Edexcel Functional English Level 2

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EDEXCEL FUNCTIONAL SKILLS PILOT

English Level 2

Section A

Build your reading skills base

1 Skimming, scanning and close reading 2

2 Finding main points and details 6

3 Comparing two texts 10

4 How information texts are organised 12

5 Understanding tables with words and numbers 16

Picture Credits

The publisher would like to thank the following for their kind permission to reproduce their photographs: Jeff Morgan industry and work 7; Wu Hong/epa/Corbis 5; Stringer/Australia/Reuters 3; arlindo71 14 All other images © Pearson Education

Picture Research by: Kevin Brown, Lisa Wren, Rachel Naish

Every effort has been made to trace the copyright holders and we apologise in advance for any unintentional omissions. We would be pleased to insert the appropriate acknowledgement in any subsequent edition of this publication.

We are grateful to the following for permission to reproduce copyright material:

First News for the article “Swapping a paperclip for a House!” published by First News, 17th_{July 2006}

copyright © First News, reprinted with permission; Billy Higgins and KUGB for an article and photograph of Billy Higgins from www.kugb.org, reprinted with permission; Laterooms.com for adapted from “Hotels in Waterloo” www.laterooms.com, reprinted with permission; The Salvation Army UK for an extract and 2 photographs from “The Salvation Army Christmas Appeal 2007”, reprinted with permission; UK Fire Service Resources for the article “Dealing with emergencies” published on www.fi reservice.co.uk Copyright © 2008 UK Fire Service Resources, reprinted with permission; Young Media and The Football Association for the articles “New England Spin Doctor” and “Real-life star’s World Cup ambitions” and a photograph of Eniola Aluko published on www.thenewspaper.org.uk, reprinted with permission.

Although we have tried to trace and contact copyright holders before publication, in some cases this has not been possible. Permission is still being sought and we would appreciate any information that would enable us to contact those who we have been unable to contact. We will be pleased to rectify any errors or omissions at the earliest opportunity.

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EDEXCEL FUNCTIONAL SKILLS: INTErIm SUppOrT mATErIAL

English Level 2

Geoff Barton, Clare Constant, Kim Richardson, Keith Washington

Section A: Build your reading skills base

Skills Standard Coverage and Range Learner Unit

2 Reading (written language)

Select, read, understand and compare texts and use them to gather information, ideas, arguments

and opinions In three or more texts

2.1 Select and use different types

of texts to obtain and utilise relevant information

1 Skimming, scanning and close reading 2 Finding main points and details 4 How information texts are organised

5 Understanding tables with words and numbers 2.2 Read and summarise, succinctly,

information/ideas from different sources

3 Comparing two texts

Where to find the final specification, assessment and resource material

Visit our website www.edexcel.com/fs then:

• for the specification and assessments: under Subjects, click on English (Levels 1–2)

• for information about resources: under Support, click on Published resources. Use these free pilot resources to help build your learners’ skill base

We are delighted to continue to make available our free pilot learner resources and teacher notes, to help teach the skills learners need to pass Edexcel FS English, Level 2.

But use the accredited exam material and other resources to prepare them for the real assessment

We developed these materials for the pilot assessment and standards and have now matched them to the final specification in the table below. They’ll be a useful interim measure to get you started but the assessment guidance should no longer be used and you should make sure you use the accredited assessments to prepare your learners for the actual assessment.

New resources available for further support

We’re also making available new learner and teacher resources that are completely matched to the final specification and assessment – and also providing access to banks of the actual live papers as these become available. We recommend that you switch to using these as they become available.

Coverage of accredited specification and standards

The table below shows the match of the accredited specification to the unit of pilot resources. This table supersedes the pilot table within the teacher notes.

Published by Pearson Education, Edinburgh Gate, Harlow CM20 2JE. First published 2008. © Pearson Education 2008. Typeset by Oxford Designers and Illustrators, Oxford This material was developed for use with Edexcel pilot and development centres and is available for continued use with development centres. To become a development centre you need to offer Edexcel Functional Skills. The material may be used only within the Edexcel development centre that has retrieved it. It may be desk printed and/or photocopied for use by learners within that institution.

All rights are otherwise reserved and no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanic, photocopying, recording or otherwise without either the prior written permission of the Publishers or a licence permitting restricted copying in the United Kingdom issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency Ltd, Saffron House, 6–10 Kirby Street, London EC1N 8TS.

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Learn the skill

When you read a piece of text, you often need to use all three of these skills to fi nd the information you need.

Skimming

■ means looking over a text quickly to fi nd out what it’s about.

Scanning

■ means quickly running your eyes across the page to fi nd the answer to a particular question.

Close reading

■ means reading a text carefully so you can really understand it.

Try the skill

1 Look at the article on page 3, from the sports pages in an online newspaper. Answer the questions below.

a) Skim the article to fi nd out what it is about. You will need to look at the heading and photo, and run your eye down the text looking for words that tell you which sport it is about.

Which sport is the text about? Tick the right answer.

A Bowling

B Baseball

C Cricket

D Football

1 Skimming, scanning and close reading

This section will help you to practise different ways of reading to obtain information from texts. It will also help you spot the important features of different text types so that you can quickly identify texts and understand them. You will learn about:

skimming, scanning and close reading understanding diffi cult words

fi nding main points and details comparing different texts

recognising the different features of different text types how text features are used to organise texts

working out information from charts and tables.

You will then test your mastery of these skills at the end of the section.

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b) Scan the text to fi nd out whether Monty Panesar is left-handed or right-left-handed. Circle the words in the text that tell you this.

c) Read the text closely to fi nd out what Monty Panesar thinks about Sachin Tendulkar. Underline the words that tell you Monty Panesar thinks Sachin Tendulkar is a great cricketer.

d) Scan the text and then read a paragraph closely to fi nd out which other players Monty defeated as well as Sachin Tendulkar, in the same match. Write the other players’ names here:

.

e) Read closely and then circle the words that tell you in which match in the tour Monty defeated all three players.

If a bowler in cricket were asked to name a batsman he would like to dismiss on his Test match debut, he would struggle to name a better player than India’s Sachin Tendulkar.

Known as the Little Master, he has struck more than 10,000 runs, averages more than 55 per innings and has smashed 35 centuries. Bowling to him is enough to make most youngsters shake with fear.

However, Monty Panesar, Northamptonshire’s left-arm spinner, who is just 23, showed his character by trapping his hero lbw during England’s recent tour of India.

He also removed Mohammad Kaif and, in the second innings, skipper Rahul Dravid, to round off a highly promising fi rst match. ‘Everyone dreams of getting [Sachin’s] wicket,’ said Panesar, who has been nicknamed the Turbanator. ‘To get someone like him, my role model and the best batsman in the world, is something special.’

New England spin doctor!

5

10

15

20

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2 Answer the questions below. They go with the text on page 5.

a) Skim the text opposite. What kind of text is it?

A A persuasive text to encourage readers to support Charlton women’s football team.

B A newspaper article about women’s football.

C A newspaper article about the footballer Eniola Aluko.

D An explanation text explaining how to become a football player.

b) Scan the text to fi nd out which team Eniola Aluko scored her fi rst goal for England against.

A Holland

B Czech Republic

C Everton

D Charlton

c) Scan the text to fi nd out what subject Eniola Aluko is studying at university.

A Sport

B Politics

C Media

D Law

d) Skim to fi nd the part of the text where Eniola Aluko is talking about her brother. Read closely to fi nd out what she thinks of him.

A She thinks he’s a great player.

B She’s a bit jealous of him.

C She doesn’t often manage to see him play.

D She tries to play on the same days as him.

e) Skim to fi nd the part of the text where Eniola is talking about her studies. Read closely to fi nd out what she thinks about combining football with studying.

A It’s easy because she knows a lot about the subject.

B It’s important to study because she will need a job if her football career ends early.

C It’s too diffi cult and stressful.

D It’s diffi cult, but her father can help her.

Test tip!

It is often a good idea to read the questions before you read the text. That way, you’ll know what to look out for when you read the text and which reading skills to use.

Test tip!

Close reading is very important. It will help you to understand the text more fully and you will be more confi dent that you are answering the question asked. Take time to read important areas of text several times until you feel you really understand them.

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Real-life star’s World Cup ambitions

England star Eniola Aluko was named Young

Player of the Year at the Women’s FA Awards three years ago and since then she hasn’t looked back.

The 19-year-old striker has played for England Under-19s and 21s and made her debut for the senior side against Holland in a 2–1 win two years ago.

Last May, against the Czech Republic, she scored her fi rst goal for England, and she also scored the only goal in the FA Women’s Cup fi nal for Charlton against Everton at Upton Park, in a game shown live on BBC One.

This season she scored twice for Charlton in the 2–1 League Cup victory over Arsenal. She studies law at Brunel University and her brother Sone plays for Birmingham and England Under 17s. Eniola is going places. She spoke to The Newspaper:

You play for Charlton – are they a top women’s side?

During the past four years Charlton have reached a number of major fi nals and have won at least one trophy each season. I support the men’s team as well because we’re all part of the same club. The women’s team is equally important to the club’s vision and we’re given space in matchday programmes.

You’re studying law: how do you fi nd the time?

Juggling law and football is extremely hard and stressful at times, but it’s something I have to do to make sure I have something to fall back on if my playing career ends early. Law is something that’s always interested me. My father was a member of parliament in Nigeria so I know quite a lot about law and politics. I hope to work in sports law, media law or human-rights law.

How thrilling was it for you to score your fi rst England goal against the Czech Republic at Walsall in May 2005?

I was delighted because it was my fi rst senior goal and it rounded off a good performance by the team leading up to last year’s European Championships. Is there a big rivalry between you and Sone?

No, he’s a fantastic player who can use both feet – that is quite rare. I admire him and try to emulate his skills. We’re very happy for each other when we score. We try to see each other play but sometimes we play on the same days.

5 10 15 20 25 30 35 Courtesy of the FA

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Learn the skill

The main point

■ in a piece of text is what the text is mostly about. You may need to fi nd the main point of a whole text, or the main point of one paragraph or section.

Paragraphs or sections will often begin with one main point. ■

The main point is often followed by examples and details that add extra information to the main point.

Sometimes the main point does not come fi rst in the ■

paragraph – then you may have to read the whole section carefully to fi nd the main point.

You need to be able to tell the difference between a main ■

point and a detail.

Try the skill

Look at the information below, which was written for people thinking about becoming fi refi ghters. Then answer the questions on page 7.

The main point in the fi rst paragraph has been highlighted in red. The detail has been highlighted in green.

2 Finding main points and details

Dealing with emergencies

Technology obviously plays a major role in helping fi refi ghters to tackle emergencies as effi ciently as possible. For example, at brigade headquarters control room computers store street plans, details of high risk buildings and the latest information on hazardous materials. This ensures that as soon as an emergency call is received – whether a fi re, chemical spillage or road traffi c accident – controllers can immediately access what appliances are required.

On attending at a fi re, the fi refi ghters have to make a very quick assessment of the situation. As materials used in homes and factories change so does the way a fi re is tackled. A house fi re may require two appliances whereas a commercial or factory fi re may involve several appliances as well as requiring thousands of litres of water and foam, plus the use of specialist equipment.

There is also the hazard of toxic fumes and heavy smoke which can be generated from the modern materials – for example foam-fi lled furniture. This makes tackling a fi re that much more diffi cult and fi refi ghters always go fully protected with equipment such as breathing apparatus as well as personal radio sets to keep them in contact with their colleagues at the scene, or back at brigade headquarters.

5

10

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1 a) Draw a wavy line under the main points in paragraphs 2 and 3.

Circle the detail in paragraphs 2 and 3. (Phrases such as ‘for example’ and ‘as in the case of’ often suggest that details will follow.)

b) Tick the sentence that best summarises the main point in paragraph 2.

A When they arrive at a fi re, fi refi ghters need to work out quickly what equipment they need.

B Factory fi res need more equipment than house fi res.

C Fighting fi res uses up a great deal of water.

D Firefi ghters have a lot of specialist equipment.

c) Summarise the main point made in paragraph 3 in your own words.

d) Which of the following headings would be most suitable to use as a heading for the second paragraph?

A Materials used in homes and factories

B Using specialist equipment

C How fi refi ghters decide how to tackle a fi re

D When a fi re starts

e) Which of the following does the text say is a danger caused by modern materials?

A Toxic fumes.

B Heavy use of water and foam.

C Chemical spillage.

D Road traffi c accidents.

f) Which of the following would make the best alternative heading for the whole passage?

A What to do if you discover a fi re

B Why join the fi re service?

C Fighting a factory fi re

D Firefi ghting equipment

Test tip!

In the test it is a good idea to read important parts of the text several times to check that you have noticed and understood everything you need to answer the question.

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2 Read this karate instructor profi le from the Karate Union of Great Britain website, and answer the questions.

Sensei Billy Higgins 7th Dan

Billy Higgins was born in Bootle, Liverpool on 14th August 1945. His sporting skills have been clear from a young age. Taking a keen interest in sport from an early age, he took up boxing, gymnastics, and football while still at school. In 1965 he started to study Wado Ryu Karate and he very quickly established himself as a fast and skilful fi ghter. He moved to KUGB from the BKCC in 1970. He was selected for the BKCC All Styles Squad and during training, he rapidly realised the high technical standard of the KUGB members of the squad.

He has had a long and

distinguished competition career, with many national and international titles to his credit. These include Individual 2nd in the WUKO All Styles World Championship in Paris 1975 and 1976 European All Styles Champion. He was captain of the highly successful 1975 British All Styles team that defeated the

Japanese team to win the World Championships in Los Angeles. He was also a member of the very successful KUGB Senior International Team that won the Championships of Europe no less than fi ve times!

He has had a range of regional and national responsibilities. He was coach and manager of the EKB squad and was squad coach for the KUGB Scottish and Southern Regions. He is a KUGB Grading Examiner and a qualifi ed International Referee.

He is renowned for his fast and effective fi ghting style, particularly his lightning-fast Ashi-Barai/Gyaku-Tsuki combination which has devastated his opponents and won him many events.

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a) Underline the main point of the third paragraph.

b) Which of the following would be the best title for the fi rst paragraph?

A Early sporting interests

B Billy’s birth

C Billy’s school career

D Studying Wado Ryu Karate

c) Work with a partner. Fill in the table below by

summarising the main points of each paragraph in your own words.

Paragraph Main point

1

_{Billy Higgins has always been good at sport.}

2

_{He moved from the BKCC to the KUGB.}

3

4 5

d) What role did Billy play in the team that won the 1975 World Championships?

e) Work out from the passage which of the following best describes the Ashi-Barai/Gyaku-Tsuki combination:

A Specialist equipment that you need for karate.

B Specialist clothing that you need for karate.

C A medal you can get for winning karate competitions.

D Fighting moves you can use in karate.

f) Circle two phrases in the text that describe Billy Higgins’ fi ghting style.

g) Which of the following is not true of Billy Higgins, according to the text?

A He joined the BKCC in 1970.

B He is a qualifi ed referee.

C He has captained the British karate team.

D He played football when he was young.

Test tip

When a question asks you to choose a statement that best

sums up what a paragraph

or text is about, you need to work out what the main point of the text is.

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Learn the skill

Comparing two different texts means searching to fi nd: ways they are the

■ same

how they are

■ different.

Step 1 Start by reading the fi rst text through carefully, picking out its

main ideas and points.

Step 2 Begin to read the second text. Pause at the end of the fi rst

paragraph and ask yourself: ‘Did it say something similar to what was in the other text?’

Step 3 Go back to the fi rst text and search it to fi nd out whether it says

something similar or very different to what you have just read.

Step 4 Once you have found your answer, go on to read the other

paragraphs in the second text, repeating Step 3 for each paragraph.

Try the skill

1 Read the two descriptions from the Salvation Army appeal on page 11. Answer the questions below.

a) Who helped Sarah and Laura?

b) Why had Sarah and Laura left home?

c) Where were Sarah and Laura living just before Christmas?

d) How were Sarah and Laura helped by the charity?

e) What difference has the charity’s help made to their lives?

2 Work with a partner. In what ways are Sarah and Laura’s stories similar? In what ways are Sarah and Laura’s stories different?

3 Which of these statements about both descriptions are true?

A Both descriptions show that the Salvation Army hands out money to needy people.

B The Salvation Army gives practical help to people in danger.

C The Salvation Army forces the people they help to go to church.

D The Salvation Army offi cers lose touch with the people they help.

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Learn the skill

When you fi rst scan a text: search the text for its features ■

use the features to help you work out what kind of text it is ■

use the features to help you fi nd the information you need in the text. ■

Try the skill

1 Here are some types of text you will often need to read: memo ■ letter ■ e-mail ■ advertisement ■ report or essay ■ newspaper article ■

Scan the six texts on pages 13 and 14.

a) Write down what type of text each one is, using the list above.

b) Note any words or features that helped you work out which type of text it was. The fi rst one has been done for you.

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Send Save Attach file

Experience the new Legato

The pure power of driving passion

Not just a car – a whole way of life. Leave others standing. Control your destiny!

Text type:

use of bold text

persuasive words

sounds like it’s

telling you to

do something

C

SWAPPING A PAPERCLIP

FOR A HOUSE!

Just over a year ago Kyle MacDonald thought of a plan to use the internet to see if he could swap things until he ended up with a house …

Kyle, 26, started off by swapping a paperclip for a pen. Then he swapped the pen for a doorknob, and so on. Before long, the whole world was watching to see if he could succeed.

He swapped all kinds of things including an instant party, a camping stove and a holiday. Finally, last week, he made his last swap and got a free house in return for a part in a fi lm! D E Mr David Kearney Manager, Flatmans Ltd 123 Burton Road Newtown AG6 4PP 1 November 2007 Dear Mr Kearney

When I visited your company this morning I found the ladies’ toilet in a disgusting state. There was rubbish all over the fl oor, and the sinks were overfl owing.

I wish to complain formally about this matter. If you wish to keep my custom, please contact me to discuss this matter.

Yours sincerely

Emily Cameron

Emily Cameron Text type:

Text type: Text type:

Date: 1 November 2007

To: Janna Pullman, Maintenance Department From: David Kearney

Subject: Cleaning Toilets

Another client has just complained about the state of the ladies’ toilet by reception. This is the third such complaint this week. Please can you do the following?

• Organise a cleaner to clean the toilets at once. • Find out what the problem is and make sure it

doesn’t happen again.

Thank you for your help in sorting this out.

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2 Read the chart below. It shows some common text features. Tick the chart to show which features you found in texts A–F on pages 13 and 14. The fi rst column has been done for you.

Feature Tells readers Advert Report News article

Letter Memo E-mail

Main heading This is the main idea of

the whole text.

✓

Subheading This is the main point of this part of the text. Numbering You need to understand

the points in this order. Bullet points These are different

points.

Paragraphs The sentences in this part are all about the same idea.

Bold or italic text

The writer wants you to

notice these words.

✓

Persuasive

language

The writer wants you to

do something.

✓

Salutation (e.g. ‘Dear Jo’, ‘Hi, Jo’, ‘To Jo’)

The text is meant to be read by this person.

F

Text type:

Insects

There are more insects than any other type of animal on earth. There are nearly a million species of insect that have been described and given scientifi c names, and scientists think there are at least seven million more kinds that we do not yet know about.

Insect bodies

The name ‘insect’ is a good one, because insects have bodies that are in sections. The three main sections of an insect’s body are:

head

● ● thorax ● abdomen.

Metamorphosis

Most insects go through a process known as ‘complete metamorphosis’ as they develop from egg to fully-grown adult. The stages of complete metamorphosis are:

1) eggs

2) larvae (grubs) that look very different from their parents 3) pupae 4) adults. al ct es, n s in

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3 Read the text below and answer the questions that follow.

a) Circle the description that best fi ts this text:

newspaper article report e-mail letter memo advertisement

b) Why are numbered points used under the heading ‘Full press-ups’?

c) Why are bullet points used under the heading ‘Easier press-ups’?

d) What is the main reason why the writer added the subheadings ‘Full press-ups’ and ‘Easier press-ups’ below the heading ‘Different types of press-ups’?

A Because the writer wanted to change the subject from ‘Different types of press-ups’.

B Because the writer wanted to make it easier to see what the different types of press-up are.

C Because the writer wanted to break up the text to make the page look more interesting.

D Because the writer wanted to show that full press ups are easier than other types of press-ups.

Press-ups

A press-up or push-up is a common strength training exercise. Press-ups are often used in athletic training, and especially in military physical training.

Different types of press-ups

Full press-ups

This is the standard version of the press-up. It involves: 1 lying face down on the fl oor

2 placing the hands below the shoulders on the fl oor 3 keeping the back and legs straight

4 using the arms to raise and lower the body so only the hands and toes are touching the fl oor.

Easier press-ups

In these versions, some of the body weight is supported so the exercise is easier. • Wall press-ups are performed by standing close to a wall and pushing away

from the wall with the arms.

• Three-quarter press-ups are like a full press-up but with bent legs so the knees touch the ground. These are often used in women’s fi tness programmes.

Record-breaker

An average male aged 15–19 might be able to do about 25 press-ups without stopping. The world record for non-stop press-ups is 10,508, achieved by Minoru Yoshida of Japan in October 1980.

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5 Understanding tables with words

and numbers

Learn the skill

The way that you fi nd information in a table with numbers is the same as for a table with words and symbols.

Read the heading of each row and column. ■

If there are any symbols, make sure you understand what ■

they mean, e.g. by reading the key.

Decide what you need to fi nd out. Find the right row or ■

column to search.

Move your fi nger along and keep scanning until you fi nd the information. ■

Try the skill

1 Anna is planning a trip to London. She wants a hotel within half a mile (0.5 miles) of Waterloo station. She would like to stay in a hotel rated 4 stars or above.

Look at the web page on page 17, showing search results for hotel deals in London, and answer the questions below.

a) Which hotels on the list are close enough to Waterloo for Anna?

b) Which of these hotels best matches what Anna requires?

c) How much will it cost to stay at this hotel on June 4th_?

d) If you wanted to stay in the Covent Garden area on June 6th_{, what} is the lowest price you would have to pay?

A £287.50 B £159.00 C £115.00 D £125.00

e) Where is the nearest 5-star hotel to Waterloo?

A Leicester Square C Vauxhall

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f) How far from Waterloo is the least expensive 4-star hotel on June 5th_?

A 0.1 miles C 0.9 miles

B 0.7miles D 1 mile

Hotels in Waterloo

_Hotels

_Apartments

All

Name

Miles* Location _Star _{03 Jun 04 Jun 05 Jun 06 Jun} City Inn

0.9 Pimlico ₄_★ _{£159.85 £148.35 £90.85}

£102.35

Radisson Edwardian Leicester Square

0.8 _{Leicester Square 4}_★ £179.40 £179.40 £138.00 £184.00 Wellington 0.1 Waterloo ₃_★ £89.95 £89.95 £89.95 £89.95 One Aldwych 0.6 Covent Garden ₅_★ £356.50 £339.25 £287.50 £287.50 Mercury 0.7 Southwark ₄_★ _{£175.00 £155.00 £99.00} £125.00 Kingsway Hall 0.8 Covent Garden ₄_★ £189.00 £189.00 £159.00 £159.00

Radisson Edwardian Hampshire

0.8 _{Leicester Square 5}_★ £208.00 £174.80 £156.00 £174.80 Royal Horseguards 0.5 Westminster ₄_★ £182.85 £182.85 £125.35 £148.35 Thistle Piccadilly 0.9 Piccadilly ₃_★ £194.35 £148.35 £148.35 £171.35

Plaza on The River

0.8 Vauxhall ₅_★

£205.85 £205.85 £136.85 Full

Radisson Edwardian Mountbatten

0.9 Covent Garden ₄_★

£179.40 £179.40 £115.00 £179.00

Plaza Riverbank

1.0 Vauxhall ₄_★

£159.85 £125.35 £102.35 £113.85 * = distance from Waterloo station

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EDEXCEL FUNCTIONAL SKILLS PILOT

English Level 2

Section B

Widen your reading skills

1 Selecting relevant information 2

2 Summarising information and ideas 4 3 Understanding the purpose of a text 6 4 Understanding meanings that are hinted at or suggested 8 5 Recognising points of view and bias 10

6 Commenting on how effectively a text is written 12

7 Reading and responding to different texts 14

We are grateful to the following for permission to reproduce copyright material:

Andrew Bowdler for his letter to the editor entitled “The proper time to smack children” published in The Telegraph 12th September 2001 copyright © Andrew Bowdler; Child Alert for the article “90% of parents appear to back smacking” published on www.childalert.co.uk copyright © Child Alert; The Department of Health for a extract from the leafl et “Questions to ask” October 2007 Department of Health, Crown Copyright 2007; Faraway Holidays for material about Malaysia/Borneo published on www.farawayholidays.co.uk copyright © 2006 FarAway Holidays; Football Network for the articles “The American Indians and Pasuckuakohowog” and “The Eskimos and Aqsaqtuk” published on www.footballnetwork.org copyright © 2003 footballnetwork.org all rights reserved; SMH Interactive Ltd and Flame TV for an extract adapted from the casting advert “Don’t Get Done, Get Dom” published on www.starnow.co.uk copyright © 2007 SMH Interactive Ltd; and Starlight Children’s Foundation for information about the foundation published on www.starlight.org.uk copyright © Starlight Children’s Foundation; iStockphoto/Millanovic – child in bed;/Ictor – funrun; /Nicholas Monu – Indian; /Alberto Pomaies – Island; /Maksym Dragunov – soldier

Although we have tried to trace and contact copyright holders before publication, in some cases this has not been possible. Permission is still being sought and we would appreciate any information that would enable us to contact those who we have been unable to contact. We will be pleased to rectify any errors or omissions at the earliest opportunity.

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English Level 2

Geoff Barton, Clare Constant, Kim Richardson, Keith Washington

Section B: Widen your reading skills

2 Reading (written language)

Select, read, understand and compare texts and use them to gather information, ideas, arguments

and opinions In three or more texts

2.1 Select and use different types

of texts to obtain and utilise relevant information

B1 Selecting relevant information

2.2 Read and summarise, succinctly,

information/ideas from different sources

B2 Summarising information and ideas

2.3 Identify the purposes of texts

and comment on how meaning is conveyed

B3 Understanding the purpose of a text

B6 Commenting on how effectively a text is written 2.4 Detect point of view, implicit

meaning and/or bias B4 Understanding meanings that are hinted at or suggested_{B5 Recognising points of view and bias}

2.5 Analyse texts in relation to

audience needs and consider suitable responses

B7 Reading and responding to different texts

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B

Widen your reading skills

By the end of this section you should be able to:

choose and use different types of texts to fi nd relevant information read and briefl y summarise information and ideas from different places understand the purpose of a text

understand meanings that are hinted at or suggested recognise points of view and bias

comment on how effectively a text is written read and respond to different texts.

You will test out your mastery of these skills at the end of the section.

1 Selecting relevant information

Learn the skill

Step 1 Decide what you need to fi nd out.

Step 2 Choose texts which look as if they have got the right kind of

information in them.

Step 3 Search those texts, scanning them for key words and phrases. Step 4 Work out whether the information you have found is relevant.

At the end of reading a section of text, ask yourself: ‘Did that tell me what I needed to know?’

Try the skill

1 What could your class do to support the children’s charity Starlight? Read Text A, which consists of information from the Starlight website. Then visit the website for other ideas on how you could support them. Use the steps above to help you fi nd the information you need.

2 Now try the skill with Texts E and F (about smacking) on page 11. Search the texts to answer the following question.

Which of these opinions are present in both texts?

A Smacking should never be used by a childminder.

B Some people think physical punishment is a helpful strategy.

C You should never smack your child when you are angry.

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News & Events

NEW WISHES this week

NEW WISHES – NEW WISHES – NEW WISHES – NEW WISHES – NEW WISHES – NEW WISHES– NEW WISHES

Help us to grant wishes! Donate today and help make the dreams of very ill children come true.

Imaan is 6 years old and she suffers from cerebral palsy and epilepsy. Her wish is to have a tricycle.

k

The Starlight Challenge

The Starlight Challenge is a great way to fundraise for Starlight if you are a fi tness enthusiast. Fun, sponsored fi tness events are organised all over the UK. Check with your local gym to fi nd out whether the instructors are already holding an event. If not, we can help you or the gym with the organisation of a new event.

Donate-A-Disc Appeal

DO YOU HAVE STACKS OF UNWATCHED DVDs & CONSOLE GAMES GATHERING DUST AT HOME?

The SUN Donate-A-Disc Appeal for Starlight is raising money to grant wishes to seriously and terminally ill children across the UK by recycling and reselling your old DVDs and console games.

We hope that this exciting and unique appeal will help Starlight grant wishes to 1,000 very sick children.

YOU DONATE THE DISCS, WE CREATE THE DREAMS

How to Donate

Your support really counts! When the charity began in 1987, Starlight helped just 4 children. Today, we help over 500,000 children every year. Starlight receives neither Government nor Lottery funding and relies entirely on public generosity. We spend over 90p in every £1 raised on our seriously and terminally ill children. Any support you can give would be

much appreciated.

TEXT

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Learn the skill

Step 1 Search different places to fi nd all the relevant information you need. Step 2 Compare the information found in different places.

Ask yourself: ‘What have I found out in each place?’ ‘What is the same?’ ‘What is different?’

Step 3 Summarise the information.

Write a short version of what you found out which includes only the most important information.

How?

Include only relevant, essential information.

■

Don’t repeat things.

■

Collapse lists into broader categories, e.g. sum up a whole list which

■

tells you different achievements of famous footballers as: ‘lots of famous footballers’ achievements’.

Find a paragraph’s topic sentence to help you sum up that paragraph.

■

Pick out and use key words and phrases in your writing.

■

Keep trimming and improving your summary until you are sure it is as tight as possible.

Try the skill

1 Read Text B on page 5. Then use questions to help you pick out the main information from each section: Who? What? When? Where? How? Why? Write a summary of the different ways football has been played in a maximum of 50 words.

2 Now try the skill with Text C (NHS leafl et) on page 7. Which of the following statements best sums up the information given in the text?

A You need to make sure your doctor can understand what you are going to say.

B Your doctor doesn’t know what to tell you so you need to ask lots of questions.

C It’s a good idea to take a notebook and a friend with you to every appointment.

D Make the most of your appointment by being prepared to ask questions and give useful information.

E Don’t be afraid to ask your doctor questions or to ask the doctor to explain things to you.

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The American Indians and Pasuckuakohowog It’s a mouthful isn’t it?

Records show the Native American Indians played football or Pasuckuakohowog from approximately 1620. Although it is highly likely that they were actually playing football earlier. The word Pasuckuakohowog actually means ‘… they gather to play ball with the foot …’

These games were not very nice and incredibly violent. It was quite often that players would retire with broken bones and other serious injuries. In fact the game was almost a war with up to 500 players on each side.

The players understood the violent nature of the game as they would often disguise themselves with lots of war paint

and ornaments to avoid retribution after the game. The game was normally played on a pitch that was often a mile long with goals at either end. The game could last for hours and often carried on from one day to the next.

At the end of the match both sides would meet for a celebratory feast. (Hence the need for a disguise during the game!)

The Inuit and Aqsaqtuk

No one knows for sure how long the Inuit have been playing their specifi c style of football called Aqsaqtuk, which literally means soccer on ice. However the game has been mentioned in the myths and legends of the Inuit for hundreds of years. One belief of the Inuit is that the spirits of the dead travel to the northern lights where they play an eternal game of football using the head of a walrus as the ball!

The game of Aqsaqtuk is played between two teams (of varying numbers) who line up to face each other at kick off. The ball is kicked between the lines until it crosses one line of players … then all the players rush to kick the ball into their opponent’s goal.

The length of the pitch can vary dramatically – there is a legend which tells of a game between two villages that had goals 10 miles apart! The football is made of animal hide and whale bones. It is stuffed with hair, moss, feathers and wood shavings.

The two teams were normally named after birds. In most cases it was the ptarmigans (an arctic bird similar to a grouse) versus the long-tails. In summer, the two teams would play a game with the long-tails playing towards the water and the ptarmigans playing towards land, their favoured habitat. The two sides would also engage in song battles, with the players trying to outdo each other and embarrass the other team.

After the game, celebrations would be held in a large communal igloo called qaggi.

TEXT

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Learn the skill

To understand a text’s purpose fully you will need to work out what sort of text it is, what the writer hopes to achieve through it and who it is meant to be read by.

Look

■ at the whole text and the way it is laid out. What kind of text do you think it is? For example, two addresses and formal letter layout suggest a business letter; text in columns and a photograph with a caption suggest an article.

Read

■ the text and ask: What does the writer want the reader to do? For example, learn how to ride a motorbike – it looks like an instruction text; buy this product – it looks like a persuasive text.

Search

■ for the kind of features you expect that type of text to have. If you can’t fi nd what you are expecting, think again. For example, instructions usually start with verbs that are commands: ‘Make a list of places you can buy tickets.’

Decide

■ who the text has been written for. The kind of words used and the way the writer addresses the reader should help you work this out. For example, trendy words and phrases may suggest a teenage audience; more formal vocabulary and longer, complex sentences may suggest an adult audience.

Try the skill

1 Work in pairs. Revisit the texts on pages 3 and 5 (Texts A and B) and decide on their purposes. Sum up the purpose of each text in a single sentence.

2 Work with another pair and compare your summaries. Do you agree? If not, discuss why you disagree and then work together to write a sentence you can all agree on.

3 Work out the purpose of Text C on page 7. Then decide which of these statements best describes it:

A It is persuading adults to make sure they are really prepared for a doctor’s appointment.

B It is giving advice to adults to make sure they know what to do and what to ask their doctor when they have an appointment.

C It is written for adults to argue that they should ask their doctors more questions during an appointment.

D It’s a list of instructions for people to follow when they want to get the best treatment for their illness.

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TEXT

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Learn the skill

Sometimes writers say things in a straightforward way, e.g. ‘Go to Malaysia on holiday’, but they may also hint at or suggest things. Bear in mind the writer’s purpose in writing the text. Then read a sentence carefully and ask yourself, ‘Why is the writer telling the reader this? Why has the writer chosen this word? Look at this extract from a tourist website:

Malaysia has superb golden beaches, lush vegetation, mountains and fabulous shopping allied to some magnifi cent hotels.

The underlined phrase suggests that the shops might charge higher prices because the hotels may own them or charge high rates – maybe it’s a hint that there aren’t any quality shopping malls to go to away from the hotels?

Try the skill

1 Which sentences in the text hint or suggest these ideas about Malaysia?

a) Malaysia is the best place to visit in South-East Asia.

b) Once you reach Malaysia you don’t need to spend lots of money.

c) Don’t go to the east coast of Malaysia from October to February if you don’t want to get wet.

d) Expect to eat lots of rice while you are in Malaysia.

e) There’s not a huge variety of different things to eat as a main dish.

2 Which of the following statements best sums up what a wise reader might think about Malaysia after reading the fi rst sentence?

A Malaysia has lovely countryside and some modern hotels but there are no good towns to shop in as there are in the UK.

B Malaysia has sandy beaches, beautiful green countryside,

mountains to climb, and you can stay in lovely hotels which own shops that will appeal to Westerners – so expect to pay high prices for anything you buy there.

C Malaysia has rocky beaches and is diffi cult to travel around because of the jungles and roads, so stay in your hotel.

D Malaysia has lots of beautiful countryside to enjoy but its towns don’t have the kind of shops that Westerners are used to, so the hotels often have those kinds of shops attached to cater for you.

4 Understanding meanings that are

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Destination> Malaysia

Malaysia

Malaysia has superb golden beaches, lush vegetation, mountains and fabulous shopping allied to some magnifi cent hotels. This has made the country the fastest growing destination in South East Asia. The mix of the ancient and the ultra-modern make Malaysia a fascinating place to visit, while the low cost of living and huge visitor choice makes it the ideal holiday location.

The country offers a fascinating cultural mix with colourful festivals, unique arts and crafts, architecture, food and a rich array of dance forms.

When to visit

Malaysia is hot and humid all year round, with temperatures usually in the low 30s and humidity 90%. The region has a monsoonal climate but only the east coast of Peninsula Malaysia has a real rainy season (October to February). Eating Out

Malaysian chefs have drawn on their multi-ethnic heritage for centuries with the result being a unique blend of Malay, Chinese, Indian, Thai and Eurasian cooking methods and ingredients. But, while the staple ingredients may resemble those used by their Asian neighbours, the extras are what make Malay food so original. Tropical fruits and seafood are added to various dishes, coconut milk is added to almost everything and rice serves as the basis for every meal. And, while the ingredients may not vary largely from dish to dish, the cooking method and accompaniments are what make each dish so special.

There are several extremely popular traditional Malaysian dishes, some of which you should try to sample during your stay. Satay is probably the most popular of all and contains small pieces of beef, lamb or chicken which are marinated in spices, skewered on bamboo strips and barbecued over a charcoal fi re. They are served with rice cakes, a salad consisting of cucumber, pineapple and onion and a peanut sauce. Another favourite is ‘rendang’ which is another meat dish and also includes coconut milk, onion, chillies, cinnamon, cloves and coriander.

TEXT

D

5 10 15 20 25

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Learn the skill

Someone’s point of view includes their opinions, thoughts and

■

feelings about a topic.

Writers may back up their ideas using facts, arguments, evidence,

■

etc.

Writers can give a balanced view of a topic, giving different points

■

of view about an issue.

If writers only give one side of the argument they are showing bias.

■

You can work out a writer’s point of view by fi nding words that reveal their:

feelings (e.g. I feel, I love, it’s terrible, it’s unacceptable)

■

beliefs (e.g. should, ought, must, have to)

■

thoughts (e.g. I think, in my opinion, I agree with… I disagree…).

■

Try the skill

1 Read Text E on page 11.

a) Pick out words and phrases that reveal the writer’s point of view.

b) Which of these statements best sums up the writer’s point of view?

A Parents who smack their children are using an unnatural punishment.

B Children who are never smacked are always able to develop self-control and behave well in school.

C Smacking your child to help them learn wrong from right is fi ne if you don’t do it when you are angry and you always show them lots of love.

D Badly behaved children have either been smacked too much or not shown enough love.

2 Read Text F on page 11.

a) Pick out the words and phrases that reveal the writer’s point of view in lines 10–17. Then sum up this point of view in 20 words.

b) Pick out the words and phrases that reveal the point of view in lines 15–17. Then sum up this point of view in as few words as you can.

3 Think about both texts you have read. Which text:

a) presents a balanced point of view

b) has bias?

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SIR – Rebecca Abrams (Weekend, Sept. 8) makes some unacceptable generalisations about smacking.

Children under the age of three learn a lot of things simply by making mistakes and getting hurt, such as walking into furniture and putting hands too close to things. Smacking is only applying that natural form of learning to less concrete concepts.

I have worked with children as a teacher in a variety of situations – comprehensives, social services assessment centres and specialist schools abroad catering for mission, business and diplomats’ children abroad. The ones whose behaviour was most diffi cult to control were those had either been smacked irrespective of behaviour or not touched at all. Almost without exception, the most balanced children I have had to teach are those whose parents have used physical punishment judiciously (and therefore sparingly), but within the

context of love. In many cases the smack had been administered a long time before tempers were lost, in ‘cold blood’ and therefore before a relationship was damaged.

For the world-renowned American child psychologist Dr James Dobson, this is the crux of the issue.

Punishment should never be administered in the heat of anger. At the same time, it must be administered within the context of a stable and loving relationship. A short, sharp smack early in the process works far better than any prolonged reasoning process that comes to a loss of temper.

Rather than banning this natural form of discipline, parents and other childcarers need to be taught to use it properly.

Andy Bowdler Dinas, Powys

Parenting News

email your stories/press enquiries

90% of parents appear to back smacking

A recent survey conducted by Daily Mail website femail.co.uk reveals that some 60% of participating parents said ‘an occasional smack’ is justifi ed. Almost another 30% appeared to be going on their own experience when they said, ‘It never did me any harm’. Only 11% said there was ‘no justifi cation for smacking whatsoever’.

The fi ndings would appear to be at odds with the current move towards publicly banning any physical form of punishment. There have been several high profi le cases of late of worthy and well-respected childminders hauled over the coals for reprimanding their charges with a light smack. While the UK has yet to make it offi cially illegal, eight other EU countries have already done so.

Femail.co.uk is concerned at the apparent contradiction between public outcry and personal feelings and calls for the issue to be discussed ‘honestly and openly’. Their views are reinforced by the National Family and Parenting Institute who say, ‘There is a taboo about discussing smacking. People are reticent about admitting to it and yet the survey bears out what other surveys have found, which is that most parents have done it at some point or other. In our experience it tends to be a last resort and parents usually regret it afterwards. Our feeling is that the subject should be brought out into the open and discussed openly so that parents can learn about alternative strategies for dealing with their children.’

The survey was published during the same week that Britain’s top military commander, Sir Michael Boyce, went on record as saying young people needed a ‘clip round the ear’ to restore respect for their elders.

TEXT

E

TEXT

F

5 10 15 20 25 30 35 5 10 15 20

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Learn the skill

Answer these three questions to help you decide how effectively a text is written:

1 What is the purpose of the text?

2 How is the text written? Look at the following features.

How it is organised on the page

■ (e.g. how headings,

bullet points, etc. are used to help readers fi nd information).

What it tells readers

■ What facts, opinions, evidence,

advice, etc. are included? Does it tell the readers everything they need to know?

The words and phrases the writer uses

■ Do they suit

the audience and the situation, e.g. Is it too informal? Should the writer have used more technical vocabulary?

3 How well does the way the text is written help the writer achieve the purpose?

Try the skill

1 Work in a group and study Text G on page 13 using the three questions above to help you decide how effectively it is written. Then choose the statement that best describes what the writer has done.

A The writer gives a simple, clear description of what a twig toothbrush looks like.

B The writer gives soldiers clear instructions about how to clean their teeth without a toothbrush and what to do if they have a hole in a tooth.

C The writer lists all the different ingredients soldiers should use to look after their teeth.

D The writer uses headings to help readers fi nd different chunks of information easily.

2 Work as a group. How could you improve the text to make it easier for readers to fi nd the different information and to know what to do? Make a list of changes (e.g. Add a subheading).

6 Commenting on how effectively a

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3 Look back at the letter about smacking (Text E on page 11). What is the writer’s purpose?

4 The writer tried to make his argument effective by including evidence to back up his point of view. Copy and complete the chart below to show how well you think the writer did this.

Paragraph Point Evidence How well does the writer support his argument?

1 The original article in the newspaper made lots of

generalisations.

None provided

2 Toddlers naturally learn not to do something if it hurts – so smacking can be used to help

them learn not to do things.

‘walking into furniture and putting hands too

close to hot things.’ 3

4

5

5 Suggest one way in which the writer could improve the letter so that it achieves its purpose better.

Keep Your Teeth Clean

Thoroughly clean your mouth and teeth with a toothbrush at least once each day. If you don’t have a toothbrush, make a chewing stick. Find a twig about 20 centimeters long and 1 centimeter wide. Chew one end of the stick to separate the fi bers. Now brush your teeth thoroughly. Another way is to wrap a clean strip of cloth around your fi ngers and rub your teeth with it to wipe away food particles. You can also brush your teeth with small amounts of sand, baking soda, salt, or soap. Then rinse your mouth with water, salt water, or willow bark tea. Also, fl ossing your teeth with string or fi ber helps oral hygiene.

If you have cavities, you can make temporary fi llings by placing candle wax, tobacco, aspirin, hot pepper, tooth paste or powder, or portions of a ginger root into the cavity. Make sure you clean the cavity by rinsing or picking the particles out of the cavity before placing a fi lling in the cavity.

U S A R M Y S U R V I V A L M A N U A L

TEXT

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7 Reading and responding to different

texts

Learn the skill

Very often writers want readers to do something in response to what they have written.

Read such texts very carefully to fi nd out:

what you need to do (e.g. write a letter of application for a job)

■

how you are meant to do it (e.g. you need to write a formal

■

letter of application).

Plan your response carefully to make sure:

you are giving the writer exactly what they want

■

you are going to include enough detail.

■

Try the skill

1 Read Text H on page 15 and work out:

a) what the advertisement hints is the purpose of the show

b) the kind of things someone would be likely to have to do while on the show.

2 Which of these people are least likely to get picked to go on a Flame TV show?

A A shy person who wants to buy a new car

B Someone who likes a bargain

C Someone who’s easily confused

D A millionaire who hates wasting money

3 What facts about yourself should you mention that would make you sound ideal? What information should you avoid mentioning?

4 Make notes on how you would respond to the advertisement. Include in your notes:

the type of text – will it be a letter, an email?

■

what you want to do

■

all the information that will make you sound like an ideal contestant

■

any information they have requested.

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5 Now try the skill in a different context. Imagine you had an allergic reaction after eating a cheese sandwich and you are going to see the doctor about it. Read the ‘Before your appointment’ section in Text C on page 7 to help you prepare for your appointment.

a) Make a note of two questions you will need to ask the doctor.

b) List all the information that you need to gather to be ready for the appointment.

6 Work with a partner and role play the appointment with the doctor using your information.

7 Look back at the leafl et on page 7. After the patient in your role play has had the appointment with the doctor, which of the things suggested in the leafl et should the patient do? Why?

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TEXT

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EDEXCEL FUNCTIONAL SKILLS PILOT

English Level 2

Section C

Being a skilful speaker

and listener

1 Taking part in a formal discussion 2 Giving a presentation

Picture Credits

The publisher would like to thank the following for their kind permission to reproduce their photographs: (Key: b-bottom; c-centre; l-left; r-right; t-top)

Alamy Images: 2bl; Anne-Marie Palmer 2tr; Edd Westmacott 8br; Ian Shaw 3; Janine Wiedel 8tr; Jim West 8tl; Patrick Ward 8bc; Robert Canis 8bl; Gideon Mendel 8tc; Getty Images: Andrew Yates 12; ANA Abejon 2br; Galina Barskaya 2bc; PunchStock: Imagesource 7

Picture Research by: Kevin Brown, Lisa Wren, Rachel Naish

Every effort has been made to trace the copyright holders and we apologise in advance for any unintentional omissions. We would be pleased to insert the appropriate acknowledgement in any subsequent edition of this publication.

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English Level 2

Geoff Barton, Clare Constant, Kim Richardson, Keith Washington

Section C: Being a skilful speaker and listener

1 Speaking, listening and

communication

Make a range of contributions to discussions in a range of contexts, including those that are unfamiliar, and make effective presentations

1.1 Consider complex information

and give a relevant, cogent response in appropriate language

C1 Taking part in a formal discussion C2 Making a presentation

1.2 Present information and ideas

clearly and persuasively to others

1.3 Adapt contributions to suit

audience, purpose and situation

1.4 Make significant contributions

to discussions, taking a range of roles and helping to move discussion forward