Manchester Mock Paper
What impression does Bill Bryson create of Manchester as a city? [10]
Bill Bryson gives the overall impression that Manchester on the whole, is a boring, dull and lifeless place to visit. One impression Bryson gives is that Manchester is a full and fast-paced city, “busy with traffic and hurrying pedestrians”. Another impression Bryson gives is that Manchester lacks in character due to the amount of people there, “boundless sprawl”. Bryson also gives the impression that Manchester never quietens down and is constantly congested even throughout the evening, “streets filled with slow-moving traffic”. Another impression Bryson gives is that Manchester is ordinary and disappointing, “three courses of pompous description and overcooked disappointment”. Bryson gives the impression that the people of Manchester are hostile and unfriendly, “been uncommonly surly throughout”. Another impression Bryson makes is that Manchester is a depressing place to be “I can’t remember a darker city”. Bryson also makes the impression that Manchester is an unattractive city, “the great dark bulk of the Arndale Centre”. The impression Bryson gives of Manchester is that it is a threatening place to visit, “with close-cropped heads and abundantly tattooed arms”. Bryson also gives the impression that Manchester is lifeless with no personality, “it is an airport with a city attached”. The final impression Bryson gives is that the city has no identity, “a huddle of glassy modern office buildings and executive flats in the middle of a vast urban nowhere”.

How does Max Davidson try to prove that Manchester is a ‘perfect place for a city break’? [10]
One way in which Davidson tries to prove that Manchester is a perfect place for a city break is through the use of alliteration, “Another Angel of the North”; implying Manchester is a heavenly city as an angel is made by God.