NATIONAL SPORT SCHOOL ST CLARE COLLEGE HALF-YEARLY EXAMINATION 2014/15 Mark Track 2 FORM 3 ENGLISH TIME: 2 hours Section Oral Listening Comprehension Language Reading Comprehension Literature Composition Global Mark Max. Mark 10 10 15 20 20 25 Mark DO NOT WRITE ABOVE THIS LINE Name: Class: SECTION A LANGUAGE 15 marks A. Complete the following passage by filling in the blanks with the correct form of the verb in brackets. The first one (0) has been done for you. 6 marks [ ] Tom Wilson (0) is (be) an explorer. He (1) (be) to nearly every country in the world, but the most exciting time he (2) (ever/have) was when he went to the Congo jungle. A magazine asked him to retrace the route of a famous explorer who (3) (disappear) in the1920s. As he (4) (follow) a small river he got separated from his guides. He went on alone, hoping he (5) (find) them, but instead he (6) (encounter) a group of natives. He stayed with them for several days and (7) (find) out that a very old woman (8) actually (meet) the famous explorer. She knew how he (9) (die). Tom (10) (become) very friendly with the natives and now he (11) (plan) to go back and see them again. He is sure they (12) (welcome) him back. National Sport School, St Clare College English Form 3 Track 2 2014-15 Page 1 of 9
B. Fill in the blanks with a suitable word. 5 marks [ ] Two students from Cologne, Germany, ages 17 and 18, are accused (1) plotting an attack at their school on November 20, the first anniversary of the shooting at Geschwister Scholl school in Emsdetten, in which 18-year old ex-student Sebastian Bosse carried (2) an attack (3) left six people wounded by gunshot and others wounded by detonated smoke bombs before taking his own life. One of the (4), age 17, killed himself on Friday after a confrontation with a high school teacher and police (5). The plot (6) uncovered when a school principal discovered a web page the 17-year-old suspect had created, showing material that glorified the two perpetrators of the Columbine High School massacre. The second suspect, age 18, is in police custody, and has confessed to the plot. Materials (7) two crossbows, two air guns, instructions (8) how to build a pipe bomb and a list of potential victims were seized by Cologne police when they (9) alerted that the plot (10) have taken place at the Georg-Büchner Gymnasium, located in the western district of Weiden. The items had been found at their homes. C. Fill in with the modal verbs in the box below. All verbs must be used once. 4 marks [ ] should cannot shouldn t must ought not can may could I (1) have been more careful the last time I was unwell. I had thought that I (2) go out and enjoy myself but it turned out that I (3) have left home. My doctor did warn me about not going out in this chilly weather. He said that I (4) have parties at my place and I (5) invite people over but I (6) to go out to meet them until I was completely recovered from the flu. However, I didn t and I ended up spending all my holidays indoors! This time I (7) be more careful and follow my doctor s instructions. He said that I (8) leave the house for the next couple of days. National Sport School, St Clare College English Form 3 Track 2 2014-15 Page 2 of 9
SECTION B READING COMPREHENSION 20 marks Read the passage, which is on a separate sheet, and then answer the following questions. 1. The best meaning of the work "feign" as used in paragraph 1 is: 1 mark [ ] a) Find b) Build c) Pretend d) Encourage 2. State whether the following statements are TRUE (T) or FALSE (F) and give a reason. 5 marks [ ] TRUE or REASON FALSE a) The brothers did enjoy the silence of nature after all. b) The boys live in a quiet village. c) Rodney was the first to hear the sound. d) The racoons ate most of their food. e) The racoons weren t affected by the boys noises. 3. Carter and Rodney's mother wants her sons to have "a taste of nature." Explain why, using evidence from the text. 2 marks [ ] 4. "Besides, I've been taking the train all the way to Toronto by myself for five years," What does this statement show us about Rodney? 2 marks [ ] National Sport School, St Clare College English Form 3 Track 2 2014-15 Page 3 of 9
5. What is one thing that Carter and Rodney do to scare away the bear they think is outside their tent? 1 mark [ ] 6. Why did the brothers look at each other "sheepishly"? 2 marks [ ] 7. Using information in the story, explain why Rodney would not want to tell his mother about the encounter with the raccoons. 2 marks [ ] 8. Match the words with their meaning by putting the correct letter in the brackets. 4 marks [ ] a) Enthusiasm (line 2) ( ) shouting/ screaming b) Accustomed (line 6) ( ) to be looking forward to something c) Whooping (line 27) ( ) to close and open the eyes quickly d) Blinking (line 29) ( ) to get used to 9. Find a word/phrase from the text which means: 1 mark [ ] a) unenthusiastically - b) walked - SECTION C LITERATURE PART 1 POETRY: Unprepared Text 20 marks 10 marks Read the poem and answer all the questions below. Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening Whose woods these are I think I know. His house is in the village, though; He will not see me stopping here To watch his woods fill up with snow. National Sport School, St Clare College English Form 3 Track 2 2014-15 Page 4 of 9
My little horse must think it queer To stop without a farmhouse near Between the woods and frozen lake The darkest evening of the year. He gives his harness bells a shake To ask if there is some mistake. The only other sounds the sweep Of easy wind and downy* flake. The woods are lovely, dark, and deep, But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep. (*downy like a feather) Robert Frost 1. i. The poet s description of the woods is quite: 1 mark [ ] a) sad b) simple c) mysterious ii. What imagery gives you this impression? 1 mark [ ] _ 2. What is the rhyming scheme of the first stanza? 1 mark [ ] 3. Write two pairs of rhyming words. 1 mark [ ] 4. My little horse must think it queer. What figure of speech is this? 1 mark [ ] National Sport School, St Clare College English Form 3 Track 2 2014-15 Page 5 of 9
5. Find an example of alliteration from the first stanza. 1 mark [ ] 6. The poet seems to be in conflict with himself. What is his dilemma? 2 marks [ ] 7. Do you think that this is the end of the narrator s journey? Quote a phrase to support your answer. 2 marks [ ] PART II PROSE: Unprepared Text 10 marks Read the excerpt from The Book of Storms by Ruth Hatfield and answer all the questions below. 5 10 The house is falling in. The house is falling and Danny is falling, knees and elbows crumpling onto the floor, and an ear-splitting crash is tearing through the air that s surely the roof, breaking in two, about to come pelting down on top of him. His bedroom is flashing with the screams of rain and thunder bolts poured out by a storm in full, raging flow. Outside, the wind is flinging itself against buildings, howling into chimneys, twisting trees round benches, and leaping in spiteful glee as bicycles crash into cars and roof tiles fly through windows. The sky is singing with thunder, and an iron avalanche of hail is pounding onto the glistening roads. 15 Danny listens for a moment. As his bedroom curtains blaze with lightning, he curls his fingers tightly around the duvet, wanting to pull it over his head and hide in the soft darkness. But even that won t save him when the house breaks apart. He ll be crushed inside it. Trapped under fallen roof beams, he ll struggle for air. Once the last breath has been squeezed out of him, he ll die. He shivers, watching flash after flash through the crack in the curtains. More than anything, he National Sport School, St Clare College English Form 3 Track 2 2014-15 Page 6 of 9
20 wants to creep into his parents bedroom, even though he knows he s too old now for that sort of nonsense. And anyway, his parents aren t home. Always, at the first sign of a storm, they run outside, pile into the car, and drive away to the nearest high point. They go to watch how storms behave, they say. 25 And he has to stay in his bed. But they ve told him what to do. Don t go to the window. Don t look outside. Hide under the duvet, cover your face, and everything will be fine. It s only a storm: only rain and wind, thunder and lightning. Close your eyes and go back to sleep. Just tell yourself: it s only a storm. 30 The skin of his scalp prickles, as if a horde of ants is burrowing into his hair. He clambers back up into bed and tries to force himself to sleep. The night around him begins to burn with lightning; he closes his eyes and buries them in the crook of his arm. Everything will be all right in the morning. Everything is always all right in the morning. His parents come back, and he eats breakfast with them and laughs about how silly it is to be so scared by a thunderstorm. However long the night and thick the darkness, however loud the roaring storm, the morning always comes. 1. Find four sound words from the second paragraph. 2 marks [ ] 2. The sky is singing with thunder (line 9) What is this figure of speech and what comparison is being made? 2 marks [ ] 3. Find a phrase/ sentence which show that Danny is terrified of storms. 1 mark [ ] 4. Quote a simile from the text. 1 mark [ ] National Sport School, St Clare College English Form 3 Track 2 2014-15 Page 7 of 9
5. Find a sentence which shows that despite his fears, Danny has hope. 1 mark [ ] 6. Describe the storm outside. 2 marks [ ] 7. And anyway, his parents aren t home. Always, at the first sign of a storm, they run outside, pile into the car, and drive away to the nearest high point. What does this show about his parents? You may use adjectives to describe them. 1 mark [ ] SECTION D COMPOSITION 25 marks Write a composition of about 250 words on ONE of the following: 1. We all looked up to see what that terrible sound was Continue the story. 2. A foreign friend of yours is visiting Malta soon. Write a letter of advice suggesting places s/he can visit while s/he is on the island; and ways of how s/he can improve his/her command of the English Language before coming over to Malta. 3. Describe your most embarrassing experience. Composition Title Number National Sport School, St Clare College English Form 3 Track 2 2014-15 Page 8 of 9
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