PMT

CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL EXAMINATIONS

International General Certificate of Secondary Education

MARK SCHEME for the May/June 2013 series

0500 FIRST LANGUAGE ENGLISH

0500/13 Paper 1 (Reading and Passage – Core),
maximum raw mark 50

This mark scheme is published as an aid to teachers and candidates, to indicate the requirements of the
examination. It shows the basis on which Examiners were instructed to award marks. It does not indicate the
details of the discussions that took place at an Examiners’ meeting before marking began, which would have
considered the acceptability of alternative answers.

Mark schemes should be read in conjunction with the question paper and the Principal Examiner Report for
Teachers.

Cambridge will not enter into discussions about these mark schemes.

Cambridge is publishing the mark schemes for the May/June 2013 series for most IGCSE, GCE Advanced
Level and Advanced Subsidiary Level components and some Ordinary Level components.
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Note: All Examiners are instructed that alternative correct answers and unexpected
approaches in candidates’ scripts must be given marks that fairly reflect the relevant
knowledge and skills demonstrated. Nonetheless, the content must be clearly related
to and derived from the passage.

Question 1

This question tests Reading Objectives R1–R4 (30 marks):

• Understand and collate explicit meanings
• Understand, explain and collate implicit meanings and attitudes
• Select, analyse and evaluate what is relevant to specific purposes
• Understand how writers achieve effects.

(a) How do wealthy guests arrive at the hotel Everest View? [1]

• Fly to the hotel’s airstrip (and then walk to the hotel).

(b) Using your own words, give two reasons why the writer thinks that the hotel’s lack of
piped water is a serious drawback. [2]

• Local people (Sherpas) have to carry the water up steep hills by hand.
• The hotel has baths and flush toilets (which means that a lot of water is required).

1 mark for each point, up to a maximum of 2.

(c) Explain, using your own words, why professional climbers prefer not to fly direct to a
height of 4,000 metres up Everest (lines 14–16). [2]

• The speed of ascent.

• They spend some time acclimatising/avoiding getting altitude sickness.

1 mark for each point in own words, up to a maximum of 2.

(d) From paragraph three (The risk of altitude …) explain:

(i) how the hotel tries to deal with the guests’ altitude sickness. [1]

• They provide oxygen as part of their service to help sufferers.

(ii) what is unique about what the hotel does. [1]

• They are the only hotel which provides oxygen.

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(e) Explain why the writer says that climbers ‘seem to leave their common sense in the
same rucksack’ (line 23). [3]

• Climbers nowadays have abandoned the rucksacks (containing heavy oxygen cylinders).
• However, they have also tended to abandon oxygen cylinders (which will help prevent
altitude sickness).
• This is seen by the writer to be a foolish action/can result in death.

1 mark for each point, up to a maximum of 3.

(f) What would be the effect on visitors if the hotel installed airtight doors (paragraph six,
‘On the same…’)? [1]

• They would have to spend most of their time inside the hotel.
• They would be less likely to suffer from altitude sickness.
• There would be even less to do.

(g) Explain, using your own words, what the writer means by the words in italics in the
following phrases:

(i) ‘progress with frightening rapidity’ (line 13) [2]

• Move forward; at great speed.

2 marks for a clear explanation in own words; 1 mark for partial understanding.

(ii) ‘is probably a conservative estimate’ (line 17) [2]

• Moderate/underestimated; guess.

2 marks for a clear explanation in own words; 1 mark for partial understanding.

(iii) ‘the confusion and disorientation’ (line 25) [2]

• Mental disturbance; sense of not being able to get one’s bearings.

2 marks for a clear explanation in own words; 1 mark for partial understanding.

NB: the definitions above contain the essence of an answer. However, accept that
candidates may respond in different ways, e.g. at greater length.

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(h) Re-read the last two paragraphs,

The writer uses the following phrases to suggest that he dislikes the attitudes and
behaviour of the wealthy tourists who stay at the hotel Everest View.

Choose three of the following phrases and then explain how each of them helps you to
understand his dislike:

• ‘if you simply hop on a private plane’ (lines 43–44 )

• ‘a pretty superficial appreciation’ (line 44 )
• ‘flying half-way up Mount Everest for a day to look at cloud formations through a
Perspex oxygen mask’ (lines 47–48 )
• ‘a form of sickness which affects fast-lane tourism everywhere’ (lines 48–49) [6]

Award 1 mark for an explanation which show literal understanding of each phrase and 2
marks for an explanation which shows some appreciation of the writer’s use of language, up
to a maximum of 6 marks.

An explanation for the phrase ‘If you simply hop on a private plane’ such as, the word “hop”
suggests an easy and childlike action which contrasts with the effort and bravery shown by
real mountaineers climbing Everest, and, therefore, suggests the writer’s scorn for the
wealthy tourists’.

An explanation of the phrase ‘Flying half way up Mount Everest for a day to look at cloud
formations through a Perspex oxygen mask’ such as ‘the idea of going to Everest simply to
have a unclear view of the clouds clearly suggests that the writer thinks that the tourists have
the wrong priorities’.

Some candidates may produce better explanations than those above.

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(i) Re-read paragraphs two to six (A major problem…already expects.).

Write a summary of what you learn about the causes and effects of altitude sickness
and how it can be treated.

Write a paragraph of about 50–70 words. [7]

Causes
1 Low air pressure.
2 Lack of oxygen.
3 The speed of ascent.

Effects
4 Fluid accumulates in the lungs and brain tissues.
5 (Mild form) produces coughs/headaches.
6 Difficulty sleeping.
7 (More serious form leads to) breathlessness/mental confusion/loss of co-ordination.
8 Can result in death.
9 The onset can be very rapid.
10 Sickness increases (with speed of ascent).

Treatments
11 Can be treated by oxygen.
12 Can be treated by drugs.
13 Getting sufferer quickly down the mountain.
14 The Gamow bag.

1 mark for each point up to a maximum of 7. Tick each point to be credited.

[Total: 30]

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Question 2

This question tests Reading Objectives R1–R3 (10 marks):

• Understand and collate explicit meanings
• Understand, explain and collate implicit meanings and attitudes
• Select, analyse and evaluate what is relevant to specific purposes.

AND Writing Objectives W1–W5 (10 marks):

• Articulate experience and express what is thought, felt and imagined
• Order and present facts, ideas and opinions
• Understand and use a range of appropriate vocabulary
• Use language and register appropriate to audience and context
• Make accurate and effective use of paragraphs, grammatical structures, sentences, punctuation
and spelling.

Imagine that you a professional Everest climber who has stayed at the hotel Everest View.

Write your journal entry for your stay there in which you give your impressions of:
• the hotel and its services
• the surrounding scenery
• the other guests.

You should base your ideas on what you have read in the passage, but do not copy from it.
Address each of the three bullet points.

You should write between 1 and 1½ sides, allowing for the size of your handwriting.

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

General notes on the task

The most successful responses are likely to select details from the passage which describe features
of the hotel and the surrounding scenery but will also pick up on and elaborate the writer’s strictures
on the wealthy guests and the limitations of their experience. Less successful responses are likely to
rely on lifting large amounts of the original passage and lose focus on the requirements of the task or
to engage in telling a story about mountain climbing with little relevance to the passage or question.

Look for and credit an attempt to write in an appropriate register.

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Marking criteria for Question 2

(a) READING (Using and understanding the material)

Use the following table to give a mark out of 10.

Uses and develops several ideas, both factual and inferential, from the
passage about the features of the hotel and the attractions of the area.
Band 1 9–10
Demonstrates and develops hints about the other guests and makes
sustained and perceptive criticisms of them.

Refers to several details from the passage about the features of the hotel and
Band 2 7–8 attractions of the area, and makes some mainly straightforward comments
about the other guests.

Uses some details from the passage to suggest some features of the hotel
and attractions of the area. Focuses on the question and on the passage, but
Band 3 5–6
uses material simply and partially with possibly little comment on the other
guests.

There is some relevance to the question with a tendency to retell the passage
rather than to focus on the requirements of the question. Focuses almost
Band 4 3–4
entirely on the features of the hotel and attractions of the area. The response
is likely to contain much repeated detail.

May retell the passage or give occasional relevant facts. There may be
Band 5 1–2 examples of misunderstanding or lack of clarity in attempting to use the
passage.

Band 6 0 Very little/no relevance. General misunderstanding of task and passage.

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(b) WRITING (Core tier)

Use the following table to give a mark out of 10.

Sentences are fluent and there is a fairly wide range of vocabulary. Overall
structure is good and sentences generally follow in sequence. Most full stops are
Band 1 9–10
correct and errors are infrequent and minor. An appropriate register is
established.

Sentences are correct, though relatively simple. Vocabulary is adequate and

correctly used. Structure is generally sound. There are some sentence
Band 2 7–8 separation errors and quite frequent other errors, although minor. There are
some hints of an appropriate register.

Sentence structures and vocabulary are simple, but meaning is never in doubt.
Band 3 5–6 The order is reasonable. Error may be frequent, but it does not blur meaning.
There may be an inconsistent attempt at an appropriate register.

The response is very simply written and there are occasional examples of
Band 4 3–4 blurred meaning. The structure can usually be followed. Some error is serious,
affecting meaning. The response may be over-dependent on lifted material.

The response is difficult to understand. The extent of grammatical error seriously

Band 5 1–2 impedes meaning. The response may be almost entirely lifted from the original.

Band 6 0 The response cannot be understood.

Add the marks for Reading and Writing to give a total mark out of 20 for Question 2.

[Total: 20]

© Cambridge International Examinations 2013