hey kiddos. with you in prayer and spirit!

I know some of you are at the end of your tether, in despair, or in strange states of denial and desperation

breathe.

don't see it as torture, see it as a challenge ok?

in the meantime here are some last-minute tips

paper 1:

-read through ALL 12 Q
-write one-word topic on side of each Q (e.g environment, education etc)
-zoom in on 3 Q
-do quick shopping-list type plan for each of the 3 Q
-narrow down to 2 Q -- see which one you have more factual e.gs for
-plan for your final choice (take 15min max)
-write your whole essay in about 1 hr
-each para should be organized - PEEEL (don't forget to add your own opinion in each for bonus)
-make a final STAND in your conclusion

paper 2:

-read through ALL Q before starting on the passage/s, underlining the key words for each
-read the Summary and AQ for the synopsis of the passage/s
-start reading the passage/s, putting at the right-margin the key words you found from each Q. this will help you FOCUS on what to answer later
-remember: it's ok not to understand every single line. get the gist of the whole theme of each passage
-allot time according to the marks in each Short Q. don't exceed 5 min for each
-spend 20 min for Summary, 25 for AQ, if you only have 25 min left and you're stuck at vocab skip and go straight to AQ. chances of getting 5/5 for vocan is slim! but a good AQ may bring you 6 marks plus a good language mark /15
-don't forget to address all parts of the AQ. write at least 3 parag - if one passage, balance with say 2 for and 1 against the writer. if two passages, address at least two paras for passage A, and 1 para for passage B
-each para for AQ should have
1. agree or disagree with the author
2. give reason
3. cite text reference , e.g [l.21-22, P.A]
4. COMMENT on the line chosen (don't choose too long sentences)
5. ADD a concrete fact (from your country if specified, if not global ones)
6. LINK back to the author, saying you therefore agree or disagree

OK don't overdo it from now till monday ok?
relax, read, watch the news

most importantly, try to ENJOY the writing. it really is a chance to show off, to prove to Cambridge that you spent the last two years amassing a wealth of general knowledge and have even developed strong personal opinions on stuff you read. They want to see each script as a representation YOU, not a general student cohort. Make yours SHINE!

P/S answers to last week's practice compre exam (HCI prelimes 08)