Higher Close Reading

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Higher Close Reading

• Evaluation

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Three Types of Question

• How effective do you find or To what extent
  is a technique effective
• How effective do you find or To what extent
  is an example, illustration or anecdote
  effective
• The evaluation of the merits of both passages in
  the paper

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Effectiveness of a Technique

• Many evaluation questions require you to analyse
  because you cannot discuss how effective a
  technique is without analysing it first.

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Worked Example

• The UK is not a group of nations swamped by a
  tidal wave of immigration. Relatively speaking,
  Europe contends with a trickle of refugees
  compared with countries who border areas of
  famine, desperate poverty, or violent political
  upheaval.
• Q Discuss how effective you find the writers
  use of imagery in these lines in making her point
  clear. You may refer in your answer to one or
  more examples.
• - You are free to argue that the image is
  effective or ineffective.
• - But you must justify your opinion by analysing
  the use of imagery.
• Hint its usually harder to argue why you find
  something ineffective!

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Worked Example - Answer

• The imagery of swamped, tidal wave and
  trickle are effective in helping to illustrate
  the point the writer is making that in fact
  there are very few immigrants or refugees. The
  connotations of tidal wave and swamped are to
  do with a mass of water rushing with unstoppable
  force onto the land and drowning it as if the
  number of immigrants is so great that the people
  of Britain will be overwhelmed and unable to
  withstand the force of the impact, which is not
  true. By contrast trickle of refugees suggests
  a very small volume of water, having minimal
  effect on the landscape, like the refugees who
  are so few in number as to be almost
  unnoticeable. The images of tidal wave and
  trickle are exaggerated enough to convince the
  reader of the rightness of the writers point
  that the UK is not in danger.
• Can you identify the analysis?
• Can you identify the evaluative statements?

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Practice

• Now have a go at Example 2 on page 89 of How to
  Pass Higher English
• No cheating please!

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Effectiveness of an example / illustration /
anecdote or conclusion

• When thinking about how to answer this type of
  question, you must consider the example the
  author has used and relate it to the argument
  they are making.
• Again, you are free to argue that it is effective
  or ineffective but must back up your thoughts...

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Worked Example

• According to Steven Hall, One moment we could
  be basking in a Mediterranean climate and the
  next icebergs could be floating down the English
  channel. It would take just one quarter of 1
  more fresh water flowing in tot eh North Atlantic
  from melting Arctic glaciers to bring the
  northwards flow of the Gulf Stream to a halt.
• And in August this year, a tremor of
  apprehension ran through the scientific committee
  when the Russian ice-breaker Yamal, on a tourist
  cruise of the Arctic, muscled its way through the
  unusually thin ice to the North Pole to find
  itself sailing serenely into an astonishingly
  clear blue sea. It was the first time the effects
  of global warming has been seen so far North.
• Q In the context of global warming, how
  effective do you find the writers anecdote about
  the Yamal?

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Worked Example Answer

• The story about the Yamal brings vividly home to
  the reader that this event could not have
  happened if the effects of global warming were
  not already well established. The contrast
  between muscling and the unexpected serenity of
  the sea clearly emphasises the shocking extent of
  global warming. It backs up Steve Halls point
  that the disaster situation is closer than you
  think.
• - Can you identify the analysis?
• - Can you identify the evaluative statements?

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Practice

• Now have a go at the passage and question on
  page 90 of How to Pass Higher English.

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The Question on Both Passages

• This question quite often puts fear into even the
  most confident Close Reader.
• It will usually be worth 4 or 5 marks and is
  worth spending a lot of time on.
• You have to think of it as a mini essay and the
  length of your answer needs to reflect this.
• You may get asked to examine the style, ideas or
  a combination of both.

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Example 1

• Which of the two passages did you find more
  persuasive.
• Justify your answer by referring closely to the
  style and/or ideas of both passages.

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• Persuasive

This word has to appear more than once. Any
ideas you explore must relate back to how well
you were persuaded.
Justify
You have to provide evidence for your point of
view.
Referring closely to
Evidence must be drawn from the words of the
passages. You must quote or make reference to the
passage in your answer.
Style and/or ideas
Style covers everything you did on
Analysis Ideas covers the content or arguments
in both passages.
Both Passages
You have to answer by referring to both passages
and cannot get full marks if you dont.
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Style

• Sometimes you are not given a specific list of
  techniques to comment on in this case youll
  need to decide which techniques you think were
  most effective.
• At other times you are given specific techniques
  to consider.
• If the question says such features as then the
  techniques are a guide only. Youre not forced to
  deal with these, although youd be strongly
  advised to do so.

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2006 Higher Paper

• As a practice, your teacher will have given you
  the 2006 Higher Past Paper.
• Before completing the final question, have a look
  at the following answers and decide which marks
  you would give them and why.

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• The question on both passages was worth 4
  marks.
• The question asks you to refer to specific lines.
• Adding up ticks isnt appropriate here. The
  marking guidelines state
• 4 Marks clear understanding of both styles
  sensible references evaluative comment is
  reasonably convincing.
• 3 Marks understanding of both styles adequate
  references appropriate evaluative comment.
• 2 Marks some understanding of style limited
  reference at least one discernible evaluative
  comment.
• 1 Mark one or two relevant but unconvincing
  comments.
• 0 Marks entirely irrelevant or inappropriate
  comments.
• All example are as the candidate wrote them
  mistakes included!

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Example 1

• I find the style of Passage one more effective
  in capturing my interest. I found the more
  serious, documented style of passage one with its
  statistical analysis of the problem (World
  Health Organisation labelled obesity as an
  epidemic in 20000) more effective that the more
  relaxed style of passage two which did not convey
  the seriousness of the problem. dangerous fat is
  swamping the nation. The structure of passage
  one was more effective in my mind by first
  identifying the paradox that whilst mankind has
  out-engineered starvation, there are new problems
  and then moving subject matter from agricultural
  advances to obesity. I prefer this style of
  setting up the background of obesity to the way
  Passage two begins with a personal anecdote over
  the governments desire to remove obesity from
  schools. I found the word choice of Passage one
  effective at conveying the scale of the obesity
  problem, describing it as a plague, reinforcing
  the terrible widespread consequence of it rather
  the passage two advocating the attempts of some
  to gain weight You can be fat, fit and healthy.
  Therefore I found the style of passage one more
  effective in capturing my interest.

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Example 1
Your Mark?
Actual Mark?
3
Why?
There are plenty of references to both passages
and they do express a clear preference for
one. It only gets three because its questionable
if passage two is relaxed as the quotations
chosen do not reflect this. Also, the last part
on word-choice is weak.
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Example 2
Passage 1 takes a more relaxed tone towards
obesity showing how it is not completely
mankinds fault. Mankind merely solved one
problem and obesity is an unforeseen
consequence. the consequence of prosperity is a
new plague that brings with it a host of
interesting dilemmas This statement echoes the
writers relaxed approach to obesity by using the
word interesting. However, passage 2 is very
uptight about the matter. The writer takes a
defensive position on obesity. Short sentences
and pointing out ne of the hottest men in the
world Brad Pitt as being overweight. This is to
try and make the point that obesity is a word
used by companies in order to sell cures for it.
Both passages use their style well but Passage 1
with its more relaxed tine makes it a more
effective read as it is easy going and not
forcing the writers opinion down your throat
thought the writers view is still there.
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Example 2
Your Mark?
Actual Mark?
0
Why?
There is no attempt to justify their opinion bar
mere quotation. Theres no sense of analysing the
passages at all. The reference to Brad Pitt is
sound, but it is outwith the lines theyve been
asked to deal with. Be careful with this in every
aspect of Close Reading.
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Example 3
Writer one writes in a style that relies on facts
and statistics, juxtaposition of the ideas of
lack and plenty, and the negative effects of
obesity. Writer two uses an anecdote of her sons
school to illustrate her points and writes in a
way that questions the intentions of those
helping to tackle the obesity problem. She also
encourages the reader to go against the idea of
obesity being a massive negative issue. In my
opinion writer one has been more successful in
capturing my interest as he includes more
persuasive information and fact.
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Example 3
Your Mark?
Actual Mark?
1
Why?
Very basic answer. It demonstrates some
understanding but theres only one very basic
evaluative comment. Style isnt really dealt
with at all.
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Example 4
I find the style of passage 2 more effective in
capturing my interest. The style of passage one
is a little more formal, it tries to emphasise
the importance of its argument through being
official and statistical, eg according to the UN
fell from 920m to 799m and Since the World
Health Organisation Although this may give the
article more weight in terms of a scientific
review of the situation and supports the writers
argument, it does not capture my interest as well
as the more personal, informal tone of the second
Passage. Indeed the second passage is rather more
polemic and didactic in its approach, demonising
the drug companies of the USA. Although this mat
well be inaccurate and/or exaggerated, it is
certainly effective in engaging me. As the writer
appears to be talking from personal experience
and uses examples of school which are easy to
identify with given my own schools healthy
eating policy it engages the reader on a personal
level. The tone of the second passage is more
effective in capturing my interest in that it is
slightly more colloquial and informal, eg They
werent just food, but food plus attitude. The
sarcastic tone adopted in reference to the
American anti-obesity schemes further engages the
reader, capitalising on the contemporary
anti-American persuasion of many. The second
passages style is more involved in that it
presents the problem of obesity on a local and
personal level making it more accessible. The
first passage is not overly formal, but it feels
rather more distanced from the reader and on a
rather more worldwide level making it more
difficult to identify with the issues raised.
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Example 4
Your Mark?
Actual Mark?
4
Why?
Gives it more weight is the evaluative stance
which is very strong throughout. Theres also a
link to their own experience which demonstrates
clear understanding of the issues. This answer
is rigorous and thorough.