MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

FIJI YEAR 9 FINAL EXAMINATION 2017

ENGLISH

Time allowed: 2 hours

(An extra 10 minutes is allowed for reading this paper)

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Write all your answers in the Answer Booklet provided.
2. Write your Name and Year Level on the front page of the Answer Booklet.
3. If you use extra sheets of paper, be sure to show clearly the question number(s)
being answered and to staple each sheet securely in your Answer Booklet at
the appropriate place.
4. Answer all the questions with a blue or black ballpoint or ink pen. Do not
use red ink. Use a pencil only for drawing.
5. You may use a calculator, provided it is silent, battery-operated and non -
programmable.

6. There are three sections in this paper, Sections A, B and C. All sections
are compulsory. Note the options in Section C.

SUMMARY OF QUESTIONS

MARK SUGGESTED
SECTIONS QUESTION TYPE
TIME
There are two questions. Both are compulsory.
A Q1 Formal Writing 15 24 minutes
Q2 Personal Writing 10 10 minutes
Mass Media, Library & Dictionary 10
Q3 Part I – Mass Media 3 5 minutes
Part II – Library 3
Part III – Dictionary 4
B Comprehension 15
Q4 Passage 1 10 20 minutes
Passage 2 5
Q5 Language I 10 10 minutes
Q6 Language II 10 10 minutes
There are four questions. Answer any two
questions.
Q7 Short Stories
C Q8 Novel 30 36 minutes
Q9 Drama
Q10 Poetry (Note the choice in the question)
TOTAL 100 120 minutes
COPYRIGHT: MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, FIJI, 2017.
 2.

SECTION A [25 marks]

There are two questions in this section. Choose an option from each
question.

QUESTION 1 FORMAL WRITING (15 marks)

Choose one of the options below. Use about 180-190 words and give
your writing a title. Include all the necessary features of that particular
style of writing.

Write a plan for your choice before you start writing.

Either

(a) Expository Essay

Write an expository essay on one of the following topics:

(i) Students need to learn and appreciate their mother tongue.

(ii) Young people need to be physically active.

Or

(b) Speech

Your school is celebrating ‘World Literacy Day’ and has invited the
Education Officer in your district to be part of your celebrations.
As the Head Girl/Head Boy of the school, you have
been asked by your school Principal to deliver the welcome speech.
Write the text of your speech.

Or

(c) Book Report

Write a book report on the Year 9 novel studied this year.

Include all the necessary details under each sub-topic for
Introduction, Body and Conclusion /Recommendation.

© MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, FY9FE 2017: ENGLISH.

 3.

Or
(d) Letter Writing

Your school has been invited by the Hibiscus Festival Committee

to perform a maximum of three items during the Hibiscus Festival
Week. As the school Head Girl/Head Boy, you have been asked
by your school Principal to respond to that letter of invitation on
behalf of the school. In your reply:

(i) thank the Secretary of the Hibiscus Festival Committee for

their kind invitation.
(ii) indicate whether the school is accepting the invitation or not.
(iii) if the school accepts the invitation, indicate the number of
students representing. If the school cannot make it, state the
reason.
(iv) enquire about any other relevant information you may need
to know.

QUESTION 2 PERSONAL WRITING (10 marks)

Choose one of the options below. Use about 140-150 words and give
your writing a title. Include all the necessary features of that particular
style of writing.

Write a plan for your choice before you start writing.

The theme for this Question is: Appreciating Marine Life

(a) Narrative Essay

Write a narrative essay about your first sea adventure experience.
Or

(b) Diary Entry

During the Christmas break, you joined the Marine Life
Conservation Campaign in raising awareness on the impacts of
marine pollution. Write a diary entry about your first day of
campaigning.
Or

(c) Imaginative Essay

Imagine you were a fish for a day and you had the opportunity to
discover the Underworld and also witness the impacts of human
activity on the oceans. Write an imaginative essay describing your
one day experience as a fish.

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© MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, FY9FE 2017: ENGLISH.
 4.

SECTION A (continued)

Or
(d) Other styles of writing

Use one of the pictures below to write on the theme in any

appropriate style of writing. Indicate your choice clearly in the
Answer Booklet.

1.

Source: http://www.google.com

2.

Source: http://www.google.com

© MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, FY9FE 2017: ENGLISH.

 5.

SECTION B [45 marks]

QUESTION 3 MASS MEDIA, LIBRARY AND DICTIONARY (10 marks)

There are three parts to this question. All parts are compulsory.

PART 1 MASS MEDIA (3 marks)

(a) Match the newspaper extracts in List A with the corresponding

items from List B. Write down the letter of your answers beside
each number in the Answer Booklet.

List A List B

1. As a concerned citizen, I would like to A. Headlines

raise the issue of smoking in public.
B. Photo Caption
2. A landowning unit in Macuata has
offered 500 acres of its land for cane C. Classifieds
farming.
D. National Sports
3. RESERVES UP.
E. Letters to the
4. National 7’s captain- Osea Kolinisau Editor
(left) and coach Ben Ryan having lunch.
F. Local News
5. Fiji national school’s swimming
competition begins tomorrow. G. World News

6. Vacancy for Pastry Chef at Pacific H. Cartoon

Bakery.

PART 2 LIBRARY (3 marks)

1. State one important rule of the school library. (1 mark)

2. What is the Dewey Decimal System? (1 mark)

3. An alphabetical list of books and references on a given topic or

subject is called

A. a glossary.
B. a title page.
C. an appendix.
D. a bibliography page. (1 mark)

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© MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, FY9FE 2017: ENGLISH.
 6.

SECTION B (continued)

PART 3 DICTIONARY (4 marks)

Study the dictionary entry below and answer the questions that follow.

beautiful/bju:tiful/ (adj) very pretty or attractive; giving pleasure to

the senses. The view from the top of the hill was really beautiful.
beautifully (adv)

Source: The Oxford Wordpower Dictionary New 3rd Edition

1. Identify the head word and its part of speech. (2 marks)

2. How many syllables does the headword have? (1 mark)

3. Write the adverb form of the headword. (1 mark)

© MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, FY9FE 2017: ENGLISH.

 7.
QUESTION 4 COMPREHENSION (10 marks)
Read the passage and answer the questions which follow.
HON PM BAINIMARAMA’S SPEECH AT THE LAUNCHING OF RUGBY
SEVENS COMMEMORATIVE BANKNOTES AND COINS.
Bula Vinaka and a very Good Evening to you all. I’m delighted to be here
this evening as we commemorate one of the most momentous occasions
in Fijian history – the gold medal victory of our Rugby Sevens heroes at
the 2016 Rio Olympics. A moment that no Fijian will ever forget, when
5 we took home our first-ever Olympic Gold medal. Tonight, that victory
will be immortalised with the launch of a commemorative banknote and
coin that honour our players, coaches and staff and give their victory the
ever-lasting place in our history it deserves.

The colours, the vivid imagery and the iconic designs in our bank notes
10 and coinage all represent Fiji. Our coinage has received international
acclaim for that very reason. It has been five years since the Reserve
Bank of Fiji revamped our currency. Hence, it is safe to say, the images
that we choose to place on our coinage carry enormous importance,
because it says so much about who we are as a nation. Our national
15 narrative is woven into the depictions and symbolism on our currency,
and, together, those images proudly display our story to the world.
In 2012, when we honoured the now Assistant Minister for Sports, Hon.
Iliesa Delana’s gold medal victory at the Paralympics with a
commemorative coin, it was because his victory embodied the resilience,
20 determination and tenacity of the Fijian spirit. It was an achievement
that showed the world that, regardless of our small size, we can compete
with the best of the best in sport. This commemoration is an
acknowledgement, not only of the tremendous feat you accomplished,
but for the meaning it held for every Fijian man, woman and child.
25 In Fiji, rugby is an intimate part of our collective identity. No nation
rivals the passion, the energy and the raw emotion that Fijian ruggers
and fans bring to the game. No nation can match our achievement
relative to the size of our country. When Ben Ryan or Ratu Peni, Osea
and the boys took Fijian rugby to the largest stage in the world and
30 came away victorious, it was a win that meant the world to every single
Fijian. Victory came at a time when we desperately needed a source of
inspiration, as we were still reeling from the disastrous effects of Cyclone
Winston.
Thank you again for what you did for your nation and for the Fijian
35 people. It was your sweat, grit and drive that assured that victory in Rio.
Your three-peat victory at the Hong Kong Sevens not even two weeks ago
felt as if I were reliving the Olympic excitement all over again.
Congratulations on that victory as well, and keep up the good work. As
always, you have every ounce of support we can offer. Vinaka Vakalevu.

Source: adapted from http://www.fiji.gov.fj

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© MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, FY9FE 2017: ENGLISH.

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SECTION B (continued)

PASSAGE I
INSTRUCTIONS

The following shows how to answer multiple-choice questions in the

Answer Booklet.

(1) In your Answer Booklet, circle the letter of the best answer.
If you change your mind, put a line through your first
circle and draw a circle around the letter of your next choice.

For example: 12 A B C D

(2) If you change your mind again and like your first answer
better, put a line through your second circle and tick ()
your first answer.

For example: 12 A B C D


(3) No mark will be given if you circle more than one letter as
the answer for a question.

MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS
Circle the letter of the best answer in the Answer Booklet.

1. In line 2, the word commemorate is similar to

A. ignore
B. accept
C. remind
D. remember

2. What event is being commemorated?

A. Fiji 7’s team’s golden win in Rio.

B. Fiji’s suffering from cyclone Winston.
C. Iliesa Delana’s victory in the Paralympics.
D. The recognition of our bank notes in the world.

3. The occasion commemorated is momentous because

A. it marked Fiji’s first gold medal in the Olympics.

B. it marked Fiji’s first gold medal in the Paralympics.
C. it honoured the players and coach of the Fiji 7’s team.
D. a commemorative bank note is being launched to mark the occasion.
© MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, FY9FE 2017: ENGLISH.
 9.

4. According to the passage, in what way was the above event commemorated?
A. National celebrations in Suva.
B. Announcement of a public holiday.
C. Distributing $30,000 to each player.
D. Launching of new bank notes and coins.

5. What point is the Prime Minister trying to make in paragraph 2?

A. Fiji needs to update its bank notes and coin designs.
B. The designs on our notes and coins represents our story.
C. Our notes and coins have been declared the best in the world.
D. The Reserve Bank of Fiji is to be acknowledged for revamping our
currency.

6. Identify the word used in paragraph 3 that is similar in meaning to the word
feat in line 23.
A. Resilience
B. Unbeatable
C. Achievement
D. Commemoration

7. What year did the Reserve Bank of Fiji revamp the notes and coins in Fiji?
A. 2011
B. 2012
C. 2016
D. 2017

8. What does the sentence No nation can match our achievement relative to
the size of our country imply about Fiji?

A. Fiji is able to achieve great things despite its small size.

B. Fiji is unable to achieve great things because of its small size.
C. Fiji has achieved greater things compared to other countries.
D. Fiji is able to achieve great things with the assistance of other countries.

9. What does the word that in line 38 refer to?

A. Fiji’s IRB series victory in 2016.

B. Fiji’s victory at the Rio Olympics in 2016.
C. Fiji’s victory at the Hong Kong 7’s in 2016.
D. Fiji’s victory at the Hong Kong 7’s in 2017.

10. Who is the speaker addressing in the last paragraph?

A. The people of Fiji.
B. The government of Fiji.
C. The Hong Kong 7’s champions.
D. The Rio Olympics 7’s Champions.

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© MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, FY9FE 2017: ENGLISH.
 10.

SECTION B (continued)

Passage II (5 marks)

NOTICE
REPAIRED/UNREPAIRED ITEMS

Smith’s Hardware & Co Ltd would like to inform all our valued customers
who have left their items for repairs or diagnosis at our service center or any of
the branch locations to pay and collect their items within the 15 days from the
day of this notice.

5 All unclaimed items will be sold to recover the administration costs. The last
day for collection is at 5pm on the 26th of April, 2017. No further claims will be
made after this date. For further details, please contact your nearest Smith’s
Hardware & Co Ltd branches.
Thank you.

Contact details: Angeline Jolie/ Brad Pit

Phone: 3345562 Mobile : 8795263
Email: servicecenter@smithshardware.com.fj

QUESTIONS

Circle the letter of the best answer in the Answer Booklet.

1. The subject of the above notice is

A. Notice.
B. Smith’s Hardware.
C. Angeline Jolie/Brad Pit.
D. Repaired/Unrepaired items.

2. The targeted audience for this notice are customers who

A. pay for the repair of items but do not collect them.

B. leave their items for repair but do not pay for them.
C. claim their repaired items without paying for them.
D. leave the items for repair but neither pay nor collect them.

© MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, FY9FE 2017: ENGLISH.

 11.

3. What date was this notice advertised?

A. 8th April, 2017

B. 10th April, 2017
C. 11th April, 2017
D. 12th April, 2017

4. Smith’s Hardware is likely to sell

A. groceries and timber.

B. books and stationeries.
C. timber and house furniture.
D. clothing and medical supplies.

5. An example of a relative pronoun in line 2 is __________.

A. our
B. who
C. they
D. their

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© MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, FY9FE 2017: ENGLISH.

 12.

SECTION B (continued)

QUESTION 5 (20 marks)

LANGUAGE 1 GRAMMAR AND VOCABULARY (10 marks)

Circle the letter of the best answer in your Answer Booklet.

1. Jane left home early to attend dance ___________ .

A. practise
B. practice
C. practices
D. practicing

2. If Chris had run faster, he

A. will have won the race.

B. would have win the race.
C. would have won the race.
D. wouldn’t have won the race.

3. Viliame was not satisfied with the referee’s decision so he made ___________
official complaint to the competitions Manager.

A. a
B. an
C. the
D. up

4. ___________ his poor health, Cameron leads an active life.

A. In spite of
B. Even though
C. Nevertheless
D. In addition to

5. My sister enjoys playing tennis. Change the statement to a question.

A. What does my sister enjoy playing?

B. Does my sister enjoy playing tennis?
C. Doesn’t my sister enjoy playing tennis?
D. Why does my sister enjoy playing tennis?

© MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, FY9FE 2017: ENGLISH.

 13.

6. Last night, a stranger asked me

A. where Mr. Brown’s house is.

B. where is Mr. Brown’s house.
C. where Mr. Brown’s house was.
D. where was Mr. Brown’s house.

7. Mrs. Smith ___________down as soon as she reached home because she was so
tired.

A. lay
B. lie
C. laid
D. was lain

8. All the team members were unanimous in their decision to appoint Tomasi as
their new team Captain. Which word is nearest in meaning to the word
unanimous?

A. united
B. against
C. neutral
D. seperated

9. When Paul won the first prize he was like a dog with two tails. As used in the
sentence, the idiom a dog with two tails means that Paul

A. had two tails.

B. was very happy.
C. turned into a dog.
D. was very shocked.

10. Which word is spelt incorrectly?

A. apparently
B. appearance
C. assassination
D. accomodation

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© MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, FY9FE 2017: ENGLISH.

 14.

SECTION B (continued)

QUESTION 6

LANGUAGE II SENTENCE CORRECTION (10 marks)

Each sentence has one grammar error. You are required to write the
error and its correction in the spaces provided. Each sentence is worth
2 marks (1 mark is for identifying the error, 1 mark is for correcting
the error).

No. Sentence Error Correction

If Fanny had not being drunk,

1 she would not have caused the
accident.

The boy, which lives next door,

2 is related to my best friend.

We were instructed to breath

3 in through our noses and out
through our mouths.

If you buy the whole set I will

4 give you a discount.

The old lady was greatful to

the young boy for offering to
5
carry her heavy luggage.

© MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, FY9FE 2017: ENGLISH.

 15.

SECTION C LITERATURE [30 marks]

There are four questions in this section. Answer any two questions.
Each question is worth 15 marks. Spend about 17 minutes on each
question.

QUESTION 7 SHORT STORIES (15 marks)

Answer both Part I (Extract A and B) and Part II (Short Answer
Questions) in your Answer Booklet.

PART I
Extracts A and B are taken from two short stories you have studied this
year. Read the extracts and use your knowledge of the short stories to
answer the questions that follow.

EXTRACT A

X: My dad would say that none of those were real accidents. He says a real
accident is something completely unforeseen or unexpected. Something no one
could have prevented. But those things you mentioned, well, somebody was at
fault.

(a) Who does X refer to in the extract? (1mark)

(b) Explain why none of those were real accidents. (2 marks)

(c) Explain what those things you mentioned refer to. (2 marks)

EXTRACT B

“We called your teacher and she told us the truth,”said mum. The moment of
truth. A well-known expression. This was it. I was totally defenceless and I knew
it.

(a) Explain what happened in this moment of truth. (2 marks)

(b) What truth did the teacher reveal ? (1 mark)

(c) Explain why the I in the extract was totally defenceless. (2 marks)

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© MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, FY9FE 2017: ENGLISH.

 16.

SECTION C (continued)

PART II SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

Use your knowledge of one of the short stories listed below to answer
the questions that follow.

List of Short Stories

1. Matupit’s First
Businessman

2. The Gift

(a) Write the title and the author of the short story chosen. (1 mark)

(b) Explain one lesson you learnt from the story. (2 marks)

(c) Describe one incident which brings out the above lesson in the
story. (2 marks)

QUESTION 8 NOVEL - The Morning by Jogindar Singh Kanwal (15 marks)

Answer both Part I (Extracts A and B) and Part II (Short Answer

Questions) of this question in your Answer Booklet.

PART I

Refer to Extracts A and B and use your knowledge of the novel to

answer the questions that follow.

EXTRACT A

“Let’s wait until he regains consciousness,” said Jamuna. They sat around
Peter’s unconscious form and joked about him.

(a) Explain why Peter was unconscious. (2 marks)

(b) Who does they refer to in the extract? (1 mark)

(c) Explain why they sat around and joked about Peter instead of
helping him. (2 marks)

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 17.

EXTRACT B
“What we have been fighting for has happened. “After saying this, I jumped up. I
was overcome with joy. I embraced Raheem. After a few minutes, both of us went
to the lines to spread the news and ask people to come to Wailailai temple in the
evening so that we could discuss the arrangements for celebrations.

(a) Who spoke the above lines? (1 mark)

(b) Explain one thing they had been fighting for. (2 marks)

(c) What news did they take to the people at the lines? (2 marks)

PART II SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

Use your knowledge of the novel to answer the questions that follow.

(a) Identify and describe your favourite scene from the novel. (2 marks)

(b) State why the scene in (a) above is your favourite scene. (1 mark)

(c) Explain how this scene depicts people in real life. (2 marks)

QUESTION 9 DRAMA – Sera’s Choice by Vilsoni Hereniko (15 marks)

Answer both Part I (Extract A and Extract B) and Part II

(Short Answer Questions) in your Answer Booklet.
PART I
Refer to Extracts A and B and use your knowledge of the play to answer
the questions that follow.

EXTRACT A

X: As far as I am concerned you never got married- you never had haldi
marked on your head and neither did that Fijian junglie you live with. I’m not
interested in your so called marriage. Take your money and if you listen to me
for once you will use it to get a divorce

(a) Who does X refer to in the extract? (1 mark)

(b) Explain why X does not agree with Anil’s marriage. (2 marks)

(c) Describe the relationship between Anil and X. (2 marks)

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© MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, FY9FE 2017: ENGLISH.

 18.

EXTRACT B

Sera: I asked to come with you (to the funeral) but you wouldn’t take me. You
were ashamed of your Fijian wife. Why do you hide everything from me? You go
off on your own, with your friends and you leave me here all by myself. And
people talk you know. Am I supposed to believe them?

(a) Explain why Anil refused to take Sera to his mother’s funeral? (2 marks)

(b) Mention one thing that Anil has hidden from Sera. (1 mark)

(c) Explain what the above scene reveals about Anil’s character. (2 marks)

PART II SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

Use your knowledge of the play to answer questions (a) to (c).

(a) Name a character that disappointed you in the play. (1 mark)

(b) Describe an incident in which the above character made a (2 marks)

wrong decision.

(c) Explain how the above decision has affected his/her relationship
with one other character in the play. (2 marks)

© MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, FY9FE 2017: ENGLISH.

 19.

SECTION C (continued)

QUESTION 10 POETRY (15 marks)

You can choose to answer either Part I or Part II in your

Answer Booklet. Note the option in this question.

Either
PART I
Answer all questions for Part I (Extracts A, B and
Short Answer Questions) taken from poems you have studied to
answer the following questions.

EXTRACT A

One is not amazed,

At first glance,
3 By a poem
Which is as tight-closed
5 As a tiny bud.

(a) Explain using your own words, what you understand from lines
1-3 of the poem. (2 marks)

(b) Identify the figure of speech used in lines 3 to 5. (1 mark)

(c) Mention two things that are being compared in (b) above. (2 marks)

EXTRACT B

In its blooming season,

She would walk up that steep, curvy road
to pick two or three

4 These she would weave into a brooch,

to be printed to the inside
of her blouse- hidden
7 but for that warm perfume.

(a) Name the title and poet of the above extract. (1 mark)

(b) What does its refer to and what does she make from it? (2 marks)

(c) Describe in your own words what you understand from lines 4-7.(2 marks)

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© MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, FY9FE 2017: ENGLISH.
 20.

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

LIST OF POEMS
1. Flannan Isle
2. Hunger
3. The Ugly Child
4. Hark Hark the Shark

Choose one poem from the list above and answer the questions
that follow.

(a) Write the title of the poem and its poet. (1mark)

(b) Describe how you felt after reading this poem. (2 marks)

(c) Discuss what the poem suggests about people in general. (2 marks)

Or

PART II READING A POEM (15 marks)

Read the following poem carefully and answer the questions in complete
sentences on page 19 of your Answer Booklet.

Fear of the Dark

Along the unlit lane on a night
When the stars are blind, the moon masked,
Foot steps follow. I knew a man of six foot three
who, on dark nights,
5 Held two lit cigarettes between his lips
Hoping by this bright trick
To deceive footpads, mislead murderers.
I used to laugh at him, but not now.
I clench teeth and fists and walk fast.
10 When I reach the house I switch on the lights.
The darkness seems defeated, yet
Open the door, the light does not flow far
Beyond the threshold; it stops dead
A few feet from the step, I hear
15 The darkness growing; it is enormous
It is in this room in thin disguise.
I am afraid of it and with good reason.

(a) Identify the poetic term for the pronoun I. (1 mark)

(b) Identify the figure of speech used in line 2 and mention its effect
on the poem. (2 marks)

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 21.

(c) Which words or images show the darkness of the opening scene? (2 marks)

(d) Using your understanding of the poem, explain lines 9 &10 in

your words. (2 marks)

(e) Identify one action the speaker does to overcome his fear of
walking alone at night. (1 mark)

(f) Explain what the speaker means by I hear the darkness growing.
(2 marks)

(g) What does it refer to in line 16 of the poem? (1 mark)

(h) Which is the speaker more frightened of – silence or darkness?

Explain your answer. (2 marks)

(i) Explain the mood of this poem and quote a line from the poem to
support your answer. (2 marks)

THE END

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COPYRIGHT: MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, FIJI, 2017.