Grade 6 – Answer Key

+- Section A : Reading Comprehension (20 marks)

1(a) ‘Little sister, it’s been a long time since I play with dolls’ [2
Why did Lau Po respond to the little girl in this way? marks]

Answer:
 He thought she was too young and inexperienced at chess. / He hadn’t
played with children in a long time.
 He did not want to play chess with her.

1(b) Look at the phrase ‘smiling benevolently’ (Line 9). [1 mark]

What does this suggest about Lau Po’s character? Provide an adjective.

Answer:
 He is kind/warm-hearted/indulgent.

1(c) Before Lau Po, who did Meimei play chess with? [1 mark]

Answer:
Her brothers.
1(di) What do you think Meimei’s reason was for taking the Life Savers with her? [1 mark]

Answer:
She used them as prizes.

1(dii) Why do you think she has lost so many of them? [1 mark]

Answer:
She lost many chess games.

1(e) Explain using your own words the meaning of ‘the finer points of chess [2
etiquette’. marks]

Answer:
It means that chess has rules that instruct on the proper way to behave.

1(f) Find a word from paragraph 4 that means the same as the words below: [4
marks]
(i) properly looked after: well-tended

(ii) excessive pride in an achievement: vanity

(iii) not noticed: unseen

 Grade 6 – Answer Key

(iv) throw: hurl

1(g) Why does Meimei think her mother will not allow her to play in the chess [1 mark]
tournament?

Answer:
She would not let Meimei play among strangers.

1(h) Explain fully how Meimei managed to get her mother to approve of her [2
playing in local chess tournament? marks]

Answer:
 She pretended that she was afraid to play in the tournament because
they had American rules and that she would bring shame on the family
if she lost.

[No direct lifting]

1(i) From Paragraph 7, give a quote that tells us Meimei was nervous. [1 mark]

Answer:
 “I frequently bounced my legs to unstick them from the cold metal seat
of the folding chair.”

1(j) Look at the sentence ‘He looked at me, wrinkling his nose.’ (lines 34). [1 mark]
What does it suggest about the boy’s opinion of Meimei?

Answer:
 He looked down on her. / He thought she was not a worthy opponent.

1(k) Look at the sentence from paragraph 8. [2 mark]

‘As I began to play, the boy disappeared, the colour ran out of the room and I
saw only my white pieces and his black ones waiting on the other side.’

What does this tell you about Meimei’s state of mind when she is playing
chess?

Answer:
 She’s so focused on the game that everything else disappeared.

1 (l) Look at the sentences ‘A light wind began blowing past my ears. It whispered [1 mark]
 Grade 6 – Answer Key

secrets only I could hear.’ (Lines 36)

What technique is the underlined phrase an example of?

Answer:
 personification

Section C: Grammar (10 marks)

3(a) Provide the correct form of the verb given in brackets. Verb must be [4 marks]
either in the simple present tense or present continuous tense.

Meimei is new to chess and usually (i) plays with her brothers.
However, she (ii)is determined to find a teacher who can guide her
about the finer points of the game. While (iii) walking through the
park, she spots a crowd around two old men (iv) playing chess.
Immediately, she pushes herself into the crowd for a closer look.

3(b) Pick out two verbs from the sentence given below. [2 marks]

I ran home and grabbed Vincent’s chess set, which was bound in a
cardboard box with rubber bands

3(c) There is one punctuation mistake in each sentence. Correct and [2 marks]
rewrite the sentences.

(i) “I will beat you,” Meimei thought as she glared at her opponent.
(ii) Her mother told everyone it’s luck that made Meimei a
champion.

3(d) Join the sentences below with a suitable connective. Rewrite the [1 mark]
sentence.

Meimei pleaded for the chance to compete but nothing would

change her mother’s mind.

3(e) best
Grade 6 – Answer Key

[4 marks]