Part 3: The Handover
Read the passage carefully before answering the questions. Click any word to collect it. Click an underlined word to reveal its definition below.
This strange cycle continued for seven interminable days, or rather what the ship made look like days by turning the lights on and off. In the depths of space, time didn't exist — there was no sun to orbit, only the destination, far out in the imagined future of the crew.
On the seventh 'evening' just before the cabin went dark, the travellers looked wearily at each other, put down their cards and moved towards two vacant bags hanging at the end of the room. The hooks the bags hung on lowered them to the floor, so the bags sat flush on the bronze surface.
Silently, they wriggled inside, grimacing as they did so, the sound of the strange jelly substance inside disturbing even the most stoic ear. Then they pressed a button on their lapel and the bag sealed up tightly, freezing their grimaces in place. Just as they did so, two other hooks extended and reached down to the floor. Two more frozen voyagers' bags opened and they slid out of them onto the floor, gasping for air.
"That never gets any easier, does it Brian," said one, a tall, pale woman to the other.
"Sure doesn't, Cynthia," said Brian, "But it's good to be out!"
These two clearly had much better rapport than the previous pair. After 15 minutes of small talk, Brian settled into the first sleeping bag, while Cynthia took first watch and the seven-day cycle began all over again.
Vocabulary
Click an underlined word in the passage above to reveal its definition here.
Section 1: What Happened?
Answer using evidence from the passage. Use full sentences where possible.
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1How long has the cycle been going on?(1 mark)
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2aWhy does the ship have no real day or night?(1 mark)
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2bHow does it create the illusion of days?(1 mark)
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3What happens when the travellers get into the bags? Describe the process.(2 marks)
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4aHow do the new travellers emerge from their bags?(1 mark)
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4bWhat are their names?(1 mark)
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5How is the new pair different from the previous one? Use evidence from the text.(3 marks)
Section 2: Perspectives & Feelings
Think carefully about what the characters might be thinking and feeling. Use the text to support your ideas.
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6"That never gets any easier, does it Brian." What does this suggest about what it feels like to be sealed inside the bag?(2 marks)
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7The writer says there was "no sun to orbit, only the destination, far out in the imagined future of the crew." What does this tell us about the nature of this journey?(3 marks)
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8How does the mood change when Brian and Cynthia emerge? Use evidence from the text.(2 marks)
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9Why do you think the writer reveals two new characters at this point in the story? What effect does this have on the reader?(4 marks)
Section 3: Writer's Corner
Think about the choices the writer has made and what effect they have on the reader.
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10The writer calls the seven days "interminable." What does this word mean, and why is it effective here?(2 marks)
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11"Freezing their grimaces in place." What does this image suggest about what being sealed inside the bags is like?(2 marks)
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12The writer says that in deep space, time "didn't exist." How does this idea add to the atmosphere of the story as a whole?(4 marks)
Section 4: Writing Task
Creative Writing Task — 20 minutes
Write the conversation between Brian and Cynthia during their first watch together. What do they talk about to pass the time?
You might think about:
- What do they already know about each other — and what are they curious about?
- Do they talk about home, the mission, the other crew members, or something else entirely?
- How does their conversation show that they get along better than the previous pair?
Good dialogue sounds natural — read it aloud as you write it to check it feels real. Remember: what people don't say is often just as interesting as what they do.