Text 1: Books on the back roads, by Nia Pritchard
An original contemporary online feature.
On Tuesdays, the library van follows a loop through the villages north of Cwmderi. It parks beside the post box in Llangwyn for half an hour, then climbs the narrow lane to Pen-y-Foel, where it waits outside the village hall. For some residents, the visit is the only chance to choose a book without asking someone else for a lift.
“I used to order books through my daughter,” says 78-year-old Eleri Morgan. “Now I can browse for myself, and the driver keeps a copy of the large-print list for me.” The van also carries children’s books and a small collection of local history titles. At Pen-y-Foel, pupils from the nearby school visit during their lunch break.
The service lends more than books. Residents can return books at any stop, ask the driver to reserve a title, or bring in a form they are unsure how to complete. “It gives people a reason to come out and talk,” says the village hall caretaker. “On wet days, they often stay for a cup of tea.”
Text 2: New reading room opens at Cwmderi, by E. J. Parry
An original newspaper report written in a nineteenth-century voice; a period simulation, not an archival document.
This report of a new village reading room appeared in a local newspaper in 1894.
The reading room at Cwmderi was opened on Thursday evening, when a large company assembled to inspect the shelves and tables. Until its establishment, the inhabitants had no public place in which to consult newspapers or books; those wishing to borrow a volume were obliged to travel to the market town.
The room is to be open on six evenings each week. Its committee has secured newspapers, practical manuals and several works of history. The schoolmaster believes that older pupils will find the books of use in their studies, while the local surgeon has offered to answer questions on hygiene at a monthly meeting.
The room is not intended for reading alone. A table has been set aside for the village accounts, and the committee hopes that neighbours will meet there to discuss matters affecting the parish. The cost of keeping the lamps alight will be met by small annual subscriptions, with no charge to those unable to pay.
Explain briefly, using information from both texts, what people gained from having access to the mobile library and the reading room.
You should make it clear which text you are referring to.
123 exam-style questions on Eduqas GCSE English Language 2.3 Summary and synthesis, covering 2.3.3 Synthesising from more than one text. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.