Who this is for: Cambridge IGCSE English First Language (0500) students preparing for Comprehension Text B who need a clear method for answering questions on the mining passage — a text about industry, environment and human impact.
What query it owns: how to understand and answer comprehension questions on the mining text in Cambridge IGCSE English First Language Comprehension Text B.
Why this is safe: this page owns the mining-comprehension revision-guide angle, while Tutopiya’s Understanding Comprehension — Mining subtopic page owns the learning resource and the free Mining comprehension quiz owns the practice.

The mining passage in Comprehension Text B explores industry, landscape and environmental impact through factual description and the writer’s perspective. Cambridge IGCSE English First Language (0500) examiners use this text to test retrieval, explanation and inference at increasing depth. This guide shows you how to decode command words and write answers that match the mark scheme.

Key takeaways

• The mining passage blends industrial fact with writer’s attitude towards landscape and change.
• State questions want direct facts — processes, locations, effects mentioned in the text.
• Explain questions need a point plus a reason — how or why the writer presents something.
• Infer questions ask you to read between the lines about attitude, concern or implication.
• Stay within word limits — concise, targeted answers earn full marks.

What is the mining comprehension passage in Comprehension Text B?

The mining comprehension passage is a Comprehension Text B resource focused on mining, industry and environmental change. Questions progress from straightforward retrieval to inference and analysis of the writer’s methods. Tutopiya’s Understanding Comprehension — Mining subtopic page provides the full passage, model answers and examiner-style feedback.

Command words for Paper 1 Text B — mining passage

Command word	What the examiner wants	Mining example stem
State	One fact from the text	”State one effect of mining on the landscape.”
Identify	Name or select from the passage	”Identify the word that suggests destruction.”
Explain	Point + reason/how	”Explain how the writer conveys the scale of the operation.”
Infer	Implied meaning + evidence	”What can you infer about the writer’s attitude to mining?”
Suggest	Reasonable interpretation	”Suggest why the writer describes the machinery in detail.”
Give evidence	Quote or paraphrase	”Give one piece of evidence that mining changed the area.”

Factual vs attitudinal questions — comparison table

Question type	What it targets	Mining example
Factual retrieval	Explicit information	”State one material extracted from the mine.”
Process explanation	How something happens	”Explain how the mining process works.”
Attitude inference	Writer’s implied view	”What can you infer about the writer’s feelings?”
Language analysis	How meaning is created	”Explain how the writer creates a bleak atmosphere.”

How to answer mining comprehension questions — step by step

1. Read the question and underline the command word.
2. Locate the relevant paragraph(s) in the mining passage.
3. Draft explain/infer answers using Point, Evidence, Explanation.
4. Count words if a limit is given.
5. Check you have answered what was asked.
6. Confirm with the Mining comprehension quiz.

Mining comprehension in past-paper wording: command words that matter

Command word / phrase	What the question wants	Typical mining stem
State	Direct fact	”State one consequence of mining mentioned in the text.”
Explain	Point plus reason	”Explain how the writer creates a sense of desolation.”
Infer	Implied meaning + evidence	”What can you infer about local people’s views?”
Identify	Name or select	”Identify two words that suggest industrial scale.”
Suggest	Reasonable interpretation	”Suggest why the writer contrasts past and present.”

Worked exam-style stems (how to answer the wording)

1. “State one effect of mining on the environment described in the passage.”
   Scan for an explicit effect (landscape change, pollution, noise). Write one concise sentence. Mark-scheme reward: accurate retrieval.

2. “Explain how the writer conveys a sense of loss in paragraph 4.”
   Point: the writer uses nostalgic vocabulary / contrast between past beauty and present damage. Evidence: quote a phrase. Explanation: link the technique to the feeling of loss. Reward: technique + evidence + effect.

3. “What can you infer about the writer’s attitude to the mining company?”
   The writer implies criticism / concern / anger. Evidence: quote a suggestive phrase. Explanation: negative tone or loaded vocabulary signals the attitude. Reward: valid inference + textual support.

4. “Give one piece of evidence that the area was once unspoilt.”
   Quote or paraphrase a sentence describing the landscape before mining. Reward: precise, relevant evidence.

Practise on the Mining comprehension quiz, then compare with the Apollo comprehension quiz.

How mining connects to other Comprehension Text B resources

The mining passage sits alongside Content for Comprehension, Understanding Comprehension — Apollo and Answering Different Comprehension Qs — Artefacts. The Cambridge IGCSE English First Language hub links every subtopic.

Common mistakes students make

• Using general knowledge about mining instead of what the passage actually says.
• Explaining when the question only asks to state a fact.
• Making inferences without quoting or paraphrasing evidence.
• Confusing the writer’s attitude with your own opinion on mining.
• Exceeding word limits on short-answer questions.

When you need more support

If mining comprehension questions keep costing marks, work through the Mining comprehension quiz, then get focused help from a Cambridge IGCSE English First Language tutor.

Frequently asked questions

What is the mining comprehension passage about?
It covers mining, industry and environmental change, testing retrieval, explanation and inference on a Comprehension Text B passage.

How do I answer explain questions on the mining text?
State what the writer does, quote evidence, and explain the effect on the reader — link technique to meaning.

What is the difference between state and infer on this passage?
State asks for an explicit fact; infer asks for a conclusion the text implies, supported by evidence.

How do I revise mining comprehension effectively?
Read the passage actively, practise each command word type, then take the Mining comprehension quiz.

Ready to master the mining comprehension passage?

Start with the Understanding Comprehension — Mining subtopic page, then book a free trial with a Cambridge IGCSE English specialist and try the free Mining comprehension quiz.

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