Section A: Grammar MCQ (10 marks)

Circle the correct option (a) – (d).

1. _____________ her busy work schedule, James finds time to volunteer at the
home for the aged

a. Since
b. Despite
c. Besides
d. However

2. “The choir members have been informed about the competition, _____________
they?” asked the Principal.

a. aren’t
b. hadn’t
c. haven’t
d. weren’t

3. Mdm Tan realized that Katy was unwell, _____________ she?

a. did
b. was
c. didn’t
d. wasn’t

4. If Samantha had come for the rehearsal, she ____________the sequence of events
during the performance.

a. will know
b. would know
c. will have known
d. would have known
5. “The cat is old and sick. We have to put it to sleep. I’m afraid there’s nothing else
we _____________ do about it,” said the veterinarian.

a. can
b. may
c. shall
d. must

6. You will miss the plane _____________ you quicken your pace

a. hence
b. unless
c. because
d. although

7. The children seldom come home at noon, _____________ ?

a. do they
b. will they
c. don’t they
d. won’t they

8. “Kaitlyn, you _____________ that book since this morning. You need to complete
you homework,” Father said.

a. are reading
b. were reading
c. would be reading
d. have been reading

9. If a mouse sees a cat, it _____________ as fast as it can.

a. hid
b. will hide
c. would hide
 d. would have hidden

10. “All the equipment _______________ moved from the storeroom to the classroom
an hour ago” said Jenny

a. is
b. are
c. was
d. were

Section B: Vocabulary MCQ (5 marks)

Circle the correct option (a) – (d).

11. I _______________ and told the bully to leave the little boy alone.

a. made a beeline
b. sat on the fence
c. took the bull by the horns
d. killed two birds with one stone

12. She could not stop admiring the _____________ details in the painting.

a. dainty
b. fragile
c. refined
d. intricate

13. The new owners of the apartment ________________the unwanted furniture to

make way for new ones

a. discard
b. evacuate
c. disregard
d. relinquish
14. I was _____________ to accept her gift until my mother gave me a nod of
approval and told me it was alright to take it.

a. keen
b. inclined
c. hesitant
d. opposed

15. “I think the Vice-Captain is getting tired of ______________ the Captain. If she’s
not promoted soon, she might leave,” the tennis coach said.

a. playing second fiddle to

b. not seeing eye to eye with
c. sitting on the fence in front of
d. being a dog with two tails in front of

Section C: Vocabulary Cloze (5 marks)

Circle the correct option (a) – (d).

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a prolific composer of the classical era. Born
on 27 January 1756 in Salzburg, Mozart showed (16) extraordinary ability early in his
childhood. Already (17) competent on the keyboard and violin, he composed from a
very young age and performed before European royalty. At seventeen, Mozart was
engaged as a musician at the Salzburg court but became restless and travelled in
search of a (18) desired position. After that, he chose to stay in Vienna, the capital,
where he achieved fame. Mozart is said to have written the overture for Don Giovanni
in a single night, the night before the opera’s (19) first public appearance. It is
believed that he could compose symphonies in his mind and at times did not (20) put
pen to paper until he had completed the entire piece in his mind first. Despite the wet
ink of the opera’s music sheet from its last minute copying and lack of time for
rehearsal, all went well.

Adapted from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfgang_Amadeus_Mozart

16.
a. bizarre
b. startling
c. miraculous
d. exceptional

17.
a. proficient
b. influential
c. compelling
d. experienced

18.
a. popular
b. favourite
c. preferred
d. confirmed

19.
a. debut
b. tribute
c. initiation
d. performance

20.
a. scribe
b. check
c. evaluate
d. illustrate
Section D: Comprehension MCQ (8 marks)
Circle the correct option (a) – (d)

WITH CAST ALL THE WAY FROM LAS VEGAS, THE

USA, THE DRAMA BOX PROUDLY PRESENTS…..

NURSERY CRIMES
17 November to 3 December 2018

An original play filled with mystery, adventure

and nursery rhyme twists!
Only at The Star Theatre!

Synopsis
Poppy Piper is bored. It’s raining outside and she’s played with her toys
a million times. After she made a wish that she was ‘anywhere but here’,
Poppy uncovers a magical doorway into the rabbit’s hole – an amazing
world filled with Nursery Rhyme characters. As Old King Sole’s newly
appointed chief detective, Poppy must solve the puzzle of why this
strange world is so topsy turvy, and naughty crimes have sprung up
everywhere. Jack and June have lost their memories and Humpty
Bumpty has been pushed from the wall. Little Bo Beep’s sheep have
been kidnapped!

As Poppy gathers clues along the way, she meets new friends and
solves puzzles. Will poppy find the culprit in time? Join Poppy as she
goes on a journey of mystery and friendship through a wonderful world
of colour and imagination!

47 sold out
shows in 7
countries! Each Ticket holder will
receive a goody bag with
vouchers worth $100 for
use at CapitaMall stores!
 Be the first 50 to
purchase a ticket
and get a free
Members of ‘The Drama Box’
‘Nursery Crimes’ T-
get an additional 10% off
shirt
early bird tickets. Be one
today to enjoy the discount!

For ticket pricing, log on to http://www.nurserycrimesstar.com

*For group bookings of more than 10 people, please call Kelly at 6839 2741.
Online purchases will not be entertained

Why Bring Your Children?

 enriches children’s vocabulary and helps them
develop an appreciation for rhythm and rhyme
 allow children to have fun while learning

Sponsored by:

Little Playhouse Film and Entertainment Company

 Music Inc
The Main Cast
Thomas Jenkins has been Joan Robertson, a lover of the Raeanne Kennedy is one of the
performing since he was six, arts and theatre since she was youngest performers in this
and has never looked back. He twelve, developed her passion play. A child of only six years of
studied Theatre at the Texas for acting when she completed age, Raeanne’s love for acting
Drama College and graduated a module in Theatre Studies at started when she was three.
in 2005. He has starred in many Columbia Public High School. Her debut performance was a
plays including ‘Superheroes’, Some of her performances minor role in ‘Little Friends’.
‘Where did the Rabbit Go?’ and include ‘The Witches’ and ‘Bald Some of her performances
‘Lucifer’ Eagle’. include ‘Black pony’ and
‘Supergirl’.

The Star Theatre

Built in 1988, the Star Theatre was first established as a home for the performing arts only after
the closure of the Drama Centre in 1991. It started operations in 1992. The Star Theatre is fitted
with high-end audio, video and production lighting systems for an exceptional audio-visual
experience. It heightens the enjoyment of a wide range of amplified music and speech events.

ABOUT THE DRAMA BOX

The Drama Box was established in 1996 by performing artistes who had the same dream – that
children deserved the same quality of theatre as adults. Their aim was to excite and interest
children from ages 3 to 12 with theatre is written, designed and performed specifically for them
by professional adult actors.

The Drama Box’s vision is for drama to have the power to engage and transform. Hence, being
one of Singapore’s first children’s theatre, it now not only creates plays in both English and
Mandarin, but musicals for children as well.
21. The main aim of the flyer is to ___________________________.

a. promote the play ‘Nursery Crimes’

b. introduce the cast of ‘Nursery Crimes’
c. inform audiences that the cast of ‘Nursery Crimes’ comes from Las
Vegas
d. educate parents on why they should take their children to watch
‘Nursery Crimes’

22. Im the flyer, what do you think is the main purpose of the exclamation mark at
’47 SOLD OUT shows in 7 countries!’?

a. to promote the show to readers

b. to inform the readers about the number of sold out shows
c. to excite the readers by telling them about the number of sold out shows
there are
d. to entice readers to buy tickets by showing them how well-received the
show has been

23. The organizer of ‘Nursery Crimes’ is ______________________________.

a. Music Inc
b. The Drama Box
c. Little Playhouse
d. The Star Theatre

24. What does the word ‘one’ in ‘BE ONE TODAY!’ refer to?

a. early bird
b. ticket holder
c. member of The Drama Box
d. first 100 to purchase the tickets
25. Jasmine is the 70th buyer of ‘Nursery Crimes’. Besides a ticket to the play, she
will also get ____________________.

a. 10% off the cost of her ticket

b. a free ‘Nursery Crimes’ T-shirt
c. a goody bag with $100 vouchers for use at CapitaMall stores
d. all of the above

26. Rachel wants to find out more about what the show is about before she decides
whether she wants to watch it. Which section of the brochure should she read?

a. Synopsis
b. The Main Cast
c. The Star Theatre
d. About The Drama Box

27. The Drama Box was established based on the belief that
________________________.

a. theatre should excite and interest children

b. children deserved the same quality of theatre as adults
c. theatre should be written, designed and performed specifically for
children
d. children should be able to watch plays and musicals both in English and
Mandarin

28. Based on the flyer, which of the following statements is true?

a. Raeanne Kennedy’s most recent performance was in the play ‘Little

Friends’.
b. Online purchases can be made when buying tickets for a group of 12
people.
c. Children will be able to recite nursery rhymes after watching ‘Nursery
Crimes’.
d. The Star Theatre only opened to stage performances four years after it
was built.
Section E: Grammar Cloze (10 marks)
Fill in the blanks with a correct word from the box.

(A) a (D) by (G) is (K) onto (N) to

(B) an (E) from (H) has (L) that (P) was
(C) about (F) in (J) on (M) the (Q) were

Joseph Schooling won the gold medal in the 100 meter butterfly at the 2016

Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, where he made Olympic history. He earned

Singapore’s first-ever Olympic medal (29) ___________ swimming, and Singapore’s

first-ever gold medal in any Olympic event.

“I have always dreamed of winning (30) ___________ Olympic gold medal

since I was very young. Achieving that dream in Rio in 2016, in my second Olympic

Games, (31) ___________ been surreal,” he said. “When I was (32) ___________ to

finish my race in Rio, I knew that the other competitors were also rushing into the

wall and I just put my head down and raced towards (33) ___________ finish. Then, I

turned around and looked at the scoreboard, and at (34) ___________ moment, the

feeling was just fantastic: surreal, relieved and happy!”

For Schooling, it (35) ___________ quite emotional to hear the national

anthem of Singapore played in his honour at the Olympic Games. “It (36)
___________ always a warm and emotional feeling when you hear your national

anthem being played and the emotions were even stronger in Rio, being Singapore’s

first Olympic gold medal. When I was (37) ___________ the podium, my feelings all

rushed in and it was difficult to sing it, as all my thoughts (38) ___________ of how I

got there and how difficult the journey was. You really feel up in the clouds,” he said.

Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/sports/interview-with-joseph-schooling

Section F: Editing (10 marks)

Each of the underlined words contains either a spelling or grammatical
error. Write the correct word in each of the boxes.

Childhoos stories can be real fun. As we were growing up, my siblings and I
(39)

enjoyed listening to our grandfather tell us about my childhood. He was a very brave
(40)

and advencherous person who had many interesting stories to share. Whenever he

(41)

was bored, he would okaysionally take a walk into the forest located behind his
(42)

house.

On one such walk, he espied three ripe apples on a tree. With his mouth
(43)

waters, he climbed the tree and plucked the apples. However, as he began his
(44)

disent, he heard loud barks. Looking down, he saw two wild dogs at the bottom of
 the tree! Had no choice, he remained on the tree. Bathed in cold sweat, he kept still,

hoping that the dogs should go away. The dogs went away but only after three

hours!

On another day, my grandfather told us that the circus had come to his
(46)

hometown. As a boy, he was so fasinayed by all the stunts that he visited it on a

(47)

daily basis. When the circus had to evantualy leave for the next town, he was

disappointed.

Grandfather also fondly recalls the time he had planted a sapling with his
(48)

father when he was ten years old and how deestraut he was when the sapling which
(49)

had grow into a tree had to be taken down to make way for a road. Sometimes, I
(50)

secretly wish that I could experience my grandfather’s childhood!

Adapted from: A Childhood to remember

Section G: Comprehension Cloze (15 marks)
Fill in the blanks with a suitable word using the contextual clues
available.

The world of the Marvel universe was unveiled in 1961. The company

responded to the (51) _______________ interest in superhero books by hiring writer

Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby to (52) ________________ the Fantastic Four. With the

creation and release of the first Fantastic Four comic book in November 1961,

readers were introduced (53) ________________ a superheroic setting that was

rooted in the real world.

Lee and Kirby attempted to make their comic (54) _______________

characters more original by allowing them to interact in a realistic fashion, including

heroes often fighting or arguing with (55) ______________ other. This trend

continued with a flood (56) _______________ superhero characters that were

introduced (57) _______________ Marvel Comics during the early 1960s, including

Spider-Man, the Incredible Hulk, and the X-Men. Lee wrote the majority of Marvel’s
books during that time, and Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko were the most important and

influential (58) _______________.

The late 1960s and early 1970s saw a new generation (59) _______________

creative talent emerge at Marvel. In 1967 Jim Steranko began to write and draw

stories featuring secret agent Nick Fury in (60) ________________ book Strange

Tales. Steranko took inspiration (61) ________________ James Bond films and the

artistic trends of his time. His (62) _______________ mixed visual and art together to

tell his story. Writer Chris Claremont and artist John Byrne began a long collaboration

on The Uncanny X-Men in 1975. The (63) _______________ of them revitalized the

flagging series characters (64) _______________ as Wolverine and other complex

stories. This soon made the X-Men franchise (65) ________________ of Marvel’s

best sellers. Till this day, the strength of their creation runs on, gaining greater

heights with each passing year.

Adapted from Marvel Comics by Encyclopaedia Britannica

Section H: Synthesis and Transformation (10 marks)

Rewrite the given sentences(s) using the word(s) provided. The
meaning of your sentence must be the same as the meaning of the
given sentence(s).

66. Tom left his smelly socks all over his room. Mother was disgusted.
 Mother found it _____________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

67. We forgot to wash the laundry before leaving home.

None of ___________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

68. There is no ice cream left so you cannot have any.

____________________________________ since _________________________

__________________________________________________________________

69. Jack was extremely angry. He refused to listen to my explanation.

____________________________________ that _________________________

__________________________________________________________________

70. The movie had started. There was a blackout.

Hardly ____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

Section I: Comprehension Open-ended (20 marks)

Read the passage and answer all questions carefully.
 (1) Practice after practice, Cody eagerly gave everything he had. But being half
the size of the other boys, he got absolutely nowhere. At all the matches, this hopeful
athlete sat on the bench and never got a chance to play in a match till that day. This is
the story of Cody Simmons.

(2) Cody lived alone with his grandpa and the two of them had a very special
relationship. Cody’s grandpa encouraged him to pursue football but also made it very
clear that he did not have to play football if he did not want to.

(3) Cody was the smallest in the class and was considered too short. Therefore,
everyone was sure Cody could never make the cut when he decided to try out for the
school football team. But, he did! The news thrilled him so much that he rushed to
call his grandpa. His grandpa shared his excitement. Though Cody was always on the
bench, his grandpa never missed a match.

(4) Cody was determined to give his best at every practice, hoping that he
would at least get to play one day. In his free time, Cody would watch videos of
international football matches to improve his skills. Determined to become a better
player, he always asked for extra tips from his coach.

(5) This quiet and persistent young athlete never missed a practice but never
got to play in a single match. The coach kept Cody on the roster because he always
put his heart and soul into every practice, and at the same time, spurred the other
members with words of encouragement.

(6) One day, at the end of the senior football season, the coach had bad news
for Cody. His grandpa had passed away that morning. Cody was silent. Swallowing
hard, he said, “Is it alright if I miss the practice today?” The coach said gently, “Take
the rest of the week off, son. Please do not come back for the finals on Saturday.”

(7) Soon, it was Saturday, and the match was not going well. Then, a silent
young man slipped into the empty locker room and put on his football gear. As he ran
onto the sidelines, the coach and his players were astounded to see their faithful
teammate back so soon. “Coach, please let me play,” he pleaded. The coach pretended
not to hear him. There was no way he wanted his worst player in this important match.
But the young man persisted, and finally, feeling sorry for Cody, the coach gave in.

(8) Before long, everyone in the stands could not believe their eyes. This little
unknown, who had never played before, was doing everything right. The opposing
team could not stop him. He ran, he passed, and tackled like a star. His team began to
triumph. The score was soon tied. In the closing seconds of the match, Cody
intercepted a pass and ran all the way for the winning touchdown. His teammates
hoisted him onto their shoulders to the accompaniment of cheers.

(9) After a while, the coach noticed Cody sitting quietly. He said, “Son, I can’t
believe it. You were fantastic! Tell me what got into you? How did you do it?” He
looked at the coach, with tears in his eyes, and said, “Well you knew my grandpa died,
but did you know that he was blind?” Cody swallowed hard and forced a smile,
“Grandpa came to all my matches, but today was the first time he could see me play,
and I wanted to show him I could do it!”

Adapted from http:/www.englishdaily62226.com

71. Based on paragraph 1, why was Cody never selected to play in a match? (1m)

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

72. Which four-word phrase from paragraph 3 has the same meaning as not meet
the requirement? (1m)

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________
73. State two things that Cody did to become a better player. (2m)

i)______________________________________________________________

ii)______________________________________________________________

74. Which two of the following words best describe Cody in lines 18-20? Put a tick
in the correct boxed. (2m)

DO NOT TICK MORE THAN TWO BOXES

outgoing

grateful

supportive

committed

skillful

timid

75. Look at the table below. What do the words in the left column refer to in the
passage? Write your answers in the column on the right. (2m)

Word from the passage What the word(s) refer(s) to

The news (line 10)

This little unknown (lines 31-32)

doing everything right (line 32)

76. Why did the coach ignore Cody’s request in lines 28-29? [2m]

_______________________________________________________________
 77. Choose one word from lines 25-36 which has a similar meaning to each word
below. (3m)

shocked

succeed

blocked

78. Write 1, 2 and 3 in the blanks below to indicate the order in which the events
occurred in the story. (1m)

_________________ Cody persuaded the coach to let him play.

_________________ Cody joined the team as a reserve player.

_________________ Cody played in the match for his grandpa.

79. Based on the story, state whether each statement in the table below is true or
false, then give one reason why you think so. (3m)

Statement True/False Reason

(a) Cody’s grandpa attended all

the matches even though Cody
was only a reserve.

(b) The coach relented and

allowed Cody to play in the
finals.
 (c) Cody’s grandpa attended the
finals on Saturday.

80. What did Cody mean when he said, “… I wanted to show him I could do it!”
(paragraph 9)? (2m)

_______________________________________________________________

Answer Key

1. b
2. c
3. c
4. d
5. a
6. b
7. a
8. d
9. b
10. c
11. c
12. d
13. a
14. c
15. a
16. d
17. a
18. c
19. a
20. a
21. a
22. d
23. b
24. c
25. c
26. a
27. b
28. d
29. F
30. B
31. H
32. C
33. M
34. L
35. P
36. G
37. J
38. Q
39. his
40. adventurous
41. occasionally
42. watering
43. descent
44. Having
45. would
46. fascinated
47. eventually
48. recalled
49. distraught
50. grown
51. great
52. create
53. to
54. book/hero
55. each
56. other
57. by
58. people
59. of
60. the
61. from
62. stories
63. both
64. such
65. one
66. Mother found it disgusting that Tom left his smelly socks all over him room.
67. None of us remembered to wash the laundry before leaving home.
68. You cannot have any more ice cream since there is no more left.
69. Jack was so angry that he refused to listen to my explanation.
70. Hardly had the movie started when there was a blackout.
71. Cody was half the size of the other boys in the team.
72. Never make the cut.
73. i) Cody watched videos of international football matches
ii) Cody asked for extra tips from his coach
74. Supportive, committed
75. (i) Cody being selected for the football team.

(ii) Cody

(iii) Running, passing and tackling like a star.

76. The coach felt that Cody was the worst player and did not want to lose the
important match by letting him play in the match.
77. Shocked – astounded
Succeed – triumph
Blocked - intercepted
78. 2,1,3
79. True – Cody’s grandpa never missed a match even though Cody sat on the
bench.
True – The coach gave in and allowed Cody in the match.
False – He had passed on before the finals.

80. Cody wanted to show his grandpa that he could be a good football player.