Hearthprep — GL 11+ English Practice Paper 1

Read the passage below, then answer the questions. "The old lighthouse stood at the edge of the cliff, its white paint peeling like bark from a birch tree. For decades, it had guided ships safely through the treacherous waters below, its beam sweeping across the dark sea like a giant's torch. But now the lighthouse was silent. The last keeper had left three years ago, replaced by an automated system that hummed quietly in the darkness. The seabirds, once startled by the keeper's footsteps, had made their nests in the abandoned rooms above." What does the simile "peeling like bark from a birch tree" tell us about the lighthouse?

Based on the passage, why have seabirds made nests in the lighthouse?

Which word is closest in meaning to "treacherous"?

Which sentence is punctuated correctly?