Cambridge Lower Secondary Sample Test

For use with curriculum published in

September 2020

English Paper 2
Insert
Stage 9

English_S9_02_INS/3RP
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Text for Section A

Extract from ‘Fintan’s Tower’ by Catherine Fisher.

‘We’re closing,’ the librarian said, looking up at the clock, ‘in exactly three minutes. Books or
not.’

Jamie tipped out a promising title from the shelf, then pulled a face and pushed it back. Why
didn’t they ever have anything new? Every week it was the same old plastic jackets full of
boring-looking kids with anoraks and torches – no ghosts, or astronomy or crusaders. What he 5
wanted was a book that was different.

‘Two minutes,’ the librarian snapped.

Junior fiction was in a dim corner by the window. Rain ran down the glass and streaked the dirt.
Jamie pulled up a stool and glared at the rows of books. Come on, there must be something. It
was three weeks since he’d last found a new one... 10

The street door flew open; a big, red-haired man splashed in, his mac glossy with rain. He
marched straight up to the desk.

‘We’re closed,’ the librarian said. She didn’t even look up.

The man wore a tartan scarf that covered half his face. His eyes were small and rather
bloodshot, with no expression. Deliberately he reached out, took the Biro from her fingers and 15
snapped it into two pieces, his eyes never leaving her face. Then he flung the pieces into the
metal bin one by one; two loud explosions.

Jamie held his breath.

Arms folded, the librarian surveyed the stranger. ‘There’s a button under this desk,’ she said
firmly, ‘which rings a bell in the police station.’ 20

The big man put both his hands down flat and leaned over. ‘Don’t waste my time, woman,’ he
growled. ‘I’m here to see the Name in the Book.’

To Jamie’s surprise, the librarian blinked. She took off her glasses and her eyes were green as
glass and glinted in the shadows. ‘Oh, I see,’ she said slowly. ‘Well, you should have said
before, shouldn’t you. It’s over there, through the green baize* door.’ 25

The man smiled, rather unpleasantly. He crossed the library and pushed through a small door
that Jamie had not noticed before; it was in a dark corner behind some shelves. The door
swished shut, silently. A chill draught swept across the room, ruffling the pages of some books.

Jamie turned back to the tatty jackets. The librarian found another pen and carried on writing;
the clock ticked on towards half-past four; rain tapped and rattled on the window. Listlessly*, 30
Jamie flicked the pages of a manual on hang-gliding. Then he froze.

‘I wonder, my dear, if you could help me. They are saying that The Name is in the Book.’

The librarian shrugged. ‘Another one. You’re late.’

‘Oh, I’ve come a long, long way. I gather from your remark I am not the first.’

‘No. Now hurry up please, we’re closing. Over there through the baize door.’ 35

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Intrigued, Jamie watched the old man walk eagerly between the shelves and open the door. It
swung silently behind him.

Far off, the church clock began to chime the half-hour; water gurgled down the drainpipes
outside. The librarian hummed to herself, licking a paper label. Jamie watched the door. Neither
of the men had come back. What book were they looking for? They couldn’t both borrow it. And 40
what was all this about a name?

Then, on the last stroke of the clock, the door from the street was hurled wide, and a tall, fair-
haired man burst in through a squall of rain. He flung himself at the desk; Jamie had a sudden
shiver of anticipation.

‘Listen!’ said the man breathlessly. ‘I’ve got to see the Name in the Book!’ 45

The librarian waved the sticky label. ‘Green door. Better hurry.’

The stranger raced across the room and disappeared with a slam and a draught.

Right! Jamie thought. He stood up and walked over to the desk. The librarian glared.

‘Are you still here? Out! We’re closed.’

Jamie rolled his hands into fists in his pockets. 50

‘I hear,’ he said, ‘that the Name is in the Book.’

She wrinkled her eyes up and pushed out her bottom lip. For a moment Jamie felt almost afraid.
Something cold nudged against his heart. But all she said was, ‘If you say so. The green door,
in the corner.’

His heart was thumping. Jamie followed the trail of wet footprints across the floor. When he 55
reached the door he looked back. The librarian was looking after him with a particularly
unpleasant smile.

‘Good luck,’ she said. ‘You’ll need it.’

*Glossary
baize = thick green material
listlessly = without energy and enthusiasm

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BLANK PAGE

© Catherine Fisher; Fintan’s Tower; Red Fox, an imprint of the Random House Group Ltd; 1991.

Copyright © UCLES, 2020

Cambridge Assessment International Education is part of the Cambridge Assessment Group. Cambridge Assessment is the brand name of the University of
Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES), which itself is a department of the University of Cambridge.

Permission to reproduce items where third-party owned material protected by copyright is included has been sought and cleared where possible. Every
reasonable effort has been made by the publisher (UCLES) to trace copyright holders, but if any items requiring clearance have unwittingly been included, the
publisher will be pleased to make amends at the earliest possible opportunity.

© UCLES 2020 E/S9/INSERT/02

Cambridge Lower Secondary Sample Test
For use with curriculum published in
September 2020

English Paper 2
Stage 9
1 hour 10 minutes

Name

Additional materials: Insert

INSTRUCTIONS
• Answer all questions.
• Write your answer to each question in the space provided.
• You should pay attention to punctuation, spelling and handwriting.

INFORMATION
• The total mark for this paper is 50.
• The number of marks for each question or part question is shown in brackets [ ].
• Suggestions for how long to spend on each section are given in the booklet.

English_S9_02/5RP
© UCLES 2020
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Section A: Reading

Spend 30 minutes on this section.

Read the text in the Insert, and answer questions 1–17.

1 What phrase tells the reader that Jamie thinks the book he selects could be interesting?

[1]

2 Why does the writer use a dash ( – ) in line 5?

[1]

3 What does the word snapped (line 7) tell the reader?

[1]

4 Look at lines 1–10. The writer describes the library as unpleasant.

Explain in your own words two ways that show this.
•

•
[2]

5 The red-haired man enters the library dramatically.

Give two words that show this.
•

•
[2]

6 Look at lines 13–17.

Explain in your own words how the writer contrasts the actions of the librarian with those of
the red-haired man.

Give two quotations from the text to support your answer.

the librarian

the red-haired man [2]

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7 Look at lines 19–20.

Why does the writer separate the direct speech into two parts?

[1]

8 Look at lines 21–22.

The red-haired man leans over and growls at the librarian. What is he trying to do?

[1]

9 Look at lines 23–25.

What two literary techniques are used? Tick () two boxes.

metaphor

onomatopoeia

simile

assonance

alliteration

[2]

10 What is the effect on the reader of the sentence in line 28?

[1]

11 Look at lines 29–31.

Why does the writer use the verb flick in this sentence: Jamie flicked the pages of a manual on
hang-gliding (line 31)?

[1]

12 Look at lines 38–41.

Why does the writer use questions?

[1]

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13 Look at line 48.

What does the writer’s use of an exclamation mark ( ! ) tell the reader about Jamie?

[1]

14 Look at lines 48–54. The writer uses short sentences.

What impact does this have on the reader?

[1]

15 Jamie is daring. Give two ways that the reader knows this.
•

•
[2]

16 What do you think ‘the Name in the Book’ is? Tick () one box.

a contacts list

a password

a book title

a name of a town

[1]

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17 How does the writer build a sense of menace in this extract? Complete the table to give two
explanations and two quotations.

Explanation Quotation

Use of • ‘We’re closing,’… looking up at

time the clock, ‘in exactly three
minutes.’
• the clock ticked on towards half-
past four
• ‘You’re late.’

Use of • The door swished shut, silently

sound • ruffling the pages
• The librarian hummed
• snapped it into two pieces
• two loud explosions
• disappeared with a slam

Use of The writer personifies the weather to

weather make it sound menacing.

Jamie’s The writer shows Jamie’s anxiety by

feelings how he reacts.

[4]

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Section B: Writing

Spend 30 minutes on this section.

18 His heart was thumping. Jamie followed the trail of wet footprints across the floor. When he
reached the door he looked back. The librarian was looking after him with a particularly
unpleasant smile.

‘Good luck,’ she said. ‘You’ll need it.’

Continue the story.

You should consider:

• how you will create suspense

• who Jamie will meet
• what will happen to Jamie next.

Space for your plan:

Write your continuation of the story on the next page. [25 marks]

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© UCLES 2020 E/S9/02 [Turn over

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© Catherine Fisher; Fintan’s Tower; Red Fox, an imprint of the Random House Group Ltd; 1991.

Copyright © UCLES, 2020

Cambridge Assessment International Education is part of the Cambridge Assessment Group. Cambridge Assessment is the brand name of the University of
Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES), which itself is a department of the University of Cambridge.

Permission to reproduce items where third-party owned material protected by copyright is included has been sought and cleared where possible. Every
reasonable effort has been made by the publisher (UCLES) to trace copyright holders, but if any items requiring clearance have unwittingly been included, the
publisher will be pleased to make amends at the earliest possible opportunity.

© UCLES 2020 E/S9/02