GCSE
ENGLISH LANGUAGE
Paper 2 Writers’ viewpoints and perspectives
Insert
The two sources that follow are:
Source A: 21st Century literary non-fiction
The Accidental Countryside by wildlife writer, Stephen Moss
An extract from a book, published in 2020
Source B: 19th Century non-fiction
The Life of the Fields by Richard Jefferies
An extract from a book, published in 1884
Please turn the page over to see the sources
IB/G/Jun25/G4010/V5 8700/2
, 2
Source A
Source A is an extract from The Accidental Countryside, by wildlife writer, Stephen Moss,
published in 2020. Here, he writes about the peregrine falcon, a bird of prey.
1 The peregrine falcon sits far above the ground like an emperor gazing down upon his kingdom.
He is, without question, the top predator in this neck of the woods. Or perhaps I should say, in
this corner of the city. For on a fine spring day, this particular peregrine is perched on the roof
of Tate Modern, the contemporary art gallery in the very heart of London. He sits perfectly
5 upright, occasionally turning his head from side to side as his piercing black eyes, fringed with
custard-yellow, search for any movement below. Down there, the humans go about their
business unaware of the drama about to unfold above their heads. A moment later, and a
movement in the far distance – three or four hundred metres away – catches the peregrine’s
eye. A flock of pigeons, and one bird at the back seems to be struggling to keep up with its
10 companions. With a flick of his wings the falcon is gone.
11 He powers through the air, the breeze passing over his feathers with hardly a ruffle. He rises
higher and higher until almost out of view. Then he stops, turns and folds his wings before
plummeting. Like a guided missile, he homes in on the straggler, eyes fixed on the target,
diving at almost 180 miles an hour, yet still the pigeon is unaware of its fate. At the last
15 possible moment, the peregrine changes his body shape once again. Pulling back on his
wings, he brakes momentarily, at the same time extending his feet towards his victim and, just
before impact, extrudes talons sharp as switchblades. With an explosive crack like a rodeo
whip, he grabs the pigeon. Upwards into the sea-blue sky he swoops, his plunder hanging
beneath him: more food to carry back to his hungry chicks waiting in their nest, high on the
20 topmost ledge of a skyscraper.
You wouldn’t, perhaps, expect to find the fastest living creature on the planet in the centre of
one of the world’s busiest cities. The peregrine falcon’s decline had begun during the Second
World War, when shooting them was officially permitted to stop them killing pigeons carrying
vital messages. After the war, things went from bad to worse because of the indiscriminate use
25 of pesticides. The UK peregrine population plunged to fewer than 400 pairs. These retreated
to prime sites in the north and west: rocky crags in the uplands, and high cliffs along remote
coasts. The peregrine was very much a bird of wild places, not the urban jungle.
How things have changed. Today there are more than thirty breeding pairs of peregrines in
London alone. Passers-by rarely look up, so seldom notice them; but they are there. On and
30 around Tate Modern, the Houses of Parliament, Battersea Power Station and many other
famous London landmarks, you can see peregrines: roosting, nesting and occasionally hunting
for their favourite food, often guarded by volunteers with telescopes happy to point out this
incredible bird. It’s a great way to introduce city-dwellers to the wonders of the wild.
Peregrines have moved into our cities in such numbers for a simple reason: we have created
35 the perfect conditions for them. Peregrines need high cliffs or crags, where they can build their
nests and survey their territory; we have erected tall buildings that serve just as well. They
need food; our cities provide it in a whole suite of different birds of different sizes, a buffet of
birds laid out beneath them. And they need to be safe. They can find this safety in cities
because our relationship with these birds has changed beyond recognition. Instead of
40 persecuting them, we provide protection, with teams of dedicated watchers scrutinising their
nests twenty-four hours a day.
IB/G/Jun25/8700/2
ENGLISH LANGUAGE
Paper 2 Writers’ viewpoints and perspectives
Insert
The two sources that follow are:
Source A: 21st Century literary non-fiction
The Accidental Countryside by wildlife writer, Stephen Moss
An extract from a book, published in 2020
Source B: 19th Century non-fiction
The Life of the Fields by Richard Jefferies
An extract from a book, published in 1884
Please turn the page over to see the sources
IB/G/Jun25/G4010/V5 8700/2
, 2
Source A
Source A is an extract from The Accidental Countryside, by wildlife writer, Stephen Moss,
published in 2020. Here, he writes about the peregrine falcon, a bird of prey.
1 The peregrine falcon sits far above the ground like an emperor gazing down upon his kingdom.
He is, without question, the top predator in this neck of the woods. Or perhaps I should say, in
this corner of the city. For on a fine spring day, this particular peregrine is perched on the roof
of Tate Modern, the contemporary art gallery in the very heart of London. He sits perfectly
5 upright, occasionally turning his head from side to side as his piercing black eyes, fringed with
custard-yellow, search for any movement below. Down there, the humans go about their
business unaware of the drama about to unfold above their heads. A moment later, and a
movement in the far distance – three or four hundred metres away – catches the peregrine’s
eye. A flock of pigeons, and one bird at the back seems to be struggling to keep up with its
10 companions. With a flick of his wings the falcon is gone.
11 He powers through the air, the breeze passing over his feathers with hardly a ruffle. He rises
higher and higher until almost out of view. Then he stops, turns and folds his wings before
plummeting. Like a guided missile, he homes in on the straggler, eyes fixed on the target,
diving at almost 180 miles an hour, yet still the pigeon is unaware of its fate. At the last
15 possible moment, the peregrine changes his body shape once again. Pulling back on his
wings, he brakes momentarily, at the same time extending his feet towards his victim and, just
before impact, extrudes talons sharp as switchblades. With an explosive crack like a rodeo
whip, he grabs the pigeon. Upwards into the sea-blue sky he swoops, his plunder hanging
beneath him: more food to carry back to his hungry chicks waiting in their nest, high on the
20 topmost ledge of a skyscraper.
You wouldn’t, perhaps, expect to find the fastest living creature on the planet in the centre of
one of the world’s busiest cities. The peregrine falcon’s decline had begun during the Second
World War, when shooting them was officially permitted to stop them killing pigeons carrying
vital messages. After the war, things went from bad to worse because of the indiscriminate use
25 of pesticides. The UK peregrine population plunged to fewer than 400 pairs. These retreated
to prime sites in the north and west: rocky crags in the uplands, and high cliffs along remote
coasts. The peregrine was very much a bird of wild places, not the urban jungle.
How things have changed. Today there are more than thirty breeding pairs of peregrines in
London alone. Passers-by rarely look up, so seldom notice them; but they are there. On and
30 around Tate Modern, the Houses of Parliament, Battersea Power Station and many other
famous London landmarks, you can see peregrines: roosting, nesting and occasionally hunting
for their favourite food, often guarded by volunteers with telescopes happy to point out this
incredible bird. It’s a great way to introduce city-dwellers to the wonders of the wild.
Peregrines have moved into our cities in such numbers for a simple reason: we have created
35 the perfect conditions for them. Peregrines need high cliffs or crags, where they can build their
nests and survey their territory; we have erected tall buildings that serve just as well. They
need food; our cities provide it in a whole suite of different birds of different sizes, a buffet of
birds laid out beneath them. And they need to be safe. They can find this safety in cities
because our relationship with these birds has changed beyond recognition. Instead of
40 persecuting them, we provide protection, with teams of dedicated watchers scrutinising their
nests twenty-four hours a day.
IB/G/Jun25/8700/2
