CAMBRIDGE LOWER SECONDARY ENGLISH 8: DIAGNOSTIC CHECK

Name Date

Diagnostic check
Part 1: Non-fiction
Section A: Reading
Spend around 20 minutes on this section.
Read the text below, then answer questions 1–8.

Why more people should cycle!

Bicycles were introduced in the 19th century and now there are
approximately one billion worldwide. They are the principal means of
transportation in many parts of the world, but cycling is widely regarded
as a very effective and efficient mode of transportation for short-to-
5 moderate distances in most countries.
Cycling provides numerous benefits in comparison with using motorised
vehicles, including not having to pay for expensive fuel, easier parking and
the ability to travel on paths and tracks. It also leads to reduced
consumption of fossil fuels, less noise pollution and much reduced
10 traffic congestion. By allowing bicycles on trains and buses, transport
companies can significantly increase the areas they can serve.
In addition, cycling provides a variety of health benefits for individuals.
The World Health Organization (WHO) states that cycling can reduce the
risk of illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes, which are more
15 common in people who do not take exercise regularly, as well as helping
people to maintain a healthy weight. Individuals who cycle regularly have
also reported mental health improvements, suffering from less stress and
enjoying fresh air more frequently. Cycling is also a great leisure activity to
enjoy with friends or family.
20 Bicycles are easy to buy, either new or second-hand. Make sure you start
looking for one now! There is very little maintenance involved and most
problems, like a tyre puncture, can be mended by the owner. There is no
excuse for getting in the car for short journeys. Get on your bike!

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 CAMBRIDGE LOWER SECONDARY ENGLISH 8: DIAGNOSTIC CHECK

1 Give one word from lines 1–5 which means ‘about’.

[1]

2 Give one word from lines 1–5 which means ‘main’.

[1]

3 Give one phrase from lines 1–5 which suggests that cycling is not usually a suitable
way of travelling long distances.

[1]

4 Explain, using your own words, the benefit of allowing bicycles on trains and buses
(lines 10–11).

[1]

5 Give two pieces of evidence from lines 12–19 which show that cycling helps people to
keep physically fitter.

[2]

6 What structural feature is ‘Make sure you start looking for one now!’ (lines 20–21) an
example of?

[1]

7 How is the last paragraph (lines 20–23) different from the rest of the text and what is the
effect of this?

Difference:

Effect:

[2]

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 CAMBRIDGE LOWER SECONDARY ENGLISH 8: DIAGNOSTIC CHECK

8 What is the main purpose of the text?

Tick () one box.

to inform people about the health benefits of cycling

to persuade people to start cycling regularly

to show how cheap cycling is compared to other transport

to explain how popular cycling is all over the world [1]

Section B: Writing
Spend around 20 minutes on this section.

1 Write a talk for your class about how to keep fit and healthy. You should write
three paragraphs.
You could consider:
• the importance of keeping fit and healthy
• ways of getting regular exercise
• how friends and family can keep fit and healthy together. [10]

Space for your plan:

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 CAMBRIDGE LOWER SECONDARY ENGLISH 8: DIAGNOSTIC CHECK

Write your talk.

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 CAMBRIDGE LOWER SECONDARY ENGLISH 8: DIAGNOSTIC CHECK

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 CAMBRIDGE LOWER SECONDARY ENGLISH 8: DIAGNOSTIC CHECK

Part 2: Fiction
Section A: Reading
Spend around 20 minutes on this section.
Read the text below (an extract from The Silver Box by Louise Lawrence), then answer
questions 1–6.

Lonely and boring, the hours stretched endlessly ahead. She might have
switched on the radio or studied her school books, but listening to music
made her headache worse and she could not concentrate. Curled with the
cat she tried to sleep but then she grew hot and sweaty and small sounds
5 distracted her . . . the whine of the wind down the boarded-up chimney,
the flutter of snow against the window pane, and the creak of a
floorboard. It was as if someone were there, quietly moving at the far end
of her room. Carole raised her head. She saw nothing unusual . . . just a
shimmer of heated air above the electric convector heater and the walls
10 receding into distances, the effects of her fever. But the sounds went on,
movements and footsteps, soft and disturbing. And did she imagine the
room growing dark?
There was a humming noise too, like a high-frequency static almost
beyond the range of her hearing. Once more Carole raised her head and
15 for one panic-stricken moment she thought she was going blind. There
was light around her bed, but the rest of the room had vanished, dissolved
in a curtain of shimmering air and darkness beyond it. Or maybe
something was wrong with the convector heater? The electronic hum was
clearer now, increasing in pitch. Even the cat could hear it. And they
20 moved together, Carole and Splodge, propelled by the same fear. He rose
from the bed with green eyes blazing, arched and spat and bolted for the
door, his tail bushed as a fox’s brush . . .

Glossary
brush: tail

1 Give one phrase from lines 1–3 that tells you time seems to be going slowly for Carole.

[1]

2 Give two pieces of evidence from lines 1–12 that show Carole isn’t feeling well.

• [2]

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 CAMBRIDGE LOWER SECONDARY ENGLISH 8: DIAGNOSTIC CHECK

3 What is ‘the whine of the wind’ (line 5) an example of?

Tick () one box.

metaphor

rhyme

simile

personification [1]

4 Give one structural feature used to build up tension in lines 8–12 (from ‘Carole raised …’)
and explain its effect.

Feature:

Effect:

[2]

5 Which two features from the text suggest that it is from a mystery story?
Tick () two boxes.

use of a flashback

unexplained noises

a lonely setting

the inclusion of a cat

the use of bad weather [2]

6 Suggest two ways that the writer uses language or structure to describe the cat’s
fear in lines 19–22.

[2]

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 CAMBRIDGE LOWER SECONDARY ENGLISH 8: DIAGNOSTIC CHECK

Section B: Writing
Spend around 20 minutes on this section.

1 Write a story about a locked door. You should write three paragraphs.
You should consider:
• where your story is set
• what characters to include in your story. [10]

Space for your plan:

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 CAMBRIDGE LOWER SECONDARY ENGLISH 8: DIAGNOSTIC CHECK

Write your story.

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 CAMBRIDGE LOWER SECONDARY ENGLISH 8: DIAGNOSTIC CHECK

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