Close Reading Understanding Questions What are understanding Questions

Close Reading Understanding Questions

What are understanding Questions? The ‘U’ code just asks you to explain the meaning of part of the text. You are not being tested on your prior knowledge. You will be able to work out the answers using the text so always look closely and read the passage carefully. The text will help you to understand.

Demonstrating your Understanding You must demonstrate your understanding of the text. In order to do this, you will generally have to answer in your OWN WORDS. Very infrequently you might be asked to ‘write down an expression’ which shows something in particular. By quoting the right expression you are demonstrating you understand its meaning. You will then have to explain something about the expression to further show understanding.

In Your Own Words Most understanding questions will ask you to explain in your own words in order to demonstrate your understanding. You may have to explain a: Word Expression/Phrase Point or argument (key ideas/complex concepts) To explain in your own words – pick out the main points or words (nouns/verbs/adjectives) and translate them into other words that convey the same meaning – simplify meaning.

Exercise 1 E. g. taken from 2003 Paper. Passage described a writer’s ‘fascination with boats’ and it began by describing a journey he had made down the Mississippi River. Explain clearly why the writer wandered down the Mississippi’ in his boat (2 marks U question) In the text the answer was contained in this line: ‘It was the only possible way of encountering a great river at close quarters’ Some candidates simply copied out this sentence and gained no marks. The following answers to the question above would gain 2, 1 and 0 marks. Decide what mark you think each would get and why. A B C He wanted to see the river at close quarters. He could get to know the river well by seeing it from up close. The writer wandered down the Mississippi in his boat as it was the only possible way to go.

Exercise 2 Read the following extract from a close reading paper in which the writer described his experiences travelling in a taxi in New York. Then answer the question ‘Under other circumstances, I would have taken the subway. Even though everyone knows that the subway will be the first target of terrorists, it’s still safer than taking a cab. But I’d been shopping at Bulducci’s, my favourite New York Deli, and was loath to manoeuvre my bags into the crowded, subterranean world where the sun never shone’. ‘Under other circumstances I would have taken the subway’ In your own words, explain the circumstances that prompted the writer to take a cab on this occasion. (2 marks)

Types of Understanding Questions • Understanding from Context • Understanding Complex Ideas • Understanding Connected or Easily Confused Words • Understanding Main ideas and Supporting Detail • Understanding Main Points (Summary)

Understanding from Context You will be asked to work out the meaning of a word or phrase using the words around it to help HOW TO ANSWER: • Work out Meaning and explain in own words • Identify clues in surrounding context and explain how they help you to work out meaning

Example Most adult homicide victims know their killers. It seems that this most serious blight on our society is forced on us by assailants who are close to us; it is surely a sobering thought that those we think of as unlikely perpetrators of violent attacks are often the very people who are convicted of them. Explain how the context of the word ‘homicide’ (line 1) helps you arrive at its meaning (2) ‘homicide’ means the murder of a person. (1) The words know their killers’ suggests that the adult ‘homicide victims’ have been murdered by someone. (1)

More Examples ‘It is foolish to climb a tree because black bears are adroit climbers and you will simply end up fighting the bear in a tree. ’ Give the meaning of the word ‘adroit’ and explain how lines 45 – 46 help you to work it out. ‘Bears are unpredictable, and what works in one circumstance may not work in another. ’ Give the meaning of the word ‘unpredictable’ and explain how the rest of the sentence helps you to work it out.

Suggested Answers 1. ‘Adroit’ means skilful or expert. The writer explains that it would be ‘foolish’ to climb a tree to escape a bear because we would ‘end up fighting the bear in the tree’ showing that they must be good climbers. 2. ‘Unpredictable’ means that we could not guess the bear’s next actions. The statement ‘what works in one circumstance may not in another’ suggests the bears do not always behave in the same way.

Understanding Complex Ideas You will be asked to translate a complex idea into your own words HOW TO ANSWER: • Translate complex idea into your own words • Element of summary might be required

Example There is, of course, the possibility that as soon as deep space is crossed all the major powers will join in a race to claim as much territory as their ships can reach. Some American commentators have even suggested that for its own protection the USA must occupy the moon to prevent it being used as a launch site for nuclear missiles. What possibility is outlined in this paragraph? (1)

Suggested Answer That countries will soon be sending astronauts to claim territory outside earth.

Understanding Connected or Easily Confused Words You will be asked to look at two words which are similar but which have different (often opposite) meanings. Study the context and work out what each word means (they will be related in some way) and explain their meanings in your own words. HOW TO ANSWER: • Explain in your own words, the difference in meaning between the two words.

Example The “new politics” of the Scottish Parliamentary law -making machine aims to avoid the unilateral order in favour of the multilateral decision. No longer, we are told, will one party be allowed to bully all other members of the Assembly into supporting a policy in which they have no confidence. Explain the difference in meaning between ‘unilateral’ and ‘multilateral’ (2)

Suggested Answer ‘Unilateral’ means one-sided, or single; ‘multilateral’ means many sides or people take part. If you were asked to explain how you worked out the meaning from the context you would refer to the fact that they are moving away from the unilateral approach which means that it will no longer be possible for only ‘one party’ to ‘bully all other members of the Assembly’ into going along with their decision.

Understanding Main Ideas and Supporting Detail You will be asked to look at a particular part of a passage, decide what is absolutely essential information and translate it and any supporting detail (additions or illustrations) into your own words. HOW TO ANSWER: • Identify key/essential information from section and translate it into your own words. • Translate illustrations or additions which support central idea into your own words.

Example It’s not just real violence which unreels itself in the imagination, fast-forward, fast-backwards and pause. I have sat in a cinema and watched with peeled-back sight and a whimpering heart, peering aghast at the claustrophobic corners of the screen. I like Bringing up Baby and Jane Austen adaptations. I get very scared by images of violence. I get very worried by images of violence towards women. I get weepy and terrified by images of violence towards children. 1. What is the main idea of paragraph 1? 2. 2. What details supporting the main idea of paragraph 1 are given?

Suggested Answers 1. Violence shown through the media can have the same emotional and troubling effects on our minds as real violence does. 2. The writer describes the varied emotional responses she has when viewing images of different kinds of violence in the cinema to show that even though she knows it is not real, she still reacts negatively to them. The image of ‘peeled-back sight’ and connotations of ‘whimpering’ suggest a strong and physical reaction to these films.

Understanding Main Points (Summary) You will be asked to look at a fairly large section of the passage, decide what the main points are and translate these into your own words. You must show you have understood unfamiliar words. HOW TO ANSWER: • Translate main points of correct section into your own words. • Marks available will give you a clue as to how many points to make.

Example In devising strategies for dealing with screen violence the most important priority is to encourage personal action to reduce media consumption. On this basis we can each move swiftly and decisively to make a difference, taking powerful, private steps to share our own are responsible media environments. Sometime, later in the evening, one of them will appear downstairs, a pyjamaed stocky ghost lurking on the fringes of our adult evening (scenes from ER or from war-zones are hastily switched off the TV) and say they are scared. Scared of monsters, scared of wars, scared of you going away, scared of thunder, scared of a rustle outside the bedroom door, scared of don’t know what, just scared. And if we say, but there’s nothing to be scared of, you’re safe, there’s nothing there, then they reply that: it’s inside there heads and they can’t make it go away. It’s as if the images that flicker against their eyelids night after night are locked into their skulls when they sleep, and go on burning there. Summarise the main points made in the above paragraphs.

Suggested Answers 1. We need to take individual responsibility to try to limit the amount of on-screen violence our children see in our own homes 2. The imagination of a child can conjure up its own terrifying images without the outside world adding to them through media.

CONTEXT: Explain how the context of the word ‘homicide’ (line 1) helps you arrive at its meaning (2) COMPLEX IDEAS: What possibility is outlined in paragraph…? (2) EASILY CONFUSED WORDS: Explain the difference in meaning between ‘unilateral’ and ‘multilateral’ (2) MAIN IDEAS AND SUPPORTING DETAIL: What is the main idea of paragraph 1 and what details does the writer include to support the main idea? (2) SUMMARY: Summarise the writer’s main points in paragraph. . . (2, 3, 4 depending on how many points being summarised)