Amhaz Educational Institutions Scholastic Year: 2016/2017

Mr. Hassan Amhaz Grade Nine, Section ( )

____
Student:___________________ 20 English Language Exam
Date:_____________________ Duration: 120 mins.
_________________________________________________________
Read the following text that narrates an inspirational story about a teacher who, with her caring
nature, was able to make a great difference in her student’s life. When you are through with the
reading, answer the questions that follow.

I Care about You!

1 Steve, a twelve-year-old boy with alcoholic parents, was about to be lost forever, by the U.S.
education system. Remarkably, Steve was failing though he was good at reading. He had been failing since
first grade and went unnoticed until Miss Marie came. Miss Marie was a smiling, young, beautiful
redheaded teacher, and Steve was in love! For the first time in his young life, he couldn't take his eyes off
of his teacher; yet, still he failed.

2 Steve never did his homework, and he was always in trouble with Miss Marie. His heart would
break under her sharp words, and when he was punished for failing to turn in his homework, he felt just
miserable! Still, he did not study. In the first semester of school, the seventh grade was tested for basic skills.
Steve hurried through his tests, and continued to dream of other things. His heart was not in school, but in
the woods, where he often escaped, trying to shut out the sights, sounds, and smells of his alcoholic home.

3 One day, Miss Marie's impatient voice broke into Steve’s daydreams. "Steve!!" Startled, he turned
to look at her. "Pay attention!" Steve locked his gaze on Miss Marie with adolescent adoration, as she
began to go over the test results for the seventh grade. "You all did pretty well," she told the class, "except
for one boy, and it breaks my heart to tell you this, but..." She hesitated, pinning Steve to his seat with a
sharp stare, her eyes staring at Steve. "...The smartest boy in the seventh grade is failing my class!" Steve
dropped his eyes and carefully examined his fingertips.

4 After that, it was war!! Steve still wouldn't do his homework. Even as the punishments became
more severe, he remained stubborn. "Just try it! ONE WEEK!" He was unmoved. "You're smart enough!
You'll see a change!" Nothing fazed him. "Give yourself a chance! Don't give up on your life!"
Nothing. "Steve! Please! I care about you!" Wow! Suddenly, Steve got it!! Someone cared about him?
Someone, totally unattainable and perfect, cared about him??!!"

5 Steve went home from school, thinking about the amazing words Miss Marie said. He gathered up
his camping gear, and this time... his schoolbooks too. Grim faced and determined, he headed for the
woods. The following Monday he arrived at school on time, and he waited for Miss Marie to enter the
classroom. She walked in, all sparkle and smiles! God, she was beautiful! He yearned for her smile to turn
on him. It did not.

1|Page
6 Miss Marie, immediately, gave a quiz on the
weekend homework. Steve hurried through the test,
and was the first to hand in his paper. With a look of
surprise, Miss Marie ook his paper. Obviously puzzled,
she began to look it over. Steve walked back to his
desk, his heart pounding within his chest. Miss Marie's
face was in total shock! She glanced up at Steve, then
down, then up. Suddenly, her face broke into a radiant
smile. The smartest boy in the seventh grade had just
passed his first test! Proudly, Steve sat a little taller in
his chair and puffed out his chest.

7 From that moment, nothing was the same for Steve. He discovered that not only could he learn, but
he was good at it! He discovered that he could understand and retain knowledge, and that he could translate
the things he learned into his own life. After high-school Steve enlisted in the Navy, and he had a
successful military career. During that time, he got married, he raised a family, and he graduated from
college. During his Naval career, he inspired many young people, who without him, might not have
believed in themselves.

8 Miss Marie left a great legacy. She saved one boy who has changed many lives. I know, because I
am the love of his life. You see, it's simple, really. A change took place within the heart of one boy, all
because of one teacher, who cared.

Part One: Text Analysis _____________________________(Score: 12/20)

A. Answer the following questions in complete sentences. (Score: 04)

1. How did the words mentioned in the title make the twist in the story? Justify.
2. What are the reasons behind the low educational performance of Steve? Give two reasons.
3. Who are the persons involved in the war mentioned in paragraph 4? Who won this war?
How can you tell?
4. What positive traits of a teacher does the above text and the picture show? Highlight these
traits in a three-line character sketch of Ms. Marie.

B. Skim the above text, and then fill out the following chart with the suitable
reaction/behavior for each feeling. The first one is done for you. (Score: 1.5)

Feeling Reaction/Behavior
Steve was in love with his teacher. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her.
Steve was ashamed of failing the exam.
Ms. Marie was surprised of Steve’s sudden progress.
Steve was proud of himself when he passed the quiz.

2|Page
C. Taking proper content and grammatical structure into consideration, complete the
following sentences in reference to the text. (Score: 1.5)

1. Steve was good at reading, but ..........................

2. Though Steve felt miserable when scolded by the teacher, .......................
3. Ms. Marie’s heart was broken because ......................

D. Fill in each completion with a suitable word from the indicated paragraph. Abide by the
description in parantheses given for each word. (Score: 01)

1. The ___________________ life circumstances of the kid affected his educational

performance negatively. (adjective-paragraph 2)
2. The ___________________ teacher lost his temper and scolded the student harshly. (a
word with prefix-paragraph 3)
3. The principal of the school ___________________ before deciding to expel the student
from the school for his bad behaviour. (verb in past tense-paragraph 3)
4. The student was ___________________ and showed his teacher a great amount of
progress. (opposite of hesitatant-paragraph 5)

E. What does each of the underlined pronouns in paragraph 8 refer to? (Score: 01)

F. Rewrite the following sentences, starting each as indicated, without changing the
meaning. (Score: 1.5)

1. Steve not only continued his learning process, but he also translated the things he learned
into his own life.
Not only …….

2. The student was reprimanded because his behaviour didn’t meet the teacher’s approval.
If ……

3. Nobody noticed Steve’s poor performance until Ms. Marie decided to take an action.
Steve’s ……

G. In each of the following, there is ONE grammatical error. Identify the error, and then
correct it. (Score: 1.5)

1. The educational system applied in many countries are still old-fashioned.

2. If I were a teacher, I will care for the low achievers more than the high achievers.
3. Here on the desk is the reports about the students’ percentages of progress.

3|Page
Part Two: Writing ________________________________(Score: 08/20)

Choose ONE of the following prompts:

Prompt (A): “A good teacher teaches from the heart, not from the
book.”

Discuss the above quotation first, and then based on it, focus on a case when you faced a problem –
other than an educational one- at school and you were able to overcome it with the help of your
teacher.

Develop your essay, describe the problem faced, the help offered by the teacher, and how things
ended up. Copy and fill in the chart below and then write the essay. Your essay should be between
150-200 words with an appropriate title. Revise and proofread your essay.

A Teacher’s Positive Role

The problem
The help offered
Final situation
Your final impression

Prompt (B): “Education is turning mirrors into windows.”

Based on the statement above, write an essay in which you highlight the benefits of education and
its positive role in building-up the individual’s character, and in having a healthy society as a
whole.

Fill the chart below with proper information first, and develop your essay within the range of 150-
200 words. In your essay, provide a thesis statement in the introduction, a topic sentence in each
body paragraph and support the main idea with relevant, specific and adequate details. Provide
your essay with an appropriate title. Revise and proofread your essay.

Benefits of Education
On the Individual / Character On Society
1. 1.
2. 2.
3. 3.

Your essay will be evaluated based on ideas (Score: 02.5), language (Score: 02.5), chart and
title (Score: 02), tidiness and handwriting (Score: 01)

4|Page
_________Answer Key (Grade Nine)__________
Part of
the Answer Key Mark
Question
Competencies: Utilize text-related clues to comprehend discourse
Develop interpretive understanding of printed discourse
Expand writing skills through guided and semi-guided
activities

Part One Text Analysis 12

A.1 The words mentioned in the title “I Care about You” made the twist in the 1
story for they simply refer to the positive encouragement of Miss Marie to her
student Steve. This encouragement that twisted the trail of Steve’s life and
changed it to the better.

A.2 According to the text, there are two reasons behind the low educational 1
performance of Steve. The first refers to Steve’s alcoholic parents. The second
highlights the weak evaluation system that upgrades a student though weak he
is.
A.3 The two persons involved in the war mentioned in paragraph 4 are Steve and 1
his teacher Mrs. Marie. Mrs. Marie was the winner of this war; she was able
to make a great change in Steve’s educational performance and force him -
through showing her care and affection- to give importance to his duties and
assignment.
A.4 Both, the above selection and the picture show positive traits of a teacher. Mrs. 1
Marie was a sample of a caring, understanding, and motivating teacher. She
showed her affection and respect to her student Steve, and proved to him
that she cares about his educational performance through her encouraging
and motivating words like “Just try it; you are smart enough; etc.”
B 1.5
Feeling Reaction/Behavior
Steve was in love with his teacher. He couldn’t take his eyes off of
her.
Steve was ashamed of failing the He dropped his eyes and
exam. carefully examined his
fingertips.
Ms. Marie was surprised of She glanced up at Steve, then
Steve’s sudden progress. down, then up. / Her face
broke into a radiant smile.
Steve was proud of himself when He sat a little taller in his chair
he passed the quiz. and puffed out his chest.

C.1 .. he was failing as a whole. 0.5

C.2 .., he still wouldn’t do his homework. / .., he remained stubborn. / .., he was 0.5
unmoved. / .., he didn’t show any progress.

5|Page
C.3 .. Steve was failing her class. 0.5
D.1 miserable 0.25
D.2 impatient 0.25
D.3 hesitated 0.25
D.4 determined 0.25
Part 2 Grammar 04
E I: refers to Steve’s wife / Steve’s love of his life / writer / Miss Marie 01
his: refers to Steve’s life
You: refers to the reader
it: refers to the fact that “A change took place within the heart of …”
F.1 Not only did Steve continue his learning process, but he also translated … 0.5
F.2 If the student’s behavior had met the teacher’s approval, he wouldn’t have 0.5
been reprimanded.
F.3 Steve’s poor performance wasn’t noticed until Mrs. Marie decided to take an 0.5
action.
G.1 The educational system applied in many countries are still old-fashioned. is 0.5
G.2 If I were a teacher, I will care for the low achievers more than the high 0.5
achievers. would
G.3 Here on the desk is the reports about the students’ percentages of progress. are 0.5

6|Page