English FAL Grade 11 Language

TEXT A

ALONE TOGETHER

1. Converse is an American shoe company which has been making canvas and rubber-soled
shoes since the early 20th century. In 2007, Converse started producing a wide range of
occupational safety shoes that resemble their regular athletic shoes.

2. In 1908, Marquis M. Converse, in his late 30s, opened the Converse Rubber Shoe
Company in Massachusetts and began providing rubber-soled footwear for men, women,
and children. By 1910 the company was producing 4 000 pairs of shoes daily.

3. The company's main turning point came in 1917 when the Converse All Star basketball
shoe was introduced. This was a real innovation, considering that, at the time, the sport was
only 25 years old. Converse tried to capture the basketball market, but the shoe was not
particularly popular. Then in 1921, a basketball player named Charles H. “Chuck” Taylor
adopted them as his preferred sports shoes. After a few changes the shoe got its current
name with Chuck Taylor’s signature on its ankle patch. Converse offered him a job – as a
salesman and an ambassador to promote the shoes around the United States. He tirelessly
continued this work until shortly before his death in 1969.

4. Converse steamed ahead through the 1920s and 1930s as the nation’s interest in
basketball surged. Converse and basketball became synonymous as the Converse Chuck
Taylor All Star became the standard basketball shoes for professional, college, and high
school teams across the country. When America entered World War II in 1941, Converse
shifted production to manufacturing military boots, parkas, rubber protective suits, and
ponchos for pilots and troops.

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English FAL Grade 11 Language

5. Also referred to as “Cons”, “Connies”, “Chuckers”, “Chucks”, “Chuckie T’s”, for decades the
Chuck Taylor All Star basketball shoe only came in black or white. Under pressure from
basketball teams it was decided in 1966 to add coloured and patterned shoelaces. Different
materials started to appear, such as leather, suede, vinyl, denim and hemp.

6. In 1986, Converse released “The Weapon” basketball shoe, manufactured in colour

schemes to match the colours of basketball teams. The unique aspect of this shoe was the
leather construction throughout, including the inside heel, which was also heavily padded
for comfort.

7. Converse lost much of its apparent near-monopoly from the 1970s onward, with the surge
of new competitors such as Nike, Adidas and Reebok, who introduced radical new designs
to the market.

8. In January 2001 the company subsequently changed hands. Manufacturing for the
American market moved to a number of Asian countries, including China, Indonesia and
Vietnam. Finally, on July 9, 2003, the company was taken over by its rival, Nike.

9. Since then, the design has had a few alterations. The fabric is no longer 2-ply cotton canvas
but 1-ply “textile”. It is also fashionable to sometimes lace the Converse in a variety of ways
- such as putting mismatching laces. No wonder Converse is considered very “cool” by most
youths. Sixty percent of all Americans own or have owned at least one pair of Converse
sneakers. Some are so enthusiastic about the sneakers that they have a vast, ever-growing
collection. According to The Guinness Book of World Records, Joshua Mueller has the
largest collection of “Chucks” (1546 pairs).

[Adapted from http://chucksconnection.com/history1.html]

NOTE:

• Answer ALL the questions in your OWN WORDS.

• For one-word answers, write only the question number and the word.
• For multiple-choice questions, write only the question number and the letter (A–D) of the
correct answer.

1.1 In which country is Converse based?

Write down only the correct LETTER next to the corresponding question
number.

A USA
B CHINA
C VIETNAM
D INDONESIA (1)

1.2 This text is likely to have been taken from …

(Write down only the correct LETTER next to the corresponding question
number.)

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English FAL Grade 11 Language

A Chuck Taylor’s diary.

B a dictionary
C a fashion magazine.
D a Maths textbook (1)

1.3 Refer to the title of the article “The Classic American Sneaker”.
What does the word “classic” tell you about this sneaker? (2)

1.4 State whether the following are TRUE or FALSE. Give a reason for your answer using
your own words as far as possible.

1.4.1 Converse started making shoes in 2007. (2)

1.4.2 The popularity of basketball helped to increase the sales of Converse shoes. (2)

1.5 How did Chuck Taylor help to make Converse so popular? (2)

1.6 Refer to paragraph 4.

1.6.1 Identify the figure of speech in “Converse steamed ahead ...” (1)
1.6.2 Why did Converse stop manufacturing sports shoes during World War II? (2)

1.7 Refer to paragraph 6.

Why do you think “The Weapon” basketball shoe is padded for comfort? (2)

1.8 Refer to paragraph 7.

In your own words explain why things become so difficult for Converse in the 1970s.
(2)

1.9 Give TWO facts the writer mentions to show how popular Converse sneakers still are.
(2)
1.10 Explain the meaning of the phrase “turning point” in paragraph 3. (1)

TOTAL SECTION A: 20

GRAND TOTAL: 60