Q1.

Priya and her friends are camping near a farm owned by Mr Jones. Earlier in
the day, Mr Jones had told the group that sheep thieves had been seen in the
area.

A Noise in the Night

Priya woke with a start, her heart beating fast.
Something had disturbed her but she wasn’t
sure what. Abby was still sleeping quietly beside
her, and the night-light glowed, but now she
could see things inside the tent, and she realised
that the moon must have risen. She took a deep
breath, trying to calm herself, but then she heard
something rustling outside. It’s nothing, she told
herself strictly. It’s a hedgehog, or a mole. It’s
something nice and harmless.

The sound died away, and everything was quiet once more. But not completely. There
was Abby’s gentle breathing. Someone coughed in one of the other tents. It sounded like
Toby. And then there was another sound – a deep throbbing that was growing steadily
louder. Just for a second a bright light flashed across the tent as a car drove past the
campsite, followed by another.

Priya was surprised, and now she was completely awake. They had only seen a couple of
cars all day, and now two had come past together. Although, now she thought about it,
one of them must have been a truck, or a tractor, because its engine had sounded much
too deep for a car.

She looked at the dark hump beside her that was Abby, fast asleep. The noise didn’t
seem to have woken anyone else. She could still hear it, and she imagined the two cars,
or whatever they were, reaching the foot of the hill and crossing the bridge by Greystone
Farm. She heard the rattle as they crossed the cattle grid on the far side, so now they
must be going along the other side of the valley.

For a while the sound didn’t change and then, quite suddenly, it stopped. Priya wondered
about that. Maybe they had stopped at the Jones’s farm. Maybe the farmer had been out
visiting someone in the other valley. Whatever it was, she was going to take a look.

Very quietly, so as not to wake Abby, she unfastened the zip of the tent. She pulled back
the flap and realised she could see the whole valley, blue and black and silver in the
moonlight. Directly opposite, on the far side of the valley, she saw two pairs of headlights,
not moving. As she watched, the lights went out.

Then it hit her.

Rustlers! They had to be. It couldn’t possibly be Mr Jones. Why would he have two

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 vehicles? Why would he park there with the lights out? She knew she was right.

She wriggled back inside the tent and shook Abby’s shoulder. ‘Abby! Wake up!’

‘What is it? What’s going on?’

‘Abby, something’s happening. On the other side of the valley... I think they’re stealing
sheep.’

Abby groaned. ‘It’s the middle of the night. I’m asleep.’

‘We have to do something,’ Priya said. ‘We have to tell the farmer. Abby, wake up!’

She shook Abby again, and this time Abby emerged from her sleeping bag rubbing her
eyes. ‘What time is it?’ she asked. ‘You’d better not be making this up.’

Priya looked at her watch. ‘It’s two in the morning,’ she said. ‘I can’t believe the truck didn’t
wake you up. Have you got your binoculars?’

Abby grunted and got the binoculars out of her bag. Priya pulled on her shoes and went
outside. Seconds later, Abby joined her.

‘Show me,’ she whispered. ‘Where did you see them?’

Priya pointed, and heard a sharp intake of breath from Abby.

‘You’re right,’ she breathed. ‘Those are Mr Jones’s sheep. We have to do something.’

Q2.
1. Look at the first paragraph.

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 How can you tell Priya was feeling nervous?

Write two ways.

1. ____________________________________________________________

2. ____________________________________________________________
2 marks

2. Look at page 1.

Why did Priya find it surprising to hear two vehicles drive by?

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________
1 mark

3. What made Priya realise that one of the vehicles was not a car?

______________________________________________________________
1 mark

4. Look at the paragraph beginning: The sound died away... to the paragraph
ending: ...the other side of the valley.

Number the following locations 1 –4 to show the order in which Priya thought she
heard the vehicles travel.

the foot of the hill

the campsite

the cattle grid

the bridge

1 mark

5. Look at page 1.

What made Priya decide to take a look outside the tent?

Tick one.

She heard hedgehog noises.

She heard Toby coughing.

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 She heard the engine stop.

She heard the noise from the

road.
1 mark

6. Look at the last paragraph on page 1.

How can you tell that the moonlight was very bright?

______________________________________________________________
1 mark

7. Look at the top of page 2.

Then it hit her.

What is it?

______________________________________________________________
1 mark

8. She wriggled back inside the tent...

What does this tell you about how Priya got inside the tent?

Tick one.

She ran quickly inside.

She jumped through the

flap.

She had to squeeze in.

She crept in quietly.

1 mark

9. ‘You’d better not be making this up.’

Why does Abby say this to Priya?

______________________________________________________________
1 mark

10. Look at page 2.

Write one piece of evidence that shows Abby was shocked by what she saw.

______________________________________________________________

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 1 mark

11. Look at the end of the extract.

Why was Abby worried?

______________________________________________________________
1 mark

12. Using information from the text, tick one box in each row to show whether each
statement is true or false.

True False

At the beginning of the story, Priya

knew what had woken her up.

The binoculars belonged to Priya.

Both Priya and Abby agreed that they

had to do something.

The rustlers stopped in Priya and

Abby’s campsite.
2 marks

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Mark schemes

Q2.
1. Content domain: 2d – make inferences from the text or explain and justify
inferences with evidence from the text

Award 1 mark for reference to any of the following, up to a maximum of 2 marks:

1. Priya’s heart beating fast, e.g.

• Priya’s heart started to race

• her heart was beating really quickly.

2. Priya taking a deep breath / trying to calm herself down, e.g.

• she took a deep breath

• Priya was trying to calm herself

• she must be nervous because she needs to calm down.

3. Priya telling herself there is nothing to worry about, e.g.

• she tells herself it must be something harmless

• she tries to reassure herself.

4. Priya waking with a start, e.g.

• she woke with a start.

Up to 2 marks

2. Content domain: 2d – make inferences from the text or explain and justify
inferences with evidence from the text

Award 1 mark for reference to either of the following:

1. Priya not seeing or hearing many cars, e.g.

• they’d only seen a couple of cars, and now two had come past together

• she’d seen hardly any traffic

• because they hadn’t heard that many cars drive by.

2. the lack of traffic that day, e.g.

• there had been hardly any traffic during the daytime.

Do not accept reference only to it being late at night / very early in the morning, e.g.

• because it was the middle of the night.

1 mark

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3. Content domain: 2b − retrieve and record information or identify key details from
fiction and non-fiction

Award 1 mark for reference to either of the following:

1. the different engine sound / different sound quality, e.g.

• sounded too deep for the car

• it sounded like another type of engine

• the noise of the engine was not like a car

• it sounded deeper

• it sounds like a tractor

• it didn’t sound like a car

• lower engine.

2. the sound / sound quality of the engine without a comparison to the car engine,
e.g.

• it had a deep throbbing sound

• deep engine

• it was a deep throbbing

• it was a low sound

• the engine sound

• the noise of the engine

• the sound of the vehicle.

Do not accept reference only to the volume of the sound, e.g.

• it was louder

• it was too loud.

1 mark

4. Content domain: 2b − retrieve and record information or identify key details from
fiction and non-fiction

Award 1 mark for the correct sequence:

the foot of the hill

the campsite
the cattle grid
the bridge
1 mark

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5. Content domain: 2b − retrieve and record information or identify key details from
fiction and non-fiction

Award 1 mark for:

She heard hedgehog noises.

She heard Toby coughing.
She heard the engine stop.
She heard the noise from the
road.
1 mark

6. Content domain: 2d − make inferences from the text or explain and justify
inferences with evidence from the text

Award 1 mark for reference to either of the following:

1. Priya being able to see the whole valley, e.g.

• Priya could see the whole valley in the moonlight

• she could see the other side of the valley

• she could see the valley right the way along.

2. the valley / everywhere being silver in the moonlight, e.g.

• the valley was all silver in the moonlight

• everywhere was blue, black and silver

• the valley was silver.

Do not accept reference only to the three colours: blue, black and silver, e.g.

• there was blue, black and silver

• blue, black and silver in the moonlight.

1 mark

7. Content domain: 2d − make inferences from the text or explain and justify
inferences with evidence from the text

Award 1 mark for reference to any of the following:

1. Priya’s realisation that they were rustlers, e.g.

• she had figured out that they were rustlers

• that she saw rustlers

• they were rustlers

• the fact it was robbers

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 • ‘it’ is Priya knowing that those vehicles are rustlers

• she thought that it was the rustlers.

2. Priya’s understanding of the situation, e.g.

• that she knew who they were

• she knew what was happening

• she instantly knew who was making the noise

• it is what was going on with the vehicles

• she noticed what it had to be

• the idea of who the people might be.

3. Priya’s realisation only, e.g.

• she realised

• the answer

• the realisation

• she figures something out.

Also accept reference only to a thought / idea without realisation, e.g.

• it is a thought

• an idea.

Do not accept (the / some) rustlers.

1 mark

8. Content domain: 2a − give or explain the meaning of words in context

Award 1 mark for:

She ran quickly inside.

She jumped through the
flap.
She had to squeeze in.
She crept in quietly.
1 mark

9. Content domain: 2d − make inferences from the text or explain and justify
inferences with evidence from the text

Award 1 mark for reference to any of the following:

1. Abby has been asleep / has been woken up / is tired, e.g.

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 • because Abby was asleep

• because Abby doesn’t want to be woken up for no reason

• Priya had interrupted her sleep

• because Abby was tired

• Abby wanted to go back to sleep.

2. it is late at night / early in the morning, e.g.

• because it’s early in the morning

• it’s 2am

• it’s the middle of the night.

3. Abby thinking that it is a prank, e.g.

• she wasn’t sure if Priya was telling the truth or not

• because she thought that it must have been a prank

• she thought it’s not really true.

1 mark

10. Content domain: 2d − make inferences from the text or explain and justify
inferences with evidence from the text

Award 1 mark for reference to either of the following:

1. the phrase a sharp intake of breath, e.g.

• Priya heard a sharp intake of breath from Abby

• Priya heard Abby taking a sharp breath

• she gasped

• inhaled sharply.

2. the quotation We have to do something, e.g.

• she was certain she had to do something

• Abby now also wanted to call for help

• she wanted to help.

1 mark

11. Content domain: 2d − make inferences from the text or explain and justify
inferences with evidence from the text

Award 1 mark for reference to either of the following:

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 1. the sheep being stolen / harmed, e.g.

• she was worried because the sheep were being taken

• Mr Jones’ sheep were getting stolen

• something bad was happening to the sheep

• the sheep might be hurt

• the sheep were in danger

• someone was stealing the sheep.

2. Abby not knowing what they should do, e.g.

• she didn’t know what to do next

• she wasn’t sure what to do to help Mr Jones.

Do not accept reference only to Those are Mr Jones' sheep. We have to do

something.
1 mark

12. Content domain: 2b − retrieve and record information or identify key details from
fiction and non-fiction

Award 1 mark for three correct or 2 marks for all four correct:

True False

At the beginning of the story, Priya

✓
knew what had woken her up.

The binoculars belonged to Priya. ✓

Both Priya and Abby agreed that they

✓
had to do something.

The rustlers stopped in Priya and

✓
Abby’s campsite.
Up to 2 marks

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