Free OCR GCSE English Language (J351) Exam Questions and Answers

Section B Writing for audience, impact and purpose. Choose one of the following writing tasks. Write a talk for other students about a person you either admire strongly or dislike intensely. In your talk you should: • describe who the person is • explain what the person has achieved • persuade your audience to admire or dislike the person.

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Section B Writing for audience, impact and purpose. Choose one of the following writing tasks. Write a letter to a friend to explain a difficult decision you had to make. In your letter you should: • explain what the difficult decision was • explain what made this decision so difficult • describe some of the consequences of your difficult decision.

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The New Wizard of the West In this magazine article, Chauncy Montgomery McGovern describes his visit, in 1899, to the laboratory of Nikola Tesla, a famous electrical engineer who designed the modern electricity supply system. Fancy yourself seated in a large, well-lighted room, with mountains of curious-looking machinery on all sides. A tall, thin young man walks up to you and, by merely snapping his fingers, creates instantaneously a ball of leaping red flame, and holds it calmly in his hands. As you gaze you are surprised to see it does not burn his fingers. He lets it fall upon his clothing, on his hair, into your lap, and finally puts the ball of flame into a wooden box. You are amazed to see that nowhere does the flame leave the slightest trace, and you rub your eyes to make sure you are not asleep. The odd flame having been extinguished as miraculously as it appeared, the tall, thin young man next signals to his assistant to close all the windows. When this has been done, the room is as dark as a cave. A moment later you hear the man say, ‘Now my friends, I will make for you some daylight.’ Quick as a flash the whole laboratory is filled with a strange light as beautiful as that of the moon, but as strong as that of the sun. As you glance up at the closed shutters on each window, you see that each of them is as tight as a vice, and that no rays are coming through them. Cast your eyes wherever you will, you can see no trace of the source of the odd light. To tell of these and a thousand other wonders that Tesla does in a trice gives only a faint conception of their effect on the visitor. To really appreciate them one must see and hear and feel them in the flesh. It is a scientific treat of a lifetime, but it is a treat that few can enjoy for the laboratory of Tesla is securely locked against everyone not provided with an introduction from a personal friend of the audacious wizard. Mention is made in this paper of only those inventions which have passed beyond the experimental stage. But there are hundreds of other promised wonders in development in the great inventor’s miracle-factory. As I have heard one of his admirers express it, an enumeration of these ‘sounds like the dream of a half-intoxicated god.’ No one who is privileged to have heard Tesla explain his plans has the slightest doubt that every one of his promises will be fulfilled in an equally successful way. Question 1 is about Text 1, The New Wizard of the West by Chauncy Montgomery McGovern. Look at lines 1–3. Fancy yourself seated in a large, well-lighted room, with mountains of curious-looking machinery on all sides. A tall, thin young man walks up to you and, by merely snapping his fingers, creates instantaneously a ball of leaping red flame, and holds it calmly in his hands. Give one word that describes what the room looks like.

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The New Wizard of the West In this magazine article, Chauncy Montgomery McGovern describes his visit, in 1899, to the laboratory of Nikola Tesla, a famous electrical engineer who designed the modern electricity supply system. Fancy yourself seated in a large, well-lighted room, with mountains of curious-looking machinery on all sides. A tall, thin young man walks up to you and, by merely snapping his fingers, creates instantaneously a ball of leaping red flame, and holds it calmly in his hands. As you gaze you are surprised to see it does not burn his fingers. He lets it fall upon his clothing, on his hair, into your lap, and finally puts the ball of flame into a wooden box. You are amazed to see that nowhere does the flame leave the slightest trace, and you rub your eyes to make sure you are not asleep. The odd flame having been extinguished as miraculously as it appeared, the tall, thin young man next signals to his assistant to close all the windows. When this has been done, the room is as dark as a cave. A moment later you hear the man say, ‘Now my friends, I will make for you some daylight.’ Quick as a flash the whole laboratory is filled with a strange light as beautiful as that of the moon, but as strong as that of the sun. As you glance up at the closed shutters on each window, you see that each of them is as tight as a vice, and that no rays are coming through them. Cast your eyes wherever you will, you can see no trace of the source of the odd light. To tell of these and a thousand other wonders that Tesla does in a trice gives only a faint conception of their effect on the visitor. To really appreciate them one must see and hear and feel them in the flesh. It is a scientific treat of a lifetime, but it is a treat that few can enjoy for the laboratory of Tesla is securely locked against everyone not provided with an introduction from a personal friend of the audacious wizard. Mention is made in this paper of only those inventions which have passed beyond the experimental stage. But there are hundreds of other promised wonders in development in the great inventor’s miracle-factory. As I have heard one of his admirers express it, an enumeration of these ‘sounds like the dream of a half-intoxicated god.’ No one who is privileged to have heard Tesla explain his plans has the slightest doubt that every one of his promises will be fulfilled in an equally successful way. Question 1 is about Text 1, The New Wizard of the West by Chauncy Montgomery McGovern. Look at lines 1–3. Fancy yourself seated in a large, well-lighted room, with mountains of curious-looking machinery on all sides. A tall, thin young man walks up to you and, by merely snapping his fingers, creates instantaneously a ball of leaping red flame, and holds it calmly in his hands. Give one phrase that suggests that there is a lot of machinery in the room.

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The New Wizard of the West In this magazine article, Chauncy Montgomery McGovern describes his visit, in 1899, to the laboratory of Nikola Tesla, a famous electrical engineer who designed the modern electricity supply system. Fancy yourself seated in a large, well-lighted room, with mountains of curious-looking machinery on all sides. A tall, thin young man walks up to you and, by merely snapping his fingers, creates instantaneously a ball of leaping red flame, and holds it calmly in his hands. As you gaze you are surprised to see it does not burn his fingers. He lets it fall upon his clothing, on his hair, into your lap, and finally puts the ball of flame into a wooden box. You are amazed to see that nowhere does the flame leave the slightest trace, and you rub your eyes to make sure you are not asleep. The odd flame having been extinguished as miraculously as it appeared, the tall, thin young man next signals to his assistant to close all the windows. When this has been done, the room is as dark as a cave. A moment later you hear the man say, ‘Now my friends, I will make for you some daylight.’ Quick as a flash the whole laboratory is filled with a strange light as beautiful as that of the moon, but as strong as that of the sun. As you glance up at the closed shutters on each window, you see that each of them is as tight as a vice, and that no rays are coming through them. Cast your eyes wherever you will, you can see no trace of the source of the odd light. To tell of these and a thousand other wonders that Tesla does in a trice gives only a faint conception of their effect on the visitor. To really appreciate them one must see and hear and feel them in the flesh. It is a scientific treat of a lifetime, but it is a treat that few can enjoy for the laboratory of Tesla is securely locked against everyone not provided with an introduction from a personal friend of the audacious wizard. Mention is made in this paper of only those inventions which have passed beyond the experimental stage. But there are hundreds of other promised wonders in development in the great inventor’s miracle-factory. As I have heard one of his admirers express it, an enumeration of these ‘sounds like the dream of a half-intoxicated god.’ No one who is privileged to have heard Tesla explain his plans has the slightest doubt that every one of his promises will be fulfilled in an equally successful way. Question 1 is about Text 1, The New Wizard of the West by Chauncy Montgomery McGovern. Look at lines 1–3. Fancy yourself seated in a large, well-lighted room, with mountains of curious-looking machinery on all sides. A tall, thin young man walks up to you and, by merely snapping his fingers, creates instantaneously a ball of leaping red flame, and holds it calmly in his hands. Explain two things that are surprising about what Tesla does with the ball of flame.

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Question 3 is about Text 2, Net Prophet by Lesley White. Look at lines 16-29. His book’s analogies lean on the pioneering past of his country, the internet likened to the building of the national highways, and technological advances to the search for gold in California, a search in which many are wounded and some are left behind, but the bravest and best march on to conquer a new frontier, Gates’s wagon at the head. Gates speaks of caution, but he is so wrapped up in the potential and possibilities of the Information Age that his excitement is almost childlike, his prophecies extraordinary. Most transforming of our lives will be the wallet PC, a combination of credit card, entry ticket and best friend: we will no longer need to carry our keys, cash or cameras – all will be contained in one small computer. The history of the future is littered with ludicrous predictions, and equally with those who defied and denied progress even as it was happening. Gates gleefully tells the story of the Oxford professor who in 1878 dismissed electric lighting as a gimmick. The point of genius like Gates’s is being absolutely, arrogantly certain that you, just you, have got it right. Explore how Lesley White uses language and structure to present Gates’s vision of the future. Support your ideas by referring to the text, using relevant subject terminology.

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Section B Writing imaginatively and creatively. Choose one of the writing tasks. A Near Miss. Use this as the title for a story about when something almost went badly wrong. In your writing you should: • choose a clear viewpoint • describe the setting • explore how your character feels about the experience.

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Section B Writing imaginatively and creatively. Choose one of the writing tasks. Write about a time when you had an unexpected adventure. In your writing you should describe: • what the adventure was • what made it unexpected • how you responded to the situation.

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Section B: Writing imaginatively and creatively. Choose one of the following writing tasks (EITHER question 5 OR question 6). It seemed to me like I had been magically transported. Use this as the title for a story. You should: • choose a clear viewpoint • describe the setting • explore your characters' thoughts and feelings about their experience.

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Section B: Writing imaginatively and creatively. Choose one of the following writing tasks (EITHER question 5 OR question 6). Describe a place where you have felt comfortable. You should write about: • things, events or places that made you comfortable • how the place affected your thoughts and feelings • the way you feel about that place now.

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