Level 2 Sample Assessment Fill in your name, date of birth registration number and centre name in the box below.

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Level 2 Sample Assessment Fill in your name, date of birth registration number and centre name in the box below."

Leo Armstrong
5 years ago
Views:

Functional Skills English - Reading Level 2 Sample Assessment Fill in your name, date of birth registration number and centre name in the box below.

Signature: Paper Ref: FSRL2AC/P Time:1 hour Total Marks: 30 Marks Awarded: /30 You must have: A pen with black or blue ink. Instruction Read the texts and answer each question carefully.

1 Functional Skills English - Reading Level 2 Sample Assessment Fill in your name, date of birth registration number and centre name in the box below. Surname: Other Names Gateway Qualifications registration number: DOB: Centre Name: My signature confirms that I will not discuss the content of this assessment with anyone. Signature: Paper Ref: FSRL2AC/P Time:1 hour Total Marks: 30 Marks Awarded: /30 You must have: A pen with black or blue ink. Instruction Read the texts and answer each question carefully. You may use a dictionary or bilingual dictionary. Answer all questions. Information The total mark for this paper is 30. The marks for each question are shown in brackets use this as a guide to how much time to spend on each question. Page 1 of 13

2 Scenario: You are interested in healthy living. You have decided to research the role of vitamins and vitamin supplements in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. As part of your research you read the following documents: Text A NHS webpage Do I need vitamin supplements? Text B an NHS report Supplements - Who needs them? A Behind the Headlines report Text C a table from Which? magazine Common Vitamin and Mineral Deficiencies/ What Harm Could Overdosing Do? Read all three texts and answer the questions. Page 2 of 13

3 Text A Your health, your choices You are here: Common health questions / Do I need vitamin supplements? DO I NEED VITAMIN SUPPLEMENTS? Nutritionists agree that most people can get all the vitamins and minerals they need by eating a healthy, balanced diet. What are vitamins and minerals? Vitamins and minerals are essential nutrients that your body needs in small amounts to work properly. For example: iron has several important roles in your body - such as making red blood cells calcium builds strong bones and teeth vitamin C also has several important roles - such as keeping cells healthy When are supplements recommended? Many people choose to take supplements, but taking too many or taking them for too long could be harmful. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends certain supplements for some groups of people who are at risk of deficiency, including: Folic acid supplements in pregnancy All women thinking of having a baby should have a folic acid supplement, as should any pregnant woman up to week 12 of her pregnancy. Folic acid can help to prevent neural tube defects, such as spina bifida. For more information, see vitamins and nutrition in pregnancy. Vitamin D supplements Vitamin D supplements should be taken by all pregnant and breastfeeding women, children aged six months to five years, and people aged 65 and over. People who are not exposed to much sunlight - for example, people who are housebound (stay indoors) for long periods of time or cover up their skin when outdoors should also take vitamin D supplements. For more information, see What does vitamin D do? Supplements containing vitamins A, C and D All children aged six months to five years should take a supplement containing vitamins A, C and D. This is a precaution because growing children may not get enough, especially those not eating a varied diet, such as fussy eaters. Ask your health visitor for advice, or for more information read our page on vitamins for children. You can get vitamin drops for free if you qualify for Healthy Start vitamins. Your GP may also recommend supplements if you need them for a medical condition. For example, you may be prescribed iron supplements to treat iron deficiency anaemia. Page 3 of 13

4 Text B Your health, your choices Supplements - Who Needs Them? What are dietary supplements? Dietary or nutritional supplements include any consumed products that aim to supplement the diet and provide additional nutrients that may be missing from it, or aren t being consumed in sufficient quantities. Business is booming with supplements now more widely available than ever before with easy availability due to the internet and the growing number of retail outlets stocking supplements. supplements market is growing. In 2009, sales of vitamins and dietary supplements in the UK totalled million, a growth of about 16% over the previous five years, with the two biggest-selling areas being multivitamins ( million) and fish oils ( million). According to industry reports, this growth in sales and new products is being driven by the UK s ageing population (15% of us are 65 or older), and a more healthconscious public. Who takes supplements and why? What s the industry worth? Vitamin pills are very popular. The People take supplements for all kinds of reasons, usually relating to their health. They hope these will boost vitality, limit the signs of ageing, extend life, cut the risk of chronic disease such as cancer and treat specific ailments such as arthritis. According to research by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in 2008, nearly a third of people in the UK take some vitamin, mineral or dietary supplement on most days, and about 15% of us report having taken a high dose supplement in the last 12 months. Page 4 of 13

5 Your health, your choices Supplements - Who Needs Them? (continued) Should we be taking supplements? There is not a straightforward answer to this question, both because of the range of products available and because an individual s circumstances will govern whether they would benefit from using a particular supplement. For example, even with popular, wellknown products such as multivitamins things are not clear-cut. There are certain vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that are essential for keeping the body functioning, but experts agree that most people can get enough of these nutrients from eating a balanced diet and, in the case of vitamin D, from getting enough sunlight. On the other hand, there is good evidence that certain vitamin supplements may be beneficial to the health of certain groups of people, such as the elderly, and children between six months and five years old. Folic acid supplements are recommended for any woman planning to have a baby and for pregnant women during the first three months of pregnancy. Some supplements sold over the internet, such as certain herbal weightloss products, have been found to contain banned substances that carry a significant risk to health. It s clear that nobody should be taking these dangerous products. In short, there is no easy answer to the question of whether we should be taking supplements. What is clear is the need for people to know what they are taking, whether it is likely to help or whether it is likely to harm. Advice The British Nutrition Foundation therefore advises anyone concerned about whether their diet is providing enough nutrients to discuss this with a health professional. It s always a good idea to talk to your GP or to a registered dietitian if you re considering supplementing your diet. They can give you advice about whether supplements will have health benefits for you in your particular circumstances. Page 5 of 13

6 Text C COMMON VITAMIN AND MINERAL DEFICIENCIES SUPPLEMENT WHO IS AFFECTED? WHAT TO DO Vitamin D One in five people are thought to be deficient in vitamin D especially those who are housebound. You can take a vitamin D supplement, and include oily fish, such as salmon, and eggs in your diet. Dried shiitake mushrooms are a good plant source of vitamin D. Experts recommend getting some sunshine, but make sure you avoid getting burnt. Iron Iron deficiency is common in younger women. Four in ten women aged 16-24, and three in ten aged are thought to be affected. Try supplementing your diet with more red meat and dark leafy green vegetables. If you are clinically anaemic, you may need iron and vitamin C supplements to replenish stores. Calcium Young men and women can be calcium deficient up to their mid-20s when their bones are strengthening. This has a long-term impact on bone health. Try including more milk, dairy products and soy milk in your diet. Magnesium 9% of men and 13% of women have low levels of magnesium. Eat dark leafy greens, nuts, fish, meat, beans, dairy foods, whole grains and porridge. Iodine Most people struggle to reach iodine requirements, especially if they re on a vegan diet. Drink more milk, and try to get more dairy products and fish into your diet. Vegans and those who don t include much dairy food should take supplements. Selenium Due to our diet, selenium levels tend to be lower in the UK and European population. Pick up some Brazil nuts and oily fish, lean meat, sunflower seeds and mushrooms. Page 6 of 13

7 WHAT HARM COULD OVERDOSING DO? SUPPLEMENT RISKS Vitamin A The RDA* is 800mcg. Taking 3,000mcg or more a day could be harmful to your liver. 200% of the RDA could also cause harm to a foetus in early pregnancy, in the form of retinol. Beta-carotene supplements are linked to an increased risk of aggressive lung cancer in smokers. Vitamin C Taking more than 1,000mg a day could mask the results of standard tests for bowel conditions, such as cancer, so that it isn t picked up in good time. It can also cause an increased risk of lung cancer in smokers, and stomach pains and diarrhoea Vitamin E The RDA is 10mg. Getting more than 540mg a day could increase the risk of a brain bleed. High doses are also linked to an increased risk of prostate cancer in men and lung cancer in smokers. Vitamin K The effects of too much vitamin K are not known, but it reduces the blood-thinning properties of warfarin, a drug used widely to prevent deep vein thrombosis and stroke, potentially increasing the risk of blood clots Vitamin B6 Taking more than 10mg a day in the long term could cause tingling and numbness. Taking significantly more than this can lead to nerve damage in severe cases. *RDA = Recommended Daily Allowance There are no safe upper limits currently set in the UK. RDAs and overdosing thresholds come from: Expert Group on Vitamins and Minerals (EVM) report, 2003; Department of Health advisory statements, 2011; European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) report, 2006 Page 7 of 13

8 Questions 1-4 relate to Text A 1. The main purpose of Text A is (Tick the correct box.) Marker Use Only a) to recommend that everyone takes vitamin and mineral supplements b) to give advice about supplements to pregnant women c) to advise people as to whether or not they need vitamin supplements d) to demonstrate that taking vitamin and mineral supplements is harmful (1 mark) 2. According to Text A, why are housebound people at risk of Vitamin D deficiency? (1 mark) 3. In addition to housebound people, name two other groups of people mentioned in Text A for whom vitamin D supplements are recommended. 4. Text A uses different features of layout to convey information clearly and effectively. Identify two of these features and for each, state how the feature helps the reader make sense of the text. Feature: How it helps the reader: (2 marks) Feature: How it helps the reader: (4 marks) Page 8 of 13

9 Questions 5-7 relate to Text B Marker Use Only 5. Identify 3 factors mentioned in Text B that have contributed to the growth of the vitamins and supplements industry in the UK. (3 marks) 6. What advice does Text B give people who may not be getting enough nutrients from their normal diet? Why does it advise them to do this? (2 marks) 7. You have a friend who regularly buys herbal weight-loss tablets over the internet. Based on your reading of Text B, what information and advice could you give him? (2 marks) Page 9 of 13

10 Question 8 relates to Texts A and B Marker Use Only 8. From your reading you realise there are lots of different opinions on taking vitamins and supplements. You decide to identify those things that the experts agree on. Identify four points on which Texts A and B are in agreement. Questions 9-11 relate to Text C (4 marks) 9. What does the abbreviation RDA stand for in Text C? (1 mark) 10. Text C identifies possible risks to smokers of overdosing on certain vitamins. Identify one vitamin that is potentially risky if taken in large quantities and the potential risk this poses to smokers. (2 marks) Page 10 of 13

11 11. Identify two sources that Which? magazine used to compile the table in Text C. Marker Use Only (2 marks) Question 12 relates to Texts A, B and C 12. Based on your reading of these 3 texts, what advice on healthy eating, vitamins and vitamin supplements would you offer your friend, Jan, who - is trying to get pregnant - has iron-deficiency anaemia - is vegetarian? Include some advice that relates to each of the 3 pieces of information about Jan. (6 marks) Total 30 marks Page 11 of 13

12 These texts and illustrations have been incorporated into this test paper solely for the purposes of the examination in accordance with Section 32 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended by the Copyright and Rights in Performance (Research, Education, Libraries and Archives) Regulations No copyright or clearance for any other use has been obtained or sought. Page 12 of 13

13 END OF ASSESSMENT Gateway Qualifications Gateway House 3 Tollgate Business Park Colchester, CO3 8AB Page 13 of 13

English Reading Level 2

English Reading Level 2 Functional Skills English Reading Level Sample Assessment Mark Scheme The following documents are included in this assessment pack: Guidance on the conduct of the assessment General marking guidance and