Taking on the world

Question 1

We admire Elle because she overcomes physical discomfort to achieve her goal

Answer 1

• ‘I couldn’t feel my fingers ‘ because it was so cold
• ‘getting soaked’
• ‘shook with exhaustion’
• ‘my limbs were bruised and my head was spinning’

Question 2

She is physically very strong and persistent, despite being small

Answer 2

As can be seen through the way in which she describes that the difficulty is not in the climbing it is “clinging on” – this emphasises the potential danger of being thrown off
- ‘it was the hardest climb to date’
- ‘neatly 200 feet of rope’
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Question 3

She is methodical and prepares carefully for the climb

Answer 3

• ‘worked through the night’ to prepare
• ## ‘I would be wearing a helmet’ - takes safety precautions

Question 4

She is determined

Answer 4

• ‘as i climbed i thought to myself, not far now kiddo’
• ‘I’d be hanging on by with just one arm’
• ‘no giving up now’
• She emphasises the cold and the weather conditions to heighten her determination and resilience – numbingly cold, “I couldn’t feel my fingers” she is drenched before she begins her climb, “I climbed down getting soaked”

Question 5

She is brave, despite being in danger

Answer 5

• ‘It would not be difficult to break bones up there’
• ‘the hardest thing was just to hang on, as the mast slices erratically through the air’ - makes it seem like the mast has a mind of its own
• ‘passive observer’ - she has no control

Question 6

Ellen is an experienced sailor and uses sailing jargon to convince us of her expertise

Answer 6

• ‘antagonised for hours over how i should prepare the Halyard’
• ‘making sure i had all the tools, mouse lines…’
• ‘by the third spreader’
• ‘surfing at 20 knots’

Question 7

Ellen uses eclipses and dashes to extend sentences and to increase tension as she climbs

Answer 7

• ’- a world which i had no control’
• ‘I couldn’t feel my fingers - I’d need gloves’ this shows her thought process
• ‘it’s far from over …’
• ‘heart in my mouth - no time for complacency’

Question 8

There is some use of repetition for suspense and emphasis

Answer 8

• ‘tugged and tugged’
• ## ‘It had to come, quite simply the road had to come’ Shows her desperation

Question 9

Uses vivid images

Answer 9

• ‘heart in my mouth ‘
• ‘eyes close teeth gritted’
• ‘mast sliced erratically’
• ‘as if i was stepping on to the moon’

Question 10

Paragraph openings use temporal markers to move the story along

Answer 10

• ‘when it got light’
• ‘As i climbed’
• ‘it was almost 4 hours’
  Example of structural technique

Question 11

Purpose

Answer 11

• Autobiographical
• dramatic tone
• vivid 1 st person account
• simple and accessible