P6 ENGLISH

Vocabulary
Language for vivid description

Fill in the blanks with suitable phrases or sentence parts from the box.

quite a distance
blink several times
a pair of huge tortoise shell glasses
who always kept their heads down
scurried like a mouse
creaked noisily whenever the wind blew
standing outside the door with his hands on his hips
gave off a dim light in the middle of the shop
that were yellow and torn at the sides
stare at him unblinkingly
hurried towards the door
was so wrinkled that his eyes could not be seen
windows that were cracked at the sides
came a gruff voice from just behind him
as he waved his hands wildly in the air

The old grocery shop was at the end of the street. It was very old with 1

. The old wooden door 2

. Posters 3 were still

stuck on the windows. It was very dark in the shop. Only light from a single light bulb 4

. A strange elderly man ran the shop with his granddaughter.

The man’s face 5 . His granddaughter wore

6 that covered most of her face. Everyone

was curious about the pair 7 when they

walked along the street. Many were a little afraid of them, so not many dared to enter the grocery shop.

Taken from SCORE WORKBOOK 6

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P6 ENGLISH

Vocabulary
Language for vivid description

One day, Jordan entered the shop for a dare. When he stepped into the shop, he had to 8

to get used to the darkness inside. He wanted to run

when he saw the young girl 9 from behind

the counter.

“What do you want?” 10 . Jordan jumped

up in fright and 11 to the other end of the shop.

“Get out of here!” the elderly man shouted 12 .

“Get out!”

Jordan was stunned. Without another word, he 13

. He wished he had not entered the shop. He had run 14

from the shop before he stopped and turned around. To his fright, the old man was

15 , looking in Jordan’s direction. Yelping in

fright, Jordan sped off.

Vocabulary Corner

yelp: to make a short sharp cry

the door 14. quite a distance 15. standing outside the door with his hands on his hips
9. stare at him unblinkingly 10. came a gruff voice from just behind him 11. scurried like a mouse 12. as he waved his hands wildly in the air 13. hurried towards
of the shop 5. was so wrinkled that his eyes could not be seen 6. a pair of huge tortoise shell glasses 7. who always kept their heads down 8. blink several times
Answers: 1. windows that were cracked at the sides 2. creaked noisily whenever the wind blew 3. that were yellow and torn at the sides 4. gave off a dim light in the middle

Taken from SCORE WORKBOOK 6

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Website: www.sapgrp.com | Facebook: Singapore-Asia-Publishers Page 2/8
P6 ENGLISH

Comprehension
Answering questions based on a story

Read the story carefully. Analyse the links in the story and answer the questions that follow.

Adele stared at the muddy footprints on the floor. She looked around, puzzled. This had been going
on for far too long. Just then, her brother came bounding towards her, ran right past her and into the house.
Adele stared at the row of muddy footprints that trailed behind him, her curiosity deepening.

Staring hard at the floor, Adele turned left, then right, up the stairs and down again until suddenly,
someone pulled her into the coat cupboard. Her brother grinned mischievously at her and pointed at the
wall in front of her. The wall was barely half a metre from her, but still she had to squint to make out what
he was pointing at. On the left was the faint outline of an arch. Adele’s brother placed his palm against the
wall and all at once, that small portion with the arch opened up and Adele found herself in a muddy field.
“So, that’s how your shoes got so muddy,” she whispered.

In response, her brother pointed at the far end of the field. Adele could just make out the hut at the end.
Then suddenly, the mist cleared and Adele saw the hut with the beautiful rose garden in front of it. A man,
with what looked like horns at the top of his head, was tending to the garden.

Suddenly, the mystery of their mother’s wrecked rose bushes was solved. Had the man somehow
managed to replant some of her mother’s best roses? Was that why they had been seeing muddy footprints
everywhere the past week despite the clear skies? With a surge of bravado, Adele ran onto the field. It took
several seconds for her brother to react for his sister was never one to take matters into her own hands. Just
a week ago, she had shied away when his friends saw the muddy footprints and suggested investigating.

“Adele!” he called after her. He had no idea whom the man was. What if he harmed her? What if she
never returned?

As Adele ran, thoughts of what she and her brother had read in that book the night before raced through
her mind. It spoke of the botanist, a strange man, who lived among people but was actually from another
world. It spoke of how harmless he was, but how violent and brutal he could be when he felt threatened.
Adele slowed down. She wondered if she was doing the right thing. She stopped and stared at the man who
probably still had not seen her. She felt her brother’s hand on her shoulder. At that moment, the man turned
and his gaze immediately fell on the two children. They tried to run, but their feet were somehow sinking
slowly into the mud. What could they do next?

Taken from SCORE WORKBOOK 6

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Taken from SCORE WORKBOOK 6
Answers: 1. She was referring to the presence of the muddy footprints. Muddy footprints had been appearing for a week. 2. She did this when she decided to follow her brother
into the house and when she ran onto the muddy field. 3. The man had to walk through the muddy field when he wanted to get to and come out of his hut and he had a
beautiful rose garden. Her mother’s roses had been destroyed and there were muddy footprints everywhere. This means that the man might have stolen her mother’s roses
and replanted them. 4. They were worried that he would be like the botanist that they had read about in a story who would be violent and brutal when he felt threatened.
Why were Adele and her brother suddenly afraid of the man? 4
family?
What connection did Adele see between the man and the events that were happening in their 3
did try to do something twice in the story. When were these two occasions?
Adele’s brother said that Adele usually did not ‘take matters into her own hands’. However, Adele 2
it been going on?
Adele felt that ‘this had been going on for far too long’. What was she referring to and how long had 1
Answering questions based on a story
Comprehension
P6 ENGLISH
P6 ENGLISH

Writing
Creating suspense

An introduction can be used to create suspense in a story. Read the introduction below and underline
the parts that can keep the reader in suspense. Then write them in the box that follows.

I returned from the shop at exactly ten past seven, expecting the usual, but it was not to be. I called
out for Aunt May and Uncle George, but it was Bindy who came bounding up. Glaring at it, I pushed it
away immediately. Then I walked into the house, heading straight to Uncle George’s room, thinking that
he would be inside as usual. Metres from his room, I stopped in my tracks. There, right in front of me was
a trail of bright red droplets leading to the backyard.

the backyard
4. a trail of bright red droplets leading to 2. Glaring at it, I pushed it away immediately. 3. he would be inside as usual Answers: 1. expecting the usual, but it was not to be

Taken from SCORE WORKBOOK 6

© Singapore Asia Publishers Pte Ltd SAPENGP6_W02
Website: www.sapgrp.com | Facebook: Singapore-Asia-Publishers Page 5/8
P6 ENGLISH

Writing
Creating suspense

Read the written prompt below.

You just came home from school and you realized that something was wrong.

(a) Write your own introduction with the help of the questions below.

1 What was different about the way the house looked on the outside?

2 What unusual noise did you hear?

3 What was different about the way the house looked when you entered?

4 Whom did you see and how did that person behave unusually?

Taken from SCORE WORKBOOK 6

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P6 ENGLISH

Writing
Creating suspense

(b) Continue your story by writing two paragraphs to build up suspense.

(c) Write a conclusion for your story.

Taken from SCORE WORKBOOK 6

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P6 ENGLISH

Writing
Creating suspense

Suggested Answers:
(a) I ran all the way home that afternoon. It was Tuesday and my mother always cooked my favourite
fried rice that day. However, when I neared my house, I noticed that the gold bell on top my door
was lying on the ground. When I walked nearer, I heard a rattling sound coming from just inside my
window. Ignoring my fears, I opened the door. The minute I looked into my house, I noticed that the
sofa had been shifted from its usual position. I saw my mother seated at the dining table. I was about to
run towards her when I noticed that she was sitting very still.

(b) I tried to get my mother’s attention but she was in a dazed state. She stared at the blank wall in
front of her without acknowledging my presence. I took another step towards her and immediately saw
her glance worriedly at me. Then she mouthed ‘Go away’. Stunned, I backed away slowly, my eyes
glancing around to see if there was anyone else in the house. I was at the front door when the master
bedroom door creaked open and a man stepped out. Startled, I slipped on the doormat and stumbled
backwards.
The man was so shocked to see me that he almost dropped the huge duffel bag he was carrying. I
thought he would attack me and I cowered in fear in the doorway. To my surprise, he brushed past me
and sped away from our house with his duffel bag of valuables.

(c) I did not dare lift my head until I felt my mother call out to me. Looking up, I realized that she
was tied to the dining chair. I rushed over immediately to untie her. We called the police and waited
anxiously for the police officers to arrive. Although more than ten thousand dollars worth of cash,
jewellery and designer goods were stolen, we were glad that both of us were unharmed.

Taken from SCORE WORKBOOK 6

© Singapore Asia Publishers Pte Ltd SAPENGP6_W02
Website: www.sapgrp.com | Facebook: Singapore-Asia-Publishers Page 8/8