Grade: X Div.

:____ Topic: VACATION ASSIGNMENT PAPER 1

Name of the Student: _________________ Date: ____ Roll no:

TEXT A: The Race

The writer Matt and his brother, Calum, have travelled to Turkey to take part in an annual
4.5km swimming race in the Strait of the Dardanelles, popular with swimmers from all over
the world.

We knew before we arrived that the geography of the Strait of the Dardanelles
means it has become one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world. This narrow
strip of water flows between four seas, offering access from Asia and Europe. So it
shouldn’t have surprised us, when we stood at the water’s edge, peering through the
thin screen of trees, to see huge, slow tankers and freighters filled with cargo.

‘Whoa!’ said Calum. I agreed. This was the open heart of Turkish industry; we felt a
long way from the peaceful lakes and clear rivers of the forests back home. Right
then we knew that this was going to be a swim unlike any we’d attempted before.

The race organisers hosted a welcome meal and information briefing for visiting
swimmers in a local hotel on the evening before the race. Our new friend Ed from
Ireland had become particularly animated at the mention of jellyfish, narrowly
avoiding choking on his chicken and rice. He interrogated us about the minor details
of our own race preparations; Calum had teased him wickedly with exaggerated
accounts. Amid all of the anticipation, though, was unwelcome news: weather
forecasters predicted winds nearing gale force and seas two metres high. ‘If you’re
not used to conditions like these,’ warned the organisers, ‘do not swim tomorrow.’

Everyone laughed nervously, rationalising our joint determination to go ahead with

the swim by accusing the organisers of being pessimistic. Surely their remarks were
intended for the less capable swimmers among us? They weren’t really talking to
me.

On the morning of the swim, our mixed group of various nationalities assembled
solemnly at the roadside and began our sea-bound march, passing amused early
risers watching from their apartment balconies. We moved towards the ferry ramp in
a slow herd to board the ferry and travel across the strait to the starting area on the
opposite shore. It was quite a sight: hundreds of swimmers huddled on a passenger
ferry, clad in nothing more than swimming suits and swim caps. The tension was
palpable. Conversations were muted. There was no sign of Ed.
The weather out on the water was even worse than the forecast, and the ferry ride to
the starting area was terrifying. The waves looked enormous, the gusting wind
kicking them into a frenzied mess of white-water and foam. I’d never been in
conditions like these in a boat, much less as a swimmer.

The day before, the water had rippled invitingly in the heat when we’d taken a boat
ride across the Dardanelles and been told about the two currents that flow through
the strait in opposite directions. A strong undercurrent sweeps along the shore. This
would make it hard for us to exit. Our guide had explained that only the best local
swimmers swam a straight line to the finish. We’d have to aim left and fight the
current, making for a tall flagpole visible on the hillside, until we could cut a direct
sprint for the exit ramp at the harbour.

As we disembarked the ferry and queued for the start line, we wished everyone luck,
then jumped down onto the sand when the horn sounded, bumping straight into a
flustered Ed coming back the other way. Keen to get in the water before he could
change his mind, he’d weaved his way through the chaos to the front and then forgot
to step on the starter mat, so was sent back. He rejoined the queue beside us
apologetically.

Unexpectedly, the weather suddenly calmed, and the morning sun lit up the water as
we waded in with the heat on our bare backs. We paused in the middle of the rush of
bodies and pulled down our goggles. A fever swept across the churned water, and I
let out a cheer as swimmers dived into the shallows around us. Splashes of water
erupted in all directions and then we slumped forward, went under and pulled
ourselves through the swirling green, quiet, veil of bubbles.

When I came up, there were swimmers on all sides of me. ‘We’re only here once,’
Ed called, disappearing recklessly into the squirming mass of swimmers. I picked out
Calum’s distinctive swim shorts and drew up alongside him. And we set off together
into the long, bobbing channel of colourful fishing boats, kayaks and dinghies floating
on the water.

For the next half hour, slow waves rocked us as we rose and we sank, a contented
pod of swimmers. The seabed disappeared quickly, but the sun still stretched its
arrows down deep underwater, catching umbrellas of clear jellyfish rising from the
murk, glowing hypnotically under faint shoals of shimmering fish. Calum and I timed
our strokes evenly as we cut a path through the criss-crossing wakes of other
swimmers. Finally, I let my feet trail, basking in the warmth washing over me, until
we floated onto the glassy waters shielded by the harbour wall around the exit ramp.
 Text B: Working with animals

In this online article, a conservation expert gives his opinion on animal sanctuaries – places
that take care of animals – and on volunteering to work in them.

‘Lots of young people want to give up their free time to help support conservation,’ claims an
advert online, citing 2900 searches for ‘conservation volunteering’ last month. This must add
up to tens of thousands of hours of effort from volunteers every year, and impressive levels
of fundraising and donations to make it possible. With all this money and effort, conservation
should really go places. ‘Surely that’s a success story?’ some would argue. But that donated
money could do a great deal more.

In all honesty, every time someone comes up to me after a talk and says they want to help
conservation, so they are (obviously) heading off to (a) an elephant orphanage, (b) a primate
sanctuary or (c) work with big cats, my heart sinks. ‘There’s nothing more dispiriting than
people who think that they are helping,’ agrees conservationist Rita Ni, who manages a
sanctuary which runs a captive breeding and reintroduction programme (the gold standard of
working with animals), ‘but they really aren’t.’

That may sound unnecessarily harsh, but conservation is harsh. It’s unforgiving. For me
personally, saving individual animals should always come second to saving species, which
in turn comes second to protecting and managing habitats – infinitely less glamorous, but
undoubtedly more worthwhile. Often, some of the most successful conservation strategies
actually involve exterminating invasive species. Sounds horrible? It is, and so undesirable
that, unsurprisingly, no conservation organisation has ever presented that opportunity to
potential volunteers.

On the other hand, a growing number of so-called ‘animal sanctuaries’ are realising that
well-meaning, eager volunteers can help keep them in business, through exploiting people’s
passion for a cute animal. Even among the well-established sanctuaries, there are few which
do anything to solve the root cause of the problem – the reason that injured and homeless
animals end up there in the first place.

Keeping any animal in captivity is expensive – that explains where all of your donations go.
But, hey, you get to take that baby elephant down for a wash, or bottle-feed that orphaned
orangutan and feel good about yourself. I am of course a hypocrite – I would relish the
chance to do those things. But I resist, not least because I’m aware of the environmental
impact of flying to a remote sanctuary.

So who’s at fault? I believe the responsibility lies with conservation organisations who should
be educating volunteers about what to look for, rather than promoting ‘cute and cuddly’
experiences. Typically, organisations recruit volunteers to work for such a short time that the
difference they can make is likely to be insignificant anyway.

By the way, just for the sake of comparison, here are a few other things young people
searched for: ‘fake tan’ = 14800, ‘pet chimps’ = 1 000 and ‘gap year’ = 49500.
Question 1

Identify a word or phrase from the text which suggests the same idea as the words
underlined:

(a)

(i) Everyone laughed as an attempt to rationalise our joint determination.

................................................................................................................................. [1]

(ii) The previous day, sunlit water waved gently, drawing us toward it.
................................................................................................................................. [1]

(iii) The ferry was moving through the water violently and unpredictably.
................................................................................................................................. [1]

(iv) Ed tried to move through the crowd in a hurried and disorganised way.
................................................................................................................................. [1]

(b)

Using your own words, explain what the writer means by each of the words
underlined:

The waves looked enormous, the gusting wind kicking them into a frenzied mess of
white-water and foam.
I’d never been in conditions like these in a boat, much less as a swimmer.
When the horn sounded, we bumped into a flustered Ed coming back the other way,
and a fever swept across the churned water.

(i) frenzied ........................................................................................................... [1]

(ii) flustered .......................................................................................................... [1]

(iii) fever ................................................................................................................ [1]

(c)

Use one example from the text below to explain how the writer suggests his feelings
during the final moments of the swim.

“Finally, I let my feet trail, basking in the warmth washing over me, until we floated
onto the glassy waters shielded by the harbour wall around the exit ramp.”

Use your own words in your explanation.

.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
[3]

(d)

Re-read paragraphs 5 and 6.

• Paragraph 5 begins “On the morning of the swim…” and describes the participants
boarding the ferry.
• Paragraph 6 begins “The weather out on the water…” and is about the experience
on the ferry.

Explain how the writer uses language to convey meaning and to create effect in
these paragraphs.
Choose three examples of words or phrases from each paragraph to support your
answer.
Your choices should include the use of imagery.

Write about 200 to 300 words.

Up to 15 marks are available for the content of your answer.

.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
Question 2:
You are Matt. Write a journal entry for the evening after the race.
In your journal, you should reflect on:
 your thoughts about the location and history of the Dardanelles before the
race
 your experiences and feelings during the race itself
 what you learned about yourself and others from the day.
Base your journal entry on what you have read in Text A, but be careful to use your
own words.
Address each of the three bullet points.
Write about 250 to 350 words.
Up to 15 marks are available for the content of your answer and up to 10 marks
for the quality of your writing.

.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
Question 3:

According to Text B, what are the arguments against volunteering to work with
animals?

You must use continuous writing (not note form) and use your own words as far as
possible.

Your summary should not be more than 120 words.

Up to 10 marks are available for the content of your answer and up to 5 marks for
the quality of your writing

.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................

.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................