Succeeding in Reading

SUCCEED
IN KS2
SATS
ENGLISH
Under the Skull & Crossbones
The Coral Island
Blackbeard the Pirate
Peter Pan
Evaluating a Text 1
Forces of Nature
The Death of an Island
Evaluating a Text 2
All in the Family
Runaway 1 Runaway 2
Just Grow Up
The Human Family
Evaluating a Text 3
02 - 03
04 - 05
06 - 07
08
09 - 13
14
15 - 17
18 - 19
20
21
Caring for Kittens
Caring for Your Kitten
‘Free Kittens’
Cat-Meowing (and what it means)
Evaluating a Text 4
Daily Life in Tudor Times
Evaluating a Text 5
Poets’ Corner
Grammar & Punctuation Test Practice
The SATS Grammar Test at Higher Levels
Spelling Lists
1
22
24
26
28
29
35
36
38
42
46
- 23
- 25
- 27
- 34
-
37
41
44
47
UNDER THE SKULL AND CROSSBONES
THE CORAL ISLAND
R. M. Ballantyne
Three boys, Ralph (the narrator), Jack and Peterkin, are the sole survivors of a shipwreck on the
coral reef of a large but uninhabited Polynesian island. At first their life on the island is perfect;
food, in the shape of fruits, fish and wild pigs, is plentiful, and using their only possessions; a
broken telescope, an iron-bound oar and a small axe, they fashion a shelter and even construct a
small boat. Their first contact with other people comes after several months when they
observe……. (1)
“A sail! a sail! Ralph, Jack, look! Away on the horizon there, just by the entrance to the
lagoon!” cried Peterkin, as we scrambled up the rocks. “So it is, and a schooner, too!”
said Jack, as he proceeded hastily to scramble into the rags of our clothing. (2)
Our hearts were thrown into a terrible flutter by this discovery, for if it should touch at
our island we had no doubt the captain would be happy to give us a passage to some of
the civilized islands, where we could find a ship sailing for England, or some other part
of Europe, from where we could easily make out way home. With joyful anticipations we
hastened to the highest point of rock near our dwelling, and awaited the arrival of the
vessel, for we now perceived that she was making straight for the island, under a steady
breeze. (3)
In less than an hour she was close to the reef, where she rounded to, and backed her
topsails in order to survey the coast. Seeing this, and fearing that they might not
perceive us, we all three waved pieces of cocoa-nut cloth in the air, and soon had the
satisfaction of seeing them beginning to lower a boat and bustle about the decks as if
they meant to land. Suddenly a flag was run up to the peak, a little cloud of white
smoke rose from the schooner's side, and, before we could guess their intentions, a
cannon-shot came crashing through the bushes, carried away several cocoa-nut trees
in its passage, and burst in atoms against the cliff a few yards below the spot on which
we stood. (4)
With feelings of terror we now observed that the flag at the schooner's peak was black,
with a Death's head and cross bones upon it. As we gazed at each other in blank
amazement, the word “pirate” escaped our lips simultaneously. (5)
“What is to be done?” cried Peterkin, as we observed a boat shoot from the vessel's
side, and make for the entrance of the reef. “If they take us off the island, it will either
be to throw us overboard for sport, or to make pirates of us.” (6)
I did not reply, but looked at Jack, as being our only resource in this emergency. He
stood with folded arms, and his eyes fixed with a grave, anxious expression on the
2
ground. “There is but one hope,” said he, turning with a sad expression of countenance
to Peterkin; “perhaps, after all, we may not have to resort to it. If these villains are
anxious to take us, they will soon overrun the whole island. But come, follow me.” (7)
Stopping abruptly in his speech, Jack bounded into the woods, and led us by a
circuitous route to Spouting Cliff. Here he halted, and, advancing cautiously to the
rocks, glanced over their edge. We were soon by his side, and saw the boat, which was
crowded with armed men, just touching the shore. In an instant the crew landed,
formed line, and rushed up to our shelter. Now, boys, we have but one chance left,--the
Diamond Cave.” (8)
We spent an anxious but quite comfortable
night in the cave since we’d left food supplies
there for just such an emergency as this. In
the morning, I woke first and determined to
discover what was up with our unexpected
and undesirable ‘guests’. I did not wake my
friends, knowing they would do their best to
dissuade me from taking such a risk. So
leaving them soundly sleeping, out of the
cave and off to the beach I crept. (9)
Standing on the warm, golden sand, I was
thrilled and relieved to see no sign of the
pirates’ schooner. I scanned the horizon for a
full minute, then gave vent to a deep sigh of
relief: “Yes, they’ve gone. Those villains have
been deprived of their prey this time.” (10)
“Don’t be sure of that, puppy!” said a deep voice at my side; while, at the same
moment, a heavy hand grasped my shoulder, and held it as if in a vice, which was as
nothing to the terror that gripped my heart. (11)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
What information are given in para. 1 that life on the island had been ‘perfect’ for the boys?
In (2) what does the phrase ‘rags of our clothing’ suggest?
What language in (3) conveys the boys’ emotions when they spotted a ship on the horizon?
How does the writer convey the horror of the boys in para. 5?
Why do you think Ralph turned to Jack in para.7?
How do Jack’s physical movements convey his intentions in para. 8?
Support your answer with specific examples from the paragraph.
7. Explain Ralph’s reactions in para. 9.
8. In paragraphs 10 and 11, how does the writer convey the abrupt change in Ralph’s hopes?
BLACKBEARD THE PIRATE
3
Edward Teach, better known as ‘Blackbeard’, was
the most feared pirate of his time. He sailed the
Caribbean Sea during what is called the ‘Golden
Age of Piracy’, which lasted roughly from 1700 to
1725. Blackbeard was a skilled sailor and
businessman, who knew how to recruit and keep
good sailors, intimidate his enemies, and use his
fearsome reputation to his best advantage.
Blackbeard preferred to avoid fighting, if he could,
but he and his men were deadly fighters when they
were forced to fight. (1)
Little is known about Edward Teach’s early life, but
it is believed he was born in Bristol around 1680.
Like many young men of Bristol – one of England’s
biggest ports – he took to the sea as a boy of
around 13 years. As he grew up, he saw plenty of
fighting during Queen Anne’s War (1702-1713).
However, though he was a very able seaman, he
was passed over several times for promotion, and
this may have made him feel rather bitter. (2)
Sometime between August and October of 1717, Teach managed to secure his own
vessel. This was the Revenge which Teach fitted out as a pirate hunter, but the minute
he was out of port, he hoisted the Skull and Crossbones and was off in search of rich
prey – merchant ships that were carrying gold, silver, sugar and coffee from the New
World to Europe. Before long, Teach had a fleet of three ships and 150 pirates under
his command. He also gave himself the name of ‘Blackbeard’ – a name that came to
be feared on both sides of the Atlantic and across the Caribbean. (3)
Blackbeard was much more intelligent than your average pirate. He preferred to avoid
fighting if he could, and so cultivated a very fearsome reputation. He wore his hair
long and had a long black beard. He was tall and broad-shouldered. During battle, he
put lengths of slow-burning fuse in his beard and hair. This would sputter and smoke,
giving him an altogether demonic look. He also dressed the part: wearing a fur cap or
wide hat, high leather boots and a long black coat. He also wore a modified sling with
six pistols into combat. No one who ever saw him in action forgot it, and soon
Blackbeard had an air of supernatural terror about him. (4)
4
Blackbeard used fear and intimidation to cause his enemies to surrender without a
fight. This was in his best interests, as the victimized ships could be utilized, valuable
plunder was not lost and useful men such as carpenters or doctors could be made to
join the pirate crew. Generally, if any ship they attacked surrendered peacefully,
Blackbeard would loot it and let it go on its way, or put the men aboard some other
ship if he decided to keep or sink his victim. There were exceptions, of course:
English merchant ships were sometimes treated harshly, as was any ship from Boston,
where some pirates had recently been hung. (5)
Finally, however, the British government had had enough of Blackbeard and sent
ships from the Royal Navy after him. On November 22, 1718, they caught up with
him, and, fortunately for them, many of Blackbeard’s men were on shore collecting
barrels of fresh water. (6)
Soon there was desperate fighting on Blackbeard’s ship as the marines and pirates
fought hand to hand. The English captain, Maynard, managed to wound Blackbeard
twice with pistols, but the mighty pirate fought on, his cutlass in his hand. Just as
Blackbeard was about to kill the captain, a soldier rushed in and cut the pirate across
the neck. The next blow took off Blackbeard's head. Maynard later reported that
Blackbeard had been shot no fewer than five times and had received at least twenty
serious sword cuts. Their leader gone, the surviving pirates surrendered. Maynard
returned victorious to Virginia with Blackbeard's head displayed on the bowsprit of
his ship. (7)
Blackbeard's fame lingered long after he was gone. Men who had sailed with him
automatically found positions of honour and authority on any other pirate vessel they
joined. His legend grew with every retelling: according to some stories, his headless
body swam around Maynard's ship several times after it was thrown into the water
following the last battle! (8)
Blackbeard has been the subject of several movies, plays and books. Despite little
solid evidence, legends persist of Blackbeard's buried treasure, and people still search
for it. The wreck of the Revenge was discovered in 1996. (9)
Questions
Answer your teacher’s questions concerning the life and death
of Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard the Pirate.
5
PETER PAN
JM Barrie
It might be difficult to find any child anywhere in the world who has never heard of Peter Pan,
the only boy in all the world who never grows up. Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood
having adventures on the small island of Neverland where he leads his gang, the Lost Boys in a
world of mermaids, Indians, fairies, pirates, and occasionally ordinary children from the world
outside. In this extract Peter finally comes face to face with his arch-enemy, Captain James
Hook.
HOOK OR ME THIS TIME
Suddenly Hook found himself face to face with Peter. The others drew back and
formed a ring around them. For long the two enemies look at one another, Hook
shuddering slightly, and Peter with a strange smile on his face.
“So, Pan,” said Hook at last, “this is all your doing.”
“Ay, James Hook,” came the stern answer, “it is all my doing.”
“Proud and insolent youth,” said Hook, “prepare to meet thy doom.”
“Dark and sinister man,” Peter answered, “have at thee.”
Without more words they fell to,
and for a space there was no
advantage to either blade. Peter was
a superb swordsman, and parried
with dazzling rapidity; ever and
anon he followed up a feint with a
lunge that got past his foe's defence,
but his shorter reach stood him in ill
stead, and he could not drive the
steel home.
Then he sought to close in
and finish Peter off with his iron
hook, which all this time had been
pawing the air; Peter doubled under
it and, lunging fiercely, pierced him
in the ribs. At the sight of his own
blood, whose peculiar colour, you
remember, was offensive to him,
the sword fell from Hook's hand, and he was at Peter's mercy.
“Now!” cried all the boys, but with a magnificent gesture Peter invited his
opponent to pick up his sword. Hook did so instantly, but with a tragic feeling that
Peter was showing good form. Hook was fighting now without hope, but there was
6
one thing left he could do – he, James Hook, was a gentleman, but before he went
into the cold and dark he would show that Peter Pan was not!
Abandoning the fight he rushed into the powder magazine and fired it. “In
two minutes,” he cried, “the ship will be blown to pieces.”
“Now I shall show that Peter Pan is a coward,” he thought. But calmly Peter
picked up the powder barrel, shook it by his ear, and just as calmly through it over the
side of the ship where it exploded with a tremendous Bang!
It was almost all over for Captain Hook, and he knew it. The boys danced
around him, teasing him, taunting him, the youngest even daring to stick out their
tongues at him. O, the shame of it!
Backwards, always backwards, staggered Hook until he was the farthest end
of the gangplank where so many had been forced to fall into the sea. And, seeing the
boy advance towards him along the plank, he turned ready to let himself fall into the
sea.
But wait! We must not let Captain James Hook die such an ignoble death. He
has been a grand enemy for the boy, so we shall allow him one last triumph. The man
reaches the end of the gangplank. He turns his back on the boy and bends over to
look into the deep blue sea. And Peter, quite forgetting his manners, boots him up the
backside. And down goes James Hook, down, down, into the jaws of the crocodile
who has paddled patiently around waiting for this delicious moment.
“Farewell, you rude boy,” he smiles, as he disappears content at last.
1.
2.
3.
4.
What does the title of this extract suggest?
Why do you think the smile on Peter’s face is described as ‘strange’?
Compare how Peter and Captain Hook describe each other in paragraphs 4 and 5?
How does Barrie convey the fierceness of the fight in the paragraph
beginning Without more words....? Give specific examples of the language used.
5. When Hook picks up his sword, what mixed emotions does he feel?
6. How does Hook fail to show that Peter is a coward at heart?
7. In the paragraph beginning It was almost over, how does the author begin to create
some sympathy for Captain James Hook? Why does the author do this?
8. Why does Hook bend over to look down into the deep blue sea?
9. Comment on the use of the phrase delicious moment that describes the end
of James Hook.
10. Why do you think James Hook is content at last?
7
EVALUATING A TEXT - 1
Read Sam’s account of something that happened in his childhood. Then, using the evaluation
criteria below, assess how many marks out of 10 you would award for each section.
Pop! When Ted’s single amber eye flew across the room and hit the TV screen like a ping pong
ball against a window, I knew something terminal might have happened. Until that moment, he’d
got along fine even though with one eye and a torn left ear he hadn’t been in the best of health
for a long time. I loved him. He was my best friend; I couldn’t imagine life without him. Did I
squeal? I can’t remember if I did, and if I did, I’m not ashamed – even if I am a boy, even if I am
eight years and three months old.
It was granddad who took Ted away, promising that everything would be all right.
“Everything will be all right,” he told me, but that’s what grown-ups are meant to say, aren’t
they? Even if a tsunami came rushing up Sycamore Avenue, Dad would say, “No problemo.
Everything’s gonna be all right.” My dad’s lovely but sometimes he’s a bit of dork.
Mum’s more of a realist. She said, “Don’t worry. If Ted doesn’t make it, we’ll find
something else for you. After all, you’re a big boy now.” If looks could kill, I’d be an orphan, or
at least half an orphan now. (I take it back, I take it back!)
It was three days before granddad’s gleaming Jaguar purred up the Avenue again. I broke
Rule 7 and ran into the road, pulling open the door to find Ted sitting on a blue cushion with his
seat belt on. I clicked and clunked him out, grabbed him and held him tight. Then I risked a
closer look: sparkling new eyes (two of them), his torn ear mended, and restuffed as if he’d overindulged on cake and trifle at the Toy Hospital. And he was home – safe and sound.
That night I didn’t have to check under my bed. Ted was with me.
“Hey, What did you expect? I’m only eight, you know.”
MARKS
EVALUATION CRITERIA
Catching attention from the opening sentence
Paragraphs that flow naturally from one to the next
Variety of sentences – simple, compound, complex.
Subordinate clauses that add and extend information
Detail that makes the text realistic and convincing
Effective figures of speech, e.g. metaphor, simile, personification
Punctuation that serves a purpose
Reported speech that moves the story along
Adjectives and adverbs used effectively
A satisfying conclusion?
TOTAL MARK AWARDED
8
The death of an island
The eruption of the volcano at Krakatoa in the Pacific Ocean in 1883 was a major disaster by
any measure. The entire island of Krakatoa was simply blown apart, and the resulting tsunami
killed tens of thousands of people on other islands in the vicinity. (1)
In the years preceding the massive eruption several earthquakes occurred in the area. And in
June 1883 small volcanic eruptions began to rumble across the island. Throughout the summer
the volcanic activity increased, and tides at islands in the area began to be affected. (2)
The activity kept accelerating, and finally, on August 27, 1883, four massive eruptions came
from the volcano. The final colossal explosion destroyed two-thirds of the island of Krakatoa,
essentially blasting it into dust. Powerful tsunamis were triggered by the force. (3)
Sailors on ships in nearby sea lanes reported astounding events associated with the volcanic
eruption. The sound was loud enough to break the eardrums of some crewmen on ships many
miles away. And pumice, or chunks of solidified lava, rained from the sky, pelting the ocean and
the decks of ships. (4)
The tsunamis set off by the volcanic eruption rose as high as 120 feet, and slammed into the
coastlines of the inhabited islands of Java and Sumatra. Entire settlements were wiped away,
and it is estimated that 36,000 people died. (5)
Distant Effects of the Krakatoa Eruption
The sound of the massive volcanic eruption traveled enormous distances across the ocean. At
the British outpost on Diego Garcia, an island in the Indian Ocean more than 2,000 miles from
Krakatoa, the sound was clearly heard. People in Australia also reported hearing the explosion.
It is possible that Krakatoa created one of the loudest sounds ever generated on earth. (6)
9
The volcanic dust thrown into the atmosphere affected the weather around the world, and
people as far away as Britain and the United States saw bizarre red sunsets caused by particles
in the atmosphere. The Krakatoa eruption, massive as it was, was actually not the largest volcanic
eruption of the 19th century. That distinction would belong to the eruption of Mount Tambora in April
1815. (7)
The Mount Tambora eruption, as it happened before the invention of the telegraph, was not as
widely known. But it actually had a more devastating impact as it contributed to bizarre and
deadly weather the following year, which became known as ‘The Year Without a Summer’. (8)
Death of a City
There were, of course, no satellites to predict the destruction of the Roman city of
Pompeii when the volcano named Vesuvius literally blew its top on August 24, 79AD
spewing tons of molten ash, pumice and sulfuric gas miles into the atmosphere. A
‘firestorm’ of poisons vapours and molten ash poured down on the surrounding area
suffocating the inhabitants of the resort cities of Pompeii, Herculaneum and Stabaie.
Tons of falling debris filled the streets until nothing remained to be seen of these once
thriving communities. The cities
remained buried and undiscovered
for almost 1700 years until
excavation began in 1748; these
excavations continue today and
provide us with insights to life in the
Roman Empire. (9)
A Witness from the Past
In this letter, a young Roman, named
Pliny, describes what happened to
him and his mother during the
second day of the disaster. (10)
Ashes were already falling, not as yet
very thickly. I looked round: a dense
black cloud was coming up behind
us, spreading over the earth like a flood. (11)
10
“Let us leave the road while we can still see,” I said, “or we shall be knocked down
and trampled underfoot in the dark by the crowd behind.”' We had scarcely sat down
to rest when darkness fell, not the dark of a moonless or cloudy night, but as if the
lamp had been put out in a closed room. (12)
You could hear the shrieks of women, the wailing of infants, and the shouting of men;
some were calling their parents, others their children or their wives, trying to
recognize them by their voices. People bewailed their own fate or that of their
relatives, and there were some who prayed for death in their terror of dying. Many
besought the aid of the gods, but still more imagined there were no gods left, and that
the universe was plunged into eternal darkness for evermore. (13)
A gleam of light returned, but we took this to be a warning of the approaching flames
rather than daylight. However, the flames remained some distance off; then darkness
came on once more and ashes began to fall again, this time in heavy showers. We rose
from time to time and shook them off, otherwise we should have been buried and
crushed beneath their weight. (14)
Pliny and his mother were amongst the lucky few to escape by boat from the dying
city of Pompeii. Most people were suffocated, buried under metres of volcanic ash,
where they lay forgotten and unmourned for hundreds of years until excavation began
in modern times. (15)
A CHRISTMAS TSUNAMI
The earthquake that generated the great Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 is estimated to
have released the energy of 23,000 Hiroshima-type atomic bombs. Giant forces that
had been building up deep in the Earth for hundreds of years were released suddenly
on December 26, shaking the ground violently and unleashing a series of killer waves
that sped across the Indian Ocean at the speed of a jet airliner. (16)
The epicenter of the 9.0 magnitude quake was under the Indian Ocean near the west
coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The violent movement of sections of the
Earth's crust, known as tectonic plates, displaced an enormous amount of water,
sending powerful shock waves in every direction. (17)
11
The Indian Ocean tsunami traveled as much as 3,000 miles (nearly 5,000 kilometers)
to Africa, arriving with sufficient force to kill people, livestock and destroy property.
By the end of the day more than 150,000 people were dead or missing and millions
more were homeless in 11 countries, making it perhaps the most destructive tsunami
in history. (18)
An Eyewitness Account
Here is part of an account given by BBC newsman Roland Buerk who happened to be in the
town of Unawatuna in Sri Lanka when the great tsunami of Boxing Day 2004 struck. (19)
We didn't feel the earthquake here so there was no warning at all. Then at about 10.00
this morning our time a huge wave suddenly hit the beach. We were still in bed in a
ground floor room right on the beachfront when we suddenly heard some shouts
from outside. Then the water started coming under the door. Within a few seconds it
was touching the window. (20)
We very quickly scrambled to get out as the windows started to cave in and glass
shattered everywhere. We swam out of the room neck deep in water, forcing our way
through the tables and chairs in the restaurant and up into a tree. But within about 30
seconds that tree collapsed as well and we were thrust back into the water where we
had to try and keep our heads above the water line. We were swept along for a few
hundred metres, trying to dodge the motorcycles, refrigerators, cars and other debris
that were coming with us. Finally, about 300m inshore, we managed to get hold of a
pillar, which we held onto until the waters just gradually began to subside. (21)
Other people though weren't so lucky. (22)
One elderly British gentleman was walking around in a state of shock. His wife had
been swimming when the waves struck. A family walked past carrying a very small
bundle with pale white feet poking out the bottom of it. As they walked past, their
teenage son, wearing an England football shirt said in a very matter of fact way “My
little brother is dead”. (23)
There are no kind of emergency services here, there are no helicopters thumping
through the sky to come to save people. It is a do-it-yourself rescue. People are trying
12
to get into collapsed buildings to search for those who might be trapped – the dead
can come later. (24)
The Death of an Island
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
In (1) which phrase reveals the extent of the disaster?
What early-warning signs were there of the impending catastrophe? (2)
In (3) suggest a synonym for the word ‘colossal’?
In (4) what idea does the word ‘pelting’ suggest?
Which word in (5) conveys the power of the tsunamis?
In (7) why is the phrases ‘massive as it was’ placed within inverted commas?
What does the name ‘The Year Without a Summer’ suggest in (8)?
The Death of a City
1.
In (9) what does the word ‘spewing’ suggest about the material released by the volcano?
2.
Comment on the use of the semi-colon in the final sentence of (9).
3.
What does the subtitle ‘A Witness from the Past’ suggest?
4.
Comment on the use of the simile in (11).
5.
Which words and phrases in (13) convey the desperation of the terrified people?
6.
In (15) which words convey the lasting sadness of the death of Pompeii?
A Christmas Tsunami
1.
In (16) what information conveys the devastating power of a tsunami?
2.
In (18) why do you think the writer chose the word ‘livestock’ rather than use ‘animals’?
3.
Paragraph (20) uses mainly simple and compound sentences – to what effect?
4.
In (21) how does Roland Buerk convey the helplessness of the people in the flood?
5.
Why is a single sentence used for paragraph 22?
6.
How is a sense of tragedy created using simple details in (23)?
7.
How does Buerk end his report on a very powerful note?
13
EVALUATING A TEXT - 2
Dear Editor,
I have just returned from a shopping trip to the town centre with my wife, and I feel compelled to
write to you on the subject of pocket money. By ‘young’ people I mean children under the age of
thirteen or so who are not allowed to go out and earn their pocket money as we did when I was
that age.
It seems to me (and my wife agrees) that children nowadays have far too much pocket
money though they do little or nothing to earn it. It’s about time they learned that money doesn’t
grow on trees – I knew that by the time I was six or seven. I had to work for every penny I was
given, and I can clearly remember at the age of seven staggering out with huge bags of rubbish,
feeding our pigs, and even washing out the pig sties on my eighth birthday.
Surely it would today’s spoiled, pampered brats a valuable lesson if they had to earn their
money, cleaning the house, doing the ironing and cutting the grass. Not only that but they should
be paid by results: if the job isn’t done properly, do it until it is – or not a penny in their pockets.
To be frank, I don’t see why any child under the age of thirteen needs any money at all.
Surely their parents provide everything they need, and if their parents can’t, there’s always childbenefits. I can tell you when I was a child there was no such thing as free school meals!
It wouldn’t be so bad if children bought useful things: books, pen, pencils, soap, secondhand clothes, and so on. However, as far as I can see, they spend most of their (their parents’)
money on rubbish such as computer games, girly magazines, and sweets that rot their teeth. It’s
to turn the clock back, get back to basics, and make children earn their keep like everyone else
has to.
Yours sincerely
EVALUATION CRITERIA
States the topic of the letter clearly in the first paragraph
Strikes the appropriate note of formality throughout the letter
Holds the reader’s attention all the way through
Gives examples to support his point of view
Uses appropriate language all the way through the letter
Uses a variety of sentence openers
Gives both sides of the issue a fair hearing
Variety of sentences – simple, compound, complex.
Subordinate clauses that add and extend information
Has convinced you to accept his point of view
TOTAL MARK AWARDED
14
MARKS
ALL IN THE FAMILY
RUNAWAY - 1
Tension hung in the air like the grey smoke curling
up from George Crawford's cigarette. Cup and
saucer rattled as Martha poured fresh tea, some
slopping over her shaking fingers. Martha Crawford
hardly noticed the pain; the tears in her blue-grey
eyes were from a deeper kind of pain. (1)
“It's been nearly a fortnight, George, two
whole weeks, and he's only a boy George, only a
boy. We've got to go to the police, George, we've
just got to. You’ve read the newspapers. You watch
the television. You know what can happen to young
people on the streets. It’s so dangerous out there.
Anything might happen.” (2)
George Crawford sighed, stubbed out his
cigarette and folded his creased copy of the
Express. He took a couple of deep breaths; he
needed to control his temper; just for once he
needed to control the awful temper he’d inherited
from his father. (3)
“Leave it be, Martha. Just leave it be. Nobody made Damian leave home, nobody threw
him out of the house. He chose to run away, and as far as I'm concerned, he can stay away.” (4)
Martha eased a few strands of grey hair behind her ear. “But he's only fourteen, George,
he's only a boy. Anything could happen to him. You read the papers, you know what goes on
out there.” A sob caught in her throat. “Only fourteen, George, just a baby really. And if you
hadn't criticised him all the time, maybe, if only you and he...” (5)
“Only fourteen, just a baby…” His mimicry of her voice was cruel. So it's all my fault,
is it? Damian runs away like a thief in the night and it's all my fault. Nicks £50 and off like a
thief in the night. I didn’t bring up any son of mine to be a sneaky little thief. (6)
“Only a baby,” he grunted. “Damian looks like something the cat dragged in and it's all
my fault. Look at his hair. It way over his collar – like a girl. Look at those clothes - straight
from a jumble sale. And that silly ear-ring. He only wears that ear-ring to annoy me. Girls wear
ear-rings, boys don't. It's just not natural. If I’ve told him once, I’ve told him a hundred times –
ear-rings on men are just not natural.” (7)
“But it's just a stage, George. Every teenager goes through stages, but they grow out of
it. Remember your flares, and the length of your hair. Remember what your dad used to say
about that? He used to call you the ‘the happy hippie’.” (8)
Crawford caught his smile just in time. (9)
“And his guitar, George, you shouldn't have smashed his guitar. He took on two paper
rounds to save for that guitar. It meant a lot to him. He lived for that guitar. You didn’t have to
smash it, George. You didn’t have to hit him. You never did that before, you never hit him
before.” (10)
15
Colour crept from below Crawford's collar. (11)
“Okay, okay, I admit I lost my temper. I'd had a few that night. But I was only trying to
bring him to his senses. He used to play that guitar night and day. It used to drive me crazy. I'm
entitled to a bit of peace and quiet in my own home. If I’ve told him once, I’ve told him a
hundred times…” (12)
The colour had gone. His face was chalky. (13)
“Anyway, I could've got him a Saturday job at the office. All he had to do was look
normal, wear a suit, be polite, speak when spoken to. That's not too much to ask, is it?” (14)
“But you know Damian doesn’t want that,” said Martha. “He wants to be a professional
musician, and if he can't do that, he wants to become a landscape gardener. You know how much
he likes working with his hands. And it’s not like he’s doing badly at school. His Form Tutor
told me that he could get a lot of good GCSE’s and go on to college if he wanted to.” (15)
George Crawford suddenly looked his age. (16)
“I know, Martha, I know. That's not what really hurt me. I don't even care about the fifty
quid. It's what Damian said that hurt me. (17)
“He called me a drunken old boozer. He should show me more respect. He asked for that
clip around the ear. But that wasn’t the worst.” George paused - then blurted it out. (18)
“He said he didn't want to be like me, not like his own father. Didn’t want to become a
drunk like his old man… Well, Damian's made his bed, now let him lie in it.” (19)
Crawford rose from his chair and reached for his jacket. “I'm going out now, Martha. I
need a drink. I need time to think. Don't wait up for me. I might be a bit late.” (20)
RUNAWAY - 2
The boy watched the rain trickle down the window pane and pressed his face closer to the cold
glass. His breath clouded the window; he gently cleared it away with his numbed finger tips.
They were laughing now, the people on the TV screens. They were warm and safe and
happy; they had each other, and they were laughing. But it wouldn’t last. It never did. Suddenly
the screen would go blank and the shop lights would snap off and he would be left in the dark
again.
Damian pushed himself down deeper into his sleeping bag and adjusted his head to get a
view of the street. It was safer that way. You could see the feet coming. He sometimes played a
game where you counted the number of feet going by and tried to predict how many shoes would
pass before a pair of Nike trainers went hurrying by in the rain. He remembered a similar game,
but then it used to be cars, cars going by on the motorway when he and his dad…
The boy banged down a shutter on the image. It belonged to the past, to the days when he
had his own room, his own bed, and his mum popped in to kiss him goodnight. It belonged to the
days when he and his dad were friends, pals, mates.
The first few days hadn’t been bad. The weather had been good – sunny days and cool
nights – but it was changing now. Now it always seemed to be drizzling or about to drizzle, and
the air was sharp and chill. But the first few days hadn’t seemed so bad, and it seemed the fifty
16
pounds would go on forever, even though he felt bad every time he spent any of it. He had
solemnly promised himself he would pay the money back as soon as… as soon as… as soon as
what?
He’d found a squat on the third day and the people there, all older than himself, were
friendly, but they were a lot older, and they drank, and they smoked, and they did drugs… and
anyway the place was filthy, not a mess like his bedroom sometimes was, but dirty-filthy.
He’d tried begging but he hated that. Sitting on a damp pavement hour after hour, your
hand stuck out and your eyes fixed to the space between your feet. He couldn’t even raise his
head to smile at the people who dropped a few coins into his hand. That was dangerous. A few
weirdos had taken his smile as an invitation, an invitation to sit down beside him, close, and tell
the story of their lives, or offer him a place for the night… All of that stuff scared Damian, he
wasn’t stupid and it scared him.
Damian jingled the last few coins in his pocket. Maybe he should give up and go home,
but he couldn’t face the arguing and the fighting, he couldn’t face his father coming home drunk
from the pub, telling him how useless he was, he couldn’t face the helpless look on his mum’s
face, but what could he do, where could he go, he couldn’t go on like this, he just couldn’t.
A letter. He couldn’t face a telephone call but he could write a letter. The post office
could receive the letters for him, so if he wrote a letter to his father giving his side of things,
laying it on the line, they might be able to work something out. Yes, a letter, first thing in the
morning to his dad – his dad, his father, who’d once been the most important person in his life,
who used to laugh with him and joke with him and… but that was then and this was now.
Damian pushed himself down deep into his sleep bag, turned on his right side – to signal
the day was over – and wearily closed his blue-grey eyes.
1.
2.
3.
4.
In (1), how does the writer use physical details to create tension?
In (2), how does the way Martha speaks also help create tension?
In paragraph 4, why is the word ‘made’ highlighted in bold type?
... if only you and he.....”
What is the effect of ending paragraph 5 with an ellipsis?
5. Crawford caught his smile just in time. (9)
This brief paragraph brings in a touch of humour.
Why do you think the writer introduced a little humour at this point?
6. Why is the final sentence in (10) so dramatic?
7. In para.14, do you think George’s question is rhetorical or not?
Give a reason for your response.
8. George Crawford suddenly looked his age. (16)
What do you think this brief paragraph tells us about George at this moment?
9. What does the final paragraph (20) suggest what might happen next?
10. Read Runaway – 2 and then discuss this how it influences our attitudes
Towards Damian and his dad.
17
2 marks
1 mark
1 mark
1 mark
1 mark
1 mark
1 mark
1 mark
1 mark
Just Grow Up!
In this article from The Monitor Saturday 26 January 2013, Mike Milton discusses
why it’s a waste of time telling the children to ‘Just Grow up!’
Sooner or later as a parent, you will turn to one of your children and utter the words
you once swore to yourself you would never use: “Just grow up.” I can't remember
when I started to tell my kids to grow up – or, even more absurdly, to ‘stop acting like
a child’ – but I am aware of the magnetic pull of the phrase. (1)
I can remember the last time I used the phrase
– last Friday at 8.10 in the a.m. How can I be so
precise? Because I was looking at my watch as I
said it while advising my off-spring to get off
his sad **** and into his school uniform. The
afore-mentioned offender was lying flat out on
his bed, arms folded across his chest,
apparently absorbed by shadows on the ceiling.
I tried hard, believe me I did, but to no avail.
“Get off that bed and just grow up!.” (2)
Leo raised his head minimally, turned his eyes
towards me, minimally, and muttered: “Oh,
dad, chill out. I just need some down time.” (3)
Leo is 11 years old. (4)
At that moment, I wasn't amused, but looking back on it, it was, if not funny, then
least ironic. One treasures more than anything that special quality children have –
childishness – and yet one is simultaneously on a mission to destroy it. It is the sad
duty of parents to remove the golden dust of childhood, layer by layer, by insisting on
the necessities of life – by imparting the knowledge that arrangements once made
must be kept to (including school), that certain spontaneous behaviours, such as
18
dropping your underpants and showing everyone on the M2 your bum while giggling
hysterically, are not, in the long run, acceptable (Leo 9, September 2010). (5)
I am fairly atypical in that I have always
wanted to grow up – even when I was
very young. To be a man rather than a boy
seemed to be a worthy goal – to acquire
dignity, wisdom, a measured, perhaps even
Olympian view of life. Yet the process of
having children yourself ultimately
removes from the hope of ever really
reaching
maturity
because
their
childishness brings out the child in you,
and reminds you how tedious being grown
up can be. (6)
So, while insisting that Leo get into his
school uniform and into the car almost
simultaneously, I find myself saying,
“Fancy stopping off for a knickerbocker
glory on the way”, and am rewarded by
hearing Leo whoop, “Yay, that’s my dad
talking now!” (7)
1. In (1), which phrase indicates the writer found it almost impossible
to resist telling his children ‘to grow up’?
2. Why do you think the Leo’s father gives such precise details in (2)?
3. Why do you think Leo’s father got so ‘uptight’ in (2)?
4. In (3) why does the writer repeat the word ‘minimally’?
5. Why is paragraph 4 confined to a single sentence?
6. According to (5), what impossible and ironic position do parents
find themselves in when bringing up their children?
7. Why are we given the specific information in the brackets in (5)?
8. In what sense was the writer ‘atypical’ when growing up? (6)
9. Why does having children prevent parents from becoming too mature
too early on? Does the writer approve or disapprove of this? (6)
10. What’s the significance of Leo’s whoop at the end of the article?
19
1 mark
2 marks
1 mark
1 mark
1 mark
2 marks
1 mark
1 mark
2 marks
2 marks
THE HUMAN FAMILY by Mary Lou Lee
Consider the obvious differences in the human family.
Some of us are serious; some thrive on comedy.
The variety of our skin tones confuse, bemuse, delight:
There’s brown and pink and beige and blue,
There’s purple and there’s white.
Go sail upon the seven seas and stop in every land.
Go see the wonders of the world: you’ll find no ‘common man’.
Though you may find ten thousand girls called Jane and Mary Jane
You will not find any two of them who really are the same.
We can love and lose in China and weep on England’s moors.
We can moan and groan in Guinea and laugh on Scotland’s shores.
We can build a temple in Thailand, a castle high in Spain,
An igloo in the Arctic; they’re really all the same.
So note the obvious differences between each sort and type:
You’ll find we are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike.
In minor ways we differ; in the major we’re the same
And all of us are taking part in the grand old human game.
1.
To whom is the poem addressed?
Which word in the first verse indicates this?
2. Why is a semi-colon used in the second verse?
3. In describing the variety of skin tones, suggest a reason
why the poet included the colour purple.
4. Why do you think the poet mentions the wonders of the world?
5. What does the poet mean by “you’ll find no ‘common man’?
6. In the second line of the second verse why is a colon used?
7. In the fourth line of the second verse, what word might the poet
have highlighted? What would the effect have been?
8. What hint of alliteration is there in the fourth verse?
9. Why is it fair to say that verse three is a verse of contrasts?
10. What is similar between the first lines of the first and fourth verses?
11. Comment on the poet’s use of ‘my friends’ in the fourth verse.
12. Do you think the poem is generally optimistic or pessimistic?
20
1 mark
1 mark
1 mark
1 mark
1 mark
1 mark
1 mark
1 mark
1 mark
1 mark
1 mark
1 mark
1 mark
EVALUATING A TEXT - 3
My Dear Friends,
There are places I’ll remember all my life but this is not one of them. In fact, I have no idea
where I am at the moment. I am not trying to be mysterious so I’d better begin at the beginning.
Call me Harry. Let’s say I am 45 years old and a bachelor. I have lived in this city most
of my life. I have been working for the same company since I was fifteen years old. I’ve been
sitting at the same desk for twenty years with the same grey people around me doing the same
grey jobs.
I live in a dark little flat on the fifth floor of a drab Victorian tenement on the outskirts of
the city. I take the same bus to work every morning and I return by the six o’clock bus every day.
I have never spoken to any of my neighbours and they have never spoken to me.
I am not entirely alone. I have my cat – Sooty – who has been my only companion these
last twelve years. How we love to sit in the little park across the street on a Saturday morning.
Together we watch the pigeons strutting like little businessmen. I once had a gerbil and a
hamster but Sooty took a dislike to them and terminated them. I also had a little terrier but he had
an unfortunate encounter with the No. 206 bus. The budgie flew away and a piranha ate all my
tropical fish before Sooty ate the piranha. I suppose you can say I’m a bit unlucky with pets. –
except, of course, for Sooty.
I remember coming home from the office about six thirty as usual. The bus was three
minutes late. I purchased a pork pie and a portion of chips. It was, as usual for the time of the
year, chilly. Light drizzle was falling. The lift was out of order and I was out of breath after
climbing the unlit spiral staircase.
With frozen fingers I was just fishing in my waistcoat pocket for my key when I noticed
something amiss: the front door was slightly ajar. My heart skipped a few beats. Was that
tobacco I smelled in the air? I have never smoked in my life; Sooty hates it. Slowly, nervously, I
edged the door open.
I heard a husky voice. It said, “Come in, Harry. I’ve been waiting for you. I’ve been
playing with Sooty. I have been longing to see you.”
EVALUATION CRITERIA
The opening establishes a sense of mystery
The sense of mystery gradually becomes a sense of menace
Gives a genuine sense of Harry’s life by adding detail
Uses touches of humour well
Uses some effective figures of speech
Employs a rhetorical question effectively
Uses advanced punctuation appropriately
Uses a variety of sentence structures
Employs some ‘wow’ vocabulary
Makes the reader what to find out what happens to Harry and Sooty
TOTAL MARK AWARDED
21
MARKS
CARING FOR YOUR KITTEN
Bringing the kitten home
Moving to a new home is very stressful for a
kitten. Give it reassurance and time to adjust
to the new surroundings before making
introductions to any other animals in the
household. Make sure all the doors and
windows are closed and that there is a guard
in front of the fireplace (a dark, quiet
chimney can be very inviting to a nervous
kitten). Make sure that the kitten knows
where the bed, litter tray and food bowls
are. (1)
The kitten’s bed should be a refuge to retreat to if things become too stressful. It
needs to be warm, dry, comfortable and draught free. There are many types of bed to
choose from or you can put some warm bedding inside a strong dry cardboard box
with a hole cut in the side. Putting it in a warm secure corner (near a radiator in the
winter) will make it welcoming and the kitten feel secure. On the first few nights a
warm water bottle under a blanket may help to compensate for the absence of the
kitten's mother or littermates. (2)
Introducing other pets and children
Introduction to other household residents should be gradual, gentle and very quiet.
Excited children can easily injure a kitten unintentionally so always supervise play and
do not allow the kitten to be picked up unnecessarily. Children should be encouraged
to sit on the floor and wait for the kitten to explore them. Make sure that the kitten is
allowed to stop playing when it wants to and is not treated like a toy. Kittens, like
many young animals, will need a lot of sleep and should be allowed time to rest. (3)
Introducing a kitten to a dog or cat needs to be undertaken carefully to avoid conflict.
A bad experience can be difficult to overcome. If you have a large mesh pen in which
the kitten can sit safely while the resident cat or dog can gradually get used to it, this is
an ideal way to make introductions. Some dogs, especially those not used to cats or of
an excitable or aggressive disposition, need extra special care for introductions. They
should be kept as calm as possible on the lead and made to sit quietly. The new kitten
should be given a safe position in the room and allowed to get used to the dog and
22
approach if it wants. This may take quite some time and requires patience and rewards
for the dog if it behaves well. (4)
When you first take a kitten home feed it on the same food it has been used to. A
sudden change of diet combined with the stress of adapting to a new home can cause
stomach upsets and diarrhoea. If you want to change the diet, do so gradually by
mixing it with the kitten's usual food. Kittens have very small stomachs and have to
be fed little and often, like babies. (5)
There are foods which have been specially formulated for kittens because they have
different nutritional needs to the fully grown cat. Read and follow the feeding
instructions carefully. If the food is marked 'complete' it contains everything the kitten
needs to stay healthy. If it is marked 'complementary' it does not supply all the kitten
needs and should be fed with other foods. (6)
Do not give your kitten cow's milk as it can cause diarrhoea. If you wish to feed milk
use one that is specially formulated for cats. Diarrhoea that persists for more than 24
hours requires veterinary attention. Fresh drinking water should be available at all
times. (7)
Going outside
Your kitten should not be allowed outside until at least a week after it has finished its
first course of vaccinations at about 13 - 14 weeks old (depending on the vaccine).
Once it is fully vaccinated and has become used to life in your house, you can start to
let your kitten go outside. Choose a dry day (if possible) and a quiet time and
accompany your kitten outside, allowing it to explore the new environment. Continue
to accompany the kitten until it is used to your garden and can find its way back to the
house without difficulty. It is best not to leave your kitten outside alone until it is 6
months old. (8)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Explain three things you should do to help a kitten settle into its new home? (1)
Why might a kitten feel a little lost and lonely when settling in? (2)
Why should children be supervised when they’re playing with a kitten? (3)
What does the writer mean – a kitten should ‘not be treated like a toy’? (3)
How should a kitten be introduced to other animals in the house? (4)
How and why should kitten be fed like (human) babies? (5)
Explain the difference between ‘complete’ and ‘complementary’ food. (6)
What should kittens not be fed cow’s milk? (7)
Why do you think a kitten needs a course of vaccinations? (8)
Describe how you should get a kitten used to playing outside? (8)
23
(3)
(2)
(2)
(2)
(3)
(2)
(2)
(1)
(1)
(3)
‘FREE KITTENS’
Jim Willis
The sign was hand-lettered and read
“FREE KITTENS.” It appeared there two
or three times a year, sometimes spelled
this way, sometimes that, but the message
was always the same. (1)
In a corner of the farmhouse back porch was a torn cardboard box with a dirty towel
inside, on which huddled a handful of kittens of different colors, mewing and blinking
and waiting for their mama to return from hunting in the fields. The mother cat
managed to show them enough interest for the first few weeks, but after having two
or three litters per year, she was worn out and her milk barely lasted long enough for
her babies to survive. (2)
One by one, people showed up over the next several days and each took a kitten.
Before they left the farmer’s wife always said the same thing, “You make sure you give
that one a good home - I've become very attached to that one.” (3)
One by one the kittens and their new people drove down the long driveway and past
the sign on the mailbox post, “FREE KITTENS.” (4)
The ginger girl kitten was the first to be picked. Her four-year-old owner loved her
very much, but the little boy accidentally injured the kitten's shoulder by picking her
up the wrong way, tossing her up in the air and catching her. Although the kitten
meowed piteously, the boy thought she was enjoying the game and continued it for
ages. The boy couldn't be blamed really - no adult had shown him the proper way to
handle a kitten. He had named the kitten “Ginger” and was very sad a few weeks later
when his older brother and his friends were playing ‘Chase’ in the living room and
one of them sat on the kitten. (5)
The solid-white boy kitten with blue eyes was the next to leave with a couple by the
name of Gantry. Even before they got into their car, they announced the kitten’s
name would be ‘Snowball.’ Unfortunately, he never learned his name. After the first
few days, the couple got bored with him and paid him so little attention they failed to
realise Snowball was deaf. On his first excursion outside he was run over in the
driveway and buried under a rosebush. (6)
24
Snowball’s brother, a beautiful red tabby, was more fortunate being ‘adopted’ by an
elderly lady named Jemima. So thrilled was she by the handsome little fellow that she
immediately took ‘Erik’ round to visit all her neighbours. Though terrified by some of
the cats and dogs he met, Erik was treated like a little prince. Sadly his good fortunate
did not last, for Jemima had ignored the need to have him vaccinated – “but he
looked so health and happy,” she explained. Unable to meet the expenses of having
Erik treated by the local vet., she allowed Nature to take its course, and Erik passed
away in his sleep. (7)
The pitch-black male kitten grew up to be a fine example of a tomcat. However, the
man who’d purchased him and named him ‘Killer’ moved home after a year and
abandoned Killer to his own devices. The tomcat spent a few happy (more-or-less)
months roaming the neighbourhood, slaughtering small birds and defending his
territory until one day he was cornered by another ‘Killer’ – a Rottweiler who lived up
to his name. To his credit, Killer (the cat) put up a fierce fight until the inevitable. (8)
A pretty woman, Bella by name, driving a white van, took the last two kittens, a gray
boy and a brown tiger-striped girl. She promised they would always stay together. She
sold them for fifteen pounds each to a laboratory. To this day, they are still
together...in a jar of alcohol. (9)
For whatever reason - because Heaven is in a different time zone, or because not even
cat souls can be trusted to travel in a straight line without meandering - all the kittens
arrived at Heaven's Gate simultaneously. They batted and licked each other in glee,
romped for awhile, and then solemnly marched through the gate, right past a sign
lettered in gold:
"YOU ARE FINALLY FREE, KITTENS." (10)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10
How successful is the opening paragraph in engaging the attention of the reader?
What information are we given in (2) that the kittens are probably neglected?
Comment on the writer’s use of the word ‘mama’ in the second paragraph.
Do you believe the farmer’s wife’s comment in paragraph three?
How does the single sentence in (4) make you feel?
Who, if anyone, is to blame for the sad death of ‘Ginger’?
Would it be fair to describe the behaviour of the Gantrys as ‘callous’?
Why is Jemima not totally culpable for the death of Erik?
Comment on the comment ‘more-or-less’ in paragraph 8.
Do you think the writer’s use of humour in paragraph 9 is (a) effective
and (b) acceptable
25
Cat-Meowing (and what it means)
some of these. (1)
Cats do most of their meowing when they want
something but they do occasionally meow to say
hello. However, there may be times when a cat
starts meowing more or less constantly, and that can
be quite a headache as much for you as for the cat.
Most cats who constantly meow are doing so
because they're trying to tell you something. Please
bear in mind that your cat doesn't meow just to
annoy you and the quicker you can figure out the
reasons for the noise, the quicker it will stop. Try
Firstly, make sure that your cat isn't meowing due to an illness or medical problem.
Cats do meow to communicate, not just to demand things, so illness should be ruled
out first of all. If there’s no sign of illness, check these out. (2)

Feed on a regular basis. Try feeding your cat at set times/regular intervals so
they can anticipate when they're next going to eat. You can also try leaving
down the dry cat food/biscuits so that your cat can nibble whenever they get
hungry. However, if your cat has a tendency to over-eat, this may not be wise.
(3)

Install a cat flap. Most cats can never make up their minds if they want to be
in or outside. My cat is in heaven during the summer when I can leave the back
door open and he can wander in and out at much as he pleases. If your cat is
always in and out, a cat flap is a great option. They're fairly cheap and easy to
install and you buy ones which have magnets on them so only YOUR cat can
get in; otherwise you can be sure of lots of unwelcome visitors. (4)

Play. Some cats meow a lot because they want some attention and affection.
Stroke and play with your cat often to keep them from feeling lonely or
neglected. A bored cat is not a happy cat. (5)

Discipline. Don't let your cat drive you round the bend with excessive
meowing - take charge. You can either ignore them which will eventually make
them stop if you don't give in (very hard to do!) or you can try the old
favourites of a squirt with a water spray or a firm 'NO' and a clap of the hands.
26
Eventually your kitty will realise that constant meowing will get them nowhere.
Please ensure you remember to praise your cat and give extra attention to them
when they're not meowing. (6)

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Try asking. And, if all else fails, try asking him what’s up. (7)
What is the main reason a cat may start meowing? (1)
What other reason can there be for a cat to meow? (1)
Why should you try to understand why your cat is meowing? (1)
What is the first thing to try and discover if your cat is meowing all the time? (2)
Why does a cat appreciate being fed at regular intervals? (3)
What kind of cats should not be provided with ‘nibbles’? Why not? (3)
Why does most cats love having a cat-flap? (4)
Explain one advantage and one disadvantage of providing a cat-flap? (4)
Why might a cat feel lonely and neglected? (5)
What three ways of stopping a cat meowing too much are described in (6)?
Why should you ‘reward’ your cat when he is not meowing all the time? (6)
The writer advises asking your cat ‘what’s up?’ if nothing else works.
How serious do you think the writer is? Explain your answer? (7)
27
(1)
(1)
(2)
(1)
(1)
(2)
(1)
(2)
(2)
(3)
(2)
(3)
EVALUATING A TEXT - 4
NEVER GIVE UP
In the early hours of Tuesday 11th September 2012, after nearly 5 hours play, Andy Murray
struck a ball past the great Novak Djokovich and became the first British tennis player to win a
Grand Slam Tournament since 1936. The 76-year wait was over. Even though Murray had lost
four Grand Slam finals he had refused to give up, and finally his boyhood dream had come true.
Murray was born in the small Scottish town of Dunblane on 15th May 1987. His mother
Judy, who is now coach to the British ladies’ tennis team, gave Andy his first tennis racket when
he was three years old. By the age of 12, he had won the World Junior U-12s Championship in
Florida, and three years later he won the Wimbledon Junior Championship on his debut.
Andy, and his older brother Jamie, went through a terrible experience in 1996 when a
gunman burst into Dunblane primary school and opened fire with a collection of handguns and
shot 16 children and a teacher before turning the gun on himself. Andy, 8, and Jamie, 10, were
on their way to the school gymnasium and only survived by hiding under the headmaster’s desk.
Murray rarely talks about the ‘Dunblane massacre’ because it brings back so many painful
memories of the friends he lost.
Even as a five-year-old Murray was described as ‘unbelievably competitive’ and he was
known for giving much older players, including grown men, a telling-off for making elementary
mistakes. “I got fed of Jamie beating me, so I just worked harder and harder till I could beat
him.” He finally beat Jamie in an U-12s final, teasing him so much that Jamie smacked him hard
enough to lose a nail on his left-hand. Though Andy has gone way beyond Jamie in tennis
singles, he still had a bit of catching up to do because Jamie had already won a Grand Slam title
– the mixed doubles at Wimbledon in 2007. Now he has. And in 2012 Andy added the Olympic
Gold for good measure.
And the message? Don’t give up. Don’t give in. Follow your dream whatever it may be.
EVALUATION CRITERIA
Text has a powerful opening paragraph
Chronology of Murray’s life is easy to follow
Text has appropriately formal style
Detail helps to keep reader engaged with text
Text makes it clear what kind of person Andy Murray is
Reported speech is used to move the text along
A variety of sentence structures is employed
Humour helps to keep the reader engaged with the text
Text has some ‘wow’moments
Concluding paragraph is effective and satisfying
TOTAL MARK AWARDED
28
MARKS
DAILY LIFE IN TUDOR TIMES
Tim Lambert
http://www.localhistories.org/tudor.html
The Tudors were a Welsh-English family who ruled England and Wales from 1485 to 1603 (118
years). The Tudor monarchs were: Henry VII, Henry VIII, Edward VI, Jane Grey, Mary I, and
Elizabeth II. Poor Jane Grey only ruled for 9 days before Mary I had her arrested and later
executed. The symbol of the Tudors was the Tudor Rose.
TUDOR ENGLAND
In Tudor England most of the population lived in small villages and made their living from
farming. However, towns grew larger and more important. During the 16th century trade and
industry grew rapidly and England became a more and more commercial country. Mining of
coal, tin and lead flourished. So did the iron industry. During this period England became richer
and richer. (1)
In the 15th century the population of England may have been around 2 1/2 million. It rose
steadily during the 16th century. By 1525 it had risen to around 3 million and by 1600 it was
about 4 million. (2)
TUDOR SOCIETY
Tudor society was divided into four broad groups. At the
top were the nobility who owned huge amounts of land.
Below them were the gentry and rich merchants.
Gentlemen owned large amounts of land and they were
usually educated and had a family coat of arms. Most
important gentlemen never did any manual work - that was
beneath their dignity! Below the gentry were yeomen and
craftsmen. Yeomen owned their own land. They could be
as wealthy as gentlemen but they worked alongside their
men. Yeomen and craftsmen were often able to read and
write. Below the yeomen were the tenant farmers who
rented their land from the rich. There were also wage
labourers. They were often illiterate and very poor. (3)
In the 16th century about 50% of the population lived at
subsistence level. In other words they had just enough
food, clothes and shelter to survive. For them life was very
hard. However it was possible to move from one class to
another. A yeoman could buy a coat of arms and become a
gentleman, if he could afford it. In this way, it was possible for an ambitious young man to rise
in the world. (4)
29
In the 16th century the power of the monarchy increased. During the Middle Ages the barons
held castles, which were very difficult to capture so it was easy for them to rebel. Cannons
changed all that. (Guns were invented in the 14th century and they gradually became more
efficient). (5)
THE POOR IN TUDOR ENGLAND
With the rise in population during the 16th century jobs were not always easy to find. In Tudor
times there were thousands of people without jobs wandering around looking for work. There
were also disabled beggars. There were also people who pretended to be mad or disabled in
order to beg. Tudor governments tolerated people who were disabled begging. However they did
not tolerate able-bodied people without jobs wandering around. They saw such 'sturdy
vagabonds' as a threat to law and order. They were treated very harshly. (6)
Since the 14th century there had been laws against vagabonds but in 1530 a new law was passed.
The old and disabled poor were to be given licences to beg. However anyone roaming without a
job was tied to a cart in the nearest market town and whipped till they were bloody. They were
then forced to return to the parish where they had been born or where they had lived for the last 3
years. (7)
A law of 1536 was more severe. Vagabonds were whipped the first time. However for a second
offence they part of their right ear was cut off (so they could be easily identified wherever they
went). For a third offence they were hanged. However officers of the law were reluctant to carry
out such terrible punishments. A law of 1547 chided them for 'foolish pity and mercy'. This
terrible law was abolished in 1550. Once again flogging was made the punishment for vagrancy
– wandering around the countryside without looking for work. (8)
Furthermore every parish was commanded to build a workhouse for the old and disabled poor.
They would be housed in the workhouse and made to do any work they were capable of.
However in 1572 the law was made more severe again. For a first offence a vagabond would be
whipped and burned in the right ear with a red-hot iron. (Unless some kindly employer was
willing to give him a job). For a second offence he would be hanged (again unless an employer
gave him a job). For a third offence he would be hanged regardless. (9)
In 1576 the law regarding the old and disabled was changed again. This time the parishes were
ordered to supply them with materials like flax, hemp, wool and iron. They were to do any work
they could in their own homes. Any old or disabled person who refused to work was sent to a
House of Correction where conditions were very harsh. However, in 1597 the death penalty for
being a vagabond was abolished in England. (10)
30
Questions about Tudor England
1.
2.
3.
In Tudor times, did most people live in the countryside or in towns? (1)
List 4 industries that became very successful in the 16th century? (1)
Why do you think the population of England grew so quickly
in the 16th century? (2)
4. Who owned most of the land in Tudor times? (3)
5. What did the noble families have to show they were important? (3)
6. Explain the difference between yeomen farmers and tenant farmers? (3)
7. What do we call poor people who worked only for wages? (3)
8. What does it mean if a family are living at ‘subsistence level’? (4)
9. What did many young ambitious men want to do? (4)
10. Explain why barons lost so much of their power in the 16th century. (5)
(1)
(4)
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
(2)
(1)
(1)
(3)
(3)
(2)
(1)
(2)
(1)
Why was work difficult to find in Tudor times? (6)
How did Tudor governments treat beggars who were really disabled? (6)
Who were the ‘sturdy vagabonds’? (6)
What important changes to the law took place in 1530? (7)
List the three severe punishments that were introduced in 1536? (8)
Why were workhouses built in every parish? (9)
How could a vagabond be saved from a terrible punishment? (9)
Explain why a vagabond might be hanged? (9)
What importance change was made to the law in 1576? (10)
Why do you think the death penalty for being a vagabond was finally
abolished in 1597? (10)
This is what a Tudor vagabond looked like in the 16th century.
31
(2)
(1)
(1)
(2)
(1)
(2)
(2)
(3)
(2)
TUDOR PUNISHMENTS
Tudor punishments were simple but harsh.
In the 16th century minor crimes were
often punished by the pillory or the stocks.
The pillory was a wooden frame on a pole
with holes through which a person's head
and hands were placed. The frame was
then locked and the person was subjected
to humiliation and ridicule. The stocks
was a wooden frame with holes through
which a person's feet were placed and they
were humiliated in the same way. Other
common punishments were flogging and
branding with red hot irons. (1)
More serious crimes were punished by
death. Beheading was reserved for the
wealthy. Ordinary people were usually
hanged. (They were suspended with a
rope round their neck until they were
strangled to death). However there were
worse ways of killing people. (2)
In Tudor England the punishment for
treason was hanging, drawing and
quartering. The person was drawn on a hurdle pulled by a horse to the place of execution. They
were hanged (strangled by being suspended by a rope) but when they were still alive and
sometimes conscious they were cut down. The executioner cut open their stomach and 'drew out'
their entrails. Finally the person was beheaded and his body was cut
into quarters. (3)
TUDOR EDUCATION
Boys usually went to a kind of nursery school called a 'petty school'
first then moved onto grammar school when they were about seven.
The school day began at 6 am in summer and 7 am in winter (people
went to bed early and got up early in those days). Lunch was from 11
am to 1 pm. School finished at about 5pm. Boys went to school 6 days
a week and there were few holidays. (4)
Many children learned to read and write with something called a
hornbook. It was not a book in the modern sense. Instead it was a
32
wooden board with a handle. Fixed to the board was a sheet of paper with the alphabet and the
Lord's Prayer (the Our Father) written on it. The paper was usually protected by a thin slice of
animal horn. (5)
Discipline in Tudor schools was savage. The teacher
often had a stick with birch twigs attached to it. Boys
were hit with the birch twigs on their bare buttocks. At
about 15 or 16 the brightest boys might go to one of
England's two universities, Oxford and Cambridge. Many
boys did not go to school at all. If they were lucky they
might get a 7-year apprenticeship and learn a trade. Some
craftsmen could read and write but few labourers could.
(6)
As for girls, in a rich family a tutor usually taught them at home. In a middle class family their
mother might teach them. Upper class and middle class women were educated. However lower
class girls were not. Children from rich families usually had their marriages arranged for them.
If they refused to marry the person their parents chose they were beaten until they changed their
minds. Children from poorer families had more choice over whom to marry. Yet girls usually
married young. Many were married when they were only 15 or 16. Boys often married between
the ages of 18 and 21. (7)
Tudor children who did not go to school were expected to work. They helped their parents by
doing tasks such as scaring birds when seeds were sown. They also helped to weave wool and
did other household tasks. (8)
Questions about punishments and education in Tudor times
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
How did people humiliate the wretches in the pillory or the stocks? (1)
Name two other punishments that were often used. (1)
Why do you think wealthy people were beheaded rather than hanged? (2)
What do you think was the worst part of being hanged, drawn and quartered? (3)
Do you think the school days were too long for Tudor boys?
Give reasons for your answer? (4)
6. Explain how pupils used a ‘hornbook’ in their lessons. (5)
7. In your opinion, was punishment too harsh in Tudor schools?
Give reasons for your answer. (6)
8. What happened to girls who refused to accept an arranged marriage? (7)
9. Why do you think people married so young in Tudor times? (7)
10. Describe the ways in which poorer children helped at home. (8)
33
(3)
(2)
(2)
(2)
(3)
(3)
(3)
(2)
(2)
(2)
WHAT A WAY TO GO
Strange Ways to Die in Tudor England
As we have discovered, living was sometimes no laughing matter
in Tudor England, and neither it seems was death. Historians who
have examined the records have discovered the Tudors managed
to die some pretty unusual deaths. Here are a few of them.
Hard to bear
Bears were part of the Tudor entertainment scene. There were performing bears and there were
bears kept for the bloodthirsty attraction of bear-baiting. In a purpose-built bear garden, a bear
would be tied to a post in an enclosed pit and would be set upon by hunting dogs. Henry VIII had
his own royal arena built in Whitehall.
But sometimes bears escaped. A widow called Agnes Rapte was killed by Lord Bergavenny's
bear when it broke loose at his house at Birling, Kent in 1563. Another victim, Agnes Owen
from Herefordshire, was killed in her bed by a runaway bear. When a bear bit a man to death in
Oxford in 1565, the bear wasn't punished but was taken into royal custody. Perhaps because it
was worth 26 shillings and 8 pence - about six months' wages for a labourer.
Don’t look up or away
Archery was a dangerous pastime, both for participants and spectators. Coroners' reports reveal
56 accidental deaths from people standing too close to the targets or those who decided on just
the wrong time to go and collect the fired arrows. These included some bad judgement calls.
Thomas Curteys of Bildeston, Suffolk, was practising archery on a fine June evening in 1556,
when he took off his hat and invited another bowman called Richard Lyrence to try to hit it with
an arrow. No prizes for what happened next….. but the hat survived unscathed.
Bad luck, mate
Maypole injuries were not only caused by careering into another country dancer. Thomas
Alsopp of Coventry was standing in the former cemetery of the Coventry Greyfriars under a
stone wall on 26 April 1558 when a Maypole fell over. It hit the city wall and knocked a stone
out of the top of it The stone hit him on the left part of his head and penetrated his brain, killing
him instantly. What were the chances of that happening? What would they have said in the
health and safety assessment?
Gong farmer sounds a quite cheerful occupation until you realise it was what the Tudors called
people who were paid to shovel out the sewage from cesspits. So what can be said about the
drunken Cambridge baker who, while relieving himself, fell backwards into a cesspit on 2 June
1523? He died horribly before relief arrived. What a way to go.
34
EVALUATING A TEXT - 5
It was my father who decided we must have a dog, but choosing one turned out to be more
difficult than we thought. After my mother had turned down a dozen puppies, we asked
ourselves if any dog, anywhere in the world, could possibly be good enough. But, when we
found it, this new puppy was to be my dog. I had decided this. And the fact was that I didn’t
want a good, noble and well-bred dog – the kind that my mother longed for. I didn’t know what I
did want, but the idea of such a dog bored me.
That summer we went to stay on an isolated farm with my father’s friend, Mr Barnes. It
was night when we arrived, and an almost full moon floated above the farm. The land
around was black and silent, except for the small incessant noise of the crickets. The car
drew up outside the farm and as the engine stopped there was the sound of a mad, wild
yapping. Behold, around the corner of the house came a small black wriggling object that threw
itself towards the car, changed course on almost touching it, and dashed off again.
‘Take no notice of that puppy,’ said Mr Barnes. ‘It’s been stark staring mad with the
moon every night this last week.’ We went into the house and were fed and looked after. I was
sent upstairs so that the grown-ups could talk freely. All the time came the mad high yapping. In
my tiny bedroom I looked out onto the space between the house and the farm buildings, and
there hurtled the puppy, crazy with the joy of life, or moonlight, weaving back and forth,
snapping at its own black shadow – like a drunken moth around a candle-flame, or like … like
nothing I’ve ever seen or heard of since.
That, of course, was my puppy. Mr Barnes came out of the house saying, ‘Come now,
you lunatic animal… ’, almost throwing himself on the crazy creature, which was yapping
and flapping around like a fish as he carried it to its kennel. I was already saying, like an
anguished mother watching a stranger handle her child: ‘Careful now, careful, that’s my dog.’
EVALUATION CRITERIA
Effectiveness of opening sentence
Showing difference between what mother and son wanted in a dog
Conjuring a picture of their arrival at the farm
Use of reported speech in third paragraph
Image of the puppy in the fourth paragraph
Hints about the age of the boy
First sentence of final paragraph
Image of Mr Barnes capturing the puppy in the final paragraph
Way in which the story is structured
How satisfying the story is overall
TOTAL MARK AWARDED
35
MARKS
Poets’ Corner
The Bat
By day the bat is cousin to the mouse.
He likes the attic of an aging house.
His fingers make a hat about his head.
His pulse beat is so slow we think him dead.
He loops in crazy figures half the night
Among the trees that face the corner light.
But when he brushes up against a screen,
We are afraid of what our eyes have seen:
For something is amiss or out of place
When mice with wings can wear a human face.
Theodore Roethke 1908 - 1963
Introduction to Poetry
I ask them to take a poem and hold it up to the light
like a color slide or press an ear against its hive.
I say drop a mouse into a poem and watch him probe his way out,
or walk inside the poem's room and feel the walls for a light switch.
I want them to waterski across the surface of a poem
waving at the author's name on the shore.
But all they want to do is tie the poem to a chair with rope
and torture a confession out of it.
They begin beating it with a hose
to find out what it really means.
Billy Collins 1941 36
THE LESSON
‘You’re father’s gone,’ my bald headmaster said.
His shiny dome and brown tobacco jar
Splintered at once in tears. It wasn’t grief.
I cried for knowledge which was bitterer
Than any grief. For there and then I knew
That grief has uses – that a father dead
Could bind the bully’s fist a week or two;
And then I cried for shame, then for relief.
I was a month past ten when I learn this:
I still remember how the noise was stilled
In school assembly when my grief came in.
Some goldfish in a bowl quietly sculled
Around their shining prison on its shelf.
They were indifferent. All the other eyes
Were turned towards me. Somewhere in myself
Pride, like a goldfish, flashed a sudden fin.
euphemism
enjambment
abruptness
more bitter?
knew what?
the lesson?
which emotion wins?
why the colon here?
persistence of memory
personification
a prison
meaning of indifferent
the lesson?
Edward Lucie-Smith 1933 -
Planning For The Future
I have three teenage sons - With appetites like men
And it costs a fortune - Feeding all of them
But due to the economy - Times are hard you see.
So as they eat like men - At dinner time I told them
“Due to the current recession - Which may lead to a depression
Tough times are ahead you know - So we will have to let you all go.”
Paul Curtis
37
GRAMMAR & PUNCTUATION TEST PRACTICE
1 The colon : can be used in a number of ways,
including
1.
before a list of words or phrases
2.
in the 24 hour clock
3.
to signal to the reader that something important is coming. In
addition, it makes the comment after the colon more forceful.
Task 1a
Add colons where appropriate and explain why they are there.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Here are the winning Bingo numbers 36, 66, 72, 77, 81, 86 and 90.
In the 24 hour clock 3pm is 1500 hours.
I have one thing to say to you drop dead.
The potion contained some exotic ingredients snails' eyes, bats' tongues
and garlic.
5. The train leaves at 1900 hours, so please don’t be late.
6. The vorpal sword went snicker snack off flew the Jabberwocky’s head.
7. These are the colours of the flag of France blue, white and red.
8. An 11-year-old boy sneaked on board the 1415 flight for Rome.
9. There is one thing that mankind cannot live without hope.
10. As Tiny Tim was heard to say God bless us all.
Task 1b
Rewrite these sentences using a colon to make them more stylish.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
I really can’t stand cold rice pudding.
The one country I would really love to visit is Mexico.
You have no choice but to accept the referee's decision.
Climate change is the most serious threat to mankind's survival.
The song says that love and marriage go together like a horse and carriage.
38
2 The semi-colon ; links two statements that are connected in some
way. Here are some examples.
It was raining cats and dogs; everyone got soaked to the skin.
It was a dark and stormy night; the wind howled like wolves.
I avoid rice pudding; dairy products don’t agree with me.




Things to note
the semi-colon separates two complete sentences;
the second sentence has a strong relation to the first sentence;
the semi-colon is be used in the place of a connective;
do not use a capital letter after a semi-colon unless it would have one
anyway; for example ‘I’ or a proper noun such as a name.
Task 2
Add semi-colons where appropriate and explain why they are there.
1. We missed the last bus we had to walk all the way home.
2. Dogs are pack animals cats are solitary creatures.
3. Grammar is very important it improves communication.
4. A smile is the shortest distance between friends smile a lot.
5. I thought semi-colons were difficult they’re actually quite easy!
6. Amber wore a white dress for the wedding Archie wore his kilt.
7. You said robbing the bank would be easy why are we in prison then?
8. I beg your pardon I didn’t promise you a rose garden.
9. Suzie stayed out in the sun too long she looks like a greasy chip.
10. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing get a little knowledge live dangerously.
Warning!
Some students are so thrilled by semi-colons they splatter them all over their writing.
Do not do this! Use only two or three in any piece of writing. If you use too many, it
just looks silly – and you’ll probably get them wrong.
39
3 The dash - Use a dash to a show a sudden break or shift in your train of
thought. Use the dash to show something has suddenly occurred to you. Here are
some examples:




Only an idiot would go into that lion’s cage – so in you go!
I think – no, I’m sure – I’m right.
Look at the time – we’d better get a move on.
WJS is one of the best junior schools in Whitstable – on second thoughts,
it’s the best.
Task 3
Complete these sentences by adding a remark after the dash.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Sir says that haggis is good for you –
I kicked the wall with my big toe –
I’m not sure if this dress suits me –
Who’s going to take the penalty? –
If at first you don’t succeed –
4 The hyphen - looks exactly like a dash but we use it to join the parts
of compound words. A compound word is a word made up
two or more words. These examples make it easy to
understand.
1. 'Hands up!! This is a hold-up.'
2. I love eighteenth-century architecture.
3. Susan is my sister-in-law and Andy is my brother-in-law.
4. Maria shot her husband in self defence while he was sleeping.
5. Mum’s a little over-weight and dad’s a little under-weight.
Task 4
Put in the hyphens where they are needed.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Don’t drive down there. It’s a one way street.
Going to Italy was a last minute decision.
I love treacle coated apples.
The BBC gives us up to the minute news.
Don’t listen to all that gossip and tittle tattle.
40
5 Brackets (round)
We use round brackets (also known as parentheses) in much the same way as we
use dashes. The information in brackets is slightly apart from the rest of the
sentence. They are useful when the writer (you) wants to make a little comment to
the reader. We can also use them to enclose a small piece of information explaining
what we are writing about. Here are some examples:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Many people (but not me) think dogs make better pets than cats.
Oliver Twist was written by Charles Dickens (1812-70)
WJS (Whitstable Junior School) is located near the library in Whitstable.
Freddy is absent again (tummy upset this time).
“You will succeed (98 and ¾ percent guaranteed),” said Dr. Seuss.
6 Ellipsis is … three dots in a row, and we can use them in three ways.
1. to create a feeling of suspense. And the winner is …
2. to show that a sentence has been left unfinished because it has simply trailed
off. Watch this space ...
3. to show that part of a quotation has been left out.
The teacher told us, “Collect your books, tidy your desks ... go home.”
What the examiner expects from you!
full stops - capital letters at the start of a sentence
full stops – question marks – capital letters
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
.
Level 4
Level 5
Level 5
.
. ?
? ,
?
,
! capital letters
, ! capital letters “ “ apostrophes
! capital letters “ “ apostrophes
dash hyphen brackets colon semi-colon ellipsis
41
THE SATS GRAMMAR TEST AT HIGHER LEVELS
1. Suggest a synonym for each of the underlined words.
(a) The bathwater is tepid so I’ll add some hot water.
(b) That was a very magnanimous gesture you made.
(c) Wait over there for me. I’ll be with you presently.
2. Explain why brackets are used in the sentence below.
Tybalt (a member of the Capulet family) slew Mercutio in the sword-fight.
3. Suggest the correct word to complete the sentence.
You may give that book to ……………………. you please.
4. Explain why a colon is appropriate in the sentence below.
I have only one thing to say: run for your lives!
5. Rewrite the sentence below in the passive voice.
They might have scored two goals in the last minute.
6. Insert a comma and a semi-colon in the sentence below
to clarify its meaning.
Ian enjoys apples oranges and pears I prefer bananas.
7. Add a subordinate clause that makes sense to the sentence below.
You should also add the necessary punctuation.
This book is really great.
8. Add both a prefix and a suffix to the root below to complete the sentence.
One thing I really don’t like is kind.
9. Name the adverb in this sentence:
I hope we all do well in SATS!
42
10. Identify the figures of speech used in the sentences below
alliteration - simile - metaphor - personification - onomatopoeia
(a) The wind assaulted the window like a hammer battering a nail.
(b) Ding dong merrily on high – In heaven the bells are ringing.
(c) The Moon was a bright, gold coin in the dark sky.
(d) Five flags fluttered and flapped in the breeze.
(e) The telephone screamed, “Will someone please answer me?”
12. Choose the correct form to complete the sentence.
Between _____________, I wouldn’t like to be in his shoes.
(a) ourselfs
(b) our selves
(c) ours elfs
(d) ourselves
13. Add both a prefix and a suffix to the word happy to create an abstract noun.
14. The teacher’s book is on the desk.
Does the apostrophe in the sentence above contain an
an apostrophe of omission on an apostrophe of possession?
15. Choose the mostly likely word to complete the sentence below.
I’m not supporting either side.
In fact, I’m quite uninterested/disinterested in which team wins.
12. Underline the subject of the sentence below.
‘Singing in the Rain’ is one my favourite movies.
13. Underline the error in the sentence below.
Between you and I, Tommy is talking utter nonsense.
14. Correct the underlined verb in the sentence blow.
If you would have asked me in time, I would have done it for you.
43
15. Underline all the adverbs in the sentence below.
Bravely, our troops fought as hard as they could,
and eventually triumphed even better than expected.
16. Which of these sentences is grammatically correct?
(a) None of the children is here.
(b) None of the children are here.
17. Place the correct word in the blank spaces.
The ____ of them were ____ exhausted ____ walk any further.
(a) too
(b) to
(c)
18. Choose I or me to complete the following sentences.
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
Who will be coming along with Tim and _______?
The old man and _______ were sitting on the park bench
My best friend and _______ wanted to go camping in Devon.
Between you and _______, I haven’t a clue.
Susan, Amy, Sally, her best friend and ______ all wanted to be take part in the game.
19. Choose whose or who’s to complete the following sentences.
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
______ a silly billy now?
'______ shoes are these?' shouted mum.
I’m not sure _______ coming to the cinema tonight.
I’d like to know ______ smelly socks these are.
Paul is the player __________ skills can make this team something special.
20. Choose there, their, or they’re to complete these sentences.
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
The children ate all ------- sandwiches.
I found the old shoes in -------.
'------- waiting for you in the interview room.'
------- are too many mistakes in this essay.
The passengers complained that the airline had lost ------- luggage again.
44
SPELLING LISTS
-tion
-ive
-al
homophones
completion
apprehensive
individual
heard/herd
direction
destructive
special
practise/practice
invention
expensive
original
weight/wait
pollution
explosive
usual
father/farther
question
detective
approval
beach/beech
attention
defective
comical
stare/stair
mention
adjective
fictional
one/won
collection
offensive
impractical
threw/through
-ful
-fully
double letters silent letters
hopeful
hopefully
different
ghost
beautiful
beautifully
difficult
ghastly
careful
carefully
essential
numb
wonderful
wonderfully
excellent
design
successful
successfully
suppose
stretch
awful
awfully
opposite
interesting
delightful
delightfully
passenger
knowledge
peaceful
peacefully
beginning
surprise
45
-ly
‘c’ makes ‘s’
double and add –ed
extremely
audience
grabbed
frequently
century
occurred
gently
excellent
planned
eventually
exciting
stopped
generally
excited
trapped
obviously
necessary
slipped
fortunately
evidence
mapped
prefixes
suffixes
i before e, except after c
disappoint
beautiful
believe
(ee sound)
disappear
happiness
fierce
(ee sound)
important
inevitable
thief
(ee sound)
impossible
carefully
niece
(ee sound)
unhappy
children
achieve
(ee sound)
unusual
treatment
ceiling
(ee sound)
almost
magician
receipt
(ee sound)
altogether
politician
receive
(ee sound)
although
dictionary
science
(no ee sound)
supermarket
likeable
weird
(an exception!)
46
drop e add ing
y to an i and add -es
Mixed Bag 1
escape - escaping
family - families
foreign
excide - exciting
city - cities
famous
make - making
body - bodies
conquered
include - including
lady - ladies
discuss
move - moving
baby - babies
ourselves
raise - raising
story - stories
disgusting
wrestle - wrestling
pony - ponies
dozens
joke - joking
injury - injuries
significant
take - taking
fairy - fairies
correctly
hope - hoping
trophy - trophies
attempt
adjective
comparative
superlative
y preceded by vowel
big
bigger
biggest
donkey - donkeys
noisy
noisier
noisiest
monkey - monkeys
easy
easier
easiest
valley - valleys
nasty
nastier
nastier
key - keys
pretty
prettier
prettiest
essay - essays
large
larger
largest
osprey - ospreys
wide
wider
widest
railway - railways
near
nearer
nearest
alley - alleys
tall
taller
tallest
motorway - motorways
47