7

Section C
[25 marks]

Questions 26 31 are based on the following passage.

1 Do you know that blocks of ice can become beautiful pieces of art? These
pieces of art or ice sculptures are the work of artists called ice sculptors. Ice
sculptures capture our imagination. They glisten at every grand function and
wedding and appear in a variety of shapes and sizes. Depending on the occasion,
they can resemble anything from kissing swans and love birds to Santa Claus and 5
glittering palaces.

2 But do we ever wonder about the artists behind these magnificent works? All
we see are the results of their creativity, skill, vivid imagination and hard work. One
of these artists is Harun Jalil, a Malaysian ice sculptor who is noted for his
outstanding work. He has developed his own distinctive style over the years. 10

3 Ice is extremely difficult to carve and is a real challenge to work on. But in
Haruns hands, it can be transformed into art to reveal its hidden beauty. Before
Harun can begin sculpting, he prepares tools like chisels and hammers of different
lengths and sizes.

4 Harun usually imagines the picture before he starts his work on ice. After that, 15
he makes an outline of his chosen subject onto the block of ice with small chisels.
He stresses that if a sculptor has not fully mastered the technique of carving and
sculpting, the ice figure will collapse. To him, patience and speed are very
important. Endurance is an added bonus.

5 Then he chips away. As small parts of the ice slowly flake off with each hit, 20
the object takes on a three-dimensional appearance. It takes 20 to 45 minutes to
complete a sculpture, depending on the complexity of the design. An aeroplane
carved in ice took him almost two hours to complete.

6 Chainsaws are used to saw off huge chunks of ice. This step is the longest and
most exhausting of all. The chainsaws are rather heavy and difficult to handle. 25
Gradually, the ice block begins to take on the desired shape. The edges are rough
and jagged from the sawing and chipping, hence the next step is to make the
sculpture smooth, using a flat chisel.

7 Using his bare hands, Harun holds and moves the ice. To fine tune the piece,
he uses his chisels to create eyes, wings, feathers and other unique features. From a 30
mere block of ice, Harun makes a majestic eagle. The sculpture is then placed on a
small flat tray.

8 It takes more than just talent to do ice carving. One must concentrate on what
one is doing and work tirelessly without any break. Dedication and experience in ice
carving goes a long way in gaining respect from fellow ice artists. It pays to be 35
strong, for lifting ice blocks is not easy.

9 It may look simple but there is a great deal of work that goes into ice carving.
Harun values the satisfaction he feels when a piece is completed and admired by
others. His knowledge, creativity and experience make Harun different from other
ice sculptors. 40

Adapted from Going Places, November 2001.

 8

Questions 26 30
Answer all questions. You are advised to answer them in the order set.

26 (a) From paragraph 1, when can you usually see a display of ice sculptures?

________________________________________________________ [1 mark]

(b) From paragraph 2, which word means unique?

________________________________________________________ [1 mark]

27 From paragraph 3,

(a) Why is ice a challenge to work on?

________________________________________________________ [1 mark]
(b) The word it in line 12 refers to ____________________________ [1 mark]

28 From paragraph 6, why is sawing the most tiring activity in ice sculpting?
____________________________________________________________ [1 mark]

29 From paragraphs 5 and 7, name two objects which Harun has carved out of ice.

(i) ________________________________________________________ [1 mark]

(ii) ________________________________________________________ [1 mark]

30 (a) From paragraph 8, why is it an advantage for an ice sculptor to be strong?

________________________________________________________ [1 mark]

(b) From paragraph 9, what two things give Harun a sense of satisfaction?
Answer in your own words.
i) ________________________________________________________
ii) ________________________________________________________ [2 marks]

31 Based on the passage given, write a summary of how Harun produces an ice sculpture.
Include

the steps taken by Harun

the tools he uses for sculpting

Credit will be given for use of own words but care must be taken not to change the original
meaning.
 9

Your summary must:

be in continuous writing form (not in note form)
use materials from lines 14 37
not be longer than 130 words, including the 10 words given below

Begin your summary as follows:

In order to produce an ice sculpture, Harun first prepares

[15 marks]
 10

Section D
[20 marks]
[Time suggested : 35minutes]

32 Read the poem below and answer the questions that follow

What Has Happened to Lulu?

What has happened to Lulu, mother?

What has happened to Lu?
There's nothing in her bed but an old rag-doll
And by its side a shoe.

Why is her window wide, mother,

The curtain flapping free,
And only a circle on the dusty shelf
Where her money-box used to be?

Why do you turn your head, mother,

And why do tear drops fall?
And why do you crumple that note on the fire
And say it is nothing at all?

I woke to voices late last night,

I heard an engine roar.
Why do you tell me the things I heard
Were a dream and nothing more?

I heard somebody cry, mother,

In anger or in pain,
But now I ask you why, mother,
You say it was a gust of rain.

Why do you wander about as though

You don't know what to do?
What has happened to Lulu, mother?
What has happened to Lu?

Charles Causley

(a) From Stanza 1, what situation in the room which indicates that something has happened to Lulu?

_______________________________________________________________________________
[1 mark ]

(b) From Stanza 2, why is there a circle on the dusty shelf?

_______________________________________________________________________________
[1 mark ]
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(c) Why do you think the persona kept on repeating What has happened to Lulu, Mother?

_______________________________________________________________________________
[1 mark ]

(d) Do you think it was right for Lulu to do what she did? Give your reason.

_______________________________________________________________________________
[2 marks ]

33 The following are the novels studied in the literature component in English Language.

Captain Nobody - Dean Pitchford

Dear Mr Kilmer - Anne Schraff
Sing to the Dawn - Minfong Ho

Choose any one of the novels above and answer the questions below.

Write close reference to the text, write about one of the characters you admire. Give reasons why
you admire him / her.
[ 15 marks ]