11+ ENTRANCE EXAMINATION SAMPLE ENGLISH PAPER. Time allowed: 1 hour 15 minutes. * There are 2 sections to the paper: Reading and Writing

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1 11+ ENTRANCE EXAMINATION SAMPLE ENGLISH PAPER Time allowed: 1 hour 15 minutes * There are 2 sections to the paper: Reading and Writing * Spend about 45 minutes reading the passage and answering the questions which follow. * Spend 30 minutes on the writing task

2 SECTION 1: READING Spend about 45 minutes reading this passage and answering the questions which follow. Make sure you answer the questions in sentences. Circus Boy 1. By midday the huge tent was up, and sawdust had been scattered in its ring. Madame Juglini was away for most of the day, but came back at dusk, just as the lanterns were lit around the field, hanging from trees like ripe orange fruit. The tent glowed with yellow gas-light. Jim and Antonio stood by the gates of the field beating drums, and the circus band paraded round the tent, bugles and trumpets blaring into the twilight. Bats (5) skittered over their heads like black rags. 2. Up the lane came a rumble of wheels, and the children of the circus cheered. The people are coming, the people are coming! At the door flap of the tent Madame Juglini was taking money and shouting, Roll up! Roll up, for the greatest show on earth! See the Flying Horses of Arabie! See Madame Bombadini as she flies through the air! (10) See the Strongest Man in the Universe! 3. Jim and Antonio ran inside the tent, and wriggled underneath the tiers of benches. They squatted there, arms folded, beneath the drumming feet of the impatient audience. Bits of orange peel and nut shells showered down on them. Antonio smiled at Jim. 4. It would be all right now. Everything would be all right. Tonight Jim would sleep in (15) the green caravan with the brass door knocker, and tomorrow he would help to take down the big tent with the men and the children. He would march in the procession with his drum. Roll up! Roll up! He closed his eyes, letting the music and the voices swirl round him. 5. Antonio nudged him. The drums started up a booming roll. The crowd roared. (20) Mr Juglini ran into the ring and cracked his whip for silence. The band blazed, and into the ring ran the horses, the beautiful, powerful horses, scudding and shining, the thundering, billowing horses. Juglini cracked his whip again, and the horses reared on to their back legs, and into their circle another horse galloped with a woman standing on the saddle, her muslin skirts tucked up high. As the crowd cheered she leaned right (25) back, her arms outstretched, and somersaulted: One, Two, Three! Juglini shouted. Four! Five! Six! the crowd roared. Over she went, and over again, and came up each time smiling and proud. Jim cheered and clapped. He wanted to stand up and shout, Hooray for Juglini s circus! 6. It was then, as the horses turned with a swish of their tails and a prancing of long (30) legs, that Jim saw the thing he had never thought to see again in his life. The entrance flap of the tent was lifted up briefly. He could just make out the face of Madame Juglini, peering and anxious. He saw her hand, stretched up to receive a coin. And next to hers, like a spectre, another face, looming in the glow of the lantern; a blackened face, and square, with hair like a slipping thatch, and eyes that bulged through like lamps.

3 QUESTIONS Circus Boy Answer the questions as fully as possible. Do not rush. 1. At what time of day does the circus take place? Give two pieces of evidence to support your answer. (3 marks) 2. Find two similes in the first paragraph. (2 marks) 3. What three acts can be found at Madame Juglini s circus? (3 marks) 4. How does the writer create a sense of excitement in the first two paragraphs? You should support your answer with evidence from the passage.

4 (5 marks) 5. Which word in paragraph three tells us the audience is keen to see the circus? (1mark) 6. From where do Antonio and Jim watch the circus show? Explain how you know this? (3 marks) 7. In your own words, explain why you think Antonio smiled at Jim. (3 marks) 8. On line 21, we are told that Mr Juglini ran into the ring and cracked his whip for silence. Find 5 quotations before this line which show how noisy it is at the circus.

5 (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (5 marks) 9. Juglini s horses are described as scudding and billowing. Look at how these words are used in paragraph five and see if you can think of a synonym for each word. Scudding: (2 marks) Billowing: (2 marks) 10. How would you describe how Jim is feeling as he watches the horse show. You should support your answer with evidence from the passage. ( 3 marks) 11. The stranger who appears with Madame Juglini in the last paragraph is compared to a spectre. How would you define the word spectre?

6 (2 marks) 12. Read these statements about the end of the passage. Tick ( ) three boxes that we know are TRUE. Madame Juglini appears to be anxious. Jim is happy at what he sees at the entrance of the tent. Madame Juglini accepts money from the stranger. Jim is frightened by what he sees. The horses escape from the tent. (3 marks) 13. How does the writer create a sense of fear in the last paragraph? You should support your answer with evidence from the passage. (5 marks) 14. The following section is designed to test your spelling, punctuation and grammar. There are 4 mistakes in the following passage. Circle the mistakes in the text and write the corrections in the space provided. Far away behind him Jim could here the beating of the drums and the blare of the trumpets and trombones, The roar of the crowd. When he paused to look round he could see the glow of the huge tent and the dark shapes of the caravans parked round the edges of the feild. He could just make out which one was Juglinis.

7 Remember: the mistakes can be in spellings, punctuation or grammar. Corrections: (8 marks) SECTION 2: WRITING. Choose one of the following You will be assessed on: the content (ideas) of your writing the way you structure and paragraph your writing the accuracy of your spelling and punctuation 1. Creative Writing. Write a short story entitled: The day the circus left town. 2. Technology is destroying our childhood. Write a speech to be delivered to your school assembly in which you argue either for or against this statement. 3. You have been asked to write an article for your local newspaper with the headline That s entertainment!. Your brief is to describe how a typical year old would choose to spend their free time. Total: 50 Marks

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