‭In‬‭planes‬‭the‬‭traveller‬‭is‬‭condemned‬‭to‬‭hours‬‭in‬
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‭a‬‭tight‬‭seat;‬‭ships‬‭require‬‭high‬‭spirits‬‭and‬‭sociability;‬‭cars‬‭and‬‭buses‬‭are‬‭unspeakable.‬‭The‬
‭sleeping car is the most painless form of travel.‬

I‭‬ ‭began‬ ‭to‬ ‭understand‬ ‭why‬ ‭people‬ ‭find‬ ‭travelling‬ ‭in‬ ‭a‬ ‭sleeping‬ ‭car‬ ‭so‬ ‭attractive.‬ ‭It‬ ‭allows‬
‭complete‬ ‭privacy,‬ ‭combining‬ ‭the‬ ‭best‬ ‭features‬ ‭of‬ ‭a‬ ‭cupboard‬ ‭with‬‭forward‬‭movement.‬‭The‬
‭pleasure‬‭of‬‭travelling‬‭in‬‭this‬‭way‬‭is‬‭increased‬‭by‬‭the‬‭views‬‭from‬‭the‬‭window:‬‭a‬‭swell‬‭of‬‭hills,‬
‭the‬‭surprise‬‭of‬‭mountains,‬‭the‬‭loud‬‭metal‬‭bridge,‬‭or‬‭the‬‭sight‬‭of‬‭people‬‭standing‬‭on‬‭platforms‬
‭under‬‭yellow‬‭lamps.‬‭The‬‭notion‬‭of‬‭travel‬‭as‬‭a‬‭continuous‬‭vision,‬‭a‬‭succession‬‭of‬‭memorable‬
‭images,‬ ‭is‬ ‭possible‬ ‭only‬ ‭on‬ ‭a‬ ‭train,‬ ‭a‬ ‭vehicle‬ ‭that‬ ‭allows‬ ‭residence:‬ ‭dinner‬ ‭in‬ ‭the‬ ‭diner,‬
‭nothing could be finer.‬

‭‘What time does the Khyber Mail get to Karachi?’‬

‘‭Timetable‬‭says‬‭seven-fifteen‬‭in‬‭the‬‭night,’‬‭said‬‭Rashid.‬‭‘But‬‭we‬‭will‬‭be‬‭five‬‭and‬‭a‬‭half‬‭hours‬
‭late.’‬
‭‘Why?’ I asked.‬

‭We are always five and a half hours late. It is the case.’‬

I‭‬ ‭slept‬ ‭well‬ ‭and‬ ‭was‬ ‭awakened‬ ‭at‬ ‭six‬ ‭the‬ ‭following‬ ‭morning‬ ‭by‬ ‭a‬ ‭Sikh‬ ‭with‬ ‭a‬ ‭steel‬ ‭badge‬
‭pinned to his turban that read Pakistan Western Railways.‬

‭‘Are you wanting breakfast?’‬

‭I said yes.‬

‭‘I’m coming at seven o’clock.’‬

‭ e‬ ‭brought‬ ‭an‬ ‭omelette,‬ ‭tea‬ ‭and‬ ‭toast,‬ ‭and‬ ‭for‬ ‭the‬ ‭next‬ ‭half-hour‬ ‭I‬ ‭sprawled,‬ ‭reading‬ ‭my‬
H
‭book‬‭and‬‭finishing‬‭my‬‭tea.‬‭Then‬‭I‬‭snapped‬‭up‬‭the‬‭shade‬‭and‬‭flooded‬‭the‬‭compartment‬‭with‬
‭light.‬

I‭n‬‭brilliant‬‭sunshine,‬‭we‬‭were‬‭passing‬‭rice‬‭fields‬‭and‬‭stagnant‬‭pools‬‭full‬‭of‬‭white‬‭lotuses‬‭and‬
‭standing‬ ‭herons.‬ ‭Farther‬ ‭on,‬ ‭we‬ ‭startled‬ ‭a‬ ‭pair‬ ‭of‬ ‭pistachio-green‬ ‭parrots;‬ ‭they‬ ‭flew‬ ‭up,‬
‭getting‬ ‭greener‬ ‭as‬ ‭they‬ ‭rose.‬ ‭Looking‬ ‭out‬ ‭of‬ ‭a‬ ‭train‬ ‭window‬ ‭in‬ ‭Asia‬ ‭is‬ ‭like‬ ‭watching‬ ‭an‬
‭unedited‬ ‭travelogue‬ ‭without‬ ‭the‬ ‭soundtrack:‬ ‭people‬ ‭patting‬ ‭pie-shaped‬ ‭mud‬ ‭bricks‬ ‭and‬
‭slapping‬‭them‬‭on‬‭to‬‭the‬‭side‬‭of‬‭a‬‭mud‬‭hut‬‭to‬‭dry;‬‭men‬‭with‬‭bullocks‬‭and‬‭submerged‬‭ploughs,‬
‭preparing‬ ‭a‬ ‭rice‬ ‭field‬ ‭for‬ ‭planting.‬ ‭Just‬ ‭outside‬ ‭Lahore,‬ ‭I‬ ‭saw‬ ‭a‬ ‭town‬ ‭of‬ ‭grass‬ ‭huts‬ ‭and‬
‭cardboard‬‭shelters‬‭where‬‭everyone‬‭was‬‭in‬‭motion‬‭–‬‭sorting‬‭fruit,‬‭folding‬‭clothes,‬‭fanning‬‭the‬
‭fire, shooing a dog away and mending a roof.‬

‭CIE October/November 2011‬

‭ ead‬‭Text C,‬‭The Khyber Mail to Lahore Junction‬‭,‬‭in‬‭the insert and then answer‬
R
‭Questions‬‭2(a) – (d)‬‭on this question paper.‬

‭Question 2‬

‭(a)‬‭Identify a word or phrase from the text‬‭which‬‭suggests the same idea‬

‭as the‬‭words underlined‬‭:‬

‭(i)‬ ‭…asked me to‬‭check out‬‭.‬

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

‭(ii)‬ ‭The demand was not‬‭shocking‬‭.‬

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

‭(iii)‬ ‭This persistence made me‬‭vague‬‭.‬

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

‭(iv)‬ ‭A creator of‬‭unlikely‬‭accounts.‬‭.‬

‭…………………………………………………………………………….. [1]‬

‭(b)‬‭Using your own words‬‭, explain what the writer‬‭means by each of the‬
‭words underlined:‬

‭By this‬‭stage‬‭of my travels, I could tell on entering‬‭a train what sort of a‬‭journey‬‭it‬
‭would be. The feeling I had on the Khyber Mail was slight‬‭disappointment‬‭that the trip‬
‭would be so short – only twelve hours to Lahore‬‭.‬
 ‭(i)‬ ‭Stage………..……………….……….………………………………….…[1]‬

‭(ii)‬ ‭Journey……….……………….…….………………………….………..…[1]‬

‭(iii)‬ ‭Disappointment…………………..….…………………………..…….….‬‭[1]‬

‭(c)‬‭Use‬‭one‬‭example from the text below to explain‬‭the surroundings of the‬

‭writer at this moment.‬

‭Use your own words in your explanation.‬

‭I‬‭had‬‭everything‬‭I‬‭needed.‬‭The‬‭compartment‬‭was‬‭large,‬‭well‬‭lighted‬‭and‬‭comfortable,‬
‭with‬ ‭a‬ ‭toilet‬ ‭and‬ ‭sink‬ ‭in‬‭an‬‭adjoining‬‭room;‬‭I‬‭had‬‭a‬‭drop-leaf‬‭table,‬‭well-upholstered‬
‭seat,‬‭mirror,‬‭ashtray,‬‭chrome‬‭bottle‬‭holder,‬‭the‬‭works.‬‭I‬‭was‬‭alone.‬‭But‬‭if‬‭I‬‭wished‬‭to‬
‭have‬ ‭company‬ ‭I‬ ‭could‬‭stroll‬‭to‬‭the‬‭dining‬‭car‬‭or‬‭stand‬‭in‬‭the‬‭passage‬‭with‬‭the‬‭army‬
‭officers.‬‭.‬

‭…………………………………………………………………………………………………..‬

‭…………………………………………………………………………………………………..‬

‭……………………………………………………………………………………….………….‬

‭…………………………………………………………………………………………………..‬

‭…………………………………………………………………………………………………..‬

‭……..………………………………………………………………………………..…….. [3]‬
 ‭[Turn over]‬

‭(d)‬‭Re-read paragraphs 5, 6 and 16‬

‭●‬ ‭Paragraph‬‭5‬‭and‬‭6,‬‭begins‬‭‘Nothing‬‭is‬‭expected‬‭of……nothing‬‭could‬‭be‬
‭finer’ and is about travelling by sleeping car.‬
‭●‬ ‭Paragraph‬ ‭16‬ ‭begins‬ ‭‘In‬ ‭brilliant‬ ‭sunshine….dog‬ ‭away‬‭and‬‭mending‬‭a‬
‭roof.’ and describes where the sleeping car is passing through.‬

‭ xplain‬ ‭how‬ ‭the‬ ‭writer‬ ‭uses‬ ‭language‬ ‭to‬ ‭convey‬ ‭meaning‬ ‭and‬ ‭to‬ ‭create‬ ‭effect‬ ‭in‬
E
‭these‬ ‭paragraphs.‬ ‭Choose‬ ‭three‬ ‭examples‬ ‭of‬ ‭words‬ ‭or‬ ‭phrases‬ ‭from‬ ‭each‬
‭paragraph to support your answer. Your choices should include the use of imagery.‬

‭Write about 200 to 300 words.‬

‭Up to 15 marks are available for the content of your answer.‬

‭………………………………………………………………………………………………..…‬

‭………………………………………………………………………………………………..…‬

‭………………………………………………………………………………………………..…‬

‭………………………………………………………………………………………………..…‬

‭……………………………………………………………………………………………….….‬

‭……………………………………………………………………………………………….….‬

‭……………………………………………………………………………………………….….‬

‭………………………………………………………………………………………………..…‬

‭………………………………………………………………………………………………..…‬

‭.………………………………………………………………………………………………….‬

‭………………………………………………………………………………………………..…‬

‭…………………………………………………………………………………………………..‬

‭.……..……………………………………………………………………………………..……‬

‭…………………………………………………………………………………………………..‬

‭…………………………………………………………………………………………………..‬
‭……………………………………………………………………………………………..……‬

‭………………………………………………………………………………………….….……‬

‭…………………………………………………………………………………………….……‬

‭…………………………………………………………………………………………….……‬

‭………………………………………………………………………………………………….‬

‭……………………………………………………………………………………………….…‬

‭…………………………………………………………………………………………….……‬

‭………………………………………………………………………………………….………‬

‭……………………………………………………………………………………………….…‬

‭…………………………………………………………………………………………….…...‬

‭………………………………………………………………………………………………..…‬

‭…………………………………………………………………………………………….….…‬

‭…………………………………………………………………………………………….….…‬

‭…………………………………………………………………………………………….….…‬

‭…………………………………………………………………………………………….…….‬

‭…………………………………………………………………………………….………….…‬

‭………………………………………………………………………………………………..…‬

‭……………………………………………………………………………………………….….‬

‭………………………………………………………………………………………………..…‬

‭…………………………………………………………………………………………….….…‬

‭………………………………………………………………………………………………..…‬

‭…………………………………………………………………………………………….….…‬

‭…………………………………………………………………………………………….. [15]‬

[‭ Total: 25]‬
‭[Turn over]‬