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Education and aspirations:
reading and responding answers
Type A
Type B
Task 1
| Marking Criteria | |
|---|---|
| Demonstrates a good understanding of the environmental issues | 2 marks |
| Demonstrates some understanding of the environmental issues | 1 mark |
Sample answer:
Forest trees being cut down so that a road can be put through; a river being polluted by chemicals, pollution caused by car exhaust.
| Marking Criteria | |
|---|---|
| Demonstrates a perceptive understanding of Sonja's personality with detailed reference to the text | 5 marks |
| Demonstrates a good understanding of Sonja's personality | 3 or 4 marks |
| Demonstrates some understanding of Sonja's personality | 1 or 2 marks |
Sample answer: Sonja has very strong ideas and knows what she wants: to get married as soon as possible and become a tax adviser. She is realistic about her prospects and has an optimistic attitude towards the future.
Sonja is practical. Her fiance lives on a farm which has been in his family for generations. He can't imagine living elsewhere, so they will live in that area after they are married. She enjoys life in a small country village, as everyone knows everyone else and there is a real sense of community. She says that she would miss that if they had to move. Her hopes for the future are that her family will be healthy and live in peace, which shows a practical, realistic approach.
Sonja has a strong social conscience and is a "doer" . She is not just interested in the environment but believes in actively protecting it. In order to follow these principles, she sold her old car, which was polluting the atmosphere, using too much petrol and stank, for a more environmentally-friendly car. She gets upset at people who pollute the air with old cars, as they are not showing consideration towards others.
Total: 7 marks
Task 2
Question a)
| Marking Criteria | |
|---|---|
| Demonstrates an excellent understanding of why Ingenhove's concepts are so important | 3 marks |
| Demonstrates a good understanding of why Ingenhove's concepts are so important | 2 marks |
| Demonstrates some understanding of why Ingenhove's concepts are so important | 1 mark |
Sample answer: The writer calls Ingenhoven "the new hope of the German architectural scene". Ingenhoven designs high rise buildings that are more environmentally-friendly and more energy efficient than the buildings which have been built previously. This is important because about fifty percent of the world's energy is spent on offices and skyscrapers. He also believes that it's important that skyscrapers have a humanised, natural atmosphere.
Question b)
| Marking Criteria | |
|---|---|
| Demonstrates an excellent understanding of his innovations and the reasons behind them | 4 marks |
| Demonstrates an understanding of his innovations and the reasons behind them | 2 or 3 marks |
| Gives some information from the passage about the innovations | 1 mark |
Sample answer: He used a cylindrical design in order to use the smallest surface area possible and therefore lose the least amount of energy. The building also has a second glass skin which improved energy efficiency. The windows can be opened which means that the office workers don't have to use air-conditioning; that they can hear sounds from outside and that they don't feel sealed off from the world.
Question c)
| Marking Criteria | |
|---|---|
| Demonstrates a perceptive understanding of the important issues reflected in the passage | 3 marks |
| Demonstrates a good understanding of the important issues reflected in the passage | 2 marks |
| Demonstrates some understanding of the important issues reflected in the passage | 1 mark |
Sample answer: The key issue is the environment and what we can do about the huge environmental problems from offices and skyscrapers. The architect thinks he still has a lot of work to do before he has designed the ideal ecologically friendly high-rise. His concepts have reduced the energy use of skyscrapers by 50%.
Another issue is that many people live and work in sealed highrises, leading to a dehumanised, sterile atmosphere through insulation from outside noise.
Total: 10 marks
Task 3
In this question you were required to read a letter from a student in Germany. You had to show you had understood this written text by identifying and analysing the relevant information contained in it. You then had to write an appropriate response of 150—200 words in German.
The question provided you with:
- a purpose: a 3 minute speech
- a context: information about school
life in Australia
- an audience: German high school students
To answer this question you should have written a script for your speech as an exchange student in Germany.
In response to the questions, comments and statements made in the letter, your answer should have included:
- an introduction of yourself and where you are from
- if you wear a uniform at your Australian school
- whether you have freedom at school + example(s)
- how you feel about being at school all day
- whether/ how you meet others at school.
It might also be appropriate to mention how you feel about being in a German school, especially as Petra has said they would like to make you feel welcome.
While it isn't necessary to talk about other differences between schools in Australia and Germany, the letter does allow the possibility of mentioning other differences and you may wish to do so, especially if it helps your speech flow more logically.
Although the points given follow the order in which the issues were raised in the text, you do not necessarily have to use the same order in your response. However, you must ensure that your answer flows logically.
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