Time allowed: 45 minutesTotal marks: 35Questions: 5
Instructions
• Answer ALL questions.
• Show your working where required — marks may be awarded for method.
• Write your answers clearly in the spaces provided.
• You may NOT use a calculator unless stated otherwise.
• Check your work if you finish early.
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?
[1 mark]
AThe lighthouse is made of wood
BThe lighthouse is old and neglected
CThe lighthouse is surrounded by trees
DThe lighthouse has recently been painted
2. Based on the passage, why have seabirds made nests in the lighthouse?
[2 marks]
Answer:
Working:
3. Which word is closest in meaning to "treacherous"?
[1 mark]
Acalm
Bdangerous
Cshallow
Dbeautiful
4. Which sentence is punctuated correctly?
[1 mark]
AIts a lovely day, isnt it?
BIt's a lovely day, isn't it?
CIts a lovely day, isn't it?
DIt's a lovely day, isnt it?
5. Choose the correct spelling: The children showed great _____ during the competition.
A) determanation B) determination C) determinasion D) detirmination