ENGLISH LANGUAGE II

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Answer sheet

Part 1- Reading Comprehension (40 Marks)

Read the passage Ship From Doomed Arctic Expedition Found After 170 Years and
then answer the following questions:

1. Match the following people to their role. Write the letter next to the person in the
table below.

(5 marks)

A. Canadian Prime Minister. B. Journalist. C. Second in Command.

D. Famous Arctic Explorer. E. British archaeologist.

Name Letter
Peter Mansbridge

Sir John Franklin

Stephen Harper

William Battersby

Francis Crozier

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2.i. Select the correct statement and circle the corresponding letter. (1 mark)

a) Sir John Franklin’s expedition was in the 18th century.

b) One of Sir John Franklin’s ships definitely sank.

c) Sir John Franklin’s expedition was successful.

d) Sir John Franklin took a fleet of ships with him.

2.ii. Select the correct statement and circle the corresponding letter. (1 mark)

a) The local population, the Inuits, didn’t know about the exploration.

b) Franklin had 140 people on board his ships.

c) The HMS Erebus and HMS Terror were Navy vessels.

d) The authorities did not want anyone to know where the Northwest passage was.

3. Find the word or phrase from the text that best fits the following meanings and
write it in the box provided: (5 marks)

The expedition was destined to end in

a)
disaster.
Many groups, believing they might
b) save the lost men, set out to look for
the explorers.
The disappearance fascinated people
c)
in England at that time.

d) The boats were stuck in the ice.

e) Physically challenging overland travel.

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ENGLISH LANGUAGE II

4. In the case of each of the following statements, state whether it is True or False.
Then write down a quote or phrase from the text to support your answer.
(8 marks)

a) The mystery of the missing ship was easy to explain.

True/False Quote

b) The crewmen who left their ships are not believed to have died.
True/False Quote

c) The Inuit had reported seeing an empty European ship.

True/False Quote

d) HMS Erebus and Terror were two of the best ships the Navy had at the time.
True/False Quote

5.i. Write into the following table, the year in which each of the listed events occurred,
and then write the order in which they first appear in the text using the numbers
1 to 4.

(8 marks)

Order
Example (This is NOT one of the answers) Year
in Text
HMS Erebus became trapped in the ice. 1846 3

Order
Year
in Text
A The discovery of the wreck of the ship was announced.
B The British government stopped looking for the missing ship.
C The original expedition began.
D The crews abandoned their ships.

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ENGLISH LANGUAGE II

5.ii. State briefly in your own words what each of the following figures refers to in the
text. (6 marks)

a) 129
___________________________________________________________________

b) 30
___________________________________________________________________

c) 100
___________________________________________________________________

6. What does the word ‘it’ refer to in each of these extracts from the text? Write your
answer on the lines provided. (4 marks)

a) Line 7 – ‘It’s one of the most puzzling mysteries in maritime history.’

___________________________________________________________________

b) Line 36 – ‘It’s exactly where this guy said it was.’

___________________________________________________________________

c) Line 40 – ‘William Battersby lauded it….’

___________________________________________________________________

d) Line 46 – ‘it was the most well equipped and technically advanced operation’

___________________________________________________________________

7. What is the overall purpose of this text? Circle the two answers which apply.
(2 marks)
a) To inform.
b) To persuade.
c) To entertain.
d) To protest.
e) To advertise.

Total – 40 marks

End of Reading Comprehension Questions

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