Read Source D and Source E. Explain the benefits and disadvantages of electric bicycles in these articles.

This question tests retrieval and collation across two sources (R1 and R2), for 10 marks. Both sources must be used, and the top band asks what the disagreement between them actually is.

1 to 3 marks: one source only

Even excellent work on Source D alone stays here. The question names both.

4 to 7 marks: collating both sides

8 to 10 marks: developed comparison

The top band wants the shape of the disagreement, and the interesting thing here is that the two sources do not contradict each other on any fact. They differ on what follows.

The clearest case is effort. Source D treats the removal of effort as the whole point, because it is what allows people who had given up, or who never started, to ride at all. Source E treats the same removal as subtracting the health benefit that was the reason for cycling in the first place. One feature, two opposite readings, and neither is wrong.

Underneath that sits a difference in what each source is measuring. Source D measures success by who can now ride, so its evidence is about range, loads and age. Source E measures by cost and risk, so its evidence is about price, repairability and speed. An answer that says the sources disagree about which question matters, rather than about the machine, is working at 9 or 10.

Examination takeaway

On a two-source question, after listing both sides, ask what each writer counts as success. That single sentence usually earns the difference between the middle and the top band.