GRADE 9 ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE- 0510

FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT

AUGUST- 2023

TOTAL= 15 marks

TASK 1:

Q. Read the article about Phillip Island, and then answer the questions.

Phillip Island

Phillip Island lies off the southern Australian coast. It is 26 km long and
9 km wide, and is about 125 km from the Australian city of Melbourne.
It is much closer to the town of San Remo, on mainland Australia, from
where a 640-metre bridge provides a route across the water to
Newhaven, a town located on Phillip Island’s eastern side.
The population of Phillip Island is around 12 000, representing an
increase of about 5000 in the island’s number of permanent residents
over the past 20 years. Also, three million visitors travel to the island
annually to enjoy its scenery and explore
its wildlife parks. These areas are crucial, as some of the island’s
original natural environments no longer exist. However, staff have
planted areas with native trees. This means that visitors can get to see
some ecosystems similar to the sort that existed long ago.
Phillip Island is the perfect place to see a wide range of wildlife. It’s
home to various birds, including Cape Barren geese. Numbers of these
were at one time severely reduced due to hunting, although the
population has recovered over the last few decades. Birds are regularly
monitored by staff to help maintain their current healthier numbers.
There are also animals such as kangaroos and seals, but Phillip Island is
best known for being home to large numbers of penguins, known as
 ‘little penguins’ as they are only 33 cm tall. Water-sports enthusiasts
might head to Berry’s Beach, with its stunning surroundings and big
surfing waves, or Ventnor Beach with calm waters perfect for young
ones wanting to get in and enjoy the sea. Most people, however, are
on the island to visit Summerlands Beach. This is where
over 4000 little penguins come in from the sea after a day’s hunting on
the water. They make their way up the beach to their holes, or
burrows, each night at sunset.
If you can’t make it in person, a webcam offers great views of the
spectacle, but if you visit, you’ll need to book a space on the
special platforms overlooking the beach. For those requiring it, a
step-free slope gives access from the Visitor Centre. Check the
online timetable for timings for sunset throughout the year, as
you’re advised to be in position an hour before sunset, ready for
the little penguins’ arrival. The Visitor Centre is open from 4 p.m.,
and here you’ll learn about the daily lives of the penguins and the
various efforts made to reduce marine pollution. This is important,
not just for the little penguins, but also for other marine life found
in the waters around
the island.
If you want to discover more about the valuable work of the Phillip
Island staff,
both on and around the island, then it’s worth knowing that various
environmental education programmes are offered, giving information
about what you can do
to support the vital work that safeguards this important natural
environment for
the future.

1 What is the name of the town on the island that the bridge connects to?
________________________________________________________________________ [1]
2 How many people go to the island each year as tourists?
________________________________________________________________________ [1]
3 Which location is described as being a safe place to swim?
________________________________________________________________________ [1]
4 Where do visitors to the island need to stand to see little penguins?
________________________________________________________________________ [1]
5 When should people arrive at the beach to see little penguins?
________________________________________________________________________ [1]
Give two details.
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

[2]

[Total: 7]
TASK 2:

Q. Read the article, in which four young people (A–D) write about motivation.
Then answer Question 7(a)–(i).

How I motivate myself

A Myra
Like most people my age, I really like seeing my friends and playing
sports, so it’s
not always easy to make myself sit down and get on with things like
homework.
I often have to force myself to do my chores too, and I’m sure I’m not
too different
to most people there! But once I’m ready to start on a particular piece
of work, I’m pretty good at just getting on with it, especially if I give
myself something to look forward to once I’m done. I know a lot of my
classmates like messaging each other when they want a break, but I like
to switch my phone off and get on with it. When
I find my concentration levels are falling, something as simple as
moving to new surroundings makes me focus again. That’s my personal
top tip for anyone wanting to get motivated!

B Kofi
There are all sorts of different methods of motivating yourself when
you have a big project to complete or something to study for, and some
work while others aren’t
so good! Personally, I like to set reminders to go off on my phone every
so often – when it buzzes, it’s time to take a walk round the block, or
just think about something else for a few minutes – nothing too
exciting that might stop me getting back into my work though! I often
make lists of things I still have to do, and I get a lot of satisfaction from
ticking off particularly challenging ones I’ve done. I try to keep
the list pretty short though, as it can take ages to get through a long
one, and that’s not good for motivation, is it? I think it would probably
discourage me from even starting, if I’m honest.

C Sofia
With me, the type of task I have to do really affects how easy I find it to
get motivated. I guess that makes sense though – we all think certain
things are easier than others, don’t we! Every morning I think about
what tasks I need to complete, and when I’ve decided which one I’m
going to do, I set myself a time limit to finish it. As long as I’ve planned
enough time, I pretty much always get through what I need to. It’s a
technique I hadn’t heard about until I had a study-skills lesson at
school, and it’s certainly worked for me. Another rule I have is that
once something’s on my list,
I make sure I do it within a day or two. Any longer and I start getting
 anxious, and that’s no help at all! If I’m having problems with a task,
rather than puzzle over it for hours, I’ll call someone and we’ll talk it
through. I mean, we all know how frustrating it can be when you just
want to get something finished but you can’t!

D Antonio
I like to do the little things first. I know most people like to start with
more difficult tasks, because then they feel positive and encouraged
once they’ve finished. But for me, starting with something
straightforward – so actually doing the opposite – is more productive.
Once I’ve started, I’m more likely to keep on going! It also helps that I
have a nice quiet place to study. A rule I have now is that rather than
carefully working out each task stage in advance, I just make a start.
You see, before, I used to tell myself that I would save time by carefully
planning out everything, even including what I would do at regular
intervals through the day as a reward for my progress. But what I was
actually doing was using most of my day to avoid getting started! So
now I just get on with it, and adapt how I’m working as I go. It’s
certainly helped, and my motivation is generally much better.

For each statement, write the correct letter, A, B, C or D on the line.

7 Which person
(a) mentions some useful advice they were given? ………. [1]
(b) suggests that planning a reward helps them complete a task?………. [1]
(c) mentions a negative feeling they have when putting off tasks?………. [1]
(d) admits that they used to spend a long time on thinking how to do tasks?………. [1]
(e) explains how changing to different locations can help with motivation?………. [1]
(f) finds it helpful to work on tasks with other people?………. [1]
(g) says a popular method of getting motivated doesn’t work for them?………. [1]
(h) describes how they feel when they complete difficult tasks? ………. [1]

[Total: 8]