Text 1: The crew before dawn, by Hannah Rees
An original contemporary online feature.
At 5.40 on a cold October morning, the pagers sound and, within minutes, the volunteers at Penmorfa Lifeboat Station are moving. Four crew members pull on their waterproof suits while two others check the boat’s engine, fuel and radio. The coxswain, Nia Morgan, walks along the slipway to make sure that no rope or trolley is in the way.
Once the boat is ready, the crew work together. They wheel the boat down the slipway, push it into the water and climb aboard. Nia steers towards the harbour entrance while the others watch the waves and keep in contact with the coastguard. Their training means that each person knows where to stand and what to do, even when the sea is rough.
Text 2: Rescue launch at Aberporth, by A Correspondent
An original newspaper report written in a nineteenth-century voice; a period simulation, not an archival document.
In this newspaper report from 1891, a journalist describes volunteers launching a lifeboat after a fishing vessel is seen in difficulty.
At the cry of distress, the men of Aberporth assembled without delay. Some brought the lifeboat from its shed, whilst others carried lanterns and cleared the beach of loose timber. The boat was then hauled over the shingle by means of ropes and a stout cart.
When the tide reached the wheels, the crew pushed the vessel into the breakers and took their places. The coxswain gave his orders from the stern, and the men pulled together as the boat passed beyond the harbour wall. Throughout the launch, a watchman on the shore signalled with his lamp, so that those at sea might know where the safest passage lay.
Briefly explain two duties carried out by the lifeboat volunteers, supporting each duty with details from both passages.
To help you organise your answer:
For each point, include a relevant detail from Text 1 and a relevant detail from Text 2.
Label your references Text 1 and Text 2.
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.