Opening the kiln
The kiln had been cooling since the previous evening. Inside were twelve bowls, including the one whose uneven rim I had reshaped three times before I was satisfied with it. The test tiles had produced encouraging colours, but larger pieces did not always emerge in quite the same way. I placed my fingers on the latch and then drew them back. Through the small viewing hole, the darkness seemed to conceal a network of cracks. Then I noticed the clay still lodged beneath my fingernails and reminded myself that every bowl could be made again.
In your own words, explain the writer's thoughts and feelings before opening the kiln.
232 exam-style questions on Edexcel A IGCSE English Language 1.2 Section A: Non-fiction Texts, covering 1.2.1 Focus of Section A, 1.2.2 Reading challenging non-fiction in preparation for the unseen text, 1.2.3 Reading substantial and extended texts, 1.2.4 Skills of interpretation and analysis, 1.2.5 Range of non-fiction forms, 1.2.6 Literary non-fiction text types, 1.2.7 Transient texts excluded from assessment, 1.2.8 The anthology as a supporting resource, and 1.2.9 Digital location of texts. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.