Class Register Number

Candidate Name

PEIRCE SECONDARY SCHOOL

Department of English Language, Literature and Drama
First Semestral Examination for Secondary One Express

ENGLISH LANGUAGE
Paper 2 Comprehension

Thursday 28 April 2016 1100 h ─ 1250 h

1 hour 50 minutes

QUESTION BOOKLET
Candidates answer on the booklet

Additional Materials:
INSERT

READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS FIRST

Write your name, class and register number on all the work you hand in.
Write in dark blue or black pen on the booklet.
Do not use staples, paper clips, glue or correction fluid.

Answer all questions.

Write your answers in the spaces provided in the Question Booklet.
The Insert contains the texts for Section B and Section C.

The number of marks is given in brackets [ ] at the end of each question or part question.

For Examiner’s Use

Section A / 10
Section B / 20
Section C / 20
TOTAL / 50

Parent’s signature:

This document consists of 8 printed pages and 1 Insert.

FINAL COPY by Mrs Neo BJ
[Turn over
 2

Section A [10 marks]

Carefully read the text below, consisting of 12 lines, about the writer and his mother. The first and last lines
are correct. For eight of the lines, there is one grammatical error in each line. There are two more lines
with no errors.

If there is NO error in a line, put a tick () in the space provided.

If the line is incorrect, circle the incorrect word and write the correct word in the space provided.
The correct word you provide must not change the original meaning of the sentence.

Examples:

He finally arrived to his destination after a long flight. at

My sister always wears jeans to work. 

My mother worked the night shift at a garment factory on weekends. It was

her second job. To bring my sisters and me up, she is forced to take on two 1

jobs after my father died. I tried to help out with the household chores but 2

she would not allow me. She was a tradition woman who felt that boys did 3

not had to do any chores at home. I vividly remember arguing with her and 4

told her how I could not bear to see her working so hard. Her emaciated body 5

was a sign that she was not getting a rest and nutrition she needed. The 6

friends whom I played with had mothers with bright eyes and rosy colour in their 7

cheeks. I could not bear to see my mother suffer. She looked pale and weak. 8

My mother’s hard work spurred me on to achieve results where would otherwise 9

not have been possible. I am indebt to her. To provide for my mother in her 10

old age was my goal.

Peirce Secondary School | SA1 | EL(P2) | 1E | 2016 | Question Booklet | Mrs Neo BJ
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Section B [20 marks]

Refer to Text 1 on page 2 of the Insert for Questions 1 − 10.

Peirce Secondary School | SA1 | EL(P2) | 1E | 2016 | Question Booklet | Mrs Neo BJ
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1 In paragraph 1, which word in the paragraph suggests much speed and intensity?

[1]

2 In paragraph 2, why did the writer watch the foot trimming team for a minute or so? Answer in
your own words.

[2]

3 In paragraph 3, why do you think Mohan’s demeanour changed by the time he needed a trim
under anaesthesia?

[2]

4 What word in the same paragraph has the same meaning as ‘demeanour’?

[1]

5 Give two pieces of evidence to show that Mohan was badly affected by his infected feet.

[2]

6 (i) In paragraph 4, what does ‘this strategy’ refer to?

[1]

(ii) Why did the writer use ‘this strategy’ on the rhino? Answer in your own words.

[2]

7 ‘I couldn’t resist giving his neck a light pat. His rough skin felt like concrete with a little flex,
reminding me of Rudyard Kipling’s description: bumpy plates of armour. I also touched his
crescent-shaped horn, a highly-priced and much sought-after commodity like gold.’ (lines
32−35)

Peirce Secondary School | SA1 | EL(P2) | 1E | 2016 | Question Booklet | Mrs Neo BJ
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What do the following descriptions tell you about the skin and horn of the rhino?

Descriptions This tells me that the…

plates of armour skin is

much sought-after horn is

[2]

8 In paragraph 6, why do you think the writer and the other staff members backed out of the stall
after they had removed the ear gauze and the blindfold from the rhino?

[2]

9 What does the writer mean by the rhino ‘had sailed through the anaesthesia’ (line 42)?

[1]

10 The structure of the text reflects the main events in the recount.

Complete the flow chart by choosing the phrases from the box to show the flow of the events in
the recount. There are some extra phrases in the box that you do not need to use.

Peirce Secondary School | SA1 | EL(P2) | 1E | 2016 | Question Booklet | Mrs Neo BJ
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Main focus

they began bleeding profusely they became blackened and bloody

his movements were affected remove the infected skin
were then bandaged given some injection and he fell to the ground

Flow chart

Paragraph 3: Mohan had skin growing under his feet. His feet became infected

and so swollen that (i) …………………………………………………………………….

The writer and the vets decided to (ii) …………………………………………………..

………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Paragraph 4: Mohan was (iii) ………………………………………………………..

After a few minutes. Mohan’s eyes and ears were covered.

Paragraph 5: Mohan was given another round of anaesthestic and he was

pushed to the other side for the vets to work on. His feet (iv) ………………………

………………………………………………….… as the anaesthetic began to

subside.

[4]

Section C [20 marks]

Refer to Text 2 on pages 3−4 of the Insert for Questions 11 − 20.

11 Which two phrases in paragraph 1 suggest that Old Grandmother felt uncomfortable when she
Peirce Secondary School | SA1 | EL(P2) | 1E | 2016 | Question Booklet | Mrs Neo BJ
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heard footsteps outside her room?

[2]

12 Why did Old grandmother feel distressed by her daughter-in-law?

[1]

13 What does the expression ‘willing to bet all the coffee money’ (line 6) tell us about the way Old
grandmother felt about Karen?

[2]

14 In paragraph 2, what does the word ‘stabbed’ suggest about the effect of her realisation?

[1]

15 ‘Alone and helpless, she recollected the grief in her life, first in choking agony, and gradually,
as the sobs subsided, in a kind of mournful sing-song’ (lines 10–11). ‘Old grandmother’s eyes
welled up as she sucked in her breath, willing herself not to cry’ (lines 14–15).

Identify the word(s) or phrase in the given sentence which suggests

(i) tears eased away [1]

(ii) sorrowful tune [1]

(iii) with determination [1]

16 In paragraph 2, what is the effect of the series of questions asked by the Old grandmother?

[2]

Peirce Secondary School | SA1 | EL(P2) | 1E | 2016 | Question Booklet | Mrs Neo BJ
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17 In paragraph 3, what two reasons did Karen give to convince her husband to persuade the Old
grandmother in giving up her old bed and other old furniture?

[2]

18 ‘To her friends at the office, Karen could be freer in the expression of her feelings’ (line 30).

State one way in which Karen was freer in expressing her feelings.

[1]

19 ‘That mother-in-law is a thorn in my side’ (lines 31−32).

(i) Explain the expression ‘a thorn in one's side’.

[1]

(ii) In what way was her mother-in-law ‘a thorn in her side’?

[1]

20 Paragraphs 3–6 of the text reflect the attitudes and feelings of Karen towards Old grandmother‘s
bed.

Complete the flow chart by choosing one phrase from the box to summarise the attitudes and
feelings revealed in selected lines of the text. There are some extra phrases in the box that you do
not need to use.

Peirce Secondary School | SA1 | EL(P2) | 1E | 2016 | Question Booklet | Mrs Neo BJ
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Karen’s attitudes and feelings

disgusted and agitated keen with renewed hope

sad and bitter resentful and exasperated

greedy for profit ractical and materialistic

Flow chart

Lines 16 − 20: (i) …………………………………………

Lines 30 − 34: (ii) ………………………………………….

Lines 41 − 42: (iii) …………………………………………

Lines 44 − 45: (iv) ………………………………………….

[4]

Copyright Acknowledgement:
Text 1 Adapted from The Rhino with Glue-On Shoes by Lucy H. Spelman, DVM
Text 2 Adapted from Monster in Little Ironies: Stories of Singapore by Catherine Lim

Peirce Secondary School | SA1 | EL(P2) | 1E | 2016 | Question Booklet | Mrs Neo BJ