SPM PRACTICE

TOPIC 4: GAPPED TEXT

SPM Examination Guidelines

1. This topic covers Part 4 of the SPM English Reading 4. The questions in this part carry 6 out of the total 40 marks
Paper (Kertas 1 [1119/1]). for the SPM English Reading Paper.
2. This part of the paper consists of a text of about 350 to 5. The time given to answer questions in the Reading Paper
450 words. Six sentences have been removed from it and is one hour and 30 minutes. You are advised to spend no
placed in jumbled order after the text. more than 6 minutes on this part. Follow the instructions
3. The questions tests your ability to: provided in the examination paper carefully.
• understand the main points in extended texts
• understand specific details and information in
extended texts
• guess the meaning of unfamiliar words from clues
provided by other words and by context
• recognise typical features at word, sentence and text
levels

Tips and Techniques

Read and understand the sentences

Read the text carefully. Make sure
that come after the text. Note what
you understand the text.
information is missing.

Then, go back to the text and read the sentences that come before and after the missing
sentences. These sentences will help you figure out what ideas come before and after.

After you’ve placed all of the sentences into the gaps, go back and read the text to see
if it sounds right. If not, find sentences which sound out of place. You don’t have to start
with the first gap. Start with the easiest gap first and work your way up to the hardest one.

Check all your answers. Make sure you have

filled all the gaps before moving on to the
next part.

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 SPM PRACTICE

Name: .............................................................................................. Class: ..................................... Date: .....................................

SPM Practice 1: Reading – Part 4, Questions 27–32 [6 marks]

You are going to read an anecdote about how room service came about. Six sentences have been removed from the
anecdote. Choose from the sentences A to H the one which fits each gap (1 to 6). There are two extra sentences which
you do not need to use.
Room Service
From the hotel that invented room service, comes a story that has inspired thousands over the years. Selfless service
always brings blessings.
One stormy night many years ago, an elderly couple entered the lobby of a small hotel in Philadelphia, USA.
The couple approached the front desk, hoping to get some shelter for the night. 1 E
‘Could you possibly give us a room here?’ the husband asked. The desk manager, a young man with a winning
smile, looked at the couple and explained that all the rooms were full. ‘But I can’t send a nice couple like you out
into the rain at one o’clock in the morning. Would you perhaps be willing to sleep in my room? 2 H When the
couple declined, the young man pressed on. He told them that he would be fine and they need not worry about
him. So the couple agreed.
As he paid his bill the next morning, the elderly man said to the clerk, ‘You are the kind of manager who should
be the boss of the best hotel. 3 B The young man didn’t think it would happen. The three of them had a hearty
laugh over what appeared to be a good joke. As they drove away, the elderly couple agreed that the helpful clerk was
indeed exceptional. He had gone out of his way to help them.
Two years passed. 4 D It enclosed a round-trip ticket to New York, asking the young man to pay them a
visit. The old man met him in New York, and showed a great new building there.

‘That,’ said the older man, ‘is the hotel I have just built for you to manage.’ 5 A The old man was not.

The older man’s name was William Waldorf-Aster. 6 F Its first manager was George C. Boldt, the young
manager who gave his room to an elderly couple one stormy night.

The idea of looking for another place was

A ‘You are joking,’ said the young man. E
remote.

And that magnificent structure was the original

B ‘Maybe someday I’ll build one for you.’ F
Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.

A ticket for a trip to New York arrived one cold

C G ‘What a beautiful place you have built.’
morning.

Then, one day, the manager received a letter ‘It’s not exactly a suite but it will make you folks
D H
from the old man. comfortable.’

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 SPM PRACTICE

Name: .............................................................................................. Class: ..................................... Date: .....................................

SPM Practice 2: Reading – Part 4, Questions 27–32 [6 marks]

You are going to read an article about how a disabled man faced unsurmountable challenges from birth.

Digital Resource
Six sentences have been removed from the article. Choose from the sentences A to H the one which fits
each gap (1 to 6). There are two extra sentences which you do not need to use.
Overcoming Adversity
Nick Vujicic was born without limbs in 1982. As a child he struggled mentally and physically to come to terms with
his disability. His doctors never thought he would walk but he has done skydiving, scuba diving, surfing and just
about everything else.
He doesn’t say that life was easy. He went through periods of depression and wanted to even kill himself.
1 D He realised that he didn’t want to leave his family with the burden. He also felt that he had to be thankful
for what he could do and focus less on his disabilities.
When he was fifteen years old, he placed his faith in God and from then on, it was an amazing journey.
2 H Thus, one day he found himself in front of three hundred sophomore (grade 10) students and he said he
was very nervous. His knees were shaking. Within the first three minutes of his talk, half the girls were crying, and
most of the boys were struggling to hold their emotions together.
He was inspired to go across 48 countries. He realised that everyone needs love and hope. 3 C He has spoken
in front of presidents, congresses, and appeared on live television broadcast to 270 million people.
While at a university, he also worked on developing his abilities as a speaker. He worked with a speaking coach
who helped to train him as a presenter. 4 G He also launched a non-profit ministry, Life without Limbs, to spread
his messages of faith and hope around the world.
The love of his parents, loved ones and faith in God helped Nick survive the hard times. 5 F Life must have
a purpose, Nick believes.
Nick now lives in California with his wife, Kanae and son and feels blessed. 6 A He hopes to inspire others
along the way.

He loves his role of helping people to make

A E He was interested in helping his parents.
changes that improve their lives.

He strongly believes that it is important for us

B He felt that he needed to work hard. F
to love others and care for them.

He was in a unique position to share that with Later, Nick created the company, Attitude is
C G
people around the world. Altitude.

Strangely, it was the janitor at his high school

D But his better sense won. H who inspired him to start speaking about
overcoming adversity.

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 SPM PRACTICE

Name: .............................................................................................. Class: ..................................... Date: .....................................

SPM Practice 3: Reading – Part 4, Questions 27–32 [6 marks]

You are going to read an article about Dan Harvey who had to come to terms with reality. Six sentences have been
removed from the article. Choose from the sentences A to H the one which fits each gap (1 to 6). There are two extra
sentences which you do not need to use.
Resilience
When Dan Harvey ran forward to take the jump from the tramp in the gymnastics room, he was thrown forward
into the concrete pit. He felt a spark of pain in his neck and then he realised that he could not move.
Sensing that something was wrong, the teachers and students got him out of the pit. The doctors told the parents
the bad news. 1 H His parents were devastated. I went to see him as often as I could. I kept hoping that Dan
will recover or at least be a sporty, active paraplegic. That happened in the movies but it didn’t happen in Dan’s life.
Dan’s first powered wheelchair was the bulky Invacare Storm. 2 A Finally, he settled on one that was smaller
and easier to handle.
Dan’s parents went to a lot of trouble to convert their house into a user-friendly one for Dan. They purchased
an adjustable bed, built another bathroom and installed a lift in the house. 3 F
Dan went back to school and mercifully found that he was quite a talented student. 4 G In 2008, he became
the first disabled Canadian owner of a van using a computer system.
That December I took a ride with him and it was an amazing experience. I laughed when the computer misheard
the voice instructions and turned on the wipers or the lights randomly. 5 C
I tried to spend some quality time with Dan when I could. I too had my share of lessons from this experience.
6 D . I learned to operate a lift and strap a wheelchair into a van.
I learned about resilience as Dan tried his best to deal with the many problems the disabled have to live with.
I learned that it is all right to cry a little when life is not what we expected it to be.

I found that I was capable of running my own

A He didn’t like it and soon tried another. E
sports activities.

B He couldn’t continue on the course. F They even bought a wheelchair-accessible van.

It was like science fiction of the future but it was He managed to complete a course in media and
C G
very much here! communications.

I learned to sit quietly beside a person who They said that he will have to use a wheelchair
D H
needs my presence. for the rest of his life.

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 SPM PRACTICE

Name: .............................................................................................. Class: ..................................... Date: .....................................

SPM Practice 4: Reading – Part 4, Questions 27–32 [6 marks]

You are going to read a story about the impact of dedicated people on others. Six sentences have been removed from
the story. Choose from the sentences A to H the one which fits each gap (1 to 6). There are two extra sentences which
you do not need to use.
Inspiring Others
She was just an ordinary lady. I met her on one of my trips out of town. She called herself Tammy and she never
gave me more information about herself. But she worked tirelessly. Nothing was too much for her.
I was amazed at Tammy’s energy. She was not young. 1 G Her eyes really twinkled with love and happiness.
She walked with a sprightly step that did not reflect her age.
Of course there were things she would never tolerate and the staff received some hard comments when they
were harsh to the people there. 2 H Once a man came to drop off his mother and appeared unsympathetic to
the mother’s pleading look. Tammy told him off sharply. ‘What goes around comes around, young man. Be good to
your mother now.’ The man flinched and spoke more lovingly to his mother.
I have always wondered what brought Tammy into my life. She brought meaning and wealth to my poor life.
3 B I realised then that sometimes people come into our lives and we know right away that they were meant to
be there. They help us figure out who we are or who we want to become.
And sometimes things happen to us that may seem horrible, frightening and unfair at first. But later we find
that without overcoming those obstacles we would have never realised our potential, strength, willpower or heart.
4 C
Many people we meet will affect our lives in some ways. Our personalities are shaped by all these encounters.
Don’t look back to past events for we cannot change anything. 5 E Those incidents were meant to be.
In addition, the success and downfalls we experience help to create us into who we become. 6 A
In fact, they are probably the most poignant and important ones. They give us a rough time but they shape and
mold us.

There is much to be learned from the It is no use regretting what happened in

A E
bad experiences. our past.

We must not have bad experiences at all in

B She made me think and she made me care. F
our lives.

We really need to go through those obstacles to Her face was creased with lines but somehow
C G
make us better people. she had that smile that really lit her face.

If she saw disarranged papers or rubbish around,

She loved the comforts of a neat and
D H someone was going to get a verbal lashing
modern home.
for sure.

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 SPM PRACTICE

Name: .............................................................................................. Class: ..................................... Date: .....................................

SPM Practice 5: Reading – Part 4, Questions 27–32 [6 marks]

You are going to read a story about how a lady did not let age deter her from achieving her dreams. Six sentences have
been removed from the article. Choose from the sentences A to H the one which fits each gap (1 to 6). There are two
extra sentences which you do not need to use.
Age Is Just a Number
The students were challenged by our professor to get to know someone we did not already know. I stood up to look
around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder. I turned around to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at
me with a smile that lit up her entire being.
She said, ‘Hi handsome. My name is Rose. I’m eighty-seven years old. Can I give you a hug?’ 1 H And she
gave me a giant squeeze. ‘Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?’ I asked.
She jokingly replied, ‘I’m here to have a jolly good time with young people ...’
‘No, seriously,’ I asked. I was curious what may have motivated her to be taking on this challenge at her age.
‘I always dreamed of having a college education and now I’m getting one!’ she told me. We chatted over coffee
in the cafeteria. 2 D I was always mesmerised listening to this fantastic person as she shared her wisdom and
experience with me.
Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus symbol. At the end of the semester, we invited Rose to
speak at our football banquet. Her talk was inspiring. 3 B As she began to deliver her prepared speech, she
dropped her notes on the floor.
A little embarrassed, she leaned into the microphone and simply said, ‘I’m sorry I’m so jittery. I think growing
older has made me clumsy. There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy, and achieving success.
4 F . You’ve got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die.
There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up. Anybody can grow older. 5 A However,
live without regrets. The elderly usually don’t have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not do.’
6 G Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute to the wonderful woman who taught
by example that it’s never too late to be all you can possibly be.

A That doesn’t take any talent or ability. E It is alright if you don’t achieve your dreams.

B I’ll never forget what she taught us. F You have to laugh and find humour every day.

One week after graduation, Rose died peacefully

C She passed her exams with flying colours. G
in her sleep.

I laughed and enthusiastically responded, ‘Of

D We became instant friends. H
course you may!’

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