Question 1 Comprehension: Model Answers (Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE English Language): Revision Note

Question 1 Comprehension: Model Answers

Paper 1: Reading is the compulsory exam for the Cambridge IGCSE First Language English qualification, and examiners recommend that you complete the questions in the order they are set.

Question 1 is a series of compulsory short-answer questions based on Text A in your reading insert.

Question 1(a-f) model answers

The following questions are taken from the 2027 specimen paper.

The questions are based on Text A in the source insert.

Questions 1(a) and 1(b)

Text A: Horses

To understand the history of horses and how they have changed over time, we must first visualise a creature no larger than a small dog living around 55 million years ago in the forests of what is now America. We call this animal Eohippus (or ‘dawn horse’). Meanwhile, in another part of the world — now Europe and Asia —another animal was developing. Also small, a forest dweller and eater of leaves, this ancient ancestor only faintly resembled the horse we know today and had four toes on its front feet.

Question 1(c)

These early prototype horses were followed by bigger, better models. By the time humans arrived on Earth around 5 million years ago, the horse was already firmly established. Horses clearly interested our ancestors, inspiring artists as early as the Stone Age. Before engines, horses provided transport, though modern-day roles favour leisure and sport. But there’s a big difference between observing animals for artistic inspiration and harnessing them, so where and when, did horses first go from wild to tame?

Question 1(d)

Scientists identified several options. The discovery of a frozen, mummified foal in Siberia was initially tempting. Meanwhile, ancient horse samples from Iberia, the area containing modern‑day Spain, seemed promising; whilst numerous, detailed and life-sized depictions of the creatures in cave art, alongside other domesticated animals such as goats, suggested proximity.

Question 1(e)

But the archaeological site that really captivated researchers was the ancient settlement at Botai. Here excavations produced an astonishing 300,000 bone fragments: over 90 per cent were derived from horses, with evidence that mouthpieces (used when riding horses) may have damaged their teeth. Scientists found pottery shards containing chemical traces of mare’s milk, potentially consumed as yogurt or cheese. In addition, fenced-off areas within the structure where groups of horses could have been kept meant that Botai was seen as the most likely place that horses were first tamed, though there was no way to confirm this or be sure these were the horses that spread around the world as human-managed livestock.

More recently, scientists analysed DNA from as far back as 42,800 years ago. The result: horses in Botai were not the genetic origin for modern domestic horses, but a distinct smaller species naturally prone to dental issues. Evidence from elsewhere indicates that horses may have been domesticated independently by different groups of people, showing the importance of horses.

Question 1(f)

Tantalisingly, scientists are unable to pinpoint just one culture, attributing the explosion in horse-based transport and technology to the Bronze Age — the invention of the spoked wheel unlocking the potential of these elegant, living machines, powered only by grass.

Summary

• Remember to read each sub-question carefully and highlight:

  • What you have to do (“give two examples”/”write your answer in your own words”, etc.)

  • What you have to look for in the text (the focus of the question)

• Pay attention to the number of marks awarded for each sub-question and write your answers accordingly

• Make sure you are reading the correct section of text (according to the sub-question instructions)

• If the question asks you to use your own words, most of your answer needs to be in your own words; you must not just copy and paste from the text

• These are short-answer questions, so do not waste time writing paragraphs; short sentences will do:

  • Writing more will not get you more marks — the examiner can only award the amount of marks allocated to each sub-question