DIRECTORATE FOR QUALITY AND STANDARDS IN EDUCATION

Department of Curriculum Management

Educational Assessment Unit

Annual Examinations for Primary Schools 2016

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Year 4 ENGLISH Time: 1h 15 min

(Reading Comprehension, Language, and Writing)
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Name: ____________________________ Class: ____________

Total: 60 marks

English – Reading Comprehension, Language, and Writing – Primary Schools – Year 4 – 2016 Page 1 of 12
A. Reading Comprehension 20 marks

A. 1. Read the following text carefully.

Gerbils are small and fluffy.

They make fine friends for older

children, but they are not the best pets
for young children. If a young child
squeezes or drops one, the gerbil could
be hurt. They are usually gentle, but
they bite if they are scared.

Gerbils are awake during the day so you can play with them every day.

1. Underline the TWO words that describe gerbils. (1 mark)

rough tiny strong fragile

2. Match.
The first is an example. (3 marks)

Gerbils are the best pets for

they are awake during the day.
older children because

They will not get hurt if they can take better care of pets.

They can hurt you if they are held gently.

You can play with gerbils every

they are frightened.
day because

Page 2 of 12 English – Reading Comprehension, Language, and Writing – Primary Schools – Year 4 – 2016
A. 2. Read the following passage carefully.

Sid’s Gerbils

Sid brought two gerbils home from school. He named them Bubble and Squeak.
At first Sid kept them in the garden shed, but then the nights began getting
colder so he brought them indoors.

Sid’s mother, Mrs. Sparrow, did not want them in the

house. As soon as she could think of a way, she was
going to get rid of them.

Bubble and Squeak spent most of the time gnawing

cardboard. Cardboard crumbs filled the cage, the
table and the floor. Every day Sid cleaned up the mess.

Sid usually kept the cage on the living-room table, until someone needed the
table. Then he would lift the cage on to the wide window-sill. When no one was
using the table, he put the cage back.

One evening Sid drew the scarlet curtains across the window, between the back
of the cage and the window itself, but he forgot to put the cage on the table
again before he went to bed. The folds of the lovely curtain brushed against the
bars at the back of the cage.

The following morning Mrs. Sparrow was down first, as usual, to get breakfast
ready. She went into the living-room to draw the curtains back …
There was a kind of screech from downstairs, and then the repeated screaming
of ‘Sid! Sid! Sid!’

Sid flew downstairs in his school trousers and his pyjama top.

It was still quite dark in the living room, but light was coming through two large
holes in the curtains. The inside of the cage was littered with scraps of red.

English – Reading Comprehension, Language, and Writing – Primary Schools – Year 4 – 2016 Page 3 of 12
‘The gerbils have ruined my best curtains,’ said Mrs. Sparrow angrily. ‘They will
not stay another day!’

‘But Mum –’

‘THEY GO!’

(Adapted from The Battle of Bubble and Squeak by Philippa Pearce)

1. Tick () to show the correct answer.

i) What did Sid call his pets? (1 mark)

a) Basil and Solomon a)

b) Bubble and Squeak b)
c) Biscuit and Sorbet c)
d) Bud and Spades d)

ii) Where did they stay at first? (1 mark)

a) in the house a)
b) in the living room b)
c) in the garden c)
d) in the kitchen d)

2. Tick () to show whether each sentence is True or False. (4 marks)

True False

a) Sid brought the gerbils home from a pet shop.

b) The gerbils chewed cardboard almost all the time.
c) Sid’s mother removed the cardboard crumbs each day.
d) The curtains in the living room were green.

Page 4 of 12 English – Reading Comprehension, Language, and Writing – Primary Schools – Year 4 – 2016
3. Put the following sentences in the order that they happened in the passage.
(4 marks)

Sid went to bed.

Sid placed the cage on the window-sill. 1
He forgot to put the cage on the table.
The gerbils chewed the curtain folds.
He drew the curtains across the window.

4. Answer the following questions.

a) Why was it easy for the gerbils to chew the curtain folds?

They ____________________________________________________

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(2 marks)

b) What made Mrs. Sparrow angry the following morning?

________________________________________________________

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(2 marks)

c) How do you think Sid felt when his mother told him that the gerbils would
not stay another day?

_________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________.
(2 marks)

English – Reading Comprehension, Language, and Writing – Primary Schools – Year 4 – 2016 Page 5 of 12
B. Language 10 marks

B. 1. Read the passage carefully. Fill in the blanks to complete the sentences.
Use each of the given words only ONCE.
The first* one is an example. (3 marks)

on with of up to at in

That day Mrs. Sparrow went out of her way ________ work to call at

the newsagent’s. He kept a ‘Wanted’ and ‘For Sale’ notice board ________ his

window. People paid to have their notice pinned ________ the board for a

number of weeks and it was covered ________ notices.

Mrs. Sparrow paid in advance for three weeks, and her notice went ________:

FREE

TWO VERY ATTRACTIVE GERBILS

WITH CAGE, FOOD AND BEDDING.

Mrs. Sparrow added ________ the bottom her own name and the address.

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B. 2. Read the paragraph.
Underline the correct word or words to complete the sentences.
The first word* is an example.
(7 marks)

At break time I usually (play*, am playing, plays) with my friends Clare

and Sam. Sam isn’t at school today, so I (play, am playing, plays) with Clare.

We (have, are having, has) fun today.

At lunchtime, I always (eat, am eating, eats) a sandwich and an apple.

But there weren’t any apples, so today I (eat, am eating, eats) some grapes.

We always (drink, are drinking, drinks) two glasses of water.

Sam usually (have, is having, has) a bowl of salad and some biscuits.

Sometimes she (share, is sharing, shares) her biscuits with us. She’s a kind girl.

English – Reading Comprehension, Language, and Writing – Primary Schools – Year 4 – 2016 Page 7 of 12
C. Writing 30 marks

C. 1. Write sentences, using when. (5 marks)

Example:

We enjoy swimming when it is hot.

They have fun playing outdoors _______

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Page 8 of 12 English – Reading Comprehension, Language, and Writing – Primary Schools – Year 4 – 2016
C. 2. Read Ellis’s invitation.
Imagine you are Rudy. Write a message to your friend Ellis to thank him
for the invitation and to let him know that you are going. (7 marks)

Hi Rudy,

It’s my birthday next week and I’m having a bowling party on 30 June at
the Bowling Centre. The bowling starts at 4 o’clock and there will be drinks
and a birthday cake afterwards. I hope you can come!

Ellis

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English – Reading Comprehension, Language, and Writing – Primary Schools – Year 4 – 2016 Page 9 of 12
C. 2.
C. 3. Composition (18 marks)

Write ten sentences or a paragraph, between 70 and 100 words, on ONE of the
following:

1. Picture Composition: A Handmade Gift

Look at the pictures carefully.

Write the story.

The following words and phrases may help you: shop window, an expensive
necklace, an idea, a sandy beach, some seashells, thread, onto cord, wrap up

1 2 3 4

€150

2. Write about Mobile Phones.

Use the given information.

Description Users Use Additional How it

features works

a wireless handheld device subscribers make calls games on a

buttons or touch screen to a cellular
send text built-in
different sizes cellular network
messages camera
network
cell sites
provider

3. Write about: Things I collect

What do you collect? Where do you keep the things you collect?
Who do you show them to? Why do you collect them?

4. A Wonderful Butterfly
Last month, I was walking home from school when I saw a large
butterfly on … Continue the story.

Page 10 of 12 English – Reading Comprehension, Language, and Writing – Primary Schools – Year 4 – 2016
Title Number: ________

Plan your writing in the space below.

English – Reading Comprehension, Language, and Writing – Primary Schools – Year 4 – 2016 Page 11 of 12
Title Number: __________

Use your plan to write about the title.

Write between 70 and 100 words. Write neatly and correctly.

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