Study the following advertisement and answer the questions that follow it.

Sat 1 November
Gifts for the first 100 visitors!
Shadow puppet performance by The Puppet Theatre
Peranakan Culture Booth
The screening of Asian Culture documentary
Free Face Painting at Children’s Interactive corner
Sat 15 November
The screening of Asian Culture documentary
Singapore Chinese Orchestra Performance
Emily Hill - A Peranakan Play
Talk on Archaeological Finds in Singapore
“Treasure Hunt” for Young “Archaeologists”

Sat 6 December
The screening of Asian Culture documentary
Free Face Painting at Children’s Interactive corner
Bhangra – Indian dance performance
Talk on Archaeological Finds in Singapore
Balloon Sculpture demonstration

Find & Snap (20 Dec at 8.30 am)

Find & Snap is a fast-paced treasure hunt using a digital camera. If you are between 12 and
18 years of age, form a team of 4 to qualify.
On the day of the hunt, you will be sent off with your camera and a set of clues. You have 6
hours to capture all your “treasures”. At the end of the hunt, winners will be announced,
followed by a prize presentation. All participants will receive goodie bags. Certificates of
participation will be presented to the non-winners.

$50 per team

Closing date for registration: Mon, 10 November 2014
Limited to 50 teams
(Go on to the next page)

1
Section A: Graphic Stimulus (5 x 1 = 5 marks)
For each question from 1 to 5, four options are given. One of them is the correct answer.
Make your choice (1, 2, 3 or 4). Shade the correct oval (1, 2, 3 or 4) on the Optical
Answer Sheet (OAS).

1. The events are organised to _________________________________.

(1) screen the Asian Culture documentary

(2) encourage more people to visit the Heritage Museum
(3) give out souvenirs to visitors to the Heritage Museum
(4) showcase the shadow puppet performance by the Puppet Theatre

2. Mr Gan‟s ten-year-old son loves hand-on activities. Mr Gan should take his son to
the museum on _________________________________.

(1) 1 November
(2) 15 November
(3) 6 December
(4) 20 December

3. To qualify for the Find & Snap contest, you must ___________________________.

(1) pay a registration fee of $40

(2) register before 10 December
(3) find three other teenagers to form a team
(4) take snapshots of the visitors at the museum

4. The “treasures” in the Find & Snap event refers to the ______________________.

(1) set of clues provided

(2) tips on good photography
(3) prizes and certificates awarded
(4) pictures and artifacts in the museum

5. Which one of the following statements is true of the Heritage Museum?

(1) It is a museum for teenagers.

(2) It has daily cultural performances.
(3) Its opening events end in December.
(4) It features only the Peranakan culture.

2
 (Go on to the next page)
Section B: Grammar (7 x 1 = 7 marks)
For each question from 6 to 12, four options are given. One of them is the correct answer.
Make your choice (1, 2, 3 or 4). Shade the correct oval (1, 2, 3 or 4) on the Optical
Answer Sheet (OAS).

6. Only one of the new courses ___________ exciting to me.

(1) look
(2) looks
(3) is looking
(4) are looking

7. ___________ it is a public holiday tomorrow, my sister has to go to school.

(1) As
(2) But
(3) Besides
(4) Although

8. James and Jill would ___________ visit the library ___________ watch a movie at
the theatre.

(1) not … yet

(2) also … but
(3) rather … than
(4) only … except

9. You seldom eat durians, ___________ you?

(1) do
(2) did
(3) don‟t
(4) doesn‟t

10. Neither of the twins ___________ participating in the Songwriting Competition next
month.

(1) is
(2) are
(3) was
(4) were

3
 (Go on to the next page)

11. The rich woman, a victim ___________ war, was reduced to poverty.

(1) in
(2) of
(3) from
(4) upon

12. Mr Aziz swallowed a lump of white substance which he ___________ for a sugar
cube.

(1) mistook
(2) mistakes
(3) has mistaken
(4) had mistaken

4
 (Go on to the next page)

Nora and I met during the holiday camp in secondary one. We were stargazing
(13) She was looking for Orion and I was lying on my back searching the night sky for
the Little Dipper when she tripped over me and fell backwards.
“Oh sorry (14) Nora gasped. “I was trying to find the stars in Orion‟s belt and…”
I took her hand and pointed with it to the sky. “Just over there (15)
She smiled and introduced me to the Little Dipper. That was right where it all
began - a chance encounter with a fellow camper as curious as I was about the stars.
Nora and I became instant friends, spending the remaining of the summer together,
jumping rope and swimming in the lake.

Section C: Punctuation (3 x 1 = marks)

For each question from 13 to 15, choose the correct punctuation to complete the passage.
Shade the correct oval (1, 2, 3 or 4) on the Optical Answer Sheet (OAS).

13. (1) [ , ] comma

(2) [ . ] full-stop
(3) [ ,” ] comma and inverted commas
(4) [ .” ] full-stop and inverted commas

14. (1) [ , ] comma

(2) [ ! ] exclamation mark
(3) [ .” ] comma and inverted commas
(4) [ !” ] exclamation mark and inverted commas

15. (1) [ , ] comma

(2) [ . ] full-stop
(3) [ ,” ] comma and inverted commas
(4) [ .” ] full-stop and inverted commas

5
 (Go on to the next page)
Section D: Vocabulary (5 x 1 = 5 marks)
For each question from 16 to 20, four options are given. One of them is the correct
answer. Make your choice (1, 2, 3 or 4). Shade the correct oval (1, 2, 3 or 4) on the
Optical Answer Sheet (OAS).

16. The organizing committee had invited an _________ singer and songwriter to
present the award to this year‟s winner.

(1) eminent
(2) essential
(3) infamous
(4) imminent

17. The accused criminal broke down when the judge _________ the sentence on the
crime he had committed.

(1) renounced
(2) announced
(3) denounced
(4) pronounced

18. The collapse of the bridge was due to the engineer‟s _________ in carrying out the
necessary safety checks.

(1) disregard
(2) aloofness
(3) negligence
(4) insensitivity

19. The shopkeeper ran after the customer who left the restaurant without _________
but to no avail.

(1) toeing the bill

(2) footing the bill
(3) fingering the bill
(4) shouldering the bill

20. My cousin is a straightforward person. She always ____________________.

(1) draws the line

6
 (2) slings mud at people
(3) beats about the bush
(4) calls a spade a spade

(Go on to the next page)

Section E: Vocabulary Cloze (5 x 1 = 5 marks)
For each question from 21 to 25, choose the word(s) closest in meaning to the underlined
words. Shade the correct oval (1, 2, 3 or 4) on the Optical Answer Sheet (OAS).

Mountains command attention. Towering over us, their peaks are often hidden
in clouds, making them seem (21) mysterious. Mountains are believed to be a
symbol of purity and eternity. Climbing a mountain is a challenging task. As the air
becomes thinner nearer the top, climbers experience breathing (22) problems.
Getting to the summit is the (23) greatest achievement for any climber as the (24)
view of the land from the top is indeed magnificent.

Many believers regard mountains as sacred. The Japanese have great respect
for Mount Fuji while in China, there are nine mountains which Buddhists worship and
admire. These mountains (25) inspire people to climb and conquer them. Such
journeys are a test of faith and perseverance.

21. (1) odd

(2) weird
(3) puzzling
(4) secretive

22. (1) hurdles

(2) setbacks
(3) obstacles
(4) difficulties

23. (1) peak

(2) most
(3) ultimate
(4) furthermost

24. (1) sight

(2) scene
(3) scenario
(4) spectacle

7
25. (1) arouse
(2) provoke
(3) motivate
(4) instigate

(Go on to the next page)

Section F: Comprehension MCQ (5 x 1 = 5 marks)
Read the passage below and answer questions 26 to 30.

8
 Boon Wai and Luk were Kong Seng's best pals. They were neighbours and
also attended the same primary school. Coincidentally all three had no brothers
to play with, only elder sisters to nag at them. It was the school holidays and the
boys were bored. One afternoon, they were stretched out lazily on the floor of the
fifth storey landing of their block when Ranjit came by. He was almost fourteen 5
whilst the trio was only eleven. He was a notorious bully whom the boys disliked
immensely. Standing at 1.6 metres, he was a head taller than Kong Seng, the
timid one. "What's in that bag?" Ranjit roared. "None of your business," retorted
Luk. "This block is my territory and everything that happens here is my business,"
Ranjit replied with an edge in his voice. 10
With that, Ranjit swung his fist towards Luk‟s shoulder, catching the boy
off-guard. The petite boy recovered quickly and threw a punch at Ranjit's lower
abdomen. A free-for-all fight ensued. Even Kong Seng got involved. It was three
against one.
However, the boys were no match for Ranjit. Kong Seng suffered the worst 15
hit! A punch on his nose from Ranjit caused blood to drip continuously. The brawl
ended just as quickly as it had started. Ranjit, realising the seriousness of the
whole matter and becoming worried about the consequences, decided to head
home. By then, Kong Seng's shirt had been blotted with blood. His friends were
in shock as they had never ever seen so much blood. Kong Seng, who was 20
equally shocked, stood dazed and was on the brink of collapse.
Luk, upon regaining his composure, tore off to Kong Seng's flat to alert his
mother. He brought her to the staircase landing where Kong Seng was. As soon
as she saw him, she went into a tirade, reprimanding the boy for getting into
mischief yet again. Pulling Kong Seng by the collar, she marched him home. The 25
other two boys made themselves scarce at once. Back at home, Kong Seng
was ordered to sit upright with his head bent backwards. It took some minutes
before the bleeding stopped. But it took an entire afternoon for his mother to give
him a piece of her mind. Kong Seng received his first nosebleed that day. But it
was not to be his last. He would soon find out that his nose tended to bleed 30
whenever he got into mischief with his buddies, Boon Wai and Luk.

(Adapted from Reflections by Raymond Han)

(Go on to the next page)

For each question from 26 to 30, four options are given. One of them is the correct answer.
Make your choice (1, 2, 3 or 4). Shade the correct oval (1, 2, 3 or 4) on the Optical
Answer Sheet (OAS).
9
26. The boys did not like Ranjit because he ________________________.

(1) was impolite

(2) was tall and huge
(3) often threatened them
(4) often nagged at their sisters

27. Why were the boys at the staircase landing?

(1) They wanted to escape their sisters.

(2) They wanted to wait for the block bully.
(3) They were there to while their time away.
(4) They wanted to discuss a holiday assignment.

28. How did the fight start?

(1) Luk had blocked Ranjit‟s path.

(2) Ranjit had provoked the three boys.
(3) Kong Seng had often been bullied by Ranjit.
(4) Ranjit and the three boys were from different schools.

29. Luk and Boon Wai „made themselves scarce‟ (line 26) because they ___________.

(1) wanted to return home to treat their injuries

(2) wanted to find Ranjit and avenge Kong Seng
(3) did not want to be punished for loitering around
(4) did not want to be scolded by Kong Seng‟s mother

30. Based on the passage, which one of the following statements is true?

(1) Kong Seng had gotten into fights before this incident.
(2) Kong Seng had suffered from nosebleeds from young.
(3) Kong Seng was reluctant to join his friends in the fight.
(4) Kong Seng‟s mother took the whole afternoon to treat his injury.

End of Booklet A
(Go on to Booklet B)

Section G: Grammar Cloze (10 x 1 = 10 marks)

10
There are 10 blanks, numbered 31 to 40, in the passage below. From the list of words
given, choose the most suitable word for each blank. Write its letter (A to Q) in the blanks.
The letters (I) and (O) have been omitted in order to avoid confusion during marking.

USE ANY WORD ONCE ONLY

(A) also (D) its (G) for (K) their (N) which

(B) is (E) in (H) too (L) this (P) where

(C) are (F) to (J) when (M) these (Q) though

The naked mole rat is not quite a good looker. But, never judge a book by its

cover (31) _______________ this humble rodent may just be the answer to cancer.

(32) _______________ known as the sand puppy, these rodents are natives to

the drier parts of the tropical grasslands of East Africa like southern Ethopia, Kenya and

Somalia. The naked mole rat spends most of its life underground,

(33) _______________ explains its bad eyesight. (34) _______________ compensate

for its near-blindness, it has a heightened sense of smell and hearing to help it move

around (35) _______________ dark underground tunnels.

Scientific studies have shown that the cells of a naked mole rat

(36) _______________ resistant to forming tumours and hence do not develop cancer.

In addition, (37)_______________ rats do not feel pain – a useful trait

(38)_______________ you live in areas of high acid concentration.

(39)_______________ bodies do not produce a chemical substance that is responsible

for sending pain messages to the central nervous system. (40)_______________ the

naked mole rat, scientists hope to discover alternative forms of pain management.

Eventually, even the cure for cancer.

10
Section H : Editing (10 x 1 = 10)
(Go on to the next page)
11
Correct each word in bold for spelling and each underlined word for grammar. Write the correct
word in the relevant box.

Buildings and enclosures at the Wolong National Nature Reserve, the world‟s
(41)
largest and best-known panda konzervasyen area, were destroyed in the devastating

(42)
earthquake that hits Sichuan province in southwest China in May 2008. Although only one
(43)
panda, crushed under a collapsed wall, died in the disaster, many others were injered or

escaped.

After the quake, most of the more than sixty pandas including several cubs were
(44)
sent to the Bifengxia Panda Base. Another four, clearly trawmataizd, were taken to the

Chengdu Panda Base.

(45)
Chengdu Panda Base are one of China‟s most important breeding centres and its
(46) (47)
state-of-the-art faseelitees and specialists vets made it the best dastinashen for the
(48)
distressed bears, which needed round-the-clock attention. Housing away from the public,
(49)
they were, thankfully, at the road to recovery. After six months, the bears were sent to

Bifengxia Panda Base, which has more space. It is hoped that they will recuperate fully
(50)
there and evanchuali return to Wolong once it is rebuilt.
10
(Go on to the next page)

Section I : Comprehension Cloze (15 x 1 = 15 marks)

12
Fill in each blank with a suitable word.
We would like to think that the reason we do not feel a mosquito biting us is that Mother

Nature is kind. If we were (51)____________________ that the mosquito was in the process

of (52)____________________ its mouth into our flesh, we might panic, especially

(53)____________________ a simple mosquito bite actually takes a lot longer than we

suspected.

Mosquitoes usually rest on all six legs on human (54)____________________ for at

least a minute or so (55)____________________ starting to bite. Mosquitoes are so light and

skilful at biting that most humans cannot (56)____________________ them, even though the

insect may be resting on their skin for three minutes or more.

When the mosquito decides to finally (57)____________________ its move, she pokes

her „needles‟ into a nice, juicy capillary. She lubricates her mouth parts with saliva and

proceeds to suck (58)____________________ until her stomach is literally about to

(59)____________________, spilling its contents. She then quickly withdraws her „needles‟

and flies off to deposit her eggs, assuring the world that the mosquito will not soon be on the

endangered or (60)____________________ species list.

Some sensitive people will feel a mosquito‟s bite (61)____________________. The

rest of us will only realise the itch long after the mosquito has (62)____________________

away, not because of the bite or the loss of blood but due to the (63)____________________

left behind. The mosquito‟s saliva acts not only as a lubricant in the biting process but also as

an anaesthetic to the (64)____________________. Moreover, the saliva also contains

chemicals that trigger (65)____________________ reactions in many people. The allergic

reactions results in the little lumps and itchy sensations that make us wonder why mosquitoes

exist in this world.

15
13 (Go on to the next page)
Section J: Synthesis / Transformation (5 x 2 = 10 marks)
For each of the questions 66 to 70, rewrite the given sentence(s) using the word(s)
provided. Your answer must be in one sentence. The meaning of your sentence must be
the same as the meaning of the given sentences(s).

66 Hank was disappointed. Hank did not get the good results that he had expected.

Much to ___________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________.

67 Sam asked Vicky if she had any money to lend her for recess.

Sam asked Vicky “ ___________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________?”

68 The assignment is challenging but we are determined to complete it.

However ___________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________.

69 Kim remained silent. That was a sign of her guilt.

Kim‟s _____________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________.

70 We did not believe what Fandi had done.

None of us _________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________.

10
(Go on to the next page)

14
Section K: Comprehension Open-Ended (10 x 2 = 20 marks)
Read the passage below and answer questions 71 to 80.

The next four days were the most miserable of all my adventure. After
scouting around all morning, I realised I was on the island I had glimpsed from the
reef, cut off from the coast by half a mile of impassable, open water.

My hunger was terrible. I would have starved but I remembered that shellfish
could be eaten. Wading out to the shoreline rocks, I dislodged a pocketful of 5
limpets with a stone. Back on the beach I sucked them out of their shells, raw, salty
and cold. The feel of them slipping down my throat was revolting but they eased
the hunger.

By the third day, I was in a pitiful state. My clothes were starting to rot and
fray, my hands were wrinkled and soft from the continual damp, my throat was sore 10
and just the sight of another squidgy limpet was enough to make me vomit. As if
that was not bad enough, I discovered that most of my gold coins had slipped
through a hole in my jacket pocket. From my fortune of twenty gold coins, I now
had only three remaining. I slapped my brow at the thought of this loss. But there
was worse to come. 15

During a rare burst of sunshine, I climbed to the top of the hill and stretched
myself out, to try to dry my clothes and get some warmth for myself. All of a
sudden, a fishing boat turned around the headland, so close I could see the two
men at the sails and their flaming red hair.

I tore down the hill, shouting and pleading for them to rescue me. I could 20
hear them laughing and mocking me in a language I thought must be Gaelic. The
boat kept going, beyond the rocks and out to sea.

For twenty minutes I hurled insults after them. At first, I could not believe
their wickedness to another human being, and then I wondered if they had heard
25
my English tongue and decided I was not worth saving.

On the fourth day, I felt weak and sick but the sun was shining, so I hauled
myself up the hill again, to try to warm my bones. As soon as I had scrambled up
there, I spied a boat coming back from sea.

They sailed within fifty yards of the shore but came no further. I recognised it
as the same boat, with the same two men, but now they were joined by a third, who 30
was taller and wore more elegant clothes. I ran down the hill to call to them.

The tall man stood up in the bobbing boat and spoke at length. He kept
pointing to the north of my island and shouted, “The tide comes in once a day!”
With that, the fishermen put their sails up and waved goodbye to me, still roaring
with laughter. I stood there puzzled for a minute. Then my mouth fell open and I 35
started sprinting across the clumps of shrubs. When I reached the beach, I fell
15
 down and kissed the sand.

My prison was a very small island that could be reached at low tide every 24
hours. During low tide, I could wade across to the other shore in water below my
knee! If I had not wasted so much time pitying myself, I would not have had to 40
spend more than a day on that island. It was no surprise the fishermen had
laughed at me. I should be grateful to these men for coming back to check on me.

(Adapted from Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson)

ALL ANSWERS MUST BE IN COMPLETE SENTENCES.

71 What do you think had happened to the writer?

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

72 How did the writer survive on the island?

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

73 Which four-word phrase in the passage tells us that the weather was bad most of
the time?

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

74 Why did the writer go to the top of the hill?

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

75 “For twenty minutes I hurled insults after them.” (line 23) Why did the writer hurl
insults at the fishermen?

__________________________________________________________________

16
 __________________________________________________________________

(Go on to the next page)

76 According to the writer, why did the fishermen turn the boat away the first time they
saw him?

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

77 Explain fully the situation in the phrase “there was worse to come” (line 14-15).

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

78 In what way did the fishermen help the writer?

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

79 Explain clearly why the writer “fell down and kissed the sand” (line 36-37).

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

80 Why did the writer‟s attitude towards the fishermen change in the end?

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

End of Paper
20

17
 ENGLISH LANGUAGE – PAPER 2
PRIMARY 6

ANSWER KEY

BOOKLET A

Section A: Section B: Section C: Section D: Section E: Section F:

Graphic Grammar Punctuation Vocabulary Vocabulary Compre
Stimulus (7 marks) (3 marks) (5 marks) Cloze MCQ
(5 marks) (5 marks) (5 marks)
1. 2 6. 2 13. 2 16. 1 21. 4 26. 3
2. 2 7. 4 14. 4 17. 4 22. 4 27. 3
3. 3 8. 3 15. 4 18. 3 23. 3 28. 2
4. 4 9. 1 19. 2 24. 2 29. 4
5. 3 10. 1 20. 4 25. 3 30. 1
11. 2
12. 4

BOOKLET B

Section G: Grammar Cloze (10marks) Section H: Editing (10marks)

31. (G) for 41. conservation

32. (A) Also 42. hit
33. (N) which 43. injured
34. (F) To 44. traumatized
35. (E) in 45. is
36. (C) are 46. facilities
37. (M) these 47. destination
38. (J) when 48. Housed
39. (K) Their 49. on
40. (Q) Through 50. eventually

18
 Section I: Comprehension CLOZE (15 marks)
No. 1 mark 0 mark
51. aware
52. sinking biting
53. because
54. skin body
55. before then
56. feel
57. make
58. blood
59. burst / explode
60. extinct
61. immediately
62. flown / gone
63. saliva
64. bite
65. allegic

Section J: Synthesis & Transformation (10 marks)

66. Much to Hank‟s disappointment, he did not get the good results that he had expected.
(2m)
Much to Hank‟s disappointment, Hank did not get the good results that he had
expected. (0m)
Much to Hank disappointment, he did not get the good results that he had expected.
(0m) (omission of „s is critical for the transformation of the sentence.)
Note: Award 0m if there is error in spelling of “disappointment” as it is critical for
transforming the sentence.

67. Sam asked Vicky, “Do you have any money to lend me for recess?” (2m)
Sam asked Vicky, “Vicky, do you have any money to lend me for recess?” (2m)

2
 Section J: Synthesis & Transformation (10 marks)

68. However challenging the assignment is, we are determined to complete it. (2m)

69. Kim's silence was a sign of her guilt. (2m)

Kim‟s silence was a sign that she was guilty. (2m)
Kim‟s silence was a sign of her being guilty. (2m)
Note: Award 0m if there is error in spelling of “silence” as it is critical for transforming the
sentence.

70. None of us believed what Fandi had done. (2m)

None of us believed what Fandi did. (2m)

Section K: Comprehension OE (20 marks) Essential Point(s)

71. The writer could have been shipwrecked. (2m)  shipwrecked

 met with a mishap
The writer could have met with an accident in the sea. (2m) in the sea

72. The writer survived on (raw) limpets. (2m)

 limpets
He ate (raw) limpets. (2m)

He ate shellfish*. (1m) *not specific

73. The phrase is “(a) rare burst of sunshine”. (2m)

Any two of the

following :
74. He was trying to get some sunshine and/or dry his clothes  get some sunshine
and/or warm himself / his bones (2m)  dry his clothes
 warm his
bones/himself
 angry that the
75. He was angry / upset that the fishermen had ignored his
fishermen ignored
cries for help. (2m)
him

3
 Section K: Comprehension OE (20 marks) Essential Point(s)
From the writer‟s
76. He thought the fishermen despised his English blood. (2m) perspective,
 they were against
He thought the fishermen were discriminating him because Englishmen
of his country. (2m)  they do not like
English people
He thought the fishermen were discriminating him because  the writer did not
he did not speak their language. (2m) speak their
language

77. Not only did he lose his money, he also had to endure the Any one of the
fishermen’s ridicule. (2m) following :
 lost his gold coins
Not only was he shipwrecked on the island, he also had to  shipwrecked
endure the fishermen laughing at him. (2m)  ate limpets daily
and
Not only did he eat raw limpets to survive, he also had to  endure the
endure the fishermen’s ridicule. (2m) fishermen‟s ridicule

 tide
78. They told him about the tide (pattern) (1m) and the part of
 part of the island
the island he should use to wade to coast (1m).
he should use

79. He finally found / discovered / the way to get out of the

 find the way out of
island. (2m)
the island
He realised how he could get off / leave the island. (2m)

Any one of the

80. The writer realised what the fishermen had done to get
following:
him out of the island. (2m)
 realised what they
had done
The writer realised that he had misunderstood the
 realised that he
fishermen / them. (2m)
had misunderstood
the fishermen
The writer realised that the fishermen / they had tried to
 realised that they
help him. (2m)
had tried to help

4
How do I do well in comprehension?
This section aims to assess how well you have understood a given text. You should be
able to comprehend a range of texts. You then need to answer a series of 10 open-ended
questions based on the text read.

Here are some steps you can take to do well in this section:
1. Preview the questions before reading the text. This will give you a rough idea what
to look out for in the text.
2. Skim through the text to get a general idea of the passage (1st Reading).
3. Think of the answers to the questions as you read the text again (2nd Reading).
Look out for clues in the question stems that point you to the specific part of the text
where you can find the answer.
4. Skip the questions that you are not sure of. Circle the question numbers and move
on to the next question. Do not spend too much time on one question. Finish
answering all those questions that you can answer first. Then go back to the
difficult ones.
5. Use specific reading strategies to understand the text. Eg. Annotation, highlighting
key words, making short notes & looking for contextual clues.
6. Be specific in answering each question.
7. Remember to answer in complete sentences. Do not begin your answer with “It
was because…”
8. Finally, check your tenses, spelling and punctuation.

Useful tips:
 Try to imagine the scenes in your mind when you read the text. This can help you
to understand the text better.
 Read slowly when the text is difficult. Do not rush.

How should I go about answering the cloze sections?

There are basically three types: Vocabulary Cloze, Grammar Cloze & Comprehension
Cloze.

Here are some steps you can take to do well in this section:
1. Read the text carefully & make sure you understand what it is about. Do not worry
about the blanks yet.
2. Use your background knowledge to help you to understand the passage.
3. Your answer should be in the correct tense and part of speech. It should also be
appropriate.
4. As you decide on your answers, do read forward and look backwards in the text for
clues.
5. After completing the cloze sections, it is important to read through the entire
passage to check your answers. This helps to confirm whether the passage
sounds coherent.