PISA RELEASED ITEMS - READING - OECD

1 Document: PISA RELEASED ITEMS - READING . December 2006. Project Consortium: Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER). Netherlands National Institute for Educational Measurement (CITO). National Institute for Educational Policy Research (NIER, Japan). Westat Table of Contents R040: Lake Chad ..3. R077: R081: Graffiti ..15. R088: Labour ..21. R091: R099: Plan R100: R107: Warranty ..37. R109: A Just R110: Runners ..51. R112: In Poor Taste ..55. R118: Bullying ..59. R119: Gift ..62. R216: Amanda and the Duchess ..74. R217: Bees ..84. R234: Personnel.

2 89. R236: New Rules ..92. Source Publications for RELEASED ITEMS ..95. Page 2. R040: Lake Chad Figure 1 shows changing levels of Lake Chad, in Saharan North Africa. Lake Chad disappeared completely in about 20,000 BC, during the last Ice Age. In about 11,000 BC it reappeared. Today, its level is about the same as it was in AD 1000. BC Lake Chad: 60. changing levels 50 Present day depth in metres 40. 30. 20. 10. 0. AD 1000. 10,000 BC. 8000 BC. 6000 BC. 4000 BC. 2000 BC. Figure 1. Figure 2 shows Saharan rock art (ancient drawings or paintings found on the walls of caves) and changing patterns of wildlife.

3 Saharan rock art and changing patterns of wildlife buffalo rhinoceros hippopotamus aurochs elephant giraffe ostrich gazelle cattle dog horse camel 8000 BC 7000 BC 6000 BC 5000 BC 4000 BC 3000 BC 2000 BC 1000 BC 0 AD 1000. Figure 2. Page 3. Use the information about Lake Chad on the opposite page to answer the questions below. R040Q02. Question 2: LAKE CHAD. What is the depth of Lake Chad today? A About two metres. B About fifteen metres. C About fifty metres. D It has disappeared completely. E The information is not provided. LAKE CHAD SCORING 2.

4 QUESTION INTENT: Developing an Interpretation: integrating information in text and graph Full credit code 1: About two metres. No credit code 0: Other responses. code 9: Missing. R040Q03A- 0 1 9. Question 3A: LAKE CHAD. In about which year does the graph in Figure 1 start? .. LAKE CHAD SCORING 3A. QUESTION INTENT: Retrieving Information Full credit code 1: 11,000 BC (or approximation between 10,500 and 12,000; or other indication that the student has extrapolated from the scale). 11,000. 11,000 BC. 10,500 BC. Just before 10,000 BC. About 12,000.

5 About 11,000 BC. Page 4. No credit code 0: Other responses., including arrow pointing to the starting point of the graph. 10,000 BC [Failure to extrapolate from the scale.]. 20,000 BC. 8000 BC [Has looked at wrong figure.]. 11000 BC 4000 BC [Ignore crossed-out answer.]. 0. code 9: Missing. R040Q03B- 0 1 9. Question 3B: LAKE CHAD. Why has the author chosen to start the graph at this point? .. LAKE CHAD: SCORING 3B. QUESTION INTENT: Reflecting on the Form of a Text: inferring the reason for an authorial decision Full credit code 1: Refers to reappearance of lake.

6 Note: answer may receive full credit even if previous answer is incorrect. Lake Chad reappeared in 11,000 BC after disappearing completely around 20,000 BC. The lake disappeared during the Ice Age and then came back at about this time. It reappeared then. About 11,000 BC it came back. Then the lake reappeared after being gone for 9000 years. No credit code 0: Other responses. This is when animals started to appear. 11,000 BC is when humans began to do rock art. 11,000 BC was when the lake (first) appeared. Because at that time Lake Chad was completely dried up.

7 Because that was the first movement on the graph. code 9: Missing. Page 5. R040Q04. Question 4: LAKE CHAD. Figure 2 is based on the assumption that A the animals in the rock art were present in the area at the time they were drawn. B the artists who drew the animals were highly skilled. C the artists who drew the animals were able to travel widely. D there was no attempt to domesticate the animals which were depicted in the rock art. LAKE CHAD SCORING 4. QUESTION INTENT: Forming a Broad Understanding: recognising the underlying idea of a chart Full credit code 1: the animals in the rock art were present in the area at the time they were drawn.

8 No credit code 0: Other responses. code 9: Missing. R040Q06. Question 6: LAKE CHAD. For this question you need to draw together information from Figure 1 and Figure 2. The disappearance of the rhinoceros, hippopotamus and aurochs from Saharan rock art happened A at the beginning of the most recent Ice Age. B in the middle of the period when Lake Chad was at its highest level. C after the level of Lake Chad had been falling for over a thousand years. D at the beginning of an uninterrupted dry period. LAKE CHAD SCORING 6. QUESTION INTENT: Developing an Interpretation: integrating information across two non-continuous texts Full credit code 1: after the level of Lake Chad had been falling for over a thousand years.

9 No credit code 0: Other responses. code 9: Missing. Page 6. R077: Flu ACOL VOLUNTARY FLU IMMUNISATION PROGRAM. As you are no doubt aware the flu can strike rapidly and extensively during winter. It can leave its victims ill for weeks. The best way to fight the virus is to have a fit and healthy body. Daily exercise and a diet including plenty of fruit and vegetables are highly recommended to assist the immune system to fight this invading virus. ACOL has decided to offer staff the opportunity to be immunised against the flu as an additional way to prevent this insidious virus from spreading amongst us.

10 ACOL has arranged for a nurse to administer the immunisations at ACOL, during a half-day session in work hours in the week of May 17. This program is free and available to all members of staff. Participation is voluntary. Staff taking up the option will be asked to sign a consent form indicating that they do not have any allergies, and that they understand they may experience minor side effects. Medical advice indicates that the immunisation does not produce influenza. However, it may cause some side effects such as fatigue, mild fever and tenderness of the arm.