MPUMALANGA EDUCATION

GENERAL EDUCATION
AND TRAINING

GRADE 9

ENGLISH FIRST ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

TASK 3
RESPONSE TO TEXTS
MARCH 2025

MARKS: 70
DURATION: 2 hours

This question paper consists of 12 pages.

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Grade 9 English First Additional March 2025

INSTRUCTIONS AND INFORMATION

1. This question paper consists of FOUR SECTIONS:

SECTION A: Comprehension (25)

SECTION B: Visual Literacy (15)

SECTION C: Summary (10)

SECTION D: Language structures and Conventions (20)

2. Answer ALL the questions.

3. DRAW A 2CM MARGIN ON THE RIGHT OF EVERY PAGE AND LEAVE

THESE OPEN.

4. Start EACH section on a NEW page.

5. RULE OFF AFTER EACH SECTION.

6. NUMBER THE ANSWERS CORRECTLY ACCORDING TO THE

NUMBERING SYSTEM USED IN THIS QUESTION PAPER.

7. LEAVE A LINE AFTER EACH ANSWER.

8. Pay special attention to spelling and construction.

9. IT IS IN YOUR BEST INTEREST TO WRITE NEATLY AND LEGIBLY.

SECTION A: COMPREHENSION

QUESTION 1

Read BOTH TEXT A and TEXT B below and answer the set questions.

TEXT A

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Grade 9 English First Additional March 2025

THE EFFECTS OF LOAD-SHEDDING ON SMALL BUSINESSES.

1 It’s estimated that load-shedding can cost South Africa over R4 Billion a day. This
can be devastating for small businesses. There are many ways that load-shedding
affects small businesses. It really doesn’t matter what the business does or what
industry it’s in, it will almost certainly be affected by load-shedding power outages
in some way. Knowing how load-shedding affects small businesses is important
for preparing for these incredibly disruptive power cuts. Here are some of the main 5
ways that small businesses suffer from load-shedding.
When looking at how load-shedding affects small businesses, one of the main
2 issues is a loss of production. All kinds of businesses and industries require
electricity to produce their products and services. This can include businesses in 10
manufacturing, services that use electrical equipment (like auto mechanics),
restaurants, and more. Losing electrical supplies results in a pause in the day’s
work. This could mean a significant loss of business, not being able to fulfil orders
or customer requests, or producing product shortages.
Wi-Fi loss is one of the biggest load-shedding concerns for small businesses. Just
3 about every business relies on the internet in one way or another. For some 15
businesses, their entire operations are done online. With a loss of Wi-Fi, business
operations must be put on hold for a few hours. This has become an increasingly
important issue as work-from-home jobs have become more popular. While
certain office spaces and business districts might have power available during
loadshedding, people working from home will have their power cut throughout the
day. 20

There is an increased risk of burglaries when the power goes out. Burglar alarms
4 or security cameras won’t work without a backup power source, so small
businesses face a greater risk of theft. This has caused many small businesses to
close their doors during load-shedding hours.
Many ATMs don’t work during load-shedding. At the same time, credit card 25
terminals often don’t work during load-shedding either. If a small business can’t
5 accept payments, it can’t operate. Businesses generally must only trade in cash
during load-shedding. However, many people don’t carry cash with them these
days. And as mentioned above, with ATMs not working, drawing cash is often
impossible.
30
Load-shedding affects many cell-phone networks in South Africa, When the power
goes out, so does the cell-phone signal. This can be disastrous for small
businesses, as so many businesses rely on their cell-phones for their daily
6

operations. This could mean people can’t get hold of a business, or the business 35
can’t perform any communication during load-shedding hours.
When the power turns on and off throughout the day, this often results in large
7
surges of power. These power surges can cause major damage to businesses
electrical equipment. For businesses with vital and expensive electrical

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Grade 9 English First Additional March 2025

equipment, like industrial coffee machines, manufacturing equipment, or

computers, damaged electronics could result in the business not being able to 40
operate.
When looking at how load-shedding affects small businesses, this includes
8 indirect factors – such as traffic issues. Traffic lights go out during load-shedding
hours, which can result in increased congestion on the roads. For small 45
businesses, this could mean a loss of customers due to traffic, or employees
arriving at work late. Traffic jams also often result in more accidents, which can
affect small business operations, meetings, and deadlines.
We will all suffer in the end, no matter what line of work you’re in. Big or small –
9 load-shedding affects us all.

[Source: Adapted from the Mail and Guardian: March 2023]

NOTE:
• Answer ALL the questions in your OWN WORDS.
• For one-word answers, write only the question number and the word.

1.1. Name South Africa’s main power supply company. (1)

1.2 Refer to paragraph 1 and 2.

1.2.1 Mention three ways in which a small business can suffer during load-
shedding. (3)

1.2.2 Which word in line two tells us that small businesses will suffer greatly?

1.2.3 Quote two consecutive words from line six to show that load-shedding
interrupts the usual way of doing things. (1)

1.3 Refer to paragraph 4.

1.3.1 Discuss how are security issues for small businesses linked to load-
shedding? (2)

1.4 Refer to paragraph 5.

1.4.1 What does the abbreviation ATM stand for? (1)

1.4.2 Discuss two ways in which load-shedding causes payment issues for
small businesses. (2)

1.5 Refer to paragraph 6.

1.5.1 Elaborate on how load-shedding has a negative effect on cell-phone

networks. (2)

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Grade 9 English First Additional March 2025

1.6 Refer to paragraph 8.

1.6.1 Discuss why the following statement false:

“Traffic issues are not among the list of concerns small businesses have
during load-shedding.” (2)

1.7 Consider the passage as a whole. (2)

1.7.1 Discuss two ways in which electricity is generated in South Africa. (2)

1.7.2 Critically discuss what can you and your family do to assist in easing the
load on the grid. (2)

1.7.3 The power to resolve the energy crisis in South Africa rests with
government.

Discuss your view. (2)

[20]

TEXT B

ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION PER SECTOR IN SOUTH AFRICA

[Source:Eskom South Africa]

NOTE:

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Grade 9 English First Additional March 2025

• Answer ALL the questions in your OWN WORDS.

• For one-word answers, write only the question number and the word.

1.8 Which sector consumes the biggest percentage of electricity? (1) 1.9

Which sector consumes the smallest percentage of electricity? (1)

1.10 The “Other” sector consumes 7% of electricity.

Mention one field that can be considered under the heading “other”. (1)

1.11 The graph above is called a pie chart. Why do you think this type of graph is
called this? (2)

[5]

TOTAL SECTION A: [25]

SECTION B:

QUESTION 2: ANALYSING AN ADVERTISEMENT

TEXT C

[Source: www.news24.com]

2.1 What product or service being advertised in this advertisement? Give a reason
for your answer (2)

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Grade 9 English First Additional March 2025

2.2 Who is the target audience of this briefing? Give a reason for your answer (2)

2.3 Supply a synonym for the word “Kaput”. (1)

2.5 Use the two homophones of the word “two” in a sentence of your own. (2)

2.6 Explain what the phrase “two decades” refers to. (1)

2.8 Is the advertisement successful in communicating its message to the reader? (2)

[10]

QUESTION 3: ANALYSING A CARTOON

Study the advertisement (TEXT D) below and answer the set questions.

TEXT D

FRAME 1 FRAME 2 FRAME 3

FRAME 4 FRAME 5 FRAME 6

3.1 Refer to frames 1.

3.2.1 How do we know that the boy is speaking softly or gently? (1)

3.2 Refer to frame 3

3.2.2 How do we know that the girl’s hands are moving. (1)

3.3 Refer to frame 4.

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Grade 9 English First Additional March 2025

3.3.1 Account for the ellipsis. (1)

3.4 Consider the cartoon as a whole.

3.4.1 Is the boy’s concern justified

Discuss your view (2)

[5]

TOTAL SECTION B: [15] SECTION C: SUMMARY

QUESTION 3

Read [TEXT D] and list seven ways in which costs for small businesses are increased
during load-shedding.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Your summary must be written in point form.

2. List seven points in full sentences using no more than 60 words.
3. Number your sentences from 1 to 7.
4. Write only one point per sentence.
5. Use your own words as far as possible.
6. Indicate the total number of words you have used in brackets at the end of your
summary.

TEXT D

INCREASED COSTS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES DURING LOAD SHEDDING.

To trade in cash often results in more expenses as this means having a bigger cash flow, this
will increase bank costs.

Many small businesses must invest in alternative power supplies to help them combat
loadshedding. This includes things like generators, power banks, or dongles and routers.
These extra power sources can be expensive.

With Wi-Fi going down, many businesses also must switch to cell-phone data during
loadshedding. The extra data costs can also be a major expense. Restaurants also often
increase the amount of gas that they use during load-shedding hours. Again, this can
increase operating costs significantly.

Small businesses have endless challenges that they need to face each day, and load-
shedding can be one of the worst. Load-shedding often forces businesses to close for a large
portion of the day. This has many repercussions, all of which result in impacted revenue and
profits.

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Grade 9 English First Additional March 2025

Small businesses who sell perishable foods will lose stock when power is cut for long periods
of time, thus forcing them to carry less stock. The result is that they need to go to the
markets or suppliers more often, that in turn increases the amount of money spent on
transport costs.

The equipment businesses use, may be damaged during load-shedding, as it is not made to
endure the power surges.

It’s important that small businesses prepare for load-shedding as best as they can and
understand what power sources and alternatives are available to them during these dark
hours. Investing in a power supply to combat load-shedding could ultimately save your
business.
Adapted from: author unknown
TOTAL SECTION C: [10]
SECTION D: LANGUAGE
STRUCTURES AND
CONVENTIONS
QUESTION 4
4.1 TEXT E

1 “Young entrepreneurs must step up to their roll in revitalising the country’s

economy and realising the National Development Goals of job creation and
poverty alleviation,” the Eskom Development Foundation announced.

2 Eskoms annual Business Investment Competition (BIC) is open for entries from
30 August and closes at midknight on 31 October. This will be followed by a 5
twodays entrepreneurship capacity building and networking event.

This year, as many young entrepreneurs as possible, are encouraged to

3
participate. Youth - owning enterprises require major investment and
mentorship. Thus, Eskom focuses on boosting, rewarding, and empowering
growing businesses. In the South African context, development of young
entrepreneurs is key to bolstering the country’s socio-economic growth and 10
alleviating the prevailing poverty, crime, domestic violence, and other
challenges within our communities,” explains Cecil Ramonotsi, Eskom
Development Foundation Chief Executive.

“Eskom is well aware of the concerted effort required to ensure inclusive

4 economic participation. Our 2023 Business Investment Competition is intended 15
to support black youth entrepreneurs with access to finance, as well as through
skills and capacity building so that they can pivot the harsh economic
environment brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic,” expresses Ramonotsi.

If you are a young entrepreneur, seize this opportunity and enter

www.eskombic2023.co.za until midnight on 31 October 2023.
5 20

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Grade 9 English First Additional March 2025

4.1.2 Correct the mistakes in the following sentences. Write only the correction you
make.

4.1.2.1 Young entrepreneurs must step up to their roll in revitalising the

country’s economy. (1)

4.1.2.2 Eskoms annual Business Investment Competition (BIC) is open for

entries from 30 August. (1)

4.1.2.3 The competition closes at midknight on 31 October. (1)

4.1.2.4 This will be followed by a two-days entrepreneurship capacity

building and networking event. (1)

4.1.3 Rewrite the following statement in the past tense: “This year, as
many young entrepreneurs as possible, are encouraged to
participate.” (2)

4.1.4 Name the punctuation mark in the following word:

Two-day (1)

4.1.5 What is the function of the apostrophe in the following sentence?

Development of young entrepreneurs is key to bolstering the country’s socioeconomic

growth and alleviating the prevailing poverty. (1) 4.1.6 Add the question tag to the

following sentence. He is aware of the effort you put in to ensure a better

future. (2) 4.1.7 Identify the underlined part of speech in the following sentences:

4.1.7.1 He won the competition. (1)

4.1.7.2 The difficult tasks made the competition tough. (1)

4.1.7.3 He finished under the top three candidates. (1)

“In today’s world photoshopping has become normal practise.”

Photoshopping is an example of a (simple / compound / complex) word (1)

[14]

4.2 TEXT F:

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Grade 9 English First Additional March 2025

[Source:www.ewm.com]

4.2.1 Rewrite Molefe’s words in the simple (indefinite) future tense.

I did what any responsible person would do. (2)

4.2.2 Rewrite the worker’s words in the reported speech. He switched the lights off before

he left.

Start your sentence like this: The worker shouted that … (2)

4.2.3 Choose the correct answer from the list below:

The abbreviation “ESKOM” is an example of…

A. Truncation

B. Blended word

C. Acronym

D. Contraction (1)

[6]

TOTAL SECTION D: [20]

GRAND TOTAL: [70]

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