The shop
The sign said FINAL WEEK, just as it had said for the previous three weeks. Mr Bell polished the counter until the wood reflected his cuffs. Nothing else shone. Behind him the shelves held pale rectangles where boxes had once protected the paint from sunlight. At closing time, he switched off the window lamp but left the door unlocked for another minute. No one came. He locked it, then returned to straighten a display that would never be seen again.
What had the sign said for three weeks, and what did Mr Bell polish?
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.