PART A

READING COMPREHENSION
(30 MARKS)

Answer ALL questions in the answer sheet.

Reading Text A:
Back to School
Summer break has ended early for some. Several school districts across the USA
have decided to start the academic year in August to make up for students’ missed
learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The pandemic and lockdowns have been a stressful time for many families and
brought more worries about isolation, finances, sickness, as well as dealing with loss of
loved ones. This has affected both adults and children. It has been thought that children
learn best in a safe, secure, and stable environment, so it comes as no surprise that
their learning progress has suffered.
Children also may have suffered more during this period than adults in certain
areas. According to Office for Standards in Education, some young children find it
difficult to recognize facial expressions. Not only did they miss many months of learning
in the classroom, but they also did not go on play dates or after-school activities and
interacted mostly with people wearing masks. This resulted into a delay in development
of children’s social skills. This group in particular experiences anxiety about safety. They
are also used to wearing masks, and many are still worried about infections now that
masks are becoming optional.
In addition, students from less-fortunate backgrounds have suffered much more.
For two years, most education programs have discarded exams and relied on teacher
assessments for grades. In many cases, this hides the disadvantages that some
students have faced, like not having access to technology needed for learning or a quiet
place to study. But now that students are going back to school, these disadvantages
might become clearer as missed learning and student mental health affect some much
more than others.
Some schools are organizing “catch-up sessions” for children (even as young as
six) as an opportunity for them to play and catch up on the social, physical, and
emotional skills that they have missed.
(Source: www.onestopenglish.com)

1
Answer the following questions.

1. Based on the text, why was COVID-19 a stressful time for many? (2 marks)

2. What is the best environment for children to learn? (2 marks)

3. How does pandemic delay the development of children’s social skills? (2 marks)

4. Give an example of disadvantages faced by students from less-fortunate

backgrounds? (2 marks)

5. Explain how catch-up sessions can improve children’s learning experience. (2 marks)

6. Match the meanings of words given in the box.

Word Meanings
a. lockdown i. worry
b. anxiety ii. chance
c. play date iii. voluntary
d. optional iv. an official order to control the movement of people
e. opportunity v. a social occasion arranged for children to play together

(1 mark x 5 = 5 marks)
(Total marks = 15 marks)

2
Reading Text B:
The Incredible Reign of Queen Elizabeth II
The media worldwide has brought us the sad news that Queen Elizabeth II, the
longest reigning monarch in British history, has passed peacefully on 8 September 2022
at the age of 96. A large crowd gathered outside the gates of Buckingham Palace and
country leaders from around the world publicly shared their condolences on the passing.
Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor was born on 21 April 1926 to Prince Albert,
the Duke of York. Her father later ascended the throne and went with the name King
George IV. Elizabeth fell in love with and married Prince Philip of Greece, a naval officer.
When she was 25, her father died of lung cancer, and she ascended the throne. She
later said, “My father died much too young so it was all a very sudden kind of taking on
and making the best job you can.” Her coronation was in June 1953.
The early years of her reign were difficult, and in the 1960s she was involved in a
political disagreement when a new leader had to be chosen. Previously, the English
royals was referred to as ‘the Monarchy’ but it sounds very serious and uptight, and
Buckingham Palace decided it was important to change that. A new name was chosen:
‘the Royal Family’, and BBC made a film about the Queen’s family life. With millions
seeing the Royal Family as ‘ordinary’ people, they won the public’s affection. While
trying to win the support of the public, the young monarch had to stay strong throughout
some difficult events around the time. The year 1960s saw the sharp raise of the
violence in Northern Ireland. This personally affected the Royal Family when Prince
Philip’s uncle, Lord Louis Mountbatten, was killed by the Irish Republican Army (IRA)
during a fishing trip with his family.
Nevertheless, the Queen always persevered through all these difficult events and
remained silent about any details of her family’s private lives. But in 1992, her children’s
marriages were not going well, and this was all over newspapers internationally. In the
same year, there was a fire at one of the Queen’s homes – Windsor Castle – and some
people thought strongly that the Queen (and not taxpayers) had to pay for the repairs.
The Royal Family had to deal with great sadness again in 1997 when Princess Diana
died in a car accident.
The British monarchy extends to other countries as well. Queen Elizabeth II was
the Head of the Commonwealth that has 56 member states, most of which are former
British colonies. The Queen always showed a lot of love for the Commonwealth and
knew African leaders well. Since her death, the office of the Head of the Commonwealth
is vacant until further notice.
(Source: www.onestopenglish.com)

3
Answer the following questions.

1. What is the sad news shared by the media about Queen Elizabeth II? (2 marks)

2. When was Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation day? (2 marks)

3. Prior to ‘the Royal Family’, how did people refer to the English royals? (2 marks)

4. What happened in Ireland that has personally affected the Royal Family? (2 marks)

5. What was the position held by Queen Elizabeth II in the Commonwealth? (2 marks)

6. Match the meanings of words given in the box.

Word Meanings
a. ascended i. empty
b. reign ii. climb
c. affection iii. a person who pays taxes
d. taxpayer iv. a gentle feeling of liking
e. vacant v. the period of rule of a monarch

(1 mark x 5 = 5 marks)
(Total marks = 15 marks)