Paper 1a13
Some words only have meaning in a text. 'This one', 'he' and 'over there' only have sense in a longer piece of speech or writing. It is important we understand what they are referring to if we are to get the correct message. Sometimes they refer to words that have just occurred or ones which are just about to come; at other times they refer to ideas rather than words.
Read the following paragraph and look at the examples reference explained below Nobody Knows
In a modern city we are so surrounded by people that we have to learn to ignore them. Thousands of faces we may never see again pass us by every day. This makes us uninterested in our neighbours. As long as they do not disturb us, we will not disturb them. Thus it is that one often reads of people lying dead in their homes for weeks without anyone realising or missing them. That situation is the background to this award-winning film. The irresponsible mother of four young children leaves them alone in their Tokyo flat for months. Only the eldest, twelve-year-old Akira, is used to going outside the home. For a long time they preserve their routine and cook, wash and play. But then their money runs out. Nobody seems to notice and they find ways to get by. It begins to seem as if this will just go on, but then a great sadness befalls the family. This is a very moving film, a masterpiece.
1. we - the readers, ordinary people
2. them - the surrounding people
3. this - the fact that we come across so many people every day