First Language English – Paper 2

Lights up on dazzling New York City, the Big Apple, the City that Never Sleeps, where Fat Cats prowl and ingénues seek fame, glory or money – whichever comes first. Pan out and see skyscrapers climbing into the heavens, their facades adorned with glimmering glass and steel, like modern-day castles touching the clouds. Each one vies for attention, a dazzling display of architectural prowess, creating a mesmerizing urban landscape that ignites the imagination.

It was April, and the time had come again for Tokyo to be velveted in a pink blanket. Shinjuku National Garden, vast and winding, was bustling with life: lovers made eyes in pedalos on the lake; a pretty girl posed for photos with petals in her hair; a tourist hunted for the best picnic location, dodging and diving around swarms of sightseers; and my grandfather held my sticky little hand, as I looked up at the blooms with awe-struck eyes.