Once 

a Week Comprehension Book 1 Answers  

Once a Week Comprehension Book 1 Answers

Test 1

A 1 c – a tin spoon

2 We are told that the twenty four soldiers were all brothers.

3 They wore red and blue uniforms.

4 The little boy said, “Tin soldiers!”

5 c – very happy indeed

6 He was given the soldiers because it was his birthday.

7 The soldier had one leg missing.

8 There wasn’t enough tin to make his second leg.

9 The soldiers ‘resembled each other to a hair.’

10 a – stood upright

11 c - in a box

B 1 Tom was slow at his work, but Jim was quick. (or fast)

2 This book is cheap, but that one is expensive. (or dear)

3 Ann is tall and Jane is short.

4 Is your answer right or wrong?

C 1 Where do you live?

2 Dad needs an axe, a saw and a hammer.

3 Do peas, beans and carrots make a tasty meal?

4 Can we buy ice lollies and lemonade at the fair?

D 1 The woman is in the park.

2 The girl rode the horse.

3 She bought a book.

4 The widow lived alone.

E 1 STABLE becomes TABLE

2 BROOM becomes ROOM

3 HAIR becomes AIR

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Test 2

A 1 c – quite by accident

2 c – sleeping peacefully

3 The lion meant to kill him.

4 The mouse promised he would one day repay the lion’s kindness if he
spared his life.

5 c – a net

6 He heard the lion’s roars echoing through the forest.

7 He nibbled through the net.

8 b – One Good Turn Deserves Another

B 1 arm (The others are all connected with the leg.)

2 kitten (The others are all dogs.)

3 water (The others are all beverages or hot drinks.)

4 rough (The other adjectives describe an orderly situation.)

C 1 long or tall

2 cub

3 happy

4 bicycle

D apple, banana, date, fig, pear, pineapple, raspberry, strawberry

E 1 DALE

2 DEAL

3 LEAD

4 AMEN

5 MANE

6 NAME

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Test 3

A 1 We are told that the lamb was ‘farther down’ the stream.

2 He made up his mind to eat the lamb.

3 He thought he would find an excuse before eating the lamb.

4 c – ‘You are making the water muddy for me.’

5 The lamb told the wolf that the water was flowing in the other direction,
from him to her.

6 b – ‘You said unkind things about me.’

7 The lamb told the wolf that she was not even born last year.

8 The lamb was killed and devoured by the wolf.

B 1 The dog barks loudly.

2 The coat hangs on the peg.

3 He wore his boots to school.

4 There’s currant cake for tea.

C 1 WARBLE

2 WARRIOR

3 WARREN

4 WARDER or WARDEN

5 WARD

D 1 glossy (all pleasant to see and touch)

2 cloud (all containing droplets of water)

3 treacle (all sweet and sticky to eat)

4 whisper (all indicating a quiet voice)

E 1 The deer hops over the heather.

2 The donkey trots on the sands.

3 The wren hops on the lawn.

4 The lion prowls in the forest.

5 The lark soars in the sky.

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Test 4

A 1 The brothers were called Schwarz, Hans and Gluck.

2 They owned a little valley.

3 a – farmers

4 The two elder brothers, Schwarz and Hans, were ugly and cruel.

5 The brothers killed the birds and animals because they didn’t pay for what
they ate.

6 They killed the blackbirds by shooting them.

7 They killed the crickets by poisoning them.

8 b – nothing at all

9 Gluck was good looking and he was kind to all living things.

B 1 At last the prince cut his way through the thorny hedge and entered the
garden. There were trim green lawns and beautiful flowers were growing
in the beds. A fountain was playing and its waters sparkled in the sunlight.

C 1 plumage

2 postage

3 sausage

4 baggage

D 1 How did you know it was me?

2 All of you are at fault.

3 The girls are certain to be chosen.

4 None of you is to come.

E 1 ore

2 seem

3 tale

4 thyme

5 scent

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Test 5

A 1 a – No one can tell.

2 b – It was drawn by a horse.

3 c – a man selling things

4 The last verse tells us that he mends chairs.

5 c – decorated with letters

6 a - The pedlar was married

e – He could make a fire inside the caravan.

f – He could see out of the caravan.

B 1 as cold as ice

2 as quiet as a mouse

3 as heavy as lead

4 as fresh as a daisy

C night-time minefield housework backpack

D 1 A bunch of grapes

2 A stack or pile or wardrobe of clothes

3 A pack of cards

4 A suite of furniture

5 A team of footballers

E 1 QUAY

2 QUIVER

3 QUARREL

4 QUARTER

5 QUEEN

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Test 6

A 1 We are told the dog had stolen the bone from a butcher’s shop.

2 It was a ‘juicy’ bone.

3 The dog was taking the bone to the country.

4 c – passed over it on a bridge

5 He hoped to scare the other dog, which he thought was his enemy.

6 When he opened his mouth, he dropped the bone into the water.

7 b – He was very unhappy

8 The other dog did exactly the same because it was only the reflection in the
water.

B 1 The daisies grew in the hedges.

2 The mice hid in the walls.

3 The teeth of the tigers shone white.

4 The women went shopping.

5 He cut his feet on the stones or They cut their feet on the stones.

C 1 Mother had gone to lie down.

2 The player did his best.

3 Teasing the cat makes it angry.

4 I saw him at the football match.

D 1 This is the entrance.

2 The coat is waterproof.

3 The witch was invisible.

4 The warder came to release the prisoners.

E 1 cheap sleep

route boot

quest pest

queen scene

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Test 7

A 1 The story says that the two men lived in the same village as each other.

2 They were called Great Claus and Little Claus because Great Claus owned four
horses while Little Claus owned only one.

3 The horses were used for ploughing.

4 Little Claus worked for Great Claus from Monday to Saturday - on Monday,
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

5 Little Claus was happy because he had five horses each Sunday.

6 Little Claus shouted, “Five fine horses and all of them mine!”

7 Great Claus was angry because Little Claus was boasting (or because he was
untruthful, or because he was big-headed or too proud.)

8 a – brandished

b – cracking

c – The people looked at him.

9 Little Claus is Careless with his Words

B 1 PTO Please Turn Over

2 Dr Doctor

3 Nov. November

4 Ave Avenue

C 1 to and fro

2 odds and ends

3 safe and sound

4 great and small

D 2 The dolls were taken from the cupboard.

1 They were then laid in a row on the table.

3 The largest and prettiest was finally chosen.

E 1 LAP LEAP

2 TROT TROUT

3 CAP CAPE

4 LAST BLAST

5 RAG RAGE

6 OAT BOAT

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Test 8

A 1 The crow had found the cheese.

2 She went into a tall tree.

3 The fox wanted to eat the cheese himself.

4 He asked the crow to sing.

5 The cheese fell to the ground when the crow opened her beak to sing.

6 The fox went to his den to have his meal.

7 c – because she had lost the cheese

8 a – she was very pleased

9 large piece, tasty food, titbit, meal

B 1 The horse was strong but the donkey was weak.

2 The king is rich, but the pauper is poor.

3 The troops will defend the fort against attack.

4 Why is this painting so pretty, but that painting so ugly?

C bean, carrot, leek, marrow, onion, parsnip, swede, turnip

D 1 saucepan (the others are crockery)

2 bicycle (all the others are all used in the snow)

3 shield (all the others are used for attacking)

4 plate (the others are cutlery)

E 1 kennel is to dog

2 water is to liquid

3 fat is to thin

4 feathers are to bird

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Test 9

A 1 The ball took place at the Royal Palace.

2 The pumpkin became a coach when the Good Fairy waved her wand.

3 The horses had once been six white mice.

4 c – begin to play music

5 b - No one knew who Cinderella was.

d – The staircase was a stone one.

e – The Prince asked Cinderella to dance with him.

6 a - damsel b – hearth c – onlookers

B 1 Jack climbed the tall tree.

2 Peter scored the only goal.

3 Mother let me take it. or Let me take it Mother.

4 The man came from outer space.

C The rocket was now near to the moon. Nothing could be seen but craters.
There was no sign of life. The men gazed through the thick glass and
wondered what would happen next.

D 1 beside

2 into

3 in

4 at

5 behind

E 1 STAR

2 RATS

3 TOPS

4 POTS

5 POST

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Test 10

A 1 The little fairy comes from the moon.

2 c - She flies down.

3 b - decorated with silver spots

4 c - to weave her magic spells

5 a - The child dreams of lovely things.

d - The wand is waved from right to left.

f - There are pretty fish in the fountains.

6 b – bring their branches low so that it can reach the fruit.

B 1 He wrote the letter carefully.

2 Luckily he saw the sign.

3 Come immediately.

4 He saw the Roman remains in the museum.

C 1 A pilot b – flies planes and other aircraft

2 A stationer c – sells pens, ink, writing paper, etc.

3 A sculptor a – carves models from wood and stone

4 A locksmith c – makes and repairs locks

D 1 Only one of us is able to come.

2 Jill and Robin were older than the twins.

3 All the apples were green.

4 Pam’s doll was broken the next day.

E 1 I like carrots, but I dislike onions.

2 This chair is comfortable; that chair is uncomfortable.

3 Her sum is correct, but yours is incorrect.

4 You think it possible, but I think it is impossible.

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Test 11

A 1 They quarrelled about which of them was the faster.

2 They decided to run a race over a certain distance.

3 The hare had long legs and could run fast, but the tortoise could only plod
on slowly.

4 Now he was so far ahead, the hare thought he had plenty of time to relax
and win the race!

5 While the hare was asleep, the tortoise plodded past him.

6 The passage tells us that the hare ‘overslept’.

7 The tortoise beat the hare by several yards.

8 a - ‘with might and determination’

b – ‘plodded’

c – ‘in the distance’

d – ‘decided’

e – ‘the winning post’ or ‘the finishing line’

9 c - Slow but Sure is the Winner

B 1 as playful as a kitten

2 as good as gold

3 as tall as a tree

4 as wise as an owl

C 1 START becomes TART

2 BOLD becomes OLD

3 FLOCK becomes LOCK

4 CHAIR becomes HAIR

D 1 TEAM becomes STEAM

2 PAWN becomes PRAWN

3 WAIT becomes WAIST

4 PLAN becomes PLAIN

E 1 dictation

2 pension

3 mansion

4 fiction

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Test 12

A 1 c – tired of doing nothing

2 c – on a river bank

3 She didn’t like the book because it had no pictures.

4 c – It spoke to itself.

d – It scurried along.

g – It wore a waistcoat.

h – It was a white rabbit.

5 The rabbit told the time with the watch in his waistcoat.

6 b – she stood up quickly

B 1 SOAR

2 WEAK

3 PIER

4 ROAD

5 REED

C 1 An angry sea beat on a rocky shore.

2 He saw an antelope and a zebra.

3 A hunter shot an elk.

4 An accident happened in a school.

D 1 The place where a car is kept is called a garage.

2 The front part of a ship is called the bow.

3 I would expect a caddie to carry my golf clubs.

4 Two boxers would fight in a boxing ring.

E 1 c – behave much better than he had done

2 a – play the game fairly and according to the rules

3 c – given himself away, or done something foolish

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Test 13

A 1 c - near a river

2 The woodman’s axe slipped from his hand into the water and sank.

3 b – the river fairy

4 She brought it up after the third dive.

5 He was rewarded with the golden and silver axes in addition to his own.

6 b – she wanted to know how honest the man was

7 honest, poor, truthful, straightforward

B 1 The captain fought like a lion.

2 The thief behaved like a fox.

3 He went to school like a tortoise.

4 She went out like a lamb.

C 1 The howling or moaning of the wind and the roaring or crashing of the
torrent were louder than the patter or thudding of the feet. Nobody heard
the twanging of the bow, or the whistling of the arrow.

N.B. There are many other sound words that could be used. Accept any
that make sense!

D 1 waving plume comfortable seat major road hoarse voice

2 bloodthirsty pirate offside goal lovely princess

hidden wreck

E 1 that is who have over

does not of the clock it is

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Test 14

A 1 b – They lived in a tiny cottage.

d - They were very poor indeed.

f – Jack’s father was dead.

2 They had been sold to buy food.

3 Jack was going to sell the cow at the market for as good a price as he could
get.

4 He was offered a handful of beans.

5 His mother was angry because she expected a lot of money, not a few
beans!

6 b - She snatched the beans from him.

7 b - The beans were flung through the window.

8 foolish, stupid, simple

B 1 jest

2 shy

3 shining

4 tear

5 modern

C cod, eel, haddock, herring, pike, plaice, trout, whiting

D I had an aunt who went on a cruise to find a rare flower for her garden. Soon she
knew that the ship had missed its way in the mist.

E A little bit of blowing,

A little bit of snow,

A little bit of growing

And crocuses will show

On every twig that’s lovely,

A new green leaf will spring

On every patient tree top,

A thrush will stop and sing.

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Test 15

A 1 They come out at night.

2 They have been hiding in their holes.

3 They have milk, bread and cheese for their supper.

4 The second verse mentions a pantry shelf.

5 c – They run away in terror.

6 c – the milk that has been put into pans for making cream

7 b - because they can now come out of their hiding places

8 b – They will scurry away before they have finished.

B 1 Shall it be war or peace between us?

2 The river is deep here, so find a shallow place.

3 Shall we stay here and defend, or shall we attack?

4 I thought you were my friend, but you are my enemy.

5 They sought the treasure near and far.

C 1 The lioness roared in the jungle.

2 The cow was sent to market.

3 The goose swam on the pond.

4 The duck was fed each morning.

D 1 He asked a boy, a girl and a soldier.

2 Have you eggs and butter?

3 Which will you have, this or that?

4 Were the hammer, saw and nails still there?

E 1 waistcoat (The other three are footwear.)

2 saw (The other three are used as fireside tools.)

3 coach (The other three are boats.)

4 biscuit (The other three are sweets.)

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Test16

A 1 When the lock was pressed closed the trunk would fly.

2 b – the son of a merchant

3 The trunk flew up through the chimney, high into the clouds.

4 It must all have started indoors because the trunk flew upwards through
the chimney to the sky.

5 He was frightened because if the lower, cracked part of the trunk had
broken in two, he would have had a nasty fall.

6 b – in a foreign country

7 The trunk was hidden under a heap of leaves.

8 b – a nurse with a baby

B 1 A bundle of firewood

2 a tin or shoal of sardines

3 A box of chocolates

4 A bunch of radishes

C 1 CANOE

2 CANARY

3 CANNON

4 CANAL

5 CANNIBAL

6 CANDLE

D 1 companion (all friends)

2 hole (all openings)

3 chain (all security devices)

4 rubbish (all discarded materials)

E 2 The door of the rocket was fastened tightly.

1 The switch was pressed and the rocket took off.

3 It soared away into the blue sky.

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Test 17

A 1 c - young people

2 a – There were many competitors.

3 The event was taking place on the pier.

4 The signal for beginning the competition was the hoisting of the flag.

5 a Mike hauled up a bunch of seaweed.

b It might have been a plaice or a dab.

6 c – was very disappointed

7 b – laid in heaps on the pier

8 b – hurrying to get on with the fishing

B 1 You would expect to find paintings or works of art in a gallery.

2 Young plants are usually grown in a greenhouse.

3 A coastguard keeps watch over coastal waters to prevent smuggling and to

help keep people safe.

4 A game of tennis would be played on a tennis court.

C 1 Hans was Dutch.

2 He was an orphan.

3 He was often hungry and thirsty.

4 He was friendless or lonely.

D 1 c - it is such a nice dinner that I can hardly wait to begin

2 b – you will get into trouble over something

3 c - Jane is sorry for what she has done.

E 1 Mary liked reading Black Beauty, a book she had borrowed from the library.
It was the story of a horse who had several masters, some good and some
bad. The horse slept in many different stables as time went on.

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Test 18

A 1 He was coming from the war.

2 He was carrying a knapsack and a sword.

3 c – marching along

4 The passage tells us she was ‘a very horrid creature’.

5 b – in the evening

6 The witch offered to give the soldier as much money as he wanted.

7 The tree was hollow and there was a hole at the top through which the
soldier could climb.

8 She promised that she would pull the soldier up again with a rope tied to his
waist.

9 b – A Meeting with a Strange, Old Creature

B dough mow

scythe blithe

lime climb

plaice base

C 1 TAME

2 TEAM

3 MEAT

4 EAST

5 SEAT

6 TEAS

D 1 chest

2 blind

3 crane

4 bark

E 1 LEEK

2 MANE

3 FARES

4 MEAT

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Test 19

A 1 It took place at Buckingham Palace.

2 a - Her Majesty

b - guardsmen, the men

3 The officers’ swords and the soldiers’ bayonets and buttons shone in the
sunlight.

4 He was wondering if the Queen was watching her guardsmen from a high
window.

5 c - They wore tall black hats.

6 We know this because the passage tells us the band was playing a lively
tune and everyone’s feet went tapping in time to the music.

7 a - We know it was morning because John went home for lunch after the
ceremony.

b -We know this because we are told John was in London, England’s capital
city.

8 b - they walked away

B 1 Rd - Road

2 St - Street

3 Gdns – Gardens

4 Ave – Avenue

5 Sq. – Square

C 1 Peter Smith is a pupil at St Stephen’s Primary School.

2 His teacher is Mr Rogers.

3 The River Thames flows through London, England.

D 1 seasons

2 weekdays

3 planets

4 fabrics or materials

5 fuels

E 1 curious - strange

2 modern - new

3 mariner - seaman

4 dusk – twilight

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Test 20

A 1 b – the season of Spring

2 blue sky, yellow catkins, green banks, purple violets

3 a The bee is humming.

b The lark is soaring.

c The gnats are on the wing.

4 We can tell because the sky was blue and sunny.

5 Primroses are yellow and when they are fully open, their flowers look like
stars.

6 b – There were many leaves, in bunches.

e – There were violets of two colours.

f – The violets were half hidden.

g – The lark was flying high in the sky.

B The crash or tinkling of broken glass followed the whistling of the bullet as
the rifle cracked. The soldiers were awakened by the call or blare of the
bugle.

N.B. There are many other sound words that could be used. Accept any
that make sense!

C 1 tiny elf snow-capped mountain feathered bird

wriggling eel

2 dainty sprite fierce bull barking dog sugary tea

D 1 A miss is as good as a mile.

2 Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.

3 Look before you leap.

4 A friend in need is a friend indeed.

E 1 This is the cap that is torn.

2 I am the boy whom you saw.

3 She is the teacher whose laptop computer has been stolen.

4 I saw the salesman who called yesterday.

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Test 21

A 1 The family was holding a meeting to talk about the summer holiday.

2 They first thought about the seaside and the country.

3 They decided upon the seaside.

4 b - lying in the sun at the seaside

5 Sally was keen on swimming because she had just won her Life-Saving
Certificate.

6 Alan was keen to fish because he had been given a smart rod for his
birthday.

7 Paul wanted to go mountain climbing because he had been to Switzerland

with the Scouts the previous year.

8 c – because their parents wanted to sit on the beach and rest

B 1 Old King Cole

2 Harry Potter

3 Mickey Mouse

4 Humpty Dumpty

5 Aladdin

C 1 PARK becomes ARK

2 SHIP becomes HIP

3 GATE becomes ATE

4 HEEL becomes EEL

5 LAIR becomes AIR

6 SWEEP becomes WEEP

D 1 CROW 3 WREN 5 TERN

2 SWAN 4 DUCK 6 LARK

E Now to the banquet we press,

Now for the eggs and ham,

Now for the mustard and cress,

Now for the strawberry jam.

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Test 22

A 1 b – an empty soapbox

2 The wheels were found on an old pram on a rubbish heap.

3 The parts were fastened together with long nails.

4 b – because they had hit their hands with the hammer

5 The boys tested the car on a steep slope.

6 a – It went quicker and quicker.

7 Jack suddenly remembered the bend at the bottom of the hill.

8 c – It crashed through a fence at the side of the road.

B 1 He tried in vain to find the treasure.

2 He tramped over many a hill and vale.

3 He heard many stories of where it was hidden.

4 At last he saw a buoy floating on the sea.

C 1 sportsman – footballer

2 ship – vessel

3 brook – stream

4 field – meadow

5 throw – hurl

D 1 Your wood is smooth and his is rough.

2 They travelled over land and sea.

3 It is a question of right and wrong.

4 The magic rose bloomed in winter and summer.

5 The sun shines often; the wind blows seldom or rarely or infrequently.

E1 Sing hey! Sing hey!

For Christmas day;

Twine mistletoe and holly,

For friendship grows

In winter snows,

And so let’s all be jolly.

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Test 23

A 1 We know this because the passage tells us he needed to travel to school by

public transport.

2 He could travel by bus, by train or on the underground.

3 The fares were exactly the same.

4 Tony was happy because he passed interesting shops, markets, people,

traffic lights, other buses and cars.

5 He had to prowl about to stop his naughty passengers misbehaving.

6 The underground train was the quickest way of travelling.

7 He sometimes went by underground because he had something important to

do, such as finishing his homework.

8 Tony’s school was in Goodhampton.

9 a - attractive, enchanting b – thrilling c – quick, speedy, rapid, fast,

uninteresting

B 1 pizza (The others are all sweet.)

2 carrot (The others are all meats.)

3 shirt (The others are all furnishings.)

4 lemonade (The others are all hot drinks.)

C 1 I went to Betty Brown’s party.

2 I am David Copperfield’s aunt.

3 Where is Oliver Twist’s gruel?

4 Long John Silver’s parrot died.

D 1 Jean made a cake.

2 Father cleaned the windows.

3 Mother drove a car.

4 The hen laid an egg.

5 She saw the picture.

6 The dog barked at the stranger.

E bacon, biscuits, bread, butter, cheese, chocolate, cocoa, coffee

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Test 24

A 1 c - There were six dolls.

2 b – They were dressed in different kinds of clothes.

3 She had to choose just one doll from the collection.

4 a – on the doll’s body

5 a – on the doll’s feet

6 Japan - kimono Wales – black hat Scotland – kilt

Fiji – grass skirt England – school uniform

North America – moccasins

7 The Native American doll wore a coloured blanket.

8 I think Jane chose the Scottish doll because she liked the tartan kilt.
(There will be many different answers to this question!)

B 1 The mice hid on the shelves.

2 The drivers drove the cars very fast.

3 The sheep fed on the hillsides.

4 The guns fired the shells.

C teaspoon seagull watermill kneecap

D 1 Sugar is sweet

2 Lead is heavy

3 Vinegar is sour

4 Gold is precious

5 Cork is light

6 Iron is hard

E It was an exciting book, all about Alice falling down a rabbit-hole, and of the
strange things that happened in her wanderings underground. Before she awoke
from her dream she met many animals who spoke like humans.

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Test 25

A 1 c - because it is round, like a clock face

2 a - because they are safer there

3 a - The cat is squalling. b - The dog is howling.

c - The mouse is squeaking.

4 b - places where ships can tie up

5 The bat is in its bed at twelve o’clock.

6 The birds, flowers and children are asleep at night.

7 The sun will wake them up.

8 c – When Day is Done

B 1 The work was done too quickly.

2 Give me those sweets at once.

3 The cat was lying on the roof.

4 Whose toys are those?

C 1 He shouted again and again.

2 I shall come by and by.

3 The boy rolled over and over.

4 The top spun round and round.

D 1 DEAR

2 DARE

3 READ

4 EVIL

5 VEIL

6 LIVE

E 1 can’t – cannot didn’t – did not don’t – do not

Isn’t – is not there’s - there is I’ve – I have

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Test 26

A 1 c – about fifty

2 We can tell because the passage says ‘they kept in perfect step’.

3 a – going to camp

4 b – by road, in lorries

5 We know this because the bugles were blaring and the drums were beating.

6 c – They were pulled along in a cart.

7 They were going to be away for a fortnight (or for fourteen days).

8 a – flour, tea, sugar b – lemonade, ginger-beer, water (and tea)

c – hats d – pails, poles

B 2 The pilot climbed into the cockpit of the aeroplane.

1 The plane circled over the city.

3 Parcels of food were dropped to the starving people.

C 1 A plumber mends broken pipes.

2 A thief steals things that belong to other people

3 A tailor makes and repairs clothing.

4 A jockey rides a horse in a race

D 1 You are very kind, but Mary is unkind.

2 This way is direct, but that way is indirect.

3 Peter will behave, but Paul will misbehave.

4 Jill is polite, but Linda is impolite.

E As the sun disappeared behind the hills, Robin Hood and his band appeared. The
prisoners hoped they would soon be released (or freed), so that they might return
immediately to their homes.

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Once a Week Comprehension Book 1 Answers  

Test 27

A 1 The crew suddenly became very sad because they realised the flag was the
hated Jolly Roger.

2 c – from the mast-head

3 b – black, with a skull and crossbones

4 c – They all rushed to get weapons.

5 a – The weapons were stored below decks.

6 Captured sailors were often put to death by walking the plank.

B 1 She had a pretty doll and an ugly one.

2 An underground passage led to a beach.

3 An ant and a bumblebee were caught.

4 Can we change an Airedale for a terrier?

5 A friend of mine eats an apple and a pear each day.

C 1 mine

2 safe

3 light

4 sign

D 1 The aeroplane was left in its hangar.

2 They saw the cowboy film at the new cinema.

3 They had lunch at a lonely café.

4 The Roman remains were in the museum.

5 There was a pantomime at the local theatre.

E through – blue duty - beauty

stuff - tough clear – steer

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Once a Week Comprehension Book 1 Answers  

Test 28

A 1 All this happened in the depths of the sea.

2 The octopus was also called ‘Old Killer’ and ‘King of the Reef’.

3 They heard that the giant octopus had come out of its cave and was moving
along the reef.

4 Most of them crawled, swam, or scuttled away to find shelter.

5 The small fish hid in cracks and crevices.

6 The shrimps and prawns darted here and there in panic.

7 The great eel decided to fight the octopus, defeat him and then take over
his crown.

8 He had won his battles by charging at the other fish in swift rushes and
using his strong jaws to bite them.

9 The octopus was especially dangerous because it had eight long arms, each
with dozens of suckers that could grip the enemy and pull it into its parrot-
like beak.

10 c – he wanted to become King of the Reef

11 c – a great ledge of rocks under the sea

B 1 Too many cooks spoil the broth.

2 Where there’s a will there’s a way.

3 More haste, less speed.

4 Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.

C 1 trees

2 vehicles

3 instruments

4 royalty

D 1 Mary finished reading Treasure Island.

2 She took the book to London with her.

3 She lent it to Jane and received Billy Bunter instead.

4 The book had been given to Jane for Christmas.

E 1 chill – cold

2 brook – stream

3 sweet – sugary

4 scholar – pupil

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Once a Week Comprehension Book 1 Answers  

Test 29

A 1 Painted on the noticeboard was ‘PRIVATE, KEEP OUT’.

2 c – Tim thought it said ‘COME IN’.

3 He looked up and down the road to see if there was anyone in sight.

4 He passed through a ditch, then a hole in the fence to get into the wood.

5 a – because they were thorny

6 b – a place where the trees had been cleared away

7 c – a hut that was painted black

8 He couldn’t see through the window because it was boarded up.

9 The sound of voices came from inside.

B 1 FLEA 3 WASP 5 ANT

2 GNAT 4 MOTH

C Now for the tea of our host,

Now for the raspberry bun,

Now for the muffin and toast,

Now for the gay Sally Lunn.

D 1 Jack

2 Samson

3 Dumbledore

4 Mowgli

5 Cinderella

E 1 All’s well that ends well.

2 I shan’t help you with your homework.

3 We’ve come home.

4 It’s Christmas Day tomorrow.

5 There’s a 29 bus in the distance.

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Once a Week Comprehension Book 1 Answers  

Test 30

A 1 c – because the cow gives milk that is made into cream

2 We know it’s not always warm and pleasant because the third verse speaks
of the winds and the showers.

3 We know she isn’t silent because the poet says that she lows as she walks.

4 a – on a summer’s day

5 We know because we are told in the third verse that the cow is feeding in
the meadow.

6 The cow in the poem is a Hereford.

7 friendly, peaceful, kindly, lovable

B 1 The scene made us stare in wonder through the pane. The tide was out
and the ship was gone from the pier.

C 1 The miller ground the corn.

2 Miss Smith taught the children.

3 The airman flew over the school.

4 The grass was green in the meadows.

5 The birds nested in the trees.

D 1 Where is Lucy’s locket?

2 Come to Black Beauty’s stable.

3 I am going to the Mad Hatter’s tea-party.

4 This is Wee Willie Winkie’s house.

E 1 golf ball, tennis ball, bowl, football

2 blue tit, starling, seagull, eagle

3 peke, bulldog, Alsatian, St Bernard

4 ant, bee, dragonfly, butterfly

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