The key
Mara found the key beneath the empty flowerpot. It was warm from the afternoon sun, although the house behind it had stood unheated all winter. She had promised to enter before the builders arrived. At the gate she had imagined striding into every room; now she tested the key against her palm instead. Inside, a curtain shifted above the stairs. She knew the upstairs window had been left open. She also knew that she had been the person who closed it.
Where was the key, and why was it warm?
40 exam-style questions on AQA GCSE English Language 3.1 Critical reading and comprehension, covering 3.1.1 Identify and interpret themes, ideas and information, 3.1.2 Read in different ways for different purposes, 3.1.3 Draw inferences and justify with evidence, 3.1.4 Support a point of view using textual evidence, 3.1.5 Identify bias and misuse of evidence, 3.1.6 Reflect critically and evaluatively using context, 3.1.7 Recognise different responses to a text, 3.1.8 Identify the main theme or themes, 3.1.9 Summarise ideas and information from a single text, 3.1.10 Synthesise from more than one text, 3.1.11 Explain how vocabulary and grammar create impact, 3.1.12 Analyse and evaluate form and structure, and 3.1.13 Compare texts critically. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.