CXC English A exam: Past paper type summary writing question 21
CXC English A exam: Past paper type summary writing question 21
Here is a CXC past paper type summary writing question.
This is the type of question that appears in SECTION A of the CXC CSEC English A exam
SECTION A
(Suggested time: 35 minutes)
You MUST answer the question in this section
Read the follwing extract carefully and, in your own words, write a summary of it in NOT MORE THAN 120 words. Your summary must be in continuous prose and in paragraph form. If this limit is exceeded, only the first 120 words of your answer will be read and assessed.
Cassava takes about nine months to harvest. The roots or sticks of the plant are pulled out and can be used to start a new crop. Once harvested, cassava roots spoil quickly and must be processed within three to seven days to preserve their food value.
After reaping the cassava, the women place the tubers in woven baskets called dupao, each of which holds up to 150 lbs, carrying them home to start the separation process. The cassava is separated into fibre, starch and juice.
After peeling and grating, the cassava is placed into a basket-weave press to extract the juice, this is a matapee. A small receptacle beneath the matapee collects the juice and starch. The fibrous remains are sun-dried, pounded and sifted. The resulting flour is used to make cassava bread. This is eaten with stews or can be toasted, buttered and eaten alone. The flour can be used to make tapioca and foufou as well.
The juice of bitter cassava, boiled and caramelized to the consistency of thick syrup, is called Casareep. This is sold commerically throughout the Caribbean and worldwide. Casareep is used as a food presevative in addition to flavouring and can keep a pot of pepper-pot on a stove for years as long as it is brought to a boil at least once a day!
Cassava can also be used for a variety of snack items. There are the popular cassava balls which can be found in almost all school canteens, lunch rooms and roadside vendors, cassava pone, puffs, cakes and cassava surprise. It can be peeled, washed, boiled and fried as part of a main menu, complementing fish, meat and poultry dishes. It is also used in the popular metagee - a soup-like dish- that includes a variety of ground provisions as well as plantains, alof which are boiled in coconut milk.
Cassava also serves as a base for many exotic drinks. The indigenous people of Guyana and Suriname make piwari, an alcoholic drink which is used at festivals and celebrations. Cassava wine is also popular, especially in the rural areas.
All in all, cassava plays an integral part in the diet and culture of the Guyanese people and is now the third most important food crop in the world.
Adapted from Indira Anandjit, "Cassava: A versatile vegetable"
Liat The Caribbean Airline
West Indies Publishing Ltd., 2006, p. 40-41
Total 30 marks