Contents Preface ii Notes to Parents and Tutors iv ® Strategies to Improve Comprehension Skills ° Common Mistakes in Answering Comprehension Questions * — Types of Comprehension Questions Unit | Section A Section B Page Comprehension — Comprehension — No McQ Open-ended 1 Information Report Narrative 1 2 Information Report Recount 7 3 Recount Information Report 13 4 Narrative Information Report 19 5 Information Report Biography 25 6 Recount : Information Report 31 7 Biography Recount 37 8 Narrative Recount (Diary) 43, 2 Information Report Narrative (Fairy Tale) 49 10 Information Report Narrative 55 n Narrative Information Report 61 12 Information Report Narrative 67 13 Information Report Procedural 73 4 Information Report Narrative 79 15 Information Report Narrative 85 Answers/My Scores 91Common Mistakes in Answering Comprehension Questions In their haste to beat the clock, pupils often try to find the answers to the questions from the text without reading the passage first or fully understanding its gist. The following are other common mistakes that pupils tend to make. Multiple-choice Questions * Pupils fail to read all the options once through before deciding on one of them as the correct or the most appropriate answer. * Pupils fail to apply the method of elimination. Instead, they resort to the ‘guessing method’ to arrive at their answer. * Pupils fail to go back to the passage and check the context when they find two options that seem to be the likely answers. Open-ended Questions ° Pupils are unfamiliar with the various types of questions asked. * Pupils tend to ‘lift’ or ‘copy’ their answers from the passage from the first word to the last. © Pupils fail to understand that ‘in your own words... ‘ means that their answers should not contain the same key words found in the passage. * Pupils get confused between finding a word and finding a phrase from the passage. * Pupils fail to check their answers for errors in spelling, punctuation and grammar.Types of Comprehension Questions Pupils need to respond to a wide range of comprehension questions nowadays, In order to answer these questions effectively, they should not only focus on literal recall questions, but also questions that require other thinking skills. * WHAT question — requires pupils to pick out specific information from the passage. Answers to such questions can be located easily because the information is usually given quite clearly in the passage. * WHEN question — requires pupils to look for information relating to time or period: ° WHERE question — requires pupils to give information relating to place. ° WHO question — requires pupils to give information relating to a person or persons mentioned in the text. ° WHY question — requires pupils to give reasons from the passage and sometimes, provide their own reasons, ° HOW question — requires pupils to describe the ways, means and extent mentioned in the passage. Information is usually not directly given but can easily be inferred. * INFERENTIAL question — requires pupils to put together some information in the passage, then infer or draw conclusions from them. * VOCABULARY question — requires pupils to answer questions on the meaning of a particular word or phrase in the passage. Sometimes, a word or phrase may be given, and pupils are asked to look for a word with the same meaning in the passage.Oo Text Type — Information Report Sandvik LD Section A (5x 2 marks = 10 marks} Comprehension — MCQ Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. Rain is hundreds of water droplets falling from the sky. These droplets come from clouds, which are actually big clusters of tiny water droplets in the air. When enough tiny droplets are gathered in one place, they cling together and look like a dark, grey cloud. Itis hard to see the sun through the thick clouds of 5 moisture in the air. When the water droplets have become very big and are heavier than the air around them, they begin to fall to the earth. The result is rain. Sometimes, there is only a light rain — a drizzle or mist. Sometimes, the rain is intermittent, stopping and starting 10 again. On other days, a big storm cloud creates a heavy downpour, during which gets everything wet! After a while, the ground cannot soak up any more rain, so the rain gathers on the ground in puddles and streams. During a heavy rain, people 15 use umbrellas and raincoats to stay dry. On days like that, you might hear someone say, “I's raining cats and dogs!” 12 Singapore Feet timed Succass in Comprehension P3’ Finally, when the rain is over and the clouds are gone, the sun shines through once again and dries everything up. It will be 20 sunny for a while, until the next bout of rain starts! Choose the correct answer and write its number in the brackets. 1 What are clouds? (I) Solid masses of ice crystals in the sky a Reflections of the sun from buildings (3) Collections of water droplets in the air (4) Collections of cats and dogs in a pen ( ) 2. When clouds get heavy, they appear () big and white (2) dark and grey (3) long and thin (4) pink and red ( ) é ‘Success in Comprehension P3 {©2004 areal Corns etna Singapore Prete Utes3. When rain stops and starts again, it can be called (1) intermittent (2) a downpour stormy (4) adrizzle ( ) 4. Apool of fallen raindrops that cannot be absorbed into the groundiscalledaq (1) cloud drizzle (3) mess (4) puddle ( ) 5. — What does ‘raining cats and dogs’ mean? (1) It means that there are animals everywhere. (2) It means that it is raining very hard. @) It means that someone has lost his or her pets. (4) It means that it will never rain. ( ) WV Ss S3Oo LD Text Type — Narrative } Section B + Comprehension — et Open-ended (5 x 2 marks = 10 marks) Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. Write your answers in complete sentences. It was a grey, rainy day and David had nothing much to do. He had already finished his homework and chores around the house. His best friend, Ravi, was in bed with a cold so there was no one to play with. It was still raining heavily and he could not 5 ride his bicycle or go to the park. “’m so bored!” David complained. “There's nothing for me to do today.” In the kitchen, David's grandfather was reading a newspaper. “| have an idea,” said Grandfather. “We can have fun with my 0 newspaper.” David was doubtful. “How can | have fun with a newspaper? | don't feel like reading.” “Watch this,” said Grandfather. He began folding the newspaper slowly and carefully. When he finished, the newspaper looked is just like a miniature sailboat. “Now you try it,” he said, handing David a sheet of newspaper. Ww Success in Comprehension P3Grandfather helped David fold the paper until they had two very sturdy-looking boats. Then, using a candle, Grandfather rubbed some wax on the bottom of each boat. “This will make our boats waterproof,” he explained. 20 When the rain stopped, they took the boats outside, where a small stream of rainwater had formed next to the street. To David's surprise, the paper boats floated downstream! David and Grandfather raced their paper boats all afternoon, until it was almost dark outside. 25 “Thank you, Grandfather,” David said, “I will never feel bored on arainy day again!” Answer the following questions. Write your answers in complete sentences. 1. Describe the weather mentioned in this passage. > A G52. How was David feeling at the beginning of the passage? 3. What solution did David's grandfather offer for David's problem? 4. How did Grandfather make the paper sailboat float? 5. Why did David say that he ‘will never feel bored on a rainy day again’? “UN Success in Comprehension P3 6 2004 WrstOo Text Type — Information Report a HY) Section A (5x2 marks = 10 marks) Comprehension — MCQ Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. Earth is the planet on which we all live. It is part of a solar system, which is a group of planets that surround the sun. Each planet moves in an orbit, or a circular path, around the sun There are nine planets in our solar system: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. Mercury 5 is the closest to the sun and Pluto is furthest away. The Solar System wy 7 alSome planets have smaller objects in orbit around them. Only one moon, for example, orbits the earth. Jupiter (the largest planet in the solar system), on the other hand, has at least 10 60 moons. Saturn has 3] moons and is surrounded by beautiful tings that are visible through a telescope. So far, scientists believe that Earth is the only planet in our solar system that supports life. However, there are hundreds or thousands of solar systems in the universe, and many of them 15 are too far away for us to reach We may never know if life exists in other places in the universe. But man will always continue to explore and learn about outer space. Choose the correct answer and write its number in the brackets. 1 A group of planets surrounding the sun is a/an (1) universe (2) “solar system (3) orbit (4) ring (2) 2. When one object moves around another in a circular path, itis called a/an 4 () system (2) planet (3) orbit (4) cycle ( ) e = S” success in Comprehension P3 24 tel cond y3. Which planet is closest to the sun? (1) Pluto (2) Venus (3) Earth (4) Mercurp HE) 4. How many planets are there in our solar system? () One (2) Nine) (3) Sixty (4) Thirty-one ( ) 5. Which statement is true? (1) There is life in other places in the universe. (2) There is no life in other places in the universe (3) We may never know if there is life in other Places in the universe. (4) We have stopped exploring outer space. (2a) 0200 Naval conn nto Spt a nied Succes in Comprenson 3 )Oo Text Type — Recount 2 Section B (5x 2 marks = 10 marks) ~ Comprehension — Open-ended Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. Write your answers in complete sentences. Last night, | dreamed that | was an astronaut. | was getting ready for a big mission into space. | put on my space suit and helmet, and got onboard the space shuttle. | heard Mission Control say “3-2-1, blast offi” as the rockets 5 beneath me fired up to launch me into outer space. If was a bumpy ride going up through the air, past the clouds and into the darkness of outer space. Once | got into space, | floated around the ship — as though | were lighter than a feather. | could see the blue and green of 10. Earth out the window. It seemed to get smaller and smaller as the ship went further away into space. Success in Comprehension P3 {92004 Worst Covers tonal Sngopus Pte ined i > SAfter a while, the ship landed on the moon. | fastened my space helmet and walked around on the moon’s surface. | took large steps, bouncing high. | collected moon rocks to bring back to Earth with me. 15 When | got back in the ship to head back to Earth, I found myself suddenly at home in bed. | had awoken from the dream! Answer the following questions, Write your answers in complete sentences. 1. What did the writer dream of last night? 2. What did Mission Control say before the launch of the shuttle? 3. How would you describe the ride past the air and clouds into outer space? © 2004 rst Cored itratana Singapore Pte ied Success in Comprehension P2 uy4. Where did the ship land after a while? 5. How did the writer end up suddenly back in bed at home? 2Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. Today, our class went on a trip to the museum. Our teacher, Miss Ang, introduced us to the tour guide, Mr Ahmad. We followed Mr Ahmad around the museum while he told us about the exhibits — the items on display. My favourite exhibit showed what life was like thousands and 5 thousands of years ago, when most people still lived in caves. These people are called prehistoric people because they lived before written history began. (© 2004 Mortal Cavendish eration Singapore Prats Umted Success in Comprehension »3 CF) uMr Ahmad explained that back then, the men would hunt 0 animals for food while the women gathered plants and took care of the children. Mr Ahmad showed us some very old tools used by prehistoric people and a few tiny pieces of pottery. Miss Ang told us that most of the tools were made from rock. The tools were used for cutting and preparing food. 5 "These tools are clues to the past,” explained Mr Ahmad. “They have helped us understand what people's lives were like back then.” Choose the correct answer and write its number in the brackets. 1 tems on display in a museum are called (1. exhibits (2) prehistoric tools (3) plants (4) caves ( ) 2. ‘Prehistoric’ means * (1) kept ina museum (2) 20 years ago - (3) before written history | (4) hundreds of years ago ( ) 1 2 Success in Comprehension P3 © 2004 arshal Covenish international Singoporel Pete ited3. Who is/are the museums tour guide(s}? (1) \ Miss Ang. (2) Mr Ahmad (3) Miss Ang and Mr Ahmad (4) The pupils ( ) What were the tools in the exhibit once used for? (1) Taking care of children (2) Gathering plants (3) Changing the shape of rocks (4) Cutting and preparing food ( ) Which statement is true? (1) In prehistoric times, women were hunters. (2) | People lived in caves before written history. (3) Prehistoric tools do not help us understand the past. (4) The tools in the exhibit belong to Mr Ahmad. ( ) © 200 Mora Caren interstina nga Pvate ned Success in Comprehension P3 PuyoO 3 Text Type — Information Report sade LS Section B (5x 2 marks = 10 marks) Comprehension — Open-ended Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. Write your answers in complete sentences. A\rchaeology is the study of human culture at all times in the past. An archaeologist is a person whose job includes the study of-human life in the past. The goal of an archaeologist is to discover how the people in the 5 past lived: what they wore, whether they hunted or farmed, how they built their homes and what they believed. Archaeologists find and study artefacts — evidence of the past. Artefacts are items that people in the past leave behind. These, items give clues about what life was like when those people 10 were alive. Artefacts are usually buried underground for over thousands of years. So, archaeologists are like treasure hunters. They dig for lost artefacts in the places where people lived long ago. aArchaeologists work hard using their hands and special tools to uncover lost artefacts. They also need plenty of knowledge so that they can understand the meaning of the items they find. Archaeologists need a good education. Languages are also useful fo archaeologists because their work takes them to many exotic places around the world. Answer the following questions. Write your answers in complete sentences. 1. Whatis an archaeologist? Ay [arden logist 16 wor tithe Pi Nucles \ u dw oF i ok 2. Why do archaeologists study artefacts? Hose ilewsgive chugs what bbe auas when the: People w aly Like (2004 asall Coven intemal Singepere) rae tod Success in Comprehension P3 fe3. Name three things that archaeologists try to learn about people from the past. hak Yreg wares whebrer thoy hanteser Farmed, how they built Eker hom whet! jaued 4. Where do archaeologists dig for artefacts? they dig Bore ost artefacts inthe placer whee, peopl, vel alorgase 5. Why are languages useful to archaeologists? becat work aes Yoem bo maa ; aces around be world $ success in Comprehension #3 0 teotmunaa comnts maton BipText Type — Narrative Section A (5x 2marks = 10 marks) Comprehension — MCQ L S Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. My uncle Joe has worked at the post office for most of his life. Over the years, he has seen letters and packages from almost everywhere in the world. Uncle Joe loves to see the names of all the places where packages are sent. He also enjoys writing letters to people 5 overseas. He has friends in dozens of places who all write letters to him One day, he received a package from his friend, Kevin, in America. He brought the package home for us to see. It was wrapped in brown paper and tied with a string. 10 SN a yUncle Joe’s address in Singapore was in the centre of the package, so the postman would know where to deliver it. There was a return address in the top-left corner so that the package could go back to Kevin if there was a problem with the delivery. 5 The return address stated San Francisco, California, where Kevin lives. There were colourful stamps in the top-right corner of the package. Numbers on the stamps showed us how much postage Kevin paid to have the package sent fo Uncle Joe. The outside of the package was just as interesting to us as what ‘0 was inside! Choose the correct answer and write its number in the brackets. 1 How long has Uncle Joe worked at the post office? (1) A few days (2) Several months (3) One or two years (4) Many years (4¥) 2. Where does Uncle Joe have friends? (I) Only in America (2) Only in Singapore (3) In his neighbourhood (4) Around the world (4) ? ist > ‘Success in Comprehension P3 (©2004 xsl Covndohnrntioe! ingoo0e Pre Liat3. What was the package from Kevin wrapped with? () Stamps (2) String (3) Brown paper (4) Brown paper and string a) 4. The address of a package's sender is called the (I) return address (2) delivery address (3) mailing label (4) postage aie 5. Where on the package were the postage stamps located? (1) At the top-left corner (2) At the top-right corner (3) At the bottom-left corner (4) At the bottom-right corner (2) JW qa © 200 Harsha Cavendish ntaretna Sirgapeo rit ane juccess in Comprehension P3 > s comprehension #2, 7"). 1Oo @ Text Type — Information Report 3° Section B (5x2 marks = 10 marks) ~ Comprehension — Open-ended Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. Write your answers in complete sentences. Stamp-collecting is a popular pastime, People enjoy collecting postage stamps from different time periods and different countries. s Stamp collectors enjoy keeping their stamps safe, showing off 5 their collections and trading stamps with other collectors. P > > ‘Success in Comprehension P3it Some stamps are rare, which means there are few of them dind they are hard to find. That is why they are very valuable __and worth more money than common stamps: One kind of rare stamp is a commemorative stamp. Commemorative stamps-honour a famous person, a historical 10 event oF an important anniversary. They are usually larger, more colourful and have more detailed designs than regular stamps. Commemorative stamps are printed in small quantities (numbers) and are sold only for a brief period of time, which 15 makes them rare. Sometimes, a mistake makes stamps rare. In 1918, a farnous mistake was made whereby a sheet of U.S. airmail stamps was printed upside down. Only 100 were printed before the mistake was corrected. Today, each of those hundred stamps is worth 20 2,000 times the value of the correct ones! Answer the following questions. Write your answers in complete sentences. 1. What do stamp collectors enjoy doing? cone rallectars enmoy Keopna ther shamps.safe showing ai? thelr collections and trading shames wil chee collec bobs ——) W2. Why are rare stamps more valuable than common stamps? Some stomps atecae, white means thre are Fou & thon ad breg yard bs Pind 3. What does a commemorative stamp honour? Commetmanative skamp honout afamays person ahchercal Imeor' Zp 4. Hew are commemorative stamps different from common stamps? 5. What famous mistake happened in 1918? gS success in Comprehension P3Oo Text Type — Information Report Sand oe Section A _ (5x2 marks = 10 marks) Comprehension — MCQ Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. Movies, or motion pictures, have their beginnings in the mid-1800s. Several pioneers, including Edward Muybridge and Thomas Edison, made early motion pictures. These early films were created with several still (jon-moving) images put together. While many inventors were building motion-picture cameras in 5 the late 1800s, the motion-picture era really began in 1895. That year, Frenchman Louis Lumiére and his brother were the first people to present projected, moving, photographic pictures to a paying audience (of more than one person). Lumiére had invented the Cinématographe, a motion-picture 10 camera that could also process and project the film. tt is from the word ‘Cinématographe’ that we get the modern word ‘cinema’. The first motion pictures were silent films, in black and white. Dialogue — the words said by the actors in the film — was 15 flashed on the screen between scenes. Later, sound and colour were added to make the movie experience more lifelike. 0100s nn Coeds unten mgt Pe Unie success in Comprehension 93, C7Today, movies are a popular form of family entertainment. Theatres, or cinemas, show movies that are enhanced by 20 special effects and computer graphics. Theatres come in all sizes, showing one film at a time — or up to 20! No matter what kind of movies you prefer — action, comedy, romance or adventure — there are plenty to choose from. Choose the correct answer and write its number in the brackets. 1 Motion pictures are alsocalled = (1) still photography (2) Cinématographe (3) silent films (4) movies ( ) P > > ‘Success in Comprehension P3 ©2004 Mors ovendish ntmatiralSngaparal Pvt timed2. — Who first projected moving photographic images to a paying audience? (1) Thomas Edison (2) The Lumiére Brothers (3) Edward Muybridge (4) Steven Spielberg ( ) 3. Which modern word comes from Lumiére’s invention, the Cinématographe? (I) ‘Graphics’ (2) ‘Cinema’ (3) ‘Film’ (4) ‘Movie’ ( ) 4, The first motion pictures were (1) silent (2) noisy (3) colourful (4) inexpensive ( ) 5. Which statement is true? (I) One person alone invented motion pictures. (2) There is only one kind of movie available to watch. (3) Movies are popular family entertainment. (4) Dialogue is the clothing worn by the actors. — ( i WW gaz 2 © 2004 Nara Cavendish ntsratanai Sagopa Pete ited Success in Comprehension P3 C-) yoe Text Type — Biography Sate Ue D Section B__(5x2marks = 10 marks) = Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. Write your answers in complete sentences. Charlie Chaplin, also known as ‘The Little Tramp’, was a famous comic actor who lived from 1889 to 1977. He was an early star of silent films. Over the course of his lifetime, he starred in nearly 100 movies. Charlie Chaplin 5 Chaplin had a special talent for comedy — acting designed to make people laugh. He was a popular and beloved actor throughout his career. Even today, he still has millions of fans worldwide. 2 eer eee asChaplin was born in London. Both his parents were music hall entertainers. As a result, he began performing early in his childhood. In 1910, he moved to New York City, working as an actor and singer on stage. Three years later, he moved to Hollywood, California, to begin working in the movies. He had a very busy career from then on. In 1914 alone, he starred in 35 short films! In 1929, Chaplin won a special award at the first Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars. The Oscars are still presented annually in Hollywood. In 1943, he married Oona O'Neil. He left the United States in 1952, moving with his family to Switzerland. He lived there until the end of his life. In 1972, he returned briefly to Hollywood to receive another Oscar award, which honoured his lifetime achievements in the movies. He was also named a Knight of the British Empire in 1975. Two years later, he died in his sleep from old age. Answer the following questions. Write your answers in complete sentences. 1. When was Charlie Chaplin born? ‘ ab_\%29 {02004 ars Cone tatiana Singapore Fe Lined Success in Comprehension P3“UN -_ What was Charlie Chaplin's special talent? Chaplin aot @ special talont ay Couey How often and where are the Oscars presented? The OSCars ory greece ed oud yer i Wo\\uwosd all farria o Where did Charlie Chaplin spend the last years of his life? \ veual. the last ws oblis Ne in theorlans/ Why did Charlie Chaplin receive a second Oscar? Meecouse Ve Wonouredl, Ufobine al ievewents Ne Bie Success in Comprehension P3 © 200 Norse Cavendish inematonal Singapce Pat ieda ® Text Type — Recount Section A (5x2 marks = 10 marks) ~ Comprehension — MCQ Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. Just the other day, | woke up to the sound of howling outside my bedroom window. At first, | thought it was the sound of a dog howling — it was so loud! But when | looked out the window, | realised there was no dog in sight. What, then, could be making that sound? The window 5 was rattling as | stood next to it. With my hand on the window glass, | could feel it shake. Outside, the trees were swaying back and forth. Leaves, bits of paper and other small objects were flying quickly through the air. . {© 2004 areal Cavendish ieatina Singoporel Pi Success in Comprehension #3 C7), |- > > From my window, | could see a man walking on the pavement below. The tail of his jacket flapped behind him as he walked. He appeared to be holding tightly to his hat, as though it might disappear if he were to let go. “I think | know what's happening,” | said to myself. “I'd better make sure my school papers are put away securely in my bag before | walk to school!” Choose the correct answer and write its number in the brackets. 1 What kind of day was it? (1) Rainy (2) Sunny (3) Windy (4) Cold ( ) 2. What was making the howling noise that woke up the writer? (1) Adog (2) The wind (3) Aman on the pavement (4) Trees ( ) ‘Success in Comprehension P3 1 2004 Horsha Cavendish nenstonl Singapore Pate Uno3. Why did the writer remind himself to put his school papers away in his bag? (1) He did not want the wind to blow them away. (2) He was afraid someone will take them. (3) He forgot his papers yesterday. (4) He did not want them to get wet. ( ) 4. Which of the following was NOT caused by the wind? (I) The man’s jacket flapping (2) The dog barking in the distance (3), The trees swaying back and forth (4) Leaves and paper flying through the air ( ) 5. Which of the following pairs of words from the passage are synonyms (words with similar meanings]? (1) ‘howl and ‘fly’ (2) ‘sway’ and ‘wake’ (3) ‘hat’ and ‘bag’ (4) ‘shake’ and ‘rattle’ ( ) =Oo Text Type — Information Report 2 £® Section B (5x2 marks = 10 marks} Comprehension — Open-ended oN Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. Write your answers in complete sentences. Meteorology is the study of weather. It includes studying information from the past, monitoring the weather in the present, and predicting (or forecasting) the weather that will occur in the future. 5 Meteorologists study patterns in the weather to understand how it works. It is especially important to understand severe weather conditions, such as hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis, floods and thunderstorms. You may have experienced a thunderstorm before — very dark 10 clouds, heavy rain, bright flashes of lightning in the sky and the loud BOOM of thunder. g ‘Success in Comprehension P3 ©2004 ars CoesWhen a storm brings heavy rain, it can cause a flood. A flood happens when there is too much rain coming too quickly for lakes and rivers to take in. During floods, people who live in low-lying areas often have to leave their homes and move to 15 higher ground to stay out of the water. Large storms can also develop very strong winds, which can cause damage to trees and buildings. Two examples of severe windstorms are hurricanes and tornadoes. Meteorologists study the weather so they can predict (and warn 20 people about) floods, hurricanes and tornadoes. These early warnings are important because they give people time to get to safely before the storm happens. Answer the following questions. Write your answers in complete sentences. 1, What is meteorology? woke calogt ve the shudy oP weather 2. Name four types of severe weather listed in the passage. \ughicooes + tornadass, 1S Pleads and Yours glen shar Sy3. Who might have to leave their homes during floods? eagle whe We in Aawnlaying areas oP tes Sasue Ye leave Yhoir hemos 4. What will you experience during a thunderstorm? clouds envy cain, bright Plaghes of Mid Sag aa She Ky aud the lol Bog M of Prunde? 5. Why are early warnings about severe weather important? Pray are Vegparkam® peconse Nae Sint People Lime be get saPoty be Pe the cboom happens ? > > Success in Comprehension P3 1 200 Marsal avendih Intraoral Sngapral Pvt nodText Type — Biography Q a 2 Q, D Section A __ (5x 2marks = 10 marks) Comprehension — MCQ Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. Mahatma Gandhi is one of the most famous peacemakers of the 20" century. He was born in India in 1869. At that time, India was a colony of the British Empire. The British ruled the country for a few hundred years. As a young man, Gandhi studied in London to become a lawyer. 5 He worked for an Indian law firm in South Africa, where Indians were treated poorly by white people. He decided during this time to spend his life fighting for the rights of mistreated people. Gandhi would never use violence in his fights, even if others used violence against him. He returned to India, where he rallied 10 the people to fight for independence from the British. Gandhi was always humble and preferred to live a poor, modest lifestyle. 3 30 SsingoparsPrvle ined Success in Comprehension P3 a? 5 s He encouraged people to protest against British rule, but never to use violence. One of the ways in which Gandhi and his followers used to protest against the British was by staging hunger strikes — refusing to eat. Gandhi believed that people of different religions could live side by side in harmony. He believed in a peaceful resolution to problems and that violence only made things worse. He helped bring people together. Sadly, Gandhi was murdered in 1948 while he was at his daily prayers. But his legacy continues today, as people around the world still admire his peaceful ways. Choose the correct answer and write its number in the brackets. 1 Which of the following is the most appropriate description of Mahatma Gandhi? (1) Aviolent man (2) Arich lawyer (3) A peaceful man (4) A movie star ( ) 2. Where did Gandhi study to become a lawyer? () South Africa (2) London (3) India (4) Spain ( ) Success in Comprehension P3 {© 2004 tarsal Caen trata ing3. Gandhi had a/an lifestyle. (1) modest (2) expensive (3) loud (4) British ( ) 4, Which word most likely means ‘to object or send a message against’ something? (1) ‘mistreat’ (2) ‘eat’ (3) ‘humble’ (4) ‘protest’ ( ) 5. What did Gandhi believe about violence? (I) There is no such thing as violence. (2) Violence is the best way to send a message. (3) Everyone should use violence. (4) Violence only makes things worse. ( ) QW Ss» {© 10 asl coensh aoe! Sasso tine Success in Comprehension ?2Text Type — Recount Se Section B (5x 2marks = 10 marks) Comprehension — Open-ended Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. Write your answers in complete sentences. Lost year, | spent a day visiting a friend in another town. During my visit, | was careful to set aside five dollars, more than enough money for my bus ride home. That evening, | arrived at the bus station in plenty of time to catch 5 Bus Number 1 home. In fact, | had nearly an hour to wait for the bus to leave. | decided to buy a magazine to pass the time. | gave the cashier my five dollars, and she handed me my change and receipt. | settled in a nearby chair to enjoy reading the magazine while | waited for the bus. \ Bette eeeWhen the bus was almost ready to leave, | stood in the queue with other passengers who were waiting to board. “That will be two dollars,” said the bus driver as | climbed the stairs. When | looked in my pocket, however, | realised | had only one dollar and a few coins left! | had miscounted my money before buying the magazine. Oh no! The man behind me in the queue saw me anxiously counting my coins. “Here,” he said, handing me a few coins, “let me help you.” “Thank you!” | said. “How can | repay you for your kindness?” “Kindness from a stranger should be repaid to a stranger,” he said. “Someday, you will have an opportunity to help someone else in need. That is the way to repay me.” Answer the following questions. Write your answers in complete sentences. 1. How much money did the writer set aside for the bus ride? 2. Which bus did the writer take home? 20 Vv S oa ‘Success in Comprehension P3 z " oUN3. Why did the writer buy a magazine? ta pase tle lame 4, What problem occurred when the writer boarded the bus? Sno Ness wanuy 5. Howcan the writer repay the stranger's kindness? due \nane to by kinds other str gen ?Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. Tina has a beautiful diary, which was given to her on her last birthday. It is a small book with a tiny lock and key, and a nice leather cover. Only Tina can read what she writes in her diary. She keeps it in a drawer next to her bed. Each night before going to bed, Tina writes in her diary. She 5 usually begins each entry with ‘Dear Diary,’ just like a letter. She ‘tells’ her diary many secrets — things that no one else knows. a 43 Suecoss in Comprehension P3 nHSometimes, she writes about friends, school or what happens to 10 her each day. She can read her diary entries again later and be reminded about things that have happened and people she has known. Other times, she prefers to write about her hopes and dreams. She writes about her hopes for the future: what life will be like 15 when she grows up. Sometimes, she wishes for things she wants right away — like her very own horse or a brand new computer. No matter what she is writing, the best thing about Tina’s diary is that it is hers alone — a place for all her private thoughts. 20 Sometimes, she thinks her diary is more like a friend than a book! Choose the correct answer and write its number in the brackets. 1. What is a diary? (1) Aromance novel (2) A journal for personal writing (3) A collection of pictures (4) Amagazine for teenagers ( ) 2. Why does Tina’s diary have a lock and key? (1) Because Tina’s father is a locksmith. (2) So that no one can steal what is inside. (3) So that no one else can read the diary. (4) Because the diary is valuable. ( ) WwW Success in Comprehension P3 © 2008 area3. Howdoes each entry in Tina's diary begin? (1) ‘Dear Tina,’ (2) ‘Diary Dear,’ (3) ‘Tina’s Diary,’ (4) ‘Dear Diary,’ ( ) 4. Which of the following CANNOT be found in Tina's diary? (1) Her dreams (2) Her hopes (3) Her memories (4) Her homework ( ) 5. Whyis Tina's diary compared to a close friend in the passage? (I) The diary lets Tina share her private thoughts. (2) The diary goes everywhere with Tina. (3) The diary is a toy she can share with others. (4) The diary is beautiful and has a small lock. —( ) : = © zt conte nuance ns sucess in Comprehension 3 F>)Text Type — Recount (Diary) x Sandee Section B (5x2 marks = 10 marks) Comprehension — Open-ended Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. Write your answers in complete sentences. Deor Diary, What a busy day | had! As | write this, | am so tired that it is a little hard to keep my eyes open. This morning started out like any other: | had breakfast with Mum and Beth, while Dad drank 5 his coffee and read the newspaper. After breakfast, the four of us went to visit my aunt, who has been ill. We brought her some fresh flowers and books to read while she is in bed. She seemed to be feeling better than when we last saw her.Next, we all went to Beth’s soccer game. Beth is the goalkeeper. 10 She made a few fantastic saves and her team won 2-1. Mum, Dad and | watched from the sidelines and cheered for Beth's team. After the game, the four of us went to the zoo. | love going to the zoo because | really like animals, especially the monkeys. 15 Dad took so many photos of me with the monkeys! | wish we could have a pet of our own, but Mum said our house is too small for a monkey. Someday, | would like to be a zookeeper so | could be with animals all day long. After walking around the zoo for a few hours, we began to 20 head home. We stopped by the grocery store to pick up some items for dinner. After eating dinner, the four of us watched a movie together on television. | love spending the whole day with my family! Answer the following questions. Write your answers in complete sentences. 1. How did Tina’s day start? VA \ aay shar \ye NY S s 4a © 200 warhol Covenehnermationl Singopral Pvt iad success in Comprehension #3 C7") |2. What did the family bring to Tina's aunt? the Pari bre ug lt Greek Slants oeal books 3. Why can’t the family keep a monkey? is fro S roa 4. What does Tina want to do when she grows up? bina wot be be a oe keep 5. How does Tina seem to feel about the day with her family? whit Neer “Bala ‘ ? > > Success In Comprehension P3 ©2004 rs Covencch ain Sngopre Fete odText Type — Information Report ve D es soy Section A __ (5x2 marks = 10 marks) Comprehension — MCQ Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. Fairy tales are stories that take place long ago in a fantasy world far away. Fairy tales often have elements of magic and characters such as elves, trolls, fairies and witches. Awitch Kings, queens, princes and princesses are also common in fairy tales. Like fables, many fairy tales also have talking animals that 5 play key roles in the story. The stories often take place in dark forests, cottages and castles. Many fairy tales begin with ‘Once upon a time,’ and end with a phrase such as '...they lived happily ever after’. Most fairy tales have a happy ending for the heroes and heroines. 10 Ww $s sa = © 2004 Marchal Caendih nteoionlSngspare Pate Umied success in Comprehension 93 CY,P > > Some fairy tales have a moral or lesson, but unlike fables, the moral is not usually stated directly. More often, the lesson becomes clear when the good characters in the story triumph (win). Meanwhile, those who are bad or evil are punished in some way. Fairy tales have been loved for years and are still popular among children today. Authors such as Hans Christian Andersen (from Denmark) and the Brothers Grimm (from Germany) wrote some of the most famous fairy tales, such as ‘The Little Mermaid’ and ‘Hansel and Gretel’. Choose the correct answer and write its number in the brackets. a 1. Fairy tales take place in a(2) canes. world (1) real (2) fantasy (3) modern (4) new ( IN} 2. Which of the following characters is NOT usually found in a fairy tale? () Aprincess (2)_A troll 8) A cowl talking animal (32) Success in Comprehension #2 (©2004 rset covends ne3. How do fairy tales usually end? (1) ‘Once upon a time.’ (2) ‘There was a beautiful princess.’ (3) ‘The evil witch got what she wanted.’ (4) (They lived happily ever after: () ie Re ee 4 In which country did Hans Christian Andersen live? (1) Denmark) (2) Germany (3) Poland (4) Fantasy Land (Reve) 5. — Which statement is true? (1) Every fairy tale has a talking animal. (2) Fairy tales never have a moral or lesson. (3) Good characters are usually punished in fairy tales. (4) Fairy tales are popular with children. ( +) W Y 5 a eaaaaseissasaaontsipaaaaC soe ommemeen ns GP vwOo Text Type — Narrative (Fairy Tale) ie 3 Section B (5x2 marks = 10 marks) Comprehension — Open-ended Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. Write your answers in complete sentences. Once upon a time, there was a beautiful girl named Cinderella. After her father died, Cinderella lived with her cruel stepmother and two ugly stepsisters. Cinderella’s stepmother treated her badly,.making her do all the 5 housework while the lazy stepsisters did nothing, The stepsisters wore fine dresses while Cinderella had only rags. One day, the king’s son hosted a ball (dance) at the castle. The king hoped that the prince would meet his future wife at the ball. Every girl in the land was invited! But poor Cinderella, her 0 stepmother would not let her go to the ball. 2 > S Success in Comprehension P3 1 2004 ortho Conn itershe On the night of the ball, the wicked stepmother and stepsisters went out in their fine dresses, leaving Cinderella alone and crying. Cinderella was visited by her fairy godmother, who waved her magic wand and created an elegant carriage, horses, a beautiful gown and lovely glass slippers. 5 Her fairy godmother warned that fhe spell would be broken at the stroke of midnight — Cinderella would be back in rags and the carriage would disappear. At the ball, Cinderella danced with the prince, who was enchanted by her beauty and fell in love with her. 20 Just as the prince asked her name, Cinderella heard the clock strike midnight and had to run away. In her hurry, she left behind one glass slipper. For weeks, the prince carried the glass slipper throughout the land, looking for a woman whose foot would fit the slipper. 25 At long last, he found Cinderella and the shoe fit! The prince and Cinderella were married and they lived happily ever after. Answer the following questions. Write your answers in complete sentences. 1. With whom did Cinderella live? Cincly co Mat ted wlth hore uel tea-snath Ate unl took Hao stelig (©2004 orshall Covonih arnt! Singaporel Pras Lied Success in Comprehension P32. In what ways did Cinderella’s stepmother treat her badly? ting herds of Th, 4 # while the laZet he siting, y J 3. What did the fairy godmother give Cinderella for the ball? ; Lead tinted P gatres h abeout! Pal ; f Anedy alas shippgerr 4. When was the fairy godmother's spell broken? 4 SI! nl lige bet hotel 5. How did the prince know he had found Cinderella? i Knew be hero KE, Asn dprglla becuse the gles Upieoe Fit ee | ; UN success in Comprehension P3 1 2004 orsh Conde arto Sngopae Pete tmiedoC Text Type — Information Report Sank AD Section A _ (5x 2marks = 10 marks} Comprehension — MCQ Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. Horses are hardworking animals that have served man and changed history. Like all animals, horses started out wild but they have been tamed by man for about 5,000 years. Horses have helped humans to be more mobile — they have given humans the ability to move around. Before cars and trains 5 were invented, people in distant towns could communicate with one another in a matter of days because of horses. This meant they could share knowledge and trade goods with one another. People with horses also had an advantage in war. Because 10 they are fast and carry warriors higher off the ground, horses have helped people win battles over those who did not have horses. Horses have also been used to help farmers grow food. A horse can pull a plough through a field with far more strength than 5 aman. Horses have long pulled carriages and carts carrying people. In fact, horses are so strong that the power of automobiles is measured in ‘horsepower’. oS ° 35