SECTION A: READING COMPREHENSION (FICTION)
(50 marks)
Read the passage and answer the questions that follow:
The Talking Tree
Maya was a cheerful girl who lived near a large forest filled with ancient trees and fluttering
butterflies. Every day after school, she would visit the forest and talk to the trees, pretending
they could hear her. One sunny afternoon, she followed a trail of golden leaves to a tall,
twisted tree with deep grooves on its bark and leaves that shimmered like stars.
To her surprise, the tree whispered, “Maya, I’ve heard every word you've spoken.” Maya
gasped, but her surprise quickly turned to joy. The tree continued, “You have shown kindness
and respect to nature. I will grant you a gift—one wish.”
Maya thought for a moment and wished that she could speak to all animals. The tree's leaves
swirled around her, and she suddenly understood the chirps of birds, the rustling of squirrels,
and even the croaks of frogs. From that day, Maya became the forest's helper, solving animal
problems and keeping the forest clean and peaceful.
Answer the questions:
1. What is the genre of the story? (1)
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2. Who is the main character? (1)
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3. What gift did the tree give to Maya, and why? (2)
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4. Identify one adjective from the passage. (1)
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5. Identify one adverb from the passage. (1)
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6. Find a regular verb and an irregular verb from the passage. (2)
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7. Turn this sentence into present tense:
“Maya followed the trail.” (1)
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8. Add a prefix to the word “happy” to make it opposite. (1)
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9. Identify one phrase from the passage. (1)
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10. What rhymes with “bark”? (1)
☐ A) Park ☐ B) Bike ☐ C) Bright
11. Tick the synonym for the word “gift”: (1)
☐ A) Present ☐ B) Question ☐ C) Noise ☐ D) Bark
12. Classify each as a Statement, Command, or Question: (3)
a) Maya lived near a forest. __________
b) Speak kindly to animals. __________
c) What did Maya wish for? __________
13. Complete the simile: Maya was as cheerful as a ______________________. (1)
14. Write the past tense:
a) Speak ________ b) Shine ________ c) Visit ________ (3)
15. Convert to present tense:
a) Maya met the talking tree.
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b) She heard a whisper.
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16. Choose the correct verb form:
a) Maya _______ (has/have) a kind heart.
b) Maya and the animals _______ (help/helps) each other.
c) She _______ (clean/cleans) the forest. (3)
Question 17 – Extended Response (25 marks)
Describe Maya. What is her personality like? Use examples from the story to describe
her and explain how her character helps the forest.
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SECTION B: READING COMPREHENSION (NON-FICTION)
(50 marks)
Read the passage and answer the questions below:
Bees: Busy Garden Helpers
Bees are small, buzzing insects known for collecting nectar and spreading pollen from flower
to flower. They have furry bodies with black and yellow stripes. Their wings flap so fast that
you can barely see them in motion. Bees live in large groups called colonies, and each bee
has a job. Worker bees gather nectar, guard bees protect the hive, and the queen bee lays
eggs.
Bees help plants grow by pollinating them, which is how flowers and fruits are formed.
Without bees, many fruits and vegetables we eat would not exist. Bees store nectar in hives
and turn it into sweet honey. Scientists study bees because they are very organized and
hardworking. Gardeners and farmers are trying to plant more flowers to help bees survive, as
pollution and habitat loss make it hard for them to find food.
Answer the questions:
1. What is the genre of this text? (1)
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2. Find the root word in “pollinating.” (1)
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3. Change to future tense:
“Bees collect nectar.” (1)
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4. Circle the word that shows possession:
☐ a) bees ☐ b) bees’ ☐ c) buzzing bees (1)
5. Simple or multi-clause:
“Bees collect nectar and make honey.” (1)
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6. Match the kennings:
a) Sky candle i) Elephant
b) Cloud tear ii) Sun
c) Forest giant iii) Raindrop
(2)
7. Correct the subject-verb error:
“Bees is helpful.”
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8. Change “organized” into an adverb.
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9. Join the sentences using a conjunction:
“Bees are small.” “They are important.” (2)
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10. Add a suffix to make a new word from “kind.” (1)
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11. Insert apostrophes:
“The bees wings buzz fast.” (1)
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12. Identify the verb tense:
“Bees were flying around the hive.” (1)
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13. Underline the main verb and circle the helping verb:
“They have built a strong hive.” (2)
14. Fill in the blanks with connectives:
a) Bees are important ………… they pollinate plants.
b) Bees are not noisy ……… busy.
(2)
15. Rewrite using speech marks:
The bee said I love flowers. (2)
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16. How do bees help the environment? (2)
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17. Identify as phrase, sentence, or keyword:
a) sweet honey – __________
b) bee – __________
c) Bees make hives – __________ (3)
Question 18 – Dialogue Punctuation (25 marks)
Rewrite the following dialogue with correct punctuation, capital letters, commas, and
speech marks.
hi mia said sam
hello sam replied mia
are you ready for the school trip asked sam
yes i am very excited said mia
what are you bringing asked sam
i have packed my snacks water bottle and camera said
mia
that sounds perfect said sam
did you remember to bring your raincoat asked mia
oh no i almost forgot exclaimed sam
don’t worry i brought an extra one said mia
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