The audition
Nell had rehearsed her introduction on the bus, stressing the word experienced. Outside the audition room, she heard a violinist playing the passage she had practised for three weeks as if it were a tune remembered from childhood. She folded her application until the paper softened. When the door opened, she asked whether there was a later session. There was not. Inside, the conductor moved a chair away from the window and said, “You can take a moment.” Nell unfolded the form. Her first note shook, but she played the second without starting again. At the end she asked when the next rehearsal would be.
What can you infer about how Nell’s confidence changes during the audition? Support your answer with evidence from the passage.
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.