Please Mark: English Language Paper 1, Question 2

Hello, could anyone mark this please? I've got a mock exam coming up and I really need to do some practice.

Look in detail at this extract, from lines 5 to 15 of the source:
Ugwu did not believe that anybody, not even this master he was going to live with, ate meat every day. He did not disagree with his aunty, though, because he was too choked with expectation, too busy imagining his new life away from the village. They had been walking for a while now, since they got off the lorry at the motor park, and the afternoon sun burned the back of his neck. But he did not mind. He was prepared to walk hours more in even hotter sun. He had never seen anything like the streets that appeared after they went past the university gates, streets so smooth and tarred that he itched to lay his cheek down on them. He would never be able to describe to his sister Anulika how the bungalows here were painted the colour of the sky and sat side by side like polite well-dressed men, how the hedges separating them were trimmed so flat on top that they looked like tables wrapped with leaves.

How does the writer use language here to describe Ugwu's impression of the city?
You could include the writer's choice of:
• words and phrases
• language features and techniques
• sentence forms

(out of 8 marks)

1) The reader is introduced to the story by Ugwu's claim that nobody 'ate meat every day'. This helps us to predict that the city will be a very wealthy area and that Ugwu will be shocked by it.
2) He is described as being 'choked with expectation', which shows he believes the city will bring him opportunity. The verb 'choked' suggests that his reaction to seeing the city was extreme, and the word 'too' enforces this
3) 'choked' also suggets that he cannot get his words out, and cannot describe what he is witnessing. Thus, the city is so undescribable that he lacks the vocabulary
4) There is a contrast between the mild 'afternoon sun' and the 'even hotter sun' that Ugwu is prepared to walk for hours in. This trvialises any discomforts about the city and shows he is used to much worse
5) This also shows the reader that he will persevere, and will likely tackle any challenges the city presents him, and may find it easy to do so. The bungalows are described as being painted 'the colour of the sky'. The sky may symbolise his newfound freedom and opportunity
6) The sibilance in the phrase 'streets so smooth' reflects the comfort and peacefulness of the area. Also reflects how life will be 'smooth' compared to life in his village
7) The sibilance also slows down the sentence, which may imply that the boy is taking some time to appreciate and comprehend the city as it has made a significant impression on him
8) The city is presented as being orderly and structured, with the houses all 'side by side' in neat rows, and the hedges 'trimmed so flat on top' that they look artificial. This suggests there is an atmosphere of comfort and security that is significant to him, reinforced by the sibilance again. This may also make the reader wonder if something will go wrong.