The Exam Coach 11 CEM English & Verbal Reasoning Paper 7

11+ CEM English and Verbal
Reasoning Paper 7
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Page 1
11+ CEM English and Verbal Reasoning Paper 7
Instructions:
● You have 50 minutes to answer 55 questions.
● There are 3 sections in this paper. The time allowed for each section is stated below.
1. Comprehension - 20 minutes
2. Cloze - 15 minutes
3. Spellings - 15 minutes
● Read the instructions given at the beginning of each section before answering the questions.
● Each question is worth 1 mark.
● Answer each section of questions as instructed.
Example:
The Correct way to mark your The Incorrect way to mark your
answers on the answer sheet: answers on the answer sheet:
Correct Incorrect
Use a pencil to mark your answers. Rub out any errors, do not cross them out.
Please take care when marking your answers on your answer sheets.
Make sure you mark your answer on the line that matches the question number and
mark only one answer per line.
Information about the test papers:

● The page number is in the top right corner of each page.
● The timings for the different sections are shown on the example pages.
Instructions at the bottom of the pages inform you:
● If you can continue to the next page
● When you should wait for instructions before you turn the page
● When you have reached the end of a section.
The following symbols and phrases are used on the test papers.
Symbol Description: Symbol Description: Symbol Description: Symbol Description:

Time allowed for the Go to the next page. Do not turn the page STOP WORKING. You
section. until you are told to may check your work
do so. from this section only.

Page 2
Section 1 - Comprehension
Instructions
Carefully read through the passage of writing, then answer the questions that follow.
Mark your chosen answer for each question on the answering sheet. You will have four
options (A - D) for each question.
Example Passage
The apathetic boy walked home from school. It started to rain.
Example i.
i) Which of the following words is closest in meaning to the word “apathetic”
A. Uninterested
B. Amazed
C. Agitated
D. Pitiful
The answer here is A as apathetic means “showing or feeling no interest or enthusiasm.

Therefore, “uninterested” is closest in meaning to the word “apathetic”.
The answer A has been marked for you on your answer sheet
Example ii.
ii) What happened as the boy walked home?
E. It got dark
F. It began to rain
G. He felt happy
H. He got lost
The correct answer is B.

Mark the box with the letter B on your answering sheet.
You have 20 minutes to answer 20 questions.

Page 3
My Summer in a Garden
by Charles Dudley Warner
Next to deciding when to start your garden, the most important matter is, what to put in it.
It is difficult to decide what to order for dinner on a given day: how much more oppressive
is it to order in a lump an endless vista of dinners, so to speak! For, unless your garden is a
boundless prairie (and mine seems to me to be that when I hoe it on hot days), you must
make a selection, from the great variety of vegetables, of those you will raise in it; and you 5
feel rather bound to supply your own table from your own garden, and to eat only as you
have sown.
I hold that no man has a right (whatever his sex, of course) to have a garden to his own
selfish uses. He ought not to please himself, but every man to please his neighbour. I tried
to have a garden that would give general moral satisfaction. It seemed to me that nobody 10
could object to potatoes (a most useful vegetable); and I began to plant them freely. But
there was a chorus of protest against them. “You don't want to take up your ground with
potatoes,” the neighbours said; “you can buy potatoes” (the very thing I wanted to avoid
doing is buying things). “What you want is the perishable things that you cannot get fresh
in the market.”—“But what kind of perishable things?” A horticulturist of eminence wanted 15
me to sow lines of strawberries and raspberries right over where I had put my potatoes in
drills. I had about five hundred strawberry plants in another part of my garden; but this
fruit-fanatic wanted me to turn my whole patch into vines and runners. I suppose I could
raise strawberries enough for all my neighbours; and perhaps I ought to do it. I had a little
space prepared for melons—muskmelons—which I showed to an experienced friend. 20
“You are not going to waste your ground on muskmelons?” he asked. “They rarely ripen in
this climate thoroughly, before frost.” He had tried for years without luck. I resolved to not
go into such a foolish experiment. But, the next day, another neighbour happened in.
“Ah! I see you are going to have melons. My family would rather give up anything else in
the garden than muskmelons — of the nutmeg variety. They are the most grateful things 25
we have on the table.”
So there it was. There was no compromise: it was melons, or no melons, and somebody
offended in any case. I half resolved to plant them a little late, so that they would, and
they wouldn't. But I had the same difficulty about string beans (which I detest), and
squash (which I tolerate), and parsnips, and the whole round of green things. 30

Page 4
I have pretty much come to the conclusion that you have got to put your foot down in
gardening. If I had actually taken counsel of my friends, I should not have had a thing
growing in the garden today but weeds. And besides, while you are waiting, Nature does
not wait. Her mind is made up. She knows just what she will raise; and she has an infinite
variety of early and late. The most humiliating thing to me about a garden is the lesson it 35
teaches of the inferiority of man. Nature is prompt, decided, inexhaustible. She thrusts up
her plants with a vigour and freedom that I admire; and the more worthless the plant, the
more rapid and splendid its growth. She is at it early and late, and all night; never tiring,
nor showing the least sign of exhaustion.

Page 5
1) What did the author use his garden for?
A. Planting flowers
B. Raising animals
C. Growing fruits and vegetables
D. Growing only melons
2) What is “the most important matter” in deciding when to start your garden (line 1)?
A. Timing
B. The weather
C. The type of plants you are planting
D. The size of your garden
3) Which of the following words is most opposite in meaning to the word ‘oppressive’ (line
2)?
A. Harsh
B. Dull
C. Brutal
D. Lenient
4) What does the author think when he is hoeing the garden on hot days?
A. The garden is small
B. The garden is large
C. The garden is overgrown
D. The garden is plentiful
5) What does the author think would be “selfish” to do in line 9?

A. Share the plants he has grown
B. Take other peoples plants
C. Not let anyone else in his garden
D. Not share the plants he has grown

Page 6
6) What do you think the word “perishable” means in line 14?

A. Likely to decay or go bad.
B. Long-lasting
C. Home-grown
D. Rotten
7) Why was the author advised to grow “strawberries and raspberries”? (line 16)?
Option 1: You can buy them at the market
Option 2: They go off quickly if not fresh
Option 3: You can not buy them at the market
Option 4: They last a long time before going rotten
A. Options 1 and 2 only
B. Options 3 and 4 only
C. Options 2 and 3 only
D. Options 1 and 4 only
8) Which literary technique is used in the phrase “fruit-fanatic” (line 18)?
A. Personification
B. Alliteration
C. Metaphor
D. Simile
9) Why did the author struggle to know what to grow in his garden?
A. Everyone he asked wanted different things

B. He didn’t like string beans
C. He was planting his garden too late in the year
D. His neighbours didn’t like potatoes
10) What “foolish experiment” is referred to in line 23?

A. Only planting potatoes
B. Planting vegetables that the author didn’t like
C. Trying to please everyone
D. Planting muskmelons

Page 7
11) Why was it so difficult to grow muskmelons in the garden?
A. The weather was too hot and rotted them before they ripened
B. The ground was too dry
C. The weather stopped them ripening before winter
D. They needed frost to grow
12) Which of the following words is closest in meaning to the word “grateful” (line 14)?
A. Thankless
B. Appreciative
C. Attentive
D. Indulgent
13) Why was there “no compromise” in line 27?

A. The author didn’t want melons
B. Some people wanted melons, but others didn’t
C. The author didn’t grow any melons
D. No one wanted melons
14) According to the author, which type of plant grows best in a garden?
A. Weeds
B. Flowers
C. Melons
D. Parsnips
15) What conclusion does the author come to at the end of the passage?
A. You should listen to the opinions of others about your garden

B. You should not share the fruits from your garden
C. You should ask your friends opinions on everything
D. You shouldn’t listen to the opinions of others about your garden

Page 8
16) Which literary technique is used in the phrase “you have got to put your foot down in
gardening” (lines 31-32)?
A. Simile
B. Onomatopoeia
C. Alliteration
D. Metaphor
17) Which literary technique is used to describe nature in the last paragraph?
A. Simile
B. Personification
C. Alliteration
D. Onomatopoeia
18) Why does the author use this literary technique in the last paragraph to describe
nature?
A. To emphasise that nature is calm
B. To emphasise that nature is kind
C. To emphasise that nature is unpredictable
D. To emphasise that nature is alive
19) Which of the following words best describe the author’s personality?
Option 1: Generous
Option 2: Anxious
Option 3: Indecisive
Option 4: Irritated
A. Options 1 and 4
B. Options 2 and 3
C. Options 2 and 4
D. Options 1 and 3

Page 9
20) Which of the following narrative voices are used in this extract?
Option 1: First-person
Option 2: Second-person
Option 3: Third-person
Option 4: Omniscient narrator
A. Options 1 and 2
B. Options 3 and 4
C. Options 2 and 4
D. Options 1 and 3
End of Section 1. Remember to check your work.

Page 10
Section 2 - Cloze
Instructions
Insert the missing letters into the spaces provided to complete the missing words in the
passage below.
Answer this section in the exam paper Do not answer this section in your answering
booklet.
Be careful with your spelling!
Example i.
i) A river is a stream of water that flows th__ __ __ __ __ a channel in the surface of

the ground.
Answer i.
i) A river is a stream of water that flows th r o u g h a channel in the surface of the
ground.
Example ii.
ii) The passage where the river f__ __ __s is called the river bed and the earth on
each side is called a river bank.
Answer ii.
ii) The passage where the river f l o w s is called the river bed and the earth on each
side is called a river bank.
Write the missing letters into the gaps above. Do not write on your answering sheet.

Page 11
1) The first place that I can remember was a large pleasant mea__ __ __ with a
pond of clear water in it. Some shady trees leaned over it, and rushes and
2) w__ __ __r -lilies grew at the deep end. Over the hedge on one side we
3) looked into a plowed field, and on the other we l__ __k__ __ over a gate at
our master's house, which stood by the roadside; at the top of the meadow
4) was a grove of fir trees, and at the __ __t__ __m a running brook overhung by
a steep bank.
5) While I was y__ __ __g I lived upon my mother's milk, as I could not eat grass.
6) In the daytime I r__ __ by her side, and at night I lay down close by her. When
7) it was hot we used to stand by the pond in the shade of the __ __ __ __s, and
when it was cold we had a nice warm shed near the grove.
8) As soon as I was old enough to eat g__ __ __ __ my mother used to go out

9) to work in the daytime, and come back in the e__ __n__ __ g .
There were six young colts in the meadow besides me; they were older
10) than I was; some were nearly as __ __ __ ge as grown-up horses. I used to
11) run with them, and had great fun; we used to gallop all __ __g __th__ __
12) round and r__ __ __ __ the field as hard as we could go. Sometimes we
13) had rather rough play, for they would frequently bite and k__ __k as well
as gallop.
14) One day, when there was a good deal of kicking, my __ot__ __r whinnied
to me to come to her, and then she said:

Page 12
15) “I wish you to pay att__ __ __ __ __ __ to what I am going to say to you.

The colts who live here are very good colts, but they are cart-horse colts,
16) and of course they have n__ __ learned manners. You have been well-bred
and well-born; your father has a great name in these parts, and your
17) g__ __ __ df__ __ __ __ __ won the cup two years at the Newmarket races;
18) your grandmother had the sw__ __ __est temper of any horse I ever knew,
and I think you have never seen me kick or bite. I hope you will grow up
19) ge__ __ __e and good, and never learn bad ways; do your work with a
good will, lift your feet up well when you trot, and never bite or kick even in
20) p__ __y.”

Page 13
Section 3 - Spellings
Instructions
For each of the following questions, there are five words (A-E).
For each question, one word is spelt incorrectly. Find the word containing the spelling
mistake and mark it in your answering booklet .
Example i.
A B C D E
Monday Tuesday Wenesday Thursday Friday
Answer i.
The answer here is C. Wenesday should be spelt ‘Wednesday’.
C has been marked in your answering booklet for you.
Example ii.
A B C D E
happy sad anrgy annoyed silly
Answer ii.
The answer here is C. Anrgy should be spelt ‘angry’.
Mark C in your answering booklet.

Page 14
A B C D E
1)
launch aproppriate opposite unacceptable reflective
A B C D E
2)
fascinate genuine imagine orange releif
A B C D E
3)
fountain crusade compliant pravent diamond
A B C D E
4)
pasion arrangement attract council ornament
A B C D E
5)
feedback competence mislead effect piramid
A B C D E
6)
soceity guarantee difficult brunette assembly
A B C D E
7)
resist reflection fortuneate tradition gorilla
A B C D E
8)
generaton boomerang opinion barrage defensive
A B C D E
9)
fisherman decoration wittnes prepare inquiry

Page 15
A B C D E
10)
cultivate coerce encorige exclusive speaker
A B C D E
11)
random generate expertise poetry ingenius
A B C D E
12)
estate visable retribution mixture survey
A B C D E
13)
retire concern growth anticippate excessive
A B C D E
14)
translait correction mutter cactus pancake
A B C D E
15)
technology occupation reenforse splurge faithful


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11+ CEM English and Verbal

● To receive free 11+ practice papers/answers and preparation workshops

● Our youthful super-tutors deliver the best 11 Plus exam preparation

● Want to expand your child’s vocabulary? Listen to The Exam Coach

© The Exam Coach | teamkeen@theexamcoach.tv

11+ CEM English and Verbal Reasoning Paper 7

Information about the test papers:

Symbol Description: Symbol Description: Symbol Description: Symbol Description:

© The Exam Coach | teamkeen@theexamcoach.tv

i) Which of the following words is closest in meaning to the word “apathetic”

The answer here is A as apathetic means “showing or feeling no interest or enthusiasm.

ii) What happened as the boy walked home?

The correct answer is B.

You have 20 minutes to answer 20 questions.

© The Exam Coach | teamkeen@theexamcoach.tv

© The Exam Coach | teamkeen@theexamcoach.tv

© The Exam Coach | teamkeen@theexamcoach.tv

1) What did the author use his garden for?

5) What does the author think would be “selfish” to do in line 9?

© The Exam Coach | teamkeen@theexamcoach.tv

6) What do you think the word “perishable” means in line 14?

8) Which literary technique is used in the phrase “fruit-fanatic” (line 18)?

A. Everyone he asked wanted different things

10) What “foolish experiment” is referred to in line 23?

© The Exam Coach | teamkeen@theexamcoach.tv

11) Why was it so difficult to grow muskmelons in the garden?

13) Why was there “no compromise” in line 27?

A. You should listen to the opinions of others about your garden

© The Exam Coach | teamkeen@theexamcoach.tv

© The Exam Coach | teamkeen@theexamcoach.tv

End of Section 1. Remember to check your work.

© The Exam Coach | teamkeen@theexamcoach.tv

Be careful with your spelling!

i) A river is a stream of water that flows th__ __ __ __ __ a channel in the surface of

You have 15 minutes to answer 25 questions.

© The Exam Coach | teamkeen@theexamcoach.tv

8) As soon as I was old enough to eat g__ __ __ __ my mother used to go out

© The Exam Coach | teamkeen@theexamcoach.tv

15) “I wish you to pay att__ __ __ __ __ __ to what I am going to say to you.

End of Section 2. Remember to check your work.

© The Exam Coach | teamkeen@theexamcoach.tv

You have 15 minutes to answer 15 questions.

© The Exam Coach | teamkeen@theexamcoach.tv

© The Exam Coach | teamkeen@theexamcoach.tv

End of Section 3. Remember to check your work.

© The Exam Coach | teamkeen@theexamcoach.tv

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i) A river is a stream of water that flows th __ a channel in the surface of

8) As soon as I was old enough to eat g my mother used to go out

15) “I wish you to pay att to what I am going to say to you.