RS-1 Summarise ideas and information from a single text Quiz: AQA English Language, Unit 3

The 20 questions

1. What is the main purpose of a summary question about a single text?

   • To analyse a single writer's use of metaphor and imagery in the exact order they appear
   • To write a new story inspired by the text, using its setting but a different plot entirely
   • To compare the text with a second source and judge which writer presents the better viewpoint
   • To give a shortened account of the key ideas and information from the text, in the student's own words

2. Which skill should a student use first when summarising ideas from a single text?

   • Count the number of paragraphs in the text to decide how long the summary should be
   • Identify the main theme or themes and the key information that supports them
   • Write a personal opinion about the topic before reading the text at all carefully
   • Copy the longest sentences from the text word for word to show the examiner the source

3. A summary should mostly rely on which kind of wording?

   • Direct quotations from the text placed one after another with no linking commentary
   • Technical literary terms only, such as chiasmus and zeugma, used in every sentence
   • The exact sentence structures of the source, with only the nouns swapped for synonyms
   • The student's own concise wording, rather than long stretches copied from the text

4. Which of these is a valid summary point from a text about a village that lost its school?

   • The village has a beautiful church with a tower that is visible from the nearby hills
   • The writer's sentences are very long and use a lot of commas for effect and rhythm
   • Families have had to travel further to reach the nearest primary school since the closure
   • The writer uses the first person pronoun 'I' to make the account feel personal to readers

5. A text says a town's population grew from 4,000 to 6,000 over ten years. Which summary of this is accurate?

   • The town's population stayed the same for ten years with no growth
   • The town's population rose by 2,000 people over a decade
   • The town's population doubled every single year during the decade
   • The town's population fell by 2,000 people after a decade of decline

6. Which is the best way to keep a summary concise?

   • Include every example and detail from the text so the summary is complete and fair
   • Retell the text in chronological order with each paragraph given its own summary line
   • Select only the main ideas and drop examples, repetition and minor background details
   • Start with a quotation and then add a new paragraph for each character in the text

7. Which action most clearly shows a student is summarising rather than evaluating?

   • Stating that the writer's argument is weak because the evidence chosen is one-sided and dated
   • Comparing the writer's word choice with a second text to decide which is more effective overall
   • Stating what the writer says about the topic without judging whether the writer is right
   • Judging whether the writer's tone is persuasive enough to change a reader's opinion on the issue

8. In a summary of a text about recycling, which point is the main idea rather than a minor detail?

   • One resident mentions that she enjoys walking her dog along the river on Sunday mornings
   • The writer's first job was in a bakery before moving to the city to study journalism
   • The bins used in the scheme are coloured green, blue and brown for easy identification
   • Recycling schemes reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill across the region each year

9. A student summarises a passage in 40 words. What is the best check that the summary is accurate?

   • Count how many words the source has and make the summary exactly the same length as it
   • Replace every noun in the summary with a synonym to show the words have been changed
   • Ask a friend to read the summary and say whether it sounds impressive to an examiner
   • Compare each point in the summary with the text to confirm it is supported and not invented

10. Which sentence is a summary of the idea that a text 'argues that libraries help communities'?

    • The writer addresses a headteacher directly in the final paragraph of the article for effect
    • The writer begins with a vivid description of an old library smelling of polish and dust
    • The writer's use of the rhetorical question at the start makes the argument more persuasive
    • The writer claims that libraries benefit communities by offering free access to books and learning

11. Which of these is a good opening for a summary of a text about a river expedition?

    • In paragraph four the writer describes the colour of the water as deep, muddy and brown
    • This brilliant text is one of the most exciting and well-written accounts I have ever read
    • The text describes a river expedition that faced flooding, shortage of food and hard decisions
    • The writer uses short sentences, vivid verbs and a sense of urgency to grip the reader

12. Which is the most accurate description of a main theme?

    • Any single image that appears only in the first paragraph of a longer and detailed passage
    • The title of the text, which is always the same as the theme the writer wants to explore
    • An overarching idea, such as loss or ambition, that runs through the whole text
    • The name of the main character, which always stays unchanged throughout a text overall

13. Which summary question is answered by a student who writes only the key points in a bulleted list?

    • A writing task that asks the student to write a letter using a formal register
    • A summary question that asks for the key ideas, which a short list of points can address
    • A comparison question that asks the student to contrast two texts on a single theme
    • An extended question that asks the student to evaluate the writer's language in detail

14. A text says a survey of 200 people found 60 per cent preferred trains. How many people preferred trains?

    • 140 people preferred trains, which is 60 per cent more than the 200 people surveyed
    • 120 people preferred trains, which is 60 per cent of the 200 people who were surveyed
    • 60 people preferred trains, which is 60 per cent of the total of 200 people surveyed
    • 12 people preferred trains, which is 60 per cent of 20 people from a smaller group

15. Which of these is most likely to be left out of a concise summary?

    • An example that the writer uses only to illustrate a point that is already summarised
    • The key statistic that shows the scale of the problem described in the text overall
    • The conclusion the writer reaches about what should happen next in the situation
    • The writer's main claim about why the policy failed, which the summary must include

16. What does it mean to summarise 'in your own words'?

    • Using the exact words of the text but changing the punctuation so it looks different
    • Adding your own opinions about the text to the end of the summary so it sounds personal
    • Expressing the key ideas using your own vocabulary and sentence structures, not copying the text
    • Writing in a language other than English so that the examiner cannot match the wording

17. Which summary keeps the same meaning as 'The council, despite protests, approved the new road.'?

    • The council asked for protests before it decided whether to build a road
    • The council was unhappy with the protests and so it cancelled the road
    • Although people protested, the council agreed to build the new road
    • The people protested and the council did nothing about the new road

18. Which summary would be marked down for including an invented detail?

    • The text says the village has one shop, and a student adds that the shop sells fresh fish
    • The text says the village has one shop, and a student notes that residents rely on it
    • The text says the village has one shop, and a student states that it opens each morning
    • The text says the village has one shop, and a student writes that it is the only shop

19. A student is asked to summarise the main points of a text about a city's new bus network. Which point is a main idea?

    • The photograph on page two shows a bus shelter painted in a faded shade of green
    • The new network links the outer estates with the city centre through three rapid routes
    • The bus driver interviewed in the text wears a navy uniform with a yellow badge on it
    • The writer's grandmother once rode the old trams that used to run along the same street

20. Which sentence is the best summary of a text stating that a school garden improved pupils' attitudes to healthy eating?

    • The writer's headteacher was a keen gardener who had grown roses for many decades
    • The garden in the text is described as lush and green in every season of the year
    • Gardening lessons made pupils more willing to try and enjoy vegetables at lunchtime
    • The text uses an extended metaphor comparing the school garden to a patchwork quilt

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