Sharing seeds fairly
The two sources below were written for this practice question and describe invented community projects.
Text One: An account of a seed exchange held in a library.
The donations arrived in every kind of container: printed packets, folded envelopes and small jars. The organisers did not pour similar-looking seeds together. Each donation remained beside its original label, and a new card recorded the contributor's notes if the old writing was difficult to read. Seeds whose identity could not be established were placed in a separate tray and were not offered as confirmed varieties.
The main tables were arranged by sowing period and the amount of growing space required. This was less decorative than sorting the packets by colour, but visitors could find something suitable without examining every donation.
Each visitor received four wooden counters to exchange for seeds. Small donations were divided only when every portion would still provide a useful quantity. Half of the packets from the most limited collection were reserved until the afternoon so that the first queue could not take all of them.
Volunteers shared comments from contributors, such as whether a plant had grown well in a windy garden. They described these as individual experiences rather than promises about what would happen elsewhere.
Text Two: A report on a seed exchange at a different community hall.
The organisers wanted visitors to make informed choices while keeping popular donations available throughout the day.
| Type of donation | Arrangement used at the exchange |
|---|---|
| Packet with no collection date | Placed in a clearly marked undated section |
| Variety in high demand | Limited to one packet per visitor during the first hour |
| Opened packet | Kept inside a sealed bag with the donor's label attached |
Volunteers counted the remaining packets at regular intervals and updated an availability board. Reserve supplies were released gradually when demand continued, rather than being placed on the tables before the doors opened.
The growing cards used careful wording. A contributor might report that a seed had succeeded in a sheltered garden, but the card did not claim that it would grow equally well in every location. At the end of the event, usable donations that remained were offered to two local gardening groups instead of being discarded.
Synthesise what you learn from both texts about making a community seed exchange fair and useful.
382 exam-style questions on WJEC GCSE English Language 3.1.3 Short and extended response question types. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.