Theme 3.3: The environment and where people live - Writing - Worksheets, Questions and Revision

3 original exam-style questions - 4 pages of questions with a full mark scheme - free printable PDF.

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This topic is chapter 7 of GCSE Spanish: Writing Practice Book.

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6.7 Theme 3.3: The environment and where people live - Writing

AQA 8692 · about 50 minutes

Total Marks

Name: _______________________________ Date: ____ / ____ / ______

Question 1 is the Foundation tier task: write approximately 90 words in Spanish. Question 2 is the Higher tier task: write approximately 150 words in Spanish. Answer the question that matches your tier, or attempt both for practice. Question 3 is a short structured writing task: answer each bullet point with a short response in Spanish. Question 4 asks you to translate five sentences into Spanish.

Foundation tier. You are writing a message for a Spanish pen pal about your town and the environment. Write approximately 90 words in Spanish. You must include the following points:

- cómo es el pueblo o la ciudad donde vives
- qué problemas medioambientales hay en tu zona
- una opinión sobre el reciclaje
- algo que haces tú para proteger el medio ambiente

(Total for Question 1 is 20 marks)

Higher tier. You are writing an article for a Spanish environmental magazine about your local area and the environment. Write approximately 150 words in Spanish. You must include the following points:

- cómo es la zona donde vives actualmente
- cómo ha cambiado el medio ambiente en tu zona en los últimos años
- qué planes tienes para ser más respetuoso con el medio ambiente en el futuro
- tu opinión sobre lo que deberían hacer los gobiernos para proteger el planeta, con razones

(Total for Question 2 is 28 marks)

You are answering a short survey for a Spanish environmental awareness campaign at school. Answer each question below with a short response in Spanish (one or two sentences).

(a)¿Dónde vives?(2)

(b)¿Reciclas en casa?(2)

(c)¿Qué problema medioambiental te preocupa más?(2)

(d)¿Qué vas a hacer para proteger el medio ambiente?(2)

(Total for Question 3 is 8 marks)

Mark scheme · 6.7 Theme 3.3: The environment and where people live - Writing

Question 1

Content and communication (AO4, 10 marks)
- Level 3 (8-10): All four bullet points covered with relevant detail; the message communicates clearly throughout; the opinion on recycling is clearly expressed and justified.
- Level 2 (4-7): Most bullet points covered, though development may be thin on one or two; the message is mostly clear; an opinion is given but the justification may be brief or missing.
- Level 1 (1-3): One or two bullet points covered in a basic way; the message has some clarity but gaps in meaning may occur; little or no opinion is offered.
- Level 0 (0): No creditable content, or the response is entirely irrelevant to the task.
Range and accuracy of language (AO4, 10 marks)
- Level 3 (8-10): A good range of vocabulary and structures, including at least one opinion phrase and one connective beyond 'y'/'pero'; verbs are mostly correctly formed and agree with their subject; errors do not hinder understanding.
- Level 2 (4-7): Some variety of vocabulary and structures; verbs are mostly recognisable though with some agreement or spelling errors; meaning is usually clear despite errors.
- Level 1 (1-3): Limited, repetitive vocabulary and structures; frequent verb errors; meaning is sometimes unclear.
- Level 0 (0): Language too limited or inaccurate to communicate meaning.
Indicative content:
- A description of the town using ser/hay/estar, e.g. 'Vivo en un pueblo pequeño que está en el norte de España; hay un parque y un río cerca de mi casa'.
- Mention of a local environmental problem, e.g. 'En mi zona hay bastante contaminación del aire a causa del tráfico'.
- An opinion on recycling using an opinion phrase, e.g. 'Creo que reciclar es muy importante' / 'En mi opinión, no reciclamos lo suficiente'.
- A justifying clause introduced by 'porque', e.g. 'porque ayuda a reducir la cantidad de basura'.
- An action they take to protect the environment, using the present tense, e.g. 'Siempre apago las luces cuando salgo de una habitación' / 'Voy al instituto a pie en vez de en coche'.
- Use of 'hay que' or 'debemos' to express a general environmental obligation, e.g. 'Hay que cuidar el planeta'.
- A connective beyond 'y'/'pero', e.g. 'aunque', 'sin embargo', 'además', to link ideas within or across sentences.

Question 2

Content and communication (AO4, 16 marks)
- Level 4 (13-16): All four bullet points covered with well-developed detail and a clear personal voice; ideas are linked coherently; the article is fully relevant and communicates with precision.
- Level 3 (9-12): All four bullet points covered, though development may be uneven; communication is clear with only occasional loss of precision.
- Level 2 (5-8): Most bullet points covered but with limited development; communication is generally clear though some ideas may be underdeveloped or list-like.
- Level 1 (1-4): One or two bullet points covered in a basic way; communication is patchy, with noticeable gaps in meaning.
Range and accuracy of language (AO4, 12 marks)
- Level 4 (10-12): A wide range of vocabulary and complex structures; a genuine spread of tenses (past, present and future/conditional) used accurately; minor errors only, never obscuring meaning.
- Level 3 (7-9): A good range of vocabulary and some complex structures; at least two different time frames attempted with general accuracy; errors occasionally affect precision but not overall understanding.
- Level 2 (4-6): Some variety of vocabulary; mostly simple structures with limited attempts at other time frames; verb errors are frequent but meaning is usually recoverable.
- Level 1 (1-3): Narrow, repetitive vocabulary confined mostly to the present tense; frequent errors that sometimes prevent understanding.
Indicative content:
- Present-tense description of the local area, e.g. 'Vivo en una ciudad mediana que tiene bastantes zonas verdes, aunque el centro está bastante contaminado'.
- Past-tense account of environmental change, e.g. 'Hace diez años, había mucho menos tráfico, pero desde entonces la contaminación ha aumentado bastante'.
- Future or conditional plans to be more environmentally friendly, e.g. 'A partir de ahora, intentaré usar más el transporte público, y me gustaría empezar a comprar productos con menos envases de plástico'.
- An opinion on what governments should do with a developed reason, e.g. 'En mi opinión, los gobiernos deberían invertir más en energías renovables, porque es la única manera de reducir realmente las emisiones de carbono'.
- Use of a subordinate clause with 'porque', 'ya que' or 'aunque' to justify an opinion in depth.
- A concluding sentence that draws the points together, e.g. 'En resumen, proteger el medio ambiente depende tanto de los gobiernos como de cada individuo'.
- Accurate use of at least one comparative or superlative, e.g. 'El aire de mi ciudad está mucho más contaminado que hace veinte años'.

Question 3

(a) B1 Content: names a plausible type of settlement or place
(a) B1 Accuracy: vivir correctly conjugated in the first person
(a) Answer: Vivo en un pueblo pequeño en el campo.
(b) B1 Content: gives a plausible yes/no answer with a relevant detail
(b) B1 Accuracy: reciclar correctly conjugated in the first person
(b) Answer: Sí, reciclo el papel y el vidrio todas las semanas.
(c) B1 Content: names a plausible environmental problem
(c) B1 Accuracy: preocupar correctly conjugated to agree with the problem (gustar-type verb)
(c) Answer: El problema que más me preocupa es el cambio climático.
(d) B1 Content: gives a plausible environmentally friendly action
(d) B1 Accuracy: ir a + infinitive correctly formed
(d) Answer: Voy a usar menos plástico y a ir al instituto en bicicleta.

Theme 3.3: The environment and where people live - Writing - Worksheets, Questions and Revision

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