June 2011

Sample Answer to Comparison Question (6 marks)

POSSIBLE ANSWER; PASSAGE 1 CHOSEN
If I had to write an article for my school magazine, I would choose passage one.
Passage one is an extract from Neither Here Nor There by Bill Bryson. It describes a
visit to Naples in Italy. This passage has an overall humorous tone, which is obvious
from the first paragraph where the writer mocks about the Roman emperor Tiberius.
The writer makes adept use of sensory language, such as wispy haze and cold,
slicing rain, which paint a clear picture about what he saw and how he felt. Although it
seems that the writer has never visited Naples before, he is nevertheless rather
knowledgeable about the living conditions of the city, the population density, and the
crime rate. These bits of information would fit very nicely in a school magazine article,
since the students could learn something about the world. It is obvious that the writer
has done his research before traveling to Naples because near the end of the passage
he mentions that he was carrying H.V. Mortons A Traveler in Southern Italy, which he
must have been reading. I believe that passage one would be more suitable for a
school magazine article because it captures the real essence of traveling by showing us
that even mundane places can give us magical memories if we look at them through an
explorers eyes.
I would not choose passage two for my school magazine article. Passage two is an
extract from Slumdog Millionaire by Vikas Swarup. It describes a boys first visit to
the Taj Mahal in India. Passage two begins with a pessimistic tone as the writes talks
about pieces of driftwood and plastic debris and dead body floating. This passage
has some digressions, such as fear of being caught by the police, which are irrelevant
and will only serve to distract or confuse the readers. The Taj Mahal is such a well
known and widely recognized monument that it leaves little scope for imagination or
visualization by the reader. Choosing the passage for the school magazine would make
the article very clich, since almost everyone would think of the Taj Mahal as a tourist
destination.
________________________________________________________________________________________
POSSIBLE ANSWER; PASSAGE 2 CHOSEN
If I had to write an article for my school magazine, I would choose passage two.
Passage two is an extract from Slumdog Millionaire by Vikas Swarup. It describes a
boys first visit to the Taj Mahal in India. The author aptly uses vivid expressions, such
as gleaming white structure and ivory moon, to describe the magnificence of the
Taj Mahal. He emphasizes how spellbound he was at the sight of the Taj Mahal by
mentioning that he spoke to a passer-by after an eternity. Furthermore, he also
mentions that he could barely notice all the people at first since he was so awestruck
by the beauty of the Taj. This passage has detailed descriptions of the Taj Mahal which
contribute to recreate the actual ambience of the place. This will help ignite the
students interest about the Taj Mahal, and possibly induce them to visit it someday. I
think passage two would be more suitable for a school magazine article since it is
written from the perspective of a little boy whose innocence would be something that
the school students would find easy to relate to.
I would not choose passage one for my school magazine article. Passage one is an
extract from Neither Here Nor There by Bill Bryson. It describes a visit to Naples in
Italy. Passage one is written from the perspective of an adult, experienced traveler,
whose ironic and sarcastic tone may confuse the students who read the article on the
school magazine. This passage is filled with random references, such as Tiberius,
Sorrento, Capri, Santa Lucia, Vicaria, and Forbidden City, which would require
extensive knowledge of geography and history to appreciate. The author visits a rather
dilapidated part of Naples, and his descriptions of the place, such as rubbish on every

corner, plaster peeling off walls, and balconies that never saw sunlight, create a
dark cloud of negativity that enshrouds the whole passage. The references to criminal
activity, such as car theft and mugging, may discourage or scare the students who may
think of visiting this place.