Paper 2A:Writers’ Viewpoints

and Perspectives

DISCOVERIES

DIFFERENTIATED WORKBOOK

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SOURCE A: adapted from Charles Darwin’s ‘The Voyage of the Beagle’, 1839

In the extract below, the author – Charles Darwin – describes his experiences of the native people of Tierra del Fuego, a group of small islands off the southernmost tip of South America, divided between Chile and Argentina.

While going one day on shore near Wollaston Island, we pulled alongside a canoe with six Fuegians. These were the most miserable creatures I had ever seen. On the east coast the natives wear guanaco cloaks, and on the west they wear seal-skins. Amongst these central tribes the men generally have an otter-skin, or some small scrap about as large as a pocket-handkerchief which is barely sufficient to cover their backs as low down as their loins. It is laced across the breast by strings, and as the wind blows, shifts from side to side. But these Fuegians in the canoe were quite naked, and even one full-grown woman was absolutely so. It was raining heavily, and the fresh water, together with the spray, trickled down her body.

In another harbour not far away, a woman, who was suckling a recently-born child, came one day alongside our ship, and remained there out of mere curiosity, whilst the sleet fell and thawed on her naked body, and on the skin of her naked baby! These poor wretches were stunted in their growth, their hideous faces decorated with white paint, their skins filthy and greasy, their hair entangled, their voices unpleasant, and their gestures violent. Viewing such men, it is difficult to accept they are fellow human beings, inhabitants of the same world.

At night five or six human beings, naked and scarcely protected from the wind and rain of this stormy climate, sleep on the wet ground coiled up like animals. Whenever it is low tide, winter or summer, night or day, they must pick shellfish from the rocks; and the women either dive to collect sea-eggs, or sit patiently in their canoes, and with a baited hair-line without any hook, jerk out little fish. If a seal is killed, or the floating carcass of a rotting whale is discovered, it is a feast; and such miserable food is assisted by a few tasteless berries and fungi.

Their country is a broken mass of wild rocks, lofty hills, and useless forests: and these are viewed through mists and endless storms. The habitable land is reduced to the stones on the beach. In search of food they are forced to wander endlessly from spot to spot, and so steep is the coast that they can only move about in their primitive canoes. They cannot know the feeling of having a home, and still less that of domestic affection; for the husband is to his wife like a brutal master to his hard-working slave.

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SOURCE B: an excerpt from Howard Carter’s diary

This account appears in the diaries of Howard Carter, the English archaeologist and Egyptologist who discovered the tomb of an Ancient Egyptian king called Tutankhamen. It describes the opening of the king’s tomb on 26th November, 1922.

Feverishly we cleared away the remaining last scraps of rubbish on the floor of the passage, until we had only the clean sealed doorway before us. After making preliminary notes, we made a tiny hole in the top left-hand corner to see what was beyond. Darkness and the iron testing rod told us that there was empty space. Perhaps another descending staircase? Or maybe a chamber?

Candles were lit—the all-important tell-tale sign for foul gases when opening an ancient subterranean excavation—and I widened the hole and by means of the candle looked in, while Lord Carnarvon and the others waited in anxious expectation…

It was sometime before I could see as the hot air escaping caused the candle to flicker, but as soon as my eyes became accustomed to the glimmer of light the interior of the chamber gradually loomed before me, with its strange and wonderful medley of extraordinary and beautiful objects heaped upon one another…

There was naturally some suspense for those present who could not yet see, because when Lord Carnarvon said to me ‘Can you see anything?’ I replied to him ‘Yes, wonderful things.’ I then carefully made the hole large enough for both of us to see. With the light of an electric torch as well as an additional candle, we looked in.

Our sensations and astonishment are difficult to describe as the better light revealed to us the marvellous collection of treasures : two strange ebony-black statues of a King, gold-sandalled, loomed out from the cloak of darkness; gilded couches in strange forms, lion-headed, Hathor-headed, and beast infernal; exquisitely painted, inlaid, and ornamental caskets; alabaster vases, strange black shrines, with a gilded monster snake appearing from within; quite ordinary looking white chests; finely carved chairs; a golden inlaid throne; beneath our very eyes, in the doorway, a lovely wishing-cup made from alabaster; and, lastly, a confusion of overturned parts of chariots glinting with gold, peering from amongst which was a statue.

The first impression suggested the property-room of an opera of a vanished civilization. Our sensations were bewildering and full of strange emotion. We questioned one another as to the meaning of it all. Was it a tomb or merely a cache? A sealed doorway between the two sentinel statues proved there was more beyond, and with the numerous cartouches bearing the name of Tutankhamen on most of the objects before us, there was little doubt that there behind was the grave of the Pharaoh.

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Q1: Read Source A, lines 1 to 9. TICK four statements below which are TRUE.

The canoe contained seven Fuegian people.

The men in the central tribe wear suits.

Darwin seems shocked by their lack of clothing.

The canoe contained six Fuegian people.

Darwin thinks the Fuegians are cheerful people.

The men in the central tribe wear otter skins.

Darwin thinks the Fuegians are miserable people.

EXTENSION: Read SOURCE A, lines 12 to 16.

Label the image with words or phrases used by Darwin to describe the Fuegian people. Write these as quotations. Use quotation marks.

Q2: Refer to Source A and Source B. Write a summary to explain the

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different attitudes of each writer towards their discovery. What to do:

(1) Read the sentences below.(2) Fill in the blanks with the correct word from the Word Box below.

The author of Source A has a ____________________________ attitude to his

discovery. He describes the way that the Fuegians dress, commenting on the

_________________ skins they use to convey his opinion that they are primitive people in

comparison to himself. He even comments on one woman’s _________________________,

showing how shocked he is by the different way that they live. He is very

___________________ of their appearance, calling them “poor wretches” and complaining

that they have “hideous faces” and “filthy and greasy” skin with __________________ hair.

He also criticises the Fuegian ______________ and is disgusted that they will “feast” on

the rotting corpse of a whale that washes up on the beach. He says their diet is “miserable”.

However, the author of Source B has a very _____________________ attitude to his

discovery. He describes how they cleared the passage “feverishly” or with

________________________, so they could gain access to the sealed door. He remembers

wondering what might be hidden behind it. Then he describes looking through a small

______________ and seeing a variety of objects he refers to as “strange”, “wonderful”, and

“extraordinary.” He is excited by the fact that there is another room beyond this one and he

eagerly hopes that he will discover the ___________________ of the Ancient Egyptian king,

Tutankhamen.

Q2: EXTENSION

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WORD BOX: Use each word only once.

hole diet matted negative tomb

excitement positive animal nakedness critical

Finish the sentences below using your own words.Write a summary of each writer’s attitude to their discovery.

Charles Darwin, the author of Source A, has a rather negative attitude towards the Fuegian people whom he encounters. He first describes … … …

He then writes about another harbour, not far away. He encounters … … …

He finishes by describing the landscape of these islands. He thinks … … …

However, the author of Source B has a very positive attitude to his discovery. He begins by explaining … … …

Then the writer describes the wonderful treasures he saw, such as … … …

He finishes by explaining … … …

Q3: Refer to the extract below, taken from Source B.

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Feverishly we cleared away the remaining last scraps of rubbish on the floor of the passage, until we had only the clean sealed doorway before us. After making preliminary notes, we made a tiny hole in the top left-hand corner to see what was beyond. Darkness and the iron testing rod told us that there was empty space. Perhaps another descending staircase? Or maybe a chamber?

Candles were lit—the all-important tell-tale sign for foul gases when opening an ancient subterranean excavation—and I widened the hole and by means of the candle looked in, while Lord Carnarvon and the others waited in anxious expectation…

It was sometime before I could see as the hot air escaping caused the candle to flicker, but as soon as my eyes became accustomed to the glimmer of light the interior of the chamber gradually loomed before me, with its strange and wonderful medley of extraordinary and beautiful objects heaped upon one another…

How does the writer use language to convey his excitement?

What to do:

(1) Highlight 3 phrases that show the writer’s excitement.

(2) Write out those 3 phrases below as quotations. Use quotation marks.

1: ____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

2: ____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

3: ____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

Q3b: Write Up

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What to do:

(1) Read the sentences below.(2) Fill in the blanks. Choose the correct word from the Word Box below.

The ___________________________ uses language in interesting ways to convey his

viewpoint to the reader. Firstly, he uses the adverb “feverishly” to describe how they

cleared the ______________________________________ hurriedly and with excitement so

that they could reach the sealed __________________________________ at the end of the

passageway.

Also, he uses __________________________ questions to show the thoughts which

raced through his mind as he prepared to break through the _________________________

doorway. He is excited at what he might ______________________________ and wonders:

“Perhaps another descending staircase? Or maybe a chamber?”

Lastly, the author also uses a number of ______________________________ in one

sentence to capture his _____________________________ as he realised what treasures he

had discovered. His delight is conveyed by his use of the adjectives, “strange”, “wonderful”,

“extraordinary” and “beautiful.”

Q3b: EXTENSION

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WORD BOX: Use each word only once.

emotions rhetorical passageway doorway

adjectives discover sealed author

What to do: provide relevant evidence for each of the points below explain in your own words how they show the writer’s excitement.

P The author uses an interesting adverb to describe how he cleared the passageway.

E In the text, we read: “___________________________________________________.”

E The adverb “ ____________________________” helps readers to understand

_______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________ .

P The author also uses rhetorical questions to convey his excitement to the reader.

E In the text, we read: “______________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________. ”

E These rhetorical questions show the reader __________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________.

P Lastly, the author also uses lots of adjectives to convey his feelings to the reader.

E In the text, we read: “_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________ .”

E These adjectives help the reader to understand _______________________________

______________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________.

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