Source A: Victorian Letter on Pickpocketing
This page presents the first source for the Paper 2 English Language past Paper, which is a letter published in The Times on March 5th, 1850. The letter describes an incident of pickpocketing in London, serving as a warning to readers.
The letter recounts the experience of a young lady who was targeted by a young boy selling oranges. Despite her attempts to dismiss him, the boy persisted, eventually stealing her purse. The writer emphasizes the lack of police presence and the lady's unsuccessful attempt to catch the thief.
Highlight: The letter vividly illustrates the tactics used by street thieves in Victorian London, showcasing the vulnerability of pedestrians, particularly women.
Vocabulary: "Prepossessing appearance" refers to an attractive or appealing look, which the writer uses to emphasize the victim's innocence.
Quote: "Ladies, young and old, never carry your purses in your pockets; beware of canting beggars, and beggars of all sorts, that infest the streets, and, above all, keep a watchful eye about you and give the widest possible berth to THE ORANGE BOY"
This source provides valuable context for students studying Victorian crime english language paper gcse, offering insights into historical crime patterns and societal concerns.
Source B: Modern Child Pickpocket Gang
The second part of the page presents a 2016 article from The Sun, describing the arrest of a modern-day 'Fagin' who led a child pickpocket gang in Spain. This source offers a contemporary perspective on organized crime for the Crime themed english mock exam questions and answers.
The article details the arrest of Hasim Sejdic, who forced children, particularly from Bosnia, to pickpocket tourists in Spain and southern France. The police operation uncovered nine girls living in poor conditions and revealed the structured nature of the criminal organization.
Highlight: The article draws a parallel between the gang leader and Fagin, the character from Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist, illustrating the timeless nature of such crimes.
Vocabulary: "Patriarch" in this context refers to the male leader of the criminal organization, emphasizing the hierarchical structure of the gang.
Example: The article mentions that children were "exchanged and transferred to different cities for around 5,000 euros," demonstrating the commodification of these young victims.
This source provides excellent material for AQA English Language Paper 2 crime and punishment model answers, allowing students to compare historical and modern perspectives on crime.
Exam Questions
The page concludes with a series of questions designed to test various skills required for the English Language Paper 2 marks:
- A true/false question based on Source B (4 marks, 5 minutes)
- A summary of differences between the criminals in each source (8 marks, 10 minutes)
- Language analysis of Source A (12 marks, 15 minutes)
- Comparison of the writers' attitudes to crime in each source (16 marks, 20 minutes)
These questions provide excellent practice for students preparing for their AQA English Language Paper 2 model answers, covering key skills such as close reading, summary writing, language analysis, and comparative writing.
