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s er UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL EXAMINATIONS
General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level
1123/22
ENGLISH LANGUAGE
Paper 2 Reading
October/November 2013
INSERT
1 hour 45 minutes
READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS FIRST
This insert contains the two reading passages.
This document consists of 3 printed pages and 1 blank page.
DC (SJF) 91825
© UCLES 2013
[Turn over
2
Passage 1
Electronic Book Readers
1 A new phenomenon is springing up nowadays in railway stations, in airport queues and on buses. It is the sight of people engrossed, not in a newspaper or paperback novel, but rather an electronic book reader (e-reader). Are downloaded e-books a passing fad or are they here to stay?
2 One attraction of e-books is that some of them are free. Others can be downloaded at a much cheaper price than the bookshop price, and for avid readers this is an obvious advantage because the money saved can be spent on other things, perhaps new clothes or days out. There is no need to make time-consuming trips to bookshops, which is a real hassle, especially for parents with children to bundle into the car or bus. Instead, books can be paid for and downloaded from the comfort of your own living room. E-readers don’t take up much space, which makes a huge difference to people whose living space might be limited, for example, families with several young children vying for space for toys, games and all the paraphernalia of family life. Moreover, e-readers are extremely portable; instead of having to choose which book to take with you to read on the train, or having to narrow your choice to three or four books to fit into your holiday suitcase, you can have the delightful experience of carrying hundreds on your e-reader.
3 E-readers are a blessing to short-sighted or visually-impaired readers because, as with all computer screens, the size of the print can be increased; no more squinting
w ap eP
m
e tr .X
w om .c
s er UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL EXAMINATIONS
General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level
1123/22
ENGLISH LANGUAGE
Paper 2 Reading
October/November 2013
INSERT
1 hour 45 minutes
READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS FIRST
This insert contains the two reading passages.
This document consists of 3 printed pages and 1 blank page.
DC (SJF) 91825
© UCLES 2013
[Turn over
2
Passage 1
Electronic Book Readers
1 A new phenomenon is springing up nowadays in railway stations, in airport queues and on buses. It is the sight of people engrossed, not in a newspaper or paperback novel, but rather an electronic book reader (e-reader). Are downloaded e-books a passing fad or are they here to stay?
2 One attraction of e-books is that some of them are free. Others can be downloaded at a much cheaper price than the bookshop price, and for avid readers this is an obvious advantage because the money saved can be spent on other things, perhaps new clothes or days out. There is no need to make time-consuming trips to bookshops, which is a real hassle, especially for parents with children to bundle into the car or bus. Instead, books can be paid for and downloaded from the comfort of your own living room. E-readers don’t take up much space, which makes a huge difference to people whose living space might be limited, for example, families with several young children vying for space for toys, games and all the paraphernalia of family life. Moreover, e-readers are extremely portable; instead of having to choose which book to take with you to read on the train, or having to narrow your choice to three or four books to fit into your holiday suitcase, you can have the delightful experience of carrying hundreds on your e-reader.
3 E-readers are a blessing to short-sighted or visually-impaired readers because, as with all computer screens, the size of the print can be increased; no more squinting