Language Paper 2 - Section A - Travels in Italy

Sep 5, 2026

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GCSE English Language Paper 2 Section A focuses on “Travels in Italy” through two contrasting sources. Source A, adapted from Charles Dickens’ travel writing, describes coastal scenery, villages, and the atmosphere along the road between Genoa and Spezzia, including a later journey toward Rome in storm and mist. Source B, written by Jo Middleton in 2023, recounts early days in Italy dominated by oppressive heat, personal coping strategies, and viewing the city from local vantage points.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages13

Reading Time33 min

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Language Paper 2 - Section A - Travels in Italy

Source A: Adapted from Pictures from Italy (Charles Dickens)

Source B: A Glimpse of History (Jo Middleton, 2023)

Language Paper 2 Section A – Travels in Italy Source A: Adapted from Pictures from Italy, by Charles Dickens (1846). In this extract, Dickens is travelling towards Pisa in a horse-drawn carriage. 1 THERE is nothing in Italy, more beautiful to me, than the coast-road between Genoa and 2 Spezzia. On one side: sometimes far below, sometimes nearly on a level with the road, 3 and often skirted by broken rocks of many shapes: there is the free blue sea, with here 4 and there a picturesque felucca gliding slowly on; on the other side are lofty hills, 5 ravines besprinkled with white cottages, patches of dark olive woods, country churches 6 with their light open towers, and country houses gaily painted. On every bank and knoll 7 by the wayside, the wild cactus and aloe flourish in exuberant profusion; and the 8 gardens of the bright villages along the road, are seen, all blushing in the summer-time 9 with clusters of the Belladonna, and are fragrant in the autumn and winter with golden 10 oranges and lemons. 11 Some of the villages are inhabited, almost exclusively, by fishermen; and it is pleasant 12 to see their great boats hauled up on the beach, making little patches of shade, where 13 they lie asleep, or where the women and children sit romping and looking out to sea, 14 while they mend their nets upon the shore. There is one town, Camoglia, with its little 15 harbour on the sea, hundreds of feet below the road; where families of mariners live, 16 who, time out of mind, have owned coasting-vessels in that place, and have traded to 17 Spain and elsewhere. Seen from the road above, it is like a tiny model on the margin 18 of the dimpled water, shining in the sun. Descended into, by the winding mule-tracks, 19 it is a perfect miniature of a primitive seafaring town; the saltest, roughest, most 20 piratical little place that ever was seen. Great rusty iron rings and mooring-chains, 21 capstans, and fragments of old masts and spars, choke up the way; hardy rough- 22 weather boats, and seamen’s clothing, flutter in the little harbour or are drawn out on 23 the sunny stones to dry; on the parapet of the rude pier, a few amphibious-looking 24 fellows lie asleep, with their legs dangling over the wall, as though earth or water were 25 all one to them, and if they slipped in, they would float away, dozing comfortably 26 among the fishes; the church is bright with trophies of the sea, and votive offerings, in 27 commemoration of escape from storm and shipwreck. The dwellings not immediately 28 abutting on the harbour are approached by blind low archways, and by crooked steps, 29 as if in darkness and in difficulty of access they should be like holds of ships, or 30 inconvenient cabins under water; and everywhere, there is a smell of fish, and sea- 31 weed, and old rope. 32 The coast-road whence Camoglia is descried so far below, is famous, in the warm 33 season, especially in some parts near Genoa, for fire-flies. Walking there on a dark 34 night, I have seen it made one sparkling firmament by these beautiful insects: so that 35 the distant stars were pale against the flash and glitter that spangled every olive wood 36 and hill-side, and pervaded the whole air. 37 It was not in such a season, however, that we traversed this road on our way to 38 Rome. The middle of January was only just past, and it was very gloomy and dark 39 weather; very wet besides. In crossing the fine pass of Bracco, we encountered such 40 a storm of mist and rain, that we travelled in a cloud the whole way. There might have 41 been no Mediterranean in the world, for anything that we saw of it there, except when 42 a sudden gust of wind, clearing the mist before it, for a moment, showed the agitated 43 sea at a great depth below, lashing the distant rocks, and spouting up its foam 44 furiously. The rain was incessant; every brook and torrent was greatly swollen; and 45 such a deafening leaping,

FAQs

What is the theme of Section A in Language Paper 2?

Section A is themed around travels in Italy, with both sources describing experiences and observations from different journeys.

How does Source A portray the Italian journey?

Source A vividly describes the coast-road scenery, villages, and harbour life, then shifts to gloomy winter conditions with storm and mist on the way to Rome.

How does Source B differ in its focus compared with Source A?

Source B concentrates on personal discomfort and coping with extreme heat in early days in Italy, including getting around and seeking local viewpoints.

Sep 5, 2026

Upload by Gloria